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Mayor Hears Lots Of Topics

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By LAURA KINSLER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2007

Updated: 10/18/2007 11:46 pm

WOODLAND TERRACE - Mayor Pam Iorio never knows what issues might crop up at one of her town hall meetings and Tuesday's session at Sheehy Elementary on 40th Street was no different.

One speaker might complain about an overgrown lot on her street, while another wants the city to pass an ordinance prohibiting drivers from talking on cell phones. A member of her own Youth Corps put Tampa Police on the spot when she said she had seen people smoking dope on her high school campus.

Given the location, it was not surprising that several residents thanked Iorio for the long-awaited 40th Street widening. She pledged to finish the job before leaving office.

'Words cannot express how thankful I am,' said Terry Neal, president of the Temple Crest Civic Association.

Other topics - crime, traffic, taxes - seem to come up no matter where the meeting takes place.

Several neighborhood leaders from Seminole Heights continued their campaign for two-way traffic on Florida Avenue and Tampa Street. Others complained about the roadwork on Hillsborough Avenue, where the Florida Department of Transportation is installing raised medians that stop drivers from making left turns.
Fred Hoffman asked the police to do a better job of traffic control on Busch Boulevard during Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream. He said the traffic backs up every weekend night in October.

Temple Crest residents, including Gerald White and John Dausman, wanted to know more about the Hillsborough County School District's plans to buy the former Temple Heights Baptist Church and Christian School on 46th Street. White said he hopes the city and school district can work together to build a park on the property. Dausman said the area needs more sidewalks for prospective students.

Several River Grove and Temple Crest residents complained that criminals are selling drugs and guns up and down 40th Street - even directly across from the school where they were meeting. Police Maj. Sophia Teague said she's aware of the problem.

'I've got my QUAD Squad focusing on that area,' Teague said. 'I've told my guys don't stop until we get them out in the county.'

Betty Bell echoed their concerns about speeding, traffic and crime in her East Tampa neighborhood. But she also took a chance to thank Iorio for a job well done.

'I called the city to complain about an alligator in my neighborhood, and I don't see it anymore,' she said.

'We moved it out to the county,' Iorio joked.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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