CAPTIONING MAY 6, 2009 BOCC REGULAR MEETING MORNING SESSION ***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the ***following meeting. It should be used for informational ***purposes only. This document has not been edited; ***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words ***that did not translate. >>KEN HAGAN: WELL, GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO THE MAY 6th, 2009, REGULARLY SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE AND THE INVOCATION, GIVEN BY COMMISSIONER AL HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: COMING FORWARD WILL BE A SPECIAL GROUP OF FOLKS THIS MORNING FROM YATES ELEMENTARY, LED BY JOSH KRUGER, PRINCIPAL RICHARD SHIELDS, AND ANGELA MORRIS, THEIR TEACHER. IF YOU'D COME FORWARD TO HELP US CONDUCT THE PLEDGE. IS HE ON HIS WAY? >> HE'S MAKING HIS WAY. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: MAKING HIS WAY. FOR THE GRAND ENTRANCE. WELCOME, JOSH. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] THANK YOU. PLEASE BOW YOUR HEAD. OH, MERCIFUL GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE DAY AND THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU BESTOW UPON US. WE ASK THAT YOU OPEN YOUR -- THIS AUDITORIUM AND THIS ROOM TO THOSE WHO COME TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE OUR COUNTY AND THE PLACE THAT WE LIVE. ASK THAT YOU HELP US CONDUCT OURSELVES IN A WAY THAT IS RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER AND FOR ME TO RESPECT YOUR TEACHINGS. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. >> AMEN. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU. THIS MORNING WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS TO MAKE, AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER WHITE IS UP FIRST. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, BOARD MEMBERS. I'D LIKE THE MEMBERS OF AGING SERVICES THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE TO COME FORWARD, PLEASE, TO RECEIVE THIS PROCLAMATION. THIS IS A PROCLAMATION FOR OLDER AMERICANS MONTH PRESENTED BY THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. WHEREAS, OLDER AMERICANS ARE VALUABLE MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY WHO ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITIES AND POLITICAL LIVES; AND WHEREAS, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COUNTY AND ALL COMMUNITIES TO WORK TOGETHER AND PREPARE SYSTEMS OF CARE TO EMPOWER OLDER AMERICANS TO HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN LIVES AND ADDRESS THE UNIQUE -- THEIR UNIQUE HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CHALLENGES; WHEREAS, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, IS HOME TO MORE THAN 202,900 CITIZENS WHO ARE OF AGE 60 OR OLDER; WHEREAS, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S DEPARTMENT OF AGING SERVICES PROVIDES ESSENTIAL SOCIAL AND HEALTH -- HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO OLDER ADULTS, PROMOTES THEIR SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, AND ECONOMIC AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING TO ENCOURAGE THEIR MAXIMUM INDEPENDENCE AND IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SENIORS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS; WHEREAS, IT IS FITTING FOR -- THAT SENIORS BE RECOGNIZED DURING THE MONTH OF MAY, WHICH HAS BEEN NATIONALLY PROCLAIMED AS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH; AND WHEREAS, THE NATIONAL OLDER AMERICANS MONTH THEME IS "LIVING TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW," WHICH CELEBRATES OLDER CITIZENS AS THE MOST ACTIVE AND INVOLVED OLDER ADULT POPULATION; WHEREAS, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMENDS OUR SENIORS FOR THEIR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COUNTRY AND RENEWS OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDE QUALITY PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT OLDER AMERICANS. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT THE BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, FLORIDA, DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF MAY 2009 OLDER AMERICANS MONTH, AND THIS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY URGES ALL RESIDENTS TO JOIN IN HONORING ALL OF OUR SENIORS FOR THEIR MANY WORTHWHILE CONTRIBUTIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY. THIS EXECUTED THE 6th DAY OF MAY, SIGNED BY ALL SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND I'LL PRESENT THIS TO OUR DIRECTOR OF THE AGING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, DR. BARTHOLOMEW BANKS. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M BART BANKS, DEPARTMENT OF AGING SERVICES. I HAVE REPRESENTED HERE SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF MY HARDWORKING STAFF. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER WHITE, MR. CHAIRMAN, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF MAY AS THE OLDER AMERICANS MONTH HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THIS MONTH TO CELEBRATE THE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR CITIZENS SUCH AS OUR SENIOR PROM ON MAY 8th, OUR ANNUAL ELDERLY AFFAIRS DAY ON MAY 14th, OUR VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION LUNCHEON ON MAY 15th, AND OUR NATIONAL SENIOR HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY ON MAY 27th. IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING TO SEE OUR SENIORS PARTICIPATE IN THOSE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES. ADDITIONALLY, LET ME SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE TO THE PROGRAMS THAT SERVE OUR SENIORS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S ALWAYS BEEN ON THE LEADING EDGE OF PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE VALUABLE PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE, AND THERE IS A GREAT RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT THAT IS EVIDENCED BY THE SMILE ON THE FACES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO RECEIVE THOSE HOT MEALS DELIVERED ON A DAILY BASIS. MANY TIMES THE MEAL DELIVERY DRIVER IS THE ONLY HUMAN INTERACTION THAT THOSE CITIZENS WOULD HAVE THAT DAY. ADDITIONALLY, AS EVIDENCED, THE NEW LEASE ON LIFE THAT MANY OF OUR SENIORS GAIN AS A RESULT OF ATTENDING OUR SENIOR CENTERS. WE'VE EVEN HAD A FEW LOVE CONNECTIONS WHERE THE SENIORS HAVE MET THEIR SOULMATES AND HAVE GOTTEN MARRIED, SO THERE IS A GREAT RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT, AND WE JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, DR. BANKS. [APPLAUSE] AND COMMISSIONER WHITE, I BELIEVE YOU HAD ANOTHER ACKNOWLEDGMENT YOU WANTED TO -- >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR ANNUAL DELTA DAY IS HERE. YOU CAN SEE THE YOUNG LADIES IN THE AUDIENCE THAT ARE DRESSED IN ALL RED. THEY'RE THE LADIES OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, AND I'M, ONCE AGAIN, PLEASED TO PRESENT THE GROUP OF PROFESSIONAL WOMEN WHO DO SO MUCH IN OUR COMMUNITY. THEY'RE MEMBERS OF DELTA SIGMA DELTA, INCORPORATED. EACH YEAR THE MEMBERS OF THE SORORITY VISIT OUR NATION'S CAPITOL AND OUR STATE CAPITOL OF OUR CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS, AND THEIR GOAL IS TO STAY ABREAST OF ALL SERVICE, AND POLITICAL AND -- POLICIES AND BASICALLY TO ENRICH AND ENHANCE AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITY INFORMED, AND THEY DO SO MUCH OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY TO KEEPING THE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ALIVE, AND THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THAT ORGANIZATION WOULD LIKE TO COME BEFORE US AND JUST SAY JUST A FEW WORDS, AND THAT'S MS. BRENNA FIELDS TAYLOR, AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE HER COME UP AND SAY JUST A BRIEF WORD ABOUT THEIR ORGANIZATION AND INTRODUCE THE OTHER LADIES OF DELTA SIGMA THETA. IF THEY WOULD ALL COME, AS A MATTER OF FACT, AND JOIN IN BEHIND YOUR PRESIDENT, LADIES. >>KEN HAGAN: WELCOME. >> GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING TO ALL OF YOU. I AM BRENNA FIELDS TAYLOR AT 11006 HOLLY CONE DRIVE, RIVERVIEW, FLORIDA, AND I'M CURRENTLY THE PRESIDENT OF THE TAMPA ALUMNI CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, AND ON BEHALF OF THE OVER 200 MEMBERS OF OUR CHAPTER, I FIRST WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY. I WOULD ESPECIALLY LIKE TO THANK COMMISSIONER WHITE AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PAT BEAN FOR GREETING US THIS MORNING. IT WAS QUITE EARLY FOR SOME OF US, BUT WE THANK YOU FOR GREETING US SO WARMLY THIS MORNING. TODAY'S VISIT WITH YOU IS OUR THIRD ANNUAL DELTA DAY AT THE COUNTY COMMISSION, AND TODAY WE WILL SPEND TIME HEARING FROM VARIOUS COUNTY DEPARTMENTS REGARDING THE SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE AND HOW WE DELTA CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE TO YOU, ESPECIALLY IN THESE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES, AND WE DO COMMEND THE ENTIRE BOARD FOR OPENING UP COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO US AGAIN TODAY. DELTA SIGMA THETA IS A SISTERHOOD OF COLLEGE-EDUCATED WOMEN COMMITTED TO PUBLIC SERVICE, AND SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 1913, WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE LIVE. LOCALLY TAMPA ALUMNI HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO MAKE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A GREATER PLACE FOR ALL OF ITS CITIZENS SINCE 1947. OUR MEMBERSHIP, SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE TODAY, INCLUDE HEDDIE SUMPTER, WHO CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF THE COUNTY'S COMMUNITY ACTION BOARD, LU BANKS, THE DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING, AND JOYCE RUSSELL, THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN LIAISON. SO ONCE AGAIN, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU AND TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK ALONGSIDE WITH YOU FOR THE SAME GOAL, WHICH IS MAKING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE] COMMISSIONER WHITE, WE DO HAVE A FEW QUICK PRESENTATIONS IF WE MAY, AND IF SO, WILL YOU -- >> ON BEHALF OF OUR SORORITY, I DO WANT TO PRESENT EACH OF YOU WITH A TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION. >>JIM NORMAN: [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU, LADIES, SO MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN WILL PRESENT OUR NEXT PROCLAMATION. >>JIM NORMAN: ARE INDIVIDUALS HERE TODAY FROM THE RADIO EMERGENCY ASSOCIATED COMMUNICATIONS TEAM? ARE YOU-ALL HERE TODAY? COME ON DOWN. HOW YOU DOING? I'D LIKE TO READ THIS INTO THE RECORD TODAY. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT REACT IS, AND THIS IS -- IT'S RADIO EMERGENCY ASSOCIATED COMMUNICATIONS. IT SAYS, WHEREAS, RADIO EMERGENCY ASSOCIATED COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, REACT, INTERNATIONAL IS AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATION PROVIDING SKILLED VOLUNTEER TWO-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS FOR SAFETY; AND WHEREAS, THE TAMPA BAY REACT, INC., STRENGTHENS THE COMMUNITY'S EMERGENCY RESPONSE EFFORTS THROUGH PARTNERS WITH VARIOUS EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE AREA AND TRAINING MEMBERS SO THEY'RE READY TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATIONS IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY; AND WHEREAS, TAMPA BAY REACT, INC., MEMBERS RECEIVE TRAINING IN THE AREA OF DISASTER ASSISTANCE, INCIDENT COMMAND, TRAFFIC AND PARKING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, BASIC RADIO PROCEDURES, BASIC FIRST AID AND CPR, AND MORE; AND WHEREAS, TAMPA BAY REACT AGENCY PARTNERS INCLUDE AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE, AMERICAN RED CROSS, CHRISTIAN EMERGENCY RESPONSE FORCE, GREATER TAMPA CERT, COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS, HILLSBOROUGH AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICES, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER, THE SALVATION ARMY, TAMPA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, AND THE WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA GROUP, INC.; AND WHEREAS, REACT USES THE MONTH OF MAY WHEN RESIDENTS TYPICALLY BEGIN PLANNING FOR THEIR TRAVELS DURING MEMORIAL DAY AND THE 4th OF JULY HOLIDAYS, WEEKEND JAUNTS, AND SUMMER VACATIONS AS A REMINDER TO PLAN FOR SAFETY; AND WHEREAS, DURING THIS MAY, REACT TEAMS ACROSS THE NATION, ACROSS THE WORLD WILL HOST SAFETY DISPLAYS IN PUBLIC PLACES AND PROVIDE SPEAKERS ON SAFETY TOPICS TO COMMUNITY GROUPS. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, DOES HEREBY SET ASIDE THE MONTH OF MAY 2009 AS REACT MONTH, AND IT'S SIGNED BY ALL THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, CHAIRMAN KEN HAGAN, VICE CHAIRMAN MARK SHARPE, KEVIN WHITE, AL HIGGINBOTHAM -- AL HIGGINBOTHAM, KEVIN BECKNER, ROSE FERLITA, AND MYSELF, JIM NORMAN, AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE] WOULD YOU-ALL LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? >> [INAUDIBLE] >>JIM NORMAN: ALL RIGHT, PREZ. GO AHEAD, MAN. >> I'LL KEEP THIS REAL SHORT BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN WRITE A SPEECH OR ANYTHING FOR THIS. TAMPA BAY REACT AND REACT INTERNATIONAL WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR THIS AWARD, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE APPRECIATE IT. >> MAY I HAVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. >> MICHAEL BRESSE, B-R-E-S-S-E. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR. [APPLAUSE] AND NOW WE HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL STUDENTS FROM YATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT COMMISSIONER BECKNER IS GOING TO PRESENT A COMMENDATION TO. >>KEVIN BECKNER: WELL, GOOD MORNING. I THINK IT'S YATES DAY HERE AT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BUT ANYWAYS, IT'S MY PLEASURE THIS MORNING TO WELCOME SOME VERY SPECIAL YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THE UNIMAGINABLE. THEY'VE MADE A PROFIT IN THE STOCK MARKET. [LAUGHTER] THESE STUDENTS ARE FIFTH GRADERS FROM YATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BRANDON WHO EARLIER THIS YEAR PARTICIPATED IN THE FLORIDA STOCK MARKET CHALLENGE CONDUCTED EACH YEAR BY THE FLORIDA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION AND SPONSORED BY RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL, INCORPORATED. ESTABLISHED MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, THE FLORIDA STOCK MARKET CHALLENGE HAS PROVEN TO BE AN EXCITING WAY TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN LEARNING ABOUT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN AN INVESTMENT SIMULATION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO DEVELOP AND MANAGE A HYPOTHETICAL $100,000 INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO AS WELL AS COMPETE FOR THE BEST PORTFOLIO PERFORMANCE. STUDENTS NOT ONLY ENJOY THIS PROGRAM, BUT TEACHERS LOVE THIS PROGRAM AS WELL BECAUSE IT CAN BE EASILY INTEGRATED INTO A VARIETY OF SUBJECT AREAS, INCLUDING SOCIAL STUDIES, MATHEMATICS, AND THE LANGUAGE ART CLASSES. NOW, THESE STUDENTS NOT ONLY WON THE GULF COAST REGION STOCK MARKET CHALLENGE, THEY WON FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD PLACE AS THEIR RESPECTIVE TEAMS. [APPLAUSE] FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR GREAT ADULT LEADERS WHO ARE HERE THIS MORNING WHO WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM A SUCCESS. IF EACH OF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND AS I CALL YOUR NAME. MR. RICHARD SHIELDS, PRINCIPAL OF YATES ELEMENTARY. [APPLAUSE] MRS. TERESA WERNER, FIFTH-GRADE TEACHER FOR THESE STUDENTS. [APPLAUSE] MRS. REGINA GRANDNER, AGP SPECIALIST AT YATES. AND FROM THE FLORIDA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLINTON MUELLER. OKAY. EVENT COORDINATOR CHARLETTE DAVIS, MARKETING AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR MONICA PETTIETTE, AND GEOFF SIMON WHO SERVES AS VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE FCEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND IS ALSO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SJS WEALTH ADVISORS, A SUBSIDIARY OF RAYMOND JAMES. I KNOW GEOFF IS HERE. [APPLAUSE] ALSO A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE CERTAINLY PROUD OF THEM -- OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE RAISE YOUR HANDS IF YOU ARE A PARENT, GRANDPARENT, FAMILY MEMBER, OR FRIEND OF THESE YOUNGSTERS HERE. [APPLAUSE] WONDERFUL. AND I FORGOT TO ADD ONE THING. THE REAL STOCK MARKET HAD A 25% LOSS DURING THIS SAME TIME PERIOD. THESE STUDENTS' INVESTMENTS HAD A 2% GAIN, SO IT NOT ONLY BEGS THE QUESTION AS A FINANCIAL PLANNER, I'VE GOT TO GET WITH THESE KIDS TO FIND OUT HOW THEY DID THIS. ALL RIGHT, NOW FOR THE BEST PART OF THE MORNING'S PRESENTATION, THE STUDENT WINNERS. WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND REMAIN UP FRONT UNTIL ALL THE WINNERS ARE RECOGNIZED. SIERRA ELLIS. [APPLAUSE] CHRISTINA LUCAS. AMERICO MENENDEZ. [APPLAUSE] RYAN NOLAND. [APPLAUSE] LUKE BERGERON. [APPLAUSE] JESSICA CUMBA. [APPLAUSE] SAHRI HARVEY-COUSIN. >> SHE'S NOT HERE. >>KEVIN BECKNER: OKAY. GEVAUNI PAL. NOT HERE. OKAY. JESSICA FARMER. [APPLAUSE] THERE'S ONE MORE GENTLEMAN NOT HERE, JOEMMANKHAN. [APPLAUSE] THOMAS PECK. [APPLAUSE] AND KARISSA WILLIAMS. [APPLAUSE] STUDENTS, IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT ON THE YATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEAM THAT WON THIRD PLACE IN THE GULF COAST REGION STOCK MARKET CHALLENGE, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED BY THE FLORIDA COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION AND SPONSORED BY RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL. YOUR TEAM IS COMMENDED FOR ITS HARD WORK IN DEVELOPING AND MANAGING A HYPOTHETICAL $100,000 INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO AND COMPETING FOR BEST PORTFOLIO PERFORMANCE. THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DOES HEREBY OFFER ITS CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR YOUR IMPRESSIVE COMPETITION AND GRASP OF THE FINANCIAL MARKETS AND THE AMERICAN ECONOMY. WE ARE PROUD TO YOU -- WE ARE PROUD TO CALL YOU A RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE ACADEMIC ADVISORS, AWARDED THIS 6th DAY OF MAY, 2009, SIGNED BY ALL SEVEN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. STUDENTS, AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] NOW, THERE'S ONE MORE THING. WHEN WE MET WITH THESE STUDENTS EARLIER ON, I ASKED THEM -- BECAUSE IT'S NOT EVERY DAY THAT THEY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD OR GOVERNMENT AND ASK A QUESTION, SO I ASKED, IF YOU HAD ONE QUESTION -- BURNING QUESTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUR BOARD THIS MORNING, WHAT WOULD THAT QUESTION BE? AND OUR STUDENTS REPLIED -- >>GROUP: ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER? [APPLAUSE] >>KEVIN BECKNER: STUDENTS, AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU YOUR COMMENDATIONS AND TAKE JUST A BRIEF MOMENT FOR A PICTURE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. WE APPRECIATE IT. >>KEN HAGAN: AND I JUST WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE BOYS AND GIRLS. I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY YOU HAVE VERY, VERY BRIGHT FUTURES AHEAD OF YOU, AND I WANT TO THANK THE PRINCIPAL AND TEACHER AND AGP TEACHER FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP WITH THESE CHILDREN, AND I KNOW HAVING PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL INTERVIEW SESSIONS ON VARIOUS MORNING SHOWS ACROSS THE COUNTY, SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING QUESTIONS ARE GIVEN BY -- BY YOU STUDENTS, SO THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR COMING DOWN, AND CONGRATULATIONS. COMMISSIONER WHITE. >>KEVIN WHITE: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF THAT PUT ON THIS PROGRAM AND THANKS TO THE KIDS FOR PARTICIPATING, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL TAKE WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, I PROMISE YOU, AND IT'S WONDERFUL NOW WHEN YOU GET TO PLAY WITH MONEY THAT YOU'RE REALLY NOT LOSING, BUT YOU HAD A WONDERFUL ADVISOR, JEFF SIMON. I'VE KNOWN GEOFF FOR MANY YEARS, AND GEOFF HAS GIVEN ME SOME ADVICE OVER THE YEARS, AND HE'S A GREAT MENTOR FOR ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO PLAY THE STOCK MARKET. THANK YOU, JEFF, FOR PARTICIPATING AS WELL, AS TEACHING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HOW TO MANAGE THEIR MONEY FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, KIDS, AND CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. MS. BEAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO REVIEW THE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? >>PAT BEAN: YES, COMMISSIONERS. WE HAVE ONE ITEM FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13. THAT IS F-6, REQUESTING THAT THE BOARD TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION ON SENATE BILL 360 BY DRAFTING A LETTER TO GOVERNOR CRIST REQUESTING THAT HE VETO SENATE BILL 360 AND DIRECTING THE COUNTY'S LOBBYIST TO ACTIVELY LOBBY THE GOVERNOR TO VETO THIS BILL. THAT'S BROUGHT TO THE BOARD BY COMMISSIONER SHARPE. UNDER DEFERRALS AND DELETIONS, A-4 IS DEFERRED. IT'S APPROVING THE SECOND MODIFICATION TO RFQ NUMBER C-294- 96, TAMPA FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS, INC., FOR HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START DENTAL SERVICES. THAT ITEM IS DEFERRED. A-56 IS ALSO DEFERRED, APPROVE A CHANGE ORDER NUMBER 1 TO THE CONTRACT WITH PAINT-IT-PLUS, INC., FOR THE DALE MABRY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PAINTING CONTRACT FOR WATER RESOURCE SERVICES. AND A-72 IS ALSO DEFERRED. THIS IS RECEIVING A REPORT FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT REGARDING VIRTUAL CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN BUDGET MEETINGS. THAT ITEM IS DEFERRED. ITEM A-9 HAS A CORRECTION. IT'S INDICATED ON THE ITEM. IT CHANGES THE ORDER OF THE INITIALS CDGB TO CDBG, WHICH IS THE CORRECT IDENTIFICATION OF THE FUNDING SOURCE. AND ITEM B-4, AN ITEM THAT DEALS WITH THE CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE TRAFFIC CALMING ISSUE, THERE WERE CHANGES IN THAT TO ELIMINATE FROM TODAY'S DISCUSSION ANY DISCUSSION OF ORIGINAL CARROLLWOOD. THE DISCUSSION WILL ONLY FOCUS ON CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE. AND THEN E-2, THAT IS A SCHEDULED APPEARANCE BY SIMON CANASI TO DISCUSS AN UNFINISHED PROJECT IN THE LAKE ELLEN AREA. THE TIME WAS CHANGED FROM 10:15 TO 1:45. UNDER CONSENT THERE WAS AN ITEM THAT WAS REQUESTED TO BE SUBMITTED THIS MORNING THAT DOES NOT APPEAR ON YOUR ADDENDUM. IT IS ITEM A-10. THAT ITEM WAS REQUESTED TO BE DEFERRED BY COMMISSIONER BECKNER -- NOT DEFERRED, I'M SORRY -- PULLED FOR DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONER -- WELL, I'VE GOT IT IN THE WRONG PLACE. LET ME MOVE IT DOWN. LET'S START WITH A-68, RECEIVING THE REPORT FROM COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT REGARDING VARIOUS COUNTY NEWSLETTERS. THAT ITEM WAS PULLED FOR HIGHLIGHTING BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA AS WAS ITEM A-69 PULLED FOR HIGHLIGHTING BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, AND THAT ITEM IS RECEIVING A REPORT FROM HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REGARDING A DEPENDENT AUDIT OF THE COUNTY'S EMPLOYEE GROUP HEALTH CARE PLAN. ITEMS REMOVED FROM -- FOR DISCUSSION, A-9, TO DIRECT STAFF TO SCHEDULE AND ADVERTISE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR MAY 20 TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC ART ORDINANCE. THAT ITEM WAS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION BY COMMISSIONER BECKNER. COMMISSIONER BECKNER ALSO PULLED ITEM A-10 FOR DISCUSSION. THAT IS THE ITEM TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED REVISION TO POLICY 01.05.01.00, WHICH COMBINES AND CLARIFIES TWO OTHER POLICIES, AND THIS HAS TO DO WITH MAKING APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS, COUNCILS, AND COMMITTEES. THERE'S ALSO ITEM A-71, WHICH WAS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION, AND THAT IS PULLED BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. THIS IS A -- RECEIVING A REPORT FROM PARKS, RECREATION, AND CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE MANN WAGNON MEMORIAL PARK. THAT'S RIVER COVE PROPERTY. THE FOLLOWING LIST OF ITEMS ARE SCHEDULED FOR A TIME CERTAIN. AT 10:00 A.M. YOU WILL HEAR THE ITEM F-2, DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF CONE RANCH. AT 10:30, ITEM F-5, SPECIAL PRESENTATION BY DR. STEPHEN KLASKO, VICE PRESIDENT OF USF HEALTH. 10:45 A.M., E-1, SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY WIT OSTRENKO, THE PRESIDENT OF MOSI. AT 11:00, B-7, RECEIVING COUNTY AUDIT REPORT 181 REGARDING THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. AT 11:15, ITEM B-4, APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE REPORT AS SUBMITTED. AT 11:30, ITEM B-2, RECEIVING ORAL STATUS REPORT ON THE BIENNIAL BUDGET PROCESS FOR FY 10 AND 11. AT 1:45 YOU WILL HEAR ITEM E-2, SCHEDULED APPEARANCE BY SIMON CANASI TO DISCUSS AN UNFINISHED PROJECT IN THE LAKE ELLEN AREA. AT 2:00, D-1, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO ACCEPT COMMENTS ON THE COUNTY'S PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TO INCORPORATE THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT UNDER THE HOMELESS PREVENTION AND RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM. AT 2:00 ALSO, ITEM D-2, DIRECTING STAFF TO NOT ARBITRATE TAMPA BAY WATER'S PROPOSED APPLICATIONS TO MODIFY THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE PERMITS FOR THE C.W. BILL YOUNG RESERVOIR AND THE REGIONAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT. D-3, ALSO AT 2:00, WILL BE HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE SECTION RELATING TO THE WAIVER OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE PROXIMITY REQUIREMENTS. ALSO AT 2:00, ITEM D-4, CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER AMENDING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ORDINANCE 87-40 AS AMENDED RELATING TO FIRE PREVENTION AND LIFE SAFETY. AND THEN D-5, ADOPTING THE FINAL ASSESSMENT RESOLUTION FOR THE CHEVAL BORDEAUX RWIU. AT 2:20, YOU WILL HEAR ITEM F-1, WHICH IS THE COMPLETION OF THE ANNUAL EVALUATION PROCESS FOR THE IPA. THOSE ARE THE CHANGES TO THE AGENDA, MR. CHAIR. >>ROSE FERLITA: MOVE THE CHANGES, MR. CHAIR. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: BOARD MEMBERS, VERY BRIEFLY. YESTERDAY WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM OUR ADMINISTRATOR CONCERNING MOSI, AND I SERVE ON THE MOSI BOARD. THIS IS ABOUT A REZONING TAKING PLACE BEFORE THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND THE ITEM'S GOING BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION THIS WEEK. I WOULD LIKE JUST TO ADD ON -- WIT IS HERE TODAY, IT'S VERY TIMELY -- THAT WE WOULD -- IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS OF WIT TODAY, BUT WHEN HE COMES UP AND MAKES HIS PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS HISPANIC POSITION OF THE YEAR, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS THE BOARD TO VOTE TO SUPPORT OUR ADMINISTRATOR'S LETTER TO GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND GO OVER TO THE CITY OF TAMPA WHERE IT'S JUST NOT COMING FROM OUR ADMINISTRATOR. >>KEN HAGAN: AND I WAS GOING TO ASK WHEN WIT CAME UP TO FIRST HAVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON IT AS WELL, SO IT'S A GOOD IDEA. >>JIM NORMAN: YEAH, AND FROM THE LEGALITY OF IT, IF WE DON'T MAKE THE CHANGES IN THE MORNING TO PUT IT ON, WE COULDN'T DO IT LATER, SO -- >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CHANGES WITH THAT -- >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVED. >>KEN HAGAN: -- ADDITION? >> [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. MOTION COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER BECKNER. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF OUR AGENDA. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS ABOUT ANY ISSUE OR CONCERN. YOUR OPINIONS ARE VALUED IN TERMS OF PROVIDING INPUT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS; HOWEVER, AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS REQUESTED WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD THAT COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A COMMISSIONER OR STAFF MEMBER BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES, AND WE'VE SET ASIDE 45 MINUTES FOR BOARD COMMENT OR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THIS MORNING. WHEN COMING TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. EACH PERSON WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES. I WILL SAY WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT SIGNED UP THIS MORNING. IF WE DO NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO EVERYONE PER OUR BOARD POLICY, YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK AT THE END OF THE BOARD MEETING THIS AFTERNOON. THE FIRST THREE SPEAKERS ARE CHARM THOMETZ, LIBBY JAE, AND VIVIAN BACCA. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS CHARM THOMETZ. I LIVE AT 10913 CARROLLWOOD DRIVE. THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE SPEED CALMING PROJECT. WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME OF CHANGE. WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME OF ECONOMIC CRISIS. WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME WHERE VULNERABLE CITIZENS HAVE THE CHOICE OF ACCESSING SUPPORTS IN THEIR HOMES AND AGING IN PLACE AS OPPOSED TO SEGREGATED SETTINGS IN NURSING HOMES. THIS CHOICE NOT ONLY ENSURES A SAFER, HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT BUT A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE AND IS CHEAPER FOR ALL INVOLVED, INCLUDING AND ESPECIALLY TAXPAYERS. DELAYING THE RESPONSE OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH. ONE SECOND CAN SEEM LIKE AN ETERNITY, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF YOUR CHERISHED LOVED ONES. THE RESIDENTS OF CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE WERE NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE BEFORE THE COUNTY INSTALLED THESE INVASIVE SPEED HUMPS. WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED FOR THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF OUR COMMUNITY'S MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS, THE ELDERLY AND THE FRAGILE. THE BOARD HAS JUST THIS MORNING PROCLAIMED THE MONTH OF MAY AS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH. IN THAT SPIRIT, I WOULD LIKE TO URGE YOU TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS AND VOTE NO TO THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS AND ALLOW CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A PUBLIC MEETING. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. THOMETZ. COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT IS GOING TO BE MY MOTION TODAY IS TO ASK FOR AN INFORMATION MEETING AT THE CULTURAL CENTER, AND I WAS GOING TO ASK THE BOARD TODAY TO DO THAT, SO THAT'S GOING TO BE THE MOTION -- >> THANK YOU. >>JIM NORMAN: -- THAT I PUT ON THE FLOOR TODAY. >> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN, MS. THOMETZ. >> THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: NEXT THREE SPEAKERS, LIBBY JAE, VIVIAN BACCA, AND GEORGE NIEMANN. WELCOME, MS. JAE. >> GOOD MORNING. I'M LIBBY JAE IN CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE, AND IN FEBRUARY OF 2009, I STOOD BEFORE YOU AND SPOKE ABOUT THE DISSATISFACTION WE HAD WITH THE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES IN CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE. WE REFERRED TO THE FACT THAT WE HAD NO VOTE, THE OVERABUNDANCE OF SPEED HUMPS, AND SIGN POLLUTION. YOU, COMMISSIONER NORMAN, HAD REQUESTED THAT WE GO BACK AND WORK WITH OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO DEVISE COMPROMISE. OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION SAID THEIR STANCE WAS NOT TO TAKE A STANCE, SO WE HAVE RECEIVED NO LEADERSHIP AND WE ARE NOT ELECTED OFFICIALS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS SATISFACTORILY BUT HAVE REACHED A ROAD BLOCK AS OF YET. THE PLAN THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED IS NOT SATISFACTORY TO US. WE ARE EXHAUSTED WITH THIS ISSUE. WE APPRECIATE WHAT'S BEEN DONE SO FAR, BUT WE'RE NOT FINISHED. BRAD GORDON AND MIKE McCARTHY RECEIVED OUR FINAL LIST OF REQUESTS AND -- THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR REPEATEDLY BUT HAVE GONE UNATTENDED TO. THESE ARE COMMONSENSE REQUESTS. SHOULD THERE BE SIX PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK SIGNS PER EACH CROSSWALK? OF COURSE NOT. SHOULD THERE BE A SPEED FEEDBACK SIGN BEFORE A SPEED TABLE? OF COURSE NOT. WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY PUBLIC WORKS AND COLONEL PHELAN THAT THE FIRE STATION HAD APPROVED OUR PLAN AND COULD NAVIGATE ONE OF THE INTERSECTIONS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. JUST YESTERDAY THE CAPTAIN OF STATION 19 MET US AND TESTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE SAID INTERSECTION CANNOT BE NAVIGATED SUCCESSFULLY BY A LADDER TRUCK WITH A CLEAN TURN. STATION 19 IS THE STATION THAT WOULD SERVICE OUR AREA, AND A LADDER TRUCK IS WHAT WOULD BE CALLED IF ONE OF OUR HOUSES CAUGHT ON FIRE. HE CONFIRMED THAT THIS COULD NOT BE DONE SUCCESSFULLY, AND FURTHERMORE, HE CONFIRMED THAT HE'D NEVER BEEN ASKED TO DO SO BEFORE. SO WE HAVE EVIDENCE NOW. AND OF COURSE, ANOTHER COMMONSENSE REQUEST WE HAVE IS THAT FIRE TRUCKS SHOULD BE ALLOWED UNIMPEDED ACCESS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. THESE ARE ALL COMMONSENSE REQUESTS. THEY'VE ALL BEEN OMITTED BY THE FINAL PLAN THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY. WE NEED A FEW CHANGES TO THAT PLAN IN ADDITION TO THE MEETING. YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT FROM JENNIFER FRITCH. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. JAE. >> HERE IS THE PICTURE OF SIX CROSSWALK SIGNS PER CROSSWALK, JUST A LITTLE OVERKILL. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU. VIVIAN BACCA, GEORGE NIEMANN, AND CHRIS MOORE. WELCOME, MS. BACCA. >> GOOD MORNING. VIVIAN BACCA, 413 EL GRECO DRIVE IN BRANDON. WE, THE PEOPLE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, ADOPTED A PUBLIC ARTS ORDINANCE. THIS ORDINANCE IS UNDER ATTACK, ALLEGEDLY DUE TO ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, YET THE LAST PENDING PROJECT LISTED ON THE COUNTY WEB SITE WAS FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING 2003-2004. THIS WAS DURING THE ECONOMIC ENGINE OF THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, SO CLEARLY TAX REVENUE ISSUES WERE NOT THE PRIMARY CONCERN. DURING THE I-4 CORRIDOR STUDY AND THE ECONOMIC STIMULUS TASK FORCE DISCUSSION ABOUT ATTRACTING THE CREATIVE CLASS WE WERE TOLD THAT CULTURAL AMENITIES ARE A PRIMARY ATTRACTOR FOR THIS GROUP. PUBLIC ART IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE NOT ALL CITIZENS CAN AFFORD PRIVATE ART. IT CREATES A REGIONAL IDENTITY. I DON'T HAVE TO GET UP ON THE ELMO AND SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY OR THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL FOR YOU TO KNOW WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. BACK IN 1876 THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE RAISED $250,000 TO BUILD THE STATUE. THE PEOPLE OF THE U.S. RAISED $270,000 TO CREATE A BASE. IN TODAY'S DOLLARS, THIS IS A PRINCELY SUM. FOR THE 100th ANNIVERSARY, LEE IACOCCA RAISED MILLIONS TO HELP RESTORE AND REPAIR THE STATUE. DON'T GUT OUR PUBLIC ARTS ORDINANCE. AS FOR F-2, THE CONE RANCH PROJECT WHICH I OPPOSE, IF THE MONEY IS NOT A FACTOR, THEN PROVE IT BY CREATING A TRUST FOR ANY FUNDS GENERATED BY THIS PROJECT WHICH COULD BE USED TO RESTORE AND PRESERVE ELAPP LAND PROJECTS NOT ALLOWED TO BE EXPENDED UNDER THE BOND COVENANTS. MY FRIEND, LISA RODRIGUEZ, OF BRANDON COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC ARTS ORDINANCE, SO SHE ASKED ME TO READ THIS STATEMENT ON HER BEHALF. A COMMUNITY WITHOUT PUBLIC ART IS A BLANK CANVAS. IF WE REALLY WANT TO ATTRACT HIGH-TECH BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONALS TO OUR COUNTY, WE MUST CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MORE THAN A BLANK CANVAS. CULTURAL ASPECTS OF A COMMUNITY ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT IN SPORTS. CITIES LIKE PORTLAND RECOGNIZE THIS AND HAVE SO MANY PIECES OF PUBLIC ART THEY ACTUALLY USE IT AS A CATALYST TO DRAW TOURISTS TO THEIR CITY FOR WALKING TOURS OF PUBLIC ART. THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CANNOT DO THE SAME OR MORE TO ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY. THE 1% THAT IS CURRENTLY SET ASIDE FROM THE BUILDING FUND SHOULD BE KEPT IN PLACE FOR PUBLIC ART. FURTHERMORE, A WAIVER OF SUSPENSION OF SUCH FUNDING SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UP TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. THE ECONOMY WILL TURN AROUND, BUT WILL WE EVER REGAIN THE HALF A PERCENT WE'RE TRYING TO GET RID OF? KEEP PUBLIC ART ALIVE. THANK YOU. LISA RODRIGUEZ, LETO DRIVE, BRANDON, FLORIDA. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. BACCA. GEORGE NIEMANN, CHRIS MOORE, AND JENNIFER FRITCH. GOOD MORNING, SIR. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. GOOD MORNING, YVETTE. SENATE BILL 360 IS AN ABOMINATION. IT HAS BEEN MOVED FORWARD THROUGH BOTH HOUSES IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS AND IS NOW ON GOVERNOR CRIST'S DESK. IF SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, IT WILL PUT A MORATORIUM ON CONCURRENCY AND DRIs, WHICH IS A DISASTER FOR ALL OF US. THIS BILL IS HORRENDOUS. IT WAS BAD IN EACH AND EVERY VERSION. IT'S A DEVELOPER'S DREAM, BUT IT'S A CITIZEN'S NIGHTMARE. WHILE 360 WAS MARCHING FORWARD, THIS BOARD SAT ON ITS HANDS AND DID NOTHING. NOW WHEN IT'S READY TO BE SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, IT FINALLY GETS THE BOARD'S ATTENTION. COMMISSIONER SHARPE, I COMMEND YOU FOR PUTTING IT ON TODAY'S AGENDA, BUT TO BE BLUNT, YOU'RE A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT. I ASKED YOU AND OTHER COMMISSIONERS IN FEBRUARY AND AGAIN IN APRIL TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THIS BILL AND SEND A POSITION STATEMENT TO THE LEGISLATURE. I'M BEGINNING TO WONDER ABOUT SOME OF YOUR REAL INTENTIONS. MAYBE YOU'RE HOPING THAT THE GOVERNOR REALLY DOES SIGN IT. THAT'S WHY MOST OF YOU HAVE SAID NOTHING SO FAR IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN EXTENSIVELY COVERED IN THE PRESS. I HOPE YOU WILL FINALLY REACH OUT TO GOVERNOR CRIST AND URGE HIM NOT TO APPROVE THIS BILL. THE INACTION BY THE BOARD RELATED TO THIS BILL CAUSED ANOTHER PROBLEM TO SURFACE. WHAT IS THE HILLSBOROUGH LOBBYIST GROUP DOING? WE HAVE BEGUN TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO IS GIVING THEM DIRECTION, AND THE ANSWERS THAT COME BACK ARE BOTH VAGUE AND MIND-BOGGLING. IT APPEARS THAT SOME COMMISSIONERS MIGHT BE GIVING DIRECTION TO OUR LOBBYISTS, BUT WE, THE CITIZENS, DON'T KNOW WHAT PATH THE LOBBYISTS ARE ACTUALLY FOLLOWING. WE KNOW THIS MUCH, THOUGH, THEY GO ALONG WITH WHATEVER PATH THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES WANTS TO FOLLOW, EVEN IF IT'S NOT FOOD FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. ARE INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS TELLING THE LOBBYISTS WHAT TO FIGHT FOR? WHO ARE THEY TAKING DIRECTION FROM? DO THEY EVEN HAVE A DIRECTION? IF THE BOARD IS NOT DIRECTING OUR LOBBYISTS, THEN CAN WE DIRECT THEM? WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT, AND WE'RE PAYING THEIR SALARY, SO MAYBE WE SHOULD TELL THEM WHAT'S IMPORTANT. WE NEED TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHEREBY OUR LOBBYISTS PROACTIVELY WORK ON OUR BEHALF AND FIGHT TO ENACT LAWS THAT BENEFIT US, NOT JUST THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. WE WANT OUR LOBBYISTS TO FIGHT FOR HILLSBOROUGH CITIZENS, AND WE WANT THEIR DIRECTION CLEARLY DEFINED AND OUT IN THE SUNSHINE; OTHERWISE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE DON'T NEED THEM. COMMISSIONERS, WE ARE NOT BEING SERVED WELL, AND THIS IS NOT GOOD GOVERNMENT. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. NIEMANN. CHRIS MOORE, JENNIFER FRITCH, AND BRIGHAM JOHNSON. IS MR. MOORE PRESENT? OKAY. WELCOME. >> HI. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE. BEFORE WE REALIZED COMMISSIONER NORMAN -- OH -- BEFORE WE REALIZED COMMISSIONER NORMAN WAS GOING TO RECOMMEND A PUBLIC MEETING, WE DID SOLICIT IN A VERY SHORT TIME, LIKE TWO DAYS, OVER 250 SIGNATURES FROM OUR NEIGHBORS REQUESTING THE MEETING. IF WE HAVE THIS MEETING, WE JUST WANT TO VERIFY THAT IT WILL ALLOW ALL THE NEIGHBORS A CHANCE TO VOICE THEIR OPINION. WE ARE NOT ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE WERE PICKED TO WORK ON THIS PLAN WITH PUBLIC WORKS WITHOUT GETTING FEEDBACK FROM ALL THE NEIGHBORS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE DO RECOGNIZE THIS PLAN IS NOT A CONSENSUS, SO WE TRULY HOPE THIS MEETING WILL ALLOW FOR FEEDBACK FROM ALL THE AFFECTED RESIDENTS, NOT JUST AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >>KEN HAGAN: CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. >> OH, JENNIFER FRITCH, 4201 WAYSIDE WILLOW COURT. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU. CHRIS MOORE, LAST TIME. OKAY. BRIGHAM JOHNSON, MARIANNE CALDWELL, AND DIANE MELENDEZ. GOOD MORNING, SIR. >> GOOD MORNING. I DON'T SEE CHRIS, SO I'M BRIGHAM JOHNSON. I'LL MOVE RIGHT IN. LIVE AT 4508 OLD ORCHARD DRIVE, AND SIMPLY DEMOCRACY REQUIRES CITIZEN INPUT. THIS MORNING'S FORUM IS A PLACE TO COME AND LET YOU KNOW MY FEELINGS. SYSTEMS MATTER. SYSTEMIC PRESSURES CAUSE MANY PEOPLE TO CUT CORNERS, TO DISRESPECT NEIGHBORHOOD SPEED LIMITS. THE WHOLE PARCEL OF LAND WE'LL CALL CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE BUT BASICALLY BOUNDED BY DALE MABRY, GUNN HIGHWAY, CASEY ROAD, SOUTH VILLAGE, LOW, THAT WHOLE BLOB DOES NOT HAVE ARTERIES THROUGH IT. SYSTEMICALLY PEOPLE WANT A CUT-THROUGH. THEY DO. IT'S NATURAL, IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT THERE ARE NOT REGULAR ARTERIES, AND SO PEOPLE WITH A NEED TO CUT THROUGH TREAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS THOUGH IT IS AN ARTERY, AND THERE IS A PROBLEM, A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM. I'M HERE TO JUST ADVOCATE THAT THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM OF BUMPS AND RESTRICTIONS REMAIN IN PLACE TO BE THE SYSTEMIC CHECK ON THIS CUT-THROUGH RECKLESS DRIVING. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE BUMPS SEEM TO HELP PEOPLE CHOOSE DO DRIVE MORE SAFELY AND RESPECTFULLY, AND YET THIS WEEK, YOU KNOW, I'M OUT THERE WEEDING, IT'S STILL PRICING AT THE NUMBER OF CARS WHO DO COME ZOOMING UP AND SLAM INTO THOSE BUMPS, AND IT SCARES ME TO THINK OF IF THE BUMPS WEREN'T THERE, WHAT WOULD TRAFFIC THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BE LIKE. SO I'M SIMPLY -- I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE SERIES OF TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND URGE THAT THE GOOD WORK THE COUNTY'S DONE REMAIN THERE. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON. MARIANNE CALDWELL, DIANE MELENDEZ, AND JORGE MELENDEZ. WELCOME. >> HI. I'M MARIANNE CALDWELL, AND I LIVE AT 4507 OLD ORCHARD DRIVE IN CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE. I WAS VERY HAPPY WHEN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUT CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND -- BECAUSE PRIOR TO THAT TIME, AS I'M SURE YOU-ALL KNOW, EACH STREET WAS KIND OF ON ITS OWN, AND IT ENDED UP WITH A LOT OF MEETINGS WHERE THE RESIDENTS ON THE STREET THAT WAS THE CUT-THROUGH STREET WANTED THE SPEED HUMPS, THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVED ON THE STREETS NEARBY DIDN'T WANT THE SPEED HUMPS BECAUSE THEY LIKE CUTTING RIGHT THROUGH, AND THE MEETINGS WOULD END UP TO BE VERY DIVISIVE. FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE DURING THAT TIME TO GET TWO SPEED HUMPS ON OLD ORCHARD DRIVE. TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT KEEPING ALL TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES VERY SPECIFICALLY ON MY RESIDENTIAL STREET, OLD ORCHARD DRIVE BETWEEN CASEY ROAD AND CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE DRIVE. THIS WOULD BE ITEM B-4. CURRENTLY THERE IS A PROPOSAL ON THERE TO REMOVE THE RAISED CROSSWALK AT THE CORNER AND THE SIGN RESTRICTING TURNS. I WOULD LIKE TO OBJECT TO THE REMOVAL OF THESE DEVICES AND THE KEEPING OF ALL THE SPEED HUMPS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR TEN YEARS. NO REASON TO REMOVE THOSE. ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS I'VE HEARD ABOUT REMOVING -- THE REASON TO REMOVE THE RAISED CROSSWALK IS THAT IT'S, QUOTE, CLOSE TO A SPEED HUMP. I MEASURED IT LAST NIGHT AT RISK TO MY OWN LIFE. THE DISTANCE IS APPROXIMATELY 239 FEET. NOW, THAT WAS VERY UNOFFICIALLY MEASURED BY ME WITH A TAPE MEASURE. DURING THAT VERY -- FOUR MINUTES I WAS OUT THERE MEASURING ABOUT 7:00 LAST NIGHT, I COUNTED 17 CARS GO BY, SO THAT WAS JUST A VERY FEW MINUTES. THERE IS STILL A LOT OF CUT-THROUGH TRAFFIC, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS IT IS BEING SLOWED DOWN BY THE SPEED HUMPS. IN MY OPINION, THIS SLOWS THE TRAFFIC COMING IN FROM CASEY ROAD. PEOPLE ARE GOING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND THEY SLOW DOWN. IT IS VERY TYPICAL FOR CARS THAT ARE GOING OUT OLD ORCHARD CUT THROUGH ALL THE WAY FROM DALE MABRY NOT TO STOP AT THE STOP SIGN. I'VE OBSERVED THAT MANY TIMES. THIS INTERSECTION WAS THE SITE OF A FATAL CRASH ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO WHICH RESULTED IN A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE COUNTY AND THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AND SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS. THIS RAISED CROSSWALK ADDS A DIMENSION OF SAFETY TO THE INTERSECTION. THIS INTERSECTION I'M SPEAKING ABOUT IS ALSO THE SITE OF TWO BUS STOPS WHERE CHILDREN WAIT IN THE MORNING. SOMETIMES IT'S DARK DURING THAT TIME OF THE YEAR. THE SPEED HUMPS WERE INSTALLED AFTER PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND I THINK THEY ARE WORKING, AND I STRONGLY SUPPORT LEAVING THEM IN PLACE. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. CALDWELL. DIANE MELENDEZ, JORGE MELENDEZ, AND DEBORAH ARMSTRONG. WELCOME. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS DIANE MELENDEZ. I LIVE AT 4510 OLD ORCHARD DRIVE, AT THE CORNER OF CASEY ROAD, WHERE WE'VE LIVED FOR 27 YEARS. I COME TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS MORNING REGARDING THE CLAIMS -- THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FOR THE CORNER. FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS GROUPS HAVE BEEN REQUESTING HELP FROM THE COUNTY TO REDUCE THE VOLUME AND THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC COMING AND GOING THROUGH THE VILLAGE AT OLD ORCHARD DRIVE. THE COUNTY RESPONDED WITH A VERY EXTENSIVE AND COSTLY PLAN WHICH, IN FACT, HAS EFFECTIVELY REDUCED THESE PROBLEMS. NOW WE ARE FACING A REQUEST TO BRING THE VILLAGE BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE WE ASKED FOR HELP. ABOUT 11 YEARS AGO, AS YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A COLLISION ON OLD ORCHARD AND CASEY ROAD RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF A YOUNG MAN. THE RESULTING LAWSUIT INCLUDED UPS, THE CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, THE COUNTY, US, AND THE SPENCERS, OUR NEIGHBOR. THIS FATALITY WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF SPEEDING. IF THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON OUR CORNER, THE NO RIGHT TURN ONTO OLD ORCHARD, THE NARROWING OF THE INTERSECTION, THE CONCRETE MEDIAN, AND MOST OF ALL THE RAISED CROSSWALK WERE TO BE REMOVED, PLEASE TELL ME HOW THE AUTHORITIES AS WELL AS NEIGHBORS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY COULD JUSTIFY THESE REMOVALS WHEN, IN FACT, THEY ARE WORKING. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE REAL REASON THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING THESE REMOVALS TO THE BOARD. WE HAVE NOT BEEN INFORMED OF ANY PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE TO MAKE CHANGES IN THESE PLANS. I WAS TOLD BY MR. McCARTHY AT PUBLIC WORKS THAT OUR INPUT WOULD BE WEIGHED HEAVIER BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF OUR HOMES. WE SEE THE BENEFITS EVERY DAY. IT IS WORKING. HOW WILL THE AUTHORITIES AND THE CONCERNED NEIGHBORS RESPOND TO FAMILIES, LAWYERS, AND JUDGES IF ANOTHER ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR? IF THE COUNTY HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO COMPLETE THEIR PROJECT, THEN DO THE NORMAL POST-PROJECT STUDIES, I BELIEVE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE TIME TO REVIEW AND MAKE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS. THE SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE. THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I WOULD MAKE FOR THIS CORNER IS TO LEAVE THE CROSSWALK, THE RAISED CROSSWALK. IT SLOWS THE CARS WHEN LEAVING AND WHEN ENTERING THE VILLAGE. IT'S ATTRACTIVE, AND I BELIEVE IT ADDS TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE VILLAGE WITH COLOR AND TEXTURE. LEAVE THE NO RIGHT TURN DURING HIGH TRAFFIC HOURS. IT CAUSES NO HARM AND KEEPS THE LEVEL OF TRAFFIC TO A MINIMUM AT HIGH TRAFFIC TIMES. REMOVE THE RAISED MEDIAN, WHICH WOULD LEAVE THE INTERSECTION OPEN FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. MELENDEZ. JORGE MELENDEZ, DEBORAH ARMSTRONG, AND TERRY FLOTT. WELCOME, SIR. >> I'M DR. JORGE MELENDEZ, AND I LIVE ON THE CORNER OF CASEY ROAD AND OLD ORCHARD DRIVE. I'M HERE STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT TO WHAT'S BEEN SAID JUST BEFORE ME BY MY WIFE, DIANE, MS. CALDWELL, AND MR. JOHNSON. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR. DEBORAH ARMSTRONG, TERRY FLOTT, KELLY CORNELIUS. WELCOME. >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS DEBORAH ARMSTRONG. I LIVE AT 12901 LAZY PINE PLACE IN THE PINE HOLLOW NEIGHBORHOOD. WE'VE LIVED THERE FOR 15 YEARS. I'M A REGISTERED NURSE. MY HUSBAND IS A K-9 DEPUTY FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE SPEED TABLES ON CASEY ROAD. I'VE SPOKEN WITH COMMISSIONER NORMAN OVER THE PHONE, THANK YOU, AND I'VE ALSO SPOKEN WITH MIKE McCARTHY, AND I APPRECIATE THEM HEARING MY CONCERNS. CASEY ROAD IS A VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED CONNECTOR ROAD THAT HAS THREE SPEED TABLES. IT'S USED 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK BY ALL MANNERS OF CARS AND TRUCKS. LOTS OF THESE VEHICLES ARE TOWING TRAILERS WITH EQUIPMENT ON THEM, AND MANY OF THE VEHICLES ARE LARGER THAN WHAT IS ALLOWED ON CASEY ROAD BASED ON A NO THROUGH TRUCK OVER ONE TON SIGN THAT IS NEAR GUNN HIGHWAY ON CASEY ROAD FOR TRAFFIC TRAVELING NORTH. THE SPEED TABLE HAS CAUSED -- BEING THAT OUR HOUSE IS ABOUT 40 FEET AWAY FROM ONE -- A DISRUPTION IN OUR PEACE IN OUR HOME. WE CAN HEAR RATTLING NOISES, ENGINES REVVING, ET CETERA, CONSTANTLY, AND OUR SPEED TABLE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE INTERSECTION OF LOWELL AND CASEY ROADS, AND MY PERSONAL REQUEST IS TO HAVE THIS SPEED TABLE REMOVED. I KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO MAKE ALTERATIONS IN THE SPEED TABLE TO LENGTHEN THE APPROACH. THE EARLIER SPEAKER WAS CORRECT IN THAT MOST OF THE TRAFFIC DOES SLAM ONTO THESE SPEED TABLES, AND AGAIN, MY REQUEST WOULD BE TO HAVE THESE SPEED TABLES REMOVED, AND THANK YOU FOR GRANTING A PUBLIC MEETING IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. ARMSTRONG. TERRY FLOTT, KELLY CORNELIUS, PAM CLOUSTON. GOOD MORNING. >> EXCUSE ME. TERRY FLOTT, UNITED CITIZENS ACTION NETWORK. I'M SORRY. I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS TODAY. IT'S NOT THE SWINE FLU, BY THE WAY. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON A -- TWO ISSUES. A-10, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU NOT APPROVE THIS. THIS POLICY AGAIN ALLOWS A RULE WITHIN THE RULE TO BREAK THE RULE, IF YOU CAN FOLLOW THAT. [LAUGHTER] AND -- AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE -- I THINK THAT WE NEED THE UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S REPRESENTATION ON OUR BOARDS. I THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA, AND IF WE CAN'T GET ENOUGH PROPER -- OR QUALIFIED CITIZENS WITHIN UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THAT'S A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS, WITHOUT HAVING TO GO OUTSIDE OF UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THE OTHER ISSUE THAT I'M HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT IS ON FEBRUARY 16th OF THIS YEAR I SENT A LETTER TO RENEE LEE ASKING AND REQUESTING SOME -- AN INVESTIGATION TO LOOK INTO THE VIOLATION OF A CHARTER THAT INVOLVED ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONER'S OFFICES. ON MARCH 1st I SENT A REQUEST ASKING ACKNOWLEDGE OF RECEIPT OF THAT, AND TO THIS DAY I HAVE RECEIVED NOT A WORD, NOT A NOTE TO SAY SHE'S RECEIVED IT, NOTHING. THIS IS NOT A MINOR SITUATION, AND I HOPE THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF BEHAVIOR YOU CONDONE OUT OF YOUR COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. I KNOW BETTER. AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT AT THE VERY LEAST IS IN ORDER, AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU ASK OR DIRECT YOUR COUNTY ATTORNEY TO RESPOND TO THIS. SB 360, GEORGE NIEMANN PUT IT INTO WORDS, AND THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE HERE SPEAKING, SO I WON'T TAKE THE TIME UP, BUT AGAIN, I HOPE YOU WILL RECONSIDER THE A-10 ITEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. FLOTT. WE'LL JUST REFER THIS OVER TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THEY RESPOND. >>RENEE LEE: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. KELLY CORNELIUS, PAM CLOUSTON, AND LAUREN O'GRADY. GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. KELLY CORNELIUS FROM LITHIA. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS TODAY. I THINK IT WAS THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE WAS DURING A COMP PLAN AMENDMENT HEARING IN THE EVENING. THINGS GOT HEATED. THERE WAS AN INDIVIDUAL SPEAKING AGAINST ONE OF THE COMP PLAN AMENDMENTS THAT WAS THREATENED. THE THUG THAT DID THE THREATENING I SEE IS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, SO I HOPE WE HAVE INCREASED SECURITY SO THAT WE'RE ALL SAFE IN CASE WE HAPPEN TO FALL ON THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF ISSUES TODAY. FIRST CONCERN IS CONE RANCH. IF YOU WANT THIS TO BE PRESERVED, WHY DON'T YOU JUST TURN IT OVER TO ELAPP? YOU ALREADY OWN THE LAND. THE COUNTY ALREADY OWNS THE LAND. IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME THAT IT'S ALREADY BEEN NOMINATED AT SOME POINT FOR ELAPP, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, PRESERVING I DON'T THINK MEANS SUBDIVIDING AND SELLING. I KNOW THAT'S A HARD CONCEPT. WE WANT TO MAKE SPORTS PARKS OUT OF THINGS, AND WE JUST CAN'T LEAVE LAND ALONE, BUT I DON'T THINK PRESERVING IS SUBDIVIDING AND SELLING. SB 360, WHERE HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN? ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM, THE PAPERS HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM FOR CLOSE TO TWO MONTHS ON THIS, SO I THINK MR. NIEMANN SUMMED IT UP VERY WELL. WHAT HAVE OUR EIGHT PAID LOBBYISTS BEEN DOING ON TALLAHASSEE REGARDING -- IN TALLAHASSEE REGARDING THIS ISSUE? TIME OF BUDGET CONCERNS, HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING THESE GUYS OR GIRLS? I'VE ASKED THIS IN A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST, STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY OF THAT INFORMATION. AND I'VE ALSO ASKED FOR DOCUMENTATION. WHEN HAVE THEY SPOKEN ON THE RECORD BECAUSE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS DOES NOTHING TO TELL US CITIZENS WHAT THEY'RE DOING. IT'S -- THERE'S NO RECORD OF IT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. HAVE THEY EVER SPOKEN ON THE RECORD IN A COMMITTEE AGAINST SB 360 OR ANY BILL IN TALLAHASSEE? DO WE HAVE ANY RECORD OF THEIR ACTIVITIES? OTHERWISE, HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY PAYING FOR THEM? AND ON THAT SAME NOTE, IS IT TRUE THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OWNS A CONDO FOR THESE PEOPLE UP THERE? I MEAN, WE'RE WORRYING ABOUT BUDGET CONCERNS AND PINCHING EVERY PENNY, AND IS IT TRUE THAT WE'RE FOOTING THE BILL FOR A CONDO FOR LOBBYISTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE DOING A THING? SO WHAT IS THE PROTOCOL FOR THE LOBBYISTS? DOES THE BOARD AS A WHOLE DIRECT THEM, DO INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS DIRECT THEM? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING AND NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS TO. MEANWHILE, TRANSPORTATION CONCURRENCY IS GETTING SAILED DOWN THE RIVER IF THE RIVER HAD ANY WATER IN IT, WHICH IT DOESN'T. SAME THING WITH THE EPC. SO -- YOU KNOW, THE PETROLEUM FUND, LAST-MINUTE FIRES THAT YOU'RE PUTTING OUT, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT ALL ALONG. THIS WAS KNOWN ABOUT MUCH EARLIER. SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT MANY WETLANDS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN AWAY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING OVER THERE AT THE EPC. YOU SHOULD HAVE MORE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS STUFF. AND LAST, PLEASE DON'T WAIVE THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS. I THINK WE HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH PEOPLE IN UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH TO SERVE ON BOARDS INSTEAD OF WAIVING THESE THINGS. WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT'S ABOUT, SO PLEASE TAKE A GOOD, LONG LOOK AT THAT. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM. PAM CLOUSTON, LAUREN O'GRADY, MARCELLA OSTEEN. WELCOME, MS. CLOUSTON. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. PAM CLOUSTON, 1621 THOMPSON ROAD. I REPRESENT R-LAND. COMMISSIONER SHARPE, I HEARD YOU ON THE RADIO THIS MORNING, AND GEORGE IS RIGHT, IT'S A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT FOR OUR COMMISSIONERS TO BE SPEAKING UP ABOUT SENATE BILL 360. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE ABOUT THAT, BUT WHAT I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO SAY IS WE'RE GOING TO BE MILLIONS AND BILLIONS SHORT IF WE ALLOW UNCONTROLLED DEVELOPMENT. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE IN THIS BUILDING BOOM, EVERY DEVELOPER IN THE WORLD WAS COMING INTO FLORIDA WANTING TO BUILD SOMETHING, AND THEY WERE DOING IT WITH THE RULES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. THEY WERE DOING IT, THEY WERE WORKING -- THEY WERE DOING THE CONCURRENCY, AND I KNOW THAT JUST DOWN IN SOUTH COUNTY WE HAVE A VERY LARGE DEVELOPER WHO'S DOING A BUNCH OF STUFF TO DO -- MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE CONCURRENCY. PLEASE, PLEASE, I'M ASKING YOU ON BEHALF OF OUR ENTIRE COUNTY -- THIS IS A BAD THING. I -- AND I HAVE THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT OUR LOBBYISTS. WHO'S GIVING THEM DIRECTIONS? YOU KNOW, CAN WE GIVE THEM DIRECTIONS OR DOES IT HAVE TO COME FROM YOU? DOES THE ENTIRE BOARD HAVE TO REACH A CONSENSUS ABOUT WHAT DIRECTION WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM? WITH REGARD TO CONE RANCH, MARIELLA SMITH COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, AND SO I'D LIKE TO READ IN PUBLIC THE LETTER THAT SHE SENT YOU-ALL WITH REGARD TO CONE RANCH. PLEASE DON'T SELL CONE RANCH. THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD DEAL FOR THE WHEELER-DEALERS WHO WANT TO MAKE MONEY BROKERING THE SELLOUT OF OUR LAND. IT'S A ROTTEN DEAL FOR OUR TAXPAYERS. THE WELL-CONNECTED LAND BROKER WANNABEES WANT US TO PAY THEM MILLIONS JUST TO BRING SIX BUYERS TO THE TABLE AND NEGOTIATE THE PROTECTION AGREEMENT. OUR OWN REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT CAN SELL OUR OWN LAND IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, BUT OUR OWN ELAPP DEPARTMENT CAN BEST PROTECT IT. AFTER THESE BROKERS SELL OFF OUR LAND TO SIX RICH GUYS, THOSE LANDOWNERS CAN SELL TO OTHERS, AND SOME FUTURE LANDOWNERS CAN ASK FOR COMP PLAN CHANGES AND REZONINGS TO SUBDIVIDE AND DEVELOP MORE INTENSELY. THEY CAN ASK TO RENEGOTIATE ANY CONSERVATION CONTRACT, AND A FUTURE COMMISSION MAY WELL AGREE. IT'S NONSENSE TO SUGGEST ANY DEAL WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS CAN BETTER PROTECT THE LAND THAN PUBLIC OWNERSHIP. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO PROTECT THIS LAND, THEN GIVE IT TO ELAPP. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTERESTS, THEN KEEP THIS LAND FOR ALL OF US TO ENJOY, NOT JUST SIX RICH GUYS. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS DEAL, THEN HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO IT YOURSELVES IN PUBLIC HEARINGS WITH PUBLIC INPUT FROM EVERYONE. DON'T HIDE BEHIND A COMMITTEE YOU SET UP TO GREEN WASH THIS DEAL AND BRING YOU BACK THE RECOMMENDATION YOU WANT. WE ALL KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE IS NOT GOING TO COME BACK TELLING YOU NOT TO SELL OUR LAND, AND I BELIEVE THAT R-LAND AND U-CAN ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AS MARIELLA IS ABOUT THIS. JUST THINK ABOUT IT. IF YOU DIVIDE THAT INTO SIX PARCELS, EVEN IF I BOUGHT ONE AND I GOT TO BUILD A HOUSE AND A BARN ON THERE, I'D NEED A DRIVEWAY. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM. >> SO WOULD MY FIVE NEW NEIGHBORS NEED A DRIVEWAY. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: LAUREN O'GRADY, MARCELLA OSTEEN, AND DAVID McCALLISTER. WELCOME. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. I JUST WANTED TO WISH MR. JOHNSON GOOD LUCK ON HIS NEW ENDEAVORS, AND I WANT TO SUPPORT THE VETO ON SB 360, AND PLEASE DO NOT DIVIDE CONE RANCH, LEAVE IT AS A PRESERVE. DO NOT DIVIDE AND CONQUER. JUST LEAVE IT AS ONE WHOLE COMPLETE PARCEL AND PRESERVE IT, PLEASE. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. O'GRADY. MARCELLA OSTEEN, DAVID McCALLISTER, AND TODD SCIME. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. MARCELLA OSTEEN, P.O. BOX 212, BALM, FLORIDA. I GUESS THIS IS KIND OF PILING ON, BUT I'M SO EXERCISED ABOUT IT, I JUST HAVE TO DO IT. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SENATE BILL 360 ALSO, THE SO-CALLED COMMUNITY RENEWAL ACT, THE LEGISLATION THAT'S HAD MORE CHANGES THAN PHYLLIS DILLER'S FACE. IT'S VERY HARD TO FOLLOW IT, BUT IT STARTED OUT BAD, AND IT'S ENDING UP BAD, AND I WANT TO READ FOR THE RECORD AND FOR EVERYBODY'S AMUSEMENT AND EDUCATION AN ARTICLE WRITTEN ONE WEEK AGO BY HOWARD TROXLER OF THE ST. PETE TIMES TITLED "YEE-HAH, FLORIDUH IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS." AND HOWARD WRITES, IF YOU THINK FLORIDA NEEDS TO THROW OUT ITS LAWS ABOUT GROWTH, IF YOU THINK FLORIDA'S BEST ANSWER TO THE ECONOMY IS TO OPEN OUR STATE TO DEVELOPERS WIDER THAN WE HAVE IN DECADES, THEN YOU'RE IN LUCK, BECAUSE A GROWTH BILL PASSED BY THE HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY DOES THOSE THINGS. THIS IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING THE LEGISLATURE WILL PASS IN 2009. AND NOW IT'S PASSED THE SENATE TOO, AND IT'S SITTING ON THE GOVERNOR'S DESK. IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU REMEMBER THAT FLORIDA CHOKED ON WILD SPRAWLING CONSTRUCTION FROM WORLD WAR II UNTIL THE '80s, THAT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT OF '85 THAT WE FINALLY LIFTED A FINGER TO REQUIRE THE ROADS, SCHOOLS, AND WATER, AND OTHER SERVICES TO BUILD A DECENT STATE, THEN YOU SHOULD BE HORRIFIED, BUT NOT ALL OF US WERE HORRIFIED, WERE WE? I WAS, BUT WHERE WERE YOU? WHAT THE STATE HOUSE DID WEDNESDAY WAS ESSENTIALLY TO GUT THE GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT FOR BIG CHUNKS OF STATE. BIG CITIES AND COUNTIES COULD ALLOW GROWTH WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER ROADS AND OTHER SERVICES CAN HANDLE IT. SMALL COUNTIES WOULD BE LAID OPEN TO THE ENTIRE NEW TOWNS WITH BIG DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT THE USUAL REVIEW, TALKING ABOUT DRI REVIEWS. THE NAME OF THIS BILL, THE HOUSE REVISED VERSION OF SENATE BILL 360 IS IRONICALLY TITLED "COMMUNITY RENEWAL ACT." IT WOULD BE BETTER TITLED THE KATIE BAR THE DOOR AND STRIP MALL ACT OF 2009. THEN MR. TROXLER GOES ON AND ON AND WRITES A VERY GOOD COLUMN THAT I AGREE WITH 100%. SO I REALLY WANT TO ASK -- A LOT -- I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF ACCIDENTS HAVE BEEN ON THIS LIKE WHITE ON RICE FOR MONTHS, AND WE ARE NOW WONDERING WHERE WERE OUR LOBBYISTS. ONE TIME I THOUGHT, DUDE, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE UP THERE LOBBYING FOR THIS, OBVIOUSLY. I WISH WE HAD SOME LOBBYISTS. AND THEN I THOUGHT WE DO. WE HAVE EIGHT OF THEM. WHERE WERE THEY? SO I KNOW TODAY YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS TO TRY TO GET THE GOVERNOR TO VETO IT. I HOPE IT'S NOT TOO LITTLE TOO LATE, BUT THE COWS ARE OUT OF THE BARN, YOU KNOW, THE DOOR'S BEEN OPEN, BUT LET'S TRY TO CLOSE IT, AND IN THE FUTURE LET'S GET ON THESE THINGS QUICKER AND HARDER. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. OSTEEN. DAVID McCALLISTER, TODD SCIME, AND DENISE LAYNE. >> GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. DAVID McCALLISTER, POST OFFICE BOX 7343 WESLEY CHAPEL. I WANTED TO UPDATE THE COMMISSION THAT THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS HELD THE DEDICATION OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CONFEDERATE VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK ON APRIL 25th OF THIS YEAR. YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME WE HAD BEEN THREATENED IN THIS CHAMBER BY PEOPLE WITH A NOOSE SAYING THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD NEVER COME TO FRUITION, BUT IT HAS. APRIL IS SOUTHERN HISTORY MONTH, AND APRIL 26th WAS FLORIDA'S OFFICIAL CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL DAY. NOW, I DON'T REMEMBER YOU-ALL ATTENDING THE DEDICATION, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE. I PROVIDED YOU WITH A PROGRAM HERE. BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE TO SEE THE COMMUNITY VALUES AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY AT WORK AS EXPRESSED IN THIS PROJECT, VALUES LIKE HONORING ANCESTORS, HONORING VETERANS, HONORING OUR HERITAGE, AND VALUES THAT THE SISTERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA WOULD APPRECIATE, LIKE VOLUNTEERISM AND COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PRIVATE EFFORTS FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT. IT WAS A GLORIOUS AND FUN EVENT. THE HILLSBOROUGH SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT OFFICER THERE SAID IT WAS THE BEST-RUN FESTIVAL HE'D EVER SEEN, A VERY WELL- BEHAVED CROWD, THERE WAS NO OUTRAGE, NO PROTESTS, NO DISTURBANCE AT ALL. WE HAD TV STATIONS, THE ST. PETE TIMES, AND NEWSPAPERS, AND LIVE RADIO BROADCASTS. WE HAD MUSICIANS AND SPEAKERS FROM ACROSS THE SOUTH. OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS REVEREND JOHN WEAVER OF GEORGIA, THE NATIONAL OFFICERS OF THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS AND AUTHOR DONNIE KENNEDY. JUST ONE HIGHLIGHT YOU'LL NOTICE WAS THE PRESENTATION OF THE PLAQUE CONCERNING BLACK CONFEDERATES TO NELSON WINBUSH, ONE OF OUR SCV MEMBERS WHO HIMSELF WAS THE GRANDSON OF A CONFEDERATE VETERAN. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE TO SEE THE WORLD'S LARGEST CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG FLYING AND RAISED UP OVER I-75 AND 3,000 PEOPLE SINGING DIXIE WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES. IT WAS A WONDERFUL DAY. THE PARK IS OPEN, BUT IT'S NOT FINISHED. WE STILL HAVE THE GRANITE MONUMENTS AND BRONZE PLAQUES TO ERECT. I'M NOT SURE IF IT REALLY QUALIFIES FOR VINCE BECKNER'S COMMUNITY ART, BUT IT SURE IS COMMUNITY HISTORY, AND WE THINK WE'VE PROVIDED A COMMUNITY ICON THAT WILL BE REPRESENTATIVE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD. AND WE'VE DONE THIS AT PUBLIC -- AT -- PRIVATE INITIATIVE WITH PRIVATE FUNDS AND PRIVATE IMAGINATION, BUT WE DO HOPE THAT YOU'LL RESPECT US NEXT YEAR AND APPRECIATE OUR EFFORTS WHEN PROCLAMATION TIME COMES AROUND AGAIN. WE HOPE YOU'LL REMEMBER US. WE WILL REMEMBER YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. McCALLISTER. TODD SCIME, DENISE LAYNE, MARILYN SMITH. WELCOME. >> TODD SCIME, 4706 NORTH THATCHER AVENUE, TAMPA, FLORIDA 33614. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS, CHAIRMAN HAGAN. CAME TO SPEAK THIS MORNING ABOUT SB 360 AND WANTED TO QUOTE THE TAMPA TRIBUNE OR REFERENCE THAT ARTICLE WHERE JIM NORMAN HAD AN ARTICLE REGARDING A GENTLEMAN WHO WANTED TO DO DEVELOPMENT AND THE SITE REVIEW PROCESS HAD ENGAGED HIM OVER A YEAR, MAYBE TWO YEARS, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE AN ANNUAL EVENT WITH SITE REVIEW IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY UNFORTUNATELY, UNLIKE THE CITY OF TAMPA WHERE IN FOUR MONTHS YOU'RE ABLE TO DO CONSTRUCTION. YOU KNOW, HERE WE ARE WHERE THE COUNTY IS GOING TO CUT ANOTHER 30 JOBS IN SITE REVIEW, AND HERE WE ARE WHERE WE HAVE MANDATES THROUGH RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE CUMBERSOME AND KILL DEVELOPMENT. RIGHT NOW FORECLOSURES ARE AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH, AND PEOPLE ARE STARVING TO TRY TO PAY THEIR MORTGAGE AND THEIR LIGHT BILL, AND HERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO THE KEYSTONE HEARING AGAIN AGAINST SB 360. IT'S NOT THAT GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST IS SIGNING IT. HE SHOULD HAVE SIGNED IT WHEN JEB BUSH WAS IN OFFICE, AND THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A LONG TIME AGO TO GET THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE WAY OF CAPITALISM AND DEVELOPMENT HERE. WHETHER YOU'RE A PLUMBER OR YOU'RE A CONCRETE NATION OR YOU'RE TRYING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR YOUR FAMILY OR YOU'RE A BUSINESSWOMAN TRYING TO OPEN UP A PHARMACY OR A [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, I HOPE THAT THIS COMMISSION WILL NOT SIGN A LETTER, AND IF THEY DO SEND A LETTER TO GOVERNOR -- LIKE I DID AN E-MAIL LAST NIGHT SAYING THIS MAY BE THE GREATEST PIECE OF LEGISLATION YOU'VE EVER SIGNED AND PUT IN -- ENACTED -- AND I HOPE THESE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT HERE IS A CRIME AND IT'S A SHAME THAT PEOPLE WERE FIGHTING TO DO WHATEVER TRADE THEY ARE, WHETHER THEY'RE SUPPLIERS OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT OR CONCRETE OR MASONRY OR WHATEVER THEY MAY BE, THAT PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO PAY THEIR BILLS AND STAY AFLOAT AND WORK IN, AND I'M SO HAPPY ABOUT SB 360, AND I REPRESENT NOT ONLY HUNG MAI AND THOUSANDS OF ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS AND ASSOCIATIONS, SO GOD BLESS YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. SCIME. DENISE LAYNE, MARILYN SMITH, AND THE LAST SPEAKER THIS MORNING WILL BE DON PHILLIPS. GOOD MORNING, MS. LAYNE. >> GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIR. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. DENISE LAYNE. I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COALITION FOR RESPONSIBLE GROWTH, AND I SPENT THIS SESSION IN TALLAHASSEE. SENATE BILL 360 STARTED OUT -- THE PREMISE OF IT WAS TO GET DEVELOPMENT AROUND URBAN CORE CENTERS, PLACES THAT HAD STREETS BUT COULDN'T EXPAND THEM, DOWNTOWNS. PERFECT EXAMPLE, DOWNTOWN TAMPA. TO BE ABLE TO CUT OUT SOME OF THE BUREAUCRACY, TO BE ABLE TO INFILL AND GET DEVELOPMENT GOING IN OUR CORE CITIES. UNFORTUNATELY, SENATE BILL 360, NOWHERE IN THE BILL DOES IT TIE IT TO THE CORE CENTERS OR CORE CITIES, IT TIES IT ONLY TO THE URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY. WE HAVE OVER 300 SQUARE MILES OF URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY IN THIS COUNTY, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THIS BILL IS NOT THE IDEA THAT'S BEHIND IT BECAUSE THE IDEA MIGHT BE OKAY FOR SOME COUNTIES. IT'S THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS AND THE WAY IT'S WORDED. THERE IS NO WAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE AS COMMISSIONERS TO SAY NO -- IF THIS BILL DOES PASS, WHEN SOMEBODY COMES BEFORE YOU ASKING FOR TRANSPORTATION CONCURRENCY EXEMPTION AND DRIs EXEMPTION WITHIN THAT URBAN SERVICE BOUNDARY, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SAY NO OR YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE WONDERFUL LAWSUIT. THIS BILL MIGHT WORK FOR OTHER COUNTIES. IT DOES NOT WORK FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND I CAN TELL YOU UP UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES SUPPORTED THIS BILL, TWO WEEKS AGO FRIDAY BEFORE THE END OF SESSION, AND I UNDERSTAND OUR LOBBYISTS WERE RIGHT ONBOARD WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO. BACK ON MARCH 20th I SENT YOU MY FIRST E-MAIL FROM TALLAHASSEE GOING, COMMISSIONERS, WHOA, NEED YOUR HELP UP HERE. MY LITTLE COALITION CAN'T DO THIS BY OURSELVES. IF OUR LOBBYISTS AREN'T UP THERE TELLING THESE -- OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATES THIS IS A BAD BILL, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO LISTEN. THE SILENCE OF OUR LOBBYISTS TOLD THEM VOLUMES, TOLD THEM THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WHETHER THEY DID OR DID NOT LOBBY. AND THAT'S WHY OUR DELEGATION VOTED THE WAY IT DID. THE ONLY REPUBLICAN WHO VOTED AGAINST THAT BILL WAS RONDA STORMS. GOOD-OLD RONDA. AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE FELL ALONG PARTY LINES. COMMISSIONERS, I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO LATE. IT'S TOO LITTLE, BUT IT'S NOT TOO LATE. YOU'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRONGLY, STRONGLY ASK OUR GOVERNOR EACH INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A COLLECTIVE BOARD TO VETO THIS BILL AND MAKE HIM UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC RAMIFICATIONS. WHERE'S YOUR 301 -- HIGHWAY 301 AGREEMENT GOING TO BE WHEN THEY COME BACK UNDER SECTION -- STATE STATUTE 380 AND SAY, OH, WE CAN GET EXEMPTED FROM THAT CONTRACT BECAUSE OF THIS BILL NOW? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SAY NO TO THAT? AND GUESS WHAT, YOU DON'T GET TO STOP THEM FROM BUILDING, THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD. PLEASE HELP US. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. LAYNE. [APPLAUSE] MARILYN SMITH, AND THEN THE LAST SPEAKER WILL BE DON PHILLIPS. GOOD MORNING, MS. SMITH. >> BONGIORNO. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT D-1 FIRST. I WANT TO TELL YOU BEFORE YOU START LETTING A LOT OF MONEY BE SHIFTED AROUND, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE ABILITIES, THE CREDIBILITIES OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE RUNNING THIS PROGRAM. I HAVE WATCHED IT, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MORE BIG, BIG, BIG PROBLEMS JUST BY VIRTUE OF THE PERSONNEL OVER THERE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING. F-2, WANT TO KNOW, MR. HAGAN, IS THIS GOING TO BE ANOTHER MORRIS BRIDGE ROAD, AND WHICH ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS MAY POSSIBLY MAKE MONEY ON THE SALE OF F-2, CONE RANCH? NOW, I'M GOING TO -- NOW -- WELL, SOMEBODY HAD TO ASK. NOW I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. IN 2003 NOVEMBER MS. BEAN TOOK CONTROL. SHE TOLD US SHE TOOK CONTROL, OKAY, AS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. BY NOVEMBER 2006, THREE YEARS LATER, HOUSING AND CODE AND REHAB HAD BIGGER PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN EXACERBATED. 2006 NOVEMBER, THEN DEXTER WAS REMOVED FROM HOUSING AND ONLY IN CHARGE OF CODE AND REHAB. NOVEMBER 2006 ENTER HOWIE CARROLL AND PICKED BY MS. BEAN. 2007, JUST ONE SHORT YEAR LATER, HOWIE LOST $2 MILLION, AND WE ALL KNOW NO MATTER HOW MUCH SHE SAYS VEHEMENTLY THAT HE DIDN'T, LOOK AT THE DOCUMENTATION OF THE LAST DAYS OF OCTOBER 2007. HE DID IT. YOU GOING TO BELIEVE HER OR YOUR LYING EYES? NOW, LET'S MOVE ON. 2009 MAY, HERE WE ARE. JUST 15 MONTHS AGO SHE TOOK CONTROL OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YOU-ALL REMEMBER THAT. WELL, YOU DON'T, KEVIN, BUT IT DID HAPPEN. AND UNDER THAT PERIOD OF TIME A LOT OF REAL INTERESTING THINGS HAPPENED. IN APRIL AND MAY HOWIE GOT TO SIGN SOME MONEY OFF SO THAT HIS FRIEND -- AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT POSSIBLY IS COLLUSION, AND THEY'RE STILL WORKING TOGETHER, HOWIE AND SYLVIA ALVAREZ -- HE SIGNED OFF AND RAISED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO GIVE HER. ULTIMATELY WE GOT THAT YANKED FOR VARIOUS OTHER REASONS. THAT WAS $187,000 IN PRINT. AND THEN WE HAVE THE $83,000. HE ALSO PUT THAT BEFORE THIS BOARD WITH BOGUS ITEMS IN IT, AND NOW IT'S IN A LAWSUIT, 11,000 PLUS ALL THE IMPACT FEES SHE COULD NEVER PROVIDE THE INVOICES FOR. AND GUESS WHAT, THERE WAS NO AMBER PLACE II, SO NOW WE HAVE TWO OTHER PROJECTS BY GOOD-OLD HOWIE, AND THERE'S MANY MORE, BUT I WILL STOP THERE. NOW WE HAVE ON APRIL 15th OF THIS YEAR ITEM B-5. MR. MERRILL WAS SUPPOSED TO BRING BACK ALL THE SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL STATUS TO TELL US HOW WELL HEA IS FINANCIALLY. NONE OF THAT WAS IN B-5. THAT WAS A LOT OF MINUTIA. THEY DIDN'T FIND WHAT WE COULD FIND AS CITIZENS. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. SMITH. >> I'M NOT DONE. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. SMITH. >> THAT'S THE WARNER. >>KEN HAGAN: NO, MA'AM. >> YEAH, IT IS. >>KEN HAGAN: IS MR. PHILLIPS HERE? DON PHILLIPS. >> TO BANKRUPT THESE FORECLOSURES AND LIENS ON -- >>KEN HAGAN: THAT CONCLUDES THIS MORNING'S -- COME ON FORWARD, MR. PHILLIPS. WE'RE RUNNING BEHIND. >> I ALSO HAVE PAPERWORK FOR YOU REQUESTING AN INVESTIGATION BE DONE. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. SMITH. WELCOME, SIR. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, MY NAME IS DONALD PHILLIPS, 142 WEST PLATT STREET, VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY OF HILLSBOROUGH, BOARD MEMBER OF ENTERPRISE FLORIDA, AND I'M ALSO A LIFE MEMBER OF THE SIERRA CLUB. NONE OF THOSE ENTITIES DO I REPRESENT THIS MORNING. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS SENATE BILL 360 AND JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS ON THAT. NUMBER ONE, I APPRECIATE THE -- THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH. THANKS. NUMBER ONE, I THINK THAT CONCURRENCY IS BROKEN. I BELIEVE YOUR OWN STAFF WOULD ADVOCATE FOR THAT. I DON'T THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW IS A YES-OR-NO DECISION, I THINK IT'S A VERY COMPLEX MATTER. I THINK CONCURRENCY, FRANKLY, IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. I THINK THAT IT'S THROWN ABOUT BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE A WAY TO IMPEDE DEVELOPMENT IN WHATEVER FORM IT COMES, BUT AS SOMEONE THAT SPENDS A LOT OF TIME IN THAT BUSINESS, IT -- I THINK IT DOES MORE HARM IN MANY WAYS THAN GOOD. AND TO THAT POINT, THE VERY THING THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT IS THIS CONTINUED POPULATION THAT WE'RE ALL FACED WITH IN THE FUTURE AND THE NEED FOR BETTER MASS TRANSIT SOLUTIONS, AND I THINK THAT CONCURRENCY, FRANKLY, UNDERCUTS THE DEMAND FOR THAT. WE WILL NOT USE MASS TRANSIT UNTIL WE'RE FORCED TO DO THAT. AND THE MORE AND EASIER THAT YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE IT FOR PEOPLE TO COMMUTE LONG DISTANCES AT THE SAKE OF THE ENVIRONMENT, FRANKLY, IS SIMPLY UNDERCUTTING THE DEMAND FOR MASS TRANSIT. WE'RE JUST TOO LAZY INEFFECTIVELY. I THINK ALSO THAT THIS -- THE POTENTIALITY OF WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH TODAY IS OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE, FRANKLY. I APPRECIATE THE STATEMENT. I THINK A PROCLAMATION, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO BRING THAT FORTH, WOULD ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL. AND THE REASON I THINK SO IS FOR SEVERAL REASONS. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD AT THIS JUNCTURE WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH TO INVITE ALL OF THIS DIVISIVE CONVERSATION DOWN HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE CHALLENGES -- THESE FISCAL CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. I THINK THAT YOU ARE ALSO PUTTING A COUPLE OF VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN A BOX. I THINK YOU'RE CALLING THE GOVERNOR OUT ON SOMETHING THAT IS DIFFICULT. I THINK THAT YOU ALSO ARE CALLING OUR LEADERSHIP IN THE SENATE -- I DON'T SEE THAT AS A VAST CONSPIRACY. I MUST NOT BE READING THE SAME BILL BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS HERE THAT FOLKS HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR, SUCH AS THE MOBILITY FEE THAT'S ALSO IN THIS BILL, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS BEST HANDLED WITH A SIMPLE YES-OR-NO VOTE. AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT WE ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF DEMANDING THESE DAYS, WE ARE CERTAINLY IN THE BUSINESS OF ASKING GIVEN OUR FISCAL CONSTRAINTS. SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER ALL THOSE DYNAMICS BEFORE YOU -- >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. PHILLIPS. >> -- BEFORE IT PUTS US IN A DIFFICULT POSITION. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSENT. >> [INAUDIBLE] >>ROSE FERLITA: MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BECKNER, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>KEN HAGAN: THEN I BELIEVE WE HAD TWO CONSENT ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FOR -- >>PAT BEAN: HIGHLIGHTING. >>KEN HAGAN: -- HIGHLIGHTING. >>PAT BEAN: YES. A-68 WAS PULLED BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA. THAT'S THE ITEM REGARDING THE REPORT FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT REGARDING VARIOUS COUNTY NEWSLETTERS. >>ROSE FERLITA: MS. BEAN, THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE ONE BRIEF COMMENT ABOUT -- ARE YOU SAYING 68 OR 69? 68? >>PAT BEAN: 68. >>ROSE FERLITA: OKAY. I'VE GOT BOTH. HOLD ON. IF YOU RECALL, GENTLEMEN, I HAD BROUGHT THIS UP FOR CONSIDERATION FOR OUR STAFF TO COME BACK AND REPORT TO US. DURING THE NEIGHBORHOOD FUNCTION THAT THE COUNTY SPONSORED AT HCC, WANDA SLOAN, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS, BROUGHT UP THE SUGGESTION THAT WE MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY AT NOT PRINTING OUT NEWSLETTERS, WHICH IN HER CASE THEY DID AND THEY DID THAT AT A CONSIDERABLE COST, AND SPECIFIC TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF DIMINISHING THE PRINT NEWSLETTERS, OUR STAFF CAME BACK WITH THIS -- THIS OPPORTUNITY HERE, AND THEY'RE RECOGNIZING SOME CUTS THAT WOULD COME UP WITH AN ANNUAL SAVINGS OF 255,256, AND SO I WANTED JUST TO COMMEND THEM ON THAT, AND ALSO LET ME AT THE SAME TIME SAY THAT THIS DOES NOT DIMINISH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS OR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE E-MAIL ADDRESSES TO BE ABLE TO BE PUT ON A LIST, AND THEY WILL ACTUALLY BE SENT OUT, THE ACTUAL PRINT COPIES, AS HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE. SO OFTENTIMES WE GO ABOUT OUR BUSINESS, AND WE HAVE A HEAVY AGENDA, AS ALWAYS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT EFFICIENCY WHEN OUR STAFF GIVES THAT BACK TO US, SO I APPRECIATE THEIR WORK AND ALSO WANDA SLOAN FOR SUGGESTING IT. THANK YOU, MS. BEAN. >>PAT BEAN: WILL YOU MOVE THE ITEM? >>ROSE FERLITA: SO MOVED, YES. >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER WHITE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: AND THE NEXT ITEM THAT WAS PULLED FOR HIGHLIGHTING IS ALSO BY COMMISSIONER FERLITA, AND THAT IS THE REPORT FROM THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT REGARDING A DEPENDENT AUDIT OF THE COUNTY'S EMPLOYEE GROUP HEALTH CARE PLAN. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MS. BEAN, AGAIN. JUST A QUICK RECOGNITION OF WHAT OCCURRED HERE. I ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING WITH PAT BEAN AND CHRISTINA SWANSON FROM HR. OFTENTIMES IN TIMES OF A STRUGGLING ECONOMY PEOPLE WILL FORGET INTENTIONALLY OR OTHERWISE THAT THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE ON -- ON HEALTH CARE POLICIES AS AN EMPLOYEE'S EX-WIFE OR EX-HUSBAND, ET CETERA, AND SO THERE ARE SOME DOLLARS THAT WE LOSE IN TERMS OF COVERING PEOPLE WHO ARE, IN FACT, NOT ELIGIBLE. I SAT WITH MS. BEAN, AS I SAID, AND ERIC JOHNSON, ALONG WITH A GROUP FROM A DEPENDENT AUDIT COMPANY TO SEE IF WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE LOSING SOME DOLLARS THAT WERE NOT RECOGNIZED AS PEOPLE THAT WERE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE. THEY WERE CERTAINLY EXCITED TO DO THIS BECAUSE THEY WORK ON CONTINGENCY. IF THEY FIND SO MANY DOLLARS THAT THEY CAN RECOUP FOR THE COUNTY, THEN THEY WILL GET A PERCENTAGE OF THAT, BUT ONCE CHRISTINA SWANSON TOOK OVER THE SHOW AND TOLD THEM EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE DOING, THEY REALIZED THAT BASED ON OUR POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE ALREADY, THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH ROOM FOR ERROR, MUCH ROOM FOR RECOUPING ANY DOLLARS, AND THEY ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIMENTED HER -- IS THAT RIGHT, PAT? >>PAT BEAN: THAT'S CORRECT. >>ROSE FERLITA: -- COMPLIMENTED US FOR WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND THEY SAID WE WERE WAY, WAY AHEAD OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS, AND IT WAS NICE MEETING US, BUT THEY HAD NOTHING TO OFFER MORE SO THAN WHAT WE WERE ALREADY DOING, SO AGAIN, TO THE EFFICIENCY OF OUR HR DEPARTMENT, I APPLAUD YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR GOING THROUGH THAT PARTICIPATION. >>PAT BEAN: AND MOVE THE ITEM? >>KEN HAGAN: CAN WE HAVE A MOTION. >>ROSE FERLITA: MOTION TO MOVE. THANK YOU. >>MARK SHARPE: [INAUDIBLE] >>KEN HAGAN: MOTION COMMISSIONER FERLITA, SECOND COMMISSIONER SHARPE. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>PAT BEAN: COMMISSIONERS, YOUR NEXT ITEM WOULD BE THE 10:00 A.M. TIME CERTAIN, F-2. THIS IS THE DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF CONE RANCH. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. BEAN. COMMISSIONERS, TODAY I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE WHAT I THINK IS AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT ISSUE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND THAT IS PREVENTING CONE RANCH FROM EVER BEING DEVELOPED BY PERMANENTLY PRESERVING AND RESTORING IT. I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THIS CONCEPT A FEW MONTHS AGO FROM THE FLORIDA CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, AND FRANKLY, AFTER HEARING SEVERAL PROPOSALS THROUGH THE YEARS TO DEVELOP THIS AREA FOR THEME PARKS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEX, AMONG OTHERS, I WAS LESS THAN THRILLED TO BE FIELDING ANOTHER SUGGESTION. IN FACT, MY INITIAL RESPONSE WAS QUITE SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS STATED IN THE FIRST LINE OF TODAY'S TAMPA TRIBUNE EDITORIAL, AND THAT WAS THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS; HOWEVER, AS THEY EXPLAINED THE IDEAS AND I BEGAN TO THINK FURTHER ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF PRESERVING THIS LAND, I DECIDED TO DO MY OWN DUE DILIGENCE, SO AFTER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS I'VE TOURED CONE RANCH ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, I'VE SPOKEN AT LENGTH WITH SCOTT EMERY WHO IS THE, I GUESS, EXPERT ON CONE RANCH, I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS ORGANIZATION, THEY'RE A LEADING CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION WORKING AROUND THE WORLD TO PROTECT ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT LANDS AND WATERS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART IN DEVELOPING THIS APPROACH. AND I'VE ALSO MET WITH A NUMBER OF LEADING AND WELL- RESPECTED ENVIRONMENTALISTS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND THE MORE THAT I'VE LEARNED AND THE MORE THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL, I CONSISTENTLY HEAR THE SAME THING, AND THAT IS LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS, LET'S FIGURE OUT WHETHER AND HOW THIS -- THIS CONCEPT CAN WORK. HERE IS JUST A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY WE SHOULD CONSIDER TO DO MORE TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE CONE RANCH. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THERE ARE OVER 600 WETLANDS ON CONE RANCH THAT ARE NOT BEING RESTORED, AND WE CAN DO THAT -- WE CAN RESTORE THESE WETLANDS WITH THIS PROPOSAL. CONE RANCH PROTECTS OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY. IT IS OWNED BY OUR WASTE -- WATER AND WASTEWATER ENTERPRISE SYSTEM, WHICH PREVENTS THE LAND FROM JUST BEING TRANSFERRED TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. WHILE CONE RANCH IS PUBLICLY OWNED, THE PUBLIC CURRENTLY CANNOT UTILIZE THE LAND. THE ONLY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO USE THIS LAND DO SO ILLEGALLY. SO I'M VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT A PASSIVE PARK THAT I BELIEVE IS A MAJOR ELEMENT OF THIS PROPOSAL. AND ONE MAY -- AND WHILE IT'S BEEN STATED THAT ELAPP IS A RECOMMENDED -- THIS IS A RECOMMENDED ELAPP SITE, YOU'LL FIND THAT OUR ADVISORY BOARD HAS RECOMMENDED NOT USING ELAPP DOLLARS TO PRESERVE THIS LAND. I'M READING A LOT, AS I'M SURE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS, ABOUT THE SHRINKING DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO PRESERVE OUR MOST PRECIOUS AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LANDS. YOU CAN LOOK AT FLORIDA FOREVER, WHICH RECEIVED ZERO DOLLARS THIS YEAR FROM THE LEGISLATURE; THE FLORIDA COMMUNITIES TRUST HAS LESS DOLLARS AVAILABLE TO REIMBURSE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR THE COST OF BUYING PROPERTIES; SWFWMD -- IT'S BEEN STATED SWFWMD MAY BE UNABLE TO PURCHASE AND PARTICIPATE IN PURCHASES AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST; AND DUE TO THE PUTTING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY -- ALL GOVERNMENTS ON ALERT WITH RESPECT TO OUR BOND RATINGS, IT'S BEEN STATED BY MIKE MERRILL IT MAY POTENTIALLY COST AN ADDITIONAL $40- TO $50 MILLION TO BOND THE ELAPP DOLLARS, SO THAT WOULD DRASTICALLY REDUCE OUR DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR PRESERVATION. SO IN TODAY'S ECONOMY WITH LESS AND LESS DOLLARS BEING SET ASIDE TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LANDS, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO LOOK AT CREATIVE WAYS TO STRETCH OUR DOLLARS SO WE CAN PROTECT AND PRESERVE AS MUCH OF OUR SENSITIVE LANDS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. I CAN TELL YOU THAT I HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS, IMPORTANT ONES, THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED AND ADDRESSED. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PARTNERSHIPS ON THIS LAND, SOME THAT CAN BE UNILATERALLY TERMINATED, SOME WHICH CANNOT BE. WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BOND COVENANTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT OUR WATER AND WASTEWATER ENTERPRISE FUND IS OPERATING UNDER. CERTAINLY WE ALL KNOW THAT TAMPA BAY WATER OWNS THE WATER RIGHTS FOR -- TO DEVELOP HERE, AND THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE COMPLEX ISSUES THAT REALLY NEED TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT AND WORKED THROUGH. AND OF COURSE, THERE'LL BE SOME NAYSAYERS, THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT DOING ANYTHING NEW OR DIFFERENTLY. THERE'LL BE SOME, YOU KNOW, EXTREMISTS THAT WILL MAKE SIMPLISTIC STATEMENTS LIKE, WELL, THE COUNTY OWNS THE LAND, THEREFORE, IT IS PRESERVED, OR, YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T WE JUST SIT ON IT, AND I THINK, THOUGH, THESE FOLKS WOULD AGREE THAT THE MISSION OF PRESERVING THIS LAND IS WORTHY. AND ANOTHER POINT THAT I TOUCHED ON -- AND AGAIN, I BELIEVE IT'LL BE COVERED IN A PRESENTATION WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE IN A MOMENT -- THAT THE COUNTY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE OR TO SET ASIDE UP TO 800 ACRES FOR A PASSIVE PARK FOR THE PUBLIC TO UTILIZE. AGAIN, WHILE WE OWN THE -- THE PUBLIC OWNS THE LAND, THEY CURRENTLY CANNOT DO SO NOW. SO ADMITTEDLY THIS IS A VERY, VERY COMPLICATED AND DETAILED ISSUE, AND I WANT TO MAKE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR TODAY THAT I'M NOT SUGGESTING WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO HEAR FROM THE FCEG AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IS THE BEST WAY TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE CONE RANCH. WE SIMPLY DO NOT -- CANNOT MAKE THAT DETERMINATION WITHOUT MORE INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION, BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT PRESERVING THIS LAND IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT THE PROPOSAL WARRANTS REVIEW. SO TODAY I'M GOING TO ASK THE COUNTY TO REVIEW THE PROPOSAL ESSENTIALLY TO SEE IF IT MAKES ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC SENSE. AFTER A BRIEF PRESENTATION BY THE FCEG AND NATURE CONSERVANCY, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION ASKING FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD TO BE CREATED TO WORK WITH OUR STAFF AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY AND TNC IN REVIEWING THE CONCEPT TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS BOTH DOABLE AND DETERMINE IF IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTY AND OUR CITIZENS, SO WITH THAT I'M GOING TO INVITE THE FOLKS FROM FCEG AND NATURE CONSERVANCY. I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION OR POWERPOINT THEY WANT TO MAKE. >> YES, THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING, SIR. >> GOOD MORNING. WE -- IS THIS JUST GOING TO POP UP HERE? IT SHOULD BE LOADED ON; RIGHT? THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT ONE. >> THE ONLY ONE I HAD TODAY WAS THIS ONE AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE PREVIOUS TO THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: GOOD MORNING, DR. KLASKO. [LAUGHTER] >> I MISSED THAT. WHAT DID YOU SAY? [LAUGHTER] OKAY. THERE WE GO. KEN JONES, 101 EAST KENNEDY BOULEVARD, SUITE 3300, TAMPA, FLORIDA 33602. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TODAY. MY NAME IS KEN JONES, AND BEHIND ME WE HAVE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS FROM FCEG, RICK MICHAELS, JOHN WILSON, AND DICK MANDT. ALSO IMPORTANTLY WITH ME HERE TODAY IS KEITH FOUNTAIN. KEITH IS THE DIRECTOR OF PRESERVATION FOR THE NATURE CONSERVANCY. WE'RE HERE TODAY AS A GROUP OF, YES, LOCAL BUSINESSMEN BUT ALSO A GROUP OF FOLKS WHO CONSIDER THE TAMPA BAY AREA OUR HOME. COLLECTIVELY OUR GROUP HERE TODAY -- I HOPE THIS DOESN'T BE TOO SELF-DEPRECATING, BUT WE'VE LIVED IN THIS COUNTY FOR APPROXIMATELY NEARLY A HUNDRED YEARS AMONGST OURSELVES. WE'RE EXPERIENCED, SOPHISTICATED FOLKS WHO HAVE DONE A LOT OF TRANSACTIONS ALL OVER THE WORLD. WE'VE CREATED UNIQUE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO THE TUNE OF $40 BILLION SINCE 1973. THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IS ALSO ACTIVELY COLLABORATING WITH US ON THIS AGREEMENT. SINCE 1951 THE TNC HAS BEEN IN ALL 50 STATES AND 30 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. THEY'VE CONSERVED 117,000 ACRES OF PROPERTY AND ROUGHLY 5,000 MILES OF RIVERS. THEY HAVE HUNDREDS OF EXPERTS ON STAFF, AND WE INTEND TO USE ALL THOSE STAFF AS WE -- AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION AND LOOK AT HOW WE CAN CONSERVE CONE RANCH FOR THE FUTURE OF ALL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENTS. THE FACTS ON CONE RANCH, WE DON'T COME HERE WITHOUT HAVING DONE A BIT OF OUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR THE BETTER PART OF ABOUT TWO YEARS. YOU'LL KNOW -- MOST OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT ALREADY, I WON'T BORE YOU WITH TOO MUCH OF THE BACKGROUND, BUT YOU KNOW IT'S ROUGHLY 13,000 ACRES, IT'S IN NORTHEAST HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. IT WAS PURCHASED ORIGINALLY FOR THE REGION'S WATER SUPPLY. THOSE WATER SUPPLY RIGHTS ARE STILL IN EFFECT THROUGH AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN TAMPA BAY WATER AND THE COUNTY, AND THEY DO HAVE THE RIGHTS TO DEVELOP ANY FUTURE DRINKING WATER SOURCE VIA THAT AGREEMENT. THE ONLY OTHER OPERATIONS OUT ON CONE RANCH ARE AN ACTIVE CATTLE RANCH AND A SOD FARM. AND INTERESTINGLY, MOST OF THE FOLKS I'VE HEARD HERE TODAY MIGHT NOT REALIZE THIS, BUT CONE RANCH, WHILE IT IS IN PUBLIC HANDS, IT IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND PREVIOUS LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED TO GOVERN THE ACTIVITIES IN THE CONE RANCH, ONE OF THE BASIC TENETS HAVE BEEN THAT THE RANCH STAY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. UNDER OUR PROPOSAL PART OF THE RANCH, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION, NEARLY ALMOST A THOUSAND ACRES, WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR A PARK. THE BASIC CONCEPT IS THIS IN SHORT, TO PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY AND TNC AND FCEG TO PUT A PERMANENT CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON THE LAND. WE WOULD SUBDIVIDE IT INTO SIX PARCELS, POSSIBLY LESS IF WE HAD ONE CONSERVATION BUYER THAT WANTED TO BUY 6,000 VERSUS JUST 2,000. WE WOULD LEAVE OUR PLAN OPEN TO BEING AMENDED TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. SO SIX PARCELS CURRENTLY IS THE PLAN, 2,000 ACRES. IT WOULD BE PREQUALIFIED TO ONLY CONSERVATION BUYERS. I'VE HEARD A LOT OF FOLKS TALK ABOUT THIS AS BEING SOLD OFF TO, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, INVESTORS. I THINK WHEN YOU SEE KEITH FOUNTAIN GET UP HERE IN A LITTLE BIT, HE'S GOING TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT WHAT A CONSERVATION BUYER IS VERSUS WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK OF AS JUST A TYPICAL INVESTOR TRYING TO DO A DIRT DEAL. THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS PLAN IS. ONCE THESE PARCELS ARE SOLD TO CONSERVATION BUYERS, WE WOULD THEN TAKE THE REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED. IT WOULD GO TO SATISFY WHATEVER BOND COVENANTS CURRENTLY EXIST, AND WE REALIZE THERE ARE QUITE A FEW. THERE'S APPROXIMATELY -- I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER. WE THINK IT'S RIGHT AROUND $18- TO $20 MILLION. THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO FURTHER STUDY. BUT THAT MONEY WOULD GO TO DEFEASE THE BOND ISSUE. THE REMAINING BALANCE COULD THEN BE USED BY THE COUNTY, AS A POLICY DECISION, HOWEVER YOU SEE FIT. WE WOULD ALSO -- IN ADDITION TO SELLING THE LAND TO THESE CONSERVATION BUYERS, WE WOULD CREATE A LAND MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION PLAN, PUT A GOVERNING BOARD IN PLACE. WE COMPLETELY AGREE WITH PUTTING A GOVERNING BOARD IN PLACE, AS CHAIRMAN HAGAN MENTIONED. WE WOULD SET ASIDE 800 ACRES FOR A PUBLIC USE PARK. AND THE ONLY OTHER ITEM THAT COULD GO ON THIS LAND WOULD BE A SINGLE CARETAKER RESIDENCE, AND -- THAT YOU COULDN'T BUILD A COMMERCIAL BUILDING, YOU COULDN'T BUILD 50 HOUSES. WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROPOSALS OVER THE YEARS FROM EVERYTHING FROM MOVIE STUDIOS, WHICH IS ONE I DON'T THINK ACTUALLY EVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY, BUT THERE WAS ONE TO BUILD A MOVIE STUDIO ON CONE RANCH. THE OTHER THING, OF COURSE, IS TO BUILD 10,000 HOUSES OUT ON CONE RANCH. IN OUR OPINION, THAT WOULD BE A TRAVESTY. SO UNDER OUR PLAN, YOU GET ONE RESIDENCE, CARETAKER LODGE, IF YOU WILL, PER 2,000 ACRES, AND THAT'S IT. IN PERPETUITY, THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT WOULD PREVENT ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. NOW IF A CONSERVATION BUYER WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND RESELL THEIR 2,000 ACRES, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT, SUBJECT TO THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT WHICH IS IN PERPETUITY. SO THEY COULDN'T SUBSEQUENTLY SELL IT, THEN THE SUBSEQUENT OWNER SUBDIVIDE IT FURTHER. I'VE HEARD THAT CONCERN AS WELL, AND I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS IT. THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE FURTHER SUBDIVISION BEYOND THE SIX PARCELS. AT THIS POINT I'D LIKE TO LET KEITH FOUNTAIN FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CONE RANCH AND WHAT THE CONSERVATION BUYER PROGRAMS ARE ALL ABOUT. >>KEN HAGAN: WELCOME, SIR. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU, KEN. KEITH FOUNTAIN, DIRECTOR OF PROTECTION FOR THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN FLORIDA, 222 SOUTH WESTMONTE DRIVE, ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FLORIDA 32714. AGAIN, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE PROPOSAL PRESENTED BY FCEG. IN TALKING WITH MEMBERS OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CONSERVATION COMMUNITY, THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THERE THAT CONE RANCH BE A PERMANENT PART OF THE CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE OF THE COUNTY, THAT IT BE MANAGED IN PERPETUITY FOR ITS CONSERVATION VALUES, AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT, THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PROPERTY, IT'S A LARGE MOSAIC OF NATURAL COMMUNITIES AND SPECIES. NATURAL COMMUNITIES YOU'VE GOT VERY UNDERREPRESENTED IN TERMS OF PROTECTED AREA, NATURAL COMMUNITIES OUT THERE LIKE FLATWOODS AND PRAIRIE, AND YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF VERY IMPORTANT SPECIES ON A LARGE TRACT OF LAND LIKE THIS, WADING BIRDS, THREATENED UPLAND SPECIES LIKE GOPHER TORTOISE AND SHERMAN'S FOX SQUIRREL AND OTHER ANIMALS. IT'S ALSO PART OF THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER WATERSHED. IT'S GOT CREEKS TRAVERSING THE TRACT THAT FLOW INTO THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER WHICH ULTIMATELY FLOWS INTO YOUR ESTUARINE AREAS ON THE COAST, WHICH ARE ALL IMPORTANT TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE DRINKING WATER OF COUNTY RESIDENTS. AND LAST OF ALL AND I THINK PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, CONE RANCH IS PART OF A VERY LARGE CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE IN THIS PART OF FLORIDA THAT, AGAIN, ALL THE LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO, A CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE OF PERHAPS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES LINKING UP THROUGH LANDS OWNED BY THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE UPPER HILLSBOROUGH RIVER PROJECT, AND ON UP INTO THE GREEN SWAMP, WHICH, OF COURSE, IS A HIGH-AQUIFER RECHARGE AREA FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA. WHEN YOU LOOK AT A LARGE CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE LIKE THIS - - AND THE CONSERVATION LANDSCAPE IS EVEN BROADER THAN WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS MAP BECAUSE OF SURROUNDING PRIVATE LANDS -- THERE'S A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS. MUCH OF WHAT YOU SAW AS GREEN ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THOSE ARE PROTECTED PUBLIC LANDS. NOW, BY THAT I MEAN THAT THESE ARE LANDS THAT IN MANY CASES WERE BOUGHT WITH PUBLIC CONSERVATION LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM DOLLARS. THEY ARE PROTECTED OFTEN BY BOND COVENANTS, PROTECTED BY LAW, STATE LAW, COUNTY LAW, AND CERTAINLY BY THE EXPECTATION OF THE PUBLIC THAT TAXPAYER DOLLARS WENT IN TO PURCHASING THOSE LANDS. THERE ARE ALSO PROTECTED PRIVATE LAND. THESE WOULD BE LANDS PROTECTED IN PERPETUITY OFTEN BY CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, AND, IN FACT, THERE ARE LANDOWNERS IN THIS LANDSCAPE THAT HAVE SOLD CONSERVATION EASEMENTS PROBABLY TO THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND CERTAINLY ALSO TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA. CONE RANCH IS PART OF THIS LANDSCAPE, BUT THE NATURE CONSERVANCY CONSIDERS IT TO BE UNPROTECTED IN THAT IT WASN'T BOUGHT WITH ONE OF THOSE PUBLIC SOURCES WITH AN EXPECTATION FOR LONG-TERM PERPETUAL OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT FOR CONSERVATION. AND THE NAME OF THE GAME IN CONSERVATION IS TO MOVE THOSE UNPROTECTED LANDS INTO A PROTECTED CATEGORY, SEE ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU WOULD BE DOING IF YOU IMPLEMENTED THE PROPOSAL PRESENTED BY FCEG IS YOU WOULD BE MOVING THIS FROM THE UNPROTECTED PUBLIC CATEGORY INTO THE PROTECTED PRIVATE CATEGORY. WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. MOST CONSERVATION EASEMENTS DONE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA ARE PERPETUAL IN NATURE, AND IN FACT, THAT'S THE ONLY TYPE THAT THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IS ENGAGED IN. WE'VE WORKED WITH GOVERNMENT PARTNERS AND WE HOLD CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OURSELVES ON PROBABLY WHAT IS NOW AT LEAST 100,000 ACRES OF LAND IN FLORIDA. AND THERE'S MANY TYPICAL ELEMENTS TO A CONSERVATION EASEMENT. FIRST AND FOREMOST, EXCEPT FOR PERMITTED RESIDENTS WHICH MAY BE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, THEY PROHIBIT RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN IDEAS IN KEEPING THIS PROPERTY IN ITS CONSERVATION USE. THEY PREVENT OTHER MORE INTENSIVE INCOMPATIBLE USES, VERY INTENSIVE AGRICULTURAL USES OR OTHER USES THAT ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF THE PROPERTY. YOU HEAR MR. JONES TALK ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF LIMITING THE SUBDIVISION OF THE PROPERTY. ALL CONSERVATION EASEMENTS DO THIS. YOU WANT TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PARTIES THAT YOU HAVE TO MONITOR, AND I'LL TOUCH ON THE ISSUE OF MONITORING A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THIS. THE EASEMENT ALSO DEFINES THE LANDOWNER'S PERMITTED USES. A WELL-CRAFTED CONSERVATION EASEMENT DEFINES FOR THE FEE SIMPLE OWNER OF THE LAND WHAT THEY CAN DO ON THE PROPERTY SUBJECT TO THE RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE IMPOSED BY THE EASEMENT. THE EASEMENT PROCESS ALSO ESTABLISHES AN ECOLOGICAL BASELINE AND STANDARDS FOR LAND MANAGEMENT. WHEN A CONSERVATION EASEMENT IS GRANTED OR RESERVED AS IT WOULD BE IN THIS TRANSACTION, A DOCUMENT IS PREPARED. IT'S CALLED AN EASEMENT DOCUMENTATION REPORT. IT IS A BASELINE OF THE HABITATS AND THE USES ON THE PROPERTY AND THE CONDITION OF THOSE HABITATS. AND IN THE TERMS OF THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT, MR. JONES SPOKE IN TERMS OF A MANAGEMENT RESTORATION PLAN. THAT SETS OUT GUIDELINES FOR THE LANDOWNER TO FOLLOW TO MANAGE THAT PROPERTY WELL FOR THE CONSERVATION VALUES THAT ARE IN PLACE. AND THE LAST TWO ITEMS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, I THINK, FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS PROPERTY DOWN THE ROAD. MR. JONES HAS ALREADY TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT IS PERPETUAL, IT RUNS WITH THE LAND. A LATER GRANTEE OF THE PROPERTY IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF THAT EASEMENT. BUT THE EASEMENT ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE HOLDER OF THE EASEMENT, WHICH MAY VERY WELL BE THE COUNTY IN THIS CASE, TO MONITOR THE LANDOWNER'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE EASEMENT, SO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT THERE USUALLY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LANDOWNER IS NOT VIOLATING ANY OF THE COVENANTS OR TERMS PRESENT IN THE EASEMENT. AND IF THERE IS A VIOLATION, THE EASEMENT PROVIDES FOR REMEDIES, WHICH CAN GO AS FAR AS INCLUDING LEGAL ACTION TO PRESERVE THE INTENT OF THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT. THIS CONCEPT OF SELLING LAND TO A PARTY SUBJECT TO AN EASEMENT TO MAINTAIN ITS CONSERVATION VALUES IS NOT UNPRECEDENTED IN THE NONPROFIT WORLD. THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, IN FACT, FOR YEARS HAS OPERATED WHAT WE CALL OUR CONSERVATION BUYER PROGRAM, NOT SO MUCH IN FLORIDA BUT VERY MUCH OUT IN OUR WESTERN STATES THAT HAVEN'T HAD THE PUBLIC MONEY AVAILABLE FOR CONSERVATION LAND ACQUISITION, WHERE THE CONSERVANCY WOULD ACQUIRE RANCHES AND THEN SELL THEM TO PEOPLE WITH AN ETHIC THAT WAS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CONSERVATION RESOURCES OF THE PROPERTY TO OWN THAT PROPERTY, OFTEN CONTINUE RUNNING CATTLE ON IT SUBJECT TO THE CONSERVATION TERMS OF THE EASEMENT. WHAT DO WE DO? WE GO OUT AND LOOK FOR IMPORTANT PIECES OF PROPERTY AND WE ACQUIRE THOSE CRITICAL CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. THE NATURE CONSERVANCY THEN DESIGNS AN EASEMENT BASED ON THE NATURE OF THE PROPERTY TO PROTECT THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF THAT EASEMENT. AND THEN WE MARKET THAT PROPERTY, AND WE MARKET IT WITH THE HOPE THAT WE'RE GOING TO FIND INDIVIDUALS THAT SHARE OUR CONSERVATION ETHIC AND SHARE OUR VISION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PROPERTY, AND THEN WE SELL IT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS. YOU RETAIN OR RESERVE THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT IN THAT TRANSACTION, AND IT'S PROTECTED IN PERPETUITY. AGAIN, I WOULD EMPHASIZE IN CONCLUSION FROM MY PART HERE THAT FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY'S PERSPECTIVE, IF IT IS THE DESIRE -- IF IT IS NOT THE DESIRE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO OWN AND MANAGE THIS PROPERTY IN PERPETUITY FOR CONSERVATION, THIS IS A VERY, VERY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR. >> IF I COULD JUST WRAP UP. >>KEN HAGAN: SURE. >> THANK YOU. THANKS, KEITH. I THINK BASED ON WHAT KEITH SAID AND WHAT I'VE SAID HERE TODAY -- I'D CERTAINLY WELCOME ADDITIONAL SCRUTINY AND QUESTIONS. I THINK THE BENEFITS OF PRESERVING THE LAND ARE VERY CLEAR. NO ROOFTOPS, COMMERCIAL, OR OTHERWISE, IN PERPETUITY. WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESTORE HUNDREDS OF WETLANDS OUT ON CONE RANCH AND PROTECT THE WATER SOURCE FOR THE TAMPA BAY AREA FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND OF COURSE, NOT THE LAST OF IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT WE WILL HELP THE COUNTY DO IS GENERATE DOLLARS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT IS VERY CRITICAL. THE ONE QUESTION I'VE HEARD -- AND I WASN'T PLANNING ON REALLY ADDRESSING IT TOO MUCH, BUT I'LL ADDRESS IT A LITTLE BIT MORE -- IS THE QUESTION OF ELAPP. A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T ELAPP JUST BUY THIS MONEY -- I'M SORRY, USE MONEY -- THEIR OWN MONEY TO BUY THIS LAND, AND THE ANSWER IS SEVERAL-FOLD. ONE, IT'S ON THE ELAPP LIST TO BUY, BUT THEY'VE CHOSEN NOT TO BUY IT. SECONDLY, WITH THE CREDIT AND DEBT MARKET THE WAY IT IS TODAY, THE COST OF ISSUING BONDS HAS GONE UP DRAMATICALLY. THERE WAS A GREAT STORY, I THINK, IN THE ST. PETE TIMES RECENTLY THAT TALKED ABOUT THAT. SO ELAPP HAS CHOSEN NOT TO BUY IT. AND THE OTHER THING IS YOU WOULD GET TWO BITES AT THE APPLE ESSENTIALLY IF ELAPP COULD TAKE THOSE DOLLARS THAT THEY WOULD OTHERWISE SPEND TO BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY ALREADY OWNED BY THE COUNTY AND BUY A DIFFERENT PIECE OF PROPERTY, SO I THINK FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE IT'S YOU'RE GETTING TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE. YOU COULD DO THIS WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A UNIQUE SOLUTION TO PRESERVING CONE RANCH AND ALLOW ELAPP TO TAKE THOSE DOLLARS AND DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH THEM. IT'S ADDITIVE TO THAT PROCESS. YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION THAT KEITH AND I HAVE SHARED WITH YOU TODAY IS WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO IMPART TO ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE'VE REACHED OUT, WE'VE RECEIVED FEEDBACK, EVEN FROM SOME OF THE FOLKS YOU'VE HEARD SPEAK TODAY HERE ON THIS PROJECT. WE'VE TRIED TO BE -- WE'VE PROBABLY ERRED ON THE SIDE OF BEING OVERINCLUSIVE. WE'VE REACHED OUT TO DOZENS OF PEOPLE. THIS PRESENTATION DEPARTMENT ALWAYS LOOK THE WAY IT DID BECAUSE IT WAS SORT OF A -- IT WAS A DOCUMENT THAT WAS CONTINUOUSLY BEING REVISED AS WE GOT GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SO IN SUMMARY -- AND I WANT TO ADDRESS ONE OTHER POINT THAT JUST CAME TO MY MIND. THE IDEA OF A TRUST, SOMEBODY HAD BROUGHT UP THE IDEA OF A TRUST EARLIER, SHOULD WE SET UP A TRUST TO HOLD THE PRESERVATION OR THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT FOR CONE RANCH. I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY ON THE TABLE. I THINK WE OUGHT TO EXPLORE THAT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S A BAD IDEA. I THINK EVERY OPTION WE NEED TO EXPLORE IN TERMS OF HOW TO GET THIS TRANSACTION DONE SO CONE RANCH GETS PRESERVED AND THE COUNTY CAN GENERATE SOME MONEY AT THE SAME TIME. WE THINK THIS IS A GREAT OUTSIDE-THE-BOX IDEA AND A WAY TO PARTNER WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO PRESERVE A GREAT PIECE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. JONES. BEFORE I OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I JUST CANNOT STRESS IT ENOUGH THAT I ONLY SUPPORT REVIEWING THIS PROPOSAL WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WITH THIS CONCEPT PROTECTIONS ARE PUT INTO PLACE THAT ARE IRONCLAD AND MEET SPECIFIC LAND CONSERVATION PURPOSES AND ARE A BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC, AND IT MUST PERMANENTLY ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON CONE RANCH, AND PERMANENTLY MEANS FOREVER. THEREFORE, FUTURE BOARDS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONSIDER CHANGING THE DESIGNATION AS SOME HAVE ALLEGED EARLIER. SO I'M GOING TO OFFICIALLY PASS THE GAVEL TO COMMISSIONER SHARPE AND MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REFER THIS OVER TO OUR STAFF AND THAT WE CREATE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD OR PANEL TO WORK WITH OUR STAFF AND TO WORK WITH FCEG AND NATURE CONSERVANCY IN CONSIDERING THIS PROPOSAL AS WELL AS ALL OF THE ISSUES AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH CONE RANCH. MY THOUGHT IS TO ASK EACH COMMISSIONER TO APPOINT ONE ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER TO SERVE ON THIS PANEL, AND I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTUALLY APPROVE THE PANEL TODAY BUT APPROVE THE SPECIFIC MEMBERS DURING OUR JUNE 3rd MEETING, AND AT THAT TIME I WOULD ALSO ASK OUR STAFF TO COME BACK WITH A LIST OF ALL OF THE RELEVANT ISSUES AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT NEED TO BE REVIEWED AND CONSIDERED DURING THIS PROCESS. FOLLOWING OUR MEETING ON JUNE 3rd, WE DO NOT MEET AGAIN UNTIL, I BELIEVE, IT'S JULY 15th. IN BETWEEN THAT TIME I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR THE ADVISORY PANEL TO MEET AT LEAST ONCE WITH OUR STAFF AND TO BEGIN TO OUTLINE WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED. AND THEN DURING OUR JULY 15th MEETING I'D LIKE A REPORT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED UP TO THAT TIME, AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE -- OR SEE A TIMELINE WITH SPECIFIC DECISION POINTS ADDRESSING THE VARIOUS ISSUES AND PARTNERSHIPS. I DON'T -- WHILE I DO NOT WANT THIS TO DRAG ON INDEFINITELY, I REALIZE THERE'S A LOT TO COVER, AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR A CERTAIN DECISION OR RECOMMENDATION TO BE MADE ON ANY SPECIFIC TIME FRAME; HOWEVER, I WANT TO STRESS THAT I WANT THIS TO BE A VERY PUBLIC AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS, AND I WANT YOU TO TAKE THE TIME TO ANALYZE ALL THE COMPONENTS IN GREAT DETAIL AND THOROUGHLY VET THIS PROPOSAL, AND I ALSO WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMENT AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS, AND FINALLY -- AND MR. JONES JUST TOUCHED ON IT, BUT I TOO LIKE THE SUGGESTION FROM MS. BACCA THAT WE CONSIDER A TRUST THAT WE COULD CREATE TO SPEND ANY MONEY THAT COMES OUT OF THIS ON PROTECTING ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LANDS, SO I THINK THAT SHOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED. SO I WANT TO PUT THAT MOTION ON THE TABLE, AND I GUESS COMMISSIONER BECKNER'S FIRST UP. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I JUST HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS WITH MR. -- FOR MR. JONES, AND I GUESS, FIRST, I -- I -- FOR THE RECORD, I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH MR. JONES ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL A LITTLE WHILE BACK AS WELL AS STAFF, AND I HAVE TO FIND THAT THIS PROPOSAL IS VERY INTRIGUING. MR. JONES PROPOSES SOME COMPELLING ARGUMENTS FOR THIS, BUT ON THE SAME SIDE, THERE'S ALSO -- I KNOW STAFF HAS RAISED SOME CONCERNS AS WELL, EVERYTHING FROM THE VALUATION OF THE LAND TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, AND THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE VETTED OUT. MY FIRST QUESTION IS HAVE YOU DISTRIBUTED TO STAFF OR MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC A WRITTEN PROPOSAL YET OF WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING -- PROPOSING TO BRING FORWARD TO THE BOARD? >> I THINK THE PROPOSAL THAT WE PRESENTED TO PAT BEAN AND SOME STAFF EARLY ON, AS I MENTIONED IN MY PRESENTATION, HAS SORT OF CHANGED AS WE'VE GONE ALONG BECAUSE WE HAVE CONTINUALLY SOUGHT FEEDBACK FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, BUT NO, WE HAVE NOT SUBMITTED A FORMAL PROPOSAL TO ANY GROUP YET BEYOND WHAT YOU SEE HERE TODAY, WHICH WILL NOW, OF COURSE, BE PART OF THE COUNTY RECORD. >>KEVIN BECKNER: OKAY. AND THAT WAS ONE OF MY LARGER CONCERNS BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN STAFF ORIGINALLY STARTED LOOKING AT THIS AND I STARTED ASKING THEM QUESTIONS WHY THERE WASN'T A LOT OF MOVEMENT ON THIS IS BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING IN WRITING, AND I WAS ALSO A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT NOT HAVING ANYTHING IN WRITING, ALTHOUGH I HEARD -- I HEARD A VERY GOOD PRESENTATION. YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE DETAILS, SO I AM CERTAINLY OPEN TO YOUR MOTION, MR. HAGAN, PROVIDED THAT BEFORE WE -- BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT OF ANY MEETINGS THAT MR. JONES PROVIDES A WRITTEN PROPOSAL WITHIN TEN DAYS TO STAFF, TO THE PUBLIC, AND TO THE COMMISSIONERS SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN TO REVIEW THE DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL, AND AGAIN, AS YOU POINTED OUT, MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK TRANSPARENCY IN THE PUBLIC -- TO THE PUBLIC IS EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT, SO I'M OPEN TO SUPPORTING THE MOTION WITH THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. >>KEN HAGAN: ABSOLUTELY. COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: YEAH, AND MR. JONES, I HAVE A QUESTION TOO. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS JUST A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION AND IT'S JUST TO BRING IN INFORMATION FOR US TO -- TO VET IN THE PUBLIC WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND STAFF. IS TEN DAYS ENOUGH TO COME BACK WITH SOME THOUGHTS? BECAUSE I KNOW THIS WILL -- PROBABLY OVER THE TIME IS GOING TO CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY AS WE GET INPUT FROM FOLKS, BUT IS TEN DAYS ENOUGH, MR. BECKNER AND MR. JONES? I KNOW YOU -- >>KEVIN BECKNER: WHENEVER THE MEETINGS -- >> [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK] THE QUESTION OR IF YOU WANTED ME TO ADDRESS YOUR MOTION. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: YEAH, IT'S KIND OF A BOTH -- IT'S KIND OF A THREE-WAY DISCUSSION. IS TEN DAYS ENOUGH? >>KEVIN BECKNER: I'M NOT SUGGESTING TEN DAYS FROM TODAY, BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE MEETINGS, SO WHETHER THE MEETINGS ARE GOING TO COMMENCE ON JUNE 13th OR WHATEVER THE TIME FRAME IS, JUST BEFORE WE BEGIN MEETING THAT YOU PROVIDE THE STAFF AND AGAIN COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC -- MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC A WRITTEN PROPOSAL. >> I THINK WHAT WE'VE PRESENTED HERE IS -- IS ESSENTIALLY THAT WRITTEN PROPOSAL. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO TRANSACTION STRUCTURE AT THIS LEVEL. I THINK PART OF THAT IS GOING TO COME OUT OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE GET TO THE STAFF LEVEL. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: OKAY. >> I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING. WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THIS VERSION. OF COURSE, THIS IS IN THE PUBLIC RECORD, BUT TO GET TO A FINALITY OF WHAT THE ULTIMATE TRANSACTION MIGHT LOOK LIKE, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN GIVE THAT TO YOU IN TEN DAYS. I THINK PART OF THAT IS GOING TO BE DEPENDING ON WHAT SORT OF FEEDBACK WE GET FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND THE ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE, SO WE DO WANT TO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PROPOSING A STRUCTURE TO THE COUNTY THAT IS, I'LL SAY, DEAD ON ARRIVAL. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK WITH STAFF TO PRESENT SOMETHING THAT IS PALATABLE. >>KEN HAGAN: I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS STAFF NEEDS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO BEGIN ANALYZING. >> SURE. >>KEN HAGAN: AND THAT WAS A CONCERN WHEN I MET LAST WEEK WITH PAT AND RENEE AND GENERAL VANDERPLOOG AND EVERYONE ELSE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING, AND FRANKLY, I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING AND RECEIVED SOME E-MAIL, WHY DIDN'T YOU GET MORE INFORMATION? WELL, I DON'T HAVE MORE INFORMATION. SO I THINK WHAT THEY'RE WANTING IS A STARTING POINT TO START TO ANALYZE, AND AS WE DETERMINE WHAT THE ISSUES ARE - - AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A NUMBER OF THEM, PARTNERSHIPS -- THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, BUT DEFINITELY THEY NEED TO START WITH SOMETHING, AND MORE THAN THIS. >> WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU SOMETHING, SURE. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: OKAY. THERE'S AN OUTLINE WE CAN GET WITHIN TEN DAYS, THAT WORKS? >> I THINK AN OUTLINE OF A STRUCTURE, SURE. I THINK WE CAN DO THAT. >> OKAY. AND THE OTHER THING ON THIS GROUP THAT YOU'RE ASKING EACH OF US TO NAME TO AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, DOES IT INCLUDE -- HAVE YOU TALKED TO SWFWMD OR TO ANY ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES, AND SHOULD THIS GROUP INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES, OR DOES THAT -- SHOULD THAT COME LATER ON, MR. CHAIRMAN? >>KEN HAGAN: FRANKLY, I HAD A GROUP MEETING WITH A NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS AND FOLKS FROM DIFFERENT AGENCIES. I AM OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS. WITH ANY GROUP, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE IT GET SO LARGE THAT IT BECOMES UNMANAGEABLE, BUT I'M NOT -- I'M OPEN TO ANY ORGANIZATION THAT YOU WANT TO INCLUDE, BUT I JUST -- I WANTED EVERYONE TO -- EVERY COMMISSIONER TO AT LEAST PUT SOMEONE ON THE PANEL, AND SO IF THIS BOARD WANTS TO SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY CERTAIN GROUPS, WE CAN DO THAT. I'M OPEN TO -- OPEN TO THAT. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: ALL RIGHT. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW. I MAY HAVE SOME -- I SEE THE OTHER LIGHTS ARE ON. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: YEAH. IN YOUR MOTION, WHAT YOU BASICALLY SAID IS WE WOULD APPOINT SOMEONE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL OVERSIGHT. WHY ARE WE LIMITED TO THAT? THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES HERE THAT ARE OTHER THAN ENVIRONMENT. I MEAN, FRANKLY, THE CONCERN IS THE PROTECTION OF THE PROPERTY, BUT -- AND I CAN GIVE YOU A RANGE OF ISSUES THAT ARE OTHER THAN ENVIRONMENT. AND -- LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, THIS IS WATER DEPARTMENT PROPERTY. ARE WE GOING TO BE BOUND BY -- I MEAN, THIS IS NOT THEIR CONCERN, BUT IF THE TRANSACTION GOES THROUGH, ARE WE BOUND BY THE PURCHASE PRICE, ARE WE BOUND BY THE DOLLARS THAT ARE ABOVE THE PURCHASE -- YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY'S GOING TO HAVE TO GET IN THIS STUFF, DETERMINE THIS STUFF, AND -- YOU KNOW, THE -- THE LEGAL OVERSIGHT OF STRUCTURING A DEAL FROM THE - - IF THE BOARD IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW AN AGREEMENT, IS IT A VOTE OR -- BY THE BOARD TO BRING SOMETHING FORWARD TO US OR IS IT A -- JUST A TEAM OF REVIEWING QUESTIONS? AND I -- WHAT IS THE -- WHAT IS THE -- WHAT IS THE BOARD DOING? I GUESS MY POINT IS, ARE THEY JUST ANSWERING QUESTIONS, ARE THEY -- OR ARE THEY GOING TO VOTE TO BRING A -- >>KEN HAGAN: NO, MY INTENT WAS FOR THIS PANEL TO MAKE -- ULTIMATELY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER TO THIS BOARD. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. SO I PERSONALLY HOPE YOU CHANGE -- I DON'T WANT TO BE BOUND BY JUST -- YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE GOT TEN PEOPLE THAT ARE ONLY LOOKING AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT OF THE PROPERTY AND NOBODY ELSE IS ASKING THE OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF FINANCE AND STRUCTURE OF AGREEMENTS -- I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MIXED GROUP THAT HAS DIFFERENT STRENGTHS, SO -- >>KEN HAGAN: I THINK -- I AGREE, THERE'S VALUE IN THAT. YOU'VE GOT LEGAL ISSUES, YOU'VE GOT REAL ESTATE ISSUES, YOU'VE GOT FINANCE ISSUES, LAND MANAGEMENT CONCERNS, SO MAYBE THE WAY TO FRAME IT IS TO HAVE EACH BOARD MEMBER APPOINT A REPRESENTATIVE, AND THEN WHEN WE COME BACK AT OUR NEXT -- OR THE JUNE 3rd MEETING, HAVE STAFF MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AS FAR AS WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO BE INCLUDED. I MEAN, I'M -- >>JIM NORMAN: I THINK SOMETHING COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM WAS STATING THAT I THINK BRINGS YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT. IF YOU HAD SWFWMD AND EPC REPRESENTED AS, SAY, TWO MEMBERS, THAT WOULD BE HOLDING UP THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE AND THEN GIVE US APPOINTMENTS THAT ARE ACROSS THE BOARD THAT COULD ANSWER VARIOUS -- OR ASK VARIOUS QUESTIONS -- >> I AGREE. >>JIM NORMAN: -- YOU'D HAVE A MORE MIXED BAG OF PEOPLE THAT CAN REALLY ANALYZE THE PROJECT, AND IF WE'RE -- THE REASON I ASKED THAT, WE'RE EXPECTED TO VOTE. YOU JUST DON'T WANT, THEN, TO TURN IT OVER TO GOVERNMENT AND SAY, OKAY, GOVERNMENT, HERE, ANALYZE THE FINANCE AND THE LEGAL. NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE GREAT PEOPLE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE INDEPENDENT VIEW THAT I THINK YOU'RE SEEKING, SO IF YOU WOULD AMEND -- I HOPE THAT YOU WOULD AMEND THAT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE OF MY APPOINTMENT, I GUESS. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: I HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF QUESTIONS. I'M NOT GOING TO ASK ALL OF THEM FOR THE -- FOR THE SAKE OF BREVITY AND THE OTHERS WHO ARE HERE FOR SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TO DISCUSS. BUT I SHARE WHAT I'VE HEARD WITH SOME REGARDING AN INTEREST -- I'M LOOKING AT THE NATURE CONSERVANCY'S WEB PAGE, WHICH SAYS THAT THEY USE SCIENCE AND PARTNERSHIPS TO PROTECT EARTH'S MOST IMPORTANT NATURAL -- NATURAL PLACES, SO THIS IS -- WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS TRYING TO ESTABLISH -- I'M SPEAKING TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY -- A -- A -- WHAT APPEARS TO BE A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE PERPETUAL PROTECTION OF THIS LAND. ARE THERE OTHER SUCH PARTNERSHIPS THAT EXIST ANYWHERE THAT WE CAN USE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THIS PROJECT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT? >> I HAVE NOT RESEARCHED THE ISSUE OF THE SALE OF PUBLIC LAND USING THE CONSERVATION BUYER APPROACH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S OTHER TRANSACTIONS LIKE THAT THAT EXIST, BUT IT DOES PARALLEL ENTIRELY US AS A NONPROFIT AND OUR CONSERVATION BUYER PROGRAM. >>MARK SHARPE: I GUESS -- AND I'LL SAY TO THE CHAIRMAN, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS. I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THAT THIS AGREEMENT -- AS IT MOVES FORWARD FOR OUR ULTIMATE REVIEW AND THEN VOTE, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE CLEARLY DELINEATED, EVERY JOT AND TITTLE NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED SO THAT EACH AND ALL GROUPS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN. WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE IS WHAT WE HAVE WITH AN ISSUE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP A LITTLE BIT LATER WHERE AT THE LAST MINUTE CHANGES ARE BEING RUSHED IN, NO ONE REALLY UNDERSTANDS THE LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THESE CHANGES, I'VE GOT VARYING DEGREES OF OPINION, AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO DEAL WITH A PIECE OF PUBLIC LAND WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY EITHER BE IMPROVED FOR THE SAKE OF THE CITIZENS OR POTENTIALLY BE PUT AT RISK. MY CONCERN ABOUT THE WAY THE LAND IS MAINTAINED NOW IS THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, IS IT -- WHO CURRENTLY OWNS THE LAND? >>PAT BEAN: THE WATER UTILITY OF THIS COUNTY GOVERNMENT OWNS THE LAND. >>MARK SHARPE: SO LET'S JUST SAY THAT ELAPP -- AND LET'S GET TO ELAPP AS WELL. I'D LIKE TO HAVE ELAPP -- I THINK ELAPP NEEDS TO BE PART OF THIS DISCUSSION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW -- I UNDERSTAND MANY -- ELAPP HAS NOT EXPRESSED AN INTEREST OR MAYBE THEY DIDN'T EXPRESS AN INTEREST BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS ALREADY PROTECTED AND SO THEY WEREN'T WEIGHING IT IN AS A TOP PRIORITY, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO -- BECAUSE TO DO THIS RIGHT WE DON'T WANT AT SOME POINT ELAPP CHARGING AT THIS PROJECT, SO I THINK WE NEED TO BRING ELAPP INTO THE CONVERSATION EARLY. IT MIGHT BE THAT WE DO GET A TWOFER. ELAPP HAS RESOURCES NOW THAT THEY CAN USE FOR OTHER PROJECTS BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE GUARANTEED, OR IT MIGHT BE THAT ELAPP SAYS, NO, WE ACTUALLY DO WANT TO BUY THIS, MAYBE WE COULD EVEN BUY IT FOR MORE THAN IT'S CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED BY PRIVATE BUYERS OR PRIVATE CONSERVATION BUYERS. I AM INTERESTED IN THE ACTUAL VALUE OF THIS LAND AND WHAT POTENTIALLY WE MIGHT RECEIVE FOR IT, BUT THAT'S NOT FOR DISCUSSION TODAY, BUT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I JUST -- I JUST -- I THINK THAT THE IDEA OF A COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THIS IS A GOOD IDEA. WE NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS ON THE COMMITTEE HE. FOR ME I KNOW I WILL SET THE BAR HIGH BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC LAND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO PERMANENTLY PROTECT THIS LAND IN A WAY THAT EVEN SOME OF OUR MOST SEVEREST CRITICS CAN AT LEAST SEE THAT THERE'S VALUE IN THIS, I THINK WE DO NEED TO EXAMINE IT, AND -- SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I WILL SUPPORT THIS MOTION AS IT STANDS. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND JUST TO CLARIFY OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT PRESENTING DOCUMENTATION AND A PROPOSAL -- I MEAN, FOR ME THIS SLIDE SHOW DOESN'T SATISFY THAT. WHAT I WOULD LIKE -- AND I'M GOING TO RELY ON THE INFORMATION THAT STAFF WOULD NEED, INCLUDING MS. FERNANDEZ IF SHE'S STILL INVOLVED WITH THIS, WHOEVER'S GOING TO BE OVERSEEING THIS FROM LEGAL AND OTHER STAFF DEPARTMENTS, I'M GOING TO RELY THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ASK FOR THE CORRECT DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO BEGIN INTELLIGENT DISCUSSIONS AROUND THIS. SO AS PART OF THAT MOTION, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DIRECT THIS -- THIS COLLECTION OF INFORMATION IS THROUGH THE STAFF AND THAT MR. JONES WORKS WITH OUR STAFF, SUBMIT ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION THAT STAFF ASKS FOR, AND THEN WHEN STAFF HAS RECEIVED ALL INFORMATION THAT THEY BELIEVE IS PERTINENT TO BEGIN DISCUSSIONS, THAT THEY SEND A MEMORANDUM TO EACH BOARD MEMBER AND A COPY OF THE INFORMATION AND THEN THAT INFORMATION IS ALSO RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC FOR INSPECTION. SO IF YOU WOULD INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF YOUR MOTION, I WOULD ACCEPT THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: NO PROBLEM. COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: DO YOU WANT TO REPEAT THAT MOTION? I'M CLEAR WITH IT, AND I WILL SECOND IT. I'VE HEARD SUPPORT, BUT I'LL OFFER THE SECOND ON THE MOTION. >>KEN HAGAN: THE WAY -- THE WAY IT'S SET RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO REFER IT OVER TO STAFF, WE'RE GOING TO CREATE AN ADVISORY PANEL THAT'S GOING TO WORK WITH STAFF, WITH FCEG AND THE TNC REVIEWING THIS CONCEPT AS WELL AS ALL THE ISSUES AND PARTNERSHIPS. AT OUR NEXT -- NOT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, AT THE JUNE 3rd BOARD MEETING, STAFF WILL COME BACK WITH THE NAMES OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE -- THAT WANT TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVES. WE'RE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY LIMIT IT TO ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS, ALTHOUGH THERE CERTAINLY SHOULD BE AN EMPHASIS ON THAT. STAFF SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE IN -- IN THE PANEL SOME SWFWMD, EPC, ELAPP ON THAT, AND WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE THIS GROUP TO RESPOND TO ALL REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION FROM OUR STAFF, AND ONCE OUR STAFF RECEIVES IT, WE'LL DISSEMINATE IT TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS AND MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR REVIEW AS WELL. >>KEVIN BECKNER: AND JUST TO -- JUST A SLIGHT ADD-ON, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S AT LEAST TEN DAYS BEFORE WE COMMENCE THE START OF MEETINGS. >>KEN HAGAN: WITHIN TEN DAYS OF THE FIRST MEETING. COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM, YOU'RE -- OKAY. >>AL HIGGINBOTHAM: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: THE QUESTION, WHERE I WAS GOING, THOUGH, THE CURRENT OWNERS OF THE LAND AND THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, IF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE -- IF WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT, IF AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE A FUTURE BOARD SITTING HERE, GOVERNMENT REVENUES ARE DECLINING, THERE'S A PANIC ALMOST, AND THERE'S A NEED TO RAISE DOLLARS, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR THAT -- IF THIS AGREEMENT WERE NOT PUT IN PLACE, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO -- TO PUT THAT PROPERTY UP FOR SALE FOR PRIVATE USE? >>PAT BEAN: IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF THE BOARD AGREED TO DO THAT. IT WOULD TAKE A BOARD AGREEMENT BECAUSE YOU'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE NORMAL DECLARATION OF SURPLUS PROPERTY, BUT THE -- NO MATTER WHAT, THE UTILITY HAS TO BE MADE WHOLE, AND -- >>MARK SHARPE: RIGHT. >>PAT BEAN: LET ME JUST MAKE, IF I COULD, ONE OTHER COMMENT. >>MARK SHARPE: BUT, I MEAN -- SO POTENTIALLY IF THIS WERE STRUCTURED CORRECTLY, IT COULD PROHIBIT THAT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE A NEW PLAN FOR THE LAND, SO THEY COULD NOT COME BACK TO A FUTURE BOARD AND SAY, LOOK, REVENUES ARE -- ARE -- OUR REVENUES ARE GONE, WE'RE IN DESPERATE NEED OF REVENUE, SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE SELL FOR THE BUILDING OF WHATEVER PROJECT IT MIGHT BE? THIS COULD POTENTIALLY -- AND I'M NOT TRYING TO -- TO -- TO RUN A BLOCKING MOTION FOR THIS PROJECT, BUT I'M JUST -- IN LISTENING TO IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS POTENTIALLY, IF DONE CORRECTLY, COULD PROVIDE PERMANENT PROTECTION; IS THAT CORRECT -- >>PAT BEAN: ASSUMING -- >>MARK SHARPE: -- POTENTIALLY? >>PAT BEAN: -- ALL THE THINGS WE'VE HEARD CAN BE PUT IN PLACE PROPERLY AND IF OUR LEGAL TEAM SAYS THAT'S TRUE -- I MEAN, TODAY IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR ME TO SAY THAT FOR SURE, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT BY ELAPP ACQUIRING IT, YOU DO THE SAME THING. >>MARK SHARPE: RIGHT. >>PAT BEAN: AND ELAPP HAS NOT MOVED FORWARD TO ACQUIRE THIS LAND SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO PRESERVE THE ELAPP DOLLARS TO BUY OTHER PROPERTIES BECAUSE THE COUNTY OWNS THIS LAND, BUT IF THE COUNTY WERE CONSIDERING -- >>MARK SHARPE: SELL IT. >>PAT BEAN: -- SELLING THE LAND, ELAPP COULD REQUEST TO BUY IT. >>JIM NORMAN: THE COUNTY DOESN'T OWN THIS LAND. >>MARK SHARPE: AND -- >>PAT BEAN: THE UTILITY DOES. >>MARK SHARPE: UTILITY. BUT HERE'S THE POINT, AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK THIS IS WHY THE BAR IS SET HIGH. SHOULD ELAPP -- AND THAT'S WHY I THINK ELAPP NEEDS TO WEIGH IN ON THIS AS WELL. SHOULD ELAPP LOOK AT THIS PROJECT AND SAY THEY OVER TIME HAVING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED ALL IMPLICATIONS OF ALL THE LANGUAGE OF THE DOCUMENT, THEY LOOK AT THIS AND SAY THIS ACTUALLY WORKS TO THE BENEFIT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY MAY COME BACK AND GO, BOARD, NOW THIS ALLOWS US TO USE REVENUE FOR OTHER -- IT IS POSSIBLE. THEY MAY COME BACK AND SAY NO, WE WANT TO BUY IT, IT COULD BE A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER THINGS, BUT MY POINT IS THIS COULD POTENTIALLY, IF DONE CORRECTLY, WORK, POTENTIALLY. THAT'S WHY I DO WANT ELAPP -- I WANT TO BE HAVING MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM MYSELF, BUT I THINK THEY NEED TO BE BROUGHT INTO THIS CONVERSATION. >>PAT BEAN: ABSOLUTELY. >>KEN HAGAN: AND COMMISSIONER FERLITA IS NEXT, BUT ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS COMMISSIONER NORMAN'S RIGHT, THE COUNTY DOESN'T OWN IT, IT'S THE WASTE AND WASTEWATER. THEY'RE AN ENTERPRISE SYSTEM WHICH, BY DEFINITION, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO OPERATE LIKE A BUSINESS, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SELF-SUSTAINING, AND YES, THEY'RE HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FINANCIALLY RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE NOT RECOMMENDING SELLING IT, BUT IF CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE TWO, FIVE, TEN YEARS FROM NOW, THEY RECOMMEND SELLING IT. THIS BOARD IS SUBJECT TO POTENTIALLY -- OR NOT THIS BOARD BUT A FUTURE BOARD WOULD BE SUBJECT TO POTENTIALLY MOVING TO SELL THE LAND. MY UNDERSTANDING WITH AN IRONCLAD CONSERVATION EASEMENT AGREEMENT ON THIS, IT PREVENTS FUTURE BOARDS FROM EVEN CONSIDERING DOING IT, AND THAT'S WHY, AGAIN, IT'S SO INTRIGUING AND WORTH AT LEAST LOOKING INTO FURTHER. COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU. AND I CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN LISTENING AND OBSERVING YOUR COMMENTS AND CONCERNS, AND I'M MUCH AT THE SAME POINT. PAT, YOUR LAST COMMENT WAS CORRECT IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT ELAPP WOULD TAKE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THIS. WE DON'T KNOW THAT. THERE ARE SO MANY UNKNOWNS IN THIS SITUATION. THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO ESTABLISH THIS COMMITTEE AND START ASKING AND DOING OUR OWN INVESTIGATING, AND RENEE, ONE OF MY FIRST QUESTIONS TO YOU WOULD BE WHETHER OR NOT A CLAUSE IN IT IN TERMS OF IN PERPETUITY, WOULD THERE BE ANY MECHANISM FOR FUTURE BOARDS TO OVERRIDE THAT IN PERPETUITY, AND I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT. THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGEABLE AREAS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLARIFY FOR US. MR. SHARPE JUST HAD SOME CONCERNS WHAT IF AND MAYBE THIS. ON THAT BOARD, OF COURSE, WE WOULD NEED GENERAL VANDERPLOOG, WE WOULD NEED SOME FINANCIAL COMPONENT, WE WOULD NEED A LEGAL COMPONENT, WE WOULD MAYBE NEED SOME REPRESENTATION FOR ELAPP FOR THEM TO UPDATE WHERE THEY ARE, WE WOULD NEED SOMEBODY FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT THIS AS A BUSINESS INVESTMENT, WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT SOMEBODY FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT IT AS A GOOD, HEALTHY PROPOSAL TO CONSIDER BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. SO WE DON'T -- HOPEFULLY, AS WE CREATE THIS BOARD, THE ONE THING THAT I HOPE WE DON'T DO IS STACK THE DECK IN EITHER SIDE. WE NEED TO BE COMPREHENSIVE, WE NEED TO INVOLVE PEOPLE THAT COME IN WITH DIFFERENT OPINIONS, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S THE CLARITY AND THE TRANSPARENCY THAT PEOPLE WANT FROM THE GET-GO, SO IF WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES AT THE TABLE AT THE BEGINNING, THAT'S GOOD IN TERMS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS AND ULTIMATE RECOMMENDATION OF THAT COMMITTEE. YOU KNOW, ACCIDENTALLY OR BY DESIGN SOMETIMES WHEN WE HAVE ISSUES LIKE THIS WE HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY THAT COMES OUT AND IS -- IS WEARY, AND SOMETIMES I DON'T BLAME YOU BECAUSE GOVERNMENT SOMETIMES IS NOT VERY TRANSPARENT, AND SO WE HAVE MAYBE IN SOME TIME -- IN SOME CASES EARNED YOUR DISTRUST OF US, SO THAT'S THE REASON PAUSE IS VERY NECESSARY HERE. WE DON'T REALLY NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE THE LINE OF DEMARCATION THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS A BUSINESS CONCEPT, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT CRUMBLES AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENT, AND THE REVERSE, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING FROM THE PROTECTION STANDPOINT OF ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH A GOOD BUSINESS DEAL AS WELL. SO THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT THIS BOARD HAS TO LOOK AT AS WE GO ALONG. LOOK AT ME, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN ENDORSED BY THE SIERRA CLUB OR ANYBODY ELSE, BUT ENVIRONMENTAL IS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, AND WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT PROTECTING OUR RESOURCES AS WE GO ABOUT DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, AND WHEN MY COLLEAGUES WERE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE WITH THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY INITIATIVE THAT I HAVE GOING WITH A GROUP, IT MADE ME REALIZE THAT ALTHOUGH THE COUNTY'S BEEN DOING A LOT OF GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, WE CAN CAPITALIZE ON THAT BY AVOIDED DEFORESTATION, CARBON CREDITS, CARBON CAPTURE, AND MONEY FOR THOSE CAP AND TRADES TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY, REALLY A VERY GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE, TO MAINTAIN OUR ELAP PROGRAMS, SO I COULD GO ON AND ON JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE HERE, BUT ALL I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT I GUESS DICK ECKENROD IN AN ARTICLE BY BILL VARIAN WITH THE TIMES -- AND WE ALL HAVE TO RESPECT HIM FOR WHAT HE'S DONE WITH THE TAMPA ESTUARY PROGRAM, AND HE'S BEING VERY OBJECTIVE, NOTHING ELSE BUT OBJECTIVE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO BE AT THIS POINT. DICK ECKENROD, THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TAMPA BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM, WHO REMAINS ACTIVE IN ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES, SAYS THE QUESTION FOR HIM IS WHETHER THIS PROPOSAL DOES MORE TO PRESERVE THE HABITAT THAN THE CURRENT OWNER IS DOING. I'M INTERESTED IN REALLY ANY CONCEPT THAT MIGHT LEAD -- MIGHT LEAD TOWARDS A MORE PERMANENT PROTECTION AND RESTORATION OF THE WILDLIFE HABIT -- HABITAT AND WATER RESOURCES OF THE PROPERTY. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT AT LEAST AT THIS POINT HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL AND IS WORTH A LOOK. WE HAVE TO HAVE A NEW MIND-SET THAT IF IN THE RIGHT SENSE AND WITH A LOT OF WORKING RELATIONSHIPS ENVIRONMENT CAN WORK WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY CAN WORK TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL ENDS, BUT WE ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT IN A POSITION TO TAKE A POSITION ON THIS TODAY. SO I THINK AS WE GO, YOU WILL HAVE -- YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY -- AND BOTH SIDES HAVE -- BOTH OF YOU-ALL HAVE MET WITH MYSELF AND MY OTHER COLLEAGUES. YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO LOBBY US ABOUT WHAT IF THIS AND WHAT IF THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS GOING TO BE ABOUT, HEALTHY DIALOGUE, DECISIONS BASED ON GOOD, OBJECTIVE INPUT, AND A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS BOARD AND NOT TO FEAR EITHER SIDE. IF THE BOARD RECOMMENDS SOMETHING, I LISTEN. THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN I AUTOMATICALLY RUBBER STAMP WHAT THEY GIVE ME, BUT IT'S A GOOD WORKING PROCESS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN OUTCOME THAT HELPS BOTH BUSINESS AND PROTECTS OUR ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT'S MY POSITION. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: REAL QUICKLY, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON WHAT COMMISSIONER HAGAN SAID TOWARDS PAT. PAT CLEARLY KNOWS THIS. THE COUNTY DOES NOT OWN THIS PROPERTY. THIS IS OWNED BY BONDHOLDERS, BONDHOLDERS THAT PURCHASED THIS TO RUN OUR WATER SYSTEM. THEREFORE, THIS IS WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION EARLIER, WHEN YOU -- WHEN THE SALE -- HYPOTHETICALLY THE SALE GOES DOWN, A FINANCE PERSON NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND TAX LAW, NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE IDEA OF ARE THE BONDHOLDERS JUST MADE WHOLE, DO THEY GET THE PROFITS, WHICH MEANS -- OR CAN WE CONVERT SOME OF THAT OVER TO LOWERING WATER RATES? I MEAN, ALL THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE REALLY UNDERSTOOD, WE NEED TO DO IT PROPERLY, AND THE REAL THING THAT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT IS THE REAL HARDCORE FIGURE PER YEAR WHEN IT GOES BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS GOING TO BE THAT INCOME EVERY YEAR WHEN THESE PEOPLE START PAYING TAXES? >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. MS. LEE, AND THEN WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE MOTION. >>RENEE LEE: OKAY. COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO SEVERAL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED TODAY, AND I THINK PROBABLY THE OVERREACHING QUESTION IS IS THIS DEAL DOABLE, AND I THINK SO. I THINK THAT WE HAVE PROBABLY THE BEST PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO LOOK TO THAT SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE SALE OF BABCOCK RANCH IN LEE AND CHARLOTTE COUNTIES. THERE'S A LOT TO BE LEARNED FROM THAT DEAL. THEY RESERVED TELEGRAPH SWAMP FOR THE WATER SUPPLY AND SOLD OFF THE REST TO A PRIVATE DEVELOPER. I WANTED TO ASK COMMISSIONER FERLITA FOR SOME CLARIFICATION WITH RESPECT TO THE COMMITTEE. YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WANTED LEGAL AND WATER AND FINANCE ON IT, AND MY VIEW OF IT WAS THAT THE STAFF WOULD SUPPORT - - WOULD BE A TECHNICAL TEAM TO THE ADVISORY BOARD, NOT SITTING ON THE BOARD ITSELF. WAS -- >>ROSE FERLITA: WELL, THEY DON'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE A TITLE AT THE -- AT THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE, BUT WE NEED INPUT FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE -- THEY'RE GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT. TECHNICAL SUPPORT, THAT'S FINE. MAYBE THAT'S WHERE WE GET INTO THAT -- WHAT IS IT, COMMISSIONER SHARPE, JOT AND TITTLE? I DON'T KNOW. BUT ANYWAY, I WANT THAT -- THAT OPEN COMMUNICATION WHERE YOU'VE GOT EXPERTISE IN THE LEGALITIES, WE HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE WHO CAN KNOW HOW TO STRUCTURE A DEAL THAT WORKS FOR BOTH AND GETS THE BEST BENEFIT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENT AND AT THE SAME TIME AWARDS SOME BUSINESS BENEFIT TO THE INVESTORS. I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT, BUT THEY NEED TO BE -- WELL, THE SAME THING THAT COMMISSIONER HAGAN DID WITH YOUR -- >>KEN HAGAN: THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST THINKING, MAYBE HAVING THE RESOURCE GROUP THAT KIND OF WORKS TOGETHER WITH THE GROUP, AND YOU CAN DECIDE THAT, BUT PERHAPS -- >>ROSE FERLITA: AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT STRUCTURE SO LONG AS WE HAVE INPUT FROM THE FRONT, AND I THINK HE'S ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT CONCERN OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST ONE TO BRING IT UP. WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO -- WHAT I WANT TO TRY TO AVOID IS NOT THIS -- THIS COMMITTEE SOMEPLACE BY ITSELF ISOLATED TALKING ABOUT, WELL, I'M ROSE'S REPRESENTATIVE, I WANT TO DO THIS BECAUSE SHE MIGHT WANT THIS AND SOMEBODY ELSE -- THAT MAKES NO SENSE, BUT I DON'T WANT ALSO TO WASTE TIME THAT THAT GROUP BY ITSELF ISOLATED COME BACK AND GIVE US OPINIONS AND THEN WE HAVE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN KIND OF DOING TODAY, WELL, RENEE, WHAT ABOUT THE LEGALITY, WHAT ABOUT THE PERPETUITY ISSUE, MIKE MERRILL, WHAT ABOUT THE FINANCIAL THING, ERIC, WEIGH IN ON THIS. I WANT THAT TO BE WORKING IN CONCERT SO WE HAVE A REASONABLE DECISION, A REASONABLE OUTCOME, AND THEN WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH WHATEVER'S BEST FOR THE WHOLE PROCESS, SO, I MEAN, IT IS MR. HAGAN'S MOTION, SO HOWEVER HE WANTS TO DO THAT SO LONG AS THOSE ENTITIES ARE REPRESENTED, I'M FINE WITH WHATEVER THAT STRUCTURE IS. >>KEN HAGAN: JUST BRING THAT BACK AT THE JUNE 4th MEETING WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON HOW YOU WANT TO TAILOR THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS. >>MARK SHARPE: MATTHEW 5:18, JOT AND TITTLE. [LAUGHTER] WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY COMMISSIONER HAGAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 7-0. >>ROSE FERLITA: COMMISSIONER SHARPE, I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART, BUT I'M STARTING TO HAVE SOME CONCERNS. [LAUGHTER] >>KEN HAGAN: FOR A SECOND I THOUGHT RONDA STORMS WAS SITTING BACK HERE, YOU KNOW. OKAY. I BELIEVE WE HAVE A -- >>PAT BEAN: WE HAVE A 10:30 TIME ITEM, F-5, WHICH IS A SPECIAL PRESENTATION BY DR. STEPHEN KLASKO, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE USF HEALTH COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. HERE COMES DR. KLASKO. >>KEN HAGAN: WELCOME, DR. KLASKO. APOLOGIZE FOR THE -- FOR THE DELAY. >> WELL, LISTEN, I'M AN OBGYN, SO I'M SURE I'VE MADE MANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WAIT ALSO, SO YOU'RE JUST GETTING BACK AT ME. [LAUGHTER] >>JIM NORMAN: NOT EVERYBODY. [LAUGHTER] >> YOU'D BE SURPRISED, COMMISSIONER NORMAN. [LAUGHTER] GOOD NEWS IS I'M NOT -- I'M NOT REALLY ASKING FOR ANYTHING, I'M NOT ASKING TO PRESERVE OR NOT PRESERVE ANYTHING. I AM ASKING YOU, THOUGH, TO THINK ABOUT THE ENORMOUS CHANGES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN HEALTH CARE AND LIFE SCIENCES AND -- AND HOW HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CAN PARTNER WITH USF AND USF HEALTH TO EFFECTUATE SOME OF THOSE CHANGES AND BE A LEADER AMONG SOME OF THOSE CHANGES. MY AH-HA MOMENT CAME REALLY IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS. ONE WAS IN DECEMBER I WAS ASKED TO LEAD A PANEL ABOUT THE EFFECT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S HEALTH CARE REFORM ON THE CAPITAL MARKETS AT NASDAQ IN NEW YORK, AND WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT PANEL WAS THAT CLEARLY THERE WAS GOING TO BE CONSOLIDATION IN LIFE SCIENCES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND CLEARLY THERE WERE GOING TO BE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS, AND THE HAVES WERE GOING TO BE PARTLY PREDICATED BASED ON WHAT COMMUNITIES HAD DONE TO ORGANIZE THEIR HEALTH CARE AROUND WHETHER IT'S ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS, HOSPITALS, CANCER CENTERS WORKING TOGETHER. AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS HONORED ENOUGH TO BE PLACED ON THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ECONOMIC STIMULUS TASK FORCE AND RECOGNIZE THAT LIFE SCIENCES WILL CLEARLY BE ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE WILL DIFFERENTIATE OURSELVES AND STARTED TO PUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER. WHAT I'D LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU IS THREE BOLD APPROVALS AND STATEMENTS THAT USF HEALTH AND THE BOARD OF USF -- OF USF AND PRESIDENT GENSHAFT HAVE MOVED FORWARD AND JUST GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT'S HELPED AND DONE FOR THE COUNTY, INCLUDING WHAT HAS RESULTED IN 45 DIFFERENT COMPANIES OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS TALKING TO US ABOUT THESE INITIATIVES. NOW, THE FIRST THING THAT WE NEEDED TO DO -- I ARRIVED HERE IN 2004 FROM PHILADELPHIA. FIRST THING WE NEEDED TO DO IS TO LOOK AT USF HEALTH AS ITSELF BECAUSE BEFORE WE COULD BE A HUB OR A PARTNER FOR A HUB AND SPOKE SYSTEM, WE NEEDED TO DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY. 2004 WE WERE A VERY GOOD MEDICAL SCHOOL, PREDOMINANTLY TRAINING DOCTORS THAT WOULD GO ON AND BECOME PHYSICIANS IN FLORIDA. WE WERE NOT AN ENTREPRENEURIAL OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MEDICAL SCHOOL. WE ALSO HAD THE DISEASE THAT A LOT OF ACADEMIC ENTITIES HAVE OF NOT NECESSARILY GETTING ALONG WITH OTHER COLLEGES, SO WE CREATED SOMETHING CALLED USF HEALTH. AND WE'RE ONE OF THE FIRST MEDICAL SCHOOLS, HEALTH SCIENCE CENTERS IN THE COUNTRY TO DO THIS WHERE WE PUT MEDICINE, NURSING, PUBLIC HEALTH, PHYSICAL THERAPY, AND OUR NEW SCHOOL OF PHARMACY INTO AN ENTITY. NOW, LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT THAT DOES BECAUSE WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT HEALTH FROM A VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. SO WHILE A HOSPITAL CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT WALK INTO THEIR WALLS GET CERTAIN TESTS OR I CAN TELL YOU AS A PHYSICIAN HOW MANY PEOPLE WALK INTO OUR OFFICE, WE CAN TELL YOU THROUGH ALL THESE COLLEGES WORKING TOGETHER THROUGH OUR EFFORTS HOW MANY AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES ARE GETTING PROSTATE EXAMS TODAY VERSUS WHAT THEY WERE GETTING THREE YEARS AGO, AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES AND THE DECISIONS YOU'LL HAVE TO MAKE AS FAR AS HEALTH CARE VALUE, YOU CAN SEE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS. WE -- WE SET ACROSS A COURSE OF ACTION LOOKING FOR FIVE DIFFERENT THINGS, NATIONAL PROMINENCE, CREATIVE EDUCATIONAL MODELS, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT MEANS, WE'RE THE FIRST MEDICAL SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY THAT REQUIRES EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS TO TAKE A MINOR. AND THAT MINOR CAN BE IN BUSINESS, THAT MINOR CAN BE IN PUBLIC HEALTH, THAT MINOR CAN BE IN LAW -- WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH STETSON UNIVERSITY -- THAT MINOR CAN BE AN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING FOR HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS, THAT MINOR CAN BE IN CANCER BIOLOGY. WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT WHAT WE CALL AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ACADEMIC MODEL, AND TRADITIONALLY THOSE WERE TWO WORDS THAT WEREN'T OFTEN USED TOGETHER, AND WE'VE LOOKED AT TRUE COLLABORATIONS. SO OUR BOARD EMBRACED A VISION OVER THIS LAST YEAR WHERE USF HEALTH WILL WORK WITH OTHERS TO TRANSFORM THE HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND GREATER TAMPA BAY BY CREATING NEW MODELS OF PATIENT CARE, NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, AND BY PARTNERING WITH HOSPITALS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. AND THERE'S REALLY THREE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THIS. ONE IS -- AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS -- MAINTAINING, IN SOME CASES ENHANCING, OUR CURRENT AFFILIATES LIKE TAMPA GENERAL, ALL CHILDREN'S, MOFFITT, JAMES HALEY, AND MORTON PLANT; FINDING NEW CAPITAL AND OPERATIONAL PARTNERS; AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, EXPANDING THE CLINICAL HEALTH CARE, RESEARCH, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN NORTH TAMPA ON THE USF CAMPUS WITH A STRATEGICALLY ALIGNED HOSPITAL PARTNER. IN TWO SEPARATE AREAS, ESPECIALLY NEUROSCIENCE AND DIABETES, I JUST WANT TO SPEND A MINUTE TALKING ABOUT WHY WE CHOSE THOSE. DIABETES IS A GREAT EXAMPLE. WE HAVE $400 MILLION WORTH OF NIH FUNDING IN DIABETES, SO WE DIRECT MOST OF THE CLINICAL RESEARCH IN DIABETES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, YET NONE OF IT STAYS HERE IN TAMPA, NONE OF IT STAYS HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A HOSPITAL WITH A COORDINATED PRACTICE THAT CAN LITERALLY DO THAT KIND OF CLINICAL RESEARCH ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF DIABETES. THAT CAN HAPPEN IN SHANDS IN JACKSONVILLE, AT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA -- SHANDS IN GAINESVILLE AT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, THAT CAN HAPPEN AT JACKSONVILLE MEMORIAL IN MIAMI. WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF COORDINATED PARTNERSHIP AMONG USF AND OUR HOSPITALS AT THIS TIME. AND THE SECOND IS THE NEUROSCIENCES FOR THE SIMPLE REASON OF WE HAVE BROUGHT CHAIRS AND RESEARCHERS IN NEUROSCIENCES AT A LEVEL REALLY THAT DOESN'T EXIST ANYPLACE ELSE IN FLORIDA, AND IT'S BEEN ACTUALLY CAPPED BY THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE DECISION TO PUT BYRD AS AN INSTITUTE OF USF. SO WE NOW HAVE THE BYRD ALZHEIMER'S CENTER, WE HAVE THE CENTER FOR AGING AND BRAIN REPAIR, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST FEDERALLY FUNDED CENTERS, AND WE HAVE A HUGE CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE COMPONENT. THIS JUST IS A SLIDE LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, ESPECIALLY AROUND HIGH-INCOME JOBS AND INVESTMENTS IN NEW PHYSICIANS, AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS NOT MY SLIDE. THIS SLIDE COMES FROM COLUMBUS, OHIO, FROM THE CEO OF THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER WHO WON AN AWARD FOR BEING THE LARGEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENGINE IN COLUMBUS, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PLACES THAT HAVE DONE THAT LIKE COLUMBUS THROUGH OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER; BIRMINGHAM THROUGH UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM; PITTSBURGH THROUGH UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH MEDICAL CENTER; DAVIS, CALIFORNIA, THROUGH UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS, AND YOU LOOK AT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND TAMPA BAY AND HOW MUCH MORE WE HAVE TO GIVE, THE ONLY THING MISSING IS THAT COORDINATED APPROACH. IN EACH OF THOSE AREAS, IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT, YOU'LL SEE THE ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER AS THE HUB. EVEN IN FLORIDA, IF YOU LOOK AT GAINESVILLE AT, SAY, SHANDS HOSPITAL AT UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, WE HAVE FINE HOSPITALS, WE HAVE FINE HOSPITALS THAT WE WORK WITH, BUT ALL OF THOSE ARE SEPARATE ENTITIES. SO WE LOOKED AT FIRST THE THINGS THAT WE COULD CONTROL, AND THE FIRST THING THAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS TRANSFORM AMBULATORY CARE. THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO GET A MAMMOGRAM FROM THE TIME YOU GET THE MAMMOGRAM, GET THE RESULTS IN THIS STATE IS 9.2 DAYS. ONLY 45% OF WOMEN THAT GET -- THAT NEED MAMMOGRAMS GET THEM, AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON -- I WAS ON THE GOVERNOR'S TASK FORCE -- IS BECAUSE OF THE AVAILABILITY. SOMEBODY COMES IN, THEY TAKE A HALF DAY OFF, THEY FINALLY SEE THEIR DOCTOR, THEY SAY, WOW, YOU REALLY NEED A MAMMOGRAM; PATIENT SAYS, OKAY, I FINALLY GOT A HALF DAY OFF, CAN I GET ONE TODAY; NO, OF COURSE NOT, THERE'S A SIX- WEEK WAIT, AND BY THE WAY, IT'S NOT HERE, IT'S OVER THERE. AND THEN YOU GET INTO ALL THE QUALITY AND SAFETY ISSUES OF NINE DAYS AND FAXES. WE BUILT TWO CENTERS, ONE ON TAMPA GENERAL'S CAMPUS AND ONE ON OUR CAMPUS THAT LITERALLY GUARANTEES SAME DAY RESULTS, AND WE'VE NOW WORKED WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND TO SHOW THE EFFECTS OF THAT. SO IN ESSENCE, WHAT WE HAVE DONE ON OUR OWN WITH PRIVATE HELP IS CREATE $140-MILLION WORTH OF AMBULATORY ASSETS. IN THE TAMPA GENERAL CASE -- SIGNIFICANTLY WITH TAMPA GENERAL'S HELP IN THE ONE ON OUR CAMPUS, CAROL AND FRANK MORSANI WERE THE LARGEST ENDOWERS, AND WE NOW HAVE A TRULY ONE-STOP SHOPPING SERVICE LINE APPROACH WHERE PATIENTS COME IN, WE KNOW WHAT THEY NEED BEFORE THEY GET HERE BASED ON AN ON-LINE QUESTIONNAIRE, THEY GET ALL THEIR TESTS, ALL THE RESULTS THE SAME DAY, AND I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME AND SEE THAT BECAUSE IT REALLY IS A PRETTY AMAZING ENTITY AS FAR AS QUALITY AND SAFETY. NONE OF OUR DOCTORS ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE PENS BECAUSE IT'S ALL ELECTRONIC, SO WE LITERALLY, IF YOU GET AN X-RAY OR MRI AT OUR MORSANI CENTER AND HAPPEN TO BE SEEING SOMEBODY IN ST. PETERSBURG, 15 SECONDS LATER THAT PERSON KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WAS DONE AT THE NORTH CENTER. AND THEN OUR BOARD APPROVED ALONG WITH THE GREAT SUPPORT FROM PRESIDENT GENSHAFT TWO AMAZING ENTITIES THAT WE'VE NOW STARTED AND HAVE NOW CREATED A HUGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS COUNTY. THE FIRST IS SIMULATION, AND LET ME JUST FRAME THIS. HEALTH CARE MEDICINE IS THE ONLY TECHNICAL DISCIPLINE THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE AS PRACTITIONERS TO HAVE THEIR TECHNICAL COMPETENCE ASSESSED. THAT'S A SCARY THOUGHT, BUT I STILL DO LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY, MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY. I WILL HAVE TO GET MY DRIVER'S LICENSE PHYSICALLY TESTED IN FLORIDA BEFORE SOMEBODY WILL TEST ME AGAIN SINCE 1984 PUTTING A LAPAROSCOPE INTO AN ABDOMEN. WELL, CLEARLY THAT'S CHANGING, AND WE AT USF AND HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WE ARE LEADING THAT EFFORT. WE HAVE OUR FIRST CENTER FOR ADVANCED MEDICAL LEARNING AND SIMULATION AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL, AND WE HAVE A PROPOSAL TO BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE 55,000-SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY WITH HOTEL AND CONCESSION PARTNERSHIP TO INCLUDE A VIRTUAL HOSPITAL, SURGICAL SKILL LAB, RESEARCH CENTER, AND PRODUCT ACCELERATION CENTER. WE HAVE SIX MOUs WITH COMPANIES THAT INCLUDE STRIKER, INCLUDE DA VINCI, INCLUDE UNITED AIRLINES BECAUSE UNITED AIRLINES IS LOOKING AT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AS ITS FIRST FORAY, TAKING FLIGHT SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY INTO MEDICINE BECAUSE UNLIKE PILOTS, IF A DOCTOR HAS A PROBLEM TECHNICALLY, THERE'S NO WAY TO TEST HIM, SO WE WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES IN THE COUNTRY THAT'S ABLE TO DO THIS. THIS WILL MAKE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION FOR HEALTH CARE SIMULATION TRAINING. IT WILL BE A MAJOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE ARE -- THIS MIGHT COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE, BUT WE'RE THE THIRD LARGEST PURVEYOR OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTRY RIGHT HERE THROUGH A SEPARATE PART OF USF HEALTH CALLED HILLSBOROUGH PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCING CORPORATION. THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS IS LIMITLESS, AND WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT THREE DIFFERENT SITES. IT IS THE UNIVERSITY'S NUMBER ONE STIMULUS PROJECT, AND WE ARE ALSO TALKING TO FOLKS FROM THE STATE THROUGH THEIR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO HELP US. THE SECOND -- THE SECOND ONE THAT -- THAT OUR BOARD ENDORSED IS SOMETHING CALLED PAPER-FREE TAMPA BAY, AND THIS CAME OUT VERY SIMPLY. PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS SAID EVERY SINGLE PHYSICIAN WILL HAVE AN ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD BY 2015. THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S NOT EVEN BEEN ONE COUNTY OR ONE CITY THAT HAS PROVEN THAT THEY CAN DO THAT YET, SO WE CREATED A PROOF OF CONCEPT TO CREATE A CURRICULUM DEPLOYMENT AND EVALUATION METHODOLOGY TO, IN ESSENCE, CREATE ELECTRONIC HEALTH CARE AMBASSADORS. THE BEST WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IS THAT WE WILL GO INTO EVERY DOCTOR'S OFFICE FOR FREE IN THIS TEN-COUNTY AREA STARTING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WHICH IS WHERE WE'LL START THIS SUMMER, AND PROVIDE THE PRIMER COAT OF PAINT FOR ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS. WE DON'T CARE WHETHER THEY THEN PAINT IT RED OR BLUE OR USE EPIC OR ALLSCRIPTS, BUT WE'LL CREATE THE PRIMER COAT OF PAINT. WE'LL USE E-PRESCRIBING, WE'LL OFFER THAT SOFTWARE FOR FREE, WE'LL HIRE AND TRAIN A WORKFORCE OF E-HEALTH AMBASSADORS, WE'LL HEIGHTEN CONSUMER AND PRACTITIONER AWARENESS, WE'LL DO ADS SO IF FOLKS RECOGNIZE IF THEY GET A SCRIBBLED PRESCRIPTION THAT THEY CAN'T READ, IT'S POSSIBLE THE PHARMACIST CAN'T READ IT ALSO, AND WE WILL START TAMPA BAY IN THE REVOLUTION TOWARD INDEPENDENCE FROM THESE CLUTTERED MEDICAL RECORDS. JUST TO TELL YOU WHAT THAT HAS MEANT, EVEN IN IT'S OPENING STAGES -- AND I'LL HAND THESE OUT. THIS IS FROM MARCH 14th, TIME MAGAZINE, TAMPA BAY IS STAGING A REVOLUTION. RESIDENTS, MARK YOUR CALENDARS. IT BEGINS ON MONDAY IN YOUR DOCTOR'S OFFICE. THE CITY IS ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE THAT ON MONDAY ITS MAYOR, REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS, AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS WILL LAUNCH A NEW EFFORT TO MAKE HEALTH RECORDS COMPLETELY PAPER-FREE, AND IT GOES THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING. IT SAYS, THAT'S JUST THE START. THE PAPER-FREE TAMPA INITIATIVE AIMS TO CHANGE COMPLETELY THE WAY DOCTOR'S PRESCRIBE AND PRACTICE MEDICINE BY DIGITIZING THE ENTIRE MEDICAL RECORDKEEPING PROCESS. WE HAVE HAD FOLKS LIKE FORMER SPEAKER NEWT GINGRICH SAY ALLSCRIPTS AND USF HEALTH TRULY ARE NATIONAL PIONEERS IN CREATING A PAPER-FREE ELECTRONIC HEALTH SYSTEM. THEIR PROGRAM, PAPER-FREE TAMPA BAY, WHICH WILL INCENTIVIZE TAMPA BAY PHYSICIANS TO MIGRATE TOWARD BEST PRACTICES IN E- PRESCRIBING AND MOVE THEM DOWN THE ROAD TO A FULL ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SHOULD SERVE AS A MODEL FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AND WE'VE HAD LOCAL FOLKS LIKE DR. DALTON, WHO'S BEEN A MAJOR PARTNER IN THIS, SAY THINGS LIKE, INITIATIVES SUCH AS TOTAL CANCER CARE AND PAPER-FREE TAMPA BAY PUT TAMPA BAY AND FLORIDA ON THE FOREFRONT OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS. THESE EFFORTS WILL MAKE MOFFITT, USF HEALTH, AND THE COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS IN THE AREA OF QUALITY, SAFETY, AND TECHNOLOGY, BUT THEY ALSO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION. WE HAVE HAD OVER 35 COMPANIES FROM OUTSIDE OF FLORIDA COME AND ASK TO PARTNER AND INVEST IN PAPER-FREE TAMPA BAY. I'VE ALSO COME TO LEARN MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN THAT YOU HAVE A MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION THAT'S AN EXPERT IN THIS THAT I HAVE NOT ACCESSED YET, ROSE FERLITA, AND I PLAN ON DOING THAT VERY SHORTLY. AND THEN THE FINAL PIECE THAT THE PRESIDENT AND OUR BOARD APPROVED -- AND I JUST WANT TO SPEND A MINUTE TALKING ABOUT THIS -- IS THAT ON FEBRUARY 26th, THEY ENDORSED PRESIDENT GENSHAFT AND THE USF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE TO SEARCH FOR STRATEGIC OPTIONS FOR CLINICAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONAL AND/OR NATIONAL HOSPITAL SYSTEMS OR ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS. THIS PARTNERSHIP WILL BE A CAPITAL AND OPERATIONAL ONE AND WILL INCLUDE ALL ASPECTS OF THE USF CLINICAL ENTERPRISE, MORSANI PRACTICE GROUP, HOSPITAL, AND CLINICAL RESEARCH ACTIVITY. AND THE NOTE THAT I WROTE TO OUR FACULTY ABOUT THIS IS THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS READY FOR A FUTURE IN WHICH THE UNIVERSITY IS THE HUB FOR ELEVATING HEALTH CARE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FULL SPECTRUM OF HEALTH. I AM PROUD OF OUR FACULTY AND STAFF WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO BE LEADERS AS OPPOSED TO FOLLOWERS IN THE HEALTH REVOLUTION BASED ON QUALITY, SAFETY, AND TECHNOLOGY. THIS AFFIRMATION OF YOUR HARD WORK BY OUR PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES PAVES THE WAY FOR YOU TO BE PART OF AN EXCITING ACADEMIC HEALTH CENTER WHICH BRINGS [INCOMPREHENSIBLE] TO USF AND THE TAMPA BAY COMMUNITY. SO THE IMPERATIVE THAT I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO ENDORSE BUT TO AT LEAST RECOGNIZE, AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS IS, THAT -- THIS IS JUST A COMMENT FROM THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ECONOMIC STIMULUS TASK FORCE -- IS THAT A GOOD PART OF THE KEY TO OUR ECONOMIC SUCCESS IS LEVERAGING THE ASSETS OF USF HEALTH AND MOFFITT AS THE HUB OF A LIFE SCIENCES INITIATIVE. THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT USF HEALTH AND MOFFITT ARE THE ONLY DRIVERS OR ECONOMIC DRIVERS FOR HEALTH CARE IN THIS REGION, BUT IN EVERY SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY -- AGAIN, THE PLACES LIKE BIRMINGHAM, PITTSBURGH, DAVIS, COLUMBUS, OHIO, THAT HAS MADE LIFE SCIENCES A DRIVER, THERE HAS BEEN AN IDENTIFIABLE ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER. IF YOU GO ALONG FOWLER AVENUE NOW, YOU'LL SEE LOTS OF BILLBOARDS, YOU'LL SEE TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL BILLBOARDS, YOU'LL SEE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL BILLBOARDS, YOU'LL SEE ST. JOE'S BILLBOARDS. YOU WON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE TEACHING COMPONENT OR THE COMPONENT FOR USF HEALTH. WE WANT TO BE, IN ESSENCE, THE INTEL INSIDE FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO BE ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF AN ACADEMIC HEALTH CARE CENTER, AND I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MORE AND MORE ABOUT THAT, ESPECIALLY AROUND NEUROSCIENCE AND DIABETES. IF YOU THINK ABOUT A MOFFITT OF NEUROSCIENCE AND A MOFFITT OF DIABETES AS WELL AS A MOFFITT OF CANCER ON OUR CAMPUS OR AROUND OUR CAMPUS AND WHAT THAT WILL BRING TO THE REGION AND HOW USF HEALTH IS NOW PREPARED AND I BELIEVE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS PREPARED TO BE THAT KIND OF DRIVER, I THINK IT GETS VERY, VERY, VERY EXCITING. AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY AS A COUNTY OR AS USF HEALTH TO STAND STILL EVEN IF YOU LOOK IN FLORIDA. I HAPPENED TO BE ASKED TO COME TO THE DINNER BEFORE THE GE SHAREHOLDERS MEETING WHICH HAPPENED TO BE IN ORLANDO, AND THE MAYOR OF ORLANDO AND THE COMMISSIONER OR ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF ORANGE COUNTY, I GUESS, BASICALLY TALKED ABOUT THE HUB THEY ARE BUILDING IN LAKE NONA THAT WILL BE BUILT AROUND UCF, AND BURNHAM WILL BE BUILT AROUND UCF AND THE HOSPITALS WILL WORK WITH THE UCF TO BUILD A HOSPITAL ON THEIR CAMPUS AND HOW THIS IS GOING TO BECOME ONE OF THE INTERNATIONAL HUBS. SO CLEARLY WE HAVE SUCH A HEAD START IN THAT AREA WITH ALL THE GREAT HOSPITALS WE HAVE HERE, WITH WHAT USF HEALTH HAS BEEN ABLE TO BECOME, WITH WHAT PRESIDENT GENSHAFT HAS DONE WITH USF FROM A NATIONAL -- AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION POINT OF VIEW. WE HAVE EVEN PLACES AS FAR AWAY AS PANAMA AND THAILAND INVESTING IN WHAT WE'RE DOING AT USF HEALTH, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP, WITH THE STATE'S LEADERSHIP, WITH THE KIND OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK WITH BRINGING BYRD ALZHEIMER'S CENTER UNDER USF THAT USF WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW THE LEADERSHIP THAT IT CAN BE THE HUB ALONG WITH MOFFITT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT REALLY PUTS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OUT THERE ON BOTH A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BASIS. THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, DR. KLASKO. COMMISSIONER SHARPE. >>MARK SHARPE: DEAN KLASKO, I WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN. NO ONE CAN ACCUSE YOU OF STANDING STILL. I KNOW YOU MOVE CONSTANTLY AND YOU'VE GOT GREAT IDEAS, AND THE -- THE -- THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE, NOT JUST IN THE USF AREA BUT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, TO COMPLETELY REMAKE OUR ECONOMIC FOUNDATION, TO TRANSFORM HOW WE PROVIDE HEALTH CARE, THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE ARE ENORMOUS, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO CREATE GROWTH IN OUR COUNTY OR IN OUR STATE, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT HEALTH CARE IS GOING TO BE THE DRIVER. IT'S THE ONLY INDUSTRY SINCE 2002 THAT HAS CREATED ANY NET JOBS IN AMERICA. YOU TALKED ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH MEDICAL CENTER. I HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH -- I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS DR. ROMOFF -- >> YEP. >>MARK SHARPE: -- AND PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. THAT IS -- AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AN $8-BILLION NOW ECONOMIC ENGINE, OVER 55,000 JOBS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH. >> AND THE GREAT PART OF THAT EXAMPLE, COMMISSIONER SHARPE, AIR EXACTLY RIGHT, IN THE '80s, THEY HAD PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL AND UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. YOU KNOW, PRESBYTERIAN VERY SIMILAR TO TAMPA GENERAL, SOME OF THE GREAT HOSPITALS HERE. UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH COLLEGE OF MEDICINE NUMBER 75 OR 80 MEDICAL SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY. THEY NOW HAVE A 17-HOSPITAL CONGLOMERATE UNDER THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH MEDICAL CENTER FLAG THAT NOW HAS RESULTED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH COLLEGE OF MEDICINE BEING SIX OR SEVEN IN THE COUNTRY, AND AS YOU SAID, 55,000 JOBS WITH A NET ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF BILLIONS. AND YOU TAKE SOME OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND PAPER-FREE TAMPA BAY, AROUND SIMULATION, AND YOU TAKE THE ASSETS THAT OUR HOSPITALS HAVE, KIND OF THING WE DID WITH THE SIMULATION CENTER AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL, AND YOU START TO SEE WHERE IF WE CAN COORDINATE THAT WHERE THERE'S NO REASON PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, SHOULD BE BEATING US OUT. >>MARK SHARPE: WELL, ABSOLUTELY. AND I'VE BEEN SAYING AT LENGTH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS AND MASS TRANSIT -- AND I DON'T WANT TO GET YOU WRAPPED INTO THAT AT THIS TIME. >> THANKS. >>MARK SHARPE: BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS AT STRAWBERRY RIDGE LAST NIGHT TALKING TO A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION. 840 HOMES. I WENT TO SUN CITY NOT TOO LONG AGO TO TALK WITH THEM. ANY TIME YOU START TALKING ABOUT TREATMENTS AND DIABETES, WHETHER IT'S CANCER, ALZHEIMER'S, THE BYRD CENTER, THEY'LL TELL YOU, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE AREA. WE JUST HAVE A HARD TIME DRIVING THERE, FINDING THE PARKING, AND WHATNOT. THE OPPORTUNITY TO ULTIMATELY CREATE A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK THAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TREATMENTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AT USF, I THINK, WILL BE WHAT DRIVES THE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR BUT IN A QUALITY WAY, AND SO RATHER THAN FOCUSING ALL OF OUR HOPES ON A RETAIL CENTER TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY, WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING IS DEVELOPING ACTUAL INDUSTRY WHICH WILL THEN ENCOURAGE RETAIL TO COME. BUT DON'T WANT TO GET YOU TIED INTO THAT DEBATE. I JUST WANT TO SAY I REALLY DEEPLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING TO -- TO MAKE USF SUCH A RECOGNIZED PRESENCE IN THE MEDICAL FIELD, AND I WOULD ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP WE SHOULD DO, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH TAMPA GENERAL. I UNDERSTAND THEY'VE -- I'VE TALKED WITH THEM, AND THEY -- THEY ARE -- THEY COULD BE VERY IMPORTANT PARTNERS IN THIS EFFORT, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON THE SIMULATION FACILITY THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. I THINK THIS CAMEL'S FACILITY COULD BE FANTASTIC, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU ARE JUST TIRELESSLY TRYING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CARE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER SHARPE. AND THE ONLY THING I'D LIKE TO JUST ADD -- >>KEN HAGAN: LET'S GO QUICKLY, DR. KLASKO. >> THE OTHER PIECE IS THE VALUE OF EXPENSIVE HEALTH CARE ALSO, THAT AS WE START TO GET PUBLIC HEALTH AND NURSING AND PHARMACY ALL INVOLVED AND PUTTING THEM TOGETHER, THAT CREATES A REAL DECREASE IN THE EXPENSE SIDE OF THE EQUATION. >>MARK SHARPE: THANK YOU, SIR. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER FERLITA. >>ROSE FERLITA: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I OBVIOUSLY HAVE GIVEN SOME OF MY TIME TO MARK, SO I'LL MAKE THIS PRETTY SHORT. BOTH FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT BY YOUR LEADERSHIP, DR. KLASKO, AND THE QUALITY OF OUR HEALTHCARE -- AS A PHARMACIST, I MEAN, I'M ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATIVE, AND THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >>ROSE FERLITA: AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, AND OF COURSE I'M PREJUDICED IN THIS REGARD, THAT BRINGING THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA'S COLLEGE OF PHARMACY ON THE CAMPUS JUST GOES FULL CIRCLE. IT WAS A PLEASURE WORKING WITH PRESIDENT GENSHAFT, KATHY BETANCOURT, AND DR. SNEAD AND SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE TO LOBBY THE LEGISLATURE. >> AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT. >>ROSE FERLITA: APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO EVERY SINGLE DAY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >>KEN HAGAN: THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. OKAY. MS. BEAN. >>PAT BEAN: YES. MR. CHAIR, OUR NEXT PRESENTATION IS A PRESENTATION, E-1, BY WIT OSTRENKO, PRESIDENT OF MOSI TO ANNOUNCE THE NAME OF THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2009 NATIONAL HISPANIC SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO TOUCH ON THE OTHER ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER THIS MORNING. >>KEN HAGAN: AND WE NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY ON THIS, AND THEN OUR NEXT ITEM WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE UNTIL 1:30, THAT'S CORRECT, THE -- >>PAT BEAN: THE AUDIT REPORT ITEM ON SOLID WASTE WILL BE DEFERRED UNTIL 1:30. >>KEN HAGAN: AND AS WELL AS THE BUDGET REPORT, WE'LL DO THAT IN THE AFTERNOON SESSION AS WELL. >>PAT BEAN: THE BUDGET REPORT WILL FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY AFTER DAN KLEIN DOES HIS REPORT AT 1:30. >> I PROMISE THIS WILL BE QUICK. WIT OSTRENKO, PRESIDENT OF MOSI. IT'S GREAT TO FOLLOW DR. STEVE KLASKO BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE UNIVERSITY ON OUR -- THE AMAZING YOU EXHIBITION, AND THAT'S A NATIONAL PROGRAM, AND SO IS THE NATIONAL HISPANIC SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR PROGRAM. IT'S BEEN A SUCCESSFUL RUN FOR EIGHT YEARS NOW WHERE WE REALLY INFLUENCE NOT ONLY HISPANIC KIDS BUT ALL KIDS INTO CAREERS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS, AND YES, EVEN IN THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSION. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO DR. -- DR. -- I MADE YOU A DOCTOR ALREADY -- DR. CARLOS DEL CASTILLO, VICE PRESIDENT OF BRIGHT HOUSE, WHO'S BEEN OUR TITLE SPONSOR FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS OF THIS PROGRAM. CARLOS. >>KEN HAGAN: WELCOME, SIR. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WHAT -- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMISSIONER, GOOD MORNING. IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU. I DID NOT KNOW I HAD ATTAINED A MEDICAL DEGREE, BUT I'LL TAKE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS IS A VERY WILLING CONTRIBUTOR TO THE COMMUNITY IN DONATING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE COMMUNITY IN KIND AND VOLUNTEERS AND PSAs AND WIT'S FAVORITE, CASH. I WILL TELL YOU THAT BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS IS THE PROUD SPONSOR OF THE NATIONAL HISPANIC SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR A COUPLE KEY REASONS SPECIFICALLY. THE IMPACT OF HAVING POSITIVE MESSAGES, POSITIVE ROLE MODELS, POSITIVE MENTORS IN THE HISPANIC HOUSEHOLDS IS KEY TO PRODUCING THE NATIONWIDE DROPOUT RATE OF 32%. I CAN TELL YOU FIRSTHAND THAT HAVING A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL IN A HOUSEHOLD IS KEY. IT PAID OFF FOR ME FROM THE STANDPOINT OF BEING A FIRST- GENERATION AMERICAN AND THAT MY ROLE MODELS WERE BUSINESS OWNERS, DOCTORS, AND LAWYERS, AND IT MOTIVATED ME TO WANT TO CONTINUE ON AND GET MY EDUCATION. GENERATIONALLY SPEAKING IT'S PAID OFF VERY WELL FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT ALL OF MY CHILDREN ARE NOW IN COLLEGE AND WILL ACTUALLY HAVE OUR FIRST GRADUATE IN 17 DAYS FROM WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY, SO IT HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON HAVING FOLKS GRADUATE AND SEND THAT KIND OF MESSAGE TO THEIR CHILDREN GENERATIONALLY. THE NATIONAL HISPANIC SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR PROGRAM IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROGRAM, AND IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE IN SHOWING YOUNG HISPANICS IF THEY STAY IN SCHOOL, THEY CAN BECOME SCIENTISTS OR ENGINEERS, OR IN THE CASE OF THIS YEAR'S RECIPIENT, A CUBAN-BORN GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF DR. NILS J. DIAZ -- HE IS A NUCLEAR ENGINEER WITH A -- A GRADUATE OF UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. I'M VERY PROUD FOR BRIGHT HOUSE TO BE THE SPONSOR, TITLE SPONSOR OF THIS PROGRAM. IT'S NATIONWIDE PROGRAM. IT'S GAINED RECOGNITION COURTESY OF MOSI AND BRINGS A LOT OF POSITIVE RECOGNITION FOR TAMPA AND FOR HILLSBOROUGH SPECIFICALLY. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL OF YOU BEING ABLE TO JOIN US AT THE GALA EVENT ON OCTOBER 10th TO RECOGNIZE THE NATIONAL HISPANIC SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR. WIT, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS REGARDING THIS? >> NO. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER NORMAN. >>JIM NORMAN: YEAH, COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS THE POINT WHERE IT WAS HERE IF YOU-ALL WANTED ANY QUESTIONS. I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ENDORSE AS A BOARD OUR ADMINISTRATOR PAT BEAN'S LETTER TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND TO THE CITY OF TAMPA CONCERNING THE PROPERTY AND THE REZONING NEXT TO MOSI THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY INFRINGE UPON OUR EXPANSION OF A LOT OF OUR SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES. >>MARK SHARPE: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THAT MOTION. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT -- I HAD SENT A MEMO TO MS. BEAN LAST WEEK AND TO MAKE SURE TO ADDRESS THAT OUR STAFF BEGINS ADDRESSING THE POTENTIAL CHALLENGES THAT WE COULD RUN INTO IF THIS REZONING TAKES PLACE, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT RENEWABLE ENERGY IS ONE OF OUR HIGH PRIORITIES THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, AND WE WANT TO CERTAINLY SUPPORT THE MOSI IN THOSE ENDEAVORS. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, MS. BEAN, THAT YOU COULD DISTRIBUTE, HAVE -- AS SOON AS THAT'S AVAILABLE TO STAFF, HAVE THAT DISTRIBUTED TO THE BOARD MEMBERS SO THAT WE CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS THAT THAT BE IF THAT REZONING TOOK PLACE. >> JUST A CLARIFICATION, THAT'S A COMP PLAN AMENDMENT NOT A REZONING. >>KEVIN BECKNER: CORRECT. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN, SECOND COMMISSIONER SHARPE. NO OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 6-0. >>KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR. >>JIM NORMAN: THANK YOU, WIT. >>KEN HAGAN: AND THE FINAL ITEM -- >>ROSE FERLITA: [INAUDIBLE] YOU HAD TO WAIT SO LONG, SIR. >> SORRY, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALSO RECOGNIZED MARIO GARCIA WHO'S A MEMBER OF THE MOSI BOARD, PRESIDENT OF THE EMSI. THANK YOU. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. BOARD MEMBERS, THE LAST ITEM WAS ALSO THE ITEM THAT I ASKED TO HAVE AGENDAED TODAY. I KNOW STAFF WAS HERE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT WERE AGREED UPON. I THINK AT THIS POINT -- I BELIEVE THAT WE -- I'D LIKE THE BOARD TO JUST ENDORSE A PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS ALL THE OPTIONS AND LET THE FULL COMMUNITY, ONCE AGAIN, BE ABLE TO BE AWARE OF ALL THE CHANGES AND IF ANY CHANGES AS WE GO FORWARD. I BELIEVE THIS COMMUNITY DESERVES THAT, AND -- THAT WE WOULD -- WE WOULD JUST MOVE TO HAVE -- DIRECT STAFF TO HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING AT THE CULTURAL CENTER. >>KEN HAGAN: MS. BEAN, DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT? >>PAT BEAN: YES, I'D LIKE TO JUST ADD A COMMENT THERE. I AGREE FULLY WITH COMMISSIONER NORMAN'S RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING TO GIVE EVERYBODY ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, BUT WE'VE BEEN AT THIS A VERY LONG TIME, AND WHAT I WOULD URGE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER IN ADDITION TO COMMISSIONER NORMAN'S REQUEST FOR THE MEETING IS TO REFER THIS MATTER FINALLY OVER TO AN ARBITRATOR WHO CAN MAKE A DECISION WITHOUT BEING IN THE POSITION THAT WE'RE ALWAYS GOING OUT, BRINGING INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY, BRINGING INFORMATION BACK TO YOU, AND THEN WE ALWAYS STILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON OPPOSITE SIDES, AND I THINK IT FINALLY HAS TO BE REFERRED OVER TO AN ARBITRATOR TO JUST BE RESOLVED. >>JIM NORMAN: WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND, THEY WOULD RUN THE PUBLIC MEETING AND HEAR ALL COMMENTS? >>PAT BEAN: NO, THEY COULD BE AT THE PUBLIC MEETING, BUT I THINK THE STAFF WOULD RUN THE PUBLIC MEETING, BUT THEN THE ARBITRATOR WOULD HAVE ALL OF THE BENEFIT OF LISTENING TO ALL SIDES AND TAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY PROPOSED AND THEN WORKING THROUGH A FINAL RECOMMENDATION THAT WOULD COME BACK TO THIS BOARD. >>JIM NORMAN: AND IT WOULD BE NOTICED THAT IT WOULD BE A FINAL -- >>PAT BEAN: YES. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. >>KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER BECKNER. >>KEVIN BECKNER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND I WOULD BE IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE REALIZE THAT WE ARE IN A NO-WIN SITUATION HERE. NO MATTER WHAT WE DO IN THE SITUATION, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE UNHAPPY AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAPPY, AND SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY CLEAR WINNER IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, AND I THINK TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY, UNINTERESTED PARTY TO BE ABLE TO MEDIATE THAT I THINK WOULD BE WISE. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS DO WE KNOW WHAT AN ARBITRATOR -- WHAT THAT WOULD COST TO BRING ONE IN? >>PAT BEAN: NO, I'M SORRY, I DON'T, BUT I'M CERTAIN THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE BECAUSE I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO GET TO A CLOSURE HERE. >>KEVIN BECKNER: YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. >>KEN HAGAN: AND I TOO WOULD AGREE WITH INVOLVING AN INDEPENDENT OR THIRD-PARTY PERSON TO REVIEW THIS BECAUSE COMMISSIONER NORMAN AND MYSELF, WE'VE BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS FOR I GUESS A COUPLE YEARS NOW IT SEEMS LIKE, AND IT CERTAINLY IS A LOSE-LOSE SITUATION, AND I KNOW WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT CARROLLWOOD VILLAGE RIGHT NOW, BUT I JUST -- IT'S, IN MY OPINION, THE MOST DIVISIVE ISSUE THAT THIS BOARD HAS DISCUSSED, AND I THINK A REASONABLE COMPROMISE -- I'M NOT CONFIDENT A REASONABLE COMPROMISE WILL EVER BE REACHED. >>JIM NORMAN: I HOPE WE CAN HAVE COMMON SENSE AND SAFETY. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I KNOW THIS BOARD WANTS, SO I'LL REFER IT OVER TO STAFF. YOU'LL MAKE A PUBLIC MEETING, NOTICE IT ALL OVER. >>PAT BEAN: YES. >>JIM NORMAN: MAKE SURE IT'S CLEARLY NOTICED EVERYWHERE, AND IF -- THE CULTURAL CENTER, I'LL CHANGE THAT. IF IT'S NOT LARGE ENOUGH, MAYBE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL OR ONE OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS, SICKLES OR SOMETHING, SO JUST NOTICE IT VERY CLEARLY SEVERAL WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME WHERE -- AND I'D - - ACTUALLY, I KNOW WE'RE BUMPING UP AGAINST THE HOLIDAYS OR THE SUMMER VACATION DAYS. I'D HATE TO HAVE IT DURING -- A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULDN'T BE - - THIS NEEDS TO BE ATTENDED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHERE EVERYBODY IS TOUCHED BY THE INFORMATION. OKAY? >>PAT BEAN: WE'LL TRY TO SCHEDULE IT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN AND STILL GET THE WORD OUT BROADLY, AND WE KNOW THERE WILL BE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WILL HELP SPREAD THE WORD. >>JIM NORMAN: OKAY. >>KEN HAGAN: THE MOTION BY COMMISSIONER NORMAN. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >>ROSE FERLITA: SECOND. >>KEN HAGAN: SECOND COMMISSIONER FERLITA. PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE. >>RECORDING SECRETARY: MOTION CARRIED 6-0. >>KEN HAGAN: OKAY. WITH THAT, WE'LL ADJOURN, AND WE'LL RECONVENE AT 1:30. THANK YOU. >>PAT BEAN: YES. 1