Board of County Commissioners Meeting Recap for Sept. 20, 2023
During the Sept. 20, 2023, Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, commissioners presented a commendation to the 2023 Sickles High School baseball team for winning the program’s first ever state championship and congratulated the team on its successful season.
The board declared September 2023 as Big Brothers Big Sisters Month. For over 50 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has provided mentoring services in Hillsborough County that have proven to build relationships that help improve academic achievement, promote responsible decision-making, and provide the skills to better navigate relationships at school, in social settings, and at home.
During Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners enacted an ordinance amending the County's Construction Apprenticeship Program to eliminate participation requirements for County construction contracts and instead provide for an incentive for using apprentices in contracts of at least $5 million.
The board voted to add three additional projects to phase four of the County’s Community Investment Tax list of projects.
Those projects include the construction and replacement of the Progress Village South fire station and Thonotosassa fire station, along with the addition of a sheriff’s training facility which will also be utilized by the County’s Public Safety Operations Complex.
Commissioners received a report on a potential indoor fieldhouse facility and outdoor sports complex for baseball and softball tournaments. The report stated that industry research indicates that many sports participants are willing to travel 5+ hours to compete in tournaments, and the local economy would benefit greatly from hosting these events. The total cost to construct the complex would be $69.4 million dollars. The board directed staff to review all reports and evaluate potential locations for the facility.
The board received a report on the County’s partnerships and initiatives to help combat human trafficking. The County has implemented numerous educational trainings for staff and local businesses, along with launching public awareness campaigns, participating in statewide meetings, and staffing the County’s Commission on Human Trafficking.
In addition, the County funds several initiatives that work to fight human trafficking. Commissioners also heard from Crisis Center of Tampa Bay CEO Clara Reynolds about the County’s partnership to help protect victims. In the last 10 years, the County has invested more than $1.3 million to support call center operations, suicide prevention care coordination, and on-call forensic nurses.
With help from County funding, the Crisis Center opened a Southshore facility in early 2023 to respond to the increased need in that area.
The next BOCC regular meeting is at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023. You can watch the meeting live on YouTube on the Hillsborough County Meetings channel.
Find Hillsborough County meeting agendas.
Subscribe to the Hillsborough County Commission Connection newsletter.