CAPTIONING
MARCH 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.
I'D LIKE TO CALL OUR -- EXCUSE ME -- METROPOLITAN PLANNING 
ORGANIZATION MEETING FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO ORDER FOR 
MARCH 3rd, 2009.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND A BRIEF 
INVOCATION.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
HEAVENLY FATHER, AGAIN WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS 
THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US AND ESPECIALLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE 
HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
WE ASK THAT YOU PROTECT ALL OF OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO 
ARE SERVING OUR COUNTRY TO PRESERVE OUR FREEDOMS, AND WE 
ASK THAT YOU GUIDE US AS WE CONDUCT THE BUSINESS FOR THE 
CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY.
AMEN.
>> AMEN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE HAVE -- FIRST OF ALL, THE MIKES ARE ALL 
GOING TO BE LIVE, EVEN IF YOU PRESS THE MUTE BUTTON, SO I 
JUST WANTED TO PREWARN ALL OF YOU.
THE SECOND THING IS WE HAVE -- ROSE FERLITA IS ILL AND SHE 
WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
MAYOR LOTT CALLED AND HE IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND, 
HE HAS A CONFLICT.
MR. HAGAN -- COMMISSIONER HAGAN WILL NOT BE ATTENDING, HE 
HAS A CONFLICT.
AND MR. JOE WAGGONER FROM THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY IS OUT 
OF TOWN, SO HE WILL NOT BE PRESENT.
SO THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WILL NOT BE HERE TODAY.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR 
FEBRUARY 3rd MEETING?
>> SO MOVED.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT CARES TO ADDRESS THE -
- YEAH, WE DO HAVE ONE, CHIP THOMAS.
THANK YOU.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
>> 1219 EAST HENRY AVENUE, CHIP THOMAS, AND I WANT TO TALK 
ABOUT THIS, THE BICYCLE, AND MANY PEOPLE WILL SEE THIS AS 
NOTHING MORE THAN A KID'S TOY OR MAYBE A SOURCE OF EXERCISE 
AND RECREATION FOR ADULTS OR AT THE MOST A MEANS OF 
TRANSPORTATION FOR POOR PEOPLE IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES, 
AND THERE'S A SIGMA ATTACHED TO THE BICYCLE IN THIS COUNTRY 
AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA.
IT'S BENEATH US, IT'S GOING BACK TO THE DARK AGES, IT'S NOT 
A SUITABLE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION, AND YET IT IS THE MOST 
SUSTAINABLE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION THAT WE KNOW OF, MAYBE 
THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION, AND WHEN TWO-
THIRDS OR MORE OF TRIPS ARE, I DON'T KNOW, SEVEN MILES OR 
LESS AND THREE-QUARTERS OF TRIPS INVOLVE ONLY ONE PERSON, 
THE DRIVER, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE OVERLOOKING THIS.
IT'S THE SOLUTION TO SOME OF OUR GREATEST PROBLEMS TODAY 
WHEN YOU CONSIDER CONGESTION AND OUR HEALTH WOES, 
POLLUTION, HOW ABOUT ENERGY, AND THE LAST ONE THAT I THINK 
IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT WE FACE WITHIN A 
COUPLE OF YEARS IS CO2 EMISSIONS.
THIS IS A PARTIAL SOLUTION AT LEAST TO ALL OF THOSE, AND 
YET WE DON'T CONSIDER IT AS A SERIOUS FORM OF 
TRANSPORTATION.
AND YET IN CITIES ACROSS CANADA AND THROUGHOUT EUROPE, THEY 
RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE CAR, AND, YOU 
KNOW, YOUR RELIANCE ON THE BIKE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A RESULT 
OF BEING POOR OR A LOW STANDARD OF LIVING, RELIANCE ON THE 
BIKE CAN LEAD TO A HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING BECAUSE 
TRANSPORTATION'S AN EXPENSE, AND THE MORE MONEY YOU SPEND 
GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE, THE LEST MONEY YOU HAVE FOR 
OTHER THINGS, AND IT'S A MISTAKE THAT WE DON'T VIEW.
I THINK WE'VE FORGOTTEN THAT TRANSPORTATION IS AN EXPENSE.
AND YOU KNOW, IN SEATTLE AND TORONTO AND JUST RECENTLY IN 
NEW YORK, THEY'RE NOT ONLY PUTTING IN BIKE LANES ALL OVER 
THE PLACE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY CONVERTING WHOLE CAR LANES AND 
WHOLE STREETS INTO BIKE BOULEVARDS.
THEY JUST -- BROADWAY NOW, THERE'S A WHOLE SECTION OF 
BROADWAY IN TIMES SQUARE THAT'S GOING TO BE CAR FREE, AND 
THAT'S THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY OF URBAN CORE AREAS WHERE 
CARS ARE ELIMINATED WITHIN A TWO- OR FIVE-MILE RADIUS OF 
DOWNTOWN.
AND IT WILL BE VERY INTERESTING.
IN BEIJING AS RECENTLY AS '96 IT WAS AUTO-FREE IN THE CORE 
OF DOWNTOWN, AND THEY DID A 180-DEGREE TURN AND THEY MADE 
IT BICYCLE-FREE, AND THEY'RE IN THE HONEYMOON PHASE NOW 
WITH THE AUTOMOBILE WHERE THEY'RE BLINDED BY THEIR 
INFATUATION TO ALL THE DOWNSIDE THAT WE'RE SO FAMILIAR WITH 
THIS AT THIS POINT, AND I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS WE 
NEED TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE OF A PRIORITY.
YOU ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT WE DON'T HAVE FUNDS WHEN THERE'S A 
BIKE PROJECT INVOLVED.
IT'S OUR PRIORITY, AND LET'S MAKE THIS A PRIORITY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
>> THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU'D LIKE TO COMMENT, LINDA?
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
MR. THOMAS TOOK PART IN A SPECIAL DISCUSSION MEETING WE HAD 
LAST WEEK AT CITY COUNCIL, AND MS. MULHERN PARTICIPATED 
ALSO, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE, AND STAFF, AND 
WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THAT THE CITY STAFF HAD REALLY BEEN 
APPROACHING BICYCLE AS A FORM OF RECREATION, NOT AS 
TRANSPORTATION.
THE -- THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DEFERRED TO THE 
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT TO 
DESCRIBE WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND WHAT CAME OF THAT 
CONVERSATION WAS SEVERAL THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE ASKING THE CITY ADMINISTRATION TO VIEW 
BICYCLES AS A FORM OF TRANSPORTATION, AND SECONDLY TO LOOK 
AT THE RESOURCES WE COMMIT IN A DIFFERENT WAY BECAUSE WE 
COMMIT SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES TO TRANSPORTATION AND TO LOOK 
AT EVERY TRANSPORTATION PROJECT WITH AN -- AS AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE OUR BICYCLE CONNECTIVITY IN TOWN AND 
TO DEVELOP A COMPLETE PLAN FOR BICYCLING IN OUR COMMUNITY, 
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, MR. THOMAS, FOR COMING HERE TODAY 
AND RAISING THIS ISSUE WITH THE MPO, AND I BELIEVE THE MPO 
IS ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT OUR FUNDING STREAMS DIFFERENTLY 
NOW.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT -- WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A PIE 
CHART OF HOW WE COMMITTEE SOURCES WITH AN EYE TOWARD NOT 
95% OF THEM GOING NECESSARILY SOLELY FOR ROADWAYS, SOLELY 
FOR CARS.
SO THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THE OTHER THING I MIGHT MENTION IS THAT AS 
WE MOVE MORE AND MORE INTO THE MULTIMODAL DISTRICTS, WHICH 
WE'RE ALL WORKING TOWARD, BICYCLES WILL PLAY A VERY MAJOR 
ROLE IN THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE REGARDING THE MULTIMODAL 
DISTRICTS, SO WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU 
VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
>> OKAY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
>>MARY MULHERN:  CAN I --
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES, MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT CHIP CAN 
HEAR IT, AS LONG AS HE'S NOT RUNNING OUT TO HIS BIKE.
NO, IT'S FINE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING THIS AT 
OUR SPECIAL DISCUSSION MEETING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS 
OCCURRED TO ME LATELY -- AND I HOPE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT 
HERE -- IS AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN, ONE CORE ISSUE THAT WE DON'T TALK 
ABOUT OFTEN IS SAFETY AND THE BAD RAP WE HAVE HERE IN TAMPA 
BAY FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, AND I THINK IF YOU 
LOOK AT SAFETY AS AN OVERALL GOAL, AS AN OVERARCHING GOAL 
THAT IF WE START TO FIND WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO WALK AND BIKE 
IN A MORE SAFE MANNER, I HOPE WE CAN DO THAT, AND I'D LIKE 
TO FIND A WAY TO PUT THAT INTO OUR INTRODUCTION TO THE 
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
THANKS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
OKAY.
IF NOT, THE CHAIRMAN'S -- I'M SORRY, CAC, MR. AMON'S NOT 
HERE, SO GENA TORRES WILL PRESENT IT.
>>GENA TORRES:  GOOD MORNING.
GENA TORRES, MPO STAFF, AND M AMON REGRETS HE COULDN'T MAKE 
IT THIS MORNING.
THE CAC HELD A MEETING ON FEBRUARY 11th.
UNDER MEMBER'S INTERESTS, MR. MATHURIN SHARED A HANDOUT OF 
2007 TRANSIT DATA COMPARING TAMPA-ST. PETE TO SIMILAR 
CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND OUR AREA CONTINUES TO SHOW 
BELOW-AVERAGE RIDERSHIP REVENUE HOURS AND LOCAL AND STATE 
FUNDING, ALTHOUGH IT IS IMPROVING.
MR. ALAN STEENSON WANTED TO GO ON RECORD THANKING MR. 
MILLER AND THE AIRPORT AGAIN FOR THE BENCH PLACED AFTER HE 
MADE THAT REQUEST TO THE AIRPORT.
MR. LEONARD PLOTKIN RESPONDED TO A CONCERN VOICED AT THE 
JANUARY CAC MEETING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY TRAFFIC -- 
COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR EVALUATION AND THE 
DESIGNATION OF THE URBAN AND RURAL AREAS, AND HE OFFERED 
THAT THOSE WERE DONE IN THE '90s AND THE TRANSPORTATION 
DISADVANTAGED BOARD CAN LOOK AT THOSE AGAIN.
FOR ACTION ITEMS, THE T.I.P. PRIORITIZATION PROCESS, SOME 
TIME WAS SPENT DISCUSSING THAT AMONG THE MEMBERS.
THE MEMBERS WANTED MORE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE CHANGES 
PROPOSED BY STAFF COMPARE TO THE PROCESS USED BY OTHER MPOs 
IN THE STATE, SO AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION, A MOTION PASSED.
THE MEMBERS SUPPORT THE CURRENT LIST OF T.I.P. PRIORITIES 
BUT ASKS THAT THE MPO DELAY ACTION ON CHANGING THE 
PRIORITIZATION PROCESS UNTIL THE CAC CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT 
THE IMPLICATIONS AT THEIR NEXT MEETING, THE MARCH 11th CAC 
MEETING.
THE SECOND ACTION, THE WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN AMENDMENT, 
THEY HEARD THAT PRESENTATION BEFORE, AND THEY WERE HAPPY TO 
SEE THE AMENDMENT -- THE ADDENDUM IDENTIFIES IMPROVEMENTS 
IN AND AROUND WESTSHORE THAT WILL ENABLE SAFE AND 
CONVENIENT TRAVEL FOR PEOPLE WALKING AND CYCLING AND 
ACCESSING TRANSIT.
THE CAC MOVED TO FORWARD THE WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN 
ADDENDUM TO THE MPO FOR APPROVAL.
STATUS REPORTS, THERE WAS SOME INTEREST FROM MEMBERS ON A 
BUS SHELTER CROSSING AT MANHATTAN AVENUE, AND I THINK THAT 
HART STAFF AND THE CITY OF TAMPA STAFF DID A GREAT JOB KIND 
OF EXPLAINING IT'S JUST A SITUATION THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN 
FAIRLY FREQUENTLY WHEN THE BUS SHELTER HAS TO BE PLACED A 
LITTLE BIT FURTHER AWAY FROM THE INTERSECTION SO THAT 
TRAFFIC'S NOT BLOCKED AND THAT CAUSES PEDESTRIANS TO HAVE 
TO WALK BACK AND CROSS AT THE INTERSECTION SAFELY, SO 
THERE'S JUST SOME CONCERN.
THE CAC MEMBERS ASKED THAT THE CITY KEEP AND EYE ON THE 
SAFETY OR CRASH TRENDS THERE AT THAT LOCATION JUST TO SEE 
IF IT IMPROVES OR DECLINES.
THE TAMPA -- THE LAST STATUS REPORT WAS THE TAMPA BAY CYCLE 
EVENTS.
FLORIDA'S BIKE MONTH IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH, AND SEVERAL 
EVENTS ARE HAPPENING IN OUR AREA TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TRY 
CYCLING.
THE AIM IS TO GET ON YOUR BICYCLE FOR JUST ONE SHORT TRIP 
IN THE MONTH OF MARCH THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY TAKE IN YOUR 
CAR, WHETHER TO CHURCH OR TO A STORE OR SHOPPING OR 
WHEREVER, AND BY PLEDGING TO RIDE THAT ONE TIME, 
PARTICIPANTS ARE ELIGIBLE TO WIN DIFFERENT BICYCLE GEAR TO 
HELP IN THE FUTURE RIDES.
BASKETS ARE OFFERED, SADDLE BAGS, HELMETS, AND LIGHTS.
THE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP INVITED EVERYONE TO ATTEND THE 
TAMPA TWILIGHT CRITERIUM, AN OUTDOOR WELLNESS FESTIVAL ON 
MARCH 21st RIGHT DOWNTOWN.
PART OF THE EVENT INCLUDES PROFESSIONAL CYCLISTS WHO RIDE 
QUICKLY IN LAPS AROUND BRICK STREETS.
THEY SEEM TO LIKE THAT.
THE NEXT CAC MEETING WILL BE ON MARCH 11th AT 1:15 IN THE 
PLANNING COMMISSION BOARDROOM.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS OF GENA?
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY COMMENTS?
YES.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS THAT THE 
WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN BE GIVEN TO US FOR APPROVAL.
HAVE WE TAKEN ANY ACTION ON THAT YET?
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE TAKEN ACTION.
IT'S -- 
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  OKAY.
NEXT MONTH, YEAH.
I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS NEXT MONTH OR THE MONTH AFTER.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  I WAS REMISS.
I THINK THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT CARES TO 
ADDRESS THE MPO BOARD.
PLEASE COME FORWARD.
>> MY NAME IS COLONEL FRANK PHELAN.
I LIVE IN CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE, AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT 
SIDEWALKS.
AS A RESIDENT OF CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE AND A PARTICIPANT IN 
THE CARROLLWOOD AREA COMMUNITY PLANNING, I BELIEVE IT WOULD 
BE WISE TO INSTALL SIDEWALKS ALONG DALE MABRY BETWEEN 
FLETCHER AVENUE AND BEARSS AVENUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE AND ENHANCE THE CONCEPT AND REALITY 
OF COMMUNITY ALONG THE DALE MABRY CORRIDOR IN THE 
CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE AREA.
THE FREEDOM TO MOVE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY UNHAMPERED BY 
RAPIDLY MOVING VEHICULAR TRAFFIC WILL ALLOW CITIZENS TO 
WALK, SHOP, AND COMMUNICATE WITHOUT THE IMPEDIMENTS 
ASSOCIATED WITH VEHICULAR MOVEMENT.
THE RESIDENTS OF THE CARROLLWOOD AREA STRIVE TO ACHIEVE A 
SENSE OF PLACE.
SIDEWALKS FROM FLETCHER TO BEARSS WILL ENHANCE OUR SENSE OF 
PLACE.
CONSIDER TOO THAT SUCH A CORRIDOR WILL PROVIDE A FUTURE 
PASSAGE FOR PERHAPS ELEVATED LIGHT RAIL TO DOWNTOWN.
I REQUEST THAT THIS PROJECT BE PLACED IN THE TOP PRIORITY 
OF THE CONSTRUCTION AS FUNDED BY FDOT.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LINDA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
HOW --
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THAT IN OUR 
FIRST AGENDA ITEM THAT -- YOUR ACTION ITEM.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  EXCELLENT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER -- ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
IF NOT, THANK YOU.
OKAY.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
MS. SAUL-SENA, LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE MET ON FEBRUARY 25th, AND WE 
DISCUSSED THE CLEARWATER CYCLOVIA, WHICH WAS HELD THIS PAST 
SUNDAY, MARCH 1st, MODELED AFTER BOGOTA, COLOMBIA'S EVENT. 
OVER TWO MILES OF ROADWAY WAS CLOSED TO MOTOR VEHICLE 
TRAFFIC AND LEFT OPEN FOR CYCLISTS, WALKERS, SKATERS, 
STROLLERS, DANCING, AND PLAYING IN THE STREET.
THE CITY OF CLEARWATER SHOULD BE PRAISED FOR HOSTING AND 
PROMOTING THIS COMMUNITY-BUILDING EVENT.
FURTHER DISCUSSION LED TO THE NEED FOR INCENTIVES TO 
SUPPORT BICYCLING.
AND OUR COMMITTEE DEVELOPED A REQUEST THAT WE'RE GOING TO 
SHARE WITH THE MPO AND HOPES THAT THE MPO WILL TAKE ACTION 
ON IT, THAT THE MPO WILL REQUEST THAT THE JURISDICTIONS 
REPRESENTED HERE PROMOTE CYCLING BY INSTALLING BIKE RACKS 
AT PUBLIC BUILDINGS WHICH WE HAVE SOME JURISDICTION OVER 
AND PROVIDE AND ENCOURAGE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE 
BICYCLE PARKING.
WE ANTICIPATE AN ABILITY WHERE IF BICYCLE -- IF PRIVATE 
DEVELOPERS PROVIDE BIKE RACKS, THEN THEY ARE -- THEIR 
OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES IS 
LESSENED, SO IT'S A FINANCIALLY ATTRACTIVE INCENTIVE FOR 
THEM, AND IT'S A PROMOTION OF BICYCLING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
MR. CHAIRMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE US TO DISCUSS THAT -- SHOULD 
WE -- WOULD YOU PREFER THAT WE PUT THIS ON UNDER NEW 
BUSINESS FOR A DISCUSSION OR SHOULD WE DISCUSS IT NOW?
THE MPO, AS A PLANNING ORGANIZATION, DOESN'T HAVE THE 
ABILITY TO REQUIRE JURISDICTIONS TO DO THIS, IT'S AN 
ENCOURAGEMENT.
IT'S MAKING THEM AWARE OF THIS AS A -- AS A VALUE, SO THE 
MOTION WHICH CAME FROM OUR COMMITTEE, WHICH I WILL MAKE, IS 
THAT WE REQUEST THAT JURISDICTIONS PROMOTE CYCLING BY 
INSTALLING BIKE RACKS AT PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND ENCOURAGE 
PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO PROVIDE BICYCLE PARKING.
THAT'S A MOTION.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
WE HAVE A MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  CAN WE GET INTO DISCUSSION?
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
DISCUSSION.
ANY -- ANY COMMENTS REGARDING THAT?
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I THINK THERE'S NO DOWN SIDE TO THIS.
IT'S ALL TO THE GOOD.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  AND UPDATE WAS RECEIVED ON THE 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE 2035 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
NOW THAT WE'RE IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT PHASE, THE COMMITTEE 
WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCLUSION OF TRANSPORTATION 
RECOMMENDATIONS GENERATED FROM COMMUNITY PLANS, THE 
WESTSHORE PEDESTRIAN PLAN, DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN, AND OTHER 
PLANS AND STUDIES THAT OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES AND 
CITIZENS HAVE SPENT TIME DEVELOPING.
THE MEMBERS ALSO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC POLLING TO GAUGE INTEREST 
AND COMMITMENT TO TRULY IMPROVING OUR TRANSPORTATION 
SYSTEMS IN THE FUTURE.
THEN THE COURTNEY CAMPBELL SCENIC CORRIDOR CITIZENS GROUP 
ASKED THAT THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE WEIGH IN ON A 
REQUEST TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO HELP 
FILL SOME OF THE GAPS IN THE WONDERFUL, ALMOST CONNECTED 
TRAIL NETWORK ALONG THE COURTNEY CAMPBELL AS THEY PREPARE 
DESIGN PLANS FOR RESURFACING THE ROADWAY.
THE LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE PASSED THE FOLLOWING MOTION, 
TO ASK THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO TAKE 
ADVANTAGE OF ANY OPPORTUNITY TO ADD BICYCLE LANES, 
SIDEWALKS, OR TRAILS ALONG THE COURTNEY CAMPBELL CAUSEWAY 
WHILE THE ROADWAY IS BEING RESURFACED.
SO FOR OUR -- FOR OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF 
TRANSPORTATION, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE THAT BACK.
>>SCOTT COLLISTER:  GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS.
SCOTT COLLISTER, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
WE'LL CERTAINLY REVIEW THE CURRENT SCOPE OF THE RESURFACING 
PROJECT AND SEE -- AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY OPPORTUNITIES 
WE HAVE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT.
WE DID -- WE RECEIVED A GRANT.
YOU-ALL HIRED SOMEONE FROM TALLAHASSEE, WHICH WASN'T GREAT 
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T REALLY GET IT.
THEY DID THIS ENORMOUS STUDY SAYING WE'D HAVE TO BUILD A 
BRIDGE WHICH WE CAN'T POSSIBLY AFFORD, AND ALL WE REALLY 
WANT TO DO IS JUST ADD A COUPLE FEET OF ASPHALT FOR THE 
PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'D LOVE TO DO.
>>SCOTT COLLISTER:  WE'LL CERTAINLY REVIEW THAT STUDY AND 
THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN INTEGRATE INTO THE 
PROJECT --
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THAT WOULD BE EXCELLENT, THANK YOU.
>>SCOTT COLLISTER:  -- AND REPORT BACK NEXT MONTH.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LASTLY, AN UPDATE WAS GIVEN ON PHASE 4 OF THE UPPER TAMPA 
BAY TRAIL.
THIS IS FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE HERE -- I 
GUESS COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE CONCERNED THAT REMOVING THE 
APPROVED ALIGNMENT MAY GREATLY INHIBIT MAKING THIS FINAL 
CONNECTION TO THE SUNCOAST TRAIL AND CREATING OVER 60 MILES 
OF PAVED TRAIL.
A MOTION WAS PASSED TO ASK THE BOARD OF COUNTY 
COMMISSIONERS TO RECONSIDER THE ALIGNMENT STUDY CONDUCTED 
BY COUNTY STAFF AND APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
AND OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MARCH 25th 
AT 9:00 A.M.
WE INVITE EVERYONE TO ATTEND.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  THE -- I HAD A FAIRLY DETAILED BRIEFING 
FROM BOTH OUR -- OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT, OUR LEGAL 
DEPARTMENT, AND THE -- MIKE MERRILL, WHO -- WORKING -- OR 
MIKE KELLY, EXCUSE ME, WORKING WITH REAL ESTATE.
WHAT THEY INDICATED TO ME WAS THAT THE -- THE COMMITMENT TO 
LINKING THE TRAILS IS STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE, BUT FOR 
LEGAL PURPOSES, THE LANGUAGE WHICH WE NEEDED TO USE -- AND 
TO CLARIFY, WE NEEDED TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT WE WERE 
LOOKING AT NO ONLY THIS OPTION WHICH HAD CURRENTLY EXISTED, 
WHICH WAS THIS PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER'S LAND, BUT ALSO 
OTHER OPTIONS WHICH WOULD INCLUDE POTENTIALLY THE CITY OF 
ST. PETE.
I THINK IT'S A BETTER OPTION REALLY, BUT IT GIVES US A 
WIDER RANGE, AND FOR LEGAL REASONS, WHICH I DON'T CARE TO 
GET INTO AT THIS MOMENT, THEY FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO ADJUST 
THE LANGUAGE, BUT THEY WEREN'T BACKING AWAY FROM THEIR 
COMMITMENT TO LINKING THE TRAIL, AND WE ARE ABSOLUTELY -- I 
TOLD THEM I'M 100% COMMITTED TO MAKING THE LINK.
COMMISSIONER BECKNER MADE THE SAME POINT.
I THINK EVEN COMMISSIONER HAGAN MADE THE SAME POINT.
I'M SURE COMMISSIONER FERLITA AND THE OTHERS FELT THE SAME 
WAY, SO WE ALL REITERATED OUR COMMITMENT TO LINKING THE 
TRAIL, BUT THIS GIVES US A WIDER RANGE OF OPTIONS AND ONE 
THAT ACTUALLY MIGHT COST LESS AND COULD WORK TO OUR 
ADVANTAGE USING LAND THAT WE HAD NOT OTHERWISE CONSIDERED.
IT WAS AMAZING THAT WE HAD NOT LOOKED AT THIS, SO WE'RE 
LOOKING AT A WIDER RANGE OF OPTIONS.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THAT IS GREAT NEWS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER -- ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IF NOT, GENA TORRES, THE BICYCLE-PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE.
>>GENA TORRES:  GOOD MORNING AGAIN.
YES.
THE BICYCLE-PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MET ON FEBRUARY 
11th, AND ACTUALLY MOST OF OUR -- A LOT OF OUR MEETING WAS 
SPENT DISCUSSING PHASE 4 OF THE UPPER TAMPA BAY TRAIL, 
WHICH IS GOING TO BE AT AN IMPENDING BOCC MEETING, SO WE 
WANTED TO HAVE SOME TALKING POINTS TO ADDRESS THAT, AND I 
THINK THAT THE COMMITTEE IS COMPLETELY SATISFIED KNOWING 
THAT THE COUNTY'S GOING TO KEEP PURSUING MAKING THAT 
CONNECTION.
WE'RE A LITTLE CONCERNED IF YOU HAVE TO CROSS GUNN HIGHWAY 
TWICE, BUT I'M SURE IT'LL ALL BE WORKED OUT SOMEHOW.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER PIECES BEING BUILT 
AND CONSTRUCTED.
IT JUST MAKES IT SEEM LIKE IT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN IN MY LIFETIME.
THE WESTSHORE ALLIANCE WAS COMMENDED FOR THEIR WORK ON THE 
ADDENDUM, AND WE DEFINITELY MOVED THAT FORWARD TO THE MPO, 
I GUESS AT THE APRIL MEETING.
A RESIDENT OF PINELLAS COUNTY SPOKE TO THE BPAC REGARDING 
AN EFFORT TO ALLOW CYCLISTS TO ACCESS THE SUNSHINE SKYWAY 
BRIDGE.
THE BRIDGE IS THE ONLY WAY TO BRADENTON FROM PINELLAS 
COUNTY, AND LIKE SEVERAL STATES, PARTICULARLY IN THE WEST 
THAT ARE OBSTRUCTED BY, YOU KNOW, NATURAL BARRIERS LIKE 
MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO USE A SHOULDER ON 
A LIMITED-ACCESS HIGHWAY.
AND I KNOW IT DOES SOUND -- EVERY TIME I COME BEFORE A 
COMMITTEE OR A GROUP, I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO DEFEND 
THAT.
WE WOULD PROBABLY NEVER WANT TO DO THAT, BUT THERE ARE SOME 
PEOPLE WHO NEED TO RIDE THEIR BIKES.
IT DOES SEEM A LITTLE HARROWING, BUT THIS IS AN EFFORT THAT 
THE PINELLAS COUNTY FOLKS ARE JUST TRYING TO ALLOW ACCESS 
OVER THE SUNSHINE SKYWAY AND THEN WHEN THEY GET TO THE 
OTHER SIDE TO, YOU KNOW, GO TO A ROAD THAT'S MORE SUITABLE 
FOR CYCLING.
WE OFFERED OUR SUPPORT, AND WE ASKED TO BE KEPT INFORMED OF 
THEIR PROGRESS.
IT'S ACTUALLY LANGUAGE TO CHANGE THE LIMITED ACCESS 
POLICIES OR LANGUAGE, SO THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO MOVE 
FORWARD WITH THE LEGISLATION ON THAT.
MEMBERS WERE REMINDED THAT -- AND ALL OF YOU ALSO -- THAT 
THE BPAC WILL NOT BE MEETING IN MARCH AT OUR REGULAR 
WEDNESDAY MEETING, BUT WE'RE GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT 
DOWNTOWN BICYCLE CRITERIUM AND WELLNESS FESTIVAL.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BIKE RODEO, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO 
HOLD OUR REGULAR MEETING, BUT WE'LL BE THERE AT THE MARCH 
21st DOWNTOWN EVENT.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY.
THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED COORDINATING BOARD.
EXCUSE ME A MINUTE.
TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED COORDINATING BOARD MET ON 
FEBRUARY 26th.
THE BOARD HELD ANNUAL ELECTIONS FOR OFFICERS.
LEONARD PLOTKIN WAS REELECTED AS VICE CHAIR AND GLORIA 
MILLS WAS REELECTED AS MEMBER AT LARGE.
THE BOARD APPROVED A COORDINATION CONTRACT BETWEEN THE 
COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR AND MEDICAID 
TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER MMG TRANSPORTATION.
ACTION ON A CONTRACT WITH THE AGENCY FOR COMMUNITY 
TREATMENT SERVICES WHO PROVIDES TRANSPORTATION TO CLIENTS 
WITH DISABILITIES DUE TO ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE WAS 
DELAYED UNTIL FEBRUARY 23rd MEETING.
THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
IT'S GOING TO BE AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
OUR BOARD -- BOARD MEMBERS REQUESTED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 
FROM THE AGENCY REGARDING THE RELATIVELY HIGH PER-TRIP COST 
OF $36.33.
FINALLY, THE TDCB APPROVED A PROGRAM OF PROJECTS FOR THE 
REMAINING NEW FREEDOM FUNDING NOT ALLOCATED IN FISCAL YEAR 
2009.
NEW FREEDOM FUNDING TARGETS PROJECTS WHICH GO BEYOND ADA 
REQUIREMENTS.
TWO PROJECTS WERE APPROVED, THE FIRST PROJECT FROM THE 
CENTER OF THE INDEPENDENT LINKS FIXED-ROUTE TRANSIT WITH 
DISABLED SERVICE PROVIDERS IN PASCO COUNTY AND ALSO 
PROVIDES LINKAGES TO TRANSIT IN PINELLAS AND HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY.
THE SECOND PROJECT IS FROM HARBOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE, 
INCORPORATED, FOR AN EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE 
TD CLIENTS.
THE PROJECT WILL HELP CLIENTS IN PASCO, PINELLAS, AND 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTIES TRANSITION TO A FIXED-ROUTE SERVICE 
AND WILL ASSIST PASCO COUNTY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN 
TRAVEL TRAINING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD COMMENTED THAT EXISTING 
TRAVEL TRAINING PROGRAMS SHOULD BE USED AS MODELS AND 
SUGGESTED THAT THE TRAVEL TRAINING DEVELOPMENT MANUAL BE 
PRODUCED AS PART OF THE PROJECT.
THIS ITEM IS CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED BY MPO COMMITTEES AND 
WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE FULL MPO BOARD AT THE APRIL 14th 
MEETING.
THE NEXT TDCB MEETING AND ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE 
HELD ON APRIL 23rd AT 6:00 P.M. ON THE 18th FLOOR OF THE 
COUNTY CENTER.
I MIGHT BRING UP ALLISON -- I GUESS WE NEED TO -- I'VE 
SERVED AS CHAIRMAN ON THE TDCB THIS PAST YEAR, AND I -- 
AND -- DO WE NEED A REAPPOINTMENT OR -- FOR THE CHAIR OR 
JUST I'LL CONTINUE SERVING?
>>ALLISON YEH:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULE IS.
>>ALLISON YEH:  GOOD MORNING.
ALLISON YEH, MPO STAFF.
WE DON'T NEED A REAPPOINTMENT TO THE CHAIRMANSHIP, WE ONLY 
REAPPOINT THE VICE CHAIR, WHICH IS A CITIZEN MEMBER, AND 
THE MEMBER AT LARGE.
IT'S UP TO YOU, I GUESS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  I'LL JUST CONTINUE TO SERVE AS CHAIR.
OKAY.
THAT'S FINE.
OKAY.
THE NEXT ITEM WHICH IS AN ACTION ITEM IS THE ADDITION OF 
ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS TO ECONOMIC STIMULUS PRIORITY LIST.
MR. CHIARAMONTE -- MR. JOE ZAMBITO.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  YES.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE IT.
SINCE WE MET ON THE STIMULUS -- WE HAD OUR SPECIAL MEETING 
ON THE STIMULUS PRIORITY MEETING -- THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT 
OF TRANSPORTATION THROUGH LEE ROYAL MADE US AWARE THAT 
ENHANCEMENT FUNDS HAD BEEN INCLUDED WHICH WE WERE BEFORE 
THAT UNAWARE THAT THEY WERE INCLUDED IN THE STIMULUS 
PROGRAM SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONSTANTLY CHANGING 
PROGRAM.
IN FINDING THAT OUT, THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE INCLUDE THREE 
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.
ONE OF THE PROJECTS COMMISSIONER HUNG MAI HAD MENTIONED AT 
OUR LAST MPO MEETING AND THE GENTLEMAN SPOKE ABOUT, AND 
THAT WAS THE SIDEWALK PROJECT IN CARROLLWOOD.
THAT WOULD BE A NEW PROJECT ADDED TO THE LIST.
THE OTHER PROJECTS WOULD BE 56th AND BUSCH INTERSECTION 
PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS AND BUSCH BOULEVARD FROM FLORIDA TO 
56th PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ARE PEDESTRIAN PROJECTS FOR THE 
ENHANCEMENT FUNDS.
THE REASON WE'RE BRINGING THIS TO YOU IS THEY WEREN'T IN 
THE PRIORITY LIST IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE'RE PROPOSING NOW, 
AND LEE ROYAL CAN -- AND -- HOPEFULLY EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT 
ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THESE PROJECTS TO ADD THEM IN 
SO THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT FUNDS.
JOE ZAMBITO'S ALSO HERE IF WE NEED TO SPEAK IN ANYMORE 
DETAIL ON THE PROJECT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
YES, LINDA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THESE 
PROJECTS ARE GOING TO -- I WONDERED IF THEY'RE GOING TO 
INCLUDE TREES ALSO OR IF IT'S STRICTLY ASPHALT.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  I THINK THE PROJECTS ARE FAIRLY WELL 
DEFINED BY CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS.
FDOT CAN EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE.
>> THESE ARE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECTS.
ONE OF THEM'S IN TEMPLE TERRACE AND THE OTHER IS THE CITY 
OF TAMPA.
THAT INCLUDES PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
THAT MAY INCLUDE LANDSCAPE-TYPE MATERIALS.
THEY WOULD ALSO HAVE TO ENTER INTO A MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT 
FOR THAT TYPE OF MATERIAL.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  SURE.
>> SO SOME OF IT DOES INCLUDE THAT.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  OKAY.
AND THERE'LL BE THE CURB CUTS AND I WOULD ASSUME COUNTDOWN 
LIGHTS OR JUST --
>> THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE OVERALL PACKAGE FOR THE 
PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  OKAY.
AND WE -- WE'VE SEEN SOME JUST WONDERFUL PROJECTS IN THIS 
WAY.
WILL THESE BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS?
>> THESE ARE IMPLEMENTED -- WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE 
LOCAL JURISDICTIONS.
TEMPLE TERRACE AS AN EXAMPLE HAS A COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT 
PLAN THAT THEY'VE BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE IN SEEKING FUNDING 
AND DOING, AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE RESULTS GOING ON 
RIGHT NOW, SO THEY WOULD IMPLEMENT THEIR PROJECT.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  WELL, THIS IS -- IT'S WONDERFUL THAT 
WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MOVE THESE ALONG 
BECAUSE THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE GENTLEMAN BEFORE WAS 
SPEAKING TO.
>> PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
>> LEE ROYAL, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
>> THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING.
THE -- YEAH, THEY DO LOOK LIKE GOOD PROJECTS.
I APPRECIATE MR. HAMAD BRINGING THE DALE MABRY ONE FORWARD.
I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE -- OR THE D.O.T.'S BEEN 
DOING A LOT OF WORK ON THOSE SIDEWALKS UP THERE ACCORDING 
TO OUR AGENDAS, BUT -- AND DEFINITELY BUSCH BOULEVARD NEEDS 
ASSISTANCE ALONG THERE FOR BOTH JURISDICTIONS, BUT MY 
QUESTION IS THIS:  THEY WERE CALLING THEM ENHANCEMENT 
PROJECTS DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR LIST.
DO THEY STAY AT THE BOTTOM OR DO THEY GET INTEGRATED UP 
INTO THE UPPER -- INTO THE UPPER LIST 1 THROUGH 17?
>> TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT FUNDING IS A SPECIAL FUND 
THAT'S BROKEN OUT OF THE OVERALL ALLOCATION AND CAN ONLY BE 
SPENT ON THOSE TYPE OF PROJECTS THAT ENHANCE THE CORRIDOR 
THROUGH PEDESTRIAN LANDSCAPING AND A COUPLE OTHER TYPE OF 
ACTIVITIES, SO I THINK LEAVING IT IN ITS CATEGORY AT THE 
BOTTOM SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE PROJECTS, AT LEAST TWO PROJECTS 
PRODUCTION READY THAT CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH FUNDING IN THAT 
PARTICULAR CATEGORY.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  WHICH TWO?
>> IT WOULD BE THE -- DEFINITELY THE 56th AT BUSCH AND 
BUSCH BOULEVARD FROM FLORIDA TO 56th.
THE DALE MABRY PROJECT, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE 
APPROPRIATE DETERMINATIONS FOR FEASIBILITY AND ELIGIBILITY 
THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS PROGRAM.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER -- YES, LINDA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT YEARS -
- THAT YEARS AGO OUR LIVABLE ROADWAYS COMMITTEE IDENTIFIED 
BUSCH BOULEVARD AS BEING A VERY PEDESTRIAN-CHALLENGED AREA, 
AND WE TOOK A FIELD TRIP, INCLUDING SOME OF OUR 
REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE DISADVANTAGED, PARTICULARLY ARIZONA 
JENKINS IN A WHEELCHAIR, AND WE HAVE THESE POIGNANT 
PICTURES OF HIM TRYING TO NAVIGATE GAPS WHERE THERE'S JUST 
SAND IN BETWEEN PAVEMENT, AND IT'S VERY SATISFYING TO KNOW 
THAT WE'LL BE FILLING SOME OF THESE GAPS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT, AND ALSO THE 
INTERSECTION AT 56th AND BUSCH, YOU TAKE YOUR LIVE IN YOUR 
OWN HANDS WHEN YOU WALK ACROSS THAT INTERSECTION.
IT'S HORRIBLE, SO WE REALLY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS 
CHANGE.
BUT WE NEED -- YES, SIR, MR. WAGGONER -- MR. WAINIO.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  IF I COULD MAKE A COMMENT JUST A LITTLE 
BIT TO -- ASIDE.
FIRST OF ALL, I AGREE WITH THE ACTION THAT I GUESS IS BEING 
RECOMMENDED HERE THAT WE INCLUDE THESE TWO PROJECTS -- IS 
IT TWO OR THREE? -- THREE PROJECTS FOR -- NOW THAT WE HAVE 
THE ENHANCEMENT FUNDING AS PART OF THIS.
I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE ONE COMMENT, IF I MAY, ABOUT THE 
INTERMODAL PROJECTS.
I GUESS WE DETERMINED, FDOT AND MPO HAS DETERMINED THAT THE 
INTERMODAL PROJECTS SHOULD NOT BE ON OUR LIST OR DO NOT 
QUALIFY FOR THIS LIST.
I DON'T -- I'M NOT EXACTLY -- I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY.
WE HAD A MEETING.
I WAS PART OF IT, AND WE SPENT -- I WAS VERY PLEASED THAT 
WE FOCUSED ON THE I-4 CONNECTOR, BUT I -- I AM NOT EXACTLY 
SURE WHY INTERMODAL PROJECTS CAN'T BE INCLUDED IN THIS LIST 
OR WHY WE'RE NOT INCLUDING ANY.
>> ALL PROJECTS ARE ELIGIBLE ON THIS LIST.
I THINK THE MPO WENT THROUGH A PROCESS IN DETERMINING WHAT 
THE PRIORITIES WOULD BE FOR THIS LIST, AND I WOULD HAVE TO 
DEFER TO THE CRITERIA THAT THEY USED.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  OKAY.
BECAUSE I -- THE REASON I BRING IT UP, I BRING IT UP FOR 
TWO REASONS.
ONE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE REK PIER AND RELATED PETROLEUM 
INFRASTRUCTURE AT LEAST ON THE LIST, EVEN IF IT'S NUMBER 
18, 19, 20, 21, AND THE CHANCES OF GETTING IT FUNDING ARE 
ABOUT -- NOT ABOUT ZERO, THEY ARE ZERO IF IT'S DOWN THE 
LIST, OBVIOUSLY, BUT I -- IF THE MPO DOESN'T FEEL THAT 
THAT -- THAT SHOULD BE DONE FOR VARIOUS REASONS BECAUSE OF 
CRITERIA THAT YOU ESTABLISHED, I'D AT LEAST GIVE ME A 
MOMENT TO COMMENT ON THE PROJECT BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO 
PUT IT OUT THERE SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF 
THIS PROJECT TO OUR REGION AND TO OUR COUNTY, AND ONCE 
AGAIN, WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE ON A SEPARATE 
TRACK TRYING TO GET STIMULUS FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT.
WE ARE GOING TO WASHINGTON SEPARATELY, TO TALLAHASSEE, TO 
FDOT THROUGH THE FLORIDA PORTS AND ON A LOT OF OTHER 
TRACKS.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET MONEY.
IF WE DON'T GET STIMULUS MONEY -- AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S 
LIMITATIONS TO THE STIMULUS MONEY, SO IT'S UNLIKELY THAT 
WE'LL GET THE MONEY.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO 
FIND A WAY TO FUND THIS PROJECT OR TO HELP US WITH THE 
FUNDING.
REK PIER IS A FACILITY AT THE PORT, IT'S OUR PRIMARY 
PETROLEUM DOCKS.
A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO -- I MEAN, THIS -- IT'S BEEN THERE 
FOR BASICALLY 40 YEARS.
ALMOST 40% -- ALMOST 40% OF ALL OF THE GASOLINE AND JET 
FUEL AND OTHER PETROLEUM PRODUCTS THAT COME INTO WEST AND 
CENTRAL FLORIDA COME ACROSS THOSE DOCK, THE REK PIER 
FACILITY, 40%.
IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THOSE DOCKS, IF THEY CEASE TO 
FUNCTION, YOU WILL NOT HAVE GAS AT YOUR GAS STATIONS, THE 
AIRPORT WON'T BE GETTING -- ORLANDO SPECIFICALLY WON'T BE 
GETTING EVEN THE JET FUEL THAT IT REQUIRES FOR ITS AIRPORT.
THE ENTIRE REGION WILL BE IMPACTED IN A MAJOR WAY.
THIS 40-YEAR-OLD FACILITY IS FALLING APART.
WE KNEW THAT A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT -- BUT AT THE TIME WE 
THOUGHT WE HAD FIVE OR SIX OR SEVEN YEARS OF LIFE LEFT IN 
THE FACILITY.
WE DID A RECENT ENGINEERING STUDY THAT SHOWED THAT IT'S GOT 
ABOUT A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, SO WE ARE MOVING NOW TO DO 
THIS PROJECT, AND -- AND WE HAVE TO GET IT DONE IN THE NEXT 
YEAR AND A HALF TO 18 MONTHS, AND WE'RE VERY AGGRESSIVELY 
PUSHING FORWARD WITH IT BECAUSE, AGAIN, IF WE DON'T REPAIR 
IT, THERE COULD BE VERY SERIOUS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR 
OUR REGION, AND $36 MILLION HOPEFULLY IS ON THE HIGH SIDE, 
BUT IT'S STILL A LOT OF MONEY TO REPAIR IT.
WE NEED SOME FUNDING SUPPORT, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE STATE, 
WHETHER IT'S THROUGH FDOT, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH INTERMODAL 
FUNDS, OR WHETHER IT'S THROUGH SOMETHING THE MPO HAS 
CONTROL OVER.
SO I JUST THROW IT OUT THERE AS BEING A CRITICAL PROJECT 
THAT HAS TO BE FUNDED AND HAS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED NOW.
WE'VE GOT TO EMBARK ON THIS PROJECT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF 
MONTHS AND WE'VE GOT TO GET IT DONE IN THE NEXT YEAR, YEAR 
AND A HALF.
YES, MA'AM.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THIS MIGHT BE A NAIVE QUESTION, BUT 
GIVEN THAT THE BIGGEST PROFITS MADE IN 2008 WERE MOBILE, 
EXXON, THE OIL COMPANIES, THE GAS COMPANIES AND THAT'S 
WHOSE PRODUCT YOU'RE PUTTING THROUGH THESE LINES, HAVE YOU 
CONSIDERED SOME SORT OF SURCHARGE FROM THEM THAT WILL HELP 
PAY FOR THIS?
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE PUBLIC PAYS IN SO MANY WAYS, THAT 
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE SELLING ALL OF THIS, THAT THERE 
SHOULD -- THEY SHOULD AT LEAST PARTICIPATE IN THE 
RECONSTRUCTION OF THIS CRITICAL PART OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE 
THAT GETS THEIR PRODUCT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  THEY -- MANY OIL COMPANIES DO USE IT.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF OIL COMPANIES THAT USE THIS FACILITY.
THEY HAVE CONTRACTS WITH US NOW, AND THEY DO PAY -- PAY US 
MONEY TO MOVE OIL ACROSS THOSE DOCKS, SO WE DO COLLECT 
REVENUE FROM THEM.
WHAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS A SURCHARGE OR -- OR ANYTHING ELSE 
DEPENDS, OF COURSE, ON THE CONTRACTS WE HAVE WITH THEM AND 
THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS WE HAVE.
WE CAN LOOK AT -- ONCE A YEAR WE COME ALONG WITH OUR 
TARIFFS, AND WE CAN LOOK AT CHANGING OUR TARIFF RATES TO 
TRY AND INCREASE THE PER BARREL CHARGE AND DO THINGS LIKE 
THIS.
WE INCREASED IT LAST YEAR, AND -- BUT THERE ARE LIMITATIONS 
TO WHAT WE CAN DO THERE.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE KINDS OF ACTIONS AS POSSIBLE 
ACTIONS, BUT, AGAIN, AS FAR AS JUST HITTING THEM WITH A BIG 
SURCHARGE, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO THAT.
WE CAN --
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  WELL, IF IT'S SHUT DOWN BECAUSE IT 
FAILS TO FUNCTION, THAT WOULD BE -- EVEN BE MORE DRACONIAN.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  YEAH, BUT WHO'S -- IT'S KIND OF WHO 
BLINKS FIRST THEN, IS WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA GOING TO BLINK 
OR IS SOME OIL COMPANY GOING TO BLINK WHOSE OIL ACTIVITY IS 
GLOBAL AND VERY, VERY LARGE, AND THIS IS A FAIRLY SMALL 
PART OF THEIR PARTICULAR ACTIVITY?
COLLECTIVELY IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND TO OUR 
REGION.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT SOME OF THESE OIL 
COMPANIES WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING, THOUGH.
I MEAN, I THINK YOUR POINT'S WELL TAKEN, AND WE CERTAINLY 
ARE LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE SOME OPTIONS THERE.
IF WE CAN'T FIND OTHER WAYS TO FUND IT -- OBVIOUSLY NOBODY 
WANTS THAT DOCK TO CEASE FUNCTIONING.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE OTHER FINANCIAL APPROACHES WE 
CAN TAKE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE -- WE HAVE DEBT CAPABILITY.
I MEAN, IF WE HAVE TO, WE GO OUT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN 
THE MARKET IN TERMS OF SOLICITING DEBT.
WE HAVE -- I MEAN, IF THERE WAS A REAL EMERGENCY, WE HAVE 
EQUITY LINES OF CREDIT, BUT THEN IT PUSHES THE COST OF THIS 
UP VERY, VERY HIGH, OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT THAT 
WAY, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT A COMBINATION OF 
FUNDING SOURCES.
THAT'S HOW WE DO OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
WE HAVE FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF REVENUE.
ONE SOURCE IS THE STATE, ONE SOURCE IS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 
ONE SOURCE IS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, ONE SOURCE IS OUR OWN 
BUSINESS REVENUES, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE DEBT -- DEBT 
CAPABILITY AS WELL, SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF 
FUNDING, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS ONE PROJECT.
WE HAVE MANY, MANY OTHER PROJECTS GOING ON.
OF COURSE, WE SET OUR PRIORITIES.
IF IT COMES TO IT, WE'LL SPEND THE MONEY ON THIS AND NOT ON 
SOMETHING ELSE, BUT SOMETHING WON'T GET DONE.
IF WE HAVE TO SPEND 36 MILLION ON THIS, OTHER PROJECTS 
WON'T GET DONE.
IT'S THE SAME SITUATION WE'RE ALL FACED WITH.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO GET OUR PARTNERS TO 
PARTICIPATE IN THE FUNDING AS WELL BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A 
GOOD -- GOOD -- PERHAPS THE TIME SOLUTION IF THERE'S NO 
OTHER FUNDING AVAILABLE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. MAI, YOU HAD A COMMENT?
>>HUNG MAI:  YES.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE STATE ROAD 597, DALE MABRY 
HIGHWAY, FROM FLETCHER TO BEARSS WITH THE SIDEWALK -- ON 
THE PLANNING COMMISSION STANDPOINT, THIS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, 
SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND THIS 
IS THE COMMUNITY WHICH ENVISIONED THAT.
IN THE 11 MONTHS, YOU KNOW, MAKING FOR THE CARROLLWOOD 
COMMUNITY PLAN, THEY WOULD LIKE THE SIDEWALK, YOU KNOW, 
ALONG DALE MABRY HIGHWAY, AND WE -- WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, 
PROVIDE WALKABLE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AND MULTI, YOU KNOW, 
MODAL TRANSPORTATION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE NEED TO PROVIDE BUS STOP, YOU KNOW, 
ALONG -- ALONG DALE MABRY.
THEY DID SOME WONDERFUL THINGS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 
FLETCHER WHEREBY YOU GOT A PAD, YOU KNOW, FOR A BUS STOP, 
AND LATER ON HART, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMING IN AND PUT A 
SHELTER THERE.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE NEED TO MEET THE ADA 
REQUIREMENTS.
THAT'S WHY I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THIS BOARD TO APPROVE 
THIS PROJECT INTO THAT ENHANCEMENT.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
MR. CAETANO.
>> SECOND.
>>JOSEPH CAETANO:  YES.
THE WOMAN FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THAT WAS 
UP, ITEM NUMBER 17, IS THAT A POSITIVE THAT IT'S GOING TO 
GET DONE?
>> ITEM NUMBER 17.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>> IS THAT A POSITIVE?
>>JOSEPH CAETANO:  THAT'S THE I-75 -- I THINK THEY GOT IT -
- IT SAYS FROM NORTH OF BRUCE B. DOWNS.
IS THAT NORTH OF I-75 TO 56?
>> THAT'S GOING NORTH ON 75 FROM BRUCE B. DOWNS TO STATE 
ROAD 56.
OUR INTENT IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT, BE IT 
THROUGH THE FEDERAL STIMULUS -- WE DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT 
BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED OUR ALLOCATIONS WITHIN THE 
DISTRICT YET.
SO AS FAR AS HOW MANY PROJECTS ON THIS LIST WE'LL BE ABLE 
TO PRODUCE IS UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT.
>>JOSEPH CAETANO:  WHY DID THIS ROAD BECOME NUMBER 17 ON 
THIS?
I THINK THIS IS THE WORST JAM-PACKED ROAD TO TRY TO GET 
HOME AT NIGHT AND GET OUT IN THE MORNING IN ANYPLACE IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
>> I'M GOING TO DEFER TO BETH ALDEN WITH THE MPO STAFF.
>>JOSEPH CAETANO:  THANK YOU.
>>BETH ALDEN:  GOOD MORNING.
BETH ALDEN, AND THE PRIORITIES THAT WERE PRESENTED FOR THIS 
BOARD'S CONSIDERATION ON ITS SPECIAL MEETING ON FEBRUARY 
16th WERE SUGGESTED BASED ON THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION 
PLAN VISION THAT THE BOARD APPROVED AT ITS PREVIOUS 
MEETING, WHICH FOCUSED ON CREATING A WALKABLE, LIVABLE 
COMMUNITY FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
IN SUPPORT OF THAT VISION, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE BOARD 
PRIORITIZE PEDESTRIAN PROJECTS, TRANSIT PROJECTS, SYSTEM 
PRESERVATION PROJECTS, AND THEN ROADWAY CAPACITY PROJECTS 
FOLLOWING ON THAT.
THE BOARD, AFTER A LOT OF DISCUSSION, OF COURSE, LOOKED AT 
THE I-4/PORT CONNECTOR AS A WAY TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY 
FOR A NUMBER OF VERY GOOD REASONS, BUT THAT WAS THE LOGIC 
FOR THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE BOARD 
EARLIER.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THAT'S TRUE.
>>BETH ALDEN:  AND IF I COULD, THERE ARE SOME -- SOME 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING OF THE PORT PROJECT.
THERE IS A SET-ASIDE FOR FUNDING THROUGH THE MARITIME 
ADMINISTRATION IN THE -- IN THE STIMULUS PACKAGE.
IT'S A LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDS, BUT IT IS ONE OF THOSE 
NATIONAL DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS THAT IS SET ASIDE, LIKE THE 
FUNDING THAT'S GOING TO HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECTS AROUND THE 
COUNTRY AS WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, SO THERE'S SOME OTHER STREAMS 
OF FUNDS THROUGH THIS.
THERE IS ALSO A STATE ADMINISTERED INTERMODAL PROGRAM THAT 
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT AFTER THE MEETING.
>>JOSEPH CAETANO:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER -- ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IF NOT, WE NEED A MOTION --
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YEAH, I KNOW THAT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  SO MOVE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE NEED A MOTION.
>> SECOND.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  SO MOVE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MOVED AND SECONDED.
WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE FOR THIS, SO WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL 
THE ROLL.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THAT'S TO APPROVE THE LIST AS AMENDED?
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE THREE 
AMENDMENTS.
>> SECOND.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OH, WAIT.
I'M SORRY.
ROLL CALL VOTE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES.
>> CAETANO.
>>JOSEPH CAETANO:  YES.
>> DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  YES.
>> MILLER.
>>LOUIS MILLER:  YES.
>> MULHERN.
>>MARY MULHERN:  YES.
>> SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  YES.
>> SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  YES.
>> AND WAINIO.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  YES.
>> MOTION CARRIED 8-0.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, MR. CHIARAMONTE.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THANK YOU.
JUST TO REPORT ON WHAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN IN THE LAST 
MONTH, I MET WITH THE WESTSHORE ALLIANCE, HART, AND MAYOR 
IORIO TO DISCUSS MULTIMODAL TRANSIT FACILITIES IN WESTSHORE 
RELATED TO OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE.
ALSO ATTENDED THE I-4 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORRIDOR STUDY 
MEETING, WHICH YOU'LL BE GETTING A STATUS REPORT ON LATER 
IN THIS MEETING, MET WITH THE WESTSHORE ALLIANCE AND HART 
TO DISCUSS THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS IN 
THE WESTSHORE AREA, PRESENTED THE TRANSIT PLAN TO THE USF 
GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT, ATTENDED THE EMERGENCY STIMULUS 
MEETING AT FDOT.
ALSO, WE -- OUR MPO IS CHAIR OF THE CHAIRMEN'S COORDINATING 
COUNCIL -- THIS IS THE MPO DIRECTORS FROM THE TAMPA BAY 
REGION -- AND MET WITH THEM ON FEBRUARY 13th.
I'M ATTENDING THE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP'S MEETINGS ON WATER 
TRANSPORTATION.
ON FEBRUARY 17th WE HAD A MEETING.
I ALSO SPOKE TO THE WEST TAMPA CHAMBER COMMERCE PRESENTING 
OUR TRANSIT PLAN AND MPO LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN 
UPDATE STATUS TO THEM.
I'M PARTICIPATING IN HART'S NEW STARTS PROGRAM, AND DAVID 
ARMIJO WILL BE HERE TO UPDATE US ON THAT TODAY.
AND ALSO ATTENDED THE TARP FORUM AT -- AT THE PORT 
AUTHORITY THAT WAS HELD ON FEBRUARY 18th.
TBARTA FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
ALSO, IF YOU REMEMBER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS REVIEWING 
OUR MPO.
THEY'RE ALMOST FINISHED WITH THAT.
WE HAD TO HAVE A CONFERENCE CALL WITH THE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT AND THE OTHER MPOs IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA ASKING 
SOME REGIONAL -- ANSWERING SOME REGIONAL COORDINATED -- 
COORDINATING QUESTIONS ON FEBRUARY 20th.
ALSO I'M PARTICIPATING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S 
TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE MEETING.
THAT WAS ON FEBRUARY 23rd.
THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP MEETING, THIS 
IS A GROUP WE'VE SET UP WITH THE JURISDICTIONS AND OTHER 
AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN 
UPDATE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN OUR UPDATE AS 
WE'RE MOVING ALONG.
ALSO TBARTA HELD THEIR LAND USE WORKING GROUP MEETING, 
WHICH I'M PARTICIPATING IN, AND I MET WITH MAYOR IORIO AND 
COMMISSIONER SHARPE AGAIN REGARDING HOW TO STRATEGIZE ON 
THE 2010 REFERENDUM LAST WEEK, AND I PRESENTED AGAIN OUR 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN TO THE DOWNTOWN OPTIMIST PLAN.
THAT WAS ON FEBRUARY 25th.
AND A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING CAME UP THAT I WAS UNABLE TO 
ATTEND, BUT I SENT BETH ALDEN TO IT, AND THAT IS THE 
FLORIDA HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY MEETING, AND WE WANTED TO 
UPDATE YOU A LITTLE BIT ON THAT AND ASK POSSIBLY FOR YOU TO 
AUTHORIZE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THIS MPO SUPPORTING THIS 
EFFORT.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, IN THE STIMULUS PROGRAM, KIND OF AT 
THE LAST MINUTE THERE WAS $8 BILLION THAT WAS PUT ASIDE 
NATIONWIDE FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECTS, AND YOU MAY 
REMEMBER AT ONE POINT FLORIDA WAS IN THE FOREFRONT OF HIGH-
SPEED RAIL, AND IT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT ACTUALLY WE 
PROBABLY DID MORE WORK ON IT THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER STATE 
EXCEPT CALIFORNIA AND ACTUALLY ARE IN A RELATIVELY 
ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER, THERE WAS 
FIGHTS WITH DISNEY AND UNIVERSAL OF WHERE THE STATION WOULD 
BE.
WE WENT THROUGH ALL THAT BEFORE IT WAS TAKEN OUT THROUGH 
ANOTHER VOTE FOUR YEARS LATER, SO THAT COMMISSION HAD NOT 
MET FOR FOUR YEARS, SO WHEN WE REALIZED THAT FLORIDA 
ACTUALLY WAS REALLY IN A GOOD POSITION, THEY -- THEY MET 
AGAIN, AND BETH, IF YOU WANT TO COME UP -- I DON'T SEE YOU, 
I GUESS YOU'RE BEHIND THE PODIUM -- AND EXPLAIN A LITTLE 
BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY ASKED US TO DO, BUT IT INVOLVES LOCAL 
SUPPORT FOR THIS, AND I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT 
OPPORTUNITY FOR FLORIDA TO KIND OF JUMP BACK INTO THIS AND 
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF -- ESPECIALLY OUR SUPPORT WOULD BE FOR A 
ROUTE FROM ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN TAMPA.
BETH CAN EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT WHAT THEY ASKED US TO DO.
>>BETH ALDEN:  SURE.
THEY -- THEY DID JUST ASK FOR THIS MPO'S SUPPORT FOR THEIR 
PURSUIT OF FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT.
IT IS A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A NEED IN THE 
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AS AN UNFUNDED NEED FOR 
THIS CONNECTION OVER TO ORLANDO.
THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR OUR SUPPORT FOR LOCAL TRANSIT 
CONNECTIONS THAT WOULD HELP BRING PEOPLE TO AND FROM THE 
HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION.
IT IS -- THAT CORRIDOR STUDY THAT WAS DONE EARLIER THAT RAY 
HAD MENTIONED THERE WAS A LOT OF ANALYSIS, IT TERMINATES UP 
HERE AT THE FORMER JAIL SITE, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO 
HARTLINE'S MARION STREET TRANSIT CENTER, SO IT'S AN IDEAL 
LOCATION TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF TRANSFERS.
SO IT WOULD BE IN KEEPING WITH ALL OF THE TRANSIT PLANNING 
THAT THIS MPO HAS ENGAGED IN SO FAR FOR THE MPO TO -- TO 
SUPPORT THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL AUTHORITY IN ITS PURSUIT OF 
FEDERAL FUNDS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  YEAH, I'M READING HERE THAT THE 
ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES A $1-BILLION-A-YEAR HIGH-SPEED RAIL 
STATE GRANT PROGRAM IN ADDITION TO THE 8 BILLION PROVIDED 
IN THE RECOVERY ACT, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE 
SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY.
I WOULD -- I'D MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO SUBMIT THAT LETTER.
I THINK THAT THE --
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  SECOND.
>>MARK SHARPE:  -- THE CHALLENGE IN THE PAST FOR HIGH-SPEED 
RAIL WAS YOU TAKE THE RAIL FROM ONE METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY 
TO ANOTHER AND YOU GET OFF AND YOU HAVE TO RENT A CAR TO 
GET AROUND.
NOW WE'RE ESTABLISHING THE PLANS WHEREBY WHEN YOU GET OFF 
THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, LOCAL LIGHT 
RAIL, AN ENHANCED BUS SYSTEM, BIKE PATHS, WHATEVER IT MIGHT 
BE, THERE'S A WAY TO MOVE AROUND, AND THAT -- I THINK THAT 
WOULD -- MAKES IT FIT VERY NICELY.
I ALSO -- I'M SURE MOST OF YOU HAVE READ -- I WILL JUST 
COMMIT TO YOU THE PIECE BY RICHARD FLORIDA IN THE ATLANTIC 
MONTHLY WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE 
ACCELERATING AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE FALLING BACK, AND 
I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR US 
ECONOMICALLY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE.
AND FINALLY, LIKE I SAY, RAY, YOU'RE DOING -- I ALWAYS HAVE 
TO SAY THIS.
I THINK YOU'RE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB OF CLOSING THE LOOP 
AND GOING TO EACH OF THESE GROUPS AND BRINGING THEM IN AND 
KEEPING THEM WELL INFORMED AND BEING A STRONG, POWERFUL 
ADVOCATE FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, SO ONCE AGAIN, I 
APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THANK YOU.
>>MARK SHARPE:  THAT WAS A MOTION.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
IF NOT, ALL IN -- YES.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN ANY DECISIONS 
MIGHT BE MADE ABOUT THIS?
THIS IS TRANSFORMATIVE.
THIS WOULD BE SO HUGE, AND GIVEN THAT WE WORKED SO VERY 
HARD ON THIS MANY YEARS AGO, THE IDEA THAT NOW IT COULD BE 
DUSTED OFF AND ACTUALLY FUNDED IS THRILLING, SO DO YOU HAVE 
ANY IDEA WHAT THE FEDERAL TIME FRAME MIGHT BE?
>>BETH ALDEN:  WELL, THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS A SEPTEMBER 
SUBMITTAL OF A MORE DETAILED LETTER OF INTEREST, SO IT WILL 
STILL BE A NUMBER OF MONTHS, BUT HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE YEAR.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS 
MPO MEMBERS OR INDIVIDUAL ELECTED OFFICIALS, PLEASE SHARE 
THAT BECAUSE THIS COULDN'T BE MORE SIGNIFICANT FOR OUR 
COMMUNITY.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THE FLORIDA HIGH-SPEED RAIL 
COMMISSIONER IS MEETING IN TALLAHASSEE, I BELIEVE, ON APRIL 
2nd.
THAT'S THEIR NEXT MEETING, SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS, IS COMPOSE 
A LETTER FOR CHAIRMAN AFFRONTI TO SIGN.
IN THE LETTER WE WILL SAY THAT WE THINK THE ORLANDO TO 
TAMPA CONNECTION SHOULD BE THE FIRST ONE AND MAKE THE OTHER 
POINTS.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  DO WE NEED TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE UP 
THERE TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY?
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  WELL, I THINK PROBABLY BETH OR I 
POSSIBLY WILL GO TO THAT MEETING.
WE HAVEN'T DECIDED YET, BUT I THINK, YES, WE SHOULD HAVE --
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I THINK WE SHOULD.
I THINK WE SHOULD EVEN, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER SENDING AN 
ELECTED OFFICIAL, MAYBE AN MPO MEMBER WHO'S --
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THAT WOULD BE FINE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  -- BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THIS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE WILL BE REPRESENTED.
MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  YES.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS BECAUSE OF THE -- 
WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE STATIONS OR THE END 
POINTS.
ONE, I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE THE -- WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 
WITH TBARTA AS FAR AS COMMUTER RAIL AND OUR FIRST LEG, I 
GUESS THEY SUPPORTED WHERE PART OF IT WOULD BE FROM THE 
AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN, SO THE AIRPORT IS A POSSIBLE STOP ON 
THAT LINE, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS -- BECAUSE I KNOW 
THAT RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE AMTRAK SERVICE TO UNION STATION 
DOWNTOWN, SO I'M JUST NOT SURE -- I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT 
WE DO THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE 
PLANNING FOR IT THAT WE THINK ABOUT REALLY WHERE THE -- 
THAT STOP IS GOING TO BE OR IF THERE SHOULD BE MORE THAN 
ONE, BUT THAT MARION STREET TRANSIT CENTER DOESN'T JUMP OUT 
AS ME -- AT ME AS THE BEST -- NECESSARILY THE BEST --
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  WELL, ONE THING WITH HIGH-SPEED RAIL, 
THERE WOULD BE VERY LIMITED STOPS.
THERE MIGHT BE ONLY ONE STOP BETWEEN ORLANDO AND TAMPA, 
AND, YEAH, IT WOULD --
>>MARY MULHERN:  RIGHT.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT STOP IS THE MOST 
APPROPRIATE ONE.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  WE'LL CERTAINLY LOOK AT IT.
>>MARY MULHERN:  AND THEN THE OTHER THING -- AND THIS IS 
OUR PROBLEM, BUT I THINK THAT WHAT I NOTICED FOR -- 
ESPECIALLY WITH TOURISM AND TRAVEL IS THERE OUGHT TO BE -- 
IT OUGHT TO GO OVER TO THE BEACHES TOO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF 
PINELLAS IS LOOKING AT THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS 
RENTING A CAR AND WHERE YOU LAND AND ALL THAT -- AND I 
THINK THAT'S ANOTHER ARGUMENT FOR THE STOP AT THE AIRPORT 
BECAUSE WE KIND OF -- WHAT HAPPENS WITH US IS THAT PEOPLE 
FLYING INTO ORLANDO WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO DO DISNEY AND 
UNIVERSAL AND THE BEACH, SO IT'S -- IF THEY CAN GET ON A 
TRAIN IN ORLANDO THAT TAKES THEM WHEREVER THEY NEED TO GET, 
IF THEY COULD GET ON A TRAIN AT OUR AIRPORT AND THEN TAKE 
THEM THERE --
>>MARK SHARPE:  I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS THERE'S 
LIKE APPLES AND ORANGES.
YOU CAN'T GET A HIGH-SPEED RAIL TO THE AIRPORT, YOU CAN GET 
A HIGH-SPEED RAIL FROM A CITY TO A CITY AND THEN YOU GET 
OFF AND YOU HAVE LIGHT RAIL THAT MOVES YOU, AND I THINK 
THAT ONE OF THE BEAUTIES OF TBARTA IS THEY'VE DONE A PRETTY 
GOOD JOB OF COORDINATING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE LIGHT 
RAIL, THE HIGH-SPEED RAIL, AND YOUR COMMUTER RAIL.
THERE ARE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES, BUT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET 
A HIGH-SPEED -- YOU KNOW --
>>MARY MULHERN:  I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU CAN'T GET A HIGH-
SPEED RAIL TO THE AIRPORT.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  THE PROBLEM IS -- WELL, ONCE YOU COME -
- BECAUSE IT GOES 120 MILES AN HOUR.
ONCE YOU STOP IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA, IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE 
HIGH-SPEED RAIL AGAIN, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST GET ON A 
LIGHT RAIL BECAUSE IT'S NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO REACH ANY 
SPEEDS LIKE THAT GETTING TO THE BEACHES OR TO THE AIRPORT 
BECAUSE IT'S TOO CLOSE.
>>BETH ALDEN:  IT MAY ALSO LIMIT WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE 
INTERSTATE 275 RIGHT-OF-WAY.
IF YOU HAVE SOME SPECIAL PURPOSE LANES, THEN YOU MAY ONLY 
HAVE ENOUGH SPACE FOR ONE TYPE OF RAIL REMAINING IN THAT 
RIGHT-OF-WAY, SO IS IT -- IS IT LIGHT RAIL AS IN THE TBARTA 
MID-TERM VISION OR IS IT AN EXTENSION OF THE HIGH-SPEED 
RAIL SYSTEM SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE A TRADEOFF.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YEAH, THE KEY IS GOING TO BE THE FEEDER 
CONNECTORS, I THINK, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS THAT 
WE WANT TO GO TO, USF BEING ONE, THE BEACHES, AND A LOT OF 
OTHER -- BUSCH GARDENS, SO I THINK THE FEEDER CONNECTORS 
ARE GOING TO BE THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS.
YES, MR. MILLER.
>>LOUIS MILLER:  COMING TO THE AIRPORT DOESN'T WORK, 
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T GO TO THE AIRPORT 
FROM ORLANDO, THEY COME TO THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND THEY WANT 
TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF STUDIES THAT SHOW COMING THROUGH THE 
AIRPORT WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN A RIGHT-OF-WAY, A CORRIDOR 
THROUGH THE AIRPORT FOR LIGHT RAIL.
IT NOT ONLY WILL GO THROUGH THE AIRPORT WHEN IT COMES -- 
WHEN IT'S FINALLY BUILD, BUT IT WILL GO ALL THE WAY UP TO 
LINEBAUGH RUNNING ON THE CSX RIGHT-OF-WAY, AND THEN FROM 
THERE IT COULD GO WESTBOUND ALL THE WAY TO CLEARWATER, SO 
IT COULD COME AROUND, BUT ONCE IT TIES IN, IT WILL WORK.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE ROOM AT THE AIRPORT FOR A HIGH-
SPEED STATION.
WITH A HIGH-SPEED RAIL STATION AT THE AIRPORT IS NOT WHERE 
IT NEEDS TO BE, IT NEEDS TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE 
COMMUNITY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF MARION STREET STATION IS THE 
BEST PLACE EITHER, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, BUT 
ONCE YOU GET OFF OF THAT, THEN THE INTEGRATED LIGHT RAIL 
SYSTEM IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TYING INTO THE WHOLE TAMPA 
BAY REGION SHOULD BRING YOU THROUGH THE AIRPORT AND TAKE 
YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.
>>MARY MULHERN:  OKAY.
THAT MAY BE THE CASE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, COMMIT TO 
A STOP WHEN IT HASN'T BEEN --
>>LOUIS MILLER:  YEAH.
THERE'S PART OF -- PART OF THE SYSTEM OVER IN ORLANDO THAT 
STARTS AT THE AIRPORT, BEFORE IT GETS TO TAMPA IT MAKES 
THREE STOPS IN ORLANDO.
TO ME THAT'S NOT HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
>> NO.
>>LOUIS MILLER:  THAT SHOULD BE A LOCAL COMMUTER TYING INTO 
SOMETHING ELSE IF YOU'RE STOPPING IT.
THEN IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO LAKELAND WITHOUT STOPPING, AND 
THEN IT COMES FROM LAKELAND ALL THE WAY INTO DOWNTOWN TAMPA 
WITHOUT STOPPING, SO IT'S JUST INTERESTING HOW THEY'VE SET 
THAT UP.
>>MARY MULHERN:  ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CURRENT --
>>LOUIS MILLER:  UH-HUH.
BUT I WOULD SUPPORT THE PLAN, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
THE PLAN TO CONNECT TWO COMMUNITIES IS THE IMPORTANT THING, 
SO YOU COULD LEAVE THE CITY OF TAMPA AND GO THAT WAY AND 
GET TO DISNEY WORLD, THAT'S FANTASTIC, ON RAIL, BUT ONCE 
YOU GET THERE, YOU NEED TO MAKE CONNECTIONS WHEREVER ELSE 
YOU WANT TO GO AND NOT HAVE TO RENT A CAR, AS MR. 
DINGFELDER SAID, SO --
>>MARY MULHERN:  RIGHT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  IF THIS GETS TRACTION, IF THIS LOOKS 
LIKE IT'S GOING TO GET SOME MONEY, THEN I THINK OUR POLICY 
COMMITTEE SHOULD TAKE AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE ROUTES, 
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME NEW MEMBERS THAT WEREN'T 
AROUND TEN YEARS AGO WHEN IT FIRST WAS CREATED.
>>MARY MULHERN:  RIGHT.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE TOO ABOUT ALL OF OUR 
PLANS FOR LIGHT RAIL, FOR THE TAMPA RAIL PLAN, AND NOW 
TALKING ABOUT HIGH-SPEED RAIL.
ARE WE LOOKING AT A TEN-YEAR-OLD PLAN THAT ISN'T 
NECESSARILY WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW?
AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR THIS AND GO BACK 
TO IT, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAVE CHANGED AND 
ARE CONTINUING TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY, AND WE NEED TO NOT 
JUST RELY ON OLD PLANS BECAUSE WE HAVE THEM.
LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE --
>>MARK SHARPE:  BUT DAVID ARMIJO SITS RIGHT THERE ON HART, 
THEY'RE ALL OVER THIS.
WE HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED, HIGHLY 
TECHNICAL.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS.
THEY'VE GONE BACK AND DUSTED OFF SOME OF THE OLD PLANS 
BECAUSE IT SAVES US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS NOT HAVING TO START 
FROM SCRATCH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE NOT IN ANY WAY 
GOING BACK AND JUST THROWING OUT THE OLD PLAN.
THIS IS ALL DATA-DRIVEN BASED UPON CURRENT AND FUTURE 
ASSESSMENTS OF WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING AND HOW THEY'LL BE 
TRAVELING, BUT HART'S ALL OVER THAT.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
SO WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND TO SEND A LETTER 
RECOMMENDING THAT THE TAMPA-ORLANDO HIGH-SPEED RAIL BE OUR 
NUMBER ONE PROJECT IN FLORIDA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  SECOND.
AND --
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  YES.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  AND I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT I THINK IT 
WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO, YOU KNOW, REVIEW WHAT -- WHAT THIS 
IS ENDORSING AT ONE OF OUR FUTURE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETINGS 
AND THAT WHEN THIS COMES UP IN TALLAHASSEE THAT WE HAVE OUR 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND MAYBE MR. SHARPE OR ANOTHER MPO 
MEMBER GO WITH IT BECAUSE IT IS SO CRITICAL THAT WE MAKE 
THE -- THE SELECTION IN FLORIDA BETWEEN TAMPA AND ORLANDO.
IT'S JUST -- IT'LL MEAN --
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  I AGREE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  -- IT'LL MEAN SO MUCH TO OUR COMMUNITY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
YES.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  JUST WHEN YOU SAY TO MAKE A LETTER 
SAYING THAT IT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PROJECT IN THE STATE OF 
FLORIDA FROM THIS PARTICULAR --
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  FOR A HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  FOR A HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT AND FROM 
THIS PARTICULAR FUNDING POT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  SPECIFIC.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  SO I DON'T -- OBVIOUSLY I THINK WE HAVE 
SOME PROJECTS RIGHT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH THAT SHOULD BE AT 
THE TOP OF THE LIST.
>>MARK SHARPE:  FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL, RIGHT.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL SPECIFICALLY, THANK 
YOU, JUST TO CLARIFY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
MOTION CARRIES.
WE'LL DRAFT A LETTER, RAY, GET THAT GOING.
>>BETH ALDEN:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
STATUS REPORTS.
I-4 CORRIDOR ECONOMIC STUDY.
STEVE GRIFFIN.
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF 
THE MPO STAFF.
STEPHEN GRIFFIN, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION 
STAFF.
THIS MORNING I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF STATUS REPORT ON 
THE I-4 CORRIDOR PROJECT.
THIS IS A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION 
STAFF AND THE PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT STAFF, AND 
WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.
OKAY.
LET'S SEE HERE.
OKAY.
THERE WE GO.
A LITTLE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, BUT WE'RE GETTING GOING.
THIS MORNING I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF WHERE THE 
PROJECT IS THAT BOTH STAFFS ARE WORKING ON TO BRING YOU UP-
TO-DATE ON WHERE WE'RE MOVING AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE 
PRESENTED TO THE BOARD IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
THE STAFF OF PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT AND THE 
PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT, AND 
OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO DO AN ASSESSMENT AND 
FEASIBILITY OF THE I-4 CORRIDOR TO SEE IF THAT CORRIDOR CAN 
BE AN APPEALING CORRIDOR FOR QUALITY EMPLOYMENT 
OPPORTUNITIES, GIVING SPECIAL ATTENTION TO LIGHT INDUSTRIAL 
AND OFFICE ACTIVITIES.
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO 
MADE A DIRECTIVE TO THE STAFFS OF PLANNING COMMISSION AND 
PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT TO CONDUCT THIS STUDY.
THE STAFF HAS WORKED ON A WORK PROGRAM AND DEVELOPED THAT 
WORK PROGRAM.
WE DID SOME INITIAL BACKGROUND RESEARCH, AND WE HAVE 
CREATED A CORE STUDY TEAM.
THE STUDY TEAM IS CONSISTING OF A NUMBER OF STAFFS FROM 
BOTH THE COUNTY AND CITIES, BOTH PLANT CITY, TEMPLE 
TERRACE, AND THE CITY OF TAMPA, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF 
OTHER AGENCIES TO GIVE US GOOD INPUT ON CONDUCTING THE 
STUDY AND SOME OF THE DETAILED INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GOING 
TO BE NEEDING OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS A PART OF THE FLORIDA HIGH-TECH 
CORRIDOR.
THAT CORRIDOR IS A 23-COUNTY CORRIDOR THAT RUNS THROUGH 
CENTRAL FLORIDA.
THE MISSION OF THAT HIGH-TECH COUNCIL IS TO ATTRACT AND 
RETAIN HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES AND TO SUPPLY THE WORKFORCE 
THAT WILL SUPPORT THIS HIGH-TECH GROWTH INDUSTRY, AND AS 
YOU KNOW, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S A PART OF THIS CORRIDOR.
THE STUDY -- WE'VE LAUNCHED A WEB SITE ON BOTH THE COUNTY 
AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION WEB SITE.
ON OUR WEB SITES WE HAVE THE MEETING SUMMARIES, WE HAVE ALL 
THE PUBLICATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN STUDYING, MAPS, AND ALL 
THE PROJECT INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC'S INFORMATION AND 
CONSUMPTION, SO WE WANT TO BE QUITE TRANSPARENT TO LET THE 
PUBLIC KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE I-4 CORRIDOR STUDY.
THE STUDY BEGAN WITH THE INITIAL STUDY AREA THAT WE LOOKED 
AT, THE COUNTY DID, BACK IN 2004.
IT'S A ONE-MILE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
AND ALONG THIS CORRIDOR WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ECONOMIC 
ENGINES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
PRIMARILY WE HAVE THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, WE HAVE 
THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY'S FACILITIES, THAT'S TAMPA EXECUTIVE 
AIRPORT AND PLANT CITY AIRPORT, WE HAVE THE PORT AUTHORITY, 
THE PORT OF TAMPA, AND THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF 
HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BOTH IN YBOR CITY AND PLANT 
CITY.
SO ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ECONOMIC 
ASSETS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE I-4 
CORRIDOR.
THE POTENTIAL OUTCOMES OF THIS STUDY IS TO PARTNER WITH THE 
ADJACENT JURISDICTIONS, PRIMARILY CITY OF TAMPA, TEMPLE 
TERRACE, AND PLANT CITY.
WE WANT TO IDENTIFY QUALITY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT 
CAN TAKE PLACE ALONG THE CORRIDOR, GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING 
OF THE FEASIBILITY AND POTENTIAL COSTS TO DEVELOP ALONG 
THIS CORRIDOR, IN ADDITION TO CREATE A VERY AESTHETICALLY 
PLEASING CORRIDOR THAT IS GOING TO BE AN ASSET TO OUR 
COMMUNITY, CREATE ECONOMIC INITIATIVES TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS 
FOR THE I-4 CORRIDOR, AND ALONG WITH DEVELOPING AN 
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN THAT'LL SUPPORT WHAT WE HOPE TO HAVE 
ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
AGAIN, CRAFTING A LAND USE CATEGORY THAT IS PARTICULAR FOR 
THE CORRIDOR.
WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG-TERM EFFORT.
OUR PLANNING HORIZON FOR THIS I-4 CORRIDOR STUDY IS GOING 
TO THE YEAR 2025, SO IT'S NOT A SHORT-TERM ENDEAVOR.
OUR FIRST BACKGROUND IS LOOKING AT THE EMPLOYMENT ASSETS 
THAT WE HAVE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
WE TOOK A LOOK AT WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTY OVER 
THE LAST EIGHT YEARS FROM 2000 TO 2007.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE HAD STEADY EMPLOYMENT GROWTH.
WE DID TAKE A REDUCTION IN EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN 2008, BUT 
ALL IN ALL, WE'VE HAD GOOD ECONOMIC GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY 
OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS TO EIGHT YEARS.
ALSO LOOKING AT THE DEMAND FOR HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES IN OUR 
COMMUNITY, WE'VE LOOKED AT WHAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 
ESTIMATES IS BETWEEN HALF A MILLION AND 700,000 SQUARE FEET 
ANNUALLY IN DEMAND FOR HIGH-TECH AND INDUSTRIAL SPACE 
WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THERE IS A DEMAND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
LOOKING AT THE MAJOR INDUSTRIAL CATEGORIES, WE LOOK AT THE 
EMPLOYMENT CHANGE FROM 2007 TO 2025, WHICH IS OUR PLANNING 
HORIZON, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE ACTIVE 
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR MAJOR INDUSTRIAL 
CATEGORIES, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF ACRES NEEDED TO SUPPORT 
THAT EMPLOYMENT CHANGE THAT WE SEE GOING FROM MANUFACTURING 
ALL THE WAY TO PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS SERVICES WITH A TOTAL 
OF 130,000 EMPLOYEES, APPROXIMATELY A LITTLE OVER 4300 
ACRES OF LAND NEEDED TO SUPPORT THAT GROWTH IN EMPLOYMENT 
OPPORTUNITIES.
LOOKING AT THE RANGE OF LAND REQUIRED FOR THESE TARGET 
INDUSTRIES, LOOK AT EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS.
WE'VE WORKED WITH THE COUNTY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
DEPARTMENT TO LOOK AT OUR FIRST PROJECTION OF ABOUT 654 
ACRES.
ALSO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE AGENCY FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION, 
THEIR PROJECTIONS.
A CONSERVATIVE PROJECTION WOULD BE ABOUT 2800 ACRES, AND 
THE PATEL STUDY THAT WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE COUNTY'S 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT LOOKS AT AROUND 1100 ACRES, 
AND OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ALSO LOOKED AT ABOUT 3,000 ACRES 
FOR LAND NEEDED TO SUPPORT INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES IN OUR 
COMMUNITY.
WE DID A COMPILATION AND LOOKED AT COUNTYWIDE WE NEED 
APPROXIMATELY 2400 ACRES TO THE PROJECTED PLANNING HORIZON 
OF 2025.
OUR STUDY TEAM TOOK 40% OF THAT LAND AREA AND ASSIGNED THAT 
TO THE I-4 CORRIDOR, WHICH REPRESENTS ABOUT A THOUSAND 
ACRES.
CURRENTLY TODAY ALONG I-4 WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 50 ACRES 
THAT'S CURRENTLY ZONED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THESE TYPE OF HIGH-
TECH USES, SO WE'RE WOEFULLY UNDERSERVED ALONG OUR I-4 
CORRIDOR SO FAR AS THE LAND NEEDED AND THE LAND CATEGORIES 
NEEDED TO SUPPORT INDUSTRIAL AND HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES.
THE NEXT THING WE DID IN OUR CORE STUDY TEAM IS LOOK AT 
TARGET INDUSTRIES THAT WOULD MEET SPECIFIC CRITERIA THAT WE 
WANT TO PROVIDE ALONG I-4 CORRIDOR.
AS YOU CAN SEE BEFORE YOU, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TARGET 
INDUSTRIES THAT WOULD BE ASSIGNED TO THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
WE LOOKED AT A TARGET RANGE FOR WAGES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR 
OF ABOUT $50,000 PER YEAR, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT VERY HIGH-
TECH AND HIGH-WAGE EMPLOYEES FOR THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
IN MEETING WITH THE GROUP, WE LOOKED AT WHAT KIND OF 
LOCATIONAL PREFERENCES WOULD BE NECESSARY TO LOCATE 
BUSINESSES THAT WE TARGETED ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
WE HAVE TO HAVE ADEQUATE LAND AVAILABLE, HAVE TO HAVE LAND 
USE AND ZONING IN PLACE, GOOD PROXIMITY TO TRANSPORTATION 
FACILITIES, ALSO INFRASTRUCTURE, PRIMARILY WATER AND SEWER, 
AND HAVE AREAS THAT LIKE INDUSTRIES CAN CLUSTER TOGETHER.
AGAIN, WE NEED THE SKILLED AND AVAILABLE WORKFORCE TO 
SUPPORT THOSE INDUSTRIES, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A HIGH 
QUALITY OF LIFE, BOTH IN THE COMMUNITY, EDUCATION, AND 
HOUSING IF WE WANT TO ATTRACT THE TYPE OF INDUSTRIES THAT 
WILL DIVERSIFY OUR ECONOMY IN THE FUTURE.
THEN WE LOOKED AT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, WHAT IS 
CURRENTLY GOING ON AND HAPPENING ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW YOU CAN SEE THE INITIAL STUDY AREA TO 
THE NORTH AND SOUTH ONE-MILE DISTANCE.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PLANS THAT EITHER 
ARE ADOPTED OR ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING WORKED ON FROM 
THONOTOSASSA TO BRANDON TO SEFFNER-MANGO.
WE WANTED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THOSE COMMUNITY PLANS 
BECAUSE THE CITIZENS ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR HAVE CERTAIN 
EXPECTATIONS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE HAPPEN IN THEIR 
COMMUNITY, AND WE WANTED TO EMBRACE THOSE THINGS AS A PART 
OF OUR STUDY.
THEN WE LOOKED AT WHAT TYPE OF LAND IS AVAILABLE.
WE STARTED WITH OUR LOWEST DENOMINATOR OF FIVE-ACRE PARCELS 
OR LARGER, LOOKED AT AGRICULTURAL LAND, VACANT LAND, AND 
RESIDENTIAL LAND, AND WHEN I MEAN RESIDENTIAL LAND, I MEAN 
A PIECE OF PROPERTY FIVE ACRES THAT HAS A SINGLE HOUSE ON 
IT.
AND FROM THAT WE CAME UP WITH ABOUT 13,000 ACRES, OF WHICH 
A LITTLE OVER 9,000 IS OUTSIDE OF OUR URBAN SERVICE AREA 
INTO THE RURAL AREA.
THEN WE BROKE IT DOWN A LITTLE FURTHER AND LOOKED AT 
AGRICULTURE AND VACANT LAND ON PARCELS OF 20 ACRES IN SIZE 
OR GREATER, AND YOU CAN SEE IT DIMINISHED A LITTLE BIT, AND 
THEN WE WENT UP TO 50 ACRES OF AGRICULTURAL AND VACANT 
LAND.
THAT DIMINISHED EVEN FURTHER, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME LAND 
AVAILABLE AND OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE ALONG THE I-4 
CORRIDOR IS WHAT WE CONCLUDED.
LOOKING AT OUR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, WE LOOKED AT 
THE CURRENT 2025 LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND LOOKED 
AT SOME OF THE DEFICIENT ROADWAYS THAT ARE HAPPENING 
THROUGHOUT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RED LINES SHOW OUR DEFICIENT ROADS, AND 
THE BLUE LINES SHOW THE ROADS THAT HAVE SOME CONSTRAINTS TO 
THEM, SO WE DO HAVE SOME TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES IN FRONT 
OF US, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
ADDITIONALLY WE LOOKED AT WHAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING WITH 
TBARTA AND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO SEE HOW THAT CAN BE 
INTEGRATED INTO THE STUDY, AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT THEY 
PROJECTED FOR OUR I-4 AND THE RAIL CORRIDORS ALONG 275, SO 
WE HAD TO GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF POTENTIAL 
OPPORTUNITIES THAT LAY AHEAD AS THE YEARS GO BY.
ADDITIONALLY, PLANT CITY HAS BEEN WORKING ON A NORTHEAST 
MASTER PLAN AND SOME OF THEIR TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS AND 
MITIGATION, AND WE TOOK A LOOK AT THAT.
THEY HAVE WORKED OUT A MITIGATION PLAN THAT LOOKS AT 
APPROXIMATELY 700 -- $370 MILLION AT A COST OF $600 PER 
TRIP TO MITIGATE AS TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS, AND THEY WORKED 
WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO COME UP 
WITH THIS PROPOSAL, AND WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD WAY TO 
LOOK AT WHAT WE POTENTIALLY COULD DO ALONG I-4 SO FAR AS 
MITIGATING SOME OF THE POTENTIAL TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS 
THAT MAY COME OUT OF THE STUDY.
LOOKING AT PUBLIC SERVICES, PRIMARILY WATER AND SEWER, THE 
SHADED AREAS SHOW WHERE WATER AND SEWER IS AVAILABLE IN OUR 
COMMUNITY, PRIMARILY BOTH IN THE CITY OF TAMPA, TEMPLE 
TERRACE, THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY, AND PLANT CITY.
BUT THERE IS A SORT OF BLANK SPOT IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN 
UNINCORPORATED COUNTY AND PLANT CITY WHERE THERE CURRENTLY 
ARE NO WATER AND SEWER SERVICES.
ADDITIONALLY, WE WANTED TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE 
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS, WHAT CONSTRAINTS WE HAVE FROM AN 
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE ON THIS BIG MAP, BUT THE BLUE 
AREAS ARE THE WETLAND AREAS, THE RED AREAS ARE THE 
SIGNIFICANT WILDLIFE HABITAT AREAS, SO THE CORRIDOR DOES 
HAVE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF IT, AND WE 
HAD TO TAKE THOSE CONSIDERATIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN OUR 
STUDY.
WE ALSO TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE JOINT PLANNING AREAS THAT THE 
COUNTY'S WORKING WITH WITH PLANT CITY AND THE CITY OF 
TEMPLE TERRACE.
THOSE ARE THE AREAS SHADED IN YELLOW.
THOSE AREAS HAVE POTENTIAL FOR SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS 
AND REVENUE COSTS WITH BOTH OF THOSE JURISDICTIONS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE DID EXPAND OUR STUDY AREA BEYOND THE ONE 
MILE NORTH AND SOUTH OF I-4 TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE 
ECONOMIC ENGINES THAT WE DO HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, 
PRIMARILY THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, THE PORT OF 
TAMPA, THE TAMPA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, AND THE PLANT CITY 
AIRPORT, ALONG WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES, BOTH IN YBOR 
CITY AND PLANT CITY.
SO OUR STUDY AREA SLIGHTLY EXPANDED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT 
THOSE ECONOMIC ENGINES AND HOW THEY CAN BE A PART OF THE I-
4 CORRIDOR STUDY.
WE'VE GONE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY A NUMBER OF TIMES TO GET 
THE CITIZENS' COMMENTS AND THEIR CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO 
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
PRIMARILY THE COMMUNITY IS RECEPTIVE TO CREATING QUALITY 
JOBS, BUT THEY DO HAVE SOME FEARS AND SOME CONCERNS 
PRIMARILY DEALING WITH SPRAWL -- THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE 
THAT HAPPEN -- AND MAINTAINING THEIR RURAL LIFESTYLE.
THEY HAVE CONCERNS THAT THE I-4 CORRIDOR, IF IT IS 
DEVELOPED, WILL HAVE A DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON THEIR RURAL 
LIFESTYLE, SO THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THAT AND THE SPIN-OFF 
OF OTHER TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT THAT CAN COME WITH HIGH-TECH 
AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, THEY'RE FEARFUL OF THOSE OTHER 
FORMS OF DEVELOPMENT, PRIMARILY MORE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE 
IS IN PLACE BEFORE ANYTHING IS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR -- AGAIN, THEIR LIFESTYLE 
IS NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTED, AND THEY WANTED TO BE FULL 
PARTNERS IN THIS PROCESS.
THEY ARE, TO SAY THE LEAST, DISTRUSTFUL OF THEIR 
GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE DISTRUSTFUL OF DEVELOPERS, SO THEY FEEL 
THAT THEY NEED TO BE FULL PARTNERS AND BE PART OF THE I-4 
CORRIDOR AND MAKE SURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AS WE 
MOVE FORWARD IN THIS.
WE'VE COME UP WITH SOME CONCEPTUAL OPTIONS JUST TO DISCUSS 
WITHIN THE STUDY GROUP.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COME UP WITH A LAND USE PLAN 
THAT'S BASED ON REALISTIC ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, SOMETHING 
THAT CAN REALLY HAPPEN.
AGAIN, TO LOOK AT SUSTAINABLE REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, WE HAVE A LOT OF POTENTIAL IN OUR DEVELOPED AREAS 
THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
LOOK AT CLUSTERING POTENTIAL INDUSTRIAL GROUPS, PRIMARILY 
AROUND THE PORT, THE BIOSCIENCE CORRIDOR ALONG I -- EXCUSE 
ME, ALONG 301 CLOSE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, THE 
PLANT CITY AREA FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, 
AND THERE ARE POTENTIAL FOR MORE GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT FOR 
LARGER-SCALE BUSINESS AND OFFICE PARKS OUT IN SOME OF OUR 
RURAL AREAS.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS OUR FIRST CRACK AT SOME POTENTIAL 
CONCEPTS AS TO WHAT CAN POTENTIALLY HAPPEN ALONG THE I-4 
CORRIDOR.
AGAIN, THAT LITTLE CIRCLE AREA, WHICH IS THIS LITTLE THINGY 
HERE, IS -- REPRESENTS ABOUT A THOUSAND ACRES AS WE SAID 
COULD BE ASSIGNED TO THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
WE KIND OF LOOKED AT SOME POTENTIAL AREAS JUST TO GET AN 
IDEA OF WHERE THEY COULD BE AND WHAT TYPE OF COSTS COULD BE 
ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPING ALONG THOSE AREAS, SO WE LOOKED 
AT POTENTIALLY MULTIPLE SITES THAT WOULD EQUAL ABOUT A 
THOUSAND ACRES.
YOU WOULD SEE A SITE CLOSE TO THE TEMPLE TERRACE AREA, 
AGAIN IN THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY AND THE JOINT PLANNING 
AREA ALONG THE 301 CORRIDOR, AND A POTENTIAL SITE HERE IN 
THE CITY OF TAMPA TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES WITH 
THE PORT OF TAMPA, THEN GOING OUT TO THE PLANT CITY AREA A 
POTENTIAL SITE THERE, AND WHAT THESE STARS REPRESENT IS 
APPROXIMATELY THREE TO -- 300 ACRES OR SO.
AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT ANY PARTICULAR PARCELS, JUST TO GET AN 
IDEA OF WHAT POTENTIALLY COULD HAPPEN TO GIVE US SOME IDEA 
OF COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO THIS POTENTIALLY REPRESENTS ABOUT A THOUSAND ACRES.
THAT'S OUR OPTION ONE.
OUR OPTION TWO, WE GAVE SOME MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP 
ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR, AND YOU CAN SEE THINGS POPPED UP A 
LITTLE BIT MORE.
THE SAME TWO STARS.
WE TOOK SOME OF THE STARS AND LOOKED AT POTENTIAL 
OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE TAMPA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, AS THE 
AVIATION AUTHORITY HAS PLANS FOR THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN 
AROUND THERE, AGAIN, THE PORT OF TAMPA, AND THEN SOME MORE 
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PLANT CITY AREA.
AND THEN FINALLY, A THIRD OPTION TO GIVE MULTIPLE SITES 
THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR TO LOOK AT SOME POTENTIAL 
GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE URBAN 
SERVICE AREA, SORT OF A LONG-RANGE PICTURE AS WE'D GET 
CLOSER TO 2020 AND 2025.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST SOME IDEAS OF WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY 
HAPPEN IN THOSE AREAS, SO THIS IS A GENERAL IDEA OF SOME 
POTENTIAL SITES, AND I ONLY DID THIS TO GET COSTS OF WHERE 
WE WOULD LOOK AT, HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST FOR 
TRANSPORTATION FUNDING, INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING.
AGAIN, THIS DOESN'T REPRESENT ANY PARTICULAR PARCELS BUT 
JUST GIVE THE GROUP AN IDEA OF WHERE WE COULD GO, AND WE'RE 
STILL IN DISCUSSIONS ON WHERE THESE SITES COULD GO.
WE SET UP SOME EVALUATION STANDARDS TO LOOK AT SITES, 
TRANSPORTATION ACCESS, AVAILABLE LAND, WATER AND SEWER 
AVAILABILITY, CONSISTENCY WITH BOTH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 
AND THE COMMUNITY PLANS AS THEY'VE BEEN ADOPTED, 
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPATIBILITY AND AGAIN COMPATIBILITY OF LAND 
USE TO WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
AGAIN, OTHER STANDARDS WE WANT TO PUT IN PLACE IS PROXIMITY 
TO HOUSING AND LABOR FORCE, PROXIMITY TO EDUCATION AND 
CULTURE.
THESE THINGS RELATE TO QUALITY OF LIFESTYLES AND THEN 
SUPPORTING SERVICES, BOTH BANKING AND DAY CARE AND SHOPPING 
AND RESTAURANTS.
AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT COMPANIES LOOK AT AS THEY 
START LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE MAY FACE AS 
WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY 
AFFAIRS, LOOKING AT THE ISSUE OF IS THERE ENOUGH LAND 
ALREADY ASSIGNED IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THESE TYPE OF 
ACTIVITIES IN OUR ADOPTED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THE IDEA OF OUR MIXED-USE CATEGORIES NOT REALLY BEING TRULY 
MIXED-USE BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THAT SOME OF THE MIXED-USE 
CATEGORIES DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE MIXTURE OF USES THAT WE 
WANT TO HAVE.
WE SEE VERY FEW LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE OPPORTUNITIES, 
BUT WE'RE SORT OF HEAVY ON THE SIDE OF RETAIL, COMMERCIAL, 
AND RESIDENTIAL.
IS THE I-4 CORRIDOR THE BEST LOCATION FOR INDUSTRIAL 
ACTIVITY, AND HOW MUCH LAND CAN WE REALLY ASSIGN TO THE I-4 
CORRIDOR, AND WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY INSOFAR AS 
CAN WE PAY FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD DEVELOP ALONG THE I-4 
CORRIDOR IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ELEMENT?
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE MAY HAVE TO DEAL 
WITH AS WE MOVE FORWARD ANY TYPE OF PLANS, CHANGES TO OUR 
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND DEALING WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT 
OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
WHAT WE WANT TO DELIVER TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY 
COMMISSIONERS IS, AGAIN, IDENTIFY THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
ASSETS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF 
SOUTH FLORIDA, HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THE TAMPA 
EXECUTIVE AIRPORT AND THE PLANT CITY AIRPORT, THE PORT OF 
TAMPA, AND THE PLANT CITY AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY AND HOW 
THOSE ECONOMIC ASSETS CAN BE ENHANCED THROUGH THE I-4 
CORRIDOR STUDY.
WE WANT TO DELIVER AN ACTION PLAN TO THE BOARD TO CREATE 
SITES THAT ARE POTENTIALLY PERMIT-READY FOR LIGHT 
INDUSTRIAL AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, CREATE A LAND USE 
CATEGORY, THAT OR EVEN AN OVERLAY DISTRICT AS WE MOVE 
FORWARD, MAKE SURE THAT I-4 HAS A ROLE IN ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY'S OVERALL VISION AND ITS GOALS, 
ALONG WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE, THAT WE 
MAKE SURE THAT I-4 IS A PART OF THAT BIGGER PICTURE AS WE 
MOVE FORWARD, AND CREATING AN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN THAT 
WOULD MAKE SURE THE I-4 CORRIDOR HAS THE POTENTIAL TO 
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IS IF WE DO DO 
A MIXED-USE CATEGORY, IT DOESN'T RESULT IN PREDOMINANT 
RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THOSE REALLY 
SPIKE UP THE PRICE OF LAND, AND, YOU KNOW, OFFICE AND 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CAN'T COMPETE FROM A LAND PRICE 
STANDPOINT SO FAR AS RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL/COMMERCIAL 
DEVELOPMENT, SO WHATEVER CATEGORY WE COME UP WITH, WE HAVE 
TO MAKE SURE THAT IT CAN KEEP THE COST OF LAND DOWN TO MAKE 
SURE THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS CAN MARKET 
THIS AREA AT A COST THAT'S GOING TO BE AFFORDABLE TO THE 
DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
AND THAT WOULD MEAN REQUIRING THAT THE PREDOMINANT USE OF 
LAND WOULD BE FOR OFFICE AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND GET 
AWAY FROM MAKING SURE THAT RETAIL AND RESIDENTIAL DON'T 
OVERTAKE WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN ON I-4 BECAUSE THE 
CITIZENS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, RUINING 
THEIR RURAL LIFESTYLE AND CREATING SPRAWL, AND TRY TO DO 
ADVANCED ZONING TO TARGET PARTICULAR USES OUT IN THE -- 
ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR, AGAIN, TO MAKE IT PERMIT READY FOR 
ANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY COME DOWN THE LINE IN THE VERY 
NEAR FUTURE.
SO THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE UNDERTAKING AS WE 
CONCLUDE OUR STUDY IS IDENTIFICATION OF SOME PREFERRED 
ALTERNATIVES, LOOKING AT A FINANCIAL IMPACT ANALYSIS, 
CREATING AN ACTION PLAN TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT AN I-4 
CORRIDOR PLAN, LOOKING AT EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO SUPPORT 
THE TARGETED INDUSTRIES THAT WE WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN ALONG 
THE I-4 CORRIDOR FOR EMPLOYMENT, AND MAKE A PRESENTATION TO 
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON MARCH 24th, A LITTLE 
BIT LATER THIS MONTH, AS WE CONCLUDE OUR STUDY.
OUR FINAL REPORT'S GOING TO BE GIVEN TO THE BOCC IN THE 
EARLY PART OF MAY THIS YEAR.
THAT REPORT WILL HAVE IMPLEMENTING STEPS SO FAR AS 
POTENTIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENTS, ZONING CODE 
AMENDMENTS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
TASK FORCE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, THE STATUS REPORT OF 
WHERE WE ARE WITH THE I-4 CORRIDOR STUDY.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF THE BOARD HAS THEM.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MR. GRIFFIN.
MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.
IT'S A VERY AMBITIOUS COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, BUT I THINK 
THERE'S -- AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF 
IDENTIFYING THINGS YOU SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
MY BIG CONCERN IS THE PREMISE OF THE PLAN, WHICH IS THAT 
YOU NEED RAW LAND.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT OUR COUNTY NEEDS AS WE GO INTO THE 
FUTURE, IT'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SO IF YOU HAVE A TECH 
INDUSTRY THAT NEEDS A LOT OF WATER -- AND MOST OF THEM DO -
- YOU PUT IT WHERE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO RECLAIMED WATER.
IF YOU LOOK AT INDUSTRIES THAT REQUIRE A LOT OF TRUCK 
TRAFFIC, YOU PUT IT WHERE YOU ALREADY HAVE THE 
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK TO ACCESS THAT.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT ALTHOUGH YOU GAVE LIP SERVICE TO THE 
IDEA THAT YOUR CITIZENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SPRAWL THAT THE 
THIRD ITERATION OF WHAT COULD GO WHERE WOULD ACTUALLY 
PROMOTE SPRAWL.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE BEST THING YOU DID IN THIS PLAN IS 
IDENTIFY THAT CLOSE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, 
CLOSE TO TEMPLE TERRACE, AND CLOSE TO THE CORE OF PLANT 
CITY ARE THE RIGHT PLACES TO ENCOURAGE REDEVELOPMENT.
I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT YOUR IDENTIFICATION OF A THOUSAND 
ACRES AS BEING NECESSARY IS A VERY RETRO IDEA.
YOU BEGAN PLANNING FOR THIS IN 2008.
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED RADICALLY SINCE THEN.
THE COST OF GAS HAS GONE UP, OUR RECOGNITION OF THE NEED 
FOR SUSTAINABILITY HAS INCREASED, AND I THINK THAT THE -- 
SOME OF THE -- SOME OF THE CONCLUSIONS ARE OLD THINK, AND I 
THINK YOU REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON REDEVELOPING WHERE WE 
ALREADY HAVE THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  MR. GRIFFIN'S -- THIS EFFORT THAT HE 
BRIEFED YOU ON WAS DIRECTED BY THE BOARD, AND THE BOARD 
DIRECTED THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND OTHERS LOOK 
SPECIFICALLY AT THESE AREAS, AND THE REASON THAT WE'RE 
LOOKING ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR, WELL, ONE, WHEN WE'RE LONG 
GONE A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW, 200 YEARS FROM NOW, 
DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN ORLANDO AND TAMPA, ONE OF THE REASONS 
WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING IT A HIGH-SPEED RAIL LINK, 
IS IT'S GOING CONTINUE -- IT'S GOING TO EXPLODE, AND SO 
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE -- WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, OVER THE 
NEXT 100 TO 200 YEARS, THERE'S GOING TO BE THIS GROWTH -- 
BRUCE KATZ TALKS ABOUT IT -- THIS MEGALOPOLIS THAT'S GOING 
TO LINK OUR COMMUNITIES, SO WE EITHER PLAN FOR IT OR WE 
JUST LET IT HAPPEN.
WHAT WE WERE SUGGESTING TO THE PLANNERS WAS LOOK AT THIS 
LINK BETWEEN TAMPA AND ORLANDO AND TRY TO ESTABLISH AREAS 
WHERE WE CAN PUT PROJECTS WHERE IN THE PAST -- FOR 
INSTANCE, LET'S SAY SCRIPPS -- LET'S JUST USE THEM AS A 
WILD EXAMPLE -- THEY WANT TO COME BUT THEY NEED LAND.
THEY NEED 300 ACRES.
WELL, THEY CAN COME TO TAMPA, BUT WE CAN SAY TO THEM, WE 
DON'T HAVE 300 ACRES BECAUSE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM 
IS LIMITED IN THE LAND THAT -- SPACE FOR LARGE PROJECTS 
WHICH ARE, I THINK, LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE, WHICH IS LIFE 
SCIENCES, BIOTECH, LINKING UP WITH ORLANDO AND THE BURNHAM 
INSTITUTE, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD 
LINK TAMPA, USF -- WHICH YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, USF, 
THAT'S WHAT -- WE'VE SAID IT ALL ALONG.
OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE USF 
AREA, BUT IT'S CHALLENGING, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
WE INVOLVED OURSELVES IN A MAJOR PROJECT WHERE THE COUNTY 
PUT FORWARD $27 MILLION BECAUSE THE CITY JUST DIDN'T HAVE 
THE RESOURCES TO ENCOURAGE THE MOFFITT, MERCK PARTNERSHIP, 
WHICH IS M2GEN ON McKINLEY.
WE'D LOVE TO DO MORE OF THAT, BUT IT'S INCREDIBLY 
EXPENSIVE.
WHAT WE ALSO NEED IS LAND OPPORTUNITIES, AND WHAT WE ASKED 
THEM TO DO IS LOOK AT WHERE THERE MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITIES 
AND POTENTIAL, NOT FOR SPRAWL, NOT FOR THE TRADITIONAL 
STANDARD OF WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT EXPECT, WHICH IS YOUR LARGE 
SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENTS WHICH CONSUME SIGNIFICANT -- LARGE 
AMOUNTS OF WATER OR POTENTIALLY MORE RETAIL COMMERCIAL.
WHAT WE NEED, THOUGH, ARE LOCATIONS WHERE COMPANIES THAT 
CAN'T AFFORD BUSINESS IN CALIFORNIA ANYMORE BECAUSE IT'S 
TOO EXPENSIVE ANYMORE TO DO BUSINESS, CAN'T AFFORD TO DO 
BUSINESS IN MASSACHUSETTS TO MANUFACTURE ARE LOOKING FOR 
AREAS WHERE THEY CAN MANUFACTURE, SO WE WANT THEM TO COME 
HERE WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE THEM THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND WE 
CAN PROVIDE JOBS.
SO WE'RE NOT SAYING THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. 
THERE'S A LOT OF DEBATE GOING ON.
SOME PEOPLE WANT TO RUSH IT RIGHT AWAY, OTHERS ARE SAYING 
LET'S HOLD OFF, YOU KNOW, UNTIL THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, 50, 100 
YEARS.
WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS LET'S PLAN FOR WHERE WE CAN 
POTENTIALLY IN THE FUTURE DIRECT GROWTH, AND THAT'S ALONG 
THAT VERY IMPORTANT I-4 CORRIDOR, BUT LET'S PLAN IT FOR 
JOBS, LET'S PLAN IT FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES, BIOTECH, AND 
LET'S DO IT -- BUT LET'S PLAN, AND THAT WAS THE THINKING, 
LET'S PLAN, BECAUSE IT -- GROWTH IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE.
IT'S ALREADY OCCURRING, AND SO YOU EITHER PLAN FOR IT OR 
YOU JUST ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  COMMISSIONER BECKNER.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
BEFORE I GET THERE, I FIRST WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO THE BOARD 
FOR BEING LATE TODAY.
FOR THE RECORD, I HAD AN UNFORESEEN EXTENDED FAMILY 
EMERGENCY I HAD TO ATTEND TO, SO I DO APOLOGIZE TO THE 
BOARD FOR BEING LATE.
MR. GRIFFIN, FIRST I GUESS SETTING THE I-4 STUDY ASIDE -- 
BECAUSE I THINK GETTING TO MR. SHARPE'S POINT AND TO 
MS. SAUL-SENA'S POINT, KIND OF COMBINING THEM TOGETHER, IF 
WE TOOK -- SET THE I-4 STUDY TO THE SIDE, HOW MUCH LAND DO 
WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR ECONOMIC -- THAT 
WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT'S ALREADY 
ZONED AND ALREADY READY TO GO IN OUR REGIONAL AREA?
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  IN -- IN THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY I 
WOULD SAY YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT, OH, ANYWHERE BETWEEN 
500 AND MAYBE A THOUSAND ACRES OF AVAILABLE LAND THAT'S NOT 
OCCUPIED IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.
THERE MAY BE OTHER REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, BUT I'D SAY 
SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN 500 AND A THOUSAND POTENTIAL.
A LOT OF IT'S IN THE SOUTH PART OF THE COUNTY, A LOT OF 
IT'S ALONG THE COASTLINE THAT IS AVAILABLE TO DEVELOP, NOT 
NECESSARILY IN THE BEST PLACE, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME OF THAT.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  OKAY.
I GUESS WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING -- AND 
PERHAPS AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT I-4, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT 
ALSO THAT WE LOOK AT TODAY WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AND TIE 
IT IN TO FUTURE PLANNING SO THAT -- MAKING SURE THAT WE 
IDENTIFY -- I ANY IT'S IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY FIRST AND 
FOREMOST WHAT IS IT THAT WE HAVE TODAY WHERE WE CAN START 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHAT IS SUITABLE FOR, FOR WHAT TYPES 
OF INDUSTRIES, WHAT TYPES OF BUSINESSES TO COME INTO, AND 
THEN START LOOKING AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD EXIST 
IN I-4, AND I GUESS THAT KIND OF GOES INTO MY SECOND 
QUESTION.
HOW DO WE IDENTIFY THAT 40% OF THE LAND -- I THINK YOU SAID 
A LITTLE OVER 4,000 ACRES WOULD BE NEEDED FOR FUTURE USE.
HOW DID WE DECIDE THAT 40% WOULD BE -- WOULD BE GOING 
TOWARDS THE I-4 CORRIDOR AND THEN THE OTHERS, OR IS IT --
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  WELL, WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE PROJECTION OF 
ACREAGE FROM THE STUDIES, AND WE CAME UP WITH AN AVERAGE OF 
ABOUT 2400 ACRES, AND WE TOOK -- OF THAT 2400 ACRES, THE 
GROUP ASSIGNED ABOUT 40% OF THAT COUNTYWIDE TO LOOK AT 
PUTTING IN THE I-4 CORRIDOR, JUST TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT 
TYPE OF ACREAGE COULD BE ASSIGNED TO THAT CORRIDOR.
SO THE 2400 ACRES IS AN AVERAGE OF THE DIFFERENT STUDIES 
FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THE COMP PLAN, 
THE AGENCY FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION, AND WE CAME UP WITH 
THAT AVERAGE OF ABOUT 2400 ACRES TO THE YEAR 2025.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  OKAY.
SO THE LAND THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT'S THE 500 TO A 
THOUSAND ACRES, THAT'S JUST READY TO DEVELOP, AND THAT 
WOULD NOT INCLUDE ANY TYPE OF REDEVELOP -- LAND FOR 
REDEVELOPMENT, IS THAT --
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  RIGHT.
THAT'S JUST LAND THAT'S EITHER -- EITHER ZONED OR HAS A 
COMP PLAN CATEGORY THAT WILL ALLOW SOME TYPE OF 
INDUSTRIAL/OFFICE DEVELOPMENT.
SOME OF IT MAY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A REZONING PROCESS, BUT 
IT HAS A LAND USE CATEGORY THAT COULD SUPPORT THAT TYPE OF 
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT OR OFFICE DEVELOPMENT.
SOME OF IT'S, AGAIN, MOSTLY IN THE SOUTH COUNTY, SOME OF 
IT'S ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR, IT'S -- AND ALONG THE 
COASTLINE IT'S SORT OF SCATTERED, NOT IN ONE PARTICULAR 
PLACE FOR THE MOST PART, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME LAND 
COUNTYWIDE THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 
HAS INDICATED TO US, THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS RUNNING 
SHORT OF AVAILABLE LAND FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, WE DO HAVE SOME LAND AVAILABLE.
IT'S NOT A WHOLE LOT, SO THEY HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT, YOU 
KNOW, WE NEED TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE SO FAR AS HAVING 
LAND AVAILABLE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  NO, I AGREE WITH THAT 100%, AND GOING TO 
MR. SHARPE'S POINT, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT 
WE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AS PART OF THIS IS THAT WE'RE 
LOOKING AT WHAT WE'VE GOT NOW SO WE'RE MAXIMIZING OUR 
RESOURCES TODAY AND SO WE KNOW THAT WHEN BUSINESSES WANT TO 
LOCATE HERE WE KNOW WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES WOULD BE 
APPROPRIATE IN THOSE AREAS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ZONED READY 
TO GO BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR 
ECONOMIC SITUATION NOW, PART OF IT'S IMMEDIATE.
WE NEED -- WE NEED BUSINESSES TO RELOCATE HERE IMMEDIATELY, 
SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, AND 
THEN OF COURSE BEING ABLE TO LOOK IN THE FUTURE AND FIND 
OUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, SO I 
WOULD JUST LIKE AS PART OF YOUR STUDY, AGAIN, IDENTIFY SOME 
OF THE AREAS THAT ARE READY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NOW 
AND THEN LEAD THAT INTO THE -- INTO THE NEED IN THE I-4 
CORRIDOR.
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  CERTAINLY.
WE'LL WORK WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO 
IDENTIFY WHAT'S AVAILABLE NOW.
AND THEY HAVE INDICATED THERE IS LAND AVAILABLE NOW, IT'S 
NOT A WHOLE LOT, AND THAT'S THEIR CONCERN IS THAT, YOU 
KNOW, WE DON'T FALL BEHIND AND WE START PLANNING TO MAKE 
SURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE FUTURE THAT AVAILABLE 
SITES AND LAND IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  NO, I AGREE 100%.
AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO MAXIMIZE WHAT WE'VE GOT NOW AND THEN 
PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  CERTAINLY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. DINGFELDER.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THE ONE WORD THAT SEEMS TO BE NOTICEABLY ABSENT IN THIS 
DISCUSSION -- AND I DON'T WANT TO BUTT INTO THE COUNTY'S 
BUSINESS BECAUSE VIRTUALLY ALL OF THIS IS IN UNINCORPORATED 
COUNTY, BUT SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT TO US AND IT DOES IMPACT 
FUTURE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS -- BUT THE WORD -- THE PHRASE 
THAT I'M -- THAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING IS THE URBAN SERVICE 
AREA, AND YOU HIT IT ONCE OR TWICE, BUT -- AND I'M NOT 
BLAMING YOU, STEVE, I MEAN, I KNOW YOU WERE TASKED WITH 
THIS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A GOOD TEAM THAT'S WORKING 
ON THIS, BUT THE COUNTY HAS AN URBAN SERVICE AREA.
IT'S -- YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THIS PAGE HERE THAT SHOWS 
THE URBAN SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY BASICALLY THAT STOPS IT 
APPEARS, YOU KNOW, NEAR I-75, AND THEN IT JOGS TO THE SOUTH 
THERE OUT IN THE BRANDON-VALRICO AREA, AND THAT'S ALL FINE 
AND GOOD, BUT THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE I-4 CORRIDOR IN 
BETWEEN 75 AND PLANT CITY, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE PIERCING 
THE URBAN SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY, AND I THOUGHT -- I MEAN, 
IT JUST WOULD APPEAR TO ME THAT THAT WOULD DEFEAT THE WHOLE 
PURPOSE OF THE URBAN SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY UNLESS BASICALLY 
WE'RE GOING TO SAY, WELL, IT'S THE BOUNDARY, BUT THEN WE'RE 
GOING TO HAVE THIS SORT OF FUNNEL OR TEST TUBE IN BETWEEN 
PLANT CITY AND -- AND THE I-75/TEMPLE TERRACE AREA ALONG I-
4, BUT ONCE YOU DO THAT, THEN AS MARK SAYS, YOU KNOW, 50, 
100 YEARS FROM NOW, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO EXPAND 
IT HORIZONTALLY AND THEN PRETTY SOON YOU'RE GOING TO EXPAND 
IT VERTICALLY AS WELL NORTH-SOUTH, SO PRETTY SOON YOU DON'T 
HAVE AN URBAN SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY AT ALL BETWEEN PLANT 
CITY AND -- AND -- AND I-75, AND I -- IT JUST SEEMS TO ME 
LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT AS PLANNERS YOU NEED TO 
ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT AN URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY, WHY DID 
YOU PUT IT IN PLACE TO START WITH, OR ARE YOU NOT?
AND FRANKLY, THEN I'LL COME AT IT FROM THE URBAN 
PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK THE URBAN SERVICE AREA BOUNDARY IS IMPORTANT TO -- 
NOT ONLY TO CITY OF TAMPA AND ALSO TO THE URBANIZED AREA OF 
THE COUNTY BUT ALSO TO PLANT CITY.
PLANT CITY WANTS TO -- THEY WANT TO HAVE GROWTH UP IN THEIR 
NORTH -- UP IN THE NORTH AREA JUST ABOVE PLANT CITY, SO LET 
THEM DO THEIR GROWTH UP THERE, LET THE COUNTY DO ITS GROWTH 
ALONG THE I-75 CORRIDOR, 301, ET CETERA, UNIVERSITY AREA, 
AND LET'S ENCOURAGE GROWTH IN THE CITY OF TAMPA AND 
REDEVELOPMENT OF AREAS AS OPPOSED TO SPREADING OUT AND 
SPRAWLING INTO THESE -- INTO THESE RURAL AND URBAN -- 
EXCUSE ME -- RURAL AND FARM AREAS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO 
PROTECT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, STUDIES ARE GREAT, AND -- YOU KNOW, 
AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO WANT TO ATTRACT THE BIG THOUSAND-ACRE 
USER AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT I THINK THERE'S -- I THINK 
IN SOME WAYS -- I THINK THERE'S OTHER THINGS GOING ON HERE, 
I THINK THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT PLAY HERE, AND I DON'T 
THINK THE PEOPLE WHO PERHAPS REALLY WANT TO BE PUSHING 
THINGS ON McINTOSH ROAD AND THAT SORT OF THING ARE LOOKING 
TOWARDS THE SCRIPPS PROJECTS, I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING 
TOWARD PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, LITTLE 20-ACRE PROJECTS AND THAT 
SORT OF THING, BUT ONCE YOU PIERCE THAT URBAN SERVICE AREA 
BOUNDARY IN MY EXPERIENCE FROM WATCHING THIS FROM AFAR, IT 
APPEARS THAT IT'S GONE.
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  I UNDERSTAND.
AND AGAIN, THOSE WERE JUST CONCEPTS.
WE WANTED TO GET AN IDEA OF IF THERE IS GOING TO BE 
POTENTIAL FOR ANYTHING TO HAPPEN OUT THERE, WHAT WOULD IT 
COST THE COUNTY SO FAR AS INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS.
THAT -- THOSE STARS DIDN'T NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE ARE 
PARCELS THAT WE'RE PARTICULARLY TARGETING.
THEY'RE -- IN OUR DISCUSSIONS AND IN OUR STUDY GROUP, THERE 
HAD BEEN TALK ABOUT THAT AREA, SO WE WANTED TO GET AN 
UNDERSTANDING ABOUT COSTS, BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, 
AND I WILL TAKE THAT BACK TO THE GROUP.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELL PLACED, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE 
GROUP UNDERSTANDS THAT, AND WE'LL DIALOGUE THAT SOME MORE 
WITH OUR GROUP, BUT THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. WAINIO.
>>RICHARD WAINIO:  YES, SIR.
THANK YOU.
JUST A COUPLE QUICK COMMENTS.
FIRST, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER SHARPE THAT -- AND I THINK 
WE ALL KNOW IT -- THAT THE I-4 CORRIDOR'S BEEN DEVELOPING 
FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT'S CONTINUING TO DEVELOP AT A FAIRLY 
RAPID PACE RIGHT UP UNTIL RECENTLY AT LEAST, AND IT WILL 
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ONCE WE GET PAST THIS ECONOMIC 
DOWNTURN.
WE'VE GOT A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME PLANNING 
PERHAPS AS THINGS HAVE SLOWED DOWN A BIT, BUT VERY SOON IN 
OUR -- IN OUR PLANNING HORIZON WE SEE THE I-4 CORRIDOR 
AGGRESSIVELY MOVING FORWARD IN A DEVELOPMENT SENSE.
THERE IS NO SINGLE AREA MORE IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE GROWTH 
OF THE PORT OF TAMPA THAN THE I-4 CORRIDOR EXTENDING OUT 
FURTHER THAN WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IN FACT EXTENDING OUT 
INTO POLK COUNTY.
YOU COMMENTED QUITE A BIT ON LIGHT INDUSTRY, AND YOU USED 
OTHER WORDS, BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WORDS THAT WEREN'T 
USED, I ASSUME INCORPORATED INTO THAT LIGHT INDUSTRIAL 
ACTIVITY IS DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND WAREHOUSING ACTIVITIES 
BECAUSE THAT'S -- THAT'S -- AGAIN, THE FUTURE OF THE PORT 
IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND 
WAREHOUSING FACILITIES ALL UP AND DOWN THE I-4 CORRIDOR AND 
IN NEARBY AREAS AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO DEVELOP OUR CONTAINER 
PORT.
THE -- AND THAT'S LINKED ALL THE WAY OUT TO WINTER HAVEN, 
OF COURSE, TO DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THE CSX INTERMODAL PROJECT 
AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON OUT THERE.
GOOD PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL.
I AGREE.
WE CAN'T LET IT JUST SPRAWL, YOU HAVE TO LOOK, AS YOU 
MENTIONED, AT CLUSTERING AND INDUSTRIAL PARKS AND ALL OF 
THESE KINDS OF THINGS THAT BRING THESE LIKE ACTIVITIES 
TOGETHER IN A PROPER -- PROPER WAY.
THE ONE THING I'D MENTION, THOUGH, WHEN YOU -- AND I GUESS 
YOU WERE TALKING JUST ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN THAT 
I-4 CORRIDOR WHEN COMMISSIONER BECKNER ASKED ABOUT THE LAND 
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND YOU TALK ABOUT 500 TO 800 ACRES.
I GUESS YOU'RE TALKING JUST IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA 
OBVIOUSLY, NOT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, I HOPE, BECAUSE QUITE 
FRANKLY, A THOUSAND ACRES IS -- IS PEANUTS.
I MEAN, WE HEARD SOMETHING LIKE SCRIPPS NEEDS 300 ACRES.
ANY DEVELOPMENT -- WE KNOW ANY MAJOR RESIDENTIAL 
DEVELOPMENT CAN BE LIKE -- LIKE A FISHHAWK RANCH CAN BE 
5,000 ACRES, SO, I MEAN, 500 ACRES IS NOT MUCH AT ALL, A 
THOUSAND ACRES IS NOTHING.
THAT'S A HANDFUL OF BUSINESSES, THAT'S NOTHING MORE THAN 
THAT, OR IT'S ONE SMALL DEVELOPMENT FOR RESIDENTIAL 
COMMUNITY PURPOSES.
I HOPE WE'VE GOT MORE LAND AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
I KNOW THAT LAND IS A HUGE ISSUE FOR EVERYBODY.
FOR PORTS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING INCREASINGLY 
CONSTRAINED, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE AREA -- ONE LITTLE 
AREA WHERE WE WANT TO FILL AND CREATE ABOUT 20 ACRES, AND 
WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO DEP ABOUT THAT, AND -- AND THE 
QUESTION -- SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THEY'VE BEEN ASKING US 
CENTER ON JUST -- JUSTIFYING WHY YOU WANT TO DO IT, AND 
THEY ASK -- THEY LOOK AT OUR PORT AND SAY, WELL, YOU GOT 
ALL THIS LAND TO DEVELOP, WHY DO YOU NEED 20 MORE ACRES?
WE DON'T HAVE ANY LAND TO DEVELOP.
WE'VE GOT VERY LITTLE LAND.
IT'S ALREADY DEVELOPED.
IT'S ALREADY LEASED LONG-TERM.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LAND FOR THE FUTURE REQUIREMENTS OF 
THE PORT OF TAMPA, AND YET WHEN WE TALK ABOUT 20 ACRES, WE 
HAVE PEOPLE SAYING, WHAT DO YOU NEED 20 ACRES FOR?
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ACCOMMODATE THE KIND OF GROWTH 
YOU NEED TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR WAY OF LIFE, YOU 
NEED A HECK OF A LOT MORE THAN 20 ACRES AT THE PORT AND YOU 
NEED A HECK OF A LOT MORE THAN A THOUSAND ACRES AROUND THE 
COUNTY TO DEVELOP IF YOU INTEND TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES, SO -
- BUT WE HAVE TO PLAN PROPERLY, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT 
TO SEE SPRAWL, I WANT TO SEE IT DONE RIGHT, SO, YOU KNOW, 
TAKE ALL THESE THINGS INTO ACCOUNT AS YOU DO THIS -- THIS 
STUDY, AND PLEASE TALK TO THE PORT BECAUSE THE DISTRIBUTION 
CENTER DEVELOPMENT, THE WAREHOUSING ACTIVITIES IS SOMETHING 
WE'RE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN, AND MY TEAM'S OUT IN POLK COUNTY 
AND THAT AREA PRACTICALLY EVERY OTHER DAY TALKING TO PEOPLE 
ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW THEY WANT TO DO IT.
THANK YOU.
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  CERTAINLY WE'LL DO THAT.
I DIDN'T PARTICULARLY CALL OUT THOSE PARTICULAR USES.
I KIND OF LUMPED THAT IN WITH LIGHT INDUSTRIAL.
THAT WOULD BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE FOUND IN A LIGHT 
INDUSTRIAL CLUSTER WOULD BE YOUR WAREHOUSING, YOUR 
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION ACTIVITIES, BUT WILL CERTAINLY TAKE 
THOSE COMMENTS INTO CONSIDERATION AND WORKING WITH THE 
STAFF AT THE PORT AUTHORITY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
COMMISSIONER SHARPE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS OF MR. WAINIO AND 
ABSOLUTELY CONCUR.
THE -- THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE, YOU KNOW, ARE ENORMOUS 
IN THE STATE.
DISTRIBUTION OF GOODS, BEING ABLE TO GET GOODS TO MARKET AT 
AN AFFORDABLE PRICE, BEING ABLE TO CREATE -- EVERYONE TALKS 
ABOUT CREATING JOBS.
WELL, JOBS REQUIRE LAND.
I MEAN, LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF LAND IT TAKES -- I'VE BEEN 
GETTING AN EARFUL ABOUT WINDMILLS AND SOLAR PANELS, AND I'M 
A BIG FAN OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH 
SQUARE MILES.
IF WE USED EVERY INCH OF SQUARE -- OF TERRITORY HERE IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR WINDMILLS AND SOLAR PANELS, IT 
WOULDN'T EQUATE TO ONE COAL-FIRED PLANT.
SO IT TAKES A LOT -- IF YOU WANT TO BUILD THESE THINGS, 
IT'S WONDERFUL, BUT IT TAKES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LAND, 
AND SO WHAT I'M HOPING AND WHAT WE ASKED FOR WAS THAT -- 
NOT THAT WE START BUILDING AND BUSTING THE URBAN SERVICE 
BOUNDARY.
THAT'S NOT THE INTENT.
WE -- WE RESPECT THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY, BUT I DID WANT 
TO SEND A SIGNAL TO THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT OUR 
INTENT MIGHT BE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY OR OTHER 
PARTS OF THE COUNTY THAT IF WE ARE LOOKING AT EXPANDING AND 
PROVIDING JOB OPPORTUNITIES, IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE AT 
ANY POINT IN THE FUTURE -- AND AT SOME POINT THERE WILL BE 
THE NEED TO GO OUTSIDE THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY -- I 
MEAN, AGAIN, IT MIGHT NOT BE IN OUR LIFETIMES -- THAT IT 
WOULD BE ALONG THIS I-4 CORRIDOR, THAT IT WOULDN'T BE IN 
OTHER AREAS, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE TALK ABOUT THE NEED TO 
FIND LANDS FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF BUSINESSES.
THERE'S A CONCERN, WELL, MY GOSH, IF YOU DO THIS HERE, THEN 
YOU'RE GOING TO BREACH THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY TO THE 
SOUTH, AND THAT'S NOT THE INTENT.
WE WANT TO PLAN FOR IT AND HAVE THE DISCUSSION NOW SO THAT 
AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE'RE READY WE COULD -- WE 
COULD THEN BE ABLE TO POINT TO LAND OTHER THAN WHAT IS 
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE INSIDE.
TO COMMISSIONER BECKNER'S POINT REGARDING INVENTORY, WHEN I 
GOT HERE IN 2004 -- IN FACT, I'VE GOT AERIALS, PHOTOGRAPHY 
IN MY OFFICE, OF THE USF AREA -- I ASKED -- THE FIRST 
QUESTION I ASKED IS WHAT'S AVAILABLE, EVERY SQUARE INCH OF 
LAND AVAILABLE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES 
WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING 
TO COMPANIES THAT WERE LOOKING AT LOCATING HERE IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT HAD BEEN TOLD IN THE PAST THERE 
REALLY WASN'T THAT MUCH LAND AVAILABLE, AND SO OUR -- GENE 
GRAY, BRUCE REGISTER HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON 
CREATING AN INVENTORY OF EVERY SQUARE INCH OF LAND 
AVAILABLE WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY SO THAT WHEN 
COMPANIES COME HERE WE'VE GOT OPTIONS THAT WE CAN SHOW 
THEM, BUT THEY ARE LOOKING AT DISTRIBUTION ROUTES AS WELL, 
THEY'RE LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AND LINKAGE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO JUST GO SOMEWHERE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF 
NOWHERE EITHER, SO WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THEM ALONG CORRIDORS, 
AND THAT KEY CORRIDOR WOULD BE, I BELIEVE, THE I-4 
CORRIDOR.
BUT JUST TO -- TO ASSUAGE THE CONCERNS OF THE CITY COUNCIL 
MEMBERS, WE ARE PUSHING DILIGENTLY FOR THE USF AREA, BUT 
REDEVELOPMENT IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.
WE'RE ENCOURAGING IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE -- WE TAKE IT 
SERIOUSLY THE CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE BROACHED, AND THAT'S WHY 
WE THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT, BUT THIS I-4 CORRIDOR, THE 
OPPORTUNITY IS TO BEGIN LOOKING AT AS WE GROW HOW WE MIGHT 
GROW, AND AS THE PORT GROWS, ABSOLUTELY -- I MEAN, WE'VE 
GOT TO CREATE JOBS, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE PORT GIVES US A 
TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY.
LET'S LOOK AT THE I-4 CORRIDOR AGAIN, HOW MIGHT IT BE USED.
JACKSONVILLE, AS I UNDERSTAND, HAD A PROBLEM.
THEY EXPANDED THE PORT.
EVERYBODY WAS THRILLED, YOU KNOW.
MORE JOBS.
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DIDN'T DO, THEY DIDN'T EXPAND THE ROADS, 
THE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, AND EVERYTHING JAMMED UP.
I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT THE PLANNING THERE?
IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WAS FAIRYTALE THINKING.
WE'RE GOING TO CREATE MORE JOBS, BUT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE 
YOU HAD TO HAVE ROADS, DISTRIBUTION CENTERS, YOU'VE GOT TO 
LINK IT ALL.
SO IN ORDER FOR US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR PORT, WE MUST 
DO THIS, SO THIS IS PLANNING, THIS IS NOT TALKING ABOUT 
BREACHING IT TOMORROW OR NEXT WEEK OR NEXT YEAR OR FIVE 
YEARS FROM NOW EVEN, BUT IT IS PREPARING.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANYONE ELSE?
MARY.
>>MARY MULHERN:  YEAH, I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF, AND I 
APOLOGIZE FOR THE CITY TELLING THE COUNTY WHAT WE WANT THEM 
TO DO AS FAR AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT I THINK THAT 
YOU -- YOU KNOW, YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF -- OF DOING THIS 
STUDY FOR WHAT THE PARAMETERS WERE THAT WERE GIVEN TO YOU 
BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BUT -- AND I DO THINK 
LINDA'S RIGHT IN THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED SO ENORMOUSLY IN 
THE LAST YEAR THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, 
WE NEED TO REALLY READJUST THE -- THE WAY THAT WE -- THAT 
WE LOOK AT IT AND HOW DO WE CREATE JOBS AND HOW ARE WE 
LIKELY TO GROW, AND WHEN I HEAR A THOUSAND ACRES -- AND I 
CAN SAY THIS BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO PLANT FARMS IN THE CITY, 
BUT WHEN I HEAR A THOUSAND ACRES, I THINK FARM AND I THINK 
THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES AND WHAT OUR HOMELAND 
SECURITY IS TELLING US NOW IS OUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE OR THE 
BIGGEST DANGER TO US IS FOOD SECURITY, SO I THINK 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NEEDS TO REALLY LOOK BACK AT WHETHER WE 
WANT TO KEEP DEVELOPING OR TRYING TO GROW AS A -- YOU KNOW, 
IN THE MANNER OF SPRAWL AND ALSO IN THE MANNER OF URBAN AND 
SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT AS OPPOSED TO REALLY LOOKING AT THE 
HERITAGE HERE, ESPECIALLY ALONG I-4, OF IT BEING AN 
AGRICULTURAL AREA, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THIS MAY SOUND 
CRAZY TO YOU, BUT THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY -- IF YOU -- YOU 
START TO READ WHAT THE ECONOMIC PREDICTIONS ARE FOR US, 
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO START DOING IS GROWING OUR OWN FOOD 
LOCALLY AGAIN, AND -- BECAUSE OF THE ENERGY COSTS, BECAUSE 
OF PEAK OIL, BECAUSE OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE, AND, YOU KNOW, 
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF WHERE OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS 
GOING, WHICH IS GREEN JOBS, ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, AND LOCAL 
BUSINESSES, AND THEN THIS -- THIS IS MY -- YOU KNOW, WHAT I 
TALK ABOUT -- HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ON CITY COUNCIL SINCE 
I STARTED, AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT URBAN, IT'S ABOUT 
EVERYWHERE, THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES 
BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE JOBS COME FROM.
YOU CAN BRING IN THESE BIG CORPORATIONS, GLOBAL 
CORPORATIONS, AND HOPE THAT THEY'LL BRING IN A LOT OF JOBS, 
BUT THE REALITY IS MOST OF OUR JOBS ARE PROVIDED BY SMALL 
LOCAL BUSINESSES.
SO -- THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SUGGEST TOO IS BECAUSE OF 
THE, YOU KNOW, HUGE INVENTORY WE HAVE OF HOUSING, ALL OF 
THOSE AREAS THAT WERE REZONED AND LAND USE CHANGES MADE SO 
THAT WE COULD PUT IN HOUSING, MAYBE THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD 
LOOK AT HAVING THE KIND OF BIG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT 
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF -- I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO 
HAVE GHOST TOWNS.
WE HAVE GHOST TOWNS OF NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE ALSO HAVE 
SOMETHING THAT IS BECOMING HUGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE 
EMPTY STRIP MALLS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MALLS THAT ARE SITTING THERE, SO IF 
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIGHT INDUSTRY OR RESEARCH OR 
WHATEVER, THAT'S ADAPTIVE REUSE THAT WE CAN DO, AND I THINK 
IT SUPPORTS WHAT MY COLLEAGUES WERE SAYING ABOUT 
DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA FOR -- FOR JOBS.
SO -- AND I THINK THE OTHER THING IS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT -- 
WE HAVE TO CREATE -- TO GET PEOPLE EMPLOYED, WHICH I THINK 
IS WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC STIMULUS IS RIGHT 
NOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT JOBS AND AS FAST AS WE CAN CREATE THEM.
THE ENERGY GRID THAT THE PRESIDENT IS TALKING ABOUT, GREEN 
JOBS, GREEN-COLLAR ECONOMY, SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF 
THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT IN ADDITION TO THE 
RESEARCH AND WHAT -- WHAT, YOU KNOW, PROMPTED THIS STUDY 
THAT YOU'RE DOING, I THINK WE KIND OF NEED TO MAYBE START 
ANOTHER STUDY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
COMMISSIONER SHARPE, AND THEN WE'LL -- WE'LL MOVE ON.
>>MARK SHARPE:  THE GOAL IS TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE JOBS AND 
TO CREATE A LONG-TERM FUTURE FOR OUR ECONOMY, AND, YOU 
KNOW, IF WE WANT THE YOUNG KIDS GRADUATING FROM USF MEDICAL 
TO STAY HERE, WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH 
OPPORTUNITIES TO -- YOU KNOW, TO EARN $60-, $70-, $80-, 90-
, $100,000.
MEDIAN INCOME JOBS RIGHT NOW HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, 
ABOUT 35,000.
FARMING IS WONDERFUL, BUT IT'S A HARD FUTURE FOR, YOU KNOW, 
COLLEGE GRADS WITH HEAVY LOANS, AND WE DO HAVE A GREAT AG 
PROGRAM WHERE WE ARE WORKING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO 
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WHO OWN AG PROPERTY TO KEEP IT IN FARMING.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS TAKEN STRONG STEPS TOWARDS THAT.
YOU KNOW -- BUT THE -- THE PURPOSE AGAIN FOR THIS I-4 
CORRIDOR STUDY WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE 
PREPARED NOT JUST FOR THIS -- YOU KNOW, THE NEXT FIVE, TEN 
YEARS BUT OUT 20, 30, 40, 100 YEARS, WHERE ARE WE GOING, 
AND PORT-RELATED INDUSTRY, THE HIGH-TECH LIFE SCIENCES 
INDUSTRY, THAT IS THE FUTURE, IT'S NOT CHANGING.
WE'RE LIVING LONGER.
THE ONLY INDUSTRY IN AMERICA WHICH HAS CREATED JOBS DURING 
THIS ECONOMIC DOWNTURN HAS BEEN THE HEALTH INDUSTRY.
LOOK AT PITTSBURGH, THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH'S MEDICAL 
CENTER.
THEY HAVE GROWN.
THEY HAVE EXPLODED IN GROWTH.
$5-BILLION INDUSTRY, 40,000 JOBS FOCUSING ON UNIVERSITIES, 
LIFE SCIENCE, HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY.
WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING AT USF.
THIS IS REALLY TO SUPPORT USF, BUT THEY NEED AND WE ALL 
NEED INVENTORIED LAND THAT CAN BE USED TO BUILD THESE LABS, 
THESE CLEAN -- THESE FACILITIES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO 
SUPPORT THE TYPE OF WORK THEY DO, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT MY 
INTENT WAS AND I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHEN 
WE TALKED ABOUT DOING THIS I-4 CORRIDOR STUDY.
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  CERTAINLY REDEVELOPMENT IS PART OF OUR 
STRATEGY.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR CITY OF TAMPA PARTNERS, 
PARTICULARLY LOOKING AT EAST TAMPA AND SOME OF THE 
REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THERE, SO REDEVELOPMENT IS 
GOING TO BE A STRATEGY AS PART OF OUR CORRIDOR.
DON'T THINK THAT IT'S NOT.
IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED AS MUCH, BUT WE ARE MAKING 
THAT A POINT TO LOOK AT REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF TAMPA AND SOME OF THE 
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN EAST -- EAST TAMPA IN 
THAT AREA FOR REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THAT IS --
>>MARK SHARPE:  AND I WILL TELL YOU AS WELL, GREEN JOBS -- 
I MEAN, I WAS REAL EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE ABILITY TO TRY 
TO PRODUCE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, AND THEY DISCUSSED ABOUT 
EVEN ONE OPPORTUNITY AT THE PORT, BUT -- AND THEN THERE WAS 
A LOT OF OPPOSITION THAT CAME UP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE 
REALITY OF GREEN JOBS, WHETHER IT'S WINDMILLS KILLING BIRDS 
OR ETHANOL FACILITIES AND THE USE OF WATER OR, YOU KNOW -- 
I MEAN, IT'S CHALLENGING WHEN YOU START, YOU KNOW, LOOKING 
AT HOW YOU ACTUALLY DO THESE THINGS.
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR YOUR 
COMMENTS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  WE HAVE ONE MORE.
>>MARK SHARPE:  VERY GOOD COMMENTS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  MR. MILLER.
>>LOUIS MILLER:  JUST A BRIEF COMMENT, AND IT HASN'T COME 
UP, BUT WE HAVE INVESTED $38 MILLION AT TAMPA EXECUTIVE 
AIRPORT OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.
A LOT OF THAT INVESTMENT WAS RELATED TO THE ULTIMATE 
DEVELOPMENT OF INTERSTATE 4, AND IT'S SET UP FOR JET 
AIRCRAFT TO COME IN AND THE WHOLE THING.
IT'S READY FOR THAT, SO WE'RE WAITING FOR INTERSTATE 4 TO 
DEVELOP, AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE INCLUDING THIS 
IN YOUR PLAN BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO US AS WELL THAT THAT 
MOVE OUT THAT WAY BECAUSE WE NEED TO TAKE PRESSURE OFF 
TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITH SMALL JETS FLYING.
THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT, BUT IF THE DEVELOPMENT 
COMES OUT THERE, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO FLY THEIR 
AIRPLANES, SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US.
I APPRECIATE WHAT MARK SHARPE IS DOING.
>>MARK SHARPE:  THANK YOU, SIR.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MR. MILLER.
WELL, MR. GRIFFIN, I THINK YOU GOT ENOUGH INPUT --
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  YES, I DID.
>>JOE AFFRONTI: -- TO GIVE YOU ENOUGH GUIDANCE AS YOU WORK 
TO PLEAT THIS STUDY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>STEVE GRIFFIN:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  HART NEW STATUS REPORT, MR. ARMIJO.
>>DAVID ARMIJO:  GOOD MORNING.
WELL, AFTER THAT PRESENTATION, MY REPORT OUGHT TO BE 
SIMPLE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING ME OPPORTUNITY TO COME 
BEFORE YOU TODAY.
I HOPE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE 
WE'RE GOING WITH THE NEW STARTS PROJECT.
>> PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
>>DAVID ARMIJO:  OH, DAVID ARMIJO.
I'M THE CEO FOR HART, HILLSBOROUGH AREA REGIONAL 
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
LONG TITLE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WHAT I WANT TO DO THIS MORNING IS TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 
WHERE WE ARE WITH THE PROJECT, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN 
OVERVIEW, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS THE WORK EFFORT 
THAT HART IS DOING, WE'RE -- WHO'S INVOLVED WITH THAT 
PROCESS, I'LL GO THROUGH THAT, GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A 
CURRENT STATUS AS TO WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, HOW FAR 
ALONG WE ARE, HOW LONG THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO TAKE, AND 
THEN I WANT TO FOCUS IN ON SOME OF THE KEY PROJECT ISSUES.
WE'VE BEEN ON THIS FOR A FEW MONTHS, AND SO WE HAVE LEARNED 
A LITTLE BIT ALONG THE WAY WHAT ARE THOSE ISSUES AND HOW 
WILL WE ADDRESS THOSE IN THIS PROCESS.
FIRST I WANT TO GO INTO SOME OF THE TECHNICAL ELEMENTS OF 
THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS.
I THOUGH THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION REGIONALLY AND 
LOCALLY ABOUT THE TAMPA RAIL PROJECT.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE TAKING THE EXTENSIVE 
WORK, ABOUT $15 MILLION OF ANALYSIS THAT WENT ON -- AND THE 
TAMPA RAIL PROJECT ITSELF DATES BACK TO 1996, SO THIS HAS 
BEEN A PROCESS THAT'S BEEN ONGOING.
WE MADE A LOT OF -- A LOT OF EFFORT THROUGH 2002, AND IT'S 
REALLY CRITICAL THAT I MAKE THIS POINT BECAUSE IN 2002 WE 
HAD A RECORD OF DECISION.
WE ACTUALLY HAD THE PROCESS AND THE PROJECT READY TO GO 
FORWARD TO BE FUNDED AT A TIME WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT 
REAUTHORIZATION.
REASON THAT TIMELINE WAS VERY IMPORTANT IS IN 2002 THERE 
REALLY WEREN'T THAT MANY LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS IN THE UNITED 
STATES.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT, MANY PROJECTS 
WERE COMING ON-LINE, AND WE WERE ALL LOOKING AT THAT VERY 
POSITIVELY.
IN 2003 WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SUSTAIN A FUNDING SOURCE, WHICH 
IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE PROJECT, TO GO FORWARD.
CONSEQUENTLY, IN 2005 WE WITHDREW THE PROJECT.
2006/2007 THE HART BOARD BEGAN THE PROCESS TO BRING THIS 
PROJECT FORWARD, AND WE BEGAN IN EARNEST TO BRING TOGETHER 
A TEAM IN 2008, AND AS I STAND BEFORE YOU IN 2009, I WANT 
TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO 
TRY TO BRING THIS PROJECT THROUGH TO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH 
WILL BE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, WHICH WILL BEGIN IN 2010, 
SO FIRST LET ME FOCUS IN ON WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, WHAT NEEDS 
TO BE DONE TO GET US TO THAT NEXT STEP.
WELL, WHAT WE'LL NEED TO DO IS GO BEYOND WHERE THE TAMPA 
RAIL PROJECT WAS.
NOW, TAMPA RAIL PROJECT DID A LOT OF GOOD WORK.
IT IDENTIFIED THREE SEPARATE CORRIDORS, AND I'LL GO THROUGH 
THOSE VERY BRIEFLY, BUT WHAT WE MUST DO TODAY IN ORDER TO 
BUILD UPON THAT $15 MILLION IN INVESTMENT AND WELL MORE 
THAN A DECADE AND A HALF OF TIME IS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH 
OF THOSE ALIGNMENTS, MAKE A DECISION ON SELECTING A 
PARTICULAR ALIGNMENT.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
BECAUSE WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN 2002 WITH THE RECORD DECISION 
FROM THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, WE HAD A 20-PLUS-
MILE PROJECT.
THAT PROJECT IS NOT -- IN TODAY'S TERMS THE FTA DOES NOT 
SUPPORT LONG PROJECTS.
EVEN PHOENIX, WHICH RECENTLY PULLED TOGETHER A PROJECT MORE 
THAN 20 MILES WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST PROJECT TO BE 
FUNDED IN THAT ALIGNMENT.
THEY TYPICALLY LOOK AT STARTER LINES, LOOK AT ALIGNMENTS 
THAT ARE PROBABLY ABOUT TEN-PLUS MILES, SO WE'RE GOING TO 
HAVE TO SHORTEN THE ALIGNMENT AND DECIDE WHERE WE'RE GOING 
TO GO.
TO DO THAT WE HAVE TO UPDATE AND EVALUATE THE VARIOUS 
ALTERNATIVES THAT WE LEFT ON THE TABLE BACK IN 2002.
WE NEED TO SELECT A LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
IN OTHER WORDS, ARE WE GOING TO PRODUCE A LIGHT RAIL 
PROJECT, ARE WE GOING TO PRODUCE A BRT PROJECT, WHAT IS THE 
PROJECT GOING TO BE?
THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DETERMINED BASED ON THE ANALYSIS.
WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT DEVELOPING A FUNDING PLAN.
THIS IS WHERE WE LEFT OFF BACK IN 2003.
WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF FUNDING, HOW MUCH 
FUNDING, AND IN FACT, MOST IMPORTANTLY THE TIMING FOR THAT 
FUNDING.
WE'LL REEVALUATE THE VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE IN THESE -- ALONG THESE 
CORRIDORS SINCE 2002.
WE'LL HAVE TO REEVALUATE THAT, WE'LL LOOK AT A SUBMITTAL 
FOR AN AA BEFORE THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, AND WE'LL 
BE LOOKING AT THAT BASED ON PROJECT EVALUATION AND RATING, 
SO WHAT WE'LL REALLY BE LOOKING AT AS WE IDENTIFY A STARTER 
LINE IS WHAT IS THE MOST VIABLE PROJECT AND WHERE IN THE 
ALIGNMENT CAN WE GO FORWARD.
WE MUST DO THAT BEFORE WE CAN PROCEED WITH FTA APPROVAL FOR 
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
IF IN FACT, WE WISH TO HAVE FEDERAL PARTICIPATION AND 
FUNDING, WE WILL SUBMIT AN APPLICATION NEXT YEAR FOR GRANT 
APPLICATION TO GET THAT FUNDING, BUT TO DO THAT, WE MUST BE 
ABLE TO GET THROUGH THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS IN THIS 
CALENDAR YEAR.
THIS IS WHERE WE LEFT OFF.
I WANT TO LEAVE A COUPLE KEY POINTS TO THIS.
WE ARE NOT RESTRICTED TO THIS -- THESE ALIGNMENTS THAT YOU 
SEE HERE; HOWEVER, WE ARE RESTRICTED.
IF WE WANT TO AVOID ANOTHER NEPA OR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 
PROCESS AND WE WANT TO DO A MUCH LARGER PROCESS THAN WE 
WOULD, THEN WE WOULD NEED TO START OVER ON SOME OF THOSE 
SEGMENTS.
SPECIFICALLY ONE OF THE ONES THAT COMES UP A LOT IS THE 
AIRPORT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS ALIGNMENT, AND THIS IS WHERE WE LEFT 
OFF IN 2002, YOU CAN SEE WE DON'T GO TO THE AIRPORT, WE 
DON'T GO THROUGH THE AIRPORT, SO ANYTHING THAT GOES WEST OF 
THE DOWNTOWN IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ALIGNMENT WILL, IN 
FACT, BE REQUIRED TO DO A COMPLETE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 
STATEMENT, AND SO THE ENTIRE ALIGNMENT, THAT ENTIRE 
CORRIDOR WILL HAVE TO BE RELOOKED AT AS WE GO FORWARD.
NOW, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY TO OUR BENEFIT.
WE BELIEVE THAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED, THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF 
GROWTH, CERTAINLY IN THE WESTSHORE AREA, WHAT'S GOING ON 
WITH THE AIRPORT IS ALL TO OUR ADVANTAGES.
I THINK THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE BY THE AIRPORT 
AUTHORITY IS GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL FOR THIS, SO I DON'T 
THINK THAT'S NECESSARILY A NEGATIVE, IT JUST MEANS THAT 
THAT'S GOING TO BE A SEPARATE PART OF THE PROCESS, BUT 
WE'LL GET TO THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE AA THIS YEAR.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION BEFORE YOU 
JUMP FROM THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN?
>>DAVID ARMIJO:  SURE.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO THAT SLIDE.
DAVID, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM IN TERMS OF 
THE PRIOR NEPA ANALYSIS AND ALL THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S 
ALL FINE AND GOOD.
MY CONCERN IS GOING FROM DOWNTOWN TO THE WESTSHORE/AIRPORT 
AREA, RIGHT NOW AS WE LOOK AT THAT MAP, IT SHOWS A SPECIFIC 
ROUTE AND IT KIND OF GOES UP AND THEN IT GOES ACROSS MAIN 
STREET AND THEN IT DROPS DOWN AND IT GOES ALONG CYPRESS AND 
ET CETERA, AND YET WE'VE HEARD DISCUSSION IN THE COMMUNITY 
THAT PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT JUST GO ALONG THE I-275 -- 
WITHIN 275 OR SOMEWHERE ELSE THROUGH THERE.
SO WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER THAT WHEN WE ULTIMATELY SUBMIT 
THESE MAPS THAT WE HAVE A -- SORT OF A SWATH OR A WIDER 
CORRIDOR RUNNING EAST-WEST FROM DOWNTOWN, MAYBE A MILE WIDE 
NORTH-SOUTH-WIDE AS WE GO THROUGH THERE AS OPPOSED TO 
TRYING TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, THIS SPECIFIC LINE AND THESE 
SPECIFIC STOPS?
>>DAVID ARMIJO:  COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER, IT'S A VERY GOOD 
QUESTION, A VERY GOOD POINT.
IN FACT, WE ARE NOT RESTRICTED TO STAY WITHIN THIS LINE.
WHAT I DO TRY TO SAY IS IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE -- WHEN YOU 
HAVE THE SMALL BOX OF CRAYOLAS AND YOU ONLY HAVE A FEW 
COLORS, WE'RE REQUIRED TO STAY WITHIN THE LINES, AND SO 
WHERE WE LEFT OFF IN 2002, AS WE SAID, THIS IS WHERE WE 
WANTED TO GO.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THERE.
THIS IS REALLY ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATIONS.
HOWEVER, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
I BELIEVE WHAT WE NOW KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S OCCURRED IN THE 
WESTSHORE AREA AND CERTAINLY ALONG THAT ALIGNMENT, ALL 
THOSE OPTIONS SHOULD BE OPEN, AND I THINK WE CAN CERTAINLY 
COME UP WITH A BETTER WAY TO HAVE A SWATH OF A COLOR THAT 
SHOWS THAT THE STUDY AREA GOES BEYOND THAT LINE, AND SO I 
THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY DO 
THAT.
I HAVE MY WONDERFUL GIS STAFF.
THEY CAN BE CREATIVE, AND WE CAN DO THAT, SO THANK YOU VERY 
MUCH.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD INPUT.
>>JOHN DINGFELDER:  OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU.
>>DAVID ARMIJO:  MOVING RIGHT ALONG, SO THE KEY PART, THE 
TECHNICAL WORK, WHICH IS NOT WHAT I'LL BE DOING -- I HAVE A 
TEAM WHICH I'LL GO THROUGH HERE IN A MOMENT OF 
STATISTICIANS AND FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THESE PROJECTS 
FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT IN TO HELP US.
SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS THAT ACTION THAT'S UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW?
WE'RE COMPILING INFORMATION FROM OTHER SOURCES, WHICH 
INCLUDES THE BASE MAP OF THE TAMPA RAIL PLAN FROM 2002, THE 
WORK THAT TBARTA'S BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, 
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE WORK THAT THE MPO WILL BE DOING 
AS THEY LOOK AT UPDATING THEIR LONG-RANGE PLAN, SO WE'RE 
TRYING TO INTEGRATE THAT TOGETHER, AND I'LL SHOW YOU A MAP 
IN JUST A MOMENT THAT KIND OF SHOWS THAT.
WE'LL WORK TOGETHER TO -- TO DO THE TAMPA -- OR IN THIS 
CASE THE DEMAND MODEL REQUIREMENTS, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO 
TRY TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, AND I'LL GET INTO THAT AS 
TO WHO THOSE TEAM PLAYERS ARE.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE PROJECT 
PURPOSE AND NEED, WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO 
HERE BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT A SUBSTANTIAL LOCAL 
INVESTMENT OF DOLLARS, BOTH FROM THE LOCAL SIDE OF THIS 
PLUS ANY PARTNERSHIP WE MIGHT GET WITH THE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE, SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY 
THAT.
AND AGAIN, AS I SAID EARLIER, RECOMMENDING A STARTER LINE, 
WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GO, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT ALL OUR 
RESOURCES TO BEGIN, AND THEN DEVELOPING, QUITE FRANKLY, AN 
ACTION PLAN, WHAT'S NEXT, WHERE DO WE GO.
OUR TARGET DATE IS COMPLETION AT THE END OF APRIL, 
ACTUALLY, TO HAVE THAT ALIGNMENT FOR THE FIRST STARTER 
LINE.
AND THAT, IN FACT, WILL LAYER IT OUT.
NOW, TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INDICATION OF THE PARTNERSHIP 
THAT WE'RE WORKING RIGHT NOW, I'M SHOWING THIS MAP.
THE MAP YOU SEE BEFORE YOU RIGHT NOW IS THE MAP THAT TBARTA 
HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR THEIR ANALYSIS OF THE 2030-2050.
IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON 
WITH THE MPO, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MAP DOES HAVE SIMILAR 
ELEMENTS TO IT.
WE'VE BROKEN THE MAP INTO WHAT'S PART OF 2002 AND WHAT ARE 
POTENTIAL FUTURE EXTENSIONS IN THIS MAP, SO WHAT WE WOULD 
THEN END UP DOING IS PERHAPS AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS 
HAVE A HYBRID WHERE WE START WITH ABOUT 20 MILES, WE MAY 
END UP WITH A MAP SIMILAR TO THIS, WHICH IS ABOUT 33 MILES, 
AND SO THAT THEN WOULD PROBABLY MORPH OFF INTO A STARTER 
LINE PLUS ADDITIONAL MINIMUM OPERATING SEGMENTS THAT COULD 
BE DONE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
AGENCY COORDINATION, AS I SAID A MOMENT AGO, THERE'S A 
NUMBER OF EFFORTS COMING TOGETHER, POOLING THE VARIOUS 
LOCAL AND REGIONAL PLANS THAT EACH OF US HAS BEEN DOING.
THE MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES THE COUNTY; THE CITY; THE MPO 
STAFF; FDOT STAFF, ESPECIALLY THEIR MODELING PEOPLE; 
TBARTA; THE AVIATION AUTHORITY, SOME OF THE WORK THEY'VE 
ALREADY DONE; AND MOST IMPORTANTLY I THINK USF.
WE'VE HAD VERY POSITIVE MEETINGS WITH THEM AS WE LOOK AT 
THE NORTHERN CORRIDOR.
WE'RE MEETING ON A MONTHLY BASIS AS A GENERAL COORDINATION, 
BUT WE ALSO HAVE A TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP, AND NIECE ARE 
REALLY THE KEY PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS THAT WILL PRODUCE THE 
NUMBERS.
THEY'RE MEETING ON A REGULAR BASIS, SOMETIMES DAILY AND 
WEEKLY AS WE'RE PULLING THIS STUFF TOGETHER.
A COUPLE BIGGER MEETINGS HAVE BEEN HELD WITH THE TEAM 
LOOKING AT THE DEMAND MODELS.
NOW, I PUT THIS MAP TOGETHER, AND THIS IS A PROCESS HERE, 
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS GIVE YOU SOME IDEA AS TO THE 
MAGNITUDE OF WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT.
AS I LOOK AT THE NEW STARTS ORGANIZATION, I LOOK AT THE 
PROJECT TEAM AS I'VE STARTED TO OUTLINE TO THIS POINT.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF BUBBLES HERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE BUBBLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WHICH IS A 
PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH INCLUDES HART, THE 
COUNTY, THE VARIOUS CITIES ARE INVOLVED, MPO, AND SO ON.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP YOU CAN SEE ON 
THERE, AND UP ON THE TOP IS A GROUP THAT'S JUST STARTING 
OUT, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY OUTREACH GROUP.
WE DO INTEND TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
IN FACT, I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MPO STAFF.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING MUCH THE SAME EFFORT, AND WE'RE 
TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
IT SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE TO POOL OUR EFFORTS TOGETHER IN THE 
SAME COMMUNITY MEETINGS, SO WE'LL PROBABLY WORK THAT OUT IN 
THE NEAR-TERM.
I THINK THERE'S A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO BOTH 
AGENCIES.
WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF CONSULTANT TEAMS THAT HAVE ALREADY 
BEEN PULLED TOGETHER.
MY FIRST CONSULTANT TEAM WITH PB AMERICAS HAS GIVEN US AN 
OVERVIEW OF STRATEGIC PLAN.
ON THAT TEAM INCLUDES PEOPLE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY DONE THIS 
ANALYSIS AND THIS WORK FOR MANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE 
HEARD ABOUT, THE DENVER PROJECT, DALLAS, AND SO ON.
THE SECOND CONSULTANT TEAM IS GANNETT FLEMING, AECOM, AND 
TINDALE-OLIVER ARE IN FACT THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO BE 
DOING THE CORE MISSION, WHICH IS A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.
THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY AND HAVE BEEN 
INVOLVED ON THE TBARTA TEAM AS WELL, AECOM HAS, AND SO 
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP US AS WE WORK WITH THE 
FDOT MODEL, WHICH IS THE REGIONAL MODEL THAT WE MUST USE IN 
THE SUBMISSION TO THE FTA.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] TO GIVE YOU A 
AN IDEA OF THE PROJECT WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO GET US 
TO WHERE WE HAVE TO BE BY DECEMBER.
ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CHART YOU SEE THE HART BOARD ACTIONS 
AS WELL AS THE MPO BOARD ACTIONS, SO YOU'LL BE SEEING MORE 
OF MY STAFF AND OF THE TEAM OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 
SEVERAL MONTHS AS WE BRING THE PROCESS THROUGH.
PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PROCESS THAT WE COME TOGETHER, 
YOU'LL NOTICE, APRIL 6th AND APRIL 14th IS A TRANSPORTATION 
NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AND IN OUR CASE A LONG-RANGE TRANSIT 
NEEDS PROGRAM, SO WE'RE PRETTY MUCH PARALLELING TOGETHER, 
WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY.
AS YOU CAN SEE THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE 
MPO IS MOVING AT THE SAME PACE ALONG THE WAY AS WE ARE WITH 
THE NEW STARTS PROJECT.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY PROJECT ISSUES?
WELL, THIS IS ALL GOING TO COME DOWN TO MONEY AND GETTING A 
PROJECT APPROVED, SO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US 
WILL BE LOOKING AT THE TRAVEL PATTERNS AND NEED AND 
DETERMINING WHERE THAT START ALIGNMENT SHOULD BE, WHERE 
SHOULD THE -- WHERE SHOULD THE FINAL ALIGNMENT BE AS FAR AS 
THE MAPPING, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT TRAVEL MARKETS, 
UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT CONDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN -- ARE 
CURRENT TODAY THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE IN 2002, SO 
LOOKING AT WHAT THOSE IMPACTS AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE, AND 
JUST AS YOU WERE DISCUSSING MOMENTS AGO WITH THE I-4, I 
THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS WE LOOK AT THIS POTENTIAL 
CORRIDOR IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT REDEVELOPMENT 
OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT IN 
CURRENT DOLLARS WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $70 MILLION A MILE.
IF WE WERE TO TAKE THE STARTER LINE, LET'S SAY IT'S USF TO 
DOWNTOWN, IT'S 13 MILES, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A SUBSTANTIAL 
AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THERE AND A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF 
OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTMENT, SO THAT HAS TO BE LOOKED AT.
AND PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT IS THE FUTURE TRANSIT 
NETWORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD WITHIN THIS REGION AND 
HOW WOULD WE INTEGRATE THE STARTER LINE OF RAIL TRANSIT AND 
THEN POTENTIAL MINIMUM OPERATING SEGMENTS THAT WOULD FOLLOW 
TO BE INTO THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN FINALLY, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, OF COURSE, IS THIS 
PROJECT IS -- HAS TO BE VIABLE, IT HAS TO BE COMPETITIVE, 
NOT JUST AMONG THE LOCAL ELEMENT WHICH ALIGNMENT WE GO WITH 
FIRST, BUT WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE NATIONWIDE.
THE EXAMPLE THAT IS IN THE LAST REAUTHORIZATION -- THERE 
WERE 30 PROJECTS THAT MADE IT THROUGH THE ALTERNATIVE 
ANALYSIS PROCESS INTO PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, WHICH IS 
QUITE EXPENSIVE.
OF THOSE 30 PROJECTS, ONLY SIX PROJECTS WERE FUNDED IN THE 
REAUTHORIZATION.
SINCE THAT TIME THERE'S ALMOST 50 PROJECTS NATIONWIDE THAT 
ARE MOVING INTO SOME FORMAL ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS, SO HART 
WILL BE UP AGAINST A GREAT DEAL OF COMPETITION IN THIS 
PROCESS AS WE GO.
SO ESTABLISHING A FUNDING PROGRAM BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT 
BECAUSE THE VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT ALSO WILL BE DEPENDENT 
UPON THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY.
OUR ABILITY TO MATCH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE AS 
OUR PARTNERS IN THIS PROJECT COULD, IN FACT, MAKE THIS 
PROJECT MUCH MORE VIABLE AND MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE 
NATIONWIDE.
THE NEXT STEPS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
AS I SAID A MOMENT AGO, WE'LL WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE 
MPO STAFF AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF DISCUSSING WHERE 
THE ALIGNMENT'S GOING TO GO, WHICH STARTER LINE CORRIDOR 
WILL BE DETERMINED THROUGH THE PROCESS, AND THEN, OF 
COURSE, TALKING ABOUT A FUNDING STRATEGY, WHEN THAT TIME 
FRAME WOULD BE, WHAT THAT -- WHAT THAT MIGHT BE, AND THEN 
THE NEXT STEP IN OUR PROCESS WILL BE TO BRING ON ANOTHER 
CONTRACTOR THAT WILL BE VERY SPECIFICALLY TAKING US THROUGH 
THIS PROCESS.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO LINK THAT 
ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS INTO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS 
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE PREPARED TO 
BEGIN DOING THAT PROCESS IN THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, AND OF 
COURSE, RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THE OTHER FUNDING CHALLENGES 
WE'RE ALL GOING THROUGH, THAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT TIME.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS THE END OF MY REPORT.
I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY 
HAVE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ANY QUESTIONS?
>> GOOD JOB.
>>DAVID ARMIJO:  THANK YOU.
>> GODSPEED.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  ALL RIGHT.
WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>DAVID ARMIJO:  THANK YOU.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU, MR. ARMIJO.
OKAY.
THE T.I.P. PRIORITY PROCESS, WE'RE GOING TO -- WITH YOUR 
PERMISSION, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DELAY THAT UNTIL 
NEXT MEETING BECAUSE IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS, 
AND WE'LL BRING THAT UP NEXT MEETING.
ECONOMIC STIMULUS STATUS.
>>SCOTT COLLISTER:  MR. CHAIRMAN, SCOTT COLLISTER, FLORIDA 
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AGAIN.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.
SECRETARY SKELTON IS IN TALLAHASSEE MEETING WITH THE 
FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MPO FOR 
EXPEDITIOUSLY PROVIDING US WITH YOUR PRIORITIZED LIST OF 
IMPROVEMENTS.
WE DID SEND THOSE TO OUR CENTRAL OFFICE ARRA TEAM, AMERICAN 
RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT, THE FORMAL TITLE OF THE 
STIMULUS BILL, ON FEBRUARY 19th, 2009.
THE COUNTY'S MPO PRIORITIZED LIST INCLUDES 17 PROJECTS. 
THREE OF THOSE ARE DEPARTMENT PROJECTS THAT TOTAL ABOUT 
$501 MILLION AND 14 LOCAL PROJECTS THAT -- THAT TOTAL ABOUT 
$55.9 MILLION, FOR A TOTAL OF JUST UNDER $557 MILLION.
BY LAW THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION HAS UNTIL MARCH 
10th TO COMPLETE THE APPORTIONMENT OF FUNDS TO THE -- TO 
ALL OF THE STATE HIGHWAY AGENCIES OR D.O.T.s IN EACH ONE OF 
THE STATES, AND OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO 
COMPLETE THAT ACTION AHEAD OF THAT DATE; HOWEVER, AS OF 
TODAY, MARCH 3rd, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED OUR APPORTIONMENT OF 
FUNDS, AS MS. ROYAL COMMENTED EARLIER.
I JUST WANT TO ASSURE THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MPO THAT NOT 
ONLY IS THE DISTRICT 7 TEAM BUT ALSO THE DEPARTMENT AS AN 
AGENCY STATEWIDE HAS TAKEN A VERY AGGRESSIVE APPROACH TO 
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO INVEST EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE 
RECEIVE OF FEDERAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS FUNDS AS SOON AS THE 
FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE.
SO HOPEFULLY, MR. CHAIRMAN, DURING YOUR NEXT MEETING WE'LL 
BE ABLE TO EXPOUND UPON THE PROJECTS THAT WERE SELECTED.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY -- MS. SAUL-SENA, YOU HAD A COMMENT.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  NO.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OH, I THOUGHT YOU DID.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I'M SORRY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
IF NOT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, SIR.
OKAY.
THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE, BETH AND JOE 
ZAMBITO.
>>BETH ALDEN:  GOOD MORNING AGAIN, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE 
PLAYING KIND OF A TAG TEAM.
WE'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.
WE'RE IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT PHASE OF THE LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING THOSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 
THAT YOU ADOPTED LAST MONTH VERY SERIOUSLY.
THE WAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING THOSE COMING BACK TO 
YOU OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS IS IN OPERATIONALIZING 
THEM INTO PERFORMANCE MEASURES, BOTH CORRIDOR-LEVEL 
PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND SYSTEM-LEVEL PERFORMANCE MEASURES, 
AND WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT IS EVALUATING THE DIFFERENT 
CANDIDATE PROJECTS AS DIFFERENT ROADWAYS ARE IDENTIFIED AS 
BEING NEEDED FOR IMPROVEMENTS, HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE THOSE.
WE'LL BE USING THOSE GOALS TO GENERATE PERFORMANCE MEASURES 
AND EVALUATE THEM AGAINST EACH OTHER.
WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT PERFORMANCE MEASURES AT THE 
NETWORK LEVEL.
THAT'S THE SYSTEM-LEVEL PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
THE ONES THAT WE USED IN THE LAST UPDATE OF THE LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOCUSED ON SAFETY AS THE FIRST 
CONSIDERATION, ALSO CONGESTION RELIEF, LOOKING AT EXISTING 
FACILITIES BEFORE BUILDING NEW ONES, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT 
FACTORS, AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS BRINGING ALL 
OF THOSE FACTORS TO THE MPO'S ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND THEN 
BACK TO THE BOARD FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF WHAT WE'RE 
LOOKING AT AND THE WEIGHTING.
SO, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THAT USING THE PRIORITIZATION?
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE US SOME INPUT ON HOW TO 
OPERATIONALIZE THESE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  IS THERE A MEANING IN THE RANK -- IS 
THERE A RANK INFERRED BY THE WAY THAT THESE PERFORMANCE 
MEASURES ARE LISTED?
BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, CONGESTION RELIEF MIGHT -- BY -- IT'S 
IN THE SECOND PLACE, SO IT'S THE SECONDMOST IMPORTANT 
THING, AND PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT 
SIXTH OR IS IT SECOND TO SAFETY BECAUSE PERHAPS A WAY TO 
ACHIEVE CONGESTION RELIEF IS TO BUILD A CORRIDOR THROUGH A 
PROTECTED AREA.
WHAT IS THE WEIGHTING GIVEN TO THOSE DIFFERENT 
CONSIDERATIONS?
>>BETH ALDEN:  THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU 
FOR YOUR INPUT ON.
SO YOU'LL SEE THE FACTORS, AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO ASSIGN THEM 
POINTS OUT OF A HUNDRED POINTS.
AND THAT'S THE SHORT-AND-SWEET VERSION OF THE PERFORMANCE 
MEASURES AND WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE ON THAT.
JOE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF OUR STRATEGIES.
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  JOE ZAMBITO WITH THE MPO STAFF.
ONE OF THE NEW FOCUS AREAS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT 
WE WILL BE ADDRESSING IN OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION 
PLAN -- AND I'LL HIT -- JUST HIT A COUPLE OF THEM THAT 
WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON, ONE OF WHICH IS GREENHOUSE GAS 
EMISSIONS AND HOW TO DEAL WITH REDUCING THAT.
A LOT OF THE CURRENT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE PRODUCED 
THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE GRAPHIC, ABOUT 36% OF THE GREENHOUSE 
GAS EMISSIONS COME FROM TRANSPORTATION, WITH A SIGNIFICANT 
PORTION COMING FROM GASOLINE-POWERED VEHICLES AND A SMALLER 
AMOUNT COMING FROM DIESEL-POWERED VEHICLES.
IN FACT, SOME STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED ESTIMATE 
THAT OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE GOING TO INCREASE BY 
65% BY THE YEAR 2025.
SO OUR GOAL IN THE GREENHOUSE GAS SECTION OF THE LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN TRY TO 
REDUCE THAT.
ANOTHER ITEM THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF IS THE FACT THAT 
WE ARE CURRENTLY -- WE'VE CURRENTLY BEEN RECOMMENDED BY THE 
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE THAT THIS AREA BECOME AN AIR QUALITY 
NONATTAINMENT AREA.
AGAIN, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE MPO FOR A 
LONG TIME, REMEMBER THAT UP UNTIL 2005 WE WERE AN AIR 
QUALITY NONATTAINMENT AREA, AND SO THE GOVERNOR HAS 
RECOMMENDED AGAIN, BASED ON MEASURING OF AIR QUALITY 
EMISSIONS IN OUR AREA, THAT WE AGAIN BE DESIGNATED AN AIR 
QUALITY NONATTAINMENT AREA.
BY JUNE OF NEXT YEAR -- I MEAN MARCH OF NEXT YEAR, WE'LL 
BE -- THERE WILL BE THE OFFICIAL DESIGNATION BY THE 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION, AND THEN FOLLOWING 
THAT WE WILL HAVE TO START DOING WHAT'S CALLED CONFORMITY, 
WHICH MEANS EVERY TIME WE DO A TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT 
PROGRAM OR AMEND THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OR 
DO A LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN OR AMEND THE LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WE HAVE TO DO AN AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS 
AS PART OF THAT TO SHOW THAT WHATEVER WE'RE PROPOSING, 
EITHER IN THE T.I.P. OR LRTP OR IN THE AMENDMENT WILL NOT 
MAKE AIR QUALITY WORSE, SO THAT'S GOING TO GENERATE SOME 
NEW REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO START MEETING AFTER 
2011.
AS FAR AS THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND HOW WE'RE TRYING 
TO ADDRESS IT IN THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE, 
BASICALLY IT AMOUNTS TO TWO MAJOR FACTORS.
ONE IS REDUCE THE VEHICLE MILES OF TRAVEL, AND THE OTHER 
HAS TO DO WITH PROVIDING -- REDUCING THE EMISSIONS BY 
PROVIDING MORE EFFICIENT VEHICLES.
THAT LAST ONE WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL OVER AS 
AN MPO, BUT THE FIRST ONE, REDUCING VEHICLE MILES OF 
TRAVEL, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT WE CAN TRY TO 
FOSTER THAT IN OUR LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
AMONG THOSE ARE TO INCREASE OPTIONS FOR NOT USING SINGLE-
OCCUPANT VEHICLES, WHICH MEANS, AS MENTIONED HERE, TRANSIT 
AND OBVIOUSLY PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, BICYCLE FACILITIES, 
THINGS THAT -- THAT ELIMINATE THE NEED TO GET IN YOUR CAR 
TO MAKE EVERY SINGLE TRIP.
SO ENCOURAGING TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, EXPANDING 
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, WHICH I'LL TALK 
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IN A MINUTE, AND, OF COURSE, AS I 
MENTIONED EARLIER, MORE EFFICIENT FUELS AND ALTERNATIVE 
FUEL TYPES.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  MR. CHAIRMAN.
>> MS. SAUL-SENA.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  TODAY, AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR MEETING 
SOMEBODY SPOKE VERY ELOQUENTLY ABOUT BICYCLES, AND THE WORD 
"BICYCLE" DOESN'T APPEAR THERE, BUT THAT CERTAINLY IS A 
STRATEGY.
IS IT TOO LATE TO ADD THAT?
TRANSIT ISN'T BICYCLES, BICYCLES ARE BICYCLES, AND THAT'S 
SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER SAID OUT LOUD IN A PLAN, AND I 
THINK WE SHOULD.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE WANT TO SPEND MONEY TO 
ACCOMPLISH THIS, CERTAINLY TAKING A LANE THAT'S FOR CARS 
AND SAYING THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR BIKES SO BICYCLISTS CAN 
FEEL REALLY SAFE WOULD BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, 
AND WE NEED TO SAY THE WORD "BICYCLING" AS A TRANSPORTATION 
MODE OUT LOUD AND IN OUR PLANNING, SO IS IT TOO LATE TO 
INCLUDE THIS?
COULDN'T WE INCLUDE THIS?
COULD THE MPO --
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  THIS IS JUST A PRESENTATION TO THE MPO.
THIS IS NOT THE FINAL DOCUMENT.
I'M SURE WE WILL ADDRESS -- THERE'S ACTUALLY A WHOLE 
SECTION TALKING ABOUT BICYCLES.
WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE BICYCLE PLAN THAT'S GOING TO BE 
IMPLEMENTED INTO THE LONG-RANGE PLAN.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  BUT THE POINT IS IT NEEDS TO NOT BE 
SORT OF OUT THERE IN -- ON THE SIDE, IT NEEDS TO BE 
INTEGRATED INTO OUR THINKING?
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  YES.
IT IS.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  GOOD.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSIT OPTIONS, AS 
YOU'VE HEARD ALREADY, THERE'S PROJECTS GOING ON WITH HART, 
THERE'S PROJECTS GOING ON WITH TBARTA MASTER PLAN, AND OF 
COURSE, THERE'S THE MAYOR'S TAMPA RAIL STUDY, ALL OF WHICH 
ARE BEING -- TRYING TO MESH TOGETHER TO COME UP TO ONE PLAN 
THAT WE CAN BRING FORWARD AS PART OF THE LONG-RANGE 
TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND HOPE TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING GOING 
AND IMPLEMENTED.
WE WANT TO TRY TO SUPPORT THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT TRANSIT-
ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT SO THAT TRANSIT WILL BECOME MORE 
EFFICIENT AND MORE USABLE BY TRYING TO ENCOURAGE 
PEDESTRIAN-SUPPORTIVE DESIGNS, AGAIN, BICYCLES PART OF THAT 
AS WELL, AND IDENTIFY FUTURE TRANSIT CORRIDORS SO WE CAN 
START PROTECTING RIGHT-OF-WAY AS SOON AS IT'S IDENTIFIED.
BOTH THE CITY OF TAMPA AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAVE STARTED 
DOING THIS REALLY ALREADY IN THEIR COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.
OF COURSE, THE CITY HAS THE TRANSPORTATION CONCURRENCY 
EXCEPTION AREA WHERE, AGAIN, THE FOCUS IS NOT BUILDING 
ROADS BUT TRYING TO PROVIDE FOR A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION 
SYSTEM, AND THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS INCLUDED IN THEIR 
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ACTIVITY CENTERS AND INCENTIVES FOR 
ENCOURAGING THE TYPE OF LAND USE THAT WILL COMBINE JOBS, 
RETAIL, AND POPULATION HOUSING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH 
OTHER TO TRY TO REDUCE, AGAIN, THE NEED FOR A LOT OF TRIPS 
BY AUTOMOBILES.
WE ALSO WANT TO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT ON TRANSPORTATION DEMAND 
MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS.
THOSE ARE ALL UNDERWAY NOW.
YOU KNOW, SUPPORT FROM BAY AREA COMMUTER SERVICES, THE NEW 
TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE, THE WESTSHORE ALLIANCE, AND A 
NUMBER OF GROUPS THAT WORK TO TRY TO FOSTER VANPOOLING, 
CARPOOLING, WORKING AT HOME, AND A LOT OF OTHER EFFORTS 
THAT, AGAIN, TRY TO REDUCE THE VEHICLE MILES OF TRAVEL, AND 
WE WANT TO ADDRESS THAT IN THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION 
PLAN AS WELL.
ANOTHER FOCUS AREA THAT WE ARE NOW REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH IN 
THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS SAFETY AND SECURITY.
WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH SAFETY BEFORE, BUT NOW THE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT WANTS US TO ACTUALLY PUT IN A SAFETY ELEMENT 
INTO THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND PUT MORE 
EMPHASIS ON SECURITY.
IT KIND OF HITS TWO MAJOR AREAS.
ONE IS TRYING TO REDUCE CRASHES ON WHAT'S BEEN OCCURRING IN 
THE PAST AND TRYING TO DEVELOP PROJECTS THAT WILL DO THAT 
AND IDENTIFYING BOTTLENECKS TO EVACUATION -- PRIMARILY IN 
OUR AREA THAT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT WITH THE HURRICANES -- AND 
TRYING TO PRIORITIZE PROJECTS THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF THESE 
BOTTLENECKS.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  EXCUSE ME.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CRASHES, THE INFERENCE, OF 
COURSE, IS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CAR CRASHES.
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  NO, ALL CRASHES.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO, AGAIN, 
REINFORCE THIS VARIETY OF OPTION, CRASHES FOR VEHICLES AND 
BICYCLISTS BECAUSE AS WE LOOK AT SPENDING, WE'RE GOING TO 
WANT TO SPEND MONEY THAT DOES THAT, SO IF YOU COULD ADD 
CARS AND/OR VEHICLES AND BICYCLISTS, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  THE SAFETY REPORT THAT WE'RE PUTTING 
TOGETHER ALREADY INCLUDES PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS 
SPECIFICALLY, SEPARATELY FROM OTHER ACCIDENTS, BICYCLE 
ACCIDENTS SEPARATE FROM OTHER ACCIDENTS, AS WELL AS 
AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS.
WHAT THIS GRAPH SHOWS IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE CRASH RATE IN 
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS GOING DOWN, WHICH IS GOOD, WE'RE 
STILL HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE RATE FOR THE STATE OF 
FLORIDA, SO WHILE WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, WE'RE NOT DOING AS 
WELL AS OTHER AREAS, SO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT A LITTLE 
MORE.
LAST FEBRUARY, FEBRUARY 12th, WE HAD A WORKSHOP WITH PEOPLE 
FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, FROM FIRST PROVIDERS, 
FIRE DEPARTMENTS, SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE 
CAN DO IN OUR LONG-RANGE PLAN TO TRY TO HELP THESE AGENCIES 
IN THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH FROM AN 
EVACUATION STANDPOINT AND FROM OTHER TYPES OF EMERGENCIES 
THAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND PREPARE FOR.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO PUT SOME INFORMATION TOGETHER TO SEE HOW 
WE CAN HELP THEM WITH THOSE ISSUES THAT THEY'VE RAISED.
AND OF COURSE, PART OF THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN 
INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TRANSIT AND HIGHWAY NEEDS, 
AND THAT'S KIND OF THE NEXT -- THE STEP WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
>>BETH ALDEN:  THANKS.
AND THESE SLIDES DO FOCUS ON THE HIGHWAY AND TRANSIT NEEDS. 
THAT BY NO MEANS MEANS THAT THERE AREN'T BICYCLE SYSTEM AND 
PEDESTRIAN SYSTEM NEEDS AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS 
ASSESSMENT FOR THE LONG-RANGE PLAN.
IN FACT, WE'RE DRAWING ON THE COMPREHENSIVE BICYCLE PLAN 
THAT THE MPO JUST COMPLETED WITH OVER, YOU KNOW, I THINK 
$70-MILLION WORTH OF OFF-ROAD TRAILS AS PART OF THAT, BOTH, 
YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S AND COUNTY'S COMPREHENSIVE OFF-ROAD 
TRAIL SYSTEM.
A COMPREHENSIVE INVENTORY OF THE ALL OF THE SIDEWALKS ON 
THE MAJOR ROAD NETWORK IS ALSO PART OF THIS PLANNING 
EFFORT.
THAT'S ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED, AND IT'S GOING TO BE PART 
OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
IN LOOKING AT THE -- THE HIGHWAY AND TRANSIT NEEDS, WE'VE 
STARTED WITH THE REGIONAL ANALYSIS THAT'S CONDUCTED THROUGH 
THE CHAIRS COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR HIGHWAYS AND 
COORDINATING WITH TBARTA FOR TRANSIT NEEDS ASSESSMENTS.
IT IS BASED ON REGIONAL TRAVEL MARKETS LIKE THE ONE THAT'S 
SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE -- THERE ARE TEN OF THOSE -- AND MOVING 
INTO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR COUNTY AND GETTING INTO 
GREATER DETAIL OFF OF THOSE REGIONAL CORRIDORS.
THE TRANSIT NEEDS ARE [INAUDIBLE] BUILT ON THE MPO'S 2050 
TRANSIT CONCEPT AND THE TBARTA MASTER PLAN.
THE TRANSIT NEEDS ALSO INCLUDE AN EXPANDED BUS NETWORK, 
INCLUDING CIRCULATORS, BUS RAPID TRANSIT, BUILDING ON 
HART'S TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
CARPOOL AND VANPOOL ARE ALSO A PART OF THAT, JUST LOOKING 
AT HOW INCREMENTALLY YOU'D WORK TOWARDS THE MPO TRANSIT 
2050 CONCEPT WITH SOME INTERIM STEPS SEGMENT BY SEGMENT.
SOME OF THE SEGMENTS THAT MR. ARMIJO SHOWED YOU THIS 
MORNING, THESE ARE THE SEGMENTS WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS IN 
THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
SO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE CONTINUING TO WORK TOWARDS IS 
SOME DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES FOR COST-AFFORDABLE SCENARIOS 
TO INCLUDE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, AND THEN IN THE LONG-
TERM NEEDS ASSESSMENT, CONNECTIONS ON TO THE REST OF THE 
COUNTIES LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE SHOWN IN THE TBARTA LONG-
TERM VISION.
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  ON THE HIGHWAY SIDE WE'VE ALREADY STARTED 
THE MODELING THAT'S NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY WHAT OUR NEEDS 
WILL BE IN THE YEAR 2035.
THE FIRST STEP WILL BE TO IDENTIFY THE TOTAL NEEDS BASED ON 
POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT THAT'S BEEN PROJECTED FOR THE 
YEAR 2035, AND WE ARE, OF COURSE, COORDINATING THIS WITH 
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AS WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO BY STATE 
LAW.
WHATEVER WE COME UP WITH IN THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION 
PLAN HAS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT 
COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE 
LOOKING AT, OF COURSE, IS THE COMMUNITY PLANS THAT HAVE 
BEEN ADOPTED AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.
SOME OF THOSE HAVE REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSPORTATION 
IMPROVEMENTS, SOME HAVE RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSPORTATION 
IMPROVEMENTS, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE COME 
UP WITH IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT'S IN THOSE PLANS.
OUR FIRST LOOK AT WHAT 2035 MIGHT LOOK LIKE IS NOT VERY 
APPEALING.
YOU CAN SEE IN RED THERE A LOT OF ROADS THAT ARE GOING TO 
BE FAILING IF WE -- IF WE DO JUST WHAT WE HAD PLANNED UP TO 
THE YEAR 2035 IN THE COST-AFFORDABLE, SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY 
TO SEE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WILL ADDRESS 
THAT A LITTLE BETTER.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED WITH THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS, HOW 
MUCH MONEY WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
WE'VE ASKED THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO GIVE US THEIR 
ESTIMATES OF REVENUES BETWEEN NOW AND THE YEAR 2035.
THESE REVENUES WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY THE COST-FEASIBLE 
PORTION OF THE LONG-RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  JOE, LET ME ASK YOU HOW MUCH MORE DO 
YOU HAVE BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF THE 
BOARD MEMBERS HERE, AND I'D RATHER PROBABLY DO THIS AT THE 
NEXT MEETING WHEN WE HAVE MORE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING, AND RIGHT NOW 
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW BOARD MEMBERS HERE, SO IF IT'S ALL RIGHT 
WITH YOU, IF WE COULD JUST CONTINUE THIS --
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  SURE.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  -- AT OUR NEXT MEETING, I THINK THAT WOULD 
REALLY BE HELPFUL, AND IT WOULD GET YOU A LOT MORE 
ATTENTION TOO, JOE.
BUT THANK YOU.
PARDON?
>> A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THIS.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OH, I KNOW IT, AND WE DO WANT TO HEAR AND 
WE DO WANT TO GET YOUR INPUT.
>>RAY CHIARAMONTE:  SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS PICK IT UP AT THIS 
POINT THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF 
WHERE YOU'VE BEEN BEFORE.
>>JOE ZAMBITO:  OKAY.
>>JOE AFFRONTI:  OKAY.
AND THEN THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE WE'RE GOING TO DELAY THAT 
UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING AS WELL.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT CARES TO ADDRESS 
THE COUNCIL -- THE MPO BOARD ON ANY ITEMS?
IF NOT, ANY OLD BUSINESS?
ANY NEW BUSINESS?
IF NOT, WE ADJOURN, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR 
PATIENCE.
>>LINDA SAUL-SENA:  THANK YOU.


1