TAMPA, Fla. — The City of Tampa is looking at better preparations for storms and severe weather. Whether it's changes to how people prepare or changes to land use and planning, leaders say now is the time to have the conversation.
The city is hosting three town halls to get community input on how the city can better prepare.
Stephen Benson is the Director of City Planning. He said these conversations are what it takes to create a sustainable future.
"The purpose of these meetings is to have conversations with the community, present ideas and get feedback on the steps that we can take today related to transportation, to land use, to sustainability, to make sure that our long-term future is resilient and sound and prepared to withstand major storm events and climate change," he said.
There will be three chances to speak up. The in-person meetings begin at 6 p.m. on the following dates:
- Tuesday, October 11 at Port Tampa Center
- Monday, October 24 at Forest Hills Center
There will also be a virtual session at 12 p.m. on:
- Tuesday, October 18
A big question surrounds the city's growth and development plans.
"Is the development that we want to see happening in the right places? And is it the right type of development? All of these questions and conversations are what we're going to have at the town halls. And moving forward as we update the city's comprehensive plan," Benson said.
Carroll Ann Bennett said it's her primary concern.
"I am very concerned of what would have happened here if the Hurricane had hit us the same way as Fort Myers."
While Tampa was spared the worst of Hurricane Ian, Bennett knows this community is still vulnerable.
"One of the largest growth areas in the city is in the most vulnerable areas. There's been tremendous growth in South Tampa but South Tampa could have been underwater," she said.
Walter Smith II's fear is self-sufficiency. In preparation for Hurricane Ian, the city said people could be without power for up to a week.
Smith said the city needs to look at how to change that before it's too late.
"We're talking about establishing microgrids to sustain communities with energy long enough for us to get assistance," he said.
Meantime, Councilman Luis Viera is proposing more pet shelters.
"Five or ten percent from what I saw were animal friendly. What percentage of people in Tampa own animals and pets? It's much higher than that and they're not going to abandon their family members during a storm," he said.
He's also looking at creating a volunteer-based group to help with storm prep; anywhere from filling sandbags to knocking on doors in evacuation zones.
"I think to myself, how many people especially people who are in areas that are elevated, where they're not in a flood zone, would love to go out there, roll up their sleeves, and help these heroic city workers out," he added.
Viera's proposal returns to the council agenda on November 17.
