News PPC Membership Moves Toward Unification

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1 News PPC Membership Moves Toward Unification The past several months have been busy ones for the PPC, particularly in regards to the membership of our Council. Local governments appoint their PPC representatives for two-year terms. While the same member is often reappointed for multiple consecutive terms, this year has coincided with a number of longtime representatives either leaving public office due to term limits, or stepping aside to make way for new elected officials from their communities to be appointed. An important contributor to the shift in membership is the fact that, as the PPC has continued to move forward on unifying with the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), efforts are being made to bring the makeup of the two boards closer together in the meantime. Of course, the two agencies are entering the final phase of preparations for unification, which is anticipated to occur later this year. The purpose of this effort, which has been planned for more than two years, is to fully integrate planning of land use and transportation on a countywide basis. Once unification takes place, the PPC and MPO boards will become a single board, and most local governments who currently have a different elected official on each board will need to choose a single representative. To ease this transition, local governments with the option of nominating the same elected official to represent their communities on both the PPC and MPO have been encouraged to do so prior to unification. rently serve on both the PPC and MPO. A number of PPC members also serve on other transportationoriented boards and committees, including the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority and the Advisory Committee for Pinellas Transportation. These coordinated appointments have moved the PPC closer to the ultimate goal of realizing truly integrated countywide land use and transportation planning. In light of these membership changes, this edition of the PPC News is dedicated to welcoming our new members, and saying farewell to our departing members who have served so well. Spring 2013 In This Issue... PPC and MPO Membership Moves Toward Unification Welcome New Members Farewell to Former Members PPC/MPO Unification Update Thus far, the changes in membership have resulted in five local government representatives who cur- 1

2 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Mayor Joseph Ayoub, City of Safety Harbor Mayor Ayoub joined the PPC in October He has served on the City Commission of Safety Harbor since 2007, and was sworn in as Mayor in January He serves on the Pinellas County School Transportation Safety Committee, the Florida League of Mayors, and the School Advisory Council for Safety Harbor Middle School; and he is a past member of the Safety Harbor Budget Advisory Committee and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. A Safety Harbor resident since 1990, Mayor Ayoub is a Certified Public Accountant, and holds a bachelor s degree from the University of Florida and a master s degree from the University of South Florida, both in accounting. His hobbies include running, triathlons, and tennis. Mayor Dave Eggers, City of Dunedin Mayor Eggers was appointed to the PPC in December He was first elected to the City Commission in 2003 and became Mayor in A current member and immediate past Chair of the MPO, he has been a vital part of planning for the upcoming PPC/MPO unification. He has been a member of the City of Dunedin Board of Adjustment and Appeals, Board of Finance, Chamber of Commerce, and Historical Society, as well as a member of Friends of the Island Parks. Additionally, he has served as a liaison to the Pinellas County School Board and the Scottish Games Committee. A Florida resident since 1984, Mayor Eggers holds a bachelor s degree in civil engineering from Duke University and a master s of business administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Commissioner Harriet K. Crozier, City of Largo Commissioner Crozier began serving on the Largo City Commission in 1993 and has been re-elected five times. She joined the PPC in January 2013, and brings much experience in countywide transportation planning. Not only does she serve as Chair of the Advisory Committee for Pinellas Transportation and a member of the MPO, but she is 2 the former Co-Chair of the Alternatives Analysis Project Advisory Committee and former Chair of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council s Transportation Committee, along with membership in many other boards and committees. Commissioner Crozier has been a Largo resident since In addition to her political career, she has worked as an office manager at Serenity Gardens and a computer instructor at the Pinellas Technical Education Center.

3 School Board Member Peggy O Shea, Pinellas County School District School Board Member O Shea, appointed to the PPC in January 2013, was first elected to the school board in Currently, she serves as Vice-Chair, and served as Chair in As a School Board Member, she is on the board of the Pinellas Community Foundation, Early Learning/ Lew Williams project committee, and Pinellas County Collaborative. Prior to her election, she was appointed by the Governor to serve as Chair of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas. She has also served on several district task forces and School Advisory Councils. She is a past Chair of the Board of the Palm Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce; current Co-Chair of the Chamber s Government Affairs & Economic Development Committee; former member of the Board of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, East Lake Community Library, and Pinellas Public Access Advisory Committee; and a member of the Palm Harbor Rotary. Mayor Doug Bevis, City of Oldsmar Mayor Bevis is the most recent appointment to the PPC. Elected to the Oldsmar City Council in 2008, he became Mayor in March 2013 and was appointed to the PPC in the same month. He has previously served on the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority Board of Directors, representing Oldsmar, Tarpon Springs, and Safety Harbor. Mayor Bevis moved to the Tampa Bay region in His resume includes over twenty years of civil engineering experience in the Tampa Bay region, specializing in drainage design. He works as a real estate broker for Coldwell Banker, and has been President of the Bay Arbor Homeowners Association and a member of the Oldsmar Neighborhood Advisory Group. He continues to contribute time and support to many Oldsmar civic events. On weekends, he works as a country radio DJ on WFUS-FM PPC/MPO UNIFICATION UPDATE Although there have been delays along the way, the steady march toward unification of the PPC and MPO continues. The merger is expected to be formalized this summer, with the new board to be seated in the fall. Because both agencies are governed by federal and/or state law, a number of legal and procedural steps must be completed before unification can occur. One important step, to recodify the Special Act governing the PPC to enable its membership to be the same as the MPO, was accomplished during the 2012 legislative session. However, the new law will not take effect until corresponding membership changes are made to the MPO. 3 These MPO changes, known as reapportionment, require approval by the Governor s office, and have been folded into a larger, statewide MPO redesignation process that occurs every ten years following the release of U.S. Census data. Because Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco Counties form a single contiguous urbanized area, the three MPOs from those counties must demonstrate that they are coordinating their planning efforts before redesignation will be granted. That process is underway, and must be complete by July 1. Unification is anticipated to follow as soon as possible thereafter.

4 FAREWELL TO FORMER MEMBERS Mayor Sandra Bradbury City of Pinellas Park Mayor Bradbury served on the Council from April 2002 to March 2012, and held all four officer positions, including Chair in She was instrumental to the PPC in the development and implementation of Pinellas by Design, and in her commitment to unification of the PPC and MPO. Mayor Bradbury currently serves on the MPO. She has also served on the Pinellas Park/Gateway Chamber of Commerce and the Suncoast League of Cities, and was recognized in 2008 as Businesswoman of the Year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Commissioner Nina Bandoni City of Safety Harbor Commissioner Bandoni was a Council member from January 2009 to September She provided the Council with fair and balanced input into the land use decisionmaking process, as well as perspective and guidance in dealing with issues associated with housing affordability and development in our county. Commissioner Bandoni s continuing leadership includes membership on the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, the Low Income Housing Leadership Network and the Pinellas County Schools Transportation Committee. Commissioner Dave Carson City of Dunedin Commissioner Carson (not available for photo) was appointed to the Council in April 2009 and served until November During his time on the Council, he contributed to deliberations on Countywide Plan Map amendments and other land use issues. Apart 4 from his political career, he is the owner of Carson Pest Control, which was the recipient of the Small Business of the Year award from the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce in Mr. Carson has served on the City of Dunedin Permitting Task Force Committee, Board of Adjustment and Appeal, and Stadium Advisory Committee. He has also held leadership roles in the Dunedin Council of Organizations and Chamber of Commerce.

5 Mayor Pat Gerard City of Largo A s a PPC representative from March 2006 to December 2012, Mayor Gerard provided clear direction and leadership to the Council, taking a leading role in pursuing unification of the PPC and MPO. She has also provided leadership to the Pinellas Community as a whole, through service on the United Way Council of Executives, Pinellas County Victim Rights Coalition, Pinellas County Domestic Violence Task Force and more. She currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Family Resources, Inc. School Board Member Linda Lerner Pinellas County School District M s. Lerner was a Council member from November 2004 to December 2012, and served as Secretary in 2011 and Her thoughtful preparation and unique insight into the diverse issues the Council has faced over the past twelve years have been invaluable. Ms. Lerner was first elected to the School Board in 1990 and has been re-elected five times, serving as Chair in She holds a degree in special education, is a former teacher and counselor, and served as director of education support services at the Resource Center for Women. Mayor Jim Ronecker City of Oldsmar M ayor Ronecker served on the Council from March 2007 to March 2013, including time as Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair in He provided strong leadership and direction to the Council in pursuing unification of the PPC and MPO, strengthening coordination of land use and transportation planning. He has also been a member of the MPO, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, and Agency on Bay Management. He is past Chair of the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, and current Chair of the Printing Association of Florida. 5

6 Upcoming Hearing and Meeting Schedule Planners Advisory Committee Pinellas Planning Council Countywide Planning Authority June 3, 2013 June 12, 2013 July 9, 2013 July 1, 2013 July 10, 2013 August 6, 2013 September 3, 2013 September 11, 2013 October 8, 2013 September 30, 2013 October 9, 2013 November 5, 2013 The Pinellas Planning Council Councilmember Jim Kennedy (St. Petersburg), Chairman Mayor David O. Archie (Tarpon Springs), Vice-Chairman Commissioner John Morroni (Pinellas County), Treasurer Mayor Samuel Henderson (Group C Communities: Belleair, Belleair Bluffs, Gulfport*, Kenneth City, Seminole, South Pasadena), Secretary Mayor Joseph Ayoub (Safety Harbor) Mayor Doug Bevis (Oldsmar) Commissioner Harriet K. Crozier (Largo) Mayor Dave Eggers (Dunedin) Councilmember Doreen Hock-DiPolito (Clearwater) Vice-Mayor Joanne Cookie Kennedy (Group B Communities: Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach*, Indian Shores, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores) Vice-Mayor Jerry Mullins (Pinellas Park) School Board Member Peggy O Shea (Pinellas County School District) Commissioner Marvin Shavlan (Group A Communities: Madeira Beach, St. Pete Beach*, Treasure Island) * Councilmember serves on this governing body. The Countywide Planning Authority Commissioner Kenneth T. Welch, Chair Commissioner Karen Williams Seel, Vice-Chair Commissioner Charlie Justice Commissioner Susan Latvala Commissioner Janet C. Long Commissioner John Morroni Commissioner Norm Roche The Pinellas Planning Council Staff Michael C. Crawford, AICP, Interim Executive Director Linda Fisher, AICP, Principal Planner Katherine Holt, Office Specialist Joann Jacobs, Accounting Services Coordinator Christopher Mettler, Program Planner Michael Schoderbock, AICP, Program Planner Carolyn Shoemaker, Administrative Secretary If you have any questions or comments about this newsletter, please call , visit our web site at or write to us at: Pinellas Planning Council 310 Court Street Clearwater, FL