AMONG OTHER MATTERS, COMMISSIONERS DEBATE A PRIVATE AIRCRAFT COMMUNITY.
At 7:30 p.m. on March 10, Mayor Nate Kilton called the proceedings to order for the Regular Meeting of the City Commission. Present at the dais were Vice-Mayor Jason Jones, City Commissioner Bill Dodson, City Commissioner Mary Thomas Mathis, City Commissioner Michael Sparkman, City Attorney Kenneth Buchman, City Manager Bill McDaniel, and City Clerk Kerri Miller.
Jack Myers, pastor of Life Family Church, gave an invocation, praying for wisdom for the local, regional, state, and national leaders. Highlights of the meeting follow.
In the most celebratory portion of the night, the city commission presented a proclamation recognizing the 2025 Plant City High School Cheerleading Team. The proclamation reads, in part, “…the team has made history this year by becoming the first in Hillsborough County to achieve the cheerleading trifecta, winning first place at the State Competition in the Class 2A Medium Non-Tumbling Division, at Nationals in the Class 2A Small Non-Tumbling, and at the Grand World Cheer Competition in the Class 2A Small Non-Tumbling Division.”
Next, a representative for Wade Sansbury, Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC. gave a presentation on the accounting company’s financial audit of the City of Plant City for fiscal year 2024. The audit came back clean. This is the highest form of assurance the auditor can provide that the city is handling it finances and record keeping in an exemplary way.
The city manager brought several items before the city commission for votes:
25-098 – A resolution authorizing a construction work order with Killebrew, Inc. to relocate a water main for FDOT project FPID 454118-1-56-01. The project cost is $251,879. This passed with a 5-0 vote.
25-107 – A resolution authorizing approval of a Joint FDOT/Hillsborough County/Plant City/State financial assistance agreement for surtax resurfacing projects. In the past, a transportation surtax was enacted in Hillsborough County. While the surtax was active, Plant City’s intake of $6 million went into state coffers. However, a lawsuit that was filed struck down the surtax. The state evaluated how it wished to give back funds, and subsequently returned $9 million to Plant City to be used for road resurfacing. The state has also given Plant City a different legislative grant to resurface roadways. The combination of the funds will pay for resurfacing 26 miles of city streets. This passed 5-0.
25-097 – A quasi-judicial public hearing on an ordinance to modify the Midway Lake Community Unit District located north of North Frontage Road, east of North Wilder Road, south of East Sam Allen Road, and west of Charlie Taylor Road (PB-2023-51). This resolution generated almost 90 minutes of presentations, discussion, and debate, including several citizens who spoke in support of the applicant. The applicant wishes to develop this property he owns into a residential community of between eight and 12 home sites that would allow for residents to have on-site small, propeller-driven aircraft that could be flown in and out using an already existing grass landing strip. Areas around an already existing lake are currently being excavated to expand its size. This proposal was originally brought before the city commission in August 2024, and was given a continuance for the applicant to address city Planning and Zoning Department reservations and add further detail to the plan. In the time since, a noise study was conducted. The plan was submitted to the FAA and was approved. Also, among the items that were further defined were that the number of flights per week would be limited to a maximum of 24, and windows of time during which airplanes could take off and land. During the meeting, one of the main points of disagreement between the parties was whether the level of detail in the development plan is adequate. Commissioner Mike Sparkman voiced concerns about the safety of flights taking off and landing in that area. The Planning and Zoning Department recommended denial of the project. The city commissioners voted 4-1 with Commissioner Sparkman voting against, for a continuance to the March 24 city commission meeting. The purpose is to give time for Planning and Zoning, attorneys, and the applicant to work through some language in the conditions of the plan.
The meeting adjourned at 9:51 p.m.
