TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Poll On Land Conservation Program Put On Hold
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: March 31, 2008
Updated:
TAMPA - County Administrator Pat Bean has stopped work on a poll about continuing a popular land-buying program, saying there are still questions about whether it should be extended.
The Environmental Land Acquisition and Protection Program, which has protected 48,000 acres from development since 1991, ends in 2011. The citizen committee that runs the program was planning to poll residents on their support for buying more undeveloped land. ELAPP supporters say they can raise private money to pay for the poll.
Bean challenged the poll, saying county officials and program supporters must answer questions about the county's ability to pay for managing more land. Bean also questioned whether voters would support continuing the program in the current anti-tax atmosphere.
"We've bought over 48,000 acres," Bean said. "At a time when people are struggling to put food on their tables, struggling to pay their property taxes, do we ask them for more money to keep buying land?"
Voters approved the program in a 1990 referendum, 73 percent to 27 percent. The vote allowed the county to borrow up to $100 million to buy land and to levy a property tax of up to 0.25 mills, or $25 per $100,000 of assessed value, to pay off the debt.
Last month, Commissioner Jim Norman stressed the importance of the program and said it should be continued. But the ELAPP general committee, made up of residents, is undecided about whether to schedule the referendum for November or for 2010. The county commission would make that decision after getting a recommendation from the committee.
The committee was to meet today to put the final touches on a poll. That meeting was canceled, however, when Bean and county department heads asked for more information before the poll was submitted to county commissioners.
One of the questions they wanted answered was about the county's ability to maintain newly acquired land.
"When you acquire these properties, there are added management costs and there are some concerns about that," said Kurt Gremley, who handles the program's land purchases.
The land the county has purchased is maintained at a basic level, according to Pete Fowler, division manager for the county Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department. The department tries to fence off most of the purchased land for security, Fowler said, and underbrush is managed with controlled burns. County crews try to keep exotic plant species under control and plant some native species with the help of volunteer labor.
The department has just 25 people to maintain the land, too few to restore the parks to all-natural vegetation or to provide educational amenities, parks department director Mark Thornton said.
"When you add more land you have to absorb more maintenance and you have to reduce across the board the overall level of maintenance," Thornton said.
Bean, who is faced with the prospect of laying off dozens of employees this year, questions the need for such expenditures. She says the land-buying program has largely fulfilled its purpose by preserving the most valuable natural areas in the county.
"Most of what has been nominated and is already on the ELAPP list is not pristine land; it's land that's been disturbed in some way," Bean said.
ELAPP committee member Mariella Smith, though, argues that even land that has been disturbed, such as farmland, has value as a watershed, a buffer for more pristine land or as a wildlife corridor. The important thing, she said, is to preserve green space.
"I think most people would favor continuing using our tax dollars to save land for future generations instead of turning our county into one big parking lot," Smith said.
Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Reader Comments
Posted by ( davidkc ) on March 31, 2008 at 7:56 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
How disappointing that Bean is discontinuig this program. Florida's natural habitat is shrinking every year, which has devastating effects on the quality of our air and water and adds to global warming. Surely the county could try to be a little innovative in doing some private-public collaborations to find the needed funding to maintain these lands.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Reality ) on March 31, 2008 at 8:32 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wait a minute. What's going on here? The County had enough money to refurnish the lake next to Brian Blair's house when the former Killer Bee (who fakes falls in restaurants) threw his steroid-enhanced weight around to get this personal benefit funded. So why can't the County do something for us regular taxpayers? It's so unfair. I know I can vote against the Killer Bee, but can I vote against Bean in an election?
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( peak ) on March 31, 2008 at 3:09 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Pat Bean has gotta go. There is still some "untouched land" in the county that ELAPP should acquire, unfortunately the developers also have their eye on it as well.
And we all know "Developers are King" in Hillsboro!
People, we have got to stop electing stupid candidates for the Hillsbrough County Commission. Regardless if one of the County Commissioners is a golfing buddy, drinking buddy, hunting buddy, friend of a friend, has mastered a sport, attends the same church, belongs to the same political party, or is the same skin color, our current batch are (largely) idiots.
Let’s use individual merit, previous experience and intelligence as the yardstick when the next BOCC election comes around…whether you’d want to have a beer with the chump should NOT be the criteria, for anything really.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Pilgarlic ) on March 31, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
There is no reason to believe that developers oppose ELAPP. Please don't assume that if it's bad for the environment developers must support it. That's simplistic. You're substituting cliche for thought, almost to the point of bigotry. Anyway, this program must be allowed to continue. Preservation is forever; a budget crunch is but a year or a few. Let's take the long view and continue to acquire, even if we can't optimally maintain in the short-run. By way of disclosure: I'm a developer.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Marty ) on March 31, 2008 at 4:42 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Looks like Bean is doing the BOCC's dirty work again.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Tampa610 ) on March 31, 2008 at 7:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Poll it! I think voters would approve. People are all for the protection of our natural resources. There has been no opposition to the program so why discontinue. I'll gladly pay an extra $50 or $75 so that we can protect what's left of nature.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( pokesittiekid ) on April 3, 2008 at 7:15 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Remember years ago when the stench we smelled was the bay? Well that's cleaner, thanks to enforced environmental measures, and now the stench is only from City Center with our current BOCC letting the county administrator do their dirtywork. Pat Bean is not elected, and should have her mouth reined in on issues that are not her job. This is an election year and I pledge to make my voice heard loudly, attempting to wake up the apathetic sheep voters in this county as to how we should alter the makeup of our all-too-developer-friendly BOCC. We only have two reasonable members, and one of those is becoming suspect. Let's purge ourselves this election year of Blair and Hagan, and any other of the clowns on the ballot, then get rid of Pat Bean and the stain and stench of the Bean Legacy once and for all. Let the citizens decide! We want a poll, Pat! This will be a very busy election year. BOCC BEWARE!!!!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( cavedog ) on April 3, 2008 at 8:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Everybody who feels strongly about this need to pass your concerns on to your commissioners. You have one district and three at large to inform. Tell as many people as you can, and get them to do the same. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Report Inappropriate Comments