Commissioner Murman listed as #7 on people to watch in a rebounding Bay Area economy:

In 2015, watch these people in a rebounding Tampa Bay economy

• Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist

ROBERT TRIGAUXTampa Bay Times

Friday, January 2, 2015 6:00am

Look for 2015 to kick-start the Tampa Bay economy from the get go, with a flurry of announcements of new business expansions and promises of more jobs. Watch these folks in particular, all focused on making things better in the new year:

1. Suzanne McCormick, CEO of United Way Suncoast. Since her Tampa arrival from Maine in September, she’s put an unapologetic spotlight on corporate giving here, publicizing companies that are big United Way givers and, by omission, those that do less. Several United Ways in the state also issued an important report in November that found a startling 45 percent, or 3.2 million, of all households in Florida cannot afford basic housing, child care, food, health care and transportation. In a seven-county Tampa Bay area, that affects more than 600,000 households. What steps might McCormick conjure in 2015 to help ease the plight of such a large and overlooked portion of the community?

2. Brian Lamb, chairman, Tampa Bay Partnership. Within days of Lamb stepping in as 2015 chair of the Tampa Bay Partnership, this metro area’s regional business marketing organization, longtime Partnership CEO Stuart Rogel agreed to step down after 20 years at the helm. Now Lamb, a regional president here of Ohio’s Fifth Third Bank, and the Partnership board will pursue a national search to find a successor who can refresh the marketing group’s relevance. With strong ambitions by other area groups to grow and attract corporate headquarters, 2015 will be a critical year for the still vaguely perceived Tampa Bay metro area to sharpen its definition in the eyes of Corporate America and beyond.

3. Bryan Cranston, actor and pop culture phenom as Walter White character in Breaking Bad TV series. Not only is the actor starring in a thriller movie to be shot (in part) this spring in Tampa and Hillsborough County. But the film itself — The Infiltrator — features Cranston’s role as former Tampa federal undercover agent Bob Mazur, based on his compelling book about infiltrating the Medellin drug cartel as an international banker with money laundering skills. Cranston’s cultlike following will elevate public attention for Tampa Hillsborough Film and Digital Media Commission chief Dale Gordon’s push for more films and more state funding — whichever comes first.

4. Tod Leiweke and Jac Sperling, top advisers to Jeff Vinik’s massive redevelopment project in downtown Tampa. Here are two smart advisers that have Vinik’s ear. Leiweke may be CEO of Vinik’s Tampa Bay Lightning but he is no less involved in the vast 40-acre redevelopment project for downtown Tampa. Sperling is part of Vinik’s Strategic Property Partners LLC group leading the redevelopment effort. Combined, this is the core triumvirate.

5. Debbie Dooley, co-founder of Atlanta Tea Party and Green Tea Coalition. The activist for energy choice in Florida will hold four town halls in praise of solar energy in January and February and push for competition in an industry of monopoly electric utilities. Dooley also will consider a ballot initiative to open up the market for solar and may seek to repeal the tangible property tax on solar, restructure the Florida PSC and push for third-party financing/leasing of solar. Also on the 2015 agenda: Developing a “Utility Customers Bill of Rights.” That’s just for starters. Look out, Duke Energy Florida. Look out, Florida PSC.

6. Brian Auld, president, Tampa Bay Rays. The ink on his new business cards as Rays team “president” had barely dried before he alienated the St. Petersburg City Council. That flub required the soothing political intervention of veteran predecessor Matt Silverman, who’s now supposed to be focused on building a viable Rays team on the field. Let’s chalk up the performance of Auld, with his Harvard and Stanford degrees, to early jitters in a new gig. Look for sharper Auld leadership on the hunt for a new stadium in 2015.

7. Sandra Murman, chairwoman, Hillsborough County Commission. In November, she was sworn in as chairwoman of the commission and now faces a year with a long laundry list from her community. What happens when the desire for funding for another try at a mass transit plan bumps up against money needs for a possible Tampa Bay Rays stadium or the financial demands for a host of projects spawned by bullish county and Tampa leadership? It helps that the economy is on the upswing, but Murman will need to be very creative to keep diverse constituents reasonably happy.

8. Chris Minner, vice president of marketing, Tampa International Airport. He’s one of the “can-do” guys behind TIA chief Joe Lopano, helping deliver new direct flights to Tampa Bay’s primary airport. The latest coup is Germany’s Lufthansa, which will start flights to Frankfurt in 2015. Other wins include Tampa flights to Cuba, Switzerland, Panama City (Panama) via Copa Airlines, and even Seattle. Every flight not only sweetens TIA’s appeal to more passengers, but also catches the eye of nonstop-fixated corporations contemplating where next to expand.

9. Sri Sridharan, managing director, USF’s Florida Center for Cybersecurity. What’s one of the fastest rising skill sets in demand in this country? Just ask the folks at Target, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus, Bebe Stores and, most recently in the news, Sony. There are dozens of other business victims and federal, state and local governments are plenty paranoid about safeguarding their computer files. Sridharan’s challenge is to secure enough funding and develop a depth of expertise for USF to justify its “Florida Center for Cybersecurity” name. It’s fast becoming a very competitive game.

10. Susan Martinez, executive vice president and Florida regional president, IberiaBank. The rare woman bank CEO, Martinez honed her skills at major area banks for years before leading an impressive turnaround as top executive at the seriously struggling Florida Bank in downtown Tampa. Now comes Louisiana-based IberiaBank Corp., which paid $90 million to buy Florida Bank, grabbed a toehold in this metro market, and chose Martinez to build its fresh presence in Florida.

11. Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the USF Morsani College of Medicine. Talk about timing. Soon afterhe was named med school dean, USF opts to move its medical college and other health assets from the main Tampa campus to downtown Tampa as part of Jeff Vinik’s ambitious redevelopment project near the Amalie Arena. That relocation, still a few years off, should empower Lockwood to recruit doctors keen on a cool, urban live-and-work habitat. And it should strengthen ties between the school and Tampa General Hospital. TGH soon will be a brief water taxi’s ride away from the school’s new location.

12. Peter Kageyama, urban activist and author. His For the Love of Cities book of 2011 was a hometown hit. On Jan. 6, he unveils his sequel — Love Where You Live: Creating Emotionally Engaging Places. Kageyama, who has counseled mayors on both sides of the bay and beyond, calls it a practical “how to” book for community leaders, a playbook for building roads, public spaces, even public art. It is, he says, a way for folks to be “intentional” about emotional engagement and translate their city passion into real outcomes.

13. Dr. Jackie Dixon, dean, USF College of Marine Science. Two little letters: BP. Five little words: Largest spill in nation’s history. The college recently won a $20 million grant by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to analyze the ongoing effects of the 2010 BP oil spill. USF smartly wants to take a lead role in this long-term disaster, as it should. “Data, analyses and models of the fate and effects of the (BP) and similar oil spills will enable the nation and the world to be better prepared in the advent of a similar oil well blowout,” says Dixon. Big picture? Look for “marine science” to become a major St. Petersburg industry in the coming years.

14. David Downing interim CEO, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater. He’s still competing for the actual CEO job (we’re down to two candidates with more interviews this month) left open by departed chief D.T. Minich. Let’s go out on a limb here and presume Downing, who grew up in St. Petersburg, gets this important job as chief of tourism marketing for Pinellas County. Pinellas tourism keeps rising thanks to clever advertising and state backing of the many “Come To Florida” messages playing up north this winter. Just remember: It’s tricky becoming CEO of an organization already setting tourism records. What do you do for an encore?

15. Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire investor. It’s hard to stress often enough the role of Gates’ distant but formidable influence on the Tampa Bay economy. His willingness (through his Cascade Investment firm) to fund a significant portion of Jeff Vinik’s 40-acre downtown Tampa redevelopment project is an influential marketing coup for the Tampa Bay area. Nor is it his only stake here. Via a $100 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Hillsborough public schools are revamping their teacher evaluation system. And in December, Pinellas public schools secured $560,000 from the Gates Foundation to train educators in a new “personalized learning” way of teaching. All of that amounts to a whole lot of Gates’ commitment to the Tampa Bay area. People and businesses will notice.

Contact Robert Trigaux at rtrigaux@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8405. Follow @venturetampabay.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on Apollo Beach:

South Shore News

Project is putting the beach back in Apollo Beach

BY DOUG ARNOLD
Special Correspondent
Published: January 22, 2015

The wheels of heavy equipment are turning as the Beach Restoration Project in Apollo Beach begins. Flores and Harper, a full-service general contractor, is now on-site and moving forward with the four-month project of shoreline restoration.

Bids recently went out for the upcoming dredging operation to be reviewed in early February and then be awarded later in the month, said Len Berkstresser, president of the all-volunteer nonprofit Apollo Beach Waterway Improvement Group, aka ABWIG.

“In addition to the bids, final permits are under review, and we anticipate all the approvals in hand within about 30 days,” he said.

The ABWIG spokesman said the earliest dredging would begin around April 1, with the hope that the Apollo Beach Nature Park could re-open as early as Memorial Day.

“We started this effort four years ago, and it has been a great community effort,” Berkstresser said. “It’s a great feeling to see things now in the works.”

Ross Dickerson, environmental lands manager with the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department confirmed work is underway.

“The contractor has completed construction of the T-groin at the northern extent of the beach and the breakwater just south of that,” he said. “They are currently working on the two subsequent breakwaters to the south and should have those completed by the end of the month.”

The preserve was closed in late 2014 by Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation to limit public access during the restoration work.

The project will reclaim beach sand through the dredging of three channels connecting Apollo Beach to Tampa Bay. Eight breakwaters will be constructed by the county. The breakwaters will be parallel to the western shore and a jetty off the North Channel will significantly reduce wave action, minimizing future beach erosion and reducing sediment in the channel. More than 11,000 cubic yards of sand will be dredged to create a 2-acre beach.

The county is also building a series of seven rock barricades known as “revetments” standing between 6 and 8 feet tall and up to 40 feet in length in front of the beach. They and the “T-groin” jetty will help minimize future beach erosion.

The project also focuses on dune restoration in and around the nature preserve that includes development of a living shoreline.

The new and improved beach environment will feature native flora, a rebuilt pedestrian walkway and a roadway.

❖ ❖ ❖

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman has helped push through the project since its inception.

“Restoring the channels and beach at Apollo Beach is one of the most important projects in South County at present,” she said. “I am excited to have the pristine shoreline, rolling sand dunes and salty, white sandy beaches back again.”

Murman said this will be a boon for local residents and businesses as it draws visitors from all over.

“This is something the South County economy has needed for a long time to promote ecotourism.”

Bringing back the beach is dream come true for many in the community.

“The beach restoration project at the nature preserve in Apollo Beach will benefit (us) in multiple ways,” said Ron Simpson, a broker associate with Weichert Realtors Yates & Associates. “First, it will restore the beach to Apollo Beach for the benefit of both the fishing crowd and those who just like to walk the beach; secondly, the dredging of the (channels), which is providing the sand to ‘restore’ the beach will improve access for the boating community.”

Dickerson emphasized the project should have no impact on marine life or to the manatees that migrate to TECO’s Big Bend Power Plant each winter.

“This is a rigorous permit process with federal and state agencies,” Dickerson said, noting that from the reduction in wave energy from the breakwaters, sea grass will flourish and help a whole marine habitat in the area to prosper.

Berkstresser agrees.

“When the project is completed it will be a boon to wildlife, especially fishing,” he said. “The breakwaters will stimulate oysters, barnacles and other shellfish, which will attract more fish.”

He thinks within one or two years, the fishing in Apollo Beach should see dramatic increases.

The estimated completion date of phase one is April 30, but Dickerson said he is optimistic it will be completed sooner. The beach area and preserve will continue to be closed for safety in and around the construction site.

Berkstresser anticipates phase two will be completed around the end of May.

The current budget for the project is $770,843.

“To date, that budget remains the same, but there will be additional funding necessary to compensate for the unexpected presence of seagrass in the construction footprint that required additional permitting, design changes, and time necessary to complete the project,” Dickerson said.

The Hillsborough County Commission unanimously voted a $1.3 million allocation in 2014 for the restoration project. South Shore businesses and other Hillsborough County organizations contributed nearly $250,000 toward the project cost. The additional $1.5 million investment is a partnership between Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation and ABWIG, including major donors such as Tampa Electric Company, Mosaic Company, Apollo Beach homeowners associations, real estate brokers, boating groups and individuals from the region.

Additional resources to maintain the waterway channels are needed to ensure future care and maintenance planned during phase two of the overall project. ABWIG will continue to seek contributions throughout 2015.

The public is invited to A Tapas & Tasting fundraiser to take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Apollo’s Bistro, 6520 Richies Way, Apollo Beach. Guests will experience a five-course tapas menu, and select wines will be paired with the food. The cost is $40 per person, with proceeds going to benefit the restoration project. Seating is limited. Call (813) 641-2685 or visit www.ab wig.org.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this StPetersBlog column on Board of Governors vote & Elia vote:

Hillsborough loses a bit of its swagger

By Mitch Perry on January 22, 2015

It’s been almost impossible to go to any public event in Tampa over the past year when you haven’t heard Bob Buckhorn, Sandy Murman or Tampa/Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. CEO Rick Homans crow about how bad ass Tampa/Hillsborough is doing these days on the economic front.  Whether it’s the airport, the port, the EDC, the county and city governments getting along, it’s been all good for the movers and shakers of this community. And that was before the region got another boost of mojo last month, when Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik unveiled his master plan to develop the downtown waterfront region, with the first major piece being a new University of South Florida medical school.

But that plan has been derailed ever so slightly with two incidents that have occurred within the last 48 hours.

The first major piece of the Vinik plan has been the creation of a USF medical building. But a funny thing happened on the way to the construction of that facility yesterday, when the first major test — approval of $62 million of state funds — was delayed when the Florida Board of Governors delayed that vote, saying they didn’t have sufficient information about the plan. That occurred despite the fact that Mayor Buckhorn, USF President Judy Genshaft and Vinik had traveled to Jacksonville to sell the BOG.

They’ll now regroup and return J-Ville next month.

That setback came less than 24 hours after the Hillsborough County School Board voted 4-3 to terminate Superintendent MaryEllen Elia,  stunning most of the public, and angering most of the political and business establishment in the Tampa/Hillsborough County region.

That’s two blows in a week.

Now the question is: Who replaces Elia? As one consultant told one of the dailies today, the really gifted candidates are certainly going to be circumspect about coming to work in Hillsborough. It’s not an impossible situation, but that “swagger” has definitely taken a hit this week.

Meanwhile, Gov. Rick Scott was besieged by members of the Tampa press corps yesterday, all hot to talk about the Gerald Bailey scandal. Not surprising in the least, the governor responded with stale bromides about how much he appreciated “Jerry Bailey.”

Scott was in the Sabal Park yesterday to tout his latest education plan — $1 million to offer STEM teachers to intern at a number of Florida companies this summer.

And not everyone in the Tampa Bay area is sad that MaryEllen Elia will soon be leaving her job as school superintendent.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this StPetersBlog post on MaryEllen Elia:

Port Tampa Bay Authority votes in support of MaryEllen Elia

By Mitch Perry on January 20, 2015

As embattled Hillsborough County School Superintendent MaryEllen Elia learns her fate with the School Board this afternoon, score another major boost for her and against the forces that would like to see her contract terminated.

The Port Tampa Bay Authority voted 4-2 today to send a show of support for Elia, just hours before the School Board decides on her future.

The motion was offered by Hillsborough County Commission Chair Sandy Murman, who asked if the Port Authority could send out a statement of support as their monthly meeting concluded.

But she received immediate pushback from  board Chairman Stephen Swindal, who called Elia’s conflict with several School Board members a “volatile situation” that had nothing to do with Port operations.

He was seconded in his opposition to issuing a statement from board member Patrick Allman, who said he didn’t want to tell  other local boards what to do and didn’t want them telling the Port Authority what they should be doing.

That’s when Bob Buckhorn interjected. The Tampa mayor and port board member said that while he was generally very reluctant to meddle in other people’s business, “and I certainly recognize the sentiment,” he then reasserted what he told reporters last Tuesday when asked his opinion on the matter.

“We can’t afford drama in the school system,” he told his fellow Port Authority members. “This appears to be a sort of petty retaliation by some board members who don’t like (her) for whatever reason or have had issues with MaryEllen. It has nothing to do with the substance of what she does, or the caliber of her performance,” a statement that her critics would not agree with. Buckhorn went on to say that he didn’t know what will ultimately happen with Elia, but “I know it can’t end like this.”

Regarding the weight he bears on the issue by weighing in, the mayor said he understood exactly what he was doing. “In this case, I did (intervene). I’m happy I did it. I’d do it again, and I think this board could add their voices to that cast as well.”

Answering Allman, Murman insisted that the Port Authority wasn’t telling the School Board what to do. “We are showing support. And there is a big, big difference in doing so.”

Port CEO Paul Anderson was asked to weigh in. He said that while he didn’t really want to wade into the situation, he said he’s had a great working relationship with Elia.

“It would just be a shame to lose someone with her stature and respect,” he said, adding that he comes from a community that went through several school superintendents. “It gets very difficult to do a national search when you have a record of letting go of top-performing superintendents, because of political reasons.”

The board then voted 4-2, with Swindle and Allman dissenting.

Meanwhile, a member of another Hillsborough County board, Kathleen Shanahan with HART, has posted a petition on the website Change.org calling on people to support Elia, and show up at 2:45 p.m. this afternoon at the school district building.

The Hillsborough County School Board votes on whether or not to terminate Elia’s contract at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on MaryEllen Elia:

Education

Port Tampa backs Elia in school board vote on firing her

By Yvette C. Hammett | Tribune Staff
Published: January 20, 2015

TAMPA — Citing the backing she has given to maritime programs bolstering the work force at Port Tampa Bay, the port’s governing commission voted today to send a letter to the Hillsborough County School Board backing Mary Ellen Elia.

Elia faces a school board vote today on whether to retain her as schools superintendent.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who announced his support for Elia last week after learning her termination had been placed on the school board agenda, sits on the port’s board of commissioners and reiterated his support today.

“High school politics,” Buckhorn said, prompted by a personal grudge, is bringing the matter to a school board vote.

“I’m generally very reluctant to meddle in other people’s business and I certainly recognize the sentiments of not involving the port,” Buckhorn said during the port commission’s meeting. But he noted that Elia is recognized as the best school superintendent in the state, if not the nation, so the authority should back her.

Among Elia’s critics on the school board is April Griffin, whose opponent Elia backed in the November general election. Griffin and board chairwoman Susan Valdes gave Elia the lowest grades during the superintendent’s last evaluation, faulting her in part for poor communication with the board.

Several port commission members voted against the move to send a letter of support, saying that while they personally back Elia, they don’t believe it’s a matter in which the board should get involved.

“Let’s not allow this to occur because of some petty personal grievance,” Buckhorn countered.

Hillsborough County Commission Chairwoman Sandra Murman, who also sits on the port commission, requested the letter of support and said Elia is a key partner in the county’s economic development initiative. That’s important, Murman said, when businesses are considering relocating to the Tampa area.

“We are not asking the board to do anything but show support,” Murman said, for a schools superintendent who has shown “extreme courage and had a superb performance.”

Stay with TBO.com for updates.

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

Buckhorn vows (again) to fix downtown streetcar problem

JAMAL THALJITampa Bay Times

Tuesday, January 20, 2015 12:21pm

TAMPA — Just when Tampa Port Authority board members thought they were out of the downtown streetcar debate, they got pulled back in on Tuesday.

Last week, Mayor Bob Buckhorn said the streetcar’s volunteer board — which runs the trolley along with the city of Tampa and the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority — needs to be disbanded. The struggling and under-used trolley needs to be run by just one entity, the mayor said, and it needs a seven-figure infusion of cash to get it running more frequently and for free.

Then at Tuesday’s port meeting, Hillsborough County Chairwoman Sandra Murman decided that she wanted the port to take the lead in helping turn the streetcar system around. She wanted port staff to organize the main players and start working on a resolution.

“We are a partner in this,” said Murman, who sits on the port board. “Somebody’s got to take the lead.”

The board members resisted that, until Buckhorn stepped in with an alternative plan: the city will lead the conversation on how to save the streetcar system.

“I’m happy to take ownership of this,” the mayor said, “because I do think we need to resolve this.”

Buckhorn, though, has been here before. In fact, it was exactly two years, four months and three days ago in this very same room that the mayor vowed to save the system and implored his fellow port board members to continue a $100,000 subsidy.

The mayor, though, hasn’t done much since then and the port hasn’t paid anything since that 2012 meeting. And in October, the board voted not to contribute a six-figure subsidy until the system’s operator, the nonprofit Tampa Historic Streetcar Inc., came up with a turnaround plan.

Buckhorn said Tuesday that after that 2012 meeting, he’s had a lot on his plate.

“It just hasn’t been at the top of my list of priorities,” he said.

But that’s changed now, because of Jeff Vinik. The Tampa Bay Lightning owner has launched his $1 billion project to redevelop downtown Tampa, and a revitalized streetcar could help make mass transit a part of that plan.

“Now is the time to get it done,” Buckhorn said.

The mayor stepped in at an opportune time, because his fellow port board members weren’t buying Murman’s plea for the Tampa Port Authority to take the lead in organizing the other agencies together to fix the streetcar.

“I think we need to move forward to the next step,” Murman said. “This is a critical part of downtown redevelopment, for redeveloping everything.”

But the board showed the same resistance that led them to stop funding the streetcar in October. While there was no talk of resuming the subsidy, port chairman Steve Swindal didn’t even want to pay for port staff to spend time working on the streetcar issue.

“I want our staff to take care of maritime matters,” he said. “This is a land-born transportation system that we have nothing to do with.”

“It runs right through port property,” Murman said.

“You want our staff to spend time on this when they should be spending money getting ships under the bridge,” Swindal said. “I want to be a partner, but I don’t want to be lead.”

Now Buckhorn will serve as the lead. He said the city will bring together all the main players — Vinik, the streetcar board, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, Hillsborough County, the Tampa Downtown Partnership and the community redevelopment agencies for downtown Tampa, the Channel District and Ybor City — to figure out the first steps.

That will likely include a jointly-funded comprehensive study of the streetcar system, its current ridership, the cost and benefits of increasing service and how to eventually expand the system with federal money.

Fixing the streetcar will be a daunting task, Buckhorn said, especially securing the extra $1 million a year it could cost to get the trolley running more often so that more people will choose to use it.

“My mother always said I had way more courage than brains,” the mayor said.

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

Hillsborough announces time line for transportation plan

CAITLIN JOHNSTON

Tampa Bay Times

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 5:39pm

TAMPA — Hillsborough leaders expect to have a countywide transportation plan outlined by April, with funding sources identified by September.

George Walton, senior vice president for the national consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, unveiled a time line Wednesday to a transportation group made up of county commissioners and local mayors.

The county hired the consulting firm in October to help develop a transportation plan and handle public outreach, including launching a website, making presentations, holding public meetings and producing other materials.

The firm will host a series of public meetings beginning in February to solicit feedback and input from community members. The focus will narrow as the meetings progress, moving from general questions about transportation needs to what modes and routes will provide optimum service.

“The more we hear, the greater the opportunity to listen and to engage and bring those thoughts and comments into the overall plan,” Walton said.

The schedule Walton presented included 28 public meetings. But after a discussion in which several commissioners voiced concerns that their constituents were not being properly represented, the group directed Parsons Brinckerhoff to add 16 meetings to the list.

“We’re going to have to look at having more of these public engagement meetings throughout Hillsborough County, because if we don’t, we’re going to fail again,” said County Commissioner Les Miller, referencing the failed 2010 ballot initiative to increase funding for transportation.

The county is paying Parsons Brinckerhoff nearly $900,000 to develop the transportation plan. While $500,000 of that was previously approved, it was unclear where the rest would come from.

County Administrator Mike Merrill told the group Wednesday that an additional $500,000 could come from money remaining from a joint county and city project to replace finance and human resources software systems.

The cost for the additional meetings that commissioners requested could also come from that excess $500,000, Merrill said.

Though Parsons Brinckerhoff had spent considerable time selecting locations for the public meetings, Merrill said he wasn’t surprised that the commissioners asked for more.

“They know their constituents better than I do, and certainly better than Parsons does,” Merrill said.

The goal, Merrill said, is to have a specific plan and a way to fund it by fall so that officials have a year to build momentum for a 2016 referendum in which the county could ask voters to approve an extra sales tax for transportation. Similar measures failed in Pinellas and Polk counties in 2014 and in Hillsborough in 2010.

“Failure is not an option here,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said. “We have to cover every single base.”

Contact Caitlin Johnston at cjohnston@tampabay.com or (813) 661-2443. Follow @cljohnst.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on St. Joseph’s South:

South Shore News

Residents invited to preview St. Joseph’s Hospital-South before it opens

BY DOUG ARNOLD
Special Correspondent
Published: January 13, 2015

RIVERVIEW – In February, the blending of science, substance and style come together with the much anticipated opening of St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview. And the community can take a sneak peek from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at a special preview event, including public tours, entertainment, food and festivities.

The 360,000-square-foot facility sits on a 72-acre campus at Big Bend and Simmons Loop roads. Visionaries with the Franciscan Sisters of Allegheny purchased much of the property in the early 1980s, anticipating future population growth and community need.

The new hospital, part of BayCare Health System, will employ 500 and offer about 20 different medical services, including emergency, maternity and orthopedics. It has 90 private patient suites, 22 observation rooms, labor and delivery rooms, a cardiac catheterization lab, surgical suites and more.

“Insightful design is what creates the near-perfect healing environment,” said Scott Smith, president and CEO. “We’ve taken the best lessons from previous hospital design, specifically St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, to bring together the best ideas and innovations for both patient experience and physician efficiency.”

Smith said the interior is a soothing environment that minimizes stress and anxiety.

“St. Joseph’s is sensitive to the physical and spiritual needs of those we serve,” he said. “We are dedicated to healing the body, along with nourishing the mind and soul.”

The atrium lobby, with its overlook balcony and massive circular reception center, is reminiscent of a boutique hotel. Sunlight cascades through towering windows and turns the lobby into a warm and welcoming place. “There is ample room for visitors, patients, and staff to relax, converse, reflect,” Smith said.

Patient rooms are one-bed private suites, most with a recliner and small sofa. Above the bed is a stylish “head wall” that’s clear of the gauges, tubing ports, lines and plugs found in most hospital rooms. These items are now hidden behind the head-wall facade.

“It feels much friendlier, more like nice hotel room,” Smith said.

Rooms and corridors also bring in lots of sunlight. From the inside, there are views of outdoor greenery and sky. Standing outside, the window pattern is a Mondrian-style grid mosaic of glass in various shades and hues of blues.

The ambience is made by the little details, Smith said.

“We considered the lighting to help with mood and special carpeting to reduce noise levels.”

The floor layout of the patient rooms is in racetrack formation.

“On the outer track you find hallways of rooms, but on the infield, between the hallways, are the work areas, the supply rooms, technical equipment and other medical-related spaces,” Smith said.

Working staff, transport wheelchairs, and other rolling technology have their own corridors and elevators. This establishes a backstage work flow that helps insulate the visitor and patients from busy, disruptive traffic.

Dr. Hossain Marandi, vice president of physician services, said the community was asked about what it wanted in a hospital and that the local medical community provided significant input on how the hospital would be tailored for the needs of southern Hillsborough County.

“We worked very hard to make this an inclusive project,” Marandi said. “For several years we conducted dialogues, listening closely to the doctors who serve the immediate area. This gives the community a sense of ownership, of partnership that has great value when creating an environment of healing.”

The hospital’s new medical equipment is a catalog of the latest in medical innovation. The hospital boasts 21st century surgical suites, specialized women’s health services facilities, high technology imaging and da Vinci surgical robotics. The emergency room has 34 private examination and treatment rooms. Patients enter a digital palm print when registering to provide quick and accurate identification throughout their stay.

The latest technology goes beyond surgery and imaging. Innovative materials are in place to minimize infection and contamination, including dedicated elevators for handling bed linens and special germ-fighting corridor carpeting.

Population growth means babies, and St. Joseph’s Hospital-South has an array of delivery rooms and suites for new parents and infants. Rooms have plenty of space for guests and indirect lighting.

“Once a young mom sees our rooms, she won’t want to go anywhere else,” Smith said.

The new hospital is built to accommodate South Shore’s continuing growth.

“Our architecture was engineered for expansion as the (area’s) population and health care needs grow,” Smith said. “The main building can expand vertically by two stories, and horizontal growth can include an entire additional building wing. There is ample room for additional freestanding buildings.”

County Commissioner Sandy Murman, District 1, looks forward to the opening.

“Hillsborough County was glad to help St. Joseph’s Hospital-South come to (South Shore),” she said. “We worked with (its) team along the way to make sure the permitting and planning process went smoothly.”

Murman said the county improvements associated with the project included $2.6 million to install a traffic light on Big Bend Road.

Businesses in the region have been hungry for the hospital to open.

Tanya Doran, executive director of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce, said the hospital is already making a difference in the business community.

“It is an exciting time’” she said. “It will also bring additional stimulus to local restaurants and retail.”

Murman echoed the observation.

“Five-hundred new permanent jobs for local residents goes a long way to improve the quality of life (here),” she said.

Meanwhile, Smith is overseeing the big move in of people and material.

“We’re bringing in staff and supplies, as we speak,” he said. “Final certifications will be completed in late January and we will announce our official opening in very early February.”

St. Joseph’s Hospital-South is at 6301 Simmons Loop Road. For information or to arrange an extended tour on Saturday, call (813) 443-3010.

Freelance writer Doug Smith can be reached at bylinedouglasarnold@aol.com.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this StPetersBlog article on the Innovation Alliance:

With great fanfare, the Tampa Innovation Alliance kicks off in North Tampa

By Mitch Perry on January 9, 2015

According to the U.S. Census, the number of college graduates with a bachelors degree or higher in Tampa is 33 percent, higher than Charlotte, but lower than San Diego, Austin and Raleigh, North Carolina, cities that Mayor Bob Buckhorn frequently compare his town to.

That’s why business leaders and local lawmakers in Hillsborough County have made it a mission to retain some of the tens of thousands of college students who graduate each year from the University of South Florida. A heretofore unaddressed part of that vision is an attempt to the revitalize the moribund North Tampa region that surrounds the USF campus, with the goal of turning the university area into a more dynamic economic center

That’s what the Tampa Innovation Alliance is all about. It’s central partners are USF, Busch Gardens, the Moffitt Cancer Center and Florida Hospital Tampa. Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe is the Alliance’s executive director, and he welcomed an overflow crowd treated to free box lunches from Jason’s Deli to the organization’s kick-off event at the USF Connect building on the North Tampa campus on Friday afternoon.

“Our doors have been opened since the 18th of November, ” said Sharpe, who departed the County Commission just two weeks earlier. “It’s a small office. We need help. But I can tell you this. We’re going to work 24/7 to get the job done.”

There was a sense of great expectations and possibilities for the corridor which runs from Busch Boulevard north to Bearss Avenue, Interstate 275 east to Interstate 75. As several speakers noted, the region includes some of the wealthiest and poorest people in Tampa.

 There were short speeches by a number of local officials such as Sharpe and his former board colleagues Sandy Murman, Victor Crist and Les Miller. Bill Carlson from the Tampa P.R. firm Tucker/Hall played the part of emcee, wandering into the crowd a la Phil Donahue to ask audience members a variety of questions, such as why they located their businesses in the district, to what were the advantages and disadvantages of doing business there.

“The county is completely committed that we get this done,” assured Murman. “We have over 100,000 post-secondary students at any given time here in the Tampa/Hillsborough County area with USF, HCC (Hillsborough Community College) and University of Tampa. And quite frankly, we need to find a way to keep those students here.” In fact, the County Commission has been developing plans over the past couple of years to address the area, most notoriously the region west of USF known derisively as “Suitcase City.”

Not surprisingly, there wasn’t too much focus on the negatives, though obviously the very fact that there is such a need for an alliance illustrates that it needs help.

“The demographics are very challenging, ” offered Tampa City Councilwoman Lisa Montelione, who represents the district in City Hall. “It has a negative reputation, ” she admitted.”But it’s a challenge to overcome that.”

Paul Sansom’s company runs Westshore Pizza franchises in the corridor. He complained about having to go through excessive red tape to partner with USF. “I have to go through 17 different divisions and talk to 24 people.”

But others mostly saw unlimited potential. Attorney Ron Weaver talked about hundreds of acres of available property, existing rail lines (via CSX) and potential future rail. “We can be audacious about growing, audacious about jobs, and audacious about integrating all those opportunities of the environment…”

At one point during the discussion, Temple Terrace City Councilwoman Cheri Donohue clarified with Sharpe that the Alliance wasn’t just to be a Chamber of Commerce for the corridor. She said it should be a “conduit” for the rules to change so that businesses can be recruited to the area and eventually set up shop. Later Ron Barton, the Hillsborough County Assistant Administrator, said he also thought the county could serve as a “conduit” for the district.

Whether this comes to fruition won’t be known for years to come. But at least for one day, the potential for “Suitcase City” never looked greater.