Residents attending Hillsborough County Commissioner Christine Miller’s Community Resource Fair on August 5 found something different from a traditional town hall meeting.
Instead of sitting through speeches or waiting to ask the commissioner a question, residents could walk around the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds in Dover and speak directly with representatives from county departments and partner agencies.
The format allowed residents to ask questions and connect with people who work on roads, permitting, code enforcement and other issues every day.
Miller, who represents District 4 and currently serves as vice chair of the Hillsborough County Commission, said that was the idea.
“My goal with the resource fair was simple: Bring government directly to the people we serve,” Miller said. “District 4 is vast, stretching across much of Eastern and Southern Hillsborough County, so I make an effort to bring events and resources to different parts of the district.”
“Residents shouldn’t have to figure out which department to call or spend weeks trying to find the right person,” she said. “Putting everyone in one room gave people the opportunity to ask questions, get answers and make real connections.”
Miller said the event also gave her and her staff an opportunity to hear directly from residents about their concerns and what could be improved.
“After seeing the turnout and watching residents move from table to table getting their questions answered, I think the format worked exactly as we hoped,” Miller said. “It also gave me and my staff an opportunity to hear directly from residents about what is working and where we need to do better.”
Miller pointed to several recent District 4 development decisions where resident concerns played a role.
Following controversy surrounding The Yard, a FishHawk-area property involved in code-enforcement and rezoning disputes, Miller worked to strengthen the county’s evaluation process so an applicant’s compliance history could be considered in future rezoning requests.
“The community worked hard to make sure their concerns about The Yard were heard, and I believed it was important to look at what we could do beyond a single vote,” Miller said.
Miller also cited community concerns when explaining her vote on the recent YIGBY, or “Yes in God’s Backyard,” land-use discussion, saying she supports creative approaches to the county’s housing shortage but believes development must be appropriate for surrounding communities.
“I support finding creative ways to address our housing needs, but I also believe we have to be thoughtful about where and how development occurs,” Miller said.
Another example involved a development proposal near Dorman Road in rural Lithia. Residents questioned its intensity, compatibility and infrastructure, and Miller voted against moving the proposal forward.
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