CAPTIONING MARCH 6, 2008 BOCC REGULAR MEETING MORNING SESSION ***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. >KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH 6th, 2008, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING. WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE RISE FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE, GIVEN BY COMMISSIONER BRIAN BLAIR. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] >>BRIAN BLAIR: PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS. HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THIS DAY. FATHER, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS YOU BESTOW UPON US EACH AND EVERY DAY. FATHER, LET US NOT TAKE OUR BLESSINGS FOR GRANTED, AND LET US UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTIES NOW THAT THOSE OVERSEAS AND HERE ARE CHALLENGED WITH EACH DAY, IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR TROOPS THAT ARE CONTINUOUSLY FIGHTING THE TERRORISM. MAY THEY ALL BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR MISSIONS, AND MAY THE LOCAL RESPONDERS MAKE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE, AND MAY GOVERNMENT PITCH IN AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY PITCH IN TO LET HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BE KNOWN AS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY COUNTY, A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY WOULD WANT TO RAISE THEIR FAMILIES. FATHER, WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU GIVE US EACH AND EVERY DAY, AND WE PRAY FOR THOSE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN AS FORTUNATE LATELY. WE PRAY FOR THE CURY FAMILY, WHO RECENTLY LOST THEIR 20- YEAR-OLD SON, TREY. MAY YOU TAKE TREY'S SOUL TO YOUR HEAVEN AND COMFORT THE FAMILY, ALONG WITH OUR WONDERFUL FRIEND DICK FLETCHER. PLEASE COMFORT DICK AND HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS AS WELL, AND FATHER, WE ARE HERE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE, AND WE JUST PRAY THAT WE WILL DO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. GIVE US WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING AS WE DELIBERATE THE ISSUES. WE ALSO PRAY FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE PRAYING TO YOU RIGHT NOW AND ASKING FOR BLESSINGS THAT THEY NEED SO BAD. THANK YOU, AND WE LOVE YOU. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BLAIR. AND AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL PROCLAMATION TO BE PRESENTED BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. CHAIRMAN, BEFORE WE DO THAT, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME INTERRUPTING, I'D ALSO LIKE TO SHARE A MOMENT OF SYMPATHY WITH OUR FRIEND MARK OBER OVER THE LOSS OF HIS MOTHER. >>BRIAN BLAIR: FORGIVE ME. THANK YOU. >>ROSE FERLITA: YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME. ANYWAY, WE SHARE HIS PAIN, AND WE SEND OUR PRAYERS AND OUR SYMPATHY TO MARK. >>BRIAN BLAIR: THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER FERLITA. I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE TO THE FAMILY. WELL, THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. AS YOU KNOW, RECENTLY WE LOST A WONDERFUL PERSON IN DICK FLETCHER, AND I WAS VERY PROUD OF THE WAY I SAW ALL THE LOCAL NEWS CHANNELS JOIN TOGETHER AND HOLD HANDS IN RESPECT FOR SUCH A WONDERFUL MAN, AND WE'LL HEAR SOME WORDS FROM REGINALD ROUNDTREE AND HEATHER VAN NEST IN JUST A COUPLE MINUTES. I'LL ALSO INTRODUCE CAROL, WHO WAS A WONDERFUL FRIEND OF DICK'S, BUT BEFORE THAT, I'D LIKE TO JUST SHARE SOMETHING THAT MAY MAKE YOU SMILE. I REMEMBER AT THE SPARTAN SPORT CENTER WHEN I FIRST MET DICK FLETCHER, IT WAS CALLED THE MARTINEZ CENTER THERE, AND THEY CHANGED IT, AND AT THE TIME, I WAS WRESTLING, AND WRESTLERS LIKE TO PULL RIBS ON EACH OTHER. EVERYBODY LIKES TO PULL JOKES, AND DICK FLETCHER AND EDDIE GRAHAM AND GORDON SOLEY, DUSTY RHODES WAS THERE. THERE WAS SEVERAL PEOPLE COME IN AND OUT, AND SOMEBODY HAD -- SINCE DICK FLETCHER WAS THERE, ABSOLUTELY HE WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF EVERYBODY AROUND THERE WHERE EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT WEATHER, METEOROLOGY, THINGS LIKE THAT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REASON WAS FOR IT, BUT ANYWAY, SOMEBODY PUT A STICKER ON MY BACK. IT SAID, ASK ME ABOUT THE WEATHER. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THERE, AND PEOPLE WERE COMING IN AND SAYING, BRIAN, HOW'S THE WEATHER? IT LOOKS PRETTY SUNNY TO ME. I DON'T KNOW. SOMEBODY CAME IN, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THOSE TORNADOS? NO, WHAT TORNADOS? ALL OF A SUDDEN, I GOT ABOUT PROBABLY 20 QUESTIONS, AND THEY WERE LAUGHING SO HARD, AND WHY DON'T YOU ASK DICK, YOU KNOW, AND -- ANYWAY, IT'S ONE OF THOSE JOKES THAT I'LL REMEMBER FOREVER, AND WITH THAT SAID, I KNOW THERE'S MORE TO COME, BUT WHAT A WONDERFUL MAN, AND I'D LIKE TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION, AND THIS IS FROM ALL SEVEN OF OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND IT SAYS, WHEREAS, WTSP CHIEF METEOROLOGIST DICK FLETCHER, KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS FLETCH, HAS EARNED WIDESPREAD RESPECT WHILE SERVING THE TAMPA BAY AREA WITH DEDICATION FOR 28 YEARS; AND WHEREAS, FLETCH'S PASSION FOR AND KNOWLEDGE OF SCIENCE AND WEATHER WAS UNMATCHED IN THE COMMUNITY. HE WAS A PIONEER OF METEOROLOGY, LEADING THE WAY IN TECHNOLOGY, ADMIRED BY HIS PEERS, AND TRUSTED BY GENERATIONS OF TAMPA BAY RESIDENTS; WHEREAS, FLETCH PROVIDED A CALMING FORCE IN THE FACE OF A STORM, COMMITTED TO THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND TAMPA BAY RESIDENTS, HOLDING OUR HANDS AND GUIDING US THROUGH ROUGH WEATHER; AND WHEREAS, FLETCH FIRMLY BELIEVED IN HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AND AWARENESS AND WORKED DILIGENTLY TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC; AND WHEREAS, FLETCH WORKED TIRELESSLY AROUND THE CLOCK TO ALERT AND UPDATE RESIDENTS DURING THREATENING STORMS, INCLUDING HURRICANE ELENA IN 1985 AND THE CHAOTIC SUMMER OF 2004, WHICH BROUGHT HURRICANE CHARLEY AND THREE OTHER NAMED STORMS. HE ALSO FLEW ON RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT MISSIONS INTO THREE HURRICANES; AND WHEREAS, IN 2003, FLETCH RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE FOR HIS LEADERSHIP EFFORTS IN HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS; AND WHEREAS, FLETCH'S SENSE OF COMMUNITY EXTENDED BEYOND LOCAL AIRWAVES, AS FORMER MEMBER AND CHAIRMAN OF TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL, SPENDING HOURS EDUCATING SCHOOLCHILDREN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WEATHER, COLLECTING SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR LOW-INCOME CHILDREN, AND LEADING EVENTS TO SUPPORT RESEARCH FOR BREAST CANCER AND HEART DISEASE; AND WHEREAS, FLETCH WAS A DEVOTED HUSBAND, FATHER, AND GRANDFATHER, A LOYAL FRIEND TO ALL HE MET, AND A TRUSTWORTHY WEATHER FORECASTER. NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE PROCLAIMED THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, DOES HEREBY EXTEND ITS DEEPEST SYMPATHIES IN THE LOSS OF CHIEF METEOROLOGIST DICK FLETCHER AND EXPRESSES ITS MOST HEARTFELT APPRECIATION FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY. HE WILL BE SORELY MISSED BY THE CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE HAVE TWO LEAD ANCHORS FROM WTSP, CHANNEL 10, HERE TO ACCEPT THIS AWARD, AND REGGIE, I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME WORDS TO SAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HEATHER. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD MORNING TO THIS HONORABLE BOARD, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, COUNTY ATTORNEY, CHAIRMAN, RECORDING SECRETARY. I DON'T MISS ANYBODY HERE, ESPECIALLY THE CLERK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR PRAYERS. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT HOUR FOR US. FLETCH WAS PART OF OUR FAMILY. IT'S NOT A TEAM, HE WAS PART OF A FAMILY FOR 28 YEARS. HE SERVED THIS COMMUNITY, THE TAMPA BAY AREA, WITH PRIDE AND PASSION. IT WASN'T A JOB FOR FLETCH, IT WAS HIS LIFE'S WORK, AND HE DEDICATED THAT AND HE SHOWED THAT INSPIRATION AND THAT PASSION IN EVERY BROADCAST, AND WHEN THE STORM CAME, HE MADE IT HIS BUSINESS TO BE ON THE AIR FOR YOU AS MUCH AS HE COULD. I ADMIRED HIM. HE WAS A FRIEND OF MINE, HE WAS A MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY, OUR TEAM, AND HE WILL SORELY BE MISSED, BUT I THANK YOU FOR THIS HONOR, AND WE'RE -- I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN GET A COUPLE OF COPIES MADE AND PUT IT RIGHT BY MY DESK IF I CAN, OR OUR DESK, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HONORING FLETCH. >> AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I TALKED TO CINDY LAST NIGHT, AND OF COURSE SHE WANTED TO BE HERE, BUT SHE HAS ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE IS SO THANKFUL THAT YOU-ALL TOOK THE TIME TO DO THIS, TO RECOGNIZE HIM. SHE SAID HE WOULD TRULY BE HONORED BECAUSE HE HAD SO MUCH RESPECT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EOC, AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF THE PASSION THAT LARRY HAS AS WELL FOR PROTECTING AND SERVING THE PEOPLE THAT FLETCH HAD. IT MEANS A LOT TO HER, SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >>BRIAN BLAIR: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CAROL, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE A FRIEND OF FLETCH'S, AND YOU DID THE HARD WORK PUTTING THIS STUFF TOGETHER, AND DARREN, YOU'RE ALSO HERE FROM THE CHANNEL. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY WORDS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO EXPRESS, BUT YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO. >> I HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM CHANNEL 10 FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, BUT I STILL SAW FLETCH QUITE OFTEN WHEN I WOULD GO BACK AND VISIT MY FRIENDS OVER THERE. I'M NOW IN THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT HERE. I LOVE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I LOVED DICK FLETCHER. HE WAS A GREAT, WONDERFUL FRIEND OF MINE, AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS HONOR. [APPLAUSE] >> I'LL JUST SAY BRIEFLY THAT THERE WAS A REASON WHY REGGIE AND HEATHER WERE HERE TO SPEAK BECAUSE THEY SPEAK MUCH BETTER THAN I DO, SO I'LL KEEP IT BRIEF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S A GREAT HONOR. APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >>BRIAN BLAIR: DON'T FORGET, THEY ALSO ALL MAKE US LOOK GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, GUYS, VERY MUCH. >>JIM NORMAN: HEY, BRIAN, WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY? [LAUGHTER] >>BRIAN BLAIR: IT'S HEAVILY CUMULONIMBUS -- [LAUGHTER] -- AND A FEW STRATONIMBUS. THAT MEANS IT COULD RAIN. >>KEN HAGAN: MS. BEAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REVIEW THE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA. >>PAT BEAN: YES, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT, COMMISSIONERS. WE HAVE ITEM F-2 SCHEDULED FOR 11:15 TO ALLOW BOB CLIFFORD TO GIVE A CURRENT STATE OF THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY MASTER PLAN. THIS ITEM ALONG WITH THE NEXT TWO REQUIRE BOARD ACTION TO PUT THESE ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE THEY CAME PAST THE DEADLINE FOR ME TO JUST PUT THEM ON THE AGENDA, SO UNDER YOUR RULE 13, YOU WILL HAVE TO APPROVE THESE BEING HEARD. F-3 IS A REVIEW OF POLICIES AS THEY RELATE TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND A REFERENCE TO THE INCIDENT INVOLVING CHIEF WILLIAM NESMITH. THIS IS BROUGHT TO THE AGENDA BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. I FORGOT TO SAY ON F-2, THAT'S BROUGHT TO THE BOARD BY COMMISSIONER HAGAN. F-4 IS A DISCUSSION TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF $500,000 SET ASIDE AS PER BOARD APPROVAL ON 9/22/05 FOR CANAL ISSUES. THAT'S ALSO BROUGHT TO THE BOARD BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. WE HAVE A FEW OFF-THE-AGENDA ITEMS. ITEM B-2, AUTHORIZING A REDUCTION IN FORCE IN THE BUILDING SERVICES FUND. ITEM B-3, A REPORT PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FROM MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET REGARDING THE JANUARY 2008 FINANCIAL SUMMARY. D-2, AT 2:00 WE HAVE A TIME CERTAIN TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RED LIGHT CAMERA ENFORCEMENT ORDINANCE. AND E-3 AT 10:00 A.M., A TIME CERTAIN, SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY KAREN JACKSON-SIMS, FIELD DIRECTOR OF THE TAMPA BAY HUD OFFICE. WE HAVE ONE DEFERRAL OR DELETION FROM THE AGENDA, AND THAT IS ITEM A-60. ACTUALLY, WE HAVE TWO BECAUSE I'M MOVING A-20 FROM BEING AN ITEM REMOVED FROM CONSENT FOR DISCUSSION TO BEING ALSO A DELETION FROM TODAY'S AGENDA. IT WILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD AT SOME FUTURE TIME, SO BOTH A-60 AND A-20 ARE BEING DELETED. WE HAVE A REVISION OR CORRECTION TO THE AGENDA. B-4 IS AN ITEM RELATED TO THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT WITH FLORIDA TAXWATCH. THEN YOU HAVE A LIST OF TIME CERTAINS. AT 10:00 YOU WILL HEAR FROM KAREN JACKSON-SIMS. AT 10:15, ITEM E-1, THE PRESENTATION BY JUDY LISI ON THE TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. AT 10:30, ITEM E-2, A PRESENTATION BY DAVID ARMIJO REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND ENGINEERING PROGRAM FOR THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROGRAM. AT 10:45, ITEM B-1, RECEIVING A COUNTY AUDIT REPORT REGARDING; PARKS, RECREATION, AND CONSERVATION CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE SERVICES. AT 11:00, ITEM F-1, DISCUSSION OF LONG-RANGE VISIONING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THAT'S BROUGHT TO THE BOARD BY COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. AT 11:15, ITEM F-2, THE APPEARANCE BY BOB CLIFFORD TO GIVE A CURRENT STATE OF THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY MASTER PLAN, BROUGHT BY COMMISSIONER HAGAN. AND THEN AT 2:00, YOU HAVE D-1, WHICH IS TO DIRECT STAFF TO NOT ARBITRATE TAMPA BAY WATER'S PRIMARY ENVIRONMENTAL PERMIT APPLICATION FOR THE EASTSHORE COMMERCE PARK. AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, AT 2:00, YOU WILL DO ITEM D-2, TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RED LIGHT CAMERA ORDINANCE. THOSE ARE THE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA. >>KEN HAGAN: CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CHANGES? >>KEVIN WHITE: SO MOVE. >>JIM NORMAN: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. NOW WE'LL GO ON TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF OUR AGENDA. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS ABOUT ANY ISSUE OR CONCERN. YOUR OPINIONS ARE VALUED IN TERMS OF PROVIDING INPUT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS; HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED AT THE SAME TIME WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD THAT COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A COMMISSIONER OR STAFF MEMBER BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. THE BOARD HAS SET ASIDE 45 MINUTES THIS MORNING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND SPEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES. THE FIRST THREE SPEAKERS THIS MORNING, WILLIAM SCHNELL, VIVIAN BACCA, AND MARILYN SMITH. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. WILLIAM SCHNELL, 1613 EL RANCHO DRIVE, SUN CITY CENTER. THE AGENDA ITEM I WANT TO SPEAK TO TODAY WAS A-31. I AGREE WITH THAT ITEM. ALSO, I WANT TO REVISIT AN ITEM THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA ON JANUARY 3rd. CAN YOU GET THAT UP, DAVE? THIS WAS THE HEMINGWAY PROJECT THAT I'VE CAME AND TALKED TO YOU ABOUT MANY TIMES BEFORE ABOUT THE LACK OF SIDEWALKS, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME COMING HERE AND SAYING WHAT'S BAD ABOUT IT, WHAT'S GOING ON. THIS IS SOMETHING I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT'S GOOD, WHAT HAPPENED, AND IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE. THERE WAS A QUESTION OF A TITLE ERROR, AND IT JUST -- IT WAS -- THERE WERE SO MANY GRAY AREAS THAT IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ADMINISTRATION OFFICE AND COMMISSIONER FERLITA AND MOST OF ALL BOB GORDON, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE SIDEWALK INSTALLED, THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH RETURNED TO THE COUNTY, AND A -- RESOLVED THE ISSUE IN A GOOD WAY, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS -- BOB GORDON'S REALLY A SHINING STAR IN THIS PROCESS THAT HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS HIM AND HIS STAFF AND COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR THAT MADE IT ALL HAPPEN. SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE NOW THAT THE CHILDREN CAN -- IN APOLLO BEACH CAN LEAVE THAT -- THAT HEMINGWAY PROJECT AND TRANSVERSE SAFELY TO THE SCHOOLS, AND WE'VE MADE SOME GOOD STRIDES WITH SANDRA SROKA WORKING ALONG WITH US TO REALLY IMPROVE THE ACCESS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND I HOPE TO KEEP ON MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. SCHNELL. >>BRIAN BLAIR: THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: VIVIAN BACCA, MARILYN SMITH, AND BENNIE SMALL. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. VIVIAN BACCA, 413 EL GRECO DRIVE IN BRANDON. I OPENED THE PAPER THIS MORNING AND READ THE HEADLINE IN DAN RUTH'S COLUMN "WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST FORM A COMMITTEE." I HAD BEEN EAGERLY TO READ THE ARTICLE THINKING HE WAS GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THE 2050 VISION PLAN FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. INSTEAD, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT A COMMITTEE SHERIFF DAVID GEE HAD FORMED. I GUESS WRITING ABOUT A MAN BEING DUMPED FROM HIS WHEELCHAIR SELLS MORE PAPERS THAN WRITING ABOUT THE LACK OF SUPPORT FOR OUR PLANNING COMMISSION. ISN'T IT INTERESTING HOW THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF A $75,000 GRANT TO ONE BAY FOR REGIONAL GROWTH VISIONING FOR TAMPA BAY AT THEIR MEETING THIS COMING MONDAY, BUT OUR OWN COUNTY COMMISSION DENIED ON A TECHNICALITY A PREVIOUSLY AUTHORIZED $100,000 OUR PLANNING COMMISSION HAD BEEN BUDGETED FOR CONSULTING SERVICES TO HELP THEM IMPLEMENT A LONGER-RANGE PLAN FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WHICH WOULD HAVE INCORPORATED TRANSPORTATION PLANNING WITH LAND USE? I DON'T WANT A COMMITTEE RUNNING THIS, I WANT THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. BACCA. >> EXCUSE ME. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING. >> BONJOUR. GRANDMOTHER-AT-LARGE MARILYN SMITH, P.O. BOX 66, SYDNEY 33587. WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THE FEATHERS HAVE COME OUT OF THE BOX. FIRST OF ALL, DON'T NEED TO BLAME WALLY FOR EVERYTHING, BUT I NOTICED HER TWO YEARS AGO, I SAID HE'S A PROBLEM, BIG PROBLEM. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HOWIE ANYWAY. HE'S INADEQUATE. HE IS INEPT. SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN CHOSEN FOR A JOB OF THAT MAGNITUDE, OBVIOUSLY, AND WE HAVE PLENTY OF EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT, NO MATTER WHAT WALLY DID OR DIDN'T DO. PRIOR TO THAT WE HAD DEXTER BARGE. SHE GOING TO BLAME THAT ON WALLY TOO? NO. THAT WAS A SERIES OF OTHER PEOPLE, AND REMEMBER LAST MARCH, KEVIN, WHEN YOU ASKED FOR A REFERRAL FROM MR. GRIFFIN REGARDING MRS. HOUSE AND LOSING HER HOME? HE DID NOTHING. NOW, I WOULD CALL HIS OVERSIGHT KIND OF SHODDY, WOULDN'T YOU? IF WE HADN'T JUMPED IN IN DECEMBER, THAT WOMAN WOULD HAVE LOST HER HOME. DON'T FORGET THAT. NOW, YOU PEOPLE ARE SITTING UP HERE, HAGAN AND SHARPE AND HIGGINBOTHAM, SAYING YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING OR YOU'RE GOING TO LET THE COUNTY ATTORNEY INVESTIGATE THIS. SHE'S IN IT. WHAT ARE YOU TELLING ME? RACHAEL GREENSTEIN'S THE PROBLEM IN THAT WHOLE THING OVER THERE. HOW CAN YOU INVESTIGATE YOURSELF? THAT'S LIKE ASKING WALLY TO INVESTIGATE HIMSELF. THAT'S GOING TO WORK REAL GOOD. FOX IN THE HENHOUSE. NOW, JIM NORMAN, YOU'VE BEEN AROUND A GOOD WHILE. NOW, YOU KNOW HOW THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO AFTER AND BEFORE SOMETHING IS BROUGHT UP TO THIS BOARD, AND YOU'RE SITTING BACK THERE NOT SAYING A WHOLE LOT. I KNOW YOU'RE THINKING. I CAN SEE THE WHEELS. BUT I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE FACT THAT YOU WANTED TO BE CHAIR, KEN HAGAN, AND YOU HAVE REBUFFED EVERY CHANCE I HAVE GIVEN YOU TO LOOK AT THIS INFORMATION, ALL THESE DOCUMENTED RECORDS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE CORRECT, AND YOU DIDN'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED. SAID, WELL, LET KEVIN DO IT. NO, NO, NO, NO. YOU'RE GETTING PAID FOR BEING THE CHAIR. I SUGGEST YOU START BEING THE CHAIR. NOW, BRIAN, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HAVE YOU NOT BEEN TURNED OVER TO THE ETHICS COMMISSION ON A CHARGE? JUST YEA OR NAY WILL DO AND MAKE IT PUBLIC FOR THE RECORD. YOU HAVE NOTHING AGAINST YOU AT THE ETHICS COMMISSION? OKAY. I HOPE THE CAMERAS ARE ROLLING. NOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU DO UNDERSTAND, IT'S NICE TO DO PR WORK. SEVERAL YEARS BACK DAN KLEMAN SAID, WHY ARE WE PRODUCING ALL THESE COLOR THINGS? THIS IS NOTHING BUT AN IN-HOUSE ORGAN TO GIVE PROMO TO A TOWN HALL MEETING. LOOK AT THE COLOR. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT COSTS, COLOR PRODUCTION? BLACK AND WHITE GETS THE MESSAGE. DO WE NEED A [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] AND SHINING HEADLIGHTS TO PROVE THAT, OH, MY GOD, WE HAVE A COMMISSION -- THAT'S AGAIN, THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. SMITH. BENNIE SMALL -- [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK] >> SOMEBODY'S GOT MONEY IN THE PRINTING INK BUSINESS. >>KEN HAGAN: -- TERRY FLOTT, KELLY CORNELIUS. THANK YOU, MS. SMITH. >> I HOPE YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION THERE, KENNY. >>KEN HAGAN: MR. SMALL. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING. >> MY NAME IS BENNIE SMALL. MY ADDRESS IS 3811 RIVER GROVE COURT, TAMPA, FLORIDA. I'M THE OWNER OF A SMALL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CONTRACTORS TO DO SOME WORK ON MRS. HOUSE'S PROJECT. THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAD THERE -- AND I THINK IT WAS ALLUDED TO IN THE NEWSPAPERS THAT I DID PAY THE SUBCONTRACTORS, WHICH IS TOTALLY NOT TRUE. BEFORE ME I HAVE -- AND I'LL HOLD IT UP -- AND IF YOU WANT A COPY, I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU -- A CANCELED CHECK THAT WAS GIVEN [INAUDIBLE] STATING THAT OF $1800. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PAID ME $1300 FOR ONE-THIRD OF THE WORK. THE TOTAL PROJECT WAS WORTH $45,000. 13,000 IS NOT 45. 13,000 OF THAT WENT TO PAY ALL THE SUBCONTRACTORS THAT WAS ON THE PROPERTY. THE PROBLEM WAS THERE WAS A BILL FOR 27,000. NOW, I'VE DONE ALL KINDS OF MATH, AND I CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW I'M PAYING CONTRACTORS FOR 13,000 AND I GOT A BILL FOR 27,000. I DIDN'T REFUSE TO PAY THEM. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO PAY THAT, MEANING THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. I'VE WRITTEN THEM A LETTER BACK IN SEPTEMBER THE 26th REQUESTING THAT -- I WAS INQUIRING AS TO WHY THEY TERMINATED THE CONTRACT. ONE -- THE CONTRACT CALLS FOR TWO THINGS. ONE, IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE TERMINATED, YOU MUST BE GIVEN WHAT WE CALL PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS OF THE LAW. I'VE NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER AS OF TODAY. I DID RECEIVE SOMETHING AS A CROSS-CLAIM FROM ANOTHER ATTORNEY STATING THAT I WAS TERMINATED BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I WAS TAKING TOO LONG TO DO THE PROPERTY. HOWEVER, WITHIN THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME, ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LETTER, IT SAYS JUDICIAL DOCTOR OF LAW. NOW, TWO THINGS IS MISSING FROM THIS. ONE, THE STATE LICENSE NUMBER; TWO, ATTORNEY AT LAW OR I'M CERTIFIED. THE NEXT PIECE, I HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT DEGREES IN FOUR DIFFERENT SUBJECT MATTERS. ONE JUST HAPPENS TO BE A DOCTOR OF LAW. FROM MY KNOWLEDGE, I CAN SIGN MY PAPERS ANY WAY THAT I WANT TO FROM ANY ONE OF THE DEGREES. IT'S A MATTER OF CREDENTIAL. [INAUDIBLE] I CAN SIGN IT ANY WAY I WANT TO. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE CONSIDER AND WHAT I USE IS BLACK LAW DICTIONARY, IT WILL DEFINE WHAT WE CONSIDER IS A JD, AND IT JUST SAYS A JUDICIAL DOCTORATE OF LAW. I MENTION THAT POINT BECAUSE OF THIS. WHEN I GOT THIS LETTER, I WENT OUT TO THE COUNTY AND REQUESTED TO SEE THE PERSON THAT ASKED ME WHY I DID THAT. HE HAD CALLED ME AND LEFT A MESSAGE ON MY RECORD STATING THAT HE WAS GOING TO PUT ME IN JAIL. I WAS SHOCKED, MY LITTLE KIDS WAS SHOCKED. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON? I WENT OUT AND CONFRONTED HIM BECAUSE OF THE MESSAGE THAT HE LEFT STATING THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE THE STATE ARREST ME. I WAS SHOCKED. ARREST ME FOR WHAT? WHAT HAVE I DONE? NOTHING. THE NEXT ONE IS THAT THEY SAID I HAD TAKEN TOO MUCH TIME. THAT'S NOT TRUE. THE CONTRACT WAS FLAWED WHEN I FIRST GOT IT. I HAD TAKEN IT TO WHAT WE CONSIDER IS THE APPLICATION FOR A BILLING PERMIT. THEY HAVE THE PLANNING COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT THAT. WHEN THEY DO THAT, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT IT COMES BACK TO ME, I TAKE IT BACK TO THEM TO MAKE THE CORRECTION, IT WENT BACK. NOW, DURING THAT TIME, THERE WAS OVER 60 DAYS THAT WAS GONE. WHEN I FINALLY GOT IT, I HAD TAKEN CARE OF IT. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. SMALL. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: TERRY FLOTT, KELLY CORNELIUS, AND PAM CLOUSTON. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. TERRY FLOTT, CHAIR OF U-CAN. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ROSE FERLITA ON HER NATIONAL AWARD, AND I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT IT HASN'T -- WASN'T KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED BY OUR BOARD MEMBERS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ITEM. WHAT I'M SIGNED UP FOR -- I FELT LIKE I HAD TO SAY THAT -- IS TO TALK ABOUT ITEM F-1 REGARDING THE 2050 VISION PLAN. U-CAN IS NOT SUPPORTING THE ONE WAY ASPECT OF THIS. WE AGREE THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT A LONGER-RANGE PLAN, BUT I THINK WE HAVE A STAFF AND AN ORGANIZATION THAT YOU CONTRACT WITH, WHICH IS CALLED THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THAT ALREADY WORKS WITH THREE OF THE JURISDICTIONS, AND I THINK THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS. THEY'RE AN -- UNBIASED, THEY'RE NOT SPONSORED BY BUSINESS INTERESTS. PRETTY MUCH ONE BAY IS TOTALLY SPONSORED BY THAT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS BE MORE OF AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW. WE NEED IT. I WOULD ASK THAT YOU RECONSIDER THE FUNDING FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CONSIDER ALSO THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION SHOULD BE TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS. AND ONE OTHER THING. I WAS A LITTLE BIT SHOCKED TO SEE THIS ITEM -- THE POSITIONING ON THE AGENDA AT 11:00, WHICH I THINK YOU GUYS NORMALLY BREAK AT 11:30 FOR LUNCH, WHICH KIND OF SENT AN -- SENT A MESSAGE TO ME THAT IT WASN'T THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU. I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW THINGS GET PLACED ON THE AGENDA. THEN, OF COURSE, WHEN I GOT HERE, THEN I SAW THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ITEM THAT WAS TAKING AWAY FROM THAT 30-MINUTE SLOT, THE TBARTA. I WOULD ASK THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ANY KIND OF A DISCUSSION ON THIS, A MEANINGFUL DISCUSSION, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU SO WISH TO DO -- OF COURSE, IF YOU DON'T WISH TO DO THAT, THEN I WOULD SUGGEST YOU PROCEED THE WAY YOU'VE BEEN GOING, BUT SET SOME REAL TIME ASIDE FOR A CONVERSATION, A REAL MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION AND NOT TRY TO SQUEEZE IT IN BETWEEN OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND EVENTS OF THE DAY. SO WHEN YOU GET TO THIS POINT ON AGENDA DAY, I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE ALL THIS INTO CONSIDERATION AND UNDERSTAND THAT U-CAN IS NOT OPPOSED TO A LONG-RANGE VISIONING PLAN, WE ARE OPPOSED TO HAVING A PRIVATE AGENCY, WHO WE HAVE TO PAY TO GO TO LUNCHEONS IF WE WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN ANYTHING, BE THE ONE THAT TAKES THE LEAD ON IT. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE -- THEY'RE JUST NOT LOOKING AT IT, I DON'T THINK, FROM AN UNBIASED POSITION, AND WE HAVE STAFF TO DO THAT, SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. FLOTT. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS KELLY CORNELIUS, 18732 DORMAN ROAD, LITHIA, FLORIDA. I'M SPEAKING AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF R-LAND THIS MORNING. R-LAND WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE COMMISSIONER FERLITA FOR HER NATIONAL AWARD ON LEADERSHIP. I'VE BEEN IN THIS ROOM WHEN YOU GUYS CONGRATULATE EACH OTHER FOR MAKING MOTIONS TO KILL OUR WETLANDS AND LABEL THEM AS BOLD, AND YET NOBODY HAS CONGRATULATED WHO WE ALL KNOW AS CITIZENS WHO IS THE REAL LEADER IN OUR COMMUNITY. CONGRATULATIONS, COMMISSIONER FERLITA. I'M HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU R-LAND'S VISION OF THE -- R- LAND'S POSITION OF THE 2050 VISIONING PLAN. WE AT R-LAND FEEL THAT COMMISSIONER SHARPE'S SUGGESTION TO GIVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S VISIONING PROJECT TO PUBLIC- PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, SUCH AS ONE BAY, THE PARTNERSHIP, AND OTHERS SHOWS A DISAPPOINTING LACK OF LEADERSHIP. WHILE WE INITIALLY SUPPORTED THE VISIONING PROJECT WHEN IT WAS PROPOSED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE CANNOT SUPPORT COMMISSION SHARPE'S RECENT CHANGE OF POSITION TO UNDERMINE THEIR ROLE IN THIS PROJECT. UNDER THE GUISE OF COMPROMISE, MR. SHARPE SUGGESTED TO DIMINISH THE ROLE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND SHIFT THE PROJECT TO PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPING HILLSBOROUGH'S FUTURE LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION GOALS. WE URGE YOU NOT TO GIVE AWAY THIS COUNTY'S FUTURE TO SPECIAL-INTEREST PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. DOING SO TELLS US THAT AS OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU CAN'T PERFORM IN THE ROLE OF LEADER. YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO HAND OVER THE REINS AND ASK PUBLIC- PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO LEAD OUR COUNTY. GIVING SPECIAL INTERESTS THE AUTHORITY TO PLAN OUR TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE IS APPALLING. HIDING IT UNDER THE GUISE OF COMPROMISE IS POLITICS. WE THE PEOPLE DID NOT ELECT A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO SHAPE THIS COUNTY'S FUTURE. WE FEEL THAT YOU AS OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS UTILIZE THE PROFESSIONALS WITHIN THE PLANNING COMMISSION ALREADY IN PLACE TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTY RATHER THAN TURNING IT OVER TO SPECIAL INTERESTS. THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE PURPOSE OF GUIDING THIS COUNTY AND THIS COMMISSION REGARDING GROWTH, YET IT SEEMS THEY ARE BEING REDUCED TO A SPEED BUMP IN THE PATH OF OVERDEVELOPMENT WITH THIS CURRENT BOARD. THOSE DEVELOPERS THAT CHOOSE NOT TO COMPLY WITH OUR CURRENT COMP PLAN WILL BE CERTAINLY EAGER FOR THIS PROJECT IN AN EFFORT TO CIRCUMVENT OUR COMP PLAN. ANY VISIONING SHOULD BE DONE BY OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, WHO WE FEEL CONFIDENT WILL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION COMMENTS FROM ALL INTERESTED PARTIES AND MAKE THE BEST RECOMMENDATION TO YOU, OUR COUNTY COMMISSION. WE WILL NOT ENTRUST OUR FUTURE TO PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, AND WE ASK THAT YOU DO NOT HAND OVER YOUR LEADERSHIP TO THEM EITHER. THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS EARNED PUBLIC TRUST AND RESPECT BY ITS HISTORY OF FAIR, BALANCED, AND INTELLIGENT RECOMMENDATIONS. IT IS HIGH TIME THE COUNTY COMMISSION DO THE SAME. WHY DID WE NOT SUGGEST THE BOARD'S OWN PGM STAFF FOR THIS JOB? THE LOSS OF PUBLIC TRUST CREATED BY THE RECENT DECEPTION OVER THE BYPASS ROBS THEM OF ANY CREDIBILITY. AFTER DOING SOME DIGGING, I FOUND THAT THE PARTNERSHIP HAS ALSO CREATED TBARTA AND ONE BAY AND REALITY CHECK, SO IN A HEADING OF BRINGING ALL THESE GROUPS TOGETHER, ONCE YOU START PEELING THAT ONION, YOU REALIZE THAT THEY'RE ALL THE SAME GROUP, SO NOW WE HAVE TBARTA WITH TRANSPORTATION, WE HAVE ONE BAY WITH LAND USE. SHOULD WE JUST BE CALLING THE PARTNERSHIP OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS? I HOPE NOT. >>KEN HAGAN: THANKS, MS. CORNELIUS. PAM CLOUSTON, SUSAN LONG, LEWIS LARICCHIA. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. PAM CLOUSTON, 1621 THOMPSON ROAD, LITHIA 33547. IT IS STILL IN THE RURAL SERVICE AREA. THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS, MS. FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, PAM. >> WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU. IT'S A VERY PRESTIGIOUS AWARD, AND I HOPE YOU DID GET TO GO TO WASHINGTON TO ACCEPT IT. >>ROSE FERLITA: NO, I DIDN'T, BUT THANK YOU. >> THE PARTNERSHIP. IT'S A LITTLE BIT SCARY. THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A REALLY LONG, LONG TIME, AND I'M SURE THAT YOU HAVE SEEN MARCELLA'S LONG DROWN-OUT THING ABOUT WHERE THEY COME FROM. WHO'S GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THIS? I KNOW IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD ON PAPER THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME LONG-RANGE VISION AND LONG-RANGE PLANNING. I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO -- THIS IS PREMATURE. IT'S PREMATURE JUST LIKE YOUR COMP PLAN AMENDMENT TO DO THE -- DO SOME OF THESE COMP PLAN AMENDMENTS WITHOUT COMMUNITY PLANS, THE McINTOSH ROAD ONE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND 92. COMMUNITY PLANS ARE NOT IN PLACE. WE DO HAVE A NEW RURAL ASSOCIATION THAT'S WORKING TO PROTECT MORE OF THE RURAL AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. LITHIA DOES NOT HAVE A COMMUNITY PLAN YET. BRANDON IS WORKING ON THEIRS. THERE'S OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE -- VALRICO'S WORKING ON THEIRS. UNTIL THOSE COMMUNITY PLANS ARE IN PLACE AND WE'RE ABLE TO SPEED UP THAT PROCESS, TO HAVE SOME OUTSIDE PRIVATE INTEREST GROUP COME IN AND TELL US WHAT OUR PLAN FOR OUR COUNTY IS GOING TO BE SHOWS A DEFINITE LACK OF LEADERSHIP. I WANT TO KNOW HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR CITIZENS TO BE INVOLVED IN OTHER WAYS THAN RUBBERSTAMPING OR HANDPICKED? I MEAN, CAN ANYBODY JUST WALK UP AND SAY, HEY, I WANT TO TAKE PART? I THINK MAYBE THERE'S LIKE A BUY-IN. IF YOU WANT TO BE INVOLVED, YOU GOT TO PAY SOME MONEY TO GET INTO THE GROUP. YOU KNOW, IT COSTS US A LOT OF MONEY TO COME DOWN HERE WITH THE COST OF FUEL, THE DISTANCE WE DRIVE, THE PARKING THAT WE PAY BECAUSE SOMETIMES MEETINGS RUN LONG AND WE MISS THE METER AND WE GET A TICKET. YOU KNOW, IT COSTS US A LOT OF MONEY TO BE HERE AND FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT IN THIS COUNTY, AND YOU NEED TO TAKE A REALLY CLOSE LOOK. WHEN YOU START HANDING PUBLIC PROVINCE OVER TO PRIVATE PEOPLE, THEY'RE THERE FOR A GAIN. OKAY? THEY'RE OUT THERE FOR SOME -- SOMETHING TO GAIN. THEY'RE NOT THERE JUST OUT OF THE KINDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS. THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING THEY WANT. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU. SUSAN LONG. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. CONGRATULATIONS, MS. FERLITA ON YOUR AWARD. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU. MY NAME IS SUSAN LONG. I LIVE AT 921 EAST BROAD STREET IN OLD SEMINOLE HEIGHTS. I WANT TO PREFACE THIS BY SAYING AS PRESIDENT OF THE OLD SEMINOLE HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, I GET ALL THE COMPLAINT CALLS. GEE, COULD YOU HELP ME? WHAT'S GOING ON? HOW COME YOU HAVEN'T FIXED? FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALL THE YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED IN OLD SEMINOLE HEIGHTS THE USED CAR LOTS ARE CALLING ASKING FOR HELP. WE HAVE A -- KIND OF A MUTUAL AGREEMENT TO NOT GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER. WE DON'T REALLY FIGHT, JUST THEY'RE DOING THEIR THING AND WE'RE DOING OURS, AND WE DON'T REALLY SEEM TO GET ALONG, SO WHEN THEY'RE CALLING THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ASKING FOR HELP, WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO, MENTAL HEALTH CARE, INC., RECEIVED A GRANT FROM HUD AND FUNDING FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO PROVIDE A DROP-IN CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS. THE CENTER IS LOCATED AT 6220 NORTH NEBRASKA AND PROVIDES, QUOTE, A PLACE WHERE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WITH BEHAVIOR DISORDERS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS CAN DROP IN, HAVE TWO MEALS A DAY, BREAKFAST AND LUNCH, TAKE SHOWERS, DO LAUNDRY, VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATE IN GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL THERAPY, AND RECEIVE VOLUNTARY VOCATIONAL AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE. THIS PROGRAM DRAWS HOMELESS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY AND IN SOME INSTANCES OUTSIDE THE COUNTY. ALTHOUGH THIS PROGRAM OPENED OVER A YEAR AGO, IT HAS TAKEN UP UNTIL ABOUT THE LAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS FOR THE WORD TO SPREAD AMONGST THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY, SO THEY'VE ALL COME IN IN TRUCKLOADS. AS IT IS A DROP-IN CENTER, THE HOMELESS GO THERE, HANG AROUND THE PARKING LOT, FIGHT, AND THEN DISAPPEAR INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO FIND A PLACE TO CONGREGATE OR SLEEP. THE RESULT OF THIS IS THAT THEFT IN THE PUBLIX, WHICH IS LESS THAN A BLOCK AWAY, HAS SKYROCKETED. THE POLICE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO THE LOCATION TO BREAK UP FIGHTS, INCLUDING ONE WHERE ONE OF THE DROP-INS WAS WIELDING A MACHETE AND SWINGING IT AT EVERYBODY COMING NEARBY. THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS SLEEPING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND DEFECATING ON THE SIDEWALKS HAS RISEN IMMEASURABLY. ONE ACQUAINTANCE WHO IS A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR STATED, I'VE SEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SCHIZOPHRENICS WANDERING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LATELY. ALTHOUGH WE ALL AGREE THAT THE NEED TO HELP THE HOMELESS IS ACUTE, WE FEEL THAT THIS CENTER DOES NOT HELP THE HOMELESS GET A BETTER LIFE, IT ONLY ENABLES THEIR ONGOING PLIGHT. THE COUNSELING IS BRIEF AND DEFINITELY NOT REQUIRED. THE FOOD, SHOWER, AND LAUNDRY ONLY FACILITATE THE HOMELESS PERSON'S SITUATION. MANY OF THESE HOMELESS HAVE ADDICTION OR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, YET NO MEDICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL AND NO LONG-TERM TREATMENT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE ADDICT, NO CONSTRAINTS ARE PUT ON THE PEOPLE WHO DROP IN, NO CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THE IMPACT THIS INFLUX OF HOMELESS, MENTALLY ILL, AND ADDICTED PEOPLE HAVE ON THE LOCAL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. OLD SEMINOLE HEIGHTS HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO CLEAN UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD. FOR SOME REASON, WE SEEM TO BE THE CENTER OF SOCIAL SERVICES AVAILABLE WITHIN THE CITY AND POSSIBLY EVEN THE COUNTY. WE HAVE RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITIES, HALFWAY HOUSES, COUNSELING CENTERS, AND WE HAVE LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE, SEXUAL PREDATOR AND SEXUAL MOLESTER HOUSING. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. LONG. >> WE WOULD URGE YOU TO UNFUND THIS PROJECT WHICH THE COUNTY FUNDS TO THE TUNE OF SLIGHTLY OVER $100,000. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU. LEWIS LARICCHIA, CINDY, I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME, AND ANTHONY SPINE. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. MY NAME IS LEWIS LARICCHIA. I AM A CANDIDATE FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 56. I RESIDE AT 1605 POWDER RIDGE DRIVE, VALRICO, FLORIDA. ON JANUARY 25th, 2008, I SENT AN E-MAIL TO COMMISSIONER BLAIR. AS OF THIS DATE HE HAS NOT RESPONDED TO MY E-MAIL. I SPOKE TO CHRIS CASTELLANO, AND HE ADVISED ME THAT HE WOULD PUT THIS IN MR. BLAIR'S HOT BOX. I SPOKE TO MR. CASTELLANO ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS ON THAT MATTER, BUT AS OF THIS DATE, MR. BLAIR NOR ANY OTHER BOCC MEMBER HAVE RESPONDED. I WILL NOW READ INTO THE RECORD BY E-MAIL TO COMMISSIONER BLAIR AND OTHER BOC MEMBERS AND RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A RESPONSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. E-MAIL TO COMMISSIONER BLAIR AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS. LAST NIGHT AT THE TOWN HALL MEETING, YOU STATED THAT YOUR STAFF WELCOMES ALL E-MAILS AND PHONE CALLS ON AND ALL CONCERNS THAT CITIZENS MIGHT HAVE. THEREFORE, I AM CONTACTING YOU PERSONALLY ON THIS ISSUE, AND I HOPE THAT YOU ADVISE ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOCC OF THIS IMPORTANT MATTER. AS I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF, THE BOCC HAS THE AUTHORITY TO APPOINT CITIZENS TO VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEES. THE PROCESS STARTS WITH A QUESTION AIR FORM THAT ALL CANDIDATES MUST FILL OUT AND SIGN. LINE 17 ON THE COMMISSION -- ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE FORM STATES THE FOLLOWING: IF THE BOCC APPOINTS A CANDIDATE TO A POSITION, DO YOU KNOW ANY REASON WHATSOEVER WHY YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS OR OTHERWISE FULFILL THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE TO WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN APPOINTED? ALL CANDIDATES CHECK NO. SINCE THE BOC APPOINTS ALL MEMBERS TO THE HUMAN RELATIONS BOARD ON THE PREMISE THAT ALL MEMBERS AGREE THAT THEY WILL ATTEND ALL SCHEDULED MEETINGS, THAT SEVEN MEMBERS ON THE HUMAN RELATIONS BOARD HAVE MISSED THREE OR MORE MEETINGS IN A CALENDAR YEAR. I AM HEREBY ADVISING THE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AS OF TODAY THE NAME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RELATION BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE MISSED THREE OR MORE MEETINGS IN A CALENDAR YEAR -- ANDREA COLLINA DID THE RIGHT THING AND RESIGNED -- ORLANDO GUDES, CURTIS FLOWERS, RAYMOND REED, ROCHELLE ORR, SAMANTHA WARD, AND EDIE DOPKINGS. THE BOCC APPOINTS MEMBERS TO THE HUMAN RELATIONS BOARD OR ANY OTHER BOARD ON THE PREMISE THAT THEY WILL ATTEND ALL REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS. SOME CANDIDATES DID NOT LIVE UP TO THEIR APPOINTMENT. THEREFORE, I'M REQUESTING THAT THE BOCC LOOK INTO THIS MATTER, AND IF YOU AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOCC FIND THAT MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RELATION BOARD HAVE MISSED THREE OR MORE CALENDAR MEETINGS THAT YOU REMOVE THEM, AND ALSO THAT I WILL BE WILLING TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR. COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: YES. JUST IN DEFENSE OF THE STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE, MY AIDE, CHRIS CASTELLANO, IS HERE, AND HE HAS DEALT WITH MR. LARICCHIA ON A FEW DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, AS I BELIEVE A FEW OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO, PUT OUT CAMPAIGN SIGNS FOR YOU OR WHATEVER, BUT -- >> THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE. >>BRIAN BLAIR: AND ALSO, WE DO CHECK OUR BOARD APPOINTEES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO SHOW UP AND THEY'RE HAPPY WITH THEIR JOB. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BLAIR. THANK YOU, SIR. CINDY, ANTHONY SPINE, AND VERONICA MOORE. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS CINDY LEMOUREWX, 3227 DEERFIELD 33619. THIS IS NEW TO ME, SO EXCUSE ME IF I'M NERVOUS. I'M FROM TPAP, PUBLIC AGAINST PREDATORS. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN. I'M A SURVIVOR, ONE OF MY CHILDREN IS A SURVIVOR, AND WE HAVE A PREDATOR THAT LIVES ACROSS THE STREET. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS HARMED ME. THEY'RE STARTING OUT WANTING TO CLUSTER THESE PREDATORS AND PUTTING THEM ALL INTO ONE PART CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVE, AND I'M TOTALLY AGAINST THIS. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS RIGHT. I MEAN, YOU DON'T PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER AND THINK THAT'S GOING TO REHABILITATE THEM. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HELP. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE IN CONSIDERATION AND RE -- AND LOOKED AT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PREDATORS IN JUST OUR FIVE-MILE RADIUS. WE HAVE ABOUT LIKE 4- OR 500 PREDATORS, THAT'S CRAZY, AND YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THIS ONE ON 41 WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO HOUSE LIKE FOUR PER TRAILER OVER OFF 50th AND 24th, AND IT'S JUST CRAZY. I MEAN, YOU HAVE KIDS THAT LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. I HAVE KIDS, I HAVE GRANDKIDS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. I THINK THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE, ADDRESSED, AND WHATEVER HAS TO BE DONE, I'M WILLING TO STAND BEHIND IT. I HAVE MICHELLE WILLIAMS THAT I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND WITH THIS BECAUSE I STAND FOR WHAT SHE STANDS FOR, AND I THINK THAT THEM TRYING TO CLUSTER THEM ALL TOGETHER, THERE'S GOT TO BE ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT OTHER THAN PUTTING THEM INTO CHILDREN'S WAY. THERE'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THERE, THERE'S MIDDLE SCHOOLS THERE, THERE'S CHILDREN THAT LIVE IN THE PARK THAT THESE -- THESE PREDATORS LIVE IN. I THINK THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. I MEAN, I -- I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. I'M ALL FOR TRYING TO DO WHAT WE FEEL WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE IT BETTER. IF WE NEED -- I DON'T KNOW ABOUT REHABILITATING THEM BECAUSE I THINK AS A SURVIVOR YOU NEVER TOTALLY GET OVER IT. I THINK IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT, MAYBE YOU SHOULD TAKE THEM TO ANOTHER PLACE TO HAVE THEM MAYBE NOT SO CLOSE IN THE CITY LIMITS. IF YOU'RE GOING TO HOUSE THEM INTO SO MANY PLACES AT ONCE, TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE'S NOT CHILDREN INVOLVED, WHERE THERE'S NOT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHERE THERE'S NOT A MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY CHILDREN AT RISK BECAUSE OF THESE PREDATORS THAT ARE GETTING A SECOND CHANCE AND GETTING OUT. YES, THEY'VE SERVED THEIR TERM, BUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO US IS A LIFETIME THING, AND I'M JUST ASKING THAT THIS BE TAKEN INTO SERIOUS CONSIDERATION, THAT WE DO NOT CLUSTER THEM ALL INTO ONE, THAT WE FIND -- ESPECIALLY THIS ONE THAT IS CLOSE TO MY HOUSE IS PASSIONATE OVER THERE OFF OF 50th AND 24th. THIS ISN'T RIGHT. THIS ISN'T GOING TO HELP US. FOR MY KIDS, I JUST WANT THIS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, CINDY. CAN WE REFER THIS OVER TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S BEING DONE TO PROTECT THESE FAMILIES, AND I KNOW A COUPLE OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS AS WELL. COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK. I KNOW THERE'S CERTAIN LAWS AND GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE TO GO BY, BUT IF THERE IS A WAY TO HELP THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, I'D APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THESE ARE THE WORST OF THE WORST. I MEAN -- >>RENEE LEE: WE WILL. >>KEN HAGAN: ANTHONY SPINE, VERONICA MOORE, MICHELLE WILLIAMS. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. ANTHONY SPINO, 5410 36th AVENUE SOUTH IN TAMPA. I'M ALSO HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS SEXUAL PREDATOR HAVEN. I THINK THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA. I'M NOT HERE FOR MY TWO DAUGHTERS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU-ALL NOTICED ME WITH MY TWO KIDS HERE THIS MORNING. THEY'RE TWO YEARS OLD AND FOUR YEARS OLD. FORTUNATELY FOR ME AND MY FAMILY, MY WIFE IS ABLE TO STAY HOME WITH THE CHILDREN AND KEEP AN EYE ON THEM. I WENT TO A MEETING THURSDAY NIGHT WHERE I SAW AT LEAST EIGHT SINGLE WOMEN WHO LIVE IN THAT TRAILER PARK. THEY'RE NOT HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO WORK TO SUPPORT THEIR KIDS. THEY HAVE A 70-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO WATCHES THEIR KIDS FOR THEM DURING THE DAY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS TRAILER PARK. WHAT CAN SHE DO TO DEFEND THEM? THIS IS A VERY BAD IDEA. YOU GET ALL THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER, WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? THEY ONLY HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON. THEY'RE COMPARING NOTES. THEY'RE PREDATORS PREYING ON OUR CHILDREN. COMMISSIONERS, I ASK YOU TO PUT AN END TO THIS RIGHT NOW. I JUST GOT DONE BUILDING A NEW HOUSE FOR MYSELF, VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY $400,000 ONE MILE AWAY. THIS IS NOT A LOW-INCOME AREA. THIS IS A THRIVING AREA. WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD UP OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT HELPING US. COMMISSIONERS, WHAT THIS MEANS IS LOWER PROPERTY VALUES. A LOWER PROPERTY VALUE FOR ME IS LOWER TAXES FOR THIS COMMUNITY. THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE TO PUT AN END TO THIS. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS. I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT THURSDAY, AND I'M UPSET ABOUT IT. I FOUND OUT THROUGH MY UPS GUY. HE COME TO MY HOUSE. YOU GOING TO THE MEETING TONIGHT? I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE MEETING. THESE PEOPLE ARE PLANNING ON PUTTING 70 SEXUAL PREDATORS ACROSS THE STREET FROM A TRAILER PARK WHERE CHILDREN LIVE AND PLAY EVERY DAY. I DRIVE BY. SINCE I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, I DRIVE BY EVERY SINGLE DAY. I HAVE YET TO SEE WHERE THERE'S NO ONE OUTSIDE WATCHING THAT TRAILER PARK. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS. I HEAR THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE SUPERVISED. I WANT TO KNOW WHO IS SUPERVISING THESE PEOPLE. IS IT THE LANDLORD? IS IT THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THAT PROPERTY? WHO ARE THEY TO SUPERVISE 70 SEXUAL PREDATORS? COMMISSIONER BLAIR, YOU JUST SAID THAT THESE ARE THE WORST OF THE WORST. >>BRIAN BLAIR: THEY ARE. >> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE DONE ANY INVESTIGATING. THESE ARE THE WORST OF THE WORST. WE DO NOT NEED THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THERE'S TOO MANY SEXUAL PREDATORS ALREADY. WE DO NOT NEED TO TRUCK SEXUAL PREDATORS IN FROM DIFFERENT COUNTIES. YOU-ALL KNOW HOW MANY SEXUAL PREDATORS ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE DO NOT NEED ANYMORE. IT HAS TO STOP. WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT THIS, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR. >> THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: I JUST WANTS TODAY SAY I STARTED THE PREDATORS IN THE PARK PROGRAM, AND WHEN I JUST HEARD -- THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD THAT 70 PEOPLE WERE GOING TO MOVE INTO THIS AREA. THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING. >> I HEARD A NUMBER. THAT WAS THE NUMBER I HEARD. I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR A FACT. >>BRIAN BLAIR: ABSOLUTELY. I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER HAGAN HAS ALSO -- WE'VE ALL -- JIM NORMAN, EVERYBODY HERE HAS STEPPED ON THIS ISSUE. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU. WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: YES. THANK YOU FOR COMING. >> THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: VERONICA MOORE, MICHELLE WILLIAMS, MARCELLA OSTEEN. >> I'M VERONICA MOORE, AND I RESIDE AT 2050 BALFOUR CIRCLE, TAMPA 33619 AREA. KEVIN, HOW YOU DOING THIS MORNING? GOOD MORNING, YOU-ALL. WE HAVE A PROBLEM. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF PALM RIVER CIVIC ASSOCIATION. WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM RIGHT NOW WITH SOME SEXUAL PREDATORS THAT WERE ILLEGITIMATELY PLACED IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA. THAT'S A TRAILER PARK. ALL OF THIS IS INDUSTRY. HOW IT GOT THERE, WE DON'T KNOW. AT ANY RATE, WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS THAT YOU PLEASE CONSIDER THE FAMILIES THERE. WE HAVE CHILDREN. I HAVE A LITTLE DAUGHTER HERE I'M TRYING TO RAISE, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF HARD WHEN CHILDREN CAN'T GO OUTSIDE. THEY'RE AFRAID TO GO OUT AT NIGHT, THEY'RE AFRAID TO -- YOU KNOW, CHILDREN HAVE FRIENDS THEY LIKE TO SNEAK AND TALK TO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES THEY WANT TO GO OUT, YOU KNOW, AND JUST HAVE A LITTLE FUN. THEY CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE. YOU HAVE A TRAILER PARK THERE THAT WAS ILLEGITIMATELY PLACED THERE. YOU HAVE SEXUAL PREDATORS MOVED FROM OTHER COUNTIES. THESE ARE NOT OUR PREDATORS, THESE ARE OTHER COUNTIES' PREDATORS THAT WERE PLACED THERE. IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, AND I'M SURE THAT YOU-ALL DO NOT WANT THIS IN YOUR COMMUNITY. IF YOU DO, LET ME KNOW, AND I PROMISE YOU WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE -- JUDY WAS HERE -- CAME IN TO HELP, MICHELLE CAME IN TO HELP. WE CAN FIND SOME PROPERTY NEAR YOUR HOUSING THAT WE CAN PUT THESE PREDATORS. I WILL BE VERY, VERY DILIGENT IN ASSISTING YOU AND SO WILL DIXIE LEE. SHE WANTS TO GROW UP. SHE DOES NOT WANT TO BE MOLESTED. OKAY? AND I'M SURE YOU DON'T WANT THE SAME FOR YOUR KIDS TOO. BUT PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. IT'S A VERY SERIOUS, SERIOUS ISSUE. AND I REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, AND I'LL THANK YOU EVEN MORE WHEN YOU COME OUT -- WE HAVE A MARCH THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ORCHESTRATE. WE NEED YOU THERE TO SHOW OTHERS AND SOME OF THESE PEOPLE THAT GOT THESE PEOPLE IN -- WE NEED YOU TO SHOW THAT YOU'RE BACKING US. WE BACKED YOU, NOW WE NEED YOU TO BACK US. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. MOORE. [APPLAUSE] >>JIM NORMAN: COMMISSIONER HAGAN. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: AND I APPRECIATE EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID. HOWEVER, WITH THE STATE OF THE ISSUE OF ZONING DISTANCE PROVISIONS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT, WHICH I KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU REFERRED OVER, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SEE IF -- IMMEDIATELY IF OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY COULD FILE AN INJUNCTION WITH THE PROPERTY -- EXISTING PROPERTY OWNER, DO EVERYTHING YOU POSSIBLY CAN TODAY. >>BRIAN BLAIR: COULD YOU NOTIFY THE SHERIFF? >>JIM NORMAN: NO, I'M SAYING HAVE OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY LOOK AT EVERY PROVISION, EVEN TO FILE SOMETHING IN THE COURT UNTIL IT'S COMPLETELY RESOLVED THAT THEY DON'T MOVE HERE, AND SO I JUST THINK WE NEED TO PUT ALL EFFORTS BEHIND THIS. >>BRIAN BLAIR: AMEN. >>JIM NORMAN: THE LAST THING WE NEED TO DO IS BRING OTHER PREDATORS INTO THIS COMMUNITY AND LET IT FACILITATE ITSELF, SO -- I KNOW THAT'S PART OF YOUR -- >>KEN HAGAN: EXCELLENT SUGGESTION. >>JIM NORMAN: BUT WE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY JUMP ON THIS AND TRY TO PROTECT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, AND INDEED, IF WE HAVE TO FILE SOMETHING, HAVE OUR ATTORNEY FILE SOMETHING IN COURT THIS MORNING. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. >>KEN HAGAN: YEAH. GREAT SUGGESTION. COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU. I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD TO THAT. CODE ENFORCEMENT -- THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS TRAILER PARK WAS ILLEGALLY PLACED THERE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THIS AREA IS ZONED FOR A TRAILER PARK, SO WE NEED TO FIND THAT OUT AS WELL, AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT MAY BE PART OF THE INJUNCTION THAT WILL HELP US MOVE A LITTLE MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY ON THAT. AND MICHELLE, I WANT TO THANK YOU. MY OFFICE WAS MADE AWARE OF THE MEETING LAST WEEK THAT TOOK PLACE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I WAS OUT OF TOWN AND WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THAT MEETING, BUT HAD I BEEN IN TOWN, I WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN THERE TO SEE THE SITUATION FIRSTHAND AND SPEAK TO THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. AND HOPEFULLY OUR RESIDENTS, CONSTITUENTS, REGARDLESS OF THE DISTRICT THAT THEY'RE IN, UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR FRUSTRATION IS OUR FRUSTRATION ABOUT THIS. IT'S NOT A NEW ISSUE, BUT IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGING ISSUE, AND ABSOLUTELY WE DON'T WANT THAT TYPE OF RESIDENT IN ANYBODY'S AREA. WE JUST HAVE TO RESURRECT LOOKING AT THE ORDINANCE AND DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO TRY TO REMEDY IT ON THE SHORT SIDE, AND THEN ON THE LONGER SIDE, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS LONG TIMES OF WORK AND DISCOVERY BETWEEN OUR CHAIRMAN, MR. HAGAN, AND FORMER COUNCILMAN SHAWN HARRISON BECAUSE WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH CITY AND COUNTY, ET CETERA. SO IT IS A VERY COMPLICATED ISSUE, BUT NONETHELESS, THE BOTTOM LINE FOR ME IS TO SIMPLY RELAY TO YOU THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND YOUR HARDSHIP, AND WE ARE GOING TO SUPPORT YOU IN ANY WAY WE POSSIBLY CAN. >> THANK YOU. >>ROSE FERLITA: YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME. >> GOOD MORNING, PANEL. MY NAME IS MICHELLE WILLIAMS. I RESIDE AT 12608 LONGCREST DRIVE, RIVERVIEW, FLORIDA 33569. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN CLAIR MEL. IT IS STILL MY HOME. I HAVE STAKES IN THAT COMMUNITY, VERY HIGH STAKES, AND THERE ARE CHILDREN. THIS MORNING I HEARD IN THE PRAYER, LET'S KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE FOR OUR CHILDREN. I'M HERE BEFORE THIS PANEL -- I'M BEGGING YOU RIGHT NOW. I HEARD SOME MISNUMBERS. I'LL TELL YOU, THERE ARE 301. I PULLED THE REPORT ON FEBRUARY THE 20th. THERE WERE 283. I PULLED IT ON THE 29th. THERE WERE 299. I PULLED IT ON YESTERDAY. THERE ARE 301 SEXUAL PREDATORS IN THE ZIP CODE OF 33619. I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THEM. THE YELLOW MARKS ORIENT ROAD JAIL. 3011 NORTH ORIENT ROAD, THAT MARKS A CHURCH THAT IS HOUSING THESE MEN. NOT -- LET ALONE THE TRAILER PARK THAT'S ON U.S. 41 AND 24th AVENUE SOUTH WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING ANOTHER CLUSTER THERE. GENTLEMEN, LADIES, WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I WILL NOT STAND BY AND ALLOW THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY, NOT NOW, NOT NEVER. THERE ARE MANY CHILDREN THAT RESIDE IN THAT AREA. 301. WE HAVE 38 DANGEROUS PREDATORS IN OUR AREA. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS. I WISH THAT THERE WERE MORE SUPPORTERS BEHIND ME FOR THIS CAUSE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE SINGLE MOTHERS. THERE ARE SINGLE MOTHERS. WHAT'S DRIVING ME? WHAT'S DRIVING ME THIS MORNING? IN 194 I WAS FAILED AS A CHILD BECAUSE MY PREDATOR IS HERE AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO HIM IN 1984, AND THIS MAN HAS OFFENDED 17 MORE TIMES AFTER THAT. WHEN IS IT GOING TO STOP? WHEN IS IT GOING TO STOP? 301 SEXUAL PREDATORS IN OUR AREA? THIS CAN'T HAPPEN, NOT WHILE I'M ON DUTY BECAUSE I'M HERE. I'M SPEAKING FOR THE GREATER PALM RIVER AREA WHERE I GREW UP AS A CHILD, WHERE MY GRANDPARENTS LIVE, WHERE MY AUNT AND UNCLES LIVE, WHERE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS LIVE. I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE IT. KEVIN, I KNOW YOU'RE ON MY SIDE, AND I THANK YOU. I KNOW WHY YOU WEREN'T AT THE MEETING. YOUR OFFICE CALLED AND TOLD ME WHY YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT. KEVIN HAS DONE BEAUTIFUL. I COMMEND EACH OF YOU IN WHATEVER COMMUNITIES THAT YOU RESIDE IN, BUT GENTLEMEN, LADIES, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE TOLERATED. WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, NOT WHEN OUR CHILDREN ARE HARMED, NOT WHEN ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN ARE HARMED OR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN OR YOUR GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. THINK ABOUT THE PITS AND 33619 IN THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING COMMUNITY WHERE WE HAVE ALLOWED 301 SEXUAL PREDATORS TO SLIP UP UNDER THE RADAR. GENTLEMEN, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. I'VE DONE MINE. I'M GOING TO BE WATCHING YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. WILLIAMS. COMMISSIONER SHARPE. [APPLAUSE] >>MARK SHARPE: MA'AM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I DEEPLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS, AND I THINK WHEN YOU SAY THAT THERE -- YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SORRY THAT THERE AREN'T MORE PEOPLE HERE, I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT I'M SURE, YOU KNOW, MY WIFE AND ALL THE MOMS AND OTHERS WHO CAN'T BE HERE AS WELL WHO LIVE IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS ARE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU, AND YOU'VE GOT A STRONG VOICE, AND I'M CERTAIN YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SPEAK UP, AND I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER WHITE AND HIS OFFICE IS WORKING VERY HARD AND DILIGENTLY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, AS ARE THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT YOUR VOICE IS HEARD AND WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH YOU TO TRY TO CORRECT THIS. >> THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: MARCELLA OSTEEN, AND THE LAST SPEAKER THIS MORNING WILL BE JUDY CORNETT. >> GOOD MORNING. DITTO THAT, AND I'D WAGER THAT ANY COMMUNITY IF YOU PUT IN YOUR ZIP CODE, YOU WOULD HAVE A LOT -- YOU'D BE SHOCKED OF THE NUMBER, BUT I'M WITH HER. I'M TALKING ABOUT TODAY THE VISION 2050 PLAN. THE BIBLE SAYS, WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH, AND I BELIEVE THIS, IT'S TRUE. WE DO NEED VISION, WE NEED PLANNING. IT'S CRUCIAL. I SHARE YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR PLANNING AND VISIONING. WE NEED WORKABLE TRANSIT, GOOD JOBS, AND A LIVABLE PLACE, BUT THE QUESTION IS WHO SHOULD LEAD THIS PLANNING? COMMISSIONER SHARPE, IN THE TRIBUNE, YOU OPINED ABOUT SOME NETTLESOME TURF WARS AS IF EXPECTING VISION 2050 TO ELIMINATE THEM, BUT WHAT SOME MAY CONSIDER NETTLESOME TURF WARS, OTHERS MAY -- BY SOME TROUBLESOME NIMBYs, IT MAY JUST BE PEOPLE TRYING TO PROTECT THEIR WAY OF LIFE. IT MAY BE OF PRIME IMPORTANCE TO THEM, THOUGH SOME MAY CONSIDER THEM JUST NETTLESOME TURF WARS. THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS THE AGENCY TO HEAD UP ANY VISION PLANNING. IT'S THE MOST UNCONTAMINATED, THE MOST IMPARTIAL, THE LEAST LIKELY AGENCY TO BE GOT AT AND INFLUENCED BY SPECIAL INTERESTS. THUS, BECAUSE OF THESE FACTS, THEY'RE OFTEN UNDER -- DRAW THE IRE OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. THEY'RE UNDER ATTACK. OVER THE YEARS I'VE SEEN THIS. IT'S LIKE A DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS, THE COMPLAINTS THAT COME TO YOU, I'M SURE, ABOUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT IF THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS PERCEIVED TO BE A LAME DUCK IN THIS, IT'S PURELY A MISCONCEPTION, ONE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT BE DUPED INTO BELIEVING. THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE AN AGENDA EXCEPT GOOD PROFESSIONAL PLANNING. TAMPA BAY PARTNERSHIP, REALITY CHECK, ONE BAY CLEARLY DOES HAVE AN AGENDA. THEY DO HAVE AN AGENDA. FOR INSTANCE, MS. McGUIRE, WHO'S A FINE PERSON, I'M SURE, IS CURRENTLY THE PAID CONSULTANT FOR A HUGE PROJECT SOUTH OF RUSKIN ON THE PROPERTY OWNED BY THE MORMONS. IF MR. SHARPE IS COMFORTED BY JUST HAVING THE PLANNING COMMISSION, PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT, ONE BAY, AND THE CITIZENS ALL AT ONE TABLE, I AM NOT COMFORTED BY THIS. IT SOUNDS FAIR, IT SOUNDS GOOD, BUT IT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. WE ARE NOT -- THE CITIZENS ARE NOT COMING TO YOU AS LIKE, OH, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE, SIR. NO, WE BOUGHT AND PAID FOR THAT TABLE. OF COURSE WE'LL HAVE A PLACE AT THE TABLE, BUT IF WE'RE JUST ONE OF MANY -- AND HEAVY HITTERS LIKE THE ONE BAY, TAMPA BAY, AND REALITY CHECK, ALL THESE ARE -- THEY'RE GOING TO CHEW US AND SPIT US OUT, SO I DON'T EVEN WANT TO - - I WOULD -- OF COURSE, EVERYBODY HAS A RIGHT TO HAVE INPUT, BUT THERE SHOULD BE ONE LEADER. IN HISTORY I REMEMBER YEARS AGO IN WORLD DISCUSSIONS THEY WOULD ARGUE ABOUT THE SHAPE OF THE TABLE FOR YEARS, IT SEEMED LIKE, BUT THIS ILLUSTRATES HOW IMPORTANT THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE ARE. THE FOX SHOULD NOT BE IN CHARGE OF THE HENHOUSE. THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM SHOULD NOT BE HANDED OVER TO ANYBODY -- >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. OSTEEN. >> -- BUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THEY SHOULD PLAN -- THEY'RE THE PLANNERS. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: OUR FINAL SPEAKER THIS MORNING IS JUDY CORNETT. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. UNFORTUNATELY OUR TIME HAS RUN OUT THIS MORNING. WE WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE END OF OUR MEETING THIS AFTERNOON FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO SPEAK THIS MORNING. MS. CORNETT. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JUDY CORNETT, AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, SAFETY ZONE ADVOCACY, AND WE PROVIDE EDUCATION TO CHILDREN ON PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND SAFETY ON SEX CRIMES. I CAME ACROSS THIS TRAILER PARK THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND I'VE BEEN SITTING BACK AND WATCHING, AND I BROUGHT IT TO THE PALM HARBOR CIVIC ASSOCIATION'S ATTENTION WHEN THEY ONLY HAD FOUR SEX OFFENDERS THERE. YESTERDAY THEY JUST MOVED IN ANOTHER ONE. SINCE THEN -- I'M ALSO A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF PI WORK ON THIS PLACE, AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF SITTING AND OBSERVING. THEY'RE UP TO NINE, TWO WHICH ARE SEX OFFENDERS, AND THE OTHER SEVEN ARE SEXUAL PREDATORS. THERE'S ONLY ONE FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE BECOMING A DUMPING GROUND FOR THESE SEXUAL PREDATORS. ONE OF THE SEX OFFENDERS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS IN THERE. A LOT OF PEOPLE GET UPSET WHEN THEY HEAR PREDATOR. THIS OFFENDER PUT FISHHOOKS IN HIS VICTIM AND CARVED HIS INITIALS IN THIS WOMAN'S CHEST OR THIS CHILD'S CHEST, EXCUSE ME. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF DANGEROUS GUYS HERE. ALL THEIR CHARGES ARE AGAINST CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 AND 13 YEARS OLD. I'VE DRIVEN BY MANY TIMES. I'VE WATCHED THESE GUYS WALK THE STREETS. I HAVE THEM ON VIDEO WALKING THE STREETS. I'VE GONE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND OBSERVED, AND ONE NIGHT ABOUT 8:30 AT NIGHT, TWO LITTLE GIRLS WALKED INTO ONE OF THE TRAILERS, A FIVE- AND SEVEN-YEAR-OLD LITTLE GIRL, WHICH HAPPENED TO WORK FOR A LAWYER WHO REPRESENTS THESE SEX OFFENDERS. SHE SINCE THEN HAS BEEN FIRED FROM HER JOB. BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM. I DID GET A PHONE CALL FROM THE ORGANIZATION THAT'S HOUSING THESE SEX OFFENDERS AND PREDATORS. IT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S NONPROFIT THAT WAS STARTED BY A MOTHER OF A CHILD WHO WAS ALSO A VICTIM. I UNDERSTAND THAT SHE WANTS TO HELP THE COMMUNITY WITH SEX OFFENDERS AND PREDATORS AND FIND A SAFE HAVEN FOR THESE PEOPLE, BUT YOU DON'T DUMP THEM ACROSS THE STREET FROM A FAMILY-OWNED TRAILER PARK WHERE YOU LOOK OUT THE SEX OFFENDER'S BEDROOM INTO ANOTHER LITTLE GIRL'S FRONT YARD. THIS IS TOO CLOSE TO THESE CHILDREN, AND I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. IT IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT'S HOUSING THESE GUYS, IT'S NOT JUST A TRAILER PARK THAT'S HOUSING THEM. IT'S A REHABILITATION PROGRAM, AND I DON'T SUPPORT THEM MOVING THESE SEX OFFENDERS INTO THIS TRAILER PARK. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH KEVIN WHITE -- AND I HAVE SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON -- TO ADDRESS THIS, YOU KNOW, WITH LEGISLATION, BUT I THINK SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PUT A HALT TO THIS BEFORE A CHILD GETS HURT IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. >>KEN HAGAN: MS. CORNETT, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND EFFORTS IN THIS AREA. COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO INSTRUCT OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO TRY TO MAYBE PARTNER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS PROBATION AND PAROLE AS WELL AS OUR STATE ATTORNEY, MARK OBER. I WAS APPALLED TO HEAR MS. CORNETT MAKE THE STATEMENT THAT ONE OF THESE OFFENDERS ACTUALLY PUT FISHHOOKS IN THEIR VICTIM AND CARVED THEIR INITIALS IN THEM, BUT THAT SOUNDS LIKE OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM FAILING US BECAUSE ANYONE WHO DID THAT TO A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 12, I BELIEVE THEY STILL NEED TO BE IN PRISON, AND MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE REHABILITATION NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. [APPLAUSE] >> [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: I'M SORRY, MA'AM. YOU CAN'T SPEAK FROM THE AUDIENCE. I'M SORRY. >> I'M SORRY. >>KEVIN WHITE: AND I THINK OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY, MS. LEE, IF YOU COULD COORDINATE THAT AS WELL. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT WE'VE ASKED -- THAT COMMISSIONER NORMAN STARTED OFF AND WE'RE ASKING EVERYONE ELSE, BUT I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH ALL GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE ONBOARD WITH THIS, AND THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE THE MAXIMUM STRENGTH PUSHING BEHIND THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED OR ACCEPTED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND NOR SHOULD IT BE ALLOWED IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD IN OUR COUNTY. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. WHAT THE ANSWER IS, I THINK WE CAN ALL GET TO THE TABLE AND MAYBE COME UP WITH SOME COLLECTIVE ANSWERS, BUT THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE ANSWER. >>JIM NORMAN: AND COMMISSIONER WHITE, I HOPE THE COURTS WOULD STOP IT IMMEDIATELY WHERE WE CAN THEN DO THAT AND BRING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE, BUT THE COURTS NEED TO STEP IN. WE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS IT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE NONPROFIT AGENCY, THAT WE BRING SOMETHING AGAINST THEM TO HAVE A FREEZE, AND THEN GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE AND SEE HOW WE CAN WORK THIS OUT. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: PROBABLY A ZONING INFRACTION AS WELL HAVING THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. THANK YOU. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: NO, SIR. MS. LEE. >>RENEE LEE: COMMISSIONERS, WE'LL COVER ALL BASES. WE'LL COORDINATE WITH ALL THE AGENCIES. I THINK THERE ARE PROCESSES ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT WE'LL CERTAINLY EXPLORE EVERY AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY TO SHUT THIS DOWN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. THANK YOU. CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR CONSENT? >>JIM NORMAN: SO MOVE. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: NO, SIR. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >> MAY I ASK WHY NOT? >>KEN HAGAN: NO, YOU MAY NOT. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: WE HAVE A 10:00 TIME CERTAIN, E-3. >>PAT BEAN: YES. KAREN JACKSON-SIMS IS HERE THIS MORNING REPRESENTING THE TAMPA HUD OFFICE, AND SHE IS COMING FORWARD. I HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO PASS OUT THAT SHE ASKED ME TO PASS OUT FOR HER TO YOU AS BOARD MEMBERS, BUT SHE'S WORKING HER WAY UP TO THE PODIUM. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. I'LL WAIT UNTIL EACH OF YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE DOCUMENT THAT I'VE ASKED TO BE GIVEN TO YOU. WHILE IT IS BEING DISTRIBUTED, AGAIN, MY NAME IS KAREN JACKSON-SIMS. I AM THE FIELD DIRECTOR FOR THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND AS SUCH, I AM THE PERSON THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL HUD PROGRAMS THAT ARE ADMINISTERED ON THE WEST COAST OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA, COVERING 5.5 MILLION PEOPLE, AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BEING OUR LARGEST COUNTY. I AM HERE THIS MORNING TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND HAVE PROVIDED TO YOU A COPY OF E-MAIL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN MY OFFICE AND ONE OF OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPERS. I WAS HIGHLY DISTRESSED TO PICK UP THE NEWSPAPER ON SUNDAY AND TO SEE THAT A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WAS PRINTED THAT CHERRY-PICKED OUR RESPONSES, THAT WENT THROUGH THE RESPONSES THAT WERE PROVIDED TO PAINT A PICTURE THAT THE REPORTER WANTED PAINTED RATHER THAN A FACTUAL RECOUNT OF WHAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PROVIDED. I FEEL IT IS NOT FAIR TO YOU NOR IS IT FAIR TO THE CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO RECEIVE PART OF THE STORY AND NOT THE ENTIRE STORY. THEREFORE, WE HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH THE ENTIRE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE POSED. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT OUR ANSWERS, TO ASK QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE PROVIDED, BUT WE DO WANT TO CLARIFY THAT PULLING BITS AND PIECES OUT OF HERE AND THERE AND MIXING THINGS TOGETHER MAY MAKE FOR GOOD NEWS PRINT, BUT IT IS NOT A FAIR ACCOUNT TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY. I SAID I WAS DISTRESSED BECAUSE IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT I ACTUALLY HAVE MY STAFF GO AHEAD AND RELEASE THE INFORMATION AND HAVE IT ATTRIBUTED TO ME, AND THIS WAS ATTRIBUTED TO ME. I WAS THEREFORE HIGHLY OFFENDED THAT THE REPORTER WOULD CHOOSE TO DO THIS. I WANT TO GET SOMETHING CLARIFIED FOR THE BOARD AND FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMUNITY, OF WHICH I RESIDE. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF NUMBERS THROWN BACK AND FORTH REGARDING THE LOSS OF MONEY BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS LOST $2 MILLION, NOT $3 MILLION. NOW, I KNOW A LOSS IS A LOSS, BUT LET'S CLARIFY THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE NOT LOST $3 MILLION. THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS, THERE HAVE BEEN LETTERS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN U.S. HUD AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ANNUAL MONITORING, REGARDING A SPECIFIC PROJECT HERE WHERE WHEN WE DID DO OUR MONITORING, WE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROJECT. THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL. THAT HAPPENS WHEN WE COME IN AND DO MONITORING OF OUR PROGRAMS. YOU HAVE UNTIL MARCH 17th AND HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN EXTENSION UNTIL MARCH 17th TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT TO US ON WHY WE SHOULD NOT RECAPTURE A LITTLE OVER $800,000. IF THOSE FUNDS ARE RECAPTURED, THEY ARE PLACED BACK INTO YOUR ACCOUNT FOR YOU AGAIN TO ENCUMBER WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY. YOU DO NOT LOSE THOSE FUNDS, THEY GO BACK INTO YOUR ACCOUNT, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO REDISTRIBUTE THEM TO AN ELIGIBLE PROJECT. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE CLARIFY THAT, AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW THAT THAT MONEY IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMMUNITY. IT WAS NOT A STATUTORY ISSUE, IT WAS AN ELIGIBILITY-OF-THE- PROGRAM ISSUE. I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PERUSE THE INFORMATION, BUT I ALSO WANT YOU TO BE AWARE THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND TO YOUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AT THE REQUEST OF YOUR DEPARTMENT. I HAVE OVER 32 YEARS IN THIS BUSINESS, AND NOT OFTEN HAVE I SEEN COMMUNITIES SAY, WE NEED HELP TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR RULES AND REGULATIONS. NO ONE REALLY LIKES TO SAY, I NEED YOU TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT OUT OF WHACK WITH YOUR PROGRAMS. YOU DID. YOU ASKED US TO COME IN AND DO A HOME WELLNESS REVIEW, AND WE EXPENDED A GOOD DEAL OF OUR TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS TO COME IN AND HERE DO THAT REVIEW. WE HAVE SENT TO YOU AND HAVE PROVIDED TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A COPY OF THE REVIEW THAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME, AN ASSESSMENT OF WHERE THIS DEPARTMENT IS. I IN TURN HAVE PROVIDED THAT REPORT TO YOUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. IN THAT REPORT -- AGAIN, IT WAS NOT REFLECTED IN THE NEWSPAPER WHEN THEY DID PICK UP INFORMATION ON THE REPORT. WE NOTED AND OUR CONSULTANT NOTED THAT WE HAVE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS BEING MADE AND THAT THINGS ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. NOW, THAT DOESN'T MAKE GOOD PRINT, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW THAT THAT CAME FROM US AND THAT WE DID PUT IT TO PEN THAT WE HAVE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT IN THIS DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE NOTED THAT WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE ALLOWING US TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH YOU TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND YOUR NEEDS TO ENSURE THAT YOUR STAFF ARE AWARE OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE STATUTORILY WITH PROGRAMS. TOWARDS THAT END, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AS LATE AS JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. WE HAVE SCHEDULED OUR CONSULTANT TO COME BACK ON-SITE AND TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR STAFF ON APRIL 4th TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WHERE YOUR WELLNESS REPORT IS. I COMMEND YOU FOR DOING A WELLNESS REPORT. IT'S NOT AN EASY THING FOR ANY UNIT OF GOVERNMENT TO ASK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COME IN AND PEEL AWAY THE LAYERS, AND WE DID DO THAT. I COMMEND YOU FOR ASKING YOUR INTERNAL AUDITORS TO HAVE A LOOK, AND THEY'VE ASKED US -- AND AS YOU'RE AWARE, IT IS ON YOUR AGENDA FOR THIS MORNING. THEY'VE ASKED US TO COOPERATE WITH THEM AND TO PROVIDE THEM ASSISTANCE AS THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE PROGRAMS RELATIVE TO HUD, AND WE HAVE AGREED TO DO THAT. I DON'T WANT, HOWEVER, DURING THE COURSE OF THIS TO HAVE ANY OF OUR COMMENTS MISCONSTRUED, TO HAVE ANYONE PLAY WITH THE WORDS THAT WE RELEASE AND PROVIDE, AND IF IT MEANS THAT WE NOT ONLY PROVIDE THAT RELEASE TO THE LOCAL MEDIA BUT WE PROVIDE IT TO YOU AT THE SAME TIME, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO, BUT WE WILL NOT BE TAKEN DOWN A PATH OF BEING USED AS A PAWN. I AM PLEASED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, OR TO EVEN TELL YOU I HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON SOMETHING IF I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION FOR YOU AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, THOUGH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY WHAT WAS PROVIDED FOR THE ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN THE TAMPA TRIBUNE LAST SUNDAY. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. JACKSON-SIMS. COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. FIRST QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, WHEN DID WE ASK -- WHEN DID WE AS A COUNTY ASK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COME IN AND DO A WELLNESS REPORT FOR US? >> YOU ASKED FOR US TO COME IN LAST YEAR, SOMETIME AROUND JUNE. >>KEVIN WHITE: WAS THAT PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF THE $2 MILLION? >> YES, IT WAS. >>KEVIN WHITE: OKAY. WELL, MY QUESTION IS -- AND YOU'RE RIGHT -- AND FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND CLARIFYING. AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WE WERE AT, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD LOST THE TWO MILLION AND WERE -- ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER LEGISLATOR TO TRY AND SEE IF THERE WAS ANY WAY THAT WE COULD TRY TO TURN THAT AROUND, AND WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS THE POTENTIAL TO LOSE THE OTHER 800,000, AND BELIEVE ME, I'M NOT TAKING UP FOR ANYBODY IN THE MEDIA. I DID NOT READ THE -- I DID NOT READ THAT PARTICULAR ARTICLE BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF TOWN, BUT I THINK THAT MAY HAVE BEEN WHERE THAT CULMINATION -- I DON'T KNOW HOW THE ARTICLE WENT, SO I'M ON THE FENCE ON THAT ONE, BUT HOW MANY OTHER COUNTIES -- YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 32 YEARS, SO I'M SURE YOU HAVE A VAST ARRAY OF EXPERTISE IN THIS. HOW MANY OTHER COUNTIES THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, OR ANY OTHER YEAR ON A -- WHAT'S THE AVERAGE THAT COUNTIES LOSE THAT GO UNENCUMBERED AFTER THEY'VE BEEN AWARDED? >> I WON'T SPEAK FOR OUTSIDE OF MY JURISDICTION BECAUSE YOU'D BE ASKING ME TO SPEAK FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. >>KEVIN WHITE: OKAY. >> AND FOR THAT, I'D HAVE TO GO TO WASHINGTON AND GET THE NUMBER FOR YOU. I CAN SPEAK FOR MY JURISDICTION. YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST THIS FISCAL YEAR TO LOSE MONEY. I DARESAY THAT IF I DON'T SEE A COUPLE OF CHANGES, THAT YOU MAY NOT BE THE LAST. >>KEVIN WHITE: BUT IS TWO MILLION ON THE HIGH SIDE OR -- >> TWO MILLION WAS A LARGE NUMBER. THE OTHER COUNTY -- OR THE OTHER COMMUNITY, WHICH WAS NOT A COUNTY, IT WAS A CITY, LOST THEIR ENTIRE ALLOCATION. THEIR ENTIRE ALLOCATION WAS NOT AS LARGE AS WHAT THE TWO MILLION WAS, BUT FOR THEM IT WAS LARGE BECAUSE IT WAS EVERY DIME THAT HUD PROVIDED TO THEM. >>KEVIN WHITE: SURE. AND YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE BODY OF THIS BOARD AS WELL AS OUR COMMUNITY. IN TODAY'S TIMES THAT WE'RE IN AND OUR ECONOMIC STAGE, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE A DIME LET ALONE $2 MILLION, AND OF COURSE, WHEN TIMES ARE BAD, YOU'RE SCRUTINIZED 20 TIMES MORE THAN YOU WOULD BE WHEN TIMES ARE GOOD, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE -- AND IN YOUR WORDS, YOU COMMENDED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR COMING IN AND UNFOLDING THE LAYERS AND ASKING FOR THE WELLNESS CHECK, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ASKED OUR DIRECTOR, DO YOU NEED HELP -- DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE POSITION OR DO YOU NEED HELP FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE OR DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN YOUR POSITION? AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING AT. I WASN'T TRYING TO BERATE OR BELITTLE, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR DEPARTMENT AS A DEPARTMENT HEAD OVERSEEING THIS TYPE OF FUNDS IS TRULY CAPABLE AND COMPETENT OF CARRYING OUT THE DUTIES THAT HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE TAXPAYERS, AND TWO MILLION AND POTENTIALLY $3 MILLION -- YOU SAID IF WE DON'T ANSWER IN THE AFFIRMATIVE BY, WHAT, THE 12th OR THE 13th -- >> BUT YOU WON'T LOSE THAT, COMMISSIONER. YOU WILL REALLOCATE THAT MONEY. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS ONE IS A STATUTORY ISSUE, AND AS A STATUTORY ISSUE, THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. IT IS THE LAW OF THE LAND THAT CONGRESS HAS PUT IN PLACE. IT IS THE SAME REASON THAT THE OTHER COMMUNITY LOST THEIR ENTIRE ALLOCATION. THE -- I'M NOT GOING TO CALL THE PROJECT BY NAME BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE BROADCASTING THIS MEETING, BUT THE PROJECT IN QUESTION -- >>KEVIN WHITE: WELL, IF IT'S PUBLIC RECORD, IT'S NO PROBLEM. >> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU-ALL HAVE DONE OR NOT DONE THAT, SO IT WILL NOT BE I THAT CALLS IT BY NAME, BUT THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, IF WE HAVE TO TAKE THE MONEY BACK, IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO CONVINCE US BY THE 17th TO GRANT THE WAIVER ON THIS TO ALLOW WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TO DO, TO GO FORWARD -- AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT IF THE WAIVER IS NOT PROVIDED, THAT MONEY GOES BACK INTO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S ACCOUNT. IT IS NOT LOST TO YOUR COMMUNITY. YOU WILL THEN REALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS TO ANOTHER ELIGIBLE PROJECT HERE. >>KEVIN WHITE: WELL, THEN, BUT THAT PROJECT GOES BY THE WAYSIDE AT THAT POINT? TIME OR -- >> NO, NOT NECESSARILY. WHAT WE HAVE SAID IS THAT THERE ARE OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDS THAT YOU HAVE THAT ARE ELIGIBLE SOURCES OF MONEY TO DO WHAT YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT, JUST NOT THIS PARTICULAR SOURCE THAT YOU CHOSE TO USE. >>KEVIN WHITE: OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW. >> I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW, COMMISSIONER, AS WELL AS THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THAT THE HOME PROGRAM IS PROBABLY THE MOST TECHNICALLY DIFFICULT PROGRAM THAT HUD HAS TO ADMINISTER. IT IS THE ONE PROGRAM THAT MOST OF OUR JURISDICTIONS HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES ON, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING THE TIME THAT WE HAVE WITH NOT ONLY YOUR COMMUNITY BUT WITH SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING YOU THAT ARE HAVING SIMILAR CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IS UNDERSTANDING THE PROGRAM. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU. >>KEVIN WHITE: WELL, LET ME JUST FOLLOW UP ONE THING THEN. YOU SAID WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES. YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 32 YEARS, IT'S THE MOST TECHNICALLY CHALLENGED PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE. WELL, LET ME ASK YOU, FROM YOUR PROFESSIONAL STANDPOINT, WITH THE STAFF THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, DO YOU FEEL OUR STAFF IS UP-TO-DATE AND PAR TO WORK WITH -- WITH WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH? I MEAN -- I WANT TO KNOW -- >> IT IS UNFAIR FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION BEFORE YOUR AUDIT IS DONE. >>KEVIN WHITE: WELL, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE PROFICIENCY IN WHICH THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU SINCE WE'VE DONE THE WELLNESS REPORT. >> SINCE YOU'VE DONE THE WELLNESS REPORT, WE'VE PUT IN WRITING THAT WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT THE STAFF ARE GRASPING THE RESPONSIBILITIES -- >>KEVIN WHITE: SO ARE YOU SAYING THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES IN OUR STAFF? >> NO, WE'RE SAYING THAT YOUR STAFF DID NOT UNDERSTAND. THAT'S A DIFFERENCE THAN SAYING THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES. WE ARE SAYING THAT THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE TECHNICALITIES OF THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM AND THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR MORE TRAINING FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND AND THAT WHEN WE MADE OUR RETURN VISIT THAT WE HAVE SEEN THAT THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE TOLD THEM THAT NEEDED TO BE IMPLEMENTED, AND, THEREFORE, WE ARE SEEING THAT THEY ARE UNDERSTANDING THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY ARE WORKING WITHIN. >>KEVIN WHITE: WELL, SEE, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE WHEN I HAVE DEPARTMENT HEADS STAND BEFORE ME AND ASK, ARE YOU CAPABLE AND COMPETENT AND QUALIFIED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE ON ALL THE ISSUES THAT ARE BEFORE YOU, I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN ANYBODY'S SHOES WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH MULTIMILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE QUALIFIED TO HANDLE THIS PROGRAM, AND THEN WE DO A WELLNESS CHECK AND THEN TO FIND OUT, WELL, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND CERTAIN ASPECTS. WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PROJECTS, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE ASPECTS OF THE POSITION IN WHICH YOU HOLD, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM I HAVE. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >> I AM GOING TO TAKE MY HUD HAT OFF FOR ONE MINUTE AND JUST SAY THAT I HAVE PRIOR BEEN A DEPARTMENT -- >>KEN HAGAN: QUICKLY. >> -- DIRECTOR FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS HERE, AND CAN'T NO ONE MAN RUN A SHOW. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING HERE AND TRYING TO UNPEEL THE LAYERS OF CONFUSION THAT HAVE SURROUNDED THIS ISSUE, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THE CHERRY-PICKING GOES ON, AND WE ALL DO IT. WE DO IT HERE, IT'S DONE OUT THERE. IT SEEMS TO BE THE MODUS OPERANDI OF HOW PEOPLE OPERATE, WHICH IS TO TAKE A SMALL PIECE OF SOMETHING AND TO MISCONSTRUE IT EITHER INTENTIONALLY OR UNINTENTIONALLY. WITH REGARD TO THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT AND IT NEEDS TO BE -- LIGHT NEEDS TO BE SHED ON THIS. FIRST -- MY FIRST QUESTION -- AND I'LL ASK OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE REQUEST FOR THESE -- FOR THIS HOME WELLNESS REVIEW WAS MADE IN MARCH OF 2007. IS THAT CORRECT? >>PAT BEAN: I BELIEVE THAT IS THE CORRECT DATE, AND IT WAS MADE BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT. >>MARK SHARPE: THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. WHO ASKED FOR THIS REVIEW? >>PAT BEAN: HOWIE CARROLL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT, ASKED FOR THE REVIEW BECAUSE HE REALIZED THERE WERE ISSUES. >>MARK SHARPE: WHEN DID HOWIE CARROLL COME ONBOARD? >>PAT BEAN: LATE NOVEMBER OF '06, I BELIEVE, OR EARLY -- I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE, BUT IN NOVEMBER OF '06. >>MARK SHARPE: ALL RIGHT. SO HE CAME ONBOARD NOVEMBER OF '06. THIS PROGRAM -- THIS HOME PROGRAM THAT WE'RE PARTICIPATING IN, EVIDENTLY -- AND I THINK BY YOUR OWN TESTIMONY -- HAS BEEN POORLY ADMINISTERED, IS THAT -- IS THAT A PROPER -- WOULD THAT BE CORRECT TO SAY, IN THE PAST THAT WE'VE -- BECAUSE OF A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE PROGRAM IS RUN -- RUNS AND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE PLACED UPON THE HOUSING DEPARTMENTS TO PROPERLY MANAGE THESE PROGRAMS? IS THAT CORRECT? >> I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S BEEN POORLY ADMINISTERED, COMMISSIONER SHARPE. I AM GOING TO SAY THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. >>MARK SHARPE: OKAY. CHALLENGES. AND I WOULD AGREE, WITH ALL THE DOCUMENTS THAT I'VE READ, IT SEEMS THAT THERE WERE CHALLENGES, DATING BACK TO THE '90s, MID-'90s, LATE '90s. >> DATING VERY FAR BACK. >>MARK SHARPE: DATING VERY FAR BACK, OKAY. SO YOU'VE COME IN AND YOU'VE DONE THE ASSESSMENT AT THE REQUEST OF OUR HOUSING DIRECTOR WHO EVIDENTLY UNDERSTOOD OR RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WERE CHALLENGES WITH THIS PROGRAM, AND IS THAT WHEN WE DETERMINED THAT THE $2 MILLION WAS GOING TO BE LOST AS A RESULT OF THE HOME WELLNESS STUDY? >> THAT -- WHEN WE DID THE HOME WELLNESS STUDY, WE NOTED HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SITTING WITHIN THE ACCOUNT AND HOW MUCH NEEDED TO BE ENCUMBERED BY THE STATUTORY DEADLINE. IN FACT, WE PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU WERE ATTEMPTING TO GET OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT TO GET BEFORE YOU SO THAT THEY COULD GET INTO OUR SYSTEM, WHICH IS CALLED THE IDIS SYSTEM. THAT, IN TURN, MAKES IT AN ENCUMBERED PROJECT. IT BECOMES ENCUMBERED NOT WHEN YOU APPROVE IT BUT WHEN WE APPROVE IT IN OUR SYSTEM. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN A TIMELY FASHION. >>MARK SHARPE: AND WHEN YOU SAY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN A TIMELY FASHION, YOU MEAN HISTORICALLY? >> I MEAN THIS GO-AROUND, IT DID NOT HAPPEN IN A TIMELY FASHION. LET ME BE VERY FRANK WITH YOU. YOU-ALL TOLD THE TRUTH, AND FOR THAT, I GUESS YOU -- YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE A LICKING FOR TELLING THE TRUTH. WE HAVE HAD OUR CONSULTANT TELL US THAT MANY OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE NOT TELLING US THE TRUTH AND ARE STICKING IN THINGS INTO OUR SYSTEM THAT PERHAPS THEY KNOW MIGHT GET THEM OVER THE HUMP DATE AND THEN GO IN A FEW DAYS -- >>MARK SHARPE: RIGHT. >> -- AFTERWARDS AND MAKE THE CHANGE. BECAUSE THE CONSULTANT HAS TOLD US THAT, WE ARE NOW -- I'M SURE THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE THANKING HIM, BUT WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND PUTTING IN THE SYSTEM FAR MORE CLOSELY, BUT YOU WERE PENALIZED FOR BEING TRUTHFUL. >>MARK SHARPE: THAT'S THE POINT. IT SEEMS TO ME -- IN FACT, I'M LOOKING AT A MEMO HERE THAT COMES FROM OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DATED JANUARY 31st, 2008, AND IN IT SHE TALKS ABOUT HISTORICALLY THE COUNTY HAS STRUGGLED TO COMMIT AND EXPEND THEIR HOME FUNDS AND IS RANKED POORLY IN TERMS OF OUR COMMITTED PERCENTAGE. IN ADDITION, THE COUNTY HAS HISTORICALLY LAGGED BEHIND THE STATE AND NATIONAL AVERAGES FOR PERCENTAGES OF FUNDS COMMITTED. THEN IT GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT IN AN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY RISKS AND PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COUNTY'S ADMINISTRATION -- SO WE KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM -- WE ASKED THAT A REVIEW BE CONDUCTED, WE ASKED FOR IT IN MARCH OF 2007, THIS ON-SITE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TOOK PLACE OR WAS INITIATED IN JUNE OF 2007, AND A REPORT WAS ISSUED IN AUGUST OF 2007. SO THROUGH 2007 PRETTY MUCH WE'VE DONE -- WE DID A LOT OF LEGWORK TO INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. WELL, I GUESS, YOU KNOW -- YOU KNOW, I WILL CLOSE BY SAYING THAT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU CAME HERE AND TOOK THE TIME TO TRY TO ADDRESS THIS IN A MORE COMPLETE FASHION. I DON'T THINK IN ANY WAY THAT ANY -- CERTAINLY NOT WHAT -- MY QUESTIONS OR MY -- ANYONE HERE IS TRYING TO WHITEWASH THIS ISSUE OR TO HIDE ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HAVE GONE WRONG. IN FACT, WHAT I WANT TO SEE, I WANT TO SEE US -- AND I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US -- I WANT US TO GO BACK AND LOOK HISTORICALLY AT HOW WE ADMINISTER THIS PROGRAM AND DETERMINE WHERE ERRORS WERE MADE, AND IF THERE INPUTS -- IF SOMEONE WAS INPUTTING INFORMATION IMPROPERLY, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT, NOT JUST TO PENALIZE THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT I WANT TO KNOW -- AGAIN, I WANT TO HAVE A BETTER GRASP OF THE FAILURE THAT TOOK PLACE IN THIS DEPARTMENT -- I'M TALKING BEFORE HOWIE CAME ONBOARD AND THEN AFTER, SO IF THERE WERE ERRORS THAT WERE MADE AFTER, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IT, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE PART -- IS THAT PART OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE? >>PAT BEAN: YES, IT IS. >> WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM YOUR ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. FIRST OF ALL, MS. JACKSON-SIMS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. >> THANK YOU. >>ROSE FERLITA: I THINK OUR FRUSTRATION HAS OVERFLOWED TO ASK YOU THINGS THAT I THINK ARE NOT APPROPRIATE TO ASK YOU BECAUSE WE'RE FRUSTRATED AS ANY COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY WOULD BE LOSING $2 MILLION AT THIS BUDGET CONSTRAINT SEASON, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE OVERVIEWING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE AND -- PERHAPS NOT APPROPRIATELY -- MIGHT NOT CAUSE US TO LOSE SOME DOLLARS IN THE FUTURE. I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME QUESTIONS THAT I'D LIKE TO ASK, AND PURPOSELY I DIDN'T PUT THIS IN AS AN AGENDA ITEM TODAY BECAUSE I THINK YOUR VISIT WITH US REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH US ASKING MR. CARROLL WHAT HE DID, WHAT HE DIDN'T DO, WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES. WE'RE ALL GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE DIFFERENT ONES INSTEAD OF REPETITIVE ONES. LOOKING AT THE DOCUMENTATION, THERE IS LOTS OF ROOM FOR FRUSTRATION IN FISCAL YEAR '05-'06, '06-'07. THERE WERE SOME POSSIBILITIES FOR CONTRACTS TO BE CONFIRMED AND THEY WEREN'T. I THINK WHAT HUD -- AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT TRYING TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHERE I SEE HUD'S POSITION TO BE IS THAT YOU WANT SIGNED COMMITMENTS. WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE CONTINGENCIES AND IF SOMEBODY BACKS OUT OF THE CONTRACT, THEN CERTAINLY WE CAN REALLOCATE THAT. THAT'S HISTORY, AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT INTERNALLY. I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT I'M -- I WAS DELIGHTED YESTERDAY TO GET THAT MEMO FROM MS. BEAN WHERE THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE HAS CHANGED. PERHAPS WITH THAT MAYBE WILL COME SOME IMPROVEMENTS. THAT YET HAS TO BE SEEN, BUT BETTER NOW THAN NOT BEFORE. I GUESS ONE QUESTION TO YOU IS WHETHER YOU'RE AWARE OR NOT AWARE OF WHAT OUR CONVERSATION LAST BOCC MEETING -- THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATIONS -- MANY CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN CONGRESSWOMAN CASTOR AND CLAY PHILLIPS AND MYSELF ABOUT HER TRYING AS OUR ADVOCATE IN WASHINGTON TO MAKE SOME COMMUNICATION WITH THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF HUD IN THE HOPE - - IN THE PLEADING THAT PERHAPS MAYBE THOSE $2 MILLION MIGHT BE RECONSIDERED AND GIVEN BACK TO US. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT IS. I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN A CONFIRMATION OF WHEN THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR IS AVAILABLE, AND AFTER THE CONVERSATION LAST MEETING, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH OUR CONSENSUS THAT OUR CHAIRMAN MIGHT BE ABLE TO MEET WITH CONGRESSWOMAN CASTOR AND ME AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR. WHERE I'M GOING WITH THAT IS -- AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HERE. DO YOU THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY, HOPEFULLY, PERHAPS, THAT THAT $2 MILLION MIGHT COME BACK TO US WITH SOME RECONSIDERATION FOR US TO DO BETTER? >> COMMISSIONER FERLITA, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE -- I AM AWARE -- BECAUSE WE PROVIDE THE BRIEFING INFORMATION UP THE LINE SO THAT THEY'LL KNOW WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE WITHIN A JURISDICTION. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES. >> I'M AWARE THAT THAT MEETING IS IN A PENDING STATUS. UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE IT IS A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT, AND THAT IS THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED WITH THE OTHER UNIT OF GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR, AND WE ALSO -- UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS ALSO IN CASTOR'S JURISDICTION AS WELL, BUT IF IT'S STATUTORY, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND THE TWO MILLION IS A STATUTORY -- >> AND TWO MILLION IS STATUTORY. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE HER HELP IN TRYING TO HELP US LOCALLY IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY A CITIZEN OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT THE STATUTORY GUIDELINES WILL PREVENT US FROM HOPEFULLY REGAINING THE TWO MILLION THEN? >> YES, THEY WILL. >>ROSE FERLITA: OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. WE APPRECIATE IT. LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOU. >> WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THERE ARE -- JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE -- I'M NOT SURE IF THE ADMINISTRATOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO LET YOU KNOW, BUT IN THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE'VE PROVIDED, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT TWO OF THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT ARE TO BE FUNDED BY HOME, WHICH IS WHY THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT BALANCE THERE. THOSE PROGRAMS ARE GETTING READY TO COME TO YOU, AND ONE IS A FORECLOSURE FORBEARANCE PROGRAM, AND YOU HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF FORECLOSURE, WELL, YOU HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF FORECLOSURE WITHIN MY JURISDICTION, AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA RANKS NUMBER THREE IN THE COUNTRY. UNFORTUNATELY, MY JURISDICTION RANKS NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, SO THAT MEANS THAT YOU'RE SITTING VERY HIGH WITH FORECLOSURE USER, SO THIS PROGRAM THAT'S BEING PROPOSED SHOULD HELP YOUR CONSTITUENTS BE ABLE TO SAVE THEIR HOMES. AND ALSO, A RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST RESIDENTS WHO ARE EITHER HOMELESS OR ELDERLY OR WORKING HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS, A PROGRAM VERY MUCH LIKE OUR SECTION 8 PROGRAM THAT WOULD PROVIDE THEM STOPGAP ASSISTANCE FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO RENT A DECENT, SAFE, AND QUALITY PLACE TO LIVE WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THOSE PROGRAMS. WE BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE READY TO ROLL. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN, AND THEN WE'VE GOT TO MOVE ON. >>JIM NORMAN: JUST A BRIEF STATEMENT. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I DON'T KNOW OF ANYONE THAT COMES BEFORE OUR BOARD THAT HAS BEEN MORE DIRECT THAN YOU HAVE TODAY, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND ALSO, I WANT TO ALSO PASS ALONG TO YOU, WITH YOU WORKING WITH OUR ADMINISTRATOR, I HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF COMFORT TO BRING THIS IN FOR A QUALITY LANDING, AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING TO MAKE OUR COUNTY JUST A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, BUT YOUR DIRECTNESS AND YOUR FIRMNESS AND ACCURACY IS SOMETHING I REALLY APPRECIATE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. THIS IS MY HOME. >>KEN HAGAN: AND FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I ECHO COMMISSIONER NORMAN'S COMMENTS, AND I THANK YOU FOR COMING IN, AND ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T -- I WASN'T THINKING THE TERM CHERRY-PICKED, YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS REVIEWING THE ARTICLE IN QUESTION THAT YOU -- THAT YOU ELABORATED ON AND THIS E- MAIL CHAIN, I WAS WONDERING IF I WAS LOOKING AT THE SAME ARTICLE BECAUSE IT DID APPEAR THAT SELECT PASSAGES WERE USED AND NOT THE ENTIRE STORY WAS PRESENTED, AND SO I THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT FOR MYSELF ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. >> THANK YOU. AND THAT IS THE ONLY REASON THAT I FELT IT WAS TIME FOR US TO COME BEFORE YOU ON THIS MATTER, TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE ACTUALLY RELEASED VERSUS WHAT WAS PRINTED. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: MS. BEAN, WE HAVE A 10:15. >>PAT BEAN: YES, WE DO. WE HAVE -- JUDY LISI IS HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. JUDY. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING, MS. LISI. >> GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE -- BE HERE THIS MORNING. I'M JUDY LISI. I'M PRESIDENT OF THE TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, AND WHEN I COME HERE AND HEAR ALL OF THE SERIOUS ISSUES YOU'RE CONSTANTLY DEALING WITH, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU A HAPPY STORY HERE TODAY. YOU HAVE BEEN OUR PUBLIC PARTNER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. WE CELEBRATED OUR 20th ANNIVERSARY LAST YEAR, AND I THINK IT IS A TESTAMENT WHAT PROPER PUBLIC AND PARTNERSHIPS CAN ACTUALLY DO FOR A COMMUNITY. WE PRESENTED OUR 20th ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY LAST WEEK, AND BEFORE I GO INTO THAT, I CAN'T HELP BUT THANK OUR WONDERFUL COMMISSIONER, ROSE FERLITA, WHO'S BEEN ON OUR BOARD FOR MANY YEARS. SHE'S CURRENTLY SERVING WITH US NOW. WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU, ROSE, AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AWARD, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER NORMAN AND HAGAN AND SHARPE, WHO HAVE PROVIDED WONDERFUL PASSPORT SERVICE FOR US AS WELL. WE DO HAVE A VIDEO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IS HERE TO PRESS THE BUTTON. >> ARE WE READY? >> YES, PLEASE. [VIDEO PLAYED] WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY BABY WHO'S GOING TO HELP YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY MAMA WHO'S ALWAYS THERE TO MAKE IT RIGHT WHO LOVES YOU WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY BABY WHO'S GOING TO LOVE YOU MAMA WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY BABY AH AH AH. WHEN TEARS ARE IN YOUR EYES AND YOU CAN'T FIND THE WAY AH AH AH. IT'S HARD TO MAKE BELIEVE YOU'RE HAPPY WHEN YOU'RE GRAY BABY WHEN YOU'RE FEELING LIKE YOU'LL NEVER SEE THE MORNING LIGHT COME TO ME BABY YOU'LL SEE WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY BABY WHO'S GOING TO HELP YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY MAMA WHO'S ALWAYS THERE TO MAKE IT WHO LOVES YOU WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY BABY WHO'S GOING TO LOVE YOU MAMA WHO LOVES YOU PRETTY BABY [END OF VIDEO] >> THANK YOU. I THINK -- I HOPE YOU'LL AGREE THAT WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE NEED CULTURE AND SPORTS AND MANY, MANY OTHER QUALITY OF LIFE TO GIVE US UPLIFT. THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THIS YEAR ALONE PRESENTED OVER 100 PERFORMANCES -- THOUSAND PERFORMANCES ON ITS FIVE STAGES, AND WE SERVE ANNUALLY BETWEEN SIX- AND 700,000 PEOPLE A YEAR. WE'RE NUMBER THREE IN THE WORLD IN TICKET SALES BY VENUES TODAY, NUMBER FIVE IN THE WORLD BY BILLBOARD MAGAZINE. WE HAVE COUNTLESS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND I KNOW YOU HELPED US WITH OUR PATEL CONSERVATORY, WHICH IS THRIVING. WE HAVE OVER 1500 STUDENTS THERE. WE ALSO SERVE OVER 70,000 CHILDREN THROUGH OUR MANY EDUCATION PROGRAMS, NOT JUST AT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER BUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTIES, AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I KNOW YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE BIG BROADWAY SHOWS, BUT WE HAVE DEEP, DEEP ROOTS IN EDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT? WELL, WE ARE FUNDED BY THE TDC THROUGH YOU, AND I THINK OUR TOURIST -- CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN ASTOUNDING. THIS YEAR ALONE, RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 109,000 PEOPLE. 27% OF OUR ATTENDEES CAME FROM OUT OF THE STATE AND OUT OF THE COUNTRY. THE AVERAGE DAILY TOURIST HERE SPENT $348 A DAY, AND 73% ARE ALREADY PLANNING TO RETURN. THIS IS A SURVEY THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE PROVIDE LOCAL JOBS, 661 FULL-TIME AND CONTRACTED WORKERS. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE OUR MANY ARTISTS ON OUR STAGE. BUT WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN FOR THE COMMUNITY? WELL, IN ALL OF OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND OUR MANY PROGRAMS WITH AT-RISK YOUTH, WE NEVER FEEL THAT CHILDREN SHOULD BE DEFINED BY THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WE WORK VERY HARD TO GIVE THEM A BRIDGE, A DOOR TO A NEW FUTURE. SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE SO MUCH TALENT, THEY HAVE SO MUCH THAT'S INSIDE OF THEM BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A VOICE, AND WE HAVE SO MANY PROGRAMS THAT WE TRY TO PROVIDE AND GIVE THEM A VOICE. WE HAVE PROGRAMS WITH METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES' CHARTER SCHOOL AND TOM LAUX, THE HEAD OF IT, SAID THESE KIDS SMILED FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN THEY TOOK THESE COURSES, AND THEY START BUILDING THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, AND THEY KNOW THEY'RE IMPORTANT AS INDIVIDUALS. AN AT-RISK STUDENT, A TEENAGER WHO BEGGED TO RETURN TO OUR YOUTH THEATRE PROGRAM, AND HE'S NOW BECOME A MODEL STUDENT IN HIS SCHOOLS. WE SERVE 29 LOCAL MAGNET SCHOOL PARTNERS, MANY OF THEM TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, LETO, RAMPELLO, CAHOON. OUR GREATER COMMUNITY PARTNERS INCLUDE LAVOY EXCEPTIONAL CENTER, MENDEZ CENTER, AND PROJECT FOCUS. I SHARE THESE STORIES WITH YOU BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW DEEP WE FEEL ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, WITH OUR EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH COMES MANY CHALLENGES AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES. OUR FACILITY NOW IS 20 YEARS OLD, AND WHILE WE -- WHEN WE BUILT IT IT WAS STATE-OF-THE-ART, SINCE THIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WAS BUILT IN TAMPA, TAMPA WAS THE LEADER IN THE PERFORMING ARTS. SINCE THEN WE HAVE PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS AROUND THE STATE, INCLUDING BROWARD COUNTY, WHO BUILT A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, MIAMI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THAT BUILT ONE FOR THEIRS, BY COUNTY MONEY, BY THE WAY. ORLANDO RIGHT NOW IS IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A STATE-OF- THE-ART PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, AND THAT'S ALSO SPEARHEADED BY THE COUNTY. SO WHILE WE'VE DONE VERY, VERY WELL AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE SERVING THIS COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS, WE ARE DOING A NEEDS ANALYSIS. AT SOME POINT I WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND SHARE OUR FINDINGS WITH YOU AS WELL, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE MANY THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO COME TO OUR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, MANY BUSINESSES THAT HAVE COME HERE BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, CULTURE IS THE SECOND CRITERIA AFTER EDUCATION FOR BUSINESSES MOVING INTO A COMMUNITY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. LISI. COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: JUDY, I JUST WANTED TO AGAIN FIRST THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT THERE'S REALLY NO BETTER PLACE OR NO BETTER WAY FOR A COMMUNITY TO INVEST ITS DOLLARS THAN IN EDUCATION, WHICH I'VE LONG ADVOCATED FOR, AND THE ARTS. I MEAN, I WAS JUST READING -- AND IT'S KIND OF SAD -- IN THE NEWSPAPER A WEEK AGO OR SO ABOUT THE FACT THAT IN AMERICA WE HAVE MORE ADULTS IN PRISONS THAN IN ANY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATION IN THE WORLD, AND WE CAN SPEND THE MONEY ON PRISONS, OR WE CAN START -- YOU KNOW, GET OUR ACT TOGETHER AND START FOCUSING ON THE YOUNG KIDS, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH EDUCATION, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE ALSO DO IT THROUGH THE ARTS, AND I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE POWER THAT THE ARTS HAS IN CHANGING THE LIFE OF CHILDREN, AND MY OWN CHILD, ACTUALLY, MY SON HAS BEEN AT YOUR SUMMER CAMP OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND THEY'RE GOING BACK THIS YEAR. >> GREAT. >>MARK SHARPE: SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE DEEPLY AS A FAMILY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THIS BOARD -- ALL THE BOARD -- BECAUSE YOU SAID MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SERVED WITH YOUR BOARD AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, BUT WE GREATLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, THERE WAS A LOT OF FOLKS THAT DIDN'T WANT TO BUILD IT. THERE WAS A LOT OF OPPOSITION, BUT THEN THERE'S ALWAYS OPPOSITION TO BUILDING THINGS, BUT IN THE END, WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AND YOU'LL KNOW THAT THIS COMMISSIONER WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOU ANY WAY I CAN. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER SHARPE. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU. MS. LISI -- JUDY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE. IT'S IMPRESSIVE AS ALWAYS. OFTENTIMES WE WERE ABLE TO VISIT WITH JUDY AT CITY COUNCIL, AND I RECOUNT THIS STORY BECAUSE IT ABSOLUTELY MEANS A LOT TO ME. I REMEMBER YEARS AGO WHEN IT WASN'T EVEN IN VOGUE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, STAFF USED TO TRY TO MAKE US FEEL BAD. AND SO THEY'D SAY, WILL YOU SERVE ON THIS BOARD? WELL -- A LADY BY THE NAME OF -- AND JULIE, YOU MAY REMEMBER HER, HER NAME WAS JUDY BROWN -- BECAUSE NOBODY WANTED TO DO THAT, BUT THEN IN ALL CREDIT TO YOU, WHEN YOU GOT HERE, IT BECAME MORE EXCITING AND IT CONTINUES TO BE EXCITING, AND TONGUE IN CHEEK, SORT OF, IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU HAVE TO KNOW SOMEBODY SO THAT YOU CAN BE ON ONE OF YOUR BOARDS. I'VE BEEN ON THE PRODUCERS BOARD. I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO REPRESENT MY COLLEAGUES HERE, AND I WAS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AT CITY COUNCIL, AND IT CONTINUES TO BE A DYNAMIC PLACE, AND I'M OBVIOUSLY A FAN, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. AND I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE OUTREACH PROGRAMS BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK PERFORMING ARTS -- AND MARK, YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO BUILD THIS BECAUSE THAT'S FOR MAYBE THE RICH PEOPLE IN SOUTH TAMPA, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY A MISCONCEPTION. ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS THIS MORNING TALKED ABOUT SOME ISSUES THAT SHE HAS IN OLD SEMINOLE HEIGHTS, AND MY PRACTICE WAS IN SOUTHEAST SEMINOLE HEIGHTS FOR A LONG TIME, AND MANY TIMES, EITHER DIRECTLY WITH YOU OR WITH YOUR STAFF, I WOULD CALL WHEN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WAS A LITTLE BIT LESS FORTUNATE THAN SOME OTHERS HAD A PROBLEM, AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS WERE THERE, AND YOU-ALL WERE ABLE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND MONEY WASN'T AN ISSUE, AND I'VE ALWAYS TOLD YOU YOU'RE YOUR WORST BROADCASTER BECAUSE YOU DON'T SAY THAT ENOUGH, SO I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP TODAY. LAST MONTH I REFERENCED SOMETHING THAT I HAD HEARD AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER AT THE TAMPA BAY REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL, AND IT TALKED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC ENGINES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND CERTAINLY -- AND CERTAINLY NECK AND NECK WE HAVE AGRICULTURE AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE TOURISM. THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THE ARTS AND CULTURE MARKET IS A CONTRIBUTOR, BIG CONTRIBUTOR TO OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK YOU GENTLEMEN WILL UNDERSTAND, AS YOU'RE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT SPORTS, THAT -- AND YOU MENTIONED IT, I THINK, SPORTS AND CULTURE. SPORTS AND CULTURE TOGETHER, NOT COMPETITIVELY BUT IN A COMPLEMENTARY WAY, REALLY TRY TO IMPROVE OUR EFFORTS TO BE A SERIOUS TOURIST DESTINATION, AND WE'RE SUCCEEDING, THANKS TO FACILITIES LIKE YOURS, OURS, WE'RE SUCCEEDING. I'M SURE MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT THE CENTER HAS GOTTEN DOLLARS FROM OUR GENERAL FUND, AND I'M CERTAINLY THANKFUL WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THAT, BUT AS WELL THEY'RE SAVING ABOUT 55,000, I BELIEVE, JUDY, EACH YEAR FROM THE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IN TOURIST TAX DOLLARS, AND THAT WAS A WAY TO SUPPORT OUT-OF-AREA MARKET EFFORTS, AND THIS IS NOT NUMBERS I'M PICKING UP OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. I'VE DONE SOME INFORMATION AND RESEARCH. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TOURISM IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMY AND SEVERAL OTHER SOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO RESEARCH IT, BUT IN 2007 IT SHOWS THAT REPORTEDLY DIRECT GENERATING -- YOU DIRECTLY GENERATING 20,859 ROOM NIGHT SALES. THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. SO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, GENTLEMEN AND AUDIENCE, PERFORMING ARTS CENTER GETS IT. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO WITH THOSE TAX DOLLARS, AND THEY'RE FOCUSED. THEY'RE VERY TARGETED IN THOSE MARKETING EFFORTS IN TRYING TO GET THE RIGHT TOURIST STRATEGY TO CONTINUE BEING SUCCESSFUL. YOU HAVE A VERY COMMITTED BOARD TOO, SO THAT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IS WHAT MAKES IT WORK, I THINK. SO, JUDY, BECAUSE OF YOU IT'S BEEN A WORK IN PROGRESS AND IT CONTINUES TO IMPROVE AND TO IMPROVE AND TO IMPROVE. SOMETIMES I WONDER HOW YOU CAN DO BETTER FROM SEASON TO SEASON, BUT YOU DO. SO GENTLEMEN, I AM VERY HAPPY THAT THIS BOARD SUPPORTED THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. OUR COMMUNITY'S LUCKY TO HAVE IT, LUCKY TO HAVE YOU, AND DEFINITELY, YOU'RE A GREAT RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT. SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. IT'S MY PLEASURE TO KNOW YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR THOSE KIND WORDS, AND AGAIN, I THANK ALL OF YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: MS. LISI, FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND MY FAMILY LOOKS FORWARD TO GOING TO LION KING IN A COUPLE MONTHS. >> AND JERSEY BOYS. WE'RE THE ONLY FLORIDA ENGAGEMENT OF JERSEY BOYS, FIVE WEEKS, OVER 100,000 PEOPLE FROM 40 DIFFERENT STATES AND THREE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. THANK YOU. >>MARK SHARPE: I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION. WHEN IS -- IS WICKED COMING BACK? >> YES. WICKED IS COMING BACK, NOT '8-'9, BUT '9-'10. >>MARK SHARPE: MY ENTIRE FAMILY WENT TO THAT. THEY LOVED IT. THEY'RE ALREADY READY TO SEE IT AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. >> THANK YOU. JUST ONE CLOSING REMARK. WE'RE ABLE TO GET THE BEST OF THESE SHOWS BECAUSE OF OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY, AND WE WANT TO KEEP THAT COMPETITIVE EDGE HERE FROM TAMPA, NOT THAT WE DON'T LOVE OUR OTHER PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS IN OTHER COUNTIES, BUT OURS IN THE BEST. WE WANT TO KEEP IT THE BEST. THANKS. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. LISI. E-2. >>PAT BEAN: YES. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION NOW BY DAVID ARMIJO, AND THIS IS REGARDING THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROGRAM THAT HARTLINE IS WORKING ON. WELCOME, DAVID. >>DAVID ARMIJO: GOOD MORNING. >>PAT BEAN: HOW ARE YOU? >>DAVID ARMIJO: I'M GOOD. NOW, I DON'T HAVE A JERSEY BOYS TYPE OF PRESENTATION HERE, SO I WON'T EVEN TRY TO DO THAT. AND I WON'T DO THE BUSH-McCAIN THING WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THEM TO COME HERE. BUSH HAS BEEN DOING VERY WELL WITH HIS DANCING, SO I'M NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS THAT, SO IF YOU'LL BEAR WITH US FOR JUST A SECOND. AUDIO-VISUAL ALWAYS WORKS BEST, SO BEAR WITH US JUST A SECOND HERE. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. LET ME GET THIS DOWN PAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DAVID ARMIJO, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR HART, OUR HILLSBOROUGH AREA REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. I'M HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT WITH YOU, A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE. AS YOU-ALL MIGHT RECALL, DURING THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, CERTAINLY COMMISSIONER HAGAN'S COMMITTEE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION IN THIS REGION. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IN THIS MONTH WE'RE NOW COMING FORWARD WITH A PROJECT THAT WILL CERTAINLY BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CORRIDOR STUDY THAT'S LOOKING AT IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR HILLSBOROUGH IS THAT WE'RE SUCH A LARGE REGION, OVER 1100 SQUARE MILES. TRYING TO MOVE PEOPLE THROUGH THIS REGION IS QUITE DAUNTING. UNLIKE A LOT OF OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY OR EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY IF YOU LOOK AT PINELLAS WHERE YOU HAVE A VERY DENSELY POPULATED AND A LITTLE SMALLER COUNTY, YOU HAVE MORE OF A RADIAL TYPE NETWORK OF A GRID SYSTEM. WE HAVE EVERYTHING PRETTY WELL SPREAD OUT, SO WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO WITH THIS CORRIDOR STUDY IS TO SPECIFICALLY NARROW DOWN OUR FOCUS TO TRY TO MAKE TRANSIT A LITTLE MORE COMPETITIVE, AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS OUR BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROGRAM, WHICH IS A SPECIFIC MODE OF SERVICE TO TRY TO MOVE BUSES VERY QUICKLY OR PEOPLE MUCH LIKE A RAIL SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY BUSES FASTER AND QUICKER, AND LET ME GET INTO A COUPLE OF THE CORRIDORS. SPECIFICALLY THIS STUDY IS TALKING ABOUT TWO KEY CENTRAL CORRIDORS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THE FIRST CORRIDOR IS OUR FLETCHER AND NEBRASKA CORRIDOR. THIS IS A REALLY CRITICAL CORRIDOR. IT'S OUR NUMBER 2 NEBRASKA LINE. IT CARRIES ONE MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR ALONG THIS CORRIDOR ON ONE BUS ROUTE. IF YOU TAKE ALL THE BUS ROUTS ALONG THIS CORRIDORS IT'S A LITTLE OVER TWO MILLION PEOPLE TRANSPORTATED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS THIS INCLUDES EVERYTHING ALONG THE UNIVERSITY AREA ALL THE WAY INTO DOWNTOWN IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH. OUR SECONDARY CORRIDOR I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TODAY IS OUR EAST-WEST CORRIDOR WHICH IS HILLSBOROUGH, MARTIN LUTHER KING, AND ALONG TO SPRUCE STREET. WHAT'S REALLY CRITICAL ABOUT THIS ONE IS WE'RE WORKING NOW ON CONNECTING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO PINELLAS COUNTY. WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AS WELL. FROM THIS MAP, WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE VERBALLY. IN THE GREEN IS THE NORTH-SOUTH LINE THAT COMES INTO DOWNTOWN, WHERE WE ARE HERE TODAY AT OUR MARION TRANSIT CENTER JUST DOWN THE STREET. WORKS ITS WAY ALL THE WAY NORTH ON NEBRASKA, THEN EAST ALONG FLETCHER. THIS WAS THE ROUT THAT I WAS MENTIONING, OUR ROUTE NUMBER 2. IT CARRIES ABOUT A MILLION PASSENGERS A YEAR. THE ROUTE THAT IS IN PURPLE IS THE EAST-WEST ROUTE. AS YOU'LL NOTICE, THIS ONE DOES A LITTLE BIT OF A MOVEMENT ON THE LINE AS IT GOES EAST AND WEST, NORTH AND SOUTH AT DIFFERENT POINTS, BUT THE MAIN POINT OF VIEW HERE IS TO TRY TO GET TO THE AIRPORT. IT'S A MAJOR ARTERIAL. IT WILL CONNECT AT SPRUCE STREET TO A NEW TRANSIT CENTER FACILITY WE'RE GOING TO BE IN THE DEVELOPMENT MODE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. THAT WILL BECOME A REGIONAL HUB WITH PINELLAS COUNTY, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE CONNECTIONS FROM CLEARWATER AND ST. PETE TO THIS POINT, AND WE'RE TALKING OUR EXPRESS LINES THAT WE CAN COME IN HERE FROM THOSE AREAS THAT WILL THEN CONNECT TO THIS BUS RAPID TRANSIT. SO SPECIFICALLY WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT HERE? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE HERE? AND WHAT I WANT TO SHOW YOU ARE SOME SLIDES. NOW, THESE ARE SPECIFICALLY PHOTOS OF A BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT I MANAGED WHEN I WAS IN LOS ANGELES BEFORE I CAME HERE IN THE LAST YEAR. THOSE ARE WHAT THEY CALL THEIR RED METRO RAPID BUS LINES. WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS THESE BUS RAPID TRANSITS OPERATE IN MIXED MODE WITH OTHER BUSES, BUT THEY OPERATE AT A MUCH HIGHER FREQUENCY OF SERVICE, 10- AND 15-MINUTE FREQUENCIES. WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ALLOWS A LOT MORE RELIABILITY OF SERVICE, PEOPLE CAN JUST WALK TO A STOP AND KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A BUS COMING EVERY TEN MINUTES AND MOVE ALONG. THIS ALSO CONNECTS TO OUR MAJOR PARK-AND-RIDES, AS I ILLUSTRATED A MOMENT AGO TO THE TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT MAKES THIS A BETTER SYSTEM THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE ENGINEERING STAFFS WITHIN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF TAMPA SO THAT WHEN THE BUSES COME INTO THESE MAJOR CROSS POINTS, THEY'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY GET WHAT WE CALL SIGNAL PRIORITY. WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS WILL BE EXTENDED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS TO ALLOW THE BUSES TO GO THROUGH. THERE'LL BE FEWER BUS STOPS, THE BUSES WILL ACTUALLY BE FAR SIDE SO THEY CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, MAKE THEIR PICKUPS, AND GO FORWARD. WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN LOS ANGELES, ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST SIDE OF LOS ANGELES, IS THAT AS PEOPLE START TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THESE NEW BUSES AND THEY'RE BRANDED THAT WAY, THEY ACTUALLY GET BEHIND THE BUSES BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE BUSES ARE GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. THE BUS PULLS OVER, THEY PICK UP THE RIDERS, AND MIXED-FLOW TRAFFIC GOES RIGHT ON THROUGH, SO IT'S A VERY GOOD MAJOR BETWEEN THE TWO. WHAT DO THE VEHICLES LOOK LIKE? HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT SILVER LINE THAT'S IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. IT'S A LARGE ARTICULATED BUS, AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE STOPS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I'M GOING TO SHOW THAT IN A MOMENT. WE ALSO WILL HAVE WHAT WE CALL NEXT STOP DISPLAY, AND OF COURSE, AS I SAID BEFORE, DISTINCTIVE BRANDING. THESE WILL NOT BE THE REGULAR BUSES YOU'LL SEE. SOME OF THE DISPLAY IS THAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SEE AT THESE MAJOR STOPS WHEN THE BUS IS COMING, SO WHILE THEY MAY BE COMING EVERY TEN OR 15 MINUTES, IT WILL ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A WINDOW OF THE NEXT THREE MINUTES WHEN THAT BUS IS GOING TO BE THERE, FOR EXAMPLE. YOU'LL HAVE SHELTERS, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE TICKET VENDING MACHINES TO BE ABLE TO BUY YOUR PASSES OFF THE BUS AS WELL. CURRENTLY THIS PROJECT HAS GOT FUNDING OF ABOUT $44.5 MILLION. MUCH OF THAT COMES FROM THE COUNTY. THAT WHAT I WAS ILLUSTRATING EARLIER. THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT WE'LL BE TYING INTO WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS; HOWEVER, THE PROJECT DOES NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE VEHICLES AS WELL AS THE SERVICE ITSELF, AND THAT'S WHERE THE FUNDING GAP IS RIGHT NOW. IT'S 23.2 MILLION, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TARGETING A NUMBER OF FUNDS, EVERYTHING FROM ANNUAL EARMARKS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WE'RE GOING TO PURSUE A NEW -- FEDERAL NEW STARTS PROGRAM THIS CALENDAR YEAR TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME ADDITIONAL MONIES THERE. WE'VE BEEN GIVEN SOME POSITIVE COMMUNICATION FROM OUR REGIONAL OFFICE IN ATLANTA. WE BELIEVE THERE'S GOOD OPPORTUNITY THERE. AND WE'LL ALSO BE SEEKING SOME ADDITIONAL STATE INTERMODAL SYSTEM MONEY. THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS IS WE'LL BE COMING -- ACTUALLY WE JUST APPROVED BY OUR BOARD AT HART YESTERDAY THIS PROCESS TO MOVE FORWARD, AND SO WE'RE NOW MOVING TO THE NEXT STEP, WHICH WILL BE DESIGN ENGINEERING DURING THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS TO WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS. OUR HOPE WOULD BE TO GO INTO CONSTRUCTION AND CONTRACTING BY NEXT YEAR. THIS IS A MAJOR PROJECT THAT WE'LL CERTAINLY BE LOOKING AT A LOT OF JOBS THAT WILL BE TIED TO THIS PROJECT AS WE GO INTO THE END OF '09 CALENDAR YEAR. WHAT WE DO HAVE A SHORTFALL NOW THAT'S KIND OF NEW TO US THAT HAS EMERGED AS A RESULT OF AMENDMENT 1 IS THAT HART WILL BE TAKING A $4-MILLION REDUCTION IN ITS OPERATING FUNDS THIS COMING YEAR IN '09 AS A RESULT OF THOSE REDUCTIONS IN COSTS. THAT'S GOING TO LEAVE US WITH THIS SHORTFALL THAT YOU SEE UP THERE, OUR NORTH-SOUTH CORRIDOR IS GOING TO BE SHORT ABOUT 1.4 MILLION, AND WE'RE SHORT ABOUT 2.5 MILLION ON THE EAST-WEST CORRIDOR. WHAT WE'LL BE DOING IN THE COURSE OF THE YEAR IN WORKING WITH THE HART BOARD IS SOME DESIGN ENGINEERING. WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT RESTRUCTURING SOME OF OUR SERVICES, STAFFING, AND SOME OTHER THINGS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO FIND A WAY TO HANDLE THAT SHORTFALL, BUT I DID WANT TO BRING THIS TO THIS BOARD. I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE ONE LAST SLIDE WITH YOU, WHERE WE ARE TODAY, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING. ULTIMATELY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH THE BRT IS IMPROVING PERFORMANCE BY ABOUT 20% FASTER AND ABOUT 20% MORE RIDERSHIP ON THOSE LINES. CURRENTLY IN THE FIRST 90 DAYS OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE UP ALMOST 9% ON OUR RIDERSHIP BASE. THAT INCLUDES WEEKDAY SERVICES AND ALSO ABOUT 30% ON OUR PARATRANSIT SERVICE. NOW, THE HART BOARD HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING SOME COSTS THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THE COST SAVINGS OF SALARIES AND STAFF AND WE'RE PUTTING IN SOME -- ACTUALLY ADDITIONAL SERVICE HOURS ON THE WEEKENDS ALONG THIS MAJOR CORRIDOR THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT THIS MONTH, SO THE RIDERSHIP IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I ANTICIPATE WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE RIDERSHIP GAINS FROM THIS POINT. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, DAVID. COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING ON THE BOARD WITH OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MR. ARMIJO, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, AGAIN, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THAT YOU'VE COME ON THE BOARD IN VERY STRONG FASHION WITH A VERY STRONG LEADERSHIP AND A VISION TO GET PEOPLE ON -- RIDING THE BUS, AND ONE OF THEM IS THE BRT. I HAD A GROUP OF FOLKS FROM PATEL WHO WERE TALKING ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT IS THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE RAPIDLY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY, AND ONE OF THE ROUTES IS ONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, TRYING TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM TEMPLE TERRACE ULTIMATELY, AND IN FACT -- COULD YOU ELABORATE THE PLAN THAT WILL AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE TAKE PEOPLE FROM TEMPLE TERRACE TO TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT? >>DAVID ARMIJO: WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN SHOW UNLESS THAT SLIDE GOES BACK UP. WHAT THAT'S BASICALLY GOING TO DO IS YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET -- GET THE MAP BACK UP THERE. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET FROM TEMPLE TERRACE -- YOU CAN SEE IN THE MIDDLE OF THERE -- WITHIN ABOUT A 30-MINUTE WINDOW, MAYBE 35, 40 MINUTES DURING PEAK HOURS, TO THE INTERNATIONAL, AND WHAT THAT'S SIGNIFICANTLY GOING TO DO, ESPECIALLY WITH 10- AND 15-MINUTE FREQUENCIES IS ALLOW PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE AROUND. THE ONE PART THAT YOU'RE MISSING FROM THIS -- AND I'M SORRY FOR THIS [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] FOCUS ON THAT -- IS WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE WESTSHORE AREA. WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE WESTSHORE ALLIANCE ON A SHUTTLE PROGRAM IN THAT AREA. WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO IS GET PEOPLE TO THE POINT WHERE YOU GET TO WORK AND LEAVE YOUR CAR PARKED. SO WE'RE TRYING TO ATTACK THIS FROM TWO VANTAGE POINTS. ONCE YOU'RE THERE, TAKE ANOTHER MODE OF TRANSIT, YOU KNOW, COUPLE YOUR TRIPS UP WITH YOUR WORK FRIENDS FOR LUNCH, GO TO SHOPPING, DO WHATEVER YOU GOT TO DO. WE KNOW TRANSIT IS NOT GOING TO CAPTURE EVERY TRIP. OUR GOAL IS TO BECOME AN AVENUE OF SOURCES WHERE PEOPLE TAKE THE SERVICES. WHAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW WITH THE ELASTICITY OF PRICE IS WE'RE SEEING MORE RIDERSHIP. I MEAN, I'D LOVE TO SAY WE'RE DOING AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB, AND I KNOW WE ARE, AND A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE INVESTMENT WE MADE WITH LATE-NIGHT SERVICE AND WEEKENDS AND SO ON, BUT THE REALITY IS WE'RE ATTRACTING RIDERSHIP BECAUSE IT'S COST-EFFECTIVE. MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO USE IT. I ANTICIPATE DURING THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO UP. IN FACT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HECK OF A TIME GOING INTO NEXT YEAR IF WE'RE STARTING TO CUT SERVICE WITH ALL THIS RIDERSHIP. SO THE REALITY IS WHEN WE START TO PULL TOGETHER THESE DIFFERENT MARKETPLACES AND TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE OPTIONS, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE SERVICE. >>MARK SHARPE: SO THE EFFORT BY MR. ROTELLA AND OTHERS FOR THE WESTSHORE ALLIANCE, THAT IS MOVING FORWARD? >>DAVID ARMIJO: YES, THAT IS. WE ANTICIPATE HAVING SOMETHING ON THE GROUND BY THE END OF NEXT CALENDAR YEAR. >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF OTHER ITEMS TO DISCUSS, BUT I JUST WANTS THE TO SAY THAT COMMISSIONER BLAIR OFTEN TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF AGENCIES RUNNING THEMSELVES LIKE A BUSINESS, AND I WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU'VE COME IN WITH A VERY SHARP BUSINESS ACUMEN. I THINK YOU'VE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN THE SHORT TIME YOU'VE BEEN HERE, AND IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE YOU WITH ON THE HART BOARD. >>DAVID ARMIJO: THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHARPE. DAVID, I THINK YOU'VE BEEN A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. WE ALL DO MISS RAY AND WE PRAY FOR HIS FAMILY STILL, AND I CAN'T HELP BUT TALKING ABOUT HART AND NOT MENTIONING RAY MILLER. WE ALL LOVED HIM VERY MUCH, BUT THIS IS A NEW TIME, NEW DAY, AND YOU'RE DOING A FABULOUS JOB. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO -- THE BOARD APPOINTED ME TO LEAD THE HART STUDY GROUP, AND JOHN DAUSMAN WAS JUST FABULOUS. HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN MANY OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND ONE OF OUR TOP RECOMMENDATIONS WAS THE BRT. NOW THAT WE'VE ARRIVED AND WE'RE FINDING FUNDING BECAUSE OF COMMISSIONER HAGAN'S LEADING THE CHARGE FOR MORE DOLLARS FOR TRANSPORTATION, WE -- WE'RE GLAD THAT WE ARE FINALLY LOOKING AT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE AFTER ALL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE RIDERS, YOU'VE GOT TO GET RIDERS USED TO RIDING THE BUSES, AND THIS IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S -- THERE WAS A $900,000 DISCUSSION OF CMAQ MONEY BEING USED FOR THE STREETCAR. >>DAVID ARMIJO: UH-HUH. >>BRIAN BLAIR: THAT MOTION FAILED, I GUESS, AT ONE TIME, AND IT WAS BROUGHT BACK YESTERDAY. WOULD THOSE DOLLARS -- CAN THOSE DOLLARS BE USED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION FOR BUS SERVICE OR HARD COSTS? >>DAVID ARMIJO: THE CMAQ DOLLARS ARE A VERY INTERESTING FUNDING SOURCE. IN FACT, THIS IS THE LAST -- THE GOOD NEWS IS WE DON'T GET CMAQ DOLLARS ANYMORE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT GOOD AIR QUALITY. >>BRIAN BLAIR: RIGHT. EXACTLY. WE KNOW THAT. >>DAVID ARMIJO: THAT'S A GOOD USE. HOWEVER, THE NATURE OF THEM, CONGESTION MITIGATION, IS THAT THEY'RE USED TO REDUCE AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS AND IMPACTS. TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO DO IT IN A MEASURABLE WAY. THERE'S A PROCESS FOR THAT. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS, IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR NEW SERVICES OR EXPANDED SERVICES IN ORDER TO REDUCE THOSE MITIGATION MEASURES, SO YES, IT CAN BE USED FOR TRANSIT, IT CAN BE USED FOR MANY OF THE THINGS, AND SPECIFICALLY THE BRT WOULD CERTAINLY QUALIFY. >>BRIAN BLAIR: YEAH, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE USED FOR BUS SYSTEM BECAUSE THIS IS A POOL OF TAX DOLLARS -- THE TAX DOLLARS RIGHT NOW ARE -- WE'RE AT A SHORTFALL, YOU SAID, $4 MILLION APPROXIMATELY, AND THEN YOU NEED 22 MILLION TO COMPLETE -- >>DAVID ARMIJO: WELL, WE'RE EARLY IN THE GAME, BUT IT'S ABOUT FOUR MILLION THAT WE ESTIMATE BASED ON A NUMBER OF CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THE AMENDMENT 1. >>BRIAN BLAIR: RIGHT. AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS BOARD WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE THAT THOSE DOLLARS BE USED FOR THIS PROGRAM AND NOT USED FOR THE STREETCAR PROGRAM, WHICH IS MORE OF A TOURIST -- IT TAKES TOURISTS -- MAYBE THEY LIKE TO USE IT, BUT BUS -- THE BUSES ARE -- IF YOU RANK THINGS IN IMPORTANCE, WHICH I'M SURE YOU DO AS A BUSINESSMAN, WHICH YOU DEFINITELY ARE, I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYTHING TAKE AWAY FROM THE DOLLARS, THE PRECIOUS DOLLARS THAT WE NEED FOR THIS BUS SYSTEM, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD TAKE THE LEAD IN THAT MATTER AND NOT LET THAT $900,000 SLIP AWAY SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT -- WHICH MAY FALL ON A WHITE ELEPHANT RATHER THAN BEING USED FOR HARDCORE, GOOD BUS TRANSPORTATION. >>DAVID ARMIJO: THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE DID HAVE A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION YESTERDAY AT OUR HART BOARD. I'VE ALSO SPOKEN TO SOME CITY STAFF. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING WITH THE THS BOARD AND STAFF AND TOMORROW WITH MY STAFF. ONE OF THE -- THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT COMES THROUGH SOME TOUGH DISCUSSIONS IS NEW ALTERNATIVES, AND THERE IS A PLAN OR DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE NOW BEGINNING THAT MIGHT COME FORWARD TO THE HART BOARD WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. MY GOAL AT THAT MEETING WILL CERTAINLY BE TO PROVIDE OPTIONS. THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BEST PART OF THE CONVERSATION IS WHAT OPTIONS DO WE HAVE? WHAT'S ON THE TABLE? THERE'S A NUMBER OF RESOURCES, AND IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN TO A DECISION PROCESS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, OF COURSE, IS WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE MONEY, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S PROMPTED THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU. >>BRIAN BLAIR: AND MY LAST COMMENT, PLEASE, IS THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT -- AGAIN, EVEN IF IT CAME TO A VOTE BY THIS BOARD, SINCE WE'RE GOING TO GIVE UP PUBLIC DOLLARS, THAT WE'RE NOT COMPENSATING FOR THAT $900,000 WITH PUBLIC DOLLARS BECAUSE -- >>DAVID ARMIJO: I UNDERSTAND. >>BRIAN BLAIR: -- WE -- THEN I WOULD BRING UP AN AGENDA -- A VOTE FOR $900,000 OF LESS TO BE USED FOR ANOTHER SERVICE, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY OR SOMETHING ELSE. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. ARMIJO, I WAS SITTING HERE TRYING TO AVOID THE TEMPTATION OF SAYING I TOLD YOU SO. I WANT TO ECHO MR. SHARPE'S WORDS, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY LUCKY TO HAVE YOU AS A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF HART, AND FROM THINGS GOING SOUR CAME A GOOD THING, SO I CERTAINLY WAS SUPPORTIVE OF YOU FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW THAT, AND I SMILE WHEN I SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING -- >>DAVID ARMIJO: THANK YOU. >>ROSE FERLITA: -- AND YOUR WONDERFUL LEADERSHIP. IN REFERENCE TO MR. BLAIR, JUST ON GENERAL POLICIES, CERTAINLY YOUR LEADERSHIP ALLOWS A VERY DEMOCRATIC PROCESS ON THE BOARD, AS IT SHOULD BE, SO I THINK OUR CONVERSATION WAS -- YESTERDAY WAS HEALTHY, IT WAS MATURE, IT WAS VERY BROAD SPECTRUM, AND THE BOARD WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP IN THOSE TWO WEEKS. AND REGARDLESS OF WHERE THAT GOES, THAT CERTAINLY IS NOT REFLECTIVE OF ANY SHORTFALL IN YOUR LEADERSHIP, THAT'S THE PROCESS THE BOARD DECIDES, BUT JUST AS A GENERAL COMMENT -- I DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST OF REASONS WHY I'M HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE, BUT I AM DEFINITELY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE, AND THANKS FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AGAIN. >>DAVID ARMIJO: I APPRECIATE THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE WITH ONE LAST STATEMENT BECAUSE I CAME IN TALKING ABOUT BRT. THERE WERE A NUMBER ISSUES THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING. I'M CATCHING UP WITH SOME OF THE FORMER TAPES, AND I DO SPEND SOME QUALITY EVENINGS WATCHING YOUR BUDGET PROCESS, SO I'M LEARNING THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT YOU VIEW AS IMPORTANT, WHICH IS TO REPRESENT YOUR COMMUNITY, SO I'LL LEAVE THIS WITH THE FACT THAT THOSE DEFICIENCIES, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN IN OUR PAST, WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE. WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THOSE, I'M TALKING ABOUT ACCESSIBLE STOPS. WE HAVE A PLAN. WE DID APPROVE A PACKAGE YESTERDAY THAT WILL LOOK INTO BRINGING ALL STOPS 100% INTO ADA COMPLIANCE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, FASTER IF WE GET MORE MONEY. THERE ARE OTHER AVENUES, OTHER DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE JUST BEGINNING AS WE GO FORWARD. I DO BELIEVE THAT ALTHOUGH WE'RE IN A FINANCIALLY CHALLENGED TIME, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T COME UP WITH SOME CRITICAL IDEAS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE'S STILL POCKETS OF MONEY OUT THERE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TAPPED INTO. WE'RE GOING TO TAP INTO THOSE. WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AGAIN WITH FURTHER UPDATES AND SUPPORT AS WE NEED IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR, I WANT TO TELL YOU I APPRECIATE YOUR STRONG STANCE ON THIS STUFF. I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE HEADING, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TRYING TO FACILITATE AND STRENGTHEN OUR BUS SYSTEM. I WANT TO TELL YOU, OVER THE YEARS I'VE BEEN A VERY STRONG ADVOCATE OF HART AND THE BUS SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO GET A REACH-OUT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA. IF YOU-ALL RECALL, AT ONE OF OUR WORKSHOPS WITH HART I EVEN TRIED TO GET A NETWORK OF BUSES, AND WE APPROVED AN ADDITIONAL 750,000 AS THE FIRST LEG TO -- HOPEFULLY MULTIPLE LEGS THAT WOULD GO OUT AND HELP. I DON'T KNOW -- I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE 750, I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT ADDITIONAL LINES, AND TO NOW DO THIS $900 SHELL GAME CONCERNS ME, UNLESS IT'S VERY DOCUMENTED THAT WE WOULD LOSE THE MONEY IF WE COULDN'T APPROPRIATE IT. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT I SEE THAT WE WOULD POTENTIALLY MOVE IT IF IT WOULD BE LOST, BUT I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, I'M STRONGLY BEHIND YOU, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK. >>BRIAN BLAIR: THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. ARMIJO, FOR COMING IN. COMMISSIONER SHARPE, AND THEN WE'LL -- NEXT ITEM. RUNNING BEHIND. >>MARK SHARPE: WE'RE RUNNING BEHIND. I'M DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO DISCUSS THE DISCUSSION WE HAD YESTERDAY, WHICH WAS -- WHICH WENT ON FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, AND I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT HAVING TO MAKE PRIORITIES AND HAVING -- AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SYSTEMS OUT THERE -- >>JIM NORMAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE, LET ME ALSO JUST STEP IN AND SAY I APPRECIATE WHAT I READ ALSO ABOUT YOUR POSITION. I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY GOOD THAT YOU STEPPED UP ALSO WITH COMMISSIONER BLAIR IN DOING IT, AND I APPRECIATE IT. >>MARK SHARPE: RIGHT, AND I APPRECIATE IT, BUT JUST SO FOLKS UNDERSTAND AS WELL, MY ARGUMENT WAS -- I MEAN, YOU CAN MAKE A NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS -- CMAQ AND SHOULD CMAQ DOLLARS BE USED FOR THE RAIL -- FOR THE TROLLEY OR FOR THE BUS SERVICE, AND I MADE THE CASE THAT I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE USED FOR BUS SERVICE, BUT -- AND THIS IS WHERE I WRESTLE, AND WE CAN LEAVE IT FOR ANOTHER DAY -- HAVING SAID ALL THOSE THINGS, A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT HAS BEEN MADE IN THAT SYSTEM, AND THERE'S A -- A NEW PHASE THAT THEY WANT TO ADD TO IT WHICH THEY THINK WILL ADD INCREMENTALLY TO THE RIDERSHIP AND BE OF USE, AND, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS IS THE TOOL THAT WE USE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SUPER BOWL, PEOPLE COMING DOWN HERE. IT'S A GREAT TOURISM -- AND I AGREE WITH YOU. THAT'S WHAT WE KEPT SAYING, IT'S TOURISM. WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS WE CAN USE TOURISM DOLLARS TO SUPPORT IT. I THINK IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE FOR US TO GO BACK TO THE OLD DAYS OF PITTING ONE SYSTEM AGAINST ANOTHER AND FIGHTING. I THINK THERE'S A WAY FOR US, AND THAT'S WHAT I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU STEPPED IN WITH SOLUTIONS AND YOU'VE COME IN HERE AND TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO IMPROVE THE RIDERSHIP AND YOU'RE GOING TO NOT ABANDON ANY ONE SYSTEM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU ARE MAKING TOUGH PRIORITIES, AND YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER NORMAN. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, DAVID. B-1. >>PAT BEAN: YES, COMMISSIONERS. ITEM B-1 IS SCHEDULE FOR -- WAS SCHEDULED FOR 10:45. THAT IS THE AUDIT REPORT REGARDING PARKS AND RECREATION AND CONSERVATION, AND IT'S PRESENTED BY DAN POHTO. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING, DAN. >>DAN POHTO: GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS, CHAIRMAN. DAN POHTO, DIRECTOR OF COUNTY AUDIT WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE. I'M PRESENTING TODAY AN AUDIT OF THE PARKS, RECREATION, AND CONSERVATION'S CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES AREA. THERE'S SOME INTERESTING ITEMS IN HERE, BOTH FROM FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. >>KEN HAGAN: DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECEIVE THE REPORT. >>ROSE FERLITA: MOVE TO RECEIVE THE REPORT. >>BRIAN BLAIR: SECOND. >>JIM NORMAN: LONG-RANGE IS MY CONCERN BECAUSE OF THE THINGS YOU JUST NOTED IN OUR FUTURE. WE'VE JUST LOST OUR MAINTENANCE. WE HAVE NO MAINTENANCE DOLLARS ANY LONGER, AND FOR OUR ASSETS TO GO UNADDRESSED, I'VE A LONG-TERM CONCERN, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT AS THE RECORD. THAT IS A -- FOR THE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE'VE INVESTED OUT THERE, TO HAVE NO MAINTENANCE ALLOCATED TOWARDS THOSE IS A REALLY CONCERN, SO -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: I ECHO THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. MOTION TO RECEIVE THE REPORT BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>DAN POHTO: THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: MS. BEAN, BEFORE WE GET TO F-1, THE 11:00 TIME CERTAIN, BECAUSE THAT DISCUSSION MAY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE, I'D LIKE TO -- I KNOW WE HAVE SEVERAL FIREFIGHTERS IN THE AUDIENCE. I'D LIKE TO ASK COMMISSIONER FERLITA IF THAT WILL BE A LENGTHY DISCUSSION, IF WE CAN POTENTIALLY TAKE THAT UP NOW. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND I'D LIKE THAT SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK AFTER LUNCH. THAT'S FINE, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I CAN START ON THAT ITEM. OBVIOUSLY WE ALL READ WHAT HAPPENED AND THE DETAILS THAT WENT WITH IT. THE REASON I BROUGHT THIS UP FOR OUR LISTENING AUDIENCE IS -- AND LET ME CLARIFY THIS BEFORE ANYBODY OVERREACTS TO THE REASON I BROUGHT IT UP. I'M WELL AWARE OF THE FACT AND I RESPECT THE FACT THAT PAT BEAN IS RESPONSIBLE -- OR EVERYBODY'S RESPONSIBLE TO PAT IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEES, AND THEN I GUESS THE WAY THAT GOES IS BASED ON CHARTER, THEN YOU AND MS. LEE AND THE IPA -- AUDITOR ANSWER TO US, AND THAT'S FINE. AND LET ME JUST SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT -- AND NOBODY NEEDS TO BE ANYBODY ELSE'S JUDGE AND JURY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE, AND THAT IS A PERSONAL ISSUE FOR CHIEF NESMITH, AND THAT'S FINE. THE SYSTEM WILL TAKES ITS COURSE, AND THEN ONCE THAT HAPPENS, I SUSPECT, PAT, THAT YOU WILL MAKE WHATEVER DECISIONS YOU MAKE IN YOUR CAPACITY AS THE ADMINISTRATOR. THAT JUST -- IT PALES TO THE