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East Tampa residents press CRA over stormwater maintenance, say South Howard project wont solve neighborhood flooding
Summary
Residents told the CRA board that maintenance failures and field-verified drainage problems, not the South Howard project as currently scoped, are the main drivers of recurring flooding. Speakers urged more on-the-ground assessment, better contractor oversight and clearer communications about studies and permits.
Pam Cannella and other East Tampa residents told the Tampa CRA on April 8 that routine stormwater maintenance has lagged and that the South Howard project as presented will not address localized flooding in bowl-shaped neighborhoods.
"No one has been back to maintain these areas ... leaving us vulnerable to flooding," said Pam Cannella during the public-comment period, naming contractors and specific inlets she said were not properly cleared. Cannella also said engineers relied on conceptual models rather than field vulnerability assessments.
Julie McGill, who said she had consulted a University of South Florida expert, told the board she could not find promised maintenance information on the citys website and described what she called potentially hazardous discharges into retention ponds: "The smell alone would knock you out," she said, and suggested the city investigate possible medical-waste concerns.
Longtime resident and business owner Steve Michelini pressed staff on process and scale: he said the South Howard work had grown from a one-lane disruption to an entire-street reconstruction with wider sidewalks and traffic controls, and he urged the board to allow a $7 million study and route analysis to run its course before large-scale construction that could close streets and disrupt businesses.
CRA Director Cedric McCray told the board the CRA is engaged in budget discussions and community advisory committee outreach this month and that staff would continue to coordinate follow-up. Several board members asked staff to share line-item budgets and improve notices to community advisory committees so residents know what work is planned and when.
Why it matters: Residents said the latest projects risk creating new harms if the CRA does not prioritize clearing and maintaining existing drains, complete field assessments, and provide clearer communication about permits and traffic management. The board heard repeated calls for more transparent schedules and verification that contractors have completed fieldwork before approving major construction.
