CRA — December 11, 2025 FINAL

Luis Viera

9:28:36AM Turn the mike over to Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

9:28:38AM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Please rise for a moment of silent prayer and please remain standing for the pledge of allegiance. [ moment of silence ] [pledge of allegiance]

Luis Viera

9:29:09AM Roll call, please.

Charlie Miranda

9:29:15AM Here.

Guido Maniscalco

9:29:15AM Here.

Lynn Hurtak

9:29:16AM Here. Young?

Naya Young

9:29:20AM Here.

Bill Carlson

9:29:20AM Here.

Luis Viera

9:29:21AM Here.

The clerk

9:29:22AM We have a physical quorum.

Luis Viera

9:29:25AM Thank you very much. Board, let's go through the agenda, if I may. Yes, ma'am.

Lynn Hurtak

9:29:34AM I move to adopt the minutes of the November 2025 CRA meeting.

Luis Viera

9:29:38AM We have a motion by board member Hurtak. Seconded by board member Maniscalco. All in favor? Any opposed? Thank you, madam. Let's just go through each of these really quickly, if I may, for staff reports. Number one, anything relevant to this? It would appear not. How about this, board members, anybody wish to make any motion -- one through five?

Lynn Hurtak

9:30:02AM No, not one through five.

Luis Viera

9:30:03AM Nothing on one through five.

Lynn Hurtak

9:30:05AM Actually, I believe our director wants to move item 4 to be part of item 2.

Luis Viera

9:30:14AM Go ahead, sir.

Cedric McCray

9:30:18AM Cedric McCray, Tampa CRA director. Yes, the acknowledgment of the CAC members that will be rolling off from the various CRAs, we would like to couple that with the director's report.

Luis Viera

9:30:30AM Let's have a motion to merge the two items. Motion by board member Miranda. Seconded by board member Hurtak. All in favor? Any opposed?

Lynn Hurtak

9:30:39AM You have a written report for number 5, is that good?

Luis Viera

9:30:42AM Yes. I am going to inquire with staff on some issues. Thank you for that. For required approvals for 6 through 13, any motions regarding these? Board member Carlson.

Bill Carlson

9:30:57AM I would like to, first of all, pull that from the required approvals. I think the administration is trying to get us to quick approve the old contract. Before I presented an edited version of it, the staff was in a hurry to see what I present. Since I proposed that a month ago, not a single person has followed up with me about it. I think there has to be, unless you all just want to adopt the existing contract as it is, there has to be some kind of to and fro between council and the staff. Either you all could -- if you could approve this as is and I'll vote no or you can ask them to negotiate with me and present back to you or we can have a long discussion here among us since we can't talk outside of the meeting to talk about what we would like to change and then instruct cliff to come back.

Luis Viera

9:31:49AM Thank you, sir. Board member Hurtak and then board member Miranda.

Lynn Hurtak

9:31:53AM Is there a reason you didn't reach out to them?

Bill Carlson

9:31:59AM I called cliff and I called Cedric, but apparently no internal conversations had gone on. I knew that we need to have a conversation among us. I can't know what you all think. If you all reject all of it or reject part of it, I don't know what you think. To some extent on the CRA side, it doesn't matter what the staff thinks. It matters what we think. But nobody from the city approached me either.

Lynn Hurtak

9:32:28AM Do you have a document that shows the line-by-line differences?

Bill Carlson

9:32:33AM I rewrote the whole thing.

Lynn Hurtak

9:32:35AM I know you rewrote it.

Bill Carlson

9:32:38AM I handed it out last time and I can go through it and explain if you want because we didn't do that the last time. What I ask is we take this out of -- at least take it out of required approvals.

Luis Viera

9:32:50AM We have a motion by board member Carlson, seconded by board member Hurtak to take this out for purposes of approval so we separately discuss it. Board member Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

9:32:59AM That's fine. I want to make sure that anything we do, that the public can get involved in the conversation regarding whatever we want to change or not change.

Luis Viera

9:33:07AM Yes, sir. All in favor of that motion? Any opposed? Thank you very much. Any further discussion on the agenda?

Lynn Hurtak

9:33:15AM We need to pull item 7 off of required approvals because there is a presentation.

Luis Viera

9:33:24AM Yes, ma'am. Motion by board member Hurtak. Seconded by board member Maniscalco. All in support? Any opposed? Thank you. Anything else?

Lynn Hurtak

9:33:37AM I think item 8 as well.

Luis Viera

9:33:39AM Okay. Motion to pull item number 8 by board member Hurtak. Seconded by board member Young. All in favor? Any opposed?

Lynn Hurtak

9:33:50AM And then last, item number 13 has a powerpoint.

Luis Viera

9:33:56AM Motion to pull item 13 by Hurtak. Seconded by board member Maniscalco. All in favor? Any opposed?

Lynn Hurtak

9:34:04AM Just so you all know, I have a motion for later to take these special projects out of required professionals and make them staff reports. Ideally, this will be fixed. I forgot to do it last month. That's on me.

Bill Carlson

9:34:15AM I was about to ask how come during agenda setting they weren't just moved out. By moving all the special projects --

Lynn Hurtak

9:34:27AM Yeah. That was on my motion list for last month. Then I ended up chairing and forgot about it. That was on me.

Luis Viera

9:34:34AM Motion to approve the agenda? Motion to approve the agenda by board member Hurtak. Seconded by board member Maniscalco. All in favor? Any opposed? For purposes of today, we are going to be doing the rule on five minutes and three minutes for second bite at the apple. I know that puts extra work on you. I apologize for that. I'll be cognizant of that as well. I'll inquire in terms of how long each presentation.

Bill Carlson

9:35:01AM Board member Hurtak asked me if I had a line by line on that contract? I didn't do a line by line because they are so different. I also did not print copies last time because last time you all asked me not to use paper. Would you like copies? I can have copies printed before we get to the item?

Lynn Hurtak

9:35:20AM I have both already.

Bill Carlson

9:35:25AM I'll make a couple of copies.

Luis Viera

9:35:27AM Let's move forward with public comment, if we may. Attorney Shepard, if you wish to go through the public comment comments. If you are here for public comment, please stand, if you are able to do so, and line up against the wall, and we'll go from there.

9:35:51AM Go ahead, sir. Mr. Shepard, are you there, sir? There may be technological issues.

Cliff Shepard

9:36:09AM I'm not muted now.

Luis Viera

9:36:11AM Hey, sir. Go ahead, sir.

Cliff Shepard

9:36:16AM They need to let me unmute myself, but they always mute for me, so I can't do it. I'll begin. Members of the public are allowed a reasonable opportunity at the beginning of the CRA meeting to address any item on the agenda before the CRA takes official action on an item. However, a three-minute time limit applies to all speakers providing public comment unless such time frame is modified by a vote of the CRA Board. Speakers and members of the public are also reminded that they are to refrain from disruptive behavior, including making vulgar or threatening remarks or making or causing disruptive noises or sounds or displaying signs or graphics. Speakers are also reminded to refrain from launching personal attacks. The Chair Will rule out of order any person who speaks without being recognized or attempt to address the CRA from outside the speaker area at the podium. Persons failing to comply with the CRA's rules may also be ruled out of order and at the discretion of the chair may be removed from the chambers for the remainder of the day's CRA meeting. Finally, CRA Board members are reminded that they should refrain from engaging speaker under public comment. The City Council rules as revised June 6, 2024, are now in effect for the CRA Board unless otherwise exempted or overwritten by the CRA Board bylaws.

Luis Viera

9:37:38AM Thank you, sir. We appreciate. Go ahead, sir. I'm John greene. I'm here to speak on a culture that developed over the years in the --

9:37:57AM We can't see your -- there you go. I'm John greene. I'm here to speak on a culture that developed over the years in the Tampa African American community that the government agencies have created and perpetuated over the past ten years, which is funding certain people's lifestyle indirectly and not the organization for the work in the community. For example, the NAACP branch, who this city and council contract with agree to fund for specific training workshops, collaborations to help the people become productive in the community in which they live, but usually it never gets implemented because of the lack of communication, organizational skills, and improper documentation, in my opinion. However, there are representatives from the NAACP who come to this meeting, to this City Council meeting with grievances but never come to give an account on the work that the NAACP is contracted to do based on the agreement between the city and the NAACP. I am requesting that the council ask the NAACP to come give a full presentation on the work audit of the NAACP financials, collaborations of whom they hire and all payouts, because it's the taxpayers' monies and they deserve to know how their monies are going to be spent. This is about starting and moving the NAACP and the African American culture in a positive direction to be accountable and productive to the citizens of Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough county. You, the council have the legal authority to request the public presentation based on the signed agreement dated on the contract from the president of the NAACP. We, the people, thank you in advance for your consideration. The reason I'm speaking is because publicly I'm pathetic, I'm stupid, I can't read, but I can articulate my feelings and thoughts. So, please, have the NAACP come up, do a full presentation. They are to keep the information on file for six years, and you all have the authority to do that. Thank you.

9:40:33AM Thank you, sir. We appreciate you. Next, please. My name is melvin mohammed. I come before you humbly to show respect to both the channel, the City staff and all the citizens here publicly today in person. I hail from a humble place in North Carolina, but then I moved to the big city of chicago. Now I am transported here in Florida. I sat on this side of the table for many years representing people who voted for me to serve them. It's disheartened me and displeased me that I come to a place that is supposed to be so progressive, but you have majority of your meetings at 9 a.m. in the morning. When you first came into office, you probably was a person just like me that had to really stick to your schedule to get to a 9:00 meeting. Majority of your constituents that you serve, they cannot even come to give genuine input or even to support you. You have two meetings a month, and both of them are 9:00 in the morning. The mayor, who is not present, I do understand because I heard they don't be here at this meeting, which is still mind-boggling to me also. But a 9:00 in the morning meeting can be very challenging for most of your constituents. Most of your constituents don't make close to six figures or either six figures to be able to take time off from their work. Either they have to get their children off to school in the morning to make a 9:00 meeting. I would hope that you all reconsider even though it's been done for years I heard. Reconsider at least one of your meetings for in the evening times. Late evening times. Because we understand that our taxpayer money is paying your service salary. So I think it is an injustice that you cannot be a meeting in the evening time for more of those citizens to come to articulate or to share with you their concern of what you should be doing for them. I say this, and I hope it would get back to the mayor, because I am going to continue to try to come to as many meetings as I can to share this concern, because you cannot serve the majority of your citizens if they cannot hear from you. It ain't about a phone call or text or e-mail. They need to be able to see you in action saying that you represent them. So, please, think about that, and hopefully reconsider at least one of your meetings later in the evening. Thank you.

9:43:45AM Thank you, sir. We appreciate you. Next, please. My name is sandra dediego sanchez. A couple of days ago, the mayor announced she wanted to sell big blue and build a new police station. My concern is that it is on CRA property, the Downtown CRA. Would you need to have position to be able to sell that building? That's my first concern. Of course, cost of $400 million --

9:44:30AM I apologize, Ms. Sanchez, if I may -- and pause. Thank you. If you don't mind to put this picture up on the screen for folks to be able to see it. Thank you very much. Go ahead, ma'am. Apologize. Wanted to sell big blue and build a new police station at a cost of $400 million. She thinks selling big blue at 36 million will give the city an extra income that is a far cry from the projected 400 million that is needed. Even former mayor bob buckhorn quoted as saying, the city doesn't have the money. Out of the blue and excuse the pun, the mayor thinks our Police Department building is outdated. It may be, but it is digitally sound and that is what is important. Reliable communication, not a new building. This is what -- as a want, no at need, many police departments would love to have big blue. If we are going to find $400 million, how about investing in mass transportation that is so badly needed for added safety in our great city. This picture of what is happening in our streets speaks volumes. The delivery truck is in the bike lane. The bicyclist is on the street. The City of Tampa streets do not have room for bicycle lane, transit lane, traffic lanes altogether, not even the transit-ready corridors. The city of st. petersburg just got their transit lanes taken away by the state and they had to return them back to traffic lanes. The issue of mass transportation is here and now. It appears that all those transit-ready corridors mentioned in the new comprehensive plan that they are still working on should pay attention to what is going around the state. I'm not sure our traffic transit ready corridors will pass it. I strongly suggest that we are to be thinking of finding $400 million, we use it for the safety of all citizens in Tampa, a reliable transit system. And, yes, mayor, the entire city is evolving, not just downtown. I encourage all citizens of Tampa to let the mayor and City Council Know what you really think about this project. City Council, please stop the mayor from sending us into a financial tailspin. Thank you.

9:46:54AM Thank you, ma'am. We appreciate you very much. I'm John scheffel. Here representing gasparilla arts, which is a parent organization for the gasparilla festival of the arts. In addition to our annual festival, the first weekend in March, we have several year-round initiatives that benefit the community, including our collegiate scholarship program, high school initiative, as well as permanent art. I'm here today to tell you proudly about a new mural we just installed in East Tampa on the side of the center for developing communities of Tampa. This was made possible by a generous grant, partially possible by a generous grant from the community foundation of Tampa Bay as well as other sponsors. We worked with the artist, Michelle sawyer. The theme is "been all you can be." It honors six women part of East Tampa's history. This was also a collaboration with the pace center for girls and involved a classroom setting where the girls learned about painting. They actually, ten of them were involved in painting part of the mural. It was a really wonderful experience for all of them, for all of them, it is the first time picking up a paintbrush. I'm here today to let you know about the mural and also we will be having a ribbon cutting and block party on Thursday, January 22, 2 to 4 p.m. you'll all receive an invite and I hope you're able to attend.

9:48:30AM Thank you, sir. That is a lovely mural. Jason reekmans. I live in district 5. Here to talk about missing middle and affordable housing. Not too long ago -- well, in a past meeting, Evan Johnson came and spoke about the missing middle and how there is a need for it. But whenever I go to zoning, I get a lot of noes in regards to building stuff that we actually need. You go to ybor, you go to Tampa Heights and the things I want to build in East Tampa, they exist there, even though they are grandfathered in, but still, if I want to build it in East Tampa, zoning tells me no. and employees that work for zoning can't even afford to live in the city. Disappointing. I'm just here to ask for your help in regards to that. I shouldn't have to hire a land use lawyer to get the things I want to get done, done. You know what I mean. It should not just be in the corridors. It should be anywhere. As long as it fits in the neighborhood, as long as there is enough land to put a property there, then we should be able to do it. I'm asking for your help in this regard.

Charlie Miranda

9:49:58AM Can you be more specific?

Luis Viera

9:50:04AM If I may, put the clock just for one minute for the interaction out of deference. Photo of a duplex on 4th avenue. That's not a corridor. If you go east, it leads nowhere. If you go west, it leads to a dead-end street, but they use a picture of a duplex. But in talking about this problem, they only want it in the corridors. If there is a quad on a 5,000-square-foot lot in Tampa Heights, we should be able to do that in East Tampa. If there is a tiny house on a thousand-square-foot lot in ybor, we should be able to do that in East Tampa. It's not fair across the board. When I speak to, when I go to hanna and I speak to the employees and they say, no, you can't do this. I say, hey, do you live in the city, they say I can't afford to live in the city. It's wild.

9:51:06AM Thank you, sir. Thank you, board member Miranda. Merry Christmas, happy holidays. Next please. Ashley morrow. I will be sharing Tampa's black history. By May of 1864, fort brooke was no longer the major military port it once had been during the deportation days. The war drained the region and the town around the fort existed in an uncertain silence but that changed on the night of May 5th when union soldiers began advancing toward Tampa. Here is a map showing arrows how they advanced toward Tampa. Spanish town in West Tampa. Here is Tampa. A group came this way and a group came that way. They approached from multiple directions. Along the dark road, they encountered a black man, one of the few individuals still in the area that night. When they questioned him, he told them the fort was not occupied. James mckay and his men left the day before. This is captain green, the one that questioned the black men. Black history right there. When the union soldiers reached fort brooke they found it virtually deserted. They were sitting around a table, some of the leading citizens were sitting around a table at the Florida hotel and captured them there. But it didn't end there. What the soldiers ended up doing, they were directed to go towards brooksville. Here are some war documents explaining the expedition left for the purpose of making a raid on brooksville because there were plantations out there. So they wanted to stop the slavery that was taking place out on the plantations out in brooksville. Now, I want to close with something I discovered during my research. In one of brown's books, he said there were 36 black men -- he said that 36 black men had participated in these events surrounding the occupation of fort brooke. So when I located the rolls, I was very shocked to see there were actually 148 black union soldiers present during the emancipation of fort brooke. Shout-out to the veterans in the room. If you would like to see that list, here is a qr code right there. 148 black men who stood on Tampa soil at the end of the Civil War. 148 black men who enforced the freedom in this city and 148 black men whose presence reshapes everything we thought we knew about this moment in Tampa's black history. These are the stories that remind us why digging, researching, documenting matters. Because the truth is deeper than the records we have inherited. In Tampa's case, the truth is still rising to the surface. Thank you.

9:54:13AM Amen. Long live Robert smalls. Well done. Alison hewitt. Resident and business owner of East Tampa. I wrote some public comments because this causes me to be very emotional. I am asking you not to pass the service agreement that is before you. The East Tampa CRA has eight years left. And what is the definition of insanity? It is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. East Tampa is behind. East Tampa only has eight years to move forward. In your current structure that they have to be approved today, you have absolutely no authority over your staff. We have talked to one council member who has said they asked for two years for the plan of how they are going to dispose of Cra-Owned property. Where could you work where you not respond to your boss for two years? But you have no recourse as the CRA. With this operating agreement, you turn over all authority to the City staff to be able to respond when they respond, their priorities, not yours, because you have asked. I can provide you to the minutes that you have asked. I am asking you that -- and thank you, Councilman Carlson, for your suggestion. It was a really good start to be able to allow the CRA to be the end agency. To understand and legal counsel can agree, 2019 update to the CRA statute was because they wanted the CRA to be independent of the municipality. And that is independent to be able to make sure that you're focusing on slum and plight. But understand, it's not just slum and blight, it is restoring opportunity, delivering a meaningful and measurable redevelopment for the people. So you don't stay with this. We just want to remove slum and blight. The council can say to you that they updated 2019 the CRA because they saw that the city and the county and various areas control the CRA and they do what priorities they want. I am asking you to do as Councilman Carlson suggests. Have a discussion amongst yourselves because when the rubber hits the road and East Tampa only has eight years and nothing has happened except for the few priorities that the administration has set, again, not just this administration. The last administration and the administration to come, they will be able to do what they want to do and present to you when they want to present. This agreement gives you no teeth to make staff actually work for the CRA. Thank you.

9:57:15AM Thank you, ma'am. We appreciate you. Next, please. Good morning. First of all, I want to make sure everybody is clear on this. I support the NAACP and the funding from the city. Hjr 201 gets rid of the nonschool-related property taxes. That's the bill that's on the floor to get rid of our property taxes throughout the state. And those rocket scientists up there fail to understand that that only pays for 85% of our public safety budget. Now, 85% of that public safety budget may disappear next year because we have no idea what's going to happen. But, with that being said, somebody came up with the rocket scientist idea to sell big blue at the bottom of the market. Prices aren't at the bottom, but they are coming down. People aren't investing. We've got properties that people have rezoned that are still sitting vacant. There is a reason for that. I gave you guys a copy -- allison was nice enough to put this together for me because I am not a CRA guru. The bottom line is that the CRA should be approving this going out for an RFP, not be silenced by the RFP. The RFP says the property at 411 Franklin Street -- paraphrasing -- City staff will not be available to discuss or address media public questions regarding the property. I'm sorry, but our taxpayers paid for that property. How is it that the city refuses to communicate with the citizens via media or any other channel, is Spruce Street has supposedly been going to be sold since I've been here, since 2019. Oh, we're going to sell Spruce Street. We're going to sell Spruce Street. I don't see an RFP for it. What's going on? This is shady. It is your responsibility to protect our city from this shameless crap of them selling a building without having a place to go. It's just another -- and they are going to say, oh, well, it's too late for you to do it. You need to have that discussion today. You are a CRA Board. You are an independent board today. You need to have a discussion about why the city, why the administration is trying to sell out a piece of property that's in the CRA. They can't do it. When will you guys call it what it is. If it is illegal, by god, call it illegal. If it's not ethical, call it that. You are here to protect us, and this is -- you know, there's been a lot of times that I sit back, oh, I can kind of live with that. You and I all know this is crap. You guys didn't know about it until a week ago. Nobody told you what was going on. The only indicator that anybody on the dais had was Bercaw inherently mentioned $400 million on a new police station. Stand up for your citizens.

10:00:55AM Thank you, ma'am. We appreciate you. Anybody else here in person for public comment? Anybody virtually to appear? I know we had challenges. Mr. Randolph, go for it, sir. My name is Michael randolph. Today's presentation highlights how upcoming workshops, part of the technology, wealth building and job creation initiative. These workshops directly address justification by addressing anti-displacement strategies that uplift residents, show strength, growth, communities, by preserving their roots upcoming workshops. Understanding investors and lenders. We begin with the framework, understanding how investors and lenders think. This session will help you gain practical insight into achieving, extracting -- attracting investments in the coming -- and securing loans to support your entrepreneurship journey, creating a business plan. A strong business plan is a path forward to credibility. In this workshop, you'll discover how to design plans that inspire confidence among financial institutions. Sales and marketing foundations. Of course, no business thrives without customers. This builds incentive skills and sales strategies and marketing outreach to elevate your business presence. Artificial intelligence, wealth creation. Technology is reshaping the future of wealth. Here, we explore the transformative power of artificial intelligence for economic mobility. Most importantly, we emphasize inclusive strategies to ensure equity for marginalized communities and to help bridge the racial wealth gap. Home-based businesses. Finally, we bring it home. This workshop uncovers strategies to launch and grow successful home-based business enterprise -- it's not about businesses. It's about ensuring the growth -- and that prosperity across our neighborhoods. Thank you.

10:03:48AM Thank you, sir. We appreciate you. Okay. That ends, it appears, public comment. If I may, we'll go to staff reports for number one, for Maritza to come forward. And Drew Park neighborhoods. Today I want to present to you Ms. Astorquiza, CAC advisory committee chair.

10:04:18AM How long do you think you need?

Maritza Astorquiza

10:04:25AM I have a lot but I'll give you some things to read on your own.

Luis Viera

10:04:28AM Let's do ten minutes.

Maritza Astorquiza

10:04:33AM First of all, I'm Maritza Astorquiza. I do see a new face, and welcome. I'm here to present on Drew Park. First of all, I would like to see thank you. We have a manager, a CRA manager for us. Thank you so much, and we have already had our first meeting with him. We know we're going to do a lot of great work together. Thank you so much. Cedric, I still have your cell number. I also wanted to recognize and she will be recognized in a little bit. Dr. Paige Niehaus from hcc is here. We want to thank you for her time. Coming on is Christopher Paynter, a dean at hcc. We'll have our first meeting in January. I do want to highlight a special meeting we had and not just because she's in front of us. It was a wonderful experience. We were able to host Lynn Hurtak and Ms. Kelly as well as Cedric and myself. We went on a tour of Drew Park, which we have extended offers before and many of you guys have said you do want to come. The offer still stands. It was an amazing opportunity because it was a great perspective I think both ways. I don't want to speak for you, but I do want to say on our end and we did stop to speak to a couple of business people and we walked and we drove and we got to see a lot of things first hand in Drew Park. It'a S Very Unique Place. Residential and light industrial and living amongst and working amongst big trucks and dump trucks and small cars and children walking and people walking. It's a whole little community. It's wonderful but it does have its complexities. Thank you very much for coming. I do want to talk about up to date. I tell you what we are doing. I'll look at my notes. We have several projects going on in Drew Park and we've been working really hard and we have a lot of consultants that we've been doing work for us and now we have things in place. Our mobility and connectivity improvement program is continuing. That is a huge project. I am hoping that next time we're up or sometime soon I can come and give more details on that because I'm not going to speak about that one today. We have our streetscape safety audit, which is basically with lois and grady avenue. That is going to start really soon actually. The plans are due now, and we should begin in the spring to move that forward, lois and grady. I love the hubert park project. That is well on its way. We had a little bit to catch up on drainage and so forth. That's been taken care of. Hopefully we will expect final plans at the end of this month and than we move -- and then we move forward. Also would like to update a presentation on that. There is a lot going on in Drew Park right now. I do want to tell you the gateway signage that we started years ago and we have the pretty propylas and went through a big project to get that in with artists and so forth. A couple have been damaged but they are being repaired. In addition to that, we also approved five more locations because we do have some absence along dale mabry that we just never got to it for one reason or another. Don't recall why. And down Hillsborough as well. We are moving that so we have more presence of where we are at because we are Drew Park and we're proud about it. What I do want to say, going into a safety and speed management study that we were able to do, and the report is huge. That's not what I'm giving you today. Hopefully you can read them. I'm not going to go through the package. I'm going to highlight a few things. It was an excellent study that was done. There was a walking tour with mobility, Bryce who is here today, walked with me and the consultants as well. Even had an intern and walked two and a half hours, seemed like longer, in the hot sun. It was great because we got a lot of perspective that way. We got our response back. What we got is some really interesting things. This is what you have in front of you. We looked at several tiers, several corridors. Hesperides street from Martin Luther King to crest. Hesperides is the first impact from air cargo road. That's where it becomes really important. Crest is extremely important. Come on down and just fly down that street if you'd like because there's nothing to stop you until you get to lois avenue. Then we have lois and cayuga, lois and alva, hubert and osborne, and hubert and alva as well. They looked at these areas, and they came back with some suggestions. In fact, like tier one, tier two, and tier three. We approved tier one, two, three for lois and cayuga -- hesperides and crest took a little more work to get things to where the recommendations would be. Obviously, a bigger price tag. So we did approve tier one for that, but we are going to revisit tier two and three and with the help of staff perhaps a la carte choose what we can with the rest of the projects we have going on. Some of the things would be sidewalks and curbs and better stop signs because those stop signs are being taken -- well, not really taken but knocked down or not adhered to. There were some interesting things. This is labeled page 4. Crash data. If you are looking for the small amount of space that we have, that's a lot of accidents. Honestly, I can tell you, you can probably double it. I feel comfortable saying that because a lot of the crashes or impacts are not reported. People don't want to have insurance, truck insurance, car insurance. Don't want it to go up. They take care of it and move forward. For such a small space, I think it is high volume. I do remember fatalities. It was just right outside the scope of what they presented here. I do remember definitely one -- I remember two. One was on air cargo road and one was on lois and alva, a very particularly dangerous place. None of the recommendations did we go for a four-way stop sign or anything else there, which I still think we need to take a look at. Something about how you need to prove for a four-way stop sign. Luke, who was the lead on this, for the consultant, when he presented to us, he said something to us that I really felt that he really got what Drew Park was about. Because even though the data, for example, on the speeding doesn't show there's much speeding, there's speeding. Now, could it be that during that time frame or maybe the games weren't going on or maybe it was off peak or wasn't in the right spots, what have you, there's speeding. He kind of reflected, remember him saying something, even though this is going on, when you're walking it, you're feeling the danger because you're up against huge semis and you're walking or what have you. It is something to take a look at, very high volume place with the big trucks. Air cargo road, like I always say, 45 leading into a 25 is not a good thing. Which leads me to a couple of other things I wanted to say. Riley parks is a gentleman who started in engineering and mobility some time ago and took on the task to find out -- I think I presented this last time I was here, who was in control -- who is in control of air cargo. City is always telling us, airport. Airport is like not me. He found proof that it is the city. That is out of our scope. I have presented here, someone needs to look at bringing down the speed limit from 45 to, I don't know, 40. Could that help? Or 35, whatever. Because we are going into our 25 zone.

Luis Viera

10:14:09AM If I may, you have 30 seconds. Do you need another minute?

Maritza Astorquiza

10:14:15AM I can do this in 30 seconds. I want your help in looking into air cargo because it is out of our scope, but it's feeding into us. The infrastructure -- I wanted to tell you something, experience that I had. Lois, Martin Luther King a week ago. We have concerts and we have ball games and we have football and more than one Sunday. Constantly. We love it. It's great. Lois and Martin Luther King, the amount of traffic, three-minute red light, four-minute red light.

Luis Viera

10:14:56AM 30 seconds. Thank you. You can count so many cars. What made me think -- I was literally trapped. It's part of the deal. What made me think, as we keep growing, is there money being put up from outside into Drew Park as well? For 40 years before the Drew Park CRA, there were no capital improvements in Drew Park. That is a fact. And then TIF monies. We are getting a lot of traffic from other places, which means we're getting also the roads and so forth. I'll leave right now.

10:15:36AM Thank you, ma'am. Finish your thought. Invaded -- but inundated with a lot of traffic that is not Drew Park which is doing wear and tear into our community. It shouldn't all be on our bill.

10:15:55AM Thank you. We appreciate you. Any comments? Board member Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

10:15:59AM I wanted to say, I really did enjoy my tour. I highly recommend all of you take a look, especially about the safety and speed management study. I'm really glad to finally have this in front of us. Yeah, I really appreciate it. I'm really looking forward to the park. Your next update will be exciting to hear about all of these new changes coming. I want to say thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Luis Viera

10:16:24AM Thank you, ma'am. Anybody else? Thank you as always for your hard work and everyone on the board. I'm old enough to remember when Drew Park was in terrible places in mid to late 1990s, early 2000s. Council appropriated a lot of money for law enforcement with some of the whatever you want to call it. Great leaps and bounds forward for Drew Park. Thank you for your work. We appreciate you. Merry Christmas, happy holidays. Thank you very much. We appreciate you. Next, items two and four. For purposes of your monthly report, just approximately how long do you think you'll need?

Cedric McCray

10:17:05AM It will be brief. Couple few minutes.

Luis Viera

10:17:09AM Do a timer for ten.

Cedric McCray

10:17:10AM Good morning again. Cedric McCray, Tampa CRA director. As customary, we have our grants tracker and project tracker for your review. If there are no questions there, I just wanted to acknowledge one of our new team members, Ms. Taylor Faulkner. She has been hired as office support specialist 4. She was here earlier. Just wanted to acknowledge her coming on board and joining the team. One item I would like to bring to your attention. Normally we don't bring walk-ons on. I did mention this during our briefings earlier this week that the firefighters museum, the ordinance, we normally have those developed and Attorney Shepard will write them and then we have the suggested amount in there. When you all move forward with allocating the higher amount, we had to make an adjustment to the document that was created. So we've had some conversations with the clerk's office to correct that. And Attorney Shepard did update the document. So that is at your seat. I believe the full amount was $151,827.46. So that adjustment has been made. Just wanted to printing that to your attention for approval.

Lynn Hurtak

10:18:30AM I move the resolution.

Luis Viera

10:18:31AM Yes, ma'am. We have a motion to move the resolution by board member Hurtak. Seconded by board member Maniscalco. Any discussion? All in favor? Any opposed? Thank you. Go ahead, sir.

Cedric McCray

10:18:41AM Next item --

The clerk

10:18:46AM Motion carried unanimously with young being absent at vote and Clendenin being absent.

Cedric McCray

10:18:54AM The next item is the quarterly newsletter also at your dais. Hot off the press. Just received it yesterday for your review. We will be disseminating with our CACs and on our social media platforms. Any questions?

Luis Viera

10:19:12AM Any questions?

Cedric McCray

10:19:14AM Next, we would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge something we did last December to acknowledge some of our community advisory committee meetings members across all the CRAs. I believe we have several here to receive certificates. We will invite them up for you all to fawn over them, lack of better term or phrase, for their level of virtualism for either two to four years on the various CRAs. Dr. Paige Niehaus. From East Tampa, like to call up Ms. Aileen Henderson. From West Tampa, I would like to call up Ms. Sandra Sanchez. From Ybor City, arnold trueba. And then I believe we have manny calzon also here as well. Did I miss Anyone? Chris wojtowicz.

Luis Viera

10:20:22AM Mr. McCray, if you want to each individually say something about your time. No more than 30, 45 seconds, if you all wish, because we appreciate you all. My name is paige niehaus. I am the dale mabry campus president at Hillsborough College. It's been an integral part to be on the Drew Park CRA CAC and to be connecting with the businesses and the city on making the whole area be a better place for both the residents and the employers that are there. So thank you. As all of you know, I'm committed to West Tampa. I enjoyed my time on the CAC. I would like to return someday. Thank you.

10:21:09AM Thank you, ma'am. Aileen Henderson. I served on the East Tampa CAC. It was my pleasure to do that and my honor. But as you all know, cemeteries are my passion. So that's where I've decided to direct my energy. But thank you for that opportunity. I do hope to be able to join them again before they sunset. Thank you.

10:21:33AM Thank you, ma'am. Arnold trueba, representing Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Just wanted to tell you guys thank you. It's been an absolute pleasure and honor to be on this board. Little bittersweet since we're getting ready to leave Ybor City in a couple of years, but I appreciate everything you guys have done and looking forward to see what Ybor City has in a couple of years. Full-time resident in Historic Ybor City. I just wanted to say it's been an absolute pleasure working with all of you and with City staff and the various folks we've worked with through the years. Great pleasure of spending eight years on the CRA Board for one and two, serving the residents and workers and business owners that make Ybor City so wonderful. Thank you, guys.

10:22:30AM Thank you, sir. Anybody? It was a pleasure serving. I appreciate the opportunity. As the grandson of spanish immigrants who landed in Ybor City, it was a special blessing to be able to serve. So thank you.

10:22:53AM Thank you, sir. We appreciate you. Let's take comments from council members. Afterwards, if you want to get a picture up here with us, we'd love to have that. Board members, any comments? Board member Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

10:23:04AM I want to say thank you so much. The time and effort and energy you put toward this is immense. I remember from my neighborhood days. So absolutely really appreciate the work you're doing and did. The great thing is several of you have mentioned -- I mean, you want to come back. You want to serve again. I really hope that in the interim, if you are interested, we always have boards and commissions that do need people. Don't hesitate to reach out to our offices, to help you figure out or talk to CRA Staff, to help you figure out other ways you can be impactful, because all of you -- I can tell -- still want to remain and work on the different projects you're working on. We'd still love to have you be a part of the city. Thank you so much for your dedication and service.

Charlie Miranda

10:24:00AM Kind words to say, you don't remember what you've done, go back eight or ten years, look where you started at and what it is today, you say, wow, I was involved in this. There every week and month doing what you need to do to make the city look better. You don't realize what you have done. From all of us to all of you, muchisimas gracias. Thank you very much.

Guido Maniscalco

10:24:22AM Thank you for all your work and many of you here, like Ms. Henderson Mentioned, go above and beyond in other parts of the community. Sandy sanchez, president of Hillsborough College. Can I keep going. Your impact is felt beyond just that board. It's not just that board. We built relationships with many of you. We see that you serve in many different capacities. This is just one of the many wonderful things that you contribute to this community because you do make it a better place. The time is not wasted. It is wisely invested. The time that you have given, and you have brought positive change that we feel today and will continue to feel. Thank you very much.

Luis Viera

10:25:04AM Thank you. Anyone else?

Bill Carlson

10:25:09AM I echo everything my colleague said. Thank you for your time. It is a lot of work and effort. We appreciate your advice.

Naya Young

10:25:17AM Thank you for your time and effort.

Luis Viera

10:25:20AM Thank you. Yeah, we thank you all for your hard work. You don't get paid anything for it. You are all community members involved and stakeholders. Thank you guys very much. If you would like to come up for a picture. Is here the best place to do it?

10:25:35AM Thank you very much for doing that. Mr. McCray, was that all for you, sir?

Cedric McCray

10:26:51AM Yes. I am the Ybor City CRA development manager. I have the pleasure of introducing our consultant firm, hcp. They are going to be giving a presentation on the biennial resident and worker survey that you all requested. We have with us today Robert Allen with hcp as well as in the audience eric pollen.

Luis Viera

10:27:20AM It says a five-minute presentation. Do you need a little more than that? Comments. I'll move quickly through it. I think five minutes will be fine.

10:27:33AM I'll give you seven. I want to give your mustache a City Council commendation. Listen, you wear it well. Again, my name is Robert Allen. I'm the vice president at hcp associates. We've had the pleasure of working with the Ybor City development corporation and now the Tampa CRA. Over the last ten years, we have conducted this biennial, every two years, study of residents and workers in the Historic Ybor neighborhood. That includes CRA one and CRA two. That was in 2016 that we began that survey. This year, we interviewed or surveyed 253 residents and 206 workers. Again, residents, people living in the district. Workers, those who commute or otherwise some type of business relationship with the Ybor City area. Survey results largely grouped into four themes, retail priorities, mobility and parking, safety and cleanliness and CRA program awareness. The CAC did request that I speak predominantly on parking and safety concerns. This is the complicated part. We do a two-part question where we ask people to give scores on how important a particular community characteristic is and then how they feel that is delivered or represented in their local area. We create a metric from these two scores called the expectation gap. Like golf, the higher the score, the worse you are doing. Lower score is better, higher score little worse. Broadly speaking, we have defined expectation gap of two or greater as concern, something we need to look at and maybe identify challenges that either the residents or workers are reporting. Broadly in 2025, our residents expressed five major areas of concern. Affordable housing being number one, shopping, retail diversity number two, public area cleanliness, quality housing options and strong sense of personal safety to round out the top five. Things they doing well, art-filled streetscapes, good parking accessibility and festivals and events. Workers have a different perspective. Number one concern and substantially higher, four point expectation gap by is large. We have seen in all the surveys we do in not only ybor but other areas in the Tampa Bay area, that the average expectation gap has gone up. Some of this increase is just because of people having a little bit more of an opinionated nature. We still see affordable parking, strong sense of personal safety, good parking accessibility, public area cleanliness and incoming, outgoing traffic flow as top five issues for workers in the Ybor City area. There is a trend there. What we will note as I go through the rest of the slides is workers have a lot more of the concerns regarding transportation, parking, safety. What I wanted to show on this chart, first for residents, is how these expectations have shifted over the ten years that we have done this study. Personal safety for residents actually began as the number one expectation gap or the largest concern for the residents about ten years ago. That is now in fifth place in 2025, which is to say residents are expressing a much lower level of concern about their safety relative to other issues than ten years ago. You can view that as a win. Affordable housing has gone from nonissue to number one issue, perhaps unsurprising given costs and everything over the last five to six years. Where I want to call some more attention is on our worker solicited on this next one. Personal safety has always been very important for the workers. It remains around the same score we have seen in the past but it is now second place. Affordable parking, a fifth place or third place issue in the past is now number one. Again, expectation gap of over four does represent a sizable concern or a sizable dissatisfaction among the people we surveyed. Again, we have seen that kind of shift. Affordable parking for our workers and affordable housing for our residents. Briefly, we'll go over retail availability. Broadly speaking, residents and workers express dissatisfaction with retail shopping experience in Ybor City. We've seen a lot of feedback on this, a lot related to being able to find parking close to the businesses. A lot of things about operating hours, being able to grab lunch on your lunch break and not have to have a longer sit-down restaurant experience. I would be happy to talk a little more about that. Again, my focus is a little more on the transportation and the parking and the safety. Again, a lot of people are leaving the ybor district to do a lot of their shopping with only really boutique retail and things like restaurants being well met within the district. Let's talk about safety and cleanliness. Broadly speaking, slight majorities of our residents and workers are satisfied with personal safety when it comes to walking to their vehicle. That number is lower for our workers. When we look at the comment data in our survey, broadly speaking, this relates to walking back to your car or walking to the garage late at night. That's why we see a little bit less of this for our residents and a little bit more of this for our worker populations. 71% of our residents and 69% of workers believe that enhanced lighting should be prioritized in the district. Also similar numbers ask for more security cameras and more patrolling officers. Again, we're seeing a broad majority of both residents and workers expressing a support for multiple of these different safety enhancement options within the district. Broadly speaking, most of our commuters are still in a car-centric environment. We've seen a little bit of an uptick or shifts over the years, especially with covid, with people walking a little bit more. Overall, people are taking their cars to work. A lot of foot traffic obviously within the district. Multimodal and taking public transit has not seen a lot of uptick with the large and sizable exception of the streetcar which enjoys very large popularity and high approval rating as well for those who use the service. Workers, when we dig into specifics related to parking, and I think this is very important, they are not -- there's not so much of an issue with their being able to walk to their workplace and not have to walk too far from their parking spot. We see concerns related to satisfaction for the parking options available for the guests and the patrons of their businesses who either have to park in a garage or struggle to find street parking. This is a slight majority, right at 50% saying they are dissatisfied with the ability for clients, guests and customers to find parking in ybor. Residents --

10:34:45AM Another minute. Thank you very much. Resident concerns are very similar. They don't have so much of a problem finding their own parking, but if they want to have company, visitors and guests, they are, again, 40% are saying they have difficulty with their guests being able to find parking. These things can kind of reduce engagement with the district, as you can imagine. I'll go briefly over this. We still have a lot of room to move in terms of building the awareness of residents and workers of the different CRA programs offered in the Ybor City district. This is only for Ybor City residents, but I expect you would see similar numbers if you did the rest of the CRA districts. I'm almost done. Let me wrap up with this. Despite some of these challenges, broad numbers of residents and workers, 84% of our residents and 80% of our workers would still recommend Ybor City as a place to live, work, and play. People still love the district, but we do have some concerns that we did surface through this work. Thank you very much. I'm happy to answer any questions.

10:35:49AM Thank you very much. I saw first board member Carlson and board member Miranda, Maniscalco. Go ahead, sir.

Bill Carlson

10:35:55AM Thank you for doing this and presenting it. In regard to affordable housing, six, seven years ago, we as a board decided that 30% of the money should go to affordable housing across the board. Ybor City from the CAC, I've heard a lot of complaints about it, partly because there have been no projects. I met with developers and landowners and all kinds of people trying to figure out how to make deals happen. I don't know what the status is, but millions of dollars stockpiling in there. The good news is that now at least the broader community and the surveys saying we think it is a priority, too. Hopefully the CAC will buy into it and say it is important. And we have the money there. We just need to find projects. Second, the timing of this, was it before the most recent incidents or after?

10:36:47AM Before. That might have changed the safety concern. I know anecdotally still a lot of concerns about safety and good ideas in here about making sure cameras are working, which they didn't two years ago. At least one of them didn't. More lighting. I remember during the greco administration, they put real bright lights -- do you guys remember this years ago? That was too much. But if we had brighter lights or some suggestion, I don't know who can come up with that but that would be a good idea we could work on. And then generally, if there are any public safety recommendations. On the parking thing, what I've heard anecdotally, I don't know if the survey picked this nuance up. People are complaining about charging for the meters because it used to be free parking. We've seen that in our comment data.

10:37:42AM My office is on 7th, day job is on 7th. What would happen, the people working there would park on the street in front of our office and all the others all day long because it was free and there was no turnover of it. If you have a store, mine is not a retail store, if you have a store and you expect people to be able to come in and out, let's say you are blind tiger, if all the people working there take up the free spots on the street, there's no space for the customers. I understood the mobility and parking folks recommendation at the time. I guess we'll have to continue to monitor. Free parking in the garage for first two hours but charge on the street still.

10:38:22AM Anyway, thank you for the update.

Luis Viera

10:38:24AM Thank you, sir. Board member Miranda, Maniscalco, young --

Charlie Miranda

10:38:29AM Thank you for your fine presentation. Being born in Ybor City, I don't know much about today's item. But when you look back, it resembles a renaissance of what's coming back, what was there before. I've seen a change from one thing to another. Personal feeling like Tampa general and some landowners making a deal to put a hospital sort of, and you're going to have a lot more people working there. You're going to have a different type of employment. That's good I think. I think Ybor City is coming slowly but surely back to residential living. You're going to see a lot of changes in Ybor City in the next ten years. That's just my opinion from what I've seen the changes through the life cycle of Ybor City. It is a wonderful place where the mutual aid society started. We had what they call now social security taxes and social security benefits. We had that when we had nothing. Hospital offered you $3 a month, or $2 a month, doctor operation, whatever you needed, health care. That's coming back little by little. I think Ybor City is heading in the right direction little by little. Things that are not normal are going to happen and it could happen anywhere. Happen in downtown, happen in any part of the City of Tampa. People looking for trouble and they found it by an accident and that's how it is. That we see increasing are related increased engagement with and utilization of ybor. As ybor grows, some of these challenges are going to continue to grow, would be my expectation.

10:40:10AM Prior to '90s, nothing but tumbleweed, prostitution and drugs. Then changed it and it became a district of entertainment. Now it is changing little by little, the clubs that used to be worn out, they are beautiful now. And they are getting better. And we have to keep that in mind because those are things that really made Ybor City what it was. It was a gathering point of the whole neighborhood and that's what it is all about. Thank you very much for your report. Very enthusiastically involved in it.

Luis Viera

10:40:42AM Board member Maniscalco, young, Hurtak.

Guido Maniscalco

10:40:45AM I was walking in as I believe you were finishing up the slide about the parking on the streets and paid parking and how people are not -- the numbers have dropped for people going because they are complaining about the parking, is that correct? Parking comes from the comment data. Our hard numbers are more about affordable parking in general. We're not asking, are you mad that there is paid parking. People are volunteering the information in the open-ended comments. We do see that affordable parking rose from a fourth or fifth place concern to the number one concern for the working population in ybor in this most recent version of the study.

10:41:25AM I have a gentleman that weekly complains about how greedy we are with the parking. But council member Carlson brought up the fact that with the street parking, they may look at it at night when they would mark the tires, but during the day, people would be parking there all day. Businesses were saying there's no turnover. People take advantage. I told the gentleman, why don't you park literally 20 feet away where it is free two hour surface parking. Carmine's and all back there. He wants to park on the street and park where he wants and that's unreasonable. The threat is, I'm never going back to x business, not going to have breakfast here and whatnot because he doesn't want to do it. The options are there. Surface lots in the back or streetcar from here to Ybor City. The fares for now are covered. As was brought up, it's an issue of turnover. When the city removed the meters years ago and you had, if it was two hours or --

10:42:36AM Some people would take advantage and park all day, whether employees or visitors or whatnot, but we have other options. It's a matter of some people don't -- you know, they don't want to walk. There are different issues. The complaints I get, this is what I want. I want to park in front like I always have and whatnot. Thank you for the information.

Luis Viera

10:43:01AM Thank you, sir. Board member Young and then board member Hurtak.

Naya Young

10:43:05AM I wanted to say thank you, being this is in my district, this is very helpful to have this information. I appreciate you all taking the time and really doing this thorough research. I would say one of the favorite parts for me is the end, that the numbers, the percentage of people that recommend Ybor City to either live or work, I think that speaks to the community. People like, oh, we have a few things, but overall we really love being here and we want to make it as best as we can for everybody. I appreciate you all for doing the work. Thank you. Councilwoman, if you need more briefing on the information, please talk to one of the CRA managers and we would be happy to talk to you one on one.

Luis Viera

10:43:52AM Board member Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

10:43:55AM Thank you. Again, appreciate what you have done. I have more technical questions. It sounds like this from here, we need a lighting plan and we need a business parking plan. I was just wondering if maybe Ms. Thrower could talk about that and what possibilities, or if you have some possibilities and ideas about what we do with this data. Thank you.

10:44:24AM From Ms. Throw, do you have any -- is the CAC talking about funding a lighting plan? Or are we beginning the discussion of business parking plan?

Brenda Thrower

10:44:39AM So on the first question about a lighting plan, which is really -- we really haven't embraced doing a lighting plan. We've done a lot of lighting improvements along the corridor. Archway lights, which were more aesthetic. Did those a couple of years back. I do recall and Councilman Carlson mentioned when mayor greco lit up Ybor City. Councilman Miranda was on. It was too bright and they had to tone it down. We have TECO lights along the corridor. Main corridor, yes. I think when we're talking about lighting, it's mainly in some of the neighborhood areas back into maybe the south of 6th area and some of the surrounding. We do have the neighborhoods that we would work with on that. It is something we can do as part of our CRA and we'll definitely address that. The second question about the business plan, yes, there is also a concern about the garages and the signage and how it's directing people. Have reached out to manager revolt. He will be coming to our next meeting. We'll be talking with parking about not just the cost of parking, but also, they changed the system in parking in Ybor City. I don't know if you're aware, they went to the frictionless system. When you make a change like that, sometimes it throws people off. There is discussion we will be having. When our CAC does mention there is a need or something happening, we try to immediately get to the department and say let's talk about this. They have been very good about coming to the meeting. January we're having them come.

Lynn Hurtak

10:46:12AM Excellent. I appreciate that. Thank you so much for this. What the data, especially I really appreciate the way you have done the data over the last five cycles you've done this, it really shows people are spending more time in ybor and we have growing pains. So that's why I wanted to find out, like, what we're doing to help focus on those growing pains. I really love to hear it. I'm sure we'll hear something in the next six months or so about plans coming forward.

Brenda Thrower

10:46:43AM Absolutely. That is the purpose of doing the study is prioritize the needs, identify the needs, prioritize them and then work on those throughout our CRA program.

Lynn Hurtak

10:46:51AM Absolutely. I knew you would be on it. Thank you.

Luis Viera

10:46:56AM Thank you, board members. Anything else on the item?

Bill Carlson

10:46:59AM Add a couple of things real fast. Ybor, because we talk about how it's changing and evolving, now so many residents and soon thousands more, it's going to be a community again, not just an entertainment district, even though we don't have entertainment district categories. But many people that love it for what it was at different periods of time, from the '50s to '80s to the 2000s. What I found getting deeply into it, there are all these different groups that have a really different vision for what ybor should be. Some folks don't like other people's vision. I've been a part and maybe my colleagues too, several different conversations to build consensus. I think the consensus building is critical going forward. There are several different organizations. One of them that still exists which used to be the CRA is ycdc. Ycdc, Brenda has been to the meetings, I think some other folks too, the people that are members of all these other organizations, like the chamber and the CAC and others are able to go in there and have conversations. Tom Degeorge is maybe the head of the CAC now and the merchant association. He has two hats. But there are things the chamber doesn't want to do that maybe ycdc could do. So maybe we could all think about this and you all in the CAC and others could think about, is there some way to provide some start-up capital for ycdc? I don't know if cliff would let us do it. We can ask the question later. If we could get 50,000, hundred thousand ycdc to do consensus building and/or additional roundtable discussions about visioning for ybor, it would be incredibly valuable. We have vince and the folks around a long time giving input, people whose families have been around a long time. Merchants, artists, all kinds of folks. I think that would be really valuable. Ycdc seems to be a neutral ground that everybody is okay going to. Last piece, that maybe we want to include in either a roundtable discussion and/or your research next year, is to pull together maybe three or four five times a year a meeting of the HR managers for the companies in ybor. Some of them are so small they won't have HR managers. But the ones that have more than 10 or 20 employees, there are many. It would be interesting to talk to them about it. Our own staff, when we moved from downtown to ybor, they were at first afraid and thought they had to be escorted to the garages. Now they feel completely safe. But there is a perception out there that may inhibit HR managers from being able to hire certain people. We need to think about the messaging and the unified tools for companies to hire people. Slightly different type of questionnaire. We'd love to engage in something like that. Thank you.

Luis Viera

10:50:12AM Moving forward, item number 5, if I may. Mr. McCray, was there a formal presentation?

Cedric McCray

10:50:20AM No. just the memo. We wanted to provide an update that in conversation with Parks and Recreation, the work is slated to start on water works park. Site visit, February 9 and February 23 of next year.

Luis Viera

10:50:37AM A couple of remarks. This is an issue of tremendous importance to a lot of people. I want to make sure that when I talk about ADA accessibility, as I've said before for some of the projects and I'll be motioning for other things as well after looking at this list, I'm not just talking about the access of the park in terms of sidewalk, as important as that is, but also playground equipment that a person with a disability can use like we're doing at water works park. The reason I motioned for water works park as well as curtis hixon is because those are central parks to the City of Tampa. Every park should have this, but especially these parks that are so popular. I think that's very, very important. This is something obviously very substantive for a lot of families with kids who have disabilities, whether it is autism, down syndrome, intellectual disability, physical disability, whatever it may be as well as symbolic and substantive. It is something that is important. Imagine raising somebody with a disability, again, whether down syndrome and intellectual disability, autism and different challenges you have starting with the school systems, iep, health care, including recent cutbacks on medicaid on the federal level, whether mobility issues, challenges with getting from a to b and getting to work, et cetera. Whether it's issues like housing, accessible housing, something so difficult for people with disabilities, whether it's jobs, whether it's internships that get you to first base potentially. I know we'll continue to be talking about that in the City of Tampa. Or whether cultural issues. We've seen recently the remarkably low respect that some of our fellow americans have for families raising people with intellectual disabilities. Something that should disgust every decent person or every person that stepped foot in a church, house of worship, synagogue or mosque. For me this is a very important issue. I know all of us on Tampa City Council we have in New Tampa the all abilities park, the first City of Tampa park to be funded by the city that is a uniquely all abilities park. We should have that in East Tampa, in West Tampa and in South Tampa, all throughout the City of Tampa. These are very, very important things. I'm going to be making a motion. Obviously, folks can talk and so forth, but for CRA Staff to return, we can do it next month, potentially, if you need more to him, Mr. McCray, let me know after I describe it. Which will be on the status of disability accessible playground equipment in four areas, number one in channelside. I see some descriptions here. I don't know if that is accessibility to the park itself. Granted, if you are in a wheelchair, it's great to reach the park, but if you can't ride a ride, what the hell difference does it make. That's part one. Number 2 is Julian b. Lane. I don't know if there's any accessible equipment there. Number three is perry Harvey park. Number four -- and this is really important -- the East Tampa rec center. Any disability accessible equipment going to be there? I believe that it is, because we were told that it was going to be. I believe that it is. So I want to check on that. If I may, council, again, for channelside, Julian b. Lane, perry Harvey, and the East Tampa rec center on what disability accessibility equipment is there. Just a written report. That's my motion. Mr. McCray, is that good -- do you need more time for that?

Cedric McCray

10:54:19AM I did have a question. Parks and Recreation would be the one to generate that report or facilitate that. Did you want us to look at that on the CRA side?

Luis Viera

10:54:27AM CRA, yes, sir. Working with parks and rec, let's have parks and rec here in case we have questions. Again, the report should suffice. All I need is what's there, again, with the East Tampa park, are there plans for something there? I know we have a ribbon cutting coming up, is it going to be there at the ribbon cutting? That's important. That's my motion, if I may.

Lynn Hurtak

10:54:52AM So there is a motion by Chair Viera. There is a second by board member Miranda.

Bill Carlson

10:55:03AM He brought up a good point. Is there a way you could say that you would like the CRA Staff to work with city park staff to evaluate what is there? But then the role of the CRA Staff would be to identify their recommendations for what's not there?

Luis Viera

10:55:22AM Yes, sir.

Bill Carlson

10:55:25AM That way there is a delineated role between the CRA and City staff.

Luis Viera

10:55:29AM I'm fine with that. This report would be what's there and what is planned there in terms of the East Tampa rec center. Once we find out what is there, I would be fine with that. I don't want to put so much work on them in a month. All I want to know, like checking a box, yes or no. yes or no or no.

Lynn Hurtak

10:55:48AM Would you like a written report?

Luis Viera

10:55:50AM Yes.

Lynn Hurtak

10:55:51AM Are you comfortable with the motion?

Luis Viera

10:55:55AM Be prepared to take questions on it, et cetera. But there won't be a verbal report that's necessary, if that makes sense.

Lynn Hurtak

10:56:05AM I have a motion and a second. All in favor? Any opposed?

Luis Viera

10:56:09AM Thank you, board. Thank you, Mr. McCray. That's for our January meeting, if I may. Sir, if for some reason you find you need additional time, call me. It's all good. Yes, ma'am, go ahead.

Lynn Hurtak

10:56:22AM I'm going to motion to move items 9, 10, 11, 12. They are all our appointments.

Luis Viera

10:56:30AM We have a motion by board member Hurtak for 9, 10, 11, 12. Seconded by board member Miranda. All in favor? Any opposed? Okay. Thank you very much, board members. Next we'll move to 13. Before that, in case she needs to leave, sophia -- I wanted to recognize, if I may, my intern, sophia, who is such a wonderful young lady who will be leaving us. [ encoder technical difficulties ] I hope to see you all soon. Thank you. [ applause ]

11:03:44AM Any comments, council? If I may, I'd love to go out with you for coffee or something. Brandon, let's set that up to talk about law school, stuff like that. It's not funny. Sad, actually. When Councilwoman Henderson passed on, I was in Alabama and bought two books that I didn't get to give her because she passed on. I'll give one to you. Very sweet of you to talk about her. God rest her soul.

11:04:36AM Mr. McCray, correct me if I'm wrong, you want to do 13 before 6.

Cedric McCray

11:04:41AM Yes. If we could go ahead and take care of 6 because we have other staff here.

Luis Viera

11:04:50AM Let's do number 6. Board member Carlson.

Bill Carlson

11:04:54AM My aide made four sets -- I think four sets -- four or five sets of both of the documents. If you guys are against this completely just vote to approve the existing one, if you are open to it, I'll quickly take you through what I think are some of the big changes. Do you want me to do that?

Luis Viera

11:05:14AM I'm open to it. I'll hear you out. I have no problem with it.

Bill Carlson

11:05:20AM The document that I wrote is -- has draft contract on the top left. And I think this is on onbase. Whereases are pretty much the same. I realized that the prior versions -- by the way, we revised this seven years ago. It's not unusual that we would edit it. I realized that in the documents, it talked about City Council interchangeably with the CRA Board and the CRA. So I put in different terms to separately talk about the CRA Board, the Tampa CRA, et cetera, so that it was all completely clear because in an agreement, it's an agreement between the city and Tampa CRA, but the City Council and the CRA Board would both have to agree to it. Besides that, these are pretty much the same. If you get to page 4 where it says purpose, I wrote all of this. As I mentioned, I'm not a lawyer, but I write contracts for my own business and clients. You might disagree with some of it, but just in principle, the idea is to put in what a CRA is. I put this in obligation of the tax-paying public just to try to set the CRA districts, there is an opportunity cost of CRA districts not spending money on police and fire and other General Fund operations. So it's an investment not just of the people in the district, but an investment in the entire city and the district. And then there is a larger name for the Tampa CRA but then a shortened version. Branding, this gets in an area where cliff will warn us a little bit, but branding here just doesn't mean running ads telling people what the CRA is. It is just saying that we have a separate logo and that that logo should be used on CRA projects so that people know separately identified as CRA project. On communication, we talked about this before. We're going to get or we have our own communication person. When that happens, we can separately communicate. Again, we can't do it for marketing purposes but just for the purposes of communicating with the public to let them know what is a CRA investment is important. There are times when the communication department at the city takes the initiative and makes announcements, and they don't include the CRA or don't include sufficient CRA designation. Example was the rebricking of ybor, which looked like a city announcement. So the public got upset that we were using money that could have been used on potholes to put bricks in. Also, there was one a couple of weeks ago JC Newman, although it mentioned CRA, what this communicates is that just like the city would respect NAACP or any other organization that they are working with, the idea here is that the CRA can make a post and then the city can repost it, but if the city in effect tries to take credit of a CRA project without identifying the CRA, not just about politics, it's the public not understanding why you are spending the money. It explains here on the next page, 6, that there is a strategic plan that we all worked on, which is not the community redevelopment plans. It is a strategic plan for the overall CRA. And then it explains what the community redevelopment plans are. It explains what a CRA attorney would do. In the prior document, which I helped negotiate seven years ago, we created the position of the executive director. Realizing the nuance of it, the old document calls the person a director. A director is a specific budgeted HR designation within the city. I think that's separate from the compensation level equivalent to the city is different than what we call the person. This is a separate entity. I think it should be called executive director. Also, I've been told by members of the community that it should more clearly designate here that the executive director reports to us. In the prior version, it does say that. It says the person has a dotted line to the mayor for administrative purposes. Because of Nicole and alis filling in the position temporarily, some people think the position reports to the head of economic development, which is not true. It was never in the contract seven years ago.

Luis Viera

11:10:02AM Do you want one more minute?

Bill Carlson

11:10:03AM Yes, please.

Luis Viera

11:10:05AM Two minutes.

Bill Carlson

11:10:06AM First time, clarifies on page 7 that the CRA Staff report to the executive director. Of course, they have to follow the HR rules and other things, but it needs to be clear that if the CRA executive director doesn't have authority over the staff, then we have a problem. There are some ordinances regarding the arts. This was a huge discussion a couple of years ago, but it just clearly designates that the arts person is not just working on public art and is working on arts in general and reports to the executive director. It talks about third parties, funding and approval proposals. Whole list in the existing document of things that the city would do. We are more and more changing to be a grant making organization. We don't need to have the staff to implement a project if the city is a partner and city getting funding from the CRA, the city can implement. Otherwise, we're providing funding to other groups to implement. On page 9, it talks about city requests, that city requests need to be fully disclosed and that they should not get preferential treatment. They should not be taken out of the budget until they are approved. They need to be put in the basket with everybody else. It has some services here that are provided by the city. We have to follow the purchasing rules and legal rules of the city, so that is in there. It describes on page 10, other city involvement. And then the rest of it is kind of the same. The only thing is that I think we need -- we need to look more carefully every year at how much we are spending a year. Seven years ago, I think we were spending a million and a half and now close to 3 million. That is still only 3% or whatever of the overall costs but we need to look at how that is allocated. My recommendation -- my request to you would be that you ask the CRA Staff and the City staff to work with us individually to get feedback and come back with a revised version of this a month from now for approval.

Luis Viera

11:12:09AM Thank you, sir. Board member Hurtak, board member Maniscalco.

Lynn Hurtak

11:12:12AM I appreciate these specifics. It would be helpful, we talked about some line item stuff just because it can be hard to go back and forth and just see what's different. But I will say, I really do appreciate how you're trying to get this -- focus on getting it under the CRAs purview. Because I did notice -- I meant to ask, but I, quite honestly, didn't know who to ask. We evaluate our aides every year, but technically then we should be evaluating --

Bill Carlson

11:12:53AM That's in the prior contract.

Lynn Hurtak

11:12:55AM Yeah. I haven't gotten that. We should also be evaluating Ms. Kopesky and all that, but that's not happening. I'm not quite sure who is in charge of that. It shouldn't be anyone in the city. It should be us because the director reports to us. I do agree, I would second your motion to work with I guess Ms. Zelman's office and whoever else we would need to do to make sure that this sort of fits. The only thing I would like in your motion is to make sure that when talking to us directly, that if there are any concerns, that they are brought up to us then and not in the CRA setting. Like we need to have talked those out behind the scenes individually with City staff and our CRA Staff and then talk about it together. I don't want them to come forward and say, well, we disagree with this and disagree with that one when we could have done it behind the scenes and tried to hammer it out. Yeah, I would like to get this done. I definitely agree on moving some things around. So thank you.

Luis Viera

11:14:11AM Board member Maniscalco, go ahead, sir.

Guido Maniscalco

11:14:13AM So in looking at this, I'm trying to find any gotchas, anything that really stands out that is absurd or ridiculous, and I don't see that. But I want to look at this further and then in comparison with the other services, existing services agreement here, would there be any objection as has been proposed for taking another month and then we look at the legalities and everything about this?

Cedric McCray

11:14:45AM Tampa CRA director. As a point of procedure, we have provided a draft, and it was updated by Attorney Shepard in September and again in November it was before you. If it is the pleasure of the board to step away from that, we would request that there be an approval of that or you all decide to go in a different direction and then we would need to -- and that has come up for the director and Attorney Shepard to have conversations with the city and administration related to the agreement.

Guido Maniscalco

11:15:22AM If we are to vote down item number 6, what has been proposed, services agreement and we look at continuing or going into January on the Carlson version as it says, and if we disagree on the Carlson version, can we go back to the original services agreement -- if we vote it down today, can we revive it and bring it back in January is what I'm saying?

Cedric McCray

11:15:49AM Yes. I will yield to Attorney Shepard. I know he may want to opine on that also.

Luis Viera

11:15:58AM Mr. Shepard, go ahead.

Cliff Shepard

11:15:59AM I think that's going to depend largely on how we are received at the City staff level. I have zero feedback from anyone, which is not pointing fingers. I'm just saying I don't know whether they think this is an okay agreement that they can talk about and we can get somewhere or they are dead set against it. I wish I could give more guidance on that. My presumption is they don't want the CRA to go away, so if we vote this down today, it should be able to be brought back up. But as I understand the situation that we're in, we are currently proceeding if we vote it down without an agreement for services. So that may at some future date become an issue. But for the moment, I think we're okay.

Luis Viera

11:16:43AM Board member Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

11:16:45AM I'm not in disagreement or agreement with anything, but I like to compare this word by word, letter by letter, page by page. Page 9 reading it right now quickly, per the agreement the city will provide the following personnel to the Tampa CRA. It doesn't say shall. There is a difference. I'm not a lawyer, but there is a difference. Executive director, CRA, communication director, CRA district manager, and then administrative assistant. Then the bottom line on the second one, says in addition, the city will provide the following services of the CRA. Human resources, legal purchasing, information technology, office space and services. So what is the difference?

Bill Carlson

11:17:28AM That's just lifted --

Charlie Miranda

11:17:30AM Say shall or will?

Bill Carlson

11:17:34AM That's the kind of feedback.

Charlie Miranda

11:17:36AM I'm not a lawyer, but I know it means a difference in a legal matter.

Bill Carlson

11:17:39AM That is the kind of thing we can give them feedback on.

Luis Viera

11:17:42AM And I have a question. Are you finished, sir? Board member Miranda?

Charlie Miranda

11:17:47AM I'm finished.

Luis Viera

11:17:48AM I have a question. With these proposed changes, I have no problem with discussing them or anything of that nature. Can we approve this and then amend?

Lynn Hurtak

11:18:01AM I would be really uncomfortable doing it without talking to our City Legal staff. I'm particularly interested in legal staff because, yes.

Bill Carlson

11:18:17AM I wanted to say a couple of things, board member Maniscalco said he didn't see a gotcha. My intent in doing this is simply clarify because I think there is a lot of confusion about what's what. For example, a big piece of confusion is, who do the CRA Staff report to? Based on nodding heads, we agree it should report to the executive director. It still includes the executive director reports to the mayor for administrative reasons. I took the language from the other document. We're not taking any powers away from the city. If the city, if there were implied powers that the city thought they had, this might take them away. Remember, we are the city also and we're City Council. There would not be any kind of gotcha that takes away from the city because we are the city and the CRA Board. The intent of this is only to clarify and try to guide this going forward. When I joined seven years ago, they were tightly connected. CRA was paying half of the economic development person's salary, and it wasn't presented as a separate organization. I would just ask, again, that we -- I make a motion that we ask City staff and CRA Staff to come back a month from now with feedback with a revised version based on, a revised contract based on feedback from the board members.

Lynn Hurtak

11:19:47AM I would specify City Legal staff.

Bill Carlson

11:19:52AM But Mr. Shepard Has to look at it, too.

Lynn Hurtak

11:19:55AM I know. Saying City Legal staff.

Bill Carlson

11:19:59AM CRA Staff and City Legal staff.

Luis Viera

11:20:05AM Motion by board member Carlson, second by board member Hurtak. Any further comments?

Cedric McCray

11:20:11AM No. I just wanted to remind the board that traditionally, once the fiscal year started, this agreement has already been approved by the board. Technically now we are somewhat out of compliance.

Lynn Hurtak

11:20:24AM I did hear Mr. Shepard say that we should be okay because that was going to be my question and he answered it. As long as Mr. Shepard is okay, I am okay.

Bill Carlson

11:20:33AM It doesn't change the budget. All of that is lifted directly from the old document.

Luis Viera

11:20:39AM Board member Young.

Naya Young

11:20:39AM Say we want to look at this further. What would that look like? What would be the process for that?

Lynn Hurtak

11:20:53AM That's what he just made the motion for. We'll let City Legal staff and CRA Staff talk about it and then they'll come to each of us individually and talk about it and then talk about it again in January.

Bill Carlson

11:21:09AM The motion included -- I said that they would come back with a revised agreement, and it could be a hybrid between the two. The idea is just to listen to us and based on the feedback of the CRA Board create a revised agreement for us to ideally approve in January.

Luis Viera

11:21:28AM We have a motion by board member Carlson. Seconded by board member Hurtak. Anything further?

Cedric McCray

11:21:33AM Also keep in mind if we're coming back, our deadline for January items are next week. So that gives us roughly about two weeks to kind of pull this all together. I know we are approaching the holiday season. If Attorney Shepard is meeting with the requested parties as well as you all individually, I want to make sure that we have enough time to do that and the board members will be available.

Lynn Hurtak

11:21:57AM I honestly, it's our board, so I think we could waive those rules and have it be available when it's available. We'll try to put it in onbase as quickly as possible. We don't need to follow city procedures. We can follow our own procedures.

Bill Carlson

11:22:17AM We've gotten e-mails from the community about additional recommendations the community has had. I think those could be filtered through each of us. If you all like their ideas and present it to them, if you don't --

Luis Viera

11:22:28AM Thank you. We have a motion by board member Carlson. Seconded by board member Hurtak. All in favor? Opposed?

Lynn Hurtak

11:22:36AM I guess I make a motion to waive the rules to put this in onbase whenever Mr. Shepard is comfortable with a draft.

Luis Viera

11:22:45AM We have a motion by board member Hurtak. Seconded by board member Maniscalco. All in favor? Any opposed?

Bill Carlson

11:22:52AM In the meantime, as place-holders, they could do like we did today and have both existing additions, maybe with a cover note that says these will be hybrid put into one.

Luis Viera

11:23:04AM Thank you, board. Next, sir, you wanted to do 13. Roughly how long do you think you'll need for the presentation?

Cedric McCray

11:23:12AM Ten minutes.

Luis Viera

11:23:14AM Thank you. I set, by the way, legal phone calls at 12:15 for my practice for anticipation of lunch. 12:15, I'll have to leave. For api, which is an architectural design firm. We've been working with the city on both the wayfinding and gateway wayfinding program for Tampa, which I'm presenting today, as well as the multi-district project, which is the four CRAs downtown. I was up here earlier wearing my volunteer hat. Today right now I'm wearing my professional hat. Is the presentation up? So I'm going to talk today about first what we've done. We completed the first three phases of this project and then get into at the end design concepts. The goal is to get input from you and choose a design concept to move forward with. In the first phase, discovery and analysis, we had a kickoff meeting with the City staff team. We had a kickoff meeting with the CAC members, and received a lot of great input that we've implemented into the program. We set objectives and goals. We developed a detailed analysis of where -- of the survey of East Tampa looking into the history, the analysis of where vehicular and maybe pedestrian and gateway signs would go. We looked at circulation patterns. Based on all of that, we developed a circulation strategy that was specific for East Tampa. In the second phase, in programming, we've had a monthly meeting with CRA Staff. In this phase, we had discussions with F.D.O.T. Certain regulations. Pretty much -- actually, all of the streets in East Tampa are 35 miles or higher, which means that we would have to use six inch copy. We were able to work with them and get that essentially most signs now can be the four inch copy. There are just two roads where we are able to -- have to do five inch copy. That is a big cost difference. The four inch versus six inches. So that was very important. We developed the navigational strategy for gateways and vehicular signs. Prototypical messages for the signs. And sign location sign and started to locate where each of the signs would be. Additionally, we developed a draft destination inclusion criteria of the destinations that we would include based on our meetings with the CACs, they wanted to include cemeteries and include a lot of the parks. Phase 3, concept design, which we have completed. In this phase, we develop signage concepts. We met with -- we did review with the ADA department to get -- to make sure that we were in compliance, which we are. We further developed the sign location plan. We've done a lot of field surveys to the site. We then presented our concepts and our findings to the CAC, East Tampa CAC back in September and received their input. The final part of this project is today, presenting to you. I just want to go over a few of the summary recommendations that we made for this program. First and foremost was establish an iconic gateway signage for the neighborhood. East Tampa, as you're well aware, is a very large neighborhood. I think the second largest of all the CRAs. It is number one. Okay. I wasn't sure. Anyway, one of our concepts was that there is a lot of area to cover in a very -- and very inexpensive way to cover that with place making is through inexpensive vinyl banners. You'll see that as part of our program. Cohesive signage system that reflects the community's cultural identity, the pride and unique character. We wanted to boost visibility and accessibility of key destinations and landmarks. We wanted to incorporate sign elements and implement branding and story telling that celebrates East Tampa's rich history and heritage. Very importantly, we heard very clearly from the CAC when we presented to them for introductory mowing that they wanted to have input on the design, on where we put gateways. So we recommended that there be some sort of stakeholder input. What resulted based on the contract that we had with the city, the best way to approach it while still remaining in our contract was to do an online survey. I want to point out that for the multi-district project, no stakeholder -- we presented to the CACs, but there was no individual stakeholder input or survey that was done for those projects. So for the survey, this was all coordinated through City staff. It was sent out in mid July and open for about two weeks and went out to about 500 contacts. It was also sent to an e-mail list. There were a total of 11 questions for people to answer and there were 44 responses. I think what you have in front of you is the full survey. I'm just going to hit the highlights. The questions that we asked, what do you love most about East Tampa? What is the most iconic or identifiable thing? What differentiates East Tampa from the rest of the community? Where would you recommend locating primary and secondary gateway signs? We had color palettes and asked them to choose up to two. Also design styles for gateway signs and wayfinding signs and asked them to select their favorites. So we do have a key takeaway in your document as well as the results for all the questions. I'm going to skip to, so some of the things that came through, we did a word diagram. Historic, community, diverse, this is all the vibe of East Tampa. Cultural, neighborly, evolving, generational, walkable, greenspaces and quiet. There are a couple of comments that really stood out to us. It is the heart of the African American community. It has a lot of historical roots. Essential location convenient to accessing all parts of Hillsborough county. This slide shows a summary of the aesthetics. The top images were the ones that were -- received the highest votes in terms of gateway signs and way-finding signage. There's some historical nature to those signs but a bit of modern as well. Color palette at the bottom. Something that really struck us, mentioning this is the heart of the city, we actually mapped East Tampa where it lies within the quadrants of the city limits. The northeast part of East Tampa does sit at the intersection. So that informs a little bit of the design that we came up with. We presented this to the CAC, as I mentioned, but we want to make them aware -- we knew they wanted a sign system that was different that is being done for the multi-district projects. This represents the multi-district. On the left is ybor. We wanted it to be different from that. We also became aware of the logo that was being used for the CRA action plan. And it was already being implemented in stamped concrete and other places. That will appear in some of the concepts that we show. I was informed that some reason if you're able to switch to this, somehow the pdf got messed up.

Lynn Hurtak

11:32:18AM T and I, can you switch to the wolf? This is the correct version. In this first option, this is the one that was most historic in nature and incorporates more historic-type poles. We branded East Tampa at the top. For all of these, all the signs, there is a primary gateway sign, three of those, three secondary gateway signs, then vehicle directionals. Treat the back of the signs. Also incorporated a banner design that's meant to incorporate historical images. It could be photographs or it could be artwork. Now we can switch back to the presentation. Next page. This is showing it in context, the gateway sign. The second concept, gets inspiration from the obelisk that is there, identified as one of the most iconic elements. We also incorporated the tagline "at the heart of it all" referencing it being the center. On the back side, we start to bring in a subtle patterning that picks up on the CRA logo. Option three has a brick base. This, again, combines the historic nature with the more modern. Has curvature to it at the top. This is the other one messed up. I don't think I need to switch. The yellow is not supposed to be on the obelisk. Option 4 and option 5, we pick up on that CRA action plan logo. This has for the gateway sign illuminated totem, pattern, light at night. This has individual slips for each of the destinations. Option five is, again, this got messed up in the pdf somehow. We are -- the are should be next to the we. That incorporates the line "we are East Tampa." We also received ballpark pricing from a few different fabricators. We have a total budget of about $660,000, and we're coming in at about 620,000. I will just mention that the feedback from the CAC, it was almost unanimous that they preferred option four. The CAC members also went back to their neighborhoods and got input. One of the groups of neighborhoods chose option three as their favorite. Another one shows option one. That's it.

11:35:34AM Yes. Board member Maniscalco.

Guido Maniscalco

11:35:35AM I like option one, but the CAC chose --

11:35:42AM All right. Thank you very much.

Lynn Hurtak

11:35:44AM Board member Young.

Naya Young

11:35:46AM I want to say that, one, thank you all for doing this, I think it's really important. I think signage is important. It gives a sense of place. My only concern, Cedric and I, we did our briefing, we spoke about this, is the number of responses. I know it's very difficult to get community to participate. I've done community engagement before, I mean -- talking to people outside of grocery stores, gas stations, all those things to get a few extra responses. I don't know like going forward, as far as the signage, what it looks like, if we have to make a decision today, but for me and just knowing the amount of history that is in East Tampa and knowing, again, that sense of place is really important, when I see that number, the community engagement person in me is like oooh. Again, going forward, I don't know if we're able to have time or something to put it out at least one more time now that we've spoken about it and maybe going back to the neighborhood groups again. Heck, if I got to stand outside a grocery store, I'll do it. I don't even mind that. I see that number. I'll bring it up again, said it already, I would be remiss if I did not say looking at that number was like, man, I wish that we could get a little bit more participation.

Lynn Hurtak

11:37:31AM Just knowing there's cost involved with that. We would have to up the cost.

Naya Young

11:37:37AM How much would that be?

Lynn Hurtak

11:37:43AM We would have to renegotiate the contract.

Naya Young

11:37:47AM Even putting it on social media? Facebook, and they received a lot of feedback. You might have more to say about several of the CAC members went out into the communities. We heard back I believe from three of the CAC members themselves. I'm not sure how many of them actually did go out. But more than 44 people weighed in on the sign design.

11:38:16AM You said more than 44? Survey.

11:38:23AM How many people weighed in on the sign design?

Cedric McCray

11:38:29AM Tampa CRA director. I can't say specifically what the total number was. I know for the online survey portion there were 44 responses. Keep in mind, board members, that when we went through the restructuring last year, there are ex officio seats on the East Tampa CAC and they are all connected to a neighborhood group or association. And we also asked them to solicit their feedback. We did have some that followed suit. And solicited those responses. We provided that to Mr. Bryce Fehringer, on our team, and then it went to api as a consultant. I would like to highlight that because of some of the difficulty in getting responses and soliciting feedback during the conversations very early on, we decided to do an online survey to go one step above of what was done with the wayfinding signage for the urban core. So that's something, because we understand it is more difficult sometimes to collect that information and api was able to work with us to get that done.

Naya Young

11:39:39AM I know we talked about it, but I have to say it. Again, signage is important. It is a sense of place and tells kind of where you are and you want to be proud of what that signage is and representative of community. I just have to put it out there. Whatever we all decide to do.

Lynn Hurtak

11:40:02AM Board member Carlson.

Bill Carlson

11:40:04AM Our screens are stuck on concept two. Possible somebody could move it to concept 4 and maybe flash the public one more time just to show them. While they are doing that, out of the budget, how much of it is --

Lynn Hurtak

11:40:22AM Can you move it forward to 4? Thank you.

Bill Carlson

11:40:27AM What percentage of the budget is the directional signs versus the monument or landmark signs? Talking about the budget or actual ballpark pricing? There are budget numbers for each. The budget number for the gateway signs is about 400,000. And for the wayfinding is 200 something. Because we're only doing three primary and two secondary gateway signs, the ballpark pricing came in about 120,000 for the gateway signs themselves and the rest about 500,000 for the wayfinding signs.

11:41:07AM Having been involved in a lot of these exercises, I know how difficult it is to get consensus. I agree with my colleague. Ideally we would have had more input. Can I just ask -- maybe I missed this in the beginning, but where did the idea initiate? Who asked for the signs? Did the board ask or CAC ask? Whose idea was this?

Cedric McCray

11:41:31AM Actually the CAC several years ago. Ms. Burton was just here. I believe she was on the community advisory committee for East Tampa. There was a conversation about establishing some type of gateway signage as you come into East Tampa and then also wayfinding.

Bill Carlson

11:41:48AM Another thing, a difference between concept two, for example, and concept four, concept four says welcome to, where -- in the graphics, you can't see the t on the monument sign. I assume that is a conversion error or something. I think welcome to is safer than having a tag line, because getting consensus on a tag line is going to be really difficult. It's hard enough to get consensus on colors and design. But I wish we could do more public outreach, but other than that, I would just support what the CAC recommended. Thank you.

Luis Viera

11:42:28AM Thank you, sir. Board member Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

11:42:30AM Thank you. I agree, if we can do more outreach. My only concern is they have been working on this for like three-plus years. I'm concerned about spending more time on it. But I am concerned as well. My question is, to go back to one of the first things you showed was the downtown signage. I asked this question to Director McCray in our briefing, but how did the downtown, how were they able to do actual neighborhood signs and we can't do that for East Tampa? Because East Tampa is not a neighborhood. East Tampa is a region of the city. The neighborhoods, we have over a dozen neighborhoods in East Tampa. So I wanted to know how we were allowed to spend money on signage in downtown focused on their individual neighborhoods, but we're not allowed to do that for East Tampa.

Cedric McCray

11:43:32AM So the information I have is that the Downtown Partnership was involved in that process, and they facilitated that and are covering that expense.

Lynn Hurtak

11:43:41AM I appreciate that. So the only other thing I would love to know, and, again, if this is a little bit extra, maybe we can -- I would like to know what it might look like -- this would be the city side. This would be City Council hat. What it would look like to have neighborhood signs developed and created so as money becomes available, we can actually have signage designed for each individual neighborhood. Having different designs for each neighborhood?

11:44:23AM No. based on whatever the chosen design is, have something -- again, I don't know if we can do this with CRA dollars or not. Just finding -- I'm looking at number four right now. Having the neighborhood sign emulate, use this design and then the city then could pay for them as time allows. Maybe a few a year, but that way we update all of East Tampa because it is not a neighborhood, and I think that saying it is a neighborhood -- it is the largest CRA in the state. It is a giant geographical area. And what concerns me is we only have three entrances when it is gigantic. For me, it's very hard to wrap my head around how we're really going to get people to understand this is East Tampa without having more of these signs. Again, that's a concern I have, but if we're going with what we have now, I'm fine with it. I just want to know that in the future, in the CRA, we may choose to add more signage and then also to have something prepared for the individual neighborhoods themselves.

Luis Viera

11:45:46AM Thank you. Board member Carlson.

Bill Carlson

11:45:49AM I agree with the point about neighborhoods. Before I got on council, did I several pro bono logos for neighborhoods. It's really difficult to come up with, again, consensus in even a neighborhood as to what a neighborhood should look like and how it should be depicted. I think in the '90s, the city put out the beige signs that have the neighborhood -- yeah, I agree. I haven't liked them since the '90s. Out there for all the neighborhoods and it doesn't help differentiate the neighborhoods at all. I wish we could individually brand neighborhoods. But that's probably going to be like a second or third phase. I wanted to say, there's also a maintenance issue. In Hyde Park, the Hyde Park neighborhoods pay extra. They collect money themselves and pay extra to get historic-looking signs, but even though they pay for it, they have been having a hard time getting the city to fix and repair the signs. And this is in Hyde Park. One concern I have that we definitely need to address is who is going to pay for the maintenance and replacement of the signs? A car hits a sign, somebody knocks over a sign, somebody throws paint on it, who is going to pay for the repair and replacement of it? Because the last thing we need is to have 600, 700 thousand dollars worth of beautiful signs that have a whole bunch defaced and folks in East Tampa say, well, the city is not supporting us because there's extra cost. Just a footnote to think about. Also, I asked while Ms. Burton was out where the genesis of this came from. You said that maybe she was involved. Could I just ask Ms. Burton -- connie, does this answer the question that when you were chair of the CAC, does this answer the question that you asked for in having signage? Connie burton. Just one board member. These were not our first priorities, but members of the board did request this.

11:47:55AM It was something initiated when you were chair? And I voted no.

Luis Viera

11:48:03AM Thank you, sir. Anyone else? Yes, ma'am.

Lynn Hurtak

11:48:06AM I think we need to have something going forward. Are we going to ask for more input? Are we going to allow the CAC's choice to move forward? What are we going to do?

Luis Viera

11:48:20AM Board member Young.

Naya Young

11:48:21AM I will move forward if we are able to -- I don't know -- maybe put in future plans, like Councilwoman Hurtak was say being the neighborhoods, what would that look like going forward?

Guido Maniscalco

11:48:40AM [Inaudible] -- we would see about the funding and financing and individual neighborhood signs to match the motif of what the CAC wanted -- or voted to support, which is concept four.

Lynn Hurtak

11:48:56AM Just looking at it, it seems like the secondary gateway sign to be the perfect sign for a neighborhood.

Guido Maniscalco

11:49:01AM Yeah. Speaking from a design consultant perspective, not for the CRA. But there are certainly ways to incorporate neighborhoods onto the signs. We do it in many cities. Director McCray, if you want to speak to that.

Lynn Hurtak

11:49:25AM The issue is legally we cannot do that. We're only allowed to do wayfinding under CRA dollars. That's why City Council would have to take on the responsibility of the neighborhood. It is a money logistical thing. We need to follow the rules.

Luis Viera

11:49:40AM Do we have a motion? If you would like to. No pressure.

Naya Young

11:49:56AM To do more public outreach, it would cost. I just want to be clear. Coordinated by the CRA team, I don't think there would be additional cost. That's something that we'd have to speak to -- Director McCray.

Cedric McCray

11:50:18AM We'll have internal conversations. We use software through the city to push those surveys out. We can update you at the next CRA Board meeting.

Bill Carlson

11:50:30AM Throw in an idea related to that, if you don't mind. At the very least, if you all could send it to each of the neighborhood leaders and each of the CAC members and ask them to post it and circulate it. I would just use one, the final one, to get feedback, or I would at the most use two or three. I wouldn't use all of them again. And then the second thing, I don't want to ask Ms. Burton to get back up again, but we've gotten some feedback from the public that we should spend the money on something else altogether. I don't know whether we want to ask that question or not, but that's separate than which design best reflects the community.

Luis Viera

11:51:13AM Board member Young, did you make your motion? Was it to approve this but get additional input?

Lynn Hurtak

11:51:21AM I think we need additional input before approving.

Naya Young

11:51:24AM We can do that without cost, right? Is that what you're saying, Cedric? Thank you, Cedric. I'm thinking like two weeks. Give a little bit extra time. Myself, I'll even go out, hey, make sure, complete this so we get this last couple of responses on these concepts, not all of them, just the concepts and then we can have a final decision. Is that okay?

Lynn Hurtak

11:52:00AM If you post it on the CRA's instagram and facebook and you let us know it is out there, send an e-mail to us, we will all share it. But also send it to than, and they can put it out there. So they can send it to their East Tampa neighborhood groups. Send it to NAACP. Send it to -- I mean, the folks who are very active in that area. I think then we'll get a bit more.

Bill Carlson

11:52:32AM One more quick thing. I'm not a signage expert but I do branding. I think the secondary gateway sign should just be for neighborhoods. Every one of them says East Tampa on the top. And then you have the primary gateways, but East Tampa is carved up by a lot of neighborhoods as my colleagues have said. That sign is the perfect one to identify neighborhoods. It doesn't have to have a logo on it, but just as a starter, if I circulate only this idea instead of East Tampa on the sign, put like belmont heights or whatever and show people what it would look like as a neighborhood identifier.

Luis Viera

11:53:15AM Okay. Thank you, board. By the way, I like a lot of these signs. I love the one over there with the civil rights protestors with the flag. I think that's lovely. Maybe we could talk about putting things of local people like Robert saunders, francisco Rodriguez, things like that. Harriet moore, connection to Robert saunders. Things like that. Thank you. Appreciate you. Thank you very much. Correct me if I'm wrong, we need seven. On ward to number 7, please. The Hill Ward Henderson chocolates came in. All I'm going to say. I like that. That's all.

Cedric McCray

11:54:02AM Good morning again, board members. The next item we have is a special project grant for the centro asturiano which is on the corner of Palm Avenue and Nebraska Avenue for special projects grant. There is a presentation. I'm going to call Ms. Dee Reed up at this time.

Dee Reed

11:54:24AM Good morning. Dee Reed. Economic development coordinator. We have cristal lastra that is going to present for centro asturiano. And then I will follow her with staff's recommendation.

Luis Viera

11:54:38AM Thank you, ma'am. How long do you think you'll need? Good morning. And afternoon. Almost now. I want to first start by saying thank you to each of you for considering --

11:54:55AM What is your name? My day job is working at JC Newman cigar company. I happen to own a home in Ybor City. I've enjoyed all the conversation this morning, and I moonlight as the president of the -- very much moonlight as the president of the centro asturiano de Tampa in Ybor City. I want to start really by saying thank you to all of you for the work you do in making Tampa so much better and to all of the CRA Staff for supporting us through this process and helping us understand it as we go for consideration. I wanted to go ahead and pull up the presentation. For those of you who aren't really familiar with the centro asturiano, it was a club established, social club and mutual aid society established in Ybor City in 1902 by spanish immigrants who came here to work in the cigar industry. Members were provided cradle to grave care, including health care, banking, entertainment, and a strong sense of community. Over the decades, we have really hung on when some other clubs were not able to hang on. And for many years, I feel like we were very much a silent shadow on the corner of Nebraska and palm in Ybor City. Over the last many years, we have dedicated ourselves to with immigrant determination and grit, bring this club back to what it deserves to be, an honored historical building in our community and a testament to what built it. Today, we are a vibrant cultural hub, hosting weddings, galas, theater productions while preserving our rich history, heritage and culture. We still have legacy membership and an essential part of our transformation has been partnering with other important groups in Tampa and in Ybor City, like the Tampa history center, JC Newman cigar company, Ybor City chamber, ybor historical society. Visit Tampa Bay and others to get us back on the map and to make sure that people remember who we are. We're talking today about the gymnasium which really for around 30 years it's been closed off to the public. We do do building live tours every year and allow people in and we show them that area so we can still the story of what it meant. Honorable e.j. Salcines, saying, the way the gym served the building, get off work at the cigar factory, they would come to the club, take a shower, work out in the gym, go in the cafe, play some dominoes until their grandchildren or children or wives would walk in and say, get home. Time to have dinner. That was really the way that room served the building. Handball court, locker room, showers, saunas, state-of-the-art amenities for that time. Some of those remnants of history and the pieces that were used in the gym are still remarkably there. We had lloyd sowers come in and do a piece on fox 13 on the gym, and he actually sat in the sauna with his head popping out. Today we are bringing this space back to life, honoring its legacy while creating a place for the community to gather once again. Some of the projects that we've completed over the last decade, and they have been really significant, let's start in 2017. We did bathroom renovations on the first and second floor making those ADA compliant. Ballroom renovation in 2018. 2021, we had the parking lot paved. Both in 2017 and 2018 those were along with community grants. When we did the parking lot in 2021, that was a big win for us because we had cash in the bank to do it. 2022, roof and repointing, that was in partnership with a grant. 2023, theater restoration with 780,000. That was completely funded by the centro asturiano and by community donations. And that was five minutes.

11:59:27AM How much more do you need?

11:59:30AM I'll give you five more. And then the theater freight elevator, we did that this year and a backstage theater structural reinforcement. Both of those things we weren't expecting. Both of those things we paid for with centro asturiano funds. Our vision is to restore the space, bring the community in. You heard a presentation earlier about parking in Ybor City and what an issue that is. It is not for us. We have ample parking at our building. Ways to bring people in. There's no real activation of our building, every day, all day that this opening of the gym will bring to us. It's going to serve as a work space. We'll have a steam room where people can have the long conference tables, come in, have meetings, smoke a cigar. You can be in a Tampa space that is truly a Tampa space. We'll bring in activities such as cigar rolling demonstrations, stories, and you heard Councilman Miranda talk earlier about what a special piece of history that that building, the social clubs are to getting people in and maintaining the history of Tampa and why we exist. We're going to preserve original murals, gym equipment -- here's what it looks like right now, two small corners of it. It's been in disrepair, but you can see some of that equipment, even the pulleys that they would go and utilize. We intend to keep all of that in place, add domino tables, lounge furniture. All of the shower stalls turned into humidors for cigars. Open up your laptop. Wifi work in the day. Here's what we hope it will look like we hope with your help. These are the community spaces. This is open to the public. Again, we'll create a flexible environment for people to work and gather. We'll have programs like I mentioned, cigar rolling history discussions. So many opportunities that this allows for us to be able to bring to our building and reactivate the space. Preserve, as I mentioned, the original pieces that made it so special and pay tribute to the industry and to the people that made this community what it is. With that, happy holidays to all of you. Thank you for considering it. We're very appreciative of you hearing us out.

12:02:01PM What is the ask of the CRA today? The total project will cost us around 998,429. We did not ask for the full amount. We didn't need the full amount, but we are taking the help we can get.

12:02:21PM Thank you, ma'am. Great presentation. Staff wants to say something.

Dee Reed

12:02:35PM Dee Reed again, economic development coordinator. For the record, I just want to start off and let you all know this will be the last special projects grant that you will hear under the old policy. You will hear a few funding requests that will come I believe in January that will also be considered under the old policy. But this is the last special project. Centro asturiano is requesting reimbursement for interior improvements to revitalize their unusable gym space so that they can utilize it for cigar lounge and cultural hub. The requests align with Florida statute sections 163370c 2. Rehabilitation of buildings within the CRA area. 163370c 5, which is voluntarily repairing and rehabilitating under the CRP. And 163370h 1, Planning for voluntary repair and rehabilitation of historic buildings by eliminating the functional obsolescence in this historic structure, revitalizing the underutilized commercial corridor and attracting new visitors and residents to the Ybor City as heritage tourism and cultural activation project. The project aligns with the ybor CRP by preserving and promoting the unique cultural heritage of Ybor City, increasing public access to historic structures, enhancing daily use space, and retail corridors, and encouraging the restoration and full activation of this contributing building within the national historic landmark district. The total project cost is $996,994.29 of which 828,143.95 represents eligible expense. The applicant has requested a reimbursement in the amount of $396,994.29. And deviation from the standard funding practices with phased reimbursement at predevelopment -- sorry, at predetermined project milestones rather than full reimbursement at project completion. To remain consistent with standard procedures, staff recommends an award of up to 50% of eligible expense not to exceed $396,000 with an additional 20,000 contingency allowance for staff approved eligible unforeseen work encountered during construction. I'll remind you that that contingency is not able to be applied to any of the work that is included in the current scope. Staff is also recommending approval of progress payments at reimbursement -- as reimbursements throughout the project for work receiving final approval inspections -- final approved inspections under city permits. For fiscal year 2025 and 2026, the ybor 1 CAC allocated a total of $767,000 for special project grants. Approval of this request as recommended would leave a balance of $350,000 for the remainder of 2026. On October 28, the applicant presented -- presented their request -- the ybor CAC and they voted unanimously with two members abstaining due to personal conflicts to recommend approval of centro asturiano's special project grant request as recommended by staff. Staff and ybor 1 CAC respectfully request the CRA Board approve the special projects grant agreement between the community Redevelopment agency and centro asturiano for an award of 50% of eligible expense, not to exceed $396,000, with a $20,000 contingency for staff approved eligible, unforeseen work encountered during construction and progress payments as reimbursements during the project. I'll stand for any questions.

Luis Viera

12:07:07PM Thank you, ma'am. I have to leave in seven minutes -- well, five minutes. Board member Miranda, board member Maniscalco, board member Carlson. Board member Hurtak. Who was first? If I may really fast, because I have to leave in a few minutes, I probably won't be able to vote on this but I strongly support this. I think this is a great project and everything. My great grandfather, Juan and his son Juan junior who I grew up with were members. My great grandfather he lived here in Tampa from 1940 until I think 1947. He was a physician at a hospital. He lived in a house on property -- I look forward to supporting this. I would support it. Board members, I have two motions I want to make. I'll try to come back. I'll talk to my aide. Board member Miranda and then Carlson.

Charlie Miranda

12:08:22PM I have no ties to any of the clubs in Ybor City. I visit them all when I can. This is one of the buildings that has really come around. The people bringing it back are really working hard to keep it where it is at and maintain it. I remember when I was a kid, why is it Ybor City was different? None of us lived downtown. But in Ybor City, you live where you work and you worked where you lived. You had cigar makers. People that did medical care and different clinics that we had. Others that were even smaller. These are the things that you walk to work, came back 3:30, 4:00, sat on your front porch because there was no air conditioning. There was nothing, but we were all happy. We had very little but we had a lot, we had it all. The problem today is, you have a lot and most are unhappy. The problem is us, no one else. I'm here to support this. I remember when I was a young guy, 12, 14 years old, aunt and uncle who didn't have kids, adopted me from my own mother and father because we all lived together. I had two sets of president. I was very lucky. Go here, go to the cuban club, listen to the bands come in, historical value of it and that's how I got into music. Not that I was a great musician. I was not. Wanted to make an a to graduate from high school and that was an easy way out. I can tell you all these things going on. The plays that were there, we went to see, historical value of what life was about. Casino theater. Thought I was a mexican -- they were all mexican actors. Well, that's my language, I guess. But I was not a mexican. I was a cuban. Mother lived in the City of Tampa. It was funny, great. The culture that you got when you were there, no matter what side, italians, african americans, hispanics. It made a difference. Nobody got in trouble with anyone. These clubs are the last remnants. That building had to get a special permit from centro asturiano and Cuba to get the building built. These are things really historical. Not I or anyone else I know of, but the buildings are the ones that are really historical and really tell a story without a language. It's unbelievable. Elevator, I thought biggest thing in the world. It is what it is. There's bingo on Wednesday once a month or twice a month that my sisters go to. I don't have time to go, but I go once in a while. These are the things that bring memories to when I was a child and thousands of others like myself that are still alive. I'm only 85. These are the things you look at and you realize what the city was and how it became a city. West Tampa was a city on its own and incorporated back in the late '20s, early '30s, but these are the things that made Tampa, put all the components together, one fantastic city because you had different races, different colors, different languages, and they all came together. It was like a paella. Paella means a lot of stuff with chicken and shrimp and everything else. That's what made Tampa. Not I, not you. All of us made it, and that's what it's all about. Tampa is unique in that flavor and it's got the flavor of everyone in the city, including the dimaio family. Thank you very much for being here. Vote for this wholeheartedly.

Lynn Hurtak

12:12:29PM Board member Carlson.

Bill Carlson

12:12:30PM I want to first thank the board and the leadership of the board for maintaining this important building. It's one of the most important buildings in our city. Architecturally, historically. It's one of the gateways to Ybor City. I think it's critically important to save the building from historic point of view. Beautiful. Beautiful building. Also, you are bringing it to life. Mentioned before trying to build consensus in ybor about what is the present and future of ybor. Almost everybody wants to hold on to is pieces of the past. That's what you all have inside this building. We need to make sure we not only preserve the history but the culture, and that's what this is going to do. I have to compliment whoever did the logo. It is a beautiful logo. I don't know if that is historic logo or not. Not often that I really, really love logos. That is a great one. Finally, I want to say my vote today will be dedicated to my late friend Juan capin. He was former chair of the centro asturiano. When he passed, one of the mandates was that he would have bagpipes at his funeral to teach everybody about his culture from where he came from. Juan's memory so that his daughter and grandchild can go experience building he loved, I'll vote yes. Thank you.

Lynn Hurtak

12:14:00PM I'm so excited about this project. The centro asturiano, you have done a phenomenal job restoring it, and the history of the restoration, you clearly explained. One of the things I love particularly about this, the fact that you're talking about having this open on a daily basis. For me, what that does is activating that corner. We have seen more shops come along that stretch of Nebraska, so I really believe that having this as the cornerstone of that really -- it just sort of puts a cherry on top of what they are trying to do in that area already. I really love it for many reasons, but also the daily activation is just what sent it over the edge for me. Of course, I'll support this. I'm very excited about what you're doing. Cannot wait. For me, my favorite part, my father and grandfather were avid cigar smokers. So anytime I smell cigars it brings me right back. I lost my father 13 years ago, it's really nice. I always remember him whenever I smell cigars. Always just means so much to walk into these spaces and to have them available for the public. Just really appreciate and excited to support the work that you're doing. Board member Maniscalco.

Guido Maniscalco

12:15:33PM I'm very excited about this. It is a beautiful project. It's a beautiful building. My great-grandparents are buried asturiano, the namesake of the club. It is very special to me. My mother's side, it's italian in spanish, spanish descent. Moved to Cuba, remains were disinterred and brought back to where they are buried today. That's how important the northern region of Spain is to my family but also here in Tampa, we have this beautiful facility at the entrance, the gateway to Ybor City. This is in addition to the beauty of what is there. The crystal ballroom upstairs. The salon basically where you can play dominoes and smoke cigars. This is Tampa. When you look at the foundation of Tampa and Ybor City, even though it goes back to 1902 and Ybor City 1886, one year before the City of Tampa as we know it today, the City of Tampa, I'm very happy to support this. Thanks.

Luis Viera

12:16:43PM Board member Young.

Naya Young

12:16:44PM I'll kind of echo other board members. I'm really excited to see this project and the importance of maintaining your historical places is extremely important. It tells a story, and stories are extremely important. So I'm really looking forward to seeing this.

Guido Maniscalco

12:17:05PM Move to approve 7.

Charlie Miranda

12:17:06PM Second.

Lynn Hurtak

12:17:08PM I have a motion to approve the resolution from board member Maniscalco and a second from board member Miranda. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay. We're certainly looking forward to the ribbon cutting. Make sure -- yeah.

Cedric McCray

12:17:30PM Good afternoon, board members. Cedric McCray, Tampa CRA director. The next item before you is number 7 -- sorry, number 8 related to the ashley integral funding agreement. You all pulled for discussion. Just to follow up and you all approved in July of 2024 for the expenditure of 9.7 million. 7.5 of that would go towards the structure itself and infrastructure improvements for the site and then there is a land assemblage component for $2.1 million. We just wanted to pause for any questions, comments you may have. We do have representatives from otbi as well as ashley east LLC integral, if there are any specific questions.

Lynn Hurtak

12:18:23PM Board member Maniscalco.

Guido Maniscalco

12:18:24PM Is there a larger presentation or this is it?

Cedric McCray

12:18:27PM No, this is it.

Naya Young

12:18:29PM For myself, I wanted to be sure, if -- approving this project is just for the money to do this. So it would not lock us into any like site plans or anything. It is just approving to do this project, correct?

Cedric McCray

12:18:45PM Correct. And this is for the residential component of a larger development.

Lynn Hurtak

12:18:51PM We already approved this several months ago and we're just reconfiguring. Can you explain that a little bit, why we're back again.

Cedric McCray

12:19:00PM This is the funding agreement that has to come before you, just to lay out the delineation of money and agreements between the CRA and the developer. That's essentially what we're doing today.

Guido Maniscalco

12:19:17PM Move to approve item 8.

Lynn Hurtak

12:19:18PM I have a motion for approval from board member Maniscalco. A second from board member Miranda. Any more discussion? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay. We are finished with our regular agenda. However, we do have some new business. I know that our fearless Chair, Viera, had some motions. If you would like to come back. Or if his assistant wishes to bring them and have one of us read them, we can do that. I have given my motion to board member Maniscalco to make since there is no pro tem here. I will start with board member Carlson, any motions?

Bill Carlson

12:20:04PM Yeah, I have two, please. One is I would just like to make a motion for staff to create a written report for let's say the February meeting, as to the specific CRA training given to staff members on the CRA, as different from the city training.

Lynn Hurtak

12:20:26PM That is February 12. I have a motion from board member Carlson and a second from board member Maniscalco. Any comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?

Bill Carlson

12:20:38PM The second one I'd like to show you guys real fast on the elmo. Bill Carlson, City Council member. This is an antique plate from I think 1983, but it shows Tampa union station. The significant part is on the back. What it says on the back, if you look at the line right here, this is from 1983, future plans call for extensive renovation of the building. It was fully renovated in 1994 by the friends of Tampa union station and then they gifted the building to the City of Tampa under the greco administration. We as CRA Board first funded Tampa union station I think six years ago. The windows are leaking. The wood is falling apart. Still termites in the building. We need to at least fix the termites. And we need to fix the flooding. So I would like to make a motion to have a monthly update specifically on Tampa union station.

Lynn Hurtak

12:21:55PM Thank you so much for that. It's vastly needed. I know they are having some drama llama with amtrak. Hopefully having a monthly report will help with that. I have a motion from board member Carlson and a second from board member Maniscalco.

Bill Carlson

12:22:18PM A separate report.

Lynn Hurtak

12:22:19PM A separate report. Thank you for that clarification. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?

Bill Carlson

12:22:25PM Thank you. That's it.

Lynn Hurtak

12:22:26PM Board member Young. Okay. Board member Maniscalco.

Guido Maniscalco

12:22:31PM On behalf of council member Hurtak, I would like to make a motion that the CRA Board move to approve any special project grant requests that that be placed under staff reports.

Charlie Miranda

12:22:41PM Second.

Lynn Hurtak

12:22:42PM I have a motion from board member Maniscalco. A second from board member Miranda. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed?

Guido Maniscalco

12:22:48PM That's it.

Lynn Hurtak

12:22:53PM I'm going to request yet again, if Councilman Viera or his -- sorry, board member Viera or his aide or listening, that if they want those motions made, they need to rush it up here. Otherwise, yes. Director McCray.

Cedric McCray

12:23:06PM I know that we received, or the board received an e-mail from board member Clendenin's office as it relates to his absence. I don't recall that being read into the record. But just wanted to acknowledge it.

Lynn Hurtak

12:23:19PM Yes. Board member Clendenin is absent and was absent for today's meeting. Thank you for that. Putting that in the record.

Bill Carlson

12:23:32PM Who was the second on the last motion I made?

Lynn Hurtak

12:23:35PM I believe it was board member Maniscalco. Thank you for asking. Anything else? I have a motion then --

Cedric McCray

12:23:43PM One other item. During the parks ADA conversation, CRA Board Chair Viera requested an update in January. I'm having to communicate with our staff. We would like to move that to February, if possible, to allow more time for us to have conversations with Parks and Recreation.

Lynn Hurtak

12:24:02PM On his behalf, I suppose. We need a motion for that. Motion from board member Miranda. Second from board member Maniscalco. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Anything else?

Cedric McCray

12:24:15PM One other item, we were scheduled to come back in January to talk about the path forward related to the housing grant application and programs. We would like to also reschedule that and move that from January to February as well.

Lynn Hurtak

12:24:30PM I have a motion from board member Miranda. Second from board member Maniscalco. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? I am going to request that we each get individual briefings on that before it comes forward in February. Thank you so much.

Cedric McCray

12:24:49PM Absolutely.

Lynn Hurtak

12:24:53PM I have the motion to receive and file from board member Miranda. A second from board member Maniscalco. All in favor? Aye. We are adjourned. See you all at 5:01. [ sounding gavel ] disclaimer: this file represents an unedited version of realtime captioning which should neither be relied upon for complete accuracy nor used as a verbatim transcript. Any person who needs a verbatim transcript of the proceedings may need to hire a court reporter. ▶ meeting video community Redevelopment agency - 12/11/25published: December 12, 2025▶ watch on youtube the information contained in these pages represents an unedited version of realtime captioning which should neither be relied upon for complete accuracy nor used as a verbatim transcript. Persons requiring a verbatim transcript may need to hire a court reporter. © - City of Tampa (813) 274-8211