Oldsmar council considers survey about potential Rays move
As the City of Oldsmar’s pursuit of the Tampa Bay Rays enters a more official stage, some City Council members have called for a survey to be created in order to gauge residents’ thoughts about the potential move.
During the latest council meeting on Tuesday night, Eric Seidel mentioned an anonymous email officials received that apparently emphasized the shortcomings of the plan to build a mixed-use complex, including a 30,000-seat baseball stadium, on 120 acres of vacant property west of Tampa Bay Downs.
Seidel said in light of the message, he believes it might be a good idea to take the temperature of the community in regards to the Major League baseball team’s potential relocation to town.
“I think it would be interesting if we did some, not drawn-out real expensive survey, because there’s a lot of inexpensive options,” Seidel, who earlier in the evening relinquished the title of vice-mayor to Dan Saracki, said during his Council Comments.
“But just to get the feedback from the citizens, it would be nice if we had something to hang our hat on.”
Mayor Doug Bevis, who has been the key figure behind the drive to bring the team to town, said while they had considered adding a survey to the FAQ packet that is being created to present to potential partners, he doesn’t believe a standard ‘yes-or-no’ type of survey would be beneficial in this case.
“My only concern with that is there’s so much information that goes along with (it), it’s not just if you want them yes or no,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many dozens of times I’ve talked to people over the years and especially in the past year where they say no, you can’t do that. But once I try to explain the bigger picture…talk about the traffic issues, talk about all the issues, it’s not just a simple as, ‘do you want the Rays?’”
“So I agree with you, but I don’t know how you do it.”
Seidel didn’t disagree with the mayor, but he stuck to his suggestion.
“We don’t have much information out there now,” he said. “But once we have that information out there, I think it makes sense.”
Other council members, however, agreed with the mayor.
“I think it depends on what you’re talking about,” Jerry Beverland said, echoing Bevis’ concerns.
“I think at the end of the day, you’re elected as a City Council member to represent the people, and the citizens chose you to make those tough decisions,” Gabby McGee said, adding, “it could be a good idea, but it could be premature until everyone understands the infrastructure and the costs.”
At the conclusion of the discussion, no consensus was reached as to whether the city should conduct a survey on the stadium issue or not.
After the meeting, Mayor Bevis reiterated his desire to continue to wait and let the process unfold.
“I don’t know about surveys,” Bevis said by phone. “They can be good if the baseline information is good. But people really need to know the bigger picture.”
“We definitely want to get the pulse of the community,” he added, noting anyone is free to email the council with their thoughts about the proposal.
“Obviously, if the constituents know the whole picture and they don’t want it, so be it. But this has been in the news for the better part of a year, and the opposition has been minimal.”
How do you feel about the city conducting survey about the potential Rays move? Is it a good idea or bad? Let us know in the comments below.
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I am thrilled at the thought of having the Rays in our town. It will increase the revenue at the hotels, restaurants, flea market, shopping centers, small owned shops, the possibly of more people moving here. All very positive. Some of the negative would be traffic, our roads would have to be in top shape, signal lights working properly and in sink, TECO would have to work with the city to make sure of issues with the their lines all of the things are easily done and will be if we are lucky enough to get the new stadium. We also could rent our the stadium for concerts, other school and college games, private events.
The possiblies are endless and really need lots of thoughts and work to get it correct and done right. So start your survey and get the right people to help get this done. I really only see good things coming from this. Go for it!!!!!
I agree a Survey Monkey is a great idea only after there is more information i.e. costs; logistics; transportation options. Bryan and I love the idea of it and LOVE The Rays!
A survey is a great idea. Personally, having lived here in Oldsmar most of my life, I’m against the idea of the Rays establishing here. It will bring too much traffic to our town and I don’t care for the thought of folks who have had too much to drink after a game driving our streets. The majority of residents who I have discussed this with have the same opinion. Let the people decide how to shape our town.
Maybe I’m missing something, or everything, but at peak traffic, Oldsmar is already becoming too bloated. There’s a reason that The Rays or any other major league baseball team makes their home in MAJOR metropolitan areas. The infrastructure is already there. In order to do this properly, you’d need roadways that mimic those of St.Pete, and the last time I looked there aren’t any major freeways nearby to get huge crowds in and out. Renting the venue for concerts? This sounds like a nightmare. I didn’t make my home here because I wanted to feel like I was part of big city life, quite the opposite. I’d pay double my current taxes to keep this idea in the filing cabinet.
I agree wholeheartedly. A stadium here would be a nightmare.
I’m concerned about traffic and impact on our community, but I’m also very intrigued about the economic stimulation the Rays would bring to Oldsmar.
Provided that the Rays pay their fair share of taxes and the tax payers aren’t subsidizing a private business and it generates enough revenue to cover increased infrastructure costs, I’m all for it.
As they say the devil is in the details. I think we should attract the Rays to Oldsmar and negotiate out a mutually beneficial relationship. We should be business friendly, but not taken advantage of. Local tax payers shouldn’t have to carry their water. If we can come to those terms then Go Rays!!!
When dealing with major league teams the cost burden is usually on the tax payers with the promise of future income due to the investment. Generally this seems to be a misnomer and the taxpayers eat the cost and the only ones who benefit are the teams. I would suggest the team look at other existing ball parks and consider use by multiple teams of those facilities. We do not need to keep covering our earth with non absorbing buildings which cause nature not to work as intended. There is more to this than an ego boost because the city has a major league team. The bottom line is this; if teams can pay millions to have players making far more than any normal people then they can foot the bills to have stadiums to show case these players. Theaters pay their bill and receive proceeds, movies pay upfront and receive proceeds. What makes major league sports so different? If common people pay for a stadium then teams must pay to use them or we get to use them free!
We need information on how traffic this will bring. Also will our taxes go up. We need info on the plan then a survey. Right now I say no.
“A properly functioning democracy depends on an informed electorate”.
-Thomas Jefferson
I’m all for hearing the details and being surveyed.
I agree with Linda Norris I am excited of the possibility of the Rays moving to Oldsmar but also want to know about the infrastructure, taxes and traffic control. I moved here from an area in Connecticut that was similar to our present infrastructure and they now have two very well managed Casinos that draw thousands of people daily. They did improve the roads somewhat but you still have to travel through rural parts of CT to get there. Was back home recently and all had progressed nicely.its been going strong now for 25 years. It brought many jobs to the area and a lot of revenue as well. Plus the tribes running the Casinos have given back to the communities and surrounding areas. This could be a win win for us all. So surveying us when all the details and facts are ready may give everyone a better understanding of it all. A Big thank you to Mayor Bevis and the council for all their efforts to take part in this opportunity for our lovely city..👍
How tough a decision it must be to add to the destruction of our fair and lovely city on the top of the bay when in pursuit of the almighty dollar. I think it is too easy for this council. Our citizens do not need any more commercial enterprises determined beneficial to our citizens by the council without our input. So YES we need a survey, we want a survey. When we came here in the early 1990”s we were attracted by the small town feel of Oldsmar and comfort of community. This has slowly eroded over time and our current batch of elected “forward thinkers” feel they have the implied authority to dissolve the nature of our town altogether and turn it into some kind of attraction. The Rays do not have the money to build a stadium, the county does not have the money to buy land and build a stadium so taxes is the only way to support a project of this magnitude. Oh there’s more; No light rail, No Interstate Highway, Two lane bottleneck local roads traversing two counties. So there might be a Casino built on that land if the laws change. A Casino won’t bring tens of thousands of people every game day to our already congested roads. Not enough information? Who are you trying to convince, the uninformed?
With numbers like these below how can you seriously believe “I think at the end of the day, you’re elected as a City Council member to represent the people, and the citizens chose you to make those tough decisions”? 13% turnout and about 60 % of the vote’s means about 747 citizens thought you would be good representatives of the people. A survey is the only way to know what the other 7,979 registered voters think.
Oldsmar [MUNICIPAL VOTING STATISTICS, 2000-PRESENT PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA]
Election Date Registered Voters Precinct Ballots Early Voting Absentee Ballot Provisional Ballots
3/12/2013 9,256 461 NA 1,217 3
3/10/2015 9,316 210 NA 1,035 0
3/15/2016 9,224 1,589 49 1,960 1
Total Ballots Turnout
3/12/2013 1,681 18.16%
3/10/2015 1,245 13.36%
3/15/2016 3,599 39.02% (Presidential Election)
No to the Rays and Yes to a survey.
How tough a decision it must be to add to the destruction of our fair and lovely city on the top of the bay when in pursuit of the almighty dollar. I think it is too easy for this council. Our citizens do not need any more commercial enterprises determined beneficial to our citizens by the council without our input. So YES we need a survey, we want a survey. When we came here in the early 1990”s we were attracted by the small town feel of Oldsmar and comfort of community. This has slowly eroded over time and our current batch of elected “forward thinkers” feel they have the implied authority to dissolve the nature of our town altogether and turn it into some kind of attraction. The Rays do not have the money to build a stadium, the county does not have the money to buy land and build a stadium so taxes is the only way to support a project of this magnitude. Oh there’s more; No light rail, No Interstate Highway, Two lane bottleneck local roads traversing two counties. So there might be a Casino built on that land if the laws change. A Casino won’t bring tens of thousands of people every game day to our already congested roads. Not enough information? Who are you trying to convince, the uninformed or the easily fooled?
With numbers like these below how can you seriously believe “I think at the end of the day, you’re elected as a City Council member to represent the people, and the citizens chose you to make those tough decisions”? 13% turnout and about 60 % of the vote’s means about 747 citizens thought you would be good representatives of the people. A survey is the only way to know what the other 7,979 registered voters think.
Oldsmar [MUNICIPAL VOTING STATISTICS, 2000-PRESENT PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA]
Election Date Registered Voters Precinct Ballots Early Voting Absentee Ballot Provisional Ballots
3/12/2013 9,256 461 NA 1,217 3
3/10/2015 9,316 210 NA 1,035 0
3/15/2016 9,224 1,589 49 1,960 1
Total Ballots Turnout
3/12/2013 1,681 18.16%
3/10/2015 1,245 13.36%
3/15/2016 3,599 39.02% (Presidential Election)
No to the Rays and Yes to a survey. And Council, settle down and let the City Manager manage our City and stick with the administrative housekeeping.
Florida lawmakers take aim at stadium projects that demand public assistance
Sports franchises wouldn’t be able to build or renovate stadiums on publicly owned land under a measure that won House approval Thursday.
“It’s fine here, but the Senate …
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2017/03/31/florida-lawmakers-take-aim-at-stadium-projects-that-demand-public-assistance
The Never-Ending Stadium Boondoggle
http://www.citylab.com/politics/2015/09/the-never-ending-stadium-boondoggle/403666/
The threat of relocation:
One tactic that is frequently employed to get the public to fork over money…..
Subsidizing stadiums is an economic disaster:
Ultimately, the burden of public subsides falls disproportionately on small cities that are the least able to bear the cost.
Stop the madness:
It’s time put an end to runaway public subsidies to lucrative sports franchises.
Tampa Bay Rays 2017 Payroll:
http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/payroll/
Also
Located to the North of the site are two untapped, Oldsmar City owned, large Blue Water Aquifers having a depth of 40-45ft. Our store purchased, bottled water is preferably to the over chlorinated,
brackish, osmosis process treated city water.
Coming from Atlanta, GA where the Braves statium moved out of the City of Atlanta to the suburbs, I can attest that this is a terrible idea for the small quaint town of Oldsmar. We moved here specifically because of the charm of Oldsmar. What we have to ask ourselves, “Is this the BEST use of the precious resource of land that we have in Oldsmar?”. A stadium would bring low-paying jobs to the area, increase traffic in an area where we no longer have options to add new traffic routes since this is a mature area, bring elements to the area that we may not want such as an increase in drunk driving – something I certainly don’t want to be around, nor my children who are getting ready to drive, could potentially lower the prices of our homes. Perhaps a better use would be to bring a “Corporate Campus” to the area which would bring higher paying jobs and oppportunities for our residents, increase our home values, bring business professionals to town who often dine out during lunch everyday and many evenings, bring more retail to the area since professionals do not have the time to shop when they arrive home – among other positives. This would be in line with Oldsmar’s mission statement of Live, Work, Play. We are against the Ray’s stadium moving to Oldsmar. Speak to the individuals who live near the new “Braves” statium – which by the way, can be seen from I-75 – a major highway in Atlanta and a new ramps where built just to help with traffic flow off of I-75. We simply do not have the roadways to support this type of traffic.
**Moderator – please disregard my previous comment and if you would be so kind as to use the one that I just submitted from my same email address? Many Thanks! I love our little town 🙂
As a new transplant from Atlanta, GA, I can attest that moving the Ray’s stadium to Oldsmar is a terrible idea. The Braves stadium was recently (over the course of the past three or so years) moved (was built) from the City of Atlanta to the suburbs of Cobb County. The residents are not happy with the new move. We specifically chose to move to Oldsmar due to its quaint quality. We love the parks, the residents, and the small town charm. A major stadium does not fit in with these values.
We have to ask ourselves, “Is this the BEST use of this precious resource of land?” I would answer, “No, it is not”. A stadium brings a host of issues including those mentioned in many comments – traffic issues – we are not close to a major highway system (the new Braves stadium is located and can be viewed from I-75 – a major interstate and a new ramp was constructed to help with the flow of traffic); low paying jobs that come with a stadium which adds little value to the residents; and bad elements that is a direct consequence of a sports stadium including an increase in drunk-driving – something I don’t want my family to be around, much less my neighbors.
Has anyone considered attracting a “Corporate Campus” to this area? This would bring professional positions that offer higher wages to our residents; would increase our home values; add value to local restaurants since many professionals dine-out during lunchtime as well as dinner; add some upscale shopping since many professionals do not leave work in time to go shopping after hours which would have the added benefit of creating more high paying jobs as well. This would be a positive use of land and bring more tax revenue; higher paying jobs, which equals more opportunity for our residents; and raise the values of our homes. This is also in line with our town motto of “ Live, Work, Play, Stay”. We do not advocate a major stadium being built in our quaint town. Nor does it fall in line with our little town’s values and the neighbors with whom I have spoke.
Raiders will relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas Mar 27, 2017
The Raiders will spend two more seasons in Oakland before heading to Las Vegas in 2019.
http://www.sbnation.com/2017/3/27/15060642/las-vegas-raiders-relocation-move-oakland-nfl-vote
This is a bad idea! The infrastructure is not in place to accommodate and Major Baseball League & Stadium. They have their stadiums in Major Metropolitan Areas just for that reason, infrastructure. The traffic is horrendous in this city already. I made my home for 26 years ago because I wanted to live in a peaceful environment away from the big city and was attracted by the small town feel of Oldsmar and comfort of the community. This has slowly eroded over time and our current group of elected “Decision Makers” feel they have the power & authority to break down and fragment the nature of our town altogether all while turning it into some kind of attraction. I say we need a SURVEY and need to be part of decision making process. This is not a decision that is only left for elected officials to make, it is for the community to decide!
I work in St Petersburg. It takes me 45 minutes to get home from work coming up McMullen Booth. 55 minutes if I try 19. Will the city council members stick their necks out to GUARANTEE that my commute and many others who travel these roads will NOT change at all when the Rays are playing a night game?
The “Ultimate Survey” is when election is held for City Council Seats.
Most recently held during the March 15 2016 municipal election.
Two of three council persons ran unopposed.
The City Council Absenteeism continues, approved by the “Decision Makers”.
Your Vote talks the loudest!
I love Oldsmar and the Raya but just don’t see the roadway infrastructure being here. There really would only be one way in an out – Tampa Road/Hillsborough Rd. Reality is very few people would be coming from a northern approach that would not need to use Tampa Road/Hillsborough Rd. Getting in to the game and leaving a game would be a traffic nightmare for the attendees and locals would be at that mercy every single game!