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Brandon Community Center
April 17, 2007 - Brandon
The meeting began with an open house, with displays around the room of Tampa Bay Water information regarding the planning process, screening criteria, project list, and source water protection. After signing in, attendees were provided with an information packet containing the meeting agenda, comment sheet, copies of the presentation materials, and the comprehensive project list. Attendees had the opportunity to review the information and ask questions of available Tampa Bay Water, TBRPC, and Black & Veatch staff.
Paula Dye of Tampa Bay Water began the presentation at 6:00 p.m. She made introductions and covered the agenda, background information, and the planning process. Steve Simpson of Black & Veatch continued the presentation with the goals and screening criteria. An attendee asked why the process was not starting from the previous shorter list rather than at the comprehensive list. Another attendee asked about the effect of this project selection on current groundwater pumping effects.
Avera Wynne of TBRPC led an audience response segment to gather input on the relative importance of the screening criteria. Environmental and Source Water Protection was ranked most important by 60% of the attendees. Implementation/feasibility ranked important by 60%. Project Cost was equally split, 40% ranking important and 40% ranking least important. Regulatory requirements ranked least important to 60%. 60% of attendees ranked Yield as important.
Paula Dye continued the presentation by discussing source water protection. Avera Wynne led an audience response segment to gather input on the importance of the region doing source water protection. Attendees ranked Public Information and Education as neutral (80%), and Protective Policies and Regulations was split between less important (40%) and neutral (40%). Land Acquisition was ranked as important (80%), Best Management Practices ranked important (80%), and Local Watershed Protection Actions ranked most important (40%). Avera also led a voting segment on the importance of Tampa Bay Water performing source water protection actions. 60% of attendees ranked continuing to advocate for source water protection as high priority for Tampa Bay Water. Supporting the development of ordinances was rated medium priority by 60%, implementing stormwater projects was rated medium priority by 60%, and minimizing industrial discharges was split, with 40% rating this high and 40% rating this medium. Supporting Low Impact Development was rated high by attendees. The priority for Tampa Bay Water to Research and perform outreach on Low Impact Development was ranked high by 60%. The priority for Tampa Bay Water to produce educational materials was ranked as medium by 80% of attendees.
Paula Dye thanked the attendees for participating, and invited them to take advantage of the remaining open-house format meeting to add project ideas to the comprehensive list, to provide additional comments via the comment sheet, and to ask additional questions of staff at the meeting. Paula also noted that the website www.futurewater.org contained the same survey questions and much of the same information as the presentation, so additional comments and input could be provided at future public meetings, on the website, or by addressing questions through the website.
One attendee suggested that Tampa Bay Water consider Weeki Wachee Springs as a future water supply source; it was noted that this idea was on the Comprehensive Project List.