[2:01] .
[2:01] >> ken hagan: good morning and
[2:02] welcome to the board of county
[2:03] commissioners special meeting
[2:04] for consideration and action on
[2:05] the development and funding
[2:07] agreement guarantee and team
[2:09] nonrelocation agreement between
[2:11] hillsborough county, the city of
[2:13] tampa, the rays entities
[2:14] regarding the hillsborough
[2:16] college dale mabry campus
[2:16] ballpark project.
[2:18] At this time, I will pass things
[2:21] over to the administrator to
[2:23] begin introducing today's item.
[2:26] >> thank you, and good morning,
[2:27] everybody.
[2:27] And I want to thank you for
[2:29] being here today for this
[2:31] special meeting for the time,
[2:33] attention, and thoughtful
[2:34] consideration you have given to
[2:35] this project.
[2:38] This is an important moment for
[2:39] hillsborough county, and I know
[2:41] the decision before you today
[2:44] reflects the significance of the
[2:45] opportunity and the
[2:46] responsibility that comes with
[2:47] it.
[2:51] I am grateful for the trust this
[2:53] board placed in me to lead the
[2:54] negotiations with the rays and
[2:56] our partners, and to bring these
[2:57] agreements back to you for
[2:57] consideration.
[3:01] It has been an incredible
[3:02] opportunity to be part of a
[3:03] project of this magnitude and to
[3:04] have a seat at the table as we
[3:05] think about what this could mean
[3:08] for the future of our county.
[3:10] This has been a long process.
[3:12] It has been difficult at times,
[3:14] it has been challenging, and
[3:15] there have certainly been
[3:16] moments when we have had to work
[3:18] through complicated issues and
[3:20] find our way to solutions.
[3:22] to be able to work on a project
[3:24] of this magnitude has been a
[3:25] privilege.
[3:26] And I want to take a moment to
[3:27] recognize the many people who
[3:29] have helped us get to this
[3:30] point.
[3:32] First I want to thank julia
[3:34] mandell and sam hamilton of our
[3:35] county attorney's office.
[3:38] Julia and her team have been
[3:39] extraordinary throughout this
[3:39] process.
[3:41] They worked through countless
[3:43] legal and contractual issues,
[3:44] challenged provisions, protected
[3:46] the county's interests, and
[3:48] helped us navigate an
[3:50] extraordinary complicated
[3:51] transaction.
[3:53] I am grateful for their
[3:53] partnership.
[3:55] I also want to specifically
[3:57] recognize greg horwedel and tom
[3:58] fesler.
[3:59] They have put an incredible
[4:00] amount of time and effort into
[4:01] this process, and have helped us
[4:03] work through the many
[4:05] operational, financial, and
[4:06] policy issues that come with a
[4:09] project of this size and
[4:09] complexity.
[4:11] We have also had the benefit of
[4:12] financial and legal consultants
[4:14] who have provided important
[4:15] expertise and advice throughout
[4:17] the negotiations.
[4:18] Their work has helped us
[4:20] understand the details, evaluate
[4:22] the risks, and approach this
[4:24] from every possible angle.
[4:26] This is truly been a
[4:27] partnership.
[4:28] The city of tampa has been an
[4:29] important partner throughout
[4:31] this process, and I want to
[4:33] acknowledge the city's
[4:34] collaboration and commitment to
[4:36] working together on an
[4:38] opportunity that is has
[4:39] significance for our entire
[4:40] community.
[4:41] The state of florida has also
[4:44] played a vital role, providing
[4:47] land, funding, and critical
[4:48] transportation investments that
[4:49] have helped make this
[4:51] opportunity possible.
[4:52] And eric hart and our partners
[4:54] at the tampa sports authority
[4:55] have been an important part of
[4:56] the process as well.
[4:58] We have appreciated their
[4:59] partnership and expertise, and
[5:01] we have work -- as we have
[5:03] worked through the many issues
[5:04] associated with the ballpark and
[5:06] the broader project.
[5:07] And of course I want to thank
[5:08] whether
[5:10] all of you, the board.
[5:12] You have been engaged throughout
[5:12] this process.
[5:15] You have asked tough questions,
[5:16] challenged us, provided
[5:19] guidance, and shared your
[5:19] perspectives.
[5:22] Those conversations have been
[5:23] important and they have helped
[5:24] make the agreements before you
[5:25] stronger today.
[5:27] I also want to thank the rays
[5:29] organization and their team, the
[5:31] opportunity to work together.
[5:32] We appreciate the time, effort,
[5:34] and collaboration that went into
[5:36] getting us to this point, and
[5:38] the opportunity to work toward
[5:39] bringing the rays to
[5:42] hillsborough county.
[5:43] Getting to this point has
[5:45] required collaboration,
[5:46] persistence, and a willingness
[5:50] to work through difficult issues
[5:52] together: no agreement of this
[5:54] size and complexity is perfect,
[5:55] and this one is no exception.
[5:57] The county did not get
[5:58] verything we wanted, and I know
[5:59] the rays did not get everything
[6:00] they wanted either.
[6:03] That is the nature of a
[6:04] negotiation of this magnitude.
[6:06] But I believe what we have
[6:07] accomplished is a structure that
[6:09] balances the interests of the
[6:11] county, our taxpayers, and the
[6:13] rays, while creating strong
[6:15] incentives for the rays to build
[6:16] a ballpark development that we
[6:18] can all be proud of; and that
[6:20] can be an important part of the
[6:22] future of this community.
[6:23] As we trn to the agreements
[6:25] before you today, I think it is
[6:27] important to recognize that
[6:27] there is still work
[6:29] work ahead of us.
[6:30] There are a number of documents
[6:32] before you today, and there are
[6:33] additional documents and actions
[6:35] that will come later.
[6:36] There are also several
[6:38] conditions that must be
[6:40] satisfied before the county
[6:42] provides any funding.
[6:43] Those protections and conditions
[6:45] are an important part of the
[6:47] agreements, and julia will walk
[6:49] through those with you in
[6:50] detail.
[6:51] She will explain what is before
[6:52] you today, what comes later in
[6:54] the process, and the conditions
[6:55] and protections that are in
[6:57] place to protect the county and
[6:59] our taxpayers.
[7:00] Throughout these negotiations
[7:04] are objectives have been -- our
[7:05] objectives have been clear.
[7:06] To pursue an agreement that
[7:07] creates an extraordinary
[7:08] opportunity for our community
[7:10] while making sure that we are
[7:11] responsible stewards of the
[7:14] public resources with which we
[7:15] have been entrusted.
[7:18] I am proud of the work of our
[7:19] team, the work we have done to
[7:21] this point, and I am grateful to
[7:24] all of you and our partners for
[7:24] `the opportunity to be part of
[7:25] it.
[7:27] With that, I'll turn it over to
[7:29] greg to provide an overview and
[7:31] key provisions, and then to tom
[7:32] to go over financial details.
[7:39] Thank you.
[7:43] >> ken hagan: next man up.
[7:49] >> greg horwedel.
[7:52] Who is lost in an elevator
[7:53] apparently.
[7:53] >> ken hagan: all right, well
[7:54] the show goes on g. Morning,
[7:57] tom.
[8:01] >> so this morning we wanted to
[8:02] run through a short presentation
[8:04] with you.
[8:10] Back when -- back in I believe
[8:12] it was MAY you approved
[8:14] memorandum of understanding, a
[8:16] nonbinding memorandum of
[8:16] understanding.
[8:18] Then you asked us to come back
[8:19] `and negotiate with the rays and
[8:22] then come back for our final
[8:23] consideration.
[8:24] So that's what we've done.
[8:26] Again, we just kind of wanted to
[8:28] run through some information you
[8:29] have probably seen before but
[8:29] for benefit of the public we
[8:36] wanted to go through it again.
[8:36] >> ken hagan: there is no excuse
[8:38] for tardiness.
[8:40] >> there was quite the line, and
[8:41] I apologize.
[8:42] >> ken hagan: you think you've
[8:44] got some pull around here,
[8:44] MR. Horwedel.
[8:45] >> clearly I don't.
[8:46] And I apologize.
[8:48] For the record, my name's greg
[8:49] horwedel, deputy county
[8:50] administrator.
[8:51] And as tom was just beginning to
[8:54] say, and I'm thankful that he
[8:56] didn't have to pull duty on this
[8:58] one, but I did want to go over
[8:59] with you the information that we
[9:03] have about the ballpark
[9:03] proposal.
[9:07] Some of this you have heard
[9:08] before.
[9:09] As tom will tell you in the
[9:10] financial portion of this, I'll
[9:11] turn it back over to him when
[9:13] it's time, we'll go through the
[9:15] detail on the financing, then
[9:17] I'll wrap it up with some key
[9:19] deal points that we have because
[9:21] there's a lot of very complex
[9:24] and moving pieces to this
[9:24] transaction.
[9:26] So thank you for your time, and
[9:28] we will begin by noting this is
[9:31] a proposal that you have seen
[9:32] before, several months ago as
[9:34] you recall.
[9:37] The rays proposed a new
[9:38] ballpark, 28,000 square --
[9:41] excuse me, 28,000 seat ballpark.
[9:43] The initial projection was
[9:45] 31,000, but the agreement that
[9:47] you have before you calls for a
[9:50] minimum of 28.
[9:51] There is new residential
[9:52] commercial and industrial -- or
[9:54] excuse me, commercial, retail,
[9:56] and office, and entertainment
[9:59] proposed as part of this
[9:59] development.
[10:02] The site as you know is the
[10:05] hillsborough county college
[10:05] site.
[10:07] That college site will be
[10:09] redeveloped with new college
[10:10] buildings.
[10:12] The state has indicated it will
[10:15] put in 18
[10:17] $180 million for that
[10:18] development.
[10:19] 50 of that is in this year's
[10:19] budget.
[10:22] There is a total of $30 million
[10:23] of transportation improvements
[10:27] in that area, and $150 million
[10:29] for a brand new campus.
[10:31] The ballpark estimate provided
[10:35] to us by the rays is
[10:36] $2.3 billion.
[10:39] And they have requested
[10:40] approximately $876 million of
[10:43] public subsidy from the county
[10:46] and the city of tampa to enable
[10:48] this project to happen.
[10:50] They have set a deadline of
[10:51] APRIL 2029 in order for the
[10:53] ballpark to open.
[10:55] That is their projection.
[10:58] We are working diligently as
[10:58] we're bringing this forward to
[11:03] you to try and accommodate that
[11:04] timeline.
[11:06] There is significant development
[11:07] around proposed around the
[11:09] ballpark between 6
[11:10] 6 to 8 million
[11:11] square feet.
[11:12] As I mentioned earlier,
[11:13] hospitality, restaurants,
[11:14] retail, and entertainment.
[11:16] There is multifamily, I will
[11:18] point out that that is at this
[11:20] stage rental because
[11:21] condominiums would be subject to
[11:24] the restrictions of amendment 3.
[11:26] And that would significantly
[11:28] reduce the ongoing revenue
[11:30] stream from that development
[11:33] should that be condominiums
[11:35] rather than multifamily rental.
[11:37] The direct economic impact as
[11:40] projected to be $34 billion, the
[11:43] indirect is $21.5 billion
[11:44] according to the rays.
[11:47] As you MAY recall, a com
[11:48] provided to us about three
[11:50] months ago an assessment of that
[11:55] proposal based upon our cl -- rc
[11:56] co.'s data.
[11:57] We asked them to update that.
[11:58] They have verified the minimum
[11:59] development proposal that the
[12:02] rays have suggested is feasible
[12:04] and the city of -- in the city
[12:05] of tampa.
[12:06] We asked them to look
[12:08] specifically at the tampa market
[12:13] and our obsorption rate and come
[12:14] up with verification that that
[12:14] was a defensible position, and
[12:16] they have confirmed that.
[12:22] It's about 3.1 million square
[12:23] `feet of multifamily rentals and
[12:24] half a million square feet of
[12:26] office, retail, destination,
[12:28] dine, hotels, and entertainment.
[12:30] There's a 30-year gross
[12:32] financial impact from confirmed
[12:34] available sources that they
[12:38] estimate to be $2.5 billion.
[12:39] That's ad valorem taxes or
[12:42] property taxes, state and county
[12:44] sales taxes, and tourist
[12:46] development tax.
[12:47] The assessed ad valorem values
[12:51] are estimated to be $886 million
[12:52] in 2035.
[12:55] The total assessed values is
[12:57] assessed -- expected to be more
[12:58] than $3 billion for the entire
[13:01] stadium district in 2059,
[13:04] excluding of course the ballpark
[13:05] and hillsborough college.
[13:07] There are other impacts that the
[13:09] rays have suggested will happen
[13:11] around that development site,
[13:12] but we did not consider those.
[13:13] We're not presenting those at
[13:15] this time because that's not
[13:17] anything that we can verify.
[13:18] We think that it's going to
[13:19] happen, but we can't put a
[13:21] number to that.
[13:23] The direct economic impact is
[13:26] expected to total $34.8 billion.
[13:29] With about 5,000 annualized jobs
[13:33] on a 30-year average.
[13:34] There's $12.3 billion in wage
[13:35] earnings associated with this
[13:37] proposed development.
[13:42] Adding the indirect brings it to
[13:42] 43.1.
[13:44] And the others benefiting from
[13:47] this proposal, and I think this
[13:50] is pretty important information,
[13:52] that hillsborough college gets
[13:55] $180 million as we mentioned
[13:56] previously from the state.
[14:00] The state of florida itself gets
[14:01] about $1.4 billion in sales tax.
[14:06] The school district benefits by
[14:08] about $278 million over the 30
[14:08] years.
[14:11] The library services district,
[14:12] $22 million, hart, $22 million,
[14:15] the school board, $20 million,
[14:17] water management district,
[14:19] $7.8 million, port authority,
[14:23] $3.7 million, and even elapp is
[14:24] about $220,000 over the 30
[14:24] years.
[14:26] There is a community benefits
[14:27] agreement that
[14:30] t.
[14:31] That amount's unknown but there
[14:32] will bow a minimum of scoib% --
[14:34] be a minimum of 65% going to the
[14:35] county.
[14:38] With that, now tom can come on
[14:40] up and talk about the financial
[14:46] structure.
[14:46] Thanks.
[14:48] >> so commissioners, just had a
[14:49] few slides I wanted to run
[14:51] through to go over the financial
[14:52] aspects of the deal.
[14:55] The proposed deal.
[14:57] The city and county are
[15:00] proposing to contribute
[15:03] $876 million to the project.
[15:04] The primary funding source from
[15:05] the county is the community
[15:06] investment tax.
[15:07] When we first started out, we
[15:09] were looking at some different
[15:11] models and planning on borrowing
[15:12] against the community investment
[15:13] tax.
[15:14] We decided tat wasn't the most
[15:16] efficient approach.
[15:18] So we changed the way that we
[15:18] were looking at things and what
[15:21] we're coming back with today is
[15:24] a proposal where we actually
[15:26] fund during the construction
[15:27] period $90 million a year for
[15:28] four years.
[15:29] this will
[15:31] will avoid us having to pay
[15:33] any interest from the community
[15:35] investment tax and it'll make it
[15:37] in our view the most efficient
[15:39] prose to use that funding.
[15:40] There was the meeting yesterday
[15:41] over at the city of tampa, the
[15:43] city of tampa is committing
[15:44] $80 million over the same
[15:47] four-year period; I believe they
[15:49] are planning to borrow for thse
[15:50] funds.
[15:51] Then we have the tourist
[15:52] development tax.
[15:54] I'm going to go over a slide
[15:55] with that and what that means in
[15:56] a couple of minutes.
[15:59] The county is committing up to
[16:01] 100
[16:07] $103 million in cash and
[16:07] reserves.
[16:10] Finally we have the cdbg
[16:10] disaster recovery funds.
[16:12] That would be primary for
[16:13] stormwater type improvements
[16:15] within the ballpark district.
[16:16] What I did want to point out in
[16:17] addition to that, so those are
[16:20] the county and the city proposed
[16:21] commitments, but also the state
[16:23] of florida has donated the land
[16:25] for the ballpark district.
[16:28] They have also committed to
[16:30] $150 million to rebuild
[16:32] hillsborough college, and
[16:34] finally, are committing about
[16:35] $30 million in transportation
[16:39] projects for the area.
[16:40] One of the things that we did
[16:41] want to run through with the
[16:42] board is just give you an idea
[16:45] of what we believe could be a
[16:45] recorvey of the
[16:47] -- recovery of the
[16:48] dollars of the investment that's
[16:49] made by the county.
[16:50] So on the previous slide we had
[16:51] $876 million.
[16:53] Here we have $796 million, which
[16:55] is the county's contribution.
[16:57] I am backing out of that, the
[16:58] tourist development tax, because
[17:01] that relates to the sixth cent
[17:02] tourist development tax.
[17:04] That, those funds and that
[17:05] revenue source is restricted,
[17:06] and it's restricted for a
[17:08] purpose such as this, so we did
[17:09] not believe that we necessarily
[17:11] needed to focus on recovering
[17:12] those dollars since that source
[17:14] was available to us.
[17:17] And then we had the cdbgdr,
[17:18] that's a grant so w didn't feel
[17:20] like we needed to recover grant
[17:20] funds either.
[17:22] So what we end up with a target
[17:24] recovery amount for the project
[17:27] for hillsborough county of about
[17:28] $463 million.
[17:29] How do we intend to get those
[17:31] dollars back over time?
[17:33] I will tell you that those
[17:34] dollars will not be coming back
[17:35] to us quickly, it will take a
[17:37] long period of time to come back
[17:42] to us, but we do believe over the term of the
[17:43] lease that we will recover those
[17:44] funds coming out.
[17:46] That will be in the form of,
[17:49] we've negotiated an annual rent
[17:50] amount of $4 million a year that
[17:51] the rays would be paying to the
[17:54] county, and that includes a cpi
[17:54] adjustment every year.
[17:56] So over the 35 years of the
[17:57] lease, that could be up to
[17:58] $200 million.
[18:00] As greg had mentioned earlier,
[18:02] we've been working with aecom on
[18:04] potential impacts and dollars
[18:05] that would be recovered.
[18:07] So some of these next few items
[18:10] here are the dollars that aecom
[18:11] elieves that can be recovered
[18:13] over a 35-year period which
[18:15] would be sales tax, it goes up
[18:16] toot state, the state shares
[18:18] back about 8 to 10% of that with
[18:21] us, that's the $145 million.
[18:23] We've got sales tax that will be
[18:24] generated over the 30-year
[18:25] period that will actually
[18:28] increase the amount of cit funds
[18:30] available because we've got
[18:31] $120 million there.
[18:32] Weave got the half cent cit tax,
[18:33] so we believe that those
[18:36] revenues will be generated over
[18:38] that period of time.
[18:40] Finally we have also an
[18:41] dditional contribution from the
[18:42] state of florida as we've gone
[18:43] through this process.
[18:45] The state of florida has agreed
[18:48] to fund $100 million of our
[18:49] lithia pinecrest project, so
[18:52] that was a project that was
[18:54] originally budgeted at
[18:56] $200 million as part of the cit
[18:57] renewal that you approved.
[18:59] It's one of the projects.
[19:01] So that's an offset that we'll
[19:03] be able to take against our cit
[19:07] contribution of $360 million.
[19:11] I will also go over in a few
[19:12] minutes a community dvelopment
[19:13] district proposal for the site.
[19:15] That is where we will share
[19:16] revenues between the city, the
[19:19] county, and the cdd.
[19:20] Again, I will go over that in a
[19:22] few minutes to talk about the
[19:23] $87 million, and then finally,
[19:25] the last few sources will be
[19:26] tourist development taxes,
[19:29] obviously if we have a new, new
[19:30] complex like that it will
[19:31] generate additional tourists
[19:32] coming to the area so that will
[19:33] generate some additional tourist
[19:35] development tax dollars.
[19:36] Then there is the community
[19:38] benefits agreement, we
[19:39] .
[19:40] We haven't arrived at a final
[19:43] amount for that yet.
[19:45] As was, if you were watching
[19:46] yesterday, the proposal is for
[19:47] the county to benefit to the
[19:49] extent of about 65% in the city
[19:51] to benefit to the extent of 35%.
[19:54] But again, a total amount hasn't
[19:55] been agreed upon yet.
[19:57] And then finally, as the
[19:58] ballpark goes under
[19:59] construction, what would happen
[20:01] is we would have a value
[20:03] engineering process, so the way
[20:04] that it's built in the
[20:05] agreements are that if there are
[20:07] savings that are identified in and
[20:09] the ballpark is not $2.3 billion
[20:11] and savings are identified, it
[20:12] would be shared proportionally
[20:13] between the rays and the county
[20:14] and the city.
[20:16] So we would get some additional
[20:17] dollars back that way.
[20:18] Obviously at this point, we
[20:24] can't project what those might
[20:24] be.
[20:26] As far as the tourist
[20:27] development taxes we're
[20:29] proposing to use the 6th cent
[20:30] tourist development.
[20:32] We've got some reyrves
[20:34] reserves in both
[20:35] the three cent tourist
[20:36] development tax and the six cent
[20:38] that we believe could be used up
[20:39] front, $40 million, but then in
[20:43] addition to that, we're
[20:43] proposing $263 million of
[20:44] borrowing.
[20:45] There would be a first tranche
[20:49] of that of about $228 million.
[20:51] And then if capacity is
[20:52] available at some point in the
[20:54] future there might be another up
[20:55] to $35 million borrowing
[20:56] associated with that.
[20:59] So this is the $303 million
[21:00] piece.
[21:01] Currently out of the first three
[21:03] cents of the tourist development
[21:06] tax, that funds visit tampa bay.
[21:08] As part of the sixth cent, 30%
[21:10] of the sixth cent currently goes
[21:13] to visit tampa bay, so that
[21:14] amount would go away.
[21:17] We also are funding a couple of
[21:18] other things.
[21:20] We're making a $2 million a year
[21:21] contribution to the tampa
[21:22] question center through --
[21:23] convention center through the
[21:24] sixth cent and we also have one
[21:25] of our cull
[21:28] cultural assets programs
[21:29] runlz
[21:31] runsthrough that area so we would
[21:33] need to find some alternate
[21:34] funding sources for those.
[21:36] As far as other cash reserves,
[21:39] we've taken a look at reserves,
[21:40] unrestricted reserves that we
[21:40] have across the county.
[21:42] We believe that if we go out and
[21:43] take a look at things such as
[21:45] our half cent sales tax
[21:46] reserves, we have economic
[21:47] development reserves, and you
[21:49] can see some other areas there,
[21:51] that we could come up with
[21:53] reasonably about $103 million of
[21:54] `cash to be able to commit to the
[21:57] deal up front.
[21:58] We believe if we commit that
[22:00] amount, we still would have
[22:00] sufficient reserves and
[22:01] flexibility within our budget to
[22:03] be able to meet ongoing needs
[22:06] and service needs of the county.
[22:07] So it's a lot of money.
[22:09] I don't want to indicate that
[22:11] it's not.
[22:12] But we believe that we can come
[22:14] up with that and still be
[22:16] comfortable with having flexible
[22:17] nough reserves in the rest of
[22:22] the budget.
[22:23] The last slide I will go over
[22:24] has to d with the community
[22:26] development district that would
[22:27] be associated with the ballpark
[22:28] site.
[22:29] So what ends up happening there
[22:31] is the primary funding source
[22:33] that would be generated would be
[22:35] property taxes in that area.
[22:36] So as development occurs,
[22:39] property taxes would begin to
[22:41] come into the county, and the
[22:42] city.
[22:45] And so what I wanted to go over,
[22:46] and what's really important on
[22:48] this piece is this is a big
[22:49] negotiating piece for us with
[22:50] the rays.
[22:54] And so where we ended up is as
[22:58] it relates to the -- cdd, we
[23:00] kind of have a tiered approach.
[23:02] So when you come up with the
[23:03] first $350 million worth of
[23:05] development in the area, the
[23:07] county and the city share of the
[23:08] property taxes coming back from
[23:11] that would be 70%, and then 30%
[23:14] would go back into the cdd, and
[23:17] what that means is the cdd would
[23:18] then reinvest those funds within
[23:21] the ballpark district for public
[23:21] purposes.
[23:23] So that could be reinvestments
[23:24] in our ballpark, which we think
[23:26] is a positive because we want to
[23:27] make sure it stays up to first
[23:30] class standards, or it could be
[23:31] other infrastructure type
[23:34] improvements within the ballpark
[23:34] district.
[23:36] At the next level, it's an --
[23:39] this is an incentivized
[23:39] approach.
[23:43] So we did our best to negotiate
[23:44] a guarantee on the development
[23:45] in the area.
[23:47] This was kind of the negotiated
[23:48] approach which is more of a
[23:49] tiered approach where we can
[23:51] incentivize development.
[23:53] So so as the taxable value goes
[23:55] and the development increases in
[23:58] that area, the percentage that
[23:59] the county and the city receive
[24:01] goes down because we want to
[24:02] incentivize.
[24:04] But the key to this is that each
[24:06] and every year the county and
[24:09] the city get the 70% up to 350,
[24:12] we get the 50% up between 350
[24:16] and 650, and then over the 650,
[24:17] $650 million of taxable value in
[24:20] the area, then we go down to 15%
[24:24] in the cdd gets 85%.
[24:26] I just -- at the bottom here
[24:27] gave kind of an example.
[24:28] I used information that was
[24:32] provided to us by the rays.
[24:33] They kind of gave us estimated
[24:34] development values over a
[24:37] 30-year period,.
[24:40] Those, over that 30-year period
[24:41] they gave us minimum they
[24:41] thought they could develop and
[24:43] then a target.
[24:44] That's kind of their
[24:44] aspirational.
[24:46] What you're seeing here is the
[24:47] minimum development that was
[24:48] proposed by the rays.
[24:49] And what that would result in.
[24:51] What that results in is the
[24:55] county receiving over a 30-year
[24:57] period about $87 million from
[24:57] the cdd area that we could use
[24:59] in other areas of the county for
[25:00] our general purposes.
[25:02] Outside of the ballpark
[25:03] district.
[25:04] The city would receive
[25:05] $100 million.
[25:06] Their share is a little bit
[25:07] larger because this is based on
[25:09] obviously millage rates.
[25:11] And the city of tampa's millage
[25:12] rate is slightly higher than
[25:14] hillsborough county's.
[25:16] And then finally, the amount
[25:17] that would stay with the cdd
[25:20] would be $395 million, and
[25:23] again, that would go back into
[25:24] infrastructure type impriewfts
[25:25] provements or public type of
[25:26] improvements within the ballpark
[25:27] district.
[25:28] It could go to the stadium, it
[25:29] could go to other improvements
[25:30] in that area.
[25:31] And with that I'll turn it back
[25:37] over to greg.
[25:42] >> thanks, tom.
[25:43] As you go
[25:44] you can see, there has been
[25:45] quite a bit of detailed
[25:47] negotiation about the financial
[25:47] component, but there are many
[25:48] other pieces of this discussion
[25:51] that we've had the ways and --
[25:52] had with the rays and had with
[25:53] the city that have led to the
[25:54] agreement that you have before
[25:54] you.
[25:56] The model that we have looked at
[25:58] through this process is the
[25:59] battery in atlanta.
[26:01] That was done about 10 years
[26:02] ago.
[26:04] It is today starting to generate
[26:08] significant tax revenue for cobb
[26:09] county, and it is important to
[26:12] recognize that these types of
[26:14] developments with surrounding
[26:15] ancillary buildings,
[26:17] development, are the type of
[26:19] model that many professional
[26:20] sports teams are looking at.
[26:21] And that's the model that we
[26:22] looked at here.
[26:26] Since the ballpark site does not
[26:29] create any ad valorem tax
[26:31] revenue today, all of the
[26:32] incentive based concepts that
[26:34] tom talked about and that we've
[26:36] negotiated in the agreement will
[26:38] generate dollars for not only
[26:41] the county but also the city and
[26:43] the cdd and I want to emphasize
[26:44] that that's a public entity and
[26:47] they are subject to are the
[26:48] public -- all the public records
[26:48] laws.
[26:49] They have a governing board and
[26:51] all of their, all of their
[26:55] actions are subject to public
[26:55] scrutiny.
[26:57] Bond validation is an important
[26:58] component of this.
[27:00] we want to make sure that the
[27:02] courts look at the proposed deal
[27:04] and bless it so that everything
[27:05] can be moved forward.
[27:08] We don't want to have any loose
[27:08] nds.
[27:09] If there might be a question
[27:11] about whether some of the
[27:12] financial are
[27:14] s are able to be used
[27:14] for this project.
[27:17] The ballpark design is to be
[27:20] mutually agreed by the city, the
[27:22] county, and the tampa sports
[27:24] authority with the rays.
[27:25] I think that's an incredibly
[27:26] important point.
[27:27] We've spent significant time on
[27:30] that concept, and we are going
[27:32] to have a joint conversation
[27:34] about the features and amenities
[27:35] contained in the ballpark,
[27:37] specifically the public areas
[27:38] because we think that that's
[27:40] important that public dollars go
[27:44] to support the public areas of
[27:46] the proposed ballpark.
[27:49] I know with certainty that tsa,
[27:50] the county and the city are
[27:52] going to be looking at value
[27:53] engineering along with the rays
[27:54] to try and reduce the cost.
[27:56] We have not yet seen formal
[27:59] blueprints, but we are confident
[28:00] that there is probably some cost
[28:00] savings.
[28:02] I can't give you a magnitude
[28:04] right now, but I'm certain that
[28:08] tsa will look at that very, very
[28:08] closely.
[28:11] The public areas are nontaxable.
[28:14] Private areas pay ad valorem
[28:14] taxes.
[28:16] The county owns the ballpark and
[28:18] the ground under it after
[28:19] construction.
[28:21] I do want to emphasize one other
[28:25] point, that the rays have agreed
[28:27] to cover all cost over runs.
[28:28] So even after all of this, if
[28:32] there are additional costs that
[28:33] related toot construction of the
[28:34] stadium, the rays are
[28:38] responsible for that.
[28:40] There is a 35-year license and
[28:42] use agreement, and they have
[28:44] five three-year options to
[28:45] extend.
[28:47] The rays are going to pay
[28:50] $40 million annual rent with cip
[28:51] adjustments.
[28:52] As tom indicated earlier, tat
[28:55] is a significant revenue source
[28:56] that we believe helps offset the
[28:59] initial county investment.
[29:00] There's a nonrelocation
[29:01] agreement that requires the rays
[29:04] to play their own games in
[29:04] hillsborough county throughout
[29:06] the term of the agreement.
[29:09] There is a guarantee agreement
[29:10] that requires the rays to
[29:11] perform.
[29:12] So all of the things that
[29:14] they've said financially and all
[29:17] of the conditions precedent that
[29:18] I know our county attorney will
[29:20] talk about after I'm done, all
[29:22] of those are required for the
[29:24] rays to perform.
[29:26] There is no city or county
[29:27] obligation to pursue alternate
[29:28] funding sources.
[29:29] We think that's critical.
[29:32] There MAY be something that for
[29:33] whatever reason falls through
[29:33] the cracks.
[29:37] We don't think that's likely,
[29:39] but at this stage we want to be
[29:39] absolutely sure that we're not
[29:40] on the hook for finding
[29:41] additional funding if something
[29:45] like that were to happen.
[29:48] The county MAY choose to reduce
[29:51] the final payment if the state
[29:54] that does not follow through on
[29:55] its $100 million commitment for
[29:57] lithia pinecrest.
[29:58] We think that's a remote
[30:00] possibility, but we want to be
[30:02] absolutely sure our job is to
[30:03] protect the county and the
[30:04] county taxpayers so that we can
[30:05] make sure that those dollars if
[30:08] they don't come through to cit
[30:10] and offset some of our other cit
[30:11] contributions, we have a
[30:13] mechanism in place to hold back
[30:16] some of the dollars.
[30:17] Mentioned earlier, there is a
[30:18] community benefits agreement, no
[30:22] less than 65% will go to the
[30:22] county.
[30:23] And finally, ballpark
[30:25] construction will follow public
[30:28] procurement law.
[30:30] There are three agreements
[30:31] before you.
[30:34] These are the foundational
[30:34] documents.
[30:35] They are necessary for us to
[30:40] have the following agreements
[30:41] formalized and we're still
[30:43] working on those.
[30:44] But these three that are before
[30:46] you today, I know the county
[30:47] attorney will talk more in
[30:49] detail about them, these are the
[30:51] foundational pieces that we
[30:53] absolutely if the board feels
[30:55] like this project is something
[30:57] that we need to have in our
[30:59] community, we have to have your
[31:01] ascent to approve these and then
[31:02] move forward.
[31:04] So we'll be looking for that
[31:05] during your discussion and
[31:06] direction.
[31:07] With that I'll turn it over to
[31:10] julia and following julia's
[31:13] comments, tom and I and julia
[31:14] and county administrator will
[31:16] all be available for questions.
[31:18] >> thank you very much.
[31:19] And I believe -- greg and tom
[31:21] did a really excellent job going
[31:22] through the highlights of the
[31:23] agreement.
[31:24] It's obviously a very dense
[31:25] agreement with a lot of legal
[31:28] stuff in it, but I think it's
[31:29] important that everybody
[31:32] understands that we through this
[31:34] process wanted to ensure that
[31:36] the document protected the
[31:37] county and the city as well as
[31:40] our partner in order to ensure
[31:42] that we were moving forward
[31:43] through this process with a
[31:45] document that we could live with
[31:46] and could recommend.
[31:47] I'm going to just go through
[31:50] some of the other kind of higher
[31:53] points and not belabor them, but
[31:55] certainly can be available for
[31:55] any questions.
[31:58] The financial pieces have been
[31:59] discussed and how those are
[32:01] going to work, but I do think it
[32:02] kind of runs into three
[32:02] tranches.
[32:05] One is the county's
[32:05] contribution.
[32:06] The second is the city's
[32:07] contribution.
[32:09] The third is the team's
[32:10] contribution.
[32:12] And then the piece related to
[32:15] the cdd and how that will be set
[32:16] up.
[32:17] Procedurally for the cdd to be
[32:21] set up a couple things are going
[32:21] to need to happen.
[32:22] We're going to have to create
[32:24] what's called a home rule tif,
[32:28] and that's set forth in the
[32:28] agreement.
[32:30] We're going to have to have a
[32:31] cdd created, and I know many of
[32:33] you are familiar with CDDs as
[32:34] we create them dmt county as
[32:35] well, and those are governmental
[32:36] entities.
[32:38] And then there will have to be
[32:39] an interlocal agreement that is
[32:41] between the cdd, the city, and
[32:44] the county for the funds, the ad
[32:45] valorem funds that are in what
[32:49] you will see as exhibit e that
[32:51] describes how those funds will
[32:52] occur, how those will be
[32:53] transferred to the cdd.
[32:54] I think it's very important to
[32:57] understand that the cdd is
[33:00] governed by state statute.
[33:02] So how those funds can
[33:03] ultimately be spent through the
[33:05] project will have to be in line
[33:07] with the statutory provisions of
[33:10] the cdd, and we will also have
[33:11] further opportunity to govern
[33:16] those through an interlocal
[33:17] agreement and that of course
[33:18] will come later but that is how
[33:19] it is set up.
[33:21] The other piece I wanted to note
[33:25] to you is that these different
[33:26] contributions that we're going
[33:27] through, some of them will be
[33:30] bonded, and those will require a
[33:32] bonding resolution.
[33:33] However, all of the pieces of
[33:34] this, the financial pieces of
[33:39] this will be obligated to go
[33:40] through a bond validation
[33:41] proceeding in court.
[33:44] And so that is a condition
[33:46] precedent to us funding any of
[33:46] this money.
[33:48] It will have to go through that
[33:50] process, although it is a
[33:52] process that can be expedited.
[33:54] It will take some period of
[33:56] time, the team is aware of that,
[33:57] and they understand that that is
[33:59] something that will be obligated
[34:02] for us to proceed forward.
[34:02] There was a number of questions
[34:04] through this process as it
[34:07] related to the, our use of the
[34:09] cit funds I had provided
[34:10] previously those legal opinions
[34:11] that we've received, however, I
[34:13] anticipate that those issues
[34:14] will come up through a bond
[34:16] validation proceeding, and if
[34:17] there is any appeals to those,
[34:19] they go to directly to the
[34:20] supreme court.
[34:21] But I think it's important for
[34:22] everybody to know the money
[34:23] can't start right away.
[34:25] It's not like we're writing a
[34:26] check tomorrow.
[34:27] These things have to go through
[34:28] the process.
[34:30] In addition to the bond
[34:33] validation proceeding being a
[34:35] condition precedent, there is
[34:36] numerous condition precedence to
[34:42] us putting one dime into this
[34:42] project.
[34:44] I think there is about 28 of
[34:45] them, but the ones that I will
[34:49] highlight for you are the ones
[34:50] related to the city's got to
[34:51] have their money.
[34:53] We have to put our money in, and
[34:54] the team has to put their money
[34:56] into what will be a construction
[34:56] trust fund.
[34:59] And that will be governed by a
[35:00] separate agreement.
[35:01] All of the agreements, not just
[35:03] the agreements that are in front
[35:04] `of you today, which are
[35:08] inclusive of the, the funding
[35:09] agreement, the guarantee
[35:12] agreement, and the nonrelocation
[35:14] agreement, the other agreements
[35:15] that were discussed that greg
[35:19] discussed with you, the use
[35:20] agreement, all of these
[35:21] interlocal agreements with the
[35:23] cdd, the change, the creation of
[35:27] a home rule tif, the ability to
[35:29] have that interlocal agreement
[35:31] with the cdd, all of those
[35:34] things have to acr prior to
[35:34] funding.
[35:36] So those are other steps that
[35:39] will come forward in this
[35:40] process.
[35:41] And I also want to note that,
[35:42] and I've seen lot of questions
[35:45] about this, the financial
[35:47] capability of the team, there
[35:48] are two entities that you've
[35:51] seen in these documents.
[35:52] One is hold co which is
[35:53] basically the parent company or
[35:57] the parent funding of the, the
[35:59] team, and then stag co and team
[36:01] co, which are the separate
[36:03] pieces of how they're running
[36:05] their stadium operations.
[36:06] And I'm not getting in the weeds
[36:07] on that.
[36:08] There's corporate -- corporate
[36:10] governance that, that a lot of
[36:11] folks can talk about, but I'm
[36:14] trying to make it kind of simple
[36:15] and clear.
[36:18] They will have to provide us
[36:20] both hold co and stag co and
[36:23] team co, all of their financial
[36:24] capability prior to us funding
[36:27] in a manner acceptable to us.
[36:29] That is a very specific part of
[36:30] all of this.
[36:32] You will also see that the team
[36:35] guarantee is through hold co,
[36:37] and one of the changes that I'm
[36:38] going to be asking to be able to
[36:40] make on that document is
[36:42] something that the team has
[36:43] agreed to on the guarantee
[36:46] document, which says that that
[36:48] funding mechanism and the
[36:49] funding information will be
[36:51] available to us at our request
[36:53] through the life of the
[36:55] guarantee, not just prior to
[36:55] funding.
[36:57] So we will have additional
[36:58] opportunities throughout the
[37:00] life of this agreement to be
[37:03] able to ask for that
[37:04] information.
[37:05] Some of the other issues that I
[37:06] think are really important and
[37:08] critical and things that we've
[37:11] seen relate to the comprehensive
[37:14] plan and the entitlement ability
[37:15] for them to proceed forward, not
[37:17] just with the stadium, the
[37:19] ballpark as it were, but also
[37:21] with their mixed use development
[37:22] and there was a point in time
[37:24] there was a comprehensive plan
[37:25] amendment that was pending in
[37:27] front of the city of tampa that
[37:30] was not transmitted to the
[37:30] state.
[37:32] There has been another comp plan
[37:34] amendment that has been filed.
[37:37] That comp plan amendment is
[37:38] critical not just for the mixed
[37:40] use development, but also for
[37:41] inconstruction of the -- the
[37:42] construction of the ballpark.
[37:44] That will be a condition precede
[37:44] pt
[37:46] precedent of this as well, or
[37:47] other opportunities for them to
[37:48] develop without the comp plan
[37:50] mendment but candidly, I don't
[37:51] think that's a realistic
[37:52] opportunity.
[37:56] They were going to have to have
[37:57] that as part of the agreement
[37:58] set forward.
[38:01] So that is set as a precedent of
[38:02] the agreement as well as
[38:02] receiving any permitting
[38:03] opportunities that they will
[38:04] need through whatever mechanisms
[38:06] because it's college property,
[38:08] they do have some ability to
[38:09] permit through the college, but
[38:11] that is dealt with within the
[38:15] body of the agreement.
[38:16] As it relates to the
[38:20] nonrelocation agreement, we'll
[38:21] ll -- there was a conversation
[38:24] and a question about some other
[38:26] cretters that MAY have --
[38:28] creditors that MAY have some
[38:29] rights to any of the assets of
[38:29] the team.
[38:34] We will be -- they will be
[38:35] obligated to provide us evidence
[38:37] that the nonrelocation agreement
[38:38] can't be subrogated to another
[38:38] entity.
[38:42] It's a nuance, but one I think
[38:43] is very important to point out
[38:43] to you.
[38:46] I did also want to note that
[38:47] yesterday and many of you may
[38:50] have watched the city of tampa
[38:51] did approve the agreement.
[38:52] It was quite a lengthy process
[38:54] over there, and I did have the
[38:57] opportunity to attend that
[38:58] hearing and answer any questions
[39:01] that might be necessary as it
[39:02] related to the county.
[39:04] The city of tampa did make a few
[39:05] tweaks to the agreement that we
[39:08] will need to make to our
[39:08] agreement.
[39:09] The two most specific tweaks
[39:11] that they made related -- and
[39:13] they all related to their issues
[39:14] not our issues.
[39:16] But related to their $80 million
[39:19] and that they would have the
[39:22] opportunity to have that
[39:24] $80 million paid out on a
[39:25] reimbursement basis as well as a
[39:27] provision in the agreement that
[39:29] says that they were not, that by
[39:31] virtue of the agreement, we
[39:33] weren't agreeing to their deal,
[39:35] and we're not agreeing to our
[39:36] deal that we're standing alone
[39:38] in this, but that, I shouldn't
[39:39] say agreeing.
[39:40] They weren't blessing our deal,
[39:42] and we aren't blessing their
[39:43] deal.
[39:44] That, we're, we're coming
[39:45] together on this, but they
[39:47] wanted to make sure that there
[39:49] was some separation there.
[39:51] Those are as part of any motion
[39:52] that you might make if you
[39:53] respect to proceed forward I
[39:55] would need authority to true up
[39:57] those two agreements in order to
[39:58] proceed forward.
[40:00] I did also want to note that
[40:01] scott steady the city attorney a
[40:02] is
[40:06] attorneyis in attendance as well as
[40:08] chief of staff john bennett and
[40:09] city cfo dennis roharrow if you
[40:11] have any questions of them as it
[40:12] relates to the city's part of
[40:14] this or any of the other
[40:15] questions or alignments that
[40:16] we've had, they have been
[40:18] wonderful partners.
[40:19] I got to go home a little bit
[40:21] yesterday to my old haunting
[40:23] grounds to spend am time with
[40:24] them, and it was -- some time
[40:25] with them, and it was an
[40:26] interesting experience, but I
[40:27] have to tell you tled me to
[40:29] realize that I absolutely adore
[40:32] being here.
[40:33] So I felt compelled to say that
[40:37] for the record.
[40:39] No offense to my city friends.
[40:40] The final thing I did want to
[40:41] point out and I should've
[40:43] pointed it out earlier has to do
[40:46] with the process of an owner's
[40:46] rep through the construction
[40:48] process and tsa has also been an
[40:49] mazing partner.
[40:50] Eric hart is here as well.
[40:52] I've had the chance to work with
[40:53] him very closely on some of
[40:55] these provisions.
[40:59] While there will be an owner's
[41:00] rep that will have robest
[41:01] engagement in this process and
[41:03] what we have also added into
[41:04] this agreement is a project
[41:05] newterous
[41:06] neutral process.
[41:07] It's a process we have used with
[41:08] other sports teams that as we go
[41:11] through the process of we are
[41:12] owner's rep
[41:13] rep doesn't agree with
[41:14] something the rays have proposed
[41:15] and something that we can't just
[41:17] work out our sblgz, there's --
[41:18] ourselves, there is an
[41:21] opportunity to go through an
[41:22] expedited project neutral kind
[41:24] of arbitrary process, and
[41:25] that -- arbitrator process and
[41:28] that way we're able to get to a
[41:30] process to find some comfort to
[41:32] what the final decisions are as
[41:33] opposed to being something the
[41:36] team can say yes or no to.
[41:37] It's not a question of veto
[41:37] power.
[41:39] It's a question of having a
[41:40] partnership on a building that
[41:42] we have put extensive resources
[41:47] in and that we want to see be an
[41:48] excellent example of a type of
[41:50] facility that we can be proud of
[41:51] much like we're proud of the
[41:53] other facilities that we have.
[41:55] So with that, I will end my
[41:57] boring diatribe of the legal
[42:00] nuances and happy to answer any
[42:01] questions.
[42:01] >> ken hagan: thank you.
[42:03] I'm sure there will be questions
[42:04] for staff, and I'd ask board
[42:06] members to reserve those for
[42:08] during board discussion.
[42:10] We'll go into public comment
[42:10] now.
[42:12] The board welcomes comments from
[42:13] citizens, your opinions have
[42:15] valued in terms of providing
[42:17] valuable ifpet to board
[42:20] input to board members.
[42:21] However at the same time it is
[42:21] requested when you address the
[42:23] board that comments are not
[42:24] directly personally at
[42:24] commissioners or staff but
[42:26] rather the issues.
[42:27] I know there are passionate
[42:29] feelings on both sides to this
[42:29] issue.
[42:33] I am going to ask everyone to
[42:34] please be civil and respectful
[42:37] to those speaking during public
[42:37] comment.
[42:39] The chair will call on speakers
[42:40] by name in the order chin their
[42:42] request to speak -- in which
[42:44] their request to speak have been
[42:44] received.
[42:45] Whendriesing the board please
[42:47] state -- when addressing the
[42:49] board, please speak clearly and
[42:50] say your name into the
[42:50] microphone.
[42:51] We have 55 individuals that have
[42:52] signed up to speak, consistent
[42:54] with how the board handles when
[42:56] we have significant number of
[42:57] speakers, I'd ask for a motion
[42:59] for each speaker would
[43:01] to be given two
[43:02] minutes.
[43:03] Motion, commissioner cohen,
[43:04] second, commissioner myers.
[43:10] Please record your vote.
[43:12] >> motion carried 7-0.
[43:13] >> ken hagan: okay, first three
[43:14] speakers this morning.
[43:16] Robert emerson.
[43:17] Followed by michael marino, and
[43:28] then karen jaroch.
[43:29] Good morning.
[43:30] >>> good morning.
[43:31] Thank you.
[43:33] I'm robbert emerson, I live in
[43:34] apollo beach.
[43:38] I'm humbled to, to give some
[43:38] brief comments here.
[43:40] I'm also humbled having to
[43:41] follow tom fesler.
[43:44] I feel like a singer trying to
[43:46] follow sinatra here after tom's
[43:46] comments.
[43:49] But I'll be brief.
[43:53] I'm here to argue against the
[43:54] proposal.
[43:56] The first reason is the optics
[43:58] are so horribly bad, guys.
[44:01] Like there's not enough money in
[44:02] professional sports already.
[44:05] The owners are all
[44:06] multimultibillionaires.
[44:08] The players are all
[44:09] multimultimillionaires.
[44:11] And to come to a hard pressed
[44:13] taxpayer who's trying to save a
[44:16] few dollars to buy a new bike
[44:18] for his kids, the opticerize
[44:19] just, just horrible.
[44:20] Now I have no problem with
[44:22] people making good money.
[44:26] I've been accused of that myself
[44:26] occasionally.
[44:30] but it seems to me that the club
[44:31] could finance this themselves
[44:33] quite easily.
[44:34] They could float a bond issue,
[44:36] maybe 20, 30-year bond issue a
[44:41] little bit low end of investment
[44:44] grade, triple b, for a
[44:45] coupon, maybe 7, 7 and
[44:47] 7.25%.
[44:48] They could own the whole thing,
[44:49] not have to come to the hard
[44:52] pressed taxpayers.
[44:55] Opticerize just terrible.
[44:57] Second thought.
[44:58] I am from philadelphia
[44:59] originally, many years ago.
[45:00] Some years ago.
[45:01] We rebuilt our sports complex,
[45:03] and it's great.
[45:06] I like the proposed complex
[45:08] here, and the philadelphia
[45:10] complex was great.
[45:12] Pleasant to go to.
[45:14] But there's again, it's the
[45:16] public financing that's the
[45:19] problem, and also I've observed
[45:22] closely with the philadelphia
[45:24] experience for example, the
[45:28] economic benefits are illusory.
[45:30] Illusory is the word I would
[45:31] use.
[45:31] So.
[45:32] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[45:32] MR. Emerson.
[45:33] >> I'm out of time.
[45:33] Thanks.
[45:34] >> ken hagan: appreciate the
[45:34] comments, sir.
[45:36] Michael marino.
[45:37] Followed by karen jaroch and
[45:39] then carmen edmonds.
[45:40] >> good afternoon,
[45:40] commissioners.
[45:42] Michael marino, executive
[45:43] director, westshore alliance.
[45:44] We encourage you to support the
[45:47] rays proposal for the potential
[45:48] economic and infrastructure
[45:50] impact in westshore and drew
[45:50] park.
[45:52] big projects need public-private
[45:53] partnerships and policy and
[45:54] funding.
[45:55] In this case, you're turning
[45:56] public land into taxable private
[45:57] land.
[45:58] It is the best way to get return
[46:00] on the public's investment.
[46:01] We encourage you to support this
[46:01] project.
[46:03] It deserves your support.
[46:05] We look forward to burking
[46:06] working with
[46:08] you to make it successful for
[46:10] all of hillsborough county thank
[46:11] they
[46:11] thank you.
[46:13] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[46:15] MR. Marino.
[46:16] Karen jaroch,.
[46:17] >> good morning, my name is
[46:19] karen jaroch, I don't know if
[46:20] the elmo's up.
[46:23] But today we're going to finally
[46:25] find out if we're going to
[46:26] prepare for our winner here in
[46:28] florida, which is hurricanes and
[46:30] massive growth, or if we're
[46:33] going sing and dance our cit
[46:33] away.
[46:35] Seven years ago, I used, my
[46:36] husband and I used our savings
[46:37] too
[46:39] to buy property and start a
[46:40] business in tampa.
[46:41] The city didn't give us the
[46:42] land.
[46:43] We bought a suitable parcel that
[46:45] was not already a college
[46:46] campus, a tax collector's
[46:50] office, or a law enforcement
[46:51] headquarters: there's vacant
[46:52] land next door from the city.
[46:53] They
[46:56] they didn't give it to us so we
[46:58] could make a bigger project.
[46:59] Our nest egg wasn't big enough
[47:00] to complete the purchase, so we
[47:02] had to refinance the funds
[47:04] to come up with
[47:05] the funds we needed.
[47:07] The city and county didn't pay
[47:08] half.
[47:10] They didn't tax the
[47:10] neighborhoods.
[47:12] And when our roof fails, the
[47:14] city's not going to come, the
[47:17] county mafs' not going to come.
[47:17] We're going to have to do.
[47:18] This is the deal ordinary
[47:19] businesses get, and we work hard
[47:22] and we make it work.
[47:28] I was looking at the deal.
[47:34] This is the proposed property.
[47:36] If you look at that closely, you
[47:37] can see actually here's a better
[47:38] picture of it.
[47:40] You can see the campus here.
[47:42] The hcc campus.
[47:42] Oh, sorry.
[47:45] You can see the hcc campus right
[47:46] here.
[47:48] It's hard to read the lines, but
[47:51] you'll notice that that campus,
[47:54] there's 122 acres, hcc is being
[47:56] relegated to seven acres.
[47:59] This outline here is the
[48:01] ballpark.
[48:03] We're upending the principle of
[48:04] development should pay for
[48:05] itself.
[48:08] We're actually gifting them
[48:10] about $250 million in valuable
[48:11] land.
[48:16] That's not being considered
[48:18] here.
[48:18] >> ken hagan: thanks,
[48:19] MS. Jaroch.
[48:20] Appreciate your comments.
[48:21] Carmen edmonds.
[48:23] >> I just want to say --
[48:23] >> ken hagan: sorry, ma'am, your
[48:24] time is --
[48:25] >> we're going to know if we're
[48:26] prepared for --
[48:27] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[48:28] MS. Hujoation.
[48:31] Appreciate -- jaroch.
[48:33] Carmen edmonds, sussanne
[48:35] susan nicely,
[48:39] cathy brown.
[48:40] Good morning.
[48:41] >> good morning, my name's
[48:42] carmen edmonds.
[48:43] I'm chair of the hillsborough
[48:44] county republican party and we
[48:45] voted again tuesday night at our
[48:47] meeting to unanimously ask you
[48:48] all to vote no on the taxpayer
[48:49] money going towards a new
[48:50] stadium.
[48:52] I've also had over 300 people
[48:55] email our county money asking no
[48:57] county taxpayer money be used
[49:00] for stadium and I also have a
[49:02] video preloading saying no
[49:03] taxpayer money should or would
[49:04] we giewzed for
[49:09] be used for a stadium.
[49:09] >> ken hagan: I've stated on
[49:10] several occasions that I do
[49:13] not -- with respect to the
[49:14] ballot language I am supportive
[49:16] of removing the school board
[49:17] reference and the community
[49:18] stadium reference that was in
[49:21] the initial 96 ballot language.
[49:22] Commissioner wostal makes
[49:26] excellent points regarding ray
[49:27] jay, unquestionably that was a
[49:27] sweetheart deal.
[49:29] I completely supported
[49:30] eliminating like a community
[49:31] stadium or stadiums being built
[49:32] with the tax, totally fine with
[49:33] that.
[49:34] Totally fine with eliminating
[49:36] tsa receiving money off the top
[49:38] as is currently used.
[49:39] >> I will
[49:40] >> joshua wostal: I will move to
[49:42] amend the ordinance to prohibit
[49:44] the use of cit funds for new
[49:47] professional sports facilities.
[49:49] >> ken hagan: I can live with
[49:50] that.
[49:53] Commissioner cameron cepeda sphk
[49:54] >> donna cameron cepeda: yes I
[49:54] am going to support.
[49:56] >> I am totally in agreement
[49:57] with not investing in any new
[49:59] facilities with this cit money.
[50:00] I don't think we should be going
[50:01] there.
[50:01] >> gwen myers: thank you,
[50:02] commissioner wostal, for making
[50:03] that motion, because I do agree
[50:04] with your motion.
[50:06] >> ken hagan: we've already
[50:07] liminated community stadium,
[50:08] right, off the original
[50:09] ordinance, so that in and of
[50:12] itself, I would think,?Alsz
[50:14] that we're not building any new
[50:15] stadiums and so stadiums is out
[50:15] of it.
[50:18] We're simply -- what -- we
[50:20] didn't advertise community
[50:22] stadium on this, on this go
[50:24] around, correct?
[50:25] >> so I think we get the gist
[50:26] there.
[50:27] We are not opposed to the rays
[50:27] building a stadium.
[50:31] I agree with bob emerson.
[50:35] They have plenty of money to do do do
[50:36] it themselves.
[50:37] We are here in this county
[50:38] suffering with potholes,
[50:39] infrastructure issues, drainage
[50:40] issues, and all kinds of things
[50:45] that are affecting our
[50:46] community.
[50:47] Belize vote
[50:49] please vote no.
[50:50] Thank you for your comments.
[50:53] Susan nicely, cathy brown,
[50:55] followed by DR. James davisson.
[50:56] >> thank yo.
[50:58] Susan nicely, I've libbed in
[50:59] tamp -- lived in tampa for 46
[51:00] years and I've watched the city
[51:02] and county deteriorate.
[51:04] The roads are horrible.
[51:05] The sidewalks are worse.
[51:07] They're like a glow in the dark
[51:09] with all the caution strips
[51:12] because you can't fix them.
[51:14] You're going to use our bonds
[51:16] and resource money for
[51:18] millionaires when you scolded us
[51:20] for years that they could not be
[51:23] used to fix our roads and our
[51:23] infrastructure.
[51:25] How can you compare, how can you
[51:27] sit there after promising not to
[51:31] use our tax dollars and still
[51:34] stand there and want to build a
[51:36] stadium for millionaires?
[51:38] If you vote no, we will campaign
[51:41] hard against you.
[51:42] >> ken hagan: yes.
[51:43] Thank you, MS. Nicely.
[51:45] Cathy brown.
[51:48] And then DR. James davisson.
[51:50] And then melanie alvures.
[51:51] Good morning.
[51:52] >> I,
[51:56] hi, I'm cathy brown.
[51:58] I've lived here in val
[52:00] valrico now
[52:01] for 52 years, and as susan
[52:03] pointed out, our roads have
[52:04] deteriorated and gotten worse
[52:04] and worse.
[52:07] Finally doing some work but most
[52:09] of to put water down to south
[52:09] county.
[52:11] But I'm a big rays fan.
[52:13] I love the rays.
[52:14] I would love to have the rays
[52:17] stadium here: this is a bad deal
[52:19] for us for the county, for the
[52:24] city.
[52:25] Add $360 million from the cit,
[52:29] that money should be spent for
[52:30] roads, for police, for fire
[52:33] protection.
[52:37] We just, the bond interest on
[52:38] the $786 million that we're
[52:39] contributing is going to add
[52:40] huge amount to that.
[52:42] We're going to be spending over
[52:44] a million dollars over the years
[52:47] that we have to be paying the
[52:47] bonds.
[52:51] The county cannot afford this.
[52:54] And what if amendment degree
[52:55] passes?
[53:00] It'll be even worse.
[53:02] our roads are going to get worse
[53:02] than ever.
[53:03] It's going to feel like we're in
[53:05] the early 1900s and potholes
[53:08] and bumps and everything.
[53:09] We just cannot afford it.
[53:10] I'm sorry.
[53:11] Thank you.
[53:12] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[53:12] MS. Brown.
[53:13] DR. James davisson.
[53:16] Not sure if he's here or online.
[53:20] Then melanie alvarez and paul
[53:21] elliott.
[53:21] >> online.
[53:23] >> ken hagan: good morning,
[53:24] DR. Davisson.
[53:27] >> yes, the $360 million that
[53:30] was to be spent in
[53:30] unincorporated hillsborough
[53:33] county at the referendum is now
[53:35] going to be spent completely
[53:36] -
[53:38] within the city of tampa.
[53:41] This gift to the city of tampa
[53:43] will raise their share of the
[53:46] cit to 30% of the total cit
[53:51] value and decrease the total
[53:54] amount of cit, of hillsborough
[53:57] county to a little over 61%.
[53:58] That's in violation of the
[53:59] interlocal agreement that the
[54:01] people voted on.
[54:03] So you lied about how much moey
[54:06] the tax was going to raise.
[54:07] You lied about the stadium.
[54:08] And now you're lying about the
[54:10] interlocal agreement.
[54:13] That's a lot of lies for one
[54:13] referendum.
[54:16] There are going to be
[54:19] consequences, and we're in no
[54:20] hurry.
[54:24] But until this lying and the
[54:27] falsifying of referendum stops,
[54:28] the people of this county are
[54:30] going to get what's needed, and
[54:31] they haven't been for the last
[54:34] 25, 30 years.
[54:36] The county is going to, or the
[54:39] rays are going to get
[54:41] $1.2 billion from the cdd.
[54:42] The entire amount of money from
[54:45] the cdd that the hillsborough
[54:46] county and the city of tampa are
[54:51] going to get is one fifth of
[54:51] that.
[54:54] So I hope you enjoy what you're
[54:56] going to do today, but I can
[54:58] tell you there will be a remedy
[54:59] in the future.
[55:01] Thank you very much.
[55:02] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[55:02] DR. Davisson.
[55:03] >> can you state your name for
[55:10] the record? I think we lost
[55:10] him.
[55:11] >> ken hagan: DR. Jim davisson.
[55:14] Melanie alvures followed by paul
[55:15] elliott and then linda reid.
[55:16] Good morning.
[55:17] >> good morning, commissioners.
[55:19] My name is melanie alvarez and
[55:20] I'm speaking today on behalf of
[55:23] americans for prosperity and
[55:24] taxpayers of hillsborough
[55:25] county.
[55:27] Yesterday the tampa bay, the
[55:28] tampa city council voted 4-3 to
[55:30] move forward with the rays
[55:31] stadium deal, but that does not
[55:34] mean that the county should rush
[55:35] to follow.
[55:38] This isn't about being
[55:39] antibaseball or wanting the rays
[55:40] to leave our region.
[55:42] It's about asking a simple
[55:43] question, what are the taxpayers
[55:46] getting in return for this
[55:46] investment?
[55:48] We keep hearing about economic
[55:49] development and a
[55:50] transformational misuse
[55:50] district.
[55:53] But where is that new economic
[55:54] activity actually coming from?
[55:56] We don't know what businesses
[55:57] will locate there, and if
[55:59] businesses simply move from
[56:00] another part of tampa or
[56:01] hillsborough county into this
[56:03] development, that isn't creating
[56:05] new economic activity.
[56:07] It's moving the economic
[56:08] activity from one place to
[56:09] another while taxpayers are
[56:11] helping to pay for it.
[56:13] That is not the same thing as
[56:14] economic development.
[56:16] There is no reason to rush this
[56:17] decision.
[56:18] Documents were still coming in
[56:21] as late as tuesday night, and it
[56:22] doesn't appear that we really
[56:24] have a final deal here.
[56:25] Pthere's been a lot of problems
[56:26] with transparency, and we also
[56:28] have amendment 3 on the NOVEMBER
[56:30] ballot that we don't know what
[56:32] those implications will be for
[56:34] the county's finances.
[56:37] Why make a multigenerational
[56:39] financial commitment before we
[56:40] have those answers?
[56:42] And let's remember, hillsborough
[56:44] county is still paying for
[56:46] raymond jams stadium,.
[56:48] This excitement surrounding this
[56:50] project does not change the
[56:51] responsibility that you all have
[56:53] to the taxpayers.
[56:55] Excitement is not a financial
[56:56] analysis.
[56:57] Promises are not guarantees.
[56:59] And moving businesses is not the
[56:59] -
[57:01] ame as creating new economic
[57:02] activity.
[57:03] Commissioners, there is nothing
[57:05] wrong with taking more time in
[57:08] fact, with this much taxpayer
[57:10] money and this many unanswered
[57:12] questions, taking more time is
[57:13] responsible government.
[57:15] Please allow -- please slow this
[57:17] process down and get the final
[57:19] documents, examine true taxpayer
[57:20] exposure.
[57:20] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[57:21] MS. Alvarez.
[57:21] appreciate your comments.
[57:23] Paul elliott.
[57:24] Paul here?
[57:25] Don't see paul.
[57:29] Followed by linda reid.
[57:29] Linda?
[57:33] Then we have ron reaver.
[57:35] And bret brett
[57:37] brett wayly.
[57:38] >> you're going to get an
[57:39] opportunity today to make a once
[57:41] in a lifetime selection for our
[57:43] children, and our grandchildren,
[57:45] and it's not just a $56 billion
[57:47] worth of economy.
[57:48] Even if half of tht is all
[57:50] that's going to come in, and you
[57:52] see from the battery and
[57:54] columbus ohio and sacramento,
[57:55] california, that those economic
[57:57] models do hold up.
[57:58] But even if it's half of that,
[58:01] the sales tax on that would be
[58:02] $7 billion over the next
[58:03] century.
[58:05] It would be $2.5 billion over
[58:06] just the next 30 years.
[58:08] The economy, however is not the
[58:09] story today for our children.
[58:11] Our children and our
[58:12] grandchildren want to know if we
[58:12] get things done.
[58:14] We can get this done and then we
[58:16] can get rail done.
[58:17] These $10 million visitors a
[58:19] year to this stadium are going
[58:22] to speed it up rail, maybe by a
[58:22] decade.
[58:25] These billion visitors a
[58:26] century, that's right a billion
[58:28] visitors a venchry are going to
[58:29] change this community.
[58:33] 81 home games; not just 9 or 20,
[58:35] but 81 home games.
[58:38] And 30 concerts.
[58:40] $29 billion worth of wages.
[58:42] 12,000 jobs.
[58:43] The opportunity for our children
[58:45] to see that we can do, that we
[58:48] must do when the time comes, we
[58:50] tackle this, then we'll start
[58:51] tackling our insurance rates
[58:52] together with some kind of a
[58:54] common pool and a common fund.
[58:56] Then we'll tackle our education
[58:58] by raising our teachers' pay in
[58:59] order to get our game together
[59:02] not just baseball, not just
[59:04] community, america's past time,
[59:08] maybe baseball, but the
[59:09] community's unitedness and
[59:11] oneness is our lifeline.
[59:13] We must save for our children.
[59:15] We must save for our
[59:16] grandchildren.
[59:18] The opportunity to see that this
[59:19] community comes together, that
[59:25] we celebrate together.
[59:26] -- took much greater odds in
[59:27] getting us the things that we've
[59:30] gotten for our pride and our
[59:31] economy and our sense of self.
[59:34] Our sense of ability to get
[59:37] things done, this is a
[59:38] transformational project.
[59:38] Thank yu.
[59:40] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[59:40] MR. Weaver.
[59:41] Appreciate the comments.
[59:43] Paul elliott, linda reid, going,
[59:45] going, gone.
[59:45] Okay.
[59:46] Brett wayly.
[59:49] Is brett here?
[59:50] No brett?
[59:51] Okay.
[59:52] We've got sharon calvert,
[59:53] virtual, followed by monica
[59:59] potter, and steve cona iii.
[1:00:00] >> sharon has not checked in.
[1:00:01] >> ken hagan: sharon not checked
[1:00:03] in.
[1:00:03] Okay.
[1:00:07] Monica potter?
[1:00:11] Followed by steve conan iii and
[1:00:16] then devon potter.
[1:00:18] >> good morning, commissioners.
[1:00:18] Steve cona.
[1:00:21] Excuse me, PRESIDENT And ceo of
[1:00:22] associated builders and
[1:00:23] contractors, florida gulf coast
[1:00:25] chapter.
[1:00:26] Representing 650 construction
[1:00:28] firms in the region, and over
[1:00:30] thousands of skilled workers.
[1:00:30] Our construction industry has
[1:00:33] been a part of this journey for
[1:00:34] decades providing countless
[1:00:35] hours of preconstruction
[1:00:37] services, planning, estimating,
[1:00:40] and expertise to make this rays
[1:00:41] stadium a reality.
[1:00:42] And today is our final moment.
[1:00:43] Our game seven.
[1:00:45] But this project is bigger than
[1:00:46] a stadium.
[1:00:47] It represents one of the largest
[1:00:49] economic and workforce
[1:00:50] development opportunities our
[1:00:52] region has ever seen.
[1:00:53] Through hillsborough college,
[1:00:55] our construction apprenticeship
[1:00:55] programs and our local
[1:00:56] contractors we have the
[1:00:58] opportunity to put generation of
[1:00:59] skilled workers on a
[1:01:00] transformational project right
[1:01:01] here at home.
[1:01:03] The apprentice who helped build
[1:01:07] this project today can
[1:01:08] become superintendents, project
[1:01:09] managers and constructionbeds
[1:01:09] owners of tomorrow.
[1:01:11] We have spent decades trying to
[1:01:12] get here.
[1:01:14] Now is the time to build it.
[1:01:15] I respectfully ask for you all
[1:01:16] to vote yes in support.
[1:01:17] Thank you.
[1:01:18] >> christine miller: thank you
[1:01:19] for your comments.
[1:01:20] Next up is devon potter followed
[1:01:26] by laura lawson.
[1:01:27] >> hey, good morning.
[1:01:28] My name is devon potter.
[1:01:30] As a taxpayer, constituent, and
[1:01:32] a rays fan, I've followed this
[1:01:34] saga for months and I just wants
[1:01:35] to present some metrics during
[1:01:36] my time up here because facts
[1:01:37] can't be argued with, and
[1:01:38] numbers don't lie.
[1:01:40] So let's do some benchmarking.
[1:01:42] And these aren't my numbers.
[1:01:44] These are all from ai assistant.
[1:01:45] Los
[1:01:51] las vegas mlb stadium --
[1:01:52] $750,000,040% of the total cost.
[1:01:53] You might say that's las vegas,
[1:01:55] they have all that casino
[1:01:58] revenue, gnash syl, tennessee,
[1:01:59] $1.26 billion for new nfl
[1:01:59] stadium.
[1:02:03] Plano, texas, a suburb of dallas
[1:02:06] home to a new hockey arena for
[1:02:07] the dallas stars and that was
[1:02:08] done in a week.
[1:02:09] Why is tampa different.
[1:02:11] Why should we be the anomaly,
[1:02:12] the deviation, the outlier.
[1:02:14] Those places I listed have
[1:02:15] potholes, first rsponders,
[1:02:15] et cetera.
[1:02:17] And what does that say about us?
[1:02:18] And our region if we say no to
[1:02:20] an agreement like this.
[1:02:21] What message does that send to
[1:02:23] investors looking to come here,
[1:02:24] companies looking to relocate
[1:02:26] here, people thinking of moving
[1:02:27] here?
[1:02:29] Now, no deal is going to be
[1:02:30] perfect and not everyone is
[1:02:31] going to agree on every detail,
[1:02:33] but that dozen mean if every --
[1:02:34] doesn't mean if every gawks
[1:02:36] isn't checked that we vote on it
[1:02:38] no.
[1:02:39] It.
[1:02:40] Not a project of this size and
[1:02:40] not what's at stake here.
[1:02:41] Now I have to mention that there
[1:02:42] are details in the las vegas
[1:02:44] funding that not everyone loved.
[1:02:45] It was approved.
[1:02:47] I'm sure the same holds flew for
[1:02:50] true for nashville, and plano,
[1:02:51] texas.
[1:02:52] Those people saw the forest for
[1:02:55] the trees and pushed through
[1:02:56] those deals because of what it
[1:02:58] would mean for their regions.
[1:02:59] Let's look at the metrics, not
[1:03:01] one, not two, but three economic
[1:03:02] impact reports that evidence
[1:03:05] this will be a net positive for
[1:03:05] the region.
[1:03:07] The numbers also show the
[1:03:09] majority, 60%, according to the
[1:03:10] U.S. Survey, support this
[1:03:13] project and want this to happen.
[1:03:15] So we're at the 11th hour,
[1:03:15] ladies and gentlemen.
[1:03:17] No one wats to see the rays
[1:03:18] start looking elsewhere.
[1:03:20] The numbers, the data, the facts
[1:03:20] say the following.
[1:03:22] This is a win for the county,
[1:03:24] it's a win for the city, it's a
[1:03:25] win for the rays, and most
[1:03:26] importantly, it's a win for the
[1:03:27] citizens.
[1:03:29] Thank you for your time.
[1:03:29] >> christine miller: thank you
[1:03:30] for your comments, sir.
[1:03:31] Next up is laura lawson followed
[1:03:35] by rebecca debauer.
[1:03:36] >> good morning, commissioners.
[1:03:39] I came today to talk about some
[1:03:40] of the lsses that we're going
[1:03:42] to suffer and the risks that
[1:03:43] we're going to face with this
[1:03:45] property because of this
[1:03:46] project.
[1:03:47] MS. Jaroch was kind enough to
[1:03:50] loan me her map.
[1:03:50] >> christine miller: please use
[1:03:51] the mic.
[1:03:53] >> as you can see in the corner
[1:03:54] here of the site, that's the tax
[1:03:55] collector's office that's going
[1:03:57] to be taken, that's going to be
[1:03:58] knocked down.
[1:03:59] That right there in the corner
[1:04:00] that top corner, that's the
[1:04:03] tracks -- tax collector's office
[1:04:04] that's going to be knocked down.
[1:04:07] That's where people get their
[1:04:07] driver's licenses.
[1:04:09] It's the most used tax
[1:04:11] collector's office in the county
[1:04:12] in an excellent location.
[1:04:13] That's going to be gone.
[1:04:14] Right there that's the juvenile
[1:04:15] justice facility.
[1:04:16] That's where they've been
[1:04:16] cleaning out.
[1:04:18] They've moved 50 kids out of
[1:04:18] that facility.
[1:04:20] These are kids that have not
[1:04:21] seen their day in court yet, and
[1:04:22] they're being detained there,
[1:04:24] and they're being moved to other
[1:04:27] counties as far away as brevard
[1:04:27] county.
[1:04:29] Right here that's hillsborough
[1:04:30] college, the plan is to demolish
[1:04:32] 8 buildings and auction off the
[1:04:33] contents.
[1:04:34] Students are currently taking
[1:04:36] classes in all kinds of fields
[1:04:38] there at that campus.
[1:04:40] T's our main campus.
[1:04:41] And it's the one campus that we
[1:04:43] have in the city of tampa with
[1:04:45] room to grow.
[1:04:46] Imagine if how hard that would
[1:04:48] be in ybor city where the other
[1:04:48] campus is.
[1:04:50] We know the land is very
[1:04:51] expensive there.
[1:04:54] This whole square was state
[1:04:54] land.
[1:04:55] The part of it that's the
[1:04:57] college was supposed to be a
[1:04:58] community college forever.
[1:05:00] The only reason that deed
[1:05:02] restriction isn't in place is
[1:05:03] because in order to do this
[1:05:06] plan, the governor canceled it.
[1:05:08] I want, if we have to do this
[1:05:10] plan, we need to find solutions
[1:05:11] for this, particularly for the
[1:05:12] juvenile justice.
[1:05:15] But I really hope that we don't
[1:05:17] demolish any buildings,
[1:05:18] especially if a lawsuit is
[1:05:19] brought.
[1:05:20] The problem is the stadium gets
[1:05:21] the first class stadium.
[1:05:23] for everyone else it's wait and
[1:05:23] see.
[1:05:25] The stadium, the rays get a
[1:05:26] smooth transition.
[1:05:27] Everyone else is suddenly
[1:05:28] displaced.
[1:05:30] The rays get guaranteed
[1:05:31] contracted funding.
[1:05:33] But there's nothing firm in
[1:05:35] place to replace these community
[1:05:35] assets.
[1:05:37] Thank you.
[1:05:38] >> can you state your name for
[1:05:38] the record.
[1:05:39] >> oh, I'm sorry.
[1:05:42] Laura lawson.
[1:05:43] >> christine miller: next up is
[1:05:45] rebecca debauer followed by jeff
[1:05:47] dow and elizabeth brayden,
[1:05:51] virtual.
[1:05:54] No rebecca debauer?
[1:06:01] Jeff dow, please.
[1:06:02] >> hello, commissioners.
[1:06:03] It's been awhile.
[1:06:05] Last time I was here, the board
[1:06:07] looked a little different, so
[1:06:08] thank you guys for doing what we
[1:06:10] hoped that you would do.
[1:06:13] I hope that continues on today.
[1:06:16] We believe we think could hasn't
[1:06:18] been agreed upon yet, if the
[1:06:19] state does pay.
[1:06:20] These are all things I heard
[1:06:21] earlier this morning.
[1:06:22] First off, I want to say I'm a
[1:06:23] huge rays fan.
[1:06:25] I'm a huge sports fan in
[1:06:25] general.
[1:06:27] I love tampa, I've been here 12
[1:06:27] years.
[1:06:28] I served 10 years in the
[1:06:28] military, and there's one thing
[1:06:29] that I learned.
[1:06:32] When I put on petty officer, I
[1:06:33] had to prove that I knew how to
[1:06:34] `balance a budget.
[1:06:36] I used -- nice to have, must
[1:06:37] have are two different
[1:06:38] categories.
[1:06:40] I live in an area in tampa near
[1:06:43] one of our primary commissioners
[1:06:45] down the street, and our roads
[1:06:46] are falling apart.
[1:06:47] My truck feels like I'm going to
[1:06:48] lose the bed before I make it to
[1:06:49] the end of the street.
[1:06:52] We have potholes throughout this
[1:06:52] county.
[1:06:54] We have people in south county
[1:06:55] that have water issues.
[1:06:56] We have people in north county
[1:06:58] that have potholes and terrible
[1:06:59] roads.
[1:07:00] I'm all for a stadium but
[1:07:02] thought at the expense of all of -- not at the expense of all
[1:07:02] of us.
[1:07:03] It doesn't make sense.
[1:07:04] I own a business.
[1:07:05] If you guys saw years back a
[1:07:09] little two-seater meata towing a
[1:07:11] trailer, that was me starting my
[1:07:12] business because I couldn't get
[1:07:13] funding anywhere.
[1:07:13] Boss
[1:07:15] because I couldn't show that I
[1:07:17] made enough profit even though I
[1:07:19] pulled 54,000 department of that
[1:07:20] irst -- $54,000 that first year
[1:07:21] and the second year, I couldn't
[1:07:22] even get a loan for
[1:07:23] $10,000 anywhere.
[1:07:25] Because I had five times more
[1:07:26] than I was making, I still
[1:07:27] wasn't given that loan.
[1:07:29] If we can't provide and cover
[1:07:31] the cost of something ahead of
[1:07:32] time, while taking care of the
[1:07:34] must haves, we shouldn't be
[1:07:35] doing this.
[1:07:37] As much as I love the sports in
[1:07:39] this city, I implore you to make
[1:07:40] the right decision.
[1:07:41] It's on record.
[1:07:43] You guys have heard your own
[1:07:43] words.
[1:07:44] You're hearing what those of us
[1:07:46] are saying today.
[1:07:47] Amendment 3's coming up.
[1:07:50] How can you make a decision
[1:07:53] today on record with unknowns
[1:07:55] still ahead of you?
[1:07:56] Y implore you to do the right
[1:07:57] thing, and we're all paying
[1:07:59] attention a lot more than you
[1:07:59] think that we are.
[1:08:00] I didn't use a script.
[1:08:02] I don't have bullet notes.
[1:08:03] >> christine miller: thank you
[1:08:03] for your comments.
[1:08:05] Next up is elizabeth brayden,
[1:08:06] irtual.
[1:08:07] Followed by michelle dyson in
[1:08:11] person.
[1:08:15] Did elizabeth check in?
[1:08:16] >> elizabeth, are you there?
[1:08:18] >> yes.
[1:08:19] Hi.
[1:08:22] Are you ready?
[1:08:23] ?L go
[1:08:25] >> christine miller: go ahead.
[1:08:27] >> high, my name is elizabeth
[1:08:28] brayden I'm a south tampa
[1:08:30] resident and I'm urging you to
[1:08:31] vote no.
[1:08:32] My daughter was at new college
[1:08:33] during the hostile takeover
[1:08:34] three years ago.
[1:08:36] The takeover was to destroy
[1:08:39] wokeness and to establish school
[1:08:39] sports.
[1:08:40] Desantis put his cronies in.
[1:08:42] 30% of the faculty left,
[1:08:43] hundreds of students transferred
[1:08:46] out including my daughter, and
[1:08:48] schools rankings plummeted and
[1:08:49] the state's cost per student is
[1:08:50] the highest in the state.
[1:08:52] Three times higher than the
[1:08:53] university of florida.
[1:08:56] My daughter never finished her
[1:08:56] degree.
[1:08:57] The next it
[1:09:00] desantis hostile
[1:09:03] takeover was at usf manatee.
[1:09:04] New college took over and 900
[1:09:05] students lost the college and
[1:09:09] now hillsborough college is
[1:09:11] the -- snash and grab mafia bust
[1:09:13] out.
[1:09:14] Desabts' campaign donor who were
[1:09:16] uf trustees after the donation
[1:09:18] they gave are now owners of the
[1:09:20] rays and they will now destroy
[1:09:22] hillsborough college of 27,000
[1:09:23] students while screwing over the
[1:09:24] taxpayers of hillsborough county
[1:09:26] and most of our elected
[1:09:27] officials unfortunately will
[1:09:28] vote for this.
[1:09:30] As hillsborough college board
[1:09:32] meeting the other day the cfo
[1:09:33] said they need $215 million to
[1:09:36] rebuild the campus.
[1:09:37] Atwater the PRESIDENT Telling
[1:09:40] everybody they only need
[1:09:41] $150 million, who do you
[1:09:41] believe?
[1:09:42] We know atwater has to go with
[1:09:43] the flow.
[1:09:44] They only receive $50 million
[1:09:45] from the state.
[1:09:47] They will have to beg from the
[1:09:48] state to get the additional
[1:09:50] funds competing with charter
[1:09:50] schools.
[1:09:52] They can't even fix their
[1:09:52] elevator.
[1:09:54] The school will be a shell of
[1:09:55] itself.
[1:09:58] All in the name of baseball.
[1:09:59] Students -- school is being
[1:10:00] renovated.
[1:10:00] Faculty is told to be positive
[1:10:02] about the project.
[1:10:05] Students will be in trailers
[1:10:07] while construction goes on.
[1:10:09] Many students will drop out like
[1:10:10] my daughter.
[1:10:12] They can't drive to ybor or
[1:10:12] brandon.
[1:10:13] Yesterday at the meeting, two
[1:10:15] councilmembers said they weren't
[1:10:18] the ht -- lucky -- didn't sell
[1:10:19] their campus out to
[1:10:20] billionaires.
[1:10:20] At the meeting yesterday the
[1:10:22] city's lawyer stated no one has
[1:10:24] even see the rays' financials.
[1:10:26] I wonder if the owners are broke
[1:10:28] as the shady subprime lenders
[1:10:30] used to say, back in the --
[1:10:33] >> christine miller: thank you I
[1:10:34] for your comments.
[1:10:36] Next up is michelle dyson
[1:10:42] followed by cynthia shellberger
[1:10:42] and rocky rockford.
[1:10:44] >> hi, my name is michelle
[1:10:47] dyson, I'm a bartender at
[1:10:47] tropicana field.
[1:10:48] I'm not here with polished
[1:10:49] talking points, and I definitely
[1:10:52] am not a politician or big
[1:10:53] economics person.
[1:10:55] But even as a high school
[1:10:56] graduate, I would say that this
[1:10:58] is a pretty good deal.
[1:11:00] If we're being honest, the
[1:11:01] stadium itself we know is not
[1:11:02] the money maker.
[1:11:04] We know it's the restaurants.
[1:11:05] We know it's the money that
[1:11:07] comes from there.
[1:11:08] I love this deal.
[1:11:13] I think it's a pretty damn good
[1:11:14] deal.
[1:11:16] I couldn't -- sat and listening
[1:11:18] to a lot of these and we hand
[1:11:20] out lot of money to a lat of
[1:11:21] people who aren't vetted.
[1:11:23] You hand out millions but yet
[1:11:26] hese businessmen come in
[1:11:27] established showing what they
[1:11:28] have done other places, and we
[1:11:33] hold their feet to the fire and
[1:11:34] I'm not really sure why.
[1:11:36] The gentleman earlier talked
[1:11:37] about enknowns.
[1:11:38] We can't govern.
[1:11:40] We live in hurricane country.
[1:11:41] We always will have unknown.
[1:11:42] We don't know whether that
[1:11:43] amendment will pass or not.
[1:11:44] But we can't do this based on
[1:11:45] that.
[1:11:46] We have to take care of the
[1:11:47] people who work there.
[1:11:49] The community, I trust that you
[1:11:52] know how to spend the money
[1:11:55] wisely, and protect us as
[1:11:56] citizens of this community.
[1:11:58] the only problem I have with
[1:12:02] everything is the name champions
[1:12:02] corridor.
[1:12:03] I don't feel like that that
[1:12:05] expressed the home of st. Pete,
[1:12:06] I mean of tampa, and I made this
[1:12:09] shirt to say that the sol is the
[1:12:10] name that I picked.
[1:12:13] I think it suggests the warmth
[1:12:14] of the soul of our city and the
[1:12:17] tip to our latin culture.
[1:12:18] I put at drew park because we
[1:12:20] shouldn't forget the people, the
[1:12:21] hard working people there, and I
[1:12:24] just hope that this passes, this
[1:12:26] should be my final time speaking
[1:12:28] I hope on any of this, so I
[1:12:30] appreciate everything, and good
[1:12:30] luck to you all.
[1:12:32] I pray for each of you that you
[1:12:33] make the correct decision today.
[1:12:34] So thank you.
[1:12:35] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:12:36] MS. Dyson.
[1:12:39] Cynthia shellabarger followed by
[1:12:42] robert rockford and then brian
[1:12:42] lambert.
[1:12:43] Good morning.
[1:12:45] >> hello, my name is cynthia
[1:12:46] shellabarger.
[1:12:47] Good morning, commissioners.
[1:12:48] Today you are being asked to
[1:12:52] cast a historic vote on 134-page
[1:12:53] stadium agreement.
[1:12:55] While this board has worked
[1:12:58] hard, there are two distinct
[1:12:59] unresolved issued in this
[1:13:01] contract that require you to
[1:13:02] vote no today until they are
[1:13:02] fixed.
[1:13:04] This stadium deal requires the
[1:13:06] demolition of eight vital
[1:13:08] hillsborough college buildings.
[1:13:10] Yet the state funding to replace
[1:13:13] these classrooms is not legally
[1:13:14] secure.
[1:13:16] When it came to suburban
[1:13:19] asphalt, you negotiated
[1:13:19] brilliantly.
[1:13:22] You inserted a protective,
[1:13:23] quote, escape valve, unquote,
[1:13:26] for lithia pinecrest road
[1:13:27] declaring that if the state
[1:13:30] fails to deliver its
[1:13:32] $100 million promise, the county
[1:13:33] will deduct the exact shortfall
[1:13:35] from the stadium fund.
[1:13:37] Why aren't you using this exact
[1:13:39] same technique to protect our
[1:13:41] college students?
[1:13:44] It's if a clawback provision is
[1:13:45] good enough for tarmac, it must
[1:13:48] be good enough for higher
[1:13:48] education.
[1:13:50] Use your leverage.
[1:13:52] Demand the exact same clawback
[1:13:54] protection for hillsborough
[1:13:54] college.
[1:13:58] Yesterday the tampa city council
[1:14:00] realizessed ty at the last
[1:14:00] second that the community
[1:14:01] benefits agreement does not
[1:14:03] contain a single dollar amount.
[1:14:06] It is completely blank.
[1:14:09] COUNCILWOMAN Lynn hurtak rightly
[1:14:10] demanded a baseline o at least
[1:14:10] 75 department of million to
[1:14:12] protect local res -- $75 million
[1:14:14] to protect local residents but
[1:14:15] instead of fixing it the city
[1:14:16] left it to this board.
[1:14:17] In business you never sign a
[1:14:19] contract first and negotiate a
[1:14:20] price later.
[1:14:22] The rays framework states that
[1:14:24] 65% of these community benefits
[1:14:26] must go directly to hillsborough
[1:14:27] college.
[1:14:28] By signing a blank check today
[1:14:30] you surrender 100% of your
[1:14:31] leverage and leave the county
[1:14:33] housing and job training
[1:14:34] programs expose.
[1:14:36] Vote no today.
[1:14:38] Tell negotiators to secure the
[1:14:40] hillsborough college clawback
[1:14:43] and lock a minimum of
[1:14:44] $75 million into the community
[1:14:45] benefits agreement.
[1:14:47] >> ken hagan: thank you.
[1:14:48] robert rockford?
[1:14:49] Followed by brian lambert and
[1:14:51] then john michael elms.
[1:14:53] Good morning.
[1:14:54] >> good morning, commissioners.
[1:14:56] My name is rocky rockford and
[1:14:58] I'm a retired U.S. Navy captain
[1:14:59] with thirty three years of
[1:15:01] service and I've been
[1:15:02] hillsborough county called home
[1:15:03] since 1989.
[1:15:04] I'm speaking to you today as a
[1:15:05] taxpayer.
[1:15:06] I'm here because you have a
[1:15:09] fiduciary agreement to the
[1:15:09] `1.5 million people of this
[1:15:12] county, and this agreement as
[1:15:13] written doesn't live up to that
[1:15:14] duty.
[1:15:15] Let's talk the numbers.
[1:15:18] When you factor in property tax
[1:15:20] breaks, value of the land, and
[1:15:22] lists have put the true cost of
[1:15:23] this deal at north of
[1:15:24] $2 billion.
[1:15:25] And that's for a franchise that
[1:15:28] sold last year for $1.7 billion.
[1:15:30] There's a better deal out there.
[1:15:31] You just didn't ask for it.
[1:15:35] The cit you're tapping for
[1:15:36] $360 million was approved by
[1:15:38] voters in 2024.
[1:15:40] Your own colleague commissioner
[1:15:41] wostal said it plainly.
[1:15:43] It's not if we get sued on this.
[1:15:44] It's when.
[1:15:46] And he is right.
[1:15:47] Community benefits.
[1:15:50] When you read the actual cba,
[1:15:51] there is no specific dollar
[1:15:52] amounts.
[1:15:54] No enforceable commitments.
[1:15:56] No building, binding targets.
[1:15:57] No independent oversight.
[1:15:59] That's not a cba.
[1:16:01] That's a pres release.
[1:16:03] Let's compare our cba to what
[1:16:04] other comunities have actually
[1:16:05] negotiated.
[1:16:07] The buffalo bills, $3 million
[1:16:09] for 30 years, and oversight
[1:16:12] committee, 30% mwbe hiring
[1:16:14] goals, L.A. Clippers, $100 mill
[1:16:16] tbrn forrian for local programs.
[1:16:18] The falcons, over $106 million
[1:16:19] and then there are the owners
[1:16:20] who didn't ask for a single
[1:16:21] public dollar.
[1:16:23] Golden state warriors built the
[1:16:25] $1 billion chase center.
[1:16:29] Stan crawngy built soify stadium
[1:16:30] for $5.5 billion.
[1:16:31] , no public subsidies.
[1:16:33] What did you negotiate,
[1:16:34] $4 million a year in rent.
[1:16:39] On an $876 million tab that's a
[1:16:41] 0.46% annual return.
[1:16:43] A simple savings account pays 10
[1:16:44] times that.
[1:16:46] I'm asking you to do only one
[1:16:46] thing.
[1:16:48] Delay the vote for 90 days.
[1:16:51] Negotiate a real cba with
[1:16:52] enforceable dollar commitments.
[1:16:55] Demand a 25year homestead
[1:16:57] extension clause -- thank you
[1:16:58] very much I appreciate it.
[1:16:58] I.
[1:16:58] >> ken hagan: yes, sir,
[1:16:59] appreciate the comments.
[1:17:01] Brian lambert.
[1:17:02] Followed by john michael elms
[1:17:05] and then chris parodies who's
[1:17:06] virtual.
[1:17:08] >> good
[1:17:09] commissioners, thank you for
[1:17:10] the opportunity to speak this
[1:17:11] morning.
[1:17:12] My name is brian lambert I'm
[1:17:15] here as a taxpayer, a
[1:17:16] candidate -- and someone who
[1:17:16] generally wants our region to
[1:17:17] thrive.
[1:17:18] I want to be clear from the
[1:17:19] start.
[1:17:20] I love baseball.
[1:17:21] I want the rays to remain part
[1:17:25] of our community, but requiring
[1:17:26] $360 million of taxpayer funds
[1:17:28] from the cit fund subsidized a
[1:17:30] billion dollar degree is not the
[1:17:31] answer.
[1:17:32] -- industry is not the answer.
[1:17:36] Cit was designed -- public
[1:17:37] safety and community centers.
[1:17:38] These are things every resident
[1:17:39] needs and uses.
[1:17:41] A stadium by contrast is
[1:17:42] ntertainment.
[1:17:44] Something not every resident
[1:17:44] needs.
[1:17:45] It's meaningful entertainment
[1:17:47] `and prideful to many fans.
[1:17:49] But it is still entertainment.
[1:17:50] And when only a small percentage
[1:17:52] of the county regularly attend
[1:17:55] games it's not fair to ask the
[1:17:56] entire population of the county
[1:17:58] to carry the cost.
[1:18:00] The proposal asks for more than
[1:18:01] 1 million people to fund a
[1:18:04] private sports club worth more
[1:18:05] than $1.7 billion owned by
[1:18:07] governing agency worth more than
[1:18:08] $79 billion.
[1:18:09] That is difficult to justify
[1:18:13] `when families are dealing with
[1:18:15] struggles at home,
[1:18:16] transportation, basic
[1:18:17] infrastructure, the money is
[1:18:19] limited -- with the money is
[1:18:20] limited, public priorities
[1:18:20] should be first.
[1:18:22] We often criticize the federal
[1:18:24] government for spending beyond
[1:18:26] its means.
[1:18:27] E oint to the debt and say
[1:18:30] this is pattern is unastainable.
[1:18:32] The state has shown fiscal
[1:18:33] discipline to break the cycle.
[1:18:34] The county government should do
[1:18:34] the same.
[1:18:35] We should not start a new cycle
[1:18:37] by shifting private business
[1:18:40] costs onto taxpayers.
[1:18:42] Supporters MAY argue investment
[1:18:43] create economic benefits.
[1:18:44] That's not the question.
[1:18:46] The question is whether is this
[1:18:49] the best and fairest use of
[1:18:50] taxpaydlers designated
[1:18:51] designated for
[1:18:51] infrastructure.
[1:18:52] The project is truly strock and
[1:18:54] the team and league -- strong
[1:18:56] and and the team and the league
[1:18:56] believe in the market then
[1:18:57] baseball should pay for
[1:18:58] baseball.
[1:18:59] I ask you to protect the purpose
[1:19:00] of the cit fund, use
[1:19:02] infrastructure dollars for
[1:19:03] infrastructure, use taxpayer
[1:19:04] dollars for needs that serve the
[1:19:05] broad public, and keep the rays
[1:19:07] if we can, but do not do it by
[1:19:08] asking the residents to pay for
[1:19:09] it.
[1:19:09] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:19:10] MR. Lambert.
[1:19:11] Appreciate it.
[1:19:12] John michael elms.
[1:19:13] MR. Elms here?
[1:19:13] No?
[1:19:18] We got chris paradies who's
[1:19:24] virtual followed by sandra
[1:19:25] macaw.
[1:19:26] >> chris has not checked in.
[1:19:29] >> ken hagan: thank you.
[1:19:30] Sandra moreska.
[1:19:33] Sandra here?
[1:19:33] Come on down.
[1:19:35] And then following sandra will
[1:19:37] be abraham desta who's virtual.
[1:19:46] And then frank moneymaker.
[1:19:46] Morning.
[1:19:47] >> good morning, commissioners.
[1:19:50] My name is sandra moreska and
[1:19:52] I'm here today as a hillsborough
[1:19:53] county taxpayer to ask you to
[1:19:55] vote no on the proposed rays
[1:19:57] stadium agreement.
[1:20:00] This isn't about whether I like
[1:20:00] baseball.
[1:20:02] It isn't about whether I want
[1:20:05] the rays to remain in tampa bay.
[1:20:08] It's about whether this is an
[1:20:10] appropriate use of public money
[1:20:12] and whether the taxpayers of
[1:20:13] hillsborough county are being
[1:20:17] asked to take on too much risk.
[1:20:21] We are talking about a
[1:20:22] $2.3 billion project with
[1:20:24] hundreds of millions of dollars
[1:20:25] in public funding.
[1:20:28] This county's proposed
[1:20:31] contribution is approximately
[1:20:33] $796 million, including money
[1:20:35] connected to the community
[1:20:37] investment tax and tourism
[1:20:39] related revenues.
[1:20:40] Before taxpayers commit this
[1:20:44] kind of money, I believe we
[1:20:45] should have complete
[1:20:47] transparency about the costs,
[1:20:50] the assumptions behind the
[1:20:52] financing, the risks, and
[1:20:54] exactly what the taxpayers
[1:20:55] receive in return.
[1:20:58] Commissioner wostal has
[1:21:00] constantly raised those
[1:21:01] questions.
[1:21:03] He opposed the earlier mou in
[1:21:05] part because he believed
[1:21:06] commissioners did not have
[1:21:08] enough financial information to
[1:21:11] make an informed decision.
[1:21:12] I appreciate that the he is
[1:21:14] willing to ask difficult
[1:21:16] questions rather than simply
[1:21:18] accept that this is a once in a
[1:21:19] lifetime opportunity that we
[1:21:22] have to approve immediately.
[1:21:24] If this project is truly such a
[1:21:26] tremendous investment for
[1:21:27] hillsborough county, it should
[1:21:31] be able to withstand rigorous
[1:21:31] scrutiny.
[1:21:32] Please don't ask taxpayers to
[1:21:34] take the risks simply because
[1:21:36] there is pressure to meet a
[1:21:37] construction timeline.
[1:21:39] I am asking you to put the
[1:21:41] interest of hillsborough county
[1:21:43] taxpayers first and specifically
[1:21:46] I want to thank commissioner
[1:21:48] wostal for continuing to demand,
[1:21:50] please vote no.
[1:21:50] >> ken hagan: thank you.
[1:21:51] Appreciate the comments.
[1:21:53] abraham desta who's virtual
[1:21:54] followed by frank moneymaker and
[1:21:55] catherine corman.
[1:21:57] Is abraham on the libe?
[1:21:59] Line?
[1:22:00] P>> abraham has not checked in.
[1:22:01] >> ken hagan: all right, thank
[1:22:01] you.
[1:22:06] Frank?
[1:22:08] No frank?
[1:22:08] Okay.
[1:22:10] Catherine corman?
[1:22:11] Is catherine here?
[1:22:13] Okay, followed by marian goodrum
[1:22:15] and then patrick bailey.
[1:22:20] Good morning.
[1:22:20] >> good morning, commissioners.
[1:22:22] My name is catherine corman, I'm
[1:22:24] a florida native and resident of
[1:22:25] hillsborough county for over 30
[1:22:26] years.
[1:22:28] At a time when folks in our
[1:22:28] county are working with
[1:22:29] full-time and still struggling
[1:22:31] to find affordable housing,
[1:22:32] they're struggling to afford
[1:22:33] groceries, they're struggling to
[1:22:35] afford gas and car insurance, I
[1:22:37] mean, it's $4 a gallon for
[1:22:37] unleaded?
[1:22:38] Are we kidding?
[1:22:40] I'm really dismayed that our
[1:22:42] political leaders are
[1:22:43] considering diverting funds
[1:22:44] towards a stadium.
[1:22:46] The people need and more
[1:22:48] importantly they deserve
[1:22:49] solutions not breed
[1:22:52] bread and
[1:22:53] circumstanceses the currently
[1:22:55] counterto this is that a stadium
[1:22:56] and mixed use district will have
[1:22:57] jobs and tourist dollars brought
[1:22:58] in.
[1:22:59] At this point you're all aware
[1:23:00] of what the
[1:23:01] the data says, but I
[1:23:03] will emphasize that empirical
[1:23:05] studies have demonstrated time
[1:23:06] and again that the economic
[1:23:07] benefits provided by sports
[1:23:10] stadiums are overstated at best,
[1:23:12] and temporary at the worst.
[1:23:14] We're living in a time as well
[1:23:16] when young people are consuming
[1:23:17] less alcohol than ever, they're
[1:23:18] peding less time and money
[1:23:19] that they don't have, because a
[1:23:21] lot of them are underemployed,
[1:23:22] on leisure and sporting
[1:23:23] activities, all of this more
[1:23:24] than ever.
[1:23:26] This stadium is not for their
[1:23:27] future.
[1:23:28] And speaking of the future, this
[1:23:30] deal could set a dangerous
[1:23:31] precedent for florida's halls of
[1:23:32] public education.
[1:23:33] Today the rays are asking to
[1:23:34] displace the largest of
[1:23:35] hillsborough college's campuses,
[1:23:37] but what if tomorrow, if a
[1:23:39] billion dollar company like
[1:23:40] amazon lusts after cheap public
[1:23:42] land, what's to stop them from
[1:23:43] displacing any of the 28 state
[1:23:46] colleges and their 70 campuses?
[1:23:48] Folks in this county are already
[1:23:49] talking about how dale mabry is
[1:23:51] going to be closed to build the
[1:23:52] stadium, while we're all aware
[1:23:53] that that's not the case, and a
[1:23:55] tremendous amount of care has
[1:23:56] been devoted by hillsborough
[1:23:57] ollege's administration to
[1:23:59] mitigate the impact on
[1:24:00] operations perception is
[1:24:01] reality.
[1:24:02] It speaks to the current zite
[1:24:03] gries that people are more than
[1:24:05] `willing to believe that public
[1:24:06] education is being sold out for
[1:24:08] the private interest of
[1:24:09] billionaires.
[1:24:09] We're also looking at the
[1:24:11] possibility of amendment 3,
[1:24:13] which we would be devastating to
[1:24:15] the cdd, the city and county's
[1:24:16] budget, we look and we see there
[1:24:17] is bipartisan opposition to
[1:24:18] this.
[1:24:19] I implore the board, consider
[1:24:20] our people and vote no.
[1:24:21] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:24:22] MS. Corman.
[1:24:24] Marian goodrum.
[1:24:26] Followed by patrick bailey and
[1:24:28] then sharon almon who's virtual.
[1:24:28] >> good morning.
[1:24:30] My name is marian goodrum.
[1:24:34] I have lived iphillsborough in icfor more -- in
[1:24:35] hillsborough county for more
[1:24:35] than 40 years.
[1:24:36] It's good to esooyou again,
[1:24:38] commissioner wostal and
[1:24:38] commissioner myers.
[1:24:42] Glad to be at your town hall
[1:24:43] meetings.
[1:24:44] I'm -- for a very specific
[1:24:44] reason.
[1:24:46] I'm concerned about the property
[1:24:47] tax amendment and what will
[1:24:48] happen to our county service
[1:24:51] physical it 35szs which based on -- if it passes, which based
[1:24:54] on current polls, 75 to 65% are
[1:24:56] in favor thereof so it looks
[1:24:57] like it's going to pass.
[1:24:58] People are hurting financially
[1:24:59] and they're looking for relief,
[1:25:01] but now as leaders of
[1:25:02] hillsborough county, you must
[1:25:04] plan for the future, for what
[1:25:06] the future of hillsborough
[1:25:06] county will look like.
[1:25:08] Two quick anecdotes.
[1:25:10] I had an accident in 2020,
[1:25:11] bruised my spinal cord and broke
[1:25:12] a couple of bones.
[1:25:15] I was in pain and I could not
[1:25:16] move.
[1:25:19] Ems and a fire truck came within
[1:25:20] five minutes.
[1:25:21] The firemen picked me up, put me
[1:25:24] on a journey, ems took me to the
[1:25:25] hospital where I had surgery or
[1:25:26] I might not be standing here in
[1:25:29] front of you today.
[1:25:30] Second, we live in a pretty
[1:25:33] quiet residential neighborhood
[1:25:34] in riverview.
[1:25:35] about three years ago someone
[1:25:36] was yelling a couple of doors
[1:25:38] down, and my husband went to see
[1:25:40] if someone needed help.
[1:25:42] A man who does not live in our
[1:25:44] area who was high on who knows
[1:25:45] what was running through the
[1:25:47] yards yelling he tackled my
[1:25:49] husband and held him to the
[1:25:50] ground.
[1:25:52] Luckily the neighbors called
[1:25:52] 911.
[1:25:55] The deputies came quickly, one
[1:25:58] of which was one of our former
[1:25:59] neighbors, harrison bashner,
[1:26:00] sergeant with hillsborough
[1:26:01] county, and fortunately they
[1:26:03] rescued my husband and took this
[1:26:05] man off to get some help.
[1:26:08] That is what we need our county
[1:26:10] taxes to pay for.
[1:26:11] If this property tax aendment
[1:26:13] passes and you pass thefunding
[1:26:13] for
[1:26:15] thefunding -- the funding for
[1:26:16] the rays staid
[1:26:18] stadium, will there be
[1:26:19] cuts to police, ems, and
[1:26:20] fire-rescue, commissioners myers
[1:26:23] in your town hall meeting you
[1:26:24] said there would be cuts.
[1:26:25] You didn't say where, but you
[1:26:26] would there would have to be
[1:26:27] cuts.
[1:26:29] We needed ems and the police,
[1:26:31] and they came right away.
[1:26:31] Please vote no.
[1:26:32] Thank you.
[1:26:33] Appreciate the comments.
[1:26:34] Patrick bailey.
[1:26:35] Patrick here?
[1:26:37] Followed by sherry allman,
[1:26:41] jeffrey herman and then vera
[1:26:42] rudery all researchival.
[1:26:45] >> good morning, commissioners.
[1:26:46] Patrick bailey.
[1:26:47] First of all I want to say as
[1:26:47] well.
[1:26:48] I love the rys.
[1:26:49] I love baseball.
[1:26:52] no matter how many times I try
[1:26:54] to duplicate the cooking of a
[1:26:55] hot dog or sausage at home, it's
[1:26:56] always best at the stadium.
[1:26:58] Just something about it but what
[1:27:00] I don't agree with and support
[1:27:01] is our tax dollars paying for
[1:27:01] it.
[1:27:02] There are people up here who
[1:27:04] lied and said that referenced
[1:27:05] the battery up in atlanta for
[1:27:06] example.
[1:27:08] That it was an economic boom.
[1:27:10] They're losing $5 million a
[1:27:12] year, it's almost 10 years
[1:27:12] later.
[1:27:14] Not, these are not going to be
[1:27:15] economic boom for tampa.
[1:27:18] There are many people saying
[1:27:19] that, that have studied the
[1:27:20] atlanta one that we should not
[1:27:21] be looking into doing this.
[1:27:23] The fact that we don't have all
[1:27:24] of the information, we don't
[1:27:26] have all of the facts, we get --
[1:27:28] you guys got the papers days ago
[1:27:29] that you had to look through
[1:27:31] over not enough time to prepare
[1:27:33] for it.
[1:27:35] The rays could afford to do this
[1:27:35] themselves.
[1:27:36] Why should we be putting our
[1:27:39] money that needs to go to our
[1:27:40] roads, to our infrastructure.
[1:27:41] Why should we be putting that
[1:27:42] money towards billionaires and
[1:27:45] not towards helping the guys and
[1:27:46] the people that got you guys
[1:27:47] elected?
[1:27:47] Vote no.
[1:27:49] Thank you.
[1:27:50] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:27:51] MR. Bailey.
[1:27:55] Sherry allman on the line?
[1:27:56] >> sherry naz thought checked --
[1:27:57] has not checked in.
[1:27:58] >> ken hagan: all right, thank
[1:28:02] you, how about jeffrey herman?
[1:28:03] >> yes, can you hear me?
[1:28:06] >> ken hagan: yes, sir.
[1:28:07] >> thank you.
[1:28:10] So starting off first of all, I
[1:28:13] don't know how to lead the rays
[1:28:14] are getting 139-year mixed lease
[1:28:16] on a mixed use property.
[1:28:20] When the agreement with the
[1:28:21] nonrelocation only expands
[1:28:22] around 35 years with extensions
[1:28:23] on their end.
[1:28:26] That seems like the value of
[1:28:28] that property when it's improved
[1:28:30] for them to be able to maintain
[1:28:33] exclusive control for that 139
[1:28:35] years, which stands past anybody
[1:28:37] who's alive today's lifetime.
[1:28:40] Is a little bit flabbergasting
[1:28:41] that they're being provided that
[1:28:46] and that's already on top of 40%
[1:28:47] taxpayer funding not including
[1:28:48] the money coming from the state
[1:28:49] which is also tax
[1:28:52] also taxpayer can be
[1:28:53] looked at that way.
[1:28:55] So in addition to the land that
[1:28:56] the county and city are having
[1:28:59] to pay around 40%, whereas the
[1:29:01] las vegas only had to pay around
[1:29:02] 19% for their city.
[1:29:04] Of that value.
[1:29:05] And I don't know that they got
[1:29:06] that sweetheart deal for that
[1:29:09] mixed use development.
[1:29:10] Also speaking to that, some
[1:29:12] other people have reported about
[1:29:13] how much sales tax money's going
[1:29:14] to come back.
[1:29:16] Well, that's actually
[1:29:17] actually incorrect
[1:29:18] because the sales tax money,
[1:29:19] most of the money go to the
[1:29:19] state.
[1:29:21] Yes a little bit of that might
[1:29:22] come back but most of that comes
[1:29:22] to the state.
[1:29:24] There is no salesx tax money on
[1:29:24] commercial rental.
[1:29:27] There is no sales tax money on
[1:29:29] the apartment complexes.
[1:29:31] So as far as the residential, as
[1:29:32] far as commercial rental, none
[1:29:33] of that lfs
[1:29:35] 's going to be subject to
[1:29:36] sales tax money.
[1:29:37] So when you're talking about
[1:29:38] $7 billion of sales tax money
[1:29:40] coming back, that's just not
[1:29:41] feasible that that's going to
[1:29:42] happen.
[1:29:44] In addition to all of that,
[1:29:47] there's a lot of other points as
[1:29:49] well and first of all why the is
[1:29:50] misunosseparated from the
[1:29:50] stadium?
[1:29:52] I feel like the stadium value,
[1:29:53] the support from the taxpayer
[1:29:55] money, could go down to match
[1:29:57] that 19%.
[1:29:59] Mlb wants tampa to have a team
[1:30:01] because it's the 11th largest
[1:30:03] television market in the
[1:30:04] country.
[1:30:06] The las vegas is number 40.
[1:30:07] So there's a vast difference,
[1:30:08] and I don't know --
[1:30:09] >> ken hagan: thank you, sir.
[1:30:10] >> -- I don't know how tampa is
[1:30:11] getting a worse deal.
[1:30:12] >> ken hagan: appreciate your
[1:30:13] comments, MR. Herman.
[1:30:19] Is vera rdy on the line?
[1:30:19] >> he is not on the line.
[1:30:20] >> ken hagan: all right, thank
[1:30:21] you.
[1:30:23] Got ashley herman followed by
[1:30:28] luca muloro and then james van
[1:30:28] herons.
[1:30:29] Is ashley here?
[1:30:31] No ashley.
[1:30:32] Okay, how about --
[1:30:32] >> ashley is here.
[1:30:34] >> I'm here.
[1:30:35] >> ken hagan: good morning.
[1:30:35] >> can you hear me?
[1:30:36] >> ken hagan: yes, ma'am.
[1:30:38] >> good morning.
[1:30:40] My name is ashley herman.
[1:30:43] I'm a first generation college
[1:30:43] graduate.
[1:30:44] Started at hillsborough
[1:30:47] community college and went on to
[1:30:47] earn a masters.
[1:30:49] I'm a mom of two girls, life
[1:30:51] long floridian, and candidate
[1:30:54] for state house district 69,
[1:30:55] which covers southeast
[1:30:56] hillsborough.
[1:30:58] I've set my career fighting for
[1:30:59] working families and I'm fed up
[1:31:01] watching as so many of our
[1:31:03] elected officials hand off
[1:31:05] everything beautiful in florida
[1:31:07] over to the wealthy and
[1:31:07] powerful.
[1:31:10] And now I see this stadium deal
[1:31:13] thrown together behind closed
[1:31:14] doors and rammed through and
[1:31:15] under a loop.
[1:31:15] There is has
[1:31:17] -- there has been a lot
[1:31:18] of promises made and no facts to
[1:31:19] back them up.
[1:31:21] Land given over from our
[1:31:23] community college should be a
[1:31:23] nonstarter.
[1:31:26] We the taxpayers are being asked
[1:31:27] to front millions.
[1:31:29] We MAY never get back.
[1:31:34] As regular people here are
[1:31:36] struggling to put the ac on
[1:31:38] and -- threatening to slash our
[1:31:40] county funding from property
[1:31:41] taxes.
[1:31:42] What's worse, we're not even
[1:31:44] getting a say.
[1:31:47] Of the -- at the city and county
[1:31:50] the luxury of freetime on a week
[1:31:51] day morning just to be heard is
[1:31:52] shameless.
[1:31:53] I wanted to be there in person
[1:31:55] but my 1-year-old daughter is
[1:31:55] sick today.
[1:31:56] I hope you can hear me though.
[1:31:58] This is undemocratic, it's
[1:32:00] unfair, and the people behind
[1:32:02] this deal should be ashamed.
[1:32:04] Vote no and let the voters
[1:32:05] decide on something that's going
[1:32:07] to affect us all here in tampa
[1:32:09] bay for literal decades to come.
[1:32:11] Thank you.
[1:32:14] >> thank you, MS. Herman.
[1:32:15] Luca mulora.
[1:32:18] Is luca on the line?
[1:32:20] >> lukey has not checked in --
[1:32:21] luca has not checked in.
[1:32:22] >> ken hagan: thank you.
[1:32:26] James vanherent followed by
[1:32:29] alejandro noriega and brendan
[1:32:29] megleosey.
[1:32:30] >> good morning, my name is
[1:32:32] gentleman van herons and it's a
[1:32:33] pleasure to be before you.
[1:32:34] I want to start off by saying
[1:32:35] thank you to all of you.
[1:32:37] To your staff, to the attorneys
[1:32:38] who spent countless times
[1:32:39] negotiating this deal.
[1:32:41] Lost many sleepness nights, and
[1:32:42] times of their family and
[1:32:44] friends, so I want to say thank
[1:32:45] you for fighting the good fight
[1:32:46] for the taxpayers.
[1:32:49] I also want to say that this
[1:32:50] project is in your hands but we
[1:32:51] have faith in you.
[1:32:53] We've elected you to do these
[1:32:54] jobs.
[1:32:55] I mean, we are a representative
[1:32:55] democracy.
[1:33:00] We're not a direct democracy.
[1:33:00] Every decision that we make
[1:33:02] can't be on a ballot, and this
[1:33:04] deal is way too complex to
[1:33:05] expect everyday working people
[1:33:07] to have to take the time out of
[1:33:09] the day to work through every
[1:33:09] detail.
[1:33:10] So we thank you for that, for
[1:33:11] that work.
[1:33:12] I spoke about this project in
[1:33:14] three different ways.
[1:33:15] Community, health, and
[1:33:15] education.
[1:33:16] When I talk about community, I
[1:33:18] talk about how baseball is not
[1:33:19] just a sport.
[1:33:20] It builds community.
[1:33:21] I have memories with my dad
[1:33:23] growing up going to baseball
[1:33:23] games.
[1:33:26] i was a cub scout and our very
[1:33:28] first camping trip was actually
[1:33:29] sleeping on the turf at
[1:33:30] tropicana field.
[1:33:32] And building that friendship or
[1:33:33] that community and love with
[1:33:35] each other and just growing that
[1:33:37] through the game of baseball.
[1:33:38] And kids growing up learning the
[1:33:41] game and following sports and
[1:33:42] learning sportsmanship and
[1:33:43] teamwork and all that through
[1:33:44] sports and the rays are a big
[1:33:46] help with that aspect.
[1:33:48] When I speak about health, I'm a
[1:33:49] gentleman who's losing his
[1:33:50] vision.
[1:33:51] I'm visually impaired, and
[1:33:52] baseball, people don't like to
[1:33:53] talk about, is a great mental
[1:33:53] health.
[1:33:55] It actually saved me money with
[1:33:55] therapy.
[1:33:56] I don't have to -- I don't have
[1:33:58] to speak to a psychiatrist every
[1:34:01] day because I watch baseball and
[1:34:02] I can look at that and take my
[1:34:04] mind off it a little bit and
[1:34:05] it's a big relief.
[1:34:06] So it's not just the -- I know
[1:34:07] we talk about the money that
[1:34:10] we're losing but we got to take
[1:34:11] about the money we save as well.
[1:34:13] And whether I talk about
[1:34:15] education talso stopped me from
[1:34:16] needing a tutor.
[1:34:17] I struggled with math growing up
[1:34:19] and I had a teacher who knew I
[1:34:22] loved baseball and the rays and
[1:34:24] explained math -- I never
[1:34:25] understood that.
[1:34:26] And he explained it through
[1:34:27] baseball, through stealing and
[1:34:29] how fast a pitcher has to
[1:34:30] deliver that ball.
[1:34:31] So please pass this deal.
[1:34:32] Thank you, sir.
[1:34:34] >> ken hagan: thank you, sir.
[1:34:37] Appreciate you coming down.
[1:34:37] Good morning.
[1:34:39] >> good morning, commissioners.
[1:34:41] I'm just going to simply say
[1:34:42] pass this deal.
[1:34:43] It's been 20 years since we've
[1:34:45] been going through this saga.
[1:34:47] We need to gets this deal done.
[1:34:48] I'm a true rays fan through and
[1:34:51] through as you see I rep them.
[1:34:52] I understand where everyone's
[1:34:53] coming from with their
[1:34:54] criticisms and skepticisms but
[1:34:56] we need to put money into big
[1:34:58] projects in order to build our
[1:34:59] city, and bill carlson actually
[1:35:00] made a good point yesterday at
[1:35:02] the city council that without
[1:35:04] vision and without spending big
[1:35:05] and doing big projects, we
[1:35:07] wouldn't have disney world, we
[1:35:09] wouldn't have major investments
[1:35:11] that bring money to our city.
[1:35:12] To all the people who say they
[1:35:14] are rays fans, I agree with you,
[1:35:16] but I don't see you driving 81
[1:35:17] games like I do.
[1:35:20] I go to every 81 home games to
[1:35:21] the trop, and to this new
[1:35:23] stadium once it's approved.
[1:35:24] People say that they don't want
[1:35:26] to spend public money on
[1:35:27] stadiums or use the cit tax.
[1:35:29] The cit tax was created for
[1:35:31] stadiums to begin with for
[1:35:33] raymond james stadium and
[1:35:34] everyone had pushback.
[1:35:36] We don't want taxpayer dollars
[1:35:38] to build stadium for the bucs.
[1:35:40] We build it and I don't see them
[1:35:41] complaining when we have super
[1:35:43] bowls or concerts everyone goes
[1:35:43] to every year.
[1:35:46] People said don't give money to
[1:35:48] water street, don't give money
[1:35:51] to the lightning and jeff vinik.
[1:35:52] We built and no one is
[1:35:54] complaining when we win two
[1:35:56] stanley cups back-to-back and --
[1:35:58] so to me it's a good deal
[1:35:59] because again just take the
[1:36:01] aspect of sports out of it.
[1:36:02] it helps build an area that was
[1:36:04] never there before, it's
[1:36:06] building the college that hasn't
[1:36:07] had updated buildings since it
[1:36:09] opened in the 1970s, and yeah
[1:36:10] tmight be closing it a little
[1:36:13] bit and reducing it to size, but
[1:36:14] if they want to do that, that's
[1:36:15] the college's decision.
[1:36:16] That's their decision.
[1:36:17] They chose that part of the
[1:36:18] deal, and if they want to do it,
[1:36:19] they can do it.
[1:36:20] It's building an area that
[1:36:22] people want to go to.
[1:36:23] I'm going to be honest, I go to
[1:36:24] the bucs all the tie.
[1:36:26] I go to steinbrenner field all
[1:36:26] the time.
[1:36:28] So I can get all three rays,
[1:36:30] steinbrenner, and the bucs at
[1:36:31] the same place, I'm going to go.
[1:36:32] And I'm going to support it
[1:36:33] through and through.
[1:36:34] And I want to say thank you for
[1:36:35] your time.
[1:36:37] Hopefully you vote yes on this
[1:36:39] historical day.
[1:36:40] >> ken hagan: please state name
[1:36:44] your for the record.
[1:36:46] >> alejandro noryegg
[1:36:48] noriega.
[1:36:48] >> good morning, commissioner.
[1:36:51] My fame
[1:36:53] name is brendan trace mag
[1:36:54] leosey and I'm convincing you
[1:36:56] all to vote no on this.
[1:36:57] Because the reason why I'm
[1:37:01] saying this, because what if the -- we don't have enough fans
[1:37:04] coming in to our, the new
[1:37:07] stadium being built on
[1:37:09] hillsborough college campus.
[1:37:11] And I don't want to hear them
[1:37:13] complaining at it being too loud
[1:37:14] because they're right across the
[1:37:16] street from the buccaneers
[1:37:16] stadium.
[1:37:19] When the canons start firing
[1:37:20] off.
[1:37:24] For touchdowns and first downs.
[1:37:26] and I'm kind of not happy I
[1:37:28] preferred the rays to stay in
[1:37:29] st. Pete.
[1:37:31] I have access to getting on
[1:37:35] buses, getting on 4, and I'm
[1:37:35] there.
[1:37:37] If it moves to tampa, it's going
[1:37:40] to be really hard.
[1:37:42] And I
[1:37:44] I yield back,
[1:37:45] MR. Commissioner.
[1:37:46] >> ken hagan: thank you.
[1:37:48] Tim gulliver.
[1:37:49] Tim here?
[1:37:52] Followed by roxy lackman who's
[1:37:56] virtual and mary beth england.
[1:37:56] Good morning.
[1:37:56] >> good morning.
[1:37:59] A great morning and I tell you
[1:38:02] the rays have a great spirit.
[1:38:08] You guys are awesome council.
[1:38:11] And I tell you what.
[1:38:16] Every person in this county, I'm
[1:38:21] so grateful every day.
[1:38:27] I was married 27 years.
[1:38:31] Loved the lady.
[1:38:34] She couldn't keep a budget.
[1:38:37] She's now -- I lost her, okay?
[1:38:39] No, it's all right, to a guy in
[1:38:39] texas.
[1:38:42] This happens.
[1:38:46] But I loved her a lot.
[1:38:57] Still do.
[1:38:59] But how you vote for the rays,
[1:39:05] this new stadium, for the
[1:39:06] taxpayers, and even considering
[1:39:13] the fans.
[1:39:18] I don't love you all that much.
[1:39:20] But I love you guys.
[1:39:21] That's a fact.
[1:39:22] She was close, but she couldn't
[1:39:23] hold a budget.
[1:39:30] I was broke for 27 years.
[1:39:32] Don't like living that way.
[1:39:35] Makes it hard on maintenance,
[1:39:38] makes it hard on every soul.
[1:39:41] We're in this together, guys.
[1:39:42] GOD bless.
[1:39:44] >> ken hagan: please state your
[1:39:45] name.
[1:39:49] >> tim gulliver.
[1:39:50] >> ken hagan: appreciate it sir.
[1:39:54] >> you got it.
[1:39:55] >> ken hagan: is roxy on the
[1:39:59] line?
[1:40:02] >> hi, good morning, I'm roxy
[1:40:02] lackman.
[1:40:06] I'm a proud fourth generation
[1:40:06] floridian.
[1:40:08] And I can take no pride in this
[1:40:09] deal.
[1:40:10] This proposal should at the very
[1:40:12] least be tabled until the
[1:40:14] florida state property tax code
[1:40:15] is complete.
[1:40:16] This is a nonpartisan amendment.
[1:40:17] Both sides of the aisle agree
[1:40:19] taxpayer are saying no on
[1:40:20] today's vote.
[1:40:21] I implore our commissioners to
[1:40:22] do the same.
[1:40:24] I too ran an ai search and I
[1:40:25] found when the numbers on
[1:40:26] taxpayer funded stadiums are
[1:40:27] broken down this will not be the
[1:40:29] economic boon you promised.
[1:40:31] For example, cincinnati's
[1:40:34] taxpayer built stadium built in
[1:40:36] 2000 for the bengals comprised
[1:40:38] 16.4% of cincinnati city budget
[1:40:39] by 2011.
[1:40:41] Covering stadium debt and
[1:40:42] maintenance bills.
[1:40:43] Hospital funding and county jobs
[1:40:46] were cut to handle the economic
[1:40:46] shortfall.
[1:40:48] You and another speaker noted
[1:40:51] atlanta's cobb county battery as
[1:40:53] a sucess story.
[1:40:54] Economists disagree with you.
[1:40:55] They say that revenue generated
[1:40:57] near a stadium is merely
[1:40:58] displaced profits from people
[1:41:00] who are spending money near a
[1:41:01] stadium that they would normally
[1:41:02] spend elsewhere.
[1:41:04] But let's say they're wrong and
[1:41:05] revenue, that the stadium is
[1:41:07] generating is paying back the
[1:41:08] initial $400 million cost of
[1:41:10] atlanta's battery, which is only
[1:41:12] about half of what our proposed
[1:41:13] outlay is.
[1:41:15] They are currently making
[1:41:17] $22 million a year and
[1:41:19] taxpayable revenue, so dollar
[1:41:20] for dollar that's about 20 years
[1:41:21] that it will take them to pay
[1:41:24] back that $400 million, which
[1:41:26] translates to 45 years for us to
[1:41:28] pay this money back.
[1:41:30] Never mind the two-plus decades
[1:41:31] lost in infrastructure projects
[1:41:33] that are not pursued because
[1:41:36] money is tied up in stadium.
[1:41:38] And finally, who can respect a
[1:41:39] municipality that so readily
[1:41:40] shuts down its only youth
[1:41:42] detention center to make way for
[1:41:43] a stadium?
[1:41:44] Scattering our local children
[1:41:47] across the state away from their
[1:41:50] families for rehabilitation is
[1:41:50] heartless.
[1:41:52] It's an appalling embarrassment
[1:41:53] that we're even considering the
[1:41:54] possibility of tearing down our
[1:41:57] only youth detention center for
[1:41:58] a stadium.
[1:41:59] Where are the plans to replace
[1:42:00] this facility?
[1:42:02] We must get our human rights
[1:42:03] house in order and --
[1:42:06] infrastructure in order
[1:42:06] before --
[1:42:07] >> ken hagan: appreciate your
[1:42:07] comments.
[1:42:09] Next three speakers, mary beth
[1:42:13] ang ln followed by math
[1:42:14] Mckeithan and amy josephson.
[1:42:15] Good morning.
[1:42:15] >> good morning, commissioners
[1:42:20] I'm mary beth ang ln, ceo and
[1:42:26] PRESIDENT Of the west chamber of
[1:42:26] commerce.
[1:42:27] We believe this is a once in a
[1:42:28] generation opportunity to keep
[1:42:32] the rays here in tampa bay while
[1:42:33] creating meaningful, lock-term
[1:42:34] investment in our community.
[1:42:35] this project can create
[1:42:37] thousands of jobs, track
[1:42:37] significant -- attract
[1:42:38] significant private investment,
[1:42:39] generate economic activity, and
[1:42:40] create new opportunities for
[1:42:41] residents.
[1:42:41] And businesses
[1:42:42] throughout our region.
[1:42:45] Do you park in west tampa are
[1:42:46] positioned to benefit from an
[1:42:47] investment of this magtitude.
[1:42:50] It can serve as a catalyst for
[1:42:51] continued revitalization,
[1:42:52] strengthen local businesses, and
[1:42:53] create opportunities for
[1:42:54] generations to come.
[1:42:56] We also strongly support
[1:42:57] hillsborough college being the
[1:43:00] central part of this investment.
[1:43:00] Educational workforce
[1:43:01] development must advance
[1:43:02] longicide economic development,
[1:43:04] so local residents are prepared
[1:43:05] to take advantage of these new
[1:43:06] `opportunities this deal will
[1:43:07] bring.
[1:43:08] On behalf of the west tampa
[1:43:10] chamber, we encourage the board
[1:43:12] of county commissioners to move
[1:43:13] forward with confidence and
[1:43:14] seize this historic opportunity.
[1:43:16] Thank you for your time.
[1:43:19] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:43:19] MS. Anglin.
[1:43:22] Matt Mckeithan followed by amy
[1:43:23] josephson and curt dorson.
[1:43:25] Good morning.
[1:43:27] >> hello, my name is matt
[1:43:28] Mckeithen and I'm against this
[1:43:29] proposal.
[1:43:32] I think that using taxpayer
[1:43:34] money should be used for roads
[1:43:37] and infrastructure and to
[1:43:40] improve our land and our roads.
[1:43:44] We don't need taxpayer money
[1:43:46] being used at a stadium.
[1:43:48] We need our taxpayer money being
[1:43:50] used for our roads to improve
[1:43:51] the roads.
[1:43:52] thank you.
[1:43:53] >> ken hagan: thank you, sir.
[1:43:56] Amy josephson?
[1:43:57] No amy?
[1:44:01] Curt thorsen curt here?
[1:44:06] Followed by douglas batista.
[1:44:07] Good morning.
[1:44:08] >> hi, my name is curt thorsen.
[1:44:13] I like to introduce you to lisa
[1:44:14] cupid right there.
[1:44:17] She is the cobb county, current
[1:44:19] cobb county council or
[1:44:20] commission chair back in 2013,
[1:44:26] she was the lone no vote on the
[1:44:27] battery public funding.
[1:44:29] Today 13 years later, it is her
[1:44:30] job as chair to supervise that
[1:44:32] property and that development.
[1:44:34] She has stated on the record
[1:44:36] publicly that it's doing quite
[1:44:38] well, it's an economic success
[1:44:40] in fact her words are it is an
[1:44:41] economic juggernaut.
[1:44:42] And that's by
[1:44:43] why this development
[1:44:44] is a model.
[1:44:45] Planox
[1:44:47] plano, texas, did this in a
[1:44:49] week, they're doing it in vegas,
[1:44:51] they're doing it in chicago and
[1:44:53] cleveland and several places in
[1:44:53] california.
[1:44:54] This project is supported by
[1:44:55] police, fire, so those saying
[1:44:57] that they're going to be fired.
[1:44:58] No.
[1:44:58] They are supporting it.
[1:44:59] They were there yesterday
[1:45:00] supporting it.
[1:45:02] The hotels and lodging
[1:45:03] associations which by the way
[1:45:05] mentioned the hockey arena here
[1:45:06] can no longer support the
[1:45:08] women's final four because it's
[1:45:09] not big enough now.
[1:45:10] This baseball stadium is
[1:45:12] certainly hosts a lot more than
[1:45:14] what the hockey arena can.
[1:45:15] Thus more events for the area,
[1:45:17] more income for the area.
[1:45:18] westshore alliance, west tampa
[1:45:20] chamber of commerce, tampa bay
[1:45:22] business chamber, hillsborough
[1:45:23] college and the lovely new york
[1:45:26] city yankees support this too
[1:45:27] and they're going to be right
[1:45:27] next door.
[1:45:29] Numerous CRAs support this,
[1:45:29] church organizations support
[1:45:33] this, earlier today on all the
[1:45:34] monitors there was a run down of
[1:45:35] the money going into each and
[1:45:39] every aspect, schools,
[1:45:40] infrastructure, potholes, those
[1:45:41] are going to get fixed and those
[1:45:42] don't go away.
[1:45:44] Oakland still has those.
[1:45:46] Montreal still has those too.
[1:45:47] Did they automatically just get
[1:45:48] fixed when their teams left?
[1:45:49] They did not.
[1:45:51] But a lot of places such as cobb
[1:45:52] county, las vegas, they're
[1:45:54] seeing improvements like they
[1:45:55] never seen before because they
[1:45:56] have cash flow like they've
[1:45:57] never seen before.
[1:45:59] All these people saying that
[1:46:02] it's not a proven model.
[1:46:02] The numbers are there.
[1:46:06] The numbers are there and the
[1:46:09] county chair lisa cube
[1:46:11] cupid is on
[1:46:16] the record saying it's amazing.
[1:46:17] >> ken hagan: thank you.
[1:46:18] >> douglas batista, thank you,
[1:46:19] commissioners.
[1:46:21] Again my name is doug batista
[1:46:24] for my career I'm a chief hr
[1:46:25] officer with extensive
[1:46:27] experience in labor force
[1:46:28] dynamickics.
[1:46:29] In the U.S. We're losing 16,000
[1:46:30] net jiewbz
[1:46:33] jobs pe month, due to ai
[1:46:34] displacement.
[1:46:35] That includes jobs that are
[1:46:38] being created out of ai.
[1:46:41] And that's, it's as a fact by a
[1:46:42] recent study by goldman sachs.
[1:46:43] the jobs that are being
[1:46:45] displaced are those with
[1:46:46] routine, repet tfn,
[1:46:48] administrative tasks such as
[1:46:49] accountants, computer
[1:46:50] programmers, testers, customer
[1:46:54] service, and entry level roles.
[1:46:56] I'm experiencing this same
[1:46:57] dynamic with my chief employer
[1:47:00] as a chief technology ourself
[1:47:01] for a globing
[1:47:03] global technology company.
[1:47:05] The ai impact is only expected
[1:47:07] to accelerate into the tens of
[1:47:10] millions according to the
[1:47:11] Mckinsey global institute.
[1:47:12] If you don't believe that there
[1:47:13] is another warning sign.
[1:47:16] The U.S. Bureau of labor
[1:47:17] statistics -- voluntary turnover
[1:47:19] has collapsed to 13% down from
[1:47:20] 25% three years ago.
[1:47:22] This isn't because workers are
[1:47:23] suddenly more satisfied with
[1:47:24] their jobs.
[1:47:26] Rather employees are staying as
[1:47:28] a direct consequence of fewer
[1:47:29] job opportunities and again I'm
[1:47:31] seeing these same dynamic of
[1:47:32] lower turnover in my current
[1:47:33] employer.
[1:47:34] And if you don't believe that,
[1:47:36] maybe you can believe bill
[1:47:36] gates.
[1:47:37] On wednesday he published an
[1:47:39] article on ai disruption.
[1:47:40] It was pinged up in the wall
[1:47:41] stree -- picked up in the wall
[1:47:43] street journal and "new york
[1:47:44] times."
[1:47:45] quote from bill gates we have to
[1:47:47] think now about how to reduce
[1:47:50] job losses so everyone can share
[1:47:52] in the prosperity ai creates.
[1:47:54] -- the rys stadium and mixed
[1:47:56] use development project
[1:47:57] represents job opportunities for
[1:47:59] tampa bay workforce in a time of
[1:48:01] ai displacement.
[1:48:02] Jobs that provide financial
[1:48:03] stabilities for working
[1:48:04] families, working families that
[1:48:05] can generate consumer spenning
[1:48:06] to our local businesses, and
[1:48:09] spending that generates tax
[1:48:10] dollars for our region.
[1:48:12] So I ask the commission here
[1:48:13] today to vote yes, yes for the
[1:48:15] rays project, and yes for job
[1:48:17] generation in our region.
[1:48:19] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:48:19] MR. Batista.
[1:48:20] Christopher cunningham.
[1:48:23] Followed by J.P. Peterson and
[1:48:24] then bishop michelle patty.
[1:48:25] Good morning.
[1:48:26] >> hey, good morning,
[1:48:26] commissioners.
[1:48:28] My name is christopher
[1:48:29] cunningham.
[1:48:30] I'm a tampa resident, local
[1:48:35] business owner.
[1:48:37] -- part of gwen myers' district.
[1:48:41] I'm here to support the rays
[1:48:41] deal.
[1:48:44] I think this is a, a wonderful
[1:48:45] opportunity.
[1:48:46] I think you guys as hillsborough
[1:48:47] county commissioners have an
[1:48:48] opportunity to do something
[1:48:49] great for hillsborough county
[1:48:51] and for the future.
[1:48:54] A as small businesses represent
[1:48:57] 43.5% of america's gdp, so one
[1:48:58] thing I do hope you guys
[1:49:01] advocate for is small business
[1:49:02] participation.
[1:49:05] I have had an opportunity to,
[1:49:06] when services and products for
[1:49:07] hillsborough county and it's
[1:49:09] helped by business tremendously.
[1:49:12] I want to thank PRESIDENT
[1:49:14] Atwater and then also PRESIDENT
[1:49:16] Kim babby for coming out and
[1:49:18] speaking to the community and
[1:49:20] not overlooking small businesses
[1:49:21] and small groups.
[1:49:22] So I thank you and I appreciate
[1:49:23] the time.
[1:49:24] Thank you.
[1:49:25] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:49:25] MR. Cunningham.
[1:49:27] J.P. Peterson.
[1:49:28] Followed by bishop michelle
[1:49:29] patty and bob morrison.
[1:49:31] Good morning.
[1:49:32] >> first of all, I like to thank
[1:49:33] all of the commissioners here
[1:49:35] and especially MR. Hagan for
[1:49:36] your leadership on this.
[1:49:37] I know this is a very tough
[1:49:40] issue, it is a lot of money, but
[1:49:42] I feel it's a worthy investment
[1:49:42] in our community.
[1:49:43] I'm not an economist but I was
[1:49:45] in atlanta when the whole
[1:49:46] battery deal went down.
[1:49:48] I've heard a lot of fudgy
[1:49:49] numbers today about the deal.
[1:49:49] I know this.
[1:49:51] They went net positive in 10
[1:49:52] years and they're binging in
[1:49:53] almost double what their debt
[1:49:53] service is.
[1:49:55] It's a fantastic deal and it's a
[1:49:56] model that we should really
[1:49:57] follow.
[1:49:59] Not only for the economists, the
[1:50:02] economic benefits, but also for
[1:50:02] baseball.
[1:50:04] The braves used that money to
[1:50:06] pure it into their payroll --
[1:50:07] pour it into their payroll which
[1:50:09] is exactly what the rays are
[1:50:09] planning to do.
[1:50:11] That means we can keep our great
[1:50:11] players.
[1:50:12] We don't v to watch them walk
[1:50:17] out the door anymore.
[1:50:18] That means we can be big boys
[1:50:21] when it whichs to payroll and
[1:50:22] win a world series which
[1:50:24] hopefully we will do in the very
[1:50:25] near future.
[1:50:26] And that's what baseball means
[1:50:27] to our community.
[1:50:28] I was able to take my kids to a
[1:50:29] world series game in 2008.
[1:50:30] I will never forget that
[1:50:31] that.
[1:50:33] i hear countless stories from
[1:50:34] fans that call into our show and
[1:50:36] are part of our show all the
[1:50:37] time that talk about what
[1:50:38] baseball means to them and
[1:50:40] bringing a community together.
[1:50:42] This area will bring us
[1:50:43] together.
[1:50:44] We are so isolated.
[1:50:46] This will bring the community
[1:50:46] together.
[1:50:47] It's desperately needed for
[1:50:48] that.
[1:50:49] And finally I want to talk about
[1:50:50] this ownership group.
[1:50:52] From the very beginning of this
[1:50:54] process, they have done uand you
[1:50:55] guys know this, they have
[1:50:56] listened to you and you guys
[1:50:59] have done a great job holding
[1:51:00] their feet to the fire and they
[1:51:00] have given and they have given.
[1:51:03] They're going to put in
[1:51:04] $1.4 billion of private
[1:51:05] investment just for the
[1:51:05] community.
[1:51:06] That doesn't go to them.
[1:51:08] That goes to construction folks,
[1:51:09] that goes to hard working people
[1:51:11] here who are hurting, who are
[1:51:14] going to benefit by this.
[1:51:16] So I ask you to be bold.
[1:51:17] Fortune favors the bold.
[1:51:18] Do something that is going to
[1:51:20] leave a legacy for your kids, my
[1:51:22] kids, and the city of tampa for
[1:51:23] generations to come.
[1:51:25] And if you don't do it, the rays
[1:51:26] are going down the road to
[1:51:26] orlando.
[1:51:28] Don't be the vote that sends
[1:51:31] their money and this incredible
[1:51:33] investment down the road to
[1:51:34] orlando and our beloved
[1:51:35] baseball.
[1:51:36] >> ken hagan: state your name
[1:51:36] for the record.
[1:51:38] >> J.P. Peterson.
[1:51:38] >> ken hagan: thanks.
[1:51:41] Bishop michelle patty.
[1:51:41] she here?
[1:51:45] Followed by bob morrison and
[1:51:46] steven gearheart who is virtual.
[1:51:48] >> good morning, my name is
[1:51:49] bishop michelle b. Patty.
[1:51:51] I was born here in the city of
[1:51:53] tampa 73 years ago.
[1:51:55] I'm a homeowner and a taxpayer.
[1:51:58] I live in brandon, florida.
[1:52:00] On yesterday there was three
[1:52:02] young men that committed a
[1:52:05] heinous crime by attacking a
[1:52:08] homeless man, beat him near to
[1:52:09] death out of boredom.
[1:52:10] They said they were bored.
[1:52:12] Now just think that if they had
[1:52:14] a part of apprenticeship
[1:52:15] program, we're talking about the
[1:52:18] rays bringing jobs.
[1:52:19] Apprenticeship programs will
[1:52:21] `actually help these same young
[1:52:23] men become entrepreneurs.
[1:52:24] How many more jobs they would be
[1:52:25] able to create?
[1:52:27] But right now their future
[1:52:29] because they're talking about
[1:52:31] adjudicating them as adults so
[1:52:32] their lives are over.
[1:52:34] As a mother, as a grandmother
[1:52:35] who's staying here who know the
[1:52:39] fact about how my children was
[1:52:40] killed, so I'm looking at it
[1:52:42] what price do we put on our
[1:52:43] children.
[1:52:46] What price do we put on children
[1:52:48] having a future?
[1:52:50] So I'm definitely in support of
[1:52:50] the rays.
[1:52:53] It's a whole lot more than
[1:52:55] selling pop corns or people
[1:52:56] talking about minimum wage.
[1:52:58] Well, I rather for a person to
[1:52:59] receive minimum wae than to be
[1:53:01] out here and selling fentanyl.
[1:53:03] I rather for a person to receive
[1:53:05] minimum wage than to be out here
[1:53:07] gang banging or killing.
[1:53:09] Are you all in touch with what's
[1:53:10] going on today?
[1:53:12] In this county?
[1:53:14] ith uroyoung people?
[1:53:15] They're bored to death because
[1:53:18] nobody is reaching out to help
[1:53:19] them, to support them.
[1:53:21] We're up here bickering about
[1:53:21] dollars.
[1:53:23] I'm standing here asking that we
[1:53:25] save lives, and with the rays
[1:53:26] trntion might seem simple -- it
[1:53:28] might see simple but it's not.
[1:53:30] In baseball there is a lot of
[1:53:32] layers to being a stadium.
[1:53:33] You're talking about
[1:53:35] construction, you're talking
[1:53:36] about even with the field,
[1:53:38] people that's are in the field,
[1:53:40] they can become coaches.
[1:53:42] There is just so many things.
[1:53:43] To work in the front office.
[1:53:47] There are so many jobs that
[1:53:48] that this
[1:53:49] would bring to the community.
[1:53:50] >> ken hagan: thank you, bishop
[1:53:50] patty.
[1:53:51] Appreciate the comments.
[1:53:53] Bob morrison followed by steven
[1:53:54] geregard, which is virtual and
[1:53:55] then last speaker is james
[1:53:55] ransom.
[1:53:57] Good morning.
[1:53:58] >> good morning, chair, and
[1:53:59] members of the commission.
[1:54:01] My name is bob morrison.
[1:54:04] I'm here on behalf of the
[1:54:04] hillsborough county hotel and
[1:54:06] logic association.
[1:54:11] First of all, my members
[1:54:14] represent about 92% of all hotel
[1:54:15] revenue generated in
[1:54:17] hillsborough county.
[1:54:19] So as a result, my standing here
[1:54:21] on their behalf is for three
[1:54:23] purposes.
[1:54:27] Number 1, we have, we were the
[1:54:30] entity that said to you go
[1:54:33] forward and adopt the 6% on the
[1:54:35] tourist tax.
[1:54:37] Those hotel owners took that 1%
[1:54:40] that could have been part of
[1:54:44] their profit line to invest in
[1:54:46] this community, and what the
[1:54:47] tourist development tax could
[1:54:48] deliver.
[1:54:51] Number 2, as I mentioned to city
[1:54:53] council yesterday, one of the
[1:54:54] things that we've done is
[1:54:56] because we have skin in the
[1:54:58] game, because your formula
[1:55:01] suggests a significant check
[1:55:03] written from the tourist
[1:55:05] development tax, we did our own
[1:55:06] investigation.
[1:55:07] One of the things that we were
[1:55:10] concerned about was not to
[1:55:13] bastardize or in any replicate
[1:55:15] facilities we already have.
[1:55:17] The announcement I shared
[1:55:19] yesterday with the city council
[1:55:21] that we no longer are eligible
[1:55:24] for women's final four because
[1:55:25] benchmark is not large enough to
[1:55:28] meet their seating requirements.
[1:55:30] Speaks to this particular
[1:55:32] development being unique and
[1:55:34] being positioned to fill the
[1:55:37] void that we have in our
[1:55:37] community.
[1:55:39] Ultimately our message, message
[1:55:43] to you is we are concerned about
[1:55:45] how visit tampa bay might fare
[1:55:46] and all of this.
[1:55:48] But we believe that working with
[1:55:50] county staff and the rays, we
[1:55:52] can make sure we fund the
[1:55:54] economic engine to make sure
[1:55:56] that we are telling the story of
[1:55:58] this destination and bringing
[1:56:01] those destination dollars to our
[1:56:01] community.
[1:56:02] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:56:02] MR. Morrison.
[1:56:04] Appreciate it.
[1:56:09] Steven gerrard on the line?
[1:56:11] >> commissioners, my name is
[1:56:12] steven gearheard.
[1:56:13] I am a resident of hillsborough
[1:56:14] county.
[1:56:15] Today I'm here to object to the
[1:56:17] use of public funds for a for
[1:56:18] profit sports team.
[1:56:20] in the nearly definitive
[1:56:21] document, there are no
[1:56:23] guarantees that require the rays
[1:56:25] to develop any minimum taxable
[1:56:27] use and no provisions to enforce
[1:56:28] it.
[1:56:29] Full stop, I ask all of the
[1:56:31] commissioners to hear that.
[1:56:33] There are construction
[1:56:35] guarantees, there are guarantees
[1:56:38] on cost overruns, but they do
[1:56:40] nas have any requirements to
[1:56:41] produce any taxable lnd
[1:56:41] improvements.
[1:56:44] Today hcc pays zero dollars in
[1:56:44] taxes.
[1:56:45] Tomorrow the hcc tamps will
[1:56:48] continue to pay zero dollars.
[1:56:50] Without taxable development, the
[1:56:51] tax income remains the status
[1:56:52] quo.
[1:56:53] Without written guarantees, the
[1:56:55] burden to service the debts on
[1:56:57] the bonds truly lies with the
[1:56:59] citizens of hillsborough county.
[1:57:01] In this surrounding development,
[1:57:02] I'm sorry, if the surrounding
[1:57:03] development is developed, the
[1:57:06] cdd will take a disproportionate
[1:57:06] amount of shares of the
[1:57:07] revenues.
[1:57:08] Under the proposed third tier
[1:57:09] and this is really, really
[1:57:10] important, I ask the
[1:57:11] commissioners to hear this.
[1:57:13] The district would receive 85%
[1:57:15] of the revenues.
[1:57:17] Under florida law, community
[1:57:18] development districts are
[1:57:20] controlled by the landowner.
[1:57:21] That's hillsborough college.
[1:57:23] And their benefactor development
[1:57:24] partner tenant is the rays.
[1:57:28] After six years, the rays deal
[1:57:29] take control of the cdd board
[1:57:32] smed this is not government
[1:57:33] oversight as it has been
[1:57:34] presented.
[1:57:35] Sunshine laws require
[1:57:38] transparency but not control.
[1:57:39] this creates additional revenue
[1:57:41] stream or cost offset programs
[1:57:42] for the rays.
[1:57:46] Let's come back to the tiers.
[1:57:46] $650 million of assessed value
[1:57:48] is the top tier.
[1:57:51] The rays have communicated
[1:57:52] nearly $7.05 mill billion in
[1:57:54] revenue of -- of assessed value.
[1:57:58] That means that $6.85 billion,
[1:58:01] 85% of that taxed income would
[1:58:02] go into the district.
[1:58:03] A district that will be
[1:58:06] controlled by the rays in six
[1:58:06] years.
[1:58:09] While the county takes home less
[1:58:10] than $100 million of projected
[1:58:12] total lifetime value from the
[1:58:12] property taxes.
[1:58:14] Why is there no cap?
[1:58:16] Why is this concept
[1:58:16] introduced --
[1:58:17] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[1:58:17] appreciate your comments.
[1:58:18] James ransom.
[1:58:22] Last speaker.
[1:58:24] >> good morning, sir.
[1:58:27] >> good morning, MR. Chair and
[1:58:27] commissioners.
[1:58:30] I've never been last at any
[1:58:31] anything before, but today is my
[1:58:32] first time being last.
[1:58:34] First, on behalf of the tampa
[1:58:36] organization of black affairs, I
[1:58:37] chair the economic development
[1:58:37] committee.
[1:58:38] You've been receiving letters
[1:58:41] from us for many months giving
[1:58:43] you the conditions that our
[1:58:45] organization would support the
[1:58:47] rays ballpark development along
[1:58:50] with the mixed development and
[1:58:51] the hillsborough college
[1:58:52] development.
[1:58:54] So let me just say right up
[1:58:55] front that the tampa
[1:58:57] organization of black affairs,
[1:59:00] 100% supports the rays ballpark
[1:59:01] project, and we wanted to thank
[1:59:03] also I see will weatherford here
[1:59:05] who is the chair of the trustee
[1:59:06] board at usf.
[1:59:07] They got the message when we
[1:59:08] talk about trying to have
[1:59:10] inclusion of black owned
[1:59:11] companies and including the
[1:59:12] black community on building a
[1:59:13] new usf stadium.
[1:59:15] It wouldn't have happened
[1:59:18] without will weatherford and
[1:59:20] rhea law and jay strowman and
[1:59:22] folks out at usf and we
[1:59:23] appreciate that because the top
[1:59:24] down bottom up deal at that
[1:59:25] stadium includes businesses from
[1:59:27] our community that are
[1:59:28] qualified, ready, willing and
[1:59:29] able to help build that
[1:59:30] university stadium.
[1:59:31] With the rays project, we've
[1:59:34] talked with MR. Babby many times
[1:59:36] about the same ideas and we know
[1:59:38] that we're hearing that from
[1:59:39] you, from commissioner myers and
[1:59:43] many others from nia and the
[1:59:44] city councilmembers from
[1:59:45] yesterday, they hear us and
[1:59:46] understand what's important to
[1:59:47] our community.
[1:59:51] We want to share the prosperity
[1:59:55] we want to share in a
[1:59:56] transformative project in so
[1:59:57] many ways.
[1:59:59] So while you are contemplating
[2:00:00] the public's concern about
[2:00:01] public trust and public funding
[2:00:05] which is very important, not to
[2:00:07] unfill fill comimentsz to those
[2:00:08] things made important to the
[2:00:09] taxpayers other than for the
[2:00:10] baseball park, but we want to
[2:00:12] leave you with the idea that the
[2:00:13] staff has done a great job, city
[2:00:15] and county, board of county
[2:00:17] commissioners, and the city
[2:00:19] councilmembers,.
[2:00:20] We appreciate the audience and
[2:00:21] you making the right decision to
[2:00:23] support this today.
[2:00:23] Thank you.
[2:00:24] >> ken hagan: thank you,
[2:00:24] MR. Ransom.
[2:00:25] Okay, that closes public
[2:00:26] comment.
[2:00:29] We'll go into board discussion.
[2:00:30] Board members, I worked on this
[2:00:32] for a few years, so I'm going to
[2:00:33] think ahead and jump in here.
[2:00:34] -- to go ahead and jump in here.
[2:00:36] Before I make my remarks though,
[2:00:39] I do want to thank bonnie, greg,
[2:00:43] julia, tom, sam, and eric hart
[2:00:45] for all of their hard work on
[2:00:47] getting us here today.
[2:00:49] This has truly been a team
[2:00:51] effort, and we're fortunate to
[2:00:54] have the a team on our side.
[2:00:56] They worked around the clock
[2:00:58] night and day to get us here.
[2:01:00] I particularly want to thank
[2:01:02] bonnie and yulia.
[2:01:03] I know it's been both mentally
[2:01:06] and physically extremely
[2:01:07] challenging, and exhausting for
[2:01:10] them the last couple of months.
[2:01:12] There have been so many
[2:01:14] complexuouses with this a --
[2:01:15] complex issues with this
[2:01:17] agreement, and many of them were
[2:01:18] contentious.
[2:01:19] However, throughout this
[2:01:22] process, they remain steadfast,
[2:01:24] meticulous, and unwavering in
[2:01:26] representing the county and
[2:01:28] protecting the taxpayers.
[2:01:29] So I can't thank them enough for
[2:01:31] all of your efforts.
[2:01:33] I also want to thank city
[2:01:37] council chair alan clendenin.
[2:01:41] Councilmember louis vierra,
[2:01:43] COUNCILMAN Carlson and nia young
[2:01:46] or keeping an open mind and
[2:01:47] challenging the status quo
[2:01:48] throughout this process and for
[2:01:50] recognizing what an enormous
[2:01:50] opportunity we have in front of
[2:01:52] us.
[2:01:56] Thank you for your leadership.
[2:01:57] I also want to personally thank
[2:01:58] our board members here who've
[2:01:59] kept an open mind and respected
[2:02:01] the process.
[2:02:02] As we know, there have been so
[2:02:03] many issues and moving parts
[2:02:12] over the last couple of months.
[2:02:14] Bonnie referred to it as a
[2:02:16] collaboration and it has but
[2:02:18] it's also a balancing act
[2:02:20] between county, city, rays, and
[2:02:21] hillsborough college's interest,
[2:02:24] and it hasn't necessarily been
[2:02:25] easy.
[2:02:26] Having five elections since I
[2:02:27] first began championing this
[2:02:30] issue back in 2010, I know what
[2:02:33] some board members have gone
[2:02:34] through and experienced
[2:02:35] throughout the process.
[2:02:45] It has been difficult.
[2:08:08] It will create the density that
[2:08:10] supports real transit options.
[2:08:13] I think we all or at least most
[2:08:14] of us recognize we live in one
[2:08:14] of the best cities and
[2:08:16] communities in the country.
[2:08:19] But without question, this mixed
[2:08:20] use development will
[2:08:21] differentiate our community from
[2:08:23] our competitors and solidify our
[2:08:27] position as a world-class city?
[2:08:28] The second question I asked
[2:08:30] myself is what side of history
[2:08:31] do you want to be on.
[2:08:32] Three, five, ten years from now,
[2:08:36] do you want to be responsible
[2:08:38] for not only the rays' forever
[2:08:39] home but the generational
[2:08:41] project that's in front of us,
[2:08:42] the largest and most
[2:08:42] transformative development in
[2:08:46] hillsborough county history.
[2:08:48] Or do you want to be able to
[2:08:50] say, see that area by
[2:08:50] hillsborough college?
[2:08:55] I had a chance to be a part of
[2:08:55] something special.
[2:08:57] But chose to think small and
[2:09:03] major in the minors?
[2:09:04] I know what side of history I
[2:09:05] want to be on.
[2:09:08] either way, make no mistake,
[2:09:10] there is a cost of doing
[2:09:11] nothing.
[2:09:13] For those who criticize our
[2:09:15] up-front investment, the cost of
[2:09:16] our investment will pale in
[2:09:18] comparison to the enormous cost
[2:09:20] of losing this extraordinary
[2:09:21] development.
[2:09:23] What is the cost of doing
[2:09:23] nothing?
[2:09:25] For starters, losing a baseball
[2:09:26] team.
[2:09:28] In a perfect world, ball parks
[2:09:30] and stadiums would be 100%
[2:09:31] previouslily financed.
[2:09:34] I couldn't agree more.
[2:09:35] Here's the news flash: we don't
[2:09:37] live in a perfect world or
[2:09:38] static environment.
[2:09:40] It doesn't matter if we're
[2:09:45] talking mlb, nfl, nhl or the
[2:09:46] nfl.
[2:09:48] Cities and communities always
[2:09:50] have and always will roll out
[2:09:52] the red carpet to poach a team.
[2:09:54] The rays are no different.
[2:09:55] Many communities covet the rays
[2:09:57] and are chomping at the bit to
[2:09:59] have the opportunity to
[2:10:00] negotiate with the team.
[2:10:03] Most recently, the oakland a's
[2:10:05] in baseball and the arizona
[2:10:08] coyotes in the nhl relocated.
[2:10:09] Currently, chicago bears and
[2:10:11] kansas city chiefs are all but
[2:10:13] gone and leaving their
[2:10:15] respective states.
[2:10:16] Well, guess what?
[2:10:19] A disagreement fails, the rays
[2:10:19] are next.
[2:10:21] Up until now, commissioner
[2:10:24] manfred hs prevented the team
[2:10:27] from exploring leaving our
[2:10:27] market.
[2:10:29] If we deny this agreement,
[2:10:31] commissioner manfred will allow
[2:10:33] the team to begin negotiations
[2:10:35] with other cities.
[2:10:37] This isn't hyperbole or
[2:10:37] -
[2:10:38] exaggeration.
[2:10:40] Commissioner manfred has said
[2:10:42] so.
[2:10:45] Everywhere I go, nearly eery
[2:10:50] day whether it's publix, the y,
[2:10:55] abbey's, iavarone's, o'brien's,
[2:10:58] yeungling, the golf course, the
[2:10:59] fourth of JULY parade, recently
[2:11:00] as yesterday, hat tricks, folks
[2:11:02] come up to me and the message is
[2:11:06] the exact same: get it done,
[2:11:08] bring the rays to tampa.
[2:11:11] Again, the cost of doing
[2:11:11] nothing?
[2:11:12] We lose a generational
[2:11:13] opportunity, that includes $8
[2:11:14] billion to $10 million in
[2:11:15] private sector investment in the
[2:11:15] district.
[2:11:18] To put that into perspective,
[2:11:21] this is larger than water street
[2:11:23] and midtown combined.
[2:11:24] Think about that.
[2:11:26] Drew park remains an eyesore.
[2:11:28] I was on this board when we
[2:11:32] created the cra back in '05-'06.
[2:11:34] That area was blighted then.
[2:11:37] 20 years later, it remains
[2:11:38] blighted and there's no doubt
[2:11:40] that its condition will not
[2:11:41] improve in the foreseeable
[2:11:44] future if this project does not
[2:11:44] move forward.
[2:11:49] We'll also lose the additional
[2:11:49] state-funded transportation
[2:11:50] improvements in or around the
[2:11:50] area.
[2:11:53] We'll lose a brand-new
[2:11:53] hillsborough college campus and
[2:11:55] the educational and career
[2:11:56] opportunities for the students
[2:11:57] in the district.
[2:11:59] The quality of life for rays
[2:12:01] fans is negatively impacted.
[2:12:03] There's an enormous loss of
[2:12:04] economic impact.
[2:12:06] I know when you start to talk
[2:12:06] numbers, there's always
[2:12:08] different studies, always a
[2:12:09] broad range.
[2:12:12] I've heard anywhere when you
[2:12:13] include the direct and indirect
[2:12:14] impact anywhere from $45 billion
[2:12:16] to $75 billion.
[2:12:17] I don't know where the actual
[2:12:19] number lands, but it's a big
[2:12:19] number.
[2:12:20] Loss of jobs.
[2:12:21] Again, a range.
[2:12:25] I've heard anywhere from 7,000
[2:12:26] to 12,000 jobs.
[2:12:28] Loss of sales tax revenue,
[2:12:31] tourist tax revenue, property
[2:12:33] tax ref ju and rent payments
[2:12:36] aenlo, between $140 million and
[2:12:38] $200 million.
[2:12:39] Another important point that
[2:12:41] needs to be underscored not drew
[2:12:42] park but the ball park district
[2:12:46] itself is currently producing
[2:12:46] zero dollars.
[2:12:47] Ask yourself why.
[2:12:50] We can deny this plan and
[2:12:52] continue producing absolutely
[2:12:55] nothing or we can generate
[2:12:56] several revenue streams.
[2:12:59] We'll lose a robust community
[2:13:01] benefits agreement that will be
[2:13:03] used to address needed
[2:13:05] infrastructure, improve our
[2:13:06] residents' quality of life such
[2:13:09] as fire, rescue needs, parks,
[2:13:14] african-american museum, among
[2:13:15] others.
[2:13:18] Also something in my friend J.P.
[2:13:19] Peterson mentioned this earlier,
[2:13:21] something that's driven me
[2:13:22] throughout the 17 years I've
[2:13:24] been on this quest, I want this
[2:13:26] generation and future generation
[2:13:29] of kids and families to create
[2:13:31] memories of the ball park, just
[2:13:33] like I was able to do with my
[2:13:36] dad and I've been able to do
[2:13:39] with my kids, jake and
[2:13:40] elizabeth, just like thousands
[2:13:42] of other kids and families I've
[2:13:43] been able to do in tampa.
[2:13:45] If you do not have those
[2:13:47] memories, it's hard to explain
[2:13:49] what it means, but it's
[2:13:49] priceless.
[2:13:53] And I want to pay that forward.
[2:13:55] Board members, you have an
[2:13:56] incredibly rre opportunity in
[2:13:57] front of us.
[2:13:58] I know one that I haven't faced
[2:14:02] in my time on this board.
[2:14:03] In closing, is this deal
[2:14:04] perfect?
[2:14:05] No.
[2:14:05] No deal is.
[2:14:08] And I think it's fair to say
[2:14:09] both sides wish the deal were a
[2:14:12] little bit better.
[2:14:14] But that's always going to be
[2:14:15] the case.
[2:14:17] One thing is clear, however.
[2:14:18] The team has significantly
[2:14:23] compromised on several deal
[2:14:24] points.
[2:14:27] Notably increasing their
[2:14:28] investment 50/50 split where the
[2:14:31] team is covering 62% of the ball
[2:14:32] park construction plus all cost
[2:14:33] overruns.
[2:14:35] Again, I ask myself, you know,
[2:14:36] what side of history do I want
[2:14:37] to be on?
[2:14:38] And I just ask board members,
[2:14:41] when you cast your vote to be
[2:14:43] courageous, bold and think big.
[2:14:45] Before I make a motion, I do
[2:14:47] want to ask julia a couple of
[2:14:51] questions, because it came up
[2:14:54] during public comment.
[2:14:56] Regarding board members'
[2:14:58] comments in the past on the
[2:15:02] ability to utilize cit dollars
[2:15:05] for stadium financing, two
[2:15:06] questions.
[2:15:11] I know in the past there was
[2:15:13] discussion about preventing a
[2:15:17] cit from being able to be used
[2:15:17] toward the ball park.
[2:15:19] Was there a prohibition either
[2:15:22] in the ordinance or in the
[2:15:24] ballot language that prevents
[2:15:26] cit stadium financing?
[2:15:27] >> thank you.
[2:15:29] I know this question was asked
[2:15:31] previous in these conversations
[2:15:32] and as a result of that
[2:15:35] question, I obtained two
[2:15:36] separate outside counsel
[2:15:38] opinions on that particular
[2:15:39] issue, as well as reviewed many
[2:15:41] of the items myself as I was not
[2:15:44] here at the time.
[2:15:45] Based on the two legal opinions
[2:15:48] and my review, there was no
[2:15:50] prohibition specifically set for
[2:15:55] in the ordinance, which adopted
[2:15:55] the cit that went to referendum
[2:15:57] on the use of the cit funds for
[2:15:59] a professional sports, a new
[2:16:01] professional sports facility.
[2:16:02] I know that that conversation
[2:16:05] was discussed, but it was never
[2:16:07] implemented into that ordinance.
[2:16:09] Therefore, it is my opinion
[2:16:09] based upon all of the other
[2:16:11] opinions that I've received that
[2:16:12] we can proceed forward with this
[2:16:15] deal under the auspices of using
[2:16:17] cit for a new professional
[2:16:17] sport.
[2:16:19] >> and from time to time we hear
[2:16:21] the term "voter intent."
[2:16:22] did they look at that, too?
[2:16:24] >> yes, the second opinion that
[2:16:28] we received was from an election
[2:16:29] law expert from carlton field
[2:16:32] and indicated that the concept
[2:16:34] of voter intent did not create
[2:16:37] an issue as it related to the
[2:16:41] use of funds.
[2:16:42] >> ken hagan: the other issue
[2:16:44] was my comments back in 2024 on
[2:16:45] the cit.
[2:16:47] For those of you that recall at
[2:16:49] that time, the previous
[2:16:51] ownership group had selected st.
[2:16:53] Pete for their forever home.
[2:16:55] So at that time, we all felt and
[2:16:56] believed there would never be
[2:16:58] another new stadium or bll park
[2:16:59] in hillsborough county.
[2:17:01] So that's the reason why I had
[2:17:02] absolutely no problem saying
[2:17:03] yeah, I don't have any issue
[2:17:06] with prohibiting cit dollars
[2:17:09] going toward a new ball park or
[2:17:09] stadium.
[2:17:11] Right or wrong, as we just heard
[2:17:13] from the county attorney, that
[2:17:16] provision was never included in
[2:17:17] the ordinance or ballot language
[2:17:18] and circumstances changed.
[2:17:20] I wanted to address that.
[2:17:24] I'll pass the gavel to the vice
[2:17:24] chair and I want to make a
[2:17:26] motion to approve the
[2:17:28] development and funding
[2:17:31] agreement, the guaranty and the
[2:17:33] team non-relocation agreement in
[2:17:34] substantial forms presented and
[2:17:36] allow the county attorney to
[2:17:37] conform all the documents,
[2:17:39] including the city of tampa
[2:17:43] approved documents and any --
[2:17:45] and correct any scribner's
[2:17:45] error.
[2:17:48] I know currently regarding the
[2:17:49] community benefits agreement
[2:17:52] that it's I guess left blank,
[2:17:54] there's been discussion I know
[2:17:57] amongst staff, I know it's my
[2:17:57] understanding that I believe
[2:17:59] correct me if I'm wrong but over
[2:18:03] in st. Pete that cba was $50
[2:18:04] million in that timeframe.
[2:18:06] I'll include in the motion that
[2:18:09] the community benefits agreement
[2:18:14] is $50 million and I guess it's
[2:18:16] already included 65%, 65/35
[2:18:18] split with the county getting
[2:18:19] 65, the city getting 35; is that
[2:18:20] correct?
[2:18:22] >> that is correct.
[2:18:24] In fact, the city council
[2:18:24] yesterday when they took their
[2:18:27] action, part of their action was
[2:18:31] to have county commission be the
[2:18:32] final place within the body of
[2:18:38] the document, the final number,
[2:18:42] the final number for the
[2:18:42] community benefits agreement
[2:18:43] with that split being in place.
[2:18:45] so that was left up to the
[2:18:48] county commission to determine.
[2:18:50] >> ken hagan: I know the actual
[2:18:53] cba will come back to us very
[2:18:55] soon, but I just want to include
[2:18:58] that along with the motion that
[2:19:02] there is an expectation of a
[2:19:05] timing mechanism where
[2:19:07] investments in meaningful
[2:19:08] community benefits began
[2:19:11] immediately and are not
[2:19:11] back-loaded.
[2:19:13] So that's my motion.
[2:19:15] >> second.
[2:19:18] >> ken hagan: pass the gavel to
[2:19:19] the vice chair.
[2:19:20] >> christine miller: thank you.
[2:19:25] Commissioner cohen, you're
[2:19:30] recognized.
[2:19:31] >> harry cohen: thank you,
[2:19:31] chair.
[2:19:32] You managed to cover a lot of
[2:19:33] very important points.
[2:19:35] I've been relatively quiet about
[2:19:38] this actually, and not spoken a
[2:19:40] whole lot in public, because I
[2:19:43] really have wanted to allow this
[2:19:45] process to take its course, and
[2:19:47] I really wanted to give the
[2:19:50] county administrator and the
[2:19:53] county attorney the maximum
[2:19:55] leverage possible to negotiate
[2:19:57] the best possible deal that they
[2:19:59] could for the public and for the
[2:19:59] taxpayers.
[2:20:03] And when I voted for the
[2:20:05] original mou, it was my hope,
[2:20:07] and I've told this to them
[2:20:08] privately and I've said this to
[2:20:10] anyone that's asked me, it's
[2:20:13] been my hope that they could
[2:20:16] negotiate, knowing that at least
[2:20:19] in my case, I didn't view this
[2:20:20] as simply a question of whether
[2:20:23] or not I wanted the rays to
[2:20:24] stay.
[2:20:26] I believed my responsibility has
[2:20:28] been to determine whether
[2:20:29] hillsborough county could
[2:20:31] negotiate an agreement that
[2:20:33] protected taxpayers and created
[2:20:36] enough long-term public value to
[2:20:37] justify the investment.
[2:20:39] I made it very clear at the time
[2:20:43] I voted for the mou and
[2:20:45] privately with our negotiators
[2:20:46] that I was not prepared to
[2:20:49] support a deal at any price, but
[2:20:51] that I would like to support a
[2:20:53] deal if we could come to the
[2:20:55] right conclusions.
[2:20:57] I believe that the deal that has
[2:20:59] been negotiated is markedly
[2:21:01] better than the mou that we
[2:21:04] voted on in MAY, and I want to
[2:21:06] just say a couple of things in
[2:21:07] particular that I think should
[2:21:10] be reiterated and pointed out
[2:21:11] again.
[2:21:13] The first is the issue related
[2:21:14] to the rent.
[2:21:16] The rent was not a part of the
[2:21:17] original discussion.
[2:21:21] It is now targeted at $4 million
[2:21:24] a year plus cpi increases, and
[2:21:26] our staff is estimated over the
[2:21:29] course of the 35 years $200
[2:21:32] million coming back to the
[2:21:33] county as a result of those rent
[2:21:34] payments.
[2:21:38] That is a substantial return on
[2:21:39] our original investment.
[2:21:42] The second piece of it that
[2:21:43] commissioner hagan mentioned, of
[2:21:46] course, is that the rays'
[2:21:47] contribution has gone from 50%
[2:21:51] of the project to 62% of the
[2:21:52] project, a marked increase.
[2:21:54] And then of course, the third
[2:21:55] major change that ha occurred
[2:21:59] in the deal, and much of this is
[2:22:01] due to the work of commissioner
[2:22:03] miller, is the $100 million that
[2:22:08] the state D.O.T. Has targeted
[2:22:10] for the lithia pinecrest
[2:22:10] project.
[2:22:13] The reason that's important is
[2:22:14] because that project was
[2:22:16] guaranteed to come out of the
[2:22:17] cit dollars.
[2:22:22] and our negotiators very deftly
[2:22:24] have included in the contract a
[2:22:26] provision that, if somehow the
[2:22:27] state does not provide that
[2:22:29] money, we are not obligated to
[2:22:32] make the final payment of the
[2:22:33] cit dollars to the rays.
[2:22:36] So that is a net savings of $100
[2:22:41] million right off the top.
[2:22:42] Between the rent and that, yu
[2:22:44] have a $300 million difference
[2:22:46] between what we're voting on
[2:22:48] today and what we discussed with
[2:22:54] the mou back in MAY.
[2:22:58] There are a lot of things about
[2:23:00] this agreement that are good.
[2:23:02] There are some that are going to
[2:23:04] be challenging.
[2:23:06] It is a public/private
[2:23:06] partnership.
[2:23:08] For those that say that they
[2:23:09] don't want government doing
[2:23:10] everything, that they want to
[2:23:12] see us working together, this is
[2:23:14] a great example of what can
[2:23:18] happen when the public and the
[2:23:19] private and an educational
[2:23:20] institution come together.
[2:23:22] I was on the tampa city council
[2:23:24] when we did water street, and
[2:23:25] even though water street is a
[2:23:27] little smaller, there are a lot
[2:23:29] of similarities between the two
[2:23:29] projects.
[2:23:31] The biggest being that it
[2:23:34] involved a professional sports
[2:23:37] team, an educational institution
[2:23:38] and a vision of a work, live and
[2:23:41] play environment anchored by
[2:23:42] hotels and restaurants and
[2:23:44] office buildings and
[2:23:45] residential.
[2:23:47] What we have seen develop in the
[2:23:49] water street district is proof
[2:23:51] positive that this community is
[2:23:53] very enthusiastic about
[2:23:54] embracing these types of
[2:23:55] developments.
[2:23:56] The last time I checked, you
[2:23:59] can't get a dinner reservation
[2:24:00] down there on a saturday night,
[2:24:02] and midtown has been just as
[2:24:03] successful.
[2:24:05] So there's no reason to believe,
[2:24:06] with the tremendous population
[2:24:08] growth that we see in this
[2:24:10] region, and the ability of so
[2:24:13] many people to meet the
[2:24:13] centralized location that we
[2:24:17] can't hit a home run here as
[2:24:19] well, provided that we all work
[2:24:21] together to make it happen.
[2:24:23] The community benefits agreement
[2:24:25] is a really, really big,
[2:24:26] important part of that.
[2:24:30] If it's $50 million and the
[2:24:33] county gets 65% of that, that
[2:24:35] money can be put directly back
[2:24:38] into some of the neighborhoods
[2:24:40] surrounding the stadium district
[2:24:41] for improvements that have been
[2:24:42] needed for a long time.
[2:24:45] And for people that are
[2:24:45] skeptical about whether or not
[2:24:49] we should be using cit, I can
[2:24:51] understand why there is a need
[2:24:54] and a desire to spend every
[2:24:56] available dollar on roads and
[2:24:57] fire stations and other
[2:24:58] immediate needs.
[2:25:00] These are very important
[2:25:01] priorities and they're
[2:25:02] priorities that I share.
[2:25:04] The question before us, however,
[2:25:07] is whether making a finite
[2:25:09] investment today can
[2:25:11] substantially expand the
[2:25:13] county's economic and tax base
[2:25:15] for decades to come without
[2:25:17] compromising those essential
[2:25:17] responsibilities.
[2:25:19] The only way that we can fulfill
[2:25:21] our responsibilities is to keep
[2:25:26] our tax base up, and
[2:25:27] commissioner bowls in our
[2:25:30] previous meetings was able to
[2:25:32] establish that the nine fire
[2:25:34] stations that are currently
[2:25:35] programmed to be paid for out of
[2:25:40] the cit will not be affected by
[2:25:41] this deal.
[2:25:44] Privately, the thing that has
[2:25:48] given me the most agita is the
[2:25:50] prospect of the property tax
[2:25:51] referendum passing in NOVEMBER.
[2:25:55] When that originally came out
[2:25:57] after we entered into the
[2:26:00] non-binding mou, I sat here and
[2:26:05] was very blunt about the fact
[2:26:06] that the uncertainty about that
[2:26:07] gave me a lot of pause.
[2:26:09] I have been trying to work
[2:26:10] through that issue for the last
[2:26:11] couple of months.
[2:26:12] People, if they have talked to
[2:26:14] me privately, have definitely
[2:26:16] found out that that's a huge
[2:26:19] area of concern for me.
[2:26:19] -
[2:26:22] but here is the fact of the
[2:26:24] property tax referendum.
[2:26:28] If it passes, it is going to
[2:26:30] force this community to look for
[2:26:32] deals exactly like this one in
[2:26:35] order to preserve our tax base.
[2:26:38] The property tax referendum more
[2:26:39] than anything else, it does have
[2:26:42] a small effect on commercial,
[2:26:43] but its major effect is going to
[2:26:47] be on residentially homesteaded
[2:26:47] properties.
[2:26:49] This is exactly the kind of
[2:26:51] project that we need in order to
[2:26:53] mitigate that, and this project
[2:26:56] has been specifically designed
[2:26:59] so that, as you saw, almost
[2:27:02] everything in it falls outside
[2:27:04] of what is going to be affected
[2:27:06] by that referendum.
[2:27:07] There will be a small reduction
[2:27:11] in what some of the commercial
[2:27:13] tenants might way in taxes, but
[2:27:18] the vast majority of this is
[2:27:21] exactly the type of ad valorem
[2:27:22] tax we need in order to keep our
[2:27:23] tax base up.
[2:27:27] It's a very, very critical point
[2:27:27] about this.
[2:27:29] There are also a lot of
[2:27:31] ancillary benefits that aren't
[2:27:32] even being taken into account.
[2:27:34] We talked a little bit about
[2:27:36] sales tax that will go both to
[2:27:37] us locally and to the state.
[2:27:40] We didn't really talk about the
[2:27:40] additional bed taxes that will
[2:27:43] be created by the hotels, but
[2:27:45] there's also the rental car fees
[2:27:47] that are going to be needed by
[2:27:52] the airport to pay for the air
[2:27:53] side d construction, which is
[2:27:56] bonded based on rental car fees
[2:27:57] and airline user fees.
[2:28:00] So the proximity of this
[2:28:01] development to the airport will
[2:28:03] make a real difference on the
[2:28:05] airport's bottom line, and the
[2:28:07] airport does not get any
[2:28:13] property taxes in order to
[2:28:13] subsidize.
[2:28:18] I want to finally talk for just
[2:28:21] a moment about transit, because
[2:28:23] commissioner hagan mentioned it,
[2:28:25] but I think it's really
[2:28:26] important to put something into
[2:28:29] some perspective here.
[2:28:32] We have had a lot of stops and
[2:28:34] starts on transit proposals in
[2:28:35] the last ten years in this
[2:28:37] community, and people are very,
[2:28:43] very tired and exhausted by the
[2:28:45] roller coaster we have been on.
[2:28:45] We offered transportation that
[2:28:49] was thrown out by the supreme
[2:28:49] court.
[2:28:50] We had go hillsborough that
[2:28:51] almost passed.
[2:28:53] Last high speed rail in 2010.
[2:28:54] At every point where we feel
[2:28:56] like we're starting to get ahead
[2:28:58] to address our congestion
[2:29:00] issues, we have found ourselves
[2:29:00] stymied.
[2:29:03] I want to say to the transit
[2:29:05] activists in this community,
[2:29:07] this is the moment to restart
[2:29:08] the conversation.
[2:29:10] This isn't the end of the
[2:29:10] conversation.
[2:29:13] This is the beginning of the
[2:29:14] conversation.
[2:29:16] This development is right by the
[2:29:16] airport.
[2:29:18] The airport has built out a
[2:29:20] people mover that is capable of
[2:29:24] being extended.
[2:29:25] Fdot owns property on cypress
[2:29:28] that is
[2:29:31] I-275 and the right-of-way and
[2:29:33] it includes the newly
[2:29:34] constructed howard frank lip
[2:29:35] bridge that has a transit
[2:29:37] envelope that is both provided
[2:29:39] and strong enough to actually
[2:29:42] handle whether it be rail or
[2:29:46] direct buses or, look, we're a
[2:29:47] point on the verge of
[2:29:48] self-driving cars and the
[2:29:50] airport's already looking at ev
[2:29:51] toll technology.
[2:29:53] The sky is literally the limit
[2:29:53] on this.
[2:29:55] But this development is going to
[2:29:59] be the catalyst for the
[2:29:59] discussion.
[2:30:01] It is strategically placed in
[2:30:04] such an area that it cannot help
[2:30:06] but be the final piece that
[2:30:09] unites the west shore district,
[2:30:13] midtown, downtown, ebore city
[2:30:13] and where brightline ultimately
[2:30:14] come in.
[2:30:17] It's a very, very exciting
[2:30:17] prospect for the future.
[2:30:20] It is my belief that, if this
[2:30:22] proposal is voted down, you will
[2:30:25] not see any sort of momentum
[2:30:27] toward a transit solution in
[2:30:29] this community any time soon.
[2:30:32] If it's voted up, the
[2:30:33] conversations start tomorrow.
[2:30:35] The community benefit agreement
[2:30:38] gives us an opportunity to talk
[2:30:39] about drew park and west tampa
[2:30:41] in a whole new way and put
[2:30:42] resources into those
[2:30:43] neighborhoods, and one of the
[2:30:45] things I plan on doing is going
[2:30:47] into the next mpo meeting and
[2:30:49] making some motions to get some
[2:30:52] of the planning started so that
[2:30:54] we can actually look at what is
[2:30:55] the best practice for dealing
[2:30:57] with the area around the
[2:30:57] stadium.
[2:30:59] And I look forward, it's in my
[2:31:02] district, of dealing with the
[2:31:02] neighborhood and commercial
[2:31:04] interests in the area to make
[2:31:07] sure that we plan this in a
[2:31:12] thoughtful, methodical and well
[2:31:13] thought out way.
[2:31:15] I want to end by talking about
[2:31:19] some of the intangibles related
[2:31:19] to this project.
[2:31:21] Right now, the tampa bay rays
[2:31:22] have the best record in baseball
[2:31:24] or at least I know they do in
[2:31:26] the american league.
[2:31:29] We are 30 days or 30 games away,
[2:31:33] I think from the playoffs.
[2:31:35] Maybe, maybe we'll even go
[2:31:36] beyond the playoffs.
[2:31:38] Whether it happens this year or
[2:31:41] it happens next year, I'm very
[2:31:42] confident it will happen one
[2:31:42] day.
[2:31:45] We've shown that we can win
[2:31:46] championships in this community,
[2:31:50] and when we do, and the network
[2:31:52] television cameras pan over
[2:31:53] hillsborough county and they
[2:31:55] look out over the sun setting
[2:31:58] over the bay, and a worldwide
[2:32:01] television audience sees this
[2:32:06] community, you know what they'rethemselves?
[2:32:07] That's the place I want to live.
[2:32:08] That's the place I want to
[2:32:09] visit.
[2:32:10] That's the place I want to open
[2:32:11] my business.
[2:32:14] That's the place I want to raise
[2:32:15] my family.
[2:32:17] To commissioner hagan's earlier
[2:32:18] point, this is our moment to
[2:32:19] decide what kind of community we
[2:32:19] want to be.
[2:32:21] I want to be a number one
[2:32:21] community.
[2:32:23] I want to be a leading
[2:32:24] community.
[2:32:26] I want this to be a community
[2:32:28] that has three professional
[2:32:30] sports, because we are able to
[2:32:32] exist in the top tier of cities
[2:32:36] and counties in this country.
[2:32:39] I finally want to just say a
[2:32:41] word about a good friend of
[2:32:44] mine, pat frank, who is a former
[2:32:46] county commissioner, former
[2:32:47] clerk of the court, former state
[2:32:48] senator.
[2:32:49] She's 96 years old.
[2:32:51] She fell and she's in the
[2:32:53] hospital and she's recovering,
[2:32:55] and I haven't had a chance to
[2:32:56] talk to her about this
[2:32:58] particular issue, but she
[2:32:59] follows things very avidly.
[2:33:01] I've been reminded in getting
[2:33:02] ready for these remarks about
[2:33:03] something that she once said to
[2:33:06] me, and I wanted to share it.
[2:33:07] When she was on the board of
[2:33:08] county commissioners, and I
[2:33:10] believe she served with
[2:33:12] commissioner hagan, she would
[2:33:14] get annoyed sometimes because
[2:33:17] people would confuse her with
[2:33:19] commissioner jan platt, and she
[2:33:21] didn't get annoyed because she
[2:33:24] didn't like jan platt.
[2:33:25] She got annoyed because jan
[2:33:27] platt's nickname was
[2:33:29] "commissioner no."
[2:33:31] and pat told me she didn't like
[2:33:32] being confused with someone that
[2:33:35] was "commissioner no."
[2:33:37] because sometimes, most of the
[2:33:40] time the courageous vote is the
[2:33:41] "yes" vote.
[2:33:43] And today, I believe that the
[2:33:45] courageous vote is the "yes"
[2:33:46] vote but I also think it's the
[2:33:47] right vote.
[2:33:50] Because I think it's the vote
[2:33:52] that believes in the future of
[2:33:53] this community, in the future of
[2:33:56] this region, in the future of
[2:33:58] this county, and in all of our
[2:33:58] collective future.
[2:34:01] So that's where I am on the
[2:34:02] issue.
[2:34:03] Thank you.
[2:34:04] >> christine miller: thank you,
[2:34:04] sir.
[2:34:10] Next in the queue is
[2:34:12] commissioner cameron cepeda,
[2:34:13] you're recognized.
[2:34:15] There it is.
[2:34:16] >> donna cameron cepeda: thank
[2:34:16] you.
[2:34:18] So I'm a county-wide
[2:34:20] commissioner and I've been all
[2:34:21] over this county.
[2:34:23] We are one of the largest
[2:34:24] counties in the nation.
[2:34:26] We're actually about the size of
[2:34:29] 11 states I believe, and the
[2:34:30] super majority of the people
[2:34:33] that I have talked to have said,
[2:34:35] yes, they love baseball, but
[2:34:37] they just do not want to pay for
[2:34:40] a stadium, and that is really
[2:34:42] what I have heard all over this
[2:34:45] county, and again, I said super
[2:34:46] majority.
[2:34:48] There are a few but super
[2:34:50] majority actually do not want to
[2:34:53] pay for this stadium.
[2:34:56] And also, there was mention of
[2:34:59] the cit tax renewal in 2024.
[2:35:02] There was no mention of the
[2:35:02] community stadium.
[2:35:05] So I believe when the taxpayers
[2:35:09] went, when they voted for that,
[2:35:11] because there was no mention of
[2:35:13] it, it wasn't there.
[2:35:14] I don't believe they really
[2:35:17] believed they were going to be
[2:35:21] using those funds to build a
[2:35:21] stadium.
[2:35:25] And also, so that cit money,
[2:35:26] there are so many projects that
[2:35:29] we need done right now that
[2:35:32] there's a long list of that I
[2:35:33] know from my office and being
[2:35:36] all over this county that we're
[2:35:38] working very hard to get those
[2:35:41] roads fixed, get our
[2:35:42] infrastructure, roads paved, not
[2:35:44] only just potholes but getting
[2:35:47] roads paved and so many other
[2:35:48] things in our infrastructure.
[2:35:52] And to use this cit money for
[2:35:55] this I believe is wrong.
[2:35:56] I don't believe the taxpayers
[2:35:58] meant when they voted for it to
[2:36:00] be used for this, and alo this
[2:36:03] would mean that many of these
[2:36:05] hard-working families would have
[2:36:07] to, they're going through so
[2:36:09] many things right now so for
[2:36:12] example, their streets are
[2:36:14] flooding, and to use this money
[2:36:18] for a stadium would mean these
[2:36:21] projects would be moved down the
[2:36:24] list and then to have to tell
[2:36:25] the families waiting and asking
[2:36:26] where are they on the list to
[2:36:28] get these roads fixed, the
[2:36:34] project trains to stop the are
[2:36:44] flooding anding will reserves,
[2:36:48] $10. 3 million, is extremely
[2:36:50] irresponsible and the fact we're
[2:36:52] using disaster recovery money,
[2:36:53] we know that we live in a
[2:36:55] hurricane zone and we're talking
[2:37:01] about using our reserves to
[2:37:04] build a stadium an entertainment
[2:37:08] business is just unbelievable,
[2:37:09] that this, we're even discussing
[2:37:11] this to use our reserves for
[2:37:11] this.
[2:37:13] When we know we live in a
[2:37:15] hurricane zone and GOD forbid,
[2:37:16] we had more than one emergency
[2:37:20] come up at one time, and we know
[2:37:23] what it took before, you know,
[2:37:26] to take care of the disaster
[2:37:27] that happened here before during
[2:37:30] the hurricane, and so you know,
[2:37:32] there's such a long list of
[2:37:35] things I could keep going on
[2:37:37] about, also for example,
[2:37:39] borrowing money to build, also
[2:37:40] is a irresponsible.
[2:37:44] I know we're talking about the
[2:37:46] bond rating a lot and making
[2:37:48] sure we keep a good rating for
[2:37:48] that.
[2:37:50] So there's just so many
[2:37:50] different things.
[2:37:53] You know, I could keep going on
[2:37:55] about, but this money is not
[2:37:57] just about taking from a
[2:38:00] department or this department or
[2:38:01] a budget and just numbers.
[2:38:03] This is about the people of
[2:38:04] hillsborough county and their
[2:38:05] money.
[2:38:10] It's their hard-earned taxpayer
[2:38:12] dollars that is being used here.
[2:38:15] And so I believe this would be
[2:38:17] very irresponsible to vote yes
[2:38:21] on this, to approve this project
[2:38:23] and again, everybody, most
[2:38:26] people love baseball, but they
[2:38:29] just do not want to spend their
[2:38:31] hard-earned taxpayer dollars on
[2:38:35] building a stadium.
[2:38:36] Thank you.
[2:38:36] >> christine miller:
[2:38:38] commissioner myers, you're
[2:38:40] recognized.
[2:38:41] >> gwen myers: thank you, MADAM
[2:38:41] Chair.
[2:38:44] Today is about closing the deal.
[2:38:46] In baseball, the seventh inning,
[2:38:49] the manager brings in the
[2:38:50] closer.
[2:38:54] And our closer is bonnie wise
[2:38:56] and julia mandel, but in
[2:38:58] baseball, it's only one, that's
[2:38:59] to save the game.
[2:39:05] And you all have saved this
[2:39:06] county by allowing yourselves
[2:39:08] and to give up your time to
[2:39:09] negotiate, seriously to
[2:39:13] negotiate, to bring us a deal.
[2:39:16] And to you, MR. Chair, I'll talk
[2:39:19] to you end up saying from the
[2:39:21] late great sam cook, a change is
[2:39:22] going to come.
[2:39:23] So you worry about what you were
[2:39:24] going to say, but that would
[2:39:26] have been the most appropriate
[2:39:27] to say.
[2:39:31] You still can say that at the
[2:39:31] end.
[2:39:36] but I want us to be clear, that
[2:39:39] our county administrator and our
[2:39:40] county attorney, they gather
[2:39:42] themselves around a team, and
[2:39:44] they sent everyone out to the
[2:39:46] bases, and into the infield to
[2:39:49] make this deal work for us.
[2:39:51] I'm honored and pleased, and
[2:39:53] bonnie, I've told you and julia
[2:39:56] both, I thank you all for what
[2:39:57] you all have done, the
[2:39:59] sacrifices you all have made to
[2:40:02] get us to this point.
[2:40:05] We compromised.
[2:40:07] Ken I know you walked back in
[2:40:08] the room, you didn't get
[2:40:09] everything you wanted, and you
[2:40:12] can smile, but you got to move
[2:40:14] forward when we vote today.
[2:40:18] You can take a seat now.
[2:40:19] [Laughter]
[2:40:23] Okay, but this is what
[2:40:24] collaboration is all about.
[2:40:29] I'm born, raised in west tampa,
[2:40:32] ride through drew park.
[2:40:35] I remember when 8cc was first
[2:40:36] built on the campus.
[2:40:39] DR. Atwater, stand, come to the
[2:40:40] mic.
[2:40:41] You've been giving your three
[2:40:43] closing statements all over the
[2:40:44] news and the city, city hall
[2:40:44] yesterday.
[2:40:47] I want you to share with our
[2:40:51] constituents what you shared
[2:40:52] with them yesterday the three
[2:40:53] main points much why you're on
[2:40:53] board with this.
[2:40:56] >> first of all, ken atwater,
[2:40:57] PRESIDENT Of hillsborough
[2:40:57] college.
[2:40:58] I've said this before.
[2:41:00] It is a generational opportunity
[2:41:01] for the college.
[2:41:03] I talked about three buckets
[2:41:06] that really are important to us.
[2:41:08] First and foremost, facility
[2:41:10] improvement is off the chart.
[2:41:12] I don't know how to describe it.
[2:41:13] Even while I was talking
[2:41:16] yesterday, we got a report from
[2:41:24] our PRESIDENT At del maybry our
[2:41:25] elevator wasn't working again.
[2:41:28] We just spent $400,000 to fix
[2:41:28] it.
[2:41:30] The next thing we focused on was
[2:41:32] workforce development, the
[2:41:34] opportunity for enhancement of
[2:41:35] improving our workforce
[2:41:36] development effort is going to
[2:41:38] be tremendous with this
[2:41:40] partnership, and the last bucket
[2:41:40] is partnership.
[2:41:42] We focus on community.
[2:41:44] We had community in our name so
[2:41:47] long, and we just recently
[2:41:47] changed.
[2:41:49] The rays have really, really
[2:41:52] shown to us that they are
[2:41:53] investing in this community.
[2:41:56] And I said that we are a
[2:41:57] community focused and being
[2:41:59] community focused with a
[2:42:00] community investment, what
[2:42:01] greater partnership could you
[2:42:01] ask for?
[2:42:06] Those are the three buckets I
[2:42:06] talked about.
[2:42:06] Thank you.
[2:42:07] >> gwen myers: thank you.
[2:42:08] I'll ask my friend bob, will you
[2:42:10] come back to the mic?
[2:42:12] You got to speed up, bob.
[2:42:17] You're walking slow.
[2:42:19] I don't want the chair to be
[2:42:19] looking at me.
[2:42:22] Come on, bob.
[2:42:23] Speed up.
[2:42:27] Could you repeat to us again of
[2:42:28] your concerns regarding visit
[2:42:29] tampa bay?
[2:42:29] Thank you.
[2:42:32] >> bob morrison, representing
[2:42:34] hillsborough county hotel and
[2:42:35] lodging association.
[2:42:37] Our concern is that visit tampa
[2:42:40] bay is the engine that drives
[2:42:43] the revenue, that allows us to
[2:42:46] be able to have a tourist
[2:42:48] development tax fund.
[2:42:50] our belief is that, working with
[2:42:52] staff and with the rays, we
[2:42:54] believe we're going to be able
[2:42:56] to ensure that visit tampa bay
[2:42:59] is positioned to be able to do
[2:43:01] the job it needs to be able to
[2:43:03] deliver the resources and the
[2:43:07] dollars that needed to tell the
[2:43:08] story of this destination.
[2:43:09] >> gwen myers: thank you so
[2:43:09] much.
[2:43:11] Did we all get that, bonnie,
[2:43:11] julia?
[2:43:13] Did you get that, bonnie?
[2:43:13] We have it.
[2:43:16] And the reason I wanted bob to
[2:43:18] come back up is because visit
[2:43:21] tampa bay does so much here in
[2:43:22] marketing, in bringing so much
[2:43:25] here to our county, in our
[2:43:27] tourist development tax that
[2:43:29] every time we have something, I
[2:43:33] mean the last two years it's
[2:43:35] been overflowing with so many
[2:43:37] visitors here and great part of
[2:43:37] what visit tampa bay does.
[2:43:39] I want to make sure as a
[2:43:41] commissioner that we take care
[2:43:42] of them to make sure there are
[2:43:44] no layoffs, et cetera, with
[2:43:45] visit tampa bay.
[2:43:46] Did you get that?
[2:43:48] I saw you nodding yur head.
[2:43:50] You got it and I know ken heard
[2:43:50] it.
[2:43:53] But when we think of the
[2:43:56] economic impact that the rays
[2:43:58] will bring here, we won't see it
[2:43:58] tomorrow.
[2:44:01] We won't see it in the next five
[2:44:04] years, but ten and beyond, we
[2:44:06] will be so ever grateful of
[2:44:09] having the rays' baseball team
[2:44:11] here in tampa.
[2:44:14] And just yesterday, my mother
[2:44:17] turned 101 years old.
[2:44:18] Thank you all.
[2:44:21] But the point I was telling her,
[2:44:24] "mom, I have a 9:00 -- " she
[2:44:26] said, "are you off tomorrow?"
[2:44:28] i said no, the chair called a
[2:44:29] special meeting friday.
[2:44:32] I'm going to talk about the
[2:44:32] rays.
[2:44:33] We have to talk about the rays.
[2:44:35] And she said to me, "you know I
[2:44:36] watch them every time they come
[2:44:40] on, so I hope you all be talking
[2:44:42] about me still watching them."
[2:44:43] I don't know wht that meant to
[2:44:46] her, but I got what she was
[2:44:46] saying.
[2:44:49] And so with that being said,
[2:44:54] this is the opportunity for this
[2:44:56] community, this community when
[2:44:58] we think of the community
[2:45:01] benefits that the rays would
[2:45:03] bring, and I talked to ken
[2:45:06] babby, and we went out to the
[2:45:08] community and held two community
[2:45:10] meetings, and we made some
[2:45:11] promises, and some promises we
[2:45:14] were not able to keep, when it
[2:45:16] comes to affordable housing, but
[2:45:18] he shared with me, commissioner,
[2:45:20] we're going to build affordable
[2:45:22] housing throughout the city and
[2:45:23] the county.
[2:45:27] And we look at 60% to 80% of the
[2:45:28] ami, area median income.
[2:45:33] That is going to help so many
[2:45:35] people who wants the same
[2:45:40] opportunities that I have today,
[2:45:42] is to own american dream, the
[2:45:44] largest asset you can own, to
[2:45:45] become a homeowner.
[2:45:47] Then we talked about all these
[2:45:47] jobs.
[2:45:49] And as I tell the people in
[2:45:50] district three, you're always
[2:45:52] talking about jobs and
[2:45:53] affordable housing.
[2:45:56] This is the opportunity to make
[2:45:57] it happen is with the rays.
[2:46:03] We're not going to get another
[2:46:04] opportunity of what the rays are
[2:46:06] offering us, but today it's a
[2:46:07] "yes" opportunity.
[2:46:12] And I'm thankful that the rays
[2:46:14] stopped here and decided to come
[2:46:18] across the bay, here in tampa.
[2:46:20] Even to consider coming across
[2:46:21] the bay.
[2:46:24] So the city voted yesterday, and
[2:46:26] I know they all are tuning in to
[2:46:28] see how we're going to vote and
[2:46:30] I'm ready to vote and I end my
[2:46:31] comments.
[2:46:31] Thank you.
[2:46:32] >> christine miller: thank you
[2:46:32] for your comments.
[2:46:39] Next in the queue is
[2:46:40] commissioner wostal.
[2:46:41] >> joshua wostal: thank you, I
[2:46:42] had a question about a few of
[2:46:46] the financials I wanted you to
[2:46:46] confirm.
[2:46:48] If hct have, to pull up the
[2:46:49] image I provided them.
[2:46:54] The $360 million of cit funds
[2:46:57] can be used for general new
[2:47:00] infrastructure improvements,
[2:47:00] correct?
[2:47:01] >> yes.
[2:47:03] >> joshua wostal: attention to
[2:47:05] the screen, an image provided on
[2:47:06] the public record multiple times
[2:47:08] as early as AUGUST the 2nd, from
[2:47:13] a constituent in her 70s or 80s,
[2:47:15] I believe, that has had requests
[2:47:18] in for their community for 15
[2:47:20] years to repair their sidewalks
[2:47:22] from the county, and because of
[2:47:23] our dereliction of duty to
[2:47:23] -
[2:47:25] accomplish that, she has maimed
[2:47:27] her face on more than one time.
[2:47:29] This was the pinnacle of one of
[2:47:30] other neighbors that provided
[2:47:31] this to us.
[2:47:36] Could that $360 million there
[2:47:37] still delay until possibly next
[2:47:38] fiscal year to repair, could
[2:47:41] this money have gone to help fix
[2:47:43] this community's roads that also
[2:47:45] need to resurface, much less
[2:47:46] their sidewalks?
[2:47:49] >> commissioner, out of the
[2:47:50] project list that the board
[2:47:52] approved, about half of that
[2:47:54] project list was really to do
[2:47:55] transportation improvements
[2:47:57] which would include sidewalks,
[2:47:58] roads, bridges.
[2:47:59] >> joshua wostal: thank you very
[2:47:59] much.
[2:48:00] This is one of many harms.
[2:48:02] As you know, you sit on the
[2:48:03] board that decides the
[2:48:05] settlements for the trip and
[2:48:05] fall claims.
[2:48:07] I brought an item a couple of
[2:48:09] years ago, where staff made
[2:48:10] clear that just over a
[2:48:12] couple-year period, we had paid
[2:48:15] out a couple million dollars of
[2:48:17] property taxes for these same
[2:48:20] trip-and-fall claims to avoid
[2:48:21] lawsuits, and I'd like to make
[2:48:23] it very clear to the community,
[2:48:26] that's just one of many harms
[2:48:28] and maiming that we could have
[2:48:31] prevented with this money, due
[2:48:33] to the fact that we still have
[2:48:36] about a decade backlog, despite
[2:48:36] our record-breaking investment
[2:48:37] over the past four years.
[2:48:38] This is money that was dedicated
[2:48:41] and promised and marketed to the
[2:48:45] community in 2024 that we would
[2:48:46] prioritize their needs over
[2:48:48] other people's wants.
[2:48:54] And any "yes" vote on that going
[2:48:59] towards anything but that is a
[2:49:01] dereliction of duty.
[2:49:03] Vaguely it is said "county
[2:49:04] funds," that's our general funds
[2:49:08] and most of it is property
[2:49:08] taxes.
[2:49:09] Is that correct?
[2:49:11] >> most of those dollars would
[2:49:13] likely come from general funds.
[2:49:14] There are multiple sources we
[2:49:17] would take a look at to be able
[2:49:19] to come up wth most appropriate
[2:49:19] sources.
[2:49:22] Most of those would be funded by
[2:49:24] general funds, general funds
[2:49:26] about 80% of the revenue that
[2:49:29] goes into the general funds is
[2:49:29] property taxes.
[2:49:31] >> so about we'll say $88
[2:49:33] million of property taxes.
[2:49:37] This same body of government
[2:49:40] also put forward a presentation
[2:49:43] to us that amendment three if
[2:49:45] voted through would just be, oh
[2:49:46] my gosh, devastating to the
[2:49:47] county.
[2:49:48] Actually possibly from your own
[2:49:51] office, I might have put that
[2:49:51] together.
[2:49:54] So the same body of government
[2:49:55] saying amendment three if
[2:49:57] passes, oh my GOD, we won't be
[2:49:59] able to fund critical resources,
[2:50:01] but here we are randomly finding
[2:50:04] almost $100 million of those
[2:50:05] same property taxes to subsidize
[2:50:07] the rich and the powerful.
[2:50:10] And that to me is just another
[2:50:13] testament of why you must vote
[2:50:15] yes on amendment three in
[2:50:15] NOVEMBER.
[2:50:17] Now over and over, we have said
[2:50:19] that the total burden from the
[2:50:21] county is going to be $796
[2:50:23] million, but I would like to
[2:50:25] bring everyone's attention to
[2:50:29] exhibit "I" of the agreement.
[2:50:30] Exhibit "I" is the bond payments
[2:50:32] we have to pay back, most of the
[2:50:33] general public does not
[2:50:34] understand what that means.
[2:50:36] There's a table on the back of
[2:50:39] it, but that total of exhibit
[2:50:41] "I" over the 35 years of bonding
[2:50:43] to the tourist development tax,
[2:50:45] and I will be clear, all seven
[2:50:48] of us unanimously voted in
[2:50:49] JANUARY to support this deal,
[2:50:51] and I continue to support this
[2:50:53] deal on the user fees that the
[2:50:55] team promised they would be
[2:50:57] going after, and the alleged
[2:51:00] excess of cit that I warned them
[2:51:02] multiple times did not exist and
[2:51:04] now we are at that reality
[2:51:04] today.
[2:51:07] None of the $360 million of the
[2:51:09] "yes" vote in JANUARY that they
[2:51:12] claimed would be from alleged
[2:51:13] excess cit is excess cit.
[2:51:14] I'll get to that in a minute and
[2:51:19] how that impacts us.
[2:51:24] That total amount of exhibit "I"
[2:51:27] is $569 million.
[2:51:31] That $569 million is of interest
[2:51:32] that has not been clearly
[2:51:34] disclosed on the total amount.
[2:51:36] Is that correct, that the
[2:51:38] taxpayers are accountable for,
[2:51:40] $569 million over a 35-year
[2:51:40] period?
[2:51:45] >> that would be debt service,
[2:51:46] that would be principle and
[2:51:46] interest, yes.
[2:51:47] >> joshua wostal: okay, I'd like
[2:51:48] to make it clear to the media
[2:51:50] reporting the total burden of
[2:51:51] the hilsborough county
[2:51:54] taxpayers side of the deal is
[2:51:58] $796 million is grossly
[2:52:01] inaccurate.
[2:52:02] Exhibit "I" if you'd like to
[2:52:03] reference that.
[2:52:08] Of the $360 million, when we put
[2:52:10] the 2024 cit forward, I
[2:52:12] championed that alongside
[2:52:12] commissioner owen.
[2:52:14] It might have been commissioner
[2:52:16] myers and hagan that voted no on
[2:52:16] that, I can't recall, but I
[2:52:18] believe that's right on the
[2:52:21] final vote, we bucketed $596
[2:52:27] million for public facilities.
[2:52:27] Correct?
[2:52:30] >> that's correct, I believe,
[2:52:33] commissioner, $597.
[2:52:38] >> 597, I was off by $1 million,
[2:52:38] I apologize.
[2:52:41] We clearly put in there and
[2:52:42] marketed to the community the
[2:52:44] list of projects that would be
[2:52:46] eligible for that bucket of
[2:52:50] money and more importantly,
[2:52:52] about the 2024 cit renewal that
[2:52:53] another cause that commissioner
[2:52:55] owen and I put in there, we
[2:52:57] continue to claim we have a
[2:52:59] 20-year backlog on public safety
[2:53:00] improvements, including the
[2:53:00] sidewalk that unfortunately
[2:53:02] injured the member of farmington
[2:53:07] hoa that we saw on the screen
[2:53:08] earlier and unnecessarily maimed
[2:53:08] her.
[2:53:11] There is a list of projects and
[2:53:11] a list of money.
[2:53:14] We accounted for all 15 years of
[2:53:18] money that's available.
[2:53:21] That total amount is $ 00
[2:53:22] million but out of that bucket
[2:53:24] of money we'll award $360
[2:53:28] million for an unaccounted for
[2:53:28] expenditure
[2:53:33] expenditure, over 50% in a
[2:53:34] four-year period accounting for
[2:53:35] a 15-year total take.
[2:53:39] Which means a couple of things.
[2:53:42] One is that we're having to
[2:53:44] steal from the future or steal
[2:53:45] from the other buckets of money
[2:53:49] over the first four years to
[2:53:50] make this money available.
[2:53:53] And it also means that since
[2:53:56] this $360 million to the rays,
[2:54:02] which again I voted "yes" on in
[2:54:03] JANUARY and proposed giving them
[2:54:05] the development tax which is
[2:54:08] $737 million, confirmed by you
[2:54:12] at a previous meeting, on a 3%
[2:54:17] compound and growth, isn't it
[2:54:18] not true that one or more of
[2:54:21] these items must be impacted,
[2:54:22] delayed or potentially canceled
[2:54:25] outright, snce we only budgeted
[2:54:26] 597 but we're already expending
[2:54:30] 360 on an unknown source?
[2:54:32] >> commissioner, if we were to
[2:54:35] look at the cit as a whole, the
[2:54:36] entire -- there were certain
[2:54:37] buckets that were set up, the
[2:54:38] board could, through a public
[2:54:40] hearing process, go back and
[2:54:41] move things around and realign
[2:54:47] things, but out of the total,
[2:54:48] there was I guess $100 million
[2:54:49] that we know that's in the deal
[2:54:53] right now the lithia pinecrest.
[2:54:56] that would offset the 360.
[2:54:58] We have $60 million in
[2:54:59] contingency that was built in as
[2:55:00] one of the items.
[2:55:03] So that would take us down from
[2:55:05] say 260 down to $200 million.
[2:55:06] >> joshua wostal: okay.
[2:55:09] >> from that point, I guess
[2:55:11] there probably are a number of
[2:55:12] different things and different
[2:55:15] ways that that could be made up.
[2:55:16] I went over some of those today,
[2:55:18] there would be revenues
[2:55:20] generated by the new ball park
[2:55:20] district.
[2:55:22] There would be eventually
[2:55:23] property taxes that would come
[2:55:25] out of that, that would come
[2:55:26] back to us.
[2:55:27] There would be sales tax that
[2:55:28] would be generated.
[2:55:30] We could look for alternate
[2:55:31] funding sources for some of the
[2:55:33] projects that are currently in
[2:55:36] the approved cit that might be
[2:55:37] impact fees, that could be
[2:55:39] grants and things of that
[2:55:40] nature.
[2:55:41] So I would say it's kind of
[2:55:42] fluid.
[2:55:43] We haven't really gotten into
[2:55:45] the new cit yet, but we would
[2:55:47] look at other ways to make up
[2:55:48] for the amount that would be
[2:55:50] committed to the rays.
[2:55:51] >> joshua wostal: so out of
[2:55:52] those projects, just so
[2:55:54] everybody understands what's
[2:55:55] listed in there as community
[2:55:57] facilities is the raymond james
[2:55:59] stadium, capital maintenance and
[2:56:03] repair, the amelie arena,
[2:56:07] capital mate nance and repair,
[2:56:10] now benchmark international, and
[2:56:12] the other structure added and
[2:56:14] pet resources shelter in dire
[2:56:15] need of expansion.
[2:56:17] Those are the line items that
[2:56:19] are likely going to be impacted
[2:56:20] in one way or another.
[2:56:24] now, you mentioned that we could
[2:56:25] potentially generate prperty
[2:56:26] tax growth, but you have a chart
[2:56:28] up there where the county is
[2:56:32] only going to generate $87
[2:56:34] million total over the 35-year
[2:56:34] period.
[2:56:34] Is that correct?
[2:56:36] >> right, that was something
[2:56:38] that was a tougher part of the
[2:56:40] negotiation with the team.
[2:56:42] Ultimately, what we resolved
[2:56:44] last week was the team was
[2:56:45] willing to increase the rent
[2:56:47] that they were going to be
[2:56:48] paying us over the 35-year
[2:56:49] period, which we thought was a
[2:56:52] good compromise, because the
[2:56:54] additional rent that they came
[2:56:56] up with offset the amount that
[2:56:59] we were trying to get out of the
[2:57:00] property tax deal.
[2:57:02] So with the additional rent and
[2:57:05] the cpi, we were able to make up
[2:57:06] that difference.
[2:57:09] >> joshua wostal: but we're
[2:57:10] giving them $103 million
[2:57:13] million, 88 we'll call it of
[2:57:14] property taxes today, and we're
[2:57:18] only going to get over a 35-year
[2:57:22] period 87 total back.
[2:57:23] If you just looked at those
[2:57:25] numbers and started calculating
[2:57:28] net present value, the taxpayers
[2:57:31] are at a significant delta.
[2:57:36] I mean, the total of 463
[2:57:38] million, the 103 of local
[2:57:40] general funds and property taxes
[2:57:44] plus the 360 cit, if you
[2:57:45] calculated that out today with
[2:57:49] let's call a very low 4% future
[2:57:51] value of growth year over year
[2:57:53] for 35 years, that money is
[2:57:58] worth $1.83 billion, and that's
[2:58:02] a very low conservative
[2:58:02] calculation.
[2:58:05] None of these financial metrics
[2:58:08] make up for these massive losses
[2:58:10] and disparities between the two
[2:58:12] numbers of how much the value of
[2:58:13] the money is today.
[2:58:14] Yes, it sounds nice to say we're
[2:58:17] going to get a couple hundred
[2:58:21] million dollars back in lease,
[2:58:22] but none of it accounts for how
[2:58:26] much money that is worth 35
[2:58:27] years from now.
[2:58:29] Now, I want to move on to, it
[2:58:31] was said that fire -- this is
[2:58:32] going to generate fire rescue
[2:58:35] needs, but this is going to be
[2:58:39] county-wide property tax
[2:58:42] generation, a very de minimus
[2:58:43] $87 million over 35 years.
[2:58:46] The county-wide property taxes
[2:58:49] can't be used to fund
[2:58:50] hillsborough county fire rescue.
[2:58:51] >> that's correct.
[2:58:53] They can fund emergency
[2:58:54] management but typically it's
[2:58:56] the unincorporated area of
[2:58:57] revenue that goes toward fire
[2:58:58] rescue operations.
[2:59:00] >> joshua wostal: I wanted to
[2:59:01] make that clear.
[2:59:03] It was also said that we
[2:59:05] guaranteed protections for fire
[2:59:05] rescue.
[2:59:10] How can you guarantee that, from
[2:59:11] a future board?
[2:59:13] They could change the cit list
[2:59:14] at any time.
[2:59:16] So what was the hardened
[2:59:16] protection?
[2:59:20] I didn't see that in there.
[2:59:21] >> I don't know that we had any
[2:59:22] specific --
[2:59:23] >> joshua wostal: no specific,
[2:59:24] okay, because it was said and
[2:59:27] that's a big one, and fire
[2:59:29] rescue, unfortunately, they're
[2:59:34] an emotional heartstring like
[2:59:35] teachers, their name leaks
[2:59:35] ikes to
[2:59:36] get used.
[2:59:38] When is the public hearing, it's
[2:59:39] in the documents, MISS Machine
[2:59:40] dale, thank you so much, a legal
[2:59:41] requirement.
[2:59:42] How much time are we going to
[2:59:43] give and notice the general
[2:59:46] public instead of a secret
[2:59:48] fly-by-night special meeting,
[2:59:49] I've not had a special meeting
[2:59:51] in four years since I've been
[2:59:53] here, so when is -- even when we
[2:59:54] had hurricanes we didn't have
[2:59:55] special meetings.
[2:59:58] When is, how much time are we
[3:00:00] going to have to advertise to
[3:00:00] the legally-required public
[3:00:04] hearing to amend the inner local
[3:00:04] agreement?
[3:00:06] >> let me make sure I understand
[3:00:07] your question.
[3:00:10] Amending an interlocal
[3:00:11] agreement, you mean in terms of
[3:00:12] holding the cit public hearing?
[3:00:15] That will have to be noticed, my
[3:00:16] understanding and sam can
[3:00:18] correct me if I'm wrong, that
[3:00:19] that public hearing will have to
[3:00:21] be noticed in the newspaper.
[3:00:24] That's the legal obligation, and
[3:00:26] so that period of time that it
[3:00:29] takes to get it noticed.
[3:00:31] I don't think there was a
[3:00:32] specific period of time that is
[3:00:33] required for when that notice
[3:00:36] goes in, but we will have to put
[3:00:38] it in the newspaper prior to
[3:00:39] what that schedule is.
[3:00:41] You will need to set that public
[3:00:42] hearing, so we will have a
[3:00:44] request from you to set the
[3:00:44] public hearing.
[3:00:46] Then we'll go ahead and get that
[3:00:47] scheduled in the newspaper.
[3:00:49] So that would be the timeframe
[3:00:52] of how that would go, and again,
[3:00:53] if sam thinks I'm incorrect in
[3:00:58] what I just said, I'd love him
[3:00:58] to say so.
[3:00:59] >> joshua wostal: sam, are you
[3:01:04] good?
[3:01:07] >> sam hamilton, county
[3:01:08] attorney's office, yes.
[3:01:10] There is a local ordinance
[3:01:10] requirement for a public hearing
[3:01:12] to amend the cit projects list.
[3:01:13] it's not the interlocal.
[3:01:14] It's the projects list.
[3:01:15] >> joshua wostal: yes, the
[3:01:16] project list.
[3:01:16] >> right.
[3:01:17] >> joshua wostal: will how much
[3:01:20] time of notice is what I'm
[3:01:20] asking.
[3:01:22] Is there a requirement or do we
[3:01:22] typically get --
[3:01:24] >> no, it's typically five to
[3:01:26] seven days, the ad's in the
[3:01:27] paper and the hearing is five to
[3:01:28] seven days after.
[3:01:29] It's not a state law
[3:01:30] requirement.
[3:01:31] It's the local cit ordinance.
[3:01:32] >> joshua wostal: commissioner
[3:01:35] cohen, you had promised that you
[3:01:36] wanted several public hearings
[3:01:37] at the last conversation, and I
[3:01:39] think that we should have ample
[3:01:41] time of promoting that to the
[3:01:43] community and it should be one
[3:01:45] at 6:00 P.M., not at 9:00 A.M.,
[3:01:47] when people struggle to get out
[3:01:48] of work.
[3:01:50] At a minimum, I'm perfectly
[3:01:52] fine, I'm fine with us giving
[3:01:55] the rays -- what's the life of
[3:01:57] the stadium, 50 years probably
[3:02:00] is a fair -- okay.
[3:02:02] I'm fine giving them the entire
[3:02:04] 50 years, which would probably
[3:02:06] get them north of $1 billion.
[3:02:10] I didn't scale it down past
[3:02:12] 2061, to make it more amenable
[3:02:12] to them.
[3:02:15] If they need our local tax
[3:02:16] dollars, at some point, somebody
[3:02:18] should introduce some type of
[3:02:21] royalty recruitment, because in
[3:02:23] the documents, the rays are
[3:02:27] still demanding 100% revenue of
[3:02:31] all ticket sales for games and
[3:02:33] concerts, right?
[3:02:33] >> the proposal they sent to
[3:02:35] this, and this is not on the
[3:02:36] agreement in front of you, on
[3:02:37] the use agreement was to keep
[3:02:39] 100% of those revenues.
[3:02:41] >> joshua wostal: 100% revenues
[3:02:43] of concessions, of parking.
[3:02:45] Why in the world would you guys
[3:02:49] sacrifice the naming rights of
[3:02:49] our building?
[3:02:52] All of these things should be
[3:02:55] made very clear and in some way,
[3:02:58] some royalty program from
[3:03:01] concessions, parking, you could
[3:03:02] get huge royalties from, one of
[3:03:05] the most lucrative are all ways
[3:03:07] you should introduce a
[3:03:10] recoupment of the $360 million
[3:03:13] so at a minimum te tacks pairs
[3:03:14] don't feel absolutely betrayed,
[3:03:15] because commissioner hagan,
[3:03:18] while I do agree with many of
[3:03:19] your points and I do believe the
[3:03:20] rays should choose to come here
[3:03:23] if they don't want to stay in
[3:03:26] st. Petersburg, and they should
[3:03:29] choose to do it in the mapper in
[3:03:30] which they originally proched us
[3:03:33] in a user fee agreement and
[3:03:35] avoiding our local taxes, which
[3:03:37] we talked about several times,
[3:03:41] MR. Babby, and I warned you guys
[3:03:43] there was no such thing as an
[3:03:43] excess.
[3:03:44] I told you to stop tiding it, it
[3:03:46] was not a reality, you should
[3:03:49] introduce a royalty fee program
[3:03:52] to recoup this money in a short
[3:03:53] amount of time.
[3:03:56] What have we decided is the
[3:03:56] predictable break-even from this
[3:03:58] project from the taxpayers that
[3:03:58] we talked about yesterday in our
[3:04:02] briefing?
[3:04:04] 20 years.
[3:04:05] >> oh, as far as the timeframe,
[3:04:05] commissioner?
[3:04:07] >> joshua wostal: yes, I know.
[3:04:08] >> I had not calculated that.
[3:04:11] I wouldn't try to calculate that
[3:04:15] because it would be very
[3:04:16] speculative.
[3:04:16] >> joshua wostal: very
[3:04:18] speculative like the ae com
[3:04:19] report we said because they were
[3:04:22] unable to "obtain many of the
[3:04:23] necessary documents" such as
[3:04:25] detailed site plans for them to
[3:04:27] make accurate decisions so that
[3:04:29] everything in their document was
[3:04:34] also "purely speculative."
[3:04:35] this agreement, of course the
[3:04:37] city of tampa voted yes, because
[3:04:40] almost all of the burden is
[3:04:44] shifted onto the unincorporated
[3:04:44] taxpayers of hillsborough
[3:04:45] county.
[3:04:48] When we apportion the revenue
[3:04:50] structure for how we get our
[3:04:54] percentage of cit, we base that
[3:04:55] off of population.
[3:04:58] That is how we get our money
[3:04:58] from the cit.
[3:05:02] And the unincorporated
[3:05:02] hillsborough represents the
[3:05:06] super majority 70% of the
[3:05:07] population, and they see to get
[3:05:09] a lowest amount of benefit from
[3:05:09] this.
[3:05:14] The rays are right now averaging
[3:05:17] about 17,100 members per home
[3:05:17] game.
[3:05:18] I'm happen.
[3:05:20] Y to be corrected on
[3:05:22] that number but that's all the
[3:05:24] reported data I could find.
[3:05:27] That is 1% of hillsborough
[3:05:31] county's population and a far
[3:05:32] cry from how many hillsborough
[3:05:33] county residents are the people
[3:05:34] attending the games.
[3:05:38] Even ae com's less speculative
[3:05:39] part of their study said that,
[3:05:40] even after the rays get a bump
[3:05:44] of a new stadium and a
[3:05:45] semirelocation, they will still,
[3:05:47] unfortunately, I'm not happy
[3:05:48] about this, this was their
[3:05:51] report, be in the bottom third
[3:05:54] of the mlb, averaging 20,500,
[3:05:56] slightly over 1% of the entire
[3:05:57] county's population.
[3:06:02] And it still won't be 100% of
[3:06:03] hills blow
[3:06:04] hillsborough residents
[3:06:04] attending.
[3:06:06] This is an albatross, one-sided
[3:06:07] to the unincorporateded
[3:06:08] residents of hillsborough
[3:06:10] county, and when we get sued, I
[3:06:12] won't litigate it here, we will
[3:06:13] be sued.
[3:06:15] That is just a simple reality.
[3:06:17] It doesn't matter the legal
[3:06:20] advice that we received in 2018
[3:06:21] from the private citizen group
[3:06:22] is that they would be sued.
[3:06:25] They felt fine, they got sued
[3:06:28] and lost.
[3:06:30] 2022, the attorney's office felt
[3:06:31] good about the tax at the
[3:06:32] county's level, got sued and
[3:06:33] they lost.
[3:06:38] When the term "express
[3:06:39] [Language other than english]
[3:06:41] Gets introduced we'll have a
[3:06:44] very real conversation, yes,
[3:06:46] about the legal precedence that
[3:06:47] longstanding exist in the state
[3:06:48] of florida.
[3:06:51] This could be a good deal and
[3:06:53] the tif agreement, MR. Chair, is
[3:06:55] good for the county, but the
[3:06:57] remainder of the local taxes,
[3:06:59] you cannot protect fire rescue.
[3:06:59] That's a myth.
[3:07:01] It shouldn't have ever been
[3:07:01] said.
[3:07:04] It can't be made a reality, and
[3:07:06] the fact that we would use
[3:07:08] property taxes is just the
[3:07:09] greatest offense.
[3:07:11] Thank you very much for your
[3:07:12] time, for your consideration.
[3:07:14] I do wish the team luck.
[3:07:16] I actually happen to like very
[3:07:17] much the owners.
[3:07:19] I'm saddened that a little bit
[3:07:21] of dishonesty was introduced to
[3:07:23] me, the transparency for the
[3:07:25] financial agreements promise
[3:07:27] should have been kept, and much
[3:07:28] of this storm could have been
[3:07:30] avoided and we would probably
[3:07:33] not have so much public outcry.
[3:07:34] Thank you.
[3:07:34] >> christine miller: thank you
[3:07:35] for your comments.
[3:07:38] Not seeing anyone else in the
[3:07:40] queue, I can move on to my
[3:07:40] comments before calling the
[3:07:41] vote.
[3:07:42] Are we good?
[3:07:42] Okay.
[3:07:45] I first would like to say
[3:07:47] powerful opening remarks, chair
[3:07:47] hagan.
[3:07:50] I'm not -- not that I'm not
[3:07:52] surprised, it just was so well
[3:07:53] summarized and you go through
[3:07:55] your own remarks that you have
[3:07:57] prepared, you really just did a
[3:07:59] fantastic job of sort of
[3:08:01] bringing it all together.
[3:08:04] Harry, your excitement and
[3:08:06] energy and just vigor for this
[3:08:10] deal and what it means for the
[3:08:10] people you respect in your
[3:08:11] district is so heartwarming.
[3:08:14] I really appreciated it.
[3:08:15] It is an honor to serve
[3:08:16] alongside of you all.
[3:08:18] I think I'm only junior to
[3:08:20] chris, who came in a few months
[3:08:22] after me and really your
[3:08:25] experience of you all serving on
[3:08:27] this board shows and I
[3:08:28] appreciate it.
[3:08:32] I'd like to also thank MISS Wise
[3:08:34] and mandel who met with me
[3:08:36] countless times over the last
[3:08:36] several months.
[3:08:39] They're meeting with me and with
[3:08:40] all of our colleagues.
[3:08:43] It is -- they and their staff
[3:08:44] have gone so far above and
[3:08:46] beyond in this very important
[3:08:46] negotiation, often taking
[3:08:48] meetings from vacations, late in
[3:08:50] the evening, from their cars
[3:08:51] early in the morning.
[3:08:53] I think I've met with them at
[3:08:53] all times.
[3:08:56] I hear them making dinner while
[3:08:56] answering my questions.
[3:08:58] It's really been remarkable,
[3:09:01] their level of commitment.
[3:09:03] I also want everyone that's on
[3:09:05] their teams to know that they
[3:09:05] always gave credit.
[3:09:07] Because it isn't about the two
[3:09:09] of them that you see sitting
[3:09:09] here.
[3:09:11] Every time I met with them, they
[3:09:12] would give credit to who was
[3:09:14] working on a particular item on
[3:09:15] their team, and made sure that
[3:09:18] we understood how diligently
[3:09:18] they were working as well behind
[3:09:19] the scenes.
[3:09:21] The dedication you showed to
[3:09:22] this board and the people of
[3:09:23] hillsborough county has not gone
[3:09:26] unnoticed and I want to
[3:09:27] personally say thank you.
[3:09:31] I'd also like today to thank ken
[3:09:34] baby and his entire rays
[3:09:36] contract working on this deal
[3:09:38] also heard they duked it out
[3:09:40] behind closed doors and managed
[3:09:41] to stay and they were committed
[3:09:44] to working through these tough
[3:09:45] conversations and also took
[3:09:46] calls at all hours.
[3:09:48] I'm grateful to be here today,
[3:09:51] finally in this moment.
[3:09:53] As was mentioned earlier, in
[3:09:55] JANUARY, this board approved a
[3:09:56] renovation of benchmark arena
[3:09:58] and I said at that time that the
[3:10:00] contract set the bar for what we
[3:10:02] should expect from any future
[3:10:03] partner.
[3:10:05] I meant it and I've held this
[3:10:07] deal against that standard, a
[3:10:08] standard that all seven of us
[3:10:12] agreed to and voted to support.
[3:10:13] That deal provided that private
[3:10:17] contribution of just 25%.
[3:10:18] Previous boards required
[3:10:20] nothing, not a red cent from a
[3:10:22] private entity and as a result,
[3:10:23] we still became tampa bay.
[3:10:26] The rays are offering to fund
[3:10:29] 66% of a new public facility, a
[3:10:33] stadium that the county will
[3:10:35] own, and because a 25%
[3:10:36] contribution was enough for the
[3:10:38] lightning, 62% has to be more
[3:10:40] than enough for the rays.
[3:10:44] The team is putting in more than
[3:10:46] $1.3 million, close to
[3:10:47] two-thirds of the cost and
[3:10:50] covering every dollar of
[3:10:50] overrun.
[3:10:53] The county shares capped at $796
[3:10:55] million, $100 million less than
[3:10:57] what was on the table in MAY.
[3:10:58] Hillsborough county will own the
[3:11:00] ball park, collect the rent and
[3:11:03] hold the 35-year agreement that
[3:11:04] keeps the team here.
[3:11:06] I come from plant city, where
[3:11:07] you don't buy the first
[3:11:09] strawberry in the row, and
[3:11:11] district four did not buy the
[3:11:13] first stadium deal either.
[3:11:15] We held out and now tallahassee
[3:11:18] is subsidizing a long-awaited
[3:11:19] road project.
[3:11:20] The deal that was handed in MAY
[3:11:23] is not the deal in front of me
[3:11:23] today.
[3:11:26] It's better in every way.
[3:11:28] The only named project in this
[3:11:31] agreement is livia pinecrest.
[3:11:33] If tallahassee doesn't deliver
[3:11:35] the $900 million fought hard
[3:11:38] for, the county pulls that same
[3:11:39] amount out of the ball park.
[3:11:40] That protection exists because
[3:11:41] we negotiated it.
[3:11:44] That protection is for the
[3:11:45] county taxpayers.
[3:11:46] Before a single public dollar
[3:11:48] moves, the rays have to prove
[3:11:50] their financing is in place.
[3:11:52] If they don't, the money stays
[3:11:53] where it is.
[3:11:55] PRESIDENT Reagan gave us three
[3:11:57] words for exactly this moment,
[3:11:59] and they've held up for 40
[3:12:02] years, "trust but verify."
[3:12:04] I'll be voting yes today because
[3:12:07] i trust the terms are right and
[3:12:09] because 115 acres that currently
[3:12:11] pays us nothing will finally
[3:12:12] start paying fort things we need
[3:12:13] and enjoy across this entire
[3:12:18] county.
[3:12:20] I see commissioner boles has
[3:12:22] gotten in the queue.
[3:12:27] I will wait to call the vote at
[3:12:27] this time.
[3:12:29] >> chris boles: sorry, I was
[3:12:30] writing and thought I pushed the
[3:12:32] button and apparently it didn't
[3:12:32] hold.
[3:12:34] I appreciate all of my fellow
[3:12:34] commissioners' comments.
[3:12:39] I think there's been a number of
[3:12:40] great points made by everyone
[3:12:43] here, and I think tht, you
[3:12:45] know, over the last several
[3:12:50] months, I've been very
[3:12:51] consistent about how I was with
[3:12:53] my position that I wanted to
[3:12:55] look at this and keep an open
[3:12:57] mind about it, and we've to that
[3:12:58] point I think I've done that.
[3:13:00] I do have a couple -- excuse me,
[3:13:06] I do have a couple questions for
[3:13:14] these two nice ladies beside me.
[3:13:16] First, in laura lawson, I don't
[3:13:18] know if she's still here or not.
[3:13:19] She walked out.
[3:13:24] She brought up, MISS Mandel,
[3:13:26] that the tax collector's office
[3:13:27] is going to be demolished and
[3:13:30] destroyed.L,
[3:13:30] that the tax collector's office
[3:13:31] is going to be demolished and
[3:13:31] destroyed.
[3:13:34] Because we rebuilt it ten years
[3:13:34] ago.
[3:13:34] I believe if we recall last
[3:13:36] night, you made a statement to
[3:13:36] that.
[3:13:37] Could we make that statement
[3:13:38] again, to know there's a
[3:13:40] protection there for that of
[3:13:40] sorts?
[3:13:41] >> yes.
[3:13:43] Right now, the tax collector's
[3:13:45] office is under a very long-term
[3:13:45] shes.
[3:13:49] I think the end date is 2063, as
[3:13:54] the end date, and I know they
[3:13:55] have also working with the
[3:13:57] college as it relates to that
[3:13:58] lease, who took that over.
[3:14:00] Right now, I am under no
[3:14:02] understanding and I've had this,
[3:14:03] also this conversation with the
[3:14:04] attorney that's representing the
[3:14:06] tax collector through this
[3:14:09] process that there is any plans
[3:14:10] to demolish that building, that
[3:14:11] that lease will be honored by
[3:14:12] the college.
[3:14:14] Now, certainly, there MAY be
[3:14:15] conversations in the future
[3:14:17] about what could potentially
[3:14:19] happen, but that will be a
[3:14:20] robust discussion that will have
[3:14:23] to include the tax collectors,
[3:14:25] and her staff, so that they can
[3:14:26] feel comfortable with whatever
[3:14:27] decision is made.
[3:14:29] But I also understand that there
[3:14:32] is no plans to even start to
[3:14:34] develop, that's in a phase two
[3:14:35] or phase three those properties
[3:14:37] as of today.
[3:14:39] So that's where that is at this
[3:14:39] moment.
[3:14:41] But they do have that long-term
[3:14:44] lease that will grant them the
[3:14:46] protections moving forward.
[3:14:47] >> chris boles: thank you.
[3:14:49] And of course we can't, we don't
[3:14:51] know -- again, we've all talked
[3:14:53] about speculation, what happens
[3:14:53] in the future.
[3:14:55] We don't know, new governor, new
[3:14:57] legislature, anything could
[3:14:58] happen before that.
[3:14:59] To the same extent, there's
[3:15:00] this, there's been some articles
[3:15:04] in the papers and that have been
[3:15:05] circulating around about the
[3:15:08] department of juvenile justice
[3:15:08] facility as well.
[3:15:10] You claimed last night to have
[3:15:11] some knowledge on that as well?
[3:15:12] >> yes.
[3:15:13] >> chris boles: and as I
[3:15:15] understand, this is something
[3:15:16] that's been in the works, and in
[3:15:19] fact, it even extends over to
[3:15:21] the center that's off of
[3:15:22] columbus avenue as well, that
[3:15:24] even though we broke ground
[3:15:25] there, that they determined I
[3:15:27] think that there's some issues
[3:15:29] with that as well.
[3:15:30] >> yes.
[3:15:32] The site, there's been
[3:15:33] conversations that have been
[3:15:35] ongoing from what I've been told
[3:15:36] through our staff.
[3:15:40] John muller and the department
[3:15:41] of real estate, the
[3:15:45] conversations have been ongoing
[3:15:48] to relocate djj since at least
[3:15:49] 2023 and probably before then.
[3:15:51] There was a site from what I
[3:15:52] understand that was identified
[3:15:54] that even I heard broke ground,
[3:15:55] but the problem was there was
[3:15:57] some issues with that site.
[3:15:59] So that has been continuing.
[3:16:01] From what I do also understand
[3:16:02] is, the announcement to move
[3:16:05] them was not something we were
[3:16:05] aware of.
[3:16:07] That just came from the state,
[3:16:09] but we're working with them to
[3:16:12] create both a transition plan
[3:16:14] and find appropriate places for
[3:16:16] them to at some point relocate.
[3:16:21] So we've been working through
[3:16:22] those issues through our staff.
[3:16:23] >> chris boles: it is possible
[3:16:23] this is a coincidence of sorts?
[3:16:27] >> it is my understanding, this
[3:16:28] is what happened.
[3:16:28] >> chris boles: smeone not
[3:16:30] necessarily related to the
[3:16:32] other, thank you.
[3:16:36] Excuse me, very much.
[3:16:38] We're talking about tdt and the
[3:16:42] money that comes from that, and
[3:16:44] certainly commissioner wostal
[3:16:47] pointed out earlier that there's
[3:16:48] going to be bonds that are
[3:16:49] associated with that.
[3:16:51] We don't know what those bond
[3:16:54] ratings are.
[3:16:57] Roughly, MISS Wise, because we
[3:16:58] know this is your area of
[3:16:59] expertise, if we were to pull
[3:17:01] one today, what is the bond
[3:17:01] market for us?
[3:17:03] What is the kind of percentages
[3:17:04] we'd be getting?
[3:17:07] I heard you yesterday, it was
[3:17:08] the worst in possible history
[3:17:11] that we could possibly get was
[3:17:14] today, during the city meeting.
[3:17:15] Is that true?
[3:17:17] Is this the worst time in
[3:17:17] history?
[3:17:20] >> the worst time in restory?
[3:17:20] >> chris boles: yes.
[3:17:22] >> not to my knowledge, no, and
[3:17:25] you know, I think just as an
[3:17:27] aside, because I am so proud of
[3:17:30] our bond ratings, we just,
[3:17:30] thomas just sent you a memo that
[3:17:33] we just had our water and sewer
[3:17:36] bonds upgraded to triple "a"
[3:17:36] rating.
[3:17:38] So the rating on our bonds is
[3:17:39] really paramount to us.
[3:17:43] It is all part of the whole cash
[3:17:46] management that we do for alt
[3:17:47] projects.
[3:17:49] >> chris boles: so but with the
[3:17:54] tdt money, which is also
[3:17:55] referred to kind of uf minimum
[3:17:58] of "bed tax," right?
[3:18:00] We talk about heads in beds.
[3:18:04] Heads in beds is what comes from
[3:18:04] visitors.
[3:18:06] I thought I heard and maybe I
[3:18:09] misunderstood but earlier
[3:18:10] someone say that we were bonding
[3:18:11] the cit.
[3:18:12] That's not the cas.
[3:18:13] We're not bonded.
[3:18:14] That's a pay as we go and that's
[3:18:17] the $90 million per year as we
[3:18:18] are going forward for another
[3:18:19] four years.
[3:18:21] >> right, and if we were ever to
[3:18:23] do something like that, we have
[3:18:25] so many options we would never
[3:18:27] bond on a long-term basis for
[3:18:28] that purpose.
[3:18:30] We have our commercial paper
[3:18:32] program for any kind of
[3:18:34] short-term needs we have which
[3:18:38] we ute slides at the county from
[3:18:38] time to time.
[3:18:40] >> chris boles: you can leave
[3:18:41] that on.
[3:18:44] I'll ask another question.
[3:18:46] We've bonded one water plant.
[3:18:50] It's not ad valorem dollars.
[3:18:51] It's an enterprise fund but this
[3:18:53] is a common practice we do and
[3:18:54] governments do quite often.
[3:18:57] >> it is, because you want to
[3:18:58] ensure if you're going to bond,
[3:19:00] you don't want to bond longer
[3:19:03] than the useful life of your
[3:19:03] asset.
[3:19:04] So it's something that we're
[3:19:11] always looking at.
[3:19:13] Right, before you asked the
[3:19:16] question, we were planning to
[3:19:19] bond about 30, 35 years, which
[3:19:21] would not exceed the life of the
[3:19:22] asset.
[3:19:22] Yes.
[3:19:26] >> chris boles: we earlier
[3:19:28] determined that to be 50 years?
[3:19:30] >> yes, hoping.
[3:19:31] >> chris boles: okay, talked
[3:19:35] about ILAs.
[3:19:37] Is it possible -- what kind of
[3:19:39] information -- I want to go back
[3:19:41] to MISS Mandell, maybe one of
[3:19:43] the guys over there.
[3:19:45] What kind of -- can different
[3:19:47] elements be added to the ila
[3:19:48] that enhance the developer
[3:19:51] agreement in a way?
[3:19:52] >> well, let me just mae sure I
[3:19:55] understand which ila you'd be
[3:19:55] talking about.
[3:19:56] >> chris boles: any.
[3:19:59] >> any ila allows you pursuant
[3:20:01] to statute to put in provisions
[3:20:01] to manage whatever it is the
[3:20:05] deal you're trying to structure.
[3:20:08] >> chris boles: we could make an
[3:20:10] ila agreement, I'll use the word
[3:20:12] enhance but not necessarily drop
[3:20:13] below what this developer
[3:20:16] agreement has, is that correct?
[3:20:17] If there's a standard in the
[3:20:18] developer agreement --
[3:20:19] >> there's opportunities to have
[3:20:20] the conversations but we have to
[3:20:21] keep in mind they have to relate
[3:20:23] to this agreement, which has
[3:20:25] provisions on millage, those
[3:20:27] can't change, but anything that
[3:20:28] is something that we could look
[3:20:30] at different ratios and how we
[3:20:31] manage ratios, I think those are
[3:20:36] something we can discuss.
[3:20:37] >> chris boles: what constitutes
[3:20:39] a construction savings?
[3:20:43] We've talked about that earlier.
[3:20:46] We talked about MR. Horadel
[3:20:47] talked about enhanced savings
[3:20:49] and value engineering.
[3:20:51] We hear these terms quite often
[3:20:52] but where do those come from?
[3:20:54] How can we get those, and who
[3:20:56] gets first dibs on the savings?
[3:20:57] Does that come to the taxpayers
[3:21:03] or does that come to the team?
[3:21:06] Or team co, whichever co is the
[3:21:07] one who would get that?
[3:21:09] >> yes, commissioner.
[3:21:10] Good question.
[3:21:13] We have had extensive
[3:21:14] discussions about how those
[3:21:16] funds might be apportioned on a
[3:21:19] savings basis.
[3:21:21] We believe that there's a value
[3:21:24] in having the public areas come
[3:21:25] back to the public entities that
[3:21:27] are funding.
[3:21:28] So it would really be an
[3:21:31] analysis of what the stadium
[3:21:34] construction proportional share
[3:21:34] might look like.
[3:21:36] If for example, just to use a
[3:21:37] broad example if there's a roof
[3:21:43] that we say could save $300
[3:21:47] million, then we would suggest
[3:21:49] that the savings apportioned to
[3:21:51] the public side on a percentage
[3:21:53] basis come back to the public
[3:21:54] entities and on the private
[3:21:55] side, they could realize some of
[3:21:57] the benefit of that as well.
[3:21:59] So those are some of the points
[3:22:01] that we continue to have
[3:22:04] discussions about, and as we go
[3:22:09] through the process of approving
[3:22:11] the design and looking at
[3:22:13] construction documents, those
[3:22:14] are questions we'll make sure
[3:22:16] get answered.
[3:22:20] Our position is the public
[3:22:21] entities need to have savings
[3:22:23] accrue to them based upon the
[3:22:25] public percentage of the
[3:22:26] project.
[3:22:26] >> chris boles: maybe part of
[3:22:28] the construction trust agreement
[3:22:29] or is that part of something
[3:22:30] that we don't have in font of
[3:22:31] us today?
[3:22:32] That's why I'm asking this
[3:22:32] question.
[3:22:34] It hasn't been addressed.
[3:22:37] >> correct.
[3:22:39] >> the way it is structured we
[3:22:41] have our monies separated, city
[3:22:44] money, county money, stad co
[3:22:47] money into separate accounts and
[3:22:50] that will be spent and refunded
[3:22:53] pursuant to tat construction
[3:22:54] trust agreement.
[3:22:57] The term parapursue, I learned a
[3:23:00] lot about parapursue, it means
[3:23:02] each comes in and then the
[3:23:05] proportionality is sent out both
[3:23:08] going towards this project and
[3:23:09] coming back if there's savings.
[3:23:12] >> chris boles: I had a question
[3:23:14] about that over the weekend you
[3:23:15] addressed.
[3:23:16] >> yes.
[3:23:17] >> chris boles: alright, and I
[3:23:20] had a lot of little scribbles
[3:23:21] over here.
[3:23:23] and the one thing, where is tom
[3:23:23] at?
[3:23:29] MAY you come to the podium, tom,
[3:23:32] MR. Fessler.
[3:23:33] Again, there was a reference to
[3:23:38] how the team represented some
[3:23:43] growth of the cit and we were
[3:23:45] going to nibble into that so we
[3:23:47] wouldn't get into expectations.
[3:23:51] I think we have aseen economic
[3:23:59] shrinkage, going below sub zero,
[3:24:00] the lines, so it's not happening
[3:24:02] as quickly as we thought it
[3:24:02] will.
[3:24:03] Those are things that are out of
[3:24:04] our control.
[3:24:08] Those are national, gdp,
[3:24:08] interest rates, mortgage and all
[3:24:10] of those kind of things.
[3:24:12] Is there any expected growth at
[3:24:14] all that we see that even gets
[3:24:17] close or even over zero on this?
[3:24:20] I mean, there's got to be some
[3:24:23] expectation of some type of
[3:24:23] growth.
[3:24:27] Have we baked that into any
[3:24:27] cake?
[3:24:29] >> you're talking about?
[3:24:30] >> chris boles: cit dollars.
[3:24:33] >> as part of economic growth?
[3:24:34] >> chris boles: it all kind of
[3:24:34] folds in together.
[3:24:36] People if they don't spend
[3:24:40] money, we don't get cit dollars
[3:24:42] because it all comes from tax
[3:24:43] dollars.
[3:24:44] The point being is that we've
[3:24:47] all talked about that, at some
[3:24:49] point, that we can't expect some
[3:24:52] type of moderate growth or
[3:24:54] something, and there was this
[3:24:55] little slush on top that it
[3:25:00] seems that's going to be
[3:25:01] evaporating or is that still
[3:25:02] going to be there?
[3:25:04] >> if I'm understanding your
[3:25:06] question, commissioner, the
[3:25:07] sales tax.
[3:25:08] >> chris boles: repredict the
[3:25:09] future a couple years out.
[3:25:10] >> right, when we built the cit,
[3:25:14] we built it on a 3% growth rate.
[3:25:16] And we did that to be
[3:25:17] conservative, because on the
[3:25:18] current cit that we're in the
[3:25:19] middle of right now, that is
[3:25:21] going to be ending at the end of
[3:25:24] the next couple of months, over
[3:25:26] the life of that, over the
[3:25:29] 30-year life of that, the
[3:25:30] average growth has been about
[3:25:31] 4.3% a year.
[3:25:33] So we built the current one on
[3:25:34] 3% growth.
[3:25:36] So we would hope that as we move
[3:25:39] forward, based on that
[3:25:40] conservative estimate, that we
[3:25:42] would have some additional
[3:25:43] dollars that would show up,
[3:25:44] because the growth would be,
[3:25:45] average growth would be somewhat
[3:25:49] greater than the 3%.
[3:25:52] Right now we're in a downcycle
[3:25:55] but with sales tax is goes up
[3:25:58] and down, typically more
[3:26:00] volatility than something say
[3:26:02] like property taxes.
[3:26:04] >> chris boles: right, and this
[3:26:04] is only for 15 years.
[3:26:06] I think you answered the
[3:26:08] question, unless greg, are you
[3:26:10] referencing something, greg?
[3:26:12] >> yes, we do expect there to be
[3:26:15] additional dollars generated for
[3:26:17] cit as a result of this project.
[3:26:20] So again, there are other, as
[3:26:22] you raised it, little bits that
[3:26:24] will come in.
[3:26:26] We cannot tell you with
[3:26:26] certainty exactly what those are
[3:26:28] going to be over the 15 years,
[3:26:31] but we have an estimate.
[3:26:33] There will be an increase over
[3:26:35] what we would ordinarily see.
[3:26:37] >> chris boles: yes, and no one
[3:26:38] can prognosticate what's going
[3:26:39] to happen, right?
[3:26:44] We'd all be millionaires if we
[3:26:44] could.
[3:26:46] That being the case, that's all
[3:26:46] i have for you all.
[3:26:47] Thank you.
[3:26:49] I appreciate it, and you, too,
[3:26:49] as well.
[3:26:53] Thank you very much.
[3:26:56] You know, come friday, we got a
[3:26:56] document dump.
[3:26:58] We're on a timeline that we had
[3:27:00] no control over.
[3:27:02] I would say, or we actually did
[3:27:05] have control over it but we
[3:27:10] chose to acquiesce and we
[3:27:11] decided to let things happen as
[3:27:12] they were.
[3:27:14] And we are pushed with these
[3:27:15] documents and on friday, when I
[3:27:16] went through and I looked at
[3:27:19] them and then kind of was a
[3:27:21] little upset that I think as
[3:27:23] many people were not just here
[3:27:24] at this board but the city of
[3:27:26] tampa and whether you're for or
[3:27:27] against it, it was a lot.
[3:27:28] It was a lot to go through.
[3:27:30] I think you all admit that.
[3:27:33] If you didn't read it, I think
[3:27:36] that's, you know, that's
[3:27:37] derelict, but I would assume
[3:27:39] that we all read it.
[3:27:41] And what I did is I spent my
[3:27:43] entire weekend, which you know,
[3:27:45] I was elected to do and I don't
[3:27:47] work hours 8:00 to 5:00.
[3:27:49] I work as I need to do so, and
[3:27:53] part of that was coming up with
[3:27:56] a number of questions on things
[3:27:57] that I had sticking points on.
[3:28:00] Each one of those questions I
[3:28:04] sent to bonnie and to julia, and
[3:28:06] I kind of went through each one
[3:28:09] of these things and I apologize
[3:28:11] for mucking up your weekend, but
[3:28:13] I think some of those questions
[3:28:16] is what ended up delaying the
[3:28:18] document coming out even later,
[3:28:20] because a lot of those were very
[3:28:25] detailed and I think that
[3:28:26] between -- they were spread out
[3:28:28] from saturday even to monday
[3:28:29] that you were still in
[3:28:31] negotiations with both the rays
[3:28:33] and both with the city on how
[3:28:36] these would all be integrated
[3:28:38] and could be, make these
[3:28:38] changes.
[3:28:42] What came out tuesday,
[3:28:44] substantially changed those, the
[3:28:44] -
[3:28:48] agreement and I think that we
[3:28:50] talked about ai earlier,
[3:28:51] apparently ken uses it to look
[3:28:55] at stats, but I used it as a
[3:28:56] data tool to look at the
[3:28:57] questions I had versus the
[3:28:58] document.
[3:29:00] Stuck the two together and about
[3:29:01] 90% of the things that I asked
[3:29:03] for were integrated in there.
[3:29:07] I want to thank both of you for
[3:29:08] doing that.
[3:29:09] It really speaks to you
[3:29:11] listening to what I had.
[3:29:15] Part of this whole process for
[3:29:17] anyone that is listening is that
[3:29:18] my previous experience in the
[3:29:19] fire services taught me that
[3:29:21] sound decisions begin with a
[3:29:25] comprehensive assessment of any
[3:29:25] situation.
[3:29:27] And then that assessment is then
[3:29:30] followed up by a reassessment as
[3:29:31] conditions change, and
[3:29:34] certainly, we've seen these
[3:29:35] conditions change from JANUARY,
[3:29:37] FEBRUARY, MARCH, all the way to
[3:29:37] today.
[3:29:39] And in the fire service we call
[3:29:42] that a 360-degree size up.
[3:29:45] That's how I have evaluated this
[3:29:47] argument, agreement, excused me,
[3:29:48] and kind of fashioned my
[3:29:49] arguments on this.
[3:29:51] For months, I wanted to know the
[3:29:53] details and the economics, the
[3:29:55] protections and the returns and
[3:29:56] those that were placed in the
[3:29:57] documents.
[3:29:59] We got those friday.
[3:30:02] I was not very happy, but we got
[3:30:02] them.
[3:30:06] it took some time to look over
[3:30:06] those.
[3:30:08] It didn't meet my standard and I
[3:30:11] publicly said I was a no.
[3:30:15] Come tuesday I'm thinking, is it
[3:30:15] tuesday, I can't remember it's
[3:30:17] been a whirlwind but come
[3:30:19] earlier this week, we have
[3:30:22] gotten new documents and I was
[3:30:22] able to read those.
[3:30:23] Last week, that was about
[3:30:24] political theater.
[3:30:26] It wasn't a negotiation tactic,
[3:30:28] because I'm not negotiating with
[3:30:29] them.
[3:30:29] You are.
[3:30:30] It was my honest assessment of
[3:30:33] the proposal as it existed at
[3:30:33] the time.
[3:30:35] The county was being asked to
[3:30:37] assume too much risk without
[3:30:37] sufficient certainty about
[3:30:39] private financing, surrounding
[3:30:41] development, future obligations
[3:30:44] and the return to county
[3:30:45] taxpayers.
[3:30:47] I raised those questions and
[3:30:49] again, you two obviously took
[3:30:51] care of those and again, I'm
[3:30:51] very grateful.
[3:30:53] I think the agreement we have
[3:30:54] before us is certainly better
[3:30:55] today.
[3:30:57] I think the private financing
[3:30:58] requirements have been
[3:30:59] strengthened, the private
[3:31:00] parties bear greater
[3:31:01] responsibility for cost overruns
[3:31:03] and performance, and
[3:31:05] enforcement, not a relocation
[3:31:07] protections have been added, the
[3:31:08] rental structure provides a
[3:31:10] defined revenue stream from $1
[3:31:14] to $4 million with the cpi that
[3:31:16] can replenish county funds
[3:31:17] committed to the project.
[3:31:17] However, I do still have
[3:31:18] concerns.
[3:31:20] County is the majority public
[3:31:22] contributor, wlil much of the
[3:31:24] expected return depends on the
[3:31:25] surrounding development which is
[3:31:27] what I look at this as a real
[3:31:27] estate deal.
[3:31:29] This isn't a ball park deal.
[3:31:32] I know that we've talked about,
[3:31:33] commissioner hagan said this is
[3:31:33] the catalyst.
[3:31:34] I agree.
[3:31:36] I have a 12-year-old daughter.
[3:31:39] When she was very young, I used
[3:31:41] to her this book called "the
[3:31:42] giving tree."
[3:31:44] anyone who has a child you know
[3:31:45] what the booing is about, plant
[3:31:46] a seed, let it grow and it gives
[3:31:50] back over time.
[3:31:51] In a way, this park is like "the
[3:31:51] giving tree."
[3:31:53] it could be.
[3:32:20] >> as I continue to look at
[3:32:20] this, we have to think about
[3:32:22] that the mixed development is
[3:32:24] not just a side issue and the
[3:32:25] development risk remains but the
[3:32:27] revised agreement kind of links
[3:32:29] that public return through that
[3:32:32] investment process, or the, not
[3:32:38] the investment, the tiered
[3:32:39] appendix that's if the back.
[3:32:41] It provides -- in the back.
[3:32:42] It doesn't guarantee the
[3:32:44] development, and I was kind of
[3:32:46] slitly disappointed, but I
[3:32:47] understand this, and I think
[3:32:50] that the, the rays and certainly
[3:32:52] their ownership, they're all
[3:32:52] real state developers.
[3:32:54] This ask where they're making --
[3:32:56] this is where they're making
[3:32:56] money.
[3:32:58] They got a 99-year lease with
[3:33:01] hcc and the state, they own the
[3:33:02] pads.
[3:33:02] At least the dirt.
[3:33:04] The pads is where they're going
[3:33:05] to make the money on.
[3:33:06] Right?
[3:33:07] And ultimately that's where we
[3:33:09] are going to make the money on.
[3:33:11] so it doesn't, it's not
[3:33:13] considered the, you know, the
[3:33:14] larger unproducted structure
[3:33:16] that was before us --
[3:33:17] unprotected structure that was
[3:33:19] before us, and that concern
[3:33:21] again is not new.
[3:33:24] And in fact in JUNE I spoke to
[3:33:26] bonnie about, I proffered a
[3:33:27] thought experiment with bonnie
[3:33:29] in JUNE because in JUNE we all
[3:33:30] saw what was going on with the
[3:33:31] city of tampa.
[3:33:34] City of tampa dropped the ball
[3:33:36] with a cra.
[3:33:37] In my opinion.
[3:33:39] They didn't send up the, the
[3:33:41] land use agreement or -- excuse
[3:33:44] me, the future land use to, for,
[3:33:47] to the state, and then there was
[3:33:51] the jockeying with the bord on
[3:33:53] whether or not they would even
[3:33:55] do anything with the mou because
[3:33:57] again, this is how we should at
[3:33:58] least approach these things and
[3:34:01] just listen.
[3:34:03] So with that I asked about is
[3:34:05] there raway that if -- is there
[3:34:09] a way that if that didn't prove
[3:34:10] feasible, is there a way we
[3:34:12] could become the only public
[3:34:13] partner which is only one side
[3:34:15] of the question because if you
[3:34:17] think if you recall, my, I
[3:34:20] thought that in exchange for
[3:34:21] that rate of responsibility we
[3:34:23] should receive a greater revenue
[3:34:26] for that, and certainly a
[3:34:27] greater participation and create
[3:34:29] something, a tif or assume the
[3:34:30] cra, whatever the, you know, the
[3:34:33] mechanism would be, and, you
[3:34:35] know, part of that process was
[3:34:36] kind of moving us already in
[3:34:37] this direction, and I think
[3:34:40] that's what kind of moved you
[3:34:42] perhaps to kind of think a
[3:34:43] little more outside of the box
[3:34:46] and go you know versus they're
[3:34:47] going to make promises to us
[3:34:50] versus how do we, you know,
[3:34:52] stick or carrot.
[3:34:53] Let's give them a carrot versus
[3:34:55] a stick, and that's where we
[3:34:57] kind of landed on.
[3:34:59] And we've gotten to that point
[3:35:00] to where our real estate
[3:35:02] developers, some of them sitting
[3:35:04] here, and that can now look at
[3:35:06] that an say the more we build,
[3:35:12] the better off it is for
[3:35:13] everybody.
[3:35:14] So with that, you know, that's
[3:35:17] kind of the standard I like to,
[3:35:21] continue and have from the very
[3:35:21] beginning.
[3:35:22] I think that we need to consider
[3:35:23] the contribution, the risk, and
[3:35:25] the return and make sure they're
[3:35:27] all reasonably aligned, and in
[3:35:28] fairness, the revised agreement
[3:35:30] responds to part of that
[3:35:30] question.
[3:35:31] It creates a pathway for the
[3:35:32] county to retain a portion of
[3:35:35] the increment generated on a
[3:35:36] project bland
[3:35:38] brand and its subsequent
[3:35:38] improvement.
[3:35:39] Maybe thought the best, but it
[3:35:42] is what it is at this point; you
[3:35:43] know, that value certainly
[3:35:45] hasn't been quantified yet.
[3:35:48] The actual county benefit will
[3:35:49] development on performance,
[3:35:50] taxable values and the
[3:35:52] obligations paid from those
[3:35:53] revenues.
[3:35:55] I will continue to say as I have
[3:35:57] said privately and somewhat
[3:36:00] publicly, I am very dopily dis --
[3:36:01] deeply disappointed still by how
[3:36:02] this city and the county shared
[3:36:05] the project site increment is
[3:36:05] apportioned.
[3:36:07] The agreement divides that
[3:36:08] revenue according by their
[3:36:09] respective millage rates, which
[3:36:11] you just referred to.
[3:36:13] And I think that for the more
[3:36:14] than two decades that
[3:36:15] hillsborough county has worked
[3:36:17] to reduce or hold down its
[3:36:18] millage rate, under this
[3:36:19] formula, the county's lower
[3:36:21] millage rate produces a smaller
[3:36:22] share of that retained increment
[3:36:24] while the higher city millage
[3:36:27] produces a larger and
[3:36:27] .
[3:36:29] In practical terms, the county's
[3:36:30] fiscal discipline is being used
[3:36:31] against us.
[3:36:33] The city's rewarded for
[3:36:34] maintaining a higher property
[3:36:36] tax rate while the county
[3:36:37] receives less because it's
[3:36:39] exercised long-term restraint.
[3:36:41] And that is especially difficult
[3:36:43] to accept when the county's the
[3:36:44] majority public contributor in
[3:36:47] and the city is the minority
[3:36:47] contributor.
[3:36:50] We're giving 91%, they're giving
[3:36:53] 9.
[3:36:55] Fiscal responsibility should not
[3:36:58] become a financial disadvantage.
[3:37:01] A more ectable with formula --
[3:37:03] equitable formula would consider
[3:37:05] each population, risk and
[3:37:06] continuing service obligations,
[3:37:10] not simply its mittage rate.
[3:37:11] The county is making a
[3:37:13] `substantial commitment, and
[3:37:14] these dollars could support
[3:37:16] other eligible capital
[3:37:18] priorities as has already been
[3:37:18] said.
[3:37:19] And we should not minimize
[3:37:22] minimize that
[3:37:23] but we should also not present
[3:37:27] the public wth a false choice,
[3:37:28] and I think, and I think
[3:37:30] councilmember vierra referenced
[3:37:31] that last night because voting
[3:37:34] no would not automatically build
[3:37:34] five stations.
[3:37:35] We cannot do that.
[3:37:37] We cannot do that to future
[3:37:39] boards as commissioner wostal
[3:37:40] just pointed out.
[3:37:41] Doesn't mean we're going to
[3:37:43] widen roads or fund other
[3:37:43] projects.
[3:37:45] Those decisions would require a
[3:37:46] separate board action.
[3:37:49] Cit funds can also not pay a
[3:37:51] recurring cost of firefighters.
[3:37:52] Paramedics, deputies, or daily
[3:37:54] county services.
[3:37:57] A fire station is a capital
[3:37:57] expense.
[3:37:59] I know we like to throw fire
[3:37:59] stations around.
[3:38:04] Nobody in this room knows better
[3:38:08] how much we are behind in fire
[3:38:09] stations.
[3:38:11] I lived it for 28 years, and we
[3:38:13] are making that progress.
[3:38:15] But staffing it every day
[3:38:18] requires a dependable recurring
[3:38:18] revenue,.
[3:38:19] We're already seeing that we
[3:38:20] have these problems.
[3:38:22] And at least with the
[3:38:24] possibility of this development
[3:38:26] in this area, we could get some
[3:38:27] of that growth.
[3:38:28] And some of those monies can
[3:38:30] come back to the hillsborough
[3:38:32] county, and operation counts.
[3:38:34] And this board is responsible
[3:38:38] for addressing those both.
[3:38:39] Supporting the agreement does
[3:38:40] not relieve this board of its
[3:38:41] responsibility, any of us
[3:38:42] sitting up here.
[3:38:43] We still have a responsibility
[3:38:46] to our public, and certainly to
[3:38:47] the men and women, the first
[3:38:48] responders who are out there
[3:38:50] every day doing the job.
[3:38:52] Our staffing -- station deficit,
[3:38:53] staffing needs, equipment,
[3:38:55] transportation, and other
[3:38:56] essential infrastructure needs
[3:38:59] to be taken care of.
[3:39:01] Our evaluating this only on the
[3:39:04] tif, my answer would be no.
[3:39:06] If my responsibility were simply
[3:39:07] to identify reasons to reject
[3:39:11] this agreement, I've just listed
[3:39:11] them for you.
[3:39:13] But that is not the full
[3:39:15] responsibility of governing.
[3:39:17] Our responsibility is to weigh
[3:39:18] the agreement as a whole,
[3:39:20] including its weaknesses, and
[3:39:24] forcible protections, potential
[3:39:27] return, and the consequences of
[3:39:27] either decision.
[3:39:29] We have to not only look at the
[3:39:30] risk benefit assessment of
[3:39:32] moving forward, but also
[3:39:34] consider the consequences of
[3:39:36] rejecting this agreement before
[3:39:36] us.
[3:39:38] It brings in private investment,
[3:39:40] a new ballparks, surrounding
[3:39:40] development, and potential
[3:39:43] creation of a major economic
[3:39:43] district.
[3:39:45] It offers an opportunity to
[3:39:47] expand the future tax base,
[3:39:50] which wasn't there before, the
[3:39:52] incentive agreement, the tif,.
[3:39:53] The cdd, all these things.
[3:39:56] Those weren't in there in the
[3:39:56] mou.
[3:39:58] They're there now.
[3:39:59] Although the outcomes are not
[3:40:00] guaranteed, but under the
[3:40:02] revised agreement there are no
[3:40:05] longer based solely just on a
[3:40:09] handshake and a promise.
[3:40:11] I think a cautious approach does
[3:40:12] not require me to remain opposed
[3:40:14] after agreement has materially
[3:40:15] changed.
[3:40:16] Due diligence has meaning only
[3:40:18] if it were willing to recognize
[3:40:19] when the scrutiny produces a
[3:40:20] better result, and I think we
[3:40:23] have that result before us.
[3:40:24] I think we've also said this is
[3:40:26] far from perfect.
[3:40:27] It's black and white.
[3:40:28] There is gray here and we need
[3:40:29] to find where we can live in the
[3:40:32] gray.
[3:40:33] i would say again that the
[3:40:35] county's return is as strong as,
[3:40:36] not as strong as I would like or
[3:40:39] that I would accept the tif
[3:40:40] apportionment as fair.
[3:40:40] I do not.
[3:40:42] It is not a commitment to
[3:40:43] provide additional county
[3:40:44] funding later though.
[3:40:50] I find that agreeable and it
[3:40:52] does not end the need for
[3:40:54] aggressive public oversight.
[3:40:56] My remaining concerns weigh
[3:40:58] heavily against this agreement
[3:41:00] but my decision can in the
[3:41:01] solely on a -- weighted against
[3:41:03] those stronger financing
[3:41:04] requirements, responsibility for
[3:41:06] overruns, I believe the
[3:41:08] agreement as a whole has nearly
[3:41:10] crossed the threshold for
[3:41:11] support.
[3:41:13] I will say this.
[3:41:15] This is not an enthusiastic yes.
[3:41:16] It's a cautious and accountable
[3:41:18] yes, made with my eyes fully
[3:41:20] open to both the opportunity and
[3:41:21] the risk.
[3:41:22] The agreement changed.
[3:41:23] The protections improved.
[3:41:25] The remaining risks are now more
[3:41:27] defined and manageable, and so
[3:41:28] for those reasons, I will vote
[3:41:31] yes, but I have an amendment to
[3:41:36] make to the motion.
[3:41:36] It
[3:41:39] is an amendment in order?
[3:41:44] >> christine miller: go ahead.
[3:41:46] >> chris boles: can you restate
[3:41:49] the motion that was made
[3:41:52] earlier, specifically for, I
[3:41:53] caught you off gard,
[3:41:55] guard, didn't I?
[3:42:00] Come on, allison.
[3:42:03] The motion and the portion that
[3:42:07] relates to the cba.
[3:42:09] >> I will need a minute to get
[3:42:12] that information for you.
[3:42:13] >> ken hagan: I can send it if
[3:42:15] that will help.
[3:42:16] >> chris boles: ken, fine, would
[3:42:18] you mind restating that motion
[3:42:19] for you, sir.
[3:42:20] >> ken hagan: I'll just say the
[3:42:20] whole thing.
[3:42:20] It's quick.
[3:42:21] Motion to approve the
[3:42:22] development and funding
[3:42:24] agreement, the guarantee, and
[3:42:26] the team nonrelocation agreement
[3:42:29] in substantial forms presented,
[3:42:31] and allow the county attorney to
[3:42:31] conform all the documents,
[3:42:32] including the city of tampa
[3:42:34] approved documents, and correct
[3:42:37] any scrivener's errors.
[3:42:38] Additionally, if the
[3:42:40] for the community
[3:42:41] benefits agreement no less than
[3:42:42] $50 mill
[3:42:45] million split between the
[3:42:47] county receiving 65%, city 35%,
[3:42:52] with an expectation of a timing
[3:42:56] mechanism where investments and
[3:42:58] meaningful community benefits
[3:43:01] begin immediately and are not
[3:43:02] backloaded.
[3:43:04] So that was --
[3:43:05] >> chris boles: did you just add
[3:43:06] that little last part there
[3:43:07] maybe?
[3:43:08] I don't remember that.
[3:43:09] >> ken hagan: I got it written
[3:43:09] down.
[3:43:13] [Laughter]
[3:43:13] >> chris boles: well, okay, very
[3:43:14] good.
[3:43:15] Well, to that extent, I'm going
[3:43:18] to make it a little more
[3:43:20] concise, and to, to make a
[3:43:21] meaningful change because I'm
[3:43:27] still a little upset about the
[3:43:28] disproportionate share, I would
[3:43:31] like to raise that to
[3:43:32] $60 million with us getting the
[3:43:34] 65% which would provide
[3:43:36] $39 million to hillsborough
[3:43:38] county, 35% to city of tampa,
[3:43:42] which would be $21 million.
[3:43:44] 20% of that total commitment or
[3:43:45] $12 million shall be from the
[3:43:46] loaded or should be frontloaded
[3:43:48] and paid in four equal annual
[3:43:49] installments at $3 million
[3:43:52] during the first four years
[3:43:54] allocated annually as
[3:43:56] $1.5 million to the county and
[3:43:58] $1.05 million to the city.
[3:43:59] The remaining $48 million shall
[3:44:02] be funded pursuant to a binding
[3:44:03] payment and performance
[3:44:05] scheduled to be determined
[3:44:11] through outstanding cba.
[3:44:13] That's my substitute or my
[3:44:15] amended motion or -- sphl
[3:44:17] >> christine miller: going to
[3:44:20] say is that a substitute motion
[3:44:20] to
[3:44:23] or an amendment?
[3:44:24] >> christine miller: chair, do
[3:44:25] you accept the amendment.
[3:44:25] >> ken hagan: absolutely.
[3:44:26] I do want to ask jiewltia
[3:44:28] julia her
[3:44:29] thoughts.
[3:44:31] >> the way you wrote that and in
[3:44:33] line with how you had your
[3:44:35] original motion, it would be
[3:44:37] that the agreement would have a
[3:44:39] total cap, and then the other
[3:44:41] pieces of that will be embedded
[3:44:44] in the cba to come forward to
[3:44:44] you.
[3:44:46] So, so it's a little bit parsed
[3:44:48] out by just what's in this
[3:44:49] agreement, and that's the way I
[3:44:51] understood it, and then what you
[3:44:53] would request that I put into a
[3:44:55] cba that I bring back to you.
[3:44:58] On the timing mechanism.
[3:44:59] >> ken hagan: and I understood
[3:45:00] the $60 million, but and then
[3:45:03] did you say the first 20% was
[3:45:06] over 5 years?
[3:45:06] >> chris boles: four years.
[3:45:07] >> ken hagan: four years?
[3:45:10] >> chris boles: correct.
[3:45:11] Yours is written.
[3:45:12] Mine's typed.
[3:45:13] >> ken hagan: I can't read my
[3:45:15] own handwriting.
[3:45:16] >> christine miller: so you
[3:45:17] accept the amendment, chair?
[3:45:18] >> chris boles: MAY I speak just
[3:45:19] if a
[3:45:25] justfor a moment.
[3:45:26] >> christine miller: yes.
[3:45:27] >> chris boles: yesterday the
[3:45:28] council provided a ceiling, I'm
[3:45:31] going to call it a ceiling --
[3:45:32] looking at other agreements
[3:45:35] around the country, kansas city
[3:45:37] royals and some of theertose these other
[3:45:38] places you have out there, these
[3:45:40] numbers fall within that line of
[3:45:43] 50 to 70, $65 million.
[3:45:47] I think that for the pain and
[3:45:49] suffering that we've had to go
[3:45:51] through with the expedited
[3:45:53] schedule and the amount of money
[3:45:56] that we're not receiving through
[3:45:58] the, our fiscal stewardship of
[3:46:00] our dollars, should at least
[3:46:02] equate to some kind of benefit
[3:46:04] for our community that we're
[3:46:05] seeing people out here that are
[3:46:07] going to see a direct benefit
[3:46:09] from the rays because it's still
[3:46:12] going to be five, four years --
[3:46:13] three to four years, five years
[3:46:14] before we're going to get any
[3:46:15] benefit from that.
[3:46:16] The rays have a great
[3:46:18] opportunity to go out there
[3:46:20] through our CBAs, go out in
[3:46:21] the community and show them what
[3:46:24] they're doing today after this
[3:46:26] is done whether that's little
[3:46:29] league fields, whether that's
[3:46:30] through different agreements,
[3:46:32] whatever those MAY be, having --
[3:46:32] I
[3:46:34] I can't recall how many are in
[3:46:35] there.
[3:46:37] Nine pages of ideas so that, but
[3:46:38] this is an opportunity for them
[3:46:40] to do that on the front side.
[3:46:44] So for that, I appreciate that.
[3:46:44] >> christine miller: thank you.
[3:46:45] That was going to be my next
[3:46:45] question.
[3:46:46] Are you still on the second?
[3:46:49] It is my pleasure to get to call
[3:46:49] this vote.
[3:46:58] Please record your votes.
[3:47:00] >> motion carried
[3:47:02] carries 5-2.
[3:47:03] Commissioners cameron cepeda and
[3:47:04] wostal voted no.
[3:47:07] >> ken hagan: before we
[3:47:11] adjourn -- hmm?
[3:47:14] Before we adjourn, I first want
[3:47:15] to thank all the board members
[3:47:19] for all of your hard work for
[3:47:19] today's robust discussion and
[3:47:22] for approving this generational
[3:47:22] development.
[3:47:23] Commissioner myers, my
[3:47:24] apologies.
[3:47:25] I didn't say it earlier, but a
[3:47:27] change is going to come.
[3:47:28] I also want to thank everyone
[3:47:30] who came down today.
[3:47:31] And really everyone who
[3:47:33] participated throughout this
[3:47:35] process over the last several
[3:47:35] months.
[3:47:37] Most of all though, I want to
[3:47:39] thank the person who is
[3:47:42] responsible for me being in this
[3:47:43] seat, and responsible for my
[3:47:44] love of baseball.
[3:47:46] His name is also ken hagan.
[3:47:47] He's my dad.
[3:47:50] Dad, we did it.
[3:47:50] [Applause]
[3:47:56] We're adjourned.