CRA/CAC JOINT MEETING
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2022
5:00 P.M. SPECIAL CALL MEETING
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17:00:00
17:02:58 >> JOSEPH CITRO: GOOD EVENING.
17:03:04 WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL CRA MEETING.
17:03:07 MY NAME IS JOSEPH CITRO, AND I AM THE CHAIR.
17:03:11 I WILL BE CONDUCTING THIS MEETING.
17:03:13 MAY WE HAVE INVOCATION?
17:03:17 WE DON'T HAVE AN INVOCATION.
17:03:18 BUT MAY I ASK EVERYONE THAT'S PRESENT PLEASE RISE?
17:03:25 WE HAD A VERY DEAR MEMBER OF OUR CITY COUNCIL FAMILY, MS.
17:03:31 DEBBY MERCER WHO PASSED AWAY.
17:03:33 CAN WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE?
17:03:38 (MOMENT OF SILENCE)
17:03:46 I THANK YOU.
17:03:47 PLEASE BE SEATED.
17:03:49 ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
17:03:50 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: HERE.
17:03:53 >>ORLANDO GUDES: (NO RESPONSE)
17:03:55 >>LYNN HURTAK: HERE.
17:03:57 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: HERE.
17:03:59 >>BILL CARLSON: HERE.
17:03:59 >>LUIS VIERA: (NO RESPONSE)
17:04:00 >>JOSEPH CITRO: HERE.
17:04:01 >>THE CLERK: WE HAVE A PHYSICAL QUORUM.
17:04:05 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
17:04:06 MR. MASSEY.
17:04:07 >>MORRIS MASSEY: SINCE THIS IS A JOINT MEETING OF BOTH THE
17:04:12 CRA AND THE EAST TAMPA CAC, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A ROSTER OF
17:04:15 THE CAC MEMBERS. COULD YOU DETERMINE WHETHER WE HAVE A
17:04:16 PHYSICAL QUORUM AVAILABLE FOR THE CAC?
17:04:16 >>CLERK: TATE?
17:04:27 >> HERE.
17:04:28 >> COBB?
17:04:28 >> PRESENT.
17:04:28 BILLUPS?
17:04:30 BURTON?
17:04:32 MILLER?
17:04:32 >> HERE.
17:04:35 >> CURRY?
17:04:36 >> HERE.
17:04:37 >> FEW?
17:04:38 >> HERE.
17:04:39 >> JOHNSON?
17:04:39 >> HERE.
17:04:41 MARSHALL?
17:04:42 LEWIS?
17:04:43 MARTINEZ?
17:04:44 >> HERE.
17:04:45 >> MARTINEZ?
17:04:47 >> HERE.
17:04:49 >> JAMES?
17:04:51 >> HERE.
17:04:51 >> AND PARIS.
17:04:52 >> HERE.
17:04:54 >> CLERK: WE HAVE A PHYSICAL QUORUM.
17:04:56 >>MORRIS MASSEY: LET ME JUST CONFIRM, MR. McCRAY, DO WE
17:05:01 HAVE A PHYSICAL QUORUM PRESENT?
17:05:03 SEVERAL MEMBERS, I THINK, ARE PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY.
17:05:05 >>JOSEPH CITRO: HOW MANY MEMBERS DO WE HAVE HERE?
17:05:13 WE NEED TO HAVE SEVEN AND WE ONLY HAVE SIX.
17:05:16 >> [OFF MICROPHONE]
17:05:22 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ALL RIGHT.
17:05:23 WE HAVE A PHYSICAL QUORUM.
17:05:27 >>MORRIS MASSEY: BEFORE WE START THE NIGHT, THIS IS A VERY
17:05:30 DIFFERENT MEETING THAN WE NORMALLY HAVE, SO I WANTED TO READ
17:05:32 TO YOU ALL SOME PROPOSED SPECIAL RULES OF PROCEDURE TO SEE
17:05:35 IF IT'S ACCEPTABLE TO THE CRA, EAST TAMPA CAC.
17:05:40 THE PURPOSE OF THIS JOINT MEETING IS TO ALLOW FOR OPEN
17:05:43 DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CRA AND THE CAC TO DISCUSS ISSUES
17:05:46 RELATED TO COMMUNITIES REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN THE EAST
17:05:49 TAMPA COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA.
17:05:52 NOTICE OF SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, THIS MEETING IS
17:05:54 ANTICIPATED TO BE MORE OF A LISTENING AND LEARNING SESSION
17:05:57 BY BOTH BODIES.
17:05:59 THE CHAIR OF THE MEETING WILL BE THE CHAIR OF THE CRA, MR.
17:06:02 CITRO.
17:06:03 THERE HAS BEEN A ROLL CALL.
17:06:05 WE HAVE A PHYSICAL QUORUM OF BOTH BODIES AS REQUIRED BY
17:06:08 STATE LAW AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS.
17:06:11 WE WILL PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FOR PERSONS WHO ARE
17:06:14 NOT A MEMBER OF THE CAC AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING,
17:06:18 IT'S GENERALLY THREE MINUTES PER PERSON IN ACCORDANCE WITH
17:06:21 THE CRA RULES.
17:06:23 AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE PARTICIPATION BY MEMBERS OF THE
17:06:26 PUBLIC BY WAY OF COMMUNICATION MEDIA TECHNOLOGY, CMT, IF
17:06:31 THEY PREREGISTERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS
17:06:34 CONTAINED IN THE NOTICE OF THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.
17:06:37 THE DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUES BY THE CRA AND CAC WILL FOLLOW
17:06:39 THE MEETING AGENDA.
17:06:43 CRA STAFF WILL BRIEFLY INTRODUCE EACH ITEM ON THE MEETING
17:06:47 AGENDA, AND THEN THE CAC MEMBER THAT WISHES TO ADDRESS THE
17:06:50 CRA WILL PROCEED TO THE PODIUM IN CHAMBERS AND ADDRESS THE
17:06:57 CRA MEMBERS HERE.
17:06:58 CRA MEMBERS MAY ASK QUESTIONS OF BOTH THE CAC MEMBERS WHO
17:07:01 ARE PARTICIPATING AND GIVING TESTIMONY, AND STAFF.
17:07:06 STAFF WILL BE PERMITTED TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS POSED BY
17:07:08 BOTH THE CRA AND CAC MEMBERS.
17:07:11 CAC MEMBERS WILL ALSO BE PERMITTED TO ADDRESS THE CRA ON
17:07:14 ISSUES THAT ARE NOT EXPRESSLY INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA UNDER
17:07:18 OTHER ITEMS AT THE END OF THE AGENDA.
17:07:21 AS STATED, THIS IS INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSION AND LEARNING
17:07:25 SESSION MORE AKIN TO A WORKSHOP.
17:07:28 THEREFORE, I WOULD RECOMMEND OFFICIAL ACTION BE LIMITED
17:07:31 TONIGHT.
17:07:32 HOWEVER, IF A MEMBER OF THE CRA DESIRES TO MAKE A MOTION, I
17:07:34 WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY DO SO AT THE END OF THE MEETING
17:07:38 AND REALLY ONLY MOTIONS OF THE CRA BOARD WILL BE CONSIDERED
17:07:41 TONIGHT.
17:07:42 THIS IS MORE FOR THE CAC TO PROVIDE THEIR INPUT TO THE CRA
17:07:46 BOARD AND FOR THE CRA BOARD TO PERHAPS TAKE ACTION DEPENDING
17:07:50 ON WHAT THE COMMUNICATION THAT TRANSPIRES TONIGHT.
17:07:54 SO IF THOSE SPECIAL RULES ARE ACCEPTABLE TO THE BODY, I
17:07:57 WOULD ASK THAT YOU WAIVE THE NORMAL RULES AND BOTH AGREE TO
17:08:01 COMPLY WITH THE RULES.
17:08:03 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: SO MOVED.
17:08:04 >> SECOND.
17:08:06 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MOTION MADE BY COUNCILMAN MIRANDA, SECONDED
17:08:08 BY COUNCILMAN MANISCALCO.
17:08:10 ALL IN FAVOR?
17:08:11 IS THERE ANY OPPOSED?
17:08:13 MOTION CARRIES WITH COUNCILMAN GUDES BEING ABSENT.
17:08:22 >> DO I HAVE CONCURRENCE FROM THE CAC MEMBERS TONIGHT? A
17:08:24 MOTION.
17:08:25 >> SO MOVED.
17:08:25 >> SECOND.
17:08:26 >> ALL IN FAVOR?
17:08:28 ALL RIGHT. I BELIEVE WE ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT AS TO THE
17:08:29 RULES.
17:08:30 AND SO I WILL LET MR. McCRAY OR MS. TRAVIS INTRODUCE THE
17:08:36 FIRST ITEM, BUT THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE EAST
17:08:38 TAMPA STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN UPDATE, AND CONCERNS REGARDING
17:08:42 THE CONCEPT OF THE DRAFT SAP, AND THEN ADDITIONAL REQUESTED
17:08:46 SERVICES BY THE CONSULTANT IN PAYMENT FOR THOSE SERVICES.
17:08:51 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MR. MASSEY, IF I MAY, I DO HAVE A STATEMENT
17:08:55 I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE BEFOREHAND.
17:08:57 IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I AM SHARING THAT MICHELLE VAN
17:09:01 LOAN HAS INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAS ACCEPTED A NEW POSITION
17:09:06 WITHIN THE CITY OF TAMPA AND HAS GIVEN HER TWO WEEKS'
17:09:09 NOTICE.
17:09:10 MICHELLE STARTED WITH THE CITY IN 2005 AND SERVING THE CRA
17:09:15 COMMUNITIES FOR 14.5 YEARS.
17:09:18 SHE HAS OVERSEEN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROBERT HOLD SENIOR
17:09:23 POND, NORTH 22ND, REPAVING, NEW SIDEWALKS IN EAST TAMPA,
17:09:27 DIRECTLY SERVED THE RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESSES OF EAST
17:09:29 TAMPA, DREW PARK, WEST TAMPA. MICHELLE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN
17:09:33 DEVELOPING THE FACADE GRANT AND COORDINATING MORE THAN 150
17:09:38 APPROVED GRANTS.
17:09:40 MICHELLE HAS DEDICATED HERSELF TO HER COMMUNITY, HER
17:09:44 CO-WORKERS AND STAFF, AND IN SERVING US THE PAST TWO YEARS
17:09:47 AS OUR DIRECTOR.
17:09:48 I AM APPRECIATIVE IN HER SUPPORT FOR ME AND THE BODY OF THIS
17:09:54 NEWLY-ELECTED CRA BOARD.
17:09:56 I KNOW THAT YOU WILL JOIN ME IN WISHING HER WELL IN HER
17:09:59 FUTURE ENDEAVORS.
17:10:04 MS. TRAVIS, CAN YOU PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM?
17:10:06 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: YES, SIR. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL.
17:10:11 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN, WOULD YOU MIND TAKING THE
17:10:16 GAVEL?
17:10:16 BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE A VOID WITHIN THE CRA, I WOULD LIKE TO
17:10:19 MOVE THAT MS. NICOLE TRAVIS BECOME THE INTERIM CRA DIRECTOR
17:10:26 UNTIL THE FUTURE CONTRACT IS TRANSPIRED.
17:10:30 IN SEPTEMBER?
17:10:33 >> I THINK IT ENDS IN SEPTEMBER.
17:10:36 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ENDS IN SEPTEMBER.
17:10:40 THAT IS A MOTION.
17:10:41 >>BILL CARLSON: IS THERE A SECOND?
17:10:46 >> I SECOND IT.
17:10:47 >>BILL CARLSON: ANY COMMENTS ON THE MOTION?
17:10:49 I AM GOING TO VOTE NO BECAUSE I THINK IT SHOULD BE A CRA
17:10:52 STAFF PERSON INSTEAD OF A CITY STAFF PERSON.
17:10:56 SO WE HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF CRA STAFF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN
17:11:00 CHOOSE FROM.
17:11:02 I WILL ALSO SAY WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR IS THAT WE NEED TO --
17:11:05 THE LAST TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE THE CITY PUSHED THE DECISION
17:11:09 ON US, AND THIS TIME WE NEED TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO MEETS OUR
17:11:13 CRITERIA THAT WE CAN WORK WITH AND WORK CLOSELY WITH US.
17:11:16 SO WITH THAT, SHOULD WE TAKE A ROLL --
17:11:24 >>LUIS VIERA: MAY I? TO YOUR POINT, HOW LONG, MR. CHAIRMAN
17:11:26 AND NICOLE, WHOEVER IT COULD BE, DO YOU ANTICIPATE MAYBE
17:11:31 BEING AN INTERIM?
17:11:32 HOW LONG DOES THIS BODY THINK IT WILL TAKE?
17:11:36 SEPTEMBER?
17:11:38 OKAY.
17:11:38 >> I BELIEVE MR. MASSEY, CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG, THAT THE
17:11:48 SERVICE AGREEMENT CONTRACT, DID IT RUN WITH THE FISCAL --
17:11:53 >> IT RUNS WITH THE FISCAL YEAR.
17:11:55 CURRENTLY IT PROVIDES THE CITY WILL PROVIDE THE CRA DIRECTOR
17:11:58 FOR THE CRA.
17:12:00 IF THE CRA IS UNHAPPY WITH THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY
17:12:04 THE CRA DIRECTOR, THE CONTRACT PROVIDES THAT NOTICE WILL BE
17:12:09 PROVIDED BY THE CITY AND THEN THERE WILL BE A SIX MONTHS
17:12:11 PERIOD FOR US TO TRY TO FIND SOMEONE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO
17:12:13 THE CRA.
17:12:16 THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT THE SERVICES AGREEMENT PROVIDES.
17:12:20 I THINK SIX MONTHS OR LESS, LESS THAN A CALENDAR YEAR.
17:12:24 TO TRY TO FIND SOMEONE FOR THOSE SERVICES OUTSIDE OF THE
17:12:27 CITY STAFF, IF THAT'S THE DESIRE.
17:12:29 >>BILL CARLSON: IT IS TAKING US BACK TO WHERE WE WERE UNDER
17:12:33 THE LAST ADMINISTRATION.
17:12:35 >> NICOLE TRAVIS: NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
17:12:36 I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.
17:12:42 NICOLE TRAVIS, ADMINISTRATOR, DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC
17:12:44 OPPORTUNITY.
17:12:45 ONE OF THE REASONS I SPOKE TO COUNCILMAN CITRO EARLIER,
17:12:47 LEARNING OF MS. VAN LOAN'S RESIGNATION, BUT SHE IS MOVING
17:12:52 INTO MY PORTFOLIO IN A DIFFERENT ROLE.
17:12:53 I HAVE EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN CRAs AND REDEVELOPMENT.
17:12:56 ONE OF THE REASONS WHY MAYOR CASTOR RECRUITED ME TO COME TO
17:13:00 WORK FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA.
17:13:01 I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS TAKING YOU BACK.
17:13:03 WE ARE NOT TAKING OVER THE DIRECTOR POSITION.
17:13:05 I AM SIMPLY OFFERING MY SERVICES AND MY EXPERTISE TO FILL
17:13:08 THE GAP UNTIL COUNCIL DECIDES AT THE END OF THE SERVICE
17:13:11 LEVEL AGREEMENT OR DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME IF YOU WANT TO
17:13:13 RECRUIT FOR A DIRECTOR POSITION OR NOT, IF IT'S WORKING, I
17:13:18 AM SIMPLY OFFERING MY SERVICES.
17:13:20 I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR IT.
17:13:24 AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE POINT THAT CRA STAFF IS CITY
17:13:27 STAFF.
17:13:28 AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COMING IN HERE, THERE'S A LOT
17:13:31 OF DIVISION AND TERRITORIAL STUFF.
17:13:35 I ONLY LOOK AT IT AS US ALL WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF
17:13:40 THE COMMUNITY.
17:13:41 SO YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT FROM THE DAY I GOT CONFIRMED TO DO
17:13:44 THAT AND YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT TO DO THAT.
17:13:48 >>BILL CARLSON: DO YOU ALL WANT TO MAKE THAT VOTE WITH ONE
17:13:50 MEMBER ABSENT?
17:13:53 >>LUIS VIERA: AND I AM GLAD, TWO THINGS, THAT I AM GLAD YOU
17:13:56 BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A MEMBER WHO IS ABSENT
17:13:59 WHO REPRESENTS MOST OF THE CRAS, AS A DISTRICT MEMBER,
17:14:04 NUMBER ONE.
17:14:04 NUMBER TWO, HOWEVER, YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN, COUNCILMAN
17:14:07 CARLSON, WITH REGARDS TO THE ISSUE THAT WE WANT THE CRA
17:14:11 PERSON TO BE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CRA, NOT STAFF.
17:14:14 THAT BEING SAID, MOVING FORWARD WITH MRS. TRAVIS, I AM MORE
17:14:19 THAN WILLING TO TRUST HER BASED UPON OUR CONVERSATIONS AND
17:14:22 WHATNOT, I THINK FOR THIS SHORT TERM.
17:14:25 I'M FINE WITH IT, BUT I DO SEE YOUR POINTS.
17:14:27 YES, SIR.
17:14:27 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE
17:14:32 TO LOOK UP THE RECORD OF MS. TRAVIS AND WHAT SHE HAS DONE
17:14:35 WITH CRAs IN THE CITY OF LAKELAND, PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS,
17:14:38 DO.
17:14:40 I HAD THE MAYOR OF LAKELAND COMPLAIN TO ME BECAUSE HE WANTED
17:14:43 MS. TRAVIS BACK.
17:14:47 SO, AGAIN, I BELIEVE, I KNOW THAT MS. TRAVIS WILL BE THE
17:14:51 PERFECT PICK FOR THE INTERIM.
17:14:53 >>BILL CARLSON: ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENT?
17:14:54 >> COUNCILMAN MEMBER GUDES IS ON HIS WAY IN. WAIT TILL HE
17:15:02 SHOWS UP.
17:15:03 >>BILL CARLSON: DO YOU WANT TO VOTE TO VOTE NOW?
17:15:09 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: WAIT FOR MR. GUDES.
17:15:13 >> JUST GO INTO RECESS.
17:15:16 >>MORRIS MASSEY: WE CAN GO INTO RECESS, BUT REALLY THE
17:15:17 FIRST ITEM HAS BEEN REALLY OPENED.
17:15:19 IF YOU WANT TO ALLOW TESTIMONY.
17:15:22 >>JOSEPH CITRO: LET'S HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
17:15:28 >>MORRIS MASSEY: AND BY THE TIME PUBLIC COMMENT IS OVER, I
17:15:30 THINK COUNCILMAN GUDES WILL BE HERE, AND WE'LL BE PREPARED
17:15:32 TO TAKE IT --
17:15:34 >>BILL CARLSON: TECHNICALLY, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO, TABLE
17:15:37 IT?
17:15:38 DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT?
17:15:39 >>LYNN HURTAK: BEFORE WE TABLE IT, EVERYONE HAS BEEN
17:15:48 TALKING ABOUT TAKING -- MS. TRAVIS TAKING THIS POSITION, AND
17:15:55 I THINK THAT -- I SPOKE WITH HER EARLIER TODAY AND TRIED TO
17:16:00 GET TO KNOW, AS I LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CRA SYSTEM, AND HER
17:16:04 EXPERIENCE FROM NOT ONLY -- NOT ONLY THAT, HER EXPERIENCE
17:16:08 WITH LAKELAND, BUT ALSO WHAT SHE HAS DONE, HOW SHE HAS BEEN
17:16:14 WORKING WITH THE CURRENT COMMUNITY, AND BUILDING SOME
17:16:17 BRIDGES AND SOME TRUST, AND I'M HOPING THAT IN THIS INTERIM
17:16:21 PERIOD IT CAN JUST CONTINUE.
17:16:25 SO I WILL VOTE FOR HER IN THAT, BELIEVING THAT CONTINUING TO
17:16:31 BUILD BRIDGES AND TRUST IS A GOOD IDEA.
17:16:34 >>BILL CARLSON: AND I WILL JUST ADD, I TALKED TO YOU.
17:16:40 I HAVE FULL FAITH IN YOUR ABILITY IN YOUR POSITION.
17:16:42 I JUST THINK THAT THE CRA SHOULD BE SEPARATE.
17:16:44 AND ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAD IS THE INDEPENDENCE OF IT.
17:16:48 AND WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE PRESS CONFERENCES WERE SET UP
17:16:51 WITHOUT AND THE CHAIR EVEN BEING INVITED OR WHEN THE CHAIR
17:16:55 WAS NOT AVAILABLE, AND IF YOU CAN HELP RESOLVE THOSE
17:16:58 PROBLEMS, YOU HAVE A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE HERE UPSET -- OR
17:17:01 SOME ARE UPSET BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE -- AND THE FOCUS
17:17:04 HASN'T BEEN PUT ON GETTING THINGS DONE.
17:17:08 SO I THINK IF WE END DOING THIS THAT IT SHOULD BE LIKE 30 OR
17:17:11 60 DAYS TO FIND A REPLACEMENT, BUT WE HAVE STAFF INTERNALLY
17:17:14 THAT COULD DO THIS AS WELL. ANYWAY, THERE WAS A MOTION TO
17:17:17 TABLE THIS.
17:17:19 IS THERE A SECOND?
17:17:20 >> SECOND.
17:17:24 >>BILL CARLSON: ALL IN FAVOR?
17:17:25 MOTION PASSES.
17:17:26 YOU CAN HAVE THE GAVEL BACK.
17:17:28 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
17:17:31 WE WILL GO INTO PUBLIC DISCUSSION, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
17:17:36 AT THIS TIME, ALL WITHIN THE PUBLIC THAT ARE HERE, WITH THE
17:17:39 EXCEPTION OF CAC MEMBERS, PLEASE COME UP.
17:17:44 YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
17:17:59 PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
17:18:00 >> MY NAME IS RICK KUGLER. I LIVE IN EAST TAMPA. I'M THE
17:18:12 ENGLEWOOD BLOCK.
17:18:14 THREE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN EAST TAMPA.
17:18:17 JUST THREE ITEMS.
17:18:19 ONE IS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SAFER CLEANER BIKE PATHS IN AND
17:18:24 AROUND EAST TAMPA SO WE CAN ALL NAVIGATE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
17:18:29 AND NO BROKEN GLASS.
17:18:31 THAT'S ONE THING I WOULD LOVE TO SEE.
17:18:34 I WOULD LIKE TO SEE QUIETER MORE PEACEFUL STREETS WHERE
17:18:37 NEIGHBORS KNOW THAT QUIET HOURS IN EVERY 24 HOUR CYCLE.
17:18:43 IF SOMEONE NEEDS TO BLAST SOUND PAST 10 P.M., FINE, BUT JUST
17:18:47 GET HEAD PHONES.
17:18:48 I KNOW SOME PEOPLE ARE USING THAT AS REGULAR BARS UP NORTH.
17:18:57 YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN SET OF PERSONAL HEAD PHONES AND YOU CAN
17:19:01 BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
17:19:03 IF SOMEONE IS REGULARLY IGNORES THE SPEED LIMIT IN OUR HOOD,
17:19:09 I THINK THEY NEED TO BE SHOWN WHERE THE RACETRACK IS.
17:19:13 THERE'S WAY TOO MUCH RACING GOING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
17:19:16 HIGH SPEED, CHASES, AND FOR FUN, PUT A RACETRACK BUT NOT IN
17:19:22 OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
17:19:25 AND THE LAST THING I THINK, THE THIRD THING I WOULD REALLY
17:19:28 LOVE TO SEE IN EAST TAMPA IS A STRONG NEIGHBORHOOD
17:19:31 ASSOCIATION THAT SERVES THE PEOPLE, HELP MANY WITH THEIR
17:19:37 PROBLEMS, HELPS MANY WITH THEIR HOUSING OR PERSONAL
17:19:41 TROUBLES, AND NOT JUST TO SERVE A FEW, BUT TO SERVE AS MANY
17:19:45 AS POSSIBLE.
17:19:48 AND I THINK THAT IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
17:19:51 ASSOCIATIONS ARE STRONG AND CAN SPREAD THE MONEY WHERE IT
17:19:55 NEEDS TO BE RATHER THAN LINING JUST A FEW POCKET, I THINK IT
17:19:59 WOULD BE MUCH BETTER FOR ALL OF US IN EAST TAMPA.
17:20:06 AND I THINK ALSO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON OUR SPENDING OUR FUNDS
17:20:09 IN EAST TAMPA, NOT OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.
17:20:12 AND I'M CONCERNED FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN THAT THAT'S WHAT HAS
17:20:16 HAPPENED HISTORICALLY.
17:20:18 AND AGAIN, WE GET CHEATED OF THE FUNDS THAT REALLY SHOULD BE
17:20:22 GOING TO US.
17:20:24 BUT PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY WORDS.
17:20:26 I'M JUST A RETIRED PERSON, HAD A LOT OF TIME TO GO TO THESE
17:20:30 MEETINGS.
17:20:30 AND THERE ARE LOTS OF US THAT CAN COME TO THESE MEETINGS
17:20:34 THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY WORKING.
17:20:36 I THINK WE NEED TO REACH OUT AND SURVEY THE FOLKS THAT CAN'T
17:20:39 MAKE IT.
17:20:39 THE PEOPLE WITH NO CHILDREN, PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING, AND OUR
17:20:44 ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH GRADERS WHO ARE GOING TO GO OUT IN THE
17:20:47 WORLD SOON AND NEED THE SKILLS TO CONTINUE.
17:20:49 WHEN I SAY SKILLS, I MEAN CAPITAL SKILLS.
17:20:52 I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF PREPARING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE SO THEY
17:20:55 CAN MAKE HOUSING AFFORDABLE FOR THEMSELVES.
17:20:59 AND IF WE ARE IN FAVOR OF THAT, WE ARE IN FAVOR OF THE KIDS.
17:21:02 IF WE ARE IN FAVOR OF THE KIDS IN EAST TAMPA, GIVING THEM
17:21:05 THE SKIMS THEY NEED FOR THE FUTURE, THEN WE ARE IN FAVOR OF
17:21:07 EAST TAMPA.
17:21:08 OTHERWISE, I CAN'T SEE ANY OTHER WAY OTHER THAN WE ARE JUST
17:21:12 OUT FOR OURSELVES.
17:21:14 THANKS VERY MUCH.
17:21:14 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
17:21:16 >> HELLO. DIANN ZEIGLER. I LIVE HERE IN EAST TAMPA.
17:21:24 I'LL BE BRIEF.
17:21:27 AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 1, I AM DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF THE SAP,
17:21:30 THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN FOR EAST TAMPA, LOOKS BEAUTIFUL,
17:21:33 AND I ADMIRE THE RENOVATIONS THAT THE EI CONSULTANTS HAVE
17:21:38 DONE ELSEWHERE.
17:21:39 ONE THING THAT I NEED IS A FUNCTIONING NEIGHBORHOOD
17:21:43 ASSOCIATION FOR WHERE I LIVE.
17:21:45 I'M IN THE ETBCA, EAST TAMPA BUSINESS AND CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
17:21:50 WE AS RESIDENTS NEED REPRESENTATION.
17:21:54 I HAVEN'T BEEN TO A MEETING YET.
17:21:56 I'M STILL TRYING TO FIND OUT IF THEY HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
17:22:00 I REMEMBER SEEING A NEWS ARTICLE RECENTLY ABOUT A ROOF
17:22:04 GETTING REPAIRED, AND I WAS LOOKING INTO THAT ARTICLE.
17:22:08 I NOTICED THAT THIS MAN ROBERT GRUBER, DOESN'T EVEN LIVE IN
17:22:13 EAST TAMPA, HE LIVES OVER NEAR THE ZOO, THE LOWRY PARK ZOO.
17:22:18 I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW THAT MONEY WORKS IN EAST TAMPA, BUT
17:22:23 I GUESS IF MONEY IS GETTING SPENT ELSEWHERE OUTSIDE OF THE
17:22:27 BORDERS OF EAST TAMPA, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE
17:22:30 ADDRESSED.
17:22:31 SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TOGETHER AS A NEIGHBORHOOD
17:22:34 ASSOCIATION AND TALKING ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS.
17:22:39 THANK YOU.
17:22:39 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
17:22:41 >> GOOD EVENING.
17:22:47 MONA JUDGE.
17:22:48 I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START WITH THE CRA.
17:22:52 I WAS ON THE BOARD FOR TWO YEARS.
17:22:57 AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE HERE MOST BECAUSE OF YOU GUYS,
17:23:03 YOU KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON, YOU KNOW THAT EAST
17:23:07 TAMPA HAVEN'T GOT -- IT'S REALLY DUMB.
17:23:12 FROM THE TIME I WAS THERE, I KNOW WE GOT THE TREE TRIMMING
17:23:15 GRANT.
17:23:15 AND WHEN WE WANTED TO CHANGE THE TREE TRIMMING GRANT, THAT'S
17:23:19 WHEN EVERYTHING STOPPED.
17:23:20 WHEN WE WANT TO SAY THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
17:23:25 CONTRACTORS INSIDE OF EAST TAMPA BE ABLE TO GET THESE BIDS.
17:23:31 IT WAS A PROBLEM.
17:23:32 I CAME IN AT THE END, AND I KNOW MICHELLE -- I'M SORRY, I AM
17:23:40 NOT SURE -- BUT I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, I AGREE WITH
17:23:46 COUNCILMAN CARLSON, BECAUSE IF IT'S LIKE US THAT REALLY
17:23:54 DON'T THINK THE DECISIONS -- I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THE
17:23:57 DECISION IS COMING FROM THE MAYOR, IF IT'S COMING FROM YOU
17:23:59 GUYS, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY NOT COMING FROM THE PEOPLE WE PAY
17:24:02 TO ADVISE US.
17:24:04 WE CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE.
17:24:05 AND IT IS NOT US.
17:24:08 THE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY WANT.
17:24:10 AND WE HAVE HAD THREE DIFFERENT CHAIRS IN THE LAST FOUR
17:24:14 YEARS, AND THEY DON'T WANT THE SAME THING.
17:24:20 WE ARE NOT STUPID.
17:24:21 AND IF WE ARE FRUSTRATED, WE HAVE A DAMN RIGHT TO BE
17:24:24 FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I AM FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I HAVE TO GET OFF
17:24:27 OF WORK TO GET DOWN FOR THIS.
17:24:29 YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
17:24:32 YOU HAVE SEEN ALL THE OTHER CRAs COME UP AND TELL YOU WEEK
17:24:36 AFTER WEEK, MONTH AFTER MONTH, WHAT WE ARE DOING AND WE
17:24:39 AREN'T DOING ANYTHING.
17:24:39 YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASKED MICHELLE, WHY AREN'T YOU GUYS
17:24:42 GETTING ANYTHING DONE?
17:24:44 WE DID A HOUSING RFP, AND TO THIS DAY, IT HAS NOT GONE
17:24:55 THROUGH.
17:24:56 THAT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
17:24:58 AND THEN YOU LOOK AT US AS IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE
17:25:02 DOING.
17:25:02 WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TELL THE STAFF WHAT WE WANT, AND THEY ARE
17:25:08 SUPPOSED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE GET IT.
17:25:13 I THINK IT WAS DENISE PATE, THEY WROTE UP THE RFP, THEY
17:25:19 PRESENTED IT TO YOU. AND WE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING.
17:25:22 ALL RIGHT.
17:25:22 THANK YOU.
17:25:22 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
17:25:23 >> GOOD EVENING.
17:25:29 KELLA MCCASKIN.
17:25:34 AS A VOLUNTEER, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, AS A REALTOR, AND
17:25:38 BEING A PART OF THE CAC, I'M VERY CONCERNED WITH THE EAST
17:25:43 TAMPA CAC OR CRA, WHICHEVER ACRONYM.
17:25:47 PART OF ME SHARING A LIST OF CONCERNS, I WANT TO POINT OUT,
17:25:51 THE OBSERVATIONS THAT I'VE HAD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF
17:25:51 YEARS, DEMONSTRATED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A DIRECTOR THAT HAD
17:25:57 THE BEST INTEREST FOR PEOPLE REPRESENTING IN THE DISTRICT
17:26:00 AND IN FACT THEY SEEMED RATHER FRUSTRATED WITH THE PEOPLE
17:26:04 WITH THE WILLINGNESS TO MOVE FORWARD, AND YOU CAN FACT CHECK
17:26:07 THAT BY LOOKING AT THE CRA UPDATES.
17:26:09 THERE'S A DIFFERENT DISPOSITION, A DIFFERENT DEMEANOR,
17:26:12 THERE'S EXCITEMENT WHEN SHARING THE PROJECT THAT THEY MOVE
17:26:14 FORWARD, AND THE OTHER CRAs THAT THEY OVERSEE.
17:26:17 BUT IT'S DIFFERENT, QUITE DIFFERENT, WHEN THEY ARE
17:26:20 DISCUSSING EAST TAMPA.
17:26:21 I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
17:26:24 JUST, I WOULD SAY, ON JANUARY 20th, COUNCILMAN MIRANDA
17:26:30 SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED FROM MICHELLE VAN LOAN -- I KNOW
17:26:33 SHE'S GONE BUT IT'S RELEVANT -- A MEMO WITH A COMPARISON OF
17:26:38 ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHIN THE CRA SHE REPRESENTS, A COMPARISON
17:26:42 WITH EAST TAMPA.
17:26:43 INSTEAD OF PROVIDING THAT, SHE CAME WITH AN OFFENSIVE
17:26:47 PowerPoint DESCRIBING WITH ADJECTIVES DESCRIBING THE
17:26:50 PEOPLE, NOT WHAT HE ASKED FOR.
17:26:52 HE WANTED A LIST OF COMPARISONS OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS,
17:26:56 WHAT YOU'VE DONE. HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS SPREAD OUT
17:26:58 BETWEEN THEM ALL, THE ACTIVITIES, YOUR INTEREST, ALL OF THAT
17:27:01 IS DIFFERENT.
17:27:02 WE STILL DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE, BUT WE SAW THAT AGGRESSIVE
17:27:05 RACIAL DISRESPECTFUL POWERPOINT ON LAST THURSDAY AT YOUR
17:27:10 LAST UPDATE.
17:27:11 AS A MEMBER, LIKE I SAID, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, WE STILL
17:27:15 DON'T HAVE THAT UPDATE, AND IN THE VEIN OF THE FOCUS AS THE
17:27:17 MAYOR SAID WITH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, I HAVE A
17:27:20 FEW MORE EXAMPLES.
17:27:21 DURING THE LAST CRA UPDATE, CEDRIC McCRAY SHARED THE
17:27:26 BLOOMBERG CONSULTATIONS BEGAN.
17:27:28 THIS BOARD HAS ASKED OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THEY HAVE A
17:27:32 CONSULTANT, DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, FAMILIAR WITH AFFORDABLE
17:27:35 HOUSING AND NET DYNAMICS.
17:27:37 DIDN'T HAPPEN.
17:27:38 INSTEAD, THEY PRESENTED TO YOU, NEVER TO THIS BODY, BUT YOU
17:27:41 CAN ASK THEM WHEN THEY GET HERE, THIS BODY NEVER KNEW ABOUT
17:27:44 BLOOMBERG UNTIL LAST THURSDAY.
17:27:47 WHY WOULD YOU BRING A CONSULTANT IN WHEN WE HAVE ASKED YOU
17:27:50 MULTIPLE TIMES? COUNCILMAN GUDES ASKED MULTIPLE TIMES FOR A
17:27:57 DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT.
17:27:57 MICHELLE SAID, URBAN PLANNER.
17:27:59 SHE SAID WE DON'T WANT AN URBAN PLANNER. WE WANT A
17:28:01 DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT.
17:28:02 SO MY POINT IS, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE.
17:28:05 AND WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE PRESS RELEASE ON APRIL
17:28:06 11TH, THAT MEANS THEY HAD ALREADY HAD CONVERSATIONS.
17:28:09 THE SPEAKER SAID THEY HAD ALREADY SPOKE WITH EAST TAMPA CAC.
17:28:12 THAT'S HUGE.
17:28:13 9 MILLION, 7 MILLION GOING INTO EAST TAMPA IS HUGE FOR THE
17:28:16 SMALL BUSINESSES.
17:28:17 THEY COULD GET OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM.
17:28:19 WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT.
17:28:21 WE FOUND OUT AT A PRESS CONFERENCE.
17:28:23 THERE SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, VERY OFFENSIVE WHEN WE TRY TO
17:28:27 BRING OUR CONCERNS, AND A FIGHT TO BE RIGHT VERSUS A FIGHT
17:28:32 TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
17:28:34 BUT THE LAST THING IS THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
17:28:36 DO WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE SAP IN EAST TAMPA?
17:28:40 NOBODY ELSE HAS THAT TYPE OF A PLAN.
17:28:41 I ASKED LEGAL TO REVIEW THE CONTRACT, REVIEW THE SAP AND
17:28:46 REVIEW THAT UNACCEPTABLE PLAN THAT WE RECEIVED, COMPARE IT
17:28:49 TO THE OTHER CACs, SEE IF THEY WOULD ACCEPT THAT.
17:28:53 AND THE REQUEST NEVER MADE IT TO LEGAL UNTIL I HAD TO SEND
17:28:56 IT MYSELF.
17:28:57 WE DON'T TRUST THE STAFF.
17:28:58 WE DIDN'T TRUST MICHELLE.
17:29:00 WE NEED SOMEBODY TO INTERVENE AND MAKE SURE WHAT WE ARE
17:29:04 ASKING FOR IS MOVING FORWARD.
17:29:05 THE NEXT REQUEST WILL BE WITH THE MEDIA AS TO WHY WE CAN'T
17:29:07 MOVE FORWARD IN EAST TAMPA.
17:29:09 YOU HAVE GOT TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR GENTRIFICATION ON THE CRA
17:29:14 STAFF.
17:29:15 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
17:29:16 [ APPLAUSE ]
17:29:17 >> MIKE PALMER, EAST TAMPA.
17:29:28 I HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA SINCE I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD.
17:29:33 BASICALLY, WITH THE PARTNERSHIP, I CAME IN ABOUT TWO OR
17:29:39 THREE YEARS WHEN IT STARTED.
17:29:43 I CAN UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION THAT THE BOARDS AND
17:29:48 EVERYBODY ELSE HAD WITH MICHELLE VAN LOAN.
17:29:52 SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN TEARING DOWN WHAT WAS AN EXECUTIVE
17:30:01 BOARD, THE PARTNERSHIP WAS AN EXECUTIVE BOARD, AND SHE MADE
17:30:07 SURE THAT THAT BOARD WAS TURNED INTO WHAT WE HAVE NOW AT THE
17:30:13 CAC.
17:30:14 THIS IS WHAT THE CITY OF TAMPA WANTED, CORPORATE TAKEOVER.
17:30:20 SO THEY DIDN'T WANT US TO JUST INCORPORATE IT INTO OUR
17:30:28 BYLAWS.
17:30:29 THEY WANTED US TO CHANGE OUR BYLAWS.
17:30:32 WHO MAKES A PRIVATE ENTITY CHANGE THEIR BYLAWS?
17:30:38 YOU WENT AGAINST -- NOW, YOU ARE SOME RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS,
17:30:43 BECAUSE YOUR ATTORNEY SAID AT THE TIME THAT YOU COULD NOT
17:30:50 MAKE EAST TAMPA TURN INTO A CAC.
17:30:55 YOU COULD NOT MAKE THEM BE A CAC.
17:30:58 BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE.
17:31:04 BUT YOU LET MICHELLE COME DOWN, AND JUST SHOVED IT DOWN OUR
17:31:08 THROATS.
17:31:10 SO IT HASN'T BEEN WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.
17:31:16 THERE'S NO COMMUNITY VOICE BETWEEN MICHELLE AND ED JOHNSON.
17:31:22 THEY THOUGHT THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS A LITTLE TOO IGNORANT,
17:31:25 DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK.
17:31:27 SO YOU MADE SURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE MEETINGS THAT
17:31:32 YOU DIDN'T HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
17:31:35 IT WASN'T LIKE THAT AT THE BEGINNING.
17:31:37 YOU COULD STAND UP AND SAY WHAT YOU HAD ON YOUR MIND.
17:31:41 THE ROOM WAS PACKED.
17:31:43 NOW, YOU ONLY GOT THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
17:31:47 EVERYBODY DON'T HAVE GOOD SPEECH OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
17:31:52 BUT THERE'S ONE THING ABOUT IT.
17:31:55 EVERYBODY PRETTY MUCH UNDERSTOOD WHAT COMMUNITY WAS ALL
17:32:00 ABOUT.
17:32:01 BUT YOU HAVE TAKEN THAT AWAY.
17:32:03 AND WHEN IT COMES TO THIS SAP, HOW DID THEY LET IT EXPIRE?
17:32:12 IF YOU GOT A CAR, YOU DON'T LET THE INSURANCE EXPIRE AND
17:32:15 JUST SAY, IT'S A FREE FOR ALL IS WHAT HAPPENED.
17:32:19 THAT'S WHY EVERYTHING IS ALL A BIG MESS, IS BECAUSE THE
17:32:25 STAFF EXPIRED, AND IT WAS JUST A FREE FOR ALL.
17:32:29 WHATEVER PROBLEM THAT PERSON WANTS, WHATEVER PROGRAM THAT
17:32:33 PERSON WANTS.
17:32:34 SO THERE'S NO CONTINUITY IN ANYTHING ANYMORE.
17:32:36 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR.
17:32:38 LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT COUNCILMAN GUDES IS WITH US.
17:32:42 >> I HAVE A QUESTION --
17:32:59 >> JOE ROBINSON, TAXPAYER.
17:33:01 FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE, MICHELLE VAN LOAN.
17:33:07 MS. TRAVIS, BEEN KNOWING HERE SINCE 2008. I'M FROM INTERIOR
17:33:13 POLK COUNTY. YOU ALL DIDN'T KNOW THAT. KU KLUX KLAN
17:33:17 TERRITORY.
17:33:18 LET ME SAY THIS, IN MY EXPERIENCE, AN EXCELLENT CRA, NO
17:33:22 PROBLEM WITH ATTORNEY, NO PROBLEM WITH STAFF, REALLY NO
17:33:25 PROBLEM WITH MICHELLE VAN LOAN.
17:33:26 BUT LET ME SAY THIS.
17:33:27 EAST TAMPA AND EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT THE
17:33:30 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN THAT RUNS THE CRA.
17:33:32 IT ISN'T MR. MORRIS MASSEY.
17:33:34 IT'S THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT RUNS AND
17:33:35 IMPLEMENTS THE CRA, NOT A STRATEGIC PLAN.
17:33:40 THAT STATUTE REQUIRES A COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, NOT A
17:33:44 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
17:33:46 YOU CAN THROW THAT IN THE GARBAGE CAN.
17:33:48 THIS COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN SAYS MAY 2004.
17:33:51 18 YEARS OLD.
17:33:54 AND YOU GOT A NEW ONE RIGHT HERE FOR EAST TAMPA?
17:33:58 WOW.
17:33:58 GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, MAN. IT TAKES THAT LONG?
17:34:02 DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT UPDATING THAT.
17:34:04 SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT A STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
17:34:08 WHOSE PLAN?
17:34:09 EAST TAMPA.
17:34:12 2009.
17:34:13 THAT HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2009.
17:34:16 WHY WOULD YOU DO THE ACTION PLAN BEFORE THE YOU DO THE
17:34:18 COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN WHICH THE STATE STATUTE
17:34:20 REQUIRES YOU TO DO.
17:34:21 RIGHT, MR. MORRIS MASSEY?
17:34:24 NOW, THAT'S PROCESS.
17:34:26 THAT'S PROBLEMS.
17:34:27 I THINK MS. TRAVIS CAN SOLVE THEM IF GIVEN TIME TO DO SO.
17:34:30 LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WEST SIDE.
17:34:32 WHY IS THE WEST SIDE DIFFERENT? THE WEST SIDE IS DIFFERENT
17:34:35 BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN WAS MAY 2015.
17:34:41 VERY CURRENT.
17:34:43 TO CHANGE THE ACTION PLAN, NOTICE, IT CAME AFTER THE
17:34:47 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
17:34:49 2018.
17:34:52 GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT, MAN.
17:34:54 LET ME SAY THIS FOR THE RECORD.
17:34:59 WITH ONE MINUTE LEFT.
17:35:07 WE CONSTANTLY REVIEW WITH STAFF, AND CAC MEMBERS, ROBERT'S
17:35:09 RULES OF ORDER, OKAY. WE DEAL WITH THE FLORIDA SUNSHINE
17:35:14 ACT. WE CALL MR. MORRIS MASSEY UP ANYTIME WE GET READY.
17:35:19 BEFORE WE PUT ANYTHING IN FRONT OF ANYBODY, WE WANT TO HAVE
17:35:22 OUR SUBCOMMITTEES LOOK AT IT, AND WE WANT OUR SUBCOMMITTEES
17:35:26 TO GET AN ATTORNEY TO LOOK AT IT.
17:35:28 THERE ARE SOME LEGAL RULES AND REGULATIONS BETWEEN THE
17:35:31 DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT YOU HAVE.
17:35:34 OKAY.
17:35:34 EVERYTHING IS TRANSPARENT.
17:35:35 WE FOLLOW OUR CRP.
17:35:38 IF IT AIN'T IN THE CRP YOU DON'T DO IT, RIGHT, MR. MASSEY?
17:35:42 YOU DON'T DO IT.
17:35:44 WELL, YOU ALL ARE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE. THE CRP IS YOUR BIBLE
17:35:48 SO YOU GOT TO GO TO BIBLE STUDY AND LEARN YOUR CRP.
17:35:51 BECAUSE IF YOU WANT TO LEARN CRP ANY PROGRAM YOU COME UP
17:35:55 WITH MUST BE INVOLVED IN IT.
17:35:56 AND WITH MY LAST FIVE SECONDS AND I HAVE TO GO MAKE A
17:36:00 DEPOSIT AT THE CREDIT UNION.
17:36:02 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MR. ROBINSON.
17:36:09 [ APPLAUSE ]
17:36:10 >> GOOD AFTERNOON.
17:36:13 ALISON HEWITT, 4904 32ND STREET, THIRD GENERATION EAST TAMPA
17:36:18 RESIDENT.
17:36:19 AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST, THERE ARE TWO MAJOR
17:36:22 ISSUES THAT ARE A CHALLENGE FOR EAST TAMPA, IS PROCESSES.
17:36:27 AS YOU KNOW, EAST TAMPA IS THE LARGEST CRA IN THE STATE,
17:36:31 ONE.
17:36:31 AND TWO, WE HAVE ELECTIONS EVERY YEAR.
17:36:33 SO UNLESS OUR PROCESS IS PUT IN PLACE, APPLICATIONS PUT IN
17:36:37 PLACE, YOU HAVE NEW PEOPLE WHO COME IN EVERY YEAR.
17:36:40 AND SO NEW PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO CREATE
17:36:43 THIS NEW SYSTEM.
17:36:44 AND SO YOU PUT US, THE LARGEST CRA IN THE STATE, AT A
17:36:47 DISADVANTAGE WHEN THERE ARE NO PROCESSES, WHEN THERE'S NO
17:36:51 CONTINUOUS APPLICATIONS.
17:36:54 SO I AM GLAD THAT PROCESS IS ON THE AGENDA, BECAUSE YOU DO A
17:36:59 DISSERVICE WHEN YOU HAVE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO
17:37:01 HAVE NO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND AND PUT IT ON THEIR
17:37:05 RESPONSIBILITY TO CHANGE THEIR COMMUNITY BY CREATING
17:37:07 PROCESSES AND THEY ARE THEY NOT FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
17:37:12 BUT THEY LOVE THE COMMUNITY, RAISE THEIR CHILDREN THERE,
17:37:14 THEY HAVE THEIR PARENTS THERE.
17:37:15 SO PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROCESSES.
17:37:18 PLEASE DON'T JUST DO WHATEVER COMES FROM THE CAC BECAUSE THE
17:37:23 CAC WANTS THINGS TO BE DONE AND THEY WANT TO HAVE TOOLS AND
17:37:27 SUPPORT TO GET THINGS DONE.
17:37:29 THANK YOU.
17:37:30 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
17:37:30 >> MY NAME IS -- DUDLEY, 2705 EAST 24th AVENUE.
17:37:58 I WAS THE CHAIR OF THE EAST TAMPA CRA FROM OCTOBER 2018
17:38:03 UNTIL OCTOBER 2020.
17:38:04 AS I STEPPED INTO THE ROLE AS CHAIR, THERE WEREN'T MANY
17:38:10 PROGRAMS CURRENTLY CREATED.
17:38:12 AND SO THAT WAS PART OF WHAT WE WERE WORKING TO DO WAS TO
17:38:17 CREATE AS MANY PROGRAMS AS WE POSSIBLY COULD.
17:38:19 BUT THAT TOOK A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
17:38:22 COMING INTO THE ROLE I SAT WITH DIRECTORS, I SAT WITH THE
17:38:26 MAYOR, I SAT WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE ON HOW WE COULD FIX THE
17:38:29 PROCESS SO THAT WE COULD GET THINGS IMPLEMENTED SOONER, AND
17:38:34 I WAS TOLD BY THE MAYOR THAT IF THINGS WENT PAST A MONTH WAS
17:38:39 A PROBLEM BECAUSE IF WE VOTED, WE CREATED A PROCESS, WE SAID
17:38:44 THIS IS WHAT WE WANTED, IT SHOULD BE MOVING FORWARD.
17:38:46 BUT THAT WAS ALWAYS A PROBLEM.
17:38:48 AND THAT'S BEEN A PROBLEM.
17:38:51 WE WILL HAVE AN IDEA, VOTE ON IT, EVERYONE AGREES, AND THEN
17:38:56 WE GIVE IT TO STAFF OR WHOMEVER TO THEN WORK ON IMPLEMENTING
17:39:00 IT AND IT DOESN'T GET IMPLEMENTED.
17:39:02 AND SO IT TAKES SOMETIMES A YEAR IF NOT LONGER TO IMPLEMENT
17:39:07 WHICH HOLD UP THE PROCESS SPENDING THE DOLLARS.
17:39:12 YOU CAN SEE WE CONSTANTLY HAVE A HUGE ROLLOVER OF FUNDS
17:39:15 BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ABLE TO SPEND IT FAST ENOUGH BECAUSE
17:39:18 EVERYTHING REQUIRES SO MUCH TIME.
17:39:21 IF WE COULD SOMEHOW CREATE A BETTER PLATFORM SO ONCE THE
17:39:27 COMMUNITY HAS SAID THIS IS WHAT WE WANT, WE ARE ABLE TO WORK
17:39:30 ON IMPLEMENTATION.
17:39:34 THE TREE TRIMMING GRANT THAT WENT ON FOR PROBABLY A YEAR AND
17:39:37 A HALF BEFORE IT WAS ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
17:39:40 AND FOR SOME OF THEM, I WILL BE HONEST, I HELPED TO BEHIND
17:39:44 THE SCENES WRITE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HOLDUP IS.
17:39:47 I'LL JUST BE HONEST. I DON'T KNOW.
17:39:50 BUT IF WE COULD SOMEHOW FIX THAT, WE DO GET TO THE POINT OF
17:39:53 BEING ABLE TO SPEND THE DOLLARS THE WAY THE COMMUNITY WANTS
17:39:56 IN AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WAY.
17:40:00 AND, ALSO, WHEN WE CREATE IDEAS, I KNOW THIS, AND I BROUGHT
17:40:07 THIS BEFORE YOU BEFORE, IS THAT WE GET A LITTLE PUSH BACK
17:40:11 WITH THINGS THAT WE GIVE, AND I WILL USE AS AN EXAMPLE, WITH
17:40:16 THE TREE LIGHTING, IT WAS MENTIONED IN OUR CRA MEETING THAT
17:40:20 WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE TREES POSSIBLY IN LAKES AND THINGS AND
17:40:25 THE PUSHBACK WE GOT WAS WE DIDN'T WANT TO PUT THE TREE IN
17:40:28 THE LAKE BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID PEOPLE ARE GOING TO JUMP IN
17:40:30 THE LAKE TRYING TO TOUCH THE TREE.
17:40:32 SO PUSHBACK ON THINGS LIKE, WHERE IS THIS ACTUALLY COMING
17:40:36 FROM?
17:40:38 SO IF WE COULD REALLY JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH THE IDEAS, WHAT
17:40:41 THE COMMUNITY IS SAYING WHAT THEY WANT, SO WE COULD PUT IT
17:40:45 ALL TOGETHER, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THE FUNDS, WE HAVE THE
17:40:48 PEOPLE, WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
17:40:49 WE JUST DON'T NEED THE PROCESS TO BE THE ROAD BLOCK AS FAR
17:40:53 AS MAKING IT HAPPEN.
17:40:55 THANK YOU.
17:40:55 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
17:41:06 IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WANTING TO SPEAK?
17:41:11 I HAVE A FEW PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
17:41:19 ANDRE HILL?
17:41:20 >> I PASS.
17:41:21 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ARE YOU SURE?
17:41:24 >> YEAH.
17:41:26 MY ONLY CONCERN --
17:41:27 >> COME ON UP TO THE PODIUM.
17:41:32 PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
17:41:33 >> MY NAME IS ANDRE HILL. I WAS BORN HERE IN TAMPA IN 1952,
17:41:39 AND MY CONCERN, I'M SEEING A SYSTEM STILL BEEN IN PLACE FOR
17:41:47 70 YEARS.
17:41:48 AND EVEN I WAS A CONTRACTOR IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WHERE I
17:41:52 RENOVATED CLOSE TO 100 HOUSES, AND WE HAVE A LITTLE SMALL
17:41:57 GRANT TO DO A COMMUNITY, AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY
17:42:01 OBSTACLES AND ROADBLOCKS TO BLOCK YOU FROM GETTING A SMALL
17:42:05 COMMUNITY GARDEN TOGETHER.
17:42:09 ARCHITECT, FINANCIAL PEOPLE, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON THAT
17:42:14 WE NEED TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM HERE IN THE CITY
17:42:17 OF TAMPA.
17:42:17 THIS RACISM OF CONTINUING TO OPPRESS, OPPRESS BLACK ECONOMIC
17:42:24 GROWTH, IT'S GOT TO END.
17:42:25 IT'S GOT TO STOP, YOU KNOW.
17:42:27 AND I CAN DEAL WITH THESE LITTLE OBSTACLES BECAUSE THAT'S
17:42:30 WHAT I DO.
17:42:30 BUT THE AVERAGE PERSON, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS THAT DON'T
17:42:33 UNDERSTAND THE MECHANICS, AND THIS RACIST MECHANISM THAT
17:42:38 EXISTS IN OUR PROCESS SYSTEM OF FILING FOR PERMITS, YOU
17:42:41 KNOW, DRAWINGS AND THAT SORT OF THING, THE CITY COUNCIL
17:42:46 REALLY SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO LOOK AT WHAT THE COMMUNITY
17:42:49 TOGETHER, BECAUSE PEOPLE NOW, FROM ALL OVER -- I HAVE
17:42:52 DEVELOPERS ON THE WEST COAST, AND THEY ASK THE QUESTION,
17:42:56 WHAT'S WRONG WITH TAMPA?
17:42:58 HOW COME YOU CAN'T GET ANYTHING -- BLACK FOLKS CAN'T GET
17:43:01 ANYTHING DONE THERE?
17:43:02 AND SO IT'S SYSTEMIC, AND IT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH.
17:43:05 SO I MADE A CALL AND ALMOST HAD TO THREATEN LEGAL ACTION TO
17:43:10 GET THINGS MOVING, AND THEN SOMETHING MYSTERIOUSLY, AFTER I
17:43:15 DID THAT, THEN SOME OF THE PERMITTING PROCESSES OPENED UP.
17:43:18 BUT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
17:43:20 SO THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
17:43:24 GET IT -- PUT TOGETHER A REVIEW COMMITTEE.
17:43:26 LET GET THIS RACISM OUT BECAUSE TAMPA, THIS IS MY HOME, THIS
17:43:29 IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY, AND I SEE SOME UGLY HEADS RISING UP,
17:43:36 DEVELOPERS, THAT INTEND TO CORRUPT AND PROHIBITED THE
17:43:39 PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY NATIVES OF TAMPA FROM ENJOYING THE
17:43:43 PROSPERITY OF THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY.
17:43:44 THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
17:43:45 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MR. HILL.
17:43:50 I ALSO SEE MS. CONNIE BURTON'S NAME ON THE LIST.
17:43:55 DO YOU SEE HER OUTSIDE?
17:43:59 OH, I'M SORRY.
17:44:02 YOU HAVE YOUR NAME DOWN HERE.
17:44:03 I'M SORRY, MS. BURTON, I DIDN'T SEE YOU BACK THERE.
17:44:06 DO WE HAVE ANYONE ONLINE THAT WANTS TO SPEAK FOR PUBLIC
17:44:09 COMMENT?
17:44:10 >>THE CLERK: THERE ARE NO REGISTERED SPEAKERS.
17:44:12 >>JOSEPH CITRO: AGAIN, I AM GOING TO HAND THE GAVEL TO
17:44:15 COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
17:44:16 COUNCILMAN CARLSON, WE TABLED THE MOTION.
17:44:18 >>BILL CARLSON: DO WE NEED THE MOTION AGAIN OR JUST
17:44:22 UNTABLE?
17:44:23 >>MORRIS MASSEY: I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO RESTATE THE
17:44:28 MOTION AND THEN YOU CAN DISCUSS IT AND VOTE ON IT.
17:44:30 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN GUDES, YOU WERE NOT HERE. I
17:44:35 MADE A STATEMENT THAT MS. VAN LOAN HAS GIVEN HER TWO-WEEK
17:44:40 NOTICE, AND THE INTERIM, SINCE I HAVE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH MS.
17:44:47 NICOLE TRAVIS, I MADE THE MOTION THAT MS. NICOLE TRAVIS STEP
17:44:50 IN AS INTERIM CRA DIRECTOR UNTIL WHICH TIME THE CONTRACT IS
17:44:56 COMPLETED.
17:44:59 >>BILL CARLSON: WHO WAS THE SECOND?
17:45:01 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN MIRANDA.
17:45:02 >>BILL CARLSON: ANY DISCUSSION?
17:45:09 ANY DISCUSSION?
17:45:10 >>ORLANDO GUDES: THIS RESIGNATION JUST COME ABOUT TODAY?
17:45:17 >> IT WAS HANDED TO ME ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO.
17:45:20 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ANY OTHER DISCUSSION?
17:45:28 DO WE DO ROLL CALL?
17:45:30 ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
17:45:30 >>LYNN HURTAK: YES.
17:45:32 >>BILL CARLSON: NO.
17:45:34 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: YES.
17:45:36 >>LUIS VIERA: YES.
17:45:37 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES.
17:45:39 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: YES.
17:45:40 >>ORLANDO GUDES: YES.
17:45:42 >>THE CLERK: MOTION CARRIED WITH CARLSON VOTING NO.
17:45:44 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
17:45:51 MR. MASSEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO AGAIN REVIEW HOW THIS PART OF
17:45:55 THE MEETING IS GOING TO BE HELD?
17:45:58 >>MORRIS MASSEY: BE GLAD TO.
17:46:00 CRA STAFF OR THE CHAIR WILL INTRODUCE EACH ITEM ON THE
17:46:03 AGENDA.
17:46:04 THE MEMBERS OF THE CAC WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CRA
17:46:08 BOARD WILL COME TO THE PODIUM AND ADDRESS YOU ALL ON ISSUES
17:46:14 THEY HAVE REGARDING THAT SPECIFIC ITEM.
17:46:16 AT THAT TIME, MEMBERS OF THE CRA CAN ASK QUESTIONS OF THE
17:46:19 MEMBERS OF THE CAC.
17:46:21 STAFF IS HERE TO ANY QUESTIONS.
17:46:23 STAFF WILL ALSO BE ALLOWED TO RESPOND.
17:46:27 THIS MEETING IS MORE OF A LISTENING SESSION THAN ANYTHING
17:46:31 ELSE, BUT IF THERE ARE MOTIONS TO BE MADE I WOULD RECOMMEND
17:46:33 THAT THEY WAIT TILL THE END OF THE MEETING TO MAKE THE
17:46:37 MOTIONS, THAT THOSE MOTIONS BE MADE BY CRA BOARD.
17:46:40 THIS MEETING IS REALLY SET UP FOR YOU ALL TO HEAR THE
17:46:43 CONCERNS OF THE CAC.
17:46:45 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
17:46:47 THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA -- WE HAD SUBSECTIONS WITHIN
17:46:50 THAT FIRST ITEM -- IS THE EAST TAMPA STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
17:46:57 WE HAVE THE CAC MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE.
17:46:59 IF ANY OF THE CAC MEMBERS WISH TO GIVE US THEIR CONCERNS OR
17:47:05 HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR STAFF, PLEASE APPROACH THE
17:47:07 PODIUM.
17:47:14 MS. TATE.
17:47:17 >> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
17:47:20 I AM FRAN TATE, CHAIR OF THE EAST TAMPA CAC OF EAST TAMPA
17:47:24 CRA.
17:47:26 I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS, THIS EVENING.
17:47:30 IT IS MUCH NEEDED.
17:47:31 COUNCILMAN GUDES, WE WANT TO SAY TO YOU, WE ARE VERY, VERY
17:47:35 SORRY FOR THE LOSS OF YOUR LEGISLATIVE AIDE.
17:47:38 PLEASE KNOW THAT WE ARE WITH YOU IN PRAYER AS WELL AS WITH
17:47:41 THE FAMILY OF YOUR LEGISLATIVE AIDE.
17:47:48 I'M EXHAUSTED.
17:47:48 I'M EXHAUSTED.
17:47:52 BUT BECAUSE I LOVE MY COMMUNITY.
17:47:55 AND OUR COMMUNITY, MY COMMUNITY, I WANT TO SERVE JUST AS
17:47:58 WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS ROOM.
17:48:02 WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT ARCHITECTS.
17:48:05 WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT PLANNERS.
17:48:08 WE ARE NOT REDEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS.
17:48:11 BUT WE ARE A GROUP OF LOVING PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SEE EAST
17:48:15 TAMPA MOVE FORWARD.
17:48:18 I'M IN THE MEDICAL FIELD.
17:48:20 I GOT A PASTOR.
17:48:22 I HAVE AN ATTORNEY.
17:48:24 I HAVE RETIREES THAT SIT ON MY BOARD.
17:48:28 BUT THAT SHOULD NOT MAKE ANYTHING THAT WE DECIDE IN OUR
17:48:31 COMMUNITY UNIMPORTANT AND OVERLOOKED.
17:48:35 THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.
17:48:36 WE NEED THE NECESSARY TOOLS.
17:48:38 WE HAVE TOOLS.
17:48:39 WE NEED STAFF.
17:48:42 THAT'S THE MAJOR ISSUE.
17:48:45 I DON'T MEAN TO BE RUDE BUT I THANK GOD MRS. VAN LOAN
17:48:49 DECIDED TO MOVE ON BECAUSE SHE HAS OFFENDED PERSONALLY, AND
17:48:53 IT'S GOING TO TAKE ME A WHILE TO GET OVER THAT.
17:48:57 FOR WHAT SHE DID TO ME.
17:49:00 BUT I ASK YOU ALL TO CONTINUE PRAY FOR ME.
17:49:02 I AM GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
17:49:06 THE EAST TAMPA CRA COMMUNITY WILL NO LONGER BE UNDERSERVED
17:49:11 AND IGNORED.
17:49:14 THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS OR ACTIVITIES IN THE
17:49:19 EAST TAMPA CRA WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
17:49:27 GENTRIFICATION IS HAPPENING.
17:49:29 THAT'S REAL.
17:49:29 IT'S GOING ON, ALL OVER THE WORLD -- ALL OVER THE UNITED
17:49:32 STATES.
17:49:36 IT IS VERY URGENT THAT WE HAVE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED IN
17:49:42 EAST TAMPA TO SUPPORT EAST TAMPA.
17:49:45 WE ARE VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A STREAKS ACTION PLAN.
17:49:50 AND WHAT I DID, COMING ON AS A BOARD MEMBER AND BEING
17:49:54 ELECTED AS THE CHAIR, I CHOSE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT
17:49:57 ARE VERY WELL VERSED IN THE EIGHT STANDING COMMITTEES THAT
17:50:02 WE HAVE.
17:50:03 THESE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
17:50:04 THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
17:50:07 PLEASE DON'T IGNORE THEM.
17:50:11 EXTENSIVE DELAY OF IMPLEMENTATION OF OWNER OCCUPIED
17:50:17 PROGRAMS.
17:50:18 THAT'S BEEN, WELL, THE TIME I GOT HERE, A YEAR, TWO YEARS,
17:50:21 WHERE IS THAT PROGRAM?
17:50:23 WHERE IS THE RFP SO WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT?
17:50:26 WE WANT THAT.
17:50:27 WE DESERVE IT.
17:50:28 WE ARE DEMANDING IT.
17:50:32 INABILITY OF STAFF TO ENSURE THAT LEADING AGENDAS AND
17:50:36 BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS ARE PROVIDED TO CAC MEMBERS, WITHIN
17:50:41 SEVEN DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
17:50:43 IT IS THE TRUTH.
17:50:43 MR. McCRAY, WHEN WE JUST STARTED GETTING THEM, WE HAVE NO
17:50:50 REASON TO LIE.
17:50:51 WE ARE VERY SINCERE.
17:50:54 WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO THRIVE.
17:50:55 WE NEED THOSE DOCUMENTS.
17:50:59 WITHIN SEVEN DAYS SO WE CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM.
17:51:04 THERE'S A LACK OF TRUST WITH STAFF.
17:51:08 EXAMPLE, I PERSONALLY AM DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE OF THE
17:51:11 MISREPRESENTATION OF THE CRA BOARD, OF THE MARCH 1st,
17:51:17 2022 CAC DISCUSSION OF THE DRAFT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
17:51:22 THE CAC EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE CURRENT DRAFT SAP IS NOT
17:51:27 AN UPDATE OF THE APPROVED 2009 SAP.
17:51:34 THAT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE CRA AS WE ASKED STAFF TO DO.
17:51:42 AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE TOPICS, TRUST BETWEEN THE
17:51:45 COMMUNITY, THE CAC, AND STAFF IS STRAINED, TO NONEXISTENT.
17:51:52 WE HOPE YOU WILL ASSIST WITH THE ADDRESSING OF THESE ISSUES.
17:51:57 WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
17:52:01 AS I STATED, I HAVE SEVEN COMMITTEE CHAIRS WHO CAN EXPOUND
17:52:07 MORE ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
17:52:09 AND I ASK YOU TO PLEASE ALLOW THEM TO DO SO.
17:52:12 >>JOSEPH CITRO: DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU SPECIFICALLY
17:52:13 WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN?
17:52:17 >> I AM GOING TO ALLOW ALISON HEWITT.
17:52:21 SHE IS VERY WELL VERSED.
17:52:22 I WANT THE -- I WANT AN UPDATE TO THE 2009 STRATEGIC ACTION
17:52:29 PLAN, NOT A RE-CREATED DRAFT.
17:52:36 I KNOW MR. ROBINSON, BUT WE ARE EAST TAMPA.
17:52:39 AND WE PAID FOR A STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN UPDATE.
17:52:46 BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONTRACT, IT WASN'T FOLLOWED.
17:52:55 ANY MORE QUESTIONS?
17:52:58 YES, SIR?
17:52:59 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
17:53:01 >>BILL CARLSON: MS. TATE, WE HAVE THE LAST THREE CHAIRS IN
17:53:04 THE ROOM, AND I THINK EACH OF YOU STARTED WITH HOPES YOU
17:53:06 COULD MOVE THINGS FORWARD AND TRY TO SPEND SOME OF THIS
17:53:10 MONEY, I THINK THERE WAS LIKE $3 MILLION IN THE ACCOUNT, AND
17:53:13 I THINK THERE'S STILL A MILLION DOLLARS OR SOMETHING IN AN
17:53:16 AREA WHERE WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO MAKE CHANGES.
17:53:18 BUT ALL THREE OF YOU HAVE HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS.
17:53:23 MS. GOODLEY STOOD OUT, MRS. BURTON IS IN THE ROOM.
17:53:27 COULD YOU TELL US, SO IF YOU WERE SITTING WHERE WE ARE RIGHT
17:53:30 NOW, WHAT ARE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR THINGS THAT YOU WOULD
17:53:33 CHANGE RIGHT AWAY?
17:53:34 WHAT ARE SOME ACTION STEPS THAT WE CAN TAKE TO IMPROVE THE
17:53:37 SITUATION?
17:53:37 >> I WOULD WANT YOU TO LOCATE THAT RFP FOR HOUSING REHAB.
17:53:42 WE HAVE SENIORS IN THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE VETERANS, WE HAVE
17:53:46 HOMES THAT HAVE HOLES IN THE ROOF, HOLES IN THE FLOOR.
17:53:49 COUNCILMAN GUDES, WE THANK YOU FOR -- WE HAVE THE RFP.
17:53:57 PLEASE, WE NEED THAT SO THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT THE REHABBING
17:54:02 OF THESE HOMES.
17:54:05 YOU SAID THREE?
17:54:07 >>BILL CARLSON: YES, PLEASE.
17:54:08 >> FRAN TATE: OKAY.
17:54:12 THAT'S ONE.
17:54:12 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MS. GOODLEY, MR. MASSEY, THIS WAS SUPPOSED
17:54:17 TO BE FOR CAC AND CRA BOARD MEMBERS.
17:54:21 >>MORRIS MASSEY: ALL RIGHT.
17:54:24 >>BILL CARLSON: SHE'S A FORMER CHAIR.
17:54:27 SO MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES FOR THE FORMER CHAIR.
17:54:31 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
17:54:33 >> THANK YOU.
17:54:35 FOR THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, WE VOTED, WHILE I WAS CHAIR,
17:54:39 TO REMOVE THE PROGRAM FROM THE CITY, BECAUSE THE PROGRAM HAD
17:54:44 BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR TWO YEARS, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE
17:54:47 PERSON UTILIZING -- WE HAD A HALF MILLION DOLLARS SET ASIDE
17:54:52 FOR IT.
17:54:52 AND ONCE WE REALIZED THAT IT WASN'T BEING UTILIZED, WE
17:54:57 DECIDED TO TRY TO FIND A NONPROFIT THAT COULD STEP IN AND
17:55:01 TAKE THE FUNDS AND START DOING THE REHAB.
17:55:05 WE ALL VOTED, WE AGREED, WE EACH SAID WE NEED TO LOOK FOR A
17:55:09 NONPROFIT, I BELIEVE TO THE LAST MEETING THAT WOULD HAVE
17:55:15 BEEN SEPTEMBER 2020, WHO WENT OVER WHAT THEY WOULD DO WITH
17:55:20 THE FUNDS, HOW THEY COULD IMPLEMENT IT AND WHAT WOULD BE
17:55:23 THEIR PLAN.
17:55:25 THEN BEFORE WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE, WE WERE ALL TOLD
17:55:27 TO HOLD OFF ON THAT VOTE OF WHETHER WE WANTED TO GO WITH
17:55:30 THAT ONE OF THE AND THEN IN OCTOBER 2020 I WAS NO LONGER
17:55:34 CHAIR, AND WHEN OTHER CAC MEMBERS ASKED ABOUT WHAT WE HAD
17:55:38 ALREADY VOTED ON AND HOW WE COULD MOVE FORWARD, WE WERE TOLD
17:55:42 THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
17:55:47 SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE NEVER PROCEEDED WITH IT.
17:55:50 AND MIGHT I ADD, TOWARDS THE END, ONCE WE DECIDED WE WANTED
17:55:55 TO MOVE THE FUNDS OR FIND A NONPROFIT TO DO IT, THAT'S WITH
17:56:00 HE WE CAME BACK AND HEARD FROM THE CITY THAT THERE WERE FOUR
17:56:02 HOMES THAT WERE BEING REHABBED WITH OUR DOLLARS.
17:56:06 AND WHEN I WENT BACK AND ASKED WHAT THOSE FOUR HOMES WERE
17:56:10 AND WE CROSS REFERENCED IT, THEY WERE NOT USING OUR FUNDS.
17:56:14 THAT WAS USING THE CITY'S OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB AND THEY WERE
17:56:17 NOT UTILIZING ANY OF OUR FUNDS FOR THAT.
17:56:19 >>BILL CARLSON: THANK YOU.
17:56:23 MS. TATE, OFF COUPLE OTHER IDEAS?
17:56:25 >> FRAN TATE: THE REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PROPERTY
17:56:29 OWNERS, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT IMPLEMENTED.
17:56:40 THERE'S JUST SO MUCH, SO MUCH MORE THAT I COULD JUST BOUNCE
17:56:45 OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN EAST TAMPA.
17:56:49 SIDEWALKS.
17:56:49 >>BILL CARLSON: WHY DO YOU ALL THINK THAT --
17:56:56 >> COUNCILMAN CARLSON, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED.
17:56:59 >>BILL CARLSON: THANK YOU.
17:56:59 I WAS JUST FOLLOWING UP.
17:57:01 WHY DO YOU THINK THAT WE CAN'T GET ANYTHING TO MOVE FORWARD?
17:57:03 WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BLOCK?
17:57:05 >> WELL, IT'S OBVIOUS WE CAN'T GET ANYTHING MOVING FORWARD
17:57:09 BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING MOVING FORWARD.
17:57:11 THREE CHAIRS IN FOUR YEARS, IT'S NOT MOVING --
17:57:14 >>BILL CARLSON: WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
17:57:16 >> I DON'T SIT UP THERE.
17:57:18 I DON'T SIT IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
17:57:19 >> I HAVE MY --
17:57:22 >> GO AHEAD.
17:57:23 >> BECAUSE WHEN I CAME ON, AS CHAIR, WE WERE SPENDING MONEY
17:57:28 WHERE I BELIEVE THE CITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENDING IT.
17:57:31 SO WE WERE PAVING ROADS.
17:57:32 WE WERE DOING SIDEWALKS.
17:57:34 WE WERE DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS THE
17:57:38 CITY PAYS FOR.
17:57:39 BUT IF IT NEVER GOES TO THE CITY BUDGET, AND BECAUSE IF IT'S
17:57:43 ON THE CITY BUDGET, AT LEAST IN FIVE YEARS, THE CAC CAN'T
17:57:47 PAY FOR IT.
17:57:48 THAT'S THE STATUTE.
17:57:50 SO IF IT NEVER GOES TO THE CITY BUDGET, WE CAN ALWAYS PAY
17:57:53 FOR IT.
17:57:54 SO WHEN I CAME UP, WE STARTED PULLING BACK THE FUNDS FROM
17:57:58 DOING THAT.
17:57:59 WE PAVED THE LAST ROAD.
17:58:03 THAT'S THE CITY'S JOB.
17:58:04 WE ARE NOT PUTTING SIDEWALKS IN.
17:58:06 WE ARE SUPPOSED TO SUPPLEMENT, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO ADD THINGS
17:58:09 TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
17:58:10 BUT PREVIOUSLY, ALL WE HAVE BEEN DOING IS WHAT THE CITY
17:58:14 SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
17:58:17 AND I THINK ONCE --
17:58:20 [ APPLAUSE ]
17:58:24 THAT'S WHERE ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO STARTED TO
17:58:27 SLOW DOWN TREMENDOUSLY.
17:58:29 >>BILL CARLSON: THIS IS MY CONCERN, MR. CHAIR.
17:58:31 I'LL SAY THIS AND I'LL BE QUIET.
17:58:33 THIS IS MY CONCERN WITH CONTINUING TO OUTSOURCE THE CITY, AS
17:58:36 LONG AS IT'S PART OF THE T-3 PROGRAM WE ARE GOING TO GET
17:58:38 LOTS OF MOVEMENT.
17:58:40 IF IT'S UP TO THE CRA BOARD THE CITY STAFF IS GOING TO DO
17:58:42 NOTHING TO IMPLEMENT IT AND THIS IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
17:58:44 IT'S FRUSTRATING.
17:58:45 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN, SPEAK YOUR MIND.
17:58:54 COUNCILMAN GUDES.
17:58:55 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I'M GLAD I HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THIS
17:59:01 MEETING.
17:59:02 IT'S LONG OVERDUE.
17:59:03 THE COMMUNITY IS ANGRY.
17:59:04 I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MS. TRAVIS YESTERDAY, AND BOTH
17:59:10 CANDID WITH ONE ANOTHER.
17:59:11 BUT THERE IS NOTHING REALLY MOVING, WHAT I CALL IN A WHILE,
17:59:15 AS YOU HEARD ME SAY.
17:59:17 WE HAVE GOT SOME SMALL LITTLE LEADS THAT HAVE BEEN BRUSHED
17:59:19 ON BUT NOTHING THAT'S SIGNIFICANT WILL MAKE THE COMMUNITY
17:59:22 SAY, WOW, WE ARE MOVING.
17:59:25 AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT MAKING SURE THAT WE FIND THOSE WOWS
17:59:30 SO PEOPLE CAN SAY, WE FOLLOWED THE PROCESS AND WE ARE NOT AT
17:59:36 THE BOTTOM BUT WE ELEVATED TO THE TOP.
17:59:39 THAT'S BEEN THE PROBLEM FOR THE ADMINISTRATIONS, UNTIL WHEN
17:59:47 I GET ANGRY OR SAY MAD, PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO US AND
17:59:51 LISTEN TO US.
17:59:52 AND THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE.
17:59:53 IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE.
17:59:54 BUT I'M HOPING THAT MS. TRAVIS HAS THE EXPERIENCE AND DOES
17:59:59 SOME THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHERE SHE'S COMFORTABLE BEING
18:00:03 ABLE TO BRING SOME OF THAT EXPERIENCE HERE TO HELP MR.
18:00:07 McCRAY TO BUILD WHAT WE NEED BUILT.
18:00:10 WE HAVE MONEY TO BUILD.
18:00:11 WE HAVE MONEY TO DO REAL, REAL PROBLEMS, BECAUSE LIKE I TOLD
18:00:14 HER, I THINK THE PROCESS, NOT BECAUSE THE CITY HAS WHAT THEY
18:00:17 WANT TO GET DONE, WHAT THEIR OBJECTIVES ARE, VERSUS WHAT THE
18:00:21 CAC OR EAST TAMPA WANTS, AND SO WE HAVE TO WAIT TILL THEY
18:00:27 ARE READY TO WORK WITH US.
18:00:28 LIKE I TOLD MS. TRAVIS, WE CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
18:00:31 WE HAVE TO HAVE A TEAM FOCUSED STRICTLY ON EAST TAMPA TO
18:00:35 MAKE IT MOVE.
18:00:36 AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A TEAM WITHIN THE CITY.
18:00:38 THAT WAY, THOSE PROJECTS DO GET DONE, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT
18:00:42 FOR THE RFP TO WAIT SO LONG, AND WE HAVE SITTING ON THE
18:00:46 SHELF FOREVER TO GET DONE.
18:00:47 THIS CITY IS A BIG PLACE.
18:00:50 IT'S GETTING BIGGER EVERY DAY.
18:00:53 WE CANNOT CONTINUE AS CAC IN EAST TAMPA TO ALWAYS BE THE
18:00:56 BACK OF THE LINE.
18:00:57 WE NEED TO BE PUT TO THE FRONT OF THE LINES FOR THOSE OTHER
18:01:01 PROJECTS TO GET MOVING.
18:01:02 THE PERSON ON THE CAC OF EAST TAMPA, I EXPERIENCED THOSE
18:01:05 THINGS, WHY WE CAN'T DO IT, IT'S ALWAYS, WELL, WE CAN'T DO
18:01:10 IT BECAUSE OF THIS REASON, BUT WE'LL FIND A WAY TO DO OTHER
18:01:13 PROJECTS IN THE CITY, A LOOPHOLE TO DO THINGS.
18:01:17 SO WE HAVE TO FIND THOSE LOOPHOLES IN EAST TAMPA TO DO THE
18:01:20 SAME THING WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE CITY.
18:01:21 SO THAT'S MY OBSERVATION OVER THE YEARS AS A PERSON WHO SAT
18:01:24 ON THAT BOARD.
18:01:24 SO I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION.
18:01:26 SO HOPEFULLY MS. TRAVIS AND THE BOARD HEARS THE CONCERNS OF
18:01:29 THE BOARD, WE CAN TAKE THESE THINGS TO THE MAYOR AND GET
18:01:34 THINGS MOVING.
18:01:36 >> MAY I SAY ONE THING?
18:01:40 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MS. GOODLEY.
18:01:41 >> ONE OF THE THINGS IS WE WERE BEING SPOON FED THE BUDGET.
18:01:44 SO THE BUDGET WAS PREPARED AND BROUGHT TO US LITERALLY THE
18:01:47 DAY BEFORE OUR MEETING AND SAID WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS.
18:01:51 SO THE VERY FIRST TIME WE KNEW NO BETTER.
18:01:54 WE ARE LIKE, OKAY, WE TRUST YOUR JUDGMENT.
18:01:56 WE VOTE.
18:01:57 AFTER I WENT TO THE CRA CONFERENCES AND I STARTED TO OTHER
18:02:01 PEOPLE AND THEY ARE LIKE, WHAT?
18:02:04 YOU DIDN'T WRITE YOUR OWN BUDGET?
18:02:05 SO I CAME BACK AND SAID, NO, WE ARE WRITING ON OUR BUDGET.
18:02:08 WE ARE COMING UP WITH WHERE WE WANT OUR DOLLARS SPENT.
18:02:10 THAT'S HOW CLEAR ALL THAT OUT, WE'LL TELL YOU WHERE WE WANT
18:02:14 TO PUT MONEY.
18:02:15 SO UP UNTIL THAT POINT, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE COULD NOT SAY
18:02:20 WE ARE NOT TAKING THIS ROAD, NOT SAY THAT WE ARE NOT PUTTING
18:02:24 SIDEWALKS IN, BUT WE WANT TO BEAUTIFY THE OTHER THINGS,
18:02:27 BECAUSE NO ONE IN OUR TRAINING, NO ONE EVER TOLD US THAT.
18:02:32 EVER.
18:02:33 I HAD TO TRAVEL TO OTHER CRA TRAINING BEFORE I HEARD THAT WE
18:02:39 CREATED OUR BUDGET.
18:02:40 SO THAT'S WHERE I LEARNED THE POWER THAT WE HAD AS A CAC WAS
18:02:45 ABLE TO START IMPLEMENTING THAT AND GETTING THOSE PROGRAMS
18:02:48 CREATED, BECAUSE JUST THE ONE I LEARNED, IT WHATS NOT EVERY
18:02:52 GIVEN TO US.
18:02:55 MISS CONNIE.
18:02:55 >> CONNIE BURTON.
18:03:01 I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START BUT I WILL START FROM
18:03:02 THIS POINT.
18:03:03 I ASKED MY GRANDDAUGHTER -- THE ONLY WAY SHE LOOK AT THE
18:03:09 COMMUNITY, WHAT DOES SHE SEE?
18:03:15 WHO REPRESENT ALL THE GROUPS IN OUR COMMUNITY?
18:03:18 ALL THE POTS, EVERYWHERE.
18:03:23 AND SAY WHAT HAS BEEN THE REASONS FOR THIS?
18:03:26 IS BASED ON SOMETHING THAT'S RACISM.
18:03:30 YET EVERY THURSDAY, AND I SEE HOW THAT CRA PEOPLE ARE
18:03:35 BROUGHT UP HERE, AND HOW THEY ARE PRESENTED, AND THEY WANT
18:03:38 TO GIVE $25 MILLION TO THE STRAZ CENTER?
18:03:41 OH, CULTURAL ENRICHMENT.
18:03:44 NOW THE TROLLEY, A MILLION DOLLARS, AND THEY ARE ABLE TO DO
18:03:47 WHATEVER THEY WANT.
18:03:50 COME TO OUR COMMUNITY, INTO OUR CRA MEETINGS, IT'S ALL "NO."
18:03:55 SO FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS
18:03:59 FIRST PRESENTED, AND I WAS A MEMBER IN THE AUDIENCE, I SAID
18:04:03 NO BECAUSE THE PRESENTER DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH RESPECT AND
18:04:07 DIGNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION PUBLICLY.
18:04:11 THEY DID IT OVER A CELL PHONE.
18:04:15 AND MICHELLE THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY.
18:04:18 AND THEN WHEN I LOOKED AT THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AND
18:04:24 LOOKED NO MORE LIKE A COLORING BOOK TO ME, I REFUSED TO PAY
18:04:28 THEM ONE PENNY.
18:04:29 THEY DO NOT DESERVE THE 300 PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR
18:04:33 DUPLICATION AND REWRITING THE SAME PROGRAM OVER.
18:04:36 IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
18:04:38 AND YOU SAID, WHAT IS THE ROOT CAUSE?
18:04:41 YOU KNOW WHAT THE ROOT CAUSE IS.
18:04:43 IT'S DEEP SEEDED RACISM.
18:04:46 IT IS A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT IS DETERMINED LIKE HELL TO
18:04:50 TREAT US AS IF WE ARE SELF-TAUGHT.
18:04:54 AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE YEAR TO DO THE JOB OR NOT
18:05:00 BUT IT'S NOT FROM HER, IT'S GOING TO BE THE MAYOR.
18:05:03 IF THE MAYOR DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN IN EAST TAMPA, IT'S NOT
18:05:06 GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL OUR COMMUNITY IS MATURE ENOUGH TO SAY,
18:05:09 WE WANT A POLITICAL JUDGMENT AGAINST EVERYBODY UP THERE THAT
18:05:15 HAVE ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN THE LAST 20 YEARS.
18:05:18 [ APPLAUSE ]
18:05:20 THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
18:05:22 AND SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS MEANINGLESS AT THIS POINT.
18:05:25 YOU KNOW HOW I KNOW THAT?
18:05:27 THE DISCUSSION FROM THE DAIS, OH, LET'S LISTEN TO BLOOMBERG.
18:05:31 WHAT?
18:05:32 WHAT DID WE PAY $360,000 FOR?
18:05:35 SO WE ARE JUST WALKING IN CIRCLES IN THE BIGGEST THING AND I
18:05:40 AM MATURE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND NOW, IS PITTING US AGAINST
18:05:44 EACH OTHER.
18:05:47 PITTING US AGAINST EACH OTHER.
18:05:50 AND SO WHILE WE WANT TO CREATE WEALTH FOR OUR COMMUNITY,
18:05:55 EVEN WITH THE TREE TRIMMING GRANT, WE SAW THE SAME PEOPLE,
18:05:59 WANTING THEM TO GET ALL THE WORK. WE SIMPLY SAID THE PEOPLE
18:06:02 IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN CUT A TREE.
18:06:09 WE WAS DOING THAT WORK.
18:06:11 SO WE HAD TO GO BACK AND START MAKING DEMANDS FOR ECONOMIC
18:06:14 DEVELOPMENT.
18:06:16 TO THE STAFF.
18:06:17 I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE PAYING THEM FOR.
18:06:19 I DON'T.
18:06:21 WE PAY OUT SALARY FOR FIVE DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL, AND WE ARE
18:06:25 BEING ASKED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN.
18:06:29 AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE PLAN, AND THE ARCHITECT, AND WANT
18:06:34 YOU TO BUILD ME A FOUR BED, THREE-BEDROOM HOUSE.
18:06:39 I DON'T BLAME THE BLUEPRINT BUT WE ARE PAYING THEM SALARIES.
18:06:41 THEY ARE SUPPOSED, IN MY OPINION, COME BACK AND TELL US WHAT
18:06:44 PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN PLACE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO RE-CREATE THE
18:06:48 WHEEL.
18:06:50 AND WE CAN THEN MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENT, BUT EVERY MEETING IS A
18:06:53 STONE-FACED MEETING AND YOU ALL NEED TO SOLVE IT BY
18:06:56 YOURSELF.
18:06:57 I WOULD RATHER SEE THIS CRA DISAPPEAR IF WE CANNOT GET IT
18:07:05 RIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN 20 YEARS IN THE MAKING AND WE
18:07:07 DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO --
18:07:11 [ APPLAUSE ]
18:07:12 WE DON'T.
18:07:12 AND SO WHAT I WANT TO SEE MOVING FORWARD IS THE ABILITY TO
18:07:16 CREATE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY FROM EVERY PROPOSAL THAT GOES
18:07:21 OUT. SOMEBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
18:07:24 I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT IF I GO IN WEST TAMPA AND
18:07:29 SEMINOLE HEIGHTS, YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SEEING, PEOPLE ARE ABLE
18:07:32 TO HAVE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, CREATING GENERATIONAL
18:07:38 WEALTH FOR THAT FAMILY TO CONTINUE.
18:07:39 WE DON'T DO THAT.
18:07:40 WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
18:07:43 WE GOT PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS SADDLED WITH DEFERRED
18:07:47 PAYMENT LOANS FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS.
18:07:51 THAT WAS THE BEST PROGRAM THE CITY COULD OFFER OUR PEOPLE
18:07:52 FOR FIRST-TIME HOME ASSISTANCE.
18:07:55 IT'S SIMPLE.
18:07:56 AND I AM HOPEFUL, BECAUSE I WILL BE BACK DOWN HERE THURSDAY,
18:08:04 THAT YOU HAVE A RESOLUTION SAYING THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD -- THE
18:08:08 ONLY PERSON TO GET A SMALL EXCUSE IS THE NEW MEMBER UP
18:08:12 THERE, BUT THE REST OF YOU ALL SAID THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD
18:08:16 DISCRIMINATION, AND WHAT RACISM HAS DONE TO THE AFRICAN
18:08:20 COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT WAS IN THE PAST OR THE FUTURE.
18:08:25 WHETHER YOU UNDERSTAND THAT AND YOU VOTED ON IT IN 2020, NO
18:08:30 WONDER OPPORTUNITY -- IT'S ALMOST SUNSET.
18:08:35 SO I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IS HERE.
18:08:40 WE ARE COMING DOWN HERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE THINGS DONE.
18:08:43 ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT I WANT TO SEE DONE IS THAT THE
18:08:46 VOICES ARE RESPECTED.
18:08:49 THIS IS THE CHAIR.
18:08:51 SHE SHOULD BE EXPECTED AS SUCH.
18:08:53 AND THE COMMUNITY VOICES SHOULD BE HEARD.
18:08:55 AND THE VERY MINIMUM THINGS THAT WE HAVE ASKED FOR, NUMBER
18:09:00 ONE, TOP PRIORITY, WE WANT DECENCY IN HOUSING, WE WANT TO
18:09:04 SEE A COMPLETE RENOVATION OF HOUSES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE
18:09:08 WANT TO END THE GENTRIFICATION OF OUR PEOPLE.
18:09:12 IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHO LIVES CLOSE TO YOU, MAYBE YOU DON'T
18:09:16 NEED TO BE THERE, BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO KEEP PEOPLE
18:09:19 INSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY SO WE CAN ALL PROSPER.
18:09:23 THANK YOU.
18:09:23 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MS. BURTON.
18:09:27 >>BILL CARLSON: MS. BURTON, COULD YOU COME BACK?
18:09:34 MS. TATE AND MS. GOODLEY TALKED A LITTLE ABOUT THEIR
18:09:38 INTERFACE WITH STAFF.
18:09:39 WHEN YOU WERE CHAIR A COUPLE TIMES, YOU AND I SPOKE, AND YOU
18:09:43 WERE DISAPPOINTED IN THE WAY THE MEETINGS WERE BEING HANDLED
18:09:46 AND THE WAY STAFF IS INTERACTING WITH YOU.
18:09:49 AT SOME POINT, I CALLED A CONFERENCE CALL WITH ALL THE STAFF
18:09:52 RELATED TO EAST TAMPA, AND YOU WERE ON THE PHONE AND WE HAD
18:09:54 A CONVERSATION.
18:09:55 JUST FOR THE SAKE OF MY COLLEAGUES, COULD YOU JUST BRIEFLY
18:09:58 TELL THEM WHAT YOU WERE EXPERIENCING?
18:10:02 AND NOW WE HAVE A CHANCE TO HIRE STAFF OR OUTSOURCE TO
18:10:06 ANOTHER ENTITY OTHER THAN THE CITY.
18:10:08 WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND WE DO SO THAT WE CAN GET MOVEMENT?
18:10:13 HOW ISSUES WOULD YOU FACE AND HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST GOING
18:10:16 FORWARD?
18:10:17 >> MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THIS STAFF, AS LONG AS IT HAS
18:10:20 TO REPORT TO THE MAYOR, AS NICE AS PEOPLE AS THEY ARE,
18:10:24 CANNOT ANSWER DIRECTLY TO YOU AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT
18:10:27 THIS COMMUNITY IS MAKING.
18:10:31 THEY CAN'T DO IT.
18:10:32 IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WE LIKE THEM OR NOT.
18:10:35 BUT FOR 17 YEARS YOU HAD ED JOHNSON, AND NOTHING WE SAID
18:10:40 ABOUT ED JOHNSON MATTERED BECAUSE HE HAD A STELLAR
18:10:44 EVALUATION.
18:10:45 SO NUMBER ONE, THIS STAFF -- THE BOARD NEEDS TO BE
18:10:49 COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT.
18:10:50 WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HIRE OUR OWN DEVELOPERS, OUR OWN URBAN
18:10:56 PLANNERS, OUR OWN HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
18:10:59 NOW WE ARE PAYING THEIR SALARY, BUT WE CAN'T MAKE A
18:11:04 DETERMINATION IF THEY ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.
18:11:08 BUT IT'S COMING OUT OF THE COMMUNITY'S FUNDING.
18:11:12 SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
18:11:13 I CAN'T SEE GETTING PAST THAT.
18:11:16 WE NEED AN INDEPENDENT BODY OF PEOPLE TO ANSWER TO YOU, NOT
18:11:22 TO THE MAYOR.
18:11:22 >> IF I COULD PIGGYBACK ON WHAT YOU ASKED.
18:11:32 ONCE I STARTED ASKING, SPEAKING WITH DIRECTORS THROUGHOUT
18:11:34 THE CITY TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE PROCESS AND WHAT WE COULD
18:11:37 DO, I WAS IMMEDIATELY CONFRONTED AND TOLD THAT I WAS NOT
18:11:42 ABLE TO SPEAK TO ANY DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF TAMPA, IT ALL
18:11:45 HAD TO GO THROUGH THE CRA MANAGER.
18:11:49 AND I DIDN'T FOLLOW IT BECAUSE I HAD COMPLETED MAYOR'S
18:11:54 NEIGHBORHOOD UNIVERSITY, AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS WE WERE
18:11:57 ABLE TO TALK TO EVERY DIRECTOR THERE.
18:11:59 SO THROUGH THAT TIME, I MADE CERTAIN I CREATED CONTACTS
18:12:01 WHERE I COULD REACH BACK OUT, BUT IF WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT
18:12:05 WE CAN'T SPEAK TO THE DIRECTORS, WE CAN'T SPEAK TO THE
18:12:08 PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS FOR US, HOW CAN WE
18:12:11 GET THINGS DONE IF IT'S NOT HAPPENING THROUGH THE CHANNELS
18:12:15 OF THE CRA?
18:12:17 SO I CIRCUMVENTED ALL OF THAT AND I JUST WENT TO THE
18:12:20 DIRECTORS, AND I SAT DOWN WITH THEM, AND WE WROTE PROGRAMS.
18:12:24 SO THE PROGRAMS THAT WERE ABLE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED UNDER ME,
18:12:27 ALMOST ALL OF THEM I WROTE.
18:12:29 BUT I WROTE AND GAVE IT TO THEM AND SAID, YOU SAY IT'S YOUR
18:12:34 WORK.
18:12:34 AND THEY SAID IT WAS THEIRS, AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT
18:12:37 IMPLEMENTED.
18:12:38 IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORK THAT WAY.
18:12:39 YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CREATE LOOPHOLES
18:12:42 JUST TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
18:12:44 AND THE ONLY REASON I AM SPEAKING OF IT NOW IS BECAUSE THEY
18:12:46 ARE ALREADY IN PLACE, BECAUSE IF THEY WEREN'T I WOULDN'T SAY
18:12:49 ANYTHING BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET PROGRAMS DONE.
18:12:51 BUT THAT'S ALL THE STUFF WE HAD TO DO JUST TO GET SOMETHING
18:12:54 DONE IN OUR CRA.
18:12:55 >> AND I HEARD MICHELLE WHEN SHE SAID EVERYTHING NEEDS TO
18:13:05 COME FROM THE CAC BOARD, AND FILTERS OUT TO THE STANDING
18:13:06 COMMITTEES, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE YOUR FIREPOWER IS. IF YOUR
18:13:13 FIREPOWER IS IN THE STANDING COMMITTEE, THERE'S NOTHING
18:13:15 WRONG WITH THEM COMING TO THE CAC BOARD AND SAYING, LOOK, I
18:13:18 KNOW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LOOK, I KNOW URBAN PLANNING,
18:13:22 LOOK, I KNOW LAND USE.
18:13:25 THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH LISTENING TO THEM AND TAKING
18:13:28 THEIR ADVICE.
18:13:29 THEY LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
18:13:30 THEY ARE NOT OUTSIDERS.
18:13:32 THEY KNOW WHAT THEY SEE.
18:13:33 THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND WENT TO SCHOOL FOR THAT.
18:13:36 THAT'S THEIR EXPERTISE.
18:13:37 AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR BOARD, AS I STATED, WE HAVE JUST
18:13:41 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON IT.
18:13:42 HOW WOULD ANYTHING MOVE -- WE HAVE TO MAKE ALL THE
18:13:45 SUGGESTIONS, WHEN THEY ALREADY KNOW.
18:13:49 THAT'S HARD.
18:13:49 IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
18:13:50 IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK IN EAST TAMPA.
18:13:53 MAYBE IT CAN WORK IN WEST TAMPA OR CHANNELSIDE OR DOWNTOWN.
18:13:56 BUT IN EAST TAMPA, WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
18:14:03 I PLACE THEM IN MY STANDING COMMITTEES.
18:14:06 AND I TRUST THEM.
18:14:06 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN GUDES.
18:14:11 >>ORLANDO GUDES: IT'S LIKE I SAID AT THE LAST CRA BOARD
18:14:14 MEETING, EVERY CRA OPERATES A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
18:14:18 AND, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE OUR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
18:14:21 WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS -- MAY NOT HAVE THOSE SPECIAL SKILLS BUT
18:14:26 THEY WANT TO VOLUNTEER BECAUSE THEY WANT TO FIX THEIR
18:14:28 COMMUNITY.
18:14:29 THEY WANT THOSE WOWS, TOO.
18:14:31 EVEN THE CHANNELSIDE, DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, CRAs, THEY
18:14:34 HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LARGE EXPERTISE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND
18:14:37 CONSTRUCTION, WHATEVER.
18:14:39 SO THEY CAN SIT ON THOSE BOARDS AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT THEIR
18:14:43 SUBCOMMITTEES BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH EXPERTISE ON THAT
18:14:45 PARTICULAR BOARD.
18:14:48 EAST TAMPA IS A DIFFERENT FUNCTIONING BOARD.
18:14:50 JUST LIKE WEST TAMPA.
18:14:52 WEST TAMPA, I KNOW THE FOLKS ON THE WEST TAMPA BOARD.
18:14:54 MR. ROBINSON, HE HAS A SPECIALTY, HE KNOWS TO KNOW.
18:15:01 THE DEVELOPERS, THEY HAVE THAT BODY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT
18:15:04 SKILL, WHO HAVE DONE THAT KIND OF WORK, AND KNOW IF SOMEBODY
18:15:09 SAYS -- SOMETIMES IN EAST TAMPA, WE HAVE -- WE ARE TRUST --
18:15:16 WE TRUST THEM.
18:15:18 WE GIVE SECOND CHANCES, THIRD CHANCES.
18:15:23 WE FORGIVE THEM, GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY.
18:15:25 >> RIGHT, RIGHT.
18:15:27 >>ORLANDO GUDES: SO I -- I FEEL THEIR PAIN.
18:15:30 I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND.
18:15:32 SO AND WE TALK ABOUT PROCESS.
18:15:34 AND I'M HOPING THAT MS. TRAVIS, YOU WILL HELP BUILD A GOOD
18:15:38 PROCESS BUT TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
18:15:42 THERE AND SEE HOW THEIR PROCESS WILL WORK TO GET TO WHERE
18:15:45 NEED TO BE VERSUS WHERE YBOR OR SOMEBODY ELSE HAS A
18:15:48 DIFFERENT PROCESS.
18:15:49 BUT I THINK MS. TRAVIS, YOU SEE THE CHALLENGES.
18:15:54 YOU HAVE BEEN HERE.
18:15:55 YOU HAVE HEARD.
18:15:56 YOU HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE.
18:16:01 WHERE YOU CAME FROM, THEY HAD ISSUES AS WELL.
18:16:10 [NO ENCODER] [NO ENCODER]
18:16:32 TO GO TO GET THEIR SOUL SO WE CAN GET OUR WOWS.
18:16:36 THANK YOU.
18:16:36 >> IF I CAN SHARE ONE THING WITH YOU.
18:16:38 ONE OF THE WOWS WE WAS TRYING TO GET WAS THE FAIROAKS PARK.
18:16:43 THE MILLION DOLLARS GOT MOVED OUT OF THE CRA.
18:16:48 THE LINE ITEM.
18:16:51 BUT IT DON'T APPEAR ON THE BUDGET ANYMORE.
18:16:53 I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MILLION DOLLARS WENT.
18:16:55 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I TALKED TO MS. TRAVIS ABOUT THAT
18:16:59 YESTERDAY, BUT I UNDERSTAND, SO I THINK SHE WILL BE ABLE TO
18:17:03 COMMUNICATE WHERE THEY ARE AT.
18:17:05 >> CONNIE BURTON: WE SAID WE WANT $2 MILLION AS A HOUSING,
18:17:15 FOR EXAMPLE, A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT, BECAUSE WORKING
18:17:18 CLASS PEOPLE CAN'T JUST BUY $400,000 HOMES.
18:17:23 GAVE IT BACK TO ME FOR ME TO WRITE IT OUT.
18:17:26 WHY WOULD I DO THAT?
18:17:29 I SEE HOW JEFF VINIK AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THIS
18:17:32 CITY TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.
18:17:33 BUT IF WE ARE PAYING A STAFF, AGAIN, AND THEY HAVE EXPERTISE
18:17:38 IN CERTAIN THINGS, DON'T ASK ME TO DO IT.
18:17:41 JUST DON'T TAKE OUR MONEY.
18:17:43 THANK YOU.
18:17:44 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MS. TRAVIS, I WOULD LIKE, BEFORE YOU SPEAK,
18:17:53 I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, ARE THERE ANY OTHER CAC MEMBERS THAT
18:17:55 WANT TO SPEAK TO THE SAP?
18:17:59 YES, SIR?
18:17:59 >> GOOD EVENING.
18:18:02 JEFFREY JOHNSON, CAC MEMBER.
18:18:05 A COUPLE THINGS ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE SAP IN WHICH WE HAD
18:18:09 GRIEVANCES WITH.
18:18:10 FIRST, BEFORE I GO THERE, I THINK, MR. CHAIR, EVEN THOUGH
18:18:15 MS. VAN LOAN GAVE HER RESIGNATION, AND THIS IS NOT A
18:18:18 PERSONAL STATEMENT, THIS IS ALL BUSINESS, I THINK SHE SHOULD
18:18:21 STILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AS WELL AS ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS
18:18:24 AND THE GRIEVANCES WE HAD.
18:18:29 BEFORE YOUR COMMITTEE.
18:18:30 AND EVEN THOUGH SHE'S BEING REASSIGNED OR GOING SOMEWHERE
18:18:34 ELSE IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OF TAMPA, SHE'S STILL A CITY
18:18:36 EMPLOYEE.
18:18:37 AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP BRING SOME OF THE ATTENTION TO
18:18:39 THE FOREFRONT TO WHERE SHE'S NOW HELD ACCOUNTABLE OR THE
18:18:43 LACK THEREOF OF THE THINGS IN EAST TAMPA.
18:18:47 WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONTENT OF SAP, WE WERE BELIEVING THAT
18:18:51 IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CONTINUATION FROM THE SAP IN 2009.
18:18:55 IT WAS NOT THAT.
18:18:56 IT WAS A COMPLETELY NEW PLAN.
18:18:58 THERE WAS NOT MANY STEPS THAT REACHED FROM WHERE WE WERE.
18:19:02 ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAD, THERE WERE NO ACTIONABLE STEPS IN
18:19:05 THE CURRENT SAP.
18:19:07 WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT WERE THOSE ACTIONABLE STEPS THAT WE
18:19:10 CAN USE AND OUR STANDING COMMITTEES COULD TAKE TO MAKE SURE
18:19:13 THAT THAT SAP CAME TO LIFE.
18:19:15 ALSO, IN OUR PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, WE PLACED IN THE BUDGET
18:19:18 FOR AN SAP CONSULTANT TO ACTUALLY GIVE LEGS TO THIS, THAT AS
18:19:23 THE SAP WAS APPROVED, THIS PERSON WILL COME ABOARD TO MAKE
18:19:26 SURE THAT LIFE IS GIVEN TO THE SAP, SO THAT HASN'T BEEN
18:19:30 BROUGHT FORTH EITHER, BUT THAT IS ALSO IN OUR BUDGET.
18:19:35 ALSO, WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONTRACT, WE, THE NEW BOARD THAT
18:19:40 CAME UPON, WE NEVER WAS PRIVY TO THE CONTRACT THAT WAS
18:19:44 ORIGINALLY WRITTEN UP FOR THE CONTRACTORS GAI.
18:19:48 SO WHEN WE ASKED THEM FOR ADDITIONAL THINGS, WE HAD NO IDEA
18:19:52 THAT WE WERE BEING BILLED FOR THOSE THINGS.
18:19:56 ONE DAY WE CAME TO A MEETING AND THERE WAS AN INVOICE IN
18:19:59 FRONT OF US SAYING WHAT WE NEEDED TO PAY WHEN WE WERE
18:20:01 THINKING THAT WAS ALREADY PART OF THEIR PURVIEW AND THEIR
18:20:04 SCOPE OF THE SERVICES THAT THEY SHOULD BE PROVIDING AND WE
18:20:07 HAD TO COME BACK AND PAY.
18:20:08 THAT SO THAT WAS THE REASON WHY THERE WAS MUCH CONFUSION
18:20:11 BEHIND THAT.
18:20:11 WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS ALREADY CONTRACTUAL
18:20:15 THAT WE THOUGHT THAT THEY SHOULD BE OBLIGATED TO DO?
18:20:18 SO THOSE WERE OUR CONCERNS, THERE WAS A PLAN BUT THERE WAS
18:20:22 NO ACTION STEPS, HOW DO WE GET THIS DONE?
18:20:25 IF WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF VOLUNTEERS AND WE ARE PAYING A
18:20:27 CONSULTANT GROUP $328,000, THAT SHOULD BE OUTLINED IN THOSE
18:20:33 160 PAGES OR SO, TO SAY THESE ARE THE TEN AREAS IN WHICH WE
18:20:38 HAVE IDENTIFIED FROM TALKING TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE
18:20:41 BUSINESS OWNERS AND THIS IS HOW YOU ACCOMPLISH THAT.
18:20:43 THAT WAS NOT DONE.
18:20:44 AND WHEN GAI CAME AND HAD A MEETING WITH US, THERE WAS A
18:20:48 SENSE OF ARROGANCE THAT WAS BY THE LEADER OF GAI, AND WE HAD
18:20:53 MUCH CONTENTION TO THAT.
18:20:55 HE CAME AS IF WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT HE'S COMING TO GIVE
18:20:59 THESE AMAZING IDEAS, WHEN IN FACT MANY OF THE THINGS THAT
18:21:02 THE COMMUNITY SAID THEY WANTED TO SEE WAS NOT LISTED IN THAT
18:21:05 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
18:21:07 SO THAT DEALS WITH OUR CONTENT OF THE SAP, AS WELL AS WHAT
18:21:11 OUR GRIEVANCES WERE ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT WERE
18:21:15 ASKED AFTER THE FACT WHEN WE WERE NOT MADE PRIVY TO KNOW
18:21:20 THESE WERE NOT PART OF THE SCOPE OF THE SERVICES AND MS. VAN
18:21:23 LOAN NEVER SAID IF THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING ADDITIONAL IT
18:21:26 WILL COST.
18:21:27 THAT NEVER CAME UP.
18:21:28 WE WAS HANDED AN INVOICE AND EXPECTED TO PAY THAT.
18:21:30 SO THAT IS THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE MANY GRIEVANCES ON BEHALF
18:21:34 OF OUR COMMITTEE, BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS, HOW IT WAS
18:21:37 HANDLED, AND WE WERE NOT PROPERLY VETTED TO KNOW WHAT THEIR
18:21:41 SCOPE WAS, AND NEITHER WERE WE GIVEN THE TOOLS TO ADDRESS
18:21:45 THEM.
18:21:45 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON.
18:21:49 ANY OTHER CAC MEMBERS THAT WISH TO BE SPEAK ABOUT THE SAP?
18:21:54 ABOUT --
18:21:56 >> NORENE COPELAND MILLER.
18:21:59 I'M ONLINE.
18:21:59 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MA'AM?
18:22:03 YES, MA'AM, GO AHEAD.
18:22:04 >> FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU ALL DID NOT RECOGNIZE ONLINE
18:22:12 EARLIER WAITING TO SPEAK TO THE PROCESS.
18:22:15 BUT AGAIN, I DO WANT TO THANK CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR SERVICE,
18:22:18 AND I DO WANT TO SAY SAP, AS A PROFESSIONAL PERSON, I AM
18:22:24 RETIRED NOW, BUT THINGS WERE DONE THAT WERE NOT IN BEST
18:22:30 PRACTICE BECAUSE WE KNOW THE SERVICES WITHOUT APPROVAL, THAT
18:22:35 FROM THE BOARD, THAT -- THIS SAP HAS NOT DONE WHAT WE ASKED,
18:22:42 DID NOT FOLLOW THE CONTRACT.
18:22:44 IT'S PRETTY MUCH JUST A MIRROR OF WHAT WAS ALREADY EXISTING
18:22:49 IN 2009.
18:22:51 WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOME UPDATES FOR THE CURRENT SITUATION
18:22:55 IN EAST TAMPA.
18:22:57 IN MY OPINION, IN THE 30-PLUS RESIDENTS -- AND I SENT YOU
18:23:03 ALL AN E-MAIL, I WAS UNABLE TO SEND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
18:23:10 IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, IT'S ABOUT MY COMMUNITY.
18:23:12 AND AT THIS TIME, I FEEL WE HAVE BEEN TREATED UNFAIRLY.
18:23:17 I LISTENED TO A LOT OF THE FORMER CHAIR, AND NO MATTER HOW
18:23:22 WE SPIN IT, EAST TAMPA IS LABELED WITH RACIST OVERTONE, BUT
18:23:31 IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND THE SOONER WE MOVE PAST THAT, BECAUSE
18:23:35 I GREW UP IN SOUTH TAMPA.
18:23:36 SO I AM AWARE OF WHAT CAN AND WHAT CANNOT BE IN EAST TAMPA,
18:23:41 IS JUST LABELED TO BE USED, GRANT MONEY BY ZIP CODE, AND NOT
18:23:51 GIVEN OUR OPINIONS AND OPPORTUNITY.
18:23:54 SO THAT SAP DOES NOT REACH WHO WE ARE. IT'S BASED ON SOME
18:23:59 BEAUTIFUL PICTURES FOR $360,000 THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND
18:24:04 WHERE THAT IS GOING TO APPEAR, BUT WHAT I HEARD MS. VAN LOAN
18:24:09 TALK ABOUT BLOOMBERG OR WHATEVER, IT WAS A SHOCK TO ME
18:24:14 BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME SURPRISES THAT HE'S NOT AWARE OF AS A
18:24:18 BOARD THAT IS GOING ON BEHIND OUR BACKS, AND INCOMPETENT
18:24:23 THAT WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS, THAT WE ARE NOT EDUCATED TO
18:24:28 KNOW THE PROCESS, AND IN EAST TAMPA --EVERYTHING IN YOUR
18:24:33 PROCESS IS A FREE-FOR-ALL.
18:24:36 AND TO ME, EAST TAMPA WANTS TO BE THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE,
18:24:45 AND THE FRUSTRATION, IT'S LIKE WE ARE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE WE
18:24:48 ARE LED AROUND -- OUR OWN OPINION OF WHAT WE NEED OR WHAT WE
18:24:55 DESERVE, AND NOT HIGH EXPECTATIONS BUT LOW EXPECTATION.
18:25:00 SO HOPEFULLY SHE WILL BE IN THE COMMUNITY BUT IT'S CLEAR TO
18:25:07 ME WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SAP -- IT'S NOT IN THE BEST
18:25:09 INTEREST OF PEOPLE OF COLOR.
18:25:12 AND THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
18:25:15 >>JOSEPH CITRO: WOULD YOU PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR AND STATE
18:25:17 YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD?
18:25:18 >> MY NAME IS NORENE COPELAND MILLER, 30-PLUS YEAR EAST
18:25:22 TAMPA RESIDENT, AND A MEMBER OF THE CAC BOARD.
18:25:26 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
18:25:30 ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CAC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT
18:25:33 THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN?
18:25:34 >> GOOD EVENING.
18:25:44 CLINT PARIS.
18:25:45 I SERVE ON THE CAC BOARD.
18:25:47 I WON'T REITERATE ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE HEARD
18:25:50 TONIGHT.
18:25:50 BUT I WANT TO SHARE JUST A COUPLE OF DYNAMICS.
18:25:55 I'M NOT THE SHARPEST GUY, BUT USUALLY WHEN I CAN'T GET MY
18:25:58 HANDS AROUND SOMETHING, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT,
18:26:01 IT'S BECAUSE IT'S THE WAY THAT IT HAS BEEN SET UP
18:26:04 INTENTIONALLY.
18:26:04 AND IT TOOK ME A GOOD PROBABLY 12 MONTHS OF SITTING ON THE
18:26:08 CAC TO REALIZE, THIS THING IS A COMPLETE STRUCTURAL MESS.
18:26:14 AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S BY ACCIDENT.
18:26:16 THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY AT STAKE HERE.
18:26:17 A LOT OF MONEY.
18:26:19 A LOT OF PEOPLE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY FROM THE CAC WITHOUT
18:26:23 THE ACTUAL SERVICE THAT THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS ACTUALLY
18:26:28 HAPPEN.
18:26:29 BUT GOING BACK TO THE CAC BOARD, YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY THE
18:26:32 ONE MOST CONSISTENT THING HERE.
18:26:34 WE SAW ED JOHNSON LEAVE SHORTLY PROBABLY ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO
18:26:38 NOW, I THINK IT IS, AND FOR ALMOST A YEAR, WE WERE JUST LEFT
18:26:42 ALMOST WITHOUT CLEAR LEADERSHIP.
18:26:44 AND I DON'T THINK THAT WAS COMPLETELY ON US, BECAUSE THERE
18:26:48 WERE REPORTS BEING MADE, AND I HEARD REPORTS BEING MADE TO
18:26:51 THE CRA BOARD, AND YOU ALL JUST KIND OF NOD YOUR HEAD AND GO
18:26:54 ALONG WITH IT WITHOUT PUTTING THE REAL PRESSURE.
18:26:57 BECAUSE WE ARE TOLD AT OUR MEETINGS WE ARE JUST MAKING
18:26:59 RECOMMENDATIONS, WE ARE NOT REALLY DECIDING STUFF.
18:27:01 WE ARE JUST KIND OF MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THE REAL
18:27:05 MEAT GETS ON THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO YOU ALL.
18:27:07 SO I THINK YOU ALL NEED TO REALLY TAKE A HARD LOOK AT HOW
18:27:10 YOU HANDLED THIS CRA OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AND ALLOWED
18:27:15 IT TO BE IN THE SITUATION THAT IT IS.
18:27:17 IT DOESN'T TAKE A BRAIN SURGEON TO REALIZE THAT SAP THAT WE
18:27:22 RECEIVED AND ONCE WE FINALLY GOT THE CONTRACT TO LOOK AT IT
18:27:26 DIDN'T LOOK LIKE WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO US.
18:27:30 IN FACT, WE ASKED THAT A LEGAL OPINION BE GIVEN FROM THE
18:27:33 LEGAL DEPARTMENT EXPLAINING, HERE IS THE SAP, IN LINE WITH
18:27:37 THE CONTRACT, AND THEY WILL PROVIDE IT TO GIVE TO US.
18:27:41 TO DATE WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT WILL
18:27:43 BE CONSISTENT WITH A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO WHAT I CALL
18:27:48 THE CITY'S BLACK HOLE.
18:27:49 THINGS GO IN, AND BY THE TIME IT'S TIME FOR SOMETHING TO
18:27:53 COME OUT, THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD KNOW WHAT SHOULD BE COMING
18:27:55 OUT, THEY ARE GONE AND NOW YOU HAVE ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE
18:27:58 WHO REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE
18:28:00 HAPPENING, SO WHAT DO THEY DO?
18:28:02 THEY TRUST THE PEOPLE THAT THEY THINK ARE SERVING TO GIVE
18:28:05 THEM WHAT THEY DESERVE.
18:28:06 SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS HERE, IS
18:28:09 WE HAVE TO CREATE A MECHANISM OF ACCOUNTABILITY, BECAUSE
18:28:13 THAT CONTRACT WAS SIGNED BY THE CITY, AND SOMEBODY AT THE
18:28:17 CITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MONITORING AND SAY THIS IS NOT WHAT WE
18:28:21 ASKED FOR.
18:28:22 THAT'S AS IT PERTAINS TO THE SAP.
18:28:25 I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW FROM A LEGAL OPINION IF WHAT THEY
18:28:28 PRESENTED IS WHAT WE ACTUALLY CONTRACTED TO RECEIVE.
18:28:32 THE OTHER THING IS REGARDING THE PAYMENT.
18:28:35 IT JUST SEEMED LIKE ANYBODY ANYWHERE ANYTIME COULD YELL,
18:28:39 HEY, COME TO MY STREET.
18:28:41 HEY, COME WALK WITH US.
18:28:43 HEY, COME LOOK AT -- I THINK THERE WAS RETENTION POND.
18:28:48 COME LOOK AT MY RETENTION POND.
18:28:50 AND THEY WERE DONE.
18:28:51 AND THEN WE RECEIVED A BILL AND WE WERE BASICALLY TOLD BY
18:28:54 MICHELLE VAN LOAN, HEY, THIS IS THE BILL, HE'S DONE THE
18:28:57 SERVICES, YOU KIND OF NEED TO JUST GET THIS THING PAID.
18:29:02 I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY MINUTES -- MY POSITION WAS PAY THE
18:29:06 THING, GET IT OUT OF THE WAY SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT REAL
18:29:08 ISSUES THAT ARE CONCERNING THIS COMMUNITY.
18:29:11 SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS CRA BOARD TAKE A HARD LOOK AT
18:29:15 THAT SAP, LOOK AT THE CONTRACT, AND SEE IF YOU AGREE THAT
18:29:20 WHAT HE PRODUCED IS WHAT YOU ARE REALLY ASKING TO PROVIDE.
18:29:24 THAT'S AS IT PERTAINS TO THE SAP.
18:29:25 AND I WILL COME BACK AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME IN THE AGENDA
18:29:28 FOR OTHER COMMENTS.
18:29:28 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MR. PARIS.
18:29:33 MR. MASSEY.
18:29:33 >>MORRIS MASSEY: I DO WANT TO RESPOND REGARDING THE SAP AND
18:29:37 I DID RECEIVE WRITTEN COMMENTS I THINK FROM MS. TATE ABOUT
18:29:42 SPECIFIC CONCERNS, THAT THE EAST TAMPA CAC HAD WITH THE
18:29:45 DRAFT, AND I DID REFER IT BACK TO CRA STAFF AT THE GAI AND
18:29:52 ASKED THEM WHY THERE IS THIS DISCONNECT.
18:29:54 AND A COUPLE THINGS.
18:30:00 GAI, NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE NOT PAID THEM THE ENTIRE AMOUNT.
18:30:03 WE ARE HOLDING BACK MONEY STILL UNDER THE CONTRACT.
18:30:07 SO WE HAVE NOT PAID THEM FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE YET.
18:30:11 SO THEY ARE STILL UNDER CONTRACT.
18:30:14 WE HAVE ADVISED THEM OF THE DEFICIENCY THAT YOU ALL HAVE
18:30:17 NOTED, SOME OF WHICH I AGREE WITH, THEY DON'T COMPLY WITH
18:30:23 THE SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT.
18:30:24 AND THEY HAVE RESPONDED THAT THEY ARE REVISING THE DRAFT
18:30:28 CONTRACT, DRAFT SAP, TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS.
18:30:32 SO UNTIL -- WE ARE NOT AT THE POINT OF FINDING THEM IN
18:30:37 DEFAULT OR FINDING THAT THE SAP IS WRONG.
18:30:41 THE SAP IS STILL IN DRAFT FORM.
18:30:43 SO THEY ARE SUPPOSEDLY ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS AND COMING
18:30:47 BACK WITH THE REVISIONS TO THE SAP.
18:30:49 >> CLINTON PARIS: MR. CHAIR? IF I MIGHT?
18:30:56 THIS HAS THE FEEL OF THE KIND OF RESPONSE WE GET FROM THE
18:30:59 CITY, ABOUT THE ISSUES WE ASKED.
18:31:01 WE ASKED FOR A LEGAL OPINION.
18:31:03 WE DIDN'T ASK TO COORDINATE WITH GAI AS TO WHAT SHOULD BE
18:31:06 DONE.
18:31:07 WE ASKED FOR A LEGAL OPINION.
18:31:08 AND NOTHING HAS COME FORWARD, AND TODAY WE DIDN'T HEAR
18:31:12 ANYTHING LEGAL ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE
18:31:13 WITH THAT CONTRACT.
18:31:14 WE JUST ASKED THAT WE BE CLEAR, IS WHAT WE RECEIVED
18:31:18 CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE CONTRACTED FOR.
18:31:20 NOW MAYBE THEY CAN FIX IT AND CORRECT IT, BUT THE QUESTION
18:31:25 WAS FOR A LEGAL OPINION, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD BE
18:31:27 ABLE TO GET ONE AT SOME POINT.
18:31:29 >>MORRIS MASSEY: THE LEGAL OPINION IS THE CONTRACT HAS NOT
18:31:31 BEEN FULLY PERFORMED AND WE ARE HOLDING BACK MONEY UNTIL
18:31:34 THEY HAVE PERFORMED UNDER THE CONTRACT.
18:31:35 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ANY OTHER CAC MEMBERS WHO WISH TO SPEAK
18:31:42 ABOUT THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN?
18:31:43 >> HELLO.
18:31:47 MY NAME IS DOMINIQUE COBB, VICE CHAIR OF THE CAC.
18:31:51 MY OPINION, MY COMMENTS, ALSO LIKE MOST OF THE PUBLIC, AND
18:31:58 ALSO THE CAC BOARD.
18:32:00 I AM MAKING A REQUEST AS I DID IN THE PREVIOUS MEETING TO
18:32:04 TABLE THE SAP UNTIL WE GET ACTUAL FEEDBACK FROM GAI, AND
18:32:10 THEN WE CAN MAKE A DECISION.
18:32:11 BUT IN THE MEANTIME, SPEAKING OF SAP, WHEN I ORIGINALLY
18:32:15 JOINED THE BOARD BACK IN 2020 MAYBE, 2019, WITH MY
18:32:21 BACKGROUND IN PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION, I WAS ASKED
18:32:25 TO JOIN THIS BOARD BECAUSE OF MY EXPERTISE IN A CERTAIN
18:32:30 AMOUNT OF AREAS ON THIS BOARD.
18:32:32 WHILE LOOKING FOR THAT, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, A LOT OF MY
18:32:36 DIRECTIONS THAT I HAVE PUT IN WITH OUR MEETINGS HAVE COME
18:32:39 FROM THE LAKELAND CRA.
18:32:41 SO TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING ABOUT MS.
18:32:45 TRAVIS, I DID NOT KNOW THAT SHE WAS THE IMPLEMENTER OF ALL
18:32:48 THOSE PROGRAMS I HAD ALREADY BEEN USHERING INTO THE CURRENT
18:32:52 CAC.
18:32:53 SO I AM IN FAVOR OF MS. TRAVIS WORKING ALONG WITH US, AND
18:32:58 HELPING WITH THAT.
18:33:01 AS THE OTHER ITEMS COME UP, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO SPEAK TO
18:33:04 THOSE, BECAUSE AGAIN ALL OF THESE ARE VALID.
18:33:07 IN REGARD TO THE SAP, WE SPENT A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME OVER
18:33:12 COVID TAKING SURVEYS.
18:33:14 MOST OF THE SAPs THAT WAS GIVEN TO US WAS GENERATED FROM
18:33:18 THE BOARD, DOWN EVEN TO THE EAST TAMPA LOGO.
18:33:24 IF ANYTHING, I WOULD REQUEST TO GET PAID FOR THAT BECAUSE
18:33:26 THAT WAS MY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THAT WAS USED DURING THAT.
18:33:30 SO I AM NOT ASKING FOR REPARATIONS NOW, BUT AGAIN, THE
18:33:34 INFORMATION THAT WAS GIVEN, SURVEYS THAT WERE TAKEN FROM THE
18:33:37 COMMUNITY, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO USE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT
18:33:40 NOW, BECAUSE ONE THING THAT WE DID GET FROM THE SAP, THERE
18:33:44 ARE QUITE A NUMBER OF CONCERNS, HOUSING, ECONOMIC
18:33:50 DEVELOPMENT, AND I BELIEVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE
18:33:52 ATTAINABLE WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT THE ISSUE IS
18:33:55 THAT WE KEEP ASKING YOU ALL FOR HELP AND YOU ARE NOT
18:33:57 HELPING.
18:33:58 SO WHAT I AM ASKING IS THAT WE HAVE OUR OWN MONEY TO BE ABLE
18:34:01 TO DELEGATE THE WAY WE NEED TO.
18:34:03 THAT COULD BE DELEGATED THROUGH PRIVATE ENTITIES, THAT CAN
18:34:07 BE DELEGATED THROUGH NONPROFITS THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING IN
18:34:09 THE AREA.
18:34:10 I HOPE THAT MS. TRAVIS CAN GO AHEAD AND WORK WITH US TO GET
18:34:15 THOSE THINGS IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE AGAIN ALL OF US ARE
18:34:20 VOLUNTEERS, WE ARE NOT GETTING PAID, WE ARE NOT DEVELOPERS.
18:34:22 WE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE REINVESTED IN THIS AREA.
18:34:25 I COULD HAVE MOVED TO D.C.
18:34:27 I COULD HAVE MOVED TO RIVERVIEW.
18:34:28 I DECIDED TO COME BACK TO EAST TAMPA BECAUSE WE ARE ONE OF
18:34:31 THE LAST AREAS WHERE THE DEMOGRAPHIC LOOKS LIKE US.
18:34:36 AND UNFORTUNATELY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, THEIR HOMES ARE
18:34:40 BEING BLOWN AWAY, THEIR HOMES ARE FALLING APART, AND IF WE
18:34:44 DON'T DO OUR PART RIGHT NOW, THOSE HOMES ARE GOING TO FALL
18:34:47 APART AND A DEVELOPER IS GOING TO COME AND REDEVELOP AND
18:34:50 THEY CAN'T MOVE BACK INTO THAT AND STAY AT HOME.
18:34:52 SO AGAIN I HOPE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WE HAVE RIGHT NOW
18:34:55 CAN WORK WITH US TO NOT ONLY FIX HOMES, BUT ALSO USHER IN
18:35:01 MULTIFAMILY HOMES, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL PROPERTIES.
18:35:06 WE KNOW THAT THE PLANNING COMMITTEE HAS HIRED A VP IN EAST
18:35:10 TAMPA.
18:35:11 UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S GOING TO A WHOLE ANOTHER AREA OF
18:35:14 HOUSING.
18:35:14 BUT IF I HAVE A HOUSING VOUCHER, I CANNOT MOVE TO EAST TAMPA
18:35:17 BECAUSE I CANNOT EVEN AFFORD IT ON A VOUCHER.
18:35:20 SO THESE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
18:35:23 UNFORTUNATELY, THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT HELPED US SO I AM
18:35:26 NOT ASKING FOR HELP.
18:35:26 WHAT I AM ASKING FOR IS THE MONEY TO DO THE THINGS WE NEED
18:35:30 TO DO AND THE SPACE WE NEED TO DO IT.
18:35:32 [ APPLAUSE ]
18:35:34 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ARE THERE ANY OTHER CAC MEMBERS WHO WOULD
18:35:37 LIKE TO SPEAK?
18:35:41 >> I JUST WANTED TO BRING ONE THING TO LIGHT.
18:35:45 THE CAC DID NOT INITIALLY SELECT THE CONSULTANT.
18:35:49 THE PROCESS OF BRINGING THAT CONSULTANT ONBOARD WAS ACTUALLY
18:35:53 DONE BY STAFF, ADMINISTRATION.
18:35:57 SO WE WERE GIVEN A LIST OF POTENTIAL PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO --
18:36:02 WHO APPLIED FOR THE RFP.
18:36:05 AND WE CREATED A SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET WITH
18:36:08 THEM, AND MEET WITH EVERY ONE OF THE APPLICANTS, AND THEN
18:36:12 COME BACK AND LET US KNOW.
18:36:13 ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS SAID THEY WEREN'T NOTICED TO THE
18:36:18 MEETINGS SO THEY DIDN'T ATTEND, AND THE OTHER ONE COULDN'T
18:36:20 ATTEND.
18:36:21 AND AS A CHAIRMAN NEVER MADE AWARE OF THAT.
18:36:24 IT ALL HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY OF OUR CAC MEMBERS BEING PRESENT
18:36:27 TO DECIDE WHAT WAS THE BEST CONSULTANT.
18:36:30 SO WE WERE ADVISED AT ONE MEETING THAT GAI, THIS IS WHO IT
18:36:35 IS, WHICH CREATED A WHOLE BIG RUCKUS, BECAUSE EVERYONE SAID,
18:36:39 THIS WAS NOT -- WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY INSIGHT FOR THIS, WE
18:36:43 CAN'T GO TO OUR MEMBERS AND SAY HOW WAS IT, WHO WAS THE BEST
18:36:46 ONE?
18:36:47 AND IT WAS KIND OF POO-POOED, SO WE KIND OF WENT THROUGH
18:36:51 AGAIN AND THE GAI SAT DOWN AND SAID THIS IS WHAT WE'LL DO,
18:36:55 AND ALL THIS, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO
18:36:58 THE OTHER ONE.
18:36:59 SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT KNOWN THAT WE DID NOT SELECT GAI.
18:37:03 GAI WAS SELECTED BY CITY STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION AND THEY
18:37:07 WERE GIVEN TO US.
18:37:08 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MS. GOODLEY, YOU MADE A COMMENT EARLIER
18:37:11 ABOUT GOING TO THE FLORIDA CRA?
18:37:15 IS THAT WHERE YOU FOUND YOUR KNOWLEDGE?
18:37:17 >> THAT IS WHERE I FOUND PART OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
18:37:20 >>JOSEPH CITRO: OKAY.
18:37:20 THE FLORIDA CRA IS EXCELLENT, AND IT'S USUALLY HELD AT THE
18:37:24 FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES.
18:37:26 I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYBODY TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT
18:37:30 CRAs.
18:37:30 >> AND I THINK IT WAS THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES. IT WAS
18:37:32 A CONFERENCE THAT WAS IN FT. MYERS.
18:37:34 >>JOSEPH CITRO: OKAY.
18:37:37 THAT'S ALL RIGHT, EXCUSE ME.
18:37:40 IF WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
18:37:43 FROM THE CAC, CONCERNING THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, MS.
18:37:48 TRAVIS, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT?
18:37:49 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
18:37:55 NICOLE TRAVIS, ADMINISTRATOR OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC
18:37:58 OPPORTUNITY.
18:37:59 SO I HAVE SOME COMMENTS REGARDING THE SAP.
18:38:03 I HAVE READ THE DOCUMENT, AND I HAVE HEARD THE FRUSTRATION.
18:38:06 MY COMMENTS REALLY ARE NOT JUST ABOUT THE SAP.
18:38:12 WHAT YOU SEE HERE AND HEAR HERE ARE PEOPLE FRUSTRATED IN THE
18:38:17 PROCESS AND THINGS NOT GETTING DONE IN A MANNER THAT IS
18:38:21 ACCEPTABLE AND IN A TIMELINE THAT'S ACCEPTABLE.
18:38:25 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN IMPROVE ON IS TAKING
18:38:30 PEOPLE ALONG THE JOURNEY WITH US, EXPLAINING THE PROCESS,
18:38:34 AND EXPLAINING HOW LONG THINGS TAKE, INSTEAD OF MAKING
18:38:38 DECISIONS OR IMPLEMENTING THINGS, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT YOU
18:38:41 HAVE IS TWO YEARS THE CRA BOARD ASKED FOR A DIRECTOR.
18:38:48 YOU GOT A DIRECTOR AND THEN YOU RECEIVE MONTHLY REPORTS FROM
18:38:50 THAT DIRECTOR.
18:38:51 BUT ALONG THE PROCESS, BETWEEN STAFF TALKING TO THE CAC
18:38:55 BOARD MEMBERS AND THEM WANTING TO TAKE THINGS TO YOU, THERE
18:39:00 IS LAG TIME BUT WE SHOULD BE REPORTING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
18:39:03 SO WE KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE, WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
18:39:06 AND SO I'M TAKING NOTES.
18:39:10 I ASKED, DO YOU KNOW HOW TO GET IN CONTACT WITH MOST OF THE
18:39:14 SPEAKERS THAT ARE HERE?
18:39:15 BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO START HANDING OUT CARDS BECAUSE I
18:39:18 WANT TO TALK TO THE COMMUNITY.
18:39:19 I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WANTS ARE, HOW WE CAN
18:39:22 IMPLEMENT THINGS TOGETHER.
18:39:23 YOU CAN'T DO DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
18:39:25 YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT.
18:39:26 YOU HAVE TO BE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
18:39:28 YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE COMMUNITY.
18:39:31 IT'S MY WORK, IT'S MY CAREER, AND IT'S WHAT I HAVE DONE AND
18:39:36 I PLAN TO DO IT HERE AS WELL.
18:39:38 I HEAR FRUSTRATION BUT I SEE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY.
18:39:40 I SEE A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES FROM WHEN I WAS IN TAMPA
18:39:44 BEFORE, AND ALSO SOME LIFE-LONG FAMILY FRIENDS.
18:39:48 SO I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO OPPORTUNITY, CONTINUE TO
18:39:53 TAKE NOTES ON THE OTHER ITEMS.
18:39:55 THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE SAID, ACCESSORY DWELLING
18:39:58 UNITS.
18:39:58 YOU HEARD THIS FROM THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERSPECTIVE OF
18:40:01 HOUSING CRISIS.
18:40:02 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STAFF IS BRINGING BACK TO YOU IN THE
18:40:04 JUNE WORKSHOP IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE
18:40:11 CITY, SOME AREAS JUST ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WANT IT.
18:40:14 THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT COULD USE ACCESSORY DWELLING
18:40:18 UNITS, DUPLEXES, TRIPLEXES, AND BE AWARE OF BUILDING
18:40:23 GENERATIONAL WEALTH, AND ALSO A WAY OF BEING ABLE TO
18:40:25 SUPPLEMENT THEIR INCOME BY BEING ABLE TO HAVE -- TO RENT A
18:40:30 PIECE OF PROPERTY.
18:40:31 THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I ALREADY DIRECTED STAFF TO WORK ON
18:40:33 AND THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE WORKS.
18:40:35 SO A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU ARE HEARING HERE, THEY HAVE
18:40:38 GREAT IDEAS, AND I COMPLETELY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
18:40:42 THE COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD.
18:40:44 SO THANK YOU.
18:40:44 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
18:40:46 [ APPLAUSE ]
18:40:47 COUNCILMAN MANISCALCO.
18:40:48 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: [OFF MICROPHONE] I'M SORRY.
18:40:59 >> OH, OKAY, SORRY.
18:41:02 SO I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
18:41:06 I'M NOT SURE.
18:41:08 I'M SORRY?
18:41:13 THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMENTS.
18:41:15 I WILL INVITE ANYBODY AFTERWARDS TO SPEAK TO ME.
18:41:18 SO WITH THE FAIROAKS PROJECT, THERE HAS BEEN A SERIES OF
18:41:25 MASSIVE PLANS.
18:41:26 WE MEET BIWEEKLY NOW.
18:41:28 WHAT COUNCILMAN GUDES AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THERE SEEMS
18:41:31 TO HAVE NOT BEEN ANY PROGRESS MADE ON THIS PROJECT.
18:41:33 HOWEVER, THERE IS PROGRESS, AND A PART OF THAT IS US NOT
18:41:37 REPORTING BACK ON THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE.
18:41:39 THERE IS A LOT OF PRIVATE PROPERTY ACQUISITION.
18:41:42 WE JUST CLOSED ON THE LAST PIECE ON CARACAS LAST WEEK,
18:41:47 THURSDAY.
18:41:47 WE ALREADY STARTED THE PROCESS OF VACATING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
18:41:50 AND WE ARE IN ACTIVE NEGOTIATIONS AGAIN WITH PENNY SAVER.
18:41:53 AND I SHARED WITH COUNCILMAN GUDES YESTERDAY THAT, SO HELP
18:41:58 ME GOD, I AM GOING TO TRY TO SECURE THAT.
18:42:00 BUT WE CAN'T ALLOW PENNY SAVER TO HOLD US HOSTAGE EITHER SO
18:42:06 WE ARE GOING TO ACTIVELY NEGOTIATE WITH PENNY SAVER BUT ALSO
18:42:10 WORK ON A MASTER PLAN AND VACATING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY NOW THAT
18:42:13 WE HAVE HAD THE LAST PIECE ON CARACAS TO PLAN THAT IF WE
18:42:16 DON'T GET PENNY SAVERS WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH A PROJECT
18:42:19 FOR THE COMMUNITY.
18:42:20 IF WE GET PENNY SAVERS, IT HAS ADDED BENEFIT.
18:42:23 SO WE ARE ACTIVELY NEGOTIATING ON THAT PROJECT.
18:42:25 AND THE UPDATE THAT I PROVIDED TO COUNCILMAN GUDES
18:42:29 YESTERDAY.
18:42:29 >>ORLANDO GUDES: YOU KNOW, TO MOVE A COMMUNITY, THEY MUST
18:42:35 SEE CHANGE.
18:42:36 THEY MUST SEE A DIFFERENT LOOK.
18:42:39 IT'S NOT FAIROAKS.
18:42:41 BECAUSE FAIROAKS IS JUST A BUILDING.
18:42:43 THAT COMMUNITY IS NOT CALLED FAIROAKS.
18:42:46 >> CORRECT.
18:42:48 >>ORLANDO GUDES: IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
18:42:50 THE BUILDING IS FAIROAKS.
18:42:51 ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES WITH THAT IS NOT PART OF THAT
18:42:54 FAIROAKS.
18:42:55 WE HAVE SEVEN TO TEN OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND THAT BUILDING.
18:43:01 EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THAT NEW PROJECT.
18:43:06 AND WE SAY FAIROAKS.
18:43:08 WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO SAY FAIROAKS.
18:43:10 THE BUILDING CAN BE NAMED FAIROAKS BUT THAT WHOLE NEW
18:43:13 DEVELOPMENT HAS TO BE EAST TAMPA COMPLEX, WHATEVER YOU WANT
18:43:17 TO NAME IT, BUT IT HAS TO BE INCLUSIVE OF ALL COMMUNITIES,
18:43:21 BECAUSE THAT ENTAILS ALL PEOPLE MEETING TOGETHER, BOND
18:43:24 TOGETHER, BREAK BREAD TOGETHER.
18:43:28 THAT WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL COMMUNITY CENTER, DANCE, STEP,
18:43:33 GYMNASTICS, THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE, THAT ALL THOSE
18:43:36 COMMUNITIES CAN USE.
18:43:37 SO YES, FOR ME, WE CAN DO WHAT YOU DO, BUT PENNY SAVER IS A
18:43:42 MUST.
18:43:42 AND I KNOW WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL DOLLARS.
18:43:45 IT IS A MUST BECAUSE THAT WILL CHANGE THE WHOLE OUTLOOK OF
18:43:48 34th STREET.
18:43:49 THE WHOLE FACE OF THE 34th STREET.
18:43:53 SO THAT IS A MUST.
18:43:54 SO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THAT, AND I UNDERSTAND
18:43:58 NEGOTIATION IS DIFFICULT.
18:43:59 >> WE ARE IN NEGOTIATION NOW.
18:44:03 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I GET IT.
18:44:04 I GET IT.
18:44:04 I GET THAT.
18:44:05 BUT AGAIN, THE OTHER PART, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT AT
18:44:10 A FAIR PRICE AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST TRYING TO
18:44:13 GIVE IT TO EAST TAMPA, THAT WE GET A FAIR PRICE TO GET
18:44:16 WHATEVER WE HAVE GOT TO GET.
18:44:18 BUT AGAIN, MY THING IS EVENTUALLY, HOWEVER WE GET IT, NO
18:44:22 MATTER WHAT WE DO AROUND IT, 34th HAS TO HAVE A FACE
18:44:25 LIFT.
18:44:26 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: I AGREE, AND EXCUSE ME, COUNCILMAN, 100%
18:44:32 AGREE, AND IF WE DON'T GET IT, IT WILL NOT BE FOR LACK OF
18:44:34 EFFORT ON OUR PART.
18:44:36 AND YOU HAVE MY WORD ON THAT.
18:44:38 YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO
18:44:42 REPORT ON IT.
18:44:43 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MR. MASSEY, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE LEGAL
18:44:46 ASPECTS OF THIS?
18:44:48 >>MORRIS MASSEY: I WANT TO QUICKLY ADDRESS THE MILLION
18:44:52 DOLLARS OF CRA FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED TO THE ACQUISITION
18:44:55 OF PENNY SAVER FUND.
18:44:56 I WILL TALK TO REVENUE AND FINANCE, BUT THAT MONEY SHOULD
18:45:00 STILL BE RESIDING WITH THE CRA, EXCEPT FOR SOME MONEYS THAT
18:45:05 WERE PAID FOR TITLE COMMITMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL
18:45:09 REPORTS, WHICH WOULD BE NOMINAL AMOUNT, THAT WE HOPEFULLY
18:45:12 CAN USE IF WE ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PENNY
18:45:16 SAVER.
18:45:17 THAT MONEY SHOULD BE THERE AVAILABLE IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET
18:45:19 THAT UNDER CONTRACT TO PURCHASE OUR PROPERTY.
18:45:21 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
18:45:22 >> YOU GO FIRST.
18:45:27 >>BILL CARLSON: I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THE FAIROAKS ISSUE.
18:45:31 TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO OR SO, AT THE CRA BOARD MEETINGS
18:45:35 AND AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, WE HAD A PERSON AFTER
18:45:37 PERSON AFTER PERSON COME BEFORE US AND SAY, CAN YOU PLEASE
18:45:40 DO SOMETHING ABOUT FAIROAKS?
18:45:42 THE CITY IS NOT DOING ANYTHING.
18:45:43 THE LAST ADMINISTRATION WAS ASKED TWICE, AND PARKS
18:45:45 DEPARTMENT PRESENTED THIS TO THE PUBLIC.
18:45:47 TWICE SPENT 300,000 TO RENOVATE A BUILDING, AND THEY
18:45:51 REFUSED.
18:45:52 DESPITE SPENDING $100 MILLION TO SUBSIDIZE SOME BUILDINGS
18:45:55 DOWN THE STREET.
18:45:58 SO I THINK IT WAS MAYBE MR. GUDES' IDEA, BUT WE HELD, CRA
18:46:05 BOARD, HELD A COMMUNITY MEETING AT FAIROAKS, AND WHILE WE
18:46:11 WERE THERE THE COMMUNITY GOT UP AND SAID, YOU SEE THERE ARE
18:46:14 BARS ON THE WINDOWS, IT'S A FIRE TRAP, THERE WERE LIKE 100
18:46:18 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, AND PEOPLE TOLD US THAT WHEN SENIORS AND
18:46:22 KIDS WENT THERE, THAT THEY COULD HEAR RATS IN THE CEILING,
18:46:25 THAT THE ADMINISTRATION MADE FUN OF US AND THE COMMUNITY
18:46:29 CAME FORWARD AND SAID THERE ARE RAT HAIRS FALLING OUT OF THE
18:46:32 CEILING, AND THE CITY DID A ADMIT THEY CAUGHT TO RATS,
18:46:35 ALTHOUGH LATER THEY DENIED IT, AND THEN WE ASKED OVER AND
18:46:38 OVER AGAIN WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS?
18:46:40 SO WE GO TO THE CRA BOARD IS SEPARATE FROM THE CITY, SO WE
18:46:43 HAD THIS COMMUNITY MEETING AT FAIROAKS, AND BEFORE THE CITY
18:46:46 STAFF RUSHED -- THE CITY STAFF RUSHED UP AND SAID THE MAYOR
18:46:51 WANTS TO INVITE YOU HERE TODAY BUT SHE COULDN'T BE HERE SO
18:46:54 HERE IS A VIDEO.
18:46:55 AND THEY PLAYED THE VIDEO.
18:46:56 AND THE VIDEO SAYS THAT SHE'S COMMITTED TO RENOVATE THE
18:47:00 BUILDING.
18:47:01 AND THE COMMUNITY STARTED KIND OF A ROAR.
18:47:04 THEY WERE UPSET, WHY IS SHE JUST GOING TO RENOVATE THE
18:47:07 BUILDING?
18:47:09 THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT.
18:47:10 SO INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO THE FEEDBACK FROM THE STAFF,
18:47:13 WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE PLANNING ON DOING, THEY TRIED TO
18:47:16 PREEMPT, AND ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY SAID A PRESS
18:47:19 RELEASE WAS IN THE SENTINEL BULLETIN A FEW DAYS AGO SAYING
18:47:23 THE MAYOR WAS GOING TO RENOVATE THE BUILDING.
18:47:26 SO WE LISTENED AND THE COMMUNITY SAID WE WANT YOU TO REDO
18:47:30 THIS BUILDING, WE WANT THE SAME STANDARDS AS EVERYWHERE
18:47:33 ELSE, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE BASKETBALL COURTS AND SWIMMING
18:47:35 PLACES AND WHY CAN'T WE HAVE COMPUTER ROOMS AND A PLACE THAT
18:47:35 ISN'T A FIRE TRAP. AND WE WANT THE RATS OUT OF THE
18:47:37 BUILDING.
18:47:38 AND SO THE MAYOR SAID, OKAY, I'LL SPEND THE 300,000 OR
18:47:43 RENOVATE.
18:47:44 SO A COUPLE MONTHS LATER, THERE'S A PRESS CONFERENCE.
18:47:46 AND IT SEEMS EVERYTHING IS ABOUT PRESS CONFERENCES.
18:47:49 SO THE PRESS CONFERENCE WAS NOW WE ARE GOING TO SPEND $18
18:47:52 MILLION ON THIS PARK.
18:47:54 AND THE COMMUNITY SAYS, YES, WE SHOULD SPEND $18 MILLION ON
18:47:58 THE PARK.
18:47:59 GREAT.
18:47:59 SOME FOLKS SAID MAYBE 3 TO 5 MILLION WE COULD DO WHAT WE
18:48:03 HAVE DONE AT OTHER PLACES AND SPEND THE REST ON AFFORDABLE
18:48:06 HOUSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
18:48:08 BUT SAID NOW WE ARE GOING TO SPEND 18 MILLION.
18:48:11 SO THEN WE GOT A BUNCH OF OTHER NEGATIVE FEEDBACK.
18:48:14 WHY ARE WE SPENDING SO MUCH? WE WANT A BETTER PARK BUT WE
18:48:16 ALSO WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SIDEWALKS, BETTER STREETS.
18:48:20 THEN THE CRA PUTS A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY IN, AND THE CRA IS
18:48:24 OUT OF IT.
18:48:24 SO THE PRESS CONFERENCE HAPPENS AND THE CRA BOARD IS NOT
18:48:27 INVITED.
18:48:28 PRESS CONFERENCE IS SET UP, CRA CHAIR IS NOT SCHEDULED TO GO
18:48:32 TO THE MEETING. CAC IS NOT INVITED TO COME TO THE MEETING.
18:48:36 CONVERSELY, AS SOME OF US AT THE JACKSON HOUSE FOR YEARS, WE
18:48:40 SAID WE NEED TO BE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE JACKSON HOUSE AND
18:48:42 THE MAYOR MADE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT WITH JEFF VINIK SAYING THE
18:48:46 CITY IS PUTTING IN A MILLION, JEFF VINIK IS PUTTING IN A
18:48:50 MILLION.
18:48:50 GUESS WHAT. A FEW YEARS LATER CRA GETS THE BILL.
18:48:53 SO THIS IS THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE, THAT WE ARE A SEPARATE
18:48:56 LEGAL ENTITY.
18:48:57 IF YOU LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY, THE COMPLAINTS THEY HAVE ARE
18:49:00 MOSTLY ABOUT HOW CRA INTERFACES WITH CITY STAFF AND HOW
18:49:04 THINGS GOT BOGGED DOWN.
18:49:05 AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MOVE THIS STUFF FORWARD?
18:49:09 IS IT THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER PRESS CONFERENCES AND PUT THE
18:49:12 T-3 LOGO ON EVERYTHING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN?
18:49:14 WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO GET MOVING ON IT?
18:49:16 I DON'T CARE IF I GET CREDIT, OR IF THE CRA BOARD GETS
18:49:21 CREDIT, BUT WHY IS EVERYTHING AROUND A PRESS CONFERENCE
18:49:24 INSTEAD OF GETTING RESULTS FOR THE COMMUNITY?
18:49:28 [ APPLAUSE ]
18:49:29 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MR. MASSEY, WITH THE PENNY SAVER, WHERE ARE
18:49:34 WE AT LEGALLY ON THAT?
18:49:39 EXCUSE ME.
18:49:39 THANK YOU.
18:49:39 >>MORRIS MASSEY: THE CURRENT CONTRACT HAS BEEN TERMINATED.
18:49:44 NOW WE ARE NEGOTIATING WITH THE BROKER WHO REPRESENTS THE
18:49:47 OWNER OF THE BUILDING AGAIN.
18:49:50 >>JOSEPH CITRO: WHY WAS IT TERMINATED?
18:49:54 >>MORRIS MASSEY: BECAUSE THERE WAS A TENANT IN THE BUILDING
18:49:57 WHO REFUSED TO MOVE AND WE OFFERED SOME ADDITIONAL SUMS TO
18:50:02 MOVE THEM OUT WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS SUFFICIENT AND THEN THEY
18:50:06 ASKED FOR MORE.
18:50:07 AT THAT POINT IN TIME WE TERMINATED THE CONTRACT.
18:50:09 NOW THE FACT THAT WE TERMINATED THE CONTRACT DOESN'T MEAN WE
18:50:12 CANNOT COME BACK AND RENEGOTIATE, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
18:50:16 THIS TIME WHEN WE NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE A DEAL
18:50:20 WORKED OUT WITH THE TENANT SO THERE ARE NO ISSUES WITH
18:50:22 CLOSING.
18:50:23 >>JOSEPH CITRO: SO IT WASN'T THE OWNER, IT WAS A TENANT
18:50:25 THAT RENEGED ON THE CONTRACT?
18:50:28 >>MORRIS MASSEY: WHEN WE ENTERED INTO THE CONTRACT, THE
18:50:29 CONTRACT PROVIDES LIKE MOST REAL ESTATE CONTRACTS, THAT THE
18:50:33 CITY WOULD GET EXCLUSIVE POSSESSION OF THE PROPERTY WITH NO
18:50:36 TENANTS IN IT.
18:50:37 AND THEY AGREED THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE ANY TENANTS IN THE
18:50:40 BUILDING.
18:50:40 THE TENANT THEN SAID, WELL, WE HAVE GOT A 20-YEAR LEASE ON
18:50:44 THE PROPERTY AND WE ARE NOT MOVING UNLESS WE ARE PAID A
18:50:46 SUBSTANTIAL SUM OF MONEY.
18:50:48 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN GUDES, DID YOU WANT TO SAY
18:50:50 ANYTHING?
18:50:51 >>ORLANDO GUDES: YES.
18:50:52 LET'S GO BACK A LITTLE BIT.
18:50:53 MR. CARLSON IS RIGHT ON A LOT OF THIS BUT I HAVE TO GIVE
18:50:57 CREDIT TO THE ADMINISTRATION WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.
18:50:59 THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS FOR THE AL BARNES PARK.
18:51:02 THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
18:51:05 ALL RIGHT.
18:51:05 THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL.
18:51:07 THEN FAIROAKS, A FEW FOLKS TALKED ABOUT FAIROAKS, AND A
18:51:14 COUPLE MOTIONS ABOUT FAIROAKS, THE ADMINISTRATION CALLED ME
18:51:16 AND SAID, LISTEN, AL BARNES COSTS WAY, WAY TOO MUCH BECAUSE
18:51:21 OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE GROUND.
18:51:23 WELL, YOU HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE ALREADY ON 34th STREET,
18:51:27 AND WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO OBTAIN THOSE PROPERTIES AND SO
18:51:32 FORTH.
18:51:32 AND THEN WE'LL MAKE THIS MEGA CENTER WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE
18:51:36 FOR THE DANCE, STEP, GYMNASTICS, STAND-ALONE SENIOR CENTER,
18:51:41 UPGRADE ON A FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL COURT, BASEBALL, AND THE
18:51:46 POSSIBLE SMALL AUDITORIUM AT THE CENTER WHERE FAIROAKS IS.
18:51:51 SO THAT WAS A COMPROMISE.
18:51:54 SO TO ME THAT WAS A WIN-WIN FOR ALL COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST
18:51:57 THE SENIORS, BUT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, OUR SENIORS, OUR
18:52:01 ATHLETES, TO HAVE A COMPLETE COMPOUND LIKE OTHER AREAS HAVE.
18:52:04 SO THAT WAS THE COMPROMISE. I HAVE TO GIVE KUDOS TO THE
18:52:07 ADMINISTRATION FOR COMING TO ME ASKING WOULD I GO ALONG WITH
18:52:11 LEAVING AL BARNES AND HAVING A BIGGER PLACE FOR ALL OF OUR
18:52:14 13 COMMUNITIES IN EAST TAMPA, SO OF COURSE I SAY YES, I
18:52:18 THOUGHT THAT WAS A FAIR COMPROMISE, BECAUSE NOW I AM GETTING
18:52:21 MORE BANG FOR OUR BUCK FOR ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES.
18:52:25 THAT'S HOW IT CAME ABOUT.
18:52:26 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: JUST AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE PROGRAMMING.
18:52:30 I TOLD YOU WE WERE HAVING BIWEEKLY MEETINGS ABOUT THE EAST
18:52:33 TAMPA REGIONAL. I WON'T CALL IT FAIROAKS, BUT FOR THAT
18:52:41 AREA, AND WE TALKED ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND
18:52:43 FIGURING OUT THE PROGRAMMING THAT THEY WANT WITHIN THE
18:52:46 FACILITY, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST
18:52:49 ANOTHER BASKETBALL COURT.
18:52:50 SO WE ARE COMING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ON THAT.
18:52:51 >>ORLANDO GUDES: AS YOU SHOULD.
18:52:53 >>JOSEPH CITRO: WE GO TO THE CAC AND HAVE THEM HAVE A
18:52:59 CONTEST FOR THE NAMING OF THIS PARK.
18:53:03 JUST A THOUGHT.
18:53:04 COUNCILMAN MANISCALCO.
18:53:05 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: JUST A FEW GENERAL COMMENTS.
18:53:08 YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT I HEARD FROM MY MOTHER A FEW MONTHS
18:53:10 AGO THAT WAS FRUSTRATING WAS SHE WENT OVER TO HIGHLAND PINES
18:53:15 TO SEE THE HOUSE THAT SHE LIVED IN AS A KID BEFORE MY FAMILY
18:53:19 MOVED TO WEST TAMPA IN 1972, AND SHE TOOK HILLSBOROUGH DOWN
18:53:23 TO 40th, AND HER ROUTE, AND SHE SAID IT LOOKS THE SAME.
18:53:28 AND THEY MOVED OUT OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT AREA, FIFTY
18:53:32 YEARS AGO, BUT SAID IT LOOKED THE SAME, ALL THESE BUILDINGS
18:53:36 ON HILLSBOROUGH, ALL THE BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY,
18:53:39 AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
18:53:40 BECAUSE MY MOTHER ALSO SAYS, BEING THAT SHE LEFT CUBA IN
18:53:44 1961, SAYS IT'S AMAZING HOW TAMPA HAS CHANGED, THE RIVERWALK
18:53:47 AND DOWNTOWN AND SEMINOLE HEIGHTS, AND WEST TAMPA, AND
18:53:50 MIDTOWN, ALL THESE THINGS.
18:53:52 AND I TOLD HER, SINCE I HAVE BEEN ELECTED, WHICH WAS SEVEN
18:53:55 YEARS AGO, WE HAVE HAD MIDTOWN, WATER STREET, ARMATURE
18:53:58 WORKS, JULIAN LANE, THE EXTENSION OF THE RIVERWALK.
18:54:01 I HAVE WATCHED THE CITY FLOURISH.
18:54:03 I AM BORN AND RAISED HERE AND I HAVE SEEN SO MANY CHANGES IN
18:54:07 37 YEARS.
18:54:08 BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SOME PEOPLE ASSUME THAT THE CITY LIMITS
18:54:10 END AT THE INTERSTATE OF 275.
18:54:14 AND EAST OF THAT TO THE CITY LIMITS, AND NOTHING HAPPENS,
18:54:18 AND WHY IS IT, THAT SO MUCH GROWTH IS TAKING PLACE, WATERS
18:54:23 STREET IS A MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT, MIDTOWN IS A 30-PLUS-ACRE
18:54:27 PARCEL.
18:54:28 AGAIN, EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE RIVER.
18:54:31 OUR REAL ESTATE MARKET.
18:54:32 WE HAVE CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WANT US TO STOP
18:54:37 THE BUILDING IN SOUTH TAMPA AND WHATNOT.
18:54:40 BUT YET IN EAST TAMPA, IT'S LIKE THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT.
18:54:45 I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE AND I AM NOT BLAMING
18:54:47 YOU.
18:54:48 I AM LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE. WHY IS IT THAT BLACK
18:54:51 PEOPLE AND BLACK COMMUNITIES OR EAST TAMPA IN GENERAL CAN'T
18:54:54 GET WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS GETTING.
18:54:55 [ APPLAUSE ]
18:54:58 WHY IS IT THAT THE MIDDLE CLASS THROUGHOUT OTHER PARTS OF
18:55:03 THE CITY OF TAMPA GROWS, AND WE TALK ABOUT SO MANY PEOPLE
18:55:07 ARE MOVING HERE AND HOUSING IS UNAFFORDABLE BUT EAST TAMPA
18:55:09 IS FROZEN IN TIME.
18:55:11 AND MR. HILL, WHO I HAVE KNOWN FOR SEVERAL YEARS, TALKED
18:55:15 ABOUT COMING FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., AND COMING HERE AND THE
18:55:19 FRUSTRATION THAT HE GETS FOR A LITTLE THING LIKE A COMMUNITY
18:55:21 GARDEN.
18:55:24 PEOPLE WANT TO WORK AND WANT TO WATCH THIS COMMUNITY
18:55:27 FLOURISH, THEY WANT TO LIVE IT UP, BUT EITHER THE POLITICAL
18:55:30 WILL IS NOT THERE, THE POLITICAL INTENTIONS ARE FOCUSED ON
18:55:33 OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, INSTEAD OF THIS AREA, WHICH AGAIN
18:55:36 WE HAVE THE LARGEST CRA IN THE STATE, OKAY?
18:55:40 WE HAVE HAD SO MUCH HAPPEN IN THE LAST CENTURY IN TAMPA.
18:55:42 URBAN RENEWAL, ALL THIS GROWTH, SO MANY THINGS, AND EAST
18:55:46 TAMPA IS JUST THERE, AND THE PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY BEGGING
18:55:50 JUST TO HAVE A HAND-UP, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY OF HOUSING,
18:55:55 HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, SIDEWALKS, ROADS.
18:55:57 I MEAN, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO GET
18:56:01 THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR?
18:56:04 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN MIRANDA.
18:56:05 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
18:56:08 MR. MANISCALCO, I WOULD FOLLOW UP ON WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
18:56:12 FOR AUDIENCE AND US TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID AND
18:56:15 HOW IT'S COME TO PLAY.
18:56:17 I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION AT THE END REGARDING THE
18:56:19 MONEYS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY SO WE CAN
18:56:22 ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
18:56:24 SO I WILL WAIT UNTIL THE END.
18:56:25 >> MS. BURTON.
18:56:29 >> CONNIE BURTON: THE WAY I SEE THE PROPERTY BEING TAKEN
18:56:34 AWAY FROM AFRICAN PEOPLE, THROUGH CODE VIOLATION, IF YOU ARE
18:56:37 GOING TO LOOK AT PENNY SAVER, WHATEVER THEY ARE CALLING IT
18:56:39 NOW, IT DON'T SET TO ANY STANDARDS.
18:56:44 I HAVE SEEN WHOLE AFRICAN COMMUNITIES DISAPPEAR.
18:56:48 I KNOW WHERE ARMATURE WORKS IS USED TO BE A THRIVING AFRICAN
18:56:53 COMMUNITY.
18:56:53 OVER THERE CALLED HYDE PARK NOW, ALL BLACK FOLKS LIVED
18:56:56 THERE.
18:56:57 AND MAYBE IT'S NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT TO SAY IT BUT THIS
18:57:03 CITY HAS A GLAZER CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF HATE, H-A-T-E,
18:57:14 CAPITAL, WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH THE ISSUES OF AFRICAN
18:57:17 PEOPLE, AND IT SHOULD BE SHAMEFUL THAT 20 YEARS OF THIS CRA
18:57:20 WE ARE JUST IN THE MIDDLE OF A DISCUSSION.
18:57:24 AND LAST, COUNCILMAN GUDES, WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT OUR
18:57:31 COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF TAMPA THAT THAT WHICH WAS ONCE THE
18:57:36 AFRICAN COMMUNITY.
18:57:37 WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ONCE UPON A TIME.
18:57:39 ONCE UPON A TIME, THAT WAS OUR HISTORY, AND IT'S BEING
18:57:44 DISAPPEARED.
18:57:44 SO I DON'T HAVE NO PROBLEM IF WE DON'T WANT TO NAME IT
18:57:47 FAIROAKS, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE CULTURE OF EVERYTHING
18:57:51 THAT WAS AFRICAN, JUST LIKE KID MASON CENTER, HOW LONG HAVE
18:57:56 YOU BEEN ASKING THEM TO BRING THE BLUEPRINT FOR KID MASON?
18:58:02 A LITTLE PARK THAT HAS PLENTY OF HISTORY, AND YET WE DON'T
18:58:05 HAVE NO FOOTPRINTS IN THIS CITY THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE
18:58:10 LABORED HARD, AND IT HAS GONE BEFORE OUR EYES.
18:58:13 AND I WOULD JUST SAY WE HAVE BEEN TWO HOURS ON JUST THE
18:58:17 FIRST SUBJECT MATTER.
18:58:18 WE WILL BE HERE ALL NIGHT.
18:58:19 BUT I WAS JUST HOPING YOU WILL TAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, AS
18:58:22 RESPECTFULLY AS I CAN SAY IT, AND TO THE MAYOR PARTICULAR,
18:58:26 SHE GOT A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY AND SHE MAY NOT NEED THE
18:58:30 BLACK VOTE.
18:58:31 BUT TO ME, YOU NEED A PEACEFUL CITY IN ORDER TO ATTRACT MORE
18:58:36 PEOPLE.
18:58:37 THANK YOU.
18:58:37 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ALL RIGHT.
18:58:39 WE MOVE ONTO THE SECOND AGENDA ITEM, PLEASE, AND THAT IS THE
18:58:42 EAST TAMPA CAC PROCESSES.
18:58:45 IS THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE CAC THAT WISHES TO SPEAK TO
18:58:48 THAT?
18:58:58 ABOUT THE PROCESSES?
18:59:00 >> YES.
18:59:00 THIS IS NORENE COPELAND MILLER.
18:59:03 CAN YOU HEAR ME?
18:59:04 >> YES, MA'AM.
18:59:05 >> OKAY.
18:59:09 WE HAVE A PRACTICE, AND WE ARE FILL OUT AND APPLICATION.
18:59:17 WE HAVE A PROCESS WHERE WE WANT TREE TRIMMING DONE, WE FILL
18:59:20 OUT AN APPLICATION.
18:59:21 BUT WHEN WE COME IN FOR THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS, THERE'S NO
18:59:27 APPLICATION, NO PROCESS.
18:59:29 WE BRING PEOPLE INTO THE BOARD TO PRESENT A PowerPoint FOR
18:59:33 THEM.
18:59:35 THERE IS NOTHING TO SAY THE PROCESS.
18:59:38 SO -- (TELEPHONE RINGING) I'M SORRY.
18:59:44 OKAY.
18:59:45 WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS, BECAUSE I HAVE WORKED 40-SOME YEARS
18:59:52 IN GOVERNMENT, AND I WAS TRYING TO SEND YOU ALL MY RESUMÉ OF
18:59:59 MY EXPERIENCES WORKING FOR GOVERNMENT.
19:00:01 BUT I WAS TRAINED, SO WE GET ALL THESE VERBAL REQUESTS FOR
19:00:08 LIKE $190,000 FROM ONE INSTITUTION IN THE COMMUNITY, NO
19:00:15 PAPER WORK, NO APPLICATION, JUST VERBAL REQUEST, AND IT'S
19:00:19 APPROVED.
19:00:20 AND IF YOU DO NOT GO ALONG WITH IT, THEN IT'S A PROBLEM, SHE
19:00:25 MADE, SHE ANGRY.
19:00:26 NO, I AM ABOUT PROCESS.
19:00:28 I AM ABOUT DOCUMENTATION.
19:00:29 BECAUSE BEING A BOARD MEMBER YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO
19:00:32 THIS COMMUNITY.
19:00:33 AND FOR OUR DOLLARS.
19:00:36 I HAVE BEEN PAYING MY TAXES FOR OVER 30 YEARS IN EAST TAMPA
19:00:39 WHERE MY RESIDENCE IS.
19:00:41 I PAY MY PROPERTY TAXES.
19:00:42 I PAY MY -- I'M SURE EVERYBODY ELSE DO, AND I WANT TO MAKE
19:00:47 SURE THAT I AM A RESPONSIBLE PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY.
19:00:50 BUT WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE VERBALLY ASK FOR MONEY, AND WE
19:00:57 CAN -- (AUDIO DROP)
19:01:06 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ARE YOU THERE? HELLO?
19:01:10 >>THE CLERK: MS. MILLER MUTED HERSELF SO SHE JUST NEEDS TO
19:01:13 UNMUTE HERSELF.
19:01:14 >> I'M SORRY.
19:01:15 CAN YOU HEAR ME?
19:01:17 WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT COME IN THAT ASK FOR A HALF MILLION
19:01:19 DOLLARS.
19:01:19 WE ARE PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND ASK FOR MONEY, AND THEY DON'T
19:01:22 APPLY FOR IT, WHAT'S THE PROCESS? IF THERE ARE APPLICATION
19:01:26 PROCESSES, THE CAC MEMBERS, WE HAVE TO APPLY TO GET $2500
19:01:34 FOR A TREE TRIMMING GRANT, BUT TO GET A HALF MILLION DOLLARS
19:01:37 YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE PROCESS.
19:01:41 A VERBAL REQUEST, AND WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN GET THESE PEOPLE
19:01:47 TO GO TO THE SODA AND BUY A NEWSPAPER, BUY A BAG OF CANDY,
19:01:55 BUT THEY FEEL THEY ARE ENTITLED TO GET MONEY BACK BECAUSE
19:01:58 OUR CAC MANAGER, DIRECTOR, GUARANTEES THEM THAT THEY ARE
19:02:04 ENTITLED.
19:02:04 I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PROCESS.
19:02:06 BEST PRACTICE, I WAS TRAINED IN GOVERNMENT.
19:02:11 IF IT'S NOT DOCUMENTED, IT DOES NOT HAPPEN. IN EAST TAMPA
19:02:15 WE ARE TAKEN FOR GRANTED.
19:02:17 AND WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE OR EDUCATION TO KNOW
19:02:23 WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR BEST PRACTICE.
19:02:26 I KNOW.
19:02:27 I WORKED ALL MY LIFE.
19:02:28 I HAVE DEDICATED LIVE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE OVER 40 YEARS IN
19:02:33 GOVERNMENT AND I KNOW THAT DOCUMENTATION IS CRITICAL.
19:02:37 WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN EAST TAMPA.
19:02:38 THAT'S MY CONCERN.
19:02:39 THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
19:02:40 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
19:02:42 MS. BURTON.
19:02:43 >> CONNIE BURTON: HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE HAVE IN OUR FUNDING?
19:02:48 HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THE EAST TAMPA FUNDING ACCOUNT?
19:02:52 HOW MUCH MONEY TOTAL?
19:02:53 TOTAL AMOUNT?
19:02:54 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MR. CARLSON?
19:03:21 >>MORRIS MASSEY: MS. TRAVIS?
19:03:23 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: I AM LOOKING AT A SUMMARY REPORT.
19:03:27 SO WE HAVE ABOUT $6.6 MILLION.
19:03:33 I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE FINANCING AS OF YET.
19:03:37 >>BILL CARLSON: THE LAST TIME WE ASKED, I THINK MS. VAN
19:03:41 LOAN SAID ALL BUT A MILLION WAS ALLOCATED. DO YOU KNOW,
19:03:44 CEDRIC?
19:03:45 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: ALLOW ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT WHAT
19:03:48 HAS BEEN ENCUMBERED, WHAT HAS BEEN EXPENDED AND WHAT
19:03:51 AVAILABLE FUNDS WE HAVE.
19:03:52 I WOULD ALSO LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CATEGORIZE THE GRANTS
19:03:56 THAT YOU HAVE AND HOW THEY ALIGN TO YOUR REDEVELOPMENT PLANS
19:04:01 SO THAT YOU CAN TRACK THE MONEY AND SEE HOW YOU ARE MEETING
19:04:05 THE GOALS OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
19:04:07 SO IF YOU WILL ALLOW ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH STAFF
19:04:09 AND THE BUDGET TEAM TO DO THAT AND WE CAN PROVIDE THE FULL
19:04:15 REPORT TO YOU.
19:04:15 >>BILL CARLSON: ARE YOU GOING TO PUT THAT ON THE NEXT
19:04:18 AGENDA?
19:04:21 >> WE HAVE A MEETING ON THE 29th.
19:04:24 >>MORRIS MASSEY: COULD WE HOLD THE CONVERSATION DOWN TO ONE
19:04:29 PERSON AT A TIME, PLEASE?
19:04:30 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: ALLOW ME TO OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT BACK TO
19:04:34 YOU AT THE NEXT CRA BOARD MEETING.
19:04:36 IF I HAVE IT IN TIME FOR THE CAC MEETING, I WILL BRING IT TO
19:04:39 THE CAC MEETING AS WELL.
19:04:42 BUT I AM A VERY TRANSPARENT PERSON SO I WILL LET YOU KNOW
19:04:47 WHERE I AM AT.
19:04:49 I AM IN THE PROCESS.
19:04:50 AND I WILL LET CAC KNOW.
19:04:53 >> CONNIE BURTON: THERE'S ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO BE A
19:04:59 CARRYOVER.
19:05:00 BUT THEN WE HAVE, I MEAN, MUST START AT ZERO, BECAUSE WE
19:05:04 HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SPEND MONEY ON PROJECTS AND THINGS THAT
19:05:07 WE WANT TO SPEND MONEY ON.
19:05:09 SO WE NEED TO HAVE A FULL ACCOUNTING OF ALL OF THE RESOURCES
19:05:14 FOR OUR ACCOUNT, AND WE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO BE SEE THAT $1
19:05:18 MILLION THAT WAS TAKEN OFF THE TABLE, PUT BACK INTO THE
19:05:26 ACCOUNT.
19:05:26 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT IS BEING
19:05:31 REFERENCED IS A MILLION DOLLARS THAT WAS ALLOCATED FROM THE
19:05:35 EAST TAMPA CRA FUNDS TO BE USED FOR THE FAIROAKS PROJECT,
19:05:40 WAS THERE A MOTION TO REALLOCATE THAT MONEY?
19:05:45 >>MORRIS MASSEY: THE MONEY HAS NOT BEEN SPENT.
19:05:50 >> IT IS STILL WITHIN THE BUDGET.
19:05:52 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: IT'S BEEN BUDGETED BUT NOT SPENT.
19:05:55 SO THE MONEY SHOULD BE THERE.
19:05:56 >>JOSEPH CITRO:
19:06:00 [SOUNDING GAVEL]
19:06:01 THANK YOU.
19:06:02 COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
19:06:03 >>BILL CARLSON: MS. TRAVIS, ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THE
19:06:05 BUDGET.
19:06:09 WHEN WE STARTED THREE YEARS AGO WE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS
19:06:12 ABOUT THE BUDGET, AND WENT THROUGH IN DETAIL TO FIGURE OUT
19:06:14 HOW MUCH MONEY WAS THERE AND HOW MUCH WE COULD ALLOCATE AND
19:06:17 SPEND.
19:06:17 AND THEN WHEN WE THOUGHT THAT ALL OR MOST OF IT HAD BEEN
19:06:22 ALLOCATED AND SUDDENLY DURING COVID THE ADMINISTRATION ASKED
19:06:25 US TO PUT IN I THINK IT WAS $2 MILLION FROM CRA MONEY TOWARD
19:06:29 COVID RELIEF FUND, AND WE ASKED WHERE DID THAT $2 MILLION
19:06:33 COME FROM, NOT JUST FROM EAST TAMPA BUT FROM ALL OF THE CRA
19:06:36 DISTRICTS?
19:06:37 WE SAID WHERE DID THAT $2 MILLION COME FROM?
19:06:40 AND THE ANSWER WAS IT WAS IN THE INTEREST ACCOUNT.
19:06:43 AND I SAT ON A LOT OF BOARDS, I ADVISED A LOT OF COMPANIES,
19:06:47 I HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMEBODY HIDE MONEY IN AN INTEREST
19:06:50 ACCOUNT.
19:06:50 AND SO WE MADE A MOTION TO PUT THAT IN A DIFFERENT KIND OF
19:06:54 ACCOUNT.
19:06:54 I FORGET WHAT WE CALL IT, BUT A RESERVE FUND OR SOMETHING
19:06:57 LIKE THAT.
19:06:58 BUT IT SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC, IF IT'S IN AN
19:07:02 INTEREST ACCOUNT, PEOPLE THINK THAT IT'S JUST INTEREST FOR
19:07:04 THAT YEAR.
19:07:05 THEY DON'T THINK IT'S A CARRYOVER FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
19:07:08 IT TURNS OUT THERE WAS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SITTING IN
19:07:10 INTEREST ACCOUNTS THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD ALLOCATE.
19:07:14 SO I WOULD ASK YOU AS YOU GO THROUGH THE BUDGET TO LOOK FOR
19:07:16 ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT'S KIND OF HIDDEN POCKETS OF MONEY
19:07:20 BECAUSE SUDDENLY DURING COVID $2 MILLION APPEARED THAT NONE
19:07:23 OF US HAD BEEN TOLD EXISTED.
19:07:25 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: I WILL DEFINITELY LOOK AT IT.
19:07:27 I KNOW WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, REPORTS, JUST
19:07:30 PREPARING AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THE PAST CRA MEETINGS, IN
19:07:35 YOUR CRA ANNUAL REPORT, IT SHOWS ON INTEREST BEARING
19:07:38 ACCOUNTS HOW MUCH INCOME YOU HAD FOR THAT, AND THEN IT GETS
19:07:42 ADDED AS A REVENUE.
19:07:44 SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALL BROKEN DOWN TO YOU WHERE
19:07:46 THE ACCOUNTS ARE.
19:07:47 SO IT IS ACCOUNTED FOR IN YOUR ANNUAL REPORT AS REVENUE.
19:07:50 >>BILL CARLSON: WE MADE A MOTION TO PUT IT INTO A RESERVE
19:07:53 FUND OR SOME OTHER LABEL OTHER THAN THIS INTEREST SO WE KNOW
19:07:56 WHERE IT IS.
19:07:57 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: OKAY.
19:07:57 >>JOSEPH CITRO: IN THE CRA RECORDS THAT I HAVE, THE EAST
19:08:01 TAMPA CAC, EXCUSE ME, AS OF THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2021,
19:08:08 THERE IS $8.5 MILLION.
19:08:10 A LITTLE OVER 8.5 MILLION.
19:08:14 I'M SORRY, GIVE ME ONE SECOND.
19:08:16 I HAD IT BACKWARDS.
19:08:17 EAST TAMPA.
19:08:19 AGAIN, A LITTLE OVER 8.5 MILLION.
19:08:30 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: MS. TATE WAS ASKING WHAT DO WE HAVE NOW.
19:08:40 LET ME GO BACK TO THE BUDGET TEAM.
19:08:44 WHAT I WILL SHOW YOU IS WHAT YOU STARTED THE FISCAL YEAR
19:08:47 WITH, ALL OF YOUR REVENUE --
19:08:53 >> COULD WE HOLD IT DOWN BACK THERE, PLEASE?
19:08:56 [SOUNDING GAVEL]
19:08:58 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
19:08:59 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: WHAT I WILL SHOW YOU IN THE ACCOUNT IS
19:08:59 WHAT WE STARTED THE FISCAL YEAR WITH, ALL REVENUE, SO IF
19:09:03 THERE ARE LEASE PAYMENTS, INTEREST ON THE ACCOUNT, WHAT THE
19:09:05 REVENUE IS, ALL OF YOUR EXPENSES, AND ENCUMBRANCES, SO ANY
19:09:09 PROGRAM DOLLARS, THE CAC OR THE BOARD HAS -- WELL, THE BOARD
19:09:14 HAS TAKEN ACTION ON TO ENCUMBER THAT MONEY SO SPECIFICALLY
19:09:18 FOR PROJECTS, IF YOU HAVE ENCUMBERED THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IT
19:09:21 WILL SHOW ON THE ENCUMBRANCES, I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT THAT
19:09:24 MONEY IS AND HOW MUCH AVAILABLE FUNDS ARE LEFT.
19:09:28 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ONE SIDE IS WEST TAMPA, THE OTHER SIDE IS
19:09:32 EAST TAMPA.
19:09:32 >> I WAS JUST PROVIDING IT TO MS. TATE SO YOU COULD SEE WHAT
19:09:48 THE YEAR-END REPORT WAS.
19:09:50 THE BUDGET SUMMARY ALSO ONLINE, BUT WE WILL DO IT MONTHLY
19:09:54 REPORTING AND ACCOUNTING AND MAKE THAT A PART OF OUR MONTHLY
19:09:57 REPORTS TO THE CAC, NOT JUST THE EAST TAMPA CRA BUT ALL
19:10:03 TAMPA CACs.
19:10:04 >>JOSEPH CITRO: FANTASTIC.
19:10:05 ARE THERE ANY OTHER CAC MEMBERS WHO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
19:10:08 PROCESS? PLEASE COME FORWARD.
19:10:19 AND MS. TATE, COULD I GET THAT BACK FOR MY PERSONAL -- AFTER
19:10:23 THE MEETING.
19:10:24 AND ACTUALLY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE MS. TATE A COPY.
19:10:30 YES, MS. COBB.
19:10:32 >> AS FAR AS ITEM NUMBER 2 FUNDING IN SUBCOMMITTEE, ALSO I
19:10:36 WANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THE EAST TAMPA CAC COMPRISES
19:10:41 A VERY BIG AREA.
19:10:43 JUST OVER THE COURSE OF COVID, COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS,
19:10:47 WHICH WAS ALSO BROUGHT UP IN THE LAST CRA MEETING, WE HAVE
19:10:50 HAD NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS ALONG WITH THE
19:10:55 HIGH TURNOVER OF BOARD MEMBERS.
19:10:57 AND JUST TO REITERATE OF WHAT OTHERS HAVE STATED, I DO
19:11:01 BELIEVE AT THIS MEETING, WE DO NEED TO TAKE INTO
19:11:05 CONSIDERATION THE BYLAWS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, THEY ARE
19:11:09 OUTDATED, SO I AM ASKING LEGAL FROM CITY TO AT LEAST BRING
19:11:13 OUR STANDARDS, THAT WE ARE WORKING IN A SOMEWHAT ABNORMAL
19:11:18 ENVIRONMENT, IF WE COULD BRING OUR STANDARDS TO OUR MEETING
19:11:22 AS CLOSE TO WHAT THE CITY HAS, AS FAR AS ATTENDANCE, AS FAR
19:11:26 AS HOW SUBCOMMITTEES GO, OR IF IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR THE
19:11:30 COMMUNITY, NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE CURRENT BOARD, BECAUSE
19:11:33 I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE MAKE THIS EXTREMELY CLEAR THAT THE
19:11:37 CURRENT BOARD THAT IS ON, WE ALL APPLIED, WE ALL HAVE OUR
19:11:41 CRITERIAS AND WE ALL HAVE THINGS TO GET IN.
19:11:44 THOSE WHO APPLIED FOR SUBCOMMITTEES THAT WAS AT THE
19:11:46 DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR.
19:11:49 AGAIN, THE BOARD IS WHAT WE HAVE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND IF
19:11:55 YOU ARE ON A SUBCOMMITTEE YOU HAD A CHOICE TO ALSO BE ON THE
19:11:59 BOARD.
19:11:59 JUST A LITTLE PLUG, WE DO HAVE AN OPENING FOR A BOARD
19:12:02 MEMBER.
19:12:03 SO IF YOU HAVE EXPERTISE IN THE AREA THAT WE NEED, PLEASE --
19:12:08 DO YOU HAVE THE APPLICATION WITH YOU RIGHT NOW?
19:12:12 PLEASE GRAB SOME OF THOSE ON YOUR WAY OUT.
19:12:15 AND BACK TO FUNDING, JUST LIKE I DID IN THE PREVIOUS CRA
19:12:18 MEETING, WE HAD A LIST OF ATTAINABLE ITEMS FROM THIS
19:12:21 MEETING.
19:12:22 I ALSO HAVE A LIST OF OBTAINABLE ITEMS.
19:12:24 I HOPE WE WERE ABLE TO GET UPDATES FROM THAT BUT WE DIDN'T
19:12:27 GET IT FROM THAT LAST MEETING.
19:12:29 AS FAR AS A BUDGET UPDATE, OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST
19:12:33 CHAIRS, THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN REQUESTS MADE FOR -- I WOULD
19:12:40 LIKE ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT CAME FROM MS. GOODLEY, MS.
19:12:43 BURTON, AND ALSO THE CURRENT CHAIR, THESE ARE STILL ITEMS
19:12:47 THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
19:12:48 THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
19:12:49 THEY HAVE BEEN PASSED BY THE PREVIOUS CAC.
19:12:52 THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP AGAIN.
19:12:54 AND THE FUNDING NEEDS TO BE ADDED BACK TO IT.
19:12:57 AND ALSO ADJUSTED TO THE CURRENT ITEMS ON OUR BUDGET.
19:13:01 SO THAT CAN ALSO BE -- IF THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED AS WELL.
19:13:07 AS FAR AS WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN HERE ABOUT, THE CURRENT
19:13:11 PROGRAM, IF WE CAN ALSO GET MRS. TRAVIS TO LOOK AT THAT AS
19:13:15 WELL.
19:13:16 WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT WERE ALREADY TOWARD THEM.
19:13:22 IF WE CAN HAVE THEM AS A LINE ITEM COMING UP TO OUR NEXT
19:13:25 BOARD MEETING WHICH I THINK IS ON THE 26th THAT WILL
19:13:29 HAVE US BETTER EQUIPPED TO HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
19:13:32 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MS. COBB. MS. GOODLEY.
19:13:34 >> IN REGARD TO THE PROCESSES, EVERYTHING THAT WAS VOTED ON
19:13:48 PREVIOUSLY MAGICALLY DISAPPEARS.
19:13:50 AND NOTHING IS IMPLEMENTED, ALTHOUGH IT WAS ADEQUATELY VOTED
19:13:54 UPON, THE COMMUNITY SAID THIS IS WHAT WE WANT, BUT
19:13:57 EVERYTHING STOPPED.
19:13:58 SO IF WE COULD IMPLEMENT THE PROCESS, THAT REGARDLESS OF WHO
19:14:02 THE CHAIR IS, IF WE SAID WE WANT PURPLE WHATEVER, WE NEED TO
19:14:07 MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
19:14:08 SO EACH TIME IS LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE A NEW CHAIR, WE ARE
19:14:10 STARTING ALL OVER, AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR A BRAND NEW
19:14:14 CHAIR TO GET THINGS MOVING, BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT WAS
19:14:16 SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN STOPPED HAPPENING.
19:14:19 THE OTHER THING IS, OVERSIGHT.
19:14:21 IN REGARDS TO SPENDING OUR FUNDS, ONE OF THINGS THAT I
19:14:25 NOTICED WHEN I CAME CHAIR WAS THAT WE WERE SPENDING LARGE
19:14:28 AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON SOME FRIVOLOUS THINGS.
19:14:30 I GUESS WE WERE PAVING ROADS, DOING THINGS THAT THE CITY
19:14:33 SHOULD BE DOING, BUT EVEN, FOR INSTANCE, WE WERE EXPENDING
19:14:36 MONEY WITH THE SPDC TO PROVIDE BUSINESS CONSULTING SERVICES
19:14:41 FOR EAST TAMPA RESIDENTS, AND WE FOUND OUT THEY WEREN'T
19:14:45 DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT FOR US THAN THEY WERE ALREADY
19:14:47 DOING.
19:14:48 SO ONCE WE STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, WE REALIZED
19:14:51 THAT NOTHING WAS HAPPENING EXCEPT FOR A WELCOME PACKET BEING
19:14:54 SENT OUT WHEN A NEW BUSINESS REGISTERED.
19:14:57 AND WHETHER THEY SENT THE PACKAGE BACK OR ANYTHING, IT'S ALL
19:15:03 UP TO THEM, BUT WE WERE PAYING $35,000 TOWARDS THAT.
19:15:06 SO AGAIN, WE CUT THAT.
19:15:08 THE OTHER THING WAS A NEWSLETTER.
19:15:09 WE HAD A NEWSLETTER THAT WAS GOING OUT FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
19:15:13 I LIKE THE IDEA OF A NEWSLETTER BUT WE WERE PAYING $85,000
19:15:18 FOR FOUR NEWSLETTERS AND THAT'S A LOT OF FUNDING.
19:15:22 SO THAT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT WE CUT.
19:15:24 AND IT WASN'T THAT WE CUT IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA
19:15:28 OF THE NEWSLETTER.
19:15:29 IT'S FOUR NEWSLETTERS DOESN'T COST $85,000.
19:15:33 AND SO WE WERE NOTICING HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT WAS JUST
19:15:38 CONSTANTLY -- AND AGAIN, REMEMBER, WE DIDN'T CREATE OUR
19:15:40 BUDGET.
19:15:41 WE GOT OUR BUDGET HANDED TO US AND PEOPLE WERE PREVIOUSLY
19:15:44 JUST APPROVING IT.
19:15:45 SO WE STARTED PULLING ALL THOSE THINGS BACK.
19:15:49 THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO MENTION WAS THE INTEREST,
19:15:52 BECAUSE WE LEARNED ABOUT THAT DURING COVID.
19:15:55 AND WE ACTUALLY, EAST TAMPA, WE ACTUALLY VOTED AND TALKED
19:16:00 ABOUT CREATING OUR OWN PROGRAM TO HELP OUR BUSINESSES, WITH
19:16:04 OUR OWN MONEY, AND WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, I SAT
19:16:08 DOWN, I DID THINGS, AND MENTIONED IT AT THE MEETING, AND
19:16:12 BEFORE WE COULD VOTE ON IT, WE WERE STOPPED BECAUSE THE CITY
19:16:16 HAD A PROGRAM THAT THEY WANTED TO IMPLEMENT, AND SAID THAT
19:16:21 THE CITY WAS GOING TO USE OUR INTEREST FOR THIS AND THEY
19:16:23 WANTED A HALF MILLION TO A MILLION DOLLARS OF OUR INTEREST
19:16:25 TO DO IT, AND THE PROGRAM THAT I CHAIRED, AND WE ALL AGREED
19:16:31 ON, WE WERE TOLD WE COULD NOT DO, BUT THAT THE CITY'S
19:16:35 PROGRAM WOULD GET MONEY IN THE HANDS OF BUSINESSES BY MAY.
19:16:39 AND THIS WAS AT THE APRIL 2020 MEETING.
19:16:43 I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I HAVE CLIENTS WHO WERE STILL WAITING
19:16:46 TO GET THE RENT PAID ON THEIR BUSINESS IN OCTOBER OF 2020.
19:16:52 SO THE MONEY DID NOT GO OUT IN MAY, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
19:16:55 THE PROGRAM HAD TO BE REVAMPED SEVERAL TIMES.
19:16:59 I SAID FROM THE BEGINNING THAT NO BUSINESSES WERE GOING TO
19:17:02 BE ABLE TO MEET THE CRITERIA. THE CRITERIA STARTED OUT AT
19:17:05 FIVE YEARS, THEN WENT TO THREE YEARS.
19:17:09 IT WAS NOT ANYTHING CONDUCIVE TO BUSINESSES AND ALL YOU ARE
19:17:13 DOING IS LIMITING THE AMOUNT THAT BUSINESSES ARE ABLE TO
19:17:16 ACCESS.
19:17:17 AND NOW I FIND OUT LATER THAT THE REASON THAT IT WAS THE WAY
19:17:20 IT WAS IS BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME GRANT MONEY, LIKE ASK
19:17:24 $300,000 IN GRANT MONEY WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS
19:17:27 OF OTHER.
19:17:29 WE COULD HAVE EASILY DONE THAT THE WAY WE WANTED TO.
19:17:32 BUT AGAIN ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW WE SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE
19:17:35 WANT TO DO TO GET THE HANDS OF FUNDS IN OUR BUSINESSES HANDS
19:17:38 AND WE WERE TOLD, NO.
19:17:45 EVEN PAYING FOR UTILITIES.
19:17:47 AT FIRST IT WAS JUST ELECTRIC AND WATER.
19:17:50 AND I PUSHED BACK AND SAID, WHY IS IT NOT INCLUDING ALL
19:17:54 UTILITIES?
19:17:55 I WAS TOLD THAT LEGALLY WE COULD NOT ADD, AND I PUSHED BACK
19:17:58 AND SAID, UTILITIES INCLUDES PHONE.
19:18:02 UTILITIES INCLUDES INTERNET.
19:18:03 WHY ARE WE PAYING WATER WHEN WE KNOW GOES BACK TO THE CITY
19:18:06 OF TAMPA?
19:18:07 YOU ARE PAYING ELECTRIC WHICH IS TECO WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH
19:18:09 THE CITY OF TAMPA.
19:18:10 BUT ANY OTHER UTILITY WOULD BE IGNORED.
19:18:14 AND SO EVENTUALLY, AGAIN, WE GOT TO WHERE WE AGREED TO PAY
19:18:17 THEM.
19:18:18 SO ALSO WITH MARKETING, WE REALIZED THAT NONE OF OUR
19:18:24 PROGRAMS WERE BEING MARKETED, AND SO WE DECIDED THAT WE
19:18:27 WANTED TO BRING ON A MARKETING PERSON.
19:18:29 SO WE VOTED, AND IT WAS APPROVED, THAT WE WOULD HIRE A
19:18:34 MARKETING PERSON, BUT WE GOT PUSHBACK BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD
19:18:36 THE CITY OF TAMPA MARKETING DEPARTMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE
19:18:40 MARKETING OUR PROGRAMS, AND THEY CAN DO IT.
19:18:42 THE CITY OF TAMPA HAD NOT PROMOTED ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS YET,
19:18:46 AND I DON'T THINK THEY PROMOTE MOST OF THE CRA PROGRAMS.
19:18:49 SO HERE WE HAD A SOLUTION, AND WE HAD THE FUNDING, BUT WE
19:18:53 STILL WEREN'T ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
19:18:56 SO PART OF THE PROCESS I AM ASKING FOR IS MORE OVERSIGHT,
19:19:00 BECAUSE WE CAN SEE IT, AND WE CAN CALL IT OUT TO YOU, BUT IF
19:19:04 YOU ALL ARE ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT'S
19:19:08 GOING ON, YOU ALL CAN ALSO PROVIDE THAT OVERSIGHT, BECAUSE
19:19:11 JUST AS WAS STATED, I BELIEVE, BY MR. HILL -- I AM NOT SURE
19:19:15 WHO SAID IT -- BUT WE ARE TOLD WE JUST MADE RECOMMENDATIONS
19:19:19 AND IT'S UP TO YOU ALL TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISIONS.
19:19:23 BUT WE HAVE BEEN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT GO NOWHERE.
19:19:26 SO THAT'S MY CONCERN OF SOME OF THE PROCESSES.
19:19:30 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILWOMAN HURTAK.
19:19:34 >>LYNN HURTAK: I HAVE A QUESTION.
19:19:35 [SOUNDING GAVEL]
19:19:37 >>LYNN HURTAK: I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT SOMETHING YOU
19:19:39 JUST MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF YOUR COMMENTS, ON HOW EVERY
19:19:45 SINGLE -- WITHIN TWO YEARS, YOUR CHAIR KEEPS TURNING OVER.
19:19:51 BUT I NOTICED THAT YOU AREN'T ON THE CAC ANYMORE.
19:19:55 SO IS THERE A REASON THAT FORMER CHAIRS DON'T STAY ON AS A
19:20:01 REQUIREMENT FOR TWO MORE YEARS?
19:20:04 >> IT'S NEVER BEEN ANYTHING THAT'S IN OUR BYLAWS THAT THE
19:20:06 FORMER CHAIR REMAINS ON.
19:20:08 >>LYNN HURTAK: DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL?
19:20:11 >> I THINK IT DEFINITELY WOULD BE HELPFUL.
19:20:14 >>LYNN HURTAK: SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT FOR BYLAW
19:20:16 CHANGES TO HELP KEEP SOME OF THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE,
19:20:19 NOT -- OKAY.
19:20:25 YEAH.
19:20:26 BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I WAS SAYING, SOMETHING I'M
19:20:29 ALLOWED TO SAY.
19:20:30 I'M STILL LEARNING.
19:20:31 BUT, YES, BECAUSE NOT JUST TAKE AWAY FROM NEW IDEAS, BUT
19:20:37 EVERY ORGANIZATION I KNOW THAT'S SUCCESSFUL KEEPS THEIR
19:20:42 INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE TO SOME DEGREE.
19:20:44 SO I WOULD LOVE TO -- I KNOW SOMEBODY ELSE MENTIONED REDOING
19:20:48 SOME BYLAWS, AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW
19:20:53 WE RETAIN ONE OR TWO MEMBERS, HOWEVER YOU ALL BELIEVE IT
19:20:58 WOULD BE BEST, TO KEEP THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
19:21:00 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
19:21:05 >>BILL CARLSON: MS. GOODLEY, YOU SAID 85,000 FOR FOUR
19:21:11 NEWSLETTERS.
19:21:12 DID YOU MEAN FOUR DIFFERENT NEWSLETTERS THAT GO OUT
19:21:14 REGULARLY OR ONE NEWSLETTER FOUR TIMES?
19:21:17 >> ONE NEWSLETTER FOUR TIMES.
19:21:19 IT WAS MAILED OUT.
19:21:20 WE HAVE LIKE A STANDARD JUST OPEN FOLDER THING.
19:21:24 AND IT WAS EVERYTHING WAS WRITTEN.
19:21:26 AND EVERYTHING WAS WRITTEN FOR US.
19:21:29 WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING.
19:21:30 BUT $85,000 IN MY OPINION WAS TOO MUCH.
19:21:33 SO ONCE I BECAME CHAIR YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF THINGS WERE
19:21:36 TAKEN OUT AND IT WAS BECAUSE I FELT THAT THIS WAS
19:21:39 RIDICULOUS, AND WE WEREN'T GOING TO SPEND MONEY LIKE THAT.
19:21:43 >>BILL CARLSON: AND JUST ONE THING FOR MS. TRAVIS.
19:21:46 YOU HEARD AGAIN FEEDBACK ABOUT INTERFACING WITH THE CITY.
19:21:49 AND MAYBE I TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY BUT I THINK OF US AS A
19:21:54 ENTREPRENEURIAL RELATED ORGANIZATION.
19:21:56 WE ARE SMALL, COMPACT, WE SHOULD BE NIMBLE AND BE ABLE TO
19:21:59 MOVE QUICKLY.
19:22:00 BUT THE CITY IS SLOW TO MOVE AND SLOB TO CHANGE.
19:22:04 THAT THERE'S A LOT OF BUREAUCRACY AND THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS
19:22:06 LIKE PURCHASING AND MAYBE HIRING THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH
19:22:09 THE CITY, OR AT LEAST FOLLOW THE POLICIES OF THE CITY.
19:22:12 BUT IF THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT IS ORGANIZED AROUND
19:22:17 PROMOTING THE MAYOR, WE NEED A COMMUNICATION VEHICLE TO
19:22:20 PROMOTE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE CITY SO THE COMMUNITY KNOWS
19:22:24 ABOUT IT, AND IF IT'S FASTER AND CHEAPER FOR US TO OUTSOURCE
19:22:27 IT, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO OUTSOURCE AND WE SHOULD DO THAT.
19:22:30 WE SHOULDN'T JUST RELY ON CITY STAFF, ESPECIALLY IF THERE
19:22:33 ARE TRANSFER PAYMENTS GOING ON WHERE WE ARE SUBSIDIZING CITY
19:22:37 DEPARTMENTS BY PAYING HIGH TECH PRICES, LIKE 85,000 FOR A
19:22:41 NEWSLETTER.
19:22:42 >> THE CHAIR DURING MY TIME, I GUESS THEY BROUGHT BACK THE
19:22:46 CHAIR MEETING SO SEVERAL OF THE CRAs GOT TOGETHER AND SAID
19:22:49 WE POSSIBLY MIGHT LOOK INTO HIRING A MARKETING FIRM AND WE
19:22:53 ARE ALL UTILIZING IT AND SHARING IT.
19:22:55 BUT AGAIN, ONCE CHAIRS CHANGE, THEN WE ACT LIKE THAT NEVER
19:22:59 HAPPENED, WE DIDN'T VOTE ON IT, AND IT JUST GOES INTO
19:23:02 NO-MAN'S LAND.
19:23:04 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN VIERA.
19:23:06 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, SIR. I WANTED TO COMMEND OUR
19:23:08 COLLEAGUE COUNCILWOMAN HURTAK WHO SAID YOU WERE JUST
19:23:12 LEARNING.
19:23:15 I WANTED TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DID WITH SECRETARY
19:23:15 OF AGRICULTURE. IF YOU ARE JUST -- AND THIS GETS TO THE
19:23:18 BOTTOM OF REALLY ONE OF THE THINGS I AM GOING TO SAY, WHICH
19:23:21 I THINK ALL SEVEN OF US WHO ARE HERE HAVE A REAL PASSION FOR
19:23:26 EAST TAMPA AND FOR MAKING SURE THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE
19:23:28 BEEN LEFT BEHIND FOR TOO LONG ARE NO LONGER LEFT BEHIND.
19:23:32 PART OF THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK
19:23:36 SORT OF FORMS A LOT OF THE FRUSTRATION THAT WE ARE SEEING
19:23:39 HERE, I ALWAYS SAY WHENEVER THERE'S A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE
19:23:42 IN THE CITY, DISADVANTAGED AND MARGINALIZED AREAS HAVE A
19:23:47 CATEGORY 3 OR 4 HURRICANE.
19:23:49 IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.
19:23:50 BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF HURRICANES IN THE CITY OF TAMPA AND
19:23:53 IN FLORIDA.
19:23:53 THAT INCLUDES INFLATION.
19:23:54 INFLATION IS ABOUT 8% HIGHER I THINK IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA,
19:23:58 IT'S 10 OR 11%.
19:23:59 WE HAVE HOUSING, 27% INCREASE IN RENTAL COSTS OVER THE LAST
19:24:03 YEAR.
19:24:04 GAS, WELL OVER $4 GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER AND HIGHER.
19:24:08 SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE CRAs BASIC IDEA, OR PURPOSE IS
19:24:12 TO MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITIES HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED
19:24:15 TO MAKE IT INTO THE MIDDLE CLASS, TO MAKE IT TO THE WORKING
19:24:18 CLASS, RIGHT, THAT FIGHT IS GETTING HARDER AND HARDER AND
19:24:21 HARDER.
19:24:22 BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT ALL SEVEN OF US DO HAVE A REAL
19:24:25 HEART FOR EAST TAMPA, AND WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH EVERY
19:24:28 PERSON IN THIS ROOM TO MAKE SURE THAT WRONGS GET MADE RIGHT,
19:24:33 RIGHT?
19:24:34 AND THAT COMMUNITIES DO HAVE A PATHWAY TO THE MIDDLE CLASS,
19:24:38 110%.
19:24:39 I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS I LOOK FORWARD ON VOTING NEXT
19:24:42 MONTH, YOU DON'T THINK IT'S CONTROVERSIAL, I KNOW WE PUSHED
19:24:44 IT, BUT THE SKILLS CENTER.
19:24:47 ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO SEE IN EAST TAMPA IS TO
19:24:50 INVEST IN TRAINING.
19:24:51 TRAINING SO THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WANT A PATHWAY TO THE
19:24:55 MIDDLE CLASS, RIGHT, CAN GET IT.
19:24:58 PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, WE PASSED AND APPRENTICESHIP
19:25:02 ORDINANCE A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE
19:25:05 YOU CAN MAKE 50, 60, $70,000 BEING A WELDER, PLUMBER,
19:25:11 ELECTRICIAN. TAKE A LOOK AT THE COST OF LIVING WHERE DOES
19:25:15 50, 60, 70,000 TAKE YOU IN THE CITY OF TAMPA?
19:25:18 THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE MIDDLE CLASS IS GETTING
19:25:20 FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY FROM PEOPLE AS AN ASPIRATION
19:25:25 BECAUSE THOSE BASIC NECESSITATES OF LIFE ARE JUST
19:25:27 SKYROCKETING IN FLORIDA.
19:25:29 IT'S TERRIBLE BUT ESPECIALLY HURTS THE LOWER INCOME
19:25:32 COMMUNITIES.
19:25:33 SO JUST SOME THOUGHTS.
19:25:34 THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR.
19:25:35 >>LYNN HURTAK: THANK YOU.
19:25:41 JUST TO TALK, TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COUNCILMAN CARLSON WAS
19:25:45 TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS, AND WHAT YOU, MS. GOODLEY, MENTIONED
19:25:51 ABOUT HAVING THE -- ABOUT TALKING ABOUT MEDIA PREPARATION OR
19:25:55 MARKETING.
19:25:56 AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR MY IGNORANCE BUT WE DON'T HAVE A CRA
19:26:04 STAFFER WHO DEALS WITH MARKETING?
19:26:07 >> WE JUST GOT ONE.
19:26:08 >>LYNN HURTAK: OKAY.
19:26:10 BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST PERSON
19:26:13 THAT I WOULD HIRE.
19:26:13 SO THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.
19:26:15 OKAY.
19:26:16 THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
19:26:17 >> WE WANTED OUR OWN.
19:26:23 BUT THEN WE HAD NONE.
19:26:24 SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE OUR OWN.
19:26:27 SO NOW WE HAVE A CHAIR.
19:26:30 >>LYNN HURTAK: BUT THE THING ABOUT HAVING YOUR OWN, TOO, IT
19:26:32 DOESN'T PRECLUDE YOU FROM GETTING -- FROM HAVING A
19:26:35 CONSULTANT TO DO SOME EXTRA THINGS, TOO.
19:26:38 >> BUT WE CAN'T GET THE MONEY TO SPEND TO GET THE PERSON.
19:26:41 >>LYNN HURTAK: I SEE.
19:26:41 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MS. GOODLEY, THANK YOU.
19:26:46 TO MS. HURTAK'S POINT, BETWEEN YOU, MS. BURTON AND MRS.
19:26:53 TATE, YOU HAVE A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THESE
19:26:57 PRESIDENTS.
19:27:00 IS YOUR BOARD HAVING SUCCESSIONS OF PEOPLE COMING UP BEHIND
19:27:05 YOU THAT HAVE THIS WEALTH, THAT ISN'T GOING TO START ANEW
19:27:10 EACH TIME A PRESIDENT COMES IN?
19:27:13 IE, MEANING, YOU HAVE A LONG-TERM VISION AND GOAL WHERE
19:27:17 PLANS ARE ALREADY SET IN, AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR FIVE-YEAR
19:27:21 GOAL SO THAT WHEN PRESIDENTS COME AND GO, THERE ARE STILL
19:27:25 THE BASIC WANTS AND NEEDS AND GOALS ARE ALREADY SET FORTH,
19:27:28 SO THAT THE NEXT GROUP OF PRESIDENTS COME IN SETS THEIR
19:27:32 GOALS FOR THE FUTURE.
19:27:35 MS. TATE, I'M SORRY, I SHOULD BE DIRECTING THIS TO YOU. IS
19:27:37 THIS IN YOUR PLANS NOW?
19:27:39 >> FRAN TATE: THAT WAS MY VISION FROM THE BEGINNING.
19:27:43 MRS. BURTON IS STILL ON THE BOARD.
19:27:45 I HOPE AND PRAY THAT SHE REMAINS.
19:27:47 WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ELECTIONS OF SIX BOARD MEMBERS.
19:27:53 BUT YOU ARE RIGHT.
19:27:55 ALL OF YOU ARE RIGHT.
19:27:56 WE NEED TO MAINTAIN, IRREGARDLESS OF HOW WE FEEL ABOUT ONE
19:28:00 ANOTHER, WE HAVE GOT TO GET OVER OUR FEELINGS, BUT SHE'S
19:28:09 BUSY IN HER CAREER BUT I KNOW I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON HER IF I
19:28:12 HAVE A QUESTION OR ANYTHING.
19:28:14 SHE'S SERVING ON ONE OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES.
19:28:17 CONNIE BURTON AS I STATED IS STILL ON THE BOARD.
19:28:19 I'M ON THE BOARD.
19:28:21 YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT.
19:28:22 SO THAT YOU DON'T GET LOST, AND YOU ARE NOT THERE TRYING TO
19:28:26 FIGURE OUT, OH, MY GOD, WHERE DO I GO, HOW DO I GET THERE?
19:28:32 I UNDERSTOOD THEY WERE WORKING ON A HOUSING REHAB. I DIDN'T
19:28:35 SAY SCRATCH IT, LET'S NOT WORRY ABOUT IT.
19:28:37 I'M FIGHTING FOR IT BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE THAT.
19:28:39 AND IT WAS STARTED WITH NATASHA.
19:28:42 CONNIE KEPT IT GOING.
19:28:44 I WANT TO KEEP IT GOING. I WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
19:28:45 SO I AM NOT IN HERE PUSHING AWAY THE THOUGHTS AND IDEAS OF
19:28:49 PREVIOUS CHAIRWOMEN.
19:28:52 I AM EMBRACING THEM AND I AM SITTING AT THEIR FEET.
19:28:55 I AM LEARNING.
19:28:56 >>JOSEPH CITRO: IT'S THAT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM THAT WHEN YOU
19:29:01 FIRST COME ON THE BOARD, YOU SHOULD BE LEARNING FROM THE
19:29:05 PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE.
19:29:07 >> MOST DEFINITELY.
19:29:09 >>JOSEPH CITRO: AND KEEP THAT KNOWLEDGE GOING.
19:29:11 >> BUT IT'S DIFFICULT YOU BECAUSE IF YOU ARE CHAIR FOR A
19:29:14 YEAR, AS I MENTIONED THE TREE TRIMMING GRANT TOOK A YEAR AND
19:29:16 A HALF.
19:29:17 SO IF I WEREN'T REELECTED, IT WOULD HAVE FELL OFF TOO
19:29:20 BECAUSE IT TOOK A YEAR AND A HALF TO GET IMPLEMENTED.
19:29:22 SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE IDEAS OF TWO, THREE, FOUR YEARS IN
19:29:26 ADVANCE, IF YOU DON'T GET REELECTED AS CHAIR, NOTHING GETS
19:29:31 PUSHED THROUGH.
19:29:31 SO AGAIN THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
19:29:34 >>JOSEPH CITRO: OR UNLESS THE WHOLE CAC BOARD GETS TOGETHER
19:29:41 AND SAYS THIS IS OUR PLAN FOR FIVE YEARS, THIS IS OUR PLAN
19:29:44 FOR TEN YEARS, THIS IS OUR SHORT-TERM GOALS.
19:29:47 OKAY, WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE PROCESS.
19:29:49 YES, MA'AM.
19:29:50 >> MY NAME IS DENESE JONES.
19:29:52 AND I AM A LIFE-LONG RESIDENT OF TAMPA, RETIRED FROM THE
19:29:56 STATE OF FLORIDA FOR 32 YEARS, AND I HAVE BEEN A VOLUNTEER
19:29:59 ON THE COMMUNITY FOR 40 YEARS.
19:30:02 SOME OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID.
19:30:04 YOU WANTED TO REEMPHASIZE THE FACT IT MAY APPEAR WE ARE NOT
19:30:10 DOING A WHOLE LOT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A TURNOVER.
19:30:14 AND WHEN THAT TURNOVER STARTS, LIKE YOU SAID, AND LIKE
19:30:17 SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY SAID, THAT PERSON STARTS OVER.
19:30:20 SO THERE OUGHT TO BE A WAY THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT SOMETHING,
19:30:25 THAT PROCESS CAN CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT PERSON.
19:30:29 A PERFECT EXAMPLE, ONE, THE SKILLS CENTER.
19:30:35 I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THE SKILLS CENTER.
19:30:38 THEY HAVE TAKEN OVER A ROLE IN A BUILDING THAT'S BEEN THERE
19:30:41 100 YEARS, AND JUST BEEN SITTING DORMANT.
19:30:45 AND THEY SAW THE NEED TO UTILIZE THAT AND BRING IN OTHER
19:30:49 NONPROFITS TO SUPPORT THEM, AND THEY CAME TO US AND ASKED
19:30:52 FOR MONEY, AND I MADE THE NOMINATION AFTER WE DID SOME
19:30:56 RESEARCH.
19:30:56 IT WASN'T A ONE-TIME SHOT.
19:30:58 THEY CAME MORE THAN ONE TIME AND PRESENTED US WITH
19:31:00 LITERATURE, AND MATERIAL.
19:31:03 AND IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD THING.
19:31:05 WELL, WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN IS SOME SUGGESTED THAT WE
19:31:11 GIVE THEM 250,000 THIS YEAR, 250,000 NEXT YEAR, WHICH MEANT
19:31:17 THOSE PEOPLE COMING IN NEW, MAY DECIDE THAT THAT'S NOT A
19:31:21 GOOD USE OF THEIR MONEY WHEN THEY COME IN, WHY DO WE HAVE
19:31:24 THAT COMMITMENT?
19:31:27 SO I SUGGESTED, SINCE WE -- THE MONEY WAS THERE, THAT WE GO
19:31:30 AHEAD AND GIVE THEM THE $500,000. WHY HAVE MONEY JUST BEING
19:31:35 CARRIED OVER WHEN IT COULD BE USED?
19:31:38 THAT WAS MY THOUGHT ON IT.
19:31:39 AND IT SEEMED TO WORK, AND I HOPE THAT THAT'S -- THAT THAT'S
19:31:44 GOING TO BE A SUCCESSFUL VENUE.
19:31:48 THE OTHER THING, WE HAVE A LOT OF MOMENTUM GOING TONIGHT.
19:31:51 I GUESS YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
19:31:54 SO I AM HOPING THAT IT WON'T TAKE -- MAYBE WE CAN MEET
19:31:58 TOGETHER ON A REGULAR BASIS, MAYBE QUARTERLY OR SOMETHING
19:32:02 LIKE THAT, SO THAT IT MAY NOT TAKE AS MUCH TIME BUT YOU WILL
19:32:07 HEAR WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
19:32:10 AND I HOPE ALSO THAT WE WILL GET THE MINUTES FROM THIS SO
19:32:14 THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT WAS SUGGESTED, AND THAT OUR IDEAS
19:32:18 REQUEST HEARD, AND IT'S IN PRINT FOR FOLLOW-UP.
19:32:24 BUT I HAVE MORE THINGS TO SAY BUT SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY
19:32:27 DONE IT, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
19:32:28 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MA'AM.
19:32:29 >> JUST BRIEFLY, TO FOLLOW UP, CLINT PARIS AGAIN, I SERVE ON
19:32:35 THE BOARD.
19:32:35 WE RECEIVED AN E-MAIL TODAY WITH A CURRENT BUDGET, AND ON
19:32:41 IT, IT STATES THAT THE AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR OUR CRA IS
19:32:49 $14,411,000.
19:32:57 THAT'S WHAT IT STATES.
19:32:58 SO LET'S GET THAT OUT THERE.
19:33:00 QUICKLY ON THE PROCESSES.
19:33:03 I HAVE SAID EARLIER, I MAY NOT BE THE SMARTEST GUY, BUT, YOU
19:33:08 KNOW, I CAN GET IT.
19:33:09 AND THERE WAS AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT WAS
19:33:18 THROWN AT THE NEW BOARD, THE CAC COMMITTEE IN A SHORT PERIOD
19:33:22 OF TIME, SO THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY INDOCTRINATED, FROM
19:33:26 ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER TO THE BACKGROUND STATUTE THAT
19:33:30 APPLIES TO US, TO HOW EAST TAMPA IS SITUATED, BECAUSE IT'S A
19:33:34 VERY UNIQUE ANIMAL.
19:33:35 JUST LIKE YOU ARE AS A POLITICIAN.
19:33:38 I GET ELECTED BY THE COMMUNITY. IF WE DON'T DO THE JOB THEY
19:33:41 ELECTED US TO DO, WE GET VOTED OUT IN TWO YEARS.
19:33:44 THAT'S PART OF THE TRANSMISSION COMPONENT.
19:33:46 SO IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT ANIMAL TO SOME OF THE OTHER CRAs
19:33:50 WHERE YOU GET TO KIND OF PICK AND CHOOSE WHO GETS TO BE
19:33:52 THERE.
19:33:53 IN THIS SITUATION, THE CITIZENS DECIDE IN EAST TAMPA, OR THE
19:33:57 MEMBERS OF THE PARTNERSHIP, DECIDE WHO GETS TO SERVE.
19:34:01 SO FROM THAT COMPONENT OF IT, THERE CAN EASILY BE A LOT OF
19:34:07 BRAND NEW PEOPLE COMING IN WHO ARE JUST CONCERNED AND
19:34:10 PASSIONATE ABOUT COMMUNITY.
19:34:11 SO I RECOMMEND THAT YOU ESTABLISH YOUR OWN CITY OF TAMPA CRA
19:34:17 UNIVERSITY, AND THAT IS WHERE YOU HAVE A CURRICULUM FOR
19:34:21 TRAINING, INDOCTRINATING NEW MEMBERS WHO ARE ELECTED ON
19:34:24 EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THEIR CRA SO THEY KNOW HOW
19:34:28 AND WHAT TO DO.
19:34:29 WE WERE THROWN IN AND THERE WERE SOME PowerPointS, AND IT
19:34:33 FLEW BY REALLY QUICKLY.
19:34:34 THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THIS.
19:34:36 THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF TRANSITION DOCUMENT.
19:34:39 I WILL SAY A BINDER OR PACKET THAT SAYS HERE ARE THE
19:34:42 PROJECTS, AND THINGS THAT ARE IN THE BOOKS, AND THIS IS
19:34:47 WHERE THEY ARE, AND SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHEN YOU
19:34:50 START HEARING THE REPORTS SO YOU CAN COME UP TO SPEED.
19:34:53 WE KIND OF SAT DORMANT, WHEN THE GENTLEMAN THAT LEFT,
19:34:59 JOHNSON, WHEN ED JOHNSON LEFT, AND THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER,
19:35:04 THERE WAS SOME TURNOVER IN STAFF.
19:35:06 SO WE WERE KIND OF IN NO-MAN'S LAND BECAUSE THE PEOPLE
19:35:10 COMING TO TRY TO TELL US WHAT WAS GOING ON, THEY DIDN'T HAVE
19:35:12 ANY KNOWLEDGE EITHER.
19:35:14 THEY WERE BASICALLY STANDING UP, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK THAT'S
19:35:18 A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT FROM A POLICY AND PROCEDURE.
19:35:25 AT THE SKILLS CENTER WE GET AN UNUSUAL REQUEST THAT COMES
19:35:28 OUT OF LEFT FIELD, KIND OF OUT OF NO WHERE, BUT EVERYBODY
19:35:32 KNOWS THIS IS SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY.
19:35:34 THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE
19:35:37 COMMUNITY GETS STOPPED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT ENOUGH IN ADVANCE
19:35:40 TO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE IT MOVES ALONG.
19:35:43 WE NEED TO ANTICIPATE SOME OF THESE LARGER ITEMS, THAT $14
19:35:47 MILLION THERE.
19:35:48 PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME TRY TO GET THAT MONEY.
19:35:51 THAT'S JUST THE REALITY.
19:35:53 THEY ARE GOING TO COME HARD AND THEY ARE COMING AT YOU ALL,
19:35:56 TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THAT MONEY.
19:35:58 WE NEED TO ANTICIPATE LARGE-DOLLAR REQUESTS COMING, AND IF
19:36:02 WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT PROCESS FOR HOW WE LOOK AT
19:36:04 THOSE COMPARED TO THE MUCH SMALLER REQUESTS THAT COME
19:36:07 THROUGH.
19:36:08 SO FROM A POLICY PROCEDURES STANDPOINT, I THINK WE REALLY
19:36:12 NEED TO LOOK AT, ASKING YOU ALL YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DIRECT
19:36:15 STAFF TO IMPLEMENT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO HOW
19:36:18 INFORMATION IS PASSED ALONG, AND HOW WE GO ABOUT MAKING OUR
19:36:21 DECISION. THANK YOU.
19:36:24 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN HURTAK.
19:36:27 >>LYNN HURTAK: I'M SORRY.
19:36:29 MR. PARIS?
19:36:30 >> YES.
19:36:32 >>LYNN HURTAK: AGAIN, YOU TALKED ABOUT -- THIS GOES BACK TO
19:36:36 THIS RETAINING INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
19:36:38 AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING LOOKING AT BYLAWS.
19:36:41 DO YOU THINK --
19:36:42 >> I'M SORRY, WE DON'T HAVE BYLAWS.
19:36:44 >>LYNN HURTAK: OH.
19:36:47 SO YOU WANT TO CREATE SOME BYLAWS?
19:36:49 >> WE DON'T HAVE BYLAWS, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD, WE FOLLOW THE
19:36:53 SAME GUIDELINES THAT YOU ALL FOLLOW.
19:36:55 THE BYLAWS APPLY TO THE PARTNERSHIP WHICH IS THE UNDERLYING
19:36:59 ORGANIZATION THAT EXISTED BEFORE THE CRA CAME INTO PLACE.
19:37:04 >>LYNN HURTAK: SO THESE UNDERLYING -- THESE UNDERLYING
19:37:10 RULES, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT REQUIRE YOU TO ELECT PEOPLE
19:37:13 EVERY TWO YEARS?
19:37:15 >>JOSEPH CITRO: CAN WE HEAR FROM MR. MASSEY?
19:37:17 >>MORRIS MASSEY: THIS GOES TO MR. PARIS' POINT.
19:37:21 I THINK MR. GUDES WILL ALSO WEIGH IN.
19:37:24 EAST TAMPA -- LET ME -- THE CACs ARE A CREATURE OF CRA
19:37:34 POLICY.
19:37:35 THEY ARE NOT MANDATED BY LAW.
19:37:37 BUT THE CRA DECIDED THAT THEY WANT TO FORM THESE COMMITTEES,
19:37:43 REDEVELOPMENT AREAS, SO THEY CAN GET COMMUNITY INPUT ON HOW
19:37:45 THE CRA FUNDS WERE SPENT IN THAT AREA.
19:37:48 MOST OF THE CRA, CACS, ARE SET UP WHERE THERE ARE
19:37:55 REPRESENTATIVES, GROUPS THAT SIT WITH MEMBERS TO IT SO YOU
19:38:00 HAVE SOME CONTINUITY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE PLACES WITH DOWNTOWN
19:38:03 PARTNERSHIP THAT SENDS SOMEBODY, THAT DREW PARK,
19:38:06 HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AVIATION AUTHORITY, AND WEST
19:38:12 TAMPA, AND SOME OF THE OTHER CRAS, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS HAVE
19:38:16 A DESIGNATED SEAT ON THE CAC.
19:38:19 EAST TAMPA AND YBOR ARE THE TWO OUTLIERS FROM THAT.
19:38:23 BY YOUR POLICY, THE EAST TAMPA PARTNERSHIP SERVES -- THE
19:38:30 BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE PARTNERSHIP SERVES AS THE CAC.
19:38:33 AND SO YOU ALL HAVE, BY YOUR POLICY AND RULES, BASICALLY
19:38:40 SAID, OKAY, WHOEVER IS THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
19:38:44 PARTNERSHIP IS GOING TO ACT AS THE EAST TAMPA CAC, AND THE
19:38:47 RULES THAT THEY FALL UNDER, I THINK ABOUT HALF THEIR BOARD
19:38:50 ROLLS OFF, THEY HAVE VOTES EVERY YEAR AND ABOUT HALF THE
19:38:56 POSITIONS ARE OPEN EVERY YEAR WHICH LEADS TO THIS LARGE
19:38:58 TURNOVER.
19:38:59 SO PART OF THIS, I GUESS, IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK BECAUSE THE
19:39:06 PARTNERSHIP IS A LEGAL ENTITY, NOT A CITY OF TAMPA ENTITY,
19:39:11 WE HAVE NOT DICTATED TO THE PARTNERSHIP HOW THEY MAKE THOSE
19:39:15 ELECTIONS.
19:39:16 WHAT THEY DO IS THEY SUBMIT THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS NAMES
19:39:19 TO YOU ALL, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS WITH THOSE NAMES,
19:39:21 THEN YOU VOICE THOSE CONCERNS, BUT OTHERWISE, YOU BASICALLY
19:39:27 ACCEDED TO THE MEMBERS OF THEIR BOARD, AND WHOEVER IS
19:39:31 ELECTED AS THEIR CHAIR.
19:39:33 AND THAT IS HOW THE HISTORY OF EAST TAMPA HAS WORKED OUT.
19:39:36 SO THAT IS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU ARE HEARING ABOUT THE
19:39:40 TURNOVER.
19:39:41 I JUST WANT TO LAY THAT OUT.
19:39:43 >>LYNN HURTAK: YES.
19:39:45 >> MR. CHAIR, HAD THIS IS NORENE COPELAND MILLER, IF I MAY
19:39:49 SPEAK.
19:39:50 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MA'AM, PLEASE, GO AHEAD.
19:39:51 >> OKAY.
19:39:53 AS I LOOK AT EAST TAMPA COMMUNITY UTILIZATION PARTNERSHIP,
19:39:56 THE ETCR, WE HAVE BYLAWS.
19:40:00 THOSE BYLAWS, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE IN THE
19:40:06 AUDIENCE, AND THEY ARE ELECTED FROM THE COMMUNITY TO
19:40:10 PARTICIPATE AS THE CAC MEMBERS.
19:40:13 SO WE ARE GOVERNED UNDER THOSE BYLAWS BY THE EAST TAMPA
19:40:17 COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PARTNERSHIP, WHICH A COUPLE OF
19:40:22 MONTHS AGO WE HAD ASKED THE MANAGER McCRAY IF HE WOULD
19:40:27 CHECK WITH CITY ATTORNEY TO SEE IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET A
19:40:32 501(C)3 AND REPORT BACK TO THE PARTNERSHIP, BECAUSE THAT
19:40:36 WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO -- WHATEVER, SO PEOPLE ARE CAC.
19:40:47 SO WE DO HAVE BYLAWS, BUT IT IS THE EAST TAMPA COMMUNITY
19:40:51 REVITALIZATION PARTNERSHIP BYLAWS THAT WE ARE GOVERNED BY,
19:40:57 THE CAC IN EAST TAMPA.
19:40:59 AND A LOT OF TIMES WE GET AWAY FROM THE BYLAWS BECAUSE
19:41:05 THAT'S WHERE THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES VOTED ON TO COME
19:41:09 AND REPRESENT US AS CAC.
19:41:12 SO THANK YOU, CITY ATTORNEY, FOR BRINGING THAT OUT.
19:41:18 BUT THERE ARE BYLAWS IN PLACE, AND ATTORNEY PARIS IS
19:41:26 FAMILIAR WITH THOSE BYLAWS, BUT THEY ARE REVITALIZATION
19:41:31 PARTNERSHIP BYLAWS TO BE GOVERNED BY.
19:41:33 AND WE TALK ABOUT GOVERNANCE.
19:41:36 THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOVERNED BY.
19:41:38 >> THANK YOU.
19:41:42 JUST BRIEFLY, THE FACT THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS VOTE, WHO GETS
19:41:47 TO SERVE ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, AND
19:41:51 THEREBY RECOMMENDED TO SIT ON THE CAC GIVES THE COMMUNITY AN
19:41:58 IMMENSE OF POWER IN DETERMINING WHO SITS ON THE CAC.
19:42:02 YOU KNOW, IT'S THE BASIS OF DEMOCRACY.
19:42:06 IT'S VERY POWERFUL, BUT IT ALSO MAKES US VERY DEPENDENT ON
19:42:10 EXPERTISE. NO DIFFERENT THAN YOU ALL.
19:42:12 AND YOU ALL BRING WHAT YOU BRING TO YOUR POSITION, WHERE YOU
19:42:16 HAVE THE BACKUP OF ALL THE CITY STAFF.
19:42:18 THAT IS ACTUALLY ANSWERABLE TO YOU.
19:42:21 SO FROM A PROCESSING STANDPOINT, IT HAS TO BE MUCH MORE
19:42:24 ROBUST FROM ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER, TO HOW INFORMATION GETS
19:42:32 COMMUNICATED, HOW IT'S TRANSITIONED TO NEW MEMBERS WHEN THEY
19:42:35 COME IN.
19:42:35 THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE PROCEDURES
19:42:39 THAT WE NEED TO DEVELOP.
19:42:41 >>LYNN HURTAK: GOT YOU.
19:42:44 >>ORLANDO GUDES: I SAID THIS FROM DAY ONE, BECAUSE I SAT ON
19:42:47 THIS BOARD.
19:42:48 AND, TWO, WE LOOK AT HOW TO CHANGE THAT PROCESS, WE ARE
19:42:56 GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS.
19:42:59 WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SEVEN, EIGHT PEOPLE CHANGING AT
19:43:03 ONE TIME ON A BOARD, YOU BRING NO CONTINUITY TO THE BOARD.
19:43:10 YOU HAVE A NEW GROUP THAT AREN'T KNOWLEDGEABLE.
19:43:15 YOU LOOK AT WEST TAMPA'S MODEL.
19:43:17 THEY HAVE SPECIFIC SLOTS, LOOKING FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE WITH
19:43:20 EXPERTISE TO BE ON THAT BOARD.
19:43:22 THAT'S WHY THEY CAN MOVE AND DO CERTAIN THINGS.
19:43:24 THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING A COMMUNITY VOTE BUT YOU
19:43:27 NEED TO DESIGNATE CERTAIN SPOTS ON THAT BOARD, CERTAIN
19:43:30 NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM THE BOARD.
19:43:32 NOW YOU HAVE YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE WITH
19:43:34 EXPERTISE TO MAKE UP THAT 13-MEMBER BOARD.
19:43:37 BUT TO BE ABLE TO SAY, I'M CHANGING NINE PEOPLE AT ONE TIME
19:43:41 ON A BOARD WHO HAVE NO EXPERTISE, WHO HAVE A LEARNING CURVE,
19:43:46 IT TAKES YOU ALMOST A YEAR TO EVEN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CAC
19:43:50 IS ABOUT.
19:43:53 THAT'S JUST THE FACTS OF THAT.
19:43:55 AND I HAVE SAID THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN BUT THEN WE GET
19:43:58 INTO POLITICAL STUFF, OH, WE DON'T WANT TO UPSET THE PEOPLE.
19:44:01 NO, IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE WE FUNCTION TO HELP THE
19:44:05 PEOPLE.
19:44:06 I UNDERSTAND IT BETTER.
19:44:08 I'M WITH THEM.
19:44:08 I'VE SAT ON THE BOARD.
19:44:10 AND TO BE ABLE TO MOVE EAST TAMPA, MR. PARIS IS RIGHT.
19:44:14 THERE AREN'T ANY BYLAWS.
19:44:16 WE HAVE THE PARTNERSHIP BYLAWS, AND MOST PEOPLE GET CONFUSED
19:44:18 ON WHAT THE CAC IS AND WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP IS.
19:44:22 SO UNTIL YOU FIX THE PROBLEM, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
19:44:24 HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
19:44:26 SO NOW, MS. TRAVIS BEING WITH EXPERTISE NOW IS GOING TO COME
19:44:32 A TIME TO WHERE I THINK NOW WE TALK ABOUT A RESET, AND NOW
19:44:36 WE RESET THAT 13-MEMBER BOARD OF HOW IT SHOULD BE COMPOSED
19:44:40 AND MADE UP TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF EACH COMMUNITY,
19:44:43 WHATEVER, AND THEN YOU HAVE EXPERTISE MEMBERS FROM THAT
19:44:46 COMMUNITY.
19:44:47 NOW WE ARE TALKING.
19:44:48 YOU KEEP YOUR CONSISTENCY TO WHERE YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
19:44:56 STAYS ON THE BOARD AND DOESN'T JUST LEAVE BECAUSE OF THE
19:44:58 CONTINUITY.
19:44:59 AND NOW WHAT USED TO HAPPEN OR HOW THAT HAPPENED, I COULD
19:45:03 TALK TO THE CHAIRMAN, BECAUSE I GO TO THE CHAIRMAN AND SAY,
19:45:06 THIS IS WHAT GOES ON, HERE IS WHAT WE DID.
19:45:08 SO I THINK WHAT MS. TRAVIS AND MR. McCRAY, WE DO A RESET
19:45:16 SO NOW WE REFOCUS ON HOW TO RESET UP EAST TAMPA TO A WAY
19:45:21 IT'S GOING TO BE STRONGER AND UPLIFT.
19:45:24 THE COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO A HUGE BOARD, 13
19:45:27 MEMBERS, AND IF YOU TAKE AND YOU LOSE NINE AT ONE TIME, YOU
19:45:33 LOSE A LOT OF THE KNOWLEDGE.
19:45:34 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILWOMAN HURTAK.
19:45:38 >>LYNN HURTAK: I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COUNCILMEMBER GUDES
19:45:42 ON THIS.
19:45:46 BUT YET I UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY'S DESIRE TO CHOOSE THEIR
19:45:53 MEMBERS.
19:45:53 I JUST CAME FROM SITTING ON THE VARIANCE REVIEW BOARD, AND
19:45:56 WE HAD AN OPEN TREE ARBORIST POSITION BECAUSE WE COULDN'T
19:46:00 FIND ANYBODY TO FILL IT, WHO LIVES IN THE CITY OF TAMPA AND
19:46:03 DIDN'T HAVE A TON OF CONFLICTS.
19:46:06 SO I ALSO SEE A PROBLEM WITH HAVING A SPECIFIC SEAT, IN A
19:46:11 WAY.
19:46:11 SO MAYBE A WAY TO MITIGATE THAT IS TO EXTEND THOSE TERMS TO
19:46:17 THREE YEARS, OR FOUR YEARS.
19:46:20 I MEAN, THREE YEARS WOULD AT LEAST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF
19:46:24 COMFORT.
19:46:26 OR MAYBE -- AND IF YOU DID THREE YEARS YOU WOULD BE CHANGING
19:46:31 A THIRD OF THE BOARD INSTEAD OF HALF OF THE BOARD.
19:46:33 SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT KEEPING THE SYSTEM
19:46:37 YOU HAVE, BUT KEEPING THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE FOR AS
19:46:42 LONG AS POSSIBLE.
19:46:43 ANOTHER THING I MIGHT RECOMMEND IS A VICE CHAIR WHO THEN
19:46:48 PLANS TO MOVE INTO THE CHAIR POSITION.
19:46:49 >> WE HAVE.
19:46:52 >>LYNN HURTAK: OH, YOU DO?
19:46:53 BUT THEY DON'T IMMEDIATELY GO INTO THE CHAIR POSITION,
19:46:57 THOUGH?
19:46:57 >> [OFF MICROPHONE]
19:47:00 >>LYNN HURTAK: BUT IT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY TRANSITION.
19:47:02 >> NO.
19:47:04 >>LYNN HURTAK: OKAY.
19:47:04 >> CONNIE BURTON: I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THIS.
19:47:06 AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD PROBABLY JUST SAY TO
19:47:09 COUNCILMAN GUDES PRIVATELY.
19:47:12 I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH WE HAVE ASKED FOR PROFESSIONAL SKILLED
19:47:16 PEOPLE TO CAM BACK HOME.
19:47:19 GUESS WHAT.
19:47:20 THEY HAVEN'T CAME BACK HOME.
19:47:23 WE HAVE BEEN BEGGING.
19:47:33 I BETTER TURN AROUND.
19:47:35 [ LAUGHTER ]
19:47:36 WE HAVE A FEW LOYAL PEOPLE THAT'S WILLING TO BE WITH THE
19:47:41 REST OF THE WORKERS.
19:47:42 AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.
19:47:44 WE RECOGNIZE THAT.
19:47:45 BUT THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS ABLE TO ASK JUST FOR SMALL ITEMS,
19:47:52 THAT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY.
19:47:54 SO I WOULD JUST HOPE YOU DON'T LOSE SIGHT THAT IF WE GOT
19:47:57 PEOPLE FROM -- BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT GOES ON IN THIS
19:48:00 CITY, NOT YOU ALL, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT JOBS, THAT HAPPEN
19:48:03 TO CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL BLACK FOLKS, ON MY SIDE OF THE
19:48:10 TRACKS, AND THAT'S REAL.
19:48:11 BUT THE PEOPLE THAT'S COMMITTED TO HAVE A BASIC
19:48:15 UNDERSTANDING, THAT WE CAN BRING DIGNITY, CREATING WEALTH,
19:48:19 GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY, I AM GOING TO SAY THIS.
19:48:22 I WAS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ONE TIME, AND I DIDN'T KNOW VERY
19:48:26 MUCH ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE NEWSPAPER SAYING ABOUT
19:48:30 ME, AT THE TIME MARION BARRY.
19:48:34 AND I SAID NO WAY THEY SHOULD HAVE THAT MAN.
19:48:37 I DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT OUT OF D.C. ALIVE.
19:48:40 BECAUSE COMMON EVERYDAY PEOPLE THAT WANT TO WORK, THEY WAS
19:48:45 ASSURED OF A JOB THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR
19:48:48 THAT COMMUNITY.
19:48:49 AND WE HAVE JUST GOT TO GET BACK TO THAT.
19:48:54 AND THAT'S THE PROCESS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE LEARNING, WHEN
19:48:57 THEY CAN SEE PROFESSIONAL BLACK FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY,
19:48:59 PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY COME
19:49:01 BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY TO ASSIST THEM.
19:49:03 RIGHT NOW WE JUST GOT A BUNDLE OF HOPELESSNESS AND IT DON'T
19:49:09 MATTER HOW MANY POLICE OFFICERS WE CALL OUT THERE, IT HAS
19:49:12 NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
19:49:14 THANK YOU.
19:49:14 >> COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
19:49:19 >>BILL CARLSON: I JUST WANT TO ADD TO THAT.
19:49:23 BEFORE EVERYBODY LEAVES, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO
19:49:26 IS VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS BOARD.
19:49:28 EVERYBODY WHO STOOD UP IS SO IMPRESSIVE. I SAT ON A COUPLE
19:49:32 OF THE CAC BOARD MEETINGS BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD YOUR VOICES AS
19:49:35 I HAVE TONIGHT.
19:49:36 AND OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE GOT A LOT OF VERY TALENTED
19:49:38 PROFESSIONALS WITH DEEP EXPERTISE, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR
19:49:43 PUTTING IN YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
19:49:45 AND AT THE CAC MEETINGS.
19:49:47 AND IT MAKES IT DOUBLY, TRIPLY FRUSTRATING THAT WE HAVEN'T
19:49:51 BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER FOR YOU, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
19:49:53 BUT ALSO, IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO MEET INDIVIDUALLY, I THINK
19:49:57 YOU CAN'T MEET TOGETHER BECAUSE OF SUNSHINE JUST LIKE WE
19:50:00 CAN'T MEET TOGETHER, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO GET TO KNOW YOU
19:50:04 BETTER AND KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT YOUR IDEAS ARE.
19:50:06 I AM ONE OF ONLY ONE OF SEVEN SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO MEET WITH
19:50:11 THE OTHER SIX.
19:50:12 BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT YOUR IDEAS.
19:50:14 THANK YOU.
19:50:14 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MS. TRAVIS.
19:50:17 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: MS. BURTON SAYS WE'RE IN A CLOUD OF
19:50:22 HOPELESSNESS, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT'S NOT TRUE.
19:50:25 AND SO LET ME JUST SAY THIS.
19:50:33 REDEVELOPMENT WORK IS HARD.
19:50:35 IT'S DIFFICULT.
19:50:36 AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME.
19:50:38 BUT IF YOU HAVE A PLAN AND YOU HAVE COMMITMENT FROM THE
19:50:41 COMMUNITY, AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPLEMENTING BOOTS ON
19:50:45 THE GROUND, TO DO THE WORK, IT WILL HAPPEN.
19:50:49 IT TAKES TIME, AND IT TAKES PATIENCE.
19:50:53 BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE US DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH
19:50:56 EACH OTHER OF TRUST AND OPEN COMMUNICATION.
19:50:59 WE ARE NOT GOING -- STAFF DOES NOT HAVE ALL OF THE IDEAS.
19:51:03 WE DO NOT HAVE ALL OF THE IDEAS.
19:51:05 THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE THE IDEAS
19:51:08 BECAUSE THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR GRANDKIDS ARE GOING
19:51:10 THROUGH, THEY KNOW WHAT THE NEIGHBORS IS GOING THROUGH, AND
19:51:13 THE NEEDS ARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
19:51:14 IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO SHALL ABLE TO LISTEN, GET THE
19:51:20 INFORMATION AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET PROGRAMS IN PLACE
19:51:26 AND HOW WE CAN MAKE CHANGE.
19:51:27 SO I AM HOPEFUL.
19:51:30 I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
19:51:33 THE GOVERNANCE PIECE IS A BIG PART OF IT.
19:51:37 IT'S A BIG PART OF THE TRANSITION.
19:51:39 I HAVE DONE IT BEFORE.
19:51:40 I THINK WE CAN DO IT AGAIN WHERE YOU PUT THE BYLAWS IN PLACE
19:51:43 AND YOU CAN HAVE THAT CONTINUE KNOT OF SERVICE, AND THE
19:51:49 WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE THAT COMES ALONG WITH PULLING THAT CHAIR
19:51:53 POSITION.
19:51:54 WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS A FEW MONTHS OUT PROBABLY HAVING A
19:51:59 RETREAT OF SOME SORT WITH THE CAC MEMBERS AND THE
19:52:03 PARTNERSHIP MEMBERS, AND JUST PUT IN A DIFFERENT
19:52:07 ENVIRONMENT, JUST GETTING OUT OF OUR NORMAL ENVIRONMENT,
19:52:10 PUTTING SOME PAPER ON THE WALL POSTS AND KIND OF BRAIN
19:52:13 FORMING STORMING SOME OF THIS STUFF, WHAT WORKS, WHAT DIDN'T
19:52:16 WORK, HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND DELIVERING A PLAN AND
19:52:20 RECOMMENDATIONS TO COME FOR THE CAC TO CONSIDER AND TO COME
19:52:23 BACK TO THE CAC BOARD TO CONSIDER APPROVE AND ADOPT.
19:52:28 THERE IS A LOT OF MASSAGING AND TRUST THAT NEEDS TO BE
19:52:32 REESTABLISHED HERE.
19:52:34 AND THE COMMUNITY IS WILLING TO DO THE WORK, THE
19:52:38 ADMINISTRATION IS WILLING TO DO THE WORK, I AM WILLING TO DO
19:52:41 THE WORK.
19:52:42 AND SO I WOULD RECOMMEND -- I AM GOING TO COME TO THE EAST
19:52:44 TAMPA CRA AND TALK -- WE HAVE LUNCH ON MONDAY, I BELIEVE --
19:52:50 TO JUST DO A RETREAT, AND MAYBE A TWO-DAY RETREAT WHERE WE
19:52:54 TALK ABOUT GOVERNANCE POLICIES, PROGRAMS, APPLICATIONS,
19:52:59 INTAKE, SOME OF THE PROCEDURAL THINGS, AND ALSO FORWARD
19:53:02 LOOKING.
19:53:03 WHAT IS THAT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN?
19:53:06 WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE NEED SHORT TERM, MIDTERM,
19:53:08 LONG-TERM, WORK TOWARDS?
19:53:10 SO I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THAT.
19:53:12 THANK YOU.
19:53:12 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN MANISCALCO.
19:53:15 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: MS. TRAVIS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS.
19:53:20 AND ALSO, YOUR REPUTATION AND EVERYTHING THAT COUNCILMEMBER
19:53:25 CITRO MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING WHERE WE DISCUSSED YOU IN
19:53:28 THIS INTERIM POSITION, UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
19:53:32 YOU KNOW, THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN WAITING NOT DECADES, I
19:53:36 THINK GENERATIONS, AND WE JUST NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
19:53:41 WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY.
19:53:43 THE REST OF THE CITY FLOURISHES, OR A LOT OF THE CITY
19:53:46 FLOURISHES, BUT EAST TAMPA STAYS BEHIND AND IT'S VERY
19:53:49 FRUSTRATING.
19:53:51 WE ARE HEARING THE COMMUNITY.
19:53:52 WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THESE IDEAS AND NEW POLICIES.
19:53:55 YOU WILL HAVE MY SUPPORT.
19:53:58 WE NEED TO STOP WASTING TIME.
19:54:00 I THINK YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME.
19:54:03 I HAVE FAITH IN YOU.
19:54:05 YOUR REPUTATION SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
19:54:07 YOU WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER CITIES IN LAKELAND.
19:54:10 I WANT YOU TO BRING THOSE IDEAS HERE.
19:54:12 I BELIEVE IN YOU AND I KNOW THAT WE CAN GET THINGS GOING.
19:54:16 BUT WE HAVE TO END THIS FRUSTRATION.
19:54:18 THE COMMUNITY IS BEGGING WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BEG,
19:54:22 BECAUSE THE REST OF THE CITY, IT'S WORKING OUT FOR THEM, BUT
19:54:26 HERE WE ARE FROZEN IN TIME INSTEAD OF MOVING FORWARD.
19:54:29 SO YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT.
19:54:32 THIS COMMUNITY HAS MY SUPPORT.
19:54:33 AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE OTHER SIX COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN HELP
19:54:37 MOVE EVERYTHING FORWARD.
19:54:38 THANK YOU.
19:54:38 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: THANK YOU.
19:54:42 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I JUST WANT TO ECHO, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT
19:54:46 I SAT HERE AND LISTENED, AND I WROTE DOWN -- I DON'T KNOW IF
19:54:50 I WILL BE ABLE TO READ IT BUT I WROTE EVERYTHING WHAT
19:54:53 EVERYONE SAID, AND MEMORIZE WHAT'S HAPPENED.
19:54:57 AND THERE'S BEEN SO MANY INDIVIDUAL CAME UP WITH BRILLIANT
19:55:00 IDEAS.
19:55:01 AND I DON'T NOTICE IF THERE'S A DISCONNECT.
19:55:03 IT'S LIKE A CAR THAT'S GOT A NEW ENGINE BUT THE BATTERY
19:55:06 WON'T START.
19:55:07 EVERYTHING IS NEW IN THE CAR BUT WE DON'T HAVE A BATTERY.
19:55:09 AND I AM PUTTING THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE FOR WHAT I GATHERED
19:55:13 FROM THE CONVERSATION.
19:55:14 I CERTAINLY BELIEVE -- AND MRS. TRAVIS, SHE HAS DONE, IN MY
19:55:17 SHORT PERIOD OF TIME IN KNOWING HER, HAS A REPUTATION IN
19:55:20 LAKELAND, IT WAS JUST SUPER, AND I THINK SHE'S GOING TO DO
19:55:24 THE JOB THAT ALL OF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.
19:55:27 I SEE A LOT OF IDEAS, AND I SEE ALSO CONFLICT AMONG SOME OF
19:55:30 THE IDEAS.
19:55:31 NOT ALL OF THEM BUT SOME.
19:55:33 VERY FEW OF THEM.
19:55:34 AND I THINK GOING FORWARD IT'S GOT TO HAPPEN.
19:55:37 YOU CANNOT STAY STILL BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT GOING UP, YOU ARE
19:55:42 GOING DOWN THEN.
19:55:43 NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU COME FROM, YOU HAVE GOT
19:55:46 TO HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY AND THE SAME THINGS.
19:55:48 I WANT TO -- NICOLE TRAVIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION
19:55:54 WE GET IS 100% CORRECT, AND THAT YOU WILL GET THE SAME
19:55:58 REPORT FROM HER THAT WE GET THAT'S 100% CORRECT.
19:56:03 I AM NOT ONE THAT LAKES TO FOOL AROUND TOO MUCH.
19:56:05 I LIKE TO SEE NUMBERS.
19:56:08 I LIKE TO SEE PROGRESS WITHIN THOSE NUMBERS.
19:56:11 AND MONEY IN THE BANK DOESN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING.
19:56:13 YOU ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH IT.
19:56:15 IT MAKES NO SENSE IN HAVING MONEY IN THE BANK AND YOU SEE NO
19:56:19 PROGRESS.
19:56:20 THOSE ARE THE THINGS I AM LOOKING FOR AND LET'S SEE WHAT
19:56:23 HAPPENS.
19:56:23 AND I THINK IN ABOUT TWO OR THREE MONTHS WHEN MS. TRAVIS
19:56:26 GETS ON THE GROUND RUNNING YOU ARE GOING TO SEE A BIG
19:56:29 CHANGE.
19:56:29 THAT'S MY OPINION.
19:56:30 THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
19:56:33 IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SEE ALL THE NEIGHBORS HERE AND REALLY
19:56:36 HAVE THE SAME FOCUS WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS HOW TO GET THERE.
19:56:39 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
19:56:47 JUST VERY QUICKLY, MR. MASSEY, I SEE THAT ONE OF THE CAC
19:56:50 MEMBERS HAS LEFT.
19:56:54 I PARTICULARLY DON'T CARE IF THEY DON'T HAVE A QUORUM.
19:56:56 I WOULD STILL LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THIS.
19:56:58 >>MORRIS MASSEY: WELL, THIS IS A JOINT MEETING OF THE TWO
19:57:05 BODIES.
19:57:05 SO TECHNICALLY THERE SHOULD BE A QUORUM, I GUESS.
19:57:09 IF YOU WANT TO NOT TAKE ANY ACTION TONIGHT, IF YOU WANT TO
19:57:12 CONTINUE THE HEARING, BUT ON VARIOUS ITEMS WE CAN DO THAT.
19:57:15 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCIL, HOW DO YOU FEEL?
19:57:18 >> I'M CONFUSED.
19:57:22 I THOUGHT IT WAS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING FOR THE CRA TO
19:57:26 MEET WITH --
19:57:28 >>MORRIS MASSEY: A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE CRA AND CAC
19:57:35 SO THAT REQUIRES A QUORUM OF BOTH BODIES.
19:57:38 >>ORLANDO GUDES: AS LONG AS WE ARE NOT VOTING ON AN ISSUE
19:57:41 WE CAN STILL PROCEED.
19:57:43 >>MORRIS MASSEY: YOU CAN HAVE DISCUSSION.
19:57:45 >>JOSEPH CITRO: OKAY, FINE.
19:57:49 LET'S GO.
19:57:50 WE HAVE GOT THREE MORE AGENDA ITEMS.
19:57:56 JUST TO SIMPLIFY THINGS, IF WE WANT TO COMBINE THEM, OR IF
19:58:00 YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM SEPARATE.
19:58:02 I AM HERE ALL NIGHT IF YOU WANT.
19:58:04 I KNOW SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE FAMILY AND THEY WANT TO GO
19:58:07 HOME.
19:58:07 BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMBINE ALL THREE OF THE ITEMS,
19:58:10 DISCUSS WHATEVER ELSE IS ON THE CAC MEMBERS' MIND.
19:58:19 THEN I HEARD ONE VOICE.
19:58:21 LET'S GO WITH PROGRAMS AND GRANTS.
19:58:25 ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, CAC MEMBERS?
19:58:29 PROGRAM AND GRANTS.
19:58:30 >> MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS NORENE COPELAND MILLER.
19:58:35 I WOULD LIKE TO SAY -- AND I DO THANK CITY COUNCILMAN
19:58:44 CARLSON, AND I THANK YOU ALL OF YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
19:58:47 I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY
19:58:52 TO LOOK AT APPLICATIONS FOR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
19:58:59 I HAVE A PROBLEM ONCE AGAIN, I WILL SAY THAT AGAIN TO YOU,
19:59:06 THE PERSON THAT WORKED WITH GOVERNMENT AND I WAS TRAINED,
19:59:09 AND TOO OFTEN IN TAMPA WE GET VERBAL REQUESTS, THERE'S NO
19:59:17 APPLICATION IN DOLLARS, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DISBURSED TO
19:59:24 OUR ORGANIZATION, AND THERE'S NO PAPER TRAIL.
19:59:27 SO MY THING IS, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY TO LOOK
19:59:31 AT THAT PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE BEST
19:59:35 PRACTICES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE
19:59:38 BEST USE OF OUR DOLLARS, TAX DOLLARS THAT I PAY FOR MY HOME
19:59:44 AND ALL OF THAT.
19:59:46 IT IN EAST TAMPA.
19:59:49 THAT IS MY THING.
19:59:50 AND I HAVE -- IT'S NOTHING PERSONAL FOR THE SKILLS CENTER,
19:59:55 FOR ANY ORGANIZATION.
19:59:57 I JUST WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
20:00:00 WE DESERVE TO BE TREATED AS ANY COMMUNITY IN TAMPA.
20:00:04 I WAS RAISED IN SOUTH TAMPA.
20:00:10 BUT EAST TAMPA IS STUCK IN A LOOP BECAUSE WE CANNOT AGREE ON
20:00:19 ANYTHING BECAUSE WE ARE IN A PROCESS TO GET GRANT DOLLARS
20:00:28 FOR OUR ZIP CODES, BUT NONE OF THE EAST TAMPA COMMUNITY.
20:00:35 THE SKILLS CENTER, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THEM.
20:00:37 I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THE SERVICES THAT MR. WARD AND
20:00:43 MS. CORIATO PROVIDE, BUT ROBERT AND MICHELLE VAN LOAN WERE
20:00:49 AT A MEETING LAST YEAR AT THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BUDGET
20:00:54 COMMITTEE, AND THEY NEVER SHARED WITH US UNTIL TWO MONTHS
20:01:03 AGO.
20:01:03 SO I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HONESTY, WITH INTEGRITY, WAND
20:01:09 REALLY DOING THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO BEFORE.
20:01:18 WHATEVER IS GOING ON IN EAST TAMPA, I WOULD LIKE THE CITY
20:01:23 ATTORNEY TO LOOK AT THE PROCESSES GOING ON IN EAST TAMPA, SO
20:01:26 WE CAN SEE WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN EAST TAMPA.
20:01:28 BUT I AM CONFIDENT WITH DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING DISBURSED,
20:01:37 190,000, AND HALF A MILLION, 500,000, AND $3 MILLION.
20:01:45 WHAT IS GOING ON IN EAST TAMPA, THAT WE ARE NOT WORTHY OF
20:01:51 DESERVING AS ANY OTHER COMMUNITY IN THIS CITY?
20:01:54 I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
20:01:55 AND I WANT TO BE A PERSON THAT TAKES YOU AT FACE VALUE.
20:02:03 RIGHT NOW I AM CONCERNED THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS BEING
20:02:07 DECEIVED, LIED TO, AND JUST NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY.
20:02:11 SO THAT IS MY THING.
20:02:14 I REALLY WANT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO LOOK IN AND FOLLOW THE
20:02:17 MONEY TO SEE WHAT IS DID REALLY GOING ON IN EAST TAMPA.
20:02:24 IT'S A LOT OF BACK DEALS GOING ON.
20:02:32 ROBERT AND MICHELLE BEING IN A MEETING LAST YEAR ABOUT A
20:02:36 PROJECT THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND NOW WE COME UP
20:02:39 WITH A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO WHATEVER, OR 22ND STREET.
20:02:49 THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR ME.
20:02:50 WE HAVE MUCH MORE NEEDS IN EAST TAMPA AND THAT'S NOT ONE OF
20:02:53 THEM.
20:02:53 THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.
20:02:58 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
20:03:00 MS. COBB.
20:03:01 >>DOMINIQUE COBB: AS FAR AS ITEM NUMBER 3, EXISTING
20:03:05 PROBLEMS, AGAIN, LET'S START OFF WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS.
20:03:13 IN THE LAST FEW SESSIONS WE HAVE APPROVED, WHICH WE APPROVED
20:03:16 IN OUR CAC IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS, BUT ALSO I WOULD LIKE
20:03:23 AN INVENTORY AND A REQUESTED UPDATE OF ALL OF THE PROGRAMS
20:03:28 THAT WE HAVE SENT TO STAFF.
20:03:30 AND ALSO WHO ARE THE STAFFS THAT ARE WORKING ON IT?
20:03:34 AGAIN, WE HAVE THOSE PROGRAMS IN EXISTENCE.
20:03:36 BUT CAN WE HAVE A TALLY OF THAT AS WELL?
20:03:41 AS FAR AS NEW AND IN-PROGRESS PROGRAMS AND GRANTS, WHILE
20:03:44 BEING ON THE CAC BOARD, I HAVE REQUESTED THAT WE PROVIDE FOR
20:03:49 SOME OF THE VPA PROGRAMS TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
20:03:56 I WAS ADVISED THAT THE CITY DID ACQUIRE ONE OF THOSE.
20:04:00 BUT I AM REQUESTING THAT FOR EAST TAMPA, SEEING AS THIS AREA
20:04:06 IS A REVITALIZATION AREA, WE CAN HAVE OUR OWN ENTITIES TO
20:04:09 LOOK INTO THAT, AS WE ARE INVESTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS
20:04:12 THAT WE CAN REPROGRAM AND LOOK FOR OUR EDUCATIONAL AND JOB
20:04:16 FORCE PROGRAMS.
20:04:17 AS FAR AS PROPOSED PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN EAST TAMPA, I KNOW
20:04:22 THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER SIDE DEALS.
20:04:25 COMPANIES GETTING MONEY FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
20:04:28 EAST TAMPA NEEDS ITS OWN ENTITY TO HELP GROW SMALL
20:04:32 BUSINESSES.
20:04:34 WE HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN EAST TAMPA
20:04:37 THAT HAS BEEN HERE FOR 20-PLUS YEARS AND THE MARGIN HAS NOT
20:04:42 MOVED IN THOSE AREAS.
20:04:43 SO I REQUESTED NOT SOMEONE FROM THE CITY STAFF BUT ALSO
20:04:48 INDIVIDUAL COMPANY TO COME IN AND KIND OF ASSESS WHAT THE
20:04:50 ISSUE IS.
20:04:52 SPEAKING BACK TO WHAT WAS SAID BY THE WEST TAMPA, I CAN'T
20:04:55 REMEMBER HIS NAME, SO SPEAK TO WHAT HE WAS SAYING, WE ARE AT
20:05:01 A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE UP-TO-DATE STATISTICS
20:05:04 THAT GO ALONG WITH WHAT OUR AREA NEED.
20:05:07 SO I DO BELIEVE WE NEED VIABLE STUDIES THAT CAN -- I'M
20:05:11 SORRY, VIABLE STUDIES THAT SHOW WHAT PROGRAMS ARE NEEDED.
20:05:14 YES, WE COULD SAY WHAT WE NEED, BUT STATISTICALLY, IN THIS
20:05:19 AREA WE NEED A LOT OF THINGS, GOING FROM TECHNOLOGY INSIDE
20:05:25 TO SMALL BUSINESSES, SO AGAIN WE NEED A SCOPE FOR THAT,
20:05:28 WHICH WAS 2,000, THE OUTDATED PLAN, NOT SAP.
20:05:33 AGAIN FOR PROPOSED GRANTS AND PROGRAMS, AGAIN, I BELIEVE IN
20:05:38 MS. TRAVIS' WORK AND I HAVE FOLLOWED YOU FOR SUCH A LONG
20:05:41 TIME.
20:05:42 WE NEED THE BACKUP OF THAT.
20:05:44 AND I BELIEVE SHE'S ABLE TO GET THAT.
20:05:46 SO LET'S GIVE HER ROOM TO DO THAT.
20:05:48 BUT AGAIN LET'S -- WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HOLD, HOW DO I SAY,
20:05:54 I DON'T WANT TO PASS THIS ALONG TO THE CAC TO JUDGE ON.
20:05:58 I BELIEVE IT'S THE CRA AND WE USE THE FUNDS ALLOCATED TO OUR
20:06:04 BUDGET.
20:06:04 THANK YOU.
20:06:04 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
20:06:06 MS. GOODLEY.
20:06:06 >> GOODLEY: SO AS YOU HEARD, WHAT DOMINIQUE WENT OVER WERE
20:06:13 THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
20:06:15 BUT FOR YEARS WE HAD NO PROGRAMS HAPPENING.
20:06:19 AND THIS IS NOT TO BLAME BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF YOU WEREN'T
20:06:22 THERE, BUT NO ONE EVER SAID ANYTHING FROM THE CRA BOARD OF
20:06:26 HOW THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO PROGRAMS IN EAST TAMPA.
20:06:30 WHEN I BECAME CHAIR WE STARTED TO WORK TO CREATE PROGRAMS
20:06:33 AND PUT THINGS TOGETHER, BUT LIKE I SAID, FOR SUCH A LONG
20:06:38 TIME WE HAD NOTHING.
20:06:40 NOW, I HAVE LEARNED HOW DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS, AND THAT'S NOT
20:06:43 HAPPENING, BECAUSE WHEN YOU WANT TO BUILD A BIG PARK ON THE
20:06:47 ROUGH OR ANYTHING ELSE, YOU ACQUIRE LAND, YOU PACKAGE IT UP,
20:06:52 YOU SHOP IT TO BIG DEVELOPERS, YOU TELL PEOPLE, THIS IS THE
20:06:56 CITY'S VISION, AND THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE SEE
20:06:59 HAPPEN.
20:06:59 AND OTHER PEOPLE START SAYING DEVELOPERS AND EVERYONE ELSE
20:07:02 SAYS, HEY, I CAN DO THIS.
20:07:04 THAT'S NOT HAPPENING FOR EAST TAMPA.
20:07:06 NO ONE IS PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN SAYING WE WOULD LIKE TO
20:07:09 SEE A SHOPPING PLAZA HERE, AND THIS IS THE LAND THAT WE
20:07:12 HAVE, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO COME IN AND DO IT.
20:07:15 THAT'S HOW DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS.
20:07:17 THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IN EAST TAMPA.
20:07:18 AS WE ALL KNOW, WE ARE IN A FOOD DESERT.
20:07:22 OUR GROCERY STORES ARE ONLY ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF OUR
20:07:25 NEIGHBORHOOD.
20:07:25 WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY WHICH WAS ONE OF
20:07:28 THE DRIVING FORCES FOR ME WHEN BECOMING CHAIR WAS TO TRY TO
20:07:32 BRING A GROCERY STORE.
20:07:34 AND UNFORTUNATELY THE PROCESS THAT I WENT THROUGH TO TRY TO
20:07:37 GET THIS GROCERY STORE IS SOMETHING THAT A PAID PERSON
20:07:41 WORKING FOR THE CITY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING.
20:07:43 AS EVERYONE KNOWS THE CAC IS A VOLUNTEER POSITION BUT I GOT
20:07:46 WITH A DEVELOPER, DID A RIDE-ALONG WITH THEM, I PULLED THE
20:07:50 DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THE CITY IN THE AREA, I FOUND OUT WHAT
20:07:53 COULD WE EVEN -- EVEN HAVE THE DEMOGRAPHICS TO BRING IN A
20:07:57 PUBLIX, AND THEN WHAT WOULD THEY SAY?
20:08:00 THAT'S NOT WHAT A VOLUNTEER IS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
20:08:02 THAT IS WHAT A PAID STAFF MEMBER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING.
20:08:04 BUT IT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE.
20:08:06 AND THE STAFF DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE MET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A
20:08:10 GROCERY STORE.
20:08:12 THE DEMOGRAPHICS, WE HAVE, BUT THE LOOK, WE DIDN'T HAVE,
20:08:16 BECAUSE THEY SAID IT LOOKED TOO BAD.
20:08:19 YOU HAVE GOT BOARDED UP BUILDINGS.
20:08:20 YOU HAVE GOT GARBAGE SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
20:08:23 YOU HAVE GOT TO CLEAN UP.
20:08:25 YOU HAVE GOT OVERGROWTH.
20:08:26 SO THAT CHANGED THE FOCUS OF TRYING TO CLEAN IT UP WHEN IF
20:08:32 WE WERE ACTUALLY PACKAGING THIS FOR A DEVELOPMENT IDEA, ALL
20:08:36 OF THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE.
20:08:37 BUT ALL OF THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPENING FROM THE CITY.
20:08:41 NOW, I AM JUST HEARING THE GRANT HAS JUST GOTTEN APPROVED
20:08:47 BUT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP WHEN I WAS CHAIR.
20:08:50 I HAVEN'T BEEN CHAIR SINCE OCTOBER 2020.
20:08:53 THERE IS NO WAY THAT A PROGRAM THAT I PUT TOGETHER IS BEING
20:08:58 IMPLEMENTED IN 2022.
20:09:02 AND IT'S JUST TO HAVE -- YOU GOT JUNK, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE
20:09:10 IT.
20:09:11 AS A MATTER OF FACT, THAT WAS HAND IN HAND WITH THE TREE
20:09:15 TRIMMING GRANT.
20:09:16 THAT JUST TELLS YOU HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN.
20:09:21 I GAVE UP ON IT.
20:09:23 I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS EVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
20:09:24 SO JUST HEARING THAT, OH MY GOD, IF THAT'S THE ONE I'M
20:09:28 THINKING IT IS, IT'S THE SAME GRANT.
20:09:30 LASTLY, WE HAD A TASK FORCE TOGETHER FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL
20:09:34 POND ON 26th AND 26th.
20:09:37 BECAUSE WE WANTED TO CREATE SOME DEVELOPMENT THERE.
20:09:42 I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANOTHER MEETING.
20:09:44 THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE HAPPENING.
20:09:45 IT JUST FELL OFF, DISAPPEARED, AND NOTHING ELSE WAS
20:09:48 HAPPENING WITH IT.
20:09:48 WE WANTED TO ACTUALLY UTILIZE THE PROPERTY PROBABLY FOR SOME
20:09:52 TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT, EVEN POSSIBLY FOR A GROCERY STORE.
20:09:56 AND THE ONLY REASON IT WAS BROUGHT UP AS A GROCERY STORE IS
20:09:59 BECAUSE QUESTION I DID THE RIDE-ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPER, HE
20:10:02 SAID THIS IS AN IDEAL LOCATION, MAYBE NOT FOR PUBLIX, BUT
20:10:07 THIS WOULD BE AN IDEAL LOCATION FOR A GROCERY STORE IF YOU
20:10:10 WENT AHEAD AND DID SOME OF THE THINGS NEEDED FOR THE
20:10:14 ENVIRONMENTAL POND.
20:10:15 NOW, WE WERE TOLD, OH, WE CAN'T BUILD ON IT, BECAUSE IT'S
20:10:19 CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM, AND WE NEED THIS, AND THEN WE
20:10:23 DISCOVERED ALL OF THAT WAS FALSE, BECAUSE THAT BOND IS STEPS
20:10:28 FROM MY HOME, AND THAT POND HAS BEEN DRY FOR PROBABLY THE
20:10:31 FIRST EIGHT YEARS THAT I HAVE LIVED THERE, AND IT'S SO DRY
20:10:35 THAT A FIRE BROKE OUT THERE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO
20:10:38 COME AND PUT IT OUT.
20:10:39 NO WATER.
20:10:41 AFTER WE STARTED THE MEETING AND AFTER I STARTED PUSHING FOR
20:10:45 DEVELOPMENT AT THAT LOCATION, THEN THE CITY BROUGHT OUT
20:10:48 CREWS TO START WORKING ON THAT AREA, AND THEY PUT OUT SO
20:10:53 MANY TONS OF GARBAGE THAT IT LITERALLY TOOK DAYS OF DUMP
20:10:58 TRUCKS JUST TAKING AWAY GARBAGE FROM THAT ENVIRONMENTAL
20:11:02 POND.
20:11:03 AFTER REMOVING HUNDREDS OF TONS OF GARBAGE, NOW THERE'S
20:11:07 WATER IN IT.
20:11:08 SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL ANYONE, THAT THAT RETENTION POND IS
20:11:12 NOT NEEDED, BECAUSE IF IT WAS NEEDED, YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN
20:11:16 FOR THE PAST 8, POSSIBLY 20 YEARS, THAT IT WASN'T EVEN
20:11:19 WORKING BECAUSE IT HAD 100 TONS OF GARBAGE IN IT.
20:11:22 SO WE COULD BUILD SOMETHING THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
20:11:26 AND WE OWN THE ADJACENT PROPERTY THAT'S ON 22ND STREET.
20:11:29 SO THE IDEA IS YOU NOW HAVE FRONTAGE, AND YOU STILL HAVE A
20:11:33 LARGE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY.
20:11:34 THAT'S THE LARGEST RETENTION POND IN TAMPA.
20:11:40 AND IT HAS THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF LAND AROUND THE RETENTION
20:11:43 POND THAT WE ALL KNOW NOW SERVES NO PURPOSE BECAUSE IT'S
20:11:46 BEEN BLOCKED UP FOR YEARS.
20:11:47 SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PROGRAMS.
20:11:50 WE NEED YOU ALL TO SAY, HEY, WE KNOW YOU ALL NEED A GROCERY
20:11:54 STORE.
20:11:55 LET'S HELP PACKAGE THIS THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD PACKAGE HOW
20:11:58 JULIAN B. LANE PARK WAS PACK AND, THE SAME WAY THE RIVERWALK
20:12:03 WAS PACKAGED.
20:12:04 PACKAGE OUR THINGS, SEND IT OUT TO DEVELOPERS AND LET'S GET
20:12:07 SOMETHING COMING IN.
20:12:08 BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET DEVELOPMENT IS IF
20:12:11 A PRIVATE PERSON BUYS A PRIVATE BUILDING AND PUTS THEIR OWN
20:12:14 PRIVATE BUSINESS IN IT.
20:12:15 AND THAT'S NOT HOW YOU GET DEVELOPMENT THAT WE NEED IN OUR
20:12:19 LOCATION.
20:12:20 THANK YOU.
20:12:20 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
20:12:25 COUNCILMAN GUDES.
20:12:25 >>ORLANDO GUDES: THAT SO-CALLED RETENTION POND OR
20:12:30 ENVIRONMENTAL POND, ALMOST 14.
20:12:37 I MADE A MOTION TWICE ON THAT ISSUE.
20:12:40 AGAIN, GENTLEMEN, SOME OF THE CONCERNS, WHEN I WAS ON THAT
20:12:44 BOARD, THAT'S WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL, YOU SEE THE FRUSTRATION
20:12:49 OF THE COMMUNITY.
20:12:49 SOME OF THESE IDEAS, THEN WE JUST HAVEN'T TAKEN THE EXTRA
20:12:54 STEPS TO TRY TO GET THEM DOWN OR WORK ON.
20:12:57 SO YOU, MS. GOODLEY, MS. BURTON, MRS. TATE, YOU PUT SOME
20:13:02 IDEAS OUT THERE AND WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING
20:13:05 THEM DONE.
20:13:06 SO MS. TRAVIS AND MR. McCRAY WILL PUSH THE ENVELOPE.
20:13:11 >> WE HAVEN'T MET IN PROBABLY TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS.
20:13:14 >>ORLANDO GUDES: THERE WAS A USF TASK FORCE ON THAT, WASN'T
20:13:17 THERE?
20:13:18 >> NO, THEY WERE JUST VOLUNTEERING.
20:13:20 IT WAS A COMMUNITY TASK FORCE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD
20:13:22 ASSOCIATIONS THAT SURROUNDED THE AREA WITH SOME OF THE
20:13:25 CHURCHES IN THE AREA AND COMMUNITY PEOPLE TO DISCUSS WHAT WE
20:13:29 WANTED, HOW WE COULD DO IT, AND THEN WE JUST -- COVID CAME.
20:13:33 WE STOPPED MEETING.
20:13:34 AND THEN ONCE WE STARTED HAVING MEETINGS AGAIN, THE TASK
20:13:38 FORCE WAS NEVER BROUGHT BACK UP.
20:13:39 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN VIERA.
20:13:42 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, SIR.
20:13:44 BEFORE, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS MADE ON GRANTS.
20:13:47 I THINK IF DONE RIGHT WITH THE PROPER VETTING, ET CETERA,
20:13:50 THAT GRANTS CAN BE A REALLY GOOD THING.
20:13:52 I MENTIONED THE SKILLS CENTER.
20:13:53 THIS THURSDAY AT CITY COUNCIL, WEARING OUR CITY COUNCIL
20:13:56 HATS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RETURNING CITIZENS, AND ONE OF
20:13:59 THE THINGS TRYING TO GET THE CITY OF TAMPA TO DO IS TO
20:14:02 PARTNER UP WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WORKING WITH COUNTY
20:14:05 COMMISSIONER GWEN MYERS ON THIS FOR A TEST PILOT PROGRAM FOR
20:14:09 APPRENTICESHIPS FOR RETURNING CITIZENS, PEOPLE WHO WERE
20:14:13 LEAVING, INCARCERATION AND PRISON, WANT TO WORK HARD FOR
20:14:16 THEIR FAMILIES AND ACQUIRE THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO BE
20:14:20 INDEPENDENT AND SUCCESSFUL.
20:14:21 I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE CRA BE ABLE TO INVEST POTENTIALLY
20:14:24 OBVIOUSLY IN TALKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, ET CETERA, MONEY ON
20:14:27 THAT.
20:14:27 YOU TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT GOES TO A BLIGHTED
20:14:31 COMMUNITIES, AND TO ME, THE PURPOSE OF CRAs, THAT COULD BE
20:14:34 A GOOD GRANT POTENTIAL.
20:14:36 THEY HAVE SOME GREAT ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN THE CITY OF TAMPA
20:14:38 THAT REALLY DO GOD'S WORK, IN MY OPINION, ON THAT ISSUE.
20:14:42 MS. TRAVIS, I WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT IF I MAY.
20:14:45 I JUST THOUGHT, HEY, LET'S GET CRA INVOLVED, TOO.
20:14:48 AND WITH REGARDS TO A GROCERY FOR SOMETHING THAT MS. GOODLEY
20:14:52 WAS TALKING ABOUT IN EAST TAMPA, I THINK WE WOULD ALL LOVE
20:14:55 TO SEE THAT, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME SORT OF A GOAL.
20:14:59 MAYBE WE CAN -- I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A TIME FRAME BUT
20:15:03 SOMETHING.
20:15:05 (TELEPHONE RINGS)
20:15:07 WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE A STORE IN EAST TAMPA THAT'S GOING TO
20:15:09 BE VIABLE AND A REAL VIABLE GOAL.
20:15:13 SO JUST SOME THOUGHTS IN THAT REGARD.
20:15:15 THANK YOU.
20:15:15 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN CARLSON?
20:15:22 >>BILL CARLSON: THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE VERY FRUSTRATING
20:15:25 BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ORGANIZATION,
20:15:31 AND WHETHER YOU MAKE SHOULD MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS OR
20:15:34 WHETHER WE SHOULD RUBBER STAMP TWICE A MONTH OR WHETHER TO
20:15:38 HAVE EIGHT HOURS TO GET INTO THIS FROM A LEGAL POINT OF
20:15:41 VIEW, WE ARE COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE.
20:15:43 AND IF THE CITY STAFF IS HOLDING US UP OR IF WE HAVE OUR OWN
20:15:47 STAFF THAT THE CITY IS GIVING US, WE HAVE GOT TO FIX THESE
20:15:51 PROBLEMS.
20:15:51 THE REASON WHY THE TREE PROGRAM WORKED IS BECAUSE ONE OF THE
20:15:55 BOARD MEMBERS PERSONALLY LET IT THROUGH, PUSHED IT, AND IF
20:16:00 ALL OF US TAKE ON THESE PROJECTS, IF WE WORK ON IT TOGETHER,
20:16:03 WE CAN MOVE IT FORWARD.
20:16:04 I SIT ON NONPROFIT BOARDS WHERE I GET MORE OF A BRIEFING
20:16:08 FROM STAFF THAN I DO ON THE CRA BOARD, EVEN AS VICE CHAIR.
20:16:12 AND WE NEED TO NOT ONLY LISTEN TO ALL OF THIS BUT WE NEED TO
20:16:17 ACTIVELY MANAGE IT, AND IF THE STAFF ASSIGNED TO US BY THE
20:16:21 CITY IS NOT DOING THE WORK WE NEED TO GET DIFFERENT STAFF.
20:16:24 IF THE CITY STAFF IS NOT PARTNERING WITH OUR PEOPLE, THEN WE
20:16:27 NEED TO ASK FOR THAT TO CHANGE. IF THEY ARE NOT WORKING
20:16:30 THEN WE NEED TO OUTSOURCE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
20:16:33 BUT ULTIMATELY WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
20:16:35 WE CAN'T BLAME ADMINISTRATION IF THIS DOESN'T WORK, EVEN IF
20:16:38 THE STAFF AND THE CITY IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS, BECAUSE
20:16:40 ULTIMATELY WE ARE RESPONSIBLE.
20:16:41 YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO FIX THIS.
20:16:44 THANK YOU.
20:16:44 >> MY COMMENTS WILL REALLY PIGGYBACK OFF OF MR. CARLSON.
20:16:51 I THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF PROGRAMMING IN EAST
20:16:54 TAMPA, BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH ADMINISTRATIVE
20:16:58 SUPPORT.
20:16:59 WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT SHOULD
20:17:04 TAKE PLACE IS WRAPPED AROUND HAVING AN RFP.
20:17:07 AND THEN WE WILL HEAR SOMEONE SAY, WHAT WAS GOING TO WRITE
20:17:11 THE RFP?
20:17:13 IF WE ARE WAITING ON CITY STAFF, THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
20:17:15 I KEEP HEARING MS. TRAVIS, SHE'S ONLY ONE PERSON.
20:17:19 IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT
20:17:21 SHE WILL RECEIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ACTION ITEMS THAT WE
20:17:23 ARE PUTTING FORWARD, THAT ACTUALLY HAVE LEGS IN THEM.
20:17:27 SO I THINK WE WILL HAVE MORE PROGRAMMING IN EAST TAMPA IF WE
20:17:31 HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO WRITE UP THOSE PROGRAMS.
20:17:35 FOR EXAMPLE, I TALKED TO OUR BOARD ABOUT OUR EAST TAMPA
20:17:40 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
20:17:42 THAT WAS ONLY SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE I LEARNED AND RESEARCHED
20:17:45 HOW TO WRITE AN RFP.
20:17:47 THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMS THAT HAVE GONE DORMANT, THEY HAVE
20:17:51 REMAINED ON THE TABLE, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD THE
20:17:53 ASSISTANCE ON WRITING RFPs FOR IT TO COME TO THIS BOARD
20:17:58 FOR APPROVAL.
20:17:59 SO IF WE HAD ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA
20:18:02 THAT IS SKILLED AND VERSED IN WRITING RFPs, COMPARED TO
20:18:06 THE PROGRAMS THAT WE ARE EXHIBITING FOR, I THINK WE WILL SEE
20:18:11 A LOT MORE ACTION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
20:18:13 SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CRA BOARD SOMEHOW INITIATE MORE
20:18:17 OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR US THAT AS PROGRAMS COME
20:18:21 ALONG, SOMEONE CAN COME ALONGSIDE OF US TO HELP WRITE UP THE
20:18:25 RFP, BECAUSE MANY PROGRAMS ARE BEING DELAYED BY PROCESSES,
20:18:29 BY MONTHS, AND YOU HEAR TODAY THAT SOME PROGRAMS HAVE NOT
20:18:33 STARTED FOR TWO YEARS. WHY IS THAT?
20:18:36 SO NOT ONLY ARE WE SAYING FOR US THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING
20:18:38 PUT IN PLACE, AS THERE IS A TRANSITION TO A BOARD, THAT THEY
20:18:41 ARE METRICS AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT ACTION STEPS, SO THE
20:18:46 BOARD CAN BE VERSED IN WHAT HAS HAPPENED, IT SHOULD BE THE
20:18:49 SAME THING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.
20:18:51 THESE ARE THE SAME THINGS THAT ARE BEING WORKED ON, WE ARE
20:18:54 WORKING WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN KEEP THE
20:18:56 TRAIN MOVING.
20:18:58 SO THAT HAS BEEN A LACK OF PROGRAMMING IN OUR COMMUNITY
20:19:00 BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD ANYONE WHO IS PROFESSIONAL TO HELP
20:19:03 US WRITE OUR RFPs.
20:19:05 >>ORLANDO GUDES: MR. CHAIRMAN.
20:19:13 WE HAVE PROTOCOLS THIS EVENING.
20:19:14 I KEEP HEARING THE SKILLS CENTER.
20:19:16 I SEE CELESTE ROBINSON.
20:19:22 MAYBE LET HER EXPLAIN WITH THE SKILLS CENTER.
20:19:27 BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE SKILLS CENTER, WHAT
20:19:32 I KIND OF HEARD, I DON'T THINK -- I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT
20:19:37 SO THIS BOARD CAN KNOW, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE CAN KNOW, WE
20:19:40 CAN SEE IT ON TV TONIGHT, SO SHE CAN TELL US WHAT THE SKILLS
20:19:43 CENTER IS. I SUPPORT THE SKILLS CENTER BUT I THINK THE
20:19:46 COMMUNITY WANTS TO KNOW AND THE BOARD FELT THEY DIDN'T HAVE
20:19:50 ENOUGH INFORMATION, BUT I THINK THEY DO ENDORSE THE PROJECT.
20:19:53 SO IF SHE COULD COME UP ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
20:19:58 >>JOSEPH CITRO: LET'S MS. BURTON SPEAK BRIEFLY AND THEN GET
20:20:03 TO MS. ROBINSON.
20:20:04 >> CONNIE BURTON: THERE IS REALLY LITTLE INFORMATION TO THE
20:20:09 MONEYS THAT COME INTO EAST TAMPA.
20:20:11 PROGRAMS, GRANTS, YOUR CABLE CITY STAFF DOING ALL OF THAT,
20:20:15 WE SAW THE DOMAIN HOMES, RIGHT?
20:20:19 THE HANNA STREET PROJECT IS NOT AN EAST TAMPA PROJECT,
20:20:23 ALTHOUGH ALWAYS TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE THINGS COME TO EAST
20:20:26 TAMPA.
20:20:27 IT'S A DISTRICT WIDE PROJECT.
20:20:29 IT'S NOT EVEN IN EAST TAMPA.
20:20:32 SO THIS SHELL GAME OF LIKE NATASHA JUST LAID OUT, THE WAY
20:20:38 THINGS CAN BE PACKAGED, AND DEVELOPER FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS
20:20:43 REAL BECAUSE HE HAS THE CAPACITY OF DOING IT.
20:20:45 I JUST SAW WHERE A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY CAME HERE, I THINK ARE
20:20:53 GONE, THE BASS TEAM OR WHOEVER THEY WAS.
20:20:56 THEY WENT THROUGH ALMOST $10 MILLION A MONTH, GONE.
20:21:00 BUT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
20:21:03 ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY, IF THE VISION IS THERE,
20:21:08 THE WANTING IS THERE, IT'S SHOWN AS A NEED THERE.
20:21:11 WE DON'T WANT JUST SOCIALIZED PROGRAMS THAT JUST HAVE FOUR
20:21:20 GENERATION AND THEN CAPTURE THE BABIES.
20:21:22 WE HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN PUSH A
20:21:25 LAWNMOWER, WHO CAN LEARN HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A SMALL GRANT,
20:21:28 SO THEY CAN BE THE RECEIVERSHIP OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
20:21:32 YOU ARE CAPABLE OF DOING IT WHEN YOU WANT TO.
20:21:35 I AM TALKING TO THE CITY.
20:21:36 WHEN YOU WANT TO DO IT.
20:21:37 YOU APPROVE IT EVERY THURSDAY.
20:21:40 WE SAY EVERY WEEK WE COME DOWN HERE THAT WE MAKE UP 26% OF
20:21:43 THE POPULATION, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR BUDGET, IT'S
20:21:48 LITTLE OR NOTHING COMING TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY, AND THEN IT
20:21:51 EVEN GETS WORSER.
20:21:53 WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CRA MONEY AND WE ARE PREDOMINANTLY 90%
20:21:58 OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND YET THE COMMUNITY IS
20:22:02 NOT RECEIVING ANYTHING.
20:22:03 SO THE GRANT HAS TO BE WRITTEN SO IT CAN LIFT THE PEOPLE,
20:22:08 THE POPULATION OF THAT COMMUNITY.
20:22:12 I DON'T HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH SOCIAL SERVICE, BUT I THINK WE
20:22:15 ARE BEYOND THAT NOW.
20:22:16 WE ARE BEYOND.
20:22:18 WE WAITED -- WE ARE LOOKING FOR ACTIVITY IN WAYS IN WHICH WE
20:22:23 CAN BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH.
20:22:24 THANK YOU.
20:22:25 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
20:22:26 I SAW YOU WANTED TO COME UP EARLIER AND SPEAK BUT YOU WERE
20:22:29 WAIVED OFF.
20:22:30 >> SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
20:22:32 MY NAME IS CELESTE ROBINSON AND IT REALLY IS NOT FOR ME TO
20:22:35 TAKE THE TIME.
20:22:36 I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TWO GROUPS TO
20:22:39 GET TOGETHER AND REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT THE SOLUTION IS.
20:22:42 ON THE SKILLS CENTER, WE ARE BRINGING A STATE OF THE ARTS
20:22:47 $20 MILLION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT INTO EAST TAMPA.
20:22:52 IT REALLY IS ABOUT WHAT MS. BURTON SAID.
20:22:56 OUR PROJECT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY EQUITY AND HEALTH
20:23:01 AND WORKFORCE TRAINING.
20:23:02 IT IS REALLY A COLLABORATIVE MODEL.
20:23:05 IT'S NOT THAT WE DO ALL THINGS.
20:23:06 IT'S THAT WE LOOK AT RESOURCES IN OUR COMMUNITY, ON A COMMON
20:23:12 GOAL, AND THAT COMMON GOAL IS OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, AND MIDDLE
20:23:14 SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, AND YOUNG ADULTS.
20:23:15 HOW DO WE HELP PEOPLE UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY?
20:23:20 HOW DO WE HELP THEM TO HAVE THE SKILLS THEY NEED TO MAKE
20:23:23 ABOVE MINIMUM WAGE?
20:23:25 THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF THE SKILLS CENTER.
20:23:26 I WILL SAY THAT I DID GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
20:23:29 AND SO I HAVE A VERY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE MYSELF, AND I WILL
20:23:33 JUST SIMPLY SAY THIS.
20:23:35 THERE WAS NOT A PROCESS FOR ME TO GO THROUGH, RIGHT?
20:23:38 SO I HAD TO GO THROUGH THE WAY THAT I WAS TOLD TO GO
20:23:42 THROUGH, RECOMMENDED TO GO THROUGH, AND WHAT I FOUND ON THE
20:23:47 WEBSITE.
20:23:47 I THINK IT SHOULD BE A PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO COME TO
20:23:51 ASK FOR MONEY.
20:23:52 I THINK EVERY APPLICATION THAT MY ORGANIZATION CAN FILL IT
20:23:58 OUT, WE ALREADY HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BECAUSE WE ALREADY
20:24:02 RAISED OUR MONEY, ALL RIGHT.
20:24:04 SO I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A PROCESS THAT HOLDS PEOPLE
20:24:07 ACCOUNTABLE.
20:24:08 I WAS A LITTLE SHOCKED THAT THERE WASN'T.
20:24:11 I ASKED SEVERAL PEOPLE BEFORE THE PROCESS, BUT AGAIN,
20:24:14 OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, MY GOAL IS TO GO THROUGH AND TO ASK FOR
20:24:18 WHAT I NEED FOR THIS PROJECT BRING THIS PROJECT TO BEAR.
20:24:23 BUT I THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY JUST TO SHARE WHAT
20:24:26 THE SKILLS CENTER IS. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EAST
20:24:28 TAMPA, EAST TAMPA CRA, AND THE CRA BOARD.
20:24:32 AGAIN, I THINK THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AND I HOPE THAT
20:24:36 WHAT THE RESIDENTS HAVE SHARED, THAT YOU ALL ARE WILLING TO
20:24:39 TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
20:24:40 I THINK IT COULD BE BETTER.
20:24:42 AND EAST TAMPA IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE AND WE NEED TO BE
20:24:45 ABLE TO SHOWCASE THE ADVANTAGES FOR WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT EAST
20:24:49 TAMPA.
20:24:51 I ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT THE NEGATIVE, BUT WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT
20:24:53 EAST TAMPA?
20:24:54 WE NEED TO REALLY FOCUS ON THAT.
20:24:56 THANK YOU.
20:24:56 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
20:24:59 ANY OTHER CAC MEMBERS WANTING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROGRAMS
20:25:02 AND GRANTS?
20:25:03 >> YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS NORENE COPELAND MILLER.
20:25:10 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MA'AM.
20:25:10 >> AND I WANT TO SAY, FROM MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SKILLS
20:25:17 CENTER, MY GRANDCHILDREN, YOU KNOW, BEFORE FINANCIALLY
20:25:26 ENGAGING MY GRANDCHILDREN IN THAT PROCESS, MY THING IS, WE
20:25:30 NEVER RECEIVED THE APPLICATION FROM THE SKILLS CENTER FOR
20:25:34 HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, AND THEY WERE DIRECTED FROM
20:25:43 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT, EAST TAMPA, CRA,
20:25:48 FOR A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, AND I SPOKE WITH MY COUNTY
20:25:52 COMMISSIONER, AND THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE.
20:25:57 I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH SUPPORTING THE SKILLS CENTER BUT I
20:25:59 JUST THINK A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IS UNREASONABLE.
20:26:04 I THINK THAT THAT IS NOT ONE OF THE GREAT NEEDS IN EAST
20:26:07 TAMPA.
20:26:08 WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUTH PROGRAMS GOING ON, ONGOING PROGRAMS,
20:26:15 AND AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
20:26:20 IF YOU GO ON THEIR WEBSITE, AND GOOGLE OR LOOK AT THE SKILLS
20:26:24 CENTER, YOU WILL SEE THAT FEES FOR YOUTH TO PARTICIPATE,
20:26:32 IT'S NOT FREE AS THEY PORTRAY.
20:26:34 MY THING IS, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY TO LOOK INTO
20:26:39 THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR HOW THEY WERE EVEN CONSIDERED,
20:26:45 OR WHAT THE PRACTICE IS.
20:26:47 WE HAVE TO DO AN APPLICATION THROUGH THE CAC BOARD.
20:26:51 WE ARE TO DO AN APPLICATION TO GET A TREE GRANT DONE.
20:26:55 BUT THERE IS NO APPLICATION PROCESS, AND FOR THOUSANDS OF
20:27:00 DOLLARS FROM OUR ORGANIZATION, IT IS A PROBLEM FOR ME,
20:27:05 BECAUSE AGAIN I HAVE BEEN IN EAST TAMPA 30-PLUS YEARS, AND
20:27:11 THE CRA DOLLARS, THE TIF DOLLARS, AND I STILL CAN'T GET A
20:27:15 SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF MY HOME, AND THE PEOPLE FROM THE
20:27:19 NURSING HOME RIDING IN THE STREETS ON SCOOTERS, PUSHING
20:27:24 THEIR WHEELCHAIR DOWN THE STREET, AND THEY PORTRAY
20:27:32 THEMSELVES TO BE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, A HALF A MILLION
20:27:36 DOLLARS.
20:27:36 WE HAVE ON LAKE AND 22ND AS YOU ALL CALL IT -- THAT WE
20:27:43 PURCHASED, AND WHEN THAT WAS PROJECTED OUT OF PLANS FOR THE
20:27:49 COMMUNITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WASN'T RECEIVED WELL,
20:27:55 BUT FOR SOME REASON, WE ARE OPEN TO GIVING THE SKILLS CENTER
20:28:00 A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WITHOUT AN APPLICATION.
20:28:04 I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
20:28:07 I WILL ASK CITY ATTORNEY TO LOOK INTO THAT PROCESS, ALL OF
20:28:12 THE DOLLARS, TO SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN EAST TAMPA.
20:28:15 I DON'T WANT TO THINK THAT WE ARE OUT ON THE FOREFRONT.
20:28:21 AND YOU CAN CALL ME WHATEVER, A PROFESSIONAL PERSON, I HAVE
20:28:26 A CONCERN, BECAUSE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN, MY GREAT
20:28:30 GRANDCHILDREN, THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT WILL BE
20:28:39 WITH INTEGRITY, THAT WILL BE TRUSTWORTHY -- BECAUSE PEOPLE
20:28:51 JUST SHOW UP AND ASK FOR DOLLARS AND GET THEM WITHOUT THE
20:28:54 APPLICATION.
20:28:54 WHAT'S GOING ON IN EAST TAMPA?
20:28:56 WHAT IS GOING ON?
20:28:58 HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS?
20:29:02 I WORKED FOR THE GOVERNMENT FOR OVER 40 YEARS, AND MY
20:29:05 TRAINING WAS IF IT'S NOT DOCUMENTED IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
20:29:09 THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN EAST TAMPA AND IT'S NOT
20:29:11 DOCUMENTED.
20:29:12 AND I DON'T MIND FOR WHAT'S RIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S WHO I AM,
20:29:17 BECAUSE WHEN I WORKED ALL OF MY LIFE TWO AND THREE JOBS, A
20:29:21 MOTHER, A WIFE, AND A GRANDMOTHER, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
20:29:26 TREATED FAIRLY.
20:29:27 IN EAST TAMPA THAT'S NOT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND I HAVE A
20:29:30 PROBLEM WITH THAT.
20:29:31 SO I DO ASK THAT YOU ALL, PLEASE, CONSIDER WHAT'S GOING ON
20:29:36 IN EAST TAMPA AND FOLLOW THE TRAIL AND MAKE SURE THAT WE
20:29:39 HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE THAT IS ACCOUNTABLE.
20:29:42 AND WE TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
20:29:44 WE TALK ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY.
20:29:46 LET'S BE REAL ABOUT IT.
20:29:48 NOT JUST TALK ABOUT IT.
20:29:49 AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING IN EAST TAMPA.
20:29:51 WE ARE TREATED SO DIFFERENTLY.
20:29:52 I GREW UP IN SOUTH TAMPA, DALE MABRY IN BETWEEN DALE MABRY
20:29:58 AND AZEELE.
20:29:59 I WENT TO DOFIELD ELEMENTARY.
20:30:03 I WENT DOWN THE STREETS EVERY DAY.
20:30:05 WHEN WE WENT IN -- I LIVED THERE.
20:30:10 I WENT INTO THE BEACH AS A BLACK WOMAN, BUT NOW IN EAST
20:30:16 TAMPA WE CAN'T EVEN GO TO EAST TAMPA AND GET WHAT WE ARE
20:30:19 PAYING FOR.
20:30:21 SO YOU CAN CALL ME WHATEVER YOU WANT.
20:30:23 I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING PROCESSES AND
20:30:26 TREATING US WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT AND KNOW THAT WE ARE
20:30:31 HUMAN, TOO.
20:30:32 WE DEMAND TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT.
20:30:34 AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE SKILLS CENTER.
20:30:36 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
20:30:37 >> DO IT RIGHT AND DO IT FAIR.
20:30:39 AND THAT'S ALL I ASK.
20:30:40 SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN, FOR ALLOWING ME TO
20:30:43 SPEAK AT THIS TIME.
20:30:44 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MA'AM.
20:30:45 THANK YOU.
20:30:46 MS. TRAVIS.
20:30:47 WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE PROGRAMS AND GRANTS?
20:30:50 >>MORRIS MASSEY: IF I COULD MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS IN
20:30:57 RESPONSE.
20:30:57 FOR MANY YEARS, I THINK ESPECIALLY EAST TAMPA BUT I THINK IN
20:31:02 ALL OF OUR CRAS, MOST OF THE TIF DOLLARS WERE USED ON
20:31:06 INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND NOT IN GRANT PROGRAMS.
20:31:08 SO THIS HAS BEEN A TRANSFORMATION FOR THIS CRA TO BECOME
20:31:12 MORE OF A GRANT AGENCY.
20:31:17 AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD A DISCUSSION I THINK MAYBE TWO
20:31:19 OR THREE CRA MEETINGS AGO, I THINK MS. VAN LOAN CAME FORWARD
20:31:23 WITH A PROPOSAL OF A GRANT POLICY FOR ADOPTION BY THE CRA
20:31:27 BOARD, BECAUSE WE ARE COMING UP WITH SO MANY GRANT PROGRAMS,
20:31:31 AND WE NEED TO COME UP WITH -- AND I AGREE, WE NEED TO HAVE
20:31:34 A UNIFORM POLICY IN PLACE FOR EVERYONE WHO APPLIES FOR TIF
20:31:41 DOLLARS FROM ANY OF THE CRAS, AND SO THIS IS FRANKLY THE
20:31:51 CASE.
20:31:51 WE HAVE HAD FACADE GRANTS FOR YEARS.
20:31:53 WE HAD THE TREE TRIMMING GRANT.
20:31:55 BUT A LOT OF THESE NEW GRANT PROGRAMS ARE COMING INTO PLAY,
20:31:58 ESPECIALLY WEST TAMPA, EAST TAMPA.
20:32:00 THEY ARE NEW.
20:32:02 SO WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE APPLICATION
20:32:04 PROCESS? WHEN DO THEY NEED TO COME BEFORE YOU ALL FOR
20:32:07 APPROVAL.
20:32:08 >> WHAT CAN BE APPROVED IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL BY A
20:32:12 DOLLAR AMOUNT?
20:32:13 THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD RIGHT
20:32:15 NOW, TRYING TO GET MONEY OUT THE DOOR AS WELL.
20:32:19 AND WE GRAPPLED WITH THIS, NOT JUST IN EAST TAMPA BUT IN SO
20:32:23 MANY OTHER CRAS, DOWNTOWN, FOR INSTANCE, WHERE THERE ARE
20:32:27 SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT DON'T FIT WITHIN ANY OF OUR GRANT
20:32:31 PROGRAMS OR GRANT APPLICATION PROCESSES.
20:32:34 BUT IF IT CAN BE SHOWN THAT THEY COMPLY WITH CHAPTER 163,
20:32:41 AND THEY ADOPT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN, IT IS
20:32:43 SOMETHING THAT EITHER YOU ALL AS A BOARD SUPPORT OR THE CACS
20:32:48 AND THE CRAS TOGETHER HAVE THEIR SUPPORT, FOR INSTANCE THE
20:32:53 SUPPORT WE HAVE GIVEN OUR INSTITUTIONS DOWNTOWN, THAT'S AN
20:32:56 EXAMPLE.
20:32:58 THERE DOES NEED TO BE SOME MINIMUM APPLICATION PROCESS IN
20:33:03 PLACE AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE THERE
20:33:05 ARE SPECIAL PROJECTS, THEY DON'T FIT WITH THE EXISTING GRANT
20:33:10 PROGRAMS IS THAT WE REQUIRE AND NEGOTIATED AN AGREEMENT WITH
20:33:15 THE ENTITY THAT'S RECEIVING THE MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
20:33:17 MONEY IS USED FOR A PURPOSE THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH 163 AND
20:33:21 IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ADOPTED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
20:33:24 SO THAT HAS BEEN THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE USED.
20:33:27 SO THE FACT THAT THE SKILLS CENTER CAME IN AND ASKED FOR A
20:33:31 HALF MILLION DOLLARS, IT'S HALF MILLION DOLLARS OUT THE DOOR
20:33:37 THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE NEGOTIATION, A FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH
20:33:40 THE SKILLS CENTER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT MONEY WAS APPLIED
20:33:44 FOR THE PURPOSE AGAIN CONSISTENT WITH CHAPTER 163, AND FOR
20:33:47 THE ADOPTED COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR EAST TAMPA.
20:33:51 THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY THAT THAT AGREEMENT WOULD COME,
20:33:55 IF IT'S BEING REVIEWED BY THE CAC, COME TO YOU ALL AS A CRA
20:33:58 FOR APPROVAL, ONCE IT GOT APPROVED, THAT'S WHEN THE MONEY
20:34:01 WOULD GO OUT THE DOOR.
20:34:02 THAT'S THE PROCESS.
20:34:03 THE FACT THAT THIS CONCEPT WAS APPROVED AT THE CAC LEVEL
20:34:10 CAME TO YOU ALL FOR SUPPORT, IN MY OPINION, IT'S ALMOST THE
20:34:16 START OF THE PROCESS, BECAUSE THE SPECIAL PROJECTS REQUIRE A
20:34:20 NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT, AGAIN, THAT SITS OUTSIDE OF OUR GRANT
20:34:25 PROGRAM AS IT EXISTS RIGHT NOW.
20:34:27 BUT THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE SOME BASIC APPLICATION IN PLACE,
20:34:30 WHERE THEY HAVE TO JUST STATE WHAT THE PURPOSE THAT THEY ARE
20:34:33 APPLYING FOR, AND PERHAPS EXPLAIN HOW WE THINK IT COMPLIES
20:34:37 WITH 163, THE ADOPTED COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, ACTUALLY
20:34:40 MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
20:34:41 IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE PROBABLY NEED TO IMPLEMENT AS WE
20:34:44 BRING HOME THE GRANT PROGRAMS, AND BECOME A GRANT MAKING
20:34:48 AGENCY, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE BECOMING.
20:34:50 SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.
20:34:53 >> WHEN YOU HAVE CRAS IN EXISTENCE FOR A LONG TIME, THE
20:35:02 EARLIER YEARS OF THE CRA IS USUALLY DONE IN LAYING THE
20:35:02 FOUNDATION, YOU DO THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK, AND THIS IS
20:35:05 INVESTMENT THAT PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE DEVELOPERS DON'T
20:35:08 REALLY SPEND THE MONEY ON.
20:35:09 SO YOU LAY THE FOUNDATION.
20:35:11 EAST TAMPA HAS DONE THAT.
20:35:12 FOR YEARS, WE HAVE DONE ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK, AND
20:35:15 REALLY PRIMING THE REAL ESTATE AND PRIMING THE PUMP FOR
20:35:19 INVESTMENT TO COME INTO THE COMMUNITY.
20:35:21 NOW SHIFTING TO THE GRANT ORIENTED PROGRAM, IT'S TO MEET THE
20:35:28 NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE.
20:35:30 AND SO YOU HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN PLACE, THAT HAVE BEEN
20:35:34 ADOPTED AND APPROVED.
20:35:35 IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT THAT SHOULD BE DONE AT AN
20:35:38 ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL.
20:35:39 YOU HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THE PROGRAM.
20:35:41 THERE'S NO REASON WHY STAFF SHOULD BE REPORTING ON THAT IN
20:35:44 THE CAC MEETING, IF YOU HAVE A BUDGETED AMOUNT, IT'S A
20:35:47 PROGRAM THAT'S APPROVED UNLESS IT STAYS INSIDE THOSE
20:35:52 PARAMETERS WE CAN JUST KEEP MOVING AND FOCUS ON THE NEXT
20:35:54 PROGRAM.
20:35:56 THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT OR THE FUNDING AGREEMENT THAT
20:36:03 ATTORNEY MORRIS WAS TALKING ABOUT -- MORRIS MASSEY, BUT WHAT
20:36:09 HE IS TALKING ABOUT IS MY PHILOSOPHY, PAY FOR PERFORMANCE,
20:36:16 RIGHT?
20:36:16 SO YOU HAVE THE NEEDS OF THE CRA THAT NEED TO BE MET, TO
20:36:18 CODIFY IT INTO AN AGREEMENT, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ENTITIES
20:36:22 THAT'S RECEIVING THE MONEY HAS PERFORMED AND MET THE
20:36:24 METRICS, OR MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THAT MONEY, AND THEN
20:36:28 THAT'S HOW THE MONEY IS EXPENDED.
20:36:30 SO AS YOU DO REDEVELOPMENT, IN THESE LARGER PROJECTS, YOU
20:36:33 WILL NOT HAVE A CUT AND DRY APPLICATION TO MEET THAT NEED.
20:36:38 HOWEVER, MR. McCRAY AND I WERE TALKING OFF TO THE SIDE TO
20:36:43 HAVING A COVER SHEET APPLICATION TO JUST SAY HERE ARE
20:36:46 CHECKED BOXES, THE THINGS THAT ARE HIGH LEVEL, WHAT'S THE
20:36:50 REQUIREMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, HAVE THEY
20:36:54 MET WHICH BOXES ARE CHECKED, WHAT ARE THEY ASKING FOR
20:36:56 FUNDING FOR, WHAT ARE THEY HOPING TO DO WITH THAT?
20:36:59 IT'S A COVER PAGE THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN UNDERSTAND AT A
20:37:02 ONE-SHOT GLANCE, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE ALL THE BACKUP
20:37:06 DOCUMENTATION THAT YOU NEED.
20:37:07 THAT'S UP TO STAFF.
20:37:08 THAT'S OUR REQUIREMENT TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT OF THE
20:37:12 REQUESTED ENTITY TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU.
20:37:14 SO I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT INPUTTING THAT COVER PAGE SO
20:37:17 THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS HOW IT MEETS THE NEED OF THE
20:37:21 COMMUNITY, WHAT EXACTLY THEY ARE ASKING FOR FUNDING FOR, AND
20:37:25 WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON THAT SO WE KNOW WHICH FISCAL YEAR TO
20:37:29 BUDGET FOR.
20:37:30 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
20:37:32 >>BILL CARLSON: I THINK, NUMBER ONE ON THAT SHEET SHOULD BE
20:37:36 WHERE DOES THE IDEA COME FROM.
20:37:37 IN THE CASE OF THE SKILLS CENTER, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE
20:37:39 IDEA CAME FROM.
20:37:40 BUT ACROSS THE DISTRICTS, WHAT I OBSERVED IS THAT THE
20:37:45 BIGGEST COMPLAINTS WE GET ARE WHEN THE CITY PUTS COSTS ONTO
20:37:51 THE CAC.
20:37:53 WE HEAR BACK FROM THE CAC, WHY DID THE CITY HAND US THIS
20:37:57 COST?
20:37:57 WE DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS.
20:37:58 WE DIDN'T WANT THIS.
20:37:59 AND IT'S THINGS THAT MAYBE WE NEED, BUT WE HEARD FEEDBACK
20:38:02 FROM THE PUBLIC DOESN'T WANT CRA MONEY SPENT ON THINGS THE
20:38:05 CITY SHOULD OTHERWISE PAY FOR AND THEY ALSO DON'T WANT THE
20:38:09 CITY JUST HAND THE BILL TO THE CRA.
20:38:12 LIKE IN THE CASE OF THE JACKSON HOUSE, I THINK WE ALL AGREE
20:38:15 THAT THE JACKSON HOUSE SHOULD BE PRESERVED.
20:38:19 WE ALLOCATED THE MILLION DOLLARS.
20:38:22 BUT IN THAT CASE NOTHING IS HAPPENING.
20:38:24 AND SO THE NEXT THING I RECOMMEND IS WE HAVE TO HOLD THE
20:38:28 CITY ACCOUNTABLE ALSO.
20:38:30 WE HAVE ALLOCATED MONEY THROUGH ONE OF THE DISTRICTS TO
20:38:33 TAMPA UNION STATION, BUT BECAUSE THE BUILDING IS OWNED BY
20:38:37 THE CITY, THE CITY TOLD US THE OTHER DAY, WE ARE GOING TO
20:38:39 WAIT TILL 2024, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE AFTER THE ELECTION.
20:38:43 SO EVERYTHING NOW YOU WATCH, GUYS, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS,
20:38:46 EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE PUSHED TO AFTER 2024.
20:38:49 AND WE HAVE THE STAFF.
20:38:52 IF THE CITY WON'T ALLOW US TO CHANGE THEIR BUILDING, THEN
20:38:58 MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE THE MONEY BACK AND SAY, OKAY, YOU GUYS
20:39:01 FIX YOUR OWN BUILDING.
20:39:02 WE SIT AS CITY COUNCIL.
20:39:04 WE ALSO SIT AS CRA.
20:39:06 THE JACKSON HOUSE WE PUT IN $2 MILLION BUT NOTHING IS
20:39:09 HAPPENING.
20:39:09 THE THING IS ABOUT TO FALL DOWN.
20:39:13 >> THAT'S NOT ON THE CITY SIDE FOR US TO --
20:39:16 >>BILL CARLSON: AND THE OTHER EXAMPLE HE MENTIONED STRAZ
20:39:18 CENTER.
20:39:19 WE CRA PUT IN 25%, AND THE PUBLIC IS, THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS
20:39:25 MATCHING IT WITH FOUR TIMES OUR MONEY PUTTING IN FOR A CITY
20:39:30 OWNED FACILITY.
20:39:31 SO IT WAS INVESTMENT MONEY.
20:39:33 THE CITY THEN CAME IN AND SAID, AFTER A YEAR OF COMING
20:39:37 BEFORE US ALMOST EVERY MONTH, THE CITY CAME TO US AND SAID,
20:39:40 WE ARE GOING TO -- WE ARE GOING TO DELAY THIS FOR ANOTHER
20:39:43 MONTH, WHICH EMBARRASSED THE STRAZ CENTER. STRAZ CENTER IS
20:39:46 A FACILITY THAT HAS PROGRAMS FOR EVERYBODY THROUGHOUT THE
20:39:48 CITY AND THEY HAVE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR KIDS, ALL KINDS OF
20:39:51 GREAT PROGRAMS.
20:39:52 FREE PROGRAMS, AND THEY WANT TO ADD MORE FREE PROGRAMS TO
20:39:54 OPEN UP THE RIVERFRONT.
20:39:55 BUT INSTEAD THEY GOT BAD PRESS.
20:39:57 WE WERE TRYING TO OUT OF COVID SAVE THEIR REDEVELOPMENT
20:40:01 WHICH WAS NOT GOING TO MOVE FORWARD UNLESS WE DID SOMETHING,
20:40:04 AND THE CRA SAVED IT, AND WE HAD TO PUT A STOP ON IT.
20:40:08 WHY?
20:40:09 BECAUSE THE CITY SAID WE WANT TO GO BACK AND DO AN
20:40:13 EVALUATION.
20:40:13 AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS?
20:40:16 THE CITY MADE THE STRAZ CENTER CHANGE THEIR PowerPoint
20:40:20 PRESENTATION TO ADD THE ELEMENTS OF T-3 IN IT.
20:40:23 SO THAT THEY COULD PRESENT TO US THAT IT WAS T-3 SO IT
20:40:28 LOOKED LIKE IT WAS THE MAYOR'S IDEAS.
20:40:30 THAT'S CRAZY.
20:40:31 SO WE HURT THE REPUTATION AT THE STRAZ CENTER FOR MORE THAN
20:40:35 A MONTH, A BELOVED PUBLIC FACILITY, SO WE COULD ADD T-3 IN
20:40:39 IT?
20:40:41 WE NEED TO ADD THE T-3 LOGO ON TO THE GET IT PASSED? IF WE
20:40:45 NEED TO PUT A BIG T-3 SIGN IN FRONT OF THE JACKSON HOUSE
20:40:48 WHO SAVE IT, I WILL DO THAT.
20:40:51 I WILL PAY FOR A PRESS CONFERENCE SO THE MAYOR THERE SO THE
20:40:53 MAYOR CAN HAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE THERE AND WE CAN USE CRA
20:40:54 MONEY TO GET IT DONE, IF THAT WILL SAVE THE JACKSON HOUSE.
20:40:56 BUT WE CAN'T SAVE TAMPA UNION STATION.
20:40:58 WE CAN'T SAVE THE JACKSON HOUSE.
20:41:01 WE CAN'T PUT A WORLD WAR II MONUMENT INSIDE THE TAMPA UNION
20:41:04 STATION UNTIL 2024?
20:41:06 WE CAN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT UNTIL 2024?
20:41:09 THAT'S WHERE WE ARE GOING TO HEAR IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
20:41:11 AND THEN WE CAN'T PUT SIDEWALKS IN EAST TAMPA, WE CAN'T DO
20:41:14 ANYTHING, BECAUSE THE CITY IS HOLDING US UP.
20:41:17 SO WE HAVE TO HOLD THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE.
20:41:19 AND IF THE CITY ISN'T GOING TO DO -- IF THE CITY WANTS TAMPA
20:41:24 UNION STATION TO FALL APART AND LET THE WINDOWS FALL OUT, GO
20:41:28 AHEAD.
20:41:28 BUT IF CRA IS PUTTING THE MONEY, THIS IS BEING MONEY THAT'S
20:41:31 BEING SUBSIDIZED BY THE REST OF THE CITY. IF THE REST OF
20:41:34 THE CITY WANTS TO SUBSIDIZE THESE THINGS, THE CITY NEEDS TO
20:41:37 MOVE OUT OF THE WAY AND LET US DO IT.
20:41:39 JUST BECAUSE WE ARE FASTER AND MORE NIMBLE DOESN'T MEAN THAT
20:41:42 THE CITY SHOULD WAIT AND MAKE US NOT BE ABLE TO DO THESE
20:41:44 IMPORTANT THINGS.
20:41:45 EAST TAMPA, WE HEAR A WHOLE LINE OF PEOPLE THAT WANT THINGS
20:41:48 DONE, AND IT'S NOT JUST EAST TAMPA, THE REST OF THESE
20:41:51 DISTRICTS WANT THINGS DONE TOO AND WE NEED TO GET IT DONE.
20:41:55 THANK YOU.
20:41:55 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: IF I MAY RESPOND.
20:41:57 COUNCILMAN CARLSON, I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.
20:41:59 FOR THE TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE JANUARY, I HAVE
20:42:03 HEARD OF THE TAMPA UNION STATION, AND I HAVE SEEN THE WORK
20:42:07 THAT HAS GONE IN BEHIND THE SCENES TO DO THE PROPER
20:42:09 ASSESSMENT, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT TAKES TO PROPERLY ASSESS
20:42:14 AND FIX THE BUILDING.
20:42:15 THE 2024 PLAN IS WHEN WE WOULD HAVE THE BUILDING BROUGHT UP
20:42:19 TO CODE, WINDOWS.
20:42:22 I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN DETAILS, BUT IT'S NOT THAT WE
20:42:25 CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT AND NOT THAT WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT THE USE
20:42:28 FOR IT BEFORE 2024.
20:42:30 SO THERE ARE PLANS IN PLACE, AND THINGS ARE MOVING FORWARD
20:42:33 WITH THAT.
20:42:34 WITH THE JACKSON HOUSE, I RECENTLY MET WITH THE FOUNDATION.
20:42:38 THAT IS NOT BEING HELD UP ON THE CITY'S SIDE.
20:42:41 WE HAVE BEEN AT THE TABLE, ASKING QUESTIONS, AND HELPING TO
20:42:44 GET THROUGH FOR THEM TO GET THROUGH THE PERMIT, FLORIDA
20:42:48 BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS.
20:42:49 THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ON THE FOUNDATION TO DO WITH THEIR
20:42:54 ARCHITECT AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE THEM TO FIND
20:42:57 SOLUTIONS AND COME UP WITH WHAT THEY CALL AMRs, WHICH ARE
20:43:03 ADAPTIVE PLANS ON HOW YOU CAN MEET THE FLORIDA BUILDING
20:43:07 CODE.
20:43:07 SO THAT'S NOT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE OR FROM THE CITY
20:43:12 SIDE.
20:43:12 WE ARE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE DEVELOPER.
20:43:14 AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORTHY IDEAS, AND I AM NOT A POLITICAL
20:43:18 PERSON, I AM HERE TO DO THE WORK.
20:43:20 I AM HERE TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD.
20:43:24 I AM HERE TO HELP.
20:43:26 SO A LOT OF THIS, LIKE WITH THE IDEA WITH T-3, EVERYTHING IN
20:43:30 THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR EAST TAMPA, IT ALIGNS WITH T-3.
20:43:35 IT DOES.
20:43:35 THE HOUSE, WORKFORCE HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, BUT I AM NOT
20:43:38 TRYING TO DRIVE A NEXUS BETWEEN ALL OF THAT.
20:43:41 WE HAVE WORK -- THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE.
20:43:45 WE ARE HERE TRYING TO DO THE WORK.
20:43:48 I HAVE SEEN INTERNALLY FROM THE WORK BEING DONE AND TO MOVE
20:43:51 THE NEEDLE FORWARD.
20:43:53 SO I'M HERE TO DO THAT.
20:43:55 >>BILL CARLSON: I WOULD JUST ADD, THE COMMUNITY SAID, IF
20:43:59 IT'S A PRIORITY, IF IT'S A T-3 PRIORITY, OR A PRIORITY OF
20:44:03 THE ADMINISTRATION, IT MOVES FAST, SUDDENLY IF WE WANT TO DO
20:44:07 SOMETHING IN DOWNTOWN OR WHATEVER IT MOVES REALLY FAST, WE
20:44:09 CLEAR EVERYTHING.
20:44:10 THE TAMPA UNION STATION WHAT'S HOLDING UP THE STAFF SAID,
20:44:13 OH, YOU NEED TO RAISE A MILLION AND A HALF WITH THE
20:44:16 INCREASED BUDGET, YOU NEED TO RAISE A MILLION AND A HALF FOR
20:44:19 GRANTS.
20:44:19 SO BECAUSE OF THAT WE ARE GOING TO WAIT.
20:44:21 WELL, WHY NOT COME BACK TO THE CRA AND SAY WHY DON'T YOU PAY
20:44:24 THE OTHER MILLION AND A HALF BECAUSE WE NEED TO SAVE THE
20:44:27 BUILDING.
20:44:27 WE NEED TO SAVE THE JACKSON HOUSE.
20:44:29 >>JOSEPH CITRO: WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, COUNCILMAN CARLSON,
20:44:32 THE UNION STATION ISN'T IN THE EAST TAMPA CRA.
20:44:36 WHAT WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE EAST TAMPA
20:44:41 CRA.
20:44:42 >>BILL CARLSON: JUST AN EXAMPLE, IF IT'S NOT A PRIORITY OF
20:44:43 THE ADMINISTRATION, IT DOESN'T GET DONE IN THE CRAs.
20:44:46 AND THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CRAs.
20:44:52 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.
20:44:54 I AM HERE BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPMENT AND MY
20:44:57 REDEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE. THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT
20:45:00 IN MY INTERVIEW WAS EXTENSIVELY MY WORK IN THE CRAs, AND
20:45:03 SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT I WAS RECRUITED HERE TO BRING
20:45:08 THAT EXPERIENCE AND TO WORK WITH THE CRA.
20:45:10 >>BILL CARLSON: I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I RESPECT YOUR
20:45:12 BACKGROUND.
20:45:14 AND MY CRITICISM IS NOTHING ABOUT YOU BECAUSE I THINK YOU
20:45:17 WILL.
20:45:20 THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES IS IN OUR
20:45:22 AGREEMENT, OUTSOURCING AGREEMENT, THE CITY, WE PAY FOR A
20:45:26 FULL-TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND THE NEXT SIX MONTHS IT
20:45:29 SOUND LIKE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, 20% OF YOUR
20:45:31 TIME.
20:45:32 AND SO I RECOMMEND THAT IF YOU COULD PROVIDE INPUT AND
20:45:36 OVERSIGHT, BUT WE NEED THAT FULL TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
20:45:39 WE HAVE TOO MANY THINGS GETTING DONE.
20:45:41 WE CAN'T HAVE A PART TIME PERSON DOING IT.
20:45:43 BUT IF WE ARE ONLY GOING TO HAVE A PART-TIME PERSON DOING
20:45:43 IT, I THINK WE NEED TO RENEGOTIATE THE PAYMENT, THE PAYMENT
20:45:48 THE CITY GOES UP EVERY YEAR UNLESS WE REDUCE IT BY HALF
20:45:52 EVERY YEAR IF WE ARE ONLY GOING TO HAVE A PART-TIME PERSON.
20:45:55 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: LET ME JUST PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT.
20:45:56 IF YOU THINK THAT IT'S BENEFICIAL, I WAS OFFERING MY
20:45:58 EXPERIENCE AND MY EXPERTISE TO COME AND PROVIDE IN THAT GAP.
20:46:01 IF YOU THINK IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR THE CRA BOARD TO GO THROUGH
20:46:05 A RECRUITMENT PROCESS TO FIND A DIRECTOR RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE
20:46:08 TALKING ABOUT THE TURNOVER, SO I AM GOING TO TALK TO YOU
20:46:10 PLAINLY AND CANDIDLY RIGHT NOW.
20:46:12 YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE TURNOVER ON THE BOARD MEMBERS AND
20:46:14 THE VOLUNTEERS.
20:46:15 YOU HAVE A TRANSITION OF STAFF.
20:46:16 I AM WILLING TO STEP IN.
20:46:17 IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN 20%.
20:46:19 THE THINGS THAT I HEARD IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT IS MORE THAN
20:46:23 20% OF MY TIME.
20:46:25 THE ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED TO GIVING ME ANOTHER PERSON
20:46:29 TO HELP ME DO THE WORK IN EAST TAMPA AND TO GET THE WORK
20:46:32 DONE IN THE CRAS AND OTHER THINGS TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE
20:46:35 COMMUNITY.
20:46:36 AND SO --
20:46:37 >>BILL CARLSON: ARE WE MAKING A DECISION THAT SHE'S GOING
20:46:39 TO BE THERE THIS FOREVER?
20:46:41 >>JOSEPH CITRO: NO, THIS IS INTERIM.
20:46:42 >>BILL CARLSON: I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT'S A SIX MONTH
20:46:44 INTERIM. SO WHY ARE WE GOING --
20:46:44 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
20:46:46 >>BILL CARLSON: BUT WHAT ORGANIZATION IS GOING TO HAVE A
20:46:49 SIX MONTH INTERIM?
20:46:50 >>JOSEPH CITRO: UNTIL THE CONTRACT COMES BACK UP.
20:46:52 >>BILL CARLSON: ARE WE NOT GOING TO RENEW THE CONTRACT?
20:46:55 IF WE RENEW THE CONTRACT, THEN WE NEED A FULL-TIME PERSON.
20:46:57 OTHERWISE, WHAT ARE WE RENEWING FOR?
20:47:01 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MS. TRAVIS, DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE BEING
20:47:03 THE INTERIM TILL THE CONTRACT COMES BACK UP?
20:47:07 IF NOT --
20:47:10 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: COUNCILMAN --
20:47:11 >> MR. MASSEY, YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.
20:47:13 I SEE YOU REACH FOR YOUR MICROPHONE.
20:47:16 >>MORRIS MASSEY: THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY, THERE IS
20:47:19 ALREADY FOR SIX MONTHS.
20:47:20 NOW, THE POINT THAT COUNCILMAN CARLSON RAISED IS ABOUT THE
20:47:25 AMOUNT THAT IS ALLOCATED IN THE SERVICES AGREEMENT.
20:47:28 I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT AMOUNT THAT'S ALLOCATED FOR MS.
20:47:33 VAN LOAN'S SALARY IS NECESSARY, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S
20:47:36 GOING TO BE ALLOCATED SOMEWHERE ELSE.
20:47:38 THIS MAY BE A BASIS FOR ADJUSTING THE AGREEMENT.
20:47:41 WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.
20:47:42 >>BILL CARLSON: BUT IF SHE'S GOING TO HIRE ANOTHER STAFF
20:47:44 PERSON TO DO WHAT AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WOULD HAVE DONE --
20:47:45 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: NO, NO, NO, NO.
20:47:46 I AM NOT HIRING YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
20:47:48 I AM NOT HIRING YOUR STAFF.
20:47:49 WHAT I AM TELLING YOU IS THE ADMINISTRATION HAS COMMITTED TO
20:47:52 DOING THE WORK AND PROVIDING ME THE RESOURCES THAT I NEED TO
20:47:56 COME IN AND DO THE WORK.
20:47:57 YOU ARE NOT PAYING FOR THAT FROM THE CRA.
20:47:59 IF THIS BOARD AND THIS BODY WANTS TO PRORATE THE EXECUTIVE
20:48:03 DIRECTOR'S PAY FROM THE TWO WEEKS THAT IT'S EFFECTIVE,
20:48:06 THAT'S THE PREROGATIVE OF THE BOARD.
20:48:09 I AM NOT ADVOCATING TO BE YOUR CRA DIRECTOR.
20:48:12 I AM SIMPLY ASKING -- I AM RECOMMENDING THAT I STEP IN IN
20:48:16 THAT INTERIM PROCESS. IN THIS SIX MONTH PROCESS IF YOU WANT
20:48:20 TO START A RECRUITMENT FOR AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, YOU
20:48:22 ABSOLUTELY CAN DO THAT.
20:48:23 BUT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSITION ON THE BOARD HERE.
20:48:27 YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND GET
20:48:29 THINGS DONE.
20:48:30 THOSE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN IN A VACUUM.
20:48:32 THOSE THINGS HAPPEN BY SOMEBODY LEADING FROM THE TOP AND
20:48:36 SETTING DIRECTION TO THE STAFF.
20:48:37 SO WHILE MR. McCRAY IS HERE AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF IN
20:48:40 THE EAST TAMPA OFFICE TO DO IT, THEIR DIRECTION, THEY STILL
20:48:44 NEED LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTION.
20:48:46 THEY STILL NEED SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND PROVIDE OVERSIGHT
20:48:49 AND GUIDANCE.
20:48:50 I HAVE WORKED WITH THEM.
20:48:51 I HAVE SPOKEN TO MR. McCRAY ON NUMEROUS TIMES.
20:48:55 I WENT TO THE EAST TAMPA CRA MEETING.
20:48:57 IF IT'S THE BOARD'S PREROGATIVE TO HIRE AN EXECUTIVE
20:48:59 DIRECTOR, AND TAKE THE TIME TO DO THAT IN THE INTERIM, AND
20:49:03 NOT HAVE THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU NEED, THAT'S THE BOARD'S
20:49:06 PREROGATIVE.
20:49:07 I AM JUST SAYING THAT YOU HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, A ROOM
20:49:10 FULL OF PEOPLE READY TO MOVE FORWARD, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS
20:49:13 SAID, NICOLE, THIS IS CRA, THIS IS YOUR STAFF, HELP THEM.
20:49:18 >>BILL CARLSON: WE ARE PAYING FOR BOTH.
20:49:20 THAT'S MY POINT.
20:49:21 YOU ARE ALREADY -- YOU ARE THE HEAD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
20:49:24 PLANNING, SO YOU HAVE ALL OF THAT UNDER YOUR PORTFOLIO.
20:49:28 YOU WERE ALREADY DOING EAST TAMPA AND I RESPECT YOUR ABILITY
20:49:31 AND YOU CAN GET LOTS OF VICE FROM CRA.
20:49:34 BUT IF WE HAVE AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ESPECIALLY DURING THE
20:49:35 RAMP-UP PERIOD, WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FULL TIME
20:49:37 LOOKING AT THESE ISSUES AND TRYING TO RESOLVE THEM AND THAT
20:49:40 PERSON CAN PARTNER WITH YOU.
20:49:41 SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES, I DON'T THINK
20:49:43 IT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO HIRE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SO WE HAVE
20:49:47 A NATIONAL SEARCH, AND GET AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHEN IT'S
20:49:51 AVAILABLE.
20:49:53 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: YOU ARE THE BOARD AND YOU CAN MAKE THE
20:49:55 DECISION TO DO THAT.
20:49:56 AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SPLITTING HAIRS, JUST
20:50:00 ON PROCESS AND TECHNICALITIES.
20:50:02 BUT IT'S THE BOARD'S PREROGATIVE. IF YOU HAVE AN EXECUTIVE
20:50:04 DIRECTOR, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS -- YOU ASK FOR THAT, THE
20:50:07 ADMINISTRATION HAS PROVIDED THAT FOR TWO YEARS, YOU HAVE AN
20:50:11 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND A CRA IN PLACE PROVIDING YOU REPORTS
20:50:13 FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
20:50:15 IF YOU WANT TO GO AND GO RECRUIT FOR AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
20:50:20 I WILL HELP YOU DO THAT.
20:50:22 I AM SIMPLY HERE SAYING THAT WE WANT TO HELP.
20:50:26 SO I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT I CAN TAKE UP WITH
20:50:29 YOU GUYS AT ANOTHER TIME.
20:50:31 I SHOULDN'T TAKE UP ANY MORE TIME OF THE CRA.
20:50:34 >> JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
20:50:36 IF THAT'S A MOTION YOU WANT TO MAKE AT THE NEXT CRA BOARD
20:50:39 MEETING, PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS, COUNCILMAN CARLSON, DO THAT
20:50:42 THEN.
20:50:42 LET'S GO FORWARD.
20:50:44 >> I WAS ABOUT TO SAY WE ARE HERE DISCUSSING.
20:50:48 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MA'AM.
20:50:48 WE ARE HERE AT THE CAC AND CRA.
20:50:51 >> IT'S ALMOST 9:00 AND WE STILL HAVE MORE THINGS TO
20:50:54 DISCUSS.
20:50:55 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MA'AM.
20:50:55 >> TO STAY WITH EAST TAMPA.
20:50:57 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MA'AM.
20:50:57 >>BILL CARLSON: MY APOLOGIES TO EVERYONE.
20:51:00 >>JOSEPH CITRO: LET'S GO TO ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM, WHICH WE
20:51:10 HAVE ALREADY TALKED EXTENSIVELY ABOUT, EAST TAMPA CRA STAFF.
20:51:17 WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT?
20:51:19 >> CLINTON PARIS, CAC BOARD MEMBER.
20:51:27 ON THE ISSUES OF STAFFING, FIRST WE NEED TO APPRECIATE THE
20:51:32 DYNAMICS OF WHERE THIS CAC WAS FOR PRETTY MUCH THE LAST YEAR
20:51:37 OR SO.
20:51:41 I THINK CEDRIC MAY BE THE MOST TENURED PERSON WE HAVE ON THE
20:51:46 STAFF.
20:51:46 AND IT'S FINALLY GOTTEN FILLED OUT AT ALMOST EVERY MEETING A
20:51:51 NEW PERSON HAS COME ON THAT CAN TAKE ON SOME OF THE
20:51:54 RESPONSIBILITIES, SO WE THINK WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO THE
20:51:57 STAFFING LEVEL THAT CAN ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
20:52:03 IT DIDN'T APPEAR THAT WHEN I CAME ON, THOUGH, IT HAD THE
20:52:06 SAME LEVEL OF STAFFING.
20:52:07 I THINK WE HAD EVA, ED JOHNSON, AND THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN
20:52:12 THAT CAME AND WENT PRETTY QUICKLY.
20:52:14 BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE STAFFING HAS BEEN AT THE LEVEL
20:52:17 IT HAS BEEN OR NEEDED TO BE FOR A COMMUNITY OF THAT SIZE,
20:52:21 AND A CRA OF THAT SIZE.
20:52:24 SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO POINT OUT AS RELATES
20:52:27 TO STAFFING.
20:52:27 NOW, THAT STAFFING IS A BIG DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE AGAIN MOST
20:52:31 OF THOSE FOLKS COME WITH VERY LITTLE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE
20:52:34 IN OUR COMMUNITY.
20:52:35 AND EAST TAMPA IS A TOUGH COMMUNITY, IT'S A PROUD COMMUNITY,
20:52:39 IT'S A COMMUNITY THAT'S DEMANDING RESULTS.
20:52:43 AND SO I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE CRA BOARD TO BE
20:52:48 DILIGENT IN OVERSEEING THAT STAFF AND MAKING SURE THEY ARE
20:52:52 TAKING CARE OF THINGS THAT WE NEED.
20:52:53 NOW WE ARE TRYING BY ASKING FOR REPORTS AND THINGS OF THAT
20:52:58 NATURE, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON THIS
20:53:00 BOARD TO BE VERY CRITICAL OF THE REPORTS YOU RECEIVE, OF THE
20:53:05 INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO YOU.
20:53:09 AND THE INFORMATION THAT'S NOT BEING PROVIDED TO YOU.
20:53:12 TO PICK UP ON THOSE THINGS, AND ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
20:53:14 A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE THAT WE ASKED
20:53:17 FOR, AND WE THINK WILL EMBELLISH OR HELP US TO SERVE THE
20:53:20 COMMUNITY BETTER.
20:53:21 ONE IS WE ASK FOR HOUSING CONSULTANT.
20:53:24 SOMEONE TO COME INTO EAST TAMPA TO HELP US WITH FIGURING OUT
20:53:27 WHAT IS THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN ASSIST IN SUPPORTING THE
20:53:31 HOUSING NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
20:53:33 A PROFESSIONAL.
20:53:34 AN EXPERT IN THAT FIELD.
20:53:35 NOW WE HAVE PEOPLE SERVING WITH US, THAT HAVE SOME REAL
20:53:39 ESTATE EXPERIENCE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
20:53:41 BUT A TRUE PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT THAT IS REPORTING TO US
20:53:44 ON HOW WE CAN BEST IMPACT THE HOUSING NEEDS IN EAST TAMPA.
20:53:52 WE ALSO ASKED FOR AN SAP CONSULTANT.
20:53:55 IF YOU HAVE TAKEN TIME TO LOOK AT THAT SAP AND MORE
20:53:58 IMPORTANTLY WHEN IT GETS CORRECTED AND GETS TO THE PLACE
20:54:00 THAT IT NEEDS TO BE, IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED DOCUMENT.
20:54:03 AND IT'S GOING TO NEED SOMEBODY WHO CAN CORRELATE BETWEEN
20:54:07 WHAT WE ARE DECIDING TO DO AND WHAT ITS DIRECTING US WILL BE
20:54:11 BEST BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
20:54:13 SO WE ASKED FOR AN SAP CONSULTANT TO BE ALSO, ONCE IT'S
20:54:19 ADOPTED, TO BE PROVIDED SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT
20:54:22 MOVING THE COMMUNITY ALONG IN THE WAY THAT WE PLAN THE
20:54:26 STRATEGIC REPORT IN PLACE AND PAY FOR THIS REPORT TO BE
20:54:29 PROVIDED TO US.
20:54:31 ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED IS INFORMATION THAT'S KEY.
20:54:35 AND WE HAVE ASKED FOR A COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, SOMEBODY
20:54:40 THAT CAN ASSIST US WITH HOW COMMUNICATIONS ARE DISTRIBUTED.
20:54:43 YOU TALK EARLIER ABOUT A ADVERTISING PERSON.
20:54:46 THAT'S SALES.
20:54:46 I'M TALKING ABOUT INFORMATION COMMUNICATION, HOW WE UTILIZE
20:54:50 SOME OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES, HOW DO WE PROVIDE INFORMATION
20:54:54 TO OR FROM THE COMMUNITY, HOW THAT'S FACILITATED BACK INTO
20:54:57 OUR BOARD, AND HOW WE CONNECT ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS EVEN
20:55:01 UP TO THIS BOARD'S LEVEL.
20:55:02 SO THOSE ARE THREE THINGS ON THE STAFFING LEVEL THAT WE HAVE
20:55:05 TRIED TO BRING IN, TO BUILD UP.
20:55:08 EAST TAMPA IS ALMOST LIKE ITS OWN CITY.
20:55:10 AND IT REALLY SHOULD BE STAFFED OUT SO THAT IT HAS THE BEST
20:55:14 CHANCE TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT WE ARE SETTING OUT, TO GET
20:55:18 RID OF THE BLIGHT THAT THE CRA WAS CREATED TO DO.
20:55:23 SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE STUFF IS IN PLACE NOW.
20:55:25 NOW IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
20:55:26 AND IT'S MUCH HARDER TO SEE THE SUFFERING AND STRATEGIES FOR
20:55:30 HOW YOU RESOLVE PEOPLE ISSUES VERSUS PUTTING IN A ROAD.
20:55:34 TAKES A LOT MORE SOFTWARE SKILLS, AND I THINK IF WE CAN GET
20:55:38 THE STAFF BUILT OUT WITH THESE ADDITIONAL THREE PIECES, IT
20:55:42 WILL GET US CLOSER TO BEING ABLE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
20:55:44 THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS ON THE STAFFING LEVEL.
20:55:47 AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS.
20:55:51 I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PASSION FOR EAST TAMPA.
20:55:54 AND SOMETIME LET'S NOT CONFUSE DISAGREEMENT WITH THE LACK OF
20:55:58 PASSION.
20:55:59 WE ALL I THINK WANT THE SAME THING.
20:56:01 SOMETIMES WE MAY DISAGREE HOW WE GET THERE.
20:56:04 THANK YOU.
20:56:05 >> TO BE CLEAR, THOSE THREE THINGS THAT HE JUST REFERENCED
20:56:17 WE VOTED ON AS A BOARD AND THAT WAS APPROVED, WHERE WE NEED
20:56:21 CITY STAFF TO HELP US SEEK OUT THE CONSULTANTS THAT WE HAVE
20:56:23 ALREADY APPROVED.
20:56:24 SO THOSE THREE ITEMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED IN OUR
20:56:27 BUDGET.
20:56:28 WE JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW DO WE HIRE THEM AND WHAT PROCESS WE
20:56:31 NEED TO TAKE IN ORDER TO GET THEM.
20:56:33 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU.
20:56:35 MS. GOODLEY.
20:56:36 >> MS. GOODLEY: OKAY.
20:56:41 I HOPE NONE OF YOU TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY.
20:56:44 BUT I HAVE BEEN COMING UP HERE SINCE 2018, AND EVERYTHING I
20:56:49 KNOW THAT I SAID TONIGHT I HAVE SAID BEFORE.
20:56:52 NOW, EVERYONE EXCEPT FOR COUNCILMEMBER HURTAK WHO IS NEW,
20:56:57 BUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE, YOU HEARD ME SPEAK ON HOW WE ARE
20:57:00 TRYING TO DO LAND ACQUISITIONS SO WE COULD HAVE A GROCERY
20:57:04 STORE.
20:57:05 I EVEN BROUGHT A POTENTIAL GROCERY STORE THAT I LOCATED WHO
20:57:08 WAS INTERESTED IN COMING TO FLORIDA, WHO THEY HAVEN'T BEEN
20:57:12 HERE BEFORE, I EVEN BROUGHT THAT STORE, BROUGHT THE WHOLE
20:57:16 ADDRESS, EVERYTHING, NEVER HEARD EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT.
20:57:19 WE ACQUIRED THE STORE ON LAKE AND 22ND BECAUSE WE WERE
20:57:23 TRYING TO BUILD A GROCERY STORE, BECAUSE WE ALREADY OWNED
20:57:26 TWO LOTS THERE.
20:57:27 SO THE IDEA WAS TO GET THAT AND THE REST OF THE PROPERTY ON
20:57:31 THE STREET SO THAT WE HAVE A LOCATION FOR THE GROCERY STORE,
20:57:34 BECAUSE OUR INITIAL LOCATION, THAT LAND WAS GIVEN IN THE
20:57:39 PACKAGE OF LAND TO DOMAIN HOMES.
20:57:42 SO NOW WE HAD TO FIND MORE LAND IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT
20:57:45 HAPPEN.
20:57:46 I CAME BEFORE YOU WITH THAT.
20:57:48 I CAME BEFORE YOU WHEN WE HAD THE PROPERTY ON 22ND STREET,
20:57:53 THAT WE WERE INITIALLY TRYING TO PUT THE GROCERY STORE.
20:57:56 AND THAT LAND AGAIN, PACKAGED TO DOMAIN HOMES, AND WE WERE
20:58:01 TRYING TO GET IT SWITCHED BACK OUT.
20:58:03 AT THAT TIME THAT WAS OUR MOST IDEAL LOCATION FOR A GROCERY
20:58:06 STORE, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
20:58:10 I CAME BEFORE YOU WITH REGARD TO THE FOOD DESERT WHICH IS
20:58:13 RIGHT BACK TO THE GROCERY STORE IDEA.
20:58:15 I CAME BEFORE YOU WITH THE IDEA FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL POND
20:58:19 ON 26th AND 26th.
20:58:21 AFTER COMPLETING, I CAME AND BROUGHT THOSE IDEAS ABOUT HOW
20:58:25 WE CAN MAKE THAT INTO A DEVELOPMENT, POSSIBLY HAVING SOME
20:58:28 HOUSING, AND GROCERY STORE, CREATING OUR OWN ARMATURE WORKS
20:58:32 IN EAST TAMPA.
20:58:33 I BROUGHT THOSE IDEAS BEFORE YOU.
20:58:36 AND I EVEN BROUGHT THE IDEA OF THE SLOW PROCESSES THAT WE
20:58:39 HAVE IN EAST TAMPA, AND WHY IT TAKES SO LONG FOR THINGS TO
20:58:43 HAPPEN.
20:58:43 SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FOUR-PLUS YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN
20:58:48 BRINGING THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE YOU.
20:58:51 SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW.
20:58:53 AND THIS ISN'T THE FIRST -- WELL, IT MIGHT BE THE FIRST
20:58:57 SPECIAL CALL, BUT WE HAD WORKSHOPS FOR THE EAST TAMPA CRA,
20:59:00 WHERE WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS SAME THING.
20:59:03 SO MY QUESTION IS WHAT'S DIFFERENT NOW?
20:59:06 BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN HEARING THIS FOR YEARS, AND YET WE
20:59:09 HAVE NOTHING.
20:59:11 SO NONE OF THIS IS BRAND NEW.
20:59:14 WE ARE HEARING -- EACH OF YOU ARE SAYING THIS IS BAD, THIS
20:59:18 ISN'T A GOOD THING, WE NEED TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
20:59:21 BUT AGAIN THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN BRINGING TO YOU
20:59:23 FOR FOUR YEARS.
20:59:26 WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SAY -- BECAUSE WE ARE JUST SUPPOSED TO
20:59:30 PROVIDE YOU WITH IDEAS, AND WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING IDEAS.
20:59:34 SO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SAY, WE ARE NOW GOING TO TAKE THOSE
20:59:38 AND WE ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT IT?
20:59:39 WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN YOU.
20:59:42 YOU ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THE IDEAS AND HELP MOVE IT ALONG.
20:59:44 WHEN IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN?
20:59:47 BECAUSE TONIGHT I AM HEARING ALL THESE IDEAS HAPPEN AGAIN,
20:59:50 THAT I AM JUST GETTING FLASHBACKS FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF
20:59:53 BRINGING THESE IDEAS.
20:59:54 SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR HOW EACH OF YOU PLAN TO MAKE THIS
20:59:58 HAPPEN FOR EAST TAMPA.
21:00:00 IF EACH OF YOU CAN SAY, THIS IS WHAT I AM COMMITTED TO, SO
21:00:03 NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SAY, WELL, GUDES IS
21:00:08 COMMITTED TO THIS, HURTAK, CITRO, MANISCALCO, YES, MIRANDA,
21:00:15 CITRO, ALL ARE COMMITTED TO THIS, SO NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING
21:00:17 THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE TO THE BANK.
21:00:20 SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TAKE THIS, WHAT WE
21:00:23 HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT STAFF, IDEAS THAT WE HAVE,
21:00:27 EVERYTHING, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO TURN THIS AROUND FOR EAST
21:00:30 TAMPA?
21:00:31 BECAUSE IT'S NOT A NEW IDEA AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING SEPARATE.
21:00:35 COUNCILWOMAN HURTAK, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU HEARD FOR
21:00:38 THE FIRST TIME.
21:00:39 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ANYONE ELSE?
21:00:42 >> WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ANSWERS.
21:00:44 >>ORLANDO GUDES: YOU ARE ASKING FOR ANSWERS FROM THIS
21:00:44 COUNCIL? MS. GOODLEY, YOU KNOW, I HAVE ASKED THESE THINGS
21:00:53 SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE.
21:00:56 ASKED WHEN I WAS IN THE CDC.
21:01:00 I HATE THAT WORD, STRONG FOR AMERICA.
21:01:03 I CAN'T TELL EMPLOYEES WHAT TO DO.
21:01:05 I CAN ASK.
21:01:06 I CAN PUT A MOTION IN, AND THE BEST ANSWER I GET WHATEVER
21:01:11 STAFF BRINGS ME BACK, AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO GO WITH.
21:01:14 I CAN'T TELL STAFF.
21:01:16 ALL I CAN DO IS BOARD DECISIONS AND LEGISLATION.
21:01:22 AS FAR AS I CAN PUT THE IDEA ON THE TABLE.
21:01:24 AND I CAN PUT A MOTION IN, GET A SECOND, GET A ROLL CALL.
21:01:32 IT GOES TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR REVIEW.
21:01:36 WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR STAFF MEETINGS, AND IN 30 DAYS OR 60
21:01:40 DAYS WHEN WE ASK FOR IT TO COME BACK, THEY COME BACK AND
21:01:42 STAND BEFORE US AND TELL US WHAT THEY CAN DO AND WHAT THEY
21:01:45 CAN'T DO.
21:01:46 I ALWAYS SAY I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU CAN'T DO, I WANT
21:01:49 TO KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO.
21:01:50 SO FOR ME, IT'S MORE OR LESS ONCE WE MAKE THE
21:01:56 RECOMMENDATION, WE NEED THE SUPPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
21:01:58 NOW, THE CRA IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
21:02:01 AGAIN, THE WAY OUR CRA IS WRITTEN, WE HAVE AN AGENDA, DON'T
21:02:10 ANSWER TO US.
21:02:11 THEN WHAT YOU HAVE IS THE MANAGER THEN TAKES IT UP TO THE
21:02:17 CITY EMPLOYEES TO TRY TO IMPLEMENT, OR GET HIS FEEDBACK OR
21:02:20 WHATEVER.
21:02:22 AND AGAIN, GIVE ME A YAY OR NAY.
21:02:27 I CAN'T MAKE THEM DO ANYTHING.
21:02:29 NOW, MR. CARLSON SAYS DO WE WANT TO OUTSOURCE?
21:02:34 THAT MEANS MORE MONEY IS GOING TO COME OUT OF YOUR CRA
21:02:36 BUDGET VERSUS THE CITY HELP TO GET IT DONE, WHICH NOW THE
21:02:42 LAWYERS FEE, WE ARE PAYING THAT, PAYING DIFFERENT THINGS,
21:02:47 BUT IF WE SAY WE ARE GOING TO OUTSOURCE THIS PROJECT, IT
21:02:49 MEANS WE HAVE TO PUT THE BILL IN.
21:02:55 WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT DOWN THE ROAD.
21:02:57 WE HAVE TO LOOK AND SAY IT HAS TO BE OUTSOURCED AND MAYBE
21:03:00 THE CITY IS TOO BUSY BECAUSE THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS AND THEY
21:03:03 CAN'T GET THAT DONE FOR US AS FAST AS WE WANT IT DONE.
21:03:07 THAT'S THE BEST I CAN SEE.
21:03:10 SO IT FRUSTRATES ME SOMETIME.
21:03:12 BUT I AM GOING TO TELL YOU THE WAY IT IS.
21:03:18 I CAN ONLY DO WHAT I CAN DO.
21:03:19 AND ASK WHAT I CAN ASK.
21:03:21 SO THAT'S MY TAKE ON IT.
21:03:23 I AM GOING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MOTIONS AND CONTINUE TO GET
21:03:25 THEIR ANSWERS.
21:03:28 AND GET THE JOB DONE.
21:03:29 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
21:03:31 >>BILL CARLSON: IN A LONG DISCUSSION THAT I WAS HAVING IT
21:03:34 SEEMED LIKE I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT EAST TAMPA IS REALLY
21:03:36 TRYING TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC ISSUE THAT I THINK IS FACING
21:03:39 US IS THAT CRA IS A SEPARATE ENTITY FROM THE CITY, BUT WE
21:03:43 CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THE CITY'S APPROVAL.
21:03:47 EVEN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND STAFF WE HAVE, THEY ARE ALL
21:03:50 CITY EMPLOYEES AND THEY REPORT TO THE CITY.
21:03:52 IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, THE HEAD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
21:03:55 WAS ALSO HEAD OF CRA AND THE CRA MEETINGS LASTED A HALF
21:03:58 HOUR, AND THE CRAs WERE SUBSIDIES FOR DEVELOPERS, THAT THE
21:04:04 ADMINISTRATION WANTED TO DEVELOP.
21:04:06 AND ALSO BY THE WAY, I HAVE ATTENDED TWO OR THREE OF YOUR
21:04:11 CAC MEETINGS, BUT THEN WE GOT A HAND SLAP BY THE LAWYERS WHO
21:04:14 SAID YOU GUYS CAN'T ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS.
21:04:17 WELL, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO ANYTHING IF WE CAN'T ATTEND
21:04:20 THE MEETINGS, CAN'T LISTEN TO ANYTHING?
21:04:21 ALL WE HEAR IS SHORT UPDATES EVERY MONTH AND THE EXECUTIVE
21:04:24 DIRECTOR WOULD UPDATE US 15 MINUTES EVERY MONTH.
21:04:27 SO WHAT I WOULD -- WHAT I AM GOING TO DO IN THE NEXT MEETING
21:04:30 IS I AM GOING PROPOSE GETTING A FULL TIME EXECUTIVE
21:04:32 DIRECTOR.
21:04:32 WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO RELY ON MS. TRAVIS' UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
21:04:38 AND SUCCESSES, BUT WE NEED A FULL-TIME PERSON TO LOOK OVER
21:04:42 THIS.
21:04:42 IT'S OUR DUTY IN THE WAY WE ARE USING THIS MONEY AND WE
21:04:44 CAN'T HAVE A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
21:04:46 I THINK WE HAVE GOT GREAT STAFF MEMBERS ASSIGNED, BUT THEY
21:04:48 NEED DIRECTION AND THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO WOULD WORK WITH
21:04:51 YOU ALL AND THEY NEED TO NOT BE STOPPED BY THE CITY
21:04:54 ADMINISTRATION FROM DOING IT.
21:04:56 IF THE ONLY WAY TO HANDLE IT IS TO HAND IT OVER TO THE
21:04:59 MAYOR'S OFFICE THEN WE HAVE TO GET RESULTS.
21:05:03 I DON'T KNOW IF MORRIS WOULD LET US DO THIS, BUT WE ARE
21:05:06 SEVEN OF US IN CRA DISTRICT.
21:05:09 WHAT IF WE EACH TOOK ONE AND SAID WE'LL LISTEN AND BE THE
21:05:13 LIAISON BACK TO THE BOARD.
21:05:14 I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
21:05:16 BUT IF THIS CRA BOARD IS GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRA
21:05:19 DISTRICTS AND MONEY, WE HAVE TO BE MORE INVOLVED, AND WE
21:05:21 HAVE TO GET A LOT MORE INFORMATION, CAN'T RELY COMPLETELY ON
21:05:25 STAFF AND DEFINITELY CAN'T RELY ON THE CITY.
21:05:27 THANK YOU.
21:05:27 >>MORRIS MASSEY: JUST TO ADDRESS IT, WITH YOU ALL ATTENDING
21:05:33 CAC MEETINGS, WE HAVE AN ADOPTED POLICY ABOUT HOW THAT'S
21:05:37 SUPPOSED TO BE DONE.
21:05:37 BUT PART OF THE ISSUE IS, IF MORE THAN ONE OF YOU ATTEND A
21:05:41 CAC MEETING, THEN THERE IS A RISK OF THIS BECOMING A
21:05:46 VIOLATION OF SUNSHINE, BECAUSE THEN YOU ARE BASICALLY
21:05:49 CONDUCTING CRA BUSINESS OR DISCUSSING ISSUES THAT WOULD COME
21:05:52 BEFORE YOU AS A BODY, AND YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO OF YOU
21:05:56 DISCUSSING THAT OUTSIDE OF THE NOTICED MEETING.
21:06:00 >>BILL CARLSON: COULD WE EACH BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE, ONE
21:06:03 OF US RESPONSIBLE FOR TWO, BUT IF WE COULD EACH BE
21:06:05 RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE THEN WE CAN ATTEND AND ADVOCATE LIKE A
21:06:10 LIAISON LIKE --
21:06:12 >>MORRIS MASSEY: WE CAN LOOK AT TWEAKING YOUR POLICY AS
21:06:14 LONG AS IT'S ONLY ONE OF YOU THAT ATTEND, AND I WOULD BE
21:06:17 HAPPY TO LOOK AT THE SUNSHINE LAWS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT
21:06:20 RUNNING AFOUL WITH THAT AND THAT'S SOMETHING WEAK LOOK AT.
21:06:23 WHAT YOUR POLICY SAYS NOW IS ONE OF YOU, NOT MORE THAN ONE
21:06:26 BUT ONE OF YOU CAN ATTEND A CAC MEETING.
21:06:29 YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE THAT, AND ANNOUNCE THE
21:06:33 REASON WHY YOU ARE ATTENDING THE CAC MEETING, AND YOU ARABLE
21:06:37 THERE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE OR REASON, AND THEN YOU LEAVE
21:06:39 THE CAC MEETING.
21:06:41 ALSO, PART OF THIS, THE STRUCTURE OF ALL OF THIS IS THAT THE
21:06:45 CACS ARE SUPPOSED TO OPERATE AS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO YOU
21:06:49 ALL, AND I UNDERSTAND YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND
21:06:54 WHAT THE CACS ARE SAYING AND THAT'S COMMUNICATED TO YOU AND
21:06:57 THAT'S PART OF YOUR CONCERN.
21:06:58 BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THE CACS ARE ALLOWED TO
21:07:02 INDEPENDENTLY KIND OF FORMULATE POLICIES AND PROPOSALS THAT
21:07:06 COME BEFORE YOU.
21:07:08 I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE IDEA.
21:07:09 BUT IT'S A COMMUNITY BASED KIND OF CONCEPT AND NOT SOMETHING
21:07:15 THAT'S PUSHED DOWN FROM THE CRA BOARD.
21:07:17 I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE CONSTRUCTED IT THE WAY
21:07:20 WE HAVE.
21:07:20 >> COUNCILMAN MANISCALCO?
21:07:24 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: IN RESPONSE TO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IS I
21:07:28 WANT EAST TAMPA PRIORITIZED LIKE OTHER PROJECTS IN OTHER
21:07:31 PARTS OF THE CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE JULIAN LANE RIVERFRONT
21:07:36 PARK, THE PREVIOUS MAYOR WANTED A MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND
21:07:42 COMPLETION DATE, AND MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND THERE WAS A BIG
21:07:46 SHEBANG, $36 MILLION.
21:07:47 THE HANNA PROJECT, THAT HAS AN ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF
21:07:53 NEXT SPRING, NEXT APRIL, I THINK.
21:07:55 RIGHT BEFORE OR RIGHT AFTER ELECTIONS.
21:07:58 RIGHT?
21:07:59 BUT 100 MILLION PLUS DOLLAR PROJECT GETS A COMPLETION DATE
21:08:03 BUT EAST TAMPA CAN'T GET BASIC THINGS DONE WITHOUT BEING
21:08:06 HELD UP FOR WHATEVER REASON, BUT WHAT IS PRIORITIZED,
21:08:10 WHOEVER IS IN POWER, WHATEVER, IT GETS DONE.
21:08:13 EAST TAMPA DESERVES THAT SAME RESPECT AND PRIORITY.
21:08:17 THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT.
21:08:18 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN VIERA.
21:08:20 >>LUIS VIERA: YOU KNOW, WHEN I SPEAK ON THINGS, I WILL WEAR
21:08:24 BOTH MY CITY COUNCIL HAT AND MY CRA HAT BECAUSE I KIND OF
21:08:26 THINK THEY OBVIOUSLY GO TOGETHER.
21:08:29 YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE OF THE THINGS I BROUGHT UP TONIGHT, I
21:08:31 WOULD LOVE TO SEE CONSISTENT WITH THE LAWS, MR. MASSEY SPOKE
21:08:35 ABOUT, IF WE CAN GET CRAs TO START DEALING FURTHER WITH
21:08:41 TRAINING ISSUES, AND WE HAVE THE GOOD FOLKS FROM THE SKILLS
21:08:44 CENTER HERE TONIGHT, BUT PARTICULARLY GIVEN TO MAKE SURE WE
21:08:47 ARE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THURSDAY IN TAMPA CITY COUNCIL
21:08:49 WHICH IS RETURNING CITIZENS.
21:08:51 IF WE CAN GET CRAs IN A LEGALLY CONSISTENT AND PROPER WAY
21:08:58 TO GRANTS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, TO HELP SUPPORT TRAINING IN
21:09:04 EAST TAMPA AND IN OUR CRAs, FOR FOLKS WHO ARE LEAVING
21:09:07 PRISONS AND JUST WANT TO RETURN TO WORK AND JUST PROVIDE
21:09:10 MONEY FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, THAT'S
21:09:13 AWESOME.
21:09:16 I'M 110% COMMITTED TO THAT.
21:09:18 ONE THING THAT ALSO THAT WE PASSED, I GUESS LAST WEEK, IN
21:09:22 CITY COUNCIL, IS MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR PARKS ARE
21:09:24 DISABILITY FRIENDLY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ACUTELY
21:09:28 AFFECTS EAST TAMPA.
21:09:29 A LOT OF CHILDREN THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR CITY WITH SPECIAL
21:09:33 NEED, DISABILITIES, BUT IN CERTAIN PARTS OF OUR CITY THEY
21:09:36 ARE NOT LOOKED AT BY GOVERNMENT, AND BY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS,
21:09:41 THE WAY THAT SHE THEY SHOULD.
21:09:43 AND I THINK THAT PARKS AND RECREATION IS ONE OF THOSE GREAT
21:09:46 AREAS, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO PUSH FOR YOUTH PROGRAMS,
21:09:48 AGAIN, IF WE CAN, THROUGH OUR CRAS.
21:09:51 ET CETERA.
21:09:53 ON TOP OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, THINGS
21:09:56 LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THINGS LIKE TRANSPORTATION, I WANT
21:09:58 TO SEE TO IT THAT WE HAVE WHAT I WOULD CALL FOR LACK OF USE
21:10:03 OF A BETTER TERM, SOCIAL WELFARE AGENDA, WHEN IT COMES TO
21:10:06 THE GENERAL WELFARE, THE GREATER GOOD, THE GREATER GOOD IN
21:10:10 TERMS OF INVESTING IN PROGRAMS THAT PUT OUR KIDS TO WORK,
21:10:12 THAT PUT PEOPLE WHO WANT KILLS ON THE PATHWAY TO GETTING
21:10:16 THOUGH SKILLS AND GIVING PEOPLE HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY.
21:10:19 I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT'S WORTH IT AND
21:10:21 OBVIOUSLY A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THAT.
21:10:23 JUST SOME GENERAL IDEAS, AGAIN KIND OF WEARING BOTH HATS IN
21:10:26 THOSE REMARKS.
21:10:26 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILMAN MIRANDA?
21:10:31 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: I HAVE A DIFFERENT IDEA THAN MOST MAYBE.
21:10:35 I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A CAC MEETING.
21:10:38 VERY SIMPLE THE WAY I LOOK AT IT MAY BE DIFFERENT, AND MAY
21:10:41 BE TOTALLY WRONG.
21:10:42 BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE A SITTING COUNCILMEMBER AND A
21:10:46 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, SITTING HERE, AND LISTENING TO THE
21:10:49 CRA, WHEN I HAVE ALREADY BEEN THERE, AND NOT BECAUSE OF ME,
21:10:53 BUT THIS IS MY FEELING PERSONALLY.
21:10:54 IF I SIT THERE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, SOMEBODY MAY SAY, I
21:11:02 DON'T WANT TO CHANGE ANYONE'S IDEA.
21:11:03 THIS IS YOUR BABY.
21:11:04 THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'M ALL
21:11:07 FOR IT.
21:11:08 BUT I HAVE GOT TO GET MYSELF AWAY FROM THAT, BECAUSE WHEN I
21:11:11 SIT HERE, AS A MEMBER OF A VOTING BODY OF A CRA, I DON'T
21:11:15 WANT TO HAVE A CONFLICT.
21:11:16 I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER ANYTHING THAT I SAW. I WANT TO
21:11:23 WORK ON IT TO GET IT ACCOMPLISHED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER,
21:11:25 WHETHER THAT'S RIGHT OR BAD, I AM NOT APOLOGIZING.
21:11:28 THAT'S JUST THE WAY I FEEL.
21:11:30 ALSO, CARRYING ALL THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT.
21:11:34 NEVER.
21:11:35 WHY?
21:11:36 YOU CAN FIX A PROBLEM.
21:11:37 YOU CAN NEVER FIX A PERCEPTION OF A PROBLEM.
21:11:40 THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
21:11:40 >>JOSEPH CITRO: COUNCILWOMAN HURTAK.
21:11:45 >>LYNN HURTAK: I AM GOING TO GIVE THIS A SHOT BECAUSE YOU
21:11:47 ASKED FOR SPECIFIC THINGS.
21:11:49 SO WHAT I AM GOING TO DO, AND BECAUSE I JUST HAVEN'T HAD A
21:11:54 CHANCE, I HAVE ONLY BEEN IN THIS POSITION FOR TWO WEEKS, I
21:11:57 AM GOING TO READ THE SAP.
21:11:59 I AM GOING TO READ IT.
21:12:00 I AM GOING TO GO BACK AND READ THE CRP.
21:12:04 I AM GOING TO FOCUS ON THIS RETREAT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE
21:12:08 THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO MAKE ANYTHING
21:12:11 BETTER.
21:12:11 AND I AM ALSO GOING TO SAY THAT I WILL -- IF I CAN'T GO TO
21:12:16 THE HEARING, I WILL READ THE MINUTES.
21:12:18 I WILL ASK QUESTIONS, IF I HAVE QUESTIONS, I WILL ASK
21:12:21 QUESTIONS OF STAFF.
21:12:22 IF I AM ALLOWED TO CALL MS. TATE AND ASK QUESTIONS I WILL DO
21:12:26 THAT.
21:12:26 SO THOSE ARE THE THREE ACTIONABLE ITEMS THAT I AM GOING TO
21:12:30 DO FOR YOU.
21:12:37 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MRS. GOODLEY?
21:12:40 MANY OF YOU ON THE CAC BOARD HAVE SEEN ME AT YOUR MEETINGS.
21:12:48 I GO THERE STRICTLY FOR ONE THING.
21:12:51 PUBLIC COMMENT.
21:12:53 I WANT TO HEAR WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS SAYING.
21:12:57 I HAVE BEEN THERE ON MANY, MANY INDICATIONS, WHICH I AM SURE
21:13:01 EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, BUT THE MINUTE ONE MOTION IS MADE,
21:13:08 I'M OUT THE DOOR, SIMPLY BECAUSE I WANT YOUR INFORMATION TO
21:13:12 COME HERE.
21:13:13 I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT AT THE CAC MEETING.
21:13:20 MY GRANDMOTHER TOLD ME YESTERDAY IS PASSED, TOMORROW MAY
21:13:25 NEVER COME, TODAY IS HERE AND NOW.
21:13:29 AND WHAT WE HAVE STARTED HERE AND NOW IS A MAJOR CONCERN OF
21:13:35 MINE.
21:13:35 THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GUDES, FOR CALLING FOR THIS.
21:13:40 BUT WE HAVE HEARD A WHOLE PLETHORA OF THINGS THAT WE -- WHEN
21:13:45 I SAY WE, NEED TO WORK ON.
21:13:48 MY GRANDMOTHER ALSO TOLD ME, WE COULD FAIL ON OUR OWN.
21:13:55 WE NEED OTHERS TO SUCCEED.
21:13:58 AND I'M HOPING MY FOCUS IS GOING TO BE USING MS. TRAVIS'
21:14:05 SKILLS, MR. McCRAY'S SKILLS, THE CAC SKILLS, AND CONCERNS.
21:14:15 I WANT THIS TO MOVE FORWARD.
21:14:18 I WANT THIS TO BE THE BEST CAC -- CRA THE CITY OF TAMPA.
21:14:24 THAT IS MY FOCUS, IS TO HAVE RENEWED RESPECT, WORKING
21:14:29 TOGETHER, AND GETTING THINGS DONE.
21:14:34 MS. GOODLEY, THAT'S MY ANSWER TO YOU.
21:14:35 >> THANK YOU.
21:14:38 I JUST WANT TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT TO ABOUT
21:14:42 ATTENDING CAC MEETINGS BUT THAT WASN'T WHAT I WAS ASKING
21:14:45 ABOUT.
21:14:45 IT WAS THAT WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN
21:14:48 HEARING THIS FOR OVER FOUR YEARS, WHAT WE COMMITTED TO DO
21:14:51 THIS TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BECAUSE
21:14:56 THIS ISN'T NEW.
21:14:57 EVERYTHING YOU ARE HEARING IS REGURGITATED FOR FOUR YEARS.
21:15:01 THAT WAS ULTIMATELY WHAT I WAS ASKING.
21:15:04 SO I AM GOING TO LET --
21:15:06 >> AND NOW WE HAVE CHANGES, AND MY COMMITMENT IS TO MAKE
21:15:09 SURE THOSE CHANGES COME TO FRUITION.
21:15:11 >> THANK YOU.
21:15:13 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MS. BURTON.
21:15:14 >> SO WE BIRTH THE BABY AND THE BABY IS ALMOST 20 YEARS OLD.
21:15:20 AND I CAN TELL YOU AIN'T NO DEALS BEING MADE AT THE CRA
21:15:23 MEETING.
21:15:24 MAYBE -- IT DON'T HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
21:15:28 I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT.
21:15:30 THAT THIS PASSIVE ATTEMPT, I THINK COUNCILMAN GUIDO AND BILL
21:15:40 DID AS NON-BLACK MEN, WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT,
21:15:43 STRONG FORM OF MAYOR, WHAT THAT MEANS.
21:15:46 A DELIBERATE ACTION, WHETHER THAT MAYOR, THIS MAYOR OR OTHER
21:15:50 MAYORS THAT HAS MADE A DECISION THAT THIS COMMUNITY AIN'T
21:15:53 GOING TO MOVE NO FURTHER.
21:15:55 WE ARE PAYING IN SALARIES, I BELIEVE, OVER HALF A MILLION
21:16:00 DOLLARS, OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN SALARIES, AND WE ARE
21:16:06 GOING TO GET ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE TALKING
21:16:08 ABOUT, AND ARE WE SAYING THAT'S GOING TO THE RFP, IF YOU
21:16:12 DIDN'T DO IT BEFORE, DON'T TRY TO RECREATE THE WHEEL.
21:16:15 WE ARE TWEAKING OURSELVES.
21:16:17 WE JUST WANT SIMPLE ROOFS TO BE REHABBED ON THE PROPERTY.
21:16:23 WE HAVE $2 MILLION IN THE BUDGET.
21:16:24 WE WANT SIMPLE HOUSES SO WORKERS STAY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
21:16:27 IF THIS MAYOR, AND YOU ALL, PLACATE TO HER WISHES, THAT YOU
21:16:34 ARE GOING TO IGNORE EAST TAMPA BECAUSE OF SOME STRONG WILLED
21:16:41 MAYOR, I NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE YOU GOT A
21:16:44 SINGLE VOTE FOR EVERYBODY.
21:16:45 WE HAVE ASKING, SOME PEOPLE DO SOME BEGGING, NOTHING.
21:16:52 I JUST COME OUT AND PUT IT ON THE TABLE.
21:16:55 AND SO THIS IS WAY PAST MY BEDTIME.
21:16:59 BUT I JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE LAID A LOT OUT
21:17:04 TO YOU ALL.
21:17:05 YOU ALL KNOW THE PROBLEMS IN EAST TAMPA.
21:17:08 WE CANNOT AS LEADERS GO BACK IN GOOD FAITH AND SAY WE HAD A
21:17:11 GOOD CONVERSATION.
21:17:13 WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THIS STAFF IS GOING TO BE AT 100%
21:17:17 PERFORMANCE.
21:17:17 WE CAN SAY THAT.
21:17:18 BUT IF THE MAYOR SAYS NO, THEN HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REBUKE
21:17:22 WHAT SHE'S SAYING?
21:17:23 THAT'S WHAT I AM GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR.
21:17:25 WHO GOING TO STAND UP TO THE MAYOR WHEN EAST TAMPA IS JUST
21:17:29 DROWNING IN MISERY?
21:17:32 IF THEY DON'T SAY HOPELESS, WHEN WE GOT CONTINUING GUN
21:17:35 BATTLES, WE GOT DOUBLE DIGIT UNEMPLOYMENT, WE GOT HOUSES
21:17:39 FALLING APART, THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE COMING IN AND
21:17:41 BUILDING FOR $400,000.
21:17:45 I WANT MY LEGACY TO SAY SOMETHING FOR ME.
21:17:51 POOR WOMAN, COULD SAY UNSKILLED WOMAN, YOU COULD EVEN SAY
21:17:55 UNEDUCATED, BUT ONE THING PLEASE SAY THIS ABOUT ME, I'M
21:17:59 DETERMINED TO FIGHT LIKE HELL ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF THE
21:18:02 GATE.
21:18:04 OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES IT.
21:18:06 WE WANT IT.
21:18:07 WE ARE DEPENDING ON YOU TO DO IT.
21:18:09 WE VOTE FOR YOU GUYS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
21:18:12 AND SO IF YOU HAVE TO GO AND TELL THE MAYOR AND THE STAFF,
21:18:17 EAST TAMPA IS TOP PRIORITY, LIKE MS. GOODLEY SAY, WE ASKED
21:18:22 FOR FOUR YEARS AGO, I APPRECIATE HER LEADERSHIP THAT SHE'S
21:18:26 STILL IN THE GAME.
21:18:27 WE WANT IT DONE AND WE WANT IT DONE IMMEDIATELY.
21:18:30 SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN APRIL, DON'T PLAN US NO CHRISTMAS,
21:18:33 WE WANT TO SEE A REHAB PROGRAM ASAP.
21:18:39 WE WANT THAT ASAP.
21:18:41 WE WANT TO SEE A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WITH WORKERS IN OUR
21:18:44 COMMUNITY.
21:18:44 WE GOT THE MONEY.
21:18:45 MAKE IT HAPPEN.
21:18:46 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
21:18:47 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MS. BURTON.
21:18:51 ALL RIGHT.
21:18:52 WE HAVE ONE LAST AGENDA ITEM, AND THAT'S MEETINGS AND
21:18:55 LOGISTICS.
21:18:58 WHICH CAC MEMBERS WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT MEETINGS AND
21:19:01 LOGISTICS?
21:19:02 >> I KNOW THE HOUR IS LATE, SO I WILL MAKE IT REALLY QUICK.
21:19:12 WHEN I CAME ON THE CAC, THE ACCOMMODATIONS WERE HORRENDOUS.
21:19:20 I THINK SOMEBODY TOOK THEIR iPHONE AND PUT IT ON THE TABLE
21:19:23 IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROOM AND EVERYBODY TRIED TO YELL AND
21:19:25 SCREAM AND HEAR WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
21:19:27 AND IT WAS JUST A COMPLETE DISREGARD AND DISRESPECT FOR WHAT
21:19:34 THE CITY CAN PROVIDE.
21:19:36 AND IT IS THE EPITOME OF SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU SEE.
21:19:40 I THINK COUNCILMAN GUDES, YOU KNOW, LOOKED AT IT, AND IT
21:19:46 LOOKS LIKE A MOVIE PRODUCTION THAT'S HAPPENING IN THAT ROOM
21:19:49 NOW.
21:19:49 BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL HE REALLY STOMPED AND YELLED AND
21:19:54 KICKED DEMANDING THAT WE GET THE APPROPRIATE CAMERAS IN THE
21:20:00 ROOM, MICROPHONES ON ALL THE TABLES, THAT THE SCREEN WOULD
21:20:02 BE SET UP, AND ALL THE STAFFING YOU NEED TO MAKE THAT THING
21:20:05 OPERATE.
21:20:07 WE NEED THAT KIND OF INPUT APPLIED TO ALL THE OTHER THINGS
21:20:10 THAT WE NEED.
21:20:10 SO THE LOCATION FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IS A GREAT LOCATION.
21:20:15 THE MEETING ROOM ACCOMMODATES PEOPLE.
21:20:17 I THINK WE COULD USE A PODIUM FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO AND
21:20:20 STAND AT WHEN THEY COME TO SPEAK.
21:20:23 RIGHT NOW IT'S A TABLE.
21:20:24 BUT FOR WHAT WE HAVE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUT, AND THAT'S
21:20:28 18 YEARS LATER, IT'S JUST THE EPITOME OF I THINK OF WHAT CAN
21:20:31 BE DONE IF THE ENERGY AND EFFORT IS PUT BEHIND GETTING
21:20:35 THINGS AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL.
21:20:36 SO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, WE DO HAVE SOME -- SENIORS WANT
21:20:42 THAT ROOM, BUT BESIDES THAT, THE ACCOMMODATION FOR THE
21:20:45 MEETING I THINK IS MORE THAN ADEQUATE.
21:20:47 THANK YOU.
21:20:48 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THANK YOU, MR. PARIS.
21:20:51 ANYONE ELSE?
21:20:57 ANY OTHER CAC MEMBERS WANT TO SPEAK?
21:21:03 MS. TRAVIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT?
21:21:05 >>NICOLE TRAVIS: MEETINGS AND LOGISTICS?
21:21:14 I WENT TO RAGAN PARK. I HAVE TO AGREE WITH WHAT MR. PARIS
21:21:21 SAID, THERE WAS A LOT OF STAFF, I.T., THAT WAS PUTTING
21:21:27 TOGETHER THE MICROPHONES, AND IT WAS REALLY A PRODUCTION,
21:21:31 OUTSIDE OF MY EXPERTISE, BUT I WAS JUST TALKING TO MR.
21:21:35 McCRAY THAT WE CAN TRY TO RECONFIGURE THE ROOM TO MAKE
21:21:38 SURE THERE'S A PODIUM THERE AND MAKE SURE LOGISTICALLY THE
21:21:42 MEETING SPACE FUNCTIONS FOR THE CAC.
21:21:44 ALSO, WHEN WE TALKING ABOUT RETREATS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE
21:21:47 THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING OUR VOLUNTEERS SO THEY CAN DO THE
21:21:50 WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY.
21:21:51 SO NO CHANGES TO THAT, AS MUCH AS WE CAN TRY TO ACCOMMODATE,
21:21:57 THERE WILL BE A PODIUM IN PLACE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
21:22:00 >>JOSEPH CITRO: ONE QUESTION, I WOULD LIKE TO THROW OUT TO
21:22:05 SOME OF THE CAC MEMBERS.
21:22:08 ARE THE DATES AND TIMES CONVENIENT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR
21:22:14 THE CAC MEMBERS?
21:22:20 >> IT'S UP AND DOWN.
21:22:21 I THINK THE MAJORITY OF MY BOARD MEMBERS, IF I AM CORRECT,
21:22:29 WORK.
21:22:29 SO WHAT WE DID DO, WE VOTED ON THE CAC MEETINGS BEGINNING
21:22:36 NEXT MONTH, MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER, WE'LL MEET IN THE EVENING
21:22:43 TIME.
21:22:44 AND THEN THE FOLLOWING TIME WE'LL MEET IN THE MORNING.
21:22:50 IT'S A STRUGGLE.
21:22:51 BUT WE DO IT BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE OUR COMMUNITY MOVE
21:22:56 FORWARD.
21:22:57 IT'S A STRUGGLE FOR THOSE THAT WORK.
21:22:59 IT'S A STRUGGLE FOR THOSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DRIVE BETTER
21:23:05 IN THE EVENINGS BUT WE DO IT BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE DONE.
21:23:07 WE WANT TO SEE EAST TAMPA MOVE FORWARD.
21:23:09 >>JOSEPH CITRO: THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HEARD FROM
21:23:12 THE COMMUNITY, IS THEY WORK, MOTHERS HAVE CHILDREN, THEY
21:23:17 CAN'T MAKE IT THERE IN THE MEETING, AND THEY CAN'T BE ONLINE
21:23:21 BECAUSE THEY ARE AT WORK.
21:23:23 IT WOULD BE MORE CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO BE THERE IN THE
21:23:28 EVENINGS AFTER WORK, AND THEY CAN BRING THE CHILDREN ALONG
21:23:31 TO SHOW HOW THINGS WORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
21:23:33 SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I ASK THAT QUESTION.
21:23:36 >> AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO ADD ABOUT THAT.
21:23:41 WE NEED BETTER CHAIRS IN THERE.
21:23:43 WE HAVE SENIOR CITIZENS THAT COME IN AND IT'S VERY
21:23:48 UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN YOU ARE SITTING FOR TWO HOURS IN THE TYPE
21:23:51 OF CHAIRS THAT ARE LOCATED IN OUR FACILITY.
21:23:53 WE NEED BETTER CHAIRS TO SUPPORT MYSELF, MY LUMBAR.
21:23:59 I HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED.
21:24:00 AND I HAVE TO STAND UP AND TAKE A WALK, BECAUSE OF PRESSURE.
21:24:04 BUT THE CHAIRS WE HAVE IN RAGAN PARK, WE NEED BETTER.
21:24:09 BECAUSE WHEN YOUR BODY IS STRESSED, YOUR MIND IS NOT
21:24:15 THINKING WITH ALL CLARITY.
21:24:23 SO I'M ASKING FOR THAT. SO WE DO WANT MINUTES AS STATED IN
21:24:25 A TIMELY MANNER WITH ALL OF THE PACKAGE INDENTS SO WE CAN
21:24:31 READ THIS STUFF, AND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT
21:24:33 READING INFORMATION, DON'T EXPECT TO COME TO THE MEETING AND
21:24:36 NOT BE PREPARED.
21:24:37 WE HAVE GOT TO PREPARE OURSELVES AS WELL.
21:24:40 IF HE'S PROVIDING THOSE MINUTES WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, THEN WE
21:24:43 HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO READ OVER THEM, AND COME WITH OUR
21:24:46 QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.
21:24:50 WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS.
21:24:54 WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
21:24:57 AND WE ARE READY.
21:24:58 WE ARE MORE THAN READY.
21:25:00 I DON'T HAVE THE PERSONALITY OF MS. BURTON, I DON'T HAVE THE
21:25:06 PERSONALITY OF MS. GOODLEY, BUT OUR COMMITTEE IS READY.
21:25:11 LET'S GET STARTED.
21:25:15 SO THANK YOU.
21:25:15 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MS. TRAVIS, DO YOU HAVE ANY CLOSING
21:25:18 STATEMENTS?
21:25:20 ANY BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY CLOSING STATEMENTS?
21:25:23 I WILL GO FROM MY RIGHT TO LEFT.
21:25:25 COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
21:25:27 COUNCILMAN GUDES.
21:25:28 CAN COUNCILWOMAN HURTAK.
21:25:31 >>LYNN HURTAK: JUST A QUICK NOTE THAT I AM JUST LOOKING
21:25:34 FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW THE EAST TAMPA CRA A BIT BETTER.
21:25:38 SO GIVE ME A CHANCE.
21:25:39 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: NO.
21:25:47 >>LUIS VIERA: NO.
21:25:48 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: JUST THANK YOU FOR COMING UP AND
21:25:50 EXPRESSING YOUR VIEWS.
21:25:51 >>JOSEPH CITRO: I THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING A VERY
21:25:56 PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
21:25:57 YES, WE HAVE SPOKEN A LOT.
21:25:58 WE HAVE HEARD A LOT.
21:26:00 WE NOW HAVE SOMEONE NEW.
21:26:02 WE HAVE SOMEONE ALSO THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR QUITE A WHILE BUT
21:26:05 KNOWS THE COMMUNITY.
21:26:09 AGAIN, LET'S WORK TOGETHER.
21:26:11 TOGETHER WE CAN SOLVE A LOT OF THINGS.
21:26:14 I LOOK FORWARD AT OUR NEXT CRA BOARD MEETING HEARING SOME
21:26:19 WONDERFUL THINGS COME BACK.
21:26:22 MOVE TO RECEIVE AND FILE BY MANISCALCO, SECOND BY MIRANDA.
21:26:26 ALL IN FAVOR?
21:26:27 AYE?
21:26:28 ANY OPPOSED?
21:26:29 WE ARE ADJOURNED.
21:26:30 (MEETING ADJOURNED)
21:29:52
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