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Residents and businesses clash as Tampa council prepares to revisit $10M state flood grant for South Howard
Summary
Hundreds of residents and South Howard business owners testified for and against extending and rewriting a state resiliency grant for the South Howard Flood Relief Project, citing tens of millions in potential city matching obligations, missing technical analyses and fears of downtown business disruption; council deferred a vote, scheduling the item for after lunch.
Tampa — A heated public-comment period at the Tampa City Council’s Jan. 8 meeting made clear the South Howard Flood Relief Project remains deeply divisive as the council prepares to consider a major grant amendment.
Residents who said their homes flooded in 2024 and 2025 urged the council to accept and extend a roughly $10 million Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) grant aimed at flood mitigation. "Please do the right thing. Accept the grant money and help us feel safe in our homes again," said Tina Adams, a Parkland Estates homeowner who said more than 300 properties flooded.
Business owners and technical consultants countered that the current grant amendment—described by one attorney as a ‘‘complete rewrite’’ of the 2024 agreement—lacks required technical and economic analyses. Civil engineer Dave Deloce told the council the project record does not show a sufficient alternatives analysis,…
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