Sandy Murman

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tribune article on Port Director’s resignation:

Port of Tampa chief resigns suddenly

By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 07, 2012
Updated: June 07, 2012 – 7:24 AM

TAMPA —

Saying that the sprawling Port of Tampa, the largest in Florida and consistently among the busiest in the nation, is in sound financial shape, port director Richard Wainio announced Wednesday that he is walking away from the job he has held for more than seven years.

“It’s a good time to move on,” he said. “The port is doing well.”

His one-page letter of resignation shocked some governing board members, who didn’t see it coming.

“I was surprised,” said William Brown, member of the governing board for five years. “Richard is going to be missed. He’s done a great job here.”

Fellow board member Sandy Murman, also a Hillsborough County commissioner, echoed Brown’s sentiments, saying Wainio steered the port’s operations through the recession that has gripped the nation and Florida in particular since 2008.

“The port is more profitable than ever,” she said. “We don’t have any deficit, the budget is balanced. The operations at this port are stellar compared to other ports in the state of Florida.”

The Port of Tampa remains Florida’s largest cargo port, handling more than 40 percent of all the maritime cargo entering the state.

But the port, like most other industries, suffered with the sagging economy over the past few years. Total cargo movement from October through December was down 2 percent from a year earlier.

“I am not going to sugarcoat the port’s performance,” Wainio said at his state of the port address in December. “Our state and our region are only very slowly emerging from a recession that went deeper and lasted longer than in most parts of the country.”

He reiterated that point Wednesday afternoon, but also that business has seemed to have turned around. Cargo shipments are increasing and shipping trade with Central and South America are on the upswing, he said.

Wainio’s resignation letter cited personal reasons, that he wanted to spend more time with his family. He is married and has a son going into high school and daughter who is a high school senior.

The letter, dated Monday but delivered on Wednesday, said, “My decision is purely personal, based on family considerations and certain future issues.” His last day is Sept. 7.

Last year, Wainio, 62, negotiated a two-year contract and a raise to $268,500 a year after working under a series of one-year contracts. He said he doesn’t have any other job offers and hasn’t sought any jobs. He said he has no plans of what to do when Sept. 7 rolls around.

He wrote that he hopes to work with the county and governing board to achieve a seamless transition of leadership.

“Every CEO wants to leave on his own terms,” he said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. “I’m making this decision. Nobody else is.”

Wainio had his critics. Last year, the Port of Tampa Maritime Industries Association, a group of port tenants, criticized Wainio’s management style and board members said his relationship with some tenants had “turned personal.” The group urged the commission not to renew his contract.

Maritime Industries Association spokesman Tim Shusta said on Wednesday night that news of Wainio’s resignation came as a surprise.

“It certainly wasn’t something we had expected,” he said. “We thought he’d be with us for the next two years.”

The main criticism of Wainio, he said, was this: “We thought that he did not work well with the stakeholders or the people in the port community in trying to move the port forward and bring new business to Tampa.”

He wouldn’t be more specific and stopped short of saying the association was happy to see Wainio go.

“Let me put it this way,” he said. “We look forward to working with the commissioners in finding new leadership for all concerned at the port.”

Wainio had received favorable board reviews since he was hired in 2005. His two-year contract included some performance-based criteria.

“The only thing I care about,” he said Wednesday, “is that I want to be able to say I did a good job. This is not an easy job. This is a big port and that means it’s very diverse. It means you have to deal with all kinds of different people.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “It’s been challenging.”

The resignation comes as the port authority is considering major changes in two areas of operation: the passenger cruise ship port and the Channelside entertainment and retail complex.

Wainio and other port officials have been talking for months with the world’s largest cruise lines about the possibility of a new terminal near the mouth of Tampa Bay, west of the Sunshine Skyway bridge. The Port Authority is trying to keep the Tampa area in the running as home port for new cruise ships, which are too big to pass beneath the span to get to the existing cruise ship ports.

The Port Authority also is about to consider a bid to take over operations of the financially troubled Channelside Bay Plaza. The plaza is on port land and the Port Authority has veto power over any bidder selected by the bank.

Finding a replacement may take time, Murman said. “I imagine we will do a national search.” She said there is a lot of port land that can be developed, making the port even larger, more robust.

“This area is vibrant,” she said. “We have land here, land to expand.”

She said the next port director “will be someone with those goals in mind.”

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Patch.com article:

By D’Ann White

A group of Riverview women have joined forces to raise funds for the community. And if they make some friends and have some fun in the process, that’s OK, too.

The brainchild of Riverview businesswomen Jeanne Burkeson and Donna Lee Fore, the new Riverview Woman’s Club was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in April. Over the past two months, the club’s membership has swelled to 30 paid members.

“The club got started in March,” said Fore, who serves as the club’s vice president while Burkeson is the charter president. “Jeanne and I were both talking about forming a woman’s club in Riverview since Riverview really doesn’t have a club for women. We just felt it was something the community needed. So five and six of us hashed it out and decided it was a good idea. Since then, every meeting has gotten larger.”

Fore said it’s been exciting to watch the fledgling club grow.

“When we started this, we had no idea how popular the idea would be and how much women want to be involved with other women,” she said, noting that dues are just $25 a year. “We’re getting people from all over.”

Fore is co-owner of PF Auto Glass in Riverview and is president-elect of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce.

Burkeson and her husband, Joe, run Square-One Inspection Services, a home inspection business in Riverview.

They view the club as not only a way to meet new people but as a business networking opportunity as well.

“It’s really about empowering women,” Fore said. “The club is open to all ages, working and nonworking women. But we see it as a great way for the women in the community to support the women-owned businesses. We’d love to have 100 women wanting to get together and build friendships and empower one another.”

So far, the club has been meeting once a month at lunch but that may change as more members join up.

“We plan to have night meetings as well as lunch meetings so we can please all schedules,” said Fore. “In addition, we’re talking about doing fun things like bunco nights.”

Fore said the club also is planning events such as a tour of the Mosaic Co.’s “green building” in Riverview as well as montlhy speakers.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman will be the guest speaker at the June 20 meeting to be held at the Doc’s Grill at the Summerfield Crossings Golf Club, 13050 Summerfield Blvd., Riverview, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $12 at the door.

And Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Earl Lennard will speak to club members Sept. 19.

“We’re looking for interesting speakers and we’ll be showcasing businesses as well,” said Fore.

Fore said the club also wants to put the “fun” back in fundraising, hosting various events to benefit a scholarship fund for Riverview High School students.

“We’ll give scholarships at end of the year to Riverview high school students. They’re our future, so we’ll be raising money for them,” Fore said.

The first fundraiser, the Party Yourself into Shape Zumba Fundraiser, will take place Saturday, June 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Regent, 6437 Watson Rd., Riverview. A certified Zumba instructor will be on hand to lead the event and there will be raffles and door prizes. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for high school students. Sponros are the Great American Cookies Co. and P.F. Auto Glass Inc.

“It’s all about having fun,” said Fore. “Vendors will be set up and everyone will be doing Zumba. All the profits will go to the education fund.”

For information on joining or reservations for the next luncheon, contact Fore at 813-528-0902 or email contact@pfautoglass.com.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Times article on Port Director’s resignation:

By Elizabeth Behrman and Ivan Penn, Times Staff Writers
Elizabeth BehrmanIvan PennTampa Bay Times In Print: Thursday, June 7, 2012

Surprising his bosses, Port of Tampa director Richard Wainio gave his resignation Wednesday, citing personal reasons for his departure.

Wainio contacted the chairman of the Tampa Port Authority’s board of commissioners for a meeting Wednesday morning, during which he handed in his resignation letter. He later sent emails to the other TPA commissioners to announce his resignation.

“It’s just a purely personal decision,” Wainio said. “The port is doing well, we’ve got great things going, so I figure the end of this fiscal year was a great time to move on.”

Wainio said he wants to spend more time with his two children, who are in high school.

Lawrence Shipp, chairman of TPA’s governing board, said he tried to persuade Wainio to stay.

“I had no idea that it was coming,” Shipp said. “It was shocking to hear.”

In his letter, Wainio told the TPA commissioners his resignation will be effective Sept. 7.

“My decision is purely personal based on family considerations and certain future issues,” Wainio wrote. “I have very much enjoyed working with many TPA commissioners and our exceptional port staff for over seven years.”

Wainio, 62, has served as the Port Authority’s chief executive since 2005. He earns $251,118 a year.

Questions over Wainio’s future arose last summer, when the Port of Tampa Maritime Industries Association, which represents 47 companies doing business at the port, called for the board to let Wainio go at the end of his contract, which would have expired in March.

In September, despite criticism about his lack of communication with port businesses and tenants, the board voted to extend his contract until March 2014.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman, who sits on the port’s governing board, received the email from Wainio. She said it was the first she had heard of Wainio leaving the post.

“I am pretty shocked. Most of us were pretty shocked,” Murman said. “I don’t know what he’s going to do or what precipitated the move.”

Murman said Wainio received a “good evaluation” during his last review, adding to questions about why he has chosen to leave.

“He’s been great at the helm,” Murman said. “We’ll miss him.”

Shipp said the board would organize a committee to conduct a national search for Wainio’s replacement and look to interview new candidates for the position within 60 to 90 days. Wainio said in his email that he looked forward to helping the commissioners find a replacement and assisting with the leadership change.

Depending on how long it takes to find a new director, the board might appoint an interim director until a permanent one is found, Shipp said.

“We’re going to lose I think a wonderful CEO,” Shipp said. “He’s been a great asset to the port. But I’m always happy when someone has come to peace with what they want to do.”

Commissioner Murman is quoted in this Times article on the Children’s Board:

 Hillsborough commissioners seek state legislative audit of Children’s Board

Jodie Tillman, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Jun 06, 2012 02:52 PM

TAMPA — Citing recent reports of questionable no-bid contracts and poor staff morale, Hillsborough County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to request that state legislators order fiscal and management audits of the taxpayer-funded Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.

“There have been major, major questions of the Children’s Board,” said Commissioner Les Miller, who proposed the audits.

The nearly $30 million agency that finances child welfare programs has been under scrutiny in recent months, starting with the revelation that chief executive officer Luanne Panacek let a friend in after hours to spread holy oil and “bless” the public building.

A series of Tampa Bay Times reports later showed problems with how agency executives handled at least $450,000 in no-bid contracts, including two that went to a former Children’s Board employee. More recently, about 15 staffers wrote emails to the board’s chairman, Chris Brown, complaining about low morale and levying accusations that top executives doctored documents.

Amid the reports, Miller asked county attorneys earlier this month to research whether commissioners had the authority to order the audits. The answer was no, since the Children’s Board is an independent taxing district created by county voters in 1988.

Miller said Wednesday he talked to his contacts in Tallahassee who told him the commission’s best bet is to ask for audits by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, whose membership consists of legislators appointed from both the House and Senate. Two Hillsborough senators currently serve on the committee, Arthenia Joyner and Jim Norman.

A separate proposal by Commissioner Sandy Murman asked county attorneys to investigate how commissioners could gain some measure of control over Children’s Board finances. Murman said that might mean state legislation requiring Children’s Board tax dollars flow first through county coffers. Her motion also passed unanimously.

“I think long term that may be a solution,” Murman said. “It’s all about accountability. We want to protect our children and we don’t want anything to happen to our Children’s Board … (but) we have to balance the independence with accountability.”

Under a new state law, the property tax that finances the Children’s Board comes up for voter reauthorization in 2016.

Commissioner Kevin Beckner is the county representative on the agency’s board. He did not comment about the recent reports but suggested any state inquiries take into account a private audit of staffing and morale issues already underway at the Children’s Board.

He also noted that the limited financial audits that the Children’s Board pays for each year have been good.

“The key has been checks and balances within the agency itself,” Beckner said.

Commissioner Mark Sharpe, who used to be the county’s representative to the Children’s Board, said more in-depth audits were long overdue.

“It’s an organization which does a lot of good work,” he said. “It’s highly protective of itself.”

He said, for instance, that Children’s Board officials once tried, unsuccessfully, to get rid of a citizens advisory board. Sharpe also said the Children’s Board’s work often overlaps with county services.

“They can’t just operate on this island unto themselves,” said Sharpe.

In 2007, Sharpe requested the county auditor at the time, Jim Barnes, look into a number of allegations about questionable expenditures at the Children’s Board. Barnes’ brief report said most of the allegations lacked merit and that he had come away “very impressed” by Children’s Board officials.

A Times request to the county for Barnes’ documentation on the report turned up a single folder containing his interview notes with Children’s Board officials, along with the agency’s budget documents and brochures.

After Miller first floated his proposal for an audit earlier this month, Panacek sent a letter to commissioners in which she said the Children’s Board had put in place a new review team to look at the agency’s bidding practices. She also downplayed the Times reports, saying the agency had not spent the entire amount allowed under the $450,000 in no-bid contracts.

“Only $200,000 was spent across five years which averaged out to $40,000 a year or about one tenth of one percent of our annual budget,” she wrote. “I realize that any money spent on a contract without following procedure is inappropriate. This issue has been dealt with but I think it was made to appear more scandalous and salacious than it actually was.”

Jodie Tillman can be reached at jtillman@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3374.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tribune article on restoring the Apollo Beach Park Preserve:

 Channel dredging, beach restoration to begin this summer

 By LOIS KINDLE | The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 06, 2012 Updated: June 06, 2012 – 12:00 AM

 APOLLO BEACH —  Boaters in this waterfront community are tired of getting stuck on sandbars at low tide.

“People have to time their arrivals and departures to navigate the channels, said Len Berkstresser, president of the Apollo Beach Waterway Improvement Group. “The reason we buy property in Apollo Beach is to enjoy waterfront living, which includes several marinas, waterside dining, sailing and fishing. Without the ability to transit the channels, having a boat is useless.”

Due to a lack of tidal flow and low levels of storm-water runoff, silt has built up over the years in the three channels leading into Apollo Beach, causing the average low water level to drop to about 4 feet in spots at low tide and between 5 and 6 feet at high tide. Boats drafting more than 4 feet of water can have trouble getting in and out.

Help is on the way. Thanks to the efforts of Berkstresser and volunteers from the waterway improvement group, dredging of the main and south channels is expected to begin this summer. The main channel leads from Tampa Bay into Apollo Beach just south of Andalucia. Just past Andalucia, the south channel turns off the main channel and leads into MiraBay and Symphony Isles.

When the dredging is finished, each channel will be 7 feet deep and 60 feet wide.

“This means I won’t have to pull boats off the sandbars on my way in and out of the channel,” said Craig Beggins, a local businessman with a power boat. “If (the dredging) isn’t done, the problem will only get worse. Eventually, all boaters will be affected.

As a Realtor, Beggins said he discloses “right up front” the issues boaters face in the community.

“It’s a big detriment,” he said. “Fixing the problem will improve property values and attract more buyers to the community.”

The last time the channels were dredged was 17 years ago.

“About four or five years ago, we began having problems again,” Berkstresser said.

The waterway improvement group, commonly known as ABWIG, was chartered in 1993, two years before the community’s first dredging project. Members raised $65,000 to cover the costs for dredging all three channels.

After that effort, the group essentially became dormant until 2007, when some of ABWIG’s original members, led by Apollo Beach resident Jim Bothwell, resumed efforts to have the channels dredged again.

The first step was to obtain permitting, which took about three years. During the permitting process, Hillsborough County commissioned a study for the dredging that concluded it would cost between $500,000 and $750,000 to dredge the channels and haul off the spoils on trucks or a barge, Berkstresser said.

“ABWIG members saw this as an insurmountable obstacle, and for six to eight months the project went into mothballs,” Berkstresser said.

By early 2010, though, permits were in place. Bothwell and members of the Apollo Beach-based Tampa Sailing Squadron approached Berkstresser about taking over the effort.

Berkstresser immediately began looking for cost reductions, which included finding other dredge sites or selling dredge spoils as fill. Within three months, he formed a six-member board, which began promoting the project and raising funds to pay for it. ABWIG representatives worked community events such as the Manatee Arts Festival and signed up volunteers to build community awareness and collect money.

“Raising funds in these tough economic times has been difficult,” Berkstresser said.

Tampa Electric Company pitched in $50,000 of the total, and the Symphony Isles Homeowners Association, $35,000. Other large donors include the MiraBay Mariners Club, the residents of MiraBay, Andalucia Yacht Club, Lands End Marina, Circles and The Boulevard restaurants and Century 21 Beggins Enterprises. Caterpillar Inc. is providing a $10,000 in-kind donation for land preparation at the dredge site.

Area residents also helped when ABWIG members came calling door to door. That effort raised another $5,000.

“We’ve managed to collect $122,000 of the $150,000 needed to start the first phase of the project. I have every confidence we will get there,” Berkstresser said.

Once all the money is raised, bids will be taken and evaluated, the land will be prepped, and dredging will start, he said. The work will take several months.

The second phase involves dredging the north channel, re-establishing the beach area at Apollo Beach Nature Preserve with dredge spoils, building a jetty and installing large tower-like devices in the water that cut down on wave action, protect the channel from re-silting and keep the beach sand in place.

County Commissioner Sandy Murman brought together a coalition of six government agencies and private organizations to help plan and build the $500,000 project.

“ABWIG represents many residents in the Apollo Beach community who wanted their channels dredged and the Apollo Beach Park Preserve restored,” said Murman. “I pulled together county staff and other stakeholders, and we came up with a plan to solve the problem for the betterment of the community and to enhance the quality of life for these citizens.”

Restoring the beach was one of her top priorities because it increases the assets in the South County region, Murman said.

Resident and business owner Colin Howgill said he walks his dog at the nature park every morning and supports the project.

“Replenishing the beach is hugely, hugely overdue,” he said. “I’m glad to hear something is finally being done to stop the erosion process.”

Patti Greene is another supporter.

“I’m so excited to hear about the beach,” she said. “I’m looking forward to walking along the sand again, enjoying the morning and looking for sharks teeth like I used to. This is fabulous news.”

Due to area manatee migrations the project’s second phase will not start until summer of 2013, at the earliest.

For more information on ABWIG visit www.abwig.org.

Commissioner Murman recognized in the recent issue of the Mental Health Care Foundation’s June newsletter:

Thank you for your service

The board of Mental Health Care Foundation thanks Dave and Donna Hunter and Commissioner Sandy Murman for their valued time and contributions to our Board.  

Since 2009 Dave and Donna Hunter’s work significantly contributed to the renovations of the Children’s Crisis Center, and provided useful items for thousands of homeless mentally ill clients at The Shop. Those contributions had nothing to do with their lives as bankers and everything to do with who they are.

During Commissioner Murman’s 10 years, she contributed to the renovations of the Children’s Crisis Center, provided useful items for thousands of homeless mentally ill clients at The Shop and helped emotionally disabled young adults confidently walk across the stage to get their high school diplomas.

We know that you are continuing to boost Mental Health Care’s programs through your work as the vice chair of the Hillsborough County Commission and we thank you for your diligent advocacy for people who are homeless and mentally ill.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Observer article on the SouthShore Library public art dedication:

31/05/2012 10:33:00 Melody_Jameson

Hillsborough Commissioner Sandy Murman (right) presented Harkins (second from right) a large framed Certificate of Appreciation from commissioners in gratitude for his many public service endeavors on behalf of Hillsborough’s library system. Joining the c

Public service and public art shared top billing last week

By MELODY JAMESON

Public service and public art shared top billing last week when a unique and long-awaited feature of the SouthShore Regional Library was dedicated.

County officials present and past joined library advocates and friends Tuesday to formally recognize the efforts and the ingenuity that created the James J. Harkins IV Plaza, home of “Sandpiper Pavilions.” The outdoor facility with its artistic accents is the only one of its kind in the entire Hillsborough County library system.   

County Commissioner Sandy Murman delivered opening remarks calling attention to the plaza’s unique qualities before presenting a large plaque detailing the tireless efforts of its namesake, Jim Harkins.  Harkins, a Sun City Center resident, pushed campaigns to create the regional facility and its multiple aspects on 19th Avenue, beginning early in the last decade.

The plaque, Murman told the audience seated in the dappled shade of the pavilions, expresses the appreciation of Hillsborough’s Board of County Commissioners for Harkins’ devotion both to the library and to other South County organizations focused on public service.  Pointing specifically to Harkins’ long time involvement with the Hillsborough County Library Board, the SouthShore Friends of the Library support group and the SouthShore Round Table composed of community representatives from throughout the region, commissioners concluded with “proud to have you as a resident of Hillsborough County.” 

Similar sentiments were expressed during the dedication by Jan Platt, former county commissioner whose long public career has encompassed strong, consistent advocacy for the library system, and by Jim Johnson, a representative of fertilizer producer, Mosaic, as well as a fellow member of the county library board.  

Following the formalities, Harkins noted that when the 40,000-square-foot regional library was completed in 2006, space immediately north of the structure was simply a flat, bare concrete surface tucked between the perpendicular walls of the main library and the children’s section.  “But rather than have just a helicopter pad out there,” he said, “we were looking for a venue” that could be used for public functions by the library and for organization meetings called by the many groups existing in the South County and for community events staged by the  numerous sponsors present in the region.

This was the genesis of the plaza concept that began to take shape, Harkins indicated.  Today, finally completed, the space of about 7,000 square feet is electrically equipped for any number of programs from musical to public address,  includes both permanent and moveable seating, much of it shaded for daytime use, and is designed so that full food catering can be accomplished without entering the library building itself.

Harkins Plaza also presents a public art display inspired by the variety of salt and freshwater shore birds native to this region with its rivers, lakes and Tampa Bay shoreline.  Bill Iverson, Hillsborough’s public art projects manager when the plaza was underway, described the two pavilions installed on the plaza as recalling the long-legged herons, cranes and flamingos that are iconic symbols of  West Central Florida.

Designed by the Koryn Rolstad Studios in Seattle, each pavilion is composed of eight and 10-foot diameter disks, elevated on curved, powdered aluminum posts standing eight to 10 feet in height.  The weather-resistant disks feature cut-outs in leaf shapes, casting sun-lighted designs on the flooring below which has been sand-blasted to produce a “water drop” pattern circulating through much of the seating area.

The plaza also is equipped with umbrella-covered tables which include wi-fi connections, enabling library patrons to relax in an outdoor environment to read or use personal electronics during daylight hours. The venue is expected to be lighted, including with decorative bulbs strung along the building eaves.   

Bill Hand, who was the project’s manager in Hillsborough’s real estate section, estimated that seating for at least 100 individuals could be placed theater-style under the pavilions and that upwards of 300 could be comfortably accommodated on the plaza as a whole.

Harkins Plaza, with its public art sandpiper pavilions, etched walking surface,  built-in functions and inviting spaciousness, is yet another sign of the evolving concept of the public library.  Lorri Robinson, SouthShore principal librarian, refers to the plaza as a demonstration of the wide ranging changes underway as libraries continue to become hubs of activity in their communities, offering not only books, tapes, CDs and the information they contain but also classes, technological equipment, exhibits and community gathering venues. Echoing the thought, Jim Duffy, founder of the SouthShore Friends of the Library, has summed up the evolution by saying “it’s not just for books anymore.” 

And, Harkins, with a note of pride, added that others advocating for new libraries in the county now speak of trying to duplicate the plaza at their facilities.

Use of the various library features generally is without charge.  Arrangements to use the plaza for either daylight or evening functions can be made through library staff. 

Copyright 2012 Melody Jameson

Hillsborough County News

May 22, 2012

Contact: Commissioner Sandra L. Murman’s office, (813) 272-5470

 Hillsborough Commissioner Sandra Murman Hosts Community Office Hours at Gardenville Recreation Center, Friday, May 25th

 Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra L. Murman, District 1, is hosting office hours in the community to hear from residents without them having to travel to County Center in downtown Tampa.

 Commissioner Murman and her staff welcome this opportunity to meet residents and to discuss their thoughts and concerns on various projects and community issues taking place in Hillsborough County.

 No appointment is necessary to meet with Commissioner Sandra Murman and her staff. Residents are seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

 The community office hours are:

 Friday, May 25, 2012

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Gardenville Recreation Center

6219 Symmes Road

Gibsonton, FL 33534

 To learn more about Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra L. Murman, go to www.hillsboroughcounty.org/bocc/commissioners/murman.cfm .

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Times article on the Port:

 Port board wants to explore possibility of building cruise terminals near Pinellas

By Elizabeth Behrman, Times Staff Writer
Elizabeth BehrmanTampa Bay Times In Print: Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Tampa Port Authority board members want to explore the options for accommodating the next generation of cruise “megaships,” which will be too tall to fit under the Sunshine Skyway bridge.

One solution may be the previously announced idea to build separate cruise terminals by the Skyway near the Hillsborough-Pinellas county line, but the board needs to know more about that plan before any decisions are made, board member Sandra Murman said.

At their meeting Tuesday, board members asked port CEO Richard Wainio to provide them with a report on the proposed terminals, including a time line for construction and a list of advantages and disadvantages to having cruise docks separate from the main port.

“We need to get his vision and how he thinks we can accomplish this,” said Murman, who originally requested an outline of the plan.

Port officials have to come up with some way to accommodate the larger ships or risk losing the cruise business altogether. Cruises brought in about $9.9 million in revenue last year — about a quarter of the port’s operating revenue — and are projected to earn about $11 million this year.

Building terminals somewhere beyond the Skyway is the only solution, Wainio said in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times this month. But right now, all the port has is a conceptual design and general location for the proposed terminals.

“We need to know what we need to do to get this done, if in fact it is important to (Tampa’s) cruise industry and important to the economic base of the port,” Murman said.

The board also requested a report on the direction of the cruise industry in general.

Larry Shipp, chairman of the TPA board, said cruise ships will definitely be converted to the megaships in the future, so the issue will need to be addressed sometime soon.

However, he expressed concern about building new terminals before getting confirmation from the cruise lines that they would be used.

“We don’t want to build on speculation,” Shipp said.