Commissioner Murman mentioned in this StPetersBlog article on affordable housing trust fund:

Hillsborough County calls for advisory board to study creating housing trust fund

MITCH PERRY

Concerned that the price of living in Hillsborough County is becoming increasingly unaffordable, the Board of County Commissioners approved a motion on Wednesday calling for its affordable housing advisory board to explore potential sources to create a Housing Trust Fund.

The vote was 5-1, with Commissioner Al Higginbotham dissenting.

“A trust fund is easy to create, but it’s impossible to fund,” Higginbotham said, referring to a similar proposal the board rejected less than a year ago. “That was the bottom line then, and the bottom line now.”

The motion was presented by Commissioner Victor Crist, who kicked off the discussion by citing a Housing and Urban Development report that said the average cost of rent in Hillsborough County was $992 a month. Citing the rule of thumb maxim that one shouldn’t spend more than a third of their income on housing, Crist said that amount to having to make more than $46,000 annually.

The Tampa Bay metro area comes in last among its 25 peers with the only median household income below $50,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Higginbotham asked where would the money come from? “We could take it from a transportation project. We could take it from Head Start. I don’t know where we take this money from?”

Commissioner Les Miller agreed. “Where do we get these dollar funds?” he asked, dismissing any chance of raising taxes to do so.

Commissioner Sandy Murman emphasized that affordable housing is different than housing for the homeless where there is currently a $30 million to $40 million deficit for the homeless.

The county has asked for more funding from the state for affordable housing, but that could be problematic. Governor Rick Scott’s proposed budget would shift nearly 77 percent of the $293.4 million earmarked for low-income housing next year to other state priorities.

Last year, the Tampa Housing Authority said that there were 14,000 low income people on a waiting list with them.

For the past few years,  the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality (HOPE) has come before the board requesting that the county make a larger commitment to affordable housing. Members of that group came before the BOCC last May, where they made the argument that there are more than 700 city and county governments with a similar housing trust fund.  They offered proposals to create such a revenue source, including public service taxes, an increase in ad valorem taxes, or funds taken from code enforcement violations.

Crist advocated for his proposal by telling commissioners that there was a “ticking time bomb” going on with the price of housing in the county.

“How are we going to ever support and sustain what investors like (Jeff) Vinik want to do, if half the employees aren’t going to be able to live close to where they want to work?” he asked.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on parental leave:

Hillsborough advances proposal to offer government employees more paid parental leave

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 11:08am

TAMPA — Hillsborough County took steps Wednesday to extend paid parental leave for government workers.

Commissioners voted unanimously to have staff review how much paid time off other local governments and businesses offer for employees after they have or adopt a child. Under the county’s existing policy, new parents receive one week of paid leave but after must use vacation time or can take up to 12 weeks off without pay.

Commissioner Sandy Murman, who is championing this change, said the status quo demands new mothers and fathers choose between caring for an infant and financial stability.

“We should not have to force people into that decision,” Murman said.

Some commissioners, however, expressed some reservations, and wanted to first see the financial impact and what benefits other comparable workplaces offer employees before offering their endorsement.

“I just want to make sure we’re not way out line with what the private sector is doing,” Commissioner Stacy White said.

Commissioner Victor Crist said the county should also consider workplace productivity when a county employee must return to the office so soon after a new child enters their family. He drew on his own experience of having a child born two months prematurely, and how much it meant that his wife could spend time in the intensive care unit with their daughter without worrying about getting back to work.

“If a family with a new child returns back to work before that child is prepared for the family member to leave, there is a huge psychological impact and that affects productivity,” Crist said.

If approved, the county would follow in the footsteps of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who recently announced city employees would receive eight weeks of paid parental leave. The city estimated the cost at $290,000 a year.

Murman said the county should follow suit to remain competitive when attracting and retaining employees.

“They are the backbone of the county and we value them,” Murman said. “They support us every day and I think we need to support them.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on paid parental leave:

LOCAL NEWS

Hillsborough Republican wants paid parental leave for county employees

By Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Published: February 14, 2017

TAMPA — A Hillsborough County commissioner wants to follow the lead of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and offer paid parental leave for county employees, too.

Commissioner Sandy Murman said providing the benefit to the county’s government workers would help attract and retain talent while investing in local families.

“If we’re going to be the best place to live, work and play then we have to put our policies behind that statement,” Murman said. “If we’re doing all this economic development and marketing and attracting tourists coming here, we want to show our best side and show them our government is modern.”

Commissioners will discuss the issue at Murman’s request during Wednesday’s board meeting. Murman wants the county to match the city’s new policy, though that will be up to the board to decide.

A financial impact to the county has not yet been determined.

Buckhorn recently announced that the city would begin offering its 4,300 employees eight weeks of paid parental leave for primary caregivers following the birth or adoption of a child, and two weeks for secondary caregivers. His administration estimated it would cost $290,000 a year.

“Families should never be faced with the arduous decision of whether to take those critical first weeks home with their families or put food on their table,” Buckhorn wrote in an op-ed published Sunday in the Tampa Bay Times.

For Buckhorn, a Democrat, the move to offer new parents paid leave echoes a national push by his party to bring the United States more in line with the rest of the world. Nearly every other developed country offers some form of paid parental leave. The United States, meanwhile, requires employers to offer 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

During the campaign, President Donald Trump paid some lip service to the issue, but Republicans have thwarted attempts at national paid leave legislation, saying it would be a costly requirement for businesses.

If Hillsborough takes that step, though, it would come at the urging of a Republican and with the backing of a GOP-led commission. Murman is a Republican, as are four of her six colleagues.

“This is definitely not a political issue, this is a quality of life issue,” Murman said. “Families are not a special interest and we are investing in families here.”

Under the existing policy, Hillsborough’s 4,600 employees receive a week of paid leave, but if new mothers or fathers want more time off they need to use vacation days or stay at home without getting paid.

Murman wants her proposal extended to new fathers, too.

If commissioners decide Wednesday to draft this new policy they could finalize it as early as March.

Contact Steve Contorno at scontorno@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3433. Follow @scontorno.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this StPetersBlog article on HART:

HART board approves agreement with PSTA – but not without considerable debate

MITCH PERRY

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority board approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate and collobarate with the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), but only after adding additional language clarifying that it is not a move towards a potential merger or a regional sales tax increase.

That language was needed ostensibly to assuage the MOU’s critics, including HART board member Karen Jaroch.

“The MOU is very vague and I keep questioning what is the need for this? And I haven’t really gotten a satisfactory answer,” Jaroch said.

Of underlying concern to Jaroch and some others is Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long’s aspirations for the two Bay area transit agencies to form a regional council of governments. Such a group, Long told HART members last fall, could provide “better, more nimble” solutions to problems that they currently face. Long’s idea would fold PSTA, HART, and other transportation providers such as the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, ferryboat operations and others under the regional council of government. Certain functions, or entire organizations, could be consolidated within the council of governments concept.

But critics fear that it’s an underhanded move to get another transit tax proposal to go before the voters, which they vehemently oppose.

“They intend to use this MOU to go to Tallahassee to request funding for how to pay for Long’s proposal, and how to get the regional sales tax funded,” said Tea Party activist Sharon Calvert during the public comment portion of the meeting. Calvert and Jaroch have frequently cited a comment by PSTA head Brad Miller last month that he would be going to Tallahassee on Tuesday, February 7, to talk to lawmakers, a day after HART was poised to approve the MOU.

But HART board members Sandy Murman and Mike Suarez said they knew nothing about any trip to Tallahassee, saying that was perhaps being discussed across the bay, but not in Hillsborough County.

“This is an MOU. It is not a merger,” said Murman. “It is a very specific document. It is not broad. It is not general. It is very, very specific. I think to not do this today makes us more or less a ‘do-nothing’ board.”

The discussion comes as state legislators are talking more than ever about the different counties in the Tampa Bay area working together to effectuate change when it comes to moving transportation projects forward. According to a new white paper prepared by the D.C. based Enos Center for Transportation for the Tampa Bay Partnership, a regional structure for transportation planning, operations and decision-making is paramount to developing a regional transportation system, and was discussed before the Bay Area Legislative Delegation meeting on transportation held last week in Clearwater.

At that meeting, Barry Shevlin, the co-chair from the transportation working group with the Tampa Bay Partnership,  said HART and PSTA should have a “closer relationship,” but left it open as to how that would happen.

Board member Kathleen Shanahan said with HART constrained financially these days, a closer alliance with PSTA was an opportunity “to leverage an organization in transition,” she said referring to HART.

Suarez said that until the Legislature approves funding for a regional authority, nobody should worry that the agencies were about to merge.

After their last subcommittee meeting, HART attorney David Smith changed language in the MOU so that it now states that it must be approved annually by the HART board. The board went ahead on Monday and put in additional specific language spelling out that it has nothing to do with a potential merger and tax increase, though Shananan expressed frustration for the need to do so. “This is a redundancy over a redundancy.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on MacDill ferry:

Hillsborough may forgo fed money to expedite ferry to MacDill Air Force Base

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Thursday, February 2, 2017 5:30am

TAMPA — Hillsborough County may say “thanks, but no thanks” to millions of federal dollars already earmarked for a ferry to connect MacDill Air Force Base and south county.

Instead, county commissioners want to see if Hillsborough can pay for the project itself, and maybe get it into the water much sooner.

Significant hurdles remain to fulfill the obligations required to unlock the $4.8 million federal grant to operate a south county ferry. On Wednesday, commissioners asked staffers to study what steps could be skipped if they turn down the federal government’s money and how that could affect the time line for launching boats.

There could be some cost savings, too, in avoiding certain studies and permits necessary to fulfill the grant requirements. But it won’t be anywhere near $4.8 million, meaning the county would have to find money to replace the federal government’s contribution.

The county was already on the hook for about $24 million to build the docks and parking lots and buy the ferries. Commissioner Ken Hagan suggested the $22.8 million still in reserve from the BP oil spill settlement could help pay for the project.

The $4.8 million grant was announced with much fanfare in 2014 by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor and celebrated as a victory by ferry advocates, including Ed Turanchik, the former commissioner who now represents the companies behind the ferry project, HMS Ferries Inc. and South Swell Development Group LLC.

But now Turanchik says it may make sense to forgo the federal money.

“It’s probably the difference between three years and as many as seven years,” Turanchik said.

Commissioners also voted Wednesday to prioritize a $750,000 design and engineering study to be paid from the $600 million it has set aside over the next decade for transportation projects.

A ferry would “provide low-cost, fast and congestion-proof commuter service for 8,000 MacDill Air Force Base employees who live in south county,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said. Residents already have seen the potential in water travel through the Cross-Bay Ferry, the ongoing pilot program connecting the downtowns of Tampa and St. Petersburg via boat, she said.

The design study for the ferry will tackle two key questions.

The first is how to get residents to the ferry launch spot, a location yet to be determined. The second is how to properly screen passengers headed to MacDill, where security is tight.

MacDill has suggested setting up security checks on a barge just offshore, said Mike Williams, Hillsborough’s director of transportation planning and development, who added that the base is committed to the ferry.

MacDill did not respond to a request for comment.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Observer article on chamber awards dinner:

Riverview Chamber awards

Greater Riverview Chamber hosts

Mardi Gras-style awards dinner

By LOIS KINDLE

lois@observernews.net

The Regent took on the look of a New Orleans Carnival event Jan. 20 as the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Dinner and Awards Celebration. The evening’s theme was Mardi Gras, and the 344 members and guests who attended were ready to party.

“The room looked spectacular,” said Tanya Doran, the chamber’s executive director. “The atmosphere was fun, festive and filled with color, and everyone was in a celebratory mood.

As in previous years, the gala included the presentation of the chamber’s coveted awards, which included Ambassador of the Year, Citizen of the Year, Margy Watkins Volunteer of the Year, Shining Star and three Business of the Year recipients based on the number of employees. The 2017 honorary mayor, Tammy Holmberg, who raised more than $18,000 during her campaign on behalf of YMCA Camp Cristina, received the Key to the City.

Visiting dignitaries included Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman, Dist. 1; Hillsborough County Public Schools Board member Melissa Snively, Dist. 4; Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez; and the Honorable Carl Hinson, of the 13th Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County.

“We were thrilled with the turnout,” Doran said. “This event sets the tone for the entire year. It allows us to honor just a few of the many people who help make this chamber successful.

“And as we look back and recognize those who helped this chamber be its best in 2016, we also look forward to a new year of new ideas and new initiatives with a new president and board.”

The chamber’s 2016 award winners received their trophies from the previous year’s winners in their respective categories.

• Bryan Reith, of AFLAC, was named Ambassador of the Year
• Jennifer Caskey, CenterState Bank, Citizen of the Year
• James Pulkowski CPA, Margy Watkins Volunteer of the Year
• Craig Beckinger, ABC Event Planning, Shining Star
• Huth & Booth Photography, Small Business of the Year
• Alley Cat Pest Control, Medium Business of the Year
• Little Harbor Resort, Large Business of the Year

Caskey echoed the sentiments of each winner.

“I was surprised and very honored and humbled to have been chosen for the (Citizen of the Year) award,” she said. “It’s already sitting on my shelf in my office.”

Thatcher recognized and thanked outgoing board members Robert Hintze, Theresa Turner, Joe Nichols and James Pulkowski for their dedication and service.

After an exchange of the leadership gavel, newly elected President Elijah Heath made his first remarks and installed the 2017 Board of Directors.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with such a great board,” he said afterward, noting what a “huge success” the Mardi Gras-themed event was. “And I look forward to serving the Greater Riverview Chamber and the community throughout the year.”

Erica Perrine went home even happier than when she came. As winner of the 50/50 raffle, she pocketed $1,200.

Jill Andrew, of Superior Residences of Brandon, won top honors for the event’s funniest costume, the chamber staff for best group costume and Pearl Chiarenza, of Bodyworks Health & Wellness Center, for most original costume. Each received a certificate and bragging rights for their efforts.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this TBBJ article on ferry:

MacDill Air Force Base ferry closer to reality

Feb 1, 2017, 5:17pm EST

Janelle Irwin

ReporterTampa Bay Business Journal

Ferry service connecting South Hillsborough County to MacDill Air Force Base may soon be coming, after Hillsborough County Commissioners said they plan to spend $750,000 on a professional design and engineering study to begin the process of creating a route.

Commissioner Sandra Murman took the matter even further, proposing the county should create a ferry route, along with ancillary transportation service to connect riders from their home or office to the dock.

Both motions were approved unanimously.

“We would have a very strong commuter service that would reduce the travel on our roadways by 100,000 miles each day,” Murman said.

She said the route is ideal for transit because there are 8,000 employees at MacDill and South County residency is on the rise.

During a test trip in November, the existing Cross Bay Ferry that currently runs between downtown Tampa and downtown St. Petersburg clocked the MacDill route to the Apollo Beach area at about 12 minutes. The same route by car takes 45 minutes, longer with traffic issues.

The Cross Bay Ferry is a six-month pilot project gauging user support. HMS Ferries, the company facilitating the project, has recorded what it describes as strong ridership. But even ferry supporters acknowledge the number of paying passengers would not support a privately run service without a public subsidy.

In a third motion, Commissioner Victor Crist asked that Visit Tampa Bay, the county’s tourism marketing arm, evaluate ferry advertising strategies.

The Cross Bay Ferry is a large boat with a capacity of 149 passengers. A boat used for transit to and from MacDill would likely be smaller and have a quick boarding feature. Boarding on the Cross Bay Ferry takes about 15 minutes. A fast-board boat could cut that time significantly, making it more ideal for commuter service.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Bay Times article on Boys and Girls club in Town ‘n Country:

Family’s gift to make a difference for children

Published: January 26, 2017

TOWN N’ COUNTRY — Wednesday was Laurice Hachem’s birthday. She celebrated by giving back — in a manner that should reverberate for several generations.

The Sam and Laurice Hachem Family Foundation donated $2.5-million to the Town N’ Country Boys and Girls Club, which will use the funds to open a sparkling new facility in December.

“To think of how this will help children, this is the best gift I could ever receive,” said Hachem, who participated in the groundbreaking with Boys and Girls Club officials, Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman, School Board member Susan Valdes, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Col. Chad Chronister and other dignitaries.

Hachem became emotional when speaking about the shared vision with her husband, who died on March 31 of last year.

Capitalizing on a successful career in real-estate investments, they wanted their foundation to help children.

“I think we found the perfect need,” she said.

It matches the largest donation ever received by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay. Jeff and Penny Vinik offered the same gift, which will be used to expand a club in Winston Park.

The current Town ‘N Country facility, located behind Webb Middle School, has been overtaxed to met the needs of area students. The Hachem family’s donation will allow the current site to expand.

It will include substantial interior renovations, which includes an art center, along with a technology lab, game room, teen center, theatre, kitchen and dining hall.

It will be known as the Sam and Laurice Hachem Foundation Boys and Girls Club at Town N’ Country Park.

“We won’t just change lives here, we will save lives here,” Chronister said. “The Town N’ Country area will be a better place to live and a safer place to live because of this generosity.”

Chronister praised the partnership between the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay and the Sheriff’s Office. With strategic on-site presence by officers, the clubs reported that 99 percent of the students involved in crime-prevention programs had no involvement in the juvenile justice system.

“In the Sheriff’s Office, our philosophy is if we have to arrest a juvenile, we as a society have failed them,” Chronister said. “We want to make a difference in the lives of these children. We want to show them that somebody cares and there’s a different way of life out there, regardless of where you come from.

“We’re talking about neighborhoods where kids used to run from law enforcement. Now they’re running to law enforcement because they are (viewed as) mentors and friends. ”

Hachem said she and her husband moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1988. They have owned a flea market, office buildings and shopping centers.

“We’re not the Vinik’s and we’re not the Steinbrenner’s,” Hachem said. “Compared to us, they are larger than life. We’re mom-and-pop. But we can all do something. We talked a long time about finding a way to help children.

“Our hope is now that other people will step up. Let’s turn this into something that continues and grows. The need is there. The payoff is tremendous. We’re really investing in making this a better community.”

Chris Roederer, board chairman for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, said he constantly hears about stories of how the clubs have positively affected lives.

“People say if it hadn’t been for the club, they’re not sure if their lives would’ve turned out the way they did,” Roederer said. “I think other communities could learn from Tampa Bay. It makes me so proud to be part of this community.”

Hachem and her family plans lots of personal involvement at the new Town N’ Country facility.

“I want to gather up these children as my own,” Hachem said. “By remodeling and expanding this facility, we’ll be able to help upwards of 300 children. They have younger brothers and sisters, parents, friends. The impact will be enormous.”

After the groundbreaking, Hachem was presented with a birthday cake, which included a miniature plastic shovel and a sprinkling of chocolate cake on top of the icing to simulate “dirt.”

As the crowd serenaded Hachem with a verse of “Happy Birthday,” she beamed and applauded.

“This is a birthday I will never forget,” she said.

Contact Joey Johnston at hillsnews@tampabay.com.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this FOX13 News article on mental health court:

Mental health court to tackle roots of criminality

By: Gloria Gomez, FOX 13 News

POSTED:JAN 26 2017 06:08PM EST

UPDATED:JAN 26 2017 06:17PM EST

TAMPA (FOX 13) – The discussion around mental health as it relates to criminal cases has intensified and, as a result, Hillsborough County has opened a new court to address those cases.

FSU student Nicole Nachtman’s mental health has come into question after her arrest in the death of her parents. James Jugo has been under similar scrutiny after, police say, he killed his roommate while fighting over a chicken leg. And Joseph Corrao’s mental health has been questioned after he allegedly picked up slung Pinky the Flamingo during a visit to Busch Gardens. Pinky was later euthanized due to injuries from the incident.

The mental health of these criminal defendants will a play a role in their cases and could end up in courtroom 11 – the new home of Mental Health Court.

Mental health court to tackle roots of criminality

Hillsborough Public Defender Julie Holt says this specialty court is not like your typical courtroom. Here, you have prosecutors, defense attorneys and mental health experts all working together to problem solve.

“It’s really a collaboration about this individual that’s in front of you,” Holt explained of defendants who may land in the courtroom.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman is a big supporter of mental health resources.

“We don’t want another Sandy Hook or some unfortunate accident to happen in this community because we let people go undiagnosed,” said Murman.

State Attorney Andrew Warren believes our courtrooms are seeing more and more repeat offenders and untreated mental illnesses.

“We need to make sure that we are triaging so we are identifying the people who have mental illness, so we can get them the treatment that they need. Because the traditional conviction and incarceration fails,” explained Warren.

But Hillsborough Chief Judge Ron Ficarrotta says this will work.

“Our circuit was one of the leaders in drug court, way back when, and our veterans court has taken off and is one of the national models now, and I anticipate a bright future for our mental health court,” said Ficarrotta.

Thursday, many in the courthouse were getting up-to-speed on how it will all work. The goal is simple.

“Our focus is success. Our focus is to make these individuals independent is some way, and able to lead their life without the structure of the criminal justice system,” explained Holt.

Mental Health court is taking baby steps. It will begin with non-violent crimes, like drugs and petty theft, and eventually will take on more serious crimes. To start, court will be in session the third Wednesday of every month.