CAPTIONING
OCTOBER 23, 2009
CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

***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.

>>KAY DOUGHTY:  WELCOME TO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE 
TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
JAKE, WOULD YOU LEAD US, PLEASE.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
DEBORAH, WOULD YOU PLEASE LET OUR AUDIENCE KNOW WHAT THE 
CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE DOES.
>>DEBORAH COPE:  SURE.
THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMITTEE IS TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE 
COUNTY ISSUES AS REQUESTED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY 
COMMISSIONERS OR BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
WE ALSO INITIATE PROPOSALS AND FORWARD THEM TO THE BOARD OF 
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND NOW I'D LIKE OUR MEMBERS TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND 
LET FOLKS KNOW WHICH COMMISSIONER APPOINTED THEM.
JENNIFER.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  GOOD MORNING.
I'M JENNIFER CLOSSHEY, AND AL HIGGINBOTHAM IS MY APPOINTER.
>>JAY VICKERS:  JAY VICKERS, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER KEN 
HAGAN.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  JAKE PIASCIK, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER 
HIGGINBOTHAM.
>>DEBORAH COPE:  DEBORAH COPE, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER 
BECKNER.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  KAY DOUGHTY, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER MARK 
SHARPE.
>>BEA BLACK:  GOOD MORNING.
BEA BLACK, APPOINTED BY ROSE FERLITA.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  GOOD MORNING.
GAYE TOWNSEND, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER MARK SHARPE.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  WE ARE NOT A QUORUM AS YET, SO WE WILL HOLD 
OFF ON APPROVING THE RECAP UNTIL OUR OTHER MEMBERS ARRIVE.
I DO NOT SEE ANYONE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, SO WE'LL MOVE 
RIGHT IN TO OUR FIRST PRESENTER.
AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME DR. EARL LENNARD, WHO IS 
NOW THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
AS PROBABLY ALL OF YOU KNOW, DR. LENNARD WAS SUPERINTENDENT 
OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR MANY YEARS, 
AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH HIS ENTIRE BIO, BUT I DO 
JUST WANT -- BECAUSE WE ARE INVOLVED WITH LOOKING AT MAKING 
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AWARDS -- TO NOTE TO YOU THAT IN 2009 
HE WAS RECOGNIZED WITH THE ELLSWORTH G. SIMMONS GOOD 
GOVERNMENT AWARD, SO WELCOME, DR. LENNARD, AND IF YOU COULD 
JUST LET US KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ELECTIONS 
OFFICE.
>>EARL LENNARD:  WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIRMAN, 
AND THANK EACH OF YOU FOR ALLOWING ME BE HERE AND TAKE A 
FEW MOMENTS JUST TO BRING YOU UP-TO-DATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON 
IN THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OFFICE.
AS EACH OF YOU KNOW, WE'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE -- THREE 
MONTHS AGO A VERY TRAGIC -- VERY TRAGIC OCCURRENCE WITH THE 
DEATH OF PHYLLIS BUSANSKY, THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS AT 
THAT TIME, AND THE GOVERNOR IN FILLING THAT POSITION SO 
THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUSINESS OF THE OFFICE 
WAS KIND ENOUGH TO APPOINT ME AS THE INTERIM SUPERVISOR OF 
ELECTIONS UNTIL THE NOVEMBER 8 -- NOVEMBER 2nd, EXCUSE ME, 
ELECTIONS.
AND DURING THAT TIME WE HAVE MOVED FORWARD TO ENSURE THAT -
- THAT THE SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD 
AND THAT WE WILL BE READY AND THE ELECTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE 
AND TAKE PLACE WITHOUT A HITCH.
IN FACT, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE 
OFFICE THAT WE BELIEVE WILL STRENGTHEN OUR ABILITY TO HAVE 
AN ELECTION THAT WILL BE AS NEAR AS IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE 
FLAWLESS, AND IF I COULD JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND INDICATE 
SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT I THINK YOU AND OTHER MEMBERS OF 
OUR -- OF OUR CITIZENS HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN AND BY 
THAT -- BY THOSE WHO HAVE ASKED ME SOME QUESTIONS AND WHO 
HAVE ENGAGED ME IN CONVERSATION OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, I'VE 
BEEN ABLE TO GAUGE SOME OF THE INTEREST.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE FISCAL 
ISSUES SURROUNDING THE SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE AND WHAT HAVE 
YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT TO YOU VERY PLEASED -- WE'RE VERY 
PLEASED TO SAY THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE'RE IN A VERY STRONG 
FISCAL POSITION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ELECTIONS.
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO 
SCRUTINIZE OUR -- OUR BUDGET.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE INPUT BACK TO THE BUDGETARY 
OFFICE, AND AS OF THE END OF THIS YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO 
RETURN SOME OF THE DOLLARS THAT WERE NOT USED, NEARLY A 
HALF A MILLION DOLLARS THAT WERE NOT USED BY VIRTUE OF SOME 
OF THE SAVINGS WE'VE HAD.
BUT THAT'S BASED UPON -- IF WE ALL REMEMBER TOO -- I MEAN, 
I KNOW SOMETIMES WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO HAVE SHORT MEMORIES, 
BUT I DO REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS AN AMOUNT OF MONEY ALSO 
THAT WAS GRANTED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO 
COVER SOME PRIOR COSTS OF EQUIPMENT PARTICULARLY.
I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT THAT HAS BEEN DONE, AND WE STILL WERE 
ABLE TO RETURN SOME MONIES BACK TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY 
COMMISSIONERS.
WITH THAT, WE ARE HAVING AN ELECTION, AND AUGUST THE 24th 
WILL BE THE PRIMARY, 2010, AND THEN NOVEMBER 2nd IS OUR 
GENERAL ELECTION IN THE 2010 YEAR, AND WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR 
THAT.
WE'RE VERY KEEN IN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN 
REDUCE THE BUDGET, WE CAN KEEP THE BUDGET AS -- AS OPEN, 
TRANSPARENT, AND WE CAN KEEP IT AS ECONOMICALLY 
ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE TAXPAYER AS IS POSSIBLE.
THAT JUST GOES TO SAY THAT I HAVE A -- I HAVE A REPUTATION 
FOR BEING SOMEWHAT -- I'M GOING TO CALL IT ECONOMICAL.
MY WIFE AND KIDS SAY I'M CHEAP.
OTHERS THAT KNOW ME KNOW I'M TRYING TO SPEND EVERY DOLLAR 
LIKE IT WAS OUR LAST DOLLAR, AND SO WE ARE -- WE ARE 
PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE AUDITS AND THE OTHER ANALYSES 
THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE CONCERNING OUR FISCAL -- OUR FISCAL 
HEALTH HAVE NOW -- ARE NOW BEHIND US, AND WE CAN LOOK 
FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD WITH THE OFFICE.
OUR TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT.
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOOT THE BILL FOR THAT 
TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT, AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE BECAUSE WE 
HAVE COMPLETED OUR PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT FOR THE OFFICE AS 
FAR AS THE VOTING MACHINES THEMSELVES.
WE'VE MADE THAT TURN.
THERE ARE OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE THAT ARE NOT AS FAR 
AHEAD AS WE ARE, SO THOSE DOLLARS THAT WERE SPENT WERE A 
GOOD INVESTMENT, AND WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO ENSURE THAT 
INVESTMENT IS PROTECTED.
WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS AS FAR AS UPDATING OUR TECHNOLOGY, 
OUR VOTING TECHNOLOGY, THE SYSTEMS THEMSELVES THAT ARE 
USED, AND THAT EQUIPMENT IS GREAT, BUT WITHOUT THE PROPER 
USE -- IT'S KIND OF LIKE THAT COMPUTER THAT I'VE HAD ON MY 
DESK AT HOME FOR ALL THESE YEARS.
UNTIL I REALLY LEARNED TO ACCESS THE APPLICATIONS ON THAT 
COMPUTER, IT WAS MONIES THAT WERE SPENT, BUT THE INVESTMENT 
ON THEM WERE NOT BEING RETURNED NEARLY AS MUCH AS THEY 
COULD.
SO ANOTHER MAJOR PORTION -- I KNOW IT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU 
KNOWING MY BACKGROUND, BUT ANOTHER PORTION OF OUR OFFICE 
HAS NOW TURNED TOWARD TRAINING AND EDUCATING OUR 
POLLWORKERS.
WE HAVE DEVELOPED A CLERKS ACADEMY.
THE CLERKS ACADEMY IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAINING THE 
CLERKS, EDUCATING THE CLERKS SO THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH ANY 
OF THE ISSUES AND ANY OF THE PROBLEMS OF VOTING DURING THE 
TIME THAT THE VOTING PROCESS IS GOING ON RATHER THAN 
RESORTING TO PHONE BANKS AND TO PROVISIONAL BALLOTS AND 
WHAT HAVE YOU, SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE MOVED FORWARD 
WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE CLERKS ACADEMY, AND IN 
HONOR OF PHYLLIS' -- PHYLLIS BUSANSKY'S MEMORY, WE HAVE 
NAMED THE CLERKS ACADEMY IN HER HONOR.
IT'S THE BUSANSKY CLERKS ACADEMY, SO WE WILL PIVOT OFF THE 
CLERKS WITH ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR OUR POLLWORKERS.
AS YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICE STAFFS ABOUT 36, 38 FULL-TIME 
PEOPLE, AND THEN CLOSER WE GET TO ELECTION TIME, WE STAFF 
UP TO AROUND 3500 IN ORDER TO STAFF THE PRECINCTS THAT WE 
HAVE, THE 383 PRECINCTS THAT WE HAVE DURING THE ELECTION 
DAY.
SO WITH THAT, WE HAVE MANUALIZED OUR TRAINING PROGRAM, 
PLACED IT IN A MANUAL SO THAT CLERKS CAN VERY READILY 
THROUGH THE INDEX PROGRAM REFER TO ANY OF THE ISSUES, ANY 
OF THE PROBLEMS, ANY OF THE ITEMS THAT COME UP WE WILL 
HAVE, THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR -- THERE AVAILABLE FOR OUR 
PERSONNEL A TRAINING GUIDE AND A MANUAL THAT SAYS THIS IS 
THE STEP, THIS IS HOW TO DO IT.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, THESE ARE THE ANSWERS TO THE 
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
IF NOT, THIS IS THE WAY YOU CAN REACH US.
THE 2008 ELECTION, ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAD WAS -- DURING 
THE EARLY VOTING WAS SOME LONG LINES.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FACILITATE 
THE EARLY VOTING PROCESS SO THAT THE LINES WILL MOVE MORE 
RAPIDLY.
ONE OF THEM IS UTILIZATION OF THAT TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE, 
AND PART OF THAT TECHNOLOGY IS UTILIZATION OF ELECTRONIC 
POLL BOOKS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE OLD POLL ROLLS, AND 
WHAT WE DO IS PULL THE ROLLS OVER, LOOK DOWN, FIND YOUR 
NAME, ASCERTAIN THAT IT IS YOU THROUGH A PHOTO I.D. -- AND 
THAT'S JUST A REMINDER THAT WHEN YOU VOTE YOU NEED A PHOTO 
I.D. -- AND THEN WE GET YOU TO SIGN THE POLL BOOK AND THEN 
YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTING PROCESS.
WE'RE HOPEFUL NOW THAT WE CAN MOVE TOWARD ELECTRONIC POLL 
BOOKS AS WELL AS WE USED IN THE EARLY VOTING PROCESS, AND 
SO IF WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN EXPEDITE THAT PERIOD OF 
IDENTIFYING AND THEN SETTING UP A REGISTERED VOTER FOR THE 
VOTING PROCESS.
AND THAT SIMPLY MEANS THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN INVESTMENT IN 
ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS, AND THEY WERE MUCH QUICKER.
THEY'RE BEING USED IN SOME OTHER COUNTIES.
I DON'T INTEND FOR US TO JUMP INTO THAT DEEP WATER ALL AT 
ONE TIME.
I WOULD RATHER JUST KIND OF WADE INTO IT TO SEE JUST HOW 
DEEP THAT IS, SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS BETA TEST SOME OF THIS 
WITH 20 OR 30 PRECINCTS DURING THE NEXT ELECTION AND SEE 
HOW THAT WILL WORK.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO RETAIN THE OLD PRINTED POLL ROLLS 
AS BACKUP SO THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ANY GLITCH THERE, BUT 
AS WE HAVE OBSERVED OTHER COUNTIES AND UTILIZATION OF THOSE 
ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS, IT DOES SPEED UP THE PROCESS.
IF THERE'S NO ONE IN ONE LINE, YOU CAN JUST COME THERE AND 
IT WILL COME UP WITH THE INFORMATION THAT'S REQUIRED TO 
IDENTIFY THE -- THE VOTER AND MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD.
SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS, SOME OF THE VARIOUS 
THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
I'LL REMIND YOU AND REMIND THOSE THAT MIGHT BE WATCHING 
THAT THERE ARE THREE WAYS THAT YOU CAN VOTE.
VOTING IS VERY SIMPLE AND VERY EASY TODAY.
NOW, NOT -- DECIDING WHO TO VOTE FOR IS SOMETIMES NOT THAT 
EASY BUT THE PROCESS ITSELF.
YOU CAN VOTE BY MAIL.
AS YOU KNOW, WHAT WE USED TO CALL THE OLD ABSENTEE BALLOTS 
TODAY ARE MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
YOU CAN EARLY VOTE -- THE PROCESS IS SET UP -- OR YOU CAN 
VOTE THE TRADITIONAL WAY AND THE WAY I REALLY LIKE MYSELF.
YOU CAN GO TO THE PRECINCT ON ELECTION DAY AND CAST YOUR 
BALLOT AND VISIT WITH SOME OF YOUR OLD FRIENDS AND THOSE 
FOLKS THAT ARE THERE ON ELECTION DAY.
AND WITH THAT, THAT'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING 
IN OUR OFFICE.
OUR OUTREACH PROGRAM IS -- IS VERY ACTIVE AND MOVING 
FORWARD WITH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR OUR VOTERS.
WE'RE INDICATING THAT THE REGISTRATION -- THE BOOKS ARE 
OPEN FOR REGISTRATION AND ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO REGISTER SO 
THEY CAN TAKE PART IN THE VOTING PROCESS BECAUSE THAT IS 
THE WAY OUR -- OUR DEMOCRACY WORKS.
ANY QUESTIONS?
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  BEA AND THEN GAYE.
>>EARL LENNARD:  VERY GOOD.
>>BEA BLACK:  GOOD MORNING, DR. LENNARD.
I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION BEFORE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GET AN 
ANSWER, AND I WAS HOPING THAT MAYBE IT WAS LOOKED INTO.
IN THE VOTING PROCESS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VOTING 
BOOKS TO IDENTIFY THE PEOPLE.
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE ALSO TO FIGURE OUT WHEN PEOPLE COME INTO 
OUR STATE TO VOTE THAT THEY'VE NOT ALREADY VOTED IN THEIR 
OWN STATE?
AND I THINK THAT ISSUE KEEPS COMING UP, AND I'M WANTING 
SOMEONE TO ADDRESS IT.
>>EARL LENNARD:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, ONCE AGAIN, 
ALLOWING ME TO PERHAPS RESPOND TO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT 
ARE ON PEOPLE'S MIND BECAUSE IF THAT'S ON YOUR MIND, IT'S 
ALSO ON OTHER FOLKS' MIND, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS 
THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKED ABOUT.
PARTICULARLY IN FLORIDA, WHICH IS A STATE THAT DURING THE 
ELECTION TIME, THE FALL OF THE YEAR WE GET A LOT OF FOLKS 
THAT DO COME FROM OTHER STATES AND SHARE RESIDENCE WITH 
FLORIDA, IF NOT OFFICIALLY, THEN IN REALITY THEY DO BECAUSE 
I KNOW A LOT OF MY FRIENDS COME DOWN AND STAY THREE OR FOUR 
MONTHS AND THEN -- AND GO BACK WHEN THE WEATHER BEGINS TO 
WARM UP.
NOW, THERE IS A FLORIDA VOTER REGISTRATION POLL THAT'S 
WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
CURRENTLY THERE IS NOT A NATIONAL ONE; HOWEVER, WE ARE 
WORKING WITH OTHER STATES AND OTHER SUPERVISORS WITHIN OUR 
OWN STATE TO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ENSURE THAT SOMEWHERE OR 
ANOTHER VOTER FRAUD DOES NOT TAKE PLACE AND PEOPLE DON'T 
VOTE IN MORE THAN ONE STATE.
NOW, THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DO.
WE DO GET CALLS, AND WE ALSO MAKE CALLS WHEN IT COMES TO 
OUR ATTENTION THAT THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WITH SOMEONE 
VOTING MORE THAN ONCE; THAT IS, VOTING IN ANOTHER STATE AND 
VOTING HERE AS WELL.
NOW, THAT'S SOMETHING AT THE PRESENT TIME WE DON'T HAVE A 
NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION POLL THAT WOULD TELL US 
IMMEDIATELY WHO THIS PERSON IS AND WHETHER THEY HAVE VOTED 
IN ANOTHER STATE OR NOT, BUT WE DO INVESTIGATE THOSE AND WE 
TRY AS MUCH AS IS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE.
IT IS -- IT IS VOTER FRAUD, AND VOTER FRAUD IS PUNISHABLE.
IT IS A CRIME, AND SO WE DO FOLLOW UP ON THAT WITH -- 
THROUGH THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  GAYE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  HI.
GOOD MORNING.
>>EARL LENNARD:  GOOD MORNING.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I WANT YOU TO GIVE A LITTLE PLUG ON HOW THE HIRING IS DONE 
FOR CLERKS AND POLLWORKERS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS NEEDED.
>>EARL LENNARD:  ABSOLUTELY.
WE NEED POLLWORKERS.
AS I SAY, WE RAMP UP TO AROUND 3600 EMPLOYEES, AND THAT'S A 
SIGNIFICANT UNDERTAKING, PARTICULARLY WHENEVER WE'RE ONLY 
TALKING ABOUT -- WELL, FOR THE ACTUAL VOTING ITSELF ONE 
DAY, 14-, 16-HOUR DAY ALBEIT, IT'S ONE DAY FOR THE PRIMARY 
AND THEN AGAIN ONE DAY FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION, SO SOMEONE 
WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER, WELL, GEE WHIZ, I WANT TO DO THIS 
FOR TWO DAYS, AND THE COMPENSATION, WHILE WE PAY BETWEEN 
$120 AND $200, $220, DEPENDING UPON WHICH OFFICE THAT YOU 
OCCUPY, WHETHER IT'S THE CLERK OR ASSISTANT OR ONE OF THE 
WORKERS THEMSELVES, THE PAY VARIES, BUT IT'S FOR 14-, 16-
HOUR DAYS SOMETIMES, AND I'LL TELL YOU IT'S BARELY ABOVE 
MINIMUM WAGE, BUT ALBEIT THAT IS A CIVIC DUTY THAT'S ALSO 
BEING DONE.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO REGISTER WITH OUR OFFICE.
IT'S EASY.
ALL YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS GO TO OUR WEB SITE 
VOTEHILLSBOROUGH.ORG, VOTEHILLSBOROUGH.ORG, AND YOU'LL HAVE 
A WEB SITE THERE THAT WILL CARRY -- ONE OF THE DROP-DOWNS 
WILL CARRY RIGHT TO OUR POLLWORKERS, AND IF YOU ARE 18 
YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AND -- YOU CAN BECOME POLLWORKER, 
CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, THEN YOU CAN BECOME A 
POLLWORKER.
WE WILL HAVE TRAINING.
WE'RE TAKING NAMES NOW.
IN JANUARY WE WILL REALLY RAMP UP, AND PART OF ONE OF THE 
THINGS THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED AS -- AS A NEW WAY OF GETTING 
POLLWORKERS IS AN ADOPT-A-PRECINCT, AND THIS IS A PROGRAM 
BY WHICH -- AND IN YOUR PACKET THAT MR. LORD IS GOING TO 
PROVIDE FOR YOU, YOU WILL FIND AN INSERT THERE, AND THAT 
INSERT WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH ON AN ADOPT-A-PRECINCT 
PROGRAM.
ADOPT-A-PRECINCT PROGRAM IS ONE IN WHICH IF THERE ARE 
ORGANIZATIONS, CLUBS, WHAT HAVE YOU, ROTARY CLUB, PTA, PTO 
ORGANIZATION WHERE THE ORGANIZATION WOULD LIKE TO WORK A 
PARTICULAR PRECINCT, THEN YOU COULD SIGN A WAIVER THAT YOU 
REFUSE THE MONEY BUT YOU WISH TO GIVE IT TO THIS NONPROFIT 
ORGANIZATION, AND IT COULD BE A FUNDRAISER.
IF IT TAKES TEN PEOPLE TO STAFF A PRECINCT, THAT COULD BE 
$1600 FOR THE DAY THAT WORKS.
YOU SIGN OFF THAT YOU REFUSE THE MONEY OR THAT YOU WAIVE 
THE -- THE REMUNERATION AND ASK THAT IT GO TOWARDS YOUR 
CLUB, SO IT COULD BE A FUNDRAISER JUST LIKE SOMETIMES 
WORKING CONCESSION AT RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM THERE'S 
ORGANIZATIONS, LITTLE LEAGUE AND WHAT HAVE YOU, GET THE 
BENEFIT OF THE -- OF THE PAY.
NOW, WE DO HAVE TO PAY YOU, SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS THEN THE 
CLERK -- CLERK OF THE COURT WOULD MAKE THE CHECK OUT TO THE 
ORGANIZATION.
THIS HELPS US BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A VESTED 
INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT THERE'S A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND A 
SMOOTH VOTING PERIOD FOR THAT CLUB OR THAT ORGANIZATION, 
BUT IT ALSO HELPS THE ORGANIZATION, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED 
IN THAT OR IF THERE ARE ANY ORGANIZATIONS INTERESTED IN IT, 
ONCE AGAIN, VOTEHILLSBOROUGH.ORG, VOTEHILLSBOROUGH.ORG.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  DR. LENNARD, IN ADDITION TO THE CLERKS AND 
THE FOLKS THAT ACTUALLY WORK AT THE PRECINCTS, I KNOW FOR 
MANY YEARS -- BECAUSE I DID IT MYSELF -- YOUR -- THE OFFICE 
USED PEOPLE EITHER HERE AT COUNTY CENTER OR OUT AT 
FALKENBURG ROAD AT NIGHT WITH THE BALLOTS AND ACCEPTING 
BOXES AND MOVING BOXES AND DOING -- DO YOU STILL USE --
>>EARL LENNARD:  OH, ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, STAFFING THE POLLING PLACES ON ELECTION DAY IS 
LIKE HOLDING A PARTY AT 383 DIFFERENT SITES ONE DAY, AND IT 
TAKES A LOT OF PLANNING AND IT'S A LOT OF EFFORT THAT GOES 
INTO THAT.
IT'S LIKE THE SUPER BOWL, IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN, AND 
YOU'RE RIGHT, NOT ONLY DO WE USE FOLKS AND NEED PEOPLE TO -
- TO WORK AND HELP US ON THE DAY OF ELECTION, BUT WE ALSO 
NEED WORKING UP TO THE ELECTIONS BECAUSE THE MACHINES HAVE 
TO BE DELIVERED, THEY HAVE TO BE SET UP.
WE HAVE A NEED FOR PEOPLE IN THE WAREHOUSE, WE HAVE A NEED 
FOR FOLKS FOLLOWING THAT, THE DROP-OFF, TO RETRIEVE THE 
EQUIPMENT, TO WORK AS TEMPORARIES, AND SO WE DO HIRE 
TEMPORARIES, AND WE WILL START RAMPING THAT UP TWO WEEKS, 
THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION CYCLE AND THEN UNDERGO AN 
INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM.
AND GOOD THING FOR US IS THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CITIZENS 
THAT THINK OF THIS AS A CIVIC DUTY AND A CIVIC EXPERIENCE, 
AND THEY DO IT YEAR AFTER YEAR, AND SO WE HAVE A NUMBER 
ALREADY OF WELL-TRAINED POLLWORKERS THAT ARE TEMPORARY 
WORKERS AS WELL, AND THEY WORK, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF WEEKS 
DURING THE ELECTION CYCLE, THE EQUIVALENT OF A COUPLE OF 
FULL-TIME -- THREE, FOUR WEEKS FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT DURING 
THE ELECTION CYCLE, AND THIS MAKES UP THE BULK OF THE 
BACKBONE OF OUR EMPLOYEE WORLD.
OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T AFFORD TO JUST KEEP PEOPLE 
AROUND DURING THE NONSEASON, ALTHOUGH DURING THE 
NONELECTION SEASON, WE HAVE LIST MAINTENANCE AND 
REGISTRATION AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON FOR THOSE 
FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, SO THAT'S A VERY GOOD 
POINT, THAT IT'S NOT JUST THAT SINGLE DAY ONLY, BUT IT IS 
ALSO -- ALSO THAT PREPARATION WORKING UP TO THAT DAY AND 
THEN FOLLOWING THE DAY THAT IS NEEDED -- THAT WE NEED 
WORKERS AND WE NEED PEOPLE, POLLWORKERS.
WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO ENTERTAIN ANYONE AND TAKE A LOOK.
ONCE AGAIN, A CLEAN RECORD, CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, 
AND 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, AND VOTEHILLSBOROUGH.ORG.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  JAKE.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  DR. LENNARD, IT'S A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU 
AGAIN, SIR, AND I THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
I WAS THERE WHEN MS. PHYLLIS ASKED FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY 
WHEN SHE FIRST TOOK OFFICE, AND NOW YOU'RE COMING HERE AND 
TELLING US THAT YOU ACTUALLY GAVE BACK $500,000 TO THE 
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A THOUGHT PROCESS ON HOW 
YOU WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.
>>EARL LENNARD:  WELL, AS WE ALL KNOW, ANY TIME THAT WE DO 
IT, WE PLAN A BUDGET.
A BUDGET IS JUST THAT, A BUDGET.
IT'S A TARGET FOR WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH -- WITH FINANCES 
AND WITH EXPENDITURES, AND WHENEVER YOU'RE WORKING ON THAT 
BUDGET, IT'S AN IDEA THAT YOU HAVE THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE 
GOING TO BE, AND DURING THE YEAR YOU WORK TOWARD THE -- 
EXPENDING THOSE DOLLARS SO THAT YOU WILL REACH THAT GOAL.
OUR DEPARTMENT, THE SUPERVISOR OF EDUCATION -- SUPERVISOR 
OF ELECTIONS -- EXCUSE ME.
I'VE GOT TO KEEP -- THE SOE -- DOE AT ONE TIME WAS THE 
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, NOW THE DOE IS DEPARTMENT OF 
ELECTIONS, AND I HAVE TO GET USED TO THAT, AND I APOLOGIZE 
FOR THAT LITTLE SLIP, BUT WE HAVE LOOKED VERY CAREFULLY AT 
OUR EXPENDITURES AND OUR FINANCES SO THAT WE WOULD -- COULD 
DO JUST THAT, NOT ONLY REACH OUR GOAL OF NOT HAVING TO ASK 
FOR MORE MONEY BUT TO AS MUCH AS IS POSSIBLE ONLY SPEND THE 
DOLLARS THAT WERE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, AND THAT'S ONE OF 
THE THINGS WE'VE DONE.
WE'VE PUT OFF HIRING SOME PEOPLE IN OUR TECHNOLOGY WORLD.
PARTICULARLY WE WANTED TO SEE WHERE THE COUNTY WAS ON THEIR 
HIRING PRACTICES AND POLICIES.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH A VERY STRESSFUL AND PAINFUL 
THREE-MONTH PERIOD LEADING UP TO OCTOBER 1 AND THE 
BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL, AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT 
WE PUT SOME THINGS OFF UNTIL AFTER THAT.
OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T WANT TO ENDANGER ANY OF THE PREPARATION 
FOR THE ELECTION, AND WE ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT DO THAT.
ANYTHING THAT IS MISSION CRITICAL WE MOVE FORWARD ON, BUT 
THOSE ITEMS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO NOT EXPEND, WE HAVE NOT 
EXPENDED, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO 
DO THIS.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 
IN WASHINGTON GIVING US A FINAL CLEARANCE ON THE -- ON THE 
LAST SECRETARY OF STATE'S ANALYSES THAT WE HAD THAT WAS 
DONE, AND THEN WE'LL KNOW THAT WE'RE SAFE AND CLEAR AS FAR 
AS BUDGET IS CONCERNED IN OUR -- IN OUR OFFICE, AND SO 
WE'VE BEEN -- WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE THIS THROUGH VERY 
FRUGAL EYES, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE WERE ABLE DO THAT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  THANK YOU.
DEBORAH AND THEN JENNIFER.
>>DEBORAH COPE:  DR. LENNARD, I KNOW DURING THE LAST 
ELECTION THERE WERE SOME ISSUES WITH -- TECHNOLOGY ISSUES 
WHERE THE SYSTEMS WERE KIND OF OVERWHELMED WITH THE AMOUNT 
OF VOTES THAT WERE COMING IN, AND THERE WAS SOME BLAME 
GOING BACK AND FORTH AS TO WHOSE FAULT THAT WAS.
HAS THAT ALL BEEN RESOLVED?
>>EARL LENNARD:  WE THINK IT HAS, AND WE'RE DOING A LOT OF 
TESTING, DELTA AND BETA TESTING TO ENSURE THAT IT HAS.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO DOING THEIR CERTIFICATION 
TEST, AND THAT CERTIFICATION TEST THAT THE STATE HAS 
INVOLVED SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING, AND 
BASICALLY THEY WERE UPLOADING ISSUES WHERE THE MACHINES 
WOULD NOT UPLOAD THE INFORMATION THAT WAS GATHERED IN THE 
MACHINE.
THE MACHINE ITSELF HAD STORED THE INFORMATION, IT WAS 
THERE, IT WAS CORRECT AND ACCURATE AND WHAT HAVE YOU, IT'S 
JUST THAT YOU COULDN'T GET IT OUT OF THE MACHINE.
IT'S -- IT'S SOMETIMES A LITTLE QUIRK IN THE TECHNOLOGY, 
AND IT WAS FINALLY RESOLVED, AND WE NOW HAVE -- AND WE 
STILL HAVE FOLKS IN OUR OFFICE THAT ARE UNDERGOING OR 
TESTING TO ENSURE THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT WE THINK WE 
HAVE OVERCOME THAT.
ANOTHER ONE OF THE ISSUES OF GETTING THE INFORMATION 
UPLOADED WAS THE NUMBER OF DEDICATED LINES.
AS YOU KNOW, IN THE ELECTION PROCESS WE MUST HAVE A 
DEDICATED LINE, A LINE THAT IS DEDICATED ONLY FOR THAT 
PURPOSE, AND OF COURSE, THAT'S -- THAT'S TO ENSURE SECURITY 
OR A SECURE VOTE, AND SO WHAT WE PLAN ON DOING AND WHAT 
WE'RE MAKING END ROADS INTO RIGHT NOW IS ADDING THE 
DEDICATED LINES TO THE POLLING PLACES.
YOU KNOW, GENERALLY WE USE THE SAME PLACE OVER AND OVER 
UNLESS SOMEONE TELLS US THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH THAT POLLING 
PLACE AND WE HAVE TO MOVE, SO WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, WE 
KNOW WHAT ASSETS THEY HAVE.
A LOT OF THEM ARE COUNTY -- COUNTY ASSETS, LIBRARIES AND 
WHAT HAVE YOU, SO WE ARE WORKING NOW TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE 
THOSE DEDICATED LINES IN PLACE AND WE WON'T HAVE TO HAVE 
DROP ZONES WHERE YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE CARTRIDGE AND UPLOAD 
FROM A DROP ZONE, WHERE YOU STAND IN LINE.
WHETHER YOU STAND IN LINE AT YOUR OWN PRECINCT OR YOU STAND 
IN LINE THERE, THE TIMELINESS OF THE REPORTING IS STILL 
IMPACTED, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT 
OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS FLOW A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
I'LL GIVE YOU -- THERE AT THE ELECTION CENTER, AT THE 
GILDER CENTER -- AND ANY TIME YOU'RE BY THERE, JUST STOP BY 
THERE, ON FALKENBURG, THE BOB GILDER ELECTION CENTER.
STOP BY THERE, CHECK IT OUT, LOOK US OVER.
WE'VE DONE SOME THINGS, PUT IN MORE GLASS SO PEOPLE CAN SEE 
WHAT'S GOING ON, SO THAT THEY CAN FEEL THE TRANSPARENCY OF 
THE OPERATION ITSELF.
OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T GO IN THE TAB ROOM, BUT YOU CAN SEE IN, 
AND THAT'S A KEY AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE THERE AS FAR 
AS I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT 
WE ARE -- WE'RE JUST ABSOLUTELY HERE IT IS, WATCH IT, IT'S 
YOUR PROCESS, IT'S YOUR ELECTION, AND WE'RE JUST ENSURING 
THAT IT'S CONDUCTED AND CONDUCTED IN A SAFE, SECURE MANNER.
BUT GO BY THERE, DROP BY.
WE'RE CATALOGING, INDEXING, AND WE ARE LIMITING THE CONTROL 
OF WHO GOES AND -- WHO GOES IN AND OUT WHERE THE EQUIPMENT 
IS STORED.
WE ALSO HAVE 24/7/365 SURVEILLANCE OF THE EQUIPMENT AND 
WHAT HAVE YOU, SO THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG, AND WE THINK 
WE'LL BE READY.
ANOTHER PROBLEM WE HAD WAS WITH THE PHONE BANKS, YOU 
COULDN'T GET THROUGH, AND THAT WAS AN ISSUE.
70,000 ATTEMPTED CALLS DURING THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SO 
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS SOLVE THE PROBLEMS AT THE PRECINCT SO 
THAT THE PHONE CALL WILL NOT BE NECESSARY, BUT WE WILL 
STAFF, WE WILL STAFF THE PHONE BANK WITH ADDITIONAL LINES 
SO THAT IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, WE CAN GET THROUGH.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES AND 
WORKING WITH THOSE IN OUR AREA, UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA, 
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, THE COMMUNITY -- HILLSBOROUGH 
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THE -- 
ENOUGH EQUIPMENT AT THOSE SITES BECAUSE WE DID HAVE SOME OF 
THE ISSUES THERE.
WE'VE LOOKED THROUGH -- FORENSICALLY AT THE '08 ELECTION 
WITH A VERY KEEN, FOCUSED EYE TO SAY IF THIS OCCURRED THEN, 
WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN DO NOW TO ENSURE THAT DOESN'T OCCUR 
IN '10, AND SO IF YOU CAN THINK OF ANYTHING, IF ANYONE ELSE 
OUT THERE CAN THINK OF SOMETHING, ONCE AGAIN CALL OUR 
OFFICE, LET US KNOW BECAUSE I WOULD RATHER DEAL WITH IT NOW 
UP FRONT INSTEAD OF THE DAY AFTER, YOU KNOW.
>> RIGHT.
>>EARL LENNARD:  IT'S KIND OF LIKE THAT MONDAY MORNING 
QUARTERBACKING.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  JENNIFER.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  DR. LENNARD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 
BEING HERE TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR THE JOB THAT YOU'RE 
DOING.
WHAT AN UNDERTAKING.
MY QUESTION REALLY IS IN TWO PARTS.
ONE, HOW DOES HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S POPULATION REALLY RACK 
UP AS FAR AS ATTENDANCE TO ELECTIONS IS CONCERNED?
WHAT KIND OF TURNOUT DO WE HAVE?
AND SECONDLY, ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE SAME TYPE 
OF EARLY VOTING PROCEDURES THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY?
WILL THEY BE EXPANDED, SHORTENED, OR WHAT IS YOUR PLAN?
>>EARL LENNARD:  OBVIOUSLY, EACH OF THE ELECTIONS AND THE 
CONDUCT OF THE ELECTIONS ARE DETERMINED BY FEDERAL AND 
STATE LAW MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
WE WILL -- WE WILL PROVIDE ELECTION -- OR EXCUSE ME -- WE 
WILL PROVIDE VOTING OPPORTUNITIES AS IS PRESCRIBED BY THE 
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA CURRENTLY, 
AND -- BECAUSE THINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
CURRENTLY WE ARE IN LINE FOR EARLY VOTING ONCE AGAIN.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  GOOD.
>>EARL LENNARD:  EARLY VOTING IS ON THE BOOKS, AND UNLESS 
IT IS CHANGED OR ALTERED IN SOME WAY PRIOR TO THE TIME 
THAT -- ELECTION TIME, WE WILL STILL HAVE EARLY VOTING.
LAST YEAR WE HAD 13 EARLY VOTING SITES.
WE HAD 11 LIBRARIES AND TWO ELECTION CENTER LOCATIONS, ONE 
HERE IN THE COUNTY CENTER AND THEN ONE IN OUR ELECTIONS 
CENTER ON FALKENBURG.
AND THAT'S PRESCRIBED BY -- BY STATE, BY THE WAY, BY THE 
STATUTE.
WE PLAN ON ADDING ONE THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO.
WE CAN ADD ONE.
IF YOU REMEMBER IN THE '08 ELECTION, THE TOWN 'N COUNTRY 
LIBRARY WAS UNDERGOING SOME RECONDITIONING AND REHABBING, 
AND SO THEREFORE IT WAS UNAVAILABLE TO US.
WE HOPE TO PICK THAT LIBRARY UP AGAIN, AND I INTEND TO WORK 
WITH DIRECTOR STINES TO HAVE THAT LIBRARY AVAILABLE TO US 
IF HE POSSIBLY CAN, AND THEN FROM THERE WE WILL HAVE OUR 14 
SITES THEN, AND THOSE ARE, AS I INDICATED EARLIER, 
PRESCRIBED BY LAW.
WE EXPECT ALSO TO HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS VOTE BY MAIL-IN.
IT HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE POPULAR.
WHAT WE USED TO CALL IN MY DAY THE ABSENTEE BALLOT IS NOW 
THE MAIL-IN BALLOT, AND THOSE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOLLOWING 
QUALIFYING PERIOD, AND SO WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO TAKE 
ADVANTAGE OF THAT AS WELL.
DURING THE LAST TWO -- '08, 2008, ELECTION, BY THE WAY, 
OVER 50% OF OUR VOTERS VOTED EITHER EARLY OR BY MAIL-IN.
HOW DO WE STACK UP?
WELL, WE STACK UP I THINK, WELL, DEPENDING UPON THE 
ELECTIONS.
NOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE EVERYBODY -- EVERYBODY 
PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS BECAUSE THAT IS THE 
WAY WE DO THINGS IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO -- TO VOTE.
OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A -- THERE WAS A INCREASE IN 
REGISTRATIONS AND IN VOTER PARTICIPATION, AND THAT IS 
CONSISTENT WITH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SEEM TO GENERATE MORE EXCITEMENT 
THAN DO THE OFF YEARS, THE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS.
I'M SORRY, GOVERNOR, BUT WE DON'T GET AS MANY PEOPLE 
PARTICIPATING AND THE HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF PARTICIPATION IN 
GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS AS WE DO IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
LAST YEAR WE HAD 515,000 PEOPLE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CAST 
THEIR VOTE.
WE HAD OVER 700,000 AT THAT TIME REGISTERED VOTERS.
NOW, WHY I SAY AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE THE VOTER MAINTENANCE 
LISTS ARE -- ARE SCRUBBED DAILY.
WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN AND WE HAVE PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY GOING 
OFF THE VOTER ROLLS EACH DAY, SO AROUND 700,000 REGISTERED 
VOTERS, 500,000 MUST -- 515 I THINK IS THE ROUNDED NUMBER 
OF VOTERS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE 2008 ELECTION.
THE TREND IS NORMALLY FOR US PLUS 50% IN A GUBERNATORIAL 
ELECTION, 60% PLUS IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  OKAY.
VERY GOOD.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  BEA.
>>BEA BLACK:  DR. LENNARD, YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT KIND OF 
MADE ME THINK ABOUT -- HOW ARE POLLING PLACES CHOSEN?
>>EARL LENNARD:  BASICALLY PRECINCTS ARE DETERMINED, AND 
THE PRECINCTS ARE DETERMINED BY THE DISTRICTS THAT ARE 
DRAWN UP -- IN RESPONSE TO DISTRICTS THAT ARE DRAWN UP 
FOLLOWING EACH OF THE CENSUS PERIODS.
YOU KNOW, EVERY TEN YEARS IS A CENSUS TAKING, TWO YEARS 
AFTER THAT -- FOR INSTANCE, IN 2010 WE WILL HAVE A CENSUS, 
BY 2012 WE WILL HAVE REDISTRICTING OCCUR.
WITH REDISTRICTING THEN PRECINCTS ARE DRAWN IN ORDER TO 
ACCOMMODATE THOSE DISTRICTS, AND THE PRECINCTS GENERALLY 
THEN ARE DETERMINED BY INPUT FROM FOLKS IN THE PROCESS; 
THAT IS, CANDIDATES MIGHT HAVE AN ISSUE, PARTIES, VARIOUS 
POLITICAL PARTIES MAY HAVE INPUT.
I SENT A LETTER OUT TO THE CHAIRS OF EACH OF OUR MAJOR 
POLITICAL PARTIES ABOUT FOUR, SIX WEEKS AGO AND ASKED IF 
THEY HAD ANY INPUT INTO ANY OF THE PRECINCT LOCATIONS WHERE 
THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE IN '08 OR WHERE THEY THINK 
THERE MIGHT BE IN 2010 TO LET ME KNOW.
THEY'RE CHOSEN BY WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED AND BY AVAILABILITY 
OF LOCATION.
LIBRARIES -- OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE OWNED BY THE PEOPLE -- ARE 
ALWAYS GOOD CHOICES BECAUSE THEY GENERALLY ARE CENTRALLY 
LOCATED IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
OTHER BUILDINGS THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE.
I WILL SAY THIS.
WE TRY TO MINIMIZE THE COST AS MUCH AS IS POSSIBLE, SO WHEN 
WE CAN GET A PUBLIC FACILITY, IT'S TO OUR ADVANTAGE.
WE DO USE CHURCHES, SYNAGOGUES, OTHER PLACES OF WORSHIP SO 
THAT WE SPREAD THEM OUT.
ALSO PRECINCTS HAVE TO BE CHOSEN FOR THEIR GEOGRAPHIC 
ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE VOTERS WITHIN THAT PRECINCT.
>> WELL, THAT KIND OF LEADS INTO WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET 
TO WAS WITH THE CLOSING OF SEVERAL POST OFFICES, THAT COULD 
BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO USE THOSE.
THOSE ARE USUALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED AND BY ZIP CODE.
>>EARL LENNARD:  RIGHT.
AND THEY'RE USUALLY ACCESSIBLE, HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE TOO 
BECAUSE WE VERY MUCH ARE IN TUNE TO THE ADA REQUIREMENTS, 
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, BECAUSE WE WANT TO 
EVEN GO BEYOND THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR DISABLED VOTERS 
CAN ACCESS WITH EASE THE VOTING PLACE.
AND I HAVE TO SAY ALSO, AS YOU KNOW, THAT ONCE WE HAVE 
DETERMINED THAT THIS WOULD BE A SUITABLE SITE, THE JUSTICE 
DEPARTMENT ALSO BECOMES INVOLVED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND 
SIGNS OFF ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF OUR NOT ONLY REDISTRICTING 
BUT ALSO OUR LOCATION OF POLL PLACES.
>> THANK YOU.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  DEBORAH.
>>DEBORAH COPE:  DR. LENNARD, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT 
I GUESS SOME CONTROVERSIES THAT HAVE HAPPENED DURING PAST 
ELECTIONS AS FAR AS THE PURGED LISTS GO FOR FELONS AND 
PEOPLE THAT TRY TO VOTE AND TOLD THAT THEY'RE ON THIS LIST 
WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T REALLY BE ON THIS LIST.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED TO SOLVE THAT 
PROBLEM?
>>EARL LENNARD:  YES.
I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE AND 
WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE'RE DOING IT IN ORDER TO DEAL 
WITH THAT.
AS YOU KNOW, IN FLORIDA, IN ORDER TO HAVE YOUR VOTING 
RIGHTS RESTORED, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCEDURE.
WE DO NOT HAVE AUTOMATIC CLEMENCY WITH THE RESTORATION, SO 
IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY AND WISHES TO 
HAVE THEIR VOTING RIGHTS RESTORED, THEY GO THROUGH THE 
PROCESS AND THEN ARE GRANTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND THE 
CLEMENCY BOARD THEIR RIGHTS, AND THEN THEY CAN BE RETURNED 
TO THE VOTING ROLLS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE VOTING ROLLS 
BECAUSE YOU CAN GO TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE WHEN 
YOU GET YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE, AND YOU CAN REGISTER TO 
VOTE, AND SO THAT LIST CURRENTLY NOW IS BEING SCRUBBED OR 
IS BEING LOOKED AT, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS -- WE MEANING 
THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE 67 COUNTIES IN 
THE STATE OF FLORIDA ARE WORKING WITH THE DIVISION OF 
ELECTIONS WHICH IS PART OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE, 
A DIVISION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, TO MAINTAIN THAT 
LIST, GO THROUGH THE LIST, AND FIND THOSE THAT ARE -- ARE -
- WHOSE RIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN RESTORED AND REMOVE THEM FROM 
THE LIST.
THERE'S A PROCESS YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM A CERTIFIED LETTER STATING THAT IT 
HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE.
CAN YOU LET US KNOW.
SO THEN FROM THERE WE GET THE INFORMATION BACK FROM THE 
PERSON WHO IS ON THE ROLLS AND THEN MAKE CONTACT IF IT'S 
POSSIBLE.
IF NOT, THEN WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ANOTHER NOTIFICATION.
THEN A PUBLIC NOTICE IN A NEWSPAPER OF GENERAL CIRCULATION 
AND THEN A FOLLOW-UP ONCE AGAIN FROM THERE.
ANYONE WHO CHALLENGES IT AND SAYS, WHOA, WAIT A MINUTE, I 
AM ON THE ROLLS PROPERLY, THEY CAN HAVE A HEARING.
THEY CAN CALL US AND WE WILL SET A HEARING, AND IT IS BEING 
CONDUCTED AT THE -- AT THE GILDER CENTER, AND THEN IF THEY 
SHOW PROOF THAT THEY ARE LEGITIMATELY A VOTER, THEN WE 
RETAIN THEM ON THE REGISTRY OF VOTERS.
IF THEY'RE NOT, THEN WE REMOVE THEM.
RIGHT NOW THE STATE IS GOING THROUGH A PROCESS TO CHECK 
EACH OF THOSE AND ARE FORWARDING ON TO US, US MEANING THE 
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS IN THE 67 COUNTIES, ANY CASES THAT 
THEY THINK NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED AND LOOKED INTO FOR THE 
ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  AAKASH.
>>AAKASH PATEL:  GOOD MORNING, DR. LENNARD.
>>EARL LENNARD:  GOOD MORNING, SIR.
>>AAKASH PATEL:  SORRY FOR BEING TARDY.
>>EARL LENNARD:  I'LL GIVE YOU A TARDY ADMIT.
HOW'S THAT?
[LAUGHTER]
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  IN THE CORNER.
>>AAKASH PATEL:  I -- GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION BEA ASKED 
REGARDING POLLING PRECINCTS, I KNOW THAT STUDENTS A LOT OF 
TIMES -- YOU MENTIONED UT AND USF -- THEY DON'T TEND TO 
VOTE A LOT, AND I WANT TO KNOW IF -- DO YOU HAVE MORE THAN 
ONE POLLING SITES ON THEIR CAMPUSES BECAUSE SOMETIMES 
STUDENTS DON'T HAVE A CHANCE TO GET TO THE PRECINCTS.
>>EARL LENNARD:  WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LOGISTICS OF WHERE WE 
COULD PLACE VOTING SITES ON THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA 
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT'S SPREAD OUT.
YOU KNOW, UT IS A MUCH MORE COMPACT CAMPUS THAN IS THE 
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA CAMPUS AND HOW WE COULD 
ACCOMMODATE LOGISTICALLY THE VOTING PROCESS THERE, AND SO 
SOUTH FLORIDA, SINCE IT WAS OF ISSUE IN 2008 -- THAT IS TO 
SAY THE LINES WERE LONG AND THE BALLOTS HAD TO BE BROUGHT 
IN, THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH BALLOTS AT THAT TIME, AND SO AS A 
RESULT OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE LOOKED -- AT WHICH 
WE'VE LOOKED, WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN OVERCOME 
THAT, AND MULTIPLE PRECINCTS ON CAMPUSES IS ONE OF THEM.
WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES THAT HAVE 
UNIVERSITIES LIKE ALACHUA, OBVIOUSLY ORANGE COUNTY AND 
CENTRAL -- UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA AS WELL AS TO HOW 
THEY DO IT SO WE CAN PICK UP SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT 
THEY MIGHT HAVE AND HAS BEEN THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND MULTIPLE 
PRECINCTS ON A CAMPUS IS ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS TO THAT WE 
THINK.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
>>AAKASH PATEL:  THANK YOU.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  DR. LENNARD, I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS, 
QUESTIONS, I GUESS, AND FOLLOWING UP ON THIS ISSUE OF 
PRECINCTS, ONE OF THE ISSUES IN THE 2008 ELECTION WAS THERE 
WERE PEOPLE WHO SAID THEIR PRECINCTS CHANGED AND THEY WERE 
NOT NOTIFIED, AND SO IF YOU WOULD ADDRESS THAT.
>>EARL LENNARD:  YEAH.
OUR OFFICE IS DOUBLY -- WE ARE DOUBLING OUR EFFORTS TO 
ENSURE THAT IF PRECINCTS ARE CHANGED, THEN THE WORD GETS 
OUT, AND YOUR VOTER INFORMATION CARD WILL REFLECT THAT AS 
WELL AS WE WILL -- WE WILL PUT NOTICES OUT SO THAT FOLKS 
WILL KNOW, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE THE PRECINCT WAS, IT'S 
NOW MOVED TWO BLOCKS DOWN, AND WE WANT TO GET IN FRONT OF 
THAT BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE AS WELL.
THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS AND THE KINDS OF INFORMATION 
THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUALLY LOOK SO THAT WE CAN GET IN 
FRONT OF THAT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE ABSOLUTELY 
HAVE IN DARK LETTERS ON THE CHART TOO.
ANY CHANGES, NOTIFICATION FOR THOSE CHANGES WELL IN 
ADVANCE.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  YOU MENTIONED PRETTY MUCH EARLY IN YOUR 
PRESENTATION THAT EARLY VOTING THE LAST TIME THAT THERE 
WERE LONG LINES, AND THIS IS JUST A COMMENT.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE REASONS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THAT THE 
LINES WERE LONG WAS BECAUSE YOU WERE GOING NOT TO YOUR OWN 
PRECINCT, AND BECAUSE THE BALLOTS HAD TO REFLECT WHO WAS 
RUNNING IN YOUR PRECINCT, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR CONGRESS OR 
WHATEVER, THEY HAD TO PRINT OUT EVERY BALLOT.
I MEAN, IT WASN'T WHEN YOU GO ON ELECTION DAY THE BALLOTS 
ARE THERE --
>>EARL LENNARD:  RIGHT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  AND THEN YOU WERE, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU 
WOULD GET AROUND THAT.
>>EARL LENNARD:  YOU KNOW WHAT, IT MAY BE HELPFUL IF WE 
EXPLAIN THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT.
AT YOUR PRECINCT YOU HAVE A BALLOT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY 
MADE FOR YOUR PRECINCT, AND IT WILL HAVE THE CANDIDATES 
THAT HAVE BEEN QUALIFIED FOR THAT PRECINCT BY VIRTUE OF 
DISTRICTS, FOR INSTANCE, AND/OR, YOU KNOW, STATE DISTRICTS, 
SENATE, AND THE HOUSE, THE DISTRICTS IN VARIOUS COUNTY.
FOR INSTANCE, SOME OF YOU REPRESENT COMMISSIONERS FROM A 
PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
WELL, THOSE ARE SPECIFIC AND THOSE ARE TAILOR-MADE BALLOTS 
FOR THAT PRECINCT.
ON EARLY VOTING DAYS, THAT BALLOT HAS TO BE PRINTED.
IT'S CALLED BALLOT ON DEMAND, AND SO WHENEVER YOU'RE 
IDENTIFIED AS A VOTER THAT IS IN A CERTAIN PRECINCT AND YOU 
COME TO THE COUNTY CENTER, THE FALKENBURG CENTER, OR ONE OF 
THE OUTER LIBRARIES, THEN THE REGISTRATION CLERK LOOKS AT 
THE PRECINCT THAT YOU'RE REGISTERED IN, AND THEN YOUR 
BALLOT IS -- IS TAILOR-MADE FOR THAT ELECTRONICALLY AND 
THEN PRINTED BY THE MACHINE.
THE MACHINES ARE FAST BUT THEY'RE NOT SO FAST THAT THEY DO 
NOT TAKE TIME, AND SO YOU'RE RIGHT, IT DOES TAKE -- HOW WE 
OVERCOME THAT IS THAT THERE ARE ONLY A SPECIFIED NUMBER 
OF -- OF EARLY VOTING SITES, AND WE EQUIP THOSE EARLY 
VOTING SITES WITH THE -- WITH THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S 
NECESSARY TO MOVE THEM FORWARD SO THAT WHILE YOU'RE GETTING 
YOURS, WE HAVE ANOTHER MACHINE THAT'S PRINTING SOMEONE 
ELSE'S THAT'S BEHIND YOU AND ON AND ON AND ON SO THAT WE 
MOVE THAT ALONG BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE SAME MACHINES, BY THE 
WAY, WE WILL USE DURING THE NORMAL VOTING PROCESS, AND 
SINCE WE HAVE 383 PRECINCTS, WE COULD MOVE THOSE INTO IT 
AND LOGISTICALLY ARRANGE THEM SO THAT THEY CAN SPEED UP THE 
PROCESS, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT TOO.
EVERY BIT OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT FOLKS HAVE COME TO 
US -- OUR CHIEF OF STAFF, AS YOU KNOW, CRAIG LATIMER, AND I 
HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIMES WITH OUR OPERATIONS FOLKS, AND 
WE'VE GOT SOME REAL GOOD FOLKS THERE.
CHUCK SMITH, FOR INSTANCE, AND TIM BRIDGE HAVE BEEN THERE 
FOREVER.
THEY SERVED SEVERAL DIFFERENT SUPERVISORS AND HAVE DONE AN 
EXTRAORDINARILY GOOD JOB.
THEY'RE WELL EQUIPPED AS ARE MANY OF OUR FOLKS WHO HAVE 
TAKEN PART IN THE ELECTION PROCESS.
FOR SOME OF US IT'S A NEW PROCESS, AND -- BUT FOR THEM IT 
IS ONE THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT 
ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO US, AND I 
REALLY APPRECIATE -- AND I'LL SAY THAT AT THE CONCLUSION, 
BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU HAVE 
ALLOWED ME TO BE HERE TO GATHER SOME OF THAT INFORMATION 
TOO BECAUSE YOU REPRESENT THE EARS -- EYES AND EARS OF THE 
FOLKS OUT IN THE COUNTY, AND SO THESE ARE -- THE ISSUES 
THAT YOU'RE BRINGING ARE THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE HEARING 
AND ONES THAT WE NEED TO ABSOLUTELY BE SENSITIVE TO.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  GAYE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN -- WHOOPS.
I'M NOT ON.
OKAY.
[LAUGHTER]
COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE TYPE OF VOTING MACHINES WE'LL 
BE USING.
>>EARL LENNARD:  YEAH.
THE TYPE OF VOTING MACHINE THAT WE WILL BE USING ARE THE 
OSX, WHICH IS PREMIER ELECTION'S SYSTEM, AND THEY'RE THE 
ONES WHICH YOU WILL HAVE A PRINTED BALLOT -- A PRINTED 
BALLOT, AND ON THAT PRINTED BALLOT IT WOULD BE ALMOST LIKE 
TAKING THE FCAT.
YOU WILL BUBBLE IN -- FILL IN THE OVAL, FILL IT IN, AND 
THEN THAT BALLOT IS THE ONE IN WHICH YOU HAVE VOTED.
YOU TAKE THAT, AND THEN WE WILL PUT IT ON A MACHINE.
IT WILL SCAN THAT, AND IT WILL RECORD THE VOTE, AND THEN 
YOUR PAPER BALLOT WILL BE DEPOSITED IN A SEALED -- A SEALED 
BOX SO THAT WE WILL HAVE A PAPER TRAIL OF YOUR BALLOT.
SO THIS IS A PAPER BALLOT THAT IS SCANNED AND RECORDED AND 
THEN PRESERVED, AND WE MUST KEEP THOSE FOR 23 MONTHS.
WE KEEP THEM ON HAND AS A -- AS A -- WE STORE THEM AS A 
PAPER TRAIL FOR THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF TIME, WHICH I THINK 
IT'S 23 MONTHS.
SO THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO VOTE THERE.
IT'S NOT QUITE AS QUICK AS THE TOUCHSCREEN NOR AS 
ECONOMICAL BECAUSE EACH OF THOSE BALLOTS WILL COST US 
AROUND 36, 38 CENTS, AND IF YOU START MULTIPLYING THAT 
TIMES THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT VOTE, YOU WILL SEE THAT 
THAT GETS INTO THE DOLLARS, BUT -- BUT ONCE AGAIN, IT 
FOLLOWS -- IT FOLLOWS THE -- IT FOLLOWS THE PROCEDURE THAT 
IS PRESCRIBED -- THAT IS PRESCRIBED BY LAW AND THE 
PROCEDURES THAT IS -- THAT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO FOLLOW.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  I JUST WANTED -- IN CONCLUSION TO THAT, I 
ALWAYS SAY LEAVE A PAPER TRAIL, AND I THINK THAT'S GOING TO 
ADDRESS A LOT OF ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP.
>>EARL LENNARD:  WE WILL DO THAT.
WE WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT ONLY FOLLOW THROUGH, WE WILL FOLLOW 
THROUGH IN A MANNER THAT WILL NOT ONLY LEAVE THAT TRAIL BUT 
ALSO ALLOW US A CATALOG AND INDEX SO THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO 
RECOVER THOSE BALLOTS WHENEVER IT COMES TIME TO COVER THEM.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  BEA.
>>BEA BLACK:  DR. LENNARD, BEAR WITH ME ON THIS ONE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT -- I'M KNOWN FOR MY CREATIVE THOUGHTS, 
BUT ANYWAY, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLY VOTING AND 
HOW THE PROCESS -- YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING 
SPECIFICALLY, THIS JUST -- THOUGHT CAME TO MY HEAD, AND IT 
COULD BE BORROWED FROM THE McDONALD'S PEOPLE, NOT THAT I'M 
PLUGGING THEM, BUT SOMETIMES THEY POSITION PEOPLE OUTSIDE 
WHEN THEY WANT TO TAKE YOUR ORDER, AND IT SOMEHOW WIRES IT 
IN ON THE INSIDE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT PROCESS OR 
THAT -- THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, ENCOMPASSED IN THAT SAME 
THING TO FORWARD AHEAD YOUR -- THE PERSON'S DISTRICT OR --
>>EARL LENNARD:  THAT'S A GOOD THOUGHT.
YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF OUR LOGISTICS IN JUST LOGISTICALLY 
LAYING OUT THE INTERIOR OF THE VOTING -- VOTING PLACE, THE 
POLLING PLACE, WE HAVE LOOKED AT HOW DISNEY DOES SOME OF 
THOSE THINGS TOO.
YOU KNOW, THEY MOVE THE LINES, AND SOMETIMES THEY MOVE -- 
THE LINE'S NOT REALLY MOVING BUT YOU THINK YOU ARE, BUT 
THEY REALLY MOVE THE LINES, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT 
DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT, WHERE WE CAN POSITION 
THEM, FOR INSTANCE -- LIKE MY WIFE SAYS -- SO THERE'S A 
SMOOTH FLOW.
LIKE IF YOU'RE HAVING FAMILY OVER OR WHAT HAVE YOU AND YOU 
HAVE YOUR FOOD OVER HERE AND YOUR DRINKS OVER HERE, YOU 
DON'T WANT THE LINE STACKING UP WHERE THEY HAVE TO -- YOU 
WANT A SMOOTH FLOW, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN 
LOGISTICALLY POSITION OUR MACHINES AND OUR -- AND OUR 
PERSONS THAT ARE WORKING WITHIN THE POLLS SO THAT THERE'S A 
SMOOTH FLOW AND NOT A CROSS FLOW WHERE YOU STOP AND WHAT 
HAVE YOU, SO YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND THEN IF WE GO OUTSIDE AND PEOPLE KNOW WHO'S COMING UP 
NEXT, YOU CAN BE POSITIONING.
THAT'S WHERE THE ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS COME IN BECAUSE THE 
ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS ALSO HAVE ALL THE REGISTERED VOTERS 
IN THEM.
YOU CAN CARRY THAT ON THE ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK TOO, SO IF 
YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PRECINCT, INSTEAD OF SIMPLY SAYING 
HEY, YOU CAN'T VOTE HERE OR YOU HAVE TO VOTE PROVISIONAL, 
YOU CAN SAY, I'M SORRY, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PRECINCT, BUT 
THAT PRECINCT IS RIGHT OVER THERE.
ANOTHER THING WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ON EARLY VOTING IS THAT 
YOU CAN GO -- YOU KNOW, THESE -- I DON'T HAVE ONE RIGHT 
NOW, I LEFT IT SO I WOULDN'T BE EMBARRASSED IT IF IT WENT 
OFF, BUT WITH ALL OF THOSE HANDHELD PDA DEVICES AND 
EVERYTHING THAT ARE CONNECTED TO INSTANTANEOUS 
COMMUNICATION, WE'RE LOOKING AT FINDING A WAY THAT WE CAN 
PUT ON THE WEB GREEN LIGHT, ORANGE LIGHT, RED LIGHT WHERE 
THE EARLY VOTING PLACES ARE -- ARE -- WHERE THERE'S -- 
WAITING LINES, 30 MINUTES OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
YOU GO TO A RESTAURANT, AND YOU CAN SOMETIMES SEE UP THERE 
YOU'VE GOT A 30-MINUTE WAIT, A 45-MINUTE WAIT.
AT SOME OF THE EARLY VOTING PLACE THERE IS WERE NO LINES, 
AND AT OTHERS JUST BLOCKS AWAY THERE WERE LINES, AND SO IF 
WE COULD DO THAT WHERE YOU COULD DIAL IN RIGHT THERE AT 
THE -- YOU KNOW, LIKE, ONCE AGAINST, GO TO 
VOTEHILLSBOROUGH.ORG AND IT'LL SAY THE 14 SITES, AND IT'LL 
GIVE YOU A -- A REAL-TIME LISTING OF WAITING TIMES, THEN 
YOU COULD SAY, WELL, I CAN DRIVE A MILE AND A HALF TO 
BLOOMINGDALE INSTEAD OF RIVERVIEW AND I CAN JUST WALK RIGHT 
IN, YOU KNOW.
SO WE'RE DOING AND LOOKING AT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AS 
WELL.
YOU'RE RIGHT.
>>BEA BLACK:  AND WHAT ABOUT MAYBE PUTTING A SKEW ON THE 
BACK OF THE VOTER CARD SO THAT SOME OF THOSE PDAs CAN --
>>EARL LENNARD:  WITH SOME OF THOSE, ALSO LICENSE -- AS WE 
MOVE THE DRIVER'S LICENSE SWIPE, THERE'S A SWIPE ON THOSE 
DRIVER'S LICENSE NOW FOR THE ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS THAT YOU 
CAN USE, AND YOU CAN USE THE SWIPE TO BRING IT UP AND THEN 
IDENTIFY THE PERSON IMMEDIATELY.
NOW, IF YOU'VE GOT AN OLD DRIVER'S LICENSE LIKE MINE THAT 
HAS GOT THOSE THINGS ON THE BACK WHERE YOU'VE RENEWED THEM 
SO OFTEN, THOSE SWIPE WON'T WORK.
BUT I THINK 70% OF THE PEOPLE HAVE THAT SWIPEABLE LICENSE.
THERE WAS A PERCENTAGE I GOT FROM DMV, BUT I FORGOT IT.
I DIDN'T INTERNALIZE IT, AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT IT'S A LARGE 
PERCENTAGE THAT ARE SWIPEABLE NOW, JUST LIKE YOU DO 
WHENEVER YOU'RE DOING A DEBIT CARD OR SOMETHING.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND THAT'S 
WHY WE'RE GOING TO BETA TEST THE 20 OR 30 PRECINCTS WITH 
ELECTRONIC POLL BOOKS, AND THEN IF IT WORKS, WE'LL 
GRAVITATE TOWARD THAT BECAUSE THAT WILL BE A WAY THAT WE 
CAN EXPEDITE THAT PROCESS BUT STILL AT THE SAME TIME HAVE 
THE PRINTED ROLLS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T IN 
ANY WAY WHATSOEVER DISENFRANCHISE SOMEONE BECAUSE OF 
ELECTRONICS AND THEN KEEP THE ELECTRONICS UP.
TECHNOLOGY'S A GREAT THING AS LONG AS IT WORKS.
ONE OF THE WORST THINGS IS TO GO SOMEPLACE WHERE THE 
COMPUTER'S DOWN AND BE TOLD, I'M SORRY, YOU CAN'T TRANSACT 
YOUR BUSINESS BECAUSE THE COMPUTER'S DOWN.
WHOA, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PAPER AND PENCIL, YOU KNOW?
SO WE'LL WORK ON THAT AS WELL.
>>BEA BLACK:  THANK YOU.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  DR. LENNARD, JUST FOR MY OWN CONCLUSION, I 
JUST WANT TO REITERATE WHAT YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT 
PEOPLE COMING OUT TO THE GILDER CENTER TO -- TO SEE WHAT'S 
HAPPENING.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED ON ELECTION NIGHTS -- AND THE 
PROCESS IS VERY COMPLEX BUT VERY SAFE IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY, AND I REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO LOOK AT IT TO 
GET YOUR OWN COMFORT LEVEL, THE SAME COMFORT LEVEL THAT I 
HAVE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING, YOU MENTIONED THAT WHENEVER WE 
MAKE CHANGES WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF 
JUSTICE, AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, WANT TO DO FOR ANYONE WHO 
MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WAS -- IS NAMED AS 
A COVERED COUNTY BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS INSTANCES OF 
DISCRIMINATION, AND FOR I GUESS IT'S ALMOST 50 YEARS NOW 
THAT WHEN WE MAKE CHANGES, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE APPROVED BY 
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
>>EARL LENNARD:  RIGHT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR COMING, FOR 
TAKING SO MUCH TIME TO EXPLAIN, AND BEFORE WE STARTED THE 
MEETING, I TALKED TO DR. LENNARD, AND HE MENTIONED THE 
STEEP LEARNING CURVE HE'S HAD.
I THINK WE CAN ALL TELL HOW MUCH HE'S LEARNED SINCE HE'S 
TAKEN OVER THE OFFICE.
THANKS AGAIN, DR. LENNARD.
>>EARL LENNARD:  IF I COULD, ONCE AGAIN, EXPRESS MY THANKS 
TO YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE AND THEN SAY THAT YOU ARE 
THE EYES AND EARS OF OUR CITIZENS, AND IF YOU WOULD 
CONTINUE TO APPRISE ME OF ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT COME UP, 
PLEASE, YOU KNOW I'M AVAILABLE.
I HAVE THE SAME PHONE NUMBER AT HOME THAT I'VE HAD FOR THE 
LAST 40 YEARS, SO DO -- DO PLEASE STAY IN TOUCH WITH US, 
AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN TO ENSURE 
THAT WE ADDRESS THE ISSUES PRIOR -- PRIOR TO THE ELECTIONS 
SO THAT WE WILL HAVE A GOOD, SMOOTH, FLAWLESS ELECTION.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  YOU MENTIONED THE WEB SITE IS 
VOTEHILLSBOROUGH.ORG.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE THE PHONE NUMBER AS WELL?
>>EARL LENNARD:  PHONE NUMBER -- I HAVE NOT INTERNALIZED 
ALL THE PHONE NUMBERS --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE US YOURS?
>>EARL LENNARD:  -- BUT I'M GOING TO ASK.
IT'S 272-5850.
272-5850.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[LAUGHTER]
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  THANK YOU.
>>EARL LENNARD:  THANK YOU.
IT'S A STEEP LEARNING CURVE BUT HOPEFULLY A SHORT ONE.
THANKS NOW.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  THANKS.
>> THANK YOU.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  BEFORE WE GO ON TO OUR NEXT PRESENTER, WE 
NOW HAVE A QUORUM, AND WE CAN APPROVE THE MEETING RECAP 
FROM SEPTEMBER.
IF YOU WOULD ALL QUICKLY LOOK AT IT, AND IF THERE ARE ANY 
CORRECTIONS.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION WE MOVE APPROVAL.
>>DEBORAH COPE:  I'LL SECOND THAT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  ALL IN FAVOR.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
OPPOSED.
THANK YOU.
AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME SANDRA SROKA, WHO IS HERE TO SPEAK 
TO US ABOUT THE 2010 COMPLETE COUNT OF THE CENSUS, AND IN 
INTRODUCING MS. SROKA, SHE HAS 20 YEARS OF ADMINISTRATIVE 
EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELDS OF HEALTH AND DISABILITY, BOTH IN 
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.
SHE IS CURRENTLY THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT 
LIAISON FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND IN THAT POSITION SHE'S 
RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THE COUNTY'S COMPLIANCE WITH ADA, 
WHICH IS INTERESTING WHEN WE JUST HEARD DR. LENNARD ADDRESS 
THE CONCERNS OF THE ELECTIONS OFFICE.
AND SHE SERVES AS THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE DISABILITY 
COMMUNITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS 
CONCERNS THAT IMPACT THEIR LIVES, AND SHE ALSO HAS BEEN THE 
RECIPIENT OF THE FLORIDA DISABLED WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD, 
THE MAYOR'S OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD, MARCH OF 
DIMES OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD, AND THE SERTOMA 
OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD.
WELCOME, MS. SROKA.
>>SANDRA SROKA:  THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS MORNING.
I'M GOING TO SCOOT UP JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO I CAN SEE FACES.
AND I'LL MOVE CLOSER SO I'M SPEAKING LOUDER.
USUALLY I DON'T NEED A MIKE BECAUSE I CAN HAVE A PRETTY 
LOUD VOICE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, AND WE'RE REAL EXCITED ABOUT THE 2010 
CENSUS AND THE EFFORTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE.
WE HAVE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT BRANDON'S GOING TO 
HELP RUN FOR ME AND SOME HANDOUTS ALONG THE WAY.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME OKAY WITH THIS?
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  UH-HUH.
>>SANDRA SROKA:  OKAY.
>>KAY DOUGHTY:  MS. SROKA, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR YOUR 
PRESENTATION TO POP UP, I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW AND 
EVERYONE ELSE THAT I MAY HAVE TO LEAVE BEFORE YOU'RE 
FINISHED, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M NOT INTERESTED.
I HAVE A PLANE TO CATCH.
>>SANDRA SROKA:  OKAY.
WELL, I HOPE YOU'RE GOING SOMEPLACE FUN.
OKAY.
READY?
ALL RIGHT.
WHAT IS THE CENSUS?
THE U.S. CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THAT A CENSUS BE TAKEN EVERY 
TEN YEARS.
THE FIRST CENSUS WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN IN 1790, WHICH I 
DEPARTMENT KNOW UNTIL I STARTED TO GET INVOLVED WITH THIS, 
AND IT WAS DONE TO HELP DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF SEATS THAT 
EACH STATE WOULD TO HAVE IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES AND TO ALSO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE 
PEOPLE WERE LIVING IN THE COUNTRY AT THAT TIME.
A CENSUS HAS BEEN TAKEN EVERY SINGLE TEN-YEAR -- EVERY 
DECADE SINCE THAT TIME.
THE DECENNIAL CENSUS IS THE LARGEST PEACETIME ACTIVITY THAT 
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDERTAKES.
IT PROVIDES MUCH, MUCH DATA AND INFORMATION.
I THINK THEY HAVE SOMETHING LIKE OVER 200 SURVEYS OF 
COLLECTED INFORMATION THAT ONE CAN ACCESS IF THEY GO ON THE 
CENSUS SITE IN ALL KINDS OF CONFIGURATIONS.
THE CENSUS ITSELF COUNTS EVERY PERSON LIVING IN THE UNITED 
STATES ON APRIL 1st, 2010.
THAT IS GOING TO BE CENSUS DAY IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT INCLUDES ALL AGES, ALL RACES, ALL ETHNIC GROUPS, AND IT 
COUNTS BOTH CITIZENS AND NONCITIZENS.
THE 2010 CENSUS IS ALSO EXPECTED TO CREATE MANY HUNDREDS OF 
THOUSANDS OF JOBS, ACTUALLY TEMPORARY JOBS, THROUGHOUT THE 
COUNTRY, AND I BELIEVE I HEARD THE FIGURE THAT FOR THIS 
AREA, IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THERE WOULD BE ABOUT 140,000 
JOBS I THINK CREATED.
I THINK THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
I HEARD THAT A MONTH OR TWO AGO.
AGAIN, TEMPORARY JOBS ON MULTIPLE LEVELS.
IT COULD BE FROM MANAGEMENT-LEVEL JOBS RUNNING SOME OF THE 
CENTERS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE OPENING TO THE PEOPLE THAT 
ARE GOING TO BE GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR AS ENUMERATORS AS TIME 
GOES BY.
OKAY.
WHY IS THE CENSUS IMPORTANT TO US?
AND ONE OF THE HANDOUTS I THINK THAT WENT BY IS THE 50 
REASONS ONE, BUT THE CENSUS IMPACTS US IN MANY WAYS.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE CENSUS DATA DIRECTLY ENSURES 
THAT EACH COMMUNITY RECEIVES ITS FAIR SHARE OF POLITICAL 
REPRESENTATION THROUGH LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING AND 
THROUGH CONGRESSIONAL APPORTIONMENT, AND WE ALL WANT TO 
KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET MORE REPRESENTATIVES 
IN THE HOUSE OF U.S. REPRESENTATIVES, THEN WE HAVE MORE 
POWER ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 
REASONS THAT THE CENSUS WAS CREATED.
VERY IMPORTANT TO US IS THAT THE CENSUS POPULATION AFFECTS 
HOW MORE THAN $400 BILLION A YEAR IN FEDERAL FUNDING IS 
ALLOCATED TO LOCAL, STATE, AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, AND THAT 
IMPACTS THE KINDS OF SERVICES THAT WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER THE 
CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE THAT WE WANT TO TRY 
TO COMMUNICATE TO OUR CITIZENS AND TO OUR RESIDENTS IN THIS 
COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS CENSUS DAY BECAUSE A 
LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE GET FORMS IN THE MAIL, SURVEYS IN THE 
MAIL, AND IT'S LIKE WHY BOTHER, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES IT 
REALLY DO FOR ME, AND WE WANT TO REALLY TRY TO CONVEY THAT 
MESSAGE, IT CAN DO A LOT FOR YOU OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBER OR 
YOUR NEIGHBOR OR FOR OTHER PEOPLE LIVING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE CENSUS DATA ALSO GUIDES LOCAL DECISION-MAKERS SUCH AS 
THE COUNTY, THE CITIES, AND OTHERS, IN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY 
PLANNING EFFORTS, INCLUDING WHERE TO BUILD ROADS, 
HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS.
WE LOOK AT IT WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING OUR TRANSPORTATION 
PLANS.
LOTS OF WAYS THAT WE USE THIS INFORMATION AND THIS DATA.
A LOT OF THE NONPROFITS USE IT FOR SUBMISSION OF GRANTS, 
WHICH AGAIN BRINGS BACK DOLLARS AND SERVICES TO OUR 
COMMUNITY AND TO OUR CITIZENS.
THERE ARE ALSO ECONOMIC DRIVERS.
THE CENSUS DATA IS FREQUENTLY USED BY BUSINESSES TO MAKE 
DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE TO LOCATE COMPANIES OR RELOCATE 
COMPANIES AND ALSO OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC-BASED CONSIDERATIONS 
WHEN THEY'RE MAKING BUSINESS DECISIONS, SO THERE ARE MANY 
WAYS AND LOTS OF REASONS THAT THE CENSUS AND THE DATA OUT 
OF THE CENSUS IS IMPORTANT TO US EACH AND EVERY DAY.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KNOWN DIFFICULTIES IN ACHIEVING A 
COMPLETE COUNT?
YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT THINK, OKAY, WELL, WE'LL SEND OUT THE 
FORM AND PEOPLE HOPEFULLY WILL SEND IT BACK, OR IF THEY 
DON'T SEND IT BACK, WE'LL GO KNOCKING ON DOORS, BUT THERE 
ARE LOTS OF CONSIDERATIONS AND WHY THE COMPLETE COUNT 
EFFORT STARTS EARLY.
ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS IS THE ISSUE OF CONFIDENTIALITY, 
AND IT'S AN ISSUE FOR EVERYBODY AND FOR SOME PEOPLE MORE 
IMPORTANTLY OR MORE -- OR HAVE A GREATER CONCERN ABOUT IT 
THAN OTHERS, BUT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHY DOES SOMEBODY -- 
WHY DOES GOVERNMENT WANT MY PERSONAL INFORMATION, OR IF I 
GIVE MY INFORMATION, IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT MY -- MY 
STATUS OF LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES, OR MAY THERE BE SOME 
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT MAY LOOK AT AND 
HAVE AN ISSUE WITH ME?
BY LAW UNDER TITLE 13, THE CENSUS BUREAU CANNOT SHARE -- 
AND THAT MEANS INDIVIDUALS AND GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES -- 
CANNOT SHARE AN INDIVIDUAL'S RESPONSE WITH ANYONE, WHETHER 
THAT'S THE IRS, WELFARE AGENCIES, IMMIGRATION AGENCIES, 
POLICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES FOR AT LEAST 72 YEARS, 
AND I GUESS MAYBE THE FEELING WAS THAT 72 YEARS FROM NOW 
MOST OF US PROBABLY AREN'T GOING TO BE AROUND, AND IF WE 
ARE, MAYBE WE DON'T CARE IF SOMEBODY SEES SOME INFORMATION 
ABOUT -- ON THOSE QUESTIONS ON THE CENSUS.
ALL OF THE CENSUS WORKERS ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE AN OATH OF 
CONFIDENTIALITY, AND THE OATH IS NOT ONLY FOR THE TIME THAT 
THEY ARE WORKING, BUT IT IS A LIFETIME OATH, SO THEY ARE 
NOT -- NEVER ALLOWED TO DISCLOSE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION, 
AND A VIOLATION CAN RESULT IN UP TO FIVE YEARS OF JAIL TIME 
OR JAIL IMPRISONMENT AND/OR A $250,000 FINE.
SO THE PENALTIES CAN BE FAIRLY STEEP.
ANOTHER MAJOR CONSIDERATION ESPECIALLY FOR THE STATE OF 
FLORIDA AND OUR COMMUNITY CAN BE THE CONCERN OVER LANGUAGE 
BARRIERS.
THE 2010 CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE GUIDES 
COME IN A VARIETY OF LANGUAGES.
THERE ARE SOMETHING LIKE 52 LANGUAGES.
NOT EVERY PIECE OF INFORMATION I'VE DISCOVERED IS AVAILABLE 
IN EVERY LANGUAGE, BUT THEY HAVE INFORMATION IN CREOLE AND 
SPANISH AND SEVERAL ASIAN LANGUAGES, IN RUSSIAN, POLISH.
I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THE ONES THAT I'VE SEEN BUT IN MANY, 
MANY LANGUAGES, TO HELP PEOPLE BOTH UNDERSTAND INFORMATION 
ABOUT WHAT IS THE CENSUS AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT BUT ALSO 
THE QUESTIONNAIRE ITSELF.
THE QUESTIONNAIRE ITSELF WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN BRAILLE 
AND IN LARGE PRINT.
IN FEBRUARY THE U.S. CENSUS IS PLANNING ON ALSO 
ESTABLISHING QUESTIONNAIRE ASSISTANCE CENTERS, AND THESE 
WILL BE OPENED UP AROUND THE COMMUNITY WHERE THE CENSUS 
FORMS OR WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE WILL BE AVAILABLE, AND PEOPLE 
WILL BE HIRED WHO ARE ABLE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS AND ARE ABLE 
TO SPEAK IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES TO HELP INDIVIDUALS 
UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S ABOUT, HOW TO COMPLETE THE FORMS, WHAT 
THE FORMS SAY, AND SO FORTH, ANOTHER WAY TO TRY TO OVERCOME 
THE LANGUAGE BARRIERS.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST IS THAT -- 
ESPECIALLY I THINK THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE AROUND IN 2000 -- 
THAT MANY PEOPLE GOT THE LONG QUESTIONNAIRE, AND IT WAS 
VERY, VERY LONG AND VERY TIME CONSUMING.
WELL, THIS YEAR THE CENSUS -- THE FOCUS IS ON KEEPING IT 
EASY.
TEN QUESTIONS, TEN MINUTES.
I DISTRIBUTED AN INFORMATION FORM OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE.
IT'S NOT ONE THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FILL OUT NOW AND SEND 
IN ON APRIL 1st, BUT IT SHOWS HOW SIMPLE, HOW QUICK, HOW 
EASY IT WILL BE FOR MOST PEOPLE TO FILL OUT THAT FORM, AND 
THAT'S THE FOCUS THIS TIME AROUND.
THERE ARE OTHER METHODS NOW FOR COLLECTING THAT MORE IN-
DEPTH DETAILED INFORMATION.
THE DETAILED SOCIOECONOMIC INFORMATION IS COLLECTED THROUGH 
THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHICH THAT INFORMATION IS 
NOW COLLECTED ANNUALLY, AND IT'S DONE BY RANDOM SMALLER 
SAMPLES AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND THEY SAY THAT PEOPLE SHOULD 
ONLY BE SURVEYED THROUGH THAT METHOD IN ABOUT ONCE IN EVERY 
FIVE YEARS.
THAT IS A MUCH MORE EXTENSIVE FORM AND COLLECTS A LOT OF 
THAT DETAILED SOCIOECONOMIC INFORMATION THAT WE WERE USED 
TO SEEING ON THE OTHER FORMS.
AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON-LINE, THE 
AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT AREA THAT IS DIFFICULT IN TERMS OF 
ACHIEVING A COMPLETE COUNT IS REACHING THOSE WITHOUT 
PERMANENT RESIDENCES.
IN-PERSON COUNTS WILL BE TAKEN BY THE CENSUS WORKERS THAT 
ARE UNDER OATH OF PEOPLE LIVING IN GROUP QUARTERS SUCH AS 
IN JAILS, NURSING HOMES, GROUP HOMES, SHELTERS, AND OUR 
HOMELESS COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS RECENTLY, 
AND THERE ARE METHODS SET UP WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND 
THOSE ENTITIES IN TERMS OF HOW THAT WILL BE ACHIEVED AND A 
WHOLE PLAN IN PLACE.
OKAY.
THAT'S BEEN A BROAD OVERVIEW ABOUT THE CENSUS, WHAT IT IS, 
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE SOMETIMES TO 
ACHIEVING A COMPLETE COUNT.
WELL, WHAT IS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DOING TOWARD THAT END?
IN JULY OF THIS YEAR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 
ESTABLISHED AND AGREED TO ESTABLISH A COMPLETE COUNT 
COMMITTEE.
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED COMMISSIONER 
ROSE FERLITA TO CHAIR THAT EFFORT AND TO, IN ESSENCE, BE 
OUR CENSUS AMBASSADOR AND BE OUR COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE 
COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE.
DO YOU THINK WE CAN RUN THE PSA?
WE --
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>SANDRA SROKA:  OKAY.
COMMISSIONER FERLITA HAS DONE A PSA SPOT BOTH IN ENGLISH 
AND IN SPANISH WHICH HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL OF THE 
MEDIA AND IS AVAILABLE ON DVD.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RUN THE -- THAT THROUGH THIS MECHANISM, 
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE 
TIME PERIOD, AND THERE ALSO BE ADDITIONAL PSAs DEVELOPED 
AND RUN AS WE GET CLOSER IN TERMS OF GETTING THE MESSAGE 
OUT THE CENSUS IS COMING AND THEN THE MESSAGE THAT THE 
CENSUS IS EASY, IMPORTANT, AND SAFE.
THAT'S THE BIG THEME.
THE BOARD ALSO ISSUED A PROCLAMATION, AND WE HELD A BIG 
KICKOFF ON SEPTEMBER 14th.
WHAT IS THE ROLE.
CENSUS COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE?
THE FOCUS IS ON RAISING CENSUS AWARENESS THROUGHOUT THE 
ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND INCREASING PARTICIPATION BY THOSE 
RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BARRIERS TO COMPLETING THE CENSUS 
QUESTIONNAIRE.
AGAIN, A PARTICULAR FOCUS AND EMPHASIS ON THE HARD TO COUNT 
AND ACHIEVING THE COMPLETE COUNT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE IS COMPRISED OF SEVEN 
SUBCOMMITTEES, AND WE'RE KIND OF FOLLOWING THE STRUCTURE 
THAT WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE CENSUS BUREAU.
UP ON THE SCREEN IS A LISTING OF THE SEVEN COMMITTEES AND 
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE AGREED TO CHAIR THE COMMITTEES.
THEY'VE BEEN INVITED TO BE CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEES AND 
HAVE AGREED.
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, WHICH WILL FOCUS ON WHAT CAN 
BUSINESS DO TO HELP GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, 
MAYBE IT'S PUBLIX THAT WILL PUT STUFF ON THEIR BAGS.
ALSO BIG BUSINESS AND SMALL BUSINESS, HOW DO YOU GET THE 
MESSAGE OUT TO YOUR EMPLOYEES?
BIG BUSINESSES SUCH AS USAA, PUBLIX, AND OTHERS, HOW DO YOU 
GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO YOUR EMPLOYEES TO PLEASE PARTICIPATE 
IN THE CENSUS, PARTICIPATE IN CENSUS DAY, FILL OUT YOUR 
FORM, AND GET IT BACK.
BOB ROHRLACK WITH THE -- PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE CLAIMER 
CHAIRS THAT COMMITTEE.
THE COMMUNITY-BASED COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY DIANA BAKER, 
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE UNITED WAY OF TAMPA BAY, FOCUSES 
ON THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, 
CITIZENS INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, HOW DO 
WE GET THE MESSAGE OUT?
THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF THE COMMUNITIES -- ORGANIZATIONS 
REPRESENTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, 
HISPANIC COMMUNITY, AND SO FORTH, HOW DO WE GET THE MESSAGE 
OUT TO THE CLIENTS, CONSUMERS, AND INDIVIDUALS WHO 
PARTICIPATE IN THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE TARGETS BOTH -- THERE'S A SPECIAL 
SCHOOL KIT THAT THE CENSUS HAS DEVELOPED THAT WILL BE SENT 
HOME -- INFORMATION IN THAT PACKET WILL BE SENT HOME WITH 
THE SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN TO TAKE HOME TO THEIR PARENTS, BUT 
ALSO IT'S INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS, HOW TO CONDUCT SESSIONS 
IN THE CLASSROOM, SO IT'S BOTH AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN 
GETTING THE KIDS TO TALK ABOUT IT AND THEN TALKING ABOUT IT 
AT HOME, BUT IT ALSO WILL FOCUS ON -- I KNOW THERE WAS A 
QUESTION FROM THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM FOR DR. LENNARD BEFORE 
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY KIDS AND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS FOR THEM 
TO PARTICIPATE.
ONE OF THE HARD-TO-COUNT COMMUNITIES ARE YOUNG MEN AND ALSO 
COLLEGE STUDENTS BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES COLLEGE STUDENTS 
THINK, WELL, YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN NEW YORK EVEN THOUGH I'M 
GOING TO SCHOOL AT USF, SO I DON'T NEED TO FILL THIS OUT.
IT'S WHERE YOU ARE RESIDING ON APRIL 1st THAT DETERMINES 
WHERE YOU FILL OUT THAT QUESTIONNAIRE, SO IF YOU ARE A 
STUDENT AT UT OR USF OR WHEREVER LIVING IN HILLSBOROUGH 
COUNTY ON APRIL 1st, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO FILL OUT THE FORM 
HERE.
SO THERE WILL BE EFFORTS TARGETED TOWARD THAT STUDENT 
POPULATION AS WELL.
AND DR. DAVID STEELE FROM THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC 
SCHOOL SYSTEM IS CHAIRING THAT COMMITTEE.
THE FAITH-BASED COMMITTEE IS CHAIRED BY REVEREND JAMES 
FAVORITE, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF PASTORS ON CON -- PASTORS ON 
PATROL, EXCUSE ME.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>SANDRA SROKA:  AND AGAIN, IT'S INVOLVING ALL OF THE 
DIFFERENT FAITHS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO 
THEIR CONGREGATIONS ABOUT THE VALUE OF THIS, THE IMPORTANCE 
OF THIS, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM, AND IN SOME 
COMMUNITIES IN PAST CENSUS AND SOME TALK OF MAYBE DOING 
SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR THIS COMING CENSUS, THEY'VE HAD 
LIKE CENSUS SUNDAY WHERE PEOPLE WILL TAKE THAT ONE 
PARTICULAR SUNDAY OR THE MINISTERS, THE PASTORS, THE 
RABBIS, ET CETERA, AND DEVELOP A MESSAGE AROUND THAT IN 
THEIR SERMON AND -- AND FOCUS SOME ACTIVITY ON THAT.
GOVERNMENT WILL BE CHAIRED BY JIMMIE KEEL.
MANY OF YOU MAY REMEMBER MR. KEEL.
HE IS A FORMER, NOW RETIRED COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, AND I'M 
SURE HE WILL BE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB.
THE GOVERNMENT SUBCOMMITTEE FOCUSES A LOT ON SOME OF THE 
TECHNICAL AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION, PARTS OF IT, BUT 
ALSO IN GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT THROUGH A LOT OF THE 
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT WE HAVE, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD 
SERVICE CENTERS, THE HEAD START PROGRAMS, OUR LIBRARIES, 
PARKS, GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT THROUGH THE PROGRAMS WE 
HAVE TO THE CLIENTELE OF THAT AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT HAS A 
LOT OF EMPLOYEES, LESS SO RIGHT NOW THAN WE USED TO, BUT A 
LOT OF EMPLOYEES, AND GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT TO OUR 
EMPLOYEES AS WELL TO COMPLETE THE CENSUS AND RETURN IT.
MEDIA, PRETTY OBVIOUS, HELPING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT 
SUBCOMMITTEES AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY ABOUT GETTING THE 
MESSAGE OUT ABOUT THE CENSUS, AND THAT IS BEING CHAIRED BY 
JOE DURKIN, WHO IS SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE 
COMMUNICATIONS FOR BRIGHT HOUSE.
AND RECRUITMENT BEING CHAIRED BY RENE BENTON GILMORE, WHO 
IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE TAMPA BAY WORKFORCE ALLIANCE.
THE RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE HELPS TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT 
ABOUT THOSE TEMPORARY JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND ALSO WILL 
HELP ESTABLISH SITES FOR TRAINING OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE 
RECRUITED TO WORK.
SO THERE'S A BIG COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORT THAT IN THE END WILL 
PROBABLY INVOLVE A COUPLE OF HUNDRED PEOPLE WORKING ON THAT 
LARGE OUTREACH EFFORT.
OKAY.
WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD THE BIG KICKOFF EVENT THAT WAS 
ATTENDED BY ABOUT 200 COMMUNITY LEADERS ON SEPTEMBER 14th 
AT THE UNIVERSITY AREA COMMUNITY CENTER.
A TRAINING WAS CONDUCTED ON OCTOBER 6th FOR ALL OF THE 
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMEN AS WELL AS THE MEMBERS OF THE STAFF 
COORDINATING LIAISON COMMITTEE SO THAT WE ARE UP TO SPEED 
THAT WE CAN HELP OUR SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS AND BEGIN TO GET 
OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD AND SHARE 
THE WORD ABOUT THE CENSUS.
IN EARLY NOVEMBER ALL OF THOSE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL BE 
MEETING AND WILL BE ATTENDING CENSUS TRAINING SESSIONS, AND 
AS A RESULT OF THOSE SESSIONS, THEY WILL BE DEVELOPING 
THEIR ACTION PLANS, AND THOSE ACTION PLANS WILL IDENTIFY 
THE BARRIERS TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE BUT 
WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THOSE HARD-TO-REACH OR HARD-TO-
COUNT COMMUNITIES AND STRATEGIES FOR REACHING -- FOR 
REACHING THOSE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.
THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT ACTIVITIES THAT WILL BE SCHEDULED AND 
PLANNED PROBABLY AT LEAST OR ONE -- ONE OR MORE ACTIVITIES 
PER SUBCOMMITTEES IN THE TIME FRAME GOING THROUGH CENSUS 
DAY.
SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE DEVELOPED A 
LOCAL LOGO AND SLOGAN.
OUR SLOGAN IS "COUNT US IN, U.S. CENSUS 2010," AND OUR 
LOGO, WHICH IS UP ON THE SLIDE.
WE HAVE A BANNER THAT WILL BE ABLE TO BE USED IN SOME OF 
THE PARADES, HOPEFULLY SOME THINGS RELATED TO -- WHETHER 
IT'S GASPARILLA, THE FAIR, SOME OF THE ANNUAL OTHER 
PARADES.
WE'VE TAKEN OUT -- TAKEN IT OUT TO SOME OF THE EVENTS 
ALREADY.
AND ON IT INCLUDES THE COUNTY LOGO AND OUR OTHER PARTNERS, 
WHICH ARE THE CITY OF PLANT CITY, CITY OF TEMPLE TERRACE, 
AND CITY OF TAMPA.
WE ALSO HAVE DEVELOPED A WEB SITE, AND BRANDON, DO WE HAVE 
THE WEB SITE THAT WE CAN GET TO?
AND THAT'S THE WEB SITE ADDRESS.
WE CAN GO BACK TO THAT AFTER.
THERE IT IS.
OKAY.
ON THE WEB SITE GIVES SOME OF THAT OVERVIEW INFORMATION 
THAT I WAS SHARING WITH YOU EARLIER.
OH, YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND -- NO, YOU GO AHEAD.
YOU'RE -- YOU'VE GOT THAT RESONANT VOICE.
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  MEMBERS, I'LL JUST BRIEFLY WALK YOU 
THROUGH THE WEB SITE THAT WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE 2010 
CENSUS, AND WE MADE A SIMILAR PRESENTATION AT THAT KICKOFF 
EVENT THAT SANDRA REFERENCED.
FIRST OFF, THE MAIN PAGE JUST COVERS THE PURPOSE THAT -- 
THAT SANDRA ALREADY WALKED YOU THROUGH, PROVIDES SOME LINKS 
TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT COMMISSIONER 
FERLITA PUT TOGETHER SO YOU CAN WATCH IT.
IT'S BOTH IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
SAMPLES OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES, BOTH ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND 
SOME OF THE MULTILINGUAL VERSIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE 
DEVELOPED.
RIGHT NOW IT MAY NOT HAVE MANY, BUT AS THEY ARE DEVELOPED, 
WE'LL PUT THEM ON THIS SITE SO PEOPLE CAN SEE SAMPLES AND 
GET ACCUSTOMED TO WHAT'S TO COME.
ALSO A COPY OF THE 2010 CENSUS PROCLAMATION FROM THE BOARD 
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE YOU'LL SEE A COUNTDOWN CLOCK, AND 
THEN UNDER THAT SOME RELATED LINKS TO THE FEDERAL CENSUS 
WEB SITE, STATE CENSUS WEB SITE, A LINK FOR CENSUS IN 
SCHOOLS, JOBS, AND COPIES OF BROCHURES WHICH YOU MIGHT HAVE 
ALREADY RECEIVED AND OTHERS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DEVELOPED 
AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO 2010.
ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE IS A LINK FOR 2010 CENSUS, AND THESE 
ARE MORE ISSUES INTERNAL TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND OUR 
CITIES.
FIRST LINK IS A LINK TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE.
THE SECOND ONE IS A LINK TO THE COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE 
THAT SANDRA SPOKE OF.
IT GIVES A LINK TO THOSE CHAIRS AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT 
EACH ONE OF THOSE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
CENSUS JOBS IS THE THIRD ONE DOWN.
1.4 MILLION JOBS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE CREATED NATIONALLY, 
MOST OF THEM TEMPORARY, AS SANDRA INDICATED.
THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF JOBS.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE VOLUNTEERS THAT WILL HELP US HERE 
LOCALLY IN GETTING THE WORD OUT AND PARTICIPATING IN BEING 
ENUMERATORS, AND THERE ARE PAID JOBS, SO THOSE WHO ARE 
INTERESTED, THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO GO TO LOOK INTO BOTH 
THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
NEXT THERE'S A CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND A CENSUS TIMELINE, 
AND WE GO FROM MARCH 2010 THROUGH -- THROUGH 2011, THE 
DATES THAT THE CENSUS TAKES PLACE, WHEN THOSE ENUMERATORS 
THEN STEP OUT AND CHECK IN WITH THOSE WHO HADN'T -- WHO 
HADN'T SUBMITTED THEIR SURVEYS, WHEN IT HAS TO BE DELIVERED 
TO CONGRESS, WHEN IT HAS TO BE DELIVERED TO THE PRESIDENT, 
AND THEN THE STATISTICS DELIVERED TO THE STATES SO THEY CAN 
USE THAT INFORMATION TO BEGIN THEIR REDISTRICTING PROCESS.
AND THERE'S ALSO A LOCAL TIMELINE.
AS YOU'LL SEE THERE WAS -- IS THE NEXT LEVEL OF TRAINING 
WAS OCTOBER 6th.
WE'LL ALSO BE ADDING IN THOSE TRAININGS FOR THE 
SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRS AND MEMBERS IN EARLY NOVEMBER THAT 
SANDRA SPOKE OF.
THERE'S A LINK FOR MEDIA.
IT INCLUDES PRESS RELEASE, INCLUDES THE PSA VIDEOS WE 
REFERENCED, THE PRESS KITS THAT WERE PUT TOGETHER FOR THE 
EVENT, AND ANY FUTURE MATERIALS THAT ARE PUT TOGETHER.
AND THEN THERE'S AN INTERESTING LINK HERE ON FREQUENTLY 
ASKED QUESTIONS, THE KINDS OF WHOSE, WHATS, WHENS, WHERES, 
AND WHYS OF THE CENSUS ALONG WITH A LINK TO 50 REASONS WHY 
WE DO THE CENSUS THAT SANDRA GAVE TO YOU.
SO THAT'S A VERY QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE SITE.
AGAIN, IT'S AVAILABLE AT THE HILLSBOROUGHCOUNTY.ORG/CENSUS 
ADDRESS.
IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT RESOURCE.
THE STAFF WORKED VERY HARD TO PUT THIS TOGETHER, AND THEY 
WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE IT AS NEW INFORMATION BECOMES 
AVAILABLE.
>>SANDRA SROKA:  THANK YOU.
AND WE ARE PROUD OF THE WEB SITE.
WE THINK IT HAS A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION, AND AS MORE 
COMES OUT, WE'LL BE ADDING TO IT.
ONE OF THE OTHER PARTS THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CENSUS 
AND WHERE WE FOCUS ON GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT TO IS THE 
COLLECTION OF DATA ABOUT CURRENT AND ACCURATE ADDRESSES 
BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE THE CENSUS FORMS ARE MAILED TO, 
AND THERE'S AN EFFORT THAT HAS BEEN -- WAS STARTED BACK IN 
THE SPRING AND IT CONTINUES ON OF VARIOUS QUESTIONNAIRES 
AND FORMS AND REPORTS AND SUBMISSIONS TO THE U.S. CENSUS BY 
A TEAM THAT'S MADE UP OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE FOUR 
CITIES, JIM BARRINGTON FROM PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT 
FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THEN REPRESENTATIVES FROM 
TAMPA, PLANT CITY, AND TEMPLE TERRACE IN TERMS OF 
SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL ADDRESSES, ADDRESSES 
THAT MAY HAVE COME IN TO BEING UNDER NEW CONSTRUCTION FROM 
THAT ORIGINAL SUBMISSION AND SO FORTH.
THAT DATA ACTUALLY IS -- OR THE REPORT BACK FROM THE U.S. 
CENSUS ABOUT WHAT THEY'VE ACCEPTED IS DUE BACK TO LOCAL 
COMMUNITIES ANY DAY, PROBABLY IN THE NEXT WEEK.
LOCAL COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THAT 
INFORMATION OF WHAT THE U.S. CENSUS ACCEPTED IN TERMS OF 
THE ADDRESSES AND FILE A RESPONSE WITHIN -- ONE REPORT IS 
WITHIN 30 DAYS, ANOTHER REPORT IS WITHIN 45 DAYS TO EITHER 
CHALLENGE IT, ACCEPT IT, OR WHATEVER BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE 
THE U.S. CENSUS IS GOING TO SAY THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT 
WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO BE COUNTING, SO THAT'S WHERE WE HOPE 
WE DON'T HAVE AN UNDERCOUNT OR SUBMITTED FEWER OR NOT 
ENOUGH OF THE RESIDENCES THAT MAY HAVE PEOPLE THERE OR IF 
THERE ARE PLACES THAT ARE NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE, WE WANT 
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT IN THE COUNT, THAT TYPE OF 
THING, SO THIS IS WHERE THE NUMBER AND THE ACCURACY OF THE 
ADDRESS IS.
WHICH IS REALLY A VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL ELEMENT.
OKAY.
YOU'VE GOT A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING VERY HARD TO 
WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF OUR SUBCOMMITTEES AND 
WITH THE CHAIRS OF THOSE SUBCOMMITTEES, AND YOU HAVE A 
LISTING OF THEM UP THERE, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE 
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA, PLANT CITY, TEMPLE 
TERRACE, THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND THEY 
PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE, IN PARTICULAR WHEN WE START GOING OUT 
INTO SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT MAY NOT TRUST 
GOVERNMENTAL WORKERS, BUT THEY'VE DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP 
WITH SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITY LIAISONS AND COMMUNITY 
OFFICERS THROUGH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT OR IN THE CITY 
THROUGH THE CITY POLICE OFFICERS, AND WE DEVELOPED SPECIAL 
EFFORTS AND ACTIVITIES TO REACH OUT TO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE 
FARMWORKERS, THINGS THAT WILL ATTRACT THEM TO COME TO THE 
EVENT, LEARN ABOUT THE CENSUS, AND ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE 
CENSUS AT THE ACTIVITY THAT THEY'RE AT.
SO ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE KEY PLAYERS, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, 
FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WE HAVE ALL OF THE COMMUNITY 
LIAISONS AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS FOLKS BECAUSE ALL 
OF US WORK WITH ALL OF THOSE DIVERSE POPULATIONS OUT IN THE 
COMMUNITY, AND SO WE FEEL IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THE 
WORD OUT, GET THEM INVOLVED, AND TRY TO ENSURE THAT THEY 
WILL PARTICIPATE AND COMPLETE THE FORM.
AND OF COURSE BRANDON.
WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT BRANDON HELPING US.
BUT YOU'VE GOT A REAL BIG CONTINGENCY THERE.
OKAY.
ONE OF THE FORMS THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED AND YOU ALSO SAW ON 
THE WEB SITE, THESE ARE SOME OF THE KEY 2010 CENSUS DATES 
THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE U.S. CENSUS.
THE UPDATING OF THE ADDRESSES, RECRUITMENT OF CENSUS 
WORKERS, GETTING LOCAL COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEES 
ESTABLISHED, GETTING THE OUTREACH EFFORT PLANS IN PLACE, 
AND INITIATING A LOT OF THOSE ACTIVITIES.
CENSUS DAY, OF COURSE I'VE MENTIONED THAT IS APRIL 1st, 
2010.
KIND OF MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDAR AND CIRCLE IT IN BIG RED.
AFTER CENSUS DAYS, THE U.S. CENSUS WILL MAKE A 
DETERMINATION AS TO WHOM THEY DID OR DIDN'T GET FORMS BACK 
FROM, AND THEN THAT'S WHEN THE DOOR-TO-DOOR ENUMERATION 
TAKES PLACE BETWEEN MAY AND JULY OF 2010.
BY DECEMBER 31st OF 2010 THE CENSUS BUREAU DELIVERS A 
POPULATION COUNT TO THE PRESIDENT, AND THAT IS REQUIRED 
UNDER THE LAW, AND BY 2011 BY LAW THE CENSUS BUREAU 
COMPLETES ITS DELIVERY OF REDISTRICTING TO THE STATES.
SO THERE'S A LOT THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING ON IN THE NEXT 
FEW MONTHS.
THE MOST ACTIVE AND CRITICAL TIME PERIOD OF THE OUTREACH 
EFFORT IS BETWEEN THAT JANUARY, IN PARTICULAR FEBRUARY AND 
MARCH BECAUSE THAT'S THE TIME THAT IS CLOSES TO THAT APRIL 
1st DATE WE WANT PEOPLE TO KEEP HEARING 2010 CENSUS, 2010 
CENSUS, IT'S EASY, IMPORTANT, AND SAFE, AND THEN IT BUILDS 
UP TO, OKAY, HERE'S MY FORM IN THE MAIL.
OH, YES, I REMEMBER, I NEED TO FILL THIS OUT BECAUSE IT MAY 
AFFECT MY CHILD IN SCHOOL OR IT'S GOING TO HELP US GET 
BETTER TRANSPORTATION OR IT'S GOING TO GIVE US MORE 
REPRESENTATION OR WHATEVER.
SO WITH THAT, WE DISTRIBUTED SOME MATERIALS TO YOU AND ALSO 
THE CHIP CLIPS, AND THE CHIP CLIPS, WE WERE ABLE TO GET 
SOME FUNDING FROM THE U.S. CENSUS FOR SOME PROMOTIONAL 
MATERIALS THAT WE'RE USING IN THE HARD-TO-COUNT 
COMMUNITIES, AND WE WANTED A PROMOTIONAL ITEM THAT WASN'T 
JUST THE PROMOTIONAL ITEM BUT WHERE WE COULD ACTUALLY SHARE 
SOME INFORMATION, AND WHAT WE'RE DOING -- WE DIDN'T DO IT 
WITH YOU, BUT WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THE INFORMATION ABOUT, 
YOU KNOW, THE SNAPSHOT OF THE CENSUS, 50 IMPORTANT REASONS, 
AND SO FORTH AND CLIPPING IT IN ENGLISH OR SPANISH TO THE 
CHIP CLIP, AND THOSE WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH OUR 
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTERS, OUR NUTRITION SITES, SUNSHINE 
LINE, OUR SENIOR CENTERS, AND SOME OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS 
LIKE THAT AND SOME OF THE PROGRAMS WE GO TO WHERE THE 
PARTICIPANTS OR THE PEOPLE COMING THROUGH THOSE FAIRS OR 
PROGRAMS REPRESENT OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND LET YOU HAVE ONE 
THAT YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH SOMEBODY ELSE IF YOU 
DON'T KEEP IT.
SO -- CAN I ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANYONE?
I'LL TRY TO, AND IF NOT, I'LL GET AN ANSWER FOR YOU.
>>DEBORAH COPE:  ONE QUESTION.
YOU MENTIONED THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD RECEIVED THE LONG 
FORM LAST TIME.
IS EVERYBODY GOING TO RECEIVE THIS SHORTER FORM, OR WILL 
THERE STILL BE SOME LONG FORMS?
>>SANDRA SROKA:  I BELIEVE EVERYONE IS GOING TO RECEIVE THE 
SHORT FORM.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  I NOTICED ON THE SHORT FORM THAT IT 
HAS PROVISION FOR THREE PEOPLE.
WILL THERE BE ENOUGH PLACES FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD TO BE ABLE 
TO FILL IN IF THEY HAVE SIX OR SEVEN OR WHATEVER IN THE 
HOUSEHOLD?
>>SANDRA SROKA:  YES.
YES.
THERE ARE I THINK ADDITIONAL -- A FORM WITH ADDITIONAL 
SLOTS FOR THAT BECAUSE THEY DO WANT TO COUNT EVERY PERSON.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  ANYONE ELSE?
THANK YOU.
I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
AND FIRST OF ALL, SANDRA, I KNOW THEY PICKED A VERY 
DEDICATED PERSON TO DO THIS.
I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR YEARS, AND I KNOW HOW DEDICATED YOU ARE, 
AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK YOU'VE DONE.
I'M GOING TO -- TO DISPLAY MY CIVIC -- WELL -- SIDE HERE.
I -- WHEN I RECEIVED THE CENSUS THE LAST TIME IT WAS SENT 
OUT, ON THE ENVELOPE IT BASICALLY SAID FILL IT OUT UNDER 
PENALTY OF LAW, AND I -- CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, THAT'S THE 
WORD I WAS LOOKING FOR, SO I HAVE TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, 
AND WHEN I READ THAT THAT SAID UNDER PENALTY OF LAW, GUESS 
WHAT, THAT CENSUS DID NOT GET FILLED OUT BECAUSE I THOUGHT 
HOW DARE THE GOVERNMENT SEND THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IN 
THAT TYPE OF ENVELOPE AND INVITE THAT TYPE OF HOSTILITY 
BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO TELL ME TO FILL THAT 
OUT UNDER PENALTY OF LAW.
AND I HOPE SOMEONE LOOKED INTO THAT AND CHANGES THAT SO 
NEXT TIME IT COMES OUT I MIGHT FILL IT OUT.
>>SANDRA SROKA:  I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CHANGED OR WHAT 
THEY'RE DOING, BUT I'M MAKING A NOTE OF THAT, AND WE HAVE -
- THE U.S. CENSUS HAS ESTABLISHED ONE OF THE TEMPORARY 
MANAGEMENT POSITIONS A -- A PARTNER -- A CENSUS PARTNERSHIP 
SPECIALIST THAT WORKS WITH OUR -- OUR COUNTY -- ACTUALLY 
SHE WORKS WITH 13 COUNTIES IN THIS AREA, AND I WILL BRING 
THAT COMMENT BACK TO HER AND FIND OUT IF SHE KNOWS OR ASK 
HER TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE I'M SURE THERE ARE PROBABLY MANY 
OTHER PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE THAT SAME REACTION.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  WELL, I WASN'T ARRESTED.
[LAUGHTER]
>>SANDRA SROKA:  WELL, THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE YOU'RE 
HERE WITH US.
WHAT I DID LEARN, THOUGH -- AND I AM MAKING A NOTE OF THAT.
WHAT I DID LEARN, THOUGH, SINCE STARTING TO DO THIS -- AND 
I HAVE NOT PARTICIPATED IN A FORMAL WAY IN OTHER CENSUS IN 
THE PAST, ALTHOUGH SOME OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS 
PARTICIPATED IN THE -- IN ONE SINCE 1985, BUT WHAT I DID 
FIND OUT IS THE QUESTIONS THAT APPEAR ON THE CENSUS FORM, 
IT'S NOT THE U.S. CENSUS THAT CREATES THOSE AND THEN PRINTS 
THEM AND PUBLISHES THEM, THAT IT ACTUALLY GOES BEFORE 
CONGRESS AND THAT IT'S CONGRESS THAT DECIDES WHAT WILL OR 
WON'T BE ON THE FORM BECAUSE I WAS AT A MEETING WHERE 
PEOPLE WERE SAYING, WELL, WE REALLY FEEL THIS NEEDS TO BE 
ON THERE, AND SO I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TEN YEARS TO MAKE 
CHANGES FOR THE NEXT ONE, BUT I WILL BRING THAT COMMENT 
BACK TO THAT PERSON.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THANK YOU.
BECAUSE I NEVER GOT TO THE FORM.
[LAUGHTER]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>SANDRA SROKA:  WELL, WE HOPE YOU WILL THIS YEAR.
THE OTHER THING IS IF ANYBODY FROM THIS COMMITTEE OR 
SOMEONE ELSE YOU KNOW THAT YOU FEEL YOU'D REALLY LIKE TO 
SERVE ON ONE OF THE COMMITTEES, PLEASE LET ME KNOW OR ANY 
OF THE MEMBERS THAT YOU SAW LISTED BECAUSE WE WELCOME YOUR 
PARTICIPATION.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  AND ALSO THERE ARE PARADES THE 4th OF 
JULY.
THERE'S ONE IN TEMPLE TERRACE AND IN LUTZ, BRANDON TOO.
>>SANDRA SROKA:  OKAY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR ALL YOU DO.
>>SANDRA SROKA:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  OKAY.
NEXT WE HAVE MARY HELEN FARRIS IN TO EXPLAIN THE FLORIDA 
SUNSHINE LAW.
THANK YOU, MARY HELEN.
>>MARY HELEN FARRIS:  GOOD MORNING.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD ME GIVE THIS SPEECH I DON'T 
KNOW HOW MANY TIMES.
I'M HERE JUST TO GO OVER SOME OF THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF 
THE FLORIDA SUNSHINE LAW.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU ARE NEW TO THE CAC, BUT I'M 
JUST GOING TO GO OVER THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS.
AND FLORIDA LEADS THE NATION IN ITS OPEN GOVERNMENT LAWS.
SUNSHINE LAW IS ALSO REFERRED TO AS AN OPEN MEETINGS LAW 
AND ALSO THE PUBLIC RECORDS LAW, AND LIKE I SAID, FLORIDA 
REALLY HAS A VERY BROAD OPEN GOVERNMENT SET OF REGULATIONS.
THE SUNSHINE LAW, THE BASIC WORDING OF IT SAYS THAT ALL 
MEETINGS OF ANY BOARD, COMMISSION, OR COMMITTEE AT WHICH 
OFFICIAL ACTS ARE TO BE TAKEN ARE DECLARED OPEN TO THE 
PUBLIC AND NO FORMAL ACTION SHALL BE BINDING UNLESS IT'S 
TAKEN AT SUCH A PUBLIC MEETING AND THAT REASONABLE NOTICE 
IS REQUIRED.
I'M GOING TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF THE POINTS OF THE LAW AND 
JUST KIND OF EXPLAIN NOT ONLY WHAT THE -- THE STATUTE SAYS 
BUT ALSO HOW THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM HAS INTERPRETED IT.
A MEETING IS ANY TIME TWO OR MORE MEMBERS OF THE SAME BOARD 
OR COMMITTEE DISCUSS ANY ISSUE THAT MAY COME BACK TO THAT 
BOARD FOR ACTION, SO OBVIOUSLY A FORMAL MEETING SUCH AS 
THIS IS DECLARED OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT A MEETING -- THE 
DEFINITION OF A MEETING GOES FAR BEYOND THAT.
IT CAN -- IT CAN PERTAIN TO PHONE CALLS, E-MAILS.
NOW WITH THE NEW TEXT MESSAGING AND ALL THE NEW TECHNOLOGY 
THAT WE HAVE -- MY DAUGHTER'S AT FLORIDA STATE, AND WE 
SKYPE EACH OTHER ON A NIGHTLY BASIS, AND IT'S JUST AMAZING, 
BUT ANY KIND OF INTERACTION WHETHER IT'S DONE 
ELECTRONICALLY OR BY PHONE COULD BE A MEETING IF ANY TWO 
MEMBERS OF THE SAME BOARD DISCUSS AN ISSUE THAT MIGHT 
REASONABLY COME BACK TO THAT BOARD FOR ACTION.
SOMETIMES I GET THE QUESTION, WELL, WHAT IF WE JUST TALK 
ABOUT THE GATOR GAME OR SOMETHING, AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO 
COME BACK TO THIS GROUP, BUT MY ADVICE IS ALWAYS JUST NOT 
TO DISCUSS ISSUES UNLESS YOU DO SO AT A FORMAL MEETING.
ANOTHER ISSUE THAT COMES UP IS FROM TIME TO TIME THE CAC 
MAY WANT TO CREATE A SUBCOMMITTEE TO TAKE ON A CERTAIN 
ISSUE.
THAT WOULD ALSO BE SUBJECT TO THE SUNSHINE LAW, SO 
ANYTIME -- EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SUBCOMMITTEE, ANYTIME TWO OR 
MORE SPEAK OR DISCUSS ISSUES, IT WOULD BE.
THE OTHER REQUIREMENT IS REASONABLE NOTICE IS REQUIRED.
FOR THIS GROUP YOU HAVE BRANDON AND THE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS 
THAT PROVIDE THE NOTICE OF YOUR MEETINGS, BUT I WOULD JUST 
AGAIN REMIND YOU IF YOU DO HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE OR SOMETHING 
OF THAT NATURE, YOU DO HAVE TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF THAT.
AND THE NOTICE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A PRINTED AGENDA, IT 
DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPER.
THE STANDARD UNDER THE LAW IS REASONABLE NOTICE, SO USUALLY 
WE HAVE THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT WILL SEND OUT 
NOTICES.
WE HAVE A MECHANISM AND A FRAMEWORK ALREADY SET UP TO DO 
THAT, BUT -- AND YOU JUST HAVE THE -- THE DATE, THE PLACE, 
AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHAT ACTION IS GOING TO TAKE -- 
TAKE PLACE.
I GET ASKED QUITE OFTEN WHAT IF SOMETHING COMES UP DURING A 
MEETING, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THE BOARD OF COUNTY 
COMMISSIONERS, THAT'S NOT ON THEIR AGENDA, AND THEY CAN 
DISCUSS THINGS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA.
IT'S NOT THAT TIGHT, BUT GENERALLY THE -- THE BETTER THE 
NOTICE AND THE MORE FULL THE NOTICE, THE BETTER OFF IT IS.
THE OTHER THING IN THE LAW SAYS IT MUST BE OPEN TO THE 
PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES.
AGAIN, THIS GROUP TYPICALLY MEETS IN THIS BUILDING, IN THIS 
ROOM, AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY A GOVERNMENT BUILDING, BUT THIS -- 
THIS PORTION OF IT COMES INTO PLAY.
FROM TIME TO TIME YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO A SITE VISIT OR AN 
INSPECTION TRIP OR A BUS TOUR OF A NEIGHBORHOOD OR 
SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
THAT COMES UP FROM TIME TO TIME.
AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD ALSO FALL UNDER THE SUNSHINE LAW IF 
ANYTHING YOU DISCUSS WOULD COME BACK TO THIS -- THIS 
COMMITTEE FOR ACTION.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST WITH THE COMMISSIONERS IS WE 
PROVIDED NOTICE, WE PROVIDED AMPLE TRANSPORTATION TO 
ANYBODY THAT WANTED TO TRAVEL ALONG WITH THEM, AND THE 
OTHER ELEMENT I'LL GET TO IN A MOMENT IS THAT YOU TAKE 
MINUTES OF -- OF THAT, SO THERE'S A WAY -- IF THIS EVER 
SHOULD COME UP TO THIS COMMITTEE, THERE'S A WAY TO COMPLY 
WITH THE LAW, EVEN IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE 
THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL 
TIMES.
THE OTHER REQUIREMENT IS THE WRITTEN MINUTES MUST BE KEPT.
AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT STAFF TO HELP YOU KEEP YOUR MINUTES, AND 
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT, IT JUST HAS 
TO BE A BASIC SUMMARY OF WHAT WAS SAID, WHAT ACTION WAS 
TAKEN, WHAT VOTES WERE TAKEN SO THAT SOMEBODY COULD GO BACK 
IF THEY COULDN'T GO TO THE PUBLIC MEETING AND GET A SENSE 
OF WHAT -- WHAT WENT ON.
A LOT OF TIMES MEETINGS ARE RECORDED JUST FOR THE EASE OF 
WHOEVER'S TAKING THE MINUTES, BUT THE LAW SPECIFICALLY 
REQUIRES THAT WRITTEN MINUTES BE TAKEN, SO I GET ASKED THE 
QUESTION, CAN WE JUST KEEP THE TAPE AND LET THAT BE THE 
MINUTES FOR THE MEETING?
NO, THE LAW SAYS THEY HAVE TO BE WRITTEN DOWN.
SO USUALLY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A TAPE, THEN YOU CAN, YOU 
KNOW, PREPARE YOUR MINUTES AND THEN YOU CAN REUSE THE TAPE.
NOW, THIS IS JUST A VERY BRIEF KIND OF OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE 
LAW REQUIRES.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS?
NOPE.
YES, MA'AM.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  DO YOU HAVE THOSE PAMPHLETS?
>>MARY HELEN FARRIS:  I CAN GET THEM TO YOU.
I CAN GET THEM TO BRANDON, AND HE CAN --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>MARY HELEN FARRIS:  YEAH, IT'S A GUIDE TO THE SUNSHINE 
LAW AND ALSO HAS SOME PROVISIONS OF THE ETHICS CODE IN IT 
TOO.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>MARY HELEN FARRIS:  OKAY.
SURE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THE NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OTHER BUSINESS.
ANYONE HAVE -- BEA.
>>BEA BLACK:  I'VE BEEN NOTICING THAT GINNIE HAS BEEN 
MISSING THE LAST COUPLE TIMES, AND I THINK THAT BRANDON 
SAID THAT SHE WAS NOT FEELING WELL, AND SO I WOULD LIKE A 
CARD SENT MAYBE TO HER FROM THIS COMMITTEE AND THEN 
ENCOURAGE ANYBODY -- HER ADDRESS IS IN OUR PAMPHLETS -- TO 
SEND HER ONE AND JUST HOPE THAT SHE FEELS BETTER.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THANK YOU.
THAT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEND IT AS THE COMMITTEE?
>> YES.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  OKAY.
BRANDON.
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THEY'D LIKE TO SEND -- THANK YOU.
>>DEBORAH COPE:  JUST AN UPDATE.
I SPOKE ON THE STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND THE -- WELL, NOT 
STRATEGIC PLANNING, BUT IN PARTICULAR THE ECONOMIC POLICY 
REVIEW BOARD.
I SPOKE TO COMMISSIONER BECKNER RECENTLY, AND HE SAID THAT 
THAT'S EXPECTED TO GO TO A VOTE TO THE BOCC NOVEMBER 4th, 
UNLESS THAT'S CHANGED.
THAT'S THE LATEST THAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT, SO WE SHOULD 
HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT WHETHER THEY APPROVE TO GO FORWARD 
WITH THAT OR NOT ON THE 4th.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  WHAT?
>>DEBORAH COPE:  THE ECONOMIC POLICY REVIEW BOARD.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  JENNIFER.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  I HAD TWO QUESTIONS.
THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE WE DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF 
A TRIP TO MacDILL IN DECEMBER, AND I WONDERED WHAT THE 
STATUS WAS ON THAT, AND SECONDLY I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE 
TIMING OF DEVELOPING THE AGENDA AND THE CALENDAR FOR 2010.
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  MEMBERS, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THE 
TRIP TO MacDILL FOR DECEMBER.
I WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO YOU AS I GET IT, AND I -- I 
UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO MAKE ACCOMMODATION FOR THE 
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
WE WILL DO THAT AT LEAST FOR, YOU KNOW, LETTING THEM KNOW 
WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
WE DON'T GENERALLY PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, LIKE A BUS OR A 
VAN FOR YOU-ALL.
IT'S GENERALLY WE MEET AT THIS TIME AND THIS PLACE BECAUSE 
IT'S SO LOCAL, BUT AS SOON AS WE GET THE INFORMATION, I'LL 
START POURING IT OUT TO YOU, AND WE'LL LET THE PUBLIC KNOW 
ABOUT IT AS WELL.
SECONDLY, PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MEET ON THE FOURTH FRIDAY OF EVERY 
MONTH AS YOUR BYLAWS PROVIDE.
NEXT MONTH I WILL BRING YOU THAT LIST OF DATES SO YOU CAN 
GO AHEAD AND CEMENT THEM IN, AND IF YOU HAVE IDEAS FOR WHAT 
YOU'D LIKE PRESENTATIONS TO BE, IF YOU COULD START 
FORWARDING TO ME, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THEN OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO 
BRING THEM TO ME IN NOVEMBER, THEN WE CAN BEGIN DEVELOPING 
A CALENDAR, AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THAT YOU-ALL TEND TO SET A 
CALENDAR FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS BEFORE YOUR JOINT MEETING 
WITH THE BOARD, GET DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD, AND THEN YOUR 
TIMING AFTER THAT TENDS TO BE FLUID DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU-
ALL AGREE TO COMMIT TO, SO AGAIN, I'LL BRING YOU A SET OF 
DATES FOR NEXT YEAR AT OUR NEXT MEETING, AND ANY PROPOSALS 
YOU HAVE FOR PRESENTATIONS OR ACTIVITIES YOU'D LIKE TO DO, 
IF YOU'LL BRING THEM TO ME, I'LL WORK TO INCORPORATE THEM.
>> EXCUSE ME JUST A MINUTE.
I LOOKED ON MY CALENDAR.
THE 10th -- DECEMBER THE 10th IS A THURSDAY.
IS THAT CORRECT?
YOU KEEP SAYING DECEMBER THE 10th.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  IT'S DECEMBER 11th ON THE -- SHOWN ON 
THE -- OUR CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR.
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  YOU HAVE AN UPDATED CALENDAR IN YOUR 
BINDERS.
IT SHOULD SAY DECEMBER 11th ON THAT -- ON THAT LIST.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  IT DOES.
>> IT DOES?
OKAY.
I THOUGHT SOMEBODY SAID DECEMBER THE 10th.
THAT'S WHY I LOOKED AT THAT.
OKAY.
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  NO, MA'AM.
AND AGAIN, THE REASON WE MAKE -- THE NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 
MEETINGS ARE NOT THE FOURTH FRIDAY TO, OF COURSE, COVER 
THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS --
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  OKAY.
AND ALSO MAY IS OUR MEETING WITH --
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  MAY IS YOUR JOINT MEETING, YES, MA'AM.
>> WELL, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT MOVING THAT MAY MEETING UP 
BECAUSE AT ONE POINT IN TIME WE WERE TALKING IN THAT BY MAY 
OUR YEAR IS ALMOST DONE, AND THEN TO GET DIRECTION FROM THE 
BOCC WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE ONLY HAVE A FEW MORE MONTHS LEFT 
FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, CYCLE OUT, SO TALK ABOUT 
MAYBE HAVING THAT MEETING EARLIER IN THE YEAR TO GET A MORE 
DIRECTION FROM THEM.
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  WE CAN CHECK WITH THE BOARD AND FIND OUT 
WHAT THEIR AVAILABILITY IS.
IT'S DEPENDENT UPON THEIR ABILITY TO COME TOGETHER AND 
COORDINATE THEIR SEVEN CALENDARS, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE 
THAT INQUIRY AND SEE IF WE CAN DO IT EARLIER.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THAT IF YOU DON'T MIND.
DOES EVERYBODY AGREE?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  IS THERE CONSENSUS?
>> YES.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  IT MAKES SENSE -- MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN CHECK IN ON A TOUR TO 
BUSCH GARDENS.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  OH, THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  I MEAN, IF WE'RE GOING TO MacDILL, LET'S 
GO TO BUSCH GARDENS.
[INCOMPREHENSIBLE]
>> GOOD ONE, JAKE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  I'M FOR ADVENTURE ISLAND.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  WELL, I'M NOT TOUCHING THAT ONE.
YOU KNOW, MICKEY MOUSE LAND, SOMETHING.
I DON'T CARE.
I DID -- AND I WISH I -- AND I THINK OF IT NOW, AND I 
WANTED TO ASK HER BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT THE 
ISSUE CONCERNING THE PROPERTY OVER IN MY -- IN OUR AREA OFF 
OF LITHIA-PINECREST.
>> CONE RANCH?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  CONE RANCH.
>> CONE RANCH.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN 
COMING UP AND ADDRESSING ME, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO 
KNOW WHAT THE SUNSHINE LAW ACTUALLY -- HOW THAT PERTAINED 
TO IT BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN IT TO OUR COMMISSIONER VERSUS 
THE PLANNING COMMISSION BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S GOING TO GO IN 
FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
I MEAN, WHAT --
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  WELL --
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  I APOLOGIZE.
I SHOULD HAVE ASKED HER.
YOU WOULD --
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  YOU CAN -- AS LONG AS THE ISSUE IS NOT 
BEFORE YOU, YOU CAN GIVE YOUR OPINION OR MAKE A STATEMENT 
ON ANYTHING THAT YOU WISH TO IN PRIVATE.
THAT'S YOUR CHOICE.
WHAT SHE SPOKE TO WAS ISSUES THAT MAY COME BEFORE THE 
CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE HE.
YOU-ALL CAN'T DISCUSS THAT AMONG EACH OTHER.
THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH COMMON COMMUNICATIONS, SO THAT'S WHY 
WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE THAT COMES 
BEFORE THIS GROUP, SEND IT EN MASSE TO EVERYBODY, OR SEND 
IT TO ME AND I'LL SEND IT OUT TO EVERYBODY.
THAT WAY WE HAVE A RECORD OF IT VIA E-MAIL AND YOU-ALL HAVE 
IT AS WELL.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  OKAY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  YES, JENNIFER.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  AT OUR LAST MEETING I BELIEVE WE 
ACTUALLY DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING THAT ON OUR 
AGENDA FOR NOVEMBER.
>> YES.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY 
BENEFICIAL BECAUSE HE MENTIONED IT AFFECTS OUR IMMEDIATE 
GEOGRAPHIC AREA, BUT IT REALLY AFFECTS THE WHOLE COUNTY 
BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT OF COUNTY 
ASSETS, AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THAT IF WE COULD 
PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR NOVEMBER THAT --
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  WE HAVE CHECKED INTO THAT.
YOU-ALL HAVE ASKED A COUPLE TIMES ABOUT THAT.
HERE'S THE ISSUE.
THAT COMMITTEE IS ITS OWN COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE BOARD 
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
THEY HAVE PUBLIC MEETINGS JUST AS YOU DO.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  THE PLANNING COMMISSION?
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  NO, NO.
THIS IS A -- THERE'S A CONE RANCH TECHNICAL ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN CREATED BY THE BOARD TO INVESTIGATE 
THE ISSUE OF THE SALE OF CONE RANCH OR THE PRESERVATION OF 
CONE RANCH AND ADVISE THEM ON THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. 
SEPARATE ENTITY.
TO DATE -- AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER MEETING THIS AFTERNOON, 
BUT TO DATE THE ONLY THING THE COMMITTEE HAS DONE IS HEARD 
TESTIMONY FROM THE POTENTIAL PARTIES INVOLVED.
THAT'S ALL THEY HAVE DONE.
THEY HAVE TAKEN NO ACTION, THEY HAVE GONE IN NO SPECIFIC 
DIRECTION, SO IN ESSENCE THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO REPORT 
TO YOU OTHER THAN THEY'VE HAD MEETINGS.
ALL THEIR MEETINGS AND MATERIALS ARE ON-LINE JUST AS YOURS 
ARE.
IT'S ON THE WEB SITE OF HILLSBOROUGHCOUNTY.ORG.
YOU CAN PULL UP THE MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT 
MEETING.
I BELIEVE YOU CAN EVEN GO IN AND TRY TO -- AND WATCH THEIR 
MEETINGS JUST AS YOURS ARE TELEVISED AS ARE THEIRS.
I CAN ASK AGAIN IF THERE'S ANYTHING FOR THEM TO COME 
FORWARD AND TELL YOU, BUT AS OF TODAY, THERE'S NOTHING TO 
REPORT TO YOU OTHER THAN THEY'VE BEEN HAVING MEETINGS AND 
HEARING TESTIMONY.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  THE REASON -- I APOLOGIZE, BUT --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  NO, NO, GO AHEAD.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  THE REASON I BRING THAT UP IS JUST THAT 
NOT ONLY DOES IT AFFECT OUR AREA, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 
THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN PUT ASIDE FOR LITHIA-PINECREST, AND 
THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE BECAUSE THAT MONEY AFFECTS EVERYBODY, 
WHERE WE'RE GETTING THE MONEY FROM AS FAR AS BUILDING UP OF 
LITHIA-PINECREST, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM.
SO, I MEAN, IT AFFECTS US IN THAT AVENUE ALSO.
BEING ON THE CAC, THAT WOULD AFFECT US AND THE CONE THING 
WOULD AFFECT US, YOU KNOW WHAT -- AM I WAY OFF BASE ON THIS 
OR WHAT BECAUSE I REALLY DO THINK THAT THIS DOES AFFECT US 
AND THIS SHOULD BE -- I DON'T KNOW.
YOU TELL ME.
I'M THE NEW GUY ON THE BLOCK, AND I'LL PLAY IT THAT WAY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  I THINK YOU BRING UP A LEGITIMATE --
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  -- STATEMENT, AND I BELIEVE THIS 
COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE A PRESENTATION BECAUSE THIS COMMITTEE 
IN THE PAST HAS SET A PRECEDENCE.
WHEN WE HAD THE CABLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE -- AND WE STILL 
HAVE THAT -- THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH SPEAK UP TAMPA BAY, 
AND THIS COMMITTEE WAS ASKED TO REVIEW THAT, SO THEREFORE, 
THE PRECEDENT'S ALREADY BEEN SET, AND IT'S NOT THAT I WANT 
TO TELL THAT COMMITTEE WHAT TO DO, BUT I THINK WE WORK WITH 
THE COMMUNITY, WE ALSO REVIEW THE BUDGET, AND I THINK IT'S 
IMPORTANT FOR US WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING TO US TO KNOW 
WHAT'S GOING ON AND AT LEAST HAVE A PRESENTATION SAYING 
WHERE THEY'RE GOING, THE GOALS -- GOALS AND OBJECTION, AND 
THEN COME BACK WHEN A DECISION IS MADE TO AT LEAST LET US 
HEAR IT AND BE ABLE TO RELAY BACK TO THE CITIZENS AND 
VARIOUS COMMUNITIES.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  RIGHT.
BECAUSE I CAN TELL HER, LOOK, YOU CAN GO TO THE CONE OR YOU 
CAN GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION BECAUSE -- LIKE I SERVE -- 
I'M A COCHAIR FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF BRANDON, AND SHE IS IN 
THAT CLASS, ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, AND THE ONLY 
WAY I KNEW WAS THIS BIG STICKER ON THERE WITH THE SLASH 
MARK THROUGH IT SAYING "NO."
I'M LIKE, OKAY, WHAT'S THAT ABOUT.
OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GOING TO DRAW ATTENTION TO IT.
AND MS. BEA, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR NOT 
HAVING OUR PERSONAL INFORMATION PUT ON THAT WEB SITE.
ONCE I FIND OUT, IT'S LIKE [MAKES SOUND]
BACK TO THE SUNSHINE LAW.
DOES THAT MEAN ALSO IF THE OTHER PERSON APPOINTED BY THE 
SAME COMMISSIONER -- ARE WE ALLOWED TO TALK OR WE'RE NOT 
ALLOWED TO TALK EVEN IF IT'S BROUGHT IN FRONT --
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  NO.
ANY ISSUE THAT COULD BECOME A PART OF YOUR BUSINESS, YOU 
CANNOT TALK AMONG EACH OTHER.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  SO SHE CAN'T TAKE ME TO LUNCH AND WE CAN'T 
TALK ABOUT IT?
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  NO.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  I WAS TRYING TO WORK FOR A FREE LUNCH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  I WANT TO GO BACK TO CONE RANCH.
THERE A CONSENSUS TO HAVE THEM COME IN FRONT OF THIS 
COMMITTEE?
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  MAY I ASK A QUALIFYING QUESTION?
BRANDON, IS THERE A QUALIFIED STAFFPERSON WHO IS ASSIGNED 
TO THAT WHO COULD COME AND DO AN OVERVIEW OF THE MATERIAL 
THAT'S ON THE WEB SITE AND ADDITIONALLY ASK -- LET US ASK 
SOME CONNECTING KIND OF QUESTIONS?
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  EDITH STEWART, THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS 
ADMINISTRATOR, IS THE STAFFPERSON ASSIGNED TO THE CONE 
RANCH COMMITTEE.
I CAN ASK HER IF SHE IS AVAILABLE TO COME TO YOUR NEXT 
MEETING AND TELL YOU BASICALLY WHAT I'VE TOLD YOU.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THANK YOU, BRANDON.
YOU'RE ON.
>>AAKASH PATEL:  YESTERDAY THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE 
PAPER, THE COMMITTEE OF 100 AND THE TAMPA CHAMBER 
SEPARATED.
THERE'S A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
CORPORATION.
I WANTED TO KNOW IF WE COULD GET THEM TO SPEAK IN FUTURE 
MEETINGS.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
>>AAKASH PATEL:  IT JUST HAPPENED YESTERDAY, SO --
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  EXACTLY.
>>AAKASH PATEL:  THE COUNTY PAYS FOR AN ECONOMIC 
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CREATE JOB CREATION AND A 
WORKFORCE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
IT USED TO BE PART OF THE CHAMBER, SO IT WAS NEVER REALLY -
-
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  YEAH, BUT RIGHT NOW IF I REMEMBER READING 
IT, THE COMMITTEE OF 100 IS PAID FOR A LITTLE BIT BY THE 
COUNTY, A LITTLE BIT --
>>AAKASH PATEL:  BY THE CITY.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  -- BY THE CITY, AND THEN ALSO BY THE 
COMPANIES IN THERE --
>>AAKASH PATEL:  THE INVESTOR, YEAH.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  YEAH, THEIR INVESTORS OF 100, SO -- I'M 
JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND YOUR REASONING.
>>AAKASH PATEL:  JUST TO SEE THEIR UPDATE BECAUSE IT JUST 
HAPPENED.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  SEE IF WE CAN GET IN ON IT?
>>AAKASH PATEL:  JUST SEE IF --
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  SEE IF YOU CAN GO TO 101 OR SOMETHING?
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  I THINK THAT PRESENTATION WOULD BE 
VERY INTERESTING.
WE'VE HAD THEM COME TO PLANT CITY AND SPEAK THERE TO A 
GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS BECAUSE IT IS A MULTIFACETED 
COUNTY-COORDINATED EFFORT, AND WHEN I SAY COUNTY, NOT JUST 
COUNTY GOVERNMENT BUT COUNTY-COORDINATED EFFORT, AND IT'S 
VERY BENEFICIAL, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE ECONOMIC TIMES THAT 
WE FACE --
>>AAKASH PATEL:  RIGHT.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  -- AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT REALLY 
ARE ABOUNDING BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE CHALLENGES IN 
THE ECONOMY, THERE'S CERTAIN SECTORS THAT ARE REALLY 
FORGING AHEAD, AND THE WORK THAT THAT GROUP DOES 
COMPLEMENTS SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS SUCH AS THE CORRIDOR -
- I-4 CORRIDOR EXPANSION PROGRAM AND THE -- THAT'S BEING 
CONDUCTED BY A VARIETY OF GROUPS, INCLUDING THE PLANNING 
COMMISSION, AND THAT'S INTERESTING TOO BECAUSE THAT COULD 
BE THE FUTURE OF THE ECONOMIC BASE FOR OUR COUNTY OF REALLY 
SEEING SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR.
AND THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER INTERESTING PRESENTATION, 
BRANDON, TO --
>> LIGHT RAIL.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  -- TO LET THE SPEAKERS FROM THE 
PLANNING COMMISSION COME AND SPEAK ABOUT WHAT'S BEING 
PLANNED THERE RELATIVE TO THE ZONING CHANGES THAT ARE 
FORTHCOMING AND THE -- THE WAY TO -- THEY'RE TRYING TO 
EMBRACE THE INDUSTRY COMING IN.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  ANY OTHER DISCUSSION?
THIS IS YOUR TURN.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  YEAH.
IF WE COULD HAVE, LIKE, MILLER DOWDY AND -- WHAT'S THE 
CHAIRMAN JUST LEFT?
>> KAY DOUGHTY.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  KAY DOUGHTY.
NO, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT DOUGHTYS -- MILLER DOWDY AND KAY 
DOUGHTY'S SON ACTUALLY COME AND GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION, I 
THINK THAT WOULD BE ENTERTAINING.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  I THINK THE BEST PERSON -- PROBABLY THAT 
MIGHT BE -- TO DO THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE OUR -- IS ROBERT 
HUNTER STILL HERE?
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  HE'S STILL THE EXECUTIVE [INAUDIBLE]
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  OKAY.
SO HE CAME BACK.
FOR HIM TO DO IT OR ONE OF HIS STAFF MEMBERS.
THAT WAY IT JUST KEEPS IT TO STAFF.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  I WAS JUST BEING CYNICAL, MA'AM.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  WELL, THAT'S FINE, YOU KNOW.
I HAVE NO -- I'M JUST TRYING TO BEHAVE.
OKAY.
AND ANOTHER ISSUE FROM CONSERVATION, THE CONSERVATION 
COMMITTEE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ALL AWARE OF THAT, BUT THIS SUMMER 
TAMPA BAY WATER DID BREAK THEIR PERMIT LEVELS.
THEY WERE FINED, AND SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH, SWFWMD DID HOLD 
THEM TO THE FINES.
I BELIEVE THEY WENT -- BROKE THEIR 90 GALLONS A DAY TO 120 
OR 130.
I WAS WONDERING WHY THE LAKE WAS GOING [SOUND EFFECT], SO I 
THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AGAIN THAT WE CONSERVE BECAUSE 
WE'RE STILL IN THIS DROUGHT.
BRANDON, THE LETTER I GAVE YOU, WOULD YOU BRIEFLY GO OVER 
IT, AND THEN WE'LL GET COPIES NEXT MONTH TO EVERYONE.
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  YES, MA'AM.
MS. TOWNSEND GAVE ME A LETTER FROM THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA 
WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SENATE 
BILL 2080 FROM THE LAST LEGISLATION SESSION WHICH DEALT 
WITH THE ABILITY TO INSTALL WATER CONSERVATION-FRIENDLY 
LANDSCAPING EVEN IF YOUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION OR SPECIAL 
DISTRICT PROHIBITS THAT.
SHE HAS ASKED ME TO DISTRIBUTE THE LETTER.
I WILL SCAN IT AND E-MAIL IT TO YOU SO THAT YOU HAVE A COPY 
OF IT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THANK YOU SO MUCH, BRANDON, AND -- 
BECAUSE WE HAD DISCUSSED THAT ON THE COMMITTEE ABOUT DOING 
AN ORDINANCE, AND I'M VERY PLEASED IT'S COME ABOUT, AND 
THANK YOU.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  MAY I MAKE AN OBSERVATION ABOUT 
WATER?
THANK YOU FOR REINFORCING THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE 
COMMENTS.
I THINK THAT WE ARE STILL IN A 41-MONTH DROUGHT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  YES, WE ARE.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  SOON TO BE 42 MONTHS DROUGHT, AND 
I'LL EMPHASIZE THAT EVEN AT THE END OF LAST MONTH WE WERE 
STILL SUBSTANTIALLY BEHIND, AND OF COURSE, THIS MONTH HAS 
ENTERED US INTO THE DRY SEASON, AND -- SO THAT THOSE WORDS 
OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR WATER CONSERVATION ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  AND I STILL HAVE MY SIGN IN THE FRONT 
YARD THAT SAYS WATER MATTERS, CONSERVE.
AND IF YOU COULD GET SOME MORE, I'LL HAND THEM OUT AGAIN.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  GOOD.
THANK YOU.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
YES, BRANDON.
>>BRANDON WAGNER:  MEMBERS, IF I COULD JUST GIVE YOU A 
COUPLE ISSUES HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM, MS. COPE, WHAT YOU 
HAD SAID, THAT COMMISSIONER BECKNER PLANS ON BRINGING THE 
PROPOSED ECONOMIC POLICY REVIEW BOARD ISSUE TO THE FULL 
COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 4th.
SECONDLY, WE RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT MS. TOWNSEND'S TERM ON 
THE WATER CONSERVATION TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS 
EXPIRING ON DECEMBER 31st.
YOU DON'T HAVE A QUORUM HERE TO VOTE TO EITHER REAPPOINT OR 
SELECT SOMEBODY NEW, SO WE'LL BRING THIS BACK AND PUT IT ON 
THE AGENDA FOR THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
AND ALSO ON THE LEFT POCKET OF YOUR BINDERS WE INCLUDED THE 
FOUR ARTICLES THAT HAVE COME OUT IN THE LAST MONTH RELATING 
TO THE MORAL COURAGE AWARD, JUST -- I FORWARDED THEM TO YOU 
ELECTRONICALLY, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALSO HAD 
A PAPER COPY UNLESS YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE ELECTRONIC 
VERSIONS.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  I MISSED LAST MONTH, BUT I KNEW EXACTLY 
WHAT YOU-ALL DID.
IT WAS IN EVERY PAPER THAT I EVEN PICKED UP, AND IT WAS NOT 
EVEN -- I MEAN, WE -- GEORGIA, NEW YORK.
I MEAN, THIS IS A LITTLE PODUNK HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND 
THIS IS RIDICULOUS OVER SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN -- AS MY 
PARTNER IN CRIME HERE STATED, IT'S LONG GONE.
THIS SHOULDN'T BE AN ISSUE ANYMORE, BUT PEOPLE ARE DIGGING 
IT UP AND BRINGING RIDICULOUS ABOUT IT.
AM I WRONG IN THAT THOUGHT PROCESS?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  WELL, IN THIS TYPE OF DEMOCRACY, I GUESS 
EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN OPINION, BUT I THINK THERE ARE 
PEOPLE THAT ARE -- OUT THERE THAT ARE STRONG ON WHAT THEIR 
COMMUNITY MEANS, AND THEN THERE'S THE OTHER SIDE, SO THAT'S 
WHY WE HAVE A DEMOCRACY, TO EXPRESS BOTH SIDES.
PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANYONE?
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  THIS IS KIND OF A PUBLIC COMMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO REINFORCE THAT -- WHAT A GREAT JOB YOU'VE 
DONE WITH THE WATER GROUP, AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO EXPRESS 
MY APPRECIATION OF THAT AND MY SUPPORT FOR YOU FOR -- IF 
YOU'RE WILLING TO SERVE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  YES, I AM.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  MAYBE WE COULD CONSIDER THAT NEXT 
MONTH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  THANK YOU SO MUCH.
LET ME TELL YOU, I'M OUTNUMBERED, BUT I TRY HARD.
[LAUGHTER]
ANYTHING ELSE?
>> CHAIRMAN, I MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>>JENNIFER CLOSSHEY:  SECOND.
>>JAKE PIASCIK:  SECOND.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND:  ADJOURNED.


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