CAPTIONING DECEMBER 7, 2007 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION ***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. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY REPRESENTATIVE CULP. >>FAYE CULP: I'M SORRY. WOULD YOU ALL -- WHERE IS IT? [LAUGHTER] HERE WE GO. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WE WILL NOW HAVE THE PRAYER BY REPRESENTATIVE FRANK PETERMAN. WOULD YOU REMAIN STANDING, PLEASE. >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: LET US BOW OUR HEADS. DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU PRAISING YOUR NAME AND THANKING YOU FOR THIS DAY. FOR THIS IS A GOOD DAY, AND WE'RE REJOICING IN IT. BLESS US NOW, BLESS THESE PROCEEDINGS. SHOW US WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE US SAY, SHOW US HOW TO DELIBERATE, HOW TO PASS GOOD JUDGMENT. GIVE US THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES TO ALL THAT WE SEE BEFORE US, ALL THE CONVERSATIONS, MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE APPROPRIATE, THAT THEY SPEAK TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE. BLESS US ALL NOW THIS DAY. WE ASK THIS PRAYER IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD. AMEN. >>GROUP: AMEN. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: CANDACE, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. [ROLL CALL TAKEN] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: MADAM DIRECTOR, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: NO, MA'AM. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WE DO NOT HAVE A QUORUM. WE NEED EIGHT HOUSE MEMBERS AND -- >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: WE NEED SEVEN HOUSE MEMBERS AND THREE SENATORS, AND WE HAVE SEVEN HOUSE MEMBERS AND THREE -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: TWO SENATORS. SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM THAT WE JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH PUBLIC TESTIMONY BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED A QUORUM TO HAVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY, AND THIS WILL GIVE SOME OF THE FOLKS OUT THERE THAT DON'T REALLY WANT TO SIT ALL DAY LONG THROUGH OUR MEETING TO BE ABLE TO COME FORWARD EARLY AND SPEAK. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: SOME OF THEM MAY NOT BE HERE YET. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: DID WE GIVE THEM TIME CERTAIN THAT THEY -- >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: NO. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. BUT THAT WAS THE MOTION, SO I NEED A SECOND. >> SECOND. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE PROCEED WITH PUBLIC TESTIMONY IN THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT YET. WE'RE WAITING FOR ONE OTHER PERSON. AS SOON AS SENATOR STORMS ARRIVES, THEN WE WILL PROCEED -- WE WILL REVERT BACK TO THE NATURAL ORDER AS STATED IN THE AGENDA, SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY THE SIGN OF AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] ALL OF THOSE -- REPRESENTATIVE WEATHERFORD, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN BY THE SIGN OF AYE. [CHORUS OF AYES] THOSE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. HEARING NONE, THE MOTION PASSES. WE'LL PROCEED WITH PUBLIC TESTIMONY. THE FIRST SPEAKER IS MICHAEL BERNSTEIN FROM GULF COAST JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES. AND WHILE MR. BERNSTEIN IS COMING UP, I'D LIKE TO FIRST THANK THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, DR. JUDY GENSHAFT, FOR COORDINATING THE BREAKFAST THAT WE HAVE HERE THIS MORNING AND OUR LUNCH. [APPLAUSE] >> [INAUDIBLE] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: I REALIZE THAT, REPRESENTATIVE. IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT THE MEMBERS ARE PAYING. I WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT. GO BULLS. >> WE'RE LESS THAN THE PUBLIC. >> THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE SUN BOWL [INAUDIBLE] >> CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: GO BULLS. >> GO BULLS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: LET THE SUN SHINE IN EL PASO, FROM TAMPA TO EL PASO, SO TELL THE GUYS WE EXPECT TO WIN THIS ONE. AND NOW WE DO NEED TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL WELCOME. WE ARE IN THE COUNTY CENTER, AND I'D LIKE TO CALL THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, IF YOU'LL JUST STEP ASIDE AND LET MS. PAT BEAN OFFICIALLY WELCOME US TO OUR BUILDING. GOOD MORNING. >>PAT BEAN: GOOD MORNING. HOW IS EVERYONE THIS MORNING? >> GREAT. >> GREAT. >>PAT BEAN: GOOD. WELL, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU HERE IN OUR BUILDING. COUNTY CENTER IS A PLACE FULL OF ACTIVITY EVERY SINGLE DAY, BUT WE ALWAYS WELCOME THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION WHEN YOU COME TO VISIT US HERE, AND WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SPACE LIKE THIS WHERE WE CAN HOLD MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE ISSUES THEY WANT TO DISCUSS WITH YOU. WE CERTAINLY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A BUSY SCHEDULE TODAY AS WELL AS A BUSY SCHEDULE COMING UP AS YOU PROCEED WITH THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE, AND SO WE JUST SAY WELCOME, AND WE WISH YOU WELL, AND WE HOPE YOU HAVE VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS. >> THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, ADMINISTRATOR BEAN. WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT YOU OFFERED THE FACILITY, AND I WAS VERY HAPPY TO ACCEPT. IT WAS ONLY A TWO-BLOCK WALK FOR ME FROM MY OFFICE. >>PAT BEAN: VERY GOOD. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE ALLOCATING THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. WE HAVE A LONG AGENDA. I'M ASKING THAT YOU PLEASE CONFINE YOUR COMMENTS TO THOSE THREE MINUTES, AND AT THE EXPIRATION OF THAT TIME, YOU'LL GET A GENTLE NUDGE FROM ME, BUT I'M MINDFUL THAT WE ALL ARE VERY BUSY, AND OF COURSE, IT'S OUR DUTY AND OUR OBLIGATION TO COME HERE EVERY YEAR AND HEAR WHAT OUR CITIZENS WANT TO TELL US ABOUT ISSUES AND ALSO TO TELL US HOW MUCH MONEY IT IS THAT THEY'D LIKE FOR US TO BRING BACK TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND THE PROCEDURE IS THAT THERE WILL BE A SPEAKER, AND AT THE CONCLUSION, IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBERS, I WILL RECOGNIZE THAT MEMBER, AND THEN IF THE -- YOU MAY COME TO THE DAIS. AND AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE QUESTION, THEN I WILL NOTIFY THE SPEAKER TO RESPOND. WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THIS MEETING LIKE WE DO COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN THE LEGISLATURE, SO WITH THAT, MR. BERNSTEIN, YOU MAY BEGIN. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M NOT MR. BERNSTEIN, BUT I'D LIKE TO BE SOMETIMES. I'M BRENT SEMBLER. I'M A BOARD MEMBER OF GULF COAST JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES. GULF COAST OPERATES IN 32 FLORIDA COUNTIES. WE SERVE ABOUT 50,000 FLORIDIANS IN CRISIS. I'M PROUD OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS DELEGATION AND OF MY FRIEND GOVERNOR CRIST. THESE PROGRAMS ARE PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT HELP THOSE IN NEED BECOME PRODUCTIVE IN COST-EFFECTIVE SETTINGS. I'D LIKE TO YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME, PLEASE, TO OUR DIRECTOR WHO JUST GOT HERE, MICHAEL BERNSTEIN. THANK YOU. >> I KNOW MOST OF THE PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE. I WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO SEE YOU AGAIN, OVER THE MANY YEARS, CHAMPIONS LIKE SENATOR CRIST AND SO MANY OF YOU THAT HAVE MADE THE PROGRAMS POSSIBLE AND HAVE MADE A MODEL TO THE REST OF THE NATION, AND REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER AND SO MANY WHO ARE DEAR FRIENDS HERE TODAY. BRIEFLY, WHAT WE WANT TO TELL YOU -- AND I KNOW YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM ANYWAY -- I SAT ON AN APPOINTMENT WITH GOVERNOR BUSH -- FORMER GOVERNOR BUSH WITH THE EX- OFFENDER TASK FORCE, AND WE WERE GOING AROUND TO DIFFERENT CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. MOST ALL OF YOU WERE AWARE LAST YEAR WHEN IT CAME TO A CRISIS SITUATION, WE HAD PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT SOCIOPATHIC BUT SUICIDAL AND SELF-MUTILATING THAT WERE GOUGING THEIR EYES OUT AND SLASHING THEIR WRISTS AND GOING INTO DIFFERENT STATE INSTITUTIONS. IT'S NOT A CRIME TO BE MENTALLY ILL. IT'S NOT A CRIME TO BE MENTALLY ILL AND DRUG ADDICTED. WE NEED YOUR HELP. WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE SENATOR, WE WERE ABLE TO GET A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO WORK WITH 250 PEOPLE HERE IN TAMPA BAY. WE MADE A PROMISE -- WE KEPT IT -- ABOUT GOOD GOVERNMENT TO GET THESE FOLKS OUT OF CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, GET THEM EMPLOYED, GET THEM HOUSING, GET THEM JOBS, AND KEEP THEM FROM GOING BACK TO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. IT'S A CRISIS IN OUR STATE. WE KNOW WE CAN COUNT ON YOUR LEADERSHIP. THIS YEAR WE'RE LOOKING TO GET THE PROGRAMS. MR. TATE JOINED US IN BROWARD. THE TWO GREATEST NEEDS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA ARE RIGHT HERE IN TAMPA BAY, RIGHT HERE IN TAMPA BAY AND IN BROWARD COUNTY, SURPRISINGLY. WE NEED YOUR HELP, THIS $850,000 IN TWO REGIONS SO WE CAN RESCUE 700 FOLKS AND CAN GET THEM PRODUCTIVE, EMPLOYED, AND OUT OF INSTITUTIONS. IT'S COST-EFFECTIVE. IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING US A FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK TO YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MR. BERNSTEIN. SENATOR AMBLER. I PROMOTED YOU. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I'LL TAKE THE TITLE, BUT I'M REPRESENTATIVE. JUST BRIEFLY. I DON'T COMMENT ON ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT COME BEFORE US, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT IN THIS TIME OF TIGHT BUDGETS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SOME HARD CHOICES IN THE COMING MONTHS, SENATOR CRIST AND I HAVE JOINED THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN SPONSORING THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO THE GULF COAST JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES, AND IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN OR ANYTHING ELSE. THAT HAPPENS TO BE IN THE TITLE, BUT IT'S ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO NEED THE HELP MOST, WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE, HAVE MENTAL ILLNESS, AND OCCASIONALLY YOU COME ACROSS A PROGRAM THAT I THINK DEFINES BEST PRACTICES, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT HAS AN EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS RATE, FULL ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY IN THE WAY THEIR DOLLARS ARE SPENT, EXTREMELY EFFICIENT, WITH EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS, AND I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US AS A DELEGATION TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ISSUE. IF WE'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT HERE, THEN THIS IS THE KIND OF PROGRAM THAT SHOULD BE CLONED, IT SHOULD BE FRANCHISED THROUGHOUT THE STATE. WE SHOULD TAKE THE THINGS THAT WE RECOGNIZE ARE BEST PRACTICES WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY AND SAY THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE FUNDING ELSEWHERE THAT WE KNOW WORK, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE LOOK AT ACROSS -- WELL, I CAN ASSURE YOU HAVING BEEN ON HEALTH CARE APPROPRIATIONS FOUR YEARS AND JUSTICE APPROPRIATIONS TWO YEARS THAT YOU CAN'T SAY THIS ABOUT A LOT OF PROGRAMS, SO THE ONLY REASON I SPEAK OUT ON THIS IS IS THAT I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT AS A DELEGATION, WHEN WE GET UP TO TALLAHASSEE, WE SHOULD BE UNIFIED IN SUPPORTING NOT JUST THE PROGRAM AND ITS CONTINUED FUNDING HERE LOCALLY BUT THE EXPANSION OF THE BEST PRACTICES THEY'VE EMPLOYED AND THE SUCCESSES THEY'VE HAD IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE -- SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: YOU CAN GIVE HIM THE TITLE, BUT DON'T TAKE MINE AWAY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: DON'T TAKE YOURS AWAY. [LAUGHTER] >>VICTOR CRIST: I TOO WOULD LIKE TO ECHO AND EXPAND ON THAT. YOU KNOW, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE COMMUNITY CARES DIVISION OF GULF COAST JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M A NUTS-AND-BOLTS, NUMBERS KIND OF GUY, AND I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ORGANIZATION OPERATE SO WELL WITH SO LITTLE AND STRETCH A DOLLAR SO WELL, MICHAEL, AS THIS ONE UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP. >> THANK YOU. >>VICTOR CRIST: AND, YOU KNOW, CHAIRING JUSTICE APPROPRIATIONS, WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, ESPECIALLY IN A TIGHT BUDGET YEAR, AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE BY INVESTING IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING WILL ACTUALLY SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THE COST FOR THE STATE BY INCARCERATING THESE INDIVIDUALS, WHICH IS SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. >> YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SENATOR, AND I RECOGNIZE EVERYONE -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: MR. BERNSTEIN -- >> -- AROUND THE TABLE. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: MR. BERNSTEIN -- >> YES. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: -- YOU'RE RECOGNIZED TO SPEAK. >> THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, REPRESENTATIVE JOYNER, THAT I KNOW EVERYONE AROUND THIS TABLE FOR THE MOST PART. WE GOT TO SEE JUST YESTERDAY REPRESENTATIVE WEATHERFORD AND REPRESENTATIVE PETERMAN, OF COURSE, AND REPRESENTATIVE CULP. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. I'VE BEEN HERE 30 YEARS. TAMPA BAY STARTED A LOT OF DEMO PROJECTS. THIS IS A CRISIS OF TOO MANY MENTALLY ILL IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE WITH US IF THEY CAN STEP FORWARD, AND THEN WE'LL STOP. THERE ARE SOME REAL FACES BEHIND HERE, AND SOME OF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO MEET THEM. THIS IS NOT ABOUT A PROGRAM, IT'S ABOUT NAMES. CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF. >> HI. I'M TRACY ROUSH. >> AND -- >> AND LAURA ROSENHACK. >> TRACY AND LAURA, AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. I'M SO PROUD AND ADORE THESE PEOPLE. THEY DO NOT DESERVE TO BE IN PRISONS. IF YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF CONSTITUTIONAL MENTAL ILLNESS, IF YOU'RE MANIC DEPRESSIVE AND YOU'RE SUICIDAL OR YOU'RE SELF- MUTILATING AND YOU HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THAT, YOU NEED TREATMENT, YOU DON'T NEED A PRISON, YOU DON'T NEED A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR 10, 20, AND 30 YEARS. YOU NEED TO BE TREATED IN THE COMMUNITY IN A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY, AND IT'S ABOUT 1/10 THE COST, AND WE DO GET PEOPLE BACK IN PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT, AS YOU KNOW. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO US, AND WE ADMIRE AND RESPECT, MS. CHAIRMAN, THE SUPPORT WE'VE ALWAYS RECEIVED FROM THIS DELEGATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MR. BERNSTEIN, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: AND THANK YOU TOO FOR SHOWING UP AND PUTTING A FACE TO WHAT THE ORGANIZATION DOES. >> THANK YOU. >> I'M PROUD OF THEM. THEY'RE DOING GREAT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: NOW WE'LL HAVE MS. MARY LYNN ULREY FROM DACCO. IS SHE HERE? RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF THE PERSONS WHO ARE SCHEDULED TO SPEAK THINK THAT -- THEY'RE OF THE OPINION THAT THEY'RE SPEAKING IN THE AFTERNOON, SO WE'LL JUST MOVE THE AGENDA AND COME BACK TO THEM. FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY STUDIES. >> CAN WE PASS OUT SOME PAMPHLETS? >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES. >> GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. >> I'M ALAYNE UNTERBERGER. I'M VERY GLAD TO BE SPEAKING WITH YOU TODAY. I ACTUALLY MADE A POWERPOINT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TODAY. I BROUGHT WITH US TODAY GIOVANNI ROJAS, WHO IS ONE OF THE YOUTH FROM OUR CENTER, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LIMITED TIME, AND I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH YEAR FOR ALL OF US. VERY COMPELLING WHEN YOU HAVE THESE DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE FOR FUNDING, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET TO KNOW YOU AND FOR YOU TO KNOW WHAT WE DO AT THE FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY STUDIES. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE YOUR BEAUTIFUL LOW-TECH PAMPHLETS. OUR MISSION IS REALLY TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITIES, TO WORK WITH PEOPLE AT THE VERY GRASS-ROOTS LEVEL, PEOPLE THAT OFTEN -- YOU KNOW, YOUTH -- PEOPLE THAT ARE MARGINALIZED, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN RURAL AREAS. WE'RE A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION. WE JUST CELEBRATED OUR FIFTH YEAR, AND I THINK WE INVITED ALL OF YOU TO OUR ANNIVERSARY PARTY LAST NIGHT AT THE ZOO. IT WAS VERY FUN. BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE TODAY, AND WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO STOP BY ANY TIME. WE ARE HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE TODAY FROM 11:00 TO 6:00, AND ALSO WE ARE -- WE HAVE OPERATED A MULTICULTURAL FAMILY CENTER FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS IN TOWN 'N COUNTRY, AND THAT CENTER WAS DESIGNED WITH AND BY THE COMMUNITY, AND IF YOU LOOK INSIDE -- I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU GUYS OPENING OUR BEAUTIFUL PAMPHLET. IF YOU LOOK INSIDE, THERE'S A TRIANGLE, AND IN THE TRIANGLE, THIS IS OUR MODEL. IT KEEPS THE COMMUNITY IN THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, AND THAT MEANS THAT THE YOUTH HAVE A VOICE AT OUR CENTER, THE COMMUNITY HAS A VOICE. THEY GET TO GUIDE WHAT THEY THINK ARE THE STRENGTHS AND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND SO WE TRY TO BUILD ON THE STRENGTHS AT THE SAME TIME AS ADJUSTING THE NEEDS, AND FOR THAT REASON, WE HAVE PROJECT PREVENTION -- SHE IS WEARING A SHIRT, ACTUALLY, FROM OUR YOUTH SUMMIT, AND PROJECT PREVENTION IS OUR AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM. IT WON AN AWARD FROM THE PATEL FOUNDATION FOR DISEASE PREVENTION. WE'VE GRADUATED 500 YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF 10 AND 18. IT'S SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND HIV PREVENTION. WE'VE ALSO HAD THEM MAKE COMMITMENTS TO NO VIOLENCE. WE'VE DONE YOUTH VIOLENCE ROUNDTABLES ABOUT THE GANG ISSUES. HE HAS BEEN ACTIVE WITH US IN BRINGING THE KIDS TOGETHER, SERVING AS A MENTOR WITH THEM. ONE OF THE KEY THINGS WE DID IN OUR FIRST RESEARCH PROJECT THAT STARTED OUR PROJECT PREVENTION, WE IDENTIFIED EIGHT PREGNANCIES IN A HUNDRED YOUTH, AND WITH PROJECT PREVENTION, WE'VE HAD ZERO PREGNANCIES, ZERO HIV IN 500 YOUTH, SO WE KNOW IT WORKS. SO WE ARE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT OUR OUTCOMES. WE INVITE YOU TO COME OUT TO SEE US. I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK MUCH LONGER. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'D LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND TO FORWARD THE GROWTH WE'VE MADE AND THE STRIDES WE'VE MADE IN TOWN 'N COUNTRY AND ELSEWHERE IN FLORIDA. THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MS. UNTERBERGER, FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE COMMUNITY. TAMPA FIREFIGHTERS MUSEUM, MR. WENDELL SEBASTIAN. >> THANK YOU, AND GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS WENDELL SEBASTIAN. I AM THE PRESIDENT AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE TAMPA FIREFIGHTERS MUSEUM, AND I WILL TAKE ONLY ONE MINUTE TO TELL YOU I CAME TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE WILL HAVE A GRAND OPENING NEXT MONTH NEXT TO THE NEW FIREHOUSE DOWNTOWN. OLD NUMBER 1 HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RESTORED. WE HAVE PUT AN ADDITION ON THE NORTH SIDE OF IT WITH ALL OF THE ADA AND NEW MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS. THE OLD FIREHOUSE HAS BEEN RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL SPECIFICATIONS. IT IS A WORK OF ART AND SOMETHING THE CITY SHOULD BE PROUD OF. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THE PAST IN GETTING THAT OPEN. WE REALIZE THAT THERE'S A VERY TIGHT BUDGET THIS YEAR. WE DID PUT A REQUEST IN FOR JUST UNDER $200,000 FOR AN EXHIBIT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO FULFILL FURTHER IN OUR MISSION TO HELP THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND PEOPLE, THE STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR, TO LEARN ABOUT FIRE PREVENTION, FIRE EDUCATION, AND LIFE SAFETY, BUT WE WILL BE VERY UNDERSTANDING IF THAT'S PUT OFF UNTIL THERE'S A LITTLE MORE MONEY. WE REALLY JUST CAME TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO AND REPRESENTATIVE TRAVIESA IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. GO SEE THE MUSEUM. IT'S ON THE CORNER OF ZACK AND JEFFERSON, AND YOU'LL BE VERY PROUD OF IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MR. SEBASTIAN. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: HAVING GONE DOWN THERE FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING RECENTLY, IT IS A GREAT FACILITY. IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT EDUCATIONAL FACILITY. YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND WE WILL DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN WHEN WE GET TO TALLAHASSEE. TCMS/BACK TO BASICS CHARTER SCHOOL FOUNDATION. MR. MEDERO. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS VINNY MEDERO, AND I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE TERRACE COMMUNITY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ITS DESIRE TO BRING ITS SUCCESS AS A NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL TO THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN ALLOWING US TO OPEN OUR DOORS IN THE EVENINGS AND IN THE WEEKENDS TO BRING THE SUCCESS WHICH WE'VE HAD TO THE COMMUNITY IN NORTHEAST TAMPA JUST OUTSIDE OF TEMPLE TERRACE. I'D JUST ASK THAT YOU LOOK TO SENATOR CRIST FOR SOME LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE. HE'S TOURED THE SCHOOL. HE'S SEEN WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER. AND AS WE ALL KNOW, IT STARTS WITH THE KIDS, AND IF WE START DOWN AT THIS LEVEL AND WE BRING IT TO THE COMMUNITY, WHEN THESE KIDS BECOME ADULTS, THEY WILL ALL BE A LOT MORE SUCCESSFUL WITH THEIR ENDEAVORS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY COMMENTS, I WON'T TAKE ANY MUCH MORE OF YOUR TIME, BUT I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I MAY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE SAID IT ALL. I'M SURE THAT SENATOR CRIST HAS A POINT HE WANTS TO MAKE. >> I HOPE HE DOES. >>VICTOR CRIST: I WAS THERE FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING AND SPENT A GOOD TIME TOURING THE FACILITY, AND MEMBERS, IF YOU REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PRIME EXAMPLE OF A CHARTER SCHOOL, THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES I'VE EVER SEEN. THEIR NEW FACILITIES, WHICH IS ALL FROM PRIVATE MONEY THAT THEY'VE RAISED, IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. AND VINNY, I'VE GOT TEN COMPUTERS FOR YOU I'M GOING TO DELIVER NEXT WEEK. >> WE UNDERSTAND THAT. WE APPRECIATE THAT, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU FOLKS COULD DO WOULD BE APPRECIATED. >>VICTOR CRIST: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: MR. DICK WOLTMANN FROM BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES. MR. NICK PORTER FROM THE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER AND MS. CAROL McKEE. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE DELEGATION. I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT THE CANCER CENTER WAS CREATED STATUTORILY BACK IN 1981, AND I'M VERY PLEASED THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE CANCER CENTER OVER THE LAST 19 YEARS AND THE NUMBER OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT I THINK THAT HAVE OCCURRED, AND I THINK THAT YOU-ALL AS WELL SHOULD FEEL JUST AS PLEASED ABOUT THAT. I THINK THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AT MOFFITT THAT HAVE ALLOWED US TO PURSUE THE PREVENTION AND THE CURE OF CANCER HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS FOR BOTH FLORIDA AND THE TAMPA BAY AREA. I AM HERE TODAY, THOUGH, TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP. WE HAVE THE REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMING UP, AND WE REALLY WERE LOOKING FOR HELP IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS. WE RECEIVE AN ALLOCATION DIRECTLY FROM THE STATE THROUGH THE STATE LINE ITEM APPROPRIATION ACT, AND WE WOULD HOPE THAT THAT CAN REMAIN AT THE SAME LEVEL IT IS NOW. WE REALIZE THAT THE STATE IS FACING MANY DIFFICULT DECISIONS BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION, BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE FUNDING AT THAT LEVEL IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. BUT WE ARE PREPARED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THE BUDGET AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA AT THE SAME TIME. ALTHOUGH WE ARE PREPARED TO FACE A LEAN BUDGET YEAR, OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS RELATING TO THE CIGARETTE TAX REVENUE, AND I'D LIKE TO SPEND THE REST OF MY TIME SPEAKING TO THAT. WE ARE SEEKING A GENERAL BILL THAT WILL EXTEND SUNSET DATES AND CONTINUE TO DIVERT A SMALL PERCENTAGE, 4.06%, OF EXISTING AND BONDABLE CIGARETTE TAX REVENUE TO THE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER UNTIL 2038. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE STATE GENERAL REVENUE FUND WOULD NOT BE LOSING ANY FUNDS NOT CURRENTLY DISTRIBUTED TO THE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER. THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION MERELY CONTINUES TO DISTRIBUTE EXISTING TAX REVENUE TO MOFFITT AT THE SAME PERCENTAGE AS BEING DISTRIBUTED EFFECTIVE JULY OF 2004. AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO JUST STRESS HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO THE CANCER CENTER OVERALL. IN DECEMBER OF 2008, 2.59% OF THIS DISTRIBUTION WILL EXPIRE. AS YOU KNOW, THE CANCER CENTER IS GROWING, IT HAS TREMENDOUS MOMENTUM. WE ARE HAVING GREAT SUCCESS AT RECRUITING SCIENTISTS. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS WHO COME TO THE CANCER CENTER INCREASED, YOU KNOW, 10%, 12% EVERY SINGLE YEAR, AND WE WOULD LITERALLY LOSE $5 MILLION A YEAR IN FISCAL YEAR '08- '09 IF THE CURRENT LAW SUNSETS, AND THIS WOULD OBVIOUSLY HARM OUR ABILITY TO EXPAND FACILITIES WHICH WE NEED FOR SCIENTISTS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY ALLOWS US TO LOOK FOR CURES AND PREVENTION IN CANCER. THE PROPOSED BILL IS BEING SPONSORED BY REPRESENTATIVE TRAVIESA AND SENATOR MIKE HARIDOPOLOS, AND IT ALSO EXTENDS A SUNSETTING DISTRIBUTION OF 1.47%, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO SUNSET IN 2016. SO AGAIN, TOGETHER WITH THESE TWO PERCENTAGES, IT TOTALS 4.06%, AND WE ASK THE MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION TO COSPONSOR THIS. ACTUALLY, AS WELL AS HELPING US TO PREVENT AND CURE CANCER, THE MOFFITT CANCER CENTER CONTRIBUTES CLOSE TO AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $1 BILLION A YEAR. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME TODAY, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER, AND DO KNOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE -- OF MOFFITT CANCER CENTER, AND WE'LL DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO HOLD YOU HARMLESS AT THE LEVEL THAT YOU ARE PRESENTLY, BUT WE CAN'T MAKE ANY PROMISES. >> I UNDERSTAND. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE WEATHERFORD. >>WILL WEATHERFORD: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN. I THINK EVERYONE HERE RECOGNIZES THE SIGNIFICANCE THAT MOFFITT PLAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH. SINCE REPRESENTATIVE TRAVIESA COULDN'T BE HERE AND I SPOKE TO HIM ON THE PHONE THE OTHER NIGHT, HE ASKED IF I COULD SHARE A FEW WORDS IN PARTICULAR ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONTINUED FUNDING FROM THE CIGARETTE TAX, AND THIS IS NOT - - WE'RE NOT -- THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY MORE MONEY THAT THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY GETTING. THIS IS JUST A CONTINUATION OF SOMETHING THAT WILL BE SUNSETTED, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CANCER CENTER'S FUTURE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD URGE THAT WE ALL COSPONSOR IT AND HELP PUSH IT THROUGH THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: PASS THE COSPONSORSHIP FORMS AROUND. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU. MR. JAMES EVANS, TAMPA BAY ACADEMY OF HOPE. >> MADAM CHAIR, GOOD MORNING. TO THE REST OF THE DELEGATE MEMBERS, LEGISLATORS. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY ON BEHALF OF THE TAMPA BAY ACADEMY OF HOPE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WE FEEL VERY HONORED TO BE IN YOUR PRESENCE TODAY, AND THANKS FOR ORGANIZING SUCH A WORTHY, DESERVING MEETING. LET ME START OFF BY SAYING THE TAMPA BAY ACADEMY OF HOPE IS A 501(C)(3) NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, AND WHAT WE FOCUS ON IS AT-RISK YOUTH FROM THE AGES 12 TO 18. WE'VE DESIGNED A MODEL FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS OR SO IN PERFECTING, IMPROVING YOUNG PEOPLE'S ACADEMICS, ATTENDANCE, BEHAVIOR, SELF-ESTEEM, AND LEADERSHIP. WE DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER PROGRAM IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT CAN MEASURE ALL FIVE OF ITS COMPONENTS. WE'RE DOING THAT AS A GRASS-ROOT ORGANIZATION. WE HELP YOUNG PEOPLE TO TRANSITION FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL AND ON TO FLORIDA COLLEGES. WE STAY WITH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE. THESE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN POVERTY, THESE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE IN SINGLE-PARENT HOMES, THESE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO SOCIETY SAID WILL NOT MAKE IT. AS A FORMER PRO FOOTBALL PLAYER WITH THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AND THE BUCS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS WHEN YOU WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY DON'T HAVE HOPE. A LOT OF THEM HAVE GIVEN UP. THEY'RE DISCOURAGED. THEY FEEL LIKE SOCIETY HAS PUSHED THEM TO THE SIDE, AND TODAY, AS WE STAND BEFORE YOU, WE'RE TELLING YOU THAT'S NOT THE CASE, AND WE'RE HERE TODAY TO HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED TO YOU AND THAT YOU WILL TAKE A STRONG LOOK AT IT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF TAMPA. OUR MAYOR, PAM IORIO, WHO'S HERE TODAY, HAS TRIED TO KEEP US GOING IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP. THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE REACHED OUT, BUT WE NEED YOU GUYS. THESE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN'T MAKE IT. THIS SUMMER WE'RE DOING THE FIRST LITERACY CAMP. OUR KIDS CAN'T READ. IT'S REAL. OUR KIDS ARE STRUGGLING. AND IF WE DON'T REACH OUT A LITTLE BIT HARDER AND A LITTLE BIT STRONGER, I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE A GENERATION OF CHILDREN BEHIND THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE TO INCARCERATE. LAST NIGHT WE HAD A RAP SESSION FOR GROUPS. EVERY KID IN THAT ROOM HAD A BABY. THEY'RE IN HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAD ALL THESE KIDS TALKING ABOUT THEY WANT TO STOP SELLING DRUGS, THEY WANT TO NOT CARRY GUNS, BUT HOW DO WE SOLVE THAT PROBLEM COLLECTIVELY? WELL, WE BELIEVE THAT WE'VE DESIGNED A MODEL THAT CAN DO JUST THAT, AND IT'S STRONG, BUT FOR THE -- FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO IDENTIFY RESOURCES WITH THIS BODY, AND I HOPE TODAY THAT YOU WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT FOR OUR KIDS WITH YOU OR WITHOUT YOU. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE OUR BABIES BEHIND. AND SO WE'RE ASKING YOU TO TAKE A STRONG LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL THAT'S BEEN PUT BEFORE YOU AND THE COMMITMENT THAT IS NEEDED TO DO IT. WE'RE NOT IN THIS ALONE. WE NEED YOU. AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE TAMPA BAY ACADEMY OF HOPE HAS A BOARD MEMBER, CHUCK WINSHIP, WHO IS THE CHAIRMAN OF BEEF O'BRADY'S, OUTBACK, WE HAVE USF ON OUR BOARD, WE HAVE AVIA. WE HAVE -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: MR. EVANS, COULD YOU WRAP IT UP, PLEASE. >> THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND STOP THERE, MADAM CHAIR, BECAUSE I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE PETERMAN. >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU'VE DONE IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE'VE SPOKEN ON MANY OCCASIONS, AND I'VE SEEN THAT WORK AND IT'S BEEN OUTSTANDING. IT'S THE KIND OF WORK THAT, AS -- YOU MENTIONED THE WORD "REAL" GRASS-ROOT WORK THAT WE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND THROUGHOUT THIS STATE, AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WE DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO TRY TO ATTEMPT TO FUND THIS PROJECT. YOU KNOW, IT'S TOUGH WHEN YOU'RE -- IT'S TOUGH WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN, YOU'RE TRYING TO GRAB DOLLARS HERE AND THERE, AND I KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE, SO WE WILL DO OUR BEST, OUR VERY BEST THIS YEAR TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND -- THE RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, ARE PRETTY, YOU KNOW, SLIM, AND I THINK YOU KNOW THAT. >> YES. >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: BUT WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN TO SEE IF WE CAN FIND SOME RESOURCES FOR YOU. >> SENATOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: MR. EVANS, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION DOES AND GO ON RECORD AS SAYING I DID SPONSOR THE CBR LAST YEAR, AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL, BUT THE GOVERNOR VETOED IT, SO WE'VE GOT TO WORK AT THAT LEVEL ALSO, AND DO KNOW THAT WE'LL BE FIGHTING FOR YOU AGAIN. AND I DID SEE THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT ON CHANNEL 13 THE OTHER NIGHT LAUDING THE PROGRAM AND ALL THAT YOU DO FOR THE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I COMMEND YOU AND THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: NOW WE'LL HAVE MS. JUDY LISI FROM THE TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. I DON'T BELIEVE SHE'S HERE. JULIE BLUNKOSKY FROM THE GIRLS ADVOCACY PROJECT. >> HI. HOW ARE YOU-ALL TODAY? GOOD MORNING. MY NAME'S JULIE BLUNKOSKY. I'M THE PROGRAM FACILITATOR FOR THE GIRLS ADVOCACY PROJECT, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS GAP, IN ORANGE COUNTY, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OUR DIRECTOR VICKI LOPEZ LUKIS IN LIEU OF OUR FUNDING REQUEST THAT IS BEING SPONSORED BY REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. THE GIRLS ADVOCACY PROJECT WAS INITIATED IN 1999 BY JUDGE CINDY LEDERMAN OF THE 11th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT IN MIAMI- DADE COUNTY. THAT SAME YEAR GAP BEGAN SERVING GIRLS IN THE MIAMI-DADE DETENTION CENTER. IN MAY 2006 GAP WAS FEATURED ON "NIGHTLINE" ON A SPECIAL ABOUT GIRLS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE EXPANDED OUR PROGRAM TO INCLUDE DETENTION CENTERS IN ORLANDO, FT. MYERS, AND WEST PALM, AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR WE ARE HOPING TO EXPAND TO HILLSBOROUGH AND JACKSONVILLE DETENTION CENTERS. GAP IS THE ONLY COMPREHENSIVE INTERVENTION, EDUCATION, AND PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR GIRLS IN DETENTION, AND AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, WE HAVE A CRISIS WITH GIRLS IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. OUR FOCUS IS ON EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING GIRLS TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES IN THEIR LIFE TO AVOID FUTURE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, AND WE FEEL THAT WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AT DOING THIS. EACH OF OUR EXPANSION SITES HAS A GAP FACILITATOR WHO IS KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THE AREA OF DELINQUENCY AND TRAINED ON ISSUES PERTINENT TO GIRLS IN DETENTION. THE GAP FACILITATOR MEETS WITH THE GIRLS FIVE DAYS A WEEK TO CONDUCT GROUP SESSIONS AND ONE-ON-ONE INTERVENTIONS AND ADVOCACY. IN ADDITION, GAP HAS PARTNERED WITH LOCAL JUNIOR LEAGUE ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIRLS WHILE THEY ARE DETAINED. CURRENTLY IN ORLANDO GAP HAS ALSO PARTNERED WITH VOLUNTEERS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES BOTH IN DETENTION AND HOPEFULLY IN THE COMMUNITY. IN FISCAL YEAR 2006/2007, GAP EXPANDED TWO DETENTION CENTERS IN FT. MYERS, ORLANDO, AND WEST PALM. THAT EXPANSION RECEIVED $775,000 IN NONRECURRING FUNDS FROM THE LEGISLATURE, WHICH INCLUDED START-UP FUNDS TO PURCHASE FURNITURE, EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER OFFICE SUPPLIES REQUIRED TO SET UP OFFICES AND FOR EMPLOYEE CONTRACTUAL EXPENSES. THE PROGRAM DID NOT RECEIVE START-UP FUNDS FROM DJJ UNTIL DECEMBER 2006 WHEN IT THEN HIRED OUR THREE FACILITATORS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2007/2008, GAP EXPANSION RECEIVED 500,000 IN NONRECURRING FUNDS FROM THE LEGISLATURE TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM IN THE THREE EXPANSION SITES. SINCE FEBRUARY 1st OF THIS YEAR, WE HAVE SERVED APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEMALE YOUTH IN DETENTION. THE GAP EXPANSION EFFORT CURRENTLY RECEIVES $500,000 BUT WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND ITS SERVICES TO HILLSBOROUGH AND DUVAL COUNTIES. A MINIMUM OF 150,000 WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR EACH NEW LOCATION, AND 500,000 IS NECESSARY TO CONTINUE OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS IN OUR THREE SITES, FOR A TOTAL FUNDING REQUEST OF $800,000. THE NEED FOR GENDER-SPECIFIC SERVICES FOR GIRLS IN DETENTION IS INDICATED BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON CRIME AND DELINQUENCY REPORT. AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU -- I'M SURE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN OUR OUTCOMES -- TO PLEASE ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANKS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU SO MUCH. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN. AS REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO WITH THE CENTER OVER -- THE JEWISH CENTER OVER IN ST. PETERSBURG, WE OUGHT TO EXPORT GOOD IDEAS. THIS IS A GREAT IDEA THAT'S BEING DONE DOWN IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA THAT'S NOW TRYING TO BE EXPORTED TO THIS AREA, AND AS MANY OF US KNOW THE PROBLEMS WE'RE HAVING WITH OUR FEMALES IN DETENTION, AND SO THIS IS A GREAT DIVERSION PROGRAM. IT WILL SAVE US MONEY IN THE LONG RUN, AND FOR EVERY ONE OF THOSE GIRLS TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL, IT TAKES A LOT OF PROBLEMS OFF OF US LATER ON, SO I WOULD ASK YOUR SUPPORT. I THINK SENATOR CRIST AND SENATOR JOYNER HAVE SUPPORTED IT IN THE PAST, AND SENATOR ATWATER IS SPONSORING IT IN THE SENATE FOR ME. ACTUALLY, I'M SPONSORING IT IN THE HOUSE FOR HIM. [LAUGHTER] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: SENATOR JOYNER AND I BOTH SERVE ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. IN FACT, I CHAIR IT IN THE SENATE. WE WERE VERY PLEASED TO FUND YOU IN YEARS PAST BECAUSE OF THE SERVICE RECORD THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS PUT FORTH, AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING WITH THE GIRLS, AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, ONE OF THE AREAS THE STATE HAS FALLEN SHORT ON IN THE PAST IS PROVIDING SERVICES AND DIVERSION FOR YOUNG LADIES IN THE PROCESS. >> THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: AND DO KNOW THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR YOU. >> THANKS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: PREGNANCY CARE CENTER OF PLANT CITY, MARY ALICE HENDRICKS. FLORIDA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION, CLINTON MUELLER. MR. EDGAR BERGMAN, THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION. THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NIKKI DANIELS. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: I AM, BUT LET ME FINISH OUT THIS. >> GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME SOME TIME TO SPEAK WITH YOU THIS MORNING. I APPRECIATE THAT. I ALSO WANT TO START WITH THANKING SENATOR JOYNER, SENATOR CRIST, REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO, AND REPRESENTATIVE SCIONTI FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER. WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU BEING ON OUR SIDE AND GOING TO BAT FOR US. JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SAY THAT I THINK IT'S ESPECIALLY RELEVANT THAT I'M ABLE TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY. WE JUST THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY HAD OUR FIFTH WOMAN KILLED IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF MONTHS IN OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WHO WAS KILLED BY AN INTIMATE PARTNER, SO THERE'S NO MORE, I THINK, TELLING EVIDENCE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS TO ADJUST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE STATE, AND OF COURSE, THAT'S THE ROLE FOR THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER. WE HAVE CURRENTLY 20 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ON-SITE WITH US AND 35 DIFFERENT -- I'M SORRY -- 20 DIFFERENT AGENCIES ON-SITE WITH US AND 35 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT WE OFFER TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE'VE BEEN OPEN JUST OVER A YEAR NOW AND HAVE SERVED OVER 2,000 FAMILIES, SO CLEARLY THE NEED IS THERE, AND PEOPLE ARE FINDING US, AND WE HOPE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE FIND US AND CAN GET THOSE SUPPORTS. AND OUR ROLE REALLY IS AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOW CAN WE HELP COORDINATE ALL THESE DIFFERENT SERVICES SO PEOPLE CAN GET WHAT THEY NEED INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GO ALL OVER TOWN TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND DIFFERENT BUREAUCRACIES. THEY CAN COME TO ONE LOCATION AND GET EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED ALL IN ONE PLACE. WE WERE ORIGINALLY FUNDED BY THE PRESIDENT'S FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER INITIATIVE. THERE WERE 15 SITES IN THE COUNTRY THAT WERE CHOSEN TO START FAMILY JUSTICE CENTERS. HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS THE ONLY ONE IN FLORIDA. THE NEXT CLOSEST ONE IS ACTUALLY IN TENNESSEE, SO THERE'S NOTHING ELSE VERY CLOSE TO US, AND OF COURSE, OUR ROLE IS PRIMARILY TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES BUT ALSO TO SERVE AS A MODEL FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES IN OUR STATE WHO WOULD LIKE TO START FAMILY JUSTICE CENTERS. WE WERE DESIGNED TO KIND OF BE THAT ROLE MODEL, BE ABLE TO HELP PROVIDE SOME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO START SIMILAR PROGRAMS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS SESSION. I KNOW IT'S A ROUGH YEAR, BUT WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP US AS WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU -- >> THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: -- MS. DANIELS. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN, AND I WILL BE VERY BRIEF. I'M ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IMPRESSED ME IS WHEN I BECAME A MEMBER OF THE FUTURE FLORIDA FAMILIES COMMISSION UNDER REPRESENTATIVE GALVANO'S COMMITTEE, THEY SHOWED US A CHART OF AGENCIES THAT HELP OUT PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP, AND IT LOOKED LIKE A SPAGHETTI CHART. IF YOU TOOK WET SPAGHETTI AND HELD IT UP, IT GOES IN ALL DIRECTIONS, AND PEOPLE NEEDING HELP HAD TO GO TO ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS TO GET THE HELP THEY NEEDED. IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE YOU DON'T HAVE A SECOND CHANCE. IF THAT SPOUSE WANTS TO HARM YOU, THEY'RE GOING TO FIND YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO TO 20 DIFFERENT AGENCIES TO GET HELP. WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, THE AGENCIES ARE THERE WAITING TO HELP YOU. IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONCEPT AND IT'S ANOTHER CONCEPT THAT SHOULD BE TRANSFORMED THROUGHOUT THE STATE, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO GET -- THEY'VE ONLY BEEN IN OPERATION ONE YEAR NOW. THEY'VE HELPED OVER 2,000 PEOPLE. THERE IS A LOT OF HELP NEEDED. THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. I REQUEST THIS COMMITTEE'S SUPPORT AND THE DELEGATION'S SUPPORT ON THIS BILL, AND I'M SPONSORING IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. JUDY LISI, PRESIDENT OF THE TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. >> THANK YOU, AND GOOD MORNING. I KNOW YOU HAVE A LONG DAY AHEAD OF YOU, AND I WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW OF YOUR PRECIOUS MINUTES. I WANT TO THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL, FOR YOUR PAST SUPPORT. AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THE TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IS THE LARGEST ARTS INSTITUTION IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, A $45-MILLION BUDGET, $100-MILLION LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT, BUT TO GIVE YOU A LARGER PICTURE, THE ARTS IN FLORIDA ARE A $3- MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT THE ARTS AS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR ECONOMIC SECTOR. SO MANY TIMES IT'S EASY TO LOOK AT THE ARTS AS NOT NECESSARY. I PROMISE YOU THEY ARE. WE HAVE THREE GRANTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN FOR THIS YEAR. ONE WE WERE FULLY AWARDED LAST YEAR AND IT WAS NOT FUNDED. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. OUR BACK STAGE IS JUST DETERIORATING VERY, VERY RAPIDLY. WE'RE A 20-YEAR-OLD FACILITY RIGHT NOW, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THIS THE PRIDE OF TAMPA BAY AND A STATE-OF- THE-ART FACILITY. OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO EXPAND. ONE OF OUR GRANTS IS TO EXPAND -- ADOPT THE METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES' NEW CHARTER SCHOOL. IT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE, BUT THEY ARE STRUGGLING, AND THEY REALLY NEED THE ARTS TO GIVE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AN UPLIFT AND HOPE. I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY MORE TIME, BUT I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT IN LONDON DURING THE BLITZ, THE ONE THING THAT WINSTON CHURCHILL KEPT OPEN WERE THE THEATERS BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THE CITIZENS NEEDED THE ARTS TO KEEP THEM HOPEFUL AND TO KNOW THAT THEY HAD A FUTURE, AND ALSO, AFTER 9/11, THE FIRST THING THAT MAYOR GIULIANI DID WAS TO OPEN THE THEATERS. THEY ARE ESSENTIAL, AND I JUST HOPE YOU WILL LOOK AT THEM WITH THE IMPORTANCE THAT YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING ELSE, AND YOU HAVE SUCH A CHALLENGE, I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW I FEEL FOR YOU, BUT I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE ARTS AS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF OUR GREAT STATE OF FLORIDA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MS. LISI, AND DO KNOW THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF A BALANCE, AND WE MUST HAVE ARTS IN OUR LIFE. AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I REALLY ENJOYED THE OPENING KICKOFF OF THE ROCKETTES LAST NIGHT. [LAUGHTER] BECKI FORSELL, YES! OF AMERICA, UNITED, INC. WOULD PETER BANKS, KELLEIGH KLEIN, AND PEG REESE BE ON DECK BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO FINISH OUT THIS PAGE. >> GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: GOOD MORNING. >> SENATOR JOYNER, REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO, AND THE FULL HILLSBOROUGH DELEGATION, YES! OF AMERICA UNITED AND MYSELF ARE SO PROUD TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY AGAIN FOR THE THIRD YEAR. I HAVE GOOD NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU. WITH YOUR SUPPORT, YES! OF AMERICA UNITED HAS MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON NOT ONLY THE LIVES OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WITH DISABILITIES BUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE LEVERAGED THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AND PARTNERED WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND SAVED MONEY AND HAVE ALLOWED US TO EXPAND AND OPEN TWO NEW SITES HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AT YES! OF AMERICA UNITED WE HAVE BEEN GOOD STEWARDS OF THE FUNDING THAT -- AND THIS APPROACH WITH PARTNERING HAS BEEN A REAL SUCCESS FOR US IN REACHING MORE PEOPLE IN A POSITIVE MESSAGE THAT YES, I CAN. IN FACT, OUR MESSAGE IS SPREADING ACROSS THE STATE AND HOPEFULLY HAVING NEW PARTNERS IN GAINESVILLE AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR. TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS THIS YEAR, YES! WAS THE LARGEST GROUP REPRESENTED AT FAMILY CAFE. IT'S A STATEWIDE CONFERENCE ON LIVING WITH DISABILITY. YES! CONTINUES TO PROVIDE COMPUTER CLASSES, LIFE SKILL, AND ADVOCACY CLASSES. OUR ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE HEARTSTRINGS, FLORIDA ORCHESTRA, TAMPA YANKEES, AND OTHERS HAVE PROVIDED PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND WELCOMED IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY PURSUED GRANTS FROM CHRISTOPHER REEVE'S FOUNDATION, THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CHILDREN'S BOARD, AND BANK ATLANTIC. IN ADDITION, I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO A NATIONAL TASK FORCE FOR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION ON AGING, DISABILITY, AND THE WORKFORCE, ALONG WITH BEING APPOINTED TO THE FLORIDA INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL AS THE MEMBER OF LARGE, THE FLORIDA OUTREACH PROJECT ON DEAF AND BLIND ADVISORY BOARD, AND THE VOLUNTEER FLORIDA DISABILITY COUNCIL. IT IS JUST NOT ME WHO IS BEING RECOGNIZED. MANY OF OUR YES! MEMBERS SERVE LOCALLY ON BOARDS, COMMITTEES, TASK FORCES. THIS IS WHAT YES! DOES. IT EMPOWERS PEOPLE TO GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND THIS HAS BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN US OUR YOUR SUPPORT, AND WE CONTINUE TO NEED THIS FUNDING. THAT IS WHY I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY ASKING YOU TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YES! OF AMERICA UNITED IN OUR COMMUNITY BUDGET OF $150,000. YES! CAN PROVIDE OUTREACH AND AWARENESS, SERVICES TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES ACROSS THE STATE. WITH YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND OUR REPRESENTATIVES, OUR SPONSORS, KEVIN AMBLER AND VICTOR CRIST, AND OUR EXPANDING OF OUR GRANTS, YES! WILL PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES. RIGHT NOW I'D LIKE OUR YES! MEMBERS WHO ARE STILL HERE -- NOT ALL OF US GOT TO BE HERE -- TO PLEASE STAND BECAUSE WE WANT TO THANK YOU. THIS -- THESE ARE YOUR PEOPLE, AND WE'RE TRYING REALLY HARD TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MS. FORSELL. [APPLAUSE] MR. PETER BANKS FROM THE BRANDON SPORTS AND AQUATIC CENTER. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS PETER BANKS. I'M WITH THE BRANDON SPORTS AND AQUATIC CENTER. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I COME BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING TO BASICALLY PRESENT OUR REASON FOR APPLYING FOR THIS $200,000 IS WE HAVE SERVED THE BRANDON COMMUNITY FOR THE LAST 44 YEARS. WE'RE A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS PROVIDE SPORTS AND AQUATICS AND FACILITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES OF EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE HAVE -- IN THE LAST 44 YEARS HAVE PARTNERED WITH MANY, MANY GROUPS IN THE AREA TO PROVIDE THESE FACILITIES. AS I SAID, WE ARE 44 YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THESE FACILITIES FOR THE NEXT 44 YEARS, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND WHY I'M COMING HERE BEFORE YOU THIS MORNING IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE A -- UPDATED FACILITIES FOR OUR YOUTH AND OUR FAMILIES OF THE EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE NEXT YEAR IS TRY AND UPDATE OUR AQUATICS FACILITY. ONE OF THE BIGGEST MAJOR EXPENSES WE HAVE OF THIS AQUATICS FACILITY IS THE HEATING OF THE FACILITY, WHICH COSTS APPROXIMATELY $60,000 A YEAR TO HEAT IT BY NATURAL GAS. WE'RE PROPOSING TO PROVIDE A SYMBIAN GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM TO HELP PROVIDE HEATING FOR OUR FACILITY. IT IS A -- BASICALLY A COMPONENT THAT WILL HELP US PROVIDE AT A MUCH LESS COST TO THE FACILITY, SAVINGS OF ABOUT $40,000 A YEAR, AND THAT MONEY THAT WE USE WOULD GO BACK INTO THE FACILITY AND GO BACK INTO WHAT WE WANT TO TRY AND PROVIDE BETTER FACILITIES FOR OUR MEMBERS AND OUR FACILITIES. WE HOPE THAT THIS GRANT WILL BE -- COME WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. AS I SAY, LAST YEAR WE SPENT $60,000 ON OUR HEATING OF OUR POOL. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO RUN THE POOL, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE YEAR-ROUND FACILITIES FOR SWIM LESSONS FOR CHILDREN, FOR -- WE PROVIDE THE SWIMMING AND SAFETY TRAINING FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THINGS. WE PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS, AQUATICS FACILITIES FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLS, SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THESE THINGS AND TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THE -- SO IN THE NEXT -- IN THE NEXT YEAR, OUR FUNDRAISING COMMITMENTS FROM OUR LOCAL CHARITY AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT COME AND HELP US HAVE BEEN HELPING TO PROVIDE SOME OF THESE FACILITIES, BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS GRANT WILL BE ABLE TO COME AND BASICALLY HELP US OUT AND AGAIN MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE FACILITIES FOR THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE BRANDON AREA. SO I HOPE THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVES CAN BRING THIS FORWARD AND HELP US PROVIDE THESE FACILITIES. THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MR. BANKS. THANK YOU, MR. BANKS. SENATOR STORMS. >>RONDA STORMS: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. BANKS, YOU'RE BEING TOO MODEST IN DESCRIBING THE ACTIVITIES AT THE BRANDON SPORTS AND AQUATIC CENTER. MEMBERS, YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE, BUT THIS IS AN OLYMPIC FACILITY -- TRAINING FACILITY. SEVERAL OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS HAVE TRAINED AT THIS FACILITY, INCLUDING, YOU MAY REMEMBER, BROOKE BENNETT AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT MR. BANKS COULD TELL YOU OF. IT'S THE ONLY OLYMPIC -- FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS WAS THE ONLY OLYMPIC-SIZE POOL, SO DIVERS AND SWIMMERS COULD COME AND TRAIN. THEY ALSO PROVIDE MINORITY OUTREACH FOR SWIMMING LESSONS, THEY DO THE TRAINING FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND IT'S JUST AN EXTRAORDINARY FACILITY AND CERTAINLY NOT WELL-KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY'RE BUSY OUT THERE TRAINING PEOPLE TO DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA WHERE WE HAVE SO MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO QUALITY SWIMMING LESSONS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FACILITY, AND ALSO FOR NATIONAL COMPETITIONS IT CERTAINLY IS, AND SO IT'S HARD FOR THOSE OLYMPIC SWIMMERS, I SUPPOSE, TO DIVE INTO A 50-DEGREE OR LOWER WATER. >> YEAH. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: JUST A MOMENT. THANK YOU, SENATOR STORMS. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO HAS A COMMENT. >>RICH GLORIOSO: I JUST WANT TO MAKE A BRIEF COMMENT TOO. IT'S A WELL-KEPT SECRET IN BRANDON OF WHAT THAT FACILITY IS, AND IF YOU HAVE SOME TIME AND WANT TO GO VISIT IT, YOU WILL BE AMAZED. I WAS INTRODUCED TO IT BY MY NEIGHBOR, TOM GUMPH, WHO WAS A MEDAL WINNER IN THE OLYMPICS IN DIVING BACK IN THE '60s, AND HE WAS TAKING ME OVER THERE AND SHOWING ME AROUND. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE THE PEOPLE THAT TRAIN THERE AND THE THINGS THAT THEY DO, SO I WOULD ASK YOUR SUPPORT, AND ALSO, IT'S GREEN, FOLKS, IT'S REALLY GREEN. IT WILL SAVE A LOT OF NATURAL GAS AND A LOT OF CO2 IN THE ATMOSPHERE, SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO, AND THANK YOU ALSO MR. BANKS. NOW WE'LL HAVE MS. KELLEIGH KLEIN, UNITED FOOD BANK AND SERVICES OF PLANT CITY. AND PEG REESE, IF YOU'RE HERE. OKAY. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS KELLEIGH KLEIN, AND I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED FOOD BANK AND SERVICES OF PLANT CITY. I'D LIKE TO THANK REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO AND SENATOR STORMS FOR SUPPORTING US IN THE CBR REQUEST THIS YEAR FOR $500,000 FOR THE UNITED FOOD BANK EXPANSION PROJECT. JUST A COUPLE QUICK NOTES ABOUT THE FOOD BANK. THE MISSION OF THE FOOD BANK IS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR THE NEEDY IN MOVING INDIVIDUALS FROM A STATE OF HUNGER AND IMPOVERISHMENT TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY, EMPOWERMENT, AND SELF- RELIANCE. WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR EIGHT YEARS ALMOST TO THE DATE, AND SINCE THAT TIME WE'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING OVER 47,000 CLIENTS. ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WE ARE SERVING ABOUT 6- TO 7,000 INDIVIDUALS. WE BEGAN A SUMMER FEEDING PROGRAM -- SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM A COUPLE SUMMERS AGO WHERE WE DO PROVIDE FOOD FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE ON FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH. LAST SUMMER WE DID SERVE OVER 2,000 SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN. THE UNFORTUNATE REALITY IS THAT A LOT OF THESE CHILDREN WHEN THEY ATTEND SCHOOL DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE ONLY MEALS THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING ARE WHAT THEY GET AT SCHOOL, AND SO IN THE SUMMER WE FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT EXTENDED SERVICE TO THEM SO THAT WE ARE GUARANTEEING THAT THEY'RE AT LEAST PROVIDED FOR TWO MEALS A DAY. WE HAVE A THREE-TIME LIMIT AT THE FOOD BANK EXCEPT IN HARDSHIP CASES BECAUSE WE FEEL THIS HELPS US TO MAINTAIN ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL AS THE INDIVIDUALS COMING THROUGH. WE DO OFFER A HAND UP, WE DO NOT OFFER A HANDOUT, SO WE DO HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SENT TO US BY REFERRAL ONLY. SOME OF THE REFERRING AGENCIES INCLUDE THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTER, HOSPICE, THE SPRING, CHILDNET, ELDERLINK, EAST HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS, SOUTH FLORIDA BAPTIST HOSPITAL, LOCAL CHURCHES AND MORE. THE VISION OF THE UNITED FOOD BANK OF PLANT CITY IS TO STAMP OUT HUNGER IN EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. NOW, WE DO -- THAT'S OUR PRIMARY SERVICE AREA; HOWEVER, WE DO RECEIVE CLIENTS FROM ALL OVER HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AS WELL AS WE DO HAVE SOME THAT COME IN FROM PASCO AND POLK COUNTY AS WELL. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR THE TRULY NEEDY BY OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT, JOB SKILLS, JOB READINESS, AND ENHANCING LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, WHICH, THEREFORE, WILL HAVE AN EFFECT, IMPACTING OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THE EXPANSION PROJECT IS -- WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH THAT IS TO ALLOW US TO EXPAND FROM THE 1,000 SQUARE FEET THAT WE CURRENTLY WORK IN WITH THREE STAFF MEMBERS AND A GREAT SUPPORT TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS -- WE'D LIKE TO EXPAND THE AREA THAT WE'RE WORKING IN SO THAT WE CAN ALSO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL SERVICES IN ADDITION TO THE FOOD THAT WE ARE PROVIDING TO THE CLIENTS THAT COME IN. AS I SAID EARLIER, WE PROVIDE A HAND UP, NOT A HANDOUT. WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO BE INVOLVED IN HELPING TO TEACH PEOPLE TO FISH FOR THEMSELVES AND TO BE ABLE TO REENTER THE JOB FORCE OR TO ENTER THE JOB FORCE -- THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MS. KLEIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MS. PEG REESE FROM MARY LEE'S HOUSE. >> THANK YOU, AND GOOD MORNING. I'M PEG REESE, DIRECTOR OF MARY LEE'S HOUSE CHILD PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY CENTER. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT ABOUT OUR APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST OF $900,000 FOR ONE-TIME CAPITAL FUNDS. NOT A DAY GOES BY WITHOUT A STORY IN THE NEWSPAPER OR ON TELEVISION OF SOME DREADFUL INSTANCE OF CHILD VICTIMIZATION IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE STORIES ARE NOT ISOLATED INCIDENTS. IN FACT, RIGHT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MORE THAN 15,000 CASES OF CHILD ABUSE ARE REPORTED EACH YEAR. MORE THAN 3,200 CASES ARE CONFIRMED. ALMOST 40% OF VICTIMS ARE UNDER SIX YEARS OF AGE AND 75% OF CHILD VICTIMS ARE NOT IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, THEY ARE COMMUNITY KIDS, IF YOU WILL. BUT DESPITE THE GREATEST OF EFFORT AND BEST OF INTENTIONS AMONG THOSE WHO RESPOND TO CHILD VICTIMS, INVESTIGATORS, LAWYERS, JUDGES, AND OTHER COURT PERSONNEL, FORENSIC INTERVIEWERS, DOCTORS, AND NURSES, THE SYSTEM IS FRAGMENTED, INEFFICIENT, SOMETIMES EVEN HARMFUL TO CHILDREN. ALL TOO OFTEN UNDER CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES CHILDREN ARE UNABLE TO COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. VALUABLE INFORMATION MAY BE LOST. CHILD VICTIMS ARE TRAUMATIZED AGAIN BY THE VERY SYSTEMS INTENDED TO HELP THEM, AND ABUSERS GO FREE; HOWEVER, THERE IS A SOLUTION, A PROVEN MODEL THAT EXISTS IN HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THE MODEL WE ARE IMPLEMENTING IS A COORDINATED ONE-STOP SHOP FOR CHILD VICTIMS TO INTERFACE WITH JUDICIAL, LEGAL, MEDICAL, AND SERVICE AGENCIES, AND FOR THESE AGENCIES TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH EACH OTHER TO PROTECT CHILDREN AND PUNISH PERPETRATORS. IT IS A MODEL THAT ALL OUR KEY CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CHILD PROTECTION AGENCIES HAVE ENDORSED FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AMONG THOSE SIGNING A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY CENTER IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE THE 13th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF, USF DEPARTMENT OF PEDIATRICS, THE CHILDREN'S BOARD, HILLSBOROUGH KIDS, SUNCOAST DCF, AND THE HEALTHY STAR COALITION. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR SUPPORT. WE HAVE RAISED $4 MILLION OF THE NEEDED $6 MILLION TO COMPLETE THE CENTER. 85% OF THESE FUNDS HAVE COME FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR. WE NEED STATE FUNDS TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT. NOW, WHAT CAN WE DELIVER TO YOU AND TO THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN RETURN FOR THESE FUNDS? EFFICIENCY; INVESTIGATIONS WILL COST ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS PER CASE. COST-EFFECTIVENESS; WE WILL BE SELF-SUSTAINING, GENERATING REVENUE THROUGH LEASES WITH PARTNER AGENCIES. JUSTICE FOR CHILDREN; WE WILL MORE EFFECTIVELY PUNISH PERPETRATORS, AS STUDIES SHOW PLACES LIKE MARY LEE'S HOUSE LEAD TO MORE CASES BROUGHT AGAINST CRIMINALS, MORE CHARGES FILED, INCREASED CONVICTION RATES, AND IMPORTANTLY, FEWER TRIALS, AS MORE PERPETRATORS PLEAD GUILTY IN THE FACE OF BETTER EVIDENCE WE WILL OBTAIN. AND SAFETY FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN. PERPETRATORS MOST OFTEN DO NOT VICTIMIZE JUST ONE CHILD. PUNISHING THESE OFFENDERS PROTECTS EVERY CHILD IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS DELEGATION WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR REQUEST LAST YEAR. WE THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND WE HOPE WE CAN COUNT ON YOUR SUPPORT AGAIN THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, MS. REESE. WE WILL GIVE IT EVERY CONSIDERATION. >> THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WE WILL NOW REVERT TO THE ORIGINAL ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, AND WE'LL START OUT WITH LOCAL BILL NUMBER 1 BY REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIRMAN. LOCAL BILL 1, BY WAY OF SOME BACKGROUND FOR THE MEMBERS I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN, IS REALLY BEST DESCRIBED AS A LOCAL GOVERNANCE REORGANIZATION BILL ON A COUPLE OF MATTERS. MOST OF YOU WERE HERE LAST YEAR WHEN THIS BILL ORIGINALLY CAME UP, SO WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME DISCUSSION, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE AND LAY OUT SOME BACKGROUND, AND THERE'S PROBABLY A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS PROBABLY EVEN ON THIS DAIS ABOUT WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T, BUT I'M GOING TO PREFACE MY REMARKS BY SAYING THIS: THIS LAST YEAR I WAS TASKED BY OUR SPEAKER DESIGNATE, RAY SAMPSON, TO BE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE SUNSET REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND SO A YEAR AGO I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THAT RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROMPTED ME TO RAISE THIS ISSUE LAST YEAR AND WHY I'M BRINGING IT UP AGAIN THIS YEAR. BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE MEMBERS HERE ON THIS DAIS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND THE POLICY OBJECTIVES AT HAND. IF WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK SYSTEMICALLY AT ANY ORGANIZATION ON THE STATEWIDE LEVEL ON THAT SUNSET REVIEW COMMITTEE, THEN WE'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE, AND DOING IT AT A STATE LEVEL IS GOING TO BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. WELL, THIS IS A FIRST RUN, FIRST EXAMPLE OF TRYING TO TAKE A LOOK AT A SYSTEMIC LEVEL AT HOW WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE WORK OF OUR DELEGATION AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE WITHIN OUR 25% MICROCOSM OF THE STATE, AND THE CHALLENGE I GIVE TO EACH ONE OF YOU MEMBERS IS THIS, IS THAT WE CAN'T BE AFRAID TO MAKE THE TOUGH DECISIONS. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ELECTED TO DO, AND SOMETIMES THE HARDEST THING IN THIS BUSINESS IS GOING AGAINST THE STATUS QUO. THE STATUS QUO HAS A HUGE VESTED INTEREST IN KEEPING THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE, AND THE STATUS QUO WILL ALWAYS BUCK BACK AND RESIST THE ELEMENTS OF CHANGE, AND THE SUNSET REVIEW PROCESS IS JUST THAT, IT'S LOOKING AT CHANGE AND DECIDING WHETHER WE HAVE ANACHRONISTIC WAYS OF DOING THINGS, WHETHER THE HISTORICAL WAYS AND THE REASONS FOR SOMETHING BEING SET UP THE WAY IT WAS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO ARE STILL JUSTIFIED TODAY, THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH THAT SELF-EVALUATION, THAT INTROSPECTION OF WHETHER IT'S A LOCAL COMMISSION OR A STATEWIDE AGENCY AS BIG AS THE DEPARTMENT OF EPC -- OR DEP, WHICH IS ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS UP FOR SUNSET REVIEW THAT WE'LL BE FACING. WE HAVE TEN MAJOR AGENCIES THAT ARE UP FOR SUNSET REVIEW, WHETHER YOU GUYS REALIZE THAT OR NOT. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GOING TO BE HITTING OUR DESK AS EARLY AS THE END OF FEBRUARY. SENATOR STORMS IS SERVING WITH ME ON THAT COMMITTEE. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT WHOLESALE SYSTEMIC CHANGES AND THE WAY OF DOING BUSINESS FOR ORGANIZATIONS AS LARGE AS THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE; THE DEP; ALL FIVE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS; THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY, SAFETY, AND MOTOR VEHICLES; THE FISH AND WILDLIFE; THE CITRUS COMMISSION. I MEAN, THESE ARE HUGE UNDERTAKINGS, SO I POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DISCUSS WITH YOU TODAY IS REALLY A MICROCOSM OF THAT MUCH LARGER VIEW OF THE HUGE DECISIONS CONFRONTING US OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS THAT I WILL TELL YOU, AT LEAST FOR THE HOUSE MEMBERS SITTING HERE, ARE A PRIORITY OF OUR SPEAKER DESIGNATE THAT WE'D BE BRAVE TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, SO LOCAL BILL 1 SEEKS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OF TWO COMPONENTS WITHIN OUR COUNTY. ONE IS THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, THE TAMPA SPORTS AUTHORITY, AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE EPC. ORIGINALLY THE BILL ALSO INCLUDED THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I HAVE AN AMENDMENT IN MY PACKET, WHICH WE CAN TAKE UP -- I HOPE WE CAN JUST TAKE CARE OF SUMMARILY BECAUSE MY AMENDMENT WOULD ELIMINATE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH WAS A MATTER OF CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY. WE'LL DEFER THAT FOR A LATER TIME BECAUSE I THINK IT'S BETTER TO TAKE OFF WHAT IS A BITE-SIZE ISSUE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DEBATE TODAY, SO WE'LL REMOVE THAT FROM THE TABLE. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S FOREVER OFF THERE, FOR FUTURE YEAR DISCUSSIONS, BUT WITH THE BOARD'S CONSENT, I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST PUT AMENDMENT 1 ON THERE SO WE CAN FRAME THE ISSUE TO TALK ABOUT THE TWO COUNCILS THAT ARE INTENDED TO BE NOW PART OF LOCAL BILL 1. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. SO REPRESENTATIVE -- REPRESENTATIVE CULP, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? >>FAYE CULP: QUESTION. YOU SAID THE AMENDMENT WOULD ELIMINATE THE PLANNING COMMISSION. >>KEVIN AMBLER: NO, FROM -- >>FAYE CULP: YOU DON'T MEAN ELIMINATE THE -- YOU JUST MEAN -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: LET ME CLARIFY FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE MEMBERS HERE, THE AMENDMENT TO LOCAL BILL 1 WOULD EXCLUDE THE -- THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM CONSIDERATION OF THIS GOVERNANCE DEBATE THAT WE'RE HAVING. IN OTHER WORDS, IT WOULD JUST PUT IT OFF THE TABLE AND REMOVE THAT FROM OUR DISCUSSION AND LEAVE IT ALONE. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION OF LOCAL BILL 1. DOES THAT HELP CLARIFY IT? >>FAYE CULP: YES. >>KEVIN AMBLER: OKAY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: ONLY THE SPONSOR KNOWS WHETHER OR NOT HE HAS SUPPORT OR NOT TO PASS THIS LEGISLATION, BUT FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, WE NEED NOT BE PIECEMEAL POLICYMAKING HERE. ULTIMATELY THE DECISION SHOULD BE ACROSS THE BOARD COLLECTIVELY WHAT KIND OF CHEMISTRY SHOULD BE CULTIVATED FOR THESE BOARDS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED STATUTORILY TO OPERATE WITHIN THIS COUNTY, AND, YOU KNOW, TIMES HAVE CHANGED SINCE THESE BOARDS WERE CREATED BUT THEIR MISSIONS HAVE REMAINED THE SAME, SO ULTIMATELY, IF WE'RE GOING TO CULTIVATE POLICY, THEN LET'S DO THAT POLICY ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THANK YOU. AND SENATOR CRIST, I APPRECIATE THAT APPROACH, AND TYPICALLY, THAT WOULD BE MY APPROACH TOO FOR CONSISTENCY, BUT THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE FACETS ABOUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT DISTINGUISH IT FROM THE TWO THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT AND THAT THE -- THOSE DIFFERENCES ARE UNIQUE ENOUGH AND SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT THEY REALLY BEAR OUT THEIR OWN SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF WHY THE REPRESENTATION AND STRUCTURE ISSUES WOULD TAKE UP THEIR OWN SEPARATE DISCUSSION AND ARE NOT HOMOGENOUS WITH THE RATIONALE AND APPROACH I HAVE FOR THE TWO BOARDS I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY, SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, AS WE KNOW IN THIS PROCESS, WE -- WE START OUT WITH ONE SMALL ISSUE AND IT GROWS AND GROWS, AND YOU CAN KEEP -- AND YOU CAN LOVE A BILL TO DEATH BY ADDING SO MUCH TO IT THAT IT BECOMES SO CONTROVERSIAL THAT YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED. I THINK TODAY, IF WE UNDERSTAND THE HOMOGENY THAT EXISTS TO THE TWO BOARDS AND THE RATIONALE BEHIND THESE TWO ORGANIZATIONS AND WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT, THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR STEP FORWARD, AND THEN THE UNIQUE ISSUES THAT ARE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION COULD BE DISCUSSED LATER. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN, AND TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION OF THE CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION ON BEING CONSIDERED, CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WAS CREATED BY SPECIAL ACT, AND WE -- SENATOR JOYNER AND MYSELF, SINCE WE HAVE THE ONLY CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WE'VE ASKED THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS TO DO A STUDY ON THAT PLANNING COMMISSION TO FIND OUT WHETHER IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE STATEWIDE, WHETHER IT'S A BAD IDEA, AND WHAT THE GOVERNANCE SHOULD LOOK LIKE, SO WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO A STUDY, AND THEY ARE RIGHT NOW DOING A STUDY USING I FORGET WHO IT WAS FROM FSU TO DO A STUDY ON WHETHER THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO TAKE THAT OFF THE TABLE FOR NOW UNTIL THAT STUDY COMES BACK. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE MEMBERS? IF NOT, WE'LL VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT -- >> SHE HAS A POINT ON THE AMENDMENT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OH, I WAS ASKING. SENATOR STORMS. >>RONDA STORMS: I'M GOING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE AMENDMENT BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO -- TO REDACT OUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I THINK WE SHOULD DO THE WHOLE THING. I AGREE WITH THE ORIGINAL BILL. I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING, AND SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH CONSIDERING EVERYTHING. >>KEVIN AMBLER: MAY I RESPOND? >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES, REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I COMPLETELY RESPECT BOTH SENATORS' APPROACH ON THAT. THE PROBLEM IS THIS: I -- OUT OF RESPECT AND DEFERENCE TO THE REQUEST FROM OUR CHAIRPERSON AND OUR VICE CHAIRPERSON OF THIS BOARD WHO HAVE REQUESTED PRIOR TO THIS MEETING TODAY THE STUDY BE DONE, AND IN DEFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO, WHO'S HAD A GREAT DEAL OF INVOLVEMENT AT THE CITY LEVEL ON THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND WITHOUT TRYING TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF OUR TIME THIS MORNING DISCUSSING THE PURPOSE OF THAT STUDY AND WHAT THAT STUDY WILL BRING BACK TO US AND WHY THE INFORMATION THAT SENATOR JOYNER AND REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO INDICATE NEED TO SEPARATE IT, I THINK THAT BY INCLUDING IT IN THIS MORNING -- FIRST OF ALL, IT GOES AGAINST MY WORD THAT I SAID I WOULD THROUGH AMENDMENT ATTEMPT TO PULL THAT OUT, AND -- SO WE COULD GET THE INFORMATION BACK ON THE STUDY THAT'S BEING PERFORMED, AND SECONDLY, I'M NOT SO SURE WITH THE INCLUSION OF IT AND ABSENT THAT INFORMATION FROM THE STUDY THAT ITS INCLUSION IN THE BILL WOULDN'T SABOTAGE AND BASICALLY SINK THE ENTIRE BILL WHERE THERE IS GOOD WORK THAT CAN BE DONE WITH RESPECT TO THESE OTHER TWO BOARDS THAT AREN'T AFFECTED BY THAT STUDY, SO THAT'S THE -- THE POLITICAL REALITY, SENATOR STORMS, IS THAT ABSENT THAT STUDY AND IN DEFERENCE TO THE COMMITMENT I MADE TO GETTING THAT FEEDBACK BACK, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD PASS LOCAL BILL 1 WITH THEIR INCLUSION, AND THAT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF TRYING TO TAKE ON AND GET SOME PRODUCTIVE WORK DONE WITH RESPECT TO THE TWO BOARDS THAT ARE NOT UNDER STUDY AND FOR WHICH WE DO HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE GALVANO FOR A QUESTION. >>BILL GALVANO: YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. JUST A PROCEDURAL QUESTION. WE'RE VOTING ON A LOCAL BILL TO PUT IT INTO THE PROCESS. IS THERE REALLY ANYTHING THAT WOULD PREVENT AT SOME POINT DURING THE VETTING THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE DURING THE COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND SESSION ITSELF THAT THIS ISSUE COULD BE REVISITED, THE AMENDMENT ISSUE? I MEAN, WE COULD STILL -- THERE'S NOTHING TO PREVENT IT FROM COMING BACK AND BEING DISCUSSED LATER JUST BECAUSE WE PULL IT OUT AT THIS POINT. IS THAT CORRECT? YOU CAN AMEND LOCAL BILLS. >> [INAUDIBLE] [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SORRY. REPRESENTATIVE -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: WE'VE GOT TO RESPECT OUR CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THE TITLE OF THE BILL AT PRESENT, I BELIEVE, IS LOCAL BOARD GOVERNANCE. THE THREE BOARDS ARE ALREADY NAMED IN THE TITLE. SO IF WE WERE -- >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: [INAUDIBLE] AND THAT WAY IF YOU TRY TO PUT IT BACK IN, IT WOULD -- IT WOULD -- WHATEVER THE CORRECT WORD IS -- DESTROY THE VALUE OF THE TITLE OR THE VALIDITY OF THE TITLE. >>KEVIN AMBLER: OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS OF THE OPINION - - >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: NOW, IT COULD BE ADVERTISED WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN IT AND NOT HARM THE BILL BY TAKING THE PLANNING COMMISSION OUT OF THE BODY OF THE BILL. >>KEVIN AMBLER: AND THEN WE COULD -- AND WHEN THE STUDY COMES BACK -- [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK] >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: ON THE AMENDMENT WHERE IT SAYS -- WHERE IT'S THE TITLE AMENDMENT AND IN THIS AMENDMENT, OMIT THAT SO THAT WE ADVERTISE IT WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THERE, AND THAT WAY IF YOU WANT TO ADD IT BACK LATER, YOU CAN. YOU COULD HAVE MORE IN THE TITLE THAN IN THE BILL, BUT YOU CAN NEVER HAVE MORE IN THE BILL THAN IN THE TITLE ON LOCAL BILLS. >>KEVIN AMBLER: MADAM CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: IF I UNDERSTOOD THAT ADVICE OF OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CANDACE HUNDLEY, CORRECTLY, WHAT WOULD ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVE OF SENATOR STORMS AND SENATOR CRIST BUT HONOR THE COMMITMENT I MADE TO WAITING FOR THE STUDY WOULD BE TO MAKE THE AMENDMENT SUCH THAT IT DELETES CONSIDERATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR NOW BUT LEAVES THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE TITLE OF THE LOCAL BILL SO THAT IF IT -- THE STUDY COMES BACK AND WE CHOOSE AS A DELEGATION TO CONSIDER IT AND ADD IT IN AT A LATER POINT DURING THIS UPCOMING SESSION, WE WOULD HAVE THE OPTION TO DO SO AS OPPOSED TO WAITING A WHOLE 'NOTHER YEAR. SO IT WOULD BE -- I'D MOVE FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT THAT WOULD STRIKE THE LANGUAGE THAT CHANGES THE TITLE OF THE BILL, AND IT WOULD LEAVE THE TITLE JUST AS IT IS, AS PROPOSED, BUT WOULD LEAVE THE EXCLUSION OF THE SUBSTANCE OF CHANGING THE PLANNING COMMISSION RIGHT NOW AS THE SUBSTANCE OF THIS AMENDMENT. >>RONDA STORMS: GOT YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WOULD YOU REPEAT THAT AGAIN. >>KEVIN AMBLER: YES. OKAY. THE MOTION IS TO AMEND THE AMENDMENT SUCH THAT BY VOTING FOR THIS AMENDMENT, YOU WOULD BE VOTING TO KEEP THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE TITLE OF THE BILL, OF LOCAL BILL 1, SO THAT IT COVERS IT IN SCOPE, BUT THE SUBSTANCE OF DOING ANY ACTION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT THIS JUNCTURE WOULD BE ELIMINATED. THE NET EFFECT OF THAT WOULD BE IS THAT IF THE STUDY COMES BACK AND INDICATES THERE'S ACTION THAT THE DELEGATION MAY WANT TO TAKE, IT LEAVES IT OPEN FOR US AS A DELEGATION TO MEET DURING THE COURSE OF THE UPCOMING SESSION AND TO HAVE A MEETING AND DISCUSS WHETHER WE WANT TO ADD IN ANY GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE CHANGES, AND WE WOULD BE PERMITTED TO DO SO BECAUSE IT'S EMBODIED WITHIN THE TITLE. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE PETERMAN. >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I HAD ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, YOU KNOW, THE TIMING ON THE STUDY ITSELF. DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF THAT? AND THEN I KNOW THERE WAS A REASON FOR -- FOR PUTTING THIS STUDY IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE -- THE BEST POSSIBLE INFORMATION BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE, SO I -- YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TWOFOLD QUESTION. COULD YOU RESTATE THE STUDY -- I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IT EARLIER, REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO, BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE BREADTH OF THE STUDY AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO, BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. SECONDLY I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE TIMING OF THE STUDY, ANY SENSE OF THE TIMING ON THIS STUDY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T BRING THE LETTER WITH ME TODAY THAT WE SENT TO DCA, BUT SECRETARY PELHAM HAS INSTITUTED THEY'VE ALREADY MET WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO DO THE STUDY OUT OF FSU. I DO NOT HAVE A TIME FRAME OTHER THAN I KNOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STARTING IT RIGHT AWAY. THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY WAS TO LOOK AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION TO SEE IF -- AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD GROWTH MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE STATE -- AND TO SEE IF IT CAN BE USED AS A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE STATE, IF IT'S DOING A GOOD JOB; IF IT'S NOT DOING A GOOD JOB, WHAT CAN WE DO TO CHANGE IT; OR SHOULD WE ELIMINATE IT? AND ALSO IN THE STUDY WAS THE GOVERNANCE, HOW SHOULD THE GOVERNANCE BE SET UP IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR THE CITY- COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION AND/OR HOW WOULD IT BE SET UP IF IT'S DECIDED THAT THEY WANT TO USE IT AND EXPORT IT TO OTHER COUNTIES, SO IT'S AN ALL-INCLUSIVE STUDY OF IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE, AND HOW WOULD IT BE GOVERNED. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE PETERMAN, FOLLOW-UP. >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: YEAH, FOLLOW-UP. UNLESS I'M READING IT CORRECTLY, WOULDN'T THE TIMING OF THE STUDY HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THE DECISION WE'LL MAKE IN THIS PROCESS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LATEST -- LATEST MOTION THAT WAS MADE? I WOULD THINK THE TIMING OF THE STUDY WOULD HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THE DECISION THAT WE'LL MAKE IN THIS PROCESS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: RIGHT. THE STUDY'S UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW, AND THE WORD WE HAD IS IT SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE SESSION STARTS, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE PUSHING FOR IN OUR LETTER, AND THAT'S WHAT THE INDICATION THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK IS, THAT IT WILL BE DONE BEFORE SESSION STARTS. >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE'LL VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT, WHICH IS TO -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: I'LL REPEAT. TO LEAVE THE TITLE OF THE LOCAL BILL AS FILED INTACT, THE SAME, BUT TO DELETE CONSIDERATION OF REFORMATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT THIS TIME. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YOU'VE HEARD THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. NOW WE'RE GOING TO VOTE. I DO BELIEVE THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO A ROLL CALL. WELL, WE'LL SEE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. [CHORUS OF AYES] THOSE OPPOSED. HEARING NONE, THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT PASSES. NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE AMENDMENT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: OKAY. THANK YOU. THE AMENDMENT. THE AMENDMENT NOW AS AMENDED WOULD DELETE CONSIDERATION TODAY OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM OUR DISCUSSION BUT LEAVE INTACT, BECAUSE IT CONTINUES TO BE IN THE TITLE, THE ABILITY FOR OUR DELEGATION AT A LATER POINT IN THE SESSION -- BECAUSE LOCAL BILLS WILL GO BACK UP AND BE FULLY VETTED IN SESSION -- THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE REPORTS OF THE STUDY, WE'LL HAVE A MEETING OF OUR DELEGATION UP THERE, MADAM CHAIR WILL CHAIR IT, AND WE CAN BRING UP THE DISCUSSION OF WHETHER THAT STUDY -- OR REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO, BUT WE CAN BRING UP WHETHER THAT STUDY MERITS ANY FURTHER CHANGES TO THE BILL, AND I THINK THAT'S THE FAIR WAY TO APPROACH IT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE CULP. >>FAYE CULP: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I HAVE A QUESTION. IF WE TAKE OUT THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM THE BILL TEXT AND IT WILL NOT MENTION THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT ALL, THEN HOW CAN WE LEAVE IT IN THE TITLE AMENDMENT WHEN THE TITLE AMENDMENT BY LAW IS SUPPOSED TO DESCRIBE WHAT'S IN THE TEXT OF THE BILL? >> [INAUDIBLE] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WELL, WE VOTED TO DO THAT BASED ON THE UNDERSTANDING OF CANDACE, WHICH I CAN TELL YOU NOW I DON'T HAVE ALL THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT SHE'S EXHIBITING, BUT HER STATEMENT IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE MORE IN THE TITLE THAN IS IN THE BILL, BUT IT WILL NECESSITATE OUR COMING BACK AND MEETING AGAIN AS A DELEGATION IN TALLAHASSEE AND GETTING THE NECESSARY BILL -- VOTE TO PASS THE BILL IF SOMETHING'S ADDED TO IT SUBSEQUENTLY TO THIS MEETING. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: MADAM CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THE DIFFERENCE IS, REPRESENTATIVE CULP, BECAUSE THIS IS A LOCAL BILL AND PASSING THE BILL TODAY -- EVEN IF EVERYBODY VOTES FOR THIS BILL TODAY, IT'S NOT A BILL. I MEAN, IT'S SIMPLY AS A DELEGATION SAYING WE'RE GOING TO MOVE IT ON TO THE NEXT STEP TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE FULL LEGISLATURE THROUGH OUR NORMAL COMMITTEE PROCESS, SO THIS IS ALMOST LIKE THE FILING OF THE BILL, AND WHETHER YOU'RE GETTING IT SET UP IN A POSTURE THAT WILL ALLOW IT TO BE -- TO GO FORWARD AND BE CONSIDERED IN THE PROCESS. IT'S NOT THE SAME AS PASSING A BILL THAT HAS TO HAVE THAT TEXT IN THERE THE SAME AS THE TITLE AMENDMENT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SENATOR McKEEL. >>SETH McKEEL: OKAY. SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WHAT WE'VE DONE NECESSITATES ANOTHER MEETING? >>KEVIN AMBLER: NO. WHAT -- I'M SORRY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: NO. WHAT IT DOES IS IT LEAVES OPEN THAT WHEN THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY COME BACK AND ARE CIRCULATED TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION, IF WE FEEL AS A GROUP THAT AS A RESULT OF THAT REPORT WE WANT TO TAKE UP THAT ISSUE AND WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS PART OF THIS GOVERNANCE ISSUE DISCUSSION INTO THE LOCAL BILL THAT WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, THEN WE CAN DO SO. THE PROBLEM IS, AS A PROCEDURAL MATTER, WE'VE GOT TO ADVERTISE WHAT THE NATURE OF THE LOCAL BILLS ARE THAT ARE GOING UP, AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS FAIRLY APPRISED THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION ISSUE COULD BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER DATE. IT DOESN'T OBLIGATE US TO MEET, IT DOESN'T OBLIGATE US TO ADD IT IN, IT LEAVES OPEN THE POSSIBILITY BASED ON THE STUDY RESULTS THAT WE CAN CONSIDER IT. I WOULDN'T THINK WE'D WANT TO FORECLOSE OURSELVES OF ANY POSSIBILITIES. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE WEATHERFORD. >>WILL WEATHERFORD: MADAM CHAIR, THANK YOU. REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER, SINCE WE'RE ENTERING A REALM WHICH I'M COMPLETELY UNFAMILIAR WITH HERE, JUST SO I HAVE THIS STRAIGHT, CAN WE PASS -- DO -- BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD QUESTION IN THAT DO WE HAVE TO MEET AGAIN. CAN WE PASS A LOCAL BILL THAT HAS THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE TITLE BUT YET HAS NOTHING REFERRING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE TEXT? I DON'T THINK WE CAN PASS A BILL THAT WAY -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: WE'RE NOT -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>WILL WEATHERFORD: -- OR THAT IT CAN BE SUBJECT TO CHALLENGE. THAT'S MY CONCERN, THAT WE DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT CAN BE SUBJECT TO CHALLENGE LATER. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >> THE QUESTION IS CAN YOU PASS IT IN THAT FORM? >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OH. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: I HAVE YOUR SAME CONCERN. COULD WE LEAVE IT IN THE TITLE AND LEAVE IT IN THE TEXT AS IT EXISTS TODAY AND THEN GO BACK AND CHANGE IT AT A MEETING? THAT WAY YOU'VE GOT IT IN THE TITLE, YOU'VE GOT IT IN THE SUBSTANCE OF THE BILL, AND -- >>WILL WEATHERFORD: YES. WE COULD DO IT THAT WAY, BUT THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE BILL IS RIGHT NOW AFTER THE AMENDMENT. >>RICH GLORIOSO: NO. WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER AMENDMENT PROCESS. OH, THANKS A LOT, KEVIN. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I THINK THAT WORKS. I THINK EITHER WAY WORKS. I MEAN, LOCAL BILLS ARE IN A DIFFERENT PROCEDURAL POSTURE THAN A NORMAL BILL GOING THROUGH THE BILL PROCESS, BUT WHAT REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO SAID WORKS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: PROBABLY THE SAFEST WAY TO DO IT WOULD JUST BE HAVE AN ALL-INCLUSIVE BILL, AND THEN LATER ON DOWN THE LINE IF WE SO CHOOSE TO PULL IT OUT, WE JUST PULL IT OUT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE GALVANO. HE SAID WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY? REPRESENTATIVE PETERMAN, DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER -- A FOLLOW- UP? >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: YEAH. JUST A COMMENT. WE MENTIONED, IF I'VE GOT IT CORRECTLY HERE, THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY PASS THIS OUT AND IT GOES THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND WE CAN FACTOR SOMETHING BACK IN, YOU KNOW, AS RELATES TO THE COMMISSION, BUT HERE IS THE -- HERE IS THE THING THAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH HERE IS THAT WHEN YOU PASS IT OUT FROM THIS -- FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT, IT SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE, I BELIEVE, SOMETIMES TO OUR COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, AT THE STATE LEVEL -- NOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ACTUALLY PASS ALL LOCAL BILLS, BUT IT SENDS A MESSAGE IF WE PASS IT HERE TO THE REST OF OUR COLLEAGUES IN TALLAHASSEE, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHERE I WANT TO BE ON THIS POINT BECAUSE IF WE DO THAT HERE, I THINK -- I THINK WE MAKE A STATEMENT, A DEFINITIVE STATEMENT TO SOME DEGREE, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THERE ARE SOME GLITCHES HERE THAT WE WANT TO CHANGE, BUT I THINK IT SENDS A STATEMENT, SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE NOW AND WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE THAT'S GOING TO SEND TO THE REST OF OUR COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, IN THE CAPITAL. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I JUST WOULD REMIND REPRESENTATIVE PETERMAN, BECAUSE I SERVED ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL IN THE HOUSE FOR THE FIRST FOUR YEARS, THE WAY LOCAL BILLS ARE TAKEN UP, THEY TYPICALLY ARE VETTED THROUGH THE HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE, AND THEY'RE TAKEN UP IN RAPID FIRE, AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE INPUT OF THIS DELEGATION WHICH WILL DIRECT, SO IF THE DELEGATION SAYS WE WANT TO CONSIDER "X," "Y," AND "Z," THEN OUR COLLEAGUES WILL DEFER TO THE DELEGATION POSITION. IF WE SAY AT THE TIME IT COMES UP FOR CONSIDERATION WE ONLY WANT TO DO "X" AND "Y" AND NOT "Z," THEY'LL DEFER TO THAT AS WELL. I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY OUR DETERMINATION OF WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE CONSIDERED, AND WE WANT TO LEAVE OPEN WHEN THIS STUDY COMES BACK THE POSSIBILITY THAT OUR DELEGATION CAN CONSIDER ADDING IT IN LATER. IF WE DON'T DO IT TODAY, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO CONSIDER ANY OF THIS LATER IN SESSION. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE PETERMAN. >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: RESPONSE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THAT'S -- YOU PRETTY MUCH, I BELIEVE, EXPRESSED MY POINT, YOU KNOW, TO A LARGER EXTENT OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY EARLIER, AND THAT IS EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THAT OPTION, I BELIEVE THERE'S USUALLY THE AFFIRMATIVE THAT -- WHEN WE BRING -- BRING LOCAL BILLS TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE THAT IF WE ARE IN AGREEMENT AND IN ONE ACCORD, FOR THE MOST PART THEY GO WITH WHAT WE WANT, AND SO THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT I'M SAYING WE WOULD BE SENDING, AND I THINK ONCE IT GETS THERE, IT MOST TIMES IS DONE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. NOW, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT, SO THAT'S -- THAT'S WHAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH, AND I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON RECORD. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO, DID YOU WANT TO PROPOSE A MOTION? I THINK WHAT I UNDERSTOOD YOU TO SAY IS YOU CAN LEAVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN LOCAL BILL 1, BUT THE LANGUAGE AS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD SIMPLY HAVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S CURRENT STRUCTURE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW WITHOUT CHANGE TO IT, BUT IT WOULD LEAVE THAT IN THE BILL IN ITS CURRENT FORMAT, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO CHANGE OR CONSIDER ANY CHANGES TO IT WHEN THE STUDY COMES IN. >>RICH GLORIOSO: SO MOVED. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. NOW, FOR THE PURPOSES OF -- ARE WE BACK -- ARE WE BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM BECAUSE -- >>RICH GLORIOSO: YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A MOTION ON THAT, OR WAS YOURS A MOTION? I GUESS IT WILL BE AN AMENDMENT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I'LL MOVE -- IT'S A NEW AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT IS BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. WE PASSED THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT. >> WE PASSED THE FIRST AMENDMENT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: NO, WE'RE ON THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED. >> RIGHT. >>RONDA STORMS: RIGHT. SO NOW WE CAN AMEND THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED AGAIN. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THAT'S CORRECT. >>RONDA STORMS: SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. NOW WE'RE IN THE AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT? >>KEVIN AMBLER: THAT'S CORRECT. >>RONDA STORMS: THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO THE AMENDMENT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. >>RONDA STORMS: THAT IS CORRECT. >>RICH GLORIOSO: DO YOU WANT ME TO MAKE -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: DO YOU WANT ME TO REPEAT THAT? >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: NO. HOLD UP A MOMENT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: JUST KILL THE AMENDMENT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: IF -- REPRESENTATIVE GALVANO, WE'RE THINKING THE SAME. >>BILL GALVANO: YES. I THINK WE COULD CUT THROUGH ALL OF THIS IF YOU JUST WITHDRAW THE AMENDMENT, THEN WE HAVE THE BILL INTACT, IT STILL GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BILL DURING REGULAR SESSION AND COMMITTEE HEARINGS WITHOUT HAMSTRINGING OURSELVES BY NOT [INAUDIBLE] IN THE LOCAL BILL NOTICE. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: IF I UNDERSTAND REPRESENTATIVE GALVANO, LET'S JUST GO WITH THE ORIGINAL BILL -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES. >>VICTOR CRIST: -- AND IF AFTER THIS STUDY IT LOOKS AS IF WE NEED TO PULL OUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THEN WE STILL HAVE THE OPTION TO PULL THEM OUT AND DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE, BUT MOVING THE POLICY UNIFORMLY AHEAD, COVERING ALL OF THE ENTITIES, TREATING EACH OF THEM EQUALLY. IS THAT CORRECT? IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND? >>BILL GALVANO: THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S MY SUGGESTION. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: I APPRECIATE THE SIMPLICITY OF TRYING TO APPROACH IT THAT WAY, AND I'M ONE FOR DOING THINGS THE SIMPLER WAY IF THEY WORK TO ACHIEVE THE STATED OBJECTIVE. UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK I PROBABLY COULD SAY -- AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SPEAK FOR ANYONE ELSE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD HAVE REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO'S SUPPORT IF YOU LEFT THE LANGUAGE IN THE ORIGINAL BILL THERE, WHICH DOES CHANGE GOVERNANCE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AS SOMETHING THAT HE COULD PUT HIS SIGN OF ENDORSEMENT ON WHAT HE WAS SUGGESTING THROUGH THIS AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDMENT WAS TO HAVE THE LANGUAGE, VIS-A-VIS THE PLANNING COMMISSION, ESSENTIALLY ARTICULATE ITS STRUCTURE JUST THE WAY IT IS NOW WITHOUT A CHANGE, AND THAT WOULD LEAVE OPEN TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO LATER, BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE AN ENDORSEMENT OF CHANGING THE STATUS QUO NOW. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SO YOU ARE NOT ACCEPTING -- >>KEVIN AMBLER: HE WON'T VOTE FOR IT OTHERWISE. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: DO YOU WANT ME TO TP THIS UNTIL YOU GET THE NUMBERS RIGHT, BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE BILL HAS GOT TO PASS EITHER WAY, SO DO YOU WANT ME TO TP IT FOR A MOMENT SO CAN COUNT VOTES? >>KEVIN AMBLER: OKAY. YES. GIVE ME A MOMENT. WE'LL JUST RECESS FOR A FEW MINUTES. [RECESS TAKEN] >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: NEXT IS LOCAL BILL 2. I'LL TURN THE GAVEL OVER TO REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN, AND YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: LOCAL BILL 2 IS PAYMENT AND PERFORMANCE BOND WAIVER PROGRAM. IN 2004 THIS DELEGATION SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF A PAYMENT AND PERFORMANCE BOND WAIVER TO OFFER QUALIFIED SMALL BUSINESSES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO ASSIST OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. THIS LOCAL BILL EXTENDS THE SUNSET OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S PAYMENT AND PERFORMANCE BOND WAIVER PROGRAM FROM 2009 TO 2011. THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE BILL, MR. CHAIRMAN. >>RICH GLORIOSO: ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SPONSOR? IS THERE ANY -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: [INAUDIBLE] >>RICH GLORIOSO: IS THERE ANY PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON THIS BILL? I HAVE A COUPLE CARDS HERE. EDITH STEWART. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>RICH GLORIOSO: WAIVES IN SUPPORT. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS BILL? OKAY. PUBLIC HEARING'S CLOSED, AND TIME FOR THE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OH, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A ROLL CALL. >>RICH GLORIOSO: GOT TO DO A ROLL CALL? >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: [INAUDIBLE] >>RICH GLORIOSO: EXCUSE ME. WE HAVE TO ROLL CALL ON THIS ONE. AT THAT, PLEASE READ THE ROLL. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: [INAUDIBLE] REPRESENTATIVE -- SENATOR JOYNER. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: REPRESENTATIVE CULP. REPRESENTATIVE GALVANO. >>BILL GALVANO: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: REPRESENTATIVE McKEEL. >>SETH McKEEL: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: REPRESENTATIVE PETERMAN. >>FRANK PETERMAN JR.: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: REPRESENTATIVE REAGAN. I'M SORRY. HE'S NOT HERE. REPRESENTATIVE REED. >>BETTY REED: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: SENATOR STORMS. >>RONDA STORMS: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: REPRESENTATIVE WEATHERFORD. >>WILL WEATHERFORD: YES. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: REPRESENTATIVE CULP. >>FAYE CULP: YES. >>RICH GLORIOSO: OKAY. BY YOUR VOTE, THE BILL PASSES. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU. NOW WE'LL MOVE TO LOCAL BILL 3. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN. LOCAL BILL 3 IS ALSO ANOTHER GOVERNANCE BILL. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE EPC. I SPONSORED THIS BILL BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO GET THE COUNTY AND CITIES LOOKING AT THE GOVERNANCE ON ALL BOARDS, JUST LIKE REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER'S DOING. [LAUGHTER] HOWEVER -- HOWEVER -- HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S A LOCAL ISSUE, AND IT BRINGS UP THE ISSUE TO THE LOCAL COUNTIES AND CITIES TO WORK OUT THE DIFFERENCES ON THESE BOARDS. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE REFEREEING THE CONFLICTS GOING ON BETWEEN THE CITIES AND COUNTIES. I'M GOING TO PULL THIS BILL RIGHT NOW. I'M GOING TO -- AND WITHDRAW IT BECAUSE I THINK THE CITIES AND COUNTY NEED TO SIT DOWN AND WORK OUT THE GOVERNANCE ISSUES ON ALL THESE BOARDS, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE THE REFEREES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. LOCAL BILL 3 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN. LOCAL BILL 4. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN. LOCAL BILL 4 HAS TO DO WITH THE REGULATION OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND WATER MANAGEMENT THROUGH THE EPC. IN THE LAST YEAR THE COUNTY IS REPRESENTING -- OR EXCUSE ME, THE COUNTY ACTING AS THE EPC HAS DONE A LOT OF STUDIES INTO THE WATER MANAGEMENT AND AGRICULTURAL LANDS, ESPECIALLY THE WETLANDS ISSUE. THERE WERE SOME AGREEMENTS MADE LAST SUMMER THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION HAS NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. I EXPECTED TO HAVE THEM ACCOMPLISHED ON NOVEMBER 15th. I TOOK HEAT IN THE NEWSPAPER ON NOVEMBER 2nd FOR FILING MY BILL; HOWEVER, THAT WAS THE DEADLINE I HAD TO FILE THE BILL ON. ON NOVEMBER 15th THE EPC DELAYED THE DECISION ANOTHER TWO MONTHS, WHICH ALSO BOTHERS ME. AS WE SIT HERE ON BUDGETS AND TAXES AND EVERYBODY ASKS US TO CUT TAXES, WHEN YOU LOOK AT GOVERNMENT, YOU TRY TO GET AWAY -- DO AWAY WITH DUPLICATION, AND BELIEVE ME, THERE'S A LOT OF DUPLICATION IN THIS BETWEEN EPC AND SWFWMD AND OTHER AGENCIES. AND SO WHAT I TRIED TO DO WAS STREAMLINE THIS SITUATION AND GET THE AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND WETLANDS TAKEN CARE OF. I TOOK A LOT OF HEAT IN THE NEWSPAPER AND EDITORIALS AS IF THE BUILDERS ARE GOING TO GO AND JUST START BULLDOZING ALL THE WETLANDS, SO I WANT TO PUT THINGS IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE HERE SO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH WETLANDS MY BILL REALLY AFFECTS. THERE'S ABOUT 100,000 ACRES OF WETLANDS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. MY BILL AFFECTS 3/16 OF 1%, 3/16 OF 1% OF ALL THE WETLANDS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SO THE DEVELOPERS AREN'T GOING TO COME IN HERE AND BULLDOZE OUR WETLANDS. THAT'S NOT WHY I DID IT. I'VE GOT A LOT OF FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL PEOPLE WHO ARE TELLING ME, RICH, IT'S TOO HARD TO GET THINGS DONE WHEN YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH EPC AND SWFWMD, AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A FARMER GETS FRUSTRATED AND THEN HAS A BAD CROP YEAR? WATCH THE HOUSES GROW BECAUSE ONCE THEY GET FRUSTRATED, WATCH THE HOUSES GROW, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT JUST MY DISTRICT BECAUSE MOST OF MY DISTRICT AND AGRICULTURAL AREA IS OUTSIDE THE URBAN SERVICE AREA. WHEN A FARMER OUT THERE, OUTSIDE THE URBAN SERVICE AREA, DOESN'T ANNEX INTO PLANT CITY, THEY BUILD ONE HOUSE PER ACRE, ONE HOUSE PER FIVE ACRES. AND YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SPRAWL. THAT ADDS SPRAWL BIG TIME TO WHAT'S GOING ON. IN ALL MY CONFUSION HERE -- I GOT A LETTER HERE THAT I JUST WANT TO READ THE -- READ THE LAST LITTLE BIT TO IT. IT WAS A LETTER TO THE EDITOR THAT NEVER GOT PRINTED. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE HARDER AND MORE EXPENSIVE WE MAKE IT FOR OUR FARMERS TO STAY IN BUSINESS, WE HASTEN THE DAY WHEN THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TURN THEIR LANDS OVER FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. BELIEVE ME, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. GET ONE BAD -- A COUPLE BAD FARMING YEARS, AND THE FARMERS THAT ARE GETTING SENIOR, SAY, HEY, I CAN SELL MY PROPERTY AND RETIRE, AND I DON'T HAVE TO FARM AND THE HOUSES WILL DEVELOP. I TALKED TO DR. GARRITY IN MY OFFICE, I'VE TALKED TO MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION, AND I HAD A TALK YESTERDAY WITH AL HIGGINBOTHAM, WHO I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR, WHO IS NOW THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EPC, AND I MADE A PLEDGE TO AL THAT AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM TIME TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. I'M GOING TO LET HIM WORK WITH THE EPC STAFF AND OUR AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. IT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO MADAM CHAIRMAN, AT THIS TIME, I WITHDRAW THIS BILL. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. LOCAL BILL 4 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN. LOCAL BILL 5, I'LL TURN THE CHAIR BACK OVER TO THE VICE CHAIR WHILE I PRESENT THE BILL. >>RICH GLORIOSO: YOU'RE RECOGNIZED, MADAM CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU. LOCAL BILL 5 WOULD REVISE THE INVESTMENT POLICY PROVISIONS TO CONFORM WITH FLORIDA STATUTE, AND THIS CHANGE, REQUESTED BY MOTION BY THE INDEPENDENT GENERAL EMPLOYEES PENSION BOARD, WOULD PROVIDE THEM WITH THE SAME INVESTMENT FLEXIBILITY ALLOWED FOR IN-STATE LAW, AND THE GENERAL EMPLOYEES PENSION BOARD WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE OVERSIGHT AND WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ADHERE TO AUTHORIZED INVESTMENT POLICIES, AND THAT IS THE BILL. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SENATOR STORMS. >>RONDA STORMS: YES, MA'AM, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE LAW -- THAT THE LAW ALLOWS FOR THIS GREATER FLEXIBILITY, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE LAW DOESN'T REQUIRE THIS GREATER FLEXIBILITY. I THINK TWO WEEKS AGO WE MIGHT HAVE EASILY VOTED ON PENSION MATTERS, MEMBERS, WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT, BUT GIVEN THE RUN ON -- ON OUR PENSION FUNDS AND THE MONIES THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND CITY GOVERNMENTS AND SCHOOLS HAVE PAID TO THE STATE FUND, I THINK WE HAVE TO PAY ADDITIONAL CAREFUL ATTENTION TO ANY DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE ON PENSION FUNDS. I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS -- THIS BILL, NOT BECAUSE I THINK ANYTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN BUT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT SOMETHING BAD WILL NOT HAPPEN. I'M NOT COMFORTABLE -- I DON'T KNOW -- I READ THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE IS. I SEE THAT THIS -- THAT THE -- UNDER SUBSECTION "C," THE ORIGINAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE ASSETS WERE SPECIFICALLY ENUMERATED, AND I GUESS I'M CONCERNED WHY THE CHANGE. WHAT -- AS I UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS BILL DOES, PREVIOUSLY YOU WERE ALLOWED -- THIS PARTICULAR BILL ALLOWED FOR A PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION IN COMMON STOCK AND PREFERRED STOCK, NO MORE THAN A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE IN ONE CORPORATION, AND EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION BASED ON THE PLAIN LANGUAGE, AND NOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS FOR THE BOARD TO ADOPT ITS OWN SEPARATE PLAN AND TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN DISTRIBUTION, AND THAT MAY BE ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT THERE WAS A RATIONALE FOR THIS SPECIFIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE PENSION, AND I GUESS I WOULD JUST LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORT GIVEN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES WHEN WE SEE GOVERNMENTS RUNNING, PULLING MONEY OUT OF OTHER INVESTMENT FUNDS. I'M JUST NOT SURE THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY INNOCUOUS, AND I WANT SOME ASSURANCES. I DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE END OF A VOTE THAT LATER, A YEAR OR TWO FROM NOW, SOMEBODY SAYS, LOOK WHAT YOU DID, AND NOW THIS PENSION HAS NO MONEY BECAUSE YOU ALLOWED A BOARD -- AND YOU SPECIFIC -- THE LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY ENUMERATES THE TYPE OF ABILITY, AND THE TYPE OF ABILITY OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS SIMPLY MEN AND WOMEN OF ORDINARY PRUDENCE, DISCRETION, AND INTELLIGENT EXERCISE. AND THERE ARE MEN AND WOMEN OF ORDINARY PRUDENCE, BUT THERE ARE ALSO PROFESSIONALS THAT MIGHT BE MORE QUALIFIED FOR THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF BUSINESS, AND I SEE, AS I READ THE LANGUAGE, THAT THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE OF THE CITY, AS I READ IT, IS THE ONLY PERSON WITH FINANCIAL -- A REQUIREMENT OF FINANCIAL BACKGROUND. EVERYBODY ELSE IS JUST ORDINARY INTELLIGENCE AND PRUDENCE, AND I THINK THAT THE MATTER IS MORE COMPLEX THAN ORDINARY INTELLIGENCE AND PRUDENCE. I UNDERSTAND THAT WAS THE OLD LANGUAGE. THAT'S NOT A QUESTION FOR ME. BUT I'M JUST SAYING SINCE YOU'RE MAKING THESE CHANGES, OUGHT NOT YOU TO INCLUDE A HIGHER LEVEL OF COMPETENCE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH PEOPLE'S PENSIONS? AND THEN CAN YOU PROVIDE ME WITH THE RATIONALE AS TO WHY YOU'RE MAKING THE CHANGE. THIS IS A RELAXATION OF THE STANDARD OF THE STATUTE, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. I GET CONCERNED WHEN YOU START ALLOWING OTHER FORMS OF INVESTMENT BECAUSE MAYBE THIS NEW GROUP WILL SAY WHEN IT'S HOT IN THE MARKET, WELL, WE'LL GET INTO MORTGAGE NOW, AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BAD DECISION. >>RICH GLORIOSO: I'LL GO AHEAD AND RECOGNIZE LEE HUFFSTUTLER. >> HONORABLE CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS, LEE HUFFSTUTLER. I'M THE CITY'S CHIEF ACCOUNTANT IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE GENERAL EMPLOYEES' PENSION OFFICES UNDER MY PURVIEW. WE'RE HERE TODAY AT THE BEHEST OF THE GENERAL EMPLOYEE PENSION BOARD WHO HAS BROUGHT THIS PROPOSED BILL BEFORE YOU. JUST LET ME SAY A COUPLE THINGS. THE CITY OF TAMPA HAS NOT INVESTED IN THE STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION AND NEITHER HAS THE PENSION PLAN, SO I HOPE THAT WILL ALLAY YOUR FEARS, AND I SUSPECT WE WOULD NOT EVEN IN THE PENSION PLAN BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF INVESTMENT THAT WE WOULD WANT TO MAKE. WE HAVE LONG-TERM GOALS IN MIND. REALLY, WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU HERE TODAY IS WE HAVE THE INVESTMENT POLICY GUIDELINES IN STATUTE 112, WE HAVE THE CHAPTER 23559, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO CHANGE, AND WE HAVE THE INVESTMENT POLICY, SO TO ADDRESS THE SENATOR'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRUDENT INVESTMENT, THAT IS CONTAINED WITHIN THE POLICY AND WITHIN STATUTE 112, WHICH REQUIRES OVERSIGHT BY CONSULTANTS AND WHATNOT AND REQUIRES TRAINING OF THE BOARD MEMBERS IN EDUCATION, SO I THINK THAT'S ADDRESSED. REALLY, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS -- IN 23559 WE ALREADY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO MANY OF THESE THINGS, AND IN THE POLICY IT ALMOST IDENTICALLY MIRRORS WHAT'S IN CHAPTER 257, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING YOU LET US USE IN 23559. THERE ARE SOME CHANGES. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS THE ALLOCATION OF STOCKS AND EQUITY FROM 65% TO 80%, BUT IT -- AS THE SENATOR POINTS OUT, THAT MAY BE ALLOWED, BUT I DOUBT THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PURSUING. THAT IS NOT THE GIST OF WHY WE'RE BRINGING THIS TO YOU TODAY. WE'RE BRINGING IT TO YOU BECAUSE REALLY WE'RE JUST TRYING TO HAVE 23559 CONFORM WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING ANYWAY IN POLICY. THERE WERE A COUPLE OTHER CHANGES IN THERE THAT WE NOTED COMPARING WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO TO THE STATUTE. FOR EXAMPLE, NOW WE CAN INVEST AS MUCH AS 5% IN A SINGLE COMPANY, BUT IN STATUTE YOU CAN ONLY INVEST 3%. THAT WAS JUST ANOTHER ONE THAT WE NOTED. THIS PROVISION HAS NO FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS AS WE SEE IT. THERE'S NO EXPENSES OR REVENUES GENERATED. THE BOARD WILL STILL PROVIDE POLICY OVERSIGHT, SO WE WOULD ASK YOU TO SUPPORT THIS PROPOSED BILL. >> FOLLOW-UP. >>RONDA STORMS: A COUPLE FOLLOW-UPS. ONE, I RECOGNIZE -- I UNDERSTAND, AND I DID KNOW THAT YOU HAD NOT INVESTED IN THE STATE PENSION -- IN THE STATE INVESTMENT POOL. I UNDERSTOOD THAT, BUT MY POINT IS, IS THAT WE ALL ALSO UNDERSTAND HOW COMPLEX THESE ISSUES ARE, AND MAYBE TWO WEEKS AGO WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, BUT WE HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP SHORT. SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE NEED TO TREAD MORE CAREFULLY. THE OTHER POINT THAT YOU RAISE IS I'M WONDERING HAVE YOU HAD AN ACTUARY ANALYSIS THAT THIS -- THAT THIS WOULD HAVE NO IMPACT? I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE A PROFESSIONAL WHO'S GIVEN YOU WRITTEN CONFIRMATION THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE TO US THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY NEUTRAL TO WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? >> NO, MA'AM, WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT DONE BY THE ACTUARY. I'M NOT SURE THAT WE WOULD. THE -- AS FAR AS THE ACTUARY IS CONCERNED, THIS DOESN'T CHANGE THE INVESTMENT GUIDELINES OR THE 8% MARKET THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE EACH YEAR. SHORT OF THAT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT WE WOULD ASK THEM TO DO. >>RONDA STORMS: LET ME CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LANGUAGE THAT I'M LOOKING AT. >> YES, MA'AM. >>RONDA STORMS: ON PAGE 3 OF 4 YOU SPECIFICALLY SAY, IN MAKING EACH AND ALL OF SUCH INVESTMENTS SO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL EXERCISE JUDGMENT AND CARE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THEN PREVAILING WHICH MEN OR WOMEN OF ORDINARY PRUDENCE, DISCRETION, AND INTELLIGENCE EXERCISE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR OWN AFFAIRS. THIS IS CROSSED OUT LANGUAGE. NOT IN REGARD TO SPECULATION BUT IN REGARD TO THE PERMANENT DISPOSITION OF THEIR FUNDS. CONSIDERING A PROBABLE INCOME THEREFROM AS WELL AS PROBABLE SAFETY OF THEIR CAPITAL; HOWEVER, NOT MORE THAN 65% OF SAID FUND, BASED ON TOTAL BOOK VALUE OF ALL OF THE INVESTMENTS HELD, SHALL BE INVESTED AT ANY TIME IN COMMON STOCK OR PREFERRED STOCKS AND NOT MORE THAN 10% OF SAID FUNDS SHALL BE INVESTED AT ANY GIVEN TIME IN THE PREFERRED AND/OR COMMON STOCK OF ANY ONE CORPORATION AND ITS AFFILIATES AND NOT MORE THAN 5% OF THE OUTSTANDING STOCK OF ANY ONE CORPORATION AND ITS AFFILIATE SHALL BE HELD BY THE FUND AT ANY TIME, AND THAT CORPORATION BONDS, NOTES, OR OTHER EVIDENCE OF INDEBTEDNESS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS FIXED- INCOME INVESTMENTS MUST HOLD A RATING IN ONE OF THE FOUR HIGHEST CLASSIFICATIONS OF A MAJOR RATING SERVICE IN CORPORATE BONDS, NOTES, OR OTHER EVIDENCES OF THE INDEBTEDNESS WITH AN EQUITY CONVERSION PROVISION USED AS AN EQUITY SUBSTITUTE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HOLD A RATING IN ONE OF THE FOUR HIGHEST CLASSIFICATIONS BY A MAJOR RATING SERVICE. NOW, WHEN I WAS IN LAW SCHOOL, I DID A LITTLE WORK ON THIS PARTICULAR AREA, AND SO I'M REALLY SENSITIVE. I KNOW IT'S EXTREMELY COMPLEX, AND I'M VERY SENSITIVE TO MAKING CHANGES. IT'S CURIOUS TO ME THAT YOU WERE YOU'RE CHANGING YOUR INVESTMENT DISTRIBUTION. TO ME -- THIS IS ALL I HAVE AS BACKUP. NOW, MAYBE YOU HAVE ANOTHER PLAN THAT YOU SAY IS THIS EXACTLY, BUT IN THE LANGUAGE THAT I HAVE, ALL I HAVE IS YOU'RE STRIKING YOUR INVESTMENT DISTRIBUTION, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. AN ACTUARY MIGHT MAKE AN OPINION ON THAT AS TO THE HEALTH OF THE FUND, WOULD YOU AGREE, ON A DISTRIBUTION? AN ACTUARY MIGHT MAKE AN OPINION ON THAT? >> I SUPPOSE, YES, MA'AM. >>RONDA STORMS: YES, MA'AM. SO I'M ASKING HAVE YOU HAD AN ACTUARY ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF THIS LANGUAGE CHANGE BECAUSE THAT IMPACTS THE HEALTH OF YOUR PENSION FUND. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M NOT STRIKING SOME LANGUAGE THAT MAY IN THE FUTURE CAUSE YOUR FUND TO BE IN DISTRESS. I DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I'M NOT COMPETENT IN THIS AREA, AND I RELY ON EXPERTS FROM OTHER AREAS TO GIVE ME THAT COMFORT. >> YES, MA'AM. >>RICH GLORIOSO: YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >>KEVIN AMBLER: [INAUDIBLE] >>RICH GLORIOSO: REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER. >>KEVIN AMBLER: THANK YOU. WHEN I WAS ORIGINALLY APPROACHED TO BE THE HOUSE SPONSOR OF THIS BILL, I THINK WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT POLITICAL LANDSCAPE THAN WE ARE SITTING HERE TODAY, AND I SHARE SOME OF SENATOR STORMS' CONCERNS AT THIS JUNCTURE BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT BROUGHT TO ME, WAS TO ALLOW THIS PENSION FUND, WHICH WAS CREATED BY SPECIAL ACT, ESSENTIALLY TO HAVE THE SAME FLEXIBILITY IN ITS INVESTMENT DECISIONS AS THE STATE FUND DOES, THE STATE -- THE STATE-RUN ORGANIZATION, WHICH WOULD BRING IT INTO CONFORMITY WITH 112.661. I THINK THE BIGGER QUESTION THAT'S RAISED HERE TODAY IS WHETHER BRINGING IT INTO CONFORMITY WITH A STATEWIDE PARADIGM OR SCHEME THAT IS GOING ON TODAY THAT MAY ITSELF BE IN QUESTION -- >>RONDA STORMS: RIGHT. >>KEVIN AMBLER: -- AND SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND STUDY MAY NOT BE THE -- THIS TIMING -- TIMING IS EVERYTHING IN THIS BUSINESS, AS YOU KNOW. THE TIMING ON MAKING THIS CHANGE MAY BE ILL-ADVISED GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE MAY WANT TO TAKE A BROADER LOOK IN THE LEGISLATURE AT 112.661 AND REDEFINE WHAT THAT INVESTMENT STRATEGY IS, BUT RIGHT NOW SINCE THAT'S BROADER DISCRETION THAN WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, WE MIGHT BE BEST ADVISED TO TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH OF LEAVING THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE INVESTMENT VEHICLES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN LAW THAT SENATOR STORMS WAS JUST READING INTO THE RECORD THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE DELETED, AND BEFORE WE EXPAND THAT DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY, WE'D NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHETHER THAT BROAD DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY AT THE STATE LEVEL SHOULD BE KEPT INTACT OR CHANGED THROUGH THE CURRENT CRISIS WE'RE SEEING WITH THE INVESTMENTS BEING MADE. >>RONDA STORMS: COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF. >>RICH GLORIOSO: ANYBODY ELSE? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ALSO. I WAS TALKING TO THE CITY MANAGER OF PLANT CITY YESTERDAY AS THEY WITHDREW THEIR MONEY OUT OF SBA LAST WEEK. THEY GOT THEIR $56 MILLION OUT. INTERESTING ENOUGH, THE LAW THAT'S ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW THAT REQUIRES THE CITY TO INVEST THE MONEY IS MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN THE LAW GOVERNING THE SBA. THE INVESTMENTS THE SBA MADE COULD NOT BE MADE BY A LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF OUR LAWS THE WAY THEY READ, SO I AGREE WITH SENATOR STORMS AND REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER THAT JUST BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE LAW DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT. >>RONDA STORMS: THAT'S RIGHT. >>RICH GLORIOSO: AND SO I'M ALSO CONCERNED ON THIS. SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: I'D LIKE TO KNOW, IS THERE ANYONE HERE FROM ASCME OR FROM THE UNIONS, BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE EMPLOYEES. >>RICH GLORIOSO: I BELIEVE -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: [INAUDIBLE] >>RICH GLORIOSO: YEAH. MARTHA WILLIAMS -- MARTHA STEVENS, RATHER. >>VICTOR CRIST: IS SHE WITH ASCME? >>RICH GLORIOSO: AND BERNIE MENENDEZ. ARE THEY HERE? >>VICTOR CRIST: SHE'S WITH THE STATE AND MUNICIPAL OF EMPLOYEES? >>RICH GLORIOSO: YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M MARTHA STEVENS, PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS AGENT OF AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION, REPRESENTING THE GENERAL EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND I WOULD STAND THIS MORNING -- >> I CAN'T HEAR YOU. >> I'M SORRY. I WOULD STAND THIS MORNING TO ASK YOU TO OPPOSE THIS BILL, NOT SO MUCH AS FOR THE CHANGES. I'M JUST ONE OF THOSE NORMAL PEOPLE, AND I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE PARTICULARS, BUT THE CITY OF TAMPA HAS A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, AND PART OF THAT AGREEMENT IS THAT THE CITY AND THE UNION WILL COME TOGETHER TO NEGOTIATE AMENDMENTS OR CHANGES TO OUR PENSION BENEFITS. LAST YEAR WE CAME HERE, AND THE CITY PRESENTED A BILL THAT -- ON THAT SAME PARTICULAR DAY WE HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS. WE DID NOT COME TO AN AGREEMENT, BUT THE BILL WAS STILL PRESENTED IN TALLAHASSEE AND PASSED THROUGH COMMITTEES. THE PROCEDURE IS THAT WE COME TO AGREEMENT AND THEN THE BILL -- THE AMENDMENT OR CHANGES IS RATIFIED BY THE GENERAL EMPLOYEES. THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED. IN THIS PARTICULAR ONE, WE HAVE NOT EVEN COME TO THE TABLE. THERE HAS BEEN NO NEGOTIATION, AND WE ARE TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY, BUT IT IS CHANGES TO THE GENERAL EMPLOYMENT -- GENERAL PENSION. WE FEEL IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH THE UNION. IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE, AND WE ASK YOU TO OPPOSE THIS BILL. >>RICH GLORIOSO: SENATOR JOYNER. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WITH THAT, I'LL WITHDRAW THE BILL. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WE'LL NOW MOVE TO BILL 6. REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN. THIS BILL REFERS TO THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AND IT'S -- IT HAS TO DO WITH THE BACKGROUND CHECKS OF PUBLIC DRIVER'S LICENSES IN OUR TAXIS AND LIMOUSINES. AND WE DO HAVE ONE AMENDMENT, THAT'S CORRECT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. >>CANDACE HUNDLEY: [INAUDIBLE] >>RICH GLORIOSO: YEAH. I'VE GOT IT RIGHT -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: COULD WE GET REPRESENTATIVE AMBLER BACK IN HERE SO WE COULD ... >>RICH GLORIOSO: OKAY. I HAVE ONE AMENDMENT TO THE BILL. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. THE AMENDMENT, PLEASE. >>RICH GLORIOSO: IT JUST ADDS FINGERPRINT SEARCHES AGAINST A TERRORIST [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] MUST BE SPECIFIED AS SUCH. IN OTHER WORDS, AS WE DO THE BACKGROUND CHECKS OF THESE DRIVERS -- THIS AMENDMENT WAS PRESENTED TO US BY OUR SHERIFF, DAVID GEE, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH WHEN YOU DO THE BACKGROUND CHECK OF THE DRIVERS AND THE FBI DATABASE, MAKE SURE YOU LOOK AT THE TERRORIST DATABASE ALSO. AND THESE ARE FOR TEMPORARY DRIVERS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT. [CHORUS OF AYES] THOSE OPPOSED. HEARING NONE, THE AMENDMENT PASSES. NOW WE'RE ON THE BILL AS AMENDED. AND WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY. MR. DON -- CAN'T READ IT DON, S-T-I -- AND THE REST IS -- STIVER, I BELIEVE. OH, I'M SORRY. THAT'S FOR BILL 7. MOSHE LEIB. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS MOSHE LEIB FROM TB LIMO. HOPE YOU READ ABOUT ME IN THE NEWSPAPER REGARDING THE TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID THAT I'M TRYING TO GET LICENSED TO PICK UP AT THE AIRPORT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE. THE FIRST PART OF THE BILL IS OKAY. I SENT YOU ALL E-MAILS TWO DAYS AGO. THE SECOND PART IS NOT OKAY. TEMPORARY DRIVING LICENSE. WE HAVE THE LAW HERE, WE HAVE A WAY TO LICENSE COMPANIES, AND THEY SHOULD GO THE SAME WAY WE DO. I'M A SMALL BUSINESS. IF YOU LET THOSE HUGE COMPANIES COME IN WHEN WE HAVE A SUPER BOWL, I DON'T HAVE ANY WORK. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CAREY INTERNATIONAL. THEY BROUGHT HOW MANY CARS? MIAMI, THEY BROUGHT IN 1,300 LIMOUSINES. PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE WORK. MIAMI PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE WORK. YOU HAVE SEEN THE BAY NEWS 9 POLL. 70% SAID NO, DON'T CHANGE THE LAW, SO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO IS BACKGROUND CHECK, YES, NO TEMPORARY DRIVING LICENSE. THANK YOU. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: JUST A MOMENT. SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT. ARE YOU FOR OR AGAINST THE BILL? >> I AM AGAINST THE TEMPORARY DRIVING LICENSE. >>VICTOR CRIST: BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BILL ITSELF? >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THE ENTIRE BILL. YOU MUST CONSIDER ALL OF IT, THE GOOD AND THE BAD. THIS IS THE DILEMMA -- >> THEN I AM AGAINST IT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. THANK YOU. >> OKAY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: ANY PUBLIC -- ANYMORE PUBLIC TESTIMONY? WAIT A MINUTE. VICTOR DiMAIO. >> YES. I'M SORRY. MY NAME IS VICTOR DiMAIO, 1000 NORTH ASHLEY DRIVE IN TAMPA. I'M SORRY I'M A MINUTE LATE HERE ON THIS BILL. THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO PASS THIS BILL, THIS PARTICULAR BILL. THESE WERE TWO SPECIFIC ISSUES, LIKE REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO SAID. NUMBER ONE, IT DEALS WITH THE UPCOMING SUPER BOWL THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING HERE, WHICH KIND OF PROMPTED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUT-OF-STATE DRIVERS TO COME IN HERE TO BECOME DRIVERS TO SUPER BOWL. I'M OUT OF BREATH. EXCUSE ME. I SERVED ON THE LAST SUPER BOWL TASK FORCE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AS A MEMBER, AND THE FEARS THAT SOME OF THE LOCAL DRIVERS HAVE ARE REALLY UNFOUNDED. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE DRIVERS ARE GOING TO COME FROM THE AREA LOCALLY. IT COSTS MONEY TO BRING A GUY FROM OUT OF STATE TO FEED HIM, CLOTHE HIM, HOUSE HIM, AND SO FORTH. SO WE'RE GOING TO START LOCALLY FOR DRIVERS TO WORK FOR LIMOUSINES. THE TAXIS ARE GOING TO BE HANDLED MOSTLY LOCALLY HERE. EXCUSE ME. I'M OUT OF BREATH. AND IF WE NEED EXTRA TAXIS, WE'RE GOING TO PULL FROM PINELLAS COUNTY FIRST, AND THAT PRETTY MUCH WILL HANDLE IT. MOST OF THE GUYS WHO COME FOR SUPER BOWL ARE GOING TO USE LIMOUSINES. THAT'S WHERE THE DRIVERS ARE GOING TO COME FROM. CAREY LIMOUSINE HAS AN EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT WITH THE NFL TO PROVIDE LIMOS, AND CAREY LIMOUSINE, OBVIOUSLY LOCALLY HERE NOW ON A NONSUPER BOWL YEAR, DOESN'T HAVE THE STAFF TO HANDLE IT, SO THEY SET UP A CONTACT LIST WHICH THEY'LL WORK WITH LOCALLY FIRST. THEY'LL MOVE TO ORLANDO, MAYBE MOVE TO MIAMI OR SO FORTH. THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE THE TRUCKLOADS OF LIMOS COMING FROM NEBRASKA OR CALIFORNIA LIKE SOME OF THE GUYS MAY FEAR, SO - - THE SECOND THING IS THE -- RIGHT NOW WE DO AN FDLE SECURITY CHECK WHICH COVERS THE STATE FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS, AND WE -- A COUPLE OF GUYS HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS, AND THEY TOLD US IF WE DO A NATIONAL FBI CHECK, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CATCH SOME OF THE BACKGROUND CHECKS, AND THAT'S THE SECOND PART OF THE BILL. WE DO HAVE -- REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE PTC FOR MANY YEARS. HE -- AND SENATOR STORMS ALSO SERVED ON THE PTC, SO WE HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES HERE WHO HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ORLANDO PEREZ IS OUR ATTORNEY, AND I'D LIKE FOR HIM TO SPEAK NEXT IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU. THANKS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SENATOR CRIST, DO YOU HAVE -- >>VICTOR CRIST: YES. I'VE GOT A QUESTION. THIS ISN'T AN INDUSTRY THAT I'M ALL THAT FAMILIAR WITH, BUT VICTOR, WHAT'S PREVENTING THE LOCAL COMPANIES NOW FROM CONTRACTING INDEPENDENTLY WITH OUTSIDE SOURCES TO BRING IN EXTRA CARS AND DRIVERS? CAN THEY DO THAT NOW? >> UNDER THE BILL -- RIGHT NOW THE PTC HAS THE AUTHORITY, AS SENATOR STORMS AND REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO KNOW SINCE THEY SERVED ON THE PTC -- YOU CAN GRANT A TEMPORARY SEVEN- DAY PERMIT TO BE RENEWED LIKE THREE OR FOUR TIMES, AND THAT'S THE LIMIT FOR TEMPORARY DRIVER'S PERMIT AND TEMPORARY VEHICLE PERMITS. >>VICTOR CRIST: SO LOCAL BUSINESSES COULD NOW BRING IN SUBS TO HELP THEM WITH ANY -- ANY OVERFLOW IF THEY NEEDED TO? >> ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID, WE PROTECTED THE LOCAL COMPANIES -- >>VICTOR CRIST: I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BILL, I'M TALKING ABOUT EXISTING LAW. >> SOME OF THE LAW IS DONE BY THE SPECIAL ACT IN TALLAHASSEE, AND SOME OF IS DONE BY LOCAL RULE. >>VICTOR CRIST: I'M SAYING IF WE DON'T DO THIS BILL, WE BRING IN A SUPER BOWL, CAN THE LOCAL COMPANIES NOW SUBCONTRACT OUT FOR OVERFLOW? >> YES. >>VICTOR CRIST: SO IN ESSENCE, WHAT THE BILL IS GOING TO DO IS OPEN THE FLOODGATES FOR OUTSIDE COMPANIES TO COME IN AND PROFITEER BY DOLLARS THAT SHOULD BE EARNED BY OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES? >> NO, NO, NO, SENATOR, NOT AT ALL. WHOEVER COMES IN HERE HAS TO BE SPONSORED BY A LOCAL COMPANY. IF YOU READ THE BILL, IN THE PROVISION THAT WE'VE SET UP, WE WILL NOT ALLOW AN OUTSIDE COMPANY TO COME IN HERE AND SET UP SHOP FOR SUPER BOWL. YOU HAVE TO BE SPONSORED BY AN EXISTING COMPANY WITHIN THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY JURISDICTION AND GO UNDER THEIR UMBRELLA, AND THAT'S FOR ACCOUNTABILITY PURPOSES, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER OR WITH THE COMPANY OR SO FORTH. YOU HAVE TO BE SPONSORED BY A LOCAL COMPANY TO COME IN HERE TO DO WORK FOR SUPER BOWL. >>VICTOR CRIST: FOLLOW-UP. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES, SENATOR CRIST. >>VICTOR CRIST: MR. DiMAIO, I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THE BILL WILL ALLOW THEM TO DO, BUT I THINK I ALSO UNDERSTOOD YOU TO SAY THEY COULD ALREADY DO THAT ANYWAY, THAT IF THEY HAD A NEED TO COVER OVERFLOW, THAT THEY COULD SUBCONTRACT OUT FOR ADDITIONAL LIMOS AND DRIVERS NOW UNDER SEVEN DAYS. >> THEY CAN, BUT THE -- THE ONLY PROVISION WE'RE CHANGING - - RIGHT NOW THE LAW IN FLORIDA READS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VALID STATE OF FLORIDA DRIVER'S LICENSE, AND WE'RE JUST SAYING YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VALID DRIVER'S -- IN THIS CASE CHAUFFEUR'S LICENSE IN ANOTHER STATE. >>VICTOR CRIST: FOLLOW-UP. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES. >>VICTOR CRIST: SO IN ESSENCE, YOU'RE OPENING THE DOOR FOR SOMEBODY TO COME IN FROM NEW YORK OR ALABAMA OR GEORGIA OR MISSISSIPPI OR LOUISIANA INSTEAD OF REACHING OUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO BENEFIT FROM A GAME HERE IN FLORIDA? >> WELL, WE'VE BEEN ASKED AGAIN BY THE SUPER BOWL TASK FORCE COMMITTEE, AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I KNOW IT'S A YEAR AWAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING IT, BUT THERE'S PEOPLE HERE THIS WEEK FROM THE NFL THAT ARE ALREADY SCOPING THE PLACE OUT AND STARTING TO PLAN. THE REALITY IS THIS, MOST OF THE DRIVERS THEY'RE GOING TO HIRE ARE GOING TO BE LOCAL BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE LAY OF THE LAND, THEY KNOW THEIR WAY AROUND, THEY KNOW THE STREETS. THE FLOODGATES THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY -- THE DRIVER MAY HAVE THAT CAME UP AND SPOKE A LITTLE BIT AGO IS REALLY UNFOUNDED. THAT'S NOT THE REALITY OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. THIS IS JUST TO ALLOW THE OPTION IF THEY WANTED TO -- IF THE PRESIDENT OF COCA-COLA WANTED TO COME IN HERE AND BRING HIS OWN DRIVER FROM GEORGIA, HE WOULD HAVE THAT OPTION UNDER THE PROVISION OF THE BILL. BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY SMALL, RARE OCCURRENCE. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ARMY OF DRIVERS COMING IN HERE TO TAKE OVER JOBS FROM LOCAL PEOPLE. YES. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. REPRESENTATIVE CULP. >>FAYE CULP: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I HAVE A QUESTION IN REGARD TO SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID ABOUT THE COCA-COLA REPRESENTATIVE COMING IN HERE IN HIS OWN LIMO WITH HIS OWN DRIVER. ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO GET A TEMPORARY PERMIT -- >> YES. >>FAYE CULP: -- IN ORDER FOR HIM TO DRIVE THE PERSON? I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THAT CAN BE -- >> IF HE'S -- THE ATTORNEY FROM OUR BOARD CAN ANSWER THIS BETTER THAN I CAN, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF YOU'RE A FOR- HIRE DRIVER DRIVING A LIMOUSINE RENTED BY THE PERSON THAT'S HIRING YOU FOR THAT PURPOSE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE -- YOU KNOW, THE BACKGROUND CHECK AND GET A TEMPORARY PERMIT, BUT AGAIN, ORLANDO -- >>FAYE CULP: I SOMEHOW DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: JUST A MOMENT, REPRESENTATIVE CULP. I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU. PLEASE NO COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE. IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY. REPRESENTATIVE CULP. >>FAYE CULP: I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S CORRECT. SOMEHOW I THINK SOMEONE COMING IN HERE, DRIVING IN FROM ANOTHER STATE IN HIS OWN PRIVATE LIMO WITH HIS OWN PRIVATE DRIVER WOULD NOT HAVE TO GET A PERMIT FOR BEING IN OUR STATE. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S CORRECT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: IN OTHER WORDS, IF I OWN A LIMOUSINE AND I LIVE IN MIAMI AND I JUST -- BECAUSE -- BECAUSE I OWN IT AND I DRIVE UP HERE, HAVE MY DRIVER BRING ME, DO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF HAVING TO GET MY DRIVER TO BE LICENSED WHEN I OWN MY LIMO AND HE'S -- OKAY. >> ORLANDO PEREZ IS OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY, AND HE'S THE AUTHORITY ON THESE LEGAL ISSUES. HE COULD -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OKAY. I'LL DEFER TO HIM. COUNSELOR, WOULD YOU COME BEFORE US AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ANSWER THE QUESTION, PLEASE. >>ORLANDO PEREZ: GOOD MORNING. ORLANDO PEREZ WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. OUR OFFICE -- SURE. OUR OFFICE WORKS WITH THE PTC, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION. THE SPECIAL ACT THAT SPEAKS IN TERMS OF COMPENSATION AND FOR-HIRE VEHICLES -- SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO OWN A LIMO AND YOU COME DOWN AND YOU'RE ENJOYING THE EVENT IN YOUR OWN LIMO AND YOU'RE NOT REALLY OFFERING YOUR SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC IN FOR-HIRE CAPACITIES, YOU WOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO THE PTC'S REGULATION. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: ARE THERE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? SENATE -- NO, THAT MICROPHONE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE WORKING WELL. >>FAYE CULP: TOUCH IT AND SEE. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: SENATOR STORMS HAS A QUESTION. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE. DON'T LEAVE, COUNSELOR. >>RONDA STORMS: I WONDER IF HTV PEOPLE COULD CHECK THAT MICROPHONE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. ANYWAY, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS I'M -- I HATE TO BE THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS TO VIC DiMAIO HERE. I KNOW YOU TALKED TO ME ON THE PHONE, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF SENATOR CRIST'S QUESTION, AND I THINK THAT THOSE ARE -- THOSE ARE EXCELLENT QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ADDRESSED, AND YOU-ALL SEEM TO HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS MATTER, SO CAN YOU -- MADAM CHAIR, I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS ON PUBLIC COMMENT. SIR, MR. -- SIR WITH THE BEARD. SORRY. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>RONDA STORMS: YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. >> MAN WITH THE BEARD. >> HE SPEAKS BETTER ENGLISH. >>RONDA STORMS: COULD YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. >> MOSHE LEIB. >>RONDA STORMS: OKAY, SIR. [LAUGHTER] WOULD -- IN YOUR OPINION, DOES THIS -- WOULD THIS LEND ITSELF TOWARD OUTSIDE DRIVERS COMING FROM CHICAGO AND NEW YORK AND DRIVING DOWN HERE DURING SUPER BOWL TIME? >> DEFINITELY. AS YOU HEARD, CAREY INTERNATIONAL HAS THE CONTRACT WITH THE NFL. THE WAY THEY WORK, THEY COME INTO TOWN, THEY SET SHOP HERE, THEY GET ALL THE AFFILIATES. THEY ALL COME DOWN. 1,300 CARS IN MIAMI, I HAVE THE NUMBERS FROM MIAMI, 200 PERMITS FOR COMPANIES, 1,300 LIMOUSINES. >>RONDA STORMS: SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, I -- MR. -- MADAM CHAIR AND SIR AND MR. DiMAIO -- >> YES, MA'AM. >>RONDA STORMS: -- I WANT TO SUPPORT -- IF WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO ATTRACT SUPER BOWLS TO COME HERE, IT'S NOT WITH THE GENERAL BENEVOLENT PURPOSE TO ENTERTAIN THE NATION AND PROVIDE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO THE NATION, IT'S TO BENEFIT OUR PEOPLE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. >> I AGREE. >>RONDA STORMS: AND FOR THAT REASON, I'M TROUBLED BY THE BILL, AND SO I'M TROUBLED BY ALLOWING OTHER PEOPLE TO COME IN AND CHERRY-PICK. I'M VERY TROUBLED BY THAT. >> I HAVE ONE MORE NUMBER FOR YOU GUYS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: GO AHEAD, MR. LEIB. >> CAN I SPEAK? >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES. >> IN JACKSONVILLE -- WE HAD THE SUPER BOWL IN JACKSONVILLE TWO YEARS AGO. I HAVE THE NUMBERS FROM CAREY INTERNATIONAL. THE NIGHT AFTER SUPER BOWL, BETWEEN 3:00 A.M. AND 8:00 A.M. THEY HAD 500 AIRPORT RUNS. [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] FROM THE JACKSONVILLE GUYS. 500 RUNS IN FIVE HOURS AFTER THE SUPER BOWL. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO. THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE THOSE CONTRACTS. AND WE CANNOT CONTRACT WITH THE NFL. NO WAY. >>RONDA STORMS: THAT'S NOT FAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. >>RICH GLORIOSO: AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT HAPPENED IN JACKSONVILLE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION THAT REGULATES WHAT GOES ON THERE, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE'RE THE ONLY ONE IN THE STATE THAT HAS THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION BY STATUTE THAT REGULATES WHAT GOES ON AND CONTROLS IT THROUGH THE LOCAL TAXICAB COMPANIES, LOCAL LIMO COMPANIES. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO BRING THESE PEOPLE IN, SO IT DOES BENEFIT OUR LOCAL PEOPLE. AND JACKSONVILLE DOES NOT HAVE THAT. ANYBODY WHO HAS A CAR CAN BE A TAXI DRIVER IN JACKSONVILLE. THAT'S THE PROBLEM YOU'RE DEALING WITH. >> THE LAW IS GOOD AS IT IS. WE SHOULDN'T CHANGE IT. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: THANK YOU. REPRESENTATIVE REED. >>BETTY REED: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MY QUESTION IS TO YOU, REPRESENTATIVE GLORIOSO. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS LOCAL TO TAKE CARE OF THE SUPER BOWL OR ANY OTHER EVENT THAT COMES INTO THE AREA? YOU SERVED ON THAT COMMITTEE; RIGHT? >>RICH GLORIOSO: YOU DO NOT -- EXCUSE ME. >>BETTY REED: COMMISSION, I'M SORRY. >>RICH GLORIOSO: YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OR THOSE WHO ARE CERTIFIED BY THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO HANDLE THE VOLUME THAT' YOU'LL HAVE FROM A SUPER BOWL, YOU NEED TO BRING THEM IN FROM OTHER COUNTIES, AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE LOCAL BUSINESSES TO SPONSOR THE COMPANIES TO COME IN, AND THEY USUALLY USE LOCAL OR FLORIDA COMPANIES TO BRING IN -- WHETHER IT'S PINELLAS COUNTY, PASCO, AND SO ON, MIAMI, ORLANDO. WHEREVER THEY NEED TO GET THE VEHICLES FROM, THEY BRING THEM IN BECAUSE THE LAST THING YOU WANT IS A LONG LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING TO GET A VEHICLE FOR THE SUPER BOWL. THEY'VE COME HERE, THEY'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY, AND YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE TRANSPORTATION IS AVAILABLE FOR THEM. >>BETTY REED: FOLLOW-UP, MADAM CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: YES. >>BETTY REED: SO COULD THESE -- THESE COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING IN, COULD THAT BE REGULATED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING PEOPLE FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA WHERE OUR DOLLARS ARE GOING TO -- THE RESOURCES WILL COME BACK IN TO THE COMMUNITY? >>RICH GLORIOSO: THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION CERTIFIES COMPANIES THAT ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THEY WOULD BE THE ONES THAT WOULD HAVE TO SPONSOR THE OTHER COMPANIES TO COME IN AND WORK FOR THEM ON A LICENSE WITH THEM, SO THERE ARE -- THEY DO HIRE LOCALLY. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THEY TRY TO DO. THEY DON'T WANT TO BRING SOMEONE FROM MIAMI IF THEY'VE GOT SOMEONE FROM PINELLAS COUNTY. >>BETTY REED: MADAM CHAIR, ONE FINAL FOLLOW-UP. IS IT POSSIBLE, THEN, TO HAVE ADDED TO THIS BILL THAT THIS IS A FLORIDA SITUATION, YOU KNOW? THE RESOURCES ARE USED IN FLORIDA, THE SUPER BOWL IS IN FLORIDA, THEN WE CAN -- CAN WE RESTRICT THAT? IS THAT ILLEGAL TO DO THAT? LEGAL MINDS. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE. >>RICH GLORIOSO: I'M NOT SURE THAT -- THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO THAT. RIGHT NOW WITH THE PROCESS THAT THE PTC HAS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HAS, THEY REVIEW ALL THE DRIVER'S LICENSES AND SO ON. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU WANT THESE DRIVER LICENSE BACKGROUND CHECKS IS WHILE I WAS ON THE PTC, WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS A CERTIFIED EMT THAT CAME TO GET HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE. TURNS OUT HE WAS A CHILD MOLESTER. HAD A BACKGROUND OF THAT WHEN HE CAME TO FLORIDA. AND SO YOU WANT THE BACKGROUND CHECKS SO YOU MAKE SURE SOMEBODY WHO GETS IN A CAB OR LIMO, THEY'RE NOT IN THERE WITH AN UNDESIRABLE OF SOME TYPE OR TERRORIST. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: REPRESENTATIVE McKEEL -- I MEAN WEATHERFORD. >>WILL WEATHERFORD: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I THINK THE SENATOR HAS BROUGHT UP SOME INTERESTING POINTS IN REGARDS -- I THINK WE ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR, YOU KNOW, LOCAL RESOURCES USED FIRST, OUR LOCAL TAXIS AND LIMOUSINE SERVICES USED FIRST, BUT I'VE JUST GOT TO BELIEVE A COMPANY LIKE CAREY LIMOUSINE -- AND I DON'T KNOW THESE FOLKS AND I'M NOT OVERLY FAMILIAR WITH THEIR ORGANIZATION, BUT TO ME IT WOULD MAKE FISCAL SENSE THAT THEY WOULD USE THE LOCAL LIMOUSINE DRIVERS AND TAXICAB DRIVERS FIRST BEFORE THEY WOULD BRING SOMEONE FROM CALIFORNIA OR NEW YORK OR NORTH CAROLINA OR ANYWHERE ELSE. IT -- TO ME, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, AND I WOULD THINK THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A BUNCH OF TAXICAB DRIVERS AND LIMOUSINE DRIVERS WHO ARE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SITTING, YOU KNOW, WITH NOTHING TO DO ON SUPER BOWL WEEKEND WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE BIGGEST WEEKEND OF THE YEAR IN THIS CITY. I JUST -- I SHARE THE CONCERN, BUT I'D LIKE TO LET NATURAL FORCES TAKE ITS COURSE HERE BECAUSE I THINK THAT THESE COMPANIES PROBABLY HAVE THIS DOWN TO A SCIENCE SINCE THEY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE NFL, AND IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT THEY WOULD UTILIZE THE LOCAL RESOURCES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I THINK THIS BILL IS A GOOD BILL. IT DOES TWO THINGS. IT CREATES BACKGROUND CHECKS, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, AND MAKES SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY THERE, AND IT GIVES -- ALL IT DOES IS GIVE THEM THE FLEXIBILITY TO BRING PEOPLE IN FROM OUTSIDE OF THE STATE WITH TEMPORARY LICENSES IF NEEDED, AND I THINK BRINGING PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE WOULD ONLY BE BROUGHT IN IF THEY NEED THOSE RESOURCES. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: WE DO HAVE ONE OTHER PERSON FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY THAT WE DIDN'T HEAR, MR. ANDREACAUCUS, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THE MEMBERS. >> GOOD MORNING. IT'S ANDREADAKIS. I HAVE A PACKET THAT I'D LIKE TO GIVE EVERYBODY. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S -- >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: I APOLOGIZE FOR MISPRONOUNCING YOUR NAME. >> THAT'S OKAY. I'M USED TO IT. I HAVE A PACKET THAT I'D LIKE TO GIVE TO EVERYBODY. >>ARTHENIA JOYNER: OH, WE'LL GET IT. >> THERE'S THREE SETS OF DOCUMENTS FOR YOU. GIVEN THE DEBATE -- I'VE ONLY GOT THREE MINUTES TO TALK. MY NAME IS KLEANTHIS ANDREADAKIS. I REPRESENT THE FLORIDA INTRASTATE TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE. I'M ALSO A LICENSED PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR. I OWN MY OWN INVESTIGATIVE AGENCY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. I USED TO WORK AS A DRIVER AND A BUSINESS MANAGER FOR A COMPANY THAT WAS A CERTIFICATE HOLDER UNDER THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. I'VE HAD SOME PAST DEALINGS WITH THEM. SENATOR CRIST KNOWS SOME OF THE CONFLICTS THAT WE'VE HAD. GIVEN THE NATURE OF WHAT THE DISCUSSION WAS, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT I WAS GOING TO ADDRESS HAS BEEN COVERED, BUT I WANTED TO COVER A COUPLE THINGS REAL QUICK AND CORRECT A COUPLE, I GUESS, FACTUAL ERRORS. THE FIRST REAL QUICK IS THE BACKGROUND CHECKS. AS AN INVESTIGATOR, THE BACKGROUND CHECK IS INCONSISTENT. YOU PULL AN NCIC REPORT, WHICH IS A STATISTICAL DATABASE FROM THE FBI. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM. IT NEVER WAS. IT'S A DATABASE THAT COMPILES INFORMATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. THEY GIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ACCESS TO THAT DATABASE. THAT INFORMATION IS NOT TO BE DIVULGED OUTSIDE OF THE CONFINES OF THE REQUEST. IT'S ILLEGAL FOR ANYBODY TO DIVULGE IS OUTSIDE OF THE CONFINES OF THE REQUEST. THE PTC WAS ACTUALLY CITED BY I BELIEVE THE FBI. THEY WERE SCOLDED FOR LETTING INFORMATION OUT OF THE NCIC REQUEST MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ALLOW THEM TO GET BACK INTO THIS DATABASE TO PULL THIS INFORMATION. SECONDLY, THE PTC IS A PUBLIC AGENCY SUBJECT TO PUBLIC DISCLOSURE LAWS. HOW CAN A REPORT THAT'S A BACKGROUND CHECK, THAT'S A CONFIDENTIAL BACKGROUND CHECK AT A FEDERAL LEVEL BE PUT INTO PUBLIC RECORD WHEN IT'S ILLEGAL FOR THEM TO GO AHEAD AND RELEASE IT OUTSIDE THE CONFINES OF THE REQUEST? GO LOOK AT MY FILE. THEY PULLED AN NCIC ON ME WHEN THEY DECIDED THEY WERE GOING TO ARREST ME. THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE DIVULGED IT. IT'S ILLEGAL. BUT THEY DID. THE OTHER THING IS FEDERAL BACKGROUND CHECKS ARE INCONSISTENT. I HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL -- CAN'T DISCLOSE BECAUSE OF MY CONFIDENTIALITY WITH REGARD TO MY BUSINESS, BUT I HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS THREE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE CHARGES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. ON HIS STATE OF FLORIDA DRIVER'S LICENSE, THEY DON'T SHOW. ON HIS STATE OF TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE, THEY DON'T SHOW. ON HIS FEDERAL BACKGROUND CHECK, THEY DON'T SHOW. OKAY. YOU HAVE INCONSISTENT DRIVING LAWS AND CRIMINAL LAWS THROUGHOUT THE NATION. SOME OFFENSES ARE CRIMINALIZED IN ONE STATE. OTHER OFFENSES ARE NONCRIMINAL TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS. THEY DON'T SHOW UP. YOU'RE LOOKING AT INCONSISTENCIES AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SCOPE OF DOING A BACKGROUND CHECK. WHAT'S THE PURPOSE BEHIND IT? THE OTHER ISSUE IS THE FINANCIAL IMPACT WITH REGARDS TO THIS BILL. I'LL MAKE ONE STATEMENT, AND YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR PACKET AND READ THROUGH IT. THE BIGGEST THING IS THAT THE IMPACT STATEMENT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY ESTIMATE OF ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE ISSUANCE OF TEMPORARY PUBLIC VEHICLE DRIVER'S LICENSES AS IT WILL HAVE ON THE LOCAL BUSINESSES. OKAY? YOU CANNOT PIGGYBACK PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THIS AREA ON A CERTIFICATE HOLDER IN THIS AREA TO ALLOW THEM TO OPERATE FOR THE SUPER BOWL. IT'S AGAINST THE SPECIAL ACT, IT'S ILLEGAL, IT'S ALSO CONSIDERED INSURANCE FRAUD. I HAVE LETTERS FROM INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT CERTIFY YOU CAN'T OWN A COMPANY AND DO A DBA WITH ANOTHER COMPANY WHO IS NOT YOUR