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City Salutes Serviceman, Gets Project Funding

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 2, 2008

Items of interest from the June 23 Plant City Commission meeting included:

•Petty Officer Phillip Waldron was honored by the city for being named the United Service Organizations Coast Guardsman of the Year.

The son of former City Manager Phil Waldron, he received a proclamation from the city commission and another from state Rep. Rich Glorioso.

Waldron said the honor really must be shared with all 22 members of the special emergency response boarding team aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Wrangell, patrolling the Northern Arabian Gulf.

During his combat tour that began in May 2007, Waldron led coalition Special Forces teams on a series of counterterrorism boardings and other missions. He directly contributed to foiling a terrorist plot to transport cars with improvised explosive devices into Iraq, the city's proclamation cites.

Waldron is additionally credited with providing medical assistance to revive an unconscious Iranian fisherman.

"Brave men and women have served our country for many years," said Glorioso, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and former city commissioner. "And I want to salute you for your service to our country."

After visiting Plant City, Waldron, who lives outside Detroit, resumed active duty at U.S. Coast Guard Station Belle Isle on the Great Lakes.

His father served in the Coast Guard for 34 years.

•City Manager David Sollenberger announced the state budget for the coming fiscal year includes nearly $900,000 for three local projects, including $500,000 for the Plant City Eastside Canal Stormwater Management Master Plan; $250,000 for the Sydney Road Reclaimed Water Distribution System, Phase 1; and a $135,611 Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grant for Ellis-Methvin Park, Phase 3. The city will match the recreation grant.

•Through competitive state Department of Transportation contracts, the city has purchased $63,000 worth of equipment for the city's Advanced Traffic Management System. The $2 million "smart" system is federally funded and scheduled to be operational before the end of 2009.

The state-of-the-art system monitoring and controlling the city's traffic signals will be tied to DOT's Tampa office, allowing the agency to trigger electronic signs on Interstate 4 that will alert drivers to detours.

The system will be monitored at the city's public works complex, and the purchases announced June 23 include $24,000 for video cameras to be positioned atop eight of the 47 traffic signals to monitor traffic flow.

•City Library Board appointments were postponed until the commission's July 14 meeting.

The three-year terms of Tom Sparkman and Paula Sedita were subject to renewal Tuesday.

Sparkman doesn't want be want to be reappointed, but Sedita has consented to serve an additional term, according to city documents.

The three applicants for the board are Wendy S. Brown, David Miller and the Rev. Tom Thoeni.

Commissioner Bill Dodson, for one, said he would like time to speak with the applicants.

George Wilkens

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