On April 26, the Planning Commissioners gathered at the Saint Leo University Tampa Education Center in Channelside. A very full agenda included a quick group photo and a review of the Hillsborough County, Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City Comprehensive Plans.
Other highlights of the retreat included insights from our planning partners. Eric Johnson, Director of Strategic Planning and Enterprise Resource Planning, presented the County’s Strategic Plan. Christine Burdick, President of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, gave a walking tour of the exciting development going on in Channelside.
A big part of the day was a hands-on planning activity. The Planning Commissioners got to weigh in on various scenarios for Hillsborough County using the Imagine 2040 Working Group Workshop #2 exercises. The Commissioners exchanged ideas and are looking forward to hearing what the general public will have to say about the various future alternatives later this summer into the fall.
“This retreat was a great opportunity for our Commissioners to work closely with each other, our staff, and our planning partners,” said Ray Chiaramonte, Executive Director. “It says a lot about the commitment of our Commissioners to take extra personal time to come together and really dive head-first into planning for a thriving future for our region.”