Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on Gardenville Rec Center:

SOUTH SHORE NEWS

Gardenville Recreation Center gymnasium breaks ground

County and community representatives break ground Feb. 24 for a new, 9,500-square-foot gymnasium to be built at the Gardenville Recreation Center in Gibsonton. From left are Joe Eletto and Tanya Doran of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce; community activist Pete Johnson; Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman; Melanie Morrison of the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce; and Sharon Subadan, Dave Ramirez and Jack Carlisle of Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. LOIS KINDLE/STAFF

By Lois Kindle | Tribune Staff
Published: March 5, 2014   |   Updated: March 5, 2014 at 04:23 PM

GIBSONTON – For more than 20 years the Concerned Citizens of Gibsonton have fought for a safe place where kids and adults could congregate. With the addition of a new neighborhood gymnasium to be built by the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation adjacent to the Gardenville Recreation Center, the two-decades-old goal will finally be realized.

“It’s a fabulous victory, a long time in coming,” said Lee Stevens, president of the Concerned Citizens group. “It will be great for everyone in the community. We’ll all benefit.

“We especially thank Commissioner Sandy Murman for her help and support in seeing this project come to fruition.”

Murman was on hand Feb. 24 for the gym’s ground-breaking ceremony.

“This $1.7 million facility will be a gathering place for families in this community,” she said. “I’m proud to be here not only as a commissioner but also as a friend and neighbor.”

Murman recognized the Concerned Citizens’ Pete and Jeanie Johnson and Gardenville Rec Center’s Dave Ramirez for their ongoing involvement and support over the years in bringing the project full circle. When a new recreation center building was finally opened in 2005, a new gym was supposed to be built soon after. But when the economy went south the county’s capital projects list went with it and the project was eliminated.

Six years later Parks, Recreation and Conservation adopted the concept of regional, “super rec centers” and smaller satellite sites were eliminated. The programs at those sites were moved to the regional centers.

A study done for the 2012-13 parks and recreation budget determined a need for more recreational options for residents at the regional sites and as a result the gymnasium for Gibsonton went back on the major projects list, said Ramirez, who supervises programs for facilities in Riverview, Gibsonton, Apollo Beach and north Ruskin.

Ramirez said the 9,500-square-foot gymnasium will be a multipurpose facility, featuring special “spring” flooring that will provide shock absorption for athletes of all ages who play volleyball, basketball and pickleball; a 700-square-foot weight room “hopefully to include fitness equipment like treadmills, ellipticals and steppers” that the current weight room lacks; office space and restrooms. Special-interest classes like Zumba, karate, dance and cheerleading may also take place there.

And offerings for athletic leagues, tournaments, classes and other events to be held at the new gymnasium will be extended.

Construction is under way and expected to be completed early next year.

Melanie Morrison, executive director of the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce, was among several speakers at the ceremony.

“I want to echo everyone’s excitement,” she said. “Everything that’s happening in the county right now is happening in South Shore.

“As a mother, I have a soft spot for places like this,” Morrison continued. “They keep the community tight-knit by providing safe places for families to go and congregate.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Creative Loafing article on high-speed ferry service:

Hillsborough

Hillsborough County Commissioners approve 1st step to possible ferry service

Posted by Mitch Perry on Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 3:33 PM

The Hillsborough County Commission today approved the first step toward creation of a proposed ferry service that could ultimately take residents from downtown Tampa to St. Petersburg.

Today’s action was much more modest, however. The board voted 6-1 to approve up to $100,000 in funding to pay for a study of what is actually being proposed — a ferry service that would take south Hillsborough County citizens to MacDill Air Force Base and back from a dock built north of Apollo Beach. It would be a public-private partnership with the county working with two private entities.

The project has the promise of “doing more with less, faster with greater benefit,” said former County Commissioner Ed Turanchik, who is representing one of the private companies involved, HMS Ferries, Inc.

Turanchik stood in front of the board for over an hour on Wednesday morning to discuss what is known as a P3, or public-private development plan. In addition to HMS Ferries (which would operate the ferry service), a second company, the South Swell Development Group, would be involved because they own the land where organizers want to build a docking terminal.

That land swap would take 46 acres of that private land (which is considered environmentally sensitive and is on a list to be purchased by the ELAPP program) and swap it for 20 acres that the county owns.

Surveys have already been conducted to determine interest by MacDill employees who currently commute from South Hillsborough County, and Turanchik said the results have been so positive that HMS is fully committed to the project. The ultimate goal would be to have commuter ferry service that would run every half hour during peak morning and afternoon drive times, as well as evening and weekend service.

County Administrator Mike Merill kicked off the discussion by saying that there were eight preconditions that needed to be satisfied “to the sole discretion of the county” before the project could happen. They include acquiring grant money from the Federal Highway Administration, approval from the Tampa Port Authority for access to the site, approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and what could potentially be the longest wait, approval from the Department of Defense, which runs MacDill.

Turanchik told commissioners that the ferry would initially take 1,200 cars off of I-75, Bayshore Boulevard, Dale Mabry, the Selmon Expressway and all other roads that link south county to South Tampa, and specifically MacDill. Total distance via Tampa Bay? Just six miles.

He said terminals are the toughest part of such a proposal, and this plan calls for building a waterfront park that would include a concession stand, restroom and parking for ferry passengers and visitors.

Although this first step passed easily, commissioners challenged Turanchik on various parts of the proposal. Several were concerned about the fact that the county investment of boats and a park could go for naught if the service became unpopular, or if MacDill were ultimately shut down.

“This is not a bridge to nowhere,” Turanchik assured Mark Sharpe. “Let’s say it doesn’t work. The boats are sold, the docks are sold, they all have value. And the county has a nice waterfront park.”

The only holdout for the plan was Commissioner Les Miller, who appeared piqued that Turanchik had not personally briefed him about the proposal, something he mentioned twice as he repeatedly said “I’m just not there yet.” Miller had concerns about security at MacDill. Turanchik said he and his team had met six times already with MacDill officials and those concerns would continue to be addressed as the plan moved forward.

“I don’t know if there’s any other transportation plan that provides congestion relief and creates capacity for such a modest investment compared to other transportation projects,” commented Commissioner Ken Hagan.

Commissioner Sandy Murman said that while some residents she had heard from had expressed concerns, “You have to take a first step to find out if you can take the next step,” she said in announcing her support.

The business community appears to be solidly behind the effort. Representatives from the Tampa, St. Petersburg and SouthShore Chambers of Commerce were in attendance to back the proposal.

Though ferry service from Tampa to St. Pete and back is not the immediate focus, it was certainly on the minds of those officials. “This proposal would also provide a boost in tourism,” said Travis Norton from the St. Pete Chamber. He fantasized about visitors vacationing in St. Petersburg who could take the ferry to Channelside to visit the Florida Aquarium, use the Tampa Streetcar to hang out in Ybor City, and then return to St. Pete to take in a Rays game.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Observer article on the South County YMCA:

YMCA Holds Successful Groundbreaking Ceremony For Family YMCA At Big Bend Road

It took five years for it to become a reality, but with a well-attended ceremony, the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA broke ground last month on its outdoor amenities of phase one for The Family Y at Big Bend Rd.

Following a brief introduction, YMCA Governance Board Chair, Brett Couch, put things in perspective for all in attendance.

“This project is long overdue,” Couch first said, then added, “I want to thank Hillsborough County and the Board of County Commissioners for their support and generosity and helping us to change lives for a better community.”

Across the Association, 19 facilities engage more than 160,000 men, women and children — regardless of age, income or background.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place inside Vance Vogel Park at 13010 Bullfrog Creek Rd. in Gibsonton, welcoming more than 100 guests that included special dignitaries, YMCA representatives, Chamber of Commerce members from around the county and the Tampa Bay area as well as government officials and Hillsborough County Commissioners, Sandra Murman, Ken Hagan and Al Higginbotham.

“We have seen a huge growth in our community and this project is just one more example of how we can come together,” Murman said. “This event is a great investment and the result of a great partnership.”

Under a joint-use lease agreement between the Hillsborough County Board of County Commis- sioners and the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA last August, the new facility will consist of a main family facility building, 30,000-sq.-ft. aquatic center, multi-purpose fields, covered basketball court, picnic pavilion and playground.

Phase one of the project, which Hillsborough County provided $2M, includes three multi-purpose fields, a covered basketball court, a playground, a picnic pavilion and parking and drainage improvements with an anticipated completion date of 2014, offering youth and adult sports and summer day camp.

The new facility is also promising over 125 jobs, improving the quality of life for residents and creating a community hub by bringing together diverse groups of people for a common good.

YMCA officials said that the Tampa YMCA is responsible for the remaining $1.5M cost to complete phase one as well as for the cost and construction of phase two.

“The entire facility is anticipated to be complete in the next three to five years, depending upon capital fundraising efforts,” said Tampa Y Communications Director, Lalita Llerena. “There is a lot of excitement in the growing Southern Hillsborough County community for a safe place to provide much-needed services to an underserved part of the county.”

Emphasizing the association’s strong presence and what it means for the community, Tampa YMCA president and CEO, Tom Looby, said that the project is an important way to move forward in the Y’s commitment to the community.

Before the special guests each grabbed a gold-painted shovel, Looby said, “This new facility is the first full-service family Y in a decade. Hope we don’t have to wait 10 more years for another.”

For more information about the Tampa YMCA, visit www.tampaymca.org.

For more information about the county’s role in this project, contact Kurt Gremley at 272-5810 or 307-1007.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on the High-speed Ferry:

POLITICS

Hillsborough to study MacDill ferry proposal

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: February 5, 2014   |   Updated: February 5, 2014 at 09:46 PM

TAMPA — The first ever ferry service across Tampa Bay moved a small step closer to reality Wednesday when Hillsborough County commissioners approved $100,000 to study the proposal.

The money will pay for a study and acquisition of research already done by the two companies collaborating on the project, South Swell Development Group and HMS Ferries. The companies hope if the county is satisfied with the study results, $17 million to $20 million in public money will be appropriated to build a docking terminal and boat basin and to buy two high-speed Catamarans.

The two ferry boats would run regular daily routes between a docking terminal just north of Apollo Beach and MacDill Air Force Base, as well as trips to downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg during non-peak hours. About 5,500 MacDill employees live in southern Hillsborough County and 90 percent of them said in a survey they would use the ferry if it was available. The ferry company would also provide trams to carry the employees to their job sites once they disembark at MacDill.

Former county Commissioner Ed Turanchik, who represents the development and ferry companies, pitched the proposal as a low-cost transportation option that would also benefit the local economy and the environment. Turanchik said the ferry would initially take 1,200 cars a day off area highways. The average MacDill employee’s commute would be cut by 30 minutes, Turanchik said, saving the employee $2,500 a year in gasoline and tolls.

Turanchik said he wasn’t sure how much tolls would cost, but MacDill employees’ fares would be covered by federal vouchers available to employees who use mass transit.

“It’s going to put money back in the local economy … It’s an opportunity to stimulate the whole Gibsonton-U.S 41 corridor,” Turanchik said.

The developers are also proposing to build a waterfront recreation park at the docking terminal, at the west end of Fred and Idah Schultz Preserve.

County Administrator Mike Merrill said the two businesses must meet eight conditions before the county will go further with the project. These include getting approval from state and federal agencies to build the docking terminal on land owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

The project would also need a positive recommendation from a transportation policy group made up of commissioners and the mayors of the county’s three cities. And the Pentagon would have to approve the ferry landing at the Air Force base.

“Following satisfaction of the eight preconditions, there would be an interim agreement that would deal with project development,” Merrill said. That’s when the county and development team would “get into the nitty gritty of … how the ferry would operate.”

Most of the commissioners supported the study. Sandy Murman, who represents southern Hillsborough, said the potential benefits of the ferry service to the economy, the environment and to MacDill employees warrant further study.

“You have to take a first step to find out if you can take the next step,” Murman said. “That’s what this does because it sets up the feasibility study — to see if this subsidy is going to be a wise use of our tax dollars.”

Other commissioners expressed concerns that ridership for the ferry would never justify the county’s investment. The county could be left holding a useless dock and boats.

Commissioner Mark Sharpe questioned whether the deal was a true public-private partnership in which the county would still benefit even if it had to subsidize the costs of the operations. He compared the proposal to Tampa’s trolley car system whose supporters, Sharpe said, oversold its potential for moving downtown workers and its boost to the economy.

“I remember the conversation we had about the trolley and how it would remove traffic from our streets,” Sharpe said. “We sold it as something that it wasn’t and we’ve been taking a beating ever since.”

Mark Fernandez, project manager for HMS Ferries, said company officials would never have become involved in the proposal if they didn’t think it would be profitable. HMS Ferries is a subsidiary of HMS Global Marine and operates ferry service to the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls in New York and Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.

“I report to the president of HMS Ferries, who scrubs potential business opportunities with such a sharp pencil — for us to get to this point, we would have to be satisfied with the potential,” Fernandez said.

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Bay Times article on the SouthShore Chamber dinner:

Dickman family, Ruskin pioneers, honored at annual chamber dinner

By Kathryn Moschella, Times Correspondent

KATHRYN MOSCHELLA

Tampa Bay Times Wednesday, February 5, 2014 2:19pm

APOLLO BEACH — The agribusiness pioneers came from Missouri more than 90 years ago and took advantage of Ruskin’s lush soil and artesian wells, well suited for irrigation.

They created legendary fruit and vegetable cooperatives that helped Ruskin earn the nickname “America’s Salad Bowl,” and then began a thriving tomato-packing business.

Now, Amazon looks to convert some of that original farmland to a distribution center that brings the promise of thousands of new jobs.

The SouthShore Chamber of Commerce acknowledged the Dickman family’s achievements at the chamber’s third annual Membership and Awards Dinner Jan. 31 at Del Webb’s South Shore Falls Clubhouse. Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman presented a commendation to brothers Glenn and Ned Dickman, descendants of the family patriarch, Paul B. Dickman.

“We have all this in our community now due to your family and your continued support,” said chamber executive director Melanie Morrison. “There’s a pride living here. Everything is down here and everyone is moving down here as well.”

New 2014 chamber president Carrie Elwell, owner and operator of Kids R Kids SouthShore in Gibsonton, echoed those sentiments.

“This place is bursting with opportunity,” Ewell said. “There are so many savvy business people here. I am honored and excited to be the new president. I anticipate great things for 2014.” More than 275 people attended the island-themed event. Commendations from county commissioners were also presented to the SouthShore chamber Board of Directors and longtime member John Smith, who has held almost every role in the chamber.

Shannon Brown, the assistant director at Kids R Kids in Gibsonton earned the title of 2014 Honorary Mayor of SouthShore. Brown’s husband, Aaron, who passed away unexpectedly from brain cancer in 2011, worked an athletic trainer and believed in supporting and nurturing young athletes, especially those who are economically disadvantaged. In his memory, Brown will devote her time as mayor to raising money for young athletes in need.

“I really want to help out kids in the area that want to participate in organized sports but can’t afford the equipment or the registration fees,” Brown said. “If it can keep them out of trouble, than I’ve served my purpose.”

Brown stages her first charitable event in March, a fishing tournament with the South Shore Anglers Club to buy sports gear for the local Buddy Ball organization, a nonprofit for kids with special needs who want to play sports.

The 2013 awards included: Small Business of the Year — Legal Shred; Large Business of the Year — Baycare-St. Joseph’s Hospital South; Ambassador of the Year — Charlotte Cark, vice president banking, American Momentum Bank; E.G. Simmons Award for Outstanding Community Service — Tony Zipperer, Zipperer’s Funeral Home; and Volunteer of the Year — Mandy Burdick.

Kathryn Moschella can be reached at hillsnews@tampabay.com.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on County Administrator raise:

POLITICS

Hillsborough commission gives Merrill praise, 3.5% raise

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: February 6, 2014

TAMPA — Hillsborough County commissioners couldn’t say enough good things about County Administrator Mike Merrill during his evaluation Wednesday.

Since taking over as acting administrator in March 2010, Merrill has faced multi-million-dollar budget deficits and has had to lay off hundreds of county employees. He balanced those out-of-kilter budgets and reduced county debt with relatively few reductions in services. As a result, the county has one of the few AAA credit ratings in the state.

“Your leadership here and how you’ve taken and led this organization through these very difficult times is just exemplary,” said Commissioner Kevin Beckner.

“You’re the consummate public servant,” Commissioner Victor Crist said.

But when commissioners concluded Merrill should be rewarded monetarily, they gave him a 3.5 percent raise and struggled on what formula to use to give him more.

Though Merrill’s contract does not have a raise built in, commissioners can give him one in any year that other county employees get increases. Plus, commissioners can evaluate his contract every year at the same time they review his performance and give him whatever compensation they choose.

The suggestion for a 3.5 percent raise came from Commissioner Sandy Murman, who pointed out Merrill was the only county employee not to get a raise last year. A 3.5 percent raise would be the same increase given to most non-managerial county employees.

Murman pointed out that other executives of Hillsborough government or quasi-governmental agencies, such as MaryEllen Elia, the superintendent of schools, and Joe Lopano, CEO of Tampa International Airport, are paid much more than the $210,000 Merrill now earns.

Murman read from an excerpt of a December 2010 commission meeting that listed salaries for county administrators in Florida’s largest counties. Even at that earlier date, the administrators all made more than $210,000.

Some commissioners suggested Merrill’s pay be raised to $225,000, the salary paid Pinellas County’s administrator in 2010. But Commissioner Les Miller, looking out at the empty commission chamber, said such a decision should be made at a meeting publicized ahead of time.

“I understand the need to give him a raise,” Miller said. “My concern is the public did not get any inclination we were going to do this.”

As a compromise, the commission voted to give Merrill the 3.5 percent increase suggested by Murman and have the county executive staff research current salaries of county administrators around the state. Once the research is done, the commission will consider raising Merrill’s salary to a level in line with executives from other counties.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Tribune article on expanded Enterprise Zone:

Gibsonton, Riverview to receive economic boost from expanded Enterprise Zone

By D’Ann Lawrence White
Tribune Special Correspondent

SOUTH SHORE – Starting this month, Gibsonton and Riverview business owners can take advantage of a state program that will allow them to receive reimbursements on additions to their businesses and major equipment purchases and tax credits for hiring new employees.

Last month the Hillsborough County Economic Development Department expanded its Enterprise Zone to include Gibsonton, Riverview and Palm River. The expansion means business owners in these areas are now eligible to receive economic incentives that will put more money in their pockets.

Under state statutes, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity allows Florida counties to create Enterprise Zones in economically distressed areas.

The Hillsborough County Commission approved the creation of the county’s first Enterprise Zone in the University Area in 2003.

Last year, County Commissioner Sandy Murman, who represents much of the South Shore area, suggested expanding the zone to encourage economic recovery in other distressed parts of the county.

In December the commission voted to expand the zone from 3.1 square miles to 15.96 square miles, incorporating Palm River, Gibsonton, Riverview and the 56th Street area between Hillsborough Avenue and the Hillsborough River.

“These are all areas where unemployment is higher than the state average and the poverty rate is 20 to 30 percent,” said Lynn Schultz, Hillsborough County coordinator for the Enterprise Zone. “The idea is to provide incentives that will create more jobs for residents in those areas.”

Since the expanded zone became effective, Schultz said she has received a number of inquiries from businesses in Gibsonton and Riverview wanting to take advantage of the program.

“The businesses are very excited and eager to learn more,” she said.

That’s because the program could translate into a substantial savings for the owners.

Under the program, a business that undergoes a renovation or new construction project can receive a sales tax reimbursement of up to $10,000 from the state.

Likewise, a business that purchases a major piece of equipment can receive a sales tax reimbursement of up to $10,000 per piece. For example, a restaurant that purchases a new expresso machine for $5,000 will receive a $300 reimbursement from the state.

The Enterprise Zone also encourages businesses to hire new employees residing within the zone.

Business owners in the Enterprise Zone who add a resident to their workforce will be eligible for a tax credit of 20 to 30 percent on the wages paid to the employee.

“That means if a business owner hires an employee at $3,000 a month, he will receive a tax credit of $900 a month on either the Florida’s sales and use tax or his corporate income tax for two years,” said Schultz.

“This is definitely an opportunity for business owners to take their businesses to the next level and for these economically distressed areas to attract new businesses,” she added. “It’s a great tool, especially for existing small to mid-size companies to create and retain jobs.”

For more information, contact Schultz at (813) 914-4008 or schultzl@hillsboroughcounty.org.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Tribune article on transportation:

HART bus system touted as agency to grow economy

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: January 24, 2014   |   Updated: January 24, 2014 at 08:43 PM

TAMPA —

Hillsborough County leaders are drawing up plans to remake the HART bus system into an expansive agency that can oversee construction of countywide transportation projects and spur economic development.

Changes being contemplated for the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority include a larger board with expertise in economic development and the authority to build roads and rail and create new bus routes.

There’s one problem: The new chairman of the 13-member HART board, Tampa City Councilman Mike Suarez, opposes the plan.

“I think they are complicating things a little bit by looking at the governance of HART,” said Suarez, who took the chairman’s seat Jan. 1.

Most transit agencies around the country have no role in economic development, Suarez said, unless it is transit-oriented development — working with cities and private companies to develop land along transit corridors and around bus and rail stations.

“HART does not have a well-developed division that deals with that kind of development,” Suarez added.

But the move to remake HART has powerful political backers, including Tampa Mayor Buckhorn and several county commissioners. They all sit on a transportation policy group charged with choosing major transportation projects that can both move people efficiently and stoke the local economy.

Last week, the policy group discussed what agency should build and operate new transportation projects. County Commissioners Kevin Beckner, Mark Sharpe and Sandy Murman all nominated HART, saying it is the only transportation agency with the ability to tax and accept federal grants and is guided by a board including elected officials. Beckner, Sharpe and Murman also sit on the HART board.

“When you’re talking about transportation, for me it’s logical to think HART,” Beckner said. “Why would you recreate the wheel and create a whole new agency.”

Other policy board members agreed with Beckner that the county doesn’t need a new agency, but they weren’t ready to give unconditional support for HART.

How the transit agency would be reworked to include an economic development and construction management role is still unclear. The policy group charged County Administrator Mike Merrill and County Attorney Chip Fletcher with developing recommendations.

“We’re making the assumption that the projects the leadership policy group will probably select are bus, some rail, some roads, trails and bike paths,” Merrill said. “If all those projects were handed to HART to implement, they would have to change their scope to do that.”

Fletcher, the county attorney, said HART was formed through an interlocal agreement between the county and the cities of Tampa and Temple Terrace. But state law describes the agency’s scope of services. To change that element would require action by the state Legislature.

As for the makeup of the HART board, Fletcher said some changes could be handled locally, such as requiring more elected officials on the board. Several members of the transportation policy group said they would prefer elected officials serve as HART directors because they are covered by the state’s sunshine laws, meaning they could only communictae with each other in public.

Elected officials are also accountable to their constituents, policy group members said.

Kevin Thurman, executive director of the pro-transit group Connect Tampa Bay, said the two gubernatorial appointments on the HART board should be eliminated.

“The governor in Tallahassee has no earthly reason for appointing people to the HART board,” Thurman said. “It’s a county agency focused on just the county. The state already has influence through the money it gives to HART.”

But getting rid of the governor’s appointments would also take legislative action, Fletcher said.

The most outspoken advocate of radically reworking the HART board is also one of the agency’s harshest critics — County Commissioner Mark Sharpe. Sharpe describes the transit system as outmoded, sluggish and unresponsive to customers’ needs.

He said he not only expects HART to implement the transportation policy group’s recommended projects, he also wants the bus agency to embrace modern technologies such as computer applications that pinpoint the location of any bus in the system at any moment.

Fare boxes would be replaced by credit card swipes if Sharpe had his way and HART would be ready when so-called “smart cars” that “talk to the road and each other” take the road.

“For transit to work, we have to have a recharged HART, everything from its governance down to its mission and how it operates,” Sharpe said. “HART is going to have to figure out a way to bring it altogether from the door step to that ultimate destination.”

***

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Current/Observer article:

• Thursday, January 16, 2014

New and expanding South County businesses will soon get tax breaks

By PENNY FLETCHER

Businesses in three areas of South County will find themselves in a better tax position by the end of this month.

County Commissioners voted in December to ask the State of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity Office to add portions of Gibsonton, Riverview and Palm River to the list of State Enterprise Zones, and the State has already told the county to expect approval by the end of the month.

This means that new or expanding businesses in those areas will be eligible for State tax credits in hopes of boosting the local economies.

The areas were chosen because they meet the state’s “misery index” statistics, with poverty rates of more than 20 percent, and have more than 30 percent of the employees from those businesses living within that area as well. To be considered, the area must also have an unemployment rate of more than 8.9 percent and be in what the state calls “general distress.”

General distress, according to Lynn Schultz, business consultant for the county’s Economic Development Department, means that the area includes problems like poor drainage, high crime, abandoned buildings, and deteriorated roads.

At this time, Hillsborough County has only 3.1 miles of Enterprise Zones, which were created to increase business, which then improves the economy within the depressed areas. This figure does not include the City of Tampa, which is counted separately.

Once approved by the State, Hillsborough County will have 15.6 square miles where new — and expanding businesses — get tax credits on a State level.

“The State has already told us to expect the letter of approval by the end of January,” Schultz said.

The City of Tampa has 19 square miles of Enterprise Zone land, but that is not counted with the county, which according to State charts (even including Tampa) has the lowest number of square miles in Florida in these special zones.

Miami/Dade County currently tops the list with almost 52 square miles of Enterprise Zones.

Prior to the Commissioners’ vote in December, five public meetings were conducted in the potential zone areas to provide information on the expansion efforts as well as the benefits to their communities.

“Expanding the existing Enterprise Zone is a true benefit to our residents and business owners located within the designated areas,” Schultz said. “They will have the opportunity to utilize much-needed incentives to help in the growth of their businesses as well as employ residents located in these communities.”

Once in the zone, new and expanding businesses there will be eligible for a job tax credit of 20 percent on wages paid to workers who live in the zone and 30 percent if more than 20 percent of its employees live within the zone; building materials will be eligible for up to $5,000 in the form of a sales tax refund, or up to $10,000 if 20 percent if more of its employees live within the zone.

There will also be a business equipment sales tax refund as well as a property tax credit against the Florida corporate income tax. This credit will be equal to the property tax the new or expanding business pays the county up to $50,000 a year.

Commissioner Sandra Murman, who represents District IV, which includes South County, presented the original request to the Department of Economic Development to consider the addition of the areas to the Enterprise Zones.