During the April 17, 2024, Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting:
The Board presented the eighth annual Theodore Roosevelt Hillsborough Forever Conservation Award to former County Commissioner Stacy White. During his time on the board, Commissioner White led an initiative to get the Little Manatee River designated as a scenic river, promoted and led the way in securing record ELAPP funding levels, championed the planning and funding for Pebble Park, promoted an initiative to plant native vegetation on County properties, which created habitat for birds and small wildlife, and served on many boards and councils that protect the environment.
Commissioners declared April 2024 as Water Conservation Month and May 12-18 as Florida Water Reuse Week. The County promotes water conservation through a wide variety of educational efforts, community outreach, water use restrictions, and agency partnerships, along with funding and construction of reclaimed water systems.
The Board encouraged residents to take appropriate steps to conserve and protect the vital resource.
Commissioners held a public hearing and approved an ordinance to place a renewal of the existing half-percent Community Investment Tax (CIT) on the November 2024 ballot.
The ordinance would implement the CIT for 15 years and allocate 5% of the tax to Hillsborough County schools for infrastructure.
CIT funds may be used for infrastructure for transportation and public works, public safety, public facilities, public utilities, and public schools.
Included in the approved ordinance is an amendment that states the County, cities, and school board cannot bond more than 70% of their share of the CIT and signage would be placed at project sites to show where CIT dollars are being used.
The Board approved a Progressive Design-Build agreement with Garney Companies, Inc. for the One Water - South Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment Project, Phase 1A. This first phase will serve as the foundation for the entire project and will focus on performing comprehensive evaluations to confirm the major components that will be incorporated into the design.
The project is a component of the One Water Program, which is a large-scale infrastructure project designed to address short-term and long-term water and wastewater needs in the County's South-Central Service Area.
The next BOCC regular meeting is at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2024. You can watch the meeting live on YouTube on the Hillsborough County Meetings channel.
Find Hillsborough County meeting agendas.
Subscribe to the Hillsborough County Commission Connection newsletter.