Charter Review Board, 2-9-00 **NOTIFICATION: **This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the following **meeting. It should be used for informational purposes only. **This document has not been edited; therefore, there may be **additions, deletions, or words that did not translate. >>SUE PARRISH: I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING -- FIRST MEETING OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD 2000 TO ORDER. >>PAT FRANK: I'M STANDING ON THIS SIDE OF THE DAIS BECAUSE I CHOSE TO LET THE CLERK TAKE CARE OF THE ELECTION PROCESS, AND IT'S MORE SYMBOLIC TOO BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT ALTHOUGH EACH OF YOU HAS BEEN SELECTED BY ONE OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THAT THIS IS A TASK THAT YOU'RE TAKING ON FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THIS COUNTY AND ITS FUTURE. SO ONCE WE MAKE THIS TRANSITION AND GET YOU IN PLACE, YOU'RE THEN ON YOUR OWN. AND I ANTICIPATE THAT MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WILL BE COMING DOWN HERE AND GIVING YOU THEIR OPINIONS JUST AS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WILL FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT YOU HAVE A TRUE RESPONSIBILITY ON YOUR SHOULDERS THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR. YOU HAVE A CHARGE TO BE IN PLACE FOR ONE YEAR. YOU HAVE THE AUTHORIZATION TO DO THIS FOR ONE YEAR; HOWEVER, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I THINK THAT, IN FACT -- THE FACT IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN OUT ON THE TABLE, AND THAT IS WHETHER WE WILL HAVE A COUNTY MAYOR OR NOT. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT ISSUE IS GOING TO COME DOWN, WHAT YOUR DECISION IS GOING TO BE ABOUT IT, BUT I WOULD SAY ONE THING THAT I THINK LETTING SOME ISSUE LIKE THAT HANG OUT OVER AN EXTENDED TIME DOES NOT DO ANYTHING WELL. THERE IS -- THERE WILL BE UNCERTAINTY WITHIN THE COUNTY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MANY PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY. AND I THINK THAT YOU PROBABLY WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT THAT ISSUE AS EARLY AS YOU COULD. THE REST YOU KNOW YOU HAVE -- WE'LL BE GIVING YOU FROM THE STAFF A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR BUDGET, ABOUT ALL THE DETAILS OF WHAT YOU HAVE ACCESSIBLE TO YOU. THE FACT THAT YOU CAN HIRE STAFF; HOWEVER, YOU DO HAVE THE OPTION OF USING COUNTY STAFF AND THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND SAVING THAT MONEY AND PERHAPS USING FOR SOME OTHER PURPOSE, BUT THAT'S A DECISION FOR YOU TO MAKE. THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. AND I GENUINELY MEAN THAT. EACH OF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR TAKING ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY. I THINK YOU PROBABLY KNOW NOW THAT THIS IS A LITTLE TOUGHER JOB THAN WHEN YOU WERE PROBABLY FIRST ASKED BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME A LITTLE MORE SEASONED IN TERMS OF THE ISSUES. YET I THINK YOU PROBABLY KNEW DOWN DEEP THAT MAYBE EVERYTHING WASN'T GOING TO BE THAT EASY. AND KNOWING EACH OF YOU AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS COMMITTEE, I KNOW THAT YOU'LL DO THE RIGHT THING, AND I WISH YOU GODSPEED. AND YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT AND OUR CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO WRESTLE WITH THESE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS AND ISSUES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>SUE PARRISH: EMMY ACTON, OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY, WILL SWEAR IN THE BOARD MEMBERS. >>EMMY ACTON: OKAY. IF YOU WOULD ALL RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME. I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT, PROTECT, AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THAT I AM DULY QUALIFIED TO HOLD OFFICE UNDER THE LAWS OF THIS STATE. AND UNDER THE CHARTER OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND THAT I WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY PERFORM THE DUTIES OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. ON WHICH I AM NOW ABOUT TO ENTER. SO HELP ME GOD. THANK YOU. >>SUE PARRISH: THANK YOU. THE FLOOR IS NOW OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE CHAIRMAN OF THIS CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE. YES, DENISE. >>DENISE LASHER: YES. I WOULD LIKE TO ENTER A NOMINATION OF MS. JAN SMITH. JAN HAS BEEN A LONG-TIME RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I'VE KNOWN HER FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SHE'S A FORMER CHAIRPERSON OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CITY PLANNING COMMISSION. AND -- CITY -- CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION AND DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB AS CHAIRPERSON. I FEEL SHE HAS THE EXPERIENCE AND CERTAINLY THE DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO THIS COUNTY AND OUR COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PERFORM THIS JOB AS CHAIRMAN OF THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. >>SUE PARRISH: ARE THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS? YES? >> I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE DAVID HURLEY BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I AM CURIOUS ABOUT FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE. I HAVE KNOWN DAVID AND KNOWN DAVID FOR YEARS BUT MANY OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW ONLY BY REPUTATION AND ALL OF WHICH ARE STELLAR BUT I DON'T KNOW PERSONALLY AND DON'T KNOW THE BACKGROUNDS OF THE INDIVIDUALS. AND I WAS CURIOUS IF THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME OR IF OTHERS FEEL AS I DO THAT IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO PERHAPS TAKE THIS UP EITHER LATER IN THIS MEETING OR FIRST TOPIC OF AGENDA AT THE NEXT MEETING, AND WE CAN CIRCULATE RESUMES OR WHAT HAVE YOU JUST BECAUSE I FRANKLY DON'T KNOW A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED OTHER THAN JUST BY REPUTATION. SOME -- I HAVE JUST MET PEOPLE HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS EVENING. >> AS AN OPTION TO THAT, WE CAN SPEND THE FIRST TEN MINUTES GOING RIGHT AROUND THE ROOM AND TELLING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OURSELVES SO WE GET ACQUAINTED AS TO WHO ALL ARE SITTING ON THE BOARD. >>SUE PARRISH: IS THERE A MOTION? >>JAN SMITH: BY CONSENSUS, I THINK THAT IS -- >>SUE PARRISH: BY CONSENSUS? OKAY. WHERE WOULD WE BEGIN. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEGIN DOWN THERE. >>MIKE BEDKE: CERTAINLY. MY NAME IS MIKE BEDKE. I'M AN ATTORNEY HERE IN TAMPA WITH THE LAW FIRM OF PIPER MARBURY. I'VE LIVED IN THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1974. MY FATHER WAS THE COMMANDER OF MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE. THE FEW YEARS I SPENT IN GAINESVILLE FOR UNDERGRAD, I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY AND HAPPY TO BE ON THE BOARD. >>STEVE LaBOUR: STEVE LaBOUR. BEEN IN TAMPA FOR 16 YEARS. BEEN VERY ACTIVE AS A VOLUNTEER AND WORKING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND CIVIC GROUPS. I ALSO AT ONE TIME WORKED IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND CITY OF TAMPA UNDER MAYOR SANDY FREEDMAN AND WORKED WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THERE. I AM PRESIDENT OF AN UMBRELLA GROUP OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS HERE IN TAMPA. I AM A CONSULTANT AND ALSO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HILLSBOROUGH TOMORROW. >>JAN SMITH: I'M JAN SMITH. I CAME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, TO TAMPA, IN 1964. IT'S ON? CAN YOU HEAR? TO GO TO SCHOOL AT U.S.F. I GRADUATED FROM THERE AND TOOK MY FIRST JOB AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL WHERE I MET MY HUSBAND AND WE WENT OFF TO PHILLY FOR A WHILE BUT BOTH OF US WANTED TO COME BACK TO TAMPA BUT WE'VE LIVED HERE PERMANENTLY SINCE 1982. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE COUNTY'S E.L.A.P. PROGRAM, THE FRIENDS OF THE PARKS, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND OTHER ISSUES SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE AND I ENJOY PARTICIPATING IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT PROCESS. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: I'M MARY LOU TUTTLE, AND I WORKED IN -- WELL, I JUST RETIRED LAST JUNE. I AM A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE OF ONE SORT OF ANOTHER FOR 32 AND A HALF YEARS. AND I WORKED FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT, WORKED FOR TERELL SESSUMS, HIS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, AND WORKED FOR A SHORT TIME FOR HELEN GORDON DAVIS AND FREELANCED A LITTLE BIT AND THEN WORKED FOR FRAN DAVIN AND THEN I GOT MY DEGREE AND WENT ACROSS THE STREET, AS WE SAY, AND I'VE BEEN IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE END OF IT EVER SINCE. I DID THE LOBBYING FOR THE COUNTY FOR NINE YEARS. I WAS THE -- THE LAST NINE YEARS I RAN PROGRAMS FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND ESTABLISHED AND RAN THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. AND I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE. >>DENISE LASHER: MY NAME IS DENISE LASHER, AND I'M ORIGINALLY FROM DELAWARE. WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE. I MOVED TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN 1978, AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT, MOVED TO LUTZ. SO I'VE LIVED IN LUTZ SINCE '78. I CURRENTLY SERVE ON HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY BOARD. I'M ON THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I ALSO SERVED ON THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE STUDYING COUNTY FINANCES. AND I WAS A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE OF 99. AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR WORK THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US. >>KEVIN AMBLER: GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KEVIN AMBLER. I AM A LAWYER HERE IN TOWN WITH THE LAW FIRM OF AMBLER P.A. WHERE I AM A MANAGING PARTNER. I HAVE BEEN IN TAMPA SINCE 1998. I MOVED HERE WITH MY ASSIGNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE FROM LOS ANGELES. I WAS A JUDGE ADVOCATE OFFICER ASSIGNED TO MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE LEGAL OFFICE. SERVED THERE FOR FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AND UPON COMMITMENT WITH THAT, I WAS SPECIAL ASSISTANT WITH THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, ALSO HANDLING CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES THAT AROSE ON MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE. AFTER SEPARATING FROM THE SERVICE, FROM ACTIVE DUTY, I WENT INTO THE RESERVE PROGRAM AS A RESERVE AIR FORCE JUDGE ADVOCATE AND STILL CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO MACDILL AIR FORCE CENTER WHEN I CONTINUE MY PRIVATE LAW PRACTICE. CIVICLY, I SERVE AND HAVE SERVED FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NORTHDALE TAX DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES UP IN THE NORTHDALE AREA, WHICH IS AN ELECTED POSITION. I'M ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE PRESENT WOOD PARK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, HAVE BEEN FOR EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS. I'M ACTIVE IN ROTARY, SERTOMA, A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF COUNTY BOARDS AND REPRESENT A NUMBER OF HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS BEFORE BOARDS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THE COUNTY COMMISSION ON VARIOUS MATTERS. I'M GLAD TO BE HERE AND HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. >>HENRY BELTRAN: HENRY BELTRAN. A SCHOOLTEACHER FOR 43 YEARS. A FOUNDER OF HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE. TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA FOR 12 YEARS. TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM ALL OVER. AND I HAD PUBLISHED SEVERAL BOOKS IN REFERENCE FOR FOREIGNERS TO LEARN ENGLISH. I KEPT ON WORKING UNTIL THIS LAST YEAR WHEN I RETIRED. AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE BECAUSE I'M NEW, BUT I WILL LEARN A LOT FROM YOU PEOPLE. THANK YOU. >>ARLENE WALDRON: GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ARLENE WALDRON. I HAVE THREE TEENAGE BOYS. I'M VERY INVOLVED IN THE BRANDON AREA. I'M A BOARD MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER COMMERCE, THE SEFFNER CHAMBER, THE BRANDON OUTREACH CLINIC AND ALSO THE YMCA. I DO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED AND TO BE APPOINTED TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. THANK YOU. >>TERRY BALLARD: MY NAME IS TERRY BALLARD, AND I WAS BORN IN TAMPA AND RAISED IN PLANT CITY. I GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA. I WAS A BANKER SINCE 1965 AND VICE PRESIDENT WITH SOUTH TRUST. I ONLY WORK ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. I AM SEMIRETIRED. -- CITY COMMISSIONER FOR ABOUT 12 YEARS IN PLANT CITY. I AM A RETIRED BRIGADIER GENERAL IN THE FLORIDA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD. [INAUDIBLE] -- THE TITLE I LIKE BEST IS GRANDADDY. [LAUGHTER] >>DEE WILLIAMS: I'M DEE WILLIAMS. I MOVED TO SUN CITY CENTER TEN YEARS AGO FROM INDIANA. I AM RETIRED FROM LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES. FOR 35 YEARS. IT WAS THE MANUFACTURING ARM OF AT&T. AND SINCE MOVING TO FLORIDA, I'VE BEEN ACTIVE IN A NUMBER OF THINGS. I AM IN MY TENTH YEAR AS PRESIDENT OF THE SUN CITY CENTER REPUBLICAN CLUB. I AM VERY, VERY ACTIVE IN THE POLITICAL ARENA. I SERVE ON THE MILITARY ADVISORY BOARD FOR CONGRESSMAN DAN MILLER. SERVE ON AN ADVISORY BOARD FOR DOUG BELDEN, TAX COLLECTOR. I HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN SUN CITY CENTER. NOW THAT'S RETIREMENT FOR YOU. >>DAVID HURLEY: I CAN'T WAIT. MY NAME IS DAVID HURLEY, PRESIDENT OF LANDMARK SURVEYING CORPORATION, CIVIL ENGINEERING AND LAND SURVEYING FIRM HERE IN TAMPA. JUST UNDER 50 EMPLOYEES. MOVED HERE IN 1978, ALSO FROM INDIANA, BUT FROM NORTH OF INDIANAPOLIS, NOT SOUTH OF IT. I HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN A LOT OF THINGS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. I WAS ON THE FARMWORKER HOUSING BOARD FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. I AM ON THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND JUST COMPLETING MY SECOND YEAR AS CHAIRMAN AND LAST YEAR AS CHAIRMAN. I GAVE MYSELF TERM LIMITS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND YEAR. I WAS ON THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE ON COUNTY FINANCES. I'VE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN THE AREA. I WAS ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE HILLSBOROUGH ASSOCIATION OF CHAMBERS, WHICH IS THE ASSOCIATION OF CHAMBERS THAT -- OF ALL THE CHAMBERS IN THE AREA. I'M ALSO ACTIVE IN THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS. I AM CURRENTLY THE STATE CHAIR, THE STATE OF FLORIDA CHAIR. >>ARLENE WALDRON: ANYTHING WRONG WITH BEING SOUTH OF INDIANAPOLIS? >> I BELIEVE WE DID HAVE TWO LATECOMERS. IF I CAN START WITH MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME, OF COURSE, IS GERALD LENARD WHITE, SR. THERE IS A JR. OUT THERE. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK COMMISSIONER REVEREND THOMAS SCOTT FOR THE APPOINTMENT. AND I CONSIDER THIS A TREMENDOUS HONOR. SO I'M GLAD TO BE HERE. I'M AN EMPLOYEE OF TAMPA ELECTRIC COMPANY. HAVE BEEN WITH THE COMPANY FOR 17 YEARS. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING OUT AT BIG BEND POWER PLANT. I'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN LOCAL POLITICS. I GOT INVOLVED WHEN REVEREND JESSE JACKSON RAN FOR PRESIDENCY. AND I HAD THE PRIVILEGE AT THAT TIME TO SERVE AS A CAUCUS CHAIRMAN, ELECTED ATTORNEY JOYNER AS A DELEGATE TO THE DEMOCRAT CONVENTION. I LIVE IN THE TEMPLE CREST AREA OF TAMPA AND A MEMBER OF THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION. I'VE SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER FOR THE VOTER REGISTRATION TASK FORCE THAT PAM IORIO, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTION PUT IN PLACE. I'VE SERVED AS A UNITED WAY REPRESENTATIVE FOR MY COMPANY, TAMPA ELECTRIC COMPANY, WHERE WE COMPETED AS EMPLOYEES. AND I WAS SELECTED TO REPRESENT THE COMPANY FOR THE UNITED WAY. I SERVE AS PRECINCT COMMITTEE MAN, DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT COMMITTEE MAN, WHICH GIVES ME A POSITION AS A MEMBER OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. OF COURSE, MY RECENT ENDEAVOR, INVOLVEMENT IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT. I SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. AND I WAS APPOINTED TO THAT POSITION BY REVEREND THOMAS SCOTT. I'VE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THIS COMMUNITY AT TWO DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTIONS, WHERE YOU COMPETE WITH REGISTERED DEMOCRATS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND THE FIRST TIME IN 1992, I WAS ELECTED AS AN ALTERNATE, AND, OF COURSE, THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE, I WAS ELECTED AS A FULL-FLEDGED DELEGATE TO REPRESENT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION WHERE, OF COURSE, PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WAS NOMINATED AND REELECTED AS OUR PRESIDENT. JUST TO SAY A LITTLE BIT. I'VE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM A LOT OF THE ELDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. I'M A STUDENT BY NATURE. AND I'M ALWAYS OPEN AND WILLING AND SEARCHING FOR NEW INFORMATION AND WANT TO LEARN AND WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY THIS COMMUNITY. SO I'M HERE TODAY WILLING AND READY TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY. I'M A FATHER OF FOUR KIDS. I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO IS GOING INTO HER SECOND YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA. AND MY OTHER KIDS, THEY'RE IN -- ONE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND ONE IN JUNIOR HIGH AND OF COURSE MY LITTLE ONE, WILLIAM CLINTON WHO IS NAMED AFTER THE PRESIDENT, BILL CLINTON. HE'S SIX YEARS OLD. MY WIFE OF 17 YEARS, ANN WHITE. AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN, I JUST WANT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT BY THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY FIRST AND BY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OVERALL. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER WE DECIDE IN THE END, THAT OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY GETS A FAIR SHAKE BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTY. AND, AGAIN, SORRY FOR BEING A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT I'M GLAD TO BE HERE AND READY TO GET GOING. AND WHICHEVER ONE -- WHICH ONE IS SMITH? WHO IS THAT? YEAH. ARE YOU RUNNING FOR CHAIR? >>JAN SMITH: I WAS NOMINATED. >>GERALD WHITE: I HOPE SO. I'M VOTING FOR YOU. >>SUE PARRISH: FINALLY, MR. BALES. >>JOHN BALES: HELLO, I'M JOHN BALES. I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT MY FAMILY. I HEARD HIM HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY SO I'LL DO IT TOO. I'M HAPPILY MARRIED AND HAVE A WONDERFUL 22-MONTH-OLD CHILD. I ALMOST BROUGHT HER HERE TONIGHT AND MY WIFE HAD SOMETHING OTHER TO DO AND MY MOTHER WASN'T AVAILABLE. YOU MIGHT SEE HER AT SOME POINT. I AM PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY. I FIND IT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ON THIS BOARD. I WANT TO THANK BEN WACKSMAN FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. I HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF LISTENING CLOSELY, LEARNING AS MUCH AS I CAN AND TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I HOPE THAT COMES OUT IN THE END. I HAVE HAD THE HONOR OF BEING IN THIS COMMUNITY SINCE 1972 FOR 17 YEARS. I LOVE TAMPA. I AM FROM SANFORD, FLORIDA, A SMALL TOWN WHICH SOME PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF, NOT MANY, ABOVE ORLANDO. GROWING UP, THERE WAS SORT OF A RIVALRY BETWEEN ORLANDO AND TAMPA. I HAD THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF TAMPA. BUT ONCE I GOT HERE IN 1972, I QUICKLY FELL IN LOVE AND HAD NO INTENTION OF GOING ANYWHERE BUT HERE. HOPEFULLY THIS IS MY OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. I TRY TO ALSO HELP MY PROFESSION. I'M A LAWYER WITH BALES AND WINESTEIN. I AM PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION. I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING AS PRESIDENT, AS EMMY ACTON OUT THERE ALSO SERVED. AND I HOPE I DO THE RIGHT THING THERE AS WELL. I AM ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE TAMPA INTERCOURT. I AM ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND TREASURER. JUST FOR PEOPLE'S KNOWLEDGE. THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THIS ORGANIZATION IS TO PROMOTE CIVILITY, PROFESSIONALISM, LEGAL EXCELLENCE. AND THAT'S AN IDEAL THAT I STRONGLY BELIEVE IN FOR MY PROFESSION, IN FACT, I BELIEVE THAT EXCELLENCE AND CIVILITY IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL PROFESSIONS. SO I TRY TO DO MY BIT THERE. I'M CURRENTLY CHAIR -- AS OF LAST NIGHT, I AM NO LONGER. I HAVE BEEN CHAIR OF THE TAMPA VARIANCE REVIEW BOARD THAT LAST UNTIL 1:30 LAST NIGHT BUT WE ALL DID OUR DUTY AND DID IT WELL. I DON'T THINK I WILL BE ON IT THAT MUCH LONGER BECAUSE I AM GOING TO DEVOTE MY TIME TO THIS COMMUNITY. I HAVE ALSO BEEN ON THE TAMPA-HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CABLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I HAVE A PASSION FOR THE MARCH OF DIMES AND MANY OTHER FINE FILL ON THERE I CAN ORGANIZATIONS OF THIS COMMUNITY. I WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS TIME AND THE ABILITY TO BE HERE AND I'LL TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING. >>SUE PARRISH: OKAY. WITH THE BOARD'S CONCURRENCE, WE'LL GO BACK WITH THE ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN. I BELIEVE THERE WERE TWO NAMES THAT WERE ON THE FLOOR. JAN SMITH AND DAVID HURLEY. AM I CORRECT IN THAT? >>JOHN BALES: CAN I RAISE ANOTHER NOMINATION? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER NOMINATION. BY THE WAY, THE TWO PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN NOMINATED ARE FINE INDIVIDUALS, BUT JUST TO GIVE US ALL CHOICES, I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE MIKE BEDKE. WHILE HE'S ONE -- AT LEAST APPEARS TO BE ONE OF THE YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, I KNOW HE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF BOARDS AND RUN THEM WELL AND HAS BEEN AN ACTIVE AND GOOD PARTICIPANT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO PUT HIS NAME IN AS -- >>SUE PARRISH: DO YOU ACCEPT THAT NOMINATION, MIKE? >>MIKE BEDKE: AS HONORED AS I AM, I WILL HUMBLY DECLINE. BUT THANK YOU. >>ARLENE WALDRON: MADAM CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THE NOMINATIONS BE CLOSED. >>SUE PARRISH: IS THERE A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. THE CLERK NOW SUE WEST WILL CALL THE ROLE. IF YOU WOULD INDICATE YOUR PREFERENCE. >> MR. AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: STATE MY VOTE? STATE ONE PERSON OR THE OTHER. I GUESS I'LL VOTE FOR JAN SMITH. >>TERRY BALLARD: JAN SMITH. >>JOHN BALES: JAN SMITH. >>MIKE BEDKE: DAVID HURLEY. >>HENRY BELTRAN: JAN SMITH. >>DAVID HURLEY: DAVID HURLEY. I'LL TRY TO BE NICE TO MIKE. >>STEVE LaBOUR: JAN SMITH. >>DENISE LASHER: JAN SMITH. >>JAN SMITH: JAN SMITH. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: JAN SMITH. >>BOB WALDRON: DAVID HURLEY. >>GERALD WHITE: SMITH. >>DEE WILLIAMS: HURLEY. >> DID I GET EVERYONE? MRS. SMITH HAS -- WITH A NINE TO FOUR VOTE. [APPLAUSE] >>JAN SMITH: BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THIS JOB. >>DAVID HURLEY: SAY THAT IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. >>JAN SMITH: AND APOLOGIES TO MY HUSBAND. [LAUGHTER] THE NEXT THING ON OUR AGENDA WOULD BE TO ELECT A VICE-CHAIRMAN. >> I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE MR. HURLEY. >>JAN SMITH: MR. HURLEY HAS BEEN NOMINATED. IS THERE ANOTHER NOMINATION? >> MOTION. >> SECOND. >>JAN SMITH: WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE NOMINATION AND A SECOND TO CLOSE NOMINATIONS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. MR. HURLEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE UP TO THE FRONT, PLEASE. [APPLAUSE] >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: BRING YOUR SIGN. >>GERALD WHITE: CAN WE DO SOMETHING? SINCE WE ARE SITTING PRETTY LOW. CAN WE JUST GRAB THOSE TWO CHAIRS SO -- >>JAN SMITH: I'M SURE THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. >> IS THIS WHAT YOU CALL MUSICAL CHAIRS? >>JAN SMITH: WE HAVE THE NEED OF HAVING SERVICES TO KEEP MINUTES OF OUR MEETINGS AND TO MAKE SURE INFORMATION GOES OUT TO MEMBERS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE TAKING MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS. MS. SUE PARRISH. >>SUE PARRISH: WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY DONE THE MINUTES FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, BUT THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT THAT THE CLERK DO THE MINUTES. AND IT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF THE FIRST DECISIONS THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THOUGH ABOUT WHO SHOULD DO YOUR MINUTES. >> I MOVE THAT WE DO THE MINUTES FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. >>DAVID HURLEY: JUST MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE THROUGH THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE AND THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD AND OTHER THINGS I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN, THEY'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB. I DON'T KNOW TO GO HIRE SOMEONE OUTSIDE AND PAY RETAIL RATES. I DON'T ENJOY SPENDING EXTRA MONEY. >>DENISE LASHER: I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. >>JAN SMITH: A MOTION BY MR. AMBLER AND A SECOND BY MS. LASHER TO APPROVE THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE DOING THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? I'LL SAY THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THEM MANY YEARS, AND THEY DO A REMARKABLE JOB. AND IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. >>SUE PARRISH: THANK YOU. >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU. MR. DAN KLEMAN HAS HAD A LONG DAY, SO WE'LL GET TO HIM AS SOON AS HE CAN GET TO THE PODIUM AND HE WILL DISCUSS THE LOGISTICS OF OUR MEETINGS. >>DAN KLEMAN: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. I'M DAN KLEMAN, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. LET ME TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE LOGISTICS OF YOUR MEETINGS. YOU WILL HAVE A LOT OF DECISIONS TO MAKE OF HOW YOU WILL PROCEED BUT MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST YOU. FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO DISTRIBUTE COPIES OF A DOCUMENT THAT HAS -- OR A FOLDER THAT HAS INFORMATION IN IT THAT INDICATES FIRST THAT I'VE ASKED HELEN LEVINE TO BE A LIAISON TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD FOR ANY SUPPORT OR INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION. SHE'LL BE SUPPORTED BY EDITH STEWART IN THAT RESPONSIBILITY. I THINK AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MEMBERS KNOW EDITH WELL FOR HER STAFF SUPPORT TO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. ONE OF THE CHANGES SINCE THE LAST TIME A CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MET IS THAT THE COUNTY NOW HAS A WEB SITE. WE ARE ESTABLISHING A WEB PAGE FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD AS A PART OF BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WHAT YOU DO TO THE CITIZENS. WE WILL PUT ON THAT WEB SITE WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. CERTAINLY COPIES OF THE MEMBERSHIP THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD AND MINUTES OF YOUR MEETINGS ARE AT LEAST TWO THINGS THAT I BELIEVE THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE AN INTEREST IN. AND YOU OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT WEB SITE FROM YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTERS, EITHER AT HOME OR AT YOUR OFFICES. POINT THREE IS THAT IT IS OUR INTENTION, AND WE MAKE THE OFFER TO YOU THAT WE WILL VIDEOTAPE AND BROADCAST ALL OF THE MEETINGS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. IN FACT, THIS FIRST MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST LIVE OVER HILLSBOROUGH TELEVISION. IT WOULD BE OUR INTENTION TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT UNLESS YOU ASK US NOT TO. WE WILL AT A MINIMUM VIDEOTAPE THE MEETINGS SO THAT ANY MEMBER OF THE BOARD WHO MIGHT MISS A MEETING AND WANT TO HAVE ACCESS TO A VIDEOTAPE OF THE PROCEEDINGS, WE'VE LISTED A NAME AND A PHONE NUMBER WHERE YOU CAN CONTACT SOMEONE TO GET A VIDEOTAPE OF A PREVIOUS MEETING OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. LAST LOGISTICAL NOTE, AN IMPORTANT ONE ABOUT PARKING. PARKING IS AVAILABLE IN THIS BUILDING IN THE GARAGE THAT'S LOCATED ON THE FIRST SEVERAL FLOORS. IF YOU SIMPLY TAKE THE PARKING TICKET THAT YOU OBTAIN WHEN YOU COME INTO THE GARAGE, EDITH STEWART OR SOMEONE FROM THE COUNTY STAFF WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STAMP IT SO YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS TO PARKING IN THIS BUILDING WITHOUT FEE. AND THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE'VE INCLUDED IN THE FOLDER JUST SOME BACKGROUND READING FOR MEMBERS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, INCLUDING THE COUNTY'S DIRECTORY OF SERVICES, THE LATEST ANNUAL REPORT, AND TWO DOCUMENTS WHICH MS. LEVINE HAS BEEN ABLE TO SECURE FROM THE NATIONAL CIVIC LEAGUE REGARDING THE FUNCTIONING OF CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS. I WOULD SAY IN CLOSING THAT WE KNOW YOU HAVE A DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING TASK AHEAD OF YOU. WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN FROM A LOGISTICAL STANDPOINT TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU IN DOING THAT AND TO WORK CLOSELY WITH WHATEVER STAFF YOU HIRE OR DESIGNATE TO ASSIST YOU ON AN ONGOING BASIS. I'LL BE HAPPY TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS. >>JAN SMITH: MS. LASHER HAS A QUESTION. >>DENISE LASHER: I HAVE TWO SHORT QUESTIONS. ONE. IF WE SHOULD DECIDE TO MEET OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY CENTER BUILDING HERE, WOULD -- WILL YOUR OFFER TO VIDEO OR BROADCAST OUR MEETING STILL STAND. >>DAN KLEMAN: WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO VIDEOTAPE OR REBROADCAST AT A LATER TIME. WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH HILLSBOROUGH TELEVISION IN WHATEVER MEETING ARRANGEMENT YOU DECIDE TO DO. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A LITTLE EASIER FOR HILLSBOROUGH TELEVISION TO BE ABLE TO BROADCAST FROM THIS ROOM BECAUSE OF THE CAMERA ARRANGEMENTS AND THE CONTROLS, BUT WE WILL -- WE ARE AVAILABLE TO FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. I'M CERTAIN YOU'LL WANT TO HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS AT SOME POINT, AND YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE THAT PARTICULARLY OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. AND WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT NEED. >>DENISE LASHER: AND THE OTHER QUESTION IS, IF WE HAPPEN TO COME HERE TO SEE SOME COUNTY STAFF OTHER THAN WHEN WE'RE MEETING, WOULD WE STILL BE ABLE TO GET FREE PARKING. THAT IS, IF THERE'S A SPOT AVAILABLE IN THE GARAGE FOR US TO PARK IN? >>DAN KLEMAN: IF THERE IS A SPOT AVAILABLE AND PRESUMABLY YOU WOULDN'T BE DOING THAT UNLESS IT WAS ON CHARTER BUSINESS, WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO BE OF ASSISTANCE IF YOU WOULD CONTACT EDITH OR HELEN, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO MAKE SURE PARKING IS TAKEN CARE OF. >> HOW ARE THESE MEETINGS NOTICED AS FAR AS PUBLICATION? IS IT A PRESS RELEASE SO IT IS IN THE PAPER WHEN OUR MEETINGS ARE OR IS IT A LEGAL REQUIREMENT? >>DAN KLEMAN: TYPICALLY, IT IS A NOTICE OF ALL PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT GOES OUT FROM THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE. I THINK WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS WHEN YOU GET TO MARY HELEN CAMPBELL'S DISCUSSION FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. ALL MEETINGS WILL BE NOTICED THROUGH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA. >> ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT OUR HISPANIC -- OUR SPANISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE ARE MEETING AND WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO HAVE THEM AVAILABLE. SO PERHAPS ADVERTISING AND NOTICING IN PAPERS IN WHICH THEY MIGHT READ MIGHT BE HELPFUL, CERTAINLY IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE, BUT ALSO IS THERE ABILITY OF HAVING AN INTERPRETER, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO COME. ESPECIALLY IF WE WENT TO A COMMUNITY MEETING IN WHICH SOMEONE ONLY SPOKE SPANISH BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEIR ISSUES WOULD BE HEARD. DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE AN INTERPRETER? >>DAN KLEMAN: WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES THAT SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY WHEN WE ARE DEALING WITH CITIZEN WHO IS HAVE PARTICULARLY SPANISH AS THEIR PRIMARY LANGUAGE OR IN A COUPLE OF CASES SOME OTHER LANGUAGES. WE WILL MAKE THOSE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD AS YOU HAVE NEED. >> GREAT, THANK YOU. >> ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART -- [INAUDIBLE] -- >>DAN KLEMAN: THAT IS A CURRENT ORGANIZATION CHART. AS WE GET INTO MORE DETAIL SUBSTANTIVELY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE PRESENTATIONS ON EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS OR WHATEVER IT IS THE BOARD MIGHT FIND OF USE, WE WOULD BE HAPPY -- >> -- THAT LANGUAGE WAS IN THE CHARTER, TEN DIVISIONS. >>DAN KLEMAN: SOMEONE WHO IS PERHAPS MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY COULD ANSWER THAT. >> IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL, IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE GIVEN ME TONIGHT THAT SHOWS THAT. IF NOT, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE. >>DAN KLEMAN: YOU MAY FIND THAT IN THE MATERIAL THAT MARY HELEN CAMPBELL HAS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CURRENT CHARTER. >> THANK YOU. >>DAN KLEMAN: WE ARE HERE MOSTLY TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE ALIVE. [LAUGHTER] >>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. KLEMAN? >>GERALD WHITE: MR. KLEMAN, ARE YOU GOING TO BE AROUND A WHILE? >>DAN KLEMAN: I CAN BE IF YOU THINK THERE IS SOMETHING I CAN BE OF HELP WITH. >>GERALD WHITE: I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT STAFFING OF OUR BOARD. I LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND IT'S WHAT, $50,000? >>DAN KLEMAN: YES, SIR. >>GERALD WHITE: ANYTHING THAT WE CAN GET FREE WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED AS IT RELATES TO STAFFING. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FEEL ABOUT IT. BUT SECRETARY, OFFICE, LOCATION. >>DAN KLEMAN: I'LL BE HAPPY TO STAY AS YOU GET TO THAT DISCUSSION ON YOUR AGENDA. >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU. >>DAN KLEMAN: THANK YOU. >>JAN SMITH: OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY IS EMELINE ACTON. SHE'LL GIVE US A HISTORY OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. >>EMMY ACTON: I PROVIDED TO YOU IN THE BOOKS WE -- BOOKS WE SENT PREVIOUSLY THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES OF THE PAST CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS. BUT IN THE INTEREST OF BEING BRIEF WITH ALL THAT MATERIAL, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST GO OVER SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THOSE SO YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT. THE PREVIOUS BUDGETS ARE THE FOLLOWING: IN 1986, THERE WAS A BUDGET OF $90,000. IN 1991, THERE WAS A BUDGET OF $61,000. AND IN THE BUDGET OF 1996, THIS MOST RECENT ONE, IT WAS $22,000. AS MR. KLEMAN MENTIONED, THE COUNTY HAS ADOPTED ITS ANNUAL BUDGET WITH $50,000 AVAILABLE TO THIS BOARD. IF THE BOARD WANTS MORE MONEY, THEY CAN CERTAINLY ASK THE BOARD TO AMEND THAT AND ADD TO IT WITH A BUDGET AMENDMENT. AS TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THIS BOARD HAS ALWAYS AT LEAST IN THE LAST THREE BOARDS HAVE HIRED -- I GUESS WHAT YOU'D CALL A PART-TIME CONTRACTOR THAT SERVES AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHO WAS GIVEN SPACE IN THIS BUILDING OR IN THE PREVIOUS BUILDING. IN 1986, THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD HIRED GARY SHEPARD AND SPENT APPROXIMATELY $26,000 ON HIS SALARY. IN 1991, THEY HIRED GARY SHEPARD AGAIN AND SPENT APPROXIMATELY $20,000 AND THAT WAS AT A RATE OF $15 AN HOUR THAT HE CHARGED. ACCORDING TO THE MINUTES, IN THAT SITUATION, THE CHAIR SIMPLY SELECTED GARY BECAUSE HE HAD DONE IT BEFORE. THERE WAS NO COMPETITIVE PROCESS. IN 1996, THE BOARD DID AN RFP PROCESS AND ACCEPTED APPLICATIONS FOR PERSONS INTERESTED IN SERVING AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THEY HIRED MARSHALL SMITH AND PAID HIM APPROXIMATELY $19,000 FOR HIS DUTIES. ON LEGAL COUNSEL, IN 1986, THE BOARD HIRED JOHN LAWSON AND BUDGETED $50,000 FOR HIS FEES. IN 1991, THEY HIRED JOHN LAWSON AGAIN AT A BILLING RATE OF $150 AN HOUR. THEY SPENT APPROXIMATELY $30,000. AT THAT POINT, IT WAS KIND OF UNUSUAL. THEY HIRED THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE UNDER FRED KARL TO HANDLE THE PROCEDURAL ISSUES. AND THEY HIRED JOHN LAWSON TO DO THE SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES. A CONFLICT DEVELOPED BETWEEN MR. KARL'S OPINION AND MR. LAWSON'S OPINION, AS SOMETIMES HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE LAWYER. AND MR. KARL AT THAT POINT WITHDREW FROM REPRESENTING THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. AND MR. LAWSON CONTINUED. IN 1996, THE MOST RECENT ONE, USED THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AT NO CHARGE. THEY ALSO, AT MY REQUEST, HIRED TOM GONZALEZ AS CONFLICT COUNSEL. HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO RESPOND TO AN RFP, AS WERE MANY ATTORNEYS, BUT MR. GONZALEZ OFFERED TO DO IT FOR FREE AND HE WAS SELECTED. HE'S ALSO VERY QUALIFIED, BUT HE WAS SELECTED AND DID IT PRO BONO. THE PREVIOUS CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSALS, IN 1986, THERE WAS NO AMENDMENT THAT RECEIVED TEN VOTES, WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT. IN 1991, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE COMMISSION TO NINE, HAVE AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR, AND ADDRESS SOME ETHICAL ISSUES. BECAUSE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE DID NOT INCLUDE THAT THE PROVISION WOULD HAVE EXPANDED THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN THE BALLOT LANGUAGE ITSELF, AND THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOUND IT WAS MISLEADING TO THE BOARD, THEY ASKED ME TO GO TO COURT AND HAVE IT REMOVED FROM THE BALLOT AND THE JUDGE AGREED. SO NOTHING WAS PUT ON THE BALLOT THAT YEAR, ALTHOUGH THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD DID VOTE TO PUT SOMETHING OUT. IN 1996, SOME OF YOU WILL RECALL THAT THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD PROPOSED THAT THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEET ONLY -- EVERY EIGHT YEARS AS OPPOSED TO EVERY FIVE YEARS. AND THAT FAILED AT REFERENDUM. SO THOSE ARE THE LAST THREE RESULTS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. JUST SOME ODDS AND ENDS. THEY'VE ALWAYS USED THE CLERKS TO DO THE MINUTES. IN 1996, CABLE TELEVISION WAS USED IN ALL THE DIFFERENT MEETINGS, INCLUDING THE FOUR MEETINGS HELD AT GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL, EAST BAY HIGH SCHOOL, TEMPLE TERRACE CITY HALL, AND PLANT CITY CITY HALL. PAST CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS HAVE INVITED THE FOLLOWING TO SPEAK TO THEM. THE INDIVIDUAL COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, THE MAYOR OF TAMPA, THE HEAD OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, THE CHAIR OF THE ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSION. SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW THE ORANGE COUNTY PASSED A CHARTER THAT INSTITUTED THE ELECTED CHAIR FORM OF GOVERNMENT OVER THERE, AND THEY HAD THE FIRST PERSON ELECTED TO THAT ROLE COME AND SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT HOW THAT WAS WORKING. AND THEN THERE WERE NUMEROUS CITIZENS THAT SPOKE IN ADDITION TO THAT. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION ONE OTHER THING, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ON THE HISTORY AT THIS POINT. AND THAT IS, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. YOU ARE IN SESSION FOR ONE YEAR UNDER THE TERMS OF THE CHARTER. THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT COMES INTO PLAY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BECAUSE WE'RE CALLED A "SUSPECT JURISDICTION" FOR HAVING FAILED TO PRINT SOME BALLOTS IN SPANISH SOME TIME BACK. AS A RESULT, WE REQUIRE PRE-CLEARANCE BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. WE CAN'T JUST PUT THINGS ON THE BALLOT WITHOUT ASKING PERMISSION OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. THERE ARE TWO REQUIREMENTS UNDER THAT LAW. ONE IS FOR THE DATE OF THE ELECTION, WHICH IS A PRETTY SUPERFICIAL THING. THEY WANT TO ENSURE IT IS NOT HELD ON SOME SORT OF HOLIDAY OF SOME RELIGIOUS FACTION OR SOME IMPORTANT DATE THAT WOULD TEND TO EXCLUDE SOME FROM VOTING. THE OTHER ISSUE THEY LOOK AT IS THE SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE OF WHETHER YOU ARE CHANGING REPRESENTATION IN GOVERNMENT FOR CITIZENS. AND THAT TAKES A MUCH LONGER LOOK BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF ONLY CLEARING THE DATE IF YOU WANT TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT AND WAITING TO SEE IF IT PASSES TO LOOK INTO A SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. THE PROBLEM, OF COURSE, THAT COMES WITH THAT, AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH OUR ORIGINAL CHARTER, IS THAT IF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO LOOK AT IT LONGER THAN YOU HAD ANTICIPATED OR IF THERE'S A PROBLEM, YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE, AND THEN YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EFFECTUATE THAT GOVERNMENT. AND THAT RESULTED IN A DELAY IN THE SEATING OF THE FIRST ELECTED COMMISSIONERS UNDER THE NEW CHARTER SCHEME. IN THAT CASE, BOTH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND THE NAACP WERE INVOLVED IN CHALLENGING A RECONFIGURATION OF THE COMMISSION. TYPICALLY, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REQUIRES 60 DAYS TO REVIEW. THEY HAVE WORKED WITH US MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. MARY HELEN AND I REPRESENT PAM IORIO THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS AND HAVE BECOME CLOSE, PERSONAL FRIENDS WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. THEY HAVE ALWAYS WORKED WITH US TO TAKE LESS THAN THAT, PARTICULARLY IF IT WAS JUST A PROCEDURAL ISSUE ABOUT THE SCHEDULING OF AN ELECTION. THEY CAN TAKE LESS THAN THAT ON A SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE, BUT THEY DO HAVE TO GET INTO A LOT OF ANALYSIS, PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE CHANGING THE DISTRICTS OF THE COMMISSION OR LOOKING AT ANY KIND OF CHANGE WITH AN ELECTED CHAIR OR AN ELECTED MAYOR. THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT THE EVOLUTION OF MINORITY VOTING AND MATTERS LIKE THAT WHICH TYPICALLY REQUIRE A LOT OF WORK. AND EVERY TIME WHEN YOU SEND THEM INFORMATION, THEY GET 60 DAYS TO LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN THEM. IF THEY COME BACK AND ASK FOR SOMETHING ELSE, THEY GET A WHOLE NEW 60 DAY TO LOOK AT THAT. SO IT'S HARD TO PREDICT HOW LONG THAT MIGHT TAKE. ALSO, THE SUPERVISOR TYPICALLY REQUIRES SEVERAL MONTHS TO PRINT UP SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT BECAUSE OF HER OVERSEAS VOTERS WHO NEED IT MAILED OUT WAY IN ADVANCE OF THE ELECTION DATE ITSELF. SO THERE ARE SOME TIME FRAMES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN HERE THAT YOU NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF. AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY PUT A BALLOT ON AT THE GENERAL ELECTION, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE THIS NOVEMBER, AND YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE NEXT ONE IN NOVEMBER OF 2002. SO THAT BECOMES IMPORTANT IN YOUR TIMING. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: CAN YOU KIND OF BACK IT OUT FOR US. 60 DAYS THAT -- FROM THE GENERAL ELECTION AS THE DROP-DEAD DATE FOR US TO HAVE IT IN THE HANDS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOLKS? >>EMMY ACTON: WELL, I THINK THAT THE LONGER -- >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: AND PAM'S ALSO. >>EMMY ACTON: THE LONGER TIME PERIOD IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE SUPERVISOR. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: OKAY. >>EMMY ACTON: NOW WE HAVEN'T CHECKED WITH HER ON EXACTLY HOW MUCH TIME SHE MIGHT NEED. SHE HAS, IN THE PAST, AS MARY HELEN AND I WERE JUST DISCUSSING, REQUIRED ABOUT THREE MONTHS. SHE COULD TAKE LESS POTENTIALLY. BUT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, AGAIN, THEY ONLY ARE ALLOWED UNDER LAW 60 DAYS, BUT IF YOU -- IF THEY ASK YOU FOR SOMETHING MORE, IT COULD BE 120. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: SO IF WE ARE GOING TO DO ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVE, WE NEED TO HAVE IT DONE BY NO LATER THAN AUGUST, RIGHT? FOR SOME TIME FOR SUPERVISOR OR -- OR IS THAT TOO LATE? >>EMMY ACTON: LET'S SEE. I'M COUNTING BACKWARDS REAL QUICKLY. IT WOULD BE OCTOBER, SEPTEMBER -- PROBABLY THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST. BUT, YOU KNOW, I'LL CHECK WITH PAM AND JUST DOUBLE-CHECK THAT SHE NEEDS ALL THAT TIME. >>GERALD WHITE: MADAM CHAIR. >>JAN SMITH: YES, MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: WHEN YOU SPOKE OF OUR STAFFING, DID YOUR OFFICE SERVE -- YOUR OFFICE SERVED AS OUR ATTORNEY? >>EMMY ACTON: LAST TIME WE DID, YES. >>GERALD WHITE: WHEN WE GET INTO STAFFING. I'M GOING TO PROPOSE THAT WE CONTINUE THAT. >>JAN SMITH: MR. LaBOUR. >>STEVE LaBOUR: MS. ACTON, DURING THE FEDERAL REVIEW OF THE LANGUAGE, WOULD IT BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OFFICE TO TAKE THAT LANGUAGE. FOR INSTANCE, SAY WE DID SOME WONDERFUL DUE DILIGENCE AND REALLY FELT VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT THE LANGUAGE, AND WE WERE ADDRESSING SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE KNOW THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MIGHT ADDRESS AND GIVEN COUNSEL'S ADVICE THAT WE REALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, CAN WE, IN ESSENCE, SEND THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR REVIEW? >>EMMY ACTON: NO. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL NOT REVIEW ANYTHING UNLESS IT HAS FINALLY BEEN ADOPTED. THEY DON'T GIVE ADVISORY OPINIONS. WE'VE ATTEMPTED THAT MANY, MANY TIMES BEFORE IN ORDER TO SHORTEN THE TIME FRAME. BUT THEY REFUSE TO SPEND THE TIME REVIEWING SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT ULTIMATELY GET APPROVED AND BE OUT THERE. >>STEVE LaBOUR: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>JAN SMITH: SO IT WOULD BE TO OUR ADVANTAGE, PERHAPS, TO INVITE PAM IORIO, THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, TO AN EARLY MEETING, LET HER ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS. WHILE SHE IS HERE AS PAST COUNTY COMMISSIONER, SHE MIGHT GIVE HER PERSPECTIVE ON COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND WHAT HER DRUTHERS ARE FOR THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. I THINK WE WILL PUT THAT TOWARD THE TOP OF OUR NEXT AGENDA. MS. ACTON, PERHAPS YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR CHARTER WAS BEFORE AND WHY IT CHANGED SO DRAMATICALLY IN 1984. >>EMMY ACTON: OKAY. WELL, THERE WERE FIVE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. AND THREE WERE LED OFF IN HANDCUFFS FOR ACCEPTING MONEY FOR VOTING A PARTICULAR WAY ON LARGELY ZONING ISSUES. AND THERE WAS A GREAT HUE AND CRY FOR REFORM AFTER THAT. AND THE CHARTER WAS ESTABLISHED TO ESTABLISH A PROFESSIONAL COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WHO HAD THE POWER TO HIRE AND FIRE THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AS WELL AS HIS TOP STAFF WITH ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. UP UNTIL THAT TIME, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY HAD WORKED FOR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND THE ADMINISTRATOR'S ROLE WAS NOT AS ENHANCED AS IT IS IN THE CURRENT CHARTER. IS THAT PRETTY MUCH WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? >>GERALD WHITE: I HAVE ANOTHER -- >>JAN SMITH: MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IS OUT OF THIS PROCESS, AT LEAST FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR TERM. I HAVE SOME CONCERN WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE GOING TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING, IF YOU WILL. HAVE YOUR OFFICE RESEARCHED WHETHER OR NOT THEY ACTUALLY DO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CHARTER OR PROPOSE A CHANGE? >>EMMY ACTON: YES, WE HAVE REVIEWED THAT. AND IT APPEARS TO US THAT THEY DO HAVE THAT AUTHORITY. EVEN THOUGH THE CHARTER THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE PEOPLE DOES NOT USE THAT AS ONE OF THE PRESCRIBED METHODS OF CHANGING THE CHARTER. IT APPEARS THAT THE CONSTITUTION WILL STILL ALLOW THEM THAT OPTION. OF COURSE, ANYTHING THEY WOULD PROPOSE WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS OR IF WOULD BE INEFFECTIVE. SO THEY WOULD STILL FACE THAT HURDLE. BUT IT WAS SENATOR GRANT'S ACTION THAT SAID HE WAS GOING TO WITHDRAW HIS OWN BILL AND NOT BRING IT UP AGAIN UNTIL AFTER THIS BOARD HAD A CHANCE TO MEET. >>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF MS. ACTON? THANK YOU. >>EMMY ACTON: OKAY. >>JAN SMITH: THE NEXT DISCUSSION IS THE FLORIDA SUNSHINE LAW. I KNOW MANY OF YOU ON THIS BOARD HAVE ALREADY DEALT WITH IT. BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. MS. CAMPBELL. >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: GOOD EVENING, MARY HELEN CAMPBELL WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. IN YOUR PACKAGES, WE'VE INCLUDED A DETAILED OUTLINE OF PUBLIC RECORDS AND SUNSHINE LAW. AND I INVITE YOU TO PERUSE THAT IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THEM. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HIT SOME HIGH POINTS FOR YOU TONIGHT. IN A NUTSHELL, THE LAW PROVIDES THAT ALL MEETINGS OF ANY BOARD OF COMMISSION, INCLUDING THIS BOARD, AT WHICH OFFICIAL ACTION TO BE TAKEN ARE DECLARED TO BE PUBLIC MEETINGS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES AND NO RESOLUTION, RULE, OR FORMAL ACTION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BINDING EXCEPT AS TAKEN AT SUCH MEETINGS. THE STATUTE FURTHER PROVIDES THAT REASONABLE NOTICE OF THE HEARINGS MUST BE GIVEN. I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THESE TERMS THAT ARE USED IN THE LAW THAT MAY NOT JUMP OUT AT YOU AS YOU READ IT. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS A MEETING? WELL, OBVIOUSLY, YOU GATHERED HERE TONIGHT IS A MEETING THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE SUNSHINE LAW. BUT IT WILL ALSO ENCOMPASS SUCH THINGS AS PHONE CALLS IN BETWEEN MEMBERS, E-MAILS, EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDUM OR WRITTEN MATERIALS, THE USE OF A LIAISON IF YOU HAD SOMEBODY AND USE THEM INTENTIONALLY AS A GO-BETWEEN TO HAVE THOUGHTS AND DISCUSSIONS TAKEN PLACE OUTSIDE OF A NOTICED MEETING. SO ANY TIME THERE'S TWO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT GET TOGETHER, THAT DISCUSS SOMETHING THAT MAY FORESEEABLE COME BEFORE THAT BOARD FOR ACTION IS SUBJECT TO THE SUNSHINE LAW. NOW THIS DOES NOT TECHNICALLY MEAN THAT TWO OF YOU CANNOT GO TO LUNCH AND DISCUSS THINGS, BUT WE ADVISE AGAINST THAT BECAUSE OF THE APPEARANCE OF SUCH A MEETING AND WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO DO YOUR INTERACTION ONCE YOU GET HERE TO A PUBLIC MEETING. THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS. THE STATUTE REQUIRES REASONABLE NOTICE. THAT MAY ALTER OR CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. FOR MOST OF YOUR MEETINGS THAT YOU CALL, WE CAN WORK WITH MIKE FOERSTER WHO DOES PRESS RELEASES. YOU MAY WANT TO HAVE A LIST OF -- PROVIDE A LIST OF PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE AGENDAS IN ADVANCE AND MAKE SURE THEY GET NOTICE OF THE MEETINGS THAT WAY. THERE IS A LOT OF FORMS THAT CAN BE UTILIZED TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTICE TO THE MEETINGS ARE PROVIDED TO EVERYONE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENDA IN THE NOTICE. YOU PROVIDE THE MEETING PLACE, DATE, AND TIME, AND A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE DISCUSSED. USUALLY, THE AGENDA IS THE EASIEST THING TO USE TO GET OUT TO THE PUBLIC. BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN AGENDA DOES NOT MEAN YOU COULDN'T DISCUSS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA. IT'S NOT THAT TIGHT. AS FAR AS THE TIMING OF THE NOTICE, CERTAINLY WE WILL ENDEAVOR OR YOUR STAFF TO PROVIDE AS MUCH ADVANCED NOTICE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. TYPICALLY IN THE PAST, THE BOARD MET TWICE A MONTH. WE -- YOU CAN SET UP YOUR MEETINGS AHEAD OF TIME AND HAVE A SET SCHEDULE THAT COULD BE PUBLISHED. IF A SITUATION ARISES THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING OR AN EMERGENCY MEETING, THAT ALSO HAS TO BE NOTICED ACCORDING TO THE SUNSHINE LAW. AND TYPICALLY, AN EMERGENCY MEETING MAY BE SOME KIND OF OUTSIDE EMERGENCY. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD COME UP WITH THIS GROUP, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME DEADLINE WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OR PRE-CLEARANCE OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND YOU MAY HAVE TO CALL A MEETING. AND THAT WAY, WE STRIVE TO GIVE AS MUCH REASONABLE NOTICE THAT WE CAN. AND THAT WILL INCLUDE PRESS RELEASES, DIRECT MAILINGS, MAYBE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON GATV. THERE ARE A LOT OF FORUMS FOR THE GROUP TO USE. THE TERM "OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES" DEALS WITH ISSUES SUCH AS PROHIBITION ON SECRET VOTING. YOU HAVE TO VOTING THAT THE PUBLIC CAN BE AWARE OF HOW THE VOTE IS GOING. IT ALSO DEALS WITH ISSUES SUCH AS THE PLACE THAT YOU MEET. AGAIN, THIS BOARD WILL BE MEETING MOST OF THE TIME IN THIS BUILDING OR IN OTHER PUBLIC PLACES. BUT THAT PROVISION WOULD EXCLUDE MEETINGS, FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, IN A COUNTRY CLUB THAT DOESN'T ALLOW ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC. SO THAT'S WHERE THAT GOES. AS FAR AS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, THE LAW ITSELF DOES NOT DEMAND THAT THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATE. IT IS ENCOURAGED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, HOWEVER. REASONABLE LIMITATIONS ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS ACCEPTABLE. LIMITING PEOPLE TO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON OR WHATEVER -- OR SETTING YOUR AGENDA TO HAVE A SPECIAL TIME FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. YOU ARE NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED TO HAVE IT UNDER THE SUNSHINE LAW, BUT IT IS ADVISED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. THE LAW ALSO REQUIRES WRITTEN MINUTES TO BE KEPT. THE CLERK WILL BE DOING THESE. THE MINUTES WHICH THEY ARE TAKEN DOWN WILL BE PUBLIC RECORD AND WILL BE KEPT ON FILE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT, NOR DO YOU HAVE TO RECORD THE MEETING UNDER THE SUNSHINE LAW, ALTHOUGH IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE. I BRIEFLY WANTED TO ALSO MENTION PUBLIC RECORDS. DRAFTS OF DOCUMENTS GENERALLY ARE CONSIDERED PUBLIC RECORDS. IN THE PAST CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, I WOULD GET FROM MEMBERS CERTAIN DRAFTS OR IDEAS OF WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO WORK THROUGH LEGALLY AND GET IN FINAL FORM. IF A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SEE THOSE, THEY WILL BE PROVIDED. THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW ALLOWS FOR A NOMINAL CHARGE PER PAGE FOR COPIES. SO THERE IS THAT REMUNERATION IN THE LAW. SO -- BUT I JUST WANTED THE MEMBERS TO BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE RECEIVED IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFICIAL BUSINESS OF THIS BOARD WOULD BE CONSIDERED PUBLIC RECORDS AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC UPON REQUEST. AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ADDRESS THEM. >> ARE OUR PERSONAL NOTES TAKEN AT THE MEETING PUBLIC RECORD OR ARE THEY FOR OUR BENEFIT? >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: THAT IS AN AREA THAT IS LITIGATED QUITE A BIT. PERSONAL NOTES THAT -- THERE'S SOME EXCEPTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW FOR PERSONAL NOTES AND HANDWRITTEN NOTES. IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER OR NOT THE DOCUMENT IS SUPPOSED TO PERPETUATE AND FORMALIZE SOME KIND OF KNOWLEDGE OR DOCUMENT. USUALLY, THOSE QUESTIONS ARE EASIEST ANSWERED IF I HAVE A SPECIFIC ITEM TO LOOK AT RATHER THAN IN GENERAL. THERE'S SOME GRAY AREA THERE, AND THERE'S SOME COURT CASES THAT FALL BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE. SO IT IS REALLY A FACT SPECIFIC SITUATION. BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY IF YOU HAVE DETAILED QUESTIONS, WE CAN LOOK AT IT AT THAT TIME OR -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: I'M JUST THINKING AS WE SIT HERE TONIGHT, IF SOME OF US ARE TAKING OUR OWN PERSONAL NOTES TO REMEMBER WHAT'S GOING ON AND SO FORTH -- >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: TYPICALLY THOSE WOULD BE. GENERALLY I ERR ON THE SIDE OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS, BUT IF THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT SOMETHING, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER IT. BUT IF YOU -- IF YOU CONDUCT YOURSELF IN THE AIR OF OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY FOR THE BOARD TO PROCEED. >>JAN SMITH: YES, MS. TUTTLE. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: I NEVER SAT ON THIS SIDE OF THE DAIS BEFORE, BUT IT'S INTERESTING. MS. LASHER WAS TALKING ABOUT GOING AND TALKING TO MEMBERS OF STAFF. >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: RIGHT. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: NOW HOW OPEN -- IS THERE ANY PROHIBITION FOR THAT? >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: THE LAW ONLY DEALS WITH TWO MEMBERS OF THE SAME BOARD. THERE'S NO PROHIBITION OF TALKING TO STAFF, OTHER THAN THE CAVEAT THAT I MENTIONED OF USING SOMEBODY ON STAFF TO SAY GO TELL HER IF SHE'LL VOTE THAT WAY, I'LL VOTE THAT WAY. THAT KIND OF OBVIOUS EXAMPLE. OTHER THAN THAT, YOU ARE FREE TO TALK TO STAFF AND MY OFFICE. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: THANK YOU. >>JAN SMITH: MR. LaBOUR. >>STEVE LaBOUR: THE NOTES WE TAKE AT THIS MEETING WE OBVIOUSLY SHOULD NOT DESTROY THEM AND RIP THEM UP WHEN WE GO HOME. WE SHOULD SAVE THEM AND AT THE END HAND IN ALL OUR NOTES? >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: IN THE PAST WHAT PEOPLE DID WAS KEEP THEIR NOTEBOOK. THERE ARE SOME PLACES -- I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT SOME FILLER PAPER AT THE BACK OF YOUR NOTEBOOKS SO YOU HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER. A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT GOES ON DURING THE MEETING WHERE YOU WRITE SO AND SO MOVED THIS AND VOTED THAT WAY, THAT IS RECORDED THAT WAY SO WE HAVE A BETTER RECORD THROUGH THE CLERK'S OFFICE FOR THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. >>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MS. CAMPBELL, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CAUTION REGARDING MEMBERS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD BEING CALLED AND QUESTIONED BY MEMBERS OF THE PRESS? >> THAT WOULD REALLY BE A DECISION OF THE BOARD IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A POINT PERSON OR IF YOU WANT TO AGREE IF INDIVIDUALS TALK TO THE PRESS, JUST REQUEST THAT EVERYBODY SAY THIS IS MY OWN OPINION AND NOT THAT OF THE BOARD. YOURS MAY BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BEING THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD. IT CARRIES MORE OF THE WEIGHT OF THE ENTIRE BODY THAN MAYBE AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER. BUT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT -- SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADDRESS EITHER INFORMALLY OR IN YOUR RULES OF ORDER. >>JAN SMITH: OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS TO, IN FACT, ADOPT OUR RULES OF ORDER. MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE SERVED ON OTHER BOARDS AND WATCHED THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RECALL THAT THEY LIKE TO HAVE A THREE-MINUTE TIME FRAME TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK. IN THE WRITTEN RULES THAT PREVIOUS CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS HAVE AND WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IS THERE IS A FIVE-MINUTE LIMIT. I SUSPECT THAT THAT COULD BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD AT SOME POINTS. IF THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISH TO SPEAK, I THINK THE BOARD WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT OR THE CHAIR TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO LIMIT EVERYBODY TO THREE MINUTES. SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE -- WHEN I REREAD THESE RULES, THE THING I WAS MOST CONCERNED ABOUT. MS. WILLIAMS. >>DEE WILLIAMS: I WAS AGREEING WITH YOU. I THINK IT WOULD DEPEND ON HOW MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO SPEAK. >>JAN SMITH: MR. HURLEY. >>DAVID HURLEY: UNDER ROBERT'S RULES, WE CAN LIMIT DEBATE. IT'S A PROPER MOTION. I DON'T SEE WHY WE COULDN'T CONTINUE WITH THAT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: TALKING ABOUT THE DEBATE AMONG THE MEMBERS THEMSELVES OR THE PARTICIPANTS -- THE CITIZENS THAT WOULD BE SPEAKING? >>DAVID HURLEY: I THINK IT IS NOT IN OUR RULES WHERE WE CAN LIST -- CAN LIMIT -- FURTHER LIMIT THE DISCUSSION FROM OUTSIDE, IF WE HAVE 100 PEOPLE TALK AND THEY ALL WANT FIVE MINUTES, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM. I THINK WE SHOULD ADD THAT TO THE -- TO OUR OPERATING RULES. >>GERALD WHITE: MADAM CHAIR. >>JAN SMITH: YES, MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THE RULES AS PRINTED IN OUR BINDER. >>JAN SMITH: AND YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR -- MS. ACTON, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER MOST MEMBERS OF THE BOARD RECEIVED A COPY OF ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER? SOME OF US HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND SOME NOT. DOES THE COUNTY CONSIDER PROVIDING THOSE TO MEMBERS? AND ARE THERE MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THOSE? >>DAVID HURLEY: AVAILABLE AT BORDERS FOR FIVE BUCKS. >>EMMY ACTON: WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THOSE IF YOU WOULD LIKE THOSE. >>JAN SMITH: HOW ABOUT WE LEAVE IT IF ANY MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU FOR A COPY OF THOSE THAT YOU CAN CONTACT MS. ACTON'S OFFICE. >>EMMY ACTON: RIGHT. AND THOSE WOULD BE OPERATIVE UNLESS THEY WERE DEALT WITH DIFFERENTLY IN THESE RULES. AND OBVIOUSLY, ROBERT'S RULES COVERS MYRIADS OF OTHER THINGS THAN THESE RULES. WE TRY TO JUST ENCAPSULATE THE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE MOST FREQUENTLY USED BECAUSE THE INDEX IN ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER IS RATHER HARD TO DEAL WITH. SO WE GAVE YOU KIND OF A SHORTER VERSION OF THINGS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO REFER TO ON A DAILY BASIS. >>JAN SMITH: WOULD THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE -- THEY WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE AT ALL MEETINGS. IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO SERVE AS PARLIAMENTARIAN IF THE NEED ARISED? >>EMMY ACTON: YES. >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU. >>EMMY ACTON: COULD I JUST SAY, TOO, IF YOU WANT -- IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO LIMIT PEOPLE BELOW FIVE MINUTES, I THINK IT MIGHT BE WISE JUST TO ADD SOMETHING TO THE RULE THAT IN DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES, SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, THAT YOU HAVE THE PREROGATIVE TO SHORTEN THE TIME BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO CLAIM THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WAIVER OF THE RULES IF YOU CHANGE FROM THE FIVE MINUTES. >> ALL WE WOULD HAVE TO ADD UNLESS TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD A SHORTER TIME? >>EMMY ACTON: YES. >>KEVIN AMBLER: YOU CAN ADD LANGUAGE TO THAT EFFECT? >>JAN SMITH: WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO ADOPT. IS THAT AMENDMENT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU? >>GERALD WHITE: YES. SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME. >>KEVIN AMBLER: UNLESS TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCES, COMMA, AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD, COMMA, INDICATE A SHORTER TIME. >>JAN SMITH: YOU MIGHT WANT TO GIVE A LONGER TIME. >>GERALD WHITE: WOULD HAVE TO BE THE BOARD DECISION TO GO FOR THREE MINUTES TO FIVE MINUTES OR WHATEVER? >>KEVIN AMBLER: WELL, IF YOU WANTED TO LEAVE IT THAT YOU CAN MAKE IT LONGER OR SHORTER, YOU CAN SAY UNLESS BASED ON TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCES THE BOARD CHOOSES TO MAKE IT A LONGER OR SHORTER TIME. >>JAN SMITH: HOW ABOUT AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD THE TIME MAY BE ADJUSTED. >>GERALD WHITE: DO YOU THINK THAT'S SUFFICIENT? >>EMMY ACTON: YES. >>JAN SMITH: I NEED A SECOND TO THE MOTION. >>DAVID HURLEY: I'LL SECOND. >>JAN SMITH: SECOND BY MR. HURLEY. >>KEVIN AMBLER: READ AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD THE TIME MAY BE CHANGED. >>JAN SMITH: YES. MS. TUTTLE. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: I HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT SEVERAL OF THE RULES I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT BEFORE WE JUST ADOPT THEM ALL, IF MR. WHITE WOULD NOT MIND. >>GERALD WHITE: WE'RE UNDER DISCUSSION. >>JAN SMITH: WE ARE UNDER DISCUSSION, SO GO AHEAD. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: IF YOU'LL TURN TO YOUR RULES, ON PAGE TWO OF THEM, RULE FIVE, ON VOTING. I WOULD PREFER ON AT LEAST SUBSTANTIVE QUESTIONS FOR -- TO HAVE A SHOW OF HANDS EVERY TIME RATHER THAN A VOICE VOTE. IT WON'T TAKE ANY LONGER, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER SO EVERYONE WOULD KNOW WHO VOTED HOW. I THINK THAT'S -- THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I WOULD PREFER. LET ME JUST GO THROUGH THEM AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS EACH ONE IF YOU WANT TO. IS THAT ALL RIGHT WITH YOU? >>KEVIN AMBLER: IS THERE A REQUIREMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE ACTUALLY BROADCASTING IT, AND I SEE THAT THERE'S A NOTATION THERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN THAT HAS A TRANSCRIPTION OF EVERYTHING THAT WE SAY. WITH THE HAND VOTE, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INDICATE -- >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: IT DOESN'T INDICATE -- UNLESS THE SECRETARY CALLED OUT THE ROLL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHICH WOULD NOT TAKE VERY LONG. OKAY. SECOND ONE IS ON PAGE 3. IT'S MOTIONS. AND I THINK IT'S A -- IT'S ABOUT -- LET ME SEE. ONCE EVERY HOUR AND A HALF THE CHAIR IS EMPOWERED TO GIVE US A QUICK BREAK. BUT I WOULD PREFER THE NEXT TO THE LAST LINE IT SAYS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE'S BEEN A MOTION FOR A RECESS. IF WE ARE IN A MIDDLE OF A HOT AND HEAVY DEBATE, I WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE AN AUTOMATIC WE HAVE TO STOP NOW. SO I WOULD LIKE SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT SAYS SOMETHING UNLESS THERE'S BEEN A MOTION FOR A RECESS AND SOMETHING -- NONE SHALL TAKE PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOTION UNLESS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD. >>DAVID HURLEY: COULD WE REPLACE THAT "SHALL" WITH "MAY"? >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: MAY WOULD BE A WHOLE LOT EASIER. DAVID, I HAD ALL THESE WORDS AND YOU CUT IT DOWN. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I MOVE TO CHANGE THAT TO A "MAY." >>JAN SMITH: THIS IS DISCUSSION, SO I THINK WE ARE GOING TO AMEND THE MOTION. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR. SHE'S RAISING THE ISSUE THAT SHE'S CONCERNED WITH. WHEN SHE COMES BACK IF WE ARE GOING TO AMEND THEM, WE'LL AMEND THE WHOLE THING. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: PAGE SIX. >>EMMY ACTON: CAN I ASK FOR CLARIFICATION, CHAIRMAN SMITH? DID YOU WANT TO ELIMINATE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE IS A MOTION? >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: YEAH, JUST PUT "MAY." THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF IT AND MS. SMITH WILL KNOW IF WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO STOP IF PEOPLE WERE LINED UP. >> YOU SEE THAT AT THE BOTTOM THERE REGARDLESS WHETHER THERE IS A MOTION FOR A RECESS. IF YOU ELIMINATE THAT, IT MAY BE THAT THERE HAS TO BE A MOTION TO ACTUALLY RECESS AND THAT THE CHAIR CAN'T JUST SAY THAT THERE'S A RECESS. SO YOU HAD REFERRED TO THAT BRIEFLY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF IT'S THE WAY YOU WANT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: IF YOU'RE LEAVING IT IN THERE THAT IT'S A MATTER OF THE CHAIR'S PREROGATIVE, THEN THE CHAIR MAY CALL -- HAS THE AUTHORITY AND MAY CALL A RECESS ONCE EACH HOUR AND 30 MINUTES. OR IF THERE'S A MOTION OUT THERE, IT CAN BE DONE MORE FREQUENTLY OR LESS FREQUENTLY. >>DAVID HURLEY: I THINK WE CAN RELY ON HER WISDOM. >>JAN SMITH: OR HOW MUCH YOU ALL WIGGLE. [LAUGHTER]. >>DENISE LASHER: YOU ARE SAYING IF WE DON'T ADD THAT, SOMEBODY CAN INTERPRET SAYING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A MOTION? >>EMMY ACTON: I JUST THINK IT CONFUSES THINGS A LITTLE BIT. I MEAN, YOU'RE MAKING IT THE PREROGATIVE OF THE CHAIR TO CALL IT, AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE'S BEEN A MOTION OR NOT. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT -- >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: YOU WANT TO DELETE THAT LANGUAGE? >>EMMY ACTON: I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU JUST DELETED IT MYSELF. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: IT MAKES SENSE. THE VERY LAST QUESTION I HAD IS ON PAGE SIX AT THE BOTTOM, THE WAIVER OF THE RULES. INSTEAD OF HAVING JUST WE'RE NOT IN CONFLICT WITH LAW ANY OF THE ABOVE RULES MAY BE TEMPORARILY BE SUSPENDED FOR THE MEETING IN SESSION. INSTEAD OF HAVING A "MAJORITY VOTE" HOW ABOUT HAVING A EXTRAORDINARY VOTE. >>EMMY ACTON: TWO-THIRDS VOTE? SHE'S TALKING ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE WHOLE MEMBERSHIP RATHER THAN -- >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: IF YOU ARE GOING TO SUSPEND RULES INSTEAD OF SAYING I MOVE THAT WE SUSPEND THE RULES, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. WHAT DO YOU THINK? >>JAN SMITH: I WILL TELL YOU ON THE TWO CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS THAT I SERVED ON, THAT HAS NEVER COME UP. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME THEY SUSPENDED THE RULES. AND PART OF IT I THINK IS BECAUSE OF THE LEGALITY OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, THE WHOLE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER AND THE PUBLIC PROCESS. I DON'T EVER RECALL THE RULES BEING SUSPENDED. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: I WAS THINKING THAT MAYBE THIS WAS WRITTEN WHEN WE HAD FIVE COMMISSIONERS AND A MAJORITY PLUS ONE WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY. >>KEVIN AMBLER: FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK THINK OF ONE THING THAT COMES TO MIND. IF DEBATE GETS A LITTLE TOO UNRULY AND PEOPLE ARE CARRYING ON FOR LENGTHY PERIODS OF TIME AND EVERYONE WANTS TO SAY THEIR PEACE. LET'S SAY WE WANT TO SUSPEND THE RULES FOR LIMITING EACH MEMBER'S COMMENTS FOR EXAMPLE FIVE MINUTES, NOT JUST THE PUBLIC, BUT US. AND THEN WE HAVE A CHANCE FOR EVERYONE TO SAY THEIR PEACE. AND IF WE ALL FEEL IT HASN'T BEEN SAID, THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO THEN APPROVE TO GIVE YOU MORE TIME. SOMETHING LIKE THAT WORKS WELL TO KEEP MEETINGS FROM GOING ON TO THE WEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT. I SEE THAT AS A GOOD REASON TO EITHER SUSPEND THE RULES OR STICK THAT IN AT THE OUTSET. >>JAN SMITH: MR. AMBLER, ARE YOU ALSO IN FAVOR OF MAKING IT A SUPER-MAJORITY? >>KEVIN AMBLER: I'M OKAY WITH A MAJORITY PLUS ONE. I CAN SEE AN OCCASION WHERE YOU MAY WANT TO SUSPEND THE RULES. >>JAN SMITH: MS. WILLIAMS. >>DEE WILLIAMS: I WANT TO GO BACK TO NUMBER FIVE ON VOTING. I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN THE RULES. I NOTICE WHEN WE CALL THE ROLL, WE ALWAYS START WITH MR. "A" AND END UP WITH MR. "Z." AND IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE RULES THAT SAYS THAT HAS TO BE DONE THAT WAY WHERE THE SAME PERSON VOTES FIRST ALL THE TIME AND THE NEXT PERSON VOTES LAST ALL THE TIME. CAN WE HAVE A ROTATING ROLL CALL. >>JAN SMITH: I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE COULDN'T. >>DEE WILLIAMS: IF YOU START WITH MR. "A," THE NEXT TIME YOU START WITH MR. "B" SO THE SAME PERSON IS NOT VOTING THE SAME ORDER ALL THE TIME. >>JAN SMITH: I DO THINK THAT UNDER RULES LIKE THAT, MOST OF THE TIME THEY ASK THE CHAIRMAN TO VOTE LAST. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT. >>DEE WILLIAMS: THEN I MOVE THAT WE DO THAT. WE ROTATE THE ROLL CALL. >>KEVIN AMBLER: WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT ULTIMATELY MAKE? >>DEE WILLIAMS: I DON'T THINK THE FIRST ONE SHOULD VOTE NO ALL THE TIME AND THE -- >>JAN SMITH: AS YOU FIND ON THIS BOARD, EVEN IF YOU HEAR ALL THE DISCUSSION, YOU KIND OF WATCH THE WAY PEOPLE ARE VOTING AND IT MAY INFLUENCE YOU. MR. WHITE, YOU HAD A QUESTION. >>GERALD WHITE: I JUST WANT TO SAY I AM A "W," TOO, -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: AS AN AMBLER, I NEVER HAD THAT PROBLEM. >>JAN SMITH: I'M SURE MS. WEST WILL PUT US IN ORDER FRONTWARDS AND BACKWARDS. >>STEVE LaBOUR: GIVEN THAT I AM AN "L," I AM PROBABLY IN THE MIDDLE. >>DEE WILLIAMS: YOU WILL HAVE A VOTE TO VOTE ONCE AS IT WENT THROUGH THE ROTATION. >>KEVIN AMBLER: YOU STOP AT THE TOP OF THE LIST AND THE NEXT VOTE IT GOES TO THE SECOND PERSON. >>DEE WILLIAMS: GOES TO THE SECOND ONE AND COMES BACK DOWN. SO SOMEONE IN THE MIDDLE GETS TO VOTE FIRST ONCE IN AWHILE. >>JAN SMITH: ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? >>STEVE LaBOUR: YES, I OBJECT TO THAT. MOST OF THE MOTIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO PASS UNTIL WE GET TO THE MEAT OF THE ISSUES ARE FAIRLY ROUTINE MOTIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED FOR PURPOSES OF MINUTE KEEPING AND ALL OF THAT. I REALLY THINK -- I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO THE CLERK TO FIGURE OUT THAT -- I MEAN, IF I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE -- WE VOTE -- OR THAT WE SUSPEND DEBATE AND VOTE AND THEN WHO -- OH, I GUESS THAT WAS MS. WILLIAMS IS SUPPOSED TO VOTE AND THE NEXT VOTE IS WHO -- I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO MAKE IT PART OF OUR RULES. MS. WILLIAMS, IF THERE'S A MOTION -- IF THERE'S BEEN A SERIES OF MOTIONS OF A VERY -- OF A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE -- ISSUES THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH THAT YOU REALLY BELIEVE ITS THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT CONTINUE ALPHABETICALLY, THEN YOU SIMPLY MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ASK TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF OUR VOTE. AND I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO PUT IT IN THE RULES. I JUST THINK IT IS TOO CUMBERSOME, NOT FAIR TO THE CLERK, AND MOST OF OUR MOTIONS ARE JUST GOING TO BE SIMPLE MOTION. >>DEE WILLIAMS: I DON'T SEE WHAT THE BIG DEAL IS. SHE'S GOT A BUNCH OF BLANK SQUARES THERE, ALL SHE'S GOT TO DO IS MAKE SURE SHE'S FILLED THEM IN. >>JOHN BALES: I THINK WE SHOULD DO IT REVERSE FOR A CHANGE. LET'S START WITH A "W" AND GO BACKWARDS. I WOULD LIKE TO BE LAST ONCE. >>GERALD WHITE: MADAM CHAIR, I HAVE -- IS THERE A WAY THAT WE ALL COULD VOTE AT THE SAME TIME. IS THERE A WAY TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE? >>JAN SMITH: NOT ENOUGH. BUT INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE MOTIONS THAT REALLY NEED TO HAVE THE VOICE VOTE, THE ROLL CALL, ARE TRULY THE MOTIONS THAT WE, MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, WILL MAKE THAT ARE GOING TO BE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE CHARTER. IT WILL BE A LOT OF MOTIONS AND DISCUSSION, LIKE A MOTION TO DECIDE WHO WE WANT TO INVITE TO THE NEXT MEETING. AND THERE'S PROBABLY NOT REALLY A REASON FOR A VOICE ROLL CALL ON THAT. >>DEE WILLIAMS: THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE AN "A" VOTE FOR EVERYTHING. >>JAN SMITH: I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE AND NECESSARY TO HAVE ROLL CALL VOTE FOR CHARTER ISSUES. AND I THINK AT THAT TIME, WE COULD -- WE COULD MAKE A DECISION AT THAT PRECISE MOMENT AT WHAT ORDER OR WE CAN MAKE IT NOW. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THE RULES DON'T RESTRICT IT EITHER WAY. >>JAN SMITH: RIGHT. THE RULES DON'T RESTRICT IT. >>GERALD WHITE: I THINK WE OUGHT TO LEAVE IT AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR. >>JAN SMITH: OKAY. IF -- WELL -- SO -- WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR THAT'S TO APPROVE ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER WHICH HAS BEEN MADE AND SECONDED. NOW WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH ONE AMENDMENT AT A TIME. >>EMMY ACTON: TO APPROVE THESE RULES. >>JAN SMITH: THESE RULES, NOT THE ROBERT'S RULES. MODIFIED ROBERT'S RULES. SO THE FIRST ONE IS, AS RECOMMENDED BY MS. TUTTLE, VOICE FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE ON EACH VOTE. IS THAT WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS, MS. TUTTLE? YOU WANT A VOICE VOTE ON EVERY VOTE OF THIS BOARD? >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: ACTUALLY, I THINK WHAT YOU SAID A WHILE AGO IS VERY GOOD. ON EACH SUBSTANTIVE VOTE, ANYTHING THAT WILL AFFECT THE CHARTER, NOT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO OR WHERE WE ARE GOING TO MEET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. CAN YOU -- >>DENISE LASHER: YOU SAID A SHOW OF HANDS. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: I'M SORRY, A VOICE VOTE ON MOST OF THEM BUT A SHOW OF HANDS ON ONES THAT ARE GOING TO AFFECT -- >>JAN SMITH: WE WILL DO A ROLL CALL ON CHARTER ISSUES. WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL, AND IT'S WHAT IS SAID IN HERE. >>EMMY ACTON: MAYBE I CAN CLARIFY. YOU ARE GOING TO GO BY VOICE VOTE IF THERE IS EVEN ONE NO VOTE. IF THERE IS ONE NO VOTE, YOU NEED A SHOW OF HANDS. AND CHARTER AMENDMENTS NEED TO BE DONE BY ROLL CALL EVERY TIME. >>JAN SMITH: AND ANY TIME A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD WANTS A ROLL CALL VOTE, YOU MAY ASK FOR IT. SO WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT -- SO THAT ONE WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE AS IS. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: AS IS. >>JAN SMITH: THE NEXT ONE WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE ON PAGE 3 UNDER RULE 7, THE PRESIDING OFFICER IS A MATTER OF PREROGATIVE AND DUTY OF THE CHAIR MAY -- THE WORD "MAY" IS BEING CHANGED ONCE DURING EACH HOUR AND 30 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF EACH BOARD TO CALL A TEN-MINUTE RECESS PERIOD. AND THEN THE NEXT ONE IS ON PAGE SIX, EACH PERSON APPEARING UNDER THIS SECTION OF THE AGENDA WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE MINUTES OR AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I THOUGHT THE CHANGE WAS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD THE TIME MAY BE CHANGED. THAT WAS THE WAY YOU PHRASED IT. AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD, THE TIME MAY BE CHANGED. TIME ALLOWED. >>JAN SMITH: WE'LL HAVE A VOTE AND DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO GO THREE MINUTES, FIVE MINUTES. >>KEVIN AMBLER: BY DEFAULT IT'S FIVE MINUTES. IF THERE IS 150 PEOPLE OUT THERE, WE WANT TO MAKE IT THREE MINUTES, WE CAN DO THAT. >> I'M ASKING WHAT IT MEANS BY DISCRETION OF THE WORD BOARD. I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE IT AS THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR UNLESS SOME OTHER BOARD MEMBER OBJECTS OTHERWISE. BECAUSE THAT'S A PROBLEM MOST COMMITTEES, MOST BOARDS RUN UP AGAINST, THREE TO FIVE MINUTES. IF WE HAVE A BIG GROUP, THEY MAY ALL WANT FIVE MINUTES. I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE IT AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS TO CHALLENGE IT OTHERWISE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: DEPENDING ON WHAT PART OF THE COUNTY WE'RE IN AND WHOSE INTERESTS ARE SERVED. THAT'S RIGHT. I WOULD RATHER LEAVE IT AS A MOTION THAT ANY ONE OF US CAN MAKE AND LET THE BOARD APPROVE IT BY MAJORITY TO CHANGE THE RULE. >>DENISE LASHER: I THINK OUR CHAIR -- WHAT I KNOW ABOUT HER, SHE'S VERY ACCOMMODATING AND I THINK IF THERE WAS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE WHO WANTED MORE TIME OR LESS TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD TAKE THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH EITHER WAY. TO ME, IT'S JUST -- >>JAN SMITH: THE PUBLIC COMMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WILL GO ON HERE TO HELP YOU IN YOUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HEAR FROM THEM. MR. HURLEY. >>DAVID HURLEY: TO SPEAK TO THAT LAST PART. I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD PUT UNDER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHAIR. THAT'S KIND OF HEAT I DON'T THINK THE CHAIR NEEDS TO DEAL WITH. SHE HAS TO RUN A MEETING. AND I THINK THAT THE BOARD AS A GROUP SHOULD BE TAKING THAT POSITION, NOT HER. I THINK SHE COULD EITHER COME UNDER CRITICISM. WHICHEVER WAY SHE WOULD GO SHE WILL COME UNDER CRITICISM WITH SOMEONE AND I DON'T THINK THAT IS SOMETHING FAIR WITH HER. IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION. HAVING BEEN THROUGH SIMILAR -- >>JAN SMITH: I DO AGREE WITH THAT, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT. IT WILL BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD TO CHANGE THE TIME. THE TIME MAY CHANGE. >>DAVID HURLEY: THAT'S THE COMPLETE AMENDMENT? >>JAN SMITH: THAT IS THE COMPLETE AMENDMENT. >>DAVID HURLEY: I'LL SECOND THE AMENDMENT. >>EMMY ACTON: THERE'S ONE MORE. SHE SUGGESTED -- >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND DECIDED THAT -- >>EMMY ACTON: THE WAIVER? OKAY. YOU ARE WITHDRAWING THAT? >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: WITHDRAWING THAT ONE. >>JAN SMITH: SO I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE. >>DAVID HURLEY: I'LL SECOND THE AMENDMENT. >>JAN SMITH: IT'S ALL OF THOSE AND THE AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION. YOU HAVE SECONDED THAT. YOU ACCEPT THE AMENDMENTS? >>GERALD WHITE: YES. >>JAN SMITH: ALL IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENTS. MR. LaBOUR. >>STEVE LaBOUR: I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT IN OUR RULES AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD RULES, BUT I WANT TO RAISE IT AND MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN'T DECIDE TONIGHT AND I SUSPECT CAN'T DECIDE TONIGHT THE SPECIFICS. IT MIGHT HAVE TO COME BACK TO AMEND THE RULES, I DON'T KNOW. DURING THE DISCUSSION OF THE LOCAL LEGISLATIVE BILL THAT WAS PRODUCED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TALLAHASSEE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH PUTTING ON THE BALLOT FOR OUR CITIZENS, THE CHANGE TO THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT. I WAS PRESENT AT THE DISCUSSION OF THE LOCAL DELEGATION. AT THE END OF THE DISCUSSION, THERE WERE SOME INSINUATIONS THAT THOSE OF US WHO SERVE HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WILL PROBABLY BE IN ESSENCE PUPPETS. THAT'S MY WORD, NOT THEIR WORDS -- OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT APPOINTED US. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS EVEN AN ACCUSATION THAT WE WILL BE HEAVILY LOBBIED AND CONTROLLED BY COUNTY STAFF TO NOT MAKE A CHANGE. AND I GOT THINKING ABOUT THAT, AND I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY BOARD IS UNDER A LOBBY ORDINANCE IN WHICH THEY HAVE TO DISCLOSE WHO HAS LOBBIED TO THEM. I THINK OUR SITUATION IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THE -- FOR INSTANCE THE COUNTY ORDINANCE, AND MS. ACTON CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M INCORRECT, BUT, FOR INSTANCE, COUNTY STAFF CAN TALK TO BOARD MEMBERS AND IT DOES NOT -- THEY DON'T HAVE TO REGISTER AS A LOBBYIST. IT IS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY PAID TO LOBBY ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE. IT ALSO DOES NOT INCLUDE PHONE CALLS. AND MY CONCERN IS WHILE PERSONALLY I WILL BE TALKING TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THIS OFFICE -- OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING ON THESE ISSUES, I WOULD LIKE THIS BOARD TO CONSIDER POSSIBLY AT THE VERY LEAST PUTTING US UNDER THE SAME KIND OF LOBBY RESTRICTIONS THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSION HAS. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO EVEN EXTEND IT QUITE FRANKLY THAT WE ACTUALLY KEEP A LOG. AND IF THERE ARE NONPROFITS OR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS THAT WANT TO COME AND SPEAK WITH US OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING, THAT WE FULLY DISCLOSE. BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY TO FEEL THIS REALLY WAS AN OPEN AND HONEST DISCUSSION AND THAT NONE OF US HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY LOBBIED BY ANY PARTICULAR SIDE. NOW I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE DISCLOSE THE CONTEXT OF THE -- OF THAT CONTACT. I DON'T THINK -- I DON'T THINK THAT IS NECESSARILY APPROPRIATE, BUT I DO THINK IT MIGHT LEND TO PEOPLE BELIEVING THIS WAS AN OPEN PROCESS IF WE'RE WILLING TO DISCLOSE WHO HAS CALLED US TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE BEFORE US AND WHO WE'VE CONTACTED TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES BEFORE US. >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU. MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: MADAM CHAIR, JUST BECAUSE SENATOR GRANT SAID THAT, DOESN'T MAKE IT SO. AND I -- I'M NOT WILLING TO SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WANT THE NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBORS, I WANT EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY TO BE FREE TO APPROACH ME AND SAY WHAT THEY NEED TO SAY. IF THEY HAD -- I JUST COULDN'T SUPPORT THAT. I THINK IT WOULD TIE OUR HANDS COMPLETELY. I WANT TO BE FREE TO GO TO CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND MINGLE AND HEAR WHAT THEY WANT DONE. YOU KNOW, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS DOING SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE DON'T WANT. AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANY BARRIERS IN THE WAY THAT WILL PROHIBIT PEOPLE FROM APPROACHING MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, PARTICULARLY ME. I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE. >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU. MR. BALLARD. >>TERRY BALLARD: I THINK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND THIS BOARD IS THEIR DECISION IS FINAL. OURS IS JUST RECOMMENDING TO THE VOTERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THEIR DECISION IS THE FINAL DECISION. SO I DON'T WANT TO BE -- [INAUDIBLE] -- BUT I HAVE TO KEEP A BUNCH OF RECORDS AND ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I WANT TO TALK TO EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY CAN CALL ME REGARDING. [INAUDIBLE] >>HENRY BELTRAN: I CONCUR WITH MR. WHITE. I THINK TO LIMIT THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC WOULD BE VERY IMPROPER FOR US BECAUSE IF WE HEAR ABOUT SOME PROBLEMS IN THE COMMUNITY, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BRING IT HERE, DISCUSS IT, AND MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. AND I THINK THAT'S -- HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC AS WELL AS THIS COMMITTEE. >>JAN SMITH: MR. LaBOUR, IF YOU WANT TO PUT THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION AND SEE IF IT GETS A SECOND, THAT WOULD BE FINE. IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO DO IT, THAT WOULD BE FINE ALSO. >>STEVE LaBOUR: WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST AND I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON. IT WOULD NOT LIMIT ANYBODY. I AM NOT SUGGESTING A VERY CONVOLUTED, VERY COMPLICATED PROCESS. AND I WOULD HOPE IT WOULDN'T ELIMINATE ANYONE TALKING TO ANYBODY BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID TO WRITE DOWN THEIR NAME. I THINK THAT THAT'S -- YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT IS THE TRUST THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD WITH THE CITIZENS BECAUSE OUR RECOMMENDATION ISN'T GOING TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR THEIR APPROVAL. IT IS GOING DIRECTLY TO THE CITIZENS, AND I WANT THEM TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WE DID IT IN AN OPEN PROCESS. I -- AT THIS POINT, I WOULD JUST PUT IT NOT IN A MOTION OF -- BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFICS OF HOW IT WOULD WORK, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW -- I MIGHT PUT IT IN A MOTION TO SEE IF IT'S WORTH EXPLORING, BUT IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO DO THAT MOTION AT THIS POINT. >>JAN SMITH: OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE A MOTION AT THIS POINT. WE HAVE THREE AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF ORDER THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US. >>KEVIN AMBLER: MADAM CHAIR, I DIDN'T WANT TO INTRUDE ON THAT PART OF THE CONVERSATION. I DID HAVE ONE TECHNICAL AMENDMENT THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT AS LONG AS WE HAVE ALL THE AMENDMENTS ON THE TABLE IN REFERENCE TO THE RULES. THERE IS A REFERENCE ON PAGE 21 ON PARAGRAPH 7 THAT WE CAN CHANGE THESE RULES AT A LATER TIME. IT DOES SAY, HOWEVER, IN THE LAST PART OF THAT PARAGRAPH, PROVIDED SUCH AMENDMENTS SHALL NOT BECOME EFFECTIVE UNTIL THE SAME HAS RECEIVED A LIKE VOTE AT A BOARD MEETING HELD TWO WEEKS LATER. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S OUR SCHEDULE EVERY TWO WEEKS, BUT PERHAPS AT THE NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE BOARD. I THINK THAT WAS THE INTENT OF IT, BUT DOESN'T LOCK US INTO MEETING EVERY TWO WEEKS. >>JAN SMITH: OKAY. SO THAT IS AT THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. AND TO TAKE OUT THE "TWO WEEKS LATER"? DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT OUT? >>KEVIN AMBLER: WILL READ UNTIL THE SAME HAS RECEIVED A LIKE VOTE AT THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. >>JAN SMITH: THAT IS THE OTHER AMENDMENT. >>DEE WILLIAMS: WHERE DID WE LEAVE THE ROLL CALL -- >>JAN SMITH: YOU MEAN THE ROLL CALL ON VOTES? IT WILL BE VERY MUCH -- IT WILL BE JUST LIKE WHAT'S DESCRIBED IN HERE. THERE WILL BE A VOICE ROLL CALL ON EVERY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE TO THE CHARTER. >>DEE WILLIAMS: IS THE ORDER -- >>JAN SMITH: WE WILL AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR, YOU ARE GOING TO BE -- WE WILL REVERSE THE CALL. >>DEE WILLIAMS: THANK YOU. OR MIX IT UP. >>KEVIN AMBLER: DRAW NAMES FROM A HAT. >>JAN SMITH: THAT IS THE FOURTH AMENDMENT. WE HAVE FOUR AMENDMENTS NOW TO VOTE ON. YOU REMEMBER ALL FOUR OF THEM. OKAY. WE ARE GOING TO VOTE ON THE MOTION FOR THE AMENDMENTS IS FROM MARY LOU TUTTLE. >>DAVID HURLEY: IS THIS ADDED TO HER AMENDMENT? >>JAN SMITH: YES. YOU ARE AGREEING TO ADD THAT TO YOUR AMENDMENT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: IT WAS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. >>JAN SMITH: ALL IN FAVOR OF ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF ORDER, PLEASE SAY AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. OKAY. NOW WE HAVE A MOTION FROM MR. WHITE TO APPROVE THESE RULES OF ORDER AND ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS. DO I HAVE A SECOND? >> SECOND. >>JAN SMITH: A SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. THANK YOU. >>STEVE LaBOUR: MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT THE CHAIRMAN WORK WITH -- HAVE WE TECHNICALLY APPOINTED OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY AS OUR ATTORNEY? >>JAN SMITH: NO. AND THAT'S A DISCUSSION -- >>STEVE LaBOUR: OR WHO OUR DESIGNATED ATTORNEY IS THEN. DESIGNATED ATTORNEY. >>JAN SMITH: WE ARE COMING TO THAT AS WE SPEAK. >>STEVE LaBOUR: I MAKE A MOTION THAT OUR CHAIRMAN WORK WITH OUR DESIGNATED ATTORNEY TO DRAFT A -- SOME RULES IN REGARDING TO REGISTERING CONTACTS OR LOBBYING CONTACTS WITH THE BOARD. >>JAN SMITH: AND WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE FURTHER? DO YOU WANT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, IF THEY MEET WITH SOMEBODY TO -- >>STEVE LaBOUR: AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CHAIRMAN MEET WITH -- YOU KNOW, MEET WITH COUNSEL -- WHOEVER OUR COUNSEL IS, AND TO TALK ABOUT WAYS OF WHICH MAYBE WE CAN DRAFT SOMETHING AND I WOULD HOPE THE CHAIRMAN COULD BRING BACK PERHAPS SOME PERHAPS DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE CAN THEN DISCUSS. >>JAN SMITH: IS THERE A SECOND -- >>STEVE LaBOUR: THAT WOULD BE MY INTENT. >>JAN SMITH: IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? >>DEE WILLIAMS: I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE WANTS. >>JAN SMITH: THIS IS IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP A RECORD OF WHO IS APPROACHED BY WHOM TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF THE CHARTER CHANGES THAT WE MAY OR MAY NOT PROPOSE. IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? MOTION DIES FOR LACK OF A SECOND. THE NEXT ITEM IS THE DISCUSSION OF THE BUDGET AND STAFFING. AND FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE TIMES, AND THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES IN THE PAST, WHEN THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND THE ATTORNEY FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD HAVE NOT, IN FACT, BEEN IN AGREEMENT OVER CERTAIN ISSUES THAT BECAME VERY IMPORTANT. SO THERE -- THERE WILL LIKELY BE A TIME WHEN IT WILL BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL. IN THE PAST, THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE COUNTY STAFF HAS LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD IS, IN FACT, LOOKING FOR AN ATTORNEY TO SERVE. AS SHE TOLD YOU, WE WERE VERY LUCKY. MR. GONZALEZ WAS VERY HAPPY TO DO IT FOR FREE, AND HE DID. AS YOU SAW, IT CUT OUR BUDGET MORE THAN HALF. SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS THAT ISSUE. MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: OKAY. SO IT'S CONFIRMED THAT EMMY ACTON WILL SERVE AS OUR ATTORNEY? >>JAN SMITH: THERE IS NO CONFIRMATION AT THIS POINT. THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO ABOUT HAVING AN ATTORNEY. THERE WILL BE -- THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN -- IF THERE ARE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CHARTER, THAT THERE IS LANGUAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN. WE CAN HAVE A COMMITTEE DO THAT. WE CAN HAVE AN ATTORNEY HELP US WITH IT. THERE ARE TIMES, THOUGH, THAT THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AND AN OUTSIDE ATTORNEY MAY BE USED. YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE THE COUNTY ATTORNEY FOR MOST ISSUES AND THEN MAY HAVE SOMEONE ON CALL THAT IF WE HAD AN ISSUE THAT WE WANTED SOMEONE TO LOOK AT OTHER THAN THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WE COULD DO THAT. >>GERALD WHITE: I WOULD LIKE TO PLACE THIS IN THE FORM OF A MOTION THAT WE HAVE EMMY ACTON SERVE AS OUR BOARD ATTORNEY AND WHERE CONFLICT EXISTS THAT WE SEEK AN ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE COUNSEL. >>JAN SMITH: IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? >> I'LL SECOND IT. >>JAN SMITH: MR. BALLARD. THANK YOU. >>KEVIN AMBLER: JUST TO DISCUSS THE MEANING OF YOUR MOTION. THAT MEANS AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE CAN SAY WE'VE COME TO A CROSSROADS HERE AND WE WANT OUTSIDE COUNSEL AND THEN MAKE A DECISION OF WHO WE ARE GOING TO HIRE WHEN WE CROSS THAT BRIDGE? >>JAN SMITH: I SUSPECT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UP FRONT. HAVE IT DONE. THEY MAY NOT COME -- THEY MAY WANT TO COME TO THE MEETINGS AND HEAR THE DISCUSSIONS, OR THEY MAY CHOOSE TO WATCH THEM FROM HOME OR GET A VIDEO. OR THEY MAY WANT TO BE CALLED IN FOR A SPECIFIC ISSUE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THAT'S MY CONCERN IF YOU HAVE THAT OUTSIDE COUNSEL COMING INTO OUR MEETINGS, THEY ARE ON THE CLOCK. I AM AN ATTORNEY MYSELF, AND I WORK ON THE CLOCK; I WORK OFF THE CLOCK. UNLESS THERE IS A VOLUNTEER, YOU ARE DEFEATING THE PURPOSE OF TAKING ADVANTAGE -- WE HAVE EXPERIENCED COUNSEL ON COUNTY STAFF THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO DRAIN THEIR BUDGET BECAUSE THEY ARE ALREADY ON STAFF AND WE BENEFIT FROM THAT. AND I WOULDN'T MIND HAVING SOMEONE IN RESERVE, BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE PAYING THEM ON AN HOURLY BASIS OF WATCHING OUR MEETINGS ON HOME -- >>DEE WILLIAMS: CAN'T WE DO IT LIKE WE DID LAST TIME AND GO OUT WITH WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, A RFP AND SEE WHAT COMES BACK? >>EMMY ACTON: YEAH. AND I JUST -- IF I CAN JUST SPEAK TO IT. I AM OF THE BELIEF, AS CHAIRMAN SMITH IS, THAT YOU REALLY -- BECAUSE YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT WHAT YOU MIGHT BE THINKING OF AS YOU GET FURTHER DOWN AND TAKE TESTIMONY. I WOULD HATE TO DELAY YOU. YOU ARE ALREADY ON A TIGHT TIME FRAME. I THINK WHAT WE DID LAST TIME AND THE PARTICULAR CONFLICT THAT I WOULD SEE COULD ARISE IF YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THE PROVISION ABOUT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND THE THE CHARTER. I OBVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE NO ABILITY TO HELP YOU WITH THAT. LAST TIME WE WENT OUT FOR AN RFP AFTER YOUR FIRST MEETING AND SECURED COUNSEL. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO THAT. IF YOU PLAN ON USING ME, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND THAT THAT BE DONE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: IN LIGHT OF THAT RECOMMENDATION, I WOULD ASK IF WE COULD OFFER A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO MR. WHITE'S MOTION THAT IT BE REVISED TO INDICATE THAT WE WILL PUT OUT AN RFP, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, FOR HIRING OUTSIDE COUNSEL. >>GERALD WHITE: AMENDMENT IS ACCEPTED. >>JAN SMITH: IT'S ACCEPTED. AND YOU ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT. MR. HURLEY, YOU WANTED TO SPEAK? >>DAVID HURLEY: I WANTED TO MENTION I CERTAINLY WANT TO KNOW IN ADVANCE WHO THE ATTORNEY IS GOING TO BE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GO SHOPPING AS WE'RE SINKING. >>STEVE LaBOUR: MADAM CHAIRMAN. GIVING THE CHARGE, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S DUTIES ARE ACTUALLY IN THE CHARTER AND I THINK WOULD BE A CONFLICT FOR THEM TO COME FORWARD AND REVIEW THAT. SO I THINK WE WOULD CERTAINLY NEED OUTSIDE COUNSEL IF WE WANTED TO EXPLORE THAT PART OF THE CHARTER THAT WE WOULD WANT AN OUTSIDE COUNSEL TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO AND PERHAPS FACT FIND FOR US. SO AT THE VERY LEAST. WHAT I HOPE WE DON'T GET INVOLVED IN THOUGH IF WE DON'T LIKE SOMETHING THE COUNTY ATTORNEY HAS TOLD US THAT WE DECIDE WE WANT TO ASK A DIFFERENT OPINION AND THEN WE HAVE DUALING ATTORNEYS OPINIONS. >>JAN SMITH: THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST. >>STEVE LaBOUR: GIVEN THE FACT WE HAVE THREE ATTORNEYS ON THE BOARD. WE MIGHT HAVE TO LIMIT THE DISCUSSION TO TWO MINUTES -- >>JAN SMITH: THEN WE WILL LIMIT DISCUSSION WHEN WE HAVE ALL THOSE ATTORNEYS TALKING. [LAUGHTER]. YES, MS. LASHER. >>DENISE LASHER: I HAVE A QUESTION. WHAT IF WE PROPOSE LANGUAGE FOR THE BALLOT, A BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT CHANGED THE CHARTER, AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REVIEWED IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. AND IT WAS PROPOSED TO GO ON THE BALLOT. AND THEN THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DECIDED THAT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT, THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING IN IT THAT THEY PERCEIVED TO BE ILLEGAL. SOME OF THE WORDING OR WHATEVER. THEN WHO WOULD REPRESENT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SINCE YOU WERE A PART OF THE PROCESS OF -- WITH THE PRESUMPTION YOU HELPED US DRAFT THAT LANGUAGE. THEN WHO WOULD REPRESENT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IF THEY DECIDED TO GO TO COURT OVER THAT BALLOT LANGUAGE? >>EMMY ACTON: IN THAT SITUATION, I DISCUSSED THAT WITH MARY HELEN, AND WE'VE LOOKED AT THE FLORIDA BAR RULES, AND HAVE DETERMINED THAT I COULD NOT REPRESENT EITHER YOU OR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. AND, OF COURSE, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE BALLOT LANGUAGE SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO PUT BALLOT LANGUAGE OUT THAT WILL BE DRAFTED IMPROPERLY. IF YOU USED IT -- [LAUGHTER]. >>DENISE LASHER: THEY MAY -- YOU MAY FEEL IT'S FINE, BUT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS -- THERE'S A POSSIBILITY -- >>EMMY ACTON: THEY OFTEN DO HAVE OTHER OPINIONS THAN MINE. AND THAT COULD HAPPEN. I THINK YOU ALL NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT IF THAT DID HAPPEN, WOULD HAVE TO HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL AND THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO HAVE OUTSIDE COUNSEL. >>DENISE LASHER: OKAY. THE OTHER THING IS, WHAT IF SOME MEMBERS FELT THERE WAS A CONFLICT IN LEGAL COUNSEL. HOW WOULD WE DETERMINE THAT? WOULD WE HAVE A MAJORITY VOTE OF THIS BOARD TO DETERMINE THAT WE FEEL THERE IS A CONFLICT AND THAT WE NEED TO THEN USE ANOTHER LEGAL -- >>JAN SMITH: THAT'S HOW -- IN THE PAST. IN FACT, YOU WILL COME TO SEE THAT MS. ACTON'S STANDARDS AND ETHICS ARE ABOVE REPROACH AND SHE WILL TELL US -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: THE FLORIDA BAR RULES REQUIRES ANY COUNSEL REPRESENTING ANYONE TO DISCLOSE THE MINUTE THEY PERCEIVE THERE IS A CONFLICT THAT HAS ARISEN EVEN BEFORE YOU MAY SENSE ONE IS THERE. I'M SURE EMMY WILL BRING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION AND LET US HAVE THE CHOICE TO GO FORWARD. >>STEVE LaBOUR: HIGH OFFICIAL OF THE LOCAL BAR WITH US. >>JAN SMITH: MR. BEDKE. >>MIKE BEDKE: ALONG THOSE LINES, I AM VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF EMMY SERVING AS OUR COUNSEL. I THINK WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY HAVE GOT TO SELECT CONFLICT COUNSEL. I KNOW SHE WANTS THAT. WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY FINE LEGAL COMMUNITY HERE. AND WE ARE BLESSED AS A COMMUNITY WITH MEMBERS OF THE BAR WHO ARE OF THE FINEST CALIBER. I HOPE THAT MANY OF THEM, IF THEY'RE WATCHING, WILL RESPOND TO THE RFP. I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL DO THAT ON A PRO BONO BASIS. AND I'M CERTAIN THAT -- ELECTED OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BAR WILL BRING THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE LOCAL BAR AND HOPE THREE THEY CAN ADVERTISE THAT IN THE HILLSBOROUGH BAR MAGAZINE. >>JAN SMITH: IF I MAY TELL YOU ALL THERE AS YOUNG LADY IN OUR AUDIENCE WHO HAS WORKED WITH THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD BEFORE. SHE IS AN ATTORNEY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, LYNN CASH. AND I'M SURE SHE'D LIKE TO TALK TO ANY OF YOU ABOUT THESE ISSUES THAT WE DISCUSS, IF, IN FACT, SHE'S NOT THE ATTORNEY THAT VOLUNTEERS TO TAKE ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY. SO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WILL SERVE AS THE ATTORNEY FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. THAT AN RFP WILL BE PREPARED AND WE'LL GO OUT. A NOTICE WILL GO -- THAT'S AS FAR AS YOUR MOTION WENT. THAT AN RFP, AND WE'LL LOOK FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MR. BALLARD. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY AYE. ANYONE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. THANK YOU. >>EMMY ACTON: WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SEND THE SAME RFP, ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT WE DID LAST TIME, TO THE LAWYER MAGAZINE AND -- >>STEVE LaBOUR: ESPECIALLY TO MR. GONZALEZ. >>JAN SMITH: MAKE SURE MR. GONZALEZ AND MS. CASH GET A COPY OF IT. THAT'S FINE. >>EMMY ACTON: OKAY. >>JAN SMITH: ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS ON THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, THE REASON WE HAD GARY, GARY AND MARSHAL IS YOU ALL WILL DURING YOUR STUDY OF THESE ISSUES AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO HAVE SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE, INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE GATHERED, INFORMATION YOU WOULD LIKE THEN TO BE PREPARED AND SENT OUT TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS. AND SO WE HAVE IN THE PAST ALWAYS HAD AN ASSISTANT. THAT PERSON ROUTINELY HAS BEEN GIVEN AN OFFICE HERE AT THE COUNTY CENTER. THEY HAVE A PHONE LINE. IN FACT, IN THE PAST, -- THE PAST CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, I BELIEVE WE HAVE EVEN PUBLISHED OUR NUMBER SO IF CITIZENS WANTED TO CALL IN COMMENTS AND REQUEST CERTAIN THINGS, THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT ALSO. ASSUMING THAT MR. KLEMAN IS GOING TO PROVIDE US WITH A SPACE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO GO ABOUT HIRING A PERSON TO DO AN AWFUL LOT OF LEG AND PAPERWORK FOR US. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: MADAM CHAIR. >>JAN SMITH: YES, MA'AM. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO A PERSON I KNOW WHO IS VERY INTERESTED IN THE POSITION. I HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HIM. WHEN WE DO DECIDE, IF WE'RE GOING TO, AND THEN HOW WE'RE GOING TO. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HIM IN MIND. HE IS A FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. WHAT HE DOES NOW ON A STATEWIDE BASIS IS CHARTER. HE HELPS OUT ALL THE COUNTIES DO THEIR CHARTER REVIEW. HE IS JUST WINDING UP WITH PINELLAS AND POLK. AND HE HAS DONE A NUMBER OF OTHERS. HE'S VERY, VERY -- HE'S VERY MUCH A STUDENT OF CHARTER GOVERNMENT AND HAS GOT ALL KINDS OF GREAT CREDENTIALS. >>JAN SMITH: IN THE PAST WE HAVE HAD IT DONE THROUGH AN RFP TYPE PROCESS. IN FACT, AT THE LAST CHARTER REVIEW, I THINK AFTER THERE WAS SO MUCH DISCUSSION, THE CHAIRMAN MADE THE DECISION AS TO WHO WOULD DO IT. SO I THINK THAT GOING THROUGH A PROCESS WILL MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPIER. MS. LASHER. >>DENISE LASHER: THAT'S WHAT I HAVE GOING TO SAY. OBVIOUSLY WE NEED SOMEONE AND I WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND WE DO IT THROUGH AN RFP. YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER FORMING A COMMITTEE OF TWO OR THREE PEOPLE TO SORT THROUGH THOSE. DEPENDING ON HOW MANY WE GET, WE MAY ONLY GET ONE OR TWO. AND THEN MAYBE BRING A RECOMMENDATION TO THIS GROUP THEN TO DECIDE OF ONE OR TWO. WE CAN TELL THEM HOW MANY WE WANT THEM TO BRING FORWARD TO US. >>KEVIN AMBLER: BEFORE YOU GET TO THAT, IS THERE A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THIS PERSON? >>JAN SMITH: MS. ACTON, DO WE STILL HAVE THE OLD JOB DESCRIPTION? >>EMMY ACTON: YES. >>JAN SMITH: IN FACT, WHAT WE CAN DO IS THERE IS A CHANCE YOU WILL GET TWO OR THREE OR ONE OR FIFTY TO DO IT. WHAT WE CAN DO, IF YOU WOULD LIKE, AFTER MS. ACTON PUTS THAT OUT, WE CAN ESTABLISH A COMMITTEE THAT BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MEETING -- WHICH WE HAVEN'T DONE -- OR WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH, WE CAN ESTABLISH A COMMITTEE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS. REMEMBER THAT WILL ALSO BE UNDER THE SUNSHINE. IT WILL BE NOTICED. YOU CAN HAVE A MEETING, AND YOU COULD WHITTLE IT DOWN TO TWO OR THREE MEMBERS TO PRESENT TO THE FULL BOARD. AND THAT'S AN OPTION YOU CAN HAVE. MR. BALLARD. >>TERRY BALLARD: I HAVE NO OBJECTIONS FOR THE CHAIR AND THE VICE-CHAIR -- [INAUDIBLE] >>KEVIN AMBLER: I DON'T KNOW, I THINK YOU ARE PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE JOB DESCRIPTION SAYS AND HAVE A SAY SO OF WHETHER WE WANT TO REVISE THE JOB DESCRIPTION AND THEN GO TO THE NEXT STEP OF HOW THEY WILL BE PICKED. >>JAN SMITH: PERHAPS HOW TO HANDLE THIS WITH THE TIME FRAMES IS THAT MS. ACTON WILL MAKE SURE THAT IS MAILED OUT TO EVERY MEMBER OF THIS BOARD. THEN YOU CAN CALL IN AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU ACCEPT IT OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME -- PUT THE COMMITTEE TOGETHER RIGHT AWAY, LET THEM REVIEW? >>KEVIN AMBLER: IF I CAN JUST COMMENT FOR A SECOND. I DO AND HAVE BEEN DOING FOR -- SINCE 1986 CONTRACT REVIEWS AT MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE FOR LARGE FEDERAL PROCUREMENTS, ANYWHERES UPWARDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THE WAY THEY DO IT AND HAVE A LONG TIME TO DEVELOP THIS PROCESS AND WITHOUT BECOMING VERY BUREAUCRATIC HERE. THEY DEVELOP NOT ONLY A JOB DESCRIPTION THAT WILL GO OUT IN THE RFP AS PART OF PROCESS AT THE BEGINNING, THEY DEVELOP WHAT YOUR SELECTION CRITERIA IS SO THE PEOPLE KNOW. >>JAN SMITH: I BELIEVE THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST. >>KEVIN AMBLER: IF WE HAVE A SELECTION CRITERIA AND KNOW SOME THE FACTORS, THEN WHETHER YOU DO IT BY COMMITTEE OR BY THE WHOLE, YOU CAN JUST GO DOWN YOUR LIST. IT'S PRETTY EASY TO RANK OR SCORE YOUR APPLICANTS BY VIRTUE OF THAT SELECTION CRITERIA AND MAKE YOUR PICK. >>JAN SMITH: MS. ACTON, HOW DETAILED IS THE RFP -- >>EMMY ACTON: IT'S ONE PARAGRAPH AND UP STAIRS ON THE 27TH FLOOR. >>JAN SMITH: PERHAPS WE CAN HOLD THIS ISSUE AND MOVE ON. LET ME SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN MEETING NOW FOR AN HOUR AND 45 MINUTES AND WE NEED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE THAT I'M SURE ANXIOUS TO SPEAK TO US. >>GERALD WHITE: BEFORE WE MOVE ON -- >>JAN SMITH: ALSO, THERE IS A MEMBER OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD -- FOR THE LAST TWO CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS IN THE AUDIENCE. MR. AL DAVIS. WILL YOU STAND UP AND SAY HELLO. THAT'S ALL YOU GET TO SAY IS JUST HELLO. WHEN WE GET TO PUBLIC COMMENT, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU. IF WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND FINISH ALL THIS. THEN WE CAN TAKE A BREAK WHILE THEY FIND THAT INFORMATION AND WE CAN TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT AND SET OUR SCHEDULE. >>GERALD WHITE: MADAM CHAIR, THE REASON I ASKED WHILE MR. KLEMAN WAS STILL HERE. I AM VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DEALING WITH COMPLEX ISSUES AND POSSIBLY PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT IN AN EXTREMELY TIGHT TIME FRAME, WHAT TYPE OF STAFFING, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION. BUT WHAT OTHER ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STAFF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE PUBLIC, GETTING TO OUR OFFICE AND -- THE CHARTER REVIEW OFFICE. I WOULD LIKE FOR HIM TO COMMENT ON WHERE THIS OFFICE IS. DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN MIND FOR US? SECRETARY OR -- >>JAN SMITH: MR. KLEMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SPEAK TO THE ISSUES RAISED BY MR. WHITE. >>DAN KLEMAN: DAN KLEMAN, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED A SPECIFIC PHYSICAL LOCATION FOR THE OFFICE PENDING YOUR DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW YOU WANTED TO PROCEED. I THINK WE CAN MAKE AVAILABLE FOR SUPPORT OF THAT OFFICE WHAT IT NEEDS IN YOUR JUDGMENT TO GET THE JOB DONE, WHETHER THAT IS CLERICAL SUPPORT OR WHATEVER OTHER KIND OF SUPPORT. CERTAINLY THE COMMENT THAT WAS OFFERED EARLIER ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR VOICE MAIL CAPACITY THAT WAS USED IN THE PAST IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE AGAIN. BUT I THINK IT PROBABLY FOLLOWS YOUR DISCUSSION OF HOW YOU PROCEED WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION. I WOULD SIMPLY TELL YOU THAT WE WILL PROVIDE WHATEVER STAFF SUPPORT TO ASSIST THAT PERSON THAT YOU JUDGE TO BE APPROPRIATE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I WOULD SAY AT THE VERY LEAST I WANT SOMETHING MAYBE IN THE WAY OF A BUSINESS CARD IF SOMEONE IS INTERESTED IN CHARTER REVIEW, YOU CAN HAND IT TO THEM AND IT HAS AN E-MAIL, IT HAS A FAX, IT HAS A PHONE NUMBER AND A VOICE MAIL SO THERE IS SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THIS BODY AND GET INFORMATION TO US. >>DAN KLEMAN: CLEARLY WITH THE ACCESS AND THE AVAILABILITY OF E-MAIL AND THE WEB SITE PRESENCE DRAMATICALLY EXPANDS THE ABILITY OF CONTACT. IT WAS THE CASE IN THE LAST CHARTER REVIEW BOARD ACTIVITY. >>KEVIN AMBLER: WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR AN OFFICE SPACE THOUGH IF WE HAVE A LITTLE CLOSET IN THE BUILDING, WOULD WE? >>DAN KLEMAN: TOUGH GROUP. IT WOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO COME OUT THE $50,000 BUDGET. WE WILL NOT CHARGE YOU RENT. >>JAN SMITH: MR. KLEMAN, I BELIEVE LAST TIME THEY ALSO HAD A TIME DURING CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS WHERE THERE WAS A PHONE NUMBER FLASHED THERE FOR PEOPLE -- NOT TO CALL -- TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETINGS OUT OF THIS BUILDING. BUT SO THAT THEY KNEW THERE WAS A NUMBER OR AN E-MAIL OR SOMETHING. AND I THINK YOU HAVE A WAY -- >>DAN KLEMAN: YEAH, WE SCROLLED ON THE SCREEN DURING THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS THE NUMBER THAT ALLOWED A VOICE MAIL COMMENT TO BE LEFT ABOUT A CITIZEN WHO SAID I WATCHED YOUR MEETING LAST NIGHT AND I WANT TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING OPINION ABOUT WHATEVER IT WAS. >>STEVE LaBOUR: IT WAS THE CHAIRMAN'S HOME NUMBER, I BELIEVE. >>JAN SMITH: NO WAY. [LAUGHTER]. AND A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION THAT COMES IN -- LIKE IF THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CALL WITH COMMENTS, THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY HAS KIND OF KEPT TRACK, PASSED IT OUT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS, INFORMATION THAT COMES IN. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WAY OF DISSEMINATING THE INFORMATION BACK. THE ONLY CONCERN I WOULD HAVE IS THAT WE NOT HAVE SO MANY SOURCES OF WAYS OF GETTING INFORMATION THAT WE OVERLOAD THE SECRETARY AND THEY CAN'T DO THE JOB THAT WE NEED TO BE DONE. I DON'T WANT TO SEE US CRASH LIKE YAHOO OR SOMETHING. I DO THINK THAT HAVING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES IS WONDERFUL. IN FACT, WE MAY WANT TO LIMIT IT TO -- I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I WANT TO LIMIT IT AT ALL, BUT YOU'VE GOT E-MAIL AND VOICE MAIL AND YOU'VE GOT FAXES AND TELEPHONE LINES. WE MAY JUST HAVE -- AND THERE'S THE PRESS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WILL, IN FACT, AFFECT THE HOURS THAT THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY PUTS IN JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE OF IT. AND THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ALWAYS PROVIDES THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I GUESS WE FORGOT OLD-FASHIONED SNAIL MAIL. IT STILL EXISTS. >>JAN SMITH: SO I'LL WORK WITH MR. KLEMAN TO MAKE SURE WE GET A PLACE THAT'S A NICE PLACE AND WE CAN PUT SOMEBODY TO WORK IN THERE AND YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO ALSO. THANK YOU, MR. KLEMAN. >>DAN KLEMAN: THANK YOU. >>JAN SMITH: WE NEED TO ESTABLISH -- WOULD YOU ALL LIKE TO TAKE A BREAK? OR WOULD YOU JUST LIKE TO GET THROUGH THIS. >>DEE WILLIAMS: WE ARE NOT VERY FAR FROM THE END, ARE WE? >>JAN SMITH: I DON'T THINK SO. >>DEE WILLIAMS: OKAY. LET'S GO. >>JAN SMITH: WE WILL HOLD UP THAT PART OF THE AGENDA UNTIL MS. CAMPBELL COMES BACK WITH THE WORDING FOR THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY'S JOB DESCRIPTION. SO NEXT WE NEED TO ESTABLISH DATE AND TIME OF THE MEETINGS. AND ACCORDING TO OUR RULES, WE CAN'T MEET ANY MORE THAN TWICE A MONTH. AND IT -- IN THE PAST, WE HAVE HAD TIMES WHERE JUST BECAUSE YOU SEE THE ORGANIZATION. THE FIRST COUPLE OF CHARTER REVIEW MEETINGS, WERE LIKE A MONTH APART. AND THEN THEY EXPANDED TO TWICE A MONTH. AND EVEN A COUPLE OF SPECIAL MEETINGS, I RECALL BEING CALLED IN THE PAST TOO. AND EMERGENCY MEETINGS, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW WE CAN'T TAKE ANY ACTION AT THOSE. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FIRST OF ALL SINCE WE KNOW MOST OF THE MEETINGS WILL BE HERE. WHEN WE HAVE SOME REAL FUNDAMENTAL WORK WE WANT TO TAKE OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR HEARINGS, WE WILL PROBABLY BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO MOVE AROUND THE COUNTY AND MR. KLEMAN SAYS HE'LL BE HAPPY TO HELP US DO THAT. BUT WE NEED TO TRY TO PICK A NIGHT THAT IS CONVENIENT FOR MOST EVERYBODY. AND, ALSO, A NIGHT THAT DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH NIGHTS THAT THE ZONING HEARING MASTER OR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEET. MR. KLEMAN, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE SCHEDULES IN ADVANCE THAT YOU CAN GIVE US THAT. AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ATTEND CHURCH ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS MEETING -- FIRST MEETING ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT HAS AFFECTED YOU ALL AND WHETHER YOU HAVE OTHER MEETINGS. >>DAN KLEMAN: MADAM CHAIR, I DON'T HAVE THAT WITH ME, BUT I'LL SEE IF WE CAN LAY OUR HANDS ON IT VERY QUICKLY AS YOU ARE DELIBERATING. >>JAN SMITH: ZONING HEARING MASTER IS USUALLY ON MONDAYS? >>DAN KLEMAN: USUALLY ON MONDAYS. >>JAN SMITH: THE BOARD ON OCCASION HAS HAD -- >>DAN KLEMAN: THURSDAY PUBLIC HEARINGS ONE THURSDAY A MONTH. THERE ARE OTHER MEETINGS THAT ARE SCHEDULED IN THIS ROOM PERIODICALLY. WHAT THE BOARD HAS TYPICALLY DONE IS TO, IN EFFECT, SAY THAT THIS ROOM IS AVAILABLE FOR BOARD MEETINGS FIRST. IF THERE IS A CONFLICT, THE OTHER MEETING IS RELOCATED. IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE GIVEN YOUR WORK THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THE SAME THING IF THERE'S A CONFLICT WITH -- WHO SERVED ON THE CABLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. IF THERE'S A CONFLICT, PERHAPS THERE ARE OTHER MEETING ROOMS THAT CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE IF YOU DECIDE TO PICK A DATE. THE ONLY DATES I THINK -- OR THE DAYS OF THE WEEK WHERE THERE IS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT IS THE MONDAY ZONING HEARING MASTER MEETING AND THAT ONCE A MONTH THURSDAY WHEN THERE'S A BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING. BUT THAT'S NOT EVEN EVERY MONTH. >>JAN SMITH: SO TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, AND THURSDAYS. WOULD PEOPLE LIKE TO COMMENT? >>DENISE LASHER: THIS ROOM IS USED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON TUESDAY AFTERNOONS? IS THAT RIGHT? WHEN THEY DO THEIR LAND USE? >>DAN KLEMAN: IT'S USED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS GENERALLY TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAY, ALL DAY, ALMOST EVERY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WOULD BE THE SAFE WAY TO DESCRIBE THAT. >>JAN SMITH: WE ALSO NEED TO DISCUSS WHAT TIME WE'D LIKE TO MEET. ALL THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS IN THE PAST HAVE MET AFTER 5:30 TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO COME DOWN AND PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION. AND IS THERE ANYONE THAT OBJECTS TO MEETING AFTER 5:30 AND THEN WE CAN CLARIFY THAT TIME? OKAY. >>KEVIN AMBLER: JUST TO THROW SOMETHING OUT. HOW ABOUT THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 6 P.M. >>JAN SMITH: MR. LaBOUR. >>STEVE LaBOUR: I HAVE A CONFLICT. THE GROUP I AM THE PRESIDENT OF, WE MEET THE SECOND WEDNESDAY -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: THIRD WEDNESDAY -- DID I SAY SECOND? I MEANT THIRD WEDNESDAY. >>STEVE LaBOUR: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. >>JAN SMITH: WE CAN HAVE THE NEXT MEETING ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF MARCH, UNLESS YOU WANTED TO HAVE ONE TOWARD THE END OF THIS MONTH. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THIS IS A SHORT MONTH. >>JAN SMITH: AND IT'S GETTING SHORTER. MR. BALLARD. >>TERRY BALLARD: ARE WE HAVING ONE MEETING A MONTH OR TWO? >>JAN SMITH: I THINK WE PROBABLY -- SCHEDULED THE NEXT MEETING FOR A MONTH FROM NOW WHILE WE GET EVERYTHING WORKED OUT, TIMING. AND THEN AFTER THAT, I THINK THE BOARD WILL HAVE TO DISCUSS HOW OFTEN THEY WOULD LIKE TO MEET. >>TERRY BALLARD: JUST READING RULE 13 IN THERE. >>JAN SMITH: NO MORE THAN TWICE. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED? >>JAN SMITH: NO. I DON'T THINK -- NO. BECAUSE THERE'S -- ONCE YOU COME TO A MEETING AND THEN WE DIRECT THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TO BRING US INFORMATION. YOU ALL HAVE JOBS AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES AND OTHER COMMITTEES. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE SOME TIME IN BETWEEN TO SORT OF REVIEW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN INUNDATED WITH. AND BELIEVE ME, YOU CAN REALLY GET INUNDATED. AND WE ALSO NEED TIME TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO INVITE SPEAKERS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN INTEREST, THE DIFFERENT CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. WHAT I -- WHAT I, AS CHAIR, WOULD LIKE TO ASK EACH OF YOU TO DO ONCE WE HAVE A PHONE NUMBER, A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN CONTACT PEOPLE, IS TO SEND IN A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INVITED HERE TO SPEAK TO US. IN THE PAST, IT'S BEEN PRETTY STANDARD TO INVITE THE SEATED ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE MAYOR. AND ALSO THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. AND THEN FROM THERE, IT CAN BE PEOPLE FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE THAT HAVE A SPECIFIC INTEREST OR KNOWLEDGE THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO THE ENTIRE BOARD. MOST EVERYONE ELSE WILL COME THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCESS OF SPEAKING TO US FROM THE AUDIENCE. BUT IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT YOU'RE PARTICULARLY FAMILIAR WITH THAT HAS A GREAT DEAL OF KNOWLEDGE ON CHARTERS THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE IMPORTANT OR A CITY COUNCILPERSON OR A CITY COMMISSION PERSON YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INVITED. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET THAT INFORMATION INTO WHOEVER OUR SECRETARY IS GOING TO BE. AND IF YOU -- AND THEN I THINK WE PROBABLY WILL TRY TO DO THE SAME THING WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES. IF IT'S -- IF IT'S AGREEABLE TO YOU ALL WHEN YOU SEND THAT IN, YOU MIGHT ALSO SEND IN THE -- PERHAPS IF YOU COULD PICK FIVE OF THE ISSUES JUST SO WE HAD A TOP LIST TO SEE WHAT THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON SO THAT WE CAN WORK FROM THE TOP DOWN OR THE BOTTOM UP, WHICHEVER WAY YOU ALL WANT TO DO IT. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO SEE WHERE THE INTEREST LIES IF, IN FACT, IT'S THE POSITION OF THIS BOARD THAT YOU FEEL LIKE WE ARE IN A BIG HURRY TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING FOR THIS YEAR'S BALLOT OR IF YOU WANT TO BE DELIBERATIVE AND WORK IT OUT, SPEND YOUR YEAR AS YOU ARE ASSIGNED TO DO, AND HAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS NOT COME ABOUT UNTIL THE YEAR 2002. THAT'S AN ISSUE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: YOU CAN'T DO BOTH? YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE OR TWO ISSUES THAT YOU MIGHT FEEL HOT ABOUT THIS YEAR AND THEN CONTINUE YOUR YEAR CHARGE -- >>JAN SMITH: WE HAVE NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN. -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: I MEAN, THERE MAY BE PRIMARY ISSUES AND SECONDARY ISSUES. ONES THAT TAKE LONGER. >>JAN SMITH: THERE MAY BE. >>STEVE LaBOUR: WILL DEPEND ON WHAT THE PRIMARY ISSUES WAS. IF IT WAS TO CHANGE THE WHOLE ENTIRE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT, WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE VOTERS THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE WE WOULD DEAL WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES. I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE ISSUE, WHICH WILL PROBABLY DRIVE THAT. >>JAN SMITH: MS. ACTON, DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION OF THAT? >>EMMY ACTON: NO. BUT I DO HAVE THE RFPs IF YOU WANT TO SEE THEM. >>JAN SMITH: OKAY. WE WILL GO BACK TO THE RFPs. IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO PASS AROUND AND LET EVERYONE READ. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I HAVE A COMMENTARY. MR. BALLARD MADE A GOOD POINT. I LOOKED AT PAGE -- SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT THE MEETING SHALL BE HELD A MINIMUM OF TWICE MONTHLY AT A TIME TO BE SET. EITHER WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE OUR RULES -- NO, IT SAYS A MINIMUM OF TWICE MONTHLY. >>JAN SMITH: WHICH PAGE ARE YOU ON. >> PAGE 5, RULE 13. REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE BOARD SHALL BE HELD A MINIMUM OF TWICE MONTHLY AT A TIME TO BE SET AND PLACE TO BE SELECTED BY THE CHAIRMAN. >>TERRY BALLARD: CHANGE THAT TO MAXIMUM. [LAUGHTER]. >>JAN SMITH: AGAIN, IN THE PAST, THERE WAS LIKE A MONTH -- THE FIRST TIME THE BOARD WAS ORGANIZED, IT WAS A MONTH UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING AND AFTER THAT WE DID MEET ON A -- EVERY TWO WEEK BASIS. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THAT'S FINE BUT WE ARE ALREADY VIOLATING OUR OWN RULES -- >>STEVE LaBOUR: WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO VOTE TO SUSPEND THE RULES FOR THIS MONTH -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: RIGHT, EXACTLY. >>JAN SMITH: OR PICK SOMETHING UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY. >>GERALD WHITE: WHY DON'T WE MEET FEBRUARY THE 29TH. >>JAN SMITH: LET'S GO BACK AND FINISH -- LET'S DO THIS AND COME BACK TO THE MEETING DATES. >>EMMY ACTON: WHAT I'VE HANDED OUT ARE BOTH THE RFP FOR LEGAL SERVICES AND THE RFP FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. YOU'LL NOTICE THE RFP FOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LIMITS -- YEAH. THE LEGAL ONE IS STAPLED AS TWO PAGES LONG BECAUSE, OF COURSE, IT'S FOR AN ATTORNEY. AND THE OTHER ONE IS JUST ONE PAGE, AND THAT'S FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. >>JAN SMITH: SEND THE SINGLES BACK. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO REVIEW THEM. >>EMMY ACTON: OBVIOUSLY I WILL CHANGE THE THINGS THAT DON'T APPLY. FOR INSTANCE, IT SAYS JAMES LEE AS CHAIRMAN. AND THAT WILL NO LONGER BE ACCURATE. I WILL POINT OUT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S COMPENSATION AS LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN $25,000. THE LAWYERS' FEES. THEY JUST ASK FOR THE HOURLY RATE. THEY DON'T HAVE AN OUTSIDE LIMIT. >>JAN SMITH: IF YOU ALL WILL LOOK AT THE POSITION OF STAFF DIRECTOR AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ONE FIRST. AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT IN ORDER TO GET THIS OUT, YOU'D NEED AT LEAST THREE WEEKS TO COME BACK WITH THE NAMES. WE OUGHT TO HAVE AT LEAST THAT MUCH TIME. >>EMMY ACTON: WELL, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG -- WHAT THE DEADLINE YOU WANTED TO SET FOR THE PEOPLE TO SEND BACK APPLICATIONS. >>JAN SMITH: IS THREE WEEKS FROM TOMORROW AGREEABLE TO YOU ALL TO HAVE APPLICATIONS BACK FOR THE STAFF DIRECTOR? MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: IT WOULD BE GREAT. NOT NECESSARILY TO MAKE IT A FULL-FLEDGED REQUIREMENT, BUT SOME KIND OF WAY TO ADD SOMETHING, GIVE THE APPLICANT A PLUS THAT HAS SOME CHARTER REVIEW EXPERIENCE. >>DENISE LASHER: THAT COULD BE LISTED UNDER NUMBER TWO, KNOWLEDGE OF EXPERIENCE WITH LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT. THEY CAN STATE THAT IN THERE APPLICATION. >>GERALD WHITE: SPECIFICALLY CHARTER REVIEW -- REVIEW OF CHATTERS. IF WE HAVE A CANDIDATE OUT THERE THAT HAS DONE THAT IN THIS STATE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO OUR PROCESS. >>KEVIN AMBLER: DO YOU WANT TO LIMIT IT ONLY TO THAT? DO YOU WANT TO EXCLUDE A CANDIDATE BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T DONE CHARTER REVIEW BUT MAYBE THEY HAVE DONE WORK FOR COUNTY OR -- >>GERALD WHITE: NO, NO. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT ON AS A PLUS. THE CANDIDATE THAT HAD THAT EXPERIENCE WOULD BE -- HAVE A PLUS ON THE OTHER APPLICANTS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. >>JAN SMITH: I WOULD SUSPECT AN INDIVIDUAL VOTING FOR THE PERSON WILL PROBABLY PLAY A ROLE IN OUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE -- BECAUSE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER WHEN YOU WERE DOING IT -- >>GERALD WHITE: I JUST WANTED TO TRY TO DRAW THE MOST QUALIFIED APPLICANT POSSIBLE. AND IF YOU PUT THAT CAVEAT IN THERE, IT JUST MIGHT DO IT. >>JAN SMITH: MR. HURLEY. >>DAVID HURLEY: I HAVE THE FEAR OF EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. IF WE PUT SOMETHING IN THERE ABOUT EXPERIENCE WITH THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD STAFF. THEY MIGHT SAY I DON'T HAVE ANY, ALTHOUGH I HAVE SOME VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE. THEY MIGHT NOT BOTHER TO PUT IN THE RESUME. IT'S OBVIOUSLY TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD AND WOULD ASK FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE WITH LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS. SO ANYONE WOULD OBVIOUSLY PUT THAT IN THEIR RESUME, IF SOMEONE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF DOING THAT AND DIDN'T BOTHER TO PUT THAT IN THEIR RESUME, I'M NOT SURE WE REALLY WANT TO BRING THEM IN ANY WAY. THAT WOULD BE MY PERSPECTIVE. I THINK OPENING THE DOOR LIKE YOU SAID. BUT I DON'T THINK -- I THINK THAT WOULD LIMIT IT. >>JAN SMITH: DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR SUBTRACT FROM THIS DOCUMENT? POSITION OF STAFF DIRECTOR? >>STEVE LaBOUR: I KNOW THE LAST TIME THIS WAS ADVERTISED COMPUTER SKILLS PERHAPS WEREN'T AS NECESSARY. I WOULD THINK THAT WE WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE SOME KIND OF COMPUTER SKILLS, AT THE MINIMUM. >>JAN SMITH: UNDER COMMUNICATIONS -- >>STEVE LaBOUR: WOULD THAT BE UNDER COMMUNICATION SKILLS? >>JAN SMITH: PROBABLY. BUT YOU CAN SAY MULTIMEDIA OR YOU CAN SAY COMPUTER. JUST THROW THE WORD RIGHT IN THERE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: VERBAL, WRITTEN, COMPUTER, MEDIA, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS. >>JAN SMITH: SO BY A SHOW OF HANDS, IS EVERYONE HAPPY WITH ADDING THE WORD "COMPUTER" TO THE WORDING OF NUMBER 1? ALL IN FAVOR. OKAY. THANKS. SO WE WILL DO THAT. MS. LASHER. >>DENISE LASHER: WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT COMPENSATION NOT TO EXCEED $25,000 FOR THE YEAR. SHOULD WE CHANGE THAT WORDING TO "FOR ONE YEAR?". >>JAN SMITH: WE ARE ONLY ASSIGNED THIS POSITION FOR ONE YEAR. SO IT HAS TO BE THAT YEAR. >>DENISE LASHER: BUT IS THAT CLEAR THAT IT'S A POSITION ONLY FOR ONE YEAR? >>JAN SMITH: I THINK IT HAS -- IT WOULD BE THAT. >>DEE WILLIAMS: I THINK YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WILL GO -- OUR YEAR MIGHT END, BUT THEIRS WON'T BECAUSE IT DIDN'T GET STARTED AT THE SAME TIME WE DID AND THEY HAVE TO WRAP THIS UP. >>DENISE LASHER: OKAY. >>KEVIN AMBLER: HOW ABOUT FOR THE YEAR OF WHICH THE CRB IS IN SESSION. >>DEE WILLIAMS: THEY HAVE TO WORK WHEN WE ARE OUT OF SESSION TO WRAP UP WHAT WE'VE DONE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. >>JAN SMITH: BUT THE $25,000 IS PROBABLY A FIGURE I WOULD HOPE. AND WE CAN ALWAYS -- I ASSUME AND I WILL ASK YOU, MS. ACTON, IF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD WORK EXTENDED BEYOND THE YEAR, COULD THERE BE A BUDGET AMENDMENT? BECAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE BOARD AND THAT'S A DECISION, SEE, WE CAN'T ANSWER. SO I THINK THE $25,000 IS THE BUDGET WE -- >>EMMY ACTON: THE $25,000, AS YOU KNOW, IS ONLY HALF OF YOUR BUDGETED AMOUNT YOU CAN RECEIVE FROM THE BOARD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER EXPENSES WOULD BE AS HIGH AS THIS. YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO THE BOARD UNLESS YOU WERE OVER $50,000. >>STEVE LaBOUR: WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE ATTORNEY. >>EMMY ACTON: RIGHT. >>GERALD WHITE: MADAM CHAIR. >>JAN SMITH: MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN LABOR, AND IT WOULD BE ROBBERY IF I DIDN'T MENTION THE SALARY. IS THIS A FAIR SALARY FOR TODAY'S MARKET? THIS SALARY WAS LISTED AT THE LAST CHARTER REVIEW. DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF COMPARISONS, WHAT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GOT IN PINELLAS COUNTY OR ANYWHERE ELSE THAT HAS GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS? >>KEVIN AMBLER: IN ORDER TO DECIDE THAT, IT SAYS IT IS A PART-TIME POSITION. WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT THE HOURS ARE GOING TO BE REQUIRED. WHAT DOES PART-TIME MEAN? I KNOW PEOPLE CALL 40 HOURS A WEEK PART-TIME. I KNOW OTHERS THAT THINK TEN HOURS A WEEK IS PART-TIME. >>JAN SMITH: I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE CERTAIN HOURS WHEN THE PERSON WHO IS THE SECRETARY IS IN THE OFFICE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO REACH THEM, FOR HER TO HAVE TIME TO REACH YOU IF YOU'VE SENT IN SUGGESTIONS OR QUESTIONS. MS. TUTTLE. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: YOU KEEP REFERRING TO IT AS A SECRETARY -- >>JAN SMITH: EXECUTIVE SECRETARY. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: BECAUSE THE SECRETARY IS THE CLERK. I GOT A LITTLE CONFUSED A WHILE AGO. >>JAN SMITH: SORRY. I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. THAT SOUNDS SO FORMAL. PARDON ME. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: JUST CONFUSING. >>KEVIN AMBLER: WHEN MR. KLEMAN WAS TALKING EARLIER, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT SOME KIND OF SUPPORT STAFF. IS THAT AN ADDITIONAL ADMIN/CLERICAL PERSON TO HELP US IN ADDITION TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND WE ARE NOT GETTING CHARGED WITH IT? >>JAN SMITH: MR. KLEMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND ANSWER THAT. I ALWAYS LIKE -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD. >>DAN KLEMAN: DAN KLEMAN, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. I THINK WE CAN MAKE THAT AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THE $50,000 BUDGET THAT THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD HAS. OBVIOUSLY, NOTHING IS FREE. BUT I THINK WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT WITH EXISTING STAFF, IF THAT'S ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD. >>KEVIN AMBLER: SO THAT WOULD MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE ARE SENDING US LETTERS OR E-MAIL AND FAXES, THAT THOSE WOULD BE COPIED AND DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOARD WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. >>DAN KLEMAN: AS THE CHAIR SAID, IF YOU WANT, FOR EXAMPLE, OFFICE HOURS FOR TWO HOURS A DAY FIVE DAYS A WEEK OR SOME -- WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. WE CAN MAKE CERTAIN THAT THERE IS THAT KIND OF CLERICAL SUPPORT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE PHONE IS ANSWERED, THAT THERE'S A HUMAN BEING THERE TO BE RESPONSIVE AND HELPFUL TO ANY CITIZEN THAT CONTACTS THE OFFICE. AND DO THAT OUT OF EXISTING COUNTY RESOURCES. NOT SEND THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD A BILL. >>JAN SMITH: ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, MR. AMBLER? >>KEVIN AMBLER: I AM. I AM JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF WE GET THAT FOR FREE, WHAT DO WE NEED AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR FOR $25,000. >>JAN SMITH: THERE IS REALLY A LOT OF OUTSIDE WORK THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS. IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE DO THAT. AND THAT PERSON WILL MORE THAN LIKELY TO BE IN THE OFFICE ON THOSE TIMES. I THINK MR. KLEMAN IS SAYING ON THE OCCASION WHERE SHE'S NOT GOING -- SHE OR HE IS NOT GOING TO BE IN FOR A DAY OR TWO OR ILLNESS OR SOMETHING, THAT SOMEBODY FROM HIS STAFF WILL EITHER TURN THE FAX ON, TURN THE PHONE OFF, WHATEVER, AND -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: MADAM CHAIR, IF THAT'S TRUE, SHOULDN'T THE JOB DESCRIPTION INDICATE SO IN FAIRNESS OF PEOPLE APPLYING FOR IT, THAT THE PERSON IS EXPECTED TO MAN -- BE IN PHYSICAL PRESENCE IN THE COUNTY CENTER OFFICE BUILDING FOR A FEW HOURS. PEOPLE RUNNING AT-HOME BUSINESSES THAT MAY HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS HERE OR A MOM THAT CAN'T COME DOWN TO THE COUNTY BUILDING AND -- WE EXPECT THEM TO BE DOWN HERE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS, FIVE DAYS A WEEK. I WOULD WANT TO HAVE THAT IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION. >>JAN SMITH: MR. HURLEY. >>DAVID HURLEY: I THINK IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR A JOB SOME PLACE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASSUME THAT YOU WOULD BE SOME PLACE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: NOT ANYMORE. >>DAVID HURLEY: EXCEPT THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE. >>JAN SMITH: I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, AS A BOARD, ESTABLISH A MINIMUM NUMBER OF HOURS WE WOULD LIKE THE PERSON TO BE HERE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I THINK IT SHOULD BE ON HERE. >>GERALD WHITE: WELL, I THINK WE NEED TO LEAVE A LITTLE -- >>JAN SMITH: OR TO HAVE THE OFFICE OPEN AT LEAST. >>GERALD WHITE: WE NEED A LITTLE DISCRETION FOR THE CHAIR. THIS INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BE REPORTING TO THE CHAIR. AND THE CHAIR MAY DIRECT THIS INDIVIDUAL TO DO SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE OFFICE UNDER THE SALARY. >>KEVIN AMBLER: RIGHT. ALL I AM SUGGESTING IS THEY SHOULD BE PREPARED TO BE ABLE TO COME IN TO AN OFFICE AT THE COUNTY BUILDING FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS. THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T BE CHANGED OR DOESN'T REPORT TO THE CHAIR OR THE JOB ISN'T FLUID. AS FAR AS THE DISCLOSURE THAT'S GOING OUT IN AN RFP TO PEOPLE, THEY NEED TO BE AWARE THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOCATION WHERE THIS BOARD BASICALLY OPERATES OUT OF. IT'S NOT A TELECOMMUTING POSITION, OKAY. IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS IN THE '80s OR EVEN IN THE EARLY '90s. TELECOMMUTING POSITIONS ARE BECOMING MORE THE MAINSTAY THAN NOT. THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY, WHAT I HEAR EVERYBODY TALK ABOUT A TELECOMMUTING POSITION. YOU WANT SOMEBODY WHO IS DOWN HERE AND BE ABLE TO TRAVEL MAYBE AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD. IF NECESSARY, THEY NEED TO KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO STAFF AN OFFICE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: MADAM CHAIR. >>JAN SMITH: MS. TUTTLE. >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE THREE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, HOW OFTEN WERE THEY IN THE OFFICE AND HOW MANY PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND WERE -- I MEAN, DID A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THEM DURING THOSE DAYS? >>JAN SMITH: I DON'T RECALL -- >>MARY LOU TUTTLE: WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TELECOMMUNICATING. >>JAN SMITH: I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF THAT AT ALL. I BELIEVE THAT THE PERSON THAT WAS THERE HAD ALL OF OUR HOME PHONE NUMBERS. I THINK WE HAD HIS HOME PHONE NUMBER. THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE THAT WAY. THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC DON'T NECESSARILY COME TO THE COUNTIES. THAT'S MORE OF A PLACE WHERE THIS PERSON WOULD DO THEIR TASKS. SO THEY WILL BE IN THE OFFICE. IT MAY BE INTERMITTENT TIME, BUT IT WILL BE IN SUCH A WAY THAT PERSON CAN PICK UP THE FAXES, LISTEN TO THE E-MAIL. AND IF THEY ARE IN THE OFFICE. AND BY THAT PERSON AND THAT PERSON PROBABLY COME BACK TO US AND SAY, I WILL BE IN THE OFFICE ON THURSDAYS FROM 10 UNTIL 2 EVERY WEEK. AND THAT WAY YOU ALL WILL KNOW THAT THEY'LL BE THERE IF YOU WANT TO TAKE SOMETHING OVER, PICK SOMETHING UP. I THINK THAT'S A POSSIBILITY. BUT I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A DEFINED TIME IN THE OFFICE. THIS PERSON WILL TURN IN, I'M SURE, TIME SHEETS. YOU KNOW, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO GO OVER THE 25,000. IF YOU DON'T SEE THE WORK COMING, YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW THEY ARE NOT DOING THE JOB AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR SERVICES. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED. >>KEVIN AMBLER: YOU ARE SAYING THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A MAX HERE, THEY ARE PAID ON AN HOURLY BASIS. >>JAN SMITH: I WOULDN'T SAY AN HOURLY BASIS. I WOULD SAY THEY COMMIT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME TO THE JOB. THEY HAVE GOT A MAXIMUM AMOUNT THEY CAN SPEND DURING THAT YEAR. AND I D