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Council wants facts before museum vote

Members want detailed financial answers well in advance of a decision.

By JANET ZINK
Published March 11, 2005

TAMPA - With three weeks to go before the City Council considers whether to pay $30-million toward construction of a new art museum and $2-million annually for operating costs, some members want much more information, and one says $2-million is too much to pay a year.

Council member Shawn Harrison said Thursday that he wants to know more before he votes but that he already has reservations about one major element of the plan: The $2-million-a-year operating subsidy. "I'm not high on that," Harrison said. "Every one of the other attractions we subsidize is at a level far less than the $2-million that's been proposed."

The city gives $350,000 a year to the Lowry Park Zoo and $750,000 a year to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

The financial commitment dates back to former Mayor Dick Greco. Current Mayor Pam Iorio has agreed as well, but not without some restrictions to ensure that the city isn't obligated to pay more.

Iorio wants assurance that the museum has enough backing from private donors, a solid business plan and a $37.8-million bank loan that guarantees the city won't be asked for more money later.

She wants that information by March 24 so it can be forwarded to the City Council in advance of a public hearing March 31.

The deadline was set to lock in construction costs on the museum, which have been rising due to the increasing price of building materials worldwide.

On Thursday, Councilwoman Rose Ferlita went so far as file a public records request to get Iorio and city finance director Bonnie Wise to quickly produce detailed documents.

Harrison took a softer approach and asked that city representatives come to the council's March 17 meeting to explain the proposal. In a heated exchange, Councilman John Dingfelder characterized Ferlita's public records request as confrontational.

"You operate the way you want, I'll operate the way I want," Ferlita shot back.

After the meeting, Ferlita said that it often takes too long to get back-up information from the administration and that the art museum needs careful consideration.

"This is huge, huge, huge," she said.

For months, Iorio and her staff and museum officials have been involved in complex negotiations. But Ferlita didn't need to take legal action to get information, Iorio said.

"It's very odd that any City Council member would take the move of filing a public records request," she said. "All any council member has to do is pick up the phone and let us know what information they need and they'll have it right away."

Complete financing documentation is still not available because the museum hasn't provided it, she said.

The administration will make a full presentation at the City Council meeting March 31. And if the museum doesn't meet its deadlines, the city will still be at the meeting to present alternatives to the existing plan, Iorio said.

Iorio has briefed six of the seven council members individually on the museum. She hasn't met with Chairwoman Gwen Miller because of scheduling conflicts, she said.

But Harrison said those meetings were at least a month ago and much has changed since then.

"We all would like to have sort of an up-to-the-minute update from the administration and not get all of our information from the newspapers," he said. When he met with Iorio, Harrison said, the museum still faced huge obstacles.

"At that time it looked like it was dead in the water," he said. "It's been revived since then."

Museum officials are working to address the mayor's concerns, but the council may have its own questions about the proposal, Harrison said. "We do have a big decision to make," said Dingfelder. "Council really can't wait until the last possible second and then have the deal fall in their laps. If there is any tweaking, we won't have the opportunity to do that."

But hearing from the administration at the next City Council meeting gives him plenty of time, he said. He also said he feels Iorio has been forthcoming with information.

"I ask for documents every single week related to the agenda," Dingfelder said. "I don't think the administration hides the ball from council."

Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena said she has been getting regular updates on the museum from the administration. She said she had high hopes that the museum would proceed as planned but acknowledged that the past few months have been dramatic.

Said Saul-Sena: "I've never seen anything that's so significant that's such a roller coaster."

Janet Zink can be reached at 813 226-3401 or jzink@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 11, 2005, 01:22:10]