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Tampa's 'Green' Ordinance Would Improve City, Cut Costs

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 27, 2008

The city of Tampa is going green - sensibly.

Tampa City Council and Mayor Pam Iorio's team are promoting a plan that starts with small, but meaningful steps to conserve energy, save water and reduce waste.

Councilman John Dingfelder wants a more ambitious effort, but his differences with the administration's plan are modest and not worth extended debate.

All the parties agree that every aspect of city business should reflect sound conservation practices. That includes the construction of city buildings, fleet management, purchasing practices and water use. The goal is not simply to reduce pollution, but to cut costs and improve efficiency.

The ordinance also would encourage conservation in private projects by offering expedited rezonings and increases in density for those that follow the principles.

The city also proposes a partial refund of water and sewer connection fees if a home is certified as a Florida Water Star home, which means tough environmental standards are met in landscaping, irrigation and plumbing.

To encourage the construction of green buildings, Dingfelder would waive $100,000 a year in permit fees - $50,000 for commercial and $50,000 for residential. He says the lost fees would be made up in general revenue, but his position fails to consider anticipated cuts to the city's general fund. This suggestion should await better economic times.

Dingfelder also wants to create a separate office of sustainability to oversee the environmental program. The mayor, however, wants that position to be part of the administrative team, possibly an existing employee.

It makes no sense to add positions and grow bureaucracies to make this proposal happen. Besides, establishing an office outside the administrative chain of command could make the person easier to ignore.

Iorio's staff also rejects Dingfelder's plan to reduce stormwater fees for projects that use pervious material for parking lots, sidewalks and driveways. While concern about a loss of revenue is understandable, the city should pursue ways to promote construction techniques that minimize polluted runoff.

There is no need to get bogged down on the relatively few policy disputes between Dingfelder and Iorio's team. Improvements and revisions can always be made later. What's important is that Tampa is beginning to bring a green perspective to everything it does.

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