Stakeholders said a meeting was canceled for a scheduling conflict, when, in fact, it happened without one group.
TAMPA, Fla. — Residents in Tampa’s River Arts District were told that a meeting on Wednesday about downtown safety was canceled due to a scheduling conflict. Now, they say the meeting actually happened — but that they weren’t invited.
10 Tampa Bay News learned Thursday, too, that the meeting was, in fact, not canceled. Instead, it was rescheduled and moved to another location.
The residents were invited to the meeting on Wednesday afternoon with Tampa Downtown Partnership, the Tampa Police Department and other stakeholders to discuss the situation. But that same morning after 10 Tampa Bay News reached out to see if we could attend the meeting, residents were informed that the meeting had been canceled due to a “scheduling conflict.”
A representative from Tampa Downtown Partnership, which organized the meeting, told residents that they were “working to find a new time and location that is convenient for all attendees.”
A document even proves the meeting took place and provides a full summary of what was discussed and next steps.
We reached out to the organizers of this meeting over the phone and over email, asking if we could sit down and speak about this today to clear up any confusion.
A spokesperson for Tampa Downtown Partnership responded in a statement, saying, “Yesterday’s larger meeting was cancelled with the intention of having multiple smaller, more focused meetings with stakeholders. We will be scheduling those in the near future.”
No further clarification was provided on why it was originally framed as a scheduling conflict.
As for what came from the meeting, the summary indicates it was productive.
Stakeholders decided to ask the Downtown Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency for funds to address the safety issue. They say the budget should include funds for extra duty patrol downtown on a one-year trial and a budget to install compact solar-powered trash cans that will prevent tampering or extracting items.
The summary says the plan is to request funds from affordable housing funding that they say is well-funded and going unused. The hope is to make this request by the end of October.
They also wish to create a package to propose municipal codes and ordinance changes that would empower Tampa Police to address these issues. They plan to look at what other cities have done and propose the changes to the city council for adoption.
10 Tampa Bay News first published about this issue on Wednesday, reporting how River Arts District residents say they were concerned for their safety citing an increase in drug and criminal activity, as well as a growing population of unhoused people outside their homes and businesses.
“They harass people, throw things, they’re dealing drugs, doing drugs,” resident Aimee Tarte said. “We are honestly scared to live there and walk around our own block.”