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Tampa Mayor To Safari Wild: Zoo Must Be Repaid

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By BAIRD HELGESON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 11, 2008

TAMPA - Safari Wild must repay taxpayer-funded Lowry Park Zoo for any money it paid to the Polk County exotic-animal park and for barns the zoo built on the property, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said Wednesday.

"Our position is that there should be absolutely no connection between Lowry Park Zoo and Safari Wild," said the mayor, who sits on the zoo board.

Another zoo board member, City Councilman Charlie Miranda, said he was never told the zoo built two barns at the yet-to-open attraction owned by zoo president Lex Salisbury.

"There needs to be disciplinary action taken, all the way down the line," Miranda said.

On Wednesday, The Tampa Tribune reported that the zoo built a 2,400-square-foot horse barn and a primate building of similar size on the Safari Wild property. The zoo paid for fencing around 5 acres of property for the zoo's horses, as well.

The barns were built as part of a now-voided memorandum of understanding between the zoo's executive committee and Safari Wild. The agreement gave the zoo a free, 10-acre lease that allowed exhibit animals to graze on the Safari Wild property.

The six-member executive committee ended the relationship in June when concerns arose about a possible conflict of interest in having Salisbury run the zoo and the for-profit animal park. The full board never voted on the agreement.

The executive committee reviewed all transactions between the zoo, Salisbury and Safari Wild, said Bob Merritt, who sits on the executive committee. "We found nothing to suggest any impropriety."

For extra assurance, the zoo ordered an independent audit of its dealings with Safari Wild, which Merritt will oversee. The company that reviews the zoo's books will conduct the audit, which should be completed in a few weeks. Merritt could not immediately recall the name of the company doing the audit.

Hearts Were 'In The Right Place'

The zoo has said no public money was used for the work at Safari Wild.

Merritt said Salisbury agreed to open Safari Wild's financial books for the audit.

"Maybe there was some bad judgment, but I think everybody's heart was in the right place," Merritt said.

He said he didn't know how much the zoo has spent in its relationship with Safari Wild, or how much it spent building the barns.

The Landing Group, a Tampa construction company, built the buildings at Safari Wild and has done work at Lowry Park Zoo for about 14 years. The company has also done work at Salisbury's personal exotic-animal ranch in Dade City.

"Lex has bent over backwards to make sure the accounts are separate," said Richard Bliss, a vice president of the company.

Bliss could not give a specific price of the barns the zoo built on Safari Wild's property. He said all of his dealings about the zoo barns were with the zoo's board, not Salisbury.

The zoo's buildings and fences on Safari Wild's property could easily be torn down and relocated, the zoo says.

All transactions between the zoo and Safari Wild were approved by board chairman Fassil Gabremariam, Merritt said. "If we do find anything improper, we'll take additional steps beyond severing the relationship" with Safari Wild, he said.

Iorio said the audit is an encouraging step.

Partnership Called Money Saver

Salisbury and St. Petersburg veterinarian Stephen Wehrmann bought 258 acres of land north of downtown Lakeland in 2007 to create Safari Wild. The attraction is to feature an African-style safari tour in which visitors would see exotic and endangered species.

State and Polk County permitting issues have delayed completion of the animal park. Salisbury and Wehrmann have invested about $4 million in the project, according to an e-mail to Polk County officials from Safari Wild's former attorney, Timothy Campbell.

The partnership with Safari Wild saved money for the zoo, Merritt said.

Since severing the relationship, the zoo has tried to relocate a few animals to other land and given away some, said Merritt, who couldn't provide more specifics.

Merritt figures the zoo must spend about $250,000 to buy land to replace the property it used at Safari Wild.

The zoo's curator staff - not Salisbury - came to the board seeking a place to let zoo animals roam when they were not needed for display, Merritt said. "Lex did this as a favor," he said.

Even so, other board members echoed Iorio's concern about any connection between the zoo and Safari Wild.

"It was my understanding that Safari Wild was a private venture," said board member Dave Moore, executive director of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. "If we are going to enter a joint venture, then that's something that I think needs to go before the full board for discussion."

Merritt said that historically, the zoo's full 38-member board is not involved in the daily business of running the zoo.

"The communication needs to improve" between the zoo's executive committee and the full board, Iorio said.

"All eyes need to be on the zoo right now," she said. "Not on any other private venture whatsoever."

Reporter Baird Helgeson can be reached at (813) 259-7668 or bhelgeson@tampatrib.com.

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