Council reveals plan to ease permitting

The Economic Competitiveness Committee, which was formed by Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, broke up on Valentine's Day.

But the planned disbanding of the committee wasn't heartbreaking. In fact, the 19-person group of local business leaders presented a strategy to help Tampa hang with the likes of Raleigh, N.C., and Dallas.

When Buckhorn formed the committee in June, the goal was to expedite the permitting process and ease regulatory burdens on builders. So the ECC included leaders representing the groups the regulations effect: Tampa Bay construction firms, developers, attorneys and architects.