During the May 7, 2025, Board of County Commissioners meeting,
The Board presented the 2025 Ellsworth G. Simmons Good Government Award in honor of the late Louis G. Betz Jr., a treasured local civic leader and consultant who dedicated his life to helping the community thrive and prosper.
Mr. Betz spent many years working on key legislation that has improved quality of life for Hillsborough County residents, including work to pass laws that allow cities and counties to implement and utilize red light camera safety programs, along with legislation to help and protect sexual assault victims.
Mr. Betz’s family accepted the award on his behalf.
Commissioners declared May 7 as the 19th Annual Delta Day in Hillsborough County to honor the work of the Tampa chapters of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
The organization’s primary objectives are to engage in cultural, educational, and service-oriented activities while establishing and upholding cultural, intellectual, and moral standards.
The Board approved a land swap with Ybor City Holdings, LLC to exchange five Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Operations Center parcels located in Ybor City for a property located in the Falkenburg Road area which will be the new home of the HCSO headquarters.
The new HCSO location sits on 25.4 acres, which will provide more space with room for expansion, including a new data and communications center. The land exchange also removes HCSO operations from being in a flood zone, eliminating storm surge risks during severe weather.
Commissioners then approved an interlocal agreement to fund $48.784 million for property modifications, capital improvements, and relocation costs which will largely come from previously budgeted Capital Improvement projects.
County staff reported that building a brand-new facility could cost an estimated $113 million, so the land exchange will save a significant amount of money.
The Board received a status report on the road construction projects affecting the new Morgan High School in Wimauma.
Current projects include installing traffic signals, road widening, and installation of a multi-use trail.
The school will open for the 2025-26 school year, and County staff anticipate the projects to be completed in time for the opening.
Staff will bring back an update to the Board this summer.
Commissioners received a report on potential sites for new sports facilities.
Staff looked into several locations and found that County- owned land located by the Museum of Science and Industry or (MOSI) would be the best fit for an indoor sportsplex.
The 74-acre site is located across from the main USF campus and is already the focus of a redevelopment initiative. Staff reported that an indoor sports facility could also increase MOSI attendance and support new hotel rooms and other dining, entertainment, and retail amenities. A portion of an existing building could be repurposed as part of the new indoor facility, ideally reducing overall construction costs.
The Board voted to direct County staff to pursue this site further and designate $2 million from the County’s portion of the BP oil spill settlement for initial design work.
The next BOCC regular meeting is at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 21, 2025. You can watch the meeting live on YouTube on the Hillsborough County Meetings channel.
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