Davis Islands Today

So, you’ve gotten all the information about the Davis Islands Neighborhood Plan. What do you think? Vote in the poll, and leave your comments below.

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DAVIS ISLANDS - The Neighborhood Plan is up for a vote from now to June 6.

Stakeholders in Davis Islands are casting ballots on the Davis Island (DI) Neighborhood Plan now through June 6. The Plan and ballots are available on the web at www.dineighborhoodplan.org and at Montalvo’s Ice Cream Shoppe and Cafe, the neighborhood ice cream parlor, and at the June 6 polling location (HCC Corporate Learning Center from 6-8PM). If you wish to vote and need an absentee ballot, please call the Planning Task Force number 813-254-7204.

“The Plan is a statement of the values and vision of the people of DI,” Co-Chairman Lee Medart, said. “It is to be considered in making decisions about future development and improvements.”

The Plan addresses traffic, recreation and open space, community appearance, the village center, community identity, environmental protection, and utilities. The Tampa City Council authorized a task force to produce the Plan. Over the past five years the task force has gathered input from DI stakeholders which is reflected in the Vision up for vote. The voting will be held at HCC Corporate Training Center on the Islands at 39 Columbia Drive from 6pm – 8pm. The community (renters, business owners, employees, and residents, etc) is invited to participate. The more voters we have on the Vision, the more impact it will make on future City Development on the Islands and others.

For more information, call Lee Medart 813-254-7204

From the St. Petersburg/Tampa Airboat Line Flying Club:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tampa Bay gets a new hybrid business, professional, marketing, travel and fun flying club

Davis Islands Village Center - Tampa, Fla.- (May 7, 2007) ? The St. Petersburg ? Tampa Airboat Line Flying Club a.k.a.The Tampa Bay Flying Club will have a founders flying club meeting at SIPs coffee house [free wifi] on Davis Islands, Wednesday May 30 at 730PM. The agenda includes reviewing the type of aircraft the club will acquire, meeting Flight instructors and development plans - all are welcome. Please email your business interests and/or aviation goals to: SOLOSktpf@verizon.net.

For more information contact:
Neil Cosentino
Director of Development & Communications
813-251-4669
neil.cosentino@verizon.net

Barefeet Billy says that Pastor Jeff is leaving the Davis Islands Baptist Church:

Tonight was the night that our shepherd announced he is moving to a new flock in another pasture. We love Pastor Jeff and I pray it goes well for him. I have been a joyful gatherer at Davis Islands Baptist Church for nigh unto eleven years now and have appreciated Jeff’s excellent teaching from the scriptures. Even more impressive to me is the vital community that the studying of the word fostered over the years.

Hear the pastor’s announcement (5/22/07 sermon).

Updated 25 May 2007 10am: See clarification at the bottom of this post.

We got an email from Chamber of Commerce president Jennifer Fadal about the stench roaming around the Islands lately:

Hello Chamber Members. If you live, work or play on Davis Islands, you may have noticed an unpleasant odor during the past week or so. It seemed to move from place to place on the island as the wind changed.

Please know that this is NOT a major problem and was simply malfunctioning equipment at the city sewer plant. Thanks to Mark Paris from ReMax Reflections for looking in to this…

She includes a link to the story about the sewer plant malfunction on page two of Metro in Wednesday’s Tribune. The article quotes Tampa wastewater director Ralph Metcalf:

Sewage treatment employees waited until the end of the week to apply chemicals to cut the smell, Metcalf said. Residents started complaining as the smell hung heavy through Monday night.

“We should have done something before the people started complaining,” Metcalf said. “Frankly, we dropped the ball on that.”

I think Metcalf is talking about treating the stench quicker. He SHOULD be talking about communicating with the community.

The article doesn’t tell you is that residents who complained to the city got the runaround for a week.

A Davis Islands resident called the city about the stench late on Wednesday, May 14. John Peckett from the Tampa Wastewater Department called back on the 16th, and suggested “only 1 in a hundred people smell things,” that the resident was “the only complaint,” and often times people “blame the sewage treatment plant when it is the seaweed on Bayshore.” Pressed further, Peckett considered the source “might be the digester.”

It might be the digester.

Unsatisfied with that answer, (and still dealing with the horrible smell), he emailed the mayor directly on Monday the 21st. He got a response from Treatment Plant manager Phillip Clark on Tuesday:

I want to apologize for our lack of communications to you and for any inconveniences you and the residents of Davis Islands may have experienced last week due to the odor problem.

He goes on to explain the process that you’ve already read about in the Tribune piece, but also assures us that will “evaluate this process [Wednesday the 23th] and take further steps if necessary.” Clark also says we can call him directly, should we smell the foul odors in the future.

All of which is wonderful. Except it’s not.

In addition to the runaround, a local television reporter looking into it was told “off the record” that the city of Tampa had been “trying to keep this out of the news.” Huh? Keep it out of the news?

Someone screwed up - why not accept it, and explain to residents instead of trying to hide an odor so horrid, it can’t be covered? My six year old knows better.

A quick recap: The spill happened on Monday the 14th. On the 16th, Peckett mislead a city resident about the possible cause. Between then and the 22nd, at least one reporter was asked to keep the information out of the news. By the 22nd, enough people were asking questions that the Director of wastewater had to give the newspaper something, which was printed on the 23rd.

The story was buried by the city for ten days, and a reporter ignored it! Pardon the pun, but something smells funny here, and my gut tells me there is more to this.

Clarification: The TV reporter was told about this off the record on Tuesday, May 22. That TV station still does not have the report on their website.

BEAT THE HEAT! FEMALE CATS PRE-HEAT CYCLE ARE ½ PRICE IN JUNE!

WHO: Animal Coalition of Tampa, Inc. (ACT)

WHAT: Avoid the “Oops Litter” and “Beat the Heat” in June! During the month of June, any spay/neuter surgery for a female cat prior to her first heat cycle will be $20 at the ACT Spay Neuter Clinic. Any cat, from any county is welcome to participate!

WHEN: The entire month of June

WHERE: ACT Spay Neuter Clinic
1719 West Lemon St., Tampa
813-250-3900

WHY: That cute little kitten your neighbor gave you will be a mama cat before you know it if you don’t “get around to it”. Then finding homes can be difficult and it becomes a vicious cycle. “Beat the Heat” and fix them for $20 in June.

Heat cycles in cats start as early as 6 months and occur every 3-4 weeks during spring through early fall. The gestation period for both dogs and cats is 63 days. Female cats can become pregnant again as soon as 10 days after giving birth (while still nursing the first litter).

ABOUT ACT: ACT is a non-profit organization. Their primary focus is high volume spay/neuter programs to reduce the high number of companion animals entering local shelters, and in turn, limit euthanasia. Spay/neuter costs at ACT are greatly reduced and range from $40 to $95. For low income Hillsborough County residents who qualify, the cost is merely $10 through the County’s voucher program (certain restrictions apply).

Public contact: ACT Spay Neuter Clinic: 813-250-3900 or visit www.actampa.org

From MyFox Tampa Bay: Bad wheel, but good landing on Davis Islands

close call began around 8 a.m. Monday. Matt Cowan, the new owner of the Cessna 310, was taking lessons from Kendall. They left Peter O. Knight Airport Monday morning and had flown to Zephyrhills Airport before a landing gear problem announced itself with a loud ‘pop’ on the way back.

Airport Expansion Plans Are All About Safety and Compliance

In 2008, the Peter O. Knight Airport will spend $1.8 million to update the airfield. While this sounds as if it is big news, we don’t expect it to have any significant effect on you as a resident of the Islands.

The southwest area of the runway will be lengthened 187 feet. The existing safety zone extends into Seddon Channel, which does not conform to Federal Aviation Authority guidelines. The actual place where planes touch down will remain exactly where it is. The additional 187 feet will simply expand the safety and taxiing zones. The area of the runway used for landings will actually decrease. This will put the Peter O. Knight Airport in compliance with the FAA, and increase safety.

At the informational meeting on May 15, residents asked about a possible increase in the volume and length of noise, but any increase should be insignificant.

Of more significance to residents is the addition of three enclosed hangar buildings on the Seddon Channel side of the airport. While an old section of flat concrete will be removed from airport property along Davis Boulevard, plans call for more enclosed storage buildings that may block your view of the waterfront north of the terminal.

As indicated by airport officials, demand for enclosed storage space is tremendous and new hangars will be built to complement existing covered and uncovered areas.

Peter O. Knight Airport is financially operated by and supported by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority ( www.tampaairport.com )

By the way, we offer hearty congratulations to Tampa International Airport’s Louis Miller, who was also at the meeting. Executive Director of TIA since 1996, Miller was recognized by the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau ( www.visittampabay.com ) as the Gonzmart Family “Ambassador of the Year” award winner (pdf). The award was created in 1994 to honor those in the Tampa Bay area who have contributed greatly to the community at large, and to the success of the hospitality industry in Tampa and Hillsborough County.

May 24 is Trauma Awareness Day. In the TGH Rehab Activity Room at the Rehab Building, you can hear amazing testimonials by former patients who will reunite with their caregivers. Many of these patients were high profile accident victims.

From the Davis Islands Neighborhood Plan website:

Vote on June 6

The vote will be 6pm to 8pm Wednesday, June 6, 2007, in Room 125 at the Hillsborough Community College Training Center, 39 Columbia Drive on Davis Islands.

All Davis Islands residents should receive a postcard at their Davis Islands address. The postcard, plus a picture ID with a Davis Islands address, is required for voting.

The postcards were printed and mailed to all Davis Islands residents by the City of Tampa’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Relations. Employees from the office also will help present the Plan at the May 23 meeting.

For more information, or to inquire about absentee voting, call 813-254-7204.

All of you are encouraged to study a couple of papers prepared by the task force (both pdf documents):

• Davis Islands Community Plan… A shared vision of our future. May 2007
• Davis Islands Community Plan Background Report - May 4, 2007

Davis Islands is your neighborhood. Know what’s going on.