CRA MEETING
THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016
9:00 A.M.
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>>YVONNE CAPIN: Let's begin the CRA meeting.
09:03:58 Who has the invocation?
09:04:04 Excuse me, but is the person that's supposed to do
09:04:19 the invocation here this morning?
09:04:22 Our Councilwoman is not here yet.
09:04:24 We want to begin.
09:04:26 She's stuck in traffic.
09:04:28 We'll start with the invocation.
09:04:34 And please stand for the invocation and then the
09:04:36 Pledge of Allegiance.
09:04:37 Thank you.
09:04:37 Please state your name.
09:04:45 I don't know your information.
09:04:46 >> Tony Kyllonen from Crossover Church.
09:04:51 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
09:04:52 >> God, we come before you today.
09:04:54 We thank you for this meeting.
09:04:56 We thank you for the leaders.
09:04:58 We pray today that you give them wisdom and
09:05:00 guidance as they make decisions that will please
09:05:02 you.
09:05:03 God, we thank you for a city that is so diverse.
09:05:05 God, we pray for people in our city right now that
09:05:08 might be broken or hurting.
09:05:09 We pray that you'll give them peace.
09:05:11 And go, we thank you today for the rebuilding that
09:05:13 you've been doing, the turnaround that's been
09:05:15 happening in Tampa that we can celebrate and say
09:05:18 things like "we built this."
09:05:21 Help us not to forget that we did it with your
09:05:23 help.
09:05:24 For that we're grateful.
09:05:24 We pray today that you bless our leaders, bless
09:05:27 this meeting and bless our city.
09:05:29 In your name, amen.
09:05:30 [Pledge of Allegiance]
09:05:44 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Roll call.
09:05:50 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Here.
09:05:57 >>FRANK REDDICK: Here.
09:06:04 >>HARRY COHEN: Here.
09:06:04 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Here.
09:06:07 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Here.
09:06:08 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Present.
09:06:10 We'll start with our staff report, monthly report
09:06:12 from the CAC representative.
09:06:14 >> Good morning.
09:06:15 As we traditionally do, we have a chairperson from
09:06:18 one of our CACs.
09:06:20 We have Shanna Drwiega this morning from Tampa
09:06:25 Heights.
09:06:26 She is going to be giving an update on what's
09:06:28 going on within that CRA.
09:06:30 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
09:06:35 >> Thank you.
09:06:36 Good morning, board members.
09:06:37 Thank you for taking the time to hear our update
09:06:40 this morning.
09:06:40 I have about four items I'd like to update you on
09:06:44 for our CAC.
09:06:45 The first item being the recruitment process.
09:06:48 We had two rounds, but we had some excellent
09:06:52 candidates in the end.
09:06:54 And one is being appointed today.
09:06:56 That's Mr. Fred Henry.
09:06:57 Number two, we have a new member CAC orientation
09:07:02 that will take place on April 22nd.
09:07:05 The third item I want to update you on is in
09:07:08 regards to the SoHo capital development going on
09:07:10 in the CAC.
09:07:11 There are four items in that update.
09:07:15 Carl apartments is the first one.
09:07:19 That is a new apartment building that will be at
09:07:20 the corner of Ola and Palm, and it will contain
09:07:25 right now approximately 317 units, and the
09:07:28 developer is in the permitting stages, and they
09:07:31 expect to break ground in June 2016.
09:07:34 They also mentioned there is some retail on the
09:07:37 ground floor about 30,000 square feet, so that
09:07:40 will be exciting to see.
09:07:41 Civil infrastructure, that being utilities, that
09:07:43 is in the bid process.
09:07:45 They actually intend to start the infrastructure
09:07:48 work anytime now.
09:07:50 Scheduled for April.
09:07:51 We expect to see that start.
09:07:52 The armature work building, they are doing the
09:07:57 renovations which are going to take approximately
09:08:00 six months.
09:08:01 That's also in the permitting stages which will
09:08:03 take about one to two more months to complete.
09:08:06 The Riverwalk, finally this is the last update for
09:08:09 the SoHo capital.
09:08:10 They expect to be complete with the work by the
09:08:13 end of the year, and permitting is planned to
09:08:16 begin in the next month or so, and we're
09:08:18 definitely excited about getting that seawall
09:08:21 completed and seeing the progress of the Riverwalk
09:08:24 development that is connecting water works park to
09:08:28 the rest of downtown.
09:08:29 That's really going to be an awesome benefit to
09:08:31 our neighborhood.
09:08:32 Finally, my last update is regarding myself.
09:08:35 I was selected as the new chair after serving as
09:08:39 the co-chair for about a year.
09:08:41 Those are all of my updates.
09:08:44 Do you have any questions for me?
09:08:47 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
09:08:47 Any questions?
09:08:48 Exciting times.
09:08:49 >> It is.
09:08:49 We're definitely looking forward to seeing the
09:08:51 progress and being able to access downtown more
09:08:54 readily on our bikes and walking.
09:08:57 It will be great.
09:09:03 >>HARRY COHEN: Congratulations on being the chair.
09:09:06 >> Thank you.
09:09:09 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Monthly report, bob McDonaugh.
09:09:13 >>BOB McDONAUGH: Here I am.
09:09:14 Just folks out there, if you haven't seen it yet,
09:09:18 "Creative Loafing" has a new issue out
09:09:21 highlighting Ybor City and a lot of the things
09:09:22 going on in our CRA.
09:09:24 So I recommend picking up a copy.
09:09:25 Our lightning won last night, so we have -- there
09:09:31 will be a little traffic alert for Friday because
09:09:33 there is another game on Friday as well as four
09:09:35 events at the Straz, which includes a comedy show
09:09:40 and the Florida orchestra.
09:09:41 Friday night promises to be a busy night downtown.
09:09:44 She stole some of my --
09:09:49 >> So I saw a preview last night of what the
09:09:52 Florida orchestra is performing this weekend at
09:09:55 the Straz Center, and it is something really,
09:09:59 really extraordinary and special, and I urge
09:10:01 people to go out and see it.
09:10:03 I think it's Friday night.
09:10:05 >>BOB McDONAUGH: It is, correct.
09:10:08 Friday night at I believe 8:00.
09:10:11 >>HARRY COHEN: Thank you.
09:10:14 >>BOB McDONAUGH: There are actually four separate
09:10:16 shows going on at the Straz that night.
09:10:18 So it's going to be a very busy time.
09:10:20 Saturday night, we have movies being shown at
09:10:24 Water Works Park, as long as we're talking about
09:10:26 the park, and as Shanna was talking about, SoHo
09:10:32 capital now has submitted plans to the city for
09:10:34 everything -- infrastructure, roadways, an
09:10:37 apartment complex, the rebuilding of the trolley
09:10:40 barn as well as they will be submitting plans
09:10:43 shortly for a parking garage as well.
09:10:45 So we will see that project, which we've been long
09:10:48 awaiting, rising out of the ground this summer.
09:10:50 I saw several of you last weekend at festa Italia.
09:10:55 The Mayor likes to say that everybody is Irish for
09:10:59 St. Patrick's day.
09:11:00 Well, everybody is Italian for festa because I
09:11:03 think half the town turned out for it.
09:11:05 It was a great celebration.
09:11:07 At 7:30, we have two runs this weekend in Ybor.
09:11:12 7:30 a.m. Saturday is the 15th annual race for
09:11:17 sight.
09:11:17 If you don't feel like getting up that early, the
09:11:19 next day, from 2 to 9, we have the American Cancer
09:11:22 Society race for life.
09:11:26 36 teams, 126 participants.
09:11:28 And starting point is the Cuban club.
09:11:31 So a big event for Ybor.
09:11:33 In the Channel District, a very -- downtown and
09:11:35 the Channel District, we have very important
09:11:37 business to talk about today, which is the shuttle
09:11:40 program.
09:11:41 Rob Rosner will be detailing that for you.
09:11:45 Working on a lot of infrastructure there.
09:11:46 We also are coming to you today for the contract
09:11:49 to do a new lift station, and we're also working
09:11:52 with the community about some more sidewalk
09:11:55 projects, which will be coming soon.
09:11:58 Probably the biggest news out of East Tampa is
09:12:00 that light is now functioning in front of the
09:12:03 Tampa festival center.
09:12:05 Again, offering a safe haven for people trying to
09:12:08 get across Hillsborough Avenue.
09:12:10 I know we have a very full agenda today, so I
09:12:12 wanted to keep this update as short as possible.
09:12:15 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you for the report.
09:12:16 We have CRA staff and contract administration
09:12:26 staff to provide a report on the CRA
09:12:29 apprenticeship policy for construction contracts.
09:12:32 >>BOB McDONAUGH: Yes.
09:12:32 I'm happy to announce that the contract that will
09:12:35 be coming to you later today for the building of
09:12:39 the sewer project and the Channel District, that
09:12:43 the electrician -- make sure I say this
09:12:49 correctly -- they are a member of the
09:12:50 international electrical contractors association.
09:12:53 They do have an apprenticeship program, and they
09:12:56 will be using apprentices on this project.
09:12:59 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Excellent.
09:12:59 >>BOB McDONAUGH: This is the first one we're
09:13:01 bringing to you.
09:13:02 Yes, we are able to have an apprentice with them.
09:13:05 So I'm happy to announce that.
09:13:12 >>MIKE SUAREZ: Mr. McDonaugh, how much is that
09:13:14 contract for roughly?
09:13:16 >>BOB McDONAUGH: About a million four.
09:13:18 >>MIKE SUAREZ: And I think that has part of our
09:13:20 rules --
09:13:21 >>BOB McDONAUGH: We're hoping for 20%.
09:13:23 We have not gotten a complete breakdown.
09:13:25 The bulk of this contract is for the purchase of
09:13:27 the equipment.
09:13:29 There's some contract work -- excuse me, concrete
09:13:32 work.
09:13:32 Obviously backhoe work and electrical work to put
09:13:35 it all together.
09:13:36 So when they are doing their -- probably by the
09:13:39 next meeting, when we have a notice to proceed,
09:13:42 they will have a breakdown of exactly how much the
09:13:44 electrical contract, and I'll be able to tell you
09:13:49 exactly in dollars.
09:13:51 >>MIKE SUAREZ: Thank you.
09:13:52 I appreciate that.
09:13:53 When we finish discussion, I'd like to make a
09:13:55 motion that you come back -- would it be the next
09:13:58 CRA meeting or the one after?
09:13:59 >>BOB McDONAUGH: I'm hopeful that by next month I
09:14:02 will have that information.
09:14:03 >>MIKE SUAREZ: Okay.
09:14:04 I'll make that motion for the next CRA meeting
09:14:06 that Mr. McDonaugh would report back to us as to
09:14:11 the number of apprentices a part of the contract.
09:14:13 That is my motion, ma'am.
09:14:15 >> Second.
09:14:15 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
09:14:16 Motion by Councilman Suarez.
09:14:18 Seconded by Councilwoman Montelione.
09:14:21 All in favor.
09:14:22 Passes unanimously.
09:14:23 Ms. Montelione, you wanted to speak?
09:14:26 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Yes.
09:14:27 Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
09:14:28 The way that the agenda item is stated, it says
09:14:32 provide a report on the progress of CRA
09:14:35 apprenticeship policy for construction contract.
09:14:38 While we discussed what the policy would be, could
09:14:41 we get a copy in a policy manual?
09:14:46 Is it in a best practices manual?
09:14:49 Where is that policy explicitly stated?
09:14:53 >> On March the 12th, 2015, you passed a policy.
09:14:57 I can get a copy for you.
09:14:58 It was handed out at that time.
09:15:00 Known as CRA policy number 1.
09:15:02 [ LAUGHTER ]
09:15:03 I have a copy for you.
09:15:08 >>LISA MONTELIONE: We discuss policies here, and
09:15:10 we pass motions, but sometimes we don't actually
09:15:13 get the printed policy back to us.
09:15:17 So I would like to have that as soon as possible
09:15:19 so we can see in black and white what the policy
09:15:24 actually states.
09:15:24 Thank you very much.
09:15:29 >>YVONNE CAPIN: I'm very pleased.
09:15:31 I had an apprenticeship in my business.
09:15:34 It is an excellent way of getting people trained
09:15:36 into these very specific jobs that we need done.
09:15:39 So thank you for that.
09:15:40 We have the Florida department of transportation,
09:15:45 Roger Rosco.
09:15:51 >> Unfortunately, I am not Roger Rosco.
09:15:53 Roger is in Dallas, but I'm ed McKinney with the
09:15:57 Florida department of transportation.
09:15:59 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
09:16:00 >> And thank you for allowing us to come present
09:16:02 to you today.
09:16:03 A motion was made for the department to come
09:16:07 address four specific questions.
09:16:10 One was related to an article that Mr. Rick
09:16:13 Fernandez had published related, and there was a
09:16:16 reference to congestion pricing.
09:16:18 The Councilwoman had asked us to come speak to the
09:16:21 CRA and maybe explain a specific question that he
09:16:24 had raised in that.
09:16:26 We're also going to discuss one of the other items
09:16:29 was impact to properties, relocation of residents.
09:16:34 I have our resident expert on our right-of-way
09:16:38 relocation process.
09:16:40 Zenia Gallo.
09:16:42 She'll come up and explain a little bit about the
09:16:44 process.
09:16:44 We have some handouts that we'll leave with you as
09:16:47 reference guides.
09:16:48 So a lot of information, but it will give you a
09:16:50 reference guide for you to use if you're talking
09:16:53 to constituents or other individuals.
09:16:55 And then the fourth question had to do with
09:16:58 right-of-way funding, and I'll cover that briefly
09:17:00 and explain why there was a difference in the
09:17:03 right-of-way funding from what the -- it was a
09:17:06 reference of a 21 million.
09:17:08 I'm not sure where that number came from, but I
09:17:11 can tell you what was in the October 15 work
09:17:13 document program presented to the MPO and what we
09:17:16 have programmed today that we'll present at the
09:17:18 June 22nd MPO meeting as well.
09:17:20 And I'll explain those differences.
09:17:22 So the first item is the pricing report.
09:17:27 So we looked at the document, and we actually
09:17:31 talked to the author, Patrick, a federal highway
09:17:34 employee, who wrote the document.
09:17:36 And there is a lot of other documents that go
09:17:38 along with it.
09:17:39 But my references all stayed within that document
09:17:42 since that was the reference in the article by
09:17:44 Mr. Fernandez.
09:17:44 The document was prepared by federal highway in
09:17:48 2006.
09:17:49 It focused on growing concerns with the cost of
09:17:51 congestion management -- or congestion in metro
09:17:55 areas.
09:17:56 And it suggested a congestion pricing or a value
09:17:59 pricing as a sustainable way to manage congestion.
09:18:02 In addition, federal and state policy encourages
09:18:04 the use of dynamically priced lanes.
09:18:08 So there's references in the actual document
09:18:20 itself.
09:18:20 Unfortunately, I don't have all the printed
09:18:24 documents.
09:18:24 I have the report here.
09:18:25 Within the document itself it encourages the use
09:18:27 of congestion pricing as a way to encourage states
09:18:31 to maximize lanes.
09:18:33 It talks about both HOV because it was written, as
09:18:37 I said, it was written some time ago.
09:18:40 It includes the discussion of HOV.
09:18:41 The state of Florida, we studied HOV as a
09:18:47 possibility.
09:18:47 The original TIS document, HOV was part of that
09:18:51 study.
09:18:52 Unfortunately, what we discovered, like in Orlando
09:18:54 and in the Miami area, it's an -- it's impossible
09:18:57 to enforce.
09:18:59 It requires a large amount of law enforcement
09:19:02 resources that the state was paying for.
09:19:04 So the state abandoned that practice and went to a
09:19:07 congestion pricing model, which is what we're
09:19:10 proposing on the Tampa Bay express project.
09:19:12 So what the primer discusses is exactly that.
09:19:15 It discusses the differences between HOV and the
09:19:20 positive aspects of HOV, and it also discusses the
09:19:24 use of congestion pricing as a way to manage
09:19:28 pricing.
09:19:28 It talks about variable pricing.
09:19:33 >>HARRY COHEN: Are you going to be leaving these
09:19:35 materials?
09:19:35 >> I can leave this primer document with you.
09:19:37 Absolutely.
09:19:37 >>HARRY COHEN: Okay.
09:19:39 So because this is a staff report, and it's not
09:19:44 going to go on forever, it's important that the
09:19:49 backup and details of all of this be provided to
09:19:51 us so we can look at it more closely.
09:19:54 >> Let me do that.
09:19:55 I'll leave the document with you.
09:19:57 >>HARRY COHEN: Not to stop your presentation.
09:19:58 >> No, not at all.
09:20:00 I wasn't sure how much detail you wanted.
09:20:03 I wanted to make sure I provided enough
09:20:05 information.
09:20:06 I'm going to leave some time for Zenia to get up
09:20:10 here and talk about the relocation process.
09:20:13 I think that was something the Councilwoman was
09:20:15 concerned about.
09:20:16 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Excuse me.
09:20:17 One more question.
09:20:18 Ms. Montelione.
09:20:18 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Thank you.
09:20:19 About the HOV, because that's something that I am
09:20:23 also a fan of, because if you want to reduce the
09:20:29 congestion, you want to take cars off the road.
09:20:34 And the managed lanes don't provide for taking
09:20:36 cars off the road.
09:20:37 They just charge them more for using that lane.
09:20:43 It was a presumption they are going to go faster,
09:20:46 which isn't always the case because managed
09:20:49 pricing, the more cars that are in that lane, the
09:20:52 higher the price goes because you want to get
09:20:54 people off that lane.
09:20:55 It's not that you're taking cars off the road,
09:20:57 you're shifting them from the regular travel lanes
09:21:00 to the managed price lane.
09:21:02 >> Correct.
09:21:03 >>LISA MONTELIONE: The toll lanes.
09:21:05 >> Correct.
09:21:05 >>LISA MONTELIONE: So I think that I do want to
09:21:09 see more information on what the statement is that
09:21:12 HOV lanes are impossible to enforce, because they
09:21:16 are used in a lot of other parts of the country.
09:21:18 And if in other parts of the country they have
09:21:22 been using them for, in some places, decades, and
09:21:27 they don't seem to have a problem enforcing it, we
09:21:31 have the camera technology now that we know when
09:21:33 people get a ticket with a red light camera, it
09:21:37 shows the car, and it shows how many people are in
09:21:41 the car.
09:21:42 I mean, you can clearly see with today's
09:21:45 technology who the person is behind the wheel and
09:21:49 whether or not the passenger seat is empty.
09:21:51 Depending on what the study is that you have that
09:21:56 says HOV lanes are impossible to enforce and that
09:22:02 it's not a strategy that works, how old is that
09:22:05 study?
09:22:05 And does it account for the modern technology of
09:22:09 the use of cameras and ticketing based on what the
09:22:13 camera shows?
09:22:13 Because if you plant cameras along those lanes at
09:22:18 different intervals and it, you know, has the
09:22:22 ability to snap a snapshot of the car, front and
09:22:25 rear, because in Florida we don't have front
09:22:28 license plates, so you would have to get front and
09:22:31 rear in order to ticket a vehicle, I think that it
09:22:34 could be, at least logically speaking, it seems it
09:22:39 could be more easily enforced today than maybe it
09:22:42 was 10 or 20 years ago when we didn't have this
09:22:46 camera technology that we have today.
09:22:47 The question is how old is the study that you're
09:22:51 referencing?
09:22:52 >> Well, it's probably more related to the
09:22:56 conversion of the managed lanes in Miami, why they
09:22:58 converted those from HOV to congestion pricing or
09:23:02 value pricing lanes.
09:23:03 But I can provide that information to you.
09:23:05 I don't have that readily handy, so I can't speak
09:23:10 to it, but I can provide that information.
09:23:12 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Well, I guess maybe educate me
09:23:15 if I'm mistaken, but the managed lane concept in
09:23:20 Florida was largely based on former F.D.O.T.
09:23:25 Secretary Ananth Prasad saying that capacity needs
09:23:30 to be built on toll lanes, not on any other, you
09:23:35 know, type of expansion of interstates.
09:23:37 >> Well, what he said was, when adding capacities
09:23:40 to existing infrastructure, tolls will be
09:23:43 considered.
09:23:43 So that's part of the evaluation process that we
09:23:46 look at.
09:23:47 We look at tolls as a consideration.
09:23:49 We don't look at tolls as the solution.
09:23:52 It has to be part of the evaluation.
09:23:54 Has to be feasible.
09:23:57 >>LISA MONTELIONE: The lanes in Miami in place
09:24:00 before the policy came out?
09:24:02 >> The HOV lanes?
09:24:03 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Yes.
09:24:04 >> I believe they were, yes.
09:24:05 >>LISA MONTELIONE: And is there -- is that part of
09:24:08 the study that gives the reason and the actual --
09:24:18 I can't think of the word -- idea behind switching
09:24:24 them from HOV to managed lanes?
09:24:27 I mean, the premise and the justification,
09:24:30 methodology is the word I was looking for.
09:24:32 >> The study looked at the enforcement of it.
09:24:35 We don't use cameras to enforce traffic, as a
09:24:39 traffic enforcement method.
09:24:41 >>LISA MONTELIONE: You use cameras to enforce
09:24:44 whether or not you pay the toll.
09:24:45 I mean, in so many places we don't even have
09:24:48 people in a toll booth anymore.
09:24:51 We do use cameras as enforcement on our roadways.
09:24:57 If you have a sun pass and not placed on your
09:25:00 window and not properly working or you don't have
09:25:02 one to start with and you get in the toll lane,
09:25:06 it's certainly enforced.
09:25:08 >> I'll have to provide that you information.
09:25:10 I was not prepared today to go in an in-depth
09:25:13 discussion on HOV.
09:25:17 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Maybe somebody else.
09:25:18 >> Amy Nedringhaus with F.D.O.T. as well.
09:25:21 If that's okay.
09:25:23 I spent a little more time with our Miami office.
09:25:28 What they had explained to us when we were looking
09:25:33 into this concept for the Tampa area was that HOV
09:25:37 lanes that they had were not being utilized.
09:25:39 So in a lot of cases, it was just some vacant
09:25:43 pavement that wasn't being utilized which was
09:25:46 disconcerting to a lot of drivers that there was
09:25:49 asphalt over there that they couldn't access.
09:25:52 The hope that people would car pool wasn't
09:25:54 necessarily what was happening.
09:25:57 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Well, I would say the
09:25:59 demographics in Miami are a little different than
09:26:01 the demographics here.
09:26:03 It's possible that there wasn't an understanding
09:26:06 by the public in Miami of what the HOV actually
09:26:13 meant.
09:26:13 I mean, I've spent -- most of us have spent some
09:26:17 time in Miami, and I can tell you from experience,
09:26:19 there is a little bit of a language barrier
09:26:23 between what HOV might actually stand for.
09:26:27 Councilwoman Capin -- the Spanish speakers here
09:26:32 can maybe come up with a few other things.
09:26:35 >>YVONNE CAPIN: There is no language barrier.
09:26:37 They just don't follow the rules in Miami.
09:26:39 I'm sorry.
09:26:40 Tampa is just like Miami, only better.
09:26:44 >>LISA MONTELIONE: -- other than high occupancy
09:26:46 vehicle in another language.
09:26:48 I'm not sure that apples to apples or oranges to
09:26:51 oranges comparison between, you know, the west
09:26:54 coast of Florida and the southeast coast of
09:26:56 Florida.
09:26:58 >> There were similar observations in Orlando,
09:27:01 because if you recall, Orlando had HOV at one
09:27:04 time.
09:27:05 But we'll provide some additional information.
09:27:07 >>LISA MONTELIONE: That would be wonderful.
09:27:09 Thank you very much.
09:27:10 >> Real quick, before Zenia comes up, because I
09:27:13 know I'm running out of time, there was question
09:27:15 about the funding for right-of-way.
09:27:17 I don't know where the $21 million that was
09:27:20 referenced in what you had originally asked.
09:27:28 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I think those of us on the MPO
09:27:30 know.
09:27:30 In the funding document, which I have in my
09:27:39 office.
09:27:39 I don't have it here.
09:27:40 As the budget was approved by the state of Florida
09:27:43 in this past legislative session and signed by the
09:27:46 governor, that amount of money was approved for
09:27:49 the 2016-17 fiscal year for acquisition of
09:27:53 property.
09:27:54 It's on the charts for TBX in the matrix.
09:28:03 >>HARRY COHEN: My understanding is that that is
09:28:05 not condemnations.
09:28:07 It's only voluntary transactions in the coming
09:28:12 fiscal year.
09:28:13 >>LISA MONTELIONE: That's what I understand as
09:28:14 well.
09:28:15 So that's where that number comes from.
09:28:16 The actual funding document.
09:28:19 >> Let me bring Zenia Gallo up here to talk about
09:28:22 the relocation process.
09:28:23 The Councilwoman also asked that we address that
09:28:25 as well.
09:28:31 >> Good morning.
09:28:32 Zenia Gallo, senior right-of-way agent with the
09:28:35 D.O.T.
09:28:36 I'm also project manager.
09:28:38 In the almost 20 years that I have been there, I
09:28:40 have always done relocation work under the Uniform
09:28:45 Location Act.
09:28:46 It's a little monster to understand sometimes, but
09:28:51 it's really not all that difficult.
09:28:53 The Uniform Relocation Act of 1970 was established
09:28:57 to provide benefits and entitlements to those
09:29:01 individuals that were being affected by taking
09:29:06 under eminent domain or voluntary acquisitions.
09:29:10 At the district 7 office, we used the uniform
09:29:15 relocation act anytime that we acquire any
09:29:18 property that has a residence either occupied by a
09:29:22 tenant, occupied by the owner.
09:29:28 Anytime we obtain commercial property that may
09:29:30 have a business that may be a tenant business or
09:29:34 owner-owned business, or in the cases where
09:29:36 someone has personal property that only needs to
09:29:38 be moved from a slight place.
09:29:42 Let's say we buy a little front strip taking, but
09:29:45 there's something along the front and it needs to
09:29:46 be moved.
09:29:47 Well, we compensate the owner of that property to
09:29:50 move that.
09:29:51 That's called a personal property move only.
09:29:54 We brought brochures to kind of explain that a
09:29:57 little bit.
09:29:57 But I want to give you a little bit of information
09:30:01 with not only the rules itself which are
09:30:03 entitlements.
09:30:04 They are not an adversarial where I can negotiate
09:30:10 anything.
09:30:10 They are set by federal law.
09:30:12 By saying that, it puts me in a situation where I
09:30:17 am an advisory service provider to the person
09:30:19 being affected.
09:30:21 I must, under the law, make sure that they receive
09:30:24 all of the benefits that they are entitled to.
09:30:27 I can't pick and choose, and I can't provide
09:30:30 any -- what they are entitled to.
09:30:32 It's really quite unique.
09:30:34 It puts us in a face-to-face, one-on-one situation
09:30:37 with a fee owner or the tenants in explaining the
09:30:41 program and providing the benefits to them.
09:30:43 I'm going to explain that along the area, the TBX,
09:30:48 we have identified properties that are
09:30:49 residential, owned and occupied by the fee owner,
09:30:56 residential, owned by a business or a personal,
09:31:00 individual owner and occupied by a tenant.
09:31:03 The same thing with business properties.
09:31:04 So they would fall under all of the categories
09:31:06 that are covered under the uniform act.
09:31:08 Recently, I have had experience with a large
09:31:12 project in the area that is in the City of Tampa,
09:31:16 which is the Tampa Presbyterian village.
09:31:20 Doing that project, we encountered a lot of
09:31:23 different situations.
09:31:24 Although we did have some hurdles to overcome, I
09:31:27 think that the success of the project largely
09:31:30 speaks for the benefits that were obtained by the
09:31:34 property owners.
09:31:35 When we go to acquire property, first of all, the
09:31:39 D.O.T. must do the title search.
09:31:41 Then we go through the appraisal process where we
09:31:44 appraise the property based on comparable sales in
09:31:46 the area.
09:31:47 Once that comes, and that appraisal is reviewed,
09:31:51 an acquisition agent formulates an offer, a first
09:31:55 offer, to the property owner that is submitted
09:31:58 based on the appraisal for the full amount of the
09:32:01 appraisal.
09:32:02 There is some negotiation room.
09:32:08 That's a little bit different than relocation
09:32:08 because the acquisition agent can negotiate.
09:32:10 We can try to justify what the owner feels that
09:32:13 their property is worth and what our appraiser
09:32:16 says it is.
09:32:17 Unfortunately, appraisal is not a science.
09:32:23 All of us here could go out and appraise a piece
09:32:26 of property, maybe come up with a different value.
09:32:28 So we understand the owner's perspective, and we
09:32:31 understand that their value may be within reason
09:32:35 correct, just like our appraiser was.
09:32:37 Once that negotiation goes into place,
09:32:39 simultaneously the relocation agent, myself, or
09:32:42 another agent within D.O.T. makes a tremendous
09:32:46 amount of personal contact with the person being
09:32:49 affected.
09:32:49 Why?
09:32:52 Because we must establish all of their needs.
09:32:54 We look at things that you might not even
09:32:57 consider, such as, do they use the bus regularly?
09:33:00 Do they need to be in a particular bus route?
09:33:02 Maybe I have a Jewish family that needs to walk to
09:33:04 the synagogue on Saturday.
09:33:06 How far away are they going to be able to move
09:33:08 from where they currently are?
09:33:10 We look at things, medical needs.
09:33:14 One of the apartments where I recently moved a
09:33:16 family, the young boy that lived in the apartment
09:33:19 has a severe allergy condition.
09:33:23 The apartment that they chose to move to had
09:33:25 carpet.
09:33:26 And we had to go in, D.O.T. paid for all of the
09:33:29 carpet to be removed and for new vinyl tile to be
09:33:32 installed.
09:33:33 Those are some of the things that we do to make
09:33:35 this property, decent, safe and sanitary for this
09:33:39 particular family.
09:33:40 We provide the family with a rental assistance
09:33:44 payment.
09:33:44 Under the relocation program, if an individual, we
09:33:49 establish -- their current rent and utilities at
09:33:53 their subject property, then we go into the
09:33:55 market, into the surrounding market and into their
09:33:58 needs based on where they wish to relocate within
09:34:01 the area of the subject property, locate another
09:34:04 property that's comparable and look at their rent
09:34:07 and utilities and the difference that they have
09:34:11 there.
09:34:13 We calculate times 42 months.
09:34:16 42 months and we determine a payment for the
09:34:19 tenant.
09:34:19 That's why in some of the newspaper articles that
09:34:22 have recently come out, you see where some
09:34:24 individuals receive $38,000.
09:34:26 Maybe 68, 70 thousand dollars.
09:34:29 Yes, that is true.
09:34:31 They could be paying little or no rent.
09:34:34 We look to see whether they are a section 8
09:34:37 individual and they have a voucher.
09:34:38 We assist them.
09:34:39 We make sure that they do not lose their section 8
09:34:42 voucher.
09:34:43 Why?
09:34:44 Because section 8 has been closed for many, many
09:34:47 years.
09:34:47 In the list that they have right now, probably has
09:34:50 a six- to seven-year waiting list.
09:34:52 It is our duty to make sure that this family is
09:34:55 relocated into a section 8 house.
09:34:57 Or an apartment, whatever they choose to go to.
09:35:02 We also work with the owners one on one.
09:35:04 Lots of personal contacts.
09:35:07 It's likely that I could have 30, 40 contacts with
09:35:10 an individual owner during the process of locating
09:35:13 property for them.
09:35:14 We look to see the value that D.O.T. is paying for
09:35:17 their home and what it's going to take to replace
09:35:19 that home somewhere else.
09:35:21 And I grew up in West Tampa.
09:35:23 And for a while, my parents and my brother and I,
09:35:26 we had a two-bedroom house.
09:35:28 My brother was little, we shared a bedroom.
09:35:31 Well, under decent, safe and sanitary standards,
09:35:35 we have to look to see what the ages are.
09:35:38 They are not little toddlers anymore.
09:35:40 They do not share a bedroom.
09:35:42 Even though the owner might have had their son and
09:35:44 daughter in a bedroom, when I go look at
09:35:46 comparable property, I have to look for a
09:35:48 three-bedroom house to make sure.
09:35:50 So we may have to up what we pay this person under
09:35:53 purchase additive.
09:35:54 Not only are they receiving the appraised value
09:35:57 for their property or the negotiated amount,
09:35:59 whatever we may negotiate with them, but any
09:36:02 difference when I go out in the market to find
09:36:05 replacement property, we pay it to them in cash to
09:36:09 assist them to buy another property.
09:36:10 We pay closing costs for the individuals that we
09:36:12 relocate, and we pay move costs based either on a
09:36:19 schedule -- or on a commercial move.
09:36:25 >>FRANK REDDICK: Thank you, Madam Chair.
09:36:27 How many residential families as well as
09:36:29 commercial businesses will be affected by this?
09:36:32 >> This project has approximately -- probably
09:36:38 about 140 families or about 33 businesses, I
09:36:44 believe.
09:36:44 >>FRANK REDDICK: The reason I say that, because
09:36:48 you're standing before us this morning and you're
09:36:53 giving all of these personal testimony stories,
09:36:56 and it all deals with money.
09:36:59 If you move someone, they should be happy -- what
09:37:06 do you say about the people sitting there and
09:37:07 living in their homes for 15, 20, 30 years who
09:37:11 have invested a lot of money in their home and all
09:37:16 of a sudden they can be moved even by eminent
09:37:20 domain or forced out because you want to put a
09:37:23 toll lane?
09:37:25 Did you have any passion?
09:37:27 >> Do I have the passion?
09:37:28 >>FRANK REDDICK: For those people?
09:37:31 Because I grew up in West Tampa, they put an
09:37:37 interstate through my neighborhood and it was not
09:37:41 nice.
09:37:41 And here I see what is happening now.
09:37:45 You're relocating people.
09:37:46 And you talk about people at Presbyterian, poor,
09:37:52 low-income people.
09:37:53 Even though you can put tile on the floor and
09:38:01 remove the carpet, what about the psychological
09:38:03 effect on these families?
09:38:05 No one is talking about these elements.
09:38:07 So I don't want to hear about all of this money
09:38:11 talk because this is more important than just the
09:38:16 money talk.
09:38:17 If you have relatives that might stay three blocks
09:38:21 away and they move into that neighborhood to be
09:38:23 close to their family and now you have one segment
09:38:27 of that family going to be displaced then you
09:38:32 don't have -- you have a divided family instead of
09:38:35 a family that was close-knit because they want to
09:38:39 live close to each other.
09:38:41 I don't know if the D.O.T. is thinking about all
09:38:43 these things, but to stand here and put so much
09:38:48 emphasis on, they are going to get money, somebody
09:38:51 might get $30,000.
09:38:53 Somebody might get this.
09:38:54 Somebody might get that.
09:38:56 That's not important.
09:38:57 What's important is that you are dividing
09:39:02 families.
09:39:02 What's important, you're taking away businesses
09:39:05 who have been established in those communities for
09:39:08 years.
09:39:08 You're taking that away.
09:39:13 I understand the urban planning, the urban
09:39:15 development, you can say all those things, but
09:39:18 you've got to think about the personal sacrifice
09:39:20 these families are making.
09:39:21 I hope D.O.T. would give consideration, because it
09:39:31 bother me to hear that they displace a lot of
09:39:36 people just to put a baseball team in place.
09:39:39 Now you want to displace a lot of people just to
09:39:43 put toll lanes.
09:39:45 What I hear, it's not going to reduce traffic.
09:39:47 I hope you all give consideration when you make
09:39:49 the decisions.
09:39:51 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
09:39:57 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Thank you, Madam Chair.
09:39:57 I agree everything Mr. Reddick said.
09:40:00 When you look at life, there's a lot of value to
09:40:03 the individual, and the problem that we have today
09:40:06 in society, that everything is based on money, no
09:40:10 matter what it is.
09:40:10 If I don't get this, I'm moving my team to another
09:40:17 city.
09:40:17 Well, get the hell out.
09:40:19 When you look at these things, you realize -- and
09:40:25 again, I'll go back to Frank Reddick and Capin.
09:40:28 Most of us were raised basically in the same type
09:40:31 neighborhoods.
09:40:32 You know, I used to ride bus three -- and this is
09:40:36 no reflection on you personally --
09:40:38 >> No, because we're neighbors.
09:40:39 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I know you've been there 20
09:40:41 years.
09:40:42 You can take the bullets.
09:40:44 But what it's about, it's about life in general
09:40:48 and the quality of life.
09:40:48 We all used to ride a bus, and then in the '50s,
09:40:54 the streetcars disappeared because general motors
09:40:57 says the buses were the things.
09:41:00 So then the buses started disappearing and then
09:41:04 the interstates went through and destroyed all of
09:41:08 Ybor City.
09:41:09 The Hispanics, a lot of Anglos, the blacks, all of
09:41:15 us.
09:41:15 What the hell happened here?
09:41:17 Well, it started with the two lane.
09:41:19 And nobody used it for a little while.
09:41:21 In fact, I remember, look at what we built and
09:41:24 nobody uses it.
09:41:25 Then they went to three lanes.
09:41:27 Now recently it's four lanes.
09:41:29 And as soon as they build them, they become
09:41:32 antiquated because the mind-set of all of us is
09:41:35 the more we have, the more we want.
09:41:38 So more traffic we have, the more cars we buy.
09:41:42 And the problem is, if you were born after '65 or
09:41:47 late '60s, I don't think my grandkids have ever
09:41:51 ridden a bus.
09:41:52 In fact, I don't think my kids have ever ridden a
09:41:55 bus.
09:41:55 I hope that I'm wrong but I don't think I am.
09:41:58 In fact, I don't think I've ridden a bus in 30
09:42:02 years.
09:42:02 I'm not try to be hypocritical.
09:42:06 I'm saying the facts.
09:42:08 I haven't ridden a bus because I have the freedom
09:42:11 of a key to leave and come whenever I want.
09:42:15 I'm also a violator of being what I'm just saying
09:42:18 I shouldn't be.
09:42:19 I ain't speaking for the rest of them.
09:42:21 If I went to the audience, and I'm sure they would
09:42:24 tell me the truth, that's why I'm not going to ask
09:42:26 them, they don't ride a bus on a daily basis.
09:42:30 So that's the problem we have.
09:42:31 If we're going to spend billions of dollars,
09:42:35 billions, not with an M but with a B, why do we
09:42:40 invest those billions of dollars in transportation
09:42:43 in a system that tries to be better than --
09:42:46 [ APPLAUSE ]
09:42:47 >>YVONNE CAPIN: No, no.
09:42:48 [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]
09:42:49 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Don't applaud me because I
09:42:50 don't take anything.
09:42:52 >>YVONNE CAPIN: I appreciate, but we can't do
09:42:53 that.
09:42:54 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I'm used to boos, not applause.
09:42:56 What I'm trying to say is that the whole system is
09:42:59 kind of screwed up.
09:43:01 >> I agree with you.
09:43:02 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: You sit --
09:43:07 >> If I may answer is a couple of the questions
09:43:10 brought up.
09:43:11 Let's be fair.
09:43:12 We always get that D.O.T. is doing the wrong thing
09:43:15 to the citizen.
09:43:16 I was trying to tell you how many benefits there
09:43:19 are to the citizens that unfortunately we affect.
09:43:22 But we have to look at the whole picture.
09:43:24 I was raised, started out on La Salle.
09:43:31 Used to ride my bicycle on 275.
09:43:32 I used to ride from Himes Avenue to the
09:43:36 Hillsborough River when the interstate was being
09:43:38 built.
09:43:39 I grew up on lee Roy and Habana.
09:43:42 Like I said, we're neighbors.
09:43:44 Actually, the home you lived in -- that you live
09:43:47 in or I think you do, belonged to a friend of
09:43:51 mine.
09:43:51 I know the area very well.
09:43:53 I was raised here.
09:43:54 I went to local schools.
09:43:56 I went to Cuesta Elementary.
09:43:59 You talk about the -- this is my community, too.
09:44:03 And the people that we affect -- let me explain
09:44:06 something.
09:44:07 Tampa Presbyterian village, we had 16 families
09:44:10 that never thought they would be able to be
09:44:13 homeowners become homeowners.
09:44:15 One of them bought a house from Mayor Buckhorn's
09:44:18 project in Sulphur Springs and obtained a grant
09:44:21 from the City of Tampa, along with our funds,
09:44:25 moved into a new home in Sulphur Springs, and she
09:44:29 now pays less than she was paying at Tampa
09:44:32 Presbyterian village.
09:44:33 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: No one is saying that you are
09:44:35 bad, evil, not you.
09:44:39 Not that D.O.T. is evil.
09:44:41 I'm saying we have to change the way we think.
09:44:44 That is the expression we're trying to get across.
09:44:46 The whole system, the federal government on down
09:44:49 doesn't think that way anymore.
09:44:51 They can't even pass a bill, agree on nothing.
09:44:54 Even in this presidential debate, no one has
09:44:59 talked about fixing anything.
09:45:01 They just talk about getting mad at each other.
09:45:03 We have to come together in some consensus of what
09:45:05 we want to do.
09:45:06 The time is now.
09:45:07 Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, the rest,
09:45:10 Pinellas, all of us are thinking of something.
09:45:12 If this sales tax doesn't pass, I think that this
09:45:14 city and St. Pete and Clearwater has got to do
09:45:17 something, to create something.
09:45:19 I don't care if it is the choo-choo train, to show
09:45:24 something.
09:45:25 We ain't got a damn thing in anything to fix
09:45:27 anything for 50 years.
09:45:29 And you weren't there 50 years ago.
09:45:31 So I went over --
09:45:33 >> I was there 15 years ago.
09:45:34 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I'm glad you are from West
09:45:36 Tampa.
09:45:37 I'm glasses you know the Sanchez family.
09:45:39 That's who I bought my house from.
09:45:41 We're not against you.
09:45:42 We're with you.
09:45:43 But we're trying to ask you for help to solve our
09:45:45 problem.
09:45:46 >> And we would like to do that as much as we can.
09:45:49 All of us use the local roads.
09:45:54 I believe someone was here because of traffic.
09:45:56 >>YVONNE CAPIN: I got misinformation.
09:45:58 But it does happen.
09:46:01 >> We are all in traffic.
09:46:02 I was in traffic on Hillsborough Avenue.
09:46:04 It was horrible in both directions.
09:46:05 I thought there was an accident.
09:46:07 There was no accident.
09:46:08 That was regular daily traffic.
09:46:09 If we do nothing, it's not going to get better.
09:46:16 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Well, excuse me.
09:46:17 I just came from Salt Lake City this week.
09:46:23 They have a light rail that is incredible.
09:46:25 They did something.
09:46:28 There's something besides roads.
09:46:30 [ APPLAUSE ]
09:46:31 -- stop.
09:46:32 Please don't.
09:46:32 Please don't.
09:46:35 As Councilman Miranda and the rest of us, I rode
09:46:40 the bus till I was about 11 years old, from the
09:46:43 time I was about 7 to 11, and then we moved from
09:46:48 Ybor to West Tampa, bicoastal, both sides of the
09:46:53 river.
09:46:54 So when I saw this, Salt Lake City is a city of
09:46:59 about 150,000 people.
09:47:00 They have a light rail from the center of the city
09:47:02 to the airport.
09:47:03 They have light rail that goes all the way almost
09:47:06 to provost.
09:47:08 It's an amazing accomplishment.
09:47:11 And I look at it and they have an expressway.
09:47:15 And the area is about a million one, the whole
09:47:17 county, so there are solutions, and that's what
09:47:22 people are trying to look at is what else can we
09:47:25 do?
09:47:26 If we keep doing the roads, and we don't pay
09:47:29 attention to the rest of it, both public
09:47:32 transportation is very, very important, so I
09:47:36 understand what my colleagues are saying, and I
09:47:38 just wanted to mention that.
09:47:39 So thank you.
09:47:40 Ms. Montelione.
09:47:42 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Thank you.
09:47:43 So, Ms. Gallo, you've talked a lot about the
09:47:46 success stories and how much F.D.O.T. does for
09:47:50 relocating families.
09:47:53 And those are all good.
09:47:54 I mean, I know that there are some families who
09:48:03 are benefited by getting out of the situation they
09:48:04 are in now.
09:48:05 Like you said, the folks that went from renters to
09:48:07 homeowners, through a variety of programs to help
09:48:10 them achieve that goal.
09:48:12 But out of 140 families, we don't know what the
09:48:19 percentage of people are that are happy to be
09:48:22 relocated or the ones that, as Councilman Miranda
09:48:27 has said and Councilman Reddick has said, who
09:48:31 prefer to be around their family and friends, who
09:48:34 they may never -- not never see, but it would be
09:48:38 more difficult to see because now they are in
09:48:41 Sulphur Springs instead of the inner core of the
09:48:43 city where they had been living for so many years.
09:48:47 I want to bring this back to what we are talking
09:48:51 about and maybe stop talking about the periphery
09:48:58 of anecdotal stories.
09:49:00 So we have 140 families and 33 businesses that in
09:49:07 answer to Councilman Miranda or Councilman
09:49:10 Reddick, that you said would be affected.
09:49:13 Is that correct?
09:49:13 >> Yes.
09:49:14 I don't have all of the numbers exactly with me
09:49:17 because some of the properties we have already
09:49:19 acquired, and just on our regular advance
09:49:23 acquisition process, people come to us and say we
09:49:26 would like to sell our property.
09:49:29 If it's under our study where we can purchase it,
09:49:31 we try to come to an agreement with them.
09:49:33 None of them have been under eminent domain.
09:49:36 They have all been voluntary --
09:49:39 >>LISA MONTELIONE: So on this map I have, and it's
09:49:41 color coded for parcels to be acquired and parcels
09:49:44 already purchased by F.D.O.T., there are many
09:49:47 more, and this map is dated September 2015.
09:49:51 So it's not the older map.
09:49:54 It's a fairly updated map.
09:49:56 I don't know if it is the most recent.
09:49:58 There are many more parcels on this map to be
09:50:05 acquired.
09:50:06 Many more orange parcels than there are purple
09:50:10 parcels.
09:50:10 The orange is to be acquired.
09:50:12 Purple is already acquired.
09:50:14 So my question is, this map has been around for
09:50:19 quite some time.
09:50:20 Like I said, it's been updated from time to time,
09:50:22 and this one is from September 2015.
09:50:24 Do all of the people know who own the orange
09:50:29 parcels that they are in the path of this project
09:50:33 and will have to be relocated?
09:50:36 >> It's my understanding that that's acquisitions.
09:50:39 So I'm -- from our meetings, it's my understanding
09:50:42 that all the families have received a letter
09:50:45 indicating that they are in the past and asking
09:50:48 them if they have a desire to participate in our
09:50:51 advanced acquisition program.
09:50:54 >>LISA MONTELIONE: No disrespect to the people who
09:50:55 own these parcels, do you think they understand
09:50:57 when they get a letter from the Florida department
09:51:00 of transportation that they may eventually have to
09:51:03 move or not may eventually, if this project goes
09:51:05 through, they will have to move.
09:51:08 Do you think -- is it one letter that went out?
09:51:11 Is it two letters that went out?
09:51:13 I know sometimes mail comes to my house, go
09:51:16 through the envelopes and, you know, accidentally
09:51:19 some get misplaced or end up --
09:51:22 >> Never make it to you.
09:51:24 Who knows.
09:51:24 They have received at least one letter, possibly
09:51:28 two letters.
09:51:30 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Regular mail or certified mail,
09:51:32 registered mail?
09:51:33 >> They are regular mail.
09:51:34 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Regular mail.
09:51:36 >> I believe they are all regular mail.
09:51:38 >>LISA MONTELIONE: There's no proof that they
09:51:40 actually have received the letter.
09:51:43 >> I do relocation.
09:51:44 That is an acquisition function.
09:51:45 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Is there anybody here from
09:51:47 acquisition?
09:51:48 >> No, ma'am, not today.
09:51:49 When you say that they may not understand, a lot
09:51:58 of the properties in that path are owned by
09:52:01 investors and corporations, and they understand
09:52:06 what that is.
09:52:07 They know.
09:52:09 >>LISA MONTELIONE: That actually makes it a little
09:52:11 more difficult for me to swallow, because
09:52:14 investors, when you say investors, many of the
09:52:16 investors, I mean, we dealt with this when we had
09:52:19 code enforcement issues when a lot of properties,
09:52:21 the downturn, being acquired by investors.
09:52:24 And they would buy them in bulk.
09:52:26 They would buy hundreds, sometimes thousands of
09:52:28 properties at the same time.
09:52:29 They are out-of-state companies who don't have an
09:52:33 investment in the community.
09:52:35 They have an investment in the bottom line.
09:52:37 They are buying these properties because they know
09:52:39 that they can turn them over at some point in time
09:52:41 and make money because they are the only ones who
09:52:44 can buy that many properties all at once.
09:52:47 So if these are investors, these are out-of-state
09:52:49 companies, and you're sending them regular mail,
09:52:52 we don't even know if the investors have been
09:52:55 advised their -- that their properties are going
09:53:01 to be acquired.
09:53:02 In turn, you are removing the person who occupies
09:53:05 the property one or two times because there is the
09:53:08 investment company and then usually a management
09:53:10 company who manages those properties for the
09:53:12 investment company.
09:53:12 And that management company could be out-of-state.
09:53:15 Then you have the on-the-ground people here in
09:53:18 Tampa that might actually physically manage.
09:53:20 So my concern is that the actual citizens and
09:53:26 residents of the City of Tampa have no clue that
09:53:31 they are going to be relocated by the department
09:53:35 because they are not getting those letters.
09:53:37 The management company is getting those letters.
09:53:38 The investors are getting those letters.
09:53:40 The people who are in the residences.
09:53:42 I mean, when I do mailings from my office and I
09:53:47 did a town hall and we did a vision plan for the
09:53:50 area and pastor Tommy is shaking his head because
09:53:53 he was a big part of that effort, when the
09:53:55 Planning Commission, Zornitta is here, when the
09:54:01 Planning Commission did that outreach, they had
09:54:02 the property tax appraisers list of property
09:54:06 owners in the area.
09:54:07 And they were sending notification to the property
09:54:10 owners.
09:54:11 And they didn't have it in the budget for the
09:54:14 outreach effort to send a whole additional set of
09:54:18 letters to the actual people who occupy the
09:54:21 property.
09:54:22 So I took it out of my City of Tampa budget in my
09:54:25 office, and we sent letters addressed to
09:54:29 residents.
09:54:29 So to the actual physical address.
09:54:33 So it wasn't going to an investor.
09:54:35 It wasn't going to, you know, maybe an aunt or
09:54:37 uncle who owns the property who are out of state
09:54:39 or wherever.
09:54:40 It was going to the actual person who lives in
09:54:42 that house.
09:54:44 >> Our letters go to the property owner, to the
09:54:47 fee owner on the public records.
09:54:49 The reason it goes to them, if you have a
09:54:51 tenant --
09:54:52 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I understand the reason.
09:54:53 >> If I send something to a tenant that tenant may
09:54:56 not understand.
09:54:56 They may leave.
09:54:58 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I understand the reasons.
09:54:59 What I'm saying is the actual person who lives in
09:55:02 that home or in that apartment has no idea, unless
09:55:06 you send letters, duplicate letters, one to the
09:55:10 investor or the property owner of record and one
09:55:14 addressed resident, that person who lives in that
09:55:16 home or that apartment has no clue.
09:55:20 >> Unfortunately, it is a double-edged sword for
09:55:22 us.
09:55:22 When I do that, the first thing that the owner is
09:55:25 going to say, hey, you're scaring my tenant away.
09:55:28 Why are you sending my tenant a notice that they
09:55:31 have to move?
09:55:32 >>LISA MONTELIONE: They are going to have to move.
09:55:33 >> Well, no.
09:55:35 They only have to move right now under advance
09:55:38 acquisition voluntary unless if we have an
09:55:40 agreement with them, they don't have to move.
09:55:42 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Which is why somebody has to
09:55:45 educate the people who actually live there so they
09:55:48 are not scared, so that they understand the
09:55:51 timeline, so that they know eventually if this
09:55:54 project is approved and moves forward, that within
09:55:57 a year or two, they have to move.
09:55:59 They might make decisions, if I have a child who
09:56:02 is in, you know, a sophomore in high school, and
09:56:08 they are going to be a senior by the time they
09:56:10 will have to move, I might choose to move now
09:56:13 because I don't want my child uprooted in their
09:56:16 senior year.
09:56:18 So you need to talk to these people individually,
09:56:22 maybe one on one, so they understand the impacts
09:56:26 to their lives so they can make educated, informed
09:56:30 decisions.
09:56:31 Maybe they want to move now.
09:56:32 Maybe they don't want to wait two years because it
09:56:35 will affect the education of their child.
09:56:37 When we talk about families and we talk about
09:56:39 those families, Mr. Reddick talked about how those
09:56:42 families are affected, we're not talking about
09:56:44 real estate.
09:56:44 We're talking about lives.
09:56:45 We're talking about paths.
09:56:47 We're talking about opportunities.
09:56:49 And it's great that some of them move and get
09:56:51 better opportunities, but they need to understand
09:56:54 that.
09:56:54 And I don't think a lot of those people do
09:56:57 because, like you said, a lot of them are
09:57:00 properties owned by investors and they don't have
09:57:03 a clue.
09:57:05 >> Councilwoman, we sent letters at different
09:57:07 points.
09:57:07 What we'll do is we'll get the specific detail and
09:57:10 provide that to you.
09:57:12 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Thank you.
09:57:13 It might behoove you to have individuals who can
09:57:19 knock on doors, just like you open the office in
09:57:22 Ybor City to have someone right there on the
09:57:25 ground as a walk-in center where people can answer
09:57:28 questions, it might behoove you to hire some,
09:57:32 maybe some interns in urban studies at USF, just
09:57:35 sayin'.
09:57:36 That can go out and can knock on doors and talk to
09:57:41 people and advise them of the situation.
09:57:45 And then they can make the decision whether to
09:57:50 further information.
09:57:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: There is a gentleman that has
09:57:58 called my office, and he calls crying because he
09:58:02 and his wife live across the street from her
09:58:05 parents, and they are elderly and they have to
09:58:07 take care of them.
09:58:08 The house they live in is his wife's childhood
09:58:12 home that they have had since maybe 1960 I
09:58:15 believe.
09:58:15 Because of the TBX project, they would have to be
09:58:19 relocated, one of the homes.
09:58:21 Therefore, they wouldn't have that closeness to
09:58:23 take care of their in-laws.
09:58:25 This man calls me in tears, and it hurts me
09:58:27 because I have to, as an elected official put
09:58:30 myself in his shoes and ask myself what if this
09:58:33 were me and what if these were my parents?
09:58:35 And I met this individual on a march for folks
09:58:41 against TBX as they walked through the
09:58:43 neighborhoods and they show people the properties
09:58:45 that are affected.
09:58:46 And as they shout no TBX or stop TBX, I'm quiet
09:58:52 because I'm thinking to myself, everything that I
09:58:55 see here will be gone, will be relocated or will
09:58:58 be demolished.
09:58:59 The interstate coming through Tampa over 50 years
09:59:01 ago split neighborhoods in two, Ybor City, West
09:59:04 Tampa and Seminole Heights.
09:59:05 And these neighborhoods have fought and struggled
09:59:08 for decades to rebuild themselves.
09:59:10 And now we have come to a point where Ybor City is
09:59:13 coming strong and Seminole Heights is coming
09:59:15 strong and Tampa Heights is coming strong.
09:59:17 But then we have this TBX proposal that once again
09:59:21 cuts into the fabric of all the hard work and the
09:59:25 character of this neighborhood and these
09:59:26 neighborhoods.
09:59:26 I ask myself, if I'm going to be against TBX, what
09:59:30 is my solution?
09:59:31 Should I support go Hillsborough?
09:59:33 Is rail what we need?
09:59:34 Is it transit?
09:59:35 My ideal situation would be, left the streetcar
09:59:39 years ago, if we had that streetcar, we would have
09:59:42 had mass transit.
09:59:43 We had mass transit but with the 1950s and onset
09:59:46 of automobile ownership and the building of
09:59:48 highways and interstates, interstates that have
09:59:50 cut through our city, we pulled up the streetcar.
09:59:53 We relied on buses or they promoted buses and
09:59:57 automobile ownership.
09:59:57 But times are changing.
09:59:59 My generation doesn't rely so much on automobile
10:00:01 ownership.
10:00:02 They want bike lanes.
10:00:03 They want pedestrian-friendly areas.
10:00:06 They want to use mass transit.
10:00:08 They want something.
10:00:08 I like to use the bus and I like to promote it to
10:00:11 show people it's clean.
10:00:12 It's good.
10:00:13 It works.
10:00:14 Doesn't work for everybody.
10:00:15 But instead of D.O.T. spending all this money from
10:00:17 the state, which is billions of dollars, why not
10:00:20 partner with the municipalities or the counties
10:00:22 and say let us help you lay down a rail
10:00:24 infrastructure.
10:00:25 Let us look towards the future.
10:00:26 Let us look at CSX lines to convert them to
10:00:30 commuter lines, look at direct shots from USF to
10:00:33 downtown to the airport.
10:00:34 The future is in transit.
10:00:37 The future of our community's success is in
10:00:39 transit, mass transit.
10:00:41 When we have corporations that look to us to move,
10:00:43 they will ask the question, how do we get our
10:00:46 people around?
10:00:48 And we tell them we'll use the bus -- interstates
10:00:53 are not the answers.
10:00:54 TBX is not the answer.
10:00:55 But widening our roads and tearing into the
10:00:58 community again and opening up these unhealed
10:01:01 wounds, because we are now coming back, is not the
10:01:04 answer.
10:01:05 So I wish that the state would say, let's sit down
10:01:07 and talk and say perhaps either delay the project
10:01:11 or scrap the project and look at other
10:01:13 alternatives.
10:01:13 We have a potential ballot initiative that would
10:01:17 address transit and road improvements and whatnot,
10:01:20 but it all comes down to funding and money and
10:01:22 leadership and the voices up in Tallahassee or
10:01:24 whomever to say maybe we're going about this the
10:01:28 wrong way.
10:01:29 Maybe we were too aggressive in the 1950s and
10:01:33 '60s with building the interstate.
10:01:34 Maybe we need to look at other options.
10:01:36 That's all I'm asking.
10:01:37 Because when I talk to these people, I feel their
10:01:40 pain and I sense their frustration, and I
10:01:41 represent a lot of them in the district that I
10:01:44 represent, and I think that we should delay this.
10:01:46 We should sit down and talk more and see how we
10:01:49 can better spend this money, because it's a lot of
10:01:51 money.
10:01:52 If we do it right now, it will save us the hassle
10:01:56 in the future.
10:01:57 We're delaying progress by building more highways.
10:01:59 We've been doing the same thing for 50-plus years.
10:02:02 Let's look at alternatives.
10:02:04 [ APPLAUSE ]
10:02:09 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Councilman Suarez.
10:02:11 >> If I could address two things.
10:02:13 One, if you could give me the address.
10:02:15 There are many of those cases that we are
10:02:17 currently working on that we have been made aware
10:02:21 of.
10:02:21 It may be one of the ones that we're looking into
10:02:24 to see what options we have.
10:02:25 So if you give me that information off the record,
10:02:28 I will look into it.
10:02:29 I would also like the opportunity maybe to come
10:02:32 back and explain, address some of the -- and I
10:02:35 would also encourage that maybe the Hillsborough
10:02:38 MPO, and I know rich -- they did an excellent
10:02:44 presentation yesterday at the CAC meeting that I
10:02:47 thought may be a good primer.
10:02:49 And I'm sure it's nothing that you don't already
10:02:52 know, that you haven't already heard, but it kind
10:02:54 of discusses the transition of how we got to where
10:02:57 we are with transit and the studies that have been
10:03:00 done.
10:03:00 We are also -- we have partnered with Hart to look
10:03:05 at the specific items that the Councilman just
10:03:08 addressed, which is the CSX lines and what premium
10:03:12 transit we can bring to the region.
10:03:14 We are actively as an agency encouraging that
10:03:16 effort to move forward, because we totally agree.
10:03:20 We can't continue the same policies of road
10:03:23 construction.
10:03:24 We understand that.
10:03:24 But there needs to be a commitment on the local
10:03:29 level.
10:03:29 Needs to be a commitment on the regional level to
10:03:32 adopt a transit plan that they are going to move
10:03:35 forward with.
10:03:35 And we'll partner with the plan.
10:03:38 The D.O.T. as we've demonstrated throughout the
10:03:41 state, we will be a huge partner, and we will
10:03:44 contribute greatly to that effort, because we
10:03:46 understand the need is there, and it has to be
10:03:49 addressed.
10:03:49 Give us the opportunity.
10:03:50 We'll come back.
10:03:51 I'll have Ming Gow make the presentation to show
10:03:54 you a little bit what we're doing, maybe discuss a
10:03:56 little bit about the premium transit study that I
10:03:58 know the Councilwoman and Councilman Cohen are
10:04:01 familiar with.
10:04:02 >>HARRY COHEN: I believe you are already on our
10:04:09 calendar for May at the CRA meeting.
10:04:10 We'll make sure to add that presentation.
10:04:13 >>YVONNE CAPIN: The premium --
10:04:15 >>HARRY COHEN: They are already coming to us
10:04:17 regarding TBX in May.
10:04:20 >>YVONNE CAPIN: We also have at our City Council
10:04:22 meeting, we talked about the premium transit study
10:04:25 that should be starting -- you can tell us when.
10:04:28 >> September.
10:04:30 >>YVONNE CAPIN: And we asked for a report on that.
10:04:33 >>LISA MONTELIONE: One quick follow-up.
10:04:34 Councilman Maniscalco has some information on
10:04:38 people who have called his office.
10:04:40 We know people are watching in TV land because my
10:04:42 office just got a phone call from somebody who
10:04:46 said he did not get a number.
10:04:48 Here is his name and phone number so you can
10:04:50 contact him as well.
10:04:52 We'll pass that information along.
10:04:55 >>MIKE SUAREZ: Thank you.
10:04:55 Mr. McKinney, a couple of things you did that
10:04:58 were very intelligent.
10:04:59 One, you hired someone from West Tampa to
10:05:04 represent you.
10:05:04 We all know people that come from West Tampa are
10:05:07 very passionate and we will make sure we try and
10:05:10 get things right.
10:05:12 Second, I went to Cuesta sixth grade center in
10:05:15 addition, now it is a concrete slab with stairs
10:05:17 going up to it.
10:05:19 It's been taken over which was, of course, an old
10:05:21 cigar factory.
10:05:22 Mr. McKinney, we talked about all the human
10:05:25 elements in terms of what it means when you do
10:05:28 these type of projects, large projects that affect
10:05:30 people significantly.
10:05:31 And I think that we all know the history of the
10:05:35 interstate system throughout Tampa and what has
10:05:38 happened to our former transit system which
10:05:42 started being dismantled in 1946 and '47.
10:05:45 The question I have now is the process.
10:05:48 Here's what I want to know.
10:05:49 We have an F.D.O.T. project, a plan that's been on
10:05:53 the books or, excuse me, not in the books or in
10:05:56 the planning stages for over 20 years if I'm not
10:06:00 mistaken.
10:06:00 In order to do the project, you need the cash, you
10:06:03 need to accumulate the cash.
10:06:04 You need to get the land.
10:06:05 You need to do all these other parts of it in
10:06:08 order to get it done.
10:06:09 I know that you're familiar with what the U.S.
10:06:13 secretary of transportation has said about the
10:06:16 impacts that D.O.T. has had throughout the years
10:06:22 especially for neighborhoods, and I think he had a
10:06:27 Washington post article just recently, but in
10:06:29 addition, some of the things he said about ladders
10:06:32 of opportunity and what it means to actually build
10:06:34 a transportation system, and make neighborhoods
10:06:37 grow up as opposed to being affected negatively.
10:06:40 In terms of the process, if the secretary of
10:06:44 transportation, the U.S. secretary of
10:06:46 transportation did not want this project to go
10:06:48 forward or had made a comment to you and had,
10:06:53 let's say, something to say we don't want to
10:06:55 support this, is that something that is separate
10:06:58 from what you all would do?
10:07:00 Would you have to listen to that particular
10:07:03 secretary?
10:07:03 Or is it more controlled at the state level?
10:07:06 I'm just curious about that.
10:07:08 >> If the Federal Highway Administration did not
10:07:11 support the project, obviously, that would be --
10:07:13 that would be -- that could be a potential deal
10:07:17 killer.
10:07:17 We are following through the environmental process
10:07:21 now.
10:07:22 We are early in the process.
10:07:23 There are a lot of things happening.
10:07:24 I know because of the potential to advance funding
10:07:27 into this project, but we are still in the
10:07:29 environmental evaluation process.
10:07:33 We are having daily discussions with -- actually,
10:07:35 this morning, we have got a meeting with federal
10:07:38 highway.
10:07:39 So we are working through the process to address
10:07:42 whatever concerns that they have.
10:07:45 I invited her today, we hired USF to assist us in
10:07:51 community outreach efforts --
10:07:53 >>MIKE SUAREZ: We're familiar with that,
10:07:54 Mr. McKinney.
10:07:55 I appreciate that.
10:07:57 I guess the question is, in terms of the process,
10:07:58 because usually it's a mixtures of state dollars
10:08:02 and federal dollars, correct?
10:08:04 What's usually the mixtures?
10:08:06 50-50, 60-40?
10:08:08 >> In this project, I don't have the exact number,
10:08:10 but we receive about 25% of our funds from the
10:08:14 federal government.
10:08:15 75% comes from the state trust fund.
10:08:17 >>MIKE SUAREZ: And then in terms of direction,
10:08:21 though, I mean, if U.S. D.O.T. said and Federal
10:08:23 Highway Administration said, hey, listen, we think
10:08:26 this is a bad idea, we don't think this actually
10:08:29 does what we want to see in the future for
10:08:32 transportation in the Tampa Bay area, can the
10:08:36 governor and the Florida secretary of
10:08:40 transportation say, well, listen, you know what,
10:08:42 we'll go forward with this.
10:08:43 We'll find our other 25% somewhere else and we're
10:08:46 just going to do whatever we want to do.
10:08:48 Can you do that or is that something --
10:08:52 >> I don't know if I can answer that.
10:08:53 That is a pretty heavy question.
10:08:55 >>MIKE SUAREZ: In the years you've experienced,
10:08:57 have you ever had that happen?
10:08:58 >> Not in my 25 years.
10:09:01 >>MIKE SUAREZ: I didn't think so.
10:09:01 I was curious, because we're approaching a new
10:09:05 paradigm when it comes to holistic transportation
10:09:10 solutions.
10:09:10 We know we won't get rid of cars tomorrow.
10:09:13 I think all of us know that.
10:09:14 When we have to travel certain places, we need our
10:09:17 vehicle.
10:09:17 There's no doubt about it.
10:09:19 But we want more choices as consumers of
10:09:22 transportation.
10:09:23 You see it with Uber and Lyft.
10:09:25 You see it in terms of some of the things that
10:09:27 we're doing at Hart which is experimenting with
10:09:30 first-mile, last-mile projects.
10:09:32 We want to use all that is available to us.
10:09:34 And I know we talk about autonomous vehicles, and
10:09:37 I think Secretary Steinman is a big fan of
10:09:41 autonomous vehicles.
10:09:42 But at the same time, we need to see where we're
10:09:44 at in 5 years, 10 years, 25 years as opposed to
10:09:48 doing a project that is, you know, for the most
10:09:53 part, kind of started in the early '90s, and now
10:09:56 we're trying to make it happen in 2020, let's say.
10:10:02 I'm just using a number here, a year.
10:10:04 In terms of the next part of the process, I know
10:10:06 the NEPA process has to go through.
10:10:08 That's being done currently.
10:10:10 And then is there any viewpoint of using any of
10:10:15 the lane capacity that comes up exclusively for
10:10:17 transit?
10:10:18 That's one of the issues I know that we've kind of
10:10:21 talked about it, both from my side at Hart and
10:10:24 Secretary Steinman has mentioned some of this,
10:10:27 which is they are looking at using lane capacity
10:10:31 for Hart to be used free of charge for those
10:10:35 riders, but it hasn't been put in -- excuse the
10:10:39 pun -- concrete about us going forward.
10:10:42 Because if this goes through, we need to provide
10:10:46 other opportunities and options for people to have
10:10:49 mass transit because if they don't do it, it will,
10:10:52 I think, go to naught.
10:10:54 We're not done with this project.
10:10:57 I know it's going to be I think long and drawn
10:10:59 out.
10:11:00 If you look behind you, a lot of people behind you
10:11:02 are not in support of this TBX project, and it's
10:11:05 not a finalized product yet.
10:11:08 I think you know that.
10:11:09 I think we all know that.
10:11:12 So I want to make sure we -- and I told this to
10:11:14 Secretary Steinman directly and I'll say it to
10:11:16 you, too -- you need to find ways to mitigate what
10:11:19 you're doing in addition to finding solutions that
10:11:22 fit the needs of the neighborhood and not just the
10:11:24 needs of the drivers that are going to be driving
10:11:27 on that freeway.
10:11:28 Because we cannot continue this kind of
10:11:31 loggerheads without actually coming up with real
10:11:35 solutions for the choices that people actually
10:11:37 want.
10:11:38 And not because we want to build a road.
10:11:40 And that's something that we need to really think
10:11:42 about before we go forward any longer.
10:11:44 I just wanted to ask you that process, because I
10:11:47 know that money is a big part of it.
10:11:49 You know, you need to get the funding.
10:11:51 You have to have the state legislature continue to
10:11:55 look at this.
10:11:56 The state legislature said no and decided not to
10:11:58 fund it or vetoed by the governor, it would hamper
10:12:02 your ability to go forward.
10:12:03 And it would be much more difficult.
10:12:06 So, you know, I think that if you look at the
10:12:10 people that are concerned about this particular
10:12:12 issue, the holistic transportation solutions that
10:12:15 we need to look at might include some of this but
10:12:18 it doesn't include all of this.
10:12:20 That's something that you'll have to think about.
10:12:21 Thank you, chair.
10:12:23 I appreciate it.
10:12:23 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
10:12:27 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Thank you, Madam Chair.
10:12:28 I look, it's not about what's happening in Ybor
10:12:32 City, what's happening in West Tampa, what's
10:12:34 happening in Seminole Heights, what's happening in
10:12:36 Tampa Heights.
10:12:37 If we continue with the same mind-set, all of us,
10:12:40 we'll all be living under the expressway because
10:12:43 we're going to keep increasing and increasing.
10:12:45 That's it.
10:12:46 We have to find a different route.
10:12:51 That's my closing.
10:12:53 Thank you very much.
10:13:03 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Councilman Cohen.
10:13:04 >>HARRY COHEN: So everyone, I believe, has had a
10:13:07 chance to speak, and I wanted to say something to
10:13:09 D.O.T. and to the community.
10:13:11 This was Lisa's motion to bring this up today.
10:13:15 I believe it's coming back to the CRA again in
10:13:17 May.
10:13:17 And I have felt that this is a very important
10:13:22 forum for this discussion to take place.
10:13:25 Because our role here is to protect the
10:13:30 neighborhoods of the City of Tampa.
10:13:32 And this is a place where there is a lot of
10:13:37 concern that's been expressed about the details of
10:13:45 this project.
10:13:45 At the MPO, the project is being presented in a
10:13:48 little bit of a larger form because it includes
10:13:51 areas of the region, in fact, that really do not
10:13:55 directly bear on the city itself.
10:13:59 There are pieces of this project that have to do
10:14:01 with the airport.
10:14:02 That have to do with the integration of the Howard
10:14:03 Frankland bridge, that have to do with building
10:14:05 out in the right-of-way between the expressway,
10:14:09 between downtown and Westshore and part of those
10:14:12 plans include some provisions for a transit
10:14:16 envelope and for, perhaps, a transit envelope
10:14:19 across the Howard Frankland bridge.
10:14:21 This piece of the project, though, the piece of
10:14:25 the project that involves the downtown interchange
10:14:28 and that goes north from the City of Tampa has
10:14:32 caused a great deal of concern within our
10:14:35 neighborhoods.
10:14:35 And I felt it was very important for D.O.T. to
10:14:40 hear from the City Council members who spoke,
10:14:44 every one of them, passionately today about the
10:14:46 concerns of what this is going to impose on the
10:14:49 city.
10:14:50 I recognize that 11,000 -- excuse me, 11,000
10:14:54 passengers a day have got to get to the airport
10:14:57 that we have to have additional capacity, not just
10:15:01 hopefully with rail and rapid -- bus rapid transit
10:15:05 and other transit alternatives, but that we're
10:15:08 also going to need additional road capacity.
10:15:11 What my plea is to D.O.T. is to start rethinking
10:15:16 the details of how we're going to get this done.
10:15:18 Look for different options to get people through
10:15:22 the decor of the city.
10:15:25 That's the primary issue that has been raised
10:15:28 here.
10:15:29 And it's not just -- it is certainly partly about
10:15:32 the displaced families and businesses, but I think
10:15:35 it's equally about the division of the
10:15:38 neighborhoods that have worked so hard to build
10:15:40 cohesiveness and build businesses.
10:15:43 And I think you've heard from everybody today,
10:15:45 testament to our real, real concern that that's
10:15:47 going to be jeopardize.
10:15:49 So, you know, when you come back in May, and also
10:15:52 when you come to us at the MPO, particularly when
10:15:55 you couple to the hearing in June, on June 22nd,
10:15:58 where the MPO is going to have to make some
10:16:01 critical decisions about the future of this
10:16:04 project, please, demonstrate a willingness to look
10:16:07 at other alternatives for how the urban core is
10:16:11 treated, because that is the number one issue that
10:16:15 is standing in the way of getting some of the
10:16:17 relief that we need for the airport, for the
10:16:19 bridge, and for some of the other areas that are
10:16:23 affected by this project.
10:16:24 Thank you.
10:16:28 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Councilman Reddick.
10:16:30 >>FRANK REDDICK: Thank you.
10:16:31 I'll just make a final comment.
10:16:34 That is I hope when you come back in May, I hope
10:16:37 you will come back with an alternative plan
10:16:40 instead of the one you have on the table right now
10:16:42 that affects so many people in these neighborhoods
10:16:46 as well as businesses.
10:16:47 If you don't have an alternative plan at our
10:16:53 discussion in May, I think this Council, this
10:16:56 neighborhood a great -- by voting to not support
10:17:02 the TBX plan.
10:17:05 I think we need to go on record in May that we do
10:17:08 not support it if you don't have an alternative
10:17:10 plan.
10:17:11 And that should be a discussion we have in May.
10:17:15 Because I think every member on this Council has
10:17:17 expressed concern.
10:17:18 If you're not willing to reach out to an
10:17:21 alternative plan, then we should go on record to
10:17:24 make that official, our concern and not support
10:17:27 TBX.
10:17:28 Thank you.
10:17:39 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Continue.
10:17:40 >> We were done.
10:17:41 I'm going to make sure if there are any other
10:17:45 comments.
10:17:48 >>YVONNE CAPIN: We have a crack team here of aides
10:17:51 that looked up the answer to this letter, the CRA
10:17:57 sent to honorable Gregory Nadeau acting
10:18:02 administrator, Federal Highway Administration in
10:18:05 Washington, D.C., and this letter is dated
10:18:07 July 23rd, 2015, of the concerns that you heard
10:18:11 today.
10:18:12 So that was last year in July.
10:18:13 And his answer to us was, copied Debbie Hunt,
10:18:21 F.D.O.T., Ken Morefield, F.D.O.T.
10:18:25 Beth Allen, Hillsborough MPO.
10:18:27 And it was division administration answered by
10:18:30 James Christian.
10:18:41 They hear our concerns.
10:18:42 As a body committed to the model of redevelopment
10:18:46 and revitalization.
10:18:48 It is disheartening for CRA once again to see
10:18:52 I-275 blow another Tampa neighborhood striving to
10:18:56 reinvent itself.
10:18:57 These neighborhoods we're talking about are
10:18:59 neighborhoods that were in dire, dire straits, and
10:19:03 these people invested in these neighborhoods and
10:19:07 have managed to bring them back to a lovely
10:19:12 actually neighborhoods.
10:19:12 His answer is, we are aware of F.D.O.T.
10:19:16 His answer was dated August 5, 2015.
10:19:18 We are aware of F.D.O.T. is in the process of
10:19:21 reevaluating the previous completed studies.
10:19:24 The National Environment Policy Act and federal
10:19:27 regulations outline a formal process to identify
10:19:30 and assess potential impacts related to
10:19:32 implementing approved federal actions at various
10:19:35 phases of project development.
10:19:37 In this case, the construction of TBX.
10:19:40 Although nothing has been submitted to our office
10:19:43 for review at that point, we want to assure you
10:19:46 that all the identified issues will be carefully
10:19:49 considered in the environmental decision-making
10:19:52 process to ensure compliance with applicable
10:19:55 federal laws and regulations.
10:19:57 We encourage to you continue to work with
10:19:59 F.D.O.T., the Hillsborough metropolitan planning
10:20:01 organization during the project development study
10:20:04 process to identify the potential social,
10:20:06 economic, and environmental effects, identify the
10:20:10 potential social, economic, and environmental
10:20:12 effects the planned roadway improvements would
10:20:15 have on the community so they can appropriately
10:20:19 evaluate, avoid, and minimize or mitigate.
10:20:24 We applaud your efforts for the work -- okay.
10:20:26 So that's what we're doing here.
10:20:28 Exactly what we're saying, what he said we needed
10:20:32 to do is what we're doing.
10:20:34 And we will continue to -- in that vein.
10:20:40 I want to thank my colleagues for their input on
10:20:45 this.
10:20:47 Any other --
10:20:49 >>LISA MONTELIONE: No.
10:20:50 The last part of the item is for Melissa Zornitta
10:20:56 to present the Tampa Heights community plan.
10:21:00 Is Cathy Coyle or someone from staff up?
10:21:07 Mr. Campbell is here, for the city staff, so that
10:21:10 we know how the community plan of Tampa Heights
10:21:18 has an effect or not or is affected by the TBX
10:21:23 project.
10:21:25 >> Good morning.
10:21:26 Melissa Zornitta, Executive Director of the
10:21:29 Hillsborough County City-County Planning
10:21:29 Commission.
10:21:31 Thank you for inviting me here today.
10:21:34 I have a couple of things I was going to share
10:21:37 regarding the Tampa Heights neighborhood plan.
10:21:41 This was completed by Planning Commission staff in
10:21:45 conjunction with working with the neighborhood
10:21:47 stakeholders in 2002 and accepted by City Council
10:21:50 by resolution in 2003.
10:21:52 Unlike some of the other community plans, like
10:21:58 Seminole Heights and 40th Street, this community
10:22:01 plan did not have goals, objectives and policies
10:22:06 that were adopted into the comprehensive plan.
10:22:09 So it's not a regulatory tool so much.
10:22:13 And as we talk about the contents of the
10:22:18 neighborhood plan, you'll sort of see that.
10:22:20 We do have policies in the adopted comprehensive
10:22:23 plan --
10:22:25 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Ms. Zornitta why is this plan
10:22:29 different from the others and why is it not a
10:22:31 regulatory tool like the others and why wasn't it
10:22:33 adopted into the comprehensive plan?
10:22:36 >> Seminole Heights and 40th Street came after.
10:22:40 All of these community plans referenced on the
10:22:43 slide were done in a different approach.
10:22:48 They were taken as sort of a way to come up with
10:22:52 the vision of the community and have a way for
10:22:54 them to express that as a tool for the community
10:22:57 to help organize their efforts.
10:23:00 It is something that is considered in other
10:23:03 planning efforts, but since then, we've sort of
10:23:08 progressed and evolved in how the community plans
10:23:11 are done.
10:23:11 And Seminole Heights and 40th Street are sort
10:23:14 of --
10:23:15 >>LISA MONTELIONE: If the Tampa Heights plan were
10:23:17 done today, it would be done differently and
10:23:19 adopted into the comprehensive plan and it would
10:23:20 be a regulatory tool.
10:23:22 >> Portions of it would be.
10:23:24 Portions would turn into zoning code, much like
10:23:26 the Seminole Heights has the form-based code that
10:23:31 was done.
10:23:31 There are different regulatory tools that might
10:23:34 implement different portions of the plan.
10:23:38 The comprehensive plan does recognize that these
10:23:41 community plans were done, and that the
10:23:43 neighborhoods put a lot of time and effort into
10:23:46 them when they were developing them and talked
10:23:49 about how they should be the framework and basis
10:23:52 for future community plans that are done in those
10:23:56 areas.
10:23:56 That might update those efforts.
10:24:00 Additionally, it recognizes that there was
10:24:03 valuable content.
10:24:05 They often inventoried a lot of the community --
10:24:12 In terms of the content of the Tampa Heights
10:24:15 vision, it talked a lot about neighborhood
10:24:21 organization and empowerment.
10:24:23 The group that is here today wasn't necessarily in
10:24:27 the same structure and framework in 2002.
10:24:31 So a lot of the community plan focused on how to
10:24:34 help them build that neighborhood infrastructure.
10:24:38 It talked about looking for opportunities for
10:24:41 collaboration and partnerships as well.
10:24:43 There was some discussion of rebuilding the
10:24:46 neighborhood economy, focusing on some commercial
10:24:49 revitalization, particularly along Tampa and
10:24:52 Florida streets.
10:24:53 There was a focus on connectivity, looking at
10:24:57 gateways, opportunities for greenways and trail
10:25:02 development, maintaining the grid system,
10:25:05 pedestrian safety, and support of transit.
10:25:07 Again, back in 2002, they were talking about bus
10:25:11 in support of the trolley.
10:25:13 Potentially extending that into Tampa Heights.
10:25:16 It talks about housing choices, and looking at
10:25:20 affordable housing and having a greater variety of
10:25:25 housing types maintained in the community and a
10:25:27 focus on children and having parks and gathering
10:25:30 places and focusing on safety.
10:25:32 And then this is the vision map.
10:25:36 Probably can't get it all on the screen at the
10:25:40 same time --
10:25:50 >> [speaking off microphone]
10:25:53 >> So this shows sort of the concept map for the
10:25:58 neighborhood with the focus on some activity
10:26:02 centers along Tampa and Florida streets.
10:26:07 Those red circles are sort of the community
10:26:10 revitalization areas that were aimed at, looking
10:26:13 at enhancing some of those streets with greenways
10:26:17 and gateways.
10:26:19 It also inventoried the number of the existing
10:26:23 uses that were in place at the time, social
10:26:25 services, schools, parks, as well as identifying
10:26:28 potentially opportunities for additional pocket
10:26:34 parks and things of that nature.
10:26:36 So I would be happy to answer any questions you
10:26:39 have.
10:26:42 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Any questions?
10:26:42 Ms. Montelione.
10:26:45 >>LISA MONTELIONE: You saw me reaching for the
10:26:47 button.
10:26:48 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Yes, I did.
10:26:49 >>LISA MONTELIONE: We don't have an overlay to
10:26:54 show what the TBX expansion or the interstate
10:27:02 expansion would do to this plan, but seemingly, if
10:27:07 you look at this map and you look at yours, there
10:27:14 is quite a bit of, I think that the green, like
10:27:20 trees or something indicated along the lines there
10:27:22 that parallel the interstate.
10:27:27 >> The circle are street trees.
10:27:30 These dashed green lines are greenways.
10:27:38 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I'm trying to picture this and
10:27:40 picture that.
10:27:40 From looking here, it seems that from the
10:27:43 interchange down.
10:27:49 The orientation I don't think is north-south.
10:27:51 That is where the majority of properties to be
10:27:55 acquired is on the map that I have.
10:28:01 So it seems like most of that would all be going
10:28:04 away.
10:28:07 That part of the connection for a greenway or
10:28:11 trail system would be eliminated.
10:28:16 It would have to be relocated, because it's in the
10:28:19 path.
10:28:21 And that seems to be the major impact.
10:28:28 And I'll give you this map so maybe you can look
10:28:30 at it and offer your machine.
10:28:34 But if we were, hypothetically speaking, to adopt
10:28:45 this map into the comprehensive plan through a
10:28:49 plan amendment, initiated by the city, what would
10:28:55 the impact be to the planning process that the
10:29:01 Florida department of transportation would have to
10:29:08 consider as an undertaking in the future?
10:29:10 Not that I'm putting you on the spot here or
10:29:12 anything.
10:29:12 >> Not at all.
10:29:13 This is a concept map.
10:29:18 I don't think any of these lines, like, for
10:29:23 example, the pink houses put on here are
10:29:26 affordable.
10:29:26 It's labeled affordable housing, and it says not
10:29:29 location specific.
10:29:30 So there's a lot of things about this map that are
10:29:34 perhaps not in a position to be utilized in a
10:29:39 regular --
10:29:40 >>LISA MONTELIONE: This map, though, is only part
10:29:42 of the Tampa Heights community plan.
10:29:45 There are paragraphs, verbiage, there's statements
10:29:51 of vision and goals.
10:29:56 Much like the other community plans that the
10:30:00 Planning Commission has done, it's the first step
10:30:05 in moving towards the adoption, like we talked
10:30:07 about before, of the Seminole Heights zoning code,
10:30:10 which is undertaken by the City of Tampa's staff,
10:30:14 not the Planning Commission.
10:30:16 So the first step, though, is to have it adopted
10:30:21 into the comprehensive plan before our staff picks
10:30:25 up the ball and runs with it for planning
10:30:28 purposes.
10:30:29 >> Well, the process that we've been utilizing of
10:30:32 late has been to do a lot of that work more
10:30:36 simultaneously with the community, if we're able
10:30:38 to.
10:30:40 I would, this was done in 2002, and so I think it
10:30:46 would be a worthwhile effort before anything like
10:30:49 that was done to update it.
10:30:51 There are things about the neighborhood that have
10:30:53 changed.
10:30:54 >>LISA MONTELIONE: For the better.
10:30:55 >> Right, absolutely.
10:30:55 >>LISA MONTELIONE: And it would be more
10:30:57 impactful -- the impact of TBX, the expansion on
10:31:00 the interstate would be more impactful now than it
10:31:03 was in 2002.
10:31:05 I'm contemplating how we would undertake that
10:31:14 update.
10:31:14 I think the CRA --
10:31:21 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Sal Territo may have a little
10:31:23 information there.
10:31:23 >>SAL TERRITO: I don't like to interject myself in
10:31:26 these kind of discussions.
10:31:27 I was on the Planning Commission '90 to '93.
10:31:30 I served as its Chairman.
10:31:32 A lot of these were giving the neighborhoods an
10:31:34 opportunity to give a vision of what they wanted.
10:31:36 They weren't done in such a stringent manner as
10:31:39 they would meet the city's state standards how to
10:31:42 impose these things.
10:31:43 What plan amendment -- with plan amendment maps
10:31:46 come policies.
10:31:47 Some of the policies that were proposed would not
10:31:49 be allowed to be done.
10:31:51 They didn't meet all of the legal standards.
10:31:53 Not that you can't --
10:31:54 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Right.
10:31:55 Which is why I'm contemplating requesting an
10:31:58 update.
10:31:58 >>SAL TERRITO: Well, it's not only an update.
10:32:00 These things were done quite a few years ago.
10:32:02 They would have to look at it again.
10:32:04 They are not just map changes.
10:32:05 Policies go with them.
10:32:07 Policies have to conform to state law and so
10:32:09 forth, not that you can't look at it, but these
10:32:11 maps were not done with that in mind.
10:32:13 It may require a new study to come up with a
10:32:17 different plan that would meet our standards, not
10:32:20 just taking these and updating these.
10:32:22 That's all I was trying to say.
10:32:23 Thank you.
10:32:24 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
10:32:29 >>LISA MONTELIONE: [microphone not on]
10:32:30 Hearing from the Planning Commission on what
10:32:39 exists in their records today as far as the level
10:32:43 of detail and what the community plan is and how
10:32:50 it's on the books or not in this case.
10:32:53 So that answers those questions.
10:32:56 I see Mr. Callahan at the podium.
10:32:58 >> Good morning, Council.
10:32:59 Mike Callahan.
10:33:00 Planning and urban design.
10:33:02 I'm here this morning as a proxy -- he was
10:33:07 required at a mandatory training meeting this
10:33:08 morning.
10:33:09 We did spend some time updating this map.
10:33:12 I would like to show it to you.
10:33:13 I think it speaks to a lot of the things that
10:33:16 Ms. Montelione was talking about.
10:33:18 If you look at the map Melissa just put up, we
10:33:41 have updated many of the things that have
10:33:42 occurred.
10:33:43 Almost the bottom third of the Tampa Heights
10:33:47 project area has been developed in many cases,
10:33:50 developed out with the heights project is in
10:33:57 process to be developed as well as GE financial
10:34:01 headquarters.
10:34:03 Encore is in there.
10:34:04 The red area to the east of the interstate is
10:34:10 actually the expanded Ybor City historic district.
10:34:15 You can see lightly the brown area in this
10:34:18 rectangular area is the historic Tampa Heights
10:34:23 area, which will come under its own regulatory
10:34:25 framework in terms of being developed out.
10:34:27 But we are in process.
10:34:30 This is our next plan, community plan, which will
10:34:33 have its own regulatory structure.
10:34:36 I can't tell you exactly when that's going to
10:34:39 start because we still have to finish 40th
10:34:41 Street, and we're working a little bit with Davis
10:34:44 Islands as well.
10:34:44 So it is next.
10:34:46 It is absolutely next, and that's really what I
10:34:49 wanted to bring to you this morning there.
10:34:57 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I'll let you in on a little
10:34:59 secret.
10:34:59 I knew that.
10:35:01 And I wanted to put that on the record so
10:35:06 Mr. Territo, while you were speaking, I was trying
10:35:10 to draw out the information and the contrast
10:35:12 between what we have with the Planning Commission
10:35:15 that exists today from 2002 and what the city is
10:35:20 undertaking as the Tampa Heights community plan
10:35:22 moves forward and how we're taking that 2002
10:35:27 community plan, we're going to move forward with
10:35:31 the City of Tampa planning process and hopefully
10:35:38 codify --
10:35:39 >> Not hopefully.
10:35:39 We will codify.
10:35:39 It will be similar.
10:35:40 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Thank you very much.
10:35:41 So we will codify some of these planning policies
10:35:46 and move forward with development codes that will
10:35:51 be on the books, that will in some cases directly
10:35:58 impact the TBX and the expansion of the
10:36:03 interstate.
10:36:03 So at some point in time, not to make everybody
10:36:09 laugh, down the road, there's going to have to be
10:36:14 a meeting of the minds between what our codes in
10:36:19 the City of Tampa dictate for Tampa Heights, what
10:36:21 the community wants, what will be part of our City
10:36:24 of Tampa Code of Ordinances and what the Florida
10:36:29 department of transportation is planning because
10:36:30 they will be in direct conflict.
10:36:35 >> Yep, um-hum.
10:36:36 >>LISA MONTELIONE: As part of the F.D.O.T.
10:36:38 planning process, the reason I brought up, and I
10:36:41 said in the motion $21 million which was before I
10:36:46 actually received the matrix of funding.
10:36:51 But it's actually 20 -- there it is.
10:36:55 It's $24.6 million.
10:36:57 It's $24,594,775, which is budgeted.
10:37:03 So before we start spending, or before the Florida
10:37:07 department of transportation starts spending that
10:37:10 taxpayer money to acquire property that are owned
10:37:16 by folks who voluntarily want them acquired, we
10:37:22 should put a little bit of a break on this, allow
10:37:24 our planning process to move forward and find out
10:37:28 what the real impact to those properties is.
10:37:31 Because after our planning processes go through
10:37:35 and we codify some of these things, the value of
10:37:38 the property might be different.
10:37:40 The intended use of those properties might be
10:37:43 different, and I think it's a strong enough case
10:37:49 and argument to slow down the Florida department
10:37:52 of transportation's acquisition policies and
10:37:56 plans, to wait until all of these things are done.
10:37:59 You know, the interstate expansion is not going to
10:38:02 be a -- a teaspoonful of dirt is not going to be
10:38:07 churned for a number of years.
10:38:08 I want to pull back on that acquisition, the
10:38:13 aggressive acquisition policy that they are
10:38:14 following through now, and wait until all of these
10:38:18 other questions are settled.
10:38:28 >>HARRY COHEN: It's not the practice of Council
10:38:30 members to ask other Council members questions.
10:38:32 However, it's my understanding that the issue you
10:38:37 just raised is the only thing that the MPO is
10:38:40 actually voting on on June 22nd.
10:38:43 That's the only piece of the tip that is locked in
10:38:48 stone for the next year, regarding this project.
10:38:56 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Transportation staff isn't
10:38:58 here.
10:38:58 If the TIF is approved.
10:39:03 >>HARRY COHEN: Ms. Duncan is here.
10:39:05 I want clarity.
10:39:08 >> Good morning, board members.
10:39:09 Jean Duncan transportation stormwater services.
10:39:12 You're correct, Mr. Cohen.
10:39:13 That is the only piece that is being voted on at
10:39:15 the June public hearing at the MPO board meeting.
10:39:18 The acquisition, the approval to go forward with
10:39:24 the acquisition of the -- I don't have the exact
10:39:26 number, 24 million -- yes, thank you.
10:39:33 >> [not speaking into a microphone]
10:39:35 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
10:39:35 And I have a question for Mr. Territo.
10:39:38 Do we not have the -- the CRA has the power to get
10:39:41 an updated plan and spend its own CRA dollars to
10:39:45 hire a private consultant to do it in a timely
10:39:47 way?
10:39:48 >>SAL TERRITO: You have the authority to hire
10:39:51 private consultants if you can find the money out
10:39:52 of your budget to do that.
10:39:54 And the money that you're using for that purpose
10:39:57 has to come out of the area CRA -- CRA area from
10:40:01 which the work to be done.
10:40:03 Can't use downtown money for West Tampa and so
10:40:05 forth.
10:40:06 But it is within your jurisdiction to spend your
10:40:07 money as you see fit.
10:40:10 >>YVONNE CAPIN: So we're looking at Ybor, the
10:40:13 heights what else?
10:40:17 Who else is there?
10:40:18 Downtown.
10:40:20 So we have three.
10:40:22 I just wanted to bring that up so that we can
10:40:27 maybe consider that.
10:40:31 I leave it up to my colleagues.
10:40:48 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Coincidentally have the budget
10:40:49 numbers here.
10:40:50 In brief, from the CRA.
10:40:53 The expansion of the Ybor historic district is
10:40:58 that Ybor one or Ybor two?
10:41:00 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Ybor one.
10:41:01 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Ybor one.
10:41:03 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Two would be east of 22nd.
10:41:06 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Ybor one, ending fund balance
10:41:09 461,000. Tampa Heights riverfront CRA ending fund
10:41:15 balance is 258,000.
10:41:17 Mr. Territo, would we -- in downtown it's a
10:41:23 million four.
10:41:23 More or less.
10:41:26 Would we need to have the CRA community advisory
10:41:36 boards of those three areas ask us to reallocate
10:41:42 the funds?
10:41:43 Or do we make a request of them?
10:41:45 They are the ones who decide how, in some cases,
10:41:49 money is spent.
10:41:49 >>YVONNE CAPIN: They are a voluntary group.
10:41:51 We decide how at the end of the day --
10:41:54 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I don't want to take money that
10:41:58 they don't expect.
10:41:58 >>YVONNE CAPIN: At the end of the day, it is a
10:42:00 decision of this board.
10:42:01 >>SAL TERRITO: Normally what you do, you ask them
10:42:02 to consider the issue, review it, and then come
10:42:05 back to you with a recommendation.
10:42:07 It is your final decision.
10:42:08 Because what you'll be doing is moving money out
10:42:10 of other projects or other areas that might want
10:42:12 to be funded by those groups, but ultimately it's
10:42:15 your decision.
10:42:18 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I would ask, then, by motion
10:42:19 that we have the managers of those three CRA funds
10:42:25 to come to us with a report or with -- yeah, with
10:42:34 a report on which projects could possibly be
10:42:37 impacted should we decide to allocate some funds
10:42:42 to hiring our own consultant to take a look at the
10:42:45 issue.
10:42:46 >>SAL TERRITO: Put the three areas on the record.
10:42:49 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Sure.
10:42:50 It would be Ybor one.
10:42:51 Tampa Heights.
10:42:53 And downtown.
10:42:53 CRAs.
10:42:55 So I would ask the managers of those three to come
10:43:00 forward with what their projects are and which
10:43:03 would be potentially impacted by reallocating some
10:43:07 funds.
10:43:08 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Ms. Montelione, that's excellent.
10:43:11 However, would it be helpful -- we don't know the
10:43:16 amount we're asking for.
10:43:17 You just want to know where they would be able
10:43:20 to --
10:43:21 >>LISA MONTELIONE: What projects they have
10:43:22 allocated now, and that would tell us how much in
10:43:25 the fund balance is left for us to potentially
10:43:28 hire someone.
10:43:30 We need to know how much is already allocated out
10:43:33 of those fund balances.
10:43:35 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Council member Montelione has a
10:43:37 motion.
10:43:37 Seconded by Councilman Cohen.
10:43:39 A date.
10:43:43 >>LISA MONTELIONE: That shouldn't be very
10:43:44 difficult, so I would say in May at our --
10:43:49 May 12th at 9 a.m. under staff reports at the
10:43:53 CRA meeting.
10:43:54 >>YVONNE CAPIN: We have a motion by Councilwoman
10:43:55 Montelione.
10:43:56 Seconded by Council member Cohen.
10:43:58 All in favor?
10:44:00 Opposed?
10:44:01 Passes unanimously.
10:44:02 Thank you very much.
10:44:02 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Thank you for the idea, Madam
10:44:04 Chair.
10:44:07 >>YVONNE CAPIN: You're welcome.
10:44:07 Thank you.
10:44:10 We're all welcome.
10:44:11 [ LAUGHTER ]
10:44:11 We are now moving on to our next presentation,
10:44:17 presentation, jean Duncan, director of
10:44:20 transportation and stormwater services to report
10:44:24 on four issues on go Hillsborough pertaining to
10:44:33 the City of Tampa and the CRA districts.
10:44:35 Thank you.
10:44:39 >> Good morning, CRA board members.
10:44:42 Jean Duncan, transportation and stormwater
10:44:45 services.
10:44:46 I've got a little handout coming along to you.
10:44:51 It's similar information that I presented a few
10:44:53 weeks ago, but I would be glad to go through that
10:44:56 again.
10:44:57 Basically, I'm here to answer a few questions and
10:45:01 provide some information about the two rail
10:45:04 projects that are in our go Hillsborough plan.
10:45:08 I'll place some of these items on the ELMO and
10:45:11 I'll be brief.
10:45:12 A very quick recap on the go Hillsborough planning
10:45:20 process.
10:45:24 We had a grouping of folks starting back in May of
10:45:28 2013, Hart staff, the two cities of Plant City and
10:45:33 Temple Terrace as well as the City of Tampa and
10:45:36 Hillsborough County, started a series of meetings
10:45:38 under the direction of the newly formed policy
10:45:41 leadership group, which is our three mayors and
10:45:44 our seven county commissioners and our Hart chair.
10:45:47 And worked together on developing a project list
10:45:50 and took that out for public comments, and that
10:45:54 resulted in a draft mobility plan proposing a half
10:45:59 percent sales tax as a strategy to fund that plan.
10:46:01 The plan was then chaired again through another
10:46:09 series of public engagement meetings in two
10:46:12 different phases.
10:46:13 First phase having 36 workshops.
10:46:15 The second phase 54 workshops of which in that
10:46:22 phase, 22 meetings were in the City of Tampa.
10:46:24 That resulted in the recommended plan at the PLG I
10:46:29 believe back in November of 2015, voted to move
10:46:33 forward for consideration to be put on the ballot
10:46:38 for our Hillsborough County residents to weigh in
10:46:40 on whether to support a sales tax increase for
10:46:44 this plan.
10:46:47 >>SAL TERRITO: I apologize for breaking in.
10:46:49 Normally after each of the items, you want to have
10:46:51 public comment or do you want to have it at the
10:46:54 end?
10:46:55 >>YVONNE CAPIN: It's at the end.
10:46:56 Our agenda has it at the end.
10:46:58 Thank you.
10:47:00 >> Just some quick information about the two rail
10:47:03 projects that are in this plan, the first one is a
10:47:07 proposed rail project that's based on information
10:47:09 from the Hillsborough County MPO's 2040 long-range
10:47:13 plan, long-range transportation plan as well as
10:47:16 another study that they did called the transit
10:47:21 assets and opportunity study.
10:47:22 We took information from those two plans,
10:47:25 identified the cost estimate of about 480 million.
10:47:28 And we've identified that project in our plan
10:47:32 looking at the go Hillsborough potential sales tax
10:47:35 increase as well as financing, D.O.T. grants,
10:47:38 federal transit administration grants, possible
10:47:42 P-3 funding.
10:47:44 Alignment and technology has not been decided yet
10:47:47 for that study.
10:47:49 Just to reiterate that on this slide, I call it
10:47:53 rail.
10:47:54 You'll also hear the term "fixed guideway."
10:47:57 You'll also hear the term "premium transit."
10:48:00 There's a lot of terminology out there.
10:48:02 I just wanted to point that out.
10:48:04 Fixed guideway transit or rail system has not been
10:48:08 determined in terms of the alignment or the
10:48:10 technology.
10:48:11 There is a process that we have to go through
10:48:15 particularly if we're going to get federal
10:48:16 funding, that will allow us to identify and make
10:48:20 those decisions.
10:48:21 As Ms. Capin mentioned a little bit earlier, we do
10:48:24 have that premium transit study.
10:48:27 Again, fixed guideway rail, all the terminologies
10:48:32 fit under that umbrella.
10:48:34 That premium transit study is underway in terms of
10:48:38 the D.O.T. has provided a million dollars to get
10:48:40 it started.
10:48:42 There is a scope development between D.O.T. and
10:48:48 Hart staff.
10:48:49 We're looking at starting that in the fall.
10:48:51 You might have gotten a specific time frame from
10:48:54 D.O.T. I didn't quite catch if they provided that
10:48:57 to you or not.
10:48:58 Fall is the best information we have for it to get
10:49:01 underway with a consultant on board.
10:49:04 That will be about an 18- to 24-month process.
10:49:07 This particular study will look beyond the City of
10:49:10 Tampa.
10:49:10 It will look into Pasco and Pinellas Counties to
10:49:15 also explore the CSX rail tracks that have been
10:49:20 offered up for sale.
10:49:21 But that will be the beginnings of planning for
10:49:24 our system.
10:49:26 We will follow this study up with what we would
10:49:28 call an alternative analysis study to then nail
10:49:31 down more specifically the alignments and the
10:49:34 technology that we're going to be utilizing.
10:49:36 Our second project --
10:49:38 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Excuse me, Ms. Duncan.
10:49:41 >>MIKE SUAREZ: Quick question, in terms of the
10:49:43 alternatives analysis, is it possible that the
10:49:46 premium transit study could be essentially the
10:49:51 alternatives analysis or does another study have
10:49:52 to be done in order to make it the alternatives
10:49:54 analysis?
10:49:54 I mean, you know, because sometimes I think we get
10:49:58 well too confused about what we're going to be
10:50:01 doing next when we have a study available to us
10:50:03 and whether or not that can be converted into an
10:50:05 alternatives analysis.
10:50:06 >> Right.
10:50:07 It may be through the premium transit study that
10:50:11 downtown Tampa portion could go off on its own
10:50:16 course with that prior alternative analysis that
10:50:19 you're speaking of as background information
10:50:20 that's already been done.
10:50:21 So basically, we're springboarding ahead a little
10:50:24 bit because we do have the prior information.
10:50:27 >>MIKE SUAREZ: So if we wanted to go forward to
10:50:28 the MPO, we could say, listen, we don't want to do
10:50:31 the entire premium granted study.
10:50:33 We want to do just this part of it within the
10:50:35 Central Business District, extension of the
10:50:38 streetcar, we can do that fairly easily, correct?
10:50:40 >> Well, currently, the way it's being scoped out
10:50:44 is the premium transit study is going to include
10:50:47 looking at the downtown portion from downtown to
10:50:51 Westshore.
10:50:52 >>MIKE SUAREZ: That's just a portion.
10:50:53 You mentioned CSX is a part and some other things.
10:50:57 My point is if for some reason we don't go forward
10:51:01 with the CSX or other things that are part of the
10:51:03 premium transit study, we can use that as a basis
10:51:05 for the next part of it as an alternatives
10:51:08 analysis for specifically the extension of the
10:51:10 streetcar.
10:51:10 >> Absolutely, yes. I didn't quite understand
10:51:14 that point.
10:51:15 Yes, that's exactly what we expect to do,
10:51:17 actually, as a result of this.
10:51:18 To what extent we can overlap that with the
10:51:22 premium transit, we'll certainly be looking to
10:51:26 accelerate as much as we can and use the current
10:51:28 information that we have.
10:51:29 >>MIKE SUAREZ: Thanks, Ms. Duncan.
10:51:31 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you, Councilman Suarez.
10:51:32 We have a question from Councilman Cohen.
10:51:34 >>HARRY COHEN: Ms. Duncan, I don't want to put you
10:51:37 on the spot in asking this, because this is a
10:51:39 little outside what you're here for, but we spent
10:51:41 all morning talking about TBX.
10:51:44 Now you're telling us welcome news.
10:51:48 Of course, many of us have been briefed on it,
10:51:50 that this premium transit study is going to be
10:51:52 underway, and it's going to include the Central
10:51:55 Business District of the city.
10:51:57 How can we possibly make a decision about
10:52:02 allocating money to acquire right-of-way?
10:52:05 If concurrent to that decision we're doing a study
10:52:10 that covers the exact same area of the city.
10:52:16 It seems like these two things, I understand they
10:52:19 are on totally separate tracks, but when you
10:52:22 consider that they are on totally separate tracks
10:52:24 and then go Hillsborough is on a third totally
10:52:26 separate track, does the time line that we're
10:52:31 making these decisions make sense?
10:52:35 >> So, the way I would explain it is, they are
10:52:38 very integrated with each other.
10:52:41 The TBX project is a spine for many of the go
10:52:45 Hillsborough projects, particularly on the
10:52:46 roadside.
10:52:47 The TBX project has reserved a 44-foot corridor
10:52:53 envelope throughout the interstate section
10:52:56 certainly within the City of Tampa and across the
10:52:58 Howard Frankland bridge.
10:52:59 And this premium transit study, again, the scope
10:53:03 is still in development.
10:53:04 But the level that we explore, that interstate
10:53:09 envelope versus a local street in terms of where
10:53:13 that rail system will go, the scope being
10:53:16 developed right now with Hart staff and D.O.T.
10:53:19 staff will lay out to what level of detail we go
10:53:22 into for that.
10:53:25 >>HARRY COHEN: I want to try to simplify it for
10:53:27 myself and for everyone what it is you're saying.
10:53:30 I guess you're saying that you're going to
10:53:33 evaluate the different alternatives.
10:53:37 On one hand, TBX, it goes forward.
10:53:41 On the other hand, if you're using local streets
10:53:44 is what you're considering.
10:53:46 >> Well, I guess I would say TBX is additional
10:53:49 travel lanes within that limited access
10:53:52 right-of-way that D.O.T. has.
10:53:54 The rail envelope is reserved for whatever transit
10:53:59 rail opportunity that is developed.
10:54:01 So TBX or no TBX, that envelope is still there.
10:54:05 And that's what the premium transit study is going
10:54:08 to be focusing on.
10:54:09 Again, I'm not part of the scope development.
10:54:11 I don't know to what level of detail they are
10:54:14 going to explore that in the alternative analysis
10:54:17 that Councilman Suarez mentioned.
10:54:20 Those details were drilled down very closely.
10:54:24 This is a broader look at rail in a much larger
10:54:30 area.
10:54:31 So as Mr. Suarez was saying, this may be
10:54:34 information we take and then go on our own path of
10:54:39 just within the City of Tampa from downtown to
10:54:43 TIA, make sure that we're doing our project within
10:54:47 the bigger picture of a regional system, but drill
10:54:49 down into those details that you're talking about.
10:54:52 But we don't see go Hillsborough, TBX, or this
10:54:55 being in contrast with each other.
10:54:59 Rather, they are working together in terms of the
10:55:01 planning decisions that are being made.
10:55:08 >> Anyone else have questions for Ms. Duncan?
10:55:11 No.
10:55:12 All right, Ms. Duncan, thank you very much for
10:55:13 your report.
10:55:14 >> Thank you.
10:55:18 >>LISA MONTELIONE: That concludes our staff
10:55:21 reports.
10:55:23 I see we lost a lot of our members of the
10:55:26 chambers.
10:55:28 They had to get back to work, I'm sure.
10:55:30 We are now at public comments.
10:55:32 Anyone wishing to address the CRA board, please
10:55:37 stand up, come to the microphone and remember to
10:55:39 state your name for the record.
10:55:46 >> Good morning, Kimberly Overman, 4610 North
10:55:51 Central Avenue.
10:55:52 I'm imploring you to recognize that the community
10:55:58 is very upset about the process of having TBX go
10:56:03 through our communities.
10:56:03 I'm encouraged from what I've heard today, it
10:56:07 sounds as though Council is very empathetic to
10:56:11 what's going on in the community.
10:56:14 This business area has actually fought very hard
10:56:17 to recover during this time period, and my biggest
10:56:21 concern is, if we are, in fact, voting on
10:56:25 allocating -- what was the dollar amount?
10:56:28 >>LISA MONTELIONE: 24.6.
10:56:30 >> 24.6.
10:56:31 >>LISA MONTELIONE: For acquisition.
10:56:32 >> For acquisition of properties that eliminates
10:56:35 property tax from ever being collected on that
10:56:37 property, again.
10:56:40 It also eliminates any of the sales taxes that
10:56:43 might be generated from the businesses that are on
10:56:45 those properties.
10:56:46 And that doesn't count the properties that
10:56:49 F.D.O.T. has already purchased over the years when
10:56:52 we were talking about having high-speed rail land
10:56:54 in the middle of the city, of which those
10:56:57 properties lay vacant, boarded up and harming the
10:57:01 economic development of these communities that
10:57:03 have fought so hard.
10:57:04 So, please, please, make sure that the CRA is very
10:57:09 much considered in the amount of tax revenues and
10:57:12 tax credits that the community will lose as a
10:57:15 consequence of considering TBX as part of our
10:57:19 overall economic plan.
10:57:20 Using transit is a way of actually solving some of
10:57:24 our needs.
10:57:25 Having buses and helping our businesses grow will
10:57:28 solve a lot of our needs.
10:57:30 But destroying the community fabric in order to do
10:57:33 that shall not be done again, in my opinion, if we
10:57:38 are good stewards of what we're supposed to be
10:57:40 doing for our community.
10:57:42 What happened to Central Avenue businesses for the
10:57:46 large population of African-American communities
10:57:50 that were a strong economic engine for the City of
10:57:52 Tampa, to have it destroyed when the interstate
10:57:55 went through the first time and to not honor what
10:58:00 happened there.
10:58:00 We just had a park that just got opened up to
10:58:03 celebrate what was lost and trying to regain it
10:58:06 and spent a lot of money making that happen.
10:58:08 We need to not forget.
10:58:12 That's very important to not only the current
10:58:13 residents here, but the business owners that are
10:58:15 developing and risking their resources to make
10:58:18 this happen.
10:58:18 Thank you.
10:58:20 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
10:58:21 Next.
10:58:22 >> Hi.
10:58:24 Kevin Thurman, 111 North 12th Street, Tampa,
10:58:28 Florida.
10:58:28 I first wanted to say I'm really glad that the CRA
10:58:31 is taking a position.
10:58:33 TBX affects the majority of CRA districts,
10:58:35 including the downtown, one that I was on the CRA
10:58:37 advisory board on before and the Channelside one
10:58:40 that I live in now.
10:58:41 I think it's really important to people that the
10:58:44 F.D.O.T. understands that this body exists to make
10:58:46 sure that the blight that created a redevelopment,
10:58:49 is something that shouldn't be continued and not
10:58:52 only not continued but our taxpayer dollars
10:58:54 shouldn't be to create more of it.
10:58:55 And it is your job, and I am glad you are doing it
10:58:58 today, to protect these areas, protect your
10:59:01 millions and millions of dollars of investments
10:59:03 that you've put into these areas so they can
10:59:05 continue to grow.
10:59:06 I want people to understand that part of that
10:59:11 investment is the key.
10:59:12 But I did want to take a second that I have to
10:59:15 change the second half of my thing because of
10:59:17 something jean Duncan said that I want to make
10:59:20 very, very clear.
10:59:21 That is not a single dollar of the go Hillsborough
10:59:23 plan that people are putting forward is dependent
10:59:27 on anything to do with TBX.
10:59:29 I hope we can kill TBX and don't have to worry
10:59:32 about a single bit of that money.
10:59:33 I don't understand why she would say that.
10:59:36 I hope the city corrects that issue.
10:59:38 I hope you guys each ask the city to clarify why
10:59:41 they would even possibly say that.
10:59:42 Now, the study for the overall CSX tracks
10:59:45 obviously has something to do when we're talking
10:59:48 about investing 52% of our sales tax into
10:59:50 alternatives for driving.
10:59:51 When we're looking at what we're going to do here,
10:59:54 the choice about what we face on TBX is exactly
10:59:57 what we see.
10:59:57 No matter whether you love every single bit and I
11:00:00 would like to see a lot more transit in go
11:00:02 Hillsborough as everybody knows.
11:00:03 But here's the thing about it, as a community, no
11:00:08 matter what compromise we reach as residents, the
11:00:10 City of Tampa is spending the vast majority of its
11:00:13 money on complete streets and on transit.
11:00:15 And we're talking about over a 30-year time
11:00:18 period, over 70 some odd percent.
11:00:20 That is the statement that no matter whether you
11:00:22 think it should go further, we're making very
11:00:24 clear, F.D.O.T. is a small fraction of the amount
11:00:28 of money that they spend in our community on
11:00:31 anything like those alternatives.
11:00:32 And that is the key thing that we need to
11:00:35 understand.
11:00:35 That is why these two things are so completely
11:00:38 different and why I have always opposed TBX, and I
11:00:41 am happy that you guys are standing up and doing
11:00:43 what you're doing here today, but we'll always
11:00:46 also argue that we need more transit funding so
11:00:48 we're not looking at bus routes that run every
11:00:50 hour.
11:00:51 We're looking at bus routes that run every 15
11:00:53 minutes so we're investing in rail like the
11:00:55 conversation we're talking about in the studies
11:00:57 that we're doing, and so that we have the money to
11:00:59 take advantage of opportunities.
11:01:01 If we can beat F.D.O.T. back from TBX, then we
11:01:04 have billions of dollars, they said needs billions
11:01:08 in the community.
11:01:09 You should absolutely delay everything until that
11:01:11 transit study is done on June 22nd.
11:01:14 Shouldn't buy another piece of property until they
11:01:16 know how they will be spending all of the billions
11:01:18 of dollars in this community.
11:01:27 >> Good morning.
11:01:28 Neil Cosentino, 708 South Davis Boulevard.
11:01:32 I want to share with you, there's going to be a
11:01:38 global mobility think tank formed.
11:01:41 And the global will deal with air, land, and sea
11:01:45 transportation.
11:01:46 One of the reasons for doing this is we have MPO,
11:01:53 TBARTA, we have Tampa Bay regional planning
11:01:55 Council, and we have all these entities out there
11:02:00 and we still don't have a consolidated bus system.
11:02:04 Everybody is talking rail.
11:02:06 We have ten bus systems.
11:02:07 We haven't even consolidated them yet.
11:02:10 Now, how can that be?
11:02:12 Well, with a think tank, we'll come back and
11:02:17 explain why they didn't happen and why it should
11:02:20 happen.
11:02:20 There is another very, very important issue that
11:02:26 deals with eminent domain of property.
11:02:29 $1 billion, Drew Park was purchased.
11:02:31 All that property, and taken off the tax rolls.
11:02:35 If private enterprise bought all that property, it
11:02:37 would have stayed on the tax rolls.
11:02:40 But because the airport authority bought it, it
11:02:43 came off the tax rolls.
11:02:45 So that tax has to be made up by us.
11:02:48 Okay.
11:02:49 Now we look at Gandy Boulevard.
11:02:51 Eventually they are going to eminent domain
11:02:54 property on the north side and the south side of
11:02:57 Gandy Boulevard when they put in the second
11:03:00 bridge.
11:03:00 When that property is taken off the tax rolls,
11:03:04 guess who has to make up for the taxes?
11:03:09 The people of Tampa.
11:03:10 Now, you would say the argument is, we're going to
11:03:14 put in this connector because everybody in Tampa
11:03:16 Bay is going to benefit -- Pinellas and so
11:03:20 forth -- but who pays for it?
11:03:23 Every year.
11:03:25 The taxpayers of Tampa pay for it.
11:03:28 When they eminent domain property, if they do on
11:03:33 that TBX and all that property is taken off the
11:03:36 tax rolls, you could say, well, everyone is going
11:03:39 to benefit from it, but who pays for it?
11:03:41 The City of Tampa taxpayers pay for it.
11:03:48 So this is an important issue when you look at,
11:03:51 and it's every year.
11:03:52 It's not just one time.
11:03:55 It's every year we have to make up for the taxes
11:03:58 that are lost.
11:03:59 So this would be an issue we'll bring back.
11:04:03 We'll bring back the issue of consolidating our
11:04:05 bus systems before we even think about a rail
11:04:08 system.
11:04:09 Thank you very much.
11:04:19 >> Good morning, Council.
11:04:20 My name is Rick Fernandez.
11:04:22 2906 North Elmore Avenue, Tampa, Florida.
11:04:26 That's in Tampa Heights.
11:04:27 I'm the president of the Tampa Heights Civic
11:04:29 Association.
11:04:30 First of all, thank you all so much for the amount
11:04:32 of time that you've devoted to this issue today.
11:04:35 It was great sitting in the audience and hearing a
11:04:38 lot of the things that we've been saying and
11:04:40 thinking now for the better part of a year coming
11:04:42 back to us from the dais.
11:04:44 It's very heartwarming and frankly emotional for
11:04:47 me.
11:04:47 So thank you for that.
11:04:48 I was I guess to some degree responsible for at
11:04:53 least one item on the agenda regarding congestion
11:04:56 pricing.
11:04:57 I penned an article that appeared in 83-degree on
11:05:02 March 1st in which I raised the issue of
11:05:05 congestion pricing.
11:05:06 F.D.O.T. was asked to come here and talk about
11:05:08 that today.
11:05:09 I didn't hear a lot about congestion pricing in
11:05:11 mike's presentation, not even the definition of
11:05:13 it.
11:05:14 So I thought I would offer that to you.
11:05:16 And to let you understand why it is that I got on
11:05:20 that track to begin with.
11:05:22 Because every time I showed up for an F.D.O.T.
11:05:24 presentation, regardless of the venue, the sales
11:05:27 pitch has always been that TBX and express toll
11:05:32 lanes are a choice.
11:05:33 This is the sales pitch.
11:05:35 This is the marketing piece behind the express,
11:05:38 the Tampa Bay express concept.
11:05:42 And for the life of me, I was having a hard time
11:05:45 finding much in the way of choice related to TBX.
11:05:48 It seemed that this was something being crammed
11:05:51 down our throats, not a choice issue at all.
11:05:53 So I rooted into what the economic principle was
11:05:57 behind the express toll lane concept which led me
11:06:00 to the Federal Highway Administration definition.
11:06:03 Congestion pricing sometimes called value pricing
11:06:06 is a way of harnessing the power of the market to
11:06:09 reduce the waste associated with traffic
11:06:12 congestion.
11:06:13 Congestion pricing works by shifting some less
11:06:16 critical and more discretionary rush hour highway
11:06:19 travel to other transportation modes or to off
11:06:23 peak periods, taking advantage of the fact that
11:06:25 the majority of rush hour drivers on a typical
11:06:28 urban highway are not commuters.
11:06:30 By removing a fraction, even as small as 5% of the
11:06:34 vehicles from a congested highway, pricing enables
11:06:37 the system to flow much more efficiently, allowing
11:06:40 more cars to move through the same physical space.
11:06:44 Now, as I read that, I was not reading choice.
11:06:46 What I was reading was behavior management.
11:06:49 What I was reading was F.D.O.T. intends to nudge
11:06:52 people off the interstate by raising the price of
11:06:55 using the interstate system so high, either in
11:06:58 terms of time or money, that people will simply
11:07:01 opt out of the system.
11:07:03 So the next time you have a representative from
11:07:06 D.O.T. stand before you and talk to you about
11:07:09 highways, please remember that economic
11:07:11 underpinning, and call them on it, because this
11:07:14 isn't about choice.
11:07:15 It's about nudging us away.
11:07:17 And if you want to take us off the interstate
11:07:20 system, there are better ways to do that.
11:07:22 They are called transit options, and we will go
11:07:24 voluntarily, I promise you.
11:07:26 I think I'm out.
11:07:28 Thank you very much for your time.
11:07:29 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:07:30 Next.
11:07:36 >> I'm Ed Tillou, Sulphur Springs.
11:07:39 Okay.
11:07:40 Talk to item 4 a little bit, I changed over from
11:07:44 being a motorist to using public transportation,
11:07:48 which brings to mind this riddle, why do you hit
11:07:51 yourself with a hammer?
11:07:53 Well, the answer to that riddle is because it
11:07:56 feels so good when you stop.
11:07:58 And that's the way I feel about the automobile
11:08:04 versus public transportation.
11:08:06 Public transportation is so much better.
11:08:11 With respect to whether high occupancy vehicle
11:08:14 lanes can be enforced, Virginia seems to do it
11:08:18 pretty well on the roads that go in from Virginia
11:08:20 into D.C., and people have these things.
11:08:27 They have blowup dolls.
11:08:28 They get them at the porn shops.
11:08:31 [ LAUGHTER ]
11:08:31 They blow them up and put them on the seat.
11:08:35 They get away with that a few times, but not
11:08:37 indefinitely.
11:08:38 Just a few times.
11:08:40 Well, anyway, if Virginia can do it, why is there
11:08:44 all this problem down here?
11:08:45 Anyway, with respect to item 11, in that handout,
11:08:51 I have a little bus schedule 96.
11:08:54 It's these little trolley-looking things.
11:08:56 The thing is, that is so great, it can save so
11:08:59 much downtown walking, which isn't a pedestrian
11:09:03 feel, wonderful pedestrian feel, we're told.
11:09:07 It's actually pretty bad.
11:09:08 It's tiring.
11:09:10 There's even urban sprawl downtown.
11:09:12 And the thing is that 96 bus, a little trolley,
11:09:17 it's good but it only runs a little bit of the
11:09:19 time.
11:09:20 Now, you need two of them.
11:09:22 You need one that runs all the time and maybe, you
11:09:25 know, it would be like half hour service, but then
11:09:28 the other one, every 15 minutes and the reason you
11:09:32 only have that one certain times is because it
11:09:35 started to serve as a commuter bus from Harbour
11:09:38 Island.
11:09:39 So when they were going to discontinue, all the
11:09:43 Harbour Island people went ballistic.
11:09:45 Anyway, that's that.
11:09:47 Anyway, the 96.
11:09:48 And then the thing a lot of people mentioned over
11:09:51 and over again is jitneys, which are associated
11:09:55 really with New Orleans, I think.
11:09:57 And there's someone here who is a totally electric
11:10:03 vehicle fan.
11:10:05 There isn't really place for totally electric
11:10:07 vehicles because they are sort of small and
11:10:09 inefficient.
11:10:10 But the thing of it is, these gems, you see the
11:10:15 parking department, have well, they only have two
11:10:17 seats.
11:10:18 But like two-seat benches, and they could serve as
11:10:22 jitneys to people around town.
11:10:24 That was tried in St. Petersburg.
11:10:26 I don't know whatever happened to it.
11:10:28 It was forbidden.
11:10:29 So this is in the seat of the county, the county
11:10:32 Transportation Committee has got to get on that.
11:10:36 Okay.
11:10:37 Go Hillsborough.
11:10:38 I mentioned in one of my things in the handout
11:10:40 about Brinckerhoff.
11:10:45 The mid 1600s, one of my ancestors complained
11:10:49 about them.
11:10:56 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:10:57 You've got homework, guys.
11:11:01 Thank you.
11:11:03 >> Hi.
11:11:04 Dana Lazareth.
11:11:06 I'll be moving to Tampa this summer, but I was
11:11:08 born and raised in St. Pete.
11:11:09 I just got accepted to the USF masters urban and
11:11:13 regional planning program, and I'm really excited.
11:11:16 I'm sure I'll see you guys a lot more.
11:11:18 Go bulls.
11:11:19 I'm sad that the F.D.O.T. people left.
11:11:23 Are there any left here in the room?
11:11:25 Okay.
11:11:25 Awesome.
11:11:26 Well, I just wanted to thank them for that
11:11:29 presentation.
11:11:30 It was very manipulative and informative.
11:11:34 I wanted to ask, I don't know what research their
11:11:40 planners are looking at, but all of the
11:11:44 information is out there about where urban
11:11:46 planning is going, about what is important in
11:11:51 revitalizing cities.
11:11:53 And it's public transit.
11:11:55 It's pretty much everything opposite of what the
11:11:58 TBX is.
11:11:59 And I don't know -- I wrote this down because I'm
11:12:04 super tired.
11:12:05 I'll just read it.
11:12:06 I don't know in what modern day dystopian society
11:12:10 does it make sense to destroy homes, historic
11:12:12 landmarks and communities for a highway that only
11:12:15 certain people can and will use.
11:12:17 A restricted road, we no longer live in the
11:12:23 industrial revolution.
11:12:24 We live in the age of climate change and
11:12:28 pollution.
11:12:28 Little rhyme for you.
11:12:30 Anyways, the TBX is most backward piece of
11:12:36 planning that I've ever seen.
11:12:38 The nation recognizes it.
11:12:39 Florida is sort of a laughingstock right now
11:12:41 because it's even been proposed.
11:12:44 I just came from Portland, Oregon.
11:12:45 I don't know how many of you guys have been there,
11:12:48 but they are amazing.
11:12:49 You should visit and ride the max.
11:12:51 Ride their light rail.
11:12:53 It's wonderful and beautiful.
11:12:54 What we need to be doing right now is following
11:12:57 examples like Portland.
11:12:58 We need to be downsizing, infilling, retrofitting,
11:13:02 because this crazy expansion of growth is not
11:13:05 going to work.
11:13:06 Development has always been engineering and
11:13:11 politicians and growth and money, and it needs to
11:13:15 be sustainable community controlled.
11:13:23 The difference between planning and engineering is
11:13:25 that engineering says, can we do it while planning
11:13:28 says, should we do it?
11:13:29 Planning people need to remember that there's
11:13:33 people, there is a person at the end of this
11:13:36 legislation.
11:13:36 Honestly, you guys seem pretty on our side, and
11:13:42 that's so awesome.
11:13:43 There's thousands of signatures on petitions right
11:13:47 now.
11:13:48 There's a go-go campaign that raised over a
11:13:50 thousand dollars to get materials to campaign
11:13:53 against this.
11:13:53 I mean, I'm pretty sure all the information is out
11:13:55 there.
11:13:56 You guys seem to be on the right side of the fence
11:13:58 on this, and I'm so thankful for that.
11:14:01 So thankful.
11:14:02 Thank you so much.
11:14:03 But yeah, if D.O.T. needs to do more research or
11:14:06 something, I don't quite understand.
11:14:09 Thank you so much.
11:14:09 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you for your statements.
11:14:12 Us guys appreciate it.
11:14:20 >> Good morning.
11:14:20 My name is Chris Cory.
11:14:22 I'm here as a homeowner and a builder.
11:14:24 I'm with the Councilman Reddick's district.
11:14:27 So he's heard a lot of what I'm going to tell you.
11:14:30 This is a house I built in 2010 along the I-4
11:14:36 corridor, and, obviously, some activities have
11:14:40 happened since.
11:14:41 They tried to buy the house for the high-speed
11:14:46 rail.
11:14:47 They certainly weren't successful -- the F.D.O.T.
11:14:51 They did a beat-down for about a year.
11:14:54 I lost about $40,000 on it.
11:14:56 I've recovered from that.
11:14:57 That's all right.
11:14:57 What everybody has been saying about how the
11:14:59 D.O.T. will come and decimate an area certainly is
11:15:02 true.
11:15:03 I ask you drive over to 12th Avenue.
11:15:05 International and historic landmark district.
11:15:06 Look at that street.
11:15:08 It's a ghost street.
11:15:09 I was paying $3800 taxes on that property, as
11:15:12 people have mentioned.
11:15:13 No more revenue from 2010 to 2014.
11:15:17 It's abandoned now.
11:15:20 The code enforcement folks park on the grass.
11:15:22 That's what they are using the property for.
11:15:24 I have subsequently taken this house, as I was the
11:15:26 last bidder on the house, and moved it to 11th
11:15:29 Avenue, 600 feet away.
11:15:31 Cost me about 92,000 just to move it.
11:15:34 Then there was land costs, but it's sitting very
11:15:37 prominently in that national historic land
11:15:40 district.
11:15:41 It will represent us all well.
11:15:42 Eventually I will sell it.
11:15:44 Probably lose a little bit of money on that.
11:15:46 You guys, please understand the abuse that is
11:15:48 coming out of F.D.O.T.
11:15:50 They buy in excess way ahead of time, and it's
11:15:53 time we all put a stop to it.
11:15:56 It's ridiculous.
11:15:57 I've got other issues, but I don't want to discuss
11:16:00 it now.
11:16:01 I'll probably try to meet with individuals.
11:16:04 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I was going to ask if you can
11:16:09 provide all of us these photographs and a little
11:16:13 bit of history of what you just said maybe written
11:16:17 out so you can provide a little more detail.
11:16:19 I would love to have that in order for that to be
11:16:24 brought up at the MPO.
11:16:25 >> Right.
11:16:25 I'll tell you, just for me, there was a situation,
11:16:28 inverse taking where they beat down a nice
11:16:30 prominent piece of property like this, but what
11:16:33 they did, the D.O.T. actually were buying houses
11:16:36 including the Lopez house along 12th Avenue,
11:16:38 they were posting asbestos warning signs, boarding
11:16:41 it up, and there was no asbestos in the house.
11:16:44 We looked like a toxic waste dump for over a year
11:16:47 over there.
11:16:47 They beat you down little by little.
11:16:50 And it's time to stop.
11:16:51 >>LISA MONTELIONE: I would love to have more
11:16:53 detailed information.
11:16:54 Thank you very much.
11:16:56 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:16:57 Next.
11:17:04 >> Good morning, CRA board members.
11:17:06 Donna Stark, president South Seminole Heights
11:17:08 Civic Association.
11:17:09 I came this morning because I was very interested
11:17:11 in listening to F.D.O.T.'s update of this board as
11:17:14 well as hearing jean Duncan's presentation in
11:17:18 regards to the upcoming go Hillsborough rail study
11:17:22 analysis.
11:17:23 I think what is still so most concerning to me is
11:17:27 that we have yet to have a real conversation about
11:17:33 what effective transportation looks like.
11:17:35 One thing I've heard over and over at the
11:17:37 charrette, F.D.O.T.'s mission and goal is to
11:17:40 provide effective -- to effectively move people
11:17:42 and goods across this region.
11:17:44 And I fail to see how we're having this
11:17:47 conversation if we're missing the data about what
11:17:49 it looks like to have a premium transit study.
11:17:53 What does it look like if we have the CSX rail?
11:17:56 What does it look like if we adopt another fixed
11:17:59 guideway, whether it's some sort of tram, some
11:18:02 sort of light rail, expanding the streetcar.
11:18:05 What do all these things do and how do they look
11:18:07 when combined?
11:18:08 How can we ask our residents and our tax base to
11:18:11 say, yes, you know, go for this or yes, be in
11:18:14 support of TBX if we don't have all the
11:18:16 information about what makes the most difference,
11:18:20 what makes the real return on investment.
11:18:22 Based on the information that we have, you know,
11:18:24 looking at it again from my neighborhood
11:18:27 perspective in south Seminole Heights, this is not
11:18:29 a good plan for us.
11:18:30 It doesn't help our community grow.
11:18:32 It doesn't reflect our values, and I think one
11:18:34 thing I found attending these charrettes is that
11:18:37 all of my surrounding neighborhoods, both in
11:18:39 Seminole Heights to Tampa Heights through Ybor to
11:18:41 downtown, all have the same vision.
11:18:44 We want to be interconnected with each other.
11:18:46 We want to have an easier commute.
11:18:47 You know, we really don't want to see the
11:18:50 commuters coming into downtown to work here, sit
11:18:52 there.
11:18:52 We understand it's pretty soul-sucking to sit in
11:18:54 traffic.
11:18:55 Believe me.
11:18:56 Most of us have lived outside of the city at one
11:18:58 point or another.
11:18:59 But we want a solution that actually works.
11:19:03 The information that F.D.O.T. has provided to date
11:19:05 has shown that it is not a real solution.
11:19:07 So what I'm asking as a representative for my
11:19:10 neighborhood is that we do not put another dime
11:19:14 toward funding any sort of acquisition and moving
11:19:17 TBX forward until we identify what a true plan is
11:19:20 for this region, and we move forward with that
11:19:23 with real solid information that comes from
11:19:26 today's date, not from 30 years ago.
11:19:28 Thank you for your time this morning.
11:19:30 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:19:30 Anyone else in the audience who would like to
11:19:33 speak?
11:19:49 >> Thank you all of you.
11:19:51 I'm very pleased to hear what you have all been
11:19:55 saying.
11:19:55 My name is Mauricio Rosas.
11:19:57 118 West Mohawk Avenue.
11:19:59 Councilman Reddick, I take that very much to
11:20:02 heart.
11:20:02 I think that the human element is something that's
11:20:05 missing.
11:20:06 We were asked to look at what would the map look
11:20:11 like.
11:20:12 This is the map from F.D.O.T.
11:20:14 If you pop it up there.
11:20:15 You can see right there, that's where the
11:20:18 community center is located.
11:20:19 Talk about the impacts, we can just see exactly
11:20:23 what's going to go through there.
11:20:24 not a good thing.
11:20:28 They said we had -- again, I have another slide.
11:20:37 They said 140 residents were going to be impacted.
11:20:41 How many people lived in Presbyterian Village?
11:20:44 How many people live in Mobley Park?
11:20:47 How many people live in North Boulevard Park?
11:20:50 I think it's more than 140, at least maybe 142.
11:20:54 F.D.O.T. needs to be held accountable.
11:21:00 Everyone is talking about the trolley.
11:21:05 I love the trolley.
11:21:06 When we come downtown on Thursdays or Friday, we
11:21:11 get on the trolley and have a good time.
11:21:14 This is on a weekend.
11:21:15 That trolley is full.
11:21:17 People had their luggage going to the airport on
11:21:21 the trolley.
11:21:22 I do have a video.
11:21:24 Since I didn't present before, you would have
11:21:27 heard the comments.
11:21:28 I was just completely -- I was elated.
11:21:33 I was absolutely elated.
11:21:34 Now, the charrette summary, one of the things that
11:21:40 came out is on the slide here, where
11:21:46 unequivocally, the community is saying absolutely
11:21:51 no, we do not want TBX.
11:21:55 There is no mitigation.
11:21:56 When the vote comes up at the MPO on June 22nd,
11:22:01 there is a whole line of legislative funding, we
11:22:07 have to -- and I ask you, to vote no against that
11:22:11 funding, because the moment we vote yes, well,
11:22:16 this funding is just limited to FY '17, well, I'm
11:22:23 getting close.
11:22:25 I'm inviting you all to our March on the 23rd,
11:22:32 Mr. Maniscalco has said in the past he was there.
11:22:34 You need to see the human element.
11:22:38 We really would like to you come out to the
11:22:40 April 23rd, Saturday march.
11:22:42 I appreciate very much.
11:22:45 Thank you.
11:22:45 I hope that your vote here will carry over to the
11:22:48 MPO as well.
11:22:49 Thank you.
11:22:50 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:22:51 Anyone else in the audience wish to speak?
11:22:54 Thank you, ma'am.
11:22:56 >> Donna Davis.
11:22:57 2314 East 10th Avenue in Ybor City.
11:23:00 I just have one thing to say.
11:23:03 I just want to thank you all for being in sync
11:23:06 with the will of the people on this and the input
11:23:08 that I'm getting from the community that I serve.
11:23:11 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:23:11 Anyone else wish to speak from the audience?
11:23:15 We continue with our agenda.
11:23:32 >>BOB McDONAUGH: Item number 6 is the approval of
11:23:35 the funding for the 12th Street pumping station
11:23:39 that we had talked about before.
11:23:42 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Okay.
11:23:43 We need --
11:23:44 >> So moved.
11:23:45 >> Second.
11:23:45 >>YVONNE CAPIN: A motion by Council member
11:23:48 Miranda.
11:23:48 Second by Councilman Maniscalco.
11:23:51 All in favor?
11:23:52 Opposed?
11:23:53 Passed.
11:23:55 >>BOB McDONAUGH: Number 7 is the approval for a
11:23:57 new member of the CAC for Tampa Heights.
11:24:01 >> I move that approval of Mr. Henry.
11:24:04 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Moved by Councilman Suarez.
11:24:07 Second by Councilman Cohen.
11:24:09 All in favor?
11:24:10 Opposed?
11:24:10 Passes unanimously.
11:24:12 Thank you.
11:24:16 >>BOB McDONAUGH: Item number 8 is to please
11:24:18 receive and file the quarterly update of the
11:24:21 financing.
11:24:21 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Moved by Councilman Cohen.
11:24:24 Second by Councilman Miranda.
11:24:25 All in favor?
11:24:26 Opposed?
11:24:28 Passes.
11:24:28 Thank you.
11:24:29 >>BOB McDONAUGH: Number 9, we are asking for a
11:24:32 letter of support for a TIGER grant application
11:24:35 for the Tampa Port Authority.
11:24:37 This is in conjunction to the Channel District,
11:24:40 and we will be cooperating and working with them
11:24:42 for that overall plan that they introduce the
11:24:45 board to.
11:24:45 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Is that a resolution or letter of
11:24:47 support?
11:24:47 >>BOB McDONAUGH: A resolution.
11:24:52 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Moved by Councilman Miranda.
11:24:54 Second by Councilman Cohen.
11:24:56 All in favor?
11:24:57 Opposed?
11:24:58 Passes.
11:24:59 Thank you.
11:25:01 >>BOB McDONAUGH: Item number 10 is the acceptance
11:25:04 of refunding from Hillsborough County for monies
11:25:07 that we had previously spent for Curtis Hixon
11:25:10 Park.
11:25:12 They were, again, if you recall, the downtown CRA
11:25:17 had expired.
11:25:18 We had an extension but no longer with the
11:25:20 participation by Hillsborough County.
11:25:23 They agreed that they were still obligated to pay
11:25:26 their pro rata share of the CRA funds for the
11:25:29 park, and that's what that --
11:25:31 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Moved by Councilman Miranda.
11:25:34 Second by Councilman Maniscalco.
11:25:35 All in favor?
11:25:36 Opposed?
11:25:37 Passes.
11:25:37 Thank you.
11:25:39 >>BOB McDONAUGH: Item number 11 is the downtown
11:25:43 shuttle program, downtown Channelside.
11:25:45 And if you would like, Rob Rosner is here and he's
11:25:49 prepared to give a presentation.
11:25:50 I know all had the briefing.
11:25:54 It's a significant amount of money, but it's also
11:25:57 a step forward for our urban areas.
11:26:05 >> Good morning.
11:26:08 I wanted to say thank you for taking and
11:26:12 considering this.
11:26:13 This is covering two CRAs.
11:26:14 It will be covering downtown and Channel District.
11:26:17 This process started about a year ago.
11:26:19 I've only been here about seven or eight months.
11:26:22 In getting involved with that, I was able to
11:26:24 really dive into what the issues were and what the
11:26:27 things that were becoming an issue.
11:26:29 We made it a focus of our CAC meetings to find out
11:26:34 what those issues were.
11:26:36 The desire was strong, but the first ask was a
11:26:40 50-50 match.
11:26:42 And it didn't seem to match that well, and
11:26:45 downtown was very supportive of it and Channel
11:26:47 District was like, well, why should we pay as much
11:26:50 because we are a lot smaller area.
11:26:51 We don't have as many businesses but we have more
11:26:53 residents.
11:26:54 In hearing what those concerns were, we went
11:26:56 through a process of three major meetings where
11:26:58 the Downtown Partnership had brought a proposal of
11:27:03 what they wanted to do, and then heard the
11:27:05 reactions from Channel District and downtown of
11:27:07 what those were.
11:27:08 And they were able to respond to those.
11:27:10 One of those was the logistics of handling running
11:27:17 a shuttle program. I'm going to give you a real
11:27:21 quick update of what the shuttle looks like.
11:27:23 It is a six seater.
11:27:29 The idea is that because the Hillsborough County
11:27:33 is under PPC in order to get this program going,
11:27:39 it usually runs on tips or some other kind of
11:27:42 thing.
11:27:42 Well, because PTC regulates this and they don't
11:27:45 have it there, we can run it as a free program,
11:27:48 and that's what this funding is to cover that as a
11:27:51 free program.
11:27:52 Hopefully in a year or so when the legislation
11:27:54 changes, if it does change, we have most of the
11:27:57 way through --
11:27:58 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Excuse me.
11:27:59 It should stay free.
11:28:03 It should stay free.
11:28:05 And that funding needs to be -- it is very
11:28:09 important for our downtown and Channelside to be
11:28:13 able to move people.
11:28:15 We're not there yet, but I visited many cities
11:28:22 where the transportation within downtown is free,
11:28:25 and it is very instrumental in the progress of
11:28:34 those cities.
11:28:34 That's my statement.
11:28:36 Sorry.
11:28:37 >> Just a clarification.
11:28:38 He was not talking about actually charging
11:28:40 passengers to ride.
11:28:41 It was the selling of advertising and the
11:28:43 acceptance of tips, which changes how it's viewed.
11:28:47 The idea was at some point if they were allowed to
11:28:52 sell advertising, it would help underwrite a free
11:28:55 service.
11:28:56 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:28:57 I remember now.
11:28:58 I apologize for that.
11:28:59 Thank you.
11:29:02 >> During that process, we were weighing this out
11:29:04 so that the issue is that bus doesn't always come
11:29:09 right when you need it and people shouldn't have
11:29:11 to deal with that last-mile issue.
11:29:15 The benefit coming from this is that people can,
11:29:18 instead of having to get in a car and go somewhere
11:29:21 else or try to use facilities in the area, this
11:29:24 shuttle program would be able to have you from
11:29:28 point to point around 20 minutes, the idea you
11:29:30 would be picked up within 10 minutes and be at
11:29:34 your next destination in another ten minutes.
11:29:36 What's different about this than fixed guideways
11:29:39 like they were talking about is this a
11:29:41 point-to-point on demand.
11:29:42 So if you wanted to leave right now, you could
11:29:45 pull up this new app that they would have for it,
11:29:48 call for the vehicle, and hopefully within ten
11:29:50 minutes you would be downstairs getting in one of
11:29:54 these gems and off to your next destination.
11:29:57 With that in mind, I wanted to let you know that
11:30:02 part of issue was, does everybody support this?
11:30:07 So we asked the partnership to perform a survey,
11:30:09 and they did a survey, and we got a little over
11:30:12 1100 responses.
11:30:14 I've shared those responses with you.
11:30:17 I believe they are online and the partnership has
11:30:19 that as well.
11:30:20 But they were overwhelmingly positive.
11:30:22 Very few said they weren't interested in it.
11:30:25 And then we also asked questions about where would
11:30:27 you use it and what kind of things would you use
11:30:30 it for?
11:30:31 Got some really good answers for doing that.
11:30:33 This would be supportive, and one of the things we
11:30:36 talked about for balancing that 50-50 match was to
11:30:38 do an 80-20 match based on total area.
11:30:41 Downtown has around 880 acres.
11:30:44 Channel District has around 220 acres so that made
11:30:46 a more reasonable 80/20 match of trying to balance
11:30:50 out because downtown does have a fair amount more
11:30:55 businesses and probably a lot more trips.
11:30:57 The partnership, one of the things we asked them
11:30:59 to do is to make sure it's a little more
11:31:02 sustainable by finding private sponsorships.
11:31:05 So they have gotten a little over $50,000 in
11:31:08 commitments from the different hotels that want to
11:31:10 utilize this, and they are kicking in 60,000 of
11:31:14 their own.
11:31:15 In your packet, you'll see the dollars there were
11:31:17 there, but we're hoping to get support.
11:31:32 >> I have a substitution.
11:31:33 >>SAL TERRITO: I put the wrong funding source on
11:31:35 there.
11:31:36 Should be CRA.
11:31:39 >> Not the city.
11:31:39 >>SAL TERRITO: Amended resolution.
11:31:44 >>YVONNE CAPIN: We have a motion and a question.
11:31:45 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I want to make clear in my
11:31:48 mind, in case there is an accident, that the CRA,
11:31:51 this CRA, the city part of CRA is not involved in
11:31:53 it.
11:31:54 This is done by you guys.
11:31:57 >> We're going to be contracting with the
11:31:59 partnership and supporting them as a funding
11:32:01 mechanism.
11:32:02 They will be contracting with a company called the
11:32:04 downtowner, which you have information on that.
11:32:07 They are the ones that will be running it.
11:32:09 They carry insurance for their vehicles and then
11:32:11 the partnership carries their own insurance for
11:32:13 events and other things that they do.
11:32:16 We're covered in both areas.
11:32:19 We are primarily a funding source, not a carrier.
11:32:22 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:32:22 We have a motion by Councilman Reddick.
11:32:24 Second by Councilman Maniscalco.
11:32:27 All in favor?
11:32:29 Opposed?
11:32:30 Passes unanimously.
11:32:31 Thank you very much.
11:32:38 >> That concludes the report for this month.
11:32:40 Any questions or concerns?
11:32:42 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:32:43 >> Move to receive and file.
11:32:45 >> Second.
11:32:45 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Moved by Councilman Miranda.
11:32:47 Second by Councilwoman Montelione.
11:32:49 All in favor?
11:32:54 >>SAL TERRITO: Coming back to the City Council,
11:32:55 three-party agreement.
11:32:57 CRA is funding.
11:32:59 City overseeing.
11:32:59 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Right.
11:33:00 Thank you.
11:33:01 Any information reports -- [microphone not on]
11:33:11 >>LISA MONTELIONE: Thank you very much.
11:33:12 Some time ago, I made a motion for the
11:33:14 Tampa/Hillsborough homeless initiative to come and
11:33:16 give us a report.
11:33:17 They weren't ready yet.
11:33:19 They are now.
11:33:19 So I would like to motion for Antoinette tricklet
11:33:24 to appear before CRA on May 12th at 9 a.m. to
11:33:27 discuss the Tampa/Hillsborough homeless initiative
11:33:30 point in time homeless count.
11:33:33 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Thank you.
11:33:33 Motion by Ms. Montelione.
11:33:35 Second by Mr. Cohen.
11:33:36 All in favor?
11:33:38 Opposed?
11:33:38 Passes.
11:33:39 Thank you.
11:33:39 Anything else, Ms. Montelione.
11:33:41 >>LISA MONTELIONE: No, ma'am.
11:33:41 Thank you.
11:33:42 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Councilman Maniscalco.
11:33:53 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: I'd like to make a motion that
11:33:55 we present a commendation to Urban E Recycling on
11:33:59 April 21st, 2016.
11:34:01 They will be at the Tampa Theater for what is
11:34:05 called -- okay.
11:34:06 I'll scratch it.
11:34:07 Anyway, on another note, I want to wish my father
11:34:13 a happy bird.
11:34:14 He turns 57 years old today.
11:34:16 Young man.
11:34:19 >> He's only two years older than I am.
11:34:22 His father is only two years older than I am.
11:34:25 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Happy birthday.
11:34:26 I'm sure he's watching and enjoying our show.
11:34:29 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Happy birthday.
11:34:29 Councilman Cohen.
11:34:32 >>HARRY COHEN: I don't have any new business.
11:34:34 I did notice that our evening meeting starts
11:34:36 tonight at 5.
11:34:37 Is that correct?
11:34:38 >>YVONNE CAPIN: 5:01.
11:34:40 Thank you for reminding us.
11:34:44 >>MIKE SUAREZ: In that light, 5:00, we're going to
11:34:48 have a very short meeting because some things have
11:34:52 not been perfected but we need to do the meeting
11:34:54 and we'll be back at 6 for the regular meeting.
11:34:56 >>YVONNE CAPIN: Councilman Miranda?
11:34:59 None.
11:34:59 I have none.
11:34:59 So we are adjourned.
11:34:59 Thank you.