CAPTIONING FEBRUARY 16, 2009 METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION SPECIAL MEETING ***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 SPECIAL MEETING FEBRUARY 16th, 2009, FOR OUR METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND BELIEVE INVOCATION. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] HEAVENLY FATHER, WE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US. WE ASK THAT YOU GIVE US THE GUIDANCE TODAY TO DISCUSS THE AREAS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE ASK THAT YOU PROTECT OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WHO ARE SERVING FOR OUR FREEDOM. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. LYNN MERENDA, YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO READ INTO THE RECORD? >> WE DID RECEIVE A PUBLIC COMMENT THIS MORNING VIA E-MAIL FROM ALAN STEENSON, WHO SITS ON OUR CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. HE'S UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS MORNING DUE TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AND ASKED ME TO READ THIS TO YOU. WITH REGARD TO THE PRIORITIES TO BE DISCUSSED THIS MORNING, I FEEL THAT THE I-4/SELMON EXPRESSWAY JUST GO TO THE TOP OF THE LIST. THIS IS A VITAL PROJECT THAT IS WELL INTO THE PLANNING STAGE AND SHOULD BE MOVED FORWARD. ANOTHER PRIORITY, AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT SHOULD BE RANKED, IS THE REPAIR/REBUILD OF THE FRIENDSHIP TRAILBRIDGE. THIS MISSING LINK IS ALSO VITAL TO THE OVERALL PLANS FOR A MULTICOUNTRY -- THOUGH I BELIEVE HE MEANT COUNTY -- TRAIL SYSTEM THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. REGARDS, ALAN H. STEENSON, 4100 WEST LEILA AVENUE. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, LYNN. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT CARES TO ADDRESS THE MPO BOARD ON ANY ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA? THERE'S ONLY ONE ITEM, ACTUALLY. IF NOT, WE THANK YOU. OKAY. WE HAVE ACTION ITEM. MR. CHIARAMONTE, RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS. >> PLEASE PUT THE POWERPOINT ON HTV. THANK YOU. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, ALL OF THIS HAS HAPPENED VERY FAST, AS I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE, SINCE WE'RE HAVING A SPECIAL MEETING ON IT TODAY. THE STIMULUS PROJECT, THAT WORD HAS A DIFFERENT MEANING FOR ME AND PROBABLY WILL THE REST OF MY LIFE AFTER GOING THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS. WE HAD A LOT OF RULES THAT WERE KIND OF REFINED ON A DAILY BASIS THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH. WHAT WE CAME UP WITH, JUST SO YOU KNOW THE TIME FRAME, WAS ON WEDNESDAY, FDOT ASKED US IF WE WOULD HAVE OUR LIST OF PRIORITIES TO THEM BY WEDNESDAY, SO ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED AFTER WEDNESDAY, YOU KNOW, ISN'T REFLECTED IF THERE'S NEW INFORMATION, AND THERE'LL BE CERTAINLY THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO SPEAK TO ANY CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THEN. WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IS TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT PRIORITIZING THE PROJECTS. WE LOOKED AT THE BILL AND WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE BILL WAS, THE PRINCIPLES OF IT, WE LOOKED AT OUR EXISTING MPO PLAN, WE LOOKED AT THE RECENT VISION THAT THIS BOARD ADOPTED IN DRAFT FORM AT THE LAST MPO MEETING AND TRIED TO TAKE ALL OF THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. WE ALSO TRIED TO LOOK AT THE NORMAL FORMULAS THAT WE DEAL WITH. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE DILEMMA, THE WHOLE STATE OF FLORIDA, I BELIEVE, HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED TO RECEIVE ABOUT 1.3 BILLION, 1.5 BILLION, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE. AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE JURISDICTIONS BASICALLY TURNED IN ENOUGH PROJECTS THAT WOULD TAKE THE WHOLE STATE ALLOCATION PRETTY MUCH, SO WE KNEW THAT THAT WAS UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN, THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WOULD GET THE ENTIRE STATE ALLOCATION OF MONEY, SO WE TRIED TO BE RATIONAL AND LOOK AT IT IN A WAY OF FOLLOWING THE NORMAL FORMULAS WE FOLLOWED. THAT CAME DOWN TO A POINT FOR THE MPO THE ABILITY TO PRIORITIZE WHAT WE LOOK AT AS ABOUT $107 MILLION. OF COURSE, AGAIN, THE RULES COULD CHANGE AND THAT COULD BE GIVE OR TAKE, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE FELT THAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH THAT ACTUALLY WOULD COME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT THE MPO COULD PRIORITIZE, SO THOSE ARE KIND OF BASELINE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT. WITH THAT I HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT WILL EXPLAIN WHAT WE DID, AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHERE WE CAME FROM. AGAIN, YOU ARE THE FINAL SAY-SO ON THIS, NOT THE STAFF. WE GAVE IT OUR BEST SHOT IN THE TIME FRAME WE HAD, AND CERTAINLY THERE CAN BE DISCUSSION ABOUT CHANGING THE PRIORITIES OR ADDING NEW ONES. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE BILL, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS IS PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK, TO REVITALIZE ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS, AND TO JUMPSTART THE ECONOMY. THESE WERE COMMON THEMES THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS BILL. IT ISN'T NECESSARILY A BILL TO JUST BUILD A CERTAIN TRANSPORTATION PROJECT OR PROJECTS, BUT THERE WAS PURPOSES AS TO WHY WE'RE DOING THE STIMULUS PROGRAM, SO WE LOOKED AT THAT AND TRIED TO CONSIDER THAT IN OUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. ANOTHER PRIORITY IS KIND OF THE USE-IT-OR-LOSE-IT PRIORITY. THERE WAS VERY SHORT DEADLINES TO OBLIGATE THE MONEY. MANY PEOPLE HAD IDEAS FOR PROJECTS THAT DID NOT EVEN HAVE, YOU KNOW, ENGINEERING DONE FOR THEM YET, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD NOT MEET THE CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE HERE. THEY WANTED PROJECTS THAT CAN BE COMPLETED IN THREE YEARS. AGAIN, THE IDEA IS TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY AND CREATE JOBS IN THE SHORT-TERM. THEY DID NOT WANT EXISTING FUNDING REPLACED. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY DID NOT WANT THE STIMULUS TO SIMPLY REPLACE EXISTING FUNDING. THERE IS NO LOCAL MATCH REQUIRED. THE PROJECTS NEED TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL RULES, WHICH, AGAIN, MAKES IT COMPLICATED FOR LOCAL PROJECTS. THEY MUST HAVE TO BE DONE FOLLOWING FEDERAL REGULATIONS, SO THERE HAD TO BE SOME THOUGHT THAT AT SOME POINT IN THESE PROJECTS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD BE ASSISTING US. THE HIGHWAY BRIDGE PROGRAM, AGAIN, THE RULES ARE TO OBLIGATE HALF WITHIN 120 DAYS. THE TRANSIT PROGRAM, THAT'S HART, THROUGH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, TO OBLIGATE HALF WITHIN 180 DAYS. AGAIN, WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT IF THE DEADLINES ARE NOT MET, FUNDS ARE TO BE RETURNED. TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WE HAD AT FDOT ON FRIDAY ABOUT A TWO- AND-A-HALF-HOUR WEB CONFERENCE WITH THE STATE D.O.T. GIVING US THE FINAL RULES. AGAIN, THIS WAS AFTER WE ALREADY PUT OUR PRIORITIES IN PLACE, BUT AGAIN, TO KIND OF GIVE US THE SAME TYPE OF INFORMATION AGAIN THAT WE'VE TRIED TO INCLUDE IN THIS PRESENTATION. AGAIN, WE WERE ADVISED -- AND I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO ANY MEMBERS THAT ALSO SERVE ON HART, BUT WE REALLY HAD NO CHOICE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY CHOICE TO HAVE IT ON THE 17th, BUT WE WERE ADVISED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THEY REALLY FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO DO THIS NO LATER THAN THE 16th, AND HAVING IT LAST WEEK, WE JUST WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE TIME TO GET ALL THIS TOGETHER, SO IT FELL TO THIS DATE, SO I DO APOLOGIZE TO HART ABOUT THAT, BUT THIS IS JUST THE WAY THINGS WORK SOMETIMES. AGAIN, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT FLORIDA WILL LIKELY RECEIVE, ONE BILLION THREE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX BILLION DOLLARS, 902 MILLION ALLOCATED AT FDOT DISCRETION, 404 MILLION ALLOCATED BY POPULATION --THIS IS MPO ALLOCATIONS - - 40 MILLION TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENTS. THE TRANSIT PROGRAM IN FLORIDA, THIS IS THE LIKELY DISTRIBUTION FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF FLORIDA, ABOUT $311 MILLION, $272.5 MILLION TO URBAN TRANSIT SYSTEMS, 16.9 TO RURAL TRANSIT SYSTEMS, 21.3 FOR GROWING IN DENSE AREAS. AGAIN, THIS IS THE CRITERIA OF THE DISTRIBUTION. FLORIDA'S LIKELY TO RECEIVE ABOUT $50 MILLION FOR AVIATION. THIS IS A SEPARATE CATEGORY, NOT THROUGH THE MPO, A SEPARATE GROUP OF FUNDS FOR AVIATION. SOME OF THE HIGHWAY AND BRIDGE TRANSIT AND AVIATION FUND FOR FLORIDA'S ALLOCATION, ABOUT $1.7 BILLION. FUNDING REQUESTS FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND AGENCIES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ALONE COME TO $1.6 BILLION, SO AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE OUR DILEMMA IN HAVING TO DO THIS. ELIGIBLE PROJECTS PER FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION AND FEDERAL AVIATION GRANT REQUIREMENTS HAVE TO BE MET. HIGHWAY AND BRIDGE PROJECTS, TYPICALLY PROJECTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR STP, INCLUDING BRIDGES, TRANSIT, SIDEWALKS, TRAILS, EVEN ON LOCAL STREETS, CAR, VANPOOLS, RESURFACING, ALL SUBJECT TO REQUIREMENTS, AND AGAIN, THE MPO'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO VERIFY ELIGIBILITY. WE LOOKED TO PASS THE LATEST BOARD ACTION, THE 2035 TRANSPORTATION PLAN, THE VISION AND STATEMENT AND GOALS IN DRAFT FORM THAT YOU ADOPTED AT THE LAST MPO MEETING. WE LOOKED AT ALSO THE IDEA OF HOW WOULD THIS PARTICULAR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM WE RECOMMENDED SPIN OFF OTHER THINGS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS A SITE IN AN URBAN AREA. IF YOU MAKE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS, THAT COULD CAUSE DEVELOPMENT SUCH AS THIS TO POSSIBLY OCCUR, SO IT HAS SPIN- OFF REQUIREMENTS. SOME TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS DO, SOME DON'T. IN THE 2035 LRTP WE'RE WORKING ON AND EVEN IN OUR EXISTING PLAN THE IDEA OF CHOICE IS, AGAIN, TO REFLECT AND SUPPORT THE WAY WE WANT TO LIVE AND TRAVEL HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SOME OF THE GOALS -- AND AGAIN, AS WE LOOK THROUGH THESE PROJECTS -- THIS IS THE FIRST ONE, THIS IS THE PEDESTRIAN NONMOTORIZED PRIORITIES WE'RE RECOMMENDING. YOU CAN SEE ONE IS ALREADY CROSSED OUT THAT WE HAVE FIGURED OUT SINCE LAST WEDNESDAY IS NOT ELIGIBLE. WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE PROJECT FOR THAT. GOING THROUGH THE PROJECTS, JUST THE FIRST PRIORITY PROJECT IN PEDESTRIAN NONMOTORIZED IS HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE IN TOWN 'N COUNTRY. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE TOWN 'N COUNTRY PLAN. IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE COUNTY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. IT SUPPORTS REDEVELOPING A SIDEWALK SYSTEM, IT SUPPORTS ACCESS TO LOCAL SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY CENTERS. TOWN 'N COUNTRY HAS RECENTLY DONE A PLAN. THEY'VE JUST BUILT A NEW SENIOR CENTER, THEY'VE JUST BUILT A NEW LIBRARY ADJACENT TO HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE, AND WE FELT THAT THIS TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT WOULD CAUSE REDEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR ALONG THIS STREET. IT'S IDENTIFIED IN BOTH THE COUNTY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AS I SAID, AND THE TOWN 'N COUNTRY PLAN. IT'S AN AREA WHERE WE WANT TO SEE REDEVELOPMENT OCCUR. IT'S SERVED BY THE BUS SYSTEM, SO IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO ENCOURAGE REDEVELOPMENT. IN LIGHT OF THE NEXT PROJECT, THE 22nd STREET/USF NOT BEING ELIGIBLE, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT YOU CONSIDER SUBSTITUTING PROJECTS THAT ARE NEXT ON THE PRIORITY LIST, INVOLVING SIDEWALK RECONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, ADA RETROFITS, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO REPLACE THAT PROJECT. NEXT CATEGORY IS TRANSIT AND RIDESHARE. NOW, ON ONE SIDE, ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN, THESE ARE FUNDING DIRECTLY THROUGH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY THAT THE MPO DOES NOT HAVE TO PRIORITIZE. THAT'S BUSES, ACCESSIBILITY, 21st AVENUE BUS OPERATING FACILITY, STREETCAR EXTENSION AND UTILITY RELOCATION, FAREBOXES, FLEET PAINT ALL IN THE STREETCAR STATIONS AND TRACKS. THAT'S ALL BEING PURSUED DIRECTLY THROUGH FTA, SO THE MPO DOES NOT HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THAT, THEY'RE ALL IN OUR EXISTING PLAN. THE ONE THAT ISN'T IS THE VANPOOL VEHICLES. WE HAVE ALLOCATED SOME MONEY FOR TRANSIT RIDESHARE IN THE VANPOOL VEHICLES. WE FEEL THAT THAT IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION THAT SUPPORTS PEOPLE HAVING ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO GET TO WORK. IT PROVIDES CHOICES FOR RIDERS, ESPECIALLY DURING DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES SUCH AS WE'RE FACING NOW WITH FUEL PRICE FLUCTUATIONS. ASSIST IN PRESERVATION IS ANOTHER CRITERIA. WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME PROJECTS THERE, INCLUDING THE PLATT STREET BRIDGE, THE COLUMBUS DRIVE BRIDGE, AND THE BROREIN STREET BRIDGE. THESE ARE ALL COUNTY PROJECTS WITHIN THE CITY. THEY ALL INVOLVE PRESERVING THE CITY'S HISTORICAL RESOURCES. THE POTENTIAL OBVIOUSLY EXISTS WITH THESE BRIDGES IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HALT TRAFFIC OR WATER TRAFFIC IF THEY BECOME INOPERABLE, SO WE FELT THESE WERE IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS. ALSO INCLUDED IS RESURFACING IN PLANT CITY. AGAIN, THIS INVOLVES THE CRITERIA OF SYSTEM PRESERVATION. IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE ADD AS WE DO THIS RESURFACING DIFFERENT BIKE LANES, SIDEWALKS, INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANT CITY, AND THEY ARE CONSISTENT WITH POLICIES IN THE PLANT CITY PLAN THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN YOUR HANDOUT. CONGESTION MANAGEMENT IS ANOTHER PRIORITY AREA. THIS IS IN I.T.S. AGAIN PROJECTS WE'VE RECOMMENDED ARE SINGLE-TIMING UPDATE TO OPTIMIZE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND THE FUNCTION OF OUR ROADWAYS AND ALSO IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DALE MABRY/KENNEDY BOULEVARD INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH INTENT OF THE KENNEDY BOULEVARD CORRIDOR PLAN, IT SUPPORTS AND IS CONSISTENT WITH THE LIVABLE CITY OF TAMPA'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MOBILITY OPTIONS, AND IT SUPPORTS THE INTERCONNECTED GRID STREETS AND BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. HIGHWAY CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS, WE HAVE OTHER PROJECTS FOR THAT. ONE IS THE WIDENING OF MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD FROM HIGHVIEW TO PARSONS. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HAS CONTINUALLY BEEN IN THE PLAN, AND WE WANTED TO MOVE THIS BACK UP. I GUESS IT'S BEEN DEFERRED A NUMBER OF TIMES. AND ALSO BRUCE B. DOWNS NORTH OF -- I'M SORRY, I-75 NORTH OF BRUCE B. DOWNS BOULEVARD, WE FELT THAT THIS WOULD ACTUALLY INDIRECTLY HELP BRUCE B. DOWNS BY PROVIDING A BETTER TRANSPORTATION OPTION ON I-75, AND THIS OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE IN THE FDOT WORK PROGRAM. NOW, DIRECT PROJECTS TURNED IN THAT WOULD BE PURSUED THROUGH THE FAA WOULD BE TAXIWAYS AT TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THROUGH THE MPO, BUT THEY ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED FOR FUNDING. SAME THING WITH THE TAMPA PORT AUTHORITY PIER RECONSTRUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE PORT. JUST TO KIND OF LAY OUT HOW THE MONEY WAS DIVIDED THAT WE FELT WAS WHAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WOULD RECEIVE FOR PRIORITIES, YOU CAN STILL SEE THAT HALF IS FOR ROADWAY CAPACITY, PEDESTRIAN AND NONMOTORIZED ABOUT A FOURTH, TRANSIT AND RIDESHARE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT, SYSTEM PRESERVATION ALMOST A FOURTH, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT FOR CONGESTION MANAGEMENT. IF YOU ADD IN THE FTA PROJECTS, AGAIN, YOU SEE ALMOST HALF ARE STILL FOR HIGHWAY CAPACITY. ABOUT THE SAME BREAKDOWN, BUT YOU HAVE A MUCH LARGER SHARE -- WHEN YOU ADD IN THE DIRECT PROJECTS THAT THE TRANSIT PEOPLE ARE WORKING WITH FTA, IT TAKES UP A BIGGER PERCENTAGE, AND THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY MAJOR CHANGE. THERE IS SOME DISCRETIONARY GRANTS FOR SURFACE TRANSPORTATION, ABOUT 1.5 BILLION NATIONWIDE, AND THERE IS MONEY FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL. AGAIN, THESE ARE NATIONWIDE ALLOCATIONS. JUST LOOKING AT SOME OF THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, AGAIN, THIS IS RELATED TO THE PROJECTS, LOCAL AGENCY PROGRAM, PEOPLE MUST BE WHAT THEY CALL LAP CERTIFIED. THAT'S REQUIRED. LOCAL AGENCIES ARE REIMBURSED FOR THEIR EXPENDITURES. WE MUST -- AND THAT'S THE SECOND ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA IS MAKE THESE T.I.P. AMENDMENT RECOMMENDATIONS TODAY -- AND I THINK FDOT CAN EXPLAIN WHY WE NEED TO DO THAT -- TO AUTHORIZE OUR CHAIRMAN TO SIGN WHATEVER IS DECIDED UPON AT THIS MEETING. THE ROADWAY CAPACITY PROJECTS MUST APPEAR IN THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, NEPA. RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR ANY PROJECT MUST HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED PER THE FEDERAL PROCESS. THAT'S WHY SOME PROJECTS THAT YOU MIGHT THINK WOULD BE LOGICAL RECIPIENTS OF THIS WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE. AGAIN, PROCUREMENT DOCUMENTS MUST FOLLOW FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. RESURFACING MUST INCLUDE COMPLIANCE, SIGNING, GUARDRAILS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WHAT'S NEXT? AGAIN, TO AMEND THE T.I.P. HAS NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THE PRIORITIES OF THE MPO BOARD, PROVIDE DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL PROJECTS AND COSTS, DOCUMENT MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, AND BASICALLY GET GOING ON THIS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO SIT DOWN. BETH WILL COME UP AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE AGAIN THIS IS YOUR DECISION. WE HAVE DONE THE BEST WE CAN TO PROVIDE WHAT WE FELT ARE LOGICAL PRIORITIES WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE EXPECTED TO HAVE. I THINK PROBABLY DON SKELTON FROM FDOT WOULD WANT TO ADD SOME INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE VALUABLE FOR YOU IN MAKING DECISIONS, AND WE WILL TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU, RAY. I WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU, RAY, AND THE STAFF FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU DID OVER THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF ACTUALLY. IT'S AMAZING. THANK YOU. YES, MR. SKELTON. >>DON SKELTON: YES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IF RAY THINKS THE LAST WEEK AND A HALF HAS BEEN HECTIC FOR HIM -- [LAUGHTER] -- I'VE GOT A FEW STAFF FOLKS HERE WHO'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT HECTIC IS ALL ABOUT. MULTIPLY IT BY FIVE, RAY, AND THAT'S WHAT THESE FOLKS HERE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PULL TOGETHER VERY, VERY QUICKLY. RAY MENTIONED SOME THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED. OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE TALKED AT THE MPO MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO, ALL WE HAD WAS THE HOUSE BILL THAT HAD BEEN PASSED AND A DRAFT SENATE BILL THAT HAD NOT EVEN BEEN VOTED ON YET. LAST WEDNESDAY WE HAD A CONFERENCE BILL THAT WAS PASSED, AND NOW WE'VE HAD BOTH SIDES OF CONGRESS PASS THAT, AND IT'S ON ITS WAY TO THE PRESIDENT. IT'S ON HIS DESK NOW. HIS INTENTION WAS TO HAVE SIGNED IT BY TODAY. RAY TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE TIMES TO OBLIGATE THE FEDERAL FUNDS, AND WHEN WE LAST TALKED WE HAD THE 75 DAYS AND WE WERE UNSURE ABOUT THAT. WELL, HERE'S WHAT'S CHANGED ABOUT THAT. IT'S ACTUALLY 50% OF THE STATE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS MUST BE OBLIGATED WITHIN 120 DAYS. ALL OTHER FUNDS HAVE A YEAR TO OBLIGATE. NOW, I SAY THAT JUST BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE BILL; HOWEVER, SPEED IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY. FROM THE ASPECT OF IF THERE IS ANY STATE THAT IS UNABLE TO OBLIGATE THEIR FEDERAL FUNDS AND IT GOES BACK TO USDOT, WHEN THEY REDISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT STATES WHO HAVE COMMITTED AND OBLIGATED THEIR FUNDS, SO I WOULD NOT FOCUS ON WAITING A YEAR TO OBLIGATE FUNDS. WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THE PROJECTS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE. FROM THAT ASPECT, THE DEPARTMENT'S GOING TO BE DOING A SINGLE WORK PROGRAM. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL OF THESE PROJECTS AND PROGRAM THEM AT ONE TIME, DO ONE AMENDMENT THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE, ONE BUDGET AMENDMENT THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE, AND BEGIN MOVING VERY, VERY QUICKLY ON THESE PROJECTS. YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT WHEN WE PUT OUR STATE PROCESS -- OUR STATE PROJECTS TOGETHER ARE WE STARTED WITH THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE ALREADY PRIORITIES THAT HAD MOVED SINCE 2005, WHETHER IT BE FROM COST ESCALATIONS OR DECLINING REVENUES, AND THOSE WERE THE ONES THAT WE FOCUSED ON. PART OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DEPARTMENT'S GOING TO NEED TO UNDERSTAND IN THESE PRIORITIES IS IS IT THIS BOARD'S DIRECTION THAT THE PEDESTRIAN NONMOTORIZED BE THE TOP PRIORITY, THEN THE TRANSIT RIDESHARE, THEN THE SYSTEM PRESERVATION, ET CETERA, BECAUSE -- AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE $107 MILLION CAME FROM, BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT 1.3 BILLION FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES STATEWIDE AND START CARVING THAT UP, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, DISTRICT 7 COMPRISES ABOUT 15% OF THE STATEWIDE POPULATION IN GAS TAX REVENUE. SO IF YOU TAKE THAT 1.3 BILLION AND START CARVING THAT UP, MAYBE SOMEWHERE AROUND 200 MILLION. PLEASE DON'T HOLD ME TO NUMBERS BECAUSE WE'RE STILL DIVVYING THOSE UP, SO WE NEED TO IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE ARE. AND KNOWING WHAT THE SINGLE PRIORITY IS, THIS IS ALL ABOUT JOBS, THIS IS ALL ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS ABOUT PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK AND ENDING UP WITH A PRODUCT THAT LEADS TO MORE JOBS AND A SUSTAINED ECONOMY. AND SO FROM THAT ASPECT -- AND I THINK SOME OF THE DISCUSSION'S GOING TO BE ONE PROJECT THAT WE HAD VERY HIGH ON OUR LIST THAT DOES NOT EVEN APPEAR ON THIS ONE IS THE I- 4/SELMON CONNECTOR PROJECT. I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT FITS IN WITH THIS AND NOT NECESSARILY TRYING TO CARVE UP -- I WOULD SAY TRY TO DEVELOP A PRIORITY LIST FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND YOU CAN DO IT IN A COUPLE WAYS, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY FOCUS ON THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, TRYING TO MARRY THINGS UP, JUST IDENTIFY WHAT YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS, WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE OUT OF THIS. IF WE CAN'T GET TO IT, THEN WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT PRIORITY. AND LET US TRY TO DO THAT PROGRAMMING-LEVEL ANALYSIS. LEE -- I'M GOING TO ASK LEE ROYAL IF SHE WILL HANDLE THE ISSUE ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM NEEDS AND THE AMENDMENTS ON THAT ASPECT. >> LEE ROYAL, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO APPROVE THIS LIST, THE TRIP PRIORITY -- OR THE T.I.P. PRIORITY LIST IS ALSO TO ALLOW THE BOARD TO ALSO AMEND THE PRIORITY LIST INTO YOUR T.I.P. DOCUMENT AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE -- OR THE CHAIR TO SIGN OFF ON THE AMENDMENTS AS FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE, SO IT WOULD BE ACTUALLY KIND OF TWO MOTIONS. THE FIRST MOTION WOULD BE TO APPROVE THE T.I.P. PRIORITY LIST. SECOND MOTION WOULD BE TO AMEND THE FULL LIST INTO YOUR T.I.P. DOCUMENT AUTHORIZING THE CHAIR TO SIGN THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK FOR US TO PROCESS THE -- THE AMENDMENTS NEEDED IN TALLAHASSEE TO GET THE FUNDING INTO THE WORK PROGRAM. SO I JUST -- I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR AS YOU MOVE FORWARD IN THE DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. >>DON SKELTON: ONE OTHER ASPECT THAT I'LL BRING UP IS WHILE IT CERTAINLY IS AT THE PLEASURE OF THIS BOARD AS TO WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE, I WOULDN'T WANT TO MISLEAD ANYBODY TO SAY, WELL, MPO PRIORITIZED FUNDS HAVE TO GO TO OFF- SYSTEM PROJECTS VERSUS -- YOU CAN COMBINE ALL YOUR -- ALL OF YOUR PRIORITIES AND SAY ALL OF THE FUNDING THAT WOULD COME TO THIS MPO COULD BE USED ON A SINGLE PROJECT. THAT'S UP TO THIS BOARD. >>JOE AFFRONTI: ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, KEN. >>KEN HAGAN: THANKS, JOE. I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S RAY OR BETH OR WHOEVER. BRUCE B. DOWNS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR PROBABLY A DECADE, AND I WANT TO ENSURE THAT IT CONTINUES TO BE A TOP PRIORITY, AND I KNOW I'VE RECEIVED PROBABLY TEN DIFFERENT CHARTS AND LISTS HERE OVER THE PAST WEEK, AND I'M TRYING TO DETERMINE WHERE BRUCE B. DOWNS IS ON THE LIST. I THINK I FOUND IT THIRD BEHIND STATE ROAD 574 AND I-75, AND I GUESS I'D JUST LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT AND HOW YOU ULTIMATELY PRIORITIZED THOSE BECAUSE ON ANOTHER LIST IT SHOWS STATE ROAD 574 AS BEING 14th ON THE LONG- RANGE PLAN AND I-75 BEING 46th, AND THOSE TWO ARE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, AND I GUESS WHEN YOU ADD THEM UP, IT'S 51 MILLION, SO I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU BACKED INTO THAT NUMBER OR JUST HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THAT. >>BETH ALDEN: BETH ALDEN, MPO STAFF, AND AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS THAT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION, WE DID LOOK AT THE PRIORITIZATION FACTORS THAT HAD BEEN USED IN THE PAST IN THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, FOR EXAMPLE. WE LOOKED AT FACTORS LIKE CRASHES AT CONGESTION LEVELS TO PRIORITIZE THE HIGHWAY PROJECTS AND THE -- THE RANKINGS FOR THOSE HIGHWAY PROJECTS ON YOUR -- YOUR BREAKOUT SHEET THAT SHOWS THE HIGHWAY PROJECT -- HIGHWAY CAPACITY PRIORITIZATION IS BASED ON THOSE RANKINGS. THE -- THE PROJECT ON BRUCE B. DOWNS WAS RANKED HIGHER IN THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAN SOME OF THE ONES -- THE NEXT ONE DOWN ON THE LIST, WHICH IS THE ONE WE RANKED FIRST, WHICH IS THE MARTIN LUTHER KING PROJECT, AND THE REASON WE MOVED ON TO THE NEXT PROJECT WAS IN PART BECAUSE OF THE LARGE FUNDING AMOUNT AND IN PART BECAUSE THERE WAS FUNDING ALREADY PROGRAMMED FOR THAT PROJECT. >>KEN HAGAN: ARE YOU UNABLE TO SET ASIDE A PARTIAL AMOUNT OF FUNDING, OR DO YOU HAVE TO DO THE ENTIRE AMOUNT? >>BETH ALDEN: THE GUIDANCE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE D.O.T. IN THE PAST HAS BEEN GIVE US PROJECTS THAT ARE COMPLETE PROJECTS. THEY CAN'T PARTIALLY FUND A CONSTRUCTION PHASE, SO WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR WAS PROJECTS THAT WERE -- THAT WERE DEFINED, THAT WERE KIND OF A MANAGEABLE SIZE WE THOUGHT MIGHT FIT INTO THE PROGRAMMING AMOUNT, AND AS YOU HEARD FROM THE SECRETARY, EVEN 107 MILLION MIGHT BE TOO MUCH TO EXPECT TO BE PROGRAMMED HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. >>DON SKELTON: YEAH. I'D LIKE TO -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. MILLER. >>DON SKELTON: -- REITERATE THE ISSUE OF THE PARTIAL FUNDING. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE IS TO GET PROJECTS GOING. PARTIAL FUNDING DOESN'T START PROJECTS. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE EITHER A FINANCING MECHANISM IN PLACE TO -- THAT FUNDS THE ENTIRE PROJECT OR IT WON'T START BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LARGE REPORTING REQUIREMENT AS PART OF THIS THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT STARTED, NUMBER OF PROJECTS COMPLETED, NUMBER OF JOBS IT CREATED, ET CETERA. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO FUND PROJECTS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY, MR. SECRETARY, THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU RECEIVED -- ALL OF THE PRIORITIES REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT, NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS THIS PROJECT CAN GO DOWN, AND THEN WHEN YOU GET THE FUNDING AVAILABLE, YOU CAN GET IN THERE AND DO THAT, SO I THINK THAT TO ME MAKES SENSE, WE SHOW THE HIGHEST-PRIORITY PROJECTS, AND THEN IF THE FUNDING DOESN'T HIT THAT PROJECT, IT GOES TO THE NEXT ONE AND SO ON DOWN. >>BETH ALDEN: I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION THAT'S GOING TO BE BECOMING BEFORE THE MPO BOARD ON A CONTINUAL BASIS. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AS WE GO THROUGH THE UPDATES OF THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND LOOKING TO THE PRIORITIES OF THE NEW LONG-RANGE PLAN TO INFORM THOSE UPDATES, I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION THAT'S GOING TO RECUR, IS THE BOARD INTERESTED IN FOCUSING ON JUST ONE MAJOR PROJECT, PUTTING THAT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, AND ALLOCATING ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THAT ONE PROJECT, OR IS THE BOARD INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT A VARIETY OF SMALLER PROJECTS AND THEN ALSO FUNDING A LARGER PROJECT AS YOU CAN MOVE PHASES OF IT FORWARD. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MAYOR LOTT. >>RICK LOTT: THANK YOU. MR. SECRETARY, THE -- IF WE TALK ABOUT THE I-4 CONNECTOR, OKAY, TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE THAT IS THE ONE PROJECT THAT WE HAVE THAT FITS THE STIMULUS PACKAGE PERFECTLY, OKAY, FOR WHAT IT DOES FOR THE PORT, WHAT IT DOES FOR TRANSPORTATION. IT'S A -- BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION THAT COMES IN, EVEN THOUGH IT -- I WOULD THINK IF I WAS IN YOUR SHOES, IF I HAD A MAJOR PROJECT LIKE THAT THAT I COULD FOCUS ON, THAT WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT ALLOCATING DOLLARS IN MY DISTRICT, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE ONE OF THE TOP PROJECTS IN YOUR WHOLE DISTRICT, AND SO THAT'S ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. THE SECOND THING I HAVE FOR YOU IS THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE DOLLARS ALLOCATED FOR THE I-4 CONNECTOR, OKAY, BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE JUST PUSHING THIS PROJECT FORWARD AND THEN FREEING UP THOSE DOLLARS TO HOPEFULLY BE ALLOCATED TOWARDS ALEXANDER, BRUCE B. DOWNS, AND OTHER PROJECTS. IS THAT CORRECT? I GAVE YOU TWO QUESTIONS THERE, I THINK, MAYBE THREE OR FOUR. >>DON SKELTON: YOU'VE ACTUALLY WOVEN IN ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN, BUT I'LL SEE HOW I CAN WEAVE THROUGH THIS. CERTAINLY THE I-4/SELMON CONNECTOR IS A VERY, VERY HIGH PRIORITY FOR THE STATE, FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, THE CONNECTION WITH THE PORT, CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTMENT THAT THE PORT HAS MADE IN THEIR CONTAINER BUSINESS, THE TRUCKS, THE MOVING OF FREIGHT. IT'S A REVENUE-PRODUCING PROJECT, IT'S A TOLL FACILITY, CERTAINLY HELPS OUT THE HILLSBOROUGH EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY AS WELL FROM A TOLL AND REVENUE STANDPOINT, SO FOR ALL THOSE THINGS, IT IS A GOOD PROJECT. YES, WE HAVE FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT OUT IN OUR YEAR 2012- 2013 AND 2013-2014. DO I EXPECT TO APPLY $463 MILLION OF STIMULUS FUNDS TO THIS PROJECT? NO. THAT'S NOT A REALISTIC EXPECTATION, BUT IF THERE'S A WAY TO FINANCE IT WHERE, YOU KNOW, SOME AMOUNT GETS THAT PROJECT STARTED WITH PAYMENTS BEING DONE WHERE WE'VE GOT THE CURRENT PROGRAMMING IN '12-13 AND '13-14, THAT'S WHAT WE'D BE LOOKING TO DO. ANY MONIES THAT GOT FREED UP IN '12-13 AND '13-14 BECAUSE WE ACCELERATED THE PROJECT WE WOULD TURN AROUND AND APPLY TO OUR STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM PROJECTS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THOSE FUNDS ARE -- THAT PROJECT IS FUNDED WITH THOSE RIGHT NOW, SO WE'D BE LOOKING AT AN I-75 OR SOMETHING ELSE AND, AGAIN, FURTHER MORE PROJECTS FOR DISTRICT 7 WITH THOSE -- WITH ANY FUNDS THAT GOT FREED UP. >>RICK LOTT: ONE MORE QUESTION THEN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YEAH. >>RICK LOTT: SO IF WE -- IF THIS MPO BOARD -- IF WE TOOK AND PUT THE I-4 CONNECTOR AS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND THEN FOR SOME REASON THAT PROJECT COULDN'T MOVE FORWARD AND IF WE JUST SIMPLY PUT IT TO THE TOP OF OUR LIST HERE, THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THE REST OF THIS THAT OUR MPO STAFF WENT THROUGH; CORRECT? >>DON SKELTON: IF THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND WE WERE UNABLE TO GET IT, WE WOULD START GOING DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, WE CAN'T GET NUMBER ONE, WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER TWO? >>RICK LOTT: [INAUDIBLE] AND KEEP ON GOING. OKAY. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MARY. >>MARY MULHERN: THANK YOU. THIS IS -- IT'S ON. I'M WONDERING IF -- CAN YOU PUT THAT PIE CHART ON? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE STILL GOT RAY'S PRESENTATION THERE, BUT I HAVE SOME JUST REAL BASIC QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT -- HOW WE ARRIVED OR HOW YOU ARRIVED AT THE PIECES OF THE PIE. WAS IT BASED ON -- DID YOU TAKE THE AMOUNT THAT WE'RE ESTIMATING WE CAN GET OVERALL -- I GUESS I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAME FIRST, THE PRIORITIZING AND DIVIDING OR THE -- WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GET. DO YOU FOLLOW WHAT I'M ASKING? >>BETH ALDEN: YOU KNOW, WE WERE -- IT WAS KIND OF A SHOT IN THE DARK AT WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO GET, AND I'M SORRY, I'M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE PIE CHART UP. >>MARY MULHERN: THAT'S OKAY. WE CAN -- >>BETH ALDEN: BUT IT WAS -- WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE GUIDANCE FROM THE BOARD ABOUT THE VISION FOR THE LONG-RANGE PLAN, WE GOT THE SENSE THAT THE BOARD WANTED TO SEE A MIX OF PROJECTS, SO WHAT WE DID WAS TO LOOK AT THE HIGHEST- PRIORITY PROJECTS FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, AND WE DIDN'T START OUT WITH A PRECONCEIVED NOTION OF WHAT THOSE -- YOU KNOW, WHAT THE TOTAL VALUE OF THOSE OUGHT TO BE, AND WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A GOOD UPPER-LIMIT NUMBER OF WHAT WE THOUGHT MIGHT COME TO THIS AREA. THE 200 MILLION TO DISTRICT 7 THAT YOU HEARD THIS MORNING WAS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THAT NUMBER, WE'VE HAD -- BUT WE HAVE SEEN SOME NUMBERS ON FRIDAY LIKE -- LIKE THIS. >>MARY MULHERN: AND THAT'S FOR OUR DISTRICT? >>BETH ALDEN: THIS IS STATEWIDE. >>MARY MULHERN: OR FOR THE WHOLE STATE. >>BETH ALDEN: THIS IS STATEWIDE, BUT THIS CAME OUT AFTER WE SENT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS OUT TO YOU, SO WE WERE TRYING TO BE CONSERVATIVE IN WHAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD, AND WHAT WE DID WAS TO LOOK AT THE PROJECTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, COMPARE THOSE TO ALL OF THE PLANS AND STUDIES THAT THE MPO HAD DONE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, LOOKING AT NEEDS FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT MODES, A LOT OF THOSE STUDIES HAVING EXTENSIVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AS PART OF THAT BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO GO THROUGH OUR USUAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS FOR THIS DECISION-MAKING ACTION, SO LOOKING AT WHAT HAVE THE PLANS THAT THIS -- THAT HAVE GONE OUT TO THE PUBLIC THAT THIS MPO HAS ADOPTED IN THE PAST SAID ABOUT PRIORITIES AND THEN TRYING TO TAKE SORT OF THE - - THE PROJECTS THAT STAND OUT AT THE TOP OF THOSE LISTS AND PUT THEM TOGETHER INTO A PACKAGE, AND THAT'S WHAT WOUND UP IN THE PIE CHART. >>MARY MULHERN: I GUESS WHAT MY CONCERN IS IS I LIKE THAT -- THE LAST PICTURE YOU HAD UP THERE WITH THE -- ALL THE PICTURES BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY ONE PICTURE OF A ROAD, AND THE REST OF THE PICTURES WERE OF PEDESTRIAN, BICYCLE, TRANSIT, BUSES, AND I KNOW THAT WE -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SUCH LIMITED TIME AND WE HAVE SO MANY REQUIREMENTS AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, HOW FAR ALONG WE ARE IN THIS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE SHOVEL READINESS, BUT I THINK BECAUSE OF -- THE REASON WE HAVE THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE IS BECAUSE OF THE KIND OF ECONOMIC MELTDOWN WE'VE HAD AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN FLORIDA AND EVEN OUR REGION HAS BEEN SINGLED OUT AS A PLACE WHERE OUR ENTIRE -- ALL OF OUR JOBS -- OUR ECONOMY IS DEPENDENT ON DEVELOPMENT AND BASICALLY GROWTH IN THE HOUSING MARKET AND IN SPRAWL, SO I THINK WHAT -- I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD BE LEARNING FROM WHAT'S HAPPENED AND USING THE STIMULUS TO MAKE THE JOBS -- CREATE JOBS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE -- THANK YOU. YOU FINALLY FOUND IT. SO IF WE LOOK AT THIS, IT'S NOT BAD, YOU KNOW, BUT I'M LOOKING AT HOW WE'VE GOT ROADWAYS AS HALF WHEN THE REALITY IS WE NEED TO BE MOVING TOWARD TRANSIT, WE NEED TO BE MOVING TOWARD PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS OTHER THAN CARS, AND THE OTHER CONSIDERATION I HAVE -- AND THIS MAY BE JUST -- THESE POINTS MAY BE SOMETHING I'M JUST GOING TO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT LATER BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE STIMULUS MONEY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, I THINK, BUT THE BIG, BIG PROJECTS, LIKE THE CROSSTOWN EXTENSION OR THE -- YEAH -- >> CONNECTOR. >>MARY MULHERN: -- CONNECTOR, THE CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO COST THE MOST MONEY, SO HOW DO WE GET THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK? MAYBE IT'S IN DOING THE SMALLER PROJECTS THAT ARE READY THAT WILL CHANGE THE -- YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST BUILD MORE -- MORE ROADS, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE MORE CARS AND LESS SUSTAINABILITY, WHEREAS, IF YOU ARE FOCUSING ON TRANSIT- ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AND BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MODELS, IT'LL COST A LOT LESS, SO YOU CAN DO A LOT MORE. SO I KNOW THAT THIS IS -- I JUST HAVE TO SAY THIS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO BE THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO SAY IT HERE, AND I WANT TO GET IT OUT THERE, BUT I JUST THINK -- YOU KNOW, WE'RE PLANNERS. THIS IS A PLANNING ORGANIZATION, AND WE NEED TO LEARN FROM THE MISTAKES WE'VE MADE IN THE PAST AND WE NEED TO START FIXING THAT, SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JOBS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU BUILD -- JUST BUILDING MORE LANES, THAT'S CONSTRUCTION, AND ONCE THAT CONSTRUCTION'S OVER, YOU JUST HAVE MORE CARS TRAVELING, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE KIND OF LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE JOBS THAT YOU WOULD GET, FOR INSTANCE, FOCUSING ON THE CITY, AND I ALSO LOOKED AT THE MAP REAL BRIEFLY, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE GETTING MUCH IN THE CITY OF TAMPA WHERE WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING, I THINK. THAT'S WHAT ALL THE ECONOMISTS AND THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE NEW YORKER AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS TALKING ABOUT, SO I JUST DON'T WANT THIS CONVERSATION TO GO ON IN A SORT OF VACUUM WITHOUT TRANSIT AND SUSTAINABILITY AND GREEN JOBS TOO ADDED INTO IT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. GOOD MORNING. I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS, BUT -- AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING HERE A MINUTE OR TWO LATE, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM RICHARD, IF YOU HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET THIS MORNING, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONNECTOR AS WELL AS -- AS WELL AS JOE. WE HAVE SOME PRINTED MATERIAL IN FRONT OF US, BUT I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM THESE TWO GENTLEMEN. THEIR AGENCIES ARE OBVIOUSLY THE MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THIS, AND THEN IF I COULD FOLLOW UP WITH ONE OR TWO OTHER THINGS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. WAINIO. >>RICHARD WAINIO: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER -- COUNCILMAN. I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE TO QUITE START BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, AND OBVIOUSLY I'LL SAVE MOST OF IT FOR LATER. I WOULD -- BEFORE I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY ON THE I- 4, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE JUST A SHORT SOMEWHAT BROADER AND MORE CONCEPTUAL STATEMENT. YOU KNOW, I DON'T SAY A WHOLE LOT ON THIS MPO BECAUSE TYPICALLY THE MPO HAS ITS WORK PLAN PRETTY WELL LAID OUT BY THE STAFF, AND IT FOCUSES ON ALL THESE GOOD THINGS THAT COUNCILWOMAN MULHERN JUST COMMENTED ON, EVERYTHING FROM FILLING POTHOLES AND BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS AND LOCAL ROADS AND STREETS AND SIGNALIZATION AND BIKE PATHS AND ADA ISSUES, ALL VERY IMPORTANT, ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THINGS THAT WE NEED AND WANT TO SEE IN PLACE IN OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTY. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF WHAT THE MPO DOES AND HAS BEEN DOING AND -- AND OVER TIME SHOULD BE LOOKING AT. THIS IS A DIFFERENT SITUATION. WE HAVE TO -- I MEAN, THE STIMULUS MONEY IS BEING PROVIDED FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE. IT'S -- AND -- AND IT'S PRETTY CLEAR IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDED AND FILTERED DOWN TO BE USED ON PROJECTS THAT BRING CONSIDERABLE ECONOMIC INPUT IMMEDIATELY AND OVER TIME AND CREATE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF JOBS IN THE PROCESS, AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS GROUP HAS TO THINK A LITTLE MORE BROADLY, NOT GET TOO FOCUSED ON IN THE TRENCHES AND WORK PLANS AND THE TYPICAL THINGS THAT WE DO. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE, FROM A HIGHER PERSPECTIVE. I THINK RAY AND THE STAFF AGAIN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME DID WHAT THEY COULD DO, BASICALLY WENT TO THE SHELF IN SO MANY WORDS. I MEAN, THAT'S -- AND YOU WENT TO YOUR WORK PLAN AND YOU PULLED THINGS OUT AND YOU SET YOUR PRIORITY, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T BELIEVE STIMULUS MONEY SHOULD BE USED FOR VANPOOLS AND SIGNALIZATION AND FILLING POTHOLES AND BEAUTIFICATION. THAT MONEY SHOULD COME FROM OTHER SOURCES, AND THAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR ONGOING MPO WORK PLAN, BUT THE STIMULUS MONEY NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON SOME MAJOR PROJECTS, AND I HAVE TO DISAGREE A LITTLE BIT HERE WITH SOME OF THE WORDING. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE INTENT, BUT COMMISSIONER MULHERN'S COMMENT WHEN SHE SAYS JUST ROAD PROJECTS AND THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BRING MORE CARS. THE I-4 CONNECTOR IS NOT GOING TO DO THAT AT ALL. IT'S GOING TO DO, IN FACT, WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE DONE. IT'S GOING TO PULL THOSE TRUCKS AND THOSE CARS BY THE THOUSANDS OFF THOSE ROADS AND STREETS, OUT OF YBOR, OFF STATE ROAD 60, OFF OF 22 AND CAUSEWAY, AND ALL OF THESE ROADS THAT ARE JAM-PACKED WITH TRUCKS. I MEAN, YOU ONLY HAVE TO GO TO THE COLUMBIA RESTAURANT, SIT THERE AT LUNCHTIME AND WATCH THE TANK TRUCKS LINED UP BUMPER TO BUMPER ON 22nd STREET. DON'T THROW A CIGARETTE OUT THE WINDOW. [LAUGHTER] I MEAN -- I MEAN, THAT'S -- AND THESE ROADS WERE NOT BUILT FOR THOSE KINDS OF TRUCKS. THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY NOR WERE THEY DESIGNED TO HOLD THAT KIND OF WEIGHT, AND -- AND THAT JUST CREATES MORE NEEDS FROM THE MPO, MORE POTHOLES TO FILL, MORE BROKEN-DOWN ROADS UNLESS YOU GET THOSE TRUCKS OFF THOSE ROADS. THAT'S WHAT THE I-4 IS DESIGNED TO DO. WE'VE ALREADY MOVED 11,000 TRUCKS IN AND OUT OF THE PORT EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE YEAR, AND IF YOU PUT THAT MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, TAKE OUT THE WEEKENDS, THAT NUMBER OBVIOUSLY GETS BIGGER, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT EVEN MODERATE GROWTH -- MODERATE GROWTH WILL DRIVE THAT 11,000 FIGURE TO 15,000, TO 18,000 TRUCK MOVES BEFORE THE DECADE IS OVER, AND THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE ON CITY STREETS AND ROADS, BUMPER TO BUMPER, JAMMED UP. IF THE PORTS -- AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY -- HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS THE HEART OF THIS REGION. WE ALL KNOW THAT. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION THAT GOES BEYOND JUST TAMPA AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PLAY A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN OUR REGION, AND THE I-4 CONNECTOR NOT ONLY HELPS YBOR, NOT ONLY HELPS ALL OF US IN ALL OF EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH BY -- BY WHAT IT DOES JUST IN RECONFIGURING TRAFFIC PATTERNS IN A VERY, VERY CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER, BUT IT WILL ALLOW WHAT ARGUABLY ALONG WITH THE AIRPORT THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ENGINE IN THE -- IN THE WHOLE REGION, THE PORT OF TAMPA, TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND DEVELOP. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT JOB CREATION, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF JOBS DURING CONSTRUCTION PHASE ON THE I-4, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER 200 COMPANIES THAT MAKE THE PORT OF TAMPA HOME THAT HIRE -- WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NEEDING TO DO SMALL PROJECTS IN REGIONS THAT ARE KIND OF ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED AND YOU NEED TO CREATE JOBS FOR THOSE REGIONS, THESE 200 COMPANIES FOR THE MOST PART HIRE BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS, PEOPLE THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ADVANCED COLLEGE DEGREES, I MEAN, PEOPLE WITH SOMEWHAT LOWER EDUCATIONAL LEVELS, HIGH SCHOOL, VOCATIONAL TRAINING. THEY HIRE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BLUE-COLLAR, HARDWORKING PEOPLE, AND THEY KEEP THEM EMPLOYED, AND IF THE PORT IS GOING TO GROW AND DEVELOP AND OUR MAIN FOCUS IS ON THE CONTAINER DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE OF ALL THE CARGOS THAT MOVE THROUGH A PORT, THE CONTAINER BUSINESS CREATES MORE ECONOMIC VALUE AND MORE JOBS THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF ACTIVITY AT THE PORT. AND SO WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONTAINER BUSINESS. IF WE'RE GOING TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH ALL THE OTHER PORTS AROUND THIS STATE AND AROUND THIS COUNTRY AND WE'RE GOING TO BRING THAT BUSINESS TO TAMPA AND CREATE THOSE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF JOBS THAT ARE GOING TO COME FROM THAT, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE I-4 CONNECTOR. IT'S NOT GOING TO OCCUR IF WE DON'T HAVE A ROAD THAT WILL GET THAT CARGO EFFICIENTLY OUT OF THE PORT ONTO INTERSTATE 75, INTERSTATE 4, AND OUT INTO THE -- INTO THE HINTERLAND. WE'RE GOING TO CREATE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND EVERYTHING THAT FLOWS FROM THAT DEVELOPMENT IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT ROADS AND THE RIGHT CONNECTORS, AND I WON'T GO ON AND ON WITH IT, BUT I WOULD JUST ADD THAT IT ALSO BENEFITS BEYOND -- YOU KNOW, DON'T FOCUS ON BENEFITS JUST TO THE PORT, JOB CREATION, AND ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS THAT COME FROM THE MARITIME ACTIVITIES AND THE RELATED ACTIVITIES. THE CONNECTOR ALSO PLAYS INTO THE ENTIRE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE REGION. IF THERE'S A HURRICANE, PEOPLE FROM PINELLAS, ST. PETE ARE GOING TO HAVE OPTIONS BECAUSE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO USE THE CROSSTOWN, 275, AND YOU HAVE A CONNECTOR THAT BRINGS THAT AND I-4 ALL TOGETHER. IT -- IT ALLOWS FOR A MORE EFFICIENT MOVEMENT OF EAST-WEST TRAFFIC ACROSS HILLSBOROUGH, AND IT CREATES A NUMBER OF OTHER BENEFITS FOR OUR REGION. AGAIN, I AGREE -- LAST COMMENT WOULD BE THAT I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH DON SKELTON THAT YOU CAN'T LOOK AT THIS LIST, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO PUT TOGETHER JUST IN TERMS OF, OH, WELL, THE I-4'S SO BIG IT'LL GET ALL THE MONEY. THAT'S NOT THE CASE. IT WON'T GET ALL THE MONEY. THERE ARE OTHER POTS OF MONEY THAT OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO COME INTO PLAY IF THE I-4 IS GOING TO GET DONE. IT'S A BIG PROJECT. THEY'VE ALREADY SPENT $150 MILLION ON THE PROJECT, AND THEY'VE GOT ANOTHER 450 MILLION TO SPEND OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS. IT'S NOT GOING TO ALL COME FROM THE STIMULUS, OBVIOUSLY. I THINK THAT -- THAT AT EVERY LEVEL ABOVE THE MPO PEOPLE HAVE SUPPORTED THE I-4. YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU -- AND I MET UP IN TALLAHASSEE LAST WEEK WITH THE BALD -- WITH OUR BAY AREA LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION. 32 OF THEM WERE PRESENT. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, THEIR ACTION TO SUPPORT THE I-4, THE MOTION THEY TOOK WAS UNANIMOUS, I BELIEVE. 32 OF OUR DELEGATES SUPPORT THE I-4, FDOT SUPPORTS THE I-4 AS A PRIORITY PROJECT. YOU HEARD THE COMMENT READ INTO THE RECORD EARLIER, SUPPORT FROM OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND FROM OTHERS ON THE I-4. THE MAYOR, GOVERNOR CRIST. EVERYBODY YOU TALK TO SUPPORTS THE I-4 AS A CRITICAL PROJECT FOR THIS -- THIS REGION, AND -- AND I -- I BELIEVE THAT THIS BOARD HAS TO SEND A MESSAGE -- EVEN IF THE I-4 DOESN'T GET DONE, EVEN IF -- FROM STIMULUS MONEY OR AS PART OF AN MPO PACKAGE -- PUT IT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE STATE THAT IF YOU CAN'T DO IT NOW, YOU BETTER DO IT SOON, YOU BETTER FIND A WAY TO GET IT DONE BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I THINK I -- >>MARY MULHERN: CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING. >>JOE AFFRONTI: LET MR. DINGFELDER FOLLOW UP ON -- >>MARY MULHERN: WILL YOU LET ME PLEASE -- >>JOHN DINGFELDER: SURE. >>MARY MULHERN: I'M SORRY. I GRABBED THAT BECAUSE IT WAS THE ROAD PROJECT THAT WAS MENTIONED, AND I DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE I SUPPORT IT TOO. I THINK THERE'S GENERAL CONSENSUS ABOUT IT, AND IT WAS A POOR CHOICE FOR ME TO USE AS FAR AS ROAD PROJECTS. I WAS SURPRISED TOO TO SEE THAT IT WASN'T UP THERE ON THE FIRST OF THE LIST, SO I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TO ARGUE WITH ME OR THAT I DON'T SUPPORT THAT AS A PROJECT. I JUST GRABBED IT OUT OF THE AIR, SO -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. MR. DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: OKAY. JUST ONE OTHER QUESTION, AND THEN I WANTED TO MAKE MY COMMENT, WAS TO JOE. IN REGARD TO FINANCING, I THINK THAT'S A BIG ISSUE, IF -- LET'S SAY FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE WE WERE ABLE TO PUT -- PRIORITIZE THE CONNECTOR WITH $100 MILLION OF THE STIMULUS MONEY. WHAT DOES THAT DO IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY GETTING THE PROJECT BUILT, AND HOW WOULD YOU FINANCE THE BALANCE OF THE $350 MILLION THAT -- THAT ARE STILL NEEDED? >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. SKELTON. I'M SORRY. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: EITHER ONE. SOMEBODY'S GOT TO BUILD IT. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. WAGGONER. >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY TALK BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO DON. THE PROJECT ITSELF, I THINK IT IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR VISION FOR THIS REGION, AND MR. WAINIO MENTIONED A LOT OF IT. IF YOU TALK ABOUT SAFETY AND LIVABILITY IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THE CONNECTOR GETTING THOSE TRUCKS OUT OF YBOR IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT SO THAT PEDESTRIANS CAN WALK MORE SAFELY ACROSS THOSE ROADWAYS. IF YOU TALK ABOUT CREATING A SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT BASE, I THINK POSITIONING OUR PORT IN TIME FOR THE PANAMAX OPENING IS ANOTHER GOOD BENEFIT FOR US TO PUT OURSELVES OUT THERE AND REALLY BE A JOB GENERATOR, NOT ONLY FOR OUR HILLSBOROUGH AND TAMPA BUT GOING BEYOND HILLSBOROUGH AND TAMPA, OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM THAT, SO IT IS A TRUE REGIONAL PROJECT IN MANY OTHER WAYS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH STRATEGIC INTERMODAL I THINK SPEAKS TO EVACUATION, IT WILL ENHANCE OUR ABILITY FOR THAT KIND OF NEED IN THE FUTURE AND IMPORTANTLY GIVES A DOUBLE BENEFIT. IT GIVES A BENEFIT IN TERMS OF INVESTMENT IN OUR PORT TO GROW JOBS AND ADD TO OUR COMMUNITY IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY. IT OBVIOUSLY BENEFITS OUR AGENCY. IF IT CAN ADD REVENUE TO US, IT WILL POSITION THEA TO, YOU KNOW, BE MORE HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE WHEN THAT NEW TRAFFIC DOES COME ON TO OUR FACILITY. SO ALL THOSE THINGS, I THINK, SPEAK TO IT, AND WE'RE ALL SEEING IT, SO I'LL STOP ON THAT PART RIGHT THERE. ONE THING I THINK I WANTED TO GET IN BEFORE SECRETARY SKELTON TALKS IS HIS COMMENT ABOUT 50% OF THE STATE DISCRETIONARY DOLLARS HAVE TO BE ALLOCATED WITHIN 120 DAYS, LEAVING THE OTHER PROJECT FUNDS TO BE OBLIGATED WITHIN A YEAR. IF -- IF I UNDERSTOOD THAT CORRECTLY, THE MONIES THAT THE MPO WOULD BE -- POTENTIALLY HAVE PRIORITIZATION CALLED ON, WHATEVER MONIES ARE AVAILABLE, WOULD BE -- WE HAVE A YEAR TO OBLIGATE THOSE. I MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THAT. IF I HAVE, HE CAN CORRECT ME. SO I WOULD LIKE HIM TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT IF WE COULD MOVE THE CONVERSATION ALONG, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST PERHAPS WE HAVE A SCHEDULE "A" AND A SCHEDULE "B" OF PRIORITIES, SCHEDULE "A" BEING A PROJECT, THE I-4 CONNECTOR AT THE TOP, SCHEDULE "B" BEING THE MPO'S PRIORITIZED LIST THAT DEPENDING -- BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO US AFTER SCHEDULE "A" IS ACCOMPLISHED, BUT SCHEDULE "B," MAYBE WE HAVE TIME, IF I UNDERSTOOD THE SECRETARY CORRECTLY, TO GIVE STAFF SOME MORE DIRECTION ON PRIORITIZATION, AND WE MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT LIST WHEN WE'RE DONE IF WE CAN -- I'LL STOP THERE. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. MR. SKELTON. >>DON SKELTON: I WILL ANSWER JOE'S QUESTION AND COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER'S, MAYBE TAKE A BREATH IN BETWEEN. WITH RESPECT TO THE TIMING ASPECT, AGAIN, THE BILL TALKS ABOUT OBLIGATING 50% OF THE STATE DISCRETIONARY FUND WITHIN 120 DAYS, AND IT DOES ALLOW UP TO A YEAR TO OBLIGATE THE REST. AGAIN, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND WAITING A YEAR TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE OF SPEED AND REDISTRIBUTION OF ANY FUNDS NOT BEING CONSUMED BY OTHER STATES, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK TO SEE IF THE STATES WITH THEIR HANDS OUT HAVE ACTUALLY OBLIGATED ALL THEIR FUNDS YET. SO THAT WILL BE AN ISSUE. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THAT WE WAIT ANOTHER YEAR TO DO THIS. SECOND PART OF THAT ANSWER, THOUGH, IS ALSO UNDERSTANDING IF THIS IS THE TOP PRIORITY OF THIS BOARD -- AND IT MAY TAKE EVERY BIT OF THE STATEWIDE DISCRETION AND THIS MPO'S DISCRETION FUNDS TO MAKE THE I-4/SELMON CONNECTOR HAPPEN, WHICH GETS INTO THE ANSWER FOR COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER, HOW WILL THE REST OF THE 353 MILLION OR MORE, WHATEVER -- WHATEVER COMES OUT. WE WERE ALWAYS PROCEEDING WITH THIS PROJECT, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE LET IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR, UNDER WHAT WE'RE -- WHAT WE TERM AS A BUILD-FINANCE SCENARIO. WE DID NOT HAVE ALL $463 MILLION IN OUR FIVE-YEAR WORK PROGRAM IN FISCAL YEAR '09-10. THERE WAS $100-PLUS MILLION THAT WAS OUT IN '12-13 ORIGINALLY, SO WE WERE GOING TO BE ASKING A CONTRACT FINANCE TEAM TO COME IN AND ESSENTIALLY BUILD THE PROJECT WITH THE PAYMENTS OF THAT LAST HUNDRED MILLION STARTING IN JULY 2012 AND EXTENDING FOUR YEARS BEYOND THAT, SO IT WAS A FINANCE PACKAGE. WE WOULD PROCEED IN THE SAME MANNER IF WE THINK WE CAN MAKE THAT FINANCE PACKAGE WORK. A LOT OF DISCUSSION HAS TO HAPPEN WITH OUR FINANCIAL FOLKS IN TALLAHASSEE TO SEE IF -- IF WE CAN MAKE SUCH A THING HAPPEN. BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT'S FRUITLESS TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION IF THIS MPO'S NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, AND IN FACT, IF IT'S NOT EVEN ON THE LIST AND YOU DON'T EVEN DO THE T.I.P. AMENDMENT FOR IT, IT DIES RIGHT THERE BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT IN THE T.I.P., IT CAN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH FEDERAL FUNDS. SO I THINK I ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. BECKNER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I JUST -- >>KEVIN BECKNER: GO AHEAD. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: I JUST WANTED TO MAKE MY LAST LITTLE STATEMENT, AND I APPRECIATE THE PROFESSIONAL WISDOM OF THESE GENTLEMEN. I'M NOT GOING TO REGURGITATE ALL THESE REASONS THAT WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE THE CONNECTOR. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE ALWAYS JUMPED OUT AT ME IS THE DANGER OF THOSE TANKERS COMING THROUGH YBOR AS YOU'RE SITTING THERE AT THE COLUMBIA RESTAURANT. IT'S JUST A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN, IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN, BUT THERE'S LOTS AND LOTS OF OTHER REASONS, AND FRANKLY, I'M SO IMPRESSED BY THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, 30-SOMETHING STATE LEGISLATORS FROM AS FAR AWAY AS POLK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BRADENTON AND PROBABLY EVEN SARASOTA, YOU KNOW, BAY AREA LEGISLATORS SAW THIS AS A PRIORITY, AND THEY RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PORT AND THE HURRICANE EVACUATION ISSUES. WE SAW THAT PINELLAS WAS UPSET WITH US BECAUSE -- YOU KNOW, BECAUSE PERHAPS THIS MIGHT BE TAKING SOME MONEY AWAY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT LOOKS LIKE PINELLAS LEGISLATORS GOT ONBOARD WITH THIS PROJECT TOO. SO ANYWAY, I JUST THINK FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE, IT'S A GOOD IDEA. I THINK -- I ALSO THINK IT'S A NICE THING TO HAVE A SIGNATURE PROJECT. IF WE CAN LOOK BACK FIVE OR TEN YEARS FROM NOW AND SAY WHAT DID THE STIMULUS PACKAGE DO FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO NAME THESE TEN OR 15 LITTLE PROJECTS BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING, BUT IF WE DO THE SIGNATURE PROJECT THAT HELPS THE PORT, THAT HELPS THE REGION, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA. WITH THAT, I THINK WE'RE ALL PERHAPS A LITTLE LIMITED ON TIME, I KNOW I AM WITH SEVERAL MEETINGS THIS MORNING, BUT JUST TO GET THIS OFF THE DIME, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO GO AHEAD AND ELEVATE OR ACTUALLY PUT THAT CONNECTOR PROJECT AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, SLIDE EVERYTHING DOWN A NOTCH, AND ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY PUT IT BACK ON THE T.I.P. WHERE IT BELONGS, THE T.I.P. PROGRAM, SO THAT'S MY MOTION. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >> I'LL SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. MOVED AND SECONDED. NOW DISCUSSION. MR. BECKNER, YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. A QUESTION FOR MR. SECRETARY. IF WE DECIDED TO PUT THE I-4 CORRIDOR AT THE TOP WITH ALL OF THE RULES THAT ARE IN PLACE, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO START TURNING DIRT WITHIN SO MANY DAYS ON THAT PROJECT? WOULD WE HAVE TO -- I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'D HAVE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO FINANCE THE REST OF THAT. DOES THAT HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED AS WELL? DO ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE TO BE FIGURED OUT BEFORE THAT PROJECT WOULD BE ACCEPTED? >>DON SKELTON: IN ESSENCE, THE FINANCE PIECE OF IT HAS TO BE FIGURED OUT BEFORE THAT PROJECT WOULD MOVE FORWARD. THE ISSUE WITH TURNING DIRT, AGAIN, THE LANGUAGE IN THE BILL IS OBLIGATION OF THE FEDERAL MONEY. LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS. THAT GENERALLY COINCIDES WITH OUR ADVERTISEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION. WE BELIEVE WE CAN GET THAT PROJECT ADVERTISED FOR CONSTRUCTION BY THE MIDDLE OF JUNE, WHICH IS ABOUT WHERE THE 120 DAYS WOULD TAKE US. SOME OF THE SCENARIOS THAT WE WENT OVER AT THE VIDEO CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY ARE IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOMETIME BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT'S SIGNATURE ON THE BILL AND USDOT TO APPORTION THE MONEY OUT. THAT COULD HAPPEN IN ONE DAY, THAT COULD HAPPEN NO MORE THAN 21 DAYS, BUT THE CLOCK STARTS TICKING ONCE THE MONEY IS APPORTIONED OUT, SO IF YOU ASSUME THAT IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETIME VERY QUICKLY WITHIN THE WEEK, THAT 120 DAYS TAKES YOU ABOUT TO THE MIDDLE OF JUNE. WE CAN GET THIS PROJECT ADVERTISED BY THE MIDDLE OF JUNE. IF THE FINANCING CAN'T WORK OUT, IF WE CAN'T GET THAT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO FALL BACK TO THE NEXT SET OF PRIORITIES, WHICH IS WHERE MY NEXT QUESTION WILL BE, IS THAT TO TAKE EACH OF THESE IN DIRECT ORDER OF ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE RIGHT DOWN TO NUMBER 14? IS THAT WHAT THIS MPO IS SAYING IS THEIR PRIORITY? >>KEVIN BECKNER: AND IS IT POSSIBLE, THEN, IF THIS PROJECT IS -- IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE TO THE STATE AND TO OTHER REGIONS THAT WE COULD GET DOLLARS FROM OTHER REGIONS TO HELP WITH THIS PROJECT, OR IS THAT UNLIKELY? >>DON SKELTON: THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE STATE DISCRETIONARY OR STATEWIDE FUNDS OBVIOUSLY IS GOING TO FOLLOW SOME KIND OF GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. IT WON'T NECESSARILY BE PERCENTAGE BY PERCENTAGE, BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS AREA'S NOT GOING TO GET A THIRD OF EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MANAGE THAT. BUT THOSE WILL BE PART OF THE STATEWIDE DISCRETION. >>KEVIN BECKNER: SO IN YOUR OPINION, THEN, THIS PROJECT IS VERY FEASIBLE FOR THESE DOLLARS, AND WE COULD BE READY TO GO BY JUNE, EVERYTHING SET SO WE WOULD -- THIS IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY? >>DON SKELTON: I THINK IT IS FEASIBLE IF WE CAN GET THROUGH THE CHALLENGE OF THE FINANCE. >>KEVIN BECKNER: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: MR. CAETANO. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: MY QUESTION IS NOT ON I-4, IT'S ON ANOTHER -- RAY, ON 22nd STREET, USF AREA. YOU HAD MENTIONED YOU'RE DISBANDING THAT PROJECT THERE. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: BETH CAN EXPLAIN WHY IT DIDN'T -- >>JOSEPH CAETANO: OKAY. >>BETH ALDEN: ALL OF THE PROJECTS DO STILL HAVE TO MEET FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS, AND WHAT WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE COUNTY STAFF THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPING THAT PROJECT IS THAT THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT HASN'T GONE THROUGH THAT SAME PROCESS THAT YOU WOULD ORDINARILY USE IF YOU WERE USING FEDERAL DOLLARS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF TOM FASS -- IS HE HERE? >> [INAUDIBLE] >>BETH ALDEN: -- OR BOB GORDON. TOM, DO YOU WANT TO SAY A WORD ABOUT THAT PROJECT? YEAH, I BELIEVE IT WAS A -- IT WAS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY PURCHASE FOR 22nd STREET. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND SAYING A WORD OR TWO. >>TOM FASS: TOM FASS WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS. YEAH, 22nd STREET, WHEN THAT PROJECT WAS DESIGNED AND WE WENT THROUGH RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION, WE DID NOT FOLLOW THE FEDERAL NEPA REQUIREMENTS OR THE UNIFORM RELOCATION ACT FOR RIGHT-OF-WAY ACQUISITION, SO WE HAD NEVER INTENDED TO SEEK FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THE 22nd STREET PROJECT. THAT PROJECT WAS PUT ON THE LIST BECAUSE AT THE TIME WE WEREN'T SURE HOW THE FUNDS WOULD COME DOWN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHAT THE CONSTRAINTS WOULD BE ON THE FUNDING, AND SO THAT'S WHY IT ACTUALLY WAS ON OUR INITIAL LIST, BUT IT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO FEDERAL STANDARDS. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: THANK YOU. I GOT ONE MORE QUESTION. ON BRUCE B. DOWNS, MR. HAGAN MENTIONED THAT WE WERE 14th ON THE PRIORITY LIST, AND LOOKING AT ANOTHER ONE, I SEE WHERE WE'RE NUMBER THREE FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND FDOT IS NUMBER TWO. THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT A LIGHT RAIL IN THE MIDDLE, AND THIS SPEAKS ONLY ABOUT FOUR TO EIGHT LANES. HOW IS THAT LIGHT RAIL GOING TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR IN THERE? >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WELL, WE REALLY DIDN'T GET INTO A BIG DISCUSSION OF THE LIGHT RAIL AT THIS POINT IN TIME. EIGHT LANES WOULDN'T WORK, REALLY, IN MY OPINION, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT REVISITING, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE FOUR OR SIX -- OR I'M SORRY, SIX OR EIGHT. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: RIGHT. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: AND THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. I'M TRYING TO SET UP A MEETING WITH TBARTA MYSELF AND -- >>JOSEPH CAETANO: AND THAT'S WHAT A LANE IN THE MIDDLE, IF THERE IS A LIGHT RAIL, IS THAT -- >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WELL, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OR ON THE SIDE. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING THE REQUEST. IF -- IF WE SUBMIT THE CONNECTOR AS OUR TOP PRIORITY, ARE THEY -- I THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING HAD TO BE -- WE HAD TO SHOW THAT IT WAS FULLY FUNDED AND SHOVEL READY BEFORE WE COULD SUBMIT ANYTHING. AM I RIGHT OR IS THAT NOT THE RIGHT -- >>DON SKELTON: AGAIN, THE FUNDS NEED TO BE OBLIGATED WITHIN 120 DAYS AND CONSTRUCTION START VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER. IF WE'RE ABLE TO WORK OUT THE FINANCE PACKAGE, ALL THOSE THINGS WOULD OCCUR. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. OKAY. YES. >>HUNG MAI: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT A VOTING MEMBER, BUT ALLOW ME TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, SOME COMMENTS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION STANDPOINT. I DO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THE I-4 AND SELMON EXPRESSWAY CONNECTOR. THE REASON IS THAT WE TRIED TO BYPASS THE TRUCK, YOU KNOW, THROUGH HISTORICAL YBOR DISTRICT, AND LET ME JUST ADD IT ON, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER THING. ON THE GLOBAL AND ECONOMIC, YOU KNOW, STANDPOINT, IN 2014 THE -- THE PANAMA CANAL GOING TO BE FINISHED. THE PORT ALREADY POSITIONED THEMSELF WITH THE 130 ACRE OF THE CONTAINER FACILITY. THEY MOVED, YOU KNOW, TO PHASE TWO RIGHT NOW, AND 22nd STREET ALREADY WIDENING, AND YOU CAN SEE THE BOTTLENECK, YOU KNOW, FROM 22nd STREET TO GO THROUGH YBOR CITY. THAT'S VERY BURDENSOME FOR THE BUSINESS THERE. PLUS WITH THE I-4 CONNECTOR ROAD ALREADY PERMIT READY, I SAW IN THE PAPER A COUPLE WEEK AGO THE ERP PERMIT ALREADY PUBLISHED WITHIN 14 DAYS, NOBODY CHALLENGED, THEY HAVE PERMIT READY. RIGHT-OF-WAY IS DONE, AND THEY POSITIONED, YOU KNOW, THEMSELVES ON THE -- SET THE TOLL RATE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, AND THE CONTRACT, YOU KNOW, FINANCE TEAM WILL BE, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE D.O.T., YOU KNOW, DONE THAT BEFORE, AND THEY CURRENTLY DO ON THE I-75 FROM NAPLES -- I MEAN FROM PORT CHARLOTTE DOWN TO NAPLES, SO THAT PROJECT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE READY, AND EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT A VOTING MEMBER, BUT I DO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THAT PROJECT ON THE TOP PRIORITY. THANK YOU. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS IF BY CHANCE THE I-4 CONNECTOR WAS NOT ALLOWED OR THE -- WOULD THEY AUTOMATICALLY MOVE TO THE OTHER PRIORITIES FOR ACCEPTANCE? >>DON SKELTON: AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD DO. IF THIS BOARD IS SAYING THE I-4/SELMON CONNECTOR IS ITS TOP PRIORITY AND THESE OTHERS ARE ONE, TWO, THREE, OR TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT, AGAIN, WE WILL LOOK TO USE THE MPO DISCRETIONARY FUNDS ON THESE PRIORITIES, AND THEN WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT OTHER SIS, STRATEGIC INTERMODAL SYSTEM -- WHETHER WE SHIFT TO A U.S. 19 OVER IN PINELLAS COUNTY, IT DOESN'T KNOW. >>JOE AFFRONTI: SHOULD WE HAVE THAT AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION? >>JOHN DINGFELDER: LET ME JUST CLARIFY THE INTENT OF THE MOTION. I'M -- I WAS WORKING OFF OF THIS SHEET, WHICH IS A LEGAL SIZE 8.5-BY-14 SHEET DATED FEBRUARY 13th AT THE BOTTOM, AND SO MY MOTION WAS TO -- TO MOVE THE I-4 CONNECTOR AND MAKE THAT OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND SLIDE ALL OF THESE DOWN TO TWO THROUGH 15. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. >>MARY MULHERN: CAN I -- >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES, MARY. >>MARY MULHERN: JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION ON THE MOTION, AND I THINK THIS IS CLARIFYING YOUR QUESTION. SO IF WE PUT THE I-4/CROSSTOWN CONNECTOR AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND IT IS NOT ABLE TO BE FUNDED, THEN WE DON'T LOSE THE MONEY, WE JUST GO TO THE NEXT PRIORITIES? >>DON SKELTON: YOU WON'T LOSE ANY MONEY THAT WOULD COME APPORTIONED TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN ANY EVENT. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S A PORTION OF THE FUNDS, THAT'S THE $404 MILLION THAT RAY HAD IN HIS TOTAL PACKAGE, THAT'S BEING DISTRIBUTED BY POPULATION. THERE'S "X" AMOUNT THAT'S FOR URBAN AREAS GREATER THAN 200,000, THERE'S "X" AMOUNT FOR URBANIZED AREAS LESS THAN 200,000, AND "X" AMOUNT FOR THOSE LESS THAN 5,000. YOU WON'T LOSE ANY MONEY THAT WOULD HAVE COME TO THE URBAN AREA GREATER THAN 200,000. IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FINANCE THE CONNECTOR -- AGAIN, THERE'S A PORTION OF THIS THAT'S STATEWIDE DISCRETIONARY. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME STATEWIDE DISCRETIONARY PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE FINANCED. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANY OTHER -- ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION? NOTHING. OKAY. IT'S A ROLL CALL VOTE. >>ADAM GORMLY: CORRECT. IS IT THE INTENT OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE PRIORITIES AND INCLUDE THIS LIST INTO THE T.I.P., OR DO YOU PLAN ON DOING THAT IN DIFFERENT MOTIONS? >>JOHN DINGFELDER: WELL, IF WE CAN DO IT AS A COMBINED MOTION, THE INTENT WAS A COMBINED MOTION, BUT I'LL LOOK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE, MR. GORMLY. >>ADAM GORMLY: THAT'S APPROPRIATE. NOW, THERE IS GOING -- NOW THERE IS GOING TO BE A SECOND MOTION ON ITEM 3. THIS WILL BE A ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE THE PRIORITY LIST AS AMENDED WITH THE I-4 CORRIDOR AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND INCLUDE THAT PRIORITY -- PRIORITY LIST INTO THE T.I.P.; CORRECT? >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ROLL CALL VOTE. >> COMMISSIONER HAGAN. >>KEN HAGAN: YES. >> COMMISSIONER DING -- I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER. >>JOHN DINGFELDER: YES. >> COMMISSIONER BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: YES. >> MR. MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: YES. >> MAYOR LOTT. >>RICK LOTT: YES. >> MAYOR AFFRONTI. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. >> COUNCILWOMAN MULHERN. >>MARY MULHERN: YES. >> COUNCILMAN CAETANO. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: YES. >> COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES. >> MR. WAINIO. >>RICHARD WAINIO: YES. >> MR. WAGGONER. >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: YES. >> MOTION CARRIED 11-0. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC INPUT? >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: NO, YOU'VE GOT TO DO THIS AUTHORIZATION. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OH, I'M SORRY. >>ADAM GORMLY: MR. CHAIR. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. WE NEED AUTHORIZATION -- MOTION FOR AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CHAIR TO IMPLEMENT RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT PRIORITIES. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVE, MR. CHAIRMAN. >>JOE AFFRONTI: WE HAVE A MOTION. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: I THINK -- >> SECOND. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: -- ADAM MAY WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT AND POSSIBLY LEE ROYAL MIGHT WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT. >>ADAM GORMLY: THIS IS THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE CHAIR TO SIGN THE FORMS NECESSARY ASSUMING THESE PRIORITIZED PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE T.I.P. ARE APPROVED FOR FUNDING, AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS ASKED THIS ALSO BE A ROLL CALL VOTE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION -- >> SECOND. >>JOE AFFRONTI: -- AND SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: YOU'VE GOT TO DO A ROLL CALL. >>ADAM GORMLY: THEY'VE ASKED FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS ONE. >>JOE AFFRONTI: SORRY ABOUT THAT. >> COMMISSIONER HAGAN. >>KEN HAGAN: YES. >> COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER. >> [INAUDIBLE] >> OH, I'M SORRY. COMMISSIONER BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: YES. >> MR. MILLER. >>LOUIS MILLER: YES. >> MAYOR LOTT. >>RICK LOTT: YES. >> MAYOR AFFRONTI. >>JOE AFFRONTI: YES. >> COUNCILWOMAN MARY MULHERN. >>MARY MULHERN: YES. >> COUNCILMAN CAETANO. >>JOSEPH CAETANO: YES. >> COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES. >> MR. WAINIO. >>RICHARD WAINIO: YES. >> MR. WAGGONER. >>JOSEPH WAGGONER: YES. >> MOTION CARRIED 10-0. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ARE THERE ANY -- ANY OTHER INPUT FROM THE GENERAL CONCERNS -- ANY GENERAL CONCERNS FROM THE PUBLIC? YES, MA'AM. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE. >> HI. MY NAME IS NINA [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] I'M WITH THE CITY OF TAMPA. I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE PRIORITIZATION. IF WE STILL HAVE TO HOLD THAT 120 DAYS, AT WHAT POINT WOULD YOU KNOW WHETHER THAT PROJECT COULD ADVANCE SO THE OTHERS - - IF WE HAD TO MOVE TO TWO THROUGH SOME NUMBER LOWER THAN THAT, THAT THEY COULD GET IN WITHIN THEIR 120 -- THAT SAME 120 DAYS? >>DON SKELTON: AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING AS WE SPEAK ON TRYING TO PUT THAT FINANCE TOGETHER, AND IT DOESN'T, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE NEXT ONES TO HAVE SOMETHING PROGRAMMED VERY, VERY QUICKLY. >> OKAY. THANKS. >>JOE AFFRONTI: THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHERS? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE ANY OLD BUSINESS? ANY NEW BUSINESS? YES, MARY. >>MARY MULHERN: IS THAT IT FOR OUR CHANGING PRIORITIES? ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT -- THIS IS IT? >> THIS IS IT. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. THEN I DO HAVE A QUESTION. TRANSIT GOT PUT AT THE VERY BOTTOM, AND THEN I ALSO SEE THAT THE STREETCAR EXTENSION UTILITY RELOCATION, WHICH I HAD UNDERSTOOD FROM HART WAS GOING TO BE AT THE TOP OF THEIR LIST, IS NOW THE THIRD ON THEIR LIST, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MOVED UP IN OUR PRIORITY LIST. I MEAN, IT'S NOT EVEN -- THE NUMBERS -- >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: WAIT. WE CAN EXPLAIN. >>MARY MULHERN: COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE NUMBERS. >>RAY CHIARAMONTE: IT'S NOT ON OUR PRIORITY LIST. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. >>BETH ALDEN: THE WAY THAT THE FUNDS COME FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO THE STATES AND THEN ARE DISTRIBUTED TO THE LOCALS IS GOING TO BE THROUGH THE EXISTING FUNDING PROGRAMS TO MAKE IT FASTER TO IMPLEMENT, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE FUNDS ARE SPLIT INTO HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION FUNDS AND TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION FUNDS. THE ACTION THAT THE MPO BOARD HAS TAKEN THIS MORNING SPEAKS TO THE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION FUNDS. NOW, THERE IS A SEPARATE FUNDING STREAM THAT COMES THROUGH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION. THE FTA GRANT RECIPIENT IN THIS AREA IS HART. HART HAS IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC PROJECTS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS, AND THE REQUIREMENT IS SIMPLY FOR COORDINATION WITH THE MPO ABOUT THOSE PROJECTS, SO THEY'RE LISTED ON YOUR PROJECT LIST FOR INFORMATION BUT NOT FOR PRIORITIZATION. >>MARY MULHERN: SO THEY'RE NOT PRIORITIZED HERE? WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT AT ALL, ABOUT TRANSIT? >>BETH ALDEN: RIGHT. >>MARY MULHERN: OKAY. >>JOE AFFRONTI: OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND WE ADJOURN. 1