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CAPTIONINGMAY 6, 2014

METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the ***following meeting. It should be used for informational ***purposes only. This document has not been edited; ***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words ***that did not translate.

>>MARK SHARPE: GOOD MORNING.

IT'S TUESDAY, MAY 6th, AND THIS IS A MEETING OF YOUR

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AND

CITY OF TAMPA.

WOULD YOU PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE AND PRAYER.

[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

DEAR LORD, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU LOOK OVER ALL THOSE WHO

CHOOSE PUBLIC SERVICE AS A PROFESSION, WATCH OVER THEIR

FAMILIES AND THEM, AND HELP GUIDE THEM AND GIVE THEM

STRENGTH AND SPIRIT TO CARRY ON.

WE ASK, LORD, AS WELL THAT YOU LOOK OVER ALL OF OUR FIRST

RESPONDERS HERE AT HOME AND THOSE IN UNIFORM OVERSEAS.

WE ASK THESE THINGS IN YOUR NAME.

AMEN.

>> AMEN.

>>MARK SHARPE: I HAVE A MEMORANDUM TO READ INTO THE RECORD,

AND THIS IS FROM COMMISSIONER LES MILLER.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT DUE TO AN URGENT FAMILY ISSUE, I WILL

NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE TUESDAY, MAY 6th, 2014, MPO

MEETING.

PLEASE READ THE REASON FOR MY ABSENCE INTO THE RECORD.

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AND I DO KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THREE INDIVIDUALS SIGNED UP FOR

PUBLIC COMMENT, MIKE PETERSON, MR. BUTLER, AND WILLIAM

ASCHERMAN.

SO LET'S START WITH MR. PETERSON.

WELCOME, SIR.

>> GOOD MORNING.

MIKE PETERSON, 218 APOLLO BEACH BOULEVARD, APOLLO BEACH,

FLORIDA, HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE SOUTHSHORE TRANSIT

CIRCULATOR STUDY.

I CAN'T STAY FOR THE CONVERSATION BUT DID WANT TO PUT IN A

PLUG ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND A LOT OF OTHERS WHO WORKED ON

THIS PROJECT WHO, FRANKLY, CAN'T BE WITH HERE YOU TODAY

BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE WORK DOWN THERE, AND THAT'S WHY THE

STUDY'S NEEDED.

MOST OF THE ROUTES YOU'LL SEE TODAY ARE DESIGNED TO BRING

PEOPLE FROM DOWN IN THE SOUTH UP INTO BRANDON OR TAMPA, YET

AS WE GROW, WE REALLY NEED MORE OF AN INTERNAL CIRCULATOR TO

GET OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS TO LOCAL JOBS, AND WE RECOGNIZE

WE'RE NOT READY YET, SO DON'T FEAR THE STUDY AND GO, OH,

GOSH, THEY WANT SOMETHING NOW, AMONGST YOUR MANY PRIORITIES

ON A LIST.

WE RECOGNIZE WE'RE NOT RIPE YET FOR THE -- THIS ROBUST

PROPOSAL, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A ROBUST PROPOSAL ABOUT WHAT

YOU NEED IN THE FUTURE, WHAT ARE YOU TO TELL DEVELOPMENT

APPROVALS WHEN THEY COME IN ON HOW THEY COULD ACCOMMODATE

SUCH A THING SOME DAY?

IF YOU PASS THIS PROPOSAL, AT THE SOUTHSHORE CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE, WE'D LOVE TO REACH OUT TO OUR VARIOUS BUSINESSES,

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INCLUDING AMAZON, AS YOU ALL KNOW IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST,

HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OTHER LARGE -- ST. JOSEPH'S

HOSPITAL, OTHER LARGE EMPLOYERS THAT ARE EMERGING IN OUR

AREA.

WE'D BE ABLE TO SOLICIT THEM TO FIND OUT WHEN CAN WE HIT THE

TIPPING POINT TO MAKE RIDERSHIP TRULY WORK DOWN THERE FOR

SUCH A CIRCULATOR AND GET THEM TO PARTNER IN, AS YOU'VE

DISCUSSED, IN OTHER AREAS SUCH AS WESTSHORE AND THINGS OF

THAT NATURE.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOUR STAFF, THE HART STAFF, YOUR

CONSULTANTS WHO WORKED WITH US ON THIS, AND IT WAS AN

INTERESTING PROCESS BECAUSE THIS WASN'T JUST FEEL-GOOD LINES

ON A MAP, THERE WERE A LOT OF OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

THAT WENT INTO THIS STUDY, AND SO IT'S GOT SOME REAL THOUGHT

INTO IT.

A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO COMMISSIONER MURMAN, WHO ACTUALLY

HELPED KICK OFF THIS CONVERSATION BY CONVENING A BUNCH OF US

AT HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE ONE DAY, AND BELIEVE ME,

THERE ARE MORE THAN I SUPPORTING THIS ONE, SO IF THE

QUESTION OF A REFERENDUM COMES UP AND SOMEONE SAYS, WELL,

WHAT DOES SOUTH COUNTY GET FOR TRANSIT AND SUCH A THING,

THIS IS THE ANSWER, AND THAT'S BEEN A QUESTION I'VE HEARD

MANY TIMES FROM FOLKS DOWN THERE, AND I THINK THIS IS ONE

WAY TO PUT THAT TO REST.

WHEN WE'RE READY, WE'D LOVE TO SEE IT, SO -- BUT YOU'D HAVE

TO START WITH APPROVAL TODAY.

THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: MR. PETERSON, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR

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ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE ON BEHALF OF NOT JUST SOUTHSHORE

BUT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

I KNOW YOU'RE REALLY COMMITTED, AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE

THAT.

I BROUGHT A SHOVEL TO WORK, SO I'M READY TO GET STARTED.

IT'S IN MY OFFICE.

[LAUGHTER]

COMMISSIONER MURMAN.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

AND THANK YOU, MIKE, FOR COMING TODAY.

I KNOW IT'S A LONG DRIVE, BUT IT'S SO NEEDED FOR SOUTH

COUNTY, AND I HAVE MADE THE STATEMENT MANY TIMES I WILL LAY

DOWN ON A RAILROAD TRACK BEFORE I LET US GET OUT OF THE ROOM

WITHOUT DOING SOMETHING FOR SOUTH COUNTY, SO WE HAVE TO DO

SOMETHING FOR SOUTH COUNTY, AND YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT I'M

100% COMMITTED AND MANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ARE

ALSO TOO.

>> [INAUDIBLE]

>>KEVIN BECKNER: SO YOU'RE COMMITTED TO BUILDING THAT

RAILROAD TRACK AND GETTING THAT TRAIN DOWN THERE?

[LAUGHTER]

>>SANDRA MURMAN: I SAID LAY DOWN ON A PRESENT TRACK.

[LAUGHTER]

>>MARK SHARPE: OH, BOY.

ALL RIGHT.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. B.E. BUTLER.

WELCOME, MR. BUTLER.

AND THEN WE'VE GOT WILLIAM ASCHERMAN.

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MR. BUTLER.

>> YES, SIR.

I HOPE YOU-ALL ARE DOING WELL AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF.

I'M DOWN HERE ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ON SOUTH

90th STREET OFF PALM RIVER ROAD IN PALM RIVER.

THERE'S A WAREHOUSE GOING IN DOWN THERE, EDWARD'S

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY'S PUTTING A WAREHOUSE IN, AND THEY'RE

WANTING TO PURCHASE A PIECE OF PROPERTY, A 30-FOOT

UNIMPROVED RIGHT-OF-WAY THAT'S JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE

PRICE TRUST, AND IT CROSSES SOUTH 90th STREET.

NOW, SOUTH 90th STREET HAS BEEN VACATED TO THE SOUTH OF THAT

RIGHT-OF-WAY, SO IT NO LONGER EXISTS THERE, AND WE WANT TO

KEEP THAT STREET CLOSED.

WE DON'T WANT THAT STREET OPENED UP.

THERE'S NOBODY USING IT, IT HAS NEVER BEEN IMPROVED, NOBODY

HAS EVER USED IT.

WE DO HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH DRAINAGE IN THAT AREA, AND

THAT RIGHT-OF-WAY WOULD BE A PERFECT PLACE TO PUT A DRAINAGE

LINE.

IT WOULD GIVE THE COUNTY ROOM TO SERVICE THE DRAINAGE AND

MAKE SURE THAT IT STAYED OPEN DOWN TO DELANEY CREEK.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO REASON TO SELL THAT -- THERE'S NO

REASON TO SELL THAT TO THE PRIVATE INVESTOR OR PRIVATE

COMPANY WHEN IT'S SITTING RIGHT THERE FOR THE COUNTY TO USE.

ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS DIG A DITCH.

NOW, THE DITCH THAT WAS THERE THAT WENT DOWN TO DELANEY

CREEK, THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY JUST CAME IN AND JUST

COVERED IT OVER, AND LUCKILY, WE GOT WORD TO THE HOME

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BUSINESS, CHESTNUT INVESTMENTS OF JACKSONVILLE, AND THEY GOT

SOME PUMPS OUT THERE TO PUMP THE WATER OUT ON THIS LAST

LITTLE DEAL WE HAD WITH RAIN, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT

SOMETHING WE CAN DEPEND ON.

AND, BASICALLY, ALL YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS PUT A DITCH IN THERE

AND GRAVITY TAKES CARE OF IT.

YOU DON'T NEED THE PUMPS AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF, BUT

DEALING WITH THESE PEOPLE, IT'S ALWAYS A DEAL -- YOU'RE

FIGHTING WITH SHADOWS.

THEY'RE HIDING EVERYTHING, THEY'RE DECEPTIVE, THEY CHANGE

THEIR PLANS, THEY DO THIS, THEY DO THAT.

THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING THEY SAY THEY'RE GOING TO DO.

AND WE WOKE UP ONE MORNING HERE TWO WEEKS AGO TO 45 TO 50

BIG DUMP TRUCKS RUNNING UP AND DOWN OUR LITTLE SUBSTANDARD

ROAD BOTH WAYS ALL DAY LONG, AND THERE WERE 45 TO 50 AN

HOUR.

NOW, YOU CAN IMAGINE DUMP TRUCKS RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE

STREET IN FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S A 25-MILE-

AN-HOUR ZONE, AND THEY'RE DOING 40, 35 AND 40, BECAUSE THEY

GET PAID BY THE LOAD, BUT THE CONTRACTOR DID ABSOLUTELY

NOTHING TO STOP IT.

WE FINALLY GOT THE COUNTY TO HELP US AND STEM THE FLOW THERE

AND STOP THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THAT THIS PARTICULAR

COMPANY SEEMS TO THRIVE ON WORKING UNDERHANDED, AND I KNOW

I'M MAKING SOME ENEMIES PROBABLY.

I'VE GOT A LOT OF THEM, AND I DON'T HAVE THAT LONG TO GO, SO

THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.

[LAUGHTER]

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BUT -- BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THAT IF THE COUNTY WOULD PUT

IN A DRAINAGE SYSTEM DOWN THAT RIGHT-OF-WAY, IT WOULD GIVE A

SENSIBLE USE TO THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, IT WOULD MAKE IT SO THE

COUNTY COULD GO IN THERE AND SERVICE THE DRAINAGE, AND, YOU

KNOW, IT SEEMS TO WRAP UP THE PROBLEM, PLUS IT WOULD KEEP

OUR LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD -- THE LITTLE ENCLAVE WE LIVE IN

PRIVATE.

NOW, THIS LITTLE ENCLAVE EXISTS -- IT'S SEVEN HOUSES.

THERE'S ACTUALLY THREE LANDOWNERS, AND WE'VE KNOWN EACH

OTHER SINCE WE WERE KIDS.

WE WERE RAISED TOGETHER RIGHT IN THAT AREA, YOU KNOW, WE

WERE RIGHT THERE.

IN FACT, THE MAIN PART OF THE PROPERTY, THE GENTLEMAN --

MR. PRICE BACK HERE IS THE SON OF THE OWNER OF THAT

PROPERTY, BUT HE'S PASSED AWAY.

HE'S SINCE PASSED AWAY.

THAT'S ABOUT ALL I'VE GOT TO SAY.

JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'D LIKE TO KEEP OUR -- IF THEY -- IF THEY

BRING TRAFFIC IN THERE, THEY WILL BE BRINGING TRAFFIC IN,

PEOPLE WILL BE TAKING A SHORTCUT DOWN 90th AND GOING DOWN

THAT RIGHT-OF-WAY TO 301 TO AVOID THE RED LIGHTS AND STUFF

AT 5:00.

THERE IS A PROBLEM THERE, BUT THEY NEED TO UPGRADE THE

INTERSECTION AT PALM RIVER, NOT SCATTER THE PROPERTY DOWN

THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND LIKE I SAY, IT IS A SUBSTANDARD RIGHT-OF-WAY.

IT'S ONLY 45 FOOT, AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 50 FOOT TO EVEN

EXIST.

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>>MARK SHARPE: MR. BUTLER, I'VE JUST SPOKEN WITH ADAM

GORMLY, WHO IS OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES --

CONGRATULATIONS -- AND WE'VE DISCUSSED -- THIS IS -- I KNOW

IT'S -- THE PROJECT'S IN SITE DEVELOPMENT NOW.

WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL HAVE MR. MAJOR -- AND WE'VE GOT -- IT

LOOKS LIKE I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER, SO I'M GOING TO HAVE

SOMEONE FROM THE COUNTY TALK WITH YOU, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT

THE DRAINAGE ISSUE AND THE ROAD ITSELF AND HOPE TO GIVE YOU

SOME COMFORT.

>> WELL, WE ARE NOT ONLY WORRIED ABOUT DRAINAGE, WE'RE

WORRIED ABOUT NOT HAVING THROUGH TRAFFIC --

>>MARK SHARPE: YES, SIR.

>> -- RUNNING THROUGH THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TOO.

>>MARK SHARPE: ABSOLUTELY.

WE'VE GOT THAT CLEARLY.

WE'LL GIVE YOU -- WE'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU SOME -- A SOLID

PERSON, NOT A SHADOW, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND HOW FRUSTRATING

THAT CAN BE.

>> YEAH.

AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A HISTORY LESSON, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD'S

BEEN THERE SINCE THE LATE '50s.

>>MARK SHARPE: YES, SIR.

>> AND WE'VE ALL -- THE SAME PEOPLE HAVE LIVED THERE, YOU

KNOW, MORE OR LESS.

>>MARK SHARPE: WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THIS ISSUE GO.

>> OKAY.

>>MARK SHARPE: WE'LL HELP YOU OUT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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THIS BODY HERE REALLY CAN'T HELP YOU AS MUCH, BUT I THINK

THE COUNTY WILL BE ABLE TO HELP YOU OUT.

>> OKAY.

THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: YES, SIR.

THANK YOU.

SO MR. GORMLY, I'VE GOT THIS ONE FOR YOU.

AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS WILLIAM ASCHERMAN.

WELCOME, SIR.

>> GOOD MORNING.

I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY I'M ONE OF THE HOMEOWNERS ON SOUTH 90th

STREET, AND I GO ALONG WITH EVERYTHING THAT MR. BUTLER SAYS.

I'D LIKE TO KEEP THAT ROAD CLOSED.

I WAS TALKING TO I GUESS LIKE A SUPERINTENDENT OF THE

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OR SOMETHING ONE DAY DOWN THERE, AND HE

TOLD ME THEIR PLANS WERE TO OPEN UP 90th STREET INTO THAT

WAREHOUSE, GOING TO MAKE IT A THROUGH ROAD.

I'M VERY OPPOSED TO THAT.

WE'VE GOT A NICE QUIET LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THEY DON'T NEED TO USE 90th STREET.

THEY COULD HAVE AN ENTRANCE OFF OF 301.

I GUESS THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO SAVE SOME MONEY OR SOMETHING,

I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE 90th STREET CLOSED OFF.

IT'S ALREADY A DEAD-END STREET.

IT'S GOT A DEAD-END SIGN UP THERE NOW.

I'D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU, SIR.

WE WILL -- WE'LL GET ON THAT.

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OKAY.

I BELIEVE THAT CLOSES OUT PUBLIC COMMENT.

IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK, THIS IS YOUR

OPPORTUNITY.

IF NOT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.

CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: MR. CHAIR.

>>MARK SHARPE: YES, MA'AM.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE "D" -- ITEM "D" OFF

THE CONSENT AGENDA, EITHER DEFER IT UNTIL MR. CLIFFORD CAN

COME BACK AND ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE REGARDING

THIS ITEM OR PUT IT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.

>>MARK SHARPE: OKAY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO PULL ITEM "D."

ALL RIGHT.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: AND WE'LL PUT THAT ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.

AND WE'VE GOT, THEN, THE THREE, THE MINUTES, THE COMMITTEE

APPOINTMENTS, AND THE UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: SO MOVE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SECOND.

>>MARK SHARPE: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BECKNER, SECONDED BY

COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE.

THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

[CHORUS OF AYES]

ANY OPPOSED?

MOTION PASSES.

ALL RIGHT.

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LET'S MOVE TO OUR ACTION ITEMS.

THE FIRST ACTION ITEM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO ACTION ITEM NOW

"D," WE'LL MAKE THAT "A," WHICH IS THE FTA DESIGNATED

RECIPIENT CHANGES.

MR. CLIFFORD, WELCOME, SIR.

HONORED TO HAVE YOU IN THIS AUGUST CHAMBER.

>> GOOD MORNING.

BOB CLIFFORD, TBARTA.

I WAS ACTUALLY HERE FOR THE INTERMODAL CENTER DISCUSSION,

BUT NO PROBLEM, I CAN ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.

THIS IS RELATED TO THREE -- THREE ENTITIES, PASCO COUNTY

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, PSTA OVER IN PINELLAS COUNTY, AND

TBARTA.

WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS THE ABILITY TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH

FTA AND PCPT AND PSTA'S SCENARIO.

WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS THE ABILITY TO BE A DESIGNATED

RECIPIENT OF FEDERAL FUNDS AND WORK DIRECTLY WITH FTA,

SIMILAR TO WHAT HART DOES NOW.

CURRENTLY THE PINELLAS MPO ADDRESSES THAT ISSUE FOR THEM,

HANDLES THAT FOR THEM.

PINELLAS MPO ALSO FOR TBARTA, AS WE STARTED RECEIVING LAST

YEAR FOR THE VANPOOL PROGRAM WHAT'S CALLED 5307 FUNDS FROM

FTA, WE'RE JUST REQUESTING THE ABILITY TO BE WHAT'S CALLED A

DIRECT RECIPIENT, WHICH MEANS WE WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO

INVOICE FTA DIRECTLY AND THEY WOULD PAY US DIRECTLY, AND

THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE US TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PINELLAS

MPO THAT WE DO TODAY, AND THAT ADDS ABOUT TWO MONTHS TO THE

TIMING OF THINGS.

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SO FROM A CASH FLOW PERSPECTIVE FOR US IN TERMS OF THE --

INVOICING FTA FOR THOSE FUNDS AND RECEIVING THEM BACK, IT

JUST WORKS A LOT FASTER.

SO THAT'S -- THAT'S WHAT OUR REQUEST IS.

THE REQUIREMENT IS FOR THE AGENCIES TO -- THE MPOs AND THE

TRANSIT AGENCY -- TRANSIT AGENCIES IN THE TMA, THE

TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA, PASCO, PINELLAS,

HILLSBOROUGH, TO SUPPORT THAT.

I BELIEVE HART HAS ALREADY SUPPORTED THAT, THE TBARTA BOARD

HAS SUPPORTED IT, THE PINELLAS MPO, AND IN PASCO THEY'VE

SUPPORTED IT, SO I BELIEVE IT'S HERE FOR YOUR ACTION TODAY.

>>MARK SHARPE: COMMISSIONER MURMAN.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: THANK YOU.

AND I'M SORRY I HADN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GET WITH YOU ABOUT

THIS.

OUR COUNTY STAFF AND I THINK DIGGING INTO THIS, THERE WERE

JUST SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD REGARDING THIS BECAUSE, YOU

KNOW, WE DO HAVE THIS TRANSPORTATION POLICY GROUP NOW, AND,

YOU KNOW, DESIGNATING SOMEONE ELSE A RECIPIENT OF FEDERAL

FUNDS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, I GUESS, CHANGES THE FINANCIAL

PICTURE, SO TO SPEAK, FOR HOW FUNDS ARE COMING INTO THIS

COMMUNITY, SO I GUESS THE QUESTION WOULD BE WHAT -- ARE

THESE FUNDS SPECIFICALLY LIMITED TO THE VANS?

>> RELATE -- WELL, THERE'S TWO ISSUES.

I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.

TO BE A DESIGNATED RECIPIENT, THAT'S A HIGHER-LEVEL DEALING

WITH FTA, AND THAT'S WHAT HART PRESENTLY DOES HERE IN

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

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THE PINELLAS MPO IS ALSO A DESIGNATED RECIPIENT PRESENTLY,

AND THEY HAVE BEEN HANDLING THAT ISSUE FOR PSTA AND FOR

PASCO COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

BOTH OF THOSE ENTITIES ARE ASKING TO BECOME DESIGNATED

RECIPIENTS SO THEY CAN DEAL DIRECTLY WITH FTA FOR THE

SERVICES THEY PROVIDE.

IN TBARTA'S CASE WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR A DIRECT -- FOR A

DESIGNATED RECIPIENT.

THAT'S WELL BEYOND US.

ALL THE OTHER ENTITIES DO THAT JUST FINE.

ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR IS DIRECT RECIPIENT OF THE FUNDING WE

RECEIVE IN THE 5307 PROGRAM, WHICH IS FROM THE VANPOOL

PROGRAM.

THE VANPOOL PROGRAM, WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE NUMBERS THAT WE

REPORT IN THE NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE.

TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR -- WE STARTED DOING THIS

LAST YEAR.

THAT BROUGHT ABOUT $2.1 MILLION BACK TO THE REGION THAT WE

WERE NEVER RECEIVING BEFORE, OF WHICH TBARTA RECEIVED ABOUT

$800,000 OF THAT.

THE REMAINING DOLLARS WENT TO HART, PSTA, AND PCPT, SO IT'S

A POSITIVE.

ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR IS THE ABILITY TO DIRECTLY WORK WITH

THEM, AND IT'S REALLY -- WHEN WE SAY DIRECT, WHAT THAT

REALLY MEANS IS IT'S AN INVOICE AND PAYMENT SCENARIO.

>>MARK SHARPE: RIGHT.

>> WE'RE ABLE TO INVOICE THEM DIRECTLY, THEY'RE ABLE TO

ELECTRONICALLY PAY US, AND WE GET THE MONEY BACK IN FOUR

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DAYS, NOT TWO MONTHS, SO THAT'S -- THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE

ASKING FOR.

I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT

THINGS.

PCPT AND PSTA ARE ASKING FOR THE DESIGNATED RECIPIENT TO

CHANGE THAT FROM THE PINELLAS MPO TO THEM, PINELLAS MPO IS

IN SUPPORT OF THAT, AND IN OUR CASE IT'S JUST A DIRECT

RECIPIENT REQUEST.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: OKAY.

SO I GUESS WHAT -- MY QUESTION WILL BE A LITTLE MORE DIRECT.

IS THERE ANY WAY THAT OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS COULD COME INTO

THE PICTURE?

>> IF THEY WERE RELATED TO -- RIGHT NOW IT'S THE 5307

PROGRAM, SO, NO, IT WOULD BE RELATED TO WHAT WE DO UNDER

5307, WHICH, IN THIS CASE, IT PRESENTLY IS VANPOOLS.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: OKAY.

THEN I LOOK TO THE CHAIR OF THE HART BOARD, MR. SUAREZ -- I

MEAN, THIS IS ABOUT HART TOO, VERY MUCH ABOUT HART.

>> TRUE.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE

NOT KIND OF SLIDING SOMETHING IN UNDER THE RADAR THAT MAY

HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR US, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU

WANT TO COMMENT FURTHER ON THIS, BUT DO YOU FEEL SATISFIED?

>>MIKE SUAREZ: WELL, I'LL -- IF I COULD, CHAIR, LET ME JUST

ASK A QUESTION, AND IT'S A PROCESS QUESTION OF

MR. CHIARAMONTE.

THE REASON THAT IT'S ON OUR AGENDA HERE -- OBVIOUSLY, IT IS

CHANGING THE DIRECT RECIPIENT DOLLARS ON 5307 FROM MPO TO

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TBARTA -- IS BECAUSE AS A PART OF THE TRANSPORTATION

MANAGEMENT AREA, I GUESS, WE HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON IT.

IS IT -- IF WE SAID NO TO IT, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO GET

THOSE FORMULAIC DOLLARS?

>> WE WOULD STILL RECEIVE THE FUNDS AS WE DO NOW --

>>MIKE SUAREZ: YOU JUST COULDN'T DO IT --

>> THROUGH THE PINELLAS --

>>MIKE SUAREZ: YOU JUST COULDN'T DO IT THROUGH A DIFFERENT

PROCESS?

>> CORRECT.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: RIGHT.

SO WE'RE A CHECK-OFF ON THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS AS OPPOSED

TO A -- A RECIPIENT OF ANY OF THESE DOLLARS ANYWAY, AND THE

THING IS WITH -- AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMISSIONER MURMAN'S

SAYING, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, BASED ON THE STAFF AT

HART AND EVERYONE ELSE I'VE TALKED TO, THIS IS A VERY

SPECIFIC FORMULAIC DOLLAR GIVE.

IT IS NOT ANYTHING THAT MEANS -- AND I THINK MR. CLIFFORD

SAID IT PRETTY SUCCINCTLY, WHICH IS THERE'S DIRECT

RECIPIENTS, AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER TERM?

>> DESIGNATED.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: DESIGNATED RECIPIENTS, AND THERE'S A REASON

WHY WE'RE NOT A DESIGNATED RECIPIENT, IT'S BECAUSE WE RUN A

BUS SYSTEM HERE, SO IT'S EASIER FOR US TO GET -- I MEAN, WE

GET --

>> YOU ARE THE DESIGNATED RECIPIENT.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: WE ARE THE DESIGNATED RECIPIENT IN TERMS OF

WHAT WE DO, SO IT'S JUST AN EASIER WAY FOR THEM TO GET THEIR

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DOLLARS SO THEY CAN RUN THE BUS -- THE VAN SYSTEM.

TO ME I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING, AND I DON'T SEE THE

SLIPPERY SLOPE ON HERE.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: OKAY.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: AND I THINK THAT -- YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I

THINK IT'S PROBABLY --

>>SANDRA MURMAN: I JUST WANTED TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS --

>>MIKE SUAREZ: SURE.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: -- BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOUT

TO EMBARK ON SOME VERY BIG POLICY CHANGES THROUGH OUR POLICY

GROUP, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CHECKING OFF OUR

BOXES.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: AND I AGREE.

AND THE FIRST THING WHEN I SAW THAT, I SAID, WHAT DOES THIS

ACTUALLY MEAN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE -- AS YOU KNOW, BEING ON

ALL THESE DIFFERENT TRANSIT BOARDS, WE GET ALL KINDS OF

DIFFERENT ACRONYMS, FORMULA NUMBERS, AND WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING

TO FIGURE IT OUT, SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO DOUBLE-CHECK, AND I

APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU PULLED IT OFF THE CONSENT

AGENDA SO WE COULD DISCUSS IT.

>>MARK SHARPE: I WOULD SUGGEST IT AS WELL, BUT -- NOT TO,

YOU KNOW, OVERLY PRAISE MR. CLIFFORD, BUT I REALLY DO TRUST

HIS -- HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS AND SYSTEM, AND I

DON'T THINK THAT HE WOULD DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD IN ANY WAY

ATTEMPT TO TRY TO --

>>SANDRA MURMAN: OH, I WASN'T --

>>MARK SHARPE: I KNOW.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: -- INFERRING THAT.

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>>MARK SHARPE: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK]

>>SANDRA MURMAN: PLEASE.

NO.

I SIT ON HIS BOARD NOW.

I HAVE TO FACE HIM, SO --

[LAUGHTER]

-- I WANT THE LEVEL OF TRUST TO BE THERE.

>>MARK SHARPE: COMMISSIONER BECKNER.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU.

SO JUST IN SUMMARY, I THINK WHAT WE'RE ALL HEARING TODAY,

IT'S FOR 5307 ONLY AND IT WOULD NOT PROVIDE TBARTA ANY OTHER

AUTHORITY TO RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDS FOR TRANSPORTATION

PLANNING NOR FOR -- TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR

ANY OTHER PURPOSES?

>> NO.

WE CAN RECEIVE -- WE HAVE THE ABILITY -- I JUST WANT TO BE

CLEAR.

WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS IN A

GRANT, LIKE WE'RE DOING THE ONE CALL-ONE CLICK PROGRAM WE'VE

TALKED TO YOU-ALL, BUT IN THAT CASE, WE STILL HAVE TO WORK

THROUGH -- IN OUR CASE IT'S THE PINELLAS MPO.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: BUT AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH AND LOOKING

AT THE GOVERNANCE IN OUR TRANSPORTATION POLICY GROUP, IT

WOULD NOT PROVIDE TBARTA AN OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU COULD BE

THE DIRECT RECIPIENTS OF TRANSPORTATION FUNDING THROUGH AD

VALOREM OR ANY OTHER WAY?

>> NO.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: OKAY.

18

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: OKAY.

I'LL THEN MOVE APPROVAL.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SECOND.

>>MARK SHARPE: OKAY.

WE HAVE A MOTION OF APPROVAL AND A SECOND.

THE MOTION WAS MADE BY MURMAN, SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN

MONTELIONE.

DR. POLZIN.

>>STEVE POLZIN: YEAH, JUST A COUPLE THINGS.

I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT NOT BEING DESIGNATED RECIPIENT,

BEING DIRECT, IS APPROPRIATE AND WAS, IN EFFECT, MISLABELED

ON THE AGENDA.

I THINK THE BROADER ISSUE BECOMES ONE OF WHEN THE FTA LOOKS

AT THIS REGION, IT'S A REGION, AND WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT

GRANTS TO THE AREA -- AND PARTICULARLY IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S

AT LEAST PROPOSED IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET GOING

FORWARD, A BIGGER SHARE OF THE FEDERAL TRANSIT PROGRAM IS

DISCRETIONARY GOING FORWARD, AND IT WILL BEHOOVE THIS REGION

TO BE VERY COLLABORATIVE, AND, IN FACT, THERE WILL BE EQUITY

AND OTHER ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE VARIOUS PLAYERS IN THE

REGION AS THEY EACH SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR TRANSIT SYSTEMS,

AND IT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL THAT -- THAT THAT BE

COORDINATED BECAUSE THE FTA WILL BE LOOKING AT IT AS ONE

REGION, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF THEIR EQUITY ASSESSMENTS AND

EVALUATIONS, SO THIS REGION NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE

RESOURCES ARE DISTRIBUTED APPROPRIATELY ACROSS THE REGION.

19

THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU.

OKAY.

WE HAVE A MOTION OF APPROVAL.

THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

[CHORUS OF AYES]

>> THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: ANY OPPOSED?

MOTION PASSES.

LET'S GO TO COMMITTEE REPORTS AND THEN WE'LL HIT THE ACTION

ITEMS.

WELCOME, MS. ALDEN.

>>BETH ALDEN: GOOD MORNING, BOARD MEMBERS.

BETH ALDEN, MPO STAFF.

AND YOUR COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE ACTION ITEMS

THAT YOU'LL BE CONSIDERING NEXT AND HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF

THE SOUTHSHORE TRANSIT CIRCULATOR STUDY, THE UPDATE OF OUR

PLANNING WORK PROGRAM AND BUDGET FOR THE NEXT TWO FISCAL

YEARS, AND ALSO THE ANNUAL CERTIFICATION OF THE MPO.

A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT CAME UP THIS PAST MONTH, IF YOU LOOK

ON YOUR COMMITTEE REPORT SUMMARY UNDER THE POLICY COMMITTEE,

THERE IS A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF A LETTER ON THE FOWLER AVENUE

RESURFACING PROJECT.

THAT WAS SUGGESTED FIRST BY OUR BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY

COMMITTEE AND THEN SUPPORTED BY OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY

COMMITTEE, DISCUSSED FURTHER BY THE POLICY COMMITTEE, WHICH

ASKED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TAKE A LOOK AT

THAT RESURFACING PROJECT AND SEE IF WE COULD INCORPORATE

20

SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THE TAMPA WALK/BIKE

SAFETY PLAN.

WE HAVE HAD SOME FOLLOW-UP COORDINATION WITH THE DISTRICT 7

STAFF, AND I'M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THEY ARE LOOKING INTO

THAT AND EVEN WORKING WITH D.O.T. CENTRAL OFFICE TO SEE IF

WE CAN BE IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE PILOT PROJECTS FOR

BUFFERED BIKE LANES, SO WE'LL BE BACK WITH YOU TO LET YOU

KNOW HOW THAT INVESTIGATION IS GOING.

OUR LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE COMMENDED PLANT CITY ON THEIR

LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATION OF DONATION BINS -- YOU KNOW,

THESE ARE BIG BINS THAT SIT OUT ON OUR RIGHTS-OF-WAY -- AND

SUGGESTED THAT SOME OF THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS MIGHT WANT TO

LOOK AT THAT AS A MODEL.

OUR TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED BOARD HAD A CONVERSATION --

AMONG OTHER THINGS, THEY HAD THEIR ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING

THIS PAST MONTH, A NUMBER OF COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC

SUPPORTING THE SUNSHINE LINE AND THOSE SERVICES THAT ARE

PROVIDED.

THEY WERE BRIEFED ABOUT CHANGES IN THE MEDICAID NONEMERGENCY

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

THAT IS -- HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY -- THROUGH CONTRACT WITH MMG

HERE LOCALLY.

THAT IS GOING TO BE CHANGING HERE IN OUR COUNTY.

IT IS CHANGING AROUND THE STATE.

THE CHANGES HERE IN OUR COUNTY START ON JUNE 1, WHERE THE

TRANSPORTATION TO NONEMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, LIKE

DIALYSIS APPOINTMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE

PROVIDED BY HMOs.

21

THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOME CONCERNS RAISED IN SOME OF THE

COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE WHERE THIS HAS STARTED TO ROLL

OUT, SO WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A HEADS-UP THAT WE MAY

START HEARING SOME OF THIS AS IT COMES OUT, AND JUST FOR YOU

ALL TO BE AWARE THAT THAT IS NOT A SERVICE THAT THE SUNSHINE

LINE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING, BUT, AGAIN, THIS IS

THROUGH THE STATE WITH THE AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE

ADMINISTRATION.

AND THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO

IS THE TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA.

THE TAMPA BAY TMA LEADERSHIP GROUP MET ON APRIL 4th, LOOKED

AT A FIRST DRAFT OF A PRIORITY LIST FOR THE TAMPA BAY TMA.

THAT WAS DISCUSSED FURTHER AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE THIS PAST

MONTH, AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE TAMPA BAY TMA MEETING ON

JUNE 6th.

WE'D BE HAPPY TO BRIEF YOU FURTHER ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF

THAT TRICOUNTY PRIORITY LIST.

PLEASE LET EITHER ME OR RAY KNOW.

>>MARK SHARPE: COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHARPE.

BETH, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

THE FIRST ONE ON THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT.

SINCE THE TMA LEADERSHIP GROUP AND THE CCC LEADERSHIP GROUP

HAVE GONE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, BOTH OF THOSE GROUPS, AS

IT SAYS IN THE SECOND SENTENCE, HAVE THEIR OWN CACs, SO

ARE -- ARE THE CACs FOR THOSE GROUPS GOING TO MIRROR THE

DIRECTION?

>>BETH ALDEN: OH, WELL, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING

22

BECAUSE WE'RE -- WE'RE CHANGING OUR REGIONAL COORDINATION

PROCESS, SO WE HAVE THE CCC, WHICH IS THAT -- THAT EIGHT-

COUNTY GROUP, THAT LARGER GROUP THAT KIND OF MIRRORS THE

TBARTA SERVICE AREA, AND WHAT THIS IS TALKING ABOUT UNDER

THE CAC MEETING IS LOOKING AT THE CITIZENS' INPUT PROCESS

FOR THAT EIGHT-COUNTY LEVEL, WHERE WE'VE HAD ONE FOR THE MPO

CHAIRS COORDINATING COMMITTEE AND ALSO TBARTA HAS ONE.

SO SINCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BRINGING THOSE TWO, YOU KNOW,

LARGER REGIONAL PROCESSES TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE

THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE COORDINATED IS THE CACs, AND SO

TBARTA WAS KIND ENOUGH TO INVITE OUR CAC MEMBERS TO THAT

EIGHT-COUNTY MEETING TO LOOK AT HOW WE MIGHT INTEGRATE

THOSE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: WELL, I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE

EIGHT-COUNTY GROUP, THE CCC, THE COORDINATING COMMITTEE, IS

MEETING LESS OFTEN.

>>BETH ALDEN: THAT'S RIGHT.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SO ARE THE CITIZENS GROUPS GOING TO

MIRROR THAT SCHEDULE OR ARE THEY GOING TO CONTINUE TO MEET

MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY?

>>BETH ALDEN: THEY MAY MEET MORE OFTEN, AND SO THAT IS ONE

OF THE TOPICS THAT'S ON THE TABLE.

THE TBARTA CAC, I BELIEVE, MEETS EVERY TWO MONTHS, SO THAT

WOULD BE A MORE FREQUENT REGIONAL COORDINATION OPPORTUNITY.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE FOWLER AVENUE RESURFACING

BECAUSE I -- I DID RECEIVE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE

23

POSSIBILITY OF INCLUDING IT IN THE PILOT PROGRAM THAT

DISTRICT IS IT 1 AND 2 HAVE FOR BUFFERED BICYCLE LANES

AND --

>>BETH ALDEN: IT'S A STATEWIDE PROGRAM, YES, THAT THEY'RE

TRYING OUT IN A COUPLE OF THE DISTRICTS.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS -- YOU

KNOW, WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED IT IN THE POLICY COMMITTEE, AND I

WOULD LIKE TO SEND A LETTER OF SUPPORT, AND I'LL MAKE THIS

IN THE FORM OF A MOTION -- A LETTER OF SUPPORT SO THAT WE

CAN -- WE CAN FURTHER ENHANCE OUR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE

SAFETY ON FOWLER AVENUE DURING THE RESURFACING AND FOR IT TO

BE INCLUDED IN THAT PILOT THAT IS ONGOING IN THE OTHER

JURISDICTIONS OR THE OTHER DISTRICTS FOR -- FOR FDOT.

>>MARK SHARPE: THAT'S EXCELLENT.

>>HARRY COHEN: [INAUDIBLE]

>>MARK SHARPE: OKAY.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

THE MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE, THE SECOND

WAS MADE BY COUNCILMAN COHEN.

ANY QUESTIONS?

THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

[CHORUS OF AYES]

ANY OPPOSED?

MOTION PASSES.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THE LAST THING I HAVE IS THAT I WAS

WONDERING WHEN THE TMA PRIORITIES ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTED

TO THIS BOARD.

>>BETH ALDEN: WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THOSE IN THE CONTEXT OF

24

OUR ANNUAL UPDATE OF THIS BOARD'S PRIORITIES.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: OKAY.

>>BETH ALDEN: AND SO THAT'LL COME BACK FORMALLY IN -- I

THINK IT'S IN SEPTEMBER.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SEPTEMBER?

THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: ANYTHING ELSE?

BETH, ARE YOU DONE?

>>BETH ALDEN: THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU.

THE FIRST ACTION ITEM IS THE SOUTHSHORE TRANSIT CIRCULATOR

STUDY, SARAH McKINLEY.

WELCOME, MA'AM.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: ALL RIGHT.

GOOD MORNING.

SARAH McKINLEY, MPO STAFF.

I BROUGHT THE SOUTHSHORE CIRCULATOR TRANSIT STUDY TO YOU

BACK IN JANUARY, AND THIS MORNING I'M BRINGING IT BACK TO

YOU AS OUR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.

THE STUDY WAS INITIALLY KICKED OFF -- THE SOUTHSHORE AREA'S

THE LARGEST-GROWING PORTION OF THE COUNTY.

BETWEEN 2000 AND 2010, BOTH THE POPULATIONS AND THE DWELLING

UNITS NEARLY DOUBLED.

BECAUSE OF THE RAPID GROWTH IN THE AREA, IT'S NEEDED TO

REASSESS OR LOOK AT THE NEED FOR TRANSIT IN THE AREA.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STUDY WILL BE PUT INTO THE

MPO'S LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AS WELL AS HART'S

TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

25

WE WERE ORIGINALLY LOOKING AT ABOUT A 2025 HORIZON YEAR, AND

AS YOU'LL SEE THROUGH OUR PHASING PLAN, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN

ABLE TO MOVE THAT UP A LITTLE BIT SOONER.

AND THROUGH THE STUDY, WE'RE LOOKING AT SIX COMMUNITIES.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS A LARGE AREA.

WE ARE FOCUSED ON GIBSONTON, RIVERVIEW, APOLLO BEACH,

RUSKIN, SUN CITY CENTER, AND WIMAUMA.

WE HAD THE BOYETTE AREA IN THERE JUST TO, I GUESS, FEEL OUT

THE NEED FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY FELT

THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED.

OKAY.

AS PART OF THE STUDY, WE HELD FOUR MEETINGS.

WE HAD AN OUR INITIAL STAKEHOLDER MEETING THAT KICKED OFF IN

NOVEMBER.

WE INTRODUCED THE STUDY TO THE STAKEHOLDERS THERE, AND THEN

WE ALSO USED THAT TO IDENTIFY THE PRIORITIES OF THE

STAKEHOLDERS.

THROUGH THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO FORMULATE FOUR ALTERNATIVES.

THOSE FOUR ALTERNATIVES WERE PRESENTED BACK TO THE

STAKEHOLDERS IN JANUARY, WHERE WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK.

FROM THE FEEDBACK IN JANUARY, WE MODIFIED THE ALTERNATIVES,

BROUGHT THEM BACK, AND HAD A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE IN FEBRUARY.

AT THAT PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE IN FEBRUARY, WE HAD SOME PRESS

THAT WAS THERE, WE HAD TWO ARTICLES IN THE NEWSPAPER.

WE ALSO HAD A SMALL SURVEY THAT WAS A PART OF THAT PUBLIC

OPEN HOUSE, AND THEN FROM THAT AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE

RECEIVED THROUGH THE PUBLIC THAT SHOWED UP AND THROUGH THE

SURVEY, WE WERE ABLE TO NARROW IT DOWN TO A LOCALLY

26

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, WHICH WAS MODIFIED AND PRESENTED IN

MARCH.

ALL RIGHT.

FOR THE AREA, AT OUR INITIAL STAKEHOLDER MEETING WHEN WE

IDENTIFIED THE PRIORITIES OF THE STAKEHOLDERS, WE ASKED THEM

WHAT ARE THE KEY DESTINATIONS THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, AND

AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THEY IDENTIFIED THE MAJOR COMMERCIAL

CENTERS, THE EDUCATION FACILITIES, AND THEN ALSO THE HEALTH

FACILITIES, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE PRETTY MUCH MIMIC THE

ROUTES THAT WE CHOSE.

THEY'RE MAINLY FOCUSED ON THE 301 AND U.S. 41 CORRIDORS AS

WELL AS 674 TO THE SOUTH, BIG BEND, AND THEN GIBSONTON ROAD.

WE ALSO IDENTIFIED EMERGING DESTINATIONS, AND THOSE KEY

EMERGING DESTINATIONS ARE, OF COURSE, THE AMAZON

DISTRIBUTION CENTER THAT'S COMING; ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL

THAT WILL BE OPENING NEXT YEAR; THE SOUTHSHORE COMMONS, THE

PLANNED MALL THAT'S PROPOSED; AND THEN ALSO THE HIGH-SPEED

FERRY DOCKS.

ALL RIGHT.

AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS THE EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICE FOR THE

AREA, AND IT, AGAIN, IS FOCUSED ON U.S. 41 AND 301, AND THE

MAJOR FOCUS HERE IS INSTEAD OF CIRCULATING PEOPLE THROUGHOUT

THE AREA, IT'S MAINLY GETTING PEOPLE FROM THE AREA EITHER TO

BRANDON OR DOWNTOWN.

IT CURRENTLY HAS THE 53LX LIMITED EXPRESS SERVICE WHICH RUNS

FROM THE SOUTH COUNTY AREA, AROUND SUN CITY CENTER, UP 301

TO THE BRANDON MALL.

THERE'S THE 31, WHICH IS THE ONLY LOCAL ROUTE IN THE AREA

27

THAT RUNS FROM, AGAIN, THE SOUTH COUNTY HCC AREA UP U.S. 41

TO THE BRANDON MALL.

AND THEN THERE'S THE 47 EXPRESS THAT RUNS DURING THE PEAK

HOURS, AND THAT RUNS ALONG U.S. 41 UP TO DOWNTOWN.

AND THEN, AS YOU CAN SEE, IN THE SOUTH THERE IS ONE FLEX

ZONE THAT RUNS EAST AND WEST IN THE AREA.

OKAY.

WE CAME UP WITH FOUR ALTERNATIVES, AS I SAID.

THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE WAS BASICALLY JUST BEEFING UP HART'S

PLANNED SERVICE FOR THE AREA, ADJUSTING SOME OF THE

FREQUENCIES TO MAKE THEM A LITTLE BETTER, AND THEN WE

ALSO -- RATHER THAN HAVING TWO ROUTES THAT ENDED AT THE

BRANDON MALL, WE DIVERTED ONE OVER TO THE FISHHAWK AREA, AND

THEN WE ALSO PROPOSED ADDING TWO ADDITIONAL FLEX ZONES, THE

ONE ON BIG BEND ROAD AND THEN ONE ON GIBSONTON DRIVE.

ALTERNATIVE 2, THIS WAS -- IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE CONFUSING,

BUT IT WAS BASICALLY A FIGURE 8 ROUTE THAT WOULD FOLLOW THE

ROADS AND THEN ALSO HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE BRANDON MALL

AND, AGAIN, TO FISHHAWK.

THE ROUTES WOULD BASICALLY FOLLOW AN OPPOSITE FIGURE 8

THROUGHOUT THE AREA, AND THEN, AGAIN, WE HAVE THE THREE FLEX

ZONES.

ALTERNATIVE 3, THIS WAS -- THROUGH THE INPUT THAT WE GOT

FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS, WE BASICALLY ASKED THEM, IF YOU COULD

BE KING OR QUEEN FOR THE DAY, DRAW ON A MAP AND TELL US WHAT

YOU WOULD DO, AND A LOT OF THEM SAID THAT THEY LIKED THE

TWO-LOOP SYSTEM, HAVING A NORTH LOOP AND A SOUTH LOOP, AND

THIS IS WHAT CAME FROM THAT.

28

AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE ALSO STILL PROVIDING THE ROUTE UP TO

THE BRANDON MALL AND THEN A ROUTE TO FISHHAWK, BUT THERE

WOULD BE A NORTH LOOP AND A SOUTH LOOP, EACH GOING CLOCKWISE

WITH, AGAIN, THE THREE FLEX ZONES.

AND THEN ALTERNATIVE 4, THIS WAS, AGAIN, THE TWO LOOPS, BUT

RATHER -- EACH OF THESE LOOPS WOULD GO IN BOTH DIRECTIONS,

SO CLOCKWISE AND COUNTERCLOCKWISE.

WE WOULD HAVE THE THREE FLEX ZONES, BUT INSTEAD OF HAVING

THE CONNECTION TO THE FISHHAWK AREA, WE SUGGESTED EXPANDING

THE GIBSONTON DRIVE FLEX OUT TO COVER RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL.

OKAY.

LIKE I SAID, WE HAD A PUBLIC MEETING IN FEBRUARY, AND FROM

THAT PUBLIC MEETING WE DID A SURVEY.

IT WAS A VERY SIMPLE SURVEY, NOT SCIENTIFIC, JUST ASKING

PEOPLE HERE ARE THE FOUR ALTERNATIVES, PLEASE RANK THEM 1 TO

5 AND THEN ALSO WHICH ONE OF THESE ARE YOUR PREFERRED

ALTERNATIVES.

AND THEN, AS YOU CAN SEE, ALTERNATIVE 4 AND -- WITH BOTH

QUESTIONS WON OVER ALL THE OTHERS.

AND THEN WE ALSO DID A TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF EACH OF THE

ALTERNATIVES.

WE LOOKED AT THESE EIGHT CRITERIAS, ANNUAL REVENUE MILES,

ANNUAL REVENUE HOURS, ANNUAL OPERATING COST, ANNUAL

PROJECTED RIDERSHIP, PASSENGER PER REVENUE MILE, PASSENGER

PER REVENUE HOUR, ANNUAL OPERATING COST, AND CAPITAL COST,

AND EACH OF THESE WERE GIVEN A 1 TO 4 SCORE, AND THESE

SCORES WERE TABULATED, AND THROUGH THEM, FIGURE -- OR

ALTERNATIVE 2, THE FIGURE 8, AND THEN ALTERNATIVE 4, THE

29

TWO TWO-WAY LOOPS, THOSE WERE THE ONES THAT WON OVERALL.

SO FROM THIS AND THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC,

WE CHOSE ALTERNATIVE 4 AS THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR THE STUDY.

AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE THE TWO TWO-WAY LOOPS, WE HAVE THE

THREE FLEX ZONES.

THE SOUTH COUNTY FLEX ZONE WE'RE RECOMMENDING BE DOUBLED IN

SIZE AND FREQUENCY, WE HAVE THE BIG BEND FLEX ZONE, AND

THEN, AGAIN, THE GIBSONTON DRIVE FLEX ZONE THAT HAS BEEN

EXTENDED OUT INTO THE RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL AREA.

WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING THE ROUTE 1 WOULD GO FROM THE

HCC/AMAZON AREA OVER THROUGH WIMAUMA DOWNTOWN AND THEN UP

NORTH TO THE BRANDON MALL, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO SHOWING THE

47X ON THIS MAP BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY CHANGE TO

THAT PEAK-HOUR EXPRESS SERVICE.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE HITTING ALL OF THE MAJOR

DESTINATION POINTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE STUDY.

AS PART OF THE REFINEMENTS, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT FOR THE

LOOPS WE USE THE SMALLER 23-FOOT BUSES RATHER THAN THE LARGE

CITY BUSES.

THIS ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE MORE OF A COMMUNITY FEEL, MORE OF

AN OWNERSHIP OVER THE SYSTEM.

THEY CAN BRAND IT FOR THEMSELVES, AND ALSO, IT'LL PROVIDE

EASIER ACCESS IN AND OUT OF SOME OF THOSE COMMERCIAL AREAS

THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THEN THIS IS THE PROPOSED PHASING.

LIKE I SAID, WE WERE LOOKING AT A 2025 HORIZON YEAR.

30

THROUGH THIS, IN WORKING WITH HART, WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT

WITH THE UPDATED TDP ON THERE FOR YEAR 2020 AND YEAR 2022.

INITIALLY WE'RE RECOMMENDING GOING AHEAD AND ADDING BOTH THE

BIDIRECTIONAL NORTH AND SOUTH LOOPS, REMOVING THE CURRENT

ROUTE 31 SYSTEM OR ROUTE ALONG U.S. 41, REALIGNING THE 53

OVER FURTHER TOWARDS THE AMAZON/HCC AREA, AND THEN ADDING

ONE ADDITIONAL BUS TO THE SOUTH COUNTY FLEX.

YEAR 2022 WE'RE RECOMMENDING EXPANDING THAT FLEX EVEN

FURTHER AND ADDING ANOTHER BUS TO DECREASE THE HEADWAY AND

THEN ALSO ADDING THE GIBSONTON FLEX AND THE BIG BEND FLEX.

AS PART OF THE ANALYSIS, WE LOOKED AT SOME POTENTIAL PRIVATE

FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE AREA.

THERE WERE SOME PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WERE LOOKED

AT.

THE BIGGEST THING THAT CAME OUT OF IT WAS THE POSSIBILITY

FOR SOME CORPORATE TRANSIT PROGRAMS THAT HART CURRENTLY

DOES.

THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH ST. JOSEPH'S IN THE AREA AS

FAR AS STOP LOCATIONS AND LOGISTICS THAT WAY, AND THEY

CURRENTLY HAVE A PROGRAM WITH THE OTHER ST. JOSEPH'S

HOSPITAL AS WELL.

WE ALSO CONSIDERED THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND CONDO

ASSOCIATIONS IN THE AREA.

THERE'S CURRENTLY A PROGRAM WITH SUN CITY CENTER AND KINGS

POINT TO ALLOW THE RESIDENTS TO USE THE BUSES WITH A VALID

I.D.

AS PART OF THE HCC CAMPUS, THIS WAS A BIG DRIVING FORCE FOR

THE ACTUAL STUDY, GETTING SOME OF THOSE DUAL ENROLLMENT

31

STUDENTS DOWN TO THE HCC CAMPUS AREA, AND WE LOOKED AT SOME

POSSIBILITIES FOR THEM JOINING THE U-PASS PROGRAM, AND THEN

WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE JOLLY TROLLEY AND WHAT'S BEEN DONE

THERE AND SOME OF THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THERE

AS WELL.

AND THERE ARE ALSO ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WITH AMAZON AND

THEN THE MALL WHEN THAT COMES IN AND THEN ALSO THE HIGH-

SPEED FERRY WHEN THAT OCCURS AS WELL.

AND SO DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS

TIME?

>>MARK SHARPE: YES, MA'AM.

WE'LL BEGIN WITH COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: [INAUDIBLE]

>>MARK SHARPE: OH, COUNCILMAN COHEN.

>>HARRY COHEN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR, AND THANK

YOU, MS. McKINLEY.

THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED COORDINATING BOARD MET ON

APRIL 24th, AND WE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME HEARING THE

PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS STUDY AND ALSO SCRUTINIZING IT, AND

THE BOARD DID DECIDE UNANIMOUSLY TO RECOMMEND ITS APPROVAL

TO THE MPO, BUT THEY ASKED ME TO MAKE TWO OBSERVATIONS TO

THIS GROUP, BOTH FOR THIS STUDY AND FOR STUDIES THAT WE DO

IN THE FUTURE, AND I'M GOING TO PASS THOSE ALONG.

THE FIRST IS THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACTUAL SIZE

OF THE SAMPLE THAT RESPONDED TO THE SURVEY, AND THEIR

CRITICISM -- THE BOARD'S CRITICISM WAS NOT OF THE OUTREACH

EFFORTS THAT WERE MADE, IT WAS JUST SIMPLY OF THE FACT THAT

WE ONLY RECEIVED, I THINK BY MY COUNT, 26 RESPONSES TO THE

32

QUESTIONS, AND THAT'S A SMALL NUMBER TO BASE THIS SIZE OF A

STUDY ON.

THE SECOND ITEM THAT THEY ASKED TO BE POINTED OUT WAS THAT

WHILE THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS HELD WITH THE ADMINISTRATION

AND THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE AT HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY

COLLEGE, THEY FELT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO ACTUALLY

HAVE DONE A SURVEY OF THE STUDENTS ON THE RIVERVIEW CAMPUS

TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR PARTICULAR NEEDS WERE, BUT

RECOGNIZING THE URGENT NEED FOR SOME TRANSPORTATION

SOLUTIONS, THE BOARD DID -- DID ENDORSE THIS -- THIS STUDY

BUT ASKED THAT THOSE TWO COMMENTS BE -- BE PUT INTO THE

RECORD.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COHEN.

COUNCILMAN SUAREZ.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: THANK YOU, CHAIR.

IN TERMS OF THE -- OF THE CAPITAL COSTS, YOU'VE GOT A LIST

OF THEM, 2020 IT'S 5,331,000 AND CHANGE.

HOW MANY BUSES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, THE

CAPITAL COST SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE THE BUS PURCHASES, OR

WHAT ELSE IS ENTAILED IN THAT?

>>SARAH McKINLEY: YEAH, IT WOULD PRETTY MUCH BE THE BUS

PURCHASES.

THAT COST, THOUGH, IS A LITTLE BIT -- I GUESS LOOKS A LITTLE

LARGER THAN IN REALITY BECAUSE WE WOULD BE GETTING RID OF

THE 31, SO IT WASN'T ACCOUNTED FOR THE FACT THAT THOSE BUSES

WOULD BE ABLE TO BE REALLOCATED SOMEWHERE ELSE.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: WHAT'S THE NUMBER OF BUSES THAT WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT HERE?

33

>>SARAH McKINLEY: I THINK -- LET ME SEE.

SO ...

>>STEVE POLZIN: [INAUDIBLE]

>>MIKE SUAREZ: YEAH.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: YEAH.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THE MATH MYSELF --

>>SARAH McKINLEY: SORRY.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: I WANTED SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO IT.

[LAUGHTER]

THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING, BUT IT WOULDN'T HURT --

>>SARAH McKINLEY: I'M SORRY, TEN VEHICLES.

IT WOULD BE --

>>MIKE SUAREZ: TEN VEHICLES?

>>SARAH McKINLEY: YEAH.

SIX -- YES.

ACTUALLY, NO, SORRY.

THREE OF THE ACTUAL LARGE CITY BUSES --

>>MIKE SUAREZ: SURE.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: -- AND THEN EIGHT OF THE 23-FOOT VANS,

AND THEN ADDITIONAL FOUR FOR THE FLEX ZONES.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: OKAY.

AND SO IN TERMS OF THIS -- BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT A FIVE-

MILLION STARTUP COST AND THEN ABOUT OPERATING COST ON A PER-

YEAR BASIS OF ABOUT 2.6 MILLION AND GETTING REVENUE OF ABOUT

300,000, GOING UP OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT THREE, FOUR

YEARS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE TYPE OF STUDIES, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING I

WANT TO PUT A CIRCULATOR HERE -- AND I LIKE THE IDEAS THAT

34

YOU PUT FORWARD HERE, I THINK IT'S A TERRIFIC IDEA.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BOTH ON HART AND

OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY -- IS HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE PROBLEM

THAT I HAVE.

YOU'VE GOT KIND OF A -- A WEIRD MIX DOWN IN SOUTH COUNTY IN

TERMS OF YOU'VE GOT SUN CITY CENTER, WHICH IS PRIMARILY FOR

RETIREES, PRIMARILY THOSE FOLKS THAT WANT TO MOVE DOWN THERE

AND BE IN A ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH THEY ARE AMONG THEIR PEERS.

THEN YOU HAVE GIBSONTON AND RIVERVIEW, RIVERVIEW PROBABLY

MORE DEMOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER TWO.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, BOTH TRANSIENT RATES, WHAT

THIS MEANS IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO?

I THINK YOUR SURVEY SIZE, AS MR. COHEN MENTIONED, IS SO

SIGNIFICANTLY INSIGNIFICANT, IF THAT'S A WAY OF PUTTING

IT -- SIGNIFICANTLY INSIGNIFICANT THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY LOOK

TO THE SURVEY AS MUCH BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY OF -- OF BEING

ABLE TO TELL IF THAT IS GOING TO GIVE YOU ANY KIND OF

LEEWAY.

I MEAN, 26 RESPONDENTS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT THE

POPULATION IS, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOOK AT WHEN YOU'RE DOING THESE STUDIES TO

DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS GOING TO BE A

GOOD PROJECT FOR US TO DO?

>>SARAH McKINLEY: WELL, LIKE I SAID, WE HAD THE INITIAL

STAKEHOLDER GROUP.

AT THAT WE INVITED 80 PEOPLE IN THE BEGINNING, AND WE GOT

ABOUT 15 PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE THROUGHOUT THE STUDY.

35

THOSE PEOPLE, THEY WERE THE ONES THAT IDENTIFIED WHAT KIND

OF SERVICE THEY WANTED TO SEE IN THE AREA.

THEY WERE THE ONES THAT TOLD US WHERE THEY NEEDED TO GO,

WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO, THAT KIND OF STUFF, AND THROUGH

THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP THE ALTERNATIVES.

FROM THE ALTERNATIVES, WE THEN BROUGHT IT BACK TO THEM AND

SAID THE AREA IS STILL TRANSITIONING.

THE AREA AT THIS POINT MIGHT NOT HAVE EVERYBODY THERE, IT'S

A FAST-GROWING AREA, SO WHY DON'T WE START OFF SMALLER, WHY

DON'T WE START OFF USING THE SMALLER BUSES --

>>MIKE SUAREZ: SURE.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: -- WHY DON'T WE START OFF AND THEN BUILD

IT AS IT COMES ALONG, AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE DRIVING FORCE

FOR THAT CAME FROM.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: YEAH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A ROBUST ALTERNATIVE.

I MEAN, THAT'S --

>>SARAH McKINLEY: YES.

>>MIKE SUAREZ: AND THAT'S A VERY -- I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH

THE ALTERNATIVE THAT YOU'VE SELECTED.

I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE

MENTIONED ABOUT PUBLIC OUTREACH AND NOT GETTING ENOUGH

RESPONDENTS IS -- IS SOMETHING THAT IS PROBLEMATIC, AND THE

OTHER THING, I THINK, PRIMARILY IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT

FUNDING SOURCES, THERE'S A COUPLE COMPETING INTERESTS HERE,

WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A -- WE HAVE A VERY LARGE COUNTY

THAT IS PARTLY RURAL, PARTLY SUBURBAN, AND PARTLY URBAN, AND

THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE IN RELATION TO THOSE THREE

36

COMPETING INTERESTS ARE WHAT MAKES IT -- BECAUSE, LIKE, IF

YOU'RE IN APOLLO BEACH AND YOU GO, I WANT A CIRCULATOR AND

YOU THINK IT'S GOING TO BE EVERY TEN MINUTES -- BECAUSE IT

ISN'T BASED ON THE NUMBERS THAT YOU JUST GAVE ME -- THAT'S

KIND OF THAT MIND-SET.

THAT'S PART OF WHY I THINK WE NEED TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF

WHAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND TRANSIT'S GOING TO MEAN IN THE

CIRCULATOR SIDE AS OPPOSED TO AN URBAN SIDE.

SO THAT'S THE ONLY SUGGESTIONS I WOULD MAKE.

I LIKE -- I LIKE YOUR STUDY.

IT WAS VERY WELL DONE, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME COMING UP

TO -- TO US.

THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

NEXT SPEAKER OR NEXT QUESTIONER, COMMISSIONER MURMAN.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

AND I -- YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS STUDY, IT'S A

CRITICAL FIRST STEP.

IT'S A STUDY, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT WE DO IT, BECAUSE

WHEN THE POLICY GROUP -- WHEN WE START TO MAKE OUR FUNDING

RECOMMENDATIONS AND GO OUT, I MEAN, A LOT OF THIS HARD WORK

IS DONE, BUT, YOU KNOW, HART OBVIOUSLY IS THE OPERATOR.

THEY'RE GOING TO GO DOWN THERE AND DO FURTHER, MUCH MORE

DETAILED ANALYSIS, NOT JUST ROADWAY BUT ALSO WITH THE

STAKEHOLDERS, AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE KIND OF HAVE TO

KEEP IN PERSPECTIVE HERE IS THAT REALLY WHAT'S GREAT -- AND

I ASKED RAY DO THIS, AND I ACTUALLY -- WE NEED ONE DONE IN

SEVERAL OTHER LOCATIONS, WESTSHORE AND DIFFERENT AREAS,

37

AND -- AND IF WE CAN TAKE THESE FIRST STEPS, YOU KNOW, I

THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

26 PEOPLE, YES, IT'S NOT ENOUGH, BUT I WILL TELL YOU A LOT

OF PEOPLE IN SOUTH COUNTY DON'T HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF TRUST

THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP THEM, AND THERE IS

AN ATTITUDE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT DO IT, AND I

THINK THAT'S WHAT -- HAVING THIS DETAILED INFORMATION AND

THIS BACKUP INFORMATION GIVES US THE -- WHAT WE NEED TO MOVE

FORWARD FOR THE NEXT STEP, AND THEN WE CAN BRING MORE PEOPLE

ONBOARD, AND, OF COURSE, WE ESTABLISH THAT LEVEL OF TRUST

WITH THE CITIZENS IN SOUTH COUNTY, BUT BELIEVE ME, I HEAR IT

ALL THE TIME, AND -- BUT I DO THINK THIS IS A GREAT FIRST

STEP, AND I REALLY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE HARD WORK

YOU PUT INTO IT.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MURMAN.

DR. POLZIN.

>>STEVE POLZIN: YEAH, SIMILAR COMMENTS.

I THINK THIS IS HELPFUL TO CREATE A SENSE OF WHAT COULD

HAPPEN DOWN THERE BOTH IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSIT

OVER TIME, BUT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 2020,

2022.

THE REALITY IS WE'LL SEE WHAT MATERIALIZES IN TERMS OF

DEVELOPMENT BY THEN.

THE TRANSIT PROFESSIONALS HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT PEOPLE

WANT AND NEED AND WHAT THEY'LL USE.

THEY'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CUSTOMERS AT THE POINT IN TIME

WHEN SERVICE IS DEPLOYED.

AND, REALLY, THE VIRTUE OF BUS SERVICES, YOU CAN CHANGE IT.

38

I MEAN, WE CHANGE SCHEDULES THREE TIMES, FOUR TIMES A YEAR,

AND YOU RESPOND TO THE REALITY OF THE MARKET AT THAT POINT

IN TIME.

SO I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, BUT I DO THINK IT

SETS A SENSE OF SCALE AND COMMITMENT AND A RECOGNITION THAT

THAT'S A MATURING AREA THAT WILL NEED BETTER TRANSPORTATION

OPTIONS IN THE FUTURE.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU, DR. POLZIN.

COMMISSIONER MURMAN.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: I FORGOT ONE THING.

WHEN WE HAD OUR INITIAL MEETING DOWN THERE AND WE BROUGHT

EVERYBODY TOGETHER, A LOT OF THE EDUCATION PEOPLE WERE

THERE.

WE HAD PEOPLE FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD.

WE KNOW THAT THERE IS PEOPLE GETTING -- THERE'S ABOUT 300

STUDENTS BETWEEN RIVERVIEW AND EAST BAY HIGH SCHOOL, SO WE

ALREADY HAVE THAT.

NO, THEY DIDN'T POLL THEM, PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT,

BUT I THINK THAT WILL BE DONE IN FURTHER ANALYSIS THAT HART

DOES, BUT THEY WERE VERY EAGER TO FIND A WAY TO GET THOSE

STUDENTS DOWN TO HCC, ESPECIALLY AT 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON

AND NON-PEAK TIMES.

ACTUALLY, IT WAS, I THINK, 3:00 AND 4:00.

THEY NEEDED -- AND HOPEFULLY, BY THAT TIME WE'LL BE ABLE TO

USE HART'S -- MAYBE WE'LL EVEN BE ABLE TO USE HART'S PROGRAM

THAT THESE STUDENTS CAN RIDE FREE AT SOME POINT TO GO ON

THAT DIRECTION.

>>MARK SHARPE: COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE AND THEN

39

COMMISSIONER BECKNER.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

THE -- THE OUTREACH WAS TO MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY GROUPS.

I MEAN, I DIDN'T COUNT THEM, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S IN

EXCESS -- OR ABOUT 30 OF THEM, AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY --

WHY SUCH A LOW RESPONSE ON THE SURVEYS.

AND I -- I'M WONDERING WERE THERE OTHER METHODS OF FEEDBACK,

AND I'M NOT SURE WE --

>>SARAH McKINLEY: YEAH.

>>LISA MONTELIONE:  -- IF I SHOULD GET HUNG UP ON THE 26.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: THE SURVEY WAS REALLY HANDED OUT AS PART

OF THE PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE.

THERE WAS ABOUT DOUBLE THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY AT THE OPEN HOUSE

THAT PARTICIPATED.

NOT ALL OF THEM TURNED IN THEIR SURVEYS, SO THOSE WERE WHAT

WE RECEIVED BACK FROM THEM.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: NEXT TIME THEY DON'T GET OUT THE DOOR

UNTIL THEY FILL IT OUT.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: EXACTLY.

I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BLOCKED THEM.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: WE POST GUARDS.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: SO WE DID HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

VERBALLY THAT PEOPLE GAVE US, BUT AS FAR AS TURNING IN THE

ACTUAL SURVEY, THAT'S WHAT WE RECEIVED.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: BECAUSE, I MEAN, YOU DID A GREAT JOB

WITH OUTREACH.

I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT ALL OF THE BUSINESS GROUPS THAT ARE

40

ON THIS LIST, AND IT'S NUMEROUS, SO MAYBE WE NEED TO COME UP

WITH SOME OTHER METHOD OF -- OF GETTING FEEDBACK OTHER THAN

SURVEYS.

BECAUSE, I MEAN, PERSONALLY I'M NOT A GREAT BIG FAN OF

SURVEYS BECAUSE PEOPLE TEND TO WRITE THE BEST POSSIBLE

ANSWER WHEN THEY'RE RESPONDING TO A SURVEY, SO THEY TALK

ABOUT THINGS THAT THEY WOULD DO BUT IN REALITY THEY MIGHT

NOT ACTUALLY DO, SO OTHER METHODS WOULD BE GREAT.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: YES.

AND LIKE I SAID, IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE SCIENTIFIC, IT WAS

JUST A SIMPLE SURVEY JUST ASKING THEM WHAT THEY THINK OF

EACH OF THE ALTERNATIVES AND WHICH ONE THEY PREFERRED.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: AND THE OTHER -- THE OTHER CRITICISM I

HAVE IS JUST THAT LOOKING AT 2020 MAKES ME REALIZE THAT'S

ONLY SIX YEARS FROM NOW AND -- AND THAT 2020 IS ALMOST --

>>MARK SHARPE: WOW.

>>LISA MONTELIONE:  -- GOING TO BE UPON US BEFORE WE REALLY

KNOW IT.

THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE, THIS SOUTHSHORE CIRCULATOR STUDY,

THE OTHER ONE THAT WAS DONE IN THE UNIVERSITY AREA, OF

ROUTES THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY PRODUCTIVE, VERY WELCOME,

AND -- AND THESE COMMUNITIES NEED THESE KINDS OF SERVICES

BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO FROM WHERE THEY ARE TO

DOWNTOWN OR TO WESTSHORE, THEY JUST NEED TO GET AROUND THEIR

OWN COMMUNITIES, AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, FOR ME IT IS A GREAT STEP -- FIRST STEP, BUT I

WANT TO SEE SOMETHING HAPPEN BEFORE 2020, AND THE ONLY WAY

THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT IS THROUGH FUNDING, SO I THINK

41

THIS IS ANOTHER PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHY WE NEED THAT

REFERENDUM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE

TALKED ABOUT IN THE REFERENDUM PLANS IS WE ARE PROVIDING --

THE CITIZENS OF SOUTH COUNTY NEED TO KNOW WE WOULD BE

PROVIDING SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN LACKING FOR A LONG,

LONG TIME, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN GET THAT TRUST LEVEL

UP, BUT WE NEED TO DO IT BECAUSE THIS IS -- THIS IS

SOMETHING THAT IT WOULD BE A PRIME CANDIDATE FOR FUNDING

FROM THAT REFERENDUM.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER BECKNER AND THEN DIRECTOR WAGGONER.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: OH, THANK YOU.

AND GREAT JOB IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.

I KNOW THAT IT'S ALREADY BEEN BEATEN TO DEATH AS FAR AS THE

NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD -- WE

SHOULD LOOK AT THIS AS REALLY AS A FIRST STEP, AND I GUESS

MY FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS WITH THIS PLAN?

WHERE DO WE GO AFTER HERE?

>>SARAH McKINLEY: WELL, LIKE I SAID, IT'S BEEN WRITTEN INTO

THE NEW UPDATE FOR OUR TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN, SO FROM

THERE, AS IT MOVES FORWARD IN THE PLAN, THEY'VE BASICALLY

MADE IT -- OR I GUESS THEIR TDP IS NOW, AS YOU KNOW,

FISCALLY SET WITH THE BUDGET, SO AS THOSE YEARS WILL COME

UP, THEN THEY'LL BEGIN TO LOOK AT THIS MORE AND MORE AND

REFINE THE DETAILS, LOOK AT STOP PLACEMENTS, LOOK AT THE

ACTUAL SPECIFIC ROUTES, LOOK AT THE TIMINGS AND EVERYTHING,

SO THOSE ARE SOMETHING THAT WILL COME UP WITH HART AS IT

MOVES FORWARD IN THE TDP.

42

>>KEVIN BECKNER: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS TRYING TO

DECIPHER FROM HERE, WHAT AMOUNT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE

MADE BASED ON HART'S VISION PLAN AND WHAT YOU ASCERTAINED

FROM THAT VERSUS WHAT WAS COMING FROM THE SURVEY?

IS THIS STRICTLY COMING FROM THE SURVEY OR ARE SOME OF THESE

ALREADY RECOMMENDED IN THE -- IN THEIR PLAN, IN HART'S

EXISTING PLAN?

>>SARAH McKINLEY: WELL, THE GIBSONTON FLEX WAS ALREADY

RECOMMENDED WITHIN IT, AND WE JUST EXTENDED THAT, LIKE I

SAID, TO RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL.

THE BIG BEND FLEX, THAT WAS ACTUALLY AS A EAST-WEST ROUTE,

LIKE A LOCAL ROUTE.

WE'RE RECOMMENDING IT BE A FLEX RATHER THAN A LOCAL ROUTE.

SO THOSE WERE ALREADY WITHIN THERE.

THE LOOPS ARE SOMETHING THAT COMPLETELY CAME OUT OF THE

STAKEHOLDERS.

THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO SEE.

THEY WANTED BETTER CIRCULATION WITHIN THE AREA, THEY --

WHILE THEY KNOW THAT THE CONNECTION TO THE BRANDON MALL AND

TO THE REST OF THE HART SYSTEM IS KEY, THEY ALSO JUST WANT

TO GET AROUND THE SOUTHSHORE AREA, SO A LOT OF THAT WAS

ACTUALLY FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS AND FROM WHAT THEY TOLD US

THEY WANTED.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: YEAH.

THE WAY THAT I WOULD LOOK AT THIS IS -- YOU KNOW, THE

TRANSPORTATION POLICY GROUP IS MEETING RIGHT NOW.

I WOULD VIEW THIS AS A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE WHEN WE'RE

LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY BE PROPOSING TO COME

43

TO THE CITIZENS BY, MY EXPECTATIONS WOULD BE, LATE SUMMER,

EARLY FALL, AND THAT THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE PART OF THAT

WHERE WE NOW HAVE SOMETHING CONCRETE THAT WE CAN PRESENT TO

PEOPLE SAYING THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED BASED

ON THE SCALE OF THE PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED AND THEN USE THIS

TO REACH A LARGER AUDIENCE TO GET EVEN A BROADER FEEDBACK

NOW THAT YOU HAVE SOMETHING CONCRETE TO USE, SO I WOULD

SUGGEST THAT WE -- THAT THIS BE PART OF THE PUZZLE THAT WE

SUBMIT TO THE TRANSPORTATION POLICY GROUP AND THEN THAT BE

MADE PART OF OUR DISCUSSIONS MOVING FORWARD.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: OKAY.

YEAH, A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE

STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC WAS THAT THEY WERE EXCITED TO

JUST HAVE A PLAN NOW AND SOMETHING FOR THE SOUTHSHORE AREA,

SO THAT --

>>MARK SHARPE: COMMISSIONER MURMAN, ARE YOU GOING TO BE

MAKING SURE, THOUGH, THAT THAT -- THAT THIS PIECE, THIS

ELEMENT IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION BY THE POLICY LEADERSHIP

GROUP?

>>SANDRA MURMAN: ABSOLUTELY.

REMEMBER, LAYING DOWN ON THE TRACK.

[LAUGHTER]

I WON'T LEAVE THAT GROUP WITHOUT --

>>MARK SHARPE: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK]

>>SANDRA MURMAN: -- DOING SOMETHING IN SOUTH COUNTY, AND

THAT ALSO INCLUDES BUS RAPID TRANSIT.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: JUST REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE TRACKS

DOWN FIRST AND A TRAIN --

44

>>SANDRA MURMAN: WE HAVE PLENTY OF TRACKS IN SOUTH COUNTY,

BELIEVE ME.

>>MARK SHARPE: I'VE GOT A SHOVEL READY TO GO.

[LAUGHTER]

>>MIKE SUAREZ: I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING.

[LAUGHTER]

>>MARK SHARPE: DIRECTOR WAGGONER, BUT THE CHAIRMAN -- OR

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S ASKED TO MAKE A STATEMENT.

WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD.

>>RAY CHIARAMONTE: OKAY.

ASKING ABOUT NEXT STEP, I GUESS I WANT YOU TO THINK OF ALL

THE STUDIES THAT WE WORK ON HERE.

THE KEY IS TO GET THEM INTO THE LONG-RANGE PLAN WHEN WE

ADOPT THAT IN NOVEMBER WITH AN IDENTIFIED FUNDING SOURCE SO

WE'RE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL GRANTS AND FUNDS AND THINGS LIKE

THAT.

THAT'S THE KEY WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT KIND OF STUDIES

WE'RE DOING, HOW DO WE GET THEM INTO OUR COST-AFFORDABLE

LRTP THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ADOPT THIS NOVEMBER.

>>MARK SHARPE: DIRECTOR WAGGONER.

>>JOSEPH WAGGONER: I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH,

BUT MAYBE THIS IS HOW I PERCEIVED THE STUDY AS YOU PRESENTED

IT SO FAR.

THE DEGREE OF SERVICE, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE, THE STOPS, THE

ORIGIN OF DESTINATIONS WERE BASED ON PROBABLY TRANSPORTATION

PROFESSIONALS' ASSESSMENT OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND WHERE THE

PEOPLE WANTED TO MOVE TO AND FROM, AND THE SURVEYS AND

PUBLIC OUTREACH WERE USED MORE TO HELP DEFINE OR STYLE THE

45

TYPE OF SERVICE THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED.

IS THAT A FAIR STATEMENT?

>>SARAH McKINLEY: NO, THE ACTUAL DESTINATIONS WERE GIVEN TO

US FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS.

>>JOSEPH WAGGONER: REALLY?

>>SARAH McKINLEY: THEY IDENTIFIED THOSE THEMSELVES, YES.

>>JOSEPH WAGGONER: THAT'S INTERESTING.

>>MARK SHARPE: OKAY.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS?

I THINK IT'S BEEN A VERY THOROUGH CONVERSATION AND EXCELLENT

START.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: OKAY.

WE'LL MOVE -- DO WE NEED TO TAKE ANY ACTION?

THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM, SO WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE THE

REPORT.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: [INAUDIBLE]

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SECOND.

>>MARK SHARPE: OKAY.

WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MURMAN, SECONDED BY

COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE.

THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

[CHORUS OF AYES]

ANY OPPOSED?

MOTION PASSES.

LET'S GO TO OUR NEXT ACTION ITEM, ACTION ITEM "B," THE

UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM.

46

THAT'S SARAH AGAIN.

WELCOME, MA'AM.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: YES.

AGAIN, SARAH McKINLEY, MPO STAFF.

A COUPLE MONTHS AGO I BROUGHT FORWARD THE UNIFIED PLANNING

WORK PROGRAM FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 UPDATES.

THIS WORK PROGRAM IS THE WORK PLAN THAT IDENTIFIES ALL THE

PLANNING TASKS AND ALLOCATES THE BUDGET FOR THOSE TASKS FOR

THE MPO FOR THE TWO FISCAL YEARS.

IT IS ALSO REQUIRED AS PART OF MAP-21, THE CURRENT

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING LEGISLATION.

FOR OUR FUNDING SOURCES, WE'RE LOOKING AT FOUR PRIMARY

FUNDING SOURCES.

WE HAVE THE COMMISSION FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED,

THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION FUNDS, THE FHWA PLANNING FUNDS,

AND THEN THE FTA FUNDS, AND THOSE ADD UP TO ABOUT 2.2

MILLION ANNUALLY.

THE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE

COMMITTEES ARE -- AND ONGOING TASKS THAT WE HAVE IN-HOUSE

INCLUDE -- OUR TASK 1.1 IS MAINLY OUR MANAGEMENT TASK.

THIS IS OUR MPO CERTIFICATIONS, DOING UPDATES LIKE THE UPWP,

AND GENERAL GRANT MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING CONTRACTS.

2.1 IS OUR CONGESTION MANAGEMENT AND CRASH MITIGATION

STUDIES.

FOR THIS WE GOT A FEW REQUESTS, ESPECIALLY TO LOOK AT THE

CORRIDOR LANE OPERATIONS.

THESE INCLUDE SOME OF THE ONE-WAY PAIR STUDIES THAT WE WERE

ASKED TO LOOK AT, INCLUDING FLORIDA AND TAMPA AND THEN ALSO

47

COLUMBUS AND 19th AVENUE.

TASK 2.2, THAT'S OUR SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT THAT IS GOING

ON.

IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE GOT AS A GRANT FROM FHWA.

WE'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL PHASE II WORK FOR

THAT.

TASK 2.3, THE COMPLETE STREETS AND NONMOTORIZED

TRANSPORTATION, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF REQUESTS TO LOOK AT THE

REGIONAL RAIL CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY

THE RAIL -- OR THE TRAIL THAT WOULD GO FROM PINELLAS TO

MANATEE COUNTY AND FILLING IN SOME OF THE HOLES THROUGHOUT

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

WE ALSO WERE ASKED TO LOOK AT THE GREEN ARTERY TRAIL PHASING

PLAN, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING TO DO A BICYCLE -- AN

INTERACTIVE BICYCLE MAP FOR THAT.

AS FAR AS 2.4, THE INTERMODAL AND FREIGHT STUDIES, WE WERE

ASKED TO UPDATE THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRUCK ROUTE PLAN AND

THEN ALSO LOOK AT SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE PORT AND

ASSIST THEM WHEN NEEDED.

2.5 IS OUR TRANSIT AND TDM PLANNING.

THIS -- WE'VE ALLOCATED SOME FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL

CIRCULATOR STUDIES.

WE'VE HEARD SOME MENTION MAYBE OF POSSIBLY A BRANDON STUDY,

SO THERE'S SOME ROOM IN THERE FOR THAT, AND ALSO WE HAVE THE

CURRENT BRT AND THE TAMPA BAY EXPRESS LANES STUDY THAT'S

GOING ON, AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING SOME FOLLOW-UP FROM THAT AS

WELL AS ADDITIONAL TRANSIT STUDIES AS NEEDED.

48

2.6 IS THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED PLANNING.

THIS -- WE HAVE THE REGULAR TD SERVICE PLAN THAT WE UPDATE

ANNUALLY AND THEN ALSO THE RIDE GUIDE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO

UPDATE.

TASK 3.1, THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AS YOU KNOW,

WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF UPDATING THAT.

WE'LL BE WRAPPING THAT UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THEN

WE'RE ALSO ANTICIPATING FOLLOW-UP STUDIES FROM THAT.

TASK 4.1 IS THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

THIS IS THE T.I.P., THE ONGOING DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE

CREATED AN IN-HOUSE TOOL TO MANAGE AND UPDATE AND THEN ALSO

COORDINATE AND IMPLEMENT THE PRIORITIZED PROJECTS FROM THE

LIST.

TASK 5.1 IS PRETTY MUCH ALL THE ADDITIONAL CORRIDOR,

ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SUB-AREA STUDIES.

WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO LOOK AT A COMPLETE STREET STUDY FOR

GIBSONTON DRIVE.

AND THEN LET'S SEE.

TASK 6.1, THE MULTIMODAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC DATABASES.

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING OR CREATING A LEVEL-OF-

SERVICE DATABASE, AND FROM THAT WE WILL BE MANAGING THAT,

UPDATING THAT, AND THEN CREATING REPORTS FROM THAT, AND ALSO

WE'RE LOOKING TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC COUNTS

THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

7.1 IS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

THIS IS ALL THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS WE DO, THIS IS ALL THE

PRINTING, BROCHURES, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND OUR WEB SITE.

TASK 8.1 IS THE LOCAL COORDINATION.

49

THIS WOULD BE WHERE WE'D ASSIST WITH THE TRANSPORTATION FOR

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE AND THEN OTHER REQUESTS AS

NEEDED.

8.2, THE COORDINATION FOR REGIONAL AND STATE INITIATIVES.

THIS IS ALSO WITH THE TMA, THE CCC ASSISTING TBARTA IN THAT,

AS WELL AS THE TRAVEL DEMAND MODEL AND THEN OTHER 2040 LRTP

UPDATES FOR TBARTA'S MASTER PLAN.

OKAY.

HERE'S THE TIMELINE.

AS YOU CAN SEE, WE TOOK THIS TO THE COMMITTEES IN FEBRUARY,

WE BROUGHT IT TO THE COMMITTEES AND YOU GUYS IN MARCH, AND

THEN WE BROUGHT IT FORWARD AGAIN FOR FINAL APPROVAL FROM ALL

THE COMMITTEES, AND THEN NOW YOU TODAY.

SO DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR ME?

>>MARK SHARPE: COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: NOT REALLY A QUESTION, JUST A COMMENT.

I, YOU KNOW, READ THIS THOROUGHLY AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND

THE DETAIL THAT WENT INTO THIS IS COMMENDABLE, AND IT GAVE

ME SO MANY THINGS TO FOLLOW UP ON --

[LAUGHTER]

-- THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WISH THAT I DIDN'T READ IT SO

THOROUGHLY BECAUSE I'VE GOT STICKY NOTES ALL OVER IT TO FIND

OUT WHERE CERTAIN THINGS ARE, SO -- BUT GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR -- I KNOW PUTTING THIS TOGETHER

ISN'T EASY, SO THANK YOU.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: OH, AND CAN I NOTE REAL QUICK, I GAVE

YOU-ALL EACH AN UPDATED PACKET.

THESE WERE SOME TABLES THAT WERE ADDED AND CHANGED SINCE WE

50

DID THE PACKET FOR YOU-ALL.

TABLE 2-B WAS A LAST-MINUTE ADDITION THAT FDOT ASKED US TO

PUT IN THERE.

WE UPDATED TABLE 3-B TO INCLUDE THE PRIOR YEAR CARRYOVER

FUNDS.

FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED GRANT FORM, WE ADDED

THE $3,000 FOR THE TRIPS IN THERE AND THEN WE ALSO ADDED THE

COMMENTS FROM FDOT AND FHWA, SO THOSE WERE THE ADDITIONS

THAT YOU WERE GIVEN TODAY.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THANK YOU.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: MOVE APPROVAL.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: [INAUDIBLE]

>>MARK SHARPE: WE HAVE A MOTION OF APPROVAL BY COMMISSIONER

MURMAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BECKNER.

THEY'VE GOT STICKY NOTES ALL OVER THEIRS TOO, BUT THEY'RE

GOING TO ASK THEIR QUESTIONS LATER.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: EVERYWHERE.

>>MARK SHARPE: EVERYWHERE.

SHE DOES ACTUALLY.

YOU DO.

I CAN SEE THAT.

THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

[CHORUS OF AYES]

ANY OPPOSED?

MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, SARAH.

>>SARAH McKINLEY: THANK YOU.

51

>>MARK SHARPE: AND NOW WE'VE GOT THE ANNUAL JOINT

CERTIFICATION OF THE MPO, MS. ALDEN.

>>BETH ALDEN: GOOD MORNING AGAIN, BOARD MEMBERS.

BETH ALDEN, MPO STAFF, AND I THINK I'M GOING TO BE JOINED BY

A REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT 7 AT SOME POINT, MR. ROGER

ROSCOE.

AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING THIS MORNING ABOUT THE ANNUAL

REVIEW OF THE MPO'S PLANNING PROGRAM.

WE TRY TO CONDUCT THAT REVIEW AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE

UPDATE OUR PLANNING WORK PROGRAM AND BUDGET TO MAKE SURE

THAT WE ARE ON TRACK WITH ALL OF THE FEDERAL AND STATE

REGULATIONS.

AND SO THIS IS OUR OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE AND SOME MAJOR

PROJECTS FROM LAST YEAR, IMAGINE 2040, THOSE GROWTH

SCENARIOS, THE PUBLIC OUTREACH, AND OUR POPULATION AND JOB

GROWTH MAPS AND DATA LEADING INTO OUR 2040 PLAN UPDATE.

SO WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO FORECAST WHERE GROWTH WILL GO AS A

FUNDAMENTAL STEP TO UPDATING OUR 2040 PLAN.

WE HAD A NUMBER OF CORRIDOR STUDIES LAST YEAR, EAST

HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE, BRANDON BOULEVARD, COLLINS STREET IN

PLANT CITY, BRUCE B. DOWNS BOULEVARD.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT OUR INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

MASTER PLAN LAST YEAR; THE INTERMODAL YARD AREA STUDY AROUND

THE CSX YARD IN EAST TAMPA; TAMPA WALK/BIKE PLAN, PHASE III;

THE BYPASS CANAL TRAIL FEASIBILITY STUDY; SOME REGIONAL

PRIORITIES FOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA; AND, OF COURSE, OUR

ANNUAL UPDATES OF THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND

52

OUR TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED PLANS, SO THOSE WERE JUST A

COUPLE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST YEAR.

AS PART OF THIS CERTIFICATION PROCESS, THERE IS A DETAILED

QUESTIONNAIRE THAT'S PROVIDED BY DISTRICT 7 LOOKING AT THE

DIFFERENT AREAS OF LAW THAT MPOs ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR

ADDRESSING IN THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING PROGRAM, AND THAT

QUESTIONNAIRE AND THEIR RESPONSES TO IT ARE IN YOUR PACKET.

WE'VE COORDINATED THAT WITH DISTRICT 7 AND, YOU KNOW, ADDED

SOME FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION PER THEIR REQUESTS, SO ALL OF

THAT DETAIL IS THERE IF YOU, YOU KNOW, GET BORED LATE AT

NIGHT AND HAVE TROUBLE FALLING ASLEEP, BUT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT

A COUPLE OF THINGS, SUCCESSES, AND SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR

IMPROVEMENT.

SO THINGS THAT WE THINK THAT WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AT, WE USED

SOME INNOVATIVE OUTREACH TOOLS LAST YEAR WITH THAT

INTERACTIVE WEB SITE FOR IMAGINE 2040.

WE ALSO TRIED OUT A TOOL TEXTIZEN ON OUR REVIEW OF THE GANDY

CONNECTOR PROJECT, AND WE FOUND THAT THAT WAS A LOW-COST

STRATEGY FOR REACHING ALL OF THE CITIZENS WHO LIVE IN A

PARTICULAR AREA AND GETTING SOME QUICK FEEDBACK ON A

PARTICULAR PROJECT, SO THAT IS A TOOL THAT WE WOULD SUGGEST

THE MPO CONSIDER USING AGAIN.

THE MPO ALSO HAS A STRONG COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY IN OUR

OUTREACH PROGRAM, TAKING OUR OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES OUT TO

CIVIC GROUPS ALL OVER THE COUNTY.

MPO ALSO CREATED SOME NEW SEATS ON OUR CITIZENS ADVISORY

COMMITTEE TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY.

THIS MPO ALSO TOOK THE LEAD ON A NUMBER OF TOPICS AT THE

53

REGIONAL LEVEL, HELPING FORM THE TAMPA BAY TMA LEADERSHIP

GROUP THAT HAS NOW DRAFTED A PRIORITY LIST FOR TRICOUNTY

REVIEW AND SUPPORT.

THIS MPO HAS ALSO ADVOCATED STREAMLINING THAT EIGHT-COUNTY

REGIONAL PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT A MOMENT AGO,

AND WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF

TRANSPORTATION TO STUDY HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY FIT BUS RAPID

TRANSIT INTO THOSE EXPRESS TOLL LANES THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS

WORKING ON IN THE INTERSTATE CORRIDORS.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS ALSO A STRENGTH.

THIS MPO DID GET A FEDERAL HIGHWAY PILOT PROJECT GRANT TO

LOOK AT VULNERABILITY AND OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE

RESILIENCY.

THOSE STRATEGIES WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU NEXT MONTH FOR

CONSIDERATION, POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN THE LONG-RANGE

TRANSPORTATION PLAN.

AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF BACKGROUND

WORK AND ANALYSIS TO HELP SUPPORT THE TRANSPORTATION FOR

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, LOOKING AT KEY ECONOMIC

SPACES, YOU KNOW, BASED ON OUR EXISTING DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS

AND OUR FORECASTED FUTURE JOB GROWTH AND LOOKING AT

POTENTIAL STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE TRANSPORTATION

NEEDS TO SUPPORT THAT ECONOMIC GROWTH.

SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT.

WE ARE CURRENTLY CIRCULATING THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR

THE CREATION OF THE MPO TO OBTAIN SIGNATURES ON THAT SO THAT

WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, ADDING ANOTHER SEAT TO THIS BOARD.

FOLLOWING THAT, WE'VE BEEN ASKED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO GO

54

AHEAD AND UPDATE ONE OF OUR OTHER INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS,

WHICH IS A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PLANNING COORDINATION

AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH -- IT'S WITH HART, THE TAMPA BAY

REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL, AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS ASKED THAT

WE INCLUDE TBARTA IN THAT TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

COORDINATION AGREEMENT.

WE'VE ALSO GOT SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION

IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM DOCUMENT THAT WE BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT HOW

PRIORITIES CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR SO THAT A MEMBER OF THE

PUBLIC CAN EASILY SEE WHAT PROJECTS THAT WERE PRIORITIES OF

THIS BOARD WERE IMPLEMENTED, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THOSE

PRIORITIES, AND HOW ARE NEW PRIORITIES MOVED INTO THE

PLANNING PROGRAM.

WE'VE ALSO HAD A SUGGESTION FROM FEDERAL HIGHWAY THAT WE

TAKE SOME MORE STEPS FOR OUTREACH TO THE SEMINOLE TRIBE,

WHICH DOES OWN PROPERTY HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY,

ALTHOUGH THEIR ADMINISTRATION IS NOT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH

COUNTY, BUT SINCE THEY ARE A SOVEREIGN NATION THAT WE TAKE

SOME ADDITIONAL STEPS FOR OUTREACH TO THAT GROUP.

AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO AUTHORIZE THE MPO CHAIR TO

SIGN THE JOINT CERTIFICATION STATEMENT.

THAT STATEMENT IS IN YOUR PACKETS.

IT WOULD BE SIGNED BY THE MPO CHAIR AND THE DISTRICT 7

SECRETARY, AND HERE IS MR. ROSCOE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS ON

BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT.

>>MARK SHARPE: WELCOME, MR. ROGER ROSCOE.

>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

55

THANK YOU, MS. ALDEN.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD MEMBERS AND MPO STAFF.

PART OF MY JOB I THOROUGHLY ENJOY IS BEING ABLE TO COME UP

AND TALK ABOUT SUCCESSES AND THINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE

THIS LAST YEAR WITH THE MPO AND THEIR STAFF.

FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

THE MPO, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN PARTICULAR, AND THE STAFF

DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB.

THEY WERE HIGHLY RECOGNIZED LAST YEAR DURING THE FEDERAL

CERTIFICATION IN REGARDS TO THEIR OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY,

IN PERSON, OUT ON THEIR WEB SITE, LOCATIONS AND MEETINGS

AROUND THE COMMUNITY, SO DEFINITELY A THUMBS-UP IN REGARDS

TO THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THAT DOES TAKE PLACE ALMOST ON A

DAILY BASIS OUT HERE.

ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT AREA WAS PARTNERING WITH ONE OF

FLORIDA'S LARGEST HOME SHOW.

WE FELT THAT WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT

INTO A SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT REALLY WASN'T EVEN

REACHED AT ABOUT, BEING ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND GET

FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS THAT WOULD HELP THEM OUT IN REGARDS TO

THE 2040 SURVEY AND ALSO GETTING OTHER FEEDBACK IN REGARDS

TO THE COMMUNITY AND OTHER ACTIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE.

THE IMAGINE 2040 SURVEY, A VERY SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT,

REACHING OUT OVER 3500 PARTICIPANTS AND GETTING OVER 91,500

CHOICES.

THAT WAS, AGAIN, VERY SIGNIFICANT.

VERY GOOD JOB ALSO IN COORDINATING NEWS IN THE HILLSBOROUGH

COUNTY AREA, TAMPA BAY AREA HERE.

56

THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF ALERTING THE COMMUNITY ON WHAT'S

GOING ON IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS

THAT TAKE PLACE.

THE WEB SITE MERGER BETWEEN THE MPO AND THE PLANNING

COMMISSION, IT WAS VERY EASY TO USE, IT'S STREAMLINED, BEING

ABLE TO REVIEW AND FIND DOCUMENTS.

IT'S VERY CLEAN AND VERY EASY TO USE.

OUTREACH AND PLANNING.

I'D LIKE TO PERSONALLY COMMEND RICH CLARENDON IN REGARDS TO

THIS ACTION PLAN.

WHEN HE WAS ALERTED TO THE FACT OF TRYING TO DIVERSIFY THE

CAC AND THE TAC, HE IMMEDIATELY PUT A PLAN IN PLACE AND WAS

ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND REACH OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND

BRING IN NEW MEMBERS THAT I BELIEVE WILL BE JOINING I THINK

IN NEXT MONTH'S TIME, SO THAT WAS A GREAT JOB OUT THERE, AND

ALSO RICH CLARENDON AGAIN AND ALLISON YEH IN REGARDS TO

OBTAINING THE GRANT PILOT PROGRAM ON THE SUCCESS OF

RESILIENCY IN THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ON EXTREME WEATHER

AND CLIMATE IMPACTS.

I KNOW THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS LOOKING

FORWARD TO RECEIVING THAT FINAL SUMMARY LATER IN THE SUMMER

OR EARLY FALL ON THAT DOCUMENT.

THAT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO HELP US OUT AT THE DISTRICT HERE

IN REGARDS TO WHAT THE RESULTS WILL BE.

AND FINALLY, STAFF, I'D LIKE TO COMMEND -- A GREAT JOB

WORKING WITH THE MPO FROM RAY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO

PARTICULARLY LINDA, KEEPING EVERYBODY INFORMED IN REGARDS TO

ANY OF THE REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE, SO, AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF

57

THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, MYSELF, AND OUR

TEAM, AGAIN, WE'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR A GREAT YEAR

THAT WE'VE HAD, AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWARD FOR

CONTINUED SUCCESSES WITH THE MPO IN THE FUTURE.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU, MR. ROSCOE, AND THANK YOU FOR THE

COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH MS. ALDEN AND OUR MPO.

MS. ALDEN, ANYTHING ELSE?

OTHERWISE, WE JUST HAVE TO GET A MOTION OF APPROVAL

AUTHORIZING THE MPO CHAIR TO SIGN THE 2012 JOINT

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SO MOVED.

>>HARRY COHEN: SECOND.

>>MARK SHARPE: WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE

SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN COHEN.

THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

[CHORUS OF AYES]

ANY OPPOSED?

MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU.

>>BETH ALDEN: THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: NOW, WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, THE

WESTSHORE AIRPORT CONNECTOR PHASE I FEASIBILITY STUDY.

WELCOME, MING.

>> THANK YOU.

GOOD MORNING, CHAIR.

GOOD MORNING, BOARD MEMBERS.

MING GAO WITH D.O.T.

TODAY I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR WESTSHORE

58

REGIONAL MULTIMODAL CENTER STUDY.

LET'S SEE.

MAYBE TURN THIS ON.

FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE'VE BEEN USING THE

TERMS OF "MULTIMODAL" AND --

>>MARK SHARPE: "INTERMODAL."

>> -- "INTERMODAL" INTERCHANGEABLY.

SINCE MOST OF US AT THE D.O.T. OR AT OUR COMMITTEES COULDN'T

FIGURE OUT THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO TERMS, WE

JUST KEEP USING THEM INTERCHANGEABLY, SO ONE OF THESE DAYS

WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE TO USE.

>>MARK SHARPE: THE BIGGER ONE.

>> TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHY WE'RE DOING THIS

STUDY AND PROGRESS TODAY -- BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'VE BEEN AT

IT FOR OVER TEN YEARS -- AND ALSO WHAT WILL BE OUR NEXT

STEPS.

WHEN WE STARTED THIS STUDY TEN YEARS AGO, OVER TEN YEARS

AGO, WE CALLED IT TAMPA BAY INTERMODAL CENTERS STUDY, AND WE

WERE LOOKING AT VARIOUS TRANSPORTATION PLANS WITHIN THE

TAMPA BAY REGION, AND WE WERE TRYING TO FIND REGIONAL

TRANSPORTATION HUBS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE TAMPA BAY AREA AND

IN VARIOUS COUNTIES AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONNECT

THE LOCAL SYSTEM AND THE REGIONAL SYSTEM BETWEEN HIGHWAYS,

AIRPORTS, SEAPORTS, AS WELL AS THE TRANSIT SERVICES, AND

PARTICULARLY, WE WERE FOCUSING ON CONNECTING TRANSIT

SERVICES BETWEEN HILLSBOROUGH AND PINELLAS COUNTY.

AND, OF COURSE, ANOTHER PURPOSE WAS LOOK AT ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND FACILITATE REGIONAL

59

DISCUSSION.

OF COURSE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT REGIONAL HUBS, YOU LOOK AT

REGIONAL SERVICE, SO WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO LOCAL TRANSIT

SERVICES, LOCAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO

MAKE THOSE REGIONAL CONNECTIONS.

SO IN 2004 WE COMPLETED THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL INTERMODAL

CENTER STUDY, SO WE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL SITES WITHIN THE

TAMPA BAY REGION, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WITHIN THE DISTRICT 7

AREA.

WE LOOKED AT GATEWAY.

BACK THEN WE ACTUALLY WERE LOOKING AT THE SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY

NEAR ST. PETE AIRPORT -- ST. PETE/CLEARWATER AIRPORT.

IN DOWNTOWN WE ACTUALLY PURCHASED THE FORMER JAIL SITE,

WHICH WE TOOK IT DOWN.

DURING THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL DISCUSSION, WE ACTUALLY

IDENTIFIED IT AS A HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION FROM ORLANDO TO

TAMPA, AND, OF COURSE, WESTSHORE.

BACK IN THE DAYS, WE ACTUALLY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PARKING

LOT OF JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL, SO -- THAT'S WAY BACK IN 2004.

SO FAST FORWARD.

PRIOR TO 2012 WE WERE DOING INTERCHANGE DESIGNS AT THE

INTERSTATE 275 AND STATE ROAD 60.

WE RECOGNIZED THE DESIGN OF THE INTERCHANGE WOULD HAVE A

SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE FUTURE MULTIMODAL CENTER WITHIN

THE WESTSHORE AREA BECAUSE WE IDENTIFIED A WIDE CORRIDOR,

YOU KNOW, CAN BE USED AS A PLATFORM AREA WITHIN THE 275

MEDIAN, SO WE JUST WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE INTERMODAL

SITE IN WESTSHORE AREA TO SEE HOW WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT

60

THROUGH OUR INTERCHANGE DESIGN.

SO THAT'S WHY WE UNDERTOOK THE STUDY.

WE PARTNERED WITH THE MPO, THE CITY, TBARTA, WESTSHORE

ALLIANCE, TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SO WE CAME UP WITH

FOUR VIABLE SITES.

NOW, YOU LOOK AT THOSE SITES -- YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE MAP

RIGHT HERE -- IT COVERS VERY BROAD AREA, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE

IS WE ARE TRYING TO CONNECT ONE OF THOSE SITES TO THE 275

TRANSIT PLATFORM AS INDICATED ON THE MAP.

THAT BASICALLY IS ABOUT 80-FEET-WIDE MEDIAN WITHIN THE I-275

CORRIDOR.

SO THAT'S -- THOSE WERE THE SITES WE IDENTIFIED.

YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, SITE "A" IS THE WESTSHORE PLAZA, THE --

SITE "C" IS THE AREA WHERE YOU HAVE ALL THE HOTELS ALONG

CYPRESS, AND SITE "D" IS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL, AND THE

PURPLE AREA IS BASICALLY ALL THE BUSINESS ALONG WESTSHORE.

SO WE'RE NOT SAYING THE ENTIRE AREA, YOU KNOW, OF THOSE

SITES WILL BE AN INTERMODAL CENTER, BUT IT COULD BE

BASICALLY A CLUSTER OF DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, SURROUNDING A

TRANSPORTATION HUB.

SO WHILE WE WERE DOING THIS STUDY IN 2012, TAMPA

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS ALSO GOING THROUGH A MASTER PLAN

UPDATE, AND ONE OF THE ITEMS IDENTIFIED IN THE MASTER PLAN

UPDATE WAS TO HAVE A CONSOLIDATED RENTAL CAR FACILITY NEAR

THE POST OFFICE, THE EXISTING POST OFFICE THAT'S CALLED

CONRAC.

SO WE MUCH APPRECIATED THE FORESIGHT AND THE VISION THE

AIRPORT HAS REACHING OUT TO THE AIRPORT AND WESTSHORE, YOU

61

KNOW, LOOKING AT, HEY, WHAT TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ARE THERE

OUTSIDE THE AIRPORT, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST WITHIN THE AIRPORT,

YOU KNOW.

SO THROUGH COORDINATION, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA

TO HAVE A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CONRAC FACILITY TO THE

WESTSHORE INTERMODAL CENTER SITE.

OBVIOUSLY, THE AIRPORT PROPOSAL HAVE THE AUTOMATED PEOPLE

MOVER EXTENDED FROM THE TERMINAL AREA TO THE CONRAC SITE, SO

OUT OF THE MASTER PLAN THERE'S ALSO A FUTURE CONNECTION FROM

THE CONRAC SITE TO WESTSHORE.

GIVEN THAT PROPOSAL, YOU KNOW, WE FIGURED, OKAY, LET'S TAKE

A LOOK AT THE CONNECTION, SEE HOW WE CAN CONNECT THE CONRAC

AND THE INTERMODAL SITE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM

A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, CAN WE DO IT, BECAUSE IT'S

GOING TO BE AN ELEVATED FACILITY.

WOULD IT VIOLATE THE RUNWAY PROTECTION ZONE FOR THE AIRPORT

AND ALSO, ARE THERE ANY FATAL FLAWS?

SO WE UNDERTOOK ANOTHER STUDY.

WE PARTNERED WITH THE AIRPORT AND ALSO TBARTA AND IDENTIFIED

SEVERAL VIABLE ROUTES.

THE FIRST ONE IS THE GREEN ALIGNMENT GOING THROUGH THE BOY

SCOUT THROUGH O'BRIEN AND COMING DOWN TO CYPRESS AND ALL THE

WAY TO SITE "C," "D," AND "S," YOU CAN TELL, ON CYPRESS AND,

OF COURSE, THROUGH ANOTHER CONNECTION TO THE MALL.

ANOTHER ROUTE IS SIMILAR COMING OUT OF THE AIRPORT, JUST

CROSSING BOY SCOUT AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION AND BASICALLY

COMING DOWN THE ALIGNMENT OF MAIN STREET, I THINK -- I THINK

MAIN STREET STOPS SHORT THERE BEFORE THE AIRFIELD, AND COMES

62

DOWN TRASK.

AND ANOTHER ALIGNMENT IS COME DOWN THE FRONTAGE ROAD ALONG

MEMORIAL.

SO THOSE ARE THE SITES WE IDENTIFIED AS VIABLE SITES.

SO NOW WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE FEASIBLE SITE -- I MEAN FEASIBLE

CONNECTION BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND THE WESTSHORE INTERMODAL

CENTER, SO THE NEXT STEP WILL BE TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WHAT

DO WE WANT TO CONNECT THE WESTSHORE CENTER TO AND WHAT

TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT WE WANT TO INCLUDE AND WHAT

REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE BECAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY

WANT THE DEPARTMENT TO GO OUT THERE JUST TO DESIGN A STATION

FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFIT OF A

CENTER, A MULTIMODAL CENTER.

SO WE ARE REACHING OUT TO STAKEHOLDERS.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A COUPLE MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT NEEDS

TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT CENTER, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE

TO IDENTIFY A SITE.

THE DEPARTMENT IS VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN A PUBLIC-PRIVATE

PARTNERSHIP.

WE KNOW WE CAN'T DO THAT ALONE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO WORK

WITH OUR PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE AREA, AND ALSO,

WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT FUNDING MECHANISMS, BECAUSE

DEPENDING ON WHAT FUNDING WE'RE GOING AFTER, THE PROCESS CAN

BE VERY LONG OR IT CAN BE VERY FAST.

IT ALL DEPENDS.

SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO AFTER

THE FEDERAL NEW STARTS MONEY, THIS IS THE WHOLE PROCESS

RIGHT THERE.

63

WE'RE ONLY IN BOX NUMBER 1, AND WE JUST FINISHED THE

FEASIBILITY STUDY AND WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE FTA PROCESS

IN ORDER TO GET THE SYSTEM OPERATIONAL.

AND, OBVIOUSLY, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THE CENTER ITSELF

WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL UNLESS IT'S PART OF A BIGGER SYSTEM

BECAUSE WE CALL IT A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION HUB, SO IT

NEEDS TO BE CONNECTED TO SEVERAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS.

I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOCATION IDENTIFIED.

WE KNOW WE CAN CONNECT TO THE AIRPORT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE

THAT LINE IDENTIFIED, AND WE HAVE THE I-275 MEDIAN THAT WE

CAN PROVIDE A PREMIUM TRANSIT CONNECTION, SO THERE NEEDS TO

BE A MULTIAGENCY AND A MULTICOUNTY DISCUSSION IN ORDER TO

MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

BUT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A VIABLE SITE AND VIABLE

CONNECTION, SO WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHEN TO BRING OUT

THE SHOVEL, LAY THE TRACKS.

[LAUGHTER]

>> [INAUDIBLE]

>> [INAUDIBLE]

[LAUGHTER]

>> SO -- I LIKE THAT.

SO THAT'S MY -- MY UPDATE.

WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS.

>>MARK SHARPE: DR. POLZIN.

>>STEVE POLZIN: SEVERAL QUESTIONS.

I'VE STRUGGLED, IF YOU'VE LISTENED TO SOME OF THESE

MEETINGS, TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS INTEGRATES IN A SYSTEM.

NOW, IF YOU'RE TAKING A TAXI TO THE AIRPORT, WOULD YOU USE

64

THIS FACILITY?

>> PROBABLY NOT.

PROBABLY NOT.

>>STEVE POLZIN: AND A COURTESY VAN, IF A HOTEL WERE RUNNING

A COURTESY VAN, WOULD THEY USE THIS?

>> PROBABLY NOT EITHER.

>>STEVE POLZIN: OKAY.

HOW ABOUT, LIKE, A CRUISE SHIP CHARTER BUS OR SOMETHING LIKE

THAT, WOULD THAT --

>>SANDRA MURMAN: [INAUDIBLE]

>> THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR THAT, YES.

>>STEVE POLZIN: OKAY.

>> DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO INCLUDE IN THE CENTER.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW FROM A LOGISTICS POINT OF VIEW, IT MAY NOT

BE MAYBE CONVENIENT, BUT THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT USING

THE CENTER AS PART OF THE AIRPORT CHECK-IN COUNTER.

I DON'T KNOW FROM A SECURITY STANDPOINT IF THAT CAN WORK OR

NOT, BUT I THINK WITH TECHNOLOGY NOWADAYS, YOU CAN MAKE IT

HAPPEN.

>>STEVE POLZIN: HISTORICALLY -- JUST -- I WANT TO RECAP

THIS FROM A PUBLIC TRANSIT PERSPECTIVE A LITTLE BIT, BUT A

NUMBER OF YEARS AGO HART WAS IN A POSITION OF DEVELOPING A

TRANSFER CENTER ON AIRPORT PROPERTY, AND AT THAT POINT IN

TIME, THAT PROJECT WAS STOPPED BECAUSE THERE WAS A DESIRE TO

DO A NEW AIRPORT MASTER PLAN, AND HART COOPERATED WITH THE

COMMUNITY IN CHOOSING TO POSTPONE THAT, AND THE QUID PRO QUO

FOR THAT WAS A COMMITMENT TO ACCOMMODATE HART'S TRANSFER

ACTIVITIES IN THE CONRAC FACILITY, AND THAT'S A FACILITY

65

THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GOING TO HAVE THE CONNECTION TO THE

AIRPORT SOON, AND IT WAS LOGICAL, THERE'S A CRITICAL MASS OF

ACTIVITY THERE WITH THE LONG-TERM PARKING, ET CETERA, AND SO

THAT'S KIND OF WHERE PLANS HAD CENTERED.

DO YOU ENVISION THE LOCAL PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM OPERATING

OUT OF THIS FACILITY?

>> IT COULD BE.

AS I POINTED OUT, THIS CENTER NEEDS TO BE CONNECTED TO A

BIGGER SYSTEM, A REGIONAL SYSTEM, IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE

SUCCESSFUL.

YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO BE CONNECTED TO A CIRCULATOR, TO A

REGIONAL, MAYBE A FIXED GUIDEWAY SYSTEM, PERHAPS A BRT

SYSTEM.

I MEAN, OTHERWISE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY

HAVING A CENTER THERE.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT TAXI, YOU KNOW, LOCAL

BUS SERVICE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL TAKE THEM TO THE CONRAC.

>>STEVE POLZIN: AND THAT'S, I GUESS, WHERE I'M STRUGGLING

WITH THIS BECAUSE THE CRITICAL MASS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT

THIS, IF YOU LOOK AT AIRPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN TRANSIT

MARKETS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, THE TRANSIT MARKET ALONE, IF

YOU DON'T HAVE THE RENTAL CARS AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE

LONG-TERM PARKING, WHICH THIS DOESN'T HAVE -- HOW YOU EXPECT

TO GET KIND OF CRITICAL MASS ON TRANSIT ALONE TO JUSTIFY AN

INVESTMENT OF THIS MAGNITUDE IS WHAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH, SO

TURNING THAT INTO A QUESTION, WHAT ARE YOUR METRICS FOR

THIS?

WHAT'S YOUR EVALUATION CRITERIA?

66

WHAT'S YOUR COST-EFFECTIVENESS METRICS?

YOU REFERENCED THE FEDERAL FTA PROCESS.

TO GET INTO THAT PROCESS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME PERFORMANCE

METRICS.

WHAT ARE THOSE METRICS FOR THIS FACILITY?

>> WELL, I DON'T THINK WE'RE QUITE THERE YET AS FAR AS

RIDERSHIP IS CONCERNED.

I THINK WE ARE LOOKING AT A BIGGER SYSTEM BECAUSE IF YOU

LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE SETTING ASIDE FOR FUTURE PREMIUM TRANSIT

SERVICES WITHIN THIS REGION, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A LIGHT

RAIL OR BRT GOING STRAIGHT INTO THE AIRPORT, WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT WITHIN THE I-275 MEDIAN, SO HOW DO YOU CONNECT THOSE

PASSENGERS --

>>MARK SHARPE: TO THE AIRPORT.

>> -- YOU KNOW, FROM ALL AROUND THE REGION, LET'S SAY FROM

THE USF AREA, FROM PINELLAS, THEY'RE ALL COMING IN -- YOU

KNOW, IF THEY'RE RIDING A FIXED GUIDEWAY SYSTEM, WE'RE NOT

TAKING THEM DIRECTLY INTO THE CONRAC.

I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A POINT OF TRANSFER.

I THINK THAT WILL BE A LOCATION -- AN IDEAL LOCATION FOR IT.

AND, OF COURSE, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT IT STRICTLY FROM A

TRANSPORTATION POINT OF VIEW, ALSO YOU LOOK AT REDEVELOPMENT

OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN YOU BRING TO THE REGION.

SO, I MEAN, LOTS OF ELEMENTS NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE

CONSIDERATION.

WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING TO DIFFERENT FOLKS TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED.

67

>>STEVE POLZIN: AND I THINK YOUR POINT ABOUT IT'S NOT

NECESSARILY JUST A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT IS CRITICAL,

AND -- AND HENCE, WHEN WE LOOK AT COMMITMENTS OF RESOURCES

TO IT, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY CHALLENGING TO ARTICULATE THIS

AS A TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT PRIORITY.

IT CAN BE A REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT

PRIORITY, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I SUSPECT THAT YOU WOULD

HAVE A HUGE CHALLENGE WITH ANY KIND OF RATIONAL METRICS

TRYING TO JUSTIFY THIS AS A TRANSPORTATION PRIORITY GIVEN

THE MATURITY OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS AT THIS POINT.

THANK YOU.

>> YEAH.

WELL, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS.

I KNOW WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE, YOU KNOW, FROM DEPARTMENT POINT

OF VIEW.

THAT'S WHY WE ARE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS' AND STAKEHOLDERS'

INPUTS, YOU KNOW, WHAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED.

>>STEVE POLZIN: ONE OTHER COMMENT.

DOES THIS PREJUDICE ANY FUTURE DIRECT CORRIDOR ALIGNMENT TO

BEING IN 275?

I MEAN, THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT THAT CORRIDOR, THERE WERE

ALTERNATIVES THAT INCLUDED CYPRESS AND KENNEDY AND OTHERS.

IS -- DOES THIS PRESUPPOSE THAT OR DOES THIS FUNCTION WITH

POTENTIALLY DIFFERENT ALIGNMENTS OF GUIDEWAY TOWARDS THE

AIRPORT AND WESTSHORE?

>> I THINK THIS CENTER CAN ACCOMMODATE ALMOST ALL OF THE

ABOVE.

>>STEVE POLZIN: THANK YOU.

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>>MARK SHARPE: BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING AT -- IN FACT, I

CHAIR THE PARTNERSHIPS' COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATION ON THIS

WESTSHORE INTERMODAL FACILITY AND HAVING LENGTHY

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE WESTSHORE COMMUNITY WHICH IS VERY

EAGER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A MULTIMODAL FACILITY, WHICH

WOULD HAVE CONNECTIVITY TO THE GATEWAY, AND THEN YOU WOULD

BE CONNECTING THE TWO LARGEST COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS IN THE

SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES, SO THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION

ABOUT THE ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND/OR EVEN THE TRANSPORTATION

ISSUES.

WE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS YESTERDAY, THE TREMENDOUS MOVEMENT

OF PEOPLE JUST THROUGH WESTSHORE.

THERE WAS CONVERSATIONS EARLIER ABOUT THE NEED TO HAVE TWO

FACILITIES, AND THE REMINDER WAS THAT THE WESTSHORE FACILITY

WOULD SERVE A UNIQUE AND DISTINCT FUNCTION FROM THE RENTAL

CAR FACILITY, WHICH WOULD SERVICE THE AIRPORT, BUT WHEN

YOU'VE GOT TEN TIMES THE TRAFFIC COMING INTO WESTSHORE FOR

WESTSHORE ACTIVITY THAN COMING INTO THE AIRPORT, WESTSHORE

AND THE DIRECT FEED, AGAIN, TO PINELLAS COUNTY, ALSO NORTH-

SOUTH, EAST-WEST, TO OUR DOWNTOWN, WE'VE HAD LENGTHY

CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ALIGNMENT ALONG I-275 AND THE

ABILITY FOR THAT FACILITY TO SERVICE FIXED GUIDEWAY COMING

IN ACROSS THE BRIDGE, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, MANAGED LANES TO

BEGIN, MANAGED LANES PLUS THE OPPORTUNITY AT SOME POINT IN

THE FUTURE FOR RAIL, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF RAIL,

CAN THAT FACILITY, WESTSHORE INTERMODAL HANDLE BOTH TRAFFIC

COMING IN ALONG -- SEPARATE LIGHT RAIL TRAFFIC COMING IN

THAT DR. POLZIN SUGGESTED ALONG DIFFERENT ALIGNMENTS AND

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THEN TYING IN TO WESTSHORE WHILE 275 IS STILL ELIGIBLE FOR

ITS OWN FIXED GUIDEWAY?

THERE'S -- THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES AND A TREMENDOUS

AMOUNT OF INTEREST FROM THE GOVERNOR, WHO SAID -- AND I WAS

IN HIS PRESENCE -- WE ARE ACCELERATING THIS PROJECT OR THE

STUDY OF THE PROJECT TO THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION AND

THE STATE AND THEN THE WESTSHORE COMMUNITY, SO THERE'S A LOT

OF INTEREST.

MR. COHEN.

>>HARRY COHEN: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

AND I AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENTS.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST STRIKES ME, LISTENING TO THIS, THAT

SO OFTEN GOVERNMENT IS CRITICIZED FOR BEING REACTIVE AND FOR

BEING SO LATE TO THE GAME, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS

PROPOSAL IS VERY FORWARD-THINKING AND IS REALLY ANTICIPATING

WHERE THE CONVERSATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE GOING.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE AIRPORT MASTER PLAN, IF YOU LOOK AT

GREENLIGHT PINELLAS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DISCUSSIONS THAT

WE'RE HAVING, THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION POLICY GROUP IS

HAVING, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE TO

CREATE A TRANSIT CORRIDOR ALONG THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE,

ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO CULMINATE RIGHT IN THIS

AREA, AND BEING AHEAD OF THE GAME, THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN

MAXIMIZE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF ALL OF THESE

PROJECTS COMING TOGETHER I THINK IS EXACTLY WHERE WE OUGHT

TO BE, SO I COMMEND YOU FOR BRINGING THIS OUT.

THIS IS THE KIND OF A PROPOSAL THAT PEOPLE LOOK AT AND THEY

CAN GET VERY CREATIVE WHEN THEY START THINKING ABOUT THE

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POSSIBILITIES THAT EXIST THAT COULD -- COULD FLOW OUT OF

SOMETHING LIKE THIS, SO I THINK IT'S VERY EXCITING.

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS I'VE SEEN SITTING HERE.

>>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER.

>>MARK SHARPE: COMMISSIONER MURMAN.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: THANK YOU.

AND I'LL SUPPORT COUNCILMAN COHEN'S REMARKS.

>>MARK SHARPE: EXCITING.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: THIS IS A KEY ECONOMIC SPACE, WESTSHORE,

AND WHATEVER ANYBODY WANTS TO SAY ABOUT IT, ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION ARE LINKED, AND IF YOU WANT

TO -- WHETHER YOU -- THE INTERMODAL CENTER IS DEFINITELY A

TRANSPORTATION HUB.

I MEAN, IT'S WHERE THINGS CONNECT.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE IF YOU PLAY LEGOS AND YOU HAVE THOSE

PIECES THAT CONNECT ONE LITTLE PIECE TO ANOTHER, I MEAN,

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO

US TO WORK AHEAD.

THIS GIVES OUR POLICY GROUP SOMETHING REALLY -- IT PUTS THE

MEAT ON THE BONE FOR US BECAUSE WE ARE CREATING THESE

COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE AND WORK, AND IF THEY

DON'T WORK THERE, THEY CAN TRANSPORT OUT SOMEWHERE ELSE VERY

CONVENIENTLY.

WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO DEPEND ON CARS SO MUCH ANYMORE IN

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

WE NEED TO GET THESE CHOICE RIDERS, THESE PROFESSIONALS WHO

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WANT TO ENGAGE IN OTHER FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION -- WE NEED

TO GIVE THEM OPTIONS.

THIS IS A GREAT STARTING POINT.

AGAIN, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.

>>MARK SHARPE: COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO, MR. GAO, THE NEXT STEP IS TO SEEK THE FTA'S APPROVAL TO

ENTER INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT?

>> NOT QUITE THERE YET.

I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL TRYING TO DEFINE THE WHATS,

YOU KNOW, FOR THIS INTERMODAL CENTER.

YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WE CAN'T BUILD EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE, YOU

KNOW, WE KNOW THE REALITY OF IT, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO

PRECLUDE ANYTHING THAT WE WANT TO HAVE IN THE INTERMODAL

CENTER, YOU KNOW, SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE

CONFIGURATION, THE SIZE, HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.

OBVIOUSLY, THE FTA PROCESS IS RELATED TO THE BIGGER SYSTEM.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SO THIS -- SO WHAT YOU'RE, I THINK,

TRYING TO SAY OR AT LEAST WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS WE NEED

TO DECIDE WHETHER IT'S GOING TO BE ONLY BUSES AND RUBBER

WHEEL OR IF IT'S GOING TO INCLUDE SOME SORT OF TRAIN OR

COMMUTER RAIL OR CIRCULATOR OR SOME KIND OF LIGHT RAIL INTO

THIS CENTER?

>> YES.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SO BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD -- AND I

JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WHILE WE'RE SINGING THE

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PRAISES OF HOW WONDERFUL THIS INTERMODAL CENTER IS, WE'RE

ALSO HAVING TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE THAN

ONE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION IN AND OUT OF THIS MULTIMODAL

CENTER.

>>MARK SHARPE: THAT'S WHY IT'S MULTIMODAL CENTERS.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT SO MANY TIMES I HEAR THAT -- I MEAN, I'M REMINDED OF THE

CAPTAIN OBVIOUS COMMERCIALS.

[LAUGHTER]

BUT SO MANY TIMES I HEAR HOW WONDERFUL PROJECTS ARE, BUT --

BUT THEN I HEAR ALSO INDIVIDUALS SPEAKING ABOUT HOW, WELL,

WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE TOO FAST ON A RAIL PROJECT OR WE DON'T

WANT TO MOVE TOO FAST ON LIGHT RAIL OR ANY OTHER THING OTHER

THAN WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, AND THAT IS BUSES AND CARS, SO

THAT'S THE POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE, AND YOU'RE MAKING

IT A LITTLE MORE DELICATELY THAN I AM, BUT -- BUT --

>>MARK SHARPE: BUT TO BE CLEAR AS WELL, THE STATE HAS

BEEN -- HAS FUNDED SEVERAL STUDIES LOOKING INTO THIS.

THEY WORKED WITH THE MPO ON THE ANALYSIS OF THE WESTSHORE

ALLIANCE -- OR THE WESTSHORE INTERMODAL BACK IN 2012 IN

THEIR STUDY.

THEY FUNDED A STUDY ANALYZING 22 SITES.

THEY'VE BOILED IT DOWN TO FOUR.

NOW THE STATE HAS FUNDED AN ANALYSIS THAT'S ONGOING TO LOOK

AT TAKING IT DOWN TO ONE SITE.

BUT IN THIS REPORT THEY TALK ABOUT THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE

OPPORTUNITIES, AND MING HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR TO STATE THAT

73

THEY WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AND EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK

WITH THE PRIVATE ENTITIES.

WHEN THE PRIVATE COMMUNITY SEES THE COMMITMENT THAT WE'RE

MAKING TO THIS FACILITY, YOU CAN BET THAT THE BUSINESS

INTERESTS IN THE GATEWAY AREA AND IN PINELLAS COUNTY AS WELL

AS THE WESTSHORE AREA AND OTHERS ARE GOING TO BEGIN TO

SEE -- NOW THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, THEY WILL BEGIN TO

HELP US WORK ON OPPORTUNITIES TO PERHAPS EXPEDITE AND MOVE

THESE PROJECTS FORWARD.

THERE'LL BE A COMMERCIAL ELEMENT, BUT IT'S ALSO MULTIMODAL.

I MEAN, WE -- THE ONLY THING THAT I THINK THAT WE'VE --

THROUGH OUR CONVERSATION AT THE COMMITTEE THAT I CHAIR IS

JUST THAT THERE WAS CONCERN AND INTEREST ABOUT THE ALL-

ABOARD EFFORT AND IF ALL-ABOARD WERE TO COME IN, WHERE WOULD

IT GO, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN VERY CLEAR IN THEIR STATEMENTS

THAT THEY'RE LOOKING MORE AT A DOWNTOWN TERMINUS AND NOT

BRINGING IT INTO THE WESTSHORE AREA, BUT THERE WOULD BE A

TRANSFER FROM DOWNTOWN TO WESTSHORE AND TAKE YOU TO THE

AIRPORT.

I'M NOT TRYING TO GET TOO FAR AHEAD IN ALL THE PLANNING AND

CONVERSATION, BUT OTHERWISE THAT FACILITY, MULTIMODAL, KIND

OF AN ALL OF THE ABOVE, THE ABILITY TO HANDLE ALL FORMS OF

TRANSPORTATION, MAYBE EVEN A FERRY, WHO KNOWS.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: WE CAN BOTH BE CAPTAIN OBVIOUS.

[LAUGHTER]

>>MARK SHARPE: DR. POLZIN'S HEAD'S SPINNING RIGHT NOW.

[LAUGHTER]

JUST JOKING.

74

DIRECTOR ZINK.

>> THANK YOU.

SO I WANT TO CLARIFY ONE THING THAT DR. POLZIN SAID, AND I

COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THIS, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE

STOPPED THAT HART TRANSFER CENTER ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY

THAT WE SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE A BUS TRANSFER CENTER AT

THE CONRAC, BUT WE CAN GO BACK AND CHECK THAT.

THEN I ALSO WANT TO SAY -- POINT OUT WHAT MING SAID, THAT

THE WESTSHORE MULTIMODAL CENTER'S A REALLY COOL IDEA AND

REALLY IMPORTANT AND CLEARLY A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION HUB,

BUT IT IS PART OF A SYSTEM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PIECES

THAT NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW -- WE NEED THE MULTIMODAL TO GO TO

THE MULTIMODAL CENTER, AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE

MULTIMODAL, SO --

>>LISA MONTELIONE: EXACTLY.

>> -- SO THAT -- YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET FROM

PINELLAS OVER TO THE MULTIMODAL CENTER, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO

GET FROM USF, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET FROM DOWNTOWN, HOW

ARE YOU GOING TO GET FROM BRANDON?

AND THEN BACK TO WHAT COMMISSIONER MURMAN SAID EARLIER,

WHICH I WAS GLAD THAT SHE POINTED IT OUT, IS THAT, YOU KNOW,

YOU NEED A CIRCULATOR SYSTEM REGARDLESS IN WESTSHORE --

>>MARK SHARPE: RIGHT.

>> -- THE WAY WE WERE TALKING -- YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT

YOU NEED ONE IN SOUTHSHORE, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET TO THOSE

HUBS AND GET FROM ONE HUB TO ANOTHER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BUILD

A HUB WHEN THERE'S NO WAY TO GET TO IT, SO I JUST WANTED

TO --

75

>>LISA MONTELIONE: YES.

>>MARK SHARPE: ALL TIED TOGETHER.

ANYONE ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER?

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

EXCELLENT REPORT.

>> THANK YOU.

MUCH APPRECIATED.

>>MARK SHARPE: I THINK WE'RE GOING TO -- MR. CHIARAMONTE

HAS INDICATED THAT WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OFF ON THE

TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS BY MR. BLAIN

UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING, UNLESS ANYONE HAS HEARTBURN OVER TO

THAT, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. CHIARAMONTE.

>>RAY CHIARAMONTE: THANK YOU.

INSTEAD OF GIVING MY NORMAL REPORT, WHICH IS WRITTEN DOWN ON

A PIECE OF PAPER, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

SOMETHING ELSE, AND THAT WAS MY RECENT TRIP TO ATLANTA WHERE

I GOT TO SEE IN ATLANTA ACTUALLY THAT I DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED

SOMETHING OTHER THAN DRIVING THROUGH IT ON THE INTERSTATE.

THEY ARE DOING SOME SPECTACULAR THINGS IN ATLANTA.

I WENT ON A TOUR OF ALL THEIR MIXED-USE AREA, THEIR

WESTSHORE AREA, THE PERIMETER AREA, TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.

IT IS ALL BECOMING MORE MIXED-USE.

HOUSING IS MOVING INTO ALL OF THE SUBAREAS OF ATLANTA.

THE OTHER THING THAT KIND OF COLORED IT, THE CONFERENCE I

WAS AT WAS ALL ABOUT THE MILLENNIALS, AND I KNOW PEOPLE GET

TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT IT, BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE ARE 78

MILLION BABY BOOMERS, 55 MILLION GEN-XERS, AND NOW 80

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MILLION MILLENNIALS, AND THEY ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

IF I DIDN'T THINK IT BEFORE I WENT TO THE CONFERENCE, I DO

NOW.

THERE'S JUST SO MANY DIFFERENCES IN THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS.

40% OF THE MILLENNIALS ARE MINORITY GROUPS COMPARED TO ONLY

20% GEN XERS.

THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT, AND THE THINGS THEY WANT ARE VERY

DIFFERENT, AND ATLANTA IS REALLY ADDRESSING THAT, AND VERY

SOON YOU'LL BE ABLE SO SEE SOME OF THE PRODUCTS.

THIS BELTLINE THAT THEY'RE BUILDING THERE, THEY HAVE 9,500

PEOPLE USE THAT TRAIL SYSTEM ALREADY, AND IT'S NOT EVEN

COMPLETE IN THE CITY.

THEY'VE TAKEN A SEARS DISTRIBUTION CENTER WHERE ALL THE

SOUTHEAST THINGS THAT WERE ORDERED OUT OF THE SEARS CATALOG

WAS BUILT IN 1920, TWO-MILLION-SQUARE-FOOT BUILDING, AND

REDOING THAT BUILDING INTO 500 APARTMENTS, HALF A MILLION

SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE, RETAIL AT THE LEVEL OF CHELSEA MARKET

IN NEW YORK AND PIKE'S MARKET IN SEATTLE.

THE COMPANY THAT'S DOING THIS, PONCE MARKET IT'S CALLED, IS

THE SAME COMPANY THAT DID THAT.

LARGELY WE WERE TOLD THE -- A GERMAN DENTIST'S RETIREMENT

PLAN'S FUNDING IT.

BUT IT WAS REALLY GREAT THE WAY IT TIED IN, AND THE REASON

THAT THEY BUILT THAT PROJECT THERE IS BECAUSE OF THE BELTWAY

AND A MARTA STATION, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE PARKING FOR

400 BICYCLES BECAUSE PEOPLE -- THEY'RE PERCEIVING WHILE

THESE MILLENNIALS WANT TO LIVE ON THERE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY

GOING TO BE ABLE TO RIDE ON THIS BELTLINE, WHICH IS A 29-

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MILE LOOP IN THE CENTER OF ATLANTA, TO WORK.

AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WAS INTERESTING, THEY SAID

THAT THERE WAS COMPLAINTS OF THE UPPER MANAGEMENT OF THE

COMPANIES MOVING IN, WELL, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO LIVE, SO

NOW THEY STARTED BUILDING TOWN HOUSES, $400- TO $600,000

ALONG THIS BELTWAY.

IT JUST WAS TREMENDOUS.

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THIS MARKET OPENS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S

GOING TO BE A DRAW WHERE PEOPLE CAN REALLY SEE HOW

TRANSPORTATION INFLUENCES DEVELOPMENT.

REMEMBER IN TEN YEARS THE MILLENNIALS WHO ARE NOW 16 TO 32

ARE GOING TO BE 26 TO 42.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE A DOMINANT PART OF OUR SOCIETY, SO WE

NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR ATTITUDES ON MOBILITY AS WE

DO THIS UPDATE OF THE PLAN THAT'S COMING UP AND NOT JUST

THINK ABOUT OURSELVES BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT DO OUR KIDS AND

GRANDKIDS WANT IN THE FUTURE, NOT WHAT WE WANTED, BECAUSE I

CAN TELL YOU THEY DON'T WANT THE SAME THINGS WE WANT.

SAW A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.

ATLANTA'S BUILDING A NEW MODERN STREETCAR, A KIND OF NEW

TECHNOLOGY THAT I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT HERE.

IT'S JUST LIKE LIGHT RAIL BUT A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER AND

FASTER AND DIFFERENT, BUT THAT -- IT'S SCHEDULED TO OPEN

WITHIN A YEAR.

THE TRACKS WERE LAID ALREADY TO CONNECT ALL THEIR HOTELS AND

CONVENTION CENTER, AND ULTIMATELY, THEY'RE GOING TO PUT IT

ON THIS BELTWAY, THIS 29-MILE TRAIL SYSTEM WHERE THE -- THE

MODERN STREETCAR WILL GO THERE.

78

AGAIN, NOTHING LIKE THE STREETCAR WE HAVE.

THIS IS FAST.

IT CAN GO 45 MILES AN HOUR.

VERY DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY.

I SAW GREEN BIKE LANES, I REMEMBER COMMISSIONER MURMAN TOLD

ME ABOUT THAT, AND THEY DO SEEM TO WORK VERY WELL WHERE THE

BIKE LANE'S ACTUALLY PAINTED A DIFFERENT COLOR.

YOU REALLY PAID WAY MORE ATTENTION TO THAT -- SEEING THAT,

AND THEY DO HAVE THAT IN ATLANTA NOW.

TALKING ABOUT OUR AIRPORT CENTER, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE BUILT A

TRAIN, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS A DUPLICATE OF WHAT OUR

AIRPORT'S GOING TO DO AS FAR AS THE CARS GO, AND IT CONNECTS

THE RENTAL CAR CENTER AND IT HAS A SMALL CONVENTION CENTER

THERE ON IT AS A STOP, SO VERY MUCH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

AT WESTSHORE.

BUT A LOT OF GOOD THINGS.

IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO GO THERE, NOT JUST DRIVE THROUGH

AROUND I-75 BUT REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE SOME OF THE REAL

THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN ATLANTA, YOU WILL SEE THE CHANGES,

AND IT IS A MAGNET FOR MILLENNIALS TO MOVE THERE, AND I CAN

SEE WHY -- AFTER VISITING THERE, WHY PEOPLE WOULD BE

ATTRACTED TO SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT I SAW WITHIN THE

CITY.

SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS HAVE YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THESE THINGS

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE REALLY NEED TO COME TO A CONCLUSION

BY THIS NOVEMBER.

I WANT TO REMIND YOU THE DATE OF OUR PLAN BEING ADOPTED'S

NOVEMBER 12th, SO WE DO NEED TO MAKE A LOT OF DECISIONS OVER

79

THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AND BE THINKING ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS

AND HAVE A PLAN FOR 2040.

MAYBE WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO EVERYTHING IN THE TEN YEAR --

FIRST TEN YEARS, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A 2040 PLAN, SO JUST

PUT ON YOUR VISIONARY HATS.

THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: GRAB YOUR SHOVEL.

COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT, RAY.

IT IS EXCITING TO SEE OTHER CITIES MOVING FORWARD, AND

HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET OUR MOMENTUM GOING AND START MOVING

FORWARD WITH SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT SO MUCH.

ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT -- OLD -- OLD/NEW

BUSINESS, DO YOU WANT TO MOVE ON TO THAT?

>>MARK SHARPE: YES.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: -- IS WE WERE ASKED TO WRITE A SUPPORT

LETTER FOR GREENLIGHT PINELLAS, AND I WANTED TO BRING THAT

UP BECAUSE WE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED IT IN THE POLICY COMMITTEE

MEETING, BUT I WANTED TO BRING IT FORWARD TO THE FULL BOARD,

AND THERE WAS WERE SO MANY TIMES TODAY DURING THE

DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD WHERE IT CAME UP.

IT -- IT CAME TO ME WHEN I WAS READING THROUGH THE UNIFIED

WORK PROGRAM DOCUMENT AND, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T HAVE TO GET

FAR IN UNTIL WE HIT THE REGIONAL COORDINATION SECTION, AND,

YOU KNOW, IT SAYS, THE LEADERSHIP GROUP WAS FORMED TO SERVE

IN AN ADVISORY ROLE TO THE THREE MPOs, DEVELOP REGIONAL

CONSENSUS PRIORITIES FOR THE TMA, PARTICULARLY IN THE

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ALLOCATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS, AND IT GOES ON TO

TALK ABOUT OTHER THINGS IN THE PARAGRAPH.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE -- WE HEAR FROM THE STAFF OF PINELLAS

COUNTY AT THOSE MEETINGS, AT THE TMA MEETINGS, WE HEAR FROM

THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN PINELLAS, AND WE ALSO HEAR FROM THE

OFFICIALS IN PASCO WHO -- WHO ALSO THINK THAT REGIONALISM IS

AN IMPORTANT -- MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS IS VERY IMPORTANT

TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF -- OF ALL OF OUR RESPECTIVE

JURISDICTIONS, AND, YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONER SHARPE SAID A

MOMENT AGO, WE CONNECT TAMPA AND WE CONNECT IT WITH GATEWAY,

AND WE HAVE THE SECOND LARGEST ECONOMIC CENTER IN THE

SOUTHEAST, SECOND ONLY TO ATLANTA.

>>MARK SHARPE: ATLANTA, MM-HMM.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SO I THINK THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT

THAT WE SUPPORT IT.

I THINK THAT -- WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING ACCOMMODATIONS OF

SOME TYPE OVER THE BRIDGE WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE HOWARD FRANKLAND BRIDGE, WE JUST

TALKED ABOUT THE INTERMODAL CENTER AND HOW WE NEED TO HAVE

THE MODES COMING INTO THE CENTER SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN

INTERMODAL CENTER, AND -- AND I THINK THAT IT'S VERY

IMPORTANT THAT WE SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS TO THE WEST IN

PINELLAS COUNTY, AND I WOULD ONLY HOPE, WITH SINCERE

GRATITUDE, THAT THEY WOULD SUPPORT US AT THE TIME THAT WE

MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR PLANS FOR A REFERENDUM OR WHATEVER WE

PLAN TO DO IN THE FUTURE.

SO WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE A MOTION FOR THE

SUPPORT LETTER FOR GREEN -- IS IT A SUPPORT LETTER OR

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RESOLUTION, COMMISSIONER?

>>MARK SHARPE: IT WAS A LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT WOULD BE

SIGNED BY THE CHAIR.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THANK YOU.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AS A MOTION.

>>PAUL ANDERSON: SECOND.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

DID WE WANT TO BRING THAT LETTER BACK AT THE NEXT FULL

MEETING OR DID YOU WANT TO MOVE IT AT THIS --

>>LISA MONTELIONE: I WOULD MOVE IT AT THIS MEETING, AND I'M

SURE THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME DISCUSSION.

>>MARK SHARPE: YEAH.

AND THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE

MEETING.

SEVERAL OF THE MEMBERS WERE CONCERNED THAT THEY WERE

ENDORSING A PLAN THAT THEY MIGHT NOT BE FULLY, YOU KNOW,

VERSED ON.

WE HAD -- THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS MADE REGARDING, YOU KNOW,

THE APPROPRIATENESS OF MOVING FORWARD WITH A LETTER.

I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD FIND A WAY TO GET A UNANIMOUS

LEVEL OF SUPPORT FROM THE BOARD IN THAT WE NOT ARE

NECESSARILY ACCEPTING OR ENDORSING EVERY ELEMENT OF THE PLAN

BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT EXPECTED AS A BOARD MEMBER HERE TO KNOW

EVERY ELEMENT OF THE PLAN BUT TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE AND

IMPORTANCE OF OUR SUPPORTING WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IN

GENERAL BECAUSE IT IS TIED IN TO WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND I WAS

EVEN HEARTENED TO HEAR A SPEAKER AT THE END OF THE HART

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BOARD MEETING GET UP AND SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE FUNDING

FORMULA THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE USING FOR GREENLIGHT IN

WHICH HE INDICATED THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TOWARDS A SALES

TAX IN LIEU OF AD VALOREM, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THE

GREENLIGHT IS DOING, SO I REALLY THINK THAT THE CONTROVERSY

HAS DIED DOWN AND WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD GET A UNANIMOUS

LEVEL OF SUPPORT FROM THE BOARD, BUT I'M JUST NOT SURE WHERE

WE ARE TO MY RIGHT, BUT I -- COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT

IT'S CONTROVERSIAL IN CIRCLES IN ST. PETERSBURG OR IN OTHER

PLACES, NORTH ST. PETE, IS NOT OUR FIGHT, BUT WHAT IS OUR

FIGHT IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN TAMPA

AND PINELLAS COUNTY OR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND PINELLAS

COUNTY, TAMPA AND DOWNTOWN ST. PETERSBURG OR GATEWAY OR

WHEREVER.

WE HAVE TO HAVE -- IF WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND AND GROW AS AN

ECONOMIC REGION AND A HUB IN THE SOUTHEAST, WE HAVE TO HAVE

THAT, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M -- I'M SUPPORTING AND THAT'S WHAT I

WANT TO SEE IN A LETTER.

>>MARK SHARPE: LET ME ADD INTO THIS BECAUSE I WAS AT A

MEETING IN WHICH -- AT MOFFITT, THE BUSINESS OF BIOTECH,

SEVERAL MONTHS BACK IN WHICH A SPEAKER FROM BRISTOL-MYER,

"A," INTRODUCED -- IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING, WHICH

WAS HOSTED BY, AGAIN, MOFFITT CANCER, BUT THEY HAD A

REPRESENTATIVE FROM BRISTOL-MYER, AND WHAT DID THE

CONVERSATION BEGIN WITH?

WHY MEMBERS WERE LATE FOR THE BREAKFAST, BECAUSE OF

TRANSPORTATION, AND SOME OF THEM HAD TO COME FROM PINELLAS

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COUNTY.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: TWO HOURS.

>>MARK SHARPE: FIRST COMMENT OUT OF THE GATE WASN'T ABOUT

BIOTECH, IT WAS ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION, AND IT WAS VERY

INTERESTING TO HEAR THE COMMENTS FROM THIS GENTLEMAN.

HE SAID, IN DECIDING ON THIS LOCATION, TAMPA, THAT -- I

DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN HIS MOUTH, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING

TO THE EFFECT OF IT WAS NOT LIKE QUITE A LEAP OF FAITH, BUT

THERE WAS AN ELEMENT WHERE THEY KNEW THAT THERE WERE CERTAIN

THINGS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THAT MIGHT NOT BE HERE NOW

BUT THEY WERE EXPECTING.

HE ALSO INDICATED WHEN THEY ASKED HIM -- BECAUSE HE KEPT

TALKING ABOUT DATA, DATA, DATA, KNOW YOUR DATA AND REALLY

UNDERSTAND YOUR MARKET.

WHEN HE WAS ASKED WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT WITH

REGARD TO WHY THEY DECIDED TO COME HERE AND WHAT DID THEY

LOOK TO, HE SAID KNOW THE MILLENNIALS.

THEY'RE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO BRISTOL-MYER AND TO

COMPANIES LIKE BRISTOL-MYER, THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION, AND

I LOOKED AT THAT POLLING DATA, AND IT WAS VERY CLEAR IN THE

REPORT THAT JUST CAME OUT, TRANSPORTATION WAS AT THE -- WHEN

THEY TALKED ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN THEIR

DECISIONS ON WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO, TRANSPORTATION WAS

AT THE TOP.

THE ABILITY TO WALK AND BE IN A WALKABLE ENVIRONMENT WAS

VERY IMPORTANT, BIKING.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD THE VERY TYPE OF COMMUNITY THAT

WE -- THAT WILL ATTRACT NOT JUST -- IT WILL ATTRACT THE

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MILLENNIALS, IT WILL ALSO ATTRACT THE TYPE OF COMPANIES THAT

WE WANT HERE, AND WE DON'T QUITE HAVE WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING

FOR RIGHT NOW, AND OTHERS -- WE HEARD ABOUT ATLANTA.

IT'S ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THEY'RE FIGHTING LIKE HECK TO

BUILD THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY WHERE THE WORKFORCE WANTS TO BE,

AND WHEN YOU READ CLIFTON'S BOOK, "THE COMING JOBS WAR" -- I

WOULD URGE EVERY ONE OF YOU TO PICK UP JIM CLIFTON'S BOOK

AND READ "THE COMING JOBS WAR."

HE CALLS IT A WAR, AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE TYPE OF

COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING BUILT AND WHERE THE WORKFORCE

WANTS TO GO.

I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ -- I THINK IT'S ENRICO

MORETTI'S BOOK, "THE GEOGRAPHY OF JOBS."

IT'S A FABULOUS BOOK, AND IT TALKED ABOUT THE EXACT SAME

THING.

IT KIND OF BUILDS OFF OF RICHARD FLORIDA, BUT THERE'S A LOT

MORE DATA AND DETAIL.

SO -- AND WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD THIS TYPE OF COMMUNITY, AND

THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THINGS AND ACTUALLY,

YOU KNOW, GO BEYOND THE PLANNING AND SOMETIMES DO SOME

THINGS THAT MIGHT BE CONTROVERSIAL.

AND LIKE -- AS COUNCILMAN COHEN SAID, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT

PROJECTS -- YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT BE SELF-EVIDENT AT THE

MOMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS CORRECT.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK OUT AHEAD AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S

GOING -- THIS IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, AND IT'S NOT

QUITE A LEAP OF FAITH, BUT YOU -- BUT YOU SEE WHAT OTHERS

ARE DOING AND YOU REALIZE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE SOME

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BIG STEPS, AND SO I -- I WOULD THINK THIS IS REALLY A SMALL

STEP, THIS LETTER.

COUNCILMAN COHEN.

>>HARRY COHEN: WE HAD A PRETTY SPIRITED DISCUSSION IN THE

POLICY COMMITTEE ABOUT THIS EXACT TOPIC JUST LAST WEEK, AND

AT THAT TIME I WAS IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD WITH SUPPORT

FOR THIS TYPE OF AN ACTION, PARTLY BECAUSE OF MY OWN

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS THIS BOARD'S REPRESENTATIVE TO THE

PINELLAS ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS THAT ULTIMATELY WAS THE --

THE FOUNDATION OF THE GREENLIGHT PINELLAS PLAN.

I THINK IT'S A WELL-THOUGHT-OUT PLAN THAT HAS HAD A LOT OF

PUBLIC SUPPORT OVER THERE, AND I THINK IT IS CRITICAL TO A

LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN TERMS OF UNIFYING

THE BAY.

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IF IT DOES NOT PASS, IT'S GOING TO BE

MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD IN HILLSBOROUGH, AND

FOR THAT REASON ALONE, I THINK THAT IT DESERVES OUR SERIOUS

CONSIDERATION.

I AM CONCERNED.

I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER SHARPE.

I WANT TO SEE US SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE ON THIS AND NOT BE

DIVIDED IN -- IN PIECES IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE

GOING TO SUPPORT IT, SO I'M FOR IT, BUT I REALLY HOPE THAT

OUR BOARD CAN -- CAN BE FOR IT AS WELL.

>>MARK SHARPE: COMMISSIONER MURMAN.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE MEETING.

I THINK THIS IS -- I MEAN, WE AGREED TO BRING IT BACK AT THE

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POLICY MEETING, AND NOW WE'RE BRINGING IT UP AT A FULL

BOARD, SO PROCEDURALLY, THAT IS NOT -- I THINK THAT THAT'S

NOT THE CORRECT THING TO DO.

I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THIS TODAY, AND I -- NUMBER ONE, I

HAVEN'T SEEN THE FULL DEBATE ON THIS.

I'VE SEEN PERIPHERAL STUFF ON IT.

I'VE SEEN THE POLK PLAN, BUT HONESTLY, I'M VERY CONCERNED

ABOUT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T BELIEVE

WHAT HAPPENS WITH GREENLIGHT PINELLAS AFFECTS HILLSBOROUGH.

IF YOU ALL SEE THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE COMPILING IN OUR

POLICY GROUP, IT IS PHENOMENAL.

WE WILL BE DATA-DRIVEN, WE WILL BE -- I MEAN, IT WILL BE A

SLAM DUNK I HOPE FOR CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT

WHAT MOVES US FORWARD.

WE DO CONNECT -- AND I DO BELIEVE IN REGIONALISM, I DO

BELIEVE IN COOPERATION WITH PINELLAS COUNTY, AND WE ARE

GOING TO HAVE TO CONNECT TO THEM, BUT, QUITE FRANKLY, WE

NEED TO GET OUR HOUSE IN ORDER FIRST TO MOVE DOWN THERE --

TO MOVE DOWN THE ROAD AND THEN START TO TALK ABOUT THIS

REGIONAL CONNECTION, BUT FOR THE REASONS THAT WE SAID IT

WOULD COME BACK TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE, THAT WILL BE MY

MAIN REASON FOR NOT SUPPORTING THIS TODAY, AS I DON'T THINK

IT'S THE PROPER WAY TO DO BUSINESS.

I'M SORRY COMMISSIONER MILLER ISN'T HERE.

YOU KNOW, IT -- I WILL TELL YOU ALL IN THE COMMITTEE, IT WAS

GOING TO FAIL IN THE COMMITTEE ON VOTE, SO THAT'S WHY IT

DIDN'T COME UP FOR A VOTE, SO WE ALL AGREED TO GET MORE

INFORMATION AND BRING IT BACK, SO THAT'S -- I DON'T WANT TO

87

HAVE A BIG ARGUMENT ABOUT IT.

I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE HAVING A FIGHT ABOUT THE

GREENLIGHT PINELLAS PLAN AND WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO SEND A

LETTER OR NOT.

I'D LIKE TO SEE EVERYBODY HERE COME TO THE POLICY GROUP AND

WRITE TONS OF LETTERS TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE

POLICY GROUP BECAUSE, QUITE FRANKLY, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE

HEADED, AND THIS MONTH AND NEXT MONTH WE'RE ROLLING OUT OUR

PLAN, SO LET'S PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

BRING THIS UP LATER ON IN THE SUMMER AND SEE HOW IT ALL

CONNECTS TOGETHER, BUT I CAN'T BE SUPPORTING IT.

I THINK THIS IS A PROCEDURAL ISSUE FOR ME.

>>MARK SHARPE: DR. POLZIN.

>>STEVE POLZIN: YEAH.

I HAD EXPRESSED RESERVATIONS IN THE POLICY COMMITTEE AS

WELL, AND, BASICALLY, MY PERSPECTIVE ON IT IS I DO THIS WORK

ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND IF I ENDORSED A PLAN, SOMEBODY WOULD

PRESUME THAT I'D READ IT AND STUDIED IT AND UNDERSTOOD ALL

THE DETAILS AND CONCURRED WITH THEM, AND THEY WOULD

INTERPRET MY COMMENTS THAT WAY, AND I HAVEN'T DONE THAT WITH

THE GREENLIGHT PLAN.

I WILL SAY THAT I'M COMFORTABLE SUPPORTING A CONCEPT THAT

ENCOURAGES THEM TO SEEK ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR

TRANSPORTATION GENERICALLY, I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

I'M NOT COMFORTABLE ENDORSING A SPECIFIC OF THE PLAN THAT I

HAVEN'T BEEN BRIEFED ON AND LOOKED AT WITH A LOT OF DETAIL,

AND THAT'S PARTLY -- YOU KNOW, GOES BEYOND MY ROLE HERE BUT

IN THE ROLE I PLAY PROFESSIONALLY, SO I'M A LITTLE

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UNCOMFORTABLE THERE.

THE OTHER THING I WOULD CAUTION IS THE -- THE PINELLAS PLAN

DOES NOT PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS THE HOWARD FRANKLAND

BRIDGE, AND WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT SOME OF THESE

ASPIRATIONS THAT WE'RE EXPRESSING.

THESE ARE THE SECOND- AND THIRD- AND FOURTH-PENNY CONCEPTS

THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN SOME CASES, SO WE NEED TO START

TO KIND OF GROUND THIS IN REALITY AND NOT CREATE

EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN

THEIR CASE, GREENLIGHT PINELLAS; IN THIS CASE, THE POLICY

LEADERSHIP GROUP, IN TERMS OF SOME OF THESE CONCEPTS THAT

COME UP AS LONG-RANGE ITEMS.

THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: COMMISSIONER BECKNER.

>>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU.

I WOULD TAKE SOME OF THE SENTIMENTS FROM EVERYONE AND KIND

OF TIE IT TOGETHER.

I DON'T -- OUR SUPPORT THAT WE WOULD BE SENDING TO PINELLAS

I WOULDN'T CONSTRUE PERSONALLY MYSELF AS A STAMP OF APPROVAL

FOR THEIR EXACT PLAN.

AS NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THEIR TRANSPORTATION -- ALL THEIR

TRANSPORTATION ISSUES OVER THERE, I DON'T THINK THAT -- AT

LEAST IN MY PERCEPTION -- THAT THERE WOULD BE -- IT WOULD BE

CONSTRUED IN ANY WAYS THAT I WOULD FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE

CONNECTIONS.

WHAT I'M ENDORSING AND WHAT I'M APPROVING RIGHT HERE IS I

THINK AN ESSENTIAL NEED THAT WE FOCUS ON TRANSPORTATION AS A

REGIONAL EFFORT.

89

DO WE HAVE OUR OWN ISSUES HERE?

YES.

WE TRIED TO SOLVE THOSE ISSUES IN 2010 AND WERE NOT

SUCCESSFUL, AND SO WE HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO PINELLAS COUNTY

FOR MOVING FORWARD DESPITE OUR FAILURE HERE.

AND WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT MOVING FORWARD THAT WE DO HAVE

REGIONAL SUCCESS -- SUCCESSES IN REFERENDUMS.

WE NEED EACH OTHER'S SUPPORT AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO REACH

ACROSS THE BAY TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER'S EFFORTS TO SOLVE OUR

OWN TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, REALIZING THAT THE SUCCESS OF ONE

REGION CAN BE VERY CONGRUENT AND IMPACT THE SUCCESS OF

ANOTHER PART OF OUR REGION, AND, THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, I

THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS, AND I

THINK, MR. CHAIRMAN, IT'S JUST HOW THE LETTER IS -- IS

WORDED, PERHAPS THAT WE NEED TO -- TO PAY SPECIAL NOTE THAT

WE'RE NOT ENDORSING ALL OF THEIR CONNECTIONS, THEIR ROUTES,

AND THEIR METHODS BUT CERTAINLY SEND A VERY STRONG LETTER OF

SUPPORT THAT WE SUPPORT THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THEM MOVING

FORWARD TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR TRANSPORTATION EFFORTS

THERE.

THAT, I THINK, IS CRITICAL THAT WE SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO

THEM THAT WE'RE IN THEIR SUPPORT.

>>MARK SHARPE: WELL, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS.

MR. MILLER, IS HE SCHEDULED TO COME BEFORE ONE OF OUR

COMMITTEES?

>>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WE CAN TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT.

I HAVE SPOKEN TO HIM ABOUT IT.

>>MARK SHARPE: WHY DON'T WE INVITE HIM -- I THINK IT WOULD

90

BE HELPFUL ANYWAY TO HAVE A PRESENTATION.

HE'S BEEN EVERYWHERE ELSE, BUT HAVE HIM COME -- I THINK HE

CAME -- LET'S HAVE HIM COME TO OUR POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING.

HE CAN PRESENT THE PLAN AT THAT TIME AS WELL BECAUSE WE CAN

LOOK AT OPTIONS.

WE MIGHT GO FOR A MORE GENERIC LETTER OF SUPPORT, ONE THAT

COULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE BOARD.

WE COULD STILL GET IT OUT IN TIME WHERE IT WOULD HAVE SOME

IMPACT, IF AT ALL, ON THE OUTCOME OF THEIR ELECTION IN

NOVEMBER, BUT THAT GIVES US TIME THROUGH THE SUMMER TO BE

READY FOR A FALL LETTER WHERE WE COULD HAVE UNIFIED, YOU

KNOW, TOTAL SUPPORT.

AND I DO APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS FROM ALL SIDES.

I -- I -- SEE, I OFTENTIMES, THOUGH, THINK -- AND I --

DR. POLZIN, THE ISSUE OF GROUNDED IN REALITY, REALITY IS

WHAT WE MAKE AND WHAT WE MAKE HAPPEN, AND WHERE I SOMETIMES

GET A LITTLE FRUSTRATED IS THAT WHEN -- IF GREENLIGHT'S

SUCCESSFUL AND THE GATEWAY AREA BECOMES A -- ONE OF THEIR

KEY HUBS, THEN WE'VE GONE FROM CONCEPTUAL TO REALITY,

THERE'S A FACT.

WHEN WESTSHORE MOVES FORWARD AND WE TALK ABOUT THE VALUE OF

AN INTERMODAL FACILITY, IT GOES FROM AN IDEA TO FACT.

NOW YOU'VE GOT TWO FACTS SITTING -- SEPARATED BY, WHAT, 11,

13 MILES?

YOU'RE GOING TO CONNECT THEM.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE BUSINESS PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES LOOKING

AT THOSE TWO LARGE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS SAYING, WE'VE GOT

INTERMODAL FACILITIES, WE'VE GOT HUBS.

91

THERE'S VALUE IN US MAKING AN INVESTMENT WITH THE STATE AND

OTHER PARTNERS TO LINK.

WHEN THERE'S NOTHING THERE, YEAH, IT WON'T HAPPEN, BUT WHEN

WE START BUILDING, YOU'RE GOING TO BEGIN TO SEE IT LAYS OUT.

THE SPINE THAT WAS BEING DISCUSSED BY TBARTA AND BY THE

STATE AND THEIR ANALYSIS, THEIR SPINE ALONG WITH OTHER

SPINES -- I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE SPINE DEBATE -- BUT

NOW YOU HAVE FACTS ON THE GROUND, AND SO I -- I REALLY

BELIEVE THAT THEIR SUCCESS WILL HELP US, AND WE SHOULD BE

OPERATING TOWARDS THAT.

SO WHY DON'T WE -- COUNCILWOMAN MONTELIONE, DO YOU WANT TO

MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: WELL, I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

IT WAS SECONDED.

AND I WOULD REVISE MY MOTION -- I WOULD AMEND MY MOTION TO

SAY THAT WE BRING BRAD MILLER HERE TO THIS BODY AND THEN WE

WOULD AT THAT TIME MOVE FORWARD A LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT

MAYBE, AS THE COMMENTS OF COMMISSIONER BECKNER AND

DR. POLZIN, WOULD NOT BE SPECIFICALLY TIED TO A PLAN OR A

ROUTE BUT TO -- TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS IN MOVING FORWARD

WITH FUNDING AN ENHANCED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

AND I THINK -- YOU KNOW, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE NEED TO

HEAR FROM MR. MILLER TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A BROAD LETTER OF --

OF SUPPORT.

I'VE HEARD MR. MILLER --

>>MARK SHARPE: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK] SECOND, ARE YOU

FINE WITH THAT?

>>LISA MONTELIONE: -- AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT TIMES.

92

>>MARK SHARPE: ARE YOU FINE WITH THAT?

>>PAUL ANDERSON: AS THE MAKER OF THE SECOND, I'M FINE.

EXCUSE ME.

YES, I WILL BE WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH THAT, AND I ALSO HAD

ENVISIONED THAT THIS WOULD BE A GENERAL LETTER, AND ALSO

WITH RESPECT -- JUST A QUESTION ON -- COMMISSIONER MURMAN

DID NOT REALIZE THAT THERE WAS SOME PROCEDURAL WITH THE

POLICY COMMITTEE.

IS THERE A WAY THAT THAT SATISFIES HER CONCERNS WITH RESPECT

TO --

>>LISA MONTELIONE: WELL, THERE WAS NOT A MOTION AFTER

MR. COHEN SUGGESTED -- WHO IS OUR VICE CHAIR -- SUGGESTED

THAT WE NOT VOTE ON -- SEEING THAT THERE WASN'T GOING TO BE

THE SUPPORT TO CARRY IT AT POLICY AND THERE WERE ONLY, I

BELIEVE, FIVE OF US THERE AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE,

AND ALTHOUGH COMMISSIONER SHARPE DID ATTEND, HE'S NOT A

VOTING MEMBER, SO RATHER THAN SEE IT FAIL, IT WAS WITHDRAWN

AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER MOTION MADE TO BRING IT BACK.

>>PAUL ANDERSON: I'M FINE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SO WE CAN CHECK THE MINUTES OF THE

MEETING, BUT THERE WASN'T A MOTION TO BRING IT BACK.

>>SANDRA MURMAN: WELL, THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT --

WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING FURTHER INFORMATION, THAT IF WE WERE

GOING TO MOVE FORWARD ON ANY KIND OF LETTER OF SUPPORT, IT

WOULD COME BACK TO THE POLICY GROUP WITH THE INFORMATION OR

PRESENTATION FROM HIM.

>>MARK SHARPE: WHICH WE CAN -- DIRECTOR WAGGONER.

>>JOSEPH WAGGONER: I FIND MYSELF IN THE SAME POSITION AS

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MR. POLZIN.

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT A DRAFT LETTER BE PREPARED THAT

THEN COULD BE SPOKEN TO SO THAT WE CAN SEE IT BEFORE WE'RE

ASKED TO VOTE ON IT AND THINK ABOUT IT.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO HAVE THAT IN TIME TO TALK TO MY BOARD ABOUT

THAT, AND NOT -- YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR MY BOARD, AND

THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT I THINK ELEVATES ITSELF TO THAT KIND

OF DISCUSSION, IN MY OPINION, SO I COULDN'T SUPPORT AN

ACTION TODAY.

I WOULD ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE IDENTIFY A WAY TO DEVELOP A

DRAFT, HAVE SOME MORE INFORMATION GATHERED SO THAT, YOU

KNOW, IN THE MEANTIME, BEFORE I COME BACK TO THIS NEXT

MEETING OF THIS -- OF THIS BOARD, I HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TO

MY BOARD ABOUT IT AND RECEIVE THEIR DIRECTION, SO THAT'S MY

REQUEST.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: SO, THEN, THE AMENDED MOTION THAT WE

BRING A DRAFT LETTER BACK TO THIS BODY WAS AGREEABLE?

>>MARK SHARPE: THROUGH THE POLICY COMMITTEE; CORRECT?

IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE POLICY COMMITTEE, ALLOW THEM TO

HAVE --

>>LISA MONTELIONE: NO, I WANT IT BROUGHT BACK HERE BECAUSE

THE PROBLEM I HAVE AT POLICY COMMITTEE IS THERE AREN'T, YOU

KNOW, A LOT OF US IN ATTENDANCE, AND I THINK THAT THE

DISCUSSION COULD BE MORE BROADLY ADDRESSED WITH THE FULL

BODY.

AND WE CAN CHECK THE MINUTES, BUT THERE WAS NO MOTION.

IF -- IF SOME -- SOME WAS UNDER, YOU KNOW, AN UNDERSTANDING,

I WAS NOT UNDER THAT UNDERSTANDING.

94

MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT IT DIED, SO THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT

IT HERE TO THE FULL BODY.

>>MARK SHARPE: WELL, IT WILL COME TO THE FULL BODY.

WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT COMES TO THE FULL BODY.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THANK YOU.

>>MARK SHARPE: ANY MORE COMMENTS?

OKAY.

THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION MADE BY COUNCILWOMAN

MONTELIONE, SECONDED BY -- WAS IT DIRECTOR ANDERSON?

>> COULD YOU RESTATE THE MOTION, PLEASE.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: THAT WE BRING BACK A DRAFT LETTER

SUPPORTING THE EFFORT OF PINELLAS COUNTY, AND THIS WILL BE,

YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE

COMMISSIONER TO DRAFT THIS LETTER.

>>MARK SHARPE: I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL -- WELL, I'M

JUST CONCERNED THAT IF IT GOES TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE, A

DRAFT LETTER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVEN IF -- THE POLICY

COMMITTEE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION NOT TO SUPPORT IT.

IT CAN STILL COME BACK TO THE FULL COMMITTEE, AND THE FULL

COMMITTEE CAN VOTE, BUT IF IT GOES TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE,

YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO VET THE LETTER AND HEAR SOME OF THE

CONCERNS AND COME BACK WITH SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE

ACCEPTABLE.

IF WE WAIT UNTIL THE FULL COMMITTEE MEETING, WE MIGHT GET

TIED IN KNOTS, AS WE ARE NOW, AND NOT EVEN SUPPORT A DRAFT

LETTER.

I WOULD -- I WOULD PREFER WE GO THROUGH THAT POLICY

COMMITTEE TO JUST BEGIN THE VETTING PROCESS.

95

>>HARRY COHEN: IT SOUNDS TO ME, THOUGH, THAT THOSE PEOPLE

THAT ARE HERE REPRESENTING A PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION THAT

ARE NOT HERE AS -- AS AN INDEPENDENTLY ELECTED OFFICIAL

MIGHT NEED TIME TO GO BACK AND TAKE WHATEVER THE -- THE

LETTER IS TO THEIR BOARD.

>>MARK SHARPE: IF ANYBODY WONDERS WHY IT'S SO HARD TO BUILD

A ROAD, WE CAN'T EVEN GET A LETTER.

>>HARRY COHEN: NO, NO, THAT WAS THE -- THAT WAS THE CONCERN

THAT I HEARD EXPRESSED, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF SOMETHING

CAN BE CIRCULATED FOR THAT PURPOSE SO THAT THEY CAN -- THAT

THEY CAN DO THAT, THAT'S ALL.

>>LISA MONTELIONE: AND THEY'RE NOT MEMBERS OF THE POLICY

COMMITTEE.

>>MARK SHARPE: WELL, THAT'S TRUE.

>>JOSEPH WAGGONER: HAVING THAT DRAFT LETTER AVAILABLE, SAY,

WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK SO THAT I CAN MAKE USE OF IT WOULD BE

GREATLY APPRECIATED.

>>RAY CHIARAMONTE: CAN I MAYBE TRY TO ADD SOME -- OKAY.

I THINK THAT WE SHOULD, FIRST OF ALL, TALK TO BRAD MILLER

AND SEE WHAT KIND OF LETTER HE THINKS WOULD SERVE THEIR

PURPOSE, I MEAN, HE MIGHT BE FINE WITH THAT, AND I THINK WE

SHOULD HAVE HIM COME TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND TALK IN A

LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL AND ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, AND THEN

WE CAN DECIDE WHAT'S IN THE LETTER THAT WE BRING BACK TO

THIS BOARD.

>>MARK SHARPE: OKAY.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

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[CHORUS OF AYES]

ANY OPPOSED?

>>PAUL ANDERSON: CHAIRMAN, AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU TOOK YOUR

JACKET OFF FOR THIS ITEM?

>>MARK SHARPE: I COULD SEE IT COMING AND BROUGHT MY SHOVEL.

ALL RIGHT.

WE -- WE'RE GOING TO MOVE -- WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AS

THE MOTION INDICATED, AND WE ARE GOING TO STAND ADJOURNED.