Tampa City Council (July 16) to consider Resilient Florida grants for Greater McKay Bay

Tampa City Council will meet Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at Old City Hall, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33602 to consider flood-resilience planning items tied to Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) funding and related grant-linked budget actions.

Thursday’s meeting: where to watch and how to comment

The city notice says residents can watch via Cable TV (Spectrum Channel 640, Frontier Channel 15) or the city’s livestream. For residents who want to speak remotely during public comment using communications media technology (CMT), the notice says registration must be requested at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

Resilient Florida Program: $435,000 for Greater McKay Bay vulnerability update and adaptation plan

On the agenda, Tampa is seeking council approval for two connected actions tied to a DEP “Resilient Florida Program” grant totaling $435,000 for the Greater McKay Bay Vulnerability Assessment Update and Adaptation Plan.

1) Standard Grant Agreement approval. One item would approve a Standard Grant Agreement (26PLN26) between the City of Tampa and DEP for a project that includes: (1) a vulnerability assessment update pursuant to Section 380.093, Florida Statutes, and (2) development of an adaptation plan for the Greater McKay Bay area in Hillsborough County. The agenda preview states the grant does not require match funding and is led internally by a city planner.

2) Companion budget changes. A second item would make the related budget/appropriation changes so the grant funding can be deposited and expended through the City’s Other Grants Fund for City Planning Department grant activities.

South Howard Flood Relief: Phase I (planning/design) grant acceptance plus budget action

The same council meeting also includes separate, grant-linked items for South Howard Flood Relief that the agenda preview describes as Phase I (planning and design).

Phase I grant acceptance (up to $186,518.40). One resolution would accept Federally Funded Subaward/Grant Agreement No. H1320 from the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management for Phase I of the Upper Peninsula East (South Howard), Flood Risk Reduction Project in an amount not to exceed $186,518.40. The agenda preview notes the amount includes contingency costs that require approval by FDEM/FEMA to be used.

Match and total project cost context. The agenda preview also states the required match for this project is $2,143,260.60, for a total project cost of $2,329,779.00.

Companion budget changes. A companion resolution would then approve the related budget transfer/reallocation/appropriation of $186,518.40 within the City’s Stormwater Grants Fund for use by the Mobility Department.

Important: Because these South Howard items are framed as Phase I, they are best understood as steps that can unlock and shape early planning/design work. They are not, by themselves, approvals for any construction work.

What to watch next (if you live near McKay Bay or South Howard)

Planning-stage grants can still affect residents’ day-to-day future through what gets studied, what scenarios are modeled, and what adaptation/design decisions later phases may build on. In public discussion and follow-up updates, residents may want to look for details on: when draft vulnerability/assessment findings will be shared, how stakeholder/public input will be collected, and what timeline assumptions guide the transition from Phase I planning/design to later steps.

Sources

• City of Tampa — Notice (July 16, 2026) meeting time, location, and CMT guidance
• The Tampa Monitor — Item-by-item agenda preview (Resilient Florida + South Howard Phase I details)
• Florida DEP — Resilient Florida Program (state context)