TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa City Council is set to review the city’s sidewalk ordinance Thursday, which could ultimately bring an end to a loophole that lets developers dodge sidewalk fees. 

Council members are set to review new code language that would require developers to either build a sidewalk in front of a new home or pay into the city’s sidewalk trust fund. Right now, multiple exemptions exist that allow builders to avoid the additional expense. 

“Contractors are required to pay an in-lieu fee,” explained Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “One of the issues with that is that we haven’t been as strict with those fees as we should have been, and we haven’t been collecting those funds.” 

But a lack of sidewalks in many Tampa neighborhoods is a cause for concern for drivers and pedestrians alike. 

Carlye Morgan walks her South Tampa neighborhood daily with her dog and two sons and finds herself either walking in the street or trying to avoid cars by stepping in lawns. 

“It would mean a little bit more freedom for our kids and assurance for us as parents that they’re safe when they’re playing with their friends in our neighborhood,” she said. 

Some city council members are also considering increasing the fees developers pay in order to cover the cost of new sidewalks, but that proposal is not scheduled for discussion Thursday.