Published:
Advertisement
TAMPA Hillsborough County officials are replacing a discussion on hurricane preparedness with Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio for a news conference to announce they're in charge if a storm strikes the area. Officials today will try to reassure the public that Hillsborough County has an evacuation plan for residents who require special assistance and emphasize that state law says the county -- not the city -- is in charge of disaster management. "There seems to be an awful lot of confusion out there," County Administrator Pat Bean said. The decision to hold a news conference was made late Monday, hours after a meeting between Iorio and Bean was scratched for the second time in five days. After watching Hurricane Katrina coverage, Iorio called Bean and told her she was worried about whether people would evacuate if a storm threatened locally. A meeting was set for 4 p.m. last Thursday. Bean canceled the discussion less than two hours before they were to begin so the county administrator could meet with Commissioner Ronda Storms. Storms wanted to talk to Bean about HARTline and a neighborhood services center in Plant City. Bean said Storms wanted to meet before a scheduled budget hearing. On Friday, Bean's and Iorio's assistants tentatively set a meeting for 11 a.m. today. By Monday morning, Bean canceled the meeting, citing a variety of hurricane-preparation tasks commissioners assigned to her. Although the city and county governments often are at odds on issues, Bean said public safety, not politics, influenced her decision to hold a news conference. "I am not a politician," Bean said. "Nothing I'm doing is politically motivated. There's no lack of clarity on my part as to who is in authority." Bean said if emergency plans fail during a disaster, she has no doubt the public would hold her accountable. According to Florida law, counties are in charge of disasters, and a seven-member panel of county, Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City officials guides decision making. Bean left open the possibility she would meet with Iorio. Iorio still wants to meet with Bean. "I can't imagine that we wouldn't talk," Iorio said. "It's not about jurisdiction. It's about public safety." In New Orleans, local, state and federal government officials have been arguing over who failed to manage the disaster. "I'd think the vast majority of citizens would think we would talk," Iorio said. "If a Category 4 or 5 storm ever hits, it's going to take everyone working together."