City Council — August 27, 2026 FINAL

Alan Clendenin

9:01:27AM Good morning, everybody. If you have a seat, take it. Welcome to Tampa City Council. Why is everybody here today? Okay. I would like to call this meeting to order. Clerk, could you please call the roll? Oh, we have to have the invocation first. Who has the invocation? Let's do a moment of silence, please. Everybody stand, if you're able. [Moment of silence] Tampa mourns the loss of dolly parton. If you are not aware, we changed the lights on city hall last night and our cultural assets to pink in honor of her legacy and her life. Now the pledge of allegiance. [Pledge of allegiance] so, good morning, everybody. Can we do a roll call, please?

Charlie Miranda

9:10:17AM Here.

Guido Maniscalco

9:10:18AM Here.

Lynn Hurtak

9:10:19AM Here.

Naya Young

9:10:20AM Here.

Luis Viera

9:10:21AM Here.

Bill Carlson

9:10:22AM Here.

Alan Clendenin

9:10:23AM Here.

The clerk

9:10:23AM We have a physical quorum.

Alan Clendenin

9:10:25AM Can I get a motion to adopt the minutes from the regular session August 6, 2026 and evening session held on August 20, 2026? Motion from Councilman Miranda. I have a second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. Thank you very much. Approval of the agenda. We have lots of changes. First, I would like to get a motion to adopt the proposed revised order of business that I had e-mailed everybody yesterday. It mirrors the same pattern we did the last time when we did the MOU. It should have been in your e-mail yesterday. Here is a copy. What we'll do is for the public, I will read. We are going to have a special called CRA meeting after item number 69. So the initial public comment is going to be limited to board administration appointments, item 3, consent agenda items 4 through 53, items 54, 57, 78, 81, 91 and 58 and off-agenda topics. Basically, in plain language, the first public comment period is going to be everything except for item number 80. If you are here to speak to the rays, as a matter of fact, if you are here to speak to the rays, you should be down stairs in floor number 2 because we'll get to you guys a little later today. After item 69, Tampa CRA will be called to order for both bodies to receive public comment on item 80. And the City Council agenda on item 1 on the CRA agenda. To speak on board Administrative appointments, we already talked about that. To speak to the combined City Council and CRA public comments on item 80 on the City Council agenda and item 1 of the CRA agenda, members of the public should sign up to speak on the first floor. There is a sign-in sheet. If you are here to speak to general public comment, you should have already signed up on a card. If you haven't done one or the other and you plan on speaking today, please find staff here or outside the chamber and they will assist you in signing up. We'll give grace and time to make changes. If you are here to speak on on-agenda items other than the rays, item number 80, you'll need to sign up on a speaker card. If you are here to speak to item 80, please find staff and they will show you the form to fill out or to sign. Mr. Shelby.

Martin Shelby

9:12:53AM Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Martin Shelby, City Council attorney. Good morning, members of council. Also, a reminder, with regard to off-agenda items, off-agenda items not related to the rays also require a speaker card be filled out. Also, if you are here to speak on public hearings, which are items 59 to 70 and number 71 to 76, the time to speak at those public hearings are during the public hearing when that item is called up. And the time to do that is when that particular item is before City Council. The sign-in sheet outside is for you if you wish to speak and be heard at the public hearings.

Alan Clendenin

9:13:32AM Thank you. Also, for council's information, I have lunch -- we'll have lunch at 12:00. We'll have it brought in to the chambers in order to try to make this more expeditious for people waiting, we'll break for 30 minutes. Lunch will be here, we don't have to go off-site to find food. 12 p.m. if we're still at 12 a.m., it will be breakfast. We'll have that around 12ish to 12:30, that's when we'll break for lunch, for those of you all waiting for public comment for the rays, may start it before that but it might continue until after. Can I get a motion to approve the proposed revised agenda? Motion from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Viera. All those in favor aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. Thank you very much. Now let's go through the agenda. Item number 4 a request to pull that and hear it with item 62. We need to hear item 62 before we approve item 4. Can I get a motion, please? I have a motion from Councilman Miranda. A second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. I have a request to continue item number 46 to September 3rd, 2026. I have a motion from Councilman Maniscalco. A second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Request to move item 82 to September 3, 2026. Motion from Councilman Maniscalco. A second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Request to move item 87 to October 1, 2026. 87, 90, 91 to October 1st, 2026. Motion from Councilman Maniscalco, second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. I understand there are no administrative updates. Do we need staff on 81, 83, or 86?

Lynn Hurtak

9:15:34AM I just need to recuse myself from 81. Mr. Shelby, you were going to have a form ready. That needs to be a separate vote.

Alan Clendenin

9:15:49AM Very good.

Bill Carlson

9:15:52AM I just want to pull 41 for a separate vote.

Luis Viera

9:16:00AM May I, Mr. Chair?

Alan Clendenin

9:16:02AM Hold on one second. Councilman Viera.

Luis Viera

9:16:08AM Yes, sir. For item number 40, I don't ask for a separate, but I would like to make a brief comment once we pass it, if I May, 30 seconds, whatever.

Alan Clendenin

9:16:17AM Just remind me -- do you want to do that right after -- after we finish the consent agenda?

Luis Viera

9:16:24AM Absolutely. In other words once we pass it.

Alan Clendenin

9:16:26AM After the consent agenda, I'll recognize you if you remind me. Very good. Anything else? Staff, do you have anything else that we need to adjust or change? Did I catch it all, Suling?

Martin Shelby

9:16:39AM There was a misnotice on a case.

Alan Clendenin

9:16:41AM Oh, yeah, misnotice.

Martin Shelby

9:16:44AM Clerk, please?

The clerk

9:16:46AM [Inaudible]

Alan Clendenin

9:16:48AM Misnotice on item 77 --

Martin Shelby

9:16:50AM No. I believe it is -- it's 77.

Alan Clendenin

9:16:56AM I have a motion from Councilman Maniscalco to remove item 77 from the agenda. Second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Martin Shelby

9:17:03AM Mr. Chairman, have you taken action on item 71? That should also be removed from the agenda as it has already been taken off per council's direction.

Lynn Hurtak

9:17:16AM Motion to remove item 71.

Alan Clendenin

9:17:18AM Motion from Councilwoman Hurtak to remove 71. Second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. There was also a staff report we needed to remove associated with the police. What is that one? Because it was redundant -- 85. Can I get a motion to remove 85? Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Thank you.

Lynn Hurtak

9:17:43AM I do need staff here for item 84.

Alan Clendenin

9:17:46AM 84 we need staff. Any other changes?

Naya Young

9:17:53AM Item 59. Can we pull item 59? It's under public hearings. All right. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

9:18:02AM Anything else? Going once? Going twice? Motion to approve the agenda from council -- oh.

Lynn Hurtak

9:18:09AM I just -- obviously, today is going to be a big day. I know Mr. Shelby Has worked hard on the new resolution for rules of procedure. I'm thinking that maybe that might be something that requires some conversation today and maybe that might not be a good idea and maybe we should move it to next week.

Alan Clendenin

9:18:36AM Next week is going to be a big week, too.

Lynn Hurtak

9:18:38AM Okay. Well then, never mind. Just a suggestion.

Alan Clendenin

9:18:41AM Next week, we have maybe even a bigger as far as public comment. I had a motion and a second --

Lynn Hurtak

9:18:49AM I'll withdraw it. I just thought. Never mind.

The clerk

9:18:55AM [Inaudible]

Alan Clendenin

9:18:57AM No. we do not need staff for 81 and 83. Mr. Shelby.

Martin Shelby

9:19:02AM I'm going to make a recommendation that we move those after we move the consent docket so they travel with that and those high-ticket items were resolved early in the meeting.

Alan Clendenin

9:19:15AM 81 and 83 and 86. No 86 -- 81 and 83 you're talking about? We'll move 81 and 83 after the consent agenda. Somebody remind me of that if I forget it.

Lynn Hurtak

9:19:28AM Write it down.

Alan Clendenin

9:19:29AM I'm doing that right now.

The clerk

9:19:35AM [Inaudible]

Alan Clendenin

9:19:36AM Can I get a motion to receive and file 88 and 89. Maniscalco, Viera. All in favor, aye. Opposed?

Bill Carlson

9:19:45AM Thank you to staff, the CFO's office for hard work on those, at least 89.

Alan Clendenin

9:19:54AM Now, I had a motion to approve the agenda from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Viera. And the addendum. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. That was a complicated one. Okay. We are now at item number 1. The aquarium. Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

9:20:35AM Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman, honorable members of Tampa City Council. It is indeed my pleasure to be with you and stand next to one of the best --

Alan Clendenin

9:20:44AM Sorry, sir, who are you? State your name, please.

Charlie Miranda

9:20:49AM Charlie Miranda. I want to get sworn in before I speak later on with the rays. I want to make sure I tell the truth. There was a movie about you called to tell the truth, your honor. Anyway, the convention that we have in the City of Tampa, the businesses that we have in the City of Tampa, the Convention Center, it's all related to various many things. One of them is the Florida Tampa aquarium. Let me say this. I remember when mayor sandy freedman thought about the idea and took it to the task of having it built. And it was open, what, March of 1995. It's an honor because when I was first elected in '74, what's there, where the Convention Center is at, what about 80 feet of citrus nitrate and open air. It was a little different. Now that Convention Center has made -- I'm not going to brag about it because I didn't do it, but roger and his staff did it -- four years of over 1 million people in attendance of the Florida Tampa Convention Center. Roger is the one responsible for it along with his staff. He'll talk about that later. But the Tampa City Council proudly recognizes the Florida Aquarium for being voted one of the ten best aquariums in the country in USA today. That is a deep honor and goes to you and your staff. And these things happen, global leader in maritime conservation, aquarium hosted the world's first center for special survival focus on coral conservation, pioneering and reproduction of the atlantic and cactus corals. I don't know too much about cactus corals. Tampa City Council present the commendation to the Florida Aquarium on the 27th day of August, 2026, outstanding contribution to downtown Tampa, continued dedication to a stronger, more vibrant community, healthier future for the Tampa Bay region. All together this means a whole, whole, whole lot to the city because it brings what it calls tourist dollars. One of the reasons that Tampa is doing what they are doing. Not only do they do that, but the children that go there learn a lot about conservation and what to do with an aquarium. Thank you, City Council members. On behalf of our board --

Alan Clendenin

9:23:19AM You have to say your name. Sorry about that. I will say again thank you to Councilman Miranda. Thank you, council members, for the commendation for your Florida Aquarium as we like to say as well. As the councilman mentioned, we opened in 1995. You know our story. Over the last few years, we have said make no little plans at the Florida Aquarium. We have been driving to create an experience and an aquarium that you and our community not only are proud of, but deserves in a world-class aquarium. This is a great honor. So on behalf of myself, our board of directors, our 300 members of our staff, including tony and sally, who are here. Thank you very much for the honor and we'll continue to drive to make an impact and make this aquarium the best aquarium in the world. Again, one you and our community are very proud of. Thank you very much. [ applause ]

9:24:19AM Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

9:24:20AM I just want to say congratulations. The aquarium is a real asset to our community. One of my favorite things about the aquarium is if you did not know, you can go to the public library and you can check out tickets to the aquarium. I think you can get four at a time.

9:24:38AM You could take your whole family and don't have to pay for it. You're checking it out from the library. It is amazing, phenomenal program along with many of the programs they do. If you live in Hillsborough county, take advantage of that. Take your family to the aquarium. I just think that's something that we don't talk about enough and just we are lucky to have the aquarium. It is a wonderful asset. I really appreciate what you're doing. Your renovation plans are going to help make it even better.

Alan Clendenin

9:25:10AM Thank you, roger. Thank you for doing everything that you've done with the aquarium. I'm really looking forward to the expansion plans and new exhibits that you are bringing to the community and to the kids and be able to learn about wildlife from all over the world. It is as Councilwoman Hurtak said, a great asset. As Councilman Miranda said, it really is remarkable, especially when we're talking about these types of things. You had an area that was dilapidated warehouses, nefarious kind of businesses and no economic activity, the government got involved and built the aquarium. It changed Tampa forever. We have billions and billions of dollars now of growth and infrastructure and these beautiful areas. I don't know if we would have the streetcar, channelside, water street, now future of gasworx and the revival of Ybor City without the aquarium. Anchor piece. I don't know if amalie arena would be there without the aquarium. It's remarkable that one small project becomes a catalyst. We're even going to have a ferris wheel. It is remarkable, and it is a beautiful building. My family, my son, my daughter-in-law, and my granddaughter are members and are there frequently. I think my granddaughter is only 6, but she can name every animal and fish in that building. Thank you for everything you do. Thank you for your staff. You have a wonderful staff. Great experience. As Councilwoman Hurtak said, if you haven't gone to the aquarium, go to the Florida Aquarium.

Naya Young

9:26:47AM I wanted to, one, when you and I met with -- along with tony, and you have such a vision for what you want to do with the aquarium. I'm really excited to see the expansion as well. It's awesome to see. I went to visit when they had the Howard university swim team and the coaches and came to the aquarium. You all provide them with such an experience. I'm just happy to have this asset in the community but also thank you both for your leadership and your outreach and making sure all of our youth are being exposed and our community can be exposed and come and enjoy the aquarium. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

9:27:23AM Thank you very much. Have a beautiful day.

9:27:27AM Councilwoman Young.

Naya Young

9:27:48AM All righty. Good morning, council. Councilwoman Naya Young. I am very excited today because we are presenting a commendation to Mr. Jamal Jefferson who is the Tampa Bay buccaneers inspired change, change maker award. Tampa City Council proudly honors Mr. Jamal Jefferson for his role as a pivotal community leader and mentor in the Tampa Bay community. This commendation is in recognition of Mr. Jefferson's dedication to uplifting the youth of our community through his leadership as site supervisor at the Jackson Heights nfl yet center since 2010. The nfl yet center as we all know is a staple in the East Tampa community and provides a safe space for our children daily. Provide after-school programs, summer programming, sports mentorship and in partnership with the buccaneers, the guitar, ukulele lessons, illustrate the variety of paths and opportunities available for students at the nfl yet center. Mr. Jefferson, Supervisors the teens leading change program with Tampa parks and rec and helped to organize the prime-time turf takeover earlier this year to support teens wishing for more positive gathering spaces. Through his work, Mr. Jefferson Demonstrated an unwavering commitment to providing a safe haven for children and teens in Tampa. He has been a true leader, public servant and someone that our youth look up to. In gratitude to his efforts, Tampa City Council presents this commendation on this 27th day of August, 2026, to Mr. Jamal Jefferson as Tampa Bay buccaneers inspired change, change maker award recipient. [ applause ] I see the cameras and everything. [ laughter ] happy to know they came to see me this morning. All sincerity, thank you to Tampa City Council. Thank you, Councilwoman Young, and your office for the recognition also. Thank you to the Tampa Bay buccaneers. The buccaneers have always been a great supportive partner in parks and rec and Jackson Heights nfl yet center. I would be remiss if I didn't thank my wife who graciously shares me with the community all the time. My mom is here this morning. [ applause ] my mom is here this morning, my brother, my family. Some of my colleagues and peers and other community partners are here this morning. I can't leave without thanking the staff at Jackson Heights. Shalanda, ralph, martin, o'mara. I'm the person that people see all the time. I'm the face of the yet center, but they really do the work. They are the boots on the ground. The ones engaging every day. I won't hold up too much time because I heard you have something big to do today. I'll get out of the way. Thank you all for the recognition. Thank the community for the support, and we appreciate it so much. [ applause ]

Alan Clendenin

9:31:06AM Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

9:31:06AM Just thank you for all the work you've done. I know Councilwoman Young works in this area and was helpful in getting the city's teen take-over project and plan. I'm really happy that we are doing more and more for our youth. I'm really expecting and hoping to see in the budget this year more money for those types of programs because it does help our youth and helps with what they want to become later in life. It gives them an opportunity and somewhere to go and something to do. Just working with youth and children is a calling. As a former teacher, I just want to say thank you because it is a calling that not everyone can do. It is a hard, hard job. I just really appreciate all the work that you put in and the love that you pour into each of those children and thank your family for enabling you to do that. If your family wants to come up and be around you and supporters, that would be wonderful. Just to see everybody who supports you today. If you are here to support him, please stand up and come on up. It's really important. Thank you so much for all of the work you all do to support him and the community. Appreciate you. [ applause ]

Alan Clendenin

9:32:45AM It's come to my attention that you are a Jefferson dragon. [ laughter ]

9:32:53AM I did that to garner favor with Councilman Miranda. He is always representing the Thomas Jefferson --

9:33:03AM And late Gwendolyn Henderson. And Suling, our clerk. Would you like to stand, Suling? [ applause ]

9:33:15AM Go dragons. Thank you very much. Councilman Viera.

Luis Viera

9:33:19AM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Congratulations for all the work you do with our youth. I know we have some really good folks up there. Mr. Tim Crosby with Tampa Fire Rescue. Good to see you. We obviously have, we wanted to recognize representative-elect jacquelyn coffie-leeks who is here. We honor you for your service in tallahassee. Ms. Oats and lots of different good folks who are here. Mr. Ted Fowler. Just a lot of good folks. Particularly with your work with youth, what is the name of that movie. Boys town, father flanagan. No such thing as a bad boy or bad girl, I guess you could say today. I'm a big believer in that. We can't give up on our youth. No matter who they are, where they come from, your work is based on the idea that when you are a young person, so many things are changing rapidly in your world and you are given the chance to do great things but also to make mistakes. With 99.9% of those mistakes, they shouldn't be permanent. We deserve second chances to quote Brian stephenson, we are all better than the worst thing we've done in life, the biggest mistake we've done in life, especially when you are a kid. A lot of times when you are a kid and come from a certain part of town, mistakes are held against you permanently and we should do better. Remember father flanagan. Nothing wrong with being a bleeding heart catholic. God bless you. Thank you. [ applause ]

Alan Clendenin

9:34:54AM Thank you very much. We'll give a second to clear. Just a reminder, we are going to have public comment on the agenda and off-agenda items except for item 80, the rays. If you are here to speak for the rays, this is not your opportunity or here to speak for public hearings, this is not your opportunity. This is for agenda other than public hearings and other than item 80. I have the cards you should have filled out. Normally we would have stopped filling out cards at this point in the agenda, but because this is chaotic this morning, if you are here to speak to off agenda items and haven't filled out one of the cards, please see a member of staff and they will fill it out. If you are here to speak to the rays' issue, item number 80, there is a sheet that you will put your name on and staff will help you out with that as well. We're not going to do public comment for the rays yet. That will come later today after a short bit of city business. I would like to recognize Mr. Shelby, our City Council attorney, to read the rules for public comment.

Martin Shelby

9:36:16AM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Martin Shelby, City Council attorney. Briefly, the rules of decorum for today's meeting, and as the chair has stated, members of the public are allowed a reasonable opportunity at the beginning of today's meeting to address any item on the agenda before the City Council takes official action on the item. As he stated, per council's rules, preference will be given to those speaking on agenda items. Three minute time limit applies to all speakers providing public comment. Speakers and members of the public are also reminded to please refrain from disruptive behavior, including making vulgar or threatening remarks or making or causing disruptive noises or sounds or displaying signs or graphics. Please direct your comments to the entire City Council rather than individual members. The Chair Will rule out of order any person who speaks without being recognized or attempts to address the City Council from outside the speaker area at the lectern. Persons failing to comply with council's rules may also be ruled out of order and at the discretion of the chair may be removed from the chambers and old city hall for the remainder of today's meeting. Again, if you are here to speak on items set for public hearing and items 59 to 70 and 71 through 76 you will have that opportunity. Also, no public comment will be taken later during staff reports. The time to speak to those items and items on the consent agenda is now during agenda public comment. Finally, please, City Council, refrain from engaging a speaker under public comment. The public should be aware that the City Council does not take questions or have a dialogue during general public comment. This is your opportunity to express your position to the Tampa City Council. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

9:38:08AM Since we have a lot of new people, I want to remind folks, again, this is one-way communication during public comment. You come to the podium, there is a microphone embedded into the podium. You speak to us. You don't turn around. You don't talk to the audience. You talk to City Council. When you start, you start with your name, and then you'll have three minutes. There is a timer. Once you see the yellow light goes off, you have 30 seconds left of your time. Because there are some folks that were not able to make it in the chamber because we are full, I'm going to read multiple names off so you'll know at least you are coming up. If you are downstairs and hear your name, please come to Tampa City Council chamber. The first speaker is going to be Pamela cannella. The first speakers are going to be speaking to on-agenda items. They indicated on-agenda items. Pamela cannella, James ransom, Stephanie poynor and rick Fernandez. Pam cannella, are you in the room? Come on up. If I called your name, you can queue up against the wall, if you would like. Start with your name. You have three minutes. Don't worry, I'm not going to need three minutes. I just want to speak on item 86, the amendment of the City Council procedures. Again, I stand by putting public comment -- both of them -- at the beginning of the agenda. It shows respect to the public and the residents of neighborhoods who wish to express their concerns. That's where it belongs at the beginning. Both of them together, not at the end of the agenda. Also, I just would like to make a quick comment that I was in the library yesterday and I noticed the onbase agenda that I looked at and I go by and prepare for, and then I noticed just a few minutes ago when I looked at it, there was information added to number 80.

9:40:12AM Remember, we're not talking about 80. I don't think you should add any information once it's been, you know, -- it's been put out there for the public to notice and to read. Because I didn't see it until I just looked in here today. I don't think it complies with state and local public notice laws. Thank you.

9:40:34AM Thank you, pam. James ransom followed by Stephanie poynor. I first want to let you know that I'm standing here with some board members from TOBA Leadership institute to thank you all for listening to our concerns, reading our concerns about agenda number 59. It has to do with the EBO ordinance proposed change, which we asked you most recently to set aside indefinitely. The reason for that is because we know that taxpayers and voters who look like us and anyone else in the room should feel valued and have a real opportunity to actually do business with the City of Tampa. Anything that takes us further away from that certainly codifying a law change is going to make it a little more challenging to fix that later. We provided to the city attorney, to City Council, and the mayor further alternatives to look at, rather than change the law, look at policies that might still achieve not breaking the law, but still valuing the taxpayers and citizens who look like everyone that should be able to have a fair opportunity to actually do work with the City of Tampa. So I'm here to thank you for that. Council member Hurtak really pointed that out and helped to support us initially and council member Carlson and all of you, all of you agreed to sort of slow it down. Let the attorneys go back and look at it. Attorneys sent us very voluminous legal jargon. We sent back very voluminous legal responses. They should take some time to look at what we sent back and then suspend and set aside, we think indefinitely, that situation, rather than change the law. That's why we came this morning, speak about this particular issue and we'll talk about other things later on in the agenda.

9:42:35AM [Inaudible] I didn't catch 59, the issue you're speaking to is a public hearing. Anybody else here to speak to the item, you got a freebie. For public hearings, the time to speak to those issues are actually during that public hearing. Complication understanding when in the past, just one segment of time to do certain things and now we have all the different changes. If we missed something, we apologize.

9:43:03AM I should have caught it. It's my bad. You got a freebie. Appreciate it.

9:43:12AM Stephanie poynor, rick Fernandez, and then frank purdle the III. Stephanie poynor for the record. The bingo cards are all the same. Sorry. I might have a prize but not today. I want to talk to you about the budget because that's what we should all be talking about because amendment 3 could take it and throw it in the garbage. Every year I analyze the top three salaries in each and every department in the city. And the proposal that the mayor brought forward, she said that there was $24.5 million in salary increases. Chief Bennett told me about 80% of that is union increases. Now, I don't know about you, but if I were in the union, I would be able to say, yes, it's okay to postpone the raises until after November the 5th because we may cut our budget significantly. And we need to rethink this. The union needs to rethink this. Everybody on staff needs to rethink this. I'm not saying take away their money. I'm saying let's just hold off on the increases. But I just analyzed a couple of departments because they were the ones that threw up at me. Marketing and communications up by 25%. The director sent an e-mail to you guys and said, no, that's wrong. It's actually correct. His department acquired three more people. I guess he has a hard time going from 9 to 12. That's a lot of math. Bottom line is, his department did grow by 25% monetarily. The next one, and this is funny because this came up on my timeline on facebook. The mayor's office. This picture is from a meeting in 2024. Two years ago, I talked about the mayor's salary and her department. This is five people. Their increase will be $166,000 this year for those -- I'm sorry. That's between 2023 budget and this budget coming up. 167,000. One person in her department will be getting a 21.9% raise. That's ridiculous. It's absolutely absurd. We have to look at all these. No one wants to lose their jobs. That's reality. We have no idea what's going to happen. But looking at these two departments, it shows us that we're not being conservative enough with this budget. The other thing I want to talk about for just a minute is item number 41. I want to know when the policy for the City of Tampa -- when the City of Tampa's policy changed that somebody can come back and work for the city less than two years after they resigned, after they left the city. Vik Bhide's name on there not once but twice. He approved the contract when he worked for the city. Now we approve contracts and then come back to work for the contract? Yeah, we really probably need to look into number 41 a little bit deeper. Because I have lots and lots of great employees who work for the city who are my friends, and they have sat on the sidelines for the last two years and haven't been able to advocate and do work for the city. But this guy can?

9:46:30AM Thank you, Ms. Poynor.

9:46:33AM The next speaker is frank Fernandez. I called frank purdle, but appears you want to speak to item 59. Also -- Stephanie hopkins, sundai reynoso and tommy whitehead. Those are public hearings. Your opportunity to speak to those items are public hearings. If that is not your intent, just make sure you get my attention and I'll call you up. Mr. Fernandez, come on up.

9:47:02AM Mr. Fernandez Defers. We've got sandra tyrell. Alison date, and Mr. Hayes. Good morning. Alison date, followed by Mr. Hayes and Valerie bullock. Go ahead. Start with your name, please. You'll have three minutes. My name is sandra atiles-tyrrell. I am a co-owner of a local small business founded in 2018. Long before it existed I had the privilege of serving the City of Tampa as sales representative for large national distributor. Beginning in 2007 I work directly with the City departments, learn how they operate, became familiar with their needs and developed relationships built on responsiveness, reliability and trust. That experience gave me the invaluable knowledge and tools to understand government procurement. When my husband Kevin and I built it from the ground up, we still needed the opportunity to demonstrate what our company could do. The City of Tampa shelter market program gave us that opportunity. This program is not a hand-out. It does not guarantee us a contract or guarantee our success. It allows qualified small businesses to compete with a smaller pool where capabilities can be seen and fairly evaluated. We must still understand the specifications, submit competitive pricing, deliver and address challenges. The program may open the door but the performance determines whether we earn the city's trust to serve again. Although it is a small business, we have built strong partnerships with manufacturers, distributors, and technical experts. This relationship expands our capabilities and help us locate difficult products, obtain technical support and provide competitive solutions and respond with the personal attention and flexibility that a small business can offer. Through the shelter market program, we have gained valuable knowledge, established strong performance history and grown into one of the city's trusted suppliers. For that, Kevin and I are profoundly grateful. Because of this experience, I regularly speak about this program with other small business owners. Through my involvement with the Tampa Bay latin chamber and other community organizations, I encourage entrepreneurs to become certified, understand the city's procurement process and pursue opportunities. I share story because I want other capable small businesses to know that this resource exist and that success is possible. When one local business gains access, performs well and then helps another business find its way to the table, the impact reaches far beyond one contract or company. The shelter market program did not build our success. It gave us a fair opportunity to build it ourselves. Whatever name or structure the program carries moving forward, I respectfully ask that you strengthen the shelter market at its heart. Thank you so very much for letting us share our story.

9:50:06AM Thank you very much. After more advice and counsel from our City Council attorney, it was brought to my attention that the hearing, even though it is a hearing and normally you would speak during the hearing, because it is a non-quasi-judicial hearing, it would be basically no harm to the record to allow. What I'm going to do, I'll move through the cards and I will call up those of you that indicated you wanted to speak to item number 59 as an agenda item public hearing during this time if you choose to. If you want to wait until the public hearing, that you have option as well. Thank you. Alison date followed by Mr. Hayes, Followed by Valerie bullock. My name is alison date. I wanted to talk about number 14. This is the time to do that?

9:51:01AM Yes, it is. Parks and rec. I just wanted to be sure because when I looked at the trees being allowed for them to plant, there was the famous crape myrtle and bottle brush on there. One of the emphasis of the revision of the tree code is to focus on planting type 1 and 2s because that's what was removed, and also to not plant those this coming year, to see how that -- if possible, but use other trees besides those, especially native trees is preferred because that benefits the plants -- other plants and animals and us the most. That's what I wanted to make sure that those two trees had been removed from the list of trees that are going to be used by nelson tree farm. That's all I wanted to say. Thank you.

9:52:05AM Thank you, alison. Mr. Hayes, Followed by Valerie bullock, followed by Tarah Bluma. Mr. Hayes. Mr. Hayes, if you are downstairs, please come to council chambers. Valerie. Good morning. Tara, followed by sierra sizemore. College hill. I'm here to talk about 17 and 20 where we charge the citizens for cleaning up their yards. We should put that on the moratorium because we are giving all the big money to corporations and billionaires and homeowners are the ones who suffer. I'm asking you to waive the fees for cleaning up the people's property.

9:53:01AM Thank you, Valerie. Tara. Tarah Bluma. Tarah Bluma, if you are downstairs, please come to City Council Chambers. I will keep your card here. Sierra sizemore followed by Steve Michelini. Sierra sizemore, if you are in the building, please come to Tampa City Council Chambers. Steve Michelini.

9:53:32AM You are hearings. Okay. Frank purdle, followed by sundai reynoso. I'm frank purdle, business owner of a local small business enterprise. I'm speaking also as a member of the Equal Business Opportunity advisory committee. This is to agenda item 59. I'm urging you to adopt 59. I know there are a lot of changes happened nationally and at the state level. We think the ordinance changes we're proposing allow us to continue to support small businesses and not garner the attention of others who are not in support of minority and women-owned businesses. A lot of effort has gone into making the changes, monthly meetings when we're only mandated to meet quarterly, so for over a year now, we're in August, we have met and sought to propose changes that not only support our businesses but allow us to stay in accordance with state and federal law. Thank you for your time.

9:55:00AM Thank you, frank. Sierra sizemore followed by Tarah Bluma. Good morning. I'm sierra sizemore. I'm here because I live very close to the rays' stadium --

9:55:17AM If you are here -- I can hear their concerts from my bedroom. Lived in the Tampa Bay area 15 years. I'm saying where I live. Intersection coming off of dale mabry --

9:55:31AM If it's about item 80. It is a traffic concern in general. I just happen to live very close to that area. I go to that tax location frequently. I know it is one of the busiest in the county. They have good service. I'm concerned about the relocation in general because the traffic patterns over there, my area specifically, there is an intersection that has been missing a stop sign for over a year now. I specifically looked at amendment item 8 because the budget was confusing and a little bit general and generic. I have noticed in that intersection where there should be a stop sign on the opposing side, they just put a caution sign. I'm worried we're not spending the funding as effectively as possible, in regards to the safety of the area. Even here, I saw potholes. I know you guys have heard before about cosmetic concerns, and I'm just asking that you continue doing the work you do. I've seen how hard you work to be earnest about where the money is going. Keep doing that and put citizen safety first. Feels like there is always a rush to spend taxpayer money and not so much a priority toward citizen safety. That's really all I have for you today.

9:56:49AM Could you please see a staff member to let them know the intersection you're referring to that is missing the stop sign? Chief Bennett, could you find out what intersection she's referring to? Tarah Bluma followed by sundai reynoso. I'm Tarah Bluma. I am here because I want to sincerely thank Mr. Ted Fowler and Mr. John Deloqua from the Parks Department from installing eight new trees at the elementary. I was here a month ago begging for these to get some traction on this project. They heard the issue and they solved the problem. This really highlights the fact that we can plant beautiful big trees and that there are still places to do so. I hope that this -- the new policies would determine this tree program, encourage more partnerships between neighborhoods, schools and the Parks Department to plant more trees. I am very happy that type one and type two trees are going to be prioritized in the new tree-mendous tree contract for the year. I think that's going to help our percentages tremendously. I didn't mean to make a pun there. And the clarity that trees will be allowed in the front and side yards and at schools. Thank you very much to the Parks Department. That's all.

9:58:20AM Thank you, Tarah. Mr. Hayes and kyra, please come to council chambers. Sundai reynoso, followed by Stephanie hopkins, janet darcy, followed by tommy whitehead. My name is sundai reynoso. I'm here for line item 59. I serve on the Equal Business Opportunity advisory committee where we are tasked with advising and championing the policies that ensure equitable access to all businesses. Thereby fostering a diverse and prosperous business community, strengthening neighborhoods, enhancing the quality of life for every Tampa resident. I'm one of those Tampa residents. And I have been for about 14 years. As a certified woman lgbtq afro Latina business, I had my tutoring business about eight years. Because of the opportunities that are available to the sheltered market, I am counted in instead of out. Even as a small business, I have a seat at the table. So that's what this ordinance champions, and that's why I'm urging that we adopt this. This is about having a seat at the table where everybody eats. Small businesses, mom and pops, dreamers. This is about the small businesses that need an opportunity. And it's not spoon feeding. It's just having a seat at the table. Thank you.

9:59:50AM Thank you very much. Stephanie hopkins followed by janet darcy. Good morning. Start with your name, please. My name is Stephanie hopkins. I am the eboac at-large and I also serve as chair of subcommittee of governments. I first off would like to thank each and every one of you for appointing me to this amazing committee. The question that we need to be concerned with today, the controlling question is, what will Tampa look like in the 21st century? This ordinance has two-part disparity. The first one is race disparity, and the second is economic disparity. So I want to talk about the economic disparity because the numbers that are living in 2026 are from 2008. The dollar has eroded the buying power. Currently, every dollar that we put down is for 63 cents. And the 2.5 mill threshold that we currently have for construction has eroded by approximately 35% and is worth 1.6 mill in today's dollars. The African American wealth is at risk right now by 2053 it is deemed to be at zero. By 2045, this will be a minority nation. It will take 708 years for african americans to be at the same wealth at our counterparts. So my question is, again, what will Tampa look like in 21st century? Thank you so much.

10:01:54AM Thank you very much. Janet dorsey followed by tommy whitehead. Good morning. Good morning, chair and members of council. My name is janet dorsey, CEO of skilled talent workforce solutions. It's a certified small business here in Tampa. I've been in business for over seven years in workforce development, which is what my organization focuses on. I have over 20 years of experience in workforce development and now am a small business owner here in this community. I've lived the realities of this program, both its benefits and its limits. One thing I can definitely speak directly to as a part of the ordinance is the professional services shelter market threshold. When I first became a registered or a certified business in the City of Tampa, I was approached by an employer who not only needed my services but had three other sister companies who also needed the same services. Because of that threshold, I was able to gain business from them as well who successfully needed that program, not only to win bids in this area, but to be in compliance. And I was happy to service them. And to keep it short, I respectfully urge you to approve the ordinance. Because of this, it's very helpful to us as small businesses to be recognized in more than one area. It's practical, overdue update that helps small local businesses like mine compete fairly and grow. Thank you for your time and your investment in Tampa's small business community. Thank you.

10:03:55AM Thank you, judy. Tommy whitehead followed by Michael grant followed by David sinclair. Thank you for letting me speak today. My name is tommy whitehead. With tomko solutions, local conglomerate of companies, construction, a.i., media. Recently named ink 5,000. Local boy. My office overlooks your office. This kind of thing is important to me. I've had the privilege of serving on the Equal Business Opportunity committee for the last year. To those that oppose this revision on principle, they are right. The disparity is real. It's documented. I share the concern. I'm married to a black man. I have personally seen discriminatory actions in the last several years against him and we've been together more than a decade. Still exists. I wish it didn't. Look at what the program is delivering right now. Everything comes from the city's public records on the website. Anybody in this room can pull it. I'm surprise nobody has quoted the numbers yet. Let's talk about the program. 64 solicitations from May 2025 through June 2026. Roughly $2 million in awarded value. The city received 504 bids. Certified firms accounted for 11 of them. Let's break this down into a couple of categories. Black-owned businesses. 226 certified businesses. There is one firm out of 504 bids. One firm that even pursued anything. So we have an amazing organization, toba is great. I love what they do, but there is a misunderstanding. I'm only quoting numbers, not a motion. One participant. Hispanic firm, 290 certified, three firms that bid. One of them actually won. Zero women owned certified businesses bid during this period. So one win, 159,000 out of $2 million, about 7, 8 percent from certified firms. I'm going to ask the committee here, I agree with the idea that we should accept diversity and pick up disparity, but there is nothing you can do by keeping this ordinance that changes these numbers. They haven't applied when they had the availability to apply. I say they, I say any diversity owned business or small owned business. So why are we holding up something or considering posting back something that they haven't even worked for? A single black-owned firm that didn't -- the single black-owned firm that did bid didn't lose on bias. It's numbers. The bid was 283,000 for a job awarded for $147,000. I encourage the committee to actually look at the numbers and realize that right now all these small owned businesses, all the diversity owned businesses are small owned businesses. They benefit from increased shelters, especially construction companies where construction costs have skyrocketed and we can't bid any more at the values because of the shelter caps and small business purchases and procurement card purchases actually increase the threshold to allow the smaller businesses without going through the bid process.

10:07:08AM Michael grant followed by David sinclair, followed by alyssa white. Good morning, Michael. Start with your name. You'll have three minutes. Michael grant. The boundless group. We currently do work for the city. We're here in support of the ordinance change. I'm not a local boy. I'm a naturalized citizen from another country that has no opportunities. The city has given us opportunity to grow in a small business. But there is a lot of work to do. We don't want to sugarcoat anything. Accepting this ordinance is only one step in keeping the program alive and changing. The items that are addressed in the ordinance is addressing reality currently, right? Increasing the threshold, increasing the numbers, allowing small businesses to bid and be competitive. I definitely want to call out toba as some of their insights in what they shared valid. But I do also want to request from them as well that let's not stop progress. Let's work together. Let's partner, as we've done currently. One last call-out, I want to say thanks to the committee, the EBO committee for all the time they spent. I sat in not only half the meetings and I calculated in billable hours we would have lost about $60,000. That's just me. Times that by 12 people. They did it for free. So we need to consider that as well. And then lastly, call out Ms. Bertha Mitchell. She is tiny but mighty. She stands up for small businesses. I've seen her do it. I've seen her take the brunt for standing up for small businesses. Want to call her out and say thanks for doing that. We should all support her. That's it. Thank you very much.

10:09:24AM Appreciate it. David sinclair followed by alyssa white followed by cabela mueller. Good morning, sir. Start with your name. My name is David sinclair. I'm a volunteer with the sierra club. The city wonderful climate action and equity plan speaks to understanding the needs and concerns of the front line communities. Included in your plan, you speak of having listened to the community, having listened to what the community says that wants to promote clean energy and maintain affordability. Also included in your clean energy plan, you mentioned a nifty contribution from Tampa electric, where Tampa electric says that TECO is the gate-keeper to 100% clean energy and renewable energy. It is a moment now to listen to the community and to step forward and give the opportunity for the community to have a town hall meeting. I invite all of the members of the City Council to an October 22nd opportunity for a town hall meeting in the community. So on October 22, 6:30 p.m. at the barksdale senior center, 1801 North Lincoln Avenue in Tampa, will have an opportunity for town hall meeting, the community can come together. We're inviting officials of Tampa electric to come also so that we can as a community talk about the issues of affordability and clean energy, particularly at a moment when the electric rates of Tampa electric have risen to the third highest in the U.S. and at times when the energy production of Tampa electric is only 17% in the sunshine state. You are all invited to come October 22 so that we may speak as a community and deal with some of the issues that are very important to us. You are all invited to attend. Thank you.

10:11:34AM Thank you, sir, appreciate it. We have four more in-person speakers. I'll call those four names. If you believe you are supposed to speak this morning on these items, please bring your attention to myself so we can fix that issue if there is a problem. Alyssa white, isabella mueller, surgret doss and ash leyva. My name is alyssa white. I'm the climate justice organizer with Florida student power and a member of the Hillsborough affordable energy coalition. I'm here today because I am deeply disappointed in the lack of action from the city on the rising cost of utility bills. Not because the city doesn't recognize that these rising electric costs are hurting people, you do recognize it. I think we've been able to meet with most of you, and you've all agreed that this is a pressing issue for community members, but what is disappointing is we keep hearing that this is a serious issue, yet we are not seeing any action that should come with that acknowledgment. While we are here today discussing a lot of new business, Tampa family members are struggling right now with their electric bills. They are continuing to open their bills and wonder how they are going to pay them. These aren't just abstract numbers on a spreadsheet. These are your constituents, our coalition has been door knocking. We've hosted events, and we've talked to community members about their struggles with their bills and the city hasn't done that. Here is the part that I think deserves even more attention. Tampa taxpayers are paying this bill twice. Residents are paying their own increasingly expensive bills and their tax dollars are also paying for the city's electric bills. According to the city in fiscal year 2025, you all spent approximately $25.1 million on electricity. And the city did something right. It reduced energy consumption by switching to solar options and you guys saved about 9.3%, which is about $1.8 million. And that's great. Even after using substantially less energy, rising rates and the rate hikes are eating at those additional savings. So when the city itself is being financially impacted by these rate increases, I don't understand how we can say that this is simply outside of the city's purview. You may not control the rates, but you're absolutely in control of whether you speak up. You're in control of whether you use your voice, and you are in control on whether this council stands with the people who elected you. Frankly, residents need more than an acknowledgment that this is a problem because we are the ones living with it. We need action. So I'm asking this council to do something concrete. There are options. Pass a resolution. I know that we approached each of you with it, calling for affordable, transparent and reasonable energy rates for Tampa residents and formally communicating that position to the public service commission. Hold a public town hall. I know my colleague David just talked about that, or bring TECO and the appropriate state regulators to the table and make them answer questions from the residents who are paying these bills. If the city believes that there are limits to what they can legally or practically do, please tell us what the limits are and what you are going to do within those limits. Saying we don't control the rates cannot be the end of the conversation. It should be the beginning of a question of what you guys can do. We have already demonstrated that the city can reduce its energy --

10:15:03AM Thank you. Your time is up. Thank you so much.

10:15:06AM Also, if you are downstairs and you are here for a public hearing, if you are downstairs and here for a public hearing, please come to Tampa City Council Chambers, please. Isabella mueller followed by surgret doss. It's nice to see all of you. I'm ysabella with food and water watch and Hillsborough affordable energy coalition. I know we have a really packed agenda today. I'm here again to make the ask to pass an affordable energy resolution and to join us in our work for fighting for affordable energy in Hillsborough county and Tampa. As alyssa mentioned, we've had this conversation with most of you. We all agree that TECO bills are too high and really needs to be something done about this. So earlier this year, we came to you urging you to pass this resolution, calling on our state lawmakers to pass affordable energy reform, and we did this because we believe that you all can be champions in advocating for affordable energy solutions and standing up for your constituents who are struggling to pay their bills. Since hearing your concerns, I have revised a new resolution for all of you to look at. And this includes specific actions that we all believe are within your purview that you can take action on, such as opposing electricity rate hikes that disproportionately burden residents, urging state lawmakers to pass affordable energy reform next year, utilizing state and -- funding for energy efficiency and clean energy programs. Requesting the release of Tampa specific shut-off data which would be useful to have. Connecting residents with more cost-saving energy programs. Opposing the construction of hyperscaled data centers and calling for accessible and district hearings. Tampa electric is expected to have another rate case next year. That's something that you all can directly do when that's happening. With that, we've heard your concerns. I drafted a new resolution for you all to review and I'll pass that over after this. However, as alyssa mentioned, I have been pretty disappointed with my -- or with the lack of response from council members lately. The coalition has been reaching out to your offices all summer, calling, e-mailing, and I know you all are busy, but we have not been getting any response from you. Again, this is something that we feel we can work on and find solutions that are within your purview to help with this issue. I also understand as we have mentioned that you guys do not directly set the rates for Tampa electric. We know that. You do not control the public service commission. Ultimately reform will come from the state level in tallahassee. But we also all know that change does not stop at the top. It stops at the bottom. That's why we're asking to you join us in this work, start at the local level, and really start pushing forward with these small solutions and changes that we can make so that then we can ultimately drive that state-level reform that we're really looking to, to crack down on just the pure corporate greed we're seeing from the utility companies. With that, I hope you look at this new resolution and happy to discuss more over coffee or another meeting.

10:18:25AM If you have a document to share, would you hand -- [indiscernible] Mr. Doss Followed by ashley levi. I appreciate the commendation given to one of the university Thomas Jefferson Jamal Jefferson. I had the pleasure of coaching him when I got off active duty in the military. I'm not going to steal his shine and give what I wanted to earlier. But say something to the young people out there. I came in this morning. I was listening to lamont hill and Dr. Greg carr on urban view today discussing messaging and who is responsible for giving proper messaging to the people whose lives are ultimately affected by people like you all, the politicians. And unfortunately, in our community -- and it doesn't matter whether black, white, green, blue, purple -- we have too many people become intellectually lazy. Information is so readily available that you have no excuse for not finding information. You don't have to have information fed to you through some sort of straw that's palatable to you. We are in very serious times. And we have some people in my community who love hopping on platforms and diminishing the accomplishments of our ancestors who gave sweat equity and blood equity to help you acquire the rights that you think you've earned or you have. I'm not saying that as a veteran. There are some of us who actually will take a bullet to keep this country at a place where we help fulfill the duty of our posterity to generations to come. I'm really concerned that my children and grandchildren won't have the benefit of at least some sort of sanity within our country. I think we're teetering along the edge of the collapse of this thing. Fall under the guide of Rome. Putting fools in power. Especially when you put fools in power because you've chosen to be apathetic and not exercise the ability to control who your representatives are. I'd like to see more young people in here. Amazing how the time flies. I'm 58. But he gives me hope that the kids that he influences will hopefully take his lead and become better people than, of course, I have. Spirited debate, spirited ask us is necessary. My brother and I have it all the time. He is a distinguished professor at the nation's largest hbcu. I'm not, of course, but I always say sometimes it's not about right or wrong people. It's about clarity. You never reach resolution if you are not willing to engage in honest dialogue even if the dialogue is with yourself. Shout-out to the greatest institution of higher learning in the City of Tampa. You all showed it today. University of Thomas Jefferson high school.

10:21:47AM Last in-person speaker is ash levi. Did I get that right? Ash labor with blue sky communities, with offices 180 -- parkway north in st. petersburg. I'm also here as a proud Tampa homeowner. My house is near st. Joseph hospital and Tampa bucs stadium. First, on behalf of blue sky, I want to thank you all for your support and your hard work on supporting blue sky affordable housing efforts and for everything you do to ensure Tampa residents have access to high-quality, affordable housing. In 2024, we began Planning and predevelopment for the adderley phase two near busch and Nebraska. You helped by committing substantial funding early on, even before we had the rest of the funding lined up. And that is the key. Your confidence in us propelled us to apply for and win a very substantial funding package from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Today, I'm here to officially announce that blue sky, together with our partner metropolitan ministries, has received final -- approval from the state of the rest of the funding necessary to build the adderley phase two, and we will start construction in 2027. This development will be 100 units of senior housing of which 50 will be permanent supportive housing for seniors that are homeless. As we know, homelessness among our elderly neighbors is a big problem these days. Again, we could not have gone this far without your support. I must add, without the cooperation and professionalism exhibited by your staff in many departments, including Housing and Community Development, Development Coordination, city attorney and City Administration, muchisimas gracias. We can't wait to invite you all to the groundbreaking next year.

10:24:04AM Thank you. We're very appreciative of blue sky with their contributions for everybody. Thank you. [ applause ] I have to remind everybody that we don't applaud. Don't click, don't applaud. This is their opportunity. I get it. We have a lot of new people. They don't know. No applauding. If we allow applause, we have to allow boos. If you were in the room and you thought you were going to speak, please bring it to my attention or forever hold your piece. Online. Connie burton, start with your name please. You'll have three minutes. Unmute yourself, connie.

10:24:59AM Good morning. Start with your name, connie. We can here you. This is like a science project trying to get through with this thing. Anyway, my comments regarding this agenda this morning. It is full with the hopes of the people, the hopes that you are listening. I know that there are a lot of moving pieces around the upcoming big decisions, whether it is the vote for property tax, the elimination of it, or this prize piece golden elephant that people really want to see in this community.

10:25:45AM Connie, we're not doing the rays' public comment right now. If you would restrict to general public comment, that would be great. Thank you. If you really want to do affordable housing, don't dangle it in front of the people's face. Don't say it comes with conditions of a, b and c. If the CRAs are to improve, give us some timelines. Give us some money that's going to be attached to it. Again, don't dingle it in the face of people in East Tampa had a has been waiting well over 20 years to see the quality of life improve with the residents there. When we talk about small businesses, we need to have also some type of resources made available because many of our young people have not been attached to vocational training. It was purposefully done that it was eliminated from our school. So the poverty that we see in our community, I don't just blame the people. I blame people in power. So this is your opportunity. Those of you who want to have a good service record in public service, understand that your full mission should be for the people and not for developers and not for entertainment gatherings. We are in need of so much more, and we need the proper leadership. Some of you will be gone and then we would have to deal with this with a new administration and also new council members. So don't handcuff the new people coming on board with your desires. But stay focused in knowing that if you're talking about workforce housing, mixed use community, that it comes back to those communities that is indeed in need of it. Thank you.

10:27:45AM Thank you, Ms. Burton. Michael randolph. Bring it home. You are our last public speaker. Respectfully, Mr. Chairperson, I ask to be deferred until the rays' conversation during item 80.

10:28:00AM Okay. Will he have a separate log-on? Stay on and listen. Very good. We'll recognize you when we get to item 80.

10:28:10AM Thank you, Michael. Hope you enjoy the rest of your morning. Have some coffee for us. Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

10:28:16AM Based on some public comment, I think it would probably be a good idea to pull item 41 and hear from staff. That is the one -- that is the rhea grant.

Alan Clendenin

10:28:31AM We're already doing that.

Lynn Hurtak

10:28:32AM No it's a separate vote, but I would like to hear from staff.

Alan Clendenin

10:28:36AM You are requesting staff for item 41.

Lynn Hurtak

10:28:39AM Correct.

Alan Clendenin

10:28:40AM Staff, if you are available.

Martin Shelby

10:28:41AM Staff reports later on?

Lynn Hurtak

10:28:48AM Yes. Move.

Alan Clendenin

10:28:50AM Councilwoman Hurtak to move 41 to staff reports. Second from Councilman Carlson.

Lynn Hurtak

10:28:57AM Items removed from consent agenda.

Naya Young

10:29:07AM I'm going to --

Alan Clendenin

10:29:08AM We have a motion and second. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Naya Young

10:29:16AM I'm going to move my items. I don't know if I ask the question now.

Alan Clendenin

10:29:25AM Board Administrative approvals.

Martin Shelby

10:29:32AM Martin Shelby, City Council attorney. Person council's motion, based on its vote on August 6, I prepared for you a resolution approving, confirming and ratifying the appointments to the Natural Resources Advisory Committee. You also that day on August 6, made a motion and directed me to come back with resolutions regarding alternates. Council, it is necessary for me to inform you that at the time you did that, council lacked legal authority to appoint alternates to the board because it is a 13 member advisory board. Normally on advisory boards that are not going to be making those findings, there are no alternates on advisory boards generally. This is a 13 member board with a 7 member quorum. And if you wish to discuss this further, we can do it under new business. I have additional information about that. But I wanted to share with you that it was brought to my attention, my apologies to the public and the board that I was unaware at the time of the vote, the motion was out of order because council lacked legal authority to take action. Because there is no authority to appoint alternates to that board.

Alan Clendenin

10:31:06AM We have a resolution approving the members. Mr. Shelby, will you take it upon yourself to notify the alternates that were selected about this issue so you can explain it to them.

Martin Shelby

10:31:19AM If that's council's direction. Chair's direction, happy to do that.

Luis Viera

10:31:26AM The alternates were Ms. Lawson, who is here, and there was another young woman from Terrace Park. Ms. Jackson Haney.

Martin Shelby

10:31:43AM The list of appointees are in front of you.

Alan Clendenin

10:31:46AM Let's deal with the business before us.

Luis Viera

10:31:48AM Two seconds, if I may, Mr. Chair. I would ask Mr. Leon to get the other alternate. Obviously, Ms. Lawson is here but put me in contact so I can speak with her on something. Thank you.

Martin Shelby

10:32:04AM Again, my apologies to the appointees and apologies to the public and especially my apologies to the council. Quite frankly, I did not have that information at the time council made that motion.

Alan Clendenin

10:32:14AM Motion from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Miranda to adopt the resolution. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Anybody in the audience that requests reconsideration of legislative matters? Hearing none, consent agenda. Public safety committee Councilman Viera, would you please move items 5 through 13.

Luis Viera

10:32:37AM Yes, sir. Hereby move --

Alan Clendenin

10:32:42AM What's that? Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilwoman Young.

Naya Young

10:32:51AM I'm going to move, but for 14, it's not 14, but for the tree-mendous program. If I heard public comment correctly, that we use the tree-mendous program, we're able to plant trees at Westshore elementary. Is there anyone here that can answer that question for me?

Carl Brody

10:33:15AM Carl Brody from legal, and Mr. Fowler is here. He is actually doing it.

Ted Fowler

10:33:25AM Ted Fowler, Parks and Recreation director. We did not use the tree-mendous program. We used it out of our operating budget.

Naya Young

10:33:33AM Thank you for that clarification. I know that was something I was wanting to know if we could use the tree-mendous program. I'm hoping we can do the same at young because they have a lot of open space. I have spoken with hcps and they said they may be amenable to that. Put it on your docket. I move items 14 through 27.

Alan Clendenin

10:33:57AM Motion from Councilwoman Young. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilman Maniscalco, infrastructure committee.

Guido Maniscalco

10:34:05AM I move items 28 through 42. 41 is going to be a separate vote.

Alan Clendenin

10:34:12AM That is correct, yes. [Indiscernible] we have a motion from Councilman Maniscalco. Who was the second? Councilman Miranda. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. The item we pulled was 41. Separate vote. Who wants to move the resolution?

Lynn Hurtak

10:34:38AM No staff report. We moved it to staff report.

Alan Clendenin

10:34:41AM Got it. Very good. Finance committee chair, 43 through 50.

Charlie Miranda

10:34:46AM Move 43 --

Alan Clendenin

10:34:47AM 46 is continued.

Lynn Hurtak

10:34:50AM 43 through 45 and 47 through 50.

Alan Clendenin

10:34:53AM Correct. Motion from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilman Carlson, development and economic opportunity committee --

Bill Carlson

10:35:06AM I will abstain from 52 and 53. Abundance of caution, my firm has a client that may be related to this, although we don't have anything to do with this and don't work on these kind of issues, so I move 51.

Alan Clendenin

10:35:18AM Motion from Councilman Carlson. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilwoman Young would you move 52 through 53.

Naya Young

10:35:26AM I move 52 and 53.

Alan Clendenin

10:35:28AM Motion from Councilwoman Young. Second from Councilman Viera. All in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

The clerk

10:35:33AM Motion carried with Carlson abstaining.

Alan Clendenin

10:35:36AM Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

10:35:38AM I move items 81 and 83.

Alan Clendenin

10:35:41AM Motion from Councilwoman Hurtak. Second from Councilman Maniscalco to move items 81 through 83. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

10:35:53AM Councilman Viera.

Luis Viera

10:35:56AM I did want to speak. I appreciate it for item number 40, I see we have some New Tampa folks here today. Mr. Alan Cohn, Chief Lopez, saw Dr. Jim Davidson here somewhere and Robin Lockett was here. I wanted to briefly speak about this item, number 40. This is a very big deal for New Tampa. This approves an agreement for design-build for services for the k-bar ranch park which is going to be a really big, wonderful addition to the City of Tampa and New Tampa. That park has been a long time coming. This is something that formally begins the process and public outreach can come from here and set up the public outreach meetings with New Tampa. I wanted to highlight that because I think that is a great thing. Thank you, council, for your support and everybody for their hard work on it. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

10:36:47AM Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

10:36:48AM I apologize. I need to rescind the vote for 81 through 83 because I was supposed to recuse myself from 81.

Alan Clendenin

10:36:58AM We have a motion to reconsider the votes for 81 through 83. Second from Viera. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Can I get a motion to move items 81 --

Lynn Hurtak

10:37:09AM I'll move item 83.

Alan Clendenin

10:37:11AM Motion from Councilwoman Hurtak to move 83. Second from Maniscalco. All in favor aye. Ayes have it.

Lynn Hurtak

10:37:18AM The reason, it's just the other one, 81. The reason I am recusing myself from this, I recused myself during both the hearing and the money for this because I own a house on this block.

Alan Clendenin

10:37:33AM Motion to move 81? Motion from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

The clerk

10:37:41AM Motion carried with Hurtak abstaining and Carlson being absent at vote.

Martin Shelby

10:37:46AM I will provide that form before the end of today's meeting.

Alan Clendenin

10:37:50AM I believe I heard Councilman Maniscalco said he would like to set the public hearings.

Guido Maniscalco

10:37:56AM [Inaudible]

Alan Clendenin

10:37:58AM Second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor, aye. Motion to open the public hearings? Motion from councilman to open the public hearing. Second from Miranda.

10:38:12AM All public hearings are open now. Item 59.

Carl Brody

10:38:20AM Good morning, council. Carl Brody, legal. Development.

10:38:28AM We want to thank you for the opportunity to discuss the proposed changes to the ordinance formerly the Equal Business Opportunity now strategic business development. I want to talk to you a little bit about what the ordinance does, what the benefits are, and to address some of the concerns that the community has about the impacts of making these changes. As I came to you last time, we did note that this isn't what we want to do. We agree with everybody, diversity is important, but we're stuck with several federal executive orders and directives. We have a state law that just passed and will go into effect in January. Between these and the other interpretations that we're getting from the courts, legally we're being told that we are in jeopardy if we have a -- conscious program. Very importantly, the new law sb 1134 which would be codified, that covers the waterfront. That confers everything. It basically states we can't have any kind of program that provides any special benefit based on race, gender, ethnicity. There is no exception whereas at least with the courts there's some consideration in terms of if we can satisfy a strict scrutiny standard. That's not provided for in the state law.

Luis Viera

10:40:07AM Point of order. We should have our attorney in here for this. Where is Mr. Shelby? We should have our attorney in here.

Alan Clendenin

10:40:14AM Mr. Shelby, return to council chambers.

Luis Viera

10:40:17AM I apologize.

Carl Brody

10:40:18AM Would you like me to continue?

Alan Clendenin

10:40:20AM Pause, please. If staff in the back can find Mr. Shelby and put him back in his box.

Carl Brody

10:40:30AM If I can approach separately, Mr. Whitehead Failed to provide support from the South Tampa chamber of commerce. If I can provide --

Alan Clendenin

10:40:41AM Provide that Mr. Shelby. He is back and you can proceed with the presentation.

Carl Brody

10:40:47AM As noted, state law is black and white. It's saying that we can't have any programs that provide any benefits based on race, gender, ethnicity. That has to be addressed. How we address this and even previously when we were concerned with the federal changes was that we suspended the current program as it applied to race and gender. Right now, status quo is, none of the businesses that we're concerned about are receiving any of the benefits of the program we have in place right now. That's suspended. They are not getting any benefits. What this ordinance does is it addresses both those firms impacted now and other small businesses by increasing the thresholds. What's that mean? That means that if I have a --

Alan Clendenin

10:41:40AM Pause for one moment. If your cell phone is not on silent, please silence it now. If it goes off again, I'll ask you to leave the council chambers. Thank you.

Carl Brody

10:41:49AM What does that threshold issue mean? That threshold issue means that if I have a business, whether a black business, Hispanic business, small business, I graduate from the program, which means I can no longer receive the benefits of participating in the sheltered market. When I go to bid, I only go to bid against the really big firms. That will limit my ability to be successful. Increasing that threshold allows these businesses that are successful to continue to receive the benefits of the shelter market and bid against other firms of similar size and not have to bid against the large, large firms. Also, the thresholds are set on our projects. Our projects are set at a level from 2009. So that means we're still 15 years behind in terms of inflation, in terms of costs. We all know how much those have gone up. This is increase the projects that these firms can bid on. All this is of special benefit just for small businesses, race conscious so that we avoid any kind of challenges from any party that might decide that they want to challenge any changes to the ordinance that would provide a special benefit based on race or gender. It's very important to understand that what we're doing here is going to benefit all businesses, but especially going to benefit our small businesses that have a racial or gender component. Real quick. To address some of toba's points, we're doing that now. We can do that in the future in terms of administratively addressing some of their issues like bundling and things like that. That wouldn't be in the ordinance anyway. That would be in the EBO, purchasing and CAD side. That can be taken care of without jeopardizing the new opportunities for small businesses. So I would say about 90% of their concerns can be addressed. A disparity study can be addressed. While we have the updated ordinance that provides these extra benefits and protects the city against potential liability. I'm not going to give you my full spiel on this. I'm trying to -- we have a busy day. But I think it's very important for you guys to know that what we're doing here today, what the new owner does is all plus. Nothing that has raised concern can't be addressed while we have the new ordinance that provides benefits to the small businesses.

Alan Clendenin

10:44:35AM Thank you. Suling and the rest of them, can we make sure we have the timer set for ten minutes. Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

10:44:43AM First, I want to say thank you to you and city Attorney Steady for the time you all spent in meeting with me and the toba representatives and listening to all their concerns directly and addressing them and all the follow-up that you all did. I assume you did something similar with my colleagues, a lot of time. And there are a lot of concerns in the community. My question to you, which they raised and put it back out again, can we -- why can't we leave this suspend it and/or is there a way to leave it so that it is easier to bring back if these policies change? The challenge is that if suddenly within a year or two years, these policies change and we need to bring it back, then we have to rebuild everything again. How can we set it up so it's easy to turn it back on?

Carl Brody

10:45:35AM Thank you. Four clarification points. The longer form has this. The way we rewrote this ordinance, we still acknowledge the protected classes. We acknowledge black businesses, Hispanic businesses, lgbt businesses, veteran businesses, we acknowledge all those, and we do that because, if after we do studies -- and this is something the department does right now and they'll continue to do. They look and part of what the ordinance keeps in place, we're going to continue to do record keeping so we can see where the disparities arise and when we see a sufficient support to move forward with making those changes, all we do is take whichever protected class it is that we see the disparity in and we amend the ordinance to add that class to what's currently under the small business group or eligible business enterprise. It's not a difficult process. It will take no more than a couple of weeks to come to City Council to present the evidence we have that supports the need to address a disparity and to get you to approve the change.

Alan Clendenin

10:46:44AM Councilman Viera.

Luis Viera

10:46:45AM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know, Councilman Carlson got to some of my concerns. I've spoken with you all on it. You have been wonderful. I thank you for your hard work on this. I want to thank and we appreciate everybody who came here to speak on this. A lot of sincere voices talking about the good in this ordinance and many good things it does. My concern on this, as Councilman Carlson said, it takes things that may be temporary and potentially makes them permanent. I would like to see something that takes the benefit out of this without making permanent some of the things that are potentially a temporary political reality. Nobody, I want to be very clear, nobody is saying we have to be inconsistent with Florida law. Nobody is saying we should act in any way that isn't consistent with either applicable Florida law, federal law and so forth but to make things permanent I think gives some pause. I do think we need more time for this. That troubles me because a lot of the good people that we hear today. Mr. Ransom had noted in his remarks a salute to Councilwoman Hurtak for bringing up this issue. I did want to salute for that because you spoke out on this the first time around. I think that's something worth saluting. Always like to do that. It takes something to be a person who speaks out and talks about that. Thank you, ma'am. Again, I do think that we do need more time on this. That's my opinion. We can get the good out of this without making permanent things that maybe aren't permanent. Again, nobody is saying we have to act inconsistent with federal law or state law and so forth, but there may be another way to get there. That's my challenge. Again, thank you.

Carl Brody

10:48:35AM The ordinance is written to address that specific concern. We hope it's not going to be permanent. That's our hope. Honestly, the fastest way to be able to achieve your goal is to pass this ordinance because it's already baked in. The ordinance bakes in making this update when we find we have sufficient support to be able to move forward. I know there was a reference to the disparity study. Nothing in this new ordinance will stop us from doing a disparity study. Nothing in the new ordinance will stop us from doing the current analysis that we do to determine if there are issues that need to be addressed. And nothing in the ordinance will stop us from taking some of the toba recommendations in terms of unbundling, in terms of providing additional support for small businesses, which would include women and minority businesses. The ordinance doesn't do that. The ordinance is really all plus -- just a quick anecdotal story. I just caught a guy out in the hall. He has a black business. His business is no longer eligible to participate in the program because their revenue is too high. Just a little bit. Not a lot. They are not making hand over fist, but they are a little bit too high to be in our program. This ordinance would allow him to return, be in the program and be able to bid on higher projects. That's what we're looking at.

Alan Clendenin

10:50:09AM Whoever's phone has just gone off, last warning. Silence your phones. Ohhhhh ...

Lynn Hurtak

10:50:28AM I haven't seen that in ages.

Alan Clendenin

10:50:30AM Any other questions? Councilwoman Young.

Naya Young

10:50:37AM When this first came about, I ended up voting because I understood, you know, what is coming down, you know, from tallahassee that is out of our control. I've had the opportunity to meet with the EBO and, you know, the committee members, multiple occasions that have worked really hard on this. I appreciate your-all's hard work. My question, I have two questions, you may have already answered it. Is there some kind of reporting -- like, let's say this passes, is there a reporting that you can come back to us and say with this new program, we actually have been able to increase, we actually have seen an uptick in, you know, opportunities for our minority women owned businesses. Is there some sort of reporting attached to this that could come back and say we actually do see the benefit? And then from that, if the report comes and it says, you know, it's actually kind of the same or not getting any better, are we able to go back and say, okay, this is not working, we need to do something else that's still in accordance with the Florida law? Development. We are collecting the data. However, we can't see the true benefits of what the ordinance proposes because the thresholds are not at their max. And so, sure, we can come back. However, our small businesses are still not reaping the benefits of the ordinance. And that's hurtful to them. I spoke to business owners at an outreach event last evening, and I asked, would you rather have a $200,000 project or $500,000 project? And it was obvious. I won't be able to give you the real stats because the ordinance hasn't been approved.

10:52:44AM Right. I'm saying if it is approved, will you all come back with reporting to say, yes, this is working, no, it's not?

Carl Brody

10:52:53AM Councilwoman, that's also baked into the new ordinance. The department is required to do this record keeping. They are required to come back to you and give you an update. That's why we need the new ordinance because it addresses all your concerns really. It might not be perfect because we can't do certain things in terms of race and gender consideration, but it takes care of everything else and it assures that you're going to be aware of how successful the program is moving forward.

Naya Young

10:53:27AM And then from that reporting we find that maybe this is not working, are we able to go back and make changes that are still in accordance with the Florida law?

Carl Brody

10:53:39AM Absolutely. If we find -- first of all, by doing the record keeping we'll be able to, you know, tease out what the problems are and then we can address those directly. Part of why you have that eboac, why you have that advisory committee, because that's what they will be doing the whole time if we approve this. The whole time from moment of approval till the next time we meet before you, they are going to be teasing out all the specifics of what the benefits are, where we can improve, what we can do to be sure we are hitting the groups we want to without violating the law. That's what they are tasked with. As you have seen, they are very supportive of moving that forward.

Naya Young

10:54:31AM Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

10:54:32AM Any further questions? Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

10:54:35AM Yes. To me, this is an apples and oranges argument because if there's no reason we couldn't just change the levels in the current ordinance we already have, correct?

Carl Brody

10:54:52AM Yeah, we can change those. We can bring back and change those --

Lynn Hurtak

10:54:56AM That to me is the issue. You're making this about wanting to pass this ordinance because it increases the thresholds, but we don't have to pass this ordinance to increase the threshold. We can increase the thresholds of the current ordinance. I understand your position and the city's position. I'm just saying that I'm not going to vote for this because I don't agree with taking out minority representation and focus. But I do want the public to understand that we could increase the limits without voting for this new ordinance. We could simply change the ordinance we already have. I just wanted to make sure that people understood that.

Carl Brody

10:55:43AM Yeah, if I can just clarify, to change the thresholds, we're going to have to change the ordinance. We would have to come back to you with a new ordinance regardless now. The point is, we come back to you with a new ordinance that has everything you're concerned with, which I complete understand, suspended and not applicable. The ordinance we're bringing before you allows us to have a more efficient process in making that change because the ordinance you have before you is very specific about each protected class. I think we have eight different protected classes that we're going to be analyzing once we get data on it. It provides very specific, narrowly tailored definitions for each class. And that's what we need to do to be able to support making changes that would benefit any class based on disparity.

Lynn Hurtak

10:56:36AM Again, I appreciate that. I'm just saying we don't -- I don't want the public to believe that the only way we can increase these thresholds is to pass this new ordinance. We simply don't need to. We could pass them in the old ordinance. Thank you. That's all I wanted to say.

Alan Clendenin

10:56:53AM Mr. Shelby.

Martin Shelby

10:56:55AM I have not had an opportunity to get involved with the discussion. I have not met with Mr. Brody on this. But I'm taking a look at 16604971 which I'm sure you are familiar with, which was the genesis of why you are here. It looks like to come back with the same ordinance, just to change the numbers may be actually taking something that would trigger this provision. I don't think that would be an appropriate recommended response, Mr. Brody, to actually come back with the same ordinance you have now and ask council to take action on it.

Lynn Hurtak

10:57:37AM Mr. Shelby, that's not what I was saying.

Carl Brody

10:57:41AM Just to clarify so we can all be on the same page --

Alan Clendenin

10:57:44AM Hold on, please. Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

10:57:45AM I want Mr. Shelby to know that's not what I was saying. I was just making the point that we don't have to create this new ordinance to do this. Yes, we may be afoul of other things, but it just sounds like the only way we can do this is to pass this new ordinance, and that is not true.

Alan Clendenin

10:58:03AM Mr. Brody, could you explain the jeopardy the city would be in if we don't pass this?

Carl Brody

10:58:08AM Absolutely. We have several different levels. We have federal level. We would potentially lose any contracts we have with the federal government and any grants we're receiving from the federal government. Those numbers are high. We're talking in the millions. From the state law, we can potentially -- well, actually you, the City Council, can be subject to a challenge based on malfeasance, which can result in removal from office, and we can also be subject to challenge to any resident of the city that the ordinance doesn't comply and we would be subject to any fees and costs that would be inherent and any damages that a court might determine would be appropriate based on the noncompliance or violation of the state law. So at a couple of different levels where there is liability for the city for not complying. Just a quick note, currently, like we noted, the ordinance in place now, the race gender issues are suspended. If we had to bring a new ordinance back, we'd have to bring it back with that and have to think through how we want to do it, but with that acknowledgment. We wouldn't want to remove it because then we would be in a worse place than we are now. But that might be one of the options we'd have to take if we bring it back with the updated thresholds.

Alan Clendenin

10:59:36AM Mr. Shelby, as council attorney, do you have any reason to question the legal opinion of the staff?

Martin Shelby

10:59:49AM No. actually, I'm looking at the ordinance. This was brought to my attention rather recently with regard to the issues involved in this. Certainly during public comment that I understand council is sensitive to public comment and I respect that. You heard a lot of comments about it today. About the importance of this. My suggestion would be if I could inquire of Mr. Brody, is there any harm or foul with continuing this a week to be able to address these concerns to get more involved --

Alan Clendenin

11:00:22AM I would like to have a legal opinion, written legal opinion.

Martin Shelby

11:00:26AM Written legal opinion.

Alan Clendenin

11:00:27AM Yes.

Guido Maniscalco

11:00:28AM Move to continue this.

Martin Shelby

11:00:30AM I'm not going to ask for a week. Ask for a little additional time, please.

Alan Clendenin

11:00:35AM Give me a date that you need.

Martin Shelby

11:00:37AM I'm going to ask for Mr. Brody's help for his research as well. What would be the 17th? You also have the budget hearings coming up as well.

Alan Clendenin

11:00:51AM Correct.

Martin Shelby

11:00:52AM For whatever reason, exceedingly busy.

Alan Clendenin

11:00:56AM How about October 1st?

Carl Brody

11:01:01AM My only concern is I'm sure Ms. Mitchell would pass it on, it's a month that we can't provide opportunities for these firms.

Alan Clendenin

11:01:12AM I understand. But there are serious legal considerations that we need to be educated on to understand the gravity of what we're dealing with. I think giving us that month and giving you all the opportunity to explore that is critical to either the success or failure of this.

Martin Shelby

11:01:29AM The other thing is, hearing the concern of council and reviewing it in that context, there may be other ways, other avenues we may be able to address.

Alan Clendenin

11:01:37AM I have a motion to continue this to October 1st. A second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it?

Martin Shelby

11:01:47AM 10 a.m.

Guido Maniscalco

11:01:49AM 315 East Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, Florida, 33602.

Alan Clendenin

11:01:55AM I don't have the cheat sheet up here.

Carl Brody

11:01:57AM Just to clarify, you want to know the legal implications of --

Alan Clendenin

11:02:03AM I would like a legal written opinion on the jeopardy that the city would be in if we failed to act on this and the implications of acting on this would be to members of Tampa City Council.

Carl Brody

11:02:16AM Very good.

Alan Clendenin

11:02:18AM Just a reminder, if you are in the building downstairs on the first or second floor, and you are here for a public hearing, please come to Tampa City Council Chambers now. If you are here for a public hearing, please come to Tampa city chambers now. We are zipping along to item number 60.

Ross Samons

11:02:41AM Ross Samons, Development Coordination, presenting file vac-26-08. This is a second reading and adoption. Council received a memorandum for substitute ordinance. In the substitute ordinance there is a frontier easement added and also a special condition for a turn around requirement. Everything else on the previous ordinance is the same. I'm available if you have any questions.

Alan Clendenin

11:03:10AM Does council have any questions? Is there an applicant on this one? Hearing none, anybody in the public who wishes to speak to this item? Motion to close from Councilman Miranda. Second from -- Maniscalco, Miranda. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilman Carlson, would you read the substitute, please?

Bill Carlson

11:03:34AM Like to move file vac-26-08, ordinance being presented for second reading and adoption, an ordinance of the City of Tampa, Florida, vacating, closing, discontinuing and abandoning a portion of 43rd street right-of-way located of North Ellicott Street and James Elementary School of South Shadowlawn Avenue, east of 40th street and Gary Adult High School and west of 47th street as dedicated by the plat of revised map of rubensteins subdivision, in Tampa, Hillsborough county, Florida, and as more fully described in section 2 hereof, subject to certain covenants, conditions and restrictions as more particularly set forth herein, providing for enforcement and penalties for violations, providing for definitions, interpretations and repealing conflicts, providing for severability, providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

11:04:23AM I have a motion from Councilman Carlson. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:04:33AM Motion carried unanimously with Hurtak being absent at vote.

Alan Clendenin

11:04:36AM Thank you. Item 61.

Luis Viera

11:04:41AM Mr. Chair, for 62, I have to speak to Chief Bennett about something really fast. I ask that be put on hold, if I may.

Alan Clendenin

11:04:48AM Just quickly. 61. Staff? Good morning. I'm here for file htx 26-25646. This is second reading for ordinance to approve a historic preservation property tax exemption related to 905 North Florida Avenue. I'm here if you have any questions.

11:05:16AM Council have any questions? Hearing none, anybody in the audience wishing to speak to this item? We have a motion to close from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilwoman Young, would you read this one, please? 61.

Naya Young

11:05:33AM Ordinance -- file htx 26-25646, ordinance being presented for second reading and adoption, an ordinance approving an historic preservation property tax exemption application relative to the restoration, renovation or rehabilitation of certain property owned by 905 North Florida Avenue Property Owner LLC, a Florida limited liability company, located at 905 North Florida Avenue, Tampa, Florida, a local historic landmark based upon certain findings, providing for notice to the property appraiser of Hillsborough county, providing for severability, providing for repeal of all ordinances in conflict, providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

11:06:12AM Thank you. I have a motion from Councilwoman Young. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:06:21AM Motion carried unanimously with Viera being absent at vote.

Alan Clendenin

11:06:24AM Thank you. Councilman Viera, please return to council chambers.

Luis Viera

11:06:48AM There is a potential issue with the language of 62. I may need a continuance. I'm speaking outside with the lawyers. Something I caught. Just move forward, if you don't mind.

Alan Clendenin

11:07:00AM We have to move to the quasi-judicial hearings. If you are here to speak to the 10 a.m. public hearings, they are quasi-judicial, so items 63 through 69, please stand, raise your right hand to be sworn in by our clerk. [Oath administered]

11:07:31AM Thank you. Just a reminder to everyone, this is 63 through 69. These will go relatively quick and then we will be addressing item 80 after 69.

Naya Young

11:07:39AM I was absent at vote for the last vote for 67 through 69, but I have reviewed it, so I am prepared to vote.

Alan Clendenin

11:07:48AM Thank you very much. Item number 63. Bria Dixon, Development Coordination. Agenda item 63 is rez 26-10. This item is a rezoning request for a property located at 2111 East Busch Boulevard. The request is to rezone from CG commercial general to CI commercial intensive. I'm available if you have any questions.

11:08:11AM Council have any questions? Hearing none. Yes, ma'am. For this reading.

11:08:26AM Council have any questions? Anybody in the audience who wishes to speak to item 63? Motion to close from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilman Viera, would you read item 63?

Luis Viera

11:08:40AM Thank you, Mr. Chair. Move an ordinance presented for second reading and adoption, ordinance rezoning property in the general vicinity of 2111 East Busch Boulevard in the City of Tampa, Florida and more particularly described in section 1 from zoning district classification CG, commercial general, to CI, commercial intensive, providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

11:08:58AM Thank you. We have a motion from Councilman Viera. A second from Councilman Maniscalco. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:09:05AM Motion carried unanimously.

Alan Clendenin

11:09:10AM Councilman Viera, what is the outcome --

Luis Viera

11:09:16AM We're good. Mr. Brody and Chief Bennett.

Carl Brody

11:09:24AM Carl Brody, legal. This should go much better than the last one. This ordinance that we're bringing before you is a three-part purpose. First, we wanted to provide standards for public safety master plans. We did that through three parts. We worked with the mayor to issue an executive order which was issued a couple of weeks ago which supported the resolution that's item number 4 on the agenda. Those are the same. Just acknowledging what the relationship between the public safety unions and the public safety departments will be. It has specific standards provided for, and this was something that all parties worked together to achieve. The ordinance before is you to provide notice to City Council, if at some point in the future, a future mayor decides to make any changes to that executive order, they'll have to provide notice to City Council so they will be able to respond and be able to take whatever next steps are needed. You have a resolution that's consistent with the executive order and basically a notice ordinance that's going to require that notice.

Alan Clendenin

11:10:39AM Thank you. Council have any questions? Hearing none, Councilman Viera, you are recognized.

Luis Viera

11:10:47AM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Brody, I wanted to thank you. Thank all the different folks from management, police, fire, labor unions, Chief Bennett and different folks. This is a very good compromise that gets across I think what I've been working on for many years, what this council has supported for many, many years. I'm very, very happy for that. This gets public safety master plan moving in a very collaborative way that is substantive and robust. If I may, Mr. Chairman, I move an ordinance presented for second reading and adoption, an ordinance of the City of Tampa, requiring Tampa City Council to be provided notice of any changes to the executive order setting standards for triennial updates to the respective public safety master plans of the Tampa Police Department and Tampa Fire Rescue, repealing all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict therewith, providing for severability, providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

11:11:40AM Anybody in the public wishing to speak to this particular item? We have a motion to close from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Miranda. All those in favor aye. Ayes have it. Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:12:08AM Motion carried unanimously.

Luis Viera

11:12:09AM Thank you. I move resolution 4.

Alan Clendenin

11:12:12AM Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Luis Viera

11:12:20AM Thank you, council.

Lynn Hurtak

11:12:21AM It looks like item 66 is requesting to be continued to September 17, 2026. I would like to move to continue it to September 17, 2026 at 315 East Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, Florida, 33602, third floor, 10 a.m.

Alan Clendenin

11:12:41AM We have a motion from Councilwoman Hurtak. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Item number 64, staff.

Bria Dixon

11:12:54AM Bria Dixon, Development Coordination. Next item is agenda item 64, rez 26-12. This item is a rezoning request for the property located at 1704 West North B Street, 202, 220 and 210 North Rome Avenue, 1701 and 1711 west north a street. The request is to rezone from IG, industrial general, to CI, commercial intensive. If you have any questions, I'm available.

Alan Clendenin

11:13:21AM Council have any questions? Hearing none, I believe our applicant is online. Stacy? I don't think my camera is working. Can you hear me?

11:13:33AM It's a quasi-judicial hearing, so we have to have you on camera. I don't know if you're needed. You can be a passive listener if you would like.

11:13:44AM Anybody in the public that wishes to speak to this item? Hearing none, we have a motion to close from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilwoman Hurtak, would you read 64.

Lynn Hurtak

11:13:56AM File rez 26-12, ordinance being presented for second reading and adoption. An ordinance rezoning property in the general vicinity of 1704 West North B Street, 202, 220 and 210 North Rome Avenue, 1701 and 1711 west north a street in the City of Tampa, Florida and more particularly described in section 1 from zoning district classification IG, industrial general, to CI, commercial intensive, providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

11:14:26AM I have a motion from Councilwoman Hurtak. A second from Councilman Miranda. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:14:33AM The motion carried unanimously.

Alan Clendenin

11:14:35AM Thank you. We are on 65. Christopher Demanche, Development Coordination. Item 65 is rez 26-14. This is a rezoning request for property located at 1732 West St. Louis street. Request is to rezone from RS 50 to Planned Development, residential single-family semi detached uses. Revisions have been completed and certified plans have been provided to the clerk's office. I'm available for any questions.

11:15:10AM Council have any questions? Hearing none, applicant. I have nothing to add.

11:15:18AM Council have any questions of the applicant? Hearing none, anybody in the public wishing to speak to this item? Motion to close from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilman Maniscalco.

Guido Maniscalco

11:15:29AM Thank you. Ordinance being presented for second reading and adoption, an ordinance rezoning property in the general vicinity of 1732 West Saint Louis Street in the City of Tampa, Florida and more particularly described in section 1 from zoning district classification RS 50, residential single-family to PD, Planned Development, residential, single-family, semi detached, providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

11:15:49AM Motion from Maniscalco. Second from Miranda. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:15:55AM Motion carried unanimously with Hurtak being absent at vote.

Alan Clendenin

11:15:57AM Thank you. Councilman Viera, you were absent for the next two votes, review the record and prepared to vote? Thank you so much. Item 67.

Bria Dixon

11:16:07AM Good morning, council. Bria Dixon, Development Coordination. Agenda item 67 is rez 26-43. This item is a rezoning request for the property located at 5024 north 30th street. The request is to rezone from RS 50, residential single-family, to IG, industrial general. Council have questions.

Alan Clendenin

11:16:28AM Hearing none, applicant? Good morning. Maurice here on behalf of the agent -- sorry, the owner. I don't have anything to add but I'm here for questions.

11:16:39AM Council have any questions? Hearing none, anybody in the public wishing to speak to this item?

11:16:44AM Come on up. Valerie, start with your name. I'm against this project right now at this location, 1700-square-foot home. And this is right over there by fair oaks where you all have put in affordable houses. And I don't see what industrial can go right where 1700 square feet home is at. It would be an eyesore and out of place in the neighborhood. That's my opinion.

11:17:20AM Anybody else from the public wishing to speak on the item? Hearing none, motion to close. [Microphone not on] about, about fair oaks park, but that's on the other side of 30th street which have different type of zoning. The location of this property, the IG zoning is consistent with the zoning around it. I don't feel like what she said would be relevant to the situation going on in this area.

11:17:58AM [Microphone not on]

Bill Carlson

11:18:02AM Is there any way you can show us a map?

Alan Clendenin

11:18:09AM [Microphone not on]

Bill Carlson

11:18:20AM Just since it came up again, if we could just show. Thank you. The subject property is outlined here in red. The surrounding zoning is industrial general IG except for those specifically outlined as RS 50 and RM 24.

Alan Clendenin

11:18:50AM [Microphone not on] [inaudible]

Charlie Miranda

11:18:58AM [Microphone not on] [inaudible]

Alan Clendenin

11:19:20AM [Microphone not on] I have a motion from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:19:29AM Motion carried unanimously.

Alan Clendenin

11:19:30AM Thank you. Just pause for one moment. If you are here to speak to item 80, we are going to be hearing that shortly. If you have not signed one of these sheets, if you are downstairs and not signed one of these sheets or in here and not signed one of the sheets, please find a staff member, sign one of the sheets so you will be called during the time. Also, reminder, we'll break for lunch from 12 to 12:30. Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

11:19:55AM I don't think we'll get to public comment.

Alan Clendenin

11:19:57AM We'll get some. We have 40 minutes.

Lynn Hurtak

11:20:01AM I still have an agenda item and we have a petition to vacate.

Alan Clendenin

11:20:06AM We're hearing this after that. We're doing it after 69.

Lynn Hurtak

11:20:11AM Oh, okay.

Alan Clendenin

11:20:12AM Item 68. For the record, Christopher Demanche, Development Coordination. Agenda item number 68 is rez 26-45. This is a request to rezone property located at 2404 and 2408 Stuart Street. The request is to rezone from Planned Development to Planned Development and RS 50. Revisions have been completed and certified plans have been provided to the clerk's office. I'm available for any questions.

11:20:40AM Council have any questions? Hearing none, applicant. No applicant. Okay. Anybody in the public wishing to speak to this item? Can I get a motion? Motion to close from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Councilman Viera.

Martin Shelby

11:21:03AM Item 68?

Luis Viera

11:21:05AM Yes, sir. I move, if I may, an ordinance being presented for second reading and adoption. An ordinance rezoning property in the general vicinity of 2404 and 2408 Stuart Street in the City of Tampa, Florida and more particularly described in section 1 from zoning district classification PD Planned Development to PD Planned Development Place of Religious Assembly and RS 50 residential single-family, providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

11:21:27AM Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:21:34AM Motion carried unanimously.

Alan Clendenin

11:21:35AM Thank you. Item number 69.

Christopher Demanche

11:21:38AM Christopher Demanche, Development Coordination. Agenda item 69 is rez 25-116, rezoning request for property located at 3101 North Florida Avenue. Request is to rezone from commercial intensive to Planned Development for storefront residential/commercial and all CN uses. Revisions have been completed and certified plans submitted to the clerk's office. I'm available for questions.

Alan Clendenin

11:22:04AM Hearing none, applicant? Here if you have questions.

11:22:11AM Questions of the applicant? Hearing none, anybody in the public that wishes to speak to 69? Motion to close from Maniscalco, second from Miranda. Ayes have it. Councilwoman Young, would you read the ordinance, please?

Naya Young

11:22:24AM Yes. File rez-25-116, ordinance being presented for second reading and adoption, an ordinance rezoning property in the general vicinity of 3101 North Florida Avenue, in the City of Tampa, Florida, and more particularly described in section 1 from zoning district classification CI, commercial intensive, to PD, Planned Development, storefront residential/commercial (all CN uses), providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

11:22:52AM Motion from young, second from Maniscalco. Please record your vote.

The clerk

11:23:02AM Motion carried unanimously with Carlson being absent at vote.

Alan Clendenin

11:23:05AM Thank you. Councilwoman Young.

Naya Young

11:23:07AM I move the resolution.

Alan Clendenin

11:23:08AM Motion from Councilwoman Young, second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Thank you very much. Now, the moment we've all been waiting for, we are moving on to item number 80 per our amended agenda for the day. Item 80 is the development and funding agreement by and between the City of Tampa, Florida, Hillsborough county, Florida, and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Martin Shelby

11:23:40AM Martin Shelby, City Council attorney. You have a noticed public meeting for regard to the CRA. Do you wish to take joint public comment at this time?

Alan Clendenin

11:23:47AM I do.

Martin Shelby

11:23:49AM I ask then that Councilwoman Young, if you do pass the gavel.

Alan Clendenin

11:23:55AM Councilwoman Young, would you please open your public hearing -- public meeting?

Naya Young

11:24:00AM This community Redevelopment agency CRA, I call -- I call this special call meeting on August 27, 2026, to order.

Martin Shelby

11:24:12AM Need to take a recess?

Alan Clendenin

11:24:15AM We can run parallel, right?

Naya Young

11:24:18AM Roll call, please.

Charlie Miranda

11:24:19AM Here.

Guido Maniscalco

11:24:20AM Here. Clendenin?

Alan Clendenin

11:24:23AM Here.

Bill Carlson

11:24:23AM Here.

Luis Viera

11:24:24AM Here.

Naya Young

11:24:26AM Here.

The clerk

11:24:27AM You have a physical quorum. Thank you.

Naya Young

11:24:30AM We are now in session as both the Tampa City Council and the community Redevelopment agency for the purpose of hearing public comment on agreements with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the City Council agenda that is item 80. On the CRA agenda that is item number 1. At this time, I will pass the gavel to Chair Clendenin to take public comment for both the Tampa City Council and the CRA. Public comment being taken will be reflected in the minutes of both meetings. At the end of public comment, Chair Clendenin will close public comment and pass the gavel back to me at which time the CRA will go into recess. I will then pass the gavel back to our City Council chair and Tampa City Council Will take up item 80 on its agenda. After action is taken on that item, City Council Will go into recess and the community Redevelopment agency will reconvene. We will then take up item number 1 and complete our agenda. The CRA will then adjourn the special call meeting. I will pass the gavel back to the chair of City Council which will then reconvene to complete its day's agenda. For the purpose of taking public comment on the rays' MOU, I now pass the gavel back to our City Council chair.

Martin Shelby

11:25:51AM If I can, my apologies. That is the rays' amendment -- excuse me, the rays' agreement as opposed to the MOU.

Naya Young

11:26:02AM Yes, the rays' agreement. Thank you for the correction.

Alan Clendenin

11:26:06AM I would like to recognize City staff -- thank you, Councilwoman Young -- City staff and then I'll recognize the representative from the rays, if they are here, to do the presentation. Attorney. I expect to come -- just I wanted to acknowledge a couple of people that they are not quite here yet. That's going to be county Attorney Julia Mandell -- I expect her to be here -- as well as Greg horwedel, the county administrator. I think they are on their way over, but in the meantime should be available online is Nikki Day. Nikki Day is the attorney for the county that worked on this matter. She is with gray Robinson. I wanted to make sure she's available. If Nikki is there.

Scott Steady

11:27:02AM Great. Again, I wanted to start to make sure -- obviously, it is stream important and I wanted to make sure we had people here to answer all questions -- are we having a problem with the mike or something, chair?

Alan Clendenin

11:27:17AM No, there's some hot mike somewhere reverberating. I don't know where it is.

Scott Steady

11:27:41AM I was saying, nicky day is on the call. She will help me with questions that you may have. I was definitely focusing on all the documents, certainly, but mostly the issues that related to the city. The document has a lot of requirements for Hillsborough county. Obviously, they will end up owning the ballpark, so I want to make sure, because I'm sure there will be questions that I'm familiar with, but nicky day will help me answer some of the questions. I expect the county attorney to be here shortly and the assistant county administrator if we have questions. To kind of set the stage, there are three documents that are before you. The most important one that I expect we'll spend our time on is the funding agreement. That's the one that has most of the terms that affect the city. There are two other agreements, non-relocation agreement, that's where they agree that they are not going to relocate and then a guarantee agreement. That guarantee agreement is basically the overall company that owns all the subsidiaries, that the overall company is guaranteeing all the representations and all the commitments that the companies underneath the umbrella company are making. There are three agreements, three resolutions, but I expect that we're going to focus most of our attention today on the development and funding agreement. With that, I'd just like to go back and kind of set the stage a little bit on how we got here. I know there are some concerns or has been concerns about how this has been a pretty quick process. I understand that the City Council passed a motion that wanted to see the agreement onbase by Friday at 5. It was actually made onbase about 4:20. Pretty close. I know some people have commented, made the agenda about 4:20 it was published. We did make it in onbase I think in compliance with the City Council's directive in the motion. After that, we continued to negotiate the document. It was not complete, but really what ended up happening is because there was so much going back and forth, issues that Julia and I basically said Tuesday night, again, Julia being the county attorney. I went to her office. We sat there with Julia, sam Hamilton, chief assistant, myself, and nicky day, and we basically said we're going to create the document that we can represent to our clients. Tuesday evening we finalized the document, and we presented -- we put it to onbase and sent it to City Council. That's the document that had all the changes. That's the document that both myself and the county attorney is going to recommend for their consideration tomorrow for the county commission. Subsequent to that there was one additional change that I submitted that I want to make sure gets approved today, and that is -- it's very important -- when I get to it, I'll explain it, but the payment that we're making that I'll go through the 80 million, 20 million for each fiscal year, is going to be paid based on a reimbursement of completed improvements, public improvements. So it's going to be a reimbursement model. And that language wasn't in the first draft that came out Wednesday morning. So what should be on the record for the city clerk is the provision that has that reimbursement model. But I passed out -- there were just a couple of tweaks that I would like to make. It reiterates, I highlighted in yellow. It reiterates that provision, payment shall be on a reimbursement basis for completed improvements. That's important to the city because that's always been our issue. Since we're going to address this today, I want to add in the city contribution amount shall be repaid as set forth in exhibit e. It's already in exhibit e that says exhibit e, which we'll discuss later. That's the increment, that the money comes in increment, which I'll come back and explain, will go back to pay for these funds that are going to be paid for the reimbursement. It's simply putting it here so it's there so everyone knows that the money coming back from the increment will be used to pay down that money that is used to reimburse. There is one other change we would like to make. That is, there are conditions for our payment. There's conditions in the agreement before we would make the first $20 million payment, there are a number of conditions. One of those conditions is that the CRA, the county, and the city will enter into the revised second amendment interlocal agreement to effectuate all the CRA issues that are addressed in the agreement. What this does is simply make this one change in the second paragraph that I highlighted simply makes that condition cannot be waived. It cannot be waived. It has to be complied with. With that, just so I get to the end and then I'll come back and talk about the major components that address the city, if you want to move forward today, what I need is a motion -- I'll focus on the development and funding agreement -- a motion to approve the resolution that's before you with these couple of changes and I'm going to address the community benefits agreement shortly. We need to address that issue as well. I would need a motion to approve the resolution, propose these changes and the funding agreement. Let me back up for everybody so we can talk through the major components that involve the City of Tampa. Those are, first, the $80 million. Dennis Rogero, the chief financial Officer, Will discuss how that $80 million is generated within the city's organization. That's for him to discuss. But that $80 million would be paid, if all the conditions are met, by the way. There are a number of conditions, including that CRA condition, that there would be four payments made over four fiscal years. Those payments, again, I want to make sure that sentence is there, will be paid benefits on a reimbursement model that will reimburse them for completed public improvements. We're not going to advance the money. We're going to pay it only when the improvements have been completed. The improvements that we're talking about are for public -- got to get this right -- public horizontal capital improvements. It's a term in the agreement. It's defined at the end of the agreement, and it's basically infrastructure. It is a big paragraph. There are a lot of things in there, but it's roads, sewer, water. That's one thing that's been said from the beginning. The city's money would go to infrastructure. Again, it's a broad definition. So the $80 million would go for -- I'll reiterate one more time and then move on -- four payments, four fiscal years on reimbursement basis for completed infrastructure and for basically infrastructure as defined in the definitions. On the other side, I'll talk a little bit about the tax increment that we've been talking about or has been talked about. It's basically provided in exhibit e. What's been discussed and what will be required by the city will be, first, that we're going to need to contract out the college property out of the existing Drew Park CRA. We need to contract that out, so that's going to involve the council and CRA. We need to contract it out. But the rest of the Drew Park CRA will remain intact but basically the college's property, which is what will be the ballpark and the mixed use project will then be taken out of the CRA. What's proposed in this agreement is then an application can be made. I'm pretty sure it can be done concurrently or certainly we can start the process, where community development district would be placed within the new development for the ballpark and the mixed use. May be one or two. Community development district, some of you know is a local government of special purpose -- special purpose government, chapter 190, subject to government in the sunshine, public records, audit, five-person board, it's a governmental entity. The intent of that is to create the cdd that then we'll enter into interlocal agreement between the county, the city, and the cdd, which that interlocal agreement will further define the money that will come from this home rule TIF. For everyone here, what do I mean by home rule TIF? Home rule TIF is basically we have the inherent right, the county and the city, to create a tax increment. Tax increment pretty much means other than School Board, S.W.F.W.M.D., they still get their money. When you create a home rule TIF that money can be designated for a particular area instead of back into the General Fund. Exhibit e provides a tiered system that Dennis will go through that provides basically a split between what TIF money will go to the city and the county and what TIF money would go to the cdd, the interlocal agreement will describe how that money can be used in addition to what's in this agreement, and the money that is generate -- and, again, Dennis will go through it, but there is, early on, the county and city get a higher percentage because there is a certainty that development, level of development occur, and that the percentages increase for the cdd, slash, rays, to incentivize them to actually build more square footage. Exhibit e provides that -- and it's noted on exhibit e and will be also, if we could please approve this, that money that the city gets -- now, again, we'll share the money with the county, but our actual amount is higher because our taxes are higher. So we get more of that TIF, the money that comes in from the TIF will go to pay down the $80 million plus interest. If I could summarize it, the money that's --

Lynn Hurtak

11:38:54AM I have a quick point of order here. When you're talking about these particular portions, can you please have that portion on the elmo or whatever it is?

Scott Steady

11:39:07AM Sure.

Lynn Hurtak

11:39:08AM I'm having a hard time following you when you're hopping back and forth. If you could have it on the screen so all of us, including the public, can follow along, it would be much better.

Alan Clendenin

11:39:19AM Thank you.

Scott Steady

11:39:19AM Okay. So this is -- I'm going to say, I'll reiterate and take as much time as council wants and the public. I agree that we'll slow down. This is basically the first aspect of what I talked about. This is where the requirement is and the highlight is, by the way, the language I definitely want in this. But little I, pretty straightforward. The city contribution amount will be paid following four annual installments, a, 20 million on January 1st of 2027. That's only if all the conditions that are in this agreement occur. So if they don't, that date that would be put out. The highlight is the language that I believe is in the clerk's version, but I want to make sure it's there because it's a critical element to what the city has said all along. That the city will only pay for reimbursement of completed infrastructure. That's what I talked about. Down on little 4, you'll notice it says funds solely for public horizontal capital improvements. It's right here. That is a defined term, and that's basically infrastructure. That is the first aspect that I talked about. All right. Let me pull up exhibit e. I've just been eating and drinking this stuff so long. I apologize if I'm going too fast. Here is the exhibit I've been talking about. What's provided for is this is basically assessed square footage. Between zero and 350 million, the city and county receive of the increment 70%. The city and county. Now, we actually of our share we get more because our tax level is higher. It says district, but it's the rays, it's for the benefit of the rays, would get 30 percent. The next tier is 50-50. The final tier, which is a significant amount of development is very high for the rays -- and let me say I'm not pointing a finger but I'll back up -- since the county was very much involved and very much was putting a lot of the money in, the county was taking the lead on these negotiations with our involvement. But the reason for that third tier is really to incentivize the rays to really go out there and build as much of that development that they have been talking about. This is basically the menu for this TIF sharing between the city and the county and the district. I'll just say one of the things we did Tuesday night is absolutely lock in so that there was no misunderstanding of how this was going to work. You'll notice at the bottom, we said the city's increment share shall be used to repay the city contribution amount plus interest listed in that section here. So it cross-references it. That is basically -- we still have the comprehensive plan issue. That's the city's involvement. We'll still have permitting issues. That's the city's involvement. But a lot of this agreement really is dealt with the county because they are going to -- and, by the way, the sports authority, which the chair is a member of. They have been very much involved in this because they are going to be basically the county's agent to oversee the development of the ballpark. Again, that's another party that's been involved with this, very much so. Kind of reiterate, the city's involvement very much so is obviously the contribution or the payment. I actually say it's not really a contribution. It's payment reimbursement for actual improvements. And then reducing the size of the CRA, putting in place the cdd, putting in place with the county a home rule TIF, putting in place the interlocal agreement between the three to set up basically this financing structure. One other comment, and I still have to deal with the community benefits agreement, but one other comment that I've heard people say is why can't you pull the agreements out and make one for the city and one for the county? If we started that way, maybe it was possible, but they are so integrated that it was just hard to try to accomplish that in the last week. But what we did do, at the very end of the agreement, and I think it really benefits the city more so than the county, it explicitly says that the obligations of the city and the county are separate, and it's not like any suggestion that somehow if one entity doesn't form that somehow the other entity -- again, I think it benefits the city more because the county has far more obligations in this agreement than we do. We put it in there just to make sure, again, belts, suspenders, that the city's obligations are the city's, the county's obligations are the county's. Again, happy to go back over anything. One other issue I want to address and certainly answer any questions.

Alan Clendenin

11:45:34AM [Indiscernible]

Scott Steady

11:45:36AM If I could look at my notes real quick, chair.

Alan Clendenin

11:45:39AM Sure. Take your time. Reminder, 14 minutes, we'll break for a 30-minute lunch.

Scott Steady

11:45:46AM I would have preferred lunch and then have this.

Alan Clendenin

11:45:52AM Sorry. Not really.

Scott Steady

11:45:53AM I knew you were going to say that. The community benefits agreement, so right now in the agreement, there are two blanks. That again was negotiated -- well, what was negotiated was the percentage share of the total. In the agreement it provides that the county will get 65% of whatever total community benefits number would be agreed upon and the city gets 35. Again, I think the county -- I personally think the county has been very fair on this, given the amount of their contribution, ours is 35%. The issue is, what's the number? This is the recommendation of staff. I really think the county holds most of the cards here, so it's our recommendation, a, that we accept the 65/35, but you defer to the county tomorrow to determine the overall number. Once that number is determined, we get 35%. We then have total jurisdiction to create the community benefits agreement for that 35%. I know there are a couple of council people that have said, we immediately want to jump on that agreement and nail it down. That agreement would obviously come back to you. Kind of reiterate, we need three resolutions for the three documents. But on the development and funding agreement, appreciate approval of the resolution, which I'll note here, there's definitely some cleanups, scrivener errors -- I mean, we thought we did a good job on the substance, but our resolution does allow me to make some corrections to correct some pagination or numbering. If we could approve the resolution, approve these changes that I proposed, and also approve that the blanks in for the community benefits agreement will be provided based on what the county decides tomorrow, assuming we move forward. With that, I believe I'm done.

Alan Clendenin

11:47:59AM Question time.

Scott Steady

11:48:00AM Do you want to hear from Dennis first?

Alan Clendenin

11:48:04AM We'll break -- is his supplemental to yours?

Scott Steady

11:48:09AM It explains the tiers and the money.

Lynn Hurtak

11:48:12AM That's not my question.

Alan Clendenin

11:48:13AM Hold on a second. How long is your presentation, Dennis?

Lynn Hurtak

11:48:18AM Please.

Alan Clendenin

11:48:18AM Hold on a second. Trying to make a determination till whether we hold to after noon.

Dennis Rogero

11:48:29AM That would be my recommendation.

Scott Steady

11:48:32AM Julia Mandell is here.

Lynn Hurtak

11:48:38AM I understand. I'm just talking about these proposed changes that you gave us right now, that I hadn't really understood before. So I understand the first one, the city amount. I do not understand the second one. I'm going to ask you to do 3.3, subsection d, I want you to go through I through vi individually and explain those to me. Should be on page 15. As long as I have the right copy.

Scott Steady

11:49:14AM Okay. Appreciate the comment.

Lynn Hurtak

11:49:21AM Can you put it on the elmo?

Scott Steady

11:49:31AM D reads, in addition to conditions set forth in 3.3a, which is more conditions, the city's obligation to fund the city contribution amount, a defined term relating back to the 80 million, is subject to the satisfaction of or waiver by the city, by the city representative, the following additional conditions. So all these are conditions to our payment, so I can read them, if you'd like. City Council has approved all budgetary actions required to authorize appropriate or allocate city contribution amount for the project improvements.

Lynn Hurtak

11:50:07AM Does that mean --

Scott Steady

11:50:10AM Before they get paid, you have to do that.

Lynn Hurtak

11:50:12AM They have to come back to us for approval.

Scott Steady

11:50:16AM Yeah, yes. These are conditions.

Lynn Hurtak

11:50:21AM Basically, they have to bring us all the receipts.

Scott Steady

11:50:24AM No, no. it's to authorize the 80 million.

Lynn Hurtak

11:50:31AM Authorizing the 80 million.

Scott Steady

11:50:33AM You're not going to be in the business of reviewing the reimbursements. Fair question. The city has approved the then current project budget and then current project schedule, which may be dated within 15 days prior to the funding release date. We need to see those before we would release -- pay any reimbursements. Let's keep going. The approval of the funding of the city contribution has been validated by a judge -- can I stop -- all this stuff -- all this stuff, a lot of these requirements are going to need to be validated. Validation means we have to go in front of a court. It's a validation process and basically have the court bless a number of things here and this will be part of it. Our obligation here is going to be part of the validation process that will go forward with the county to make sure all of this -- and the reason for doing that is to make sure if we get the approval up front, that we're not jeopardizing the project after by challenges. The city validate Bonds. You go out and validate them so you can issue the Bonds, the bond holders know they have basically been approved. I kind of cut short that. That's the process that we're talking about. Four, the district financing of the ballpark cdd, including the source of security of such bond in particular including the increment has been -- again, details on the validation. Again, I can go through it, but all this is details on the validation. Five, the county has confirmed to the city that the city -- that the county will, a, commence the county bond sale in accordance with and to fund the components of the county contribution, basically, we need to know the county. We don't want to go first. We want to make sure that all these -- Councilman Miranda -- [ sounding gavel ]

Alan Clendenin

11:52:40AM You are out of order.

Charlie Miranda

11:52:40AM [Inaudible]

Scott Steady

11:52:43AM We only need to go first today if that's what you meant. Today. But this is to make sure that we're somehow not obligated to spend our money before the county is. That wouldn't make any sense, right? That's that. Here is the one that we're looking to change. City Council CRA and the Board of County Commissioners have approved the CRA interlocal second amendment in their sole discretion. That would be -- well, then I'll go to the end and come back. The last one, City Council has approved the resolution amending the Drew Park CRA plan which would have to be eliminated. So all those things need to occur. Now, all of those could be -- am I done? I thought I was done.

Alan Clendenin

11:53:39AM Hold on one second. When we adopted the agenda, I had put a kind of arbitrary time, 20 minutes for presentation. Obviously that's not going to be enough. Can I get a motion to waive the 20 minutes? Motion from Maniscalco, second from Hurtak. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Scott Steady

11:53:55AM Okay. All of these are conditions but all of them can be waived. There's basically the request is that one regarding the CRA cannot be waived in that manner.

Lynn Hurtak

11:54:15AM Can you explain vi for us? The vi.

Scott Steady

11:54:23AM That the interlocal second amendment is basically all the cri provisions, the Drew Park, the downtown, all those provisions.

Lynn Hurtak

11:54:39AM If the CRA doesn't approve these -- which provisions?

Scott Steady

11:54:47AM The CRA interlocal second amendment to me references the other CRA provisions that outline the extensions, the downtown, not just the Drew Park. So that would have to happen. By the way, I've talked to the rays' attorney because that is a lot. That is a lot. That is a big condition. They understand that.

Alan Clendenin

11:55:16AM Any other questions? Councilman Viera.

Scott Steady

11:55:19AM It's lunchtime.

Luis Viera

11:55:22AM I actually don't have -- I wanted to make one remark on Mr. Steady and just all of your legal team and Ms. Mandell, all your legal team in Hillsborough county, I read over this document, and if I prepare a three-page release and $50,000 settlement on a case that takes me an hour, hour and a half, I just can't believe all of the time and precision and care that you all took in this. Just as an attorney, I want to thank you all as public servants. Your billable rate on this is probably close to minimum wage. I appreciate that. One thing I wanted to say, if I may -- obviously, all my remarks until after public comment, substantive remarks is you talked about the community benefits agreement. I do want to stress that is something I leave here, if this passes, and we go forward, I turn into a pumpkin on what is it, November 2, at midnight. That's something that district 7 obviously needs a voice at the table for. We should move on that if it goes forward. Again, just a professional thanks to you all.

Alan Clendenin

11:56:28AM Councilman Carlson and Councilman Miranda and then we'll break for lunch.

Bill Carlson

11:56:32AM I want to echo the thanks to you and your team and Ms. Mandell and bonnie wise and everyone who worked nonstop on this the last few weeks. It's been like a six- or eight-month process, not a one-week process. Thanks to everybody. Mr. Chair, just so we're all working on the same document, could I make a motion to add these two proposed changes that he recommends to the document so we know we're talking about the same document?

Alan Clendenin

11:56:59AM Motion from Councilman Carlson to add the two amendments to the resolution. Second from Councilman Viera. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Thank you. It's done.

Bill Carlson

11:57:09AM Thank you. And then number two, on section 3.3 big d, little d, vi, sorry if that sounded weird, 16. It says, do you have that --

Scott Steady

11:57:32AM Page 16.

Bill Carlson

11:57:33AM Page 16, vi, says at the bottom, talking about the CRA and says provided however that the failure or refusal of the agency to recommend consent two or execute any such instrument will not constitute default by any government party under this agreement. I want to make sure this does not undo -- that that does not undo the requirement that was in the other section.

Scott Steady

11:57:58AM No, what that means is, if the CRA, which is not a party to this, doesn't do it, we're not in default. It doesn't mean the condition has been met. I was asked that earlier by the CRA attorney.

Bill Carlson

11:58:13AM Section -- page 31, at page 31 at the top, it says Drew Park CRA and docs not extend -- sorry. It says Drew Park CRA and does not extend the duration of the community development plan or trust fund thereof. I want to make sure that this is not excluding us from -- make sure it's not contradictory language because we are proposing in other sections to extend Drew Park CRA.

Scott Steady

11:58:44AM I would agree.

Bill Carlson

11:58:46AM Not contradictory or it is?

Scott Steady

11:58:50AM Hold on. What are we saying, councilman. Where are you now? 31.

Bill Carlson

11:58:56AM Page 31. Section 3.8g. About four sentences down, says Drew Park CRA and does not extend the duration of the community development plan. I don't think that it's contradictory, but I want to make sure.

Alan Clendenin

11:59:17AM If you need time to review, you can take an iou.

Bill Carlson

11:59:21AM Maybe let us know after lunch.

Scott Steady

11:59:23AM Could we? I don't want to rush that answer. I start breaking this up, I break up my agreement.

Bill Carlson

11:59:29AM I told them personally great lawyer, very fair. I appreciate that. Page 7, 2.1. This version now sets the mayor as the city's representative, and the last sentence at the bottom, 2.1, first paragraph, it says that notwithstanding anything in this agreement to the contrary, the city representative and his or her designee will not have any right to modify, amend or terminate this agreement. I want to make sure that -- you just modified the section around the CRAs. I want to make sure that we're not giving the agent from the city any additional power, that the City Council is not giving away future powers that would otherwise come --

Scott Steady

12:00:15PM No. this is the day-to-day issues that may come up that don't amount to any substantive amendment to this agreement.

Bill Carlson

12:00:23PM Last thing. Page 87, section 19.27, you refer to this briefly. This one says the obligation of the city and the county under this agreement are several and not joint and neither the city nor the county shall be responsible or liable for or be deemed a guarantor or surety of the performance of any obligation, covenant, representation, warranty of the other. I want to make sure, there is a lot of confusion about the difference between the city's deal and the county's deal. We are not endorsing or approving today the county's deal. It just happens that some of it is together. This paragraph separates those two. What we are doing today is only approving the city's deal not the county's deal. Something in the county's deal that somebody doesn't like, deal with that tomorrow at county commission. If you don't like the city's deal, then tell us today. Correct statement?

Scott Steady

12:01:18PM Also further, once it is approved, this also makes it clear that we're not in any way obligated to any of the county's obligations. It's prospective as well.

Bill Carlson

12:01:28PM Any of the liabilities that the county has. Any debt, any use of certain funds, none of that --

Scott Steady

12:01:35PM This is belt and suspenders, even though I don't think we needed it, we put it in so it's clear. There's not going to be any bleeding between the two obligations.

Alan Clendenin

12:01:45PM Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

12:01:46PM Mr. City attorney, just one question. You mentioned the letter CRA two or three times in your deliberation with the council. I appreciate very much. I want to ask you a question, are you borrowing money from the CRAs or using CRA money. Are you saying then that the CRA --

Scott Steady

12:02:04PM No, sir. No money comes from CRA. All this is talking about is contracting the Drew Park CRA for the creation of the home rule TIF and cdd, and then at the same time, these other efforts to deal with the East Tampa CRA, the downtown needs to be done with the county and the city, but there's no money involved. There's no money. All of it has -- all of those issues have to be dealt with the CRAs and this board. Go ahead, chair.

Charlie Miranda

12:02:36PM No money involved -- excuse me, the downtown. Why mention the CRAs then?

Scott Steady

12:02:44PM Because --

Charlie Miranda

12:02:46PM Where there's money, there are CRAs. That's why I'm asking.

Scott Steady

12:02:50PM Well, one of the requirements to accomplish this effort was put forth that these efforts were needed to be addressed. Since we're addressing -- let me back up. Since we're addressing the Drew Park, that's not a hard thing to say, but I'm getting tired -- the Drew Park CRA that we're going to look at these other issues that require in the sole discretion the City Council and those CRAs. That has to come forward in addition to the Drew Park CRA.

Charlie Miranda

12:03:23PM I just want to make sure again.

Scott Steady

12:03:25PM There's no money involved. No money.

Charlie Miranda

12:03:27PM -- we're not using one penny from any CRA today, tomorrow or forever.

Scott Steady

12:03:32PM I'm not going to agree tomorrow forever.

Charlie Miranda

12:03:35PM I get the drift now.

Scott Steady

12:03:40PM I'm not going to stick around that long.

Charlie Miranda

12:03:43PM I got the drift. That means you are.

Alan Clendenin

12:03:46PM We have got a lot of people that are principals that have to do presentations. If you are not signed up to speak or you are not testifying in this, I'm going to read names. If your name is not on the list, I'll ask you to watch us downstairs on floor number two until we have seats available. James jeffries, joel Robinson, pam cannella, alejandro noriega, sandy sanchez, patrick cimino, MaryBeth, Michelle Mastrototaro, Michelle dyson, John bezek. Stephen gerhard. Carmen, laura, Ron, Doug, melanie, julie magill, James ransom, Jeffrey Johnson, Michael maurino -- can't read the last name. Gs something. Todd seeme. Ct Harris, Stephanie poynor, Robin Lockett. Max, Jason, Chris, ray, deon garrett, Mr. Hayes, Rachel, Stephen Michelini, carmen. City staff, if you are not a part, I would ask you to leave as well so we can clear up seats. If you are press, ask you to give up seats and stand along the wall so we can have the principals of this come. If your name was not listed, while at lunch, exit the chambers. The tvs are on, on floor number 2. 12:05. Back in council chambers at 12:35. We are at lunch recess. [ sounding gavel ] [lunch recess]

12:38:39PM Good afternoon, everybody. Good afternoon. If you could find your seats and shut your hole. Shhhh ... [ sounding gavel ] I'd like to call this meeting of Tampa City Council to order. Can we call the roll, please?

Charlie Miranda

12:39:05PM Here.

Guido Maniscalco

12:39:06PM Here. Young?

Naya Young

12:39:09PM Here. Carlson?

Bill Carlson

12:39:11PM Here.

Alan Clendenin

12:39:12PM Here.

Lynn Hurtak

12:39:15PM Hurtak.

Alan Clendenin

12:39:15PM Thank you. I'm going to pass the gavel to Councilwoman Young to open the CRA again.

Naya Young

12:39:24PM This community Redevelopment agency meeting is now called to order. Do a roll call, clerk.

Charlie Miranda

12:39:30PM Here.

Guido Maniscalco

12:39:31PM Here.

Lynn Hurtak

12:39:31PM Here.

Alan Clendenin

12:39:33PM Here.

Bill Carlson

12:39:34PM Here. Young?

Naya Young

12:39:36PM Here.

The clerk

12:39:38PM You have a physical quorum.

Alan Clendenin

12:39:39PM Thank you. She has passed the gavel back to us. Back to City Council and CRA joint meeting. Announcement for the public, folks who are inquiring, we're doing the presentation of the resolution of the rays' triparty agreement so that you all can get more information and here it before public comment. We'll complete that process. Next on the agenda is City staff, our CFO Dennis. Dennis, would you like to come to the podium, please?

Charlie Miranda

12:40:08PM May I make a statement? I want to get sworn in, make sure I'm going to tell the truth.

Alan Clendenin

12:40:13PM We don't swear in.

Lynn Hurtak

12:40:16PM Already swore in.

Bill Carlson

12:40:19PM I second that he be sworn in.

Alan Clendenin

12:40:22PM Mr. Rogero, start with your name, please.

Dennis Rogero

12:40:25PM Good afternoon. Dennis Rogero, chief financial officer. Again, as always, thank you for having me up here today. I have a couple of slides to put on the wolf. But before I do that, again, it's been lunch. The city attorney I think did a great job of offering you broad perspective, and we're going to get into a little more detail now. As you know, the project is anticipated to be about $2.3 billion. The city's anticipated investment to that project is estimated to be about 3 to 6 percent of that total project. $80 million you've already heard about, and we'll get into a little more detail on that. And for that investment, which, again, we anticipate will be paid back to the city, the city will recognize billions of additional taxable value. Let me give you a quick overview of the funding plan. If I could have the wolf up, please. Thank you. Some of this will be repetitive, but, again, nothing wrong with additional and extended information. The city will be required to pay the rays' $80 million towards public horizontal capital improvement as described not only in the agreement, but as you heard from the city attorney just a little while ago. The 80 million will take the form of debt financing and can be issued for any portion of the 80 million on an as-needed basis. I'll elaborate on that in just a moment. Revenue sharing, that's what it all comes down to from the city's perspective over the 35 years of this agreement. Using the development's increase in taxable value to fund over time that $80 million plus interest. I have copies of the slides. This is a good time to ask. Would you like hard copies of the slides?

Alan Clendenin

12:42:44PM Sure. Hand them to Mr. Shelby, please.

Dennis Rogero

12:42:58PM The financing considerations, and we have a few. Some of these again, the city attorney already referenced. We are working with our financial advisors, who I can't say enough about. They are absolute financial wizards, along with my team, again, another set of wizards. We're going to find the debt instrument or instruments that is most advantageous to the city. You see some of the reasons why, the timing of the issuance, interest costs, and the length of the issuance. Again, $80 million with some sort of interest component that will be determined. Council is well aware of the next item, a reimbursement resolution. Look for that from our office very, very soon. Again, this protects the city and enables us to make sure that what we spend to the rays for their construction will be eligible to be reimbursed to us with whatever debt mechanism we use. I know there is a lot of reimbursement going on here. It's a big deal. It's a little complex, and the debt validation, I think you heard the city attorney reference this, too. We want to make sure that to the extent possible this debt is tax exempt. As council knows, tax exempt debt saves us money. Saves the taxpayer money. We want to make sure that all the boxes are ticked for that particular benefit. And we will do this, again, as the city attorney mentioned, concurrent with the county's process. They also are going to validate their debt. So the financing options, and there are a few of them. There's going to be a few of them for a little bit. Line of credit or commercial paper. These are the short-term ones. Why would we want to do a short-term? Because the interest rates are pretty high right now. If you go out for a 30-year bond right now, you're going to be locking in what is in recent history pretty high rate. If you can do a short-term issuance at a lower rate and then hope the market improves, then you can issue a longer one. This allows us to, as you see here, borrow only what is required for payment. You see that flexibility word in there. We would only pay interest for what we draw. It is a big, big advantage. You don't want to be sitting on stale debt if you can avoid it. Interest paid only on what is drawn. Covered that. One-time approval of funding and appropriation. This is also very important, I think, to all parties, that the $80 million be approved and then we can keep on trucking, as opposed to a $20 million approval by this mayor and council, a $20 million approval by perhaps a future mayor and council, et cetera, et cetera. And it's quick and easy. I already referenced the potential issuance of a long-term bond once, if the market improves. So these are the things we're talking about, again, with the financial wizards. You know and have heard some of these items already. Again, from the city attorney. It's all about revenue sharing. Again, a ballpark community development district is being created. That is the cdd everybody is talking about. Using tax increment financing. That's the TIF you'll keep hearing about. As I said earlier, but I'll reiterate now, the increase in the taxable value of that district's base year, throw it up against the millage rate and show you an example of that in just a moment, and split it among the city, the county, and that district. In other words, see that fourth bullet, revenue sharing via the development's increase in taxable value is what we anticipate to reimburse the city over time. As has been mentioned before but I think is worth reiterating, the revenue sharing is front loaded. To the benefit of the city and the county. Why? This is a heavily incentivized based program. Giving the incentive to the developer to develop much and to develop quickly. As has been briefed to City Council, the revenue sharing is expected to start in the early to mid 2030s. The development needs time to get ramped up and start putting that increased taxable value on the books. Of course, it's going to depend on the developmental progress. We've shared with you two different developmental progress scenarios, and there could be many, many others as this program continues. The time frame for the revenue sharing of the principal $80 million you see here is 20 to 30 years. Why am I concentrating on the principal? Because the interest we don't know how much that's going to be. It will depend on when we issue it, how fast we pay the rays, again, based on the reimbursement model and the length of the issuance. As I note in that last bullet, the time frame could be accelerated as most debt can be accelerated. The interest expense is less than we anticipate or if we make sure we have the ability to pay it off earlier from another funding source, that would be, of course, primarily decisions by the future mayor and city councils. I could revisit exhibit e. Again, exhibit e of the agreement, and I appreciate the city attorney doing a good job of already speaking to this, but something you have seen before, I think something most people have seen. You see the different tiers. I'll go over it one more time and show you an example. The first tier of every -- well, one dollar to $350 million, again, this is millions of dollars of assessed value. Taxable assessed value. 70% for the city and the county and the district, the cdd gets 30%. That second tier, 351 million to 650 million dollars is split 50-50 between the district and the city and the county. Again, from an incentivization perspective, that third tier of taxable value over $650 million heavily weighted, as you can see, at 85% towards the development district and the city and the county continue to get a portion, 15%. How does that work out in real life? This is a snippet of one of the pro forma projections. Again, informal, trying to demonstrate to council and the public and to remind us, because it is complex, how this works. I couldn't print the entirety of the spreadsheet. It's like 200 lines long. But you see, $350 million of taxable value from one dollar to 350 million. The 70% split and how that revenue splits according to the city and county millages. The total tax revenue in this particular year of $4 million. That amount, regardless of the year you're looking at, will remain the same once you hit -- once we hit the $350 million threshold, through the remainder of the agreement, and the same with the next line. The next $300 million is split 50-50 and you see the revenue to the city in green. That amount will stay the same through the end of the agreement. The only thing that changes once you hit the $650 million threshold is the 15% component. Again, incentivized to develop $650 million plus as fast as the developer can. How does that look over time? We have shared this with City Council previously. I do have copies if you would like them now or members of the public would like them. No. okay. And you see two different scenarios, two different developmental scenarios. On the left, you see the description. Then you have a minimum and what is being identified as the target development scenario. Both 35 years long from fiscal year 30 to fiscal year 64, but different in how and when they start developing the additional revenue. You see that on the next line. The minimum, which is less, as you'll see in just a moment, less than the target. The target is what is being shot for. The minimum is 31 years. You see at the very bottom there, the revenue throw-off of this particular development scenario doesn't occur for not quite a debating. Fiscal year 34. Brings in total taxable value in this particular scenario of over $2.6 billion. And in that first year of revenue in fiscal year 34, little over 1.3 million. It takes a little while to get ramped up and then it starts relatively small and then increases over time. Much more accelerated and aggressive development plan is the target, as you will see. The revenue producing years are 34, because it starts in fiscal year 31. All predicated or much predicated on the development of the stadium and the season of 2029 for baseball. To -- I skipped over this. I apologize. To achieve the $80 million principal varies, of course, because these scenarios vary. In this target scenario, about two decades we anticipate to recover that principal $80 million. The total taxable value you see here of just under $7.5 billion. Again, though, the first year revenue relatively small as the development gets wrapped up and put on the books. What do these development scenarios mean over time? You see that right here. At the end of 35 years, the total city revenue in the minimum scenario is just a little over a hundred million dollars. In the target scenario, quite a bit more. You see $183 million. And then the county revenue is there for you to see along with the district revenue. Again, the out years, where there is a greater amount of taxable value at 85%, you can see really shows up at the end of that 35-year period in terms of the district revenue. And the aggressive or accelerated model you see also significantly increases the anticipated revenue. Again, little under 600 million to $1.5 million over that 35 years. I can answer any questions.

Alan Clendenin

12:56:02PM Talking about numbers is a bad recipe after lunch.

Dennis Rogero

12:56:08PM I thought you were going to say rivetting.

Alan Clendenin

12:56:10PM You are putting us all to sleep. A reminder, this is for council questions, not pontification. We'll save that for later in the presentation. This is only pertinent to council questions of staff.

Charlie Miranda

12:56:26PM Mr. Rogero, I've admired you in all your years of service. Wonderful leader in the department that you head finance.

Dennis Rogero

12:56:35PM Thank you.

Charlie Miranda

12:56:36PM I have never seen in my 32 years of being here on and off anything like this before. Have you in your years of service? Have you done one for the City of Tampa like a cdd?

Dennis Rogero

12:56:47PM I have not.

Charlie Miranda

12:56:48PM Then we are actually a pass-through for loaning money. That's what I see here. Am I correct or somewhat correct?

Dennis Rogero

12:56:59PM Maybe we're saying the same thing but I would frame it as an investment that recovers funding to a loan we're getting ready to distribute.

Charlie Miranda

12:57:06PM All right. Same thing, have you got any paper from the rays regarding their sheet, financial statements and so forth and so on? Have they ever brought you anything that says they are capable of making the payment?

Dennis Rogero

12:57:19PM Not to my knowledge. Not to my knowledge.

Charlie Miranda

12:57:23PM I have a problem with all this. And the problem is money. I told the rays when I met with them I thought they were broke. The gentleman is right here and can verify what I told him. I questioned it, question from the ownership down. When you buy something for 1.7 million and the gentleman who sold it to you bought it for 200 million but sold for 1,700 million, why buy 10% back? The question in my mind --

Alan Clendenin

12:58:00PM This is directed to staff.

Charlie Miranda

12:58:03PM You're not the staff. I'm talking to him, sir.

Alan Clendenin

12:58:05PM That's what I'm saying. This time is for questions of staff.

Charlie Miranda

12:58:08PM What do you want me to do? Get quiet. I offered to get sworn in that I'm telling the truth. I want the clerk to swear me in.

Alan Clendenin

12:58:17PM Councilman Miranda, at this stage of the presentation this is a question of staff.

Charlie Miranda

12:58:20PM That's fine. I want you to swear me in.

Alan Clendenin

12:58:23PM Later.

Charlie Miranda

12:58:24PM No, now. Swear me in or not.

Alan Clendenin

12:58:27PM No.

Charlie Miranda

12:58:28PM Then you are just what I thought you were.

Alan Clendenin

12:58:30PM You are an elected official --

Charlie Miranda

12:58:33PM Elected officials lie also. [ sounding gavel ]

Alan Clendenin

12:58:36PM We're out of order.

Charlie Miranda

12:58:37PM Gavel me out of order anytime you want.

Alan Clendenin

12:58:40PM Do you have any further questions of staff?

Charlie Miranda

12:58:42PM I have many. I'll reserve them for later.

Alan Clendenin

12:58:46PM Councilman Miranda. I'm sorry, Maniscalco.

Guido Maniscalco

12:58:48PM Regarding the $80 million, it showed on one of your slides either a line of credit or commercial paper. But then I saw another slide that said, interest accrued, who pays the interest? When we issue that I know there is a schedule of $20 million a year over four years, but we only have to vote on that resolution once. It's not like every time they want money they have to come for a vote. It's up to $80 million. Who pays for that interest? I know it's only interest on what is drawn, but who is paying for that?

Dennis Rogero

12:59:25PM I apologize if I didn't make that clear. City of Tampa.

Guido Maniscalco

12:59:30PM You were looking at in one slide, target of 20 to 21 with a minimum of 26 to 27 years at that $80 million is recouped by us.

Dennis Rogero

12:59:39PM Yes, sir.

Guido Maniscalco

12:59:40PM When we borrow money, I see a line of credit, is it the same as a credit card or is it like when we're bonding? Like 6% like a mortgage or 29% like a credit card? What kind of interest rates do we get on a line of credit?

Dennis Rogero

12:59:55PM Great analogy. It is like a credit card. Interest rates, couldn't tell you what they would be because we haven't issued it, but they would generally be lower than a long term.

Guido Maniscalco

1:00:05PM Okay. Thank you very much, sir.

Alan Clendenin

1:00:07PM Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

1:00:08PM Thank you so much. Can you do me a favor and put up the last slide you had?

Dennis Rogero

1:00:21PM The last slide. I apologize. I believe it was that one.

Lynn Hurtak

1:00:31PM Yes. Thank you.

Dennis Rogero

1:00:32PM You're welcome.

Lynn Hurtak

1:00:33PM You're saying that you know, generally when council talks about bonding and borrowing money, we add 50% of the cost of the bond because that's about how much it takes to pay off. So if it is an $80 million that we're going to borrow, we add $40 million. It's really 120. So when we talk about borrowing, you'll hear City Council talk about it all the time. We talk about the actual cost, which includes the interest. So that's $120 million.

Dennis Rogero

1:01:00PM Ma'am, I don't mean to interrupt you, but in this environment, we would be very fortunate to get an anticipated interest of only half, just to be completely up front.

Lynn Hurtak

1:01:12PM So more than 120. Thank you for that clarification. If we look at the wolf, what this shows is that the minimum amount, like in theory, that we'll get from the rays, from this deal in payments to the city is only $100 million, correct?

Dennis Rogero

1:01:30PM Yes, ma'am.

Lynn Hurtak

1:01:31PM But we're going to owe $120 million. Or more.

Dennis Rogero

1:01:36PM Yes, ma'am.

Lynn Hurtak

1:01:36PM So we look at the target. Basically if we're lucky enough to get 183 million dollars out of this, minussing the 120, so we'll get like $60 million possibly. And this is like the best-case scenario.

Dennis Rogero

1:01:58PM Yes.

Lynn Hurtak

1:02:00PM In 35 years.

Dennis Rogero

1:02:01PM Yes.

Lynn Hurtak

1:02:03PM Below that is the county revenue.

Dennis Rogero

1:02:07PM Yes, ma'am.

Lynn Hurtak

1:02:07PM Even in the best estimate, the county is only going to get $158 million back of their almost $800 million investment.

Dennis Rogero

1:02:19PM The only caveat I would say is I don't know -- I would defer to somebody else to define that as the best-case scenario, but it is the target. It is more aggressive, accelerated.

Lynn Hurtak

1:02:32PM If they could put that back on. The thing is, the total revenue from this, because the thing that really shocks me is the cdd revenue. They are going to get, I mean, on the minimum, they are getting over double what the city and county are going to get. And on the target, they are going to make more than five times what the city and county will make, correct?

Dennis Rogero

1:02:58PM Yes.

Lynn Hurtak

1:02:59PM If we were to just give this land to a developer and not put anything into it, what you're saying is we could make between 581 million and 1.5 billion dollars in revenue without having to put in a penny.

Dennis Rogero

1:03:19PM I would not say that because that's not my expertise, ma'am. I see what you're saying.

Lynn Hurtak

1:03:26PM In the theory, if we didn't put one penny and we put this out to bid and we let somebody else build it, these are the types of revenues we could receive.

Dennis Rogero

1:03:37PM Again, it would depend on what the increase in the taxable value is over time.

Lynn Hurtak

1:03:44PM Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:03:44PM Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

1:03:45PM You talk about on this slide it says minimum and target. It doesn't say maximum. Doesn't say best case. Just says target. What is the taxable value in your model, everything is based on a model and this is a projection. Isn't it true that the rays haven't given us a schedule of what they think the property value is going to be over 35 years, correct?

Dennis Rogero

1:04:05PM I have not seen that, no.

Bill Carlson

1:04:07PM I haven't seen it either. We can make -- I ran my own estimates with folks. You've run your estimates. But at the end of 35 years, what was the property tax valuation or property valuation that you set in your model?

Dennis Rogero

1:04:20PM Oh, anywhere from -- I apologize.

Bill Carlson

1:04:23PM What was the final?

Dennis Rogero

1:04:24PM A little over 2.5 billion to 7.5 billion. I have the slide. I can put it up if you like.

Bill Carlson

1:04:30PM 35 years presumably property values will go up compared to what they are now. Discounted cash flow to figure out what it is now and that may be accurate. But also possible that it could be a lot higher than this.

Dennis Rogero

1:04:42PM Yes, sir [bell dings]

Alan Clendenin

1:04:46PM Kill that.

Bill Carlson

1:04:47PM This is not best case. It is just a target. It is a model that you ran and you are pretty conservative about numbers. You ran what you called a minimum. There is a maximum. The minimum out of the cdd we pay nothing. Isn't it true also that the cdd would get the money from the TIF, not the rays.

Dennis Rogero

1:05:04PM Yes.

Bill Carlson

1:05:05PM Rays are not getting any. Restricted, cdd is a government entity. It's restricted as to how can spend it, only spend on infrastructure. Who owns the infrastructure after we pay for it?

Dennis Rogero

1:05:16PM I would defer to the city attorney.

Bill Carlson

1:05:19PM Isn't it true it would be the city, county, and the state?

Scott Steady

1:05:24PM Scott Steady, city attorney. Yes, the ballpark would be owned by the county.

Bill Carlson

1:05:29PM The ballpark owned by the county but the infrastructure, roads, sewage --

Scott Steady

1:05:34PM Either the city or the cdd.

Bill Carlson

1:05:37PM None of the improvements in this money are going to the rays. This is not money going to the rays. It's building the infrastructure around it, correct?

Scott Steady

1:05:44PM Correct.

Bill Carlson

1:05:44PM You all remember a project a few years ago, water street, which everybody loves, there was -- that did not include a public entity. Does not include a stadium of any kind, but it was a hundred million dollars subsidy by the last administration. Do you all happen to remember if there was a call for a referendum on that one? Was there a call to analyze and bring in paid economists and others to analyze whether that was a good deal or not? Do you have any idea right now, I know I asked you the question on the spot yesterday, but do you have any idea how much taxes the city is getting out of water street right now?

Dennis Rogero

1:06:21PM I don't know, but I know the taxable value, at least the information I've been given of water street, 1.1 billion.

Bill Carlson

1:06:27PM 1.1 billion after eight or ten years, depending on how you track it. You're just looking at property taxes. Can you go back to the slide, please? Says total cdd revenue. But of that, because of the difference in the ad valorem rates, the city's share of that, again, not going to the rays and not going to for-profit buildings. It's going to infrastructure. We just proved that. Of that amount only 55% reflects the city, correct? Plus or minus.

Dennis Rogero

1:06:55PM Yes, roughly. Approximately.

Bill Carlson

1:06:57PM That is the city's share of it. And have you done any analysis of sales tax revenues that the city might get out of this?

Dennis Rogero

1:07:06PM I have not.

Bill Carlson

1:07:06PM Has anybody done any projections of surrounding area, potential property taxes?

Dennis Rogero

1:07:13PM Not to my knowledge.

Bill Carlson

1:07:14PM So there are economists that are paid to, the county, the rays and others had three different studies that economists got paid to do economic impact studies. I studied economics. I don't believe those. I also studied just about all the opposition economists who get paid to come up with studies that show that it's not valid. Because I studied economics I look at the model and see where it is flawed. All I've seen have some kind of flaw in them. But we're not talking about economic impact. They talked about $50 billion or 70. We're not even talking about that.

Dennis Rogero

1:07:49PM Yes, sir.

Bill Carlson

1:07:49PM We're talking about the actual money that's going to come back to the city or the county based on pretty conservative estimates, correct?

Dennis Rogero

1:07:56PM Yes, sir.

Bill Carlson

1:07:57PM If somebody wants to hire an economist to trash talk the numbers, trash the economic impact numbers but these are actual numbers on a very conservative basis, and you talked about who pays the interest. Isn't it true that in the document it says that the TIF will pay not just the principal but also the interest?

Dennis Rogero

1:08:22PM Yes, sir.

Bill Carlson

1:08:23PM That's what you were just talking about with the estimate of 140 million. But when we estimate how much additional cost it's going to be for interest, if something costs a hundred million, means it will cost 90 million in interest in addition, I use those numbers, too, but that's over 30 years, correct?

Dennis Rogero

1:08:39PM 30 to 35.

Bill Carlson

1:08:40PM 30, to 35 years in a bond. But if only borrowing money for 10 years or 20 years, what you said on the minimum side, we would borrow for 20, that means the interest would be a lot less than 90 percent, correct?

Dennis Rogero

1:08:53PM Yes, sir.

Bill Carlson

1:08:54PM Okay. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:08:57PM This is going to be the conclusion of first round. If you guys have questions, Councilman Viera and Councilwoman Young. Councilwoman Young.

Naya Young

1:09:06PM Could you go back to -- I know I've met with you. We've gone through this already. But just for me, because I want to be sure that I understand this fully, since we have the public here, could you walk me through the increment dedication schedule just one more time explaining the tiers?

Dennis Rogero

1:09:35PM Exhibit e. Yes, ma'am. At the very top, and you see in millions the taxable assessed value anticipated be generated by this development. The city-county increment share, they remain identical throughout. And then the district share all over time. That first tier from one dollar to $350 million added to the taxable value will be 70% for the city and the county. And that 70% is arrived at by throwing that taxable value number against the millage.

Naya Young

1:10:07PM That's as the project comes online.

Dennis Rogero

1:10:11PM Yes, ma'am.

Naya Young

1:10:12PM The city county increment share, 70%, that split is based on our millage rates.

Dennis Rogero

1:10:18PM Yes.

Naya Young

1:10:19PM Yes. Okay. That was it. Thank you.

Dennis Rogero

1:10:22PM You're welcome.

Alan Clendenin

1:10:23PM This is second round, if the clerk would set the clock at three minutes. Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

1:10:28PM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dennis, I'll go to your professionalism and who you are and what you do for the city. Midtown. Midtown is a private development. Have they ever asked the city for any money at all to your knowledge?

Dennis Rogero

1:10:41PM I do not know.

Charlie Miranda

1:10:43PM The answer is no.

Dennis Rogero

1:10:44PM Okay.

Charlie Miranda

1:10:45PM However, I checked yesterday at the tax assessor's office, you know what they pay every year now? $8 million in taxes, two different taxes there. 1.7 some million, the other equals about $8 million a year. That's a private development. Westshore is starting to evidently getting ready to do something. I saw borings the other day when I drove by. I believe that's what I saw. Westshore, two and a half, four times bigger than midtown. How large of a property is this? One time same size as midtown or three times larger? 30 years, even at $8 million a year, not escalating for the cost of living and taxes rise, unless, we're passing something today maybe that in November you're really going to lose money. Because the public is going to vote for a tax decrease. We're real SMART. May go furthermore. The amount of money that we're spending here for this private industry, that's called a business. But if you are sports, you're not a business. That's what is happening all over the United States of America. Hate to say that. I'm not anti-sport. I love baseball. Played with guys in the hall of fame. It's a different story. I'm just saying that we are doing the wrong thing presently. I'm not saying it's all wrong. I'm saying by the numbers that I figured out, we're shortchanging the taxpayers. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Alan Clendenin

1:12:12PM Thank you. Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

1:12:15PM Did you make these preforma estimates?

Dennis Rogero

1:12:21PM Depends on what portion you're talking about. The calculations are mine and the county's. The estimates of the development and the value of the taxable value, those are from the organization, from the rays.

Lynn Hurtak

1:12:30PM Okay. This is rays' data.

Dennis Rogero

1:12:32PM Yes.

Lynn Hurtak

1:12:33PM Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:12:34PM Councilman Viera.

Luis Viera

1:12:37PM Thank you very much. We had a good discussion on this yesterday. One question, Councilman Miranda brought up amendment 3. As we discussed privately and publicly, whether or not this passes we shouldn't assume that it's not going to pass. There is a lot of political calculations in there, a lot of different issues, but something is going to pass eventually. Maybe not 250, maybe 150. Something is going to pass. Could you tell the public in your estimation, Mr. Rogero, what revenue enhancing mechanisms and tools are in this plan that could additionally increase revenue to the City of Tampa?

Dennis Rogero

1:13:14PM Some of them have been mentioned. The tangential, what I'll call the tangential impacts associated with an increase in sales tax, things like that. And as Councilman Carlson pointed out, you have the direct benefit of the revenue sharing that we've just explained. But there are anticipated to be other tangential benefits that are not accounted for in my presentation.

Luis Viera

1:13:36PM In addition to what Councilman Carlson said. Thank you, sir.

Alan Clendenin

1:13:39PM Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

1:13:40PM I'll go back to one of the questions I asked a minute ago because there was a different answer just now.

Dennis Rogero

1:13:45PM Oh, I apologize.

Bill Carlson

1:13:47PM The pro forma valuations, you just said a little while ago to me and said yesterday, the rays did not give you any specific schedule on when they thought they would be ready.

Dennis Rogero

1:13:58PM No.

Bill Carlson

1:13:59PM They just gave a number, high-end number of 8 million or 12 -- schedule five years this, ten years that?

Dennis Rogero

1:14:08PM Sorry if I miscommunicated. I have seen no hard and fast other than pro forma estimates.

Bill Carlson

1:14:18PM The taxable valuation at certain year intervals, like the minimum and target, again, not best case, minimum target, did you get those valuation over 35 years year by year estimates from the rays or did you just come up with an estimate based on what you think the final --

Dennis Rogero

1:14:36PM Combination working with the county and their finance professionals of beginning and ending taxable value over a 35-year period.

Bill Carlson

1:14:43PM Just an estimate then, right?

Dennis Rogero

1:14:46PM Yes, sir.

Bill Carlson

1:14:47PM Not a hard thing where the rays are promising, we don't know what it will be for sure, don't know what the taxable values will be at that time.

Dennis Rogero

1:14:54PM Correct.

Bill Carlson

1:14:55PM And don't know if it is best case or not.

Dennis Rogero

1:14:58PM Correct.

Bill Carlson

1:14:58PM The numbers came from you all and the county. That's fine. Any projection like that has to use a model. It's not something the rays presented and said this is what we're going to do. Any potential renovations -- let me set that aside. Amendment 3 before I run out of time. Do you have any idea in the area where the TIF is going to be how much the taxes are right now, the property taxes?

Dennis Rogero

1:15:23PM I do not. I can find it.

Bill Carlson

1:15:28PM It's been represented to me that it's zero.

Dennis Rogero

1:15:30PM Oh, zero. I apologize. I misunderstood the question.

Bill Carlson

1:15:36PM Right now there's no base of property taxes being collected. If amendment 3 passes it doesn't suddenly reduce that. There's no plans for homesteaded properties. Whatever taxes we estimate are not going to go away. And for the commercial property it may be reduced that it would grow to a maximum of 5% instead of 10%. That means it doesn't go away. It just slows down the projection if that happens, correct?

Dennis Rogero

1:16:03PM Yes, sir.

Bill Carlson

1:16:04PM We're not pulling any tax money, we're not using CIT now and we're not pulling tax money away from other sources so we're not pulling away, if we lose money amendment 3 we're not pulling away from something that could have paid that. In fact, we're actually creating money that we could use to pay that down, isn't that correct?

Dennis Rogero

1:16:22PM Yes, sir.

Alan Clendenin

1:16:22PM Councilman Maniscalco.

Guido Maniscalco

1:16:23PM Regarding amendment 3 since that came up, should this pass and everything go on schedule, when do we see the first dollar? I saw a target of 2031 but the minimum was 2034 or --

Dennis Rogero

1:16:36PM Yes, sir. It will depend on how fast and how much of the development occurs. Target scenario, for instance, fiscal year 31, in the minimum scenario it's fiscal year 34.

Guido Maniscalco

1:16:47PM A big concern that I have with amendment 3, and I think it was you or somebody had shown the numbers that should that pass, the impact to the City of Tampa in the first four years is roughly around $298 million on the low end. Like 35 million the first year. We are in budget time right now, which we hopefully pass the budget before September 30th. When should amendment 3 -- should amendment 3 pass, when do we feel the impact?

Dennis Rogero

1:17:15PM Fiscal year 28.

Guido Maniscalco

1:17:16PM That's the year we get the $35 million impact?

Dennis Rogero

1:17:20PM Yes, ish, yes, sir.

Guido Maniscalco

1:17:23PM The county is significantly larger. I think it was two or three hundred million. The county is much larger. The anticipated revenue that we would see when it first trickles in is a little over million three, million five.

Dennis Rogero

1:17:35PM Yes, sir.

Guido Maniscalco

1:17:36PM That's at least five years from now.

Dennis Rogero

1:17:38PM Yes, sir.

Guido Maniscalco

1:17:39PM Thank you very much, sir.

Alan Clendenin

1:17:40PM Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

1:17:44PM As far as amendment 3 goes, what is the rule for new construction, for new commercial? Right now -- or amendment 3 would put a limit on, is it 5% or 10% for commercial growth?

Dennis Rogero

1:18:05PM 5%.

Lynn Hurtak

1:18:06PM So 5% from zero is not a lot. So that's my question is do you know whether it will be the taxable value for whatever is built or do we start from zero to simply 5%?

Dennis Rogero

1:18:22PM I do not know. Someone knows but I do not know off the top of my head.

Lynn Hurtak

1:18:27PM Okay. Worth looking into.

Dennis Rogero

1:18:29PM I'll make a note.

Alan Clendenin

1:18:31PM Hearing no other questions -- Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

1:18:33PM One more thing on the record while you're here. The stadium ballpark is going to be owned by the county just like the other facilities, just like the straz center and Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa theatre owned by the city, so they are not taxable. But right now we're going through a major renovation of the straz center and who owns the renovations once we're done?

Dennis Rogero

1:18:56PM City of Tampa.

Bill Carlson

1:18:58PM Same thing with Tampa theatre, being fully renovated.

Dennis Rogero

1:19:01PM Yes, sir.

Bill Carlson

1:19:02PM But in this case, isn't it true that there are for-profit areas inside the stadium that would be subject to property tax? Could you or somebody explain that to us?

Dennis Rogero

1:19:12PM I believe that is the case. I defer again to the city attorney.

Bill Carlson

1:19:16PM My point while somebody is coming up, even though the building itself is tax exempt, there are for profit areas within it that would be subject to property tax, correct?

Alan Clendenin

1:19:25PM Welcome back to city hall, Ms. Mandell. Just to remind you, you start with your name.

Julia Mandell

1:19:33PM Julia Mandell, Hillsborough county attorney. I'm prepared to answer the question because it will be a county-owned building. Much like we have done in raymond James and I believe amalie, sorry, the arena, whatever, benchmark right now, the portions of those structures that are private team-owned, run parts of those buildings are condominiumized so that they can be taxable through that process. So the intent here would be to do the same thing. Those portions of the building that are private portions of the building will be condominiumized and then they will be taxable for those purposes.

Bill Carlson

1:20:14PM Thank you.

Julia Mandell

1:20:15PM Thank you.

Dennis Rogero

1:20:17PM Thank you, Julia.

Alan Clendenin

1:20:19PM Does that conclude your presentation?

Dennis Rogero

1:20:21PM Yes, sir.

Alan Clendenin

1:20:22PM Does that conclude the city's presentation? I have questions for people that I see are subject matter experts. I see the Florida Department of Transportation secretary. Sir, could you come up and ask you a couple of questions? We like the finance people when they tell us we have more money. Can you start with your name?

1:20:54PM Secretary hall, thank you. One of the most common questions I get, of course, because I am a transportation advocate and somebody really pushing for transportation, what are the anticipated transportation improvements in 27, 28, 29, what are you programming from the Florida Department of Transportation, transportation enhancements associated with this project? Boulevard, capacity improvements, capacity improvements on air cargo road. Additional pedestrian amenities on MLK, and a few other improvements on dale mabry, pedestrian improvements. New signal at dale mabry and steinbrenner and improvements at boyscout and dale mabry.

1:21:37PM One of the big concerns I have is safety. We had an incident in Ybor City where we had a vehicle go off the road and kill and injure people. I have pedestrian safety concerns along dale mabry. Can you talk about the pedestrian bridge concept, of what we'll plan for this project? There's going to be pedestrian bridge, if you are looking at the rays' site, it would be on the southeast corner -- southwest corner of raymond James. Crossing there. Also, crossing north to south, so it will be a two-legged pedestrian structure going north to south to the existing raymond James parking. So it will service both of the facilities and any developments in the area. The other thing that we're looking out from a pedestrian safety amenity is pedestrian fencing on dale mabry. Right now what happens if you've been out there, the ride shares, they are supposed to circle through on steinbrenner but they drop people on dale mabry and they run across dale mabry. We're working on some improvements there to restrict those kind of movements and also give greater access off of dale mabry to the existing ped overpass at steinbrenner.

1:22:40PM That's one of the things I've been concerned, just with the raymond James situation, corralling all of these pedestrians along dale mabry and cars are flying at normal speeds, 45, 50 miles per hour down dale mabry by someone with maybe ill intent, very vulnerable location. So I really look forward to those enhancements. I think it's going to tremendously impact a very big improvement of pedestrian safety in the area. Thank you. Anything else that -- for 28-29? Only thing I will say is the developer has been collaborative improving pedestrian movement along dale mabry. There is a mutual concern about having significant volume of pedestrians right at the edge of traffic on dale mabry which is where the sidewalk currently is. We've been working with them on how to maneuver that to protect the pedestrians as much as possible. So they have been very open to those conversations about possibly even moving that pedestrian amenity onto their property instead of immediately adjacent to the traveling public.

1:23:38PM This is a tough question. Aspirational, can you confirm that we've started preliminary discussions about transit options and using the cypress center and what we can do for transit options as this project moves forward? Transit move around the site better, how to better serve the site. We looked at even adding some amenities on Tampa Bay Boulevard for bus pull-offs, adjacent -- immediately adjacent to the pedestrian facilities. So that is a robust conversation that we're having right now with the transit agency.

1:24:10PM Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Councilwoman Young and Councilwoman Hurtak.

Naya Young

1:24:14PM I think you kind of touched on it a little bit, but do you have a timeline for any of these improvements, transportation improvements? Can I come back and give a full presentation on all the dates. The construction will occur in the next few years.

1:24:27PM For the public, what is your title? First out the gate is the dale mabry at steinbrenner signal. This December it will start. That is the first project out the gate.

Alan Clendenin

1:24:42PM Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

1:24:44PM You talked about transit and possibly helping with some buses. Would that include helping fund the actual route and the movement of the buses? Or does it only include infrastructure? So the conversation around o and m has not been had. In fact, we have not even been asked to consider o and m. It's just been infrastructure to date.

1:25:15PM Generally, do you help? Does F.D.O.T. Help fund operations and maintenance? So the streetcar, downtown streetcar for years we've paid for the fares and kept it fare-free. It just varies. It is a case-by-case basis scenario.

1:25:30PM Okay. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:25:32PM Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

1:25:33PM Thank you very much for being here and for being ready for this. You are always a great partner. Before you shut down, I want to talk to president atwater.

Luis Viera

1:25:50PM Building on something Councilwoman Hurtak said, ask Mr. Sebastian, my aide, he'll connect with you, I'm Planning on having a meeting with HART on Friday, hopefully, next Friday on this, if this thing passes. I would love obviously for your office to be a part of that, building on the wise questions posed. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:26:12PM Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

1:26:13PM Thank you, sir, for being here. As the council member for Drew Park and West Tampa, before this happened, did you have any plans at all for the area for improvement in traffic? Before were the dale mabry improvements at boyscout. We've been looking at that intersection for a while. Just, quite frankly, it hasn't worked the way we wanted it to work.

1:26:33PM Just south of there. I would say that would be the only consistent improvement that we've been working on for a while.

1:26:40PM Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:26:40PM As always, thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you.

1:26:43PM Dr. Atwater.

1:26:51PM Dr. Atwater, defer to Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

1:26:53PM Dr. Atwater, thank you for taking all of our calls the last few weeks. I took some classes at Hillsborough College, hcc back in the '80s, which dates me. One of my sons is taking at least one class there now. Some of the buildings that I attended in classes, the classes are still there many years later. I think that the students and faculty deserve to have a newer facility, a newer experience. Why should they have to be in 50-year-old buildings or longer? You testified before about the state of some of those buildings. However, there are concerns in the community about the lack of funding. You've gotten 50 million so far. Last night I heard from some people in the audience that maybe the price might be as much as 214 million. Can you -- and also, the rays, as I understand, are paying for and building your temporary facility. So, a, can you talk about what the temporary facilities will be like, first of all, confirm that that's correct or not. And then what are the temporary facilities like? How would you try to ease the pain of students and faculty in the short-term? How long would that take? How would you find the remaining 164 million or whatever it is. Emphasizing the 50 million. The commitment to the college has been 150 million. From the state for the college redevelopment. Think about the college. We operate on that campus, campus footprint is about 130 or 40 acres, and most people don't realize it's that large that the college manage. We only operate on about 15 acres of that currently where we sit. That operating space there is 650,000 square feet of facilities that we operate. We're going to operate in 650,000 square foot of facilities during the temporary move and when the stadium is rebuilt. We're doing that in three ways. We are retaining some of our current structures there, approximately about 200, 250 thousand square feet. We're with anticipating new construction in the neighborhood of 300 to 350 thousand square feet. And then we're going to have what we call shared use facilities with the rays. For example, think about a gymnasium that's being proposed, sports medicine building that's being proposed there. We'll have learning opportunities for us to do. If you take those three things together, we'll have space to operate currently where we are. The only difference is that that 300, 350 thousand new facility be redesigned so it will be able to accommodate students in a 21st century environment. We're operating, I was talking today to my foundation board, we're operating in the age of where green refrigerators and green stoves were popular in the '60s and '70s. We're spending over five or six million dollars a year on deferred maintenance projects at that campus on an annual basis. We replace elevators. We replace roofs. We replace building the side of buildings. It is time for us to relocate. So the funding we figured we're able to do that, you're exactly right. We will have to do some fund-raising. We're not anticipating to be hundred million dollars. We do think we'll have to do some additional fund-raising to do the enhancements. But we think that the $150 million is ample for us to get started and the partnership with the rays, with the nest, which we are developing a temporary facility called the nest, and that, too, will engage students while the construction is going on. So we do not want to discontinue our ability to actually offer a quality learning environment during construction.

1:30:56PM Two other quick things. One, there's been feedback that you all are kind of quietly moving some of the programming. I understand in talking to you or somebody that one of the programs is the dance facility which is moving to ybor. Forgive me if I'm wrong. But it's getting closer to all the other art stuff. Is that wrong?

1:31:22PM Some programs, maybe before this were planned on moving. The big question is, I've heard from teachers and students who are worried about the transition, and they are worried that they are going to be left behind or put in secondary class facilities. We are not laying anybody off. We are not downsizing anybody. We are moving our culinary program to ybor. That's been in the works for almost six years for us to actually do that. We're also moving our apprenticeship program, some of our apprenticeship program over to ybor. That too has been in the works for almost four or five years. Prior to this project coming on board. No, we are not downsizing in any way, shape, form, or fashion.

Charlie Miranda

1:32:16PM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for being the president. You've done a wonderful job. In fact, I went to when it was called hcc. Only took the c off because you were cheap and didn't want to put another c up there. I remember three teachers I had that taught me a lot, striker, Mr. Fingers, striker was government, fingers was computer programming, believe it or not, and bellow was math. I learned a lot from all three of them. I'm grateful that I did go there and learn. What I hear now little confusing to me. Anything over 50 years old is old. Well then I got to knock down 99% of the houses in Tampa. But it's a wonderful thing. I'm not causing -- I'm just saying what I heard out on the street. It's a wonderful place, and it is what it is today, and I just believe that the college is doing well. However, the culinary thing that you're using now, high schools are starting to do it. Jefferson is one and Robinson is the other one. The boys club is helping Robinson do it so the kids when they are in school, they can learn to do whatever they want to do and work part-time while in school. That is a wonderful idea. Thank you, chairman. You're right. We're not saying old buildings we're moving because the buildings old. We're saying we're moving because of the shape of the old building. When you have roof replacement of siding, the siding of the building is coming off. We don't mind buildings being old if they are usable and we will use them, but that is not the case here. That's what I'm saying. Not the issue of oldness, but the issue of the status of those buildings. Again, we're spending five to six million dollars a year on deferred maintenance on the dale mabry campus.

Alan Clendenin

1:34:07PM Thank you. Councilman Viera.

Luis Viera

1:34:09PM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, sir, for your work. I have an overall narrative question, obviously on Hillsborough College. This school is very special to me. A young man who bears my name who is a student there. He was same name but much longer hair than I do. My son. You all are wonderful obviously. We hear a lot of concerns in the community on social media, et cetera, on the effect this is going to have on Hillsborough College, the ultimate steward and person who is put with the specific duty to guard the welfare and well-being of the students, teachers, staff, facilities, infrastructure there and so forth, is it your opinion here today that this deal with the rays, the funds that you're getting, the support that you're getting is not a single, not a double, not a triple but a kert gibson 1988 world series home run for you? I think it's generational. Honestly. I honestly do. Remember, I wrote each one of you outlining the college's position and why we supported this project. This is a generational opportunity for us. Rays adopted a slogan work, live, learn, play. We are the learning part, but we look forward to the work part also because we consider ourselves the talent pipeline for business and industry right here in Hillsborough county. The more opportunity that we can train people and they can actually walk next door or walk out that door and be engaged in internships, apprenticeships, and those things, where it doesn't require them to go across the city or go across the county, we think that's an advantage for people coming to the dale mabry campus.

1:35:48PM Yes, sir, and thank you for that. I ask that question because, again, there are a lot of concerns about Hillsborough College. It's such be a important asset and resource for us and so forth. Another thing we hear a lot in the community is I've heard questions on is your tennis courts. Tell us about in your transition, working with that -- we are working -- let me tell you, we understand that the transition will be some inconvenience. Let's not fool ourselves. We know there will be some inconvenience. But the tennis complex will be rebuilt. It will be rebuilt. And in the interim while we're doing that, we're looking at tennis complex within the city and we've looked at a couple of places that will fill the role for our needs for our tennis complex, especially our tennis complex, you know our ladies tennis team are national champions, and we definitely will not leave them without a home.

1:36:43PM Thank you for that. Another family member of mine uses that. Juan Viera, my brother through special olympics. Uses HC a lot. Again, that's something very important. The reassurances on Hillsborough College does not merit necessarily supporting this, but I do think it's something that should be set aside as an issue of concern given your statement as the ultimate steward in the welfare of HC. Thank you.

Naya Young

1:37:12PM I also -- Hillsborough College dale mabry was also one of my campuses. I did ybor and dale mabry. So my question to you, Dr. Atwater, of course, there's been a lot of discussion about this project. You kind of said it. Would you mind just kind of reiterating why -- what this is going to do for the college and why you are supporting this project? Of course, as council members hear, well, they are not listening to, you know, the citizens or the constituents or from the college, not listening to the students. It seems as though you are -- like, you are behind this. And I want to know like from you, why is that? Buckets. One, the facilities are just fantastic. What's being proposed and what we are building will be second to none for educational facilities. The environment we're going to create for students to learn. So facilities is one thing that's high on our agenda. Two, the job or the partnership that's going to be there. I mean, think about the relationship. We used to have community in our name which really represent what we focus on. As you know, the rays have indicated to us that they are really, really wanting to invest in this community, and we're community focused. It couldn't be a better partnership from our perspective, especially on the idea of the joint use of facilities that are going to be there. And the third bucket is for our students. Just think about the environment that we're going to create. I just can't imagine a student not being able to enjoy an environment where there are a lot of things to do like coffee shops, things we don't do now. If you've been out to the property, you know the property is barren most of the time. If you look at the three buckets from our perspective, I can go into detail each one more, but if you look at each three buckets, it is a win-win situation. I said again, a generational opportunity. I challenge to you look and see anywhere across the country you find a higher education institution that will have the direct link in partnership with a major league sports team and especially the rays, I challenge you, you won't find that. I am constantly questioned at conferences and so forth about how does this work, how it's going to work. You may know that there is a benchmark and trip coming from san Diego for the chamber. They are bringing 15 educators to talk about this partnership for doing that. So we are innovative and cutting edge on doing this. I like being in that position.

1:40:15PM Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:40:16PM Thank you. Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

1:40:20PM Where is the money coming from? State.

1:40:27PM Do you have that in writing? No, I do not have the 150 commitment in writing. But we got 50 this year. But we do have the commitment for the additional money?

1:40:42PM And after that, we built one city building for $120 million. How in the world are you going to build a 600,000 campus for $150 million. It's 300. 350,000. At $500 a square foot is what we're using.

1:41:07PM You said you have 600,000 square feet. Using that. New construction, retention of old buildings that we currently have, and mixed-use buildings we will share with the rays to do that.

1:41:22PM You're going to -- how long are you going to keep the older buildings? They are in service now, we will never replace them and take them out of service without a replacement.

1:41:34PM Do you have a promised budget for maintenance? Because it sounds like the biggest problem with the college is the state didn't provide enough funding to maintain the buildings. Have on the buildings have been like hurricane repair, hurricane issues that come in for doing that. But we do get an allocation from the state when we add square footage to the building for our maintenance situation. Those buildings will fall under the same auspices for the state rules and regs for doing that.

1:42:07PM You didn't get any extra money for the storms. Other than we have insurance. But you know how insurances are. We couldn't wait for the insurance to reimburse us before we had to get these buildings back online.

1:42:24PM So you have no guarantee that the state is going to maintain the new buildings either. They will maintain -- yes, I do not -- I'm not making myself clear, evidently. I apologize for that. There is a form that the state use for square footage for educational delivery. And they base an allocation on that square footage when it change or increases on doing that. We will use that in order to ensure that we're able to maintain and -- maintain the building from a maintenance situation. But understandably, that will be lesser than we are paying now because 300, 350 square feet of that will be new facilities.

1:43:04PM You'll be getting less money and maintenance.

1:43:10PM Okay. So you're not sure. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:43:15PM Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

1:43:16PM Sorry to hold you on the spot. It's interesting in talking to you. We have a lot of high-tech companies moving to Tampa and great tech companies that are building up in Tampa. Really innovative people that are building ideas. In talking to you, your tech area is pretty strong. When I went to -- I think I only took one or two classes there. When I went to hcc, my friends were working at bennigan's and other restaurants that are long gone up and down that strip. Some of the students could work at the restaurants and bars, but can you just for 30 seconds or a minute talk about the tech areas that you have, because several tech companies told me they are interesting in hiring your students and locating nearby. Train employees to work in all segments of that industry. The most recent thing that's coming out is our innovation lab which is now focusing on cybersecurity and a.i. In fact, we've gotten two or three major grants to help us support the a.i. Development. In addition to that, we recently added a fin tech program that is basically the only one, the second one in the State of Florida at HC. So that's basically training people in two years to go back into the financial industry on the technical side of it. Called fin tech. The college has over 200 programs of study. Most of those programs are designed around getting jobs. The rest are designed around transferring and doing so.

Alan Clendenin

1:45:01PM Thank you, doctor.

1:45:04PM I don't see any other questions. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Thank you for what you do. Thank you. I have another question for finance staff. Dennis? Could be Scott. There he is. You are hiding.

Scott Steady

1:45:27PM Scott Steady, city attorney.

Alan Clendenin

1:45:28PM In the agreement, is there -- is it mentioned where the rays have to have proof of performance of their contribution before the city kicks in or before we have money at risk?

Scott Steady

1:45:43PM Yes. I'm only bringing her up because we focused on different things. My friend will help me out.

Alan Clendenin

1:45:52PM Never have to apologize --

Julia Mandell

1:45:53PM Phoning a friend. Julia Mandell, Hillsborough county attorney. The way the contract -- the agreement is structured is the rays will need to provide us their financial, both their financial information and the guarantees that we've talked about previously prior to any funding that would occur either by the county or the city.

Alan Clendenin

1:46:13PM Councilman Miranda, does that satisfy your concern?

Charlie Miranda

1:46:18PM [Inaudible]

Alan Clendenin

1:46:20PM Ms. Mandell, can you restate that?

Julia Mandell

1:46:26PM Mr. Miranda Has heard me speak on many occasions. He probably just tuned me out. Again, Julia Mandell, Hillsborough county attorney. The way the agreement is structured is the team, the rays will be obligated and their companies, there are a couple of different companies involved in this, will be obligated to provide us their financial information prior to us funding any of our monies either through the county or the city.

Charlie Miranda

1:46:57PM I want to know, how is the cdd get its money and how is it distributed back? To me it's like paying me back with my own money.

Scott Steady

1:47:10PM Cdd is going to get the money from the TIF and there's going to be an interlocal agreement between the city, the county and the cdd that will more narrowly define how that process works. So that agreement will be back in front of City Council.

Charlie Miranda

1:47:23PM That's what I was thinking earlier. The money that goes into the cdd is actually tax money, isn't it? In a different way?

Scott Steady

1:47:29PM Yes, yes.

Charlie Miranda

1:47:30PM They will pay us back with our own money?

Scott Steady

1:47:33PM Pay the city back with money generated by their development --

Charlie Miranda

1:47:37PM That means they are paying it back with our own money.

Scott Steady

1:47:40PM It's how you say it, not I. Councilman.

Charlie Miranda

1:47:43PM Thank you very much.

Lynn Hurtak

1:47:46PM Don't go anywhere.

Alan Clendenin

1:47:46PM That's money that wouldn't be generated unless we had the development. Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

1:47:53PM Ms. Mandell, you said that we'll get the financials from the rays. What kinds of financials will we be getting?

Julia Mandell

1:48:01PM The way it is structured is financials satisfactory to us and our financial advisors.

Lynn Hurtak

1:48:05PM Which is what?

Julia Mandell

1:48:10PM We have very professional financial advisors that actually they are the same for the city and the county. We jointly share the same financial advisors. We will at the time that is appropriate have those folks work with their financial folks to determine what we need to show us and the city, say us, the county, but also the city, that they have the financial capability to proceed forward with this deal and it has to be satisfactory to us.

Lynn Hurtak

1:48:36PM Will that be made public record?

Julia Mandell

1:48:38PM I can't answer that question because it depends on the record. It would depend on whether or not those particular records would have either a confidentiality or exemption under the public records law. It would be defined by that. If they are public records and they come to the governmental entities and they become public records. If they have a particular exemption or confidentiality provision in the Florida public records law, then they would not.

Lynn Hurtak

1:49:05PM Basically we're saying we're going to be using numbers that you all might be able to see but the rest of us cannot.

Julia Mandell

1:49:11PM I'm not able to answer the question in the way you asked it. I think we would be looking at it in terms of what would be the provisions of the public records law that would apply to whatever document we received.

Lynn Hurtak

1:49:22PM As far as public records go, because in the document itself, it mentioned that not all public records will be made available to the public around this deal. Can you explain that a little?

Julia Mandell

1:49:35PM I don't know that I would characterize it that way.

Scott Steady

1:49:37PM If it's a public record, it's a public record. We can't contractually change state law. If there's some -- I don't think there's any provision that I recall that says that. But if there is even an indication that that's the case, it's not enforceable. Public records are public records.

Julia Mandell

1:49:56PM Public records are public records. We are obligated to comply.

Scott Steady

1:49:59PM Saying that in stereo.

Julia Mandell

1:50:02PM It's an important point and I think it's important for the public to understand, that anything that comes to us as governmental entities will be subject to the public -- I've made this very clear to the team throughout this process -- those documents which are subject to the public records law are public records unless there's an exemption or a confidentiality which are two different things under the public records law. And we will comply with this.

Bill Carlson

1:50:26PM Julia, before you --

Alan Clendenin

1:50:29PM You can try to escape.

Bill Carlson

1:50:31PM Part of the purpose in putting -- setting up the TIF and the cdd is that they are subject to public records and sunshine, correct?

Scott Steady

1:50:39PM Correct.

Julia Mandell

1:50:40PM The cdd would be public, same public records requirements --

Bill Carlson

1:50:45PM Unlike other deals done in the past on essentially tax abatement where it was given just to the developer and we never saw it again, in this case, any money would go to the cdd, collected in the TIF, then given to the cdd, subject to public records and sunshine and then the public would have oversight to make sure that the money is only spent in the right way and only spent on government-owned infrastructure, not on anything that the rays own, correct?

Scott Steady

1:51:11PM We both agree.

Alan Clendenin

1:51:13PM I see one other person. Y'all can go for now. President barclay, would you mind coming up? I know I'm kind of surprising you. Could you start with your name.

1:51:33PM You represent the police officers in the City of Tampa.

1:51:35PM Have you been satisfied with your conversations with the rays in ensuring public safety on this proposed project?

1:51:40PM Thank you. Have they been working with you in developing what would meet the needs of what your officers require and the City of Tampa needs? Councilman Viera reached out to us months ago. We've been meeting with Hillsborough county fire rescue, TFR here locally and obviously us.

1:52:02PM Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Anybody else have any other questions for anybody else? If not, we'll go to public comment. No rays. If they are here to answer questions, if anybody has questions. But no presentation. Are you ready? I'm going to have -- just a reminder that if you wanted to speak to item 80, which is this rays agreement, you should have signed into one of these pages. If you haven't signed into a page, please see a staff member to have your name added to the page. Okay? We're here for a long time today, when you have conversations, the amplification here is just amazing. Our acoustics, whoever designed this was great. We can hear whispers. If you have to have a conversation, if you could take it out into the hall, we'd appreciate it. Mr. Shelby, would you remind folks of the rules of public comment? Because we have new people.

Martin Shelby

1:53:18PM Martin Shelby, City Council attorney. Very briefly, a three-minute time limit applies to all speakers providing public comment. Speakers and members of the public are reminded to please refrain from disruptive behavior, including making vulgar or threatening remarks or making or causing disruptive noises or sounds or displaying signs or graphics. Please direct your comments to the entire City Council rather than individuals. The Chair Will rule out of order any person who speaks without being recognized or attempts to address council from outside the speaker area at the lectern. Persons failing to comply with council's rules may also be ruled out of order and at the discretion of the chair may be removed from the chambers and city hall for the remainder of today's meeting. Finally, City Council should refrain from engaging a speaker under public comment. The public should be aware that the City Council does not take questions or have a dialogue during general public comment. This is your opportunity to express your position. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

1:54:18PM And a couple of other reminders. This is joint public comment for Tampa City Council and the CRA meeting, special call meeting. If you are to speak to the rays' agreement from either entity, City Council perspective or CRA, this is your opportunity to speak to both the CRA Board and City Council which are the same people. For those of you here to speak for or against or provide any other information, you have three minutes. Don't feel like you have to use the whole three minutes. If you have something to say, of course, we want to hear it. If you are going to say, hey, I support this. Could be sweet, simple, say oppose it, could be short, sweet, simple. If somebody already said what you were going to say, you can say, hey, I agree with what this person said. We're up here listening, right. We would all like to move this along and nobody wants to be here at midnight tonight. I have the names in the order signed in. More sheets coming. I'll call the first few names. As I call you, if you line up against the wall. If you are downstairs or floor two or one and hear your name, please come to Tampa City Council Chambers. James Jeffrey, Joe Robinson, Pamela cannella. Alejandro noriega. Everybody but James, if you would line up against the wall. Start -- by the way, when you start, if you have never done this before, there is a microphone embedded in the podium, so you have to face this way, otherwise nobody can hear you at home and they are watching this. You're addressing City Council and not the audience. Always start with your name. The light will come on. You have three minutes, and then there will be a yellow light when you have 30 seconds left. The yellow light will turn red and that's when I cut you off. Good afternoon, council. Great to be in front of all of you again. To start off, I know public service can be a very thankless job. You have sides on both sides. Either going to vote for you from now on or this vote not going to vote for you. Putting that aside, I want to thank all of you for your hard work, City staff, county staff, everybody involved in the process. We know it was a lot of work. I simply come down to have faith in the process we've gone through. That you have faith in the staff, faith in yourselves and in your leadership. We see the potential of this project and the benefits it can bring to the college, too, to the generations that are going to go to that college that now have the opportunity for internships, job training, to the hospitality industry. Just so many benefits of the project. I just want to ask, when you go to bed after your decision, have faith in that decision that in 20, 30, 40 years when you look at your kids, grandkids, children, that when they are graduating from that college and have that internship, they have that job or the workers at the ballpark that you can turn to them and say I was a part of that. I helped their future. I urge you to please say yes to this project. Thank you.

1:57:27PM Joe Robinson followed by pam cannella. Joel Robinson. I just want to thank you guys for hearing out the community. I won't take much of your time. There are a lot of rays' fans here who will be sharing that are way smarter than me. They thought through why this is a great deal for the community and the taxpayers alike. I'll give them the opportunity to remind you guys of these things. I simply ask you guys this. Have an open mind during this time during the hearing out from the community. Let go of some of the perceived things you might have had over the past meetings. The leadership of the rays have done more than enough to move this deal forward. I ask you guys to do the same.

1:58:15PM Thank you very much, joel. Pam cannella, alejandro noriega, sandy sanchez, patrick cimino. My name is pam cannella. By the way, it's 215 million for a new college. We don't know where the money is coming from. I say no to investing any taxpayers' money on this project. It's time to give back to the neighborhoods. When the neighborhoods -- sorry. The rays can wait. They can leave or build their own stadium, mixed-use complex. Tampa neighborhoods do come first. Councilwoman Young said her support depended on commitments. I back here. It says community impacts on long-standing needs of district 5, truly affordable and attainable housing, clear definition for student housing, and housing for people to live, work, and play in that community. Quality jobs, opportunities for SMART -- I'm sorry -- for small local minority businesses and a concrete commitment written in absolute clarity, transparency, and accountability. I don't see this in the contract. This contract is ambiguous. A legal mumbo jumble. A practice used by companies to cover all their risks in a deal. In this case, all the risks fall on the taxpayers and no protection for the people. Remember 2024, it seems absurd that for the neighborhoods to receive the funding, that is by right ours for infrastructure, we have to help fund this stadium project. I believe they even want us to ask for maintenance and repairs. This is not about a rays' stadium. It's about taxpayers funding and other massive mixed use projects for developers and profits, not our profits. Neighborhoods have already helped fund the riverwalk and downtown Tampa. The City of Tampa neighborhoods have had 16 years of infrastructure and neglect, leaving neighborhoods vulnerable. There are those who are happy because they see in the future of Tampa that. This is what I'm told. But this is what I see for the future of Tampa. More flooding and more flooding and no cleaning. And our water, our drinking water filled with high levels of --

2:01:29PM Thank you, Pamela.

2:01:32PM No, no, no, no Pamela. Broken promises. Thank you very much.

2:01:38PM After you finish speaking, if you'll go down to the second floor so we can make room for other public speakers. If you have spoken, please go down to the second floor. Mr. Noriega, good afternoon. Start with your name. You have three minutes. Just to be honest with you, just get it done. At this point, might as well do the deal. You'll have your haters and have your lovers, all flips of the coin, just get the deal done. I remember when this council, certain individuals of the council voted no on Raymond James Stadium when it was created and that was created and look how that turned out. Certain individuals said no giving millions of dollars to water street and look how that development came out to be. This is a good deal no matter how much you think of it. You might not be a sports fan, might not like the rays. In order to grow as a city, build and put money into projects that will help your city. That being said, look at cities like Kansas city, the royals are getting over 70% of their stadium paid by public subsidies by the county and city commissions. And the city didn't have to give them that money. They just said, here you go. Take the money. Because why? They know what it's like losing a major league franchise. I'm all for the deal. I understand everyone has criticism. Again, you'll get both sides of the coin. You'll get yes, no, why, who are we, why are we doing this. At the end of the day when we're all looking back in 30 years, we'll be doing the same thing we do when we go to the lightning stadium, Raymond James Stadium. We're just going to enjoy the games and be thinking, wow, we actually did this. We made another generational project that will benefit our city for future generations to come. I leave it to you guys. I hope you guys make the right decision. I appreciate you all for letting me speak on this historical day. Thank you very much. Get this deal done for the rays. Please and thank you.

2:03:36PM Thank you very much. Sandy sanchez, patrick, MaryBeth, and Michelle Mastrototaro. My name is sandy dediego sanchez. On August 10 of this year you began a budget meeting with two of you complaining about the mayor and her disrespect for you and your position regarding the $2 billion budget. You had to beg for a hard copy of the budget. You received it after the first presentation at 5:00 on a Friday night. And it was illegible because the print was too small. You said she was guilty of malicious compliance and suggestion and investigation by the attorney general's office of the State of Florida might be in order. The definition of malicious compliance is the deliberate literal execution of a directive or policy in a way that satisfies the rule but knowingly undermines its intent instead of solving the problem. The two of you that were most vocal on this -- are the same two that have disrespected the taxpayers in the same way. You publicized a 134-page document on Friday at 5:00 p.m., giving the taxpayers of Tampa five days to read and assimilate the information. And now 24 hours before to make a vote you come up with changes which we have not had the opportunity to see but to hear. The only difference between your insult and the mayor's for the $2 billion, there are two to four budget workshops, if you have time to read, digest the information and ask questions and discuss about the budget. Since supposedly can't talk among yourselves, the council that cared about constituents would have entertained the idea of a workshop. Could have had our many questions answered, and you all had certainly received many and many concerns and would like our questions answered. What is unconscionable and irresponsible about these meetings today, you could have waited 37 days for November 4 for the property tax amendment three to see what effect it would have on the decision. The rays have set deadlines and you have passed them over and they are still here negotiating. There is no rush except in the minds of the greedy. How irresponsible of you. How disrespectful of you to the taxpayers of the county. Malicious compliance, you are guilty. Hopefully the attorney general's office will investigate. Shame on you. On the same point, the amendment 3 should be predominant in your minds. Please postpone the vote until after November 3rd so can give you more time to review the changes and make rational decisions. Thank you.

2:06:32PM Thank you. Patrick. My name is patrick cimino. Taxpayer and citizen of Tampa. A rays' stadium would be really nice but we have to scrutinize this because it is an extensive expenditure of public access. City, county, and state. And as a taxpayer, we're funding Hillsborough College's new college. This 138-page agreement was released three business days prior to the meeting. Some county commissioners are complaining about they are getting it with even less time. I ask rhetorically, have you read it? Do you understand it? As the stormwater debate has shown, the city is evasive, opaque, and frequently lacks expertise, putting the citizens and taxpayers at risk. Are you comfortable that we've had adequate, independent professional opinions and due diligence? There are gaps too numerous to count. I will focus on the global concerns and add a few specific examples. There is a plethora of public assets mentioned, CIT, CRA, tourist taxes, city and county, Bonds, et cetera, now cdd. And stormwater. We pay -- we have to pay for those. It's not just casual that those taxes are coming in. Where is the feasibility studies to support the public debt? Where is the pro forma? I know we got a glimpse of it today for the first time. Cost benefit, risks, opportunity, predictability. The agreement provided last week said the city and county have to consider shifting the CRA. What happens if that doesn't occur in the way that it's required for this agreement? I was involved in proposals, much smaller than this, and had to provide more intensive detail, otherwise the leadership would have told me to get out of here. Who evaluated the credibility of the rays? It says the county in the agreement. What is the credential of them? What did the report say? That's critical. You all are lending them a bunch of money. Why is there so much haste? Is it what's being hidden? What happens if assumptions aren't met? Once demolition and displacement occur, you cannot put toothpaste back in the tube. It's financially irresponsible to proceed with this agreement that is rife with generalities and blanks. Councilor Hurtak did an excellent academic level post debunking with facts and data the myths about benefits of public financing of stadiums like this. And that data has been replicated over decades. Unlike the smoke and mirrors, anyway, I recommend you do not approve this agreement. It's not in the interest of us, the taxpayers.

2:09:42PM Thank you very much. MaryBeth, Michelle, I'm MaryBeth anglin, president and CEO of the West Tampa chamber of commerce. The West Tampa chamber of commerce strongly supports the Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal and the related development in Drew Park and West Tampa. We believe this is a once in a generation opportunity to keep the rays here in Tampa Bay while creating meaningful long-term investment in our community. This project can create thousands of jobs, attract significant private investment, generate economic activity and create new opportunities for residents and businesses throughout our region. Drew Park and West Tampa are uniquely positioned to benefit from this investment of this magnitude. It can serve as a catalyst for continued revitalization, strengthen local businesses and create opportunities for generations to come. We also strongly support Hillsborough College being the central part of this investment. Education, workforce development must advance alongside economic development, so local residents are prepared to take advantage of these new opportunities that this deal will bring. On behalf of the West Tampa chamber of commerce, we encourage the Tampa City Council to move forward with confidence and seize this historic opportunity. We are proud to support keeping the Tampa Bay Rays in our region and creating lasting benefits for Drew Park, West Tampa and greater Tampa Bay community. Thank you for your time.

2:11:09PM Thank you, MaryBeth. Thank you for being short and concise. Michelle Mastrototaro followed by amy. My name is Michelle Mastrototaro. I'm here to -- wow, this has divided so many of us. It's breaking my heart. So heartbroken because you got one side that it's a good thing. You've got the other side, people need addressing. This is a rush. We don't know why it's rushed. The whole proposal had to be revamped back into -- it hasn't even been shown to the public yet. I believe everyone who says, he couldn't even give us any info on anything. He didn't know nothing. He couldn't even tell us what was money -- well -- but I'm saying is that it's a frill. If you remember Louis -- can't talk -- USF got their stadium done, sga, student government -- my daughter was a part of it. She had to give them $3 million to build the stadium. I'm thinking why can't we all just figure something out in the best interest because it's half and half. The taxpayers are suffering, and everyone knows. A lot of people lost everything. To put a stadium, it's going to be a big cluster -- cluster of traffic. We want it. I'm not opposed to it. I am for it. But the taxpayers are going to be the ones that suffer. I'm not going to see it. It's going to be 30 years. Think about everybody. I'm all for you all, what you agree or disagree on, but I think we need to come back to the table with the final version of this so we can all be on the same table and we can all agree and make everybody happy and it's fair. Thank you.

2:13:43PM Thank you, Michelle. Amy Scott, Michelle dyson. I'm amy Scott. I came up here and I actually had all my notes on my phone and I actually -- I've been here for a while and I've listened to everything. I do not envy your position because you have the people who are for the rays. They are positioning it where it's very hard to argue with their position. The people who are against it, it is very hard to argue against their position. What we are asking you to do is vote for the reality. The reality is, you guys don't have enough information. I sat in this room and I heard one of these attorneys say that they were just working on documentations on Tuesday. They couldn't answer questions. Hillsborough county community college, god bless him, he doesn't even have a written commitment that he's going to get the funds that he said he's going to get. We don't have an understanding of how all the money is moving. We are putting ourselves in a position as a city to start being a lender, what door does that open? How do you tell other businesses who say, hey, we now want a cdd, you don't know what that looks like because most of you guys found out what a cdd is on Tuesday, Wednesday or today. I just don't think that you guys are in enough of a position to honestly vote, and then we're not even going to talk about the elephant in the room. A couple of them. One, amendment 3. We don't know what that looks like. If we ever, heaven forbid, another helene or milton, does the city really have enough money to therefore help the residents of the city out or is it now going to be tied up in a development that they are not willing -- they are not going to be able to take care of because that's not their role? Do we have enough money to loan? I've always been under the mindset you don't loan money that you don't have. So because you might not get it back. There are just a lot of holes when you guys were asking the questions. It looks like we're not going to get back all of our money and spending more than we have. Again, you don't know if that is fact because you just found this information out. If you go to a multimillion dollar home that you want to buy, you have to show financials before you even get shown the house. Yet we don't have financials from the rays. We don't have a full plan of knowing exactly what it's going to do. I am just asking, take a beat. Wait until the 3rd because this is your legacy. None of you will be sitting on council by the time all of the revelation of what this turns out to be comes to pass. You do not want people remembering you as the people who screwed the city 20 years ago. So you need to take a moment and actually make sure you fully understand so that your grandkids or your kids who are running around don't walk around in shame because you are the ones who made their situation worse. Just take a beat. I was coming up here with a very strict plan. But I honestly don't know how you make a decision when you don't have full information. So thank you for your time and, again, I know it's not an easy decision but take a beat.

2:16:54PM Thank you. Michelle dyson. Stephen gerhard, Jim Davidson, carmen edmonds. Michelle dyson. I am currently a bartender at tropicana field. I've never really been in politics or public spoke until this. It's definitely taught me a lot. There seems to be a little bit of a double standard. I have empathy for all the community, the working class people. I am a working class person, and I definitely support helping people. But empathy can't override common sense. Every meeting I stand here -- I mean, I stand here listening to people at this podium talk keywords like affordable housing, nonprofit, anything free, and it seems like we hand those monies off with a lot of ease. I don't see any financials. I don't see a lot of vetting. Things have to be done. But then when a private partner comes and steps up to the plate offering over a billion dollars to bring massive income growth, thousands of jobs, it switches gears. We hold their feet to the fire. We're stalling. We scrutinize. We ask this, this, this, continual. It's really easy for you to give money to -- entity but so difficult for you to accept a massive private investment. We can't hate the wealthy. They give money. They invest in us. They give us jobs. Instead, I would like to thank all of you for listening to the community, especially Ken Babby who I had the opportunity to work with, for negotiating, staying at the table, keeping the deal alive. We've been waiting, people like, oh, it's only been this long or that long. But it's been 20 years. Between st. pete and over here, people have been trying to work this out. I think now is the time to do it for us, for the working class, for the taxpayers. In my job as a bartender, if somebody comes up and says, hey, can you pour me a drink but they don't give me any money, I have to say, let me see the card. I think the over billion dollars that they showed us is a good reference for the facility that we should have. I hope we stop pushing away the big investment and approve the rays' deal to protect our livelihoods, bring our jobs and housing to the working class. We can't mislead these people that if we don't spend the money on this they are going to get the money because that is not the truth. You know that and I know that. It's important that we still listen to everybody that we do what is best for the future and hopefully I have a job for always until my time leaves this earth that I can work at the rays. Thank you.

2:19:34PM Thank you. John. John byzek. John, if you are downstairs and hear this, please come to the council chambers and make yourself known. I will call you when you get up here. Stephen. I spent a lot of time on the phone with several of you. Don't envy the position you are in. Stephen gerhard, homeowner and resident of Hillsborough county. I hope to hold a masters in sports management and mba. Started my career with the Tampa Bay lightning and spent nearly a decade in professional sports. Seven years ago I transitioned to commercial real estate. I am uniquely prepared to comment on what is presented at the matter at hand. A phrase you have heard thrown around. Economic impact. Economic impact is the total dollars generated by a development. You have been handed a gross number in the AECOM report. Counts every dollar that moves. Net impact asks the harder question. How many of those dollars are new? This is not a fringe topic in sports literature, it is one of the most consistently studied questions in sports economics and decades of peer research across every major league finds almost no measurable gain from publicly financed stadiums. The reason is simple, substitution. Family spend $300 at the stadium is no longer going to spend $300 on Hyde Park, ybor, up at busch gardens. The money moved. It didn't multiply. The AECOM study never test for substitutions. Report lacks several important considerations. Frankly, why are we surprised. Commissioned by the Tampa Sports Authority, the entity that would manage the asset. Last week, AECOM hunt turner was selected as the construction manager for the project. Let me connect the dots here. The same company whose analysis is being used to justify the subsidy now stands to earn millions of dollars from the construction management fee, $2.3 billion stadium. It's not an independent study. It's a sales document. I could stop there, but the definitive documents ask the city to advance $20 million on a four-year -- that's $80 million paid by tax increments inside of a district where the team carries no binding or dated obligation to deliver a single square foot of taxable office, hotel, or retail. No reasonable lender on earth funds against collateral that does not exist with no completion guarantee and no delivery covenants. The high to low projections do not matter if we do not deliver taxable land improvements. On $80 million loan, aaa muni Bonds somewhere between 5%. Four and a half million dollars debt service obligation there. To deliver that, we'd have to create $355 million of actual retail value. Inside of what was agreed there is 100 to 250 thousand square feet of office. At the end of the day, I want to challenge you to do this. Don't vote for empty promises. Cdd will be controlled by the landowner. Landowner is hcc. Who elects to the board that --

2:23:11PM Thank you. Why are we here today? We're here because neither the Mayor, This council, or the BOCC could not walk away from making this deal. You could have told the rays it's fine. Great deal. But the people have to vote first. In fact, the very construction of the previous deal and this deal and the Board of County Commissioners deal, the CRAs, the cdds, the special districts, the horizontal improvements, it was all an economic gymnastic event structured so that taxes, in this case property taxes, could be given away without requiring a referendum. You as a Tampa City Council could not do that. You had to disguise it under the cdd and a special taxing unit and TIF it. By the way, Kansas city who passed it, used a TIF. The people voted it down in Kansas city the year before they had to do that. Amendment 3 is on the election ballot in ten weeks. Raise your hand if you think Tampa can afford this contract to pass, if it passes. Any of you up there, raise your hand if you think that this city can afford to do this, if the amendment pass.

2:24:41PM We don't do that. There are requirements to fund different revenue streams if one stream does not meet the required contributions. The rays are loaning the city money so you can build their stadium and pay it off with our property taxes. Are you kidding me? Transformation has said a lot. It is not. This is window dressing. Amendment 3 is transformational, increasing the number of county commissioners, compositions of the BOCC, and real term limits would be transformational. This is transformational, increasing people's properties who were taken because they couldn't pay their property taxes. And this thing you are discussing today is not going to make that any better. It's going to make it worse. Don't even begin to talk about financial impacts because as the gentleman said, insulting to tell people that crap when you know it's not true. And then give them a chance, and not give them a chance to vote on it. Used car salesmen have better standards. And I apologize to any used car salesmen in the room. You also know the deal is not the end of the rays taking money from us. It's in the document. Why did the rays give all the money to politicians running for office? Who can't vote on the deal, because they are going to continue to ask for money for years. You all know it. It's in the document. This is a bad economic deal. A bad political deal and morally bad deal. You are all adults. You know the consequences. It's time to do the right thing. Vote no.

2:26:22PM Carmen edmonds, laura lawson, Ron weaver, Doug battista. Carmen, start with your name. Just to go on the record, I want everyone to know, there are about 20 to 30 college students upstairs with the lovely Tampa Bay backpacks that are leather. Several of them got them and they were given a little reception at lunch. For people to think there are all these college kids here, I don't believe it for a second. I think they are being used. That's my personal opinion. I digress. I copied a meme from bernie sanders a few weeks ago. 31 out of 32 owners of billionaires. 26 out of 30 mlb owners are billionaires. Your tax dollars help build their stadium. Today, the average person can't afford the price of a ticket to a sporting event. That must change. I'm a very staunch republican. Never in my life would I have ever thought I would be agreeing with bernie sanders. We as taxpayers do not want our money going to fund a billionaire's pet project. Opposition to the stadium is all about CIT, CIT, it doesn't matter what bucket of money it comes from, it's taxpayer money, whether you take it from this bucket, that bucket or another. We do not want our tax dollars going to fund a billionaire's stadium. That's not good use of our tax dollars. We have people that have had historical flooding. Our sewers are backed up. Our roads are in disrepair. The money needs to go where it belongs. Another Florida politics article dropped trying to debunk councilwoman Hurtak's wonderful video she released. Thank you for the video. Very informational. One item continues to be true. Mixed use stadium developments elsewhere failed to pay back taxpayers. This article said that the deal, that the Tampa deal is going to be different. But to me, that's like democrats in Washington telling all of americans that socialism is going to be different this time because it's in america. It's never worked anywhere. This deal is not going to work here. Socialism is not going to work in america. It never works anywhere. That's just ridiculous. Don't sell us a bag of goods. Another councilman stated on social media that local officials have done exactly what taxpayers elected them to do. Have you? I don't know of any taxpayer that elected you to give away a billion dollars collectively of our money to a billionaire for a stadium. You all are caving to the rays and higher up elected officials. Do what's right for voters and vote no. put it on the ballot and let taxpayers decide the fate of our money. We don't want to fund a stadium. We don't want to fund a new FDLE and tax assessor's office. The buildings are practically brand-new, run very efficiently. I don't know why we are tearing them down when they are perfectly fine. That's double dipping taxpayer money. Built ten years ago or less. Now tearing it down and building again with more taxpayer money. That is a misuse of our money. It's ridiculous. I think this needs to go back on the ballot for taxpayers to decide. I ask you to please vote no today on all of this stuff.

2:29:29PM Laura lawson followed by Ron weaver. It is uniform. I'm laura lawson. I'm resident of Tampa, South Seminole Heights. I have been afraid that ken hagan was going to pull this off for about a decade. Like, I felt it in my body, like worried about it. The ybor deal. I was scared of that. We can't afford this. I've also -- the whole time I worked for commissioner pat kemp, always dealing with him down the hall. We knew he was scheming to try to pull this off and give away all our tax dollars for a team we couldn't afford. I worried about it. I read all kinds of books about it. They showed a clear pattern about how these things work. This is how they work. You avoid a public vote. Rush approval of the financial deal through local boards and councils. You provide rosy projections about economic impact that never pan out. And you make it a quest to get a team rather than a careful consideration of the relative cost to taxpayers, and in this case, to our public assets versus benefits to the community. I never expected they would take a college. I've literally been anxious about this for a decade. I never expected that to happen. I came here on May 22 and I made a very clear -- I want to add the djj to this, by the way, because I didn't know about that yet. I'm so tired of chasing down information. I spent the weekend looking at all those documents. Anyway, I came in and I gave you a list of things I wanted to see in the public benefits agreement. I wanted to you build the college back first. If we have to tear it down for this plan, why is it that the rays get to move from one stadium to a fresh, brand-new stadium. The students have to hang out in trailers for a while and see if they can find pico funds at the legislature which have been going down for years because we don't have phone lines anymore. I'm also really worried about this aspect of it. The college board, which I visited yesterday, those are all appointed by governor desantis. They are going to be completely in charge of this property. By agreeing to this deal, we're handing over to the college a mixed use project, and they are going to be in charge of whatever goes in there. Notice, you cannot require anything. This council cannot require anything. The other thing that I learned at that meeting was that the college is going to be asking for 164 -- $165 million from the legislature this coming year in these pico funds, which have to go to charter schools, regular schools. They may not have enough money to replace the college, even under the plan that they put forward. So vote no. bring it into this. Thank you.

2:32:41PM Thank you, laura. Ron weaver, Doug batista -- respectfully, I think you need to vote yes. Despite all that we've heard, the alleged 300 family diversion to Hyde Park has five huge holes in the argument and studies in columbus, Ohio, and sacramento, California, that as long as you have a mixed use project, it is the opposite with respect to their alleged studies where they have taken exceptions with no mixed use and recessionary economies that didn't work. Sacramento, California, columbus, Ohio, and other mixed use projects like l.a. Live and dozen others show that the economic -- even if only half of the 56 billion comes to bare, 7% sales tax on it is 2 or $3 billion per 30 years, $8 billion of sales taxes just in the next century alone. 12,000 new jobs we won't otherwise get. That 300 Hyde Park diversion -- a lot of folks are from out of town to view the game. They are not going to --

Lynn Hurtak

2:33:50PM You have to turn this way. Thank you. Vote yes because, number one, america's pastime may be baseball. Community and oneness and unity is america's lifeline. Number two, it will encourage corporate relocations. Number three, 12,000 jobs we otherwise will not get. Number four, it will speed rail up, maybe by as much as a decade with 10 million visitors a year. That's going to be something like a billion visitors per century. Those visitors will help drive rail here earlier, maybe as early as a decade earlier. Number five. The nature of the pride that we take in our community, the ability to get it done. If monsignor Higgins and George and leonard levy and mcewen looking down at the obstacles they overcame to do the impossible, to show the pride of this community, they would want us to take the can-do-ness that is Tampa and remember that when Tampa has the opportunity to help its citizens with 12,000 jobs they would not otherwise get and 10 million visitors per year to the economy that they would step up to the plate because this community believes in its people. It believes in getting jobs for its people. It believes in Hillsborough College. Hillsborough College needs for us to take the State of Florida -- the way we solve this issue, we can solve rail. If we solve rail, we can solve health care. If we solve health care, we can solve insurance rates. We can solve it with a solvent wealth fund with respect to -- tourist development dollars. We can do the things the community has to do if we start right here with a transformational, once in a lifetime opportunity to get us the 12,000 jobs we would not otherwise get, to show our children that when things matter, we can get it done and that those 10 -- can be our economy, our volunteers --

2:35:57PM Thank you very much. My name is Doug batista. For my career, I am a chief human resources officer. I have extensive experience in labor force dynamics with some of the world's largest companies. In the united states we're losing 16,000 net jobs per month. About $200,000 annually due to a.i. Displacement. That includes accounting for the a.i. Jobs being created. Those are net. That was done by a study by goldman sachs. The jobs that are being displaced are those with routine, repetitive, administrative tasks such as accountants, computer programmers, testers, customer service, and entry level roles. I'm living this in my current company right now as chief HR officer. These are not huge job losses right now. Few hundred thousand jobs across the united states. Not a huge amount of jobs about but a.i. Impact on the job market is expected to continue. All you need to do is read some of the studies out there by global firms like McKenzie. If you don't believe that, there is another warning sign. Mercer consulting and u.s. bureau of labor statistics report that voluntary employee turnover has collapsed to 13%, down from 25% three years ago. This isn't because workers are suddenly more satisfied with their jobs. Rather, employees are standing as a direct consequence of fewer job opportunities. Again, I am seeing the same exact trends with my current employer. If you don't believe that, maybe you'll believe bill gates. Yesterday, he published an article and it was picked up on the Wall Street journal and New York times. He quoted, we have to think now about how to reduce job losses so that everyone can share in the prosperity that a.i. Creates. Waiting until people are already displaced or underemployed will be too late, end quote. The rays' stadium and mixed use development projects represents job opportunities for the Tampa Bay work force in a time of a.i. Displacement. Jobs provide financial stability for working families across our region, including the thousands of jobs that will be created. More important than being an HR executive, I'm a dad. I'm a dad -- my son has developmental and mental health challenges. He struggles, he has an intense fear of being around others. He was once a mute and wanted to be invisible. His medical team prescribed emergent therapy to overcome the fear and recommended that we take him to a rays' game. He came fixated with what was happening on the field instead of the major anxiety around all the people. Baseball became his vehicle to recovery. Today his love of the team and the game of baseball drives his daily life. Here is a photo of him drawing in art class, art class that he was failing until I got him an iep at his school. He now draws stadiums like this and provides me with dug-outs of tropicana field. In closing, I ask the City Council to vote yes for job creation and for my son and any other special needs kids out there. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

2:39:12PM Thank you, Doug. Melanie alvarez. Julie magill. James ransom, Jeffrey Johnson, Michael maurino. Or afternoon. We've been here a long day. Thank you all for sticking it out with us. I'm melanie alvarez. I am a grateful floridian, and I'm speaking on behalf of americans for prosperity Tampa Bay today. I want to start by saying we're not here because we're against the rays or a stadium, but we are here because we believe that the people's voice in a multimillion dollar deal is very important and public/private partnerships matter. So right now, you have a decision that will affect this community for 35 years potentially, and that decision is being made without the impact of people, with the exception of public comment. Those are the people that are going to be paying for it and bearing the risk of it. So let's be clear about what's happening. You all know the numbers but both sides are making a bet on future growth. And the public's bet is locked in for 35 years through a tax increment financing district that freezes revenues to schools, fire services, and city budgets. And we're unclear about the implications of amendment 3 as other people have said. Not a small decision. A generational decision. It deserves really close public scrutiny and it also deserves transparency and documents that have been released this week really don't allow time for that to happen as other people have said. We need more time. Economic research has consistently shown negative or neutral growth or economic impact with stadiums. And the independent analysis of tax increment financing finds they rarely deliver the net growth that they promise. These are not opinions. These are from peer reviewed research. So maybe this stadium will be different. Maybe the growth projections will come true. But if it's not the case, shouldn't voters be confident enough to take the question to the ballot. If you as council people believe in the deal and the community you are serving, we should trust people to vote on it. Instead we're asking residents to accept a 35 year commitment with possible added taxes in the future based on projections they may not approve or trust. We still don't have clarity on our city's budget in the future with implications of amendment 3. That's not how we should do business with public dollars. Documents and changes to the deal continue to flow in until Tuesday night providing this council and the county commission very little time to review the finite points. We don't even know that these are the finalized documents which really calls transparency into question. I urge you to do the right thing. Do not make a 35-year bet with taxpayer dollars. Let the residents decide or postpone this until after the amendment 3 ballot and we know the outcome of that in November. Thank you for your time.

2:42:24PM Thank you, melanie. Julie magill followed by James ransom. Start with your name. You have three minutes. My problem with this deal is the contract. Numerous times throughout this contract it uses the word contribution. Contribution, and this is going to end up, let's say this does go to litigation, falls apart. Any lawyer is going to look at that word and say, you know what? That is a contribution. That is not an expected repayment. So here is your definition of contribution. The other things I have a problem with are the fact that they are asking us to do all the maintenance and repairs on that stadium. That could come to $15 million a year. I don't understand why that is even in the contract. That needs to be just done away with. There's also blanks in the contract still. I don't see how you can vote on something that is not a complete contract yet. There's just too many issues. Too many ambiguities in this contract. There should be a hard cap on Tampa's total exposure. A maximum dollar amount, not 80 million plus, plus, plus, plus because we don't know. It's ridiculous. If Tampa is protected in that contract, show me where, because I don't see it. The county shortfall shouldn't be a Tampa problem. If the county doesn't come through with the money, are we guaranteed they are not going to look to us for it? Too many questions. I agreed with everything everybody else said. I won't take the whole three minutes because I know everybody wants to go home. Take a look at the checklist. I e-mailed it to you. Now you have another hard copy.

2:44:22PM James, followed by Jeffrey Johnson and Michael maurino. My name is James ransom. I'm again representing the economic development committee for the Tampa organization of black affairs. There have been a lot of things said today and over the course of this process. Our hope is that the City Council and the mayor, the county commission, the county administrator has taken a good look at all the details that concern the public, public trust, public money, and do the right thing about that. Otherwise, toba supports the rays coming to Tampa. I can tell you haven't met anyone over 46 years that spent more time in the black community and around the City of Tampa than Ken Babby coming out and talking to people in the community about this issue. Doesn't mean everything he's saying, buy into and this kind of thing. You have to figure all that out. But the work was done to come face to face so they could hear what people's concerns are. We're here laser focused on the special interest of the black community without any ambiguity and you know that. But it is toward the betterment of the entire community. We don't want to be excluded from whatever prosperity might be generated from this great transformative project. We want to also enjoy the heightened quality of life that can come from the project. We think the president of Hillsborough College did a good job explaining how that benefits students in the college. Construction and changes take time and very inconvenient. Once all that might be done, if done right, it may be one of the best things we could ever do in our community. It has to be done with a fiscally responsible leadership from your group and the county commission. We would say from the top down, bottom up, share this with major league baseball, Mr. Babby and his team, Hillsborough College, the Board of County Commissioners, and you and the mayor, that top-down, bottom up. We want to see the diversity that represents our people, our segment of the communities in whatever you decide to do if it goes through. Remember we are taxpayers and vote and we happen to be African American people and the city is very diverse. We want to benefit from whatever happens, if it's going to happen with a project of this scale and scope. But to end, we do think it would be wise to find the right path for the right reasons, for the right public trust and protect the public money to have the rays in Tampa, Florida, where they should have been from the beginning in the first place. Thank you very much.

2:47:00PM Jeffries Johnson, Michael maurino, rick Fernandez. I would like to address you as the CRA Board and not just City Council. Jeffrey Johnson. I serve as the chair of the East Tampa CRA. I'm not representing our committee, but I'm speaking as an advocate of East Tampa. I am here today in support of the extension of the East Tampa CRA. I am not an economist, so I am not a subject matter expert to speak on the entirety of the development and funding agreement that piques the interest of the majority of the persons that are in this room. I am grateful that council sees the need to include an extension of the interlocal agreement between the county and the city and the East Tampa CRA. The East Tampa CRA, East Tampa has made significant progress but our development work is far from finished. We continue to face challenges related to affordable housing, infrastructure, economic development, and commercial revitalization and creating opportunities for long-term residents, homeowners, and businesses. East Tampa CRA was established in 2004. If we are extending its life through 2044, then I believe we should also be committed to the funding development through 2044. That's why I want to make an important distinction. I support the extending of the life of the CRA, but we must also protect the funding that gives that extension meaning. I respectfully ask that the City of Tampa not to remove its TIF contribution after 2034, but to instead to continue its investment throughout the extension period. On page 28 and 29, it indicates that the county won't fund its portion beyond the scheduled 2034 time period. Right now, the county contributes 80% and retains 20% of the TIF for this CRA. The City of Tampa contributes 100 percent of its increment. I encourage the city to negotiate with Hillsborough county so that the county continues or resumes its TIF participation through 2044. If we're talking about a 40-year redevelopment horizon, then we should be Planning for fully funded 40-year redevelopment strategy. An additional ten years should not simply keep the East Tampa CRA alive on paper. Those ten years should give us the resources and the opportunity to make transformational investments in the people, the neighborhood, the businesses, and the future of East Tampa. State statute not only allows a max of 40 years of that CRA -- so today I support the extension but I ask this council to go further to protect the city's TIF commitment, negotiate for continued county participation, and ensure East Tampa has the financial resources necessary to finish the work that we've started.

2:49:59PM Thank you, Sir. Michael maurino, rick Fernandez, terrence and Todd -- Michael maurino, executive Director Westshore alliance. We have spoken to you and provide you with our justification for why we support the economic -- potential economic impact, potential impact on infrastructure. I wanted to talk about specifically that dale mabry corridor. You think of Hillsborough down to columbus. It's not as -- don't have the type of economic generation there because a lot of publicly owned land. Also low density. A project with what the rays propose, that starts to change that. You've seen other parts of the city where investments have been made and the scale of this is why having a public investment makes sense. Potential return on investment, whatever it may be makes sense because of the scale and size of the project. You've already done the work in terms of land use Planning, transit Planning for that corridor, but you need to have the investment in it. Large enough investment that will help create the change and we think why it would be viable for City Council and obviously BOCC to support this as well. The thing is moving forward if you are to support today, there's got to be a lot of work that makes this a success so we want to work with you. Planning Commission, City Council, obviously you all, and BOCC but also other entities involved that can help make a success. 35 year project. All that work can be done provided that you have your support today. Thank you.

2:51:34PM Rick Fernandez. Terrance, Todd, ct. Today. Rick Fernandez, Tampa Heights civic association president. I'm here in a representative capacity today. We are very aware of the significance of this project and this deal. Believe me, we're not living in some rabbit hole. However, we are concerned about a proposed diversion of 50% of Downtown CRA funds. Comments, unlike some heard to this point are going to be more surgical and more specific to a neighborhood. This will hurt the redevelopment of the north portion of downtown, which is a current gap in the urban fabric connecting Tampa Heights. Further, the reduction of the Downtown CRA funds may prevent the expansion of the streetcar, negatively impacting Tampa Heights. The streetcar expansion is identified in the ria, or the regional infrastructure accelerator, and CRA funding will be essential to its success. We are asking this council and the CRA Board -- sorry, this council sitting as CRA Board to take one of the following actions in this order of preference. First, do not permit the diversion of Downtown CRA funds for this deal. Second, if diversion is being considered, do not allow it until the streetcar extension is operational and our community has the transit connection that has been promised. Third, if Downtown CRA funds will be diverted, secure $200 million of the streetcar extension, or for the streetcar extension before a single dollar is redirected. In any scenario, expand the Tampa Heights CRA east to the East Tampa CRA boundary and to the North Floribraska Avenue. Our neighborhood has requested this boundary to be extended for nearly a decade. Our neighborhood deserves protections meant to address affordable housing, transit infrastructure, and the kind of long-term investment our community has awaited for decades. I thank you very much. Respectfully submitted. There was an e-mail submitted to all of you I believe Wednesday evening. I incorporate that by reference as part of the record. Thank you.

2:54:13PM Thank you, rick. Terrance. Sorry if I slaughtered your last name. My name is terrance o'sullivan. I'm a member -- a resident of South Tampa. Thank you for the opportunity to address the council on this very important issue. Bottom line up front, we probably should have had a separate meeting just dealing with this as opposed to number 80 on the agenda. It is very important. Everybody's great comments and analysis bears witness to that. Maybe if we continue, depending what you do at your voting, have a separate issue just to discuss this. Really get people understanding. Couple of things, probably redundant what you heard before. First of all, for all my baseball friends, I love baseball. I grew up with it. I played it, and even saw mickey mantle hit his 500th home run one time, so I'm dating myself. But I love the rays. But we're talking about business here. So let's get into it. But we must first aggressively analyze the financial details. We talked to some of that and some of the gaps that you pointed out Councilwoman. Hey, what does that really mean? You must highlight the details of the pluses and down-sides to this huge and impactful project. 30 plus years, it will be our legacy. I.e., the tax increase financing over 35 years. Getting ahead of myself. Start throwing out terms, CIT, CRA, define what it means, probably get a lot of different definitions. Some of that needs to be highlighted. What is the so what to the taxpayer? What is the risk to the taxpayers? We need to clearly know for transparency. That's been pointed out several times. We all want the same thing. Want the community to be developed. Good thing for our lives, our kids' lives but we want to do it the right way. This is an opportunity without rushing in to do this. Please -- carefully on this. We know it is a difficult decision. But don't rush to judgment. Please don't do that. Bottom line, this is not a good deal for the current and future taxpayers from what I know. If we do more critical examination on this. Please help me to help you. Transparency, we're rushing again into this monumental project. Please take a look at that through town hall meetings and whatever marketing we can do on this. Public service announcement may be in order. I feel at this point that we have a shell game that's going on with CIT, CRA, TIF, whatever other acronym come up with today. Please, let's get that done. I feel right now that the developer is winning and the taxpayer is losing. Thank you for your support. Good luck.

2:57:41PM Start with your name, please. Let's get down to business. I put a hundred million dollars in the City of Tampa since 1986. My first job was selling cokes at the old sombrero at 14 years old. You're going to tell me that the old sombrero when we had the buccaneers go 0 and 26 and Doug Williams came and one game away from going to the super bowl was a waste of money? You're going to tell me when we built Raymond James Stadium and got all the jobs for african americans, I grew up with blacks in the bronx before I came here in 1973. In 1973, there was no rays, no bucs, no lightning. When Phil esposito said we would have hockey at amalie arena, stamkos and those guys got it done and won a stanley cup. You're going to tell me that was a waste of money, too? Get out of my face. People talking here, you don't even know what you're talking about. You don't even know what you're talking about. Hcc needs a remodel. Hcc dale mabry, 162 ball games over there. 81 home ball games plus venues over there. Even talk about the tax money. Make so much money, it's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. I took a guy who never ran for dogcatcher, that would be Donald Trump and put him in the white house. Don't tell me about politics when you don't know anything about. Bernie sanders hasn't had a job in forever and he's a communist making millions of dollars with three houses on the taxpayer dime. You want to talk business. Let's talk business. This is a deal you got to get done. It's a must get done. It's for the jobs. It's for the community. It's for putting Tampa on the map. We are toe to toe with the New York yankees, the greatest franchise in sports history and we're three games up with 30 some odd games left. I want to see you boys get it done. We didn't work all this time for you to collapse down the stretch. We didn't work all this hard to get you City Council or the county commission to close and collapse down the stretch either. We're champions. We're the city of champions and that's what we'll always be. I'm Todd seeme.

3:00:04PM Thank you. [ sounding gavel ] start with your name. You'll have three minutes. My name is ct Harris. I'll be a little calmer. Just bear with me. First, I want to thank Councilwoman Hurtak for taking the time to break this incredibly complicated deal down into information the public could actually digest through video because regardless of where we stand, transparency does matter. Let me be clear. I want the rays in Tampa. I support economic development. I want Tampa to grow. We can't stop it. Economic growth is powerful. However, growth cannot come at the expense of the people who already call Tampa home. My concern is the speed at which the public has been expected to understand the people's business. We're talking about billions of dollars, future agreements, infrastructure, transportation, community benefits, and obligations that could impact tampanians for generations and long after many of you would transition out of your seats. Yes, this deal has improved, I acknowledge that. But there are still questions. Our roads are already beat down by many cars, many trucks, construction vehicles, and just about anything else with wheels. What happens when thousands of more people are coming in and out of this area, what will the interlocal agreement obligate taxpayers to tomorrow? I mean, we have questions. Most importantly, are the community benefits measurable, enforceable, and meaningful enough to ensure that longtime tampanians can actually benefit, because I don't want Tampa waking up on Christmas morning after being promised all these beautiful gifts only to discover we have a gorgeous tree, aka, the stadium, but nothing underneath it. Or worse we can't even travel to grandma's house because we didn't adequately prepare the infrastructure around it. That Christmas dream can quickly become a taxpayer nightmare. Council, I know the weight on your shoulders today is not light. You've been screamed at, talked about, I get it. Many of you love your roles and you ran for a particular reason. We elected you because we trusted you. We believed you would ask the difficult questions and make the difficult decisions when Tampa needed you most. I'm not asking you to vote against the rays. I'm asking to you protect Tampa while you build Tampa. Make sure our small minority women and veteran owned businesses have real opportunities with these contracts, protect our neighborhoods, demand accountability, address our infrastructure, and make sure promises come with measurable outcomes and consequences. A stadium can absolutely be a part of Tampa's future, but when this deal is finished, don't just make sure Tampa got a stadium. Make sure tampanians got a deal. And I mean a real deal.

3:03:21PM Stephanie poynor followed by Robin Lockett. Stephanie poynor. This vote should not take place until after November 5. Just that simple. Everybody up there is my friend. I will be the first person to tell you that. All my friends sitting up there. Yeah, whatever. Don't get started with me. Bottom line is you are all my friends and you have to make a really, really difficult decision. No matter which way you vote, there are going to be people in the room that vote against you. Not the thousands of votes I've seen you make. Not the thousands of votes you make every year that you are in office, but this one thing, which just makes me sick. I told most of you this. I am sick and tired of talking about the rays. We have a $2 billion budget that needs to be discussed and we're spending our time talking about this nonsense because there is a japanese bullet train. Hey, guess what, the mayor must want it because that's what happens every single time. When people are pushing so hard for something like this and have to have it done today, there's nothing okay about it. The fact that we did not get the final copy in onbase until after 2:30 yesterday, not okay. That right there should be a no vote today. Not yes or no. I'm talking about don't even vote on it because it was not in onbase last Friday. I don't care who had it. I don't care if the city attorney had it, the county attorney had it, if it was anybody else, you would say we're not voting on this. How many times have you guys had that discussion and said we're not going to vote on it if it's not in there Friday afternoon by 5:00. The first version was, the watered down version that didn't have anything in it about that it was a loan. Anything in there that protected the city. It was all whatever the rays wanted. I have a whole list of questions. I will e-mail them to you later. Here's what gets me. Councilman Carlson and I both have seniors in high school at home. We will unbridle them from this debt when they are 59 or 60, depending on how old they are. 59 or 60. My daughter who is 17 years old will have this noose around her neck until she is 59. Give me a break. That's ridiculous. For a game which is touted by a bunch of misogynistic jerks on facebook, next door, it's all over the place. The way these people are disrespectful and rude to anybody who disagrees with them is absolutely unconscionable. It would be a reason to vote no in and of itself. Just the way they have talked to people about this. It's a game. They talk to people about it when they say, oh, I don't know like they are beating on their children. This is a game, except to the billionaires who want all our money. Except for the people who are not getting affordable housing in any of these contracts. Except for the people who are going to make 8 bucks an hour working for the rays.

3:06:27PM Robin Lockett and then a request from council to take a break. After robin, we'll have a 15-minute break. Hard 15-minute break. Please be back in your seats. Robin Lockett, three minutes, kick us off to a break. First, I want to say that I am in support of this, the ending of this deal. I think about the 11,900 jobs. I think about the affordable housing. I think about the infrastructure. So if everything pans, how it happens, that's why you guys are up there. You cannot govern in fear. When I say that is you cannot govern in fear of losing that seat. If you are for the people and if you're having conversations with the people, there's no way you're going to reach everybody. There's no way that you're going to reach everybody. Hear me clearly. You cannot good afternoon in fear. So if -- 13% of the City of Tampa votes, so you want to put this on the ballot and always said, god, so many people are left out because the small amount of vote. So you want to put this on the ballot or the suggestion is for this to be put on the ballot for that small amount that's making the choice of who sits up there and who is mayor, they make the same decision about the rays. You as council members should be going out in the community and having conversations. If you are having conversation with vast amount of people that's not appearing here, then you're doing what you need to do. You're not going to reach everybody. You're not going to reach everybody. 11,900 jobs, the infrastructure, hell, even the hcc, what it used to be called by HC. Again, there's bad in everything, but there is an outline of good. And we have to be patient enough for the good. I vote -- not I vote. I support yes on this if it pans out with the 11,900 jobs. The AMI in regards to the housing. That's what I've been fighting for all this time and what I support. Of course, the West Tampa yellow jackets. Thank you.

3:08:49PM Thank you very much. As I said, we're going to take a 15-minute break. It is 3:09. Let's be back in our seats at 3:25. 3:25. [ sounding gavel ] we're in recess. [Recess]

3:27:12PM Zip your lips. Alan cohen, I'm talking to you. Very good. Clerk, would you call the roll?

Charlie Miranda

3:27:31PM Here.

Guido Maniscalco

3:27:32PM Here. Young?

Naya Young

3:27:35PM Here.

Luis Viera

3:27:36PM Here. Clendenin?

Alan Clendenin

3:27:38PM Here.

The clerk

3:27:39PM You have a physical quorum.

Alan Clendenin

3:27:41PM Yes.

Naya Young

3:27:47PM Thank you. I call to order the community Redevelopment agency meeting. Clerk, would you give a roll call, please?

Charlie Miranda

3:27:52PM Here.

Guido Maniscalco

3:27:53PM Here.

Alan Clendenin

3:27:56PM Here.

Bill Carlson

3:27:57PM Here.

Luis Viera

3:27:58PM Here.

Naya Young

3:27:58PM Here.

The clerk

3:27:59PM You have a physical quorum.

Alan Clendenin

3:28:02PM Okay. Once again, we are doing public comment for joint Tampa City Council and CRA. That would be item 80 on the Tampa City Council agenda and item 1 on the CRA agenda. We left off with the wonderful Robin Lockett. We're going to move on. I'll call the next five names and see who will speak. By the way, nobody took me up on the you have to speak less than three minutes. We can always start new. Sierra sizemore, max intridgo, sierra, come on up. Start with your name, please. Hi again. I would like to start by saying with gratitude saying I'm really proud of my community for coming out. The fact that there are so many of us here speaks volumes. I would like to thank you. I did come prepared with questions from my friends and community members and you guys asked very thought-provoking questions and answered all of those questions, at the same time, bringing in a bigger picture and showing more questions in the spirit of saying things that have not been said already, I have not heard very much mention of how this would affect high school students, hcc campus. I feel there is not enough funding to support kids as we're putting more and more expectations on them. Dual enrollment, virtual or in-person, I'm very worried about the transportation risk there with the bus route that was mentioned before. The businesses on boyscout, I feel there's some concern with putting all of the funding towards fixing that specific part of dale mabry and boyscout leading to the airport because most of the trouble on those streets is just outside that block. Just outside that block. And that's just directly the path from the airport to the stadium and all of those businesses on boyscout are corporate. They don't support the local economy at all. They are half owned by dardon. I just feel that's something to take into consideration for people who aren't here, can't reach everybody. I think we should consider the people affected day in and day out by the traffic routes and pedestrian concerns, just putting a few streets here and there. Boyscout also has the nicest streets I've seen in the majority of Tampa. Does not account for walkability the rest of dale mabry. Students that do this travel every day. I won't use my full time because I'm tired.

3:30:31PM Thank you, sierra. Max intridgo. Going once, going twice. Hi, max. My name is max intridgo. I also want to talk about the fact that as we've seen many times before, even in reports by the university of denver sports and entertainment law journal, this will not actually revitalize our economy. It's been shown that when different stadiums enter, they promise higher consumer spending in local businesses, but that has been shown statistically to not have happened time and time again. They promise to bring jobs, but the jobs often go to transplants who end up moving here to take those jobs from the actual people who are here. It then also results in most of the money by the stadium that is earned by the stadium going to paying players who then return to their home cities, home states and spend it elsewhere. This money will not be helping our actual struggling citizens here as the rent crisis keep going up. This will not be helping us as our parents can't figure out a way to feed their children. This will not be helping any way that actually matters to the citizens that are here and are asking for that help. We need to be actually doing things that are useful like subsidizing child care if we want to be introducing people to the workforce and introducing people into being able to spend more money on our local businesses. We need to be subsidizing bus transportation so people can travel to these local businesses. We need to actually be focusing on the people who are hurting and not on giving handouts to large corporations who already make billions. Thank you for your time.

3:32:18PM Thank you very much. Thank you for keeping it brief. Jason hall. Chris. Jason hall. Jason hall. Not present. Chris. Come on up. Appreciate the time today. My name is Chris bentivegna. This is definitely, you guys have a big decision ahead of you, right? Personally, when I'm faced with a big decision, I look back at what has happened in my past. There are similar type of engagements that you can look at? This is so big, I try to think about it, what has happened in Florida over the last x amount of years even close to this. Purely rhetorical question, 15 years ago, kind of a similarish type thing. If you think back 15 years ago, the whole high-speed rail project. The citizens of Florida voted to have high-speed rail, connect Tampa to Orlando. For whatever happened, for whatever reason, even though the citizens voted for it, that project didn't happen. So maybe it was the money involved was in the wrong political bucket. It didn't align with certain people's viewpoints and that's just the way that project happened. What did we learn from that? Where are we at today? We have one of the most dangerous roads in the country connecting Tampa and Orlando. We're nowhere close to having any other options to travel down that route. Decisions have repercussions, right? That is the large scale issue that we had there because we turned down that project. On a smaller scale, personal scale, my mom lives in south Florida, and she, it's much harder for her to visit her grandkids because there's no easy way to get to Tampa. Elderly person being on an airplane is not the easiest thing in the world, even as a young person not that easy. As you consider this project, there's no perfect deal. There's just not. You can think about, hey, we'll make the deal perfect, go back and forth and negotiate things. It will never happen and you guys know that, right? This deal may not be perfect but it's pretty good. I say let's take this deal because it's not guaranteed this deal will be here tomorrow. It could go away. This is the opportunity now. Let's take this deal. Let's take Tampa and bring Tampa to the next level and make it that great city that we all know because we live here. Thanks, everybody.

3:35:05PM Thank you, Chris. Ray wong. Devon garrett. Elizabeth braden, Mr. Hayes. Hi, ray. It's been a little while since I was last year, and I think a lot has changed and a lot has been negotiated and deliberated and discussed. The one thing that has not changed is my belief this still represents a really great opportunity for the City of Tampa. I'll borrow Dr. Atwater's description and say that it really does feel like a generational opportunity, an opportunity that extends far beyond baseball, an opportunity to create jobs, attract investments, strengthen neighborhoods, improve infrastructure, and expand our tax base. Perhaps more importantly, it's an opportunity to continue Tampa's evolution into a truly great american city. We often talk about places like New York, chicago, san francisco, l.a., as cities that have shaped their own identities on the national and international stage. I believe that this is Tampa's moment and this is happening right now. Moments like this require us to think beyond the next election, the next budget cycle, and, yes, even as has been discussed today, the next decade or few decades. These moments require us to think about Tampa -- the Tampa that we want to leave behind for generations that follow us. There will always be reasons to be cautious. There will always be uncertainty surrounding something this ambitious. There are moments in history, in the history of a city when its leaders have an opportunity to do something brave, something visionary, something bigger than any one of us. I believe that this is one of those moments. I respectfully ask each of you to support this project and vote yes today. Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your service to our city.

3:37:32PM Thank you, ray. Dayan garnet, elizabeth Brandon, Mr. Hayes, Rachel. I would like to first start off with a picture right here that I put. This is the reason why I'm here in front of the council members today. This is my family story. I'm raising the next generation of rays' fans. My son isn't even two years old. We watch the rays together. If he doesn't fall asleep with his rays' hat, he cries. Even when I take him to a game he'll sit still for six innings. Do you know how hard it is to have a two-year-old sit for six innings straight? Six minutes he doesn't, but take him to a rays' game he sits still. Vote no today, ultimately this team leaves Tampa Bay and I promise you I will bring him back down here and you will have to explain why his favorite baseball team is not here. The reality is there's no more time. Going on 20 times, it's time to bleep or get off the pot. The decision is about the next generation of Tampa Bay. If you want to be an oakland, ask them how redevelopment is going after losing their teams and their potholes got fixed magically. To those Planning no, let me let you in on a little secret. This ownership group could have bought the team and immediately started pitting cities against each other looking for the biggest handout possible. They didn't. They chose Tampa Bay. Started out with a 50-50 split. Now paying 60 percent. City ask was too high. You were brought into the negotiating room. We're talking about billion dollars of private investment. If you're voting no, tell me your alternative. Who is showing up tomorrow with billions of dollars to invest here? Because saying no is easy. Leadership requires having a better solution. And understand something else, if this fails, these owners will still be billionaires and other cities will want this team. To those voting yes today, thank you for having the vision to see what this can be and to the council members who disagreed at the beginning, I thank you for working through your differences and continuing to negotiate towards a solution. I'll leave you with this, years from now, nobody will remember the arguments made in this room, but my son may ask what happened to his baseball team and Tampa will remember who made that decision. Don't make the next generation of rays' fans pay for a failure of leadership today. You're not going to please everyone. Think big picture. Think investment. Choose wisely, please vote yes.

3:40:08PM Thank you, devon. Elizabeth, followed by Mr. Hayes and Rachel. Good morning, start with your name, please. Hi. I'm elizabeth braden. I live in South Tampa. I'm asking you to vote no on the stadium. Three years ago, my daughter went to new college during the hostile take-over. Desantis put his cronies in charge, ballooned the expenses, and installed sports for the students, this college didn't have sports before. The college rankings dropped. 30% of the faculty quit. A hundred students transferred out. My daughter never finished her degree. I blame desantis. The second hostile take-over is when new college took over USF manatee, 900 students lost their campus. Now we have the third hostile take-over with desantis and his campaign donors taking over Hillsborough College. Right now, the college only has $50 million to rebuild the campus. At the trustee meeting yesterday, the CFO said he needed an additional $165 million. How do you rebuild a campus when the funding is not in place and you don't have enough money? The state only promised an additional hundred million. Rays haven't signed up to give them any money. There's nothing in writing. Atwater says, yeah, we have a promise but, you know, you're going to have to fight for those funds and a lot of those funds are going to charter schools. You still haven't been able to fix your elevator. You capitulated as a group. You did not demand for the rays to pay for the college and the tax office. You had that power. You still have the power now. They are demolishing eight buildings. Students will be in portables with messy and loud construction with no place to park. Will they pay less in tuition? Probably not. Right now, the students think that it's under renovation. They have no idea that things are going to be torn down, because of this upheaval, some courses will be discontinued. Students will drop out just like my daughter did. These kids won't be able to drive to ybor or Brandon. And I think now that atwater has said that I think we're only getting $150 million, I believe that this college will end up just being a shell of itself. So I'm asking you to vote no, because I think the value of a college is way better than a stadium.

3:42:49PM Thank you, elizabeth. Mr. Hayes. Not here. Not present. Rachel muscoso -- moscoso. Not present. We'll get done early like this. Carmen edmonds, kert thoreson -- carmen edmonds is not in the room? Kert, come on up. Start with your name. Then enfant and who is this lena young green? Go ahead. My name is kert thoreson. There's been a lot of drama thrown around here. Democrat this, republican that. People being accused of misogynistic things online. Accusation of paid actors downstairs. Fake college students. TSA members having their hands slapped -- getting kind of nasty. I came here back in may and I wore a rays' polo. I corrected myself and said I was wearing a Tampa Bay polo. I grew up in this area. Raised manatee county. Here I am today in Tampa. Rays are my family in Tampa. My father used to take me to games when I was a child. And now, I'm doing the same. We're taking to the game on Saturday for a second birthday. I showed him a picture of a swimming pool and a picture of the baseball field. He ran towards the baseball field. This isn't just xs and os, isn't just dollar signs and cent signs. This is a community asset. I want to also show the sort of asset and philanthropic work that the Tampa Bay Rays engage in. Anybody willing to kiss this good-bye? I certainly hope not. There is recently a video posted on facebook about how the Arizona coyotes and Kansas city royals built multiuse districts and failed. Kansas city hasn't built anything yet. Arizona didn't build anything either and they didn't move. That is correct. They are in Utah now. Would you be willing to say good-bye to the Tampa Bay lightning in a similar situation. Certainly hope not. Community asset. I've seen this tb in Tanzania, africa, Ecuador, Martinique, France, Germany, this is us. I don't see Orlando hats. I don't see ocala hats. I don't see sarasota. This is Tampa and this is Tampa Bay. This is us. Finally, being involved with education myself, I know that it's a really big idea. The little boy, hope he goes to college, whatever -- in order to get into a really good school, you have to be dual enrolled. This county, the dual enrollment institution is Hillsborough College. It's not being abducted. It's not going away forever. It will be built better than ever and join us in the 21st century. Lastly, there was something mentioned earlier today and I want to go over this. I certainly did read the community benefits front to back. A lot of the asks that were mentioned, affordable and attainable housing, yes. AMI levels for students 80% and below, yes. Housing to live, work, and play in the community, yes. Quality in jobs, equitable living wage. Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. It was all there. Bit deceitful when people say it isn't. In case anybody wants to know --

3:46:45PM Thank you.

3:46:47PM You are a teacher. See, you follow instructions well. [ laughter ] marinella followed by lena young green and Valerie bullock and then jp peterson. Marinella infante? Thank you for having us today. I'll try not to take three minutes. So many people have spoken before me and made very eloquent arguments on both sides, but I will say, would you jump into a pool without water? This is what this feels like. It feels like taking a chance on lack of transparency, unknown financials, documented studies showing proof of broken promises and failure, feels like a rushed job. Have to ask why. I think it's more important to let the voters understand what the final proposal is and let them vote on it rather than a small group of people doing this. I think we need more information about it. It just doesn't sound like a good plan. Like I said, other people have made very good arguments. I'm asking to you vote no on this.

3:48:01PM Thank you very much. Lina. There you are. And then Valerie bullock is going to be next and then jp peterson. Valerie bullock in the batter's box. Start with your name, please. Thank you for the opportunity for us to come to speak to you today. I'm here supporting the correspondence that you received from our president and the presentation that he did before he left, representing Tampa Heights. For years and years, we've worked hard to ensure that Tampa Heights digs out of the doughnut hole that we've been in the middle of east and West Tampa, downtown, and Seminole Heights. As she shared, we believe that removing funds from the Downtown CRA will affect us in the progress that we are making. We also would like the expansion of our CRA, which is the smallest one, and would like to apply some of those to our housing issue. That would complement the fact that you approved a few years ago the overlay district of Tampa Heights to help ensure diversity and a mixed community in our Tampa Heights area. I also request that you consider in the community improvement component of this agreement that we think about the youth and the youth development as many of you have supported along with Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association. Thanks again for the opportunity.

3:50:05PM Thank you. Always lovely to see you. Valerie bullock followed by jp peterson, alison hewitt and elvis piggott. I got to say that because I know a lot of people getting up here they are not even from the area. I was on a.i. Last night and I did an analysis of the battery which is in atlanta, and it said the tax revenue growth from the development, it said taxable property values in the district, it did jump from 5 million to 557 -- by 2024. Then I asked it what was the economic gains from it. But most of the economists, including JC brad bury from kenny saw state. Much of the spending shifts away from local businesses instead of creating brand-new economic activities. The cost to the taxpayer, critical studies estimate that public debt payments and operational costs leave a yearly shortfall of around 15 million, meaning the stadium project still places a financial burden on local taxpayers. The regional growth, it says, suggests that property value growth near the stadium matches normal regional trends rather than approving a special stadium bonus. I'm against this. The reason why I'm against it, they did extend East Tampa CRA, but with zero funding. We don't want an extension in years without the extension with the money. We need money. If you want to get serious about Jackson Heights, belmont heights and Sulphur Springs, you need the tax dollars over there, and that is not happening. Everywhere else places growth. I like the idea of extending East Tampa CRA because we've been fighting for it over 15 years. But it's useless to extend it and don't put no funding with it. And Sulphur Springs should have been included as part of the negotiating deal also. Sulphur Springs do not have a CRA. Downtown and on channelside, both of them CRAs need to be sunsetted because they don't need no more money. But we do need it in Sulphur Springs, and I don't like the idea because Sulphur Springs was left out. Really, you're not trying to help the slum and the blight. You're just doing East Tampa, symbolic. Another thing, the rays took the affordable housing out of the mixed use development. It will be mixed use development but no affordable housing. Thank you.

3:52:58PM Thank you. Just for fyi, we have about -- if everybody takes all their time, we have 40 more minutes. Jp peterson, alison. Karen. Thank you, council for having us here again today on this historic day where the choice is clear. We can do something that provides the absolute gold standard for the public-private enterprise in building a stadium and vote yes or we can vote no and be chasing something like this for our entire lifetime. My worthy predecessor here talked about the atlanta battery. There I was when that whole thing went down. All the same arguments were made about it. And all the same economic studies were brought out. I, too, went on a.i. Last night, dekalb county is making close to $11 million a year. Debt service is 6 million. Making plus, plus money on this deal for a long, long time. Turned a grove of trees into $40 million worth of tax revenue every year. And that's a proven model. That's what we want to do here. So all these economic videos that we're doing, using decades-old data are absolutely useless because this is the new trend in stadiums. This mixed use project and what the rays are bringing here in $1.4 million in investment, in just the stadium, how come nobody is talking about what they are bringing to the table. We're talking about what the public has. By the way, your contribution in the city is 3% of this deal. And you're getting 35% of the community benefits. I'd say that's a pretty good deal. I also want to talk about bringing us all together. I've been covering sports for 30 years in this market. I've watched the boat parades. Been there for the bucs super bowl. I've been there for the lightning winning two cups. Bringing people together in that way is unlike anything we ever do. The civic pride that a baseball team brings is unlike anything that we can do in this city. I would tell you this, for all those people that don't want to give money to billionaires, I've got news for you, they'll take their money right down the road to Orlando and they'll enjoy all the benefits while we have to drive i-4 to see the rays play. More than anything, this is about visionary. This is about being visionary and showing leadership in this moment. We can nitpick all the little things in this bill and this isn't right, this isn't right, what if this happens, what if this doesn't happen, you will be paralyzed by inaction if this is the way you look at it. Paralysis by analysis. Make a bold choice today. Say yes, vote yes, and come party with us on the boat for the world series championship, myself, junior, Jonathan, I think Mr. Babby will be there as well. And we can celebrate this as a community. Go rays.

3:55:51PM Thank you, jp. Allison, elvis, Karen. Alison hewitt, start with your name. You have three minutes. Alison hewitt, third generation resident of East Tampa. I feel like I'm going to beat a dead horse here. Was feeling really happy, unfortunately, when the City Council was upset when they got the information last minute about the budget and had to make the decision. It's something, that especially in the East Tampa CRA, we've been begging to make sure that we have the information ahead of time so we're not coming here with motion. We're coming here with research and actual intelligent arguments for or against an issue. So I would like to ask to make sure the city attorney is able to state on the record whether the timing and manner of all the materials released satisfies the city's obligation under 286.011 and 286.0114 and any applicable city charter, ordinances, and the public right for meaningful participation. That was the first thing. The next thing on my issue is that several people have touched on, as you all know, East Tampa, third generation from East Tampa. We need to really make sure that we have an extension that's not just an extension in name only, and that the funds that are contributed by the county is very important. So that time, because East Tampa is finally moving forward, we have an incredible manager who is finally making sure that he is in the community talking to the community, making sure every step of the way we are doing progress. I want to also mention Drew Park. Been attending meetings there, as well as walking door to door with the chair of the CAC. We just need to make sure as we are so excited about a potential rays stadium that we do not dismiss the incredible Drew Park community, that we have anti-displacement plans put in there, not in the community benefits agreement but they should be. Need to make sure that we are making sure that the area that has been historically overlooked is now not completely beat down by thousand-pound giant that's coming in the area. Also make sure the housing, as we have seen, as we're doing affordable, attainable workforce housing around the city, we have given more funding towards the 80%. Real fight to make sure we have equitable funding for 30%. Make sure we keep an eye on that as well. The last thing is the CRA accountability. We need to make sure that as the funding is going through, that we are potentially create a dashboard like you did recently, be able to track the projects. We need to be able to track how this money goes as well. Thank you very much.

3:59:08PM Thank you, allison. Next speaker is elvis, followed by Karen, brett, linda. I listened to the discussion. My story haven't changed. I think that it's very interesting, very nice. I want to most definitely give great respect and honor to the owner of the rays. Ken Babby is phenomenal with just our conversations. My heart goes out. I listen and watch people put their kids up to watch the rays' game. The rays' stadium has made such a great impact with their kid's life. I want to talk about, when I talk about, what about our youth, our children, our tomorrow. The rays know what they are going to get. Tampa know what they are going to get. But our young people, do they know what they going to get? We look and we look and I see that some of our kids, I was fortunate this year to take 46 kids over to the bucs' stadium when they had the back to school event. The only time they have been in the stadium is look in the stadium to get free book bags. To see what it looks like. I think at the end of the day, while we're talking about building a stadium, why that may be phenomenal why that may be nice, why that would be great. I would really like our youth to be the focus. When we talk about the future, we talk about our young people. We talk about the future, our young people are in trouble. I have a 33-year-old that is a single mother of four that just on Tuesday, her mom called me because she tried to commit suicide and take her own life. Her words after I got to the hospital was, life is hard. It's not the billionaire's fault that life is hard. It's nobody's responsibility to get our handouts. What I'm asking for and so grateful to god that somebody gave me an opportunity. Somebody gave me the exposure to see what else I can have in life. That's what shaped me to be who I am today. I'm asking that the rays, I'm asking that Tampa, while we do this, wherever your vote goes today, that you also have the same passion, the same ambition and same determination to get security and secure our future. How, give them exposure, open doors and make sure that if this stadium is going to be built here, I hope and I will continue to work with Ken Babby to hope and have that opportunity that our young people right in East Tampa and not just black, not white, I'm talking about our youth in general need the exposure to know we can't continue to watch hope sucked out of them. Our young people have lost the desire to dream. Let's bring it back. A lot of grown people come up here and celebrate how they can't wait until the rays get here. Let's talk about our youth and make sure our youth is excited and protected and knowing that life is not over, that they, too, can go to hcc and be successful. Drop-outs, young men trying to get a second chance in society. I would like to see this make a total round impact to Tampa and not just the ones that can afford it.

Lynn Hurtak

4:02:20PM Thank you very much. Karen. Gary. Brett. Linda Taylor. Bob morrison. I was not Planning on putting up my grandchildren, my two granddaughters. My daughter sent that to me today. They like ponies and unicorns. So I'm hoping that the city will consider funding their favorite recreational needs. I had to have my son pick up the daughter. Sometimes I help him pick up my five-year-old daughter from kindergarten because we need to make sure that she has good schools and good academics because she's going to be the one funding this. Thank you for giving three minutes. The county always cuts us off. I wanted to talk to you about the perspective of a business owner in Tampa. Seven years ago, my husband and I emptied our savings to buy property and start a business in Tampa. The city didn't give us the land. It didn't hand us the extra city property next door so that we could turn a bigger profit. The lot that we bought was suitable for what we wanted and not already serving the public as a college campus, a tax collector's office or a law enforcement headquarters. Our nest egg wasn't big enough to buy this property, so we had to refinance our home and take out another mortgage to buy the property. The city didn't chip in half. It doesn't tax our neighbors for 35 years to make our mortgage payments. When the roof goes, the city isn't coming to fix it. That's what the ordinary business owner gets. That's the treatment the ordinary business owner gets, and we work hard and we make it work. The rays are being offered something else. Public land, hundreds of millions of public dollars -- not hundreds of -- yeah, hundreds of millions of public dollars and decades of public financing around their private development. If we had been handed that kind of a deal, at least we would have given the public an ownership stake and a share in the revenues. I already pay twice as much in city property taxes as I pay on my home in the county. When city hall is flush with cash, it finds money for the best connected partners. Ordinary taxpayers get the bill. Vote no on this. When amendment 3 is on the ballot, vote yes. Take the surplus away from municipalities that enable corrupt deals and allow it to stay instead in the people's pockets. The rush is telling. I just wanted to leave you, because I have extra time that I'm not used to getting with an aesop's fable. Sing now, dance now, grasshopper said as the ant prepared for winter. Will we be ready when winter comes? Your vote today will tell us if you are an ant or a grasshopper. Thank you.

4:05:31PM Thank you very much. Gary dolgin. I'm Gary dolgin like following Karen, we were in home room in high school in 1982. I'm here as a citizen and as a huge rays' fan. We're going into the bottom of the ninth inning now. Looks like it might be a one-vote margin here, just like the rays have a one-run game. Maybe we ought to go to extra innings. Councilwoman Hurtak, I watched your video this morning. I was very impressed with it. It brought up excellent points. I think that any councilperson that votes yes on this today, I would like to hear them rebut her video. I want to thank Councilman Carlson for doing an excellent job of negotiating better terms, but I think the terms could even be better. I want to thank Councilman Miranda for 1996 when he voted no on the bucs, and he has historical perspective here. But talk as a rays' fan part of a season ticket group for years who has taken his son on rays' road trips every year since he was nine years old and now 22, he called me from Washington today and said, dad, I really want this deal to go through. I said to him, I want to see it go through, too, but I want the taxpayers to be protected. I said to him, you know, ari, you're still in school. You haven't graduated to being a full-fledged taxpayer yet. You might have a different perspective when you get a little older. What I would like to see is whenever you enter into a business deal, you're making a contribution. You're getting a stake. What about the taxpayers having some type of equity interest so that you're guaranteed a rate of return? If the team makes a lot of money, how much is their value going to increase if this deal goes through? How much money are they going to make if the deal goes through? The taxpayers should get a percentage of that. I want this deal to go through, but I want the taxpayers to be protected. So I ask all of you who have had a very difficult decision to make, I probably have spoken with five of you. I appreciate the thoughtfulness that everyone had. Some people that are yes votes, some are no. protect the taxpayers. Let's get an even better deal than we have right now. If necessary, take it in extra innings and maybe we can have a walk-off with victory both for the city and for the rays. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

4:08:15PM Thank you, Gary. Brett followed by linda Taylor, followed by bob morrison. Brett gross. I've been covering this tiring stadium saga on youtube for the last ten years. The story has gone on a lot longer than just ten years. It's like a tv series where each season gets worse and more predictable. Rendering after rendering after proposal after proposal, but for the first time in this never-ending saga, it seems like we are actually getting there and closer than it has ever been. I live in wesley chapel. Takes a little over an hour every single weekday, the entire season. That's an issue with the entirety of pasco county and all the northern suburbs of Tampa. Having the stadium built would be very beneficial for the people of pasco county and suburbs as well that access the stadium. Let's not overlook the fact that with USF and ut students who already have to uber to Ybor City and soho for bars, it would give them a good option on weekends to just go out and have fun and have a place to go hang out. As USF alumni myself, I know I would have loved a place like this when I was a student. Point goes to show the different opportunities that the development would bring for those all around the region. Additionally, I was just in atlanta two weeks ago, the night life of the battery and the environment it creates for the fans and locals is truly remarkable. The entire time I was there, I was daydreaming about, that could be here. That could be Tampa. That could be our home as well. Imagine how much money in $20 beer sales alone you would get every single game and every bar outside of the stadium. It would be incredible. My final remark here will be if this fails to get approved and rays end up leaving Tampa Bay entirely because of it, we lose this piece of our identity. The tb we wear on our hats, we lose this piece of our identity. Guarantees more people walking around Tampa in yankee hats. That cannot happen. Do the right thing. Vote yes on the stadium. Thank you very much for your time.

4:10:35PM Thank you, brett. Linda Taylor and then bob. Linda Taylor? No. bob. Then followed by Steve. My name is bob morrison. I am here on behalf of the Hillsborough county hotel and lodging association. In many ways, first, we appreciate what you've been going through because our industry has more than just a casual interest in this funding strategy. As you are well aware, over $300 million of tourist tax funds are part of the funding formula. Those funds only come from hotels. No local resident, no property owner, no individual taxpayer has a dime going into that pot. We've been doing the same analysis that you've been doing on the tourist tax side of the equation. We believe our conclusions have come to the following. Number one, we believe that anytime there's an opportunity to review a development that is going to take a hundred plus acres from non-revenue producing to revenue producing is worthy of your consideration. Secondly, we're also of the opinion that when we look at how to make this community, this community respond to the needs of job and job opportunities, we view this combination of stadium and multiuse as a difference maker. I was advised of something today that reinforced another key to our analysis. We did not want to see assets cannibalized. In other words, if you have something that already serves the market, let's not do something that just replicates. Well, I was advised today that the women's final four that has been a staple in this community, in many respects have helped to put them on the map as a go-to, be a part of event will no longer be able to be here in Tampa because our capacity at benchmark arena is not sufficient. Not enough seats. What the rays have done in redesigning the stadium for non-mlb events is where the economic development opportunity rests. We would urge you to give thought to that part of the equation because those -- that's where the delivery of the economic promise has the potential of taking place. Thank you for your time.

4:13:49PM Thank you very much. Steve, followed by, if Justin hall is still in the room. Then kella mccaskill. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. I'm Steve cona. President and CEO of associated builders and contractors, Florida gulf coast chapter, representing 650 construction companies and thousands of skilled workers across the region. First, I just want to thank the City Council and the Tampa city team for the tremendous amount of work they have done getting us to this point. This is a huge economic development opportunity that could shape our region for the next two decades. From the construction industry's perspective and let me put that perspective into a little place here. We have 7% of our workforce in Hillsborough county is construction workers. Another 9%, close to 10% is construction related activities. We have seen a significant up-tick in companies investing in new workers in anticipation of this project. We get 2 to 20 calls a day with high school students coming, wanting to get into the construction trades, and that's because of the interest in projects like this. It's a significant uptick. We train all of our apprentices at our partner Hillsborough community college. Longtime partnership with them, over 30 years. We're excited to be able to continue that partnership and train the best and brightest. Construction doesn't just build stadiums. It builds people. It creates long-term careers, and it grows small businesses. The apprentices that we train today become tomorrow's skilled craft professionals, superintendents, project managers, and many will eventually become owners of their own construction company. Imagine starting your career today as an apprentice working on the new rays' stadium and being able to say the rest of your life "I built that." You guys have that opportunity today as well. That's the kind of opportunity a generational project can create. That is the legacy I hope we remember this project as it's considered. We encourage everyone to support this project. Thank you very much for your attention. Appreciate it.

4:15:56PM Thank you, Steve. Again, for those in the back ROW, we can hear you. Please, if you want to have a -- and the front ROW. If you want to have a conversation, please take it out front. Kella, followed by elijah and -- I want to start thanking you, being at the forefront of the project, from videos, keeping posts, keeping it educational for us in the community. Too often in years past, development happens to us. We're not as involved. We don't get to talk as much. They tell us what they are going to do in the community. Those of you that have done that, thank you. I want to also say this is way more complicated than something I can actually deal with. Somewhere between my City Council shero and my City Council hero and the rest of you, I'm sure you'll figure it out. What I do know is that when channelside and water street received their money, I was reluctant coming from the West Tampa side. And I fell in love with the development once they broke ground, once they started, I saw what it could be. I've been there since 2013. I've learned to not speak prematurely. I can't see myself leaving. Been there ever since. I support this one of the things I love the most about this development is how we come down here and complain to you all as City Council members and we talk about what we want and what we don't want. We for years have asked, the last two years when they decided to strip CRA, we asked to extend ours before they do it. You heard that and you took that opportunity to get the other areas what they wanted. Heard rick Fernandez come up and say, well, we need ours extended. If you were going to say yes to this, add the other communities and what they requested because the city was not interested in an extension. Probably not interested in extending boundaries. Use this as an opportunity to negotiate for some of the other areas. Now all of a sudden because they want this stadium, they'll listen to us and give us the other things we want. Lay it on thick. Add everything we want in this deal. I also want to thank for the cba, I want to thank you all but I also want to thank the rays for letting me dump all the stuff that we don't get typically in a deal when it happens. When water street happened, we didn't get everything we wanted. Didn't even get to participate. He allowed us to share concerns outside of the deal. Concerns with the youth, met with the president, team, they are concerned with all the things beyond what is on the cba agreement. I want to thank them for being very forthcoming, sitting down listening to me. You know how I can get. Listening to me and all the things I wanted to share. I appreciate that. While this is a very complicated decision, it's in your hands. I support what you all come up with. I hope they continue to do what they have been doing. They have been in the community talking to people, asking what we wanted. Wrote it down, reshared it, put the information. I have no doubt they'll do what is right on that end in addition to the agreement. I want to make sure you do the same. Thank you.

4:19:12PM Thank you, kella. Elijah fluellen in the room? Very good. Start with your name, please. I come before you today to say the rays' stadium project could be monumental for the region, allows unlimited opportunities to be something. Tampa Bay area that we love to call home. Love this area and this baseball team far too much to not speak my piece for this wonderful development to witness it first hand both on the business and entertainment side to tell you that this is the group to lead the charge for the next generation of scholars, dreamers, doers, and rays' fans at the corner of north dale mabry and West Tampa Bay Boulevard. I turned 30 last Friday. People have been asking me since middle school where the rays' are going to play next. I hope with today's vote we get more clarity as to where and when. I'll close with this. There is a whole stable of supporters around the Tampa Bay area and beyond that are ready to support this ballpark development. Thank you for your time and work. God bless, and raise up.

4:20:34PM Thank you. The remaining speakers, Brandon barclay, Andy Scaglione, Jamie swift -- council, as you know, I meet with dozens and dozens of organizations every year. I'm told promises from all these organizations, all these politicians. We reached out to the rays. We told them what our concerns were from a public safety standpoint. They addressed each and every one of those through multiple meetings. If you have a no vote on council today because you individually have a problem with the rays, the problem lies with you. You are the elected officials. You are the people who are supposed to be reaching out, voicing your concerns on behalf of the public. You tell them what the concerns are and they either comply and address the concerns or they don't. If you have concerns today that are unaddressed, you have nobody to blame but yourselves. I'm asking for a vote in favor of this today. Again, we've spoken with fire, and I'm not going to speak on their behalf. I know Mr. Babby Addressed my concerns. I know he addressed fire's concerns about all kinds of issues, about structural issues, transportation issues. Obviously, everybody here sitting behind me that is Westshore alliance, Hillsborough College, they all came out and voiced this opinion. You've had months and months to state your concerns to the rays. If you still don't have an answer, then I'm hoping you're willing to publicly say today when you vote no, this is the reason why I personally voted no on it. What is the exact reason and were they given the opportunity to address that. If the answer is no, it's all smoke and mirrors. Again, I come from a profession where we have to make life-and-death decisions in a split second. To say we need more time on this is laughable. I've been at least three meetings going on 30 hours of just chewing over the same thing over and over and over. Please get to a vote. Please do it quickly. Everybody here would like to go home.

4:22:43PM Thank you, Mr. President. Andy Scaglione followed by Susan swift. Is Susan in the audience? She left. Okay. Actually, I'm really excited. Andy joe Scaglione. Again, I'm really excited about the rays coming to Tampa. I grew up in West Tampa. Played baseball most of my life in West Tampa little league. I'm really happy and appreciate that you all, the CIT is not being used for part of this. You all kept your word with the voters which is very important, unlike our friends in the county. I knew -- I kind of felt good about it when I saw the letter written on June 4, 2024 and I saw the signature behind it was John Bennett. With his integrity, I knew it would work out. He would do the right thing. I do have a problem with the incremental dedication schedule with no assurances on the development timeline. And also the TIF provision, which is actually a rebate. None of us in this audience, when we pay our properties get a rebate at the end of the year for what we paid. In essence, we're paying with our own dollars. Most pro formas I've reviewed probably in my 41 years in business, probably over a thousand pro formas. I can say this. Most of them are wrong. Without crawl-backs or assurances, don't go on pro formas. You will be disappointed. There was a council member that put out a post last night that said 62.9% private, 37.1% public. Actually, that's not correct. When you include the $300 million of interest that nobody talks about regarding the TDT tourist tax, and you put in the land, those ratios aren't correct. Main thing I'm very disappointed about is the community benefit agreement that came out 36 hours ago. On March 10, 2026, we were all, Councilwoman Young, Miranda, two county commissioners, harry cohen and myers, we were at the Jefferson high school. And we were assured by the rays, Mr. Babby, that there would be a much affordable housing at the district baseball area and mainly because those people are going to work there and Ms. Naya Wanted a live, work, play environment. So far I have not seen that. We need to really work on this. Once you vote on this, this is a binding agreement. You have no leverage. I'm relying on you all to delay this until you get this settled and this is really, really important for the people that can't speak for their self that need this affordable housing very much. Thank you very much.

4:25:57PM Thank you.

4:26:00PM Jamie Jones? Jamie Jones in the house? Jade Scott? Jade Scott? No. okay. We've got Jamie Jones and then Fran Tate is going to close us out. Oh, Michael randolph online. Andy. [ sounding gavel ] neighborhood association. I'm an urban planner. Run a civil team. Ya-da ya-da. Professional credentials. These are the things that I think haven't been said so I don't repeat everyone else. West Tampa Heights won't hate you guys about the outcome of this vote. We're going to respond about what happens after, right? Really, it's your successors who will have to deal with this and the taxpayers for 65 or 35 years, like everyone has already said. I am disappointed that there's no community benefits agreement being voted on at the same time. I have extremely low confidence in the community benefits agreement being enforceable without being part of this current vote. At the very least, I thought that Councilwoman Young would get a carve-out of affordable housing. Some of this donated land should surely be donated straight to the Tampa Housing Authority. This development is not water street. This isn't downtown. My area is low density, low income, lower income, and has a very suburban roadway infrastructure. That's going to make things difficult to get out what you think you're going to get out of it. No one is talking about what happens immediately after this deal is approved. No one has explained what has to happen to help the rays build as much as possible as quickly as possible. I wish everyone could be clear that the goal here would be to minimize the amount of land dedicated to cars and maximize the amount of land that goes to sales tax generating retail and commercial uses, cutting out so many things about education and very, very localized benefits that need to be part of this. The residents and business owners around this development should be scared sh-tless at the words, build as much as possible as quickly as possible. Best case, the city will be forced to upzone our area to bring in more people to patronize the businesses that we intend to build or at least the retail spaces that we intend to build, and also best case the city will be forced to invest in transit so people can get to our area without driving. Otherwise, our area will continue to be parking lots. Parking lots, parking lots. That's it. And then the last thing I'll say is, I'm scared about the U.S. bond market right now. I hope everyone else is paying attention to that. It is your responsibility to make sure that the U.S. manages our debt load the way it should. I know we are a little part of the U.S. but still. Thank you, everyone.

4:29:17PM Fran Tate followed by Michael randolph. I am Fran Tate. 21-year community leader of East Tampa, member of the East Tampa Community Advisory Committee of the East Tampa CRA. Four years. Transparency, accountability, experience, wisdom, knowledge, understanding. As you requested, Chair Clendenin, I won't repeat the words of reverend Dr. Jeffrey Johnston, lieutenant united states navy. I won't repeat the words of Ms. Valerie bullock, community member of East Tampa. I won't repeat the words of Ms. Alison Hewitt, East Tampa resident. I'm just going to say I'm in agreement with everything each one of them said. Remember, 2044, 2044 as it relates to the East Tampa CRA. 2044. Little bit disappointed that Sulphur Springs was not included in this deal, in this discussion. Thank you all so very much for your hard work. We know you're going to do the right thing. God bless all of you.

4:31:02PM Thank you, Fran. Michael randolph, you are our last public speaker today. Bring it home. Thank you very much. My name is Michael randolph with the West Tampa CDC. Let me start off by saying that we do support in theory and in concept the deal that's before us. The final deal will get a hard yes from us once the numbers worked out. City has got these type of deals right, three things in common. A fixed dollar figure, hard percent set-aside and public body that keeps check after the ribbon ceremony is all over. Starting with the strongest examples, the -- west end deal totaled about $600 million, specific number rather than goals. In that deal, they committed 100,000 a year for youth soccer, 100,000 for housing needs and $25 an hour minimum wage for workers as well as 25% set aside for minority business. Columbus went even further, committing over 50 million with a firm 20% of affordable housing units requirement built into 855 unit development near the stadium. Buffalo bills deal is the strongest model for ongoing accountability. Instead of one lump sum commitment, it created a community benefit oversight committee that meets monthly in public, tracking workforce diversity, living wage, diversity, food insecurity and education. This oversight structure is one that we need for Tampa. The centerpiece of this proposal is to community benefit agreement. Immediately binding commitment of this kind established in West Tampa as part of the Rome yard project. A two-part agreement. One part for the city and one part for the West Tampa CDC. Under the agreement, we receive an office and training center for the West Tampa technology, wealth building and job creation center, the creation of 80 a.i. Resident owned businesses and up to 30 home-based businesses with -- financing to provide capital to the so-called -- in dei. Mei, that is -- first of its kind combining community development, entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and technology --

4:34:18PM Thank you, Michael.

4:34:21PM Thank you, Mr. Randolph. Your time has expired, my friend. Thank you for sticking with us all day. That concludes public comment. This is now an opportunity for council members to pontificate.

Bill Carlson

4:34:35PM Can you tell us what the process will be now?

Alan Clendenin

4:34:37PM This is what the process is. We'll go through, this is the council's opportunity, one at a time, we'll go through and you can say what you have to say. If you still have any questions, although we passed that period -- why do we have the feedback on the mikes? It's weird. If you have any questions, and if the staff is still available, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to have that opportunity. Try to keep it contained and not repeat ourselves. This is the opportunity, as I told Councilman Miranda earlier today, it wasn't the time to pontificate, but now is your time. I have a statement I'm going to read. That's all I'm going to do.

Bill Carlson

4:35:19PM We're not going to convince each other to change our minds. If we could each take two rounds max and not spend --

Alan Clendenin

4:35:26PM I think that is a wise decision. I'm going to take one round. I'll start unless somebody else wants to. Councilwoman Young, go ahead.

Naya Young

4:35:37PM Thank you. Attorney Shepard, are you on?

Cliff Shepard

4:35:54PM Yes, I'm on.

Naya Young

4:35:55PM Thank you for sticking with us. I have a question. It was brought up a few times during the public comment regarding the CRA extensions, particularly with the county not contributing to the CRA. Could you speak about that, please?

Cliff Shepard

4:36:15PM I can speak about it with the caveat that I have not discussed any of this with the county and going totally off the paper. Unfortunately as some of you know and maybe some of you don't, paper changed from this morning at 8 something in the morning till last night when I sent you with the memo with the draft I had been given at 6:32 p.m. in the original papers I sent last night -- can you all hear me?

Alan Clendenin

4:36:43PM Little bit of reverberation.

Naya Young

4:36:47PM Could you speak a little more into the microphone?

Cliff Shepard

4:36:52PM Is this any better? If not, I can change to a different device.

Naya Young

4:37:09PM Are you in a room with an echo?

Cliff Shepard

4:37:11PM No, I'm in the same room I'm always in. I can try to call in from my phone if that helps.

Julia Mandell

4:37:18PM County attorney. Sorry, I was just coming back over when I heard there was an issue. Let me make sure I characterize what your question is, councilwoman, so that I can properly have that conversation with the county administration because I'm going to need to get back with them and we'll get an answer very quickly here. What I understand your concern is it only relates I think to the East Tampa CRA, is that correct?

Naya Young

4:37:42PM I'm seeing right here it says the county will not appropriate or pay any increment to the redevelopment trust fund for each such community redevelopment area, and then it was brought up about three times during public comment that the county would not be contributing to the CRA's past the sunset deadline.

Julia Mandell

4:38:01PM Right now, the way it works, and you probably all know this, again, I'm trying to catch up to where we are right now. We have specific end dates for all of the CRAs. For example, West Tampa I think 2043. I think East Tampa is 2034.

Naya Young

4:38:29PM Attorney Shepard, you have to mute yourself, please.

Julia Mandell

4:38:31PM What we were willing to put into this initial conversation, because keep in mind, you still have a lot of steps you need to take to get there the county would agree to the extension, which we might not agree or we might not agree anyway, we're agreeing now to the extension, but we're not agreeing to put in any increment. Doesn't mean during the process conversation can't happen, but as we stand right here, we're not agreeing to put in for those extensions any increment. I think we need to all understand that going through a process of extension would be taking place on each one of these. We're just having that conversation now versus having that conversation later. And as we stand right now, those are the ones that we're saying, we're fine if you want to go ahead and extend them. But the county is not willing to put in any of its increment for that extension. Again, we would still have an opportunity to have that conversation through an entire separate process, sort of previewing where we live right now. The only thing I can do if we want to have a different conversation is talk to the county administrator and see, that's why I just wanted to make sure I understood, are we talking about East Tampa? I think we are agreeing to some increment on the extension of Drew Park, but East Tampa, we did discuss West Tampa, but we went ahead and took out the extension on that. That goes until 2043. There is a lot of time to have those conversations and have that thoughtfulness. I just want to make sure I understand where your issue is so I can properly ask the question.

Naya Young

4:40:02PM How much does the county contribute?

4:40:07PM East Tampa.

Julia Mandell

4:40:08PM That's a question I'll need to get information on. I simply do not have it as I sit here. If you want me to convey to the county administrator is that question, how much is it, and where she stands on that, I'm happy to do that. It would take me a few minutes to get the information.

Naya Young

4:40:25PM Director McCray, I think he would know the answer to that question.

Cedric McCray

4:40:30PM Tampa CRA director. Currently, the county contribution is 80% to the East Tampa TIF.

Alan Clendenin

4:40:42PM 80% of their TIF. [Indiscernible]

Lynn Hurtak

4:40:52PM There are two separate ones. The city and the county. City gives a hundred percent. The county gives 80%. And now they would be giving nothing.

Julia Mandell

4:41:03PM That conversation would have to happen on any extension. Two pieces of this. One, whether or not the county is agreeing to the extension. Two, whether or not the county is going to provide any of its increment. Even if you do nothing today and it's silent on those issues and we aren't having that conversation, there has to be a conversation at some point in the future to allow for those extensions. So we're just previewing that right now where the county is, but like I said, I can get in touch with the county administrator and see if there's someplace else that she can go on that. Keep in mind, she'd have to run numbers. It would be hard for her to figure that out at this moment. She probably can. She's good at math and I'm not good with math. Why don't I go and have that conversation with her and you can -- you guys, apologize, you all can continue your deliberation and see where you are.

Alan Clendenin

4:41:56PM Thank you, Ms. Mandell. Councilman Carlson and Councilwoman Hurtak.

Bill Carlson

4:42:09PM Just to respond to that real fast, Mr. McCray, you don't happen to have a schedule of the drop-off of the CRAs? Because some of them are zero already. The way the county works is they drop off over time. Do you have that?

Cedric McCray

4:42:28PM Yes.

Bill Carlson

4:42:34PM What the county is saying is that they are okay sticking to this deal until it would have normally ended. So, like in East Tampa, 2034, whatever it was, they are okay keeping with whatever they promised here. Just the part after that. And if Chair Young would like to make a motion to get that forward on the East Tampa, happy to support it and see if the county would support it. What I would like to do is just respond to a few things mentioned in public comment and then make a statement in the second round.

Alan Clendenin

4:43:13PM Perfectly appropriate.

Bill Carlson

4:43:16PM I said this before but several people mentioned amendment 3. This land has no property taxes on it right now. So even when we talk about the tax revenue sharing in the future, there's no property taxes today. So we don't put in the $80 million loan, there's no money to take back anyway. That's our choice. Do we want it or not? But there's no base. There's most likely no homesteaded property, so there's no taxes come in and go away. The big challenge would be the slowed growth of the commercial property from 10% to 5%. But we're not taking the 80 million as a loan. Before it was CIT and would have been taking out of fire trucks and police cars, we're not doing that now. Big reduction on the city side, we won't have taken more money, in fact, after ten years we'll have money that we'll be able to put back. Several people mentioned economic impact. I don't believe in economic impact numbers either. As I said earlier, people that pay for positive impact numbers and people that pay for negative economic impact numbers. I don't believe either one of them. Gone through both of them. They are both biased by the models they put together. Why is it that republicans and democrats can go through the same math and come back with different answers. It's because of the different perspectives they have. It's not just the math. There's not a single answer to these things. Also, some folks mentioned the TIF and cdd and about transparency, the reason the TIF and the cdd are there is for transparency. Because what other deals have done in the past is they have given money to a developer and then you don't have public insight into it at all. None of the money from the city is going to the rays. None going to the rays. Cdd, community development district that would be reviewed by the public. You will be able to pull public records whenever you want. Sit in the meetings, and the money is restricted that it can only go to public sector infrastructure that would be owned by the city, county, or state, just like the straz center, for example. It's owned by the city. They make improvements on it, we still own it. Talked about East Tampa, East Tampa is still going to have whatever city money is promised all the way through. Nobody is taking away the city money. City will still pay 100% all the way through the extension. The only question is the county, not the city's contribution. So that's all I have right now.

Alan Clendenin

4:45:47PM Councilwoman Hurtak followed by Councilman Viera and then Councilman Miranda.

Lynn Hurtak

4:45:54PM I have a quick question for the county or for our city attorney. Thank you. Ms. Scharf, if you want to put up the e-mail from the required maintenance costs, that's kind of what I'm talking about here.

4:46:15PM That's okay. I e-mailed you last night about this particular section which I think is the current one. Can you put that on the wolf? I e-mailed you yesterday about having to pay for the maintenance costs. This is in section 3.8 subsection 8, subsection iv. It says the incremental interlocal agreement will include covenants by the county and city to fund certain capital maintenance and repairs to the ballpark from legally available funds in addition to and not in lieu of any funding received from the county contribution amount or the city contribution amount. When I asked you about it, you said the city and county will be on the hook for extra capital maintenance costs. Is that correct? The increment can be used for that. That's what I meant.

4:47:15PM Yes but in there it simply says we still have to pay for maintenance costs. The increment -- okay. Let's make sure we're on the same page. The increment interlocal agreement, which is going to be between the city, the county, and the cdd will allow that increment to be used for cap x expenses. That doesn't mean we have to in any way be obligated beyond the increment.

4:47:46PM I don't think that's clear in here. I would like to make it clearer by adding any type of sentence to make that clearer. That simply says no additional funds from city or county can be requested.

4:48:02PM I mean will be provided. Just a nice simple sentence added to that. You said also there's no penalties if the rays don't use that money or the cdd doesn't use that money for maintenance. And there's going to be an operations agreement. Okay, I agree that this agreement does not address penalties or details on their obligations for maintenance. I agree with that. But since then and I did talk to kelly, there are other agreements, there's going to be an operating agreement, primarily between the county and the rays' organization on the details of their obligations for maintenance to keep it up. It's going to be in the operations agreement, which will be with the county. It's not going to be with us.

4:48:48PM So we have to wait and hope that they agree to that in their -- the operations agreement is required.

4:48:58PM Yeah, but they don't have to agree in the operations agreement. That's the whole point.

4:49:07PM Okay. Thank you. That's my first question. And the other question -- you can take that off, Ms. Scharf. The other question remains about the cba. First of all, the fact that we don't have one, we just have a piece of paper that says what they hope to do but no promise to it. There's also no amount listed.

Scott Steady

4:49:29PM Agree.

Lynn Hurtak

4:49:30PM If there's no amount listed, I understand that the county, you said earlier that the county is the one that's going to argue over that. But I don't want that space left blank if this moves forward. So I'm going to recommend no less than $75 million.

Scott Steady

4:49:47PM That's up to the City Council.

Lynn Hurtak

4:49:50PM I'll just throw that out there as my suggestion. I just don't think we should leave that blank. Could be $10,000. No less than whatever we think it should be, therefore if this passes today, the county has to at least have something. That's more than $10,000. So that's going to be my recommendation. Those are my only questions and stuff around that. That's it.

Alan Clendenin

4:50:15PM Councilman Viera followed by Councilman Miranda.

Luis Viera

4:50:19PM General statements permissible at this time?

Alan Clendenin

4:50:21PM Yes.

Luis Viera

4:50:22PM Thank you very much. I've spoken a lot on this before at prior meetings. I wanted to address some points. I always say this a lot in City Council because I said it for 20 years in my cases in litigation, there are a lot of things in life black and white, right and wrong and many things that have gray. I think it's important that when you are arguing for something to acknowledge the gray and acknowledge the detriment something has even if you support something. First, you start off with a proposition. The idea this is probably the biggest vote we'll take up as elected officials. Councilman Miranda may have had a couple of others throughout his time, but you have to acknowledge the good as well as the bad. For me, reasons that I'll explain, I think the good far outweighs the bad. I'll talk about both. I think you have to be transparent. First off, when you talk about the changes, I think it's important for me this sort of talks about why -- I'll talk about my own vote. Voted to keep this alive. Voted to not walk away. The issue wasn't married to a particular set of terms that were on the table. Walk away and end discussions. That was it. I think that the improvements we've seen and I'll talk about some of those things that I think are very commendable, I think, are supportive of that vote. There are a lot of good things we should be celebrating and talking about here. Number one, for a stadium deal of almost $2.4 billion, this is something pretty fiscally sound. Almost two-thirds, about 63% of this is going to be from the private sector. I know there's been some discussions on that in public comment. That's a pretty big success. Loan paid off from revenue from the project. You're going to be talking about the community benefits agreement, something that we're going to be dealing with if this goes forward, that's going to have a lot of advancements for the community. Councilwoman Young talked about a lot of issues close to my heart. This is our big chance to effect change on issues involving mobility, public safety, youth empowerment, apprenticeships and so forth, other things. Some of the CRA changes that have been proposed, Councilman Carlson I think has done a great job on a number of issues, including that. You take a look at the fact that Drew Park is protected. That's something that's very important. I'll talk about Drew Park briefly in a little bit. East Tampa expanded. The downtown Tampa CRA being capped. We've heard about that. I always support it. Councilman Carlson always led on that. Always supported his efforts. I think that's something so important. I've been passionate about the fact that I voted against big projects in the Downtown CRA because I don't think they pass the muster test on whether or not we would have spent it in downtown as opposed to other parts of the city. Downtown CRA still going to have money. If there are parts of northern downtown still blighted, then let's spend it over there. But capping it is just common sense, and that's something aside from this deal that should happen but something that's going to support this deal. This is a good deal for the City of Tampa. You've got about three-quarters of a million dollars coming from Hillsborough county, about a -- strike that, a billion dollars, coming from Hillsborough county. About a quarter of a billion dollars coming from the State of Florida, all spent within city limits. All within city limits for this development and our ask is something that comparatively speaking about three to four percent of the total project is less than mod nest comparison. This process has been extremely inclusive. When the rays first came and talked about an April deadline, I said that will never happen. April, may that will never happen. I would never support that. What we've seen has been something very inclusive. We saw Mr. Brandon Barclay from Tampa Police Benevolent Association. We heard from firefighters. As Mr. Stocco said with Tampa firefighters, first responders have been given a place at the table to be heard. They have been given a place at the table. That's something very important. They met with, we saw Mr. Cona here from abc. They have met with the central labor committee. Local afl-cio and with the skilled trades community and we're also working on meetings with HART, if this is something that should go forward. So public safety has been given a very big priority with a perspective move of district one from its location now into this development, having a Tampa fire station, substation preference in this development, we cannot repeat the mistakes of the past that we've done. You know what, I'll finish my other remarks in my second round.

Alan Clendenin

4:54:58PM Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

4:55:00PM Thank you, chair. I sit in the middle of this. To my west is Drew Park. To my east is the neighborhood of west -- both are going to suffer. We're cutting out Drew Park and giving them what's going to be the cdd. Am I correct so far? Drew Park has been working and getting it done, and now that they have an opportunity to get income, no good for us anymore. We're going to take over that land and be something else. What a country. That's what divides a country, not unites a country. When you look at the things and say how does this happen? It happens because we let it happen, not because we want it to happen. The elected official's responsibility to do an act as you see it best for the City of Tampa, not for myself or yourself. So all these things are going on. Did they meet with everyone? Damn right, I would have done the same thing, too, if I want to do something right. I admire Mr. Baker for doing what he did. However, when you look at this, Drew Park is there waiting to be something better and now we cut them out and say you're no good for us anymore. You figure it out. Who is going to get the traffic? Anyone here is going to get the traffic on the board here today, more than likely not. But Drew Park is going to be inundated with traffic. There are not 12 games or 15 games like at rays' stadium -- I mean the bucs stadium. There's 81 home games. Some are at night. Some are during the day, and they are going to be inundated between that and the other side and the concerts. How much is this neighborhood going to be able to hold and they get zapo for it. The big guys are coming in. I'm not against anything. But when I look at this, how would you feel if you lived in Drew Park or lived in West Tampa? I don't see anybody say I'm happy in the audience. They get nothing, nada. Zero for what they have done for this city. And I'm going to sit here and listen to this? What is a cdd? Can anybody tell me? Tell me what a cdd does.

Bill Carlson

4:57:42PM Community development district. Usually used to build out infrastructure and usually it's used in green field areas but we also used it at least in one case in the urban area. In this case, it's being used to be a pass-through for the funding to pay for the infrastructure that will then be owned by the community, but it's a government entity that is subject to public records and sunshine.

Charlie Miranda

4:58:14PM I was raised in Ybor City. I have a different opinion. Getting paid with your own money. Washing the money and giving you your money back. That's what it is. It makes no difference to me what I say because what I say is what I mean, exactly what I say. If it was a regular deal, like Westshore is going to be. Midtown pays $8 million a year in taxes. This is altogether different. It goes into the cdd and they give you the money back to you that you are supposed to get in taxes as payment. There is a difference to some degree. If I'm wrong, please correct me. I guess I'm right. No correction. So what am I doing here? Who is benefiting from this? Not the people in Drew Park. Not the people in West Tampa. That's all I'm going to say. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

4:59:21PM Thank you. Councilman Maniscalco.

Guido Maniscalco

4:59:22PM Thank you very much. In regards to the community benefits agreement, it was released Tuesday night. A very lengthy list. How enforceable is that, Mr. Steady? Since it's not in the document, does this have to go through the county and in the future it comes back to us?

Scott Steady

4:59:40PM We haven't agreed to it. It's not negotiable. What needs to happen is we need to negotiate a community benefits agreement. That's just their proposal as far as I'm concerned. It is, it's their proposal. Once the number is established, we get 35%, we need to come back with a community benefits agreement. We need to negotiate it.

Guido Maniscalco

5:00:00PM And then can we, when we say negotiate, can we say we want to allocate hundred percent to this or 25% to this, whatever -- customize as we wish.

Scott Steady

5:00:11PM It's your agreement.

Guido Maniscalco

5:00:12PM Okay. We talked about the CIT. I talked about the CIT. We talked about amendment 3. Amendment 3 is very dangerous because what's coming on the ballot should it pass could be catastrophic. It will be $35 million the first year off the city. At the county level it's in the hundreds of millions of dollars, from my understanding. And in that, since this is a multi-jurisdiction agreement, CIT is being used, not here but over there. And the hits of what amendment 3 does in the loss of revenue is very significant. I'm concerned, not that I'm against this development. I wish that the timing was different because we don't know what's coming. A storm that's coming that it may not even pass. It needs 60%. The hit that we get as a municipality and as a county and as a state is going to be catastrophic. Those are the words that I've seen. Those are the words I've heard. Dangerous, catastrophic. So I have a lot of concerns. I commend the organization for all their work because they have really been out there. They have met with everybody. They talked with everybody, or almost everybody, and they have made a lot of changes from may until today. But I just have this concern of what's going to happen in November, and it's going to be a significant amount of damage that comes to us and to all those around us should it pass. That's it for now. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

5:01:43PM Okay. I'm going to use my time to make basically my statement of position. I think we've kind of beaten a dead horse. Let me begin by stating I've supported this project since the memorandum of understanding. My support has been consistent, public and deliberate because I believed from the beginning that this new rays ballpark together with the development around it presents a significant opportunity for Tampa. But support was not a surrender. Supporting the project was never meant giving anyone a free pass. It has never meant abandoning scrutiny, accepting weak terms or placing the interest of private organizations ahead of the people that we represent. We asked very difficult questions. We examined the numbers, we pressed for strong protections, we negotiated improvements, and we insisted that the agreement deliver meaningful value for Tampa. That work made this proposal stronger. I also want to recognize those that helped make this possible. First, Councilwoman Naya Young. She was one of the early supporters of making sure that we extended the East Tampa CRA. She was one of the first persons that came out swinging about jobs. She brought that to the table from the very beginning in the negotiations. Councilman Viera, Councilman Viera came out strong swinging for folks with disabilities, which he always does. He came out strong for first responders, our fire and police and he worked with the rays' organization to ensure all of those groups were protected in this agreement and which also makes the City of Tampa stronger. And then lastly, Councilman Carlson, a lot of what we see here is we have now been able to rely on councilman Carlson's business acumen. He was able to identify areas in this agreement that could be improved because he understood the business and mechanics of it. He was able to take the agreement from an agreement not incentivized to an agreement that was incentivized for development. A lot of folks talk about how the thing would be built out. The agreement negotiated is an improved agreement because they will have incentive to build it out. I also want to acknowledge our partners at Hillsborough County Commission, particularly Commissioner Ken hagan in his 20-year quest to retain major league baseball in the Tampa Bay area and the city and county staff reviewed the legal, financial, and operational details of this agreement. Their work helped protect the public interest and improve the proposal that is before us. After that work, I believe the conclusion is clear. This agreement deserves our support. I'm supporting it because I believe it is -- it is in Tampa's best long-term interest. It is not merely a vote on a baseball stadium. It is a vote on whether Tampa is prepared to compete for investments, jobs, housing, education, and opportunity or whether we're willing to let those opportunities go elsewhere. The final project is approximately $2.36 billion. The rays' ownership group is committing approximately 1.37 billion, accepting responsibility for all the cost overruns, the city contribution is capped at $80 million. Those facts matter. We're not writing the check -- the rays a blank check. We're not agreeing to cover cost overruns. We're not assuming responsibility for construction defects. We're not committing to unlimited public funds without conditions, oversight or accountability. The public contribution is capped. The private investment is substantial. Public dollars are subject to protections before they can be deployed. I want to say that again. The public dollars are subject to protections before they can be deployed. That's not an open-ended giveaway. It is a negotiated public-private investment with defined limits and public safeguards. The stadium is only part of the opportunity. The larger opportunity is the district around it. A connected, walkable, mixed use neighborhood with housing, restaurants, retail, hotels, public spaces, transportation improvements and a reimagined Hillsborough College. The rays have also committed to a much larger privately financed development around the stadium creating the potential for billions of dollars in additional private investment. All within the City of Tampa. That could mean construction jobs, permanent jobs, new businesses, new housing, expanded educational opportunities, and a stronger tax base to help support the services Tampa residents expect and deserve. Now let us address the questions that matter most to taxpayers. What does this agreement mean for Tampa taxpayers? It means the final agreement is materially better than the structure contemplated in the original MOU. The earlier proposal involving the city's community investment tax and the hundred million dollars CRA contribution, it's no longer in the structure before us. Do you mind if I finish this?

Charlie Miranda

5:07:02PM Time it up like you tell me. [ laughter ]

Alan Clendenin

5:07:04PM I'll do exactly what I tell Charlie Miranda. You're out of order. I'll finish my statement in the second round. Go ahead.

Lynn Hurtak

5:07:24PM Ms. Scharf, this is a bombardier global 7500. When it was delivered to its owner three years ago, it was the largest and fastest civilian jet in the world. Only concord was ever faster. List price starts at $80 million and it costs 4 million a year in operating expenses. It is the primary duty of every legislative body to identify the problems facing their constituents, identify the cause of those problems, and to address those causes by responsibly appropriating money to eliminate those causes. That was true when aristotle wrote it 2300 years ago and it's true today. Which of Tampa's problems is being solved by committing $120 million to a baseball stadium? It's not 80. It's 120. We still have to pay the interest. We were elected to solve problems, not create new ones. Like those which will result from us having to borrow money at the worst possible time interest rate-wise from canceling planned infrastructure repairs, and that's before the specter of a property tax amendment passing. A comprehensive survey of 120 studies over the last 30 years in the journal of economic surveys came to the following three conclusions: one, the deep agreement and research and findings demonstrates that sports venues are not an appropriate channel for local economic development policy. Two, even where positive relationships exist, estimated benefits tend to be insufficient to justify the level of subsidies provided. Three, despite this consensus findings of economic studies that the benefits of hosting professional sports franchises are not sufficient to subsidize public subsidies, taxpayer funding for the subsidies continues to grow. We have decades of research showing how and why these projects don't create jobs and don't create a significant or sustainable economic boost. The deal currently on the table is a bad one for Tampa taxpayers and workers. The seven of us today have a fiduciary duty to make wise choices with every tampe o's tax dollar. The question today is, will the seven of us recognize that we are ethically and morally obligated to start over and find a better deal for the city we represent and its citizens? Now is the time to prove that Tampa is the SMART city. Tampa is the one that finally said no to the surge of forcing taxpayers to subsidize billionaire team owners. I am not anti-stadium. I guarantee you if we find a better solution, I'll be at more games than anyone else in this room. Consider that it is currently also a blank check to the rays to maintain and repair the stadium, because it's not that -- that sentence isn't in there yet that tampe os are expected to put up this money, won't have ownership share, all control of land development to the county even though literally in Tampa. This is a bombardier global 7500. When it was delivered to its zone, patrick zalupski. He paid $800 million for it. He spends $4 million a year operating it. Now he says he needs $80 million from us?

Alan Clendenin

5:10:46PM Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

5:10:49PM You want me to follow that?

Alan Clendenin

5:10:51PM Your light is on. [ laughter ]

Charlie Miranda

5:10:59PM I listened very carefully. When you look around and you say, well, we'll get development, from 1996, tell me what new development came in some corner on MLK and dale mabry. Anybody have an answer for that? That's what I thought. Promising, promising they are going to do something. You know, here again, we try to do the best we can with what we have. I don't blame the rays for asking. Not at all. Those that are going to support it, and I guess they are going to win 4-3, I can tell now. Going to pound their chest for a little bit of time. But I guarantee you long haul, the city is going to suffer. Never have I seen any financial statement from the rays, none, never have I seen any document from the rays on the feasibility of paying back any loan. I'm not saying they can't pay it back. I've just never seen it. So what am I doing here? How can you do this alone in a way? How can you vote on something you don't even know what's going on? All the papers coming in, didn't see until Monday afternoon and then changes made. What business acumen, who would you hire to do the job and not look at what the hell looking at to make a decision. Quick, rush. What do you mean a rush? It's not my responsibility. Your responsibility bringing me on time so we can digest it. Now the CRA, which some of us wanted to close some time back 8 or 10 years away, are being extended. I think playing with kids when I was three years old. Being extended, ones we wanted to cut off for why? I don't know why. But I've got an idea. These are the things going on in my mind. It's heartbreaking to see that this city is going to be divided just like this country. We have one of the finest cities in Florida. I can go on, but the chair is going to cut me off because I have ten seconds left. Thank you all for attending.

Alan Clendenin

5:13:41PM I let her go on.

Charlie Miranda

5:13:43PM Listen. I'm different. I got no hair like you. Thank you all for being here, whether we agree or disagree, still tampanians.

Alan Clendenin

5:13:51PM Let's bring this to an end. Who wants to start?

Lynn Hurtak

5:14:03PM I have a procedural question, are we going to talk about the CRA first?

Alan Clendenin

5:14:07PM No, we'll vote here, then recess and go back to the CRA for the discussion on CRA.

Charlie Miranda

5:14:15PM We should do the CRA first.

Bill Carlson

5:14:26PM The changes we made this morning guarantee that the CRA changes have to be made. We actually don't have to meet --

Alan Clendenin

5:14:33PM That was my point. There's no decision making.

Lynn Hurtak

5:14:36PM There's no guarantee that's going to pass.

Bill Carlson

5:14:40PM If it doesn't pass, then they don't get paid. The deal doesn't go forward.

Scott Steady

5:14:46PM At this point, the CRA doesn't need to make any decision today. You could just close it out.

Lynn Hurtak

5:14:55PM That doesn't make any sense. We found out that the CRAs aren't even going to get an extension.

Scott Steady

5:15:04PM If I may --

Lynn Hurtak

5:15:05PM Not the extension, they are not going to get the money.

Alan Clendenin

5:15:08PM That was an inaccuracy from somebody in the public. They are getting the city TIF. The county TIF is still -- the status quo is if we do nothing, it goes to zero anyway. If we do nothing, the TIF from the county is going to zero.

Lynn Hurtak

5:15:25PM I think it is a really bad idea to continue to subsidize for the rest of the taxpayers to have to continue to subsidize these neighborhoods.

Alan Clendenin

5:15:33PM We'll let you make that in your point in your statement. Let's make our statements now. Mr. Steady, did you have something to add?

Scott Steady

5:15:41PM No. I don't think the CRA needs to make a decision.

Alan Clendenin

5:15:44PM We got that point. Thank you so much. Who wants to bring it home and do a closing statement? Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

5:15:52PM Sure. I'll finish the rest of my statement, patrick zalupski now wants $80 million from us and give up the 4 million a year in property tax revenue we get if instead of building -- just gave 130 acres to developers and build whatever we want on it, though. I'll talk to all four of you who are voting for this. Alan, you stated numerous times we should not be borrowing money for things we want, only things we need. You said that stormwater projects are too expensive for bonding. Tell people who lose their homes due to flooding that their relief was just something we wanted but a stadium is something we needed? Naya, you said, quote, I will only support something with enforceable commitments and timelines. This proposal has none of those things. The cba is just a suggestion. Did something make you change your mind or do you suddenly trust a billion dollar company to do things voluntarily that have no profit motive? Bill, on Friday, you said I make a motion to -- or Thursday, make a motion to put the rays contract vote on August 27 agenda provided it is in onbase by 5 tomorrow. Rays' contract vote on today's agenda is not the contract that was in onbase 5:00 last Friday. That is a motion that was seconded and approved by this council. Why is it still on the agenda? Louis, we're committing an amount of money to the rays that we could otherwise be used to build 12 new fire stations. We already know that the shortage of stations has had tragic outcomes to people suffering medical emergencies. Is this stadium worth trading people's health and safety for?

Alan Clendenin

5:17:32PM I'm not going to use my time but correct a couple of things. One, you refer to this in a way that the evidence submitted today does not substantiate. $80 million that we're borrowing is paid for by TIF return that only materializes if this construction project moves forward. That money does not exist unless this construction project moves forward. It is money that is created by the project that's going to repay the city the money we're taking out. So that is a wash. On the fire station thing, I think that is an inaccurate assertion. Paid $24 million for the last fire station. Your math don't add up. On the guarantees, there are so many guarantees in this 140 plus page document and everything is linked, if you read the document, truly read the document, you'll see that everything is backstopped for the city specifically. There are backstops in every part of that agreement. If we don't reach an agreement on a community benefits agreement, no money is transferred. If we don't do this, no money is transferred. Don't do that, no money transferred. Our City staff and the county staff and the county administrator have done such a tremendous job negotiating this agreement, I cannot tell you how impressed I am, including with the changes that Councilman Carlson brought forth to make this a better deal. I thought the deal we had when we did the MOU was a good deal. We've got a great deal now. We are so protected. I don't think there is a city in the United States of America that has been building professional sports that would not die for this agreement, there are cities all over the country bending over backwards, talk to jacksonville about how much money they are spending on their stadium. Talk to Kansas city, talk to las vegas, talk to anybody. Spending fortunes. And we have a private company that's coming in with over a billion dollars, 1.37, something like that, billion dollars of private money just for the stadium construction, not to mention the billions of dollars of adjacent construction around that with the hotels and apartments and restaurants and all that. All of our money, our negotiators, our City staff that we love and trust, they negotiated a deal with these private people that we're only spending it on the stuff horizontal, nothing vertical. It's the ditches. It's the sewer pipes, water pipes, streets, sidewalks. It's the stuff the city is supposed to be doing. I really applaud our City staff for doing what they did. Because I went off on a rail, if you would like to respond, I would welcome your response. Sorry about that. Who is next?

Naya Young

5:20:33PM Thank you very much. So I have spent a lot of time with these documents. A lot of time. I have read a lot. I've asked a lot of questions. I read even more, asked even more questions. I've spoken with people all throughout the district, and just listening to their perspective, which is something that I said that I would always do, I would at least listen. From the beginning, I have articulated that this is not about baseball for me. I am not a baseball fan. It has nothing to do with baseball for me. It's about the community impact and opportunity. That's what this is for me. I have had extensive conversation with the rays ownership, with our staff, with the administration about my expectations. We've spoken about the history of unfulfilled promises to communities when transformative projects and opportunities like this come about and the impact it has had on public trust. And I believe that they have listened and heard me. The rays, the county, and the city have all come together and compromised. This deal is not perfect. I think we all could admit that. But what I do see is opportunity. I see opportunity for our youth, not just kindergarten through 12th grade, but our college students as well. I see opportunity for our youth sports and facilities, like the belmont heights little league and the yellow jackets that are going to get that much-needed attention that they deserve. I see a creative approach to collaborate with our schools and our nonprofits. I see job opportunities for living wages for our youth, for our college students, for our Returning Citizens and an intentional approach to hire in areas such as Sulphur Springs and East Tampa, which I have articulated to the rays' ownership. Quality careers, not just in concessions. I see opportunity for our small -- I'm going to need way more time, so put it on there. Put it on there. Put it on there.

Alan Clendenin

5:23:09PM Just kill the timer.

Naya Young

5:23:11PM I'm going to need time. I see opportunity for our small local women and minority owned businesses for contracts, prime and subcontracts. I see the opportunity for affordable housing at 80 and 60 percent AMI which I have extensively expressed to the rays' ownership. Not just for the development, but throughout the city in areas such as East Tampa and Sulphur Springs, which I have also articulated to the rays' ownership. I see the opportunity for the CRA extensions for East Tampa. Because that conversation is not over. Opportunities for transit, which we've -- we had that discussion today, F.D.O.T. Explained opportunities for transit. I see community input and accountability with the community benefits advisory committee to check that report card, to make sure that these community benefits are going to be delivered to the community, and that's why I've been supportive of this. Youth opportunities and investment, affordable housing, jobs with living wages, opportunities for small local women and minority owned businesses. All the things that I have asked for and have extensively expressed to the rays need to be a part of this agreement and needs to go to the community. Lastly, there is a quote by a very famous woman, our forever first lady Michelle Obama, she says when they go low, we go high. I wanted to still applaud my fellow council members I don't think for one second that any of us took this lightly. And I believe we all did our necessary research and due diligence to come to the decisions that we have today. When they go low, when you go low, I will go high. And it's unfortunate that you took the opportunity as the only other woman on this council to approach me the way that you did, but I still will applaud you because as a council member, you do your due diligence. That's all I have. Thank you.

Lynn Hurtak

5:25:47PM I'm going to respond to that by saying my question is simply, you only support something --

Naya Young

5:25:53PM You're not going to get an answer from me. I said what I said.

Lynn Hurtak

5:25:56PM That's fine, but I have a place to respond.

Naya Young

5:25:59PM You absolutely do. You can respond to yourself. I'm not responding to you.

Lynn Hurtak

5:26:03PM That's fine. You don't have to respond to me. But the issue is, you said I'll only support something with enforceable commitments and timelines. There are no enforceable commitments or timelines. The community benefit agreement could simply be nothing. You've said you've talked to them about it but there's no agreement made. They don't have to agree to anything -- I'm sorry. But after you sign this, after we sign this, they don't have to agree to anything. [ sounding gavel ] I'm sorry, you're not allowed to speak in public comment. I'm going to say --

Alan Clendenin

5:26:40PM I'll take care of this. Everybody in the audience, remember, you had your opportunity to speak during public comment. This is the council's opportunity to talk. Normally this exchange wouldn't happen. This is the biggest deal in the history of Hillsborough county and City of Tampa. I'm going to let it run a little bit and let people get their points across. Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

5:26:59PM No. I mean, I'm sorry. I am simply repeating back what people said and I'm asking them to think about it. If you disagree, that's fine. But I have the right to ask the question. I wasn't rude about it. I haven't been mean about it. But I'm simply asking you if you think that's okay. You have umbrage with that and perfectly allowed to have umbrage with that. Doesn't change the fact that you said it and the fact that after we vote today, we cannot guarantee it. That's the ultimate thing.

Alan Clendenin

5:27:29PM Thank you. Councilman Carlson followed by Councilman Viera.

Bill Carlson

5:27:36PM I've had a bunch of people ask me, why did you change your mind? I didn't change my mind. The deal changed. All these conspiracy theories, oh, he must have bought you lunch or breakfast. I actually bought Ken Babby breakfast three times. I don't let anybody buy me coffee or breakfast so I can say no if I want to. I didn't take any campaign contributions from anybody related to the rays. And the only thing that changed is I'm representing the people of the city and I want to get what is in the best interest of the city. Ken Babby reached out to me after the discussion we had a few weeks ago. I've only been involved in this three or four weeks. But when we met, I said there's no way you can convince me because you won't like what I say. He said what. Number one, no CIT. Everybody I talked to said no CIT. We took that off the table immediately. The second thing is I said we're essentially giving $180 million. I don't want to give $180 million. We took that off the table. So that went from $180 million to zero. And then they said, well, we still need money for whatever so we need a loan. I said, well, how about if we pay in four annual payments so we don't have to take out loans. Do pay go. Amendment 3 doesn't pass, we can pay go. Don't have to pay interest. The reality was the original deal, we were going to pay 180 million and get zero back. There's no chance of getting back. Everybody is saying, oh, what about the interest, got a guarantee or whatever, the reality is that now we will get paid back, small chance we won't, but before we had zero chance of getting paid back. And we'll get interest back. The next thing, and there's no new taxes. No new taxes for billionaires. We're not only not increasing taxes at the city, the county's deal, I don't know what the county's deal is we're not increasing taxes and we're not taking taxes away from anything else. The CIT is a different situation. Not using CIT anymore. Also, the original deal said the rays wanted to control the Drew Park CRA. I talked to folks in Drew Park, and they said we don't want to be controlled by the rays. We want to control our own future. So I said we need to set up a TIF because it protects Drew Park. It allows Drew Park to control its own future. And not only do they control their own future, keep the same base year so they don't have to start over again. Continue to get the money they had before and then we're extending the life of the Drew Park CRA. We're putting the future of Drew Park in Drew Park's hands. Not everybody in Drew Park wants gentrification. Not everybody wants development. This way Drew Park controls its own future. Originally, there was going to be money to the rays. Now, there's money to a cdd, and it's not -- people can mention whatever conspiracy theory they want, cdd is a very commonly used tool that's out there. The reason is that it is public, and it limits it to infrastructure. Originally, there were no CRA changes. Imagine if you were buying a car and the person trying to sell you on it, walk through the show room, hey, I want you to throw in the jacket or throw in the special wheels, that's what we did in the situation. Threw in extra things that weren't part of the deal, while in there, why not asked for it. Originally no CRA changes. Now extensions to East Tampa and some changes to West Tampa. Originally there was no money for roads or flooding. Now there's going to be a revenue source from the TIF and we're also taking half the Downtown CRA money that we can use on roads or flooding or whatever we decide to use. My proposal is roads and flooding because that is the number one thing I hear about. Please keep in mind section 19.7 says that we are not endorsing the county deal. We are not approving the county deal. Our deal is separate. Fur against the county deal, go to county commission tomorrow. Our deal is a good one. Putting in an $80 million loan and access to three different revenue sources. Haven't talked about sales tax today. Not talking about bs economic impact numbers. The other thing, I want to promise West Tampa, Jamie Jones and the rest, I'm going to be there with you for the months and months and months helping you, whether anybody else does or not, whether the mpo or anybody else wants to go along, I'll be there helping you. I promise. I'm also not a baseball fan. Why would I vote? Because constituents want roads fixed and flooding fixed. When I get the e-mails, don't give money to billionaires, give it to roads and floods. That's exactly what we're doing. Access to three different revenue sources. Somebody mad about 80 million, please show up next week because we're talking about a hundred million dollars boondoggle stormwater project. Guess what, we have not seen a draft of the document. The document is not posted yet, and it will probably change right up until the moment and nobody is asking for a referendum on that. Please do, because that is a boondoggle. The last thing I'll say, some people say you're only doing this for legacy. Does anybody know, do any of my colleagues know, think about the biggest thing that maybe happened in Florida history and economic development was disney. A picture of walt disney, Roy disney and the governor of Florida. Was the Governor? Hayden burns. Nobody in the room knew who Hayden burns. If you don't know who the governor was that brought disney to Florida, what difference does it make for any of our legacy? In ten years, nobody will remember us. The only thing we'll be able to do is how this made our community better. We have to be happy with ourselves, not based on whether anybody else will remember us, even if your name goes on a building, eventually the building gets turned down. Remember any name, please remember ken hagan. [ laughter ] I just say thank you to the community. Thank you to the community for working on this. I hope we can come back together. Whatever happens, I hope we can come back together as a community. We're out there fighting every week on important issues. We hope this many people will show up. Hope people will be passionate and do research because we need your help every week. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

5:33:43PM Councilman Viera.

Luis Viera

5:33:44PM Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. Councilwoman Young spoke about some of her values. Things that I wanted to see in the community benefits agreement, I always tell them I defer to what Councilwoman Young said publicly on youth, empowerment, social welfare programs, Returning Citizens. We share those political values. We are bleeding heart type folks. I just wanted to commend you for that because I know that's always been very, very important. I'll say quick remarks, if I may. I talked about a lot of the good for the project. I'll be voting for it. Also bad. Economic projection numbers are just that, folks talk about amendment 3 and where that's going to go. The interest, tens of millions of dollars. Some significant money. There's gray but the good far outweighs the bad on this. I strongly submit. A couple of other things, we hear a lot about false choices, which is the idea if we turned this project away, boom, we're going to start spending money on fire stations and roads and all these different things. It's not going to necessarily happen. This is totally separate from that. Whenever it comes on issues involving public safety, I brought to the table and I was proud to do so, along with some of the skilled trade unions, afl-cio, but dealing with public safety, Tampa firefighters, Local 754, Hillsborough county firefighters, local 2294 and Tampa Police Benevolent Association. And I did that because I told the rays they need to be consulted. And if there are public safety challenges with that, you will not get my vote, along with other issues that I brought up. Ultimately, not only did these organizations whose sole purpose is advocate for public safety and their workers, not only not object to the project, they wound up supporting the project. Those who would say the project undermines public safety, I would ask, do you know better than the police benevolent association, than the firefighters? You do, that's like saying the pope is an atheist. The folks, their sole purpose and life's purpose is earn 50, 60, 70, 80 thousand dollars a year to get shot at, to run into burning buildings. Die 10 to 12 years earlier than average folks because of everyday tasks and duties. To me, that meant a lot. There are so many projects that we can use the analysis on. Councilman Carlson talked about the South Howard flooding project. By the way, I voted for. Other things, should have capped the Downtown CRA and taken that 25 million spent on the museum of art, for example, but I'm not going to put the museum of art against public safety, against roads, against things like that. I'm just not going to do that for many, many reasons. I remember talking to the rays when we first started meeting. I said you're going to be burdened by mistakes of the past and failure of the past. Mistakes in the past involving things like keeping up on public safety issues that I have very strong opinions on. Something that may not have any direct relevancy to the rays but certainly relevancy to the way people perceive this. They have engaged on that issue. Failures of the past with regard to mass transit. Would like the penny sales tax 2018 all for transportation. Struck down in the Florida supreme court or 22 initiative by before we could vote on it got struck down in circuit court. Big issues. We should also recognize something big. Councilman Carlson talked about ken hagan. He is a republican. This is a bipartisan gesture by the county and city, republicans and democrats are coming together to do something big. Folks, that is a big thing, because that never happens anymore. It should. Maybe if you oppose this you go republicans and democrats are coming together to ruin our community. Whatever, right? To me, we're coming together to do a great thing. I'll say this as one of my final points, the courage of some of those county commissioners who put their careers on the line, right, in voting for a very, very big deal. People who will get opponents, maybe even other efforts, I won't get into because of their vote. I salute that. Harry Truman said I would rather be right than president. Some of these folks would rather be right than county commissioner. Potentially. Potentially. In closing, I respect the opinions of everyone up here on Tampa City Council. Everybody has stated their piece, and why they are voting yea or nay. Special deference on his legacy to Councilman Charlie Miranda. Above all of us just because it's a pleasure to serve with Councilman Miranda while he's wearing black on this vote, no matter how much we may disagree. Thank you for that, sir.

Guido Maniscalco

5:38:55PM Sorry I missed the alternative I can't question. Claude kirk was the governor in 67 right after Hayden burns. He did come to Tampa --

Bill Carlson

5:39:06PM I thought you were going to get it.

Guido Maniscalco

5:39:10PM I was close. It was the next governor. I want to say we can disagree but still be respectful. I think we've lost that here. We've lost that in politics, lost it certainly on social media. It's interesting, but to explain what I mentioned earlier, my concerns with amendment three and all these other things, in 1996, with the CIT vote, the people voted on a community stadium. I believe that's what the wording was on the ballot language, and they had a voice. It passed at 53 percent, and raymond James was built. So when the bucs discussion comes up in a few months, whatever number they are going to ask for, I can at least say the people voted on it. It is a different contract from 30 years ago, it's different. In this case, with the CIT renewal, there was discussion at the county commission level about stadium and no stadium and no stadium. And here we are with money going not from us, the county is a separate deal, going to a stadium. If the CIT was renewed two years ago or said it could go to a stadium, I would have no issue because the people would have supported it. That passed 51%. That along with amendment 3, if amendment 3 wasn't on the ballot and I didn't have concerns what happens in November, I would have really no issue supporting something like this. I'm worried for what's going to happen because the financial hit is going to be huge if amendment 3 passes. So that's why I'm voting how I'm voting. I've been consistent since day one. It's not anti-anybody. It's not anti-rays. It's trying to be fiscally responsible. And that's it. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

5:40:54PM Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

5:40:56PM Thank you very much. Just a couple of things I should have spoke about earlier. What's happening to the tax assessor's building, nancy millan's building, on the corner of lois and MLK? I haven't heard anything about it yet. I don't know what's happening. Is that still part of this deal?

Alan Clendenin

5:41:16PM Any staff available to answer the question?

Charlie Miranda

5:41:18PM Also the rehab building where the kids are at right behind the yankee stadium. Juvenile justice. I just happen to know the answer as it relates to the tax collector and her lease. There is a lease that exists that goes through I think 2067, maybe 64, not really sure. I know that there have been conversations that occurred between the counsel, the attorney representing the tax collector on that issue, Hillsborough College to ensure that that lease will be honored. So at this point, there's no plan and no understanding that that lease will not be honored and as an aside to that, if there is a decision to negotiate, they can negotiate that lease.

5:42:05PM Is that part of the deal?

Julia Mandell

5:42:08PM Not part of the deal, not an issue --

Charlie Miranda

5:42:12PM That building has 900 people a day from middle class that go there. 900 a day. The juvenile building, what's happening with that? Anybody know. Contiguous to each other. They make together a nice piece of property.

Julia Mandell

5:42:33PM I also have information on that. Happy to give you what I know. What I know is that for several years, been conversations between the department of juvenile justice and Hillsborough county, facilities and real estate staff to identify other locations because they were seeking to move. Some of those went by the wayside and they actually, I think, had a site that they identified that there were some issues as it related to stormwater. I will tell you that the county had no knowledge of the most recent issue that came up relating to a decision to vacate early. We are working with them through a transition period right now. I actually spoke to the director of real estate and facilities this morning about this particular issue. Thank you.

Charlie Miranda

5:43:17PM The other one is the Downtown CRA, once that Downtown CRA is used, there will be no funds to put the streetcar heading north. That's my opinion. Furthermore that streetcar has to be expanded all the way north somewhere. 54 miles of streetcars, now you've got about 12 blocks. But it is what it is. Put in by dick greco and Ron rotella worked on it back in the greco administration. Cost $11 million for the whole thing. Now you can't do a mile for $11 million or a block for $11 million I should say. The next thing, what is a public facility? They say that a stadium or arena or whatever you want to call it is a public facility. I don't believe that is. A public facility is where you can walk into a library or something that a city park and do what you want. But they knew it would not pass if it was called a stadium or arena. So the geniuses got together, two words, public facility. And it passed by what Guido Maniscalco said 51-49. If they put stadiums and arena, it would have failed miserably. The public got fooled again when they put public facilities. I learned something today. Not today, I learned that the other day. And furthermore, when you look at police and fire, Mr. Viera, the first City Council that I served with wanted to do something for fire and police, and we got turned down by the mayor. And that was the only time that I can remember that the City Council overruled the mayor on a 5-4 -- I mean, a 4-3 vote. And furthermore, the next day we had a full-page ad, five people's names on it saying the firemen five and we never for there that. Thank you all for being here. I have no animosity to no one, not even myself.

Alan Clendenin

5:45:28PM Thank you, Mr. Miranda. Councilwoman Hurtak, you pass. You don't have anything. No. okay. I'll close this out. First, I'll start, streetcar. I don't think anybody here doubts my commitment to the Tampa streetcar and the proposed extension. I don't believe that this is detrimental. Having the CRA makes it a little more simple because we act as CRA Board without administrative oversight without the building -- but that money doesn't disappear. Money is still available, whatever piece that we need to have. It's just not necessarily dedicated to downtown. I will tell you if I felt like this was the end of the streetcar, I would feel differently about the proposal. I'm willing to entertain it because I think it's worthy of discussion. Honestly, we're making friends with people that have connections with tallahassee and I'm hoping those friends we've made will help us get our transportation needs met in the future. We're going to need a lot of help. Talk to secretary hall about this as well and you talked to folks, this is something that the entire community, we know we need. It's not just the streetcar. It is the connection between the airport and the downtown. It is the connection to USF. It's gaining access to CSX. Our transportation needs are great and we're going to have to find a solution that will probably have to be somebody biting the bullet and doing some kind of -- another all for transportation 3.0. That being said, I'll leave it at that. My support is not based on fandom like everybody says about baseball. You don't need to love baseball to understand the economic stakes. You do not have to believe every provision is perfect to recognize that this is the strongest agreement available to Tampa. Our responsibility is to not wait for a perfect proposal that does not -- that doesn't exist. Our responsibility is to negotiate the best agreement possible that protects the public and makes the decisions that best serves Tampa's future. That's what we've done. Tampa should demand more. We should demand more investment, more jobs, more housing, more walkable neighborhoods, more educational opportunities, more private capital and more economic opportunity. This agreement gives us a chance to pursue all of those goals while protecting taxpayers holding the private partner accountable. I've supported this project since the MOU because I believed in Tampa's potential. After months of scrutiny, months of scrutiny, negotiation and hard work, I am proud to support the final agreement because it is stronger. It's more disciplined, and better for Tampa than where we began. Reasonable people may disagree as we've said over and over about this project and respect those concerns. But I do believe that this agreement before us reflects serious negotiations, meaningful safeguards and substantial opportunity for our city. This is a vote to move Tampa forward. It's not only about building the stadium, it's about building Tampa. And that's why I will vote yes. Thank you. That concludes this portion of our program. We need to make a motion on resolution for 80. Who would like to make a motion to move that resolution?

Martin Shelby

5:49:12PM Before you take the motion, just for the purpose of the record if I could be heard briefly. Today, you were presented with an addendum --

Bill Carlson

5:49:24PM We approved it this morning.

Martin Shelby

5:49:25PM And you approved the addendum. By so doing, you in effect substituted Friday's agreement for the one uploaded into onbase. Mr. Steady and I have agreed that is the agreement, is that correct?

5:49:37PM Plus what you previously also agreed earlier today with the two proposed changes that were presented by the city attorney that you accepted.

5:49:47PM I want to be clear. That is what you are voting on today.

Alan Clendenin

5:49:51PM Yes.

Lynn Hurtak

5:49:51PM What about my additions?

Alan Clendenin

5:49:56PM We didn't vote on that.

Scott Steady

5:49:59PM I need direction from the council.

Lynn Hurtak

5:50:01PM That would be the sentence to add --

Alan Clendenin

5:50:03PM Actually, if you wanted to bring that to the floor, I would probably refer to Mr. Steady or Mr. Shelby about the legality of us, because that is something being negotiated by the county.

Lynn Hurtak

5:50:16PM I talked to the county attorney about it and she said that was fine. Ms. Mandell said it was fine.

Julia Mandell

5:50:27PM Julia Mandell, Hillsborough county attorney. Right now there are two blanks in there. Give me a second. Run with me on this. Two blanks in the agreement. There was a discussion among you to go ahead and just leave that number to the county. However, if there is a number that you are proposing, as long as the percentages remain, that's something you certainly have the opportunity to give to the county for their consideration.

Alan Clendenin

5:50:54PM I could see where this was legal if it wasn't binding if it was our suggestion.

Lynn Hurtak

5:50:59PM It's no less than.

Alan Clendenin

5:51:01PM I don't think we could legally bind the county --

Bill Carlson

5:51:09PM I talked to Scott about this yesterday. He has the mayor's authority I think to approve our changes. If we make a change here, then it has -- the change has to get approved by the county.

Lynn Hurtak

5:51:21PM Yeah, I don't see any harm with it.

Bill Carlson

5:51:25PM Does that mean you vote yes --

Alan Clendenin

5:51:28PM Understand we can't bind the county.

Scott Steady

5:51:31PM We haven't bound the county yet. They have to approve all of this including the changes. What are we talking about? Community benefits agreement?

Lynn Hurtak

5:51:39PM Yes. The community benefits agreement to be no less than $75 million.

Bill Carlson

5:51:44PM Second.

Luis Viera

5:51:49PM Obviously in theory I would have no problem with that. For Mr. Steady, if we pass this and then the county disagreed with the number and they sent something back to us that was distinct from what we sent them, do we have to revote on this?

Scott Steady

5:52:03PM Yes. This is the sticking point. Unfortunately, this couldn't be negotiated because it is between two bodies. There was not -- we weren't going to all get together and --

Luis Viera

5:52:17PM Inadvertent poison pill.

Alan Clendenin

5:52:22PM Mr. Shelby, can we negotiate on behalf of the administration from the dais?

Lynn Hurtak

5:52:27PM I'm not comfortable leaving a blank.

Alan Clendenin

5:52:30PM You're voting no anyway. [ laughter ]

Lynn Hurtak

5:52:34PM But if it's passing, I still have an obligation to my constituents to make sure there's something. Right now there is a big fat zero.

Alan Clendenin

5:52:43PM Mr. Shelby, can this council negotiate from the dais on this?

Lynn Hurtak

5:52:52PM City attorney told me yes.

Alan Clendenin

5:52:56PM Mr. Steady, go ahead.

Bill Carlson

5:52:58PM What if we pass this and then make that -- either way the county has to approve it. If there is a risk the county sends the whole thing back, why don't we pass as is and make a separate motion.

Alan Clendenin

5:53:11PM I would support that.

Bill Carlson

5:53:12PM We request that the county insert this and approve it and then we'll approve the change.

Scott Steady

5:53:19PM That's what --

Bill Carlson

5:53:22PM Then it's not part of the agreement. It's an add-on.

Scott Steady

5:53:25PM I want to go through what could happen. You'll pass a separate motion, which I understand what your thought is on how much it should be. What if they don't agree?

Bill Carlson

5:53:36PM Separate from the deal.

Scott Steady

5:53:40PM I'm trying to figure out how we ultimately resolve.

Alan Clendenin

5:53:44PM We'll take a motion on item number 80 moving the resolution. If that passes, then we will subsequently -- I'll entertain a motion to forward the county a resolution from the City Council with an expectation that this would be -- what was the dollar figure? $75 million in the cba, but a stand-alone resolution.

5:54:09PM Mr. Shelby.

Lynn Hurtak

5:54:14PM I had a secondary motion.

Martin Shelby

5:54:17PM Related in the same subject?

Alan Clendenin

5:54:19PM No. so Mr. Shelby.

Martin Shelby

5:54:23PM Expectation or suggestion or consideration?

Alan Clendenin

5:54:28PM Give me legal language that is legally permissible for this council.

Martin Shelby

5:54:35PM They can reject a suggestion. If it is an expectation, I don't want to create any anticipation of expectation --

Scott Steady

5:54:43PM Scott Steady. I'm trying to figure out how we resolve it. If it is a suggestion and they come up with a number less, I guess we have to come back and confirm you agree.

Bill Carlson

5:54:54PM Either way we have to agree separately.

Alan Clendenin

5:54:56PM I'm going to start the conversation right now. I want to get one thing out of the way first.

Luis Viera

5:55:05PM I don't know if councilwoman Hurtak's motion has a second, if I may, pursuant to the direction of the chair, I would move item 80 separately if permissible.

Lynn Hurtak

5:55:17PM I did have a request to add a sentence to -- and I think Ms. Scharf took my copy. Ms. Scharf, if you could bring me back my copy of section 3.8, we talked about adding a sentence that says -- oh, that, yeah, yeah. Section 3.8 I believe it was subsection 8, subsection iv, if I remember correctly.

Alan Clendenin

5:55:48PM If you got that right, that's a miracle.

Lynn Hurtak

5:55:51PM I'm good.

Scott Steady

5:55:52PM Do we know what page it is?

Lynn Hurtak

5:55:55PM She will be here in a second. Subsection 3.8, subsection h.

Alan Clendenin

5:56:03PM What is the substance of the change?

Lynn Hurtak

5:56:06PM It was adding a sentence that said we would not be obligated to any more money. And he said that was fine. Thank you. Subsection yes 3.8, h, slash iv, in the ballpark capital funding, you said that we would not be on the hook but I said is it okay if we add another sentence that said we would not be obligated to any more expenses?

Scott Steady

5:56:31PM What page?

Lynn Hurtak

5:56:32PM I don't know -- page 36.

Alan Clendenin

5:56:36PM My interpretation of that would be -- it's basically restating what we already understand about the agreement. That would be considered a scrivener's change. Can we agree with the -- would the administration agree that the change is a scrivener's change and make that change to the agreement?

Scott Steady

5:56:59PM Could somebody hand me that?

Lynn Hurtak

5:58:14PM 36.

Alan Clendenin

5:58:16PM After consultation with City Council legal, Mr. Shelby, would you like to intervene here for a moment?

Martin Shelby

5:58:24PM Yes. Just to inform all of council, I'm going to read from section 4.01 of the charter relative to the mayor and of the mayor's duties. Number two is the negotiation of all contracts, franchises, acquisition, disposition of property, and upon approval thereof by City Council, the execution on behalf of all the city's agreements, leases, deeds, and other instruments in connection therewith. My concern at this time, this is a three-party agreement, and to couch it as a scrivener's error could be problematic because this has not been negotiated and agreed to by the parties. What was brought back to you this morning, which was uploaded in the addendum and is available to the public is what is before you now and agreed upon by the mayor representing the city and the city attorney negotiating and all the parties. So my suggestion would be that changes to this agreement could actually in effect illicit a recommendation that this matter has to be continued to get the agreement of the other parties rather than put all this in jeopardy.

Alan Clendenin

5:59:45PM Based on legal advice, I'll rule this proposed change on item 80 to be out of order. And I am now going to entertain the motion from Councilman Viera to move the resolution and second from Councilman Carlson. Roll call vote, please.

Naya Young

6:00:03PM Yes.

Luis Viera

6:00:04PM Yes.

Bill Carlson

6:00:05PM Yes.

Charlie Miranda

6:00:07PM No.

Guido Maniscalco

6:00:09PM No.

Lynn Hurtak

6:00:10PM No.

Alan Clendenin

6:00:12PM Yes.

The clerk

6:00:13PM Motion carried with Miranda, Maniscalco, and Hurtak voting no.

Alan Clendenin

6:00:17PM Thank you. Now I will entertain a motion for -- [ applause ] no, no. I know you all are excited. Jp, I will throw you out. [ laughter ] you all want to do a subsequent motion --

Bill Carlson

6:00:34PM Do a separate motion, I'm happy to second it. We can still send it to ride with it.

Alan Clendenin

6:00:40PM Let's move on. Item 70. Let's go. I'll give a moment for the room to clear.

Martin Shelby

6:00:50PM Why are you taking up item --

Lynn Hurtak

6:00:57PM Actually, I have a motion for CRA.

Alan Clendenin

6:00:59PM Everybody. [ sounding gavel ] keep your voices down for a moment. Let's wait for them to clear.

Lynn Hurtak

6:01:04PM I have a motion I would like to make, during CRA.

Alan Clendenin

6:01:30PM If you could keep your voices down and please exit the room if you're not staying. We still have business to do. Hey, guys. [ sounding gavel ] everybody outside.

Lynn Hurtak

6:02:05PM Prior to approving the CRA budget, I move to have each CRA provide a project update report in the same format as the one presented by Mrs. Astorquiza on 8/20/26 to be provided by all board members on Friday, September 4, 2026. We can use this information to discuss the length of time it takes to complete projects, where the delays occur, and strategies to shorten the time from conceptual design to completion at the September 10, 2026 CRA meeting. That was this line item that showed the annual -- or the years it takes to finish a project. So I'm asking for our staff to provide that.

Naya Young

6:02:49PM We have a motion from board member Hurtak. Is there a second?

Charlie Miranda

6:02:55PM I'll second it if you want.

Naya Young

6:02:58PM Second from board member Miranda. All in favor? Any opposed.

6:03:08PM Any other business for CRA?

Alan Clendenin

6:03:12PM Mr. Steady, do we have any other business for CRA?

Scott Steady

6:03:15PM Not CRA but we do have for council.

Naya Young

6:03:18PM We're in CRA right now. Board member Carlson.

Bill Carlson

6:03:24PM I just want to say, I think September 10 we're coming back, the CRA attorney is coming back with documents to codify the things in this document. So that is the next step.

Naya Young

6:03:35PM Attorney Steady, could you please confirm that? I mean, Attorney Shepard. Sorry.

Cliff Shepard

6:03:45PM Can you hear me now?

Naya Young

6:03:47PM Yes.

Cliff Shepard

6:03:48PM The answer is I don't know because I have been frozen out of trying to figure out what the heck is going on. But I will do whatever needs to be done between now and the 10th.

Naya Young

6:03:57PM Okay. Thank you. Any other comments for CRA?

6:04:11PM I have a motion from board member Clendenin and a second from board member Viera. All in favor? Any opposed? The CRA meeting is adjourned.

Alan Clendenin

6:04:25PM Thank you. We are back now to only council.

Scott Steady

6:04:29PM I need direction on the community benefits.

Alan Clendenin

6:04:31PM It was passed. I guess we're passing it to the plan of let the county deal with it.

Luis Viera

6:04:42PM On the community benefits agreement, we spoke about this, Mr. Steady, which is, can that come back to us for potential final resolution subject to our proceeding prior to November of 2026, potentially?

Scott Steady

6:04:56PM I'll personally make a commitment if people cooperate, I'll bring it back.

Luis Viera

6:05:01PM I ask that council because on November 2nd of this year, midnight, I'm out. District 7 obviously needs a voice. How about this? Sebastian, if you don't mind, for next week, let's put a reminder that I'll do a motion on this and speak to you, Mr. Steady, on the proper parameters if I may before.

Lynn Hurtak

6:05:29PM I don't know that that's appropriate. It has to be something dealt with by the city and county. I don't think we can make a motion.

Luis Viera

6:05:36PM That's why I'll wait until next week to deem it appropriate or not.

Scott Steady

6:05:42PM Two other resolutions. One is non-location, the other is guarantee. Given that you just approved the agreement, I highly recommend you adopt those two resolutions.

Alan Clendenin

6:05:52PM Can I get a motion to adopt the two other additional resolutions? Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilman Carlson. All those in favor say aye. Opposed?

Lynn Hurtak

6:06:04PM Nay.

Alan Clendenin

6:06:09PM The extension --

Martin Shelby

6:06:12PM I'm sorry. I was under the assumption that item 80 included all those agreements.

Scott Steady

6:06:18PM No, two other resolutions.

Alan Clendenin

6:06:21PM That was my assumption as well.

Scott Steady

6:06:24PM Three resolutions. As long as we all agree that all three resolutions have been approved, that's fine.

Alan Clendenin

6:06:32PM We'll do a roll call vote.

The clerk

6:06:39PM Motion carried with Hurtak, Maniscalco, and Miranda voting no.

Martin Shelby

6:06:45PM On which one of the three?

The clerk

6:06:48PM The last two resolutions.

Scott Steady

6:06:51PM I can take both. As long as both are approved, marty. It's your call.

Martin Shelby

6:06:57PM Okay. Thank you.

Scott Steady

6:06:59PM Community benefits, they'll decide, we get 35%.

Alan Clendenin

6:07:02PM 35% is --

Scott Steady

6:07:05PM Thank you, council.

Alan Clendenin

6:07:07PM We're moving on to item 70. Brownfield designation. Good evening, council. Beth Le with the city attorney's office. First of two scheduled public hearings on a Brownfield Area designation for a parcel generally located at the northeast intersection of north 46th street and East Fletcher Avenue. Ace Fletcher LLC is requesting a Brownfield Area designation of this property to assist in assessment and remediation of environmental impacts that may exist on the property. Details of the designation have been outlined in the staff report for fletcher district green reuse site proposed Brownfield Area designation. It's available for public's review in the city's electronic agenda system and at the city clerk's office. On-site public meeting properly noticed in both general circulation newspaper and ethnic newspaper prior to August 12, 2026 at the Patel Center for Global Solutions. After the second public hearing scheduled for September 24, 2026, council Will have an opportunity to pass the resolution designating fletcher district green reuse site as a Brownfield Area. The applicant's representative from Ace Fletcher LLC and Solid Waste member are present and available to answer any questions.

Lynn Hurtak

6:08:29PM Are there any questions? Anyone in the public that wishes to speak to this brownfield?

6:08:38PM Motion to close by Councilman Maniscalco. Seconded by Councilman Miranda. All in favor? Any opposed? We still need a second one. Thank you very much. Item number 72.

Justin Vaske

6:09:01PM This is regarding the approval of a special assessment roll for the Downtown Special Services District. We are requesting the approval of a resolution to adopt the non-ad valorem special assessment roll for the non-ad valorem special assessment within the Downtown Special Services District of the City of Tampa for the purpose of the provision of certain enhanced services in the said area for the 2027 fiscal year. Those services include but not limited to marketing and business development, safety, maintenance, transportation, Planning, beautification and urban design. The unit of measurement for the downtown assessment shall be one dollar and 0,285 cents per $1,000 of assessed value of each property in the certified preliminary role provided by the property appraiser. There have been no increases in the assessment amount and there's not been an expansion of the district. Also, we are seeking approval of a downtown special services agreement between the city and the Downtown Partnership regarding the use of these non-ad valorem special assessment funds within the Downtown Special Services District. We have staff here from the Downtown Partnership to answer any questions. Thank you.

Lynn Hurtak

6:10:24PM Are there any questions? Anyone in the public who wishes to speak to this downtown ad valorem?

Justin Vaske

6:10:38PM I would like to add objections and comments were provided to the clerk's office prior to the meeting.

Alan Clendenin

6:10:48PM We can do 72 and 73 together if there's any objection. You want to talk to 73?

Justin Vaske

6:10:55PM Yeah. What's approved, 72. There are two resolutions.

Martin Shelby

6:11:07PM City Council attorney. Council, these are all separate public hearings. Did you say, Mr. Vaske, the resolutions have to be adopted during -- because they were separate public hearings, my recommendation is you take them up all separately, Mr. Chair.

Alan Clendenin

6:11:28PM Very good. I have a motion from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Miranda.

Justin Vaske

6:11:36PM I would like to add you need to approve the resolution for the special services agreement.

Alan Clendenin

6:11:44PM Okay. We do it during the same public hearing. Very good. Anybody else? Nothing else? Already asked for public comment. All those in favor, aye. Opposed.

Guido Maniscalco

6:11:56PM I move the second resolution.

Alan Clendenin

6:11:57PM Motion to move the second resolution of item 72. Seconded by Miranda. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Now we need a motion to close, please. Motion to close from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilwoman Hurtak. All those in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Motion to open 73. Okay. Item 73.

Justin Vaske

6:12:21PM Justin Vaske, Legal Department. Requesting the approval of resolution to adopt the non-ad valorem special assessment roll for the non-ad valorem assessment within the Westshore business district of the City of Tampa for the purpose of paying for the provision of certain enhanced services and improvements and said area during the 2027 fiscal year, including transportation, marketing, security services for that said area. There has been no increases in the assessment amount or an expansion of the district. The unit of measurement for the Westshore assessment is 13 and one quarter cents per 1,000 of assessed value of each property described in the certified roll provided by the Hillsborough county property appraiser. Once again, we're also seeking approval of a Westshore special services agreement between the city and Westshore alliance regarding the use of these non-ad valorem assessment funds within the area of the city known as the Westshore Special Services District for the provision of improvements in services within the district. There are no written comments -- or no written comments or objections were received by the clerk, and staff is here to answer any questions.

Alan Clendenin

6:13:34PM Council have any questions? Hearing none, anybody in the public that wishes to speak to item 73?

6:13:44PM Stephanie, did you say you wanted to speak to this item? I have a motion to close from Councilman Maniscalco.

6:13:56PM Motion to move the resolution from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Motion from Councilwoman Hurtak to move the second resolution. Second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Motion to close public hearing for item 73, Councilman Maniscalco, second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Thank you. Item 74. It gets crazy. I think we're all spent, too. Emma Gregory Legal Department. I am here for items 74 and the next two items, actually. But this is a resolution requesting approval to adopt the non-ad valorem assessment roll for the downtown and ybor areas for the Tampa ybor historic streetcar special assessment. The unit of measurement for this assessment is 33 cents per a thousand dollars of assessed value. This has not changed this year. The assessment area has also not changed. Mailed and published notice were sent out in accordance with state law. Objections have been received and filed with the clerk, and I am here for any questions and just a reminder that the resolution does have to be adopted during the public hearing.

6:15:23PM Council have any questions? Hearing none, anybody in the public that wishes to speak to this item. Hearing none, motion to move the resolution? We have a motion to move item 74 resolution from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilwoman Hurtak. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Motion to close from Councilwoman Hurtak. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Item 75.

Emma Gregory

6:15:48PM Emma Gregory Legal Department, also here for item 75, which is the public hearing for the adoption of the resolution approving the city's non-ad valorem stormwater service assessment. This was continued from our August 6th meeting. The city did send out published and mailed notice in accordance with our code and law. The service assessment rate this year is $82 per esu. Equivalent stormwater unit. That has not changed since 2015. Anything else I want to say? Oh, yeah. Written objections are on file with the city clerk. Yes, the vote needs to occur on the resolution while the public hearing is still open.

Alan Clendenin

6:16:35PM Okay. Council have any questions? Hearing none, anybody from the public wish to speak to the item? Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

6:16:42PM This is in general renewing the fee, but not -- the next one is the one with the individual projects, right?

Emma Gregory

6:16:53PM This is the service assessment. Yeah, this is just for operation and maintenance of our system.

Alan Clendenin

6:16:59PM Anybody in the public wishing to speak to this item? Mr. Michelini, come to the podium. State your name and you have three minutes.

Steve Michelini

6:17:07PM Good evening. I was going to say good afternoon, but we've passed that. On August 4, I prepared a letter for you requesting that the items be continued, and that before the assessments are approved, the council should require staff to clearly identify the budget and work program of specific concern of the staff salaries and expenses, and how much of the funding is committed for maintenance and new construction. I would go so far as to say this maintenance lags far behind and the operations and salaries associated with these departments are extremely high. If I believe the chart that was presented by the City staff, 65% of this assessment was going to salaries, which seems disproportional to the intent and the general responsibilities of the city for maintenance and the operations. You lack in field crews. You lack in equipment, and none of this has been addressed. That's why I'm asking you for a clear work program associated with this assessment. You also have moved the South Howard project to September 17, and I think it's inappropriate for these assessments, this one and 76 to move forward prior to that being fully vetted. You also received a letter from the della part law firm on the 25th, also pointing out that the opinion that these funds can be used anywhere in the city and moved to the detriment of other districts that would receive no funding. It is very clear that in the legislation that it says that it has to be proportionally spent for the districts and the areas from which it's collected. Without any designation and this request that you simply approve the appropriation or the assessment, there is no accountability, and it simply leaves that completely open to the administration, whereas if you provide that as a condition of the work program, we discuss this at the workshops for the budget, and it's extremely important to know that this is not a piggy bank that can be raided anytime for the money just to be spent however they wish. I think that in della part's letter he also pointed out that the opinion that you could move money around wherever you wanted to was not contained in enabling legislation, in addition to that, the specific legal opinion only talked about the bond money for 2016 and not the assessment money. Respectfully request that you continue this item until such time as those work programs and the accountability is presented to the council. Thank you.

Alan Clendenin

6:20:02PM Thank you. Anybody else wishing to speak to this item? You know, I found a video of me talking about this two years ago. It's so funny. I actually profess -- I confess, I am the definition of insanity because I keep doing the same thing and saying the same thing over and over again. I think we have more transparency within the Stormwater Department, but I would caution you that every single time they come in front of you they tell you that they have a schedule. They never say we adhere to the schedule. And they are never showing you how the schedule is adhered to. We have to accept this money. I know that because we've done this before and it's okay to accept the money. I think we need to figure out a way to be able to, besides Ms. Cannella running around chasing them down or Jamie adair, in such a way that they are actually monitoring whether the work is being done. Because when they are saying they check on a lake every month, that's crazy. Because if they did, they wouldn't have loss without it. The e-mail I sent you a couple of weeks ago about with Mr. Cramer's house where he's got toilet paper rolling out. I don't care when that was. The bottom line is that if our stormwater drains are draining and they are not draining properly, that's a problem. And so it creates bigger issues within the city by not addressing these issues. And I don't know how you check up on it, because you can't check on everything. You guys just can't. I want to point out that I'm the moran who keeps coming here talking about the same sh-t.

6:22:01PM Was that rhetorical? For you, yes.

6:22:05PM Very good. Hearing nobody else from the public wishing to speak on the item, motion to close -- sorry, motion to move the resolution. Did you move the resolution? Motion to close Maniscalco, second Viera.

Emma Gregory

6:22:25PM Did you vote on the resolution.

Alan Clendenin

6:22:28PM She just told me I could close it.

6:22:31PM We haven't closed. We are still open. Motion to move the resolution from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Viera, correct? All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. I have a motion to close the public hearing from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilwoman Hurtak. All in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Do the same thing on item 76. Keep it open. Item 76.

Emma Gregory

6:22:55PM Emma Gregory, Legal Department. This is item 76. This is the public hearing on the resolution to adopt the stormwater assessment roll for the capital improvement assessment. This funds the stormwater capital improvement program and the resolution setting the public hearing was adopted on July 16. Then we came on August 6. It was continued. Mailed and published notices were sent in accordance with the code and Florida statutes. So this assessment has an esu of $89.55. And there's been no change since 2021, written objections are on file with the clerk. Please vote on the resolution during the public hearing. I'm here --

Alan Clendenin

6:23:49PM I think we got the message. The last one, we'll get it right this time. Anybody have any questions for staff? Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

6:23:58PM This one is backing up the C.I.P. By approving this, are we endorsing the South Howard project or are we just saying that we agree to renew this?

Emma Gregory

6:24:10PM Yes. It's just an approval of the renewal -- just an adoption of the assessment roll.

Bill Carlson

6:24:21PM I understand it is connected to the CIP. We're not in this vote voting to endorse the South Howard project in any way.

Alan Clendenin

6:24:29PM Thank you for the clarification. Anybody in the public wishing to speak to this item? Can you say ditto?

Steve Michelini

6:24:36PM I can. I don't know if it will transfer. Steve Michelini. I'm raising the same objections I raised earlier. Letter of objection from della part. You have a letter from me objecting on August 4 that these be continued and not be taken up before you decide on the South Howard. Work program should be presented and should become part of this and it shouldn't be used as a piggy bank. You shouldn't be allowed to move money around from the rest of the city for the benefit of one project, which is clear in the enabling legislation, was never the intent. We are not supposed to be taking funds from East Tampa, North Tampa, West Tampa, and South Tampa and moving it to one project. Simply shouldn't be done. It's bad policy. I don't know what else I can tell you. It's wrong. And it's irresponsible to do that. The money from one area shouldn't be transferred, and it doesn't follow the intent of the enabling legislation. One last thing I will tell you is that some of the things that staff says up here at the podium do not match what they say under sworn depositions. It's very troubling and it seems to be constant. We've had records that have been destroyed. We have information that's been delayed or not submitted to us at all. It is very disturbing. Appreciate council to be taking very careful notice that when they come up and say things to you -- I don't know about swearing them in. But when I come before you, my integrity means a lot to me, and I don't lie to you. I'm an advocate, but I am not a liar. And it is really disturbing to see that so many of the things that are being said that are not backed up by fact when these same staff members are put under sworn testimony. I respectfully request your assistance in this matter.

Alan Clendenin

6:26:39PM Thank you. Anybody else in the public wishing to speak to this item? Stephanie poynor. I don't think that this assessment is being spent apportionately -- that's the correct word -- and I'm not a big fan of -- I'm sorry, but my people in Port Tampa, the folks in North Tampa, are we spending on capital improvement in order to fix the issues for them? That's what I would like to know. I'm kind of with Mr. Michelini on this one. I would love to see anybody who makes a payroll check over $150,000 a year be sworn before they get up here and speak. Just saying.

6:27:23PM Thank you. Anybody else in the public wishing to speak to the item. Ms. Tate, start with your name. I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Michelini. Funds should not be transferred from one area to another. It's happening in East Tampa. I am very, very upset about it. My stormwater project. Stormwater project that was canceled. I had a discussion about it. Now it's going to be investigated, real estate is going to speak to the owner once again, but I find out one million dollars of the $1.5 million for broadway storm relief is being taken away and transferred to South Howard. I found that out in my conversation. I don't think that's right. I don't think that's fair. Thank you.

6:28:18PM Thank you. Anybody else in the public wishing to speak to the item, hearing none, motion to move the resolution. Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilwoman Hurtak. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Thank you. Can I get a motion to close? Motion to close from Councilwoman Hurtak. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Thank you very much. Item number 7. Here we go. Mike Schmid, assistant city attorney here on item 78. This is the first read of an ordinance in order to repeal section 14-111 and to amend 2-404 as well as amending 16-21 of the city ordinances. This is relating to a couple of changes that City staff, legal is recommending based on potential preemption arguments relating to firearms. We are asking for these changes. I'm here to answer any questions.

6:29:33PM Council have any questions? Hearing none, who would like to read this one? Councilman Viera, you are the public safety guy, do you want to read it?

Luis Viera

6:29:50PM I move an ordinance presented for first reading consideration. An ordinance of the City of Tampa, Florida, relating to omitting any reference to firearms in deference to the preemption requirement of Florida statute 790.33, making revisions to City of Tampa code chapter 14, offenses, repealing section 14-111, chapter 2 administration, amending section 2-404, chapter 16, Parks and Recreation, amending section 16-21, of ordinances providing for severability, repealing all ordinances in conflict, providing an effective date.

Alan Clendenin

6:30:23PM Motion from Councilman Viera. Second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor say aye. Opposed?

The clerk

6:30:30PM Motion carried unanimously with Hurtak absent at vote. Second reading and adoption held on September 17, 2026 At 10:00 a.m. in City Council Chambers, 315 East Kennedy Boulevard, third floor, Tampa, Florida, 33602.

Alan Clendenin

6:30:44PM The next one is something Councilwoman Hurtak wanted to call out. I'll wait for her to get back. Mr. Shelby, we're moving to you. Item 86, City Council rules. 85 was removed. We have 84, 86 and 41.

6:31:26PM It's been adopted. First reading.

Martin Shelby

6:31:30PM Coming back on second reading. Thank you. Sorry about stepping out. You say you are here on number 86. Mr. Chairman.

Alan Clendenin

6:31:41PM Can I get a motion to move the resolution?

Martin Shelby

6:31:44PM You have to read the title first.

Luis Viera

6:31:48PM I move the resolution amending and restating the rules of procedure governing the meetings of the City Council of the City of Tampa to primarily address public participation within the limited public forum created to conduct official public business, providing an effective date. We're doing Councilwoman Hurtak, 86.

Alan Clendenin

6:32:07PM I have a motion from Councilman Viera, second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed?

Lynn Hurtak

6:32:13PM Nay.

Naya Young

6:32:19PM Just a clarifying question because I received some e-mails regarding number 86. Does this take away having public comment on workshop days?

Alan Clendenin

6:32:33PM No.

Martin Shelby

6:32:34PM Thank you for asking that question because I would like to clarify that for purposes of the public. One of the things that was suggested was that public comment on agenda items was limited to only 30 minutes. That's not council's direction. For as long as people want to talk about items on the agenda, council Will hear at the beginning of the meeting. With regard to -- your point was again -- the workshops.

Naya Young

6:33:02PM Yes.

Martin Shelby

6:33:03PM What happened with the workshops, the rule is now moved to a different section. Rather than being in rule 3 of meetings, it's been moved to be consistent with the rest of the public participation to rule 5. Now it states, again, there, that public comment will be limited to 30 minutes on the subjects limited only to the subjects of the workshop at the end of the meeting. That is what it states now. One more thing, Mr. Chairman, if you give me 15 seconds to update you. I took out the language related to the commendations for the union commendations. That really does not belong in the rules of procedure. That is between this council and the chair of the public safety as to how to conduct that. So I took that out entirely, and there's no reference to any distinction between union recognition and any other recognition that you have. It's a total of three items.

Alan Clendenin

6:34:08PM Administrative function.

Martin Shelby

6:34:10PM Either a commendation or presentations, a limit of three for a 30 minute total in its entirety.

Naya Young

6:34:19PM But for clarification, there will be public comment allowed on workshop days, just for clarification.

Martin Shelby

6:34:25PM Absolutely.

Naya Young

6:34:28PM Thank you very much.

Alan Clendenin

6:34:29PM We're good? Let's call the vote again. All those in favor for 86, all in favor of moving the resolution, say aye. Opposed?

Lynn Hurtak

6:34:40PM Nay.

The clerk

6:34:42PM Motion carried with Hurtak voting no.

Alan Clendenin

6:34:44PM Very good. Item 41 is the last item we have to do -- I'm sorry. I forgot 84.

Lynn Hurtak

6:34:55PM We have I believe Mr. Knox here. Carl Brody from legal. At the June 25th meeting, we promised to come back with a proposal to move forward with the fee mitigation. I'm going to present it quickly, try to get through it as fast as we can. Two step process. First show why we need the change, and then we need to show the proportional -- proportionality of the new fee to the burden on the property. To get that done, the first thing we have to do is today, we have Brian here, and he provided to you a memo on the reasons why we need this. That gets our first step done. We're going to present a proposed ordinance, this is proposed for City Council to review, if everything looks good, we can move that to first reading in September. After first reading, we can provide that ordinance to Revenue and Finance for them to do the actual study. And then about a month later, give them time to do the study, we can come back with a resolution and an ordinance, which would update the city code and also provide whatever determination of Revenue and Finance determines ben it does the study for mitigation fee. Those are the steps we're taking. Do you need anything from Brian? If you don't, because he did provide a memo. That might be enough.

6:36:32PM Yes. I guess my question was, you're going to show us an ordinance. Do we need to set it for September or do you already have it set?

Carl Brody

6:36:41PM I would like to you set it for September.

Lynn Hurtak

6:36:44PM I move that we put this ordinance on the September 17 agenda.

Alan Clendenin

6:36:52PM Motion from Councilwoman Hurtak. A second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Lynn Hurtak

6:37:00PM Thank you so much for your work on this.

Carl Brody

6:37:02PM All right. Very good.

Alan Clendenin

6:37:03PM Thank you. Do I have it correct, item 41 is the last item of business, correct? Item 41. Emma Gregory, Legal Department. I am here in person, but I think Brandon Campbell, mobility director, is online. I think he's your first line of questions, but I'm also here for questions.

Lynn Hurtak

6:37:33PM So we heard in public comment today about Mr. Bhide being a part of this. And there were concerns that I think the new rule is that you can't be a -- participate in city business for six years. Two. Actually, they changed it to six. I'm sorry. That's electeds. Apologies. So two years. Mr. Campbell.

Brandon Campbell

6:37:57PM Yes, good evening, council. Can you hear me?

Alan Clendenin

6:38:00PM Yes.

Brandon Campbell

6:38:02PM Good evening, council. Brandon Campbell, mobility director. Item 41 on the consent agenda is an amendment to a previously executed agreement with the Tampa Bay Partnership for the Tampa Bay regional infrastructure accelerator coordination services that they are providing. This is not related to the item that was brought in front of council during public comments. That document does not have a relationship with this. If there are questions about previous employees doing business with the city, I would defer to the Legal Department on that, but there's not a relationship between Mr. Bhide and the item that is in front of you tonight.

Emma Gregory

6:38:57PM I can't remember. Maybe it was earlier today or earlier this week, I spoke with one of my colleagues in the Legal Department because this employment question isn't typically what I address in my day-to-day practice. However, Ms. Hamilton's opinion regarding Mr. Bhide's work on a preexisting contract that is not this agreement, not what's in front of you -- he went to a huge engineering firm with like a hundred thousand employees that had existing contracts with the city. Work pursuant to those existing contracts, if he's even doing it, truthfully, I don't know, would be okay if it's filling preexisting work. If you have more questions about it, I can certainly follow up with my colleagues.

Lynn Hurtak

6:40:07PM That answers my question. Thank you.

Bill Carlson

6:40:09PM I had that line of questions. I object to having former employees who were involved in lawsuits and involved in leading projects in the city. I also object to the Tampa Bay Partnership being involved or running this in any way. First of all, it is an exclusive organization where you have to pay $50,000 and get approved by the current or former mayor to be a member. And then also they have been involved in the last, all of the five ballot initiatives that lost, and they were involved in creating TBARTA which failed. So I don't see any reason to give them any activity that would involve transportation any more.

Alan Clendenin

6:40:55PM Thank you. Any other questions of staff? Hearing no other questions, I have a motion to approve the resolution from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Viera. All those in favor say aye. Opposed?

The clerk

6:41:07PM Motion carried with Carlson voting no.

Alan Clendenin

6:41:09PM Thank you. That concludes our agenda. We have new business. Councilman Carlson.

Bill Carlson

6:41:15PM I have my form for 52 and 53 --

Alan Clendenin

6:41:20PM Motion to accept the form from Councilman Viera, second from Councilman Maniscalco. All those in favor aye. Opposed, ayes have it? Anything else?

Luis Viera

6:41:30PM Two quick ones, if I may, you all may have seen that Tampa Bay times report on children with autism having a significantly higher propensity on drowning in storm ponds, municipal local government ponds and so forth. I think the number is that it is one out of 25 kids that have autism and about 25% of drowning victims who are youth, folks with autism. So I'm doing a community meeting in late September here with Commissioner Harry cohen on this. I would like to have, if I may, just a staff report based on the input we get from that community meeting on what the city can do in working with the county to prevent drowning deaths among children with autism -- or rather intellectual disabilities on that date. In person.

Alan Clendenin

6:42:16PM I have a motion from Councilman Maniscalco. -- sorry, Councilman Viera, second from Councilman Maniscalco. I am so tired. All those in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Guido Maniscalco

6:42:29PM I'm glad you brought that up because you see in the news how often it happens. It's horrifying. With my daughter, she loves the water. She loves the pool. That's where we have dead bolts because you read these stories and it's terrible. I'm glad you brought that up.

Alan Clendenin

6:42:51PM Everybody thinks it can't happen to them.

Luis Viera

6:42:54PM Yes, sir, and obviously Councilman Maniscalco, when I leave, I hope you run with that because you have such a personal connection as well as a great heart. My second one is for Mr. Shelby, this is my last one, we're all tired. I'm exhausted. We have our City of Tampa veterans advisory board. Mr. Shelby, what is the process to have council members submit their proposed appointees for execution by this board?

Martin Shelby

6:43:24PM Is there a deadline attached to that, sir? I think there was.

Alan Clendenin

6:43:30PM I submitted my name.

Martin Shelby

6:43:32PM Can you make that motion next week after you and I talk?

Luis Viera

6:43:36PM Yes, Sir. Sebastian will put that on. Thank you, council. Good meeting, Mr. Chair. And madam chair, thank you.

Alan Clendenin

6:43:44PM Councilwoman Young, any new business?

Naya Young

6:43:48PM I move to make a motion to present a commendation on October 1, 2026, recognizing former Hillsborough county commissioner les miller as the honore of the first annual Robert bob samuels award of courage for the 2026 black men's wellness day being held on October 10, 2026 at Al Lopez Park.

Alan Clendenin

6:44:08PM We love the millers. Motion from Councilwoman Young. A second from Councilman Viera. All those in favor say aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Bill Carlson

6:44:18PM Bob samuels was one of the best guys I ever met. He started the national prostate cancer coalition. I usually pass out halfway through lunch talking about it. Great guy with a great vision.

Alan Clendenin

6:44:31PM Anything else? Councilwoman Hurtak. Hold on.

Martin Shelby

6:44:44PM Not to say anything in particular about the particular commendation and motion on October 1st, just so you know, your new rules are now in effect. Please take note now that you have three commendations -- actually two commendations and a police officer of the month. In effect please be cognizant of the fact that when you review the calendar, when it fills up, because I'm going to ask council and we can have a discussion about this another time, that a motion to waive the rules is problematic with regard to consistency.

Naya Young

6:45:20PM Yes. Since we've been talking about this, all of my commendations are ten minutes and below. I've already started and it hasn't even been in effect yet. I already started the practice.

Alan Clendenin

6:45:31PM Very good. Thank you so much. Councilman Maniscalco, any new business?

Guido Maniscalco

6:45:37PM No.

Alan Clendenin

6:45:40PM Ready to build a basketball arena? Councilman Miranda.

Charlie Miranda

6:45:43PM I would like to make a motion for mayor's Hispanic heritage committee come before council on Thursday, September 3 during presentation and commendation to present a brief invitation to the council for the annual Hispanic heritage celebration.

Alan Clendenin

6:45:58PM This was brought to my attention and I approved it because it is a brief invitation.

Charlie Miranda

6:46:05PM Also --

Alan Clendenin

6:46:06PM I have a motion from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilwoman Hurtak. All those in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Charlie Miranda

6:46:13PM Make a motion to present off-site commendation to mayor's Hispanic heritage committee on Tuesday, September 29.

Alan Clendenin

6:46:20PM Motion from Councilman Miranda. Second from Councilwoman Hurtak. All in favor, aye. Opposed? I would like to make a motion to direct the Legal Department to monitor the Hillsborough county adoption of an ordinance regarding short-term rental regulations and provide an update on the November 5 under staff reports.

Lynn Hurtak

6:46:38PM Motion from Chair Clendenin. Second from council member Maniscalco. All in favor? Aye.

Alan Clendenin

6:46:43PM Thank you. Councilwoman Hurtak.

Lynn Hurtak

6:46:44PM I have a couple of actual motions and then something I need to say. I have a motion. I want to accept my form 8b for item 81.

Alan Clendenin

6:46:54PM Motion to accept the form from -- motion from Councilwoman Hurtak, second from Councilman Maniscalco. All in favor, aye. Opposed. Ayes have it.

Lynn Hurtak

6:47:06PM I move to have staff present a six-month update on the tree-mendous program tree plantings to include the number and types of trees planted from October 1, 2026, to April 1, 2027, on April 15, 2027, under staff reports.

Alan Clendenin

6:47:21PM Motion from Councilwoman Hurtak. Second from Councilman Miranda. All in favor, aye. Ayes have it.

Lynn Hurtak

6:47:27PM Last motion, move to have staff provide a monthly written report on the tree-mendous tree program tree plantings for each month starting November 19, 2026, for the planting period of October 1, 2026, through October 30, 2026. Then repeat the monthly report until the in-person staff report on April 15, 2027. At that time, I will reevaluate the need for monthly reports.

Alan Clendenin

6:47:50PM Thank you for the reevaluation. I appreciate that being added in there. Motion from Councilwoman Hurtak. A second from Councilman Maniscalco. All in favor aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Lynn Hurtak

6:47:59PM I have big news. Big news. I will just tell you that the reason that, Councilman Viera, that I didn't get you my veteran nominee on August 12 is because that's the day that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. So I have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I have been poked, prodded, mri'd, pet scanned. On Monday I had surgery to put a cord in because I start chemotherapy on Monday. I will be going through a 12-week cycle, and hopefully after that I will be through by thanksgiving. I will still have to have surgery, but it is something that I have been dealing with. I have been going through, and I will tell you all that having to be here for 12 hours today has been very painful for me. I've had -- I'm in a lot of pain right now. So I will just let you know that based on my blood count levels, I may have to be virtual, but I won't miss a meeting. I will be here. I just want my constituents to know that I fought for you today. I will continue to fight for you. Nothing changes for me. It just might change where I am.

Alan Clendenin

6:49:17PM Thank you for bringing it to our attention. I knew something was up. I think I speak on behalf of everybody, our heart and our prayers are with you. We'll be with you all the way.

Lynn Hurtak

6:49:33PM Yes, I appreciate that. The only other thing, people will ask what they can do, I say whatever your particular religious belief, I'll take blessings, prayers, good thoughts, whatever you've got. We're going to get through it. I have a wonderful team. My doctor found this on July 31st. I start my first chemo on August 31st. It's been incredibly fast. I'm incredibly grateful for all the wonderful care I am receiving. I am not talking about where I'm getting my care. Not talking about anything more personal. I just wanted to get it out there because things will be different for a while, and I'm probably going to join Mr. Miranda and Councilman Clendenin in not having hair but I will have a wig.

Alan Clendenin

6:50:20PM Should I get a wig? [ laughter ]

Lynn Hurtak

6:50:23PM Or everyone can just shave their head. I don't think that will happen. I just wanted to make everyone aware of that because it's been a really heavy burden to carry privately. Now I won't have to carry it privately.

Alan Clendenin

6:50:37PM Thank you for sharing. Something so many people in our lives face challenges every day. It will be challenging and tough. I'm sure you'll kick it and get through it and back to the feisty woman we know.

Lynn Hurtak

6:50:50PM Back? [ laughter ]

Alan Clendenin

6:50:53PM I'm assuming you're going to slow down through this process a little bit. Maybe a little bit. Mr. Shelby, did you have something to add.

Martin Shelby

6:51:00PM Council, I'll bring it next week.

Alan Clendenin

6:51:02PM Motion to receive and file from Councilman Maniscalco. Second from Councilman Viera. All in favor, aye. Ayes have it. [ sounding gavel ] we are adjourned. 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 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