CAPTIONING
FEBRUARY 3, 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 MEETING 
FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR FEBRUARY 3rd, 2009.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A BRIEF 
INVOCATION.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE CONTINUE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE 
BLESSINGS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US.
WE ASK YOUR GUIDANCE TODAY AS WE CONDUCT THE BUSINESS FOR 
OUR CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND WE ASK THAT YOU 
PROTECT ALL OF OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE IN HARM'S 
WAY FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOMS.
IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY.
AMEN.
OKAY.
WE -- JUST A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT HERE.
WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF OUR MPO THAT WILL NOT BE HERE TODAY, 
MR. RICHARD WAINIO, WHO IS IN TALLAHASSEE, AND HUNG MAI 
AND -- WILL NOT BE HERE.
COMMISSIONER SHARPE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT LATE.
OKAY.
WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO -- ON BEHALF OF THE MPO BOARD, 
WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AREA 
FEDERAL REVIEW TEAM.
THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE 
PUBLIC AND OUR PLANNING PARTNERS SO THAT WE CAN BETTER 
SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES.
AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO TURN THE PUBLIC MEETING OVER TO 
SHAKIRA CRANDOL OF THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, SO 
WE OPEN UP OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
THANK YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IS SHAKIRA CRANDOL.
I'M A TRANSPORTATION PLANNER WITH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY 
ADMINISTRATION, AND I THANK THE BOARD, MPO CHAIR, MPO STAFF 
FOR HAVING US HERE THIS MORNING.
I WANT TO BEGIN BY INTRODUCING THE FEDERAL REVIEW TEAM.
I HAVE MS. TAMARA CHRISTION WITH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY 
ADMINISTRATION IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, AND MS. MYRA 
IMMINGS FROM FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, REGION 4 IN 
ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
OKAY.
SO WHY ARE WE HERE TODAY?
THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AND THE FEDERAL TRANSIT 
ADMINISTRATION MUST JOINTLY CERTIFY THE TRANSPORTATION 
PLANNING PROCESS OF METROPOLITAN AREAS WITH POPULATIONS OF 
200,000 OR MORE.
AS A PART OF THIS FEDERAL CERTIFICATION REVIEW PROCESS, 
THERE IS A PUBLIC INPUT MEETING.
YOUR MPO HAS PROVIDED TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS PUBLIC 
INPUT, FIRST OF ALL HERE AT THE BOARD MEETING AND THEN THIS 
EVENING AT 6:00 P.M. ON THE 18th FLOOR, AND THIS IS JUST A 
TIME FOR YOU-ALL TO COME OUT AND GIVE US YOUR INPUT ABOUT 
YOUR MPO AND HOW IT IS SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE 
METROPOLITAN PLANNING AREA.
THE CERTIFICATION REVIEW PROCESS CONSISTS OF THREE PRIMARY 
ACTIVITIES.
NOW, BEFORE I GET HERE, THERE'S ANOTHER ACTIVITY FOR WHICH 
THE FEDERAL REVIEW TEAM REVIEWS THE PLANNING PRODUCTS OF 
THE MPO, BUT THERE ARE THREE PRIMARY ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO 
WHILE WE'RE HERE.
THERE IS A SITE VISIT THAT WE'LL BE CONDUCTING ON TODAY AND 
TOMORROW, AND WE'LL MEET WITH STAFF OF THE MPO, FDOT, THE 
PUBLIC, VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS IN THE TRANSPORTATION PROCESS 
TO GET INPUT ABOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS OF THE MPO.
FOLLOWING THAT THERE WILL BE A REPORT THAT WILL BE PREPARED 
BY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, FEDERAL TRANSIT 
ADMINISTRATION WITHIN 60 DAYS.
THIS REPORT WILL SUMMARIZE THE FINDINGS FROM THIS REVIEW.
LASTLY, THERE WILL BE A CLOSE-OUT PRESENTATION, SO I'LL 
COME BACK AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS DISCUSSED DURING 
THE SITE VISIT, AND THEN WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE 
RECOMMENDATIONS AND/OR CORRECTIVE ACTIONS AND NOTEWORTHY 
PRACTICES OF YOUR MPO.
FOR THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS, WHY 
IS THIS IMPORTANT?
FIRST OF ALL, IT ESTABLISHES THE FRAMEWORK FOR 
COLLABORATION.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE, 
COOPERATIVE, OPEN PROCESS WHERE EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY 
TO PROVIDE INPUT.
IT DECIDES HOW A SUBSTANTIAL SHARE OF FEDERAL 
TRANSPORTATION FUNDING IS SPENT NATIONWIDE, AND DUE TO 
LIMITED FUNDING, IT ALLOWS THE MPO TO PRIORITIZE WHICH 
TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS WILL MOVE FORWARD.
LASTLY, IT PROVIDES THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE OF THE 
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
WE'RE NOT JUST PLANNING FOR OURSELVES TODAY BUT ALSO FOR 
OUR FUTURE.
HOW?
THROUGH A THREE "C" APPROACH.
WE MAKE SURE THE APPROACH IS CONTINUING, COOPERATIVE, AND 
COMPREHENSIVE, THAT IT'S MULTIMODAL AND INTERCONNECTED, AND 
THAT THERE'S PUBLIC INPUT.
HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PRODUCTS THAT WE'VE REVIEWED 
BEFORE WE GOT HERE, THE UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM, THE 
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, LONG-RANGE PLAN, CMP, 
AND THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH YOUR COMMENTS?
A FEW OF YOU-ALL FILLED OUT COMMENT CARDS THAT YOU PASSED 
TO MY COLLEAGUE, TAMARA CHRISTION.
YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS, 
AND -- BUT IF YOU WANT TO WRITE SOMETHING DOWN, IF YOU 
LEAVE AND YOU THINK, I REALLY WANTED TO LET THE FEDERAL 
REVIEW TEAM KNOW ABOUT THIS, THEN YOU HAVE UNTIL MARCH 4th 
TO SUBMIT THE COMMENTS.
AT THE END OF THE SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE CONTACT INFORMATION 
THAT YOU CAN MAIL IN TO ME.
ALSO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE A COPY OF THE CERTIFICATION 
REPORT, YOU CAN INDICATE THAT ON THE COMMENT CARD.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PRESENTATION IS THAT WE 
WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
THIS -- THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC INPUT IS MORE ABOUT THE 
PROCESS AND YOUR ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE MORE SO THAN THE 
PROJECTS, BUT WE JUST WANT TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU-
ALL TO FREELY COME UP AND EXPRESS WHATEVER YOUR CONCERNS 
ARE.
WE'LL TAKE THOSE COMMENTS DOWN AND NOTE THEM FOR THE 
CERTIFICATION REVIEW PROCESS.
SO AT THIS POINT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
TAMARA HAS A FEW INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY 
WANT TO SPEAK, SO THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
>> OKAY.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER WILL BE PAM CLOUSTON.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>> THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING.
PAM CLOUSTON.
I REPRESENT RLAND, WHICH IS RURAL LITHIA AREA NEIGHBORHOOD 
DEFENSE.
OUR P.O. BOX IS 330, LITHIA, FLORIDA 33547, AND I JUST 
WANTED TO SAY HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THIS MPO, HOW MUCH WE 
FEEL THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIVE TO OUR NEEDS AND OUR CONCERNS.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE YOU THAT YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED 
INTENTLY AND CARED ABOUT WHAT I'VE HAD TO SAY ON BEHALF OF 
RLAND, AND I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND I HOPE YOU 
CONTINUE THE GOOD WORK.
THANKS.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, MS. CLOUSTON.
THE SECOND SPEAKER WILL BE KELLY CORNELIUS FROM RLAND.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS KELLY CORNELIUS.
MY ADDRESS IS 18732 DORMAN ROAD, LITHIA, FLORIDA.
STILL BYPASS FREE.
THANK YOU.
I THINK MY FEELINGS ARE VERY SIMILAR TO PAM'S, AND I JUST 
WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU AND TO LET YOU 
GUYS KNOW THAT THIS IS THE ONLY OBJECTIVE TRANSPORTATION 
PLANNING AGENCY THAT WE HAVE.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE MPO WAS A LITTLE OVER A YEAR 
AGO, AND I'VE HAD TO LEARN VERY QUICKLY ALL THE DIFFERENT 
SPECIAL INTEREST AGENCIES THAT TRY TO ELBOW IN ON OUR 
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, AND I LEARNED THAT THIS IS THE ONE 
THAT WE CAN TRUST.
THIS BODY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN GREAT TO US, VERY 
RECEPTIVE TO OUR CONCERNS.
I'VE ATTENDED POLICY COMMITTEE MEETINGS, MANY MPO MEETINGS, 
AND THEY'RE GREAT ABOUT UPHOLDING OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, 
ABOUT BEING RECEPTIVE TO CITIZENS' CONCERNS, AND LISTENING, 
ACTUALLY LISTENING TO OUR INPUT, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> THANK YOU, MS. CORNELIUS.
THE THIRD SPEAKER WOULD BE GEORGE NIEMANN FROM UCAN.
>> GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
GEORGE NIEMANN, 4711 DOVER CLIFF COURT, DOVER, FLORIDA, 
MEMBER OF UNITED CITIZENS ACTION NETWORK.
I'D LIKE TO OFFER THESE COMMENTS TO THIS BOARD AND TO THE 
REVIEW TEAM.
I'M VERY HAPPY AND WE'RE VERY IMPRESSED.
THIS ASSEMBLY OF PEOPLE TO ME IS SORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE 
COLLECTION OF SKILLS AND EXPERTISE, AND WE REALLY THANK ALL 
OF YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
YOU KNOW A LOT OF TIMES I'M UP HERE AND I'M ON THE ATTACK.
TODAY I'M NOT ON THE ATTACK.
I WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE WE RELY ON YOU WITH A LOT OF 
POLITICAL THINGS THAT GO ON.
WE KNOW THAT WHEN THIS BOARD LOOKS AT IT, ASIDE FROM THE 
EXPERTISE OF THE STAFF THAT -- THAT WORKS FOR YOU, WE KNOW 
THAT YOU WILL APPLY THE SCRUTINY THAT'S NEEDED, AND YOU'RE 
LOOKING VERY CAREFULLY AT MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND YOU 
HAVE THE RIGHT APPROACH, AND I THANK EVERYBODY HERE.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
OKAY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT.
>> THANK YOU, MR. NIEMANN.
OUR FOURTH SPEAKER WILL BE LEONARD PLOTKIN.
>> GOOD MORNING.
I WANT TO THANK THIS BOARD AND -- ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE 
EARLY '90s WHEN THEY APPOINTED ME TO THE TRANSPORTATION 
DISADVANTAGED TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
THIS BOARD HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THE CITIZENS AND -- IN 
THE COUNTY, HAS BEEN AND IS, AND THEY SUPPORT THEIR STAFF, 
THE MPO STAFF THAT MAKES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE FROM THE OTHER 
SIDE, THE WORKING SIDE THAT WE DO FOLLOWING THE WORK.
THEY SUPPLY TRANSPORTATION TO PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, 
AND THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT THE MONEY THAT THEY PUT INTO IT 
RETURNS OVER EIGHTFOLD BASED ON THE FSU STUDIES, AND I WANT 
TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND LET THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND 
TRANSPORTATION PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY COULDN'T HAVE A BETTER 
PEOPLE TAKING CARE OF THIS COUNTY.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, LEONARD.
>> THANK YOU, MR. PLOTKIN.
OUR FIFTH SPEAKER WILL BE GLORIA MILLS.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS GLORIA MILLS, 3708 WEST BAY TO BAY BOULEVARD, 
TAMPA.
FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR BETTER 
TRANSIT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WORKED WITH THE MPO, I'M 
ON THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED BOARD, AND I FEEL LIKE 
WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, BUT WE STILL HAVE A WAY TO 
GO.
I ENJOY WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE MPO, BUT I FEEL LIKE 
TAMPA, OF MANY CITIES THAT I HAVE VISITED AND COMPARED THE 
TRANSIT, IS WAY BELOW THE CITIES OF ITS POPULATION SIZE IN 
HAVING GOOD TRANSIT, AND I URGE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO 
LOOK AT THE SITUATION AND HELP THIS COUNTY TO ACHIEVE THE 
KIND OF TRANSIT AND KIND OF SERVICES WE NEED AS A 
METROPOLITAN AREA.
I THINK WHEN WE DO THIS WE NOT ONLY HELP PEOPLE THAT DON'T 
DRIVE OR DON'T WANT TO DRIVE, WE ALSO HELP EVERYBODY ELSE 
THAT DOES BY TAKING SOME OF THE GRIDLOCK AWAY AND BY 
GREENING OUR ENVIRONMENT.
I CAN'T THINK OF A BAD REASON EXCEPT FOR THE MONEY THAT IT 
COSTS NOT TO BRING BETTER TRANSIT TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
I THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND LISTENING TO OUR COMMENTS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MS. MILLS.
THE SIXTH SPEAKER WILL BE VIVIAN BACCA OF BRANDON COMMUNITY 
PLAN.
>> VIVIAN BACCA, 413 EL GRECO DRIVE IN BRANDON, MEMBER OF 
THE BRANDON COMMUNITY PLAN WORKING COMMITTEE.
TRANSPORTATION IN BRANDON IS ONE OF OUR KEY ISSUES.
IN FACT, IT PROBABLY WILL BE OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL IN OUR 
COMMUNITY PLAN.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH THE MPO, WHICH MAKES 
EFFICIENT USE OF THEIR RESOURCES BY SHARING STAFF WITH THE 
PLANNING COMMISSION.
THE MPO HAS A VARIETY OF SPECIAL INTEREST COMMITTEES OPEN 
TO CITIZEN PARTICIPATION WHICH ENCOURAGES COMMUNITY 
INVOLVEMENT WHETHER IT'S SOMEONE INTERESTED IN PEDESTRIAN-
BICYCLE SAFETY, LIVABLE ROADWAYS, OR MASS TRANSIT.
IN MY DEALINGS WITH THE MPO STAFF, THEY HAVE BEEN HELPFUL 
AND PROFESSIONAL.
THEY HAVE HELPED ME UNDERSTAND WHERE TO FIND ANSWERS TO MY 
TRANSPORTATION QUESTIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE FEDERAL GAS TAX IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO 
MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
OUR MPO STAFF WORKS WITH OTHER TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES TO 
MAXIMIZE THE USE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS, AND I WAS EXTREMELY 
DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT A LARGER PORTION OF THE STIMULUS 
PACKAGE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE DEDICATED TO TRANSPORTATION.
I DID HEAR THE HARTLINE MEETING YESTERDAY, AND I DID HEAR 
THAT WE'RE GOING TO HOPEFULLY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO FOR 
SOME ADDITIONAL MASS TRANSIT RESOURCES, BUT IT WAS 
DISAPPOINTING.
>> THANK YOU, MS. BACCA.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MS. SAUL-SENA, YOU HAD A COMMENT?
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  DO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU 
SOME FEEDBACK RIGHT NOW?
>> YES, AND ALSO IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE THAT MISSED AN 
OPPORTUNITY THAT WOULD LIKE TO, YOU MAY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  PLEASE STEP FORWARD.
THERE ARE TWO THAT RAISED THEIR HANDS.
>> SHERYL BROWN WITH TAMPA LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND.
I'D JUST LIKE TO ECHO WHAT MS. MILLS AND THE LAST SPEAKER 
SAID.
WE DO HAVE A GREAT MPO AND A GREAT TD BOARD THAT THE MPO 
OVERSEES, AND THE DOOR-TO-DOOR FOR MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION 
IS GOOD.
THE BUSES, I'VE SEEN THE 2020  PLAN, AND WE'VE GOT TO MOVE 
IT UP.
WE'VE GOT TO BE LIKE JACKSONVILLE AND MIAMI AND OTHER 
PLACES THAT CAN GET PEOPLE OUT TO WORK IN THE COMMUNITIES, 
SO ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO GET MORE MONEY INTO THE 
COUNTY SO THAT WE CAN RUN MORE ROUTES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY 
AND LONGER HOURS IS REALLY AN URGENT NEED.
THANKS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MS. BROWN.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER?
MS. BECKI FORSELL.
>> GOOD MORNING.
MY NAME IS BECKI FORSELL.
I LIVE AT 4508 STONEHENGE ROAD IN TAMPA, FLORIDA, IN THE 
UNINCORPORATED PART OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BUT I HAVE A 
NONPROFIT THAT IS WITHIN THE COUNTY CALLED YES! OF AMERICA 
UNITED WHO WORKS WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE MANY DISABILITIES.
WHAT I'M HERE TODAY FOR IS TO THANK OUR MPO.
I HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO BE ON THE MPO DISADVANTAGED BOARD 
FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AS A SENIOR ADVOCATE.
IN THAT ROLE I HAVE SEEN THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN 
OUR COUNTY TO ALLOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES THE RIGHTS 
THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS BY BEING ABLE TO TRANSPORT 
THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY.
WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, WITHOUT THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE FOR US 
IN OUR COUNTY, TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF THE COUNTY, WE 
WOULD NOT HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY THAT HAS NOT BEEN ALWAYS 
HERE.
YOUR STAFF WORKS TIRELESSLY TO HELP US ON THE MPO BOARD 
ADVISORY BOARD TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST 
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT WE WOULD NOT HAVE WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, 
SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MS. FORSELL.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE I GO TO THE BOARD?
THANK YOU.
THE BOARD.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED HERE, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION ONE 
THING THAT -- IN ADDITION TO THE MPO BOARD THAT HELPS THE 
TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED COORDINATING BOARD, ALLISON 
YEH DOES A WONDERFUL JOB TAKING CARE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT 
HAVE TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE WE RECOGNIZE THE NEEDS FOR THE 
TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED COORDINATING BOARD, SO THANK 
YOU, ALLISON.
MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE FROM WASHINGTON.
SOMETIMES WE FEEL LIKE WASHINGTON IS REALLY DISTANT, AND I 
THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE COMING OUT TO SEE THE KIND OF 
JOB THAT WE'RE DOING.
WE HAVE A GREAT STAFF.
THEY ARE SO FAR ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED 
BY THE TEXTBOOK.
THEY REALLY KNOCK THEMSELVES OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A VERY ENGAGED BOARD, LIKE YOU'VE HEARD.
WHAT I'D LIKE YOU-ALL TO DO, THE MESSAGE I'D LIKE YOU TO 
TAKE BACK TO WASHINGTON IS TO ALLOW A SHIFT IN THE NEW ICE-
TEA LEGISLATION TO SPEND MORE ON TRANSIT.
WE HAVE RECOGNIZED -- YEAH, YOU CAN CHEER.
NO, WE'VE RECOGNIZED TRADITIONALLY WHERE THE MONEY CAME 
FROM THE INTERSTATES AND THE ROADS AND HOW WE PRIORITIZE, 
YOU KNOW, LARGE-SCALE SYSTEMS, BUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS 
YOU'VE HEARD, WE NEED TO CREATE ADDITIONAL TRANSIT, WE NEED 
TO BEEF UP OUR BUS SYSTEM, AND WE NEED TO CREATE SOME KIND 
OF LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM THAT'S REGIONAL.
WE DESPERATELY NEED THE FLEXIBILITY FROM YOU IN WASHINGTON 
TO SPEND OUR MONEY IN THOSE WAYS.
IT'S NOT JUST THE FLEXIBILITY, IT'S A REAL SHIFT.
RIGHT NOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S 80/20.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE IT MORE 50/50, SO IF YOU COULD TAKE THAT 
MESSAGE BACK TO D.C. WITH YOU AND SHARE IT WITH THE PEOPLE 
WHO ARE GOING TO BE MAKING THE DECISIONS IN THIS NEW 
ADMINISTRATION, THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC, SO THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MS. FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
MS. CRANDOL AND THE REST OF OUR GUESTS, WELCOME TO OUR 
COMMUNITY.
CERTAINLY IT APPEARS THAT WE GOT PRETTY GOOD GRADES FROM 
OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT LET ME FINISH THAT CIRCLE OF 
COMPLIMENTS.
THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE ON OUR BEHALF TODAY AND SEEM TO BE 
RELATIVELY PLEASED WITH OUR PERFORMANCE, KELLY, PAM, 
GEORGE, VIVIAN, THE REST OF US, I THINK THE REASON WE'RE SO 
SUCCESSFUL AND WE ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH IS, 
FOR INSTANCE, TODAY THEY'RE BEING VERY COMPLIMENTARY, BUT 
WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO 
COME UP AND TELL US, THEY'RE NOT EVER SHY, AND THAT 
CHALLENGES US BECAUSE ALTHOUGH YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DOING 
WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AS ON ELECTED OFFICIAL, WHEN YOU 
HAVE CONSTITUENTS THAT COME FROM SO VERY FAR AWAY IN OUR 
UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO LET US KNOW 
-- WHEN THERE'S SOME DEFICIENCY, TO LET US KNOW WHEN THEY 
WANT US TO ACT ON THEIR BEHALF, THAT CHALLENGES US, AND SO 
THAT PARTNERSHIP WORKS VERY WELL, SO WHILE THEY'RE THANKING 
US, I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR ALL THE EFFORTS THEY GIVE TO 
THIS PROGRAM AS PRIVATE CITIZENS, SO I THANK YOU GUYS AS 
WELL.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, ROSE.
MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  THANK YOU.
I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE GOING TO HAVE OUR GUESTS FROM 
WASHINGTON HERE, AND I'M THRILLED THAT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY 
ACTIVISTS ARE HERE TO BE SO POSITIVE, AND I WANT TO THANK 
THEM ALSO AND JUST SAY THAT WHEN THEY DO COME HERE WITH 
CONCERNS, IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH TIME, ENERGY, AND EXPERTISE 
THESE PEOPLE FROM OUR COMMUNITY, FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 
BRING TO THIS BOARD, AND I'M HUMBLED BY IT EVERY TIME 
SOMEONE COMES IN HERE AND EXPLAINS TO US ALL THE RESEARCH 
THEY'VE DONE AND ALL THE OVERSIGHT THEY'RE GIVING TO ALL 
THE DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE OPPORTUNITIES AND 
PLANS THAT ARE GOING ON, SO I HAVE TO THANK YOU AND TELL 
YOU THAT WE DON'T REALLY NEED YOU TO COME UP HERE AND THANK 
US BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY THE ONES THAT KEEP US ON TARGET, 
AND I APPRECIATE IT, AND WE ARE ALL LISTENING TO YOU, AND I 
HOPE YOU KEEP SPEAKING UP.
AND IT'S KIND OF BORING TODAY HEARING YOU JUST SAY HOW NICE 
WE ARE.
[LAUGHTER]
>>ROSE FERLITA:  HANG AROUND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MARY.
ANY OTHER -- ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IF NOT, WE CLOSE THAT PUBLIC HEARING, BUT I'D LIKE TO THANK 
YOU, SHAKIRA.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING OUR BOARD CAN DO, PLEASE LET US KNOW 
WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.
WE WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER 
PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT AT 6:00 ON THE 18th FLOOR OF THE 
COUNTY CENTER BUILDING IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION 
BOARDROOM.
FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T ATTEND, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE, 
WWW.HILLSBOROUGHMPO.ORG WHERE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD AND CONNECT 
A COMMENT FORM.
ALL COMMENTS WILL BE RECEIVED BY MARCH 4th, 2009.
WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO DITTO WHAT MS. FERLITA SAID AND 
MS. MULHERN.
THANK YOU, THOSE WHO ARE HERE TODAY.
TO COMPLIMENT US, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT, BUT YOU 
KNOW WE HAVE YOUR INTERESTS AT HEART, AND WE'LL DO 
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER FOR OUR COUNTY.
SO WITH THAT, SHAKIRA.
>> OKAY.
JUST ONE MORE THING, MR. CHAIRMAN.
FOR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, 
ALTHOUGH OUR HEADQUARTERS OFFICE IS LOCATED IN D.C., TAMARA 
AND MYSELF ARE LOCATED IN THE FLORIDA DIVISION OFFICE AND 
MYRA'S LOCATED IN ATLANTA, SO I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THAT FOR 
THE PUBLIC RECORD, ALTHOUGH WE STILL TAKE YOUR CONCERNS 
VERY SERIOUSLY AND WILL DOCUMENT IT.
I WANT TO APPLAUD EVERYONE THAT CAME UP AND SPOKE.
THOSE THAT DID NOT WANT TO SPEAK, I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU 
THERE IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
PUBLIC COMMENT FORMS ARE LOCATED ON THE TABLE OUTSIDE.
YOU CAN WRITE YOUR COMMENTS, YOU CAN -- THERE WAS A -- MY 
CONTACT INFORMATION IS ON THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND 
IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FORM, SO YOU CAN ALSO MAIL IT IN TO 
US UP UNTIL MARCH 4th, SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, THANK YOU 
FOR PARTICIPATING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
OKAY.
WE MOVE INTO OUR REGULAR AGENDA.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 
6th, 2009, MEETING?
>>ROSE FERLITA:  SO MOVE, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU.
WE HAD THREE PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO -- OH, I'M SORRY.
LET'S GET INTO THE -- YEAH.
PAM CLOUSTON, DID YOU -- DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO ANOTHER 
ISSUE?
>> YES.
>> ACTUALLY, IF IT'S OKAY, I'LL GO BEFORE PAM IF THAT WORKS 
FOR YOU.
KELLY CORNELIUS AGAIN, 18732 DORMAN ROAD.
COUNCILWOMAN MULHERN, IT'S ABOUT TO NOT BE BORING ANYMORE.
[LAUGHTER]
ALSO, IF ALL OF THE BOARDS IN THIS COUNTY WERE AS GOOD AS 
MOST OF YOU ARE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE SUCH OVERSIGHT, 
SO OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE SIMILAR BODIES IN THIS VERY ROOM IN 
OTHER BOARDS, AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO SO MUCH WORK IF 
THEY WERE ALL LIKE YOU, SO THANK YOU.
AS YOU KNOW, THE LITHIA-PINECREST PD&E STUDY BEING 
PERFORMED BY HDR CONTRACTED OUT BY OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 
COMMISSION IS IN THE NEWS RIGHT NOW.
IT HAS A LOT OF US CONCERNED.
WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, AND THIS IS NOT DIRECTED AT THE 
MPO, IT'S JUST BRINGING YOU UP TO SPEED AT WHAT WE FOUND.
I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A LOT OF E-MAILS, SEVERAL OF US 
HAVE, REGARDING HOW THIS THING WAS STARTED.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE FEDERAL -- 
AND MAYBE THE FEDS CAN HELP US SINCE THEY'RE HERE TODAY -- 
THE FEDERAL RULES REGARDING LOGICAL TERMINI AND 
COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND THAT KIND OF THING, AND A LOT OF 
THAT STUFF'S DEBATABLE.
WHAT'S NOT DEBATABLE, EVIDENTLY, IS A LITTLE THING CALLED 
PREDETERMINATION, AND --
>> THAT SOUNDS RELIGIOUS.
>> THE STUDY CANNOT BE DONE WITH A PREDETERMINED OUTCOME IN 
MIND.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M GETTING FROM THAT, SO WHAT WAS 
INTERESTING IS, WAY BACK IN 2006, BEFORE THIS STUDY WAS 
STARTED, THERE WAS A PARCEL OF LAND THAT OUR BOYS IN PUBLIC 
WORKS OVER AT THE COUNTY WANTED TO BUY, AND THERE WAS A LOT 
OF CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
IT WAS $900,000, AND THEY WANTED TO USE IT FOR PART OF THE 
RIGHT-OF-WAY OF LITHIA-PINECREST WIDENING, FUTURE.
NOW, DON'T FORGET THIS STUDY HASN'T BEEN STARTED AT THIS 
POINT, AND AN E-MAIL -- BUT THE LAND WAS PRESENTED TO THEM 
FOR SALE.
SO IN AN E-MAIL DATED AUGUST 17th, 2006, FROM SCOTT 
COTTRELL REGARDING THIS, HIS QUOTE IS, BUY THE LAND NOW 
WHILE IT'S RELATIVELY CHEAP INSTEAD OF PAYING THE PREMIUM 
AFTER DESIGN IS AT 60% AND THE EMINENT DOMAIN LAWYERS ARE 
ALL OVER IT.
WOULDN'T BUYING RIGHT-OF-WAY INDICATE A PREDETERMINED 
OUTCOME?
I THINK SO.
I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T GOING TO BE BORING.
NOT TO WORRY SAYS SCOTT PASSMORE -- THAT'S NOT WHAT HE 
SAID, I'LL READ YOU HIS QUOTE -- OF PUBLIC WORKS IN AN E-
MAIL DATED AUGUST 16th, 2006.
THE PREDETERMINATION ISSUE WILL NEED TO BE HANDLED 
CAREFULLY, AND I WILL MAKE THAT PART OF ANY RESPONSE.
I KNOW.
NOT ONLY IS THAT STATEMENT DISTURBING, BUT THE FACT THAT IT 
WAS SENT TO STEVE GORDILLO, PROJECT MANAGER OF HDR, IS 
DISTURBING BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS 
HANDED OUT BY BOB GORDON AT THE JANUARY MPO MEETING, HDR  
WAS NOT OFFICIALLY AWARDED THE CONTRACT UNTIL OCTOBER OF 
2006.
NOW, ALL YOU FISCAL CONSERVATIVES ON OUR BOARD CAN 
APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT -- I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME, SO 
I'LL HAVE TO GIVE YOU THE REST LATER, BUT THE LAND WAS 
ACTUALLY PURCHASED IN 2008 TO THE TUNE OF $950,000 ON THE 
CONSENT AGENDA.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?
SO THIS WAS BEFORE WE RAISED ANY RED FLAGS, OTHERWISE I'M 
SURE OUR THREE STELLAR MEMBERS OF OUR BOCC WOULD HAVE 
FLAGGED IT, BUT I'LL COME BACK UP DURING THE SECOND PART OF 
PUBLIC COMMENT AND MAYBE GIVE YOU THE REST OF THE STORY OF 
THAT.
>> AND COPIES.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, KELLY.
PAM.
>> GOOD MORNING.
ONCE AGAIN, PAM CLOUSTON, AND THERE'S 2,090 PAGES OF E-
MAILS, SO I'M KIND OF PICKING STUFF.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE QUITE AS RUN TOGETHER AS KELLY'S WAS.
I KNOW THAT -- NOTICED ON ONE PAGE THERE WAS AN E-MAIL 
ABOUT PERHAPS SENDING OUT A PUBLIC NOTICE TO HOMEOWNERS 
ASSOCIATIONS AND SO FORTH WITH REGARD TO LIKE THE BEGINNING 
OF THE PD&E STUDY, AND THEY SAID, LET'S NOT DO THAT BECAUSE 
WE DON'T WANT TO CAUSE CONCERN WHERE THERE IS NONE.
RED FLAG.
I'M STILL CURIOUS AS TO HOW THE PD&E STUDY ON LITHIA-
PINECREST MIGHT RELATE TO THE SOUTH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION 
PLAN THAT YOU KNOW GOT BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER.
INTERESTING THAT DURING THE SOUTH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION 
PLAN THERE WAS NO MENTION MADE WHATSOEVER OF THE PD&E STUDY 
BEING DONE ON LITHIA-PINECREST ROAD.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT ONE DEPARTMENT IN OUR COUNTY DOESN'T 
HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT HAS DONE, AND IF 
YOU READ THROUGH THE E-MAILS, IT IS EVIDENT THAT THERE WAS 
COMMUNICATION WITH REGARD TO BOTH THINGS GOING ON AT THE 
SAME TIME, SO THAT WAS CONVENIENTLY LEFT OUT BECAUSE THAT -
- AT THAT TIME WE WEREN'T REALLY PAYING TOO MUCH ATTENTION 
TO LITHIA-PINECREST BECAUSE WE WERE WORRIED ABOUT THE 
BELTWAY GOING OVER OUR HOUSES.
THERE'S OTHER COMMENTS IN THERE ABOUT A PARTICULAR PERSON 
SPEAKING TO HER COMMISSIONER, AND -- WITH REGARD TO 
A COMPANY THAT I HAVEN'T FOUND OUT WHO THAT ACTUALLY IS 
YET, BUT HERE'S SOME REALLY GREAT FUN THINGS.
WHEN THEY'RE GETTING READY TO DO THE PRESENTATION THAT BLEW 
THIS WHOLE THING OUT OF THE WATER, AGAIN ON NOVEMBER 18th 
SOME E-MAILS GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM HDR TO THE COUNTY, 
IT SAYS, WE STATE THAT ONLY THE PD&E FUNDING -- PD&E IS 
FUNDED.
THAT'S NOT ENTIRELY CORRECT.
WE HAVE FUNDS FOR DESIGN AND SOME LIMITED RIGHT-OF-WAY.
THE RIGHT-OF-WAY FUNDING IS TO SUPPORT THE LAKE HUTTO DRI 
REQUIREMENT, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO THEY'RE TELLING US NOTHING IS FUNDED, NOTHING IS FUNDED, 
NOTHING IS FUNDED, AND THEN HERE IN THE E-MAIL -- AND THEN 
IT SAYS, WE CAN STATE THE DESIGN AND RIGHT-OF-WAY ARE 
PARTIALLY FUNDED AND STILL BE OKAY.
OH, YIKES, I'VE GOT TO GET TO A GOOD ONE.
COMMISSIONER HAGAN ASKS BLUNTLY AFTER SOME LETTERS AND 
STUFF STARTED COMING IN, DO WE NEED TO WIDEN THIS?
AND THE ANSWER TO HIM IS, SIR, THE BOTTOM LINE IS, NO, IT 
DOESN'T NEED TO BE WIDENED, AND THAT'S FOR SEGMENT "D," THE 
BOTTOM ONE.
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE.
I'M NOT REALLY LOOKING TO GO ON A SPENDING SPREE BUT WAS 
ONLY LOOKING TO PURCHASE THE ADDITIONAL LAND TO TAKE TO SIX 
LANES IN THE FUTURE FOR THE SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT THE 
DEVELOPER IS DOING.
HMM.
BEGS THE QUESTION.
WHAT DEVELOPER?
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
MR. NIEMANN.
GEORGE NIEMANN.
>> GOOD MORNING AGAIN.
GEORGE NIEMANN, DOVER, FLORIDA.
JUST TO FOLLOW THE PREVIOUS TWO SPEAKERS, I THINK THE POINT 
THAT WE AS CONCERNED CITIZENS ARE TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT WE 
WANT THIS BOARD TO APPLY SCRUTINY.
WE THINK THAT -- THAT WE'RE QUESTIONING THE WAY THE STUDY 
WAS DONE AND THE DATA THAT WAS USED, AND I KNOW THAT BOB 
GORDON GAVE YOU GUYS A PRESENTATION AS HE DID THE BOARD OF 
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BUT WE FEEL THAT THAT PRESENTATION 
HAD A LITTLE BIT OF SPIN IN IT, AND WE'RE STILL DIGGING, 
BUT WE -- I THINK WHAT WE'RE SHOWING YOU IS LITTLE PIECES 
OF EVIDENCE THAT MAYBE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THIS PD&E 
STUDY, WHEN WE REQUEST FEDERAL FUNDING BECAUSE OF THE WAY 
IT WAS DONE, WE MAY NOT EVEN GET FEDERAL FUNDING, SO WE 
JUST -- WE WANT -- WE WANT WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES TO BE 
IN SYNC WITH THIS BOARD, AND WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR WAS 
NOT IN SYNC, AND I THINK IT'S UP TO THEM AND IT'S UP TO OUR 
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO SCRUTINIZE IT AND DIG A 
LITTLE DEEPER AND LOOK AT THAT STUDY AND SEE HOW IT WAS 
DONE AND THE DETAILS THAT WERE USED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH OUR STUDY OF IT, AND WE'RE 
GOING TO REPORT BACK TO YOU, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU'LL USE 
GOOD JUDGMENT GOING FORWARD.
THANKS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR OVERSIGHT.
THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE -- YES, MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. GORMLY, OUR ATTORNEY.
WHAT IS -- WHAT CAN THE ROLE OF THE MPO BE IN ENSURING THAT 
PREDETERMINATION DOESN'T -- WELL, NO, SPECIFICALLY IN THIS 
CASE, WAS THIS ROAD ON OUR FUTURE MAP, AND IF IT WASN'T, DO 
WE HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE COUNTY STUDYING IT?
I MEAN, WHAT IS OUR ROLE IN THIS?
HOW -- HOW CAN WE ASK THESE QUESTIONS?
>>ADAM GORMLY:  IN TERMS OF THE MPO'S ROLE, THE MPO'S ROLE 
WOULD CERTAINLY BE DEVELOPMENT OF A LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN WHICH WOULD DESIGNATE THESE ROADS, AND 
I WOULD DEFER IT TO RAY AS TO WHETHER THIS SEGMENT OF 
LITHIA-PINECREST WAS -- WAS ON THE LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN, ALSO WOULD HAVE A ROLE IN PUTTING IT 
IN THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR 
PRIORITIZATION OF FUNDING.
AS TO THE PD&E STUDY THAT THE COUNTY CONDUCTS, I'M NOT 
AWARE THAT THE MPO HAS A ROLE IN CONDUCTING THAT STUDY.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S A FUNCTION OF THE COUNTY IN 
CONDUCTING -- IN THE PD&E.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE MPO HAS A ROLE IN ACTUALLY THE 
CONDUCT OR THE PLANNING OR THE -- OR THE EXECUTION OF THAT 
STUDY.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
DO YOU KNOW IF THIS WAS IN OUR LONG-RANGE PLAN?
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  WELL, WHAT IS IN OUR LONG-RANGE PLAN IS 
FOR THE ROAD TO BE FOUR-LANED WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA 
FROM STATE ROAD 60 TO BLOOMINGDALE AND TWO LANES FROM 
BLOOMINGDALE TO HIGHWAY 39.
THAT'S WHAT'S IN OUR PLAN.
THAT'S WHAT I SUSPECT WILL STAY IN OUR PLAN IN OUR UPDATE 
ALSO.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  DID THE COUNTY KNOW THAT THAT -- OF 
COURSE THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT'S IN OUR PLAN, AND 
SO IF THEY'RE STUDYING SOMETHING THAT'S MUCH WIDER, MUCH 
LONGER, AND MUCH BROADER AND WAS OUTSIDE OF THE URBAN 
SERVICE AREA --
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  I REALLY DON'T KNOW -- I WOULD HAVE 
THEM ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I -- THAT'S WHAT IT IS IN OUR PLAN AND THAT'S WHAT I INTEND 
TO RECOMMEND.
ALL OUR STATISTICS AND EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE POINT TO THAT 
BEING THE RIGHT RECOMMENDATION, THE FOUR LANES AND THE TWO 
LANES.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  WELL, I GUESS I WOULD LOOK TO OUR MPO 
MEMBERS WHO ARE ALSO COMMISSIONERS TO TAKE THIS BACK TO 
YOUR BODY AND ASK THEM WHAT THEY WERE THINKING OF.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MS. FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  MS. SAUL-SENA, I REALLY CAN'T SPEAK TO 
WHAT THEY WERE THINKING OF.
I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I'M THINKING OF.
THERE WAS SOME EXPLANATION FROM MR. GORDON AND ADDITIONAL 
STAFF THAT THIS WHOLE THING HAD TO BE CONSIDERED IN TERMS 
OF SOME OF THE TERMINI THAT MS. CORNELIUS WAS TALKING 
ABOUT.
I BELIEVE THAT TRAFFIC NEEDS PERHAPS WARRANT EXPANSION IN 
SOME AREAS, BUT SEGMENT "D" IS RURAL.
I THINK WE'VE HEARD IT LOUD AND CLEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS 
THERE IS NO NEED TO EXPAND THAT, SO REGARDLESS OF THE STUDY 
HAVING TO BE THE ENTIRE THING, AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE THAT 
I ENDORSE THAT APPROACH, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT I'M THINKING 
OF, WHAT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED SHOULD BE EXPANDED.
SEGMENT "D" SHOULD REMAIN RURAL.
THERE'S NO NEED TO EXPAND IT, AND THAT WILL BE MY POSITION 
FROM HERE FORWARD.
MR. CHIARAMONTE IS CORRECT, THAT'S WHAT THE PLAN SAYS, 
THAT'S WHAT IT SHOULD STAY, AND I'M GOING TO CERTAINLY BE 
SUPPORTIVE OF IT AND TAKE ANY KIND OF LEADERSHIP I NEED TO 
TAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONSTITUENTS OUT THERE ARE BEING 
SPOKEN TO FRANKLY AND APPROPRIATELY, AND I DON'T THINK 
THERE SHOULD BE ANY PLAN TO EXPAND SEGMENT "D," SO I CAN 
ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MS. FERLITA.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT WE HAVE THE -- MR. JOE AMON, THE CAC.
>> GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE MPO.
WE HAD A MEETING ON FEBRUARY -- NO, THIS IS FEBRUARY 3rd.
OUR MEETING WAS IN JANUARY.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  GOOD MORNING, JOE.
[LAUGHTER]
>> THANKS FOR WAKING ME UP, ROSE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  IT'S TUESDAY MORNING.
>> IT'S TUESDAY.
WE'RE HERE.
I SHOULD HAVE GOT UP AND SAID SOMETHING A FEW MINUTES AGO, 
BUT I THOUGHT NO, THE BETTER PART OF VALOR TO JUST SIT HERE 
AND LISTEN TO EVERYBODY.
WE HAD ELECTION OF OFFICERS AT OUR LAST MEETING, AND IT WAS 
UNANIMOUS TO HAVE THE OFFICERS CONTINUE, AND THAT IS MYSELF 
AS THE CHAIR AND MR. ED AUSTIN AS VICE CHAIR.
REPRESENTATIVES WERE ELECTED FOR THE JOINT CITIZENS 
ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH ADVISES THE WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA 
MPOs CHAIRS COORDINATING COMMITTEE, AND THEY WILL BE PIERRE 
MATHURIN, LEONARD PLOTKIN, MARGARET VIZZI, AND WE HAVE 
THREE ALTERNATES, AND THAT'S -- ED AUSTIN, AL STINSON, AND 
MYSELF WILL BE ALTERNATES FOR THOSE THREE PEOPLE.
MEMBERS INTEREST.
AL STINSON BROUGHT BEFORE US AN ISSUE RELATING TO A BENCH 
BE ADDED TO THE AIRPORT BUS STOP, AND THAT WAS IN OUR LAST 
MEETING, AND I WAS ADVISED THIS MORNING BY MR. MILLER THAT 
THAT'S ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, SO THAT IS QUICK.
THAT'S GREAT WORK WHEN SOMETHING CAN HAPPEN THAT QUICKLY 
AND GET STRAIGHTENED OUT, AND I'M SURE MR. STINSON WILL BE 
TICKLED TO DEATH OVER THAT.
HE ALSO -- MR. STINSON ALSO POINTED OUT THAT A COLORADO 
COMPANY HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED $45 MILLION FOR RAIL CARS FOR 
A PROJECT OVER IN THE MIDDLE PART OF THE STATE, AND THEY 
IMMEDIATELY AND PROMPTLY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, SO MR. 
STINSON'S COMMENT IS -- WE DISCUSSED INSIDE THE CAC WAS 
THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN MORE OVERSIGHT 
WITH THAT PARTICULAR COMPANY RATHER THAN HANDING THEM A 
$45-MILLION CONTRACT WITH PUBLIC MONEY AND THEN FINDING 
THEM TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER.
MR. MATHURIN, ANOTHER MEMBER, SHARED WITH THE COMMITTEE AN 
ARTICLE HE READ HIGHLIGHTING DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS IN THE 
TAMPA BAY AREA.
LOCALLY HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE SEEMS TO BE A HOT SPOT, AND 
REGIONALLY, OUR COUNTY SEEMS TO HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATE 
NUMBER OF CRASHES.
JUST A PIECE OF INFORMATION WE'LL BE WATCHING.
ACTION ITEMS.
2008 EVALUATION OF THE COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION 
COORDINATOR, THERE WAS A POSITIVE RESULT FROM THE CTC 
EVALUATION, AND THE CAC MEMBERS RECEIVED IT WELL.
WE HAD A COUPLE COMMENTS, THOUGH, THAT I THOUGHT WE'D BRING 
TO YOU, AND THAT IS THE COMMENT OF URBAN VERSUS RURAL 
AREAS.
WE HAD AN ISSUE, FOR INSTANCE, THE KEYSTONE AREA IS 
IDENTIFIED IN THE URBAN AREA AND BRANDON AS A RURAL AREA.
THERE ARE LIKELY MORE INDEPENDENT RIDERS WHO NEED GOOD 
SERVICE IN THE BRANDON AREA, SO WE WERE A LITTLE BIT 
CONFUSED AS TO HOW YOU WOULD HAVE THOSE TWO AREAS LISTED 
THE WAY THEY WERE.
ANOTHER OBSERVATION IS THAT MEASUREMENT OF THE ON-TIME 
PERFORMANCE WE THINK IS GOING TO GET WORSE AS TRAFFIC 
CONGESTION CONTINUES TO BUILD, AND IN MANY CASES IS NOT -- 
IT'S BEYOND THE DRIVER OF THE TRANSPORTATION UNIT, SO THAT 
WAS JUST A NOTE.
WE THEN RECOMMENDED THE CTC EVALUATION BE FORWARDED TO THE 
MPO FOR APPROVAL.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT AN AMENDMENT TO THE UNIFIED PLANNING WORK 
PROGRAM, AND THE CAC MOVED TO APPROVE THE UPWP AMENDMENT.
WE HAD NO CONCERNS ABOUT THAT AMENDMENT.
STATUS ITEMS.
HART STREETCAR EXTENSION, WE GOT A BRIEFING CONCERNING THE 
EXTENSION OF THE STREETCAR FROM THE DICK GRECO PLAZA TO 
WHITING STREET, AND AS YOU-ALL KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING NEAR 
AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS.
AS THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WE'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT 
THAT TROLLEY WAS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR OUR 
TRANSPORTATION.
SEEING IT MOVED TO WHITING STREET TO US IS A MAJOR STEP 
FORWARD, BUT WE'D ALSO LIKE IT TO BE CONSIDERED EVEN A 
BIGGER PICTURE.
IT OUGHT TO GO MORE PLACES THAN JUST TO WHITING STREET.
IT OUGHT TO MOVE ON OUT FARTHER, FARTHER NORTH INTO OTHER 
AREAS.
WE REALIZE THAT THAT'S IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE'D SURE LIKE 
THAT TO BE CONSIDERED.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE QUANDARED WAS IF WE HAD HAD A 
LONGER VISION FOR OUR STREETCAR AND IT WAS IN WRITING, 
WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN AN IMPETUS TO GET MORE MONEY THROUGH 
THE STIMULUS PACKAGE.
SINCE IT DIDN'T EXIST, WE'RE SURE THAT MONEY'S NOT GOING TO 
COME THROUGH THE STIMULUS PACKAGE FOR THAT, BUT IF -- AND I 
THINK FOR THAT REASON, WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT 
STREETCAR GOING OUT, SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT SAYS IT'S 
GOING TO GO OUT INTO ANOTHER AREA.
WE -- TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS.
MR. MILLER GAVE A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC 
IMPACTS THE AIRPORT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING AND WHAT THAT 
MEANS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN AS WELL AS 
THEIR DAILY OPERATIONS.
HE EXPLAINED HOW THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IN '06 
CONSERVATIVELY PROJECTED WHEN NEW SERVICES AND RUNWAYS 
WOULD BE OPEN.
A FOLLOW-UP STUDY FURTHER LOOKED AT THE IMPACTS ON CURRENT 
REVENUE SOURCES BASED ON VARIOUS PASSENGER FORECASTS, AND 
ALTHOUGH THE OUTLOOK -- I DON'T LIKE TO USE THE WORD THAT'S 
PRINTED HERE IN YOUR REPORTS.
I THINK THE OUTLOOK IS JUST DOWN, BUT THE OUTLOOK BEING 
DOWN, THE CAC WAS PLEASED TO LEARN THAT THE TRANSIT CENTER 
WAS STILL PLANNED AND THE RIGHT-OF-WAY MAINTAINED FOR 
FUTURE RAIL USE.
WE THEN HAD A PRESENTATION ON CREATING WORLD-CLASS STREETS, 
AND IT WAS A VIDEO ABOUT NEW YORK CITY HAD TAKEN SOME AREAS 
AND CONVERTED VERY BUSY STREETS IN A COMBINED PEOPLESCAPE 
ALONG WITH CURRENT ROAD USE AND THE COMPATIBILITY OF THAT 
AND THE SUCCESS OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
WE WERE VERY, VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT AND WONDER IF WE 
COULD TRY SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN TAMPA.
I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING, SO WE -- THE CAC REVIEWED 
IT WITH GREAT APPLAUSE.
ONLY UNFINISHED BUSINESS WAS THE LRTP GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 
AND POLICIES.
WE INVITED ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE CAC TO ATTEND YOUR POLICY 
MEETING LAST WEEK, AND THE NEXT ITEM IS THE CAC MEETING 
WILL BE ON FEBRUARY THE 11th AT 1:15 P.M.
THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION ROOM 
WHERE WE ALWAYS MEET, AND WITH THAT, THAT'S THE END OF MY 
REPORT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, JOE.
MS. FERLITA, YOU HAD A COMMENT?
>>ROSE FERLITA:  JOE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE OF 
COMMENTS ON SOME REFERENCES THAT YOU MADE TO MR. MILLER, 
AND IT'S A SMALL EDITORIALIZING PARTICIPATION ON MY PART, 
AND THERE'S ALWAYS CONSEQUENCES TO THAT.
I'M GOING TO SAY IT ANYWAY.
IT'S NOT ANY SURPRISE THAT MR. MILLER RESPONDED TO MR. 
STINSON WHO IS, IN FACT, A MEMBER IN MY DISTRICT, DISTRICT 
1 IN SOUTH TAMPA, BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT WORKING WITH MR. 
MILLER, THAT'S HIS USUAL STYLE.
HE GETS IT DONE QUICKLY, HE GETS IT DONE EFFICIENTLY, HE 
DOES EVERYTHING VERY PROFESSIONALLY.
THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
HE APPLAUDS HIS STAFF, THE STAFF LOVES THEIR BOSS, AND HE 
DOES THIS ALL, AND THIS IS WHAT A CONCEPT, WITHOUT ANY 
PUBLIC DOLLARS, SO I THANK MR. MILLER FOR WHAT HE DOES AND 
HOW HE SHINED DURING THE SUPER BOWL WEEK, SO THANK YOU, 
LOUIS FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
>>LOUIS MILLER:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, ROSE.
YES, MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  YES.
MR. AMON, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE STREETCAR, WHICH 
I'M USUALLY THE LONELY PERSON THAT EVEN MENTIONS IT.
AND I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO BE 
QUITE AS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A 
STREETCAR SYSTEM, WHICH IS A LIGHT RAIL -- FORM OF LIGHT 
RAIL TRANSIT ALREADY IN PLACE IN TAMPA.
CONGRESSWOMAN CASTOR HAS ASSURED ME THAT THAT IS SOMETHING 
THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE 
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR PUBLIC DOLLARS.
I THINK PART OF OUR PROBLEM WITH THE STREETCAR, WHICH 
YOU'RE HELPING US WITH TODAY, IS RAISING THE PROFILE, 
POINTING OUT THAT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE THE BEGINNINGS OF A 
RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM IN TAMPA, AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS IN 
THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, 40 DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE JUST BEGUN 
TO PLAN FOR STREETCAR SYSTEMS, WHEREAS WE ALREADY HAVE THE 
BEGINNING OF ONE IN PLACE, SO I THINK THAT I WOULD LIKE TO 
SEE THE MPO AND ALSO HART AND TBARTA START TO ACKNOWLEDGE 
THE EXISTENCE OF THIS AND THE FACT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE 
THIS AND TO USE IT AND TO INCORPORATE IT MORE INTEGRALLY IN 
OUR PLANNING FOR RAIL, AND I THINK ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF 
THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, LOOKING AT SOMETHING LIKE A 
STREETCAR WHERE YOU ALREADY OWN THE STREETS, THE ROADS, 
SOMEBODY DOES, THE CITY, THE COUNTY, OR THE STATE, IT'S NOT 
A QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF 
DOLLARS NECESSARILY OR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON RIGHT-OF-WAY.
WE ALREADY HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.
WE CAN EITHER USE THE -- ONE OF THE LANES, WE CAN ADOPT -- 
THERE'S SUCH A THING AS SHARED LANES.
THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF WAYS, AND IN EUROPE WHAT THEY'RE 
DOING IS JUST PUTTING LIGHT RAIL LINES RIGHT DOWN THE, YOU 
KNOW, SIDE OF THE ROAD ON THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, AND THAT'S EVEN 
FOR COMMUTER RAIL, NOT EVEN THE, YOU KNOW, SLOWER KIND OF 
URBAN TRANSPORT THAT STREETCARS ARE MORE LIKELY TO DO, SO I 
THINK WE SHOULD -- WE SHOULD NOT FEEL -- THE STREETCAR 
NEEDS A LITTLE PUMPING UP, AND I THINK WE NEED TO ADMIT 
THAT WE HAVE IT, LIKE OTHER PEOPLE COME HERE JUST TO SEE 
THE STREETCAR, AND IT'S VERY WELL-KNOWN INTERNATIONALLY, SO 
WE NEED TO SORT OF REALLY -- IT NEEDS SOME BETTER PR, AND 
THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT IT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MARY.
MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
THIS WEEKEND IT WAS FUN TO SEE THE STREETCARS PACKED, 
PACKED, PACKED WITH PEOPLE.
THERE WAS A PLAN DONE TEN YEARS AGO TO LOOK AT CREATING A 
LARGE LOOP THAT WOULD GO FROM YBOR WEST DOWN PALM PERHAPS 
AND THEN SOUTH PAST STETSON LAW SCHOOL AND THE TAMPA 
HEIGHTS DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT HAS BEEN DUSTY FOR THE LAST 
FEW YEARS, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS AT OUR APRIL 
POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING WE COULD HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM 
-- I THINK THE KEEPERS OF THIS PLAN ARE THE HART BOARD OR 
MAYBE IT'S THE MPO STAFF, WHAT WAS PLANNED INITIALLY, AND 
WE COULD BEGIN TO RELOOK AT IT, BECAUSE AS WE'VE SEEN, IT 
TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET PROJECTS IN THE PLANNING STAGE TO 
THE IMPLEMENTATION STAGE, BUT PERHAPS IF THE FEDS SHIFT 
THEIR FUNDING TO BE MORE TRANSIT FRIENDLY, WE CAN MAKE THIS 
HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT PHASES, MORE QUICKLY, SO I THINK 
THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION TO OUR AGENDA FOR THE APRIL 
POLLY COMMITTEE MEETING.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  AND WE CAN DO THAT, MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
THANK YOU.
KEVIN.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
YEAH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT.
WE DISCUSSED ACTUALLY AT THE HART MEETING YESTERDAY IN 
REGARDS TO THE STREETCAR WHERE THEY HAD RECORD NUMBERS THAT 
RODE IT OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND.
I THINK IN THE UPWARD BOUNDS OF 22,000 HAD RIDDEN THE 
STREETCAR, SO I THINK THAT'S AN ATTESTMENT THAT AT LEAST 
FROM AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE THAT PEOPLE ARE USING THE 
STREETCAR SYSTEM, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A 
VIABLE THING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT EXPANDING IN THE FUTURE, 
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT FROM OUR -- FROM THE 
HARTLINE BOARD.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YES, JOE.
>> I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE LAST COMMENT.
THAT REMINDED ME OF SOMETHING.
IN '11 WE'RE BRINGING A NATIONAL CONVENTION HERE, THE 
AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE, AND ONE OF THE SELLING POINTS 
A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN WE CONVINCED THEM TO COME -- THIS WAS 
THROUGH MY ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES -- HAVING THAT RAIL 
SITTING THERE, THAT TROLLEY WAS A MAJOR, MAJOR ISSUE FOR 
MOVING PEOPLE AROUND BETWEEN THE MARRIOTT, WHICH IS GOING 
TO BE THE HOST HOTEL, AND GETTING THEM INTO THE CHANNELSIDE 
AREA AND INTO YBOR IN THE EVENING SO THEY COULD HAVE OTHER 
THINGS TO DO.
THAT WAS A MAJOR -- WHEN WE WENT TO THE -- TO THE NATIONAL 
AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE AND CONVINCED THEM THAT TAMPA 
WAS A GOOD PLACE, AND I HAVE HISTORY WITH THAT GROUP 
BECAUSE WE'VE TRIED TO BRING THEM HERE IN ' -- IN '94 AND 
WE COULDN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN INSIDE TAMPA, ALTHOUGH IT WAS 
CALLED TAMPA BAY.
WE HAD TO TAKE THEM OVER TO INNISBROOK TO DO THAT SAME 
CONVENTION.
THIS MANY YEARS LATER, BECAUSE OF HAVING THE TRANSPORTATION 
THERE AND NOW WE HAVE THE MARRIOTT HOTEL, THEY JUMPED AT 
THE CHANCE OF BEING DOWN THERE, SO THAT -- THAT TROLLEY 
PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, JOE.
YES, MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I JUST THINK THAT'S GREAT THAT THE 
CONCRETE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO RIDE THE TROLLEY.
[LAUGHTER]
NEXT TIME WE NEED TO GET THE STEEL BUILDERS HERE AND WE CAN 
GET OUR STEEL INDUSTRY BACK AND LINE BUILDING, AND I'VE 
BEEN TELLING MY DETROIT FAMILY THAT THEY NEED TO START 
BUILDING RAIL CARS IN DETROIT INSTEAD OF JUST CARS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MARY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOE.
GOOD JOB.
NEXT WE HAVE THE POLICY COMMITTEE REPORT, COMMISSIONER 
FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  I'M SORRY, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE POLICY COMMITTEE MET ON JANUARY 27, '09 IN THE PLANNING 
COMMISSION BOARDROOM.
STAFF PRESENTED THE 2008 EVALUATION OF THE COMMUNITY 
TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR WHICH IS DONE EACH YEAR.
THE MEMBERS PRESENTED -- PRESENT PASSED A MOTION TO FORWARD 
THE EVALUATION TO THE FULL MPO BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
STAFF WILL PRESENT THIS ITEM NEXT ON THE AGENDA.
MPO STAFF PRESENTED TWO AMENDMENTS TO THE 2009-10 UNIFIED 
PLANNING WORK PROGRAM.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS FOR FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, 
FTA, 5303 FUNDS, WHICH HAS A THREE -- $31,112 HIGHER 
ALLOCATION THAN ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED.
THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED IN TASK 1 TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS 
OF THE MPO FEDERAL CERTIFICATION REVIEW.
THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION FUNDS, 
STP.
THE UNSPENT STP FUNDS THAT WERE ROLLED OVER INTO THE 2008-9 
FISCAL YEAR IN AN AMOUNT OF $58,145 WAS LESS THAN THE 
AMOUNT THAT WAS ESTIMATED.
THE POLICY COMMITTEE PASSED A MOTION TO FORWARD THE 
AMENDMENTS TO THE FULL MPO BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
MS. LAUREN BROOKS OF URS CORPORATION AND CONSULTANT TO THE 
WESTSHORE ALLIANCE PRESENTED THE WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN 
ADDENDUM.
SHE STATED THAT THEY LOOKED AT THE PAST AND CURRENT PLAN 
AND IDENTIFIED PEDESTRIAN, BICYCLE, AND TRANSIT NETWORK 
DEFICIENCIES.
THE ADDENDUM INCLUDES A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE 
PEDESTRIAN-BICYCLE TRANSIT NEEDS, A LIST OF SPECIFIC 
IMPROVEMENTS, AN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN, POTENTIAL 
FUNDING SOURCES, SPECIAL SPECIFIC GUIDELINES, AND 
RECOMMENDATION REVISIONS TO THE PLAN.
A MOTION WAS PASSED THAT THE POLICY COMMITTEE CONCUR WITH 
THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN AND 
FORWARD IT TO THE MPO FOR CONSIDERATION.
THE MEMBERS ALSO HEARD AN UPDATE ON THE STREETCAR 
EXTENSION, WHICH, AGAIN, WILL BE PRESENTED LATER THIS 
MORNING.
MPO CONSULTANT RICK CLARENDON DISCUSSED REVISIONS MADE TO 
THE GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES FOR THE 2035 LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
MORE REVISIONS WERE MADE BASED ON DISCUSSIONS HELD AT THE 
MEETING.
MR. CLARENDON WILL PRESENT THE UPDATED VERSION LATER IN 
THIS AGENDA.
AS A REMINDER, THE NEXT POLICY COMMITTEE SCHEDULED MEETING 
WILL BE FEBRUARY 24th AT 9:00 A.M. IN THE PLANNING 
COMMISSION BOARDROOM.
ALL MPO BOARD MEMBERS ARE CERTAINLY INVITED TO ATTEND.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE HAVE THREE ACTION ITEMS.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE EVALUATION OF THE COMMUNITY 
TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR.
ALLISON YEH.
>>ALLISON YEH:  GOOD MORNING.
OKAY.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>ALLISON YEH:  PARDON?
YEAH.
IT'S NOT UP PROPERLY, THOUGH.
GOOD MORNING.
ALLISON YEH, MPO STAFF.
THIS MORNING YOU HEARD FROM SOME OF OUR MOST DEDICATED 
BOARD MEMBERS AND CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THE 
TOPIC I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THEY ALSO 
MAKE SURE THAT OUR PLANS ARE VERY THOROUGH.
THEY LEND THEIR EXPERTISE TO THIS, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE 
THEIR HELP WITH THE TD BOARD.
WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY IS THE 2008 ANNUAL 
EVALUATION OF THE COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR.
WE USUALLY REFER TO THAT AS THE CTC.
A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO THIS 
REPORT.
THE CTC PROVIDES TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED 
TRANSPORTATION TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THE HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY MPO IS ACTUALLY THE DESIGNATED PLANNING AGENCY FOR 
THAT SERVICE.
OUR SUBCOMMITTEE, THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED 
COORDINATING BOARD, WHICH IS TYPICALLY REFERRED TO AS THE 
TDCB, IS THE OVERSIGHT FOR THIS PROGRAM.
THE FLORIDA COMMISSION FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED 
DESIGNATES A CTC EVERY FIVE YEARS, AND CURRENTLY THE BOARD 
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IS THE CTC FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, 
AND THEY RUN THAT SERVICE THROUGH THE SUNSHINE LINE.
THE LATEST DESIGNATION OF THE CTC WAS IN JUNE 2006.
AS I STATED EARLIER, THE PURPOSE OF THIS EVALUATION IS THAT 
IT'S A STATE REQUIREMENT, SO WE'RE FILLING THE STATE 
REQUIREMENT.
EVERY YEAR WE LOOK AT OUR GOALS AND OUR STANDARDS AND TRY 
TO MAKE SURE THAT SAFETY IS MAINTAINED AND COSTS ARE 
EFFICIENT.
THE EVALUATION PERIOD RUNS FROM JULY 1st TO JUNE -- 2007 TO 
JUNE 30th, 2008, THE FISCAL YEAR, AND PREVIOUSLY WHAT WE 
WOULD DO IS PULL TONS OF DRIVER REPORTS AND PORE THROUGH 
THOSE AND TRY TO MAKE AN EVALUATION OF THE SYSTEM.
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS MOBILE DATA TERMINALS HAVE BEEN 
INSTALLED IN THE VANS, SO WE'RE GETTING KIND OF REAL-TIME 
DATA PROCESSING ALL THE TRIPS THAT ARE MADE IN THE WHOLE 
ENTIRE YEAR.
THE EVALUATION PROCESS IS NINE STANDARDS, SEVEN OF THOSE 
WHICH WERE MET THIS YEAR.
WE ALSO MAIL OUT ABOUT 2500 SURVEYS TO CLIENTS TO EVALUATE 
THE SERVICE.
THERE ARE FIVE MAJOR CATEGORIES THAT ARE EVALUATED WITH 
STANDARDS THAT GO WITH THEM, RELIABILITY, SERVICE 
EFFECTIVENESS, SERVICE EFFICIENCY, SERVICE AVAILABILITY, 
AND SAFETY, AND MOST OF THIS INFORMATION IS DETAILED IN THE 
EXECUTIVE REPORT THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU.
THE STANDARDS THAT WERE MET THIS YEAR WERE ON-TIME 
PERFORMANCE, ON-DEMAND TRIPS, ROAD CALLS -- THAT MEANS HOW 
MANY INTERRUPTIONS OF SERVICE THERE WERE -- TRIPS PER 
CAPITA, NUMBER OF TRIPS PROVIDED BASED ON THE POPULATION, 
THE VEHICLES AVAILABLE PER 100,000 RESIDENTS, PERCENTAGE OF 
TRIPS ACTUALLY DENIED TO PEOPLE WHO CALL AND ASK FOR THEM, 
AND ACCIDENTS, HOW MANY ACCIDENTS WHILE THE VEHICLES WERE 
IN SERVICE.
THOSE ARE ALL STANDARDS THAT WERE MET.
THERE WERE TWO STANDARDS THAT WERE NOT MET.
ONE IS THE TRAVEL TIME.
THAT'S HOW LONG A CLIENT SHOULD STAY IN A SUNSHINE LINE 
VEHICLE AFTER THEY'RE PICKED UP.
THE STANDARD IS 95% AND THE PERFORMANCE WAS 93%, AND THE 
PROBLEM HAS COME ABOUT REALLY IS TRAVEL IN THE URBAN AREA.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET 95% OF THE CLIENTS TO THEIR 
DESTINATION WITHIN AN HOUR GIVEN THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
ALSO THIS YEAR THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE 
NUMBER OF TRIPS REQUESTED OVER TRIPS THAT COULD BE -- 
NUMBER OF VEHICLES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE TRIPS.
THE OTHER STANDARD THAT WAS NOT QUITE MET WAS THE COST PER 
TRIP.
THE COST PER TRIP IS AN AVERAGE OF THE DOOR-TO-DOOR TRIPS 
PROVIDED AND THE BUS PASSES THAT ARE GIVEN TO CLIENTS AND 
THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
THE STANDARD IS TO BE $7.82 BASED ON THE CONSUMER PRICE 
INDEX, AND THIS YEAR THE PERFORMANCE WAS $8.58.
THE OTHER WAY WE LOOK AT HOW SERVICE WAS THIS YEAR WAS TO 
LOOK AT SURVEYS.
THE FIRST SET OF CLIENT SURVEY WAS THE DOOR-TO-DOOR 
CLIENTS, AND OVERALL THEY WERE VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR 
SERVICE.
THEY FELT THE VEHICLES WERE CLEAN, THEY GOT THERE ON TIME, 
THE RESERVATIONS WERE GOOD, WHEN THEY HAD COMPLAINTS THEY 
WERE ADDRESSED PROPERLY.
OVERALL THAT WAS A VERY GOOD RESULT ON THAT SURVEY.
HERE'S A HISTORICAL LOOK AT HOW CLIENTS WERE FEELING FROM 
2003 TO 2008.
THE RED SHOWS HOW THEY FELT SERVICE IMPROVED OVER THE 
PERIOD, AND YOU SEE IT'S BEEN GOING UP AND UP AND IS 
PROBABLY AT THE HIGHEST THIS YEAR, AND THE BLUE SHOWS 
OVERALL HOW SATISFIED THEY ARE WITH THE SERVICE, WHICH HAS 
REMAINED FAIRLY STEADY OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS.
BUS PASS PROGRAM IS -- SUNSHINE LINE ALSO PROVIDES EITHER 
REDUCED COSTS OR FREE BUS PASSES TO THOSE WHO NEED THE 
SERVICES, AND THAT SHOWED A SLIGHT DECLINE IN SATISFACTION 
THIS YEAR FROM 89% TO 83%.
ALTHOUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF RIDING THE BUS IS STILL HIGH, 
REACHING THE DESTINATION, THE LENGTH OF TRAVEL, THE REASON 
FOR -- HERE'S THE -- THE REASON FOR THE DECREASE IN THE 
SATISFACTION IS THAT IN AN EFFORT TO BE MORE COST-
EFFECTIVE, THE SUNSHINE LINE WENT FROM DISTRIBUTING MONTHLY 
PASSES TO ALL THE CLIENTS REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY TRIPS THEY 
WANTED TO MAKE TO DISTRIBUTING THEM BY TRIP, RESULTING IN A 
SAVINGS OF OVER $400,000 TO THE SYSTEM, WHICH WAS NECESSARY 
BUT NOT -- IT SHOWED UP IN THE CLIENT SURVEYS AS SOMETHING 
THAT PEOPLE WERE NOT AS HAPPY ABOUT.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE TREND ANALYSIS HERE THAT FROM 2007-
2008 THE OVERALL -- PEOPLE FELT THE PROGRAM HAD NOT 
IMPROVED, AND IT'S DUE TO THIS ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE.
FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS CAME OUT OF THE EVALUATION, AND 
THEY'RE REALLY TWEAKING HOW THE EVALUATION IS DONE.
ONE HAS TO DO WITH ON-TIME PERFORMANCE.
TRADITIONALLY WE MEASURE THE TRIPS THAT -- WHEN SOMEONE 
GETS PICKED UP, WE MEASURE IF THEY GOT PICKED UP ON TIME.
NOW WE'RE MEASURING WHETHER THEY GOT PICKED UP ON TIME AND 
WHETHER THEY GOT HOME IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THE SECOND -- SO THAT IT'S A CHANGE IN THE WAY AN 
EVALUATION IS DONE.
THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE EVALUATION NEXT YEAR.
TRAVEL TIME, IT WAS RECOGNIZED THAT IT'S DIFFICULT TO MEET 
THIS 95% STANDARD, SO WE'LL KEEP THE 95% STANDARD AND TRY 
TO GET CLIENTS THERE WITHIN AN HOUR WHEN THEY'RE IN AN 
URBAN AREA, AND IT'S JUST A RECOGNITION THAT IT'S STILL 
CHALLENGING.
TRAFFIC CONDITIONS ARE OUT OF THE CONTROL OF THE COMMUNITY 
TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR, SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO 
EVALUATE THAT AND SEE HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THAT SERVICE.
COMPLAINTS, THE SUNSHINE LINE HAS RECEIVED A MINIMAL OF 
COMPLAINTS OVER THE PAST THREE, FOUR YEARS, SO THE 
EVALUATION BOARD THAT CONDUCTS THIS EVALUATION LOOKED AT 
REMOVING THAT STANDARD.
IT WAS DECIDED LATER ON THAT COMPLAINTS WOULD BE LOOKED AT 
ON A PER-THOUSAND-TRIP BASIS, SO NEXT YEAR'S EVALUATION 
YOU'LL BE SEEING ANOTHER STANDARD FOR COMPLAINTS.
FINALLY, BUS PASS SURVEYS.
THE SURVEYS THAT GO OUT TO THE CLIENTS ARE QUITE EXTENSIVE.
THEY ASK ABOUT THE OPERATION OF THE BUS, HOW CLIENTS ARE 
FEELING, HOW THEY FEEL THE SERVICE HAS IMPROVED, AND WE 
FELT THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR OUR HARTLINE TO RECEIVE 
SOME OF THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUS SERVICE, SO IT WAS 
RECOMMENDED THAT THE HART ADA COMMITTEE BE FORWARDED THIS 
INFORMATION AND -- FOR THEIR USE.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR TODAY IS FOR YOU TO -- AFTER YOUR 
QUESTIONS, APPROVE THE EVALUATION AND FORWARD THIS TO THE 
FLORIDA COMMISSION FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, ALLISON.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR ALLISON?
IF NOT --
>>ROSE FERLITA:  MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE 
THE '07-'08 CTC EVALUATION AND DIRECT STAFF TO TRANSMIT TO 
FLORIDA COMMISSION FOR TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE HAVE A MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND?
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY DISCUSSION?
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU, ALLISON.
THANK YOU.
>> I'M SORRY, I DID NOT HEAR A SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  PARDON?
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  TAKE YOUR PICK.
OKAY.
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE FISCAL YEAR 2009-2010 UNITED WORK 
PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.
ALLISON.
>>ALLISON YEH:  GOOD MORNING, AGAIN.
ALLISON YEH.
I'M HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THIS.
OKAY.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>ALLISON YEH:  OKAY.
THANK YOU.
I HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY THE UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM 
AMENDMENT.
THE UNIFIED PLANNING WORK PROGRAM IS BASICALLY THE BUSINESS 
PLAN FOR THE MPO.
JUNE OF THIS YEAR YOU APPROVED THE FIRST OF TWO-YEAR UPWP.
TRADITIONALLY THEY HAD BEEN ONE-YEAR DOCUMENTS AND WE WOULD 
AMEND THEM.
NOW WE HAVE A TWO-YEAR DOCUMENT, AND WE WILL BE COMING TO 
YOU PERIODICALLY FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS DOCUMENT BECAUSE 
TYPICALLY WE MAKE AN ESTIMATE OF FUNDING THAT WE ANTICIPATE 
HAVING, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY WE'RE ALLOCATED FUNDING, AND 
WE HAVE TO BASICALLY MAKE ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE 
DOCUMENT.
THERE'S TWO AMENDMENTS PROPOSED TODAY.
THE FIRST IS TO THE 5303 FUNDING CATEGORY.
WE RECEIVED 30 -- APPROXIMATELY $31,000 MORE THAN WE 
ANTICIPATED, AND WE'RE PROPOSING THAT WE PUT THIS INTO TASK 
1 OF THE UPWP.
THE BACKUP MATERIAL'S IN YOUR PACKET, THE ENTIRE TASK, AND 
THIS TASK IS FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING MANAGEMENT FUNDS.
STAFF HAS EXPENDED A GREAT DEAL OF ADDITIONAL TIME FOR THE 
FEDERAL CERTIFICATION REVIEW, SO WE FELT LIKE THIS WOULD BE 
A GOOD PLACE TO PLACE THESE PLANNING FUNDS.
THE OTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS TO THE SURFACE 
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FUNDS.
EVERY YEAR WE MAKE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH -- HOW MUCH 
FUNDS WE MIGHT HAVE LEFT OVER AND WE CAN ROLL INTO THE NEXT 
FISCAL YEAR.
WE HAD ABOUT 58,000 LESS THAN WE ANTICIPATED, AND WE TOOK A 
LOOK AT OUR CORRIDOR SUBAREA AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, AND 
THERE'S A PLANT CITY MOBILITY STUDY THAT WAS TO COMMENCE AT 
THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WHICH WAS APRIL 2009.
WE'RE PROPOSING THAT -- IT'S NOT READY TO COMMENCE YET.
WE'RE PROPOSING THAT IT BE MOVED TO JULY 2009, WHICH IS THE 
BEGINNING OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, SO WE'RE MOVING IT ABOUT 
THREE MONTHS, BUT IT EFFECTIVELY MOVES IT FROM ONE FISCAL 
YEAR TO THE NEXT.
AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR YOU TO APPROVE THESE AMENDMENTS 
TODAY, AND -- SO WE CAN FORWARD THEM TO THE DEPARTMENT OF 
TRANSPORTATION.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY -- ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
IF NOT, WE NEED A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
>> SO MOVE.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY -- WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>ALLISON YEH:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, ALLISON.
OKAY.
DRAFT GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES FOR THE 2035 LONG-
RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE.
MR. CLARENDON.
>> GOOD MORNING.
RICHARD CLARENDON WITH URS BACK WITH YOU.
I WAS HERE LAST MONTH TO PRESENT THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 
FOR THE 2035 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AND SINCE THAT 
TIME, I WENT BACK TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE ON THE 27th OF 
JANUARY, AND WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION, A LIVELY DISCUSSION 
AMONG THE POLICY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND WHAT'S IN FRONT OF 
YOU TODAY REALLY REPRESENTS THE RESULT OF THAT.
THE BIGGEST CHANGE SINCE THE LAST ITERATION REALLY IS THE 
ADDITION OF A 2035 VISION STATEMENT, WHICH I REALLY HAVE TO 
CREDIT ONE OF YOUR STAFF, LYNN MERENDA, FOR DEVELOPING 
PRETTY MUCH ON THE FLY AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING, AND 
I THINK IT REALLY REPRESENTS A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO WHAT 
WE ASPIRE TO IN TERMS OF A LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
SO IT'S ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU.
I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT THROUGH.
IT CONTINUES, BUT IT BASICALLY CAPTURES WHAT WE ARE 
ATTEMPTING TO ACHIEVE BY 2035.
THE GOALS THEMSELVES WERE REWORDED TO MAKE THEM A LITTLE 
MORE USER FRIENDLY, LESS PLANNER EASE.
GOAL ONE SIMPLY SAYS IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, PROMOTE 
ENERGY CONSERVATION, ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE 
MINIMIZING TRANSPORTATION-RELATED FUEL CONSUMPTION, AIR 
POLLUTION, AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
WE FELT THAT GETTING SPECIFIC ABOUT GREENHOUSE GAS 
EMISSIONS WAS AN IMPORTANT CHANGE FROM THE LAST TIME THE 
PLAN WAS UPDATED.
GOAL TWO TALKS ABOUT SUPPORTING THE ECONOMIC VITALITY, TO 
FOSTER GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS, PRODUCTIVITY, AND EFFICIENCY 
OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL BUSINESSES, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING 
THAT WAS BROUGHT UP SPECIFICALLY AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE 
WAS THE SUPPORT THAT THIS PLAN CAN PROVIDE FOR THE LOCAL 
BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
GOAL THREE REPRESENTS OR TALKS ABOUT PROMOTING 
ACCESSIBILITY AND MOBILITY BY INCREASING AND IMPROVING 
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION CHOICES AND THE CONNECTIVITY 
ACROSS AND BETWEEN MODES FOR PEOPLE AND FREIGHT, SO WE'RE 
HOPING TO MAKE THIS IS A TRUE MULTIMODAL PLAN.
GOAL FOUR IS TO ASSURE THAT TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS ARE 
CLOSELY COORDINATED WITH COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANS AND 
SUPPORT ANTICIPATED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS.
THE FIFTH GOAL IS TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE 
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR BOTH MOTORIZED AND NONMOTORIZED 
USERS.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, GOAL SIX IS TO PRESERVE THE 
EXISTING FACILITIES AND OPTIMIZE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE 
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM'S MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS.
SO THESE WERE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME SIX GOALS THAT YOU SAW 
LAST MONTH.
THEY'VE BEEN REWORDED AND REORDERED SOMEWHAT BUT I THINK 
HAVE BEEN IMPROVED IN TERMS OF THE UNDERSTANDABILITY, AND 
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR FROM YOU TODAY IS TO ENDORSE THESE SO 
THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION 
PLAN UPDATE, WHICH IS GOING TO WRAP UP IN NOVEMBER OF THIS 
YEAR.
AND WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO 
TRY TO ANSWER THEM.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
JUST A QUICK COMMENT AND PERHAPS A FRIENDLY -- A FRIENDLY 
AMENDMENT TO THESE.
IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE 2, OBJECTIVE 1.1, POLICY 1.1-A, AND 
RIGHT NOW IT SAYS, SELECT NEW ROAD ALIGNMENTS THAT AVOID 
CUTTING THROUGH OR FRAGMENTING ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE 
AREAS, INCLUDING WILDLIFE CORRIDORS, PARKS, TRAILS, 
MARSHES, OR WETLANDS, AND THAT'S ALL FINE AND GOOD FOR THE 
LITTLE CRITTERS, BUT I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE BIGGER 
CRITTERS, SOME OF WHICH SHOW UP HERE PRETTY REGULARLY, 
TRYING TO PROTECT THEIR RURAL ENVIRONMENT, AND SO -- 
BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, NEW ROADS AND HIGHWAYS ARE USUALLY THE 
PRECURSOR TO INTENSE DEVELOPMENT, SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO 
SUGGEST IS THAT WE ADD THE WORDS -- AND YOU USE A TERM OF 
ART, DESIGNATED RURAL AREAS, I THINK A LITTLE LOWER IN THAT 
SAME OBJECTIVE, SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS SUGGEST THAT 
WE ADD THE WORD "DESIGNATED RURAL AREAS," IN FRONT OF 
"ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS" ON 1.1-A, SO IN OTHER 
WORDS, IT WOULD READ THAT WE WOULD SELECT NEW ROAD 
ALIGNMENTS THAT AVOID CUTTING THROUGH OR FRAGMENTING 
DESIGNATED RURAL AREAS AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS, 
ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND I DON'T THINK I NEED TO GO INTO GREAT LENGTH IN TERMS 
OF WHY WE SHOULD -- WHY WE SHOULD DO THAT.
I THINK THIS COUNTY'S ALREADY IDENTIFIED THE URBAN SERVICE 
AREA WHERE WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE ROADS AND DEVELOPMENT, 
INTENSE DEVELOPMENT.
THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS I THINK THE COUNTY'S ALSO 
IDENTIFIED RURAL AREAS WHERE WE WANT TO PRESERVE A RURAL 
WAY OF LIFE, WHERE WE WANT TO PRESERVE AGRICULTURE, WE WANT 
TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE AND GREEN SPACE, AND SO I THINK THAT 
THAT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE ADDITION, AND IF A MOTION IS 
APPROPRIATE, I'LL SO MOVE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
DISCUSSION.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  OKAY.
I HAVE A LITTLE CONCERN.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, AND I THINK THAT'S A 
LAUDABLE GOAL.
THE PROBLEM IS THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME RURAL AREAS WHERE 
WE DO WANT TO CONNECT ROADS, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW 
WE WOULD DEAL WITH THOSE SITUATIONS.
ONE IS THE NORTHEAST MASTER PLAN NORTH OF PLANT CITY WHERE 
WE'VE ACTUALLY DESIGNATED DIFFERENT ROADS THAT WOULD BE 
CONNECTED WHERE THERE'S A GAP IN THEM OR SOMETHING OF THAT 
NATURE.
I MEAN, RURAL AREAS DO NEED TWO-LANE ROADS TO SERVE THEM, 
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES WHEN A TWO-LANE ROAD IS 
BUILT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  WELL, I THINK YOU HAVE A CAVEAT ALREADY 
BUILT IN, RAY, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY YOU DON'T DO THEM, 
BUT IT SAYS YOU AVOID DOING THEM, SO IF YOU CAN AVOID IT, 
AVOID IT, AND IF YOU CAN'T AVOID IT, THEN, YOU KNOW, 
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU GAVE AN EXAMPLE, THERE MIGHT 
BE EXAMPLES WHERE YOU HAVE TO DO IT, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT 
IT SHOULD BE THE GOAL OF THIS BODY AND THE COUNTY AS WELL, 
ALL THE JURISDICTIONS TO AVOID THE RURAL AREAS WHERE 
POSSIBLE.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  WELL, MY OTHER CONCERN, YOU USED THE 
TERM "RURALLY DESIGNATED AREA," WHICH IS BASICALLY TWO-
THIRDS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LARGE AREA, SO YOU JUST NEED 
TO BE CAREFUL FOR NOW.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  I USED THAT TERM BECAUSE THAT'S THE 
TERM THAT YOU GUYS OR SOMEBODY ON STAFF USED FURTHER DOWN 
AT 1.1-B, AND IT SAYS, PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF DESIGNATED 
RURAL AREAS, SO I FIGURED THAT WAS SOME TERM OF ART ALREADY 
DEFINED OR UNDERSTOOD.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  WELL, IT'S DEFINED BASICALLY AS PART OF 
UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OUTSIDE THE URBAN 
SERVICE AREA, WHICH IS A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRES OF 
LAND, BUT --
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  OKAY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. LOTT.
I'LL GET TO YOU, LINDA.
JUST A MINUTE.
>>RICK LOTT:  WELL, TURN THE MIKE ON HERE.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, AND I CONCUR WITH A 
LOT OF IT EXCEPT THAT I KNOW IN OUR SITUATION, WHAT WE'RE 
TRYING TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH 
CONCURRENCY THAT WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE THAT INSTEAD OF 
LETTING THE FIRST DEVELOPER ON THAT HIGHWAY BUILD UNTIL IT 
DOESN'T MEET, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, UNTIL 
IT'S A FAILED HIGHWAY, THEN YOU CAN'T DEVELOP ANYMORE, 
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT -- THAT AS DEVELOPMENT 
HAPPENS, THOSE ROADS ARE BUILT AHEAD OF THE CURVE OF 
DEVELOPMENT, AND -- SO WE DON'T HAVE SOME OF THE ISSUES 
THAT WE HAVE IN THE BRANDON AREA AND THE FISHHAWK TRAILS 
AREA AND SO FORTH.
WE'RE BUILDING TO THE POINT WHERE OUR ROAD IS FAILED, THEN 
WE TRY TO COME BACK AND WIDEN IT, DEVELOP IT AFTERWARDS, 
AND MY OTHER CONCERN IS IS THAT WHEN WE USE THE WORD 
"AVOID" AND THEN IT COMES DOWN TO AN INTERPRETATION.
YOU KNOW, OUR INTERPRETATION MIGHT BE ONE, BUT THEN 
SOMEWHERE ALONG STAFF "AVOID" TO ME WOULD MEAN IF YOU AVOID 
IT, YOU DON'T DO IT, SO I WOULD HAVE A CONCERN BECAUSE THAT 
WOULD GO DRASTICALLY AGAINST THE -- ALL THE PLANS THAT WE 
PUT IN PLACE, ESPECIALLY IN EAST HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WITH 
THE [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] CORRIDOR STUDY, THE NORTHEAST MASTER 
PLAN, AND SO FORTH.
ALL THOSE PLANS WERE PUT IN PLACE TO AVOID WHAT WE'RE 
TRYING TO AVOID, AND THAT IS JUST UNCONTROLLED DEVELOPMENT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  WELL, LET ME ASK YOU, COMMISSIONER 
LOTT, I'VE SEEN YOUR PLAN, AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD ONE, BUT 
IT APPEARED TO ME THAT YOUR PLAN ANTICIPATES -- ANTICIPATES 
NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU'RE PUTTING THOSE 
ROADS THROUGH, SO PERHAPS THOSE WOULDN'T BE CHARACTERIZED 
AS THE -- THE, YOU KNOW, RURAL DESIGNATED AREAS.
I MEAN, ARE YOU -- AND HELP ME OUT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE 
MUCH MORE FAMILIAR THAN I AM, BUT ARE THEY CONSIDERED PART 
OF YOUR FUTURE URBAN SERVICE AREA?
THEY'RE -- TO A CERTAIN DEGREE?
>>RICK LOTT:  WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY 
FROM HAVING DEVELOPMENTS PLACED WHICH WE CALL CUL-DE-SAC 
DEVELOPMENTS, ONE WAY IN, ONE WAY OUT, WHEREAS, AS YOU 
KNOW, SOONER OR LATER YOU'RE GOING TO KILL THE 
TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ON ONE SINGLE ROAD, SO WE'RE SAYING AS 
THE NORTHEAST DEVELOPS -- AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO ENCOURAGE 
IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO ANTICIPATE AND PLAN AHEAD OF 
GROWTH -- THAT WE PUT A GRID SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT WE WORKED 
WITH WITH THE MPO, WORKED WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, 
FDOT STATING THAT AS A DEVELOPER BUILDS A ROAD, LET'S SAY -
- YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH WEST SAM ALLEN ROAD OR WITH PARK 
ROAD OFF OF I-4 -- IF PARK ROAD DEAD ENDS INTO SAM ALLEN 
ROAD, WELL, THERE'S A DEVELOPMENT GOING IN -- THAT'S A 
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT THAT'S PLANNING TO GO IN HERE IN THE 
FUTURE -- THAT PARK ROAD WOULD GO THROUGH THE FIRST 180 
ACRES.
WHAT WE'RE SAYING, INSTEAD OF THAT BEING A CUL-DE-SAC 
NEIGHBORHOOD, PARK ROAD WOULD GO THROUGH, AND THEN WHEN THE 
BODY OF LAND DEVELOPS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT PROJECT, IT 
WOULD GO THROUGH WHERE ONE DAY PARK ROAD WOULD EVENTUALLY 
MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO KNIGHTS GRIFFIN ROAD, OKAY, AND THAT 
WAY WE DON'T HAVE CUL-DE-SAC NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE -
- AND TAKING ROADS THAT WOULD CURRENTLY -- THAT ARE 
BORDERLINE FAILURE AND MAKING THEM FAILURE, SO WE'RE 
TRYING -- SO WE WOULD BE CUTTING ROADS THROUGH RURAL AREAS, 
BUT IT'S TO AVOID HAVING A CATASTROPHE IN TRAFFIC 
TRANSPORTATION IN THE COMMUNITY.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  WHY DON'T WE DO THIS IN THE FORM OF 
SOME KIND OF COMPROMISE BECAUSE I'VE SEEN YOUR PLAN, AND 
LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S A GOOD ONE, AND YOU SHOULD BE 
ALLOWED TO CONTINUE ON WITH THAT AND -- BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT 
BE CONSTRAINED BY THIS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK THERE 
ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTY THAT CLEARLY ARE DESIRING 
PROTECTION AND MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD WORK, BUT, 
RAY AND MR. CHAIRMAN, MAYBE YOU GUYS COULD WORK WITH RICH -
- IT'S A -- WHAT IS IT? -- A 35-YEAR PLAN, A 25-YEAR PLAN.
WE COULD WORK WITH THIS OVER THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO TO LOOK 
AT SOME LANGUAGE THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE SOFTER THAN WHAT 
I'VE PROPOSED TO ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS BUT 
STILL ACCOMPLISH THE PURPOSES THAT I'M SUGGESTING.
>>RICK LOTT:  BUT WHAT -- OUR PLANS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE WE 
SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, AND 
THAT'S TO NOT PROMOTE UNPLANNED GROWTH IN THE 
TRANSPORTATION GRIDS OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE DONE 
THAT.
WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR COMPROMISE THERE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MS. FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  I'M THINKING THAT PERHAPS MAYBE THIS MIGHT 
BE SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD WOULD BE AMENABLE TO IN TERMS 
OF COMPROMISE, AND MR. GORMLY, WHEN YOU FINISH WITH RAY -- 
THAT'S OKAY.
WHEN YOU FINISH WITH RAY, LET'S DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT WHAT 
YOU AND I JUST TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF ADDING JUST A 
LITTLE BIT OF LANGUAGE TO 1.1-B.
>>ADAM GORMLY:  YES.
AS A SUGGESTION TO -- 1.1-B ADDRESSES NEW AND EXPANDED 
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES, PERHAPS ADDING NEW 
ROADWAY ALIGNMENTS IN THAT SECTION WHICH ALREADY REFERENCES 
THE PROTECTION OF DESIGNATED RURAL AREAS, THAT IT WOULD 
BE -- RESPECT AND PRESERVE THOSE AREAS, SO RECOGNIZING THAT 
THERE IS A NEED IN SOME INSTANCES FOR NEW ROADWAYS IN THE 
RURAL AREAS, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE EXISTING 
CHARACTER AND PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF THAT AREA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  AND MR. GORMLY, THANK YOU FOR THAT HELP.
AND I THINK THAT ACCOMPLISHES BOTH WHAT MR. DINGFELDER IS 
TRYING TO DO BUT AT THE SAME TIME DOESN'T HANDCUFF WHAT 
MAYOR LOTT IS DOING.
WE WOULD BE SENSITIVE, OF COURSE WE WOULD.
>>RICK LOTT:  THAT SOUNDS MORE THAN REASONABLE TO ME, YES.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  I'LL BRING THAT TO THE BOARD NOW AS A 
SUBSTITUTE MOTION --
>> SECOND.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  -- IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WOULD CONSIDER 
SUPPORTING.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  DO WE HAVE TO -- A MOTION WAS MADE TO ADD 
THAT TO 1.1-A.
DO WE HAVE TO HAVE HIM WITHDRAW THAT MOTION IN ORDER TO GO 
AHEAD WITH THE SECOND?
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  AND I'LL GLADLY DO THAT BECAUSE I 
THINK -- I LOOKED AT 1.1-B AND SAW THE TERM "MULTIMODAL," 
AND I'M THINKING, WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE 
TRANSIT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW RELEVANT TRANSIT IS TO THE 
RURAL AREAS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, BUT I THINK IT COULD 
WORK, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, ROSE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
JUST FOR PROCEDURAL PURPOSES, I GUESS WE HAVE TO DO THAT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  I'LL DRAW MY MOTION.
IT'S WITHDRAWN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  SHOULD WE VOTE ON MS. FERLITA'S MOTION 
FIRST?
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES, BUT I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO SPEAK TO 
THE OTHER --
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I HAD ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO ADD.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADD THE LANGUAGE TO 1.1-B.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>>ADAM GORMLY:  IT BE ADDING "AND NEW ROADWAY ALIGNMENTS" 
AFTER FACILITY IN 1.1-B.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  DISCUSSION?
MR. SHARPE, DO YOU HAVE ANY --
>>MARK SHARPE:  I HAD SECONDED IT EARLIER.
I WAS JUST REAFFIRMING HER --
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION?
IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY.
NOW, MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
I WANTED TO THANK MR. CLARENDON.
I THINK THIS IS MUCH BETTER.
I THINK YOU'RE A LITTLE CAPITALIZATION HEAVY ON THE GOALS, 
BUT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK IT'S MUCH, MUCH BETTER, AND I'D LOVE TO FIND A MORE 
DELIGHTFUL WAY TO SAY MOTORIZED AND NONMOTORIZED USERS.
THAT DOESN'T JUST FLOW OFF THE TONGUE, BUT MAYBE WE CAN 
COME UP WITH BETTER LANGUAGE, BUT THE PREMISE IS THERE, 
WHICH WE'RE RESPECTING ALL THESE FOLKS.
IT'S MUCH MORE MULTIMODAL, IT'S MUCH BETTER.
I LOVE THE PREAMBLE.
IT WAS VERY WELL DONE.
LYNN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
THE ONE THING I DIDN'T SEE IN HERE, AND MAYBE I WASN'T 
LOOKING CLOSELY ENOUGH, BUT I'D LOVE TO STICK IT IN BECAUSE 
I DO THINK IT WILL BE A MODE OF TRANSPORTATION BY 2035, 
WHICH IS TO SAY FAR INTO THE FUTURE, ARE WATER TAXIS, WATER 
FERRIES, DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING OUR FABULOUS WATER SYSTEM 
TO ENHANCE TRANSPORTATION IN THE BAY AREA.
I DIDN'T SEE IT.
IF IT IS THERE, CORRECT ME.
IF IT ISN'T THERE, PLEASE STICK IT IN.
WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A LITANY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF 
TRANSPORTATION, MAKE SURE THAT THE WATER CONVEYANCES OR 
HOWEVER YOU WANT TO SAY IT ARE INCLUDED.
IS IT IN THERE?
>> I THINK THERE IS WORDING I KNOW DEFINITELY IN THE 
PREAMBLE, BUT I'LL DOUBLE-CHECK.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I DIDN'T SEE IT SPECIFICALLY -- I SAW 
WORLD-CLASS PORT, BUT WE THINK OF THAT AS MORE FREIGHT AND 
TOURISTS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT USING THE WATER FOR COMMUTES AND ON A 
MORE DAILY BASIS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
GOOD IDEA.
MS. FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  IT IS A GOOD IDEA, MS. SAUL-SENA, BECAUSE 
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE YESTERDAY, 
AND I THINK AT THE NEXT UPDATE BREAKFAST TAMPA BAY 
PARTNERSHIP IS GOING TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT, SO THAT'S 
OBVIOUSLY UP AND COMING TOO.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  DO WE NEED A MOTION ON THAT, MR. 
CHAIRMAN?
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  DO WE NEED A MOTION TO THAT OR DIRECT 
STAFF --
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ASK FOR THE 
INCLUSION OF WATER TAXIS, WATER FERRIES THROUGHOUT THIS 
WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE WHEN WE'RE LISTING DIFFERENT KINDS 
OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE FUTURE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION IN IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>>ADAM GORMLY:  MR. CHAIR, FOR PURPOSES OF THE RECORD, 
COULD WE GET WHO SECONDED THE MOTION?
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>ADAM GORMLY:  OH, THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MS. FERLITA.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OH, OKAY.
YOU'RE RIGHT.
WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE COMPLETE DOCUMENT TO MOVE 
FORWARD WITH --
>>MARK SHARPE:  SO MOVE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CLARENDON.
OKAY.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
WE HAVE LIVABLE ROADWAYS, AND MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE HELD A MEETING ON JANUARY 
28th.
THE HART STREETCAR EXTENSION WAS PRESENTED, AND THE 
COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE PLEASED TO LEARN OF THE INCLUSION OF 
PUBLIC ART AND EFFORTS TO LANDSCAPE IN THE LIMITED SPACE 
AVAILABLE.
THE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE IS VERY INTERESTED IN OFFERING THEIR 
CREATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AT THE UPCOMING DESIGN 
CHARRETTE FOR THE STATION PLANNED AT FORT BROOKE.
THE WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN ADDENDUM WAS UNANIMOUSLY 
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY THE MPO.
THE WESTSHORE ALLIANCE SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR TAKING THIS 
MPO-GENERATED PLAN AND IDENTIFYING PROJECTS TO ACTUALLY 
IMPLEMENT IT.
THERE CONTINUES TO BE CONCERN FROM THE COMMITTEE ABOUT THE 
APPARENT DISCONNECTS BETWEEN ADOPTED STANDARDS THAT PROMOTE 
MOBILITY FOR ALL PEOPLE AND THEIR APPLICATION IN THE ACTUAL 
ROADWAY DESIGNS.
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN THE ENGINEERING FIELD FELT THAT 
THERE WOULD BE LESS RESISTANCE IF THE STANDARDS WERE 
SLIGHTLY, QUOTE, OUTSIDE THE BOX BUT STILL TECHNICALLY 
SOUND WERE EMBRACED BY THE JURISDICTION'S MANAGERIAL-LEVEL 
STAFF, AND SPECIFICALLY I'LL SPEAK TO THOSE OF US WHO 
REPRESENT JURISDICTIONS.
THERE'S A BIG DISCONNECT BETWEEN OUR STATED GOALS OF MAKING 
ROADS LIVABLE BY, FOR EXAMPLE, BEING LANDSCAPED AND THE 
ACTUAL ENGINEERING PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPING THE PLANS 
AGREEING TO PUT THE TREES IN.
THE STATE IS TO BE COMMENDED.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS FANTASTIC THESE 
DAYS ABOUT PUTTING IN BIKE PATHS WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE, 
PUTTING IN BIKE LANES WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE, AND DOING 
LANDSCAPING IF WE, THE JURISDICTIONS, AGREE TO PICK UP THE 
TAB, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY -- AND I 
CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO PLANT CITY AND TEMPLE TERRACE -- HAVE 
REALLY FALLEN DOWN ON THE JOB.
WE SAY IN OUR -- WE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS RESPONDING TO OUR 
CONSTITUENTS SAY, YES, WE WANT BIKE PATHS, WE WANT 
SIDEWALKS, WE WANT TREES, BUT THE FOLKS WHO ARE DRAWING UP 
THE PLANS AREN'T INCLUDING THEM, SO WE HAVE GOT TO BE MUCH 
MORE ATTENTIVE AND CLEAR WITH OUR STAFFS THAT WE EXPECT 
THESE THINGS TO BE IN OUR PLANS.
WE FOUND THIS RECENTLY IN THE CITY, AND SOME STAFF FOUND 
EXAMPLES IN THE COUNTY WHERE IT'S JUST NOT -- IT'S JUST -- 
THOSE THINGS AREN'T BEING PUT INTO THE PLANS AND THEY'RE 
NOT BEING BUILT, ALTHOUGH YOU-ALL HAVE BEEN FRANKLY BETTER 
THAN THE CITY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BRIDGE THAT DISCONNECT BETWEEN 
WHAT WE SAY OUR ROADWAYS SHOULD BE LIKE AND WHAT THEY'RE 
ACTUALLY -- AND THE WAY THEY'RE ACTUALLY BEING BUILT.
AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF OUR MEETING WAS SPENT TOURING THE 
MORGAN STREET JAIL, WHICH WAS COMPLETELY HORRIBLE.
I'M THRILLED THAT IT'S DESTINED FOR TEARING DOWN, AND WE 
ENCOURAGE FDOT TO DO THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT THE 
GOOD THING IS FDOT HAS PURCHASED THIS PROPERTY AS A 
POTENTIAL GATEWAY WELCOMING PEOPLE INTO DOWNTOWN AND 
POTENTIALLY AS PART OF THE OVERALL TRANSIT PLAN TO HAVE 
THAT AS A TRANSIT CENTER, SO THE FUTURE LOOKS MUCH 
BRIGHTER, AND OUR COMMITTEE JUST REALLY ENCOURAGES FDOT TO 
DO THAT AS HASTILY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN 
UNPLEASANT FACILITY.
THE NEXT LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE MEETING IS SCHEDULED 
FOR FEBRUARY 25th, AND ALL ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN US.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  DON, WE WANT YOU TO ORDER THAT TAPE 
THAT LINDA JUST NOW -- THOSE KIND WORDS FROM HER.
[LAUGHTER]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY COMMENTS?
MR. SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  JUST WANTED -- I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT 
COMMENT.
WHEN WE HAD THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE MEET AND WE 
DISCUSSED THE $500 MILLION THAT WAS SPENT OR DESIGNATED 
LAST YEAR FOR ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS, ONE OF THE -- ONE OF 
THE COSTS THAT WE DISCUSSED AND WE INCLUDED WAS THIS -- THE 
CONNECTIVITY THROUGH TRAILS, BIKE PATHS, AND SUCH, AND WE, 
THOUGH, NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS 
TALK OF THE -- THE MOBILITY REFERENDUM THAT'S COMING UP, 
MASS TRANSIT, TRANSPORTATION, THAT INCLUDED IN THIS PACKAGE 
AND DISCUSSION WILL BE YOUR BIKE PATHS AND YOUR TRAILS 
BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THIS 
DISCUSSION ARE NOT GOING TO SEE CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE 
TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE NECESSARILY.
THEY MIGHT NOT SEE A RAIL LINE, THEY MIGHT NOT SEE A BUS 
EVEN, THEY MIGHT SEE AN INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT, PERHAPS A 
ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT IF IT'S CONNECTED TO OUR OVERALL 
MOBILITY MASTER PLAN, BUT THEY ALSO -- WHAT WE WANT TO BE 
ABLE TO DO IS WHEN PEOPLE GET OFF THE RAIL LINE OR BUS 
LINE, THEY CAN GET ON THE BIKES AND TRAVEL SAFELY THROUGH 
THE ENTIRE COUNTY, AND I'VE ASKED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR 
AND STAFF TO PREPARE A PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD AT SOME 
POINT IN THE FUTURE WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE CONNECTIVITY 
PLAN FOR BIKE PATHS AND TRAILS, SO WE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, 
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU -- THAT YOU -- THE CITY IN 
PARTICULAR BUT REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THIS 
CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS REFERENDUM, TRANSPORTATION 
REFERENDUM, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE DISCUSSION.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
THAT'S GREAT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MR. SHARPE.
MS. FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  COMMISSIONER SHARPE, THAT'S REALLY FUNNY 
BECAUSE I WALKED OUT THERE TO TALK TO MS. TORRES ABOUT A 
COUPLE THINGS THAT I'M LOOKING AT, AND THAT IN FACT IS THE 
ONE, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT LIGHT RAIL, ET CETERA, ET 
CETERA, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS REFERENDUM IN '10, 
BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE LANGUAGE OF 
THAT REFERENDUM THAT APPEAL TO DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS AND 
DIFFERENT CITIZENS IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR PASSIONS ARE, 
IT'S NOT GOING TO PASS.
IT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OR ANALOGY.
WHEN CIT WAS IN ITS FIRST STAGES AND IT WAS TALKING ABOUT 
PUBLIC SAFETY IN SCHOOLS, ET CETERA, IT FAILED.
WHAT THEY HAD TO DO WAS STICK AN NFL TEAM IN THERE, AND IT 
PASSED.
I'M SAYING THIS IS THE SAME TYPE OF THING.
IF WE DON'T LOOK AT IT VERY COMPREHENSIVELY, WE MIGHT FALL 
INTO THAT SAME PROBLEM.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
THANK YOU.
OKAY.
NOW, BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
GENA TORRES.
>>GENA TORRES:  PERFECT SEGUE.
THANK YOU.
GENA TORRES, THE MPO STAFF.
THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD A MEETING ON 
JANUARY 14th, AND WE HAD A PRESENTATION BY BOB GORDON, THE 
DIRECTOR OF THE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, TO KIND OF 
GIVE US THE UPDATE, THE SAD NEWS ON THE GANDY TRAILBRIDGE.
WE JUST WANTED TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY SO WE 
COULD ANSWER A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE GETTING 
FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT WERE ASKING US.
I GUESS BASICALLY WE JUST CAME DOWN TO THE FACT WE WERE 
HOPEFUL THAT MAYBE THE STIMULUS PACKAGE COULD DO SOMETHING 
TO HELP SAVE THE BRIDGE, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, ADVOCATES 
WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST ANOTHER FACILITY, MAYBE NOT AS 
BEAUTIFUL OVER THE WATER, BUT THAT COULD BE USED MAYBE ONCE 
A MONTH THAT WOULD BE DEDICATED TO BICYCLING AND SKATING 
AND WALKING, KIND OF LIKE THE CYCLOVIA THAT WAS IN 
BARCELONA, BUT THEY SUGGESTED THE TOP LEVEL OF THE LEE ROY 
SELMON EXPRESSWAY OR MAYBE BAYSHORE BOULEVARD JUST AS SOME 
IDEAS WHICH ARE BEING GENERATED AS SOME PLACES THAT MAYBE 
WE COULD IDENTIFY ONCE A MONTH TO HAVE SOME CYCLING AND 
WALKING ON IT.
BUT BECAUSE FOLKS ARE STILL COMMUTING FROM PINELLAS TO 
HILLSBOROUGH BY BICYCLE IN THE GANDY CORRIDOR AND NOW 
THEY'RE USING -- BEING FORCED TO USE THE SHOULDER OF THE 
EXISTING GANDY BRIDGE, WHICH IS NOT LIMITED ACCESS, SO 
THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT, THE BPAC, WE'RE GOING TO ASK 
D.O.T. TO COME UP WITH MAYBE SOME LOW COST, SOME STRIPING 
OR SIGNAGE, PREFERABLY A BARRIER BETWEEN THE SHOULDER AND 
THE MOTOR VEHICLES, BUT EVEN IF IT WAS JUST SOME SIGNAGE 
THAT SAID CYCLISTS ARE USING THIS ROAD, IT WOULD HELP MAYBE 
THE SAFETY OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE FORCED NOW TO USE THE 
OTHER BRIDGE.
THE GASPARILLA BICYCLE RODEO WAS THIS PAST -- WELL, THE 
24th OF JANUARY, AND THE WEATHER WAS BEAUTIFUL.
WE HAD OVER -- ALMOST 300 KIDS THAT WE FIT HELMETS TO AND 
PUT THEM THROUGH A LITTLE BICYCLE COURSE TO TEACH THEM 
SKILLS OF CYCLING, YOU KNOW, ALONG WITH TRAFFIC, AND THAT 
WAS VERY SATISFYING EVENT.
WE ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD TIME.
THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER BICYCLE RODEO ON MARCH 21st 
DOWNTOWN IN CONCERT WITH THE BICYCLE CRITERIUM, AND IF 
YOU'VE EVER SEEN THOSE, THIS IS RACERS AND THEY WANT 
COBBLESTONE.
THEY WANT IT TO BE SLIPPERY AND CRAZY.
THEY DO A LITTLE LOOP DOWNTOWN OF RACING, SO WE'RE GOING TO 
HAVE A BIKE RODEO IN THE PARK, AND YOU CAN ASK ME AND FIND 
OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT ON THE 21st OF MARCH.
AND THE LAST PRESENTATION ON OUR BPAC MEETING WAS HAVING TO 
DO WITH THE CARROLLWOOD TRAFFIC CALMING, AND ADVOCATES FOR 
CYCLE AND WALKING LOVE TRAFFIC CALMING.
WE LOVE THAT THE COUNTY WAS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING CREATIVE 
AND MAYBE EVEN SETTING THE STAGE FOR SOME OTHER PLACES THAT 
WE CAN DO TRAFFIC CALMING.
THERE JUST WAS SOME ISSUES WITH SOME STRIPING, AND WE 
BROUGHT THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PROJECT MANAGER, SOME 
BIKE LANE STRIPING AND SOME OTHER ISSUES, BUT WE WERE 
SUPPORTIVE OF THAT, AND THE COUNTY SEEMS TO BE WILLING TO 
MAKE SOME OF THE CORRECTIONS THAT WE SAW WERE MISSING.
THE NEXT BPAC MEETING IS FEBRUARY 11th, AND IT'LL BE AT 
5:30.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, GENA.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS?
YES, MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I JUST WANTED TO MENTION ONE THING.
THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL HAS PUT THE 
DISCUSSION OF THE FRIENDSHIP TRAILBRIDGE ON THE AGENDA FOR 
I THINK IT'S NEXT MONDAY.
I FORGOT MY CALENDAR, SO I CAN'T CHECK, BUT IT MIGHT BE 
WORTH LOOKING INTO BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM 
HILLSBOROUGH AND PINELLAS COUNTIES, AND UPDATE ON THAT, 
SO --
>>GENA TORRES:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
MR. CHIARAMONTE.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THANK YOU.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO OVER SOME OF MY ACTIVITIES OVER THE 
LAST MONTH.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE FLORIDA URBAN TRANSPORTATION 
COALITION.
THEY HAD A MEETING IN TALLAHASSEE I ATTENDED ON JANUARY 
13th.
THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT INCLUDES MIAMI, ORLANDO, TAMPA 
BAY, AND JACKSONVILLE IN LOOKING OUT FOR TRANSPORTATION 
NEEDS, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE COMMUNITIES LOOKING AT SOME 
TYPE OF RAIL TRANSIT.
SO THE MEETING WENT VERY WELL.
IT'S A FAIRLY NEW ORGANIZATION, AND AGAIN -- AND THE IDEA 
IS TO GET SUPPORT FROM THE URBAN AREAS FOR -- IN THE 
LEGISLATURE TOWARD FUNDING TRANSIT.
I-4, THERE'S AN I-4 PLAN BEING WORKED ON BY HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH AS AN MPO 
REPRESENTATIVE -- IT'S MOVING ALONG -- THAT DEALS WITH 
POSSIBLE FUTURE LAND USE CHANGES AND IDEAS ON HOW WE MIGHT 
SEE THAT CORRIDOR DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE.
I'VE SPOKEN TO THE TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL REGARDING THE 
MPO MASTER PLAN AND GETTING THEM UP-TO-DATE ON THE 
DIRECTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING IN.
ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE WATER TAXI PLAN THAT THE DOWNTOWN 
PARTNERSHIP IS WORKING ON, AND THERE IS A PRESENTATION 
COMING UP SHORTLY ON THAT.
I BELIEVE IT'S NEXT WEEK, AS -- AS LINDA SAUL-SENA 
MENTIONED.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH URS.
ONE THING WE'RE GOING TO DO DIFFERENT IN OUR 2035 PLAN IS 
WE'RE GOING TO USE VISUALIZATION, MOVING 3-D VISUALIZATION 
TO REALLY HELP PEOPLE SEE WHAT THE PLAN LOOKS LIKE.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ENCOURAGING THAT SO PEOPLE CAN 
UNDERSTAND, AND WITH THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY, YOU CAN REALLY 
MAKE SOMETHING APPEAR REAL, AND WE'RE USING THAT ESPECIALLY 
TO SHOW HOW RAIL MIGHT FIT INTO OUR PLANS, SO THAT'S COMING 
ALONG.
I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE EARLY GRAPHICS, AND THEY LOOK REALLY 
GOOD, AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT INCLUDING THAT IN OUR 
PRESENTATIONS ON OUR PLAN.
OUR MPO IS THE CHAIR OF THE CHAIRMAN'S COORDINATING 
COUNCIL.
THAT'S THE MPO -- MPO DIRECTORS FROM THE TAMPA BAY AREA WHO 
MEET PERIODICALLY EVERY COUPLE WEEKS TO DISCUSS ISSUES, 
REGIONAL ISSUES THAT INVOLVE OUR MPOs.
BEEN INVOLVED IN THE HART NEW STARTS TRANSIT PROJECT 
STEERING COMMITTEE, ALSO THE GANDY PROJECT ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE, WHO'S COMING UP WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO 
DEAL WITH GANDY AND CONNECTING THE GANDY BRIDGE WITH THE 
LEE ROY SELMON EXPRESSWAY.
MPOAC HAD A MEETING IN ORLANDO THAT I ATTENDED WITH 
CHAIRMAN AFFRONTI, A STAFF MEETING AND A CHAIRMAN'S MEETING 
THERE, AND ALSO ATTENDED THE TBARTA MEETING, WHICH TBARTA 
PRESENTED THEIR MID-AND LONG-RANGE PLAN, WHICH THEY'RE 
GOING TO BE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY, WHICH I'M VERY EXCITED 
ABOUT BECAUSE IT VERY MUCH MIRRORS WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE 
MPO, AND I THINK WE'RE REALLY MORE AND MORE AS TIME GOES ON 
WORKING WITH SYNC ON THAT.
ALSO WORKING WITH THE HILLSBOROUGH TRANSPORTATION TASK 
FORCE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S BEING SUPPORTIVE IN 
THEIR PARTICULAR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY.
THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND MPO 
HAVE BEEN MEETING ON THE IDEA OF CONTINUING WITH A 
VISIONING PROCESS ONCE THE ONE BAY EFFORT IS OVER, AND 
WE'VE KIND OF BEEN COORDINATING THEIR PROGRESS, AND ALSO 
TEMPLE TERRACE AND PLANT CITY ARE INVOLVED IN THAT AS TO 
WHERE WE MIGHT GO WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY PROVIDE 
US.
I ALSO WAS AT THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE, AND I WANT TO 
BRING UP ONE OTHER ISSUE FROM THAT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR.
MY PARTICULAR CONCERN ON THAT IS I'M NOT SURE THAT 
JURISDICTIONS ARE IMPLEMENTING THE LANDSCAPING PORTIONS OF 
OUR LIVABLE ROADWAYS GUIDELINES, AND I THINK THAT'S 
SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT BECAUSE TREES ARE 
REALLY AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF MAKING OUR ROADS LIVABLE 
AND WALKABLE, AND IF TRANSIT'S GOING TO WORK, YOU HAVE TO 
HAVE SHADED AREAS FOR PEOPLE TO WALK ALONG OUR MAJOR 
ARTERIALS, AND IT'S NOT THAT EXPENSIVE TO DO -- TO DO 
TREES.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO BUSHES BUT AT LEAST TREES, SOMETHING 
THAT IN THE LONG-TERM FUTURE'S GOING TO PROVIDE SHADE, SO 
WE STARTED DOING THAT ABOUT 20 YEARS -- I'M LOOKING AT SOME 
OF THOSE ROADS AND HOW THEY LOOK NOW, AND THERE'S A MASSIVE 
IMPACT ON THE WAY THOSE ROADS LOOK.
IF YOU RIDE DOWN, FOR EXAMPLE, SHELDON ROAD, WHICH WAS 
WIDENED ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, I MEAN, THOSE OAK TREES IN THE 
CENTER ARE VERY LARGE, AND THEY HAVE A REALLY ATTRACTIVE 
VISUAL IMPACT NOW.
WE MET WITH THE COUNTY'S STAFF ON CREATING MULTIMODAL 
DISTRICTS SOMEWHAT LIKE TEMPLE TERRACE IS WORKING ON.
WE'VE HAD OUR UPS AND DOWNS WITH THAT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO 
GET THERE WITH TEMPLE TERRACE KIND OF BEING A MODEL FOR THE 
COUNTY, AND ONE OF THE AREAS WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHICH I'M 
VERY EXCITED ABOUT, IS RIGHT AROUND USF WHERE OUR PROPOSED 
RAIL LINE WOULD GO, SO THAT WOULD BE A VERY POSITIVE 
SUPPORTING MECHANISM TO THE LIGHT RAIL.
WANT TO REMIND YOU, AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT CERTIFICATION 
PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION 
BOARDROOM.
OUR NEXT MPO MEETING IS GOING TO BE HELD ON MARCH 3rd.
I WANT TO CLOSE AND TURN IT OVER TO DON SKELTON.
YOU'VE PROBABLY GOTTEN E-MAILS OR MAYBE NOT.
MAYBE I'M GETTING ALL THE E-MAILS ABOUT THE STIMULUS 
PACKAGE.
I HAVE TO SAY I'VE ALMOST GIVEN UP BECAUSE EVERY DAY IT'S A 
DIFFERENT RULE OR SOMETHING, SO I'M ALMOST DECIDED I'LL 
JUST WAIT UNTIL THEY FINISH, AND THEN WHATEVER THEY TELL US 
TO DO, WE'LL DO, BECAUSE WE REALLY CAN'T AFFECT IT THAT 
MUCH, BUT I WANTED DON SKELTON TO KIND OF GIVE YOU THE 
LATEST UPDATE ON IT BECAUSE I THINK THE MPOs ARE PROBABLY 
GOING TO BE MORE INVOLVED THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED WE WOULD, 
SO YOU NEED TO GET READY FOR MAYBE EVEN A SPECIAL MEETING 
TO DEAL WITH THAT SITUATION.
>>DON SKELTON:  THANKS, RAY, AND JUST WANT TO GIVE A LOT OF 
INFORMATION AND WHILE RAY SAYS -- BECAUSE I'VE GOT SOME OF 
THAT FRUSTRATION TOO.
THE WHEELS KEEP TURNING, AND EVERY TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU 
THINK YOU GOT A HANDLE ON IT, THEY STICK SOMETHING ELSE IN, 
SO MAYBE IT WAS BETTER TO JUST WAIT UNTIL THE WHEEL STOPS, 
AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT 
READY AND PREPARED WHEN THE PRESIDENT SIGNS SOMETHING ON 
THE STIMULUS BILL, WE'LL BE BEHIND.
THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY.
WE'RE TRACKING ALL THE FEDERAL LEGISLATION VERY CLOSELY.
THE HOUSE PASSED LAST WEEK HR1, AND IT'S GOT A LOT OF 
PROVISIONS THAT I'LL GET INTO.
WE'RE COORDINATING OUR EFFORTS WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, 
THE LEGISLATURE, AND OUR TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS, AND I 
THINK THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH RAY 
AND STAFF ON HOW ALL THIS IS GOING TO COME TOGETHER.
IT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE GOING TO TURN TO THE 
MPO TO DETERMINE WHAT THE LOCAL PRIORITIES ARE.
THAT'S THE WAY THE FEDERAL PROCESS WORKS TO BEGIN WITH.
MOST OF EVERYTHING, IF YOU THINK OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE, 
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A LOT DIFFERENT FROM THE EXISTING 
PROGRAMS.
IT'S GOING TO HAVE THE SAME RULES, THE SAME LAWS THAT MUST 
APPLY, THEREFORE, THINGS LIKE HAVING GONE THROUGH THE 
FEDERAL PLANNING PROCESS.
IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLIED WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL 
POLICY ACT, THE PROJECT'S NOT GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR 
FEDERAL FUNDS, SO PART OF WHAT WE'VE GOT OUR STAFF DOING IS 
WORKING WITH THE JURISDICTIONS AND THE MPO TO SEE IF 
THERE'S SOMETHING -- YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ONE LITTLE THING 
THAT'S MISSING TO MAKE IT ELIGIBLE AND MAKE IT MEET NEPA, 
LET'S GET THAT DONE.
LET'S MAKE AS MANY OF THESE THINGS AS ELIGIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
LET'S WORK WITH THE LOCALS.
THE WAY THE HOUSE BILL IS SET UP, 45% OF THE MONEY MUST GO 
TO LOCAL PRIORITIES.
NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
DOES THAT MEAN IT HAS TO BE OFF THE STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM?
NO.
THE MPO COULD DETERMINE THAT THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS, FOR 
INSTANCE, THE I-4/SELMON CONNECTOR PROJECT OR WHATEVER 
OTHER LOCAL PROJECT THIS MPO -- IRRESPECTIVE OF THE 
JURISDICTION, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TURN TO THAT.
NOW, THAT -- IN THIS COUNTY THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER 
TO DO.
I MEAN, RAY'S CHALLENGED AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ANXIOUS 
ABOUT TRYING TO COORDINATE THREE MUNICIPALITIES AND A 
COUNTY.
PINELLAS COUNTY HAS, WHAT, 27 MUNICIPALITIES AND A COUNTY 
TO TRY TO COORDINATE, BUT WE ARE GOING TO TURN TO THAT NOW.
EVERY INDICATION IS THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID HE WANTS TO SIGN 
SOMETHING ON OR BEFORE PRESIDENT'S DAY.
THAT IS FEBRUARY 16th.
THAT IS TWO WEEKS FROM YESTERDAY, AND THE CLOCK WILL START 
TICKING AT THAT POINT.
SOME OF THE PROVISIONS THAT YOU MIGHT NOTICE FROM THE HOUSE 
BILL ARE HALF OF THAT MONEY TO GO TO LOCAL PRIORITIES MUST 
BE OBLIGATED WITHIN 75 DAYS OF SIGNATURE.
THAT'S TWO AND A HALF MONTHS FROM SIGNATURE TO OBLIGATE 
FUNDS.
THAT MEANS IT HAS TO HAVE GONE THROUGH ALL THE CLEARANCES, 
CERTIFIED THAT NEPA HAS BEEN DONE, CERTIFIED THAT IF IT HAD 
RIGHT-OF-WAY OR IS EVEN WITHIN EXISTING RIGHT-OF-WAY THAT 
THAT RIGHT-OF-WAY WAS PROCURED USING THE UNIFORM RELOCATION 
ACT STANDARDS, EVERYTHING THAT WOULD GO INTO A NORMAL 
FEDERAL PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO THE MPOs 
TO COME UP WITH THAT PRIORITY LIST, AND THAT'S WHY WHEN RAY 
MENTIONED THERE MAY NEED TO BE A SPECIAL MEETING AS STAFF 
TRIES TO CORRELATE ALL THE LISTS, AND TRUST ME, EVERYBODY'S 
GOT A LIST.
I THINK MY NEIGHBOR GAVE ME A LIST LAST NIGHT, AND I'M NOT 
SURE WHAT JURISDICTION HE'S IN, BUT EVERYBODY'S GOT A LIST, 
BUT HOW YOU CULL THAT DOWN TO HERE ARE THE PRIORITIES AND 
THEN TRYING TO DETERMINE ONCE WE DO KNOW WHAT COMES OUT OF 
THE BILL THE FUNDING LEVELS.
I CAN TELL YOU THE EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT'S IN THE HOUSE 
BILL, FLORIDA WOULD GET ABOUT $1.4 BILLION IN HIGHWAYS AND 
BRIDGES, ABOUT $340 MILLION FOR URBAN TRANSIT CAPITAL, 
ABOUT $16.5 MILLION FOR RURAL TRANSIT CAPITAL, 37 MILLION 
FOR FIXED GUIDEWAY MODERNIZATION, $150 MILLION FOR AIRPORT 
PROJECTS, AND POSSIBLY SOME MORE FOR RAIL PROJECTS, SO THAT 
KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SENATE VERSION, WHILE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, THE 
BALLPARK'S GOING TO BE ABOUT THE SAME.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A BILLION-FOUR FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES 
AND THE OTHER CATEGORIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WHEN YOU START CARVING UP $1.4 BILLION STATEWIDE AND START 
TALKING ABOUT LOCAL PRIORITIES, PROJECTS CAN GET PRETTY 
SMALL PRETTY QUICK, SO IT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE 
THAT LIST OF PRIORITIES THAT EVERYBODY AGREES ON THAT THIS 
IS WHAT IT IS AND HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
MAYBE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS A, 
YOU KNOW, $100-MILLION OFF-SYSTEM PROJECT.
WELL, IF IT'S NOT LOOKING LIKE THAT'S GOING TO BE, YOU NEED 
TO HAVE A NUMBER TWO AND THREE SO THAT WE CAN SAY, OKAY, 
THAT ONE'S NOT GOING TO GET IT BUT THIS ONE IS.
NOW, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE DISTRICT 7 LIST OF STIMULUS 
PROJECTS.
WE -- AS A STATE WE SUBMITTED -- WE'VE GOT A $6.9-BILLION 
LIST.
NOW, THERE ARE SOME THINGS -- AND I GET THE CALL EVERY DAY, 
WHY ISN'T THE I-4/SELMON CONNECTOR ON THAT LIST.
WELL, WE'VE NOT UPDATED THAT LIST SINCE NOVEMBER 
STRATEGICALLY.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CRITERIA IS, BUT I HAVE HAD EVERY 
CONVERSATION WITH THE SECRETARY, I'VE HAD EVERY 
CONVERSATION WITH THE PORT AND EVERYBODY HERE LOCALLY.
WE'VE NOT SLOWED DOWN ON THAT PROJECT.
WE'RE CONTINUING, WE'RE GOING TO CERTIFY THE RIGHT-OF-WAY 
IN EARLY MAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FINAL PLANS IN MAY.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE AND OBLIGATE THAT.
WOULD IT BE WITHIN 90 DAYS?
PROBABLY NOT.
CAN IT BE WITHIN 180?
YES.
NOW, THAT PROJECT IS ABOUT A $460-MILLION PROJECT.
SHOULD I EXPECT THAT $460 MILLION, ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF WHAT 
WILL COME TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WILL COME TO THE I-
4/SELMON CONNECTOR?
NO, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE EXPECTATION, BUT CAN 
A PIECE OF THAT COME AND THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME 
INNOVATIVE FINANCING LIKE WE WERE GOING TO BE DOING 
BEFORE -- WE WERE HEADING DOWN A PATH OF PROCURING FOR A 
BUILD-FINANCE.
WE HAD $100 MILLION OUT IN THE '12-'13 YEAR ANYWAY, SO WE 
WERE GOING TO BE ASKING A CONTRACTOR WE'VE GOT SOME MONEY 
UP FRONT, BUT WE NEED YOU TO BUILD THE ENTIRE PROJECT, AND 
WE'LL PAY IT OUT IN '12-'13.
WE MAY NEED TO LOOK AT SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR.
WHATEVER THE RULES AND LAWS WILL ALLOW US TO DO, WE'LL BE 
LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS, SO AGAIN, ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE 
BILLS ARE IT IS NOT TO SUPPLANT EXISTING FUNDS, SO IT'S NOT 
THE BAIT AND SWITCH, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF 
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE A PART OF EITHER BILL THAT 
THE STATES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CERTIFY THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION 
BUDGET DID NOT GO DOWN.
ONE OF THE PROVISIONS IN THE HOUSE BILL WAS IF YOUR 
TRANSPORTATION BUDGET GOES DOWN AT THE STATE LEVEL, YOU'RE 
GOING TO HAVE TO REPAY THAT SAME AMOUNT TO THE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT OF THE STIMULUS MONEY.
SO IT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT.
WE'RE GOING TO TURN TO THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS AND ASK FOR 
THAT SAME CERTIFICATION.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CERTIFY THAT YOU DIDN'T JUST TAKE 
FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT WAS IN YOUR 
CURRENT YEAR CIP ANYWAY AND THEN MOVE THAT MONEY TO SOME 
OTHER PROGRAM WITHIN YOUR BUDGETS.
IT'S INTENDED THAT YOUR PROGRAMS GROW, SO THAT'S AN ASPECT 
OF THE BILL THAT WE NEED TO BE WATCHING VERY CAREFULLY.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE COORDINATION, BUT 
WE'RE LOOKING TO THE MPO TO PRIORITIZE THE PROJECTS FOR 
THIS -- FOR THIS COUNTY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, DON, AND LIKE MAYBE YOU'RE READING OUR MINDS.
I HAD SCRIBBLED DOWN HERE I-4/SELMON CONNECTOR, AND, YOU 
KNOW, TO ME THIS -- THIS COULD REALLY BE A NICE SIGNATURE 
PROJECT FOR THE AREA, AND THE NICE THING ABOUT IT IS IT'S 
NOT REALLY ABOUT -- EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE LOCATED 
PHYSICALLY WITHIN THE CITY OF TAMPA, IT'S NOT A CITY OF 
TAMPA PROJECT, IT'S A PORT PROJECT, IT'S A CITY PROJECT, 
IT'S A COUNTY PROJECT, IT'S A REGIONAL PROJECT, AND MAYBE 
EVEN A STATEWIDE PROJECT SINCE IT'S, YOU KNOW, PORT 
RELATED.
YOU DIDN'T MENTION, DOES THE PORT -- PORTS AROUND THE 
COUNTRY HAVE THEIR OWN DESIGNATION OUT OF THIS MONEY?
>>DON SKELTON:  I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE 
SCOURING THE BILLS, AND A LOT WILL STILL HAVE TO BE WORKED 
OUT BECAUSE THE SENATE HAS NOT PASSED ANYTHING YET.
A LOT WILL STILL NEED TO BE WORKED OUT AS SOON AS THE 
SENATE PASSES THEIR VERSION AND OUT IN CONFERENCE.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  BECAUSE I'M HOPEFUL IF THEY DO, MAYBE 
WE COULD WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PORT AND SAY, IF THIS 
PROJECT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO YOU, YOU KNOW, GIVE US 25 
MILLION OF YOUR PORT MONEY AND WE'LL KICK IN OUR 75 MILLION 
AND THAT HUNDRED MILLION AND THEN ADD IT TO YOUR FINANCING 
PACKAGE, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
I GUESS IS IT PREMATURE, DON, TO LOOK FOR ANY MOTIONS FROM 
THIS BOARD IN TERMS OF PRIORITIES, OR DO YOU WANT TO HOLD 
OFF ON THAT FOR -- UNTIL WE SEE WHAT THE -- WHAT THE 
STIMULUS PACKAGE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE?
>>DON SKELTON:  I'LL ANSWER THAT KIND OF IN TWO WAYS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S PREMATURE TO DO ANYTHING FROM A TIMING 
STANDPOINT.
IT MAY BE PREMATURE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF STAFF HAS HAD A 
CHANCE TO PRESENT THEIR ANALYSIS ON HERE'S A DRAFT LIST OF 
PRIORITIES FOR THIS BOARD TO EVEN CONSIDER.
I THINK IF -- JUST MY OPINION, IF YOU TRY TO GET SOME KIND 
OF MOTION, YOU MAY GET TEN DIFFERENT -- WELL, YOU MAY GET 
15 DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  RIGHT.
I'VE SEEN THE CITY'S -- YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S LIST HAS FIVE 
OR SIX GREAT PROJECTS AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT AGAIN, 
TRYING NOT TO BE PAROCHIAL, EVEN THOUGH I'M A CITY 
REPRESENTATIVE AND HART'S REPRESENTATIVE, YOU KNOW, I'D 
LIKE TO LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE AND SAY, YOU KNOW, 
SHOOT, LET'S JUST HAVE -- FIND ONE BIG SIGNATURE PROJECT 
THAT WE COULD ALL LOOK AT AND BE PROUD OF.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE STAFF 
LOOK AT IT, LET THEM SET THE PRIORITIES, COME TO OUR BOARD, 
AND THEN WE COULD VOTE ON IT.
MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
COULDN'T THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY -- IF THERE WAS A -- A 
FUNDING GAP OF A -- YOU KNOW, A COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION 
DOLLARS, COULDN'T THEY BOND THAT SO THAT WE COULD GET THE 
CONNECTOR DONE IF THAT WAS THE ISSUE AND THEN --
>>DON SKELTON:  I CAN LET JOE TALK ABOUT THE FINANCIAL 
CAPACITY OF THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT FINANCIAL CAPACITY IS THERE TO BOND 
THAT LEVEL TODAY.
IN FACT, THE TURNPIKE ENTERPRISE HAS $102 MILLION OF THEIR 
MONEY INTO THIS PROJECT THAT THAT ALSO MOVED TO '12-'13, 
AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS THAT BECAUSE OF REDUCTIONS IN 
TRAFFIC AND REVENUE ON THEIR END, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE 
ABLE TO ADVANCE THAT ANY SOONER THAN '12-'13, SO THAT'S 
GOING TO HAVE TO BE PART OF THE FINANCING PACKAGE AS WELL.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  OH, THANKS.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SO DID YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT PRIORITIZING AT THIS POINT 
FOR DISTRICT 7 BUT THAT YOU --
>>DON SKELTON:  WE ARE PRIORITIZING FOR DISTRICT 7, AND IN 
FACT, WE WILL SUBMIT THAT UP TO OUR TALLAHASSEE OFFICE, AND 
I CAN TELL YOU FROM THE DISTRICT AND THE STATE PERSPECTIVE 
OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE GOT IN DISTRICT 7 ON THE STATE 
HIGHWAY SYSTEM, WE HAVE RANKED THE I-4/SELMON CONNECTOR AS 
OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY.
SO THAT'S YOUR NUMBER ONE?
>>DON SKELTON:  THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE.
>>MARY MULHERN:  CAN WE GET A -- ONCE YOU'RE SENDING THAT 
LIST UP, COULD WE GET A COPY OF IT, EACH OF US?
>>DON SKELTON:  ABSOLUTELY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE, SINCE THIS IS SO -- 
EVERYTHING IS SO UP IN THE AIR AND THE FACT THAT WE NEED 
THE -- WE'RE EVEN GOING TO HAVE THIS ECONOMIC STIMULUS 
PACKAGE AND THIS INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY FROM, YOU KNOW, THE 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THINGS HAVE 
NOT BEEN GOING WELL AS FAR AS THE WAY WE'VE BEEN PLANNING 
AND THE WAY -- YOU KNOW, OUR PLANNING AND OUR BUDGETING, SO 
I WANT TO JUST BRING UP ANOTHER -- KIND OF THE OPPOSITE 
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE FROM THE IDEA OF FUNDING THE BIGGEST 
PROJECT, WHICH IS I-4, TO THE IDEA THAT WE MAY HAVE SMALLER 
PROJECTS THAT FIT WITHIN -- YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, FIT 
WITHIN THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION, WHICH -- 
ONE OF WHICH IS SUSTAINABILITY AND GREEN TRANSIT.
THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE NOT 
AS BIG BUT THAT MIGHT BE A BETTER FIT AS FAR AS GETTING 
FUTURE DOLLARS FROM THE FED, SO I'M NOT NECESSARILY ONBOARD 
WITH SAYING LET'S DO THE I-4 CONNECTOR AS OUR NUMBER ONE 
THING IF WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO GET FUNDING FOR LESS 
EXPENSIVE AND, YOU KNOW, SMALLER PROJECTS THAT WE THINK WE 
CAN ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH, SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT IN.
>>DON SKELTON:  TO -- IF I MIGHT, CHAIRMAN, TO ADDRESS THAT 
ISSUE, I THINK IT'S NECESSARY TO HAVE A LIST THAT'S ALL 
ENCOMPASSING.
HOW THEY GET RANKED, IF THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH 
MONEY TO GET YOUR NUMBER ONE, HAVE A NUMBER TWO, HAVE A 
NUMBER THREE, HAVE A NUMBER FOUR.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MR. WAGGONER, DID YOU HAVE A -- DID HE HAVE A QUESTION?
>>JOSEPH WAGGONER:  JUST TO ADD -- I'M SORRY.
JUST TO ADD TO WHAT SECRETARY SKELTON SAID, THE SAME 
FINANCIAL DOWNTURN THAT HAS HIT THE TRANSPORTATION TRUST 
FUND FOR FLORIDA HAS HIT FTE, AND YOU HEARD THAT THEIR PLAN 
PARTICIPATION FINANCING HAS BEEN DEFERRED AS WELL, AND THE 
SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO US.
WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT OPTIONS.
WE HAVE AN ASSOCIATED PROJECT.
WE WOULD LIKE TO DO SOME WIDENING ON ABOUT A ONE-MILE 
BRIDGE DECK DOWNTOWN THAT WOULD ACTUALLY FACILITATE THE I-4 
WHEN IT COMES ON-LINE, SO IN COOPERATION WITH THE 
DEPARTMENT AND THE TURNPIKE, THEY'VE AGREED TO LET US 
DEDICATE WHATEVER RESOURCES WE HAVE TO THAT PROJECT.
NOW, THE RESOURCES I HAVE, I DON'T KNOW YET.
WE'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH AN UPDATE OF OUR TRAFFIC AND 
REVENUE FORECASTS.
AS I'VE SAID TO OUR BOARD MEMBERS AT OUR LAST MEETING FOR 
THEA, WE HAVE TO RESET OUR FINANCIAL CLOCK.
EVERYBODY'S BEEN SET BACK SIGNIFICANTLY.
THE PLANNED -- OR THE ANTICIPATED RECOVERY IS SLOWER THAN 
WE MIGHT LIKE TO SEE.
SO TO FIND OUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE AND WHEN AND WHAT 
WE'D HAVE TO DO TO MEET OUR NEEDS IS A NEW PICTURE THAT 
WE'VE GOT TO -- WE'VE GOT TO DRAW, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE 
RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE TURNPIKE AND THE D.O.T. 
ON THIS PROJECT AND, OF COURSE, ON OUR NEEDS AS WELL.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MR. CHIARAMONTE.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO BOARD MEMBERS TO KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH I 
SAID I WAS GOING TO WAIT TILL THE END, WE'RE NOT WAITING 
TILL THE END.
I SENT OUT A LETTER LAST WEEK TO ALL THE JURISDICTIONS TO 
GIVE US ALL THEIR PROJECTS, WHICH, IN FACT, JOE ZAMBITO 
HANDED ME THE LATEST ONE JUST THIS MORNING.
WE ADDED TEMPLE TERRACE ON YESTERDAY, AND I THINK THEY WERE 
THE LAST ONE, SO WE NOW HAVE ALL THE PROJECTS OF ALL THE 
JURISDICTIONS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, INCLUDING FDOT.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GO -- WE HAVE COLUMNS TO GO THROUGH 
HERE TO MAKE SURE THEY'VE MET THE CRITERIA BECAUSE SOME OF 
THESE ARE GOING TO FALL OUT.
I'M NOT SURE THAT ALL OF THESE MEET ALL THE FEDERAL 
CRITERIA, BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, JUST IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY WE HAVE OVER A $1 BILLION WORTH.
WE HAVE ENOUGH PROJECTS IF ALL OF THESE WENT THROUGH ALMOST 
TO USE UP THE WHOLE ALLOCATION FOR THE STATE, SO WE'RE 
GOING TO HAVE TO PRIORITIZE.
NOW, SOME OF THESE ARE GOING TO FALL OUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T 
MEET THE STANDARDS, SO WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS AS QUICK 
AS POSSIBLE, COME UP WITH A LIST OF THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY 
MEET THE STANDARDS, FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH MONEY THAT IS AND 
PUT THAT IN PRIORITY, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU-ALL WILL HAVE 
TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THAT PRIORITY OR NOT OR 
CHANGE IT ANY WAY YOU'D LIKE TO DO, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE 
ATTEMPTING TO DO AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  RAY, WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO 
BRING THAT TO THE BOARD, THE PRIORITIES?
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  JOE?
[LAUGHTER]
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  WELL, I THINK THE -- THE ANSWER TO THAT 
QUESTION IS HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE 
VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS THAT SUBMITTED PROJECTS BECAUSE THE 
WAY THEY WERE SUBMITTED, THEY DIDN'T TELL US, YOU KNOW, 
EXACTLY HAS THE NEPA PROCESS BEEN COMPLETED, IS THE 
EXISTING RIGHT-OF-WAY -- IF THE PROJECT IS WITHIN EXISTING 
RIGHT-OF-WAY OR ANY NEW RIGHT-OF-WAY THAT WAS PURCHASED, 
WAS THAT PURCHASED USING THE FEDERAL PROCESS, SO WE HAVE TO 
GO BACK AND KIND OF ASK THEM THESE QUESTIONS, AND IT'S ALL 
DEPENDING ON HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR THEM TO RESPOND TO US, 
BUT AS RAY SAYS, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE PROBABLY GOING 
TO FALL OUT SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T MEET THE CRITERIA, 
BUT UNTIL WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY CAN'T 
PRIORITIZE THE REST, SO I'D SAY WE'RE AT LEAST A MONTH AWAY 
PROBABLY FROM GETTING ALL THOSE ANSWERS AND BEING ABLE TO 
EVALUATE IT AND COME BACK TO YOU WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
>>DON SKELTON:  AND I WOULD SAY A MONTH IS TOO LONG.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU.
HOW LONG DO WE HAVE?
>>DON SKELTON:  I WOULD ASK THAT YOU EACH GO BACK TO YOUR 
STAFFS AND TELL THEM THEY NEED TO ACT ON THIS.
I KNOW THAT'S BEEN SOME OF THE FRUSTRATION THAT WE'VE HAD 
AS WELL.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  ACTUALLY, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THEY NEED TO TAKE US SERIOUS ON THIS AND GET US THE 
INFORMATION BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHETHER IT FOLLOWED THE 
FEDERAL PROCESS.
I MEAN, IT TAKES US MORE TIME TO GO BACK AND ASK THAT.
IF THEY COULD PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
I MEAN, THEY KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE, SO IT WOULD BE 
IMPORTANT, AND THAT WOULD HELP US A LOT IF THE STAFFS OF 
THE COUNTY, THE CITY, PLANT CITY, TEMPLE TERRACE, PORT 
AUTHORITY, AND EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, ANSWERS THOSE QUESTIONS 
UP FRONT.
D.O.T. ALREADY DID.
WE HAVE ALL THEIR ANSWERS AND WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, BUT WE 
DON'T ON THE OTHERS.
>>DON SKELTON:  AND IF STAFF HAS A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER 
THEY DID OR NOT, PLEASE GIVE MY STAFF A CALL BECAUSE WE CAN 
HELP WITH THAT DETERMINATION.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  I'M TRYING TO WORK BACKWARDS FROM WHEN WE 
ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE THIS TO YOU, AND IF A MONTH IS TOO 
LONG, THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING BETWEEN NOW 
AND OUR NEXT MEETING FOR THE BOARD TO ACCEPT THE 
PRIORITIES.
>>DON SKELTON:  WHICH IS WHY I SAID AND RAY KIND OF LAID 
THAT FOUNDATION, IT MAY REQUIRE A SPECIAL MEETING OF THIS 
BOARD.
AGAIN, WITH THE TIME FRAMES THAT ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT, A 
MONTH PUTS YOU, YOU KNOW, 15 DAYS INTO THE LEGISLATION.
IT GIVES YOU 60 DAYS TO OBLIGATE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY 
PASS THE LEGISLATION TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE RULES ARE 
GOING TO BE OR -- SO WE CAN BE READY ON THE 16th WITH WHAT 
WE HAVE?
>>DON SKELTON:  RIGHT.
I THINK KNOWING WHAT THE SPECIFIC RULES ARE, THE SPECIFIC 
AMOUNTS AND ALL THOSE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW THAT UNTIL 
IT GETS SIGNED OR PASSED THROUGH THE CONFERENCE.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  SO MAYBE WITHIN A FEW DAYS AFTER THE 
16th OF FEBRUARY WOULD BE THE TIME TO LOOK FOR A MEETING?
>>DON SKELTON:  RIGHT.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE PRIORITIZATION ISSUES ARE GOING TO 
BE -- YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO BE DONE ANYWAY, AND SO BEING 
READY TO REACT TO SCENARIOS "A," "B," "C," "D," IF THE 
AMOUNTS ARE THIS -- AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT OUR STAFF IS 
DOING RIGHT NOW, LET'S RUN SOME WORST-CASE SCENARIOS AND 
LET'S HAVE PLANS "A," "B," "C," AND "D."
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO 
HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING MAYBE TWO WEEKS.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  RIGHT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. ZAMBITO, YOU GOT YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR 
YOU.
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  GIVE ME THE DEADLINE, AND I'LL WORK TOWARDS 
IT.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  JOE, HE'LL GET IT DONE, BUT IT WOULD BE 
A GREAT HELP IF THE JURISDICTIONS GOT THE INFORMATION, THE 
FULL INFORMATION.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WELL, I THINK THE WAY IT IS, IF THEY DON'T 
GET THE INFORMATION TO US, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE INCLUDED 
IN THE PACKAGE.
>> RIGHT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH 
WHAT WE'VE GOT.
THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT ANYWAY.
OKAY.
ANY OTHER -- SO WE'LL LOOK FOR A SPECIAL MEETING PROBABLY 
IN TWO WEEKS.
OKAY?
OKAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SKELTON.
ALL RIGHT.
TBARTA UPDATE.
BETH ALDEN.
BY THE WAY, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE BETH.
BETH IS BACK ON OUR STAFF FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND 
WE'RE JUST TICKLED TO DEATH TO HAVE YOU BACK, BETH.
>> THANK YOU.
THANKS VERY MUCH.
I'LL BE STARTING BACK AT THE MPO NEXT WEEK ON MONDAY.
TODAY I'LL BE CONTINUING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE TAMPA BAY AREA 
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY MASTER PLAN, AS I HAVE 
BEEN AROUND THE REGION FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT IT TODAY, TO 
THIS BOARD THAT HAS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT PLANNING FOR RAPID 
TRANSIT FOR THESE MANY YEARS, AND I'D LIKE TO TALK WITH YOU 
ABOUT HOW THE REGIONAL PLANNING PROCESS HAS BEEN GOING AND 
HOW THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONED IN HILLSBOROUGH 
FIT IN TO A SEAMLESS NETWORK.
AND I'M SORRY.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE THE BUTTON IS.
THERE WE GO.
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO PLANNING LIKE THIS AT THE REGIONAL 
LEVEL?
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION, OF COURSE, DOESN'T START OR STOP AT 
COUNTY LINES.
GROWTH CONTINUES TO HAPPEN, NOT ONLY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 
BUT THROUGHOUT THE REGION, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS SLOWED.
THE GROWTH IS STILL AT THE RATE OF ADDING THE CITY OF 
SARASOTA TO THE REGION EVERY YEAR FOR 35 YEARS, AND THAT 
MEANS ALSO THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE GROWING TOGETHER.
TRANSPORTATION CHOICES AFFECT HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS ALL OVER 
THIS REGION, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF LONG COMMUTES AND FEW 
TRANSIT OPTIONS.
WE ALSO COMPETE AS A REGION WITH OTHER REGIONS AROUND THE 
COUNTRY FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND JOBS.
IN THE SURVEY THAT TBARTA DID LAST YEAR, TWO OUT OF THREE 
HOUSEHOLDS BELIEVE THAT A REGIONAL APPROACH IS A GOOD IDEA 
TOWARDS DEALING WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, TBARTA WAS CREATED OUT OF THAT TO IMPROVE 
MOBILITY AND EXPAND MULTIMODAL OPTIONS.
YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH TBARTA'S BOARD MEMBERS.
COMMISSIONER HAGAN SERVES ON THE BOARD, ALSO MAYOR IORIO.
TBARTA CONTINUES TO WORK WITH A CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE 
AND A TRANSIT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPRESENTING ALL OF THE 
TRANSIT AGENCY DIRECTORS AROUND THE REGION.
TBARTA HAS ALSO BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE MPOs AROUND 
THE REGION THROUGH THE CHAIRS COORDINATING COMMITTEE AND 
THE STAFF DIRECTORS COMMITTEE.
TBARTA IS ON TRACK TO COMPLETE THE MASTER PLAN BY JULY OF 
2009.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE COMING TO THE END OF PHASE THREE OF THAT 
PROCESS, WORKING TOWARDS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE MASTER 
PLAN ADOPTION POSSIBLY MARCH, POSSIBLY APRIL.
IT HASN'T BEEN SET YET.
JUST AS A QUICK RECAP OF HOW THE MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT 
HAPPENED, PHASE ONE LOOKED AT WHERE TRANSPORTATION 
IMPROVEMENTS WERE NEEDED; PHASE TWO LOOKED AT THE TYPES OF 
IMPROVEMENTS THAT MIGHT BEST SUIT THOSE NEEDS.
IN LOOKING AT THOSE NEEDS, WE DID CONSIDER EMPLOYMENT, 
POPULATION, TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, AIRPORTS, A NUMBER OF 
DIFFERENT TYPES OF GENERATORS AROUND THE REGION.
PHASE TWO IDENTIFIED LOCATIONS -- POTENTIAL LOCATIONS AND 
POTENTIAL APPROPRIATE TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE A LOT OF 
THESE DIFFERENT CONNECTIONS AROUND THE REGION, AND THAT -- 
THE MULTICOLORED SPAGHETTI MAP BECAME KIND OF MENU OF 
IMPROVEMENTS FROM WHICH TO CHOOSE TO PUT TOGETHER REGIONAL 
NETWORKS.
PHASE THREE LOOKED AT WAYS TO PUT TOGETHER REGIONAL 
NETWORKS DRAWING FROM THAT MENU WITH THREE VARIATIONS; ONE, 
EMPHASIZING FUNDING AND FINANCING.
IT HAS THE MOST TOLL AND HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE LANES.
ONE LOOKING AT PLANNING LOOKS AT WHERE YOU WOULD START 
INVESTING IN RAIL IN OUR MOST CONGESTED PARTS OF THE 
REGION, AND ONE LOOKING AT REGIONALISM LOOKS AT CONNECTING 
THE MOST DESTINATIONS AROUND THE REGION WITH FIXED 
GUIDEWAY.
IN TESTING THOSE NETWORKS, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF PROPOSED 
LINES THAT REALLY STOOD OUT IN TERMS OF PASSENGER MILES AND 
POTENTIAL FUTURE BOARDINGS IN 2035.
A LINE GOING FROM ST. PETERSBURG TO GATEWAY TO WESTSHORE TO 
DOWNTOWN TAMPA TO USF AND TO WESLEY CHAPEL PERFORMED REALLY 
WELL IN ALL OF THE NETWORKS, WHETHER IT'S SUPPORTED BY 
COMMUTER RAIL, LIGHT RAIL, OR MANAGED LANES.
A COUPLE OF LINES THAT REALLY FOCUS SERVICE ON HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY THAT YOU SEE IN THE PLANNING NETWORK FROM DOWNTOWN 
TAMPA TO BRANDON AND FROM DOWNTOWN TAMPA THROUGH THE 
AIRPORT OUT TO TOWN 'N COUNTRY PARALLELING LINEBAUGH.
BOTH OF THOSE PERFORMED REALLY WELL IN TERMS OF DRAWING 
POTENTIAL RIDERS.
OVERALL, IN LOOKING AT THOSE NETWORKS, THE ONE THAT HAD THE 
MOST PASSENGER MILES AND BOARDINGS WAS THE PLANNING 
EMPHASIS NETWORK.
AGAIN, THAT ONE WITH THE MOST LIGHT RAIL FOCUSED ON THE 
MOST CONGESTED PARTS OF OUR REGION.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN TERMS OF BOTH CAPITAL COSTS AND 
OPERATING COSTS WAS THE REGIONALISM EMPHASIS NETWORK.
THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE GREATER AMOUNT OF COMMUTER RAIL GOING 
LONGER DISTANCES ACROSS THE REGION.
AND IN LOOKING AT THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WE GOT DURING 
PHASE THREE, THE ONE THAT HAD THE MOST SUPPORT WAS ALSO THE 
REGIONALISM EMPHASIS NETWORK WITH FOLKS TELLING US THAT IT 
CONNECTS THE RIGHT PLACES, IT GIVES US THE TRAVEL CHOICES 
WE NEED, BUT WE ALSO SAW A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THE PLANNING 
EMPHASIS NETWORK AS WELL.
SO OUT OF WHAT WE HEARD FROM PHASE THREE WE HAD DRAFTED A 
COUPLE OF LONG-TERM AND MID-TERM VISION NETWORKS THAT HAVE 
NOW BEEN TESTED FOR FUTURE BOARDINGS AND RIDERSHIP AND HAVE 
BEEN PRESENTED TO THE TBARTA BOARD, WHICH HAS BEEN APPROVED 
FOR INTERAGENCY DISCUSSION AND COORDINATION, AND I KNOW 
THAT THESE ARE KIND OF SMALL ON YOUR SCREEN, SO I HAVE 
BROUGHT SOME HARD COPIES FOR YOU.
THE LONG-TERM VISION WOULD LOOK AT GROWTH OUT PAST 2050, 
AND IT INCLUDES SOME OF THOSE LONGER-DISTANCE RAIL 
CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE REGION LIKE A COMMUTER RAIL 
CONNECTION FROM TAMPA UP TO BROOKSVILLE, FROM TAMPA EAST TO 
LAKELAND, FROM TAMPA DOWN TO BRADENTON.
IN THE MID-TERM VISION, WHICH IS WHERE WOULD YOU START 
INVESTING IN SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS, IT DOES COME BACK 
TO WHERE OUR MOST CONGESTED AREAS -- WHERE DO WE THINK YOU 
WOULD GET THE MOST RIDERSHIP RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
AND THIS LOOKS A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE THE PLANNING EMPHASIS 
NETWORK WITH SOME OF THOSE LONG-TERM CONNECTIONS BEING MADE 
BY EXPRESS BUS SERVICES RUNNING IN MANAGED LANES ON THE 
INTERSTATES.
THIS MID-TERM VISION DOES INCLUDE THAT RAIL CONNECTION FROM 
DOWNTOWN TO WESTSHORE AND UP TO THE USF AREA THAT THE MPO, 
THE CITY OF TAMPA, HART HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT FOR SOMETIME.
IT DOES ALSO INCLUDE THE LINE FROM DOWNTOWN TAMPA TO 
BRANDON THAT WAS IN THE MPO TRANSIT STUDY AND FROM TAMPA UP 
THROUGH THE AIRPORT AND TO TOWN 'N COUNTRY AND OUT TO 
OLDSMAR THAT WAS ALSO IN THE MPO TRANSIT STUDY.
IT ALSO ASSUMES A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN LOCAL BUS SERVICE 
THAT WOULD FEED INTO AND COMPLEMENT THOSE REGIONAL SPINE 
SERVICES BECAUSE HOW DO YOU GET TO YOUR FRONT DOOR FROM 
THOSE REGIONAL LINES?
THE GROWTH OF THAT LOCAL TRANSIT SERVICE WOULD BE ABOUT 2.5 
TO THREE TIMES THE EXISTING AMOUNT OF BUS SERVICE IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THAT'S KIND OF BRINGING US UP ON 
PAR TO LEVELS OF TRANSIT SERVICE OF COMMUNITIES AROUND THE 
COUNTRY OF SIMILAR SIZE.
IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THE -- WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THIS 
SCREEN IS IN RED AND ORANGE SOME OF THE REGIONAL LINES, AND 
THEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT SPAGHETTI HERE, BUT THIS 
SHOWS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF COVERAGE IN THAT LOCAL BUS 
SERVICE.
THE LIGHT BLUE IS THOSE BUS RAPID TRANSIT TRANSIT EMPHASIS 
CORRIDORS THAT HART HAS BEEN STUDYING SO VERY -- MORE 
INTENSE INVESTMENTS IN LOCAL TRANSIT IN THOSE CORRIDORS AND 
THEN CONTINUED EXPANSION IN FREQUENCY AND GEOGRAPHIC 
COVERAGE IN SOME OF THE REST OF THE AREA.
SO WHERE COULD SOME OF THE MONEY TO DO THIS COME FROM?
CENTRAL FLORIDA, OF COURSE, LOOKED AT LOCAL FUNDS MATCHED 
BY FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS.
IN SOME OF THE BUDGETING THAT WE'RE DOING IN PLAYING OUT 
SOME REVENUE SCENARIOS FOR TBARTA WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT 
MAYBE 50% OF FUNDS COMING FROM LOCAL, MAYBE 50% COMING FROM 
FEDERAL AND STATE JUST AS A BALLPARK STARTING POINT, AND 
THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE INTENSE COMPETITION THAT'S OUT THERE 
RIGHT NOW FOR FEDERAL FUNDS.
FOR TOLLS WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THE EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH 
FLORIDA IN USING OPERATING FUNDS FOR EXPRESS BUS SERVICE IN 
DOING SOME NET PRESENT VALUE CALCULATIONS.
IF THE EXPRESS BUS SERVICES RUNNING ON THOSE MANAGED LANES 
THAT YOU SAW IN THE MID-TERM VISION NETWORK -- IF THOSE 
WERE ALL SUPPORTED BY TOLLS, THAT MIGHT BUY YOU AN 
ADDITIONAL $300- TO $400 MILLION WORTH OF FUNDS FOR CAPITAL 
PROJECTS.
DENVER, OF COURSE, IMPLEMENTED A REGIONAL SALES TAX TO USE 
FOR THEIR LOCAL MATCH, AND WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT 
SCENARIOS THAT UTILIZE THE SALES TAX.
IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IF THERE WERE A ONE-CENT SALES TAX 
DOING A NET PRESENT VALUE CALCULATION ASSUMING NO GROWTH IN 
REVENUE SOURCES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND FASTER 
GROWTH IN CAPITAL COSTS THAN IN REVENUES, WE'D BE LOOKING 
AT A ONE-CENT SALES TAX MIGHT GENERATE ABOUT $2.4 BILLION 
OVER 30 YEARS, ASSUMING THAT YOU SET ASIDE SOME MONEY TO 
OPERATE BOTH YOUR REGIONAL SERVICES AND YOUR LOCAL EXPANDED 
SUPPORTING NETWORK AND ASSUMING THAT THOSE SERVICES DO GROW 
GRADUALLY OVER 30 YEARS.
PLAYING OUT THE SCENARIOS A LITTLE BIT, IF YOUR LOCAL BUS 
SERVICE IS ALL -- IF ALL THAT GROWTH HAPPENS AT THE VERY 
BEGINNING OF YOUR PLANNING PERIOD, SAY IN THE FIRST TEN 
YEARS OF YOUR TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN, THAT WOULD REDUCE 
THE FUNDING THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AVAILABLE TO PUT TOWARDS 
CAPITAL PROJECTS, SO THAT THEN GOES DOWN TO ABOUT 1.4 
BILLION.
IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE HART'S CURRENT AD VALOREM LEVY, THAT 
GETS YOU DOWN TO ABOUT $.7 BILLION AVAILABLE FOR CAPITAL 
PROJECTS.
IN CONTEXT, RAISING THE GAS TAX BY FIVE CENTS WOULD BE 
WORTH ABOUT 500 MILLION MORE OR LESS, A NET PRESENT VALUE 
OVER 30 YEARS.
AGAIN, THIS IS VERY KIND OF BALLPARK SKETCH PLANNING TO SEE 
IF WE'RE IN THE SAME GENERAL VICINITY WHEN WE'RE COMPARING 
THIS WITH CAPITAL COSTS.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT STATIONARY DEVELOPMENT AS A POTENTIAL 
SOURCE OF REVENUE.
THAT IS -- IT IS BEING LOOKED AT BY OTHER AREAS AROUND THE 
COUNTRY, BUT EVEN IF YOU LOOKED AT, SAY, HALF OF YOUR 
STATIONARY CAPITAL COSTS BEING PAID FOR THROUGH LOCAL 
DEVELOPMENT SOURCES, THAT'S STILL ONLY GOING TO BUY YOU 
ABOUT 3% TO 4% OF YOUR TOTAL CAPITAL COSTS, SO MAYBE $300- 
TO $400 MILLION NET PRESENT VALUE OVER 30 YEARS.
WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF OUTREACH TO DEVELOP THIS PLAN 
WITH NOW ACTUALLY OVER 11,000 ATTENDEES AT TBARTA EVENTS, 
WORKSHOPS, SPEAKERS BUREAU PRESENTATIONS, AND SO FORTH.
AND THE NEXT STEPS IN THIS PROCESS FOCUS ON INTERAGENCY 
COORDINATION ON THE CORRIDORS IN THE MASTER PLAN, 
PARTICULARLY SOME OF THESE FIXED GUIDEWAY CORRIDORS IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
ONE OF THESE CORRIDORS, OF COURSE, IS ALREADY BEING STUDIED 
BY HART.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO BRING 
INTO A SIMILAR LEVEL OF STUDY.
AND AS A BALLPARK CAPITAL COST FOR THESE FIXED GUIDEWAY 
WHAT MIGHT BE RAIL PROJECTS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THEY'RE 
IN THE RANGE OF $3.3- TO $5.5 BILLION TOTAL CAPITAL COSTS 
IF YOU ASSUME YOU COULD GET 50% OF THAT FROM FEDERAL OR 
STATE THAT -- IT PUTS YOU IN THE $1.7 TO $2.8-BILLION 
RANGE, SO DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR REVENUE SCENARIOS ARE AND 
WHAT IS IN OR OUT OF THE PLAN OF PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, DO ALL 
OF THESE PROJECTS BELONG IN THE PLAN, IN WHAT TIME FRAME, 
IN A MID-TERM TIME FRAME OR MAYBE IN A LONGER-TERM TIME 
FRAME, THAT'LL AFFECT THIS KIND OF TRADE-OFF, SO THAT'S 
WHAT TBARTA WOULD BE LOOKING TO WORK WITH YOU ON IN THE 
NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS AND BRINGING FORWARD A PLAN DOCUMENT 
DRAFT FOR INTERAGENCY REVIEW, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS 
PUBLIC MEETINGS, INCLUDING AN I-TOWN HALL FORMAT, A PUBLIC 
HEARING FOR ADOPTION OF THE PLAN, AND THEN MOVING FORWARD 
INTO CORRIDOR STUDIES.
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES.
KEVIN.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
WHEN YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AROUND 
THE COUNTRY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING STRATEGIES, 
HAVE YOU NOTICED WHERE ONE PARTICULAR STRATEGY IS USED MORE 
THAN OTHERS OR ARE THEY USING A COMBINATION OF BOTH IS, I 
GUESS, QUESTION ONE, AND THEN WHEN WE COMPARE IT BACK TO 
THE NUMBERS THAT WE NEED TO FUND THE TRANSPORTATION PROJECT 
FOR HERE IN OUR AREA ON THE REGIONAL BASIS, WHAT DO YOU 
FORESEE WOULD BE A GOOD COMBINATION OR -- IT DOESN'T SOUND 
LIKE TO ME THAT ONLY ONE STRATEGY WOULD MEET OUR FUNDING 
NEEDS HERE.
>> YEAH, I THINK YOU'VE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD THERE, 
THAT A LOT OF PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTRY DRAW ON A PACKAGE 
OF DIFFERENT SOURCES.
THE -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT APPLYING 
FOR FEDERAL FUNDS IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DOCUMENTED 
COMMITMENT TO THE LOCAL MATCH FOR THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS, SO 
THE QUESTION FOR US IS IF WE ARE GOING TO DRAW ON THOSE 
FEDERAL FUNDS, WHERE DOES THAT LOCAL MATCH COME FROM AND 
HOW DO WE DEMONSTRATE A COMMITMENT TO IT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT REPORT.
MY QUESTION IS TO YOU, MR. SKELTON.
I KNOW ALONG YOUR -- THE 275 EXPANSION WE'VE GOT A LOT OF 
RIGHT-OF-WAY THERE, AND I THINK YOU'VE SAID IN THE PAST 
THAT WE'VE INCLUDED POTENTIAL RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR SOME FIXED 
GUIDEWAY SYSTEM, HOPEFULLY A LIGHT RAIL.
MY QUESTION IS WHEN IT -- WHEN WE VEER NORTH UP THE 
VETERANS, WHICH IS SHOWING ON SEVERAL OF THESE MAPS, HAVE 
WE INCLUDED RIGHT-OF-WAY ALONG THERE?
>>DON SKELTON:  RIGHT-OF-WAY ALONG THE VETERANS I DON'T 
BELIEVE IS THERE.
THERE IS, AGAIN, THE AIRPORT, LOUIS MILLER, THEY'VE DONE 
THEIR MASTER PLAN, THEY'VE PROVIDED FOR THE ACCOMMODATION 
OF A LIGHT RAIL.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  BUT I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT GETTING INTO 
THE AIRPORT, I'M TALKING ABOUT GOING UP TO, WHAT WAS IT, 
LINEBAUGH OR SOMETHING?
>>DON SKELTON:  WELL, GOING UP TO LINEBAUGH COMING OUT OF 
THE AIRPORT, THE AVIATION AUTHORITY ACTUALLY OWNS THAT 
PROPERTY THAT'S THE EXISTING RAILS, THE EXISTING RAIL THAT 
COMES OUT OF THE AIRPORT, NOT ALONG THE VETERANS.
IT KIND OF PARALLELS, GOES UP ALONG ANDERSON ROAD TYPE 
ALIGNMENT AND THEN GOES IN -- THE WESTCHASE EAST-WEST RAIL 
LINE WOULD ALSO BE ENVISIONED.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  SO THAT'S THE POTENTIAL CORRIDOR THAT 
FOLKS ARE LOOKING AT?
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MR. WAINIO.
I'M SORRY.
I'M SORRY.
>>JOSEPH WAGGONER:  THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
YOU JUST INSULTED HIM, NOT ME.
[LAUGHTER]
THE NUMBERS YOU PUT OUT THERE WITH REGARD TO NET PRESENT 
VALUE, ARE THEY JUST BASED ON REVENUE, THEY'RE NOT BASED ON 
A BONDED ASSESSMENT OF WHAT YOU COULD DO WITH THAT REVENUE?
>> THESE ARE -- NO, YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY'RE NOT ASSUMING A 
BOND.
>>JOSEPH WAGGONER:  I'M VERY INTERESTED IN REVIEWING WHAT 
YOU COME UP WITH BECAUSE THE REAL PICTURE OF WHAT YOU CAN 
DO WITH THAT REVENUE STREAM IS BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE TO 
SET ASIDE FOR MAINTENANCE, OPERATION, REPLACEMENT, RENEWAL, 
AND THEN THE BALANCE YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BOND, AND 
THOSE WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT NUMBERS THAN WHAT YOU'VE 
SHARED WITH US TODAY, SO --
>> THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION COSTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT 
OF HERE, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE IS ONE ADDITIONAL STEP TO 
TAKE OUT THE INTEREST FOR A BOND.
>>JOSEPH WAGGONER:  AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT THAT'S THE KEY 
THING THAT YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO SHARE WITH FOLKS TO KNOW 
WHAT YOU REALLY CAN DO WITH THE REVENUE STREAMS YOU'RE 
TALKING ABOUT.
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
YES, MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THIS MPO BOARD HAS FOR A VERY LONG TIME 
BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF DEVELOPING THIS SYSTEM.
MY QUESTION IS HOW -- WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY FOR US 
TO DEMONSTRATE OUR SUPPORT?
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY IS TO MAKE SURE 
THAT OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN HAS RAIL IN IT IN 
THE COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN WITH A DESIGNATED FUNDING SOURCE.
THAT BECOMES THE TOOLBOX THAT THEY CAN PULL PIECES OUT OF 
TO DO THE REFERENDUM OR WHATEVER.
WE HAVE A NEEDS PLAN AND A COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN.
NEEDS PLAN CAN BE EVERYTHING IN THE KITCHEN SINK THAT WE 
NEED.
COST-AFFORDABLE, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, THAT'S OUR OFFICIAL 
MPO PLAN, SO DOING A REALLY GOOD COST-AFFORDABLE PLAN THAT 
HAS RAIL IN IT AND SUPPORTING THAT PLAN AND WORKING IN 
COORDINATION WITH TBARTA TO GET THAT PLAN IMPLEMENTED AND 
HART, OF COURSE, IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO, BUT RIGHT NOW WE 
NEED TO DO THE GOOD PLAN.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  GOOD.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  THANK YOU.
A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I KNOW THAT -- AND I KNOW YOU'RE -- WHAT -- HOW MANY MORE 
DAYS -- ARE YOU STILL EMPLOYED AS A --
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  SEVEN.
SEVEN.
I KNOW THAT.
>>MARY MULHERN:  YOU'RE STILL WORKING FOR TBARTA, RIGHT, AS 
A CONSULTANT?
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>>MARY MULHERN:  ALL RIGHT.
I KNOW THAT AT THE LAST TBARTA MEETING, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY 
I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND, THE MAYOR PRESENTED HER PLAN FOR 
THE BEGINNINGS OF WHAT SHE FEELS SHOULD BE THE SYSTEM, 
THE -- THE RAIL SYSTEM, SO COULD YOU GIVE US A REALLY QUICK 
RECAP OF THAT AND ALSO A SENSE OF WHAT THE TBARTA BOARD'S 
REACTION TO THAT WAS.
>> SURE.
THE -- IT WAS A TREMENDOUSLY POSITIVE MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE WAS THERE, BUT THE MAYOR TOOK 
THE REGIONAL -- THE TBARTA MAPS AND ZOOMED IN ON THE 
CORRIDORS THAT SHE WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN, 
INCLUDING DOWNTOWN TO USF, DOWNTOWN TO WESTSHORE, WESTSHORE 
UP TO LINEBAUGH THROUGH THE AIRPORT, AND USF UP TO NEW 
TAMPA, AND SHE TALKED ABOUT THE -- THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT 
AS A STARTING POINT FOR THE REGIONAL SYSTEM, AND, YOU KNOW, 
I THINK THAT SHE WAS MET WITH -- WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM 
THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO -- WHO DID SUPPORT THE IDEA 
THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO START IN HILLSBOROUGH BUT THAT WANT 
TO SEE -- THEY WANT TO SEE HOW THOSE STARTING LINES CAN 
EXTEND TO THE REST OF THE REGION AND HOW TO DEVELOP 
AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE COUNTIES ABOUT HOW TO OPERATE THOSE 
LINES.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY.
SO THE -- AND WAS HER FIRST PRIORITY -- BECAUSE I WASN'T 
CLEAR ABOUT THIS FROM READING ABOUT IT IN THE PAPER.
HER FIRST PRIORITY, WAS IT SUGGESTED THAT IT BE 
USF/DOWNTOWN?
>> YES.
>> THAT WAS MY SENSE OF IT, YES.
>>MARY MULHERN:  THAT WAS IT?
OKAY.
AND WAS THAT BASED ON NUMBERS OF POTENTIAL RIDERSHIP, 
COMMUTERS?
>> WELL, I THINK IT WAS ALSO BASED ON THAT THERE'S BEEN 
EXTENSIVE STUDY OF THIS LINE, SO IT'S ONE THAT YOU COULD 
MOVE FORWARD WITH PRETTY READILY, WHEREAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE 
DOWNTOWN TO WESTSHORE LINE MAY REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL 
STUDY TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE IT NEEDS TO RUN.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS -- I'M A BROKEN RECORD HERE, BUT I WOULD 
LIKE TO -- FOR US AS AN MPO AND HOPEFULLY FOR COUNCIL AND 
COUNTY COMMISSION TO CONSIDER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEN 
TBARTA STARTED, WHICH WAS, WHAT, TWO YEARS AGO OR --
>> YEAR AND A HALF.
>>MARY MULHERN:  -- YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND THE ECONOMIC 
SITUATION WE'RE IN AND THE REALITY OF THE URGENCY FOR 
IMPROVING AND INCREASING OUR TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO 
THE COSTS AND REALLY, REALLY LOOK AT -- I MEAN, I KNOW THAT 
IF THIS IS GOING TO BE HOPEFULLY PUT ON THE BALLOT IN 2010, 
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST, AND I HAVE -- I 
THINK IT IS WORTH LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT ESPECIALLY WITH 
THE USF/DOWNTOWN LINE THAT -- WHAT ARE THE COSTS FOR US 
GOING TO BE AS FAR AS RIGHT-OF-WAY AND WHAT ARE POSSIBLE -- 
THE POSSIBILITY OF ACTUALLY EXTENDING THE STREETCAR OR 
USING EXISTING RIGHT-OF-WAY THAT THE COUNTY OR THE CITY HAS 
FOR A RAIL LINE AS OPPOSED TO THE COST OF THE CSX, BUYING 
RIGHT-OF-WAY OR SHARING THE RAIL WITH CSX, SO I'M JUST 
PUTTING IT OUT THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST IN SUCH 
A DIFFICULT INCREDIBLE TIME FOR ANY KIND OF PLANNING, AND I 
THINK THAT WE NEED TO KEEP LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT 
NOW, NOT JUST WHAT, YOU KNOW, WAS PROPOSED TEN YEARS AGO 
AND WE ALREADY HAVE IT READY TO GO BECAUSE, REALLY, IT'S 
GOING TO BE WHETHER WE CAN AFFORD TO DO IT OR NOT, SO IF 
THERE ARE POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT 
THEM, AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES ON 
COUNTY COMMISSION.
I THINK THAT TO GET THIS SOONER THAT SOME LANGUAGE FOR 
PUTTING THIS ON THE BALLOT IN 2010 HAPPENS, THE MORE LIKELY 
IT WILL BE TO PASS, SO IF THE OBJECT IS TO GET THIS PASSED, 
WE NEED TO START SELLING IT NOW, SO THE SOONER WE HAVE THE 
PROPOSAL ON THE BALLOT, THE SOONER WE'LL BE ABLE TO MARKET 
IT, AND I THINK THAT ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WE HAD 
COME IN FROM OTHER CITIES TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY SOLD THE 
RAIL PLAN, IT WAS QUITE CLEAR THAT THE MARKETING WAS 
IMPORTANT, AND I THINK WITH ECONOMICALLY THINGS PROBABLY 
NOT GETTING MUCH BETTER, THE SOONER WE START TO SELL THIS 
AS A -- A SAVINGS FOR PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO JUST INCREASING 
YOUR SALES TAX, WE NEED TO DO IT SOON, SO I'M JUST TAKING 
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES ON COUNTY 
COMMISSION TO DO THAT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN A FORUM DISCUSSION 
THIS MORNING WITH THE MAYOR.
IT WAS SPONSORED BY THE TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL, AND SHE 
DISCUSSED HER CONVERSATIONS BOTH WITH TBARTA AS WELL AS MR. 
CLIFFORD WAS ALSO THERE, AND AS WAS SAID, I THINK HER 
COMMENTS WERE GREETED VERY POSITIVELY BY TBARTA AND BY THE 
MEMBERS, BUT ALSO SHE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHE 
ENVISIONED WAS A CONNECTION BETWEEN -- THE INITIAL STARTER 
BETWEEN USF AND THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AND THEN THERE WAS A LOT 
OF SUPPORT BOTH FROM THE AUDIENCE AS WELL AS SHE ALSO 
TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONNECTION OUT TO WESLEY 
CHAPEL, BUT, OF COURSE, THIS IS ALL DRIVEN BY THE DATA, AND 
THAT'S WHY THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS IS BEING DONE, AND HART 
IS INTEGRAL TO THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, WHICH IS WE CAN'T GO 
FORWARD WITH A REQUEST IF WE DON'T HAVE THE RIDERSHIP 
FORECASTED TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, SO HART -- 
AND THIS -- THAT'S -- THIS IS THE DANCE WE'RE INVOLVED IN.
WE'VE GOT TO GET HART, TBARTA, THE CITY, THE COUNTY, MPO 
ALL ON THE SAME EXACT PAGE, AND THAT WAS -- I CAN'T 
REMEMBER, MARY.
WE'RE ON SO MANY DIFFERENT COMMITTEES, I DON'T KNOW IF 
YOU'RE ON HART OR NOT.
OKAY.
YOU'RE NOT ON HART.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER BECKNER IS AND COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER 
AND MS. FERLITA.
WE UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY OF MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE BALLOT 
LANGUAGE READY TO GET IT ON THE BALLOT.
COUNTY HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DOING THAT, BUT WE DON'T 
WANT TO PUT SOMETHING FORWARD THAT EVERYONE DOESN'T 
UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT, AND SO WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT 
WE GET IT RIGHT, BUT WE ARE WORKING THAT, AND HOPEFULLY, 
RAY, YOU'RE WORKING THAT AS WELL, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, 
THIS IS ESSENTIAL.
USF IS THE KEY.
I THINK -- AND WHEN I SAY USF, I MEAN THE USF AREA, THE 
VETERANS HOSPITAL, MOFFITT CANCER, THE FOLLOW-ON TO 
MOFFITT, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, PHASE 2, WE BEFORE TALKED 
ABOUT A PARK SOMEWHERE OUT AWAY FROM USF OR THEY DID.
NOW BECAUSE OF THIS DISCUSSION OF TRANSIT DOWN BY THE USF 
AREA, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT PARK BEING IN THAT AREA RIGHT 
THERE WHICH IS WHERE IT BELONGS, ALONG WITH ALL THE 
STUDENTS WE'VE GOT THERE.
THAT'S -- YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF 
PITTSBURGH MEDICAL CENTER, THEY ARE A $5-BILLION BUSINESS.
THEY GENERATE OVER 40,000 JOBS, THEY'RE THE SINGLE LARGEST 
EMPLOYER IN THE PITTSBURGH REGION, AND AT A TIME WHEN YOU 
HAVE THE ECONOMY IN A TAILSPIN, PITTSBURGH'S CREATING JOBS, 
AND I KNOW THAT OUR USF AREA AND TEMPLE TERRACE, THAT'S 
GOING TO BE -- THAT'S GOING TO BE -- THAT'S THE DYNAMO, SO 
WE'VE GOT TO CONNECT THAT AREA WITH THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AND 
IT'S BEING DONE.
I MEAN, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, AND HOPEFULLY, RAY, YOU CAN 
HELP BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER, BUT HART -- AND I SEE MR. 
ARMIJO SITTING OUT THERE -- THEY ARE INTEGRAL PLAYERS IN 
THIS AS WELL.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SHARPE.
ANY OTHER -- RAY CHIARAMONTE WAS --
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  WELL, WHAT I WANTED TO COMMENT ON, AND 
THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT WE REALLY DO A GOOD JOB WITH THE 
MPO PLAN BECAUSE THE MPO PLAN IS THE BASIS FOR ALL THIS. 
NOTHING CAN MOVE FORWARD UNLESS IT'S IN THE MPO PLAN, SO WE 
HAVE TO DO A GOOD JOB WITH THIS, THEN WE HAVE OUR PRODUCT, 
THEN WE CAN PUT IT OUT FOR THE REFERENDUM, BUT WE'VE GOT TO 
GO THROUGH THOSE STEPS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO BY THE 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THE MPO PLAN HAS TO BE DONE IN A CERTAIN WAY.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE PROPER STEPS IN THE RIGHT 
ORDER.
AS MUCH AS I'D LOVE TO JUMP AHEAD, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
WE KIND OF HAVE TO KEEP THE HORSE RACE WITH ALL THE HORSES 
EVEN MOVING AHEAD SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED 
TO DO.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, RAY.
MR. DINGFELDER.
THEN I'LL GET TO YOU.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANKS.
MARK, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP 
ON THIS.
YOU'VE BEEN REALLY PUSHING THIS, I KNOW SPENDING COUNTLESS 
HOURS PROBABLY AT THE SACRIFICE OF YOUR FAMILY, BUT WORKING 
ON THIS, AND WE THANK YOU.
AND NOW THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES, KEVIN, FOR YOU TO JUMP IN 
WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSION, OF COURSE, ROSE, AND WE WERE 
TALKING ABOUT THIS JUST YESTERDAY AT HARTLINE, ABOUT THE 
TIMING OF IT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPLICATED BECAUSE ON 
THE ONE HAND, I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD LIKE TO JUMP IN AND 
DO IT AND GET SOME LANGUAGE AND MOVE FORWARD, BUT THEN 
AGAIN, THERE'S SOME CONSTRAINTS, SORT OF BUREAUCRATIC 
CONSTRAINTS OF GETTING ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT AGENCIES 
ONBOARD AT THE SAME TIME, BUT WE CAN'T DELAY.
WE REALLY CAN'T.
WE CAN'T DELAY.
2010 WILL BE AROUND THE CORNER.
IT WILL BE UPON US, AND WE HAVE TO GET MOVING, AS MARY 
SAID, ON THESE MARKETING ISSUES, BUT THE OTHER THING I WAS 
GOING TO REMIND YOU, MARK, IS WHEN WE DO START MARKETING 
THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT -- THAT STUDY WE SAW YESTERDAY OVER AT 
HART TALKED ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU POLL PEOPLE, ONLY 20% OF 
THE FOLKS IN THIS COUNTY ARE THINKING ABOUT TRANSIT AS 
THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, YOU KNOW, FOR -- FOR THESE TYPES 
OF ISSUES, AND -- AND THAT'S OKAY.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO -- YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT BUMP THOSE NUMBERS 
UP A LITTLE BIT TO 30 OR WHATEVER, BUT I THINK THE OTHER 
OPPORTUNITY IS TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT 
TRANSIT PROVIDES, AND RIGHT UP THE STREET IN CHARLOTTE 
WE'VE GOT LOTS OF DOCUMENTATION THAT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 
THAT THEY BUILT PROBABLY A BILLION-DOLLAR TRANSIT SYSTEM, 
BUT THEN THEY HAD ANOTHER BILLION DOLLARS OF DEVELOPMENT 
THAT BUILT UP AROUND THEIR TRANSIT SYSTEM, AND I THINK 
THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE.
NOT ONLY DO WE NEED REDEVELOPMENT IN EAST TAMPA, WEST 
TAMPA, AND THE UNIVERSITY AREA, BUT WE NEED VOTES IN THOSE 
AREAS, AND WHEN -- AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE -- THAT THAT 
MIGHT BE THE PRIORITY TRACK TO START ON, THAT'S A WONDERFUL 
PLACE BECAUSE ALL THREE OF THOSE AREAS NEED REDEVELOPMENT, 
YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU PUT THE LINE AND YOU PUT STATIONS 
DOWN THROUGH WEST TAMPA AND EAST TAMPA AND THE UNIVERSITY 
FORMERLY KNOWN AS SUITCASE CITY, THOSE ARE JUST FANTASTIC 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR REDEVELOPMENT FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES AND 
FOR -- AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, SO 
LET'S -- WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
WE'RE NOT JUST MOVING PEOPLE, WE'RE GENERATING FANTASTIC 
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
I DEFER TO COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
HE'S READING A BOOK CALLED "CITIES OF KNOWLEDGE," AND HE 
HAS A VERY SPECIFIC IDEA ABOUT THIS CORRIDOR.
I'D LIKE HIM TO SHARE IT WITH EVERYBODY.
>>MARK SHARPE:  WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THAT -- I MEAN, MY 
FOCUS FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS HAS BEEN ON THE ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT AND CREATING A NEW -- AN ECONOMY BASED ON 
INFORMATION, HIGH TECHNOLOGY, LIFE SCIENCES.
THE UNIVERSITY AREA IS THE LINCHPIN TO THIS EFFORT, AND 
WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY TO -- NOT JUST TO PEOPLE WHO 
WORK IN THOSE AREAS BUT TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO VISIT -- 70 
MILLION PEOPLE COME TO FLORIDA EACH YEAR.
MANY OF THEM COME BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GO TO DISNEY WORLD, 
BUT MORE ARE GOING TO START COMING BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GET 
THEIR TREATMENTS, CANCER TREATMENTS, DIABETES, ALZHEIMER'S, 
AND USF IS WHERE IT'S ALL HAPPENING.
IN FACT, THE VA HOSPITAL ONE OF FOUR POLYTRAUMA CENTERS IN 
THE NATION, AND WHEN PEOPLE COME IN THEY HAVE A DIFFICULT 
TIME GETTING AROUND.
WHAT WE'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY -- AND I THINK HOW WE WIN 
THIS -- YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THE VAST MAJORITY OF 
CITIZENS LIVING IN THIS COUNTY MAY SAY I'LL NEVER RIDE THE 
SYSTEM OR I DON'T RIDE IT NOW, BUT YOU LIVE IN SUN CITY, 
YOU'RE GOING IN FOR YOUR CANCER TREATMENT OF SOME SORT, IF 
WE'VE GOT A MECCA OF TREATMENT OPTIONS IN THE UNIVERSITY 
AREA, WHICH M2GEN AND THOSE OTHERS ARE CREATING, AND THEN 
YOU'VE GOT A FAST TRACK FROM SUN CITY BY BUS, RAPID 
TRANSIT, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THEN 
YOU HOP ONTO THE RAIL LINE AND YOU ZIP INTO USF, NOW YOU'VE 
GOT TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO 
MESS AROUND WITH THEIR CARS BECAUSE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM 
WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO THAT AREA IS WHERE DO I PARK, HOW DO I 
GET AROUND?
IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT -- AND THAT'S WHAT WE 
WANT, WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO FLORIDA AND SAY, I DON'T 
NEED TO WORRY ABOUT WHERE I'M GOING TO GET IN MY CAR OR I'M 
GOING TO PARK IT.
WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO ZIP THEM AROUND.
AND THAT WILL CREATE JOBS, IT'S GOING TO CREATE TREATMENT 
OPTIONS.
IT'S WHAT OUR FUTURE SHOULD BE, AND IT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO 
TRANSFORM OUR REGION FROM ONE OF THE LOWEST-PAYING REGIONS 
IN THE -- I MEAN, COMPARE US TO CHARLOTTE, ATLANTA, DALLAS.
WE'RE AT THE BOTTOM.
WE NEED TO BE AT THE TOP.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER.
>>MARK SHARPE:  I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED, 
LINDA, BUT --
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THAT WAS IT, AND THE LAND USE COMPONENT 
OF IT, WHICH IS THE VAST AREAS OF COMMERCIALLY ZONED 
PROPERTY ALONG THINGS LIKE FOWLER, THAT ARE FALLOW RIGHT 
NOW, COULD ALL BECOME DENSE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE BUILDINGS 
WITH HOUSING BEHIND IT, WITH SUPPORTIVE RETAIL.
I MEAN, WE HAVE THE -- WE HAVE ALL THE -- THE BONES OF THE 
INFRASTRUCTURE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  AND WE NEED THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY 
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THIS IS IN THE CITY, SO WE WANT 
TO WORK WITH YOU ON MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  YES.
I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC, AND I'M GLAD THAT, MARK, YOU'RE 
FOCUSING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE WE -- I ALWAYS TRY 
TO SELL EVERYTHING IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S KIND OF A HARD SELL BECAUSE IT INVOLVES A LITTLE BIT 
OF MORE LONG-RANGE THINKING, SO KEEP AT IT BECAUSE I KNOW 
IT'S HARD TO CONVINCE PEOPLE OF THAT, BUT THE OTHER THING I 
WANTED TO SAY WAS BETH'S NUMBERS -- SHE FLIPPED BY THAT 
SCREEN, BUT ON THE SCREEN IT SAID HOW MUCH MONEY YOU SAVE 
AS A FAMILY WITH ONE CAR, AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WHAT'S 
GOING TO HIT HOME WITH PEOPLE IS THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO 
HAVE TWO CARS AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR GAS AND THEY 
CAN'T DRIVE EVERYWHERE, AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE THAT 
OPTION AT ALL FOR ANYBODY, SO I THINK THE REAL SALES PART 
OF THAT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY THEIR 
BILLS AND SAVE MONEY IF WE HAVE ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING, 
YOU KNOW, BUS AND TRANSIT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER -- I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION THAT ALL OF 
US HERE UNDERSTAND AND REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF MASS 
TRANSIT, AND NOW IT'S JUST OUR JOB TO DO WHAT WE COULD DO 
TO GET THAT OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND MAKE THEM FEEL THE SAME 
WAY AS WE DO ABOUT IT.
SO -- OKAY.
WITH THAT, WE HAVE HART STREETCAR EXTENSION.
LYNDA MIFSUD.
>> GOOD MORNING.
I'M LYNDA MIFSUD WITH HART ENGINEERING.
IT'S REALLY A CHALLENGE TO BE THE LAST PERSON TO SPEAK AT A 
LONG MEETING.
GOING FROM MY FAVORITE, A LOT OF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS 
PRESENTATION, SO HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A LITTLE FAST.
I'VE ASKED FOR SOME ASSISTANCE IN PULLING THE PRESENTATION 
UP.
I'LL MAKE AS EFFICIENT USE OF YOUR TIME AS I CAN.
I'M HERE TO UPDATE YOU ON THE STREETCAR PROJECT.
TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.
VERY FAR-REACHING, BUT I MAY BE GOING THREE BLOCKS.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THREE BLOCKS TO GO.
IT'S BRINGING THE STREETCAR INTO THE SOUTHERN PART OF 
DOWNTOWN, IT'S THE HEART RIGHT THERE.
THE SOUTHERN PART OF DOWNTOWN IS GOING FROM DICK GRECO 
PLAZA TO WHITING.
I'LL TELL YOU HOW WE'VE GOTTEN TO WHERE WE ARE.
WE ARE NOW ON THE STREETS WITH THE SOLICITATION.
WE GOT OUR FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FROM FTA 
JANUARY 15th, 2008, ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
FROM THAT POINT WE DEVELOPED A BUSINESS PLAN, WE MOVED 
FORWARD INTO A DESIGN-BUILD APPROACH TO DELIVER THIS 
PROJECT.
WE HAVE DIRECTION TO HAVE IT IN PLACE BY THE END OF 2010.
THAT'S A FAST TRACK FOR ANY PROJECT, NO MATTER HOW SMALL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT IS A THREE-BLOCK SEGMENT, BUT AS I SAY, IT'S AN 
IMPORTANT THREE-BLOCK SEGMENT.
WE STARTED WITH THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE EVALUATED IN THE 
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
WE HAD AN ALTERNATIVE A-1 AND B-1, BOTH OF WHICH WERE 
INCORPORATED INTO THE FONSI THAT WAS ISSUED BY FEDERAL 
TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION.
WE HAD ESTABLISHED SOME BUDGETS FOR BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS.
YOU'LL SEE SOME SIMILARITIES IN THEM.
BOTH OF THEM HAVE SINGLE TRACK ON ONE END, A DOUBLE-TRACK 
STATION ON THE OTHER END UP BY WHITING, AND IN BETWEEN IS 
WHERE THEY HAVE VARIATION.
ALTERNATIVE B-1 WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE THE OPERATIONAL 
FLEXIBILITY THAT WE NEEDED.
IT COULD STORE UP TO 11 CARS.
IT HAD A DOUBLE CROSSOVER, VERY EXPENSIVE, GOES DEEP, HAS 
MORE UTILITY IMPACTS THAN ALTERNATIVE A-1, AND A LITTLE 
MORE COST, SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE WANTED TO TAKE ONE PROJECT 
FORWARD IN A DESIGN-BUILD SOLICITATION FOR BIDS.
WE LOOKED AT THE BEST OF BOTH.
WE DEVELOPED A HYBRID AND A REFINED TRACK ALIGNMENT.
WE CAN STAGE UP TO SIX, SEVEN POSSIBLY, VEHICLES.
WE BELIEVE THAT IN THE PASSING TRACK THAT WE DEVELOPED ON 
HART PROPERTY IN A PARKING LOT THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO 
STAGE FOUR VEHICLES.
THE STATION UP BY WHITING IS THREE BLOCKS -- IS ONE BLOCK 
LONG.
IT WILL HOLD THREE CARS.
THE LENGTH OF THE TRACK IS 1692, ABOUT COMPARABLE TO THE A-
1 ALTERNATIVE, LESS THAN THE B-1.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS IS WE'RE AVOIDING THE IMPACTS TO THE 
INTERSECTION AT WHITING.
THE CITY HAD TOLD US WHEN WE MET WITH THEM BACK IN OCTOBER 
THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM THERE IN THE DOUBLE-TRACK STATION.
IF WE HAD PROVIDED THE DOUBLE-TRACK STATION INDICATED IN 
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOCUMENTS, WE WOULD HAVE 
PINCHED THE TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS GOING EASTBOUND ON WHITING 
AND SOUTHBOUND ON FRANKLIN, AND THAT WAS A PROBLEM.
IT WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE FLEXIBILITY FOR VEHICLES TO 
TURN ON THAT STREET, AND THAT WAS A REAL PROBLEM.
SO WE DEVELOPED A SINGLE-TRACK STATION, AND WE MOVED 
FORWARD.
WE'VE SOLVED THAT PROBLEM.
WE HAVE ONE PROJECT THAT IS OUT TO BID.
WE'VE DEVELOPED PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR THIS PROJECT, AND 
WE SHOULD BE SEEING OUR FIRST BIDS IN ON FEBRUARY 10th.
WE WILL GO INTO A NEGOTIATION FOR BEST AND FINAL OFFER, AND 
WE WILL BE AWARDING THIS IN APRIL.
OUR BOARD WILL CONSIDER THIS FOR AWARD IN APRIL, AND FROM 
THERE WE'VE GOT ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO GET IT IN PLACE.
VERY FAST PROJECT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A DESIGN CHARRETTE ON THE STATION.
WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO MINIMIZE RISK WHEREVER POSSIBLE AS FAR 
AS THE UTILITIES AND THE STATION SO THAT WE DON'T END UP 
WITH A CARPORT, WE END UP WITH A BEAUTIFUL STATION THAT WE 
CAN PROUD OF AND THAT WILL LEAD TOWARDS OTHER STATIONS IN 
THE DOWNTOWN AREA IN THE FUTURE.
NOW, I KNOW I'VE GONE VERY FAST OVER THIS, AND I'VE 
PROBABLY MISSED SOME THINGS, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF YOUR 
TIME AND PARTICULARLY SINCE MANY OF YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR 
WITH THE PROJECT, LET ME OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS AT 
THIS POINT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, LYNDA.
ANY QUESTIONS?
MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  PERHAPS A RHETORICAL QUESTION THAT I 
REPEATEDLY ASK.
MY CONSTITUENTS ON HARBOUR ISLAND HAVE EXPRESSED GREAT 
CONCERN FOR A COUPLE YEARS WHENEVER THEY LOOK AT THIS 
PROJECT, AND I'VE ASSURED THEM THAT I WON'T SUPPORT 
ANYTHING THAT WOULD IMPEDE THE TRAFFIC FLOW OFF OF HARBOUR 
ISLAND DOWN FRANKLIN AND TO WHITING, AND SO I'M PLEASED TO 
SEE THAT THEIR CONCERNS WERE ADDRESSED DOWN THERE AT THE -- 
AT THAT DIFFICULT CORNER OF FRANKLIN AND WHITING, BUT WHY 
DON'T YOU REASSURE MY CONSTITUENTS ABOUT NO IMPACT OR 
FONSI, AS YOU SAID BEFORE, ALONG THAT CORRIDOR IN TERMS OF 
HARBOUR ISLAND.
>> YES.
WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN MAINTAINING THOSE COMMITMENTS TO 
MAINTAIN THE SAME TRAVEL LANES THAT WE HAD BEFORE, AND WE 
WILL, IN FACT, DO THAT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  GREAT.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS -- IS, YOU KNOW -- THIS 
LOOKS GREAT.
I'M GLAD WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
I APPRECIATE MS. MULHERN SERVING ON THE BOARD.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IS AROUND HERE, BUT -- AND SO 
WE WILL MOVE FORWARD IN CONJUNCTION WITH HART, BUT WHAT'S 
THE NEXT FUTURE PHASE IN TERMS OF TAKING IT FURTHER INTO 
DOWNTOWN?
WHEN WE STOP THERE AT WHITING, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES TO 
KEEP GOING?
>> OH, OF COURSE THERE ARE.
AND WHAT WE DID WITH THIS PARTICULAR EXTENSION IS NOT TO 
PRECLUDE ANY OPTIONS IN THE FUTURE.
WE COULD GO LEFT, WE COULD GO RIGHT, WE COULD GO STRAIGHT.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON WHERE IT SHOULD 
GO, AND THAT WILL BE SUBJECT TO FUTURE STUDIES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE UPCOMING STUDIES ON THE RAIL 
LINE WILL BE TO LOOK AT THE CONNECTIVITY AS DID THE FINAL 
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT BACK IN 2002.
THAT IS A KEY PART OF THAT STUDY AS WELL, BUT ANY 
EXTENSIONS WILL BE SUBJECT TO FURTHER ENVIRONMENTAL 
REVIEWS, ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS, AND THERE WILL BE MANY 
OPINIONS ON WHICH WAY IT SHOULD GO.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
VERY QUICKLY -- THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
GOOD REPORT.
I GOT A COUPLE OF -- IS MS. CORNELIUS STILL HERE, OR SHE'S 
GONE?
BECAUSE SHE HAD ASKED TO SPEAK.
IF NOT, I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I HAVE TO READ INTO 
THE RECORD, IF YOU DON'T MIND, FROM MR. GEORGE NIEMANN, WHO 
WAS HERE EARLIER, AND HE LEFT.
HE SAID, I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER FERLITA FOR SHOWING 
THE CONCERN FOR REAFFIRMING THAT THE MPO LRTP CALLED FOR 
LITHIA-PINECREST TO BE FOUR LANES IN THE NORTHERN SECTION 
AND TWO LANES IN THE FISHHAWK AREA TO CR -- COUNTY ROAD 39.
MY CONCERN IS NOT WITH THE CURRENT MPO BOARD BUT WITH 
FUTURE MPOs.
IF WE ACCEPT THE PD&E STUDY AS VALID, A FUTURE BOARD WITH 
DIFFERENT MEMBERS IN CHARGE MAY DECIDE TO ADOPT A PD&E AND 
CHANGE THE MPO'S LRTP, SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO SCRUTINIZE 
WHAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.
IF WE SCRUTINIZE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND VALIDATE HOW 
LOGICAL THEY ARE, THEN WE WILL AVOID FUTURE PROBLEMS WITH 
FUTURE BOARDS THAT WERE NOT IN PLACE WHEN THIS ITEM WAS 
BROUGHT UP.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO SAY THAT WE'LL IGNORE STUDIES THAT WERE 
DONE BECAUSE FUTURE BOARDS MAY NOT REMEMBER THAT CITIZENS 
OBJECTED AND EXPRESSED CONCERNS.
WE ARE JUST TRYING TO AVOID PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE.
AND THANK YOU.
THIS IS FROM MR. GEORGE NIEMANN.
THEN I HAVE ANOTHER ONE FROM VIVIAN BACCA WHO ASKED THAT I 
READ THIS IN THE RECORD.
MANY CITIZENS ALONG SEGMENTS "A" TO "C" FEEL THAT WIDENING 
LITHIA-PINECREST ROAD TO SIX LANES WITH A LARGE MEDIAN IS 
EXCESSIVE.
THE TRAFFIC NOISE AND CONGESTION THIS WILL CREATE FOR THE 
SURROUNDING PROPERTY OWNERS WILL BE ADVERSELY -- WILL 
ADVERSELY IMPACT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE WITHOUT ANY 
COMPENSATION.
SOME OF THESE CITIZENS SERVE ON THE BRANDON COMMUNITY 
PLANNING -- PLAN WORKSHOP COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE NO DESIRE TO SEE THE LITHIA-PINECREST TURN INTO 
ANOTHER BLOOMINGDALE AVENUE.
THE WIDENING OF THAT ROAD TO SIX LANES HAS BEEN -- HAS 
DESTROYED THIS ROAD.
IT DESTROYED THE CHARACTER OF THE SOUTH BRANDON.
WIDER ROADS ONLY RELIEVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON A TEMPORARY 
BASIS.
WE NEED LOOK NO FURTHER THAN BLOOMINGDALE AVENUE, NOW A 
FAIRLY ROAD -- A FAILING ROADWAY AT SIX LANES TO SEE THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO ITEMS I HAD TO READ INTO PUBLIC 
RECORD.
AND BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, MR. CHIARAMONTE WILL BE 
NOTIFYING ALL OF US ON A DATE FOR OUR SPECIAL MEETING.
THAT'LL GIVE HIM TIME TO TAKE A LOOK.
YES, MR. SKELTON.
>>DON SKELTON:  JUST ONE OTHER ITEM, AND I GUESS THIS COULD 
BE OLD BUSINESS BECAUSE I TALKED ABOUT IT AN HOUR AGO, BUT 
ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THE STIMULUS IS WE NEED TO ENSURE 
THAT ANY PROJECT THAT DOES MOVE FORWARD IS IN THE 
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, SO IF IT'S NOT 
CURRENTLY, YOU NEED TO MAKE PROVISIONS TO GET IT ON THE 
T.I.P. AND THE STATE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY.
ANY OTHER OLD BUSINESS OR NEW BUSINESS?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE ADJOURN.
 



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