CAPTIONING JULY 31, 2008 BOCC WORKSHOP BUDGET RECONCILIATION ***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the ***following meeting. It should be used for informational ***purposes only. This document has not been edited; ***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words ***that did not translate. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS JULY 31st BUDGET RECONCILIATION WORKSHOP. WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE AND INVOCATION, GIVEN BY OUR CHAPLAIN, COMMISSIONER BRIAN BLAIR. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] >>BRIAN BLAIR: HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS. HELP US TO USE WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING AS WE DELIBERATE AND MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, FATHER. PLEASE HELP THOSE THAT ARE FIGHTING OVERSEAS, HELP THEM TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR MISSION, FATHER, AND TO COME HOME SAFELY. COMFORT THEIR FAMILIES. WE PRAY FOR THE VETERANS WHO HAVE FOUGHT IN SO MANY WARS, AND WE PRAY FOR THEIR FAMILIES AS WELL. FATHER, THANK YOU FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AS WE RELY ON THEM EACH AND EVERY DAY TO PROTECT US, AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PROTECT THEM IN RETURN. THANK YOU FOR THE STAFF THAT HAS WORKED SO HARD TO PREPARE THIS BUDGET. WE THANK THEM AND HOPE THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS BUDGET BALANCED. WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU'VE BESTOWED UPON US, FATHER, AND I ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL COLLEAGUES THAT WE WORK WITH. I PRAY FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND MAY WE ALL WORK HARD TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. >> AMEN. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BLAIR. TODAY WE'LL TAKE THE NEXT STEP TOWARD BALANCING OUR FISCAL YEAR '09 BUDGET IN WHICH TODAY WE'LL HAVE OUR BUDGET RECONCILIATION MEETING, WHICH WE WILL VOTE INDIVIDUALLY ON EACH OF THE ITEMS THAT THE BOARD HAS FLAGGED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AND SEPARATE VOTE. WE WILL ALSO ADOPT THE TRIM NOTICES DURING TODAY'S MEETING. MS. BEAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE A BRIEF OPENING STATEMENT ON HOW THE MEETING WILL GO THIS MORNING. >>PAT BEAN: YES, I WOULD. GOODNESS, THAT'S AWFULLY LOUD. TODAY IS OUR NINTH AND FINAL BUDGET WORKSHOP ON THE '09 BUDGET. WE BEGIN TODAY WITH AN UPDATE ON THE STATE OF THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX. WHILE THAT DOES NOT DIRECTLY IMPACT ANY FLAGGED ITEM FOR TODAY'S BUDGET WORKSHOP, IT IS TIMELY INFORMATION THAT WE BELIEVE THE BOARD SHOULD RECEIVE. TUESDAY'S WORKSHOP? >>ERIC JOHNSON: OH, SORRY. TODAY'S. >>PAT BEAN: I'VE GOT TO GET A BETTER SCRIPT WRITER. TODAY'S WORKSHOP -- [LAUGHTER] -- WILL BE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS EACH OF THE FLAGGED ITEMS THAT YOU FLAGGED AT YOUR PRIOR BUDGET WORKSHOPS. AFTER YOU HAVE ADDRESSED THE FLAGGED ITEMS, THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO ADOPT A MOTION TO SET THE TRIM MILLAGE. WE ARE DISTRIBUTING AN UPDATED PAGE FROM THE BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT SHOWS THE MILLAGE RATES. AS WE DISCUSSED TUESDAY, A BUDGET AMENDMENT WILL BE BROUGHT NEXT MONTH TO SET ASIDE FUNDS NECESSARY TO AVOID DEBT MILLAGE INCREASES IN FY 09. THAT WAS A DISCUSSION WE HAD ON TUESDAY. SHOULD THERE BE ANY ACTION TODAY TO CHANGE ANY OTHER MILLAGE RATE FROM WHAT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED, WE WILL NEED A FEW MINUTES TO REVISE AND PRINT OUT NEW MOTIONS. THE MILLAGE RATES BECOME THE BASIS FOR THE TRIM OR TRUTH IN MILLAGE NOTICES SENT TO EACH PROPERTY OWNER IN AUGUST. OUR MEETING WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AT 1:30 IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL THE ITEMS THIS MORNING, AND THE BUDGET AND FINAL MILLAGE RATES WILL NOT BE SET UNTIL WE HAVE HELD TWO REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARINGS IN SEPTEMBER SO THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE BUDGET, AND THOSE DATES FOR THOSE HEARINGS ARE SEPTEMBER 9th AND SEPTEMBER 18th AT 6:00 ON BOTH OF THOSE DAYS. AND WITH THAT, WE ARE READY TO BEGIN, AND THE WAY THAT WE WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE BEGIN TODAY, OF COURSE, IS TO TAKE YOUR LIST OF FLAGGED ITEMS AND HAVE THE BOARD MEMBERS JUST GO DOWN THE LIST AND VOTE THEM UP OR DOWN AS FAR AS WHETHER THEY GO IN THE BUDGET. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, I WANTED TO START WITH -- SEE IF I COULD -- IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ADD AN ITEM. I KNOW THAT I WAS AT AN EVENT OVER THE WEEKEND, THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, AND COMMISSIONER BLAIR WAS THERE AS WELL, BUT I WAS APPROACHED BY THE DIRECTOR FOR -- OR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO'S INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT YES! OF AMERICA UNITED, INC., AND EVIDENTLY THEY LOST THEIR FUNDING, AND THEY HAD 50,000 LAST YEAR, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THEY NEED APPROXIMATELY 10,000 THIS YEAR TO STAY NOT WHOLE BUT TO AT LEAST BE ABLE TO FUNCTION, SO I'M LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO FLAG THIS WITH ME UNTIL WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO OVER THIS STUFF. >>ROSE FERLITA: YOU'VE GOT IT, MR. SHARPE. I THINK THAT THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING IS SMALL IN COMPARISON TO EVERYTHING, AND THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB. >>KEN HAGAN: AND THIS WOULD BE F-40? I JUST WANT TO GET A -- >>PAT BEAN: IT WOULD BE THE NEXT NUMBER AFTER THE LAST FLAGGED ITEM. WELL, ACTUALLY -- >>KEN HAGAN: LAST ONE I'VE GOT IS 39, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S UP-TO-DATE OR NOT. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>PAT BEAN: THAT WOULD BE CORRECT. OKAY. OH, WELL, MIKE MERRILL HAS JUST ARRIVED. I WAS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE YOU START, BUT SINCE HE'S HERE NOW, LET'S GO AHEAD AND LET HIM TALK TO YOU FOR A MINUTE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX. MIKE. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING, MIKE. >>MIKE MERRILL: GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. HELLO. YEP, IS IT WORKING? OKAY. GOOD MORNING. MIKE MERRILL, DIRECTOR OF DEBT MANAGEMENT. PAT ASKED ME TO JUST BRIEF YOU ON WHERE WE ARE WITH RESPECT TO THE FUTURE OF THE CIT. AS YOU KNOW, IT EXPIRES IN DECEMBER OF 2026, AND I GUESS WHILE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL BE ROOTED IN THE PRESENT AND BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW, IT DOES HELP TO LOOK OUT IN THE FUTURE ONCE IN A WHILE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THIS CAPITAL PROGRAM IS FUNDED THAT'S FUNDED BY CIT IS HEAVILY DRIVEN IN DEBT, AND THE REASON IS WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SO MANY THINGS IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BETWEEN NOW AND 2016, WITH THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE PROJECTS AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER CIT PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE IN THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT PROJECTIONS OF REVENUE, WHICH ARE DIFFICULT TO MAKE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY BECAUSE OF THE SLOW-DOWN, BUT NEVERTHELESS, WE'VE COME UP WITH A RANGE OF POSSIBILITIES, AND WITHIN THOSE POSSIBILITIES, I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE THE DEBT THAT'S REQUIRED TO FUND ALL OF YOUR PROJECTS. AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY IS MAKING THINGS SO DIFFICULT. BUT MY BASIC MESSAGE TODAY IS THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THE RECOMMENDED CIP, BOTH THE TASK FORCE PROJECTS AND THE OTHER CIT PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE 40 MILLION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALLOCATING, BUT THE MARGINS ARE QUITE A BIT SLIMMER THAN THEY WERE LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, AND THAT'S PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE DOWNTURN IN REVENUES, DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY. THAT, AS I SAID, PUTS PRESSURE ON OUR BORROWING. IT MEANS THAT THE MARKETPLACE, OUR LENDERS TEND TO LOOK AT US MORE HARSHLY, THEY TEND TO PUT MORE RESTRICTIONS ON OUR ABILITY TO BORROW, BUT NEVERTHELESS, ALL THAT BEING SAID, WE CAN STILL ACCOMPLISH IT. WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING -- AND REALIZING A LOT CAN CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 18 YEARS OF THE LIFE OF THE CIT -- PROJECTING A SURPLUS OF ABOUT -- OF ABOUT $90 MILLION IN 2026. NOW, EVEN IF THAT WERE -- SURPLUS WERE TWICE THAT AMOUNT, IT WOULD STILL BE A SLIM MARGIN GIVEN THAT SHIFTS IN THE CIT OF A 10th OF A PERCENT IN GROWTH CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, BUT HAVING SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU NEED TO ACCOMPLISH WITHOUT MUCH ROOM IN THE FUTURE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. I CAN GIVE YOU MORE SPECIFICS IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT THAT'S THE BASIC MESSAGE FOR YOU TODAY. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. AND WHAT YOU'RE REPORTING THIS MORNING, DOES THAT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON OUR DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS MORNING WITH RESPECT TO THE BUDGET? >>MIKE MERRILL: NO. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MR. MERRILL? >>PAT BEAN: WE JUST FELT THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE THAT ON THE RECORD THAT THE BOARD WAS AWARE OF MIKE'S COMMENTS ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE DIFFICULT IT MAKES THINGS, BUT BEING THE GURU THAT HE IS, HE WILL FIGURE IT OUT. >>MIKE MERRILL: NOBODY KNOWS THE FUTURE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, SO ... >>KEN HAGAN: THANKS FOR THE UPDATE, MIKE. APPRECIATE IT. >>PAT BEAN: OKAY, MR. CHAIR. NOW WE'RE READY TO BEGIN. IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN KIND OF CALL THESE, AND THEN YOU GUYS CAN DECIDE WHAT YOU'RE READY TO DO. I WOULD ADVISE YOU THAT THE FIRST FIVE ON HERE ARE ALL RELATED TO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD WITH MARK THORNTON A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, AND YOU SEEMED TO BE SATISFIED WITH THE RECOMMENDATION. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU SEE ON HERE BECAUSE WHEN YOU FLAGGED THESE IT WAS DIFFERENT, BUT IF YOU REMEMBER, THE PLAN IS THAT THERE WILL BE A FEE CHARGE, A SLIDING SCALE FROM FIVE TO 20 FOR AFTERSCHOOL PER CHILD PER WEEK, BUT IT'S ALSO A SLIDING SCALE ON THE CHILDREN, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE I BELIEVE IT'S A $30 FEE PER WEEK FOR THE SUMMER, AND IF YOU'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE PROPOSAL THAT HE PUT ON THE TABLE TO YOU THE OTHER DAY, THEN I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO FLAG -- AND THAT RESTORES 25 FULL- TIME POSITIONS AS WELL, WHICH I KNOW WAS A CONCERN FOR BOARD MEMBERS. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. SO YOU WANT US TO VOTE ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE? >>PAT BEAN: YES. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. SO IS THAT -- >>PAT BEAN: AND THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE FIRST FIVE. >>KEN HAGAN: THE FIRST FIVE. OKAY. SO CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE -- >>KEVIN WHITE: SO MOVE. >>KEN HAGAN: -- THE RECOMMENDATION -- >>MARK SHARPE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: -- OF PARKS DIRECTOR MARK THORNTON FROM YESTERDAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SHARPE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 6-0. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. AND THAT'S WITH RESPECT TO THE AFTERSCHOOL AND THE SUMMER PROGRAM AND RESTORING THE FULL-TIME POSITIONS. >>MARK SHARPE: GOOD JOB. >>PAT BEAN: YES. >>KEN HAGAN: AND THEN WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO INDIVIDUALLY DOWN EACH ITEM. I THINK EVERY COMMISSIONER HAS GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS AT LEAST ONCE, AND WE'LL VOTE ON EACH ONE AND -- >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ONE IS F-2-A, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE CASE MANAGEMENT PORTION OF THE AGING SERVICES PROGRAM. I RECOMMEND THAT YOU RESTORE THAT IF YOU CAN AT THIS POINT, IF YOU CAN SEE YOUR WAY CLEAR TO VOTE FOR THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND -- FIRST, YES. MOTION. >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM IS F-2-B, WHICH IS THE IN-HOME SERVICES PORTION OF THE AGING SERVICES DEPARTMENT BUDGET. I BELIEVE THERE WERE BOARD MEMBERS WHO FELT STRONGLY ABOUT THAT AS WELL. >>ROSE FERLITA: MOVE TO APPROVE THAT. >>BRIAN BLAIR: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER BLAIR. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>JIM NORMAN: KEN, GO BACK AND -- I'D LIKE TO GO BACK AND -- >>RECORDING SECRETARY: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>JIM NORMAN: -- SUPPORT THE KIDS' PROGRAMS. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: MOVE TO RECONSIDER. >>MARK SHARPE: SECOND. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: WE'VE GOT A MOTION TO RECONSIDER OUR FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS OUR PARKS PROGRAMS BY COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SHARPE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>JIM NORMAN: THAT'S SORT OF A -- >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>JIM NORMAN: -- SOMETHING I SORT OF LIKE A LOT. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. SO NOW WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER MOTION TO APPROVE -- >>KEVIN WHITE: MOTION TO APPROVE AGAIN. >>KEN HAGAN: -- SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: MAKE IT SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>KEN HAGAN: SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>JIM NORMAN: THANK YOU ALL. >>KEN HAGAN: F-3. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM IS F-3, WHICH IS THE ITEM REGARDING THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND HTV BUDGET. I WILL ASK THE BOARD TO SPEAK TO THAT ONE BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT TO DO THERE, AND I THINK YOU JUST NEED TO DECIDE. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MS. BEAN. WELL, OF COURSE, WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS IN TERMS OF THE DOLLARS AND WHAT CAN BE CUT, WHAT NEEDS TO BE THERE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE INFORMATION TO OUR -- TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE ISSUE OF CONDUCTING -- REDUCING THINGS LIKE TOWN HALL MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM ROLLING ON ON THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND THEY COST MONEY, OF COURSE. I KNOW THAT IN TALKING TO LORI HUDSON, SHE'S LOOKING AT PERHAPS BEING ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS THROUGH THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS AND GENERATE SOME REVENUE THERE. I KNOW THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND TO COME BACK WITH US EVEN AS RECENTLY AS NEXT WEEK ON OUR AGENDA WHERE THERE'S A $300,000 ALLOCATION THAT SHE CAN RETURN TO THE -- TO THE GENERAL FUND, AND IF SHE'S HERE, I'D LIKE FOR HER TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THAT FOR JUST ONE SECOND. MY POINT IS THAT WE HAVE TO CUT THE FAT, JUST LIKE WE HAVE TO DO IN EVERY DEPARTMENT, BUT GIVEN THEIR BUDGET IS NOT QUITE FOUR MILLION AND WE ORIGINALLY WERE TALKING ABOUT ONE MILLION, I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY ROOM TO LOOK AT SOME DIFFERENT INCREMENTS AND AT WHAT POINT CAN SHE STILL GIVE THE IMPORTANT SERVICES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN-BOUND OR LOOK TO US FOR GUIDANCE AND INFORMATION AND CANNOT ATTEND HERE, AND I THINK LORI KNOWS THE SEVERITY OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE, AND WHAT'S NOT NECESSARY WE'RE GETTING OUT OF THE WAY, AND ANYTHING THAT'S SELF-SERVING TO US OR TO THE COUNTY OR PATTING OURSELVES ON THE BACK HAS TO ABSOLUTELY GO AWAY, BUT I THINK -- I'LL MAKE A MOTION AND A SECOND THAT WE REDUCE THAT, BUT I'D LIKE LORI TO JUST SPEAK TO THE AGENDA ITEM NEXT WEEK BECAUSE I'M NOT THAT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT IT. I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT, AND THAT'S A PRETTY BIG INCREMENT. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING. >>LORI HUDSON: GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. LORI HUDSON, COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR. WE DO HAVE AN ITEM THAT WAS WALKED ON AT AGENDA REVIEW YESTERDAY. WE WILL BE BRINGING TO YOU AN AGREEMENT FOR YOU TO CONSIDER FROM T-MOBILE. THEY ARE PAYING $300,000 FOR US NOT TO USE AN ASSET THAT WE CURRENTLY NO LONGER USE, AND THAT IS AN OLDER BROADBAND SIGNAL, A WAVELENGTH THAT WE CANNOT USE. IT'S NO LONGER COMPATIBLE WITH OUR DIGITAL SIGNAL, SO IN ESSENCE, IT'S NOT USING SOMETHING WE DON'T USE, AND WE WON'T INTERFERE WITH T-MOBILE'S SIGNAL WHICH IS NEARBY IN THE SPECTRUM. AT THE SAME TIME, WE HOPE TO AT SOME POINT SELL THIS ASSET OFF, BUT THE MARKET IS JUST NOT THERE FOR SELLING IT. WE WILL STILL RETAIN THIS ASSET. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND MR. JOHNSON, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, IN FACT, WOULD GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND, OR EXPLAIN THAT. >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES, COMMISSIONERS. THAT WOULD JUST BE A GENERAL -- A COUNTYWIDE GENERAL FUND REVENUE. >>ROSE FERLITA: OKAY. SO WE JUST KNOCKED 300,000 OUT OF THE WAY. THAT'S GREAT. WELL, LORI, OBVIOUSLY, AGAIN, YOU KNOW WHERE THE IMPORTANT ISSUES ARE AND WHAT BEST SERVES OUR CONSTITUENTS, SO THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE TABLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECONSIDER THE MILLION-DOLLAR CUT AND PERHAPS GO SOMEPLACE AROUND 300, 400, 450, SOMEWHERE LIKE THAT DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT I GET FROM SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: I NEVER GOT THE ANSWER BACK ABOUT LIVE PROGRAMMING AND THE OUTREACH THAT WE MADE TO VERIZON, BRIGHT HOUSE, FINDING THE STATUTE THAT STATED THAT IF THEY WAIVED THAT -- THAT THEREFORE -- YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WAS BUILT INTO THIS BUDGET WAS THE FACT THAT NOW BECAUSE OF THE STATE STATUTE PASSED, THERE'S NOW A STATE STATUTE THAT STATED THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A REQUIRED LIVE BROADCASTING OR NONREPEAT BROADCASTING. WE TOOK ACTION, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN AN ANSWER. >>PAT BEAN: WELL, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE LETTERS THAT CAME BACK. ONE OF THEM DIDN'T COME BACK UNTIL VERY LATE. WALLY, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE ANSWERS? >>WALLY HILL: YES. COMMISSIONERS, WE SENT LETTERS TO THE THREE CABLE PROVIDERS, BRIGHT HOUSE, VERIZON, AND COMCAST. BRIGHT HOUSE RESPONDED THROUGH A DISCUSSION THAT -- REMINDING US THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A FIVE-YEAR WAIVER FROM THEM. THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT THEY GAVE US IN OUR NOT CONTESTING THE REALIGNMENT OF THE CHANNEL, SO WE'RE MORE THAN COVERED ON BRIGHT HOUSE. VERIZON'S ANSWER WAS THAT THEY HAVE NO INTENT TO CONTEST THE AMOUNT OF LIVE PROGRAMMING. THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN'T DO THAT UNLESS THEY SEEK A STATE CERTIFICATE, WHICH WOULD TRUMP OUR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE NO INTENT TO DO THAT. COMCAST IS NOT WILLING TO SIGN ANY SUCH WAIVER BUT DO NOT REPRESENT A VERY BIG MARKET SHARE OF CABLE SUBSCRIBERS. >>JIM NORMAN: SO YOU'RE SAYING -- OKAY, YOU'RE SAYING VERIZON WILL NOT -- >>WALLY HILL: VERIZON HAS SAID THAT THEY HAVE NO PLAN TO SEEK A STATE CERTIFICATE. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. >>WALLY HILL: AND THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD NEED ONE IN ORDER TO CONTEST -- >>JIM NORMAN: SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO -- >>WALLY HILL: THAT'S THEIR INTENT, THAT'S CORRECT. >>JIM NORMAN: SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO REQUIRE LIVE PROGRAMMING? >>WALLY HILL: THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CONTEST WHETHER WE HAVE ENOUGH LIVE PROGRAMMING. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. AND BOARD MEMBERS, THAT'S SORT OF, TO ME, WHAT WAS A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH US NOT HAVING ALL THE INFORMATION. I MEAN, GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE PRESENTATIONS, AND IT WAS THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING ALL THESE THINGS NOW BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THERE'S THIS NEW STATE LAW OUT THERE; HOWEVER, IT'S CLEAR THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT REQUIREMENT OF THE LIVE PROGRAMMING NOW, AND OUR -- THE PEOPLE THAT WE ACCESS THROUGH ARE NOT GOING TO REQUIRE IT. YOU KNOW, OUT OF A -- YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER FERLITA, YOU MENTIONED 350, 400, WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, I FELT A MILLION WAS A REASONABLE NUMBER, UNDERSTANDING OUR CLIMATE THAT WE'RE IN. I COULD NOT SUPPORT ANYTHING LESS THAN 600 AS A REDUCTION, SO -- >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: WE HAD -- SOMEBODY HAD BROUGHT UP TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND WHAT THEY COST. I DON'T THINK WE GOT A FIGURE ON WHAT TOWN HALL MEETINGS COST. >>PAT BEAN: COMMISSIONERS, I DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION THAT PERHAPS WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR ME TO PUT ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE LOOKED AT FOUR DIFFERENT LEVELS. ONE WOULD BE TO ELIMINATE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND VALUE SPOTS PROMOTING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THAT WOULD BE A REDUCTION OF $100,200. LEVEL TWO WOULD BE LEVEL ONE PLUS A 50% REDUCTION IN ON- LOCATION VIDEO SHOOTS AND 70% REDUCTION IN FUTURE PRODUCTION PLANNING, AND THAT WOULD BE A SAVINGS OF 326,605. LEVEL THREE WOULD INCLUDE LEVEL ONE AND TWO PLUS A 50% REDUCTION IN PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAMMING, AND THE HTV SIGNAL FROM EOC AND OTHER LOCATIONS WOULD NOT BE FULLY DIGITAL. THAT WOULD GET TO THE $671,983 LEVEL, AND THE FINAL LEVEL WE HAD PUT ON THE TABLE WAS LEVELS ONE, TWO, THREE, PLUS ELIMINATING ALL PREPRODUCED HTV PRODUCTIONS AND REDUCE PSAs BY 75%, ELIMINATING OVERSIGHT OF ALL COUNTY PRINT JOBS, MANAGEMENT OF THE COPIER CONTRACT, AND ELIMINATION OF SPANISH TRANSLATION SERVICES, AND THAT WOULD GET YOU TO THE ONE MILLION LEVEL, SO YOU COULD GO WITH -- LEVEL TWO WOULD GET YOU 326,000. LEVEL THREE WOULD TAKE YOU TO 671,000. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF QUALITY DIFFERENCE THERE IS IF THE HTV SIGNAL FROM EOC DOESN'T EXIST AS -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: WELL, MY POSITION IS THIS. I DON'T SPECIALIZE IN TELEVISION AND PRODUCTION AND EVERYTHING THAT IS ENTAILED IN PUTTING THE PROGRAMS TOGETHER, SO WE HAVE TO PRETTY MUCH RELY ON THOSE THAT ARE IN CHARGE TO GIVE US ACCURATE -- CLEAR AND ACCURATE INFORMATION, AND I'M SURE THAT THEY ARE DOING THAT AND THAT YOU JUST DID, PAT, SO I WOULD -- I'D LIKE TO KIND OF HEAR YOUR -- YOUR REAL RECOMMENDATION AND WHERE YOU THINK THAT WE WOULD STILL BE FUNCTIONING AS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FUNCTION OR -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A -- THIS IS AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WHEN I HEAR PSAs, PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE, THEY'RE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS. >>PAT BEAN: UH-HUH. >>BRIAN BLAIR: SO I'M SURE THEY HAVE A LOT OF VALUE TO THEM. I WAS JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT WHERE WE COULD CUT, YOU KNOW, AND STILL BE A QUALITY DEPARTMENT, SO DO YOU HAVE ANY -- WHERE ARE YOU AT? WHERE DO WE FEEL LIKE WE COULD LIVE WITH? >>PAT BEAN: WELL, COMMISSIONER, I HAVE SOME CONCERN -- AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LEGITIMATE MY CONCERN IS, BUT I DO HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE HTV SIGNAL FROM THE EOC AND OTHER LOCATIONS NOT BEING FULLY DIGITAL. THAT'S -- THAT'S THE CONCERN I HAVE ABOUT GOING TO THE THIRD LEVEL, WHICH IS THE 671. DEFINITELY WE CAN TAKE THE SECOND LEVEL, WHICH IS THE 326, AND IF THE BOARD WANTS US TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN BETWEEN THAT, WE CAN LOOK, BUT I HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT GOING TO THE THIRD LEVEL. >>BRIAN BLAIR: OKAY. I'D MOVE THE SECOND LEVEL THEN IF YOU FEEL LIKE -- >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: YEAH. THIS EOC WHERE WE'RE BROADCASTING FROM, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, WHEN -- DO WE DO THAT WHEN THERE ARE LIKE HURRICANES? >>BRIAN BLAIR: RIGHT. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: OKAY. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO TO GOVERNMENT TV TO GET A WEATHER REPORT? HOW MANY PEOPLE -- YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF AN INTEREST TO ME. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US AT THAT POINT WHEN WE'RE IN THE EMERGENCY SITUATION ARE GOING TO BE ON BATTERY POWER ANYWAY, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE ACCESS TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN RADIO AND MAYBE SOME OF THE LOCAL SIGNALS. WHAT KIND OF DOCUMENTATION DO WE HAVE DURING THE LAST HURRICANE -- I KNOW I GOT A LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR -- AND I THINK THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS DID TOO -- THAT IT WAS VITAL TO THE SAFETY AND OPERATION OF THE CITIZENS TO HAVE HTV BROADCASTING DURING AN EMERGENCY OPERATION. IT MIGHT BE MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE FOLKS HOME EITHER TAKING CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES OR, YOU KNOW, FILLING SOME OTHER SERVICE WITHIN THE COUNTY DURING AN EMERGENCY OPERATION, BUT I JUST DON'T SEE THE BENEFIT OF -- OF HILLSBOROUGH RUNNING A TV PROGRAM DURING AN EMERGENCY OPERATION, SO I'M CONCERNED THERE. AND THEN THE OTHER -- TWO THINGS, OVERSIGHT OF COUNTY PRINT JOBS, I THINK THAT'S VITAL. FUTURE PRODUCTION PLANNING, I DON'T -- I'M MAYBE JUST NOT AS SMART AS YOU-ALL, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT FUTURE PRODUCTION PLANNING MEANS, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE NEED -- WHAT THAT -- I'M SURE SOMEONE CAN GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT THAT IS. AND THEN THE LAST IN THIS FOURTH LEVEL, WE'D ELIMINATE SPANISH TRANSLATION SERVICES, AND THAT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO GO FOR THE BIG CUT, WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T SPEAK ENGLISH, WHICH I HAVE NO INTEREST IN NOT PROVIDING SERVICE TO PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, SPEAK OTHER LANGUAGES, BUT I'M SURE THAT WITH THOSE NEWFOUND FUNDS THAT YOU CAN KEEP YOUR SPANISH TRANSLATION SERVICE IN THERE AND STILL GO TO THE MAXIMUM CUTS, SO KIND OF A RAMBLING HERE ON THIS EOC OPERATION. YOU KNOW, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS FUTURE PLANNING -- FUTURE PRODUCTION PLANNING? SO I MAY HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT -- I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE SPANISH TRANSLATION SERVICES CUT, BUT I'M SURE WE CAN GET TO A MILLION OR CLOSE TO IT AND STILL KEEP SPANISH TRANSLATION IN THERE AND OVERSIGHT OF PRINTING PRODUCTION, SO HELP ME OUT WITH WHY PEOPLE GO TO HILLSBOROUGH TV DURING STORMS. >>PAT BEAN: WELL, COMMISSIONER, HAVING BEEN THE ADMINISTRATOR IN '04 WHEN THE FOUR THREATS CAME TO OUR COMMUNITY, I SPENT MANY DAYS AND NIGHTS OUT THERE AT THAT FACILITY, AND ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS EVEN TODAY AS I TRAVEL AROUND THE COMMUNITY THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SAY TO ME, YOU'RE THE HURRICANE LADY, AND PEOPLE TOLD ME ALL OVER THIS COMMUNITY THAT THEY FELT LIKE I WAS IN THEIR LIVING ROOM TELLING THEM WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO AND HOW THEY TRUSTED WHAT I TOLD THEM. BECAUSE I HEAR IT, EVEN TODAY, ALL OVER THIS COMMUNITY -- I GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, I GO SHOPPING, I GO -- WHEREVER I GO, SOMEBODY SAYS SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ME, AND SO I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE WATCHING BECAUSE WE WERE THE ONE CONSISTENT VOICE, I THINK, THROUGHOUT, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU A NUMBER. I DON'T THINK WE'RE SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH AS AN ORGANIZATION, AS A STATION TO BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A NUMBER OF HOW MANY WATCHED US VERSUS WATCHING SOMEONE ELSE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY KNOW THAT LARRY GISPERT IS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNER AND THAT UNDER STATE LAW WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: CAN WE DO THAT VIA RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS, PS -- YOU KNOW, SOME PROCESS THERE BECAUSE I JUST -- I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE -- AND I DON'T DISBELIEVE YOU GET RECOGNITION AND RECOGNIZED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE LAST STORM CYCLE OF '04, BUT WE'VE GOT FOUR NETWORKS, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, NUMEROUS CABLE CHANNELS THAT ARE HELPING WITH THIS SAME THING, BUT ANYWAY, I WANT TO HEAR SOME OTHER COMMENTS ON THE EOC, BUT I'M REALLY -- I'M REALLY -- I'M NOT SOLD ON THAT. AND THEN FUTURE PRODUCTION PLANNING, WHAT'S THAT? >>PAT BEAN: WELL, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT LORI COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: WE'VE GOT 40 ITEMS HERE, SO WE'VE GOT TO KEEP MOVING. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: I'M DONE WITH MY QUESTION NOW. >>LORI HUDSON: COMMISSIONERS, THE FUTURE PRODUCTION PLANNING WOULD BE MAKING THOSE ARRANGEMENTS, THE ASSIGNMENTS TO THE PRODUCER/DIRECTORS, SLOTTING VIDEOGRAPHERS' TIME WITH THAT. IT'S ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IS ELIMINATING THAT POSITION AND PLACING ALL OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ONTO THE TELEVISION STATION MANAGER. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: OKAY. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND I'LL JUST SUM THIS UP. I BELIEVE BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS, WHAT WE DO FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMEBOUND, THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY CAN ACCESS THEIR GOVERNMENT IS THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS, SO BASED ON THE PSAs -- I APPRECIATE YOUR ISSUE ABOUT SPANISH TRANSLATION BECAUSE OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS DEFINITELY WARRANT THAT IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGES, AND IN TERMS OF EOC STUFF, YOU KNOW, MR. HIGGINBOTHAM, WE'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY, AND YES, SOME OF US MAY PICK SOMETHING ELSE TO LOOK AT. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT CHANCE, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT RISK. IF IT HELPS SOME PEOPLE BE INFORMED THROUGH WHAT PAT DOES AND WHAT MR. GISPERT DOES, I DON'T WANT TO DIMINISH THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT. IF WE LOOKED AT THE LEVEL AT 326,605, I THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH SOME OF THE GOOD AND REMOVE SOME OF THE THINGS WE ABSOLUTELY DO NOT NEED. PEOPLE, THINGS. OUR CONSTITUENTS NEED THESE SERVICES. THAT'S A GOOD THRESHOLD. AND IF YOU FACTOR IN THE ADDITIONAL 300 THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK NEXT WEEK THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, THAT BRINGS IT BACK UP TO 625, AND THAT'S IN KEEPING WITH WHAT MR. NORMAN IS DOING IF I'M PLAYING WITH THOSE FIGURES A BIT, BUT I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SUPPORT A CUT OF 326,605 AND SEE WHERE THAT GOES. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR ALREADY MADE A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT, I BELIEVE, DIDN'T YOU, MR. BLAIR? >>BRIAN BLAIR: YES, I DID. >>ROSE FERLITA: OH, YOU DID. OKAY. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: SO I GUESS TO -- MY QUESTION WAS TO MR. JOHNSON THAT IT IS A REAL HARD NUMBER AT 625 TO ADD BACK TO BE ABLE TO COVER THE COST OF ALL THESE ADD-ONS? >>ERIC JOHNSON: I'M SORRY. I MISSED THE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER. >>JIM NORMAN: THAT'S A HARD NUMBER OF 625 THAT WE CAN NOW ADD BACK TO THE LIST FOR RECONCILIATION? >>ERIC JOHNSON: 671 IS THE LEVEL, BUT YES. >>JIM NORMAN: NO, NO, NO, NO. THE -- WAS IT -- THE MOTION'S AT THREE-SOMETHING, AND THEY'RE ADDING THE 300 THAT'S COMING BACK. >>ERIC JOHNSON: WELL, THE 300 IS ONE TIME. IT'S THE CURRENT YEAR, SO WE'LL BE RECEIVING THAT THIS FISCAL YEAR. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: NOT AGAIN? >>ERIC JOHNSON: IT ISN'T A NET AGAINST NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. ALSO, LET ME -- LET ME DISAGREE WITH OUR ADMINISTRATOR A LITTLE BIT ON SOMETHING. WHERE I THINK COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM WAS GOING IS IF WE HAD A HURRICANE HIT, AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK THESE INVESTMENTS ARE. WHAT -- WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE GROCERY STORE AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT IS FOLKS -- WHEN THERE'S AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A HURRICANE, THE FOCUS AND ALL MEDIA AND EVERYTHING'S AT THAT LOCATION. >> RIGHT. >>JIM NORMAN: PAT IS OUR APPOINTED SPOKESPERSON FOR THIS COUNTY DURING HURRICANE ACTIONS, SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING UP TO HER IN A GROCERY STORE AND WHATEVER, EVERY NEWS CAMERA AND EVERYBODY ON ALL ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE COMING OUT OF THE EOC. IF WE HAD A HURRICANE HIT AND ELECTRICITY'S OFF, PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THE TRANSMISSIONS FROM THAT SITE BECAUSE THEIR TELEVISIONS AREN'T WORKING. THAT'S WHERE I THINK COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM WAS GOING. THE FACT THAT ALL ANNOUNCEMENTS, ALL UPDATES AND EVERYTHING HAVE TO COME OUT OF THERE FIRST TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE MEDIA OUTLETS, THAT'S THE PROCESS, AND THAT'S WHERE HER FACE IS ON TELEVISION FIRST, AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE SEE HER AS THE HURRICANE LADY, AND THERE'S NO PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS EXPENDITURE IS WHAT GETS THAT INFORMATION OUT, SO THAT'S WHERE WE DISAGREE. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: NO, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PILE ON ON THAT ISSUE THAT COMMISSIONER NORMAN AND COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM WERE DISCUSSING, WHICH IS I DON'T QUESTION -- I MEAN, I'VE ALWAYS STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS SERVICES AND INFORMATION, BUT I -- WHERE I -- MY QUESTION WAS THE SAME, WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF A CRISIS, DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY TURN TO OUR NETWORK OR DO THEY GET INFORMATION WHICH WE PROVIDE BUT THROUGH OTHER SOURCES, AND IF THEY'RE NOT, I THINK WE NEED TO BE WORKING MORE AS WELL. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE STATE LAW EVEN REQUIRES, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO ESTABLISH STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH BAY NEWS 9, WFLA, ALL THE OTHER NETWORKS, WEDU, I MEAN, THE ONES I THINK THE VAST -- THE BULK OF THE PEOPLE WILL LIKELY GO TO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO AIR OUR INFORMATION USING THEIR NETWORKS AS WELL AS OUR OWN, NOT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COMPETE WITH THEM OR -- BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, AND WE'LL LOSE THAT BATTLE, BUT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION. LET ME ASK YOU -- SO I SHARE THAT, AND LORI, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MY OFFICE TALKING TO ERIC AND OTHERS AT LENGTH. I'M JUST GOING TO GO BACK TO WHAT, YOU KNOW -- COMMISSIONER NORMAN ASKED A QUESTION AT ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS WHICH WAS HOW MANY OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TV STATIONS LIKE OURS, BUT I ALSO AM INTERESTED IN WHAT OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE DOING TO SHARE INFORMATION. I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR INFORMATION OFF THE INTERNET. TO ME THIS IS NOT REALLY EVEN A QUESTION OF NUMBERS OF PEOPLE OR BUDGETS, IT'S ABOUT OUR MISSION, CORE MISSION, HOW DO WE GET INFORMATION OUT, AND I THINK WE NEED TO ADJUST. I THINK THE OLD WAYS OF PROVIDING INFORMATION, GOVERNMENT TV, IS CHANGING, AND WE'VE GOT TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE DATA AND INFORMATION, STREAMS OF INFORMATION, AND IF THAT MEANS EVERYONE GOES FROM TV PRODUCTION TO INTERNET EXCHANGE, THEN DO THAT, BUT PROVIDE INFORMATION, QUANTITIES. NOW, THE CUTS AND CHANGES WE'RE MAKING, WHAT IMPACT WILL THAT HAVE ON THE VICTIMS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM? ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO RESTORE I THINK IT WAS THREE -- WELL, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE AMOUNT WAS, BUT WHAT IMPACT -- >>ROSE FERLITA: [INAUDIBLE] >>MARK SHARPE: WHO CAN ADDRESS THAT QUESTION, THE VICTIMS ASSISTANCE? >>PAT BEAN: YOU CAN BASICALLY RESTORE THAT BY TAKING THE LEVEL TWO CUT AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF THE LEVEL THREE, BUT BASICALLY I THINK YOU GET THERE WITH THE LEVEL TWO CUT. >>MARK SHARPE: SO THE REDUCTIONS THAT WE -- THAT IF MR. BLAIR'S MOTION PASSES -- RIGHT NOW THE REDUCTIONS ARE 179, THE 100, AND 326 EQUALING TO 525; IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S THE ACTUAL AMOUNT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE REDUCING, 525, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT LEVEL ONE, LEVEL TWO, BUT WE ALREADY HAVE THE COUNTY-ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDED REDUCTIONS OF 179. >>KEN HAGAN: I DON'T THINK THAT'S CORRECT. >>MARK SHARPE: NO? CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT? THANKS. GOOD. OKAY. >>ERIC JOHNSON: COMMISSIONER, THE 179 IS REFLECTED IN THE JUNE BALANCED BUDGET, SO IN ADJUSTING THE LEVEL OF CUT TO THE ORGANIZATION, IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IN TERMS OF SERVICE VERSUS WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH A REDUCED BUDGET THAT YOU CONSIDER WE'VE ALREADY RECOMMENDED CUTS, BUT IN TERMS OF MONEY AVAILABLE TO THE BOARD TODAY, IT'S ONLY THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT THAT YOU APPROVE TODAY BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY USED THE 179 -- >>MARK SHARPE: OH. >>ERIC JOHNSON: -- BUT THE 179 IS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE OVERALL IMPACT TO SERVICE DELIVERY BY THAT DEPARTMENT. WE'VE ALREADY CUT THE BUDGET, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF CUTS BEYOND THAT, BUT THE DOLLARS YOU PUT ON THE TABLE IS SIMPLY THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT THAT IS DECIDED TODAY, WHETHER IT'S THE 326 OR A DIFFERENT AMOUNT. >>MARK SHARPE: AND ONE LAST QUESTION. I KNOW WE HAVE TO MOVE ON. WITH REGARD TO SPANISH TRANSLATION, I KNOW -- THE SUBJECT CAME UP. HOW OFTEN DOES THAT CHANGE? DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A DEDICATED STAFF WHEN -- I MEAN, THE INFORMATION ITSELF, WE HAVE PRINTED MATERIAL, AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS DO WE NEED A DEDICATED STAFF TO DO THAT? CAN YOU USE VOLUNTEERS? ARE THERE OTHER WAYS OF GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT WITHOUT -- AND I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION. I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO -- IS THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY FOR US TO GET THE -- AND ARE THERE NOT PEOPLE DOING OTHER JOBS FOR THE COUNTY WHO ARE FULLY CAPABLE OF SPEAKING SPANISH AND COMMUNICATING WHO WE COULD TURN TO WHEN THIS TASK COMES UP? >>LORI HUDSON: YES, THERE ARE, AND COMMISSIONER, WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN OUR DEPARTMENT WHO DO SPEAK SPANISH; HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM IS A MATTER OF DIALECTS. WHAT WE HAVE IS A CERTIFIED TRANSLATOR WHO CAN WRITE SPANISH AND SPEAK SPANISH SO THAT IT REACHES THE GREATEST LEVEL OF DIFFERENT DIALECTS AND DIFFERENT GROUPS OUT THERE WITHIN THE LATINO POPULATION, BUT THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S ON THE LIST IS BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE OTHER PEOPLE -- IF WE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT LEVEL OF CUTS, WE WOULD HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO COULD POSSIBLY FILL IN AND DO THAT FOR US. >>BRIAN BLAIR: CAN WE USE THE HISPANIC LIAISON OFFICE, TONY MOREJON? >>LORI HUDSON: WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO THEM FOR HELP, YES, SIR. >>KEN HAGAN: THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS -- BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA IS FOR LEVEL TWO, WHICH IS 326. I'M GOING TO OPPOSE THAT. I THINK THE CUT NEEDS TO BE GREATER THAN THAT. THE LAST COMMENT BEFORE THE VOTE IS COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. CHAIRMAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE APPROPRIATE THING IS, BUT WHAT IF I MADE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION NOW OR DO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE VOTING PROCESS? GUIDE ME THROUGH THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: WHICHEVER ONE. >>ROSE FERLITA: OKAY. WELL, THEN, MAYBE -- I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO REMOVE MY SECOND AND MAKE THIS MOTION, BUT GIVEN WHAT CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD -- AND I THINK SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO DISAGREE WITH THAT AMOUNT -- MAKE GOOD SENSE. I THINK THE NEXT LEVEL AT WHICH LORI COULD DO WHAT SHE NEEDS TO DO AND STILL ACCOMPLISH SOME MORE CUTS WOULD BE 534 MILLION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THAT AS A COUNTER -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: THOUSAND. >>ROSE FERLITA: -- AND ASK PEOPLE TO CONSIDER THAT. >>JIM NORMAN: MILLION? >>ROSE FERLITA: MILLION. I'M SORRY. >>JIM NORMAN: SECOND. [LAUGHTER] >>ROSE FERLITA: NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. THANK YOU. LORI, YOU SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ME. YEAH, 534 MILLION AS A COMPROMISE IF SOMEONE WOULD CONSIDER SUPPORTING THAT. >>BRIAN BLAIR: [INAUDIBLE] >>JIM NORMAN: WITH THE 300, THAT SORT OF GETS ME THERE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THE 300'S A ONE TIME. >>KEN HAGAN: AND I'LL SUPPORT THAT MOTION. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU ALL. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: CAN YOU REPEAT THE FIGURE. >>KEN HAGAN: WE HAVE A NEW MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>BRIAN BLAIR: I'LL SECOND THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR FOR A 534,000 REDUCTION, PLUS THE 300 FROM T-MOBILE. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: PLUS THAT 300, SO BASICALLY WE'RE AT 800 PLUS. >>BRIAN BLAIR: RIGHT. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: ALL RIGHT. I CAN SUPPORT THE 800. >>KEN HAGAN: NO FURTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM F-4, AND THIS IS FOUR CONSUMER PROTECTION POSITIONS THAT WERE CUT FROM CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. I RECOMMEND RESTORING THEM IF YOU -- >>KEN HAGAN: ANY COMMENTS OR CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? >>KEVIN WHITE: MOVE FOR APPROVAL. >>KEN HAGAN: DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION TO RESTORE THE CONSUMER PROTECTION PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY CUTS BY COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 4-3, COMMISSIONERS HAGAN, HIGGINBOTHAM, AND SHARPE VOTING NO. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. F-5-A. >>PAT BEAN: F-5-A IS A RECOMMENDATION FOR EFFICIENCY OF REDUCING THE MINORITY ENTERPRISE MANAGER POSITION. THAT INDIVIDUAL HAS RETIRED, BUT WHATEVER THE BOARD'S PLEASURE IS. >>KEVIN WHITE: MOVE APPROVAL. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO -- OBVIOUSLY WE MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE MBE PROGRAM, BUT IS THERE A WAY OF DOING THAT WITHOUT HAVING A MANAGER? >>PAT BEAN: WELL -- >>ERIC JOHNSON: IT'S A CONSOLIDATION OF FUNCTIONS. >>PAT BEAN: IT IS A CONSOLIDATION THAT IS RECOMMENDED IN THE CUT, SO THERE WOULD BE SOMEONE THERE TO MANAGE IT. >>MARK SHARPE: OKAY. THEN I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>KEVIN WHITE: MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING A MANAGER THAT'S ABSOLUTELY INTENT ON AND CONCENTRATING ON THE MBE PROGRAM AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THAT PROGRAM AND HAVING SOMEONE ELSE THAT'S JUST AN ANALYST THAT HAS A BUNCH OF OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES. THIS IS A FULL-TIME PROGRAM. IF THE COUNTY IS GOING TO SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND MAKING SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES AND MBEs HAVE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS, I BELIEVE IT'S VITAL THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT PROJECT, AND THAT'S WHY I'M SUPPORTING THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND I AGREE MUCH WITH MR. WHITE. I THINK BEING IN A MANAGERIAL POSITION, THAT WILL DIRECT OUR MINORITIES IN THE AREAS THAT THEY NEED HELP WITH IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, SO I WOULD BE SUPPORTING OF THAT IF YOU'RE MAKING THAT MOTION. >>KEVIN WHITE: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION -- >>ROSE FERLITA: TO RESTORE THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: -- TO RESTORE BY COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. BEFORE WE VOTE, COMMISSIONER BLAIR, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? >>BRIAN BLAIR: WELL, YOU KNOW, I REPRESENT THE URBAN CAUCUS, AND I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE -- THE COST OF THAT POSITION, $130,000. I MEAN, HOW -- I'D LIKE TO SEE A -- YOU KNOW, A WORKLOAD, WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING A BANG FOR THEIR BUCK. I'LL SUPPORT IT, BUT IN THE FUTURE I'D LIKE TO SEE -- YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, KEV? >>KEVIN WHITE: YEAH, BUT -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: -- I WANT TO SEE WHAT THEY DO FOR THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY. >>KEVIN WHITE: BUT I'M SURE ERIC JOHNSON CAN -- NOT ERIC, I'M SORRY. >>BRIAN BLAIR: WHO IS THE DEPARTMENT HEAD? >>PAT BEAN: GENE GRAY. >>KEVIN WHITE: GENE GRAY. I'M SURE GENE CAN SHOW THE VALUE OF WHAT SPENCER ALBERT HAS BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST YEARS. >>BRIAN BLAIR: HE'S RETIRING, THOUGH; RIGHT? >>KEVIN WHITE: HE'S RETIRING TODAY, THE 31st. >>BRIAN BLAIR: RIGHT. >>PAT BEAN: THERE IS A GENTLEMAN IN THE DEPARTMENT BY THE NAME OF BILL HERRIG WHO WOULD BE TAKING THIS RESPONSIBILITY ON IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER RESPONSIBILITY THAT HE HAS. MR. GRAY HAD RECOMMENDED THAT AS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDED CUTS. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING, GENE. >>GENE GRAY: GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. GENE GRAY WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. AND COMMISSIONER, I'D FIRST OFF POINT OUT THE AMOUNT, THE $130,000, THAT IS SALARY AND BENEFITS, SO IT'S TOTALLY INCLUSIVE OF ALL THE COST OF THAT POSITION. AS PAT'S INDICATED, WE DID RECOMMEND THIS AS AN EFFICIENCY. GOING INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS, KNOWING WHAT A DIFFICULT TIME THE COUNTY WAS GOING TO HAVE IN BALANCING THE BUDGET, WE DID -- KNOWING THAT MR. ALBERT WAS GOING TO BE RETIRING AT THIS POINT, WE DID SEE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MERGE THOSE TWO PROGRAM AREAS TOGETHER WITH ONE MANAGER MANAGING BOTH OF THEM. I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT THERE -- THAT THAT EFFICIENCY AND THAT MERGER WON'T CREATE SOME IMPACTS TO SOME EXTENT IN TERMS OF MANAGING THE OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT WE ARE COMPLETELY DEDICATED TO -- TO FULFILLING THE MISSION OF THAT PROGRAM AND SERVING THE CLIENTS THAT WE DO AS -- AND THE COUNTY IN CONDUCTING THE PROGRAM. >>BRIAN BLAIR: AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS KIND OF TRYING TO GET AT. YOU KNOW, WHERE WILL IT BE? WILL IT STILL BE MANAGED? AND SINCE WE KNOW THAT THE CURRENT MANAGER IS RETIRING, WHEN SOMEBODY NEW -- IF YOU'RE GOING TO BRING SOMEBODY NEW IN JUST TO FILL THAT POSITION, WOULD THEY BE AT THE SAME SALARY LEVEL? OR IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT CAN TAKE ON BOTH RESPONSIBILITIES AND MERGE THEM TOGETHER -- >>PAT BEAN: THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION. >>BRIAN BLAIR: AS LONG AS WE SEE THERE'S NO CUT IN SERVICE, REDUCTION IN -- THAT THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB -- >>KEVIN WHITE: THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING. THERE WILL BE A REDUCTION OR THERE WILL BE SOME IMPACT IMMEDIATELY, BUT -- AND THAT'S WHAT WE DON'T WANT. WE NEED SOMEBODY THAT'S MANAGING THAT PROGRAM. AND IF ANYBODY ELSE IS COMING IN, THEY WON'T NECESSARILY BE COMING IN AT THE HIGH SALARY THAT -- OR THE SALARY THE PERSON RETIRING IS COMING IN AT, IT'LL HAVE TO BE A POSITION THAT'S APPLIED FOR AND THEN FIND OUT WHAT LEVEL THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN AT, AND WE'LL JUST GO FROM THERE, BUT IT'S A POSITION THAT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY FEEL THAT NEEDS TO BE 100% MANAGED AND NOT COMANAGED WITH SOMETHING ELSE. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: ALL RIGHT. SO WE'VE GOT SEVERAL FOLKS MANAGING THIS MBE RIGHT NOW. >>KEVIN WHITE: NO, JUST ONE. >>PAT BEAN: JUST ONE. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: JUST ONE. AND IF WE ELIMINATE IT, WHO PICKS UP THE SLACK? >>GENE GRAY: AS PROPOSED, THE MANAGER OF OUR ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING UNIT, WHICH IS BASICALLY A ONE- PERSON UNIT, MANAGES THE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE EXTENSIVE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES, AND WE WOULD BE -- THE PROPOSAL IS TO MERGE THOSE TWO UNITS TOGETHER, AND THE EXISTING MANAGER OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING SECTION WOULD MANAGE BOTH PROGRAMS. THEY ARE TWO FULL-TIME POSITIONS, AND IN ESSENCE, THIS PROPOSAL WOULD OBVIOUSLY ELIMINATE ONE, BE MANAGING -- ONE FULL-TIME POSITION WOULD BE MANAGING BOTH FUNCTIONS. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: AND KEVIN, YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW THIS STILL NEEDS TWO PEOPLE TO RUN -- TO EFFECTIVELY RUN THE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S YOUR MOTION IS TO KEEP THE TWO? >>KEVIN WHITE: EXACTLY, BECAUSE THE -- BECAUSE THE MANAGER THAT IS RETIRING, THAT'S HIS FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT - - HE HAS GROWN THAT DEPARTMENT AND THE MINORITY ENTERPRISE ASPECT FOR THE COUNTY TREMENDOUSLY, AND IF HE IS NO LONGER THERE OR IF THERE'S NOBODY THERE TO SPECIFICALLY MANAGE THAT DEPARTMENT, I'M AFRAID THAT WE'LL GO BACKWARDS LIKE A LOT OF OTHER AGENCIES. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: LIKE WE'VE SEEN AT TAMPA GENERAL? >>KEVIN WHITE: EXACTLY. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: I'M GOING TO SUPPORT YOUR MOTION. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 6-1. COMMISSIONER SHARPE VOTED NO. >>KEN HAGAN: 5-B. >>PAT BEAN: 5-B IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RESTORE THE BUSINESS ANALYST FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION ALSO COMING FROM MR. GRAY. NO? >>KEN HAGAN: WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? >>BRIAN BLAIR: MOVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. >>MARK SHARPE: GENE. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: I'M -- I'VE SEEN YOUR WONDERFUL WORK, AND I -- AND I DON'T WANT TO BE -- I FEEL LIKE I'M COMING DOWN HARD HERE TODAY, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A POSITION THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED. >>GENE GRAY: COMMISSIONER, I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT THE RESTORATION OF THIS POSITION. IT IS -- IT'S AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION ON AN ONGOING BASIS IN TERMS OF REVIEWING THE PROPOSALS THAT COME IN FROM COMPANIES WITH REGARD TO THEIR MBE PARTICIPATION, PARTICULARLY ON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS, AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT -- THE FUNCTION I'M GETTING READY TO SPEAK TO IS NOT AN ONGOING FUNCTION, BUT IT IS A REGULAR FUNCTION THAT IS CONDUCTING OUR -- OUR DISPARITY STUDY ON A REGULAR BASIS, WHICH IS PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN MANAGING THIS PROGRAM, AND BASED ON THE DIRECTION -- >>MARK SHARPE: MANAGING THE MBE PROGRAM? >>GENE GRAY: MANAGING -- IT IS WITHIN THE MBE PROGRAM. IT IS NOT THE MANAGER. IT IS A BUSINESS MANAGER POSITION, BUT THAT -- ONE OF THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THAT POSITION IS TO CONDUCT OUR DISPARITY STUDY THAT LOOKS AT THE PARTICIPATION OF CONTRACTORS IN -- ACROSS THE BOARD IN TERMS OF COUNTY PROCUREMENT TO ANALYZE THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION UTILIZATION THAT WE'RE GETTING FOR MBE COMPANIES AND A LOT OF DATA ANALYZING THAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT. >>MARK SHARPE: NOT TO FIGHT THE OLD FIGHT -- AND I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS MOTION, BUT THIS PERSON'S PROVIDING THE DATA AND INFORMATION TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROGRAM? >>GENE GRAY: YES. >>MARK SHARPE: NOW, WE HAVE A MANAGER WHO OVERSEES THIS INDIVIDUAL. I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO BE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT, HOW MANY LEVELS AND LAYERS DO WE NEED TO MANAGE THE PROGRAM? AND -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: RIGHT. >>MARK SHARPE: SO I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS INDIVIDUAL, BUT I STILL THINK THAT WE -- WE ERRED ON THE LAST ONE, BUT OKAY. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: I WOULD JUST ASK IF YOU TOOK F-4, F-5, AND F-5-B, IF YOU COULD LOOK AT A WAY WHERE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CROSS-TRAINING -- WE DON'T WANT TO REDUCE SERVICES, BUT IF YOU COULD COME BACK TO US AND SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO CREATE AN EFFICIENCY -- AN EFFICIENCY TO ME IS REDUCE -- REDUCTION IN COST WITHOUT A REDUCTION IN SERVICE. IF SOMEHOW TWO PEOPLE COULD TAKE ON THESE THREE RESPONSIBILITIES AND DO IT, AGAIN, EFFICIENTLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >>PAT BEAN: COMMISSIONER, F-4 IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AND TOTALLY DIFFERENT SKILLS REQUIRED FOR THE -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, YOU KNOW. SO EVERYBODY HAS -- IT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT, BUT YET THEY'RE KIND OF -- THEY'RE KIND OF IN THE SAME -- I'M SORRY, NOT F- 4, THAT'S THE CONSUMER PROTECTION. I MEANT F-5 AND F-8 -- "A" AND "B," I MEAN, EXCUSE ME. >>PAT BEAN: YES. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO APPROVE F-5-B, RESTORE THE BUSINESS ANALYST POSITION BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR. DID WE HAVE A SECOND? >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>JIM NORMAN: THIS IS TO RESTORE IT? >>KEN HAGAN: YEAH. AND I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM. OKAY. NO FURTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>MARK SHARPE: GENE, I HATE TO DO THIS. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: WE'VE ALREADY VOTED, BUT HERE'S THE -- I THINK WE'RE BACKWARDS. WE HAVE A MANAGER WHO OVERSEES WHAT THE WORKER'S DOING. I THINK WE NEED THE GUY DOING THE DATA WORK. I THINK WE NEED SOMEONE WHO'S TRACKING AND MAKING SURE EVERYBODY'S DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO BE DOING. THE QUESTION WAS OFTENTIMES MANAGEMENT OF A PROGRAM CAN BE HANDLED BY ONE INDIVIDUAL OVERSEEING TWO WITHOUT ANY REDUCTION IN THE EFFECTIVENESS OR THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PROGRAM, SO I WOULD JUST ASK WHEN WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR THAT WE LOOK AT ARE WE MANAGING THIS PROGRAM AS BEST WE CAN? DO WE NEED TWO PEOPLE DOING IT? >>BRIAN BLAIR: EXACTLY. >>MARK SHARPE: AND I THINK -- BECAUSE I THINK EVERY EMPLOYEE OF YOUR DEPARTMENT OUGHT TO BE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN BE AS INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE. IT'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON'S JOB, IT'S EVERYONE'S JOB, IT'S YOUR JOB. HOW CAN WE GET AS MANY PEOPLE PARTICIPATING, SO THAT'S WHY I'M NOT SURE WITH F-5-A AND "B" WE NEED TWO PEOPLE. I VOTED. I'M GOING TO SUPPORT -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: FOR THE RECORD, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS SAYING, AND I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY, AND I HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE LOOKED AT AND COME BACK, I GUESS, NEXT BUDGET. >>MARK SHARPE: NEXT YEAR. >>PAT BEAN: WELL, MR. CHAIR -- >>KEN HAGAN: CAN WE LET HER ANNOUNCE THE VOTE, PLEASE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 4-3, COMMISSIONERS HAGAN, HIGGINBOTHAM AND NORMAN VOTING NO. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. CONTINUE. >>PAT BEAN: WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO BE ON THE RECORD SAYING THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD ASKED ALL MY DEPARTMENT HEADS TO DO WAS TO IDENTIFY EFFICIENCIES. EFFICIENCY MEANS THERE'S NO REDUCTION IN SERVICE BUT THAT THERE IS A REDUCTION IN COST. I ALSO ASKED THAT THEY LOOK FOR WAYS TO TRIM IN THE MANAGEMENT RANKS, AND PUTTING THAT ONE MANAGER POSITION BACK TAKES THE EFFICIENCY THAT -- THAT RESPONDED TO TWO OF MY REQUESTS TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AS THEY PUT THEIR BUDGETS TOGETHER. >>KEN HAGAN: 6-A. YES, COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: WITH THAT SAID, THIS SHEDS A WHOLE NEW LIGHT. I'D LIKE TO RECONSIDER MY VOTE. >>MARK SHARPE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER F-5-B BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>MARK SHARPE: I THINK HE WANTS TO RECONSIDER 5-A. >>KEN HAGAN: WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT TO RECONSIDER? >>BRIAN BLAIR: "B." >>KEN HAGAN: F-5-B. MOTION TO RECONSIDER BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >>MARK SHARPE: NO. I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT YOUR MOTION IS, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JUST SAID WAS THE EFFICIENCIES THEY RECOMMENDED WAS TO REDUCE WHERE SHE THOUGHT THEY COULD CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE PROGRAM OR CONTINUE TO RUN THE PROGRAM EFFECTIVELY AND ALSO ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE MANAGEMENT, AND THE EXCESSIVE MANAGEMENT WAS IN F-5-A, SO WE KEEP F-5-B, WHO IS THE STATISTICIAN WHO ACTUALLY DOES THE TRACKING AND ALL THE HARD WORK, BUT F-5-A WOULD BE MERGED, SO MY SENSE WOULD BE IF WE'RE GOING TO RECONSIDER, YOU WOULD RECONSIDER F-5-A, WHICH IS TO DO WHAT THE STAFF WANTED TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHICH WAS TO ELIMINATE EXCESSIVE MANAGEMENT WHILE STILL RUNNING THE PROGRAM. NOW, I KNOW THAT RUNS COUNTER TO WHAT COMMISSIONER WHITE WAS SAYING, AND I DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT, BUT I THINK WE GET WHERE HE WANTS TO GO BY NOT HAVING THIS SOLE MANAGER OF THE MBE PROGRAM BUT YOU STILL HAVE THE PERSON DOING THE WORK, WHICH IS IN F-5-B. >>KEVIN WHITE: AND THAT WAS ALSO CONTRARY TO WHAT COMMISSIONER BLAIR SAID ABOUT HE DIDN'T WANT ANY REDUCTION IN SERVICE TO THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, WHICH THAT SOLE MANAGER WAS GOING TO DO AS WELL. >>MARK SHARPE: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEVIN WHITE: YEAH, I'M STANDING BY THESE. BOTH OF THESE HAVE PASSED, AND I THINK THAT'S THE WAY WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND DO IT FOR NOW. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR, WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? >>BRIAN BLAIR: MY PLEASURE IS I ASKED FOR A RECONSIDERATION, AND I GOT A SECOND FROM -- >>KEN HAGAN: FOR 5-B? >>BRIAN BLAIR: FOR "B." >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER FROM COMMISSIONER BLAIR FOR 5-B. WHO SECONDED IT? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >>BRIAN BLAIR: FERLITA? I THOUGHT YOU DID. NO? >>ROSE FERLITA: [INAUDIBLE] >>BRIAN BLAIR: OH, I'M SORRY. >>JIM NORMAN: SECOND. >>ROSE FERLITA: NO, I DIDN'T [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 6-1, COMMISSIONER WHITE VOTING NO. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. THEN THE VOTE TO RESTORE 5-B, WHO MADE THE MOTION? >>BRIAN BLAIR: I DID. I JUST ASKED FOR RECONSIDERATION. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO NOW WE'RE REVOTING? >>BRIAN BLAIR: NOW WE'RE REVOTING. >>ROSE FERLITA: OR ARE YOU SUPPORTING THAT OR MAKING THAT MOTION AGAIN? >>BRIAN BLAIR: WHO MADE THE ORIGINAL MOTION? >>ROSE FERLITA: I THINK YOU DID. OKAY. WE'VE VOTED FOR RE -- >>MARK SHARPE: I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE F-5- B. >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION TO APPROVE F-5-B BY COMMISSIONER SHARPE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION FAILED 3-4, COMMISSIONERS BLAIR, HAGAN, HIGGINBOTHAM, AND NORMAN VOTING NO. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. DO WE NEED ANOTHER MOTION TO -- OR THIS JUST DIES? >>JIM NORMAN: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: SO IT JUST DIES. >>BRIAN BLAIR: CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT OUR ADMINISTRATOR HAS MADE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AS EFFICIENCIES, AS SHE JUST SAID, SO JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S MOVING FORWARD, STAFF HAS ALREADY GONE THROUGH THIS AND THEY SAY, YES, WE CAN CONTINUE THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE WITHOUT -- WITH A REDUCTION IN DOLLARS, SO STAFF'S DOING THEIR JOB, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. >>MARK SHARPE: GENE -- BUT LET ME ASK -- I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT. THIS IS ALSO AN INDIVIDUAL'S JOB. OKAY. WHAT WE DID WAS WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL WHO RETIRED, SO WE HAD A VACANT POSITION, AND YOUR RECOMMENDATION WAS LET'S MERGE THAT POSITION AND -- SO WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CAN DO BOTH. NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S DOING F-5-B RIGHT NOW; IS THAT CORRECT? >>GENE GRAY: THAT IS CORRECT. >>MARK SHARPE: SO NOW WE WHAT WE JUST DID WAS WE ELIMINATED THAT POSITION WHERE WE HAVE SOMEONE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK AND WE BROUGHT BACK THE POSITION WHERE WE HAVE SOMEONE RETIRING WHO'S GOING TO BE DOING THE MANAGEMENT, AND WE COULD SAVE MORE, $130,000 VERSUS $78,000, IF WE REVERSE THE ACTION WE JUST TOOK. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GET THERE, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION IS WE ELIMINATE F-5-A, WHICH IS THE MANAGEMENT POSITION, THE SOLE MANAGER, BECAUSE THAT WOULD THEN ALLOW THE JOB TO STILL BE DONE, YOU STILL HAVE MANAGEMENT TAKING PLACE, BUT RESTORE F-5-B, WHICH IS THE PERSON DOING THE JOB. I MEAN, I VOTED TO ELIMINATE F-5-A. I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THE PERSON ACTUALLY TRACKING THE PROGRAM. WE'RE GETTING RID OF THE TRACKER AND KEEPING THE MANAGER, SO I THINK WE OUGHT TO UNDO WHAT WE DID. IT'S BACKWARDS. I THINK WE SHOULD ELIMINATE F-5-A -- AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER WHITE IS GOING TO OPPOSE BOTH OF THOSE, AND I RESPECT THAT, BUT I'M SAYING IF WE WANT TO GET TO WHERE COMMISSIONER BLAIR WANTED TO GO, I THINK WE DO LESS INJURY TO THIS PROGRAM BY ELIMINATING F-5-A AND KEEPING F-5-B THAN WHAT WE JUST DID, SO -- >>KEN HAGAN: GENE, I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION. DID YOU ORIGINALLY RECOMMEND BOTH OF THESE REDUCTIONS? >>GENE GRAY: NO, SIR, WE DID NOT. OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS CONSISTENT WITH F-5-A, TO MERGE THE TWO SECTIONS WITH ONE MANAGER AS AN EFFICIENCY WITH WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE MINIMAL IMPACT, BUT -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: AND THAT'S WHERE I -- THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO GET TO. >>KEN HAGAN: SO WHO ORIGINALLY RECOMMENDED THIS WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR? >>GENE GRAY: F-5-B WAS NOT MY RECOMMENDATION. >>PAT BEAN: NO. WE RECOMMENDED F-5-B BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE ENOUGH CUTS TO GET US WHERE WE THOUGHT WE HAD TO BE BASED ON THE DOLLARS WE HAD WHEN WE STARTED THE PROCESS, BUT F-5-A WAS HIS RECOMMENDATION, AND I SUPPORT THAT RECOMMENDATION. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. COMMISSIONER BLAIR, AND THEN WE NEED TO MOVE ON. I'M NOT PREPARED TO CHANGE MY VOTE NOW. >>BRIAN BLAIR: WELL, THIS IS WHERE I -- I WANTED TO GO TO IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND COMMISSIONER SHARPE WAS KEEN ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE THAT. I FEEL LIKE -- >>MARK SHARPE: WE NEED TO RECONSIDER [INAUDIBLE] F-5-A. >>BRIAN BLAIR: AND AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO KNOW -- I WANT ASSURANCE FROM EVERYBODY HERE THAT THE MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE POSITION WILL BE EFFECTIVELY -- THAT IT WILL BE STILL EFFECTIVE. >>MARK SHARPE: HE GAVE THAT ASSURANCE. >>JIM NORMAN: THAT WAS A 6-1 VOTE. YOU GOTTA STILL GET SEVERAL MORE. >>MARK SHARPE: IT'S NOT A SLAM DUNK. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: JUST -- I HATE SPLITTING THE BABY. IS THERE ANY WAY TO LOOK AT THOSE DOLLAR ALLOCATIONS AND RESTORE SOME -- SOME PROCESS THAT TARGETS THE MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE MANAGER BUT AT THE SAME TIME SAVINGS THE ANALYST BECAUSE I THINK THE ANALYST IS JUST AS IMPORTANT. I GUESS I'M TRYING TO -- >>PAT BEAN: COMMISSIONER, THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION, AS IT WAS PRESENTED BY THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, WAS THAT HE HAD A MANAGER THERE THAT COULD ASSUME ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND WORKING WITH THE OTHER STAFF THAT'S IN THE DEPARTMENT, THEY COULD CONTINUE THE PROGRAM WITH MINIMAL DISRUPTION. THAT'S WHY HE RECOMMENDED 5-A. AT THE TIME THAT WE MADE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU IN OUR RECOMMENDED BUDGET, WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE DOLLARS THAT WE NOW KNOW THAT WE HAVE, AND WE WENT ONE POSITION FURTHER, AND THAT WAS 5-B. >>BRIAN BLAIR: 5-B. >>PAT BEAN: NOW, WE CAN, IN MY OPINION, ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, WHICH IS 5-A, DO THE CONSOLIDATION. THERE WILL BE A MANAGER MANAGING THE PROGRAM, IN ADDITION TO IF YOU CORRECT THIS AND PUT 5-B BACK, THEN YOU'LL HAVE YOUR ANALYST PREPARE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THE MANAGER NEEDS TO RUN THE PROGRAM. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU. THIS IS THE SAME THING WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL. THIS IS WHAT PUT US IN THE PREDICAMENT THAT WE'RE IN AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL BECAUSE YOU HAD SOMEONE THAT WASN'T -- WELL, LET ME BACK UP. WE NEED SOMEONE MANAGING THE PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT PROGRAM THAT'S SOLE RESPONSIBILITY IS THAT PROGRAM. IT'S A HUGE PROGRAM, AND THE COUNTY HAS GROWN IT AS SUCH. I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER SHARPE, THAT ANALYST IS CRITICAL. THE MANAGER WITHOUT THE ANALYST OR THE ANALYST WITHOUT THE MANAGER, YOU'RE IN A FUTILE POSITION. THE ANALYST IS A VERY KEY COMPONENT TO THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT COMPILE THE DATA. THAT WAS WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CITY'S MBE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PROPER ANALYST, AND WHEN WE DID THE DISPARITY STUDY, WE FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE VENDORS IN THE PROGRAM THAT WERE DEAD, NONEXISTENT, NOT IN BUSINESS ANY LONGER AND WERE CONTINUING TO BE COUNTED IN THOSE -- IN THOSE STATS. NOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE, WE'VE KEPT F-5-A AND WE'VE ELIMINATED F-5-B, WHICH IS THE ANALYST AT THIS POINT IN TIME BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION. NOW, I'D LIKE TO -- I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION IN THIS EFFECT. IF WE CAN DO THIS ALL IN ONE FELL SWOOP -- IF WE CAN -- IF WE CAN'T, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION SINCE WE'VE ELIMINATED A POSITION THAT'S THERE, WHICH IS THE ANALYST, WHICH IS CRITICAL -- I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT WE MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER AND RESTORE F-5-B, WHICH IS THE ANALYST, AS WELL AS WE'VE ALREADY KEPT F-5-A, BUT -- THE $130,000 IS INCLUSIVE OF SALARY AND BENEFITS, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SAY, WELL, WE'LL MODIFY THAT RESTORATION WHICH IS ALREADY THERE TO A MAXIMUM OF $100,000. >>ROSE FERLITA: I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO THAT ALL IN ONE VOTE, THOUGH. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DISAGREEMENTS. >>KEVIN WHITE: THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IF WE NEED TO BREAK IT DOWN, IF THAT WILL MAKE SOME OTHER PEOPLE COMFORTABLE, BUT I FEEL WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE A MANAGER OVER THAT PROGRAM THAT'S QUALIFIED AND CAPABLE OF DOING THAT WITH SOME LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE, AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. WE PUT PEOPLE IN THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE OR THE EXPERTISE IN THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO GET US IN A DEBACLE OR THE POTENTIAL TO BE IF A VERY BAD PROBLEM LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES IN TOWN RIGHT NOW. >>KEN HAGAN: GENE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON COMMISSIONER WHITE'S SUGGESTION? >>GENE GRAY: YES, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. WITH REGARD TO THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANAGEMENT POSITION, I DO EXPECT -- I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER TO GIVE YOU, BUT I DO EXPECT THAT THAT POSITION WILL COME IN AT LESS THAN THAT 130,000 BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS BEEN THERE WAS AT THE TOP OF HIS PAY RANGE, SO I WOULD NOT EXPECT -- IN FACT, I WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE VERY DOUBTFUL THAT THE NEW MANAGER COMING IN WOULD BE AT THE TOP OF THE PAY RANGE, SO THERE WOULD BE SOME ANTICIPATED SAVINGS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE NEW HIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT -- >>KEVIN WHITE: SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO REVOTE ON THAT ONE AT ALL? >>GENE GRAY: IN MY OPINION, NO, SIR. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: I UNDERSTAND WHERE COMMISSIONER WHITE IS CONCERNED, AND I HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE OVER AT THE TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL BOARD, AND I UNDERSTAND COMMISSIONER SHARPE. NOT TO MUDDY THE WATER, CHAIRMAN HAGAN, BUT MAYBE WE SHOULD VOTE TO RECONSIDER, AND THEN IN THE VOTE TABLE THIS UNTIL THIS AFTERNOON SO STAFF CAN COME UP WITH SOME THOUGHTS AND PLAN AND GIVE US SOME ADDITIONAL INPUT AND THEN RECONSIDER THIS THIS AFTERNOON. >>JIM NORMAN: OR UNTIL THE END. >> OR UNTIL THE END. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: OR BRING IT UP TO THE END. TABLE IT AND BRING IT BACK AT THE END. >>BRIAN BLAIR: I'LL SECOND THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: I'M FINE, BUT I FULLY EXPECTED TO BE OUT OF HERE THIS MORNING AND NOT RETURN THIS AFTERNOON. >>JIM NORMAN: TO THE END. >>BRIAN BLAIR: THEY CAN GO HUDDLE. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. SO THE MOTION IS TO TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL OUR LAST VOTE. >>JIM NORMAN: YOU DON'T LIKE TO HANG AROUND WITH US? >>KEN HAGAN: NOT PARTICULARLY. COMMISSIONER FERLITA. [LAUGHTER] >>KEVIN WHITE: THAT'S TABLING F-5-B. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. CHAIRMAN, I KIND OF AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO DELIBERATE THIS SOME MORE, AND I THINK WE CAN RESOLVE IT NOW. IF MR. GREEN IS SAYING -- IF MR. GRAY -- WHERE'D GREEN COME FROM? -- GRAY IS SAYING THAT PROBABLY 5-A IS NOT GOING TO COME IN 130, THAT'S A REDUCTION AGAIN. I THINK IT'S A MISTAKE TO TAKE AWAY THE ANALYST BECAUSE HE IS PART AND PARCEL TO WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT. I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT TABLING IT. I WOULD SUPPORT RECONSIDERATION OF 5-B AND MOVE ON WITH BOTH, BUT -- SO THAT'S MY COMMENT. I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THE TABLING. >>KEN HAGAN: SO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR WAS -- >>JIM NORMAN: WAIT, WAIT, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: WELL, SEE, THE REASON I VOTED TO DO AWAY -- I THOUGHT -- THE PERSON'S NOT THERE ANYMORE THAT HELD THAT OTHER POSITION. I THOUGHT MAYBE THEIR SKILL SETS, THEY COULD ALSO BE HIRED AS AN ANALYST AND AN OVERSEER OF THE MBE OR WHATEVER. >>ROSE FERLITA: THAT'S FINE TOO. I DON'T THINK THAT WAS DISCUSSED. >>JIM NORMAN: WHY COULDN'T -- THAT'S WHY I SAID, LOOK, THAT PERSON'S NO LONGER THERE. YOU COULD ACTUALLY -- IF THEY'RE A MANAGER AND HAVE THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW -- >>ROSE FERLITA: YOU WOULD HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF SOMEBODY WHO WAS CAPABLE TO DO BOTH. >>JIM NORMAN: THAT'S RIGHT. >>ROSE FERLITA: THAT'S THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. HOW DO WE GET TO THAT ONE, MR. NORMAN? >>JIM NORMAN: YOU MAKE THAT THE DIRECTION, THAT'S ALL. >>KEN HAGAN: DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM'S MOTION TO TABLE THIS UNTIL THE LAST ITEM? >> SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE ON THAT. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 5-2, COMMISSIONERS FERLITA AND WHITE VOTING NO. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM F-6-A, WHICH IS TO RESTORE THE REDUCTION AND THE ALLOCATION TO THE BRANDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. >>KEN HAGAN: CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? >>PAT BEAN: WHICH WAS A 20% REDUCTION. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVE. >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: NEXT ONE IS 6-B, WHICH IS THE RESTORATION OF THE REDUCTION IN THE ALLOCATION TO THE TAMPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. >>KEN HAGAN: CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVED. >>MARK SHARPE: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER SHARPE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM F-7-A AND F-7-B. THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN, AND I BELIEVE THE ONE THAT COMMISSIONER NORMAN MOST RECENTLY WAS SUPPORTIVE OF WAS THE "B" ITEM BECAUSE WHAT THAT DOES IS IT INCLUDES MOVING THE MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE MSTU INTO COUNTYWIDE SO THAT THE COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TOTAL PROGRAM COUNTYWIDE, BUT IT ALSO PICKS UP THE ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT'S NEEDED TO FUND THE RENTERS BECAUSE WE NEED -- >>JIM NORMAN: WE HAVE MORE MONEY -- >>ROSE FERLITA: [INAUDIBLE] >>JIM NORMAN: YEAH. WE HAVE MORE MONEY IN THE COUNTYWIDE MILLAGE, AND IT ALSO SAVES THE CITY SOME -- YOU KNOW, BRINGS THE CITIES ALONG AS A PARTNER AND THAT WE COULD OVERSEE THE WHOLE THING, AND THAT'S OUR AVAILABILITY IS IN COUNTYWIDE, NOT MSTU. THAT'S WHY THAT ACTION -- >>ROSE FERLITA: GREAT. PLEASE MAKE THE MOTION SO WE CAN SUPPORT IT. >>JIM NORMAN: SO MOVE. >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN -- >>PAT BEAN: THAT'S FOR 7-B. >>KEN HAGAN: -- SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA FOR 7-B. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: F-8. >>PAT BEAN: ITEM F-8 IS THE RESTORATION OF THE VICTIMS ASSISTANCE AMOUNT, WHICH IS THE 605, 965. >>BRIAN BLAIR: SO MOVE. >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. >>JIM NORMAN: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR, SECOND COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM, F-9, IS ASKING THE TAMPA SPORTS AUTHORITY ADMINISTRATION -- >>JIM NORMAN: SO MOVE. >>PAT BEAN: WAIT, WAIT. HANG ON. >>ERIC JOHNSON: COMMISSIONER, WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT. >>PAT BEAN: WE HAVE AN UPDATED NUMBER. >>ERIC JOHNSON: COMMISSIONER, ON THAT ONE, WHAT WAS REFLECTED AS F-9 WAS YOUR ORIGINAL REQUEST FOR A QUARTER- OF-A-MILLION-DOLLAR REDUCTION, OF WHICH WE WOULD BENEFIT BY TWO-THIRDS OF THAT. THE CURRENT JULY UPDATE TO THE TSA BUDGET, WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN APPROVED, IT'S SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION ON AUGUST 11th -- WAS $617,895 IN CUTS; HOWEVER, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING TALKING TO MR. SAAVEDRA EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AGREE TO SETTING ASIDE $75,000, NOT THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY PAY THAT TO THE TSA BUT TO HAVE IT SET ASIDE SHOULD THEY BE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO HAVE THE PATDOWN REINSTATED. >>JIM NORMAN: THAT'S WHAT I DESCRIBED TO YOU-ALL YESTERDAY IF YOU RECALL -- OR NOT YESTERDAY, THE PATDOWN. >>ROSE FERLITA: YOU SAID MR. SAAVEDRA'S IDEA? I THOUGHT IT WAS MR. [INAUDIBLE] IDEA. >>JIM NORMAN: WELL, IT WAS, BUT -- >>ERIC JOHNSON: SO THEN THAT WOULD BE $542,895 IN REDUCTION IN TSA BUDGET. OUR TWO-THIRDS SHARE WOULD BE 361,930, SO WHAT WE WOULD SUGGEST YOU VOTE ON IS SAVINGS OF $361,930. >>KEN HAGAN: CAN WE HAVE A MOTION? >>JIM NORMAN: YES. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES, SO MOVED, OR SECOND TO COMMISSIONER NORMAN. I DON'T CARE. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>JIM NORMAN: SAY THAT AGAIN, WITH ALL THAT COMBINED, WHAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE OFF OF IT? >>ERIC JOHNSON: WE WILL SAVE $361,930. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND MR. NORMAN, IF I MIGHT SAY SOMETHING. THANK YOU ALL FOR HOLDING HIS FEET TO THE FIRE AND WAITING FOR ALL THE DETAILS BEFORE YOU APPROVED THE BUDGET. >>JIM NORMAN: AND THE CITY GETS ONE-THIRD OF THAT. >>ERIC JOHNSON: SHOULD BE ABOUT A $180,000 SAVINGS TO THE CITY OF TAMPA. >>JIM NORMAN: RIGHT. THANKS. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: OKAY. THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM F-10. THIS IS REVIEW OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND APPROPRIATE STATE CONCURRENCY STATUTES RELATED TO COMMERCIAL DEVELOPERS, MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE TIMING OF MAKING REQUIRED OFF-SITE IMPROVEMENTS. WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION THERE? >>ERIC JOHNSON: COMMISSIONERS, THERE -- WE'VE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE. WE'RE NOT AWARE OF HOW IT SPECIFICALLY IMPACTS THE BUDGET THAT YOU ARE TO ADOPT. WE ARE LOOKING AT THE ISSUE IN REGARD TO THE DEVELOPER AGREEMENTS THAT ARE NEGOTIATED BY COUNTY STAFF, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A SPECIFIC IMPACT TODAY IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON FLAGGED ITEMS. COMMISSIONER NORMAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE'VE MISSED THERE, BUT IT IS AN ISSUE THAT WE'VE LOOKED INTO AND WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO LOOK INTO IN REGARD TO THAT ITEM. >>BRIAN BLAIR: MOVE THE ITEM. >>JIM NORMAN: ACTUALLY, BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT THAT IS IS HELPING WHAT DEVELOPERS ARE LEFT OUT THERE FOR COMMERCIAL TO GET A TOEHOLD IN THE ECONOMY AGAIN, TO START A REVIVING OF ACTIVITY FOR US TO START REAPING SOME AD VALOREM RETURN. THAT'S WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT. SO IT WOULDN'T BE A COST, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: TO MAKE MONEY. >>JIM NORMAN: RIGHT. >>PAT BEAN: AND THEN YOU HAVE F-11-A, "B," AND "C," WHICH ARE CONCERNING THE PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND EPC REGARDING WHETHER OR NOT THE REDUCTIONS ARE APPROPRIATELY TIED TO THE DECLINE IN THE MARKET. YES. >>ERIC JOHNSON: COMMISSIONERS, IF I CAN ADDRESS THAT. I HAD MET WITH EACH OF THE ORGANIZATIONS LISTED HERE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT. WHEN THE -- WHEN COUNTY ADMINISTRATION APPROACHED RECOMMENDED CUTS IN EACH OF THESE AREAS, IT WAS NOT WITH A FOCUS ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY. OUR INITIAL APPROACH LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD NOT YET RECOGNIZED A CHANGE IN THE ECONOMY HAD BEEN BASED ON TAX REFORM, AND AGAIN THIS YEAR OUR CUTS HAD BEEN SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON PERMANENT CUTS BASED ON TAX REFORM; HOWEVER, AS I VISITED WITH EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY REVIEWED THE MEASURES THAT REFLECT THE -- THE LOWER DEMAND FOR THEIR SERVICES IN SPECIFIC AREAS IMPACTED BY THE ECONOMY WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS THAT INADVERTENTLY THE LEVEL OF CUTS THAT WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED TO YOU APPEAR TO HAVE AT LEAST MATCHED THE LOWER DEMAND FOR THEIR SERVICES AS THEY'VE REPORTED AND IN SOME CASES MAY EVEN HAVE EXCEEDED IT. WE DON'T THINK THE ISSUE IS DONE, AND I THINK THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE AT THIS POINT WE ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF RECOMMENDING ANY SPECIFIC FURTHER REDUCTIONS, ALTHOUGH, AS YOU KNOW, TUESDAY PETER ALUOTTO FROM PGM TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE COULD MAKE FURTHER CUTS BUT THEY WOULD HAVE SERVICE IMPACTS. WHAT I'D SUGGEST AT THIS POINT IS THAT I WOULD AGREE TO MEET WITH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ISSUES, THE BUILDING TO SEE IF THEY AGREE WITH THE DEMAND MEASURES THAT EACH OF THESE AGENCIES HAVE PRESENTED TO YOU AS THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE ISSUES, AND SO I'D SUGGEST THAT AT THIS POINT WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS BUT THAT WE LEAVE THIS ISSUE OPEN, LET ME SEE WHETHER THE COMMUNITY IMPACTED BY THESE THREE AGENCIES ARE IN AGREEMENT OVER THE LEVEL OF DECLINE IN THEIR DEMAND FOR OUR SERVICES, AND IF WE FIND THAT THERE'S -- THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT WE HAVE NOT REALLY CUT BACK STAFFING PROPORTIONATE TO THE REDUCTION DEMAND, WE CAN BRING THAT BACK TO YOU. >>MARK SHARPE: IS THIS F- -- THIS IS F-11-A? >>ERIC JOHNSON: "A," "B," AND "C." AT THIS POINT I BELIEVE THAT THE INFORMATION FROM THE AGENCIES SHOWS THAT THEY HAVE HAD STAFFING REDUCTIONS EQUAL TO OR IN EXCESS OF THE DATA THAT THEY'VE SHOWN YOU RELATED TO THE DEMAND FOR THEIR SERVICES, BUT I THINK THAT BEFORE WE CAN FINALIZE THIS ISSUE, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO GO TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AND SEE WHETHER THE CUSTOMERS ARE IN CONCURRENCE, THAT THEIR DEMAND FOR SERVICES FROM EACH OF THESE AGENCIES IS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE AGENCIES HAVE REPORTED. >>KEN HAGAN: AND ANY INFORMATION YOU BRING BACK WOULD BE IN ADVANCE OF OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS? >>ERIC JOHNSON: IT WOULD BE IN ADVANCE OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS. THE BUDGET IS NOT SETTLED UNTIL SEPTEMBER, BUT AT THIS POINT I DON'T HAVE INFORMATION THAT SUGGESTS THAT THERE'S JUSTIFICATION FOR FURTHER REDUCTIONS IN THEIR BUDGETS BASED ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY, BUT I THINK WE CAN'T CLOSE THIS OUT BEFORE WE SEE WHETHER THEIR CUSTOMERS AGREE WITH WHAT EACH AGENCY HAS PRESENTED TO US. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: OKAY, AND THAT'S FINE, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ADVERSARIAL HERE, MR. JOHNSON, BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE COME BACK WITH WHAT THEY THINK IS THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL TO CUT. CUSTOMERS MAY DEMAND MORE OR EXPECT MORE THAN WE CAN OFFER, SO THAT'S FINE TO GET THAT INPUT AND ACT IN SOME CAPACITY AS A MEDIATOR, BUT TO COMPLETELY FINISH AND ROUND OFF THAT DISCUSSION, YOU WILL GO BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS FOR REBUTTAL? >>PAT BEAN: OH, ABSOLUTELY. >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES, AND I LEFT THAT OUT, BUT CLOSING THE LOOP MEANS SEEING WHETHER THE CLIENTS DISAGREE, AND THEN IF THEY DO, CERTAINLY BRING EACH AGENCY BACK IN. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND IF THEY DISAGREE, THEN IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S A COMPROMISE? >>ERIC JOHNSON: EXACTLY. >>ROSE FERLITA: OKAY. NO PROBLEM THEN. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: FIRST OFF I WANTED TO SAY EVEN AT THE LAST DISCUSSION I APPRECIATE WHAT COMMISSIONER NORMAN WAS DOING AND IS DOING BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS AND REALLY PROBE HARD, AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE. HE MADE A COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, OTHERS WILL BE LOOKING OVER OUR SHOULDERS, AND THEY WILL AND THEY SHOULD, BUT THE CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE IS THIS. I THINK THAT WITH THE -- IN PARTICULAR, THE PLANNING AND GROWTH AS WELL AS EPC AND PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT EACH HAVE COME TO US SHOWING US THE LEVEL OF WORK. PLANNING AND GROWTH, I'VE READ THE MATERIAL OVER AGAIN AFTER WE HAD THAT FINAL DISCUSSION, AND THERE WAS NO QUESTION THAT THEY SAID THAT THE NUMBER OF WALK-INS, THE NUMBER OF CALLS, THAT ONE ENVIRONMENTAL POSITION, THE DELAY HE SAID IF WE LOSE THAT POSITION IS FOUR TO SIX WEEKS. NOW, WE'LL ALL HEAR ABOUT THOSE PERMITTING DELAYS, SO I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE YOU ARE, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO HAVE A LOT OF OVERSIGHT. I'M A LITTLE LESS COMFORTABLE WITH GOING OUT TO THE CUSTOMERS BECAUSE CUSTOMERS HAVE -- SOMETIMES THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE AGENDA, YOU KNOW, AND WE'D LIKE TO GIVE -- YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO WEIGH THAT AS HEAVILY AS THE DATA COMING IN, BUT LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ASKING OUR STAFFS TO TRACK CALLS, WALK-INS -- WE SHOULD BE, AND WE'RE HANDING OUT CUSTOMER SERVICE CARDS. WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE A GOOD OVERSIGHT ON THAT, BUT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, AND I THANK COMMISSIONER NORMAN FOR PUSHING FOR THESE CUTS. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: WELL, I WANT TO SAY JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. THE VERY DAY THAT WE WERE HAVING THAT DISCUSSION. IF YOU-ALL READ THE FINANCIAL PAGE THE VERY NEXT DAY, ONE OF OUR LARGEST UP-SCALE HOUSING DEVELOPERS FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY AND IS NO LONGER GOING TO EVEN BE IN OUR MARKET ANY LONGER. >>KEN HAGAN: SMITH. >>JIM NORMAN: ACTUALLY, YOU ALL SAW THAT. I MEAN, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT OCCURRING A LOT, AND -- THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT MR. JOHNSON IS SAYING AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WHEN THERE WAS A -- A SPIKE-DOWN, THERE WAS A LEVEL WE ASKED THEM TO GO DOWN TO, AND THEN AFTER THE OTHER PASSAGE BY THE VOTER, IT DROPPED ANOTHER LEVEL, THAT'S WHERE WE EXPECT THEM, BUT THE MARKET DIPPED BELOW THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT -- YOU KNOW, THE CHARTS THAT HE HAS, WE'VE ASKED HIM TO DO THIS, WE'VE ASKED HIM TO DO THE SECOND CUT, BUT THE MARKET TREND IS BELOW WHERE WE ASKED HIM TO BE. THE MARKET'S DOWN HERE, AND WE ASKED HIM TO CUT HERE. YOU CAN SEE HIM SHAKING HIS HEAD YES. IF IT PLANES AND STAYS BELOW WHERE WE ASK HIM TO CUT, THAT'S WHERE I SAID THERE IS A -- THERE'S GAP IN THERE THAT OUR -- THE MARKET DOESN'T MEET WHERE WE ASKED HIM TO CUT. NOW, THIS STUFF ABOUT SIX WEEKS' DELAY AND FOUR WEEKS' DELAY AND WHATEVER, I WANT TO TELL YOU I'VE BEEN AROUND ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT I HEAR DELAYS OF ONE YEAR, TWO YEARS WHEN WE HAD FULL, GIANT STAFFS. WHEN YOU'VE GOT PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS SUBMITTING PLANS THAT HAVE TO BE BUMPED BACK THREE AND FOUR AND FIVE AND SIX AND -- TIMES FROM INSPECTORS THAT AREN'T ENGINEERS, THEY CAN'T GET -- A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER CAN'T PUT A PLAN IN AND GET IT APPROVED BECAUSE OUR INSPECTORS KEEP BUMPING THEM BACK AND BACK AND BACK AND BACK. NOW, THAT'S YEARS, AND WE'RE WORRYING ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TAX RATE THAT WE'RE CHARGING CITIZENS OUT THERE FOR EMPLOYEES? I MEAN, YOU SEE THE COALITION. IT'S BROKE. IT'S STILL BROKE, AND WE'RE NOT CUTTING FAR ENOUGH, SO -- >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AT US, I BELIEVE, TO TIGHTEN OUR BELTS. LIKE YOU ALLUDED TO RIGHT THERE, WE HAVE GOT TO BE MINDFUL OF ALL THE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE HURTING, THAT ARE -- THAT HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS, THAT -- THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE'S GOING UP, AND WE'RE PAYING FOR ALL THAT, AND AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN WE IDENTIFY EFFICIENCIES, WE HAVE TO BE IN MY MIND -- I'M JUST ONE PERSON, BUT WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT IN EACH AND EVERY CASE AND -- AND REALLY MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN THIS IS ALL SAID AND DONE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE CONSTITUENTS THAT WE WORKED HARD ON THIS BUDGET TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. I KNOW WE HAD THE AMENDMENT, BUT WITH THAT SAID, I THINK THAT THE -- THE INTERNAL PERFORMANCE AUDITOR STAFF COULD LOOK AT A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE -- LIKE YOU JUST MENTIONED, COMMISSIONER NORMAN, TO SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT, YOU KNOW, WHERE -- IF WE'RE -- THAT'S THEIR JOB, AND THEY CAN TELL US WHERE WE'RE AT. SO I DON'T KNOW. >>MARK SHARPE: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. SHARPE, THANK YOU. I THINK ON THIS SIDE AND THAT SIDE OF THE PODIUM WE'RE ALL AWARE OF WHAT THE FINANCIALS ARE TALKING ABOUT, AND IT'S A SERIOUS SITUATION. NONETHELESS, I DON'T REALLY AGREE WITH YOU, MR. NORMAN, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE 80% REDUCTION IS I THINK A FIGURE YOU FELL OUT. THIS IS OUR PROBLEM. WE'RE ARE STILL NONETHELESS OBLIGATED TO GIVE SERVICE, APPROPRIATE SERVICE WITH NOT TOO MUCH LAG TIME AND RESPONSE, AND I SAID THE OTHER DAY, WE DON'T NEED ANY MAYTAG REPAIRMEN, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO BE UNDERSTAFFED EITHER, SO WE NEED TO HAVE A MEAN AND LEAN TEAM THAT IS GOING TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, AND THE LEVEL THAT THEY HAVE TO SUPPORT CUSTOMERS IS THE LEVEL WE NEED TO SATISFY CUSTOMERS AND JUSTIFY THAT PORTION OF THE BUDGETS, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO WHEN MR. JOHNSON COMES BACK AND KIND OF GETS A READ, AND I AGREE WITH YOU. WE CAN'T REALLY BASE OUR OPINIONS JUST SIMPLY ON WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT. WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT AND WHAT WE CAN OFFER MIGHT BE IN THIS DECLINING ECONOMY TOO DIFFERENT THINGS, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EXPERTISE, MR. JOHNSON, IN COMING BACK WITH A COMPROMISE. >>MARK SHARPE: AND I -- I'M THE NEXT BUTTON, AND I WANT TO SAY, AGAIN, I THINK THAT THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE HAVE TO HAVE, AND I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER NORMAN WITH HIS BROAD ARGUMENT THAT IF -- YOU KNOW, IF BUSINESS IS DECLINING, THEN WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO LOOK AT OUR STAFFING, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE DONE THAT. I THINK THE REDUCTIONS THAT YOU'VE MADE, WHICH ARE SIGNIFICANT ALREADY, ARE SUFFICIENT, NOT BECAUSE -- IT SHOULD BE BASED UPON THE AMOUNT OF WORK WE HAVE. THE STUDIES I'VE SEEN FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, FROM PLANNING AND GROWTH, AND FROM EPC DEMONSTRATE, AND IN FACT, I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN THE IPA'S MOUTH, BUT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH THE IPA AS WELL. I KNOW THEY'RE TRACKING THIS CAREFULLY, AND I THINK YOU-ALL ARE TRACKING THIS AS WELL. MY SENSE IS THE LEVEL OF WORK THAT WE HAVE NOW IS MATCHED BY THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, AND ANY FURTHER REDUCTION IN EMPLOYEES I THINK WOULD JEOPARDIZE OUR ABILITY TO BE EFFICIENT AT A TIME WHEN THE ECONOMY IS DROPPING, BUT WHAT I FOUND INTERESTING TODAY DRIVING IN ON 970 WFLA, WE DO RANK SECOND IN THE NATION FOR JOB LOSS. CHARLOTTE RANKS TOP, AND HOUSTON FOR JOB CREATION, AND SO I THINK IF YOU TALK ABOUT HOW WE CREATE JOBS, IT'S WHEN PEOPLE DO HAVE TO INTERFACE WITH GOVERNMENT, THEY GET A QUICK RESPONSE, WE'RE THERE ON OUR TOES, AND I'M AFRAID THAT I THINK THE ECONOMY, DESPITE SOME OF THE DOOM AND GLOOM, IS GOING TO BOUNCE BACK AND IS BEGINNING TO IN CERTAIN SECTORS, AND WE NEED TO BE READY FOR IT. SO I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER NORMAN, WHAT HE'S DONE. I JUST THINK WE'RE THERE NOW. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: WELL, I'LL LEAVE IT ALONE, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ON OUR TOES SO LONG THAT WE'RE GOING TO FALL, AND THE POINT IS I LOOK AT -- LOOK AT OTHER -- LOOK AT NEWSPAPERS AS AN EXAMPLE. YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE MARKET. THEY'RE CHANGING. THEY'RE HAVING TO CHANGE. WE JUST CAN'T BE BLOATED, SIT THERE, AND WAIT, THEY CAN'T, THE COMMUNITY CAN'T, THE BUSINESS SECTOR CAN'T. THEY'VE GOT TO CHANGE. YOU MENTIONED ABOUT CHANGING EARLIER AND HOW OUR MARKET AND HOW OUR -- AND OUR -- ALONG WITH THE TELEVISION STUFF. WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE. WE CAN'T -- WE'VE GOT TO BE LEAN AND MEAN, PRODUCE, BUT -- AND I DON'T SEE US -- WHEN YOU'VE GOT TWO YEARS' DELAYS IN APPLICATION -- AND IF WE'RE NOT CLEANING ALL THAT CRAP NOW WITH SUCH A DOWNTIME -- AND I KNOW THERE'S YEARS DELAYS AND YOU-ALL DO TOO. YOU-ALL HEAR IT. I CAN'T SUPPORT MAKING SERIOUS MOVES HERE. I WOULD SUPPORT CLEANING HOUSE AND BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP, FRANKLY. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: COMMISSIONER NORMAN, I THINK THAT'S WHERE MR. ALUOTTO AND THE OTHERS ARE GOING. MY SENSE IS THAT -- BECAUSE I'VE HEARD THE SAME COMPLAINTS, THE LENGTHY DELAYS. WHEN I READ THE BACKUP MATERIAL AND I SEE THE NUMBER OF WALK-INS, THE NUMBER OF CALLS, THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S COMING IN ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND A MONTHLY BASIS, AND THE FACT THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY, IT JUST MEANS IT'S GOING TO BE SHIFTED TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO ALREADY HAS -- IN FACT, WHEN I READ MR. ALUOTTO'S REPORT, IT WAS UNMANAGEABLE. THERE IS NO WAY ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN RESPOND TO A THOUSAND CUSTOMER CALLS, SO IF WE'RE GETTING THOSE CALLS, LET'S TRY TO HANDLE THEM AS BEST WE CAN. SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING -- AND GOVERNMENT DOES CHANGE AND BUSINESS PRACTICES CHANGE, BUT THE FACT IS IF WE HAVE INDICATORS WHICH DEMONSTRATE THAT CALLS ARE COMING IN AND WALK-INS ARE COMING IN, THAT'S A FACT. NOW, IF THOSE FACTS ARE WRONG, THEN THEY NEED TO BE CORRECTED, AND WE NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE LOOKING AND WE NEED TO HAVE AMPLE OVERSIGHT, AND THAT'S WHY I WANT TO SEE GREATER TRACK, BUT IF THAT INFORMATION IS ACCURATE -- AND I HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S NOT ACCURATE -- THEN I THINK WE MAKE A MISTAKE BY GOING ANY FURTHER. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER -- OKAY. SO, ERIC, YOU GOING TO COME BACK WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES, COMMISSIONERS. I'LL BRING YOU BACK A REPORT AFTER WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY -- AND AS COMMISSIONER FERLITA INDICATED, IF THERE'S DISAGREEMENT OVER THE APPROPRIATE STATISTICS TO BE REVIEWING, THEN OBVIOUSLY I'LL BRING THAT BACK TO EACH -- >>MARK SHARPE: AND YOU HAVE THE IPA LOOKING AT IT LIKE COMMISSIONER BLAIR ASKED FOR; RIGHT? >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES. I LEFT OUT THAT I DID MEET WITH THE IPA STAFF YESTERDAY ON THIS ISSUE, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO PGM SINCE THAT'S WHERE THEY'VE HAD A FOCUS, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP THEM IN THE LOOP AS WELL. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM IS F-12-A. THAT HAS TO DO WITH RESTORING THE RECOMMENDED REDUCTION TO THE SECURITY SERVICES SECTION, WHICH IS A REDUCTION OF THREE POSITIONS. YOU MIGHT RECALL THEY ARE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE NIGHT SHIFT, AND THEN F-12-B IS ALSO SECURITY. THAT CAME AS A REQUEST TO, IN FACT, INCREASE SECURITY IN THE COUNTY CENTER, AND THAT WOULD BE THE $205,000 THAT YOU SEE. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE BOARD WANTS TO HANDLE THAT. IF YOU WANT TO DO 12-A FIRST, WHICH WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO RESTORE THE REDUCTION TO SECURITY SERVICES. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU. I'D MOVE F-12-A. I THINK I WAS THE MAKER OF THAT MOTION. IN TODAY'S TURBULENT TIMES, WE CAN'T -- I DON'T THINK WE CAN AFFORD IN ANY INDUSTRY AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO HAVE A REDUCTION IN SECURITY STAFF, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SECURITY STAFF HERE AT THIS BUILDING KEEPING OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES SAFE, OUR COUNTY SECURITY STAFF WHO ARE HERE WITH US TODAY, THEY DO A FINE JOB, AND I THINK WE'RE MUCH BETTER OFF FOR HAVING THEM HERE, AND THEY'RE A VERY PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION, AND THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB, AND I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THEM. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MR. HAGAN. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE WERE GOING TO DEAL WITH THESE. I'LL CERTAINLY SECOND THAT MOTION, AND I WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO THE SAME MOTION ON F-12-B BECAUSE THAT WAS A CONCERN OF MINE TOO. SO I GUESS WE'LL TAKE THIS OFF THE TABLE AND I'LL SUPPORT THE NEXT ONE. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR 12-A, RESTORING THE REDUCTION IN THE SECURITY SERVICES SECTION BY COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: 12-B. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND MUCH THE SAME, MR. HAGAN. I THINK THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL SECURITY FOR STAFF AND FOR CONSTITUENTS, AND SO -- AND EVERYBODY WHO DEALS WITH ISSUES IN COUNTY CENTER, SO I'LL MOVE F-12-B. >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. >>PAT BEAN: THAT IS THE SECURITY THAT WOULD BE ESTABLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME OUTSIDE THE BOARDROOM. >>ROSE FERLITA: BUT NOT JUST THAT. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OTHER SECURITY MEASURES IN COUNTY CENTER. >>PAT BEAN: IF WE DO OTHER SECURITY MEASURES, IT WILL COST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. >>ROSE FERLITA: CAN WE START WITH THAT AND THEN AT SOME POINT -- I MEAN, NOT NECESSARILY DURING THIS -- WE CAN REVISIT THAT DURING OUR YEAR? >>PAT BEAN: WE CAN CERTAINLY REVISIT IT, BUT THIS IS SIMPLY THE -- >>ROSE FERLITA: THAT'S FINE. >>PAT BEAN: -- THE SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE THE BOARDROOM. >>ROSE FERLITA: WELL, I THINK THAT'S A START. I THINK THAT'S FINE. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: I HAD MY LIGHT ON. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: YEAH. WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I KNOW THAT I'M ONE THAT REQUESTED EXTRA SECURITY DURING AN ISSUE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, SO I'M REAL SENSITIVE TO THAT. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SOME TYPE OF -- >>PAT BEAN: THIS WOULD BE A MAGNETOMETER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WALK THROUGH THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE THE BOARDROOM THAT WOULD CHECK EVERY INDIVIDUAL COMING INTO THE BOARDROOM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF WEAPON ON THEM. >>ERIC JOHNSON: [INAUDIBLE] >>PAT BEAN: YEAH. AND EVERY TIME THEY EXIT, LIKE IF SOMEONE EXITS TO GO TO THE RESTROOM AND THEN COMES BACK, THEY'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN. >>JIM NORMAN: THE SAME PERSON DOING THIS IS DOING THAT XERISCAPE STUFF? >>PAT BEAN: NADA, NADA. >>JIM NORMAN: THE HARDSCAPE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE? >>PAT BEAN: NO, SIR. THIS IS THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE ACQUIRE AND SET UP. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: IS THIS EQUIPMENT -- I WAS AT THE COURTHOUSE YESTERDAY AND SAW EXTRA EQUIPMENT SITTING IN THE HALLWAYS. ARE WE GETTING READY TO GO BUY NEW EQUIPMENT OR ARE WE GOING TO BE USING -- I'M NOT READY TO -- AND I'M ONE THAT HAD A SECURITY ISSUE, BUT I'M NOT READY TO GO SIGNING OFF ON THIS IF I'VE SEEN EQUIPMENT SITTING OVER HERE THAT WE'RE NOT USING, SO I'M NOT -- I'M ALL WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER FERLITA, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR NEW EQUIPMENT WHEN WE HAVEN'T EXPLORED THE USED EQUIPMENT THAT'S SITTING AROUND IN INVENTORY. >>PAT BEAN: WELL, IT'S ADDITIONAL STAFFING AND, I THINK, 50 -- >>ERIC JOHNSON: $57,000 IN EQUIPMENT AND ONE-TIME IMPROVEMENTS AND THEN $148,000 IN ANNUAL STAFFING COSTS. >>MARK SHARPE: CAN YOU THEN INCLUDE, IF WE WERE TO DO THIS, THAT WE WOULD FIRST EXPLORE ANY EQUIPMENT THAT MIGHT ALREADY BE PURCHASED SO THAT WE'RE NOT -- >>PAT BEAN: ABSOLUTELY. >>MARK SHARPE: -- DOING THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. I WANT TO MOVE AS FAST AS WE CAN, BUT I THINK WE OUGHT TO FIRST LOOK AT EXISTING INVENTORY. >>PAT BEAN: WE'LL DO THAT. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: YEAH, I'LL BE FINE. IF WE PUT A PRIORITY ON THE USED EQUIPMENT -- I KNOW HARTLINE BOUGHT 13 USED BUSES RECENTLY, AND THEY'VE GOT THOSE IN INVENTORY RIGHT NOW, SO LET'S LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE GOT SITTING AROUND BEFORE WE BUY SOMETHING NEW, AND I'LL SUPPORT IT ONLY IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE USED EQUIPMENT FIRST. >>PAT BEAN: IF WE FIND THAT THE EQUIPMENT YOU'RE REFERRING TO DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE AND JUST HASN'T BEEN DISPOSED OF YET, DO WE HAVE AUTHORITY TO GO AHEAD AND BUY THE EQUIPMENT THEN? >>MARK SHARPE: [INAUDIBLE] >>ROSE FERLITA: THAT WAS MY MOTION, TO GO AHEAD AND DO THIS. NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S GOING TO BE CAUTIOUS AND THAT'S FINE, BUT BUSES ARE BUSES AND SECURITY IS SECURITY, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 57,000. I DON'T WANT US TO BE PENNY WISE AND DOLLAR FOOLISH. WE DON'T WANT SOME OUTMODED, NOT STATE-OF-THE-ART SECURITY BECAUSE THEN WE'RE NOT ACCOMPLISHING WHAT WE'RE DOING, SO WE CAN LOOK AT THAT, BUT I DON'T WANT SOMEBODY'S LEFTOVERS FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE. WE WANT THEM TO BE PRUDENT IN HOW THEY PURCHASE THE 57, MR. HIGGINBOTHAM, BUT REALIZE THAT THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF THAT IS STAFFING, SO AT 57,000, BEFORE YOU GO AND BUY SOME USED STUFF, LET US REALLY KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING IN BUYING USED STUFF. >>PAT BEAN: WE WILL INVESTIGATE AND -- >>ROSE FERLITA: BECAUSE I THINK ALL THOSE CHANGE GO AS THEY GO, AND EVERY DAY YESTERDAY'S EQUIPMENT IS OUTMODED. >>PAT BEAN: IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED, WE'LL USE IT. IF THERE ISN'T, IF THE BOARD GIVES US THE AUTHORITY, WE'LL BUY THE EQUIPMENT SO THAT WE CAN GET IT INSTALLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. >>ROSE FERLITA: THAT WAS THE SAME MOTION WITH CAUTION. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: AND I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUSES AND SECURITY EQUIPMENT. >>ROSE FERLITA: GOOD. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: AND I ALSO KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IN GOVERNMENT, LIKE WHEN I TOOK OFFICE, I WAS TOLD TO GO BUY NEW FURNITURE AND WE HAD EXCELLENT FURNITURE SITTING IN SURPLUS, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'VE GOT SOMETHING IN SURPLUS -- >>PAT BEAN: ABSOLUTELY. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: -- THAT WE'RE USING IT AND IT'S SAFE. THANK YOU. >>ROSE FERLITA: WELL, MR. HIGGINBOTHAM, JUST ONE LAST COMMENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I PURCHASED MY OWN FURNITURE BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO COST THE COUNTY ANYTHING, BUT I DON'T WANT TO RISK ANYTHING IN TERMS OF THE COST OF SECURITY. I KNOW YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FURNITURE AND BUSES AND SECURITY, BUT LET'S BE PRUDENT IN WHAT WE CHOOSE TO PICK. THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. YOU'VE HAD SOME SECURITY PROBLEMS. I'VE BEEN -- I'VE BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF SOMEBODY OFFERING TO SHOOT ME FIRST AND THEN YOU GUYS, AND THEN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING OUT THERE. THEY'RE COMING HERE ON THEIR THREE-MINUTE ISSUE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING, AND IF THERE'S SOMEBODY THAT GOES POSTAL, THEY'RE RIGHT THERE. THEY'RE WORSE OFF THAN WE ARE, SO IT'S A VERY SENSITIVE ISSUE. I'M NOT TRYING TO BE SMASHING ALEC TO WHAT YOU KNOW OR YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT LET'S PROCEED WITH CAUTION AND KEEP SECURITY PARAMOUNT IN WHAT WE DO. >>JIM NORMAN: LET US KNOW IF IT'S CHEAPER TO BUY EACH ONE OF US A GUN. [LAUGHTER] >>ROSE FERLITA: SOME OF US HAVE THAT ALREADY, AND DON'T GET INTO THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: NEXT ITEM WE'LL ACTUALLY TAKE IN KIND OF A GROUP HERE. LET ME JUST EXPLAIN THAT WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STAFF, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE UNION. WE DISCUSSED ALL OF THESE ITEMS THAT ARE RELATED TO FIRE, AND OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THIS: THAT FOR ONE TIME WE USE SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICES -- WHAT AM I TRYING TO SAY? -- THE COMMUNICATIONS -- NOT COMMUNITY -- COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TAX TO FUND THE HEAVY RESCUE UNIT, SO WE'D BE RESTORING F-13. WE WOULD ALSO RESTORE F-14. WE WILL NOT OPEN CENTRAL BRANDON. THEY ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT ON THAT. AND WE HAVE NOT AT THIS POINT RENEGOTIATED THE ALLOCATION OF COMMUNITY SERVICES TAX FUNDS. THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON, AND I DON'T THINK THAT HAS TO BE DONE TODAY FOR THE MILLAGE ISSUE, BUT WHAT WE DO NEED IS TO HAVE YOU APPROVE THE RESTORATION OF F-13 AND F-14. 15 DOES NOT GET RESTORED, AND 16 IS AN OPEN ISSUE THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE NEED A MOTION TO MOVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, BUT COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: ON F-15, I'VE HAD A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS CONTACT ME ABOUT THAT, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO POSTPONE IT, I DON'T MIND DOING THAT, BUT I THINK THAT F-15 IS -- AND I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE IN FIRE RESCUE, AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELT JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IS, BUT I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO SEE THAT AS A PRIORITY TO GET THAT CENTRAL BRANDON STATION BUILT IF IT'S -- I MEAN AS SOON AS WE FINANCIALLY ARE ABLE. >>PAT BEAN: AND THAT'S THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE. THEY ARE IN AGREEMENT, HOWEVER, NOT TO -- NOT TO DO THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THAT WE WILL DELAY THAT AT LEAST FOR ONE MORE YEAR, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YEAR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: I'LL MOVE ALL THREE AS LONG AS THAT'S BROUGHT BACK TO US ON NEXT YEAR. >>PAT BEAN: JUST A MOMENT. MR. JOHNSON JUST REMINDED ME THERE ARE TWO OTHERS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT ON THE LIST. >>ERIC JOHNSON: COMMISSIONERS, PART OF THE AGREEMENT IS THAT THERE ARE TWO OTHER CUTS THAT WERE NOT FLAGGED, BUT ONE OF THEM RELATES TO FIRE EDUCATION AND THE OTHER RELATES TO INVESTIGATION POSITIONS, I UNDERSTAND, ARSON INVESTIGATIONS, SO THE -- THE PROPOSAL -- THE PACKAGE DEAL WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD USE COMMUNICATION SERVICES TAX. I THINK THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WAS ABOUT $1.6 MILLION TO RESTORE THE TWO ITEMS THAT YOU SEE HERE, F-13, F-14, BUT ALSO THE TWO CUTS THAT WE HAVE RECOMMENDED IN THE BUDGET THAT ARE NOT REFLECTED HERE, AND THEY ARE TO RESTORE THE FIRE EDUCATION AS WELL AS THE INVESTIGATIVE POSITIONS. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. OKAY. JUST TO BE SURE, THEN, MR. JOHNSON, THIS IS LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY SERVICE TAX IN TERMS OF THE RESERVE ACCOUNT OR THE CONTINGENCY FUND OR WHATEVER; RIGHT? >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES, MA'AM. >>PAT BEAN: COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES TAX. >>ROSE FERLITA: COMMUNICATION. I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN COMMUNITY. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THAT WILL IN NO WAY INTERFERE WITH MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE MILLAGE ON F-20-A AND "B," 21-A AND "B"? IT WON'T INTERFERE WITH THAT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO -- >>ERIC JOHNSON: NO. >>PAT BEAN: NO. >>ROSE FERLITA: -- TO KEEP THE MILLAGE AT NO INCREASE? NO INCREASE? >>ERIC JOHNSON: CORRECT. >>ROSE FERLITA: OKAY. THAT'S FINE THEN. I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IT AS WELL. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: VERY BRIEFLY. I WENT BACK AND I PULLED THE MINUTES AND STUFF FROM OUR WORKSHOP UPSTAIRS, AND ACTUALLY I FLAGGED ALL OF THOSE ITEMS, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT SOMETHING HAD FALLEN OUT SOMEHOW, AND IF YOU-ALL RECALL, THAT'S WHEN I TARGETED A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN YOU-ALL AND THE FOLKS TO SIT DOWN BECAUSE THIS BOARD TOOK A VERY POSITIVE ACTION TO SUPPORT FIRE RESCUE AND GET THEM OUT OF THE COMPETITIVE AREA AS MUCH WITH AD VALOREM TAXES, BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY ON THE RECORD THAT THE -- THIS RENEGOTIATION, THE ALLOCATION OF COMMUNICATION SERVICE TAX, TAKES FIVE VOTES ON ACTION BY THIS BOARD BECAUSE WE PUT ALSO A SUPERMAJORITY FOR A CHANGE. IF THERE'S SOME CHANGING OF PERCENTAGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, JUST TO MAKE SURE ONCE AGAIN ON THE RECORD THAT IT TAKES A SUPERMAJORITY TO CHANGE THAT. >>PAT BEAN: YES, BUT WE'RE NOT -- >>JIM NORMAN: AND YOU-ALL UNDERSTAND THAT, THOUGH; RIGHT? >>PAT BEAN: YES. >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. SO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS USE COMMUNICATION SERVICES TAX DOLLARS TO RESTORE THE HEAVY RESCUE, TO RESTORE THE REDUCTION IN THE AIR TRUCK, TEN STAFFING, AND TO RESTORE THE FIRE EDUCATION AND INVESTIGATIVE POSITIONS. >>PAT BEAN: THAT'S CORRECT. >>JIM NORMAN: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: NEXT ITEM WOULD BE F-17. THIS IS TO RESTORE THE RECOMMENDED REDUCTION TO TOOLS FOR TEACHERS IN SOLID WASTE. >>KEN HAGAN: COULD WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVE. >>JIM NORMAN: SECOND. THIS IS GREAT. >>ROSE FERLITA: SOMEBODY WAS -- IT WAS SOMEBODY'S -- LET ME WITHDRAW MY MOTION BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS SOMEBODY ELSE'S. >>JIM NORMAN: COMMISSIONER HAGAN -- >>KEN HAGAN: I'M THE ONE THAT ORIGINALLY BROUGHT IT UP. >> SECOND. >>ROSE FERLITA: WELL, THEN, CAN YOU JUST TAKE THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: I'M PROUD TO MAKE THAT MOTION TO RESTORE THAT. IT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR THE STORE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND EVERYONE IF THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BY THERE AND SEE IT. THEY DO SOME REALLY EXCELLENT WORK. >>ROSE FERLITA: I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE. >>MARK SHARPE: WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HAGAN. SECONDED BY -- >>ROSE FERLITA: I'LL SECOND IT. >>BRIAN BLAIR: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>MARK SHARPE: -- COMMISSIONER BLAIR. OKAY. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. SHARPE, JUST VERY QUICKLY, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT IT -- AND I KNOW MR. HAGAN PERSONALLY WENT OUT THERE, DIDN'T YOU KEN, BUT AFTER LISTENING TO ANDREA ZELMAN THAT NIGHT, I WAS VERY SURPRISED AT THE AMOUNT OF STUFF THEY DO WITH WHAT THEY DO AND THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THEY CAN USE THAT I DIDN'T THINK WOULD BE AT ALL USEFUL TO THEM. IT'S INCREDIBLE. BASED ON WHAT THEY DO, THIS IS JUST SO MINIMAL. I MEAN, THEY JUST -- THEY NEED TO BE APPLAUDED AND RECOGNIZED. IT'S A WONDERFUL THING TO RESTORE THIS. >>MARK SHARPE: OKAY. PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: NEXT ITEM IS F-18, TO RESTORE THE RECOMMENDED REDUCTION TO KEEP HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BEAUTIFUL IN SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT BUDGET. >>JIM NORMAN: SO MOVE. >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM IS F-19, TO RESTORE RECOMMENDED REDUCTION TO THE ANTILITTER OUTREACH PROGRAM IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT. >>BRIAN BLAIR: WHAT IS THAT? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY I -- I KNOW THEY -- THEY TRY TO REDUCE LITTER, OBVIOUSLY, BUT HOW DO THEY GO ABOUT DOING THAT? I MEAN, IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO SPEND $75,000, OR DO YOU THINK THIS IS -- AND ONE THING I CAN'T STAND IS LITTER. WHEN I WALK AROUND THE BASEBALL PARK, I'M CONSTANTLY -- THERE'S 33 TRASH CANS AND SOMEBODY'S GOT TO THROW THEIR SODA THING ON THE FLOOR OR -- JUST KIND OF PERTURBS ME. I'M JUST WONDERING IF SOMEBODY COULD ADDRESS THAT. >>PAT BEAN: YES. >>KEN HAGAN: WELCOME. >> COMMISSIONERS, NATE JOHNSON, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, FISCAL MANAGER. THE PURPOSE OF THE OUTREACH PROGRAM IS TO PAY FOR PUBLICATIONS AND MATERIAL THAT'S CIRCULATED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO PROMOTE THE OVERALL ANTILITTER PROGRAM IS BASICALLY WHAT IT'S FOR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: OKAY. >>KEN HAGAN: WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? THANK YOU, SIR. >>MARK SHARPE: [INAUDIBLE] >>ERIC JOHNSON: THERE IS FUNDED BY THE SOLID WASTE ENTERPRISE FUND. >>MARK SHARPE: SO IF WE WERE TO VOTE NO, THAT WOULD GO BACK TO THE SOLID WASTE ENTERPRISE FUND? >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: I'M GOING TO MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE. I KNOW I'M INTERRUPTING YOU. I FOLLOW THIS. I SIT ON THE BOARD. I THINK IT'S A GOOD MOVE [INAUDIBLE] >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND THEN. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM, SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING YOU. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT IS ITEM F-20-A. THIS IS TO REDUCE THE COUNTYWIDE MILLAGE RATE TO COMPENSATE FOR DEBT MILLAGE INCREASE DUE TO LOWER PROPERTY VALUES. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. JOHNSON, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT. ARE WE DEALING WITH ALL OF THESE TOGETHER, THESE FOUR? >>ERIC JOHNSON: COMMISSIONERS -- COMMISSIONERS, THESE TWO BASED ON OUR DISCUSSION TUESDAY ARE NOW NO ACTION REQUIRED. IN EFFECT, AS LONG AS YOU SUPPORT US BRINGING A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO YOU TO USE CONTINGENCY FROM THESE TWO FUNDS, WE WOULD DO THAT ON THE 20th OF AUGUST. WE'LL MAKE A DEPOSIT INTO EACH DEBT SERVICE ACCOUNT THAT WILL BUY DOWN THE MILLAGE REQUIRED NEXT YEAR, SO YOU DON'T NEED TO TAKE ACTION AS LONG AS THE BOARD IS RECEPTIVE OF US BRINGING THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT BACK. >>ROSE FERLITA: WELL, AND THEN CERTAINLY I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, PERCEPTION IS PERCEPTION IN THIS ARENA, AND ALTHOUGH -- WHEN YOU LOOK AT PAGE 72 ON MILLAGE COMPARISONS, THERE'S JUST A DIFFERENCE OF .005. YOU HAVE DONE WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO AND I THINK YOU'VE ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL SECURITY HERE SO THAT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE DON'T ANTICIPATE, WE WILL STILL REMAIN FLAT AND CONSTANT ON THE LESSER MILLAGE; RIGHT? >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES, BUT 21-A AND "B" ARE STILL ITEMS THAT WE BELIEVE ARE CONSERVATIVE AND APPROPRIATE. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO LONG AS IT ACCOMPLISHES THAT, THAT'S FINE. >>ERIC JOHNSON: IT'S 20-A AND "B" THAT WE THINK ARE UNNECESSARY. >>ROSE FERLITA: ALL RIGHT. WELL, THEN -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: IT'S ACTUALLY A REDUCTION OR IS IT FLAT? >>ERIC JOHNSON: WHEN YOU GET TO 21-A AND "B," THOSE WILL BE VERY SLIGHT MILLAGE REDUCTIONS BASED ON THOSE ACTIONS. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOTION TO APPROVE THE 20-A AND "B" AND LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING 21-A AND "B." >>BRIAN BLAIR: YEAH, AND I'D MOVE THAT. >>ROSE FERLITA: WE WANT TO TAKE IT SEPARATELY, THOUGH, IS THAT IT? >>KEN HAGAN: 20-A AND "B" OR 21-A AND "B"? >> 21. >>KEN HAGAN: 21-A AND "B." >>ROSE FERLITA: 21-A AND "B." MOTION TO APPROVE. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION TO APPROVE -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: -- COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER BLAIR. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MR. HAGAN. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: THE NEXT ITEM IS TO ADJUST THE CLERK'S BUDGET TO INCLUDE THE AMOUNT THAT WAS DELETED TWICE AND -- >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVED. >>KEVIN WHITE: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>JIM NORMAN: CAN'T DO IT A THIRD TIME? >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>ROSE FERLITA: DO YOU WANT? GO AHEAD. >>PAT BEAN: OKAY. ITEM F-23 -- >>KEN HAGAN: THIRD TIME'S A CHARM. >>PAT BEAN: -- IS TO FUND TWO TECHNOLOGY POSITIONS FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDER AND ACCEPT -- >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVED. >>PAT BEAN: -- AN EFFICIENCY PROPOSAL FROM THE JUDICIAL BRANCH. >>MARK SHARPE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER SHARPE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: NEXT ITEM IS F-24, RESTORE POSITION IN EPC BUDGET FOR REVIEW OF WETLAND IMPACTS OF SEAWALL AND DOCK CONSTRUCTION PERMITS. >>ROSE FERLITA: MOTION TO APPROVE AND REFLECT THE FUNDING THAT TAMPA PORT AUTHORITY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. >> RIGHT. >>MARK SHARPE: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER SHARPE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: F-25, TO RESTORE FUNDING FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PROTOCOL OFFICER PARTNERSHIP. >>MARK SHARPE: SO MOVE. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVE -- SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SHARPE, SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>JIM NORMAN: WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. WHAT IS THAT? IS THERE -- THE OTHER MATCH IS IN FROM THE CITY? >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES. >>ROSE FERLITA: YEAH, NOT ONLY FROM THE CITY, FROM THE AVIATION AUTHORITY, FROM THE PORT -- >>JIM NORMAN: IT'S ALL IN? IT'S ALL IN, THE PORT -- >>ROSE FERLITA: IT IS DEFINITELY LEVERAGING, JIM. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. IT'S ALL IN. >>KEN HAGAN: THERE ARE FOUR OR FIVE ORGANIZATIONS. >>JIM NORMAN: THEY'RE ALL IN, THOUGH? THAT'S -- WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE PONYING UP? >>ROSE FERLITA: NO. >>JIM NORMAN: BECAUSE WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE. >>ROSE FERLITA: THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S RESPONSIVE TO EXACTLY WHAT YOUR POSITION IS. [LAUGHTER] >>RECORDING SECRETARY: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES, I'M SORRY. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: ITEM F-26, FUND THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FAIR FROM PHOSPHATE SEVERANCE TAX. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>JIM NORMAN: AL. SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM, SECOND COMMISSIONER NORMAN. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>JIM NORMAN: WHAT'S THE TIMETABLE OF ALL THAT? >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>JIM NORMAN: PROGRAMMING, BUILT OUT? I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT BACK ONE DAY. >>ERIC JOHNSON: WE DON'T KNOW, BUT WE'LL BE GETTING A BUSINESS PLAN BECAUSE PER PRIOR BOARD POLICY, WE NEED TO HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN, AND THAT SHOULD LAY OUT SOME TIMETABLES. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. >>PAT BEAN: OKAY. F-27, RESTORE FUNDING FOR SENIORS IN SERVICE. >>BRIAN BLAIR: MOVE THE ITEM. >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR, SECOND COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: F-28, RESTORE FUNDING FOR THE CRISIS -- >>JIM NORMAN: SO MOVE. >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION COMMISSIONER NORMAN, SECOND COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: COMMISSIONER BLAIR AND HIGGINBOTHAM. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: RESTORE FUNDING FOR THE BOY SCOUTS IS F-29. >>KEVIN WHITE: SO MOVE. >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: F-30 IS FUND THE YO! PROGRAM. >>KEVIN WHITE: SECOND. I'LL SECOND. [INAUDIBLE] >>MARK SHARPE: THAT'S FINE. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND COMMISSIONER SHARPE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 6-1. COMMISSIONER BLAIR VOTED NO. >>PAT BEAN: F-31, FUND THE REQUEST BY THE MARY LEE HOUSE FOR $225,000 FOR ONE-TIME CAPITAL FUNDS. >>ROSE FERLITA: MOVE TO APPROVE, AND JUST SOME DISCUSSION, MR. HAGAN. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: JUST VERY QUICKLY, WE TALKED ABOUT LEVERAGING OF DOLLARS, AND I KNOW THIS IS A ONE-TIME REQUEST FOR ALLOCATION FOR CONSTRUCTION AND NOT OPERATIONAL, AND TALKING ABOUT LEVERAGING AGAIN, 500,000 WAS COMMITTED BY THE STATE, 175 FROM THE CITY, AND THEY HAVE COLLECTED -- THE REMAINDER OF THOSE $4 MILLION SO FAR TO DATE COLLECTED FROM PRIVATE FUNDING AND BOARD MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS, SO I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE AND IT'S ONE-STOP SHOPPING, AND WE'VE GOT MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT, ET CETERA, SUPPORTING WHAT MARY LEE'S HOUSE WILL DO. >>KEN HAGAN: I'M GLAD IT WORKED OUT THIS YEAR. I THINK LAST YEAR WE HAD SOME PROBLEMS TIMINGWISE AND SO FORTH, SO I'M GLAD THAT WORKED OUT. >>JIM NORMAN: LAST TIME IT WAS OPERATIONS STUFF AND ALL THAT. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST -- >>ROSE FERLITA: WELL, AND THAT DOESN'T PRECLUDE, RIGHT, MR. JOHNSON, THEM COMING BACK AND LOBBYING US, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW JUST TO GET THE CONSTRUCTION GOING AND SHOWING WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND US SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING, IT IS SIMPLY A ONE-TIME CONSTRUCTION ALLOCATION THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING. >>ERIC JOHNSON: THAT'S RIGHT. >>ROSE FERLITA: YOU'RE RIGHT, MR. NORMAN. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: F-32, REDUCE THE ALLOCATION FOR TRANSPORTATION PLAN AMENDMENT STUDIES. WE ACTUALLY HAVE IDENTIFIED THROUGH CONVERSATION WITH MR. HUNTER THAT WE CAN RAISE THAT FIGURE TO ONE MILLION EIGHT FIFTY-FIVE. WE RECOMMEND THAT. >>JIM NORMAN: YAY! >>KEN HAGAN: MOVE THE ITEM? >>BRIAN BLAIR: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: ITEM F-33, TO RESTORE THE RECOMMENDED REDUCTION FOR THE CENTRE FOR WOMEN. >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVE. >>BRIAN BLAIR: MOVE THE ITEM. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER BLAIR. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND MS. BEAN, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ON THE RECORD THAT WE HAD ERRED IN THE CATEGORY WE PUT THEM IN, AND THAT, I THINK, WARRANTS THE SUPPORT OF REINSTATING THIS. >>PAT BEAN: YES. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: F-34, FUND THE ACCELERATION OF REPAIR OR REPLACEMENTS OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. >> MOVE THE ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: BEFORE YOU MOVE THE ITEM, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH AND DEAL WITH IT OUT OF THIS YEAR'S FUNDS. >>ROSE FERLITA: YES. THAT WAS MY REQUEST, AND SO THAT WOULD EXPEDITE IT? THAT WAS THE REASON? >>PAT BEAN: YES. >> I'LL SECOND IT. >>PAT BEAN: IF NOT -- >>JIM NORMAN: SO THERE'S NO IMPACT? >>PAT BEAN: THERE'S NO IMPACT IF WE COULD DO THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO RECOGNIZE THAT IF IN FACT WE CAN'T DO IT FOR SOME REASON THAT YOU WOULD AUTHORIZE US TO PREPARE TO DO IT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND MS. BEAN, IF I MAY ADD TO THAT, QUICKLY, MR. HAGAN, I ASKED FOR IT TO BE LOOKED AT THIS YEAR, YOU'RE RIGHT, NO IMPACT, AND IT WOULD EXPEDITE IT, BUT NOT TO TAKE AWAY ANY CREDIT FROM DENNIS McCULLOUGH, AS SOON AS WE GOT THOSE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CONDITIONS, HE WAS RIGHT ON IT AND E-MAILING. AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT HE WASN'T DOING IT, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THOSE RESERVE DOLLARS, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ADDITIONAL WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE VENTILATION -- I KNOW ABOUT THE BACTERIA AND THE GERMS AND STUFF, WE CAN'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN HELP US MOVE THAT VENTILATION AND HELP, THAT WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE. AND I THINK, BILL, I'VE SAID EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SAY FROM THAT STANDPOINT. YOU DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: WELL, I MEAN, NOT TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE, WHAT'S THE UPSIDE -- I DON'T WANT A BLANK CHECK. >>PAT BEAN: WE WOULD BRING A BUDGET AMENDMENT BACK TO THE BOARD. >>JIM NORMAN: WHAT YOU JUST SAID WAS AUTHORIZE US TO DO IT, SO -- OKAY. IS THERE -- DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER IN MIND? >>PAT BEAN: NO, NOT AT THE PRESENT TIME. WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GET THAT NUMBER YET. >>ROSE FERLITA: WE'RE LOOKING AT THE RESERVE TO USE TO DO THAT, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE JUST GIVING YOU THE AUTHORITY, IF IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING TO GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH IT AND THEN COME BACK, YEAH. >>JIM NORMAN: RIGHT. BUT I GUESS I'M TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT TO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. >>PAT BEAN: EITHER WAY WE WILL HAVE TO COME BACK. >>ROSE FERLITA: EVEN IF YOU CAN DO IT IN THIS YEAR'S ALLOCATION, IT WOULD EXPEDITE IT, I'M SURE. >>KEN HAGAN: DOES THAT REQUIRE A MOTION? >>PAT BEAN: NO. OKAY. F-35, RESTORE THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS POSITION IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. THAT IS THE POSITION OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM. IT WAS COMMISSIONER BLAIR THAT PUT THAT ITEM ON THE TABLE. COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>BRIAN BLAIR: YES, BOARD MEMBERS. WE WERE GOING TO LOOK FOR ANYTHING -- ANY POSITIONS THAT ACTUALLY BRING DOLLARS IN TO THE COUNTY RATHER THAN -- AND LOOK MORE AT THE FLUFF STUFF FOR CUTTING. THIS POSITION RIGHT HERE, THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON I BELIEVE IT'S FIVE -- ANYWHERE FROM 500 TO A MILLION DOLLARS IN RETURN FROM I BELIEVE IT'S HUMANA, AND I'D HATE TO SEE THIS PERSON GO IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS WHEN WE COULD STAND TO LOSE THOSE DOLLARS. ALSO, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AS YOU KNOW, IS A -- IF PEOPLE PARTICIPATE, YOU AUTOMATICALLY GET A THREE-TO-ONE MINIMUM RETURN IN YOUR DOLLARS. >>JIM NORMAN: IF WE GOT A RETURN ON THAT -- AND ALSO, WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING OUT FOR BID AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, HAVING A WELLNESS PERSON HERE, HOW COULD YOU-ALL MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION? >>PAT BEAN: HOW COULD WE MAKE WHICH RECOMMENDATION? >>JIM NORMAN: THIS RECOMMENDATION. IF WE HAVE -- FOR INSTANCE, WE GET A BETTER RATE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND -- IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE GO OUT FOR BID AND ALL THAT KIND OF -- HOW CAN YOU -- ANYWAY, OKAY. JUST -- >>PAT BEAN: WELL, THE RECOMMENDATION CAME FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT TO REDUCE THE POSITION. WHAT COMMISSIONER BLAIR IS ASKING YOU TO DO IS TO KEEP THAT POSITION BECAUSE THE WELLNESS PROGRAM DOES PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS TO THE COUNTY AS FAR AS EXPENDITURE OF DOLLARS. >>JIM NORMAN: WELL, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IF WE GET REBATES FOR HAVING A -- A MORE HEALTHIER WORKFORCE, AND I DON'T -- I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT MOVE. OKAY. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, LET ME JUST FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT TAKE THE OTHER SIDE, JUST TO ASK THE QUESTION. I WAS THE WELLNESS OFFICER IN MY SQUADRON WHEN I WAS IN THE NAVY, AND WHEN YOU'RE JUNIOR OFFICER, YOU GET EVERYTHING, EVERY DUTY POSSIBLE, AND BASICALLY THAT MEANT I WENT OUT AND HARANGUED PEOPLE TO RUN AND EXERCISE AND TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN A PROGRAM. CAN WE -- CAN WE -- I THINK WE CAN HAVE A HEALTHY COUNTY CENTER WITH EMPLOYEES, A HEALTHY COUNTY, I'M JUST NOT SURE IF, YOU KNOW, IN THIS DAY AND AGE DO WE NEED A WELLNESS OFFICER? CAN WE HAVE A -- COULD THAT BE A COLLATERAL DUTY? CAN WE STILL GO -- I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMISSIONER NORMAN IS SAYING. HOW CAN WE GIVE UP THAT POSITION IF WE'RE GOING TO LOSE MONEY FROM HUMANA? MY QUESTION, THOUGH, IS DOES HUMANA REQUIRE US TO HAVE A POSITION IN ORDER TO GET THE MONEY? >>PAT BEAN: NO. >>MARK SHARPE: CAN'T WE STILL QUALIFY FOR THE MONEY FROM HUMANA -- AND I'M ALWAYS -- EVERY PROGRAM THAT WE SEEM TO COME TO YOU AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT, THERE ALWAYS IS -- I HEAR THIS WITH VETERANS, WITH ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, COMMISSIONER, IF WE ELIMINATE THIS PROGRAM, WE RISK LOSING ALL THIS MONEY, AND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYTHING'S TIED TO SOMETHING ELSE, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT ELIMINATING THIS POSITION MEANS WE RISK LOSING THE MONEY FROM HUMANA. >>PAT BEAN: WELL, HERE'S THE SITUATION. WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO FOLKS WHO WORK IN THIS AREA. ONE RUNS THE WELLNESS CENTER. >>MARK SHARPE: OKAY. >>PAT BEAN: BASICALLY DOES A LOT OF THE, YOU KNOW -- MANAGING THAT CENTER, MAKING SURE PEOPLE DON'T HURT THEMSELVES WHILE THEY'RE OVER THERE OR WHATEVER. THE OTHER PERSON IS THE PERSON THAT -- WHOSE POSITION WAS RECOMMENDED FOR DELETION, BUT THAT PERSON THEN LINES UP ALL KINDS OF SCREENING PROGRAMS AND DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, DIFFERENT THINGS, AND THROUGH THE PROGRAMS, SHE HAS TRAINING IN -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: THIS IS A DOCTOR TOO, BY THE WAY. >>PAT BEAN: YES, SHE HAS HER DOCTORATE. SHE IS A PERSON WHO IS ABLE TO ACTUALLY GO OUT AND THROUGH REVIEWING INFORMATION FROM THE SCREENINGS, SHE HAS IDENTIFIED NUMEROUS EMPLOYEES WHO WERE NOT ON ANY KIND OF MEDICATION EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD BEEN GOING TO THEIR DOCTOR WHO NEEDED TO BE ON PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION IN ORDER TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM DIABETES AND OTHER THINGS THAT WERE -- >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, THEN, MY FOLLOW-UP QUESTION WOULD BE -- NOW I'M ASKING LIKE COMMISSIONER NORMAN. WHY WERE WE GOING TO GET RID OF THIS POSITION? >>PAT BEAN: I THINK IT WAS JUST A STREAMLINING OF MANAGEMENT, BUT I -- >>JIM NORMAN: IF YOU CAN SAVE TOWARDS HITS ON THE BILLS -- >>MARK SHARPE: ABSOLUTELY. >>JIM NORMAN: 100,000 -- EARLY ON DETECTION OF -- >>MARK SHARPE: ABSOLUTELY. >>JIM NORMAN: THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. >>MARK SHARPE: ABSOLUTELY. THAT WAS A GOOD MOVE, COMMISSIONER BLAIR. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. YEAH. WHETHER IT WAS A MANDATE OR NOT A MANDATE OF HUMANA REALLY AT THIS POINT IS INCIDENTAL. THIS IS REMINISCENT OF LAST YEAR WHEN I TALKED ABOUT PROPHYLACTIC TYPE MEASURES, AND I THINK A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS HERE -- NOW FRIENDS WERE MAKING FUN OF THAT WORD, SO LET ME JUST SAY PREVENTIVELY -- IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER, MR. NORMAN, MR. HAGAN -- WE'LL TALK ABOUT PREVENTATIVE MEASURES. CERTAINLY WHEN YOU IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE YOU CAN SAVE SOME MONEY, IT'S GOING TO BE CHEAPER TO GIVE SOMEBODY SOME VASODILATORS INSTEAD OF ADMITTING THEM IN THE HOSPITAL AND HAVING SOME CARDIAC PROBLEMS AND STUFF, SO EVEN FROM A STANDPOINT OF GOOD BUSINESS, HAVING SOMEBODY WHO'S RIGHT THERE, WHO'S VERY KEEN ON IDENTIFYING WELLNESS ISSUES BEFORE IT GETS TO A MORE SEVERE SITUATION AND COSTS US MONEY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD NOT ONLY RESTORE, WE SHOULD STRONGLY RESTORE. I THINK WE GET OUR MONEY BACK TENFOLD. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? >>BRIAN BLAIR: I HAD A MOTION IT APPROVE. >>MARK SHARPE: I'LL SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER BLAIR, SECOND COMMISSIONER SHARPE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>JIM NORMAN: YOU MEAN I CONVINCED MARK ON SOMETHING? [LAUGHTER] >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: F-36 IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RESTORE THE RECOMMENDED REDUCTION IN -- >>JIM NORMAN: MOVE THE ITEM. >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN, SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>ROSE FERLITA: SURPRISED, HUH? >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>ROSE FERLITA: WELL -- AND MR. HAGAN, LET ME JUST SAY A COMMENT HERE SO MR. NORMAN DOESN'T TAKE THE SARCASM TO THE NEXT LEVEL. I THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY ISSUES THAT WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF, AND I WAS SPEAKING VERY STRONGLY TO THAT LAST TIME, BUT HAVING SEEN WHAT THEY DID FIRSTHAND IN THIS LAST BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, I ANY IT IS A GOOD ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT BRINGS US BACK RETURNS, NOT TO DIMINISH THE NEED OF, SAY, SENIORS IN SERVICE, BUT I THINK IT'S A REASONABLE AMOUNT, AND THAT'S THE REASON I'VE GOT A DIFFERENT OPINION. >>JIM NORMAN: CAN I ACTUALLY JUST SAY ONE THING TOO, AND I KNOW I'VE DRAGGED COMMISSIONER HAGAN OUT THERE BEFORE WITH HIS KID, AND I'VE GOT PICTURES OF ACTUALLY HIM BEING OUT THERE, BUT THEY DO SO MUCH MORE THAT I WISH YOU-ALL WOULD TAKE THE TIME. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF IS HOW THEY CREATE A COMBINE FOR KIDS THAT ARE ON THE FENCE THAT ARE GRADUATING AND THEY BRING NAIA DIVISION TWO, DIVISION THREE COLLEGE COACHES. THEY FLY THEM IN FROM ALL OVER AMERICA. THEY GOT 60 SCHOLARSHIPS LAST YEAR FOR KIDS THAT WOULD HAVE NOT GONE TO COLLEGE. I MEAN, THEY DO SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS OF THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY AROUND KNOWS ABOUT. >>ROSE FERLITA: WELL, AND I YIELD TO YOU BECAUSE OF THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE THINGS I WAS NOT AWARE OF, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S A WELL-INVESTED ALLOCATION. >>JIM NORMAN: THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 57. I'M NOT EXACTLY -- I THINK LAST YEAR IT WAS 60 AND -- OKAY. BUT IT'S RIGHT THERE AT THAT NUMBER. >>BRIAN BLAIR: WHAT A GREAT IDEA TO BRING COMMISSIONER HAGAN AND HIS LITTLE SON OUT THERE WITHOUT BREAKING THE SUNSHINE LAW AND SHOWING THEM SOMETHING TO GET HIS VOTE. >>JIM NORMAN: THAT WAS THE GAME OF CHAMPIONS. [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK] >>ROSE FERLITA: I DON'T THINK MR. HAGAN WAS TOTALLY OPPOSED TO DOING THAT. DRAGGING? I DON'T THINK SO. [LAUGHTER] >>JIM NORMAN: TO SEE OUR LITTLE KIDS AND CHAMPIONS PLAY OUT THERE, WE DO SOCCER, GIRLS, IT'S SO NEAT TO SEE ALL THAT STUFF, SO ANYWAY, THANKS YOU-ALL. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM, DID WE GET ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE AQUARIUM REQUEST? >>PAT BEAN: WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: YEAH, AND I HAVEN'T EITHER, AND THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR A BLANK CHECK, AND MY INITIAL -- AND I DIDN'T HIT MY BUTTON TO BE RECOGNIZED, CHAIRMAN, BUT THEY HAVE NOT ASKED FOR A BLANK CHECK. THE REQUEST THAT HAD COME THROUGH OUR OFFICE WAS FOR 500,000. THEY WERE -- ARE TO BE SENDING DETAILS. I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY DETAIL FROM US YET, BUT IT'S FOR THIS ONGOING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, PART OF WHICH WE PARTICIPATED IN TO -- IN THE AMOUNT OF 100,000 LAST -- LAST BUDGET CYCLE, BUT IT'S FOR THE CLASSROOM EXPANSION, WHICH IS $4 MILLION, THE NEW OCEAN EXHIBIT -- OCEAN COMMOTION EXHIBIT, WHICH IS 1.3. THEY WERE WORKING ON MATCHING FUNDS FROM NOT ONLY THE CITY OF TAMPA BUT ALSO PRIVATE DONATIONS AS WELL, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T OVERLOOK THEM. I THOUGHT IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT AND JUST HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY FINALS, BUT IT'S NOT AN OPEN -- IT'S NOT AN OPEN CHECKBOOK, BUT IT WAS NOT TO EXCEED 500, AND I'M STILL WAITING ON INFORMATION. >> SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BLAIR. I MEAN, FROM MY -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: WE NEVER HAVE FUNDED -- JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, LAST YEAR -- I KNOW YOU JUST CAME TO THE BOARD, BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE EVER FUNDED THE AQUARIUM TO MY KNOWLEDGE. IS THAT TRUE? OR THE YEAR BEFORE? >>ROSE FERLITA: NO, WE HAVE. >>ERIC JOHNSON: I THINK WE'VE FUNDED THEM ABOUT THREE TIMES. AS COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM INDICATED, THIS YEAR I THINK IT'S $100,000. I THINK IT'S BEEN BETWEEN 100- AND 150,000 TYPICALLY, BUT - - >>BRIAN BLAIR: EVERY YEAR? >>PAT BEAN: NOT EVERY YEAR. >>ERIC JOHNSON: NOT EVERY YEAR, BUT THEY'VE HAD INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE COME TO THE BOARD TO REQUEST FUNDING FOR, AND SO THERE'S BEEN NO RECURRING COMMITMENT, BUT THERE HAS BEEN A SERIES OF ONE-TIME COMMITMENTS, SPECIFICALLY TO HELP THEM WITH EXHIBITS. >>BRIAN BLAIR: OKAY. THAT'S FINE. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, I'VE TALKED WITH MR. STORK AS WELL. I KNOW THEY'VE GOT A SERIES OF PROJECTS, AND EVEN THAT OCEAN COMMOTION THEY'RE TRYING TO GET STATE FUNDING. THEY WERE LOOKING AT CLASSROOM FACILITIES. ORIGINALLY THEY TALKED ABOUT BUILDING A SCHOOL. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT THEY ARE LOOKING AT EXPANDED CLASSROOM FACILITIES, AS WELL AS -- NOT TO EXPAND THIS DISCUSSION TO LOWRY PARK ZOO, BUT I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AS WELL. THEY'RE LOOKING AT BUILDING A CONFERENCE-STYLE FACILITY SIMILAR TO WHAT DISNEY HAS WHERE THEY CAN HOST CONFERENCES, AND IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE DURING THE DAY TO SEE THEIR ACTIVITY, IT'S QUITE SIGNIFICANT, BUT I WILL SUPPORT YOU UNTIL WE GET NUMBERS ON THE AQUARIUM. >>KEN HAGAN: I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS THIS IS ONE THAT WE SHOULD PUT OFF UNTIL THE PUBLIC HEARING UNTIL WE GET SOME INFORMATION. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: I'M FINE WITH THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: I'M NOT COMFORTABLE SUPPORTING IT WITHOUT EVEN SEEING ANYTHING. I FULLY SUPPORT THE AQUARIUM. >>ROSE FERLITA: THERE'S NO NUMBERS, SO YOU'RE RIGHT. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: WELL, IN A WAY, COMMISSIONER HAGAN, I'M KIND OF THERE, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE ZOO. WELL, MOSI'S DOING THE SAME THING. THEY'RE BUILDING A -- THEY'RE PARTNERING WITH USF IN THIS BIOTECH STUFF AND BUILDING A GIANT HOTEL, CONVENTION CENTER, ALL THAT STUFF OUT THERE. WE'RE WORKING ON A LAND SWAP WITH THEM. IF WE GO DOWN THIS ROAD, YOU KNOW -- FIRST OF ALL, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE THE BAD GUY HERE AGAIN, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A MATCH. IF WE DO THINGS LIKE WITH MOSI -- I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, WITH THE CITY AND THE ZOOS, WE'VE SAID, OKAY, CITY, WE WANT TO BE IN THIS MATCH MODE. WE'LL BE THERE, BUT I WANT YOU TO MATCH IT TOO, AND THAT'S HOW WE'VE CREATED THIS. IF WE BECOME -- THE SAME THING AS THIS ECONOMIC THING. IF WE BECOME THE ONLY GUY ANYBODY GOES TO FOR MONEY, WE'RE GOING TO GO BROKE, AND WE'RE ALREADY GOING BROKE, SO MY POINT IS I THINK BEFORE WE GO DOWN THIS ROAD, YOU BETTER HAVE THESE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, AND -- BECAUSE IF YOU-ALL UNDERSTAND THE PECKING ORDER, WE ARE 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR MOSI. IF THAT GOES DOWN AND FAILS, WE TAKE OVER THE BIG OPERATION AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. THESE OTHERS WE DON'T, AND SO WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT HOME FIRST AND -- BUT I THINK THERE'S A PACKAGE HERE WE NEED TO LOOK AT IF WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN THIS ROAD. THAT'S MY ONLY THOUGHT. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: YEAH, AND THERE IS A MATCH. AND I AGREE WITH THE BOARD, LET'S WAIT ON THIS AND GET THE NUMBERS, BUT THE CITY OF TAMPA AND THE MATCHING FUNDS, THEY'RE PUTTING IN 750,000, SO WE'VE GOT SOME MATCHING FUNDS RIGHT NOW. >>JIM NORMAN: FROM THE CITY? >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: FROM -- THE CITY'S COMMITTED, YEAH. I WANT TO SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT COMING IN. >>BRIAN BLAIR: WHO COLLECTS THE SALES TAX? >>KEN HAGAN: THIS DOESN'T REQUIRE A VOTE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SO WE CAN DISCUSS IT AND VOTE DURING ONE OF OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. SO COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. HAGAN, I THINK YOUR AVENUE RIGHT ON TARGET. I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT THE AQUARIUM IS DOING, BUT I THINK WE GO BACK TO OUR CONCEPT ABOUT LET'S TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL IN THAT PUBLIC HEARING AND ENCOURAGE AND INVITE LEVERAGED DOLLARS FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA AND EVERYONE ELSE, AND THEN IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY, SO I'M SUPPORTIVE IN CONCEPT, AND I WANT TO HEAR THE DETAILS. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. NEXT ITEM. >>PAT BEAN: WELL, THE NEXT ITEM IS A REQUEST THAT WE -- I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN WRITING, BUT IT'S A REQUEST FROM THE NAACP, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE REQUEST IS FOR $15,000. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NATURE OF THE REQUEST IS. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THAT WAS FOR THE NAACP EMPOWERMENT ZONE. THAT'S AN ANNUAL REACH-OUT. DID YOU RECEIVE SOMETHING, MR. JOHNSON? OKAY. MR. JOHNSON'S PASSING OUT THE PACKAGE INFORMATION. >>PAT BEAN: WE JUST GOT IT. >>KEVIN WHITE: WE HAVE FUNDED THEM IN THE PAST, AND IT'S - - AND THEY DO SEEK COFUNDING FROM THE CITY AND OTHER FINANCIAL SOURCES. IT'S -- I DON'T SEE IT AS A MAJOR FINANCIAL IMPACT ON THE COUNTY. IT'S $15,000, AND I'D ASK FOR THE BOARD'S APPROVAL ON THIS RECOMMENDATION OR REQUEST. >>BRIAN BLAIR: IS THIS FOR CURTIS'S RAISE? >>KEVIN WHITE: WELL, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GIVE IT TO HIM. HE'S A REPUBLICAN. BUT ANYWAY -- >>BRIAN BLAIR: THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. >>KEVIN WHITE: NO, IT'S NOT A RAISE. IT'S NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. >>BRIAN BLAIR: I'LL SECOND THE MOTION AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE BACKGROUND. I'M LOOKING AT IT HERE, AND IT'S HARD TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT'S GOING FOR, BUT IF -- AS LONG AS OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR FEELS IT'S GOING TO THE RIGHT PLACES, I WOULD DEFINITELY SECOND YOU. >>KEVIN WHITE: AND WE'VE FUNDED IN THE PAST. IT'S HARD FOR EVERYONE, AS WE KNOW, TO STAY VIABLE ECONOMICALLY NOW, AND THIS IS A -- A NOMINAL AMOUNT FOR THE -- >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WHITE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BLAIR. IT'S $15,000 FOR THE NAACP EMPOWERMENT CENTER. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: COMMISSIONER SHARPE. MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT ITEM. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU, BOARD. >>PAT BEAN: F-39 WE'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY ADDRESSED, AND SO THE LAST ONE WAS THE ITEM THAT COMMISSIONER SHARPE BROUGHT UP EARLIER THIS MORNING. F-40 WOULD BE THE YES! PROGRAM, AND THAT WAS A REQUEST FOR $10,000. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT ANOTHER ISSUE. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MS. BEAN WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, SO I'D LIKE JUST MAKE A STATEMENT AFTER THIS THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, BUT I'LL SECOND THAT REQUEST FOR MR. SHARPE. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. MOTION FOR $10,000 FOR YES! OF AMERICA UNITED BY COMMISSIONER SHARPE, SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD