Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on ELAPP:

Hillsborough County’s popular, voter-approved land preservation program running out of money

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Saturday, August 8, 2015 9:43pm

TAMPA — Hillsborough County’s popular land conservation program is in danger of running out of money. And its leadership blames the county.

Nearly 80 percent of voters in 2008 approved a referendum to give up to $200 million to the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program to purchase pristine, sensitive land for preservation. But after an initial funding of $59.5 million, the county has not contributed any more, and now only $4 million of unallocated money remains in the pot.

“It’s a disgrace,” said former Commissioner Jan Platt, for whom the program is named. “What are they waiting for, another referendum or the next election to kick them out because they ignored the referendum?”

The program was created by referendum in 1987. Three years later, residents voted to extend it for 20 years and fund it with up to $100 million. Both times it passed with at least 70 percent of the vote.

The 1990 referendum included a 25 cent tax on every $1,000 worth of property to pay for bonds issued to buy the lands. But in 2008, commissioners declined to tie a tax increase to a renewal referendum, meaning subsequent county boards would have to find a way to fund any bonding on their own.

Now, after passing the first stormwater fee increase since 1991 and with a sales tax hike for transportation potentially on the horizon, there’s little appetite from commissioners to raise taxes for land conservation. Last month they shot down a proposal from two of their own — Commissioners Les Miller and Stacy White — to give $15 million of the county’s $23 million BP oil spill settlement to ELAPP.

Here’s one problem: Opinions differ on what voters approved in 2008.

ELAPP’s most ardent supporters believe it was a mandate to set aside $200 million to protect the environment. Jan Smith, ELAPP chairwoman, noted that the referendum passed overwhelmingly “when the economy was in such a tremendous downturn.”

In pushing for a referendum at the bottom of the housing market free-fall, supporters hoped the county could get a good bargain on land purchases.

Asked if she thought the county was upholding the spirit of the referendum, Smith offered a terse, “No.”

But the language of the 2008 referendum is less definitive. It said the county could bond up to $200 million to acquire and secure lands for conservation, but there wasn’t a timetable to spend the money. The only stipulation was that any bonds issued to purchase lands must be paid off within 30 years.

County Administrator Mike Merrill said he viewed the $200 million as “a cap,” not a guaranteed amount that had to be spent. With the county still recovering from the recession, he said Hillsborough could not afford more than its initial investment.

“While voters enthusiastically approved it, taxpayers also expect us to be able to manage this within the context of everything we do,” Merrill said.

Merrill said the county already is struggling to fund maintenance, including controlled burns and wildlife preservation, for the 61,500 acres acquired by ELAPP during its 28-year existence. It costs the county about $2.5 million annually to maintain those properties, he said, and those expenses by law can’t be charged to ELAPP.

“The question I have asked the ELAPP supporters directly: How much is enough?” Merrill said. “I haven’t gotten a good answer to that.”

Smith told the Tampa Bay Times that ELAPP has identified 27,000 acres of land worth acquiring. With an average price tag of $4,000 per acre, that would require about $108 million, though not all of those parcels are available for purchase.

There are still expectations on the board that a revenue stream — but not a tax increase — is possible before the budget is finalized in September.

White, a Republican who represents rural east Hillsborough, said he expects to unveil a new proposal within six weeks to fund and “revitalize” ELAPP.

Part of the discussion, Merrill said, is determining whether there are revenue opportunities from the preserved lands. So-called carbon credits are one option.

There’s a small but emerging market of companies and organizations looking to meet self-imposed social responsibility objectives. They could pay the county to set aside lands that would reduce Hillsborough’s carbon footprint to meet their own corporate or organizational goals.

Another possibility would be to allow some tourism on conservation sites.

“Take out the revenue side for a moment,” Merrill said. “Taxpayer money has been used to acquire this. Taxpayers ought to have passive usage even to walk the property with a guide, not camp or start fires or hunt, just experience these sites that are magnificent.”

Many of the parcels earmarked for preservation are contiguous, and the county can better take advantage of that by ensuring connecting parks are well-kept, Commissioner Sandy Murman said.

“People overwhelmingly approved that amendment,” Murman said. “That was the message and we can’t forget or lose sight of what that message was.

“We can’t put it on the shelf and come back to it in 20 or 30 years.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on new Tax Collector office:

Drew Field’s World War II past comes alive in new Hillsborough tax collector office

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Monday, August 17, 2015 7:25pm

TAMPA — Normally, a trip to the tax collector or driver’s license office isn’t synonymous with soulful music or rambunctious cheering.

But Hillsborough County Tax Collector Doug Belden said his new office in Drew Park isn’t a normal government building.

Not only is the office the first in the state to house both county tax collector and Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles services, it also pays homage to Drew Park’s important but often overlooked role as an airfield for fighters and bombers during World War II.

Pennants, pictures, flags, equipment and other war memorabilia from Drew Field don the walls, along with paintings. Some of the memorabilia was donated. Others were on permanent loan from the University of South Florida.

The most eye-catching item was a two-thirds-scale aluminum replica P-51 Mustang fighter plane hanging from the ceiling just inside the entrance.

“This is one of the only locations in the county where you will have direct access to a fascinating part of Tampa history,” Belden said.

The partnership between state and local governments will save Hillsborough taxpayers $1.7 million in land acquisition costs and $400,000 a year from leasing costs, Belden estimated.

He unveiled the new office at 4100 W Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., near George M. Steinbrenner Field, at a rowdy ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning full of singing, music and praise from local dignitaries.

“Who else can take a boring government building and do something to make it special?” county Commissioner Sandy Murman said of Belden.

Drew Field started as a private landing strip in the early 1920s built by local developer John H. Drew and cigar king Hugh C. MacFarlane. The city of Tampa later purchased the property in 1928 for Drew Field Municipal Airport, but with war on the horizon, it was soon leased by the U.S. government to supplement MacDill Army Field.

During the height of World War II, Drew Field grew to 15 square miles and housed 25,000 military and civilian personnel, according to historical research provided by the tax collector office. In addition to standard aircraft, the base also was home to anti-submarine units that searched for Nazi submarines in the Gulf of Mexico.

The field was returned to the city after the war and in 1950 became Tampa International Airport

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on Rays:

Hillsborough commissioners to Tampa Bay Rays president: Hope to see you here soon

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Wednesday, August 5, 2015 3:26pm

TAMPA — Tampa Bay Rays brass stopped by the Hillsborough County Commission meeting Wednesday to talk up a new initiative for veterans and active military. But a couple of commissioners couldn’t resist making a few not-so-subtle quips about moving the Rays to their side of the Bay.

After Rays President Brian Auld touted the early success of “Honor Pass” — a program launched in July that allows veterans and active servicemen and women to get two free tickets to attend Rays home games — Commissioner Sandy Murman told Auld she was “proud of you and what you’ve done.”

And she was “just very excited for what it brings for the future, hopefully here in Tampa as we go forward.”

“We won’t ask you to comment on that,” Murman quickly added.

The Tampa Bay Times did.

As usual, Auld wouldn’t say much about discussions to move the Rays to Hillsborough County.

“We’re doing what we can,” Auld said after his appearance. “We’re 100 percent committed to Tampa Bay and we’ll continue to be that way.”

He did say he has met with “all the candidates who have asked to meet with me” in the race to replace St. Petersburg City Councilman Wengay Newton, an opponent of a deal that would allow the Rays to search for a new stadium in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties and a key swing vote. Those candidates are Lisa Wheeler-Brown and Aaron Sharpe, he said.

“We’ve had pleasant conversations but as I’ve said before the Rays don’t elect city council members, the citizens of St. Petersburg do and we don’t want to exert an undue influence on that process,” Auld said.

During his presentation about the veterans programs, Auld said more than 10,000 current and former servicemen and women have already taken advantage of the free tickets in just six home games since the program started July 24.

Commissioner Ken Hagan, the most active commissioner in luring the Rays across the bay, was effusive in his praise of the organization’s community outreach efforts and let it be known he wasn’t done trying to find a spot for the team in Hillsborough.

“The team’s performance and efforts for a new stadium are well documented but I want to thank you for your commitment to improving the quality of life for our community,” Hagan said. “The Rays organization is certainly a model corporate citizen, and I close by saying: Look forward to seeing you here in the not too distant future.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on TECO solar project:

Tampa Electric to build largest solar project in Bay Area

• By Anne Steele, Times Staff Writer

Tuesday, August 4, 2015 11:59am

TAMPA — Tampa Electric will build the largest solar project in the Tampa Bay area, the subsidiary of TECO Energy announced Tuesday.

The 25-megawatt system — which will feature more than 70,000 solar panels on 125 acres of the company’s existing land at the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach — dwarfs any current solar initiatives in the area, including Tampa Electric’s 2-megawatt installation under construction at Tampa International Airport.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2016 and brings Tampa Electric’s investment in solar since 2000 to more than $50 million.

“We’re pleased to be able to demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers with more renewable energy by taking advantage of declining solar system prices and the land we own at Big Bend,” said Gordon Gillette, president of Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas.

The system would be capable of powering more than 3,500 homes.

“This large-scale facility will benefit our more than 700,000 customers and showcase how a diversified mix of energy resources delivers affordable and reliable energy to meet Florida’s electricity needs now and in the future,” Gillette said.

25 Megawatts isn’t much of our energy pie, but it’s significantly (12 times) more than the 2.135 MW of solar will have at the end of this year (that includes the 2 MW at Tampa International Airport).

Tampa Electric’s current generation mix includes 1700 megawatts of coal at the Big Bend Power Station, 1800 megawatts of natural gas at the H.L. Culbreath Bayside Power Station, as well as 260 megawatts of coal gasification and 580 megawatts of natural gas at the Polk Power Station, which will increase by another 460 megawatts of natural gas in 2017, and 2.135 megawatts of solar.

“Although energy from the sun is free and the costs for solar systems keep going down, it’s too early to predict how Tampa Electric’s investment in additional solar generation will impact overall rates,” said Martha Monfried, manager of communications for TECO Energy.

The continuing decline in the cost of solar and our ability to site in on 125 acres that we already own is why we’re able to build the project at Big Bend.

“Siting this solar project at Big Bend is certain to increase the visibility and understanding of solar power in the Tampa Bay area,” said Hillsborough County Commission Chair Sandy Murman.

The Big Bend project would be the second large-scale solar installation being built by Tampa Electric. The first, at TIA, is under construction on the top floor of the airport’s south economy parking garage. Scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, it will be able to produce enough electricity to power up to 250 homes, or roughly the equivalent of the airport’s new 1.4-mile automated people mover.

The company has also installed solar systems at LEGOLAND Florida, the Florida Aquarium, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, the Museum of Science and Industry, the MVC, as well as Walker Middle School and Middleton High School.

The 25-MW solar facility at Big Bend will further reduce Tampa Electric’s overall carbon dioxide emissions. The utility is an industry leader in emissions reductions, having completed a $1.2 billion agreement to dramatically reduce overall emissions.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this MarketWatch article on solar project:

Tampa Electric Announces Plans to Build the Largest Solar Project in the Tampa Bay Area at the Utility’s Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach

Published: Aug 4, 2015 8:30 a.m. ET

1

25-megawatt system will benefit all Tampa Electric customers

TAMPA, Fla., Aug 04, 2015 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Tampa Electric, subsidiary of TECO Energy TE, -0.50% today announced the utility will build the largest solar project in the Tampa Bay area. The 25-megawatt (MW) facility will feature more than 70,000 solar panels on 125 acres of company-owned land at the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach. Scheduled to be completed in 2016, the solar project will be the largest ever built by Tampa Electric and have the capacity to power more than 3,500 homes.

“Tampa Electric has a long history of pursuing and supporting solar power,” said Gordon Gillette, president of Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas. “With this project, we will have invested more than $50 million in solar since 2000. We’re pleased to be able to demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers with more renewable energy by taking advantage of declining solar system prices and the land we own at Big Bend.

“This large-scale facility will benefit our more than 700,000 customers and showcase how a diversified mix of energy resources delivers affordable and reliable energy to meet Florida’s electricity needs now and in the future,” added Gillette.

Hillsborough County Commission Chair Sandy Murman said, “Siting this solar project at Big Bend is certain to increase the visibility and understanding of solar power in the Tampa Bay area. I commend Tampa Electric for their vision and long-standing commitment to the environment and community.”

The Big Bend site includes Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center (MVC), which has hosted more than 4.3 million visitors since it opened in 1986. That number will increase with construction underway at the Florida Conservation and Technology Center just south of the property.

The Big Bend installation is the second large-scale solar project being built by Tampa Electric. The first, a 2-MW facility at Tampa International Airport, is under construction on the top floor of the airport’s south economy parking garage. Scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, it will be able to produce enough electricity to power up to 250 homes, or roughly the equivalent of the airport’s new 1.4-mile automated people mover.

The large-scale solar installations at Big Bend and Tampa International Airport highlight Tampa Electric’s commitment to clean energy and complement the utility’s existing solar systems that since 2000 have allowed customers to voluntarily purchase renewable energy. Today, the company has installed solar systems at LEGOLAND Florida, the Florida Aquarium, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, the Museum of Science and Industry, the MVC, and two schools (Walker Middle School and Middleton High School). Tampa Electric plans to install another solar PV system as part of its Renewable Energy program this year.

The 25-MW solar facility at Big Bend will further reduce Tampa Electric’s overall carbon dioxide emissions. The utility is an industry leader in emissions reductions, having completed a $1.2 billion agreement to dramatically reduce overall emissions.

Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, is part of the TECO Energy family of companies. Tampa Electric serves more than 700,000 customers in West Central Florida. TECO Energy Inc. TE, -0.50% is an energy-related holding company with regulated electric and gas utilities in Florida and New Mexico:Tampa Electric, Peoples Gas System and New Mexico Gas Co. Other TECO Energy subsidiaries include TECO Coal, which owns and operates coal-production facilities in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this article in the BayouBuzz.com a Louisiana-based media site:

Hillsborough County will hold onto BP settlement money for now

Written by  A media source // Thursday, 30 July 2015 09:13 // 

TAMPA — Hillsborough County won’t immediately spend any of the money it received in the settlement with BP over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, commissioners decided Thursday.

Instead, the county will hold the money for at least a year. Hillsborough received $28.5 million in the settlement, and about $23 million will go into county coffers after legal fees are paid.

County administrator Mike Merrill said Hillsborough will likely receive its share in August.

There was movement from some quarters to give a large chunk of the money to protect environmental lands, but commissioners ultimately voted 7-0 that it was too early to divvy up the funds. Additionally, some commissioners said it was tourism and development that were affected by the oil spill in Hillsborough, not the environment.

“This BP oil spill money was a direct result of a loss of tourism,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on BP settlement:

POLITICS

Hillsborough will save BP money for next year

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff 
Published: July 30, 2015

TAMPA — A move to strengthen Hillsborough County’s conservation lands program with BP oil spill settlement money was turned back by county commissioners Wednesday.

Republican Commissioner Stacy White and Democrat Les Miller had proposed that $23 million the county will receive for damages from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill should go toward environmental programs. The bulk of that payout, $15 million, would go to shore up the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Preservation Program, or ELAPP, which is nearly out of money.

But the rest of the board fell in behind Commissioner Ken Hagan, who said the county should hold onto the money until commissioners look at county needs next spring while preparing the fiscal 2017 budget.

Hagan noted that no sooner had the settlement been announced than commissioners were looking for ways to spend it on ELAPP, transportation or economic development. A solid argument could be made for spending the money in any of those areas, Hagan said.

“However I’m going to recommend that we take a prudent and fiscally conservative approach,” Hagan said, “and the reason I say that is that there is absolutely no sense of urgency to spend the money. In fact, we don’t even have the money yet.”

Hagan’s motion was quickly seconded, and Democrat Kevin Beckner, who originally suggested the county file a lawsuit against BP, backed Hagan’s plan.

Beckner said the lawsuit was not filed because tar balls washed up on the county’s shoreline or coastal birds were slathered with oil.

“It was the loss of tourism tax dollars as well as other factors that created a direct economic loss to our community,” Beckner said. “So with that, I think it’s extraordinarily important that these dollars be invested in a way that strategically would help us rebuild and recontribute back into our economy.”

Beckner said one way to do that would be to invest in ecotourism, an area White and Miller had also included in their proposals. And, like Miller, Beckner said some of the money should go to the county’s Environmental Protection Commission to buy new equipment.

Other commissioners took up the theme that the money was a result of economic losses, not environmental damages, and should be spent on economic development. Victor Crist, a Republican, said he agreed that the protecting the county’s natural resources and conserving land were important goals. In the past, Crist has been an enthusiastic proponent of expanding ecotourism.

“But where I draw the line is … the monies came in for a specific reason,” Crist said, “and that was to cover the losses that we had from the BP oil spill, which were mostly economic.”

Commission Chair Sandy Murman, a Republican, suggested the county might want to spend the windfall on transportation she said is linked to economic development, an often-stated priority of this commission. That commitment, Murman said, paid off recently when local software company Accusoft announced it would be creating 125 jobs with the help of a $750,000 economic development grant, $150,000 of which was local money.

Accusoft president and CEO Jack Berlin is a member of the ELAPP general committee and a friend of Murman’s. Berlin said that because the Deepwater Horizon spill was an environmental disaster, it was a “no-brainer” that the settlement money should be used to protect the environment. What the county shouldn’t do with the money, Berlin said, is use it for things that are normally paid for with taxes.

“I think the criteria we should use would be to do something that would have a long-term impact and that we wouldn’t do normally,” Berlin said. “It would be something that made a difference in the Hillsborough River or additional land for ELAPP.”

In 2008, Hillsborough voters approved borrowing up to $200 million so ELAPP can buy land. But unlike two previous votes in favor of funding the program, the 2008 ballot measure did not include a small property tax to pay off bonds.

Just $3.5 million remains in the ELAPP fund from a $59 million bond issue approved by county commissioners in 2009.

In a March 8 article in the Tribune, Berlin said there would be a “revolt in the environmental community” if prime conservation land became available and ELAPP didn’t have the money to buy it.

In other action Thursday, the commission left the countywide property tax rate the same as last year: 5.7943 mills. For a home with a taxable value of $150,000, the owner would pay $869. Commissioners could still lower the tax rate before September.

The countywide tax is paid by everyone in the county. Residents of unincorporated areas — outside the cities — would pay an additional $656 on a $150,000 house. Cities and the school board also levy property taxes, as do other government agencies such as water management districts and the port authority.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on redevelopment:

Hillsborough County could charge developers more for sprawl to encourage redevelopment from within

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 29, 2015 7:35pm

TAMPA — Hillsborough County wants to entice developers into building up existing communities and urban hubs instead of building farther out.

Doing so means updating an antiquated tax known as impact fees, a sum paid by developers at the completion of a project. As it stands, the county actually charges less for new developments, even though that kind of growth costs the county more in support roads and infrastructure.

Hillsborough commissioners on Wednesday gave the county planning staff the okay to explore a change to “mobility fees” as part of a larger comprehensive plan for future growth.

Mobility fees charge builders more for the roads and transit needed to support new development, especially if they build outside the urban core. A final proposal is expected in December.

Under that system, the county could also lower the mobility fee in certain existing economic corridors. That would give builders an incentive to explore new projects in places the county is hoping to spur redevelopment.

It could also raise more revenue. In 2014, transportation impact fees netted the county just $2.4 million.

“We’re trying to turn the paradigm around,” said Lucia Garsys, chief administrator for development and infrastructure services. “This is a new way of looking at these fees that can transform our community.”

Commissioner Sandy Murman stressed that the fees need to be used “as a tool in the toolbox for economic development” and “not just raising fees to help fund our transportation needs.”

“We collect these fees, they go right back into economic development areas to really support the infrastructure and all that needs to take place,” Murman said.

The conversation is not occurring in a vacuum. The county is also weighing a half-cent sales tax increase in hopes of raising $3.5 billion for roads and transit projects over the next 30 years.

Many residents want to see developers pay for sprawl and a plan for smarter growth before the county raises taxes. In theory, a shift toward mobility fees would accomplish that.

That could make mobility fees an important piece in persuading the public to support the half-cent sales tax increase in a 2016 referendum.

“I do think we need to solve that mobility fee option irrespective of what happens with Go Hillsborough,” Commissioner Kevin Beckner said. “Yes, we can tie it some to Go Hillsborough, but we need to get that figured out, I think, really, before we go into a full referendum.”

One area where the county wants to incentivize redevelopment is a new innovation district planned for Fowler Avenue near the University of South Florida.

The innovation district would link existing economic engines in the area, like the medical centers, USF, Busch Gardens and University Mall, with new office buildings and collaboration space for businesses to start up and grow. It would also include apartments, bars, restaurants and retail that would create a live-work-play atmosphere to attract well-educated millennial workers.

Commissioner Victor Crist disclosed for the first time that a jai alai arena could come back to Tampa in that area as, well.

The county budget includes $2 million to create a master plan for the innovation district. While Hillsborough owns 80 acres of land near USF, Tampa and Temple Terrace overlap with the potential planning area.

Ron Barton, assistant administrator for Hillsborough County, hoped to soon present an interlocal agreement for a joint planning area with Tampa and the Tampa Innovation Alliance so all stakeholders are on the same page. Commissioners emphasized the importance of cooperation.

“What’s the level of commitment from the city of Tampa, from Temple Terrace? We need to consider these things on the front end,” Commissioner Ken Hagan said. “Our dollars are the only public dollars in play now. We’re not investing all these monies without the appropriate expectations from the other jurisdictions.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on BP settlement funds:

POLITICS

Hillsborough will consider spending BP money on environment

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff 
Published: July 28, 2015

TAMPA — Many consider the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill one of America’s worst environmental disasters.

That assessment is shared by two Hillsborough County commissioners who want to spend a $22.8 million settlement from a county lawsuit against oil company BP on environmental protection.

“This is money from an environmental disaster that had far-reaching effects, not only on our environment but our economy as well,” said Commissioner Stacy White, who floated his proposal late last week. “It only makes sense to spend this on environmental projects.”

On Tuesday, Commissioner Les Miller rolled out a proposal that mirrors White’s. Both would give the bulk of the money, $15 million, to the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program, commonly known as ELAPP. The money could be used to buy conservation land and to maintain land already under ELAPP protection.

“I think ELAPP is vitally important for us,” Miller said. “I feel we need to continue to look at land acquisition.”

But other commissioners said the county shouldn’t be in a rush to channel the money to specific areas. Former commission Ken Hagan, for instance, said there is no urgent need to commit the funds before the county starts planning its 2017 budget next spring.

“Government has an insatiable appetite to spend money,” Hagan said. “The ink wasn’t even dry on the agreement before proposals and requests were being made on where we should invest. We have a balanced budget and there is no sense of urgency to spend the BP settlement.”

Kevin Beckner, the commissioner who first suggested the lawsuit against BP, also wants the county to take its time in deciding how to spend the money. Beckner said commissioners need to find a balance between protecting the environment and mitigating the loss of tax money after the oil spill that was the crux of the county’s lawsuit.

“This money didn’t arrive because we had oil wash up on our shores,” he said. “It arrived because of the economic loss our county sustained due to the egregious BP oil spill.”

Beckner said one way of making up for the lost tax dollars while promoting environmental protection would be to spend heavily on ecotourism. He suggested the county work with organizations such as Lowry Park Zoo and Busch Garden which are already experienced in promoting tourism and educating people about wildlife.

In addition to funding ELAPP, White wants to spend $5 million on greenways and on blueways, coastal areas that can be explored by canoe and kayak. The remaining money would go to coastal restoration, $2 million; boat ramp enhancements, $700,000; ecotourism, $50,000; and native plants for county parks, $50,000.

In a departure from White’s plan, Miller would spend just $2.5 million on greenways and blueways and $2.5 million on the Environmental Protection Commission, the county’s regulatory agency.

“I think (the commission’s) mission and the long-term work it does trying to protect the environment and Tampa Bay is so important, particularly when it comes to improving our economy,” Miller said. “We’re going to have population growth that 10 years from now will be close to 2 million people and we need to make sure our environment remains safe.”

White said the BP settlement is a godsend for an ELAPP program that has fallen on hard times. The program has won over 70 percent approval from voters on three different occasions, most recently in 2008 when a ballot measure gave the county authority to borrow up to $200 million for land purchases.

But unlike previous ELAPP referendums, the 2008 ballot measure did not include a property tax levy of up to 0.25 mills — about $25 a year for the owner of a $150,000 house. County commissioners are not eager to pass a property tax increase even as ELAPP funds dwindle. Just $3.5 million remains in the ELAPP fund from a $59 million bond issue county commissioners approved in 2009.

“I think it’s clear there has been great interest in finding a way to reinvigorate the ELAPP program,” White said. “As soon as I found out about this settlement, immediately a light bulb came on and I said to myself, ‘This is how.’”

Environmentalists applauded White’s proposal, especially about putting money into ELAPP. Mariella Smith, a member of the Tampa Bay Group Sierra Club, said conservation lands are a big attraction for eco-tourists, and the loss of tourism dollars was the main argument the county used in its lawsuit against BP.

“Ecotourism is a big part of tourism and that’s the economic hit we took,” Smith said. “And ELAPP lands are part of the destination for eco-tourists … I think it makes sense to invest in that.”

Hillsborough County’s settlement was part of $3.25 billion awarded to Florida for oil spill claims. Though the Tampa Bay area didn’t experience oil-covered birds and blackened beaches, the state and local governments argued that images of the devastation in other parts of the Gulf of Mexico scared away tourists, thus costing businesses money.

The county will get $28.5 million altogether from the settlement. But just $22.8 million is unrestricted and can be spent as commissioners wish.

Other commissioners were uncertain about how to spend the money and said they wanted to hear the subject discussed at a Thursday board meeting before making a decision. The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Frederick B. Karl County Center.

Commissioner Sandy Murman, though reluctant to commit to any spending scenario, did not rule out helping ELAPP. However, she pointed out competing needs such as roads and other transportation projects.

Up until last year, she said, the county didn’t have money for ELAPP, “the timing wasn’t right to go out borrow more money. We’re getting close to that time when it will be good to put more money into ELAPP. I really want to do something.”

Commissioner Al Higginbotham said he also wants to help ELAPP but he thinks any available money should first be spent on maintaining the land already in the conservation program.

“It’s important to set aside these lands,” Higginbotham said, “but it’s even more so to find a way to keep them maintained in as much of a natural state as possible.”