Tampa City Council
Thursday, October 15, 2020
9:00 a.m.
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09:00:11 >> GUIDO MANISCALCO: I would like to call this Tampa City
09:01:16 Council meeting to order.
09:01:17 We do not have anybody for the invocation so if we could
09:01:24 have a moment of silence, please.
09:01:26 (moment of silence)
09:01:36 Thank you very much.
09:01:37 And if you are able to, please stand and join me for the
09:01:40 pledge of allegiance.
09:01:43 I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of
09:01:47 America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation
09:01:52 under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
09:01:57 Thank you very much.
09:02:00 If we can have roll call, please.
09:02:02 >>LUIS VIERA: Here.
09:02:06 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Here.
09:02:07 >>BILL CARLSON: Here.
09:02:09 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Here.
09:02:15 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Here.
09:02:16 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Here.
09:02:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Here.
09:02:22 Thank you very much.
09:02:22 Mr. Shelby.
09:02:23 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Good morning, Mr. Chairman, good morning,
09:02:26 members of Tampa City Council.
09:02:28 Martin Shelby, City Council attorney.
09:02:30 Today, Thursday, October 15th, 2020, is a virtual
09:02:35 meeting, a regular agenda of the Tampa City Council that's
09:02:38 being held in accordance with the declarations and
09:02:40 provisions of the governor's executive order 20-69 as
09:02:44 amended and extended by EO 20-246, and the emergency rules
09:02:50 of procedure as adopted and amended by City Council.
09:02:54 It is conducted by audio teleconferencing this morning only
09:02:57 with video presentations.
09:02:59 Remote participation which is referred to be by the State of
09:03:01 Florida statutes and rules as communications media
09:03:04 technology or CMT.
09:03:08 This morning the public and citizens of the City of Tampa
09:03:10 are able to watch, listen and view this meeting on cable TV
09:03:14 spectrum channel 640 and frontier channel 14 as well as the
09:03:18 Internet at Tampagov.net/livestream, one word, or on the
09:03:24 city's Facebook page, and that is Facebook.com/city of Tampa
09:03:31 FL, one word.
09:03:33 Since this meeting is being conducted with the use of CMT
09:03:36 the alternative methods are established for the members of
09:03:38 the public to offer public comment today or during public
09:03:42 hearings.
09:03:44 The Internet at Tampagov.net/public comment, one word, voice
09:03:51 mail, regular mail, or speaking remotely during public
09:03:54 comment or during a public hearing by using the instructions
09:03:57 that are available to you on the web at Tampagov.net/
09:04:05 city-council.
09:04:06 Now, there's also an opportunity for those people Mo don't
09:04:10 have media communications technology device to participate
09:04:15 and they can do so by utilizing the CMT device that's made
09:04:19 available to the public by the City of Tampa during this
09:04:21 virtual meeting at the Tampa Convention Center at 333 South
09:04:25 Franklin street.
09:04:27 At the channel entrance.
09:04:29 Now, public comments prerecorded and live will be heard at
09:04:32 the start of the meeting at the direction of City Council.
09:04:35 And if there are public hearings they will be heard when
09:04:38 they appear on the agenda.
09:04:39 All written or voice mail comments that have been received
09:04:44 will be -- voice mail comments will be heard, and written
09:04:49 comments have been distributed to City Council and will be
09:04:51 made part of today's record.
09:04:53 That concludes my comments, Mr. Chairman.
09:04:55 Thank you very much.
09:04:55 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much, sir.
09:04:58 All right.
09:04:59 We go to the approval of the agenda and addendum to the
09:05:03 agenda.
09:05:04 We have received at a late time a memo from council member
09:05:10 Dingfelder to pull item 21 and move it to staff reports.
09:05:15 So those item number 21.
09:05:17 And then if you notice on the agenda, item number 14 has
09:05:20 also been pulled, and that will go to staff reports, on the
09:05:27 agenda.
09:05:28 Then we have item number 23, that is a substitute resolution
09:05:32 which appears on the addendum for clarity.
09:05:35 So once we get to that we'll move the substitute.
09:05:38 >>BILL CARLSON: Mr. Chair, sorry for the late suggestion,
09:05:45 but in reading through the public comments this morning, I
09:05:49 noticed that I think it's item number 3 has some questions
09:05:52 and concerns from the public, and I think if somebody was
09:05:58 available in the room to ask them to explain that 30
09:06:01 seconds, it might alleviate the public's concerns, but I
09:06:06 will leave that up to you all whether you want to pull it or
09:06:09 not.
09:06:09 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Do we have anybody on the line for item
09:06:13 number 3?
09:06:15 It's a two-part item.
09:06:17 2 and 3 are together.
09:06:20 Do we have either the chief of staff or the chief of police
09:06:22 or anybody that could stand by for those items, or answer
09:06:27 any questions?
09:06:32 >>JOHN BENNETT: Good morning, Mr. Chair.
09:06:35 John Bennett.
09:06:35 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Carlson, we have the chief
09:06:39 of staff on the line.
09:06:40 Do you have any questions for him?
09:06:44 >>BILL CARLSON: You may have seen the public comments, and
09:06:47 a couple folks wrote in and zed this is funding,
09:06:52 quote-unquote, militarization of the police.
09:06:54 Can you explain to the public what it is, and does do it
09:06:58 that or not?
09:07:01 >>JOHN BENNETT: So in the time that I have seen the grant
09:07:05 applied, it's mostly used for strategic overtime use to
09:07:10 combat crime, particularly around the holiday, was a lot of
09:07:18 the effort where security around the malls and whatnot was
09:07:21 used across the city to support the businesses during the
09:07:27 peak shopping periods.
09:07:28 But it's also been used for situational strategic plans
09:07:33 throughout the year, but normally the money has been held
09:07:37 towards overtime related to the peak shopping of the holiday
09:07:42 season.
09:07:43 I believe chief Bercaw is going to be on to discuss the
09:07:50 mental health update at the end of staff reports, so if you
09:07:54 do pull it, obviously he can weigh in on that as well.
09:07:57 >>BILL CARLSON: If I could just ask, is it to buy things
09:08:01 like tanks and pepper spray or riot gear or anything like
09:08:05 that?
09:08:07 It's for staff and training, is that right?
09:08:10 >>JOHN BENNETT: I have never seen it for that purpose.
09:08:15 >>BILL CARLSON: I just wanted to answer the public's
09:08:17 question on that.
09:08:18 Thank you.
09:08:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you.
09:08:19 And just for clarification on item number 23 on the
09:08:23 addendum, it is pulled for discussion under staff reports.
09:08:26 So I forgot to mention that.
09:08:29 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman?
09:08:33 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir, go ahead.
09:08:35 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Dingfelder.
09:08:37 Earlier in the week, items 2 and 3, I said specifically what
09:08:44 will we be doing with the $120,000 and the response I got
09:08:49 back from TPD, let me read it just for the record, it says
09:08:52 the JAG grant program which is a federal grant at issue is
09:08:59 an annual formula grant that TPD receives each year from the
09:09:03 Department of Justice decides the allocations each year, the
09:09:07 jag grant in all is divided in all three city districts and
09:09:13 used for community policing.
09:09:17 That's the response from TPD.
09:09:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
09:09:22 Thank you very much, Councilman Dingfelder.
09:09:24 In regards to staff reports, items that were pulled, any
09:09:30 suggestions or comments from council members?
09:09:37 Standing by to answer any questions or who we have at this
09:09:43 point to keep things moving?
09:09:44 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman, I did have a suggestion
09:09:47 because I noticed there was quite a lengthy list of staff
09:09:51 reports, and theoretically it's five minutes each.
09:09:55 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yeah.
09:09:56 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Mainer or item 60 has a lengthy
09:10:07 report which is great, and then there were some questions in
09:10:16 the last day or two.
09:10:17 I was going to suggest that maybe we should defer that for a
09:10:23 couple of weeks -- [~interference~] to be involved in that.
09:10:35 So I don't know [~interference~] if we could possibly refer
09:10:39 that.
09:10:40 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Any questions or comments from council
09:10:44 members?
09:10:44 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Miranda here.
09:10:48 I'm not opposed to it.
09:10:50 How are you going to know what we are going to have in two
09:10:52 weeks or three weeks or four weeks from now?
09:10:55 We don't have a night meeting, we do them all in the day.
09:10:59 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: That's a great question, Mr. Miranda.
09:11:01 But I can see today that we have got like 15 items on staff
09:11:05 reports, and just Mr. Whit Remer's item looks like it's at
09:11:14 least going to be a half hour.
09:11:16 So I am just trying to ease up today a little bit.
09:11:19 >>MARTIN SHELBY: May I chime in on this?
09:11:22 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead, sir.
09:11:23 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Just a reminder.
09:11:25 And council member Miranda did allude to it.
09:11:29 There is no night meeting tonight.
09:11:31 This is your only meeting today.
09:11:34 And frankly we are coming up upon the holidays.
09:11:38 And I don't believe in terms of even workshops, workshops
09:11:42 are even scheduled for November or December.
09:11:46 So I would just remind council that your calendar through
09:11:53 the rest of the year is very compressed, and a reminder for
09:11:58 people who are not aware of it, council is not meeting this
09:12:01 evening, virtually, by video.
09:12:03 >>LUIS VIERA: Mr. Chair?
09:12:08 Oh, go ahead.
09:12:08 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: If nobody else has a problem I'm okay
09:12:11 with it.
09:12:12 I just wanted us to get a heads-up on that one.
09:12:16 >>JOHN BENNETT: John Bennett when you get a chance.
09:12:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead, sir.
09:12:19 And then Councilman Viera.
09:12:21 >>JOHN BENNETT: I want to be respectful to all council's
09:12:27 comments towards moving the item.
09:12:29 But I had a conversation with Mr. Remer about the length and
09:12:32 how it would flow, and he provided me that the slide show
09:12:35 would move quickly, if that's council's pleasure to keep it
09:12:38 here.
09:12:39 If not, I just want to remind, this was keyed up as a 100
09:12:45 day report.
09:12:45 Mr. Remer has been here basically 100 working days and this
09:12:49 is kind of a snapshot of where he's been in those first 100
09:12:54 days.
09:12:54 So if we think that the combination of the volume and the
09:12:56 public input warrants, one of the suggestions that we have
09:13:00 been working with council on is to move things to workshops.
09:13:04 But I just wanted to mention that as well.
09:13:08 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Viera.
09:13:10 >>LUIS VIERA: A moot point at this point.
09:13:13 If I am reading it right it's been withdrawn, but it's a
09:13:15 moot point.
09:13:16 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
09:13:17 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
09:13:18 And going into the staff reports and memos we have received,
09:13:23 I see we have one regarding the rental certificates.
09:13:26 We have one here on implicit bias training.
09:13:31 We also have one from Ocea Wynn community affairs for item
09:13:40 59 regarding the program for Harts.
09:13:50 We already discussed 60, 61.
09:13:53 The city and regarding gender equality on that, we have a
09:13:57 memo.
09:13:58 We have a memo for the renaming of perion Albany park.
09:14:05 We have one regarding one from Dennis Rogero on 63.
09:14:11 And is there any request that staff not be present for any
09:14:14 of these?
09:14:15 They are all very important.
09:14:16 >>LUIS VIERA: Mr. Chair, if I may.
09:14:19 Viera.
09:14:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
09:14:20 >>LUIS VIERA: Thank you, sir.
09:14:22 Yes, for my item, it's for implicit bias, I believe that's
09:14:28 items 59.
09:14:31 I don't need staff here for that, a report, I think it's
09:14:34 self-explanatory.
09:14:35 I don't need to question anybody on it and take council's
09:14:38 time.
09:14:39 Then for item -- I am going through the list here -- the
09:14:45 Forest Hills one, I don't need anybody for that.
09:14:48 And then for 65 -- and then 65 on my crossover, I certainly
09:14:56 don't need anybody here for that.
09:14:57 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
09:14:58 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman?
09:15:03 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, go ahead.
09:15:04 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I was going to add in 63 has already
09:15:09 been resolved.
09:15:10 Mr. Rogero talked about it, and staff did a great job
09:15:16 helping from Franklin get his money so unless somebody has a
09:15:27 question or objection we can strike 63.
09:15:31 I did have a question for Mr. Viera about 67.
09:15:34 And I'm sure I know the answer but I just wanted to make
09:15:37 sure.
09:15:38 But the crossover church to help them with the community
09:15:45 than event, is it safe to assume, Mr. Viera, that we have
09:15:48 checked and that's a nondenominational event?
09:15:51 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
09:15:53 And thank you for that, Councilman.
09:15:55 Yes, this is a secular event which is being done to assist
09:16:00 people who are apartment renters in terms of knowing their
09:16:05 rights, et cetera.
09:16:06 It happens to be on church property, but there's no
09:16:10 religious overtones or undertones or anything of that
09:16:13 nature.
09:16:14 So, yes, purely a reimbursement of use of a property for
09:16:22 nonsecular purposes.
09:16:23 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I wanted it on the record.
09:16:26 Thank you.
09:16:26 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Can I get a motion to approve the
09:16:29 agenda and the addendum?
09:16:32 >>ORLANDO GUDES: So moved.
09:16:33 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion from Councilman Gudes.
09:16:35 Do we have a second?
09:16:36 >>LUIS VIERA: Second, Viera.
09:16:39 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second, Councilman Viera.
09:16:41 Roll call vote.
09:16:42 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
09:16:49 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
09:16:50 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
09:16:52 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
09:16:55 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
09:16:58 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
09:17:00 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
09:17:02 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
09:17:03 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
09:17:05 Thank you very much.
09:17:07 That's the agenda.
09:17:08 We now go to public comment.
09:17:09 Do we have anybody at the Tampa Convention Center that is
09:17:12 there to speak?
09:17:13 >>THE CLERK: Yes, sir, we have one person there to speak.
09:17:16 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Let's go with that person first.
09:17:18 Then we'll go into the live call-in and then we will go to
09:17:22 the recorded.
09:17:22 If the individuals at Tampa Convention Center would please
09:17:25 state their name, I will start the clock and you have three
09:17:28 minutes to speak.
09:17:29 >> Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, Tampa City Council.
09:17:39 My name Jabil Gonzales Rumergeri here in regards to item
09:17:48 number 60.
09:17:53 It's a farce.
09:17:54 I looked at it.
09:17:55 And I am here to voice my discontent and my condemnation
09:17:59 about it.
09:18:01 This is a plan that its solution for equity in the city is
09:18:08 to create nine temporary jobs for front line workers in the
09:18:11 City of Tampa for $15 an hour.
09:18:13 That's utterly ridiculous.
09:18:17 Okay, I am sure the ladies and gentlemen of the council know
09:18:23 that the protests of the summer haven't been just about
09:18:26 police brutality but it's been about racial inequity and I
09:18:30 am encouraging you to please have the courage to push the
09:18:33 ready for 100 by 2030 resolution, because this resolution,
09:18:38 this private plan, the alternative for the 2045 plan that
09:18:43 will not solve anything.
09:18:45 The only thing that it does is mitigate climate capacity,
09:18:52 and by shifting municipal operations, 10% of consumption in
09:19:00 the city.
09:19:00 By 2030, 100% by 2030 actually creates jobs and front line
09:19:05 communities where I come from.
09:19:07 That goes a long way towards solving the racial inequities
09:19:11 in the city, right?
09:19:12 The City of Tampa has the structure to 100% renewable and
09:19:18 sustainable energy by the year 2030, and we could be a
09:19:22 leader in this nation.
09:19:23 So waiting ten years after Joe Biden's climate plan, okay,
09:19:29 we should be at the front of this, we should create jobs for
09:19:34 our front line community.
09:19:40 People, I have been out there volunteering, throughout doing
09:19:42 the work.
09:19:43 I'm not sure if folks know what's going on but people out
09:19:47 there are hurting and you know as well as I know that
09:19:52 Washington and the federal government is slow and they are
09:19:59 unwilling to meet demands all over this country so it's
09:20:02 incumbent for us as citizens of the City of Tampa to have do
09:20:05 this work and get it done and transform this by being a
09:20:10 leader in this nation.
09:20:11 That's why I am pushing this resolution with everything I
09:20:14 have.
09:20:15 And I find it convenient that mayor Castor approved 13
09:20:22 million increase for the police budget, but we can't do
09:20:26 this.
09:20:27 We can't do this when we are in the midst of climate
09:20:30 catastrophe.
09:20:31 And if I am not mistaken, the City of Tampa is 75th when
09:20:37 it comes to oh -- out of 100 cities when it comes to energy
09:20:42 efficiency.
09:20:43 We can be one of those top cities because we are one of the
09:20:46 only cities in the country that has our own energy company.
09:20:51 So I am urging City Council look at the ready 100 resolution
09:21:00 and have the courage to push it on mayor Castor, push it on
09:21:03 whit Remer.
09:21:04 His plan is utterly ridiculous.
09:21:07 In fact, that 30 minute plan is such a joke that it
09:21:12 shouldn't be brought in front of you.
09:21:14 It's a waste of your time.
09:21:16 It does nothing for climate, it does nothing to stimulate
09:21:20 the economy.
09:21:21 I'm still in school.
09:21:22 You folks should know that this plan would create hundreds
09:21:25 of jobs in the city, especially for front line community
09:21:28 that would go a long way towards a meal rating racial
09:21:35 inequity all over the city.
09:21:37 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:21:43 Thank you.
09:21:44 Do we have anybody else at the Tampa Convention Center?
09:21:46 >>THE CLERK: No, that is the last one.
09:21:50 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right, we will go into the live
09:21:53 callers.
09:21:54 >>THE CLERK: The first caller we have is Meghan McManus.
09:22:00 [~interference~]
09:22:02 >> Hello.
09:22:07 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead.
09:22:10 >> Good morning, everyone.
09:22:13 My comment today is about the Edward Byrne memorial justice
09:22:19 grant.
09:22:20 It's $120,000 federal grant, and it's deceiving because
09:22:25 there is some funding for resources but it's wrapped in
09:22:31 weapons and drones that will only increase police violence.
09:22:36 So in short, my name is MEGHAN.
09:22:41 I live in Tampa.
09:22:42 I have been a teacher in the local area for several years so
09:22:45 this isn't just about our community but this is about all of
09:22:47 the children and teens that I have worked with and I deeply
09:22:52 care about in our community.
09:22:55 I am deeply concerned how no one heard the hundreds of
09:22:59 residents demanding a reallocation of budget into the
09:23:03 community's needs.
09:23:04 And I'm frankly losing faith.
09:23:06 I hope all that you will do the right thing today.
09:23:09 You should reject the Edward Byrne grant this year and every
09:23:13 year forward.
09:23:14 You told us that you could not real ooh indicate funds to
09:23:17 the community because you are worried about salaries and
09:23:19 pensions.
09:23:20 With that said, there is no excuse for accepting grants to
09:23:24 further militarize an already extremely violent police
09:23:27 force.
09:23:28 Use of force against us, the people, and especially black
09:23:32 residents of Tampa and the houseless has increased by 24%
09:23:38 since Chief Dugan stepped in, and therefore we should not
09:23:41 reward them with more weapons.
09:23:44 We the people call for a crisis response team that is
09:23:47 autonomous and independent from than the police, to respond
09:23:50 to noncriminal crisis situations and to help our disabled
09:23:55 residents, or residents in crisis.
09:23:59 Cahoots in Eugene, Oregon, many of you support a response
09:24:05 situation of TPD.
09:24:06 Simply put, the TPD [~interference~] it makes no sense to
09:24:12 create a program --
09:24:17 Cahoots in Eugene is able to respond to 98% of their
09:24:21 situations without relying on the violence of the police.
09:24:25 Finally, I'm concerned that you are not making your best
09:24:28 efforts to honor the anti-violence amendment that we the
09:24:32 people voted for.
09:24:34 We demanded a comprehensive program, and your ordinance only
09:24:37 offers four hours for regular employees and 11 hours of
09:24:40 training for TPD.
09:24:43 How can you genuinely have comprehensive anti-discrimination
09:24:49 bias for race, religion, gender, gender identity,
09:24:53 orientation, E -- and many other identities within the
09:24:58 confines of four or eleven hours?
09:25:01 These topics are too important to truncate and you can
09:25:04 figure out scheduling by being strategic throughout the
09:25:07 year.
09:25:08 Thank you for hearing our concerns about hiring an outside
09:25:12 organization to conduct this training.
09:25:13 It should not be an organization --
09:25:17 >>> Thank you.
09:25:18 >> Thank you.
09:25:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Next speaker, please.
09:25:21 >>THE CLERK: The next speaker is David Mechanik, if you can
09:25:26 unmute yourself.
09:25:29 >>DAVID MECHANIK: Yes, ma'am.
09:25:30 This is David Mechanik.
09:25:31 Can you hear me?
09:25:32 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, we can.
09:25:33 Go ahead.
09:25:35 >>DAVID MECHANIK: Thank you.
09:25:36 Mr. Chairman, council members, I'm the attorney for the
09:25:42 applicant on petition for review which is item 42 on your
09:25:48 agenda.
09:26:03 I certainly recognize your compression in your schedule
09:26:06 especially with the holidays but we are here to respectfully
09:26:09 request that you schedule the hearing on that petition for
09:26:11 review at the earliest opportunity that can be accommodated
09:26:16 by council.
09:26:17 Given your schedule and so forth.
09:26:20 Thank you.
09:26:20 I have nothing else.
09:26:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:26:23 Next speaker, please.
09:26:24 >>THE CLERK: Next speaker is Phil Compton.
09:26:30 If you can hear me, please unmute yourself.
09:26:32 >> Good morning.
09:26:33 I'm Phil Compton, 1430 Park circle, organizing
09:26:38 representative for Sierra Club, Florida.
09:26:43 First some good news.
09:26:43 The Orlando utilities commission announced yesterday that it
09:26:46 will stop burning poles by 2027.
09:26:50 Now, on today's agenda, it contains a lot of good points.
09:26:55 Mr. Remer's report was submission of a goal for our
09:27:00 community to grant transition Tampa away from fossil fuel.
09:27:04 But, you know, that's okay.
09:27:05 It's not up to Mr. Remer and staff to set such a goal for
09:27:09 the city.
09:27:09 His job is to enact goals set by officials, the council and
09:27:14 the mayor together to do that.
09:27:15 The mayor actually has made it clear that she supports such
09:27:19 a community wide goal.
09:27:21 During the campaign, candidate Castor replied to my question
09:27:25 by clearly stating that she is for 100% clean energy, not
09:27:29 just for municipal operations but also for the community as
09:27:33 a whole.
09:27:36 Now the only reason that the city of Orlando has been so
09:27:39 determined to coon Vince Orlando utilities commission is
09:27:43 that three years ago their City Commission voted unanimously
09:27:46 to commit to 100% clean energy, and the Orlando community as
09:27:53 a whole, one of ten largest cities, St. Pete was first four
09:27:57 years ago.
09:27:58 These Florida cities are among the 167 cities 12 counties
09:28:01 and 8 entire states where over 100 million Americans live
09:28:05 that are now committed to a total community wide transition
09:28:09 in a just and equitable way to a 100% clean energy emission
09:28:15 by day certain.
09:28:17 And I assure you that each and every one made a commitment
09:28:21 for their entire community.
09:28:23 Perhaps the best news in these difficult times is that
09:28:26 American cities are now leading the way to a total
09:28:28 transition away from fossil fuels.
09:28:32 Tampa would have the experience available of all these other
09:28:37 cities, how they have overcome challenges that we can face.
09:28:40 The common factor in their success is a goal is set, and the
09:28:44 planning is done in an inclusive and transparent manner.
09:28:47 We can no longer -- we must set a goal for our community and
09:28:55 determine together a plan on how we are going to get there.
09:29:02 We pledge to be part of that process to help in any way
09:29:04 possible.
09:29:04 Mr. Remer will need help from all of us and we are here to
09:29:08 do our part.
09:29:09 Thank you.
09:29:09 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:29:10 Next speaker, please.
09:29:11 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to say to
09:29:17 Bill Compton, regarding the loss of Kim Bailey.
09:29:26 We mentioned that a couple of weeks ago, and just wanted to
09:29:29 reiterate that.
09:29:31 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:29:34 He would have been here today if he could have.
09:29:38 Thank you very much.
09:29:39 Next speaker, please.
09:29:40 >>THE CLERK: Yes, next speaker is brook Errett, if he can
09:29:45 hear me, please unmute yourself.
09:29:46 >> Hello?
09:29:55 >> If you can hear me, please unmute yourself.
09:29:57 >> Okay, sorry, I had to figure out how to unmute myself.
09:30:02 Thank you.
09:30:02 Good morning.
09:30:03 My name is brook Barrett, from clean water action and here
09:30:09 on behalf of our nearly 2500 members who live in Tampa.
09:30:12 First, I stand in solidarity with those today calling to
09:30:14 reject the Edward BYRNE grant and bias training for our
09:30:22 police force.
09:30:23 The City of Tampa is at a crossroads where we must decide
09:30:26 whether to invest in the future of this great city.
09:30:31 I want to make sure that the city lives up to that promise
09:30:34 by ensuring an equitable transition to 100% clean renewable
09:30:40 energy by 2030.
09:30:42 Over the past four months we have been meeting with your
09:30:44 offices, thank you, to discuss the necessity to transition
09:30:47 Tampa's city-wide to 100% clean renewable energy from solar
09:30:52 wind and tidal sources by 2030, and we are pleased to have
09:30:56 overwhelming support from the community to make this
09:30:58 transition, with a much needed focus on equity and
09:31:02 inclusion.
09:31:03 We did become concerned this past week though when we saw
09:31:07 mayor Castor's plan deviate from the necessary components of
09:31:10 acting quickly and prioritizing equity.
09:31:13 Tampa can and must act swiftly.
09:31:16 Cities larger than Tampa and states where the oil and gas
09:31:20 industry are more prevalent have made the transition
09:31:23 quicker.
09:31:25 San Francisco, a city with twice the population of Tampa,
09:31:27 has the goal of delivering to all residents and businesses
09:31:31 50 percent renewable energy by 2020, this year, and 100%
09:31:35 city-wide including municipal operations by 2030.
09:31:40 As to equity, with the ongoing struggles, systemic racism
09:31:47 and injustice it is more important than ever in all aspects
09:31:51 of city planning.
09:31:52 Equity is not merely a part of planning for the city's
09:31:55 future.
09:31:56 Equity must be the guiding principle for city planning.
09:32:00 And that's why the city needs to take steps to recruit and
09:32:03 include low income communities in the decision making and
09:32:07 planning process.
09:32:08 The energy burden on our most vulnerable populations must be
09:32:12 lifted.
09:32:16 Our poorest pay more than the wealthiest and that can be
09:32:19 alleviated through weatherization and energy efficiency
09:32:22 upgrades.
09:32:23 As a progressive and financially capable city, with a litany
09:32:28 of low cost opportunities to transition our city, mayor
09:32:31 Castor has an obligation to move Tampa swiftly and
09:32:35 efficiently towards 100% clean renewable energy by 2030.
09:32:40 Any plan that doesn't put equity at the forefront, any plan
09:32:44 that isn't community wide, any plan that doesn't address a
09:32:49 timeline is tantamount to inaction, and tone deaf to the
09:32:53 needs of our community, and frankly that is unacceptable.
09:32:56 So please ensure that Tampa moves to 100% clean renewable
09:33:00 energy by 2030 and please ensure the community is following
09:33:06 this goal and help solve this crisis.
09:33:08 Thank you.
09:33:08 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:33:10 Next speaker.
09:33:11 >>THE CLERK: Next speaker is Mary Elizabeth Estrada.
09:33:18 If you can hear me, please unmute yourself.
09:33:20 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead.
09:33:25 >>THE CLERK: Mary Elizabeth Estrada.
09:33:33 You are next to speak.
09:33:34 Please unmute yourself.
09:33:37 All right.
09:33:39 We will move onto Nancy Stevens.
09:33:41 If you can hear me, please unmute yourself.
09:33:43 >> Thank you.
09:33:45 My name is Nancy Stevens.
09:33:47 I am a conservation chair for the Tampa Bay Sierra Club and
09:33:50 I am also speaking on item number 60.
09:33:54 And first, I would like to thank City Council and mayor for
09:34:00 putting sustainability as one of your goals and working
09:34:03 towards it.
09:34:04 I would also like to thank whit Remer for starting the
09:34:07 climate action and equity plan.
09:34:10 It's a place to start but Tampa and must do better than the
09:34:14 rising tides climate change.
09:34:16 And we also have to make Tampa a healthier city.
09:34:21 Did you know that the American lung association gives
09:34:25 Hillsborough County an F rating an air quality for ozone?
09:34:30 To quote from their report, the Tampa,
09:34:33 St. Petersburg/Clearwater area rank 68th out of over 200
09:34:37 cities for the most polluted city in the U.S. for ozone.
09:34:42 Ozone plugs can even injury healthy people but particularly
09:34:50 children and older adults.
09:34:52 Ozone can even shorten people's lives.
09:34:56 The report documents that warmer temperatures brought by
09:34:58 climate change are making ozone more likely to form and
09:35:02 harder to clean up.
09:35:04 Everyone in the City of Tampa must work together to address
09:35:07 the way we do our carbon emissions.
09:35:10 Tampa can set an example, but also must set goals that we
09:35:16 can all strive to reach, without these goals we won't get
09:35:19 there.
09:35:19 So I urge the city to commit to 100% clean renewable energy,
09:35:23 not just for the community but for the whole city.
09:35:26 During the cities across the country that made this
09:35:31 commitment, and the time frame cut emissions as soon as
09:35:36 possible.
09:35:36 2035 like St. Pete or 2030.
09:35:43 [~interference~] it's a start.
09:35:48 Plant more trees.
09:35:49 I look forward to when I live in a city that innovations
09:35:55 that our citizens come up with to have a plan by 2030.
09:35:58 Thank you.
09:35:59 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:35:59 Next speaker, please.
09:36:00 >>THE CLERK: Next speaker is Thelma Lawler.
09:36:05 If she can hear me, please unmute yourself.
09:36:08 >> Good morning, Mr. Chairman and council members.
09:36:12 This is with regards to item 60.
09:36:14 My name is EMMA Katherine Lawler.
09:36:18 I am the Florida climate crisis campaign manager at the CLEO
09:36:20 institute.
09:36:22 I am also a resident at town and country and recent graduate
09:36:27 from the Patel College of Global Sustainability at USF.
09:36:29 The climate crisis is here.
09:36:31 I have worked ten hour days outside during extremely high
09:36:34 heat events here in Tampa and those high heat events are
09:36:37 only going to become more frequent due to climate change.
09:36:41 On behalf of the CLEO institute we are in support of the
09:36:44 work that is happening in the office of sustainability and
09:36:47 resiliency and we are happy to know that the City of Tampa
09:36:50 is prioritizing environmental issues.
09:36:52 This is a great first step but we should make this plan
09:36:55 stronger.
09:36:56 We would like to see environmental justice investments
09:36:58 continue to evolve in a holistic, diverse and integrated way
09:37:03 that is community wide by 2030.
09:37:06 The good news is, we already have the technology to adjust
09:37:10 transition to clean energy, and each year it becomes more
09:37:13 efficient and more cost effective.
09:37:17 More see the renewable energy will allow the city to invest
09:37:20 in high-paying jobs in the community.
09:37:22 I would also like to note that the solar industry creates
09:37:24 more jobs for hours of electricity generated than any other
09:37:30 source of energy.
09:37:30 We must shift the energy burden off of our poorest Tampa
09:37:34 residents in situations that cause -- for energy.
09:37:38 We would also like to make our city more walkable and more
09:37:42 bikeable, and most important, we need to prioritize working
09:37:45 together as a community with an integrated approach to
09:37:48 sustainability and resiliency.
09:37:50 I believe it was mayor Castor who said that sustainability
09:37:53 and resilience underpins everything we do.
09:37:57 With that said the CLEO institute will be uplifting youth
09:38:02 voices to push for climate emergency declaration [audio
09:38:05 interference] for urgent transition across all departments,
09:38:10 and municipal operations in our community.
09:38:13 We would like to make ourselves and the CLEO institute
09:38:16 available to assist in any way we can so that sustainability
09:38:20 and resiliency can come to fruition in Tampa.
09:38:24 Thank you so much.
09:38:25 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:38:25 Next speaker, please.
09:38:26 >>THE CLERK: Next speaker is Livvy Frost.
09:38:31 If you can hear me, please unmute yourself.
09:38:34 >> My name is Livvy frost for climate education.
09:38:40 I am speaking on agenda 60.
09:38:42 I care about the climate crisis because of the impact it
09:38:45 cove an our local community here in Tampa.
09:38:51 To fight issues that we face in the modern world, with
09:38:53 rising ocean surfaces caused by climate change, and rising
09:38:59 sea levels.
09:39:00 I can say with confidence as someone who was born and raised
09:39:03 in Tampa that we love our boats and we love fishing. If we
09:39:06 don't start to take care of our environment, we are at risk
09:39:09 of losing a part of our economy and overall way of life.
09:39:12 It is imperative that we protect our beautiful bay.
09:39:15 We wouldn't be Tampa Bay without it.
09:39:16 Environmental sustainability efforts that sustainability and
09:39:19 resilience officer whit Remer discusses environmental
09:39:23 justice, clean and renewable energy, and climate action plus
09:39:27 equity, but does not go far enough.
09:39:32 It's a good step in the right direction, but we need to see
09:39:37 stronger bolder action, things like making efforts towards
09:39:40 declaring climate emergency, guaranteeing a transition to
09:39:47 100% renewable energy by 2030, ensuring universal access to
09:39:51 food and water, making sure front line communities have a
09:39:54 say in all the action that Mr. Remer and mayor Castor plan,
09:39:59 and in order to make all of these efforts happen, working
09:40:02 together [~interference~] towards sustainability in the
09:40:07 city.
09:40:08 Personally, I believe it is in Tampa's best interest to get
09:40:11 as many people involved and start by educating the public
09:40:18 climate and localizing the youth organizations to climate
09:40:24 action.
09:40:24 We want to make ourselves available to help the community,
09:40:30 and help take action.
09:40:34 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:40:41 Next speaker, please.
09:40:42 >>THE CLERK: Next speaker is B. john Ovink.
09:40:47 If you can hear me, please unmute yourself.
09:40:50 >> I think I am unmuted.
09:40:51 Is that correct?
09:40:52 The light is green.
09:40:53 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
09:40:55 We can hear you.
09:40:56 Go ahead.
09:40:56 >> Great.
09:40:57 My name is B. John Ovink, 3025 West Van Buren drive, Tampa,
09:41:03 Florida 33611.
09:41:05 Speaking on agenda item number 60.
09:41:07 I am speaking in favor of a strong resolution for 100% clean
09:41:12 energy Tampa by 2030 for the entire community, not just the
09:41:18 municipal operations.
09:41:19 Climate change is real.
09:41:20 Climate change is here and we need to act now.
09:41:25 I have read the memo from the mayor's office.
09:41:27 It's a very good memo, but it has a major, major, major
09:41:33 fault.
09:41:33 We do not have time.
09:41:35 There is no planet B.
09:41:38 As you know, Tampa is one of most threatened cities by
09:41:41 climate change and the rising water, and the time to act is
09:41:44 now, not by 2035, and definitely not by 2045.
09:41:49 Action by 2045 is tantamount to no action at all.
09:41:53 Even on the national level the transition by 2035.
09:41:57 If we can do it nationally by 2035, then Tampa can certainly
09:42:01 do it by 2030.
09:42:02 What needs to be done?
09:42:04 Fossil fuels.
09:42:05 The city needs to transition away from fossil fuels and
09:42:08 towards renewable energy, solar and wind, cars.
09:42:12 Tampa should become a more walkable and bikeable city, and
09:42:15 we need to work towards clean electric public
09:42:18 transportation.
09:42:19 The future of vehicles is electric.
09:42:22 But that is only possible as the city increases charging
09:42:26 stations.
09:42:26 The city needs to work with Hart and TECO now, not in ten
09:42:29 years.
09:42:30 Eventually the city may even follow major cities in the
09:42:32 world like Amsterdam and ban diesel cars and gas cars from
09:42:38 the city altogether.
09:42:40 More than 100 million Americans now live in a community that
09:42:43 is formally committed towards a goal with 100% renewable
09:42:47 energy for both municipal operations and the entire
09:42:50 community.
09:42:50 Tampa should join these other 67 cities, 12 counties and 8
09:42:55 states from getting to moving Tampa as a whole to 100% clean
09:43:00 energy future.
09:43:01 Thank you.
09:43:01 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:43:02 >>THE CLERK: Next speaker is Walter Smith.
09:43:08 >> Good morning, council.
09:43:12 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Good morning.
09:43:15 Yes, sir, go ahead.
09:43:15 >> Good morning, council.
09:43:21 As Tampa Hillsborough resiliency initiative I stand in
09:43:26 complete support of the ready for 100 clean energy campaign.
09:43:30 It's a program that is focused orphan defense addressing the
09:43:37 devastating'-black and brown communities for generations
09:43:41 because of neglect policies and unwillingness of the City of
09:43:44 Tampa to recognize these devastating effects for not
09:43:48 developing a real clean energy program.
09:43:53 The information that has been presented by the new
09:43:55 sustainability and resilience officer whit Remer as a
09:43:59 representative of mayor Castor's office is definitely tone
09:44:03 deaf.
09:44:08 Front line community, that the evidence of these policies or
09:44:14 lack thereafter does nothing for thousands of people who
09:44:18 have been suffering the most from environmental impacts.
09:44:21 Now, our community is impacted by continued environmental
09:44:25 transgressions that continue to go unmitigated.
09:44:30 And this presentation was devoid of a commitment to make a
09:44:33 change here and publicly present a plan that would commit to
09:44:38 addressing core environmental problems in Tampa's front line
09:44:41 communities.
09:44:42 Instead, [~interference~] would reveal the choice of what is
09:44:54 most effected by bad urban policy, overpriced utilities.
09:45:00 Now, black and brown communities can go forward to-' ill
09:45:05 afford to be ignored and children have respiratory illnesses
09:45:09 to bad air policy, and everyday people on the streets
09:45:16 because of overexposure to heat.
09:45:19 To the mayor and City Council, I beg you to make the
09:45:21 commitment to 100% clean energy for Tampa by 2030 and make a
09:45:26 real future for all Tampanians.
09:45:31 Thank you.
09:45:31 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:45:32 Next speaker.
09:45:33 >>THE CLERK: Next speaker is Matthew Yampolsky.
09:45:39 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead.
09:45:40 >> Can you hear me?
09:45:41 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir.
09:45:42 >> Okay.
09:45:44 So it's been four and a half months since the murder of
09:45:49 George Floyd, and that's when a lot of these public comments
09:45:53 regarding the police budget were started.
09:45:57 Excuse me.
09:45:58 Four and a half months, you guys have ignored us.
09:46:00 You ignore countless phone calls.
09:46:04 You guys ignore countless written e-mails.
09:46:09 You guys have even -- with us at the end of public comment,
09:46:16 immediately after public comment.
09:46:23 So, anyway, four and a half months.
09:46:27 So I have no faith in you guys.
09:46:30 So I am going to take an opportunity to ask Councilman Citro
09:46:34 directly once again to -- you denied it the first time I
09:46:39 asked you, your aide literally told us it whats a county
09:46:46 problem, not the city's problem, and you denied that.
09:46:51 [~interference~] I would really appreciate it, and I would
09:46:56 appreciate some clarity on your aide's comments regarding
09:46:59 the houseless community in Tampa.
09:47:01 $162 million for the police department last fiscal year.
09:47:07 This year we are adding 13 million to it.
09:47:09 Meanwhile in Tampa, I think we have one shelter that has no
09:47:13 seats.
09:47:14 We have homeless people.
09:47:15 We have houseless people on the streets that get chased away
09:47:18 at 5:30 in the morning by the bike patrol, okay?
09:47:22 So we have all this money, $13 million going to pensions and
09:47:27 raises, and you guys, your answer to me is that it's a
09:47:33 county problem, not a city problem.
09:47:35 I think it's a City Council problem.
09:47:36 I think it's a mayor problem.
09:47:39 I think it is a Tampa problem.
09:47:41 I think it's a humanity problem.
09:47:43 And this is a big reason why the signatures have already
09:47:46 started calling many of you, because you have clearly
09:47:50 ignored us.
09:47:53 Carlson literally told us last time that, oh, the calls
09:47:58 against the protests are ten to one in my office.
09:48:01 Well none of those calls are an record, sir.
09:48:04 None of those calls are.
09:48:05 Meanwhile, fifty calls last time, countless calls this time.
09:48:09 I mean, we are talking about hundreds and hundreds of public
09:48:12 comments on record, and zero for the other side.
09:48:16 And Councilman Carlson decides to gas light public and say
09:48:22 our calls are outnumbered ten to one.
09:48:24 So we have Councilman Citro that claims that the houseless
09:48:29 problem in Tampa is not a Tampa problem.
09:48:31 And we have a Councilman Carlson who claims that we the
09:48:36 protestors are a nuisance.
09:48:38 So Carlson, if you would like to present some of these phone
09:48:43 calls that outnumber our comments for the record, I would
09:48:46 love for that clarity.
09:48:47 And Mr. Citro, please, once again, I am begging you, clarify
09:48:51 your aide's comments.
09:48:54 Take this opportunity to clarify the comments, and tell the
09:48:57 people of Tampa who elect you how you feel about the
09:49:01 houseless problem in Tampa and what would you do to fix it.
09:49:05 And maybe take some of that 162 million.
09:49:16 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Next speaker please.
09:49:18 And any other comments, please direct them to City Council,
09:49:23 not individual Council members.
09:49:25 >>THE CLERK: The next speaker is Jordana Yampolsky.
09:49:29 >> Can you hear me?
09:49:31 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, I can.
09:49:32 >> My name is Jordana Yampolsky.
09:49:38 I have been a Tampa resident my entire life.
09:49:40 Calling really with concerns about how you guys handle the
09:49:43 public comments.
09:49:43 I'm just a resident [~audio interference~] and demanding
09:49:50 reallocation of the budget.
09:49:52 We have all lost faith in you, and like my husband
09:49:55 mentioned, that's why these signatures to have many of you
09:49:58 recalled are already coming in.
09:50:04 You really need to reject the Edward Byrne grant this year
09:50:09 and every year going forward, even if it's going toward
09:50:11 overtime pay because of the holiday and not going towards
09:50:14 weapons, we don't believe you, and we don't believe the
09:50:17 police department.
09:50:19 As a community as a whole we have no faith in the police
09:50:22 department to keep us safe and we also have no faith for
09:50:26 them to use money in a way that could possibly keep us safe,
09:50:30 just not able to do it.
09:50:31 Please reject this grant.
09:50:35 There is a reason we have been calling for a response team
09:50:38 that's autonomous and independent from the police, and you
09:50:41 guys ignored that as well, so we are asking that you
09:50:44 reconsider that.
09:50:47 Please listen to us and listen to the people that are
09:50:50 begging you guys to do your job. I yield my time.
09:50:57 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
09:50:58 Next speaker, please.
09:50:59 >>THE CLERK: I am going to go back to Mary Elizabeth
09:51:02 Estrada.
09:51:03 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
09:51:12 >>THE CLERK: Mary?
09:51:17 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Mary Elizabeth Estrada.
09:51:21 >>THE CLERK: You are unmuted.
09:51:25 You just need to speak.
09:51:33 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Mary Estrada, you are on.
09:51:36 If you would unmute yourself and I can start the clock.
09:51:52 while we work that out with her, I can move on to recorded
09:51:56 comments.
09:51:56 We have two that wished to speak that did not log on.
09:51:59 Lovering and LaSandra Morales.
09:52:03 >>> How many recorded comments do we have, 13 or so?
09:52:06 >> That is correct.
09:52:07 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
09:52:08 Go ahead and begin with those.
09:52:09 Thank you.
09:52:12 >> This is angel D'Angelo, born and raised in Tampa,
09:52:16 Florida, leaving a message to leave a comment for the
09:52:18 October 15th, 9 a.m. City Council meeting.
09:52:21 City Council, I am really urging you at this point in time,
09:52:25 as now you disappointed a large number of your constituents
09:52:27 to support the budget, without question.
09:52:33 The reason you did that including the concerns regarding
09:52:36 salaries and pensions, people losing their jobs.
09:52:38 With that in mind the Edward Byrne grant is being awarded to
09:52:42 Tampa should be rejected this year and all years for more
09:52:48 weapons for the police and if the concern is police violence
09:52:51 especially towards black, brown and homeless communities in
09:52:55 Tampa.
09:52:56 You really don't need to be investing any more money into
09:52:58 more weapons, even if it's from a grant.
09:53:01 So you should reject that grant moving forward, because
09:53:04 police violence has increased 24% since Dugan has been the
09:53:09 police chief and we don't need to give him any more
09:53:12 ammunition for that, which with that in mind, we did speak
09:53:16 with you about doing a program similar and cahoots, and it's
09:53:23 it is completely separate from TPD.
09:53:27 We are still not sure why TPD has any control or say in it.
09:53:33 The community's trust and amount of time given so we are
09:53:37 urging you to support a program similar to cahoots and.
09:53:43 I know you are hearing about the ordinance we the people put
09:53:46 together and voted for, anti-discrimination and bias
09:53:50 training.
09:53:50 Please note the charter says it must be comprehensive.
09:53:53 So I am not sure how it's going to be comprehensive to
09:53:56 discuss anti-discrimination and implicit bias and
09:54:00 anti-harassment regarding race, religion, gender, gender
09:54:04 identity, orientation, disability, age, all the other areas.
09:54:09 I don't see how you can do that in four hours or eleven
09:54:13 hours.
09:54:14 I am glad you are taking a look into an outside organization
09:54:18 seriously.
09:54:21 You need to find a black and brown led program that gets to
09:54:26 the heart of the issue and the impression that TPD as well
09:54:31 as City of Tampa place on the people of Tampa.
09:54:34 So don't do a co-respond relationship with TPD.
09:54:38 Having to do so much, overworked, stressed out, and just
09:54:45 have a couple of programs, to be able to do this, without
09:54:52 police being involved, and that's a really good number.
09:54:54 They have been around since 1989.
09:54:57 So please do the right thing for the City of Tampa and let's
09:55:01 move forward in the correct way.
09:55:03 Thank you all and have a great day.
09:55:04 >> Barbara Chepke, PO box 36285 Tampa 33673.
09:55:16 When the mayor and City Council commit to 100% clean
09:55:20 renewable energy, the mayor said that municipal-caused
09:55:26 emissions will go down to zero by 2045, but city operations
09:55:30 are only 3% of the total emissions.
09:55:32 What about the 97% from corporations, businesses, and
09:55:37 citizens?
09:55:39 St. Petersburg committed to 100% renewable energy for
09:55:43 everyone in that city.
09:55:45 Tampa should do the same.
09:55:48 I want to breathe clean air and drink clean water and not
09:55:52 fossil fuel pollution.
09:55:54 Thank you.
09:55:54 >> My name is Laura Edwards and I am submitting my comments
09:56:00 on agenda item 60 regarding City of Tampa environmental
09:56:04 sustainability efforts.
09:56:10 As a mother and resident of the Davis islands community, I
09:56:13 am extremely concerned and unlivable for future generations.
09:56:21 The City of Tampa must shown that it takes a climate change
09:56:26 by transitioning the entire community, not just municipal
09:56:29 operations, to 100% renewable energy by 2030.
09:56:34 The plan for climate change could not be more clear.
09:56:36 Our planet is in great danger fer we don't act decisively in
09:56:40 the next ten years to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas
09:56:44 emissions.
09:56:45 We are already suffering from worsening natural disasters,
09:56:47 increased temperature and rising seas, all directly affects
09:56:54 Tampa Bay.
09:56:55 In our area is predicted to be up to 4 feet in the next 40
09:56:59 years.
09:57:04 405 degrees harn height up from an average now.
09:57:08 The list goes on and on.
09:57:10 Putting our hands in the sand on this crisis is writing off
09:57:14 the future of our community.
09:57:21 The urgency of this crisis ...
09:57:23 Not only 2045, and action in scale but fails to acknowledge
09:57:30 the burden of the climate crisis on the vulnerable
09:57:33 population it is hardest.
09:57:35 Lack of access of weatherization upgrades support higher
09:57:39 energy costs and most vulnerable to flooding and other
09:57:43 climate adjustments.
09:57:45 We must make a sustainable recovery our priority.
09:57:50 The climate action and equity plan needs to focus on inputs
09:57:54 on our impact -- front line impacted communities for
09:57:59 preexisting problems.
09:58:01 The method used to address the crisis and they are getting
09:58:05 better and more effective and more affordable every day.
09:58:08 Five years from now, electricity will be cheaper, and five
09:58:14 times average and by transitioning to electric cars,
09:58:19 commercial vehicles, by changing their practices to zero
09:58:23 emissions.
09:58:25 Existing infrastructure [~interference~]
09:58:31 Over 100 million Americans live in a community that is now
09:58:34 formally committed to the goal of 100% renewable energy with
09:58:40 municipal operations and their entire community, in working
09:58:45 toward leading Tampa to 100% clean energy future.
09:58:50 Thank you.
09:58:50 >> My name is Christina Silk and I live in the USF area of
09:58:55 Tampa.
09:58:56 I am commenting on the October 15th 9 a.m. council
09:59:01 meeting.
09:59:02 City Council, with all due respect, I am deeply concerned
09:59:06 with how none of you -- in demanding reallocation of the
09:59:12 budget as the community needs.
09:59:14 Although I am losing faith in you, I am hopeful you will do
09:59:18 right today.
09:59:18 You should reject the efforts, the Byrne grant this year and
09:59:24 every year forward.
09:59:25 You have told us that you could not reallocate funds for the
09:59:29 community because you are worried about salaries and
09:59:32 pensions.
09:59:32 With that said, there is no excuse for accepting grants to
09:59:36 further militarize an already violent police force.
09:59:41 Use of force against us, the people, and especially black
09:59:44 residents of Tampa, and the T houseless have increased 24%
09:59:50 since chief stepped in and we should not reward them with
09:59:56 more weapons.
09:59:56 We the people have more crisis response teams that is
10:00:00 autonomous and independent from the police.
10:00:03 To respond to noncriminal crisis situations similar to
10:00:07 cahoots in Eugene, Oregon.
10:00:10 We have heard many of you support a co-response situation
10:00:14 with TPD.
10:00:17 Since TPD has lost the trust of the people it makes no sense
10:00:20 to create a program that is works closely with TPD, and
10:00:27 cahoots in Eugene is able to respond to 9 %, 98% of their
10:00:32 situations, without relying on the violence.
10:00:38 Finally I am concerned you are not making your best effort
10:00:41 to honor the anti-violence charter amendment.
10:00:44 We the people drafted.
10:00:46 And voted for.
10:00:48 We clearly demanded a comprehensive program, and the
10:00:51 ordinance only offers four hours for regular --
10:00:58 These topics are too important to truncate and you can
10:01:01 figure out scheduling by being strategic.
10:01:06 I'm glad you heard our concerns about hiring an outside
10:01:09 organization to conduct this training.
10:01:10 It could not be an organization like USF.
10:01:13 Instead it should be a black and brown led BMI training
10:01:18 program that actually understands marginalization and
10:01:21 oppression in realtime.
10:01:23 Council, you let your citizens down multiple times, in
10:01:28 December and throughout the summer.
10:01:29 Please, do not let us down again.
10:01:31 Thank you.
10:01:32 >> My name is Craig and I'm a resident of East Tampa and I'm
10:01:38 calling about the October 15th meeting.
10:01:44 And respecting concerns of the lack of not only tensions but
10:01:51 also respond to the over 100 comments of residents demanding
10:01:55 reallocation of fund to programs from TPD.
10:02:00 Also demanding that City Council reject the Edward Byrne
10:02:05 grant.
10:02:06 We definitely don't need more weapons and more surveillance
10:02:09 in our communities.
10:02:10 The money could be better directed into safety programs that
10:02:14 we already gave to the council.
10:02:21 In TPD from 2017, 2018 and 2019, and no doubt the 2020
10:02:26 numbers will be even higher.
10:02:28 This may increase in 24% of violence and over 200 chemical
10:02:36 weapons even before the protests, and comments do it mayor
10:02:44 and TPD.
10:02:48 We also want -- I am thankful that City Council is
10:02:53 responding to looking at a response unit, and reject the
10:03:00 co-response method that you guys are looking of a.
10:03:03 Cahoots again has a no death, no serious injury, so why
10:03:10 wouldn't we look would we look at the co-response mod Snell
10:03:15 it blows my mind.
10:03:16 I just want you all to know that it's in your hands.
10:03:21 That this City Council has a chance to actually fight for
10:03:24 and adopt a 31-year complete clean safety record program by
10:03:30 cahoots
10:03:34 And I would like to commend City Council for passing the
10:03:38 anti-bias training, but that you are lacking I believe only
10:03:45 four hours and eleven hours between TPD, and, you know, it's
10:03:54 really, really deep and covering and something so I thank
10:04:02 the City Council for making some progressive steps.
10:04:12 >> My name is David, Tampa.
10:04:18 I am calling on item 60, 20-48.
10:04:31 My name is David Sinclair and I have been a member of the
10:04:34 Tampa alliance science its inception and I am concerned
10:04:38 about the dates for which the City of Tampa is considered
10:04:43 ready for 100% clean energy city.
10:04:51 I believe any position that does not support a 2030 deadline
10:04:55 for Tampa to become a clean energy city, actually it's a
10:04:59 slap in the face of those in our community the most impacted
10:05:08 by climate change, also a slap in the face of those climate
10:05:12 activists locally who fight the climate deniers.
10:05:17 I believe that a declaration to support a transition to 100%
10:05:22 clean energy city for Tampa by 2030 would permit us all to
10:05:27 hold our heads up high rather than lower our heads in
10:05:33 collective shame as a city with no backbone, only to kick
10:05:37 the proverbial bucket down the road another 15 years, when
10:05:41 you are --
10:05:44 >> This is the way I understand it.
10:05:47 2030, not 2045, which is actually a mirage.
10:05:53 Thank you for the opportunity to speak.
10:05:54 >> My name is Latisha Floyd, and I am a resident of Tampa.
10:06:02 And City Council, I am deeply concerned how none of you have
10:06:14 heard all 800 residents demanding reallocation of the budget
10:06:20 for the community's needs.
10:06:22 I am hopeful, you should reject the Edward Byrne grant this
10:06:28 year and every year forward.
10:06:29 You told us that you could not reallocate funds in the
10:06:32 community because you are worried about pensions, the fact
10:06:37 that there's no excuse we are expecting grants for an
10:06:42 already violent police force.
10:06:45 The people especially black residents of Tampa and the
10:06:49 houseless violence has sin increased 24% since Chief Dugan
10:06:57 stepped in.
10:07:03 For police to respond to noncriminal situations.
10:07:09 We have heard many of you support [~interference~] and
10:07:13 simply put that TPD has lost the trust of people and makes
10:07:16 no sense to create a program that is part of -- TPD.
10:07:28 (no audio)
10:07:31 Finally, I am concerned you are not making any effort or
10:07:34 your best efforts for anti-bias.
10:07:38 We the people voted for it.
10:07:41 We clearly demanded a comprehensive program and your
10:07:44 ordinance only offered 4 hours for regular employees and one
10:07:47 hour of training for TPD.
10:07:49 How can you genuinely have comprehensive anti-discrimination
10:07:55 implicit bias from race, origin, gender in our community,
10:07:58 religion, orientation, disability, age, and all the other
10:08:02 items within the confines of four or six hours?
10:08:09 It is to figure out strategic -- throughout the year.
10:08:15 I am glad our concerns about hiring an outside organization
10:08:18 to conduct this training have been heard.
10:08:20 It should not be an organization like USF.
10:08:23 It should a black and brown-led training program that
10:08:27 actually understands modernization in realtime.
10:08:31 Councilman Maniscalco, please do not do that again.
10:08:36 Thank you.
10:08:36 >> My name is Jason Paine, agenda item 60.
10:08:46 My name is Jason Paine and I am with the 2030 initiative.
10:08:55 I now reside in the beautiful area called Beach Park.
10:08:59 I have long been a supporter of climate change and our never
10:09:03 ending goal to reaching a sustainable path, and learned
10:09:07 about be the clean energy by 2045, I am confounded.
10:09:13 With the plan only committing to transition of municipal
10:09:16 operations, the city's energy use.
10:09:20 It just feels like we can achieve and commit to a little bit
10:09:24 more.
10:09:24 So we need a better well thought out strategy to outline not
10:09:27 only what we want to do but also how we can -- that we owe
10:09:34 it to future Tampa residents.
10:09:36 So a more progressive approach to ending fossil fuel and
10:09:42 more forward approach.
10:09:48 More charging stations, for solar uses, and energy grid, and
10:10:07 I think we can, too.
10:10:12 The Kennedy Westshore business district areas are congested
10:10:16 during rush hour.
10:10:17 At times you can see exhaust fumes, you can smell the
10:10:21 pollution in the air.
10:10:25 So cutting through a residential street to try to avoid as
10:10:28 much traffic as possible is just a mess.
10:10:32 The council must move forward towards a low carbon economy
10:10:36 that puts our city on the map and leads the way of our
10:10:40 community for only renewable energy.
10:10:46 Currently live in a community committed to a goal of 100%
10:10:53 renewable energy and Tampa being one of the fastest growing
10:10:55 cities in America should work towards the 100% clean energy
10:11:02 future, and consumption of renewable energy by 2030.
10:11:10 Over the coming decades to avoid all the elements of a
10:11:14 system both for the people and the environment.
10:11:17 >> My name is Marilyn Borlick, Charlotte place, Tampa,
10:11:29 Florida.
10:11:29 This is on agenda item 60.
10:11:33 Sustainability and reliance officers report.
10:11:37 In a word should be canceled due to its lack of substance.
10:11:42 I'm very concerned that a meaningful sustainability plan for
10:11:48 the city is not in this report.
10:11:52 We do not transition our community wide effort by 2030 to be
10:11:56 completely renewable clean energy.
10:11:59 Current weather events are already clear of a need for this.
10:12:06 2045 is way too late, even on the national level, the
10:12:10 transition is 2035.
10:12:13 Tampa can surely do this by 2030.
10:12:16 Every year, technology makes greater transitions easier and
10:12:20 better for the interest of people.
10:12:22 This is growing, and yet the timeline is extended backwards.
10:12:28 Florida is ranked 75th out of 100 cities on its current
10:12:33 energy efficiency, and Tampa could very quickly transition
10:12:36 off of fossil fuel for energy efficient upgrades to quick
10:12:42 and easy ones.
10:12:43 The climate action equity plan needs to focus on input from
10:12:47 our front line impacted community could truly be a solution
10:12:53 to the existing problems.
10:12:54 Some actions that would be suggested are to shift the energy
10:12:59 burden off our forest and alleviating situations that cause
10:13:06 our home to use more energy efficiency and upgrade.
10:13:13 Make the city more walkable and bikeable and work with TECO,
10:13:16 increasing EV charging and clean electric public
10:13:20 transportation.
10:13:22 Transition to clean renewable energy supporting the city
10:13:25 investing in high-paying jobs within the community.
10:13:29 Installation of energy upgrades to city infrastructure.
10:13:33 Again, there's over 100 million Americans now who live in a
10:13:37 community that is formally committed to working towards 100%
10:13:43 goal and we can do that.
10:13:45 At this election time, we find it's on the minds of many
10:13:48 voters, Tampa's sustainability plans need to reflect our
10:13:52 community's views of the importance of sustainable future
10:13:55 for our younger citizens.
10:13:57 We need to stop this report and revamp it completely.
10:14:03 We can do far more than the current plan recommends.
10:14:06 Often renewable energy.
10:14:09 Thank you so much for hearing my concerns.
10:14:12 Bye.
10:14:12 >> Good morning.
10:14:14 My name is nat Brownell. I am here as part of the Tampa
10:14:18 2030 campaign.
10:14:20 I was delighted to hear that the City Council has
10:14:25 substantial amount in the budget to create an climate equity
10:14:29 plan.
10:14:29 I want to make sure the city truly lives up to that, sharing
10:14:30 the plan is aggressively and truly equitable.
10:14:35 Unfortunately the memo from the mayor's office was -- should
10:14:42 be canceled.
10:14:42 We simply cannot wait any longer to transmission to a 100%
10:14:46 clean renewable energy.
10:14:47 That's why Tampa needs to follow in the footsteps of 157
10:14:51 other cities nationwide and commit to a community wide
10:14:55 transition.
10:14:58 And Tampa needs to lead this effort in pursuing an
10:15:01 aggressive timeline to make that transition by 2030.
10:15:04 If we start now, Tampa can easily do it.
10:15:09 Tampa is the lowest on the nation on the progress for energy
10:15:10 efficiency.
10:15:12 This is great news because energy efficiency is the cheapest
10:15:16 easiest fastest way to reduce the amount of energy we need.
10:15:19 Also, energy efficiency upgrades impacts every portion of
10:15:23 our society and will benefit our most vulnerable communities
10:15:26 the best.
10:15:28 We will save money investing in energy efficiency, and
10:15:32 reduction in our energy will make it all the more easier for
10:15:36 our energy sources to create renewable energy.
10:15:38 As progressive and financially cable city with low-cost
10:15:43 opportunity to transition our city, we have an obligation to
10:15:46 move quickly and efficiently to do everything we can to
10:15:49 equip the city to be 100% by 2030.
10:15:52 And making the transition the city will need to take steps
10:15:55 to recruit and include front line low-income communities in
10:15:59 the decision making and planning process.
10:16:01 Through community involvement, to increase those that have
10:16:06 been separated by the technological divide and to identify
10:16:09 and include those -- energy 2030.
10:16:15 The city must be wary of being paternalistic toward the
10:16:17 impacted communities and not unilaterally deciding on
10:16:22 pollution.
10:16:22 We must engage the community to learn about knowledge of
10:16:27 what is needed to solve the ongoing crisis that is equity
10:16:30 and exclusion.
10:16:31 Any plan that does not put equity at the forefront, any plan
10:16:35 that isn't community wide, any plan that doesn't have an
10:16:38 aggressive timeline, is tantamount to inaction and frankly
10:16:43 unacceptable.
10:16:44 Please ensure that Tampa moves to 100% clean renewable
10:16:48 energy by 2030.
10:16:50 Please ensure the committee is not only involved, but leads
10:16:55 this city on how to solve this crisis.
10:16:57 Thank you.
10:16:57 >> My name is Michelle Estad, 2109 Bayshore Boulevard, Tampa
10:17:05 33606.
10:17:07 And I am calling with regard to the environmental
10:17:09 sustainability efforts for the mayor's office.
10:17:19 [~interference~] the goal is for Tampa to be energy
10:17:23 renewable by 2045.
10:17:25 However, in the year 2045, right now, that's a really,
10:17:34 really long time.
10:17:35 I think it's a little bit -- to be honest.
10:17:39 But if we kind do have all this now instead of passing it on
10:17:44 to our next generation, you know, I think it's kind of
10:17:48 ridiculous.
10:17:48 25 years?
10:17:53 Do it now while we have the technology.
10:17:55 Please consider changing this to a much sooner date.
10:17:58 Honestly, even 2030 seems really far away for me.
10:18:02 But that's a lot nearer than 2045.
10:18:07 So make Tampa join the 21st century.
10:18:11 Thank you so much.
10:18:12 Bye.
10:18:12 >> Good morning.
10:18:15 My name is ATALIA Said.
10:18:18 My address is 3615 Little road, Lutz 33548, with the Tampa
10:18:26 2030 campaign.
10:18:28 When I heard the sustainability effort by the mayor's office
10:18:30 presented today was focused on a deadline of 2045, I didn't
10:18:34 know whether to laugh or cry.
10:18:37 This is a cruel joke, I asked myself.
10:18:43 When it comes to our sustainability effort.
10:18:45 No one near the other 167 cities in the U.S. have already
10:18:49 started transitioning, but this is just too much for me.
10:18:53 The decision to make a deadline so far off only confirms to
10:18:56 me the complete denial or ignorance of the facts of our
10:19:01 current leaders.
10:19:02 In New York right now is marking a count down, the time that
10:19:07 we have to stabilize our climate before the effects of
10:19:10 global warming become irreversible.
10:19:18 The seconds are ticking.
10:19:28 The catastrophic chain of events that result in carbon
10:19:33 dioxide in our sphere.
10:19:35 We are currently at 417 parts per million.
10:19:39 Right now, we have about 28% of our energy from renewable
10:19:44 and we should be at 100% by the year 2027 than stead of
10:19:52 passing it to the next generation.
10:19:54 2045 isn't going to cut it.
10:19:59 It needs to be taken seriously.
10:20:01 Please, any climate action that is not affecting the
10:20:08 community affected by it, completely out of touch with the
10:20:13 people in the communities they claim to serve.
10:20:16 As I said before, we currently have been 417 carbon dioxide
10:20:24 in the atmosphere.
10:20:27 No community has ever reached the 300 parts per million
10:20:29 which was recorded for the last time in 1950.
10:20:35 Increase over 100 parts per million.
10:20:38 At this rate, we will be way above the threshold by the year
10:20:45 2045.
10:20:47 At 600 parts per million, it just so happens that plant,
10:20:56 animal and insect species will perish, and humans -- do you
10:21:03 still think the year 2045 is a reasonable time for this?
10:21:09 Thank you.
10:21:10 >> I'm Gina white and I live at 3706 west Idlewild Avenue,
10:21:22 pine tree apartments, and I'm calling because I would like
10:21:29 to make comments for the October 15, 9 a.m. council meeting.
10:21:33 So City Council members, with all due respect, I am
10:21:37 concerned about calls from hundreds of Tampa residents who
10:21:45 are demanding reallocation of the budget into the
10:21:48 community's needs.
10:21:49 Although I am losing faith, I am hopeful that you do the
10:21:54 right thing, you should reject the Edward Byrne grant this
10:21:58 year and every year forward, and could not reallocate funds
10:22:04 to the community because you are worried about salaries and
10:22:06 pensions, but there's no excuse for accepting grants to
10:22:11 further militarize an already violent police force.
10:22:14 And the community especially black residents of Tampa and
10:22:22 increased 24% with Chief Dugan, so I think that because of
10:22:29 that, we really should not reward TPD with more weapons.
10:22:34 I'm calling -- the people have called for a crisis response
10:22:41 team, but the economists respond to noncriminal situations
10:22:49 at cahoots in Eugene organize began.
10:22:54 Simply put, TPD lost the trust of the people and makes no
10:23:01 sense to create a program that is part of TPD.
10:23:08 So cahoots in Eugene is able to respond to 98% of situations
10:23:14 without relying on violence that police bring, and I think
10:23:17 that Tampa does not need any more violence.
10:23:22 Finally I am concerned that you are not making your best
10:23:25 effort to honor the anti-bias charter amendment that people
10:23:31 voted for, and the ordinance only offers four hours for
10:23:35 regular employees and eleven hours of training for TPD,
10:23:42 comprehensive anti-discrimination anti-discrimination
10:23:47 training for race, religion, gender, and gender identity,
10:23:52 religion, orientation, disability, age, and many other
10:23:56 identities.
10:23:58 The topics are too important to truncate and you can figure
10:24:02 out -- throughout the year, and I am glad you heard our
10:24:08 concerns about hiring an outside organization to conduct
10:24:12 this.
10:24:12 >>THE CLERK: Chair, that concludes the recorded messages.
10:24:17 And we can move back to live comment speakers.
10:24:20 I do have Mr. Grant Lovering logged on.
10:24:24 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
10:24:25 Go ahead.
10:24:26 >>THE CLERK: If you can hear me, please unmute yourself.
10:24:40 Mr. Grant lovering?
10:24:54 All right, chair, we are going to move on and I am going to
10:25:10 have Mary Estrada on the line.
10:25:12 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
10:25:12 Then we'll start the clock.
10:25:14 >>THE CLERK: Mary, you have three minutes to speak.
10:25:20 >> Okay.
10:25:23 Can everybody hear me?
10:25:25 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, we can.
10:25:26 Go ahead.
10:25:26 >> Great.
10:25:29 Thank you for being patient with my technical sound issue,
10:25:35 and thank you for allowing me to speak this morning.
10:25:38 My name is Mary Estrada and I work with the CLEO institute
10:25:42 and also a master student at the University of South Florida
10:25:51 climate for livability.
10:25:52 The climate crisis is here now.
10:25:56 Covid-19 impacted families, our businesses, the tourism
10:26:00 industry and even agriculture.
10:26:01 It should be no surprise that an increase in extreme weather
10:26:05 events could be devastating for the City of Tampa.
10:26:08 On a social and economic level.
10:26:10 Black and brown communities, people with disabilities, the
10:26:14 elderly, and other at-risk individuals are the most
10:26:19 vulnerable.
10:26:20 I would like to thank whit Remer sustainability coordinator
10:26:24 for discussing issues such as environmental racism, making
10:26:28 plans to retrofit buildings to be more energy efficient and
10:26:31 develop a climate action plan.
10:26:33 These issues are valuable to our communities to improve
10:26:36 social and economic prosperity.
10:26:38 The proposal that Mr. Remer has delivered today incorporates
10:26:41 key aspects based on public demand, scientific data, and
10:26:50 marginalized communities.
10:26:51 I suggest that we begin to prioritize community engagement
10:26:55 by working hand in hand with front line resident-led
10:26:59 organizations.
10:27:01 As serving underprivileged communities that will be the most
10:27:04 impacted by power outages, storm surges, hurricanes,
10:27:07 et cetera.
10:27:09 It is vital that voices have a seat at the table in order to
10:27:13 ensure an equitable future for all of us.
10:27:17 We want to continue to be a part of community input through
10:27:20 the sustainable road map meeting, but a suggestion that we
10:27:23 have is to consider inviting organizations or groups to the
10:27:27 table such as Tampa Bay activist network, urban progress
10:27:32 alliance, Tampa Bay disaster resilience initiate, and the
10:27:34 Florida equality group.
10:27:38 This would really bring a sense of pride and having
10:27:42 involvement and collaborative approach informing local
10:27:45 sustainability policies.
10:27:47 I look forward to building a better more greener Tampa.
10:27:53 Thank you.
10:27:53 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:27:55 >>THE CLERK: Chair, that concludes the public comment
10:27:58 portion of the agenda.
10:27:59 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
10:28:01 Thank you very much.
10:28:02 It is now 10:30.
10:28:05 We will move forward with the agenda.
10:28:11 >>BILL CARLSON: Mr. Chair is the if I could just for a
10:28:14 minute.
10:28:14 For anybody watching for the first time or anybody who is
10:28:17 watching and who wants to get involved in the process, just
10:28:22 let everybody know, sometimes the administration comes up
10:28:25 with ideas, sometimes City Council members come up with
10:28:27 ideas, sometimes the public comes up with ideas.
10:28:30 And I think that my colleagues do the same thing I do when
10:28:33 the public comes up with an idea is we try to engage the
10:28:36 public, and engage the administration, and have a dialogue,
10:28:39 because the public many times has ideas, and specific
10:28:43 research that they have done on policy issues that can lead
10:28:47 to change.
10:28:48 An example is Kelly Benjamin and others who came to us about
10:28:54 a plastic ban, and they helped us immensely by doing the
10:28:57 research, and we put them in touch with the legal
10:29:00 department, and the city, and as a result, we passed a rule
10:29:05 about that a couple of weeks ago.
10:29:08 Connie Burton and many others for starting -- when I started
10:29:12 a year and a half ago asked us to focus on affordable
10:29:16 housing and we listened to them.
10:29:17 We again engaged the administration and the administration
10:29:20 began a plan on housing and then a week or two ago we
10:29:24 sitting as the CRA board approved what I think is a landmark
10:29:27 resolution regarding affordable housing.
10:29:30 The county made a big deal about allocating $10 million
10:29:35 toward affordable housing.
10:29:36 If the CACs stick to the goal that we set at 30% of
10:29:41 funding for CRAs for affordable housing, 10 to 15 and
10:29:46 maybe $20 million a year for affordable housing, and it's a
10:29:50 big landmark issue.
10:29:53 Three of us were on the charter review commission, and we
10:29:57 listened to restorative justice and other groups to put more
10:30:01 protections in the chart are and we also listened to them by
10:30:05 putting in implicit bias training, several representatives
10:30:09 including Angelo who spoke earlier came to me and my
10:30:11 colleagues and said they were unhappy the way it was going,
10:30:16 and put them in touch directly with city staff and legal
10:30:21 staff, and they have been communicating, and I don't think
10:30:23 we are going to end up with a solution that's perfect for
10:30:26 anybody, but it's going to be a lot better than angel and
10:30:30 the public commented before.
10:30:33 Also Tampa for justice, ACLU and others approached us about
10:30:36 the citizens review board and we put them directly in touch
10:30:39 with the administration, legal department.
10:30:41 They are collaborating with us on that.
10:30:43 And also other environmental groups working on this proposal
10:30:47 with whit Remer, which by what I would ask the public, if
10:30:52 you look at something it doesn't mean it's going to the
10:30:55 final solution.
10:30:55 We can't continue to evolve things and if something isn't
10:30:59 perfect come back and look at it.
10:31:01 My overall point is I think this is a collaborative City
10:31:06 Council and administration that are looking to work with the
10:31:09 public, and if you have specific ideas, my e-mail address is
10:31:13 Bill.Carlson@tampagov.net.
10:31:19 Happy to set up a zoom meeting, a phone call, happy to
10:31:22 listen to your ideas, the idea about mental health, we are
10:31:25 going to be discussing later today, and on that issue in
10:31:28 particular, people refer to cahoots program but there are
10:31:31 people that are experts on this issue that have data, and
10:31:35 would love to have people participate and work on that more.
10:31:40 Finally, there was a lot of mention about this grant that
10:31:44 the police got this morning, and even websites about it, and
10:31:51 looked at the website, and the website specifically
10:31:54 prohibits some of the things that folks are asking us not to
10:31:57 spend money on, specifically prohibits drones, specifically
10:32:00 prohibits spending money on armored vehicles and other
10:32:04 things.
10:32:05 This is not an issue that I put on the agenda, but I want to
10:32:08 make sure we have the best information, and that we are all
10:32:11 collaborating and sharing information so that we can move
10:32:14 forward.
10:32:14 And maybe Mr. Bennett or somebody from police could answer
10:32:18 more of the questions about that particular grant.
10:32:20 But please, if anybody in the public wants to collaborate
10:32:24 with us, if you are interested in civil rights, social
10:32:27 justice issues, this City Council has been working very hard
10:32:30 on it.
10:32:30 And several part of the charter review commission, we wants
10:32:35 to work with you and collaborate.
10:32:37 Please reach out and contact us.
10:32:38 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
10:32:39 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:32:40 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Chair?
10:32:43 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Gudes.
10:32:44 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Before you start your consent agenda,
10:32:47 again, items 2 and 3 have a lot of concerns so I would like
10:32:51 to ask a couple of questions in reference to that, or do you
10:32:55 want that now or later when the police department will be on
10:33:00 the line?
10:33:01 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead now.
10:33:02 I mean, early on in the agenda, if you want to --
10:33:06 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Mr. Carlson, I had two, but I was
10:33:10 wondering if Chief Bennett is on the line.
10:33:12 >>JOHN BENNETT: Yes, sir.
10:33:17 John Bennett here.
10:33:19 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I know you had experience with this area,
10:33:21 expertise being the number two man for a long while.
10:33:27 This grant, if this council accepts this grant, can we put a
10:33:32 stipulation to make sure that some things we need to ask is
10:33:37 in the grant is strictly only used for the allocations for
10:33:40 overtime, or community service for the holiday season, which
10:33:46 these things are stipulated for?
10:33:50 >>JOHN BENNETT: I would suggest Councilman by the nature of
10:33:52 receiving the grant that the framework for its use has been
10:33:55 identified as such.
10:33:57 I do have Mr. Rogero here who oversees the grant process.
10:34:01 And we would only get the award based on the way it's going
10:34:04 to be used.
10:34:05 And historically it has only been used for that overtime
10:34:08 related to the community policing that Councilman or
10:34:13 overtime that Councilman Dingfelder mentioned before, and
10:34:16 for coming in in realtime, I did talk to TPD online and they
10:34:20 reconfirmed this is the only purpose for that grant, which
10:34:22 is my historical understanding of its use.
10:34:25 >>ORLANDO GUDES: That grant program, this is what we are
10:34:32 applying for, not for any drones or so forth and so on, in
10:34:40 the grant, correct?
10:34:42 >>JOHN BENNETT: That's correct Councilman.
10:34:44 The agenda package is obviously online for public view.
10:34:48 And it explicitly does not identify any of those items that
10:34:52 we are concerned about.
10:34:53 So if the public would go to the vend item through the
10:34:56 clerk's office, they can see the entire package, and it
10:34:59 would not have any of those issues of concern.
10:35:01 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I just wanted to make that clear to the
10:35:06 public.
10:35:06 I didn't want to lose money, for the holiday season, patrols
10:35:11 in certain areas, especially the malls and things like that.
10:35:14 So I wanted to make sure to clarify for the public that use,
10:35:17 that intent.
10:35:18 I can support that, the uses that were mentioned.
10:35:22 Thank you, sir.
10:35:23 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay, anybody else?
10:35:29 All right.
10:35:30 Hearing that, we will go to the Public Safety Committee,
10:35:33 which is council member Citro. We have items 1 through 8
10:35:37 and items 2 and 3 which have been discussed, and we have
10:35:41 received clarity and clarification on.
10:35:45 Councilman Citro, do you wish to move those items 1 through
10:35:48 8?
10:35:49 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
10:35:50 Yes.
10:35:50 I move to move items 1 through 8.
10:35:53 >>LUIS VIERA: Second, Viera.
10:35:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Dingfelder?
10:36:00 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Question on the motion.
10:36:02 In regard to item 4, the resolution approving reimbursement
10:36:07 agreements between the City of Tampa and 28 applicants for
10:36:13 the TPD recruiting program. I want to compliment Chief
10:36:17 Dugan's department.
10:36:18 I asked what the demographic breakdown was for that, 28
10:36:23 applicants, and I was told 18% African and 18% Hispanic.
10:36:35 Anyway, we talked to the chief at length the other day about
10:36:39 diversity and working harder to have a more diverse force,
10:36:44 so I think this is a good step in the right direction.
10:36:47 We have a long way to go.
10:36:50 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Again, I restate my motion to move items 1
10:36:55 through 8.
10:36:55 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion from Councilman Citro.
10:37:00 Second by Councilman Viera.
10:37:02 Roll call vote.
10:37:02 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:37:06 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:37:08 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:37:11 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:37:17 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:37:18 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:37:19 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:37:20 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:37:22 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
10:37:23 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:37:27 Council member Gudes, items it through 11.
10:37:29 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Move 9 through 11, sir.
10:37:32 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Second.
10:37:33 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion from Councilman Gudes.
10:37:35 Second from Councilman Miranda.
10:37:36 Roll call vote.
10:37:37 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:37:42 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:37:44 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:37:46 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:37:48 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:37:51 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:37:53 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:37:56 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:37:57 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:37:59 Next up we have Public Works Committee.
10:38:01 Remember that item number 14 has been moved to staff
10:38:07 reports.
10:38:08 So if Councilman Dingfelder will move items 12 through 14
10:38:11 and then 15 through 18.
10:38:12 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
10:38:15 Yes, I will move those items, 12, 137, 15 through 18.
10:38:20 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Second.
10:38:22 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second by Councilman Miranda.
10:38:26 Roll call vote.
10:38:27 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:38:30 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:38:33 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:38:36 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:38:38 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:38:40 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:38:43 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:38:45 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:38:47 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
10:38:49 Remember, with the addendum, we had item number 23 was
10:38:57 pulled by Councilman Viera.
10:38:59 The question was answered so we can put that on the consent
10:39:02 and vote now.
10:39:04 However, item number 21 was pulled by Councilman Dingfelder
10:39:09 and put under staff reports.
10:39:10 So it would be items, Councilman Miranda, 19 and 20, then 22
10:39:17 and 23.
10:39:18 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Thank you.
10:39:21 Items 19, 20 and 22 are the items that I move, and 23.
10:39:26 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Second.
10:39:29 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion from councilman Miranda.
10:39:31 Second by Councilman Citro.
10:39:33 Roll call vote.
10:39:34 >>THE CLERK: Chair, I want to make clear that it's a
10:39:36 substitute on item number 23.
10:39:38 So --
10:39:40 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Number 23 which was -- by Councilman
10:39:47 Viera before we got to this point.
10:39:49 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:39:50 Roll call vote.
10:39:50 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:39:53 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:39:54 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:39:58 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:40:00 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:40:03 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:40:05 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:40:06 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:40:07 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Next up we have 24 through 40 and that
10:40:16 is council member Carlson.
10:40:17 >>BILL CARLSON: Move item 24 through 40.
10:40:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Do we have a second?
10:40:24 Was it Citro?
10:40:25 >>LUIS VIERA: Viera.
10:40:27 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Viera?
10:40:29 Okay.
10:40:30 Roll call vote.
10:40:31 >>LUIS VIERA: Or whoever.
10:40:32 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:40:36 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:40:38 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:40:44 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:40:44 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:40:46 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:40:47 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:40:48 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:40:49 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
10:40:52 Councilman Viera with item number 41.
10:40:55 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes, sir, Mr. Chair, I move item 41.
10:40:59 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Second.
10:41:01 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion from Councilman Viera
10:41:03 with a second by Councilman Miranda.
10:41:05 Roll call vote, please.
10:41:06 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:41:09 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:41:12 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:41:14 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:41:16 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:41:18 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:41:21 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:41:22 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:41:23 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:41:27 Next up we have items being set for public hearing on item
10:41:31 number 42.
10:41:33 Mr. Mechanik spoke during public comment, and if we could
10:41:43 schedule that as soon as legally possible.
10:41:46 Per his request.
10:41:47 Do we have a motion from any council members for the review
10:41:50 hearing to be scheduled to a date determined?
10:41:53 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Martin Shelby.
10:41:57 With regard to Mr. Mechanik's request, the original date, it
10:42:05 looked like it was in the calendar would be January 21st
10:42:10 at 6 p.m.
10:42:10 Now, a reminder that because this is a review hearing it
10:42:14 requires 30 days notice and posting, so that means obviously
10:42:18 November is out.
10:42:19 The date in December that is available if council wishes to,
10:42:23 I just want to give you a background, would be December
10:42:27 10th at 6:00 p.m.
10:42:29 Now, presently from what I understand is you have 10 land
10:42:35 rezonings and 2 review hearings presently scheduled.
10:42:40 The zoning administrator.
10:42:41 So if council's pleasure is to add it to the December
10:42:44 10th at 6:00 p.m., that is doable.
10:42:48 The next date after that would be January 21st at 6:00
10:42:51 p.m.
10:42:51 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Is there any discussion or questions or
10:42:55 concerns from council members regarding December 10th?
10:42:57 >>LUIS VIERA: If I may, Mr. Chair, I'll move for December
10:43:02 10th if no one has any -- the earlier date.
10:43:07 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Is there any objection by council
10:43:08 members?
10:43:11 No?
10:43:20 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I know we said we were going to limit --
10:43:24 at night.
10:43:25 I think we made a concession again last Thursday night's
10:43:29 session.
10:43:32 We made a concession again.
10:43:33 I want to caution council we did make a commitment to the
10:43:37 citizens to try to get people out and try not to burn these
10:43:43 things to late night.
10:43:44 Again I just want to make sure that we understand we did
10:43:46 make a commitment.
10:43:49 We want to have everybody out but at some point we are going
10:43:52 to have to say no.
10:43:53 I will go along with it today but in the futile say no.
10:43:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:44:00 We have a motion from Councilman Viera.
10:44:02 Do we have a second?
10:44:03 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Second.
10:44:04 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second by Councilman Miranda.
10:44:06 This is for December 10th at 6:00 p.m.
10:44:08 Is there any objection?
10:44:11 Hearing no objection, and by unanimous consent, the petition
10:44:16 for review is scheduled for December 10th at 6:00 p.m.
10:44:19 Thank you very much.
10:44:21 Next up is item number 43.
10:44:23 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Martin Shelby again.
10:44:26 The date would be January 21st, 6:00 p.m.
10:44:30 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion for January 21st?
10:44:36 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: So moved, 2021.
10:44:39 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion from Councilman
10:44:43 Miranda.
10:44:43 Do we have a second?
10:44:45 >> Second.
10:44:46 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second from Councilman Gudes.
10:44:48 Any objection?
10:44:48 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Again that's 6:00 p.m., council.
10:44:52 Thank you.
10:44:52 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: 6 p.m.
10:44:54 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir.
10:44:55 Hearing no objection, and therefore by unanimous consent,
10:44:58 the public hearing is set for that date at 6 p.m.
10:45:02 Thank you very much.
10:45:03 Moving along to item 44.
10:45:12 We have a memo from the legal department.
10:45:16 >>JAN MCLEAN: Office of city attorney.
10:45:22 Item number 44 is a resolution setting public hearings for
10:45:29 brownfield designation.
10:45:31 May I remind you that it must be read during meeting today,
10:45:37 which is contained on the agenda item.
10:45:40 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chair --
10:46:01 >>> That needs to be read.
10:46:02 Is that correct, Ms. McLean?
10:46:04 >>JAN MCLEAN: Yes, sir.
10:46:10 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Dingfelder, if you want to
10:46:12 go ahead and read that.
10:46:13 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Sure.
10:46:16 In regard to file BF 20-02, the following announcement of a
10:46:24 public meeting, a public hearing will be held regarding a
10:46:37 proposed brownfield area designation to the rehabilitation
10:46:40 and redevelopment of 18 parcels approximately 36.66 acres in
10:46:44 size, located at 1901 north 66th street Tampa, Florida
10:46:49 33619.
10:46:51 This public hearing will be held in the Envirofocus
10:46:56 technologies LLC training room located at 6505 jewel Avenue
10:47:01 Tampa, Florida 33619 on November 4, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. until
10:47:06 not later than 6:30 p.m.
10:47:08 As a precaution, during the Covid-19 pandemic masks will be
10:47:13 required for entry to the building and the meeting room will
10:47:15 be set up to allow less than 50% of the room's maximum
10:47:21 capacity to be present to ensure social distancing is
10:47:25 maintained.
10:47:25 Hand sanitizer will also be available for all participants.
10:47:29 I move it.
10:47:31 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion from councilman Dingfelder.
10:47:31 Second by Mr. Miranda. Is there any objection to moving
10:47:34 this resolution?
10:47:35 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Can we have a roll call on that, please?
10:47:40 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:47:42 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:47:43 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:47:44 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:47:50 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:47:51 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:47:54 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:47:56 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:47:57 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you.
10:48:02 We move on to item number 45.
10:48:04 I think we have Jan McLean on the line as well.
10:48:07 >>JAN MCLEAN: This is another brownfield designation
10:48:10 resolution setting the public hearing in the same manner, we
10:48:14 would need the announcement to be read out, please.
10:48:17 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Mr. Chairman, just for those who are on
10:48:23 the line, if you could mute your microphones so that the
10:48:25 announcement is clear and unambiguous.
10:48:30 I appreciate if you are not going to be speaking, mute your
10:48:33 Mike.
10:48:34 Thanks.
10:48:34 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Dingfelder, do you wish to
10:48:36 read the following announcement for the public meeting on
10:48:38 item 45?
10:48:39 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Sure, Mr. Chairman.
10:48:46 Item 45, BF 20-03.
10:48:53 The following announcement of a public meeting.
10:48:56 The public hearing will be held regarding a proposed
10:48:58 brownfield area designation for the rehabilitation and
10:49:01 redevelopment of one parcel, approximately 2.0 acres in size
10:49:06 located at 1237 east Twiggs Street Tampa, Florida 33602.
10:49:10 This public hearing will be held at channel club apartments
10:49:13 on the ground floor of the parking deck located at 1115 east
10:49:17 Twiggs Street Tampa, Florida 33602 on November 3rd, 2020
10:49:21 at 5:30 p.m. until not later than 6:30 p.m.
10:49:25 As precaution during the Covid-19 pandemic masks will be
10:49:29 required for entry to the hearing and the seating will be
10:49:32 set up in a manner to ensure social distancing is
10:49:36 maintained.
10:49:36 Hand sanitizer will also be available for all participants.
10:49:39 I move the resolution number 45.
10:49:42 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Second.
10:49:43 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion by Councilman Dingfelder moving
10:49:45 the resolution.
10:49:46 He also read that announcement.
10:49:48 We have a second by Councilman Miranda.
10:49:49 Roll call for item number 456.
10:49:51 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:49:58 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:49:59 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:50:00 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:50:02 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:50:05 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:50:07 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:50:08 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:50:10 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:50:14 We go on to item 46, which is again the same.
10:50:19 Jan McLean, please.
10:50:20 >>JAN MCLEAN: Office of city attorney.
10:50:23 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
10:50:25 This will be the final resolution for potential brownfield
10:50:30 designation, also setting a public hearing, again in the
10:50:32 same manner for the announcement for public meeting read
10:50:39 aloud.
10:50:40 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Any questions or comments?
10:50:45 Who would like to read the announcement for the public
10:50:48 meeting on item number 46?
10:50:51 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Mr. Chair, Citro here.
10:50:54 I will be more than happy to have do it.
10:50:56 File BF 20-04.
10:51:00 A public hearing will be held regarding a proposed
10:51:03 brownfield area designation for the rehabilitation and
10:51:07 redevelopment of five parcels, approximately 10.37 acres in
10:51:12 size, located at 1110 north 35th street, Tampa, Florida
10:51:20 33605.
10:51:24 This public hearing will be held in the Manteiga room of the
10:51:31 Hilton garden INN Tampa Ybor Historic District hotel located
10:51:36 at 1700 east 9th Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33605 on
10:51:44 November 9, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. until no later than 6:30 p.m.
10:51:53 As a precaution, during the Covid-19 pandemic, masks will be
10:51:57 required for entry into the building and the meeting room
10:52:01 will be set up to allow less than 50% of the room's maximum
10:52:06 capacity to be presented to ensure social distancing is
10:52:12 maintained.
10:52:13 Hand sanitizer will also be available for all participants.
10:52:17 And I will move the resolution.
10:52:19 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Second.
10:52:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion from Councilman Citro.
10:52:24 And we have a second from Councilman Miranda.
10:52:26 Roll call vote, please.
10:52:27 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:52:34 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:52:35 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:52:36 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:52:38 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:52:41 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:52:42 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:52:44 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:52:45 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
10:52:48 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:52:50 Just a moment.
10:52:51 We need to go back quickly to item number 43.
10:52:56 And if we can have a motion -- this is a correction -- a
10:53:00 motion to schedule this public hearing for petition for
10:53:04 review, I'm sorry, to January 28th in the evening.
10:53:10 I believe it's at 6:00 p.m.
10:53:12 >>MARTIN SHELBY: That's correct, Mr. Chairman.
10:53:13 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Move to reopen the hearing number 43.
10:53:18 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Second.
10:53:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion from Councilman
10:53:22 Miranda.
10:53:23 Second from Councilman Citro.
10:53:25 Do we have any objection?
10:53:27 This is for January 28th in the evening.
10:53:29 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Little a motion to amend at 6:00 p.m.
10:53:33 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion to amend for 6:00 p.m.
10:53:36 Are there any questions or comments?
10:53:38 Hearing none -- yes, sir?
10:53:41 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: So moved.
10:53:43 I'm sorry, go on.
10:53:44 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: By unanimous consent without any
10:53:45 objection, we move that item to January 28th.
10:53:48 All right.
10:53:50 Next up we have item number 47.
10:53:52 We have Ray substitute resolution.
10:53:54 We have Jan McLean here for this.
10:53:57 Anything, ma'am?
10:53:58 >>JAN MCLEAN: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
10:54:00 This is a continued public hearing.
10:54:03 I would like to have the record reflect the public hearing
10:54:06 remains open.
10:54:07 This is for the adoption of the substitute resolution which
10:54:11 will adopt the role for the downtown historic downtown
10:54:15 tourism assessment to put on the record that since the
10:54:21 continuation, public hearing, this is a voluntary special
10:54:31 assessment, and what you have in front of you today is to
10:54:35 approve the resolution approving the role, approving the
10:54:41 updated report approving the methodology and than the
10:54:44 interlocal agreement between the city and the tax collector
10:54:47 for the special assessment.
10:54:49 And we need to take the vote while the public hearing is
10:54:52 open.
10:54:53 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Mr. Chairman, if I can just follow up on
10:54:56 that and confirm with Ms. McLean.
10:54:59 This is a second substitute resolution.
10:55:01 So it's actually a substitute of a substitute that's being
10:55:04 requested to be moved.
10:55:05 Is that correct?
10:55:06 >>JAN MCLEAN: Yes.
10:55:10 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Thank you.
10:55:11 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Can we get a motion to open the public
10:55:14 hearing?
10:55:14 If not just for the record.
10:55:16 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Move to open.
10:55:20 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Miranda and seconded by
10:55:24 Councilman Viera.
10:55:26 The public hearing is open.
10:55:28 Who wishes to move this substitute resolution?
10:55:32 Council member Carlson.
10:55:34 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Mr. Chairman, I'm sorry to interrupt.
10:55:36 I'm sorry to interrupted, Mr. Chairman.
10:55:38 I am just asking for the opportunity for the public to be
10:55:42 heard if there is anybody who wishes to speak to it.
10:55:45 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Do we have anybody from the public at
10:55:47 the convention center or on the line that wishes to speak to
10:55:50 item number 47?
10:55:51 >>THE CLERK: There is no one at the Tampa Convention
10:55:54 Center.
10:55:55 However, we do have a participant, Thomas loud that's logged
10:55:59 on, if he would like to speak, he can unmute himself.
10:56:02 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
10:56:04 >> I'm just happy to answer any questions you may have.
10:56:10 Otherwise, I have nothing to say.
10:56:12 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: What's your name?
10:56:14 >> My name is Thomas cloud.
10:56:19 I'm an attorney with Gray Robinson.
10:56:20 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
10:56:22 Do we have any questions or comments for the gentleman?
10:56:26 Hearing none, all right.
10:56:29 Thank you very much.
10:56:30 Is there anybody else that wishes to speak on this item?
10:56:37 All right.
10:56:41 What?
10:56:41 >>THE CLERK: There is no one else.
10:56:44 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
10:56:46 Councilman Carlson, do you wish to move the substitute
10:56:48 resolution?
10:56:51 >> Sure.
10:56:51 Which one do I read, the one at the bottom, the third one or
10:56:54 the middle one?
10:56:55 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: The bottom.
10:56:57 >>JAN MCLEAN: The bottom.
10:56:58 >>MARTIN SHELBY: It doesn't have to be read in its
10:57:01 entirety, by title only or just read the move the
10:57:05 resolution?
10:57:07 >>JAN MCLEAN: I think you can just move the resolution
10:57:09 without having to read it in its entirety.
10:57:13 >>BILL CARLSON: I would like to move the substitute
10:57:14 resolution for E2020-8 Ch 24.5.
10:57:22 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion by Councilman Carlson. Second
10:57:23 from councilman Miranda.
10:57:24 Roll call vote.
10:57:24 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
10:57:31 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
10:57:32 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
10:57:34 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
10:57:38 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
10:57:39 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
10:57:42 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
10:57:42 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
10:57:44 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We move to item number 48.
10:57:50 Made the motion to open the public hearings.
10:57:52 That was all of them for 9:30 a.m.
10:57:55 Item number 48.
10:57:57 Second reading and adoption.
10:57:58 >>JAN MCLEAN: City attorney.
10:58:05 We were before you previously with an ordinance for chapter
10:58:12 26, and we have submitted a substitute resolution for your
10:58:19 consideration today.
10:58:23 I don't know if we have anyone for public comment.
10:58:27 And we have Mr. Brad Baird, the deputy administrator on the
10:58:31 line if you have any questions.
10:58:32 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Any questions for Mr. Baird before we
10:58:36 go to public comment?
10:58:41 Hearing none, do we have anybody from the public that wishes
10:58:43 to speak or at the Tampa Convention Center or registered on
10:58:46 the line?
10:58:47 >>THE CLERK: There is no one at the Tampa Convention Center
10:58:51 and we do not have any registration for this item.
10:58:54 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
10:58:56 Any other questions or comments from council?
10:59:00 Hearing none, council member Gudes, would you mind reading
10:59:03 item number 48, the substitute?
10:59:07 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Motion to close, please.
10:59:08 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Let's get a motion to close.
10:59:11 >>JAN MCLEAN: In this hearing, you have to take the vote
10:59:16 during the public hearing.
10:59:18 Is that correct, Mr. Shelby?
10:59:19 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Pardon me?
10:59:21 >>JAN MCLEAN: It's a public hearing.
10:59:24 Do you want it during the public hearing?
10:59:26 Is that not right?
10:59:27 >>MARTIN SHELBY: They can close the public hearing and then
10:59:29 read the ordinance and then vote.
10:59:32 >>JAN MCLEAN: Okay.
10:59:34 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Is there a motion to close?
10:59:40 >> So moved.
10:59:40 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion to close from Councilman
10:59:42 Miranda.
10:59:42 Second from Councilman Citro.
10:59:44 Any objection to the motion to close the public hearing?
10:59:48 Hearing none, by unanimous consent, hearing no objection,
10:59:50 the public hearing is closed.
10:59:52 Council member Gudes, would you mind taking item number 48?
10:59:55 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Thank you for your leadership today.
11:00:00 Item E 2020-8 chapter 26.
11:00:03 Substitute ordinance being presented for second reading and
11:00:05 adoption.
11:00:06 An ordinance of the city of Tampa, Florida relating to
11:00:08 utility rates, fees and charges making revisions to City of
11:00:13 Tampa code of ordinances chapter 26 utilities, article 1,
11:00:17 administrative provisions, article 3, wastewater, amending
11:00:20 section 26-31 utility rates, fees and charges utilizing
11:00:26 reserved section 26-37 to be entitled water capacity fee
11:00:29 amending section 26-117 definitions, amending section 26-123
11:00:35 application for sanitary sewer commitment, connection or
11:00:38 service, execution of service application considered
11:00:41 contract between applicant and city repealing all ordinances
11:00:44 or parts of ordinances in conflict providing for
11:00:47 severability, providing an effective date.
11:00:49 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Second.
11:00:50 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second from Councilman Miranda.
11:00:52 Let's get a roll call vote.
11:00:53 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
11:00:55 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
11:00:58 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
11:01:00 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
11:01:02 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
11:01:04 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
11:01:06 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
11:01:08 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
11:01:09 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
11:01:12 Next up is item number 49.
11:01:14 >>JAN MCLEAN: Thank you.
11:01:19 Jan McLean again from the office of city attorney.
11:01:22 This is item 49 which is a second reading of revision to
11:01:27 chapter 14-197 for boating restricted areas, to implement
11:01:37 speed zones in portions of the Hillsborough River, long
11:01:43 awaited and much worked on, and duly published, shall and we
11:01:47 have Carla price with Parks and Recreation Department and
11:01:50 also Kathryn of the Tampa PD patrol on line if you have any
11:01:59 questions.
11:01:59 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Any comments or questions from council
11:02:02 members?
11:02:07 Hearing none, do we have anybody from the push take that
11:02:10 wishes to speak on item 49?
11:02:12 >> There is no one presents at the Tampa Convention Center
11:02:14 and I did not receive any registration for public comment.
11:02:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: The thank you very much.
11:02:20 There is a motion to close by Councilman Miranda, I believe.
11:02:23 Do we have a second?
11:02:24 Do we have a second?
11:02:26 >>BILL CARLSON: Second, Carlson.
11:02:29 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second from Councilman Carlson to close
11:02:33 the public hearing. Is there any objection to the motion?
11:02:35 Hearing none by unanimous consent, the public hearing is
11:02:38 closed.
11:02:39 Councilman Miranda, would you mind reading item 49?
11:02:42 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Item number 49, file E-2020-8 chapter
11:02:47 14, an ordinance being presented for second reading and
11:02:50 adoption, an ordinance of the city of Tampa, Florida
11:02:52 relating to boating restrictions, making revisions to the
11:02:54 City of Tampa code of ordinances, chapter 14, offenses,
11:02:58 amending section 14-197, boating restricted areas
11:03:02 established, repealing all ordinances or parts of ordinances
11:03:06 in conflict therewith, providing for severability, providing
11:03:08 an effective date.
11:03:08 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Second.
11:03:10 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion by Councilman Miranda.
11:03:12 Second by Councilman Citro.
11:03:15 Roll call vote.
11:03:15 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
11:03:18 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
11:03:19 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
11:03:22 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
11:03:25 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
11:03:26 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
11:03:29 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
11:03:31 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
11:03:32 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All righty.
11:03:35 Thank you very much.
11:03:36 We now go to staff reports.
11:03:42 We'll have the administration with item number 50 and then
11:03:45 take up 14 and 21 that were pulled for discussion and we'll
11:03:48 continue on.
11:03:49 Administration update, chief John Bennett.
11:03:52 >>JOHN BENNETT: Chief of staff.
11:03:58 Good morning, council.
11:03:59 Good morning, public.
11:04:01 Just one administrative update which actually ties into item
11:04:06 14 which was pulled and then bundled with the other staff
11:04:13 reports that relates to the pipes project.
11:04:15 You will see on your slide, I asked Suling this morning to
11:04:19 grab some talking points where staff is going to bring a
11:04:22 little more information ahead of looking at those items on
11:04:25 the staff reports one by one, as we know that council has to
11:04:29 do.
11:04:30 And I just want to kick off with that the administration
11:04:33 within the last 16 months has worked very hard on putting
11:04:38 together five advisory groups specifically around the
11:04:44 strategic plan of moving the city or transforming Tampa's
11:04:48 tomorrow.
11:04:49 As you all know, that includes workforce housing,
11:04:51 development services, workforce development, sustainability
11:04:56 and resiliency, and of course mobility and mobility has a
11:05:00 big component of it in infrastructure.
11:05:03 And we know, and we are grateful that council last year
11:05:07 approved the pipes program, and no credible accountability
11:05:12 and responsibility has to shore up the infrastructure, and
11:05:16 that's why we are here talking about that this morning.
11:05:19 However, I do want to say that every Monday, the
11:05:22 administration comes together, the senior level, and talk
11:05:26 about the agenda and we go through very diligently the
11:05:33 agenda items and talk about specifically things related to
11:05:35 workforce development and equal business opportunities for
11:05:40 all the different subcomponents of equal business
11:05:43 opportunity, whether it's small local business or women and
11:05:46 minority business metric.
11:05:48 And over the past several months, as we have been
11:05:51 interacting with council, and working through these agenda
11:05:53 items and getting feedback, we felt in conjunction with
11:05:59 listening that the mayor wanted to introduce a stronger
11:06:04 process, and beyond the five advisory groups that we had, we
11:06:08 know we also implemented two task force for the programs,
11:06:12 one around the CRV process done by mayor Castor and then one
11:06:16 in support, and we talk about Councilman Carlson's efforts
11:06:20 to get the economic advisory group together.
11:06:23 So all in all, there's been seven advisory or task force
11:06:26 movements over the last 16 months, and pretty soon here in a
11:06:31 second I am going to propose another.
11:06:33 Could you go to the next slide for me, Suling?
11:06:39 So one of the first things that we realized is this
11:06:42 administration working with council and the public -- and I
11:06:45 know a lot of out have a competitive spirit, and I will
11:06:48 single out Councilman Gudes, because I know both of us have
11:06:51 had strong backgrounds in coaching youth, and developing
11:06:56 things for the community.
11:06:58 And I can tell you that we are not as an administration or a
11:07:02 city going to rationalize performance.
11:07:04 It's not an option for us.
11:07:06 And we are going to work hard to make sure that we are
11:07:08 getting the best outcomes.
11:07:09 And I think this administration has been developed, designed
11:07:13 and organized around that.
11:07:15 And we are looking forward to improving everything we
11:07:17 possibly can.
11:07:18 As it relates to the second bullet, I was appreciative of
11:07:21 what Councilman Carlson said earlier about listening to the
11:07:24 public and getting ideas, whether they come from council or
11:07:28 staff or the community or each another subject matter
11:07:31 expert.
11:07:32 But I can tell you that I have always tried to make a habit
11:07:34 of listening to the public.
11:07:36 Our personnel as experts and subject matter participants and
11:07:40 practitioners are partners whether public or private, and of
11:07:44 course our policymakers as we move along in this journey
11:07:48 together.
11:07:48 So it is time once again to challenge the status quo while
11:07:51 supporting all of these stakeholders I just mentioned.
11:07:54 But the other thing that's challenging for us is that we
11:07:57 have to fix things while we are moving.
11:07:59 We have to avoid unreasonable paralysis with some things
11:08:04 like critical infrastructure and we have to continue to tie
11:08:06 all of our strategic movement into transforming Tampa's
11:08:09 tomorrow with a sense of community urgency.
11:08:12 And so that puts us into a very interesting spot, and you
11:08:15 have also heard us talk about our performance management and
11:08:19 how we have devoted a specific executive sponsorship to
11:08:24 efficiency, effectiveness, and most importantly equity.
11:08:28 Next slide, please.
11:08:34 So in bringing this information in front of mayor Castor
11:08:37 this week, we understood that our current spot as shown on
11:08:40 this slide is understanding our current framework as it
11:08:44 relates to equal business opportunities and our path
11:08:47 forward.
11:08:48 There, we have to move and challenge and seek best
11:08:51 practices.
11:08:51 I have had a lot of calls from the outside saying that they
11:08:55 understand where we are as a city, they understand that
11:08:59 staff is working hard and complying with the current
11:09:01 framework, but they also say that we have been challenged
11:09:06 and there are some other models out there that we can look
11:09:08 at in the different areas of equal business opportunity.
11:09:11 And that leads us to where we really need to land in a short
11:09:14 order, is redesign the program for success that we can all
11:09:17 agree on with all of our stakeholders.
11:09:20 Next slide, please.
11:09:23 So that said, I would encourage the public and council to
11:09:25 look at kind of where we are.
11:09:28 And I'll identify this-with good.
11:09:31 The only reason I am using the term good is because the
11:09:34 administration is adopting current framework and mayor
11:09:39 Castor launched her not only her campaign but her
11:09:42 administration by starting out and trying to get more
11:09:46 businesses, more equal business opportunity in the pipeline
11:09:50 by supporting more bridges to bridges events which brought
11:09:54 over 200 potential businesses to be certified under the
11:09:57 equal business opportunity umbrella, and not only that, she
11:10:01 actually diverted some other staff time to go out and follow
11:10:06 up with those individual businesses to make sure that we can
11:10:10 cross the goal line and be certified.
11:10:12 She also added again with council's approval of the pipes
11:10:17 plan, she increased the scoring for equal business
11:10:19 opportunity by 300 percent of where it originally was
11:10:23 several administrations ago, and that was to show the
11:10:29 intense focus on getting equal business opportunity into a
11:10:32 major plan.
11:10:34 I have worked with Mr. Hart and TNI and the GIS group to map
11:10:38 all of our small local business enterprise and women and
11:10:42 minority businesses so we could have Geo spatial contacts
11:10:46 with everybody in our five county area.
11:10:48 We still have more work to do there.
11:10:51 There is align item in the budget for a new disparity study.
11:10:55 And we offer and Mr. Hart will talk about this in a minute,
11:10:59 incentives, discounts and sheltering to encourage minority
11:11:04 business and small local business opportunities.
11:11:06 But that's kind of where we are.
11:11:08 Now to I want to talk for a second about where we want to
11:11:11 go.
11:11:11 We need to examine our ordinance with courage.
11:11:13 And some of the feedback that I have gotten from the
11:11:15 community and individual council members seemed to be
11:11:19 understanding of where we are in the current framework, but
11:11:21 not where we need to go, and mayor Castor encouraged us this
11:11:25 past week to start looking at this comprehensively, and I
11:11:28 will get into that in one second.
11:11:31 We need to assess all of our procurement and contracting
11:11:34 opportunities against best practices.
11:11:36 That's the beauty of government.
11:11:37 There is a great opportunity, I have learned this in my 35
11:11:41 years of public service, that it's a great network of
11:11:44 support across the other government sectors.
11:11:48 Somebody is doing this very well and we need to look at
11:11:50 those opportunities and improve all participation levels in
11:11:55 our equal business opportunity status.
11:11:57 We need to get input on our disparity study.
11:12:00 This is a complex issue.
11:12:03 I have read the disparity study from 01 to 04.
11:12:06 I have looked at the audits.
11:12:08 I have looked at the ordinance.
11:12:09 I know staff has as well.
11:12:12 And we need to use that as a baseline for improvement to go
11:12:15 forward with the next disparity study that mayor Castor and
11:12:18 council approved in the budget.
11:12:19 And then lastly, just for the last talking point, we need to
11:12:23 examine our resources for support.
11:12:25 I want to applaud Councilman Dingfelder who last meeting
11:12:28 talked about looking at our staff levels and the complexity
11:12:32 of getting the right levels of service in our equal business
11:12:37 opportunity space, and suggesting that we may be able to
11:12:40 look to seek outside guidance and consultation to do so.
11:12:44 But again, we need to support our staff and all these
11:12:47 different domains.
11:12:48 We need to reconsult with our equal business opportunity
11:12:51 advisory council.
11:12:52 I know mayor Castor met with them prior to Covid but we need
11:12:56 to make sure that that relationship is strong and bold for
11:13:03 where we need to go, we need to work with our local and
11:13:06 private partners, we get a lot of feedback from TIA and
11:13:10 Moffitt and USF and hospitals.
11:13:12 And while they may be in the NG or nongovernmental office
11:13:16 space or maybe not even government space, I'm sure there are
11:13:19 some tips that we can benefit from in the city.
11:13:23 So before I hand it off to staff for the technical
11:13:26 conversation is that we have listened and we are ready to
11:13:28 act, and we are going to create a task force around this.
11:13:31 We are going to distill all the different function areas,
11:13:34 whether it's legal, whether it's partner best practices,
11:13:39 whether it is other data collection points that can show our
11:13:44 comparative analysis against Tampa and other strong
11:13:47 jurisdictions.
11:13:48 But we are going to bring back in a very short order a plan
11:13:53 to go forward and approve it not just for the pipes program
11:13:56 but for procurement and construction projects across the
11:13:58 board.
11:14:03 So were that I am going to hand it off to staff.
11:14:05 They are going to be brief on purpose.
11:14:06 And then get to the meat of the five items that are on the
11:14:09 agenda.
11:14:10 And I know they are also going to follow this item that we
11:14:12 are talking about now.
11:14:14 So first, Ms. Duncan is going to speak --
11:14:18 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Mr. Chair?
11:14:20 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Gudes.
11:14:21 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Let me just say a brief word to chief of
11:14:25 staff Bennett.
11:14:27 I appreciate the efforts you are doing and listening to the
11:14:30 communities.
11:14:31 I have had several calls that people say you are a listener,
11:14:34 you don't shut things down, you are very open to suggestions
11:14:37 and ideas, and I appreciate that.
11:14:42 Working with agencies, demonstrated today in this brief
11:14:47 presentation shows that someone is listening.
11:14:49 So I just want to say we appreciate the work you are doing.
11:14:52 And again, this council, we just want to move things better
11:14:55 for the community, you and the mayor.
11:14:59 We can't blame the new administration for things of the
11:15:02 past.
11:15:02 We have to move forward.
11:15:03 And the path forward, I think it's a good way to show the
11:15:09 community, this council and everybody that we are seeing
11:15:11 this going and best practices and have the best programs
11:15:13 around.
11:15:14 So again I thank you for the brief presentation, sir.
11:15:16 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
11:15:18 >>JOHN BENNETT: Thank you, Councilman.
11:15:23 Jean?
11:15:23 >>JEAN DUNCAN: Good morning, council. Thank you for the
11:15:25 time this morning.
11:15:26 We will be brief.
11:15:28 I just wanted to give a quick refresher on our pipes program
11:15:31 because you have a number of items before you for
11:15:34 consideration.
11:15:36 As you know, last year, City Council approved the utility
11:15:39 fee increases that would become the backbone of the pipes
11:15:42 program, and just again, that pipes acronym stands for
11:15:47 progressive infrastructure planning to ensure
11:15:49 sustainability.
11:15:50 And I am know it's all of our goals to have a sustainable
11:15:53 city.
11:15:53 This is a $3 billion comprehensive infrastructure plan that
11:15:59 will transform our aging infrastructure throughout the
11:16:01 entire city, and the first program of this scale that the
11:16:05 city has ever had.
11:16:07 So just to demonstrate the sense of urgency with this
11:16:10 program, over the last few years, we have had nearly 3500
11:16:16 pipe breaks throughout the City of Tampa that have caused
11:16:20 breakages, that caused $220 million in unplanned repairs.
11:16:26 Obviously, that translates into a lot of congestion issues
11:16:29 when those things happen and we don't want to be in a
11:16:32 reactive state like that.
11:16:33 So the pipes program really will take us to the next level
11:16:37 of being proactive instead of reactive, composition,
11:16:42 guarantee reliable water, wastewater services to all
11:16:47 residents and visitors.
11:16:50 We will be replacing 500 mails of pipe infrastructure for
11:16:53 the entire City of Tampa over the next few years.
11:16:56 And I just want to take a quick moment to mention a couple
11:17:00 of the large scale projects within the program.
11:17:03 For example, council approved the design build contract for
11:17:06 the $300 million dated Pippin water treatment facility, a
11:17:13 critical project to replace, upgrade the water treatment
11:17:17 plant.
11:17:17 Obviously, if we don't replace infrastructure we will run
11:17:21 out of water.
11:17:22 We are not going to let that happen.
11:17:24 But the range jeopardizes our ability.
11:17:31 And in the coming months we will continue to bring to
11:17:34 council orders with GMPs which are guaranteed maximum
11:17:38 prices for the various projects associated with this work,
11:17:43 all vetted through the office, RICO teams and revenue and
11:17:50 finance team.
11:17:51 So this stage of the process is really where we see the
11:17:55 opportunity to engage a variety of minority contracts and
11:17:58 subcontractors with work opportunities.
11:18:01 Quickly, another major project we are underway with is the
11:18:06 pumping station improvements, $23 million at the David L.
11:18:11 Pippin plant.
11:18:12 You can see we worked with our design build team on these
11:18:15 projects.
11:18:16 We had our first GMP approval this past summer by council
11:18:20 for follow-up work.
11:18:21 We will have another GMP that we will bring become you
11:18:24 before the end of this year.
11:18:27 We are replacing all that critical infrastructure throughout
11:18:29 the city, to get systems in place and we want to make sure
11:18:40 we have these systems to continue water demands and
11:18:43 obviously correcting efficiencies, public footprint and all
11:18:48 the sustainable goals we have for our city.
11:18:51 Lastly, we have multiple projects to install and replace
11:18:56 meters, hydrants and involves, $30 million.
11:19:01 These are essentially keeping our water system functional
11:19:03 and timely services to economic development throughout the
11:19:08 city.
11:19:09 Several of these items will be before you as Brad Baird will
11:19:13 explain very shortly.
11:19:14 And the City of Tampa is really in an enviable position to
11:19:18 have the opportunity to inject millions of dollars into the
11:19:26 local economy for these projects.
11:19:28 So we appreciate your support.
11:19:31 Our mission including the infrastructure throughout the
11:19:34 whole entire city.
11:19:36 So with that, I will let Ocea Wynn community affairs to go
11:19:43 over some of the details.
11:19:44 >>OCEA WYNN: Good morning.
11:19:47 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman?
11:19:51 I just had a question.
11:19:53 You paint a rosy picture and I appreciate all of that, Jean.
11:20:03 But we have got some significant problems that Mr. Bennett
11:20:08 identified.
11:20:09 And the council has identified.
11:20:12 And I am really proud of pulling these items, zero percent.
11:20:25 We can pat ourselves on the back for these types of items.
11:20:27 Then we get a call yesterday the day before with
11:20:30 explanations as to each one of those, why this can work and
11:20:38 why some can't work, and I don't agree with any of them.
11:20:41 But my point is this, Jean.
11:20:43 I am going to go to item 55 for a second.
11:20:46 Item 55 is a contract with Westra construction.
11:20:55 And I am sure they are good people.
11:20:56 Unlike the other one which is the JBS and southern
11:21:00 underground which is a straight bid, I know what the
11:21:07 straight bid, our hands are a lot more tied.
11:21:10 But on the Westra construction, that was would through a bid
11:21:23 process.
11:21:25 And I'm sure that 20 points were probably applied, I would
11:21:28 assume, that that 20-point process might have been applied
11:21:33 so at the end of that process, and I know the design part of
11:21:40 it, we are going to do better on the build part of it.
11:21:43 But even on the design part, we are going to do 34% lending.
11:21:50 And that's wonderful.
11:21:51 Out of that WMBE, 30% is women owned business.
11:22:05 $80 million, CNA negotiated contract, and Westra and the
11:22:12 City of Tampa could not find any black engineers or whoever
11:22:18 is involved in this type of design to help us participate?
11:22:25 That I can't accept.
11:22:26 And that, I know your message is that we need to be patient,
11:22:31 and I think that -- I have been saying this for the last
11:22:35 year.
11:22:35 I think I have been patient the last year.
11:22:38 But as I am perusing this work oh-on items, and most of them
11:22:45 are under you and that's why I stopped in the middle of this
11:22:49 presentation, that I don't get it.
11:22:54 We are negotiating, a big vendor like Westra, and I don't
11:22:58 know why we can't say to them, hey, you have done a great
11:23:02 job with women, and you have done an Kay job with Hispanics,
11:23:08 why the heck are we getting zero percent for item 55?
11:23:15 Jean, that's in your court.
11:23:16 >>BILL CARLSON: Mr. Chair, may I say something?
11:23:23 I wanted to say, I wasn't going to speak but I know Jean is
11:23:27 a very good person and loved by the community and chief of
11:23:29 staff saying, and I know that they are representing our
11:23:32 interests and the mayor's interest, and community's interest
11:23:36 as well.
11:23:37 As somebody else alluded to, we inherited bad decisions or
11:23:41 lack of attention from the last administration, and we heard
11:23:46 an earful this morning, we hear about it at every single
11:23:50 council meeting and we are working hard on all fronts trying
11:23:53 to change these issues. This is not just an equity issue.
11:23:56 It's an equity development issue.
11:23:59 As I said before, you look at Tampa scorecard.com.
11:24:03 Tampa failed economically in the last ten years during the
11:24:06 biggest boom in the economy in U.S. history.
11:24:09 And that's despicable.
11:24:11 How could somebody be at the realm during a boom line --
11:24:15 like that and fail miserably?
11:24:18 I think we have to look at everything differently.
11:24:20 We have to turn everything upside down and see what we can
11:24:23 do to fix it.
11:24:24 We know that poverty, equity are two issues that are holding
11:24:27 us back.
11:24:27 And it's not a political issue.
11:24:29 It's an economic issue because the big companies and the
11:24:33 best and brightest people won't move here if they see we
11:24:36 don't pay attention to equity and don't pay attention to the
11:24:39 poverty numbers.
11:24:41 This issue, I don't represent East Tampa.
11:24:48 There is an African American count in South Tampa and I hear
11:24:51 from them but am getting calls from East Tampa, West Tampa,
11:24:54 North Tampa, like I guess you all are, and people are
11:24:57 demanding change own all fronts, as we heard this morning,
11:25:01 but on this business issue, what they are saying is that
11:25:06 don't look at us as people that need subsidies.
11:25:09 Look at us as people that have businesses who want equal
11:25:12 opportunity to get this.
11:25:13 And if there's some obstacle in our way, help to us get past
11:25:17 that obstacle.
11:25:19 So I think whatever we have done in the past, we shouldn't
11:25:22 just build on incrementally.
11:25:24 We should break think completely differently about this.
11:25:28 And I like what Chief Bennett said about looking at the best
11:25:32 in the country or the best in the world and let's figure out
11:25:34 how we can fix this, like one of the speakers said this
11:25:37 morning, Tampa should be the kind of city that every other
11:25:41 city copies.
11:25:42 And I think with this administration and this City Council,
11:25:44 we are going to get there.
11:25:45 We just have to be open to breaking a part everything that
11:25:49 was done before and not done before and making sure we do
11:25:52 this right now.
11:25:53 Thank you.
11:25:53 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you.
11:25:56 Please continue.
11:25:57 >>JOHN BENNETT: Thank you, chairman.
11:26:00 And thank you, Councilman Gudes, Councilman Dingfelder,
11:26:02 Councilman Carlson.
11:26:04 One point of Councilman Dingfelder before I turn it over to
11:26:08 the chief.
11:26:08 We don't want to be patient on this anymore.
11:26:10 We appreciate the patience so far.
11:26:12 We understood that we were working within a framework that
11:26:16 requires everything Mr. Carlson just said, but we need to
11:26:20 deconstruct the entire process, but we have to do it in part
11:26:24 while we are still moving the city forward, so of the
11:26:26 infrastructure, and we will just look to council to find the
11:26:30 balance till we get there over the next couple of months.
11:26:33 But we have run out of patience as well which is why the
11:26:36 mayor challenged us to start this task force immediately.
11:26:39 So with that I will hand it over to Ocea Wynn.
11:26:42 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Mr. Chairman?
11:26:47 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Gudes.
11:26:48 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Chief, I appreciate it.
11:26:53 And I know everyone is running out of patience.
11:26:56 You are right.
11:26:57 But the community is running out of patience, too.
11:27:01 My thing, I don't say what we can't do but what we can do.
11:27:07 We have got the commitment, for me, I can't speak for the
11:27:10 other council members and their vote today, but for me, my
11:27:14 word is my bond.
11:27:15 My commitment is my bond.
11:27:18 And I talked with some stakeholders about this because they
11:27:23 called and I was up late last night.
11:27:26 I talked to Ocea Wynn last night about of the situation.
11:27:31 Where I am at is I don't have a problem, if we are moving
11:27:35 forward to make a change.
11:27:36 I know some of these projects, oh, we can't blame some of
11:27:40 the people who voted for the contracts and we give it to.
11:27:45 So I can't blame them.
11:27:47 I can't blame them for not getting all the information in
11:27:49 the contracts to say, well, a good faith effort.
11:27:53 Well, a standard that we set, I can't entirely blame them.
11:27:59 I can't blame past administrations or this administration.
11:28:04 All I can do is look to now.
11:28:06 So we have a strong commitment to making sure we are going
11:28:09 to move, change some of these erroneous words in our EBO,
11:28:15 and making sure that we are going to come back with a
11:28:17 different -- I don't know who is the EBO, a committee.
11:28:24 We don't know who is on that committee.
11:28:28 So I would like to get a list of who is on that committee
11:28:30 and what Councilman they are representing and so forth.
11:28:36 But I want to make sure in your presentations today that we
11:28:39 have a commitment that we are going to actually move forward
11:28:41 and change the process.
11:28:43 That's all I am asking for today.
11:28:44 >>JOHN BENNETT: Thank you, Councilman Gudes.
11:28:51 And what I would hope is in the past 16 months of the
11:28:54 administration, and the 12 months that I have been working
11:28:57 with council, that we have proven that when we make these
11:29:01 kind of commitments that we have actually delivered.
11:29:04 And the feedback that I have from council is that we have
11:29:06 moved the needle on the things that we worked hard on
11:29:09 together, and this is just the next one up.
11:29:11 So with that I will give it to Ocea.
11:29:14 >>OCEA WYNN: Good morning, council.
11:29:16 Ocea Wynn. In talking about working under the current
11:29:21 framework, I just wanted to give you a journey of where we
11:29:25 are and how we got here.
11:29:28 And in the early 90s, there was legislation written
11:29:39 against the WBE, the availability and utilization in
11:29:46 contracting services.
11:29:48 What the city did was to implement a race and gender
11:29:52 conscious policy, a policy of eliminating that past
11:29:58 discrimination, through procurement practices, as well as
11:30:01 the procurement opportunities.
11:30:04 Now, that legislation was scheduled to sunset in 1997, and
11:30:13 like the WMBE participation has not been achieved.
11:30:17 So that legislation set forth under overseen by the EEO
11:30:29 opportunity act, which we have established the EEO office.
11:30:34 So we conducted a number of disparity studies, with the
11:30:38 third one being conducted in 2005.
11:30:43 The results in 2007 showed a number of things.
11:30:48 The first thing it showed is there is no disparity in
11:30:55 subcontracting.
11:30:56 There was however disparity in prime contracting.
11:31:01 There was no legal basis for mandatory race and
11:31:04 gender-specific goals.
11:31:06 And then it required us to develop a diversity management
11:31:09 initiative.
11:31:12 Under that, the DMI, we were responsible for capturing the
11:31:17 data that was needed to help us assess where we are and how
11:31:24 we work on forming the disparity initiative within the
11:31:33 office.
11:31:34 In 2007, established an ordinance which brought forth a new
11:31:39 initiative.
11:31:41 And in 2013, we actually working implemented those
11:31:49 initiatives, and we are working through those right now.
11:31:52 So that's the framework that we are understood.
11:31:55 However, as Chief Bennett has mentioned, we are not trying
11:31:59 to stay there.
11:32:00 We are trying to see how we can be more expansive within
11:32:05 this program to make sure that there is inclusivity and
11:32:10 diversity from all stakeholders.
11:32:13 At this point, I am going to have Jan McLean to come and
11:32:18 speak to us about the compliance, why and how we actually
11:32:31 meet that compliance.
11:32:32 >>JAN MCLEAN: This is Jan McLean, office of city attorney.
11:32:39 As Mr. Bennett and Ocea has indicated before, we have
11:32:45 conducted various disparity studies and collected data over
11:32:49 the course of the years, and this information is critical in
11:32:53 being able to establish our equal business opportunity
11:32:58 ordinance.
11:32:58 The ordinance is contained as you probably know is in
11:33:02 chapter 26.5 of our city code.
11:33:07 What I am going to provide to you today is the construct of
11:33:11 how we are operating that ordinance and the programs
11:33:15 therein.
11:33:17 For the establishment of a small local business enterprise
11:33:21 ordinance, the legal basis is that you have a rational basis
11:33:26 test.
11:33:27 The rational basis test is one that is easily identified and
11:33:33 that is to increase the local business participation in
11:33:37 government contracting.
11:33:38 With the disparity studies have indicated that we can move
11:33:41 forward on the establishment of a minority business
11:33:45 opportunity program, that has a different test.
11:33:49 That has the test of a straight scrutiny and that's
11:33:54 important to know because we have to tailor, narrowly tailor
11:33:58 the remedy to address whatever discrimination may be
11:34:02 occurring so that we do not impose undue burden on the
11:34:05 unprotected classes.
11:34:07 And that is how an ordinance is operating today.
11:34:10 If there is -- as Mr. Bennett and Ocea and Jean mentioned,
11:34:17 that there is opportunity for revision of look to the
11:34:22 additional data collection, and to the revisions to the
11:34:26 possible revisions total ordinance.
11:34:28 But all of that in mind, because that strict scrutiny test
11:34:32 comes from the city of Richmond, Supreme Court case, which
11:34:36 is well settled law from 1989, and still applies today.
11:34:40 So that is the path that we have to follow.
11:34:44 The minority, women and minority business program has
11:34:48 multiple components, and one is the construction
11:34:52 contracting.
11:34:53 And goals are established programmatically and also project
11:34:56 based and the goals are based on study data.
11:34:59 As Ocea has indicated, there is a compliance portion of
11:35:03 course with meeting those goals.
11:35:06 There's two possible ways to meet the goals.
11:35:08 One is strait straightforward.
11:35:10 You would submit the information as indicated in the bid
11:35:16 documents.
11:35:17 And sign the affidavit that you would support those goals.
11:35:21 Or -- and this is included in section 26.57-204, good faith
11:35:30 effort.
11:35:30 This is established criteria, 12 criteria in that section
11:35:36 that the program reviews from each bidder to make the
11:35:40 determination as to whether they actually had taken the good
11:35:44 faith effort to try to meet the goal.
11:35:47 And at the end of that, they must also sign an affidavit
11:35:50 saying that they did try to meet the goals.
11:35:54 There's compliance as they go through the contract and the
11:35:58 program and for that compliance I want to turn that over to
11:36:03 Gregory Hart to better explain the details.
11:36:10 >>GREGORY HART: Thank you, Jan.
11:36:11 Good morning, council.
11:36:12 Gregory hart, equal business opportunity.
11:36:15 Under today's framework, the city's current process to
11:36:18 increase economic opportunities on competitively awarded
11:36:23 contracts is deliberate and methodical.
11:36:26 To adhere to the guidelines as outlined by Jan just now.
11:36:31 When a procurement is submitted to the equal business
11:36:34 opportunity office for review, the first thing that the
11:36:37 staff will do is to assess what product or service that
11:36:41 contract is going to provide.
11:36:43 We examine that scope.
11:36:44 Secondly, we will reach into what I like to refer to as our
11:36:49 EBO tool box, for the right equipment, to maximize
11:36:53 participation.
11:36:54 And some of the key tools that we apply to procurement is
11:36:59 the sheltered market solicitation.
11:37:02 That's when we set aside eligible contracts to allow WMBEs
11:37:07 to compete with their peers of similar size and capacity.
11:37:11 We also apply subcontract goals, the scope of work must
11:37:16 require multiple trades and tasks per industry standards in
11:37:20 order for us to set contract goals.
11:37:23 And those goals are set as a percent of projects and
11:37:27 subcontract tasks align with registered businesses.
11:37:30 And those registered WMBEs must be licensed in the
11:37:34 industry category and must routinely perform the tasks of
11:37:38 that contract requires.
11:37:41 It is the number of ready, willing and able WMBEs that
11:37:45 translate to availability.
11:37:47 And availability is a key variable in calculating the goals
11:37:53 set.
11:37:53 Quite frankly, availability is the engine that drives the
11:37:56 goal.
11:37:57 It's not just the size or value of the contract.
11:38:01 Another incentive that we use is unbundling large contracts.
11:38:07 Projects with a nonspecialized narrow scope of tasks make a
11:38:11 perfect candidate for unbundling.
11:38:13 I am going to give an example you may or may not recall.
11:38:18 This past year, we had a maintenance and janitorial services
11:38:22 contract for the parks centers and neighborhood centers come
11:38:25 before us for review.
11:38:27 It was valued at approximately 1.5 million or so.
11:38:31 And that contract may have gone to a conglomerate but for
11:38:37 our review, where we determined that we could unbundle those
11:38:40 projects, and by doing so we created four small contracts
11:38:44 that actually all went to certified WMBEs and MBEs which
11:38:50 allowed each sector of the city, north, south, east and
11:38:53 west, to be serviced by one of our local WMBE firms.
11:38:58 And quite honestly all of the center managers just applaud
11:39:04 the service that they are getting.
11:39:06 Another tool that we use is the bid discount.
11:39:12 It's an effort to level the playing field and promote WMBE
11:39:16 participation with a leg up.
11:39:18 And it's based upon evaluation of bids, not a discount
11:39:26 per se that the city has to absorb.
11:39:30 It was mentioned about RFP incentive points. Up to 20
11:39:34 points out of 100 are reserved for commitment to meaningful
11:39:38 WMBE participation and performance of either CCNA or RFP
11:39:43 professional service contracts, and that is a very heavily
11:39:48 weighted incentive that can make all the difference in
11:39:50 getting to the short list for the CCNA committee to make a
11:39:54 decision.
11:39:55 So those are just some of the primary things that we
11:40:00 currently operate under the framework that's in place today.
11:40:03 Regarding contract compliance and monitoring process and
11:40:06 procedures, I want to assure you that equal business
11:40:09 opportunity office and contract administration and/or
11:40:13 purchasing, we regulate what the contract is to do in terms
11:40:17 of reporting, how to report, what to track, what to compile
11:40:21 and the frequency.
11:40:22 It's not left up to the contract.
11:40:25 Regarding good faith efforts, it may sound abstract, but it
11:40:29 is a very tangible 12-step legal process.
11:40:32 The process embodies very specific actionable outreach and
11:40:37 communications steps by the bidder with those ready, willing
11:40:41 and able WMBE subcontractors who are supposedly licensed,
11:40:46 registered and experienced in performing the required tasks.
11:40:49 The city also provides the bidder with a listing of
11:40:53 available WMBEs to quick start contracting for
11:40:59 opportunities and we give a list of the city's searchable
11:41:05 database.
11:41:05 Also there is an online diversity management portal to
11:41:09 monitor prime payment and prime payments to the subs.
11:41:13 We also have penalties for noncompliance.
11:41:16 We have in the past and will continue to withhold 10% of
11:41:19 payments when we see compliance is wavering.
11:41:23 We also can place prime bidders on probation, all the way up
11:41:28 to complete debarment from doing business with the city.
11:41:32 There's a dispute resolution and appeal procedure to enforce
11:41:36 compliance.
11:41:37 And my staff likes to call that going to confession, or a
11:41:42 born-again session with contractors because that's when we
11:41:45 really get down to what kind of corrective action needs to
11:41:52 be taken.
11:41:52 So that's just a quick overview of the process and
11:41:55 compliance procedures.
11:41:56 Brad, would you like to pick up from there?
11:41:59 >>BRAD BAIRD: Thank you, Gregory.
11:42:00 Brad Baird, deputy administrator of infrastructure.
11:42:04 Good morning, chairman and City Council.
11:42:07 I will be going through in more detail than our individual
11:42:13 briefings, items 51 through 55, and then item 14 as well,
11:42:20 that was moved from the consent agenda to staff reports.
11:42:26 I'll start request items 51 and 52.
11:42:30 That is the Harbor Island force main replacement design
11:42:33 build.
11:42:34 This is replacement of a large diameter --
11:42:41 >> Suling could, you advance the slide to the matrix so
11:42:44 council can see what Brad is talking about?
11:42:48 It should be like three more slides.
11:42:51 One more.
11:42:54 >>BRAD BAIRD: Thank you very much.
11:42:57 I didn't know it was on there.
11:42:59 So again, this is a Harbor Island force main replacement
11:43:02 design build, that's what we have before you is a 79
11:43:07 million-dollar guaranteed maximum price.
11:43:11 It's replacement of over 2 miles of large diameter
11:43:16 wastewater forced main including two micropanels and three
11:43:22 bore tunnels.
11:43:23 And those five tunnels are specialty work.
11:43:27 And they do not lend themselves to subcontracting
11:43:31 opportunities.
11:43:32 In fact the two microtunnels can only be done by four firms
11:43:38 internationally two of which provided quotes to Kimmins
11:43:43 corporation, and they amount to almost $40 million worth of
11:43:47 work.
11:43:48 So the opportunities lie in the remaining $40 million.
11:43:53 The procurement method is by the consultants competitive
11:43:57 negotiations act, which we call CCNA, and selection by the
11:44:03 consultants selection committee based on qualifications.
11:44:08 I won't go into the details of the breakdown of the EBO
11:44:14 participation.
11:44:14 It's on the slide there.
11:44:15 However, a goal was set, combined goal was set of 10.7%, and
11:44:23 this design build team is proposing 10.3% participation.
11:44:30 The benefit of this project, it has a tremendous benefit to
11:44:34 our customers and the environmental, carries about one third
11:44:39 of our wastewater flow throughout our service area, which as
11:44:44 a reminder extends beyond the City of Tampa limits.
11:44:48 And it replaces a pipeline that was put in in 1951 and is at
11:44:54 the end of its useful life.
11:44:57 What does it mean if this item is not approved?
11:45:02 Simply put, it's a higher risk of catastrophic failure at
11:45:06 the force main which would create serious public health and
11:45:09 safety situations with the wastewater overflow on the island
11:45:13 and into Hillsborough bay.
11:45:17 Which would certainly result in a consent order from FTC.
11:45:24 Moving to the next project, it is item 53, which is the only
11:45:30 one on this list that's not part of the pipes program.
11:45:42 >> Can I proceed, chairman?
11:45:53 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I would like to comment on 51.
11:45:55 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Can we keep comments until all the
11:45:58 presentations are done?
11:45:59 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Bell well, then we are going to have to
11:46:05 come back and talk about this one and that one and this one
11:46:08 and that one.
11:46:09 Each one is different.
11:46:10 Each one is separate.
11:46:11 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Well, then, go ahead.
11:46:15 >> Mr. Chairman?
11:46:20 >>JOHN BENNETT: Before Councilman Dingfelder goes.
11:46:26 They are all going to come up individually in front of
11:46:28 council.
11:46:28 So it's the chairman and Councilman Dingfelder's desire,
11:46:34 we'll accommodate.
11:46:35 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: And my point on item 51 was, I don't
11:46:39 even know why anybody needed to go into great lengths on it.
11:46:43 I think it's an extremely important item.
11:46:48 Very familiar with that item.
11:46:49 And the WMBE, it's described -- it's actually not too bad.
11:47:04 That's the only point I was going to make on item 51.
11:47:07 51 is very specialized.
11:47:09 And I would recognize that.
11:47:19 >>BRAD BAIRD: Okay.
11:47:20 Chairman, may I proceed?
11:47:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead, sir, yes.
11:47:22 >>BRAD BAIRD: Yes.
11:47:25 Thank you.
11:47:25 Item 53 is design services associated with stormwater ditch
11:47:31 rehabilitation.
11:47:33 This provides detailed designs associated with modifying
11:47:36 drainage ditches.
11:47:38 The procurement method on this one was CCNA selection via
11:47:43 the professional services work order list, which is a list
11:47:47 of over 240 firms that they reapply every year and we go
11:47:56 through the qualifications, and put them on the list for
11:48:00 selection for services up to $150,000.
11:48:06 Regarding the EBO participation, the engineer that was in
11:48:13 charge of this was a stormwater engineer, obviously, and she
11:48:19 solicited for firms, three of which were WMBE firms, but in
11:48:27 her research on the four firms, the three WMBE firms
11:48:31 solicited did not have the requisite experience.
11:48:34 In other words, they did not have the experience directly
11:48:37 related to modifying drainage ditches.
11:48:41 And again, this is design services, no maintenance services,
11:48:46 no construction services.
11:48:47 The benefit is pretty obvious one.
11:48:50 It reduces flooding, improves drainage.
11:48:53 If it's not approved, flooding conditions will continue and
11:48:56 get worse and result in property and street flooding, which
11:48:59 impacts accesses to businesses, residents and certainly by
11:49:05 emergency vehicles.
11:49:08 The next project is item 54, is water utility relocation.
11:49:13 And it is comprised of water meter installation, water main
11:49:18 relocation, and replacements of fire hydrants and valves.
11:49:23 This project was competitively bid, and had an underutilized
11:49:32 WMRE goal of 16.6%.
11:49:36 The breakdown is there for both of the contractors that we
11:49:41 are proposing to award to, and this is the low bidder, and
11:49:46 the second low bidder, JVS contracting and southern
11:49:50 underground.
11:49:50 As you can see with JVS, they achieved a total participation
11:49:55 of 17%.
11:49:58 However, only 2% was the underutilized WMBE.
11:50:03 So then underground achieved a total TV 22.2% of which 100%
11:50:09 was BBE participation.
11:50:13 Then item -- and let me go through, I'm sorry, let me go
11:50:18 back on the benefits.
11:50:19 Water services, nervous to new customers, relocation of
11:50:24 water main, county or state right-of-way, replacement of
11:50:27 failing infrastructure.
11:50:31 What does it mean if the item is not approved?
11:50:34 Long waiting lines for times for water service, you know,
11:50:38 especially for new development.
11:50:43 And/or delays in certificate of occupancy.
11:50:46 Additional costs to relocate mains, isolating leaks in the
11:50:53 distribution system, FP, as I said, takes longer to get shut
11:50:58 down, and then problems with firefighting as well.
11:51:04 This contract includes hydrant and valve replacement.
11:51:08 And then finally, item 55.
11:51:12 Well, not finally because we have item 14.
11:51:14 The project is water main improvements, design build.
11:51:19 And this is designed for water distribution infrastructure.
11:51:24 This entire project is anticipated to be about $50 million
11:51:28 request 8 million of it being the design portion.
11:51:33 The procurement method was CCNA selection by, again, by the
11:51:39 consultant selection committee.
11:51:41 And I want to point out, because of my earlier comment, that
11:51:46 this portion is not negotiated.
11:51:50 The negotiations come in with the GMP, the guaranteed
11:51:54 maximum price, which of course we would be come back to City
11:51:57 Council for approval of that.
11:52:01 But in this part, they have actually exceeded what they
11:52:08 proposed to use in their presentations as part of that CCNA
11:52:14 selection.
11:52:15 And it amounts to a total EBO participation of 34.5% of
11:52:21 which 31% is WBE, 3.5 is HBE or Hispanic business
11:52:30 enterprise.
11:52:31 The benefit is reduced water loss, provide reliable water
11:52:34 service.
11:52:36 If it's not approved, we fall further behind on replacing
11:52:40 infrastructure, increased water loss, increased traffic
11:52:43 congestion, and less reliable water service all around.
11:52:48 And finally, item 14 is the project is Davis Islands water
11:52:56 main replacement, change order number 1.
11:52:59 It provides for installation of new circumstances-inch,
11:53:05 12-inch and 16-inch diameter ductal iron pipe on Davis
11:53:09 Island.
11:53:10 The change order focuses on upgrades and roadway
11:53:17 restoration, finally milling, final paving course.
11:53:21 This item also was competitively bid, had a set of 24%
11:53:29 combined goal.
11:53:33 And the
11:53:34 Participation that
11:53:37 Is being proposed is 28.43% for the total of which 27.38% is
11:53:46 women business enterprise, WBE.
11:53:52 Almost 1% is Asian business enterprise and .07 is BBE
11:53:57 participation.
11:53:58 The benefit is replacement of failing infrastructure at the
11:54:03 end of its useful life.
11:54:06 This project is nearing completion, and it is in the punch
11:54:09 list phase.
11:54:10 So the item is not approved.
11:54:14 It's simply the contractor and subcontractors including
11:54:19 WMBEs cannot get paid.
11:54:23 And that's my summary of the projects.
11:54:26 And with that I will turn it over to Ocea Wynn for the
11:54:32 wrap-up.
11:54:32 >>OCEA WYNN: Yes, sir.
11:54:34 Council, I just wanted to share with you a few final
11:54:37 remarks.
11:54:38 If you can change the slide, please, Suling.
11:54:42 A few final remarks.
11:54:44 One is that I just want to say that this administration is
11:54:48 currently and will continue to be committed to compliance,
11:54:53 growth and inclusion.
11:54:56 And we have things that we worked on and the administration
11:55:02 started, things that we are working on now, and being that
11:55:05 we will be proposing in the future.
11:55:08 And just to highlight some of those, we have committed to
11:55:13 provide to you the semiannual pipes issue.
11:55:17 And the commitment to ensure that you have a timely report,
11:55:23 whenever we said that we were going to provide them, that
11:55:26 you would get them.
11:55:28 You have concerns or had concerns about the band width
11:55:31 within the EBO area.
11:55:34 We are looking at that to see how can we make that a more
11:55:37 efficient and seamless process for contractors as well as
11:55:43 for work that they are currently doing and providing.
11:55:48 We are enhancing our process and getting more information
11:55:54 and insight on that.
11:55:55 We are in the design and discussion phase of the SIRE
11:56:01 project.
11:56:02 And what that will do is to provide you with information
11:56:07 that goes into the sire agenda system.
11:56:12 You are aware -- and Chief Bennett has mentioned -- the
11:56:20 business program. The castor administration started this
11:56:22 program to provide a certification process for businesses,
11:56:28 minority businesses, for opportunities.
11:56:33 Was there a question?
11:56:35 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Are there any questions from council
11:56:37 members?
11:56:39 >>OCEA WYNN: Oh, I am not done.
11:56:40 I just heard a noise.
11:56:42 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Oh, no.
11:56:43 Go ahead, I'm sorry.
11:56:44 >>OCEA WYNN: So we have the jobs program.
11:56:47 And what we are currently doing now -- and I am not sure if
11:56:50 you are aware, but we are doing the prime time purchasing
11:56:55 that started maybe about a week or two ago.
11:56:58 The purpose of that is to increase the minority
11:57:00 participation, and this is an external outreach, personal
11:57:08 outreach event for our certified subcontractors to network
11:57:13 them with our purchasing, EBO offices, as well as with the
11:57:18 prime.
11:57:21 We have revamped -- this will be live within the next week
11:57:25 or so, but we have revamped our purchasing and EBO website.
11:57:30 It provides a more efficient and seamless process for anyone
11:57:35 who is looking at those opportunities.
11:57:41 Instead of information being buried several layers deep, it
11:57:46 provides an oversight on our website and web page that
11:57:53 covers contracting, that covers opportunities,
11:57:57 certifications.
11:57:59 So work on that.
11:58:02 What you can expect going forward is we have committed
11:58:11 previously, and will be coming back in January, with the
11:58:18 workshop.
11:58:18 And in the workshop, we would definitely dig deeper into
11:58:24 these issues.
11:58:25 As Chief Bennett has said, earlier, as mentioned earlier, we
11:58:29 will have an inclusive partnership with all of our
11:58:33 stakeholders so that we can address these concerns.
11:58:37 I just want to leave you with this.
11:58:41 Diversity and inclusion for the City of Tampa.
11:58:44 I am committed not only for the administration but council
11:58:50 members to make sure that we have this compliance, this
11:58:53 growth, and everyone is included in this procurement
11:58:58 process, and that everyone has their fair share of the
11:59:01 opportunity that is provided for the city.
11:59:05 So we are all excited to expand this, to learn from where we
11:59:11 are to get better, and to actually go from this is great.
11:59:16 So if there are no further questions, I will turn it over to
11:59:21 Chief Bennett.
11:59:21 >>JOHN BENNETT: Thank you, Ocea.
11:59:25 I appreciate council's patience as we try to explain where
11:59:28 we are today and where we need to go.
11:59:30 And I just want to reiterate.
11:59:33 I do appreciate and I know the mayor especially expressing
11:59:36 the same feeling that if we are accountable on each one of
11:59:39 these agenda items, it will make our scorecard accountable
11:59:42 across the board.
11:59:43 And I will also say that we are not looking to get to the
11:59:47 workshop to start things -- we are hoping to bring answers
11:59:52 to the workshop to solve concerns that we have the public,
11:59:56 that our policymakers have and our partners have.
11:59:58 As I mentioned, 16 months, this will be our 8th
12:00:01 advisory/task force session going on to make Tampa transform
12:00:06 itself into the best functioning city for our community
12:00:11 understood the leadership of the mayor and the support of
12:00:13 leadership of City Council.
12:00:15 With that, chairman, back to you for the agenda.
12:00:16 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:00:22 Councilman Carlson.
12:00:23 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Dingfelder.
12:00:25 >>BILL CARLSON: I just wanted to thank you all for your
12:00:28 being patient.
12:00:29 And I know in talking privately that you have a commitment
12:00:31 to try to change all of this.
12:00:34 The folks from the community that are reaching out to me are
12:00:38 asking us to turn down contracting as a way of getting to
12:00:47 the point where we can get a new process and better results.
12:00:51 And I don't want to turn down projects necessarily and hold
12:00:59 back the projects that need to be done in the city.
12:01:03 It sound like you all have a plan on how to study this and
12:01:07 work on it going forward.
12:01:10 Do you have a timeline?
12:01:11 Is there a way that we can tell the community in sixty days
12:01:15 or give us ninety days or something and then measure our
12:01:19 results again after that?
12:01:20 >>JOHN BENNETT: Chief of Sarasota.
12:01:26 I can tell you committing to this effort is going to start
12:01:29 immediately.
12:01:30 Two of the areas that I think are critically important, I
12:01:36 talked to Ms. Grimes, and we are going to start looking at
12:01:39 ordinances right away.
12:01:40 And then we are also going to look at some of the
12:01:42 opportunities that are procurement level.
12:01:44 I have had conversations with Mr. Spearman about that, to
12:01:47 start moving the needle immediately.
12:01:49 But I would say that our focus is to bring back a
12:01:53 comprehensive response and deliverable by the workshop that
12:01:58 has already been set in January.
12:02:00 That way, we don't have V to ask for any different dates.
12:02:03 But in the meantime they are still going to be a lot of
12:02:06 checkpoints along the way.
12:02:07 You are going to get the semiannual report on the pipes
12:02:10 project.
12:02:10 Of course we are going to look at each agenda item as it
12:02:13 comes through in the current level compliance and the
12:02:15 current level of timing, and that's why we are asking for a
12:02:19 short-term understanding of where we are, a midterm
12:02:22 understanding between I know and the workshop in January,
12:02:24 and then to go like Ms. Wynn said, with council's
12:02:32 concurrence in January and hope that helps.
12:02:35 >>BILL CARLSON: I think the goal of the committee as I
12:02:36 understand, the systemic change about long-term results, not
12:02:41 about any particular contract.
12:02:43 So I will go back to the folks who have been calling me and
12:02:47 ask if we can wait and listen until January.
12:02:54 Hopefully, you all are reaching out to a lot of the folks
12:02:57 that have been advocating for this, too.
12:02:59 And we can come up with some meaningful change and hopefully
12:03:03 the numbers will change no way that folks will think we are
12:03:06 accomplishing something.
12:03:07 Thank you.
12:03:07 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:03:10 Any other council members?
12:03:11 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes, sir.
12:03:13 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Dingfelder.
12:03:14 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Thank you, sir.
12:03:21 First, Councilman Carlson, I agree with some of what you
12:03:25 said.
12:03:25 >> Hold on one second.
12:03:38 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: If you are not speaking, please mute
12:03:41 yourself.
12:03:41 Thank you very much.
12:03:44 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Anyway, for
12:03:51 example, Mr. Jimmy ransom, I think everybody got copied on,
12:03:58 the documentation that TOBA has been compiling for years,
12:04:03 and going back to 2006, 2007, and I think 2010, black
12:04:12 BBEs, black businesses have represented like, you know, a
12:04:16 half million dollars out of our $100 million of purchasing
12:04:21 and contracts.
12:04:22 And that was before we had a lot of money to spend.
12:04:26 So that amount is like 1% or less than 1%.
12:04:30 And that's the way it's been for a decade.
12:04:34 And perhaps we hear some of my frustration.
12:04:37 I'm sure Mr. Miranda has recollection of the same thing, and
12:04:43 he's been around this as long as we have, and you realize
12:04:50 there are some systemic problems.
12:04:53 And other communities and agencies like TIA and our city of
12:04:59 Orlando a little bit, they do better, and they are located
12:05:02 in the same state we are, they have access to the same
12:05:05 contractors and subcontractors that we do.
12:05:08 So clearly, we need to do something better.
12:05:11 And I am glad that mayor Castor and Mr. Bennett and the
12:05:16 whole team are going to head in the right direction.
12:05:19 But I do have to point out a couple of things.
12:05:21 And there's a few of these that I can't vote for, because I
12:05:24 can't sleep at night.
12:05:26 You know, this the community's money.
12:05:29 It's not our money.
12:05:30 It's not staff's money.
12:05:31 It's community's money.
12:05:32 For example, on the item 55 that I referred to before, $8
12:05:39 million -- that's $8 million that the community will never
12:05:41 see again.
12:05:42 That's $8 million that the black businesses will never see
12:05:45 again.
12:05:45 Any portion of it.
12:05:46 Because guess what, the response from Westra -- and Brad,
12:05:51 you can correct me if you want -- but the response from
12:05:54 Westra on that was zero percent, and staff said they made a
12:06:02 good faith effort to get there.
12:06:04 I can't vote for that.
12:06:07 You know, listen, we haven't been fixing water mains for 100
12:06:12 years.
12:06:16 And in my opinion, 55, we can put off fixing those water
12:06:21 mains for another year until week fix the TBO problem.
12:06:27 I can't agree to that.
12:06:28 The money spent is gone.
12:06:30 Item 54 is $16 million.
12:06:34 All right?
12:06:35 And that one is some nominal percentage mediocre from one of
12:06:46 those two vendors.
12:06:49 In regard to item 14, that's an embarrassment.
12:06:52 Item 14 is a $500 that you change order.
12:06:56 And Mr. Baird you and I both know that change orders are
12:06:59 typically negotiated.
12:07:02 But that's been my experience.
12:07:04 The vendor calls up and says, hey, the original $4.5 million
12:07:09 contract wasn't enough to finish Davis Islands and we need
12:07:11 an additional half million dollars to do the following
12:07:13 things.
12:07:14 And there is some negotiation that goes on in that.
12:07:16 And guess what, at the end of the day, that entire $5
12:07:21 million contract to do Davis Island has .07% DBE for 2500
12:07:31 dollars worth of sod work.
12:07:34 $2500 worth of sod work is the entire amount of work that we
12:07:38 are going to give the black community and the black business
12:07:41 enterprises off of that $5 million project.
12:07:44 And Brad, now I am not blaming you.
12:07:46 I'm blaming the system.
12:07:48 But I can't vote for that.
12:07:51 Okay.
12:07:51 Let the project go unfinished and bid out the remaining half
12:07:56 million dollars and let's do it right.
12:07:58 And find some DBE opportunities in there.
12:08:02 But I can't vote for item 14.
12:08:04 And I sure can't vote 55 at $8 million DBE.
12:08:10 So that's just my strong feeling on it.
12:08:14 And I do appreciate Mr. Bennett's comments.
12:08:17 I appreciate Ocea's comments, Jean's comments, and I
12:08:22 appreciate where we are going to go in the future.
12:08:24 But at the end of the day, all we have to help in this
12:08:27 situation, all we have is our vote.
12:08:31 And our vote carries weight.
12:08:34 And our vote carried enough weight last time that that's why
12:08:38 we are having this big discussion.
12:08:42 But if we just advocate for these numbers at zero percent or
12:08:47 .07%, then we have done nothing.
12:08:49 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Mr. Chairman?
12:08:53 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Gudes.
12:08:54 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I have a question for Mr. Baird.
12:08:59 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead.
12:09:00 >>ORLANDO GUDES: These kind of decisions are hard to make.
12:09:04 A administration is doing their best.
12:09:12 Old practices that we are trying to change.
12:09:13 When you look at 14, 54, 55, I just want to know, did staff
12:09:19 go back to these businesses, 14, 54, 55 and ask for
12:09:25 reconsideration of the original?
12:09:26 >>BRAD BAIRD: First I want to say, and then I will turn it
12:09:34 over to Mr. Hart, I want to emphasize that these two
12:09:40 contracts of the three that you have just mentioned are in
12:09:42 full compliance with the EBO program as it now stands.
12:09:47 You know, as Mr. Bennett says, we have a plan to go forward.
12:09:52 It's our number one priority.
12:09:53 We are going to implement that immediately and start working
12:09:56 on that immediately.
12:09:58 To get to where we all want to be.
12:10:00 We all want the same thing.
12:10:02 >>ORLANDO GUDES: That wasn't my question, sir.
12:10:07 >>BRAD BAIRD: Okay, I'll address your second part.
12:10:09 And that is -- and I don't mean to sound defensive here,
12:10:13 because I'm not.
12:10:15 But that gets into a legal issue as to whether after you
12:10:21 determine a contractor is compliant with the program, then
12:10:29 you are asking us to go back and negotiate further with that
12:10:32 contractor to get additional participation after they have
12:10:37 been determined to be compliant with the program.
12:10:41 And that is just simply treading in an area that is
12:10:47 quasi-unethical and can lead to other things such as bid
12:10:52 shopping.
12:10:52 And we have not done that in a single case in the city at
12:10:57 least since I have been here.
12:11:09 If anybody else wants to add anything from legal department,
12:11:14 please do.
12:11:15 >>JAN MCLEAN: That would require the bidder to provide
12:11:17 additional services beyond what the code requires.
12:11:27 And we need to stay with the implementation of the remedy.
12:11:30 Remember as I indicated earlier, so we can't -- given what
12:11:35 we have today and how the program is implemented today,
12:11:39 that's what we need to stay with, and these have been
12:11:42 determined to be compliant.
12:11:43 But we do going forward is a different question.
12:11:46 But now we have to stay within the legal construct of the
12:11:48 code.
12:11:48 >>ORLANDO GUDES: That answers my question.
12:11:56 Now we go back to questions.
12:11:59 I was told we are in compliance.
12:12:02 Believe we are going on good faith word.
12:12:04 I don't -- to find out that people are actually doing what
12:12:11 they said they are going to do.
12:12:13 But hopefully moving forward, leaving things in place as it
12:12:16 relates to good faith, and making sure we have more
12:12:21 monitoring the work, and people on these sites or they are
12:12:30 going to have people on the sites like other programs to vet
12:12:32 the programs.
12:12:34 But I'll make my decision later on.
12:12:39 Thank you for your time.
12:12:43 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:12:43 Anybody else?
12:12:44 >>LUIS VIERA: Viera, if I may.
12:12:47 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead, sir.
12:12:47 >> the way I see this work and I heard from a number much
12:12:54 council members, I would like to hear from everybody in
12:12:56 terms of everybody's thoughts on this frankly before we go
12:12:58 to vote.
12:12:59 Because this is a gray area here.
12:13:02 I think Councilman Dingfelder expresses a lot of
12:13:04 frustrations with some of the numbers here.
12:13:07 We are working very, very, very diligently to continue to
12:13:12 have accountability, collaborative accountability with the
12:13:15 administration on this really, really important issue.
12:13:18 Here we are spending several million dollars on what appears
12:13:20 to be legally enforceable core critical infrastructure
12:13:25 projects that don't have the kind of numbers that we want to
12:13:29 see.
12:13:31 We are faced with making a decision rate now that is a gray
12:13:35 decision in the sense that these are core critical
12:13:38 infrastructure projects that maybe not all of us are
12:13:40 comfortable sitting on for three months, six months, 12
12:13:44 months, in these areas, like I believe it is Harbor Island,
12:13:47 Davis Island, et cetera.
12:13:49 But on the other hand, we are not satisfied with these
12:13:52 numbers.
12:13:53 I think that we need to reach a resolution that expresses
12:13:57 council's satisfaction but frankly talking about a quarter
12:14:03 middle of core infrastructure.
12:14:04 We need to do our job both with diversity and making sure
12:14:10 long standing in regard and collaborative stand with the
12:14:13 administration that I know is working with us on this issue
12:14:16 while also working on these needs.
12:14:17 Again, it's a gray area, but just my sense, I think we all
12:14:22 have frustration with issues brought up, but again leaving
12:14:27 these projects behind, like this troubles me.
12:14:32 I think it troubles all of us.
12:14:34 Adjusts like the first issue.
12:14:35 The lack of diversity troubles me a great deal.
12:14:38 Just my thought, Mr. Chair.
12:14:41 Thank you, sir.
12:14:42 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:14:43 Anybody else?
12:14:47 All right, hearing none, thank you very much.
12:14:51 So from what I have heard, we have covered items or
12:14:55 discussed items 14 or the substance of it and then 54 and
12:14:59 55.
12:15:00 Is that correct?
12:15:00 Before we take anything to a vote?
12:15:03 >>BRAD BAIRD: Also 51 and 352 and 53.
12:15:10 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: You covered everything, or done any
12:15:14 presentation, anything else.
12:15:15 Is that correct?
12:15:16 Is there anything else that you need to add or say?
12:15:19 >>BRAD BAIRD: No.
12:15:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: So having heard that, we go back to
12:15:23 item 14 which was pulled or we did note vote on.
12:15:32 So let's get that out of the way.
12:15:34 Who wishes to move the resolution for item number 14?
12:15:44 Does anybody wish to move the resolution for item 14?
12:15:48 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Mr. Chairman, I have been trying to get
12:15:52 online but for whatever reason I was muted by the organizer
12:15:55 which I'm sure it was an error.
12:15:58 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: No problem.
12:15:59 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: When you ask about council members, I
12:16:03 understand the frustration of three to four council members
12:16:05 that have spoken, understand what the legal department said.
12:16:08 So what I am most concerned of is the probability or lack of
12:16:14 probability, how many times do we check these contractors to
12:16:22 make sure the people have are already there.
12:16:25 What I do not want to see is a ghost contractor, and the
12:16:30 city or main contractors sub for ghosts.
12:16:35 But that's one thing that I am bothered by.
12:16:38 How do we find out?
12:16:39 How many times does the city make an attempt to go out to
12:16:43 the field and make sure that the contractors that are doing
12:16:45 those jobs, and subcontractors, are the ones that are there?
12:16:49 Those are things that I think we have to check, and see to
12:16:52 make sure, because I always said, you have got to verify,
12:16:59 and then you have to make sure they are verifiable.
12:17:02 So I am not putting anything on the administration.
12:17:05 I am sure they are doing a good job as they always have
12:17:09 done.
12:17:09 But I want to make sure when these contracts are let out and
12:17:12 the subs are under any minority contract that the subs that
12:17:18 get the job are the ones that are there.
12:17:20 I don't want to see a ghost contractor.
12:17:22 >>BRAD BAIRD: Mr. Chair, may I address that?
12:17:25 Thank you.
12:17:25 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead, sir.
12:17:27 >>BRAD BAIRD: Yes.
12:17:29 The vast majority of these projects -- thank you -- do have
12:17:32 full time inspection.
12:17:34 We are there every single day.
12:17:38 And all of the hours of the contractor is there.
12:17:42 Part of their job is to verify which contract,
12:17:45 subcontractors are on that job, keep track of all the work
12:17:49 that they have done, sign off on that work, and make sure
12:17:53 that the invoices, that information and that data is
12:17:57 included with their monthly pay application.
12:18:00 And that the amount of work is done is commensurate with the
12:18:03 dollars that they are invoicing.
12:18:06 We do that on a daily basis.
12:18:08 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Thank you, Mr. Baird.
12:18:15 I appreciate the comments.
12:18:16 Thank you very much.
12:18:16 >>BRAD BAIRD: You're welcome.
12:18:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
12:18:19 Item number 14.
12:18:20 Do we have a motion to move the resolution?
12:18:22 >>LUIS VIERA: Viera will put it up there to see what
12:18:30 happens.
12:18:30 I'll move to the see what happens.
12:18:32 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion.
12:18:35 We have a second from Councilman Miranda.
12:18:36 Let's take a roll call vote on this one.
12:18:38 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Question on the motion.
12:18:40 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir, Councilman Dingfelder.
12:18:43 Go ahead.
12:18:43 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I'm sounding like a broken record.
12:18:46 But I just wanted to remind council, this is the item 14,
12:18:52 $500 that you change order for a total of $5 million to this
12:18:58 vendor who is providing .07% EBE, $for sod out of the $5
12:19:08 million total contract that this vendor has.
12:19:11 So there's no absolute requirement for workers.
12:19:19 It wasn't part of the bid.
12:19:20 It's a change order.
12:19:22 And I am voting against it.
12:19:23 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: May I ask something for clarity?
12:19:29 I want to make sure that my mind doesn't leave me any doubt
12:19:34 away.
12:19:37 I remember what the conversation was going on with this
12:19:39 item.
12:19:40 We know how these things happen.
12:19:43 These things happen because there wasn't enough money to
12:19:45 finish the contract.
12:19:46 It could also be another reason why.
12:19:48 That's why I want to find out what the reason was.
12:19:51 The amount of money that we bid on was not sufficient in the
12:19:54 contract or, B, was there a change order given to do other
12:19:57 jobs within the same scope?
12:19:59 >>BRAD BAIRD: Brad Baird again, deputy administrator of
12:20:06 infrastructure.
12:20:07 The add-ons for the change order or graveling here is listed
12:20:13 in the agenda package.
12:20:16 There were about 15 of them, if I recall.
12:20:18 But the primary items were to upgrade the milling and what's
12:20:27 called super pave asphalt and concrete, or asphalt, so we
12:20:34 upgraded the paving on those streets to make sure that we
12:20:38 not only paved the entire street instead of just one lane,
12:20:43 and then also we upgraded Tampa final course of asphalt.
12:20:49 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Then, Mr. Baird, you are saying that
12:20:51 this is an addition to the original contract?
12:20:54 >>BRAD BAIRD: Correct.
12:20:56 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Thank you very much.
12:20:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:20:58 Any other council members have questions?
12:21:03 Hearing none, we have a motion from Councilman Viera with a
12:21:06 second from Councilman Miranda.
12:21:08 Let's have a roll call vote.
12:21:09 >>ORLANDO GUDES: No.
12:21:14 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
12:21:17 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
12:21:21 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
12:21:23 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
12:21:27 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
12:21:30 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: No.
12:21:32 >>THE CLERK: Was that a no?
12:21:36 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: That was a no.
12:21:37 >>THE CLERK: Thank you.
12:21:38 Motion carried with Gudes and Dingfelder voting no.
12:21:40 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:21:46 We now go on to -- well, item number 21 was pulled.
12:21:55 Well, let's get these votes out of the way first before we
12:21:57 governor to 21.
12:21:58 So item 51 which is a $79 million contract.
12:22:04 Do we have any questions or comments on this item?
12:22:06 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman, as I said earlier, I will
12:22:13 support items 51 and 52 together and I will move both of
12:22:18 them.
12:22:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: 51 and 52.
12:22:21 We have a motion by Councilman Dingfelder with a second from
12:22:24 Councilman Dingfelder for -- Miranda for 51 and 352.
12:22:28 Roll call vote, please.
12:22:29 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
12:22:32 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
12:22:35 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
12:22:37 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
12:22:39 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
12:22:42 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
12:22:45 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
12:22:46 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
12:22:48 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:22:51 Next up is item number 53.
12:22:58 Do we have a motion to move this resolution on 53?
12:23:01 >>LUIS VIERA: Again, Viera will move.
12:23:05 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Viera with the motion.
12:23:08 Who was the second?
12:23:09 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Citro.
12:23:10 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second from Citro.
12:23:12 Any questions or comments?
12:23:16 Roll call vote.
12:23:16 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
12:23:23 >>JOHN DINGFELDER:
12:23:28 No yes, I'm sorry.
12:23:29 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
12:23:33 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
12:23:35 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
12:23:37 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
12:23:39 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
12:23:41 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
12:23:42 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:23:46 Next is 54.
12:23:53 Motion to move item number 54.
12:23:55 >>LUIS VIERA: If no one else, Viera so moves.
12:24:01 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second from Councilman Citro.
12:24:04 Roll call vote on 54.
12:24:06 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Question on the motion.
12:24:08 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir, go ahead, Mr. Dingfelder.
12:24:10 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: As I have stated many times, 30 years
12:24:16 ago, I do believe in the bidding process, and unfortunately
12:24:20 these two were bid instead of negotiated.
12:24:23 I think if they were negotiated, we would have had a much
12:24:26 better BE percentage from one of those contractors.
12:24:31 But I do believe in the bidding process.
12:24:33 I think it's a fair process.
12:24:36 And for that reason, and that reason alone, I'll support 54.
12:24:44 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
12:24:46 Roll call vote.
12:24:47 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Mr. Chairman?
12:24:48 Mr. Chairman?
12:24:49 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Gudes.
12:24:50 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I want to put the explanation on the
12:24:53 record.
12:24:54 Both of these, this bid, the two companies and one bid.
12:24:59 If I can get that on the record.
12:25:00 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
12:25:03 Thank you very much.
12:25:03 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Was that a question?
12:25:07 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
12:25:10 If Mr. Baird can answer that so the public will know.
12:25:13 The items go together.
12:25:15 I thought it should have been separated.
12:25:16 I just want to get it on the record so the community will
12:25:19 know why.
12:25:20 >>BRAD BAIRD: Okay, yes.
12:25:22 Thank you.
12:25:22 I'll address that.
12:25:23 The reason we were awarding to the two low bidders is simply
12:25:27 because of the amount of work we have in the water
12:25:32 department, particularly in the water distribution
12:25:34 facilities.
12:25:37 We have a large backlog, and more than enough work for both
12:25:42 of these firms.
12:25:46 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Thank you, sir.
12:25:50 >>JOHN BENNETT: Mr. Chairman?
12:25:51 John Bennett.
12:25:54 Based on the virtual setting, I have to do this a little I
12:25:58 atypically but I want to broaden the question by asking
12:26:01 Mr. Baird a quick question.
12:26:02 Mr. Baird, based on those two low bids, it was the seconded
12:26:06 by that brought this 22.2% DBE to the table, is that
12:26:11 correct?
12:26:12 >>BRAD BAIRD: That is correct.
12:26:15 >>JOHN BENNETT: Thank you.
12:26:16 I wanted that another record as well.
12:26:18 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
12:26:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:26:19 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman?
12:26:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, councilman Dingfelder.
12:26:22 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: In doing my diligence, I just wanted to
12:26:28 amplify that a little bit.
12:26:30 The reason the second bidder was a little bit higher in part
12:26:35 was because he went to the DBE paper supply, and being a
12:26:42 small business, DBE paper supplier praises were a little bit
12:26:46 higher.
12:26:48 So at the end of the day the city is paying a little bit
12:26:51 more, a little bit more than southern underground than they
12:26:57 were paying to JVS, and part of that reason is because of a
12:27:08 DBE contractor and southern underground didn't.
12:27:11 So sometimes you might have to pay a little bit more to
12:27:14 achieve the goals.
12:27:16 It's not always about low bid.
12:27:18 It shouldn't all be about low bid.
12:27:20 We have to have other philosophies and other policies
12:27:24 instead of just low bid.
12:27:26 But I just wanted council to shall aware of that in case
12:27:29 they weren't.
12:27:30 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:27:34 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I will support that.
12:27:36 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion and second.
12:27:39 Did can we have a roll call vote for item number 54?
12:27:42 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
12:27:46 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
12:27:48 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
12:27:51 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
12:27:54 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
12:27:56 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
12:27:58 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
12:28:01 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
12:28:02 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:28:04 Next we have a resolution here for $8 million.
12:28:09 Item number 55.
12:28:10 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman, just for the record, this
12:28:18 is the Westra construction.
12:28:22 This is the design portion of a larger design project.
12:28:26 This is $8 million.
12:28:28 We will never see it again.
12:28:29 This is zero percent DBE.
12:28:32 And that's why I will not support this.
12:28:34 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:28:43 We have a motion to move item 55.
12:28:47 Do we have a motion to move item 55?
12:28:49 Who would like to move the resolution?
12:28:52 >>LUIS VIERA: Viera again will move it.
12:28:54 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you, sir.
12:28:55 We have a motion by Councilman Viera.
12:28:57 Do we have a second?
12:28:58 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Second from Citro. Is Brad Baird still
12:29:01 around?
12:29:02 >>BRAD BAIRD: Yes, I am still here.
12:29:04 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Mr. Baird, I see that 31% is women owned
12:29:09 business?
12:29:10 >>BRAD BAIRD: That is correct.
12:29:15 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Is women owned businesses broken down by
12:29:18 just women owned businesses?
12:29:21 How many of those women have to be Hispanic?
12:29:23 How many of those women happen to be Asian?
12:29:26 How many of those women happen to be African American?
12:29:29 Is that broken down or is it just to women owned businesses?
12:29:35 >>BRAD BAIRD: This is just -- I will let Greg chime in, but
12:29:39 this is just -- this business is certified as a woman owned
12:29:43 business, and I believe there are more than one as well as
12:29:47 part of this.
12:29:50 Greg?
12:29:52 >>GREGORY HART: This may answer your question.
12:29:53 A woman owned business on this particular project classified
12:29:57 as Caucasian female.
12:30:00 Any ethnic female business defaults to the ethnic category
12:30:07 or classification of either H, Hispanic, B, black, A, Asian,
12:30:12 et cetera.
12:30:13 >>JOSEPH CITRO: I thank you very much for that answer.
12:30:18 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
12:30:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you.
12:30:23 We have a motion from Councilman Viera.
12:30:25 Second from Councilman Citro?
12:30:28 >>JOSEPH CITRO: That's correct.
12:30:29 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you.
12:30:30 Let's have a roll call vote, please.
12:30:32 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
12:30:35 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
12:30:38 >>ORLANDO GUDES: No.
12:30:41 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
12:30:45 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
12:30:47 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: No.
12:30:51 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
12:30:53 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried with Gudes and Dingfelder
12:30:57 voting no.
12:30:57 >>LUIS VIERA: Mr. Chair, if I may, this is Viera.
12:31:04 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir.
12:31:05 >>LUIS VIERA: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
12:31:07 I have a 1:45 appointment that I have to go to.
12:31:12 It's only going to take me out for like 20 minutes or so.
12:31:15 Maybe 10 or 15 minutes, not even that.
12:31:17 And then I will be driving and be able to get on through --
12:31:23 well, driving isn't the best way to do that frankly.
12:31:25 Is there any way, Mr. Chair, if I may?
12:31:27 I don't know if the next pulled item -- I think there's one
12:31:30 more item that's going to be pulled. I don't know how long
12:31:33 that's going to take.
12:31:34 But since I wanted to speak on the implicit bias motion and
12:31:38 whatnot, I didn't know when that was going to be coming up.
12:31:43 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Well, item number 20 is the last pulled
12:31:49 item that was requested.
12:31:53 Let's move to that or we will get to that, and if you like
12:31:58 we can go to the implicit bias.
12:32:00 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Sure
12:32:04 >>LUIS VIERA: Sure I don't notch how long this will take
12:32:06 but just to let you all know that I will shall out for maybe
12:32:09 ten minutes or so.
12:32:10 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
12:32:12 Let's go to item number 21 that was pulled.
12:32:16 Item number 21 that was pulled.
12:32:19 And item number 21 that was pulled.
12:32:21 Here is here to speak on item number 21?
12:32:24 >> Ashley Bauman: This is Ashley Bauman, marketing.
12:32:30 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: How are you?
12:32:31 >> Great.
12:32:32 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Council member Dingfelder. Go ahead,
12:32:35 Ashley.
12:32:39 >> Okay. As you know, you have the largest media market in
12:32:41 the state, the tenth largest in the country.
12:32:44 Being able to leverage the power of digital, traditional and
12:32:46 social media allows us to engage --
12:32:52 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Ashley, I'm sorry. Can I cut you off?
12:32:54 Because we did get the memo.
12:32:58 My only question to you, which is sort of a follow-up
12:33:00 question that I already enunciated, was you said this was
12:33:04 available to all city departments.
12:33:06 And I asked would it be available to City Council whereby
12:33:11 perhaps our aides could be trained on it and use it for
12:33:15 whatever City Council might want to use, and the response
12:33:19 back was a little confusing.
12:33:21 So I just wanted to alert you as to what my question was.
12:33:25 I'm sorry to interrupt.
12:33:27 >>ASHLEY BAUMAN: No, that's fine.
12:33:28 Our team will be happy to provide you with demos of services
12:33:34 in which our team can help engage your aides in your offices
12:33:38 to bring those reports to you.
12:33:40 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: That's great.
12:33:42 That's all I needed then, Mr. Chairman.
12:33:44 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:33:45 Any other questions, comments for item number 21?
12:33:49 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I will be glad to move it.
12:33:50 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion to move from Councilman
12:33:53 Dingfelder.
12:33:53 Do we have a second?
12:33:56 Second from Councilman Miranda.
12:33:57 Roll call vote.
12:33:58 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
12:34:03 >>BILL CARLSON: Yes.
12:34:07 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes.
12:34:10 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
12:34:13 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Yes.
12:34:14 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes.
12:34:16 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
12:34:18 >>THE CLERK: Motion carried unanimously.
12:34:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:34:21 Councilman Viera, when did you say your appointment was?
12:34:26 >>LUIS VIERA: Oh, probably -- I'll need to leave here --
12:34:30 I'll just have about ten minutes, maybe five minutes of
12:34:33 blackout where I have to log off, at about 15 minutes.
12:34:38 So I should be fine.
12:34:39 I don't think this is going to take forever.
12:34:41 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Did you say fifty or one five?
12:34:45 >>LUIS VIERA: Oh, five minutes, but I will be out and in
12:34:49 about 1:20 or so, within about 40 minutes.
12:34:53 So, in other words, from here on out, 40 minutes, I'm good
12:34:56 to go.
12:34:58 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:34:58 City Councilman Carlson.
12:34:59 >>BILL CARLSON: I was just going to add, the communication
12:35:06 industry, this is one of the tools that my staff uses so
12:35:09 it's a good choice to use that, I think.
12:35:11 And I agree with Mr. Dingfelder.
12:35:14 We get the daily media clips which is very helpful.
12:35:19 What I really would like to see is also social media posts.
12:35:23 There are lots of constituents that are posting especially
12:35:26 on places like next door, and because of the way the
12:35:30 accounts are set up we can't always see it, or we don't
12:35:34 always see it fast enough.
12:35:35 So just as city customer service may be responding to
12:35:38 constituent compliance complaints on social media, it would
12:35:41 be good for us to know it because we might be able to
12:35:45 intervene quickly and help.
12:35:46 Thank you.
12:35:46 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:35:48 We are going to go do item number 58.
12:35:50 And then from there we are going to go to 56 and continue in
12:35:53 order through the agenda without jumping around anymore.
12:35:57 Item 58 is Ms. Zelman is on the line.
12:36:00 >>ANDREA ZELMAN: Good afternoon, chair.
12:36:03 I will go ahead and start.
12:36:04 As you will recall, back in July, we presented you with a
12:36:09 draft, implicit bias ordinance intended to satisfy the
12:36:15 charter requirements.
12:36:17 At that time, council requested that we look at a few
12:36:21 additional issues.
12:36:23 One was the use of outside trainers.
12:36:27 One was finding some way to measure the effectiveness of the
12:36:32 ordinance.
12:36:37 Addition, council asked that we speak with the restorative
12:36:41 justice coalition, and I did have a good talk with angel
12:36:45 from that coalition, and an additional item that he
12:36:49 requested as did Councilman Gudes, I believe, was that we
12:36:53 also increase the amount of training required for Tampa Fire
12:36:56 Rescue.
12:36:58 So what you have attached to the memo that was submitted
12:37:02 into the record is the draft ordinance, and then in yellow,
12:37:08 highlighting highlighter, I have shown you the items that we
12:37:11 have added since July, and again one was the reference to
12:37:16 the training being primarily provided by outside trainers
12:37:21 who are not City of Tampa employees.
12:37:24 We also added a paragraph about or whole section about
12:37:30 development developing metrics, track both the effectiveness
12:37:33 of the training, but also and this was in response to
12:37:37 restorative justis, also track and mange sure that we are
12:37:41 covering all the training itself covers all the topics that
12:37:46 were identified in the charter revisions.
12:37:51 We did make a minor change in one section to give the city
12:37:56 additional time to initiate the training since this whole
12:38:01 process has taken longer wean thought to get the ordinance
12:38:04 adopted.
12:38:05 Finally, again, in response to an issue raised by council as
12:38:09 well as restorative justice, we have increased the number of
12:38:13 hours that Tampa Fire Rescue will also be trained.
12:38:20 So that is all what I gave you.
12:38:22 I can go into a lot more detail, but since we did so in
12:38:25 July, I am keeping my remarks short.
12:38:29 So if you did want to talk more, I'm happy to elaborate.
12:38:33 But if you are comfortable with the changes that we have
12:38:36 made, our proposal is -- I can put the ordinance in final
12:38:41 form and bring it back to you for first reading on November
12:38:44 5th.
12:38:44 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Chair?
12:38:47 >>LUIS VIERA: Viera, if I may.
12:38:49 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: And then Councilman Gudes.
12:38:51 Go ahead, sir.
12:38:51 >>LUIS VIERA: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
12:38:53 I appreciate it.
12:38:54 You know, this is a really important issue for me and for
12:38:57 all of us on council.
12:38:59 Looking through this ordinance, I think it's a good
12:39:01 ordinance.
12:39:02 We can talk about anyway to strengthen it prospectively when
12:39:06 it comes before us.
12:39:08 You know, one of the big issues for me -- and I am glad to
12:39:11 see from my understanding that this has been taken care
12:39:14 of -- is to make sure that the training is going to be done
12:39:17 by an outside trainer, outside of the City of Tampa
12:39:22 government employment.
12:39:24 It appears that that is going to be done by an outside
12:39:26 entity.
12:39:27 We can talk about that.
12:39:28 I want to hear about who this prospective could be.
12:39:33 We need to make sure that the voices of all the people in
12:39:36 our Tampa community who could be affected by this ordinance
12:39:40 and program that includes LG BTQ, members of the clergy, who
12:39:47 strike for socially conscientious society, those with
12:39:50 disability advocates for civil rights, minorities,
12:39:54 et cetera, are heard in this process.
12:39:56 I always say this and I will say it again, that I am very
12:39:59 proud to represent a district that I think speaks to the
12:40:02 need to have an implicit bias ordinance like this that's
12:40:07 very strong and robust.
12:40:09 I always say that my district is one of the most culturally
12:40:12 diverse districts or areas, and probably the most culturally
12:40:17 diverse areas within the City of Tampa, with regards to
12:40:20 religious affiliation, culture, et cetera.
12:40:23 You know, just last week, I went to a temple which was over
12:40:27 on Morris bridge which is outside of the Tampa but outside
12:40:33 of the city and most of the Congress gather are City of
12:40:36 Tampa residents.
12:40:37 You go a little bit further.
12:40:38 You have a Christian church.
12:40:41 You go a little bit further, you have the New Tampa mosque.
12:40:45 You know, that really speaks to the cultural diversity of
12:40:49 one of the areas that I represent, and we are all very, very
12:40:53 proud of that diversity. This training to be done by an
12:40:55 outside agency goes not just to race and ethnicity.
12:40:59 We'll be talking about disabilities.
12:41:01 We will be talking about cultural, religious affiliation,
12:41:04 et cetera.
12:41:05 I would like to meet with the person honor is going to be
12:41:09 talking about what entity, et cetera, will be involved with
12:41:12 this so that we can make sure that all voices are going to
12:41:15 be brought to the table.
12:41:16 And this is very important for us as council members.
12:41:20 To lead not only with regards to what we propose for other
12:41:24 people but also for ourselves.
12:41:26 As I think we will be under this training.
12:41:29 And that's important, you know.
12:41:31 So it's a very, very important ordinance.
12:41:33 I'm glad that it originated with our charter review
12:41:36 commission.
12:41:36 I know that council members Carlson, Gudes, Citro, served
12:41:41 there.
12:41:41 This was brought forward by my friends, my constituent and
12:41:44 my colleague, Michael Stephens, who actually was my
12:41:48 appointee and lived in New Tampa, and Michael, who is just
12:41:52 one of the best people I know, approached me about doing an
12:41:56 ordinance for this in 2018.
12:41:58 I brought this forward in '18 under the old City Council,
12:42:02 and then we were advised to wait until the charter process
12:42:07 was finished, and now we are here.
12:42:09 Now, one thing I would like us to see do for this is to have
12:42:13 this come before us for review once a year.
12:42:17 I say that because issues of diversity and pluralism --
12:42:21 pleuralism changes as years go by.
12:42:24 In 1865, the issue of women's rights as we understand it was
12:42:29 beyond radical for so many people.
12:42:32 In 1954, if you would have asked LBG about gay rights, he
12:42:36 would sign the civil rights act that year, and probably
12:42:39 above gone, what are you talking about?
12:42:41 Just 15 years ago the issue of equality for our transgender
12:42:45 brothers and sisters would not have been main extreme for a
12:42:49 lot of people and today for many of us in the mainstream and
12:42:52 it should be.
12:42:53 So my point is each generation gets presented with new
12:42:57 realities, social consciousness, intolerance, social
12:43:02 justice, as it applies to people.
12:43:04 I think this is something that should be reviewed every year
12:43:06 so we can make sure we keep up with the new realities of
12:43:09 tolerance and compassion.
12:43:10 So I make a motion for that whenever the time comes, Mr.
12:43:13 Chair.
12:43:14 But I would like to ask questions.
12:43:16 Whatever questions are fit.
12:43:19 Just with regards to the hours of training, how does that
12:43:22 stack up with other cities?
12:43:24 And what's the process on the entity that's going to be
12:43:26 doing the training, whether it's the University of South
12:43:29 Florida, whoever it may be, and what voices are going to be
12:43:33 heard in that process?
12:43:35 Just whenever is the time for questions.
12:43:37 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
12:43:38 I appreciate it.
12:43:39 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:43:40 Councilman Gudes.
12:43:41 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Mr. Viera, you took my thunder there a
12:43:45 little bit.
12:43:46 That was one of my questions.
12:43:48 USF, and to the point of USF -- recent graduates for both,
12:43:59 but I think some of the public comments are true, that we do
12:44:02 have a bunch of agencies, schools, in the State of Florida
12:44:06 maybe, USF is looking at, I hope HBCU in the state to bring
12:44:18 a dynamic to the process.
12:44:19 Because when you have to live no house you have to
12:44:22 understand that house.
12:44:22 A lot of times we have people that bring wee bring in to do
12:44:26 things but don't understand culture or actual been on the
12:44:28 ground with that culture.
12:44:29 So I am looking forward to who may be involved and putting
12:44:34 on this training, and if so how we can be involved with some
12:44:37 of the other schools, HBCU colleges to be part of that as
12:44:41 well.
12:44:42 I yield back, sir.
12:44:43 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you.
12:44:44 Councilman Citro.
12:44:46 Then Councilman Dingfelder.
12:44:48 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
12:44:50 I do appreciate it.
12:44:51 I would like to really thank the people that were involved
12:44:54 with the charter review commission.
12:44:59 Councilman Gudes, Councilman Carlson, especially our
12:45:05 attorneys who are here now -- excuse me, our attorney Andrea
12:45:09 Zelman and Morris Massey and all the other members of the
12:45:13 charter review who helped make this possible.
12:45:15 But also the work that was done by the public, who came down
12:45:20 to the charter review and asked for this.
12:45:23 And I think it was an effort not only by people like myself
12:45:32 but also the administration, also the then council years ago
12:45:38 that heard the request of the charter review commission, but
12:45:41 also the public that came down and spoke and asked for this.
12:45:45 And I am also totally in agreement with Councilman Viera
12:45:49 that this needs to be looked at once a year by council.
12:45:52 And if changes are needed, that the council apply these
12:45:55 changes.
12:45:56 So I want to really thank everybody who was involved in
12:45:59 this, in a job well done, and I am going to support this.
12:46:04 Mr. Chair, thank you very much.
12:46:06 And I yield back to you.
12:46:08 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:46:09 Is there anybody else that wishes to speak on this item
12:46:11 number 58?
12:46:12 >>LUIS VIERA: Oh, Viera if I may, just one quick thing.
12:46:17 >> go ahead, sir.
12:46:21 >>LUIS VIERA: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
12:46:22 I appreciate it.
12:46:23 And just another thought, you know.
12:46:27 Individuals who are aware by virtue of their vocation of
12:46:32 some of these diversity issues, if you are looking for also
12:46:37 perspectives from the minority community with that
12:46:40 combination, I would also advise staff there's the George
12:46:44 Edgecomb Bar Association which is the historically African
12:46:47 American Bar Association for the Hillsborough County area,
12:46:49 just a great resource, filled with many wonderful people,
12:46:53 the past presidents include my state representative
12:46:57 Driscoll.
12:46:58 So just another good resource of what Councilman Gudes
12:47:03 mentioned there.
12:47:03 So I would echo those comments.
12:47:05 Thank you, sir.
12:47:06 >>BILL CARLSON: Mr. Chair.
12:47:07 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Carlson.
12:47:09 >>BILL CARLSON: I would just like to thank the folks from
12:47:13 the community, and in particular restorative justice and
12:47:18 angel D'Angelo for coming forward two or three years ago,
12:47:23 but also angel has been giving input on this, to me and to
12:47:26 the administration for almost a year.
12:47:28 And so this is not perfect.
12:47:32 There's a whole bunch of things that aren't included that it
12:47:34 looked like we aren't going to be able to include on this
12:47:37 round.
12:47:38 But it's much better than it was before angel got involved.
12:47:41 So again it's a great example of community participation and
12:47:46 collaboration, and thanks so much to Andrea for reaching out
12:47:50 to angel multiple times.
12:47:55 I like Councilman Viera's proposal that we come back and
12:47:58 look at this again no year.
12:47:59 And I think he and others maybe mentioned some other groups
12:48:02 that might look at this.
12:48:04 But whoever will be managing this process, I would recommend
12:48:08 you reach out to angel or someone from restorative justice
12:48:12 just to show transparency on how this is being run and to
12:48:17 give feedback so we can follow up a year from now and try to
12:48:20 make a difference.
12:48:21 Thank you all.
12:48:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
12:48:22 Anybody else?
12:48:22 >>ANDREA ZELMAN: I just wanted to respond to one request.
12:48:30 We will go bark and change the ordinance to require
12:48:35 reporting on an annual basis rather than every two years.
12:48:39 I think my thought was that it may take a lot of time
12:48:44 initially to get this underway.
12:48:47 We have to, for example, one of the other points, go through
12:48:52 a procurement process to find the appropriate trainer, and
12:48:57 no, queer not locked in at this point in time to any
12:49:01 university or any other trainer.
12:49:02 We have to go through a process to find the trainer.
12:49:05 We have certainly heard council's request that that trainer
12:49:11 be able to provide us diverse a view point as possible, and
12:49:18 Austin and Hunter will take that to heart.
12:49:21 The contract will come back before council when we do find a
12:49:25 trainer.
12:49:26 But again that's part of the reason I had originally drafted
12:49:29 it, to require reporting every other year, was simply
12:49:34 because of the amount of time that's going to be involved in
12:49:37 undertaking it.
12:49:39 Remember we have over 4600 employees that will be subject to
12:49:42 this training, as well as the council members.
12:49:46 But we will chain it to an annual reporting.
12:49:51 And if F there's anything else, I'm glad to answer any other
12:49:55 questions.
12:49:55 Thank you.
12:49:55 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Anything else from council members?
12:49:58 >>LUIS VIERA: Viera.
12:50:02 Oh, I'm sorry, go ahead.
12:50:03 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Then I just wanted to say a couple of
12:50:06 things.
12:50:09 You know, we all have our own by yeah, at whatever level it
12:50:13 is.
12:50:14 We are human.
12:50:15 None of us is perfect.
12:50:16 But looking at ourselves, beyond implicit bias training, we
12:50:21 have to remember, we need to focus on viewing people as
12:50:25 individuals.
12:50:26 We have to eliminate stereotypes.
12:50:28 We need to take the time to try to understand whether it's
12:50:35 somebody else's life, somebody else's religion, somebody
12:50:38 else's culture without criticism, without judgment.
12:50:42 We have to perhaps adjust our perspective.
12:50:45 And even increase our exposure.
12:50:47 I mean, we often don't understand, in my life, and I will
12:50:52 say going back 20 years, before criticizing something I
12:50:57 didn't know, I tried to understand them.
12:51:00 You know, from the other perspective.
12:51:02 After 9/11 there was an anti-muslim rhetoric, and I remember
12:51:08 a friend of mine in high school who was one of the only
12:51:11 Muslim students in our high school, which was a Catholic
12:51:14 high school.
12:51:14 And instead of criticizing, I reached out to him.
12:51:17 And we are still friends 20 years later.
12:51:20 And to understand his culture, understand things.
12:51:22 And that was just one example I remember.
12:51:24 Instead of criticizing something, let me learn about it.
12:51:27 And I think in today's world, and when we talk about, you
12:51:30 know, our thousands of employees and how we interact with
12:51:34 the community and whatnot, we have to eliminate stereotypes,
12:51:37 look at individuals as people, try to be understanding
12:51:40 instead of criticizing.
12:51:41 And I think it will help us in moving forward.
12:51:45 You know, the training and the implicit bias training is
12:51:49 very important so we can all be on the same page, we can all
12:51:52 be better understanding and we can learn, I think we talk
12:51:56 too much instead of listening, when we should be listening
12:52:00 and understanding.
12:52:01 So having said that, Councilman Viera, I think you wanted to
12:52:06 make a motion.
12:52:07 >>LUIS VIERA: No worries, Mr. Chair.
12:52:09 Thank you for your remarks.
12:52:10 I move that this be first reading of the ordinance within
12:52:15 the addition of the annual recording, and Ms. Zelman,
12:52:21 Councilman Citro brought up something, just thanking you and
12:52:24 Mr. Massey as well for your service in the charter review.
12:52:27 Thank you so much for your work in that regard to both of
12:52:30 you all as well. Thank you for that, Councilman Citro. In
12:52:33 terms of when the reporting starts, I think it's reasonable
12:52:37 to have it begin a year after the actual program begins.
12:52:42 If this begins in 7 months there's no need to come back five
12:52:46 months thereafter.
12:52:47 So I will make that motion, if I may.
12:52:49 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Second.
12:52:50 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion from Councilman Viera.
12:52:53 Whats that a second from Councilman Gudes?
12:52:55 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes, sir.
12:52:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
12:52:58 Do we have any objection to the motion?
12:53:02 Hearing no objection by unanimous consent, the motion
12:53:05 passes.
12:53:06 Thank you very much, council member Viera.
12:53:13 Okay.
12:53:14 We are on number 56.
12:53:16 And we are going to continue to the end of the agenda in
12:53:18 numerical order without jumping around and switching around.
12:53:22 So item number 56.
12:53:24 Mr. Vik Bhide, continued from one of our last meetings and
12:53:28 it was to discuss the parking fees.
12:53:30 >>VIK BHIDE: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
12:53:36 Vik Bhide, mobility department.
12:53:37 And that's correct.
12:53:38 The item was continued from the October 1st meeting.
12:53:42 The item is relating to schedule of fees for parking related
12:53:47 activities.
12:53:48 And what we are proposing are new parking rate structure
12:53:56 that is designed primarily to meet our business expenses.
12:54:01 So for many years, we have not been able to meet our
12:54:07 expenses.
12:54:09 Operating for capital.
12:54:10 Furthermore, we have identified a few years ago some
12:54:14 critical capital needs and prioritize them in high medium,
12:54:20 low priority, and we are able to take away the high operator
12:54:26 to some extent, about you certainly funding is an issue.
12:54:29 Another reason we are proposing these rates are to improve
12:54:33 performance of our parking facilities, but also to move
12:54:38 strategy elements.
12:54:39 From a performance standpoint, what we need is our on-street
12:54:43 rates are currently lower than our off-street rates.
12:54:48 And this promotes more congestion, more looking around for
12:54:52 parking on the street, when you want that parking facility
12:54:56 especially in our CBD so that it supports economic
12:55:02 development.
12:55:03 Other reason why we are proposing these rate structures is
12:55:08 also so that we can reinvest in the community, as we look at
12:55:16 sustainability and resilience, congestion, but also equity.
12:55:21 So that's why we are proposing these new rates.
12:55:27 We considered several factors as part of developing the rate
12:55:33 structure and operating principles.
12:55:36 These variables considered included equity, maintaining an
12:55:41 adequate, low-cost supply of parking.
12:55:44 We are the lowest-cost parking product in the city.
12:55:47 Market rate and differential within market, and public
12:55:52 rates, operating like I mentioned, realtime demand, so part
12:56:00 of the street structure will allow us to do on-demand
12:56:04 pricing, again to improve availability, but also improve
12:56:08 performance of our parking services, facilities like
12:56:14 on-street, off-street lots, and then locations.
12:56:21 The goal here again is to make the parking division be able
12:56:26 to pay expenses, to be able to modernize, and to move the
12:56:31 overall city's transforming tomorrow strategy forward.
12:56:36 Our hope is -- our projection is, not a hope, that this rate
12:56:43 structure will allow us to meet our expenses, and that's
12:56:52 really the plan.
12:56:55 It's a three step rate increase for our garages, where rates
12:57:01 will be increased in small amounts over the next three
12:57:05 years.
12:57:06 By 21, 22, 23, on-street parking rates will be an increase
12:57:13 21 and then increase in FY 23 with FY 22 proposed rates the
12:57:19 same.
12:57:20 At the last meeting, about our rate structure were
12:57:26 requested, and subsequently we'd we have made that available
12:57:30 to you, and at this point, I will be happy to answer any
12:57:33 questions.
12:57:33 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Do we have any questions for Mr. Bhide?
12:57:39 Councilman Dingfelder.
12:57:40 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
12:57:42 Thank you, Vik.
12:57:43 That's thanks for providing that additional graphic that was
12:57:46 very helpful.
12:57:51 Subsequent to the last day or two, I think all of council
12:57:54 got a letter from the ACU president.
12:58:00 I don't know if you saw it or not.
12:58:03 As related to general employees who under normal conditions
12:58:12 have to come down, or many have to come downtown and work in
12:58:16 our various facilities, and often parking, and the
12:58:22 complaint, part of the complaint was -- and Vik, this might
12:58:26 not be you, this might be more Mr. Bennett -- but part of
12:58:29 the complaint is the fact that certain management folks get
12:58:37 free parking, and our city staff as employees have to pay
12:58:42 for monthly parking, and now we are in the process of
12:58:46 increasing that monthly parking, which not only will affect
12:58:50 the entire community, which we care about, obviously, but at
12:58:59 least as far as Mr. Simon is concerned will impact our
12:59:03 employees.
12:59:03 Especially our rank and file employees and some of our
12:59:06 lesser-paid employees.
12:59:08 So like I said, it's not so much Mr. Bhide but it must be
12:59:16 for Mr. Bennett.
12:59:19 >>VIK BHIDE: Thank you, Councilman.
12:59:21 Yes, I can confirm while we emphasize with that position, I
12:59:24 haven't personally read the letter.
12:59:26 But that would be more of a bargaining unit item than a
12:59:31 parking rate item where we are governed by statute.
12:59:34 And do have to charge equitably.
12:59:41 >>JOHN BENNETT: Councilman Dingfelder, John is here.
12:59:47 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I'm moving away from my computer.
12:59:53 >>JOHN BENNETT: I would just like to respond to Councilman
01:00:02 Dingfelder's question, comment.
01:00:03 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Go ahead.
01:00:07 >>JOHN BENNETT: First of all, great question.
01:00:08 And I did take notes on the last time this came up from
01:00:11 Councilman Gudes' question, no similar vein.
01:00:14 I do recall this kind of being on the bargaining table with
01:00:17 the ATU when we were working through the contracts.
01:00:20 And of course the full negotiation package that the mayor
01:00:25 increased the last year to 3.5% to make sure there was
01:00:30 equity in some of the other increases.
01:00:33 Again, not everybody parks downtown, so everybody gets the
01:00:36 benefit of the raise but not necessarily parlays into
01:00:40 parking.
01:00:41 I can tell you the hearing about this agenda item and
01:00:45 listening to some of the comments I started working with Mr.
01:00:48 Bhide's office as well as Ms. Austin's office and started
01:00:54 pulling down some of that data.
01:00:55 So I will be looking at that comprehensively and to see how
01:00:58 we can look at that from a personnel perspective and equity
01:01:02 perspective, and of course what Vik said about maintaining
01:01:05 the business perspective of that.
01:01:07 But that is on my desk at the moment.
01:01:09 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Just as a follow-up, a lot of downtown
01:01:13 businesses either pay for their employees to park in their
01:01:18 buildings, even though they might not own the buildings, you
01:01:21 know, various banks and that sort of thing, pay for their
01:01:28 employees so they subsidize their employees.
01:01:31 When I was over in the public defender's office, public
01:01:33 defender, I think had about 30 spaces in that building
01:01:37 that -- serving the public defenders.
01:01:43 But anyway, I'm just wondering, I'm okay with the rate hike,
01:01:50 but how do we -- is there an opportunity to give our
01:01:56 employees a discount off of this rate hike, or some sort of
01:02:00 future discount?
01:02:02 And also, Mr. Bennett, is it true that some management
01:02:05 employees get -- they do get free parking in our city lots,
01:02:11 but other employees don't?
01:02:12 >>JOHN BENNETT: Yes, great question, Councilman.
01:02:16 There has been a city protocol that certain positions,
01:02:20 whether they are in and out management or static management,
01:02:24 and higher both in the brickyard as well as the parking
01:02:29 garage, have had parking as part of their position,
01:02:36 assignment, if you will.
01:02:38 As far as the rate hike against everything else, I will say
01:02:42 the quick look at the data, there was about 200-plus
01:02:46 employees that were using the parking system related to not
01:02:51 just the garage but the flat lots and some of the periphery
01:02:55 parking based on their choices.
01:02:58 I also understood that there was a pretty large waiting list
01:03:01 for the public as well as personnel to get in the garage.
01:03:04 So there was a lot of dynamism in the numbers and price
01:03:09 points in the equity and all those things like I said are
01:03:12 something that I am trying to look at and find some balance
01:03:16 to based on the conversation.
01:03:17 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay?
01:03:23 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Can we hold off on voting from this
01:03:26 until you can help us on that?
01:03:27 Because for argument sake, if we decide to give city
01:03:33 employees 50% discount, 200 employees at 50% discount, that
01:03:38 could have some impact on Mr. Bhide's ability to balance the
01:03:43 parking department's budget.
01:03:46 Maybe we should hold off until you come to a conclusion on
01:03:49 that.
01:03:49 >>VIK BHIDE: Councilman, if I may, we manage around 13,000
01:03:57 parking spaces in total, and so if at all possible, if we
01:04:04 could have the conversation be logically separate, that
01:04:10 would be preferred, only because what we are proposing to
01:04:18 park with the rates, that conversation is somewhat related,
01:04:22 and we emphasize that it is separate in terms of how it will
01:04:26 manifest in action.
01:04:27 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Well, the numbers help me himself
01:04:30 because you are saying 200 out of 13,000.
01:04:35 That's a drop in the bucket.
01:04:39 >>VIK BHIDE: That's correct.
01:04:40 >> okay, I'm fine with that.
01:04:42 >>BILL CARLSON: Mr. Chair?
01:04:46 Along those lines.
01:04:48 I happen to have my update meeting with ATU the other day,
01:04:52 and some expression about how staff members will be dealing
01:04:58 with any complaints that they might get around this system.
01:05:01 So I talked to Mr. Bhide and he assured me they are going to
01:05:06 be doing thorough training to answer all the questions.
01:05:09 I think this is something that was needed for a long time,
01:05:12 the need to make these parking garages break even at least,
01:05:16 and we need to be able to invest in more infrastructure in
01:05:19 the future.
01:05:20 And it's going to cost my company, but we pay for all of our
01:05:24 parking, but that's okay because it's a good investment.
01:05:29 So thank you.
01:05:29 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
01:05:31 I remember about ten years ago during my first campaign, in
01:05:36 which I lost, but it was brought up to some of the
01:05:39 candidates regarding how the City of Tampa and their
01:05:43 enterprise fund with parking is always losing money.
01:05:46 And I know what you brought up today is just bringing us up
01:05:52 to speed and putting us parallel with other cities and
01:05:55 municipalities to make sure that we are getting that revenue
01:05:57 in but at least putting us on par with others of the so I
01:06:03 appreciate it very much.
01:06:04 Any other council members?
01:06:05 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Mr. Chairman.
01:06:09 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Miranda.
01:06:10 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I just want to make a comment.
01:06:13 No one loses elections.
01:06:15 You just didn't get enough votes.
01:06:18 Thank you.
01:06:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: I came in fifth place out of fifth
01:06:21 place.
01:06:23 I did not get enough votes by a long shot, so ...
01:06:29 Thank you very much.
01:06:29 Anybody else?
01:06:31 All right.
01:06:31 Thank you, Mr. Bhide.
01:06:32 We appreciate that.
01:06:36 I don't believe that -- well, there's a substitute
01:06:39 resolution here.
01:06:41 Do we have anyone willing to make the motion to move the
01:06:44 substitute resolution for item number 56?
01:06:47 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Move 56, F-20-64732.
01:06:51 Move the substitute resolution.
01:06:52 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman with the Miranda.
01:06:57 Second by Councilman Citro.
01:06:58 Is there any objection to the motion?
01:07:03 Hearing no objection, by unanimous consent the motion
01:07:05 passes.
01:07:06 Thank you very much.
01:07:12 Next up is item number 57.
01:07:13 We did receive a memo from Simone Savino.
01:07:19 If she's on the line, if you would like to go ahead and
01:07:21 present.
01:07:22 >> This is chief O'Connor, neighborhood enhancement manager.
01:07:31 I'm here at the lemon street office, joined with city staff.
01:07:36 I have assistant city attorney Camaria patties Mackle and
01:07:44 assistant city attorney Simone Savino.
01:07:47 In addition, I have Joe Papy with business PAC and Susan
01:07:52 with code enforcement.
01:07:54 Are you hearing us okay?
01:07:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, we hear you.
01:07:57 >> The Power Point if we could go to the next slide.
01:08:05 Back in June, you had a question for us to come and present
01:08:14 to you and the question was what sort of -- we might be able
01:08:17 to make to improve the rental certificates program as well
01:08:20 as possibly making it more self-sufficient financially.
01:08:25 And to get started, I wanted to clarify that back in June,
01:08:29 when the audit of the rental certificate program was going
01:08:33 through, it was a dollar amount in the audit of 186,000 per
01:08:38 year.
01:08:38 I just wanted to clarify that, that there was no part cost
01:08:42 associated with this program, that that dollar amount
01:08:44 related to an estimate of the administrative staff that
01:08:48 worked on the program throughout the year.
01:08:51 13 staff members that touched that project throughout the
01:08:54 year but they have done less than 25% of their time, and
01:08:57 therefore that cost would be incurred by the division with
01:09:00 or without the program.
01:09:01 So I just wanted to clarify that before we went forward.
01:09:05 If there was any questions on that.
01:09:06 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Mr. Chairman.
01:09:11 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead, Councilman Miranda.
01:09:12 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I just want to say something that I have
01:09:15 to say here.
01:09:16 I am getting mixed motions from the administration, maybe I
01:09:21 didn't have the time to make inquiry.
01:09:23 Just the other day, yesterday or the day before, I got
01:09:26 involved in district 6, a neighborhood call, and a
01:09:32 high-ranking administrator said when they were asked a
01:09:36 question about individuals two, or three apartments, and
01:09:42 they have got these garages built up to rentals, that are
01:09:47 using what used to be a carport, you know, put a couple of
01:09:55 walls in and rent it for 6, $700 a month.
01:09:58 99.9% is in cash.
01:10:02 And if you want to give -- if people have a check, they say
01:10:07 you have to give us cash.
01:10:11 The next thing is, when you have a rental program, you have
01:10:17 hundreds if not thousands of homes that are already without
01:10:22 rental program and one administrator told us we were going
01:10:27 to work on it and I heard another tenant say the other day
01:10:30 at the conference call with district six that I was not a
01:10:37 participant but wanted to listen to the conversation.
01:10:39 It so happens that this came up when I only listened for
01:10:42 about ten minutes, and I told myself, well, that's odd.
01:10:45 So I want to know which way the administration is going.
01:10:49 Are we going to go -- let me say this.
01:10:51 I think the administration ought to do something but they
01:10:55 got me confused.
01:10:56 Which way do they want to go?
01:10:58 And what I'm saying is this.
01:11:02 The people who do not have a rental certificate are not
01:11:06 paying ad valorem taxes equal to or greater than somebody
01:11:11 who has a home understood their name.
01:11:19 B.
01:11:19 Sometimes you are married and your files contain the name of
01:11:23 the parent instead of your name.
01:11:29 Then sometimes they have four names and you see things that
01:11:32 are different.
01:11:33 I don't know if they have four or none or whatever, they get
01:11:41 homestead exemption, do they have one homestead exemption or
01:11:44 four?
01:11:45 They have four houses, they have four different names.
01:11:50 That hasn't been proven yet.
01:11:52 Secondly, they pay no income tax because 90 to 95% if not
01:12:01 100% is all taxed.
01:12:03 So now I see things happening.
01:12:06 You see a house.
01:12:07 The next day it's sold.
01:12:08 The following day a fence around it where you cannot see
01:12:12 through.
01:12:13 I don't know what's going on.
01:12:15 The next week, you have got solar panels.
01:12:20 Lots of them.
01:12:21 Then you see more cars.
01:12:23 So I have to make an assumption that they cut the house in
01:12:26 pieces, and they are renting it.
01:12:29 And the reason for the electric system now going solar is to
01:12:35 reduce the payment of electricity to be no hair than the
01:12:39 average of that.
01:12:42 So I would like to know from the administration, what are we
01:12:45 going to do?
01:12:46 Are we going to do it?
01:12:48 And it doesn't have to be today.
01:12:49 But I am getting to wit's end on this deal and I would like
01:12:52 to know one thing or the other.
01:12:55 In fact, one is having Charlie Miranda prove Charlie
01:13:00 Miranda.
01:13:01 Now that sound crazy, doesn't it? See, we are elected
01:13:03 officials.
01:13:04 We have got responsibility for the citizens.
01:13:05 But we are also citizens who have responsibility to being
01:13:08 yourself.
01:13:10 So these things are all in my mind.
01:13:12 And I haven't figured out which I am going to do.
01:13:15 I am going to do one of them.
01:13:16 I just don't know which one.
01:13:18 And I would like to know what we are going to do with all
01:13:20 our houses.
01:13:21 And have rental certificates and houses that do not have
01:13:25 rental certificates, and they have 232 houses that were
01:13:30 confirmed, two or three that have come up.
01:13:33 In fact, council, without knowing it, 3205 north Lincoln
01:13:37 there, was a house that the people came over and said, no,
01:13:40 this is my cousin, you know.
01:13:42 And I asked the lady.
01:13:45 I think two doors.
01:13:47 Well, we want to -- have you got a wall between them?
01:13:51 Yeah.
01:13:51 What about kitchen?
01:13:52 Oh, we want to give them their own kitchen.
01:13:55 Guess what happened.
01:13:55 It passed 6 to 1.
01:13:57 About two months later the house sold.
01:14:00 It wasn't for their cousin.
01:14:02 It was for the rental income so they could sell the house
01:14:04 for more money.
01:14:08 3200 block of north Lincoln. Look at the price before and
01:14:11 look at the price after.
01:14:12 So what I am saying is, we have some problems here that may
01:14:17 be able to be addressed and should be addressed.
01:14:23 Pay the government no taxes and ad valorem.
01:14:29 School board.
01:14:32 City of Tampa.
01:14:33 Those taxes paid on the income at the end of the year to the
01:14:36 federal government.
01:14:38 I think that N my opinion I think the treasury department
01:14:42 should get involved.
01:14:43 I think that the good people at the tax situation could be
01:14:48 brought up.
01:14:49 I think we have to have a consortium of more than the City
01:14:53 of Tampa but other agencies to clear this thing up.
01:14:55 This is nothing more than rental stealing, is what it is.
01:14:58 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
01:14:59 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Point of order, Mr. Chairman.
01:15:04 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Dingfelder.
01:15:05 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes, sir.
01:15:08 On 57, I read the memo from staff.
01:15:12 It was a good comprehensive memo.
01:15:13 It talked about what the rental program is, and if we wanted
01:15:17 to expand it, how much it would cost.
01:15:19 And then I spoke with Ocea Wynn the last day or two, and we
01:15:26 talked about it some more.
01:15:27 I probably -- we should have suggested that item 57 is one
01:15:31 of those that we didn't necessarily need the verbal report.
01:15:37 My basic question to Ms. Wynn was, based upon everything I
01:15:40 have read and everything she and I talked about, I think the
01:15:43 rental certificate program is a $200 that you wasted effort.
01:15:47 And it's also a waste of time in terms of the landlord
01:15:51 participation.
01:15:51 Because at the end of the day, we collect 9 that you names
01:15:56 of people who were renting their houses, and those are the
01:15:59 ones like Charlie said, those are the ones who actually are
01:16:02 straight up and participate, but we don't do anything with
01:16:06 it.
01:16:07 We don't do anything with it in terms of enforcement.
01:16:11 We don't follow up to make sure that what they are telling
01:16:14 us is true.
01:16:15 We don't follow up and chase people down who don't
01:16:18 participate in the rental program, rental certificate
01:16:21 program.
01:16:22 We don't make any money from it.
01:16:24 And so it's a loser at $200,000 loser.
01:16:29 As the gentleman indicated we have 13 staff members who put
01:16:32 in some portion of their 100% some portion less than 25% of
01:16:39 the time to keep this thing going.
01:16:41 So I raise those questions to Ocea, and this department is
01:16:48 new to her, so she agreed that she and her staff were going
01:16:51 to take close look at it over the next couple of months, and
01:16:56 get back to us.
01:16:57 So with that, unless there's an objection, what I would like
01:17:00 to do is defer this item 57, and let Ms. Wynn come back to
01:17:06 us in 90 days after the first of the year to talk about the
01:17:14 liability of this -- viability of this program.
01:17:18 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Second, Mr. Dingfelder.
01:17:22 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: 90 days will put us in the January
01:17:24 window.
01:17:24 What do we have in January, Mr. Shelby?
01:17:27 >>MARTIN SHELBY: We have a regular meeting on the 14th
01:17:30 and you have a workshop on the 28th of January, 9:00
01:17:35 a.m.
01:17:35 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Under staff reports?
01:17:40 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Council, you only have one meeting, one
01:17:44 regular meeting scheduled now in the month of January, and
01:17:47 that will be the first meeting back from your winter break.
01:17:50 So you might want to try to keep that light and put it onto
01:17:54 the workshop suggestion, if I may suggestion.
01:17:56 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: The first meeting in February,
01:18:00 Mr. Chairman?
01:18:00 >>MARTIN SHELBY: The first meeting in February is February
01:18:03 4th.
01:18:04 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: That would be my motion.
01:18:05 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second from Councilman Miranda.
01:18:09 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: May I say one other thing, Mr. Chairman?
01:18:11 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir.
01:18:12 Go ahead.
01:18:12 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Thank you very much.
01:18:14 And the other thing is when you have this, we are accepting
01:18:19 the burden of proof ours for someone to prove that the
01:18:22 people that want to move in, or that one individual, your
01:18:27 mother-in-law, whatever it is -- and I am not against that
01:18:29 at all.
01:18:30 However, it should be the applicant's ability to professor
01:18:33 not prove that they are related, or whatever, because you
01:18:40 say, yeah, yeah, you gave me a name.
01:18:43 Well, that's irrelevant.
01:18:45 It goes further than that.
01:18:46 I think the burden of proof has to be opening them, not on
01:18:50 us.
01:18:50 We are putting it on ourselves to say who it is.
01:18:53 I agree if they do check it once a year, and if that person
01:18:59 is not there, then that certificate is null and void.
01:19:02 I agree with that.
01:19:06 At the same time, the people who are helping themselves are
01:19:09 the ones -- you have to be like everybody else.
01:19:13 You have got to shoulder the burden if you want to make the
01:19:16 money.
01:19:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
01:19:19 We have a motion by Councilman Dingfelder.
01:19:21 Second from Councilman Miranda.
01:19:22 That would be for February 4 under staff reports.
01:19:25 Is there any objection to the motion?
01:19:29 Hearing none, no objection, with unanimous consent, the
01:19:32 motion passes.
01:19:34 All right.
01:19:34 We are, let's see, four and a half hours into this meeting.
01:19:38 I think we can use a break.
01:19:40 We are going to take ten minutes.
01:19:42 Perhaps we need 15 minutes.
01:19:44 So if you can mute your phones, or mute your devices, and we
01:19:48 will come back from the break at 1:35.
01:19:54 1:35.
01:19:55 And we'll take roll call and take up from there.
01:19:59 So recess for 15 minutes until 1:35.
01:20:04 (City Council recess)
01:20:15
01:36:02 (Tampa City Council recess)
01:37:26 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Here.
01:37:27 >>BILL CARLSON: Here.
01:37:30 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Here.
01:37:31 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Here.
01:37:34 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Here.
01:37:36 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Here.
01:37:43 All right.
01:37:44 Thank you very much.
01:37:45 Before we get to the agenda I just want to make note that I
01:37:47 have an eye exam, and I have to log off at 2:50 so I can
01:37:55 drive over to the eye exam place.
01:37:57 So Congressman Citro, if the council agenda continues to
01:38:02 2:350 would you mind taking over?
01:38:05 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Not at all, Mr. Chair.
01:38:07 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
01:38:08 All right.
01:38:08 We will continue now with the agenda.
01:38:10 We have whit Remer, sustainability and resiliency director.
01:38:15 If you are on, sir, I know you have a Power Point
01:38:18 presentation.
01:38:18 If you would like to go ahead and present that.
01:38:22 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chairman, point of order.
01:38:24 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir, Councilman Dingfelder.
01:38:26 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Looks like we have quite a few items to
01:38:32 go.
01:38:32 As I said earlier in the meeting, you know, these are
01:38:35 opposed to be five minutes reports.
01:38:39 There's no way there's going to be a five minute report on
01:38:42 top of that.
01:38:43 Mr. Remer has gotten a lot of feedback from the community.
01:38:46 So what I would suggest is why don't we reschedule this for
01:38:50 another date?
01:38:53 And accomplish two things.
01:38:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Do you have a date in mind, sir?
01:38:59 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I don't think there's any urgency.
01:39:12 But I don't know.
01:39:12 I'm open.
01:39:14 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Any suggestion by any council members?
01:39:16 We did get public comment this morning which was
01:39:19 significant.
01:39:21 Quite a few members from the public stating their concerns
01:39:24 about this report.
01:39:26 So I understand where Councilman Dingfelder is coming from.
01:39:30 Is there a date, perhaps after the holidays beginning in
01:39:34 January?
01:39:35 Because I know that the agendas, our calendar is compressed
01:39:41 for November and December.
01:39:43 I'm open to suggestions by council members.
01:39:45 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: What's that workshop look like in
01:39:48 January, Mr. Shelby?
01:39:49 >>MARTIN SHELBY: It looks like the equal business
01:39:51 opportunity program, 26.5, and conducting an audit, and the
01:40:04 unfinished business staff reports, transportation department
01:40:08 discussing parking in right-of-way, residential areas.
01:40:11 Those are the only two items on your calendar right now.
01:40:15 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: How about the February workshop?
01:40:18 >>MARTIN SHELBY: February workshop is open.
01:40:20 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I will move this item for a more
01:40:22 comprehensive report into February, Mr. Chairman.
01:40:26 >> Second.
01:40:34 >> If I may.
01:40:35 I can go through my presentation fairly quickly.
01:40:39 And I do want to be able to respond to some of the comments
01:40:42 that we received this morning.
01:40:43 And I actually think that is important to do that sooner
01:40:47 than later.
01:40:48 We are currently drafting the RFP that will establish this
01:40:54 climate action report, and I want to be able to have as much
01:40:57 community feedback and input as we develop our RFP process
01:41:03 and we start writing that plan which is going to happen
01:41:05 hopefully in the first calendar year quarter, and it's
01:41:10 certainly your prerogative if you prefer to delay this.
01:41:13 I just wanted to give you just a little insight into both my
01:41:17 presentation and our timeline with this climate action
01:41:21 equity plan.
01:41:22 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Mr. Chairman, may I just chime in for a
01:41:24 minute?
01:41:26 Martin Shelby.
01:41:27 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes.
01:41:27 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Just a reminder to council that under your
01:41:30 form of government, the RFPs don't come back to City
01:41:33 Council for review before they are released.
01:41:37 So if that is in fact the case, it may be for council to
01:41:45 understand the process now and be able to give input now, if
01:41:48 that's going to be the timeline.
01:41:49 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: Although I second the motion, if he can
01:42:02 do this thing and we can get out of here, I don't mind
01:42:05 hearing it today.
01:42:05 I adopt want to put anything more burden on one individual
01:42:08 running a program.
01:42:10 That's what we have right now.
01:42:15 But I am not opposed to hearing it today if he's going to
01:42:18 hear it, if he says -- 10 or 15 minutes, I don't mind that
01:42:23 at all.
01:42:23 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Mr. Chair, if I may.
01:42:30 Mr. Remer, you have been sitting here all morning long.
01:42:34 And I would like to hear from him today.
01:42:36 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Anybody else?
01:42:39 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Mr. Chair, I think whit has a great
01:42:45 background in this position and I think ought to at least
01:42:49 have a minute to talk about his background and what he plans
01:42:52 to do in his defense and the city's defense.
01:42:56 Thank you.
01:42:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
01:43:01 Whit.
01:43:03 That was Councilman Carlson.
01:43:05 Anything else you would like to say at this time?
01:43:09 >>WHIT REMER: I am ready to proceed if that's the council's
01:43:12 directive.
01:43:13 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We had a motion to postpone this from
01:43:15 Councilman Dingfelder.
01:43:17 Does the second still stand?
01:43:19 Do council members wish to go ahead with this today?
01:43:22 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: If it's going to take an hour, but fits
01:43:27 going take 10 or 15 minutes I would like to hear it today.
01:43:31 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Mr. Remer, how long do you think your
01:43:33 presentation will take?
01:43:36 >>WHIT REMER: My presentation will take no more than seven
01:43:39 minutes.
01:43:39 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: I think we ought to listen to it today
01:43:41 and get it out of the way.
01:43:43 Councilman Dingfelder, what do you think?
01:43:44 Do you withdraw the motion, considering the --
01:43:48 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: That's fine.
01:43:51 The report looks like a lot more.
01:43:53 And I expect questions and answers.
01:43:55 But that's fine.
01:43:56 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right, Mr. Remer, go ahead.
01:43:58 >>WHIT REMER: Okay.
01:44:04 Hopefully you can now see the Power Point presentation.
01:44:07 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir.
01:44:11 >>WHIT REMER: Wonderful.
01:44:12 So I want to just kind of touch on some highlights within
01:44:17 the memo that was circulated to council, starting off with
01:44:20 renewable energy, which is really a first step, and really a
01:44:26 first for the city outright.
01:44:32 We have some of our police monitoring devices, and green
01:44:36 lights, we haven't done a whole lot of solar panels or
01:44:39 electric vehicle purchases in the last couple of years, and
01:44:42 we are moving in that direction.
01:44:44 And that's all being driven by mayor Castor's pledge to
01:44:48 transition the City of Tampa to 100% renewable energy by
01:44:52 2045, which was the target that we were asked to be complete
01:44:59 by originally and I heard this morning they would like a
01:45:02 more aggressive timeline and we are willing to look at
01:45:05 timelines that our sister cities have met or have pledged to
01:45:09 meet, and so this was simply a starting point, over a year
01:45:13 ago.
01:45:14 And like I said, happy to look at an updated timeline.
01:45:18 So see how this quickly transitions.
01:45:21 This is something the mayor pledged to do, and on the
01:45:24 right-hand side of the screen, you see in our budget
01:45:26 proposal, right here, we are going to create climate action
01:45:29 plan that's focused on areas, look at everything that we are
01:45:34 doing both within our municipal operation, also going to
01:45:38 look at permitting processes and green building standards,
01:45:41 community wide, really make sure that not only are we
01:45:45 committing to transitioning municipal operations but that we
01:45:48 are putting in place policies and goals that ultimately can
01:45:52 incentivize our entire community to transitioning to clean
01:45:56 renewable energy.
01:45:57 So I can't overstate that enough, that perhaps the way the
01:46:00 memo was framed was confusing, from the mayor's position, we
01:46:05 are laser focused on transitioning to municipal operations,
01:46:09 and the plan that we create, which I mentioned as part of
01:46:12 the RFP, will address community wide renewable energy goals.
01:46:17 Thank you.
01:46:18 So just a quick snapshot looking back.
01:46:21 I know a lot of folks mentioned from the public this morning
01:46:26 that it's a small portion of the City of Tampa footprint.
01:46:29 That's true, greenhouse gas we did back in 2009 and shows
01:46:33 that our wastewater, our waste energy absolutely accounts
01:46:36 for over 60% of our carbon emissions.
01:46:39 A couple other things in the renewable space.
01:46:42 A quick little fun project that we are working on here is
01:46:45 Woodland Terrace park.
01:46:47 Some of the residents have requested be able to take night
01:46:52 time walk to get fresh air and get their exercise in.
01:46:55 TECO looked at putting traditional lights in.
01:46:57 They couldn't get their equipment in there.
01:46:59 We saw this as a perfect opportunity to put clean renewable
01:47:02 energy projects to East Tampa, and I believe the purchase
01:47:06 order for this will be installed in the next couple of
01:47:10 months.
01:47:10 On the right-hand side of the screen, our police department
01:47:13 has made some great inroads with the recent purchase of
01:47:19 eight or nine, I believe, Nissan electric vehicles. This is
01:47:24 actually another great story whereby I think the traditional
01:47:29 purchase was slated to be made, and the new administration
01:47:33 it stepped in and said we looked at what vehicles instead of
01:47:37 the combustion once, and now we are going to be receiving
01:47:43 those.
01:47:44 Actually we have already accepted them and we are doing
01:47:46 some.
01:47:51 On the sustainabilities side, thanks to this council, we
01:47:54 passed a single use plastic regulation.
01:47:56 I want to update council that I have a draft executive order
01:48:00 sitting on my desk from the mayor, going to go back in, and
01:48:04 bolster the objectives to be more aspirational to show all
01:48:09 the things we are doing on single use plastics and solid
01:48:13 waste, so we are still putting the final touches on.
01:48:15 That it's forthcoming.
01:48:19 We are looking community wide at our environmental footprint
01:48:21 through the cities process that is taking an exorbitant
01:48:26 amount of time to put the documentation and narrative
01:48:28 together but it's given me an opportunities to meet city
01:48:31 staff and I would have never had a chance in my first three
01:48:35 or four months including our great landscape architects who
01:48:38 are incorporating green landscape elements, protecting our
01:48:41 urban tree canopy, improving our water efficiency, looking
01:48:44 at the transportation options.
01:48:46 Those are all the things that the LEED for cities process
01:48:49 does.
01:48:49 You can see just an array of the credits that we are going
01:48:52 to be applying for, shall applying for that next week, and
01:48:58 in the gold category request credits that we are looking at
01:49:00 right now, which would be actually higher than a lot of our
01:49:03 sister cities.
01:49:04 I wanted to mention another project that we are working on,
01:49:08 environmental justice project that was an opportunity that
01:49:11 was presented by e pluribus UNUM, and as you can see mayor
01:49:18 Castor this morning met with a distinguished group of
01:49:21 southeastern leaders to focus on racial and social justice
01:49:25 equity issues.
01:49:26 We presented a project to concentrate regenerating our urban
01:49:32 tree canopy.
01:49:39 That will take people from those communities, and plant new
01:49:45 shade in their neighborhoods to allow protected walking
01:49:47 because we know that we are going to be experiencing severe
01:49:52 heat events over 100 days with 105-degree heat in the next
01:49:59 10 to 15 years, so making sure we have shady places for our
01:50:03 citizens to walk is really important.
01:50:05 And I can mention, I would like to mention that organization
01:50:08 is really happy to see this project come through, and I
01:50:12 think we are probably one of the only ones.
01:50:17 Quickly, I just wanted to review some of the science that
01:50:20 you guys are driving the decisions and policies that we are
01:50:23 making here.
01:50:24 Everyone has seen these headlines in the "Tampa Bay Times"
01:50:27 related to flood being and storm surge and sea level rise.
01:50:31 Those headlines are important, but really, the actual
01:50:38 scientists here in the Tampa Bay community that are looking
01:50:41 at sea level rise, and this is one of the reports they put
01:50:44 out.
01:50:45 Here in Tampa, we are looking at two to eight and a half
01:50:49 feet sea level rise and disseminating it for our planning
01:50:55 build department, building codes department, and we are
01:50:58 trying to update our codes to meet the recommendations of
01:51:02 the science panels.
01:51:04 This is just a quick look at the sea level rise gauge of
01:51:09 St. Pete, just protected high, medium and low feet, and what
01:51:14 we use that intermediate number.
01:51:18 I am going to run through these really quickly. This is
01:51:20 what sea level rise will look at.
01:51:23 This is where we are rate now.
01:51:24 This is mean hey water mark.
01:51:26 I am going to go to one foot.
01:51:28 Two feet.
01:51:30 Three feet.
01:51:31 You can see kind of down the south part of the Pinellas, you
01:51:36 can see Hillsborough River, starting to get a lot of water
01:51:39 here.
01:51:40 That's four feet.
01:51:41 That's kind of a mid range that we are going to be looking
01:51:43 at.
01:51:44 That's going to be subject to sea level rise.
01:51:47 And then you can even go to five feet and eight feet and got
01:51:51 some real problems.
01:51:52 So we need to start mitigating the impacts and start
01:51:56 changing our building stock, our building processes with
01:51:59 that with these changing conditions.
01:52:03 Here is a report on something that we are doing.
01:52:05 Right now looks like 12 to 1400 properties by 2040 will be
01:52:09 affected by sea level rise.
01:52:10 80% of those are publicly owned.
01:52:12 We need to start working with our community partners.
01:52:15 Those on the front lines, those critical facilities to make
01:52:18 sure that we are adapting to climate change.
01:52:26 Again another thing that we are doing, we have a $75,000
01:52:30 grant to look at how our comprehensive plan and our
01:52:34 regulations currently either meet or don't meet the types of
01:52:40 changing positions that our scientists are telling us we
01:52:43 need to pay close attention to.
01:52:46 Again this is an insurance company report that's called
01:52:49 Karen Clark from a couple of years ago, related to storm
01:52:52 surge, which is a little different from sea level rise.
01:52:55 Sea level rise is gradual and occurs from normal expansion
01:52:58 in the oceans, melting ice sheets and things like that.
01:53:03 This will be like storm surge, pushing water into Tampa Bay.
01:53:07 And the report says Tampa Bay is the most vulnerable city in
01:53:10 the entire U.S. to storm surge.
01:53:13 We are laser focused on finding policies and programs and
01:53:17 projects to help mitigate and adopt these hazardous
01:53:25 conditions.
01:53:25 And here is another thing that's happening.
01:53:27 Our real estate is starting to change, and the companies
01:53:32 that are selling houses like realtor.com are giving us flood
01:53:40 portions, a house south of Gandy area, shows you the flood
01:53:44 zone.
01:53:44 If you click on that, it pops up and gives you a flood score
01:53:47 and says this is a high risk area, and you need to make sure
01:53:52 you buy flood insurance.
01:53:53 You should have a plan to evacuate.
01:53:55 And you need to understand the tape of investment that you
01:53:58 are making.
01:54:00 Here are some flood maps.
01:54:01 We have new flood maps coming on line in January of next
01:54:04 year, it's going to put a lot more people in flood zones.
01:54:07 It's going to take a couple people out of flood zones.
01:54:10 But we haven't had updated flood maps in over 20 years here
01:54:13 in Tampa.
01:54:14 The science has changed and this is a welcome addition.
01:54:18 Quickly on stormwater, we just received a report in June of
01:54:20 this year looking at all of our stormwater outflow, there's
01:54:24 over 500 of them.
01:54:25 Many of them are subject to the potential impacts of sea
01:54:28 level rise.
01:54:29 I know our stormwater team is taking sustainability and
01:54:33 resilience in the decisions that they are making every
01:54:36 single day and making sure stormwater analysis, and raise to
01:54:42 a level that will be safe from impending tides and normal
01:54:47 rise.
01:54:48 One of the projects that they are doing, they created their
01:54:50 GIS map to show green infrastructure projects.
01:54:53 Green infrastructure projects help with water quality,
01:54:56 stormwater management, and a new and refreshing way not
01:55:00 using grade pipes and infrastructure but using nature based
01:55:05 solutions.
01:55:06 On the resilience front, we are part of the Tampa Bay
01:55:09 resiliency coalition, and we are working with a group of
01:55:13 International resilience experts called the resilience
01:55:16 cities catalyst to develop a resilience Tampa road M.A.P.
01:55:20 I can tell you that that process has been extraordinarily a
01:55:23 learning experience, and we are coalescing around four
01:55:26 priority areas, and those are going to be focused on
01:55:30 transportation, climate change, affordable housing, and
01:55:33 addressing the wealth gap.
01:55:35 So it isn't just about the infrastructure, it's about how
01:55:39 all of these things that mayor Castor has brought Ford are
01:55:43 tied together.
01:55:43 She was serious when she said resilience underpins
01:55:47 everything we do.
01:55:47 And that's the end of my presentation.
01:55:49 I'm happy to tap questions.
01:55:50 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Do we have any questions from council
01:55:53 members?
01:55:53 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Mr. Chair, if I may.
01:55:59 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Citro, go ahead.
01:56:02 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Thank you very much.
01:56:05 Whit, thank you for your report.
01:56:07 I do VRB a question.
01:56:08 How come you establish a community wide process with our
01:56:13 citizens that engages people to help respond to these
01:56:17 environmental threats and our path to become a resilient
01:56:22 city?
01:56:23 >>WHIT REMER: Thanks for the question, Councilman Citro.
01:56:27 As far as our equity plan that we are going to be writing
01:56:29 the RFP O an there will be a major component based on
01:56:33 community outreach.
01:56:34 That will be a huge part of the RFP, and when we are
01:56:38 interviewing potential respondents, we will ask about their
01:56:43 plans.
01:56:43 I will certainly be in the community.
01:56:45 I will be working with our community partners to make sure
01:56:47 that we are getting as well-rounded of response as possible.
01:56:51 In addition we are going to be creating a short-term climate
01:56:54 advisory committee that will help our community partners
01:56:59 steer that climate action and equity plan, so multiple
01:57:04 opportunities forthcoming.
01:57:05 I look very much forward to working with our community
01:57:07 partners, to have a voice in that plan.
01:57:09 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Thank you very much, whit.
01:57:11 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
01:57:12 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you.
01:57:13 Anybody else have any questions?
01:57:14 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes, sir.
01:57:21 Dingfelder.
01:57:21 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Dingfelder.
01:57:25 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Thank you.
01:57:30 Whit, I wasn't planning -- I want to make sure you have
01:57:36 adequate.
01:57:37 If you want to come back with a report in the spring or
01:57:40 something like that, let us know.
01:57:41 So two questions.
01:57:43 Two or three questions.
01:57:45 Number one, somebody mentioned an RFP.
01:57:47 What's the RFP?
01:57:49 >>WHIT REMER: The RFP will be a solicitation of services to
01:57:53 help us create action plan.
01:57:59 We have one helped us back in 2011.
01:58:05 I didn't get a whole lot of traction so we are going to
01:58:08 rewrite our plan with an intense focus on action oriented
01:58:11 solutions for the city itself, how we can transition to 100%
01:58:20 renewable, and what we should be looking at as a community
01:58:25 to help us reach that 100%.
01:58:27 Renewable goal and look at all of the climate related issues
01:58:31 that we need to be paying attention to, and get out of the
01:58:36 one man shop and it's pretty difficult for cities to use
01:58:39 outside services.
01:58:40 The RFP will bring in architectural engineering to the city
01:58:44 to help create that plan.
01:58:45 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Okay.
01:58:48 So looking at your pie chart, I don't know if you have got
01:58:52 that handy, like the third or fourth slide, I think.
01:58:58 Are you controlling that or is somebody else?
01:59:02 >>WHIT REMER: I can control it.
01:59:06 Give me one second.
01:59:08 There we go.
01:59:10 That one?
01:59:12 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Correct.
01:59:12 So the elephant in the room is the wastewater treatment plan
01:59:16 at 35% for our greenhouse gas emissions, McKay waste
01:59:24 burning our garbage plant at 36%, totaling 71% with all the
01:59:30 cities emissions according to 2009 study.
01:59:38 Obviously, those are two critical functions in the city.
01:59:46 I imagine, I have been out to the wastewater plant recently
01:59:52 for another tour.
01:59:52 I would imagine it's just digesting of the organics instead
01:59:58 of the wastewater treatment process, missed greenhouse gases
02:00:04 is sort of like a cow chewing its CUD off the backside.
02:00:13 So what kind of possible proposal is there request those
02:00:21 gases?
02:00:22 I know that there have been experiments, especially the
02:00:31 methane, and generate electricity with methane.
02:00:36 But my other question is, on the waste to energy, what is
02:00:39 the possible solution?
02:00:43 Is anybody talking about when we burn our trash, the energy
02:00:46 we burn our trash, and --
02:00:53 >>WHIT REMER: Thanks for that question.
02:00:56 I might have to defer some of this and get back to you, to
02:00:58 get a little bit more specifics from our engineers that run
02:01:02 the facilities.
02:01:04 But in general, I can tell you that the wastewater probably
02:01:06 has to do with more of the pumps and the moving of the water
02:01:12 in the facility that's energy -- I think it's actually
02:01:18 electricity that actually power the pumps, although they
02:01:19 might be including within that calculation some of the
02:01:23 updated emissions from the digestion process.
02:01:28 In terms of offsetting or reducing that, we are going to
02:01:31 have to have a wastewater treatment facility.
02:01:33 I think they have a master plan to upgrade it.
02:01:35 They are bringing in some co-generation opportunity, but
02:01:40 ultimately, this is a critical function that will probably,
02:01:45 as it exists now, not change a whole lot over the next year
02:01:51 but one thing we can do as a city, invest in renewable
02:01:55 energy to help offset some of this energy that's being used,
02:01:59 and we can put solar panels either on-site or somewhere
02:02:03 else, and use that renewable resource as part of the offset.
02:02:08 We are looking at any number of options.
02:02:10 Those are engineering related questions.
02:02:11 Those are the exact types of things that I am going to be
02:02:14 asking in the RFP for help on, Councilman.
02:02:18 That's why the RFP.
02:02:20 The same thing with waste energy facilities.
02:02:22 It's a low hanging fruit.
02:02:23 Simply a need to recycle, to reduce the waste going into
02:02:27 that facility.
02:02:28 So we are not burning as much.
02:02:31 That's easy to say, harder to do.
02:02:33 But again looking for efficiencies and the stacks there that
02:02:42 hit those carbon emissions, you know, any number of
02:02:45 technologies that exist.
02:02:46 And that's exactly why we need help understanding what are
02:02:49 if best of those innovative cities doing on these things?
02:02:52 Come tell us those ideas and give us an opportunity to
02:02:55 replicate.
02:02:55 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: So in regard to wastewater, you are
02:02:58 right.
02:02:59 Glad you reminded us of that.
02:03:02 We are probably spending $100 million on the consultant
02:03:05 engineer to look at wastewater plants, and I think it's
02:03:12 really, really important considering 35% of the total
02:03:16 emissions that you plug yourself in to that process and make
02:03:23 sure that your issues, our issues, resiliency, are addressed
02:03:31 in whatever they are doing when they reengineer that plant.
02:03:35 And then the same thing on waste to energy, we just take
02:03:39 ownership or took control, and we always had ownership, but
02:03:42 we took control of MacKay Bay, and now we are doing a lot of
02:03:46 reengineering and retrofitting.
02:03:49 Again I know you are just a one-man band, but I would urge
02:03:54 to plug yourself in to the MacKay Bay, because about 71% of
02:03:59 our emissions, we can play around a lot on a lot of other
02:04:03 things but we can only make progress in those two.
02:04:08 >>WHIT REMER: If I may, Councilman.
02:04:11 I'm sorry.
02:04:14 I just want to respond.
02:04:15 I can tell you those facilities have been incredibly
02:04:20 welcoming to those ideas and have embraced in their master
02:04:23 planning initiative.
02:04:25 Been out to McKay base twice and been to the wastewater
02:04:29 treatment facility once.
02:04:30 That was the first stop in the first couple of weeks I came
02:04:33 onboard.
02:04:34 And you are right.
02:04:35 To that point, efficiency is the cheapest way to start
02:04:39 reducing our carbon emissions and achieve that removable.
02:04:43 There's no point in going and over building a big solar
02:04:47 field to offset emissions where we could have achieved it
02:04:50 much cheaper and much quicker on efficiency.
02:04:53 I just want to make that point.
02:04:55 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: My last point is concurring with the
02:04:59 community.
02:05:00 And I saw the 2045, it kind of made me gulp.
02:05:06 I don't even want to think about how old I would be.
02:05:09 And I would love to have see something more like 2030.
02:05:14 Anyway, that's just a comment.
02:05:16 All right.
02:05:16 Thank you, sir.
02:05:17 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO:
02:05:19 >> thank you very much.
02:05:20 Any other council members?
02:05:22 >>BILL CARLSON: Mr. Chair.
02:05:23 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Carlson.
02:05:25 >>BILL CARLSON: Just a quick comment and we can address
02:05:27 this later.
02:05:28 But obviously the maps are a dire warning for South Tampa.
02:05:34 I think probably most people in South Tampa have seen some
02:05:37 version of those maps before.
02:05:39 I have held a couple forums on this, and the feedback I got
02:05:43 from the community, the experts in the community, is that
02:05:47 probably the first in line will be the risk managers, the
02:05:51 insurance companies, will stop covering property, and then
02:05:54 the mortgage companies will stop covering property.
02:05:59 But I heard some of your comments about certain parts of
02:06:04 South Tampa, but look forward to working with you to
02:06:08 appropriately educate and inform the public about the risks
02:06:13 that are being taken, and not everything can be fixed
02:06:17 through building more pipes.
02:06:21 It will require major, major infrastructure or we'll have to
02:06:24 retreat that.
02:06:26 So look forward to hearing more about that later.
02:06:28 Thank you.
02:06:28 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
02:06:33 Anyone else?
02:06:36 Anybody else?
02:06:39 All right.
02:06:39 Thank you very much, sir.
02:06:40 We appreciate the presentation.
02:06:44 Next up, by request, TPD, and we have chief Bercaw, because
02:06:53 of a scheduling conflict, we would like to take up number
02:06:57 64.
02:06:58 And I know that there was a presentation, a Power Point for
02:07:01 it.
02:07:05 If we could go to 64 and then 61 and 66 and that will
02:07:09 complete the agenda.
02:07:09 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Mr. Chairman, just a remained fer you can.
02:07:14 Number 59 is something that I believe has not been received
02:07:17 and filed.
02:07:17 I don't know if you even passed that but just a reminder.
02:07:20 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Can I get a motion to receive and file
02:07:23 number 59?
02:07:25 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: So moved, Mr. Chairman.
02:07:26 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Second.
02:07:27 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Miranda with a second by
02:07:29 Councilman Citro.
02:07:31 Any objection?
02:07:35 All right.
02:07:35 By unanimous consent without any objection, that passes.
02:07:40 All right.
02:07:40 Number 64.
02:07:42 I think we have Lee Bercaw on the line.
02:07:48 >>CHIEF BERCAW: Good afternoon and thank you for the
02:07:51 agenda.
02:07:53 >>Chief Bercaw. This is going to be very brief.
02:07:55 Just a quick update on our mental health program.
02:07:57 If you go to the next slide, please.
02:08:00 So I am very excited about our progress and the
02:08:02 implementation of this program, as is the mayor, the chief
02:08:06 and myself, and the organization.
02:08:08 As we feel that this program will bring a value to our
02:08:11 agency and the city as a whole.
02:08:15 In the last 30 days, our teams conducted meetings with a
02:08:19 variety of stakeholders.
02:08:20 The first one I have listed on here is Justin Coffie and his
02:08:24 team.
02:08:24 We actually met with them several times on virtual meetings
02:08:27 with our group.
02:08:28 And they provided a lot of research and valuable insight so
02:08:32 we do appreciate their assistance.
02:08:34 And Dr. Kathleen Morris is part of our team from the
02:08:38 University of South Florida.
02:08:39 She's assisting us in the drafting of the RFA process.
02:08:42 CLARA Reynold which I am sure you all know at the crisis
02:08:46 center of Tampa Bay, her organization has said that they are
02:08:49 not going to be part of this RFA process, so she is going to
02:08:52 help us out and be a stakeholder and subject matter expert
02:08:56 for us in this program.
02:09:01 And of course City of Tampa purchasing has assisted us
02:09:04 greatly in drafting our RFA.
02:09:06 We also conduct good site visits, Pasco County sheriff's
02:09:11 office to speak with our commanders.
02:09:13 And he we found a Webinar at Saint Leo university on this
02:09:18 exact subject on social work and policing, where Pasco of
02:09:22 St. Pete again highlighted their programs.
02:09:24 Our RFA draft has been submitted to purchasing, and is
02:09:29 necessarily finalized.
02:09:30 We are seeking some more language on there but we should
02:09:32 have it finalized shortly.
02:09:35 Next slide, please.
02:09:37 So our RFA as we discussed before is going to be very broad
02:09:43 and open up a lot of potential options.
02:09:46 That does make drafting the RFA very difficult.
02:09:49 Because we are not itemizing a particular plan or program.
02:09:53 And we are basically saying what does the community think
02:09:56 would be best for this area, the subject matter experts?
02:09:59 To give the community some guidance, we have highlighted
02:10:01 these programs here.
02:10:03 Pasco County's program, the behavioral health intervention
02:10:07 team, Houston Texas program, the crisis intervention and
02:10:10 response team, the Dallas Texas model, the rapid integration
02:10:14 group health care team, and Eugene Oregon, cahoots program
02:10:19 which we are all familiar with.
02:10:21 Next slide, please.
02:10:24 So the next 30 days, we are going to be preparing the RFA
02:10:29 draft for publishing.
02:10:30 We are going to establish the RFA evaluation review
02:10:34 committee, publish the RFA, and at that point that's what's
02:10:38 critical as the next step is to engage and educate the
02:10:41 stakeholders.
02:10:42 Some stakeholders may not be aware that this is coming out
02:10:45 so we are going to be proactively reaching out to them so
02:10:48 they will know that this RFA is published.
02:10:50 We will be responding to the inquiries.
02:10:52 We'll have an information session where they can speak to us
02:10:56 and ask us questions about the RFA.
02:10:58 And then we will prepare to close it and give our response
02:11:02 evaluations.
02:11:03 Next slide.
02:11:06 So the timeline is difficult to put exact markers on it,
02:11:11 because we are being methodical and diligent in our process
02:11:16 which we pay will pay dividends in the long run but the goal
02:11:19 is to have the RFA published in the next week or two, have
02:11:22 the RFA open for approximately four weeks.
02:11:25 Assuming we get responses, we will complete the evaluation,
02:11:29 and identify the best program options for the Tampa police
02:11:32 department.
02:11:34 We are aiming for early 2021 where we will begin the pilot
02:11:38 program process.
02:11:39 So that's just a quick brief update.
02:11:42 If there's any questions, I will be happy to answer them.
02:11:44 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Do we have any questions at this time?
02:11:48 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Just a comment.
02:11:52 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead, sir.
02:11:54 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I just wanted to thank chief Bercaw for
02:12:01 pursuing this with great vigor and speed.
02:12:04 I think it's very exciting.
02:12:07 I'm very pleased that they included all the different
02:12:09 agencies that they are looking at, including the cahoots
02:12:15 program that is responsive to the community [~audio
02:12:27 distortion~]
02:12:28 I have one question if you can answer it, Lee.
02:12:31 I was sort of surprised and disappointed with the crisis
02:12:34 center that they didn't want to participate.
02:12:39 Can you tell me why?
02:12:41 And can we change their mind or not?
02:12:46 >> I don't want to speak for CLARA Reynold but it's my
02:12:51 suggestions that they have too many projects right now.
02:12:53 To be honest with you, I'm happy that she's a stakeholder on
02:12:55 our end so it benefits just as much this way.
02:12:59 I'm just speculating as to her response.
02:13:01 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: You are comfortable there's other
02:13:05 potential providers out there?
02:13:09 >>Chief Bercaw: I'm optimistic.
02:13:11 We are trying to get this through quickly because other
02:13:13 agencies are doing the same thing so the sooner we get it
02:13:16 out, the more options we will have.
02:13:18 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Again thank you for your hard work on
02:13:20 this.
02:13:22 When is the next time that you would anticipate coming back
02:13:25 to us with an update?
02:13:29 I guess after --
02:13:33 >>CHIEF BERCAW: I would go at the beginning of the year.
02:13:40 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I missed that.
02:13:41 I'm sorry.
02:13:42 >>Chief Bercaw: I would say the beginning of the year if
02:13:45 you are looking for a substance report.
02:13:46 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Okay.
02:13:49 Well, you know what?
02:13:50 I will leave in the your hands to schedule something
02:13:54 understood chief of staff report to come back to us with an
02:13:58 update when you have something substantive to report.
02:14:00 >>Chief Bercaw: Sound good.
02:14:05 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
02:14:08 Anybody else?
02:14:12 Anybody else?
02:14:12 All right.
02:14:13 Thank you very much, sir.
02:14:14 We will go to item number 61.
02:14:16 We have a memo from Andrea Zelman, if Ms. Zelman is on the
02:14:20 line.
02:14:20 >>ANDREA ZELMAN: Yes.
02:14:22 I don't know how much detail you want me to go into.
02:14:24 I'm sorry, this is Andrea Zelman, deputy city attorney.
02:14:28 I did provide the memo, just briefly.
02:14:31 Council had asked us to look into the possibility of doing a
02:14:36 salary history ban which is a relatively new tool designed
02:14:42 to prevent pay discrimination, particularly for women, when
02:14:49 employers -- (cell phone ringing)
02:14:55 I'll wait.
02:14:55 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Please mute your cell phone.
02:15:02 Thank you.
02:15:02 >>ANDREA ZELMAN: Anyway, the ban would prevent the city
02:15:06 from asking prospective employees what their salary was
02:15:10 before being hired that if you have been historically paid
02:15:14 less than say women are typically paid less than men, then
02:15:17 that's asking the history, and then theoretically would you
02:15:21 then say the new salary on that history perpetuates the
02:15:27 gender discrimination.
02:15:28 So the concept is to stop asking that question.
02:15:34 So as I outlined in the memo, it would certainly be
02:15:36 appropriate for council to ask the mayor to implement a
02:15:40 policy banning that question here at the city.
02:15:44 And I also have Kelly Austin here to quickly explain how
02:15:48 that could be done, should that be council's wish.
02:15:51 >>KELLY AUSTIN: Human resources.
02:15:57 And we did a little bit of research that for the application
02:16:07 and programmatically, we fixed on the form that we could
02:16:12 implement to eliminate salary ask, and when the candidate,
02:16:18 the chosen candidate is to be accepted for the job, we can
02:16:21 provide them with a supplemental questionnaire that asks
02:16:26 what scared or expected salary is.
02:16:29 So we would not be asking for the historical salary.
02:16:32 It would be what their desired or expected salary is for the
02:16:35 position in which they are applying.
02:16:36 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Mr. Chair?
02:16:48 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir.
02:16:48 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Thank you, Andrea. Thank you, Kelly.
02:16:51 That sounds good in regard to the city's process.
02:16:55 But I think the larger question, which I think you dabbled
02:17:01 in, Andrea, was what can we legally do out in the community
02:17:08 to discourage or prohibit employers from making including
02:17:16 that in their application process?
02:17:19 And their hiring process?
02:17:22 And I wasn't sure after reading the memo if Florida is
02:17:28 different from New York, it appears that to a certain extent
02:17:37 they help women.
02:17:38 And women leave the job force for X number of years to have
02:17:43 some children, and typically will raise them for a while,
02:17:48 then they come back in, and they have lost momentum and that
02:17:53 sort of thing, and then they get paid less, and that's not
02:17:57 fair.
02:17:57 So I think I guess I'm preaching to the choir with the two
02:18:01 of you.
02:18:02 But can we do it in Tampa?
02:18:08 Can we do in the Florida?
02:18:09 And if so, why don't we?
02:18:11 >>ANDREA ZELMAN: Let me quickly address that.
02:18:15 First, I did want to remind you at the outset, and we
02:18:20 touched a little bit on this in the memo that there is
02:18:23 pending in Congress a federal salary history ban, the
02:18:29 Florida legislature has taken this up every year since 2018
02:18:33 but has yet to pass it.
02:18:35 There is already in the Florida statutes a prohibition
02:18:41 against wage rates, discrimination based on second but
02:18:46 probably more significantly in chapter 12 of our code, our
02:18:49 human rights ordinance, the city provides a cause of action
02:18:55 for people who believe they have been the target of unlawful
02:18:58 discrimination.
02:18:59 And that includes determination with regard to wage
02:19:04 disparity based on gender.
02:19:06 Again chapter 12, cause of action where you can file a
02:19:11 complaint with our office of human rights.
02:19:15 So we do have a number of protections in place, in terms
02:19:18 of -- I'm sorry, go ahead?
02:19:23 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Go ahead.
02:19:23 I did read that in the memo.
02:19:25 I just think that this is a more subtle form of
02:19:28 discrimination.
02:19:28 I think it would be extremely hard to ever prove.
02:19:32 But I think that we all know that it happens implicitly, not
02:19:39 explicitly.
02:19:40 And I think this would be a very good proactive way to limit
02:19:44 any opportunity for discrimination, you know, and why should
02:19:49 people have to prove it?
02:19:51 Why don't we just try to cut it off at the pass?
02:19:54 So that leads to my next question.
02:19:56 You said 20 states have allowed for it. Florida, obviously
02:19:59 it's been proposed in Tallahassee and it will never go
02:20:03 through as long as a certain party is in power, and just
02:20:07 because no Florida county or city has adopted it, the
02:20:11 question is, can we do it?
02:20:14 >>ANDREA ZELMAN: That is what I was going to go to next.
02:20:17 While a number of states have adopted state-wide salary
02:20:22 history bans that apply to both public and private
02:20:26 employers, at the city and county level nationwide, I found
02:20:31 literally a handful that apply a salary history ban to
02:20:38 private employers as well as government employers.
02:20:44 And again, this is a relatively new thing that really when
02:20:50 you go back to do the research, it's only been utilized for
02:20:57 probably the last three years.
02:20:59 One city to date, there's one published case addressing the
02:21:04 constitutionality of a city applying a salary history ban
02:21:09 city-wide, and that was in Philadelphia.
02:21:13 I can give you the case cite later, Mr. Dingfelder.
02:21:16 But in that case, the local Chamber of Commerce sued the
02:21:19 city of Philadelphia arguing that it was an infringement on
02:21:24 commercial speech, you know, banning employers from asking
02:21:28 their employees that.
02:21:30 And that days the third circuit court of appeals did up
02:21:33 Hollywood the salary ban.
02:21:35 The city salary ban, I'm sorry.
02:21:38 But I would point out that the basis on which they upheld it
02:21:43 was by finding that the city has met the intermediate
02:21:48 scrutiny test that applies to infringement on commercial
02:21:51 speech, and specifically they cited to the very extensive
02:21:56 expert testimony that was provided when the City Council
02:22:00 decided to adopt the ban, because it's one of those cases
02:22:04 where you have to first determine that there is a
02:22:07 substantial interest at stake, and then make sure that what
02:22:12 you are doing is narrowly tailored to address that interest.
02:22:15 So I would caution council before we move forward with
02:22:19 anything like that, we would need to make sure that first it
02:22:24 was necessary in the City of Tampa, and again, you would
02:22:29 have to build that record ...
02:22:38 [No encoder]
02:22:57 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Thank you, Andrea.I feel like on these
02:23:01 things, we are never willing to step out and lead.
02:23:05 We look across the bay to St. Petersburg, and they take
02:23:10 aggressive, bold steps.
02:23:15 And Orlando up the road, take progressive bold steps.
02:23:19 And I think this is a great example of something where we
02:23:22 can say -- and I agree with you, we have to do it
02:23:25 methodically.
02:23:26 You know, we have to accumulate our evidence and accumulate
02:23:30 our witnesses, obviously, in a public hearing, if the
02:23:34 chamber wants to oppose it, then they can oppose it.
02:23:37 And then we can listen to what the policy is.
02:23:39 But I think this is a really, really neat idea.
02:23:48 The airspace protection act.
02:23:50 And we all new Ellen Davis and she would be very proud of
02:23:54 fuss we moved forward on this thing. Anyway, I'll bring it
02:23:57 back as new business at a later date.
02:24:01 You and I can talk about it a little more.
02:24:03 But I just think it's a worthwhile endeavor.
02:24:10 I hope all my fellow council members do too.
02:24:13 >> thank you very much.
02:24:14 Do any other council members have any questions on this
02:24:16 item?
02:24:17 Thank you very much.
02:24:19 Thank you, Ms. Zelman.
02:24:21 We appreciate it.
02:24:22 And we will go to item number 66 which is the final item of
02:24:26 our agenda today.
02:24:27 It's a motion from council member Gudes regarding Williams
02:24:32 park building with and the condition.
02:24:34 >>BRAD BAIRD: Deputy administrator of infrastructure.
02:24:45 I am going to introduce PJ Calloway, our resident engineer
02:24:50 who oversees all the construction of city projects, and that
02:24:54 abilities to about fifty projects.
02:24:58 And he will give a short report.
02:25:02 Hopefully addressing Councilman Gudes' concerns on this
02:25:06 project.
02:25:07 With that I will turn it over to PJ.
02:25:09 >> Thanks, Brad.
02:25:11 Good afternoon, chairman and City Council.
02:25:13 I'm here to speak about the issue that the Councilman
02:25:17 graduate up regarding Williams park, the center expansion.
02:25:22 I believe there are three items that were brought up.
02:25:26 One is loose handrails.
02:25:27 I was on-site last Friday and they were installed
02:25:35 incorrectly.
02:25:35 They were corrected as of last night.
02:25:38 The second item ongoing is a color match by the block I
02:25:46 believe is the issue.
02:25:47 That existing building has been there for at least 15 years.
02:25:50 And the color that we chose, and chosen by the team,
02:25:54 including us and parks and rec, was the closest match
02:25:57 available.
02:25:58 The contractor bid for the correct block.
02:26:02 It was brought on-site and was constructed.
02:26:05 Unfortunately, there is some natural variation in masonry
02:26:09 type items.
02:26:09 And that's where we stand.
02:26:12 There isn't a complete match for that building material.
02:26:15 The last item that I had was the operation of the HVAC
02:26:21 system out there.
02:26:22 Apparently it wasn't operating correctly, at least when
02:26:25 Councilman Gudes visited the site.
02:26:29 So the system, mechanically, was performing correctly, but
02:26:32 there was a programming issue request it.
02:26:36 Since that time, we have had the subcontractor who supplied
02:26:41 the HVAC system on-site and they have reprogrammed it.
02:26:44 That was done on October 8th.
02:26:46 And since that time we have not had any issues with the HVAC
02:26:51 system working correctly at the park.
02:26:54 So we are very close to completing the job.
02:26:56 And we are working through a few items, one of which Mr.
02:27:02 Gudes brought to our attention.
02:27:04 There are some changes that we are going to redo inside the
02:27:06 building.
02:27:07 And there is some ongoing existing park center.
02:27:12 So we are very necessary completion.
02:27:13 And ready to turn it over to parks and rec and open it up to
02:27:17 the public.
02:27:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
02:27:21 Thank you very much.
02:27:22 Councilman Gudes, this is your motion.
02:27:24 Did you have any questions or comments?
02:27:25 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I talked to Mr. Spearman offline this
02:27:29 week.
02:27:32 The just had a small, small idea of what was going on at the
02:27:40 facility over there.
02:27:41 There are a lot more issues than indicated in the report.
02:27:44 I don't know if I can get into it over line right now.
02:27:49 I think he assured me that they are working on several of
02:27:52 the issues that happened with that facility.
02:27:57 And the issue needs to direct a lot more than the three
02:28:03 issues that I did name.
02:28:04 I know that Ocea Wynn and staff went out there and confirmed
02:28:12 a lot of shoddy work was done on this project.
02:28:17 I don't know how it passed, to get this far, but I do know
02:28:21 that they are working on a lot of those issues, what other
02:28:26 than what the gentleman just talked about.
02:28:27 I really want to know, I have not heard the dollar amount of
02:28:31 what was allocated to that project.
02:28:33 The program is lake 306 square foot, I think the other 150.
02:28:38 Maybe the area, so 750 square foot building, still haven't
02:28:49 got the dollar amount on it.
02:28:52 Do we have those numbers on it yet?
02:28:54 >>BRAD BAIRD: Yes, I forgot to put it up in front of me.
02:29:00 But it's 1200 square foot addition for 563,795.
02:29:07 And as I told you the other day, we also have a pending
02:29:13 change order, $77,000, which is requested by the Parks and
02:29:18 Recreation Department.
02:29:21 However, we do have -- we did receive six or seven bids.
02:29:27 And they range from this low bid of 564,000 roughly up to
02:29:34 over $800,000.
02:29:36 So it was competitively bid.
02:29:38 And we did go with the lowest responsive responsible bidder.
02:29:43 >>ORLANDO GUDES: We talked offline already, and you
02:29:51 understand my frustration with what I saw in the process.
02:29:54 So hopefully going forward, we will have these issues -- I
02:29:59 am just glad the community is looking for it to be opened.
02:30:03 It's been delayed since March.
02:30:04 So probably should be on track with that, within the next --
02:30:08 the end of this month, hopefully by the first of November?
02:30:12 >> We got it.
02:30:16 >> This is PJ Calloway, engineer.
02:30:21 We do have a certificate of occupancy and as I said the
02:30:26 building is almost ready to be open.
02:30:28 We are just cleaning up so that parks and rec will feel
02:30:32 comfortable bringing the public into that building.
02:30:34 >>ORLANDO GUDES: And what about the inside cleaning job?
02:30:40 Are we going after the contractor in reference to this
02:30:42 project?
02:30:45 We are spending some of our money on this now, correct?
02:30:48 >>BRAD BAIRD: Yes, sir, Councilman.
02:30:50 The contractor will be repainting that entire addition.
02:30:57 And you are correct about the painting.
02:31:00 It's very strange, actually.
02:31:02 I have never seen anything like it.
02:31:05 At certain angles, you see different sheens from the paint.
02:31:09 So we made the decision earlier this week to just repaint
02:31:15 that entire addition.
02:31:17 And then as PJ said, also, you have seen the tile on the
02:31:23 inside.
02:31:24 We will be cleaning that tile, recleaning that tile again to
02:31:30 make it look as good as we possibly can.
02:31:34 I just want to bring up something you brought up to me the
02:31:36 other day about the children having to go outside to go to
02:31:42 the bathroom, you know, when it's raining and might get wet.
02:31:46 So we looked into that with our architect as well.
02:31:50 And for that reason, we made the bathroom that's connected
02:31:53 to the main building a unisex bathroom, and then the
02:32:02 bathroom on the out building, that's also a unisex bathroom.
02:32:06 So that should not be an issue.
02:32:07 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Look at that floor in there.
02:32:12 That floor was pretty bad in there.
02:32:15 Looking inside, that floor was never done.
02:32:18 So I hope that's added into what we are going to finish up
02:32:21 on there.
02:32:21 >>BRAD BAIRD: It is.
02:32:23 And we will be doing another cleaning.
02:32:26 It was cleaned once, believe it or not.
02:32:28 But yes, there are numerous scuff marks, you know, the
02:32:33 contractor going across the existing flooring, and we will
02:32:38 be cleaning that for a second time, the entire floor.
02:32:44 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Thank you, Mr. Chair.
02:32:47 Thank you, Mr. Baird and Mr. Galloway.
02:32:51 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
02:32:52 Anybody else?
02:32:55 Thank you so much.
02:32:56 We appreciate it very much.
02:32:57 If I could get a motion for item 52 and 53.
02:33:02 They need to be received and filed.
02:33:03 >>ORLANDO GUDES: So moved.
02:33:08 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Second, Citro.
02:33:10 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second by Citro.
02:33:12 Any objection to receiving and fail these documents?
02:33:15 Hearing none by unanimous consent, and no objection, we have
02:33:18 received and filed items 62 and 63.
02:33:20 For item 65, we have a resolution for the $500 to be donated
02:33:28 to crossover church.
02:33:29 We discussed it earlier.
02:33:30 It was brought forth by Councilman Viera.
02:33:33 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Move the resolution.
02:33:38 >>THE CLERK: Chair that resolution was already adopted.
02:33:41 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Oh, we already did it?
02:33:42 Okay, I'm sorry.
02:33:45 Well, that settles the agenda.
02:33:46 We are in new business from council members.
02:33:51 I am going to start with council member Miranda if you have
02:33:53 any new business, sir.
02:33:57 Council member Miranda, do you have any new business?
02:34:04 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: No new business.
02:34:08 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
02:34:09 Council member Citro, do you have any new business today,
02:34:11 sir?
02:34:12 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair.
02:34:14 Per the request of the Planning Commission, a motion
02:34:19 scheduling a planned amendment adoption hearing for TA/CPA
02:34:27 20-32 for the evening of December 10, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. and
02:34:36 direct the legal department to provide the city clerk with
02:34:38 the form of notice for advertising the public hearing.
02:34:43 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO:
02:34:46 >> second.
02:34:47 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Motion by Councilman Citro with a
02:34:49 second by Councilman Miranda.
02:34:51 Is there any objection to the motion?
02:34:53 Hearing none, no objection, unanimous consent, the motion is
02:34:57 approved.
02:34:57 Anything else, sir?
02:34:59 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Nothing at this time, Mr. Chair, thank you.
02:35:01 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
02:35:02 Council member Carlson, do you have anything under new
02:35:05 business today, sir?
02:35:06 >>BILL CARLSON: No, sir.
02:35:07 Thank you for your leadership today.
02:35:08 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Gudes, do you have anything
02:35:15 today?
02:35:16 >>ORLANDO GUDES: No, sir.
02:35:17 Thank you, sir.
02:35:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you very much.
02:35:19 Councilman Dingfelder, do you have anything today for new
02:35:21 business?
02:35:21 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Yes, sir.
02:35:25 In January, we have part of our workshop includes a report
02:35:30 from the audit department.
02:35:33 And I spoke to the city auditor recently, and we had a long
02:35:41 chat about how they do the audit and what type of audit they
02:35:44 do, what type they don't do, and I said, wow, this is really
02:35:48 good information, so all council members and the community,
02:35:52 they really work hard, and I think they have less people
02:35:55 than they used to.
02:35:56 It's unfortunate.
02:35:57 But anyway, I would like to expand what the audit department
02:36:02 comes to the workshop.
02:36:03 I would like their report to be broader in terms of giving
02:36:09 us an overview of what the audit department does.
02:36:13 And then one additional item as related to the auditors is I
02:36:21 learned that we have an unusual practice in the City of
02:36:25 Tampa where -- and I don't know what mayor started it.
02:36:30 I know it wasn't this mayor.
02:36:31 But where the auditors sent the audit to the mayor first,
02:36:36 they get to review it, and perhaps, I don't know if they
02:36:41 edit it or what, and then it gets released to the community
02:36:46 and the council.
02:36:49 And I asked about that, and found out that that was not the
02:36:55 national practice.
02:36:56 That's not the best practice.
02:36:58 Because it's sort of strains the auditor's hands and removes
02:37:07 some of the independence.
02:37:08 So I would like the auditor to also report on that issue,
02:37:12 which is let's call it auditor independence and appraise
02:37:17 viewing by mayor's office.
02:37:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
02:37:24 A particular date for that, sir?
02:37:27 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: It's already scheduled for that January
02:37:28 workshop so what I am doing is just expanding the scope of
02:37:31 the auditor's report.
02:37:33 And I will be trying to be more concise for the clerk.
02:37:36 >>MARTIN SHELBY: January 28th?
02:37:40 For 9 p.m. prevent presently.
02:37:42 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Okay.
02:37:43 So we will just add on to their initial report.
02:37:46 And in addition to what they are already going to report on,
02:37:49 they would also, number one, give us an overview of what the
02:37:53 audit department does, and number two, to give us an update
02:37:59 on the pros and cons of a mayor's office previewing the
02:38:06 audit before it is published.
02:38:09 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
02:38:09 We have a motion from Councilman Dingfelder.
02:38:11 Do we have a second?
02:38:12 >> Second.
02:38:16 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Second from Councilman Gudes.
02:38:18 Is that you, sir? Is that your voice?
02:38:20 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I'll second it.
02:38:22 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Okay.
02:38:24 I thought I heard a second.
02:38:25 Is there any objection to the motion?
02:38:30 Hearing none, by unanimous consent, we have approved this
02:38:33 motion.
02:38:34 All right.
02:38:34 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: Thank you.
02:38:37 Have a good day.
02:38:38 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Thank you.
02:38:41 Anything else, sir?
02:38:42 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: No.
02:38:44 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Viera, do you have anything
02:38:47 at this time, sir?
02:38:48 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
02:38:48 Just very briefly.
02:38:49 A motion for a commendation to be given to the Sikh Gurdwara
02:38:56 of Tampa Bay, distributed over 400 meals to the public every
02:39:05 Sunday.
02:39:05 And this commendation be given onsite.
02:39:11 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Second.
02:39:11 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion from council member
02:39:14 Viera.
02:39:14 Second by council member Citro.
02:39:16 Any objection?
02:39:19 Hearing none, by unanimous consent, without any objection,
02:39:22 the motion passes.
02:39:23 Anything else, sir?
02:39:24 >>LUIS VIERA: Yes.
02:39:25 Just lastly if I may, similar to my, I guess, donation of
02:39:31 our money, I request that $500 from my account be
02:39:34 appropriated to Pepin academies, and that a guest resolution
02:39:39 or whatever it may be presented by council, let's say, I
02:39:46 don't have it in front of me, I apologize.
02:39:49 Three weeks from now.
02:39:51 Mr. Shelby, chair, whatever the date would be.
02:39:53 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Three weeks, whatever is nearest to
02:40:00 that date.
02:40:00 >>MARTIN SHELBY: That would be the 19th of November, or
02:40:03 the first meeting of December, December 3rd.
02:40:05 >>LUIS VIERA: If I may, is November 12th available?
02:40:10 I guess that's CRA.
02:40:11 >>MARTIN SHELBY: November 12th is a CRA day.
02:40:16 >>LUIS VIERA: Let's do the 19th.
02:40:19 That's fine.
02:40:19 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion from Councilman Viera
02:40:22 with a second from --
02:40:24 >>JOSEPH CITRO: Citro.
02:40:25 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Councilman Citro.
02:40:27 Is there any objection to the motion?
02:40:29 Hearing none, by unanimous consent, the motion passes.
02:40:32 Anything else, sir?
02:40:34 >>LUIS VIERA: No.
02:40:35 Just I believe Monday early voting starts so no matter who
02:40:40 you vote for, the four people listening to us right now,
02:40:43 make sure they go out there and vote and make your voice
02:40:46 heard, God willing, we don't have a long line.
02:40:52 Thank you, sir.
02:40:53 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Yes, sir.
02:40:55 Thank you very much.
02:40:56 I have nothing at this time.
02:40:58 May I have a motion to receive and file all documents?
02:41:01 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: So moved.
02:41:02 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Mr. Chairman?
02:41:04 Martin Shelby.
02:41:05 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Mr. Shelby, yes, sir.
02:41:06 >>MARTIN SHELBY: I have two items.
02:41:08 Number one before you receive and file, I believe the clerk
02:41:11 is in possession of two conflict forms, one being from
02:41:16 Councilman Gudes, the other from Councilman Dingfelder.
02:41:18 Do you have that in your possession, madam clerk?
02:41:21 >> Yes, I do.
02:41:23 >>MARTIN SHELBY: I would like those to be received and
02:41:24 filed as part of the receive and file.
02:41:26 Would you want a separate motion or want to include that?
02:41:30 >> One motion will do.
02:41:32 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Thank you.
02:41:33 So that will be part of the receive and file, please.
02:41:39 Pardon me?
02:41:40 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Go ahead, Mr. Shelby.
02:41:41 >>MARTIN SHELBY: Okay, the other point that I would like
02:41:44 council to be aware of as well as the public is that the
02:41:49 governor's executive order 20-46 and the accompanying
02:41:55 documents from the governor's office makes it clear that
02:42:00 20-69 will not be extended, which means we are in preparing
02:42:07 for returning to the Tampa Convention Center for in-person
02:42:12 quorum of City Council.
02:42:13 And again, the public will be able to attend there.
02:42:19 But from my understanding, per council's desire, unless
02:42:24 otherwise directed, we are setting it up for hybrid meeting.
02:42:29 In other words, those people who want to participate while
02:42:31 we are still in the state of emergency obviously due to
02:42:36 Covid-19 have the opportunity to attend virtually.
02:42:39 So that being the case, council, I am requesting that the
02:42:43 council direct the clerk to amend its calendar for the month
02:42:47 of November and December to indicate that the location of
02:42:51 the meeting will be at the Tampa Convention Center.
02:42:55 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
02:42:58 Can I get a motion to that effect?
02:43:01 >>JOSEPH CITRO: So moved.
02:43:02 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We have a motion from Councilman Citro.
02:43:06 Do we have a second?
02:43:07 >> Second.
02:43:11 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Was that Councilman Gudes?
02:43:13 >>ORLANDO GUDES: Yes.
02:43:14 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: All right.
02:43:15 Any objection to the motion?
02:43:18 Hearing none, with no objection and by unanimous consent,
02:43:23 the motion passes.
02:43:24 Anything else, Mr. Shelby?
02:43:26 >>MARTIN SHELBY: No, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
02:43:28 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: We appreciate it very much.
02:43:33 We did receive and file, right?
02:43:35 >>MARTIN SHELBY: No, I don't believe you did.
02:43:36 >>THE CLERK: No, we did not.
02:43:37 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: Move to receive and file all documents?
02:43:41 Motion from Councilman Gudes.
02:43:42 Second from Councilman Citro. Any objection?
02:43:45 Hearing no objection, by unanimous consent, we have received
02:43:47 and filed all documents.
02:43:50 Thank you very much.
02:43:51 We are adjourned.
02:43:52
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