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CDDs Tackle Concerns

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By JASON GEARY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 6, 2007

WESTCHASE - Like a roadside vigilante, a resident is snatching up signs littering Westchase roadways.

The resident, who wasn't identified at Tuesday's meeting of Westchase's two community development districts, apparently doesn't like the ubiquitous temporary signs that sprout up on weekends throughout the upscale community.

Doug Mays, the districts' field manager, said the resident has picked up as many as 60 signs over a few weekends.

'His concern is it does look bad in the neighborhood,' Mays said.

The districts do not have staff members available on weekends to pick up the signs, but they are removed on Mondays.

Occasionally, the districts will allow temporary signage for community events, such as communitywide garage sales held twice a year in Westchase or a charity run, scheduled this month.

Supervisors said the small signs that typically appear on weekends - advertising places 'for rent' and 'for sale' or various businesses - are not permitted.

Mark Ragusa, a supervisor with the Westchase Community Development District, said the county's code enforcement officers have authority to take down such signs, but not a resident.

In other matters, supervisors discussed the possibility of creating an agreement with the county to allow deputies to go inside a gated community to perform traffic enforcement and traffic calming.

Although able to respond to emergency calls behind the gates, residents of The Greens have said deputies weren't able to perform traffic enforcement when residents requested such assistance.

For months, the districts' attorney has been investigating the issue and developed an agreement allowing deputies within the gated community for traffic enforcement and traffic calming purposes.

An agreement was presented Tuesday to the Westchase Community Development District East.

However, Ernie Sylvester, a Westchase CDD East supervisor, said he hadn't heard anything about the agreement and suggested delaying action to further review it.

Supervisors also agreed to postpone discussions about proposals from four companies interested in managing the districts.

The districts' current management company, Severn Trent, submitted a bid of $164,666, according to a summary report.

The three other companies provided bids of $175,000, $155,000 and $85,000, the report shows.

The districts' attorney will better clarify what services each company is prepared to provide in time for next month's meeting.

Reporter Jason Geary can be reached at (813) 865-1505 or jgeary@tampatrib.com.

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