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After resident petition, Temple Terrace council directs staff to verify signatures and proceed with Shirley Drive traffic study
Summary
Following public comment and a candidate petition, council instructed staff to verify a petition for speed bumps on Shirley Drive and to initiate a traffic study if the petition meets the policy threshold (more than 50% of households). Council debated whether to bypass the petition step; a unanimous‑consent attempt failed after objection but staff said they will follow up and proceed if petition criteria are met.
A petition presented at the Temple Terrace City Council meeting by resident Kelly Knoll prompted a council discussion and a motion to initiate a traffic study on Shirley Drive to evaluate speed bump installation.
Knoll described prior petitions (2008 and April 1) and recent incidents, including two animals struck by speeding vehicles and the presence of a blind neighbor, and asked the city to act. "Is it gonna take the death of a child for you guys to get together?" Knoll asked the council during public comment.
Council member Travis moved to instruct staff to initiate a traffic study on Shirley Drive; the motion was seconded and then discussed at length. Public works staff cited city policy 2023‑08 requiring more than 50% of residents on a street to sign a verified petition before engineering begins a study. Council members debated whether the council could or should make an exception and direct staff to proceed without full petition verification. One attempt to proceed by unanimous consent was objected to, which caused the unanimous‑consent maneuver to fail.
City staff said they will review the petition provided at the meeting for signature validity and whether it meets the >50% threshold, coordinate with the city attorney as needed, and report back with tentative dates to begin the traffic study. Council members expressed differing views: some urged following the written policy to ensure consistent application; others pointed to canvassing that indicated broad neighborhood support and urged an expedited study.
Next steps: staff to verify the petition signatures, confirm whether the petition fulfills the policy requirement, and schedule/announce a traffic study if verified.
