Hundreds Attend Commissioner Hagan’s Town Hall Meeting 

 New Parks, The Pebble Creek Golf Course & Sidewalks Were Among The Many Topics Covered At The NTPAC

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan (at podium in upper right) addresses about 200 New Tampa residents at his standing-room-only Town Hall meeting on June 10 at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center. Hagan brought along representatives of pretty much every county department to help answer questions he couldn’t during his 90-minute question-and-answer session. (Photo by Charmaine George)

Even though signs were posted throughout the New Tampa area for several weeks leading up to it, neither District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan nor New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) manager Keith Arsenault expected the standing-room-only crowd of more than 200 people who showed up at Comm. Hagan’s Town Hall meeting on June 10 at NTPAC. 

“I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight,” Hagan said as he stood behind the podium on the NTPAC’s stage. “I know there’s a million things you could be doing with your time but the fact that you took time out of your schedules to join us is very much appreciated. This is a heck of a crowd. I expected a pretty good turnout but I had no idea it would be to this extent.” 

Before he began the Town Hall, Hagan said he had a few “housekeeping” issues he wanted to get to, including an announcement about “New Tampa’s own Bruhat Soma, who recently won the Scripps National Spelling Bee. We invited him here tonight, but as you can imagine, he’s been to the White House, to California…we will be formally recognizing him at a future County Commission meeting, but what a tremendous accomplishment! I still remember the word that I misspelled in third grade… it was ‘grammar.’ To this day, I still think about that, but I wanted to honor this young man.” 

Hagan then mentioned that if people in attendance were like him, “You’re probably tired of seeing my picture on signs all around the neighborhoods. Well, those signs have all now been removed.” 

The Reason For The Town Hall 

“The purpose of this meeting tonight is to bring the county government to you,” Hagan said. “New Tampa is a wonderful community, as I know first-hand, having lived here for 15 years. It’s also a very unique community, as most of New Tampa is located in the City of Tampa, but you have certain neighborhoods — Cross Creek, Pebble Creek and Live Oak — that are in unincorporated Hillsborough.” 

Hagan then noted that, “Most of the main roads in New Tampa are county roads — Bruce B. Downs, Morris Bridge, Kinnan Street and you’ve got Cross Creek (Blvd.), with parts in the city, parts in the county. One of the first things I did, many moons ago, when I lived in Cross Creek, was to widen Cross Creek Blvd. to four lanes and to get a traffic signal at Kinnan — and that’s when I realized the challenge, because it was divided.” 

He added that, “The good thing is that we have a wonderful relationship with the City of Tampa, which makes things move a lot better. I know when I lived here, sometimes it felt like there were two New Tampas — south of I-75 and north of 75, which I know because I lived for nine years in Tampa Palms and six years in Cross Creek.” 

Hagan also said that he recognized that, “New Tampa is quite a bit aways from downtown Tampa, where the government offices are, and most folks up here are working or are busy with day-to-day activities and don’t have the opportunity to come down to attend a County Commission or City Council meeting. That’s why I wanted to have a forum, where we would bring the various county departments here to answer your concerns.” 

He also made sure that people in the audience understood that, “We’re here tonight to discuss New Tampa issues. We’re not here to discuss energy policy, geopolitical issues, presidential or any other elections. There also are some folks signed up asking questions about some issues related to New Tampa that I’m not going to touch on tonight (because there were 75+ people signed up to speak and less than 90 minutes before the meeting had to end), but if you provided your contact information, someone from my office will contact you and we will provide you with an update” 

Introducing The Departments 

Hagan then introduced the 50 or so people in attendance from the various city and county departments — City of Tampa Police (TPD), Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), Hillsborough Fire Rescue (HFR), Pet Resources, Code Enforcement, Library Services, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Clerk of the Court, Supervisor of Elections, Affordable Housing, Homeless Services, Public Works, Conservation & Environmental Lands Management, County Parks & Recreation, City Parks & Recreation, Water Resources, Development Services, Children’s Services and the county’s Office of Emergency Management. Hagan thanked Arsenault and his NTPAC staff for hosting the meeting and noted what an amazing addition it already has been to the New Tampa community. 

And Away We Go! 

As Hagan scrolled his way through the sign-up sheets, he decided to start the actual town hall with an update on the improvements to Branchton Park. 

“When I lived in Cross Creek, I would often take Morris Bridge Rd. to get home and I would drive by this beautiful, but underutilized, park at the corner of Morris Bridge and Cross Creek,” Hagan said. “I said to myself that this would be a real opportunity to create a wonderful park that would be a true destination.” 

He then noted that several years ago, the county purchased 22 acres surrounding the existing park, “So now, we have a total of 42 acres. And what I wanted was to find out what the community, what amenities you wanted for this park, so we did an online survey to which more than 500 people responded and we incorporated nearly all of those suggestions into the park’s design.” 

Hagan then said that the county broke ground on the on the $9.5 million in improvements to Branchton Park, “about a year and a half ago. Phase 1 will have a new playground, splash pad, shelters, pickleball courts, a dog park and we’re looking for a private partner to provide the county’s first zip line. It’s going to be something really cool.” He added that he’s hopeful to have a ribbon cutting for Phase 1 sometime in September of this year. 

Speaking of parks, Hagan next gave an update on the Cross Creek Park Recreation Center, located adjacent to Pride Elementary. 

“This 17,000-sq.-ft. gymnasium and rec center is fully funded at a little over $9 million,” he said, “It also will have walking trails, a new playground and parking. It will provide much-needed after-school and summer programs for children, as well as senior and adult programming during the day. It will have indoor basketball, volleyball, pickleball..plus a fitness room and multi-purpose room.” 

He also said the next phase at the rec center will include an outdoor pavilion and a shade structure for the outdoor basketball court. “The current status is that the bidding is under way and closes this month (June) and we’re hoping to break ground on this recreation center in August or September.” 

Many local residents checked out the plans for the expansion of Branchton Regional Park. (Photo by Gary Nager) 

Hagan then recognized Cheryl Pahl, a retired 20-year teacher at Hunter’s Green Elementary and Pebble Creek resident for 30 years, who gave a prepared speech about incorporating a ceramics/ pottery art studio somewhere in New Tampa. 

“I have been teaching pottery at the Carrollwood Cultural Center,” Pahl said, “and I’m here tonight to advocate for the arts in New Tampa. This wonderful venue (the NTPAC) provides a road map to remove gaps to other types of art instruction in New Tampa outside of regular K-12 school instruction. We could provide pottery, painting and drawing instruction for all ages at this facility (the Cross Creek rec center). All art classes will have registration and other fees, so it could be self-sustaining after the initial outlay.” 

Pahl also mentioned that she and a group of volunteers circulated a petition around New Tampa and had collected, “close to 300 signatures.” 

Hagan responded that he fully supports creating an art and ceramics studio and, “I’ve had preliminary discussions with our parks director Rick Valdez to discuss potential options.” He added that the Parks Dept. has “eliminated kiln (ceramics oven) studios in our parks facilities, but based on the interest you’ve garnered, I want to make this a reality. An art and kiln studio will most likely be located in a dedicated room at the Cross Creek park or here (at NTPAC) in Phase 2, with Cross Creek a better chance to have it sooner. But, we’re going to make this happen.” 

Next, Maggie Wilson from the Tampa Palms Owners Association thanked Hagan and the county for repairing some sidewalks along BBD in Tampa Palms North “very quickly.” 

Also speaking on sidewalks was Diane Campbell from The Hammocks off County Line Rd., who began asking seven years ago for a sidewalk from in front of Grand Hampton to the stores on both sides of County Line & BBD, such as Target and LA Fitness. 

“Pasco put in a sidewalk on their side of County Line from Target to the entrance to Northwood” she said, “so we would just need one from Grand Hampton to Northwood. You said Public Works would look into it, so I’m wondering if there’s an update on it.” 

Hagan responded that sidewalks and road resurfacing, “are the biggest unfunded needs we face. We have hundreds, if not thousands, of unfunded sidewalk repairs, in addition to new sidewalks that you’re referencing right now. We also heard from many in the community about adding a traffic signal on County Line (at the entrance to Grand Hampton) and I’m very pleased that I was able to get the funding for that signal. Your sidewalk project is on the list of needs, but it’s currently unfunded for, I believe, $1.9 million. Should the (one-cent) Community Investment Tax (CIT) renewal — which is on the ballot this November) — pass again, then we will be able to get that sidewalk completed.” 

Via Italia restaurant owner and Live Oak Preserve resident Sunny Patel asks about a possible Kinnan St.-Mansfield Blvd. connection. 

Next up was Sunny Patel, the twelve-year Live Oak resident who also recently became the new owner of Via Italia restaurant. Patel said he was thankful the county built the NTPAC, but that he is hoping that one day, the Kinnan St.-Mansfield Blvd. connection that is now paved will one day be open to vehicular traffic. 

Hagan said, “You say you’ve lived here for twelve years, but I’ve been working on this issue even longer. The obstruction to making the connection is the Pasco County Board of Commissioners. I actually had an agreement with the county administrator, three administrators ago, that once Mansfield was connected to 56, they would open up Kinnan to Mansfield, but that never transpired. To show you how far back this goes, I was on the front page of the (now defunct) Tampa Tribune quoted as saying that there should be a toll booth on Bruce B. Downs (at the Pasco County line) because 60-70% of the traffic on BBD emanated from Pasco County.” 

He added, “The frustrating thing is that the Pasco County staff, their MPO, have all agreed that making the connection makes sense. The emergency and bicycle access at that location is a step in the right direction, but come hell or high water, one of these days, that’s going to happen under my watch.” 

Hunter’s Green resident Ed Killborn then raised a very popular topic — the timing of the traffic signals along BBD. “Since BBD was widened, the timing of the traffic signals has actually increased traffic tremendously,” Killborn said. “You sit at one red light, then the next red light and the next…and people are speeding like crazy trying to get through the lights before they change. There are two lights at BBD and I-75 and I defy you to get through those two lights going 45 miles per hour (the posted speed limit). My question is, why can’t we do something about reasonable timing of the lights at 45 miles per hour?” 

Hagan responded, “First of all, I agree with you. I’m pretty certain I ran one of those lights on my way here.” He also said that he would have Josh Bellotti from Public Works, who was in attendance at the Town Hall meeting, get with Killborn to discuss the timing of the signals on BBD. 

Several speakers were on hand simply to thank Hagan and his fellow commissioners for building the NTPAC. Tampa Palms resident Blake Hamilton was one of those but he also asked that the county find the money to expand the facility. Hagan recapped his efforts to make the dreams of Graeme Woodbrook and the late Doug Wall a reality. 

“The county bought this land as part of the BBD widening project,” Hagan said, “and some in the county wanted to ‘surplus’ it, meaning that it would’ve ended up as more houses or apartments, and I said, ‘Hell no, this is an unbelievable opportunity, in the middle of this community, to do something really special here. It took a lot longer than it should have, but I’m very proud that it’s here. But, to answer your question, it was designed with the ability to expand, so it’s 20,000 sq. ft. now and we can expand it by another 10,000 sq. ft., which is included in the CIT list of eligible projects.” 

Another local resident asked why the power lines between Pebble Creek and Cross Creek aren’t buried, “because we lost power during the last big storm when it seemed everyone else in New Tampa still had power.” Hagan said the last he heard was that TECO (Tampa Electric Co.) had a plan in place and a route selected for burying those power lines, “but that isn’t expected to start until next year.” 

New Tampa resident Suzie Marie then asked why there seems to be a lot more Tampa Police officers patrolling New Tampa than there are Hillsborough Sheriff ’s deputies, to which Hagan responded that, “Our Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff (Chad) Chronister, does a great job, and crime is down around the county, but the county is always below the national average for deputies per 1,000 population. But, what I sill tell you is that a substation will be located at Branchton Park, which will increase the Sheriff’s Office presence in New Tampa.” 

Next up was Leslie Green of the Save Pebble Creek group, who thanked Comm. Hagan for voting against rezoning of the now-vacant Pebble Creek golf course and asked if the county would consider buying it to make it a county public golf course. 

Hagan said that the county has looked into it and the most likely scenario would be for the Tampa Sports Authority to buy it, “but we’d have to have a willing seller, and he would have to come down from his current number. But absolutely, we’re interested.” 

He added that he has not yet seen any attempt to re-zone the property for affordable housing under the state’s new Live Local act, “and Adam Gormly with our Development Services department tells me that the golf course would not qualify for Live Local.” 

Long-time Cory Lake Isles resident Sid Shaw expressed concerns about safety on Morris Bridge Rd. from Cross Creek Blvd. south to I-75 (at the Fletcher Ave. exit). Hagan responded, “Morris Bridge is extremely dangerous. Last year alone, there were 33 crashes and three fatalities. A couple of months ago, we approved $2 million for safety improvements, including no-passing vertical delineators, reflective and profiled lane line markings, speed feedback signs, flashing beacons, curb warnings, back plates, electrical conduits, bike lane safety enhancements, bridge bike lane signs, milling and resurfacing, wildlife signs and more. Morris Bridge will be made a much safer road.” 

Hagan also mentioned that he is working to get the Bay Chapel Food Pantry on BBD $10-$15,000 to help them get a new freezer and that the work on the Grand Hampton traffic signal on County Line Rd. had begun and could be completed by the end of June. He also responded to a question about resurfacing the side roads in Pebble Creek now that Pebble Creek Dr. and Regents Park Dr. are finished. “That’s about a $6 million project and we will need the CIT to pass for that to be funded.” As for the expansion of the New Tampa Regional Library, Hagan said the plan is to expand the library by an additional 5,000 sq. ft. at a cost of about $700,000. 

After the meeting, Hagan and his aide Rich Reidy responded to my question about the $500 million in overturned transportation tax money, about half of which will go back to county for “major road improvements by July 1,” according to Reidy. “But we wanted it to improve neighborhood roads.” 

K-Bar Ranch Residents Get Updates From Viera At Latest Town Hall Meeting 

District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera (far right in photo above) says that, as the only still-growing community in New Tampa, he would prefer to hold his Town Hall meetings in K-Bar Ranch at least twice a year. But, even though his last Town Hall in K-Bar was a year and a week before, Viera did return again to the Amenity Center in K-Bar on Mar. 20 to provide updates to the residents of the community. 

And, while about 50 K-Bar residents showed up at the meeting to voice their concerns and, in some cases, complaints about speeding, traffic and other issues in their community, Viera not only took the time to address those and other concerns — plus some of his own — he also brought director Marilyn Heldt and manager Miray Holmes from the city’s new Customer Experience Department to show the residents the best (and fastest) way to get their concerns to the right people. 

One thing Viera brought up during his opening remarks was about his idea to place a “mobile” emergency vehicle in K-Bar. 

“Among the major issues that I see out here are public safety and especially, fire safety,” Viera said. “There’s not a lot of calls in K-Bar — only maybe 100-150 a year, thank God, but when there are calls, we want to make sure that we can get to them on time. The challenge isn’t the number of calls out here, it’s the time it takes for us to get here. So, one of the things I’ve been trying to get out here is some sort of a dedicated ‘modular’ station actually in K-Bar Ranch, but Tampa Fire Rescue (TFR) chief Barbara Tripp is not on board with that right now.” 

He added, “But, one thing that is going to happen is that there will be a dedicated rescue vehicle for K-Bar Ranch at Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd. near Morris Bridge Rd., so that’s going to help. The challenge with it is that this dedicated unit will still have to go all the way to Kinnan- Mansfield to get into K-Bar Ranch and that is going to take time. And, one call that takes 12 minutes and someone loses their life or suffers a catastrophic injury is too many.” 

He also noted that the other thing he’s working on with not only the city, but also Hillsborough County and TFR, is a possible cut-through on Morris Bridge Rd. that would take that fire truck or EMS vehicle from Station No. 22 up Morris Bridge and into K-Bar on K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. 

“That would first have to be approved as a re-zoning by Tampa City Council, which could take anywhere from a year to a year-and-a-half,” he said.”As a long-time private sector guy before being elected to City Council, that’s one of the things that’s hard to deal with — how long things take when the government gets involved. It’s just something you have to deal with, though.” 

He also provided an update on the long-planned K-Bar Ranch park. “It’s one of the things we did get into the proposed (fiscal year 2024) budget,” Viera said. “We’ve already gotten the New Tampa Rec Center expanded and added the All-Abilities autism park (both in Tampa Palms), so the third thing I want to get working on is the K-Bar Ranch park. It’s something that’s in the CIT (Community Investment Tax), which means it’s in the plans for the budget, which at least gets the ball rolling.” 

Viera also said, “K-Bar Ranch is kind of the center of development in zip code 33647. The good news is that there isn’t much more new development coming to New Tampa. The bad news is…we’re full.” 

Improving Customer Experience 

Before turning the meeting over to questions from the residents, Viera introduced Holmes (left in photo below) and Heldt (right) to provide the residents with an update on the new Customer Experience department, what it does and how it can help the residents get their concerns in front of the right people in city government, and follow the progress of those concerns as they go through the governmental process. 

Heldt, who said she had been working for the city for about seven years in the technology department before being named the director of Customer Experience “about a year ago,” said, “I’m more of the interpreter between the technology team and our other departments. That is my background, but improving customer experience is my passion.” 

She also explained that when the city came up with this initiative, one of the big parts was strengthening resident services. 

“To improve the customer experience, the first thing we needed to do was to replace the software, which was 20+ years old,” Heldt said. “It didn’t even have a mobile component…it was awful.” 

Heldt also said that although her department and the software being used are still new, “We started out trying to think of what the citizens of Tampa wanted and how we can provide that for them. We want to be the city with the best possible customer experience. Some retail companies are good at customer experience, but government…not so much.” 

She added that her department is coming out with a “robust training program this fall for all of our employees. Next, we want to figure out where the ‘pain points’ are for citizens — what’s taking too long. So, when you put in a service request to have someone come out to fix a pothole, we’ll offer an initial survey to ask you how your experience was putting in the request. Then, when the request closes out, we’ll survey you again to see how the process was for you getting that issue resolved.” 

Heldt also noted that in order for her department to get the data they need to see how the city is responding to its customers, “Citizens have to use the system. Then, when we have enough data, we can start making those improvements.” 

Holmes then handed out cards with a QR code so those in attendance at the meeting could access the new system to get registered and see how it works. Holmes said that the new system went live in November, “and since that time, we have had more than 12,000 new ‘Tampa Connect’ system requests, of which almost 1,000 are from 33647, where the number one request for service had to do with water. That makes sense, because when you move into your home, you have to connect to our water.” 

Holmes then asked if any of the residents in attendance had used the new Tampa Connect system and one resident named Nick (in yellow in photo below) said he called to complain multiple times about speeding on Bassett Creek Dr. near Pride Elementary, but had not yet received a response. “The principal of Pride also called about it, but it doesn’t seem like anything has been done.” 

To that, Holmes responded that her department can talk to the city’s mobility department to ask them why there hadn’t been a response. “But someone should have gotten back to you.” 

Holmes also said that, for example, when you have a pothole on your street, “take a picture of it and upload it to the Tampa Connect system. The system will locate it and then ask you a few questions and once you upload your contact information, someone will respond about that pothole. Once you’ve uploaded your information, you’re given a case number and then, you’re able to track that request through until it is resolved.” 

Other Issues 

Viera then noted that although he’s OK with sending taxpayer dollars to help people in need, he was the only “No” vote when City Council voted to give $25 million in taxpayer funds to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and $10 million to the Tampa Museum of Art, “not because I don’t value the arts but because our roads are falling apart and that money would be better spent improving our neighborhoods.” 

Nick, who said his father was a Tampa Police (TPD) Officer for more than 20 years, also asked about why the 911 call system still doesn’t automatically connect to someone who can dispatch help, apparently because of all the new homes in both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel and the cross-jurisdictions of Tampa, Hillsborough and Pasco. He also noted that although Meadow Pointe residents successfully fought connecting Kinnan St. to Mansfield Blvd., now that Meadow Pointe Blvd. is connecting to K-Bar Ranch Pkwy., “We have a lot of people coming from Pasco and there’s a lot more speeding on our roads.” 

Viera said he is trying to arrange a meeting with Dist. 2 Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman to discuss those jurisdictional line issues, not only in K-Bar but also along County Line Rd. 

One resident who didn’t give their name also complained that although Tampa Police officers are out with their radar guns during the day to give K-Bar residents speeding tickets, “they’re not out here at night when there are people drag racing on our streets.” 

Another resident who didn’t give her name asked that when Viera meets with Comm. Weightman if they could again discuss opening Kinnan-Mansfield and the possibility of putting a roundabout at the location. “We also need a roundabout at Bassett Creek Dr. at Kinnan to slow folks down, because stop signs don’t slow folks down.” That resident thanked Viera, “You’re a good listener. Thanks to you, we have gotten stop signs, we’ve gotten lines on our roads and speed limits reduced the last two years.” 

Another idea Viera had to help cut down on speeding, thanks to a new law passed in Tallahassee, is to install speed cameras in school zones. He said, “I’m against speed cameras in general, but not in school zones, during school hours. I proposed passing that ordinance to City Council.” 

After taking questions for almost an hour, Viera said he was going to try to get set up a call with himself, five of the people at the Town Hall meeting and Vik Bhide from the city’s Mobility Dept., to discuss all of the road issues in K-Bar. He also plans to come back to K-Bar in June to meet with Tampa Palms resident and Hillsborough School Board member Jessica Vaughn to discuss the traffic situation around Pride. 

The Best Of The Latest New Tampa Town Hall

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor takes additional questions from New Tampa residents following the April 21 Town Hall held at Freedom High in Tampa Palms. (Photo: Charmaine George)

If you’re into local government, then you have to be impressed with the roster of dignitaries that District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera lined up for his latest New Tampa town hall, held last month at the Freedom High auditorium.

Those sharing the stage included the guest of honor, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, longtime District 2 Tampa Police Dept. (TPD) Major Mike Stout, interim Tampa Fire Rescue Chief Barbara Tripp, City of Tampa director of mobility Vik Bhide and Parks & Recreation director Sherisha Hills. “The Monsters of Rock tour,” Viera joked.

Here are four takeaways from that event:

&%$#@% Roads!

News Flash! — Traffic in New Tampa stinks! That was the message from those who got a chance to speak at the town hall. Whether it was congestion, unpaved roads (e.g., New Tampa and Tampa Palms Blvds.), people speeding or a lack of transportation options — even light rail was brought up! — local residents had a lot to say. 

Unfortunately, there really aren’t a lot of answers that don’t revolve around the city crying poor. The Supreme Court striking down the All For Transportation referendum money (a one-cent sales tax) continues to leave a mark. That money would have fixed a good portion of New Tampa’s problems..

“Hopefully there’s another transportation referendum in the future,” Mayor Castor said.

No Excuses

Not everyone was buying the referendum excuse. Local transportation activist Dr. Jim Davison was his usual feisty self, basically accusing the city of not using the gas and other taxes New Tampa residents pay to fix their transportation woes while blaming the Supreme Court decision instead. 

“There’s millions of dollars there,” Dr. Davison said, to applause. 

Davison also criticized the city for taking the East-West Expressway (aka the E-W Rd.) off the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization long-range plan. The debate over an E-W Rd. — which would have connected the New Tampa Gateway Bridge (that connects West Meadows to Tampa Palms) to I-275 — goes back more than 20 years. It was killed in 2008 by the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority but had remained in the MPO’s plans until 2017.

Davison also said he has been asked to reorganize the old New Tampa Transportation Task Force, of which he was a co-founder more than 20 years ago. He think it’s time for a “heart-to-heart” talk about what is happening in New Tampa and basically what the city is and isn’t doing about it.

“Because what is happening now, this ‘If you vote for the one-cent sales tax we’ll build all this stuff,’ that’s extortion,” Davison said, to more applause.

Kick Off?

Did Davison kick off his 2022 campaign for Tampa City Council or the Hillsborough County Commission at the town hall? It kind of sounded like it. 

Davison has run twice for the County Commission and lost, and ran for City Council in a 2016 special election to replace Lisa Montelione that launched Viera’s political career. Davison won 30 percent of the votes (compared to 20 percent for Viera) in a crowded primary field, but Viera won the run-off by 65 total votes.

So, is Davison ready for another run? Hmmmm.

Some Good News

Mayor Castor told the audience that she has signed off on the planning and development contract for the All Abilities Park, which also has been called the Sensory Park and will be built at the New Tampa Recreation Center. 

“That should be started very very soon, so we’ll see another outstanding park out here in the New Tampa area,” Castor said.

Peter Gamborta of the Rotary Club of New Tampa said the club is ready and eager to begin fund raising for the park, as well as improvements for the New Tampa Rotary Dog Park, for which they raised $27,000 to build in 2015.

Castor also said the planning department threw dynamite on its permitting process, blowing it up and starting anew with the focus on new technology and more efficiency and effectiveness. That improvement yielded $4.5 billion in development in 2020, up from $3.4 billion in 2019, despite Covid.

And, despite all the complaints, the mayor insisted that her administration is working on transportation and public safety issues. “One of the reasons I ran for this position…is that this city is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in my lifetime,” Castor said. “We really have one opportunity to create the city we want Tampa to be, and to hand that off to the next generation. We’re very excited to be a part of that.”

Latest New Tampa Town Hall Tackles Road Safety, Local Business & More

Hillsborough County School Board member Cindy Stuart (left) and Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera at a recent New Tampa townhall.

Since taking over as the Tampa City council member representing District 7, which includes New Tampa, Luis Viera vowed to try to create a more engaged community by developing local leaders who would hold politicians’ feet to the proverbial fire.

One vehicle for doing so: town halls, which are run by the New Tampa Council, a group Viera helped organize that is comprised of leaders from various local communities.

Here’s what you missed from the latest town hall, which was held Nov. 15 at the Venetian Event Center at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd.

New Tampa Safety Group’s April Ingram.

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN — April Ingram, who started the New Tampa Safety Group, continued to beat the drum at the town hall for pedestrian safety in the K-Bar Ranch and Cross Creek areas. She also argued again for more crossing guards at Pride and Hunter’s Green Elementary schools, and suggested that the dangerous Kinnan St. and Cross Creek Blvd. intersection in front of Benito Middle School would benefit from more crossing guards, too.

Cindy Stuart, the School Board member for District 3, which includes all of New Tampa’s schools, didn’t disagree. Stuart, a guest speaker at the town hall, said that crossing guards are not offered by the Hillsborough County Sheriff Office (HCSO) at middle or high schools.

“That’s not my decision,” she says, even though she added she has shared data with HCSO that says middle and high school kids are more at risk than elementary school pedestrians. Stuart says that there is no money to hire more crossing guards or increase their pay, but added that HCSO will be requesting additional funds to do so.

Stuart, who chairs Hillsborough’s School Transportation Working Group (STWG), said the only way to get a crossing guard at Benito (or Wharton) would be to petition HCSO. You could hear light bulbs popping over the heads of many of the 50 or so residents in attendance.

DRIVE, DON’T TEXT — Stuart also said she has had numerous meetings about pedestrian safety in New Tampa, and there are minor changes in the works, such as moving the Benito Middle School bike rack from the side of the school where the buses operate closer to the front of the school, and clearing some trees to remove visual hindrances.

While students need to be taught the safest places to cross streets and not to assume that a red light means a car will necessarily stop, Stuart told the audience that it’s the adults who need to start paying more attention.

“The distracted driving in this community is horrible,” she said. “We have to stop.”

SWALLOWED UP? — A few residents in attendance expressed concerns that New Tampa is getting “swallowed up” by Wesley Chapel, due to the number of businesses that have been closing south of the Pasco line lately. One even suggested starting a grass roots organization to stop spending money in Wesley Chapel, while others worried that the two new tax referendums that recently passed (and have bumped the county’s sales tax to 8.5 percent) will only make it harder on local businesses.

Brad Suder, the superintendent of planning & design at the City of Tampa’s Parks & Recreation Department.

PARK NEWS — Brad Suder, the superintendent of planning & design at the City of Tampa’s Parks & Recreation Department, also was in attendance and provided some of the most well-received news of the night.

According to Suder, the five-acre New Tampa Sensory Park (one of Viera’s pet projects), planned for the land just south of BJ’s Wholesale Club on Commerce Palms Dr. in Tampa Palms, is not only proceeding, it is, “starting to become a dynamite-looking park.”

Suder, a New Tampa resident, said the original plans left him underwhelmed, but a new approach has yielded fantastic results. The proposed design should be completed by the middle of December.

Now comes the hard part: getting the money to actually build it.

While the $90,000 for the study and design was in last year’s City of Tampa budget, construction will require another $2-million that will have to be approved in this year’s budget come October 2019. It remains to be seen how a new mayor, who will be elected this spring, will affect those plans.

MORE MORE MORE — It was suggested by Arbor Greene’s Laura Blank that perhaps a group should be formed — a “town council” — to meet more frequently about issues residents in New Tampa may want to talk about. For example, why are there so many pizza places on Cross Creek Blvd.? And how about encouraging a breakfast restaurant to set up shop in New Tampa?

Jim Davison, who lost in his bid for the District 7 seat to Viera in 2016, suggested something like Café con Tampa, a weekly neighborhood gathering in South Tampa —often hosted by an area restaurant — where people show up to listen to special guests and talk about various issues.

It wasn’t clear if Davison was suggesting that these could be supplemental to the town halls, or a replacement for them. Davison lamented that “three months later, no one remembers what the hell we talked about.”

Viera, who defeated Davison to win his city council seat, took offense to that claim, pointing out that one town hall (at the New Tampa Recreation Center, or NTRC) was the launching point for local activists to get the NTRC expansion into the budget and approved, while other meetings have sparked things like Ingram’s safety group and a current study to repave the bike/pedestrian paths on New Tampa Blvd. in West Meadows.

MORE PARK TALK — K-BAR PARK ON HOLD? — Despite Davison’s claims, it was apparent that not everyone forgets what was said at previous town halls. K-Bar Ranch’s Will Tyson asked how the plans were coming along for the 50+-acre park planned for K-Bar Ranch that was talked about at the town hall in May.

Viera said that there hasn’t been any progress on the K-Bar park, as the city is trying to pay off some of its debt.

“It was never meant to be on the imminent horizon,” Viera said, putting a timeframe of 1-3 years on getting that park project built.

Wesley Chapel Town Hall Somewhat Divided On What To Do With Obamacare

More than 150 people attended the Feb. 22 Town Hall meeting hosted by U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis (standing, far right) at the Wesley Chapel High Center for the Performing Arts.

Many politicians, including senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), are ducking their constituents — or liberal activists, they would say — by avoiding town hall meetings.

Not Republican U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis, however, who represents the 12th District of Florida, which includes all of Wesley Chapel.

In fact, Rep. Bilirakis is tackling his town halls head on, including one held Feb. 22 at Wesley Chapel High on Wells Rd.

While the crowd of roughly 150 wasn’t quite as rowdy as some of the other town halls Bilirakis has hosted recently, the message was clear: don’t take away our healthcare, but fix it.

Those fixes, said most of those in attendance, shouldn’t include getting rid of some of the more popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”), specifically the number one concern raised that evening — coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.

“I’m begging you to keep something with pre-existing conditions,’’ said Bonnie Axler of Land O’Lakes. “I will lose my husband (who has cancer) if you don’t keep something.”

Bilirakis, praised by many of the speakers for showing up and not hiding from the people he represents, appeared to be truly listening to many of those speaking up. He cited his meetings with his constituents as the reason behind his support for the Obamacare repeal, which Republicans unveiled this week.

Although widely panned by Democrats and Republicans alike, as well as receiving little support from the country’s leading hospital and doctor groups like the American Medical Association (AMA), the Federation of American Hospitals and the AARP, Bilirakis said in a press release Thursday that “We have a better plan” than Obamacare.

The replacement, the American Health Care Act, is, according to Bilirakis, “the answer to lower costs, expand choices, and give patients more control. This bill reflects the feedback I’ve heard from my constituents over the past eight years. With our bill, we will put in place a health care system that works for Florida and the nation.”

A member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, Bilirakis is co-sponsoring the Pre-Existing Conditions Protection Act, which prohibits insurance companies from denying access, limiting coverage or raising premiums because someone is already sick.

Bilirakis also would like to see any replacement plan retain the ACA provision that allows people to keep their kids on their insurance until they turn age 26. That was good news to Zephyrhills resident Carrol Vaughn, who said she is fighting breast cancer and has a daughter in her 20s.

“There aren’t a lot of options to protect her until she’s 26,’’ she said.

Others, like Kurt Accebach of Odessa, went further. Accebach said everyone pays taxes for the police, the military and our streets, because it is for the common good.

“Maybe it’s time healthcare became a common good,’’ he said. A number of town hall attendees went over to shake Accebach’s hand afterwards.

Despite being in favor of some parts of the ACA, Rep. Bilirakis is opposed to Obamacare, voting to repeal it many times and calling it “unsustainable.”

“The costs are too high,’’ he says. “We have to come up with something better.”

His constituents have been showing up to demand it.

One speaker at the Wesley Chapel town hall reminded Rep. Bilirakis that he signed a pledge to repeal Obamacare in 2010, and campaigned on that promise while winning 71 percent of the vote (it was actually 63.5 percent) in 2012. He ran unopposed in 2014 and, in 2016, while still campaigning against Obamacare, Bilirakis received 68.6 percent of the vote.

“My question is to you,” said the speaker, “are you going to keep your campaign promise and repeal Obamacare?”

Bilirakis said he was keeping his promise, but was going to the people for ideas.

While those who voted for him and for President Donald Trump in Republican-friendly Pasco County may be demanding a repeal-and-replacement of the ACA, the controversial healthcare law is gaining in popularity across the country.

According to CNN, the latest Health Tracking Poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a polling source for the healthcare community, found that Obamacare has its highest level of support ever, with 48 percent in favor of it versus 42 percent opposed. A recent Pew Research Center poll (a nonpartisan fact tank), which does extensive public polling on different issues, has those numbers at 54 percent in favor of the ACA vs. 43 percent opposed.

Both are non-partisan organizations.

There remains, however, vocal opposition from those who cite rising costs and a shortage of plans and doctors as their reasons for dismantling it.

A steady stream of speakers lined up to offer their ideas to Bilirakis, ranging from requests to expand Obamacare to those who wanted to see it blown up altogether.

Some, like Axler, admit that the costs may be rising, but, “Every month I call in my credit card for that insurance, I thank God (my husband) is) still alive.”

Many in attendance blamed those rising costs on insurance companies, and cited that the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy in America is medical costs.

“When insurance and ‘big pharma’ is run as a profit model, we lose,’’ said Jennifer Higgins of Lutz.

Kim Irvine of Land O’Lakes claimed that Obamacare is not working. “I am for repealing and replacing it,’’ she said.

While she did say she supports a replacement covering pre-existing conditions, she told Bilirakis that those who insisted on keeping their children on their insurance until they were age 26 were “coddling” them.

“They need to grow up and get a real job,’’ she said.

Others, like Sandy Graves of Lutz, said supporters of Obamacare must be listening to “fake news.”

Rev. Mary Anne Dorner of Wesley Chapel said she has been struck by how divisive and looming the healthcare issue has become. “I have never seen people so afraid,” she said. “People are getting sick because they are so afraid.”

Dorner asked Bilirakis not to support a repeal of the ACA if there isn’t an improved replacement plan ready to go immediately.

Some in the crowd were still seething over comments made at Bilirakis’ town hall on Feb. 11, which attracted national attention. At that meet-up, Hudson’s Bill Akins, the then-Secretary of the Pasco Republican Executive Committee, told the crowd that the ACA has a provision for “death panels.” When the crowd erupted in protest, he called them “children” who needed to calm down.

Akins resigned a few days later.

But, Chelsea Bunch of Action Together Tampa Bay confronted Bilirakis (who was accused by some as nodding in agreement with Akins) at the Feb. 22 Town Hall, and asked him to publicly say there is no such thing as “death panels” in the ACA.

Bilirakis grabbed a microphone and said “There is no such thing as death panels in the ACA,” as the crowd erupted.

The town hall, scheduled for 6 p.m.-8 p.m., lasted two-and-a-half hours. Afterwards, Bilirakis posted a statement on his website.

“I held a series of public listening sessions on health care because it is my duty as a Representative to hear firsthand from my constituents, whether we agree or disagree on the issues. I will continue to seek common ground and constructive exchanges of ideas with the people of my district. That’s what democracy is all about.”