City Residents Express Frustration with Local Government

We are hearing continual grumblings from South Tampa residents about their non-responsive local government. The Gandy area businesses and residents have endured not just an international recession but the construction of Gandy Boulevard that all but closed many local businesses. With the work finally complete and some degree of normalcy returning, the Hillsborough Expressway Authority is now promoting a plan to build an elevated connector from the foot of the Gandy Bridge to the Selmon Expressway. Residents fear increased road noise and impacted views while businesses envision possible customers racing by overhead after an extended period of new construction blocking their business access again. The Expressway Authority is continuing to meet with the public, however, their presentations seem to be more for show that to actually listen to the sizable opposition to this project.

In SOHO, City Council Member John Dingfelder has been a champion of attempting to control local businesses through their hours if they have an alcoholic beverage license. He was on the Council when Strings and Rings was limited to selling beer and wine only until 8 PM on Monday -Wed, and midnight on Friday and Saturday, with no sales allowed on Sunday. If you don’t know Strings and Rings, they were at the corner of Platt and Howard, but have now been vacant for over a year. This same Council has limited the Lime's hours til midnight. Dingfelder recently engaged in a school ground argument with Council Member Caetano over whether a new steakhouse should be allowed to sell beer and wine past 11 PM. Just like a school ground, the City Council President declared a "timeout" so that the errant members could be privately scolded and return to doing the business of the city.

Several neighborhood groups and the Gasparilla organizing group - Event Fest have worked to solve the many problems that bringing over 100,000 people together can create. At a recent workshop, Dingfelder suggested limiting the sale of alcoholic beverages. Did it ever occur to him that the beverages might be brought in any way ? We discussed the proposed changes at length several months ago. Many were indeed very needed. Significantly more portolets, better traffic control for cars and pedestrians, more Police supervision, relocating some of the viewing stands, changing the parade route slightly - including ending the parade at the new Curtis Hixon Park in downtown with floats dismantling on Cass Street.We previously noted that the new Curtis Hixon Park may provide for an even larger Gasparilla event that could expand into the evening. These plans all make sense.

While City Council continues to argue over beverage sales hours and Tampa's largest event , complaints continue to rise over the Ribits BBQ stand at the corner of Azeele and Howard. Residents of the Madison condominiums have complained about the overwhelming smoke smell while restaurants in the area are complaining about the operation itself. Government authorities have indicated they have received a number of complaints, but no action seems to have been taken.

The Bern Laxer Park is finally nearing completion. This small park has taken over 3 years to be completed. The Davis Islands Linear Park could begin construction in 2010 - 3 years after funding ! We have given up on trying to understand why these projects have taken so long.The frustration of Tampa residents continues to grow with no end in sight.