I still canot hear you [Music] [Music] L I can see you again but I still can't hear you I'm sorry um can you make sure that you're make sure the right audio device is selected in the um webinar program your options okay okay okay [Music] [Music] a [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] good morning everyone I'd like to call this Tampa city council meeting to order at this time I yield uh to council member Clint Denon for a moment of silence correct please stand and then we'll follow the moment of silence with the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the repblic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all right roll call please Carlson here ctek here clend Denon here Henderson president Siera Miranda here Maniscalco here you have a physical forum all right uh before we get into any uh business and the agenda I'd like to introduce Angela crawl who is here uh with staff and students from the S the South Tampa micro School the students as you see them coming in are ages 5 to 11 and it is the mayor's Civic Experience day and they are learning about the local state and national government uh Miss craw if you'd like to say anything hi thank thank you guys for having us today um we just really appreciate having the experience for the kids to have a way to learn this in in a very Hands-On way seeing the real experience so thank you we appreciate you guys having us here today thank you very much and and a special shout out to uh Veronica I if she's here her mom is dossy she's legislative Aid to council member Carlson so thank you for being here today we appreciate you all coming down there's lots and lots more to say anything good morning girls and boys good morning boys and girls good morning I said good morning good morning all right anybody else no no welcome to City Hall welcome thank you very much welcome everybody anybody else want to say anything no yes ma'am um um both councilwoman um Henderson and I are former teacher or well she's a current teacher I'm a former teacher and so it's really important to have you all here today um learning about government from the earliest age on and hopefully we can uh have you here more often oh thank you all right thank you very much thanks for being here today thank you all [Music] [Applause] right which one's your daughter which one's your daughter [Music] myter hi okay come on I see you back there I see you back theree all right we just wait a moment as they [Music] exit in the meantime can I get a motion to adopt the minutes from March 7 2024 and March 21st 2024 we have a motion from council member Henderson second council member Rand all in favor I all right we'll just wait a minute before we go into uh housekeeping we have a few agenda items we have a light agena today you think we'll be done that early I think we'll be done all righty all righty thank you very much at this time I'm going to go over the agenda just a couple of housekeeping items I have a memo received from council member Vier that due to a conflict he will not be arriving to the meeting at until 1: p.m. today and is requesting any pressing items requiring his vote be held until that time um I want to put that into the record Mr cheer yes I think um what what do we mean by pressing items though do we just continue on with the agenda and then yeah that requires you know that what would be could be a tie vote a vote any you know anything because there are a lot of them that are big issues on the agenda well we're I I'll get to like lunch and everything and and the rest of it but um so I I I additionally I just want clarification so we're only talking about 3 three 33 vote correct hold on I have I'm going to get to it that was there's a I'll get to it it'll come up in just a minute so I have a memo received from council member Miranda removing item number one from the agenda and placing it on the April 11th evening meeting um is that a motion sir so move all right motion from Council mirand we have a second second from council member Henderson all in favor I I I have a memo received from council member Vieira requesting item number three to contined to the April 4th regular session can I get a motion to that effect we have a motion from council member Clint Dennis second Council Miranda all in favor all right we have a memo from Mr Morris Massie requesting item 58 uh [Music] be okay item F be it to be continued to April 18th may I have a motion to that effect motion from council member Miranda second from second council member Henderson all in favor I um a a request from Mr Alise drumgo requesting item number a memo received 58 and 59 go together memo received from Mr Elise drumgo requesting item number 59 yeah I have it here here we go I have a memo received from Mr Elise drungo requesting item number 59 be continued to April 18 may I have motion motion from council member Miranda council member Henderson all in favor I a memo received from Nicole Travis requesting item 62 be heard under staff reports under after item 91 we have a motion and a from council member Clint second council member Henderson all in favor I I and then we have a memo received from Mr Mark Bentley requesting item number 81 be uh withdrawn but it says we can't act on it until after 9:30 a.m. correct because it's a uh public hearing we'll get to it after public comment but beyond notice at item number 81 we will uh um we will go to make a motion to withdraw wasn't there a memo on number 63 also that's the Jackson house I don't see it reference here it's just a resolution it doesn't say memo or anything I thought I thought it was continued no okay we'll just go we'll leave that if if something comes up we'll take it up did you want that P for discussion the staff or not no I thought there was amendment to continue but at least we'll let us know if it is okay thank you all right so um under staff reports I'm going to go one by one we will have an Administration update the administrative update will be uh Miss Nicole Travis um item number 91 yes we'll have staff here for that item number 92 yes because of the amount and obviously for what it is uh yes on uh item number 93 there's a written report would anyone like staff yeah um uh Mr milky just has a few things he wants to talk about okay we'll have staff for 93 staff for 94 yes um yes all right uh staff for item number 95 there's a written report all right no staff for 95 all right uh item number 9 6 there's a written report from this I'm satisfied with it I've made the motion for it does anybody wish to have staff if not no staff for 96 um yes sir Mr chair on on 97 um I was out yesterday but before that I didn't see anything new on this so I would like to continue it to number 97 to May 6 may we have a motion to continue 97 until uh May 6th by council member May 16th I'm sorry item number 97 continue to May 16th motion from council member Carlson second council member all in favor I I I think the memorandums kind of stand for themselves if I I don't really think there's any more motion any more anything to more to do on this yeah I think that go ahead the issue is that we asked for um this gets in a longer conversation but if we ask the the real estate and planning department to do something they always say no they can't do it and so I'm continuing because they keep saying no and every other expert in town says it's possible so I would like to keep it back on the agenda just so that we can keep the fire because the community wants an Entertainment District somewhere and what they're doing in part is they're waiting for us to redo the whole code but the community wants Solutions before you do the code the code may take three or four years and we need Solutions before then and and I realize that everybody's busy but we need to create an Entertainment District otherwise we're going to have a lot of people leave our community and so and see I I Just Disagree in the because entertainment districts can't be created they're they're they're just very organic and I so I don't think that we can say here this is where you're going to be entertained and expect it to work so I I just in theory don't believe in this particular item so we have a motion to continue this to May 16th if anything comes up it can always be taken off the agenda so we have a motion from council member Carlson for 97 second council member CL all in favor I I any opposed all right so yeah herch and Henderson were no motion carried with herk and Henderson voting no oh and VI being absent all right item number 98 this is pending Cemetery issues it's a yes from me uh anybody else all right so we'll keep uh 98 on the uh we'll have staff in person um item number 99 yes item number 100 we have a memo from Mr Martin Shelby uh is that sufficient uh or do we need well you're here so we can take it up then oh yeah I have a motion I want to make then but okay so we'll leave 100 there uh Mr Shelby you will be here and then for item 101 um there it's discussing the tenative calendar um there was a memo from councilman Vie I'm he's not here so let's just say yes on that and then we'll we'll figure it out all right uh we went through that uh we're going to break for lunch at 12:00 we have a busy agenda the timer will be on um and that's it at this time I have a motion to approve the agenda and the agenda we have a motion from council member Clint Den from council member Miranda all in favor I at this time I yield to council member Miranda who would be presenting a commendation for item number two honorable chair of Tampa City Council and honorable members of Tampa City Council today is the day that uh some of us look forward to and some of us don't uh we have a gentleman here to my left who's been serving the city of Tampa for 35 years and let me say very honorably uh Mr Joel Susa has had the opportunity to work with many different individuals including the Mayors like Sandy Freeman de greo p orio b Buckhorn and Jane caster and that was hard enough however what's more important is that he's worked in a division that for decades has led the city in the right direction 35 years of dedicated service to the city he's had a positive impact on the lives of so many citizens in the city of Tampa as an urban planner if you think city council is tough try being an urban planner where everyone that comes before you on an application always thinks that they have the best and they should because they're representing someone this gentleman and his staff are the ones that make the decision either looks good or doesn't look too good and then it's up to us to determine the elected officials at that time in history what should be what should not be but is an individual that always comes here and deme wise you don't ever see him get upset he makes his presentation and he takes his lumps and leaves and when you work for I don't know how many council members 43 I think it was LE in your your career that's 43 different personalities who also never think that they're wrong including myself sir and you have worked with 26 supervisors and you have taught many the trade of being straightforward not losing your cool and in today's Society that's one of the most difficult things we have you speak to people eye to eye you don't get upset you just tell them what your plan is and your recommendation to the city council and from there it goes so we're sorry to see you leave after 35 years you've taken with you so much institutional knowledge and so much things that happened in 35 years to City certainly what it is today not there was not too many tall buildings it was more than likely less than about 60 to 80 to 100,000 people less the road you can drive and never hit a speed bump you could drive and drive from A to B and not find much traffic there was no Channel Side there was no Channel Side there was no Harbor Island just about there wasn't too many things that you have now and an individual like yourself is one that uh made some of those decisions what they are today with a recommendation from whoever was in office and whoever the mayor was but just for myself I want to say thank you on behalf of this Council for the way you stand in front of this Podium and take your lumps whether they're for or more importantly whether they're not for yes sir and you've always done it in the most upgraded mannerism of any human being I've ever seen and for that I want to tell you thank you for being Who You Are stand up individual who says it like it is and walks out no matter what happens you're not upset about one way or the other that takes a special kind of human being so we want to thank you very much thank you CH so commodation and I'll read it one time real quick yes sir it's the 35 years dedication of the city of Tampa for a positive impact in the life of so many citizens in the city of Tampa an urman planner over the Decades of three decades you have done the job thoroughly through the inqury of local government your knowledge and professionalism will be missed and again thank you very much for who you are and the way you handled yourself God bless you trust FL is yours mine I'd like to read a few sentences I wrote down for this and thanks very much for this accommodation this morning let me see okay as my current zoning family and staff would agree in a test I'm generally a Meek and Mild softspoken humble individual and a warm personality in the early mornings of the office a real Renaissance planner I have done so similarly in almost all of the Housing and Development coordination divisions that I worked in because I worked in everyone except one over my career over my 35 year history I've had again 26 supervisors and a plethora of Subs supervisors many that I had to train and what I truly feel is a Purple Heart warranted deed that I did I believ the people and places and events that I was able to participate in and witness as a mid-level professional planner in the city of Tampa were unmatched to any other similar professional environment and I survived it it is with a heavy heart that I now step down and away from my craft and give one of my young talented staff members an opportunity to do the same thing and again I thank you very much for recognizing me today congratulations sir we thank you for for all your hard work for the many many years of service and uh congratulations any other council member wish to say anything yes ma'am good morning when you got on the elevator this morning you said it was Today Was Your Last Day and so uh I remember it made me think the first day of school the last day of school are always very exciting so I guess that's why you volunteered and told me that information so I know that you're very happy today congratulations and I wish you well um when you wake up on Monday morning you get to do as you please I sure hope so congratulations thank you very much thank you guys all right thank you we're going to go to public common vers vir but before Mr Shelby yes good morning thank you Mr chairman members of city council Martin Shelby the city council attorney good morning members of the public are allowed a reasonable opportunity now at the beginning of today's council meeting to address any item on the agenda before the city council takes official action on an item a three-minute time limit applies to all speakers providing public comment speakers and members of the public are also reminded and requested that you refrain from disruptive behavior including making vulgar or threatening remarks or making or causing disruptive noises or sounds or displaying signs or Graphics speakers are also reminded to refrain from making personal attacks against any City official staff member or fellow members of the public the chair will rule out of order any person who speaks without being recognized or attempts to address the city council from outside the speaker area at the podium persons failing to comply with the council rules may also be ruled out of order and at the discretion of the chair may be removed from the chambers for the remainder of today's meeting if you're here to speak on an item that's set for a public hearing which is noted on the agenda you will have that opportunity when the item is heard later in the agenda no public comment will be taken today during staff reports the time to speak about those comments and items on the consent agenda is now during general public comment and finally City Council Members you should refrain from engaging a speaker during public comment and the public should be aware that the city council does not take questions or have a dialogue with members of the public during general public comment this is your opportunity to express your position thank you thank you very much Mr Shelby at this time we have three registered public speakers we'll take them first Mr Michael Randol if you're online Michael Randol please state your name you have three minutes sir is Mr Randol on Mr Randol sir is he muted or are there issues on our end all right we'll go back to him we'll take Tina Wayman next she's not on Adrienne Rodriguez if she's not on no is Michael Randol still there if not we'll go back to him and start public comment in the room Mr Rand can you hear me yes sir go ahead please state your name thank you so much sir um my name is Michael Randol and I'm with the West Tampa CDC I first want to start off by I'm giving my uh prayers to those in Baltimore as a result of that bridge crashing down T understands that because we had a g fall down years ago um today I want to focus on Public Safety again I'll be speaking during the general comments and then again doing item 61 in terms of Public Safety in addition to having a background in economic and Community Development also have a background in terms of Public Safety and if in Baltimore in the 90s uh I was tasked with develop a public safety initiative back then in Baltimore Rollins was off the chain back then in Baltimore we saw the highest numbers of murders and killings uh since the uh 60s the program that I was um that I was over uh resulted in 10% reduction in violent crime I'm going to be sending you some information on that this was a combination of a Weeden SE and the Hotpot initiative back then I was as to find a way to bring games together I did this by way of using rap as an opportunity to get the young PE together in order to begin to reduce rings in Baltimore City surprisingly enough I was able to get gangs to come that would normally be against each other but for the fact that they want to be Superstars they agreed to being part of this we also had an opportunity to bring them before the powers to be but the number one anyway that's going to change with our most recent project our most recent project is looking at putting together what's known as the West Tampa video production and entertainment center that focus on young people tal and monetizing those counties and reducing crime at the same time this in fact is the best practice uh that we looked at from around the country I'm sending you two news articles related to that the reason why I'm talking so about this because every day we pick up the newspaper or turn on TV we're seeing this sensious killer that's going on out there we think Tampa has the model to reduce that and again I end by saying I send my prayers out to Baltimore for the impact that's going to have on the nation and the city as a whole thank you so much thank you very much sir that's it for registered public speakers at this time we'll go to General Public comment here in the room yes sir please come up and state your name you'll be the first good morning sir morning want so huru huru means freedom in Swahili names mesn not that means anything's possible want to say we as African people we should always be thinking about our reparations and we should always talk about reparations and live reparations because it's 624 years of reparations that's old to us and any African coming to this city council taking a begging posture that's not indicative of the African Spirit at all we have to demand reparations we have to demand what's rightfully owed to us we have to demand respect and we have to gauge it back that where we have dignity as a people as a group of people as a collective of people people having the same Ambitions to be a free and self-determined people we can't keep begging white people for what's rightfully ours we should never never ever ever think that we can live die and never think of reparations never think of the fact that our parents grandparents great grandparents great great grandparents staying back to 62 4 years work for free know they owe us and they have a certain kind of disrespect for us it's a disrespect it's a learn disrespect they have for black skin when they see black skin they just see hatred they stereotypy and see hatred they don't see you struggling for what they're struggling for we're not struggling to be free and a self-determining people white Western Civilization has placed a low value on the African and we see it going on right now in Haiti our proud country as Haiti that kicked out Napoleon bonapart and that whole French colonialism rule that's still struggling for it right now our proud brothers and sisters in Haiti that's fighting for freedom fighting against colonialism fighting against imperialism what they do white Western Civilization do the same thing they do to us oh they gang members gang members running down a whole city is laughable it's really laughable we have to be real about this we have to get realistic about it and we as African people I don't ever want anybody to think that African people aren't a proud people that African people don't represent anything that we represent something that's just like a servant a page worker a Slave a chatt slave a sharecropper we didn't come from that we did not come from that we demand this city do something to start dealing with the reparations issue if it's 5 68 or if it's other things in dealing with African people from a realistic perspective not just empty promises black people tired of that we need we need to start seeing something we need need to start seeing some results that's what we need to start seeing and I want to make it clear as a representative of African people real African people not Beggars we're demanding something from this city that's tangible that's something somebody can see not promises to vote for football teams and fire departments and police departments and other things we want something we can see like the singer say give them something they can feel thank you very much sir yes sir all right next speaker please state your name good morning sir good morning Steve molini um I'm I'm really coming to council to ask you to address uh a disparity in the code and the code has conflicts in it between alley usage and Technical standards particularly in the west Hamp overlay um you're forced to make a choice and you can't meet both at the same time uh I've discussed this with staff uh they're aware of it and uh I believe that it might be an order at the end of the meeting under new business for one of the council members to make a motion to ask staff to try to address this issue if you choose one to meet the technical standards you can't meet the overlay District standards if you choose the overlay District you can't meet the technical standards and it's not fair to the applicants to have to come to you to seek waivers on one or the other and then there's a finding of inconsistency when we come before you um the second issue is uh regarding the notice Provisions we just expanded the notice areas to 300 ft we have larger signs we have duplicate we have two notices going out for the petitions and yet at the last minute we have neighborhood associations or those indicating that they do represent them come up at the last minute never having called the petitioner never having reached out and said we have an issue we want to discuss it with you that's not not right that's not in the spirit of what we we exchanged and changed all the codes for it we were told I mean both on the applicant and petitioner side and on the homeowner side that wasn't going to happen anymore and yet it happens certainly they should be incouraged to reach out with with two notices larger signs and an expanded notice area to not show up at the last minute and say that they're representing someone who has has issues with the problems um we are always willing as applicants to make adjustments if we can uh and that line of communication should be open and not closed I appreciate your time thank you very much thank you very much before we go to the next speaker can I get a motion to open the 9:30 a.m. public hearings motion from council member clinten from council member Miranda all in favor I there was a request I mentioned earli but we had to wait till 9:30 to uh by the petitioner for item number 81 to withdraw this application uh we have a motion to withdraw 81 from Council Clint council member herac all in favor I item number 81 will not be heard because it has been withdrawn per the request of the attorney all right next speaker please state your name yes ma'am good morning Council I'm Angela Alderman um again um I here today about item number 98 um my name is Angela alderin the great niece of Francisco Martinez who is lost within College Hill Cemetery I am once again here regarding scan results The Italian Club scan the parking area of the Italian Club Cemetery which was formerly College Hill and they also scann the surrounding adjacent areas to the cemetery in February of 2023 I stand before you today asking for resolution to this issue of ignoring the many requests for The Italian Club to release the results on Tuesday of this week once again The Italian Club has pushed pushed back the date to releasee the scans and they will not be here today um they have postponed it now again to May 2nd some action needs to be taken and must be done to get answers it is blatant in my personal opinion that the scan over a year ago has produced areas of concern in the results otherwise I am certain I would have been silenced over a year ago it's very simple release the findings to where 1,200 bodies now laid to rest and if they are not there provide details of relocation including that of my great uncle who was buried in 1917 maybe this can be done and healing can begin for our city and those that have been erased from history this month marked 107 years on March 16th that my great uncle was laid to rest in College Hill I know that in addition to College Hill being on the agenda today Marty colon Cemetery has been faced with the same issues um I know that the rabbi has produced scans and possibly we'll have those scan results today this just shows how quick scan results can be produced I ask the city why would it take one year to produce the scan results the constant ignoring and stalling over a span of a year speaks volumes to my soul help is needed from the city as this is beyond acceptable for me to for me being a direct descendant of someone lost within the the now Italian Club Cemetery private property or not the Italian Club has chosen to ignore the many requests for the scan results I will not falter in my quest for these answers and it saddens me that the moral and respectful thing to do is being ignored and allowed these precious Souls that were buried there deserve their peace not to be used as a parking lot I am first off asking the city to step in and assist where they can on their end to show the community their support I would ask the city to show their support for College Hill and bestow the honor of the lost and erased Souls of College Hill by not attending or supporting The Italian Club at their events and social Gatherings these Souls deserve the respect granted to them um I ask this of you as they are not merely words spoken thank you very much ma'am thank you yes ma'am yes sir next speaker good morning sir please St your name it's it's already on just whatever you want to put down it's it's active all right good morning my name is Bobby kraton um I've live in Tampa Florida uh the first thing I want to say is I do support the salary increase for you the work that you do um it's more than a part-time job and I believe the salary should be commensurate with the the duties of the position that you all hold um but I'm here to talk about um code enforcement policy today last week I came up and reviewed some of my own research into the ways other cities uh handle vacant boarded and abandoned structures I pointed out some of the deficiencies that exist in tampus code um and what other cities have done to try to address that um I want to point out that that's just my own research that's just what I looked at in cities in Florida and pure cities there's a whole Suite of other policies that may or may not be appropriate for Tampa every city is unique Tampa is a very unique City people recognize that and appreciate that and that's why they want to come here so there's not a one-size fits-all solution to addressing that problem um I've been having some conversations with community members about this in fact just this week we had our our fan public safety meeting I'm going to zoom this out a little bit top one something and based on my discussions there's been various themes that have Arisen I wanted to go over those today time there we go aome perfect wonderful all right wonderful so there's big three big themes that I wanted to address I'm not going to speak to every one of these because the audience and you can read them on your own um but if we take theme one and two as premises and if we're not fully meeting the premise of theme three these result in negative outcomes in our most vulnerable communities and those that deserve to be addressed I'm going to move on um to my next point because my time is is running out here on February 22nd staff uh gave a report about code enforcement and their policies they said that they look at other cities to determine what best practices are I hope they're doing that for this issue and they're preparing to make changes where necessary staff also reported that some condemned buildings get extensions of seven eight years there's a building in my own neighborhood that has had an extension for five years a demolition permit was issued 5 years ago this is inequitable to the taxpayers having to continue to expend resources for these buildings it's inequitable to the neighborhoods the litmus test was we don't want our families would you put your mom in a house that's condemned what would you put your family in a house that look next door to that or would you want your mom to live next door to that for 5 or 10 years so it's a safety issue it's an equity issue there's a lot more to say on this topic and I'm happy to discuss more offline with anybody who's interested in uh advancing this issue thank you very much sir yes ma'am good morning please come on up and state your name good morning good morning good morning good morning my name my name is tonette gains and um I'm going to speak on item number 13 and these are um this is my vice president Ronda Ellis Treasurer um Miss Anne Ellis and then one of the members Eureka and we're here to um good morning um my name is tonette gains and the Pres I'm the president of the legacy of fair oats Community Association a newly established Association approaching our first oneyear anniversary April 6 we ilz Fair oats Community Center to host our association meetings it's evident that fair oats in our community is long overdue for a change I pondered over how should I decide as a leader regarding the fair oats project therefore after the prayer and research I say move forward as long as transparency and accountability a well communicated across the board from the mayor city council Community engagement zoning and permitting parts and wck Mobility scansa contractors Tampa Police Department or contractor security and any other Affiliates on this project and accommodations are granted for instance a paper trail on how each dollar is spent without it impacting other finances allocated for housing rehab or affordable um housing to fund this project next since this is a predominantly African-American Community it is only fair equal employment opportunities are extended to African-American contractors who are licensed and bonded with the city of Tampa on this project from start to finish no exceptions in conclusion as the leader I have remained or we have remained quiet and observed from a distance but now is the time to take a stand we thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the legacy of fair oats and my family thank you yes ma'am thank you very much yes sir good morning good morning Council I should have been probably a part of the Legacy I didn't expect that representation but I want to hit F CL from a different perspective please state your name sir Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo kener retired from the United States Army I'm a product of Tampa Florida proud product of Tampa Florida I grew up in North few here where we established Williams Park but I played Little League football at FS Park most of you might know coach Bobby Wilds he was significant in that area and as a product of that I'm standing before you to tell you the difference that F Park made in my life my father also coached as a little league coach when we had the Tampa Eagles there that park has produced so many successful people here in Tampa Florida your First Responders Carl Davis major retired from Hillsboro County Sheriff office Vincent Jackson stays right off the Caracus went to high school with me as well retired as a captain he played Little League football there Sam Washington Pittsburgh Steelers head coach North Carolina entt that par has brought so many memories to so many of us and I can go on with other military leaders as well as Educators who are presidents I'm so sorry principles and vice PR principles who have made a significant impact at FS park that's what FS Park means I want our young kids to be able to tell the same story to stand before you to say this the difference that it made in our lives and it has made a difference in my life two weeks ago a young lady saw my mother at the grocery store and said Mrs kin I want to thank you because when she was a cheerleader my mother used to SAR that uniforms for these chili cuz they didn't have anybody else to do it so councelor I stand before you and I say we need phoh spk in the E Tampa Recreation Complex because it has made a difference in my life and it made it has made a difference in so many other people's lives that I know and champ for so thank you for your time yes sir than than you very much yes ma'am next speaker good morning good morning Council Evette Lewis president of the NAACP Hillsburg County Branch so first of all I want to say um I really wasn't prepared to come to speak because my heart is heavy right about now but but I want to come in the spirit of my mother my mother is resting in heaven and she's watching me and I think you know when we laid her to rest we laid her to rest I don't understand why African-American people continue to come before you to talk about these cemeteries and these companies that want to come and build upon these cemeteries with without giving y'all accurate and correct information we keep fighting for our loved ones that are laid to rest we need an answer it is so important that we get relief and we get Justice when it comes to these cemeteries please understand that and I'm doing everything in my might because my mother said you need to fight for this you see when Indians their barrier grounds are sacred when it were intruded America compensated them they refused to even touch them we deserve that same respect as well so please keep that in mind now I come to you I'm a product of pH O's part born and raised rest there my dear Mother sent us to the park to go play She trusted us she trusted that Park that Park is ours it's a shame for God that this city is spending all of this money with this park and African-Americans are not even having a piece of it right when it comes to the dollars that Park is for us we asked y'all and you complied you came out to our meetings thank you thank you to the city for listening after a strong fight that Park is for us and it should be built by us a child should be able to ride down the street or go to that Park and say my daddy helped build that Park my mother helped laid the ground piecing of that Park these ladies had Legacy on their shirt where is our Legacy please understand this is so important if you don't know anything else please stop telling us what is best for us these contractors are making millions of dollars off of us and we're getting nothing thank you very much ma'am thank you yes ma'am yes ma'am good morning please state your name good morning K Masco I'm here today I I need your help as we process this 101 page agenda but I need your help because there's a Common Thread in this city as it relates to mysterious activities regarding the money and this body in my understanding it's you that's responsible for overseeing it make sure the funds are allocated appropriately I still have a question lingering is relevant to the agenda today who authorize $200,000 to be paid out to the former uh Aid or whatever they were on the councilman go situation legal somebody one of you who would take the charge to help us understand the public who authorized that I went to the Ethics Committee Jane sent me there those people said they hadn't had an investigation in four years they didn't know anything about it it was like who done it what when we don't know when it happened how it happened you guys didn't authorize it how did it happen we don't want another oops on Hannah Street situation and then you find out six months later oops it was the administration I need somebody to be bold enough to stand 10 toes down and say what's right for the community what happened with that $200,000 who authorized it cuz it's our taxpayers dollars that's being fing around like Monopoly money I need some answers to that number two Fair Oaks I reg repeat what they said 30% of that is what scansa said on the day they sat down and was awarded that contract they were confident in that and when one of these council members asked some questions regarding that is it a goal or is it they couldn't identify that that the Edo officer here was not able to do that I believe that uh the mayor has put some strong opportunities in place for African-American people and minorities and small businesses and all of that she's put some strong work in place I don't understand why you all can't receive the information and show the proceeds of the efforts that's been put in place to make sure that these minorities can benefit from this contract and then third I stood here first I believe downstairs asking for a raise so that if you know when uh councilman Dean Felder was forced to leave if you got to pay for legal fees and you got to pay for allegations cuz that's going to happen political acrimony is evident I'm you know I'm in I know that very well so you're you're evident you're going to pay some legal fees and everything else potentially I feel like you should be able to have that raise that they're not going to defend you and so in that vein I want to say support and pay the man the money he prevailed you paid the 200 200 or whatever you paid the $200,000 with no authorization no lawsuit no nothing at least pay the man back the money that should be paid he Prevail I don't think that was expected he made it go ahead and pay the man the money it could be you one day pay the man thank you thank you very much yes sir good morning hello my name is Janelle Scott first of all I don't say y'all n one of y'all don't deserve no raise not n one of y'all deserve a raise cuz I been coming here for years you know why y'all don't deserve a raise one time I came here one of y'all was out of place the whole time next time I came here it was the same ccil member I email and Facebook a message and then I come back to research he's a part of the allegation that I got going on where a bus driver shut my arm in a door where he was overseeing the transportation department no names mentioned though no names mentioned let's get the definition of a peace treaty with these Indians a peace treaty is a binding agreement upon peace where it will cause a breach if the two was to breach the peace cuz peace is absent of War definition of Peace So I want to understand why is it what is a li we going to get it like that what is a lie what's a liar what's a fool which one do y'all identify as what is the definition of amend making amends same thing as reparations the count if the if the governor of California can come up with a plan to make reparations why can't y'all the number one economic state in the world can't make a peace treaty for the black people that they know it ain't no secret they built on black grade Joe Biden has slave and Mitch mcconell has slave it's in their history books them secets ain't gone the slave owners and the slaves are still a part of History that's still there that's that's ancient history so why is it such a a a issue with trying to listen I speak on the on behalf of the god of Abraham Isaac and Jacob if Justice is not met in 2024 he shall intervene thank you very much sir yes sir good morning please say your name yes my name is Hass Carwell well it's my first time here so basically I was just coming to see like what's going on and how everything's gone I mean supposed to go and stuff and basically I'm I'm here for the community for the younger youth for the upcoming youth because I feel though the people that's already here you know what I'm saying a lot of people like to come and be seen and all this type of stuff but what I want to bring to the table is that basically we have to look at the youth all this other stuff like people talking about I think they were just saying something about a a park or or something like that that is good you know what I'm saying then the other day said something about somebody got some money and all this type of stuff supped to pay and then to pay this one dude but what I say for everybody should do is to focus on the children you know saying the next generation is what's going to be in these chairs and what's going to be standing here and everywhere else but what I see also what I want to say is you know I'm saying like this stuff been going on for a long time you know and the only way it's going to be a change if people stop trying to take the glory and give the glory to God you step to the side and do what you supposed to do not what you want to do everybody say this and everybody say that but everybody trying to talk for what they want for them like like the lady say oh this man didn't get his money paying his money but you know this dude so this dude here so once this man get his money he going to issue out the people he want but if you do it for the community in the Next Generation you will see where the money going you know what I'm saying yeah you going to fix a Parker or you going to talk about the graveyard all right so you do with the graveyard make the graveyard work for the children in the neighborhood when they get out of school go through and clean the neighborh they thing give them a little card with money on it every week or every month they get a little money so they can buy clothes teach them how to take care of stuff you know what I'm saying put them in the places where they're going to be anyway where you want them to be because if you don't it's going to continue to be the same thing I have a lot of uh stuff a lot of Visions uh whatever you want to call it but God has got me in a place right now where I'm just sitting still but everything is going to happen but I just want to say uh all we have to do is just focus on the Next Generation like a lot of this stuff that people be talking about there it's not doing anything because everybody is passing money around and nothing is being done cuz the kids are being left out so like I said my name is Hass Carwell you'll see me more and uh we going to see what it do yes sir thank you very much yes ma'am good morning good morning city council I come here with um smiles and happy I want to thank the city council for what is your name ma'am oh excuse me I apologize ver drton yes ma'am uh first I want to go ahead and say we still celebrating woman history month we got 31 days ladies we got 31 days James Brown said it best this is a man world but it wouldn't be nothing nothing without without a woman all right now we got that part over with now we going to go ahead and talk about um this Pharaoh's part and and I appreciate the ladies and the gentlemen with the uh o far Oaks Park Legacy and I am from Far Oaks parks and I'm part of the over 50 and fatless I want to thank the director Tony M I don't want to mess his last name up um the a came out yesterday and Janelle they came out and spoke to us yesterday at fs and um we looking for an approval today from all of you regarding phoh now um this morning ABC Action News gave a shout out to this item 92 and 13 and again we looking for an approval for this today's cting Council we going uh looking for the groundbreaking in 2024 we're looking for the Senate to schedule in 20125 and we looking for completion in 2026 so it's time to put the lid on the PLT in East Tampa about far Oaks and let's go ahead and get it done we've been doing this for a while I've been down here a couple of times behind far Oaks so let's go ahead and make it happen I want to thank gwind Harrison and our District 5 I want to appreciate you for everything that you're doing I want to appreciate everybody else back here that's doing what they need to do whether it's good bad forward or negative let's bring all that together cuz it's in the pot and we going to make a decision today to get this park built for East Tampa I understand that business name East Tamp sample Recreation complete Complex Center we understand that that's the business name but the real deal when it's all fine and over it's going to be we said it thank you so very much enjoy the rest of your day and we looking for an approval right here ma'am all right please silence your cell [Music] phones please silence your cell phones even though I I'm I'm enjoying the music I didn't know I'd be marinated today this is fantastic I need an entrance like this every time please your your walk on music please say your name ma'am good morning e Henderson founder of the cemetery Society good morning Council historic cemeteries we've been talking a lot about Tampa historic cemeteries the last few years our nation has experienced an interest in discovering and reestablishing lost abandoned and forgotten cemeteries with the specific emphasis on historic black cemeteries and frankly I couldn't be happier cemeteries provide a looking class into a city's past they are Necessities they tell a story they educate you see your city in a name on a headstone they represent a time and people that used to be simply put they are our history and without our past we have no future so what are we going to do about it what are you going to do about it we the community along with established organizations dedicated to Tampa historic cemeteries will keep taking these challenges on one by one with these historic cemeteries as they surface but I would much prefer a more proactive approach not to mention we are organizing we currently have an informal Coalition made up of three organizations that are Cemetery based other organizations with a vested interest and community members we are only going to get bigger and stronger so please let's work together on figuring out a plan of action as it relates to Tampa historic cemeteries and hopefully we can stop appearing before you begging for those with no voice to be heard and respected let's also look to be proactive and figure out a way to make these historic cemeteries self- sustainable through Innovative and forward-thinking ideas and Concepts we need need a plan for the Future Let's make one and commit to it finally I stand with Angela Alderman and for Cottage Hill I support her requests and I demand councel holds the Italian Club accountable to their agreement to share that GPR study and to stop stalling the truth is we know there are bodies there I get it's private property but we've been down this road before and honestly I am extremely disappointed for the life of me I can't understand why they just won't do the right thing we know there are bodies there you know there are bodies there they know there are bodies there do the right thing thank you yes ma'am thank you very much yes sir good morning please state your name good morning Jay Johnson I'm down here for Hooks and I'd like to thank all of you guys uh cuz everyone Bo matters everyone has an opinion everyone has a thought so thank you for listening to everyone but let's just we we're at a crossroad again in a place of progress and the only ones suffering from this uh Crossroad is the kids and when two elephants fight the only thing get damaged is the grass so when you have so-called leaders and elected officials bickering and arguing about what's prog look like for our kids the only one suffer is the ordinary average person that's dependent upon leadership and Advocates to do the right thing for the community now it wasn't such a big outc in the beginning when we humbled down the phro park and advocated for a new building when others was just talking about remodeling now we moveed past that stage of remodeling and thanks to Joe Robinson and others came down and pointed out that we needed a new building now we got so many people on board agitators instead of advocates for the park one thing was about bird poop it was about this and stuff we're here to rebuild far Oaks Park not East Tampa recreational center fa Oaks Park that's what it's supposed to be rebuilt as fa Oaks Park I stand here as a kid play football at fa Oaks Park and I stand here has a father that has kids played for the Rattlers over at fah host Parks inter win national championship in they lead so when we go to think about the progress of moving forward with ph Oaks and having to uh thought and sit down about our kids haven't they suffered enough what is the hold up we now talking about a building another building for seniors that's what's missing out our community the leadership from the elders when we separated and broke up the homes and Big Mama passed away that's why our kids are where they at so we need that leadership so why not have all in the same building so these same kids can learn from the elders that's there they have their space they have a state of art a facility so the kids can actually learn and what kids do they imitate adults nothing gets solved than chaos that's why so much bickerer in our community here we again stagnated in each temple with progress and the only people that's being hurt is the kids keep that in mind instead of people out for personal gains and reputation our kid kids are suffering without state-of the-art facilities to go out the school and be productive citizens in our community so when you sit down to take this vote think bigger than yourself think bigger than the agitators think about the most precious thing while we all here and that's the kids they need a place and it's tired of being waiting waiting waiting it's overdue Bild Fair Oaks now build it bike as Fair Oaks not East Tampa Recreational Center thank you thank you very much sir yes sir next speaker please say your name good morning uh good morning council members uh my name is Jacob Brunell I'm the director of government Affairs for greater Tampa realtorss uh I'm here this morning on behalf of our uh 177,000 Plus members as well as homeos home owner Citywide uh we would like to request an amendment to to a mun code uh section uh 27- 283.15 morning Andy Jo Scag uh chairman of government Affairs I have a couple recommendations what is a well-known loophole in the development business and that currently the city is approving and that's where we need to close this up the first one is is to contain no early termination Clause when you have a 5-year agreement or whatever it is a 10-year that there's no termination Clause because at that point if you have a 60-day termination clause which you have is a 6 lease okay you don't have a 5year the other recommendation is that we record that it's mandatory that's that the landlord and the leasee have to record the lease and this way it it becomes part of the chain of Title by doing that and this way you don't have the games being played of having an addendum that yall don't see that has an early termination Clause okay um as I as said many many times you'all have heard me quality development versus quantity development and um we need to support and promote quality development because in the city that we love versus having quantity development on the backs of neighborhoods and this is clearly on the backs of neighborhoods what's going on now when you don't have parking for your business or your development guess where they're parking they're parking down the streets of of neighborhoods and that's just not right to neighborhoods so uh thank you very much for your consideration of this thank you very much yes ma'am would you like to speak yes come on up good morning ma'am please state your name Eureka Walker um there was a burning in my heart and I could not leave here without stating um making this comment basically um I listen to everyone but the gentleman prior to me I'm going to just touch real quick it's going to be short and simple look glass sorry um Community the definition of a community is a group of people living in the same place having common interests or goals so with that being said also team that acronymous together everyone achieves more okay and then now I want to touch on what is a community my definition or my perception of a community is that widow woman that retire that mother and husband or that single parent or that grandmother who's raising re-raising that grandchild such as I um I'm a homeowner I finished got further education I can recall how I used to take my morgage money and pay for one class per semester for Community College and it took me five years but I got it I've taken everything that you can take for Bachelors so the community is a group of people with different circumstances it's called life and as that gentleman was saying about the kids but it's not all about the kids it's everyone as a total because then that would be you know sort of bias it's everyone would gain what about that person that just retired that can give them something to do some arts and craft I'm going to make it short and so what about the children I want to tie on that what about the summer programs you know they're in a school if the if the building is there they will have something to do and that can prevent and decrease crime rates you know um being busy um the building would be used for many different reasons without it it's not a good thing because we see it it it's an opportunity it gives that that person a chance to do something you can hold classes you know I'm not going to really get too personal but you can have business classes cooking class culinary there's much to be offered if the building was there but that's basically what I wanted to say that Community is a group of people with a common interest and without it we don't have the access to do that and that's all I wanted to say yes ma'am thank you very much all right next speaker good morning sir please state your name Mr chair and Council Joseph cro for the record 33611 four years ago two councilmen members and myself went to fa Oaks and we saw the terrible conditions in which that Park of recreation center were in four years ago and pH Oak still has not been changed and improved for the community last time I was here I said carpedia seiz the moment it's up to you to make sure that Minority construction minority business will help create this park that has been discussed for the last four long years it took time to get property rights to buy property each moment that's wasted building this will just cost more to build I'm saying it again carped today is the day the longer we wait the more the community suffers let's build Fair Oaks I'm asking you after four long years approve this let's move forward thank you council members thank you very much [Applause] sir yes ma'am good morning please state your name good morning I'm Susan Virginia Davis and I'm all for for Fair Oaks and uh minority Construction ruction and apprentice jobs to go out to the young people and middle-aged people too I'm retired so I'm too old to work but I'm for Fair Oaks and I think fairness is fairness people should really be taken care of as far as provided jobs and Apprenticeship Training I missed the boat when I wanted in skilled trades but you really need to put kids and minor ities into skill trades and get more for the community as far as the cemetery I never had to beg for people to leave my mother and father's Graves alone and that's a shame that the cemetery is being abused or overlooked here so we really need to look at that issue too you really need to take care of everybody's past parents and grandparents and please look at that too but um another thing I never got over a 3% raise in most years under many Governors I got 0% raise so I'm not in favor of a 40% raise for anybody I never got above 3% even when I worked for the UAW not directly for them but in a corporation that was controlling the UAW so 3 % was the maximum I've ever got and I never got it as as a teacher in this whole Hillsboro County so 3% is a reasonable request but I pray that you will help out the community here and give the minority construction workers a chance to earn a fair living and a fair equality kind of treatment so I thank you for your time and it's good to see all of you yes ma'am thank you very much all right Miss pointer is there anybody else that wishes to speak if you are going to speak please uh line up so we know yes ma'am good morning Council Stephanie Pointer um oh let me let I'm get those one for everybody um lots of important stuff on the on the agenda today the land use contract is on there where we're going to change the code um Rome yard the East Tampa re Center $100 million worth um the scope creep of the spending it's what I find absolutely amazing is if the administration wants something by God the money just comes flying off the shelf but yet city council wanted the NAACP to have money and they can't find it to give it to them um councilman Goods what what hold on there was an investigation done four years nothing came before the ethics commission who ordered the investigation why was $250,000 of our city C our city funds spent and nobody fesses up to who started the investigation you know you you do your thing I'll do mine but the bottom line is no nobody is responsible not the plaintiff or the defendant but somebody in this city stirred that pot and nobody wants to fess up who to who pulled the trigger on it okay let's talk about you guys' salary um you know I come up here every time and I say different stuff but bottom line is two years ago I gave you a spreadsheet that looks a lot like this and nobody back here can see the numbers I'll H I'll happy to share them if you want to see them but that's 2 years old the average salary of our highest paid City staff has went up $20,000 in the last two years that's not bottom of the barrel but you have to remember tpd and fire they got a 18% raise but you guys are still sitting at 3% sorry not sorry yes you all signed up to get paid what you get paid but we're not talking about you you as individual people we're talking about those seats that you sit in and not only should this be taken care of today but it needs to be taken care of for future councils so that it's not something that's political that you guys are paid in in uh what do you call it in scale with what everybody else has gotten paid the mayor's office alone went up $21,000 in those two years you guys' salary went up2 ,000 in those two years so when you're thinking about this this really isn't because I want this Council to look like this room it shouldn't all be folks who can pay their bills without getting paid worth a squat it should be people who can pay their mortgage or pay their rent while they're sitting on Council and we need to be respectful of that it needs to be codified needs to be taken care of thank good morning sir please state your name good morning Council staff and audience my name is Bryce Fen excuse me and I have the honor of being the vice president for the Saturday Morning Breakfast group uh I am not a native of Tampa or Florida but so I had to do some research on Fair Oaks and what I found about fat Oaks it says fat Oaks in Tampa Florida is a delightful Green Space where residents and visitors can enjoy outdoor activities although and this was well I I'll skip that it talks about the the I recommend uh the different amenities like walking trails playgrounds picnic areas uh perfect place to spend time with your family and friends so that was uh uh a web uh definition and then I I would go a little bit further talking about the project in FA Oaks and where the city of Tampa combined the current Fair Oaks Community uh center with Herbert b car senior community Lake and several recent recently acquired adjacent properties uh to create a 10.2 East Tampa Recreation Complex and basically the goal is to expand the services and activities at the current Fair Oaks Community Center by adding a dedicated space for active older adults residents uh additional recreation activities such as dancing and improvements including a fullsize gym on and on and on and on okay that's basically what it was found I found on the internet and what what I found as well as I uh and that's good and then I noticed that stated things about the name change now the name change what I found was the negative part of this whole project okay because what it does it changes the uh the history it changes the complexion of this uh this was what I envisioned this being the crown jewel of a black community now with the name change it also changes the thought process of of people of the elders being able to tell stories of when I and we've heard it earlier about when I was this I played football these are things I did in Fair Oaks also it changes the thing as a landmark a landmark you saying Fair Oaks now if you call the East Tampa Community Center people go well where well I want to meet you on 34th and Wilder and we we we're having a place here they go okay but used to be say I'll meet you on Fair Oaks at this this location so changing the name changes a lot of things not only history but also in the present so I I want to thank you for your time and I I implore you to not change the name of fair old spark thank you thank you very much sir Mr Ransom yes please state your name we'll give you the three minutes go thank you uh my name is James Ransom I'm on the board of directors of Toba I'm joined by some of our TOA Leadership Institute graduates our current students in our program so they can understand about uh governance and the policy side and legislative part of the government at Tampa the reason that we're here is not to stop the construction project at Fair Oaks but to have Council to not approve a contract without going back to have the city staff sharpen their pencils to find out how to match what happened at Hannah Avenue with the direct spin with blackowned companies so some folks talked about making sure that that black companies among other MBE we're going to be given an opportunity to do some work at FKS and and that's a really uh that was a really transformative thing at at Hannah Avenue you know and city council takes credit for approving a previous MBE goal of maybe 35 or 36% at at Hannah Avenue except there was no plan to achieve the goal until we kind of worked through that process along with the mayor and administration and DPR they were able to accomplish that and they exceeded the goal I think of 20% in direct spend with blackowned companies it's not a great distance from fa Oaks to Hannah Avenue yet staff reported at this Podium that the next goal is 30% and the direct spend is 10% with blackowned companies we are we we don't think that's that's a good number and we think we can find the same companies that are blackowned companies that help to build $18 million project to be able to come back to uh Fair Oaks and still build with the same bricks and water same drywall the same flooring the same electrical the same Plumbing the same things you use to build a building they can do it at Hannah a Hannah Avenue can do the same thing at Fair Oaks so we asked the mayor we met with the mayor we talked to the mayor about this she's met with her staff she's working on that with her staff we don't think you should approve a contract until you get this straighten out we're going to meet with with scansa on April the 8th to begin talking to them about they need to do the same thing on their side to look for trades to look for Super Subs or something to get those numbers numbers up so if you if you approve a contract with those particular numbers you're going in the wrong direction we'd like to stay at the level that you were at at at Hannah Avenue or or above so our ask is for you not to approve this contract until they fix those numbers and increase the direct spend with black owned companies thank you very much sir you're welcome all right thank you this then concludes public comment wait are you going to speak sir well go ahead sir please state your name Joe Robinson lifelong resident of West Tampa in the scagg on house businessman in West Tampa Community activist lifelong resident in West Tampa Professional engineer Vice chairman of the West Tampa Community Development Corporation chair of the West Tampa c community advisor committee and a member of the Tampa Sports Authority I'm here to speak on item 62 but I will make a note on ph Oaks please I don't need to be investigating public corruption let me move on uh I'm here to speak for the uh project called Rome yard in West Tampa Rome yard is a project that will have approximately 954 residential units with at least 647 affordable units to go with all of the affordable housing we building the West River and the West Side 29844 Square ft of commercial retail space 3,761 ft of Workforce training center and 19744 square ft of West Tampa culture center and Arts Museum and certain nonphysical Community benefits because we do have the first and the only Community benefit agreement in the history of Tampa that was executed by this developer in the city this request that they're asking today is a phasing change in timing plan to be amended because when we started out there were certain things that were clear and staff need to clarify what is clear so this plan clearly Amendment clearly cleans that up shows the phasing in detail provides notes showing what buildings are going to go first what buildings are going to be last where is it located and how it will be done staff has agreed with this I believe the City attorney Mars Massie has agreed with this and I'm here to say that the community in West Tampa wants this project to move forward we don't want to be stalled like far Oaks is going to get stalled so I'm telling you now we're asking that this move forward we're asking that this amendment and phasing move forward but I don't want to be back here investigating pharohs and that's all I'm GNA say today I'll be back up possibly doing the public hearing if ask so by the development thank you for your time there's no there's no public hearing sir this it'll be this is the time to speak about it no there's go ahead let all right all right yes ma'am good morning Connie Burton full agenda uh I want to speak to item number 91 92 95 and 98 98 the history of our people the cemetery speaks for itself should be lifted in dignity that we shouldn't have to continue to revisit these issues where our loved ones were laid to rest simply because developers and others have other ideas it should be Quantified that cemeteries um landmarks are to be respected no number 95 as it relates to um criminal history uh screening for biders I'm concerned that you know like most people that travel from one country to another country looking for employment and second chances I don't know what those people backgrounds are but what I do know is that those people came looking for a better way of life right a second chance some way we this city has to move forward and saying that people that have paid their debt to society they should be able to move forward we believe that this city can do that through Apprentice programs or bonding or whatever so we can help our young people to participate in Tradesman like um construction 91 uh they say uh rise and TI lift all boats inside of our community in East Tampa the uh minimum wage uh continue to be low uh based on the fact that we don't have enough investments in our community and so as you see yourself see our community 92 it's a company I'm going spell out their names because I might have it wrong SK nska all across the country wherever they go and do some work you know what they end up with discrimination suit racial discrimination complaints why for failure to hire minorities for failure to follow through on their contracts with minorities for their failure to promote so when we see companies coming inside of our community and a small standard of what would benefit the very community that has been demanding change if we're getting 10% 20% and they are walking away with the big bag what do that do for our community the way you're working with this company SK nska that has had a lot of racial discrimination complaints all the way to the US Department of Equal Opportunity Employment Commission we want to see a change in way black subcontractors contractors supervisors to the biggest bag out of this project and that they do not end up with all of the benefits thank thank you very much if there are no other public comment uh speakers the gentleman in the blue Sportco will be the last person this is last last call yes ma'am Bishop Patty all right Miss copelan Miller and we have one more all right ma'am go ahead please say your name good morning my name is tarnisha CID um good morning council members I am a proud uh tampanian born and raised grew up on 36 in hen right in East Tampa um I want to just talk to you all about a little bit about Rome yard and how we are our company ducon construction is actually going to be on that project and how um very proud we are at this moment not only that we also served in that same place of the GC on Hannah a where we were able to perform over 50% in wbe numbers and more overly for myself as I mentioned I grew up right off of Hannah 36 and Henry and to see the transformation and the progress that we were able to bring is so befitting for me and so I just really want you to understand how it's going to translate over to Rome yard as well as West River where we've had the opportunity to do the same in those numbers section three we go out and we are always at the Hemm of making sure those residents are given a fored an opportunity to serve and to work and then put the money back into the ecosystem right in the are area so again I want you to understand that we're going to be here we're not going anywhere we're here tampanian and we look forward to serving the community thank you thank you very much ma'am yes sir good morning please state your name Ernest Duos I am the uh CEO of ducon LLC and uh ducon Plumbing LLC both uh ducon a commercial construction company based here in Tampa in eore City uh ducon Plumbing a commercial constru commercial plumbing company also based in eore city um here to speak on behalf of the Rome yard project um from a a minority contracting perspective uh when the time we were awarded this project with Related Group um it was the first time that we were given the opportunity as a prime contractor uh to be at the table we typically have to come under other General Contractors larger National firms um like the one that was previously mentioned by the lady um but Related Group gave us an opportunity a few years ago when we presented and were awarded this project to be a prime general contractor on this project and that was the first time we as an African-American own General Contracting firm afforded that opportunity so I'd like to state that first secondly uh we have been pleasantly awaiting this project we've had it on our books uh it means a lot to us as a local general contractor it is a one of the largest projects uh we have in our backlog to participate on and it's a great project we've as you all know we've committed a great community community benefits program and uh we as the general contractor would like to bring our history our expertise to the Rome yard project we're just completing the Hannah a project where our firm construction managed $15 million of the New Tampa City Center on that project we achieved 58% minority wbe contracting of that 58% of of the total project 52% of the subc contracts on that $15 million were awarded to African-American owned subcontracting businesses uh not small pieces concrete all the concrete on the scope the AC the electrical African-American owned Tampa based subcontractors uh the skill center project which we're wrapping up many of you are familiar with we're actually a partner on that project where again we've achieved over 30% wbe on that project that's wrapping up now um so I say that to state that um it's a passion and we are anxiously awaiting the Rome yard project not only for what we can do during construction uh for the community but also what that project means post construction with the community benefits that we have planned in that project so I thank you for your time and we ask that this project would move forward for the benefit of Greater Tampa Bay thank you very much sir Miss copelan Miller good morning please say your name good morning my name is Norine Copeland Miller and I am member of the East Tamp of C CAC advisory um Council committee I first of all I want to say thank you all for your service we really appreciate it and as I'm sitting here listening to people talk about the cemeteries um I am so grateful to for your support at Memorial Park Cemetery and the other things that you're doing and maybe I missed something because some of the folks that came up and were talking about cemeteries that look like me the last time I came up I was standing here along with folks that don't look like me that were very supportive and we appreciate your service the other thing I'm here also to talk about Fair Oaks and I know that you all are going to do the right thing I know that Fair Oaks is a part of history and as we look at cemeteries we know that that history gets erased the minute we change those names to something that is not relevant to the community and I ask that you please move forward with their Oaks for years there have been meetings for years we got the same old thing but their Oaks deserve to be rebuild and Frankly Speaking I got more years behind me than I do in front of me and I want to be able to walk in that building and enjoy those amenities I am a long time rather than e sample over 30 years I pay my taxes and I want to be able to enjoy some of those uh amenities that other communities have please move forward with Fair Oaks please be building you've had so much money spent on meetings you fed the community you showed all kinds of moving forward and that they often say the group show up after everybody left the barn and today I see a lot of people showing up in the barn the work has already been done please I I employ and I beg you guys to move forward in favor and build Fair oats now last thing I have to talk about is I was looking about s Hearing the salaries and it's I've come here a lot of times in this in the chamber I see some people behaviors that is very inappropriate and I know that it was never happening before so I'm wondering what's going on but as I hear folks coming up about this salary increase being a government employee when I was working 3% you were good to get that but some of the outrageous things that saying what the salary is and you guys do a great job I appreciate your support you're here to serve the community so if people are coming up displaying irratic behavior and being offensive to people in the community then they come up and ask for a salary increase from you guys I have to wonder where is this coming from are they being cage thinking they can push that and have favor in the chamber cuz some of them do have favor in the chamber continue to serve us and and do the right thing thank you so much for your time thank you very much ma'am Bishop Patty you will be the last speaker all right last call thank you very much yes ma'am good morning name isar Sims har first I'd like to give honor to God my family and my husband James Hart good morning Council persons and audience I'm here to represent cutup Lawn Service as the only blackowned woman landscaper in the city of Tampa cups open its doors February 20th 20 2002 by my now deceased husband James Hart Jr we are now in our 22nd year as a small but growing business I come to you as a graduate of the scansa mentor Protege program who has collaborated with the University of South Florida's office of Supply diversity directed by Miss Terry Daniel in 2023 I was one of the graduates who took the opportunity to learn every area and receive all the resources that I was offered and they delivered thank you Tracy nater and Chuck who freely took me under their wings and Let Me Fly With No Reservations I worked hard to get here I applied for the City of Tampa I applied for Hillsburg County government as well as the State of Florida I also did the same things for scansa prequalification profile I put in the paperwork they asked me questions they sent me pap paper work items back to review to to review to resend to update this was a long and challenging process but it was well worth it this small but growing company has been approved with scansa and hear me now with the fair oats project I won the bid for landscaping for irrigation landscaping and trees we are the ground people after site work I live and operate cups Lawn Service in the East Tampa Community as a matter of fact I live down the street from Fair Oaks Park I know I am as well as the people in the community are waiting to enjoy a nationally NE recognized Park that will be used as a model for other parks recreation centers in other cities and the State of Florida which will financially benefit both the city of Tampa and the State Fair Oaks Park is just the beginning for cut UPS Lawn Service in scansa before reviewing the bidding on this project I brought in two young black men who are eager to assist me in working with cups Line Service Des Shawn Walker who was project for Tree project manager for trees Joshua Binum project manager for irrigation Jim pantis estimated and billing finally I would like to thank my all minority black uh employees who who has been given a chance at a livable wage and are now able to take care of themselves and their families thank you very much all the men and women of Fair Oaks Park today yes ma'am thank you very much all right our last speaker yes ma'am please say your name good morning my name is Bishop Michelle B Patty I am the pastor of Trinity and Faith Ministry 90% of my parishioners live in East Tampa four years ago when I came and stood before this PO along with Mr J Johnson the distractors nobody was here they were I was told no that pH oats could not be done there was no money I met with many of you all I met with the mayor I constantly came down here no one in this room supported or came and fought for Fair Oaks but myself now that Fair Oaks is ready to be built now we have the structures that is coming trying to stop stop this project if you stop don't sign the contract you have killed Fair Oaks it would be dead on AAL because every day things are going up we talking about uh bonding there are many projects that are being bunded right now here in the city of Tampa uh the bunding is not so big that the city can't handle this for Fair Oaks what's the problem is nobody want this project with the amount of money to be put in the black community let's be fair about this because this project can be paid off early this project can be refinanced it can be done but because people on the other side of town they have used a f a few people look like me to hold up this contract as you just heard this black female say she's getting work for scaner let's talk about the black female who was given a contract to kick K this thing off bringing the community together bringing contractor together Kim Jackson African-American female there are others that is benefiting from this uh project that will continue to benefit nobody is talking about scaner brought it in under the cost you ought now have put out in the media that it's going to be x amount of dollars th what you ought to keep bumping it up but the bottom line is that Fair Oaks is going to be the Envy of this nation but it is not good enough for the people in at the East Tampa area that's what is taking place here secondly I want to talk real quick about the monies you're talking about giving $445,000 to Goose the gentleman who was not exonerated the gentleman who said and confessed that he said derogatory nasty sexual comment to a 13-year-old child so tell me how and the voters how this equate to him this being in the scope of his job as an elected official talking to a 13-year-old child about her breast so how dare you since we talking about transparency we talking about giving away money why would you give this person $45,000 when they talk to the child like that why because it's not your child thank you very much all right that concludes public comment at this time we'll go to committee reports consent agenda uh council member Miranda you have Public Safety sir 4 through2 on second move items 4 through 12 Mr chairman we have a motion from Council Miranda second from council member Clint Denon all in favor I any opposed council member Henderson Mr could I just make one quick statement um yes just on U on item 15 um I'm sorry on item 10 um we just approved um Versa term there's a there's a concern among the police officers that there's a second software package that they have to um that they have to fill out it's called street smart and they feel like it's duplicative that was approved some time ago but I just want to put a placeholder out there that that we should cancel that contract there's also questions about conflicts of interest within the administration and so we need to watch that that has nothing to do with versus stream except that versus stream also does what street smart does thank you thank you very much um and on that note also I will um I need to recuse myself on number 15 um I think it's important to make sure that we publicly disclose and I I'm also we going to um I want to could I please make a motion to um put a uh receive and file a conflict form we have motion from council member uh her Council and just just so I can sayate publicly my my firm uh does a does business with a A company that is related to this my company doesn't do anything related to the city of Tampa and we don't work with any clients on issues related the city of Tampa but and it abundance a caution I'm going to recuse myself from that one could we vote on the others and then vote on that one that's fine council member Henderson would you mind voting 13 through 20 with the exception of 15 thank you chair I move items 13 14 16 through 20 for parks recreation and culture committee we have a motion from council member Henderson do we have a second second from councilman Miranda all in favor I all right we'll just wait for the gentleman to step out well there he goes council member Henderson would you mind moving 15 thank you for parks recreation and culture committee I move item number 15 we have a motion from council member Henderson for item 15 second from council member Miranda all in favor and please read the vote uh acknowledging the recusal yes motion carried unanimously with Carlson abstaining and Vieira absent perfect thank you very much council member her tag 21 through 37 I move items 21 through 37 all right we have motion from council member herx second from council member Den all in favor I all right next up we have council member Miranda 38-42 we have a motion from council member CL Miranda with second council member Clen all in favor I any opposed all right council member Carlson you're up uh with the exception of let's see uh 58 59 and then uh 62 we're going to take after 91 so everything except 58 59 and and 62 we have a motion from council member Carlson to move items 43 [Music] through 57 60 61 and then 63 and 64 we have a second from council member Henderson all in favor I all right so we'll take care of that later and Mr chair I need to number 67 also same thing uh my firm doesn't work with anyone that does doesn't work on any business related the city of Tampa but in abundance of caution I'm going to recuse myself and submit uh form f8 all right receive and file please we have a motion from council member herch to receive and file I'm sorry motion from council member uh Carlson second council member hch all in favor I move items I move items 65 through 66 and 68 through 75 we have a motion from council member funden and second from council member Miranda yes ma'am I just wanted to make a moot uh to me a mention that there are four segments of the green artery that are being approved in this uh that fot is paying for so very exciting and I know the community is excited about this so good stuff all in favor I I any opposed all right council member um uh Carlson will be upstanding from 67 Council move item 67 we have motion from council member 67 Council Clinton for 67 second for Council Miranda all in favor I any oppos counc read what oh go ahead motion carried unanimously with Caron abstaining and Viera absent all right uh council member Miranda would you mind setting the 76278 item number 77 for April the 11th at 50:1 and May 2nd at uh 10:30 a.m. at the council chair at 315 East Kennedy Boulevard Tampa Florida Move item number 78 for April the 18th at 10:00 a.m. and uh third Flor city council 3:15 East Kennedy Boulevard move item all right and that's going to be for 10:30 on that last 10:30 yes y all right we have a motion from council member Miranda do we have a second second from council member Clint Denon all in favor um I asked earlier about opening the public hearings but just to be safe can I get a motion to open all public hearings move council member CL with the motion to open the public hearing second from council member Miranda all in favor I all right the public hearings are open the 79 and 78 are non- quas judicial so we don't have to swear anybody in yet yes ma'am go ahead for 79 good morning Dana Crosby call you with the city attorney's office you have before you item 79 it's second reading of an ordinance correcting a scrier error to the east Tampa overlay District standards this ordinance was approved on first reading on March 7th all right any questions or comments from councel this is a scribner's error I'll ask if there's any public comment on item 79 I don't see anybody we have motion to close from council member Clint Dennis I from council member Henderson all in favor I council member Henderson would you mind reading 79 file number I move file number e2023 8 chapter 7 an ordinance being presented for second reading and adoption an ordinance of the city of Tampa Florida amending amending ordinance number 20238 passed and ordained by the city council of the city of Tampa on July 13 2023 by correcting a scrier error in the body of the ordinance and in the text amending section 27-24 E1 F3 East Tampa overlay District design standards providing for repeal of all ordinances in Conflict providing for severability providing an effective date we have a motion from council member Henderson second Council Miranda please record your vote and if we could activate the the touchpad here if not we can do a a roll call if you have an issue no let's let's do a roll call vote on this Carl s yes herk Clint Denon yes Henderson yes via absent Miranda yes Maniscalco yes motion carried unanimously with Vieira absent and herk absent at vote thank you thank you very much item number 80 this is for margerie Park Marina yes ma'am good morning good morning Kamar pet from the legal department item number 80 is second reading for uh the ordinance related to the marre Park Marina Gate House City staff U made a presentation at the original um hearing on March 7th 2024 and we just asked for your approval any questions or comments from Council Members I see no one do we have anybody in the public that wishes to speak on item number 80 move close we have a motion to close from council member Clint denn second council member Miranda all in favor I I any oppos uh council member Clint Denon would you mind reading item number 80 move file number HBC 2302 C an ordinance being presented for second reading adoption an ordinance of the city of Tampa Florida designating margerie Park Marina Gate House located at 115 Columbia Drive Tampa Florida as more particularly described in section three here of as a local historic land mark provided for a repeal of all ordinances and conflict providing for separability providing an effective date we have a motion from council member Clen second council member Miranda let's do roll call vote no it's not flashing here so it did for a moment when you first came back pertek yes clinten yes Henderson yes Viara Miranda yes Carlson Maniscalco yes motion carried unanimously with ver absent thank you very much at this time we go into our quas judicial public hearings if you are going to be speaking on items 82 through I'll just say 89 that one's going to be schedule but if from 82 to 89 if you're going to speak please stand raise your right hand and we'll swear you in okay yes ma'am uh go ahead with item number 82 thank you chairman and Council Le Shan doc development coordination Council item 82 is um file number ab2 2333 this is a um special use request for alcoholic beverage sales this is for a restaurant classification consumption on premise and package sales consumption off premise for beer and wine um this item is before you for second reading this is at the property located at 1523 East 7th Avenue there were site plan changes required those changes have been made um and the plans have been certified and provided to the clerk I'm available if you have any questions any questions or comments for Mr doc no thank you all right uh do we have an applicant here for item number 82 I see uh Miss shaylor is online is she online or she's registered she is she was not sworn in so if she's gonna speak if you're going to speak Miss shayer we'll swear you in if not you don't see them all right is there anybody in the public that wishes to speak on item number 82 motion we have a motion close from council member Clen denn and second from council member Miranda all in favor I council member herch would you mind reading 82 no problem thank you item number 82 file number ab2 23-33 ordinance being presented for second read reading and adoption an ordinance approving a special use permit su2 for alcoholic beverage sales restaurant consumption on premises and package sales off premises consumption and making lawful the S sale of beer and wine at or from that certain lot plot or tract of land located at 1523 East 7th Avenue first floor only Tampa Florida as more particularly described in section three providing that all ordinances or part of ordinances in Conflict are repealed repealing ab1 23-37 providing an effective date we have a motion from council member herac second from council member clendenon uh it's not flashing again to roll call vote Henderson yes Viara Miranda yes Carlson yes pertek yes Clint dennon yes Maniscalco yes motion carried unanimously with Viera being absent thank you very much yes ma'am miss doc item number 882 thank you again Council lean doc development coordination item 83 is ab2 241 this is a um special use two request for alcoholic beverage sales classification is a bar lounge with consumption on premise and package sales consumption off premise this is for wine and liquor is for the property at 304 East Davis Boulevard um site plan modifications were required to be made between first and second reading those changes have been made the site plan has been certified and provided to the clerk I'm available if you have any questions do we have any questions for miss doc no do we have an applicant for item number 83 item number 83 uh is registered online is Mr prman on he is not on well do we have any public comment for item number 83 M CL we have motion to close from council member Quint Dennis and council member all in favor I any oppos council member Carlson 83 is I like to move item number 83 file number AB 2-24 d01 ordinance being presented for second reading adoption ordinance approving a special use permit su2 for alcoholic beverage sales Bar Lounge nightclub consumption on premise and package sales off premises consumption and making lawful the sale of beverages regardless of alcohol content beer wine and liquor at or from that same lot plot or attractive land located at 304 Ford East Davis Boulevard as more particularly described in Section 3 providing that all ordinances are parts of ordinances and conflict are repealed repealed repealing ordinance number 204-762-6080 motion cared unanimously with ver being absent okay uh next up yes ma'am miss doc thank you Council Lan doc development coordination item 84 is ab2 2403 um this is a special use request for alcoholic beverage sales a small venue classification with consumption on premise only this is for beer and wine this is for the property located at 253 Westshore Plaza um site plan modifications were required to be made between first and second reading those changes have been made the site plan has been certified and provided to the clerk I'm available if you have any questions any questions saying none right Mr manasse please say your name morning city council Ryan manasse with Johnson po Pope 400 North Ashley I'm here to answer any questions otherwise we'd respect uh respectfully request your approval any questions for the gentleman no do we have anybody in the public that wishes to speak on this item motion close uh I don't have anybody registered so council member Clint Denon with the motion to close Council Mar with with the second all in favor I any opposed council member Miranda 84 thank you chairman item number 84 F number ab2 24-3 H is being presented for second reading adoption own approving special use permit s You2 for alcohol beverage sales small venue consumption on premise only and making lawful the sale of beer wine at certain lot plot or track of land located at 253 W sh Plaza Tampa Florida is more particularly scrap in section two providing that all ordinance or parts of ordinance and conf or repeal providing an effective date we have a motion Council Miranda second council member clendenon roll call vote please Miranda yes Carlson yes herk yes Clint Denon yes Henderson yes Vieira Maniscalco yes motion carried unanimously with Vier being absent at thank you very much yes ma'am miss doc 85 thank you Council lesan doc um development coordination item 85 is ab2 2404 um this is for the property at 601 South Harbor Island Boulevard the request is alcoholic beverage sales large venue consumption on premise and package sales consumption off premise it's with a beer Wine Liquor um category this item is before you today for second reading site plan modifications were required to be made between first and second reading those changes have been made and the plan has been certified and provided to the clerk I'm available if you have any questions any questions or comments no all right do we have an applicant for item number 85 yes sir good morning Kevin R with ster Miller 401 East Jackson Street uh just here to answer any questions we were last on the agenda on first reading uh councilwoman Henderson looked like she had a question so I want to answer that if necessary if not we're here for any other questions any questions mam no sir all right all right any other questions from Council no do we have anybody in the public that wishes to speak on 85 we have motion yes ma'am no wrong yeah there was nobody registered I saw motion to close from council member Clint and second from council member all in favor I council member Henderson 85 yes chair I move file number ab22 2404 and ordinance being presented for second reading and adoption an ordinance approving a special use permit su2 for alcoholic beverages sales large venue consumption on premises and pack keep talking go ahead ma'am thank you chair an ordinance approving a special permit Su for alcoholic beverages sales large venue consumption on premises and packages off premises consumption and making lawful the sale of beverages regardless of alcoholic content beer Wine Liquor at or from a certain lot plot or track of land located at 601 South Harbor Island Boulevard as more particularly described in section two providing for providing that all ordinances or parts of ordinances in Conflict are repealed providing an effective date we have motion from council member Henderson second from council member Miranda roll call vote Carlson yes pertek yes Clint Denon yes Henderson yes Vieira Miranda yes Maniscalco yes motion carried unanimously with Vera being absent thank you very much we're going to go into our 10 a.m. public hearings item number 86 get the clerk to share my the ELO screen please okay yeah there it is Ross s development coordination presenting file number vac 24-1 the applicant's name is Christopher th the property address is 4107 North Clearfield Avenue this is a proposed vacating request to vacate the alley lying north of North Bay Street South of Alva Street East of Clearfield Avenue and west of Lynn Avenue this application was filed at the city of Tampa on October 11th 2023 the applicants reason for the application is it is a public nuisance the alley was created by Subdivision plat the existing Alleyway is approximately 3564 Square ft here's an aerial view showing propos proposed vacating request in yellow applicant's property in red here's the proposed vacating request uh when it was platted in Chelsea subdivision in Block seven Atlas sheet again proposed vacant request in red block seven Chelsea subdivision here is an image of the alleyway looking East from Clearfield Avenue an image looking West from Lyn Avenue staff has no objections to SP any request easement reservations are required by Wastewater TCO and frontier special conditions consist of Natural Resources must comply with chapter 27 regarding tree preservation and site design for improvements placed adjacent to trees in an vacated area that concludes my presentation I'm available if you have any questions any questions from Mr Sammons nope thank you very much sir all right applicant good morning ladies and gentlemen I'm Christopher that 4107 North Clearfield Avenue I'm one of the four uh adjoining property owners uh to the alleyway I've lived in uh the residence since 1999 and I have not seen any obviously there's no Municipal uh use of the alley and there's been no the civilian use of the alley in that period of time um the uh but in that period of time you was robbed five times so you know you get kind of not used to it but you know you you think about that um and recently I witnessed uh a person in the alley talking on the phone looking around and what it turned out to be was he was somebody was waiting for a ride in the alley I called the police but you know it was by the time they you know I don't even think they really responded it was an emergency and I wasn't going to confront this person uh I think that would be wise but um that uh that kind of like sets the tone and you know that was pretty recently we've had number of Rob iies you know around the neighborhood and the alley just serves as an access or facilitate movement you know with you know kind of not you know not real good people going through there but in this whole time no one has ever really used the alley so our our feeling is is that we would like to block it off to just to stop people from the the not so great people and with the economy the way it is now it seems like there's a you know there's a propensity for you know nefarious activity you know stealing items you know Hawking them selling them you know just whatever they can get their hands on so that's um that's the reasoning um you know why we want to abandon the alley and just close it off and and stop that activity um you know only recently there's been you know one of the neighbors cleared the alley but like I said no one's been in that alley since the turn of the century so it's kind of like you know all of a sudden I you know what's the motivation does somebody start clearing it now I don't know so anyway that's my desire thank you very much you said you are one of the four yes owner applicants yes I'm I'm 4107 that you're called out that address okay are you another owner sir yes so you're okay come on up and please say your name my name is Nick Whitt um I live at 4106 Northland Avenue so I'm on basically the south side of the alley all four households on the Alley want to close the alley um basically the alley does not go through it it's two blocks so North like east of me it goes one block and then it goes one block along my property so you cannot get to any major thorir Through the Alley um basically there's no reason for the alley to be open there's really no public use for it and we've had a series of bike thefts and people like that stashing stolen bicycles and things like that in the alley it's a basic security risk and I park my car on the Alley so it's easily available for somebody to come up from Clearfield um where Mr that lives and get to my car or my property all of our all of our backyards or sidey yards are on the Alley so it gets access to criminals or whatever to come up there and as I said there's no specific reason for the alley to be open so I anticipate an objection from Mr Maul and his lawyer so I would like to address that um so when I bought my home the alley up until the end of my property to almost the end is used as a driveway for myself and my neighbor on the north at 4108 behind that was completely overgrown there was a tiny pathway going through it well what happened was myself and Patrick Gore who I believe was supposed to speak through Zoom file complaints against m ma about his numerous code violations which went to a hearing and he lost since then he tried then to get the city to clear the alley went in there himself chopped a bunch of stuff down and just left the debris in the alley so basically Mr Maul is going to speak against the closure vacating the alley it's basically retaliation for the Neighbors um complaining on him and actually the the house at 4108 which is just North of me Mr Maul owned that property as a rental property when I moved in he owned that property from 76 to 2006 and he let the alley get overgrown so when he owned that property on the Alley he had no interest in clearing out the alley he had no interest in it in the 23 years I lived there until there were complaints and code violations you know against his property for code violations thank you very much sir sir are you another applicant SL are you here for public comment yes okay so you'll come after online I have two more individuals uh Patrick Gore and Mike Leone uh Patrick Gore if you're on you don't have to be sworn in it's non- quasi judicial um go ahead and please state your name is are they both on all right Mr Gore you're going to be the only one then I'm going to go to uh general public comment and then there's going to be rebuttal Mr Gore if you're on yes I am can you hear me yes sir please turn on your camera there you go um please say your name sir my name is Patrick Gore I'm a resident at 511 West North Bay Street I'm one of the applicants uh for vacating the alley I would like to share my screen is that possible can uh okay I don't know what what give me one second please can you see my screen yes yes we can can you see a presentation not yet we see your main desktop but open up the presentation okay let me move it over then give me one second um give me one one second all right well I guess this is not going to cooperate with me today um I'll just read off of this and I can send it in um so I've been a resident of 511 West North Bay Street um for um or a resident of that alley I've own Mr Whittle uh I lived in the I owned the house previously sold it to Mr Whittle I now live at 511 West North Bay Street um since you know uh 2000 so I've been on this alley for uh collectively almost 27 years and in that time as as as I would um uh agree in total agreement with Mr thatch and Mr Whittle there's been no use of this alley whatsoever except for um individuals basically up to no good um and so we have um as as somebody who is a third generation tampeno um I have extended family and little Heights my father lives two houses down my mother lives three blocks over my sister lives um on um uh across from Mr Whittle we've all experienced um crime related to uh this alley facilitating easy access cutting through there um and people being able to uh hide in there um and engage in criminal activity um during that time we have maintained that alley um we have taken care of it um and we've had a also had a historical interest in um in asking to vacate it for uh Safety and Security reasons and and you know it's one of those things you talk about it and you talk about it an issue happens and you talk about it and we've recently had um um a number of events they galvanized us to take action and and thank you Mr thatch for leading the charge there um again recapping the rationale for um approving our request is the alley facilitat crime the original purpose of the alley is moot it is no longer it's been it's not been in use or by the city in any way um property all four property owners are in complete agreement of this um and uh bordering Property Owners um assume responsibility for taking care of the alley or taking care of that property uh if it is uh vacated um and the City of Tampa also gains tax income at this moment um it's not in use we're looking to uh to take U we're willing to take over responsibility for it um and at that point we're also going to have to pay more taxes on it so that should benefit the city um I please ask uh you to uh approve this request approving this request makes our neighborhood safer approving this request reduces crime approving this request uh increases tax revenue to the city and approving this request um provides peace of mind to those residents um in your constituents uh thank you uh very much for your consideration in this matter I appreciate you thank you very much that concludes the presentation because I believe those were the um uh owner applicants that were present so we're going to go to public comment but we have several people registered online I know Mr mole is here in person he's on my list so we'll start with Teresa Goldberg is she online she is she is the only one okay so we'll go with yes ma'am Teresa Goldberg please state your name go ahead um sorry my camera's unable to work at this moment my name is Teresa Goldberg wait we need your camera on first NOP it's not allow telling me it's not allow oh turn camera on hold on it's giving me opportunity go go ahead ma'am um yes my name is Teresa Goldberg and I'm a resident of South s Heights and a homeowner and very close proximity to the alley we are discussing today my apologies for not being able to be there in person today du some work uh commitments I support the petition to close this alley for a number of reasons the uses for which the alley had been established has sense become unnecessary over the decades each of the surrounding homes have designated egress and Ingress to their property there are adequate paved streets on the North Clearfield and North Lind sides for homeowners and pedestrians and other others to use the alley has become a source of concern due to Crime vagrant and drug users hanging out in the alley homeless encampment which poses a serious serous danger to home homeowners pedestrians and children at play if the pedestrians use the alley it's unpaved and unlit which is a concern for safety and injuries no one has used the alley in the six years I've been a homeowner in this neighborhood the alley was overgrown at some point and had been cut down causing it to become a place for Crime vagrant drug use and you know that's a major concern for us if the alley is used for through traffic that will raise even more concerns as the alley is not designed to handle vehicular traffic as it is approximately 11 fet wide it cannot handle two-way traffic and any traffic will pose a serious danger again to pedestrians cyclists and children or play it is for these reasons why we need to have the city council approve the petition to close this alley to ensure the integrity and safety of South semal Heights Community I respectfully request that you grant this petition to close the alley to the public you should also have several uh letters in report of closing the alley from numerous residents surrounding this alley in question that were submitted via email I urge you to consider your decision thank you for your time yes ma'am thank you very much that concludes the virtual public comments so if you're here in person to speak on item number 86 please come up you'll have three minutes whoever wishes to kick it off yes sir good a no good morning please say your name thanks my name is Brit massing um I live on Clearfield Avenue uh across and about a half a lot over from where Ingress and egress for the alley is coming uh on to Clearfield Avenue I'm in support of uh closing the alley uh in the two years that we have lived there we have not witnessed any neighbors actually using the alley for anything um it is being used by our transient population uh to live and and scope out potential crimes and Theft um and I know this because on December 12th of 23 um our house uh we fell victim to a double bike theft um while my wife was at home in the house um the criminal came into our garage stole a uh mountain bike and took off we have video from our security of the individual coming in of the individual coming out of the garage um um surprisingly then there was video 20 minutes later of the same individual uh coming back into our garage taking another bike leaving with the bike again while my wife was at home you know I can only imagine right what may have happened if she walked out into the garage to get something you know during one of of these times so what happened during that 20 minutes um the individual uh sold the bike that has a retail value of approximately $3,000 to Mr Mo our neighbor for $10 um later that night some of our neighbors saw the same individual breaking into uh Mr mole's car uh the person did get away that evening but they called me over because Mr mull stated that he had bought a bike from that individual earlier in the day for $10 um then Mr Mo proceeded to tell me that he called REI ear ear that day to try and find out how much the bike was worth um we literally had to have the cops have him go in and bring the bike out for me to say use the case number Etc uh luckily because of our neighbors because of Tampa Police we we did get both of the bikes back um but again you know I've never seen anybody use this alley for anything except for no good so we are absolutely um appro in approval of having this closed off thank you very much thank you very much sir next speaker sir good morning Harold holder with bush Ross 1801 North Highland Avenue I'm here on behalf of John Maul um Mr mul is the the resident of 4 104 North Lin Avenue which I'm trying to uh yeah it's coming up so the the alley that they're requesting to close is here in yellow his home is is located right here it's been in the malls family for uh about 125 years the uh city code section 2236 requires the application to State the reason for the alley to be closed in this case the petitioner stated reason is that the alley is in is no longer in public use it and then it says it's used by one AB budding property owner the concept that the alley is no longer in public use is is simply false um I have a letter from a local neighbor Mr Kavanaugh who uh is a resident in the neighborhood since 1965 says I walk this neighborhood frequently and use the alley designated he references this case number often concerns me that the alley will be closed to the public consider me an opponent to your plans to close this area I'm not alone in this case many people walk in this area and use this alley why must it be closed I personally see no reason thank you for your consideration um also Mr Maul will have a chance to testify about how he uses the alley to walk um there are other neighbors who use the alley to walk Mr Maul is known by the south seminal height Civic association's web page as a a local Legend he's a champion of C cell seminal Heights I think the last time I was here before you was for a project where they were trying to increase density there and build up to eight-story apartment building that was opposed and ultimately this Council agreed um not to increase the density there the um I'll put up a case it's Ronnie Investment Company Inc for City of Miami Beach from the Florida Supreme Court uh in 1937 127 Florida 773 is the site it's simply stands for the proposition that when closing a an alley it it must be done with regard to the rights and necessities of the public it can't simply be that the four people who live near the alley don't want it anymore the the city council must consider the Public's needs and rights and uh the idea that um that criminals will will see this alley which by the way both of these two homeowners need the alley to stay open so they can get to their driveways and park um a future home owner decided to stop that then there would be more parking out on the streets but this concept that that um you know this is going to remain open and a criminal is going to look down that driveway and say oh that's that's not a public alley anymore someone that's willing to make a commit a crime is going to be willing to uh go into the alley and so I respectfully request that the city keep this alley open for the use of the Mr Shel yes counselor I'm sorry sir did you want any of that with but you presented anything placed into the record sure thank you very much Mr Mo and please say your name sir my name is John Maul 4104 North Len Avenue Tampa Florida 3363 d3421 I have the same uh thing that you saw in Elmo is it up there now yes sir we can see it yes it is all right I moved here in 1951 and my parents bought the house here I'm pointing to I don't know if for show you right there so I've been on that using that alley for over 70 years as well as other people who use it also just because these people don't walk the alley doesn't mean that public hasn't walked it they probably watching the TV inside and don't see what's going on outside but I do my constitutional every morning trying to maintain my mobility in fact I just walked that alley today as exercising my constitutional right to be in a right away as you go on around here this one here this where Nick lives he just spoke he uses the alley every day to drive his car back to park it in the alley he's not supposed to he been told that he's not supposed to park in the alley but he continues to do so on the other side Mike I think he was suppos to talk to him by Zoom he runs an Airbnb there he doesn't even live on the property and his Airbnb customers come and use that alley to get to the carp where his rental is so it's in use every day and then this one here was Chris who was the applicant just the other day I was in an alley trying to keep it clean and so you can walk through it and he talked to me and asked me if I was going to park there I said for a little while while I cleaned up so I think it should remain as a as a RightWay where people who in the neighborhood like you just heard David cenor he read about it walk and enjoy happened to walking on not asphal I have another one picture here I think of the you can see that these people talking they think this is their private driveway and it's already closed so here's when when when did it stop being used for the public it's still in use to spend that use for 120 years I hope to be able to continue walk there tomorrow thank you thank you very much sir all right at this time we have uh 5 minutes per rebuttal I know there were multiple applicants but if there's going to be a rebuttal please stay within those five minutes who wishes to rebut if there is any yes sir wait wait wait come on up and say your name in the microphone yeah my name is Nick Whittle um he pointed out my property like I said until um summer of last year you couldn't get through that alley behind my property there was a tiny little path through that alley Mr Maul only he went in and cleared the alley he he did it in retaliation for filing code violations he had no interest in that alley before last summer and as I said he owned the property which Michael Le only now owns when I moved in that alley was overgrown there was a little pathway like that through it he never used it and he let the alley get overgrown because he was an owner of a property on the Alley so this whole thing from him is purely retaliation and I don't know who this other guy is but I'm retired I'm a retired attorney I sit on my porch all the time no members of the general public ever go down the alley and as regards the alley myself and Michael Leone are going to do an easement so we can each use it as a driveway behind our properties uh Mr thatch and and um Mr Gore are going to close the alley so anyway thank you very much is there anything further from Council any questions or comments before we ask for a motion to close wait who oh Mr Gore did uh there's still some time left in the five minute rebuttle Mr Gore is there anything you wanted to say or add please turn on your camera and can you hear me yes we need to bring him up on the screen yes sir go ahead please say your name yes sir again this is Patrick Gore um one of the applicants um and I I I would Echo uh what Mr Whittle said in addition to the fact um when you speak about the concept of right of way um uh currently Mr Maul is been uh found um in violation of obstructing the right of way along his property line on um Lyn Avenue and West North Bas Street um and is in currently in a rear City's put a lean on his property because he's obstructing the RightWay with uh junk and debris so I don't know why he is now motivated to come poke around behind my house invade my privacy um lurking around there all the time it's I'm the the it's it's it's anyway um and that is another reason why I we we respectfully um request that you uh approve our um petition to vacate this give us some peace of mind and help us uh get uh secure secure this area so we can have some uh peace and peace of mind and safety in our in our home thank you thank you very much yes sir council member Clint Denon for City staff can you remind us whose responsibility it is to maintain a clean alleys um pretty sure I don't know the code language itself but Ross Sams development coordination um it's the adjacent Property Owners of budding the alley for to the center line thank you appreciate it all right any other questions or comments if not ask for a motion to close motion close motion Clos from council member Clint Council mirand all in favor what is the pleasure of council would anybody like to read 86 I'll I'll take it and I'll make a couple statements first one sounds like we just have neighborhood disputes more than about the issue of closing and Alley um for those of you all have been paying attention the City Tampa values its alley system and we try to retain that uh that that trait and it's not about we make these land use decisions it's not necessarily about the current land use but it's about the future land use because we're only on this planet for a short period of time somebody else will come along and be occupying these houses and we don't want to give necessarily give away the rights and the and the thoroughfare for future land owners of those properties as well so um I'm going to uh um move to deny uh the vacating move I move to deny file number vac 2401 oh was here in San I thought we closed it no we we did okay go ahead sir so and what was you know what was said and I I really it wrong true in that uh Supreme Court case that was submitted into evidence I believe Marty took that about um the greater good for the for the city and what the city has to take into consideration when we vacate those alleys um it doesn't serve the uh General Public's best interest in approving the vacating this petition because for again once again for urban planning for the City of Tampa we're trying to activate and utilize these alleys so as we develop and redevelop the City of Tampa we're trying to activate these alleys you eliminate on street parking on street parking provide access to garages in the back which is shows in those pictures we just we just saw that current use of this property is um use to access garages from that Alleyway so once again um Marty I know you handed me this but I'm way I'm going to read through all this right now but I moved to deny file number vac 2401 um the the uh applicants did not show a uh compelling evidence that this was in The public's interest uh for uh the city of Tampa or our urban planning second we have a motion from council member Clint Denon and a second from council member herac uh roll call Vote herk Yes Clint Denon yes Henderson yes via Miranda yes Carlson yes Mana scalco no motion carried with Mana scalco voting no in Vier abson at vot to move to deny thank you very much all right next we have uh two items item number 89 there's a an email requesting that the said public hearing be rescheduled um we'll get to that if there's a date when we get to it oh it's a Mis notice yeah so do we need a date or can we just make a motion to continue that I it's not even continued I believe if I can ask uh Land Development to take a look at that I believe um it is that done administratively the notice for the hearing the the not excuse me Steve molini I was representing the petitioner the notice was never he did Steve melini I can say it again uh the notice was never perfected because they counted the days when February the date screwed them up so they missed the sending out the notice so we're just asking for a new hearing date to be set well the question is is that done administratively or is that done by city council I'm sorry is that that's a is that a clerk question it's a clerk it's a clerk question May 16th at 10: a.m. thank you very much all right let's get a motion to continue or no it's not continue res schedule please to schedule item number 89 for May 16th at 10: a.m. 315 East Kennedy Boulevard third floor Tampa Florida is there a motion to that effect I'll move we have a motion from council member Miranda second council member Henderson all in favor I I all right so we'll go into 87 Rebecca Johns is here please state your name welcome to Tampa City Council Rebecca John's legal department this is the second public hearing for the development agreement for University Park multi family project you have a substitute development agreement that was provided to you the only change between the first hearing and the second hearing was that the Landscaping plan was updated to match the site plan the developer is here if you have any questions all right do we have any uh we do have the uh attorneys and the developer here please state your name sir come on up Jim schimberg shubin Law Group you've heard this project before here to answer any questions clients are here as well we appreciate your support thank you very much any uh questions or comments from Council members is there anybody in the public that wishes to speak on item number 87 I know seeing none may I have a motion to close move we have a motion to close from council member Miranda sign from council member Henderson all in favor I I um who did I leave off with do you do remember councilman V would you mind reading the substitute resolution for 8 just in time just we were waiting for you my apologies here you go um move a resolution approving development agreement between University Park multifam project between the city of Tampa and Semco Investments LLC relating to the property located at 40194 or strike that 4105 and 4151 East fer Avenue in the city of Tampa Florida authorizing execution thereof by the mayor of the city of Tampa providing effective data and this is the substitute uh do we have a second from Council Miranda let's get a roll call vote Clint dennon yes Henderson yes Vieira yes Miranda yes Carlson herk yes minalo yes motion carried unanimously all right item number 88 is also a review hearing I don't know how long this is going to go but I would recommend that we uh we break for lunch after this item so we can go right into the administration update and kick it off from there yes ma'am go ahead please good morning kamaria Pettis from the legal department I'm here on item number 88 which is a petition for review for a city application of su1 24-3 for the property located at 1014 East 31st Avenue um the petitioner or the authorized aganist Mr Steve melini his um uh client uh made a request from uh the city regarding an accessory dwelling unit City staff denied that request on January 5th of 2024 on the basis that it did not meet several criteria as outlined in code section 27-13 um regarding the specific um individual specific uh uses in the code is city council I previously um just gave out a sample motion rules of procedure in order to conduct this hearing code section 27- 61 which governs how you conduct uh review hearings and also C-section d132 and C-section d129 and 130 are in the staff report for this matter um according to code section - 2761 subsection j3 city council will be able to do a denovo review hearing which means City Council can accept new information um regarding this matter um Mr Eric Cotton is here in order to present the staff report regarding this matter and why staff denied the um application upon hearing all the evidence in this um case city council can take two actions city council can affirm the decision of the zoning administrator who denied the application for the special use for this property or city council can overturn the decision of the zoning administrator and therefore approve the use that is asked for by the uh petitioner um and with that I will turn it over to uh Mr cotton to for a further explanation of what the application is and why staff denied the application good morning Eric Cotton I have been sworn um City tber development coordination office um I will just just show it on the the Elmo is it up do youall see it okay so as Miss as ma was indicating this is a a review hearing for a special use um su14 D3 the petitioner is Steven molini um representing J andr properties of Brandon property is located at 1014 East 31st Avenue zoning is rs50 they applicant was asking for an accessory dwelling unit so this application is in East Tampa East Tampa was just approved to have accessory dwelling units as a special use um the applicant was applied to take advantage of that of that request um this is the the aerial map you can see it outlined in a and um red the property location and on the flip side is the submitted site plan so the application was denied primarily because of the there's um two reasons in the code that it was denied one it's in it's in a non-conforming structure the code right now requires accessory dwelling units when they come in to being a conforming structure if it's a non-conforming structure staff can't wave that requirement the app we you have to deny it at a staff level and it goes to city council for your review and approval or denial the other reason is the applicant does not live there it's not owner occupied one of the requirements of the special use um criteria for that is um main residence has to be owner occupy now you can you can have an accessory dwelling unit it doesn't have to be accessory structure it can be in the same structure like a in this case like a single family you know semi- detached use or a duplex kind of use but this requires the applicant actually live on the property also those are the two reasons non-conforming structure and the applicant doesn't live on the property those are the two reasons for the denial step have any any questions for Mr cotton no all that's the entire presentation sir yes sir I'm all right Mr melini you are the applicant sir come on up please say your name and Mr Shelby you didn't ask if we had any expart Communications to receive and file so so why don't why why don't we just ask if there are any just to keep the record clean any any exper Communications that need to be received in file okay I don't know if anything had come in um but let's do a motion anyway just to be on the safe side all right motion from councilman VI second from second council member CL this is to receive and F any export written documents all in favor I okay go ahead Sir Mr ml uh good morning Council I'm here representing uh Joe go and so he he's had this property um and it was cited for having an duplex we uh we did the research we we went back in the Poke directories and we could find uh Records back to 1972 in the pop directories indicating it was a duplex in addition to that we have records back to 1931 in the sandborn map showing it was a duplex there are two two mailboxes there are two electric meters the building itself the units are uh 450 Square ft approximately each which uh means that they do qualify for the they they're less than 950 Square ft the um the units are basically divided like like that the roof line didn't change they have two entry doors that are in the front and uh we have the documentation showing basically that that we we have met the intent of the code um this is the document related to the building being built 1926 again we have sandborn map showing that it was a duplex at least as early as 1931 they have been paying their fair share of taxes related to and the impact fee I mean the the uh Associated fees for water and sewer the franchise fees associated with electricity all since uh at least as far as we can tell since 1931 the other uh duplexes there other duplexes in the area the the two sizes are 464 ft for unit a and 450 Square ft for Unit B there's separate entry doors as I said um this maintains an alternative uh housing it provides a maintains an alternate housing Pro uh provision it documents the existence for at least 52 years and and earlier if you accept the sandborn maps the city code requires you to use poke directories the Poke directories are sketchy earlier than 1972 and we only had the the sandor maps which verify that earlier use that only became available in the last couple days um the comprehensive plan encourages the use of and efficient use of land the residential for residential housing uh the the conversion if this is denied converting it back to a single family residence would be extensive as the wiring is already there for for two meters separated within the house as well as a financial hardship for the owner the um conforming uses of of of the two units again the code is there in your package you have Additionally you have a letter from addition the adjacent neighbor who says that the neighbor I am the I'm the neighbor I'm just going to paraphrases I've owned and lived there for almost 50 25 years ever since I've lived there I've seen my neighbor's house as a duplex I wish to express my opinion I'd like to urge you and the authorities to not make any changes and to allow the the two dwelling to remain and his name and address is included in your package this is the sandborn map 1931 and I you have that in your package that I just gave to you and um there are other units other duplexes in this area this is an east east Tamp on 31st Street finish going through this stuff the property appraisers office has it listed in their property history records as being a duplex as far back as they had history records that we could we could discover um we're asking that you vest the existing use as is based on the information be provided there also additional information and support in the comprehensive plan and U I'll be happy to cite the references City design land use objective 1.2 create an inspired Urban Design while respecting Tampa human scale unique history Aesthetics natural environment and sense of community identity for the city uh City Planning strategy land use policy 2.1.1 encourage a compact higher density develop that is compatible with the surrounding character and we've surveyed not just the property owner across the street but the other property owners in the area they all recalled it as being duplex land use policy 2.1.2 use limited land use resources more efficiently and pursue a development pattern that is more economically Sound by encouraging infill development on vacant land this is an existing house existing duplex and it's been there at least we can document in one record 52 years and another record more than 70 years the overall residential development and Redevelopment land use policy 9.2.6 encourag single family attached and multif family developments to be designed to include orientation of the front doors uh toward the neighborhood streets it's been that way since 1926 low medium density multif family areas land use 9.1.2 uh 9.71 provide opportunities to attach housing at slightly higher densities than single family areas adequate sites to accommodate housing needs ensure that adequate supply of housing is available to meet the needs and preferences and finan capabilities of of the housing market and what's demanded this is the a lower smaller scale uh residential unit there are two units there if you remove one it it's a matter of of complicating and increasing the demand for housing someplace else and it creates a financial hardship on the owner um I believe that we have uh We've documented and we have substantiated all of the the reasons why this should be approved and we're respectfully requesting your approval any questions I saw council member I think herch was first by a split second then counc I think I already well I'm just going to ask the question why are you not coming uh for why isn't this a request for a multif family duplex you can't meet the land use designation um Mr cotton the land use designation is r10 there's two units the property isn't big enough to be considered for two units okay Mr cotton yes ma'am so um AIC development coordination as Mr mckl just indicated the land uses are 10 so you can't have two units on the property I want to reorient staff because you talked a lot about non-conformities I mean reorient Council back to the fact that this is a an appeal or a petition for review on an accessory dwelling unit um that's the solution that the applicant has to keep the two units on there there were three reasons for the Nile the first one I I left out which Mr mck indicated which is the square footage of each unit the fact that the property own does not live on the property and the fact that it's in a non-conforming structure those are the three reasons for the denial that's what council would be looking at not necess the age of the structure and when it was when it became a duplex they did apply for a formal decision to prove a nonconformity that request had been denied by staff um because it didn't they meet that burden of proving a non-conforming use on the property or and a non-conforming structure so hence they came in they applied for the su1 in an effort to as when accessory dwelling units became a special use in Tampa height that was the option they were given to try to keep the two units if not they would have to change the land use and such to try to get the two units on the property so that help explain yeah it just seems though that if this has been the same use for so many years we could find a way as a city to codify that well they did that was the formal decision process they went through and they were unable to prove that it was it had to be legally established as a duplex as of prior to 1956 and remain that way as a duplex use till today kind of thing through the formal decision process they were not able to do that the sandor maps were not were not presented that Mr M talked about today we're not we're not submitted as part of that formal decision process okay thank you I think uh Council herk took some of my questions but for so curious how did this how did we get here with the applicant trying to improve the property or how did how did this rise to our attention I'm I'm not really sure I'm not really sure how it got here I think code enforcement was doing a sweep in the area um and they issued a citation and we we've been in this process for about a year and a half trying to resolve this and the staff has been as as helpful as they could be right um and and they they were stuck but with the approval of the adus with the code change that presented an Avenue for resolution of of how do you correct it you may have others in the area that may have the same problem so for Mr cotton is I'm kind of pigging back on what councilman herek said I clearly there's probably many many many examples of this historical use of property that doesn't necessarily conform with the you know it's kind of like the the square peg in the round hole right now um is this the path of lease resistance assistance to fix this problem where we're at right here today um ideally they would go through a formal decision process to try to prove that the use was legally established again you have to prove back to 1956 that that duplex was established legally and has continu continuously remained occupied well it appears to me with the sandborn maps that I mean I know he probably should have gone through that process course but now with the sandborn maps it probably if that was presented in formal process that would probably be compelling evidence for it would be evidence that we would have reviewed yes creeping up as as Mr melini indicated um she keeps doing that to me as Mr melini indicated they applied for the formal decision the SBO Maps they just got today or within the last couple of days um one of the issues that yoso utilized for the formal decision not to get off topic of the petition for review information is also the pulk directories when they submitted the pulk directory the first time a duplex shows up is 76 prior to that it was always listed as one unit so so all that evidence comes through comes into light when we review it and that's how we base our decision on the prop on the property for the formal decision the Adu is a solution that that was offered to them to go through since the code was changed for East Tampa so if we didn't have the adus in there would there be another solution that you would have pursued or there grandfathering these things in they would have as I think Miss um fely just indicated they would have to do a comp plan amendment to an R20 land use then come in and reone the property to a PD on rm16 did you want to add something to that you you wouldn't have been able to to there's no adjacent r20s that that the Planning Commission could support that and one other thing that Eric didn't mention was you have to show a chain of leases that you know back from 56 and they just are not available um kamaria Pettis mle from the legal department I just wanted to redirect City Council on what we're here for this is an application for an accessory dwelling unit and staff provided the specific code sections and the specific criteria that must be met in order for um this to be approved um but if city council believes that the applicant provided competent and substantial evidence to wave the criteria regarding the accessory dwelling unit then that's for city council to decide but there's um the information that Mr M melini has presented is regarding a different process that he went through for um this property but I just want to remind Council we're not here regarding a formal decision or to um make this uh property conforming this is about an accessory dwelling unit okay thank you excuse me for a second I I I was just trying to respond to your questions uh we've been through several different processes and probably a dozen meetings with City staff trying to figure out how to resolve this for for this poor gentleman um and this was the least path of of resistance to get to where we needed to be and we respectfully request your approval council member Miranda no I I mean I'm just listening and and trying to understand how far back this goes and when I see two meters I know that presently no electric company would put meters on any property unless they had the proper notification the proper I think that's the way it is but I don't I don't know how the meters got there unless from my experience Mr Miranda the city would have had to had to sign off on something to get two meters too is very stringent about adding meters so it wasn't just an add-on to to a piece of property it had to they had to have proved at some point that that they were entitled to two meters now we did go back with too to try to to get earlier records to try to find out when those meters were installed and their records didn't go back far enough far enough to satisfy the City Cod uh which was 1956 and that's a very high U burden to me what about the water meters the water meters are there I mean they they're paying for that they paid for their uh everything else associated with it as if it were a duplex the problem is we could we just simply couldn't prove it according to the city criteria no I know anybody in the public wish to speak anybody anybody yes ma'am please come on up and state your name you have three minutes um we I thought this was a very interesting little tidbit right here how did we get here my guess is the whole page of Code Enforcement complaints since the applicant person purch the property but when I looked at this because I was like hm what my real problem with this is the fact that I couldn't figure out what the world they were asking for I'm like are they going to build an accessory dwelling unit there's duplexes there what's going on with this but what I thought was really interesting is that the tax records show that it's a duplex I'm not necessarily even adverse to leave it alone we need 450t unit units my guess is that this guy is not getting market rate for his units but my issue would be why do we have all these code enforcement complaints are they due to that did I dig into it that far no but I just remember when I looked at it I went to the tax appraisers website to look at it which is interesting because it shows as one unit on the tax appraisers website but over here it says it's a duplex so I don't know what's going on here but I mean why are we going to get this is missing midle sorry it's not it's not an accessory dwelling unit it's missing middle it's a duplex which we need housing so you know I I don't know how I feel about it I just wish that this guy was a better landlord if all these are code enforcement complaint because he's not keeping up and if you could state your name for the record Stephanie Pointer thank you and I was SW thank you anybody else wish to speak for public comment is there any additional staff at this uh comment at this time sir Mr cotton or vment coordination just want to again as Miss Pettis mle indicated this is an a petition for review for a special use one for an accessory dwelling unit the other evidence that has been discussed about the history of whether it became a duplex what's on the tax records and such the issue is whether or not an accessory dwelling unit there specific criteria the applicant needs to meet if they can't meet it again staff denies that request and then it comes before Council to make a determination of the staff if stff will be overturned or upheld thank you very much and and I be in support of overturning the denial um I think it's pretty cut and dry in my opinion do you have any rebuttal sir um no sir we'd appreciate your support and uh I think the man has endured a hardship that it needs to be corrected this is the path of correcting that problem thank you very much M have motion to close motion to close from council member clinten Council Vier all in favor I what is the pleasure of council we can uphold or overturn would anybody like to take it I don't have the I'll just read it but I don't have anything to add to it okay I and by the way this is no IND in indictment of Staff because you know I think again you guys had the tools that you had to use you know for what you was presented for you at that so understand that you know overturning this is not a reflection on on stash want to make sure people know that um I moved to overturn the zoning administrator denial of su1 12303 for the property located at 1014 East 31st Avenue because the positioner provided compal evidence to way of the specific requirements for an accessory dwelling unit regarding uh owner occupancy size requirements and location within a conforming structure we have a motion from council member clendennon and a second from council member Miranda roll call vote Henderson yes Vieira yes Miranda yes Carlson yes ktek yes Den yes meno yes motion carried unanimously thank you very much thank you very much thank you before we go to lunch just tell them thank you gentlemen thank you very much I'm very grateful to you guys for taking the time please state your name my name is jave goar I'm the owner on the property thank you very much yes sir thank you very silence your phone thank you God bless you um per request of Miss Nicole Travis for the administration update it should take about 5 to 7 minutes we're going to take that up now now and then we're going to go to lunch I thought it was going to be a lengthier presentation but it's not so yes ma'am please state your name Nicole Travis administrator of development and economic opportunities great to see you guys um we're excited to roll out our or share our economic dashboard um with Council and with the public today um this economic dashboard is a snapshot of Tampa's evolving and growing economy it's a real uh real time tool that you can just use at a click of a but um to learn more information about um our economy and how consumers are spending um this allows people to understand how they will invest in our community so it's a real brief presentation but we're really excited to share this with you I'm going to um let our director of Economic Opportunity Javier Marin and Brenda McKenzie who's the director of Workforce Partnerships and special projects uh share this with you it'll take no more than S minutes thank you very much for your thank you very much ma'am go ahead sir please say your name Madam administrator good morning uh and thank you chair good morning your name sir Council for the record Javier Marin director of Economic Opportunity and let's see all right we have a PowerPoint presentation which we're bringing up now we actually have oh you have your I'm just going to share some information okay have used nine different uh resources and and databases for this purpose some of them are publicly accessible some of them uh are private and uh for a fee but uh we felt it was important not only for our job but also for in general information for the public you will see that there are seven different tabs uh that make up the the dashboard and uh if you wanted to actually take a look at uh information on the 47 uh data points that we use you will see that it you know there is a label for it there is a an actual description typically what it would be used for uh the geography because in some cases you're going to be able to see information that covers the whole MLS the four counties that that Encompass the whole MLS uh in some cases you may be able to see the city of Tampa within its limits in some other cases City of Tampa zip code so again we know it's not necessarily within City Limits and uh We've we've also been able to break it down a little bit in some of the most important areas within the city and then of course there is a source and there is a link to that source so uh anyone that desires to view this information can actually identify where it comes from and and how the information is typically used on uh the key indicators you'll find information such as Unemployment uh a at 3.1% uh the central business district office occupancy uh new businesses rent burden business I'll I'll talk a little bit more about those in a few minutes and then Venture Capital Investments again this this tab is really just the key indicators and and then everything else is breaking down I would like to invite at this time director McKenzie to give us an overview of the job stab and uh how that's typically used in her in her world good morning good afternoon Council Brenda McKenzie director of Workforce Partnerships and special projects it is a pleasure to share this with you today is born out of collaboration uh the workforce Council has been working for a couple of years we've been advised from everyone from the University of South Florida a number of Workforce groups collaborators uh the State of Florida to really come up with indicators for Workforce that will help not only advise us so that we can advise you better in terms of Workforce policies and and opportunities that are coming online but also wanted to provide information to individuals who might be curious about what's going on in the economy what are the job skills that people are really interested in who's really hiring now where do I find my opportunity so we really wanted to have that information as well we also wanted to use um identifiable sources that are collaborators whether it be Career Source or others are using so that when we compare how we're doing here in Tampa it's consistent with the county it's consistent with the state it's consistent with Charlotte North Carolina so that we're really comparing Apples to Apples so we're encouraging everyone to really delve into the da data we're hoping that it Sparks a conversation and that it really drives our policy forward thank you very much ma'am thank you and so since we know that we're standing before uh between you and lunch at this point in time I'll just go quickly through the rest of the tabs uh when you look at real estate and and and you remember that we have a contract with this uh uh Tampa Bay Economic Development Council to attract businesses and help existing businesses grow and so those businesses that are coming into the city of Tampa typically are going to be looking for some support in terms of location so we have looked at uh office real estate and broke it down into four different areas uh we have the I4 Corridor we have the Northwest Tampa area the Tampa Central business district which as you can see occupany is at close to 90% and uh we also have West Shore and so I think this is going to help us move in that direction where we're going to be able to partner partner with the EDC and identify additional areas with where some of the companies that they work with could be located uh I would say that applies as well to industrial areas and in this case we actually broke it down in in only two areas the uh east side and the uh and the Westshore area moving along uh we do have a tab for small businesses and so the importance and and you recall that we have contracts with prospera and the Hillsboro County Economic develop uh the Hillsboro County uh uh collaborative Center uh where we are uh using our small business navigator to identify businesses whether they are micro businesses small businesses or larger businesses that need assistance and then they are being connected with these resources be it for workshops or uh for technical assistance and so when we look at small businesses there are a lot of areas in which we have opportunities to support them we do acknowledge that there are certain gaps in the services that we provide to them through these agencies that we that we contract with uh and we plan to plug some of those gaps uh by the next fiscal year uh I would like to highlight the you know the the cash flow capacity uh that we saw in the fourth quarter of 2023 when 21 almost 22% of small businesses that were pulled actually responded they they don't have enough money to survive more than two weeks so this is a cash flow issue and and it's certainly an opportunity for technical assistance and and support from uh from uh these agencies uh you also recall that we do have an agreement with Tampa Bay wave uh to be an accelerator for uh Tech businesses we don't have a lot of information on the startups yet but the information that we have is actually very good we're looking at uh uh the number of startups and the actual number of investors that are able to divest from their business and sell it and so you know someone just graduated graduating from college maybe able to Ser to sell their uh IT company and make a couple of million or billion some cases so it's certainly happening in Tampa and we want to make sure that we continue contributing to that success consumer spending is going to help us identify what industries are doing better or worse in some cases and so again we can we can uh once we identify these these industries within certain areas then we can go in there we can bring them into the fold uh with additional technical assistance you are going to hear more from me in in future meetings where we're going to be talking about uh scaling up of businesses and and supporting second stage businesses so they can grow Beyond uh what they may have been uh experiencing up to now and then uh the community profile step really is the most important because it's going to reflect everything we do this uh Community profile tab is critical it shows uh uh population in poverty and although we we do see uh a uh a decrease in in poverty and looking at 15 and a half% as of 2022 um if there is a message I can leave you with today and I'm not an economist I want to make that clear but uh in it's my opinion that a a city uh is only as strong as it's most vulnerable so as long as we have poverty in the city then we have a lot of work to do we have a lot of work to do to help people uh be uh upscale so they can take better jobs higher paid jobs we need to support existing businesses so they can expand we need to support the activities of our partner organization so we can bring more businesses into the City of Tampa and so again there are additional indicators there that as director McKenzie said we invite you to take a look please give us a call if you find uh any uh any areas where you would like to see improvements and uh you know again my my message is uh we are working with a lot of different organizations we haven't typically heard from them you're going to hear from the EDC in April when we come back uh on April the 26 to discuss what they're doing in terms of attracting businesses and and supporting the growth of or the increase of the average wage in May we're going to be coming to you again to discuss low income and and uh or uh the freshwood initiatives where we're going to be able to bring some retail uh to the low-income areas and then I I would also like uh to at some point in time start bringing some of these other agencies that provide these critical services to the businesses and with that I appreciate you the opportunity and uh I hope you have a great lunch do you have any questions for me NOP we're in recess till 1:30 thank you thank you very much [Music] [Music] [Music]