Response: 

First, the fact that Pinnacle/Ram is no longer on board is not necessarily a bad thing.  It’s been painfully obvious for months now that their plan was not in the long-term best interest of the city.  And by letting the developer string us along, we lost a lot of momentum and public support for the project.  People are throwing up their hands in frustration, believing that nothing will ever be done.

The most important things that city council can do are:

1. Remember our original vision – We developed an award-winning plan for downtown through intensive citizen input that would be a focal point for the city and would provide an enduring sense of community.  The goal was to create the rejuvenation energy that similarly planned town centers have created, and which our city desperately needs.  I believe that we still need that.  Parts of our city are crumbling, and we need to ensure that we stop and reverse that trend.
2. Listen to the experts – We need to listen to the experts who give us advice (and have given us advice in the past).  We have to admit when we need help to accomplish something, and this is one of those times.
3. We need the process to be more "planner driven" rather than "developer driven".  We also need to have more of a consistent message on the redevelopment.  When we waffle on some of the issues and give mixed signals, it reinforces the idea in the mind of developers that we are difficult client with which to work, which may be one our biggest problems right now.

Response: 

Obviously we need to keep taxes as low as possible, which is going to mean looking for ways to do more with less money and being creative in our operations.  Our millage rate is fairly reasonable, as it stands, and I doubt there is much desire to increase it.  Of course, the last thing we want is to sacrifice our excellent fire and police service, so as costs rise on that front, we are going to have to continue to look at how we fund that.

I’d like to note that in my platform I have proposed targeted property tax breaks to residents and businesses that invest in transportation solutions and solar power.  The solar power incentive is designed to do three things:  (1) attract green collar jobs to our city, (2) provide incentives to residents and business owners to support clean energy, which reduces our dependence on foreign oil and dirtier forms of energy, and (3) serve as a marketing tool for our city to attract higher paying professional jobs.

I also want to look at everything for potential cost savings, including ideas like installing power-saving LED traffic signals and ensuring that future civic buildings are Green Buildings, which have lower energy needs, and hence lower operating costs.

Response: 

The recreation center is starting to show its age, so we need to be thinking about how to keep it up to our standards.  But we also need to recognize that it costs money to do that, and we may not be able to afford significant upgrades in the facility in the near future unless we increase user fees more than we already have.  One thing I would like to do is to look at whether we can cut a portion of the operational costs by using solar water heaters rather than natural gas or propane to heat the pool in the cooler months.  Even if it offsets only a portion of the cost, I think it would be worthwhile, and would demonstrate to the community that we will pursue all available cost saving options.

I also see tremendous opportunities with paved and off-road trails in our city that can serve as additional recreational outlets.  For example, we need to keep the proposed Temple Terrace Trail on track.  This 2-mile trail will connect Temple Terrace Highway with Whiteway Drive and Riverhills Drive along an old railroad spur.  I’d like to see this trail eventually extended north, under Fowler Avenue, along the utility easement, under Fletcher Avenue, and up to the paved trail in New Tampa near the Compton Clubhouse.  Imagine how attractive Temple Terrace would be to new residents (and business owners) if you could hop on your bike (or in your golf cart) and safely go all the way from your neighborhood to Hidden River office complex or New Tampa without driving your car.

We also should team with service organizations like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and high school service clubs to clear the trails in Riverfront Park north of Temple Terrace Highway near 78^th Street, rather than paying city staff to do it.  Once these trails are constructed, residents would have a great opportunity to venture out along the banks of the Hillsborough River to see a wonderfully preserved park.  The same could be done in Boy Scout Park near Riverhills Park.

Response: 

I support an arts center in Temple Terrace and agree that it would be an asset to have it in or near the redevelopment area.  I am open to discussing ideas on the exact location, and I understand the pros and cons of putting it in the middle of the redevelopment.

Regarding financing, I support Council’s current plan for a public/private partnership so that it is not fully funded by taxpayers.  I will work to ensure that it is a Green Building so that the cost to taxpayers for operations is minimized as much as possible.

Response:

There has been improved communication between the School District and the city, but we obviously have a lot to do.  There are a lot of people who send their kids to private schools or on special assignment so that they don’t have to go to their assigned school, and we need to understand that until our schools become more neighborhood oriented, that will not change.

I think City Council can use the power of the bully pulpit to rally support for our schools, to let the citizens know when there is a need for things such as volunteer readers in classrooms, guest speakers, assistance with keeping PTAs going, etc.  Something as simple as including this information in the monthly bulletin that comes with our utility bills could be quite effective in letting folks know how they can help and building a greater sense of community with our schools.

Also, one of our School Board Members lives right here in Temple Terrace (a couple of blocks from my house), so we should be working with her to be our champion on issues that we feel are not being adequately addressed.