TAMPA — Council members expressed frustration over the pace of a council‑funded paid internship program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and asked the administration to provide regular written reports and funding recommendations.

Background: The program — approved as a pilot by council in 2023 and funded for paid internships at roughly $15 per hour — was intended to create employment pathways and on‑the‑job training for residents with disabilities. Staff and community partners reported some placements in workforce, ADA, technology and parks departments, but supervisors and nonprofit partners told council they have encountered operational challenges around supervision, pace of work, and the need for tailored staff training.

Council action and direction: Councilman Viera requested monthly written reports documenting placements, participating departments and program outcomes, and moved that the administration produce these reports starting in September. Council also asked the administration to produce a written memorandum addressing whether the program’s budget should be moved from the city’s nonprofit/social-action allocations into the general budget to ensure continuity and to clarify the program’s funding stream; that inquiry was scheduled for the Aug. 11 budget meeting.

Administration review and best practices: Osea Winn (Neighborhood & Community Affairs) and staff surveyed comparable programs in other jurisdictions and recommended several improvements: structured internship models, partnerships with workforce intermediaries and one‑to‑one coaching/peer mentors. They proposed several operational changes and recommended stronger alignment between host departments and service providers.

Next steps: Council members asked for monthly written updates beginning in September that record the number of interns hired, departmental placements, program challenges and staff training plans. The administration will also return a memo on the funding‑stream question for the Aug. 11 budget discussions.