Council close out June with a workshop at 9 am Thursday morning and a 5pm land use meeting that evening. The workshop will primarily be focused on 3 topics: noise, trees and carried from last week, council rules regarding public comment. Additionally there will be a discussion about Tampa Fire rescue response times in the K-Bar Ranch area. The evening meeting runs the gamut from amendments to the comprehensive plan, to alley vacation and rezoning for South Ybor to alcohol use permit requests.

Noise

As to the noise discussion, there’s a request for Tampa Police to create a plan to enforce “ambient noise”, one about modified mufflers and another about acoustic design standards. Noise has been a complaint in Tampa as long as this writer can remember. I recall one particular evening in Ybor at the original New World Brewery when the band The Blue Rags — “an American revivalist, ragtime and boogie-woogie band” — were playing on the front porch. TPD made the venue pull the plug to which the band responded with a rousing acoustic version of This Land Is Your Land. That noise ordinance has since changed but the debate is the same. But I get it. Gas powered leaf blowers are my issue; unfortunately the state passed a law this session preempting local government from regulating them.

Trees

The “tree discussion” is also part of a long, ongoing discussion in this city. Preserving trees, cost to re-planting a tree, what kind of trees to plant. Most recently staff presented in April on the background of the tree trust fund, The Natural Resource Advisory Committee, the Tree-Mendous program and staff recommendations. There are members of council and the public that have more questions and are trying to resolve differences. Hopefully progress has been made but considering last week an item appeared on the agenda to purchase $250,000 in trees with the Tree Trust Fund, including Type 3 trees, that council declined to approve it seems there are still some things to work out. Council Member Lynn Hurtak did mention that she will be motioning to allow the Tree-Mendous program to include front yards and keep the program to only fund Type 1 and Type 2 trees. I shared my opinion after the admin’s first presentation and still believe the ReLeaf program should be funded. If folks want to quibble over where the funds come from for the Type 3 trees, as long as the trees get planted. Included in the existing11 plans are Ybor, Davis Islands Trail, and West Tampa.

Council rules and public comment

The final topic isn’t on the draft agenda as it was continued from last week’s meeting after the draft agenda was already publish. That was item 51, council rules related to public comment. Tampa City Council Attorney Martin Shelby and City of Tampa Attorney Scott Steady appeared together before council to layout exactly why they were making the recommendations. This isn’t the admin coming to council to change their rules, there was a motion approved by council asking their attorney for recommendations to address past issues and concerns. Included in the efforts to make recommendations was CRA Attorney Cliff Shepard and staff in his firm. I’ve already voiced support for the changes and that hasn’t changed, particularly after the gross exploitation of public comment last week. I think council should follow the advice of their attorney. And their Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Attorney. And the City Attorney. It’s a city council meeting in City Hall that’s publicly attended and broadcast.

I thought Attorney Shelby did a great job spelling it out. Council either leaves it as status quo, against advice of legal counsel, and potentially leave themselves vulnerable to limited legal protections from the city if something were to arise from the allowance of general public comment.

Or define council meetings as a Limited Public Forum where the focus is to do the business of the city and as part of that participation agree to follow rules of decorum (among the other recommendations are stricter dress codes including messaging on the clothes). Public comment, after approval of the agenda but prior to taking up the items, is solely for addressing items on the agenda. The recommendation is if council would still like to allow the public speak to any subject they wish, that be held after the completion of city business. Other ideas floated were limiting the period of public comment.

A majority of council weren’t ready to approve any of the recommendations and will pick back up the discussion Thursday. A reminder — there isn’t a public comment period to start workshop meetings; the public is afforded 30 minutes to speak to each agenda item.

Also, the final vote to eliminate the Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) department was delayed until August. Council will be off the next two weeks, returning for a July 16 regular meeting.