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Hernando Today

The Man On Brooksville's Plan

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By TONY MARRERO

Published: May 7, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - When it comes to planning for development, Steve Gouldman has been on both sides.

As a planner for Hillsborough County, Gouldman managed the first stages of a massive project to transform the blighted area near the University of South Florida. He also wrote the county's first traditional neighborhood ordinance.

More recently, as an employee at a Tampa law firm specializing in land use and development, he worked with county staffers to negotiate deals amenable to both sides.

Now Gouldman brings that experience to Brooksville, filling the long-vacant position of city planner.

The 48-year-old has come full-circle, he says, because he's "always been the public sector type."

"Planning is the ability to shape the future, or the ability to help residents shape the future of their own community," Gouldman said as he sat in his new office Monday, his first day on the job.

A native of Houston, Gouldman's father worked in the refinery business for DuPont, while his mother made the home for Gouldman and his sister Janice.

He earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Texas in San Antonio. He was then drawn to USF in Tampa because it was one of the few schools at the time that had offered a master's degree in applied anthropology. Gouldman focused on planning and got his master's degree in 1993.

He worked for a spell back in Texas as a planner for a central Texas economic development district, where he developed an affinity for small, Main Street towns like Brooksville.

Gouldman started in Hillsborough's planning department in 1995, working his way up to executive planner and leading a team focused on neighborhood planning.

In 2005, Gouldman accepted a job offer from the Tampa law firm Molloy and James. After years looking out for the interests of government, he "wanted to see the other side of the coin."

"You think you know what's going on when on you're on one side, but I was mistaken," Gouldman admits.

He spent most of his time in front of planning and zoning hearing officers but also got some exposure to the county commission. He developed a new appreciation for the level of politics and lobbying efforts on the part of the private sector.

When the housing market soured, the firm cut Gouldman's position. He's done some consulting work since then.

The job in Brooksville just feels right, says Gouldman, who lives in Carrollwood with his wife Karen and their two cats. "The downtown has a lot of promise, and there is a lot happening already," he said.

He said he is excited to work for a small city, where he won't have to "go through five different people to make a decision."

Gouldman, whose $41,600 salary falls in the middle of the position's pay range, has plenty of work ahead of him despite the downturn in the economy that has forced many developers to push back timetables, said Community Development Director Bill Geiger.

Because of budget constraints and tight job market in recent years, the city planner position has been vacant since the early 1990s. That meant that much of the planner's duties fell to Geiger and his redevelopment coordinator, and that mean some work was simply put off. The city also paid consultants for tasks that had to get done.

"We were lucky to have him apply," Geiger said. "With his background and experience, I expect him to hit the ground running."

After a spate of annexations, the city has plenty of land that will come into play when the market hits another boom cycle. Gouldman will be the one working with the county on joint planning agreements and future annexations — a politically charged "challenge," Gouldman said, and one he's looking forward to.

His message to the county, the developers and residents: "I'm open-minded. Let's negotiate to try to make it right for everybody."

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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