Council appoints Rick Coogler to planning commission after multiple applicants speak

The Tampa City Council on Monday appointed Rick Coogler to the city‑county planning commission after hearing short statements from six applicants.

Rick Coogler received a plurality on the first ballot and was confirmed by council vote; the council instructed the clerk and legal staff to prepare the formal appointment documentation.

Coogler introduced himself as a New East Tampa Neighborhood Association leader and said he sought the seat to help the neighborhood “blossom” through balanced economic and ecological policies. He told councilors he had been following commission business and wanted to improve conditions for East Tampa.

Other applicants described backgrounds in development, planning and public service. Braden Curry said he had experience working on land‑use and entitlement policy and pitched a nonbinding early‑feedback process for housing projects; Melanie Williams pointed to logistics and long‑range planning experience from a military career; Matthew Sink and Will Freeman described private‑sector development and entrepreneurship perspectives; Nicholas Colon (speaking remotely) emphasized his long Tampa residency.

Clerk Shirley Fox Knowles announced that Rick Coogler received the most votes on the council ballot and the council directed legal staff to prepare a resolution confirming the appointment. No councilor raised objections in the public appointment segment.

The planning commission appointment is administrative and requires the commission member to represent council policy priorities in planning‑level deliberations. Council members asked applicants to confirm they understood the representative role of the position; multiple applicants explicitly affirmed they did.