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

Hillsborough sets aside $22 million BP settlement for permanent ferry service

By Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Published: April 5, 2017

TAMPA — In the waning days of the Cross-Bay Ferry pilot program, Hillsborough County laid the groundwork Wednesday to make water transportation a permanent fixture in the Tampa Bay region.

Commissioners voted to keep in reserve $22 million from the BP oil spill settlement with the hope it could one day go toward expanded ferry service, including a route between the downtowns of Tampa and St. Petersburg.

However, commissioners also said getting there will require re-imagining a project that has stalled for years due to federal red tape, environmental concerns and lack of funding.

“For this project to materialize, to be successful, it must involve a public-private partnership,” County Commissioner Ken Hagan said. “The challenge in my mind is determining the best model.”

For several years, Hillsborough County has had a standing, short-term agreement with two companies, HMS Ferries and South Swell, to someday open a commuter ferry line between south county and MacDill Air Force Base. Under that pact, the county would pay for the capital costs, and the companies would cover operating expenses.

On Wednesday, commissioners asked staffers to renegotiate that arrangement into a long-term deal of up to 20 years. In a new deal, the county also would like to see HMS Ferries and South Swell take on all the risk — and potential financial reward — of the entire project. In return, the county would write the companies a check, though it’s not clear for how much. The project was estimated to cost the county $25 million to $30 million.

“This would mean likely paying more up front but in doing so we can achieve a long-term agreement for 15 or 20 years,” Hagan said, “and we will not be responsible for all of the other issues associated with this project.”

Additionally, commissioners want a new deal to guarantee service from south county to Tampa as well as a route between the downtowns of Tampa and St. Petersburg. The current agreement says market demand would dictate whether those routes are offered. Many area leaders and ferry advocates believe that demand was demonstrated by the six-month ferry pilot program linking downtown St. Petersburg to downtown Tampa that is scheduled to end April 30.

The Cross-Bay Ferry sold nearly 8,000 tickets in March, according to numbers released Wednesday, bringing total ridership to 31,362 since the service launched in October.

“It is amazing,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said. “The ferry, I think, has passed the test. We know there is strong demand for water transit.”

Still, much remains up in the air. The county has set aside $750,000 for a study of the project that will, among other things, determine a viable launch site in south county. The Schultz Preserve is one potential location.

Tampa and St. Petersburg would have to agree to the terms of any deal that services their cities, and they would also likely have to contribute to the project. Hillsborough, Pinellas County, St. Petersburg and Tampa each put in $750,000 to the pilot program but it’s not clear that kind of rare regional cooperation could be replicated to support a more ambitious expansion.

Even if they received the go-ahead tomorrow, it will take three years before the boats are operating full time, said Ed Turanchik, who represents the two private companies.

There’s not yet full support for the ferry in Hillsborough, either. Commissioner Les Miller, a persistent skeptic of the project, said the BP money was given to Hillsborough out of an environmental disaster and a ferry doesn’t fit the spirit of the award.

“The vast majority,” Miller said, “should go into our conservation and environmental lands.”

But he may be outnumbered.

“I consider it a transformative project,” Commissioner Pat Kemp said, “and well worthy of anything we could put forward in terms of our BP oil resources.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on puppy sales ban:

Ban on puppy sales moves forward in Hillsborough County

By Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Published: April 5, 2017

TAMPA — Looking to curb abusive puppy mills, Hillsborough County commissioners moved ahead Wednesday with a proposal to ban the commercial sale of cats and dogs.

Under the proposed ordinance, new pet stores would be able to sell only dogs or cats purchased from local animal rescues. They would be barred from getting their supply of animals from large-scale breeders.

Existing pet stores, however, would still be able to operate here unrestrained, a concession commissioners made after hearing complaints from the owners and employees of a Hillsborough puppy store.

Commissioner Ken Hagan, who brought forward the proposed ban, said many breeders incorporate abusive practices and house animals in inhumane conditions. Those abuses aren’t always readily apparent when people visit pet stores with cute puppies in the window.

Most of the industry’s suppliers aren’t in Florida, so shutting down commercial sales is the only way to guarantee dogs and cats aren’t coming from these breeders, he said.

“Eliminating the sales outlet is essential to addressing this problem,” Hagan said. “It doesn’t make sense to import animals when we already have thousands of unwanted animals.”

According to the county attorney’s office, 48 other Florida jurisdictions have passed similar restrictions.

The proposed regulations drew an outcry from owners and employees of All About Puppies, which operates two of the three existing commercial pet stores in Hillsborough County, one in Carrollwood and the other in Brandon. The other Hillsborough store is Puppies Tampa on N Dale Mabry Highway.

Supporters of All About Puppies flooded the public comment period of Wednesday’s meeting, wearing baby blue T-shirts with the slogan “My puppy my choice.”

“This ordinance as written 100 percent force-closes my business in 90 days,” store owner William Roland said.

Advocates of the new rule noted stores could still sell rescue dogs and cats. But All About Puppies’ argument gained traction with several commissioners, who said they didn’t want to see county regulation shutter a business.

“I do not want to put anybody out of business today. That’s wrong,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said. “America was founded on people having the right to open a business, keep a business and operate it without fear of government regulation.”

Ultimately, commissioners voted to grandfather in the three existing pet stores and will create an incentive program that encourages them to get their dogs and cats from the county’s Pet Resource Center and other local shelters.

The ordinance does not affect large pet stores like PetSmart because they already utilize rescued dogs and cats exclusively, Hagan said.

A public hearing and final vote on the ordinance is expected next month.

Commissioners also asked county staffers to prepare regulations that crack down on suppliers over concerns that stopping pet sales won’t be enough to prevent abusive breeders.

“It’s feeding the wrong end of the dog,” Commissioner Victor Crist said, “because what we’re going to end up doing is something that does nothing to stop the puppy mills.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this SPB article on the ferry project:

Hillsborough moves forward on ferry project that may use BP settlement funds

MITCH PERRY

15 hours ago

While the Cross-Bay Ferry reportedly carries nearly 8,000 passengers in March as the six-month pilot project ends later this month, Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a proposal Wednesday to move ahead on a public-private partnership plan to take passengers from South County to MacDill Air Force Base, then to St. Petersburg.

The plan would include using the $22 million settlement money the county received from the BP oil spill while building a marina that could be used to service the ferry in southeastern Hillsborough County.

Commissioner Ken Hagan said he’s wanted to present the plan since the country received the $22.8 million in BP funds in the summer of 2015.

“I want to stress that this agenda item does not lock us into a marina or a ferry agreement,” he told his colleagues. “It is simply considering a different model or approach in an attempt to achieve a long-term operating and capital agreement.”

The plan would also include hiring a consultant who works on ferry projects to study where the public marina should be located.

It’s been nearly four years since attorney and public transportation advocate Ed Turanchik held a news conference with officials from Seattle-based HMS Ferries and South Swell Development Group to discuss a public-private partnership that would initiate Tampa Bay’s first commuter, recreational and tourist passenger ferry service.

The original idea came from county studies showing that thousands of commuters who live in South Hillsborough County and drive to MacDill Air Force Base on a daily basis would take a ferry service if it were an option.

Initial costs for the project were estimated between $11.5-$16 million, with more recent projections doubling that amount. In 2014, Tampa U.S. Representative Kathy Castor procured a $4.8 million Federal Transit Administration grant, bringing momentum to the plan.

But the project bogged down when Turanchik’s originally proposed site for the terminal in Southeastern Hillsborough County – the Fred and Idah Schultz Preserve just north of Apollo Beach – drew opposition from some environmental groups.

County Administrator Mike Merrill said that the original interim agreement with HMS & South Swell “was created with a different approach,” but said that it was time now to look at a different model “for a lot of reasons.”

The proposals (the board separated the vote into three separate motions) were all approved unanimously, 6-0 (Commissioner Al Higginbotham was absent).

“We’re getting to a point where we can make hard and fast decisions,” said Commissioner Sandy Murman, who has been a strong advocate for the ferry going back to 2013.  She also extolled the success of the Cross-Bay Ferry, which sold a record 7,990 tickets in March, a 31-percent over February, which was the previous high water mark since the six-month pilot project running from Tampa to St. Petersburg began in November.

Commissioner Victor Crist said he and his constituents in Northern Hillsborough County like the idea of a municipal marina. “It could be a very lucrative venture where we could very easily double or triple our investment,” he said.

The board also approved an amendment from Commission Chair Stacy White to direct staff to incorporate federal funds in the funding mechanism.

Commissioners had already said they were willing to drop the $4.8 million FTA grant because of the excessive bureaucracy required to accept those funds, causing a delay in the project.

Murman said it was worth the request because she believes the Trump administration is going to introduce a federal infrastructure plan “without strings.”

“If he does that and this does qualify, we may want to go that route,” she said, admitting that she didn’t know for certain.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this SPB article on lobbying ordinance:

Hillsborough Commissioners add themselves to new lobbying ordinance

MITCH PERRY

19 hours ago

Hillsborough County Commissioners added themselves to a previously drafted amendment to an ordinance that would prohibit registered lobbyists from communicating electronically during commission meetings.

The proposal before the board would have only penalized lobbyists on Wednesday, prompting Commission Chair Les Miller to say that it was insufficient, and that “we as the County Commission should also adhere to the lobbying ordinance.”

Miller offered two new amendments that the board ultimately approved. One added “commissioners” to the provision that in the case that an electronic communication sent by a lobbyist during a meeting “could not be avoided,” that lobbyist must immediately notify the lobbyist registration manager. Now a commissioner has to notify that system as well. It passed 5-2, with Victor Crist and Ken Hagan opposing.

The second amendment would fine commissioners for violating the ordinance. The original draft only included lobbyists. The first fine would be $250, the second offense $500, and a third offense would require the lobbyist registration manager to inform the Florida Ethics Commission. The measure passed 5-2, with Hagan and Stacy White opposing.

“Candidly, I think it’s a joke,” cracked Hagan about the proposals. “It’s symbolic, repetitive, impotent and has no teeth.”

In December, Commissioners approved a motion offered by Commissioner Sandy Murman directing county attorneys to draft a proposal that would ban them from receiving text messages from a lobbyist during a board meeting, a variation of new lobbying rules promulgated in Tallahassee by House Speaker Richard Corcoran.

In January 2016, the BOCC passed an ordinance requiring all lobbyists to register by name, who they met with, what they talked about and who they represented when meeting with board members. The ordinance was prompted by the controversy surrounding how transportation engineer Parsons Brinckerhoff became the contractor for the Go Hillsborough transportation effort — and then hiring Beth Leytham as a subcontractor.

Leytham never registered as a lobbyist with the county when she communicated with commissioners via text message and/or email during that process.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on Dollar General:

Apollo Beach residents rallying against proposed Dollar General store

By Kelsey Sunderland, Times Correspondent

Published: March 1, 2017

APOLLO BEACH — For the last two weekends, Apollo Beach residents have gathered on the corner of Fairway Boulevard and Apollo Beach Boulevard to protest the building of a stand-alone Dollar General on the site.

They’re hoping to garner 1,000 signatures on an online petition to send to Dollar General’s Florida real estate manager, Kevin Gromosaik.

Resident Edward Perez, who has lived in the area for three years, believes the store will change the aesthetic of the community.

“If you look around here, what you see are beautiful homes, all residential in a nice area,” Perez said. “There are a lot of things they could put here, but Dollar General is just not a good fit for the area. We’d prefer a park or a playground or another small business.”

Many residents also cite the increased traffic it may bring to the location, within walking distance of Apollo Beach Elementary School.

“There are 670 students that attend that elementary school,” said resident Jamie Saracino. “There have been traffic fatalities as it is. This is going to ruin our community.”

In a statement, Dollar General said they are considering the customer’s best interest in regards to the new location. Dollar General currently has 36 stores in Hillsborough County.

The statement also indicated that Dollar General officials are considering relocating its store at 6422 U.S. 41 to the site in question, but has not committed to the relocation. It’s doing “due diligence” and expects to make a final decision in late spring 2017.

“Should we move forward with the project, the new store would provide area residents with an expanded retail store including a wider assortment of product offerings including additional cooler doors for perishable items,” the statement said. “We know convenience is a major factor in our customers’ shopping decisions as we generally serve customers within a 3- to 5-mile radius. We also take demographic trends, competitive factors, traffic patterns and community concerns into consideration.”

The property, which was zoned for commercial use by the county in 1979, has remained vacant since, but last November site plans were approved by the county for Dollar General to occupy the space.

Perez said he didn’t find out about the plan until the middle of February.

Residents have also enlisted the help of County Commissioner Sandra Murman, who says she is on their side with the situation and planning a meeting with Perez and his wife, Kendall.

“Our staff and I are working hard for a potential solution to this situation and I want you to know that I am extremely disappointed about this project with a commercial building in the middle of a residential neighborhood,” Murman wrote in an email. “Whatever happens on this, I do plan to ask staff to bring a recommendation back to the board to prevent this type of problem from happening again.”

Hillsborough County Development Services Director Adam Gormly believes that once the residents are given the facts surrounding Dollar General’s move to the location, they will have a better understanding of the project’s approval.

“We’re planning on hosting some area residents here on Friday (March 3) to present the facts associated with this project,” Gormly said.

By Tuesday, the residents’ petition had 830 signatures out of the expected 1,000 before it is sent to Gromosaik.

“We want Dollar General to know we’re not going to support them,” Kendall Perez said. “People like them now, where they are next to Publix but we won’t support them moving to this location.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on transportation plan:

Hillsborough Commissioners vote 6-1 to approve road-centric $812 million, 10-year transportation plan

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 12:55pm

TAMPA — Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a road-centric $812 million, 10-year transportation plan Wednesday despite calls from residents and one of their own for more transit options.

The proposal will pump about $276 million into road and bridge maintenance, $127 million for safety projects and $346 million for congestion relief, such as widening and building new roads and improving traffic flow.

The list of projects represents the largest commitment to transportation by the county in years, and it achieves it without raising taxes. Commissioners voted last year to set aside $600 million from the existing budget to pay for roadwork. The remaining $212 million will come from new fees on developers and other sources.

Nevertheless, residents lined up to implore commissioners to put more money into the county’s bus system and to find other ways to move people without building more roads. The only transit in the project list are about $750,000 to plan and design a ferry between MacDill Air Force Base and south county and $350,000 for a pilot program that allows residents to request a car ride to bus stops.

Commissioner Pat Kemp joined the criticism of the plan.

“We cannot build our way out of congestion,” Kemp said. “It’s time we make some wise investments.”

Kemp proposed eliminating several of the projects, including a $97 million widening of Lithia Pinecrest Road. Instead, she wanted to use the money to fast track the ferry, expand the car service pilot program and to pump money into a Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority program that provides vans for people who want to carpool.

But other commissioners were content to move forward and continue working to find other ways to pay for transit. It passed 6-1, with Kemp as the lone dissent.

“We’ve got to find a dedicated funding source to support transit funding,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said. “Not a band aid approach.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this StPetersBlog article on transportation funding:

Hillsborough County Commission approve $811 million to fund roads, $1 million for transit

MITCH PERRY

Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a proposal Wednesday to spend $812 million on transportation over the next decade, with almost all of that money going directly for roads, rejecting a last-minute alternative offered by Commissioner Pat Kemp to redirect much of those funds to more transit projects.

The 6-1 vote (with Kemp dissenting) came after more than 40 members of the public signed up to speak about the proposal, with many reciting desultory statistics about how the county is the worst in the nation when it comes to funding transit.

A total of $276 million will go towards road and bridge repairs, and $127 million will go towards improving safety at intersections and near schools.  There is $750,000 slated to go towards planning and designing a ferry project that would run from southeast Hillsborough County to MacDill Air Force Base.

Kemp, a member of the Sierra Club who ran as a pro-transit advocate in both of her runs for county commission in 2014 and 2016, introduced a very specific alternative proposal to her colleagues at the end of the public comment portion of the hearing on Wednesday.

Acknowledging that “the train had pretty much left the station” in regards to years long work leading up to Wednesday’s vote, Kemp said that she felt a “responsibility and duty” to offer her best response to the critical issue of transit funding in the county.

“What we have here is a project list,” Kemp said.”What we need is a system plan.”

Kemp’s plan (as she floated on Tuesday) called for expanding an already existing van pool program by 100 vans in 2018 and another 100 vans in 2019; expand HART’s HyperLink program into Town N Country and Sun City Center; invest $2 million to HART to identify how to invest in bus service,  and invest more in trails and greenway development.

However, it failed to gain a second vote on the board, and died instantly on the floor.

Commissioner Sandy Murman praised several of Kemp’s ideas, adding in a motion to come back and potentially incorporate several of her ideas in the two-year budget cycle. But she said it was important to follow “the process,” adding that “we can’t just slap money at HART right now without knowing what we’re throwing money at.”

Included as part of Kemp’s calculations was removing the $97 million set aside in the plan given to commissioners to wide Lithia Pinecrest Road, an item that sparked considerable debate both for and against it by eastern Hillsborough residents.

Critics contended it was only on the list of approved projects because the Brandon Chamber of Commerce backed it, while supporters said that congestion on the one-lane road made it prohibitive to have it widened.

The vote came less than a year after the Hillsborough BOCC twice rejected the opportunity to place the half-cent sales tax for the transportation known as Go Hillsborough.

Two of the three commissioners who supported the plan last year, Ken Hagan and Les Miller, didn’t shy away from the fact that some of the members of the public calling for more transit on Wednesday were critical of Go Hillsborough, despite the fact that it included $515 million for transit in the first 10 years, or 43 percent of the plan.

“I find it extremely hypocritical and disingenuous that some of the same people who opposed the transportation referendum, are now the same ones demanding transit funding now,” Hagan said.

Most of the members of the public who attended the meeting called on the board to support

“We have a world class airport in our city,” said Tampa resident Darren Booth. “It’s managed growth, the same growth that our road system doesn’t manage. The airport is managing growth because they have a leader, they have a plan, and they’re implementing their plan. What you’re doing now is not working.”

Tea Party activist Sharon Calvert supported the proposal, but requested that the county list the projects included in the $812 million, and some of the criteria about why they’re in the plan. “I think it would bring some comfort to making sure that we’re doing the right projects today,” she said.

Calvert also requested that the BOCC look at the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) Transportation Development Plan, a sentiment shared not only by her colleague, HART board member Karen Jaroch, but also

Transit advocate Kevin Thuman told Commissioners that they had an underfunded transit system, but said he was for once in agreement with Calvert and Jaroch that they board should fund the HART TDP.

“Tens of thousands of people depend on this transit system. It’s in your hands,” he said. “And I know, because I’ve seen it before, that each one of you when you see agreement like this, we’ll seize this opportunity, and take a chance to fund transit today.”

But when it came time to vote, the BOCC went ahead with the $812 million transpiration plan, with just $1 million of that earmarked for transit.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Observer article on Melanie Rimes:

Observations: For Chamber’s Rimes: It’s about business. It’s also personal

By MITCH TRAPHAGEN

mitch@observernews.net

By definition, a chamber of commerce is all about commerce; it’s all about business. For Melanie Rimes, the long-time executive director of the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce, “business” is intertwined with a longer view: a driving passion and compassion.

There is no city hall in Ruskin. Gibsonton does not have a city council. There is no mayor (other than the honorary sort) in Apollo Beach. We have county commissioners, of course, who meet in downtown Tampa. Commissioners like Sandra Murman are available, frequently coming down to our corner of the south to hold job fairs and events, and to hear from their constituents.

But they’re really not down here. If someone were to call from Michigan or New York to get information about what life is like in Ruskin or Apollo Beach, the person who would likely take that call is Melanie Rimes. It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if local residents called her to complain about potholes in the streets, too.

During her tenure as executive director for the SouthShore Chamber, she was there for the merger of the former Ruskin and Apollo Beach chambers. She is now responsible for some of the biggest events in the Tampa Bay Area, including the Ruskin Seafood Festival and the Apollo Beach Manatee Arts Festival (yes, it is technically held in Ruskin these days but in heart — and intent — it still belongs to Apollo Beach. “It will always be the Apollo Beach Manatee Festival of the Arts and it will always be the Ruskin Seafood Festival,” Rimes said).

But the reality is that both events have long since outgrown their local namesakes. Today both are so successful and so large that people come from across the region and, in some cases, across the nation, to attend them.

And they tend to be good for business. E.G. Simmons Park is a fine showcase for the beauty that is South Hillsborough. The Manatee Viewing Center is another unique treasure.

“I’ve traveled all over the county and South County is the most desirable place to be in all of Hillsborough County,” Rimes said. “In this community, the people are incredible. Now, so many of our residents can live here, work here and play here. We want people to stay here. We want people to be a part of this community and to fall in love with it. We want people to be part of the fabric of this community.”

Her focus is on the member businesses of the chamber, the businesses that could or should be members, and probably even those that aren’t but sometimes need a little help.

For Rimes, her life, her sense of responsibility, while intertwined, extends far beyond her job — the larger community is within her perspective. And that is a personal choice, but also one that serves the member businesses well.

“I couldn’t begin to list everything the members of this chamber have done for people and this community,” Rimes said.

She reluctantly spoke of a 35-year-old migrant worker with children, one of whom was old enough to be working in the fields. The woman was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was dying. Rimes was there. She held the woman’s hand. Afterwards, she tried to help with funeral arrangements; she worked to help the husband, also a migrant worker, and the children left behind. Rimes doesn’t enjoy talking about it.

That wasn’t an isolated case. People call, Rimes helps. If an animal rescue organization has a critical and immediate need, Rimes could likely get what they needed within a few hours and a few telephone calls. If a teacher talks about a student in need, she’ll find someone within the chamber who can help. The problem will get fixed.

“If someone has a need, I’m sure I could think up three companies that would step forward to fulfill that need,” she said.

At a very young age she lived with her mother, sister and grandparents in South Carolina, along with and alongside her grandparent’s housekeeper. But the woman was much more than a housekeeper both to Rimes and her family. A mother with 11 children, she had never learned to read or write. When young Melanie moved in, that changed. They checked out books from the Book Mobile and learned to read — the child and a woman with few opportunities from a different era, learned together.

Years later, after Rimes moved to the Tampa Bay area, their learning paid off. Rimes received letters from her former nanny that she treasures to this day. That woman, who Rimes said always had a smile on her face, in turn taught her what is truly valuable in life.

“What I’ve learned from her is that people help each other. I learned about what is really important in life,” Rimes said. “She grew up in a time that was not easy for her, but she was always so happy.”

And now today, Rimes’ priorities are on her family, her community and her member businesses. Although her tenure has been marked by it, success for her is a relative term. There is something more, something deeper … something that transcends the here and now. She has strong feelings, and she acts on them. It has been more than a decade since she joined the chamber, and all facets are plainly visible. She never seems to miss an opportunity to promote businesses and South County in general. Her children are omnipresent, as is Rimes herself, at nearly every possible event in the greater community.

The chamber board has always known that my priority is my children,” she said. “They know that if I need to go to an event, they may also be there. They have been raised in the chamber. I absolutely love the things they have been able to see here. I am very grateful. I love my job.”

Melanie Rimes is the executive director of a chamber of commerce, a position she clearly loves, but she has superseded it. Her motives are her own; they are not selfish, but they are personal. But she also knows the business community is well served by being involved in the larger community. And during her time at the helm of the chamber, the community, and certainly the business community, has prospered.

“Start empowering people,” she said. “Give them hope, help them. And it will help the whole community. I absolutely love everything about South County.”

On March 11, the Apollo Beach Manatee Festival of the Arts, one of the biggest events in the Bay Area, will open. Melanie Rimes, of course, will be there with her husband Dave Rimes and her daughters, all of whom are likely to be helping out. Because like Melanie, they know that it’s more than business. It’s personal.

For more information about the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce and the upcoming Apollo Beach Manatee Festival of the Arts visit www.southshorechamberofcommerce.org.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on transportation:

Transit at center of debate of Hillsborough County’s transit-less transportation plan

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Thursday, February 23, 2017 5:30am

• Next

TAMPA — There is a relatively small amount of money, about $1 million, for transit projects in the 10-year, $812 million transportation plan that Hillsborough County commissioners discussed Wednesday.

Yet transit dominated most of the two-hour conversation.

There are two transit-related items in the spending package: $750,000 for a study of a proposed ferry connecting MacDill Air Force Base to south county and $350,000 for a Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority pilot program for on-demand car service to and from bus stops.

As for the rest of the money? About $276 million will go toward road maintenance, $127 million for safety projects and $346 million for congestion relief, such as widening and building new roads and improving traffic flow.

For Commissioner Pat Kemp, the newest board member whose top issue during last year’s campaign was expanding transit, that’s too much for roads and not enough on other ways to move people around.

“Our Achilles’ heel is transit. It’s been transit for a long time,” said Kemp, speaking out at length from the dais for the first time. “It’s time for us to start committing our transit dollars. Just like we do for roads, put them on the same level of dignity and competition.”

Kemp noted that the county will spend $97 million during the next 10 years to widen 3.7 miles of Lithia Pinecrest Road. That’s equal to all of the budget for HART, the county’s bus operator. She proposed committing $100 million to HART over the next 10 years.

It’s “highly unlikely that’s financially feasible,” said Commissioner Ken Hagan, unless the county makes significant cuts to public safety or kills off another transportation project.

The county could pass a tax increase of some kind, Hagan noted, alluding to the half-cent sales tax surcharge commissioners rejected last year. Hagan wanted to put a sales tax hike on the ballot for voters to decide, but a majority of commissioners did not.

The transit dilemma was encapsulated by a lengthy debate over whether the county should fast-track a proposed ferry that would connect MacDill Air Force Base to south county.

Doing so would mean forgoing a $4.8 million Federal Transit Administration grant, adding local expense to a project that, if approved, is already expected to cost the county about $25 million.

But turning down the federal dollars would likely mean getting boats in the water sooner. The county must complete several lengthy studies to unlock the grant, and the preferred launching docking site in south county — the Schultz Preserve in Gibsonton — would likely face too many environmental hurdles for the feds to approve.

Several commissioners said they should wait for the results of the design and engineering study before making a decision.

“What’s the rush?” asked Commissioner Les Miller.

But Kemp and Commissioner Sandy Murman said it’s already taking too long.

“We have more control over this project by not accepting the federal dollars,” Murman said.

Commissioners will hold a public hearing March 7 to finalize the list of transportation projects.

“I’m going to anticipate that we have a good result going forward,” Murman said, “and we can dance out of here saying we’re giving good congestion relief and maintenance and safety on our roads.”

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