Bat Tower Back Up for City Council Discussion

The Temple Terrace City Council was scheduled to hear a presentation on the Temple Terrace Bat Tower at its last meeting, but that item was postponed.

Now, its back for discussion at the council’s next meeting, which will take place today at 6 p.m. at City Hall instead of tomorrow to accommodate Election Day.

City Council meetings traditionally take place on the first and third Tuesday of the month. However, when an election falls on the same day as a scheduled council meeting, the council meets a day earlier to allow residents plenty of time to get to the polls, according to City Clerk Lisa Small.

Tim Lancaster, president of the Temple Terrace Preservation Society, will talk about the Bat Tower project, which is being undertaken by the Bat Tower Committee, a group interested in rebuilding a haven for bats in Temple Terrace.

The city’s original bat tower was built in 1924 along the banks of the Hillsborough River behind what is now 933 Riverhills Drive. Temple Terrace developers cleared the land for the structure. Arsonists burned it down in 1979.

Committee members want to build the new tower because they say it would recreate the historic icon, allow the city to reduce its use of harmful pesticides, provide habitat for local native bats and create a local tourist attraction.

Last November, they found bats at the property across from the Hilltop Dog Park on Harney Road, which is owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. They have been discussing building the bat tower at this location.

According to the meeting agenda, the council and Temple Terrace Mayor Joe Affronti are also scheduled to:

• consider a resolution to by approximately 1,700 various sized remote-read water meters for $299,948;
• consider a resolution to award 18 School Improvement grants in the amount of $7,499.12;
• consider a resolution to approve an adjustment to the 2012-13 budget to appropriate money from the 2011-12 budget;
• hear about a red light camera settlement; and
• proclaim “National Hospice & Palliative Care Month” and “Friends of the Library Week.”

The meeting will be televised live on Verizon Channel 39 and Bright House Channel 950.

See also:
Election Day City Council Meeting Rescheduled