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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Hillsborough TPO Board Meeting: TIP Amendments, Farewells, and Regional Planning - October 14, 2026

Hillsborough County Archive View Page — Wednesday, October 14, 2026

BodyHillsborough County, Florida

SessionHillsborough County Archive View Page

DateWednesday, October 14, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:34:33

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

2:15

Good, thank you.

2:16

Good morning, everybody.

2:17

Welcome to the October 14th meeting of the Hillsborough TPO.

2:21

It's good to see everybody.

2:22

I think I missed the last meeting, and we were just trying to remember where I was, but I think I missed it, and I've missed all of you ever since.

2:29

And so it's very it's very yeah, it was a the secret assignment, yeah.

2:34

So um

Speaker 2

2:37

you were tiered for something.

Speaker 1

2:38

I did, you're right.

2:40

Um I want to thank you all for that, by the way.

2:43

I I missed the meeting and wound up uh chairing something new, and so thank you all for that.

2:49

I I appreciate that.

2:50

You're my heart is filled with gratitude, and so um if you would please stand and join me in the pledge.

Unassigned speaker

3:00

I

Speaker 2

3:01

pledge a meeting to the flag.

Unassigned speaker

3:08

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all the new people.

Unassigned speaker

3:18

Uh

Speaker 1

3:19

we will call the role, but I just wanted to mention that uh Councilmember Hertek is excused uh today, and just keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

3:28

And so would you please call the role?

Unassigned speaker

3:30

Good

Speaker 1

3:31

morning, TPL board.

Speaker 3

3:33

Ross?

3:34

Here.

4:02

Thank you.

4:15

Roderick Christopher.

4:24

Joseph?

4:25

Here.

Unassigned speaker

4:26

All

Speaker 3

4:26

right.

4:26

Thank you.

4:27

You have a call.

4:28

Thank you very

Speaker 1

4:29

much.

4:30

So we uh

Unassigned speaker

4:31

I

Speaker 1

4:31

don't know if if all of you have heard this news or not, but we're losing one of our esteemed colleagues here, and Nigel Joseph is leaving us.

4:40

Uh, he's taken a uh employment in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Unassigned speaker

4:45

And so um the big loss to us and to the planning commission, obviously, and really to the whole community in Hillsborough County, he's a big loss, and um I don't remember approving you to do this, but um uh unfortunately will be leaving us.

Speaker 1

5:02

So um I think most of us have worked with um Nigel for a long time, and uh we know that he brings a unique and thoughtful perspective to the transportation discussions.

5:13

Uh he's helped reinforce the important connections between land use and transportation planning, and he's really been brought a unique set of skills and experiences to this board, and so um I don't think anybody will really be able to fill that role the same way that you have, Nigel.

5:30

And so uh we want to thank you very much.

5:33

We want to thank you for your service to this board, to the planning commission, and really um on behalf of the residents of Hillsborough County, we want to thank you for all that you've done for the for the entire community.

5:44

And so would you like to say a few words?

Speaker 4

5:48

Uh thank you all.

5:49

I'm honored to have served the community.

5:51

Um I never thought I would be here, and so it's a blessing and a privilege to be able to serve at the behest of the board of county commissioners, countywide planning commission appointee.

6:00

And uh just want to thank you all.

6:02

Um, it's been great, and I'll miss you all.

6:04

So thank you.

6:05

Well, thank you, Nigel.

6:07

And so let's give him

Speaker 1

6:07

a round of applause.

6:11

And so this next part will be a little tricky because we have limited space up here, but we're gonna all try to squish up here and take a photograph with a plaque that we've gotten for.

6:31

All right, I'm a little good at this, but I think we're supposed to be in the center.

Unassigned speaker

6:36

All

Speaker 2

6:36

guys in front.

6:40

Make sure that

Speaker 1

6:43

boots are

Speaker 5

6:44

gonna do well in drive.

Speaker 6

7:00

Wish you well.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Transportation Planning████████████████████████████████████████████44%

Public Engagement███████████████15%

Public Transportation█████████████13%

Public Safety██████████10%

Procedural████████8%

Public Health███3%

Transportation Safety███3%

Flooding██2%

Budget Equity Analysis██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Hillsborough TPO Board Meeting: TIP Amendments, Farewells, and Regional Planning - October 14, 2026

The Hillsborough Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Board convened on October 14, 2026, addressing two major Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) amendments, receiving committee reports, and setting future directives for regional transportation oversight. The meeting began with a farewell to departing board member Nigel Joseph and featured detailed debate on project costs, funding sources, and regional coordination.

Consent Calendar

The board adopted the consent agenda without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

Andy Scaglioni: Unable to join the meeting due to technical issues; no public comment was given.
Alfonso Lopez (Submitted via email): Expressed support for both TIP amendments but urged careful attention to pedestrian and ADA access, bicycle and transit connections, utility coordination to avoid future disruptions, and distinguishing between public benefits and private gains.
Amanda Brown (Submitted via Facebook): Questioned the funding source for the Air Cargo Road and Tampa Bay Boulevard TIP amendment.
Brian Skorzowski (Submitted via Instagram): Expressed support for a grade-separated electrified rail network for the Tampa Bay metropolitan area.

Committee Reports

Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Report – Rick Fernandez

Farewell: Recognized the service of departing member Clifford Reese.
I-4 Truck Park TIP Amendment: The CAC did not recommend approval. Members found the cost of $24.7 million for six charging stations to be “astronomically high”. A motion to recommend approval subject to requiring FDOT to explore a power purchase agreement or a public-private partnership to reduce costs failed by a vote of 5 to 10. Mr. Fernandez stated the CAC supports the project concept but not the cost structure.
Air Cargo Road and Tampa Bay Boulevard TIP Amendment: The CAC voted to recommend approval by a vote of 14 to 1, following discussion on sidewalk widths, linear park impacts, and project limits.
Scheduling: The CAC voted to cancel its November meeting.

Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Report – Harmony McGee (TPO Staff)

I-4 Truck Park TIP Amendment: TAC recommended approval. Discussion included Environmental Protection Commission support, establishing protocols to prevent overnight truck parking, and the need for accurate, current maps.
Air Cargo Road and Tampa Bay Boulevard TIP Amendment: TAC recommended approval.

Discussion Items

Action Item 1: FY26-30 TIP Amendment – I-4 Truck Park Facility Electric Truck Chargers

Presentation: Harry Walsh (TPO Staff) presented a $24.7 million federal NEVI grant amendment to install six brand-agnostic Level 3 electric truck charging stations at FDOT’s new 49-acre truck parking facility. The cost includes $10 million paid to TICO to harden the electrical infrastructure to 7.2 megawatts, allowing future expansion to 48 chargers.
Board Discussion:
- Board Member Roderick Christian: Found the costs “in the realm of reasonableness” for such infrastructure. Confirmed the technology is brand-agnostic.
- Board Member King: Described demand as a “chicken-or-egg scenario”. Inquired about user fees to cover costs (FDOT stated fees are not yet determined). Requested the total project cost without chargers ($36M facility + $11M ROW).
- Board Member Gray: Asked about compatibility with other large EVs (buses, RVs) and the current extent of TICO’s cost sharing.
- Chair (Mayor Ross): Clarified the funding is entirely new federal money, “use it or lose it”, and does not impact other local projects.
Vote: Motion carried 15-0.

Action Item 2: FY27-31 TIP Amendment – Air Cargo Road and Tampa Bay Boulevard Operational and Safety Improvements

Presentation: Harry Walsh presented a $10.3 million project (increased from $3.4M) to widen roadways, upgrade the roundabout at Lois Avenue, install traffic signals, and improve drainage for a known flooding area.
Board Discussion:
- Commissioner Cohen: Expressed full support. Successfully motioned to approve the amendment and requested a future board presentation on the comprehensive regional context of FDOT projects in the West Tampa, stadium, and airport areas.
- Commissioner Wastel: Voiced concern over the stadium project’s viability and overlapping event schedules. Voted against the amendment.
- Commissioner Bowles: Successfully verified the cost increase is from FDOT statewide reserves, not affecting local budgets.
- Councilmember Clendenen: Emphasized the need for pedestrian safety improvements, including bridges and sidewalks.
Vote: Motion carried 13-2. (Commissioner Wastel and Board Member King voted no).

Status Report: Prioritizing Transportation Tampa Bay Pilot

Presentation: Franco Saraceno (Kittelson and Associates) presented a $1.05 million federally funded pilot to create a unified regional project prioritization process in partnership with Pinellas and Pasco MPOs.
Board Discussion:
- Commissioner Wastel: Expressed skepticism, citing “study fatigue” and predictable outcomes. Questioned the distinction from the Regional Infrastructure Accelerator (RIA).
- Councilmember Clendenen: Concurred with Commissioner Wastel’s doubts.
- Board Member Gray: Raised concerns about pursuing this before the regional MPO merger is finalized.
- Chair (Mayor Ross) & Dr. Wong: Justified the study as a step toward harmonizing conflicting county methodologies and meeting federal performance-based planning requirements, serving as a potential fallback for regional coordination.

Status Report: Trauma Prevention and Safety Programs

Presentation: Alex Roder (Tampa General Hospital) presented safety programs as part of the Vision Zero initiative. Key statistics shared include over 5,000 people trained in “Stop the Bleed”, and an average age of 44 for e-bike related injuries treated at TGH. The presentation did not require board action.

Executive Director’s Report – Dr. Wong

West Tampa Benchmarking Study: Announced a new study (<$200,000) to establish a transportation baseline in West Tampa and Drew Park to assess the impacts of the RAISE stadium. Phase one begins in November.
Tri-County/Merger Update: Reported significant fatigue and a lack of quorum at the last TMA meeting. A special meeting is set for December 1st to address the merger study.
Upcoming Meetings: The November 4th regular meeting is canceled. The next regular meeting is December 9th.

Key Outcomes

Decisions and Votes:
- Approved the FY26-30 TIP Amendment for the I-4 Truck Park electric chargers (15-0).
- Approved the FY27-31 TIP Amendment for Air Cargo Road and Tampa Bay Boulevard improvements (13-2).
Directives and Next Steps:
- Regional Overview Motion Approved: The board adopted Commissioner Cohen’s motion to direct staff to schedule a comprehensive presentation from FDOT on all planned projects (West Tampa, Airport, I-275/SR-60) at the earliest practical meeting.
- West Tampa Study Initiated: Staff to proceed with a benchmarking study in the West Tampa area.
- Evaluation: Annual Executive Director evaluation forms to be distributed, with results expected at the December 9th meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Good, thank you. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the October 14th meeting of the Hillsborough TPO. It's good to see everybody. I think I missed the last meeting, and we were just trying to remember where I was, but I think I missed it, and I've missed all of you ever since. And so it's very it's very yeah, it was a the secret assignment, yeah. So um you were tiered for something. I did, you're right. Um I want to thank you all for that, by the way. I I missed the meeting and wound up uh chairing something new, and so thank you all for that. I I appreciate that. You're my heart is filled with gratitude, and so um if you would please stand and join me in the pledge. I pledge a meeting to the flag. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all the new people. Uh we will call the role, but I just wanted to mention that uh Councilmember Hertek is excused uh today, and just keep her in your thoughts and prayers. And so would you please call the role? Good morning, TPL board. Ross? Here. Thank you. Roderick Christopher. Joseph? Here. All right. Thank you. You have a call. Thank you very much. So we uh I don't know if if all of you have heard this news or not, but we're losing one of our esteemed colleagues here, and Nigel Joseph is leaving us. Uh, he's taken a uh employment in Fayetteville, North Carolina. And so um the big loss to us and to the planning commission, obviously, and really to the whole community in Hillsborough County, he's a big loss, and um I don't remember approving you to do this, but um uh unfortunately will be leaving us. So um I think most of us have worked with um Nigel for a long time, and uh we know that he brings a unique and thoughtful perspective to the transportation discussions. Uh he's helped reinforce the important connections between land use and transportation planning, and he's really been brought a unique set of skills and experiences to this board, and so um I don't think anybody will really be able to fill that role the same way that you have, Nigel. And so uh we want to thank you very much. We want to thank you for your service to this board, to the planning commission, and really um on behalf of the residents of Hillsborough County, we want to thank you for all that you've done for the for the entire community. And so would you like to say a few words? Uh thank you all. I'm honored to have served the community. Um I never thought I would be here, and so it's a blessing and a privilege to be able to serve at the behest of the board of county commissioners, countywide planning commission appointee. And uh just want to thank you all. Um, it's been great, and I'll miss you all. So thank you. Well, thank you, Nigel.

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