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Community vents issues to another council member

Tampa Palms leaders, feeling left out as a city neighborhood, take their case to an at-large City Council member.

By DEMORRIS LEE
Published July 29, 2005

TAMPA PALMS - Feeling under-represented by the Tampa City Council member from their district, several Tampa Palms district supervisors met with at-large City Council member Rose Ferlita on Monday in an effort to get their issues addressed.

Patty Maney, Randy Marlowe and Bill Shimer, along with Tampa Palms Community Development District consultant Maggie Wilson, met with Ferlita in a conference room at her Nebraska Avenue drugstore. In an informal meeting, they discussed frustration at trying to get city government workers to recognize their area as a city neighborhood. They also discussed the best way to get a city park in the area.

In the city's District 7, Tampa Palms is represented by Council Member Shawn Harrison. There has been a growing tension between Harrison and members of the Tampa Palms CDD, because they say he has not been responsive to their phone calls.

"In general, you've got to represent the people that elected you, and that's the breathe-in, breathe-out requirement of any elected official - represent your constituency," Marlowe said. "I personally don't feel like Shawn does."

Harrison said he thought he had resolved a communications breakdown that he had with Wilson.

"I would wish that someone that felt that way would give me a call and let me know," Harrison said. "Rather than air dirty laundry in the press, I'd rather deal with it head-on with a phone call. That would seem more professional to me."

Ferlita took notes Monday and assured those at the meeting that she would try to get some answers to their questions. As an at-large City Council member, elected by voters citywide, Ferlita said she "always tries to be encouraging to all citizens calling me." At the same time, she tries not to "step on a district member's turf."

The breaking point for Tampa Palms CDD supervisors came last month when the city unveiled its new Clean City Division. The division cut the city into five parts. Workers will ensure that areas are clean and that grass is cut. A slide presentation of the program gives a description of four areas of the city, including major thoroughfares and corridors. But the slide for New Tampa simply says: "Services available upon request."

A July 16 letter to Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio expressed the CDD's and the Tampa Palms Owners Association's disappointment with the presentation.

"Someone representing Tampa Palms would have raised their hands to say, "We get those services as a member of the city,' " Marlowe said. "We shouldn't have to jump through hoops."

Shimer said the meeting with Ferlita was a way to try to resolve some of the "pushback" that Tampa Palms residents say they get when trying to conduct business with the city. Some residents say they are told that they are not a part of the city.

"We don't know what to do to clear the air," Shimer said of the confusion. "My purpose of conveying our concerns was to see if she (Ferlita) had any idea of how to blow oxygen in there."

Harrison said he wasn't aware that Tampa Palms residents were having difficulties getting help.

"If any resident of Tampa Palms is being told that (they are not a part of the city), that is inexcusable," Harrison said. "That is absolutely inexcusable, and I would like to get to the bottom of that."

At Monday's meeting, Tampa Palms CDD members expressed frustration to Ferlita about not being able to get information regarding pending parks in the area. The city is to build a 5-acre park on land deeded by a developer just south of Interstate 75. Another concern was a $1.2-million gymnastics center that is being built at New Tampa Community Park next to Freedom High School.

Patty Maney, a CDD supervisor, said that a focus group more than a year ago voiced overwhelming support for a dog park and a multiuse park for small children on the 5-acre tract. As for the gymnastics center, Maney said no one in Tampa Palms was consulted. She also said there is a greater need for soccer fields than a gymnastics center.

"He (Harrison) never got back to us on this park," Maney said of the 5-acre site. "If Mr. Harrison would realize that I'm not against what he does, I just don't understand how the priorities are being set and how he's getting input as to what this portion of his constituency needs."

Harrison said the voices of those at the focus group were heard and that the city's parks staff is "actively moving forward" and planning a park around the focus group's recommendations. He said plans call for a park on the 5-acre site that will include a dog park and a playground.

As for New Tampa Community Park, which now only has baseball diamonds, Harrison said there was always a plan for it to be a full-service park with a center. And considering there is an agreement between the county and city to use the basketball courts at Freedom High School, it "didn't make sense" to build another basketball court, he said.

In addition, with the only other city gymnastics center being in Seminole Heights, Tampa Palms has the right demographics for such a facility, Harrison said.

"The feedback I've gotten has only been positive," Harrison said of the gymnastics center.

- Staff writer Demorris Lee can be reached at 813 269-5312 or dalee@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 28, 2005, 08:19:13]