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Neighborhood report

Talkative residents give mayor an earful

At a town hall meeting, they each had two minutes to speak. But, for some, when the clock stopped, their mouths didn't.

By RICK GERSHMAN
Published February 10, 2006

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio likes to make time for her constituents.

And at town hall meetings, some constituents enjoy trying to take all the time they can get.

Take the most recent event, Tuesday evening at Plant High School.

Residents were allotted two minutes to address their questions or concerns to Iorio. Some took about that long. Some took a little longer. Some took double, even close to triple.

Late in the two-hour meeting, one woman began complimenting Iorio on how much she appreciates the mayor and numerous city departments and staffers, discussing each in extensive detail.

She continued lauding the bureaucrats until the buzzer went off that indicated her two minutes were up. She completed her current kudo, paused, and continued full speed ahead: "Now, I have a statement, and a question."

And on she went.

Iorio just smiled and nodded, as she did with all the others. Her town hall meetings have been unfailingly genial affairs. Iorio consistently gives the impression the only time she might interrupt or become contentious with a constituent is about one hour after hell freezes over.

A slip of the tongue earned the mayor some laughs early on, when introducing several City Council members in attendance, including Mary Alvarez and "Mary's wife, Manny."

"Husband!" several attendees corrected.

"Well, whatever," Iorio replied, laughing. "You get the picture. They go home together."

Tuesday's affair didn't cover much new ground Iorio hasn't heard before. Several speakers brought up development, traffic and mass transit issues.

A few more pressed the city staff over a dispute about providing historical preservation to bungalows on Harbor View Avenue, off Bayshore Boulevard.

That issue evoked the only even slightly heated comments of the evening, as Harbor View resident James Crosby referred to a "deception process" in how the homes were being considered for preservation.

Iorio turned the issue over to Cyndy Miller, the city's director of business and housing development.

Miller said, "We need to sit down with all levels of our bureaucracy and get with everyone before this goes back to the (Historic Preservation) Commission."

Also discussed Tuesday:

* Palma Ceia resident Carol Cameron said of area traffic: "It's like five years ago, someone snapped their fingers and traffic went from fine to horrible."

* Iorio said the area's elected officials "were more progressive on mass transit 20 years ago, when I was on the (Hillsborough) County Commission," than now, when the need is much greater.

- Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or 813 226-3431.

[Last modified February 9, 2006, 09:10:11]