Tampa mobility staff detail stormwater workload; council presses for outsourcing parade barrier duties, RFP for ditch grading

Mobility Department staff on the March agenda presented a monthly operations summary showing the city maintains nearly 590 miles of underground pipe, about 86 miles of ditches and nearly 900 outfalls, and described field staffing, equipment and recent outputs.

Bridal Roderick, mobility operations manager, told the council his division has 62 full-time positions supporting field work and described the equipment used for ditch grading, pond maintenance, pipe inspection (CCTV) and vacuuming. For February the division reported clearing about 1,100–1,200 feet of ditch per highlighted neighborhood, removing 305 tons of debris sent to the city transfer station and Manatee County landfill, mowing ponds on a roughly 28-day cycle, completing 30 outfall inspections and performing 33,968 feet of pipe inspection and maintenance plus removal of 23 tons of material from pipes. The team also inspected 421 drainage structures (inlets and manholes). Staff said pipe and pump-station work includes preventative maintenance, pump replacements and variable frequency drive work.

Councilmembers used the presentation to press staff on operational priorities for the dry season and how emergency and special-event duties reduce productive maintenance time. Councilmember Hertek said residents had asked why event work did not appear on the city’s online “on base” schedule; staff agreed to post the report online after the presentation. Councilmembers pressed staff about parade barrier deployments: Roderick said large downtown events require staff to install Jersey barriers and traffic-control measures for multiple days — typically two days to set before an event and two to remove afterward, costing about four field days per event for large shows.

Jean Duncan, infrastructure mobility administrator, said homeland-security requirements and special-equipment handling mean stormwater crews are often used for barrier work. She said the chief of staff is collecting cost estimates for outsourcing and that the city will examine whether contracting out barrier placement is feasible. Roderick and Duncan said staff are exploring outsourcing options and are preparing an RFP for ditch grading; a purchasing update indicated a ditch-grading contract would go out to advertisement imminently.

Councilmembers also discussed balancing proactive vs. reactive work. Staff said the division ideally wants an 80/20 proactive/reactive split but currently operates the reverse due to increased calls and storm damage, higher equipment needs and staff constraints. Councilmembers asked for analysis of the work mix and whether additional full‑time equivalents or contractor capacity should be prioritized; staff agreed to return with a data-based recommendation informed by recent storm response and by comparisons to previously successful contractors (including a FEMA contractor that cleared large volumes of pipe).

Councilmembers praised crews’ recent cave‑in and inlet repairs and asked for better public messaging about not blowing yard debris into drains. Roderick summarized plans for March work in identified neighborhoods (Virginia Park, Bayshore Beautiful, Beach Park, Palmetto, Robles Park, University Square, Forest Hills, Parkland Estates) and reminded residents that stormwater services and a 24/7 call line are available at (813) 274‑3101.

Council did not take formal votes on operational items at the presentation but directed staff to: publish the report material on the online portal after the hearing; finalize and advertise the ditch‑grading RFP; analyze whether outsourcing parade barrier work or using temporary/contract labor would be more efficient than continued in‑house deployments; and return with staffing vs. contractor cost options before budget season.