Council sits for two meetings this week—first with a special call meeting Tuesday evening for the long delayed transmittal of the text amendment changes to the comprehensive plan. They then sit Thursday morning for a regular meeting with a 66 item agenda heavy on presentations and staff reports. Included will be an update from Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) about the Selmon Expressway expansion including “Upgraded Stormwater Features: Modernized stormwater infrastructure to improve drainage and increase system resilience.” Council will also vote to approve a piggyback contract with Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to install Flock integrated speed cameras in school zones.

Special Call Evening Meeting

Three items are on the agenda all related to updating the comprehensive plan. These transmittal hearings were originally scheduled for May 15th, 2025. Somewhere between 2 years of discussions and a general consensus in the fall of 2024 and the transmittal, concerns were raised and council pushed things back asking for more public input and changes. At the August 28, 2025 meeting, per the planning commission council requested:

• Specifically, Council asked staff to re-look at LU Policies 7.1.2, 2.2.3, 3.6.2, 3.1.17, 3.1.18, 3.2.1, and 3.3.6, and LU Table 3, the boundaries of the Fowler Regional Activity Center, adding Neighborhood Commercial Districts and policies on protecting single family neighborhoods (currently adopted Objectives 9.4 and 9.5), and density rounding to see if it can be reintroduced in certain areas. Staff will also review all policies in the draft as they relate to Senate Bill 180.
• Council also narrowed the Transit Ready Corridors to: Florida, Nebraska, Busch, Hillsborough, Fowler East of I-275, Kennedy, Dale Mabry North of Kennedy, and 40th Street South of the Hillsborough River. All others were removed by motion, though they did leave open the possibility of identifying more in the future. Council also made a motion to delete Policy 7.1.4.
• The Housing and Coastal Management Section Updates, which heavily interrelate with the Future Land Use Section, were also continued to February 17, 2026.

As previously discussed by the Tampa Monitor, the current comprehensive plan supports an estimated population of 481,128 in 2040. The estimated population in the 2045 plan is 484,168. The primary purpose of the plan is to accommodate the anticipated population in 20 years. Density/Intensity can only go up, there’s no adjusting parts of the city down. Once an entitlement is given it’s permanent running with the land.

When this item first appeared on the agenda in May of 2025, the planning commission noted two additional votes with public hearings after the transmittal to the state for review. Future hearings or votes are unclear.

Thursday Regular Agenda

Items up for a vote Thursday include the aforementioned item 10, School Zone Speed Photo Enforcement Program, which setting aside privacy and data sharing implications, it’s certainly an interesting coincidence TPD brought forth a $43,450 contract with Flock 5 months ago and now they are proposing signing a contract with a company that touts it’s exclusive integration with Flock. TPD are also requesting $459,088.20 for another 10 gas powered Interceptor vehicles. The fire rescue department are requesting $926,981 for a “Pierce Stock Enforcer Pumper Truck.” Both requests to be purchased with Community Investment Tax funds.

For item 34 they will be voting to approve a two-year contract “not to exceed” $1,176,000.00 with the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. Questions have been raised in the past when this contract came before council regarding return on investment for the city.

Items 42 & 43 are the final adoption hearings for the land use changes proposed by Daryl Shaw for his proposed Ybor East development to include an expansion of Tampa General Hospital. First reading passed 6-1 with Council member Lynn Hurtak voting no.

Finally among noteworthy items to be voted on, item 52 $6 million contract with Kimmins for citywide meter, hydrant and valve installation and replacement, part of the multi-billion dollar PIPES project. There’s an additional $3,909,458.72 on item 53 for the wastewater plant—High Purity Oxygen Generation Facility Replacement.

The remaining 13 items on the agenda are all staff reports, both written and verbal. One that a lot of folks will be watching is the update on the Stormwater Master Plan for item 54. The remain items include discussions about sidewalks, land development code updates and fire station 24.

Council will close out February with a workshop during the day on the 26th and an evening land use agenda that currently has an alcohol beverage suspension hearing scheduled.