FY2000 Tampa Reports to the People

Infrastructure consists of the City facilities and equipment which support City services. Examples include the streets you use daily; water, sanitary sewer and solid waste plants; parks; recreation centers; police and fire rescue stations; and vehicles.

Over the last few years, the City has made considerable progress in providing new and upgraded facilities. For instance, two long awaited major recreation facilities opening in FY2000 are the Sulphur Springs Pool Complex and the Copeland Park Community Center and Gym.

Still there is a need for additional large scale projects to replace and rehabilitate aging City facilities, vehicles and equipment. Primarily using bond funding, the FY2000 Capital Improvement Budget provides $144 million toward these projects. This 60% increase over FY99 funding will go a long way toward fulfilling the City's infrastructure needs.

User fees and utility taxes generally support the bonds. Per capita general government debt service for Tampa remains one of the lowest in the State. Although enterprise debt service continues to be funded by user fees, for the second consecutive year we are not recommending any change in Water, Sanitary Sewer or Solid Waste rates.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX FUND

In FY2000, revenues allocated to the City from the voter-approved tax are projected at $9 million, of which $5.7 million will go to capital improvements and $3.3 million will pay for vehicles and equipment. Highlights include:

• Police Vehicle Take Home Program and Other General Fund Vehicles and Equipment Replacement - $3.3 million
• East-West/New Tampa Roads Construction- $1 million
• Street Resurfacing/ Sidewalk Construction- $800,000
• Cypress Street Park Construction - $498,000
• Neighborhood Traffic Control Improvements- $75,000

UTILITY TAX ANNUAL CIP FUNDING

PARKS AND RECREATION

• Development of the Fort Brooke Park downtown- $500,000
• Downtown and Ybor City Streetscape program - $200,000
• Planting of 1,000 trees throughout Tampa's neighborhoods - $100,000
• Various equipment, facility and playground upgrades - $700,000

STORMWATER

• Spanishtown Creek Drainage Improvements - $780,000
• Streetsweeping/Sediment processing facility - $480,000
• Gandy Flume Rehabilitation - $452,000
• Santiago: Lois to Grandy Line Replacement - $329,000
• Regnas: River Dunes to 50th Street Drainage Improvements - $224,000

An $88 million project is underway to retrofit the McKay Bay Refuse-to-Energy Plant to meet new federal guidelines for cleaner air emissions. The FY2000 phase totals $32.9 million.

Additionally, the old Administration building will be replaced with a new one at a cost of $2 million.

Of the $48.2 million balance of bonds issued over the last three years, $34.7 million is slated for FY2000 projects. Highlights include:

Parks and Recreation funds, totaling $17.5 million, will be used over the next three fiscal years to improve and update 7 community centers; 6 athletic facilities and swimming pools; and 3 special program facilities. The $7 million FY2000 program includes David Barksdale Center; Interbay Wellness Center; Seminole Gymnastics Center; Oak Park; Cuscaden Park; New Tampa field lighting and shelter building; and Martin Luther King Recreation Center.

Parking garages and lots under construction or planned include the new Fort Brooke Garage expansion (1,200 spaces); the new Municipal Garage (300 spaces); the Ybor City Garage (1,200 spaces); and additional lots in the South Howard area.

Includes $11.2 million toward the $45 million Hillsborough River Water Treatment Plant Expansion to increase capacity from 80 million gallons per day to 100 million.

Also, $4.8 million of an $8 million aquifer storage project located at Rome and Sligh is scheduled. Up to 1 billion gallons of water can be stored underground during the wet season for use during the dry season. This will help reduce our need to purchase more expensive water from other utilities.

For FY2000, $13.3 million is planned for transportation related projects including the new electric streetcar to connect downtown and Ybor City; widening of 40th Street from Hillsborough to Fowler; a new industrial yard; and road improvements in New Tampa.

GAS TAX AND IMPACT FEE ANNUAL CIP FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

A total of $8.2 million is budgeted, including:

• Street Maintenance and Sidewalks - $3.4 million
• Tampa Bay Boulevard at Dale Mabry - Hillsborough Community College Entrance/Lois Intersections - $1.3 million
• Various Intersections, Signals and Signage Improvements - $827,000
• Westshore/Commerce Corridor Improvements and Westshore/Bay to Gandy Lane Widening-$600,000
• 7th Avenue/Nebraska and 21st Street/Palm Avenue Intersection Improvements - $885,000

UTILITY TAX CONSTRUCTION BOND

Remaining funds from the bond that paid for the new Police Headquarters and two new district offices will be used for the new Police/Fire Rescue Communications Center at 30th and Hanna ($3.7 million); and for City-Wide Fire Rescue facilities improvements ($400,000).