TAMPA, Fla. — As city leaders remain torn over imposing a new noise ordinance in Tampa, discussions from the public have gone silent — but not by choice.
On Wednesday, instead of a crowded meeting to discuss Tampa’s new noise ordinance, there was nothing to see but a paper sign that read: "The upcoming noise ordinance meetings have been cancelled [sic]. Community members that have questions should contact their City Council member."
Back in January, city leaders voted to pass a new “one-size-fits-all” noise ordinance, with a plan to look at re-working it for some entertainment areas before it actually went into effect.
But last week, by a 4-3 majority, council members voted to move forward with repealing that same ordinance before it was ever implemented.
Now, public discussions that were supposed to be held about the ordinance have been canceled.
“By them canceling the meetings, it gives us no voice, whatsoever,” said Mammie Luke, the CEO at Yuppi Eatery in Ybor City. “On either side.”
The city’s Office of Development and Economic Opportunity sent 10 Tampa Bay a memo addressing the meetings that said, "To avoid further confusion among the public, the upcoming ordinance meetings will be cancelled [sic] until City Council provides staff with further direction."
“I believe that we need to fight for Ybor City,” Luke said. “There should be some kind of special guidelines for Ybor City.”
Councilman Joesph Citro says he voted against the repeal of the ordinance because he thinks it blocks the conversation to hear from people on both sides of the argument on what changes may need to happen.
“I was thinking that ‘There goes the discussion,’” Citro said, recounting his reaction to reading the memo canceling meetings. “Now the business owners, and the community especially, can’t get together and discuss on how this will affect them. I still say that we should move forward with the ordinance, meet in April to discuss how we can carve out certain sections…maybe Ybor City, maybe South Howard Avenue, but these discussions need to move forward.”
We reached out to all of Tampa’s city council members about their thoughts on the canceled meetings. So far, only Councilman Citro and Councilman Bill Carlson have responded.
Carlson voted against the repeal as well and said in part: “The public meetings were meant to specifically get feedback from the outdoor bar owners in Ybor so the ordinance could be modified. Now we have to start the whole process all over again, and residents are understandably furious.”
A second reading for the repeal of the January ordinance is set for March 17.