Citizens Advisory Committee

CAPTIONING FEBRUARY 28, 2014 CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the ***following meeting. It should be used for informational ***purposes only. This document has not been edited; ***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words ***that did not translate.

>>JAY VICKERS: GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY,

FEBRUARY 28, MEETING OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

WE'LL START WITH THE PLEDGE.

BARBARA, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE?

[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

>>JAY VICKERS: NEXT UP IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CITIZENS

ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

LINDA, WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE PURPOSE?

>>LINDA PORTER: YES.

THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THIS COMMITTEE

SHALL BE THE FOLLOWING: TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE COUNTY

ISSUES AS REQUESTED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OR

BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR; TO INITIATE PROPOSALS AND

FORWARD THEM TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION.

>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 2

NEXT, IF WE COULD PLEASE GO AROUND THE ROOM AND EACH MEMBER

INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND THE COMMISSIONER THAT APPOINTED

START TO MY LEFT.

>>SPENCER KASS: GOOD MORNING.

SPENCER KASS, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER SANDY MURMAN.

>>CRISTAN FADAL: CRISTAN FADAL, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER

SANDY MURMAN.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: GAYE TOWNSEND, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER

MARK SHARPE.

GOOD MORNING.

>>DEBORAH COPE: GOOD MORNING.

DEBORAH COPE APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER KEVIN BECKNER.

>>JAY VICKERS: JAY VICKERS APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER KEN

HAGAN.

>>KIMBER WILLIAMS: KIMBER WILLIAMS APPOINTED BY

COMMISSIONER KEN HAGAN.

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: BARBARA ADERHOLD, APPOINTED BY

COMMISSIONER KEVIN BECKNER.

>>LINDA PORTER: LINDA PORTER, APPOINTED BY COMMISSIONER LES

MILLER.

>>WENDELL DUGGINS: WENDELL DUGGINS, APPOINTED BY

COMMISSIONER LES MILLER.

>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU. 3

NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENT.

I DO NOT SEE ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, SO WE WILL MOVE ON

TO THE REVIEW OF THE MEETING RECAP, AND THE RECAPS TAB IN

YOUR BINDER.

>> MOVE TO APPROVE.

>> SECOND.

>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL PAUSE FOR A MOMENT FOR EVERYONE TO AT LEAST LOOK AT

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.

[CHORUS OF AYES]

THANK YOU.

SO WE HAVE A BIT OF AN AUDIBLE CALL THIS MORNING.

THE SPEAKER FOR CUTR COULD NOT MAKE IT, CANCELED LATE

YESTERDAY, SO BETH TRIED TO FIND A REPLACEMENT AND WASN'T

SUCCESSFUL, SO SINCE WE'VE NEVER HAD A PRESENTATION ON

EXACTLY WHAT INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IS HERE, BETH IS

GOING TO EXPLAIN TO US ABOUT INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS.

SHE IS FILLING IN.

>>BETH PYTLIK: THANKS FOR LETTING ME FILL IN.

>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LET ME REPHRASE THAT.

WE CANNED THE GUY FROM CUTR IN FAVOR OF BETH IS WHAT WE DID. 4

>>BETH PYTLIK: THAT'S IT.

WELL, THANKS, EVERYONE, FOR LETTING ME TELL YOU A LITTLE

BIT ABOUT INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS.

BRANDON USED TO BE YOUR STAFF PERSON, AND HE WAS

INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS AT THAT POINT, BUT THE

DEPARTMENT HAS GROWN AND CHANGED OVER THE PAST YEAR, SO IF

HE DID TELL YOU THINGS BEFORE, IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT

DIFFERENT AT THIS POINT.

OUR DEPARTMENT, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, IS NOW THREE

PEOPLE; BRANDON IS THE TOP DOG, AND THEN MYSELF AND ROBERT

SALMON ARE UNDER BRANDON AS SPECIAL PROJECT COORDINATORS.

THE WAY WE'VE KIND OF DIVIDED THINGS UP IS I FOCUS

PRIMARILY ON THE STATE LEGISLATION.

I SPEND ALL OF SESSION UP IN TALLAHASSEE, WORKING WITH THE

STATE, AND ROBERT DOES THE FEDERAL LEGISLATION.

WHAT I BROUGHT HERE IS BOTH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS

AS WELL AS EXAMPLE OF A REPORT ON THE STATE LEGISLATION

THAT I'VE DONE RECENTLY.

OUR DEPARTMENT ALSO WORKS ON SPECIAL PROJECTS FOR THE BOARD

OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, SO IT

REALLY IS ALL OVER THE PLACE FROM DAY TO DAY FOR EXAMPLE,

ONE THING ROBERT'S WORKING ON IS THE VIOLENCE PREVENTION

COLLABORATIVE TASK FORCE.

HE IS WORKING ON THAT CLOSELY. 5

AS YOU KNOW, I WORK WITH YOU ALL.

I ALSO DO SOME OTHER FUNCTIONS, AUDITING, ET CETERA.

SO WE ARE KIND OF A BIT OF EVERYTHING IN OUR DEPARTMENT,

BUT PRIMARILY, AT LEAST THIS TIME OF YEAR, I KNOW I'M

FOCUSED ON STATE LEGISLATION.

SO IN THE PACKET HERE, THE FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM IS

AS I SAID, ROBERT'S PRIMARILY WORKING ON IT, BUT A COUPLE

ISSUES THAT I KNOW HE HAS BEEN FOCUSING ON WE TALKED ABOUT

LATELY.

FLOOD INSURANCE IS A BIG ISSUE.

NATIONWIDE.

UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THINGS MOVE RATHER

SLOW, AND PINELLAS COUNTY SO FAR IS KIND OF GROUND ZERO.

THEY ARE ALREADY SEEING RATES BEING CHANGED.

THIS GOES BACK TO THE 2012 BIGGER WATERS ACT, WHERE THEY

ARE REDOING THE FLOOD MAPS AND REDOING RATES.

UNFORTUNATELY, AN ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT WAS

SUPPOSED TO BE DONE WASN'T, AND THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE

MAPS BY SATELLITE TOPOGRAPHY, AND THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT

FLOOD HISTORY, ET CETERA.

SO A PLACE THAT MAY LOOK LIKE, OKAY, IT'S LOW GROUND AND IT

SHOULD FLOOD MAY HAVE HIGH RATES WHEN THEY MAY HAVE NEVER

HAD A FLOOD. 6

SO OUR LEGISLATIVE TEAM, ACTUALLY, BRANDON AND ROBERT ARE

ON PLANES TO DC TODAY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE UP THERE FOR

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES CONFERENCE OVER THE

NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AND THEY ARE ALSO PLANNING ON MAKING

VISITS TO OUR LOCAL MEMBERS UP THERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

I KNOW THEY WERE UP THERE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR MONTHS AGO,

AND THE SENTIMENT IS, OKAY, WE KNOW SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE

DONE, BUT EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT IDEA OF HOW TO FIX THE

PROBLEM.

SO A COUPLE ITEMS HERE.

FLOOD INSURANCE, AS I JUST MENTIONED.

TRANSPORTATION.

THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK IN THE NEWS ABOUT A HIGH-SPEED FERRY.

I AM NOT SURE WHERE THAT PROJECT IS AT THIS POINT.

ALSO, BRIDGES.

WE HAVE SOME BRIDGES IN THE COUNTY, CHANNEL BEAM BRIDGES,

THAT ARE BEGINNING TO AGE, AND THERE WAS GOING TO BE

DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL FUNDING FOR REPAIR,

REPLACEMENT, WHATEVER IS NECESSARY FOR THOSE BRIDGES.

ON THE NEXT PAGE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

YOU KNOW, WE'D LIKE TO NOT SEE CUTS TO CDBGs AND HOME FUNDS.

A VARIETY OF STUFF OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF PAGES.

ON THE LAST PAGE, THE RESTORE ACT.

THAT GOES BACK TO THE BP OIL SPILL AND THE SETTLEMENT. 7

THERE'S GOING TO BE MONEY AT SOME POINT, AND ALL OF THE --

WELL, ALL OF THE GULF COUNTIES HAVE GOTTEN TOGETHER TO LOOK

AT HOW TO COLLECTIVELY DISTRIBUTE THAT MONEY, WHAT TO DO

WITH IT.

BUT I KNOW HERE IN FLORIDA, ALL OF THE GULF COUNTIES

STARTING UP PENSACOLA AREA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE KEYS ARE

GETTING TOGETHER.

THEY TALK I WANT TO SAY ONCE A MONTH ON WHAT TO POTENTIALLY

DO, PROJECTS, ET CETERA, HOW TO DISBURSE THE MONEY WITHIN

THE STATE, AND YOU KNOW, DO WE WANT TO DO REGIONAL PROJECTS?

DO WE JUST WANT TO DIVIDE IT UP COUNTY BY COUNTY?

SO AS FAR AS I KNOW, THAT GROUP HAS NOT MADE ANY DECISIONS

IT'S STILL VERY MUCH IN A TALKING STATE.

AND OUR COUNTY PARTICIPATES IN THAT.

COMMISSIONER MILLER, I BELIEVE, IS INVOLVED, AND BRANDON

AND ROBERT ARE ALWAYS ON THOSE CALLS OR IN THE MEETINGS IF

THEY ARE LOCAL.

SO MOVING TO THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM, WHICH I CAN

TELL YOU A LOT MORE ABOUT.

STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, IT BEGINS ON TUESDAY.

IT RUNS 60 DAYS BY STATE CONSTITUTION.

AND THE ONLY CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT THEY HAVE TO DO IN

THOSE 60 DAYS IS BALANCE A BUDGET. 8

OTHER THAN THAT, THEY CAN PASS NO BILLS, THEY CAN PASS 500

BILLS.

IT'S REALLY ALL OVER.

ON AVERAGE, APPROXIMATELY 2,000 TO 2400 BILLS ARE FILED

EACH YEAR, AND SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 200 AND 300 ARE ACTUALLY

PASSED.

I'VE BEEN UP THERE.

THEY HAVE -- STARTING IN, I THINK IT WAS SEPTEMBER THEY

STARTED, THEY'VE BEEN DOING WHAT THEY CALL INTERIM

COMMITTEE WEEKS, WHERE SOME OF THE COMMITTEES GET TOGETHER,

TALK ABOUT ISSUES THAT THEY WANT TO TACKLE DURING SESSION,

HEAR PRESENTATIONS FROM DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, THE

AGRICULTURAL COMMITTEE MAY HEAR FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON THIS YEAR, ET CETERA.

THEY HAVE MET ONCE A MONTH FOR A WEEK, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER,

NOVEMBER.

DECEMBER ONE OF THEM WAS CANCELED BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS

THIS THEN JANUARY THEY MET FOR TWO WEEKS, AND IN FEBRUARY

THEY MET FOR THREE.

SO THEY WERE ACTUALLY UP THERE THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF

FEBRUARY, THEN THIS WEEK EVERYONE IS HOME, PROBABLY RESTING

UP TO GO INTO SESSION NEXT WEEK.

WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING OUT OF THOSE COMMITTEE MEETINGS,

SOME OF THEIR PRIORITIES THIS YEAR, TAX CUTS, THAT'S COMING 9

FROM BOTH THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE.

THEY WANT TO SEE TAX CUTS.

THERE'S PLENTY OF BILLS ON ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

THEY ARE LOOKING AT -- YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE BILL ON A

SALES HOLIDAY ON THIS DAY FOR, SAY, ELECTRONICS, THIS DAY

FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

THEY ARE LOOKING AT REDUCING RATES HERE OR CHANGING, YOU

KNOW, THE WAY THEY DO RATES HERE.

A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS FLYING AROUND.

ANOTHER BIG THING I'VE BEEN TRACKING -- BECAUSE ONE OF OUR

COMMISSIONERS IS INTERESTED IN IT IS JUSTICE AND SEXUALLY

VIOLENT OFFENDERS AND SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS AND SEX

OFFENDERS -- BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE HAS PUT THROUGH

SEVERAL BILLS AS A PACKAGE, TIGHTENING UP THE LAWS ON, YOU

KNOW, THOSE CRIMES, BOTH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR IT BEING A

CRIME, THE LEVEL OF, YOU KNOW, IMPRISONMENT OR WHATEVER,

AND THEN AFTERWARDS, TRACKING, THEIR REGISTRATION

REQUIREMENTS, WHEN THEY MOVE FROM COUNTY TO COUNTY, STUFF

LIKE THAT.

ONE BILL I EVEN SAW THAT IT WENT THROUGH ITS LAST COMMITTEE

OF REFERENCE, AND IT'S GOING -- IT'S A HOUSE BILL.

IT'S NOT CALENDARED FOR THE FLOOR YET, BUT IT'S CHANGING

THE MINIMUM SENTENCE FOR A SEXUALLY VIOLENT OFFENDER TO 50

YEARS. 10

BACK ON THE SENATE SIDE, THE SENATE RULES CHAIR, HIS NAME

IS THRASHER, HE SAID HE WANTS TO BRING OUR STATE TO AS

CLOSE AS ZERO TOLERANCE FOR THESE TYPE OF CRIMES AS

POSSIBLE.

SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE ISSUES I KNOW THEY ARE FOCUSING ON.

TWO OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SWIRLING UP THERE AND THAT

WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING AND WORKING WITH, HOMELESSNESS.

THERE'S KIND OF A STATEWIDE INITIATIVE TO LOOK AT THE

HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX IT.

SENATOR LATVALA, WHO IS OUT OF PINELLAS COUNTY, HE PUT

FORTH A BILL MAYBE TWO WEEKS AGO AT THIS POINT, A WEEK AND

A HALF AGO AT THIS POINT, THAT WOULD DEDICATE SOME FUNDING

TOWARDS HOMELESS INITIATIVES.

I WAS INVOLVED IN THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS FOR THAT.

WE'RE STILL KIND OF IRONING OUT THINGS LIKE FORMULA AND HOW

EXACTLY FUNDS WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED AND, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT

COUNTY PROJECTS, HOW THEY MAY BE PRIORITIZED OR HOW IT'S

GOING TO WORK OUT.

SO THOSE DETAILS AREN'T FINALIZED YET, BUT THAT BILL WAS

FILED.

ONE OTHER THAT'S BEEN REALLY TALKED ABOUT A LOT UP THERE

AND BILLS HAVE JUST BEEN FILED FOR IS THE FILM INDUSTRY,

FOR INCENTIVES FOR THE FILM INDUSTRY.

THERE IS A PROGRAM OF INCENTIVES THAT IS AUTHORIZED THROUGH 11

2016, BUT CURRENTLY ALL THE DOLLARS THAT WERE PUT IN THIS

PART ARE CERTIFIED, THEY ARE CALLED FOR UNDER CERTAIN

PROJECTS.

SO THERE'S BEEN A BIG ASK BY FILM FLORIDA, WHO IS A

LOBBYING GROUP, YOU KNOW, THEY REPRESENT THE INTEREST TO

HAVE MORE DOLLARS DEDICATED TO BRING MORE FILM PROJECTS.

AND THAT WOULD BE FILM, TV, AND DIGITAL MEDIA AND NEW AND

EMERGING MEDIAS.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING I'VE BEEN KIND OF KEEPING AN EYE ON.

I THINK OUR AREA IS A GREAT PLACE TO FILM, SO I'D LOVE TO

SEE THAT HAPPEN.

SO AGAIN, OVER TO THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.

THIS ONE I HAVE DIVIDED UP INTO PRIORITIES IN GENERAL.

PRIORITIES ARE MORE THE THINGS WE KIND OF GO FOR AND WE'RE

PROACTIVE ABOUT.

SOME OF THEM WE ARE ASKING, SOME WE ARE OPPOSING.

A LOT OF IT IS JUST KIND OF MONITOR STATEMENTS.

KEEP AN EYE ON THIS, AND IF IT OCCURS, WE'LL GO FROM THERE,

DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS.

SO CIVIL SERVICE ACT REFORM.

I AM SURE YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ABOUT THAT IN THE NEWS.

ALL OF THE COUNTY CONSTITUTIONAL -- I BELIEVE ALL OF THE

COUNTY CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS HAVE KIND OF GOTTEN TOGETHER

AND SAY, YOU KNOW, CIVIL SERVICE, WE'D LIKE TO SEE IT GO 12

FROM A MANDATORY GROUP WE HAVE TO WORK WITH TO MORE

PERMISSIVE, MORE A LA CART AND MAYBE EVEN EXPAND WHAT WE DO

WITH THEM.

LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY ORDINANCE.

WE HAVE MANY ORDINANCES, BUT TWO MENTIONED HERE ARE PAIN

MANAGEMENT CLINICS AND PIP FRAUD.

I HAVE BEEN WORKING A LOT SO FAR ON THESE COMMITTEE WEEKS

ON PIP FRAUD.

KIND OF THE BACK HISTORY ON THAT, TAMPA BAY AREA WAS GROUND

ZERO FOR STAGED ACCIDENTS WITH PIP, WHERE YOU HAVE THE

STAGED ACCIDENT AND YOU GET THE AUTOMATIC PAYOUT.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WERE SOME BAD ACTORS THAT WERE SETTING

UP CLINICS TO PERPETUATE THIS FRAUD.

AT ONE POINT THERE WERE ABOUT 300 OF THESE CLINICS, AND WE

ENACTED OUR ORDINANCE AND GOT IT DOWN TO ABOUT 80.

IT WAS BROUGHT TO COURT, AND A JUDGE PUT AN INJUNCTION ON

OUR ORDINANCE THAT WENT INTO EFFECT IN OCTOBER OF 2012, AND

AT THIS POINT, WE'RE BACK UP TO ABOUT 300 OF THESE CLINICS.

THE JUDGE AND THE INJUNCTION STATE THAT HAD THERE WAS A

PREEMPTION, THAT THE STATE PREEMPTED THIS AREA OF LAW, AND

THAT'S WHY THE ORDINANCE COULD NOT BE IN EFFECT.

WE WENT BACK, ACTUALLY STARTED THIS VENTURE LAST YEAR TO

THE SPONSOR OF THE PIP LEGISLATION FROM I BELIEVE IT WAS

2011. 13

HE SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NO -- YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T

INTEND TO PREEMPT YOU GUYS.

SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO BOTH SENATE AND HOUSE SIDE ABOUT,

YOU KNOW, LANGUAGE SPECIFICALLY STATING THE ORDINANCE IS

NOT PREEMPTED.

YOU CAN HAVE YOUR ORDINANCE.

DOES GOOD THINGS.

TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC INVESTMENT, YOU MAY HAVE ALL

HEARD ABOUT A GROUP THAT'S GETTING TOGETHER.

IT'S GOING TO BE THE COUNTY, THE CITIES, AND THERE MAY BE

ONE OR TWO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, A TRANSPORTATION LEADERSHIP

GROUP.

AND THE THOUGHT HERE IS I BELIEVE THEY'VE MET A COUPLE

TIMES.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET A LIST OF PROJECTS OUT OF THEM.

HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE AT THE NEXT MEETING, OF OKAY, HERE'S

TWO OR THREE PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IN THE

REGION, THE CITIES, THE COUNTY, ALL AGREED TO, YOU KNOW,

AND ASK FOR FUNDING ON THOSE PROJECTS.

>> MAY I?

[LAUGHTER]

THIS IS A TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT

NOW IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT JUST MET THIS PAST

WEDNESDAY. 14

IS IT THAT GROUP?

I JUST WANT TO BE SURE.

WE'VE HAD SO ENEMA OF THESE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S CALLED

ANYMORE.

BUT THAT'S THE ONE?

>>BETH PYTLIK: I BELIEVE SO.

GOING ON TO OUR NEXT PAGE ARE GENERAL ISSUES, AFFORDABLE

HOUSING, THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE I DISCUSSED IS UNDER THERE.

CONSUMER SERVICES IS AN ISSUE I WAS UP THERE WORKING ON

JUST LAST WEEK.

WE, AGAIN, HAVE A COUNTY ORDINANCE RELATING TO DISABILITY

ASSISTANCE AT THE GAS PUMPS.

IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND SEVEN OR EIGHT OTHER COUNTIES

THROUGHOUT STATE, A DISABLED PERSON CAN GO TO A GAS PUMP,

AND THERE'S A STICKER ON THE GAS PUMP, IT'S BLUE, HAS THE

DISABILITY SYMBOL, SAYS FOR ASSISTANCE CALL, AND THE PHONE

NUMBER TO CALL INSIDE.

UNFORTUNATELY, ONLY ABOUT EIGHT OR NINE COUNTIES STATEWIDE

HAVE THIS ORDINANCE.

IF A DISABLED PERSON LIVES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, HAS THAT

BENEFIT, IT'S GREAT.

BUT IF THEY DRIVE TO ANOTHER COUNTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A

SIMILAR ORDINANCE, THE STORIES I HAVE HEARD, I HAVE TO

HONK, WAVE, GIVE MY CREDIT CARD TO STRANGERS. 15

IT'S JUST NOT REALLY SAFE.

SO WE ARE LOOKING TO MAKE THIS A STATEWIDE, YOU KNOW,

ISSUE, THAT THERE CAN BE THESE STICKERS STATEWIDE.

THERE'S A BILL BY ONE OF OUR LOCAL MEMBERS, REPRESENTATIVE

DANISH, THAT'S PASSED ITS FIRST COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE.

LOTS OF SUPPORT FOR THIS BILL.

THE GAS PUMP -- THE FUEL MARKETERS ARE IN FULL SUPPORT OF

IT, SO WE'LL HOPEFULLY SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH IT.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET, I MENTIONED FILM INCENTIVES.

ALSO ANOTHER ISSUE THAT'S MOVING THIS YEAR, THE LAST POINT,

911 FEES ON PREPAID.

THERE'S, I BELIEVE IT'S 50 CENTS CURRENTLY ON CELL PHONE

PLANS THAT THAT 50 CENTS GOES TO 911.

THEY ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND IT TO PREPAID AS WELL BECAUSE

PREPAID CURRENTLY AREN'T PAYING THAT 50 CENTS.

BUT OVERALL, THEY'RE GOING TO DROP THAT RATE.

THE LATEST NUMBER I'VE HEARD IS 46 CENTS.

BUT THERE WAS A REVENUE ESTIMATING CONFERENCE ON THIS JUST

LAST WEEK, SO THAT NUMBER MAY STILL FLUCTUATE A LITTLE BIT.

ON TO THE NEXT PAGE, FLOOD INSURANCE.

>> 46 CENTS FROM 50?

>>BETH PYTLIK: GOOD, WE ALL GET TO KEEP FOUR CENTS.

BACK TO FLOOD INSURANCE. 16

AS I MENTIONED, WE ALL KNOW THAT FLOOD INSURANCE IS AN

ISSUE.

THE STATE IS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT HOW THEY CAN FIX THIS

FLOOD INSURANCE PROBLEM AND THESE HIGH RATES FOR FLORIDA

RESIDENTS.

SENATOR BRANDIS, WHO IS ONE OF OUR LOCALS, AND HE IS

PRIMARILY OUT OF ST. PETE, HE HAS A BILL THAT HAS GONE

THROUGH ITS COMMITTEES THAT WOULD BASICALLY OPEN UP THE

PRIVATE INSURANCE MARKET FOR FLOOD INSURANCE, HAVE MORE

PRIVATE INSURERS WRITING POLICIES.

THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN IT THAT LET'S SAY YOU DON'T HAVE --

OR YOU ONLY HAVE A PARTIAL -- YOUR VALUE IS $120,000 ON

YOUR HOUSE AND YOU ONLY HAVE $10,000 MORTGAGE, TO ALLOW YOU

TO, IF YOU CHOOSE, TO ONLY DO INSURANCE FOR THE PART THAT'S

MORTGAGED AND NOT THE REST, IF YOU CHOOSE.

THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER PROVISIONS IN IT.

A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT CONSUMER PROTECTION TYPE ISSUES.

AS I SAID, IT'S GONE THROUGH ITS COMMITTEES, BUT IT'S

ACTUALLY GOING TO BE RE-REFERRED BACK TO BANKING AND

INSURANCE FOR ONE MORE VETTING TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

HEALTHCARE/MEDICAID, WAS ACTUALLY ON A CONFERENCE CALL JUST

LAST WEEK ABOUT THIS.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFERS.

THE COUNTY HALF-CENT HEALTHCARE TAX, IT GETS SENT UP -- AND 17

I AM STILL NOT 100% UNDERSTANDING IT, TO BE HONEST.

IT GETS SENT UP TO TALLAHASSEE, AND TALLAHASSEE GETS A

MATCH FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THE MONEY COMES BACK DOWN, AND THAT GOES TOWARDS MORE

SAFETY NET TYPE HOSPITALS, AND FOR THE HILLSBOROUGH

HEALTHCARE PLAN, FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T FULLY AFFORD OR CAN'T

AFFORD HEALTHCARE AT THE SAFETY NET HOSPITALS.

IT WAS CHANGED IN 2011, BEFORE MY TIME, A TIERED APPROACH

WENT INTO EFFECT THIS PAST SUMMER.

SO WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO COME UP THIS YEAR, BUT WE

WERE CERTAINLY KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY

HAPPENING.

>> [SPEAKER OFF MIC]

>>BETH PYTLIK: RIGHT, RIGHT, RATHER THAN ALL THE MONEY

COMING BACK TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND

IT, THE MONEY IS BEING MORE SPREAD STATEWIDE.

>>BETH PYTLIK: YEAH, YEAH, IT'S A GOOD AMOUNT.

GOING ON TO THE NEXT PAGE, JUSTICE, I MENTIONED THE SEX

OFFENDERS AND SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS LEGISLATION.

ROAD DESIGNATION.

THIS IS AN ASK OF OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

SERGEANT PAUL SMITH IS A MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER, ACTUALLY,

THE ONLY MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. 18

WE ASKED -- WE HAVE A HOUSE AND A SENATE SPONSOR THAT ARE

GOING TO RUN LANGUAGE TO HAVE A PORTION OF ROAD DEDICATED

TO HIM.

IT'S ACTUALLY 301 IN FRONT OF VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK.

SO HOPEFULLY THAT ONE WILL HAVE NO ISSUES AND WILL BE

PASSED AROUND YOU'LL SEE A SIGN OF DESIGNATION.

FINALLY, ON TO THE NEXT PAGE, TRANSPORTATION, RED LIGHT

CAMERAS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS, SENATOR BRANDIS IS

TALKING ABOUT RED LIGHT CAMERAS, MAY BE AN ISSUE SWIRLING.

AGAIN, NOTHING QUITE YET, BUT WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON IT.

AND A BUNCH OF OTHER ISSUES HERE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME, AND I CAN

GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION.

THE ONE OTHER THING I HAVE HERE IS AN UPDATE THAT I DID

FROM, ACTUALLY, LAST MONTH.

WHAT I DO IS EVERY WEEK THAT I'M UP THERE, DURING THE

COMMITTEE WEEKS, IT WAS MORE LIKE EVERY OTHER WEEK

DEPENDING ON HOW BUSY THINGS WERE AND WHAT WAS GOING ON,

BUT DURING SESSION, IT'S GOING TO BE EVERY WEEK.

I SEND BACK A REPORT.

IT GOES TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THE

DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR SHOULD KIND OF A QUICK RUN-DOWN.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK, HERE'S WHERE EVERYTHING IS. 19

THESE REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE, IF YOU GO TO

HILLSBOROUGHCOUNTY.ORG, GO TO THE DEPARTMENTS,

INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, ALL OF OUR REPORTS ARE ONLINE,

AS WELL AS LINKS TO FLORIDA SENATE SITE, FLORIDA HOUSE

SITE, AND ANYTHING YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW, AS WELL AS OUR

CONTACT INFORMATION IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR

AND DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME NOW?

>>BETH PYTLIK: THEY DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.

LAST YEAR, AT THE LAST MINUTE, THERE WERE A COUPLE BILLS

FILED ON EITHER SIDE, SOME ALL FOR IT, SOME AGAINST IT,

SOME WANTING, OKAY, WE'LL TAKE THE DOLLARS BUT DO SOMETHING

DIFFERENT APPROACH.

THIS YEAR IT'S BEEN MUM SO FAR.

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WANT TO.

>>KAY DOUGHTY: AND YOU MENTIONED THE PILL MILLS IN

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

CLEARLY IT'S A STATE ISSUE.

IS THERE ANY TALK ABOUT IDENTIFYING FUNDING FOR THE

PRESCRIPTION DRUG MONITORING PROGRAM?

>>BETH PYTLIK: THERE IS A BILL.

IT DID RECEIVE A ONE-TIME FUNDING LAST YEAR.

I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT WAS, BUT IT WAS 20

NONRECURRING.

THERE IS A BILL THIS YEAR FOR ADDITIONAL MONIES.

SO I CAN KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THAT BILL IF YOU WANT ME TO.

>> I'D LIKE IT.

IT'S WHAT I DO.

BUT SPEAKING OF THE DRUG ISSUE, IS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

PLANNING TO TAKE A POSITION ON THE BALLOT INITIATIVE ABOUT

MARIJUANA?

>>BETH PYTLIK: NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE AT THIS POINT.

I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.

>>KAY DOUGHTY: I'D LIKE THEM TO.

>> DIFFERENT TYPE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

>> THAT IS, THAT IS.

>> I AM SORRY.

GO AHEAD, GAYE.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: YOU KNOW, YOU READ MY MIND.

[SPEAKER OFF MIC]

>>BETH PYTLIK: YOU'RE WELCOME.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [SPEAKER OFF MIC]

>>BETH PYTLIK: WITH THE FERTILIZER REGULATION, I DON'T KNOW

HOW MUCH OF AN ISSUE IT'S GOING TO BE THIS YEAR, BUT WHAT

WE GENERALLY DO -- WHAT I ALWAYS DO IS WHEN I SEE A BILL OF

ANY ISSUE -- BUT FOR EXAMPLE, FERTILIZER -- I'LL SEND IT

BACK TO OUR FERTILIZER FOLKS, OUR WATER FOLKS, OUR EPC 21

FOLKS, AND GET THEIR OPINION ON IT.

IS IT GOOD?

IS IT BAD?

HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE COUNTY?

DO WE HAVE LOCAL REGULATION THAT THIS IS GOING TO STEAMROLL

AND THIS IS BAD AND OURS IS GOOD?

I GET, YOU KNOW, A FULL ANALYSIS FROM OUR FOLKS AND THEN GO

ACCORDINGLY.

>>BETH PYTLIK: YEAH, WE ARE CERTAINLY KEEPING AN EYE ON IT,

AND AS I SAID, COMING BACK HERE TO THE EXPERTS BECAUSE I AM

NOT A FERTILIZER EXPERT, THEN GETTING THE ANALYSIS AND

GOING FORTH BASED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY THINK OF IT.

>> THERE IS A FOLLOW-UP STATEMENT TO THAT.

[LAUGHTER]

UNLESS YOU ALL WANT TO DRINK FERTILIZER.

BUT MONITOR ANY WATER LEGISLATION -- [SPEAKER OFF MIC]

>>BETH PYTLIK: YEAH.

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT TAMPA BAY WATER SPECIFICALLY, BUT IN

GENERAL, WE HAVE OUR ORDINANCE, WE HAVE OUR REGULATIONS, WE

THINK WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF MANAGING OUR AREA.

SO WHENEVER THE STATE WANTS TO DO A STATEWIDE REGULATION,

WE SAY, OKAY, WELL, WE DO A GOOD JOB. 22

IS THIS REALLY A GOOD IDEA OR NOT?

AND YOU KNOW, ONE IDEA ON THAT IS HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL,

WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED.

WE KNOW WHAT OUR ISSUES ARE.

AND THAT'S WHY WE FEEL WE CAN BEST REGULATE THEM.

>>BETH PYTLIK: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, YEAH, WE'RE LOOKING AT

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

>>BETH PYTLIK: THAT'S WHY I SAY NOT TAMPA BAY WATER

SPECIFICALLY, BUT --

>>JAY VICKERS: SPENCER, THEN LINDA, THEN CRISTAN.

>>SPENCER KASS: I JUST WANT TO SUGGEST PERHAPS WE WANT TO

THINK ABOUT THE DELEGATION COMING DOWN HERE AT SOME POINT

DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR AND MAYBE MEETING WITH US AND

COMING HERE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, A, KNOW WHO THE DELEGATES

ARE, AND B, BE HERE FOR THINGS THE CITIZENS MIGHT WANT TO

WORK ON.

BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.

>>BETH PYTLIK: OF COURSE.

FIELD TRIP?

YOU ALL CAN COME TO TALLAHASSEE FOR A FIELD TRIP.

>> I WOULD LOVE IT. 23

>>KAY DOUGHTY: IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE

YOU TO WALK THE HAULS.

>> YES, QUITE AN EXPERIENCE.

>>JAY VICKERS: CRISTAN.

>>CRISTAN FADAL: TWO QUESTIONS.

AS FAR AS THE GOVERNOR GOES WITH DISCUSSIONS REGARDING

SELF-FUNDING FOR STATE OF FLORIDA, HAS THERE BEEN ANY

DISCUSSION OF THAT, OR IS EVERYONE SOLELY FOCUSED ON

[INAUDIBLE]

>>BETH PYTLIK: I HAVE NOT HEARD -- THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT

HASN'T HAPPENED -- BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD THE GOVERNOR TALK

ABOUT THIS FLOOD INSURANCE ISSUE.

MOST OF THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN AROUND SENATOR BRANDIS'S

>>CRISTAN FADAL: I GUESS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WHAT TYPE OF

PRESSURE IS BEING PUT ON HOUSE AND SENATE MEMBERS FOR THE

RESOLUTION OF THAT, THE SERIOUSNESS OF IT?

>>BETH PYTLIK: AS I SAID, I KNOW ROBERT AND BRANDON WERE UP

THERE A FEW MONTHS AGO TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

WE ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON.

WE ALSO HAVE A CONTRACT LOBBYIST TEAM UP THERE WHO I AM

SURE IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON.

BUT AS FAR AS WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE PUTTING ON THE OTHERS, 24

I'M NOT 100% SURE.

>>CRISTAN FADAL: THANKS.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>>JAY VICKERS: KIMBER?

>>KIMBER WILLIAMS: YOU HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB.

SO GOOD, I WOULD LOVE YOU TO COME AND KEEP US UPDATED MORE

OFTEN, MAYBE ONCE A MONTH OR EVERY OTHER MONTH.

A LOT OF STUFF YOU DO, YOU HEAR ON THE NEWS AND AS WE TALK

AND EVERYTHING, BUT IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE YOUR

PERSPECTIVE AND YOUR WRITE-UPS ON IT BECAUSE ALL OF A

SUDDEN I'M LIKE, OH, MY GOSH, I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

WE COULD MAYBE SQUEEZE YOU IN SOMEWHERE ON THE CALENDAR.

MY LAST MOVE AS BEING THE VICE CHAIR HERE.

LIKE WAIT!

ONE MORE THING!

>>BETH PYTLIK: IF ANYONE WANTS, I CAN CERTAINLY -- AS I

SAID, THESE REPORTS I SEND OUT ONCE A WEEK.

IF ANYONE WANTS TO BE IN MY EMAIL LIST --

>> I WOULD LOVE IT.

I THINK PROBABLY THE WHOLE GROUP WOULD.

>> WOULD YOU PLEASE?

>>BETH PYTLIK: YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I WILL SEND IT TO YOU ALL. 25

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR SEE ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE LIKE

WAIT, WHAT?

GIVE ME A CALL.

>>KIMBER WILLIAMS: THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>>JAY VICKERS: BARBARA.

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: IS THERE A HILLSBOROUGH DAY IN

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THIS YEAR?

>>BETH PYTLIK: YES, APRIL 9.

BEING ORGANIZED.

HOPING TO GET AS MANY FOLKS UP THERE AS POSSIBLE.

THAT MAY BE A GOOD FIELD TRIP DAY.

IT'S A THURSDAY.

>> [INAUDIBLE]

[LAUGHTER]

>>BETH PYTLIK: SESSION IS MARCH 4 TO MAY 2, SO IT'S RIGHT

IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING.

IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO SEE THINGS REALLY STARTING TO

HEAT UP AND GET CRAZY.

>>JAY VICKERS: KAY?

>>KAY DOUGHTY: SPEAKING OF THE FIELD TRIP, YOU KNOW, YOU

THINK THE COUNTY WOULD SPONSOR IT?

[LAUGHTER]

I ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER THING THAT I FORGOT. 26

I NOTICED -- YOU MAY HAVE SAID THIS DURING THE TIME WHEN I

CAME IN, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE -- BUT I NOTICED

THE PRIORITY ISSUE OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE WATER TAXI.

>>BETH PYTLIK: YEAH, YOU ARE ON THE FEDERAL PROGRAM.

AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT GENTLEMAN THAT FOCUSES

ON FEDERAL, SO NOT 100%.

THE LATEST I'VE HEARD FROM HIM IS THAT THAT ISSUE IS KIND

OF COOLING, SO I AM NOT 100% SURE WHERE THAT IS, BUT I CAN

CERTAINLY FIND OUT AND LET YOU KNOW.

>>KAY DOUGHTY: OKAY.

NO, IT JUST SEEMED APROPOS FOR CUTR TODAY ON WHAT WE'RE

DOING.

AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, JAY, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT

ABOUT THE FERRY ISSUE BECAUSE OF MY LONGEVITY ON THIS

COMMITTEE.

AND GAYE, YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS AS WELL, THAT BACK ABOUT

SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AGO, WHEN WE WERE STUDYING

TRANSPORTATION ON THIS COMMITTEE, IT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION

OF THIS COMMITTEE WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE RING

ROAD AND WHATEVER THAT THERE BE A FERRY THAT GOES FROM

SOUTH COUNTY TO PINELLAS COUNTY.

BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CAR FERRY, NOT JUST A PASSENGER

FERRY.

I ONLY SAY THAT TO ALL OF YOU BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE 27

THINGS THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS

HAVE HEARD ME SAY IN THE PAST IS THAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

OFTEN TAKE MANY YEARS BEFORE PEOPLE START CONSIDERING THEM.

SO ANYWAY.

THANKS.

>>JAY VICKERS: YES, GAYE.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: HI.

BETH, COULD YOU ALSO -- HOW YOU DOING?

[LAUGHTER]

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT.

BUT WITH SIGNS TOO.

I WANTED TO ASK YOU IF YOU PLEASE COULD TELL US WHEN THE

LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION MEETS BECAUSE THAT'S AN INTERESTING

TO ATTEND.

I ATTENDED IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND YOU CAN SPEAK TO AN

ISSUE THERE.

>>BETH PYTLIK: THE DELEGATION, THEY HAD THEIR MEETING IN

DECEMBER.

IT'S USUALLY IN DECEMBER -- LATE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, BEFORE

LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

AND THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO GET BEFORE THEM

TO SPEAK ON ISSUES OF INTEREST, ET CETERA.

BUT SINCE THERE ARE LOCAL FOLKS, YOU CAN CALL THEM ANYTIME.

YOU GUYS ARE HOME. 28

THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

SO EMAIL THEM, CALL THEM, REACH OUT TO THEM.

THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM HOME.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WOULD YOU EXPLAIN TO THEM WHO ATTENDS?

>>BETH PYTLIK: SURE.

WELL, THE LOCAL DELEGATION, IT'S SENATORS AND

REPRESENTATIVES THAT REPRESENT, YOU KNOW, PARTS OF

HILLSBOROUGH.

SOME HAVE THEIR WHOLE DISTRICT IN HILLSBOROUGH, SOME JUST

HAVE KIND OF CORNERS HERE AND THERE, BUT THAT'S WHO IS

THERE.

AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S GROUPS THAT WANT TO SPEAK TO

A SPECIFIC ISSUE, I KNOW A LOT OF THE TIME THE

CONSTITUTIONALS, THEY ATTEND.

YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY THE CLERK WILL GO AND TALK ABOUT

FUNDING OR WHATEVER ISSUES ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM.

SO IT'S KIND OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY

TO GET TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM A WHOLE BUNCH OF

INFORMATION TO GO FORTH TO TALLAHASSEE WITH.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: AND IT'S NICE IF YOU ARE THERE ONE ON ONE

SPEAKING TO THEM BECAUSE ALTHOUGH EMAILS MIGHT BE

EFFECTIVE, THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM THAT COME IN AND

LETTERS -- I BELIEVE LETTERS ARE PROBABLY MORE EFFECTIVE

NOW BECAUSE THEY GET SO MANY EMAILS. 29

BUT THIS WAY YOU ARE ONE ON ONE ON THEM AND CAN EXPRESS

YOUR FEELINGS OR OPINION.

I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD VENUE TO DO IT IN.

>>BETH PYTLIK: ABSOLUTELY, LETTERS, CALLS.

AGAIN, THEY ARE IN TALLAHASSEE THESE NEXT TWO MONTHS FOR

SESSION, BUT THE REST OF THE YEAR, THEY HAVE LOCAL OFFICES.

GO SEE THEM.

GO TALK TO THEM.

EVEN DURING THE COMMITTEE WEEKS, THEY MAY BE UP THERE ONE

WEEK OF THE MONTH, BUT THEY'RE HERE THE OTHER THREE, FOUR

WEEKS.

SO GO TALK TO THEM.

>>KAY DOUGHTY: BECAUSE I DO THIS A LOT, GET TO KNOW THEIR

AIDES.

IF YOU DO HAVE AN ISSUE, IT'S NOT JUST THE REPRESENTATIVE

OR THE SENATOR.

I MEAN, CLEARLY, YOU SHOULD GET TO KNOW THEM, BUT YOU'LL

GET MORE TIME WITH THE AIDE.

AND IF YOU CAN CONVINCE THE AIDE THAT YOUR ISSUE IS

IMPORTANT, THEY'RE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL ALL THE TIME, AND

THEY'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOUR INFORMATION GETS TO THEM.

AND OTHER THING THAT I HAVE FOUND TO BE REALLY EFFECTIVE IS

TO INDICATE -- WELL, NUMBER ONE, IF YOU DON'T KNOW AN

ANSWER, JUST SAY YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU'LL FIND OUT. 30

BUT JUST OFFER TO BE A RESOURCE IF THEY -- A QUESTION COMES

UP THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN SEND YOU AN EMAIL AND YOU'LL

GET THEM BACK INFORMATION.

BECAUSE THEN THE ISSUE KEEPS COMING FORWARD.

>>BETH PYTLIK: AND ON THAT NOTE, THAT'S WHAT I'D SAY MY

BIGGEST FUNCTION UP THERE IS REALLY JUST EDUCATING.

YOU KNOW, LETTING THEM KNOW, HEY, THIS BILL HAS POTENTIAL

IMPACT ON THE COUNTY, AND THIS IS IT.

IT'S DEFINITELY A VERY EDUCATIONAL POSITION I HAVE UP THERE.

>>JAY VICKERS: YES, BARBARA.

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: HOW DO YOU FOLLOW ALL THESE BILLS?

IF YOU ARE SAYING 2,000 GET FILED.

>>BETH PYTLIK: DON'T REALLY SLEEP THAT MUCH.

NO, ACTUALLY, I HAVE A TRACKING SYSTEM THAT I USE.

I GET NIGHTLY EMAILS.

THIS IS FILED TODAY.

I AM THERE READING EVERYTHING, AS I SAID, SHOOTING IT OUT

TO LOCAL PEOPLE TO PRIORITIZE AND SEE IF IT EVEN HAS AN

IMPACT ON US.

IF YOU ALL EVER WANTED TO DO THIS, THE FLORIDA HOUSE AND

THE FLORIDA SENATE SITE BOTH HAVE FREE LOGINS, AND YOU CAN

TRACK BILLS YOURSELF.

THEY'RE BOTH REALLY GOOD.

SO I DON'T KNOW. 31

IT'S QUITE A TASK, THOUGH.

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: I TRIED TRACKING ONE, AND THAT WAS HARD

ENOUGH.

I CANNOT IMAGINE DO 2,000.

>>BETH PYTLIK: YEAH, GOOD WALKING SHOES ARE ESSENTIAL.

ANYONE ELSE?

>>JAY VICKERS: ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS?

I HAD A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS.

THE FIRST ONE WAS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PIP FRAUD.

IS IT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT'S GROUND ZERO FOR THIS?

>>BETH PYTLIK: YES.

>>JAY VICKERS: BUT I AM ASSUMING THAT OTHER COUNTIES HAVE

THE SAME CONFLICTS WITH POTENTIAL STATE LEGISLATION ON THE

SAME ISSUE, SO IS THERE ANY OTHER COUNTY-LEVEL ORDINANCE WE

HAVE THAT PROMOTES THIS PRACTICE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH THAT,

SAY, DOESN'T PROMOTE IT IN PINELLAS?

>>BETH PYTLIK: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

>>JAY VICKERS: SO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS GROUND ZERO, AND

THE REASON WE CAN'T FIX IT IS BECAUSE OUR FIX CONTRADICTS A

STATE LAW.

>> SAYS THE JUDGE.

>>JAY VICKERS: SAYS THE JUDGE.

WHICH WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT OTHER COUNTIES IN THE

STATE OF FLORIDA WOULD HAVE THE SAME CONFLICT. 32

>> MIAMI-DADE.

AND WITH THEIR ORDINANCE, THAT'S HOW WE BECAME GROUND ZERO.

AND WHEN WE PUT THE ORDINANCE IN, IT WENT TO ORLANDO.

>>BETH PYTLIK: YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T -- I ACTUALLY WORK

CLOSELY WITH THE MIAMI-DADE VERSION OF ME AND ORANGE

COUNTY, AND I HAVE NOT HEARD EITHER OF THEM TALK MUCH ABOUT

THIS ISSUE, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY ASK THEM AND GET MORE

INFORMATION.

>> YEAH, BECAUSE THEY HAD IT FIRST.

WE DIDN'T NEED TO BE SECOND.

[LAUGHTER]

>>JAY VICKERS: THAT'S INTERESTING BUT NOT SURPRISING.

THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD HAD TO DO WITH INTERGOVERNMENTAL

RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTIES.

DO YOU GUYS DO MUCH WORK WITH OTHER COUNTIES?

IT SOUNDS LIKE MOST OF YOUR FOCUS IS FEDERAL AND STATE

LEVEL.

IS THERE ANY PART OF THE YEAR THAT YOU SPEND TIME TRYING TO

REACH OUT OR WORK WITH OTHER COUNTIES?

>>BETH PYTLIK: OTHER COUNTIES AND, YOU KNOW, THE CITIES, I

THINK IT'S KIND OF AN ALWAYS ONGOING THING THAT WE WANT TO

HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS, JUST, YOU KNOW, WE MAY GO TO LUNCH

WITH THEM.

WE ALWAYS HAVE THAT OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION. 33

IN MY TIME HERE, WHICH HAS ONLY BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF, WE

HAVEN'T DONE ANY, SAY, PROJECTS.

YOU KNOW, OUR DEPARTMENT HASN'T REACHED OUT TO PINELLAS AND

SPECIFICALLY DONE A PROJECT.

BUT I KNOW, YOU KNOW, PINELLAS COUNTY VERSION OF ME, THE

CITY OF TAMPA VERSION OF ME, AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE

OTHER ORANGE, BROWARD, EVERYBODY.

SO AN ORGANIZATION WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH IS THE FLORIDA

ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES.

THERE'S ALSO A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES.

BUT THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, THEY REPRESENT ALL

OF THE COUNTIES, AND THEY HAVE A LEGISLATIVE TEAM THAT YOU

SAY HOW DO I KEEP UP WITH STUFF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES

WE'RE ALL KIND OF ALERTING EACH OTHER.

THEY REPRESENT ALL OF THE COUNTIES, AND THEY'RE A GREAT

RESOURCE, BUT IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY, EVERY MONDAY AT

4:00 P.M. DURING SESSION, WE HAVE A MEETING WHERE WE ALL

GET TOGETHER AND CHAT, SO THERE DEFINITELY IS A LOT OF, YOU

KNOW, GOODWILL, GOOD CONVERSATION, AND WORKING, YOU KNOW,

IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER COUNTIES.

>>JAY VICKERS: I KNOW THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT THE CAC

HAS LOOKED AT BEFORE, SOMETHING THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE

DIRECTLY ASKED US TO LOOK INTO, AND I DON'T -- I DON'T

UNDERSTAND WHY THAT DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAPPEN, BUT IT SOUNDS 34

LIKE IT'S REALLY NOT A PRIORITY FOR ANY COUNTY TO WORK WITH

OTHER COUNTIES, OTHER THAN TO HAVE CORDIAL RELATIONS.

THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMS TO BE, AND I GUESS THAT'S JUST KIND OF

THE WAY THE TURF WARS GO.

THAT WAS IT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU, BETH.

>>BETH PYTLIK: AS I SAID, CALL, EMAIL, YOU ALL KNOW WHERE

TO FIND ME.

>>JAY VICKERS: YOU DID A GREAT JOB COMING OFF THE BENCH,

AND YOU GET A STARTING POSITION NOW.

SO THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.

>>BETH PYTLIK: AND I WILL BE HERE, YOU KNOW, BOTH THE

MEETINGS DURING SESSION, SO YOU KNOW, IF YOU READ SOMETHING

IN A REPORT, I'LL BE SITTING RIGHT THERE.

>>KAY DOUGHTY: THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE BRANDON WASN'T ALWAYS

ABLE TO DO THAT.

THAT'S REALLY GOOD.

>>BETH PYTLIK: IF I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER RIGHT AWAY, I

WILL CERTAINLY GET THE ANSWER.

EXCELLENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 35

ALL RIGHT.

SO NEXT WE HAVE OUR ELECTIONS.

YOU SHOULD HAVE A BALLOT IN YOUR PACKET OF INFORMATION.

IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS.

SO PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

YOU SIMPLY NEED TO CHOOSE ONE OPTION FROM THE TOP.

>> IF WE COULD -- I AM GOING WITHDRAW MY NAME ON THE CHAIR,

FOR THE CHAIR.

>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

EVERYBODY VOTE FOR CRISTAN.

[LAUGHTER]

DEBORAH?

>>DEBORAH COPE: I HAVE A QUESTION.

SINCE WE HAVE SAME NAMES ON THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR,

SHOULD WE SPLIT THE BALLOT AND VOTE FIRST CHAIR -- ARE WE

GOING TO TABULATE THESE AND TURN THEM IN OR ARE WE GOING TO

DO ORAL?

>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU, GAYE.

THAT'S AN EXCELLENT CLARIFICATION.

SO YES, CRISTAN'S NAME REMAINS AT THE VICE CHAIR BALLOT AT

THE BOTTOM, BUT NOT ON THE CHAIR.

DEBORAH, YOUR POINT IS A GOOD ONE, BECAUSE WE HAVE NAMES IN 36

TWO AREAS AND ONE ELECTION COULD AFFECT THE OTHER ONE --

>>BETH PYTLIK: IF YOU ALL WANT TO JUST DO ONE AND TURN IT

IN, I HAVE MORE.

>>JAY VICKERS: TEAR IT IN HALF.

OH, WE LIKE THAT.

SAVE A TREE.

WELL, THEY'RE ALREADY DEAD, AND BETH'S ALREADY KILLED THEM

ALL OVER THERE.

AND THEN DEBORAH'S QUESTION -- HOLD ON ONE SECOND, GAYE.

DEBORAH'S QUESTION WAS ARE WE GOING TO DO AN ORAL VOTE OR

TURN THEM IN?

I THINK WE ARE GOING TO TURN THEM IN.

>> WHICH ONE ARE WE DOING FIRST?

>>JAY VICKERS: LET'S DO THE CHAIR FIRST.

>> BEFORE YOU VOTE, I'D, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO KNOW A

LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR NAME IN.

I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOUR CREDENTIALS ARE.

I DON'T KNOW ALL OF YOU THAT WELL, AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE

TO KNOW WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE THAT WOULD BE

MEANINGFUL FOR US TO CHOOSE YOU AS THE LEADER.

>>JAY VICKERS: I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

I DON'T THINK TRADITIONALLY THAT'S BEEN DONE, BUT I THINK

AT GREAT IDEA.

I MEAN, JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES' WORTH. 37

I THINK IT'S AN OUTSTANDING IDEA, AND I HAD THE SAME

THOUGHT MYSELF LAST YEAR, AGAIN, TYPICALLY NOT SOMETHING

THAT'S DONE, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

NO OBJECTION?

NO OBJECTION FROM PEOPLE RUNNING, THEN I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

ALL RIGHT.

>> GIVE THEM BACK.

>>JAY VICKERS: WE'LL GO IN -- -- WE'LL GO IN ALPHABETICAL

ORDER, WHICH IS ALSO THE ORDER THEY ARE ON THE BALLOT.

BARBARA?

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: YES.

WELL, LET'S SEE.

I HAVE LIVED IN THE COUNTY IT SEEMS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

I GOT INVOLVED WITH LAND USE ISSUES THROUGH CELL TOWERS, OF

ALL THINGS, BACK IN THE '90s, WHICH LAUNCHED ME INTO THE

PLANNING COMMISSION.

I THINK IT WAS 1999 TO 2001.

FROM THERE I WENT TO THE KEYSTONE CIVIC ASSOCIATION TO

COMMUNITY PLANNING, SO MY BACKGROUND IS REALLY MORE TOWARDS

LAND USE.

BUT IN THE COURSE OF LEARNING ALL THE -- YES, AND I DID

READ THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

I DO BORING QUITE WELL. 38

I STARTED WATCHING THE COUNTY COMMISSION MEETINGS, SEEING

SOME OF THE FUN THINGS THAT GOING ON ON THAT, SO HAVE

BROADENED MY HORIZONS WITH THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GO ON

WITHIN THE COUNTY.

I HAVE RETIRED FROM BUSINESS.

I WAS IN THE COSMETIC INDUSTRY FOR 30 YEARS, WHERE WE SOLD

HOPE, NOT MIRACLES, AND TRAVELED THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND

ALSO THROUGHOUT THE CAROLINAS.

RETIRED -- MY HUSBAND -- I THINK IT'S 2006 OR 2007, WE

BUILT A HOUSE.

WE DISAGREE ON HOW LONG IT TOOK TO BUILD THAT HOUSE, BUT WE

MADE IT THROUGH THAT.

AND I WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WHEN MY HUSBAND RAN FOR

COUNTY COMMISSION IN 2008, AND AGAIN, AS A STATE HOUSE REP,

MEET A VARIETY OF PEOPLE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

IT'S A VERY INTERESTING SITUATION TO BE IN.

I'M GLAD THAT HE'S DONE IT.

DO NOT WANT TO DO IT AGAIN.

AND THROUGH THAT, THAT'S HOW I MET COMMISSIONER BECKNER,

AND HE CALLED AND ASKED IF I WOULD SIT ON THE CAC, AND I

THOUGHT ABOUT IT.

I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK, BUT I SAID, WELL, I'LL REALLY

FIND OUT EVEN MORE THE INTRICACIES OF HOW THE COUNTY WORKS,

SO THAT'S ME. 39

>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU.

>>KAY DOUGHTY: I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH

COUNTY SINCE 1970.

WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I AND OUR TWO SONS MOVED HERE.

AND I WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE '70s AND '80s IN THE LEAGUE OF

WOMEN VOTERS.

AND AT THAT TIME, WHEN I WAS ACTIVE, COMMISSIONER PLATT WAS

COMMISSIONER, AND SHE ALWAYS SELECTED A LEAGUE MEMBER TO

REPRESENT HER ON THIS COMMITTEE, AND THE LEAGUE MEMBER THAT

HAD BEEN SERVING HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE SHE HAD A FAMILY

HEALTH ISSUE, AND I OFFERED TO BE THAT PERSON BECAUSE I

WANTED TO LEARN ABOUT THE COUNTY OR MORE ABOUT THE COUNTY

AND ITS INTRICACIES.

AND THIS IS JUST AN ASIDE.

MY HUSBAND SAID YOU DON'T REALLY THINK YOU'LL MAKE A

DIFFERENCE; DO YOU?

AND I SAID I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'LL LEARN.

AND CLEARLY, I MEAN, I HAVE BEEN ON THIS COMMITTEE, YOU

KNOW, I JOKINGLY SAY THE HISTORIAN.

I HAVE BEEN ON A LONG TIME, ALMOST 30 YEARS ON THE

COMMITTEE, YEAH.

AND I HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY FIVE DIFFERENT COUNTY

COMMISSIONERS. 40

AND I -- UNLIKE BARBARA, I AM NOT THE PERSON THAT GOES AND

SELECTS A SPECIFIC ISSUE TO DO, BUT I MEAN, I'M MORE OF A

GENERALIST, AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, I THINK, MY SPECIFIC AREA OF EXPERTISE IS

HEALTHCARE, PARTICULARLY SUBSTANCE ABUSE AREAS, BUT BECAUSE

I HAVE TWO ENGINEERS, MY HUSBAND AND MY SON, WHO ARE

PRACTICING ENGINEERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, I KNOW A LOT

ABOUT LAND USE.

SERVING ON THIS COMMITTEE AT THE TIME I JOINED IT, THE

COMMITTEE WROTE THE TREE ORDINANCE THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

HAS, THE SIGN ORDINANCE THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS, THE

ADMINISTRATOR'S CODE, AND WE LITERALLY DID IT.

AND WE WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

I MEAN, I COULD GO ON AND ON WITH LOTS OF LITTLE THINGS,

BUT I THINK -- AND THE REASON THAT I PUT MY NAME IN IS THAT

ONE OF MY SKILL SETS PROFESSIONALLY IS LEADERSHIP AT

MEETINGS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DO.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

SO EVERYONE FILL OUT THEIR BALLOT.

>>JAY VICKERS: WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM HIM ON THE NEXT

ONE. 41

[LAUGHTER]

>>JAY VICKERS: PERHAPS WHILE BETH IS TALLYING THOSE UP,

CRISTAN CAN GIVE US HIS BACKGROUND.

I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO BE ACCIDENTALLY THOUGHT OF AS A CHAIR

CANDIDATE.

THAT WAS MY CONCERN.

I WANTED TO GET THAT BALLOT IN, THEN HE WOULD REALLY THINK

I WAS CONSPIRING TO MAKE HIM CHAIR.

PLEASE, CRISTAN.

>>CRISTAN FADAL: I CAME TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN 1990, A

COUPLE YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL, WENT TO USF, WORKED IN THE

ACCOUNTING FIELD, CONSULTING FIELD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS,

MOVED INTO -- I ACTUALLY MOVED AWAY FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS TO

CHICAGO, SO REALLY SAW BIG CITY LIVING, A LOT OF

TRANSPORTATION, DRIVING IN THE SNOW OR NOT DRIVING IN THE

SNOW BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION.

MOVED BACK HERE.

GOT INVOLVED IN REAL ESTATE.

I HAVE BEEN DOING REAL ESTATE EVER SINCE.

ON A VOLUNTEER PERSPECTIVE, I'M PRESIDENT OF DAVIS ISLAND

CIVIC ASSOCIATION.

BEFORE THAT WAS TREASURER AND DID LAND USE ZONING FOR THEM

BEFORE THAT. 42

I CURRENTLY SIT AS VICE CHAIR OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND LOOKS LIKE PROBABLY WILL BE CHAIR

THIS COMING -- NEXT MEETING.

WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH.

YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IT'S REALLY JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE

THE SKILLS I HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM A DIFFERENT

PERSPECTIVE, I THINK.

A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE COUNTY DO RELATE

TO -- OH, ALSO I'M A SMALL BUSINESS, SO WITH MY WIFE, SO I

THINK A BRING A PRETTY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE OF BUILDING A

BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH.

THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES GOING ON WITH REAL ESTATE AND LAND

USE ZONING, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, SO I THINK I CAN BRING

THAT TO THE COMMITTEE THAT'S KIND OF THE BACKGROUND.

BETH IS STILL TALLYING.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR -- OH, NO, YOU WERE HEAD DOWN, SO

YOU WERE LOOKING LIKE YOU WERE FOCUSED.

>>JAY VICKERS: YES, ALTHOUGH WE NEED TO KNOW THE RESULTS OF

THE CHAIR BEFORE THE VICE BECAUSE IT MAY -- IT COULD --

MAY NOT HAVE TO VOTE.

EXACTLY. 43

THANK YOU.

YEAH, THIS IS THE RESULTS.

ALL RIGHT.

BARBARA ADERHOLD.

CONGRATULATIONS, BARBARA.

>>JAY VICKERS: YOU WILL DO FANTASTIC.

YOU'LL DO FANTASTIC.

ALL RIGHT.

SO IF WE COULD VOTE FOR VICE CHAIR.

YES, DEBORAH.

>>DEBORAH COPE: WHILE WE ARE TABULATING, I JUST WANT TO SAY

THANK YOU TO JAY.

HE'S BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB THIS YEAR AS CHAIR.

[APPLAUSE]

BEEN A LOT OF FUN.

I HAVE ENJOYED IT.

I CERTAINLY WILL MISS ALL OF YOU ALL.

MAYBE NOT SPENCER.

NO, I KID SPENCER BECAUSE I LOVE HIM.

THANK YOU.

>>SPENCER KASS: YOU WANT TO DO SOME UPDATE STUFF WHILE SHE 44

IS COUNTING?

>>JAY VICKERS: YES, WE CAN MOVE ON.

>>JAY VICKERS: MY SECRET WISH IS THAT SPENCER WAS GOING TO

BE THE CHAIR.

[LAUGHTER]

>>SPENCER KASS: THE CHAIR ONLY GETS TO TALK AT THE END.

>>JAY VICKERS: THAT'S CORRECT.

IT'S NOT A GOOD MATCH.

SO THERE IS AN ITEM UPDATE ON LED PROJECTS.

OH, WE ARE READY.

YOU HAVE TO GET THOSE CERTIFIED?

ALL RIGHT.

FOR VICE CHAIR, IN A VERY, VERY CLOSE RACE, CRISTAN FOR

VICE CHAIR.

CONGRATULATIONS.

VERY CLOSE.

AS CLOSE AS IT CAN GET.

[APPLAUSE]

ALL RIGHT.

NEXT UP, UPDATE ON LED PROJECTS.

NOT SURE WE HAVE ONE.

IS THERE --

>> [SPEAKER OFF MIC] 45

>>SPENCER KASS: THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT IN

GENERAL, FOR -- I HAD A MEETING THIS PAST WEEK WITH SANDY

MURMAN WITH SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE.

SHE HAS SOME CONTACTS FOR THE UNDERGROUNDING PART, AND SHE

IS GOING TO SEE IF THEY'LL BE WILLING TO COME.

I KNOW WE HAD ISSUES WITH GETTING THEM TO COME TO SPEAK TO

US, SO SHE IS GOING TO PASS HER TECO CONTACT INFORMATION

THAT PERHAPS THEY'LL DISCUSS THAT ALSO ON TO BETH.

THEY'LL GET THAT TO BETH.

SO AT LEAST MAYBE -- I KNOW WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY LUCK TALKING

TO THEM.

SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING.

>>JAY VICKERS: MY FINAL THOUGHT ON LED, SINCE IT'S

HOPEFULLY THE LAST TIME I'LL EVER HAVE TO HEAR THIS TOPIC,

THIS ALL MAY BE A BIT PREMATURE BY A FEW YEARS, AND I GET

THE SENSE THAT THAT'S THE CASE.

BUT THE CURRENT PROCESS AND STRUCTURE AND THE RELATIONSHIP

WITH TECO AND THE WAY THE LIGHTING DISTRICTS WORK, THE WAY

IT'S ALL STRUCTURED NOW, IT'S NOT CONDUCIVE FOR THAT TYPE

OF CHANGE TO HAPPEN AT ANY POINT.

SO EVEN THOUGH I BELIEVE THE ISSUE IS PREMATURE NOW, I DO

BELIEVE THE DISCUSSION ON THE PROCESS AND THE TRANSPARENCY

INVOLVED WITH THIS IS VERY PERTINENT BECAUSE EVENTUALLY, 20

YEARS FROM NOW, THEY WILL ALL BE LED LIGHTS OR SOMETHING 46

OTHER THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW.

SO WE KNOW THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

I THINK THE QUESTION IS FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE WE

GOING TO BE ONE OF THE LAST TO GET THERE OR ARE WE GOING TO

BE SOMEWHERE IN THAT SECOND WAVE OF ADOPTION, WHICH IS WHAT

I THINK WE'D ALL LIKE TO SEE.

EVEN THOUGH WE ALL JOKE ABOUT THE LED STREETLIGHTING, I

HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROCESS AND REAL CONCERNS

ABOUT TECO AND THE WAY THEY HANDLE THIS AND THE LACK OF

TRANSPARENCY THAT'S INVOLVED IN ALL OF THIS.

IT MAY BE PREMATURE, BUT I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THE

COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE TO PRESS THIS ISSUE JUST BECAUSE, AT

THE VERY LEAST, GET SOME PROCESS CHANGE AND STRUCTURE

CHANGE SO WHEN THE TIME IS APPROPRIATE, IT CAN ACTUALLY

HAPPEN IN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME.

ALL RIGHT.

ANYTHING ELSE ON LED?

>> I AM AFRAID TO SAY.

[LAUGHTER]

>>KAY DOUGHTY: JAY, JUST A COMMENT.

I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU ALL NOTICED, IF YOU WENT TO THE

STATE FAIR, BUT TECO HAD A BIG THING SHOWING ONE OF

THEIR -- THERE WAS A POLE WITH THE LED LIGHTS AND TALKING

ABOUT IT. 47

>> DID YOU TAKE A PICTURE OF IT FOR SPENCER?

[LAUGHTER]

>>KAY DOUGHTY: I JUST FOUND IT INTEREST.

>>SPENCER KASS: I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT I AM TRYING NOT TO

START TODAY.

[LAUGHTER]

>> EGGING HIM ON.

>>JAY VICKERS: THAT'S RIGHT.

POKE THE BEAR.

YOU ARE GOING TO GET BIT.

I JUST WANT TO WARN EVERYONE.

ANYTHING ELSE IN LEDs?

NEXT UP, THE NEIGHBORHOODS CONFERENCE DISCUSSION.

IS THIS THE -- I AM NOT SURE WHAT THIS WAS.

IS THIS THE BOOTH AT THE --

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: WELL, I SAID I WOULD GO MAN THE BOOTH

AT THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS ON THE 15th.

I DON'T KNOW IF -- I THINK RON, YOU HAD INDICATED SOME --

>>RONALD GOVIN: [SPEAKER OFF MIC]

>> ANYBODY ELSE?

I AM GOING TO BE BY MYSELF?

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I'LL CHECK TO SEE.

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: BUT I PLAN ON BEING THERE FROM 8:00 TO 48

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE.

EVEN IF YOU DO TWO SHIFTS.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: BARBARA, DID THEY TELL YOU WHAT YOU ARE

GOING TO DO THERE?

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: NO, WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS THAT TODAY.

I WILL GET WITH WANDA IF I NEED TO.

DO WE HAVE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN -- >>GAYE

TOWNSEND: WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TELL WHAT WE DID?

>>JAY VICKERS: WE HAVE TIME.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: ONE THING WE DID IS WE BROUGHT

APPLICATIONS FOR THE COMMITTEES THAT ARE OPEN IN THE COUNTY.

AND WHAT WE DID WAS SPOKE TO PEOPLE INFORMING THEM HOW THEY

COULD FILL THEM OUT, WHAT THEIR INTERESTS WERE, AND TO BE

PART OF THE COUNTY AND THAT WAS A GOOD RESPONSE BECAUSE

THERE WERE SEVERAL OF THEM SENT BACK TO THE COUNTY.

WE ALSO HANDED OUT SOME LITERATURE, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF

WE HAVE ANY MORE.

WE GAVE THEM THE COUNTY BOOKS THAT HAVE THE DIFFERENT

DEPARTMENTS IN IT.

THEN SPOKE ABOUT OUR ROLES ON THIS COMMITTEE AND ENCOURAGED

THEM WHEN WE MET AND THE CONTACTS, THAT THEY WERE WELCOME

TO COME TO VISIT THE COMMITTEE, DISCUSS ISSUES, OR THEY

WILL PLEASE CONTACT BETH -- NOT BETH AT THE TIME -- 49

BRANDON, EDITH.

I'VE BEEN THROUGH ALL THREE OF THEM -- TO CONTACT THEM

RATHER THAN CONTACT ME IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, AND

THEN SEE IF IT -- I MEAN, THEY STILL CAN EMAIL US

INDIVIDUALLY, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A BETTER FORMAT IF THEY

WENT THROUGH YOU THAN ONE OF US, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE ALWAYS

WELCOME TO COME TO ME.

SO ANY OTHER IDEAS?

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: ONE OF THE THINGS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT

THE ISSUES, PERHAPS HAVE A SHEET THAT PEOPLE CAN JUST WRITE

DOWN WHAT ISSUES THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DISCUSS OR MORE

RESEARCH ON.

SO IT'S A PERFECT TIME BECAUSE THEY MIGHT NOT WANT TO COME

HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT -- AND MAYBE IT MIGHT BE

STREETLIGHTING.

[LAUGHTER]

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: BUT BARBARA, THEY WILL GET YOU THE

APPLICATIONS.

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: OKAY.

THAT WOULD BE LUANN FINLEY WOULD HAVE ALL THE OPENINGS, I

BELIEVE.

BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS ADVERTISING FOR OPENINGS FOR

POSITIONS ON DIFFERENT BOARDS.

FOR YOU TWO, JAY. 50

[LAUGHTER]

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I DON'T KNOW IF BETH IS GOING TO BE THERE

THAT DAY.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: BECAUSE WHAT THEY DID, THEY BROUGHT THE

CLIPBOARDS, ALL THE INFORMATION, PENCILS, WHATEVER, AND THE

LITTLE CITIZENS ADVISORY SIGN, AND THEY BROUGHT IT TO US.

I'M THERE.

DO WE HAVE ANY SIGNAGE?

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: WHO IS CREATIVE?

>>JAY VICKERS: I REMEMBER US HAVING A SIGN THAT AT SOME

POINT THAT BRANDON WOULD PUT UP RIGHT IN FRONT OF THIS

BEFORE THE MEETING.

SOMEWHERE.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: BECAUSE HE BROUGHT THAT THERE.

>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.

DEBORAH?

>>DEBORAH COPE: LOCATION IS HCC?

DALE MABRY?

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: YES, DALE MABRY CAMPUS, YES, SORRY.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: DON'T DO WHAT I DID. 51

CHECK THE DATE.

BECAUSE I WENT A WEEK EARLY.

[LAUGHTER]

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: YOU WERE JUST PREPARED.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WHERE'S EVERYBODY AT?

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: IT IS THE 15th OF MARCH.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: PLEASE HAVE TOM OR SOMEBODY REMIND ME.

>>JAY VICKERS: ANYTHING ELSE ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD

CONFERENCES?

NEXT ARE THE -- EXCUSE ME -- THE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS.

ANY MOVEMENT FROM LAST MEETING?

ANY MEETINGS, ANY UPDATES?

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: STILL NO TOILET FLUSH, STILL NO WATER

CONSERVATION MEETINGS.

>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.

THAT'S SIMPLE.

NEXT UP, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORTS.

NOW, THIS IS THE TOILET FLUSH PART?

THE WATER -- THEY HAVE NOT MET?

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: YEAH, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE TOILET'S

FLUSHING BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T MET. 52

I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF LETTER SENT THERE

SAYING IS THIS COMMITTEE STILL ACTIVE OR IS IT NOT STILL

ACTIVE.

IT IS APPOINTED EACH MEMBER -- ALTHOUGH I AM THE

REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CAC, MY REAPPOINTMENT WAS, WHAT,

LAST FALL, AND I RECEIVED A LETTER THAT I WAS APPOINTED.

FROM KEN HAGAN.

AGAIN, SO IF THIS IS A COUNTY COMMITTEE, WE -- I MEAN, I

HEARD THAT THE CHAIR SAID, OH, NO, WE DON'T NEED A MEETING.

WELL, I AM THE VICE CHAIR, SO THEY DON'T ASK ME.

BUT IN ANY CASE, WE NEED TO FIND OUT FROM THE BOARD OF

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, IS THIS COMMITTEE STILL ACTIVE?

AND IF NOT, DISBAND IT OR GET ON WITH THE MEETING.

>>JAY VICKERS: I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

DO WE WANT TO DRAFT A LETTER FROM THE CAC TO THE COUNTY

COMMISSIONERS ASKING THAT QUESTION?

>>SPENCER KASS: MOVE TO SEND THEM A LETTER.

MOTION.

SPENCER MADE -- HE IS MR. MOTION.

ALL RIGHT.

SECOND.

NUMEROUS SECONDS.

ALL IN FAVOR. 53

[CHORUS OF AYES]

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: IT'S CALLED THE WATER TECHNICAL

ADVISORY -- HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WATER TECHNICAL ADVISORY

COMMITTEE.

>>JAY VICKERS: I DID SEE -- I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE DID --

YOU CAN WATER LAWNS TWICE A WEEK STARTING MARCH 1.

SO LAST TIME WE TALKED TO THEM WE SAID YOU SHOULD JUST KEEP

IT AT ONCE A WEEK FOREVER.

THAT WAY YOU WON'T GET CONFUSING.

NICE TO SEE THAT FELL ON DEAF EARS.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: JAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE

DOING.

WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE COMMITTEE -- I'LL BE PERFECTLY

HONEST -- IT BECAME STACKED.

WE HAD A NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS FROM

HOMEOWNERS.

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE A GUY WHO WAS A NURSERY, HE

BECAME HOMEOWNERS.

WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, AND

THEN WE END UP WITH AN ENVIRONMENTALIST FROM SWFWMD.

SO -- AND THE CHAIR SITS ON THE SWFWMD BOARD.

OF COURSE, I ASKED HIM IF THAT WAS A CONFLICT, AND HE SAID

NO BECAUSE HE CHANGED HIS HAT TO THE GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 54

SO I MEAN, THE WHOLE THING IS NOT STRUCTURED THE WAY IT'S

SUPPOSED TO BE, AND I JUST WANT IT LOOKED IN, I WANT AN

ANSWER THAT I DON'T THINK THE CHAIR SHOULD BE THE ONE WITH

NORM DAVIS THAT SAYS, OH, NO, WE DON'T NEED IT.

WE ARE JUST DOING FINE.

BECAUSE WE ARE NOT.

THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, ABOUT DECIDING ON

WATERING AND NOT WATERING.

SO NOW THAT I HAVE SAID MY PIECE ON THAT.

>> ISN'T SWFWMD THE ONE THAT DECIDES, DECREES?

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: BUT SEE, THE COUNTY MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: SO WE ACTUALLY MADE THE RECOMMENDATION TO

SWFWMD TO OPPOSE OR NOT TO OPPOSE.

>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: THIS COMMITTEE, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY?

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: YEAH, I'M SURE YOU HEARD ME AT THE LAST

MEETING WITH THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABOUT MY

CONCERN ABOUT STACKING THIS COMMITTEE.

IT'S NOT RIGHT.

IF YOU HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTALIST, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE

FROM SWFWMD; IF YOU HAVE AN HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, IT'S

NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MURPHY'S GARDENER.

SO I MEAN, IT GOT REALLY BAD.

>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY. 55

ANY OTHER ADVISORY COMMITTEES?

I DON'T KNOW WHO IS ON WHICH COMMITTEE, BUT -- NO?

ALMOST DONE.

WE ARE ON TO OTHER BUSINESS.

MOSTLY SCHEDULING ITEMS.

LET ME READ OFF WHAT WE HAVE UPCOMING.

FOR MARCH WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON AGRICULTURE.

APRIL IS TRASH AND RECYCLING.

SO WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS.

AND ALSO FLOOD MAPS AND FEMA FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

HAZARD MITIGATION, SO TWO IN APRIL.

MAY WILL BE THE JOINT MEETING WITH THE BOCC.

JUNE WE HAVE REQUESTED THE SPORTS AUTHORITY AND SPORTS

COMMISSION.

JULY 1 WE'RE REQUESTING THE NEW ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR.

AND STARTING IN AUGUST, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, WE'RE OPEN, SO

WE NEED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SPEAKERS FOR AUGUST AND

SEPTEMBER.

OUR NEW TOUR MONTH IS OCTOBER.

SO WE JUST NEED TO REQUEST OR FINALIZE WHERE WE WANT TO GO

IN OCTOBER.

LASTLY, IN DECEMBER -- TYPICALLY THIS WAS THE TOUR MONTH --

WE VOTED TO MOVE IT AWAY FROM DECEMBER SINCE THE FOURTH 56

FRIDAY IS USUALLY IN THE HOLIDAYS.

THERE'S A THOUGHT DO WE WANT TO EITHER NOT HAVE A MEETING

IN DECEMBER OR SCHEDULE IT EARLIER IN THE MONTH I THINK

WOULD BE THE TWO OPPORTUNITIES.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: JUST LEAVE IT OPEN AND SEE IF THERE ARE

ANY GOOD OPPORTUNITIES.

>>JAY VICKERS: I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION, NOT

NECESSARILY RIGHT NOW, BUT CERTAINLY WITHIN 90 DAYS OF

DECEMBER TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO COMBINE THE MEETINGS

AND JUST HAVE ONE MEETING IN NOVEMBER.

I THINK THAT'S WHY TRADITIONALLY THE TOUR WAS DONE IN

DECEMBER BECAUSE WE HAD NO MEETING.

BUT IT IS COLD IN DECEMBER OR CAN BE.

SO AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MADE NOW, BUT I THINK

THAT IS -- AT SOME POINT WE JUST NEED TO DECIDE WITH MOVING

THE TOUR TO OCTOBER THEN WHAT TO DO ABOUT DECEMBER.

>> ARE WE RESCHEDULING CUTR?

>> DID THEY INDICATE WHEN THEY CANCELED THAT THEY WOULD BE

HAPPY TO COME BACK AT ANOTHER TIME?

>>SPENCER KASS: LET'S JUST REMIND THE SPEAKERS WHEN THEY

COME TO TRY TO GET IT DOWN TO FIVE MINUTES SO WE HAVE MORE

TIME FOR QUESTIONS AND A LITTLE LESS TIME FOR --

>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH, I THINK 15 MINUTES AND -- 57

FIVE SECONDS ON LED.

EXACTLY.

[LAUGHTER]

ALL RIGHT.

A COUPLE OF OPEN ISSUES FROM LAST MONTH.

ONE IS THE BUSINESS PLAN SUBCOMMITTEE NEEDS TO ELECT A NEW

CHAIR.

I AM ASSUMING THEY WILL DO THAT ON THEIR OWN.

AND LASTLY, LET'S SEE, MR. CAETANO HAD REQUESTED A FIRE

RESCUE MAP TO SHOW WHAT FIRE STATIONS ARE COVERING WHICH

GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.

I THINK WE ALMOST GOT THAT DONE IN TIME FOR THIS MEETING,

BUT WE'RE STILL WAITING ON SOME MORE INFORMATION.

BASICALLY, WHAT WE HAVE REQUESTED IS A MAP OF HILLSBOROUGH

COUNTY WITH THE LOCATIONS OF THE FIREHOUSES ON THE MAP,

WHETHER THEY'RE CITY OR COUNTY FIREHOUSES, AND A RADIUS, A

CIRCLE, THE AREA THEY COVER.

AND INSIDE OF THAT, THE NUMBER OF POPULATION THAT THEY

COVER BECAUSE MORE DENSE AREAS, LIKE USF AREA HAS MORE

FIREHOUSES.

MORE RURAL AREAS HAS LESS.

SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF AREA COVERED AND PEOPLE COVERED OR

MAYBE STRUCTURES, WHATEVER STAT THEY USE.

BUT THEY'RE COMPILING THAT INFORMATION, AND WE GOT THE MAP 58

WITH THE FIRE STATIONS ON IT, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY

INFORMATION TO OVERLAY ON TOP OF THAT.

>>SPENCER KASS: DID WE GET THE MAP OR DID YOU GET A

RESPONSE ABOUT THE MAPS BY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION?

YOU WERE GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM ON THAT AND HAD BEEN

PROMISED --

>>JAY VICKERS: I DON'T REMEMBER THAT.

THAT MUST HAVE SLIPPED.

THAT WASN'T ON MY LIST, SPENCER.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN MY FAULT.

>>SPENCER KASS: IF WE CAN REVISIT THAT.

ON THAT NOTE, HERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYBODY.

THE CITY OF TAMPA, THE MAYOR -- I WAS AT A MEETING WITH A

GROUP OF NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE -- HE HAS AGREED THAT THE CITY

OF TAMPA WILL DO ITS BEST TO GIVE US A BREAKDOWN OF CAPITAL

IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

SO HE'S DECIDED TO ORDER STAFF.

STAFF SAID THEY WANTED AN ORDER FROM HIM TO DO IT.

HE SAID HE'S GOING TO ORDER THEM TO DO IT.

I KNOW HE WILL KEEP HIS WORD.

AT LEAST ON THAT FRONT, IN TERMS OF CITY, WE ARE MOVING

FORWARD.

WE WILL HAVE THAT DATA SET FOR EVERYBODY. 59

AS SOON AS I GET IT, I WILL MAKE SURE IT'S SHARED.

ACTUALLY, NEXT WEEK I WILL BE MEETING WITH HIS BUDGET

DIRECTOR WITH A GROUP OF NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE.

SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS ON THAT FRONT.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: CAN WE GET THAT FROM THE COUNTY?

>>SPENCER KASS: THE ISSUE WITH THE COUNTY IS WE DON'T HAVE

THE MAPS, SO WE CAN'T GET WHAT'S COLLECTED BY NEIGHBORHOOD.

>>JAY VICKERS: THEY ARE.

IT COMES DOWN TO HOW MUCH STAFF TIME IT IS TO PUT IT

TOGETHER.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: IT CAN'T BE THAT HARD.

>>JAY VICKERS: IT'S A BIG COUNTY.

THAT WAS IT FOR MY OTHER BUSINESS.

ANY OTHER OTHER BUSINESS?

>>SPENCER KASS: I WILL DO A COUPLE OTHER QUICK UPDATES FOR

EVERYBODY.

IN TERMS OF UNDERGROUNDING POWER LINES, THE GOOD NEWS IS IS

THAT VERIZON IS WORKING -- I MET WITH ONE OF THEIR

CONTRACTORS.

I HAVE SPOKEN WITH PEOPLE OVER THERE.

THEY ARE WORKING -- AS YOU KNOW, THEY DEPLOYED FIBER OPTIC

LINES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY, PRETTY MUCH.

THEY ARE WORKING ON GETTING OLD COPPER LINES OFF THE POLES 60

WHERE THEY ARE DEAD AND NOT NEEDED ANYMORE.

WHEN IT COMES TO UNDERGROUNDING UTILITIES, THAT WILL MAKE

IT A FAR LESS EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION FOR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT

ARE INTERESTED IN DOING THAT BECAUSE BEFORE YOU WOULD HAVE

TO PAY TO BURY ANY OTHER LINES THAT ARE UP THERE.

SO THAT BASICALLY LEAVES ON THE TECO POLES TECO AND

BRIGHTHOUSE.

AND I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

THAT THE COUNTY IS WORKING WITH, AND I'M BLANKING ON WHERE

IT IS FOR NOW.

>>SPENCER KASS: THANK YOU.

THEY ARE STILL WORKING WITH THE COUNTY -- WE WERE UPDATED

ON THAT AT THE COUNTY COMMISSION, OUR JOINT MEETING LAST

THEY ARE STILL WAITING ON LEGAL TO GET SORT OF ALL THE I'S

DOTTED AND T'S CROSSED FOR CREATING THESE LITTLE TAXING

DISTRICTS, WHICH THEY CAN VOTE ON FOR THEMSELVES AND WHAT

THE PERCENTAGE VOTES NEED TO BE.

THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT.

THEY IN THEIR AREA DID GET BRIGHTHOUSE TO BURY THEIR LINES

SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT.

SO EVENTUALLY, MAYBE WE WANT TO GET SOME SORT OF -- DOESN'T

HAVE TO BE TODAY. 61

YOU CAN ALL THINK ABOUT IT -- SOME SORT OF LETTER OUT TO

BRIGHTHOUSE SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A CONVERSATION.

HOW ABOUT YOU GET OFF THE TECO POLES BECAUSE WE WANT TO

IMPROVE NEIGHBORHOODS.

THAT'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO THINK ABOUT THAT MAYBE

DOWN THE ROAD WE WANT TO EITHER HAVE A BRIGHTHOUSE

REPRESENTATIVE HERE OR SEND THEM A LETTER AND SAY HEY, THIS

WOULD BE NICE.

THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO UPDATE YOU GUYS ON.

OH, THERE WAS ALSO A JOINT MEETING WITH ALL OF THE CITY

SENIOR STAFF, INCLUDING THE MAYOR'S CHIEF OF STAFF, AND

SOMEBODY ELSE ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP INTERGOVERNMENTAL

COOPERATION.

AND THEN I FOLLOWED UP WITH IT.

THEY UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE AN ISSUE.

THEY UNDERSTAND THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE OF IT.

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME HICCUPS, AND

MAYBE DEBORAH COULD UPDATE US ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM.

BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE SLOWDOWNS WITH THE

IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH WAS KIND OF EXPECTED.

BUT THEY WANT THAT FIRST.

>>DEBORAH COPE: KIND OF EXPECTED.

I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY UPDATE FROM THEM YET. 62

I SHOULD HAVE PUSHED IT BEFORE THE MEETING.

I WILL MAKE SURE I HAVE IT.

>>SPENCER KASS: THEY JUST HAPPENED TO MENTION BEFORE THE

MEETING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME HICCUPS.

THEY WANT TO GET THAT UP AND RUNNING BECAUSE THAT WILL GET

EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PLATFORM.

ONCE THEY ARE ON THE SAME PLATFORM, THEN THEY FEEL THERE'S

MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO WORK TOGETHER.

WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS.

AN ISSUE THAT CAME UP, FOR EXAMPLE, USE THE CITY OF TAMPA'S

SMARTPHONE APP TO REPORT POTHOLES.

THEY WEREN'T, AND SINCE MOST OF THE STREETS IN THE CITY ARE

OWNED BY THE COUNTY, THEY WEREN'T REPORTING IT TO THE

COUNTY.

THEY WERE TELLING YOU TO REPORT IT TO THE COUNTY.

AFTER HEARING THAT, THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR POSITION.

THEY WILL FORWARD IT ON TO THE COUNTY AS APPROPRIATE AND

TELL THEM TO PLEASE GO OUT AND FIX THE POTHOLES.

BUT IT'S THAT SORT OF LITTLE STUFF THAT MAKES A BIG

DIFFERENCE TO CITIZENS AND HELPS KEEP EVERYTHING NEAT AND

CLEAN.

SO I JUST WANTED YOU ALL TO BE AWARE.

>>JAY VICKERS: GAYE?

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: IN OTHER WORDS, SO I HAVE THIS PERFECTLY 63

CLEAR, SINCE VERIZON'S ARE BURIED, THEY'RE ASKING POSSIBLY

TO HAVE BRIGHT HOUSE BURIED AS WELL?

THEIR CABLES?

DON'T BURY THEM, BUT BURY THEIR CABLES?

>>SPENCER KASS: THE ISSUE IS IF YOU WANT YOUR UTILITIES

UNDERGROUNDED, THE RULE IS YOU HAVE TO PAY BASICALLY THE

EXPENSE THAT TECO WOULD UNDERGO TO BURY THEM.

NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO PAY TECO, BUT YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR

ANYBODY THAT'S ON THE POLES AT THAT TIME OF UNDERGROUNDING.

THE CURRENT PEOPLE ON THEIR POLES, THERE ARE BASICALLY

THREE GROUPS ON THEIR POLES.

THERE'S TECO ON TECO'S POLES, THERE'S BRIGHTHOUSE ON TECO'S

POLES, AND THERE'S VERIZON ON TECO'S POLES.

VERIZON DOESN'T NEED THEIR WIRE THERE ANYMORE, SO THEY ARE

NOT GOING TO KEEP HANGING AROUND.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: VERIZON DOESN'T CHARGE TO YOU DO THAT.

I MEAN, THEY DON'T CHARGE YOU UNDERGROUND.

WHEN YOU HAVE IT INSTALLED --

>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.

THAT'S NOW WHAT THEY DO, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU GO TO

BRIGHT HOUSE, LIKE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND YOU SAY I WANT

BRIGHTHOUSE IN MY HOUSE, THEY WON'T BURY A LINE FOR YOU.

THEY GO IN THE AIR.

IF YOU WANT IT BURIED, YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. 64

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT VERIZON BURIES

>>SPENCER KASS: NO, VERIZON BURIES IT AS POLICY.

>>GAYE TOWNSEND: AND I DID NOTICE BRIGHTHOUSE IS STARTING

TO TAKE A LOT OF THE -- NOT BRIGHTHOUSE.

VERIZON IS STARTING TO TAKE A LOT OF LINES DOWN >>JAY

VICKERS: ANY OTHER BUSINESS?

ALL RIGHT.

LOOKING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

SEEING NONE, MOTION TO ADJOURN.

>>SPENCER KASS: MOVE TO ADJOURN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.