Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on transportation:

TRANSPORTATION

HART: $30 million in sales tax money would help with traffic big-time

By Yvette C. Hammett | Tribune Staff 
Published: July 20, 2015   |   Updated: July 21, 2015 at 08:05 AM

When the county’s transit authority rolls out its 10-year development plan in coming weeks, the agency will make a clear distinction between what would be available with the existing budget and what could be offered with an extra $30 million a year.

For months, officials from the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority board have attended a series of public meetings on how to solve the problem of gridlock on the county’s roadways, including how transit fits into the equation. The county’s transportation committee – made up of Hillsborough County commissioners and local mayors – has voted to place a referendum on the November 2017 ballot for a half cent sales tax increase to fund transportation improvements.

If the referendum passes, a quarter of that money, or about $30 million annually, would go to HART.

That makes this update of the transit development plan unique, said HART CEO Katharine Eagan, and is why the agency is conducting a series of meetings designed to ensure the plan addresses the transportation issues most important to the public. The HART board got its first look Monday at an update for the transit plan before it goes to the public for review.

The meetings, which begin Thursday, also will serve as a way to make voters aware of what they’ll get with a typical 5 percent budget increase every year versus what the system could be with that new infusion of tax money.

“Some of the things we heard is a perception that the current system is limited, inadequate and under-funded, and a theme to redesign transit to include true commuter express service and park and ride service that could be more relevant to someone’s commute,” said Marco Sandusky, senior manager of equal employment opportunities and community programs for HART.

“We heard a lot about solution-oriented transit,” he said. “People would come up to us and say they really want to ride transit, but they don’t want to ride the bus. People asked us to look for solutions.”

One solution could be smaller vehicles like vans, and partnerships with private companies to supplement door-to-door service, he said.

Over a 10-year period, with “status quo funding,” HART plans to improve some of its 23 park and ride lots, improve bus frequency and weekend service and add new van-based routes, including one in New Tampa in 2016. It would also add new circulator bus routes in the South Shore area and new HARTFlex zones, which offer door-to-door van service.

In its “vision plan,” which includes $30 million annually from a half-cent sales tax increase, bus frequency would improve on seven local routes, five new HARTFlex zones would come on line and service to MacDill Air Force Base would improve, Sandusky said.

Hillsborough County would get three new MetroRapid routes – routes on which buses make few stops – and six new local routes, including one from FishHawk Ranch in eastern Hillsborough County, one from Lithia Pinecrest Road and Bloomingdale Avenue in Brandon to downtown Tampa and one from Brandon to the University of South Florida, among others; and HART would consolidate its smaller park and ride lots to create seven regional lots.

Under the plan with the extra money from the sales tax, HART would add nine HARTFlex zones; nine commuter express routes, satellite maintenance yards and purchase more buses and vans, Sandusky said.

“This plan is not done,” he said. “It’s very important we have integrated input from those 36 meetings. We want to hear what people think.”

Eagan noted that the overall county transportation plan could also include a modernized streetcar in downtown Tampa and Bus Rapid Transit routes in the county, where buses travel in exclusive lanes to avoid traffic.

Eagan said it is critical that whatever HART plans, it meshes with the overall county transportation plan.

“This is one of the most important documents I’ve held sitting on the HART Board,’’ said HART Commissioner John Melendez . “It is a leadership document that allows us to go out and say HART is articulating what it can do with the status quo and what it can do if there is a referendum passed. People need to make an informed vote.”

The most important part of the conversation is for voters to know that without new funding, the transportation issue remains in gridlock, said County Commission Chair Sandy Murman, who sits on the HART Board. “Because that’s what happens if we don’t go forward.”

To see a complete list of public meetings scheduled through Labor Day, go to www.gohart.org.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on transportation:

Transportation leaders advance half-cent sales tax plan

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff 
Published: July 16, 2015   |   Updated: July 16, 2015 at 07:49 PM

TAMPA — A proposed half-cent sales tax increase for transportation projects inched closer to the ballot Thursday, though its endorsement by a group of Hillsborough County political leaders was less than ringing.

The county’s Transportation Policy Leadership group voted 10-1 to approve a comprehensive transportation plan that would be financed by the sales tax increase. All seven county commissioners serve on the policy leadership group, along with the county’s three city mayors and the board chairman of the HART transit system.

The tax would produce an estimated $117.5 million annually, or $3.5 billion over 30 years. The majority of the money would go to road maintenance and new roads, with another big chunk to expand HART bus service.

The vote Thursday was a recommendation to the county commission to approve the current transportation plan and start the process of creating an ordinance needed to put the sales tax increase on the November 2016 ballot.

The next step will come Aug. 4 when county commissioners formally ask the county attorney to draw up a draft ordinance. On Nov. 5, the commission will give the ordinance preliminary approval and set a public hearing on the measure. The final vote is set for December.

During the time between the August and December meetings, the county will hold 56 public workshops, two at each of the county’s 26 libraries. The purpose of the workshops will be to get feedback on different road and transit projects that came to the forefront during 36 previous public meetings in the spring.

County Administrator Mike Merrill said this third phase of public outreach will cost $350,000 which will be paid to the county’s consultant, Parsons-Brinckerhoff. The county has already paid the company about $1 million. Merrill has the authority to authorize the $350,000 payment unless commissioners object. No one spoke Thursday against paying the consultant.

Only one member of the group, county Commissioner Stacy White, voted against the recommendation to approve the transportation plan. But several commissioners left themselves wiggle room to vote no when the referendum comes up for a final vote in December.

“I said I would support whatever comes out of this committee,” Commissioner Al Higginbotham said. “But if it gets derailed by Nov. 5, I will not be in favor of the referendum.”

Asked after the meeting to elaborate, Higginbotham said if the main thrust of the plan presented Thursday remains unchanged, he will support putting the tax on the ballot. But he reserved the right to change his mind if, for instance, commissioners decided to raise the half-cent sales tax increase to a full cent.

Commission Chairwoman Sandy Murman, while repeating her past statements that “transportation is the No. 1 priority” for the county, said she wanted more details about what projects would be financed by the increased tax revenue.

“If my district does not get a benefit from this plan, I will not support it,” Murman said. “East- and south-county have not gotten their fair share of transportation dollars.”

And despite two years of meetings and dozens of presentations by Merrill and Parsons Brinckerhoff regarding the financial impetus for a tax increase, Murman said she needed more convincing.

“I do need to understand more why we have to raise taxes,” she said.

Commissioner Victor Crist, who was not at the meeting, had a legislative aide read a prepared statement. Crist said he voted yes to move the issue forward for more discussion and consideration.

“But please note that does not reflect how I may vote on the final (county commission) decision in the future,” Crist said in the statement.

Commissioner Ken Hagan had no such compunctions about the rationale for the tax increase. The county has a $9 billion transportation deficit, Hagan said, and no re-jiggering of the county’s present budget would make a dent in that figure.

Two-thirds of the county government budget goes to public safety and constitutional officers such as the supervisor of elections and the clerk of circuit court. Next year’s budget has about $99 million in one-time money, meaning it won’t necessarily reoccur the following year. Half of that will be needed this year to support existing services, Hagan said, leaving about $50 million that could be re-appropriated.

But putting all that money into transportation would take it away from parks, animal welfare or programs for children and the aged, he said, and it wouldn’t make a dent in the county’s transportation deficit.

To further hammer home his case, Hagan cited two unfunded road projects — widening Lithia-Pinecrest and Bell Shoals roads. The Lithia-Pinecrest project will cost $100 million; Bell Shoals Road, $75 million. So if every bit of the $50 million in available county money was put toward transportation, it wouldn’t make a dent in the deficit, Hagan said.

“So please,” Hagan said, “enough with the nonsense that we can simply re-prioritize our existing budget to meet our transportation needs. That’s simply inaccurate.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on Riverwalk monuments:

Major events in Tampa’s history to be subjects for Riverwalk monuments

• By Anne Steele, Times Staff Writer

Friday, July 17, 2015 12:55pm

TAMPA — The group that helped create the Riverwalk wants to pay tribute to three of the most significant events in Tampa’s history.

Friends of the Riverwalk unveiled concepts Friday for monuments honoring the introduction of the cigar industry to Tampa, the connection of Henry Plant’s railroad to Tampa’s port and World War II.

“We call these transformational events in Tampa’s history,” said Steven Anderson, Friends of the Riverwalk president. “Things that really made a huge difference then and still make a difference in the fabric and the economy of Tampa.”

The trio of tributes would become the latest to be added to the Historical Monument Trail, which began as an idea 10 years ago and now includes 18 monuments. The selection of the three events was made by the same eight historians who chose the existing monuments. Three artists — Steven Dickey, Michael Parker and Jamie Lee Sealander — then labored for over a year on the design concepts revealed Friday.

“Our objective has been to create iconic, beautiful, extraordinary works of historic art,” Anderson said. “Works that educate, inspire and instill pride in and among the people who see them.”

Anderson said completing the designs will take “awhile,” and he said when all of the money is in hand only then will construction begin. Each monument will be constructed as the money is raised for it individually.

Anderson estimates each will cost between $500,000 and $1 million.

“We’re not going to compromise on the art, we’re not going to compromise on the materials, and we are not going to compromise on the size,” he said.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman said these “iconic symbols” will drive heritage tourism and make the county more memorable.

“Friends, open your wallets,” she said. “We’re linking our past with our future.”

The cigar industry is “the event that transformed Tampa from a small fishing village to a multicultural city,” said Rodney Kite-Powell, curator at the Tampa Bay History museum and a member of the selection committee. The design concept is a life-size diorama depicting scenes from cigar factory life, with a series of transparent cigar labels along the vertical edges of the base, which would be backlit.

The connection of the rail to the port would be depicted by three large iconic objects: an anchor, a rail spike and hammer. These would be mounted on a three-tiered circular pedestal.

The top tier would feature a map of the rail routes to and from Tampa with water flowing through them. The middle tier would show rail routes coming into the city in 1915 — with the names of major shipping hubs along the edge — and the bottom tier would show the products transported, with their placement corresponding to the places they were shipped.

The World War II monument would acknowledge the impact of aviation and the money it injected into the Tampa Bay area, as well as the role of women. The design concept shows three airplanes — a B-17, B-26 and B-29 — taking off, historical photographs at their bases with three-dimensional bronze statues emerging from the images.

“Tampa was nearly a third-world city,” said Doris Weatherford, a historian and member of the selection committee, referring to the cultural and economic transformation brought about by the war.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn recalled the stories of immigrant families who came “oftentimes with nothing but the clothes on their back, and who gave us the amazing foundation upon which we stand.”

“What this does is give us a constant reminder of how we got here, who we are, of our story as Tampanians, and we have to give gratitude to those who came before us,” he said.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this WUSF article on transportation:

Group Moves Forward with Sales Tax Increase Plan

By YOSELIS RAMOS

Three mayors from Hillsborough County cities are joining forces with several county commissioners and the chairman of Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) to discuss a possible sales tax increase. Part of a plan called the GO Hillsborough initiativewould increase the county sales tax by a half cent, with a majority of that money going towards road maintenance and improvements.

Thursday’s vote in Tampa was to move ahead with the plan. But some commissioners said they needed more information.

Commissioner Sandra Murman wanted to know exactly why there needed to be a sales tax increase. She said the eastern and southern parts of the county haven’t gotten their fair share of transportation dollars. 

“If my community in my district does not get benefit from this plan, I will not support it,” she said. “And it’s plain and clear.”

County Commissioner Stacy White was the only commissioner Thursday who said he did not want to continue with the plan.

“I just don’t have enough information on this initiative just yet. I’m a ‘no’ on even drafting an ordinance right now,” he said.

GO Hillsborough estimates the half-cent sales tax increase that would raise $117.5 million annually and $3.5 billion over 30 years. The money would fund backlog and future maintenance and bike and safety needs, relieve congestion with widened roads and intersections, improving bus transit service, and fund a modernized streetcar through downtown Tampa and to the airport or the University of South Florida. The group will meet again November 5th to hear the updates on the plan and cast a vote to draft an ordinance that would put the sales tax on a referendum next year.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on BlueGrace Logistics adding jobs:

BUSINESS NEWS

BlueGrace Logistics to add 100 jobs at Riverview headquarters

By Yvette C. Hammett | Tribune Staff 
Published: July 8, 2015   |   Updated: July 8, 2015 at 08:51 PM

RIVERVIEW — A homegrown transportation logistics company announced plans Wednesday to expand its headquarters and add 100 new jobs, many of them immediately.

BlueGrace Logistics, which started in Apollo Beach in 2009, will receive $300,000 in county and state incentives for jobs creation through Florida’s Qualified Target Industry program. The minimum average wage will be $54,664. The incentive money will be distributed as the jobs are created.

The expansion almost happened elsewhere. BlueGrace CEO Bobby Harris said he has another headquarters in Chicago and was well on his way to expanding in Illinois when he spoke to representatives of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. who convinced him to expand here.

“Florida is such a business-friendly state,” said Harris, who lives in Hillsborough County. “Chicago has great logistics and trade, but we actually can easily get people to come here to live and work.”

Harris said the company has nearly finished expanding its footprint on Falkenburg Road in Riverview. “There are plenty of seats waiting to be filled. They’ve got chairs and desks, everything waiting.”

The company offers a web-based proprietary transportation management system called BlueShip that consolidates freight shipping needs for businesses, whether they are looking for a truck to move a partial shipment, a full shipment, ocean freight or air freight.

Harris has committed to adding the new jobs by 2017, but said he is looking to immediately fill a number of positions, the first within his IT department. Anyone interested in employment with BlueGrace can visit www.mybluegrace.com, then click on a button for Career Link.

Gov. Rick Scott visited the company’s Riverview office Wednesday, along with EDC President and CEO Rick Homans and Sandy Murman, chair of the Hillsborough County Commission.

“I want to thank BlueGrace for bringing 100 new jobs to Florida and expanding its headquarters in our state,” Scott said, according to an EDC press release. “We are working every day to make Florida the number one state for job creation and the more than 879,000 private-sector jobs created in the last four and a half years let us know we’re well on our way.”

BlueGrace, which has 165 employees nationwide, joins a growing list of businesses that have decided recently to expand operations here. That list includes Cognizant, Xcelience, ReliaQuest, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Tribridge and Laser Spine Institute.

More than half a million Floridians are employed in the broad wholesale trade, transportation and logistics industry, according to the EDC. And that industry is poised to grow more with the widening of the Panama Canal in 2016.

The EDC, Enterprise Florida, and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity all worked to put this deal together. “These additional 100 jobs will provide even more opportunities in the Tampa area and contribute to Florida’s thriving private sector,” said Jesse Panuccio, executive director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Murman said three other states offered BlueGrace location packages. “But we are committed to keeping them here and giving them the support they need to achieve greater success and bring more jobs to our community.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this PRWeb article on Central Florida Development:

Central Florida Development to Build Second Speculative Building in Plant City

In collaboration with Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and Plant City, CFD announces construction of another 100,000 square foot facility for manufacturing, distribution or office operations in County Line Commerce Center

Plant City, Fla. (PRWEB) July 01, 2015

Central Florida Development (CFD), a full service real estate development and property management company, today announced plans for the construction of a second 100,000 square foot speculative building in County Line Commerce Center. The facility will have 30’ clear heights, a 195’ truck court, and abundant parking, making it ideal for manufacturing, distribution, and office operations. CFD’s first 100,000 square foot facility in County Line Commerce Center, which will be completed in July, is already 75% leased.

“We’re excited to begin construction of another speculative project in Plant City,” said Richard LeFrois, Central Florida Development President. “The city’s pro-business attitude and great location have helped drive our success in leasing our first building. We are confident the momentum will continue and are already seeing significant interest in the next building, as well as interest in our other business parks along I-4.”

Construction on the new building is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed by January 2016.

“The incredible demand we’re seeing for new industrial development in Plant City is the direct result of our efforts to make it even easier for manufacturing, logistics, and distribution operations to take advantage of our ideal location and find the workforce, facilities and business assistance they need to get up and running quickly,” said Plant City Mayor Rick Lott. “The speed with which Central Florida Development has been able to build the first spec building and move forward with the second shows how quickly we and our partners at the Tampa Hillsborough EDC and CareerSource Tampa Bay can respond to meet business needs and keep up with fast growth.”

The two spec buildings at County Line Commerce Center are the first to be built in Plant City in many years. The development, located a half mile south of Interstate 4 at the intersection of County Line Road and Highway 92 in eastern Hillsborough County, also includes plans for two retail/restaurant sites that will fill a void in the County Line Road corridor and provide jobs, shopping and entertainment options for people who live and work in Plant City.

“County Line Road continues to be the hottest corridor for warehouse distribution and office expansion in Central Florida,” said Mike Herr, City Manager, Plant City. “The newest project announced by Rich Lefrois demonstrates that Plant City is the right place to be because we have strategic location, a good labor market and a very business-friendly culture in our city government. Every successful project needs a champion, and right now Central Florida Development is a huge private sector partner in our community.”

Plant City’s close proximity to Tampa and Orlando made the County Line Commerce Center an ideal spot for healthy prepared meal retailer FitLife Foods to build its Culinary Center Operations. In his company’s May 2015 announcement about the expansion, David Osterweil, FitLife Foods founder and CEO, cited Plant City’s central location, available workforce, and sales tax exemptions on machinery and equipment for manufacturing companies as three key reasons supporting his decision to choose Plant City.

“This is an historic time for Plant City and eastern Hillsborough County,” said the Hon. Sandy Murman, Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “The fact that Central Florida Development has managed to lease three quarters of a 100,000 square foot speculative building in less than six months is a clear indicator that manufacturing and distribution firms are flocking to this market. This is great news for our local families and for businesses seeking a perfect location for expansion and relocation in Central Florida.”

Central Florida Development already has its sights set on an even bigger project in eastern Hillsborough County. “We are moving forward with planning our next development in Plant City: Central Florida Commerce Center, a 72-acre business park that will accommodate buildings of up to 1.6 million square feet,” said Le Frois. “We are proud to partner with the City of Plant City and the Tampa Hillsborough EDC in bringing more quality jobs to the community.”

“The Tampa Hillsborough EDC’s strong partnership with the City of Plant City and the dedicated resources we’ve committed to identifying new opportunities for the attraction, expansion, and retention of jobs there continues to yield impressive results,” said Dr. Ronald Vaughn, Chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and President of the University of Tampa. “We couldn’t be happier with the success of these collaborative efforts. Plant City’s transformation is just beginning, and its economic future is looking better than ever.”

###

About Central Florida Development
Central Florida Development (CFD) is a full service real estate development and property management company, acquiring and developing industrial and office buildings while also serving as the General Contractor. CFD also serves as its own property manager, and complements its in-house leasing expertise with third-party broker representation, creating a unique ‘single point of contact’ for its customers. For more information, visit centralfloridadev.com.

Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace. Established in 2009 as a partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors.

The EDC exists because of the generous support of nearly 100 corporations, the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County, and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace. To learn more, visithttp://www.tampaedc.com.

Hillsborough County, Florida is the commercial and industrial heart of Tampa Bay. The fourth largest county in the state of Florida, Hillsborough is home to nearly 1.3 million residents, with thousands more arriving each year. Its strength is drawn from being one of the most advanced economies and having one of the most educated workforces in the state. Hillsborough County and its three municipalities –Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace — offer a competitive business environment and an abundance of regional assets including Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, and MacDill Air Force Base. County government is focused on creating economic prosperity for residents and businesses throughout the area. To learn more, visit hillsboroughcounty.org

Commissioner Murman quoted in this PRWeb article on Central Florida Development:

Central Florida Development to Build Second Speculative Building in Plant City

In collaboration with Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and Plant City, CFD announces construction of another 100,000 square foot facility for manufacturing, distribution or office operations in County Line Commerce Center

Plant City, Fla. (PRWEB) July 01, 2015

Central Florida Development (CFD), a full service real estate development and property management company, today announced plans for the construction of a second 100,000 square foot speculative building in County Line Commerce Center. The facility will have 30’ clear heights, a 195’ truck court, and abundant parking, making it ideal for manufacturing, distribution, and office operations. CFD’s first 100,000 square foot facility in County Line Commerce Center, which will be completed in July, is already 75% leased.

“We’re excited to begin construction of another speculative project in Plant City,” said Richard LeFrois, Central Florida Development President. “The city’s pro-business attitude and great location have helped drive our success in leasing our first building. We are confident the momentum will continue and are already seeing significant interest in the next building, as well as interest in our other business parks along I-4.”

Construction on the new building is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed by January 2016.

“The incredible demand we’re seeing for new industrial development in Plant City is the direct result of our efforts to make it even easier for manufacturing, logistics, and distribution operations to take advantage of our ideal location and find the workforce, facilities and business assistance they need to get up and running quickly,” said Plant City Mayor Rick Lott. “The speed with which Central Florida Development has been able to build the first spec building and move forward with the second shows how quickly we and our partners at the Tampa Hillsborough EDC and CareerSource Tampa Bay can respond to meet business needs and keep up with fast growth.”

The two spec buildings at County Line Commerce Center are the first to be built in Plant City in many years. The development, located a half mile south of Interstate 4 at the intersection of County Line Road and Highway 92 in eastern Hillsborough County, also includes plans for two retail/restaurant sites that will fill a void in the County Line Road corridor and provide jobs, shopping and entertainment options for people who live and work in Plant City.

“County Line Road continues to be the hottest corridor for warehouse distribution and office expansion in Central Florida,” said Mike Herr, City Manager, Plant City. “The newest project announced by Rich Lefrois demonstrates that Plant City is the right place to be because we have strategic location, a good labor market and a very business-friendly culture in our city government. Every successful project needs a champion, and right now Central Florida Development is a huge private sector partner in our community.”

Plant City’s close proximity to Tampa and Orlando made the County Line Commerce Center an ideal spot for healthy prepared meal retailer FitLife Foods to build its Culinary Center Operations. In his company’s May 2015 announcement about the expansion, David Osterweil, FitLife Foods founder and CEO, cited Plant City’s central location, available workforce, and sales tax exemptions on machinery and equipment for manufacturing companies as three key reasons supporting his decision to choose Plant City.

“This is an historic time for Plant City and eastern Hillsborough County,” said the Hon. Sandy Murman, Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “The fact that Central Florida Development has managed to lease three quarters of a 100,000 square foot speculative building in less than six months is a clear indicator that manufacturing and distribution firms are flocking to this market. This is great news for our local families and for businesses seeking a perfect location for expansion and relocation in Central Florida.”

Central Florida Development already has its sights set on an even bigger project in eastern Hillsborough County. “We are moving forward with planning our next development in Plant City: Central Florida Commerce Center, a 72-acre business park that will accommodate buildings of up to 1.6 million square feet,” said Le Frois. “We are proud to partner with the City of Plant City and the Tampa Hillsborough EDC in bringing more quality jobs to the community.”

“The Tampa Hillsborough EDC’s strong partnership with the City of Plant City and the dedicated resources we’ve committed to identifying new opportunities for the attraction, expansion, and retention of jobs there continues to yield impressive results,” said Dr. Ronald Vaughn, Chair of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and President of the University of Tampa. “We couldn’t be happier with the success of these collaborative efforts. Plant City’s transformation is just beginning, and its economic future is looking better than ever.”

###

About Central Florida Development
Central Florida Development (CFD) is a full service real estate development and property management company, acquiring and developing industrial and office buildings while also serving as the General Contractor. CFD also serves as its own property manager, and complements its in-house leasing expertise with third-party broker representation, creating a unique ‘single point of contact’ for its customers. For more information, visit centralfloridadev.com.

Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace. Established in 2009 as a partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors.

The EDC exists because of the generous support of nearly 100 corporations, the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County, and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace. To learn more, visithttp://www.tampaedc.com.

Hillsborough County, Florida is the commercial and industrial heart of Tampa Bay. The fourth largest county in the state of Florida, Hillsborough is home to nearly 1.3 million residents, with thousands more arriving each year. Its strength is drawn from being one of the most advanced economies and having one of the most educated workforces in the state. Hillsborough County and its three municipalities –Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace — offer a competitive business environment and an abundance of regional assets including Port Tampa Bay, Tampa International Airport, and MacDill Air Force Base. County government is focused on creating economic prosperity for residents and businesses throughout the area. To learn more, visit hillsboroughcounty.org

Commissioner Murman quoted in this StPetersBlog article on EPC director:

New Hillsborough County EPC head Janet Dougherty agrees to give up political activities in new job

By Mitch Perry –

Jun 24, 2015

Last Friday night, Janet Dougherty could be seen hobnobbing with various Republican Party friends at the Hillsborough County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Pepin Center in Tampa — the annual fundraiser for the local GOP that will help the party as it tries to win local, state and the presidential race in 2016.

But it’s the type of event that she will no longer be able to attend as executive director of the county’s Environmental Protection Commission, after attorneys representing herself  and the county agreed upon language for a new contract that will take effect when she officially inherits the job on July 1.

A special meeting of the EPC (which consists of the regular Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners) was held today after Dougherty objected to a provision added to her proposed contact that said she could not run for office or engage in political activity while serving as EPC executive director.

“This language is ambiguous,” Dougherty told commissioners today about why she asked for the meeting with her attorney present. “I just want to define political activities.”

Board members had no problem in clarifying what they considered unacceptable.

“I don’t want you to be working on someone’s campaign, or endorsing, or picking a side in any of these fights because it may be contrary to what’s in the best interest of the entity you’re serving,” Commissioner Victor Crist said.

“We don’t want you taking part in any campaign, other than voting,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said bluntly.

The concerns by commissioners didn’t come out of a vacuum. Dougherty has twice run for political office, including losing out to Stacy White in the GOP primary for the eastern Hillsborough County Commission District 4 seat last summer. She also worked on Tampa City Council candidate Jackie Toledo’s unsuccessful effort to win office earlier this year.

Commissioner Ken Hagan said he definitely didn’t want a situation like what happened last fall, when former Hillsborough County Superintendent MaryEllen Elia placed a campaign sign for District 6 School Board candidate Dipa Shah on her front lawn. Shah was running at the time against April Griffin, Elia’s bitter foe on the School Board. But he also said he didn’t understand why Dougherty was being held to a higher standard than the man she is about to replace, Rick Garrity, whose contract did not include such language. And he listed a series of other officials in the county who also don’t have such a provision regarding political activities.

“It doesn’t exist with PTC executive director, Civil Service executive director, Sports Authority, port director. In fact, the port director (Paul Anderson) was at the Lincoln Day Dinner the other night,” Hagan said, adding that such a provision for the EPC director is not in the County Charter. “I’m looking for some consistency.”

Commission Al Higginbotham said he believed that was an “oversight,” and that the Charter Review Commission, which is currently meeting this summer, should and will address that inconsistency.

With concerns that the failure to agree on contractual language today would force the board to hire an interim EPC executive director, EPC Chair Les Miller called for a 15-minute break for both attorneys to meet to agree on language. They did so.

The agreed-upon language says that the executive director of the EPC shall not hold any political office or participate in any political campaign activity other than voting. If she requires clarification about an action, the EPC attorney shall provide an opinion on that potential action.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on the high-speed ferry:

TRANSPORTATION

Does ferry’s fate depend on transportation tax vote?

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff 
Published: June 20, 2015   |   Updated: June 21, 2015 at 09:32 AM

TAMPA — Fans of a high-speed ferry service have been pressuring Hillsborough County officials to speed up environmental and engineering work so the speedy watercraft can begin zipping across Tampa Bay.

These supporters, who include environmentalists and some conservatives, say they oppose tying county funding for the ferry to a proposed half-cent-per-dollar sales tax increase for transportation projects. The proposed tax will go on the November 2016 ballot if county commissioners approve the measure this fall.

The ferry proponents say waiting until late next year to make decisions on funding the project could endanger a $5.3 million federal grant for the ferry. The grant is contingent on the county providing 20 percent matching funds and spending the money before 2019.

So far, County Administrator Mike Merrill has refused to veer from the county present schedule, which includes a 12- to 18-month environmental and engineering study, followed by a ridership survey that could take three months.

What’s more, Merrill said he’s not likely to recommend funding the ferry unless the sales tax referendum passes. Other transportation and transit projects were given higher priority during the county’s Go Hillsborough public outreach effort, he said.

The ferry service would run between the county’s South Shore and MacDill Air Force Base, catering mostly to MacDill employees. If that route is successful, ferry service could be expanded to link Tampa and St. Petersburg.

“I would never recommend that suddenly we’ll just fund the ferry project ahead of all the other needs identified by Go Hillsborough,” Merrill said. “We spent all this time and the community has said doing roads, bridges and intersections are a top priority. Then suddenly I put in my budget a ferry ahead of all of that?”

In an effort to change Merrill’s mind, attorney and ferry promoter Ed Turanchik has argued that the county could lose future transit grants if it doesn’t follow through on its commitment to the transit grant.

“The county said it was ready to go, ready to provide the match,” said Turanchik, who represents HMS Ferries, one of the partners in the project. “The match was not dependent on passing a tax increase or a ridership study.”

The same arguments were made by US. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, in a June 4 letter to Merrill. Castor reminded the county administrator that she had worked to secure $475,000 in 2009 from the Federal Highway Administration for a feasibility study on the ferry. In 2014, Castor said, she helped get a $4.8 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration for construction work on the ferry terminal.

“Unless the community puts these federal grant dollars to work, it will be more difficult to advocate for greater transportation investments for our community,” Castor wrote in the letter.

Merrill denied that the grant is in danger and said the county has no obligation to fund the ferry.

“We’ve been in regular contact with the feds,” Merrill said. “They are perfectly content with the process we’re taking. They understand in the end, we may not be able to fund the project. All they asked is to keep them apprised how we are doing in the process.”

Merrill said funding for the ferry has always been heavily dependent on the outcome of a proposed sales tax referendum for transportation. Without that infusion of extra cash, the county probably couldn’t justify a big outlay for the ferry, he said.

County Commissioner Ken Hagan told The Tampa Tribune recently that he would try to find money for the ferry if the referendum failed. Commissioner Sandy Murman said her understanding is the county is committed to funding the project with or without the sales tax passing.

“If all the conditions of the ferry are met and the agreement has been fulfilled, whether the referendum passes or not, we will find or identify a funding source to get this ferry going,” Murman said.

But other commissioners have a different understanding. Like Merrill, they said funding is dependent on the ridership survey, which will show whether HMS Ferries can board enough passengers to keep the business afloat.

“I do not think the county should divert funds to (the ferry) in the absence of a half cents sales tax,” said Commissioner Stacy White, who represents parts of south Hillsborough where many of the potential ferry riders live. “I would rather see that $10 million go into road work because we have such a roadwork backlog to take care of.’’

Another skeptic is Al Higginbotham, an at-large commissioner who represents the entire county. Higginbotham said funding the ferry without the sales tax money might mean shorting more important programs, such as Head Start, the early childhood learning program or Aging Services.

“If I was a ferry proponent, I would be looking at ways that I’m on that list of transportation options’’ funded by the tax increase,” Higginbotham said. “They should be looking at that as their best line of revenue.”

The ferry was included in an early list of projects to be funded by a sales tax referendum. A final list of projects will be determined after public meetings are held this summer as part of the county’s Go Hillsborough outreach effort.