CAPTIONING JANUARY 6, 2009 METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION ***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the ***following meeting. It should be used for informational ***purposes only. This document has not been edited; ***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words ***that did not translate. >>JOE AFFRONTI: GOOD MORNING. WELCOME TO OUR METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MEETING FOR JANUARY 6th, 2009. WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A BRIEF INVOCATION. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US IN THE YEAR 2008, AND WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE US AS WE HANDLE THESE TRYING TIMES DURING 2009 AND WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE OFFER THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE TO OUR CITIZENS. WE ASK THAT YOU PROTECT OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE OVERSEAS AND IN THIS COUNTRY FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOMS. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON RECORD THAT MS. ROSE FERLITA -- THIS IS A MEMO FROM HER. I WILL NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE AT TODAY'S MPO MEETING. I WILL BE REPRESENTING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AS A SPEAKER AS THE GOVERNOR'S STATEWIDE AWARENESS DAY ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING IN ST. PETERSBURG. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY CAUSE ANY MEMBERS OF THE MPO. SO I HAVE READ THAT, AND MR. WAINIO WILL NOT BE HERE AS WELL, SO WITH THAT -- >>MARK SHARPE: MR. CHAIR. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. >>MARK SHARPE: I APOLOGIZE AS WELL. I WILL BE SPEAKING AT A DISABILITY FORUM AT 9:45 TODAY, SO I'LL NEED TO LEAVE EARLY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU, MR. SHARPE. SO WE'LL HANDLE THE ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO GET VOTES ON EARLY. THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU READ THE PAPER THIS MORNING IN THE TAMPA TRIBUNE WHERE THEY HAD AN ARTICLE REGARDING THE INDEPENDENT AUDIT THAT WAS DONE BY DAHAVEN & SMITH ASSOCIATES OF TALLAHASSEE, AND THAT WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, AND IT -- TO SUM IT UP, IT SAID, AN UNBIASED EVALUATION OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION CONTRACTED FOR THE STATE AGENCY PRAISES THE BOARD'S INDEPENDENCE AND VALUE, SO IT WAS AN EXCELLENT REPORT, AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE STAFF AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH REMIND ME THAT MR. HUNG MAI IS REPRESENTING THE PLANNING COMMISSION TODAY, AND WELCOME TO OUR BOARD. >>HUNG MAI: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 2nd MEETING? >> SO MOVE. >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SPEAK TO THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, AND I WOULD ASK YOU WHEN YOU COME UP, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR AFFILIATION, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO REPRESENT YOUR POSITION. SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO ASK MR. ZIMMERMAN. DO WE HAVE MR. ZIMMERMAN? >> YES. ROBERT ZIMMERMAN FROM BRANDON, FLORIDA. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M HERE IN -- TO REPRESENT THE ROONEYS, WHO LIVE IN THIS HOUSE WHERE THEY'VE LIVED NOW FOR 30 YEARS, AND NOW THEY WANT TO COME AND BULLDOZE IT DOWN AND WIDEN THAT ROAD THAT THEY LIVE ON TO ABOUT EIGHT LANES. THAT'S FINE, BUT JUST A FEW YEARS BACK, THEY DONE THAT TO ANOTHER ROAD CALLED FISHHAWK ROAD NOW, AND IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE FORESIGHT TO LOOK AHEAD TO WIDEN THAT ROAD FOR MORE TRAFFIC, I CAN'T SEE ANY REASON WHY THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTY SHOULD HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY NOW TO DO ANOTHER ROAD. THAT'S FINE. IF THEY WANT TO COME UP WITH SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS, THAT'S GREAT, BUT IT SHOULD BE USED FOR SOMETHING WORTHWHILE SUCH AS EDUCATION. I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANY MORE ROAD WIDENING, WE NEED MORE EDUCATION IN THE COUNTY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. OKAY. THE NEXT ONE IS VIVIAN BAFFA -- BACCA. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T HAVE MY GLASSES ON. >> VIVIAN BACCA, 413 EL GRECO DRIVE IN BRANDON. JUST HAVE A FEW QUICK COMMENTS. FIRSTLY, I'M OPPOSED TO THE LITHIA-PINECREST WIDENING TO SIX LANES. I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS, INCLUDING IN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA. I THINK A FOUR-LANE ROAD IN THAT AREA IS MORE THAN HAZARDOUS. WE HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING OUR COMMUNITY MORE WALKABLE, MORE LIVABLE, AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE CARS. HOW CAN PEOPLE CROSS THESE KINDS OF ROADS? LET'S JUST LOOK AT BLOOMINGDALE. THEY WIDENED THAT TO SIX LANES. IT'S A DISASTER. YOU CAN'T GET ACROSS. WHAT ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA DOWNTOWN LIKE DALE MABRY? I WAS DRIVING TO THE AIRPORT. THERE'S ALMOST NO CROSSWALKS, EVEN WITH THE STREETS -- THERE'S LOTS OF STREETS THAT INTERSECT DALE MABRY BUT NO CROSSWALKS. THERE'S NO WAY FOR PEOPLE TO GET ACROSS THAT STREET SAFELY. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE -- THE TAMPA BAY AREA HAS THE HIGHEST PEDESTRIAN FATALITY RATE IN THE NATION, I BELIEVE, SO IF NOT NUMBER ONE, I'M SURE WE'RE NUMBER TWO. WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT 2035 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WE'VE GOT TO START FIGURING OUT A WAY TO INCORPORATE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER IS KELLY CORNELIUS. KELLY. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS KELLY CORNELIUS. MY ADDRESS IS 18732 DORMAN ROAD IN LITHIA, STILL BYPASS FREE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [LAUGHTER] I CAME DOWN TODAY TO PUT OUR CONCERNS ON THE RECORD REGARDING SEGMENT "D" OF THE LITHIA-PINECREST WIDENING. SOME OF YOU WERE AT THE POLICIES MEETING, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING OUR CONCERNS INTO CONSIDERATION AT THAT MEETING, COUNCILWOMAN SAUL-SENA, AND PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY. MOST OF YOU KNOW THE STORY. SOME OF YOU DON'T. JUST TO CATCH YOU UP, LAST YEAR WE WERE TOLD AT A WORKSHOP THAT OUR SECTION WOULD NOT BE WIDENED THIS YEAR. THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE WIDENED ALL THE WAY UP TO SIX LANES. WE SCREAMED AND YELLED, AND THE COUNTY COMMISSION HAD A MEETING SEVERAL WEEKS AGO ABOUT THIS, AND NOW THEY'VE DECIDED TO ONLY GO WITH THE MPO PLAN AFTER WASTING $500,000 ON THAT PARTICULAR SEGMENT. SO IN DOING SOME DIGGING -- I'M STILL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THEY CAME UP WITH THEIR NUMBERS. I'M REVIEWING A LOT OF E-MAILS, AND IT'S SOME INTERESTING READING HOW IT GOT CHANGED FROM FISHHAWK, THE LOGICAL TERMINI FROM FISHHAWK TO 39. THAT'S QUITE INTERESTING HOW THEY DECIDED TO CHANGE THAT, AND I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS YET. INTERESTING THAT THIS THING WAS STARTED BY THE BRANDON CHAMBER AND PUSHED TO BE EXPEDITED BY THE BRANDON CHAMBER AND RONDA STORMS, AND LAKE HUTTO HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT, SO -- SADLY LAKE HUTTO HAS BEEN APPROVED. RONDA STORMS IS HARASSING THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM, BUT WE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH ARE STILL SUFFERING THE EFFECTS OF BOTH OF THEM, LINGERING EFFECTS, SO I'M JUST ASKING THAT YOU TAKE A GOOD, HARD LOOK AT THIS, NOT ONLY OUT IN THE RURAL AREA WHERE WE WANT TO KEEP IT RURAL. THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS HERE FROM THE URBAN SERVICE AREA THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WIDENING AS WELL. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MY BACKYARD, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR FRONT YARDS, SO IF POOR PLANNING MEANS THAT OUR ROADS ARE OVERCROWDED, IT STILL SHOULD NOT MEAN TAKING OUT ANYONE'S HOUSE FOR THE WIDENING OF THIS ROAD, SO I HOPE YOU LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS AS WELL AS OURS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, KELLY. PAM CLOUSTON. >> GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS. HAPPY NEW YEAR. I'M PAM CLOUSTON, 1621 THOMPSON ROAD IN LITHIA, AND I AM THE PRESIDENT OF R-LAND, BUT I HAVE A STORY TO TELL YOU. MY HUSBAND HAS THIS LITTLE MOTOR HOME, AND HE THINKS IT'S GREAT, WE CAN JUST JUMP IN THIS LITTLE MOTOR HOME AND TAKE OFF. OF COURSE, SOMEBODY HAS TO PUT CLOTHES AND FOOD AND THINGS IN THERE, AND THEN WHEN WE GET HOME, SOMEBODY HAS TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE EVERYTHING OUT, VACUUM AND CLEAN, BUT STILL, WE JUMP IN AND WE GO FOR LITTLE RIDES, SO OUR LITTLE DESTINATION WAS UP TO LOVELY HISTORIC ST. AUGUSTINE, AND IF IT'S AN INTERSTATE OR A TOLL ROAD OR A TURNPIKE, HE DOESN'T USE IT BECAUSE HE LIKES TO DRIVE ON THE BACK ROADS. SO EVERYWHERE WE GO WE DRIVE ON THE BACK ROADS, AND HERE WE WERE TOOLING DOWN THE ROAD, NICE BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE PINE TREES AND ALL THIS NICE RURAL AREA AND ZIPPING DOWN AND ZIPPING DOWN, AND HE SAYS, BOY, ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL OUT HERE? AND I SAID, YEAH, IT'S JUST GORGEOUS, ISN'T IT? I SAID, SEE THOSE SIGNS ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD? HE GOES, YEAH. I SAID, NICE ROAD, ISN'T IT? HE SAID, YEAH, IT'S A GREAT ROAD. AND WE'RE DRIVING. HE SAYS, BOY, THERE'S NOTHING OUT HERE. I SAID, SEE THE SIGNS ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD? HE GOES, WELL, I'M DRIVING, WHAT DO THEY SAY? I'M SAYING, POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL, ZIP BY; POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL, ZIP BY; POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL. AND HE GOES, OH, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD OUT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE? I SAID, POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL. AND SO WE'RE DRIVING ALONG, AND I SAID, SEE THIS ROAD -- OH, TAKE YOU BACK. BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I CAME HOME, YOU KNOW, SCREECHING AND SCREAMING ABOUT THE WIDENING OF LITHIA-PINECREST TO SIX LANES, AND HE'S LIKE, WELL, I THINK THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING. I SAID, OKAY, WELL, THEN YOU JUST SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP. AND HE SAID, YES, MA'AM. SO HE SAT DOWN AND SHUT UP. SO WE'RE DRIVING, AND I SAID, NICE ROAD WE'RE ON, ISN'T IT? HE SAID, YES, IT IS. I SAID YOU SEE THESE THREE LANES GOING THIS WAY? AND HE SAID, YEAH. I SAID, YOU SEE THESE THREE LANES GOING THIS WAY? HE SAID, YEAH. AND I SAID YOU SEE THIS 22-FOOT MEDIAN IN THE MIDDLE? THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH LITHIA-PINECREST ROAD. WELL, THE MAN ALMOST RAN OFF INTO THE FOREST. HE SAID, YOU'RE KIDDING ME? I DIDN'T REALIZE. AND I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, FOR SOMEBODY THAT -- HE DRIVES THAT WAY BUT TAKES -- ON THE WAY TO WORK BECAUSE HE LEAVES AT 5:15, THERE'S NOT TRAFFIC, HE COMES HOME FROM WORK ABOUT 5:30 AND HE TAKES THE BACK ROADS BECAUSE THERE'S LESS TRAFFIC. I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, WHEN HE ACTUALLY REALIZED THE SIZE AND SCOPE OF A SIX-LANE ROAD, HE WAS MORTIFIED. HE SAID, AND THEY WANT TO DO THIS TO LITHIA-PINECREST? AND I SAID, YES, THEY DO. AND I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, WE HAVE HAD LOTS OF E-MAILS. I REPRESENT THE RURAL AREA OF LITHIA. I HAVE HAD E-MAILS FROM ALL KINDS OF FOLKS IN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA ASKING FOR HELP ON THIS. IF YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO WIDEN THIS ROAD OR ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN LIKE THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE PEOPLE'S HOMES. THEY'RE GOING TO BE PAID FOR A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY WHEN IT'S ALL GOING TO TURN INTO COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. SO YOU NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT THE FAIRNESS OF THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR HEARING. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SANDRA BULLARD. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M SANDRA BULLARD. I'M ACTUALLY LIVING IN ST. PETE. I'M HERE TO REPRESENT BRUCE AND JEAN ROONEY, WHO ARE GOING TO LOSE THEIR HOUSE IF YOU WIDEN LITHIA-PINECREST TO SIX LANES. THEY'VE BEEN THERE 30 YEARS. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THAT ROAD. YOU'VE HEARD SO MANY ARGUMENTS AGAINST DOING THAT. I DROVE THAT ROAD MYSELF FOR 14 YEARS. I LIVED DOWN IN BLOOMINGDALE. THERE DOES NEED TO BE A BETTER WAY OUT OF SOUTH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LITHIA- PINECREST. THERE'S -- YOU'RE ALREADY WIDENING BOYETTE ROAD. PUT THE CROSSTOWN OUT TO THERE. THE -- THERE'S A RIGHT-OF-WAY, THE TECO HIGH VOLTAGE RIGHT- OF-WAY FROM PLANT CITY. MAKE A SOUTH LOOP AROUND -- THROUGH SOUTH -- SOUTHERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND GIVE US THAT ROUTE OUT. KINGS AVENUE EXTEND IT ACROSS THE ALAFIA. IT'S ALREADY FOUR LANES, AND IT WOULDN'T BE THAT BIG A PROJECT TO PUT A BRIDGE ACROSS THE ALAFIA TO BOYETTE. THERE'S -- THE PEOPLE THAT COME NORTH ON LITHIA-PINECREST DUMP OUT ON 60 AND LUMSDEN. IT'S ALREADY A PARKING LOT IN THE MORNINGS. IF YOU WIDEN IT, THEN THERE'S JUST GOING TO BE THAT MANY MORE CARS, AND IT'S -- I DON'T MIND NOT LIVING IN BRANDON RIGHT NOW ACTUALLY THANKS TO THE TRAFFIC. AGAIN, PLANNING, BUT THIS IS JUST AN ALTERNATIVE, A COUPLE OF ALTERNATIVES IF YOU WOULD DO THAT RATHER THAN TAKING PEOPLE'S HOMES AWAY FROM THEM. THERE ARE PLACES THAT YOU CAN BUILD A ROAD WHERE THERE ARE ALREADY RIGHTS-OF-WAY IN EFFECT. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, LOOKING AT THE AGENDA, THERE WILL BE A PRESENTATION BY MR. BOB GORDON LATER ON IN THE AGENDA REGARDING THE LITHIA-PINECREST STUDY, SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED, YOU COULD STAY FOR THAT. FOR THE SAKE OF MR. SHARPE, WHO'S GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE EARLY, COULD WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE ACTION ITEMS BEFORE WE TAKE THE COMMITTEE REPORTS, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH EVERYONE, WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. OKAY. SO THE FIRST ITEM IS THE D.O.T. FIVE-YEAR TENTATIVE WORK PROGRAM. THAT WILL BE LINDA. >> GOOD MORNING, BOARD MEMBERS. AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. >> I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S DISTRICT 7 TENTATIVE WORK PROGRAM THAT RUNS FROM JULY 1, '09 THROUGH JUNE 30th OF 2014. AT THE LAST MEETING WE GAVE YOU A BRIEFING ON IT, AND SINCE THAT TIME WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FINALIZE THE PROGRAM WITH THE REVENUES THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN SO FAR. THE DEPARTMENT'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE A SAFE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT ENSURES THE MOBILITY OF PEOPLE AND GOODS WHILE ENHANCING ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS AND THE QUALITY AND LIVABILITY OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR COMMUNITIES. ALTHOUGH CONSTRUCTION COSTS HAVE LEVELED OFF, REDUCING THE OVERALL COST OF ROADWAY PROJECTS, THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO BE IMPACTED BY A LACK OF REVENUE. THERE ARE -- FLORIDA HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY HARD HIT BY THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, AND STATE REVENUES ARE DIRECTLY TIED TO THE PREVAILING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FACTORS EXPERIENCING OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THE DEPARTMENT'S WORK PROGRAM HAS BEEN REDUCED BY $6.7 BILLION STATEWIDE. AS YOU SEE ON THIS LIST, THIS IS DUE TO THREE FACTORS, THE ESTIMATED STATE AND FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION REVENUES HAVE CONTINUED TO DECLINE, FUTURE FORECASTS THAT HAVE BEEN REDUCED AS FUEL CONSUMPTION HAS DROPPED, AND THIRDLY, INCREASED MATERIAL COSTS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A NUMBER OF PROJECTS BEING DEFERRED FROM ONE FISCAL YEAR TO ANOTHER. TWO REVENUE ESTIMATING CONFERENCES OCCURRED IN NOVEMBER TO REVIEW STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING. THE FINAL TENTATIVE PROGRAM PROVIDED TO YOU REFLECTS THE FULL IMPACT OF THOSE REDUCTIONS TO THE PROGRAM AND EFFORTS TO STABILIZE AND PRESERVE THE PROGRAM WERE ESTABLISHED. THEREFORE, THE FISCAL YEAR, THE NEW FIFTH-YEAR 2014, HAS NO NEW CAPACITY PROJECTS. OUR FIRST GOAL WAS TO PRESERVE THE WORK PROGRAM BASED ON OUR PRIORITIES, NUMBER ONE BEING SAFETY, SECONDLY MAINTENANCE, AND THIRD CAPACITY. IN ORDER TO KEEP PROJECTS IN THE PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT HAS STRETCHED THE EXISTING FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM INTO A FIVE- YEAR PROGRAM TO ACCOUNT FOR THE REDUCED REVENUES. TO ACCOUNT FOR THOSE SHORTFALLS, SOME PROJECTS WERE DEFERRED. PROJECTS WERE RETAINED USING REVENUES ESTIMATED OVER THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. ENHANCEMENT AND RESURFACING PROJECTS WERE ADDED. I.T.S. AND RAIL SAFETY PROJECTS WERE ADVANCED. AND THEN SEVERAL OTHER PROJECTS WERE DEFERRED. THOSE PROJECTS MENTIONED ARE A SEPARATE REVENUE SOURCE. ONLY ONE PROJECT IN HILLSBOROUGH, HOWEVER, WAS DEFERRED OUTSIDE THE WORK PROGRAM. I'LL GIVE YOU SOME SPECIFICS NOW. THIS IS A LIST OF THE STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM PROGRAM PROJECTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A LIST IN YOUR PACKET TODAY LABELED A VARIANCE REPORT. YOU'LL SEE THESE PROJECTS ON THAT LIST. THE FIRST PROJECT LISTED IS THE ONLY PROJECT IN HILLSBOROUGH THAT WAS MOVED OUTSIDE OF THE FIVE-YEAR WORK PROGRAM. THE I-275 BRIDGE WIDENING OVER STATE ROAD 60, THE MEMORIAL HIGHWAY. FIVE OTHER PROJECTS WERE DEFERRED, HOWEVER, REMAINED IN THE FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM BY DOING THE STRETCH. ONE PROJECT, THE LAST LISTED ON THE SLIDE, WAS ADVANCED INTO THE CURRENT YEAR 2010. OVERALL, IN DISTRICT 7, ON THE SIS PROJECTS, THERE WAS $132-MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS MOVED OUTSIDE OF THE WORK PROGRAM. ALSO, PROJECTS THAT WERE LISTED ON THE SIS IN DISTRICT 7, THERE WAS ONE BILLION MOVED WITHIN THE FIVE-YEAR, BEING DEFERRALS. THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT YOU SEE INCLUDED HERE THAT IMPACTED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THIS NEXT LIST IS A LIST OF THE CAPACITY PROJECTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. FOUR WERE DEFERRED IN THE FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM AND ONE NEW PROJECT WAS ADDED. AS I MENTIONED, THERE WAS ONLY ONE PROJECT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MOVED OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT, AGAIN, ON THIS SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE THAT VARIANCE REPORT JUST DISTRIBUTED IN YOUR PACKET, AND THESE ARE THE PROJECTS ON THE VARIANCE REPORT. THAT REPORT CAPTURES ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WERE RESCHEDULED OR DELETED SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE FIVE-YEAR ADOPTED PROGRAM ON JULY 1. AND I'LL PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT REPORT AT THE END, BUT THOSE PROJECTS ARE THOSE THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE. THIS IS A LIST OF ALL OF THE RESURFACING PROJECTS. WE'VE ADDED 14 NEW RESURFACING PROJECTS TO THE PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN 2010 AND 2012. IN ALL, HILLSBOROUGH HAS A TOTAL OF 32 RESURFACING PROJECTS IN THE PROGRAM TOTALING OVER $87 MILLION. THESE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL RESURFACING PROJECTS INCLUDED AS WELL FOR 2010 AND 2011 ON STATE ROAD 60 AND STATE ROAD 580/HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE. THIS LIST -- OOPS. THIS LIST IS A LIST OF THE ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS, WHICH DOESN'T WANT TO STAY ON THE SCREEN. ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS ARE THOSE THAT THE MPO HAS PRIORITIZED IN THE PAST AND ARE BASED ON THE OLDEST FIRST. THEY INCLUDED SOME FUNDING FOR BOTH BRIDGES, COLUMBUS DRIVE AND PLATT STREET BRIDGES, BUSCH BOULEVARD PEDESTRIAN ENHANCEMENTS BEING DONE BY THE CITY, THE DESIGN AND COMPLETION OF SIDEWALKS ON DALE MABRY, AND THE DESIGN FOR PHASE 4 OF THE UPPER TAMPA BAY TRAIL. ONE PROJECT ON THAT LIST OF ENHANCEMENT WAS THE BAYSHORE BOULEVARD BIKE PATHS. THIS PROJECT WAS DEFERRED FROM 2010 TO '11 AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY OF TAMPA. THEY ARE CURRENTLY UNDER DESIGN AND WILL NOT COMPLETE THAT WORK TO MOVE INTO CONSTRUCTION IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND, THEREFORE, HAVE ASKED THAT IT BE PUSHED INTO THE NEXT YEAR, 2011. THIS SLIDE, FINALLY, IS THE AIRPORT, SEAPORT, AND TRANSIT PROJECTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE WORK PROGRAM AND THE VALUES OF THOSE PROGRAMS. THE PROCESS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORK PROGRAM IS SHOWN HERE IN THE STEPS THAT WE MOVE THROUGH, AND I THOUGHT I'D GIVE YOU JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND. THE TENTATIVE WORK PROGRAM IS AN INTERACTIVE PROCESS INVOLVING INPUT FROM THE MPO, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND THE COMMUNITY. TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE HELD IN DECEMBER, WHICH BEGAN THE PROCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT FEEDBACK. IT IS THEN BROUGHT THROUGH THE MPO COMMITTEES AND THIS BOARD. THE PROGRAM IS THEN REVIEWED AT AN EXECUTIVE LEVEL BEFORE IT'S SUBMITTED AND ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNOR. THE WORK PROGRAM FOR EACH OF OUR DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE ARE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE SECRETARY FOR REVIEW. FOLLOWING THIS EVALUATION, A STATEWIDE HEARING IS CONDUCTED, AND ONCE THIS HAS OCCURRED, ALL ADJUSTMENTS ARE MADE AND THE PROGRAM IS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR AND BECOMES ADOPTED AND EFFECTIVE JULY 1. SO THIS MEETING IS ONE OF YOUR OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMENT ON THIS PROGRAM. THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD CLOSED ON DECEMBER 22nd; HOWEVER, THE MPO AND STAFF COMMENTS ARE DUE BY JANUARY 20th. BEFORE I WRAP UP, I WANTED TO JUST SPEAK AGAIN TO THAT VARIANCE REPORT THAT YOU HAVE. I MENTIONED TODAY AS -- AS I STATED, THOSE PROJECTS ARE THOSE THAT WE REVIEWED THROUGH THESE SLIDES TODAY, BUT IN ADDITION, THE LIST ALSO INCLUDES I.T.S. PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT ON THESE LISTS THAT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED. SOME PROJECTS MOVED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REASONS, SUCH AS THE DALE MABRY SIDEWALKS, WHICH ARE BEING COMBINED WITH SOME RESURFACING PROJECTS. AND LASTLY, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME CONSTRUCTION INCENTIVE FUNDING THAT WAS MOVED. THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED ARE FUNDS FOR TWO PROJECTS, ONE FOR I-275 AND ONE FOR THE I-4/SELMON EXPRESSWAY INTERCHANGE. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE PROJECTS MOVED OUT BUT ONLY THE INCENTIVE FUNDING HAS BEEN PUSHED FORWARD, WHICH IS PROVIDED FOR CONTRACTORS THAT GENERALLY FINISH AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. THE PROJECT ITSELF AND THE CONSTRUCTION IS STILL IN THE FIVE-YEAR WORK PROGRAM. I APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU'VE PROVIDED FOR ME TO GIVE YOU THIS PRESENTATION TODAY AND WOULD BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MS. SAUL-SENA? SHE RAISED -- OKAY. YOU'RE NEXT. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THANK YOU. TWO QUESTIONS. WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE STATE SHORTFALLS THAT ARE PROJECTED, AND WE'RE ALSO AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR FEDERAL INCREASES IN FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. HAVE YOU -- DOES THE BUDGET OR THE PLAN BEFORE US REFLECT EITHER OF THOSE? IT'S VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW MANY DOLLARS WILL BE COMING OR GOING IN THOSE. DOES THIS REFLECT EITHER OF THOSE? >> I'M GOING TO DEFER TO MR. -- >> THE PLAN THAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY REFLECTS THE REDUCTIONS IN THE STATE REVENUES. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY MONIES FROM A FEDERAL STIMULUS PROGRAM. ALL OF THESE PROJECTS WHICH HAVE BEEN DEFERRED, IF WE CAN PRODUCE THOSE AND HAVE THOSE OUT FOR BID OPENING WITHIN 180 DAYS, THEY APPEAR ON A STIMULUS LIST READY TO USE ANY FEDERAL FUNDS THAT COME TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: WELL, THAT'S SPLENDID. THAT'S GREAT. I HAVE ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION. AS YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, WE ARE ALL COMMITTED TO CREATING A MORE MULTIMODAL SYSTEM, AND WE WANT TO SPEND MONEY IN WAYS THAT ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN OPPORTUNITIES, BICYCLE OPPORTUNITIES, TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES. IF YOU WERE TO -- IS THERE ANYWHERE WHERE YOU BREAK DOWN OUR OVERALL PLAN IN TERMS OF HOW THE MONEY IS ORIENTED BECAUSE IT -- I FEEL LIKE WE'RE DEFINITELY MAKING EFFORTS TO BE MORE MULTIMODAL, BUT IF YOU WERE TO CHARACTERIZE THE BULK OF THE SPENDING, LIKE MAYBE 95% OF IT IS STILL FOR ROADS WHICH SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL CARS, AND I WONDERED IF THERE IS ANYWHERE WHERE YOU LOOK AT WHAT PREVIOUS PLANS ORIENTED -- WERE ORIENTED TOWARD IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING ONE PARTICULAR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, WHAT THIS IS ORIENTED TOWARD BECAUSE I FEEL AS WE MOVE AHEAD, THIS BOARD IS COMMITTED TO CREATING MORE MULTIMODAL OPPORTUNITIES. >> THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SOME -- WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER? >>DON SKELTON: I'LL TAKE A STAB AT IT. [LAUGHTER] IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT -- IT'S NOT THAT BLACK AND WHITE BECAUSE OF WHAT WE BUILD INTO A LOT OF OUR ROADWAY PROJECTS INCLUDES MULTIMODAL, WHETHER TALKING ABOUT PEDESTRIAN OR BICYCLE PROVISIONS AS WELL. WE CAN BREAK DOWN WHAT IS ON THE HIGHWAY SIDE VERSUS WHAT'S IN TRANSIT; HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE BUILD A LOT OF THINGS INTO THOSE HIGHWAY PROJECTS THAT ARE MULTIMODAL IN NATURE, SO IT'S NOT QUITE THAT BLACK AND WHITE AS TO HERE'S THE NUMBER THAT WE USE FOR ROADS ONLY VERSUS OTHER MODES. WE COULD DO THE SAME THING FOR THE AVIATION AND PORT PROGRAMS AS WELL. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: WELL, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AS A WAY OF BENCHMARKING OUR ACTIVITIES AND OUR INVESTMENTS, I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT -- I'M SURE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY MPO THAT'S GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THIS. I'M SURE IT'S GOING TO BE LOOKED AT STATEWIDE AND ON A FEDERAL BASIS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP SOME KIND OF METHODOLOGY TO SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SPENDING THIS MUCH ON SIDEWALKS AND THIS MUCH ON TRANSIT AND THIS MUCH ON ROADWAYS, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS SHIFT TOWARD -- TO REFLECT THE MORE MULTIMODAL APPROACH THAT WE'RE ALL SUPPORTING. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. COMMISSION BECKNER, YOU WERE NEXT. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU. MY QUESTION WAS ACTUALLY ANSWERED. IT WAS CONCERNING THE STIMULUS PACKAGE, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. HAPPY NEW YEAR. >> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: SO IN READING ON PAGE 2 OF THE -- IT LOOKS LIKE PAGE 1, PAGE 2 PERHAPS -- MAINLY ON 2 -- THE -- IT LOOKS LIKE THE INTERCHANGE -- THE I-4 INTERCHANGE TO THE CROSSTOWN IS BASICALLY BEING SHOVED BACK THREE YEARS. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>JOHN DINGFELDER: YEAH. AND THAT WAS NEWS TO ME. THAT'S A HUGE -- A HUGE PROJECT WITH GREAT IMPACT TO THE EXPRESSWAY AS WELL AS THE PORT. I GUESS THE PORT FOLKS AREN'T HERE TODAY. JOE, HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE DISCUSSIONS? >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: WE'VE BEEN -- I'M SORRY. WE'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF IT. WE KNOW THE CONSTRAINTS THE DEPARTMENT IS FACING RIGHT NOW, AND WE WERE OFFERING SUGGESTIONS. I KNOW THEY'RE EXPLORING ON WAYS TO BRING THOSE PROJECTS BACK IN. THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO US, AND I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY SERVE THE CITY OF YBOR AND THE PORT, SO THE DEPARTMENT, I THINK, UNDERSTANDS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT, AND THEY, LIKE OUR AGENCY, ARE SUFFERING FROM THIS RECESSION AND THE DOWNTURN OF REVENUES, SO THAT SAID, I HOPE THAT THE STIMULUS PROGRAM GIVES US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO ACCELERATE THIS PROJECT BACK TO WHERE EVERYBODY WANTS IT TO BE. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: DID YOU-ALL HAVE FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS THAT WERE BASED UPON THE EARLIER CONSTRUCTION? >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: WE DID, AND WE'RE REDOING OUR FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS AS WELL. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: YEAH. BECAUSE I MEAN, PREVIOUSLY THAT CROSSOVER WAS SLATED I GUESS IN THE '09-'10 TO REALLY KICK OFF, AND I MEAN, I GUESS I REALIZE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAD TO MAKE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CUTS, BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE THE -- WHAT KIND OF DISCUSSIONS HAVE YOU HAD AROUND THE COMMUNITY ON THIS, OR IS TODAY THE BEGINNING OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS? >>DON SKELTON: WELL, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH LEGISLATORS AND OTHERS LETTING THEM KNOW AND THROUGH OUR WORK PROGRAM HEARING PROCESS AS WELL, LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT THE DEFERRALS WERE. THIS MPO SAW EVERYTHING BUT THE SIS DEFERRALS AT YOUR LAST MEETING IN DECEMBER. THIS IS THE NEW INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE SEEING, AND IT'S THE I-4/CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR BEING MOVED OUT THREE YEARS AND I-275 BETWEEN WESTSHORE AND DOWNTOWN BEING MOVED OUT THREE YEARS AS WELL. AGAIN, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WE'VE MADE NEARLY $7- BILLION WORTH OF ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR WORK PROGRAM. WE'VE HELD ON TO THE CONNECTOR AS LONG AS WE POSSIBLY COULD. IT STAYED WITHIN THE FIVE-YEAR WORK PROGRAM. AS JOE SAYS, WE'RE PREPARED SHOULD THE STIMULUS PACKAGE COME THROUGH TO MOVE THAT PROJECT BACK FORWARD AND PRODUCE IT, BUT THERE'S JUST NO WAY WITH THE STATE REVENUES BEING WHAT THEY WERE TO KEEP THAT PROJECT WHERE IT WAS IN 2010. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: BUT IT -- SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT IT -- IT IS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OR THE PRIORITY FOR THE DISTRICT IN TERMS OF A STIMULUS -- POTENTIAL STIMULUS PACKAGE? >>DON SKELTON: IT WOULD BE PROBABLY ONE OF OUR HIGHEST PRIORITIES FOR STIMULUS. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: AND IT'S POTENTIALLY READY TO GO? >>DON SKELTON: IT IS READY TO GO. WE'VE NOT STOPPED DESIGNING, WE'VE NOT STOPPED BUYING RIGHT-OF-WAY, WE'VE NOT STOPPED PUTTING THE PLAN PACKAGE TOGETHER JUST LIKE WE WOULD IF WE WERE LETTING THAT PROJECT IN AUGUST. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, MR. MAI. >>HUNG MAI: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. LET ME FIRST SAY THAT I'M VERY HONORED TO BE HERE WITH THIS BOARD, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CHAIRMAN, BRUCE CURY, FOR APPOINTING ME AS A MEMBER OF PLANNING COMMISSION. YOU KNOW, HE -- AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FOUR COMMENTS ON THE FDOT WORK PROGRAM. NUMBER ONE IS THE SAME WITH MR. DINGFELDER ON I-4 AND SELMON EXPRESSWAY. MY CONCERN IS IT IS DEFERRED FROM 2010 TO 2013 AND '14. THAT IS NOT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TAMPA PORT, YOU KNOW, CONTAINER FACILITY THEY ARE DOING RIGHT NOW. THE PORT CONTAINER FACILITY IS A BIG PROJECT. IT'S OVER 130 ACRES, THE NEW CONTAINER FACILITY. SECONDLY, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RELIEVE THE TRUCK TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH YBOR CITY? THAT'S A MAIN CONCERN OF THE LOCAL BUSINESS. NUMBER TWO COMMENT IS THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS UPDATING THE CARROLLWOOD COMMUNITY PLAN RIGHT NOW, AND I ATTEND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF RESIDENT MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING. MANY OF THE COMMENT FROM THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS IS THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION ALONG DALE MABRY HIGHWAY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY WANT WALKABLE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY, BIKEABLE/WALKABLE. NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WORK PROGRAM, WE HAVE SOME SIDEWALK, YOU KNOW, ON DALE MABRY, BUT WE'RE MISSING A SEGMENT FROM FLETCHER AVENUE UP TO BEARSS OR EHRLICH ROAD. ON BOTH SIDES THERE IS NO SIDEWALK. SEVERAL OF THE COMMENT FROM THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS, THEY'RE EVEN ASKING -- LIKE, YOU KNOW, VIVIAN BACCA MENTIONED THAT THERE IS NO CROSSOVER OR, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN COMING FROM THE ONE SIDE TO THE WEST OR TO THE EAST. THAT IS A BIG, YOU KNOW, CONCERN BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, IN THE AREA, RESIDENTIAL. I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE D.O.T. PUT THIS SEGMENT, YOU KNOW, IN. ONE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I HAVE IS THAT CAN THE FINANCIAL PROJECT NUMBER 4083061 COULD BE USED FOR THIS WORK BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAY, THE PEDESTRIAN, YOU KNOW, ENHANCEMENT, CAN WE PUT THAT SEGMENT SIDEWALK IN? THE NUMBER THREE, YOU KNOW, COMMENT I HAVE IS THAT CAN WE MOVE UP THE FINANCIAL PROJECT NUMBER 4209331, THE FRONTAGE ROAD FROM VAN DYKE ROAD UP TO LUTZ-LAKE FERN DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU GOT IDLEWILD BAPTIST CHURCH. IT'S A BIG -- IT'S A HUGE CHURCH. ALSO YOU GET ST. JOSEPH HOSPITAL JUST RECENTLY EXPANDED, AND THEN YOU GOT MAJOR SUBDIVISION, YOU GOT ELEMENTARY, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL, A [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] AND YOU GOT THE TWO NEW SCHOOL ON LUTZ-LAKE FERN ROAD. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT PROJECT, YOU KNOW, CAN BE MOVED UP? THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. YES. >> LET ME SPEAK TO YOUR FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION. THE DALE MABRY SIDEWALK PROJECT IS PLANNED IN THE WORK PROGRAM FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH UP AND ON THROUGH FRONTAGE ROADS. I'LL PROVIDE A DETAILED LIST TO MPO STAFF THAT THEY CAN FORWARD ON TO YOU THAT WILL SHOW YOU THE DETAILS OF ALL THE PROJECTS. IT MAY WELL BE THAT THE LOCATION AND LIMITS THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING TO ARE LISTED IN OUR PROGRAM AS A RESURFACING PROJECT, AND WE'RE INCLUDING THE SIDEWALKS IN THAT. IT MAY NOT BE SEGREGATED OUT AS A SIDEWALK PROJECT. ALL OF THOSE SIDEWALKS ARE BEING PLANNED, SO I'LL GET THAT LIST TO YOU THROUGH THE MPO STAFF. WITH REGARD TO THE FRONTAGE ROADS THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAM, MOVING THEM UP, IS SOMETHING I WOULD ASK THE SECRETARY TO SPEAK TO. >>DON SKELTON: AGAIN, THE WORK PROGRAM THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS BALANCED TO THE REVENUES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. MOVING PROJECTS FORWARD JUST IS NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME WITHOUT SOMETHING ELSE MOVING OUT, AND WE'VE DONE THE BEST WE CAN TO PROTECT THE WORK PROGRAM AS IT WAS IN THE FIVE YEARS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY -- YEAH. YES, LOUIS. >>LOUIS MILLER: I WOULD LIKE TO -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. I'M SORRY. >>LOUIS MILLER: -- MOVE APPROVAL OF THE FIVE-YEAR [MICROPHONE NOT ON] >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MOVED AND SECONDED. DISCUSSION. YES, MS. SAUL-SENA. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THANK YOU. AS WE MOVE FORWARD -- I'M SATISFIED WITH THE WORK PROGRAM, AND I'M VERY, VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT RESURFACING PROJECTS INCLUDE SIDEWALKS. THAT'S TERRIFIC, AND PERHAPS EVEN RESTRIPING FOR BIKEWAYS WHEN POSSIBLE. BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOUR STAFF TO HELP FIGURE OUT A GOOD WAY TO INDICATE TO US AS BOARD MEMBERS HOW BROADLY WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY IN TERMS OF MODES. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YOU HAVE ON HERE TO SEND ANY COMMENTS TO FDOT REGARDING THIS -- THIS WORK PROGRAM. >> YES. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WHO SHOULD THEY SEND THEM TO? >> THEY CAN SEND THEM TO MING GAO, G-A-O. HE'S OUR NEW INTERIM INTERMODAL MANAGER TAKING BOB CLIFFORD'S PLACE. YOU WANT TO STAND UP FOR A MINUTE, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE BOARD. >> GOOD MORNING. HAPPY NEW YEAR. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WELCOME. >> I KNOW I HAVE BIG SHOES TO FILL IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS INTERIM FOR BOB. ANY INFORMATION YOU NEED, ANY QUESTIONS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO GIVE ME A CALL. I WILL LEAVE THE NUMBER HERE AND CONTACT INFORMATION. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, MR. DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU. I CAN'T SUPPORT THE MOTION TODAY, AND THE REASON BEING IS MAINLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE CROSSTOWN/I-4 INTERCHANGE. THE -- THE BIGGEST PROBLEM -- I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, CUTBACKS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE IS IS, YOU KNOW, FROM OUR LAST MEETING IN, I GUESS, EARLY DECEMBER TILL NOW, I MEAN, I HAVEN'T BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WERE AWARE THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, HALF-BILLION PROJECT IS BEING DEFERRED FOR THREE YEARS, AND I DOUBT THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF IT, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY -- I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR -- TO INFORM THEM AND TO LET THEM KNOW, YOU KNOW IN DETAIL IN ADVANCE WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON, AND YOU KNOW, I -- YOU KNOW, IT APPEARS IN TALKING TO STAFF THAT THIS PACKAGE DOESN'T GO TO THE FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION UNTIL MARCH, SO I THINK THAT DOES GIVE US TIME TO COME BACK IN FEBRUARY AT OUR FEBRUARY MEETING AND VOTE ON WHATEVER PACKAGE WE BELIEVE MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE. YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE MY LEANING. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE -- WE HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR THE PUBLIC TO GIVE INPUT. WELL, THEY GAVE -- THEY TALKED TO US ABOUT LITHIA-PINECREST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ON THEIR -- THAT'S ON THEIR PLATE, BUT THE FOLKS IN YBOR CITY, THE PEOPLE -- THE PORT ADVOCATES, PEOPLE LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE COMMUNITY'S AWARE OF IT, SO HOW CAN WE HAVE MEANINGFUL PUBLIC INPUT INTO THIS, YOU KNOW, HUGE VOTE, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS BEING BASICALLY SPRUNG ON US RIGHT ON THE -- ON THE EVE OF THE NEW YEAR, SO -- AND THERE'S NO -- THERE'S NO MALICE INTENDED IN THAT. I KNOW THAT IT'S A PROCESS AND I KNOW THAT -- I'M SURE THE STATE HAS BEEN PUSHING THESE NUMBERS DOWN ON YOU, ON THE DEPARTMENT AND YOU HAVE TO RESPOND TO THEM, BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SITTING HERE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: DID YOU NOT HAVE TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS -- >>DON SKELTON: YES. A COUPLE THINGS -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: -- THE 9th AND 13th, IF I RECALL. GO AHEAD, MR. SKELTON. >>DON SKELTON: ALL OF THESE CHANGES TO THE WORK PROGRAM WERE ADDRESSED AT OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR THE WORK PROGRAM, ALBEIT THOSE HEARINGS WERE NOT WELL ATTENDED. WE DO ADVERTISE, AND WE HOLD TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS EVERY YEAR FOR THE WORK PROGRAM. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THAT WAS AFTER WE MET, RIGHT, DON? >>DON SKELTON: THE WORK PROGRAM WAS AFTER -- OR THE HEARINGS WERE AFTER THE MPO MEETING. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THIS IN WRITING UNTIL TODAY. >>DON SKELTON: I DON'T KNOW -- I'M NOT SURE WHAT COMMUNICATION HAS OCCURRED THERE. I KNOW I HAVE MADE CALLS TO LEGISLATORS AND CERTAIN FOLKS. I OBVIOUSLY HAVE TALKED TO SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES ABOUT THESE MOVEMENTS. THE ISSUE OF HAVING UNTIL FEBRUARY, THE MPOs HAVE BY LAW UNTIL JANUARY 20th TO SUBMIT THEIR OFFICIAL OBJECTIONS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. >> HI. I'M LEE ROYAL WITH THE PLANNING OFFICE. AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, ALL THE DOCUMENTS WERE E-MAILED OUT TO ELECTED OFFICIALS IN EVERY COUNTY AND DISTRICT, INCLUDING CITIES AND THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. IF FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY WERE NOT RECEIVED AND IT WASN'T RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, PLEASE LET US KNOW, AND WE'LL ADJUST OUR MAILING LIST AS APPROPRIATE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WELL, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS COME INTO PLAY, AND PERHAPS A BIG MEMO SAYING THIS HALF-BILLION PROJECT'S GOING TO BE DEFERRED FOR THREE YEARS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BETTER NOTICE TO THIS BODY, BUT ANYWAY, OKAY. IF WE CAN'T -- IF WE CAN'T DEFER IT UNTIL FEBRUARY, I'M -- YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST VOTE AGAINST IT BECAUSE I'VE GOT A BIG PROBLEM WITH IT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. YES, SIR, MR. WAGGONER. >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONSTRAINTS ARE ON THE DEPARTMENT'S PROCESS, COUNCILMAN, BUT PERHAPS THE MPO COULD, AS PART OF THE APPROVAL, APPEND A RECOMMENDATION THAT REINSTATEMENT OF THIS PROJECT TO AN AS-SOON-AS- POSSIBLE STATE IS OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITY TO THIS REGION AND THE MPO WOULD SUPPORT ANY ACTIONS THAT THE DEPARTMENT CAN POSSIBLY EXPLORE TO BRING THIS PROJECT BACK INTO AN EARLY-AS-POSSIBLE START. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO? >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: GREAT IDEA. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WANT TO ADD THAT -- YES, MR. MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: ARE WE SURE THAT'S A HIGHER PRIORITY THAN I-275, WHICH [INAUDIBLE] >>JOE AFFRONTI: SEE, THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, AND, YOU KNOW, IF -- WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, IF EACH OF US TRY TO PUT A PROJECT AHEAD, I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO SORT OF USURP THE -- WHAT D.O.T. IS TRYING TO DO BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO FACE ALL THE RAMIFICATIONS OF WHAT THEY DO, AND THEY KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY THEY HAVE TO SPEND, SO -- YES, MS. SAUL-SENA. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: I'M SORRY. MS. MULHERN -- >>MARY MULHERN: THANKS, LINDA. A COUPLE COMMENTS. I'M NOT CLEAR WHY WE COULDN'T MAYBE CONTINUE THIS TO OUR NEXT MEETING. AT LEAST THAT WOULD GIVE US A MONTH TO ACTUALLY EXAMINE THIS. >>DON SKELTON: AGAIN, BY LAW, YOU HAVE UNTIL JANUARY 20th TO SUBMIT YOUR OFFICIAL OBJECTIONS. THERE'S NOTHING TO SAY YOU CAN'T TAKE THIS UP IN FEBRUARY, IT JUST WILL NOT BE PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD FOR THE WORK PROGRAM PROCESS. >>MARY MULHERN: BUT WE'RE APPROVING THIS -- YOU'RE ASKING US TO APPROVE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT SURE WE WANT TO APPROVE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR -- >>DON SKELTON: THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR MPO APPROVAL. IT IS AN APPROPRIATE ACTION TO TAKE, BUT WE WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE WORK PROGRAM. >>MARY MULHERN: SO YOU DON'T REALLY NEED OUR APPROVAL? >>DON SKELTON: DO NOT NEED -- IT'S NOT REQUIRED. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. WELL, I'M GOING TO -- BECAUSE OF -- >>DON SKELTON: IT IS APPROPRIATE TO HAVE. >>MARY MULHERN: I'M GOING TO NOT APPROVE THIS EITHER, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT DOESN'T SEEM TO AFFECT WHAT FDOT'S GOING TO DO, BUT I ALSO HAD A QUESTION -- BECAUSE, LINDA, I -- WHAT YOU BROUGHT UP AND WHAT MR. MAI BROUGHT UP TOO, THAT -- I'M NOT CLEAR THAT WE DO KNOW WHEN AND IF SIDEWALKS ARE INCLUDED IN ANY OF THESE PROJECTS, SO I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN MAYBE MAKE A SEPARATE MOTION THAT IN ALL FURTHER WORK PLANNING THAT WE KNOW IF THE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS ARE INCLUDED BECAUSE WHEN WE SEE, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS ONE LINE, SOME HUGE BILLION-DOLLAR -- MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PROJECT AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT INCLUDES, SO MAYBE IN THE FUTURE I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE -- THAT THAT IS INCLUDED IN EVERY REPORT WE GET FROM FDOT, WHAT EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, FOR A SEGMENT OF ROAD, WHETHER IT INCLUDES THE SIDEWALK AND ANY PEDESTRIAN/BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS. >> OKAY. WE DON'T CURRENTLY ISOLATE THE DOLLAR FIGURE FOR THOSE ITEMS, BUT THAT DISCUSSION TAKES PLACE IN EVERY SCOPING MEETING FOR EVERY PROJECT THAT WE ENTERTAIN IN THE DISTRICT. >>MARY MULHERN: RIGHT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT AND THE PUBLIC DOESN'T KNOW THAT, IF YOU'RE INCLUDING THAT. >> I UNDERSTAND THAT. WE WILL -- I WILL WORK WITH OUR MANAGEMENT TO SEE IF I CAN DEVELOP A PROCESS TO GET THAT COMMUNICATION OUT TO YOU, NOT ONLY ON THESE PROJECTS BUT ON PROJECTS AS WE DEVELOP GOING FORWARD. AS THESE PROJECTS ARE SCOPED, WE'LL HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE. AGAIN, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE REVENUES AVAILABLE TO US ARE, RIGHT-OF-WAY RESTRICTIONS OR RESTRAINTS THAT MAY WELL BE IN PLACE, SAFETY FOR BIKE LANES, YOU KNOW, IF STRIPING IS APPROPRIATE, BUT WE DO DISCUSS AND TALK ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THOSE. WE HAVE A BIKE AND PED COORDINATOR IN OUR DEPARTMENT THAT ATTENDS EVERY MEETING TO STAND EXACTLY FOR THAT, SO I'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO WORK OUT A PROCESS TO GET THAT COMMUNICATION APPROVED. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. MAYBE YOU CAN REPORT AT OUR NEXT MEETING. >> OKAY. >>MARY MULHERN: THAT WOULD BE GREAT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. SHARPE. LET'S GET MR. -- HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE, MARY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, THEN I'LL GET BACK TO YOU, OKAY. >>MARK SHARPE: BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND IN LIGHT OF THE EXTREME BUDGETARY SITUATION THAT THEY'RE FACING IN TALLAHASSEE -- THIS IS NOT A PERFECT PROJECT, BUT -- IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE A PERFECT PRODUCT IN THESE ECONOMIC TIMES, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE -- EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT REQUIRED BY LAW TO APPROVE THIS, AT A TIME WHEN YOU'VE GOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYING, LOOK, SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS WE'RE READY TO FUND, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS MIGHT SEND A SIGNAL THAT WE'RE NOT READY, SO WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS YOU APPROVE THIS, ADD THE ADDENDUM THAT COMMISSIONER WAGGONER SUGGESTED FOR THE PROJECT -- RIGHT -- AND WITH REGARD TO THE 275, I AGREE, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS OUT THERE THAT I THINK ARE HIGH PRIORITY, AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY OF SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE AS WELL, BUT WHEN YOU'VE GOT A PORT PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO BE COMPLETED AND TRUCKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO GO, IF WE DON'T ADDRESS THIS SITUATION RIGHT AWAY, YBOR'S GOING TO BE UP INHABITABLE, SO LET'S TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF, AND I THINK MR. WAGGONER HAS GIVEN US AN AVENUE TO PERHAPS SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, AND I WOULD -- WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER AND COUNCILWOMAN MULHERN, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS, BUT I THINK HESITANCY WOULD CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS, SO I WILL JUST SUGGEST THAT WE GO FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF THIS -- BY APPROVING THIS, WE ADD THE ADDENDUM, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK IN FEBRUARY AND DO THE BEST WE CAN TO FIX WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MARY? >>MARY MULHERN: NO. I THINK THAT SEEMS REASONABLE IF WE DO PUT IT ON OUR AGENDA THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW UP ON BOTH THE PORT AND THE CROSSTOWN EXPANDER AND THE -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: IT WOULD SEEM TO ME -- >>MARY MULHERN: AND 275 CONSIDERING YOU'RE STOP -- YOUR EVERY NOT JUST DELAYING A PROJECT, YOU'RE STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF A HUGE UPHEAVAL OF AN ENTIRE -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THE MOST PRACTICAL THING TO DO, AS MR. SHARPE RECOMMENDED, THAT WE GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THIS AND MOVE IT FORWARD, AND ANY PROJECTS THAT YOU FEEL ARE TOP-PRIORITY PROJECTS THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, AS WE ARE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY GET MORE REVENUE, THEN PRIORITIZE THOSE, AND THEN WE COULD GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THOSE AS THE MONEY BECOMES AVAILABLE, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE SURE SHOULDN'T TRY TO HOLD THIS UP AT ALL I DON'T THINK. YES, MR. DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: JUST A CLARIFICATION ON THE MOTION, TO THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, MR. MILLER. DID YOU ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FROM MR. WAGGONER AND -- >>LOUIS MILLER: I WOULD JUST AS SOON NOT. [INAUDIBLE] FIVE YEARS. AND EVERY TIME IT COMES UP, WE CAN COME IN AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND CHANGES, SO -- SORRY. BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A BETTER APPROACH, THAT WE JUST APPROVE IT AS IT IS AND MOVE FORWARD AND PROCEED WITH THE QUESTION THAT WE COULD BRING IT BACK FOR DISCUSSION OF PRIORITIZING CERTAIN PROJECTS THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED AT OUR NEXT MEETING, BUT IT WON'T CHANGE WHAT FDOT IS GOING TO DO IS THE WAY I WOULD LIKE TO APPROACH THAT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: SINCE HE DIDN'T ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT AS FRIENDLY, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION TO INCLUDE THE ASTERISK THAT MR. WAGGONER SUGGESTED AND JUST ADD THAT ON TO THE MOTION AS AN ADDITIONAL MOTION. >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. AND IT'S BEEN SECONDED. SO I GUESS WE VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT MOTION FIRST? >> RIGHT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YES, MR. LOTT. >>RICK LOTT: PART OF MY CONCERN HERE IS I BELIEVE, MR. SKELTON, THAT WE'RE THE ONLY MPO THAT ACTUALLY GETS INVOLVED IN SCHEDULING THE DOLLARS OUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THAT THE OTHER MPOs FOCUS ON GIVING YOU THEIR PRIORITIES AND GIVING FDOT THE FLEXIBILITY TO GO FOR MATCHING FUNDS FROM THE STATE, FEDERAL FUNDS AND SO FORTH, BUT ONE OF THE CONCERNS WE HAVE IS THAT WHEN WE START TRYING TO DETERMINE AS THE MPO THOSE DOLLARS AMOUNT, OKAY, AND WHO'S GETTING WHAT AND WE'RE DIVVYING ALL THESE PROJECTS UP OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, DOESN'T THAT RESTRICT YOU IN HAVING MORE LEEWAY TO GET MORE FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS? >>DON SKELTON: CERTAINLY THE HILLSBOROUGH MPO, AT LEAST WITHIN DISTRICT 7, IS THE ONLY MPO THAT PRIORITIZES BY FUND TYPE, IF YOU WILL. >>RICK LOTT: RIGHT. >>DON SKELTON: THE OTHER MPOs HAVE A LIST, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, OF THEIR PRIORITIES. AS FAR AS DOES IT MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT GETTING MONEY, WE GET THE SAME ALLOCATION OF FUNDS THAT WE WOULD GET. IT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE WHAT THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES OF THE COUNTY ARE, AND SO WE DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE PROGRAM. WE PRESENT IT HERE AND GET THE FEEDBACK. >>RICK LOTT: OKAY. SO IF FEDERAL DOLLARS CAME THROUGH, FEDERAL DOLLARS ARE COMING THROUGH NO MATTER WHAT, THEN YOU GET TO DECIDE HOW THEY'RE -- >>DON SKELTON: THEN WE'LL DETERMINE THE -- WE'LL DETERMINE THE PRIORITIES THE BEST WE CAN. >>RICK LOTT: A VOTE BY US SAYING WE WANT THOSE DOLLARS GOING HERE DOESN'T RESTRICT YOU FOR CERTAIN DOLLARS IF THEY WERE -- IF THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO BE USED IN A CERTAIN MANNER? >>DON SKELTON: IT DOESN'T. >>RICK LOTT: IT DOES NOT. OKAY. BUT WE ARE THE ONLY MPO TO ACTUALLY DESIGNATE THE DOLLARS OUT OF OUR FIVE-YEAR PERIOD? >>DON SKELTON: DESIGNATES THE STP DOLLARS VERSUS STATE DOLLARS VERSUS THE SIS DOLLARS. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: JUST TO CLARIFY MY MOTION BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO OVERSTATE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. OKAY. THERE WAS A LITTLE BITTY ASTERISK THAT SAID THAT THE D.O.T. WOULD MAKE ITS BEST EFFORTS TO, YOU KNOW, FIND THE MONEY IN THE FUTURE -- I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID, JOE -- FOR THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT PROJECT THAT'S A HUGE ECONOMIC, YOU KNOW, ENGINE FOR THE DOWNTOWN, YBOR, PORT, YOU KNOW, AREA, AND CHANNELSIDE, ET CETERA. SO I THINK THAT'S -- THAT'S THE EXTENT OF THE MOTION. IT'S NOT -- IT'S NOT AN OBJECTION, IT'S NOT HOLDING THE PROJECT UP OR ANYTHING, IT'S JUST URGING THE D.O.T. TO FIND THAT MONEY IN FUTURE YEARS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. WE NEED TO CALL FOR A VOTE ON THE MOTION TO AMEND THE ORIGINAL MOTION. AND I THINK YOU CLARIFIED WHAT THAT IS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. >> NAY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: HOW MANY DO WE HAVE? >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: SHOULD WE JUST RAISE OUR HANDS? >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. LET'S RAISE OUR HANDS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX. OKAY. OPPOSED. ONE, TWO, THREE -- THREE, INCLUDING ME. SO, OKAY. IT PASSES. NOW, THE MOTION ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION -- I MEAN THE VOTE ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK, MR. SHARPE. THANKS FOR HANGING IN THERE. OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE DRAFT GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES FOR 2035 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. MR. ZAMBITO AND RICHARD CLARENDON. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WHILE THEY'RE COMING UP, I'D JUST LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT. I SENT A MEMO OUT TO THE BOARD THAT YOU RECEIVED BASICALLY REQUESTING MORE TIME FOR INPUT FROM SOME OF OUR COMMITTEES IN MAKING SURE WE GET THE DRAFT GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES IN THE WAY WE WANT, AND RICH CLARENDON CAN KIND OF PRESENT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, SO WE PROBABLY WILL NOT BE TAKING FINAL ACTION ON THAT TODAY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. YES, SIR, MR. CLARENDON. >>RICH CLARENDON: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. RICH CLARENDON, CONSULTANT TO THE MPO. I'M WITH URS CORPORATION. AS RAY JUST MENTIONED TO YOU, THESE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES HAVE GONE THROUGH THE COMMITTEES, AND THE REVISIONS THAT ARE SHOWN ARE THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMITTEE REVIEWS. BUT AS WAS POINTED OUT, PARTICULARLY I'M GRATEFUL TO COUNCILWOMAN SAUL-SENA AND THE LIVABLE ROADS COMMITTEE FOR CHALLENGING US, I GUESS, TO SEE IF WE COULD DO A BETTER JOB IN FRAMING THE ISSUES AND REALLY MAKE A BETTER CASE FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT -- WHY WE'RE TAKING A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH THIS. ORIGINALLY WE HAD BEEN PROPOSING TO STAY ON SCHEDULE AND TRY TO KEEP -- TRY TO KEEP ON SCHEDULE BY GETTING THESE THINGS ADOPTED TODAY. I THINK WE CAN TAKE ANOTHER MONTH, BUT I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT WE DO HAVE A SCHEDULE AND WE ARE OBLIGED TO HAVE AN UPDATED LONG-RANGE PLAN BY NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, SO A LOT OF DECISIONS -- SORT OF LIKE DOMINOES -- FALL AFTER THIS. HAVING SAID THAT, WHAT WE DID IN THE INTERIM, AFTER BEING CHALLENGED BY THE LIVABLE ROADS COMMITTEE, WAS TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT SOME OTHER CUTTING-EDGE PLANS, LOOK AT SOME OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT SORT OF PROVIDE VISIONARY STATEMENTS AND SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO DRAW SOME SIMILAR VISIONARY STATEMENTS INTO THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND REALLY USE THAT AS A PREFACE OR A PREAMBLE TO KIND OF THE CHAPTER AND VERSE OF THE GOALS THEMSELVES. I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE GOALS AND POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET ARE NOT BAD ONES, AND IN FACT, THEY COMPARE RATHER WELL WITH SOME OF THOSE OTHER CUTTING- EDGE PLANS, BUT THEY ARE -- THOSE OTHER PLANS DO OFTENTIMES START OUT WITH A STATEMENT OF VISION. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES IS GIVE YOU MY ATTEMPT AT SOME VISIONARY STATEMENTS, AND OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE MINE AND THEY SHOULD BECOME NOT MINE BUT YOURS, SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. BY 2035, WHICH IS OUR HORIZON YEAR, WE'LL HAVE AN OLDER POPULATION RESIDING IN MORE DOWNSIZED DWELLINGS, LIVING IN MORE COMPACT, INTERCONNECTED, AND WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: IF WE CREATE THEM. >>RICH CLARENDON: WELL, THESE ARE ASPIRATIONS. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DRIVING TOWARDS, SO WE'RE SETTING OUT A VISION HERE. WE WANT TO BE CLOSER TO THOSE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND URBAN AMENITIES AND, IMPORTANTLY, ABLE TO GET TO TRANSIT EASILY. BY 2035 WE WILL BE LEAVING OUR AUTO AT HOME MORE OFTEN, WE'LL BE WALKING AND BIKING FOR TRANSPORTATION AS WELL AS FOR FITNESS; CATCHING A CONVENIENT TRAIN, BUS, OR WATER TAXI FOR MORE TRIPS; AND GENERALLY BE LESS AUTO DEPENDENT FOR LOCAL AS WELL AS REGIONAL TRAVEL PURPOSES. BY 2035 WE WILL BE USING CLEANER VEHICLES FUELED BY RENEWABLE ENERGY; DEVOTING LESS HOUSEHOLD INCOME TO SUPPORT OUR AUTOMOBILES; RELYING ON TECHNOLOGY TO SMOOTH TRAFFIC FLOW; PRICING HIGHWAY CAPACITY APPROPRIATELY INSTEAD OF ALWAYS AUTOMATICALLY ADDING TO THAT CAPACITY; AND FUNDING THE MODES IN A MORE BALANCED WAY. BY 2035 WE WILL HAVE SHIELDED OURSELVES FROM VOLATILE ENERGY PRICES; WE WILL HAVE MOVED TOWARDS ENERGY INDEPENDENCE THROUGH MORE SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PATTERNS; WE'LL HAVE GREENER AND HEALTHIER FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION THAT CONTRIBUTE TO REVERSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND/OR COPE WITH ITS CONSEQUENCES; AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE'LL HAVE ABANDONED TODAY'S BUSINESS-AS-USUAL APPROACH. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE PREAMBLE AND, OBVIOUSLY, SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MODIFICATION, BUT WITH YOUR CONCURRENCE, THAT WOULD BECOME PART OF THE DOCUMENT. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE GOALS LINE BY LINE, BUT I WILL JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW KEY POINTS. THERE ARE SIX GOALS, STARTING WITH THE NEED TO SUPPORT THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF THE COUNTY AND THE REGION, PARTICULARLY IN TODAY'S CLIMATE, ECONOMIC IMPACTS CANNOT BE IGNORED. FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANT TO PROMOTE REGIONAL AND LOCAL COOPERATION ON TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AND NEEDS, STARTING PERHAPS WITH THE TBARTA MASTER PLANNING EFFORTS THAT'S GOING ON AS WELL AS THE EFFORTS OF THE MPO CHAIRS COORDINATING COMMITTEE TO ADVANCE MAJOR MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING REGIONAL RAIL. WE WANT TO RELIEVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND MINIMIZE TRAVEL TIME, BUT HOW WE DO THIS, AS I SAID, IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO THE NEED TO WIDEN ROADWAYS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT HIGH- CAPACITY TRANSIT SYSTEMS. WE WANT TO TRY TO REDUCE VEHICLE MILES OF TRAVEL AND GAIN SOME CONGESTION RELIEF THROUGH THAT MANNER. WE WANT TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND INVOLVEMENT IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. I THINK IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT PARTICULARLY WITH THIS BOARD ALWAYS GIVES KEEN CONSIDERATION TO INPUT RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT, AS WELL AS ENCOURAGING PRIVATE-SECTOR TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS, AND THOSE WILL BECOME PARTICULARLY MORE IMPORTANT AS WE LIVE WITH OUR FISCAL CONSTRAINTS. SECOND GOAL IS TO PROMOTE ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND FREIGHT AS WELL AS TO ENHANCE THE INTEGRATION AND CONNECTIVITY OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, MAXIMIZING ACCESS TO THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO IMPROVE THE MOBILITY OF THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SYSTEMS ARE ADA COMPLIANT AND THAT AMENITIES SUPPORT ALL USERS OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, NOT JUST THE FOLKS BEHIND THE WHEEL. WE WANT TO DECREASE THE RELIANCE ON THE SINGLE-OCCUPANT VEHICLE TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE. WE WANT TO SUPPORT INTEGRATION OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND MAKE SURE YOU CAN GET FROM ONE MODE ONTO ANOTHER. AND WE WANT TO ENHANCE THE EFFICIENT MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT IN THE TAMPA BAY REGION, AND AGAIN, FREIGHT MOVEMENT IS ONE OF THOSE ASPECTS OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING THAT'S FREQUENTLY OVERLOOKED BUT I THINK IS GOING TO BECOME MORE IMPORTANT. GOAL THREE IS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, PROMOTE ENERGY CONSERVATION, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE USING APPROPRIATE PLANNING AND DESIGN CRITERIA TO AVOID, MINIMIZE, OR MITIGATE NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO THE BUILT AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, AND IT'S IMPORTANT HERE TO REALIZE WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE. WE WANT TO MINIMIZE THE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS AND MAINTAIN AIR QUALITY STANDARDS, AND IN PARTICULAR, WE WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO OUR CONTRIBUTION OR CONTRIBUTION TO REDUCING THE EMISSION OF GREENHOUSE GASES. GOAL FOUR IS TO PRESERVE THE EXISTING FACILITIES AND PROMOTE EFFICIENT SYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS. BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS ACQUIRING AND PRESERVING RIGHT-OF-WAY AT THE LEAST POSSIBLE ECONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL COSTS. WE WANT TO ADOPT, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY, A PHILOSOPHY OF FIX IT FIRST, EMPHASIZING THE PRESERVATION OF OUR CURRENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM BEFORE WE GO ABOUT ADDING TO IT. AND WE WANT TO ESTABLISH PRIORITIES TO ENSURE THE OPTIMAL USE OF THAT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: EXCUSE ME. I HAVE A QUESTION. IF -- IS THERE A PRIORITY -- PRIORITY IN THE WAY THAT THESE ARE LISTED, LIKE THE FIRST ONE IS THE GREATEST PRIORITY, THE SECOND ONE IS A LESSER PRIORITY? >>RICH CLARENDON: NO, THERE IS NOT. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: WELL, THEN I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING -- WE CAN WORK ON THIS SOME MORE, BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S -- HUMAN BEINGS, BEING THE HIERARCHICAL BEINGS THAT WE TEND TO BE, THERE'S AN INFERENCE OF THAT, AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE LISTING COINCIDES WITH WHAT WE THINK, YOU KNOW, IS THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE. ALTHOUGH YOU SAY THAT IT'S ALL FLAT, THE THING YOU READ FIRST YOU TEND TO THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. MAYBE WE CAN WORK ON THAT BETWEEN NOW AND FEBRUARY TO TRULY REFLECT THE MPO GOALS. >>RICH CLARENDON: BE HAPPY TO DO THAT. GOAL FIVE IS -- CURRENTLY THERE'S FOUR GOALS IN YOUR PLANS. GOAL FIVE IS NEW IN THE SENSE THAT WE'RE ELEVATING IT TO BECOME A GOAL ON ITS OWN. PREVIOUSLY IT WAS UNDER ANOTHER GOAL, BUT WE FEEL THAT COORDINATED TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROMOTING SENSIBLE GROWTH PATTERNS THAT ARE LIVABLE, SUSTAINABLE, AND APPEALING TO RESIDENTS AS WELL AS TRAVELERS, USING APPROPRIATE DESIGN -- PLANNING AND DESIGN CRITERIA TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, AND ENCOURAGING LAND DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS TO PROMOTE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY. AND THE LAST GOAL, GOAL SIX, IS A NEW ONE, TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. THIS ADDRESSES SORT OF A NEW EMPHASIS, PARTICULARLY COMING FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, ADDRESSING PUBLIC SAFETY, SECURITY, AND SAFETY, SO WE'RE SUGGESTING SOME OBJECTIVES TO PROVIDE SAFER TRAVEL FOR ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING WALKING, BICYCLING, TRANSIT, AUTO, AND FREIGHT. WE WANT TO INCREASE THE SECURITY AND THE RESILIENCY OF THE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO WITHSTAND THREATS FROM VARIOUS CORRIDORS, AND WE ALSO WANT TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF THE OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES AND SUPPORT RECOVERY EFFORTS. SO JUST TO REITERATE WHAT I STARTED BY SAYING, WE ARE ON A SCHEDULE. THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WILL COME BACK TO YOU IN FEBRUARY FOR YOUR ENDORSEMENT. IN MAY WE WILL BE COMING TO YOU WITH A NEEDS ASSESSMENT, IN OCTOBER WE HOPE TO HAVE A DRAFT 2035 PLAN FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AND THEN AFTER DUE PUBLIC NOTICE AND HEARINGS ADOPT A PLAN IN NOVEMBER, SO THAT IS OUR SCHEDULE, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MARY, YOU HAD A QUESTION? >>MARY MULHERN: THANK YOU. LINDA ASKED MY FIRST QUESTION ALREADY ABOUT THE PRIORITIZING, AND IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THIS KIND OF CAME UP WITH MR. SKELTON TOO IN HOW HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MAYBE WE'RE NOT GOING ABOUT IT THE RIGHT WAY WHEN WE DO OUR SHORTER-TERM PLANNING TOO. MAYBE WE SHOULD BE GIVING YOU OUR PRIORITIES AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, GETTING THIS LONG LIST AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PICKING IT APART AS OPPOSED TO SAYING THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO FIRST, SO IF WE HAD THAT GUIDANCE UP FRONT FROM THIS BOARD, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, SO I'D LIKE TO -- I REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING INPUT IN THAT, AND SPECIFICALLY, I HAVEN'T READ THROUGH -- AND THANK YOU, MR. CHIARAMONTE, FOR GIVING US THIS TIME TO DO THIS BECAUSE IT DID COME UP OVER CHRISTMAS BREAK, AND I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW I WAS GOING TO STUDY ALL THIS AND KNEW I WASN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO, SO I APPRECIATE WE'RE GETTING THAT EXTRA TIME TO LOOK AT IT. BUT MY FEELING IS THAT WE DO NEED -- WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE. IT'S NOT JUST THAT YOU NEED TO PUT THINGS IN ORDER. I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE THE DIRECTION FOR THAT, AND I THINK TO ME WHEN I LOOK AT YOUR LIST, IF WE'RE JUST WORKING WITH WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY STATED AS THE GOALS, NUMBER THREE IS THE OVERREACHING GOAL BECAUSE IT SPEAKS TO EVERYTHING, INCLUDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT RIGHT NOW WITH JUST THE CHANGES IN OUR ENERGY LANDSCAPE AND OUR CLIMATE CHANGE THAT -- AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION THAT WE MAKE SUSTAINABILITY AND -- CONSERVATION SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY USE AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY BECAUSE THAT SPEAKS TO EVERY OTHER THING WE HAVE HERE, INCLUDING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO TAP INTO THE NEW FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING TO BE HERE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE. IT NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED ON GREEN OR WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE MONEY. THAT'S -- YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THAT'S WHERE IT HAS TO GO, SO THAT MEANS WE NEED TO FOCUS ON TRANSIT, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, AND I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PRIORITIZE. I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE MEETING, BUT I THINK THERE'LL BE ANOTHER ONE BEFORE FEBRUARY? >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THERE WILL BE, AND PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THIS BEING SUCH A HIGH PRIORITY, THAT WILL BE THE -- WE ALREADY HAVE -- ACTUALLY, WE ALREADY HAVE A SITE AND AN AGENDA. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE SET UP A SUBCOMMITTEE JUST TO WORK ON THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND I WOULD LIKE TO CHOOSE A DATE AND INVITE ALL THE MPO MEMBERS TO ATTEND THAT AS WELL AS THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO'VE EXPRESSED INTEREST BECAUSE 2035 PLAN IS SO IMPORTANT. >>MARY MULHERN: WHEN IS THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD COME TO THAT MEETING? WHEN'S OUR NEXT MEETING, DO YOU KNOW? >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: WELL, ACTUALLY, OUR NEXT LIVABLE ROADWAY COMMITTEE IS A VERY SPECIALIZED ONE. IT'S ACTUALLY BEING HELD AT THE JAIL, THE MORGAN STREET FORMER JAIL, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A FUTURE TRANSIT CENTER, ON THE 28th, WITH AN IDEA OF LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF THINGS AROUND IT, SO THAT'S NOT REALLY CONDUCIVE TO WORKING ON THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, IF I COULD, IS PERHAPS MAYBE ADD TIME ON TO OUR NEXT POLICY MEETING, YOU KNOW, SAY AT 10:00 OF OUR POLICY MEETING WE'LL WORK ON GOALS AND OBJECTIVES BECAUSE ALL THE MPO MEMBERS COME TO THAT. I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE MOST EFFICIENT THING, AND THAT HAPPENS QUICKLY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: YEAH, SO WHY DON'T WE SAY AT 10:00 OF OUR NEXT POLICY MEETING BECAUSE IT ISN'T JUST LIVABLE ROADWAYS, IT AFFECTS ALL OF OUR THINKING AND PLANNING. >> RIGHT. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: AND I ALSO HAVE SOME EXPERTS FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND AND PROVIDE SOME INPUT TOO. >>MARY MULHERN: RIGHT. SO HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO COME TO THAT. I DON'T KNOW -- WHEN'S OUR NEXT POLICY MEETING? >>JOE AFFRONTI: I CAN TELL YOU IN A MINUTE. POLICY. HERE IT IS. JANUARY 27th, 9:00 A.M. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE THAT WILL BE BEFORE OUR NEXT MPO MEETING. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WELL, IN THE INTERIM, COULD WE GET SOME -- RAY, MAYBE THEY COULD GIVE YOU SOME INPUT AS TO WHAT THE PRIORITIES -- RECOMMENDED PRIORITIES ARE. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: YES. ANY INPUT THAT YOU COULD GIVE STAFF OR OUR CONSULTANTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO STAY ON A SCHEDULE TO GET THIS DONE, SO EVEN IF WE NEED TO HAVE AN EXTRA MEETING, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS, WE WILL. I ALSO WANTED TO LET YOU NO HE THAT WE ARE -- WE HAVE MET WITH D.O.T. ON THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF PRIORITIZING OUR PLAN, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING, I THINK, SET, SO WE ARE WORKING ON TRYING TO COME UP WITH A BETTER SYSTEM THAN WHAT WE HAVE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. >>RICK LOTT: WHAT TIME FRAME [MICROPHONE NOT ON] >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER -- WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, I THINK, WAS THE STP FUNDS PRIORITIZATION LIST, WHICH IS DIFFERENT KIND OF THAN WHAT WE'RE TO GO HERE, AND I THINK WE HAVE A MEETING IN JANUARY WITH FDOT, AND WE HAVE SOME PROPOSALS WE'LL BE GOING OVER, SO I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE THAT LONG, PROBABLY FEBRUARY OR MARCH. >>RICK LOTT: OKAY. GREAT. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: I WANTED TO THANK TO MR. CLARENDON AND MR. CHIARAMONTE FOR RESPONDING TO THE CONCERNS RAISED BY THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE, AND I THINK THE NEW PREAMBLE IS GOOD, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING REFLECTS THIS REAL SHIFT IN HOW WE DO BUSINESS BECAUSE AS WE ALL HAVE RECOGNIZED, THE YEAR 2035, WHICH SOUNDS, YOU KNOW, VERY FAR IN THE FUTURE, FRANKLY, 2009 SOUNDED VERY FAR IN THE FUTURE AND WE'VE ARRIVED AND WE HAVEN'T ACCOMPLISHED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE RECOGNIZED WE NEED TO, SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR AND VERY ACTIVE IN PAINTING THE PICTURE OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO INVEST IN A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR 2035. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CLARENDON. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE BACK TO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MR. JOE AMON, YOUR REPORT, PLEASE. >> GOOD MORNING. I'LL MAKE THIS ONE REAL BRIEF. YOU'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED MOST OF THE THINGS WE WERE GOING TO BRING TO YOU ANYWAY, BUT I'LL JUMP AND JUST PULL OUT A COUPLE THINGS I THINK ARE IMPORTANT IN THE ACTION ITEMS. THE FDOT FIVE-YEAR PLAN. WE HAD A JOINT MEETING ON DECEMBER 10th BETWEEN THE TAC AND THE CAC. IT'S OUR ANNUAL MEETING, AND I CHAIR THE TAC AND NED BAIER CHAIRS THE CAC. WE ALWAYS HAVE OUR ANNUAL MEETING TOGETHER. INTERESTING. BOTH GROUPS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO BRING THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO YOU FOR YOUR APPROVAL, BUT WE ALSO BROUGHT WITH THAT THREE POINTS OF INTEREST TO YOU. MR. DINGFELDER'S SMILING. HE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY. THE DEFERRAL OF I-75 -- I-275/HOWARD FRANKLIN BRIDGE TO HIMES AVENUE, WE DIDN'T LIKE THAT. WE KNOW IT WAS THERE BECAUSE THEY HAD MANY CONSTRAINTS, BUT WE THINK THAT HAS TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD AND HAS TO HAVE A HIGH PRIORITY. AND NUMBER TWO, THE DELAY OF THE "Z" MOVEMENT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOWN IN THE SELMON, THE SELMON/I- 4-CROSSTOWN CORRECTOR. WE ALSO WERE VERY, VERY CONCERNED THAT THAT HAD TO BE PULLED OUT, AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO PUT IT BACK IN AGAIN, WE'D SURE LIKE YOU TO DO THAT, AND WE UNDERSTAND YOU-ALL'S CONCERN ABOUT MONEY. YOU TOOK OUR THUNDER. YOU DID THE RIGHT THING. WE'RE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THAT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I KNOW YOU'RE ALWAYS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT YBOR, JOE. >> YES, SIR. DRAFT GOALS AND PRINCIPLES, WE APPROVED THAT UNANIMOUSLY TO BRING THEM FORWARD SO YOU COULD DISCUSS THEM. WE TOO HAD SOME CONCERNS, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND THAT WE HAD TIME TO MAKE INPUT IN IT AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, IF WE SEE THINGS CHANGE WE COULD MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO IT, SO WITH THAT, WE ALSO APPROVED TO BRING IT FORWARD TO YOU-ALL, AND THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON HERE THAT YOU-ALL CAN'T READ. I THINK FOR TIME PURPOSES LET'S JUST CALL IT GOOD FOR THAT. WE MEET AGAIN ON JANUARY THE 14th AT 1:15 AT OUR NORMAL PLACE UPSTAIRS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, MS. SAUL-SENA. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THANK YOU. SINCE WE HAVE GIVEN OURSELVES ANOTHER MONTH TO WORK ON OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, IF YOU-ALL WANT TO ASK YOUR MEMBERS FOR ANY INPUT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY VALUABLE TO US. >> WE'LL DO IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, JOE. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. NEXT IS THE POLICY COMMITTEE REPORT, AND AS YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER FERLITA'S NOT HERE, SO I'LL READ THE REPORT. THE POLICY COMMITTEE MET AT 9:00 A.M. ON DECEMBER 16th IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM. THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 16th POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING WERE APPROVED BY THE MEMBERS PRESENT. DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE AGENDA, TWO CITIZENS EXPRESSED CONCERNS RELATED TO THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY THE COUNTY IS CONDUCTING ON LITHIA-PINECREST ROAD. THEY EXPRESSED THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE CONSIDERATION OF WIDENING THE ROAD TO SIX LANES, ESPECIALLY THE PORTION OUTSIDE THE URBAN SERVICES AREA. FOLLOWING DISCUSSION, THE POLICY COMMITTEE APPROVED A MOTION TO ASK THE COUNTY TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ON THE LITHIA-PINECREST PD&E STUDY AT THE JANUARY MPO MEETING, WHICH WILL FOLLOW IN THIS AGENDA. THIS PRESENTATION IS SCHEDULED LATER IN TODAY'S MEETING. FDOT STAFF THEN PRESENTED THE DEPARTMENT'S TENTATIVE FIVE- YEAR WORK PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009-10 AND 2013-14. FDOT EXPLAINED THAT DUE THE REVENUE SHORTFALLS, THERE ARE NO NEW PROJECTS ADDED TO THE FIFTH-YEAR OF THE NEW WORK PROGRAM. IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE PROJECTS TO THE ESTIMATED REVENUES, A FEW PROJECTS WERE DEFERRED TO THE FIFTH YEAR OR BEYOND. COUNCILWOMAN SAUL-SENA NOTED THAT SHE HAD ATTENDED THE MEETING ABOUT THE WATER TAXI SERVICE AND ASKED THE COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THEIR STUDY OF THE FERRY SERVICE TO PINELLAS COUNTY. FOLLOWING DISCUSSION, A MOTION WAS APPROVED TO ASK THE COUNTY TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE FULL MPO BOARD AT TODAY'S MEETING, AND THIS ITEM WILL BE PRESENTED LATER IN THE AGENDA TODAY. IN ADDITION, THE POLICY COMMITTEE APPROVED A MOTION THAT THE FDOT'S TENTATIVE WORK PROGRAM BE FORWARDED TO THE FULL MPO BOARD FOR ADOPTION. THE NEXT ITEM WAS A PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE 2035 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONSULTANT HELPING THE MPO UPDATE THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN EXPLAINED THAT THE PROPOSED POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE NEW FEDERAL AND STATE EMPHASIS AREAS. AS THE LRTP UPDATE PROCEEDS, THERE MAY BE A NEED TO ADD OR ADJUST POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES. THE POLICY COMMITTEE THEN PASSED A MOTION TO FORWARD THE DRAFT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TO THE FULL MPO BOARD FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL. MR. CHIARAMONTE ANNOUNCED THAT LUCIE AYERS HAS SUBMITTED HER RESIGNATION AND WILL BE LEAVING THE MPO/PLANNING COMMISSION. HE ALSO NOTED THAT MR. BOB HUNTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, HAD ALSO RESIGNED AND WILL BE LEAVING AT YEAR-END. AS A REMINDER, THE NEXT POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE JANUARY 27th AT 9:00 A.M. IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM, AND OF COURSE, EVERYBODY IS WELCOME TO ATTEND. SO THAT'S THE REPORT ON THE POLICY COMMITTEE. YES, MARY. >>MARY MULHERN: YEAR-END OF 2008 OR 2009 FOR BOB HUNTER? >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: 2008. >>MARY MULHERN: HE'S GONE? >> YES. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YEAH. 2008. >>MARY MULHERN: WHAT'S THE PLAN OR ARE WE DOING A NATIONAL SEARCH? >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WELL, ACTUALLY -- I'LL SAY IN MY -- >>MARY MULHERN: SORRY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: LET'S GO ON WITH THE OTHER ITEMS. OKAY. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT, LIVABLE ROADWAYS. LINDA SAUL-SENA. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THANK YOU. WE HAD A LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE ON DECEMBER 17th AT THE RAMPELLO DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP SCHOOL, AND WE HAD THE PLEASURE OF HEARING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CANDY OLSON DESCRIBE THEIR EFFORTS IN REDUCING ENERGY USE IN THEIR FACILITIES, INCLUDING ENCOURAGING PARENTS TO TURN OFF THEIR ENGINES IN CARPOOL LINES IT TURNS OUT THAT KIDS SUFFER ASTHMA, AND THERE'S A LOT OF EXHAUST THAT BUILDS UP IN THOSE CARPOOL LINES. THE MEMBERS WERE PLEASED TO HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN AND WERE LOOKING AT ADDING THIS TO OUR WORK AS THINGS GO ON. THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION GOALS WERE PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED, AND THERE WAS CONCERN FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON A STUDY BEING CONDUCTED TO WIDEN THE STATE ROAD 674 THROUGH WIMAUMA TO SIX LANES, SO WE HIT ON MANY OF THE THINGS WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED AT TODAY'S MEETING. THE NEXT LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD JANUARY 29th AT THE MORGAN STREET JAIL, WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY BE PART OF THE REGIONAL TRANSIT CENTER SITE, AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE TRANSPORTATION MODES THAT COME TOGETHER IN THIS LOCATION. EVERYONE IS INVITED TO ATTEND. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, LINDA. ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. GENA TORRES, THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE. >>GENA TORRES: GOOD MORNING. GENA TORRES, MPO STAFF. THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD A MEETING ON DECEMBER 17th. WE HELD IT AT THE UPPER TAMPA BAY TRAIL. BOTH THE WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN AND THE LONG-RANGE PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WERE PRESENTED AS WELL. THE MEMBERS AGREED WITH THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE THAT THE GOALS TO JUST MORE CLEARLY REFLECT THE NEED TO MOVE PEOPLE, FREIGHT, PEOPLE, CARS, PEOPLE, AND WE -- YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME GOOD WORDING. IT WASN'T THAT THERE WAS AN OBJECTION TOTALLY TO HOW THEY WERE PRESENTED OR HOW THEY WERE EVEN LISTED. I THINK WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THEY GET CONCERNED LATER AS TO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ACTUALLY START IDENTIFYING PROJECTS, AND WE DON'T WANT TO RELY ON ROAD WIDENING AND RESURFACING TO BUILD THE SIDEWALKS AND THE BIKE LANES THAT WE NEED THE MOST. IT'S GREAT. THERE IS GREAT STANDARDS, AND THEY ARE INCLUDED IN ROAD PROJECTS. STATE AND THE COUNTY AND CITY'S ROAD PROJECTS DO INCLUDE BIKE LANES AND SIDEWALKS, BUT THOSE AREN'T NECESSARILY THE ONES WE NEED THE MOST. WE NEED TO MAKE CONNECTIONS TO THOSE OTHER PLACE, SO THE COMMITTEE REALLY IS LOOKING FORWARD TO BE ON THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TO HEAR IS THERE GOING TO BE SOME DEDICATED FUNDING, IS THERE GOING TO BE SOME REAL MONEY TO BUILDING THOSE PROJECTS THAT AREN'T ON A ROAD PROJECT. A PRESENTATION WAS RECEIVED ON THE COUNTY'S NEW TRAIL 911 SYSTEM. THIS IS REALLY NEAT. THESE BRIGHT YELLOW DECALS ARE GLUED DOWN EVERY 200 FEET ON THE UPPER TAMPA BAY TRAIL. I THINK -- I WANT TO SAY THAT IT WAS THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY. I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER PLACES THAT DO THIS, BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS A TRAIL USER NOW IF THEY GET HURT OR THEY'RE LOST OR WHATEVER, THEY -- YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M HALF A MILE FROM SOME -- YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO WAY TO REALLY IDENTIFY AND FIND THEM, SO IT'S IN WITH THE 911 SYSTEM, SO WHEN THEY CALL, AN EMERGENCY OPERATOR KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE, AND THEY CAN TELL THE EMERGENCY SERVICES HOW TO GET TO THAT PERSON ON THE TRAIL, SO IT'S A REALLY COOL SYSTEM. THE COUNTY SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR HAVING THIS NEW 911 TRAIL SYSTEM. OTHER TOPICS JUST MENTIONED WERE THE GANDY TRAILBRIDGE DEMISE, AND MAYBE WE CAN HEAR SOME UPDATE AT OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT, IF ANYTHING, AND THE GASPARILLA BICYCLE RODEO WITH THE CHILDREN'S PARADE -- IT'S HELD RIGHT BEFORE THE CHILDREN'S PARADE -- IS COMING UP ON JANUARY 24th, AND IT'S A FANTASTIC EVENT WHERE WE GIVE HUNDREDS OF BIKE HELMETS AWAY AND LET KIDS GO THROUGH THIS LITTLE COURSE, SO EVERYBODY'S WELCOME TO COME OUT AND WATCH US DO OUR LITTLE THING. OUR NEXT BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY MEETING IS AT THE 14th, AND IT'S AT 5:30. WE'LL HOLD IT HERE THIS TIME. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: GREAT JOB, GENA. ANY OTHER -- ANY COMMENTS? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THE NEXT ONE IS THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED COORDINATING BOARD. THE TDCB MET ON DECEMBER 9th. THE BOARD APPROVED THE COORDINATION CONTRACT BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR AND THE DRUG ABUSE COORDINATING OFFICE, INCORPORATED, GENERALLY REFERRED TO AS DACCO. DACCO PROVIDED OVER 18,000 ONE-WAY TRIPS TO CLIENTS LAST YEAR FOR MEDICAL AND OTHER LIFE-SUSTAINING ACTIVITIES. THE BOARD ALSO APPROVED THE EVALUATION OF THE COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR. THE DESIGNATED CTC FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THE TRANSPORTATION BOARD -- THE TRANSPORTATION BOARD IS REQUIRED BY FLORIDA STATUTE 427 TO REVIEW THE CTC ANNUALLY. THIS EVALUATION REPORT IS CURRENTLY BEING PRESENTED TO THE MPO COMMITTEES AND WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE FULL MPO IN FEBRUARY. FINALLY, THE BOARD HEARD A PEDESTRIAN FROM TBARTA THAT GAVE -- THAT GAVE -- A PRESENTATION FROM TBARTA. THEY GAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE REGIONAL PLANNING AND FUNDING AND FINANCING NETWORK OPTIONS IN THEIR MASTER PLAN. THE DEPARTMENT -- THE TBARTA REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT POLICY POLLING INDICATED THAT VOTERS FAVORED THE REGIONAL APPROACH. THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD ON THE 18th FLOOR OF THE COUNTY CENTER ON FEBRUARY 26th AT 9:15, AND EVERYBODY CERTAINLY IS WELCOME TO ATTEND. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER THEM. OKAY. NEXT ITEM IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. MR. CHIARAMONTE. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: THANK YOU. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT I'VE BEEN MEETING WITH OVER THE LAST MONTH, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE WATER TAXI PLAN MEETING THAT WAS HELD AT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ON DECEMBER 8th. ALSO THE MPO POLICY AND TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING WAS HELD IN TAMPA. THAT'S THE ORGANIZATION OF THE STATEWIDE MPOs THAT MEET IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND IT WAS OUR TURN TO HOST THAT MEETING. ALSO, THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE MEETING THAT WAS HELD ON DECEMBER 8th. I ATTENDED TBARTA MEETING AT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, ONE OF THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEES. ALSO THE CHAIRS COORDINATING COMMITTEE MEETING AT FDOT, THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT INVOLVES THE COUNTIES' AND THE TAMPA BAY AREA'S MPOs. LAKELAND HELD A RAIL MEETING THAT INCLUDED ORLANDO AND TAMPA REPRESENTATIVES, TAMPA AREA REPRESENTATIVES, AND I ATTENDED THAT ON DECEMBER 15th. THE KICKOFF OF THE TAMPA RAIL PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE OCCURRED ON DECEMBER 17th, WHICH I ATTENDED, AND ALSO, THAT AFTERNOON THE ONE BAY REVIEW COMMITTEE AT TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL, THAT'S THE ONE BAY VISIONING EFFORT THAT'S GOING ON IN THE TAMPA BAY REGION. AND THE I-4 ECONOMIC CORRIDOR STUDY CORE PROJECT MEETING, THAT'S THE STUDY OF THE I-4 AREA EAST OF -- INCLUDING TAMPA TO PLANT CITY AND THE COUNTY LINE, AND ATTENDED THE TBARTA MEETING ON DECEMBER 19th. I WANT TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT A FAIRLY MAJOR EVENT IS OCCURRING, ONE THAT OCCURS EVERY THREE YEARS. IT'S THE MPO CERTIFICATION REVIEW. IN FEBRUARY A TEAM OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AND FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION WILL BE IN TOWN TO CONDUCT THEIR TRIENNIAL CERTIFICATION REVIEW OF THE TAMPA BAY AREA MPOs. THE PURPOSE OF THIS VISIT IS TO DETERMINE IF THE MPOs ARE COMPLYING WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL REGULATIONS. THERE'LL BE -- ACTUALLY WE'RE GOING HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WILL BE SCHEDULED TO PROVIDE CITIZENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE COMMENTS ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE MPOs. WE'RE PLANNING ON HAVING THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 9:00 AT OUR FEBRUARY 3rd MEETING, MPO MEETING, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER ONE, WHICH THE BOARD MEMBERS DON'T NEED TO ATTEND, BUT FOR INPUT AT 6:00 P.M. THAT SAME DAY. THE THREE -- THE MEETING IN THE MORNING WILL BE HERE, AND THE 6:00 P.M. MEETING WILL BE IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM TO AGAIN GIVE CITIZENS AMPLE OPPORTUNITY, DEPENDING ON THEIR SCHEDULES, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EFFORT. WE HAVE 22 PAGES OF QUESTIONS ABOUT MPO ACTIVITIES AND PRODUCTS THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF ATTEMPTING TO ANSWER, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A FAIRLY MAJOR EVENT AND ONE I WILL PROBABLY BE GLAD WHEN IT'S OVER THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR IN FEBRUARY, BUT I KNOW FDOT IS OUR PARTNERS IN THIS, AND THEY'LL BE HELPING US ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. REGARDING -- OH, OKAY. GETTING TO THE ISSUE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I WANT TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT I WAS ASKED TO SERVE AS TEMPORARY, WITH THE WORD ACCENTED ON TEMPORARY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS ANYWAY. THEY HAVE AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THAT IS GOING TO MEET ALREADY. THEY'RE MOVING VERY RAPIDLY TOWARD DECIDING HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO THE SEARCH FOR A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I'LL BE INVOLVED IN THAT AND SITTING IN AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS -- MONTHLY MEETING. I WILL NOT LET THAT COMPROMISE MY EFFORTS WITH THE MPO. I HAVE A COMPUTER AT HOME, WHICH I'VE BEEN USING A LOT LATELY. I WILL TELL YOU I FEEL A LITTLE BIT IN UNCHARTED WATERS WITH LUCIE NO LONGER BEING HERE AND BOB HUNTER LEAVING, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIFE, AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO COPE WITH IT, SO ANY ASSISTANCE YOU COULD GIVE ME WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AS I GO THROUGH THE NEXT TWO OR THREE MONTHS AS THEY REALLY GET MOVING TOWARD FINDING A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS? YES. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: IN ONE OF TODAY'S PAPER THERE WAS AN EDITORIAL THAT TALKED ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO HAVE A STRONG DIRECTOR AND COMPLIMENTED MR. HUNTER ON WHAT A GREAT JOB HE'S DONE, BUT MR. CHIARAMONTE, DO NOT SELL YOURSELF SHORT. YOU HAVE BEEN A VETERAN OF THIS ORGANIZATION FOR YEARS, AND YOU HAVE DONE A MARVELOUS JOB, AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB FOR US AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND WE JUST THINK IN 2009 YOU SHOULD GIVE UP SLEEP FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS. [LAUGHTER] REALLY, YOU'RE -- DON'T -- WE ARE ALL SUPPORTIVE OF YOU, AND I'M SURE THEY'LL FIND SOMEBODY EXCELLENT SOON. IT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT TIME TO HIRE SMART PEOPLE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF CONFIDENCE IN YOU, RAY. YOU KNOW THAT. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM WOULD BE THE -- LET ME SEE. LYNN MERENDA, THE 2005 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC -- PLAN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION STRATEGIES AND CITIZENS GUIDE. LYNN MERENDA. >>LYNN MERENDA: GOOD MORNING. HAPPY NEW YEAR. >>JOE AFFRONTI: HAPPY NEW YEAR. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WHILE LYNN'S SETTING THAT UP, I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT LYNN IS A VERY CREATIVE MEMBER OF OUR STAFF, AND I THINK WE REALLY ATTEMPTED TO HAVE A CITIZENS GUIDE THAT WILL GET PEOPLE'S INTEREST BECAUSE IT'S -- IT DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT TO ME, SO IN THAT LIGHT, I HOPE YOU'LL BE PLEASED WITH WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TODAY. >>LYNN MERENDA: GREAT. I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION STRATEGIES SPECIFIC TO OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. OBVIOUSLY OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, AND THE NEW PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN WAS APPROVED IN OCTOBER BY YOU, AND TODAY AGAIN WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME CUSTOMIZED STRATEGIES FOR THE LRTP. OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO COORDINATE, COLLABORATE, COOPERATE, AND COMMUNICATE WITH KEY PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS. A KEY IN THAT PROCESS IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FDOT AND HART, ALSO WITH TBARTA AND THE CHAIRS COORDINATING COMMITTEE, THE VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS, AND ESPECIALLY THE PUBLIC AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. WE WANT TO BUILD UPON RECENT DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WE HELD THE E.A.R. PROCESS AS WE DID OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATES WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN WE HAD OUR MPO TRANSIT STUDY WHERE WE WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH THE PUBLIC. WE HAD THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF COMMENTS COLLECTED AT VARIOUS TYPES OF FOCUS GROUPS AND WORKSHOPS, HANDS-ON MAPPING WORKSHOPS, ALL SORTS OF ACTIVITIES. SO WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON FOR THE HILLSBOROUGH 2035 LONG- RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN? WE DO HAVE A MULTILAYERED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PLAN FOR A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN. THERE WILL BE OPEN HOUSES, CREATIVE ADS, VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES, COLLABORATION, AND ALL SORTS OF AVENUES FOR US TO BEST COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC OUTGOING AND AS WELL AS RECEIVING COMMENTS INWARD. OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT WILL BEGIN APRIL THROUGH JUNE, AND OUR COST-AFFORDABLE PHASE AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER, AND BOTH PHASES WILL SEEK INPUT FROM OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES, OUR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PARTNERS, AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, BUSINESSES, AND ORGANIZATIONS. WE'LL CONTINUE INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS AT LARGE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND FESTIVALS. SPECIFICALLY THIS YEAR WE WILL BE LOOKING AT GROUPS AND PLACES SUCH -- ANYWHERE FROM THE STREETCAR FESTIVAL TO GOING OUT TO THE TAMPA BAY RAYS GAMES TO IT COULD BE RUSKIN SEAFOOD FESTIVAL, GASPARILLA EVENTS, LIGHTNING GAMES, ITALIAN FESTIVAL. YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU'LL SEE US, BUT WE'LL BE THERE WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR INPUT ON OUR PLANS. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PLAN INCLUDE VISUALIZATIONS AND SURVEYS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON-LINE AND IN OUR NEWSLETTERS BEGINNING IN MARCH. PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO SEND BACK FEEDBACK CARDS RIGHT AWAY. SOLICITATION OF A BROAD CROSS-SECTION OF BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS WITH ONE BAY AND TBARTA. WE'LL HAVE DISPLAY, SURVEY, AND TEACH-IN OPPORTUNITY THIS YEAR AT THE HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOODS CONFERENCE WHERE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'LL BE TEACHING A CLASS. THAT'S VERY EXCITING, A GREAT WAY TO PENETRATE INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS. ALSO WE HOPE TO PARTNER WITH TBARTA FOR A VIDEO PRODUCTION DESCRIBING THE 2035 LRTP AND HOW THE LIGHT RAIL IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COORDINATES WITH THE TBARTA MASTER PLAN. THAT WILL BE LATER THIS SUMMER. NOW WE HAVE OUR FEATURE PRESENTATION. LADIES. THIS WAS OUR OLD CITIZENS GUIDE, BUT WE DO WANT TO UPDATE WHAT'S ON THE MENU WITH THE MPO, SO TODAY WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE A LOOK AT OUR BRAND-NEW, RECENTLY UPDATED, AND NOW BEING PASSED OUT TO YOU -- OUR BRAND-NEW CITIZENS GUIDE, THE JOY OF LOOKING AHEAD TO 2035, RECIPES FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SUCCESS. THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR CITIZENS WHO DON'T NORMALLY RELATE TO TRANSPORTATION ISSUES TO GRAB AHOLD OF SOMETHING HANDS ON THAT'S FRESH IN A WAY THAT THEY CAN RELATE TO FINDING OUT WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT AND SOME FEATURE PAGES, YOU KNOW, MENU PLANNING, WHAT IS THE MPO, QUALITY INGREDIENTS, WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE MPO, COUNTYWIDE CATERING, WHAT IS OUR MISSION, BUFFET FARE, MULTIMODAL CHOICES, ADVANCE PREP, WHAT DO WE DO, WHAT IS THE UPWP, THE LRTP, THE T.I.P.? SIMPLE WAYS TO EXPLAIN IT. IT'S GREAT READING IF YOU'RE NEW ON THE BOARD, MR. BECKNER. INVITATION LIST. TABLE SETTING. ADVANCED PREP. ALL IMPORTANT ISSUES HERE. WE HAVE A GROCERY LIST OF WAYS PEOPLE CAN GET INVOLVED, HOW CAN YOU BE ENGAGED, HOW DO YOU GET IN TOUCH, WHAT ARE ALL THOSE ACRONYMS, WHAT IS IN THE ALPHABET SOUP, AND ALSO WHEN ARE ALL OUR MEETINGS, WHAT TYPES OF MEETINGS DO WE HAVE. FINALLY A LOOK AT THE REGIONAL CUISINE, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. I'D ALSO BE HAPPY TO TAKE SUGGESTIONS ON ANY GROUPS THAT YOU'D LIKE FOR US TO SPEAK TO IN THE OUTREACH PROCESS. ALSO, I DO HAVE THESE BUNDLED IN PACKETS OF 50. IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THEM BACK TO YOUR OFFICE, I HAVE THEM BACK HERE IF YOU'D LIKE THEM FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: LYNN, AS ALWAYS, GREAT JOB. THIS IS REALLY FABULOUS. MS. SAUL-SENA. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: IN OVER 20 YEARS OF SERVING ON THE MPO, WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING THIS ENGAGING FOR THE PUBLIC, AND GIVEN THEIR INPUT IS SO IMPORTANT, THIS IS GREAT. >>LYNN MERENDA: THANK YOU. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THIS IS SO CREATIVE. >>LYNN MERENDA: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THAT'S GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT, THANKS VERY MUCH, LYNN. BUT YOU'RE ON AGAIN HERE. >>LYNN MERENDA: I AM ON AGAIN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. CREATING WORLD-CLASS STREETS. >>LYNN MERENDA: YES. THIS WILL BE A LOT OF FUN. BASICALLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS OUT ON STREET FILMS, WHICH IS AT WWW.STREETFILMS.ORG, AND THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO SEND A DVD TO SHOW TO YOU TODAY, AND AS WE TALK ABOUT OUR GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO THINK THAT THE IMPOSSIBLE CAN REALLY HAPPEN. PLEASE ENJOY THE VIDEO. HTV IF YOU COULD CUE IT UP ON ALL SCREENS. THANK YOU. [VIDEO PLAYED] >> HI. I'M MARK GORTON. I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE TODAY WITH JANETTE SADIK-KHAN, WHO IS THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN NEW YORK CITY. LET'S START OFF WITH A DISCLAIMER THAT I'M A BIG FAN OF YOUR WORK AND WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON AT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RECENTLY. A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I HAD THE CHANCE TO RIDE IN TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES CENTURY RIDE ALL AROUND NEW YORK CITY, AND IT WAS PRACTICALLY A TOUR OF THE DIFFERENT IMPROVEMENTS THAT D.O.T. HAS DONE. THERE'S BROADWAY, I GUESS YOU'RE CALLING IT BROADWAY BOULEVARD. >> UH-HUH. >> MADISON SQUARE, WHICH IS JUST A FANTASTIC CHANGE IN THE STREET TREATMENT, I MEAN, JUST BIKE LANES ALL OVER THE CITY. I MEAN, I GUESS JUST THE SCOPE AND THE SCALE OF IT IS REALLY AMAZING. >> ALL OF THESE TRANSFORMATIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK REFLECT THE FACT THAT FOR MANY YEARS WE'VE LOOKED AT OUR STREETS AS REALLY UTILITARIAN CORRIDORS THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY DESIGNED TO GET TRAFFIC TO GO AS FAST AS POSSIBLE FROM POINT "A" TO POINT "B," AND WE NEED TO TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT OUR STREETS AND OUR STREETSCAPE AND HOW WE USE THEM, AND THE FACT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MILLION MORE PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY BY 2030, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A MUCH DIFFERENT APPROACH TO OUR STREETS. SO ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU REFER TO AS THE MADISON SQUARE PROJECT, AND SO WHAT WE DID IS ON 23rd STREET -- IT USED TO BE THE LONGEST PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN THE CITY. IT WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS TO CROSS THAT INTERSECTION, AND SO WHAT WE DID IS WE REENGINEERED THE STREETSCAPE SO THAT WE'VE CREATED ABOUT 45,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE THAT WE'VE TURNED BACK INTO REALLY A PUBLIC PLAZA, AND IT HAS REALLY TRANSFORMED THAT AREA. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, YOU'VE GOT ALL THIS ICONIC ARCHITECTURE ALL AROUND YOU, SO YOU'VE GOT THE FLAT-IRON BUILDING WHICH IS SPECTACULAR, YOU CAN LOOK UP AND SEE THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, AND NOW YOU HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO SIT DOWN, READ THE NEWSPAPER, DRINK A CUP OF COFFEE, CATCH UP WITH A FRIEND OR CATCH UP WITH YOUR E-MAIL, AND ENJOY THE SPACE ON BROADWAY BOULEVARD WHERE WE'VE TAKEN SEVEN BLOCKS FROM 42nd STREET TO 34th STREET AND BASICALLY DESIGNED THAT SO THAT WE'RE IMPROVING THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE AND PUTTING OUT TABLES AND CHAIRS AND UMBRELLAS, ALL OF WHICH ARE BEING MAINTAINED BY THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, AND THE BUSINESSES ALONG THE CORRIDOR SUPPORT IT BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND ALL THAT ADDITIONAL FOOT TRAFFIC, ALL THOSE PEOPLE SPENDING TIME ENJOYING THESE NEW CREATED SPACES MEANS MORE BUSINESS, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE STARTING TO GET INTO THE PUBLIC CONSCIENCE ABOUT, WOW, WE CAN USE OUR STREETS DIFFERENTLY. >> YEAH. I MEAN, I HAD A MEETING WITH A GUY WHO SAID HIS OFFICE IS ON, I THINK, 40th STREET AND BROADWAY, AND HE SAID FROM THE FIRST MORNING THAT BROADWAY BOULEVARD WAS IN THERE, ALL THE TABLES AND CHAIRS WERE JUST FILLED ALL THE TIME. >> IT'S AMAZING. I MEAN, THE CITY DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ENOUGH SEATS AS IT IS. WE PUT DOWN JUST THE ORANGE CONES, EVEN BEFORE WE GET TO THE EPOXY OR THE TABLES OR THE CHAIRS, PEOPLE ARE OUT IN THEM JUST IN BETWEEN THE CONES BECAUSE THAT'S HOW HUNGRY PEOPLE ARE FOR PUBLIC SPACE. >> I MEAN, WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MADISON SQUARE BEFORE, BUT THIS IS ANOTHER PLACE WHERE YOU'VE GONE AND RECLAIMED PAVEMENT. WHERE WE'RE STANDING, THIS WAS CARS DRIVING HERE NOT THAT LONG AGO. >> RIGHT. THERE USED TO BE LANES AND LANES OF TRAFFIC. WE'VE GOT THE MEDIANS THERE AGAIN FOR SAFETY AND WE'VE GOT THE PLANTERS THERE, YOU KNOW, THOUSAND-POUND PLANTERS WHICH ARE GREAT, ALSO AGAIN PROTECTING PEDESTRIANS. YOU KNOW, IT'S CREATED A GREAT LITTLE VISTA IN THE HEART OF THE MEAT PACKING DISTRICT. >> IT'S AMAZING. I MEAN, LOOK, I MEAN, PEOPLE JUST ENJOYING SPACE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY COULD NEVER DO THAT BEFORE, I MEAN ACTUAL HUMAN LIFE IN THE CITY. >> AND YOU COME HERE AT, YOU KNOW, 1:00 IN THE MORNING AND IT'S JUST AS FILLED BECAUSE NEW YORK CITY'S A 24-HOUR-A-DAY CITY. >> I THINK ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS IS IT SHOWS THE ENORMOUS LATENT DEMAND FOR JUST PUBLIC SPACE AND SITTING, SO EVEN THINKING ABOUT PROVIDING SEATING AS PART OF D.O.T.'S MISSION IS A REAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE THINKING. >> WELL, EXACTLY, AND EVEN HOW WE APPROACHED, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS. YOU KNOW, TOO MUCH OF THE TIME I THINK PEDESTRIANS HAVE BEEN SEEN AS SORT OF JUST GUESTS IN THIS SPACE, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE REALLY USE FORD OTHER PURPOSES, AND SO REALLY PUTTING A PRIME ROLE FOR DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE, DESIGNING FOR PEDESTRIANS, DESIGNING FOR CYCLISTS, DESIGNING FOR BUSES, DESIGNING FOR BETTER MOBILITY, DESIGNING FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE CITY, IT'S ALL PART OF A PACKAGE. WELL, HERE WE ARE AT BEAUTIFUL GANSEVOORT PLAZA, AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST SHOWING WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO IN VERY SHORT ORDER WITH TEMPORARY MATERIALS. I MEAN, WE'VE STRIPED, YOU KNOW, THE OUTSIDE, WHICH IS OUR FAUX SIDEWALK, AND PUT UP THESE BALLARDS, WHICH ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR SAFETY. THEY'RE VERY HEAVY, SO PEDESTRIANS ARE PROTECTED WITHIN THE SPACE, AND AGAIN, JUST TAKING BLOCKS, YOU KNOW, FROM OLD BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND PUT THEM DOWN. >> I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING HOW EASY AND INEXPENSIVE IT IS TO MAKE A PUBLIC PLAZA. >> YES, ABSOLUTELY, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE BONES OF THIS KIND OF A NEIGHBORHOOD. I MEAN, THIS IS THE OLD MEAT PACKING DISTRICT, AND YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL BELGIAN BLOCK, AND SO WE'RE REALLY RECLAIMING THE BELGIAN BLOCK AND HIGHLIGHTING THAT. >> WHAT ABOUT TRAFFIC CALMING? >> WELL, TRAFFIC CALMING IS ONE WAY THAT WE'RE BRINGING, I THINK, TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE TO THE STREETS HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE IT. I MEAN, THIS USED TO BE KIND OF LIKE A, YOU KNOW, ROADWAY RACE COURSE HERE, AND NOW YOU'VE GOT TRUCKS THAT ARE OBEYING THE STOP SIGNS AND TAXIS THAT ARE DOING THE SAME AND PEOPLE REALLY SORT OF RECLAIMING THE SPACE BACK. >> SO IT REALLY DOES POINT OUT JUST HOW DRIVERS TAKE PSYCHIC CUES FROM THE WAY ROADS ARE DESIGNED -- >> EXACTLY. >> -- AND THAT IF YOU DESIGN THEM WITH PEOPLE IN MIND, THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY OBEY THE LAWS MORE. >> YEAH. AND SO THAT'S VERY MUCH WHAT WE'RE SEEING, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIT OF A TIPPING POINT, IT'S A CULTURAL CHANGE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE FOR TRAFFIC TO, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND THAT THE RULES OF THE ROAD HAVE CHANGED, AND IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, THAT FEET ARE DRIVING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN HERE. >> MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALLY GET WOULD BE WHAT YOU'RE DOING ON 34th STREET, SO CAN YOU DESCRIBE, I GUESS, WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE AND THE MOTIVATION BEHIND IT? >> WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE ARE GIVING PRIORITY TREATMENT TO BUSES ON 34th STREET. WE HAVE PAINTED A VERY ATTRACTIVE TERRACOTTA TYPE OF LANE. IN FACT, THIS LOOKS LIKE OUR -- THE LANE THAT WE PAINTED ON 34th STREET, AND WE'VE CREATED A DEDICATED LANE THAT WILL HAVE SOFT BARRIERS ON IT TO DEMARCATE THE LANE VISUALLY, PHYSICALLY. WE'VE GOT THE LARGEST BUS FLEET IN NORTH AMERICA AND THE HONOR OF THE SLOWEST BUS SPEEDS IN NORTH AMERICA. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, YOU CAN WALK ACROSS 34th STREET FROM RIVER TO RIVER FASTER THAN YOU CAN TAKE A BUS, AND SO IN TERMS OF IMPROVING MOBILITY AND GETTING PEOPLE TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, OUT OF THEIR CARS AND ONTO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WE NEED TO MAKE THAT SYSTEM WORK BETTER, AND SO SINCE OUR ROADS ARE REALLY THE RAILS FOR THE BUS SYSTEM, WE'RE TRYING TO REENGINEER OUR ROADS TO BETTER ACCOUNT FOR THE MOBILITY OF BUSES, SO WE'VE DONE THAT ON FORDHAM ROAD. WE DID A SIMILAR TREATMENT, THE BUSES GET THE GREEN LIGHT FIRST, IT GETS PRIORITY IN THE QUEUE, AND WE'VE GOT OFF- BOARD FARE COLLECTION SO YOU CAN PAY BEFORE THE BUS COMES AND THEN GET ON THE BUS BECAUSE WAITING TIMES ARE ABOUT A THIRD OF THE DELAY WITH BUSES RIGHT NOW. WE'VE GOT ICONIC BUSES SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT HERE'S A DIFFERENT-LOOKING BUS THAT HAS DIFFERENT PRIORITY IN THE SYSTEM, THAT THERE'S ENFORCEMENT TO KEEP CARS OUT OF IT, AND EVEN ON 34th STREET, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE USING CAMERAS TO ENFORCE AGAINST TAXIS THAT ARE A LOT OF THE PROBLEM IN MIDTOWN, TO KEEP THEM OUT OF THE LANE, SO IF THEY GET INTO THE LANE, THEN THEY'RE GOING GET A TICKET. >> WE CONTINUE OUR WALKING TOUR OF STREET TRANSFORMATION, AND SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE HERE. >> WELL, THIS IS ONE OF OUR MOST EXCITING PROJECTS. WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE CREATED A COMPLETELY PROTECTED BIKE LANE FOR BIKERS BY FLIPPING THE PARKING LANE WITH WHAT'S TRADITIONALLY THE BIKE LANE, AND YOU CAN SEE WE'VE GOT THE BIKE LANE AND THEN WE'VE GOT A PAINTED MEDIAN AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE PARKING LANE, SO EVERYBODY'S SAFE. YOU CAN SEE WE'VE GOT GREAT PLANTINGS IN THE MIDDLE, SO WE'VE CREATED A REALLY ATTRACTIVE CORRIDOR. AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, WE'VE ALSO CHANGED THE PARKING REGULATIONS, THE DELIVERY REGULATIONS, SO WE'VE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL DELIVERY WINDOWS FOR BUSINESSES. >> IS THIS A COMPLETE STREET? >> THIS IS THE EPITOME OF A COMPLETE STREET. THIS IS A SAFER CORRIDOR, THIS IS A GREENER CORRIDOR, THIS MAKES IT PLAUSIBLE FOR ALL USERS TO USE THIS STREET IN A SAFE MANNER, AND THIS IS REALLY THE IDEAL FOR WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE ON THE STREETS OF NEW YORK, ALL 6,000 MILES OF STREETS. >> SO THIS SUMMER, I GUESS FOR THREE WEEKENDS YOU CLOSE DOWN PARK AVENUE BETWEEN 72nd AND -- AND BASICALLY ALL THE WAY TO THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE. I THOUGHT IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. EVERYONE OUT THERE WAS JUST HAVING A FANTASTIC TIME. WHAT WAS D.O.T.'S TEAM WITH SUMMER STREETS? >> SUMMER STREETS WAS A COMPLETE AND UNABASHED HOME RUN, TRANSFORMATIVE, AND TO SEE PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREETS WALKING AND BIKING AND HANGING OUT WAS AMAZING. WE ALSO PROGRAMMED THE STREETS, WHICH I THINK WAS A NICE, VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO IT, SO WE HAD FENCING ON THE STREETS, WE HAD CHA CHA, SAMBA CLASSES, WE ROLLED OUT TENNIS COURTS. I NEVER KNEW THAT THERE WAS A BIG STATUE OF CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, THE FOUNDER OF THE NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD, AT THE 42nd STREET VIADUCT. I'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE. YOU LOOKED UP AND YOU SAW THESE INCREDIBLE ICONIC BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW. JUST TO SEE THAT, TO STOP AND NOT WORRY ABOUT GETTING HIT BY SOMEBODY OR SOMETHING WAS REALLY, I THINK, INCREDIBLE, AND KIDS IN PARTICULAR WERE JUST GOING CRAZY RUNNING AROUND. SO THAT'S, I THINK, THE EXPERIENCE THAT PEOPLE HAD AND THAT WE HAD, AND WE GOT A LOT OF COVERAGE AROUND THE WORLD. AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR CITIES TO EXPERIMENT. >> IT'S GREAT TO SEE NEW YORK IN THIS LEADERSHIP POSITION. IT'S WHERE THE CITY SHOULD BE, INNOVATING, SHOWING OTHER PLACES HOW IT CAN BE DONE. IT'S REALLY SATISFYING TO SEE OTHER CITIES STARTING TO DO THE SAME STUFF WE'RE DOING HERE. YOU GET ENORMOUS CREDIT FOR THAT. >> WELL, AND MAYOR BLOOMBERG, WHO'S, YOU KNOW, REALLY SET THE TABLE NICELY IN TERMS OF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE DO BUSINESS IN THIS CITY, AND WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPERATIVE OF SUSTAINABILITY. SO AS FAR AS MY 30-SECOND COMMERCIAL GOES, WE PUT THIS STRATEGY TOGETHER IN THIS VERY ATTRACTIVE STRATEGIC PLAN CALLED SUSTAINABLE STREETS, AND IT HAS ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THEMES, AND NOT ONLY DOES IT GO THROUGH THE VISION OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND THE POLICIES THAT UNDERPIN THAT VISION AND THE PROJECTS BUT THEN ALSO GOES THROUGH A SERIES OF BENCHMARKS SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE, SO IT'S A REALLY GREAT ROAD MAP AND REALLY TRANSLATES MAYOR BLOOMBERG'S PLAN IN THE TRANSPORTATION CONTEXT. [END OF VIDEO] >>JOE AFFRONTI: THAT IS FABULOUS. WOW. >>LYNN MERENDA: IT CAN BE DONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, LYNN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THE -- WE HAVE PUBLIC INPUT AGAIN. WE HAVE THREE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. GEORGE NIEMANN. >> GOOD MORNING, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE BOARD. MY NAME IS GEORGE NIEMANN, MEMBER OF UNITED CITIZENS ACTION NETWORK AND DOVER WOODS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION. I'D LIKE TO SUBMIT COMMENTS TO YOU TODAY REGARDING THE LITHIA-PINECREST D & E STUDY. I WOULD URGE YOU -- AND I HAVE TO COMPLIMENT THIS BODY. WE, AS CITIZEN ADVOCATES, I THINK WE RESPECT MANY OF YOU AND WE THINK THIS IS A PRUDENT GROUP THAT REALLY DOES THEIR JOB WELL, AND SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO USE SCRUTINY WHEN IT COMES TO THESE PLANS AND LOOKING AT THE RESULTS BEING SUBMITTED TO YOU BY STAFF. THE REASON I SAY PLEASE APPLY SCRUTINY IS BECAUSE THERE IS A CLOUD OF SUSPICION THAT HANGS OVER THIS STUDY. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT WE KEEP -- THIS THING KEEPS COMING UP. THERE IS A CLOUD OF SUSPICION BECAUSE WE QUESTION THE MOTIVATION, AND WHAT THE STAFF HAS SUBMITTED AS A BASIS FOR RECOMMENDING SIX LANES, IT DEFIES LOGIC, SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT THE DETAILS OF THAT STUDY, BUT I WOULD CAUTION YOU THAT JUST BECAUSE STAFF SAYS, WELL, WE -- SOMEONE DID A STUDY FOR US AND HERE'S THE RESULTS. LET'S LOOK CAREFULLY AT THOSE RESULTS AND SEE HOW DID WE END UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR SIX LANES, AND AS WE ALL KNOW, WHAT -- AND YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR FEAR IS. OUR FEAR IS THAT WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS COUNTY -- I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT HAPPENS IN OTHER COUNTIES, BUT I SUSPECT IT MAY -- PLANS TEND TO END UP INFLUENCING GROWTH DECISIONS. WHEN YOU PUT SOMETHING ON A PLAN, APPLICANTS COME IN AND SAY, YOU'VE GOT A SIX-LANE ROADWAY MAPPED OUT HERE, SO YOU'VE GOT INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNED, SO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN -- THIS WOULD BE TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS -- PLEASE APPROVE THIS HIGHER DENSITY OR APPROVE THIS COMP PLAN AMENDMENT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY SHOWING INFRASTRUCTURE, SO WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF WE JUST CASUALLY THROW THINGS ONTO A PLAN. IT CAN AFFECT DECISIONS, SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO BE CAUTIOUS. PLEASE SCRUTINIZE. WE WANT TRANSPARENCY AND WE WANT CREDIBILITY IN THIS GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. NIEMANN. PAM CLOUSTON AND NEXT WE HAVE KELLY CORNELIUS. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: MR. CHAIRMAN, COULD WE CONSIDER THE SEQUENCE OF THIS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM MR. GORDON ON THIS ISSUE YET. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WOULDN'T IT MAKE MORE SENSE FOR US TO HEAR MR. GORDON AND THEN HEAR THE COMMUNITY RESPOND TO MR. GORDON? >>JOE AFFRONTI: WELL, WE COULD DO THAT. DO YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT? >> NO. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. GOOD SUGGESTION. OKAY. MR. GORDON. YOU'RE NEXT ON THE AGENDA ANYWAY. >>BOB GORDON: THANK YOU. MY NAME IS BOB GORDON, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. MR. REGGIE ALFORD IS PASSING OUT SOME INFORMATION FOR EACH OF YOU ABOUT THE PROJECT. WE ALSO HAVE FOR THE PUBLIC WHO MAY NOT HAVE COPIES OF IT, WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL COPIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM TO LOOK AT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION. I AM GOING TO KEEP IT BRIEF. I THINK THEY SAID I HAVE 15 MINUTES. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH FIRST IS TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT -- FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A STUDY. THERE WILL BE NO PLANS COMING OUT OF THIS, NO PLANS AT ALL. THIS IS A STUDY. THIS IS A STUDY BEING DONE TO FEDERAL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS. BEFORE WE -- BEFORE YOU YOU'LL SEE THIS MORNING I HAVE TWO VOLUMES, 50 CHAPTERS, DOWNLOADED OFF THE FDOT WEB SITE OF THE PROCESS FOR GOING THROUGH A FEDERAL PD&E STUDY. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS NO SUCH COMPARABLE SET OF GUIDELINES WHEN WE'RE DOING A STUDY TO LOCAL STANDARDS. THE DIFFERENCE IS GOING TO BE WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO HAVE ANY ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING, SO I JUST WANTED TO JUST BRIEFLY POINT THAT OUT. LET'S GO BACK JUST BRIEFLY TO A LITTLE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. I'M LOOKING AT THE CHRONOLOGY THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU THIS MORNING. AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, APRIL 6th, 2005, WAS THE BOARD MEETING WHERE THEN COMMISSIONER STORMS AND THE BRANDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CAME TO THE BOARD WITH SUPPORT FOR, IF YOU WILL AT THE TIME, ELEVATING THE PRIORITY OF LITHIA- PINECREST FOR EVENTUAL WIDENING. AT THE TIME IT WAS -- THE SEGMENTS OF LITHIA-PINECREST WERE RANKED ON THE COUNTY'S UNFUNDED LIST AT 19, 20, AND 21. THERE WAS REPRESENTATIVE SANDRA MURMAN THERE AND REPRESENTATIVE TREY TRAVIESA HAD A LETTER IN SUPPORT, AND WE WERE DIRECTED TO COME BACK TO LOOK AT HOW WE COULD PRIORITIZE A LITHIA-PINECREST STUDY FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER. THEN ON JUNE 15th, 2005, STAFF PRESENTED THE REPORT, STAFF OF THE PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT PRESENTED A REPORT ON THE LITHIA-PINECREST IMPROVEMENTS, TALKED ABOUT THE COSTS BEING $2.5 MILLION, ANTICIPATED THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A FEDERAL PD&E STUDY THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF LITHIA-PINECREST, AND I'LL BE GETTING INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LOGICAL TERMINI DISCUSSION, SO FROM THE VERY OUTSET, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS -- THIS HAS BEEN REVEALED TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THEY'VE -- THEY SAID PROCEED. I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW BEFORE YOU GET TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS, THE MPO'S LONG-RANGE PLAN WILL GOVERN ON WHATEVER THIS PD&E STUDY COMES UP WITH AT THE END. THEY HAVE TO BE COMPLIANT, THEY HAVE TO BE COMPLIANT WITH ONE ANOTHER, SO -- THEY HAVE TO MATCH, SO YOU WILL NOT -- THIS PD&E THAT'S BEING PERFORMED BY STAFF TO FEDERAL STANDARDS DOES NOT USURP THE AUTHORITY, FULLY RESPECTS THE MPO'S LONG-RANGE PLAN, AND BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' DIRECTIONS. ON OCTOBER 5th, 2005, THE CAPITAL BUDGET WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR THE LITHIA-PINECREST PD&E COMING OUT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S CIT PHASE III FUNDING. THIS IS ALL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MONEY GOING INTO THIS PD&E. NOVEMBER 2nd, 2005, THE -- A REPORT WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OUTLINING THE STUDY LIMITS OF STATE ROAD 60 TO COUNTY ROAD 39. THE BOCC ACCEPTED THAT REPORT. ON OCTOBER 18th, 2006, THE PD&E CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO HDR, A FIRM SELECTED SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN DOING PD&E STUDIES TO FEDERAL STANDARDS. I CAN TELL YOU THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A ONE-SIZE-FITS- ALL WHEN IT COMES TO PD&Es. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE TO FOLLOW, AND I THINK MR. SKELTON CAN ATTEST THE NUMBER OF PD&Es HE'S HAD TO DO FOR STATE ROAD PROJECTS THAT IT IS A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS THAT HAS TO BE FOLLOWED. SO THEN WE HAD -- WE HAD A PROJECT KICKOFF IN JANUARY OF 2007, THE INITIAL MEETING. ON DECEMBER 5th OF 2000, WE PRESENTED THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS TO THE PUBLIC. THIS TRAFFIC ANALYSIS WAS BASED UPON, AGAIN, THE FEDERAL PD&E REQUIRES YOU TO LOOK AT TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS WELL BEYOND THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S WINDOW, ANY STUDY -- ANY MODELS DONE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AT THE TIME. THE FEDERAL PD&E STANDARDS SAY YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS 20 YEARS AFTER THE OPENING OF THE PROJECT. THE OPENING OF THE PROJECT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 2018. 20 YEARS ON TOP OF THAT TAKES YOU TO 2038. SO -- AND WHAT WE -- AND WE DO HAVE OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER FROM HDR HERE WHO CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT, BUT WE DID USE THE 2015 TO 2025 LONG-RANGE MODELS. THEY FACTORED IN THE APPROVED CAPITAL PROJECTS AS BEING BUILT, THEY FACTORED IN APPROVED DRIs AND USED A 1.2% TRAFFIC GROWTH FACTOR, A FAIRLY CONSERVATIVE LOW AMOUNT TO TAKE YOU TO 2038. >>JOE AFFRONTI: DO YOU WANT TO TAKE QUESTIONS NOW? MS. SAUL-SENA HAS A QUESTION. >>BOB GORDON: SURE. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: MY QUESTION IS, DID YOU JUST -- WELL, OKAY. THE SPECIFIC QUESTION IS DID YOU USE THE PLANNING COMMISSION POPULATION PROJECTIONS OR THE REGIONAL ONES? AND SECONDLY, DID YOU INSERT ANY JUDGMENT IN YOUR ANALYSIS TO SAY WE DON'T WANT TO SPRAWL ENDLESSLY? >>BOB GORDON: LET ME ASK MR. HERE AND ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. HE DID THE TRAFFIC STUDY. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS THAT WE GROW AND GROW AND GROW AND GROW AND GROW, AND WE AS AN MPO BOARD AND AS A COUNTY HAVE SAID WE DO NOT WANT TO SPRAWL ENDLESSLY BECAUSE THAT IS NOT GOOD PLANNING. >>BOB GORDON: WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I AGREE. WE ARE NOT SUGGESTING THAT IT HAS TO BE SIX LANE. WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IS IF YOU WANT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING -- NO, LET ME FINISH, IF I MAY. IF YOU WANT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE PORTIONS OF LITHIA-PINECREST THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE LRTP, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS UNCONSTRAINED NEEDS ANALYSIS TO GET THERE. I KNOW IT DOESN'T -- IT'S NOT INTUITIVE AND MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO YOU, BUT NEITHER DO THE FEDERAL TAX LAWS MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FEDERAL TAX LAWS. >>BOB GORDON: I KNOW, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT A FEDERAL PROCESS THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE PD&E PROCESS THAT WE NORMALLY FOLLOW, AND IF I MAY, WHEN WE'RE DOING A PD&E TO LOCAL STANDARDS, WE START WITH THE ASSUMPTIONS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE MPO. THIS IS GOING TO BE FOUR-LANDSCAPED FROM STATE ROAD 60 TO LUMSDEN, TWO-LANE ENHANCED BEYOND, AND WE ONLY LOOK AT THOSE OPTIONS, BUT WHEN YOU DO IT THAT WAY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE PORTIONS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE MPO'S LONG-RANGE PLAN. THAT'S WHY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, SINCE THERE ARE NO CONSTRUCTION FUNDS AT ALL PROGRAMMED FOR THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT A $200-MILLION PROJECT. I'M JUST TELLING YOU -- WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN TRYING TO PUT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN THE POSITION TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE PORTIONS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE MPO'S LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. THIS IS NOT ABOUT TRYING TO ENCOURAGE SPRAWL, THIS IS NOT ABOUT TRYING TO FORCE THE MPO TO ACCEPT SOME CROSS-SECTION THAT YOU DON'T FIND ACCEPTABLE, BUT IT IS ABOUT BEING ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. ON BRUCE B. DOWNS WE SPENT -- THE D.O.T. DID THAT PD&E, DID IT ALL THE WAY FROM BEARSS AVENUE TO HIGHWAY 54 IN PASCO COUNTY. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS ONLY BUILDING IT TO THIS PORTION BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE CAN AFFORD FROM PALM SPRINGS TO PEBBLE CREEK. THAT'S ABOUT A $100-MILLION PROJECT. WE'RE GETTING -- BECAUSE IT WAS DONE TO FEDERAL PD&E STANDARDS, THANKS TO D.O.T., WE'RE GETTING $43 MILLION OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THAT. THERE'S NO WAY THAT PROJECT WOULD HAVE PROCEEDED IF WE HADN'T HAD A FEDERAL PD&E STANDARD STUDY DONE. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: NO ONE WOULD HOLD UP BRUCE B. DOWNS AS A ROADWAY TO ASPIRE TO. >>BOB GORDON: WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M TELLING YOU THAT THE FOLKS OUT THERE IN BRUCE B. DOWNS MANY YEARS AGO CAME TO OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS -- WE HAD A TOWN HALL MEETING OUT THERE, AND THEY WERE ADAMANT ABOUT THE CONGESTION ON BRUCE B. DOWNS. NOW, ALL I'M DOING IS IMPLEMENTING -- I'M NOT COMING UP WITH ANYTHING. THIS IS NOT A STAFF INITIATIVE. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CONCERNED THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE. THIS IS NOT A STAFF INITIATIVE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THANK YOU. CONTINUE. >>BOB GORDON: OKAY. WE HAD A PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON NOVEMBER -- WE HAD THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, AND THAT WAS WHEN WE PRESENTED INITIALLY THE TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS PER FEDERAL STANDARDS TO 2038. NOVEMBER 15th, 2008, WE HAD A PUBLIC WORKSHOP WHERE WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD PUBLIC COMMENT AND SOME VERY HEATED COMMENT ABOUT THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF LITHIA-PINECREST, AND WE RESPECT THE CONCERNS OF THOSE FOLKS, AND ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS ARE INCLUDED, AND AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS BECAUSE AT THE DECEMBER 15th WORKSHOP OR AT THE PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM, THE BOARD DIRECTED US TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL MEETING OUT THERE, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO DO PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, SO THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN SCHEDULED YET. WE HAVE TALKED DIRECTLY TO MR. NIEMANN ABOUT THAT. WHAT I THINK WE COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB AT AT THE NOVEMBER 15th, 2008, WORKSHOP WAS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPLICIT ABOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS INVOLVING GOING THROUGH A FEDERAL PD&E BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S RAISED CONCERNS BY FOLKS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SEGMENT "D" ON LITHIA- PINECREST ROAD. THAT WASN'T THE INTENT TO DO THAT. WE COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB EXPLAINING THE FEDERAL PD&E PROCESS AND THAT ULTIMATELY THE MPO'S LONG-RANGE PLAN WILL GOVERN BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE CONSISTENT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: EXCUSE ME. MR. DINGFELDER HAD A QUESTION. >>BOB GORDON: YES, SIR. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: AND BOB, KIND OF RUNNING ON THE LATE SIDE THIS MORNING, BUT I THINK THE MOST CRITICAL THING THAT'S BEEN SAID THIS MORNING ON THIS ISSUE IS THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MPO PLAN WILL RULE. >>BOB GORDON: YES, SIR. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. SO REGARDLESS -- LET'S SAY FOR ARGUMENT SAKE THE TASK FORCE COMES UP WITH A COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS AND -- YOU KNOW, AND YOU GET SOME FEDERAL MONEY AND EVERYTHING ELSE. IT STILL CAN'T OVERRIDE THE DECISION THAT THIS MPO'S ALREADY MADE IN TERMS OF THE PLAN THAT'S ON -- THAT'S ON OUR MAP TODAY; CORRECT? >>BOB GORDON: THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I'D ALSO DEFER TO SECRETARY SKELTON. >>DON SKELTON: YEAH. JUST A COUPLE OF NOTES ON THE FEDERAL PROCESS. AGAIN, TRYING TO KEEP THIS STUDY AND KEEP THIS PROJECT ELIGIBLE FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDS, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NEED. THE MPO PLAN'S GOING TO DICTATE. IN FACT, FEDERAL HIGHWAY WILL NOT EVEN APPROVE THE DOCUMENT UNLESS IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. TO THE EXTENT OF THEY MAY ONLY APPROVE THOSE PORTIONS THAT ARE, SO IF THE PIECE BETWEEN STATE ROAD 60 AND FISHHAWK IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PLAN, THAT'S ALL YOU NEED TO GET APPROVAL FOR, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE LIMITS BECAUSE FEDERAL HIGHWAY DRAWS THE LOGICAL TERMINI, AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT PREDETERMINING SOMETHING ELSE AND THAT YOU'VE EVALUATED ALL OF THE IMPACTS COMPREHENSIVELY. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. UNTIL I GOT HERE THIS MORNING, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT, SO I APPRECIATE -- AND THAT FEDERAL PROCESS AND BUREAUCRACY IS NOT EASY TO UNDERSTAND, SO I APPRECIATE THE EXPLANATION ON THAT. SO I THINK THE CRITICAL THING IS, AS LONG AS THIS MPO, YOU KNOW, HOLDS TO THAT POSITION, THEN NOTHING WOULD GET BUILT BEYOND THE -- WHAT WE'VE ALREADY ACCEPTED AS BEING REQUIRED, THE FOUR LANES TO, WHAT, THE LUMSDEN SECTION? >>BOB GORDON: YEAH. IT'S FOUR LANES FROM STATE ROAD 60, I THINK, TO LUMSDEN AND THEN LUMSDEN TO BLOOMINGDALE TWO-LANE. I FORGET EXACTLY THE EXTENT. IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHATEVER THE MPO PLAN IS. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. AND THE OTHER THING THAT I BECAME INFORMED OF THIS MORNING WAS THAT WHEN THIS -- THE RECOMMENDATION THAT COMES OUT OF THIS PD&E PROCESS, OKAY, IS WHAT, THIS SUMMER? IS THAT WHAT YOU -- >>BOB GORDON: THE ACTUAL COMPLETION OF THE PORTION, I THINK, IS LIKE AUGUST OF 2009, AND THAT WILL HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THROUGH FEDERAL HIGHWAY, SO THERE'S AN APPROVAL PROCESS. OBVIOUSLY IT HAS TO BE -- BEFORE IT GOES ANYWHERE, IT HAS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE MPO LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. WE'RE NOT ENCOURAGING THAT YOU CHANGE THAT. I DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT, BUT IT HAS TO BE CONSISTENT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT TO EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY THE FOLKS WHO'VE SPENT THEIR MORNING DOWN HERE WITH US, THAT THAT -- THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS PRELIMINARY PLAN TALKS ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, MYRIAD OF OPTIONS, ALL THE WAY UP TO SIX-LANING OR WHO KNOWS WHAT, TEN-LANING THE WHOLE SOUTH COUNTY, IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PD&E STUDY HAVE TO BE, AGAIN, CONSISTENT WITH THE MPO PLAN? >>BOB GORDON: ABSOLUTELY. AGAIN -- AND THIS IS ACTUALLY A STUDY WE'RE DOING. THERE'S NO PLANS BEING DRAWN UP, SO I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND. THIS IS AN ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS STUDY, SO THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED COMING INTO THIS, READING THE E-MAILS, READING THE THINGS WRITTEN ABOUT THIS. I'M A LITTLE LESS CONCERNED ABOUT IT NOW AS LONG AS THIS MPO IS CONSISTENT IN THE POSITION THAT WE'VE HELD SO FAR. >>BOB GORDON: AND HINDSIGHT BEING WHAT IT IS, BEING 20/20, IF I HAD TO REDO THE NOVEMBER 15th MEETING, WE'D HAVE SPENT A LITTLE MORE TIME OR A LOT MORE TIME TRYING TO CONVEY THAT VERY POINT BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE CAUSED A LOT OF ALARM UNNECESSARILY. THESE PEOPLE HAVE VALID REASONS TO BE CONCERNED, BUT I THINK WHEN THEY GET THROUGH THE END OF THE DAY, THE FINAL DECISION IS GOING TO REST WITH THE MPO AND YOUR LONG-RANGE PLAN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: I JUST WANTED TO ASK ONE QUESTION, JUST TO CLARIFY MY OWN THINKING. IF YOU SUBMIT A PLAN IN ORDER TO GET FEDERAL FUNDING -- FEDERAL HELP -- AND YOU SUBMIT IT FROM POINT "A" TO POINT "C" -- OR POINT "D" LET'S SAY BUT WE'RE ONLY GOING TO GO FROM POINT "A" TO POINT "B," DO THEY GIVE YOU A TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE THE WHOLE PROGRAM IN ORDER TO GET THE FEDERAL FUNDING? DO THEY SET A TIME RESTRICTION? >>DON SKELTON: NO. AND IN FACT, THEY WILL ONLY APPROVE, AGAIN, WHAT'S IN YOUR 20-YEAR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, SO THEY WANT TO SEE IT IN THE LONG-RANGE PLAN. OTHERWISE, IF IT'S NOT FUNDED, YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY APPROVE IT? BUT THEY DON'T REQUIRE YOU TO DO IT WITHIN ANY PARTICULAR TIME FRAME, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT MR. GORDON'S GETTING TO IS COMPLETING THE ENTIRE STUDY FROM POINT "A" TO POINT "B," NOT ANY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE STATE HAD TO DO WITH STATE ROAD 39. IF YOU RECALL YEARS AGO WE HAD TO STUDY THAT FROM I-4 UP TO PASCO COUNTY. THERE'S NOTHING IN THE LONG-RANGE PLAN NORTH OF KNIGHTS GRIFFIN ROAD, SO WE ONLY GOT APPROVAL UP TO KNIGHTS GRIFFIN ROAD. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>BOB GORDON: THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS THE CHRONOLOGY, AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE THOSE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: GO AHEAD, LINDA. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THE CITIZENS WHO SPOKE TO OUR POLICY COMMITTEE THE OTHER DAY SAID THAT IN THE GRAPHICS -- TWO THINGS THAT I MIGHT SUGGEST TO IMPROVE YOUR MEETINGS. ONE IS INSTEAD OF HAVING MATERIALS AROUND, HAVE A SPECIFIC MEETING SO THERE CAN BE GIVE AND TAKE WHERE EVERYBODY CAN COLLECTIVELY ASK AND RECEIVE ANSWERS, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE GRAPHICS DIDN'T SHOW THE NO-BUILD, THEY DIDN'T SHOW -- THEY JUST SHOWED ONE -- THEY JUST SHOWED WIDE, THEY DIDN'T SHOW NARROW. >>BOB GORDON: I DID HAND A COPY OF THAT OUT TO YOU. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: PERHAPS -- YOU DON'T NEED TO, BUT PERHAPS YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE MORE CLEARLY. PARTICULARLY THE NO-BUILD OPTION, I UNDERSTAND FEDERALLY AND ON THE STATE LEVEL IS ALWAYS TO BE PART OF THE CONSIDERATION. >>BOB GORDON: THAT IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST GRAPHIC SHOWN IS THE NO-BUILD TWO-LANE OPTION. IT'S THE VERY FIRST ONE ON THE HANDOUT THAT WAS GIVEN OUT. AND MAYBE THAT WASN'T COMMUNICATED WELL ENOUGH, BUT THE NEXT ONE WAS SHOWING THE SIX-LANE AND OBVIOUSLY THIS CAUSES A LOT OF CONCERN. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: I THINK THE BOARD YOU SHOWED WERE THE SIX-LANE BOARDS, NOT THE NO -- AND WHAT YOU BASICALLY WERE SAYING, OKAY, IF YOU HAVE SIX LANES, IT CAN BE THIS CONFIGURATION OR THAT, BUT YOU DIDN'T SHOW THE OPTION OF -- >>BOB GORDON: WELL, THEY MAY HAVE. I WAS NOT AT THE MEETING. THOSE ARE ALL GOOD POINTS. WE DON'T NEED TO GET PEOPLE UNNECESSARILY ALARMED ABOUT THIS, AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED, AND I REGRET THAT IT'S GOTTEN TO THIS POINT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. GO AHEAD. >>BOB GORDON: I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. MY PRESENTATION'S COMPLETE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OH, I'M SORRY. MARY. >>MARY MULHERN: YES. I'M JUST BEING BROUGHT UP TO SPEED ON ALL THIS, AND I HAVE READ A FEW OF THE E-MAILS FROM SOME OF THE CONCERNED RESIDENTS, AND I -- I DON'T FEEL LIKE -- I MEAN, YOU WERE COMMISSIONED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO DO THIS STUDY; RIGHT? >>BOB GORDON: YES, MA'AM. >>MARY MULHERN: SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE JUST DOING WHAT YOU WERE ASKED TO DO AND WHAT YOU'RE BEING PAID FOR. >>BOB GORDON: THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS DOING. >>MARY MULHERN: SO I THINK THE PROBLEM WITH THIS PROCESS HAPPENED BEFORE YOU GOT STARTED IN YOUR DEFENSE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF WE'RE OPERATING ON A SYSTEM WHERE IF THERE ARE FEDERAL DOLLARS AVAILABLE, THEN WE SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM, WHETHER THERE'S A NEED FOR IT OR NOT, AND THAT'S WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE TO ME, THE JUSTIFICATION FOR DOING THIS WAS, WELL, IF WE DON'T WIDEN IT, THEN WE CAN'T GET THE FEDERAL DOLLARS. WELL, THAT -- THAT ASSUMPTION SHOULD -- I DON'T THINK SHOULD HAPPEN. I THINK THE PLANNING SHOULD -- THE DIRECTION OF THE PLANNING SHOULD COME FROM THE COMMUNITY AND FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AS OPPOSED TO JUST THE IDEA THAT WE KNOW THERE'S MONEY OUT THERE, LET'S SPEND IT, AND THE FACT THAT -- AND I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO LOOK OVER -- AND I APPRECIATE THIS WHOLE CHRONOLOGY HERE TOO BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS WHEN WE DO END UP WEIGHING IN ON IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED OUT WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ASKING FOR THIS, AND THEN IT - - THEN THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND THEN IT TOOK OFF, SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I'M NEW ENOUGH TO THIS THAT I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S HOW IT WORKS, THAT YOU DON'T GET THE COMMUNITY INPUT BEFORE YOU GIVE THE CONTRACT FOR THE STUDY. >>BOB GORDON: WELL, I -- >>MARY MULHERN: THIS IS REALLY A QUESTION FOR MY COLLEAGUES HERE OR FOR MR. CHIARAMONTE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: RAY. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WELL, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY SOME THINGS THAT ARE LEFT OUT A WHOLE DISCUSSION HOW THIS CAME ABOUT. IT HAD TO DO WITH -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG -- A LARGE DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS APPROVED. LAKE HUTTO, I THINK, KIND OF STARTED THE PROCESS, AND THERE WAS CONCERN AS I REMEMBER ABOUT SOME CITIZENS THAT WERE IN THE MORE URBAN PART THINKING THAT IF THIS PROJECT WAS APPROVED -- AND SOME OF THEM WERE NOT FOR THIS PROJECT -- THAT THE ROAD SHOULD BE WIDENED, AND AGAIN, THIS IS IN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA PORTION, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT STARTED THIS WHOLE STUDY ALONG. I'M NOT SURE HOW SPECIFIC THE BOARD WAS WHEN THEY HAD ASKED YOU TO DO THIS. IT WAS BASICALLY TO STUDY LITHIA-PINECREST. I DON'T THINK THEY HAD A PREDETERMINED LANEAGE, AS I REMEMBER. >>BOB GORDON: NO, THERE WAS NO PREDETERMINED LANEAGE. I'M SURE THEY ANTICIPATED BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE MPO LONG-RANGE PLAN. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: RIGHT. BUT THAT NEVER REALLY AS I REMEMBER WAS DISCUSSED AT THAT MEETING WHICH I WAS AT AS A PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF MEMBER, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT STARTED THE WHOLE PROCESS OFF AT THAT POINT. >>BOB GORDON: YEAH, MY CHRONOLOGY JUST STARTS OFF WITH THE OFFICIAL ACTION BY THE BOARD. WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY - - YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT, THERE'S ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OUT THERE, BUT I JUST FOLLOWED THE BOARD ACTIONS. >>MARY MULHERN: SO WAS THIS -- THE STUDY GENERATED BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST WAS A LAND USE CHANGE OR -- >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: IT WAS A PLAN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. >>MARY MULHERN: A PLAN AMENDMENT. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: AND, I MEAN, IT APPEARED TO ME TO BE AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE IMPACT OF THAT PLAN AMENDMENT PASSING AS I REMEMBER THE DISCUSSION THAT TOOK PLACE AMONG THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND I'M NOT SURE, BUT I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER STORMS DID NOT VOTE FOR THAT PLAN AMENDMENT, AS I REMEMBER. I COULD BE WRONG, BUT -- AND THIS WAS TO KIND OF MAYBE MITIGATE SOME OF THAT IMPACT, BUT THERE WASN'T A SPECIFIC DISCUSSION, AS I RECALL, ON THE NUMBER OF LANES. IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS, YOU NEED TO -- >>MARY MULHERN: AND THE PLAN AMENDMENT PASSED, THOUGH, RIGHT? >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: IT DID PASS? >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. BUT IT SORT OF PASSED DEPENDENT ON DOING THIS STUDY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS NEEDED? >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: YOU CAN'T CONDITION A PLAN AMENDMENT, SO, NO, IT WAS NOT DEPENDENT ON, IT WAS A DISCUSSION THAT TOOK PLACE IN REACTION TO THE PLAN AMENDMENT PASSING, AS I RECALL. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AND I MAY BE WRONG IN MY ANALYSIS, BUT IF WE WANTED -- IF THERE WAS A REAL NEED TO GO FROM POINT "A" TO POINT "B," WHICH IS APPARENTLY WHAT WE NEED, AND WE SUBMIT A PLAN TO GO FROM "A" TO "D" IN ORDER TO GET FEDERAL FUNDING MAINLY TO DO "A" TO "B" BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WANT -- THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE DONE, SO I THINK TO OVERCOME THE MISCONCEPTION THAT JUST GOING OUT ASKING FOR MONEY JUST BECAUSE THERE'S MONEY AVAILABLE IS NOT RIGHT BECAUSE IF WE DIDN'T ASK FOR -- IF WE DIDN'T SUBMIT THE WHOLE PLAN, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED BETWEEN "A" AND "B." >>BOB GORDON: THAT'S EXACTLY CORRECT, YES. >>JOE AFFRONTI: AND I REALLY THINK THAT'S THE REASON FOR THEM DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING. >>BOB GORDON: MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I COULD. THERE WAS A COUPLE THINGS I JUST WANTED TO BRIEFLY POINT OUT ABOUT THE HANDOUTS I GAVE YOU IS THAT THE ONE THAT'S SPIRAL BOUND RIGHT HERE IS ACTUALLY A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION. IT WAS A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION WITH AUDIO DUBBED ON IT, SO THIS IS A VERBATIM, IF YOU WILL, TRANSCRIPT OF WHAT WAS PLAYED TO THAT MEETING ON NOVEMBER 18th. WE ALSO GAVE YOU IN ADDITION TO THAT TWO-PAGE FLIER THAT I HEARD YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT -- I CAN MAKE THAT BETTER IN THE FUTURE. THE OTHER WAS A LIST OF RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS FROM THE CONCERNED CITIZENS OF THIS AREA, MANY OF THEM WHOM ARE HERE TODAY, AND WE GAVE A SLIGHT ADDENDUM TO THAT BASED ON THE D.O.T. COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED RECENTLY THAT CAME AFTER WE SENT THESE OUT, SO THESE ARE A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS -- SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE RAISED TODAY ARE ALL ANSWERED IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE SITTING DOWN WITH THIS GROUP OF FOLKS AND WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO MEET WITH US TO TALK ABOUT THIS TO TRY TO COMMUNICATE THAT WE ARE NOT PROMOTING A SIX- LANE ROADWAY, WE ARE NOT PROMOTING GOING AGAINST THE LONG- RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WE ARE NOT -- THAT'S NOT OUR JOB, BUT WE DO WANT TO POSITION YOU AND THIS COUNTY IN THE BEST POSITION FOR FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THOSE PORTIONS THAT ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH YOUR LONG-RANGE PLAN. THAT'S ALL WE EVER TRIED TO DO. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MARY. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. THANK YOU. BUT MY IMPRESSION -- AND I THINK IT'LL BE PROBABLY BE BORNE OUT AFTER WE HEAR MORE PUBLIC COMMENT IS THAT IT ISN'T JUST THE ONE PIECE OF THAT ROAD THAT THERE'S OPPOSITION TO, IT'S IN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA TOO THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT IT, SO YOU CAN'T REALLY -- I'M NOT CONVINCED WE CAN SEPARATE THAT OUT AND SAY WE NEED -- YOU KNOW, WE NEED THIS LITTLE PIECE BECAUSE IT ALL AFFECTS THE REST OF THE ROAD, AND IT ALSO -- I THINK THERE'S -- THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT NOT NEEDING IT IN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA TOO. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: JUST TO CLARIFY -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: I THINK -- >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: ONE BRIEF COMMENT. MY SYMPATHIES GO OUT TO TRANSPORTATION PLANNERS, SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT, WHICH I THINK IS CORRECT, AND I THINK IT MAYBE HELPS ADDRESS SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS, COUNCILWOMAN MULHERN. I DON'T THINK THE PLANNERS ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE THE MONEY MIGHT BE THERE, THEY'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE WHATEVER THE SCOPE OR SCALE OF THE IMPROVEMENT THE POLICYMAKERS DECIDE THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE IMPLEMENTED THAT THEY ALSO THEN HAVE THE OPTION OF GETTING FUNDS TO HELP MAKE THAT IMPROVEMENT, WHATEVER THAT IMPROVEMENT ENDS UP BEING, SO THEY'RE NOT DRIVEN BY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT THIS BIG AND IT'S GOING TO GO FROM HERE TO THERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET THAT MONEY, THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE IT'S IN A PLAN. THEY HAVE TO LOOK AT BY PLANNING STANDARDS ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF VARIATIONS, AND THEN IN THE END WHEN YOU COME UP WITH A PREFERRED OPTION FROM THE JURISDICTION, THEN YOU HAVE ALSO OPTIONS OF FUNDS TO HELP PAY FOR IT BECAUSE I CAN SPEAK FROM ANOTHER IMPLEMENTING AGENCY'S PERSPECTIVE, FINDING THE MONEY IS ALWAYS A PROBLEM IN THE END. ONCE WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN AGREE ON AS A PROJECT, THE HUGE PROBLEM WE FACE IS FINDING THE FUNDS, AND I THINK TODAY SPEAKS TO THAT PROBLEM MORE THAN EVER, SO THAT -- THAT'S WHERE PLANNERS ARE DRIVEN BY. WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS NOT FOR THE SAKE OF THE MONEY BUT TO DEFINE THE NEED AND REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN WE TRY TO HELP YOU FIND THE FUNDS TO BUILD IT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: I JUST WANTED THE BOARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S PRESENTLY IN OUR PLAN. PRESENTLY IN THE PLAN I BELIEVE IT'S DESIGNATED TO POTENTIALLY BE FOUR-LANED FROM HIGHWAY 60 TO BLOOMINGDALE AND THEN TWO LANES AFTER THAT. I DO ANTICIPATE THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT THE PORTION FROM BLOOMINGDALE TO FISHHAWK AND POSSIBLY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IN THE LONG-RANGE PLAN UPDATE THAT THAT ALSO BE FOUR-LANED, BUT THAT IS STILL WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA AND I DON'T THINK IS THE AREA THAT THE CITIZENS ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT, SO THAT'S THE DISCUSSION WE'LL BE HAVING AS WE GO THROUGH OUR 2035 PLAN UPDATE. >>BOB GORDON: BY THE WAY, THE PUBLIC COMMENT WE'RE RECEIVING WOULD ADDRESS ALL AREAS, EVEN AREAS INSIDE THE URBAN SERVICE AREA. IT'S NOT JUST OUTSIDE THE URBAN SERVICE AREA. ANYBODY CAN COMMENT, AND IT HAS TO ALL BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, SO WE WILL BE LOOKING AT EVERY COMMENT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. CONTINUE. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. >>BOB GORDON: THANK YOU. I'M DONE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OH, YOU'RE DONE? ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THAT WAS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM, AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THE -- >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: [INAUDIBLE] >>JOE AFFRONTI: YOU WANT TO DO THAT AND PUT THAT AHEAD OF THIS? ALL RIGHT. PAM, PAM CLOUSTON. >> THANK YOU, AGAIN, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS. I SUBMITTED LOTS OF THOSE QUESTIONS. R-LAND SUBMITTED A LIST OF QUESTIONS, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE A BIG BULK OF E-MAILS THAT WENT TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION CAME FROM. AND THEN I HAD FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS, AND I DID RECEIVE THE ANSWERS TO THOSE RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, AND AS YOU-ALL WERE BUSY AT CHRISTMASTIME, SO WAS I, AND SO I'VE READ THE ANSWERS, AND I STILL WILL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TIMELY ANSWERS. I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE FROM THE URBAN SERVICE AREA. COULD YOU JUST RAISE YOUR HANDS ALL OF YOU FROM LITHIA- PINECREST AREA THAT ARE HERE THAT ARE HAVING SOME PROBLEMS WITH THIS. AND THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WERE ABLE TO COME DOWN DURING THE DAY TO SEE YOU ON A -- ON A TUESDAY. I'M SURE THAT THERE'S LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING THAT DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT. SO THIS IS JUST -- THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST SEGMENT "D". ONE OF THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS I GOT WAS THAT THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN COULD CHANGE BASED ON THE OUTCOME OF THIS SIX-LANE STUDY, SO THAT WAS JUST ONE OF THE ANSWERS WE GOT. SO THAT -- THAT WAS A BIG CONCERN, BUT, YOU KNOW, SIX LANES ANYWHERE IN THE RURAL SERVICE AREA IS NUTS, NOT JUST LITHIA-PINECREST ROAD. I'M TALKING ABOUT 674, THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOING THAT, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT -- EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT WE GOTTA GET MONEY, WE GOTTA GET MONEY, WE GOTTA GET MONEY. WELL, THIS IS -- THIS IS A RECIPE FOR SPRAWL, AND I THINK YOU-ALL REALIZE THAT. IT'S INCONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE MPO WANTS TO DO IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, VERY INCONSISTENT. I MEAN, IT JUST THROWS EVERYTHING OUT THE WINDOW. IF WE WANT TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT MAKING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND BE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT MASS TRANSIT. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET REFERENDUM FUNDING FROM THE CITIZENS FOR SOMETHING LIKE MASS TRANSIT, BUT IF YOU WERE TO ASK THEM TO VOTE ON A PENNY SALES TAX OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT THEY COULD WIDEN ALL THE ROADS WE ALREADY HAVE, THEY'RE GOING TO SAY YOU'RE NUTS, SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO TAX THEMSELVES TO WIDEN ROADS, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO TAX THEMSELVES TO MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER, JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE VOTED TO TAX THEMSELVES SO THAT WE COULD HAVE MORE ELAPP LAND. THEY WILL DO -- THEY WILL -- PEOPLE WILL PAY FOR THESE GOOD THINGS. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE COMMENTS THAT I READ THAT HAVE COME IN, THERE IS A LOT OF OPPOSITION TO THIS, THE WRITTEN COMMENTS, AND THAT WAS MADE BY PEOPLE THAT BOTHERED TO COMMENT, AND THEY WEREN'T ALL REALLY FROM -- WORRIED ABOUT SEGMENT "D." WE ARE, BUT THEY WERE WORRIED ABOUT THE AREAS WHERE THEY LIVE. THEY'VE LIVED THERE 20 YEARS, 30 YEARS, AND HAVE ENJOYED IT AND CHOSE TO LIVE THERE, AND NOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS -- AND I'M NOT BUYING THE LOGICAL TERMINI BECAUSE HE SAID WHERE LITHIA-PINECREST ENDS. WELL, ACTUALLY THAT ROAD GOES -- IT'S ALSO CALLED 640. IT GOES WAY DOWN PAST THE COUNTY LINE OR TO THE COUNTY LINE OR SOMEWHERE, SO THE LOGICAL TERMINI, YEAH, I GUESS I'LL BUY THAT, BUT -- THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. KELLY CORNELIUS. >> HI AGAIN. SORRY TO TAKE UP MORE OF YOUR TIME, BUT I DROVE ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE, AND I HAVE A COUPLE OTHER THINGS I'D LIKE TO ADD, SO I APOLOGIZE. ABOUT THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION UPDATE, WHICH IS STARTING RIGHT NOW, MANY OF US ATTENDED THE FIRST MEETING ON THIS, AND STRANGELY ENOUGH, LITHIA-PINECREST CAME UP ON THE CONSULTANT'S PRESENTATION AS SIX LANES ALL THE WAY DOWN. HOW ABOUT THAT. WONDER WHERE THEY GOT THAT INFORMATION. WE -- HE SAID IT WAS A MISTAKE AND HE SAID HE WOULD TAKE IT OFF, BUT I DID ASK HIM HOW HE GOT THAT INFORMATION, AND HE SAID FROM A CONSULTANT AT RENAISSANCE PLANNING, SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES TO BLOW THROUGH AND INTO THE RURAL AREA, THERE ARE MANY OF US WHO DO BELIEVE IT'S JUST AN ALL-OUT ASSAULT CONSTANTLY. TUNE IN TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION NEXT WEEK FOR THEIR COMP PLAN AMENDMENTS, AND YOU'LL SEE SOME OF WHAT WE GO THROUGH CONSTANTLY. AND COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER, I BELIEVE, WAS RIGHT, AND NOW THAT THEY'RE SAYING THAT THEY HAVE TO GO BY THE MPO PLANS TO GET THE FEDERAL DOLLARS, WHICH IS COMPLETELY OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY WERE SAYING WHEN THEY TALKED TO US AT THE WORKSHOP SAYING, WELL, WE HAD TO STUDY IT FOR SIX LANES TO GET THE FEDERAL DOLLARS. WELL, ONCE WE BLEW THAT OUT OF THE WATER, THEY CHANGED IT TO THE LOGICAL TERMINI DEFENSE, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS FLOATING AROUND, BUT THE SCARY PART IS, LET'S JUST SAY YOU GUYS STICK WITH YOUR PLAN, FOUR LANES IN THE URBAN AREA, TWO LANES IN THE RURAL AREA. IN SOME OF THE E-MAILS THAT I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH, ONE OF THEM -- SOME OF THE PEOPLE GOING BACK AND FORTH IN PUBLIC WORKS ASKED THE QUESTION WHAT ABOUT EMINENT DOMAIN, DO WE ONLY TAKE THE LAND FOR FOUR OR DO WE TAKE THE LAND FOR SIX NOW IF THE -- IF THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO DO FOUR? THE ANSWER WAS, IF THE PD&E SHOWS THE NEED FOR SIX, YOU CAN TAKE THE SIX, EVEN IF YOU ONLY PLAN TO BUILD THE FOUR RIGHT NOW. I THOUGHT THAT WAS QUITE DISTURBING. SO WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO, LIKE MR. NIEMANN SAID, IS SCRUTINIZE HOW THEY CAME ONE THEIR NUMBERS FOR SIX BECAUSE THEY TOLD US THE NUMBERS THAT THEY USED SHOWED THE NEED FOR SIX ON OUR SEGMENT IN, YOU KNOW, EAST BUMBLE, FOR 2038, BUT IF WE DIDN'T WANT IT THAT WAY AND IF THE PLAN STAYED AT TWO, THEN WE WOULD JUST KEEP IT AT TWO. WELL, SOME OF THE E-MAILS THAT I READ BACK AND FORTH STATED THAT IT ACTUALLY SHOWED THE NEED FOR FOUR OUT THERE BY 2038, AND THE PLANNING MODEL -- AND I DON'T THINK THAT MR. GORDON ANSWERED THE QUESTION, BUT THEY STATED IN SOME OF THEIR REPLIES THAT THEY USE A TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING MODEL. WHY DIDN'T THEY USE OUR PLANNING COMMISSION'S NUMBERS FOR THESE THINGS AND THEN EXTRAPOLATE THE DATA FROM THERE BECAUSE I'M WONDERING WHAT THE TWO NUMBERS -- WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE DEPENDING ON THE MODELS THAT THEY USE, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HOPE YOU WILL LOOK AT AS IT GOES FORWARD BEFORE ANYTHING IS APPROVED, SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR BUZZ WORD IS LIVABLE ROADWAYS. WHEN YOU'RE TAKING OUT PEOPLE'S HOUSES, THAT DOESN'T MAKE THEM LIVABLE. AND I CAUTION YOU ABOUT TBARTA AND ONE BAY. THESE ARE -- THESE ARE AGENCIES THAT ARE STEMMING FROM THE PARTNERSHIP. THEY ARE NOT LEGITIMATE PLANNING AGENCIES LIKE THE MPO AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THESE ARE WHO THE CITIZENS HAVE TO TRUST, NOT SPECIAL INTERESTS THAT HAVE A DIFFERENT AGENDA IN MIND. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, KELLY. AND ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HERE, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO COME HERE BECAUSE AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. WE'RE HERE TO REPRESENT YOU AND DO THE BEST WE CAN TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, SO WE APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU'VE GIVEN UP TO BE HERE AND GET YOUR INPUT. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM ON THE AGENDA. THAT'S AGREEMENT FOR MAINTENANCE OF COUNTY ROADS WITHIN THE CITY OF TAMPA LIMITS. AND THAT IS -- WHO'S GOING TO PRESENT THAT? RAY. OH, JOE, ARE YOU GOING TO -- >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: YEAH. I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY. I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WERE GOING TO POSTPONE TO THE FEBRUARY MEETING. IS THAT CORRECT, JOE? >>JOE ZAMBITO: JOE ZAMBITO WITH THE MPO STAFF. THERE WAS GOING TO BE NO PRESENTATION ON THIS. THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT CAME UP AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DEFERRING THE BAYSHORE BOULEVARD SIDE -- NOT SIDEWALK -- BICYCLE PATH ISSUE AND THE ISSUE THAT WAS RAISED ABOUT -- THERE WAS CONCERN THAT THE CONCRETE SLABS PAVEMENT ON BAYSHORE BOULEVARD WERE ALL UNEVEN AND WOULD IT BE BETTER TO USE THE MONEY TO FIX THE PAVEMENT AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING IN THE BIKE LANES, AND THEN THE ISSUE WAS RAISED, WELL, THIS ISN'T EVEN A CITY STREET, THIS IS ACTUALLY A COUNTY ROAD. THEN THE QUESTION CAME UP, WELL, WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY ON COUNTY ROADS. SO THE POLICY COMMITTEE ASKED THAT WE RESEARCH AND FIND OUT IS THERE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ON HOW COUNTY ROADS WITHIN THE CITY ARE DEALT WITH BY THE CITY, SO WHAT'S IN YOUR PACKET IS ACTUALLY THE LATEST VERSION OF THAT AGREEMENT, PROVIDED BY COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, ADAM GORMLY. BASICALLY WHAT IT -- IT SORT OF SPELLS OUT IN GENERAL THAT ON COUNTY ROADS WITHIN THE CITY OF TAMPA THE CITY AGREES TO MAINTAIN THINGS SUCH AS TRAFFIC SIGNS, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, PATCHING POTHOLES, MOWING THE GRASS AND MAINTAIN MEDIANS, THINGS LIKE THAT FOR WHICH THE COUNTY PAYS THE CITY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, APPROXIMATELY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, TO DO THAT SORT OF MAINTENANCE AND KEEPING THINGS GOING. OTHER TYPES OF THINGS SUCH AS COMPLETE RESURFACING OR REBUILDING OF A ROAD OR WIDENING OF A ROAD IS STILL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COUNTY. THE CITY IS NOT -- DOESN'T DO THAT FOR THEM, THE COUNTY WOULD STILL HAVE TO DO THAT. SO BASICALLY THAT'S WHAT THE AGREEMENT SORT OF SAYS, AND I -- WE JUST WERE TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT IS THERE AN AGREEMENT AND WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES, SO I PUT THE AGREEMENT IN YOUR PACKET. >>LINDA SAUL-SENA: THANK YOU. >>JOE ZAMBITO: I AM NOT THE EXPERT ON IT, BUT I KIND OF READ THROUGH IT, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT IT REQUIRES, SO -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: JOE, YOU HAD A QUESTION? >>JOSEPH CAETANO: MR. ZAMBITO, THERE WAS A NEW PRODUCT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO USE TO TRY TO LEVEL THESE UNEVEN PORTIONS. WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THAT? >>JOE ZAMBITO: OKAY. THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, I UNDERSTAND FROM THE CITY, DID SOME TESTING AND LOOKED AT POSSIBLE WAYS TO FIX THE PAVEMENT WITHOUT TOTALLY REPLACING IT. WHAT I'VE ASKED, AGAIN, BOB GORDON, WHO'S WITH THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION AT OUR NEXT MPO MEETING, WHICH WILL BE IN FEBRUARY, ON THE RESULTS OF THAT TESTING AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY FOUND, AND IS THERE ANY PLANS TO GO FORWARD WITH SOME SORT OF IMPROVEMENT OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE ISSUE ON THAT. WE DIDN'T FEEL WE HAD TIME IN TODAY'S AGENDA TO DEAL WITH THAT AS WELL BECAUSE OF THE THINGS WE KNEW WERE GOING TO BE CONTROVERSIAL, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL FOR A LOT OF PUBLIC INPUT ON LITHIA-PINECREST. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: I THINK WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO DO SOME GRINDING DEPENDING ON HOW THICK -- WHEREVER THOSE SECTIONS CAME TOGETHER, AND THEY HAD A NEW COMPOUND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO TRY. HAVE THEY TRIED THIS? >>JOE ZAMBITO: I DON'T KNOW. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: MAYBE MR. GORDON KNOWS. >>BOB GORDON: I WAS GOING TO BE COMING TO THE NEXT MEETING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT. THERE WAS A HANDFUL OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS WE'RE LOOKING AT TO TRY TO FIX THE RIDE ON BAYSHORE BOULEVARD. I DON'T HAVE THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THAT FROM OUR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP, BUT I DID INSTRUCT THEM SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE MONEY OUT OF OUR PAVEMENT PROGRAM TO DO SOMETHING TO FIX BAYSHORE. YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY ROUGH RIDE. YOU KNOW, THE SLABS, THE UNEVEN SETTLEMENT, PUMPING OF THE [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] HAS CAUSED A PRETTY GOOD BUMP AT THE JOINTS IN THAT ROAD. WHERE WE CAN GRIND THEM, WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT, AND IN SOME CASES WE'LL HAVE TO USE SOME KIND OF LEVELING COME POUND TO IMPROVE THE RIDE OUT THERE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IMPROVING THE RIDE AND MAINTAINING A SAFE, DURABLE SURFACE TO MAKE THAT A MORE -- IT A VERY UNPLEASANT RIDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE ON A MOTORCYCLE. IT'S A VERY ROUGH RIDE. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE IN THE BACK OF AN AMBULANCE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL TO HAVE A BABY. >>BOB GORDON: THAT'S ANOTHER ONE. I CAN'T SAY I'VE BEEN IN THAT POSITION BEFORE, BUT WE WILL BE BACK REPORTING TO YOU ON THAT PROJECT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OLD BUSINESS? ANY NEW BUSINESS WE NEED TO DISCUSS? IF NOT -- >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: JUST ONE LAST THING. I'VE TALKED WAY TOO MUCH TODAY, SO I'LL KEEP IT SHORT. WITH REGARD TO THE DEPARTMENT'S DRAFT WORK PLAN, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE DISTRICT 7 REGARDING THE DRAFT PROGRAM THAT HIGHLIGHTS THIS BOARD'S CONCERN WITH THE DEFERRED PROJECTS, THE I-275, THE I-4 CONNECTOR PROJECT, AND OUR ONGOING CONCERN WITH THE FOCUS ON PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES. IT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS BOARD WILL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND APPRECIATE THE DEPARTMENT'S CONCERNS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES, MARY. >>MARY MULHERN: I JUST WANTED TO COMPLIMENT LYNN, SHE'S STILL HERE, ON THIS WONDERFUL BOOK, AND I DID NOT FIND THE RECIPE FOR SPRAWL IN HERE I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY OTHER -- MR. DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. WAGGONER'S SUGGESTION SHOULD PERHAPS BE CODIFIED AS A MOTION TO MAKE IT ACTIONABLE, OR IS IT JUST -- >>ADAM GORMLY: IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE THAT AS A MOTION. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I'LL SECOND THAT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND TO DIRECT STAFF TO WRITE A LETTER TO D.O.T. OUTLINING THE PRIORITIES FOR PROJECTS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE ADDED ONCE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE. IS THAT CORRECT? >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARD TO THE DEFERRED SIS PROJECTS AND OUR ONGOING CONCERN OF PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, REFLECTING THE DISCUSSION OF THIS BOARD TODAY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: RIGHT. OKAY. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: AND I'M GLAD WE INCLUDED I-75. IT'S OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AS WELL. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU, AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH. 1