Day: August 11, 2016

Budget Proposal Brings New Fire Station & Playground Equipment To New Tampa

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s proposed Fiscal Year 2017 city budget includes an emphasis on improving parks and continuing business development, as well as a few nuggets for New Tampa— including a new fire station, updated playground equipment at the New Tampa Recreation Center in Tampa Palms and an intelligent transportation systems program for part of Cross Creek Blvd.

While warning that “we are not out of the woods yet” regarding the recent recession, Buckhorn painted a bright future while proposing his $905.9 million city budget to the Tampa City Council on July 21. The Council will hold public hearings on the proposed budget in September before voting on it.

Buckhorn’s budget proposal includes $175.3 million in capital improvements, including $4.72 million for Fire Station No. 23, which will be located at 20770 Trout Creek Dr., behind the AutoZone and Christian Brothers Automotive off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in the Trout Creek area.

“Something near and dear to council (member Lisa) Montelione’s heart, and this will be her last budget, so this is our gift to our friends and neighbors in the New Tampa area,’’ Buckhorn said.

Montelione, who has resigned her Council seat effective Nov. 8 to run against Republican incumbent Shawn Harrison for his Florida House District 63 seat, has championed the new fire house in her five years on the Council.

“Fire Station 23 is the one that even my predecessor had been pestering the administration about when Pam Iorio was the mayor, so that one has a long history,’’ Montelione said.

Buckhorn4_030816 The fire station is part of the city’s $120.3-million Capital Improvement Program, which is addressing a significant amount of previously deferred infrastructure projects. The land had been acquired previously by the city, and Buckhorn said New Tampa is starting to grow again, so it’s time to finally deliver the fire house.

“Growth in New Tampa is starting to emerge again,’’ he said. “During the recession, it was virtually nothing. We recognize now that, with the anticipated entitlements and the demand for housing up in New Tampa, we needed to fulfill that obligation.”

Another fire station, No. 24, is planned for the K-Bar Ranch area off Morris Bridge Rd. in the future. It won’t be funded and built next year like No. 23, but it is on the city’s budget radar after Montelione brought light to the need for one in the K-Bar area — despite the location of Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd., a mile or so west of Morris Bridge Rd.

“Included for in future years, there are planning dollars and construction dollars for Fire Station No. 24,’’ Buckhorn said. “We’ve got design dollars in there to be done as the growth continues to occur.”

Montelione said she worked with M/I Homes and the city’s Parks & Recreation Department to secure the land. She said there are long-range plans to build a 54-acre park in the K-Bar area, and she called the parks department and asked for two acres for the fire house.

“It’s all very preliminary,’’ Montelione said. “I would think it would be 2019 before it comes out of the ground, but it’s on the radar so that’s good.”

Montelione said she is still combing over the budget, and while pleased to see the fire station finally getting built, “I always want to have more for New Tampa. There are a couple of things I’ve worked on for a long, long, long time and they’re here, and there are things I wish I were in here (that) are not.”

The New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) will be getting updated playground equipment in the proposed budget. The Tampa City Council has voted twice in five years to bypass expansion of the NTRC that had previously been budgeted, including a Feb. 4 vote to spend the money budgeted for the Rec Center to fix the Cuscaden Park pool in Ybor City.

“Still no expansion, and I’m still upset about that,’’ Montelione said.

Also in the proposed budget, Cross Creek Blvd. from W. Cory Lake Blvd. to Morris Bridge Rd. will be outfitted with CCTV traffic monitoring cameras as part of Tampa’s intelligent transportation systems program, which monitors traffic patterns and is designed to improve transportation.

Buckhorn sounded an upbeat tone when talking about Tampa’s overall fiscal health. He cited various reports hailing the area as one of the best in the country. Money magazine listed Tampa as the “Best City In The Southeast,” Realtor.com recognized Tampa as a “Top Place To Move”, and Tampa was the only city to make Bloomberg Business Week’s “America’s Best Cities” list, to name just a few.

Buckhorn also says that the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) added 42,800 more jobs in March compared with last year, and has seen its unemployment rate drop from 9.9 percent in 2011 to its current 4.6 percent.

“If you think back to 2011, when a majority of us came to this Council, it was a very different place,’’ Buckhorn said. “It was a different country, a very different state and definitely a very different city.”

Buckhorn came into office facing a shortfall of more than $30 million. Thanks to increased property tax revenues and departmental reductions, the City was able to close its projected $9.2-million operating shortfall.

“We are not out of the woods yet,’’ Buckhorn admitted. “We are still struggling to find our footing. The resources that we have (now) are not even close to what we had in 2007.”

But, things are getting better, he added. And part of the reason for that is a streamlined permitting process that is bringing more development to the area. From Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 to FY2016, the city permitted nearly $10 billion worth of construction. In FY2016 alone, permitted projects were projected at $2.3 billion. And, for FY2017, $7.5 billion is projected.

“We said from day one that we can’t cut our way out of the recession,” Buckhorn said. “We have to grow our way out of the recession and that’s why we streamlined the permitting process. Heretofore, we were not competitive. People did not want to come do business with us because the regulatory process was so burdensome. That doesn’t exist today, and we’ve become a model of how to permit.”

To view Mayor Buckhorn’s entire proposed FY2017 budget, please visit TampaGov.net/Budget.

Indoor Sports Facility In Wesley Chapel Sprints Towards Finish Line

This indoor sports facility in Gatlinburg, TN, is seen as the model for the planned indoor sports complex that hopefully will begin building soon in the Wiregrass Ranch DRI in Wesley Chapel.

With the $20-million Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI) complex nearing completion and Raymond James Financial now cleared for construction in the Wiregrass Ranch area, the S.R. 56 corridor is starting to deliver on much of its promise.

The next big project approaching the developmental runway is the long-awaited county athletic complex, which will be located just east of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel on 126.5 acres of land dedicated by the Porter family.

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) recently extended its deadline from July 6 to Aug. 5 for private companies to submit proposals to develop the new multi-purpose indoor facility, and public meetings to evaluate the proposals could take place in as soon as the next two weeks.

Moore said four bids were submitted.

“It’s getting closer,’’ said Pasco’s District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, who represents the Wesley Chapel area.

After the evaluation committee and public take a look at the bids, the responding firms are tentatively scheduled to go through interviews and give presentations in September, with a potential vote for approval by the BCC sometime in October.

The county is hoping to finally dip more than just a toe into the booming sports tourism market which, according to an April report by the National Association of Sports Commissions, is a $9.45- billion-per-year industry.

Pasco is looking for a private partner who would develop, finance, manage, operate and maintain the facility. The county has previously agreed to contribute $8.5 million to the design and construction of the project in money raised through its tourism development tax, and there would be a revenue-sharing aspect to the private-public relationship.

The private company chosen will be expected to market, solicit, advertise and conduct public relations activities for leagues, sporting events, concerts, tournaments and other gatherings to maximize use of the complex at no cost to the county, which will help with marketing.

Previous attempts dating back to 2001 to build facilities — one for tennis, one for baseball and another outdoor multi-purpose facility — have failed, but Johnson Consulting of Chicago said in a feasibility report last year that the outdoor market was saturated and the county should instead focus on an indoor facility, which was met with support by the BCC.

According to recommendations made by Johnson Consulting in Oct. of 2015, which the county says it would like to move forward with, the project will involve three phases.

The indoor facility will be a multi-purpose complex between 85,000 and 100,000 square feet on 5-7 acres of land. The facility, or Phase 1 of development of the property, would have 6-8 basketball courts, which could be converted to 12-16 volleyball courts, elevated seating for 500-750, concession stands, 4-6 multipurpose rooms and a sports orthopaedic and healthcare partnership.

“When you think about all the indoor sports travel teams, all those indoor sports (like cheerleading, gymnastics, wrestling, basketball and volleyball), there’s really nowhere in this area really focusing on those,’’ Moore said. “The indoor facility would be much better for our area. It will be a big draw for tournaments year-round, and that means more people staying in hotels and shopping and eating in the area.”

Phase 2 of the project (5-15 acres), according to the Johnson Consulting report, would include 3-4 outdoor rectangular multi-purpose grass fields (two with lights), a Championship area for bigger events, an interactive playground and splash pads.

Phase 3 (10-15 acres) would incorporate an alternative entertainment zone, with indoor skydiving, zip lines, ropes courses and a driving range.

The remaining 25-35 usable acres would be for hotel development, themed retail, a community center, active and passive green space for the community, plus trails for walking, running and biking.

Johnson Consulting conservatively estimates that more than 100,000 participants will use the facility annually. While deficits are projected the first four years, the indoor sports complex is projected to bring in more than $200,000 a year in net profit by year six.

While initially Johnson Consulting expressed concerns over a lack of local lodging, three new hotels (see story on page 13) totaling more than 250 rooms are slated to open in the next year or two.

Moore said the facility that may compare best to what is hoped for in Wesley Chapel is the Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, TN, an 86,000-sq.-ft. indoor facility with 18 basketball and volleyball courts and seven outdoor synthetic turf fields, including a Championship Stadium Field. “If we do it right, we should be able to draw tournaments from across the nation,’’ Moore said.

indoor sports facility

Freedom High Athletic Trainer Ian Graulich Named State’s Best

If you’re a high school athlete, you want a team trainer who can work out that cramp, tape up that ankle and adjust that shoulder — anything to get you back in the game as soon as possible.

But, being a high school athletic trainer goes well beyond the obvious. There are concussions and heat-related issues that can lead to dire consequences for prep athletes, as well as the risk of major infections like MERSA and even cardiac symptoms that often have to be monitored.

The job, at times, can be harrowing.

At Freedom High in Tampa Palms, however, that job is done very well. In fact, it’s done as well, if not better than, at any other high school in the state, according to the Athletic Trainers’ Association of Florida.

On July 17, the ATAF recognized Freedom head certified athletic trainer (ATC) and Tampa Palms resident Ian Graulich as the state’s High School Athletic Trainer of the Year.

“I was very surprised,’’ says Graulich. “I was humbled by that. It was pretty cool.”

Graulich is truly deserving after the busy 2015-16 school year he had. The Washington, D.C., native said in the past year, he had five football players with torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) in their knees, four players with concussions and two others who suffered a spine injury and a broken leg. And, that’s just the football team.

“Unfortunately, that probably helped (me win the award),’’ Graulich joked.

One of Graulich’s key attributes which likely contributed to his winning the award is that he also has helped prepare other athletic trainers, many of whom have gone on to become successful themselves. Graulich has had a positive influence on many of those students, who are now “paying it forward,” he says.

“Anyone who has worked with Ian will tell you this is a well-deserved honor,’’ says Laurie, Ian’s wife of 17 years. “He is highly regarded in the New Tampa athletics community. On many occasions, we’ve been out in the neighborhood, and parents will approach us to say how much Ian helped their son or daughter after an injury.”

Ian and Laurie met at the University of Florida in Gainesville, when their college roommates started dating each other. The roommates broke up after only six months; Ian and Laurie have been together the 23 years since.

The love bug isn’t the only thing Graulich caught in Gainesville — he also caught the athletic training bug.

“I was just very interested in a profession that combined athletics, which I love, with healthcare,’’ he says. “And I find working with young athletes more enjoyable than working with older patients.”

IanTrainerWEB Graulich earned his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Exercise & Sports Science from Florida in 1996. In 1998, he earned a Master of Science degree in athletic training from California University of Pennsylvania.

The Graulichs have lived in Tampa Palms since 2007, with 11-year-old daughter Kaitlyn, who attends Liberty Middle School, and 5-year-old Kristen, a Tampa Palms Elementary student.

He has been Freedom’s head athletic trainer since 2011. He also has worked for 10 years for the SMART (Sports Medicine & Athletic Related Trauma) Institute on the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus, where he is one of 15 certified athletic trainers providing daily, on-site care and coverage to thousands of student athletes at 13 high schools in Hillsborough County.

A typical day for Graulich might involve a few hours in the morning at the USF SMART Institute. Once at Freedom, Graulich will typically keep a close eye on football practice, because it has the most players (thus more chances for injuries), but he is responsible for every sport at the school. Many nights, he will work whatever Patriots games are being played.

Practices, he says, are where most of the injuries and, especially, heat-related illnesses here in Florida occur. He cited the recent death of Oklahoma State University basketball player Tyrek Coger, who died after a 40-minute workout on the football stadium stairs in hot weather.

“We face those fears on a daily basis,’’ Graulich said. “You always have that worry. Our most important job is to be there for emergency purposes and worst-case scenarios. We want to keep our athletes from being in the newspaper (for the wrong reasons).”

Graulich was the first full-time certified athletic trainer for Northwood University in West Palm Beach in 1998. And, while he enjoyed his work at the college, Graulich said he has found his niche at both the SMART Institute, which affords him an opportunity to teach and take part in research, and as a high school trainer at Freedom.

It doesn’t get any better, Graulich says, and the athletes he is keeping an eye on at Freedom can probably say the same thing about him.

For more info about the USF SMART Institute, visit health.usf.edu/medicine/orthopaedic/smart/index.htm.

freedom high trainer

New Tampa Eagle Scout Project Gives U.S. Flags Proper Retirement

All-American holidays honoring veterans, celebrating our independence and remembering those fallen in defense of it are times when citizens, old and new, proudly display the Stars and Stripes. But, what is to be done with Old Glory when it becomes worn and tattered and needs to be replaced and properly retired?

Grant Collie, a 17-year-old New Tampa Boy Scout, has an answer.

With construction help from family and fellow Scouts, using materials donated by the Lowe’s Home Improvement store in Tampa Palms, Collie built two drop boxes for people to deposit worn flags as his Eagle Scout service project.

Flags that are turned in at Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 21 on Green Pine Ln., off of Cross Creek Blvd. (about one-half-mile east of Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd.), will be respectfully retired in ceremonies conducted by Boy Scout Troop 148, which is chartered by St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in New Tampa, where the troop also meets.

Collie undertook the project as part of his quest to become an Eagle Scout. One of the requirements to obtain that status is to complete a service project that benefits the community and demonstrates leadership.

Collie says he became aware of the need when he attended a flag retiring ceremony a few years ago.

“My Boy Scout troop had a flag retirement ceremony at the Lazydays RV Resort campground in Seffner a few years ago, and since then, people have been asking at the office there if they can turn in flags,” the Wharton High grad says.

BoyScout2WEB According to the United States Flag Code, organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the military and some veterans organizations are authorized to conduct flag retirement ceremonies.

Collie hopes the boxes, which will be placed at Lazydays RV Resort in Seffner and Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 21 in New Tampa, will make it easier for people to turn in their flags. “My troop will periodically empty the boxes, collect the flags and perform a flag ceremony,” he says.

Collie has been involved in Scouting since he was a first-grader at Richard F. Pride Elementary.

He credits the Cub Scout and Boy Scout leaders, specifically Bryan Noll and current Troop 148 Scoutmaster David Thompson, for helping him “Be Prepared” for his future endeavors, starting with attending the University of Florida in Gainesville this fall to study electrical engineering.

“Scouting has been a huge part of my life,” Collie says. “It’s taught me about responsibility and independence. ‘Be Prepared’ is the motto, and I live my life by that.”

According to Thompson, the leadership Collie is demonstrating with his flag box project is consistent with what he has shown in his Troop 148 activities.

“He has been a great mentor, teaching younger Scouts about the flag,” says Thompson, who suggests people fold their flags and put them in plastic bags when they deposit them in the box.

Collie’s parents are proud as their son advances toward becoming an Eagle Scout and appreciate the role Scouting has in their son’s life.

His father, Phillip Collie, says the flag box project revealed an emerging side of his son’s character to him as he observed the work in progress. “He was very much in charge and showed a lot of leadership skills,” Phillip says.

Laura Collie is similarly pleased with the influence Scouting and the service project have had on her son.

“I’ve seen him grow in maturity and respect toward others,” she says.

Fire Captain John Donnelly is in charge of Tampa Fire Rescue (TFR) Station No. 21 and sought approval to place the box at the station.

In the letter to TFR Chief Thomas Forward, Donnelly wrote, “I think this would be a great way to assist Grant in achieving his goal, while allowing the citizens of Tampa a dignified way to retire their American flags.”

Forward granted permission and a box was placed at Station 21 on Aug. 2.

When Collie delivered the box (far right), Donnelly commented on the project’s alignment with TFR’s purpose.

“Our goal is to aid the community and this goes along with that,” he said.

People wanting to drop flags off at Fire Station No. 21 should enter through the main office door and they will be directed to the box, says Donnelly.

Collie expressed optimism the boxes at the fire station and at Lazydays RV Resort will get a lot of use.

“I know there’s lots of people around here who have (old or tattered) flags, so I’m hoping they’ll bring them here so we can have ceremonies and retire them,” Collie says.

Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 21 is located at 18902 Green Pine Ln., off Cross Creek Blvd. Lazydays RV Resort is located at 6210 C.R. 579 in Seffner.

eagle scout

Day: August 11, 2016

Budget Proposal Brings New Fire Station & Playground Equipment To New Tampa

Indoor Sports Facility In Wesley Chapel Sprints Towards Finish Line

Freedom High Athletic Trainer Ian Graulich Named State’s Best

New Tampa Eagle Scout Project Gives U.S. Flags Proper Retirement

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