Commission To Discuss Clogged Canals

By LIZ BLEAU The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 12, 2007

TAMPA - The county commission will hold a workshop at 1:30 p.m. May 23 to discuss a canal dredging study that has been 18 months in the making.

The study was sparked by complaints from residents in northwest and south Hillsborough County who said canals by their properties are barely navigable because silt and debris have clogged the waterways.

Residents say they are upset that commissioners have scheduled only an hour or less to review the study and its recommendations.

Marianne Cufone, an environmental lawyer active in the northwest group Save Our Canals, has asked members to request more time to talk about the canal issue.

The commission's schedule leaves little or no time for public comment, she said.

She suggested commissioners change the time of the workshop to later in the afternoon, when more people can participate, and leave the time slot open-ended to allow for full review and discussion.

The study, which proposes that residents and the county split the cost of dredging the canals, was reviewed by residents in both parts of the county in mid-March. If all the dredging projects in both parts of the county are combined into one special taxing district, homeowners would pay about $400 a year for the 10-year, $15.1 million project.

Some residents, especially those in northwest Hillsborough neighborhoods such as Dana Shores and Bayport, say the county should pay a higher percentage of the dredging costs because the canals serve as part of the wastewater system, and much of the silt and debris comes from runoff.

Apollo Beach resident Joe Waronka has suggested his community form its own special taxing district because the Apollo Beach dredging projects would cost less than half the roughly $400 fee if all the properties form a district.

Martin Montalvo, project coordinator for the county's department of public works, said he will present the department's report to the county commission but does not know whether the commission will allow public comment.

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at (813) 865-1557 or lbleau@tampatrib.com.