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Former newspaper journalist for 43 years.
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Articles by C. T. Bowen
Hillsborough orders residents to evacuate coastal areas, mobile homes Original
Hillsborough County is ordering residents in its coastal areas and people living in mobile and manufactured houses to evacuate their homes Monday in advance of what is now Tropical Storm Idalia. That could mean as many as 300,000 residents evacuating their homes beginning at 2 p.m. today.
What is Visit Tampa Bay’s newest goal? Attracting English soccer fans
The tourism promotion agency for Hillsborough County is hoping to score with English Premier League soccer. Visit Tampa Bay has announced a promotional agreement with Brentford FC, which played three games in the U.S. in July as part of the league’s first-ever summer series.
PACE sues to restart Hillsborough County loans
A home-energy loan program scrutinized for saddling people with unanticipated debt is asking a circuit court judge to let it do business again in Hillsborough County. If a court agrees, the Property Assessed Clean Energy program, known commonly as PACE, could restart activities the Hillsborough County Commission banned in 2020.
Pasco awarded $4.3 million senior services contract previously held by CARES Original
Pasco County now has the job of helping its vulnerable seniors live independently. On Monday, the county was approved as the new provider of a $4.3 million elder care program after the previous administrator dropped its plans to continue the service it had provided for 49 years. The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco and Pinellas authorized the contract with Pasco County Monday.
Tampa Bay region’s drinking water could come from familiar source Original
Tampa Bay’s regional water utility is looking in old places for new drinking water. As it seeks more water to meet a growing population over the next 10 years, Tampa Bay Water is considering tapping water beneath the ground in Pasco County to help quench the region’s thirst. The utility is considering building a new wellfield in northeastern Pasco, or else seeking permission from the state water management district to increase pumping at existing wellfields.
Data breach hits Temple Terrace ambulance billing
The Temple Terrace Fire Department has been hit by the global data breach that also affected Hillsborough County. EMS Management and Consultants Inc., which handles billing for the department, uses the MOVEit transfer tool that Progress Software Corp. said had been compromised in May and June.
More Hillsborough commissioners? Stay tuned.
The Hillsborough County Commission hit the brakes Wednesday on a proposal expediting a voter referendum to consider adding two commissioners to the seven-member board. Commissioner Michael Owen, who proposed trying to expand the commission to nine single-member districts in time for the 2024 general election, retreated from that timeline in the face of the cost estimates for a special election and opposition from much of the rest of the commission.
How much could it cost to expand Hillsborough commission? Millions. Original
Expanding the Hillsborough County Commission could come with a price. The cost of expediting a voter referendum could run as high as $2.5 million for a special election. Adding two seats to the seven-member commission also would be accompanied by $1 million annually in additional salary and benefits, plus a one-time expense of $200,000 to add office space. The price estimates are contained in a report to be presented to commissioners Wednesday.
Tampa offers ‘cooling centers’ to beat extreme heat Original
The city of Tampa is opening cooling centers at parks and recreation centers in response to the excessive heat warning and heat advisories. City employees, AmeriCorps service members and Red Cross volunteers will staff the centers, which open at 11 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. today through Sunday. The cooling centers, free of charge, are available to the public to ensure the safety of residents exposed to extreme heat conditions. Light snacks and water will be available. The locations are: David M.
Tampa Bay’s red-hot tourism market has cooled. Here’s why:
After a red-hot rebound in the post-COVID tourism market, the Tampa Bay region’s hospitality industry shows signs of cooling. Tourist tax collections are off, compared to a year ago, for consecutive months in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and the monthly hotel occupancy rate has dipped more than 5% in Pasco County. Industry leaders, however, seem unfazed, attributing some of the declines to expanded options for travel as the rest of the world welcomed visitors after the pandemic.
Tampa Bay’s red-hot tourism market has cooled. Here’s why:
After a red-hot rebound in the post-COVID tourism market, the Tampa Bay region’s hospitality industry shows signs of cooling. Tourist tax collections are off, compared to a year ago, for consecutive months in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and the monthly hotel occupancy rate has dipped more than 5% in Pasco County. Industry leaders, however, seem unfazed, attributing some of the declines to expanded options for travel as the rest of the world welcomed visitors after the pandemic.
Hillsborough battles driver’s license appointment fraud Original
The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office is altering its operations after discovering scammers booked blocks of driver license appointments and then attempted to sell the availability to the public. Tax Collector Nancy Millan said the office investigated after an influx of complaints about a lack of appointments and a tip about third parties selling appointment times. She said the office found a pattern of daily appointments being reserved under identical names and email addresses.
In Hillsborough, Wimauma development stirs commission ethics review Original
Vivienne Handy, long-time environmental and civic activist, serves on the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission as well as ona citizens task force helping implement a new government-sanctioned community plan for Wimauma. Hillsborough Commissioner Josh Wostal thinks those two positions pose a potential conflict of interest. He recently invited Handy to resign from the planning commission, which advises the county and three cities on land-use issues.
What’s next for Pasco County’s at-risk elders? Original
Pasco County government is preparing to take over a program to help senior citizens live in their homes independently after the former long-time provider hit financial troubles, forcing it to cut services and drop its bid to renew a six-year, $4.3 million state contract. That provider, Hudson-based Community Aging and Retirement Services, known commonly by the acronym CARES, also faces other financial roadblocks. In June, Gov.
In south Hillsborough, traffic snarls with no immediate relief coming Original
Real estate agent Joe Eletto, a 31-year resident of South Hillsborough County, is familiar with the time-consuming drive to MacDill Air Force Base. Eletto periodically made the trip from his Apollo Beach home to the base in South Tampa when he served as an honorary commander — a volunteer liaison between military squadrons at MacDill and the public. It’s an hour drive on a typical day, he said, but the one-way trip sometimes stretched to 90 minutes.
Hillsborough commission nixes tax rate changes to pay for fire safety Original
Hillsborough County officials snipped the ribbon this week on a new fire station in Riverview and their proposed county budget for the coming year includes $8.6 million for the fire department’s 47th station at Progress Village. But a recent update to the county’s master plan for fire safety calls for building 28 new stations in the coming years in response to a growing population, increased calls for help, and rising concerns about how long it takes to respond to emergencies.
Hillsborough road, fire safety shortfalls spur tax talk
Hillsborough County faces a five-year $1.5 billion shortfall in the cost of building and repaving roads, repairing sidewalks and bridges, fixing intersections and making crosswalks safer near public schools. The county also should build 28 fire stations in the coming years because of a growing population and concerns about how long it takes to respond to a longer emergency call log.
Hillsborough balks at golf course redevelopment Original
A plan to turn a former golf course into a 251-home neighborhood landed in the rough Tuesday. A Hillsborough County commission majority nixed GL Homes’proposal to turn the closed Pebble Creek Golf Club into a gated community of 251 homes. The former golf course, east of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, just 1.5 miles south of Pasco County, dates to 1967. That is five years before the actual Pebble Creek development of 1,353 homes began. The 150 acres are owned by by Bill Place of Ace Golf.
Hillsborough OKs 1,800-home Wimauma development
A former sod farm can turn into suburbia, the Hillsborough County Commission decided Tuesday. In a unanimous vote, commissioners authorized Jeffrey Hills’ 301 Wimauma LLC to rezone 909 acres of agricultural land into a residential development of 1,816 homes. The land, south of State Road 674, is in the outskirts of South Hillsborough, close to the Hillsborough-Manatee border.
Florida pensions for police, firefighters get sweeter, costing counties Original
State lawmakers may have made it harder for state teacher and other public employee unions to collect dues this year. But another swath of public worker unions secured consequential victories in the last legislative session: law enforcement officers, firefighters and others categorized as “special risk.” Lawmakers restored major sweeteners to their pensions that already pay them 90% of their average best years’ salaries in retirement. Now they can once again start collecting those benefits sooner.
Hillsborough notifies 70,000 of potential data breach in health, aging services Original
Hillsborough County has notified more than 70,000 people that a global data breach may have put their personal information at risk. The breach involved the MOVEit file transfer tool, a third-party service that complies with federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. The breach also may have affected a 106 people employed by a dozen vendors used by the county’s Aging Services Department.
Hillsborough commission moves to abandon MacDill ferry service plan
The Hillsborough County Commission is moving to sink a proposed ferry service between the southern portion of the county and MacDill Air Force Base. Wednesday, a commission majority agreed to consider terminating its contract with HMS Ferries and South Swell Development on Aug. 2. “When the 1% sales tax was voted down (in November 2022) by the taxpayers, this project went down with it,” said Commissioner Gwen Myers. “The county doesn’t have the funding. ... Where are going to get the funding from?
Hillsborough budget plan tops $9 billion
Hillsborough County commissioners will consider a $9.12 billion budget for the coming fiscal year, a more than $626 million jump in spending that includes relatively few new bells and whistles. Inflation, increased spending requests from constitutional officers and outside agencies plus salary and benefit adjustments for employees contributed to the 7.4% increase in the budget recommended by County Administrator Bonnie Wise.
Hillsborough budget plan tops $9 billion
Hillsborough County commissioners will consider a $9.12 billion budget for the coming fiscal year, a more than $626 million jump in spending that includes relatively few new bells and whistles. Inflation, increased spending requests from constitutional officers and outside agencies plus salary and benefit adjustments for employees contributed to the 7.4% increase in the budget recommended by County Administrator Bonnie Wise.
Cost for Hillsborough-MacDill ferry route could top $76M, report says Original
The projected costs to buy boats and build public terminals for the proposed commuter ferry service between South Hillsborough and MacDill Air Force Base have jumped 45% to more than $76 million. In a report to be presented to Hillsborough County commissioners Wednesday, the number of daily passengers using the service also is projected to increase 90% because a larger vessel will be used and additional trips will be made during off-peak hours.
What will South Hillsborough growth bring? Some fear ‘chaos’ Original
Plans for an 1,800-home development proposed for the outskirts of southern Hillsborough County include: a pedestrian and bicycle trail, an elementary school site, 180 affordable housing units and a public park. What it won’t include is a plan to generate jobs in close proximity. That’s no longer a county requirement. But, what nearby residents fear it will entail is more traffic for State Road 674 in the heart of the hamlet of Wimauma.
Hillsborough’s reaction to toll road extension: Can we do it sooner? Original
Hillsborough County commissioners would like to put a proposed 10-mile extension of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway into the fast lane. Thursday, the commission unanimously authorized two additional studies on the proposed toll road and also requested the county’s Transportation Planning Organization add the $1.8 billion project to the long-range transportation plan through 2050.
Florida lawmaker turkeys lopped by Gov. Ron DeSantis
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto pen splashed a lot of ink across Pasco County. DeSantis, in signing the $117 billion state budget June 15, also vetoed 331 individual appropriations totaling nearly $511 million. In the Tampa Bay area, the vetoed budget appropriations, known commonly as turkeys, totaled more than $40 million in Pasco County.
Is $1.8 billion expressway the answer to south Hillsborough traffic woes? Original
Relief for commuter traffic congestion in southern Hillsborough County may come from the air, not from the ground. And it still could be decades away. The idea is to extend the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway for 10 miles from its current eastern end in Brandon to Big Bend Road in Riverview. The elevated highway would be built above the median of U.S. 301. The ambitious plan carries a preliminary cost estimate of $1.8 billion, based on similar construction projects in 2022.
Here are Florida lawmaker turkeys lopped by Gov. Ron DeSantis Original
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto pen splashed a lot of ink across Pasco County. DeSantis, in signing the $117 billion state budget Thursday, also vetoed 331 individual appropriations totaling nearly $511 million. In the Tampa Bay area, the vetoed budget appropriations, known commonly as turkeys, totaled more than $40 million in Pasco County.
Toll lanes on I-275? Check back in 8 years, state says Original
The focus of a public hearing was transportation spending in Hillsborough County for the next five years. But it was a project finishing in the next decade that drew the most scrutiny — an expanded Interstate 275 interchange at West Shore. Nearly a dozen speakers objected Wednesday night to proposed toll lanes on the interstate highway.
Hillsborough library debate: Books or trees?
Lela Lilyquist thinks this story should be an obituary. It would be about the death of what she calls the final oak tree canopy and sizeable green space in the sprawling suburb of Brandon. The mourners would be the community’s 115,000 residents who won’t get the chance for an outdoor respite, or to pause on a bench beneath the grand oaks, or to throw down a blanket and watch the Fourth of July parade from the comfort of a heavily shaded park.
In Hillsborough, will you pay more for water, trash, drainage?
The costs of turning on the tap, taking the trash to the curb and digging out the drainage ditch are proposed to go up in Hillsborough County. Commissioners are considering separate proposals to increase water rates, and the annual assessments for solid waste and storm water in the wake of inflation, increased operating expenses and higher than anticipated material and construction costs for needed maintenance and expansion projects.
In Hillsborough, will you pay more for water, trash, drainage?
The costs of turning on the tap, taking the trash to the curb and digging out the drainage ditch are proposed to go up in Hillsborough County. Commissioners are considering separate proposals to increase water rates, and the annual assessments for solid waste and storm water in the wake of inflation, increased operating expenses and higher than anticipated material and construction costs for needed maintenance and expansion projects.
Hillsborough to again consider expanded county commission Original
Hillsborough County Commissioner Michael Owen wants to see more people join him on the dais as elected commissioners. Owen resurrected a frequently debated topic of adding two seats to the County Commission and eliminating the three at-large, countywide seats and replacing them with commissioners that represent specific areas of the county.
Hillsborough balks at renewed PACE home-energy loans Original
A home-energy loan programthat has come under scrutiny for saddling people with debt they can’t afford might not be able to restart in Hillsborough County, despite a judge’s order. That’s because Hillsborough County because Tax Collector Nancy Millan says she lacks legal authority to add the loan payments, or assessments, to property tax bills, as the program requires.
Tampa, St. Petersburg Pride flags rise as mayors welcome celebrations Original
ST. PETERSBURG — There was consternation over what Pride celebrations would look like this year after new state laws targeting drag performances cast a pall on Pride. But on the first day of Pride month, the mayors of Tampa and St. Petersburg were resolute about their cities being welcoming places for all. They raised rainbow flags over their respective city halls Thursday morning.
Hillsborough election hack exposed 58,000 voters’ private information
A data breach at the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office exposed private information belonging to 58,000 voters. An unauthorized user appears to have illegally accessed and copied files containing personal identification information — including Social Security and driver license numbers — primarily from files used to conduct voter registration list maintenance, Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer said in a released statement Wednesday.
Troubled Pasco charity to drop senior services
The financially troubled Community Aging and Retirement Services is abandoning attempts to renew a $4.3 million contract to help needy Pasco County senior citizens live in their homes independently. The Hudson-based charity, known commonly as CARES, has provided the services for five decades. But it is walking away after the contract administrator, the Area Agency on Aging, called for new financial safeguards and a 60-day probation period for CARES.
Tampa Council plans formal farewell for ‘toilet-to-tap’
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s often derided reclaimed water plan is no longer gasping for air. Thursday, Tampa City Council members indicated they will ensure it drowns. The reclaimed water plan, known as Purify Usable Resources for the Environment, or PURE, had been proposed to convert the highly treated sewage into water clean enough to be added to the Hillsborough River, a potable water source for both the city and region.
Tampa Bay’s stadium conundrum: Who’s playing where?
Team executives from the Tampa Bay Rays were in Tampa twice last week — once to show support for the future of women’s professional soccer and the new Tampa Bay team that will start playing in 2024. A day earlier, the Rays met with Tampa Sports Authority, city of Tampa and Hillsborough County government officials to talk about their own future and the potential for the team to play in a new baseball stadium in Tampa.
Hillsborough drops boil water notice
Hillsborough County has rescinded a precautionary boil water notice for 95,000 customers in the south-central portion of the county. The county issued the warning Tuesday after a power shortage resulted in low pressure for customers and a potential for high bacteria counts. However, bacteria samples showed the water met quality standards, the county said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.
Hillsborough tells customers to boil tap water
Hillsborough County issued a precautionary boil water notice Tuesday for customers in a large area of south-central Hillsborough County. The affected area, south of State Road 60 and east of Interstate 75, includes approximately 95,000 county water customers. Low water pressure affected the county’s utility service area Tuesday morning because of a power shortage. Water service has been restored, but the county advised customers to boil water as a precaution until further notice.
Tampa Bay pro women’s soccer first goal: Find a home
There are no players, coaches, team name, nor stadium for home matches, but there is plenty of excitement about women’s professional soccer coming to Tampa Bay. That was apparent Friday when boosters and dignitaries filled the Hotel Haya ballroom near capacity for an introductory news conference for the United Soccer League (USL) Super League featuring league President Amanda Vandervort and team owners Daryll Shaw, David Laxer and Jeff Fox.
Tampa’s $742 million question: How do we pay for parks?
The city of Tampa has 191 parks and it is investing $46.3 million this year to upgrade them. It’s not enough, according to a new master plan for parks and recreation compiled over the past two years by consultant AECOM.
Pasco commissioner being treated for leukemia
Pasco County Commissioner Gary Bradford, who joined the board in November, announced on social media he is being treated for leukemia. “Many of you have noticed my recent absences. It’s because I’ve received a diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia,” Bradford wrote in a recent post on Facebook. The disease, he said, “is the most common form of blood cancer in adults and it’s highly survivable, with an 85% average recovery rate.
In New Tampa, what’s next for closed golf course? Neighbors have ideas
They’ve tussled before county commissioners considering a, environmental clean-up plan and in front of a Hillsborough Circuit Court judge hearing allegations of defamation and attempts to quash public participation in a government zoning case. Monday night, residents of Pebble Creek in northern Hillsborough County’s New Tampa area finally got their say before a hearing master in the first step of a two-part rezoning process to determine the future of the shuttered Pebble Creek Golf Club.
Pasco seniors face “immediate danger;” new elder care provider sought
A non-profit social service agency created “an immediate danger to the public health, safety and welfare of seniors of Pasco County,” the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco and Pinellas Inc. said Monday while picking a new organization to temporarily administer in-home services for elderly people living in the community.
Troubled Pasco charity to drop senior services
The financially troubled Community Aging and Retirement Services is abandoning attempts to renew a $4.3 million contract to help needy Pasco County senior citizens live in their homes independently. The Hudson-based charity, known commonly as CARES, has provided the services for five decades. But, it is walking away after the contract administrator, the Area Agency on Aging, called for new financial safeguards and a 60-day probation period for CARES.
Amid Tampa skepticism, regional transportation plan advances
A proposed regional transportation board faces a bumpy road in the city of Tampa. The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization — elected and appointed officials overseeing transportation planning in the county — on Wednesday agreed to participate in a state-mandated study of combining the panel with its counterparts in Pasco and Pinellas counties.
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