Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on BOCC meeting:
Stormwater fee to go up in Hillsborough, but unclear by how much
Wednesday, April 15, 2015 5:59pm
TAMPA — Hillsborough County is likely headed for its first stormwater fee increase in more than two decades. How much the rate goes up, though, is still up for debate.
There was general agreement during Wednesday’s County Commission meeting that additional funds are needed to fix and replace the county’s aging pipes. Commissioner Kevin Beckner said he lost his home 12 years ago to flooding in part because of an old stormwater culvert.
“I vow not to let that happen to any other citizen in our county,” Beckner said.
But commissioners could not settle on new stormwater rates, which have remained $12 for a residential home since they were introduced in 1991.
Instead, they asked public works staff to find out what is needed to eliminate the backlog of critical repairs within five years and recommend an increase based on that.
About 3,000 individual pipes or structures in the county are nearing the end of their life — some are more than 40 years old — and replacing or updating them would cost $60 million. Another $24 million is needed for neighborhood improvements to prevent future flooding.
The backlog increases by $4.4 million each year.
Public works staff presented commissioners with two plans: one doubles the stormwater rate for residents to $24 annually and another triples the fee to $36.
Commissioner Les Miller said tripling the fee was justified.
“Nothing is the same price as it was in 1991,” Miller said. “If we don’t do something now we’re going to really put ourselves in deep, deep, deep trouble.”
Miller was ultimately outnumbered and instead voted with the rest of the board to put off settling on a specific amount until the next board meeting.
“I’m not so comfortable going up to $36,” commissioner Ken Hagan said. “I would like ours to remain below the City of Tampa.”
The average Tampa resident pays $36 a year. Pinellas County residents pay $70 to $266 a year in surface water fees, depending on the size of the house. It’s $47 in Pasco County.
Under the existing structure, mobile homes, apartments and condos pay $6 per unit and commercial and industrial properties pay 1 cent per 1.5 square feet. Those fees are likely to increase as well.
In other matters Wednesday, the board unanimously requested a feasibility study of using solar trash compactors in Hillsborough parks. The idea comes from the city of Seminole, which has used the compactors at bus stops.
Hillsborough County commissioners on Wednesday honored former Florida governor Bob Martinez with the 2015 Ellsworth G. Simmons Good Government Award.
Martinez, who also served as Tampa mayor from 1979 to 1986, is the 19th recipient of the award.
“You have provided tremendous leadership to our community, our state and our nation over the years,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said. “Your service to others is an example to all.”
After leaving the governor’s mansion in 1991, Martinez served as “drug czar” for President George H. W. Bush. He has remained active locally through entities such as the Hillsborough Education Foundation, the Florida Council of 100 and Tampa Bay History Center.
“I love the community,” Martinez said. “I was born here and so was my wife and anything we can do to make it better is something that we do.”
