webapps.hillsboroughcounty.org · web viewso how would you define edas; right? so i think...
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CAPTIONINGJULY 26, 2013
CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the ***following meeting. It should be used for informational ***purposes only. This document has not been edited; ***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words ***that did not translate.
>>JAY VICKERS: GOOD MORNING, AND WELCOME TO THE FRIDAY,
JULY 26th, CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING.
WE'LL START OFF FIRST WITH THE PLEDGE.
KAY, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: CERTAINLY.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU.
NEXT, BARBARA, WOULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE OF THE
CAC.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: CERTAINLY.
THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THIS COMMITTEE
SHALL BE TO REVIEW AND EVALUATE COUNTY ISSUES AS REQUESTED
BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OR BY THE COUNTY
COMMISSIONER AND TO INITIATE PROPOSALS AND FORWARD THEM TO
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ACTION.
>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT UP, IF WE COULD PLEASE GO AROUND THE ROOM AND EACH
PERSON INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AND WHICH COMMISSIONER APPOINTED
YOU.
LET ME START OVER HERE TO MY RIGHT WITH RON.
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>>RON GOVIN: RON GOVIN --
>>JAY VICKERS: MICROPHONE.
>>RON GOVIN: RON GOVIN, VICTOR CRIST.
>>TONY JACKSON: TONY JACKSON, AL HIGGINBOTHAM.
>>CRISTAN FADAL: CRISTAN FADAL, COMMISSIONER SANDY MURMAN.
>>JAY VICKERS: JAY VICKERS, COMMISSIONER KEN HAGAN.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: BARBARA ADERHOLD, COMMISSIONER KEVIN
BECKNER.
>>DEBORAH COPE: DEBORAH COPE, COMMISSIONER KEVIN BECKNER.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: OOPS.
GOOD MORNING.
GAYE TOWNSEND, COMMISSIONER MARK SHARPE.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: KAY DOUGHTY, COMMISSIONER MARK SHARPE.
>>LINDA PORTER: LINDA PORTER, COMMISSIONER LES MILLER.
>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT UP IS PUBLIC COMMENT.
I DON'T SEE ANYONE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, SO THE NEXT ITEM
WOULD BE THE REVIEW OF THE JUNE 28th MEETING RECAP.
THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR BINDER UNDER THE RECAPS TAB.
IT SHOULD BE THE FIRST PAGE UNDER THE RECAP, SO IF WE COULD
JUST TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO REVIEW THE RECAP, AND IF WE CAN
GET A FIRST AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL.
>>DEBORAH COPE: MOVE TO APPROVE.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: SECOND.
>>JAY VICKERS: I'LL GIVE A SECOND TO LOOK THROUGH IT.
ALL RIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
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ALL RIGHT.
OKAY.
ONE THING I WANT TO DO BEFORE WE GET STARTED, LET'S SEE,
WITH MR. BARTON, IS I HAVE THE CONTACT INFORMATION LIST FOR
EACH OF THE CAC MEMBERS, AND WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS PASS IT
AROUND AND HAVE EACH PERSON VERIFY THEIR INFORMATION IS
CORRECT.
BETH HAS BEEN GETTING A FEW BOUNCED E-MAILS WITH SOME OF THE
NOTICES SHE'S BEEN PUTTING OUT, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYONE REVIEWS THIS INFORMATION, CORRECT ANY -- MAKE
ANY NECESSARY CORRECTIONS, AND GET IT BACK TO BETH.
THANKS.
ALL RIGHT.
NEXT UP, MR. BARTON, IF YOU'RE READY A FEW MINUTES EARLY,
CERTAINLY WE ARE READY FOR YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
>>RON BARTON: GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING.
I THINK IN THE MIDDLE OF MY PRESENTATION SOMEONE'S GOING TO
BRING ME ANOTHER SLIDE THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU, SO
WE'LL JUST KIND OF DO THIS IN AN UNPOLISHED WAY, BUT, YOU
KNOW, I THINK -- THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE
POSED VIA E-MAIL.
ONE WAS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE EDA TOPIC, THE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AREA TOPIC, AND I HAVE ACTUALLY FOUR SLIDES THAT
I SHARE -- HAVE SHARED WITH A NUMBER OF GROUPS, INCLUDING
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS YESTERDAY IN THE BUDGET
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WORKSHOP, AND SO THESE SLIDES ACTUALLY MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN
ANSWERING SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS, NOT ALL, RELATED TO
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AREAS, SO IF -- IF YOU WOULD LIKE, I'LL
SHARE THOSE SLIDES AND WE CAN USE THAT AS A DISCUSSION
FORUM.
IS SOMEBODY GOING TO POP THAT ONE UP?
OKAY.
IT'S ACTUALLY FOUR SLIDES, AND I THINK PROBABLY I SHOULD
KIND OF TURN BACK TO THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER FOR THOSE THAT
HAVE NOT FOLLOWED IT AS MUCH, BUT TWO THINGS HAVE OCCURRED.
ABOUT PROBABLY TWO YEARS AGO NOW, THE PLANNING COMMISSION
DID SOME INITIAL WORK ON A CONCEPT CALLED ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AREAS, AND IT WAS ABOUT RECOGNIZING THAT CERTAIN
GEOGRAPHIES IN OUR COMMUNITY WERE RELEVANT TO JOB CREATION,
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A GOOD INITIAL STEP, BUT IT WAS JUST
AN INITIAL STEP, AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FAST FORWARD TO LAST
YEAR, AND THERE WAS THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' GROUP
DEALING WITH ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, AND IN THAT PROCESS, THE
COMMITTEE LOOKED -- AGAIN, LOOKED AT THE CONCEPT OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AREAS, AND WITHOUT, OBVIOUSLY, SPENDING THE TIME
TO DEFINE THEM AND GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THEM, THEY
REAFFIRMED THE BASIC CONCEPT THAT WE SHOULD MORE EFFECTIVELY
USE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR COMPETITIVE
POSITIONING OF -- OF JOBS AND CERTAINLY HIGH-QUALITY, HIGH-
PAYING JOBS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT LEADS US KIND OF TO OUR POSITION TODAY,
WHICH IS TRYING TO PUT THE DETAILS AROUND WHAT SEEMS TO MAKE
SENSE CONCEPTUALLY, AND SO WHAT I FOUND AS I KIND OF WENT
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BACK AND LOOKED AT THE TRANSCRIPTS OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY,
WHICH IT WASN'T THEIR PURPOSE TO FIGURE OUT THE DETAILS, AND
EVEN THE INITIAL PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY, THERE REALLY
WASN'T A FUNDAMENTAL FIRST STEP, WHICH IS WHAT'S THE ANIMAL
AND WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?
I MEAN, I READ THE PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT NUMEROUS
TIMES, AND IT REALLY -- THE PREMISE FOR THE LAUNCH REALLY
WASN'T THERE.
IT'S NO CRITICISM, IT'S JUST -- AND SO I FOUND SOMETIMES IN
THE MIDDLE OF ACTIVITY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMIND YOURSELF
WHY ARE WE DOING SOMETHING, AND SO I FELT LIKE THIS WAS
PROBABLY A GOOD FRAMEWORK.
SO THESE SLIDES AREN'T ABOUT THE ANSWER, THEY'RE ABOUT THE
FRAMEWORK, AND IF THE FRAMEWORK'S SOUND, THEN HOPEFULLY WE
LAUNCH OFF AT LEAST IN THE RIGHT COMPASS DIRECTION, AND SO
THAT'S THE PURPOSE.
SO WHY DO AN EDA?
THE FIRST ONE IS THE PURPOSE IS TO INFLUENCE BUSINESS AND
JOB CREATION DECISIONS MADE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO CREATE
MORE HIGHER-WAGE JOBS AND TO ATTRACT MORE TARGETED INDUSTRY
BUSINESSES, SO THIS ISN'T ABOUT EVERY PIECE OF OUR ECONOMY,
IT'S ABOUT A VERY SPECIFIC PIECE OF OUR ECONOMY, AND SO
THAT'S -- THAT'S WHY WE MIGHT -- MIGHT DO AN EDA IS TO
INFLUENCE WHAT?
A DECISION BY A BUSINESS TO CREATE QUALITY JOBS.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST PREMISE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS -- YOU KNOW -- AM I WORKING
BACKWARDS?
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I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE.
ALL RIGHT.
THEY ARE BACKWARDS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED.
ALL RIGHT.
BEAR WITH ME A SECOND.
>> IT'S THE FULL POWERPOINT.
>>RON BARTON: ALL RIGHT.
I THINK SOMEBODY DOWNSTAIRS IS MAKING SURE I'M AWAKE TODAY
BECAUSE I'M, LIKE, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
SO HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE EDAs; RIGHT?
SO I THINK THERE'S AN IMPORTANT CONCEPT TO REMEMBER IN THIS
CONVERSATION AS WE GO INTO IT, AND I THINK THERE'S A SHORT-
TERM STRATEGY AND THERE'S A LONG-TERM STRATEGY BECAUSE VERY
QUICKLY -- AND WE SAW THIS EVEN IN ECONOMIC PROSPERITY --
EVEN IN THE CONCEPT OF AN EDA THERE WAS, YOU KNOW -- I THINK
THERE WASN'T AN APPRECIATION THAT THERE'S TODAY AND THERE'S
THE FUTURE AND THEY'RE NOT ALL ON THE SAME CONTINUUM, AND
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET INTO DEFINING EDAs, I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S A SHORT-TERM AND A LONG-TERM
ASPECT.
THE SHORT-TERM IS, AS I'VE SAID HERE, GEOGRAPHIC PLACES THAT
THE PRIVATE MARKETPLACE HAS ALREADY INDICATED ARE RELEVANT
TO THEIR LOCATION DECISIONS, SO THESE ARE -- THESE ARE IN
PLAY TODAY.
THEY'RE SELF-EVIDENT TO US.
THE DATA WILL BEAR ITSELF OUT.
THEY ARE RELEVANT TO JOB DECISIONS BY BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB,
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WHICH YOU SAW ANNOUNCED, AND OTHERS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A
LONG-TERM STRATEGY, AND THAT'S ABOUT HOW WE USE THE REST OF
OUR COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY
POSITIONED OR RELEVANT TO A JOB LOCATION DECISION TODAY
BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW, AND SO IT'S PLACES
THAT IN THE LONG-TERM CAN FIT THOSE SAME ATTRIBUTES.
WHAT ARE THOSE ATTRIBUTES?
IT'S WHAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS INTERESTED IN.
AND BY PROACTIVE EFFORTS, NOT REACTIVE EFFORTS BUT PROACTIVE
EFFORTS, WE CREATE DEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS AND SITE LOCATION
CONDITIONS THAT SERVE TO ESTABLISH THESE NEW AREAS AS VIABLE
AND COMPETITIVE JOB CENTERS.
WE CAN EITHER DO TWO THINGS.
WE CAN EITHER BE RANDOM ABOUT IT, AND -- WHICH IS REALLY THE
REAL ESTATE MODEL.
I MEAN, MY BACKGROUND'S REAL ESTATE, SO THE REAL ESTATE
MODEL AND THE PLANNING MODEL HISTORICALLY HAVE BEEN LET A
DEAL COME TO YOU.
YES, WE HAVE ZONING; YES, WE HAVE LAND USE, BUT THERE'S A
RANDOMNESS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN USE OF LAND; RIGHT?
IT'S PREDICATED ON THE PRIVATE PROPERTY USER.
I WANT TO BUILD AN OFFICE BUILDING.
GREAT.
WE'VE GOT INVENTORY; RIGHT?
NOW WE CAN PUT SOMETHING IN IT.
WHERE IS THAT OFFICE BUILDING GOING TO BE?
AND, AGAIN, LAND USE AND ZONING INFLUENCE SOME OF IT BUT NOT
ALL OF IT.
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YOU STILL HAVE THE PRIVATE PROPERTY INTERESTS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS PROACTIVELY INFLUENCE
WHERE THOSE NEXT CENTERS MIGHT BE, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE
MORE, AND SO THAT'S THE SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM STRATEGY.
>> I HAVE THE FULL POWERPOINT.
>>RON BARTON: YOU WANT DO THAT?
OKAY.
CAN YOU GET -- INTERMISSION.
I ACTUALLY JUST HAD ONE OTHER SLIDE I WANTED TO ADD, SO --
WHILE WE LOAD THAT UP, I'LL JUST SHARE THAT WE HAD AN
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT --
>> HERE, USE YOUR MIKE.
>>RON BARTON: -- WORKSHOP -- WE HAD AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WORKSHOP WITH THE BOARD YESTERDAY, AND ACTUALLY, THESE
SLIDES WERE PART OF MY PRESENTATION, SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD
BE TIMELY TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU, AND WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT
YESTERDAY WAS THE EDAs BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF
CONVERSATION ABOUT THEM BUT THERE'S NO FRAMEWORK ASSOCIATED
WITH IT, AND, NO, WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS, BUT WE THINK
YOU OUGHT TO HAVE A FRAMEWORK FIRST BEFORE YOU LAUNCH INTO
THE ANSWERS.
SOMETHING I DIDN'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THEM YESTERDAY,
I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO IT WITH YOU TODAY, WE CAN EITHER
APPROACH EDAs FROM 100,000 FEET AND DOWN OR WE CAN APPROACH
EDAs FROM THE GROUND LEVEL AND UP.
MY RECOMMENDATION AND THE APPROACH THAT WE ARE TAKING IS
THAT WE'RE GOING TO APPROACH THOSE FROM THE GROUND UP, AND
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IT'S NOT DRAW A BOUNDARY, DECIDE WHAT
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YOUR TOOLS ARE, THIS IS ABOUT FIND EVERY COMPETITIVE SITE
THAT CAN MATERIALLY CHANGE OUR POSITION FOR ATTRACTING HIGH-
WAGE JOBS AND ANALYZE THEM.
SO WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW IS -- I'VE SAID THIS TO THE BOARD
MANY TIMES.
WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO -- AND THIS ISN'T BIG BROTHER
COMING TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THIS IS HAND IN HAND.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MANAGE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY LIKE A REAL
ESTATE REIT.
WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THOSE REAL ESTATE ASSETS THAT CAN
REDEFINE US.
IF IT BENEFITS THAT PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER, THAT'S GREAT,
BUT IF THERE'S A PUBLIC PURPOSE THAT CAN COME OUT OF THAT
ORCHESTRATION, ISN'T THAT BETTER ECONOMIC PLANNING?
AND SO THE PURPOSE IS TO TRY AND MANAGE THOSE KEY SITES AND
BRING THEM TO THE MARKETPLACE MORE COMPETITIVELY.
THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY THE RANDOMNESS.
OUR SYSTEM SAYS, WELL, WE'LL WAIT UNTIL YOUR NEXT LAND USE
ATTORNEY SHOWS UP AND WE'LL ENGAGE, AND USUALLY WE FIND
SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF THAT PROCESS, BUT THAT'S NOT
PROACTIVE, THAT'S REACTIVE.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS -- MY ANALOGY IS WE WANT TO IDENTIFY
THE NEXT BEST 20 SITES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT WILL BE
RELEVANT TO THE BUSINESS SIDE, NOT RELEVANT TO US, RELEVANT
TO A BUSINESS, AND WHERE WE CAN PUT HIGH-QUALITY JOBS THERE
AND WE CAN EXPEDITE THAT.
THE DILEMMA IS AS AN URBAN COUNTY, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO
COMPETE ON -- ON PRICE.
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WE WILL BE OUTPRICED.
PASCO'S CHEAPER, POLK IS CHEAPER.
NOW, THIS ISN'T ABOUT US AND THEM, IT'S A POINT OF
COMPETITIVENESS, AND SO WE CAN EITHER TAKE THINGS THAT
POSITION US BETTER OR WE DON'T, AND THERE WILL BE
REPERCUSSIONS FOR IT.
SO -- ALL RIGHT.
BACK ON TRACK HERE.
SO WE -- WE HAD KIND OF THE EDA CONCEPT, AND -- SO MY NEXT
SLIDE IS -- AND, AGAIN, THESE AREN'T THE ANSWERS, AGAIN,
IT'S THE FRAMEWORK -- HOW DO YOU ENABLE AN EDA BECAUSE YOU
CAN JUST DRAW A BOUNDARY, IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, SO HOW
ARE YOU TRYING TO ENABLE IT?
AND SO HERE IT'S BY A SET OF POLICIES AND TOOLKIT THAT SPEAK
TO VALUE CREATION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN PROSPERITY COMMITTEE A LOT, WHICH IS
WE CAN'T COMPETE ON PRICE.
WE'VE GOT TO START CREATING VALUE, AND SO MY ANALOGY WAS
NONE OF US DRIVE THE SAME CAR, RIGHT, SO YOU MAKE A VALUE
DECISION WHEN YOU BUY A CAR.
YOU MIGHT BUY AN EXPENSIVE ONE, YOU MIGHT BY AN INEXPENSIVE
ONE, YOU MIGHT BUY ONE WITH GAS MILEAGE, NO GAS MILEAGE, BUT
WE ALL MAKE A VALUE DECISION ABOUT WHAT WE DO.
WE DON'T DRIVE THE SAME CARS AND WE DON'T BUY THE SAME CAR
AT THE SAME PRICE POINT, SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO DO IS TRY TO CREATE A VALUE EQUATION FOR HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY THAT STILL MAKES US RELEVANT TO BUSINESSES.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE UNIQUE TO THE EDAs.
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I WILL SAY THIS.
IT'S NOT A COOKIE-CUTTER, SO WE DON'T JUST SAY, OKAY, HERE'S
THE FIVE TOOLS WE'RE GOING TO USE BECAUSE THAT'S NOT
RELEVANT.
REMEMBER, HOW WE'RE GOING TO START IS AT EACH SITE, SO ONE
SITE MIGHT HAVE A ROAD PROBLEM, ONE SITE MIGHT HAVE AN
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING PROBLEM, ONE SITE MAY HAVE NO
PROBLEM AT ALL, IT'S JUST READY TO GO, AND SO YOU WOULDN'T
WANT TO JUST SAY, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO APPLY ALL TOOLS TO
ALL SITES BECAUSE IT'S NOT RELEVANT.
SO I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS IS THAT WE'RE GOING
TO BE INDIVIDUALIZED.
NOW, THAT ANSWER WILL BEGIN TO GIVE YOU AN OVERARCHING
POLICY, AN OVERARCHING TOOLKIT BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE
COMMONALITIES.
WE WANT TO -- AS I'VE ALREADY SAID IN MY INTERMISSION --
THAT'S WHY I WAS KILLING TIME -- THIS IS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT-
READY SITES, THIS IS ABOUT BEING READY, BECAUSE THE DAYS IN
WHICH BUSINESSES WOULD SAY I WANT TO GROW -- THIS COULD BE
AN EXISTING BUSINESS HERE OR A NEW BUSINESS COMING HERE, IT
DOESN'T MATTER WHICH.
THE DAYS OF THEM SAYING, OH, WELL, I'LL TAKE A COUPLE YEARS
TO FIGURE THIS OUT ARE GONE.
THEY JUST DON'T -- THEY DON'T WORK THAT WAY ANYMORE, AND SO
THAT'S WHAT THIS REALLY IS ABOUT IS POSITIONING A PIECE OF
LAND TO ACCOMPLISH A PUBLIC POLICY OBJECTIVE.
IT'S ABOUT TRYING TO ADDRESS COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGES FOR
THOSE SITES AND ENHANCING THEIR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES.
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IT'S ABOUT BUILDING DENSITY.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT WITH IN THE
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMITTEE IS THAT IN MY MIND, THIS --
THIS APPROACH IS ABOUT EVENTUALLY REDEVELOPMENT AS WELL, AND
SO IT'S ABOUT BASICALLY LEVERAGING INFRASTRUCTURE
INVESTMENTS WE'VE ALREADY MADE.
IT'S ANTI-SPRAWL IN ITS CONCEPT, AND SO THOSE ARE THE
ENABLING CONVERSATIONS WE THINK ARE RELEVANT TO THAT.
AND THEN WORKING BACKWARDS, WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?
SO I LIKE TO ALWAYS HAVE A SLIDE THAT JUST SAYS, YOU KNOW,
WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE, OKAY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS IS ABOUT
ECONOMIC PLANNING, NOT LAND USE PLANNING.
USE OF LAND WILL BE A BYPRODUCT OF IT, BUT IT'S ABOUT YOUR
MIND-SET GOING INTO IT, OKAY.
THE SECOND ONE'S VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S ABOUT FACILITATING DESIRED OUTCOMES, NOT REGULATING
INCOMPATIBILITY.
AGAIN, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAND USE PLANNING AND ECONOMIC
PLANNING.
NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU STILL DON'T WANT TO REFLECT YOUR
VALUES, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT THERE'S A CENTRIC
METHOD TO WHAT YOU'RE APPROACHING.
IT'S ABOUT VALUE CREATION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
IT'S ABOUT BUILDING STRONG BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE.
IRONICALLY, WE STILL DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT OUR
COMMUNITY.
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YES, WE HAVE BROKER DATABASES THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR
POPULATES, AND IT SAYS, HEY, I HAVE A PIECE OF LAND, HOPE WE
CAN FIND SOME USE TO IT, BUT THERE'S NO COMPREHENSIVE
HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO
POSITION THESE THINGS FOR ECONOMIC GAIN, NOT GAIN FOR THEM,
GAIN FOR US.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, THAT THIRD FROM THE LAST
BULLET, HOLISTIC ASSET MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR VALUE CREATORS IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S ABOUT ENHANCING MARKETING.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF, HOW CAN YOU MARKET
YOURSELF, OKAY.
AND, AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT DEVELOPMENT PLANNING FOCUSED ON JOB
OUTCOMES, SO IT CAN BE MEASURED.
YOU CAN WAKE UP FIVE YEARS FROM NOW AND SAY IT WAS A
SUCCESS, IT WAS A FAILURE, IT WAS A PARTIAL SUCCESS, BUT,
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE BASED VERY SPECIFIC TO
SITES AND THEN BUILT UP, I THINK IT'S VERY MEASURABLE.
SO THAT -- I'M GOING TO STOP THERE FOR A SECOND, AND I'M
GOING TO ALSO, IF I COULD, ASK SOMEBODY TO JUST LEAVE THIS
SLIDE UP, AND THEN -- IT MIGHT BE -- IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE
TO MAYBE BREAK HERE, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EDA, AND
THEN THE REASON I WANTED TO USE THIS SLIDE IS THERE WAS A
SECOND QUESTION ABOUT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY,
SMALL BUSINESS, EXISTING BUSINESSES.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
THIS SLIDE'S GOOD FOR THAT, SO IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO JUST
STOP AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EDA CONVERSATION.
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>>JAY VICKERS: SPENCER.
>>SPENCER KASS: HELLO.
I KNOW YOU ALL --
>>VICTOR CRIST: GOOD MORNING.
>>SPENCER KASS: -- YOU ALL MISSED ME THIS MORNING.
>>JAY VICKERS: YES, WE DID.
>>SPENCER KASS: GOOD MORNING.
I APOLOGIZE.
I APOLOGIZE.
I WAS DOING OUR SECRET SHOPPER PROGRAM IN ANOTHER
DEPARTMENT.
[LAUGHTER]
BUT -- GOOD MORNING, FIRST OF ALL.
>>RON BARTON: GOOD MORNING.
>>SPENCER KASS: I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE -- AS
YOU SAID, YOU'RE NOT FOCUSING ON WHAT THE BENEFIT IS TO
THESE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS FOR THESE PROPERTIES YOU
IDENTIFY, BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS YOU GO AND YOU
TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER THE ISSUES ARE THAT THESE PROPERTIES
WOULD HAVE, TRANSPORTATION, STORM -- WHATEVER IT'S GOING TO
BE AND WHATEVER THOSE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS.
IN YOUR MIND, WHAT'S STOPPING NOW THE PROPERTY OWNER FROM
SAYING, WELL, BEFORE I HAD A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND IT HAD
SOME PROBLEMS, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT WAS WORTH TEN BUCKS A
SQUARE FOOT, AND NOW LOOK, I'VE GOT A PIECE OF PROPERTY WITH
NO PROBLEMS, NOW IT'S WORTH 20 BUCKS A SQUARE FOOT, RIGHT,
BECAUSE THE COUNTY'S TAKING CARE OF MY PROBLEMS FOR ME.
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
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>>SPENCER KASS: SO NOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS JUST
INCREASED -- YOU KNOW, BASICALLY YOU'VE NETTED THE MONEY TO
THE PRIVATE GUY, YOU HAVEN'T NECESSARILY DONE ANYTHING TO
MAKE THE BUSINESS WANT TO GO THERE ANYMORE, BECAUSE NOW THE
COSTS ARE JUST BEING PASSED ON IN A DIFFERENT WAY, SO IN
YOUR MIND WHAT'S SOLVING THAT ISSUE THAT YOU-ALL ARE
CREATING?
>>RON BARTON: WELL, I'M SOLVING THE REVERSE ISSUE, WHICH IS
HAVING THAT PIECE OF PRIME PROPERTY NOT ADDRESS THE CRITICAL
ASPECT OF COMPETITIVENESS MAY RESULT IN IT SITTING THERE FOR
ANOTHER DECADE DOING NOTHING FOR A PUBLIC POLICY OBJECTIVE,
SO MY DESIRE IS TO BRING QUALITY JOBS TO THESE CITIZENS OF
THIS COUNTY, AND IF THAT HAPPENS TO CREATE A NOMINAL BENEFIT
FOR A PROPERTY OWNER, I THINK THAT'S A FAIR TRADE TO
ENHANCING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THAT POSITION, SO YOUR
QUESTION IS, GEE, COULD T. ROWE PRICE HAVE GONE TO PASCO
COUNTY OR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY?
THE ANSWER IS YES.
THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF YOUR ANALOGY.
THERE ARE AMPLE SITES.
THEY DIDN'T.
THERE WERE SOME IMPEDIMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH A NUMBER OF
THOSE FACTORS, AND SO THEY MAKE THE DECISION TO GO TO PASCO
COUNTY.
I CAN ASSURE YOU A COUPLE OF THOSE ARE SPEED TO MARKET AND
THE REAL ESTATE DECISION ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO, I MEAN, YOU CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO IGNORE AND NOT ACT OR
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO ENGAGE AND INFLUENCE OUTCOME.
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THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
>>SPENCER KASS: I GUESS, THOUGH, PART OF THIS GOES BACK TO
THE BASIC PREMISE OF ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID EARLIER,
WHICH IS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE
HOLISTICALLY AS A COUNTY AGAINST OTHER COUNTIES, THAT THEY
CAN DO IT CHEAPER, THEY CAN DO IT -- I MEAN, I GUESS FOR
ME --
>>RON BARTON: PRICEWISE.
>>SPENCER KASS: PRICEWISE.
I GUESS TO ME, AS NOT ONLY A PROPERTY OWNER BUT A BUSINESS
PERSON IN THIS COUNTY, THAT BOTHERS ME.
I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY THIS COUNTY CAN'T BE COMPETITIVE,
OTHER THAN WE CHOOSE NOT TO BE, WE WANT TO SPEND MONEY ON
ALL SORTS OF -- I REALLY DON'T GET WHY WE WOULDN'T SAY,
OKAY, THEY'RE BEATING US IN TERMS OF MILLAGE RATE OR THEY'RE
BEATING US IN TERMS OF ABILITY TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE COULD PUT RESTRICTIONS -- I MEAN, THE COUNTY COULD PUT
RESTRICTIONS ON ITSELF.
IT COULD SAY YOU WILL REVIEW A SITE PLAN WITHIN SEVEN DAYS
AND GET IT DONE.
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>SPENCER KASS: WE COULD SAY WE'LL REVIEW IT WITHIN 24
HOURS AND GET IT DONE IF WE WANT TO BE GLOBALLY
COMPETITIVE --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>SPENCER KASS: -- AS OPPOSED TO INDIVIDUALLY.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, HAS THE DECISION BEEN MADE BY
YOUR GROUP OR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT THAT PART WE'RE
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JUST WIPING OUT, WE'RE SAYING, ALL RIGHT, LET'S NOT WORRY
ABOUT THAT COMPETITIVE ASPECT OF WHAT WE DO, BECAUSE I THINK
WHEN WE GET INTO OUR LATER DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT ARE WE
DOING FOR EXISTING BUSINESSES, WE'RE GOING TO -- WE CAN GO
THROUGH ENDLESS EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE HAVING A HARD TIME IN
THIS COUNTY.
BUT, I GUESS -- I MEAN, SHOULDN'T WE BE SAYING LET'S BE
GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE?
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PLACES IN THIS WORLD WHERE YOU
CAN GO AND YOU CAN GET A PERMIT IN 24 HOURS.
YOU CAN'T DO IT HERE, BUT, I MEAN -- AND THAT'S OUR FAULT.
LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S NOT THE BUSINESS WHO'S COMING HERE'S FAULT, THAT'S
THIS COUNTY'S FAULT.
IF WE CAN'T DO THINGS AND WE CAN'T BE COMPETITIVE, THEN, I
MEAN, WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL, IN MY OPINION, DIFFERENT
PROBLEM THAN KIND OF WHERE -- LOOK, EVERYONE HERE --
EVERYBODY WANTS HIGH-PAYING, YOU KNOW, GREAT JOBS,
COMPUTER -- I COULD TELL YOU EAST TAMPA, THEY'VE BEEN
PROMISED COMPUTER PROGRAMMING JOBS FOR 20 YEARS; RIGHT.
THAT'S THE NEXT THING THAT'S GOING TO COME THERE.
I'VE SAT IN MEETING AND THEY'RE ALL EXCITED, OH, WE'RE GOING
TO GET THESE COMPUTER -- I MEAN, NOT ONLY ARE THEY NOT
COMING TO EAST TAMPA, THEY'RE NOT COMING TO THE UNITED
STATES ANYMORE, AND AS I'VE SAID TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THE
AREA I LIVE IN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO SOMEPLACE AND YOU'RE
GOING TO WANT THESE HIGH-PAYING, QUALITY JOBS, I -- AND MY
FAMILY'S BEEN IN REAL ESTATE FOR FOUR GENERATIONS.
18
I'VE DONE THIS FOREVER -- WHY WOULDN'T YOU GO TO A PLACE
THAT ALREADY HAS ALL THE AMENITIES THAT YOUR HIGH-END
EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO WANT; RIGHT?
YOU HAVE A HIGH-END EMPLOYEE.
THEY'RE GOING TO WANT THE RESTAURANTS AND THEY'RE GOING TO
WANT THE MUSEUMS AND THEY'RE GOING TO WANT ALL THE OTHER
STUFF THAT GOES ALONG WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT AREAS.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE COULD DEAL WITH THESE ONE SHOT OFF, YOU
KNOW, GLOBAL COMPANIES THAT WE CAN GIVE ALL SORTS OF MONEY
TO AND THEY CAN GO IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, AND THEN WE CAN
HEAR FROM EVERYBODY ABOUT HOW TRANSPORTATION DOESN'T WORK
AND WE HAVE TO BUILD A LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AND WE HAVE TO
BUILD THIS AND WE HAVE TO BUILD THAT BECAUSE -- I MEAN, I --
SO I GUESS I'M JUST OVERALL CONFUSED WITH WHAT THE GAME
PLAN -- I MEAN, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU'LL PICK 20
PROPERTIES, YOU'LL FIX WHATEVER PROBLEMS THEY HAVE,
YOU'LL -- YOU'LL, I GUESS, SUCK UP OR THE COUNTY WILL SUCK
UP THE COST OF GOING THROUGH WHATEVER THE REPAIR PROBLEMS
ARE TO MAKE THOSE COMPETITIVE SITES, I MEAN, IF I'M
FOLLOWING THIS CORRECTLY, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M
WRONG, AND THEN WE'LL MARKET THOSE SPECIFIC PROPERTIES, AND
WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THE MARKETING, WE'RE GOING TO DO
EVERYTHING ELSE, AND ALL RIGHT, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME
GAIN TO SOME PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER AND THAT'S JUST FOR US
TO SUCK UP BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME DEGREE OF
PROPERTY TAXES, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD, LIKE, WHAT THE
FORMULATION'S GOING TO BE ON, OH, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO
DEMAND THAT IT CREATE "X" NUMBER OF JOBS, YOU KNOW.
19
I MEAN, WE HAD THIS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF GUYS,
AMAZON, AND WE'VE HAD THIS WITH BASS PRO SHOPS AND ALL THESE
GUYS, RIGHT, HOW MANY JOBS, WHAT'S THE SALARY RANGE GOING TO
BE.
I DIDN'T QUITE -- I MIGHT HAVE -- I MEAN, I KNOW THE SLIDES
ARE A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER.
DO WE HAVE A SLIDE THAT SAYS, LIKE, WE'RE GOING TO GUARANTEE
THAT IF WE DUMP $100,000 INTO FIXING A PIECE OF PROPERTY,
IT'S GOING TO GENERATE 50 JOBS AT 100,000 A JOB?
I MEAN -- GO AHEAD.
I'LL LET YOU SORT OF --
>>RON BARTON: I'VE KIND OF --
>>SPENCER KASS: -- RESPOND TO THE WRATH.
>>RON BARTON: -- FORGOTTEN YOUR QUESTION.
I'VE KIND OF FORGOTTEN YOUR QUESTION.
I THINK THAT WAS A STATEMENT MORE THAN A QUESTION --
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH, WELL --
>>RON BARTON: BUT -- YOU DIDN'T CATCH ALL THE PRESENTATION
BECAUSE YOU WERE LATE, SO MAYBE I'LL --
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH, GO AHEAD.
>>RON BARTON: -- BACK UP AND SAY THAT --
>>SPENCER KASS: ACTUALLY, YOUR PRESENTATION, JUST SO YOU
KNOW, I GOT THE WHOLE THING.
I WAS HERE FOR YOUR WHOLE THING.
>>RON BARTON: GOOD.
WHAT I STARTED WITH IS WE DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS YET.
>>SPENCER KASS: OKAY.
>>RON BARTON: THE POINT WAS IN THE PROCESS, YOU HAVE TO
20
HAVE A FRAMEWORK IN ORDER TO POINT YOURSELF IN THE RIGHT
COMPASS DIRECTION, SO GOING BACK TO CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE
IN THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMITTEE AS WELL AS THE PLANNING
COMMISSION STUDY, THERE WASN'T A FRAMEWORK SET IN WHICH YOU
WERE TRYING TO DEFINE THE DIRECTION, NOT THE ANSWER, THE
DIRECTION, AND SO THESE FOUR SLIDES WERE AN ATTEMPT BY US TO
BEGIN TO PUT SOME BOOKENDS AROUND THE CONVERSATION OF
INTENT, OKAY.
IT'S NOT THE ANSWER.
WE'RE JUST NOW STARTING THE PROCESS.
SO I CAN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS WHAT IS IT GOING
TO BE?
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A CONCEPT THAT
IS MORE PROACTIVE THAN REACTIVE TO THE MARKETPLACE.
IT'S -- IT'S A PROCESS THAT RECOGNIZES THERE IS A PUBLIC
POLICY INTENT TO USE OF LAND, OTHERWISE THIS PLANNING
COMMISSION WOULDN'T EXIST.
THE POINT IS WE DO WANT TO VALUE HOW WE USE OUR LAND.
WHAT WE HAVE NEVER REALLY DONE VERY WELL IS VALUE HOW WE USE
LAND TO CREATE WEALTH FOR OUR CITIZENS, NOT OUR PROPERTY
OWNER BUT FOR OUR CITIZENS.
THERE'S NEVER BEEN ACCURATE ECONOMIC PLANNING LINKED WITH
LAND USE AND REAL ESTATE PLANNING AND KIND OF POINTING TO AN
OBJECTIVE, AND SO REALLY WHAT THESE FOUR SLIDES WERE MEANT
TO DO WAS TO AT LEAST BEGIN SHARING CONTEXT ASSOCIATED WITH
THE EDA EFFORT.
I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS, WE'RE ALL GOING TO SHARE IN THOSE
TOGETHER, AND SO I DON'T -- NO ONE'S JUMPED TO A CONCLUSION
21
WE'RE SOLVING ANYBODY'S PROBLEM OR PAYING FOR ANYBODY'S
PROBLEM, BUT THERE'S A VALUE PROPOSITION IN ENGAGEMENT.
IF YOU OWN A HOUSE, YOU GET A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, SO THE
GOVERNMENT'S ENGAGED WITH YOU IN A PROPOSITION THAT SAYS, WE
WANT TO ENCOURAGE HOME OWNERSHIP, RIGHT, AND ONE OF THOSE
THINGS IS GOING TO BE YOU GET A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
SO, I MEAN, GOVERNMENT ENGAGES IN ALL KINDS OF EQUATIONS TO
DO WHAT?
HOPEFULLY A PURE AND VALUABLE PUBLIC POLICY OBJECTIVE THAT
YOU'RE SPEAKING TO.
SO --
>>SPENCER KASS: I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, THOUGH --
LET'S USE YOUR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
WE DON'T SAY WE'RE GOING TO GIVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION OF
$200,000 TO THE PEOPLE IN EAST TAMPA BECAUSE THEY NEED MORE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE $20,000 TO THE
PEOPLE IN SOUTH TAMPA BECAUSE THEY NEED LESS, WHAT WE SAY IS
WE'RE GOING TO SET A POLICY FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA THAT
SAYS EVERYBODY GETS A $50,000 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM WHAT YOU CALL THE
100,000 SQUARE -- YOU KNOW, UP IN THE AIR AS OPPOSED TO THE
LOW LEVEL DOWN.
YOU KNOW, I THINK POLICIES TEND TO WORK BETTER AND I THINK
IT'S BEEN THIS COUNTY'S EXPERIENCE THAT THE MORE THE COUNTY
AND THE GOVERNMENT TRIES TO DIRECT WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
GO AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT AND WHERE THEY HAVE TO BE,
THE MORE PROBLEMS WE END UP HAVING AS OPPOSED TO, LISTEN, I
DECIDED WHERE MY BUSINESS IS GOING TO GO.
22
HOW DID I MAKE THAT DECISION?
I BASED IT UPON WHAT IT WAS GOING TO COST ME TO BUY A
BUILDING, WHAT IT COST TO REHAB IT, HOW THAT LOCATION WORKED
FOR ME, HOW THAT WORKS FOR MY EMPLOYEES, AND THEN I MAKE A
DECISION.
I BUY A BUILDING.
I SPEND A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
GREAT.
WHAT WE'RE KIND OF SAYING IS WE'RE GOING TO PICK AND CHOOSE
THE -- AND WE'VE TRIED THIS BEFORE.
[MICROPHONE BUZZING]
WE'VE TRIED IT WITH -- IT'S NOT ME.
WE TRIED IT WHEN M2GEN CAME HERE, RIGHT, THAT WAS THE GREAT
PLAN.
WE WERE GOING TO GIVE THEM ALL -- AND LISTEN, THEY'RE A NICE
ORGANIZATION, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT WAS GOING TO CREATE
AN INDUSTRY, RIGHT, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD.
IT WAS GOING TO CREATE ALL THESE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT WERE
GOING TO OPEN UP AROUND THAT BUSINESS THAT WAS GOING TO GIVE
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A FOUNDATION IN, YOU KNOW, CURING CANCER
BECAUSE IT COULD ONLY COME FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, SO
THAT'S WHAT WE DID, AND THEN WHAT WE FOUND IS THEY OPENED UP
AND THEY'VE EXPANDED AND THEY'VE DONE WELL AND THEY HAVE
HIGH-PAID EMPLOYEES, BUT THE PROMISE OF THE REST OF IT NEVER
OCCURRED, AND I GUESS IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEARN FROM OUR
PAST MISTAKES AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO KEEP ON DOING SORT OF
THE SAME THING, I DON'T KNOW AT THE END OF THE DAY WHERE
THAT GETS US BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
23
AT THE END -- BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS IS GOING TO COME DOWN
TO, IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN TO HOW -- AND I DO ALSO WANT
TO -- SO MAYBE YOU CAN CLARIFY YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT AND HOW
WE WERE GOING TO -- HOW -- WHAT PART OF THE PLAN IS TO
CORRECT FOR THOSE SORTS OF MISTAKES THAT WE'VE MADE IN THE
PAST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FIRST ADMIT THAT WE'VE MADE MISTAKES
BEFORE WE CAN CORRECT THEM, SO MAYBE YOU HAVE SOME INPUT ON
THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THESE KIND OF IDEAS, RIGHT, WE
WERE GOING TO GIVE A LOT OF MONEY TO A BUSINESS, THEY WERE
GOING TO OPEN UP, ALL THIS STUFF WAS GOING TO COME WITH IT
BECAUSE EVERYONE'S GOING TO WANT TO BE AROUND THEM BECAUSE
THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE THE DATABASES AND THEY WERE GOING
TO HAVE -- AND WE JUST DIDN'T SEE IT.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU AS A TAXPAYER, YOU KNOW, GREAT, WE
GOT STUFF OUT OF THEM, THAT'S NICE, BUT IT JUST BOTHERS ME
THAT EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS THE PROMISE, IT'S ALWAYS, YOU
KNOW, OH, IF WE DO THIS, YOU KNOW, ALL THE -- AND THE CITY
HAS ALL THESE CRAs AREAS.
WE DON'T SEE IT IN THEIR CRA AREAS.
SO GO AHEAD, I'LL LET YOU CLARIFY OR FINISH OR WHATEVER.
>>RON BARTON: I'M NOT SURE I CAN GIVE YOU ANY ANSWERS THAT
WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY, BUT --
[LAUGHTER]
>>SPENCER KASS: I'M SURE YOU CAN'T.
>>RON BARTON: -- SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU JUST -- YOU
CAN'T GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED --
>>SPENCER KASS: NO, THAT'S FINE.
>>RON BARTON: -- SO I WOULD SUGGEST WE --
24
>>JAY VICKERS: MOVE ON?
>>RON BARTON: -- SEE WHAT ELSE --
>>SPENCER KASS: THAT'S FINE.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
GAYE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THANK YOU FOR COMING.
>>RON BARTON: MM-HMM.
YOU'RE WELCOME.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I'M BEING NICE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF
AM STILL CONFUSED ON THE WHOLE CONCEPT, BUT IT KIND OF
REMINDS ME OF ANOTHER MONOPOLY GAME.
WE HAVE ALL THESE BOARD GAMES WE ALWAYS DO DOWN HERE.
I STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ECONOMIC PLANS AND LAND USE.
I STILL THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A BIG HURDLE BECAUSE
ALTHOUGH WE'RE SAYING WE WANT HIGH-QUALITY JOBS, NOT
NECESSARILY DOES EMPLOYMENT BRING THE QUALITY.
THERE ARE AREAS IN THIS COUNTY THAT PEOPLE LIVE BECAUSE
THERE'S NOT HIGH-QUALITY JOBS BUT THERE CERTAINLY IS QUALITY
OF COMMUNITY, AND THAT HAS TO BE ABOVE ALL.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE COMMUNITY PLANS AS WELL AS THE LAND
USE.
AND THEY CAN ROSE COLOR IT ALL THEY WANT, BUT WHEREVER YOU
HAVE HIGH-QUALITY JOBS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE LOW-QUALITY
JOBS AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MEDIUM-QUALITY JOBS, AND THE
PROBLEM BEING THERE IS THAT YOU'RE SAYING TO CONTROL SPRAWL,
BUT I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU PUT,
FOR SAY, THAT TYPE OF FACILITY IN, THE NEXT TIME THE 7-
ELEVEN'S THERE AND THEN THIS IS THERE AND THAT'S THERE AND
25
THIS IS THERE AND THAT'S THERE, AND THEN, AGAIN -- AND TRUST
ME, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH LOW-QUALITY JOBS.
PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE A LIVING.
THIS COUNTY, BASICALLY, THE MAJORITY ARE NOT HIGH-QUALITY
JOBS.
I'D SAY IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATISTICS, IT'S AN AVERAGE-
INCOME COMMUNITY, AND I DON'T WANT TO FORGET THAT ASPECT.
AND I DO HAVE TO SAY -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO
DO WITH THIS, I'M SURE YOU DON'T, BUT THE WHOLE IDEA IS I'M
CERTAINLY TIRED OF TAX BREAKS FOR ALL THESE BUSINESSES
COMING IN HERE BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF TAXES THAT ARE COMING
INTO THIS COUNTY ARE HOMEOWNERS.
WE'RE THE ONES PAYING THE TAXES, SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK
AT EVERYONE PAYING THEIR WAY.
AND THOSE ARE JUST SOME CONCERNS I HAVE.
THANK YOU.
>>RON BARTON: THANK YOU.
>>JAY VICKERS: KAY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: GOT ANY ANSWERS?
>>RON BARTON: I JUST THOUGHT THEY WERE CONCERNS.
[LAUGHTER]
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING -- I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU
SAID, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW -- I MEAN, PART OF THE STRATEGY IS
TO BUILD A COMMERCIAL TAX BASE THAT BALANCES THE BURDEN, AND
SO -- FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, I SPENT A LOT OF MY CAREER IN
ST. PETERSBURG AND PINELLAS COUNTY.
THEY'RE -- IF YOU THINK THE MAJORITY OF THE TAX BURDEN IS
CARRIED BY THE RESIDENTIAL BASE, YOU KNOW, LIVE IN PINELLAS
26
COUNTY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, IT IS HERE.
>>RON BARTON: AND SO THE COMMERCIAL BASE IS STILL MUCH
HIGHER RELATIVELY SPEAKING, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE
TRYING TO DO IS CREATE, AGAIN, THAT VALUE CREATION MODEL
WHERE MORE OF YOUR TAX REVENUES ARE GENERATED THROUGH THE
CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL SIDE, SO IT'S -- IT'S AN ATTEMPT TO
SPEAK TO SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS.
THE SECOND IS THERE'S A CONTINUUM OF JOBS FOR EVERYBODY.
THAT'S ADMITTED.
THERE'S NOT A -- THERE'S NO EDITORIALIZING HERE THAT ONE'S
GOOD AND ONE'S BAD, BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THE MORE WEALTH
THAT WE BRING INTO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH JOBS, THE MORE IT
BENEFITS EVERYBODY.
IF I HAVE MORE DISPOSABLE INCOME, I TEND TO GO TO THE
CLEANERS INSTEAD OF -- INSTEAD OF IRONING MY SHIRT, OKAY.
I HAPPENED TO BUY MY WIFE SOME FLOWERS THIS YEAR, NOT LIKE
LAST YEAR.
YOU KNOW, SO THOSE THINGS PERMEATE THROUGH THE ECONOMY, AND
OTHER PEOPLE HAVE JOBS, AND SO -- I WOULD SAY THIS THIRD.
IRRESPECTIVE -- AND EVERYTHING'S RELATIVE -- HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST AVERAGE WAGE OF ANY COUNTY IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
NOW, MAYBE WE DID IT BY DUMB LUCK OR MAYBE WE DID IT BY SOME
HARD WORK, BUT IRRESPECTIVE, WE ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, DIXIE
COUNTY, AND SO WE'RE IN -- YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CAPITALIZE
ON THAT, THOUGH.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT.
27
AND SO I HEAR EVERY ONE OF YOUR CONCERNS AND I HAVE THEM
TOO, BUT, YOU KNOW -- REMEMBER, THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE
ARE NEVER ABOUT -- THEY'RE NEVER ABOUT SOLVING ALL PROBLEMS.
THAT'S WHY THIS OTHER CHART'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S ONE PIECE OF A DIVERSE AND A SOPHISTICATED APPROACH.
I THINK HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S -- IF YOU COULD CRITICIZE
OURSELVES HISTORICALLY, AS SPENCER HAD ASKED ABOUT, IT'S THE
FACT THAT WE THINK ONE SILVER BULLET SOLVES ALL PROBLEMS,
AND SPENCER, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU KNOW.
IF SOMEBODY GOT UP TO THE PODIUM AND SAID M2GEN'S GOING TO
TRANSFORM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 10,000
JOBS IN LIFE SCIENCES NEXT YEAR, WELL, THAT'S -- THAT'S
IMMATURE, IT'S INTELLECTUALLY DISHONEST, OKAY, BUT IT'S
STILL NOT THE WRONG PLAY.
YOU DON'T BRING IN AN INDUSTRY SEGMENT AND TRANSFORM YOUR
COMMUNITY IN FIVE YEARS, YOU DO THAT OVER 20 YEARS, OKAY.
AND SO JUST LIKE WE LOST MANUFACTURING OVER, WHAT, 20 OR
30 -- YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE DECADES.
IT DIDN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
WE DIDN'T GO, POOF, MANUFACTURING GONE.
SO YOU CAN LOSE IT OR YOU CAN GAIN IT, BUT YOU DON'T DO IT
OVERNIGHT AND YOU DON'T DO IT WITH ONE THING.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WANT TO SAY --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
>>RON BARTON: -- IS I WANT US TO EMBRACE A DIVERSITY OF
APPROACHES, AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF YOU ARE SAYING.
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE IMPORTANT.
28
I AGREE, YOU KNOW.
OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS ARE IMPORTANT.
I AGREE.
BUT OUR MAJOR JOB CENTERS THAT CAN CREATE HIGHER-PAYING JOBS
BECAUSE WE CAN STAY THE HIGHEST-PAID COUNTY IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA, THEY'RE IMPORTANT TOO.
SO THAT'S -- THIS IS ONE SILO OF CONVERSATION THAT DOESN'T
EXCLUDE ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: AND MAY I JUST ADD, IF WE COULD DIVERT
FROM ALWAYS SAYING HIGH QUALITY, HIGH QUALITY, HIGH
QUALITY --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- THAT WE HAVE TO --
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WHEN YOU DO YOUR PRESENTATIONS --
>>RON BARTON: IT APPLIES THAT THE REST AREN'T --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF SMALL --
>>RON BARTON: -- AND THAT'S A GOOD -- THAT'S A VERY GOOD
POINT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE GOING TO BE
PUT OUT BY BASS PRO --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- AND A FEW OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IN
THE COMMUNITY FOR YEARS.
>>RON BARTON: YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
>>JAY VICKERS: KAY.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: EARLIER THIS WEEK -- BY THE WAY, THANK YOU
FOR COMING, AND I EMPATHIZE WITH YOUR POWERPOINT BECAUSE I
29
WENT THROUGH THE SAME THING YESTERDAY, SO I TOTALLY
UNDERSTAND THAT FEELING.
EARLIER THIS WEEK I HEARD A STORY ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO,
MORNING EDITION, THAT -- I MEAN, THE STORY WAS ABOUT INCOME
AND EQUALITY AMONG RACES, BUT IT TALKED TO THE FACT THAT
SEATTLE AND SILICON VALLEY, BOSTON AREA, AND I THINK THERE
WERE A COUPLE OTHERS THAT DON'T COME TO MY MIND RIGHT NOW,
YOU KNOW, HAD THE -- HAVE BUILT UP AND PEOPLE WANT TO COME
THERE, OTHER BUSINESSES WANT TO COME THERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE
THE INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY TO GENERATE IDEAS AND TO -- TO
MOVE AND TALKED ABOUT MICROSOFT GOING INTO SEATTLE AND THAT
WAS THE PRECIPITANT.
I WONDER, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, IF THOSE AREAS DID
GOVERNMENT POLICIES ENHANCE THAT OR WAS IT JUST LUCK,
BECAUSE --
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: I MEAN, CLEARLY THAT'S WHAT WE WANT OR AT
LEAST I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WANT, AND THERE'S BEEN THE TALK
OF, WELL, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, USF AND ALL OF THE MEDICAL
THINGS AND WE REALLY WANT TO BRING IN ALL THE MEDICAL
COMMUNITY AND BUILD THAT UP AND HAVE A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE,
AND -- I MEAN, IT REALLY LEADS -- AND, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE
APPROACH OF DOING PLANNING, CLEARLY, AND -- AND -- AND I
AGREE WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEEN HEARD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO
WE WANT TO PUT RESOURCES.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PUTTING RESOURCES IF IT'S REALLY
THOUGHTFULLY PLANNED.
>>RON BARTON: SURE.
30
WELL, I'LL WORK BACKWARDS IN YOUR COMMENTS, AND I AGREE.
YOU KNOW, YOU MAY AGREE OR NOT, BUT GOVERNMENTS HAVE PLAYED
A CRITICAL ROLE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FROM THE BEGINNING.
YOU KNOW, THE ROMANS BUILT AQUEDUCTS AND ROADS AND, I
MEAN -- TO FDRs, WPA, AND CCCs, SO, YOU KNOW, DON'T FOOL
OURSELVES, AND I THINK IT'S PART OF OUR -- I WOULD WANT MY
TAXPAYER DOLLARS USED TO CREATE A STRONG ECONOMY.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
SO IT'S NOT -- IT'S NOT THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IT'S EXACTLY
WHAT YOU SAID AT THE END, IT'S ABOUT THOUGHTFULNESS ABOUT
WHERE IT'S APPLIED, SO I THINK THAT'S THE RIGOR THAT WE NEED
TO PUT MORE AROUND IT IS, YOU KNOW -- I WOULD SAY THIS, AND
IT KIND OF RELATES TO SPENCER'S COMMENT, THAT SOMETIMES IN
THE ZEAL TO CONVINCE YOU IT'S A GOOD DECISION, I THINK
SOMETIMES WE -- WE HURT OURSELVES IN OVERSELLING SOMETHING,
YOU KNOW.
I WOULD SAY -- IF I WERE HERE AND DID M2GEN, I WOULD HAVE
SAID DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING NEXT YEAR, BUT YOU SHOULD STILL
INVEST IN THIS BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TRANSFORM US BECAUSE
NOW -- SEE, SPENCER'S A LITTLE UPSET THAT WE DIDN'T CHANGE
THE ECONOMY IN TWO YEARS, AND THAT'S BECAUSE SOMEBODY
PROBABLY LED HIM TO BELIEVE THAT, AND SO WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE
SAID IS WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THIS ECONOMY IN TEN YEARS AND
YOU'VE GOTTA BE PATIENT.
NOW, YOU CAN EITHER ACCEPT OR REJECT THAT, AND -- BUT IT'S
INTELLECTUALLY MORE HONEST ABOUT THE LONG-TERM, AND SO -- IS
IT KAY?
>>KAY DOUGHTY: YES.
31
>>RON BARTON: KAY, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T ANSWER A QUESTION, YOU
KNOW, DID SOMEBODY GIVE MICROSOFT SOME MONEY TO START THERE
ORIGINALLY, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THEY DIDN'T JUST
CHANGE SEATTLE OVERNIGHT --
>>KAY DOUGHTY: NO.
AND -- THEY SAID THAT --
>>RON BARTON: -- AND THAT'S THE POINT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: -- BUT, I MEAN, I WAS WONDERING ONCE
MICROSOFT WAS THERE --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: -- DID THEY DO THINGS TO ATTRACT --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: -- OTHER PEOPLE TO COME INTO THE COMMUNITY?
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
AND I CAN'T ANSWER SPECIFICALLY, BUT I'M SURE THEY ENGAGED
CERTAIN AREAS.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: WELL, I WOULD SAY IT MIGHT BE --
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: -- INTERESTING TO LOOK AT WHAT --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: -- THOSE EXPERIENCES WERE IN SILICON VALLEY
TO SEE IF WE CAN PICK UP ANY IDEAS.
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS.
>>JAY VICKERS: BARBARA.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: GOOD MORNING.
>>RON BARTON: GOOD MORNING.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: AGAIN, THANKS FOR COMING.
32
>>RON BARTON: UH-HUH.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: SO AN EDA COULD REALLY BE -- I'M GOING
TO DO, I THINK, A QUESTION --
>>RON BARTON: OKAY.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: -- THAT CAN BE ANSWERED.
[LAUGHTER]
>>RON BARTON: I'LL TRY.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: SO AN EDA COULD BE JUST A PARCEL, A 20-
OR 50-ACRE PARCEL COULD BECOME ITS OWN EDA?
>>RON BARTON: I MEAN, I'M GOING TO ANSWER YOU TRUTHFULLY.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: MAYBE?
>>RON BARTON: MAYBE.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: OKAY.
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
BECAUSE IT MAY BE THE ONLY THING THAT YOU WANT DO IN THAT
IMMEDIATE AREA.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: NOW, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GO ABOUT --
SINCE THIS IS GOING TO BE A FRAMEWORK, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO
GO ABOUT FINDING SITES THAT YOU THINK --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: -- ARE SOMETHING THAT THE PRIVATE
SECTOR WOULD WANT, AND ARE YOU --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: -- GOING TO LOOK IN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE
ALREADY INVESTED IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN
LISTENING TO SOME OF THE BUDGET TALKS, AND I DON'T THINK
WE'RE RICH.
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
33
NO, WE'RE NOT, I CAN ASSURE YOU OF THAT.
GOOD QUESTION.
THE MECHANICS OF THIS ARE REALLY BASED ON A GIS SYSTEM.
I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO BE SITES THAT ARE ALREADY CONSISTENT
WITH OUR LAND USE POLICIES, THAT ARE ALREADY CONSISTENT IN
ZONING, SO WE'RE NOT -- THIS ISN'T A COMPLETE BLANK SLATE.
WE'RE NOT SAYING, GEE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE COUNTY AND
WE'RE GOING TO PICK A SPOT, SO THIS IS STILL A FRAMEWORK
THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH OUR EXISTING COMMUNITY DECISIONS
ABOUT LAND USE AND ZONING, OKAY, BUT THEY'RE OUT THERE,
THOSE SITES ARE OUT THERE.
AND THE QUESTION IS -- AND, AGAIN, I'VE JUST GONE BACK AND
SAID WHAT WE DON'T KNOW FROM MORE OF A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE IS
WHETHER THOSE SITES ARE IN PERFECT POSITION TO RESPOND IN
THE PRIVATE-SECTOR WORLD, WHICH IS GREAT, NO ENGAGEMENT.
TRUST ME, I DON'T WANT TO ENGAGE, OKAY, BUT IF THERE'S A KEY
SITE THAT A COMPANY HAS TOLD US REPEATEDLY THEY MIGHT BE
INTERESTED IN BUT IT HAS SOME IMPEDIMENT, THEN WHAT IS IT?
DON'T WE WANT TO AT LEAST KNOW WHAT IT IS, AND DON'T WE
REALLY WANT TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME RATHER THAN HAVING A
REACTION TO SOMEBODY COMING TO US AND PROPOSING SOMETHING,
THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY AHEAD OF IT?
SO THAT'S THE START IS THAT THESE ARE SITES THAT KIND OF
HAVE ENTITLEMENTS ALREADY, THEY ALREADY HAVE THE RIGHT
ZONING, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS PROCESS MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD US
TO WHAT I BELIEVE IS A SECOND TIER, WHICH IS A REDEVELOPMENT
CONVERSATION, BECAUSE WHAT'S NOT GOING TO POP UP IN THAT
ANALYSIS IS WHAT, A SITE WITH FOUR BUILDINGS THAT HAVE ZERO
34
VALUE ON THEM, THAT THE LAND'S WORTH MORE THAN THE BUILDINGS
THAT THEY'RE ON.
I SPENT A LOT OF MY CAREER IN THE REDEVELOPMENT WORLD IN
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT, SO THAT'S -- YOU KNOW, THAT'S A SECOND
TIER OF EFFORT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO KNOW THE BASIC GREENFIELDS FIRST.
DOES THAT HELP A LITTLE?
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: YES.
THANK YOU.
>>JAY VICKERS: DEBORAH.
>>DEBORAH COPE: ACTUALLY, SHE -- I GOT MY ANSWER.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
>>RON BARTON: AND THAT'S WHAT I REALLY MEANT BY STARTING
BOTTOM UP, THAT'S REALLY GOING -- BECAUSE -- AND I ANSWERED
YOUR FIRST QUESTION TRUTHFULLY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW, BUT,
YOU KNOW, WHAT I SAW WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT BOUNDARIES
STARTING TO BE DRAWN, AND WE DON'T KNOW.
IF WE SEE -- IF WE SEE SEVEN KEY SITES THAT ARE ALL WITHIN A
HALF A MILE OF EACH OTHER, WELL, THAT STARTS TO WHAT, COMPEL
YOU THAT MAYBE THERE'S AN AREA THAT YOU CAN DEFINE AND YOU
BEGIN TO BUILD SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE YOU'VE
GOT CRITICAL MASS AND DENSITY, OKAY, YOU CAN BUILD, SO --
BUT I'M NOT PREDISPOSED TO THE ANSWER.
I JUST -- I NEED THE DATA FROM THE BOTTOM UP TO TELL ME, AND
THEN WE CAN ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT
MEAN.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
DEBORAH.
35
>>DEBORAH COPE: AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GATHER THIS
INFORMATION I THINK IS A BIG QUESTION FOR ME?
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIND OUT WHERE THESE AREAS ARE AND WHAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE TO THEM?
WHERE DOES THAT INFORMATION EXIST?
>>RON BARTON: WELL, A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.
THE FIRST ONE IS IT'S RIGHT IN OUR -- IT'S RIGHT IN OUR
GRASP AND WE DON'T -- WE JUST DON'T USE IT.
>>DEBORAH COPE: YEAH.
I MEAN -- I MEAN, AS FAR AS, LIKE --
>>RON BARTON: PROPERTY APPRAISER FILES --
>>DEBORAH COPE: COMPANIES HAVE SAID THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG
WITH THIS, I DON'T WANT TO MOVE THERE, BUT MAYBE NO ONE'S
SAID THAT YET.
I MEAN, HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WE'RE FIRST GOING TO START WITH JUST STANDARD DATA SOURCES,
OUR PROPERTY APPRAISER'S FILE AND GIS BASE.
THE SECOND LEVEL OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WE'RE GOING
TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS AND EVEN
SOME OF THE CEOs THAT MADE DECISIONS, KEY DECISIONS OF
LOCATION, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO GUESS AT WHAT THE DRIVING
DECISIONS ARE, WE WANT TO KNOW.
BY THE WAY, WE WANT TO KNOW ANYWAY.
EVEN IF WE DON'T DO AN EDA EVER, WE WANT TO KNOW THAT BETTER
BECAUSE WE WANT TO MARKET MORE EFFECTIVELY.
SO THAT'S THE SECOND LEVEL, OKAY.
36
AND THEN WHAT WE DON'T TEND TO DO REALLY WELL IS LOOK AT THE
HOLISTIC PICTURE ASSOCIATED EVEN WITH A SITE, IS WE JUST
LOOK AT A SITE AND GO, OH, DO WE HAVE ENTITLEMENTS OR NOT?
WELL, THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER.
THAT'S PART OF THE ANSWER.
SO IT'S, LIKE, WELL, CAN YOU GET TO THE SITE, YOU KNOW, IS
IT READY TO BUILD TOMORROW?
>>DEBORAH COPE: RIGHT.
>>RON BARTON: SO WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THOSE LAYERS, BUT
THEY START WITH OUR DATABASE SYSTEM, BUT WE WANT TO BE
REALLY SOPHISTICATED ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM, AND THEN
YOU CAN HAVE A -- THEN YOU CAN HAVE A STRAIGHTFORWARD
CONVERSATION WITH ANYBODY BECAUSE IT'S FACTS.
THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED.
WHAT HAPPENS IS, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS TEND TO FRAGMENT
WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS.
>>DEBORAH COPE: THANK YOU.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: DID TRADER JOE'S GET ANYTHING FROM
ANYBODY TO COME TO TAMPA?
DIDN'T THEY JUST DECIDE TO COME HERE FROM A MARKETING
STANDPOINT?
>>RON BARTON: YEAH, I DON'T THINK THEY DID.
NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: GOOD.
[INAUDIBLE]
>>RON BARTON: EXACTLY.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: I MEAN, IF IT WERE UP TO ME, I WOULD
HAVE GIVEN THEM ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD INSTEAD OF THE
37
BIG FISH STORE THAT WAS COMING, BUT THAT'S JUST --
>>RON BARTON: DULY NOTED.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: ONE OTHER -- WELL, I PROBABLY HAVE MANY
OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT IN LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE SITES, I
HAVE A BIG FEAR THAT THERE MIGHT BE -- AND YOU SPOKE TO I
THINK THEY WEREN'T ENVIRONMENTALLY -- COULD BE THERE'S SOME
PROBLEMS THERE.
I HOPE THAT WE'RE NOT LOOKING, JUST TO GET THE ALMIGHTY
DOLLAR, TO DO AWAY WITH SOME OF OUR WETLANDS AND RIVERINES
AND ALL THIS GOOD STUFF BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HEARING IT ALL
OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND IT WAS IN THE ULI THAT WE HAVE
THESE ISOLATED WETLANDS, AND IT -- IT WAS ALMOST GIVEN IN
THIS -- IN A SENTENCE THAT WE CAN JUST DO AWAY WITH THEM,
AND --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: -- I DISAGREE.
>>RON BARTON: SURE.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: OUR WETLANDS RULES DISAGREES WITH THAT
AS WELL --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: -- BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT.
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
WELL, I WOULD SAY THIS FROM THE REVERSE.
IF WE HAVE A SITE AND IT HAS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND THERE
IS NO WILL TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF THAT SITE, THEN WHAT I
WANT TO KNOW IS I WANT TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE IT COMES OFF MY
LIST.
38
IT COMES OFF THE EDC LIST, OKAY.
AND -- YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO SWIM UPSTREAM, I
DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME, AND SO I KNOW THIS COMMUNITY IS DEEP
ENOUGH THAT IT HAS OTHER SITES, OKAY, SO, YOU KNOW, THE
ANSWER WILL BE WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL
DEBATE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST SAY THIS: IT'S BETTER TO
KNOW THAN NOT -- THAN TO ASSUME, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO
DO.
IT'S BACK TO THE 100% KNOWLEDGE ISSUE.
IF YOU HAVE FULL DISCLOSURE AND YOU KNOW THE ISSUES, THEN
YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION.
>>JAY VICKERS: CRISTAN.
>>CRISTAN FADAL: YEAH.
SO A QUICK QUESTION.
WHAT -- DO WE KNOW WHAT THOSE, LIKE, MAYBE TOP THREE DRIVERS
ARE THAT ARE TRULY BRINGING COMPANIES?
REALLY, I'M THINKING MORE LIKE HEADQUARTERS --
>>RON BARTON: SURE.
>>CRISTAN FADAL: -- TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AS OPPOSED TO,
SAY, LIKE, A BASS PRO SHOP WHERE IT'S JUST ONE PARTICULAR
BUILDING?
WHAT ARE THOSE TOP THREE THINGS, AND ARE THEY INCENTIVES --
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
>>CRISTAN FADAL: -- TAX INCENTIVES THAT TRULY ARE THE TOP
DRIVERS --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>> -- OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE?
>>RON BARTON: I'M NOT GOING TO RANK ORDER THEM, BUT THE TOP
39
ONES ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE ACCESS TO WORKFORCE.
THEY'RE COMING TO A MARKETPLACE THAT THEY BELIEVE BRINGS THE
DYNAMICS BOTH AT A MACRO LEVEL AND A MICRO LEVEL, AND SO,
YOU KNOW, THE COST OF LABOR, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE THE HIGHEST
AVERAGE WAGE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WE CAN BEAR VERY
FAVORABLY TO THE AVERAGE WAGES IN NEW JERSEY, OKAY, SO
THERE'S A BUSINESS DECISION THAT BENEFITS THE STATE OF
FLORIDA.
BY THE WAY, BENEFITS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BY THE WAY,
CONTINUES TO MAKE US THE HIGHEST WAGE IN FLORIDA BECAUSE I
DON'T SHOP, YOU KNOW, IN TRENTON, I SHOP HERE, SO IT'S ALL
RELATIVE TO WHERE YOU LIVE, TO YOUR POINT, AND SO -- BUT
WORKFORCE -- THE BUSINESS DYNAMICS ARE ALWAYS FIRST, OKAY,
TAX BASE, AVERAGE WAGES, KIND OF THE BASICS, BUT THEN IT'S
THE QUALITY OF THE WORKFORCE, WHERE'S THE TALENT, WHO DO
THEY NEED, WHAT SKILL SETS, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THEY DO
VERY DETAILED ANALYSIS OF -- OF THE WORKFORCE.
BY THE WAY, IF I CAN TAKE ONE SEGUE OFF OF THAT, I TALKED
ABOUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT OURSELVES.
WE HAVE VERY POOR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY ON
WORKFORCE, AND SO, YEAH, THERE'S A WORKFORCE BOARD; YES,
THERE'S DATA; YES, THERE'S A CENSUS THAT SAYS HOW MANY
PEOPLE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL, HOW MANY PEOPLE WENT TO COLLEGE,
BUT WE REALLY DON'T KNOW THAT SUB-COUNTY AND THEN HOW WE
RELATE TO OUR NEIGHBOR COUNTIES.
WE KNOW IT HAPPENS BECAUSE YOU SEE THE COMMUTE PATTERNS AND
OTHER THINGS.
PART OF THIS PROCESS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT I'VE DESCRIBED TO
40
YOU ABOUT THE SITES, THE SECOND PIECE WE'RE MARRYING UP TO
IT, SO THAT YOU KNOW THIS, IS A BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE PIECE,
SO THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT OUR LAND, IT'S ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY,
AND SO WE'RE BUILDING A MODEL THAT, FRANKLY, I'VE NEVER SEEN
ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY THAT TRIES TO COMBINE THOSE.
BACK TO YOUR QUESTION.
BECAUSE THAT'S RELEVANT.
NOW WE CAN TELL A BUSINESSPERSON EVEN MORE SOPHISTICATED
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW SITES RELATE TO
THOSE OTHER DRIVERS.
IT'S INTERESTING, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WHETHER
THEIR DATA IS DRIVEN OR IT'S INSTINCTIVE, BUT WE WILL HAVE
SOME THAT SAY I WANT TO BE IN WESTSHORE BECAUSE THERE IS
ALREADY A CRITICAL MASS OF FINANCIAL SERVICES.
WELL, IRONICALLY, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER FINANCIAL SERVICES
COMPANY AND THEY SAY, NO, THAT'S MY NEAREST COMPETITOR, I
WANT TO BE IN EAST HILLSBOROUGH ON THE 75 CORRIDOR.
THAT'S NOT A WRONG ANSWER, BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT WHAT ARE
THE DRIVERS, IT CAN BE CONTRADICTORY.
NOW, THEY'VE MADE A DECISION, THAT COMPANY HAS STOLEN MY
WORKERS IN NASHVILLE AND SO I KNOW THEY'RE PREDATORY.
NOW, DOES MOVING TO ONE END OF THE COUNTY OR THE OTHER MAKE
A DIFFERENCE?
APPARENTLY THEY THINK SO.
SO -- BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW IT'S -- IT'S WEIRD, BUT
THEY HAVE THEIR METRICS.
THEY'VE FIGURED THEM OUT.
WORKFORCE IS IMPORTANT, AND, AGAIN, PARENTHETICALLY, THE
41
CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, HAS
GOTTA BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE IT'S NOT -- SOME HAVE SAID, YOU
KNOW, WE NEED TO LINK OUR EDAs.
THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT, AND THERE'S
NOTHING WRONG -- I MEAN, YOU ALWAYS WANT YOUR COMMUNITY
LINKED.
WE HAVE A MORE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM, WHICH IS YOU CAN'T GET
OUT OF YOUR DRIVEWAY AND GET TO YOUR JOB AND YOU CAN'T GET
FROM YOUR JOB BACK INTO YOUR DRIVEWAY, AND SO THAT'S MORE
FUNDAMENTAL TO THE BUSINESS DECISION.
THE MORE THE COMMUNITY GETS GRIDLOCKED THE LESS COMPETITIVE
WE'RE GOING TO BE.
THEN IF THE OPTION IS T. ROWE PRICE SAYS, HMM, OF ALL THE,
YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX THINGS I'M LOOKING AT, I CAN GET
CHEAPER LAND, I CAN GET PRETTY GOOD ACCESS TO THE
MARKETPLACE EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT SUPERIOR TO SOME OTHER
SITES, BUT MY WORKERS ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE HAPPIER
BECAUSE THEIR COMMUTE TIMES ARE DIFFERENT -- I MEAN, ALL
THOSE FACTORS COME INTO PLAY, SO THAT'S WHERE YOUR LONG-
RANGE PLANNING CONTINUES TO POSITION YOUR COMMUNITY TO BE A
COMPETITOR TEN AND 20 YEARS FROM NOW.
SO -- BUT WORKFORCE, REAL ESTATE DECISION, CLEARLY YOUR
GENERAL BUSINESS TAX BASE.
SOMETIMES THEY WANT TO BE IN CRITICAL MASS WITH -- WITH
INDUSTRY SEGMENTS, SOMETIMES THEY WANT TO BE AWAY FROM THEM.
I CAN'T TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S THE SAME.
SOME WANT TO BE -- ACCESSIBILITY TO THE AIRPORT'S IMPORTANT,
OKAY.
42
AND WE'VE FOCUSED MORE ON OFFICE STUFF, BUT THERE'S ALSO
INDUSTRIAL, SO ACCESS TO RAIL, ACCESS TO THE INTERSTATE
SYSTEM, PROXIMITY TO THOSE ON THE INDUSTRIAL SIDE.
INCENTIVES -- LISTEN, I'VE BEEN AT THIS 30 YEARS, SO ALL I
KNOW IS THEY ENGAGE IN AN INCENTIVE CONVERSATION, OKAY.
ALL I KNOW IS -- AND SOMEONE -- IT'S EASY -- IT'S EASY TO
SAY JUST DON'T DO IT, OKAY.
THE DAY THAT I -- THE BOARD LEARNS THAT I TOLD A COMPANY,
NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT, AND WE DON'T GET THAT DEAL IS
THE DAY I DON'T WORK HERE ANYMORE.
I DON'T DO THE INCENTIVE CONVERSATION BECAUSE I'M WORRIED
ABOUT MY JOB, IT'S JUST A PART OF IT.
NOW, EVEN SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS WILL TELL YOU IT'S NOT
THE PREDOMINANT ISSUE, OKAY, SO WE JUST HAVE TO GET OVER IT,
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT SOME ARE PHILOSOPHICALLY OPPOSED
TO IT, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND SO UNTIL WE CAN GET FEDERAL
LEGISLATION PASSED THAT SAYS NO MORE INCENTIVES -- OH, BY
THE WAY, I'M GOING TO GO BACK AND SAY LET'S BE HONEST WITH
EACH OTHER -- THAT'S WHY I USED THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION --
THERE ARE INCENTIVES EVERYWHERE.
THERE ARE SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS.
YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE IRS TAX CODE, OKAY.
SO IT'S DONE EVERYWHERE.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DEMAND ONCE YOU GET OVER THE
HEARTBURN THAT YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN IT PHILOSOPHICALLY,
OKAY, IS -- WHAT YOU SHOULD DEMAND IS WHERE'S MY RETURN,
SPENCER'S QUESTION, WHERE'S THE BENEFIT STRING, AND IF YOU
DON'T BELIEVE IT, THEN YOU SHOULD LOBBY AGAINST IT, BUT
43
LOBBY ON THE MERITS OF THE BUSINESS DEAL BECAUSE I JUST --
AT THIS JUNCTURE, I CAN'T ENCOURAGE YOU TO SAY IT'S A
PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION.
IT'S NOT.
YOU KNOW, UNTIL OUR COMPETITORS DON'T DO IT, THE PEOPLE WE
ENGAGE WITH ARE GOING TO ASK.
NOW, I CAN TELL YOU I'VE BEEN DOING IT A LONG TIME.
NO ONE TREATS THEIR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY MORE
IMPORTANTLY THAN I DO.
I WANT TO DRIVE ANY -- I TELL MY STAFF ALL THE TIME WHEN I
WAS IN ST. PETERSBURG AND IN JACKSONVILLE AND HERE, OUR JOB
IS TO GROW THE ECONOMY WITH ZERO PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
NOW, WE DON'T ALWAYS DO THAT, BUT THAT'S OUR JOB; RIGHT?
IT'S TO HELP THE PRIVATE-SECTOR MODEL WORK, BUT THE FACT OF
THE MATTER IS WE DO HAVE TO ENGAGE SOMETIME.
>>JAY VICKERS: LINDA.
>>LINDA PORTER: YES.
GOOD MORNING.
>>RON BARTON: GOOD MORNING.
>>LINDA PORTER: I'M A NEWBIE HERE --
>>RON BARTON: OH, COOL.
>>LINDA PORTER: -- SO IT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO WORK ON THAT PHRASE "HIGH-QUALITY
JOBS" --
>>RON BARTON: OH, YEAH.
>>LINDA PORTER: -- BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT IS CONSIDERED
A HIGH-QUALITY JOB?
>>RON BARTON: WELL, LET'S QUIT USING THAT WORD.
44
[LAUGHTER]
REALLY, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE INDUSTRY SEGMENTS AND JOB
POSITIONS THAT CAN GARNER THE HIGHEST PAY.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
I MEAN, IF WE WERE JUST OUT LOOKING FOR A JOB, I WANT TO DO
A JOB I LIKE AND I WANT TO GET SOMEBODY TO PAY ME THE MOST I
CAN GET THEM TO PAY ME, SO -- I MEAN, THAT'S AS SIMPLE AS IT
IS.
NOW, WHAT WE KNOW FROM DATA IS CERTAIN INDUSTRY SEGMENTS ARE
GOING TO ACHIEVE THOSE OBJECTIVES MORE THAN OTHERS.
IT'S NOT THAT A RETAIL JOB IS BAD, IT'S NOT, BUT WE DO KNOW
THAT IT'S IN A GENERAL PAY RANGE, OKAY, THAT IS FAIRLY
DEFINABLE, SO NOT BAD, IT'S JUST -- IT'S A DIFFERENT
METRICS, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN BY THAT.
SO THERE'S CERTAIN TARGETED INDUSTRIES.
THAT'S WHY THE STATE HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME ANALYTICALLY
LOOKING AT CERTAIN INDUSTRIES THAT TEND TO HAVE, WHAT,
HIGHER GROWTH FACTORS, SO YOU WANT SOME INDUSTRY SEGMENTS
THAT ARE REALLY ON, WHAT, THE INCLINE, NOT THE DECLINE, YOU
DON'T WANT TO BUY INTO A LOSER, YOU WANT TO BUY INTO A
WINNER, AND SO INDUSTRY SEGMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO GROW
QUICKER, INDUSTRY SEGMENTS THAT TEND TO SPIN OFF AND BUILD
SYNERGIES; IN OTHER WORDS, COMPANIES THAT DO BUSINESS WITH
THEM, SO THAT'S PART OF THAT GROWTH FACTOR, AND THAT THEY
TEND TO HAVE PAY CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE MORE FAVORABLE.
>>LINDA PORTER: AND I ONLY SAY THAT BECAUSE I HAVE A FAMILY
MEMBER WHO'S A TEACHER, AND I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW MUCH SHE
MAKES --
45
>> ME TOO.
>>LINDA PORTER: -- AND SO OUR TEACHERS ARE REALLY NEVER
SEEN AS BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>LINDA PORTAL: ALTHOUGH THE PAY IS, THE -- THEIR POSITION
IS NOT.
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>LINDA PORTER: SO EVEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT POSITIONS, I
THINK A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY LOOKS FAVORABLE TO TEACHERS,
THEY RESPECT THEM, BUT OUR -- OUR GOVERNMENT DOESN'T PAY
THEM, OUR COUNTY AND CITY AND WHATEVER, WE JUST DON'T PAY
THEM ENOUGH, SO DO THEY HAVE A HIGH-QUALITY JOB?
I MEAN --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [INAUDIBLE]
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>LINDA PORTER: THANK YOU.
>>JAY VICKERS: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: YES.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, AFTER LIVING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
MOST OF MY LIFE, I'VE FOUND BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME, AND IT
DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, AND IT'S SO FUNNY, I GUESS I DON'T
TRUST GOVERNMENT TOO MUCH SINCE I'VE BEEN THROUGH -- WORKED
ON SO MANY ISSUES.
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THE MANIPULATION AND THE LACK OF
HONESTY -- NOT YOU, BUT I'M SAYING GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL.
>>RON BARTON: I GOT IT.
46
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I MEAN, I HAVE TO LOOK AT MY TAXES.
AS A HOMEOWNER, WELL, YES, WE'RE GOING TO GO DOWN ON YOUR
TAXES BECAUSE YOUR HOME'S DEPRECIATED, SO WHAT DID THEY DO?
THEY BRING THE VALUE OF THE HOME WAY DOWN.
HELLO, UP GOES THE PROPERTY VALUE.
DID I SAVE ANY MONEY ON MY TAXES?
OH, NO, THEY WENT UP $2.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S JUST THIS ISSUE, AND ANOTHER CONCEPT WHICH
DRIVES SOME OF US WACKY IN THE CIVIC SOCIETY, I GUESS YOU
CAN CALL US -- THAT'S A LOW-INCOME JOB, TRUST ME, BUT --
[LAUGHTER]
-- IS THE GENERAL PLANNING.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE RURAL AREAS IN ONE COUNTY AND THEN YOU
JUMP TO THE NEXT COUNTY AND THEN YOU'RE PUTTING THE HIGH
URBAN NEXT TO THESE RURAL AREAS.
WELL, IT'S NOT VERY PLEASANT, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM THERE.
YES, MAYBE PASCO -- I HAVE MY PROBLEMS SOMETIMES WITH
PINELLAS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, BUT THEY'VE DONE A DECENT JOB
OF PLANNING.
I MEAN, IF YOU GO INTO THEIR CITIES AND -- IT'S A BEAUTIFUL
COUNTY.
I MEAN, IF YOU COME TO FLORIDA, YOU LOOK AT PINELLAS,
HILLSBOROUGH, PASCO, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL COUNTY.
THEY'VE TAKEN CARE OF THEIR CITIES.
THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL THE WAY THEY'VE RESTORED -- AND WE HAVEN'T
DONE THAT.
WE'VE KIND OF TAKEN OUR PAST AND THROWN IT AWAY.
OH, WE'RE GOING TO DO ANOTHER -- A NEW RIVERWALK OR
47
SOMETHING, SO OUT GOES ALL THE OLD BUILDINGS.
SO -- AND AS FAR AS PEOPLE GO, I DON'T REALLY CARE IF
THEY'RE HIGH-QUALITY, LOW-QUALITY, MEDIUM-QUALITY.
I'M A PEOPLE PERSON, AND I LIKE PEOPLE, AND IT DOES NOT
IMPRESS ME.
I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY CLEAN MY HOUSE, I DON'T HAVE
TO HAVE SOMEBODY DO MY CLOTHES, I JUST LIKE PEOPLE, SO IF
YOU SEE THE COMMERCIAL ABOUT WE USED TO GO TO NEIGHBORS AND
WE USED TO BE WITH NEIGHBORS, NO, NOT ANYMORE.
IT'S LIKE WHO'S DRIVING THE BEST CAR, WHO'S DRIVING --
WEARING THE MOST EXPENSIVE CLOTHES, AND THEN YOU GO INTO
THESE COMMUNITIES, EVERYTHING LOOKS ALIKE, SO WE STILL NEED
TO LOOK BACK AS WE'RE LOSING SOCIAL CONTACT, AND THAT'S VERY
IMPORTANT, SO I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER SOCIAL CONTACT,
REMEMBER EVERYBODY.
DON'T LEAVE ANYBODY OUT ON YOUR EQUATION.
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: CRISTAN.
>>CRISTAN FADAL: ARE WE RUNNING OUT ON TIME?
>>JAY VICKERS: NO, WE'RE GOOD.
WE'RE GOOD.
>>CRISTAN FADAL: I'LL TRY TO ASK A QUESTION HERE.
ON -- YOU HAD MENTIONED DENSITY, AND I KNOW THAT'S ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS, EVERYONE SAYS, WELL, WE NEED
DENSITY IN ORDER TO REALLY SUPPORT THE TYPE OF TRANSIT
SYSTEMS THAT WE'D LIKE WITH RAIL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT
THEN WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO PEOPLE ACTUALLY WANTING TO BUILD
AND PUT IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES OR PUT IN CONDOS OR WHATEVER,
48
PARTICULARLY IN SOUTH TAMPA, THE COMMUNITY GETS ALL UP IN
ARMS AND FREAKS OUT, SO HOW DO YOU WORK THAT -- HOW DO YOU
MANAGE THAT BECAUSE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW -- I THINK
THERE'S A LOT OF -- I'M IN REAL ESTATE.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WANT TO BUILD, BRING THE
DENSITY IN THERE, BRING THE BUSINESSES, THEN, THAT COME WITH
THAT --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>CRISTAN FADAL: -- EVEN IF THEY'RE SMALLER BUSINESSES OR
MAYBE SOME LARGER, SO HOW DO YOU MEASURE THAT DENSITY AND
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE TO GET THE COMMUNITY ONBOARD WITH THAT?
>>RON BARTON: THAT'S BOB McDONOUGH'S PROBLEM.
[LAUGHTER]
NO, I'M KIDDING.
YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING I'VE ENJOYED SINCE I'VE COME BACK TO
TAMPA AND CERTAINLY WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS -- YOU KNOW,
I KIND OF HAD THAT MIND-SET THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY WAS
THE UNINCORPORATED AND THE CITY WAS THE MUNICIPAL, AND WHAT
I'VE BEEN -- YOU KNOW, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, BUT FOR ME IT'S
EXCITING IS THAT THIS COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND THE BOARD REALLY
EMBRACES WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR CITIES, AND SO THAT'S REWARDING
FOR ME, HAVING SPENT A GOOD BIT OF MY CAREER BEING A
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AS WELL, SO I'M USED TO THE
QUESTIONS YOU JUST ASKED, AND THERE ISN'T A -- THERE ISN'T
REALLY A GOOD ANSWER, BUT, YOU KNOW, PART OF WHAT YOU HAVE
TO DO IS SPEAK TO THE DIVERSITY QUESTION.
YOU HAVE TO -- YOU HAVE TO SHOW PEOPLE THEY'RE STILL GOING
TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY HAVE, BUT COMMUNITIES DON'T
49
STAND STILL.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE ONE THING I'VE LEARNED, I THINK ALL OF
YOU KNOW THAT, IS IT NEVER STAYS STATIC.
YOU'RE EITHER GOING TO CHANGE POSITIVELY OR IT'S EVENTUALLY
GOING TO CHANGE NEGATIVELY BECAUSE IT'S VERY RARE YOUR WORLD
STAYS THE SAME FOR 50 YEARS.
I MEAN -- AND SO PART OF THE STORYTELLING IS HOW IT -- IT
CONTINUES TO BUILD A POSITIVE COMMUNITY THAT YOU WANT TO BE
IN IN THE FUTURE.
SOME PEOPLE CAN'T GRASP THE FACT THAT IT'S GOING TO CHANGE
BECAUSE WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS IF YOU DON'T, IT TENDS TO GO
NEGATIVE.
THAT'S WHERE BLIGHT COMES, AND BLIGHT IS SUBURBAN AS WELL AS
URBAN.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST HURDLE WE ALL HAVE TO GET
OVER IS THAT IT'S GOING TO EVOLVE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THE QUESTION IS WHICH WAY DO YOU WANT IT TO EVOLVE?
AND THEN -- AND THEN YOU CAN START TO ENGAGE, OKAY, WELL,
THEN, WHAT PRODUCT, WHAT THINGS?
AND SO, YES, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A ONE-STORY BLOCK
FORMER TACKLE SHOP NEXT TO YOU, IT MAY BE A THREE-STORY
TOWNHOME PRODUCT, BUT THAT'S NOT A BAD THING, AND SO PART OF
IT IS JUST TRYING TO ENGAGE WITH THE NEAR-TERM COMMUNITY
AROUND WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, AND SOME YOU'LL
NEVER BE ABLE TO REACH, BUT, I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF IT.
IT'S ALL -- SOME OF IT'S THE SOFT SCIENCE, NOT THE HARD
SCIENCE.
>>JAY VICKERS: KAY.
50
>>KAY DOUGHTY: I THINK THIS WILL BE SIMPLE, AND YOU MAY
HAVE SAID IT AND I MISSED IT, AND IF SO, I APOLOGIZE, BUT
WHERE WILL THE PLANNING COMMISSION FIT INTO THIS?
>>RON BARTON: WELL, GOOD QUESTION, AND THE CITIZENS AS
WELL.
AS -- YOU KNOW, AS I'VE SAID, WHAT I BELIEVE MY JOB IS IS TO
BRING FACTUAL INFORMATION, AND I THINK EVEN SOMETIMES IN THE
PLANNING PROCESS YOU TEND TO BE AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL THAT
IT'S ALL AN INTELLECTUAL CONVERSATION, NOT A FACTUAL
CONVERSATION, AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BUILD THIS
BASE OF INFORMATION THAT'S NOT JUST LAND-ORIENTED, IT'S
BUSINESS CONVERSATION-ORIENTED, AND, AGAIN, IT'LL BE A --
IT'LL BE A FACTUAL ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE THE
WEAKNESSES OF THESE SITES TO HELP CHANGE WHO WE ARE OVER
TIME, AND -- AND SO WE'LL EITHER ACCEPT THOSE FACTS OR NOT.
AND LET'S HOLD WETLANDS OVER TO THE SIDE.
IF -- IF THERE'S SOME -- IF THERE'S SOME ISSUE ASSOCIATED
WITH THOSE SITES, DO WE WANT TO MAKE A PUBLIC POLICY
DECISION -- AND SPENCER, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, NO ONE'S
MADE THAT DECISION -- THAT'S GOING TO BE MADE BY CITIZEN
INPUT, THAT'S GOING TO BE MADE BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN
HELPING US ADMINISTER CITIZEN PROCESS, AND ULTIMATELY IT'S
GOING TO BE MADE BY THE BOARD.
AND SO MY -- MY ANSWER TO YOU IS STAY TUNED.
NO TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION.
I DO THINK WE KNOW THE DIRECTION THE TRAIN'S GOING TO GO AT
LEAST, AND SO WHEN WE GET THERE AND HOW HAPPY WE ARE, YOU
KNOW, THAT'S ALL A PART OF OUR PROCESS TOGETHER.
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>>KAY DOUGHTY: I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND
FOLLOWING CRISTAN'S AND SPENCER'S COMMENTS, YOU KNOW,
ABOUT -- AND YOUR STATEMENT JUST NOW ABOUT COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO WHAT YOU SAID YOU WANT TO
DO, WHICH IS TO BE TRUTHFUL TO THE CITIZENS ABOUT WHATEVER
KIND OF PLANNING PROCESS -- I MEAN, WHATEVER PLAN COMES FROM
THIS SO THAT THERE IS THE RECOGNITION THAT IF WE DO "X," WE
WON'T SEE "Y" NEXT WEEK, IN A YEAR, THAT IT IS A LONG-TERM
PROCESS, BECAUSE I -- WE'VE ALL BEEN BURNED, AND I THINK
THAT'S WHY THERE'S SO MUCH DISTRUST, WELL, THEY SAID THIS
WOULD HAPPEN, AND, LOOK, IT NEVER HAPPENED --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: -- AND THEY PROMISED US THIS AND [INAUDIBLE]
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>SPENCER KASS: ONE VERY, VERY QUICK THING.
ARE YOU ALSO COVERING INSIDE OF THE CITIES OR ARE YOU JUST
DOING THE COUNTY AREAS?
>>RON BARTON: THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
>>SPENCER KASS: THE ENTIRE COUNTY?
>>RON BARTON: YEAH.
WE'LL BE WORKING WITH BOB McDONOUGH AND THE CITY.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, BUT WE KNOW
THAT OUR JOB CENTERS ARE ALSO DOWNTOWN AND WESTSHORE, WHILE
THOSE ARE IN THE CITY.
>>JAY VICKERS: ANYTHING ELSE?
I HAD JUST ONE STATEMENT AND ONE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
THE STATEMENT IS JUST TO ECHO GAYE'S POINT ABOUT BEING
REALISTIC, I LIKED YOUR REALISTIC AND I THINK YOU USED
52
INTELLECTUAL WHEN SETTING THE PROJECTIONS.
I THINK EVERYBODY STARTS OUT THAT WAY, BUT ONCE YOU HAVE TO
PITCH THIS POLITICALLY TO GET THIS GOING, THAT'S WHERE THE
PUFFERY COMES INTO PLAY, AND THERE'S A REALISM IN TRYING TO
HAVE AN IDEA WITH SOME -- BASED IN INTELLECTUAL THOUGHT,
TRYING TO GET THAT PASSED AND IN.
THAT'S WHEN THE PUFFERY COMES IN, BUT AS YOU SEE, WE
REMEMBER THOSE THINGS, AND I DO THINK IT CREATES A DISTRUST.
I THINK THE TAMPA STADIUM IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT
STILL --
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: -- YOU HEAR THE MOANS AND GROWNS NOW.
IT'S BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME NOW, AND WE'RE STILL NOT SURE
IF IT HAD THE IMPACT THEY SAID THEY WOULD BECAUSE NO FOLLOW-
UP STUDIES ARE DONE.
I THINK THE RNC'S ANOTHER --
>>KAY DOUGHTY: I WAS ABOUT TO SAY THE REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL --
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
THE RNC'S ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE ASKED THAT -- I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL EVER
ACTUALLY SEE THAT, SO THE IDEA THAT -- YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE
IN A BUSINESS, THERE'S AN ROI ON A PROJECT, AND ONCE THAT --
THIS IS WHAT WE EXPECT THE PROJECT TO DO.
THREE YEARS LATER YOU EVALUATE IT, FIVE YEARS, TEN YEARS
LATER, YOU EVALUATE IT, SO I THINK THERE'S TWOFOLDS, ONE IS
REDUCE THE PUFFERY, WHICH I KNOW YOU'RE ALL FOR, WHICH IS
GREAT, AND SECOND OF ALL, IN THE INITIAL PLANNING OF THESE
53
THINGS, PUT IN SPECIFIC RENEWALS -- OR NOT REALLY RENEWALS,
REVIEWS, PUT IN SPECIFIC REVIEWS, THOUGH, IN THREE YEARS WE
ARE GOING TO RELEASE A WHITE PAPER THAT SAYS -- THAT JUDGES
IT ON THESE FIVE FACTORS.
NOW, SOME OF THOSE MAY HAVE CHANGED AND MY NOT BE
IRRELEVANT, BUT THAT SHOULD AT LEAST BE ADDRESSED IN THAT
FOLLOW-UP, AND I THINK IF YOU PUT THAT TYPE OF STRUCTURED
FOLLOW-UP IN THE INITIAL PLAN, THAT'S HOW YOU CAN BUILD
PUBLIC TRUST OVER THE LONG-TERM, SO I THINK THAT'S
IMPORTANT.
THE SECOND THING IS IN GAYE'S COMMENT ABOUT USING SEATTLE AS
AN EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DID THEY GET MICROSOFT AND HOW
ALL THAT WORKED, I'VE SPENT SOME TIME THERE.
I'M A LITTLE FAMILIAR WITH HOW IT WORKED.
THEY HAD BOEING TO START OUT WITH, AND THEN THEY WENT FROM
THERE TO MICROSOFT, AND THAT WAS JUST RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT
TIME, THEN COMES AMAZON, THEN COMES STARBUCKS, AND IT ALL
KIND OF ROLLS FROM THERE.
AND THINKING ABOUT IT, IT LOOKS -- IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE THEY
GOT -- THEY HAD WHALES, THEY HAD REALLY BIG ORGANIZATIONS TO
START WITH, BOEING THEY HAD ENOUGH WHITE-COLLAR AND BLUE-
COLLAR MIXTURE JOBS TO BUILD A VERY FIRM, SUSTAINABLE BASE.
MICROSOFT WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF OF THAT, BUT THEN THEY
RECRUITED WORLDWIDE TO BRING DEVELOPERS INTO SEATTLE, WHICH
BROUGHT MORE BUSINESSES, NOT THE HIGH-PAYING JOBS BUT THE --
ALL THE SUPPORTING JOBS THAT COME ALONG WITH THOSE, AND SO
IN YOUR ECONOMIC POLICY GOING FORWARD, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR
WHALES?
54
I KNOW YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT THEM, BUT ARE YOU
FOCUSING -- IS THAT THE PRIMARY POINT OF YOUR PROGRAM IS TO
TRY TO FIND THESE BIG ORGANIZATIONS, BRING THAT NEXT
MICROSOFT HERE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE IT BE THE CATALYST FOR
CHANGE, OR WHILE WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT, WE'RE GOING TO TRY
TO BUILD A MORE SUSTAINABLE --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- ECONOMY ACROSS ALL LEVELS.
>>RON BARTON: OKAY.
GLAD YOU ASKED THAT.
CAN YOU PUT THE OTHER SLIDE UP NOW?
[LAUGHTER]
>>JAY VICKERS: WE'RE RUNNING OVER, RON, SO WHENEVER YOU'RE
DONE, YOU'RE DONE.
>>RON BARTON: I'LL BE REAL QUICK.
>>JAY VICKERS: YOU WANT TO BE -- YOU CAN BE DONE WHENEVER
YOU WANT TO BE DONE, LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.
>>RON BARTON: I'LL SPEND ALL DAY WITH YOU.
I'M GOOD.
[LAUGHTER]
YOU KNOW, WE GOT THROUGH THE WORKSHOP YESTERDAY, SO -- IS
THAT BLURRY JUST TO ME?
>> JUST TO YOU.
>>RON BARTON: OKAY.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
THE ANSWER IS -- AND THIS IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE
BOARD YESTERDAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED A DIVERSE AND HONEST
55
STRATEGY ABOUT HOW WE APPROACH OUR ECONOMY, AND SO I THINK
THIS GRAPHIC KIND OF CAPTURES A LOT OF CONVERSATION.
I'M WEDDED TO IT BECAUSE I DID IT, BUT I DO THINK IN ONE
PAGE -- BECAUSE YOU CAN HIRE SOMEBODY FOR $500,000 TO WRITE
YOU A STRATEGY PLAN, BUT JUST LIKE THE EDA SLIDES WERE ABOUT
STARTING A FRAMEWORK, WELL, THIS IS A FRAMEWORK FOR ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE NEED
TO BE APPLIED IN ALL ASPECTS OF OUR ECONOMY.
LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH THE SLIDE BECAUSE I HOPE YOU'LL FIND
SOME VALUE IN IT.
THE DEVIL'S ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS, WHICH IS NOT IN A GRAPHIC
LIKE THIS, BUT IT HAS A VISION.
IT TALKS ABOUT ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
AND TO -- IS IT GAYE -- TO GAYE'S POINT, ECONOMIC
PROSPERITY'S RELATIVE TO THE PERSON; RIGHT?
SO THERE'S NO VALUE STATEMENT HERE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [INAUDIBLE]
>>RON BARTON: THAT'S RIGHT.
SO IT'S ABOUT PROSPERITY FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
THAT'S THE VISION; RIGHT?
THE OUTCOMES, LET ME TRANSLATE THOSE THREE BOXES, PRODUCTIVE
GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT, THINK OF THAT BOX AS BUSINESS, OKAY.
SO WE WANT OUTCOMES IN THE BUSINESS WORLD.
THE MIDDLE BOX IS INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT.
THOSE ARE OUR CITIZENS.
WE WANT OUTCOMES FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND THEN SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT IS OUR
RESOURCES.
56
THAT'S LAND AND IT'S MONEY.
SO THINK ABOUT OUTCOMES RELATED TO OUR RESOURCES.
SO THAT'S -- THAT'S PART OF OUR STRATEGY; RIGHT?
IT ISN'T ANY ONE THING, IT'S OUR CITIZENS, IT'S OUR
BUSINESSES, AND OUR RESOURCES.
AND THEN WHAT ARE THE DRIVERS?
HOW DO WE MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, YOU KNOW?
AND YOU CAN PARSE THESE CATEGORIES ANY WAY YOU WANT, BUT
THEY'RE AT LEAST 90% ACCURATE.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO START WITH THE TOP LEFT ONE BECAUSE I'M
GOING TO END WITH THAT.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
COMPETITIVE SITES AND REDEVELOPMENT.
IT'S ABOUT USING OUR LAND AND SOME OF OUR REUSE OF OUR LAND
SO THAT THE ANSWER ISN'T ALWAYS GOING FURTHER OUT, OKAY, AND
GUESS WHAT COMES WITH FURTHER OUT, CONFLICT WITH
COMMUNITIES, EXTENDING YOURSELF FINANCIALLY ON
INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT, OKAY, SO THESE
THINGS ARE ALL CONSISTENT WITH, I THINK, THE VALUES OF A LOT
OF US ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO DO THAT.
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION, TALKING ABOUT DRIVERS, YOU KNOW,
AND RECOGNIZE THAT'S NEVER FUNDAMENTALLY BEEN A PART OF OUR
STRATEGY, YOU KNOW, OF CAN THAT BE A DRIVER FOR US.
SMALL BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEURIALS, STARTUPS, THAT'S IMPORTANT
TO OUR ECONOMY, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE WHALE, IT'S THE MINNOW,
AND THAT'S REALLY RECOGNIZING THAT.
INFRASTRUCTURE, BACK TO INFRASTRUCTURE, IT IS A CORE
GOVERNMENT SERVICE, ROADS AND UTILITIES THAT MAKE US A
57
BETTER COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHAT YOU, FRANKLY, EXPECT GOVERNMENT TO DO AND DO
WELL.
ECONOMIC GATEWAYS, THAT'S PORT, AIRPORT, THOSE ARE PORTALS,
PORTALS FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AND OUT BUT ALSO PORTALS FOR
ECONOMIC CHANGE, AND MacDILL COULD BE A PORTAL.
FRANKLY, OUR UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IS A PORTAL, SO THINK OF IT
THAT WAY.
BOTTOM LEFT, QUALITY PLACES.
THERE'S NOT AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER IN THE COUNTRY THAT WON'T
TELL YOU THAT THEY CAN'T LAND ANYTHING IF THEY DON'T HAVE A
QUALITY PLACE TO SELL, OKAY, AND I SAID THIS AT THE ECONOMIC
PROSPERITY COMMITTEE.
YOU'LL HAVE NO BIGGER ADVOCATE FOR KEEPING QUALITY OF PLACE
THAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAMS BECAUSE WE START WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A COMPETITOR -- YOU CAN CUT ME OFF TOO WHEN
YOU WANT.
WE HAVE A COMPETITOR THAT WAS IN TOWN AND WE WERE COMPETING
AGAINST OKLAHOMA, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE DIDN'T DO WHAT I
WANTED TO DO, WHICH WAS CONDUCT THE MEETING ON A BOAT IN THE
BAY, WHICH IS WHAT WE DID IN JACKSONVILLE.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAD AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NAVY, AND
SO IT WAS SOME OF THE -- FIVE OR SIX OF THE TOP CEOs -- AS
YOU COULD GUESS, THEY HAVE SOME BOATS, AND THAT'S OKAY.
WHAT THEY SAID IS ANY TIME YOU WANT ONE, YOU'VE GOT IT, AND
WE TOOK THEM UP AND DOWN THE ST. JOHN'S RIVER, WENT OUT TO
THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY AT MAYPORT, AND WE DID THAT ALL
THE TIME, AND WE CONDUCTED OUR BUSINESS MEETING RIGHT THERE,
58
BECAUSE, WHAT, DOES OKLAHOMA HAVE THAT?
NO.
NOW, THE BEST -- NEXT BEST THING IS AT LEAST STICK THEM IN A
WINDOW WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT TAMPA BAY, BUT THAT'S AN
EXAMPLE, WE SELL QUALITY OF PLACE, AND THE BETTER QUALITY
PLACE WE HAVE, THE LESS INCENTIVES WE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE
TO DO.
I DO BELIEVE THAT.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'LL ELIMINATE IT, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE CAN
SELL OTHER THINGS.
TARGETED INDUSTRIES, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, SO THEY'RE NOT
NECESSARILY THE WHALES, BUT THERE ARE -- THAT'S THE BRISTOL-
MYERS SQUIBB'S, THAT'S THE AMAZON.COM.
BUT WE ALSO LAND, YOU KNOW, DEALS THAT ARE ONLY 100 OR 50
PEOPLE.
OOH, SORRY.
CONVENTION TOURISM AND SPORTS I DID AS A SEPARATE BUBBLE
BECAUSE THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS GOVERNMENT IS ENGAGED
IN THAT TOPIC, SO --
[LAUGHTER]
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: GOD HELP US.
>>RON BARTON: -- YOU CAN HAVE -- AGAIN, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR
OPINION ON ANY ONE OF THESE BUBBLES, BUT IT'S THERE, IT'S
DONE, WE'RE IN, SO IT'S -- THE QUESTION TO CONTINUE TO ASK
IS, OKAY, WHAT DO WE GET FOR IT, SO THAT'S A VERY FAIR
QUESTION.
WORKFORCE AND KNOWLEDGE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO
MOVE FORWARD -- TALKING ABOUT OUR TEACHERS, WE'RE NOT GOING
59
TO MOVE FORWARD UNLESS WE HAVE SMARTER PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE
ATTUNED TO THE WORLD AND THE FUTURE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN
WRING OUR HANDS ABOUT OUR GLOBAL EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS OR WE
CAN JUST KEEP LEANING INTO THE WIND AND RECOGNIZE THAT THAT
IS PROBABLY THE SINGLE DIFFERENCE MAKER.
IF WE WOKE UP 20 YEARS FROM NOW -- TALK ABOUT BROKEN
PROMISES, THE LOTTERY MONEY WAS SUPPOSED TO ENHANCE
EDUCATION.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [INAUDIBLE]
>>RON BARTON: SO ANYWAY -- SEE, I HAVE MY OWN OPINIONS TOO.
[LAUGHTER]
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING, THAT'S ABOUT MARKETING.
IF WE DO A GOOD JOB OF MARKETING, SOMETIMES WE DON'T HAVE TO
BAIT THE INCENTIVE SIDE AS MUCH, SO IT'S ABOUT TELLING --
AND WE TELL THE EDC THIS ALL THE TIME, HONE YOUR MARKETING
MESSAGE.
WHY IS IT A BUSINESS CAN BE VERY SUCCESSFUL HERE AND LESSEN
THE CONVERSATION ABOUT INCENTIVES?
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE VERY LAST CONVERSATION WE HAVE, IT'S
NOT THE FIRST, OKAY, SO THERE ARE OTHER THINGS, BUT THOSE
BUBBLES CAN -- CAN HAVE A LOT OF DETAIL, BUT THOSE ARE
DRIVERS.
SO MY POINT IS SHOULDN'T WE BE FOCUSED ON ALL OF THEM, NOT
JUST ONE OF THEM?
BUT WE CAN'T JUST DO IT OURSELVES, SO THAT'S -- THE NEXT
LITTLE THING DOWN THERE IS CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS AND
PARTNERSHIPS.
THESE ARE FORCE MULTIPLIERS BECAUSE RON BARTON CAN'T DO IT
60
BY HIMSELF, JAY CAN'T DO IT BY HIMSELF, IT'S ALL OF US
TOGETHER, AND SO PARTNERS -- OR WHAT DO I MEAN BY PARTNERS?
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, UT, HCC, THOSE ARE PARTNERS,
WHAT, IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION, PORT AND
AIRPORT, THOSE PORTALS, THOSE ARE PARTNERS, AND THEN WE HAVE
CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS.
THE EDC IS A CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP.
THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTES DOLLARS TO THEIR ACTIVITIES.
NOW, WE LEVERAGE IT WITH THE CITY MONEY, WE LEVERAGE IT WITH
A LOT OF PRIVATE-SECTOR MONEY, SO THAT'S A CONTRACTUAL
RELATIONSHIP, BUT THE ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTION YOU'VE ASKED
ME ABOUT, THOSE CONTRACTS NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE OUTCOMES,
AND THAT'S THE ONE THING I THINK THIS GOVERNMENT HAS DONE
WELL.
I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, BUT I CAN SEE
THAT THERE'S BEEN A BIG CHANGE FROM HERE'S YOUR MONEY TO
WHAT IS IT YOU DO FOR US?
NOW IT'S NOT JUST WHAT DO YOU DO FOR US, WE WANT YOU TO DO
SOMETHING RELATED TO OUR STRATEGY.
WE'RE NOT PAYING YOU TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, WE'RE PAYING
YOU TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S RELATED TO OUR STRATEGY.
AND THE BOARD REALLY -- I THINK YOU'VE SEEN THIS.
THE BOARD IS REALLY STARTING TO THINK THAT WAY ABOUT, WELL,
LET'S MAKE SURE OUR PARTNERS ARE EXECUTING WHAT WE WANT.
NOW, IF THERE'S COMMONALITY OF THEIR MISSION TO WHAT WE
WANT, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DICTATE TO THEM, BUT THERE ARE
TIMES IN WHICH YOU WANT TO SAY NO, WE WANT YOU TO DO ONE,
TWO, THREE, NOT SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO
61
THAT TOO.
SO THAT'S -- YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY LONGWINDED WAY OF ANSWERING
YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS WE ARE FOCUSED ON ALL OF IT, SO
WE'RE FOCUSED ON START-UPS.
WE HAVE TO BE MEASURED ABOUT OUR ENGAGEMENT ON STARTUPS.
LOTS OF PEOPLE WANT US TO GET INTO THE LENDING BUSINESS.
I WILL NEVER, EVER, AS LONG AS I'M HERE, BE INVOLVED IN
THAT.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S NOT -- ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS IMPORTANT,
IT'S THE FACT THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T BE LENDING THERE,
ESPECIALLY STARTUPS, THE HIGHEST RISK, OKAY, BUT WHAT WE
HAVE FOUND IN OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT
START NEW BUSINESSES IS THAT THEY'VE EVEN TOLD US, IT'S NOT
ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY, IT'S ABOUT NETWORK, IT'S ABOUT GET ME
CUSTOMERS, YOU KNOW, HELP ME GET CUSTOMERS, WHICH GOVERNMENT
ACTUALLY CAN DO.
AND EVEN THE INCLUSIONARY ISSUE, THE MBE PROGRAMS AND SBE
PROGRAMS, THEY'RE IN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SHOP, I SPEND
A LOT OF TIME ON THAT, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO UP THE
ANTE ON WHAT WE DO IN THE SMALL BUSINESS WORLD, AND SO MY
ANSWER IS THAT WE SHOULD DO IT ALL AND WE ARE, AND WE EITHER
DO IT THROUGH OUR OWN DEVICES OR WE DO IT THROUGH
PARTNERSHIPS OR CONTRACTS.
>>JAY VICKERS: DEBORAH.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: AND THERE'S METRICS ON THE SLIDE.
>>RON BARTON: AND YOU LIKED IT, DIDN'T YOU?
SEE.
YOU HAVE TO MEASURE YOURSELF OR YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE
62
GOING, AND SO -- YOU KNOW, I THINK BACK TO A CONVERSATION
THAT WE'VE HAD.
LET'S BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT THE METRICS ARE BECAUSE THE ONE
THING YOU LEARN IS IF YOU RAISE THE BAR TOO HIGH, ON A HIGH
JUMP YOU TEND TO JUST RUN INTO IT WITH YOUR FOREHEAD, SO
LET'S BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO, AND THEN THE SECOND
IS IT'S EXPECTATIONS.
THAT'S THE ONE THING I LEARNED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT WORLD IS
OVERSELLING NEVER HELPS, AND SO IT'S SETTING EXPECTATIONS
ABOUT REASONABLE OUTCOMES, AND THEN IF YOU HIT THEM, THEN
GREAT, THEN YOU START OVER.
WOULDN'T YOU RATHER BE SUCCESSFUL THAN FAIL, EVEN IF THE
OUTCOMES ARE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I HAVEN'T SEEN TOO MUCH SUCCESS, SO YOU'RE
ASKING THE WRONG --
>>RON BARTON: WELL, I'M WORKING ON IT FOR YOU, AT LEAST IN
THIS ARENA.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUSINESSES THAT PEOPLE
HAVE LOST THEIR PENSIONS AND --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
WELL, LISTEN, IT'S BEEN PAINFUL FOR EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW, THE GREAT RECESSION, WHICH IT WAS, WAS, YOU KNOW,
DEVASTATING.
HOME OWNERSHIP, BUSINESSES, PSYCHE, OUR CONFIDENCE IN OUR
GOVERNMENT AND OURSELVES AND THE WORLD --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: IRAs.
>>RON BARTON: -- YOU KNOW, SO -- I'LL JUST -- YOU KNOW,
MY -- EVERYBODY HAS CONTEXT.
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MY CONTEXT IS I WAS RAISED BY PARENTS THAT GREW UP IN THE
DEPRESSION, AND MY DAD WAS IN THE CCCs, SO I BELIEVE
GOVERNMENT IS GOOD AND I BELIEVE GOVERNMENT CAN DO GOOD
THINGS FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MY PARENTS TAUGHT ME,
AND SO MY PHILOSOPHY SERVING YOU AND THIS COUNTY IS THAT WE
CAN DO GOOD THINGS, SO THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE.
>>DEBORAH COPE: RON, ONE QUESTION ABOUT -- YOU WERE TALKING
ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT WORKFORCE IS AND THE COMMENT ABOUT THE
LOTTERY, AND I GUESS IT GETS BACK TO MY QUESTION ABOUT HOW
DO YOU GATHER THIS INFORMATION?
FOR INSTANCE, LIKE I'VE BEEN AN I.T. CONSULTANT FOR, LIKE,
20 YEARS.
NOT ANYMORE BECAUSE I'M DONE TRAVELING, BUT MY COMMUTE WAS
OUT OF TIA EVERY WEEK BECAUSE THERE ARE NO JOBS HERE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE A FEW, THERE ARE A FEW, BUT THERE WERE
MANY OF US ON THAT MONDAY OUT FLIGHT COMING BACK ON THURSDAY
NIGHT TO GO TO WORK BECAUSE WE WERE IN I.T. AND YOU COULDN'T
GET A -- YOU COULDN'T WORK HERE.
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>DEBORAH COPE: AND SO HOW DO YOU -- BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW
THAT, HOW DO YOU KNOW I EXIST?
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
IT'S LIKE I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT -- HOW DO WE KNOW HOW
MANY OF US THERE ARE, BECAUSE I WONDER.
I MEAN, I SAW THEM ALL GET ON THE PLANE, BUT HOW MANY OF US
ARE THERE THAT DO THAT OR DID THAT?
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>DEBORAH COPE: THAT IF THERE WERE -- A COMPANY WANTS TO
64
COME HERE BECAUSE OF THE WORKFORCE, BUT -- WE HAVE IT, BUT
HOW DO WE KNOW WE HAVE IT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
YEP, I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.
I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, BUT I MENTIONED TO YOU THAT THE
MIRROR TO OUR SITE ANALYSIS WAS A MORE PENETRATING LOOK AT
OUR WORKFORCE AND WHO WE ARE.
I HOPE IN A YEAR I'LL ACTUALLY COME BACK AND SAY -- YOU
KNOW, HOW MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE WE ARE ABOUT THAT.
I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GROUP THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW,
ENGAGED IN THIS CONVERSATION IS DOING WORK FOR THE WORKFORCE
BOARD AT THE STATE LEVEL.
WHEN WE SPENT AN HOUR WITH THEM TELLING THEM HOW WE WANTED
TO NOT ONLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU JUST ASKED IN OUR COMMUNITY
AND THEN HOW WE WANT TO RELATE IT TO THE SITES, YOU KNOW,
THEY GOT EXCITED.
THESE ARE -- THESE ARE CONSULTANTS, OBVIOUSLY, THAT ARE
KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WORKFORCE DATA, AND THEIR POINT WAS, YOU
KNOW, YOU ARE THE FIRST COMMUNITY THAT'S EVER ASKED THAT
QUESTION, THAT WANTS TO KNOW IT AT THAT GRANULAR LEVEL AND
THEN WANTS TO RELATE IT TO YOUR LAND -- LAND DECISIONS, AND
SO I THINK IT'S EXCITING STUFF BECAUSE WE -- WE CAN COMBINE
THE TWO AND NOW WE HAVE POWER AND KNOWLEDGE, AND -- AND NOW
WE CAN HELP A COMPANY UNDERSTAND -- NOW, IT'S IRONIC -- I
WILL TELL YOU THIS, YOU'RE RIGHT, BUT WHEN -- WHEN THEY COME
IN, THEY SAY WE HAVE AN I.T. SHORTAGE, YOU KNOW, AND SO THE
QUESTION IS IS THAT INFORMATION MAYBE NOT ACCURATE, AND IT
COULD BE, SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER BECAUSE
65
THERE'S CONFLICTING, YOU KNOW, EVIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH
THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LISTEN, YOU PICK UP A PAPER AND BUSINESSES IN
NEW YORK SAY THERE'S AN I.T. SHORTAGE IN NEW YORK, CAN'T GET
WHO I WANT.
>>DEBORAH COPE: THERE'S AN H1B SHORTAGE BECAUSE WE WANT TO
PAY PEOPLE A LOT LESS MONEY TO DO THOSE JOBS, AND THAT'S --
>>RON BARTON: RIGHT.
>>DEBORAH COPE: -- THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE DON'T GET
THOSE JOBS NECESSARILY, BUT --
>> LOW QUALITY.
>>DEBORAH COPE: LOW QUALITY.
ACTUALLY, LOW PAY.
>>RON BARTON: NOW, GAYE --
>>DEBORAH COPE: LET'S PUT IT LOW PAY.
WHO'S CHEAPER?
>>RON BARTON: -- GAYE, YOU REMEMBER NOW, I'VE NOT USED
THAT TERM SINCE YOU --
>>DEBORAH COPE: WHO'S CHEAPER?
>>RON BARTON: -- TOLD ME, BUT YOU WERE USING IT.
>>DEBORAH COPE: NO MORE.
DON'T SAY THAT ANYMORE.
>>RON BARTON: IXNAY, NIXNAY.
>>JAY VICKERS: ONE SECOND.
I JUST HAVE A COMMENT.
I'VE BEEN IN THE I.T. INDUSTRY ALSO IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH
FLORIDA MY ENTIRE CAREER, 25 YEARS NOW, AND WE HIRE
DEVELOPERS, AND WE CAN'T FIND I.T. PEOPLE.
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THIS IS THE WORST MARKET THAT I HAVE BEEN IN FOR I.T.
PROFESSIONALS.
THEY ARE EXTREMELY --
>>DEBORAH COPE: BECAUSE EVERYBODY LEFT.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH, THEY'RE EXTREMELY --
>>DEBORAH COPE: NO, IT'S TRUE.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
THEY'RE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FIND.
IT'S THE HARDEST MARKET TO HIRE IN, AND SO YOU END UP IN A
SITUATION WHERE DO YOU OUTSOURCE, DO YOU OFFSHORE OR
INSHORE, BECAUSE IT'S A CHALLENGING SPACE, AND THE CONUNDRUM
FOR ME HAS BEEN -- USF HAS A COMPUTER SCIENCES PROGRAM, BUT
WE -- YOU CAN PUT ADVERTISEMENTS FOR INTERNSHIPS OR TRY TO
HIRE NEW GRADUATES.
THEY'RE ALREADY GONE BY THE TIME THEY GRADUATE, SO I THINK
IT'S AN INTERESTING CONUNDRUM.
>>DEBORAH COPE: IT IS.
>>JAY VICKERS: VERY CHALLENGING I.T. --
>> IT IS.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- HIRING ENVIRONMENT HERE, AND I STILL
DON'T KNOW WHY, AND I'VE LIVED HERE ALMOST MY ENTIRE LIFE.
>>RON BARTON: WELL, BACK TO CRISTAN'S -- I MEAN, THAT'S
ALMOST INVARIABLY THE FIRST CONVERSATION WE SPEND WITH
COMPANIES, IT'S ALL ABOUT CAN I GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
SPENCER.
>>SPENCER KASS: JUST TO END ON A NOTE OF THINGS WE CAN
AGREE ON, ON QUALITY PLACES, I HOPE YOU-ALL LISTEN TO WHAT
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WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS NEXT, WHICH IS OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT
LED STREETLIGHTS, UNDERGROUNDING, THINGS THAT MAKE THE AREA
PRETTIER, NICER, THINGS THAT COMPANIES LOOK FOR.
THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT WE CAN PROBABLY GET
UNIVERSAL -- CLOSE TO UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT ON FOR THINGS THAT
DO HELP ATTRACT BUSINESSES TO COME HERE, SO I DON'T HEAR --
LOOK, I'M IN REAL ESTATE TOO AND PEOPLE COME HERE AND SAY,
OH, THIS AREA'S DUMPY.
AND WHY'S THIS AREA -- WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE WESTSHORE MORE
THAN THEY LIKE -- WELL, BECAUSE ALL THE POWER LINES ARE
UNDERGROUND AND IT LOOKS NICER.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE KIND OF THE VISUAL IMPACT THINGS YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS WHERE YOU COULD HEAR
THAT THIS GROUP'S BEEN WORKING ON, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO,
AND GOING BACK TO WHAT CRISTAN WAS TALKING ABOUT ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, HOW DO WE GET THESE AREAS TO ACCEPT THIS HIGHER-
DENSITY STUFF.
AN AREA I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK IS NORTH HYDE
PARK.
I MEAN, HERE'S AN AREA WHERE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE HAVE
ACTIVELY WORKED WITH DEVELOPERS, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF
RESIDENTIAL UNITS GOING UP, THE HOSPITAL HAS PLANS TO GO UP,
THEY'VE WORKED WITH THESE PEOPLE.
NOW, I'LL TELL YOU, AT THE END OF THE DAY ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I DISCUSSED WITH THEM -- BECAUSE THEY HAD A LOT OF
MEETINGS AT MY OFFICES EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO FINANCIAL
INTEREST IN IT -- IS OUR CONVERSATION WE HAD ABOUT GETTING
THAT TAX MONEY REINVESTED BACK INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES, NOT
68
AS A CRA, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS
SORT OF THIS 10% RULE, YOU KNOW, WHERE SOME OF THAT PROPERTY
TAXES GOES BACK INTO COMMUNITIES, SO IF YOU'RE A COMMUNITY
WHO'S TAKING THIS HIGH-DENSITY STUFF, WELL, IT'S NOT ALL
GOING TO SOMEONE WHO HAS SOME POLITICAL CONNECTION OUT IN
THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, AT LEAST SOME DEGREE OF IT'S GOING TO
HELP OFFSET ANY NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THAT AND HELPING GROW
AND MAKE THAT COMMUNITY PROSPER, SO HERE'S AN AREA THAT'S
TAKEN MILLIONS, TENS OF MILLIONS, IF NOT HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DEVELOPMENT IN THEIR AREA, BUT NOW
WHEN THEY GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THEY HEAR THINGS LIKE, WE
CAN'T AFFORD A BATHROOM FOR YOU FOR 20 GRAND, YOU KNOW, WE
CAN'T FIX THE STREET THAT FLOODS.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AS PART OF I'M SURE WHAT YOU LOOK
AT, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL HEAR US DISCUSSING
COMING FORWARD.
WE ALREADY HAD ONE DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND
WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE -- I'M ABOUT TO HAVE ONE WITH THE CITY.
BUT I HOPE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT TOGETHER WE CAN ALL WORK ON
TOGETHER.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU ON THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AND
THE COUNTY AND WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO WORK ON THEM.
>>JAY VICKERS: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THANK YOU.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
>>RON BARTON: THANK YOU.
>>JAY VICKERS: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
>>RON BARTON: I ENJOYED IT.
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>>JAY VICKERS: WE SINCERELY APPRECIATE IT.
>>RON BARTON: THANK YOU.
I HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THIS DISK OUT OF
HERE.
>>JAY VICKERS: I THINK NEXT UP FOR US IS A DISCUSSION OF
THE TECO RESPONSE.
I BELIEVE A COPY OF THAT LETTER SHOULD BE IN YOUR PACKET.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS, I BELIEVE.
IS THIS -- YEP.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: FRONT AND BACK, AND I'LL GET TO -- THERE WAS
ALSO SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BEHIND IT.
NOT EVERYBODY RECEIVED A COPY OF THE DETAIL, IT WAS JUST --
IT LOOKED LIKE A PRINTOUT FROM ONE OF TECO'S STANDARD
LIGHTING SERVICES WEB SITES IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, SO WE
DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT, JUST THE LETTER.
I THINK SPENCER GOT A COPY, I GOT A COPY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I DID.
>>JAY VICKERS: OF THE BACKUP MATERIAL?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: YES, I DID.
>>JAY VICKERS: IS IT IN EVERYBODY'S PACKET, THE BACKUP?
NO?
OKAY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I READ IT TOO.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
SO WHAT EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE SEEN IS A LETTER FRONT AND
BACK.
>> JUST A NOTE, I DO HAVE ONE OR TWO EXTRA COPIES IF ANYONE
70
DOES WANT IT.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
OR ANYBODY CAN LOOK AT MINE TO SEE WHAT THE BACKUP MATERIAL
WAS.
IT WAS STANDARD STUFF.
SO THIS IS TECO'S RESPONSE TO MR. MERRILL'S RESPONSE TO OUR
RESPONSE -- OUR REQUEST.
I BELIEVE I HAD THAT CHAIN OF EVENTS RIGHT.
>>SPENCER KASS: SO I THINK -- YOU WANT ME TO START THE
DISCUSSION?
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
THIS MIGHT AS WELL BE LABELED SPENCER.
>>SPENCER KASS: SURE.
I THINK THE THINGS TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE LETTER IS, ONE, NOW
WE'RE ALL AT LEAST IN AGREEMENT THAT LED STREETLIGHTS ARE
AVAILABLE BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK IN THE BACKUP PACKET, YOU'LL
SEE THEY'RE LISTED, ALTHOUGH PERSONALLY I HAVE A CONCERN
WITH THE LUMENS OR THE FIXTURES THAT TECO SELECTED, BUT
THAT'S A CONVERSATION PROBABLY FOR ANOTHER DAY.
THE NEXT THING I WOULD DRAW EVERYONE'S ATTENTION TO IS UNDER
NUMBER 2 OF THEIR LETTER, A CONCERN I HAD WHEN I READ
THROUGH THIS IS IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH THEY TALK ABOUT TEN
YEARS FROM DATE OF INSTALLATION ON THE TRADITIONAL FIXTURES.
THAT BASICALLY -- THE WAY I INTERPRET THIS IS THEY'RE
AMORTIZING THEIR FIXTURES OVER TEN YEARS AND THE RATE
THEY'RE CHARGING ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO THE COUNTY OR THE
CITY AFTER THAT TEN YEARS, YOU FULLY PAID IT OFF OTHERWISE.
AND SO THAT LEADS US TO THE QUESTION OF AS A COUNTY, I THINK
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THERE'S TWO THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW.
ONE IS WHERE ARE ALL OF OUR FIXTURES AND WHAT ARE THE AGES
OF ALL OF THEM, SO I GUESS TECO'S TRACKING IT BECAUSE THEY
CLAIM THEY ARE, SO I THINK WE MIGHT WANT TO REQUEST GETTING
THAT TRACKING DATA FROM THEM.
AND TWO IS IF WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD AND INSTALL MORE
LIGHTING FIXTURES IN AREAS, FOR EXAMPLE THE CITY OF TAMPA IS
LOOKING AT INSTALLING I THINK IT'S 8500 LIGHTING FIXTURES,
DO WE WANT TO BE TIED IN FOR TEN YEARS?
I MEAN, NOW WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT.
I'LL BE HONEST, THIS TEN-YEAR THING WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D
EVER HEARD ABOUT IT, AND I CONSIDER MYSELF FAIRLY
KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THIS.
SO I'M ASSUMING THE COUNTY AND THE CITY PROBABLY DON'T KNOW
ABOUT IT EITHER.
WHICH MEANS YOU IF YOU GO IN AND YOU PUT IN A NEW FIXTURE
AND IT'S A TRADITIONAL FIXTURE, YOU'RE STUCK WITH IT FOR TEN
YEARS, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE -- UNLESS YOU'RE
GOING TO PAY OFF THE DIFFERENCE TO UPGRADE IT, WHICH IS
GOING TO MAKE IT COMPLETELY COST-INEFFECTIVE.
>>JAY VICKERS: I THOUGHT THAT WAS -- I KNOW AT THE
COMMUNITY LEVEL, FOR INSTANCE, MY COMMUNITY, WE HAVE -- IT
WAS A 20-YEAR AGREEMENT WE HAD WITH TECO ON OUR LIGHTS, AND
IF WE REPLACE THEM WITH NEW LIGHTS, WE ENTER INTO A NEW
LEASE AGREEMENT AND WE HAVE TO PAY THAT FOR THE TERM, AND
THERE'S A BUY-OUT CLAUSE IF YOU WANT TO TERMINATE EARLY.
I THINK THAT'S TECO'S STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE WHEN
PUTTING IN LIGHTS.
72
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO -- I MEAN, I GUESS NOW WE'RE AT THE
POINT WHERE WE NEED TO, I GUESS, START HAVING SOME COUNTY
ANALYSIS OF A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE IS HOW DID TECO COME UP WITH THEIR NUMBERS FOR WHAT
THEY'RE CHARGING FOR THE LED FIXTURES, AND DO WE AS A COUNTY
AGREE WITH IT OR DISAGREE WITH IT.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING FOR BONNIE AND HER STAFF TO SIT
DOWN AND GO THROUGH AND SAY, YES THESE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT,
YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHAT THE LEASE PAYMENTS SHOULD BE BECAUSE
THEY'RE WORKING OUT ON THE HIGH-END ONES TO BE ABOUT $18,
$19 A MONTH, IF YOU READ THROUGH THAT, AND ON THE OTHER ONE,
IT'S, LIKE, TEN OR SEVEN, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK THERE'S AN ANALYSIS THAT THE COUNTY NEEDS TO DO.
THAT'S NOT REALLY FOR US.
LET BONNIE SIT DOWN AND GO THROUGH THAT AND LET THE COUNTY
PROVIDE -- START -- I MEAN, GETTING -- LET'S START FIGURING
OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF THESE LIGHTING FIXTURES DO WE
HAVE, HOW OLD ARE THEY?
I MEAN, IF WE'RE SITTING HERE HAVING A CONVERSATION AND
EVERYTHING'S FOUR YEARS OLD, THERE'S NO POINT IN HAVING THE
CONVERSATION.
SO I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A DATA SET THAT WE REQUEST FROM THE
COUNTY OR LET THE COUNTY GET IT FROM TECO.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THE COUNTY PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE IT, THAT
IT'S GOTTA COME FROM TECO.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING COMES DOWN TO BASICALLY, WELL --
BECAUSE, SEE, NOW I'M CONFUSED AGAIN BECAUSE WE HAD -- WE
73
HAD COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ALSO SAY TO US THAT IT'S NOT
AVAILABLE AND YOU CAN'T DO IT UNDER FDOT STANDARDS, AND HERE
IT IS NOW IN THE TARIFF, SO ONCE AGAIN, SOMEBODY'S OFF
SOMEWHERE.
>>JAY VICKERS: AND I REMEMBER FROM MY RESEARCH ON THAT
TOPIC, YOU CAN GET AN EXCEPTION, SO IT IS NOT ON -- IT IS
NOT FDOT APPROVED, BUT EACH -- ANY MUNICIPALITY CAN ASK FOR
A WAIVER, AND USUALLY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE LED LIGHTS
WILL GET THE WAIVER ON YOUR BEHALF BECAUSE THEY WANT TO SELL
YOU THE LIGHTS, SO THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT LISTED ON FDOT'S
LIST DOESN'T MEAN YOU CANNOT DO IT, IT JUST SIMPLY MEANS YOU
HAVE TO GIVE A WAIVER, AND IN THAT YOU'RE NOT WAIVING,
BECAUSE IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THE REASON WHY, THE CITY GOES OFF
FDOT'S LIST IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO HIRE AN
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE SO
THAT THEY ARE NOT SUED IF THERE'S AN ACCIDENT AND THE
LIGHTING IS WRONG, BUT -- SO IF YOU GET THIS EXEMPTION FROM
FDOT, IT DOES NOT -- YOU DON'T THEN ASSUME THAT LIABILITY,
IT'S LIKE FDOT APPROVAL.
>>SPENCER KASS: THAT'S FINE.
SO LET'S -- I THINK -- WHERE I THINK WE NEED TO GO IS JUST
TWO BASIC QUESTIONS.
ONE, LET BONNIE REVIEW THE NUMBERS AND HOW THEY CAME TO
THOSE NUMBERS, AND IF WE AGREE WITH THOSE NUMBERS OR
DISAGREE WITH THOSE NUMBERS AND HOW THAT WORKS.
I THINK THAT SHOULD BE ONE REQUEST.
I THINK THE SECOND REQUEST SHOULD BE THIS COMPREHENSIVE LIST
OF THE FIXTURES WE HAVE AND WHAT THE TIMELINES ARE -- HOW
74
LONG HAVE WE BEEN PAYING ON THEM FOR BECAUSE IF THERE'S
NOTHING TO DISCUSS, THERE'S NOTHING TO DISCUSS.
>>JAY VICKERS: DO YOU THINK INSTEAD OF THE COMPREHENSIVE
LIST, PERHAPS WE COULD SEE IF THE COUNTY COULD LOOK AT A
PARTICULAR AREA OF TOWN WHERE THERE ARE 100 OR TWO -- A
COMMUNITY WHERE THERE ARE 100, 200 STREETLIGHTS THAT ARE
COMING UP FOR RENEWAL SOON AND TRY TO TARGET THAT AS AN LED
TEST BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY HAD DONE WITH --
WAS IT -- NOT THE CANAL DREDGING, THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE,
THE UNDERLINING -- NO, WAS IT THE UNDERLINING OF UTILITIES
THAT BONNIE HAD MENTIONED THAT THEY --
>>SPENCER KASS: THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.
THEY HAVEN'T PASSED IT.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH, BUT THEY --
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH, RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- PICKED A SPECIFIC AREA --
>>SPENCER KASS: THAT'S FINE.
IF THEY CAN IDENTIFY THAT -- I MEAN, THE REASON I SAID FOR
EVERYBODY IS BECAUSE THEN I'M ALWAYS ACCUSED OF -- I DON'T
WANT TO PLAY FAVORITES.
I DON'T WANT TO BE ACCUSED OF SAYING, WELL, YOU KNOW,
SOMEBODY -- I MEAN, IF THEY'RE DOING IT STRICTLY ON THE
BASIS OF TIME, FINE, LET THEM PROVIDE US WITH ALL AREAS
WHERE THE TEN YEARS HAS EXPIRED, HOW ABOUT THAT?
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A CLEANER REQUEST --
>>SPENCER KASS: THAT'S FINE.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- USE THE TEN-YEAR TO IDENTIFY A GOOD PLACE
TO DO --
75
>>SPENCER KASS: THAT'S FINE.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE LED
STREETLIGHTING.
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH.
SO I THINK THOSE MIGHT BE TWO REASONABLE REQUESTS, AND I
THINK IT NEEDS TO ALSO JUST BE BROUGHT TO MR. MERRILL AND
EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION THAT THIS -- WE ARE ENTERING IN EVERY
TIME WE BUY ONE OF THESE A TEN-YEAR AGREEMENT, AND THAT
NEEDS TO SIT SOMEWHERE, BECAUSE AS THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, IF
THEY'RE HEAVY IN COST AND DOUBLING IN POWER EVERY YEAR OR
EVERY TWO YEARS FOR THE NEW FIXTURES TO BE TIED IN TO THE
OLD STUFF FOR TEN YEARS IS SOMETHING WE MAY OR MAY NOT WANT
TO DO, AND IF WE ARE GOING TO DO A TEST AREA, THEN PERHAPS
THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY OF TAKING THOSE OLD TEN-YEAR-
OLD STREETLIGHTS AND REUSING THEM ELSEWHERE AND NOT BEING
STUCK FOR ANOTHER TEN-YEAR LEASE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN FULLY
PAID OFF.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
>>SPENCER KASS: SO THOSE ARE JUST THINGS WE MIGHT WANT TO
THINK ABOUT.
I THINK WE SHOULD PUT IN SOME SORT OF REQUEST [INAUDIBLE]
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: I DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD RECYCLE THE
LIGHTS.
NOT A BAD IDEA.
>>SPENCER KASS: JUST THE FIXTURES.
YEAH, I BELIEVE -- I DON'T THINK -- I MEAN, MAYBE IT'S DONE
AFTER TEN YEARS AND MAYBE IT'S NOT DONE AFTER TEN YEARS.
I MEAN, SOME OF THEM WILL HAVE TO BE THROWN AWAY BECAUSE
76
SOME OF THEM, I'M SURE, GOT TREATED A LITTLE MORE ROUGH AND
TUMBLE THAN OTHERS, BUT I THINK PROBABLY THERE'S AN
OPPORTUNITY TO REUSE THEM.
I DOUBT THEY SAY TEN YEARS AND TEN YEARS ON THE DOT THEY
THROW THEM IN THE TRASH.
>>JAY VICKERS: AND I KNOW FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN MY
NEIGHBORHOOD WE'VE GOT STREETLIGHTS THROUGH TECO THAT ARE ON
A 20-YEAR LEASE.
THAT LEASE EXPIRED.
WE'RE ON A MONTH-TO-MONTH.
THEY'RE STILL NOT OUR LIGHTS, WE DO NOT OWN THEM.
TECO IS STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THEM, BUT IF WE
WANT NEW LIGHTS, WE HAVE TO ENTER INTO A NEW MULTIYEAR
AGREEMENT, AND OUR LIGHTS ARE VERY OLD, AND SO THEY DON'T
HAVE THE PARTS FOR THEM ANYMORE, AND THERE'S THE ISSUE
ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, SO -- BUT THEY WANT US TO SIGN A NEW
AGREEMENT.
BUT WE DON'T -- WE STILL DON'T OWN THE LIGHTS.
EVEN AFTER YOU TERMINATE OUT OF YOUR 20-YEAR LEASE, YOU
DON'T OWN THE LIGHTS, YOU JUST SIMPLY CAN STOP PAYING THEM
AT ANY MOMENT AND THEY'LL COME REMOVE THEM.
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, I GUESS THAT'S PART OF WHAT BONNIE'S
ANALYSIS NEEDS TO INCLUDE, THAT IF WE'RE PAYING THEM IN
FULL -- I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS, BUT IF
WE ARE PAYING THEM IN FULL, THEN THERE'S A QUESTION OF
SHOULD WE OWN THE ASSET OR WHY SHOULD WE LET THEM OWN THE
ASSET?
77
LET BONNIE DO THE -- I MEAN, SHE'S VERY INTELLIGENT.
SHE CAN FIGURE THIS OUT.
>>JAY VICKERS: SO I IMAGINE IF WE REALLY WANT TO GET THIS
PILOT DONE IN ANY SORT OF REASONABLE TIME FRAME, WE WOULD
REQUEST THAT IT BE DONE IN THE SAME FRAMEWORK AND STRUCTURE,
WHICH THEY'D ALREADY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH TECO BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO NEGOTIATE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY TO PRICE AND
MANAGE THESE, AND THAT'S JUST GOING TO SLOW THINGS DOWN.
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
NO, LET HER REVIEW THE NUMBERS AS IS.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
GAYE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: UNLESS -- SOMETHING I READ IN THE
LETTER IS -- I'LL HAVE TO READ IT AGAIN.
WASN'T THERE THE OPTION TO OWN YOUR OWN STREETLIGHTS?
>>JAY VICKERS: THERE IS AN OPTION.
JUST, AGAIN, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE
OPTION TO BUY THEM FROM TECO.
IT'S GENERALLY COST PROHIBITIVE BECAUSE THEN YOU TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WIRING, THE REWIRING, AND THE
MAINTENANCE AND SO FORTH, AND THE LEASE TENDS TO BE COST
ADVANTAGEOUS FOR ANY ORGANIZATION BECAUSE TECO MAINTAINS THE
WIRING AND INSTALLS THEM FOR THAT PRICE, AND IT'S BASICALLY
A LOAN AMORTIZED OVER 20 YEARS.
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
AND THEN AS MR. MERRILL SAID, IF BONNIE REVIEWS THESE
NUMBERS AND FEELS THAT THEY'RE NOT IN KEEPING WITH WHAT THEY
SHOULD BE, WE ALWAYS -- THE COUNTY, AT LEAST, ALWAYS HAS THE
78
OPTION OF GOING OUT AND PUTTING OUT AN RFP OR RFQ AND
FINDING OTHER VENDORS WHO ARE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THEM AT A
LOWER RATE.
>>JAY VICKERS: ABSOLUTELY.
YEP.
ALL RIGHT.
>>SPENCER KASS: SO THAT'S A MOTION.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: BUT AREN'T BUSINESSES CONTRACT?
>> WHAT?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I MEAN, MOST -- I MEAN, I'M JUST USING --
ANALYZING IT.
WHEN TELEPHONES AND CELL PHONES AND -- IT JUST GOES ON AND
ON AND ON.
WHEN YOU GET THE SERVICE, YOU GO INTO CONTRACTS, AND SO THAT
JUST SEEMS TO BE THE NORM.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S A BIG CAPITAL EXPENSE,
AND TECO'S, IN ESSENCE, FINANCING THAT -- THAT -- INCLUDING
MAINTENANCE.
>>SPENCER KASS: I'M ASSUMING WE COULD GET FEDERAL FUNDS FOR
THIS AND THERE ARE THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT WILL ALLOW US
TO DO IT.
THE QUESTION IS ARE THESE RATES IN KEEPING WITH WHAT THOSE
PROGRAMS WILL ALLOW, AND BONNIE HAS --
>>JAY VICKERS: ABSOLUTELY.
>>SPENCER KASS: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK]
>>KAY DOUGHTY: [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: AND THOSE -- I WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT WOULD
REDUCE OUR LEASE COSTS OR MAYBE LEASE TERM --
79
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- FOR THAT IF THERE WAS FEDERAL SUBSIDIES
TO OFFSET THE INITIAL PURCHASE OF THAT EQUIPMENT.
>>SPENCER KASS: WHY DON'T WE GIVE HER 60 DAYS TO BRING US
BACK A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
SO -- WELL, LET'S MAKE SURE WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS -- ONE
IS TO HAVE -- I GUESS ASK THE COUNTY TO REVIEW THE -- THE
PRICING PROVIDED BY TECO FOR THE LED LIGHTS, AND SO ARE
WE -- WOULD THEY HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO VERIFY THAT THOSE
PRICING IS CORRECT BECAUSE I IMAGINE IF IT WAS ME AND YOU
ASKED ME, JAY, DO YOU THINK THESE PRICES ARE GOOD, I WOULD
START CALLING VENDORS AND I WOULD START ASKING QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE COSTS AND THE TYPES AND --
>>SPENCER KASS: I'M ASSUMING THAT WHEN -- YOU KNOW, SINCE
THIS HAD TO BE PASSED BY GOING TO THE --
>>JAY VICKERS: PUBLIC UTILITIES.
>>SPENCER KASS: -- PUBLIC UTILITY, THANK YOU, COMMISSION,
AND SINCE OUR RATES AND STUFF GO UP AND DOWN, BASED UPON
THAT, I'M ASSUMING THAT WE DO -- YOU KNOW, AND IT'S MILLIONS
OF -- I MEAN, THE CITY'S PAYING AN EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS IN
ELECTRICITY.
I'M ASSUMING THAT BEFORE ONE OF OUR VENDORS GOES TO INCREASE
PRICES LIKE THAT THAT WE ARE DOING A CONSTANT ONGOING
ANALYSIS.
LET'S WORK ON THAT ASSUMPTION FOR THE MOMENT, THAT WE'RE NOT
JUST SAYING, WELL, A VENDOR'S INCREASING PRICES AND WE'RE
SUCKING IT UP.
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I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S GOING TO WANT TO COME DOWN HERE AND
SAY THAT TO US.
>>JAY VICKERS: SO I THINK SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING
FOR IS SINCE THIS -- I IMAGINE TECO'S VERY EFFICIENT AND
THERE'S A LOT OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE PRICING OF THEIR
TRADITIONAL LIGHTING FEATURES BECAUSE -- FIXTURES BECAUSE
THEY'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG, LONG TIME, LOTS OF SCRUTINY.
LEDs ARE RELATIVELY NEW, THERE'S PROBABLY NOT AS MUCH
SCRUTINY, OR CERTAINLY NOT AS EFFICIENT PRICING MODELS FOR
THE LED STREETLIGHTS AS THERE ARE FOR TRADITIONAL --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, LET'S LET BONNIE TRY.
HOW ABOUT THIS, WE'LL LET HER TRY.
IF SHE DOESN'T GET ANYWHERE WITHIN 30 DAYS -- SHE DOESN'T
HAVE TO GET US A REPORT IN 30 DAYS, BUT LET HER -- GIVE HER
60 DAYS FOR THE EFFORT.
IF SHE DOESN'T GET ANYWHERE WITH GETTING THE INFORMATION SHE
NEEDS FROM TECO, SHE CAN TELL US IN 30 DAYS, AND THEN WE
CAN --
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
>>SPENCER KASS: -- FIND SOME WAY TO --
>>JAY VICKERS: I'M GUESSING --
>>SPENCER KASS: TO REVIEW THE PRICING OF THE --
>>JAY VICKERS: VERIFY THE PRICING OF THE LED STREETLIGHTS.
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, BECAUSE SHE CAN MAKE SENSE TO SEE IF
IT'S IN KEEPING WITH WHAT -- I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LEASE.
LOOK, YOU KNOW, YOU LEASE A CAR, YOU DO AN -- WELL, MOST
PEOPLE DO -- SOME PEOPLE DO AN ANALYSIS TO SEE IF IT MAKES
SENSE, YOU KNOW, HOW DID THEY ARRIVE AT THESE NUMBERS, ARE
81
THEY REALISTIC.
>>JAY VICKERS: AND CERTAINLY, THEY SHOULD HAVE SOMEONE IN
PUBLIC WORKS THAT COULD CALL A FEW OTHER CITIES AND SEE WHAT
THEY'RE PAYING.
SO LET'S SEE, SO THE FIRST REQUEST IS TO ASK STAFF TO I
GUESS IT'S VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THE LED PRICING.
>>SPENCER KASS: AND TO SEE IF IT'S FEASIBLE TO USE.
LET'S INCLUDE BOTH.
SO ONE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE LEASE RATE AND TWO IS --
>>JAY VICKERS: IS THE LED FIXTURE THAT'S LISTED THE RIGHT
ONE?
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
IS THERE JUST ONE ON THERE, SPENCER, ARE THERE A COUPLE?
>>SPENCER KASS: NO, THERE'S A COUPLE.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO IS THERE A VIABLE -- ON TECO'S LIST IS THERE A VIABLE LED
OPTION THAT MEETS THE CITY'S -- OR MEETS THE COUNTY'S
STANDARDS, AND IS THE -- ARE THEY COMFORTABLE -- IS STAFF
COMFORTABLE WITH THE PRICING TECO'S PROVIDED FOR LED LIGHTS.
"COMFORTABLE'S" NOT THE RIGHT WORD.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: SATISFIED?
>>JAY VICKERS: IF IT APPEARS TO BE ACCURATE --
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, THE BETTER WAY -- DO THEY FEEL
THAT THOSE FIGURES ARE ACCURATE.
THAT'S PROBABLY --
>>JAY VICKERS: YES, THAT'S GOOD.
>>SPENCER KASS: AND ALSO WILL IT ALLOW FOR US TO GO FOR
82
FEDERAL FUNDS FOR -- IN THE WAY THAT IT'S PRICED IN THIS
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IS NECESSARILY GOING TO WORK
IF WE WANT TO APPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO -- AND THEN WE'LL PUT ON -- DOES THIS INCLUDE ANY
FEDERAL -- DOES THIS PRICING INCLUDE OR ALLOW FOR THE
FLEXIBILITY OF FEDERAL SUBSIDIES.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WAIT A MINUTE.
ONE THING --
>>JAY VICKERS: GAYE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: SPENCER.
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, AREN'T SOME OF YOUR FEDERAL GRANTS,
ESPECIALLY PRESERVATION GRANTS -- THEY HAVE, LIKE, MAIN
STREET USA AND --
>>SPENCER KASS: THERE ARE FEDERAL -- THERE ARE SPECIFIC
FEDERAL --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, I'M SAYING --
>>SPENCER KASS: -- [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK]
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- IF YOU GO LOOK WHERE THEY'VE DONE THE
MAIN STREET USA OR THE DIFFERENT PRESERVATION AREAS, THEY'VE
INCORPORATED LIGHTS AND THINGS, AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING -- I
MEAN, THEY LOOK LIKE OLD STREETLIGHTS, BUT THEY HAVE MADE
THEM --
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK]
>>SPENCER KASS: -- AND THERE ARE OPTIONS HERE IN THIS --
>>JAY VICKERS: CORRECT.
83
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, I WAS JUST BRINGING THAT UP TO
SAY THAT --
>>SPENCER KASS: OH, ABSOLUTELY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- THAT IS AN OPTION, PARTICULARLY IN A
PLACE LIKE HYDE PARK.
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH.
I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE WAY TECO HAS IT SCHEDULED TO
BE PAID FOR -- ARE YOU ABLE TO DO -- USE THAT SYSTEM FOR
THESE FEDERAL GRANTS BECAUSE SOMETHING MAKES ME THINK THE
FEDERAL GRANTS ARE MORE WE'LL GIVE YOU "X" NUMBER OF DOLLARS
TO BUY THE FIXTURE, SO --
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
WHICH WOULD REDUCE THE LEASE RATES.
>>SPENCER KASS: WHICH CHANGES THE LEASE RATES, EXACTLY.
>>JAY VICKERS: RIGHT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: AND ANOTHER QUESTION I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU,
IF, PER SE, THEY DO THIS, DO THE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT HAVE
STREETLIGHTS, PER SE -- WOULD THERE BE ANY MORE COST TO THEM
AS FAR AS THEIR BILL GOES?
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, THERE -- THAT'S WHY I NEED BONNIE TO
DO THE ANALYSIS TO FIGURE OUT --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: BECAUSE I PERSONALLY DO NOT HAVE
STREETLIGHTS.
I DON'T WANT STREETLIGHTS --
>>SPENCER KASS: NO, THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY STREET --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- AND I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THEM.
>>SPENCER KASS: I DON'T WANT ANY ADDITIONAL -- YOU KNOW ME.
I DON'T WANT ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY --
84
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, I JUST -- YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN
SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEY SAY THERE MIGHT NOT, AND THEN JUST
BECAUSE THEY SAY IT AIN'T SO DON'T MAKE IT SO, REMEMBER
THAT?
>>JAY VICKERS: SO PERHAPS WE COULD REQUEST THAT STAFF IN
THEIR -- NO, ACTUALLY, I WAS GOING TO JOKE, BUT I WAS GOING
TO SAY DO THE PILOT STREETLIGHT PROGRAM IN GAYE'S
NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAYBE WE COULD DO THAT.
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I DON'T WANT THEM.
>>JAY VICKERS: NO?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: NO, THANK YOU.
>>JAY VICKERS: KAY.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: ONE THING WHEN WE SEND THE LETTER, WE MIGHT
SUGGEST THAT BONNIE LISTEN TO THE DISCUSSION SO SHE CAN
UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP.
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
AND IF SHE NEEDS TO CALL ANY OF US [INCOMPREHENSIBLE]
>>KAY DOUGHTY: BUT SECONDLY, AND IT REALLY FOLLOWS UP ON
THIS INTERCHANGE THAT JUST HAPPENED, IS DO WE WANT TO PUT IN
THERE THAT IF THE -- THE RATES ARE FEASIBLE AND IT'S
SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY WANTS TO PURSUE THAT THEY LOOK TO
IDENTIFY THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THE TEN YEARS JUST
ABOUT --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, I THINK THAT'S THE SECOND QUESTION --
85
>>JAY VICKERS: YES, EXACTLY.
>>SPENCER KASS: -- JAY WANTS.
YOU WANTED TO MAKE THIS SEPARATE; RIGHT?
>>JAY VICKERS: THEY CAN BE ONE MOTION --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, THAT'S FINE.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- BUT TWO SECTIONS OF THE LETTER.
>>SPENCER KASS: THE SECOND SECTION OF THE LETTER, I'M
ASSUMING, IS TO IDENTIFY ALL AREAS THAT HAVE USED THEIR FULL
TEN-YEAR LIFETIME ON THE --
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH, IDENTIFY A -- IDENTIFY -- SINCE THE
LIGHTS ARE ON A TEN-YEAR LEASE, IDENTIFY A -- A SECTION --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, LET THEM IDENTIFY ALL SECTIONS.
THAT WAY WE DON'T HEAR FROM SOMEONE --
>>JAY VICKERS: THAT COULD SLOW THINGS UP, SPENCER.
>>SPENCER KASS: WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM 60 DAYS, SO --
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
SPENCER, YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT -- THAT'S LIKE A SECOND IN
GOVERNMENT TIME.
YOU KNOW THAT.
>>SPENCER KASS: I'M SURE THAT THEY KEEP VERY ACCURATE
RECORDS OF THE LOCATIONS AND AGES OF ALL THESE BECAUSE
TECO'S CHARGING US BASED UPON THAT.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
>>SPENCER KASS: I MEAN, IF THE TEN -- LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
MY INTERPRETATION OF THIS WOULD BE IF YOU HAVE, THEN, A
STREETLIGHT THAT THE TEN YEARS HAS EXPIRED ON, I GUESS THE
QUESTION FOR ME WOULD BE, WELL, THEN, DO WE STOP PAYING THAT
86
PART OF THE LEASE THAT GOES TOWARDS PAYING TOWARDS THE
FIXTURE BECAUSE THE FIXTURE'S NOW FULLY PAID OFF, SO I'M
ASSUMING THAT -- BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS,
SO I WOULD HOPE SOMEONE IS ACCURATELY TRACKING BOTH THE
LOCATION AND AGE OF ALL THESE THINGS.
SO -- AND SINCE IT'LL TAKE US [INCOMPREHENSIBLE], LET'S SAY
NINE YEARS OLD, SO IF YOU'RE AT NINE YEARS OR OLDER, TO
IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS.
AND THEY CAN ALSO RESPOND TO THE QUESTION OF ARE WE STILL
PAYING THOSE -- I MEAN, RIGHT, YOU'RE DONE PAYING YOUR
LEASE, YOU'RE DONE PAYING --
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
I THINK NARROWING THE REQUEST WILL GET US A FASTER RESPONSE
AND CLOSER TO RESOLUTION, SO IF WE TASK THEM WITH SIMPLY
KEEPING IN MIND THE LEASE EXPIRATION DATES, IDENTIFY AN AREA
THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PILOT FOR THE LED STREETLIGHTS --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: NOT MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, SEE, THAT'S GOING TO BE THE
PROBLEM --
>>JAY VICKERS: WE'RE ALL [INAUDIBLE]
>>SPENCER KASS: -- AND THAT'S WHAT I'D BE AFRAID OF.
RIGHT.
THEY'LL -- YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WON'T WANT TO DO IT AND THEY'LL
IDENTIFY AN AREA WHERE THEY'RE TEN YEARS OLD AND NOBODY
WANTS IT AS OPPOSED TO IDENTIFYING AN AREA THAT'S -- SO LET
THEM IDENTIFY EVERY PLACE THAT'S TEN YEARS OLD AND WE'LL
SORT IT OUT AND MAP IT.
THEY COULD DRAW IT ON A MAP.
87
MAPS ARE EASY TO READ.
>>JAY VICKERS: AGAIN, I MEAN -- AND THIS IS MY OPINION IS
THAT WILL TAKE -- THAT WILL TAKE LONGER.
IF WE JUST ASK THEM FOR TWO, THREE -- THREE DIFFERENT PILOT
PROGRAMS THAT MEET THIS CRITERIA --
>>SPENCER KASS: FINE.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- AT PRIOR LOCATIONS, AND THEN THEY CAN GET
US THE INFORMATION BACK.
>>SPENCER KASS: ALL RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION.
>>SPENCER KASS: THREE.
>>JAY VICKERS: I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR OTHER DISCUSSION.
>>SPENCER KASS: I'LL COMPROMISE TO THREE, AND IF THEY CAN
DO MORE, LET THEM DO -- WHATEVER THEY CAN DO IN EXCESS OF
THAT --
>> SO WE'RE SET ON THREE THEN?
>>JAY VICKERS: YES.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: YES.
AND SHE MAY COME AND GIVE THEM ALL.
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
IF THEY CAN -- RIGHT, IF THEY CAN, THAT'S GREAT.
>>JAY VICKERS: AND THE ANSWER MAY BE NONE.
>>SPENCER KASS: THE ANSWER MAY BE NONE.
AND THEN -- AND IF THE ANSWER IS NONE -- LET'S COVER THIS
RIGHT NOW.
IF THE ANSWER IS NONE, TO IDENTIFY WHAT AREA, THEN, IS THE
OLDEST AND HOW OLD THEY ARE --
>>JAY VICKERS: NEXT ONE UP.
88
>>SPENCER KASS: -- SO THAT WE CAN SAVE OURSELVES --
>>JAY VICKERS: I PERSONALLY WANTED BONNIE TO COME BACK AND
SAY NONE SO I COULD WATCH YOUR HEAD EXPLODE ON TV.
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
I KNOW YOU DO.
>>JAY VICKERS: YES, RON.
>>RON GOVIN: DON'T WE ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE DIFFERENCE
IN COST OF SERVICE WILL BE GOING FORWARD?
I MEAN, ARE WE GOING THROUGH THIS EXERCISE TO FIND OUT IT'S
GOING TO COST US 50% MORE TO RUN A LED THAN --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, THAT'S PART OF THE ANALYSIS, I THINK.
WHEN BONNIE DOES THIS ANALYSIS IN THE FIRST PART OF THE
LETTER, THAT'S PART OF WHAT SHE'LL --
>>RON GOVIN: BUT SHE NEEDS TO GIVE IT TO US --
>>SPENCER KASS: SHE'LL WORK --
>>RON GOVIN: -- IN A COMPARISON --
>>SPENCER KASS: SURE.
>>RON GOVIN: -- SO THAT WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE IN SERVICE
COST.
>>JAY VICKERS: AND ACTUALLY, I THINK TECO SHOULD BE THE
ONE THAT PROVIDES -- THAT'S A GREAT POINT, RON.
WE KNOW THE LEASE IS MORE BECAUSE THE FIXTURES ARE MORE, BUT
THE ELECTRICITY USAGE SHOULD BE LESS ON THOSE LIGHTS, AND WE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO OFFSET THAT LEASE RATE WITH THE SAVINGS IN
ELECTRICITY COSTS.
>>SPENCER KASS: AND THEN THERE MIGHT BE, AS WE SAID, THIS
ABILITY TO GET FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR -- IN WHICH CASE, THEN
THE LEASE COST DROPS TO ZERO AND THEN THERE'S JUST SAVINGS,
89
OR THERE MIGHT BE THE OPPORTUNITY, AS WE JUST HEARD OUR
SPEAKER SAY, WHERE MAYBE THEY WANT TO SPEND A COUPLE EXTRA
DOLLARS IN CERTAIN AREAS FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITY THAT IT CREATES AND THE SAFETY AND THE REDUCTION
IN CRIME AND ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS, SO MAYBE IT'S
WORTH --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
>>SPENCER KASS: BUT LET THEM DO THE ANALYSIS.
>>JAY VICKERS: SO -- YEAH.
LET'S GET THE DATA BACK FIRST.
AND, RON, YOUR POINT'S GREAT.
WE NEED TO KNOW THE ELECTRICITY SAVINGS --
>>SPENCER KASS: ABSOLUTELY.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S THE LONG-TERM
UPSIDE OF THIS LED PROGRAM, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
YEAH.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
I THINK WE NEED A MOTION.
>>SPENCER KASS: FINE.
I MOVE --
>> I JUST HAVE A QUESTION TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE
MOTION.
SO 30 -- 30 DAYS WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT IF IT CAN BE DONE,
90
AND 60 DAYS WE'RE GOING TO GIVE HER TO PROVIDE IT ALL TO US?
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
>> OKAY.
THAT'S THE MOTION?
OKAY.
THEN SECOND.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
>>SPENCER KASS: ALL IN FAVOR.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL IN FAVOR.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
ANY OPPOSED?
ALL RIGHT.
VERY GOOD.
ALL RIGHT.
NEXT UP ARE THE SUBCOMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS, AND I THINK WHERE
WE ARE IS -- WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SEE, HAVE ANY OF THE
SUBCOMMITTEES HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET IN THE LAST 30
DAYS?
NO?
>>SPENCER KASS: JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, MY SUBCOMMITTEE,
WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY A SUBCOMMITTEE OF ME, NOW INCLUDES
KIMBER.
>>JAY VICKERS: CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PICKUP, BY THE WAY.
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
I GUESS SHE'S A GLUTTON -- SHE'S A GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT,
SO -- I'VE NEVER HAD SOMEBODY ACTUALLY VOLUNTEER TO BE ON A
COMMITTEE WITH ME.
>>JAY VICKERS: NO ONE WAS MORE SHOCKED THAN THE REST OF US
91
WHEN THEY SAW THAT E-MAIL.
>>SPENCER KASS: I COULD ONLY IMAGINE.
SO WHEN SHE GETS BACK, WE WILL HAVE OUR FIRST MEETING THEN.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
>>SPENCER KASS: JUST TO LET YOU KNOW SORT OF MY MIND-SET ON
WHERE -- AS A STARTING POINT, BECAUSE I READ THROUGH THE
NOTES THAT WE GOT LAST TIME FROM MR. MERRILL ON THE
DEPARTMENTS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID NOTICE IS THAT THE
COUNTY AND THE CITY ARE BOTH WORKING ON THEIR TECHNICAL
MANUALS, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT MIGHT BE -- SINCE
THEY'RE ALREADY PUTTING STAFF TIME INTO THAT, THAT THAT
MIGHT BE THE PERFECT PLACE TO START ON SOME COLLABORATIVE
EFFORTS OF GETTING A -- BECAUSE TECHNICAL MANUALS ARE JUST
SAFETY, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ZONING OR ANY OF THAT
KIND OF STUFF.
THAT MIGHT BE THE PERFECT SPOT TO GET STARTED IN SINCE
THEY'RE BOTH WORKING ON IT ALREADY.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
>>SPENCER KASS: SO THAT'S JUST --
>>JAY VICKERS: WAIT, NO BIKE TRAIL TO NOWHERE?
>>SPENCER KASS: NO, NO BIKE TRAILS.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: ON DALE MABRY [INAUDIBLE] PUT SIDEWALKS,
NOBODY'S THERE.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
DEVELOPMENT SERVICE I KNOW KIMBER HAD AGREED TO CHAIR AND
THEN THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO BE ON A SUBCOMMITTEE WITH
SPENCER.
THAT SHOWS POOR JUDGMENT.
92
SO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, I THINK YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO GET
SOME DATES FOR THAT GROUP TO MEET?
>> FOR ALL OF THEM.
JUST A LOT OF FOLKS WERE TRAVELING AND EVERYTHING, SO I
THINK AUGUST HOPEFULLY WILL BE BETTER TO SCHEDULE.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
>>SPENCER KASS: AND IT DOESN'T STOP ANYBODY IF THEY WANT TO
DO SOME SECRET SHOPPER STUFF, YOU KNOW, FROM GOING ON UP
THERE LIKE I DID THIS MORNING.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THEY KNOW ME TOO WELL, SPENCER.
>>SPENCER KASS: THEY THINK THEY KNOW EVERYBODY, BUT THEY
DON'T.
TRUST ME.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
AND ON THE CIVIL SERVICE, I WAS OUT OF TOWN THE ENTIRE MONTH
OF JULY, SO I WAS NOT AROUND, BUT I'M HERE IN AUGUST AND
WILL FILL OUT THE ON-LINE SCHEDULE OVER THE WEEKEND, AND
THEN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND SOME DATES IN AUGUST.
>> TODAY I'LL SEND OUT AN UPDATED SCHEDULER WITH AUGUST
DATES TOO BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF THE DATES WERE FOR JULY,
SO I'LL SEND OUT UPDATED ONES.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
A ROLLING SIX-WEEK MAY BE BEST ON THOSE, SO AUGUST AND THE
FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SEPTEMBER.
>> SOUNDS GOOD.
>>JAY VICKERS: THAT'S THE MONTH THAT COMES AFTER AUGUST,
ISN'T IT?
YES.
93
OKAY.
TRADITIONALLY, BUT -- YES, MA'AM.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I DID WANT TO UPDATE YOU ON THE
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WATER CONSERVATION --
>>JAY VICKERS: HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
THAT'S NEXT ON THE AGENDA.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: OKAY.
WE'RE NOT FINISHED WITH YOURS?
>>JAY VICKERS: WELL, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE
WRAPPED WITH THAT, SO --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: FINE.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- ONE SECOND AND WE'LL GET TO THAT.
SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE SUBCOMMITTEES?
ALL RIGHT.
MOVING ON.
NOW, GAYE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THAT'S SUCH A MOUTHFUL, HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY WATER CONSERVATION TECHNICAL COMMITTEE.
OKAY.
NOW THAT I HAVE THAT OUT, I HOPE YOU HAD THAT ON RECORD THAT
THE BOARD REAPPOINTED ME TO THAT FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS AS
THE CAC REPRESENTATIVE.
>>JAY VICKERS: I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THAT ON THE
RECORD, BUT WE'LL PUT THAT IN THE RECAP FOR THE NEXT
MEETING.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: YEP.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WRITE THE
94
LETTER, BUT THEY WENT AHEAD AND DECIDED THEY'D JUST TAKE ME.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: ALSO, THAT COMMITTEE STILL HASN'T MET IN
FOUR YEARS OR THREE YEARS, SO I THOUGHT I'D FILL YOU IN ON
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT COMMITTEE.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
ANY OTHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE UPDATES?
I'M ACTUALLY NOT SURE WHO WE HAVE ON THE LIST.
DID WE FINALIZE THAT LIST, BETH, OF WHICH MEMBERS ARE ON
WHICH ADVISORY?
NO?
>>KAY DOUGHTY: I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK, BETH, IF -- I DON'T
KNOW THAT THE HEALTH CARE ADVISORY BOARD HAS BEEN MEETING
BECAUSE I SUDDENLY STOPPED GETTING THE E-MAILS TELLING ME OF
THE MEETINGS, SO --
>> I'LL LOOK INTO IT AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: OKAY.
BECAUSE I DO TRY TO ATTEND WHEN I'M AVAILABLE.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
DEBORAH.
>>DEBORAH COPE: THE ERP IMPLEMENTATION PROJECT, I HAD A
QUESTION LAST MONTH ABOUT WHETHER THAT INFORMATION IS
AVAILABLE ON THE WEB SITE FOR THE PUBLIC, AND IT IS NOT.
FOR VARIOUS REASONS EITHER IT'S AVAILABLE, LIKE, ON THE
INTERNAL INTRANET SYSTEM FOR STAFF, AND AT THIS POINT
THEY'RE HAVING, LIKE, DAILY UPDATES, AND -- BUT I DO HAVE,
LIKE, A SYNOPSIS OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON.
IT'S KIND OF EXCITING.
95
TODAY, ACTUALLY, THEY BEGIN THEIR CUTOVER TO ORACLE, AND
THEN THEY'LL ACTUALLY END UP -- THE FINANCIALS ARE GOING TO
GO IN FIRST, AND THE ACTUAL GO LIVE FOR THE CORE FINANCIAL
MODULES IS GOING TO BE AUGUST 5th, AND THEN THE SUBSEQUENT
WAVES -- LIKE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PUTTING THESE THINGS IN
WAVES, FINANCIALS FIRST.
THE NEXT WAVES WILL COVER HR, ADVANCED PROCUREMENT, TIME AND
ATTENDANCE, PAYROLL, AND BUDGET, AND THOSE GO-LIVE DATES
WILL BE BETWEEN OCTOBER 14th AND JANUARY 1.
THEN THEY SHOULD ALL BE COMPLETED.
AND LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE HAVING, YOU KNOW, DAILY UPDATES AS
TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE PROJECT BECAUSE THEY'RE AT A
PRETTY CRUCIAL POINT NOW, BUT SO FAR EVERYTHING'S GOING AS
SCHEDULED.
>>SPENCER KASS: AND DO WE KNOW WHAT THE ACCELA SYSTEM
SEPARATELY --
>>DEBORAH COPE: I DO NOT.
I COULD FIND OUT.
I WILL.
>> AND JUST TO NOTE, FOR THE LIST OF COMMUNITY -- OR OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS YOU-ALL SERVE ON, YOU TWO ARE THE ONLY THREE I
HAVE SO FAR, SO IF ANYONE ELSE IS, JUST LET ME KNOW.
THAT'S ALL I RECEIVED.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
MAYBE NEXT MONTH WE CAN CIRCULATE THE LIST AGAIN TO SEE IF
THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO SIGN UP.
AND ON THE -- THE NONPROFIT, THAT IS OFFICIALLY FINISHED,
BUT I INTEND TO FOLLOW UP IN AUGUST.
96
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: GOOD JOB.
>>JAY VICKERS: IT'S KIND OF PARTIALLY DONE, SO I'M GOING TO
FOLLOW UP IN AUGUST TO JUST MAKE SURE IT GETS ALL THE WAY
THROUGH TO -- TO FRUITION, SO I BELIEVE IT'S -- IT'S IN AND
IT'S APPROVED, BUT THERE ARE SOME LINGERING QUESTIONS, AND
THERE'S THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE THAT STAFF WILL BE HANDLING
THEMSELVES, SO I'VE ALREADY BEEN INVOLVED WITH THEM A LITTLE
BIT AND WILL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED IN AUGUST, SO
I'LL HAVE SOME UPDATES, BUT IT PROBABLY WON'T BE FORMAL, IT
WILL JUST BE SORT OF PROGRESS UPDATES HOPEFULLY ON HOW STAFF
IS ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.
ALL RIGHT.
ANY --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: ARE WE IN OTHER BUSINESS?
>>JAY VICKERS: -- OTHER ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORTS?
ALL RIGHT.
ON TO OTHER BUSINESS.
KAY.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: I THINK WE OUGHT TO SCHEDULE -- AND IT'S UP
TO US WHEN -- AN UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW
GARBAGE AND TRASH IMPLEMENTATION.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THE ROLLER DERBY?
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
OKAY.
AND SINCE WE'RE ON THE SCHEDULING TOPIC, BETH, DO WE KNOW
WHO WE HAVE FOR NEXT MONTH?
>> AS OF RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING
SOMEONE FROM THE RNC TO COME AND GIVE A FISCAL UPDATE.
97
I HAVE -- YOU MAY SNICKER, BUT I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN IN CONTACT
WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS TENTATIVELY AGREED TO COME AND SPEAK,
SO I'M JUST ESSENTIALLY WAITING ON A CALL BACK TO FIRM UP,
AND THAT SHOULD BE WITHIN -- IF NOT TODAY, THEN THE START OF
NEXT WEEK, SO --
>>SPENCER KASS: I MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS AT THE BEGINNING,
BUT I KNOW WE HAD REQUESTED FOR THIS TIME TO ALSO DO -- HAVE
SOMEBODY HERE TO DO SOME, LIKE, BRIEF BUDGET OVERVIEW STUFF
AND THEN DID NOBODY AGREE TO COME OR --
>> I DIDN'T --
>>JAY VICKERS: WELL, WHAT WE HAD DONE WAS CAME UP WITH A
LIST OF I THINK FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT FOLKS WHO WANTED TO
TALK TO YOU IN IF THE FUTURE AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO JUST
SCHEDULE THEM AS THEIR SCHEDULES WERE AVAILABLE, SO THERE
WAS NOT A SET ORDER --
>>SPENCER KASS: OH, OKAY.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- SO IT --
>> I HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.
FOR SEPTEMBER WE HAVE RAY CHIARAMONTE COMING, FOR OCTOBER WE
HAVE JOHN LYONS TO TALK ABOUT TRASH, AND THEN NOVEMBER WE
HAVE ANIMAL SERVICES.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
>>SPENCER KASS: AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BUDGET PEOPLE?
SO MAYBE NEXT TIME WE CAN GET THE BUDGET WITH THE RNC PEOPLE
HERE, CAN WE TRY AND GET -- BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO COME
THIS TIME.
>>DEBORAH COPE: I THINK TIME IS PROBABLY OF THE ESSENCE
WITH THAT.
98
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
>>SPENCER KASS: SO IF WE CAN GET BUDGET DOWN HERE.
>>JAY VICKERS: THE SPECIFIC REQUEST OF THE BUDGET IS AN
OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRESS ON THE BUDGET?
>>SPENCER KASS: I GUESS THAT, AND THERE WERE A WHOLE SERIES
OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU AND I HAD AT THE LAST MEETING THAT
THEY CAN TAKE OFF THE TAPE AND --
>> I REACHED OUT TO BUDGET.
THEY WERE PRETTY WRAPPED UP AND DIDN'T INDICATE ANY NEED FOR
ASSISTANCE AT THIS POINT, SO THAT'S -- THAT WAS THE LAST I
TALKED TO THEM.
>>SPENCER KASS: THEY CAN GRACE US WITH THEIR PRESENCE.
LET'S MAKE IT A FORMAL REQUEST.
>>JAY VICKERS: AND SO PERHAPS WE COULD PUT THE REQUEST AS
AN OVERVIEW OF THE FINAL BUDGET AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO
ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FINAL BUDGET, AND WE DO -- KNOW
THAT THE BUDGETS ARE SET WELL IN ADVANCE AND THAT'S A LONG
AND LENGTHY PROCESS, AND SO BY THIS POINT THEY'RE NOT OPEN
TO CHANGING ANYTHING.
THEY'RE JUST --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, SPEAKING OF WHICH --
>>JAY VICKERS: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK]
>>SPENCER KASS: -- I MEAN, JUST TO GIVE YOU-ALL AN UPDATE
SINCE I DID MENTION BEFORE THE 10% THING AND ALL THAT, AND I
KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION HERE AS TO WHAT
INFORMATION EVERYBODY WANTED, ON MY OWN I AM PROCEEDING WITH
THE CHART THAT I HAD PREPARED LAST TIME.
99
I'VE SPOKEN TO THE PROPERTY APPRAISER.
NOW, THEY WANTED VERY SPECIFIC PREDONE MAP FILES, WHICH I
WAS ABLE TO GET FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA AND WHICH THEY NOW
HAVE, SO I COULD TELL YOU FOR WITHIN THE CITY OF TAMPA THEY
ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON GENERATING HOW MUCH PROPERTY
TAX IS COLLECTED WITHIN THOSE AREAS.
IF THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE WHO FEEL THEY DON'T WANT IT FOR
THEIR AREA OR WHATEVER, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TELL THEM TO
EXCLUDE ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T WANT THE INFORMATION.
IN TERMS OF US GETTING IT FOR THE COUNTY AREAS, I DON'T
NECESSARILY HAVE THE PEOPLE TO GET ME THE COUNTY MAP FILES
IF THEY EXIST BECAUSE ORIGINALLY THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME
CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER THEY EXISTED IN THE CITY BECAUSE
THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T DO IT, AND THEN WE MANAGED TO FIND
THEM FOR THEM.
SO IF YOU ALL -- I'M HAPPY WITH JUST THE CITY.
I FEEL -- I PREFER TO BE INCLUSIVE OF EVERYBODY, INCLUDING
THE COUNTY.
I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU ALL IN TERMS OF AT LEAST THE
DATA -- LET'S PUT THE 10% THING ASIDE FOR A SECOND.
IN TERMS OF THE DATA, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW IN THE COUNTY
AREAS WHAT THEY'RE COLLECTING WITHIN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD
BOUNDARY, IF YOU ALL DO?
MAYBE WE AS A GROUP WANT TO GET A LETTER TO SOMEONE IN THE
COUNTY, MAYBE IT'S NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS OR WHATEVER, TO
GET US THOSE MAP FILES BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE
ASSESSOR THAT IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE MAP FILES, THEY'RE NOT
CREATING THEM UNLESS I'M PREPARED TO PAY VAST SUMS OF MONEY
100
TO HAVE THEM CREATED.
SO AS I SAID, I HAVE THEM FOR THE CITY, THEY'RE WORKING ON
THEM FOR THE CITY.
THERE'S BEEN ALSO A SEPARATE REQUEST FROM ME TO EVERY CITY
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION TELLING THEM THIS IS WHAT I'M
TRYING TO GET, AND I KNOW MANY OF THEM HAVE SENT TO THE
TAMPA CITY COUNCIL REQUESTS SAYING, YEAH, WHY DON'T YOU SHOW
US WHAT PROJECTS FOR THIS YEAR YOU'VE SCHEDULED FOR OUR
AREAS AND HOW MUCH YOU'RE SPENDING.
IT'S BEEN VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
>>JAY VICKERS: I'M SURE.
>>SPENCER KASS: NOW, I DON'T -- AS I SAID, I'M NOT LOOKING
TO GET INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S BAILIWICK HERE, SO I'LL LET THE
PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE COUNTY PEOPLE KIND OF DECIDE IF WE WANT
TO PURSUE THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO, BUT THAT'S GOING TO NEED A LITTLE MORE COUNTY
PEOPLE SUPPORT THAN ME JUST PICKING UP A PHONE, SO I'LL LET
YOU ALL DISCUSS IT.
>>JAY VICKERS: I THINK THE -- I LOVE THE IDEA.
THE FACT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE DATA WAS NOT SHOCKING, BUT
THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO METHOD TO GET THE DATA, THAT WAS
A BIT SHOCKING, SO I DON'T KNOW IF I FIND THAT HARD TO
BELIEVE OR IT'S JUST EXTREMELY LABOR INTENSIVE, I DON'T
KNOW.
IF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THERE MAY BE SOME SOURCE FILES
AVAILABLE THAT WE HAVE -- WE COULD JUST GET THOSE SOURCE
FILES AND A COUPLE OF US COULD PARSE THROUGH IT AND SEE WHAT
WE CAN COME UP WITH --
101
>>SPENCER KASS: WE DON'T HAVE TO -- JUST TO MAKE IT
AVAILABLE.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO PARSE THROUGH IT.
THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, IF WE'RE ARE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THE
DATA SOURCE MAPPING FILES, THEY WILL TAKE THOSE FILES, PUT
THEM INTO THEIR SYSTEM AND GENERATE FOR US THE COLLECTION
INFORMATION.
THE EXPENDITURE INFORMATION, THAT'S A WHOLE 'NOTHER STORY.
THAT, IN TERMS OF COUNTY EXPENDITURES, NEEDS TO COME FROM
BONNIE'S OFFICE; IN TERMS OF THE CITY, THAT NEEDS TO COME
FROM THEIR BUDGET OFFICE, AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PARSE
THAT THROUGH, AND ULTIMATELY IT'S UP TO THE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS IF THEY WANT TO DEMAND, YEAH, PROVIDE THE
INFORMATION.
I BELIEVE THINGS SHOULD BE IN THE EASY-TO-READ FORMAT AND I
BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S BEING SPENT IN THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS, FORGETTING ABOUT ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WHERE
WE GO WITH ANYTHING, AND AS I SAID, THE FEEDBACK FROM THE
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, RICH, POOR,
EVERY WHICH WAY HAS JUST BEEN TREMENDOUSLY POSITIVE.
I HEARD NO NEGATIVE FEEDBACK.
THERE WAS, OH, YEAH, LET'S SEE THAT.
YOU KNOW, OUR ASSOCIATION WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN AT A
MEETING AND SAY, OH, WE PAY AN EIGHT MILLION -- AND PEOPLE
HAVE GUESSES AS TO WHAT THEY THINK THEY'RE PAYING INTO THE
CITY, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO -- SO IF WE CAN GET THE MAP
FILES -- I THINK THE MAP FILES ARE RELATIVELY EASY TO GET
OUR HANDS ON.
102
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: WHERE DO YOU GET THE MAP FILES?
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, I SENT IT -- I MEAN, I --
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: YOU JUST REQUESTED IT?
>>SPENCER KASS: I THOUGHT THEY WOULD ORIGINALLY HAVE THEM
AT THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.
THEY APPARENTLY DIDN'T.
I WENT TO THE CITY AND REQUESTED THEM FROM THE CITY, AND THE
CITY FOUND SOMEONE IN THEIR I.T. DEPARTMENT WHO HAD THEM,
BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THE MAPS ON-LINE.
YOU CAN GO TO AN INTERACTIVE MAP ON THE CITY'S --
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
SO THEY HAVE ACTUALLY GOT IT --
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
WELL, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING.
THEY GOT SOMEONE IN I.T., AND I SENT THE I.T. FILES OVER.
I MEAN, THERE HAS TO BE SORT OF A MIDDLE PERSON.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: YOU THINK THEY;D HAVE IT FROM CENSUS
BLOCKS.
>>SPENCER KASS: IN TERMS OF THE -- WELL, THE CENSUS BLOCKS
AREN'T NECESSARILY BROKEN DOWN BY ASSOCIATION.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: NO, BUT --
>>SPENCER KASS: SO, I MEAN, IF WE WANT TO REQUEST IT FROM
COUNTY NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT'S FINE, BUT I NEED -- LET ME PUT
IT THIS WAY, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK FOR ALL OF US AND TELL
THEM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THE FILES.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: OKAY.
103
>>SPENCER KASS: AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT JUST BECAUSE
I'M ASKING FOR IT IN THE COUNTY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, THEY SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ANYWAY,
THAT'S JUST THE BOTTOM LINE.
>> I AGREE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THAT'S JUST A PUBLIC RECORD THING, WHERE
IS IT?
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
KAY.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: I THINK THAT -- YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE
REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE.
I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY GOVERNMENTS ARE RELUCTANT, BECAUSE
THERE ARE GOING TO BE AREAS THAT CONTRIBUTE MORE DOLLARS
INTO THE KITTY THAN THEY GET BACK IN --
>>SPENCER KASS: SO DO YOU-ALL WANT TO MAKE A REQUEST FROM
THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE THE DATA FILES --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: ABSOLUTELY.
>>SPENCER KASS: -- AND BREAKDOWNS OF EXPENDITURES WITHIN
THE AREAS?
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
WELL, LET'S TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: OKAY.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S --
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
IF WE UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF GATHERING THIS INFORMATION
IS LABOR INTENSIVE, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASSIST IN THAT PROCESS.
>>SPENCER KASS: OH, SURE.
>>JAY VICKERS: IF THEY CAN PROVIDE US WITH THE SOURCE MAP
104
FILES, THE DATA MAP FILES -- IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE CALLED?
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
YEAH.
LET'S CALL IT THAT FOR THE MOMENT.
IF THEY CAN GET THE -- I CAN GET THEM THE EXACT SPECIFICS
OF WHAT'S --
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO THE DATA MAP FILES, AND, IF NECESSARY, WE CAN PROVIDE
THEM A LITTLE MORE CLARIFICATION OF WHAT THAT IS, THEN WE
WOULD BE HAPPY TO ASSIST IN --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, WE COULD FORWARD IT TO THE ASSESSOR'S
OFFICE.
>>JAY VICKERS: I WOULD JUST LEAVE IT WE'D BE HAPPY TO
ASSIST IN GETTING THAT INFORMATION.
>>SPENCER KASS: THAT'S PART ONE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: IS THAT A MOTION, OR WHAT ARE YOU --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, WE'LL LET -- DO YOU WANT TO DO THEM
TWO TOGETHER OR DO YOU WANT TO DO THEM SEPARATE?
>>JAY VICKERS: WELL, LET ME HEAR -- I JUST WANT TO MAKE
SURE WE'VE GOT THAT CLARIFIED FOR --
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, OKAY.
THAT'S ONE PART.
THE SECOND PART IS --
>>JAY VICKERS: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK]
>>SPENCER KASS: -- TO GET FROM THE BUDGET OFFICE A
BREAKDOWN BY THOSE -- BY THE -- THOSE ASSOCIATION BOUNDARIES
OF THE EXPENDITURES IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET, WHAT THE
PROJECTS ARE, AND HOW MUCH THE EXPENDITURE IS BASED UPON
105
THOSE SAME BOUNDARIES, AND AS I SAID, IF THEY WANT TO
PROVIDE IT IN A DATA FILE AND YOU WANT ME OR MY PEOPLE TO
BREAK IT OUT AND PUT IT INTO THE SPREADSHEET, WE'RE HAPPY TO
DO THAT, SO THAT WOULD BE THE SECOND PART.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO I -- YES.
AND IF THEY HAVE THIS INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE -- I
WANT TO KIND OF STAGGER THESE REQUESTS ON THERE JUST
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE -- EVERYONE'S BUSY, AND SO WE'RE
OFFERING TO HELP OUT, SO IF THEY CAN GET US SOMETHING
EASILY, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP.
>>SPENCER KASS: RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: AND WE COULD ALSO -- IF THEY EASILY HAVE THE
PROJECT INFORMATION, THE CAPITAL EXPEND -- JUST CAPITAL
EXPENDITURES, IS THAT WHAT --
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH, I JUST WANT TO STICK WITH CAPITAL
EXPENDITURES.
IT'LL BE A MESS OTHERWISE.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO IF THEY COULD GIVE US A LIST OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
PROJECTS, EITHER -- WHAT DO YOU WANT? -- WHAT'S UNDERWAY
CURRENTLY, WHAT'S BEEN DONE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS --
>>SPENCER KASS: NO, WHAT'S --
>>JAY VICKERS: -- WHAT'S BEEN IN THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS?
>>SPENCER KASS: -- GOING FORWARD FOR THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO IN THE NEW PROPOSED BUDGET WHAT CAPITAL -- A LIST OF THE
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PROJECTS BY ZIP CODE?
106
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, NO, BY ASSOCIATION BOUNDARY.
IN A PERFECT WORLD, IF THEY COULD DO IT BY ASSOCIATION
BOUNDARY, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE, AND IF THEY CAN'T, WHATEVER
THEY --
>>JAY VICKERS: WITH AS MUCH GEOGRAPHIC DATA AS THEY HAVE OR
THEY CAN EASILY MAKE AVAILABLE WITH THAT ZIP CODE OR WHETHER
IT'S, YOU KNOW, A BOUNDARY OF --
>>SPENCER KASS: WE'LL TRY AND BREAK IT OUT.
>>JAY VICKERS: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK]
OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
YES.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, SHOULDN'T THERE BE SOME INFORMATION
IN THE CIPs, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS?
>>JAY VICKERS: OH, I'M SURE THEY'VE GOT A LIST OF THEM.
IT'S JUST ARE THEY MATCHED, I MEAN, ARE THEY CODED
PROPERLY --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- ARE THEY TAGGED TO SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSOCIATIONS?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, IT'S JUST A START TO SAY THERE ARE
SOME --
>>JAY VICKERS: OH, YEAH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- CIPs OUT THERE, AND THAT WOULD BE A
STARTING POINT.
>>SPENCER KASS: YEAH.
LET THEM FIGURE IT OUT.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
107
OKAY.
SO WITH WHATEVER GEOGRAPHIC DATA THEY HAVE CURRENTLY, WE'LL
TAKE THAT.
>>SPENCER KASS: SO THAT'S THE MOTION.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO THAT'S A MOTION.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: SECOND.
>> SECOND.
>>JAY VICKERS: MULTIPLE SECONDS.
>>SPENCER KASS: ALL IN FAVOR.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL OPPOSED.
ALL RIGHT.
ALSO ON OTHER BUSINESS, WE HAVE THE LETTER THAT DEBORAH
DRAFTED TO MR. MERRILL REGARDING THE BOCC DISCUSSING CHANGES
TO THE WAY THE COMMITTEES ARE STRUCTURED, THE WAY THE
COMMITTEES WORK, THE RULES AND REGULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH
THE COMMITTEES WITHOUT INFORMING THE COMMITTEES THESE WERE
BEING DISCUSSED, SO THERE'S A COPY OF THE LETTER IN YOUR
BINDER.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS, WITHOUT THE RED -- WITHOUT BETH'S NEAT
HANDWRITING AT THE BOTTOM, AND WHAT BETH'S NEAT HANDWRITING
AT THE BOTTOM SAYS IS THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT A BOCC MEETING,
BUT THEY TOOK NO ACTION ON -- ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CHANGES OUR DESIRE TO SEND A LETTER,
BUT --
>>SPENCER KASS: NO, IT DOESN'T.
>>DEBORAH COPE: I WOULDN'T THINK SO.
108
>>JAY VICKERS: YEP.
OKAY.
>>SPENCER KASS: SO --
>>JAY VICKERS: YES.
EXACTLY.
>>SPENCER KASS: DO YOU WANT A MOTION OR SOMETHING?
>>JAY VICKERS: OH, HANG ON ONE SECOND.
IS THERE DISCUSSION?
GAYE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WAS THIS TO DO WITH THE COMMITTEES, NOT
NECESSARILY THE BYLAWS BUT SIGNING THE ETHICS --
>>DEBORAH COPE: NO, IT HAS TO DO WITH IF THERE'S BUSINESS
BEFORE THE BOCC THAT HAS -- THAT HAS AN EFFECT OR HAS
SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND THEIR
MEMBERSHIP, THAT WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT WE BE INFORMED OF
THOSE AGENDA ITEMS AHEAD OF TIME SO IF WE WANT TO PROVIDE
INPUT, WE CAN DO THAT.
IT WAS BASED ON BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED WITH THE AGENDA ITEM
ON JUNE 5th THAT ADDRESSED NEW GOVERNING RULES FOR ADVISORY
COMMITTEES, BUT IN GENERAL, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW -- WE DIDN'T
KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE OFFICIALLY UNLESS WE COMBED THROUGH THE
AGENDA OURSELVES THE MORNING OF THE MEETING, BUT, YOU KNOW,
JUST FOR THE FUTURE WE'D LIKE TO BE NOTIFIED OF THOSE ITEMS.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION --
>>JAY VICKERS: OH, YEAH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- BECAUSE I KNOW WHY THAT HAPPENED, AND
WHY IT HAPPENED WAS BECAUSE IT STARTED HERE.
109
>>JAY VICKERS: YES.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: SO WE WERE WELL AWARE OF THAT.
>>JAY VICKERS: THAT'S CORRECT.
>>SPENCER KASS: MOVE THE LETTER.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE LETTER -- DEB'S LETTER.
SECOND?
>> SECOND.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL IN FAVOR.
[CHORUS OF AYES]
ANY OPPOSED?
ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL SIGN AND GET THAT SENT OUT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: NO, I'M NOT OPPOSED, I'M JUST A SLOW
REACTOR.
[LAUGHTER]
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
ANY OTHER OTHER BUSINESS?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: YES.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE ANIMAL SERVICES.
I'VE BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, AND
THEY SEEM TO BE IN A CRISIS, SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN
MOVE THAT UP, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, IF YOU'VE BEEN
FOLLOWING THE PROBLEMS WITH THEM.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: IS THERE ANY WAY TO MOVE THAT UP?
>>JAY VICKERS: I DON'T THINK SO.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, GETTING EVERYONE TO AGREE --
110
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: OH, I UNDERSTAND.
>>JAY VICKERS: YES.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE IS JUST SCHEDULED THEM WHEN
THEY'RE OPEN.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: IT'S ALSO ALLOWING US TIME FOR OUR
COMMITTEES TO WORK.
>>JAY VICKERS: YES.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THEY ARE IN CRISIS
MODE OVER THERE AT ANIMAL SERVICES, AND IT'S A BIG CONCERN
TO THIS COMMUNITY AS WELL AS I.
I DO ATTEND THE MEETINGS ONCE IN A WHILE, AND I'M VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE.
>> I THINK THERE WERE TWO THINGS WITH THAT.
ONE WAS ALSO THAT REALLY WHERE WE NEED TO LOOK AT IS
ADDITIONAL MONEY WAS ALLOCATED TO ANIMAL SERVICES, SO, YOU
KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS A DECISION MADE BY THE BOCC FOR
THAT, AND DOES THAT TRULY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES THAT ARE --
THAT ARE HAPPENING --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THAT'S TRUE, AND --
>> -- OR IS IT MORE SYSTEMIC OR --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: -- THE ISSUE IS IT'S KIND OF A SPLIT
BECAUSE I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT THE NEW HEAD OF
ANIMAL SERVICES IS DOING.
THEY'RE TRYING TO STOP THE EUTHANIZATION OF ANIMALS, AND IF
YOU DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE FUNDS, AND, I MEAN -- SO
IT'S JUST UP FOR DISCUSSION.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING I BROUGHT UP, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE
FUNDS THAT THEY ALLOCATED RUN OUT, SO IF WE COULD FIND THAT
111
OUT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
>>SPENCER KASS: WHEN THE BUDGET PEOPLE COME.
>>JAY VICKERS: WE DON'T KNOW YET, BUT THE REQUEST IS IN.
WE'VE RE-REQUESTED.
>> I THINK WE HAVE IT FOR NOVEMBER; IS THAT -- THAT CORRECT?
IF WE COULD ALSO HAVE PROBABLY NOT ONLY THE DIRECTOR BUT
THEIR REPORT OUT THERE, WHICH I THINK MAY BE SHARON SUBADAN
OR MIKE MERRILL.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY REPORT TO, MIKE MERRILL, BUT --
>>JAY VICKERS: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK] SUBADAN.
>> YEAH.
IF WE COULD HAVE -- JUST SO -- BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE GET INTO
SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE SAY, WELL, IT'S MY -- YOU KNOW, IT'S
COMING, SO --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, WHEN YOU LOVE ANIMALS AND CHILDREN,
IT CAN GET VERY DICEY ON BOTH SIDES.
>> SURE.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: AND THE OTHER ISSUE I'D ASK IS THAT WE
UPDATE ON THE WATER SUPPLY, PLEASE, BECAUSE THEY WERE TO
SHUT THE RESERVOIR DOWN FOR REPAIRS FOR THE RESERVOIR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVEN HAPPENED YET.
SHOWS YOU I'M NOT KEEPING UP.
>>JAY VICKERS: SO AN UPDATE ON THE RESERVOIR REPAIR
PROCESS?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THE WATER RESOURCES IN GENERAL BECAUSE
WHEN THE RESERVOIR GOES DOWN, THE TREATMENT PLANT AND THE
ALAFIA, THEY DON'T USE WATER BECAUSE THE TREATMENT PLANT
USES THE RESERVOIR, SO, THEREFORE, THERE IS A CLAUSE IN THE
112
INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT THEY CAN GO BACK TO WELLFIELD
PUMPING, SO I WANT TO SEE HOW THEY ARE WITH THEIR SUPPLY.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO -- AND THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: IT'S CONFUSING.
>>JAY VICKERS: NO, BUT THOSE DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE
THE MORE SPECIFIC WE MAKE OUR REQUEST, THE BETTER ANSWER AND
THE FASTER WE'LL GET AN ANSWER.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: RIGHT.
RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: SO IS YOUR PRIMARY CONCERN -- DO THEY HAVE
ANY PLANS TO START THE WELLFIELD PUMPING AGAIN, IS THAT YOUR
PRIMARY CONCERN?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: RIGHT, RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO IF -- SO MAYBE WE COULD ASK THE QUESTION, IS -- HAS
THE -- MAYBE A PROGRESS UPDATE ON THE RESERVOIR REPAIRS AND
IF THERE ARE ANY PLANS TO RESTART --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: SEE, THE RIVER -- THE HARVESTING OF THE
RIVER AND THE RESERVOIR WAS TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF THE
WELLFIELDS, BUT IN THAT LITTLE CLAUSE IN THAT INTERLOCAL IT
SAYS FOR HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE IT CAN GO BACK TO THE
WELLFIELD.
>>JAY VICKERS: RIGHT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: ALTHOUGH WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF RAIN, WHICH
I'M -- IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO SEE ALL THE WATER IN OUR WETLANDS.
PART OF THAT WAS FROM CUTTING THE PUMPING BACK, BUT I WANT
TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO BE A
113
PROBLEM.
>>JAY VICKERS: ABSOLUTELY.
SO I THINK IF WE JUST SORT OF JUMP TO THE PUNCHLINE HERE,
WE'LL GET A YES OR NO ANSWER ON THAT, SO IF WE CAN GET
SOMETHING IN WRITING.
SO ARE THERE ANY PLANS SIX MONTHS, 12 MONTHS?
HOW LONG OF A TIME FRAME DO YOU WANT, SIX MONTHS?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: YEAH, BECAUSE WHEN THAT RESERVOIR GOES
DOWN --
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO ARE THERE ANY -- ANY PLANS --
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: THE RESERVOIR IS DOWN.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THE RESERVOIR IS DOWN?
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: THE RESERVOIR IS DOWN.
>>JAY VICKERS: IT'S DOWN.
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: IT'S DOWN.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO ARE THERE ANY -- SO AS THE RESERVOIR RENOVATION PLANS
ARE -- PLANS ARE UNDERWAY, ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO START
WELLFIELD PUMPING?
>> OKAY.
DO WE WANT JUST A LETTER OR DO WE WANT SOMEONE TO COME
SPEAK?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: NO, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE COME.
>> OKAY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I HAVEN'T HAD TO DEAL WITH WATER PEOPLE
FOR A WHILE.
I KIND OF MISSED IT.
114
>>BARBARA ADERHOLD: TAMPA BAY WATER OR SWFWMD?
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I WANT BOTH OF THEM.
[LAUGHTER]
>>JAY VICKERS: SWFWMD WOULD PROBABLY -- WELL, THAT COULD BE
CHALLENGING.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: TAMPA BAY WATER'S THE WORST, SO ANYWAY --
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
ALL RIGHT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: TAMPA BAY WATER WOULD BE --
>>JAY VICKERS: SO IF WE COULD JUST GET A -- SO LET'S START
WITH A STAFF REQUEST, AND WE CAN PUT THEM ON OUR SPEAKER
LIST FOR WHENEVER THE NEXT SLOT IS, BUT IF WE COULD JUST GET
A REQUEST TO SOMEBODY ON STAFF TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, YOU
KNOW, ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO RESTART THE WELLFIELD PUMPING
WHILE THE RESERVOIR IS BEING REPAIRED.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: [INAUDIBLE]
>>JAY VICKERS: AND AN UPDATE ON THE REPAIR PROCESS.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: ALSO, JAY, WE HAD A WATER TEAM IN THIS
COUNTY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DID AWAY WITH IT OR NOT, SO
YOU MIGHT CHECK WITH THAT.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: SEE IF WE STILL HAVE OUR WATER TEAM.
I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE.
>>JAY VICKERS: ANY OTHER OTHER BUSINESS?
>> MOVE TO ADJOURN.
>>JAY VICKERS: HOLD ON A SECOND.
>> SORRY.
>> QUICK QUESTION.
115
DO WE WANT TO STICK WITH ONE SPEAKER PER MEETING, OR SINCE
WE HAVE A COUPLE EXTRA PEOPLE WE WANT TO INVITE, DO WE WANT
TO DOUBLE UP FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR BECAUSE THE REST-OF-
THE-YEAR SLOTS ARE TAKEN AT THIS POINT.
>>JAY VICKERS: THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
>>SPENCER KASS: WELL, I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO GO TO OUR
NEW POLICY OF KEEPING -- WHICH WE DIDN'T DO TODAY -- THE
SPEAKERS DOWN TO, LIKE, FIVE MINUTES AND THE REST OF THE
TIME FOR US TO ASK QUESTIONS, THEN WE'RE OKAY WITH TWO, BUT
WE HAVE TO REALLY STICK -- I MEAN, LET THESE GUYS KNOW WHEN
THEY COME IF THEY WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, THEY CAN HAVE FIVE
MINUTES OF SHTICK, AND THEN AFTER THAT THEY'VE GOTTA DEAL
WITH US.
>>JAY VICKERS: YES.
I UNDERSTAND.
AND I THINK RON DID A GREAT JOB OF DEALING WITH US, AND
SO -- BUT I THINK THIS IS MORE INDICATIVE OF WHAT WE'RE
GOING TO SEE WITH THE SPEAKERS IN FRONT OF US BECAUSE WE ARE
PICKING THEM BASED ON SPECIFIC ISSUES AND SPECIFIC CONCERNS,
SO I THINK THAT WHAT WE SAW WITH RON IS GOING TO BE
INDICATIVE OF MOST OF THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME EXPLAINING A LOT OF
THINGS.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I WANT TO THANK YOU, ELIZABETH.
YOU'RE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.
>> THANK YOU.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THANK YOU, AND YOUR ASSISTANT.
>> THANKS.
116
>>JAY VICKERS: HER LOVELY ASSISTANT.
[LAUGHTER]
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THERE YOU GO.
>>JAY VICKERS: THE -- LET'S SEE.
SO DO WE WANT TO DOUBLE UP ON THE SPEAKERS OR DO WE WANT TO
LEAVE THEM AS IS?
I MEAN, ALSO -- REMEMBER THE REASON WE DID THAT IS BECAUSE
WE WERE HOPING TO GET, FIRST OF ALL, MORE SUBSTANTIVE
DISCUSSION WITH EACH OF THE SPEAKERS AND SECONDLY
SUBSTANTIVE SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: RIGHT.
>>JAY VICKERS: -- AND THAT WILL TAKE UP OUR TIME.
>>DEBORAH COPE: I THINK IT WOULD DEPEND ON PROBABLY WHAT
THE TOPIC'S GOING TO BE.
LIKE, TODAY'S TOPIC, OBVIOUSLY, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO PUT
ANYBODY ELSE TODAY --
>>JAY VICKERS: CORRECT.
>>DEBORAH COPE: -- BUT MAYBE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST
LIKE AN UPDATIVE KIND OF THING, WE COULD PROBABLY TRY TO
SQUEEZE TWO IN.
LIKE THE RNC, MAYBE WE COULD PUT SOMEBODY WITH, YOU KNOW,
THAT.
>>JAY VICKERS: SURE.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: YOU KNOW, IN THEORY, I AGREE, BUT --
>>DEBORAH COPE: YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: -- THAT NEVER HAPPENS WITH US, BECAUSE ONE
QUESTION SPENCER GENERATES, SEVERAL OF US RESPOND.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
117
EXACTLY.
JIM.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: OF COURSE, THE WATER, I MIGHT GET CARRIED
AWAY ON THAT.
>> WELL, AS I HEARD IT, WE'RE TRYING TO GET -- WELL, RNC IS
SLATED FOR NEXT MONTH, AND THEN DID WE ALSO WANT THE BUDGET
REPRESENTATIVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, NEXT MONTH AS WELL?
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>>JAY VICKERS: OKAY.
SO RNC --
>> THAT WILL BE --
>>JAY VICKERS: [INDISCERNIBLE CROSS TALK] NEXT MONTH.
>> SO THAT WILL BE OUR FIRST DOUBLED UP SPEAKER THEN.
>>SPENCER KASS: THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>>JAY VICKERS: AND -- YES, AND RNC MAY BE SHORT.
I'M EXPECTING IT TO BE.
>>KAY DOUGHTY: RIGHT.
AND IT CAN DEPEND ON THE PROGRESS OF THE COMMITTEES,
BECAUSE, I MEAN, AS WE GET STARTED, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING
TO HAVE A WHOLE LOT TO REPORT.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: I DON'T WANT A LONGWINDED ONE FROM THIS
RNC.
>>SPENCER KASS: DON'T WORRY, YOU AIN'T GOING TO GET ONE.
[LAUGHTER]
>>JAY VICKERS: THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS -- IT'S ALL ABOUT
RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS WHAT OUR FOCUS IS.
118
THIS IS NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH RNC OR SOMEBODY FROM THE
RNC, THIS IS JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY'RE COMING AND
IDENTIFYING THE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT TO HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY TAXPAYERS FOR HOSTING THE RNC.
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: WELL, THAT CAN BE LONGWINDED.
>>JAY VICKERS: YEAH.
WELL, IF THAT'S LONGWINDED, THEN IT'S LONGWINDED BECAUSE
WE --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: THEY SHOULD CUT THEM UP.
>>JAY VICKERS" NO, WE NEED THAT ANSWER.
WE REALLY NEED THAT ANSWER, SO --
>>GAYE TOWNSEND: AND THEN YOU ALSO --
>>SPENCER KASS: ALL RIGHT.
MOVE TO ADJOURN.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
ANYTHING ELSE?
>> SECOND.
>>JAY VICKERS: NOPE.
ALL RIGHT.
MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> SECOND.
>>JAY VICKERS: ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
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