CAPTIONING - Hillsborough County, Florida



CAPTIONING

AUGUST 7, 2013

BOCC REGULAR MEETING

AFTERNOON SESSION

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

[PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE CAPTIONING FOR THIS MEETING WAS DONE BY AN OUTSIDE VENDOR]

>> WELCOME BACK TO THE AFTERNOON SESSION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING.

AT THIS TIME WE HAVE A 1:45 TIME CERTAIN.

>> COMMISSIONER, THIS IS A REPORT REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM FROM CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND I BELIEVE STAFF IS HERE.

DEXTER IS HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

AND AS DEXTER IS COMING FORWARD WITH THE RECENT NEWS THAT WE'VE ALL FOLLOWED IN THE NEWSPAPER AND TELEVISION, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT AND THERE WAS SOMEONE THIS MORNING IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING ON THE COUNTY SIDE TO BE PROACTIVE, AND WHEN WE WERE HAVING A BRIEFING ON THIS I ASKED DEXTER SPECIFICALLY WHY DON'T WE READ ABOUT THESE THINGS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, AND I WANT YOU TO SHARE THAT, AS TO YOUR PREEMPTIVE STEPS, TALK ABOUT -- SPECIFICALLY ASK ABOUT STAFF AND FUNDING AND BUDGET NEEDS AND IF YOU CAN VOLUNTEER THAT OR I'LL ASK IN STAGED SPONTANEOUS QUESTIONS, IF YOU LIKE, BUT SHARE WITH THE BOARD WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE AND THEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THREE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WERE HERE, BUT I MADE A PROPOSAL FOR AN APP TO BE DEVELOPED HERE AT THE COUNTY TO USE ON SMARTPHONES THAT YOU COULD WHILE IN THE FIELD, IF YOU SAW A CODE VIOLATION OR SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT RIGHT, THAT THERE WAS A WAY WITH GPS COORDINATES AND TAKING A PICTURE, COULD SEND THAT IN AND IT WOULD GO TO THE APPROPRIATE FOLKS, IF YOU'D KIND OF GIVE US AN UPDATE AND MAYBE FOLKS IN COMMUNICATION, LORI, I KNOW, AND HER STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT.

SO WITH THAT, WELCOME, DEXTER.

>> DEXTER BARGE, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CODE ENFORCEMENT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

AND THANKS, COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM, FOR GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT AND WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT.

I'VE BEEN A DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR FOR TEN YEARS NOW, AND ONE THING THAT TROUBLED ME BACK IN 2003 IS THAT IT WAS TAKING US 15 DAYS TO RESPOND TO A COMPLAINT, AND AS WE STARTED TO LOOK AT HOW WE WERE ORGANIZED, HOW WE WERE RESPONDING, STAFF AND I WORKED VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER TO DEVELOP SYSTEMS OVER THE YEARS THAT WOULD REDUCE THAT 15-DAY RESPONSE TIME TO WHAT WE'RE RESPONDING -- CALLING OUR RESPONSE TIME TODAY AT 2.74 DAYS.

AND THE WAY WE DID THAT IS WE HAD TO DECENTRALIZE OUR ORGANIZATION, BEFORE WE WERE ALL CENTRALIZED IN ONE LOCATION, BUT WE LOOKED AT HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS WORKING.

THEY HAD FOUR DISTRICTS AND THEY HAD A DISTRICT COMMANDER AND IT SEEMED TO BE A VERY MANAGEABLE SYSTEM, SO WE DECIDED TO CREATE FOUR AREAS WITH FOUR AREA SUPERVISORS, HAVING THE INSPECTORS -- ALL VEHICLES UPGRADED WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY, WITH COMPUTERS, WITH 800 MEGAHERTZ RADIOS AND ANY OTHER TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT WE COULD INCLUDE.

AND THAT SAVED US A LOT OF MONEY, SAVED US A LOT OF TRAVEL TIME, BUT IT MADE US A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION.

IT ALSO PUT US IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE WERE WORKING.

THAT ALLOWED US TO GET TO KNOW THE CITIZENS, GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WERE THERE, GET TO KNOW THE STAKEHOLDERS, AND THEY GET TO KNOW US.

WE MARKED OUR VEHICLES SO THEY'RE CLEARLY MARKED AS CODE ENFORCEMENT.

I HEARD -- I WOULD HEAR ALL THE TIME, I NEVER SEE CODE ENFORCEMENT IN MY COMMUNITY, I NEVER SEE CODE ENFORCEMENT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT NOW I DON'T HEAR THAT ANYMORE BECAUSE WE'RE CLEARLY MARKED WITH OUR UNIFORMS AND WITH OUR VEHICLES.

AND WE COMMUNICATE AND WE GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE OF THAT COMMUNITY.

WE STARTED LOOKING AS COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM MENTIONED MOBILE APPLICATIONS.

A FEW YEARS AGO AFTER HE MADE THE COMMENT AT THE BOARD MEETING, OUR PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT AND CODE ENFORCEMENT WENT IN ON A JOINT VENTURE AND STARTED LOOKING AT MOBILE APPS, AND ONE OF THE APPLICATIONS WE USE TODAY IS SOMETHING CALLED APP ORD.

IF WE SEE A CODE VIOLATION OR SOMEONE SEES A CODE VIOLATION CURRENTLY IT'S BEING USED BY OUR WATER ENFORCEMENT TEAM BUT IT ALSO IS USED BY A NUMBER OF SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES, COMMUNITY RESOURCE DEPUTIES HAVE THE APP ON THEIR PHONE, AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY PULL UP TO A VIOLATION, TAKE A PHOTO OF THAT VIOLATION.

IT GEO-CODES THE EXACT LOCATION WHERE IT'S AT.

THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT EITHER VERBAL NOTES OR THEY CAN TYPE IN NOTES AND THEY HIT THE SUBMIT BUTTON AND IT GOES IMMEDIATELY TO OUR OFFICE AND WE GENERATE A CASE.

WE'RE IN THE PROCESS GETTING A NEW SOFTWARE CALLED ACCELA, THAT SOFTWARE WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED SOMETIME THE FIRST OF NEXT YEAR, AND AS PART OF ACCELA WE HAVE A MOBILE APPLICATION BUILT INTO THAT.

THE INTENT THERE IS THAT WE CAN PUSH A PORTION OF THAT OUT TO OUR CITIZENS, SO IF YOU'VE GOT CERTAIN THINGS ON THAT -- ITEMS ON THAT APP, CITIZENS APP, CITIZENS ARE DRIVING AROUND AND SEE A JUNK CAR, AN OLD COUCH ON THE STREET, OVERGROWN LOT, VACANT HOUSE, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES -- EXCUSE ME -- THEY CAN DO THE SAME THING, TAKE A PICTURE OF IT, GEO-CODE THE LOCATION, HIT SUBMIT, AND IN THIS CASE IT SHOULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER IN THAT AREA.

SO GIS OVERLAYS THAT'S ASSIGNED TO IT, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S COMING ON BORDER AND WE THINK -- ON BOARD AND WE THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE.

WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE WE COULD GET MORE -- MORE COMPLAINTS THAN WE CAN HANDLE, BUT WE DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CASE.

WE THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO MAKE US MUCH MORE EFFICIENT.

WE HAVE BEEN DOING SOMETHING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

WE STARTED OUT AS A TEST, BUT IT HAS PROVEN TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

IT'S SOMETHING CALLED FIGHT THE BLIGHT.

WE GO INTO A VERY BLIGHTED COMMUNITY, AND WE WILL BE VERY PROACTIVE, GO STREET BY STREET, HOUSE BY HOUSE, INSPECTING THAT COMMUNITY, AND WE WILL IDENTIFY CODE VIOLATIONS, AND WE WILL ALSO ADVISE THE -- ADVISE THE RESIDENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN YOUR COMMUNITY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

SOMETIMES IT'S TWO WEEKS, SOMETIMES IT'S LONGER.

AND WE WILL ALLOW THEM TO BRING ANY JUNK THAT THEY MAY HAVE OR DISCARDED MATERIALS TO A CENTRALIZED LOCATION IN THAT COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE A TEAM THERE THAT WOULD TAKE THAT, VERIFY THAT THE PEOPLE ARE FROM THAT COMMUNITY, AND WE DISCARD THAT -- AND WE'LL DISCARD THAT.

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE FOUND IS THAT MANY CITIZENS DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF HAULING A LOT OF THEIR STUFF TO ONE OF OUR LANDFILLS BECAUSE THE LANDFILLS ARE NOT ALL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND MANY FOLKS DON'T HAVE VEHICLES THAT CAN DO THAT.

SO THIS HAS PROVED TO BE VERY HELPFUL.

BUT THE OTHER THING THAT IT HAS ALLOWED -- WE'VE FOUND, RATHER, IS THAT PEOPLE BEGIN TO TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

WHEN THEY SEE THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT IS THERE, WE'RE OUT THERE IN FULL SPEED, WE'RE CLEANING THE RIGHT-OF-WAYS, WE'RE CLEANING UP VACANT LOTS, WE'RE SECURING ABANDONED HOUSES, WE'RE SWEEPING THROUGH THE AREA USING COMMUNITY SERVICE WORKERS, USING VOLUNTEERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS, AND WE FIND THAT THE NEIGHBORS AND THE CITIZENS WILL ACTUALLY GET OUT AND START TAKING PRIDE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, START CLEANING, START HELPING, AND THEN AT THE END OF THAT TWO-WEEK PERIOD WE GO BACK THROUGH AND DO A SWEEP AND SEE WHICH PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE ONES THAT DID NOT.

AND THAT'S -- AND THEN AT THAT POINT WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO ISSUE CITATIONS.

BUT IT'S PROVEN TO BE VERY -- A VERY GOOD PROGRAM.

WE HAVE -- IT WAS SUBMITTED BY OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT A COUPLE OF TIMES FOR AWARDS, AND WE'VE GOTTEN RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR THAT PROGRAM, SO THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE IN THE COMMUNITIES.

I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON.

I'M PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS BUT I'LL TAKE A BREAK AND ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AT THIS TIME.

>> ELABORATE ON VIOLATIONS LIKE -- RELATED TO HOUSING, WERE HIGHLIGHTED.

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU'VE GOT THE MANPOWER AND SHARE POSSIBLY -- I THINK I MISSED IT, UNLESS YOU DIDN'T SHARE WHEN YOU HAD -- WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT IS CALLED OUT ABOUT HOW THE CALLS GO INTO YOU AS WELL, AND THAT WOULD AVOID IT, IF THERE WAS A FATALITY ON A PROPERTY THAT WAS MENTIONED RECENTLY, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THE SYSTEM YOU'VE SET UP WOULD HAVE BEEN SIGNALED AND ALERTED RIGHT AWAY.

>> YEAH.

WE ARE -- WE'RE CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY BY FIRE RESCUE DISPATCH, MANY CASES, WE'RE CONTACTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT DISPATCH.

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY IT IS.

IF THEY NEED US OUT THERE, THEY RESPOND TO A CALL AND THEY SEE IT'S A SITUATION THAT NEEDS CODE ENFORCEMENT ATTENTION OR IT'S A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS RELATES TO THE STRUCTURE OR FACILITY WHERE SOMEBODY PROBABLY SHOULD NOT BE LIVING, I GET A CALL FROM DISPATCH, OR ONE OF MY MANAGERS WILL GET A CALL, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY IT IS, WE WILL RESPOND.

I PERSONALLY RESPOND AT 1:00 AND 2:00 IN THE MORNING OCCASIONALLY, BECAUSE WE NEED TO GET A HANDLE ON THAT VERY QUICKLY.

MOST RECENTLY HAD A BALCONY COLLAPSE AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, AND CALLED OUT BY FIRE RESCUE.

WE RESPONDED, AND WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IMMEDIATELY THAT TRIGGERS A -- WHAT WE CALL A SWEEP OF THE ENTIRE AREA.

WE GO THROUGH AND INSPECT THE ENTIRE PROPERTY, AND WE DON'T JUST LOOK FOR THE TYPE OF VIOLATION THAT OCCURRED.

WE LOOK FOR EVERYTHING.

WE DO A THOROUGH SWEEP OF THE AREA.

HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.

SOMETIMES WITH MOBILE HOME PARKS.

SOMETIMES WE DON'T FIND OUT ABOUT THEM UNTIL LAW ENFORCEMENT GO IN THERE AND FIND AN ISSUE, THEY ALERT US, AND IT TRIGGERS US TO GO THROUGH AND DO A VERY DETAILED, COMPREHENSIVE INSPECTION OF THAT PARK.

IN MANY CASES IT REQUIRES WE BRING IN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, LIKE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, OUR FIRE PREVENTION TEAM, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ET CETERA.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.

AND YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT, AND ADMIRATION, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT YOU'RE THE TROUBLESHOOTER FOR THE ADMINISTRATION WHEN THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN OTHER -- OTHER AREAS OF OUR COUNTY, BUT IT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON, A SPECIAL CALLING TO GO OUT AND DO WHAT YOU DO, AND JUST GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE ON OUR TEAM.

>> THANKS, I APPRECIATE THAT.

I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS ONE OTHER QUICK THING.

WHEN WE TALK PROACTIVE, IT COMES IN MANY DIFFERENCES WAYS.

OUR GRAFFITI ABATEMENT VEHICLE, WHEN A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY OR SOMEONE FINDS GRAFFITI, THEY CALL US IMMEDIATELY AND WE ABATE IT IMMEDIATELY, AND WE CONSIDER THAT -- THAT'S ANOTHER MEANS OF BEING PROACTIVE.

WE HAVE -- YOU GUYS RECOGNIZE OUR VOLUNTEERS, A FEW WEEKS OR A MONTH AGO, THAT AGAIN IS PROACTIVE.

BY THEM BEING OUT PROACTIVELY REMOVING SIGNS, IT FREES UP OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO DO OTHER THINGS.

WE DO HAVE IN OUR BUDGET -- WE HAVE FOUR ADDITIONAL PEOPLE IN THE BUDGET THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM OUR WATER ENFORCEMENT TEAM, FROM PUBLIC UTILITIES.

THOSE FOLKS ARE BEING CURRENTLY CROSS-TRAINED AS CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, AND ONCE THEY'RE TRAINED, THEY WILL BE PUT OUT INTO DIFFERENT TEAMS.

SO THAT WILL AUGMENT -- AND THEN WE HAD A -- I KNOW WE HAD A CITIZEN THIS MORNING MENTION ADDITIONAL CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS NEEDED, BUT IF YOU'LL LOOK AT IT WE'VE TRANSFERRED FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, WHICH INCREASED OUR MANPOWER BY FOUR.

>> AL HIGGINBOTHAM: GREAT. COMMISSIONER MURMAN?

>> SANDY MURMAN: THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, MR. HIGGINBOTHAM, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND I TOO LIKE WHAT HE SAID.

I THINK YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES A GREAT JOB.

PART OF THE COMMENTS THIS MORNING, THE WAY YOU DECENTRALIZE AND OFFER WHAT I CALL PERSONALIZED SERVICE OUT TO THE RESIDENTS I THINK IS SPOILING THEM A LITTLE BIT IN A WAY THAT THERE IS CREATED EXPECTATIONS, AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, HAS SOMETHING CHANGED RECENTLY THAT KIND OF -- THE PERSONALIZED SERVICE HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE ONE OFFICER IN THE AREA?

TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, YOU KNOW IS ONE OF THE HOTBEDS FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT.

>> RIGHT.

>> SANDY MURMAN: AND IF ANYTHING CHANGES THERE WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT, IT IMMEDIATELY COMES TO MY ATTENTION.

SO I GUESS --

>> I DON'T THINK ANYTHING HAS CHANGED RECENTLY.

THERE WAS A TIME WHERE WE HAD -- WE HAD A DEDICATED CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT WAS DEDICATED TO CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC AREA, A VERY SMALL GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, AND WE AREN'T ABLE TO DO THAT ANYMORE, BUT THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS IS DIFFERENT, AND IT TAKES PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET USED TO THAT.

I HAVE A SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT TEAM THAT DOES ALL THESE SPECIAL PROJECTS, AND WHEN THERE'S AN AREA THAT NEEDS ADDITIONAL HELP OR AGGRESSIVE, PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT, WE SHIFT THE RESOURCES FROM THAT SPECIAL ENFORCEMENT TEAM TO AUGMENT THE TEAM OR THE AREA, THE SUPERVISOR THAT'S HAVING -- THAT'S HAVING THE ISSUE.

SO WE MAY BE ABLE -- THERE'S PROBABLY SOME THINGS WE COULD DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND MAYBE COMMUNICATE WITH A FEW OF THE CITIZENS OUT THERE TO MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND THAT AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, HEY, OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE, WE'RE STILL GOING TO RESPOND.

WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT YOU WANT, BUT WE WILL GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AS NEEDED.

>> SANDY MURMAN: GOOD.

WELL, THEY REALLY LIKE YOU A LOT, AND THEY LOVE CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND THEY LOVE HAVING SOMEBODY THERE WHEN THEY NEED THEM.

SO I GUESS JUST MAYBE A HIGHER LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEM OR WHATEVER.

JUST LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE I THINK WILL EASE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT, QUOTE, PERSONALIZED SERVICE THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN USED TO, AND I KNOW JIM -- JIM KNOWS ALL ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE'RE ON THE PHONE PROBABLY DAILY WITH --

>> COMMISSIONER, HE DOESN'T KNOW BUT SHE SENT ME AN EMAIL ON THE 26TH OF JULY FOR SOME ADDRESSES.

WE RESPONDED, EVEN SENT THE LETTERS OUT.

>> SANDY MURMAN: I KNOW.

>> SO SHE HAS A PERSONAL SERVICE.

>> SANDY MURMAN: I AGREE.

I AGREE.

BUT THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU BOTH DO.

I REALLY -- I MEAN IT.

YOU'RE --

>> WE LOVE WHAT WE DO AND WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT WE DO, AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO MAKE CHANGES AND TO -- AND TO BE INNOVATIVE, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT THAT YOU CONSISTENTLY GIVE US, AND WE'LL -- WE'LL TAKE IT FROM THERE.

BUT I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM.

WE'RE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE'LL -- WE WILL MAKE MISTAKES FROM TIME TO TIME BUT WHEN WE DO WE FIX IT AND DRIVE ON.

>> THANK YOU.

GREAT WORK.

>> THANKS, DEXTER.

>> COMMISSIONERS, YOUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING TO PMD 1 IS SECOND PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO ZONING IN PROGRESS.

GORMLEY IS HERE FOR SAME.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, ADAM GORMLEY WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

THIS IS THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR 180 DAY MORATORIUM ON NEW REZONINGS TO THE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS MORATORIUM WOULD BE TO PRESERVE THE STATUS QUO WHILE THE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ZONING DISTRICT IS STUDIED BY STAFF.

IT'S PROPOSED TO HAVE BACK TO THE BOARD AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING A PROPOSED SCOPE AND TIMELINE FOR THE REVIEW OF THE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE 180 DAY MORATORIUM PERIOD, AND THAT WILL BE BROUGHT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING.

THIS ORDINANCE IS IN POSITION TO BE ADOPTED AFTER THE CONDUCT OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.

I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

>> KEN HAGAN: PUBLIC HEARING.

WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM?

PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM, SECOND COMMISSIONER SHARPE.

NO COMMENT.

PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE.

>> COMMISSIONER MILLER?

LESS THAN LESS THAN YES.

>> MOTION CARRIED, 7-0.

>> AND YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST PUBLIC HEARING IS D-2, IT'S THE ITEM RELATED TO THE EXTENSION OF THE PLURIS BRANCH.

>> I'M HERE FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT THE HEARING EXAMINER'S FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND RECOMMENDED ORDER REGARDING THE RENEWAL OF PLURIS EASTLAKE WATER AND WASTEWATER FRANCHISE FOR ADDITIONAL TEN YEARS AND APPROVING THE MOSQUE TO THEIR FRANCHISE AGREEMENT EXTENDING THAT CONTRACT OUT TO 2022.

THIS PUBLIC HEARING WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY, THAT WAS CONTINUED TO TODAY.

PLURIS EASTLAKE SERVES APPROXIMATELY 900 CUSTOMERS IN THE EASTLAKE AREA, AND I THINK WE HAVE A MAP TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHERE IT IS.

IT'S THE NO. 7 ON THE MAP THERE.

THEY PROVIDE WATER SERVICE WITH THEIR OWN WELL AND PROVIDE WASTEWATER SERVICE THROUGH THE CITY OF TAMPA.

PLURIS EASTLAKE IS REQUESTING A RENEWAL OF THEIR FRANCHISE FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER FOR AN ADDITIONAL TEN YEARS ENDING IN JULY OF 2022.

A PRELIMINARY HEARING WAS HELD WITH A HEARING OFFICER, MR. CHARLIE BECK, ON THE RENEWAL APPLICATION IN JULY OF 2012.

EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONY WERE SUBMITTED AT THE HEARING AND PUBLIC COMMENT WAS RECEIVED.

A COPY OF THE TRANSCRIPT AND ALL THE INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS ARE ON FILE WITH THE CLERK OF THE BOCC ON RECORD.

ALSO WE BROUGHT ANOTHER COPY HERE, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT.

MR. BECK REVIEWED THE EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONY AND SUBMITTED IT AT THE HEARING AND CONCLUDED AND HAS RECOMMENDED THE ORDER THAT NEITHER HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NOR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY CAN PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE APPLICANT BETTER THAN THE APPLICANT.

THE APPLICANT HAS PROVIDED REASONABLE AND ADEQUATE SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS DURING THE PERIOD OF FRANCHISE AND IT'S NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE TO RENEW THE APPLICANT'S FRANCHISE FOR AN ADDITIONAL TEN YEARS.

SINCE THE HEARING THE COUNTY HAS RECEIVED UPDATES FROM BOTH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION REGARDING PLURIS EASTLAKE, AND THAT INFORMATION WAS INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL.

THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INDICATES THAT THE APPLICANT'S MONITORING REPORTS SHOW NO WATER QUALITY ISSUES OR CONCERNS, AND THE EPC REPORT INDICATES THAT THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY EPC HAVE BEEN ADEQUATELY RESOLVED IN A TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE MANNER, AND STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE HEARING OFFICER'S FINDINGS OF FACT, CONCLUSIONS OF LAW AND RECOMMENDED ORDER IN THE AMENDMENT TO THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT.

AND COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, HANK.

THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING.

ANYONE ELECTS TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM COME FORWARD AND EACH PERSON WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES.

STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND WE HAVE 30 SECONDS REMAIN -- WHEN YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS REMAINING A BUZZER WILL GO OUT INDICATING SUCH.

IF YOU COULD PLEASE FORM A LINE AND COME FORWARD.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS TERESA GANT AND I LIVE IN THAT AREA.

I PROPOSE NOT TO RENEW THIS BECAUSE IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS GOOD FOR US.

I PROPOSE THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY USE THE MONEY.

THEY ARE PAYING $5,000 FOR A RENEWAL OF SOMETHING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CAN DO FOR US.

THIS MONEY IS LEAVING OUR STATE, PEOPLE.

WHY CAN'T THIS MONEY STAY IN OUR STATE TO KEEP OUR OWN REVENUE HERE?

WHY DO WE HAVE TO BUY WATER FROM TEXAS OR NORTH CAROLINA AND WE LIVE RIGHT HERE?

WE FEEL LIKE OUTCASTS.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

I PROPOSE NO.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. GANT, FOR YOUR COMMENT.

NEXT COMMENT PLEASE?

>> CAROL D. TURNER, I LIVE ON DOWNING CIRCLE IN KING'S FOREST, AND I HAVE DONE A LITTLE RESEARCH ON LINE.

PLEASE BEAR IN MIND I'M NOT A NUMBERS CRUNCHER, JUST AN ORDER PURPOSE.

FIRST I COULD FIND NO ON-LINE LIST OF PRICES FOR PLURIS, ALTHOUGH TAMPA WATER CERTAINLY DISPLAYS THEIR PRICES CLEARLY WITH ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS.

IN THE MONTH OF JULY I HAD COMPANY, AND I USED A TOTAL OF 4,510 GALLONS OF WATER, WHICH IS A LOT FOR MY HOUSE.

I WAS CHARGED $30.39 FOR THE WATER, AND $88.56 FOR THE SEWAGE, WHICH CAME TO A TOTAL OF $118.95.

THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY FOR AN OLD LADY LIKE ME THAT LIVES ON SOCIAL SECURITY.

IF I HAD HAD TAMPA WATER I COULD HAVE RECEIVED MORE WATER, 5,236 GALLONS, AND I WOULD HAVE PAID TAMPA $16.86 FOR THE WATER INSTEAD OF $30.39, AND THE SEWAGE FOR TAMPA WATER WOULD HAVE BEEN $22.87 INSTEAD OF $88.56.

HAD I HAD TAMPA WATER I WOULD HAVE PAID THEM $42.76.

THAT'S ALMOST THREE TIMES LESS THAN I'M CHARGED.

TAMPA ALSO OFFERS WATER ON-LINE.

SINGLE-FAMILY -- AND I QUOTE THIS FROM THE WEB SITE.

SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WITHOUT AN IRRIGATION WELL, RECLAIMED WATER OR A LAWN METER MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A LAWN CREDIT SEWER MAX ON THEIR ACCOUNT TO CAP THEIR WASTEWATER CHARGES.

WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THIS ON THE WASTEWATER WEB SITE.

I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR TO ALL OF US THAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR -- AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITIZEN IN TAMPA.

PLEASE GIVE US THE SAME RIGHTS THAT THE OTHER CITIZENS OF TAMPA HAVE.

ALLOW US TO PAY A DECENT PRICE FOR THE WATER AND THE SEWAGE THAT WE USE.

PLURIS IS OBVIOUSLY TAKING A GREAT DEAL OF ADVANTAGE OF US, I MEAN, THREE TIMES AS MUCH.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE HELP US.

I DON'T THINK WE DESERVE THIS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MS. TURNER.

NEXT, PLEASE?

[APPLAUSE]

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

I JUST WANT TO SORT OF REITERATE WHAT SHE SAID.

I'M DON HERBERT.

I LIVE AT 6808 SPENCER CIRCLE AND AVERAGE USAGE FOR ME IS 1190 GALLONS.

ON THAT I PAY PLURIS 18.34 FOR WATER.

ON THE SEWER I PAY $37, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF $55.34.

IF I WAS HOOKED UP TO THE CITY IN TAMPA WITH THE TIER RATING THAT THEY HAVE, IT WOULD BE $4.15 FOR WATER, $9.35 FOR SEWER, WHICH WOULD BE $13.50 VERSUS $55.34.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT $40 DIFFERENCE, AND THIS IS A LOW USAGE, OKAY?

THERE'S A PATRIOT ACT WHERE THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION.

I SOLD A HOUSE AT 6405 WALDEN WAY, AND WHEN I WENT TO CLOSE THE HOUSE WITH WELLS FARGO, THEY GAVE THE TITLE COMPANY THAT THERE WAS A PAST BALANCE DUE OF $90 FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER, WHICH IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL TO DO, AND SO I THINK THEIR RATES ARE JUST OUTRAGEOUS AND I WISH YOU'D FIND US A DIFFERENT UTILITY LIKE CITY OF TAMPA OR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO HOOK US UP TO.

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS DIANE MEADE, I LIVE AT 6903 TRAVIS BOULEVARD.

I AM A MOTHER OF FIVE AND WATER IS RIDICULOUS.

THE PRICING OF MY MONTHLY BILL IS THREE PLUS.

WHEN I SAY THREE PLUS, I MEAN $389, IF I'M LUCKY.

I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THAT WITH FIVE KIDS, AND IT'S TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE TO DECIDE IF I'M GOING TO PAY FOR MY FULL RENT OR PAY MY WATER, AND I NEED MY WATER FOR MY CHILDREN TO EAT.

NOW, MIND YOU, I'M NOT ABLE TO DRINK THIS WATER, NEITHER ARE MY KIDS, BECAUSE IT HAS A STRONG BLEACH KIND OF TASTE, IT'S LIKE I'M DRINKING OUT OF A GALLON OF BLEACH, AND SO THEREFORE I'M SPENDING AN EXTRA HUNDRED A MONTH TO GET WATER FOR MY CHILDREN TO DRINK.

SO IT'S NOT BENEFITING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT ALL.

NOT ONLY DO I HAVE THE HIGH WATER BILL, BUT IT'S LIKE THEY SENT OUT IN MONTHLY, WHAT SHALL I SAY, BEFORE THE MONEY IS EVEN OVER WITH, THE $10 SERVICE CHARGE FOR THE LATE SERVICE OR LATE NOTICE, AND THEY SEND IT OUT BEFORE YOU EVEN -- YOUR 30 DAYS ARE UP.

SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO SEND OUT A LATE NOTICE, YOU SHOULD HAVE IT GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO GET YOUR 30 DAYS.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

NEXT, PLEASE?

[APPLAUSE]

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS LINDA HENSON I LIVE AT 641 WALTON WAY.

I'M ABOUT FIVE HOUSES FROM WHERE MAJOR COLLAPSE OF THE SEWER SYSTEM.

EVER SINCE THE COLLAPSE MY BILL HAS GONE UP AND UP EVERY MONTH.

THE BILL IN MAY WAS 57.06.

THE BILL IN JUNE WAS 69.84, AND THE BILL IN JULY I JUST GOT, 77.46.

WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT AND WHAT I THINK, MY OPINION, IS PLURIS IS MAKING US PAY FOR ALL THE STUFF THAT IS BEING REPAIRED IN THE PARK, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE A COLLAPSE, THEN OUR WATER BILL GOES UP, AND THEY ALWAYS HAVE AN INCREASE.

AND SO AS A VOTER, AND I PAY YOUR SALARY, AND I AM A CITIZEN, AND WE'RE -- I FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING SINGLED OUT TO PAY THE BRUNT OF ALL OF THIS AND YOU'RE ALLOWING IT.

ALL I'M ASKING FOR YOU TO DO IS TO HELP US AND STOP THIS INCREASE.

I DON'T THINK THEY NEED ANOTHER TEN YEARS OF GOING UP, UP, UP, AND LETTING US SUFFER, BECAUSE THERE WON'T BE NOBODY IN EASTLAKE PARK, BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD THE WATER BILL, BECAUSE THE WATER BILL, MOST SENIORS, IT'S MORE THAN THEIR ELECTRICITY BILL.

AND SO THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE --

[APPLAUSE]

 -- THEY HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER TO PAY THE WATER BILL OR ELECTRICITY.

AND IF YOU'RE ON A FIXED INCOME FOR SENIORS, THIS IS DEVASTATING SO I PERSONALLY, ALSO THE SENIORS AND THE VOTERS AND THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I DO HELP A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY AND I TRY MY BEST, BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

THEY ARE CONSTANTLY DOING THIS TO US, AND ABOUT THE BILL THE LADY SAID BEFORE ME, YEAH, THE BILLS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN STARTED AND BE PAID ON THE 3RD.

THEY MOVED IT FROM THE 3RD TO THE 2ND, THE 2ND TO THE 1ST, THE 1ST TO THE 31ST.

NOW IT'S THE 30TH.

AND IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT AND THEY DON'T HAVE IT IN THEIR BANK BY THE 30TH, YOU GET A LATE CHARGE.

NOW, THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE ON A FIXED INCOME AND YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY DON'T COME UNTIL THE 1ST OR THE 2ND, THEN YOU'RE LATE.

AND THEN YOU GET CHARGED FOR IT.

IT'S NOT FAIR FOR THE SENIOR CITIZENS.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU MA'AM.

I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

NEXT, PLEASE?

[APPLAUSE]

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> KEN HAGAN: HOLD ON, MA'AM.

YES, COMMISSIONER MILLER?

>> LES MILLER: [INAUDIBLE] WHEN THE PUBLIC IS DONE I'D LIKE TO GET ON TO SPEAK, PLEASE.

>> KEN HAGAN: OKAY, YES, SIR.

PLEASE GO AHEAD.

>> MY NAME IS YVONNA HALE, 3503 BEECHWOOD BOULEVARD, AND I'LL REITERATE PRETTY MUCH WHAT THE SPEAKERS PREVIOUS TO ME HAD SAID.

WE'RE JUST A COMMUNITY THAT WANTS TO BE CHARGED FAIRLY.

THE CITY OF PLURIS IS CURRENTLY CHARGING THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF WHAT THE CITY OF TAMPA CHARGES.

CITY OF TAMPA CHARGES FOR WATER AND SEWER, 5.89 PER CCU, CCS, 748 GALLONS.

PLURIS IS CHARGING 21 -- OH, BOY, FORGIVE ME, I'M SORRY.

IT'S $21 AND CHANGE THAT PLURIS IS CHARGING, AND THAT IS UP FROM JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.

IT WAS 18.63.

AND THE MONTH BEFORE THAT, 13.65.

I MEAN, THEY'RE CONTINUOUSLY GOING UP.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHO GOVERNS THE RATES THAT THEY CHARGE?

WHO -- AND WHY DO WE HAVE TO OUTSOURCE OUR WATER?

NOBODY ELSE IN OUR COMMUNITY DOES?

[APPLAUSE]

WHY DO WE HAVE TO OUTSOURCE OUR WATER AND WHO'S GOVERNING THE RATES THEY'RE CHARGING BECAUSE AT THIS RATE GOING UP A COUPLE DOLLARS EVERY MONTH, IF YOU GIVE THEM ANOTHER TWO YEARS I WONDER IF IT'S GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN OUR CAR PAYMENT.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

>> AND YOU'LL SEE PEOPLE THAT WILL LEAVE THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE WATER BILL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> KEN HAGAN: WE'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AT THE END.

YES, MA'AM.

NEXT.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS ANITA NOEL AND, I LIVE ON TRINITY PLACE IN EASTLAKE PARK.

I'VE LIVED IN MY HOME FOR 42 YEARS.

MY WATER BILL SINCE PLURIS TOOK IT OVER HAS STEADILY INCREASED.

MY WATER BILL FOR THE MONTH OF JULY WAS $94, ME AND MY HUSBAND, WE'RE RETIRED.

I'VE DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO CONSERVE WATER.

I DON'T WASH MY CAR.

I DON'T WATER THE GRASS.

I RUN THE DISHWASHER EVERY OTHER DAY, WHEN IT'S FULL.

WE DON'T DO THAT MUCH LAUNDRY.

THERE'S ONLY TWO OF US.

I -- MY ELECTRIC BILL AND MY WATER BILL ARE THE SAME, AND THAT IS RIDICULOUS FOR JUST THE TWO OF US.

ACTUALLY I DON'T LIKE DRINKING THE WATER, IT'S NASTY.

I FILTER THE WATER.

[APPLAUSE]

I DO NOT LIKE TAKING A SHOWER IN THAT WATER.

IT BURNS MY EYES SO BAD THAT I CAN'T SEE.

[APPLAUSE]

YOU GUYS APPROVED THEIR RATE INCREASE.

I THINK YOU NEED TO DISAPPROVE THE RIGHT FOR THEM TO BE WITH US FOR ANOTHER TEN YEARS, BECAUSE ALL YOU'RE DOING WHEN YOU APPROVE THAT FOR THEM IS YOU'RE MAKING US SUFFER, AND THE PEOPLE OF KING'S FOREST SUFFER TOO, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT RIGHT.

I'VE HAD BETTER WATER THROUGH EASTLAKE UTILITIES, WHICH WAS THERE FIRST.

THEN THESE PEOPLE TOOK IT OVER.

I THINK THEY'RE THIEVES.

[APPLAUSE]

THEY HAVE BEEN STEALING FROM US AND IT'S NOT RIGHT, AND ONLY YOU CAN STOP IT.

MY ONLY OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS TO MOVE, AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO SELL MY HOUSE.

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> HI, MY NAME IS WILLIAM AGIAR.

I LIVE IN EASTLAKE, 6608 TRAVIS BOULEVARD.

MY PROBLEM IS I'M GETTING TIRED HAVING TO READ MY METER EVERY MONTH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I DO OWE THEM AND NOT WHAT THEY WANT ME TO OWE THEM, OKAY?

MY USAGE, FOR EXAMPLE --

[APPLAUSE]

 -- IN THE MONTH OF MAY THEY CHARGED ME A RIDICULOUS PRICE.

I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT AMOUNT.

IT WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE AREA OF $80.

I AM A SINGLE MAN.

I WASH ABOUT ONCE A MONTH, THAT'S CLOTHES, THAT IS, OKAY?

I TAKE A BATH EVERY NIGHT.

I HAVE JUDGED IT, I'VE CHECKED IT.

I WAS USING ABOUT 20 GALLONS OF WATER A DAY.

OKAY?

I DON'T WASH MY CAR.

I DON'T WATER MY GRASS.

BUT LIKE I SAID, I'M GETTING TIRED OF READING THE METERS.

I HAVE CALLED DOWN HERE, I HAVE SPOKE TO PEOPLE HERE.

I WAS TOLD AT ONE TIME, BECAUSE I MADE A STATEMENT THAT I WAS GOING TO TURN OFF MY WATER -- I WAS TOLD THAT I CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S BREAKING THE LAW, BUT YET IF I GET BEHIND AND I CAN'T PAY MY WATER, THEY CAN COME OUT AND SHUT IT OFF.

ARE THEY BREAKING THE LAW?

I MEAN, DO THEY HAVE A RIGHT THAT I DON'T HAVE?

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.

THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT I CALLED THEM FOR THE MONTH OF MAY.

THEY MADE AN ADJUSTMENT OF $11.

OKAY?

THE NEXT MONTH I ENDED UP GETTING A BILL FOR $89 OR THEREABOUTS.

OKAY?

THE NEXT MONTH I ENDED UP GETTING AN EVEN HIGHER BILL.

I SIT IN MY HOUSE AND I HAVE A WINDOW THAT FACES TRAVIS BOULEVARD THAT I SIT THERE, I HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN THEM DRIVE UP, PARK ON THE CORNER, GET OUT, MAYBE GO TO ONE METER AND THE REST OF THEM THEY'LL JUST WRITE THEM, RIDE DOWN THE STREET A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AND THEN WRITE ANOTHER ONE.

[APPLAUSE]

THEY'RE NOT READING THE METER AND I CAN TELL YOU WHAT HE DRIVES, I CAN TELL YOU WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE, I CAN TELL YOU BACK IN MAY WHAT THEY WERE DRIVING AND WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE.

WHEN I CALLED, AND I MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT IT, THEY TOLD ME THAT IF I CALLED SOMEBODY OUT TO COME AND READ MY METER AND THEY WERE TO FIND OUT THAT IT WAS WRONG, IT WAS GOING TO COST ME $25, OKAY?

WELL, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WHY RECEIPT THEY PAYING ME $25 WHEN I HAVE TO READ MY OWN METER BECAUSE THEY DON'T TAKE THE TIME TO?

[APPLAUSE]

I FEEL THAT THAT IS WRONG.

I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE THERE.

I AGREE WITH THE LADY PRIOR TO ME.

WHEN WE HAD EASTLAKE UTILITIES, IT WAS NICE, AND NOW IT'S NOT, AND I AM A SINGLE MAN.

I DO NOT USE THAT MUCH WATER AND I DON'T APPRECIATE PAYING IT, AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM THERE ANYMORE, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES.

ONE MORE THING AND THEN I'M GOING TO LET YOU GO.

I'VE GO TO WHERE WHEN I WASH MY CLOTHES AND I PUT THEM ON AFTER THEY'RE CLEAN, I FEEL LIKE THEY STILL HAVE DIRT AND DUST IN THEM.

NOW, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S NECESSARY, AND TO ME THEY'RE NOT DOING THE JOB THAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING, SO I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE THERE.

AND I THINK THAT YOU ALL SHOULD VOTE AGAINST IT.

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

[APPLAUSE]

>> MY NAME IS CHRIS ENGEL, 4324 BERKELEY DRIVE, KING'S FOREST.

THANK YOU.

I HEAR -- I DON'T ENVY YOUR POSITION TODAY.

THE EASIEST THING FOR YOU TO DO WOULD BE TO KEEP PLURIS FOR ANOTHER TEN YEARS.

THAT'S THE EASY WAY OUT.

I'M A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENT, I PAY MY TAXES AND NOW I HAVE TO DRINK THE WATER THEY SUPPLY, AND PUT UP WITH THEIR ARROGANCE.

SO WHAT I WANT TO DO -- WHAT I WANT YOU GUYS TO DO IS NOT RENEW THEM FOR ANOTHER TEN YEARS.

FOR THE PAST FEW SATURDAYS WE'VE HAD A PETITION DRIVE.

THE FOLKS THAT YOU SEE HERE, IT'S A PRETTY LARGE CROWD BUT THIS IS JUST A PERCENTAGE.

WE'VE HAD SEVERAL FOLKS DRIVE BY OUR PETITION DRIVE, AND WE HAVE OVER 180 PETITIONS THAT I'D LIKE TO PRESENT, AND THESE PETITIONS SAY THAT ALL THE SAME THINGS THAT EVERYBODY IS SAYING.

SMELLY WATER, DIRTY WATER, THE HIGH RATES, ARROGANCE OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE ARE THE -- YEAH, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE.

SO ALL THESE THINGS SAY THE SAME THING, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT FIBBING.

WE'RE NOT LYING.

THIS IS BAD.

WE'VE BEEN THERE.

I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD 20-SOMETHING YEARS AND THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE A VERY LONG TIME AND WE HAVEN'T HAD TO PUT UP WITH THIS BEFORE.

NOW, TO PLURIS'S CREDIT, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE SYSTEM, SO THIS IS WHERE -- AND I'M SORRY, BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BLAME YOU GUYS, AND MAYBE NOT YOU IN PARTICULAR, BUT THE COMMISSIONERS BEFOREHAND BECAUSE THIS HAS JUST BEEN RUN RAMPANT.

THERE WAS NO OVERSIGHT.

SO NOW OUR PIPES ARE DECAYING AND WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM AND PLURIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO NOW RAISE OUR RATES AGAIN TO MAINTAIN, TO FIX THIS -- TO FIX THE STUFF, AND IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE BACKS OF 950 CUSTOMERS.

THEY HAVE DIVIDED US.

YOU HAVE ALLOWED IT, AND THEY HAVE CONQUERED US.

YOU HAVE ALLOWED IT.

SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY.

I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THESE 180 PETITIONS, FOLKS THAT ARE A LOT MORE ANGRY THAN I AM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT AN EXAMPLE OF THE ARROGANCE THAT WE GET FROM THE DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER CARE.

I HAVE AN EMAIL, THAT MY WIFE, WE FILLED THE POOL, WE ASKED FOR A REBATE, WHATEVER -- WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY REBATE ON THE AMOUNT WE HAVE IN THE POOL.

IT SAYS WE REQUIRE A LETTER OF APPRECIATION.

SO ANY LETTERS OF APPRECIATION THAT YOU HAVE, PLEASE THROW THEM AWAY.

THEY'VE BEEN ROUTED OUT BY THE DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER CARE.

I DID TALK TO MARISSA ABOUT THAT, THE PRESIDENT, AND HE SAID, OH, THAT'S NOT THEIR POLICY, BUT AS YOU COULD SEE FROM THE EMAIL, IT VERY CLEARLY IS OR HE IS OUT OF CONTROL.

THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS THANK, THANK, PLURIS, BECAUSE INDIRECTLY THEY HAVE PROVIDED RENT CONTROL FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT RENT HOUSES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND AS SOON AS THE RENTERS COME IN AND PAY A WATER BILL, ONE MONTH, TWO MONTHS, THEY'RE GONE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES SO IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX IT AND WE ARE EXPECTING THAT TO HAPPEN.

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

[APPLAUSE]

NEXT, PLEASE.

>> LORI SELLS, I LIVE ON VAUGHN CIRCLE.

I'VE LIVED THERE ABOUT 12 YEARS, AND DURING THAT TIME I HAVE ALSO, LIKE PREVIOUS PEOPLE BEFORE ME, ENCOUNTERED THE BILL WITH EASTLAKE UTILITIES, WHICH WAS MANAGEABLE FOR ME AND MY HUSBAND, AND NOW WE HAVE GONE TO PLURIS, AND SINCE THEN I BELIEVE THEY'VE HAD AT LEAST TWO TO THREE PRICE INCREASES, NOT ONLY THE PRICE INCREASE, THE EXISTENCE OF HOW THE WATER COMES OUT OF MY FAUCET.

WHEN IT COMES OUT AND I POUR MY COFFEEPOT IN THE MORNING, IT'S COMPLETELY WHITE, OKAY?

IF I LET IT SIT FOR A MINUTE, IT GOES CLEAR.

I WAS TOLD THAT'S AIR BUBBLES.

DO ANY OF YOU ALL HAVE AIR BUBBLES IN YOUR WATER?

DO YOU HAVE PLURIS?

IF NOT, I SUGGEST YOU X THEM OUT OF HERE.

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

[APPLAUSE]

NEXT, PLEASE?

>> HI.

>> KEN HAGAN: GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> MY NAME IS LINDA WIDEN AND I LIVE ON BERKELEY DRIVE AND I'VE LIVED THERE ABOUT 42 YEARS.

I'VE HAD EASTLAKE UTILITIES BEFORE, AND NOW I HAVE PLURIS.

THIS IS WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED.

I'M PRESIDENT OF OUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.

ON JUNE 27 SOMEONE TURNED THEIR WATER ON TO GET -- MAKE COFFEE.

THIS IS WHAT THEIR WATER LOOKED LIKE.

SO TELL ME, WHAT YOU LIKE TO MAKE YOUR COFFEE LIKE THIS?

WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS.

WE ALSO PUT UP WITH NONREADING OF THE METERS.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE PART OF THE COUNTY ALSO.

WE PAY JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES.

WHY IS IT THAT YOU CAN'T TAKE US OVER?

FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, FOR THIS NEW TRASH BILL THAT WENT THROUGH AND THE NEW GARBAGE CANS THAT CAME OUT, THE COUNTY SAVED $7 MILLION.

THEN TAKE US OVER.

IF WE'RE ONLY 900 AND SOMETHING PEOPLE, HOW CAN IT COST THAT MUCH TO CONNECT US UP TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WATER.

[APPLAUSE]

I MEAN, YOU GOT $7 MILLION OUT THERE.

HELP US.

WE ARE LIKE A LITTLE STEPCHILD OUT THERE AND NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE.

YOU CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE BIG BUSINESS, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, ORANGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OVER THERE ARE QUESTIONING PLURIS FOR WEDGECLIFF.

THEY'RE WRITING AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR CHARGES.

WHY AREN'T OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DOING THE SAME?

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT HERE TODAY.

MY NAME IS R.J. HAUGHEY.

I'M A LAWYER WITH SIVYER, BARLOW & WATSON, AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING TWO CLIENTS.

ONE IS THE MARY HELP OF CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION, INC. AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PAUL MASANO IS HERE WITH ME.

THE OTHER IS THE SALESIAN SOCIETY OF FLORIDA, ARE INCORPORATED.

THE SALESIAN SOCIETY OWNS THE PROPERTY WHICH IS AT 6400 EAST CHELSEA STREET, WHICH IS PART OF THE FRANCHISE AREA SERVED BY PLURIS, AND IT'S ADJACENT TO THE EASTLAKE COMMUNITY THAT SOME OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS ARE HERE FROM TODAY.

MARY HELP OF CHRISTIAN CENTER SERVES CHILDREN.

IT'S A NOT FOR PROFIT, AS IS THE SALESIAN SOCIETY.

IT HOUSES THE FLORIDA AUTISM CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE.

IT HOUSES A BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, AND NUMEROUS OTHER PRIMARILY YOUTH ORIENTED GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS.

WE TAKE NO POSITION ON THE FRANCHISE RENEWAL, BUT WE RECEIVED THE NOTICE OF THIS FRANCHISE RENEWAL DURING THE COURSE OF A DISPUTE WE HAVE WITH PLURIS, AND WE WANT TO BRING IT TO THE COUNTY'S ATTENTION TO THE EXTENT IT AFFECTS THEIR ANALYSIS.

THE FIRST RELATES TO CHARGES FOR OUR SEWER BILLS.

IN THE COURSE OF ATTEMPTING TO WORK OUT THAT ISSUE WITH PLURIS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LIFT STATION AND OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT PLURIS IS OPERATING ON OUR PROPERTY IS BEING USED TO SERVICE MEMBERS OF THE EASTLAKE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

PLURIS'S POSITION IS THAT THEY'RE AUTHORIZED TO SERVICE THOSE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS BY VIRTUE OF AN EASEMENT THAT WAS ISSUED BY THE SALESIAN SOCIETY TO PLURIS'S PREDECESSOR, ALLIED UTILITIES.

OUR POSITION VERY SIMPLY IS THEY DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE SERVICING THOSE MEMBERS OF THE EASTLAKE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE SALESIAN SOCIETY PROPERTY AND WE'VE NOTIFIED THEM OF THAT POSITION.

THEY DISPUTE IT.

THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION.

THE -- THE EASEMENT IS RECORDED AT OFFICIAL RECORDS, BOOK 7502 AND PAGE 695 AND THE PAGES THEREAFTER, AND THE EASEMENT HAS VERY SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS.

THE FIRST IS THAT THE EASEMENT SHALL BE USED ONLY FOR THE SERVICING OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.

THE SECOND IS THAT IF THE MARY HELP OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOL NO LONGER NEEDS WATER FROM PLURIS, THAT THEY'LL REMOVE THE EQUIPMENT COMPLETELY, WHICH WOULD OF COURSE THEN REMOVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S BEING USED TO SERVICE EASTLAKE.

AGAIN, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN -- WE ARE GOING TO DIRECTLY HOOK UP TO THE CITY, AT WHICH TIME, REGARDLESS OF THE INTERPRETATION, THE EASEMENT WOULD TERMINATE, AND SO WE WANTED TO BRING THIS ISSUE TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY AND THOSE RESIDENTS OF EASTLAKE THAT THIS MAY POTENTIALLY IMPACT.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT.

[APPLAUSE]

NEXT, PLEASE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS MARTHA STAKELY.

I LIVE AT 801 [INAUDIBLE] STREET, SAME PLACE, AND THAT IS IN KING'S FOREST.

MY WATER BILL, I'VE HEARD WHAT SOME OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE PAY FOR WATER.

I WISH MINE WAS THAT LOW.

MINE IS $185 A MONTH.

NOW, WE DRINK BOTTLED WATER BECAUSE THE WATER TASTES SO BAD.

YOU KNOW, IT COMES OUT OF THE FAUCET AND IT LOOKS -- I DON'T WANT TO DRINK THAT.

SO WE HAVE TO BUY BOTTLED WATER.

SO THAT MAKES THINGS GO UP EVEN MORE.

AND THEN WE DECIDED THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD RATION HOW OFTEN WE TAKE A SHOWER AND FLUSH THE TOILET.

YOU KNOW, IS THIS THE KIND OF THING THAT SHOULD BE PRACTICED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY?

I SAY GET RID OF PLURIS.

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

NEXT, PLEASE?

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS REGINA HALL.

I STAY AT 8005 BEECHWOOD PLACE, AND I'VE BEEN THERE FOUR YEARS.

MY WATER BILL IS CONTINUING GOING STRAIGHT TO THE ROOF.

MY KIDS -- I BATHE -- THEY BATHE LIKE -- THEY GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY, THEN THEY COME IN, THEY BATHE.

IF THEY'RE IN THE HOUSE PLAYING THEIR GAMES, THEN I DON'T LET THEM BATHE UNLESS IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT.

MY BILL IS RIDICULOUS, 200 AND SOMETHING DOLLARS.

I WASH CLOTHES, DO EVERYTHING JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE DO, AND IF I CAN'T PAY THAT BILL BECAUSE IT'S TOO HIGH, BECAUSE I'M ON A MONTHLY INCOME, THEN THEY COME AND CUT IT OFF.

SO I GOT TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO, IF I GOT TO BORROW OR GO AND STAY WITH SOMEBODY ELSE SO I CAN GET IT BACK ON.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR.

MY BILL HAS NEVER BEEN THAT HIGH.

EVEN WHEN I STAYED IN THE CITY, WHEN I WASHED THE CLOTHES, IF IT'S WHITE CLOTHES THE WATER IS BROWN, IT SMELLS.

IT'S DESTROYED THEIR CLOTHES, SO I GOT TO GO THROW THEM AWAY AND BUY NEW.

I DON'T FEEL THAT THAT'S FAIR, AND THEN THEY CHARGE ME SO MUCH.

AND I REALLY DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE THERE.

I REALLY DON'T.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.

MY NAME IS SEAN BELA [INAUDIBLE].

I RESIDE WITH MY PARENTS AND THEY'VE ASKED ME TO COME HERE AND MAKE STATEMENTS ON THEIR BEHALF.

I HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH THE TRANSPARENCY OF HOW PLURIS OPERATES AND HOW THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS GOING ON.

LOOKING THROUGH PUBLIC RECORDS, I CAN FIND PLENTY WITH THE COMMISSION'S FINDINGS FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, WITH THEIR WEDGEFIELD SUBSIDIARY IN ORANGE COUNTY.

I CAN'T FIND HARDLY ANYTHING OTHER THAN MINUTES OF MEETINGS SUCH AS THIS, REGARDING THIS.

THEY'RE A PRIVATE CORPORATION.

THEY'RE ENTITLED TO HAVE THEIR CONFIDENTIALITY.

THAT'S UNDERSTOOD.

WHERE DO WE AS THE PEOPLE GET TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR?

SECOND, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP THAT -- THE ISSUE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP BY A PREVIOUS MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY WITH THE JUNE -- SHOWING YOU THE PICTURE OF THE WATER THAT LOOKED LIKE BROWN MUSTARD.

I CALLED THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT DAY.

THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO CALL THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AT USF.

STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AT USF SAID I HAD TO PAY $25 FOR KIT TO GET THE WATER ANALYZED.

MY MOM WAS TWO DAYS POST-SURGERY FOR GASTROINTESTINAL.

PLURIS WOULDN'T ANSWER WHETHER THE WATER WAS SAFE, WHETHER WE WERE UNDER A BOIL WATER NOTICE.

SIMPLY PUT THEY TOLD ME TO RUN THE WATER UNTIL IT CAME OUT CLEAR.

THAT WAS THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE.

THERE'S NO COMPETENCY.

PEOPLE ARE TELLING YOU HOW THE WATER QUALITY STINKS.

WE HAVE TO PAY TO GET IT ANALYZED.

SERIOUSLY?

THAT'S -- I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.

YOU COMMISSIONERS ARE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

WE DO NOT HAVE THE STATE LEVEL TO BRING THIS TO.

WE ARE ASKING YOU TO TAKE PLURIS OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO BASICALLY STOP TAKING ADVANTAGE OF US.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> MY NAME IS ELISA JANE BOWMAN, I LIVE AT 7209 TRINITY PLACE.

I RECENTLY MOVED THERE AFTER MY MOTHER'S DEATH, AND I AM JUST REALLY UNBELIEVABLY SHOCKED AT THE COST OF WATER AND THE QUALITY OF WATER.

IT IS SO NASTY, MY DOG HAS BEEN ILL SINCE WE MOVED THERE IN JANUARY.

I'VE HAD TO CHANGE OVER TO BOTTLED WATER EVEN FOR MY DOG.

BROWN WATER DOES COME OUT.

I HAD A BACKUP IN MY SEWER THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO RESOLVE BECAUSE WHEN I CALLED PLURIS FOR THEIR INSPECTION, THEY WANTED ME TO SIGN DOCUMENTS THAT IF I GOT SOMEBODY MYSELF, THEY MIGHT NOT FIX IT, AND THAT IF THEY CAME OUT TO INSPECT, THEIR INSPECTION WAS -- RAN AROUND $350, WHICH KEPT ME PUTTING IT OFF AND PUTTING IT OFF UNTIL IT WAS URGENT, AND I HAD TO -- YOU KNOW, I HAD TO HAVE THEM COME, AND THEN IT WASN'T AN INSPECTION.

THEY HAD A PLUMBER COME OUT AND RUN A SNAKE DOWN IT AND REPAIR IT, WHICH IT DID TURN OUT THAT IT WAS ON MY PART OF THE PROPERTY, BUT I'VE NEVER LIVED ANYWHERE WHERE YOU HAD TO PAY $350 FOR SOMEBODY TO INSPECT.

I ALWAYS THOUGHT INSPECTION WAS FREE TO TELL YOU IF IT'S YOUR FAULT OR THE UTILITY'S FAULT, AND THEN IF IT'S YOUR FAULT YOU PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED.

THIS GENTLEMAN, KAO, WHO WORKS FOR THEM, I WAS COMPLAINING TO HIM ABOUT THE COST OF MY WATER BILL.

I AM SINGLE.

I HAVE NOT WATERED A SINGLE TIME.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE HAVING VERY POOR LAWNS, NO ONE WATERS EVER.

IT'S STRICTLY DEPENDENT UPON RAINFALL.

HE TOLD ME, WELL, HE KEEPS HIS BILL DOWN, HE'S PAYING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 50 AND $60 A MONTH FOR A SINGLE PERSON LIVING BY HIMSELF WHO WORKS AND IS GONE DURING THE DAY, AND HOW HE KEEPS IT DOWN IS HE ONLY FLUSHES HIS TOILET ONCE A DAY.

AND I CAN TELL YOU, BECAUSE HE -- EVEN THOUGH IT WAS LIKE 10:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING AND I MET WITH HIM AND HE WAS ON THE JOB, HIS CLOTHING WAS SOILED.

I'M GUESSING HE'S DOING NO LAUNDRY.

IT'S JUST ASTONISHING TO ME.

AND THE BULLYING TACTICS THAT THEY USED ON THE BUSINESS OF THE INSPECTION, AND TRYING TO GET ME TO SIGN THIS -- THIS PAPER THAT GAVE ME A CHOICE OF A OR B AND BOTH OF THEM WERE DISADVANTAGEOUS TO ME SO I REFUSED TO SIGN THEM.

BUT I'M THINKING MANY PEOPLE MIGHT BE BULLIED BY THIS.

THEY NEED TO GO -- YOU KNOW, OUR BILLS ARE -- OUR SEWER IS 4.2 TIMES THE WATER.

I CAN'T IMAGINE, IS THERE ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAS A BILL LIKE THIS OTHER THAN US?

IT'S ASTONISHING.

IT'S A SLUMLORD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT'S DRIVING PROPERTY VALUES DOWN.

THE MAN ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME TOLD ME HIS NEIGHBORHOOD MOVED OUT -- THE HOMEOWNER MOVED OUT BECAUSE THE WATER BILLS WERE SO HIGH.

THEN HE RENTED HIS HOME, COULDN'T CONTINUE TO KEEP IT RENTED AND NOW HE'S BACK.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

THERE'S NO REASON FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NOT TO BE IN CHARGE OF OUR WATER.

AFTER THE YEARLY WATER REPORT CAME, ALL OF THE DATES FOR THE VARIOUS REPORTS ON WATER WERE DIFFERENT DATES, DIFFERENT MONTHS, WHICH MAKES ME THINK --

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

>> THEY WERE CHERRY-PICKED WHEN THEY COULD FIND A PASSING POINT FOR EACH ONE OF THESE THINGS INDIVIDUALLY.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MAP.

APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

[APPLAUSE]

NEXT, PLEASE.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS ROBERT NOLAN.

I LIVE AT 7207 TRINITY PLACE.

MY WIFE AND I ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THIS PROPERTY.

WE BOUGHT IT IN 1971, SO WE'VE BEEN AROUND JUST A FEW DAYS.

I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING ON THE WATER BUT STILL RELATED TO PLURIS.

THAT'S IN THEIR MAINTENANCE OF THEIR WATER LINES.

THEY HAVE IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS MADE TWO MAJOR REPAIRS, SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRS, IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS EASTLAKE PARK.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER COMMUNITIES.

BUT I KNOW OF THESE TWO.

BOTH OF THEM HAVE FAILED.

WE HAD SINKHOLES IN THE ROAD BECAUSE THEIR WATER LINES ARE LEAKING AND IT'S DIMINISHING THE EARTH UNDER 'NEATH.

THIS MORNING THEY BROUGHT IN A TRUCK TO FIX -- I DON'T KNOW IF THEY FIXED BOTH OF THEM OR NOT BUT THEY TRIED TO FIX ONE, BY BREAKING IN THE STREET AND FILLING IT WITH DIRT.

THAT DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

THAT JUST DELAYS REPAIRING THE PROBLEM.

THEY ARE NOT DOING WHAT THEY'RE BEING PAID TO DO AND GIVE US PROPER SERVICE.

THAT INCLUDES MAINTAINING THE WATER LINES.

THEY'RE NOT DOING IT.

I IMPLORE YOU GENTLEMEN AND LADIES TO TAKE AND SAY NO TO THIS CONTRACT.

THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> HELLO, MY NAME IS TANYA HAMMOND.

I LIVE AT 3819 BEECHWOOD BOULEVARD.

I WAS HERE ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WATER WAS FOUL, SMELLED LIKE CACA.

IT'S SO IRONIC, EVEN A MONTH LATER, THEY FLUSHED THE LINE, IT'S NO LONGER SMELLING LIKE CACA BUT IT'S -- THE -- IT'S LIKE A RING AROUND THE TOILET, SO IF IT'S A RING AROUND THE TOILET, WHAT'S ON OUR INSIDE?

IS THIS GOING TO BE A HEALTH ISSUE IN THE LONG RUN TO COME WITH OUR COMMUNITY, OUR RESIDENTS OF THE NEXT GENERATION?

THIS WATER IS -- TO ME IT'S CONTAMINATED.

NOT ONLY THAT, A YEAR AGO THEY SENT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO MY HOUSE AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CAME OUT AND -- SHE LOOKED AT IT AND SHE SAID, OOH, IT SMELLS, IT'S CLOUDY.

YOU HAVE [INAUDIBLE] WATER.

MY QUESTION IS -- HOW OFTEN DO THEY CLEAN THE LINES.

HOW OFTEN DO THEY TEST THE WATER?

THAT'S MY QUESTION TO YOU.

THIS WATER BILL IS SO OUTRAGEOUS, IT'S TOTALLY RIDICULOUS.

I DID A SURVEY IN THE COUNTY, I DID A SURVEY IN THE CITY.

HOUSEHOLD OF FOUR AND FIVE, $65.

OVER THERE IN MY AREA, I QUESTIONED THE NEIGHBORS, 300, 200, 140.

HOW MUCH WATER ARE WE USING WHEN THESE PEOPLE ARE AT WORK ALL DAY LONG?

THAT'S MY QUESTION TO YOU.

SO WE'RE SAYING NO TO PLURIS.

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> HELLO.

MY NAME IS DIANA SCWIVEN.

3818 BEECHWOOD BOULEVARD AND I'M NEW IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

I ONLY LIVED THERE FOR TWO YEARS NOW BUT I'M COMING FROM LIVING IN THE CITY PAYING $60 A MONTH FOR WATER BILLS, TO PAYING $220 A MONTH FOR WATER BILL.

AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE WATER CAN OVERRIDE MY TECO BILL.

I'M PAYING MORE FOR WATER THAN I AM FOR TECO.

I DON'T USE THE WORD TO COOK WITH.

WE DON'T DRINK THE WATER, SO I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY, YOU KNOW, THE WATER BILL IS SO HIGH.

I JUST FEEL LIKE PLURIS IS ROBBING US AND YOU ALL ARE ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.

BEFORE I GET STARTED I'D LIKE TO PUT A COUPLE THINGS IN THE RECORD, AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THE HEARING BEFORE THE HEARING MASTER A YEAR AGO THIS PAST JULY.

I APPRECIATE THE POSITION THAT THIS COMMISSION IS IN.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY A NO-WIN SITUATION FOR ANYBODY, EXCEPT FOR PLURIS.

IT'S A NO-WIN SITUATION FOR YOU AND IT'S A NO-WIN SITUATION FOR US.

I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW.

SOME OF THIS IS BASED ON WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE WE WENT BEFORE THE HEARING OFFICER LAST JULY.

SOME OF THIS IS BASED ON RESEARCH, BUT THIS, HONEST TO GOD, IS WHAT I KNOW TO BE THE TRUTH IN THIS SITUATION.

NUMBER ONE, THAT IN 2003 THIS UTILITY CAME TO YOU FOR A RATE INCREASE FOR THE SUPPOSED SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF REPAIRING OUR SEWER LINES, WHICH YOU HAPPILY GAVE THEM, BUT I MUST ASSUME THAT THEY FAILED TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2011 NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE OR WILLING TO SHOW ME ANY RECORDS REGARDING THE RELINING OF OUR WASTEWATER LINES, INCLUDING COUNTY EMPLOYEES.

SHANE ROAR, THE -- SHARON ROAR, THE PREDECESSOR TO MR. WATSON ULTIMATELY DISREGARDED MY QUESTIONS AND PLURIS CLAIMS THERE ARE NO SUCH RECORDS.

FURTHER, THE MANY COLLAPSES AND FAIL YOURS OF OUR SEWER SYSTEM SPEAKS VOLUMES TO ME.

NUMBER TWO, ONCE AGAIN THE UTILITY CAME TO A INCREASE THIS YEAR AND YOU GAVE THEM THAT INCREASE, CAUSING OUR WASTEWATER RATES TO BE OVER 250% OF WHAT OTHER HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENTS PAY.

WE NOW PAY AT LEAST TWICE AS MUCH AS ALL OF YOUR OTHER CONSTITUENTS, TAXPAYERS AND VOTERS.

NUMBER THREE, THAT ACCORDING TO LOREN HUNTSBERGER'S REPORT DATED JUNE 17, 2011, WHICH IS IN THIS RECORD, WHILE UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF EASTLAKE UTILITIES, THE PREDECESSOR TO PLURIS, THE TOTAL COST FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA TO PROCESS OUR WASTEWATER IN 2008 WAS $92,687.

RIGHT UNDER $93,000.

ACCORDING TO THE SAME REPORT, THE YEAR AFTER PLURIS TOOK OVER, THE COST TO PROCESS OUR WASTEWATER, $471,571.

THAT'S AN INCREASE OF OVER 500%, AND THE QUESTION I HAVE IS WHY?

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. HART.

>> I HAVE ONE --

>> KEN HAGAN: IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.

>> MY NAME IS HAL HART, 6525 WALTON WAY, TAMPA, 36110.

I HAVE ONE THING I WANT TO QUICKLY SAY.

>> KEN HAGAN: QUICKLY.

>> YES, SIR.

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS THE RESIDENTS SUBJECT TO THIS UTILITY HAVE PAID TAX DOLLARS TO YOU AND YOU HAVE TAKEN THOSE TAX DOLLARS AND PUT IT IN YOUR GENERAL FUND AND YOU HAVE IMPROVED THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EVERYONE, THE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MAINTAINED IT FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT FOR US, AND YOU KNOW THAT BASED ON THE RECORD IN THIS CASE OUR LAKE IS IMPAIRED.

YOU KNOW THAT THE CAST IRON SEWER PIPES THAT BRING RAW SEWAGE LAY IN OUR CANALS AND IN OUR LAKE, AND THEY'RE OVER 50 YEARS OLD.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MR. HART.

I HAVE TO CUT YOU OFF.

THEY'RE WAITING TO SPEAK.

NEXT, PLEASE.

[APPLAUSE]

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS LARRY CARTER.

I LIVE AT 8018 TOMBS PLACE IN -- OTHER PEOPLE ARE TALK ABOUT THEIR BILLS.

I GOT ONE FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE.

IT WAS FOR $188, AND I HADN'T BEEN THERE AT THE HOUSE FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS.

SO HOW COULD I USE 9,000 GALLONS OF WATER?

I'D LIKE TO READ A LITTLE LINE HERE ON ONE OF THEIR REPORTS.

IT SAYS FOR CHLOROMINES AND CHLORINE THE LEVEL DETECTED IS THE HIGHEST RUNNING ANNUAL AVERAGE, AND THEY WERE -- SAYS A MONTHLY AVERAGE OF ALL SAMPLES.

THAT MEANS THEY'RE TAKING SAMPLES EVERY MONTH.

THE LAST REPORTED SAMPLE WAS TAKEN AUGUST OF 2012.

THAT'S ALMOST A YEAR AGO.

THESE PICTURES THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE SHOWING YOU, WOULD ANY OF YOU BE ABLE TO -- OR EVEN BE WILLING TO COME TAKE A DRINK OF WATER?

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

[APPLAUSE]

>> MY NAME IS NAT VARGAS AND I'M 28 YEARS OLD AND I RESIDE AT THE HOME THAT MY DAD HAS OWNED SINCE I WAS 3 YEARS OLD.

HE OWNS IT FREE AND CLEAR.

WE PAY THE PROPERTY TAXES, AND I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE COMPLICATIONS OR TECHNICALITIES OF WHAT THE WATER COMPANY HAS TO DEAL WITH, BUT I DO KNOW THAT SINCE IT SWITCHED OVER FROM EASTLAKE TO PLURIS EASTLAKE, IT'S JUST BEEN A CONSTANT STRUGGLE.

I WORK 40 HOURS A WEEK AND I GO TO HCC, WORKING TOWARDS BEING ABLE TO MAKE MORE MONEY, BUT I DON'T -- I STILL GET ALMOST $10 AN HOUR, AND I DON'T SPEND FRIVOLOUSLY AND I JUST CONSTANTLY STRUGGLE, AND I ALWAYS HAVE TO PAY A LATE FEE OR A RECONNECT CHARGE AND IT JUST FEELS LIKE A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE WHEN I'M VERY -- I TRY TO PEE OUTSIDE WHEN I CAN.

I TRY TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE SHORT SHOWERS AND NOT WASH CLOTHES BUT ONCE A WEEK OR SO.

AND IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER WHAT MY EFFORTS ARE.

I CAN'T KEEP UP.

I JUST KEEP TRYING, AND IT JUST FEELS LIKE A LOSING BATTLE.

SO I'M NOT REALLY INTO THIS COMPANY EITHER.

I THINK THEY NEED TO GO.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS JERRY DOYLE.

I LIVE AT 6214 TRAVIS BOULEVARD IN EASTLAKE PARK.

I'D LIKE TO SAY I DON'T WANT PLURIS TO CONTINUE WITH THEIR CONTRACTS.

I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONTRACTS, SEVERAL MISREADS, ADD A ZERO TO IT AND I'VE CHECKED IT AND CALLED THEM, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT?

I DIDN'T USE 20,000 GALLONS, I USED 2,000 GALLONS, AND I GOT A BILL FOR OVER $600, CALLED AND COMPLAINED AND THEY SAID, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEND SOMEONE OUT?

I SAID, YES, PLEASE COME AND CHECK IT.

IT WILL BE A FEW DAYS BUT I CAN READ IT RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WANT.

I CAN CHECK IT.

THAT WON'T BE NECESSARY.

I SAID I'M OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING TO PAY THIS.

CAN I WAIT TILL NEXT MONTH AND I GET A NEW BILL THAT'S CORRECTED?

YES.

THEY SENT ME A NEW ONE, FOR $400 AND HAD LATE FEES ON IT.

CALLED BACK AND COMPLAINED.

THEY SAID, NO, WE'LL FIX THAT.

AFTER THEY GOT IT FIXED, AFTER THREE MONTHS I SAID, HEY, I'D LIKE TO PAY MY BILL.

AND THEY SAID, YOU SHOULD, YOU HAVEN'T PAID FOR THREE MONTHS.

I SAID I'M NOT TRYING TO NOT PAY YOU.

I'VE ALWAYS PAID ON TIME.

I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES WHERE I GO OUT AND IT'S BEEN MISREAD AND I HAVE TO READ THE METER MYSELF.

MY LAST BILL I GOT CHARGED FOR USING ZERO GALLONS OF WATER.

I CALLED THEM TO LET THEM KNOW THAT I WAS HOME AND I OBVIOUSLY USED 134 WATER.

THEY LET ME KNOW IT WAS OKAY, THAT'S A BASE CHARGE FOR MY HOUSE, NOT USING ANY WATER IS $54.

I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU, A GUY CAME THE NEXT DAY AND READ THE METER AND SAID IT'S WORKING.

JUST PAY THE $54 MINIMUM AND SEE WHAT YOUR BILL IS NEXT MONTH.

MY METER IS NOT CONSISTENTLY READ.

I KNOW BECAUSE I'VE GONE OUT THERE AND THE RAIN WASHES MUD OVER IT AND I NEVER SEE SOMEONE TAKE THE TOP OFF AND SCRAPE THE MUD OFF TO READ IT.

I WOULD LIKE THEM NOT TO CONTINUE BECAUSE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE.

THEY DON'T PROVIDE THE GOOD SERVICE.

I AM NOT SAYING THAT I DON'T USE WATER.

I USE WATER, AND I MONITOR IT BECAUSE MY BILL IS CONSISTENTLY OVER $130.

I'M A SCHOOLTEACHER.

I'M A PUBLIC SERVANT.

I DON'T MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.

SO TO HAVE TO PAY TWICE OR MORE WHAT THE REST OF THE RESIDENTS OF TAMPA PAY IS UPSETTING TO ME.

PLEASE DO NOT RENEW THAT.

THIS IS AFFECTING FAMILIES.

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE]

>> HI, MY NAME IS ELEANOR WINK.

I LIVE AT 6617 TRAVIS BOULEVARD IN EASTLAKE PARK FOR 35 YEARS-PLUS.

WE HAVE A TAX DISTRICT AND OUR TREASURER WHO CAN'T COME TODAY, BECAUSE SHE TAKES CARE OF HER 102-YEAR-OLD MOTHER GAVE ME A BILL THAT SHE GOT FOR THE MEDIAN IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR $129.

WELL, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE READING PLURIS -- THIS MEETING PLURIS CALLED HER AND SAID THERE IS AN ERROR IN THE BILL.

SO THEY'RE GOING TO REREAD THE METER.

SO THEY HAVE A PROBLEM READING METERS.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF RENTAL PROPERTIES, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE BASE CHARGES ARE THAT ARE IN OUR MONTHLY BILLS.

IT COMES TO $32.65 A MONTH.

I CALLED TAMPA TODAY AND ASKED THE LADY AT THEIR WATER DEPARTMENT, WHAT IF SOMEONE GOES TO EUROPE FOR FIVE WEEKS?

WHAT IS THEIR BILL?

SHE SAID IT WAS LESS THAN $4, JUST TO KEEP THEIR NAME ON THE BOOKS.

MY OTHER PROBLEM IS WHEN I HAVE A PERSON MOVE, AND I'VE WATCHED PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THE WATER BILL.

THERE WAS A GIRL CAME HERE LAST YEAR THAT WAS COMPLAINING, SHE WAS A TENANT.

AND SHE'S RECENTLY MOVED BECAUSE OF THE WATER BILL.

SO THE THING I OBJECT TO IS THE MINUTE THEY FIND OUT THAT SOMEBODY HAS MOVED, THEY EAGERLY GO AND SHUT THE WATER OFF, SO THEY CAN BILL ME $53.

I HAD $1.76 WORTH OF USAGE AND I HAD TO PAY $53.80, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT MONTH.

SO I JUST OBJECT, AND -- OH, MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE ON VACATION AND MY LAST BILL WAS $176.29.

MY DAUGHTER WAS GONE ALL BUT ONE WEEK OF THAT BILL, FROM 6/25 TO 7/26 OF '13, AND I WAS GONE THREE WEEKS.

SO THAT'S JUST RIDICULOUS, $176.

THE OTHER THING I OBJECT TO IS IF WE ARE TO FRONT THE MONEY FOR THEIR EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES, SHOULDN'T WE BE SHAREHOLDERS IN THIS COMPANY?

[APPLAUSE]

AND JUST ONE MORE POINT.

WHEN TECO -- WHEN I HAVE PEOPLE MOVE, TECO LEAVES THE ELECTRICITY ON.

THEY'RE COURTEOUS ABOUT THAT.

THEY'LL LEAVE IT ON FOR FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS BECAUSE THERE'S $2 WORTH OF USAGE.

YOU KNOW, IF IT GOES INTO TWO MONTHS THEY MIGHT START SAYING THEY'RE GOING TO SHUT IT OFF, BUT THIS COMPANY, THEY RUN RIGHT OVER THERE AND TURN IT OFF SO THAT I COULD PAY ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, 32.65 AND ANOTHER THIS AND THAT AND CHARGE $25 JUST TO PUT MY NAME ON THERE.

MY NAME IS IN THE SYSTEM.

HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT TAKES TO PUT MY NAME IN THERE?

FIVE SECONDS?

ONE MINUTE?

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS BEVERLY OPPS.

I AM THE DIRECTOR OF CUSTOMER CARE FOR PLURIS, AND MY RESPONSIBILITY, I OVERSEE ALL THE UTILITIES IN REGARDS TO THE CALL CENTER, BILLING AND COLLECTIONS.

TODAY I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON OUR EASTLAKE UTILITY IN PARTICULAR, AND MAKE YOU -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT OUR EASTLAKE UTILITY IN PARTICULAR IS WHEN IT WAS FIRST PURCHASED, CUSTOMERS WANTED A LOCAL OFFICE, SOMEWHERE THEY COULD GO.

SO PLURIS DID.

WE HAVE A FULL-TIME CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE EASTLAKE IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE AN OFFICE THERE, CUSTOMERS CAN GO IN AND PAY THEIR BILL THERE.

THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS RELATED TO THEIR ACCOUNT.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY DID -- THEY'VE BEEN VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GO IN AND, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO PAY.

OUR CUSTOMER CARE REP THERE IS VALERIE THOMAS.

SHE IS AVAILABLE 8:00 TO 5:00 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, WITH THE EXCEPTION, OF COURSE, OF HOLIDAYS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO DO IN REGARDS TO OUR EAST LIKE CUSTOMERS IS I PERSONALLY AM INVOLVED WITH THEM IN REGARDS TO IF THERE ARE REQUESTS THAT DO COME IN, MANY HAVE STATED IN REGARDS TO THEIR BILLS.

I DO WORK WITH THEM.

I WORK CLOSELY WITH ARRANGEMENTS THAT ARE MADE TO OUR CUSTOMERS.

WHEN WE TOOK OVER THE UTILITY FROM THE PRIOR OWNERS, THEY WERE AVERAGING 175 CERTIFIED LETTERS A MONTH AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO AVERAGE ABOUT THAT SAME AMOUNT A MONTH.

AND IN THAT REGARD, BASED ON THAT 175, WE AVERAGE AROUND 45 PROPERTIES THAT ARE DISCONNECTED A MONTH.

AND BESIDES THOSE -- AND THEY WILL PAY AND GET RECONNECTED.

THEY HAVE THAT ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO OUR EASTLAKE OFFICE AND TAKE THAT PAYMENT TO GET RECONNECTED.

END SERVICE, BEGIN SERVICE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM IN OUR EASTLAKE OFFICE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO AS WELL IS I SAID WE WORK WITH THEM.

ON AVERAGE WE RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 18 TO 22 CUSTOMERS A MONTH THAT WE GIVE EXTENSIONS AND PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS TO.

THIS IS FOR A CUSTOMER BASE OF A LITTLE OVER 900 CUSTOMERS, AROUND 920 CUSTOMERS.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, OUR OTHER UTILITY ALSO LOCATED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS PEBBLE CREEK, AND THEY AVERAGE ABOUT FIVE A MONTH.

SO WE DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH OUR EASTLAKE CUSTOMERS.

I SPEND A LOT OF MY MONTH WITH EASTLAKE, IN GENERAL.

>> KEN HAGAN: FOLKS?

FOLKS, I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU ESCORTED OUT IF YOU CONTINUE.

YOU WILL SHOW RESPECT TO EVERY SPEAKER.

>> WE DO HAVE CAP ON OUR SEWER.

THAT WAS MENTIONED.

WE HAVE AN 8,000-GALLON CAP ON OUR SEWER THE CUSTOMERS ARE -- THE LAST ONE WAS APPROVED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THAT TOOK EFFECT ON DECEMBER 1 OF 2012.

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU.

NEXT, PLEASE?

>> MY NAME IS LAURA PRICHETT AND I LIVE AT 3702 BEECHWOOD BOULEVARD IN THE BUFFALO ESTATE PARK.

ONE BLOCK TO THE WEST OF ME IS SUGAR CREEK AND THEY GET CITY OF TAMPA SERVICE, AND I THINK THE EASTLAKE, BUFFALO ESTATES AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO'S AFFECTED BY PLURIS SHOULD BE EITHER ON HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY OR THE CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO WE PAY OUR TAXES TO, NOT A COMPANY IN DALLAS, TEXAS.

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, MA'AM.

NEXT, PLEASE?

[APPLAUSE]

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS JOE KUHNS.

I'M THE REGIONAL MANAGER FOR PLURIS.

I WANTED TO COME UP HERE AND SPEAK TO YOU TODAY TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MY OFFICE IS ALSO AT THE EASTLAKE OFFICE.

BEVERLY OTT MENTIONED TO YOU ABOUT VALERIE THOMAS BEING THERE.

MY OFFICE IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO HERS.

WE HAVE SENT OUT NUMEROUS CORRESPONDENCE TO OUR RESIDENTS HERE, OR OUR CUSTOMERS IN EASTLAKE, EXPLAINING TO THEM THAT I'M AVAILABLE TO TALK TO THEM.

AND AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTIME THAT A CUSTOMER WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AND PERSONALLY SEE ME, I AM THERE TO DISCUSS ANY KIND OF ISSUES THAT THEY MAY HAVE.

NOW, AS MS. OPP SAID, I ALSO TAKE CARE OF SEVERAL UTILITIES IN THE FLORIDA AREA BUT THE EASTLAKE SYSTEM DOES -- GETS MOST OF MY ATTENTION.

THROUGH THAT ATTENTION WE ARE GIVING THE CUSTOMERS WITH THE INI, A LOT OF PEOPLE MENTIONED THE INI AND COST PER SEWER.

ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE DONE THERE -- IN THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION IN 2011, IT TOOK US A LITTLE WHILE TO GET OUR HANDS AROUND THE INI, BUT IN 2012 WE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $87,000 ON CAPITAL REPAIRS WITH THE SEWER SYSTEM.

IN 2013 WE ARE ON TRACK TO SPEND APPROXIMATELY 175,000.

WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS THE WASTEWATER LINES, THE SEWER LINES AND REPAIR THEM.

ONE OF THE CUSTOMERS DID MENTION THE COLLAPSE, AND HE MENTIONED THAT IT WAS A WATER LINE.

IT WAS NOT A WATER LINE.

IT WAS A SEWER OR WASTEWATER LINE THAT COLLAPSED, THAT WE HAD TO DO TO REPAIR ONE.

WE HAVE 11.74 MILES OF [INAUDIBLE] SYSTEM IN THE EASTLAKE SUBDIVISIONS.

WE DO APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15% OF VIDEO CLEANING PER YEAR TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AREAS THAT ARE IN THERE.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE FOCUSING ON AN AREA AROUND THE WALTON WAY AND TRAVIS BOULEVARD AREAS, WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES HERE RECENTLY GOING ON.

DURING -- DURING -- WHAT WE PLAN TO DO, I'M SORRY -- WHAT WE PLAN TO DO IN DECEMBER WITH THE FLORIDA RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION, WHICH WE HAVE BECOME A MEMBER OF, IS WE'RE GOING TO CONDUCT A SMOKE TESTING OF THE SYSTEM.

THE SMOKE TESTING WILL SHOW NOT ONLY OUR LINES THAT MAY HAVE A POTENTIAL ISSUE BUT IT ALSO WILL SHOW CUSTOMER SEWER LINES [INAUDIBLE] GO TO OUR OWN LINES, THEY REPRESENT ABOUT A THIRD OF 11.74 MILES OF COLLECTION SYSTEM.

THE SEWER LEVELS OF THE CUSTOMERS ARE ALSO AN ISSUE WITH INI THAT WE ARE GOING NOW TO ADDRESS.

THE SMOKE TESTING WILL BE PART OF THAT TO DO THE CHECK ON THAT.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

>> THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: ANYONE ELSE?

GETTING READY TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS MAURICE GALARDO AND I'M PRESIDENT OF PLURIS EASTLAKE, INC.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING US COME HERE.

I KNOW I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES AND THE FIRST PART IS JUST TO CORRECT SOMETHING STATED EARLIER WITH REGARD TO MR. HART WITH REGARDS TO THE DIFFERENTIAL [INAUDIBLE] THE PRIOR UTILITY TO WHEN WE TOOK IT OVER.

IT DIDN'T JUMP FROM 92,000 TO 432,000.

IT WAS ACTUALLY -- AND THIS WAS FULLY EXHAUSTED IN THE RATE PROCEEDING, THAT THE ACTUAL AMOUNT PER YEAR RUNS RIGHT ON 300 THOUSAND A YEAR FROM THE -- $300,000 A YEAR FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA FOR THEIR CHARGE.

THE 92,000 DIFFERENCE, FROM THE 430, WAS AN ACCOUNT BE CHANGE UTILIZED BY THE UTILITIES.

THAT WAS FULLY EXHAUSTED.

YOU CAN GO BACK AND SEE.

IT DIDN'T JUMP 400% WHEN WE TOOK OVER.

IT JUST WASN'T BEING PROPERLY ACCOUNTED FOR AS A COST.

THE SECOND THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE PIVOTAL THING ON THE EASTLAKE SYSTEM IS THE INI.

THAT IS WATER GETTING INTO THE SEWER LINES WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO THE VOLUME THAT GETS SENT TO THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, COMMISSIONER BECKNER, LAST TIME I WAS HERE AND I TOOK TOO MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT IT BUT THE INI IS A FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE.

IF YOU SEPARATE THE WATER BILL FROM THE WASTEWATER BILL, THE WASTEWATER BILL IS THE ISSUE.

OUR WATER BILL, AND YOU CAN HAVE STAFF DO THIS, IF THEY TAKE THE COUNTY OF HILLSBOROUGH BASE RATE AND THE COUNTY OF HILLSBOROUGH GALLONAGE RATE AND DO IT ON 5,000 GALLONS AND 10,000 GALLONS, WE'RE $1.84 MORE AT THE 5,000-GALLON TOTAL BILL AND WE'RE $15 LESS AT THE 10,000-GALLON BILL.

AND THAT'S -- THAT'S THE FACTS.

YOU CAN -- YOU CAN HAVE STAFF RUN THAT.

BUT THE INI CONTRIBUTION, AS WE ALSO KNOW, PART OF THE PROBLEM IN THE OVERALL BILL AND THE FOLKS IN EASTLAKE ARE GETTING PENALIZED FOR IT IS THE 25% SURCHARGE THE COUNTY CHARGES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THE COUNTY -- IN THE COUNTY, THEY'RE NOT IN THE CITY OF TAMPA.

I'LL POINT OUT ONE THING COUNTY RESIDENTS ENJOY, THEY PAY A BIT LESS ON THEIR PROPERTY TAXES THAN THE CITY OF TAMPA PROPERTY TAXES ARE.

BUT THAT 25% IS A BIG NUMBER AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COMMISSIONER MILLER TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT, BECAUSE I WENT TO THE CITY AND TRIED TO TALK TO THE CITY AND THEY SAID, BASICALLY, WHY DON'T YOU BUILD YOUR OWN PLANT.

THAT WAS A DIRECT QUOTE TO US.

WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING WITH COMMISSIONER MILLER A POSSIBILITY OF DOING THAT, WITH THE IDEA, CAN WE LOWER THE COST BELOW THAT AMOUNT THAT GETS SENT TO THE CITY OF TAMPA?

AND WE'RE IN THAT PROCESS.

BUT THE INI IS THE ISSUE.

THAT IS -- THAT IS THE SEMINAL ISSUE IN EASTLAKE, AND THE PIPES ARE 40 TO 50 YEARS OLD, AND I HOPE PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE DVD WITH REGARDS TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A PROBLEM HERE.

IT'S -- NO MATTER WHERE WE'RE AT IT'S A PROBLEM.

SO THE ISSUE IS INI AND WE'RE INVESTIGATING THAT.

WE'RE INVESTED OVER $200,000.

WE DIDN'T RAISE THE RATE FROM THE 200,000 BY THE WAY, THAT'S WHAT IT COST US THE LAST TWO YEARS AND WE'RE ON TRACK TO HIT 175 THIS YEAR AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

WE DIDN'T CREATE IT BUT WE INHERITED IT AND WE'RE ADDRESSING IT.

THANK YOU.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

ANYONE ELSE?

OKAY.

WE HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKERS AND THEN WE'RE CUTTING OFF THE PUBLIC HEARING.

YES, SIR?

>> THANK YOU, MY NAME IS MARDY FRIEDMAN.

I'M THE ATTORNEY FOR EASTLAKE, INC. AND I'LL LIMIT MY COMMENTS TO THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE PROCEEDING.

ACCORDING TO THE CODE YOU HAVE AN -- TWO OPTIONS.

RENEW THE FRANCHISE OR BUY THE UTILITIES FOR FAIR MARKET VALUE.

IN LIEU OF HOLDING AN EVIDENTIARY HEARING, THE COMMISSION CHOSE TO APPOINT A HEARING OFFICER, WHICH YOU DID.

WE HAD A FULL EVIDENTIARY HEARING WHERE FOLKS -- MANY OF THESE SAME PEOPLE TESTIFIED, WERE SUBJECT TO CROSS-EXAMINATION, A LITTLE DIFFERENT PROCEEDING THAN WE HAVE HERE TODAY, AND SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE DUE PROCESS REQUIREMENTS OF A FORMAL ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING, TO REALLY VET OUT THE TRUE FACTS OF THE CASE.

AND AFTER HEARING THE FULL TESTIMONY, THE HEARING OFFICER HAS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CODE ARE BEING MET BY PLURIS AND THAT PLURIS IS ENTITLED TO A RENEWAL OF ITS FRANCHISE.

IN RESPECT TO CUSTOMER COMMENTS SUCH AS THIS, IN THAT RENEWAL PROCEEDING, THE EVIDENCE SHOWED WITH REGARD TO THE CUSTOMER INPUT, THAT THE UTILITY, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STAFF, EVALUATED EACH AND EVERY CUSTOMER COMPLAINT IN THE LAST RATE CASE, EACH AND EVERY ONE.

AND THE HEARING OFFICER AFTER EVALUATING THAT DETERMINED THAT EVERY COMPLAINT HAD BEEN RESOLVED OR IT WASN'T A VALID COMPLAINT.

SO PLURIS IS MEETING ITS OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ITS CUSTOMERS.

AS MR. GALARDO POINTED OUT IT'S UNFORTUNATE THE RATES WERE SUBJECT TO A 25% SURCHARGE, WHICH IS SOMETHING BEYOND OUR CONTROL AND THE COMPANY TRIED TO RESOLVE IT IN THE LAST RATE CASE WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS.

THE EVALUATION OF THE OPTION OF PURCHASING THE UTILITY, THE STAFF DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE NO FUNDS SET ASIDE FOR DOING SO, AND IF YOU DECIDED TO PURCHASE THE UTILITY, THAT TO DO SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO RAISE RATES FOR THE REMAINDER OF YOUR CUSTOMERS ON THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SYSTEM.

SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO YOUR OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT THE RATES WERE BEING INCREASED, NOT FOR THEIR BENEFIT BUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FOLKS AT EASTLAKE.

IN CONCLUSION I WOULD POINT OUT THAT AT THE TIME OF THE HEARING, THE HEARING OFFICER DETERMINED BASED ON THE EVIDENCE THAT THE UTILITIES WERE MEETING ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY, AND AS YOU SAW IN YOUR AGENDA PACKAGE, THE STAFF HAS UPDATED THAT THROUGH THE DAY AND THE UTILITY CONTINUES TO MEET ITS OBLIGATIONS TO COMPLY WITH ALL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

FINAL SPEAKER.

YES, SIR.

>> MY NAME IS BILL POMASANO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARY HOPE CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION.

MY ONLY COMMENT WOULD BE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THESE WERE YOUR SEWER RATES AND YOUR WATER?

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT CLOSES PUBLIC COMMENT.

WE'LL GO INTO BOARD DISCUSSION.

COMMISSIONER MILLER?

>> LES MILLER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

I WOULD THINK THE -- I WANT TO THANK THE CITIZENS FOR COMING DOWN TODAY TO MAKE THEIR CONCERNS HEARD CONCERNING THE WATER ISSUE IN THAT AREA, EASTLAKE AND ALL THE OTHER AREAS OUT THERE.

I WAS ELECTED IN 2010.

WATER IS A DIFFICULT ISSUE I'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH, NOT ONLY OUR AREA BUT OTHER AREAS AS WELL.

IT'S DIFFICULT.

IT APPEARS WE'RE IN 2013 AND THERE'S STILL [INAUDIBLE].

BUT I HAVE A QUESTION THAT I NEED TO ASK, MR. MERRILL AND PROBABLY OTHERS ON THE STAFF.

THEY TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE $25 SURCHARGE -- THE 25% SURCHARGE IS A MAJOR, MAJOR CAUSE OF HIGH BILLS, AND I THINK, MR. MERRILL, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT IN THAT AREA THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH PLURIS TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF AREA WE COULD HAVE A PUMP STATION TO ALLEVIATE THIS CHARGE THAT CUSTOMERS -- THE CITY OF TAMPA TO ALLEVIATE THAT CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER.

WHERE ARE WE ON THAT PROCESS, LOOKING AT THAT LAND AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME?

>> COMMISSIONER, I THINK I'LL HAVE TO ASK JOHN LYONS TO COME UP.

I THINK I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S BEEN AGREEMENT.

I THINK THAT'S THE LAND THAT'S ON THE FAIRGROUNDS?

>> LES MILLER: THAT'S THE LAND ON THE FAIRGROUNDS AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE LAND, THERE IS A BASEBALL FIELD THERE THAT'S NOT BEING UTILIZED.

>> YEAH, AND THAT WAS, I THINK, FOR THE PURPOSE OF STORING EQUIPMENT.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT AFFECTS THE RATES, BUT GO AHEAD, JOHN.

>> YES, AND -- JOHN LYONS, PUBLIC UTILITIES.

I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH MR. GALARDO A FEW MONTHS AGO AND I THINK THEY WERE LEANING AWAY FROM THE COUNTY PARK PROPERTY WAS JUST -- BECAUSE OF SOME SITE CONDITIONS THERE AND HE WOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK MORE DIRECTLY TO THAT.

I BELIEVE THEY'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THE FAIRGROUNDS AUTHORITY ABOUT UTILIZING SOME OF THE PROPERTY TO USE EFFECTIVELY FOR A DRAIN FIELD THAT WOULD SERVE THE STAND-ALONE WASTEWATER PLANT.

>> I DON'T THINK EITHER OF THOSE WOULD AFFECT THE 25% SURCHARGE IN THE CITY.

>> I BELIEVE WHAT THAT WOULD DO WOULD BE ELIMINATING SENDING WASTEWATER TO THE CITY OF TAMPA, SO IT WOULD BE WHATEVER THEIR CAPITALIZATION AND OPERATING COSTS WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE.

>> LES MILLER: OKAY.

ANOTHER QUESTION, MAYBE SOMEONE FROM PLURIS CAN COME UP AND ANSWER THIS QUESTION.

>> IT'S MAURICE GALARDO.

>> LES MILLER: OKAY.

MAURICE, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM -- THE WATER, WHEN IT APPEARS TO BE COMING INTO THE HOMES OF PEOPLE OUT THERE.

WHY IS THAT -- WHEN YOU GET WATER OUT OF YOUR SINK AND IT'S LIKE IT'S TEA OR COFFEE, WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?

>> OH, YEAH.

JOE, WOULD YOU COME UP, ADDRESS THAT?

I'M GOING TO HAVE JOE KUHNS COME UP BUT I CAN ADDRESS PART OF THAT.

EVERY SYSTEM IS REQUIRED TO BE FLUSHED, BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF THE TREATMENT ELEMENT, SEDIMENTATION WILL GET INTO DRINKING WATER LINE.

IT JUST GETS IN, FINE PARTICLES GETS INTO THE DRINKING WATER LINE.

IT USED TO BE IN THE OLD DAYS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD COME OUT AND ACTUALLY DO THE FLUSHING OF THE WATER LINES THROUGH THE HYDRANTS, BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, IF YOU HAVE A DEAD END AREA, THAT IS WHERE THE WATER PIPE TERMINATES AT SOME POINT RUNNING DOWN THE STREET, SEDIMENTATION WILL TEND TO DRAFT THAT WAY AND YOU FLUSH THE LINE AND YOU GET A COLORATION.

IT DIDN'T SURPRISE ME TO SEE A GLASS THAT HAS COLOR IN IT BECAUSE WHEN YOU FLUSH THAT HAPPENS, AND THAT HAPPENS NO MATTER IF YOU WERE TO GO OVER TO THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT JOHN LYONS' STAFF WOULD SAY THE SAME THING.

YOU JUST GET A COLOR WHEN YOU FLUSH.

WE'RE REQUIRED TO FLUSH SO MANY TIMES, PERIODICALLY, BY EPC.

>> HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

>> HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND THAT CAUSES THE COLORATION.

WE TRY TO DO THE BEST JOB WE CAN ON THAT AND I THINK YOU SAW IN THE DVD THE STILL SHOTS, A THING CALLED TUBERCULATION, AND THAT'S WHERE PARTICLES BUILD UP IN WATER PIPES AND CAN EVENTUALLY CLOSE THEM OFF WHEN THEY GET OLD.

BUT WHEN THERE'S AN IRON BUILD-UP, WE HAD ONE CUSTOMER, MR. GONZALES I DON'T THINK IS HERE TODAY, THAT HAD A PIECE OF -- SECTION OF LINE THAT HAD IRON SEDIMENTATION BUILT INTO A SWIMMING POOL, AND MY WIFE WOULD BE REAL UPSET WITH ME IF THAT HAPPENED TO OURS.

WE WENT OVER THERE AND THROUGH THE POOL COMPANY THEY COULD PRECIPITATE OUT OR ACTUALLY GET THE IRON COLOR OUT SO IT DIDN'T DAMAGE ANYTHING, BUT IN THAT CASE WE WORKED WITH THE CUSTOMER.

WE ACTUALLY -- HE ASKED US IF WE WOULD CONTRIBUTE TOWARD BUYING A NEW POOL PUMP AND A NEW POOL FILTER, AND WE THOUGHT THAT WAS REACHING A BIT BUT WE WROTE A CHECK FOR $878 AND REPLACED THE COMPONENT TO HELP HIM TO SATISFY, AND WE DIDN'T CHARGE HIM FOR THE WATER EITHER.

SO WE WILL WORK WITH PEOPLE BUT WE CAN'T READ PEOPLE'S MINDS, AND WE OFFER SOMETHING, COMMISSIONER MILLER, THAT THE COUNTY STOPPED PRACTICING IN 2008, AND THAT IS, WE DO GIVE A POOL FILL CREDIT.

IF SOMEBODY BUILDS A NEW POOL AND THE POOL FILL CREDIT IS REALLY WATER THAT DOESN'T MAKE ITS WAY TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT BECAUSE IT JUST GOES INTO THE POOL.

AND SO WE CREDIT BACK THAT AMOUNT, AND THAT'S A PRACTICE THAT NOT EVEN -- NO POINTING FIGURES TO THE NEGATIVE THING BUT WE OFFER SOMETHING BECAUSE WE STILL BELIEVE IN DOING THAT.

SO -- DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER MILLER?

>> LES MILLER: YES, YOU DID.

LET ME ASK A QUESTION FOR MR. MERRILL AGAIN.

LET ME ASK A QUESTION OF PURCHASING OF THE UTILITY OUT THERE.

WHAT WOULD THE COST BE IF THE COUNTY WAS TO PURCHASE A UTILITY FOR THAT AREA OUT THERE?

>> THE -- AS YOU KNOW, AS I DESCRIBED TO YOU, WE SENT AROUND AN EVALUATION LAST WEEK TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS OF NOT JUST EASTLAKE BUT ALL OF THE REMAINING FRANCHISES, AND THE ESTIMATES THAT WERE SHOWN IN THE SPREADSHEET ARE BASED ON SOME ASSUMPTIONS, ONE BEING THAT YOU HAVE A WILLING SELLER AND THAT CERTAIN CONDITIONS EXIST, AND SO THESE WOULD BE PROBABLY NOT VALUES THAT YOU WOULD BE LOOKING AT IN A SITUATION WHERE A SELLER WAS NOT A WILLING SELLER AND YOU HAD OTHER CONDITIONS THAT WERE DRIVING THE PRICE, BUT FOR EASTLAKE, THROUGH OUR CONSULTANT THAT DOES OUR OWN RATE STUDIES, THE INITIAL SYSTEM COST, RANGE OF VALUE TWO 1/2 MILLION TO $3 MILLION TO PURCHASE IT.

THERE'S AN ANNUAL OPERATING LOSS WE'D HAVE TO ABSORB, AND AS YOU HEARD FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF PLURIS, THERE'S A GOOD DEAL OF SYSTEM UPGRADE AND REPLACEMENT THAT WOULD BE NEEDED THAT'S NOT PART OF THE ACQUISITION COST.

AND IF WE WERE TO DO THAT WITH ENTERPRISE FUNDS WITH WATER SEWER ENTERPRISE FUNDS, THEN -- THEN -- OUR EXISTING CUSTOMER BASE WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE COST TO ACQUIRE, TO REMEDIATE, REPLACE THE SYSTEM, AND TO ABSORB ANY OPERATING COSTS.

IN PAST SITUATIONS WHERE WE'VE BEEN FACED WITH SIMILAR DILEMMAS, AND THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND WAS THE STEP SYSTEM IN RUSKIN, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, WE COULDN'T JUSTIFY TAKING OVER THE COST.

IN THAT CASE IT WAS SEPTIC SYSTEMS -- THE COST OF THOSE SYSTEMS AND REPLACING THEM AND REMEDIATING THEM USING UTILITY MONEY, AND SO IN THAT CASE ACTUALLY GENERAL FUND MONEY WAS USED.

IT WAS SUBSTANTIAL.

WE DID HAVE FEDERAL GRANT MONEY AT THE TIME, SO IT HELPED TO ABSORB SOME OF THE COST, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF THE ISSUE WE'RE FACING HERE.

I MEAN, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER SOMEONE HAS GOT TO BUY IT, OPERATE IT, FIX IT, AND SOMEONE HAS GOT TO PAY FOR IT, AND IT'S EITHER OUR RATEPAYERS OR IT'S THE TAXPAYERS OR, YOU KNOW, IF THE CITY IS WILLING TO HELP ON THE SURCHARGE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD CLEARLY HELP.

BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS TO LOOK AT HERE, SO I HOPE THAT'S HELPFUL.

>> LES MILLER: WHO NEGOTIATES THAT SURCHARGE WITH THE CITY?

IS THAT US?

>> NO.

I MEAN, I THINK -- WE HAVE ASKED, PLURIS HAS ASKED.

THE CITY'S POSITION IS THAT THAT'S THE SURCHARGE.

THAT'S WHAT IT IS, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT.

I MEAN, WE CAN -- AS A BOARD, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU COULD -- YOU COULD SEND A LETTER TO THE MAYOR AND SAY, PLEASE CONSIDER IN THIS CASE MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION OF THE SURCHARGE, BUT WE HAVE NO STANDING, WE HAVE NO BASIS TO, YOU KNOW, DEMAND OR SUE OR DO ANYTHING ELSE.

I MEAN, IT'S THEIR SYSTEM.

UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE SOME OTHERS, IT'S SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY AND IT'S JUST -- WE INHERITED THESE THINGS FROM, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR SYSTEM PAID SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS TO TAKE OVER PACKAGE PLANTS, TO TAKE OVER FRANCHISES IN THE PAST, AND SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX THEM, HOOK PEOPLE UP TO OUR SYSTEM, AND IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE BEAST HERE.

SO --

>> LES MILLER: I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MAY BE -- [INAUDIBLE] WHY ARE WE GOING IN FOR A TEN-YEAR RENEWAL?

WHY ARE WE -- WHY AREN'T WE GOING TO SOMETHING LESS THAN TEN YEARS?

>> MR. MILLER, THIS IS CHIP FLETCHER.

THE -- MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE APPLICANT REQUESTED THE TEN YEARS.

I'M GOING TO ASK HANK ENNIS TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT ANY DISCRETION WE MAY HAVE IN THAT REGARD, IN TERMS OF THE TIME FRAME OF THE RENEWAL.

>> HANK ENNIS, COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

THE APPLICATION WAS FOR A TEN-YEAR RENEWAL.

IF THE APPLICANT WAS WILLING TO LOWER THE AMOUNT OF YEARS, THAT WOULD BE AT THEIR DISCRETION, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO THAT BEFORE ANY KIND OF CHANGE IN THAT TEN-YEAR RENEWAL TAKES PLACE.

>> LES MILLER: WOULD THE APPLICANT BE AGREEABLE TO SOMETHING LESS THAN TEN YEARS?

>> THIS IS MARTY FRIEDMAN AGAIN ON BEHALF OF PLURIS.

THE PROBLEM, COMMISSIONER MILLER, IS THAT THE UTILITY, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, HAS INI ISSUES, AND HAS TO CONTINUE ON A MANUAL BASIS TO EXPEND SUBSTANTIAL FUNDS TO REMEDY THE INI ISSUE, AND IF A FIVE-YEAR FRANCHISE WE NEWLY ISN'T A SUFFICIENT TIME IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE UTILITY TO RECOVER THAT INVESTMENT.

>> LES MILLER: I'M -- I'M PERPLEXED.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO SUPPORT A TEN-YEAR RENEWAL ON THIS, MR. CHAIRMAN.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE SAYING THERE, TO SERVICE DEBT, BUT JUST AS I SAID BEFORE, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE HEALTH CARE ISSUES, WE -- LONG RENEWALS AND CONTRACTS, IT APPEARS [INAUDIBLE] SOMETHING ELSE THAN A TEN-YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, IT COULD BE BETTER FOR THE CUSTOMERS AND THE CITIZENS.

RIGHT NOW I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR A TEN-YEAR RENEWAL.

HOWEVER, IF THIS IS GOING TO PASS I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SEND A LETTER TO THE MAYOR ASKING IF THIS PASSES THAT THEY LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF NEGOTIATING THIS 25% SURCHARGE THAT'S STICKING IT TO THE CUSTOMERS OUT THERE.

THEY'RE GETTING CHARGED FOR SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT'S ABSORBABLE BY THE CITY, AND IF WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT WITH THE MAYOR, [INAUDIBLE] CITY COUNCIL MEETING, MAYBE WE COULD WORK SOMETHING OUT TO LOWER THAT.

I'M JUST NOT SURE ABOUT A TEN-YEAR RENEWAL.

I WOULD HOPE THAT THE COMPANY WOULD CONSIDER BRINGING IT DOWN FROM A TEN-YEAR RENEWAL.

I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY [INAUDIBLE].

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MILLER.

COMMISSIONER BECKNER?

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEVIN BECKNER: I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR CITIZENS FOR COMING OUT HERE BECAUSE I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS ISSUE HASN'T JUST ARISEN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.

IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IS TO PROVIDE FOR THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF ALL OF ITS CITIZENS, AND A PINNACLE PART OF THAT IS ESPECIALLY IN THE HEALTH AND THE WELL-BEING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR ON CITIZENS HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN, AFFORDABLE, POTABLE WATER.

I JUST THINK THAT'S OUR ROLE TO PROVIDE THAT.

WE ALSO HAVE FOUND THAT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THAT GOVERNMENT CANNOT PROVIDE EVERY SINGLE SERVICE THAT OUR RESIDENTS NEED, THAT WE RELY ON GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

THAT'S BEEN SIMILAR TO THE CASE HERE, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, IF YOU WOULD, THAT I DON'T THINK HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL OVER THE YEARS AND DOES NOT WORK.

[APPLAUSE]

I WENT OVER WITH STAFF, AND THEY WERE GOING OVER -- BECAUSE I ALSO ASKED THE SAME QUESTION THAT COMMISSIONER MILLER POSED OF WHAT IT WOULD COST TO ACQUIRE THE UTILITIES, AND THERE'S A RANGE, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS.

SO IT'S NOT SIMPLE.

I DON'T KNOW, AND I'M NOT -- HAVE NOT COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THAT RATE IS ALSO -- THAT IT'S FAIR TO PASS THOSE ACQUISITION COSTS TO ALL OF OUR TAXPAYERS, BECAUSE LIKE OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS, THEY INHERITED A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT WEREN'T THEIRS, BUT THEY'RE THE ONES IN OFFICE AND THEY HAVE TO FIX IT.

WE MAY NOT HAVE INHERITED THIS AS A BOARD, BUT IT'S OUR JOB TO ACTUALLY FIX IT.

AND WHEN I LOOK --

[APPLAUSE]

AND YES, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS AND THEY SHOWED ME THE OPERATING LOSSES THAT WE WOULD INCUR BY INCURRING THOSE FACILITIES, AS A BUSINESS DECISION IT MAY NOT MAKE SENSE.

SO I WENT HOME AND I SLEPT ON THIS, LOOKING AT THIS AS A BUSINESS DECISION.

I THOUGHT ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF COST TO TAXPAYERS IT WOULD COST OUR ORGANIZATION AS WELL TO ACQUIRE THE FACILITIES, AND IS IT THE RIGHT BUSINESS DECISION?

DOES IT MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE?

IT MAY NOT MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE, BUT SOMETIMES THERE COMES A TIME WHEN A PRICE TAG CANNOT BE PLACED ON THE MORAL OBLIGATION OF GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE FOR THE BASIC AND ESSENTIAL NEEDS OF ITS PEOPLE.

[APPLAUSE]

ACCESS TO CLEAN AND AFFORDABLE, POTABLE WATER SHOULD NOT BE A PRIVILEGE FOR SOME BUT A BASIC FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.

AND SOME EMOTION -- SO THE MOTION I ACTUALLY WOULD MAKE IS THAT I WOULD DIRECT STAFF TO GO BACK AND PROVIDE THIS BOARD WITH OPTIONS ON ACQUIRING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES THAT ARE IN QUESTION HERE, PROVIDE US THE FINANCIAL COSTS OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST TO ACQUIRE AND WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE TO PAY FOR IT, AND THEN ALSO TO MEET WITH THE CITY OF TAMPA BECAUSE THIS IS -- WE'VE HAD MANY SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE ENTERED IN WITH THE CITY, AND I THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD ALSO -- I HOPE THAT THEY WOULD SEE THIS AS PART OF THEIR MORAL OBLIGATION AS WELL TOO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THIS FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO OUR CITIZENS.

SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD PUT FORWARD AS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

[APPLAUSE]

>> JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, ARE YOU DIRECTING STAFF TO EXPLORE OPTIONS ON ACQUIRING ALL FOUR OF THE FRANCHISES?

AND THEN ALSO MEET WITH THE CITY OF TAMPA?

>> KEVIN BECKNER: THAT'S CORRECT.

>> I'M SORRY, WHICH FRANCHISES?

>> ALL FRANCHISES.

>> ALL OF THEM.

>> PLURIS.

>> KEVIN BECKNER: IN OTHER WORDS, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK -- I THINK IT'S OUR ROLE TO PROVIDE THE BASIC SERVICES OF POTABLE WATER AND SEWER TO OUR RESIDENTS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THE PRIVATE FRANCHISE OUT OF THAT ROLE.

[APPLAUSE]

>> HOLD ON ONE SECOND, COMMISSIONER.

DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT?

>> YES.

AND WE WILL DO THAT, AND SO I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION WE PROVIDED YOU IS -- IS WORK THAT WE DID WITH OUR CONSULTANT AND IT'S THE LATEST INFORMATION.

SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD BE BRINGING BACK ANYTHING NEW ON THE COST SIDE.

I JUST DIDN'T WANT YOUR EXPECTATION TO BE THAT WE WOULD COME BACK AND WE WOULD GIVE YOU SOMETHING LOWER OR DIFFERENT, BECAUSE, IN FACT, I THINK IN THE KIND OF SITUATION THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING OR THAT WE THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, THE COST WOULD BE HIGHER BECAUSE, AS I SAID, THERE WOULD NOT BE A WILLING SELLER, AND WE HAVE NOT FACTORED IN THE COST OF REHABILITATING THE SYSTEMS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T INDEPENDENTLY GONE IN AND RUN CAMERAS THROUGH THE PIPES AND DONE AN ASSESSMENT.

SO WE WILL GO BACK AND LOOK AGAIN, BUT I JUST DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT BY VIRTUE OF DOING THAT WE WOULD COME BACK WITH A NUMBER THAT WOULD BE LOWER.

KEV CONVENIENT IT'S NOT MY EXPECTATIONS AT ALL -- IT'S NOT MY EXPECTATION ALL.

I'M NOT EXPECTING YOU TO WORK FINANCIAL MAGIC HERE.

THE NUMBERS ARE WHAT THEY ARE, THERE'S GOING TO BE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND AGAIN, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND I THINK THIS IS, AGAIN, ONE PARTNERSHIP, THAT IT'S OUR OBLIGATION TO TAKE CARE OF THESE BASIC SERVICES, AND IT WILL BE THIS BOARD JOB TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT.

IT JUST NEEDS -- SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE FINANCE THIS TIME.

IT'S ABOUT THE MORAL OBLIGATION TO THE PEOPLE.

>> NO, I UNDERSTAND.

I JUST WANT TO BE SURE --

[APPLAUSE]

I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE SURE WHERE THINGS STOOD.

IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO ME IF BEFORE I TALK TO THE MAYOR, THIS BOARD WERE TO TAKE AN OFFICIAL ACTION, I WOULD AT LEAST HAVE THAT IN MY HIP POCKET WHEN I TALK TO HIM ABOUT THE 25% SURCHARGE.

I MEAN, NOT THAT HE AND I DON'T HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR AN OFFICIAL ACTION IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THAT.

AND SINCE YOU ASKED -- SINCE YOU'RE ASKING US TO COME BACK AND PROVIDE YOU WITH OPTIONS, SO I MENTIONED TWO OPTIONS.

THERE ARE NOT MANY VERY MANY OPTIONS.

THERE'S THE OPTION WHERE THE CUSTOMERS AND THE UTILITY SYSTEM BEAR THE COSTS.

THAT'S ONE.

THE SECOND IS GENERAL FUND AS WE HAVE DONE IN THE CASE OF RUSKIN.

THE THIRD I WANT TO MENTION BECAUSE IT INVOLVES THE FOLKS THAT ARE BEING SERVED, AND THAT IS AN ASSESSMENT DISTRICT.

AN ASSESSMENT DISTRICT, THESE CITIZENS IN EASTLAKE WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO ASSESS THEMSELVES FOR THE COST OF ACQUISITION AND REPAIR OF THE SYSTEM TO GET IT BACK TO A STATE WHERE THEY GET CLEAN WATER, AND SO THERE WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, A MONTHLY FIXED COST THAT -- BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO FINANCE THAT COST OVER 30 YEARS, PROBABLY.

SO THERE WOULD BE A MONTHLY FIXED COST TO PAY FOR THE ACQUISITION, AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT THERE WOULD BE THE MONTHLY WATER AND SEWER BILLS.

BUT THE MONTHLY WATER AND SEWER BILLS WOULD BE MUCH, MUCH SMALLER BECAUSE NOW WE FIXED THE SYSTEM AND WE WOULD BE RUNNING IT, YOU KNOW, AT AN OPTIMUM KIND OF PLACE.

BUT TO DO THAT WE CANNOT IMPOSE ON THE CITIZENS ANYWHERE, NOT JUST THESE CITIZENS, AN ASSESSMENT DISTRICT.

THEY WOULD HAVE TO VOLUNTARILY SIGN UP FOR THAT.

THAT'S WHAT WE DO FOR RECLAIMED WATER.

A MAJORITY OF FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAY, WE WANT RECLAIMED WATER.

WE DO ASSESSMENT DISTRICTS.

SO THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES OF IT.

SO AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK WE WERE GOING TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS -- THAT WE HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT.

BUT THAT IS -- IT IS A FEASIBLE OPTION.

IT JUST REQUIRES A DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIP HERE, SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION IT.

>> I WOULD SAY AT THIS POINT IN TIME BRING US BACK OUR OPTIONS BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT MY SENTIMENTS WOULD LEAN AGAINST THAT, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T LIKE AN OPTIONAL RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM, WHERE IT'S KIND OF LIKE NICE TO HAVE OR SOMETHING WE WANT TO HAVE.

CLEAN POTABLE WATER IS SOMETHING WE MUST HAVE, AND IT SHOULD BE A BASIC RIGHT FOR OUR CITIZENS.

[APPLAUSE]

SO I WOULD SAY BRING BACK THOSE OPTIONS BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THOSE ARE THE SENTIMENTS THAT I FEEL, AT LEAST RIGHT AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

BUT LET'S EXPLORE ALL OF OUR OPTIONS.

WE'LL HAVE BOARD CONVERSATION AROUND WHICH ONE IS THE BEST.

>> COMMISSIONER CRIST AND THEN COMMISSIONER MILLER.

>> VICTOR CRIST: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT THIRD ONLY POLL OPTION BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD I LIVED IN PREVIOUS TO THE ONE I'M IN NOW WE EXERCISED THAT OPTION 20 YEARS AGO AND IT WORKED WELL FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO BE ABLE TO GO ON TO CITY WATER AND SEWER.

BECAUSE WE WERE ON SEPTICS AND WELLS AT THE TIME.

THE OTHER ISSUE IS THE 25%.

THIS ISN'T THE ONLY COMMUNITY THAT IS HAVING TO ENCUMBER THAT.

MOST ALL OF HILLSBOROUGH AND THE NEW TAMPA AREA IS ALSO HAVING TO PAY THAT.

IN FACT, FOR THE VERY SAME GARBAGE SERVICES, ON THE VERY SAME CONTRACT THAT WE'VE JUST INITIATED, THE CITY IS PRACTICALLY DOUBLING IT AND CHARGING THOSE RESIDENTS UP THERE ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT THE COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE PAYING FOR THE SAME SERVICE AND THE SAME VENDOR.

AND WE'RE BILLING IT.

THE COUNTY, CITY ISN'T EVEN BILLING IT.

SO IF WE TALK ABOUT SENDING OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO THE MAYOR TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS, ARE WE SUGGESTING THAT HE JUST GO AND DISCUSS IT FOR ONE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ARE WE GOING AND TELLING HIM TO DISCUSS IT BETWEEN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY?

BECAUSE THIS IS A GENERAL POLICY ACROSS THE BOARD, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EACH OF YOUR SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS BUT IT'S A BIG ISSUE IN MY DISTRICT.

>> BIG ISSUE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL.

>> I WOULD SAY, AGAIN, THAT AS A ROLE IN GOVERNMENT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS AS PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY, AND WHETHER IT'S ALL THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE DISCUSSION NEEDS TO BE HAD.

>> SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE.

>> I'M LOOKING AT A BIGGER FIX AND NOT JUST A PATCH OR BAND-AID FOR ONE AREA.

[APPLAUSE]

>> COMMISSIONER BECKNER, THAT IS WHAT I WAS HOPING TO HEAR YOU SAY AND WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAYING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE CLEAR ON THAT.

I SUPPORT THE DIRECTION THAT YOU'RE GOING IN.

I TOO FEEL THAT SAME WAY, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PART OF WHAT IS OUR BASIC CORE MISSION AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF US IS PROVIDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

EARLIER TODAY WE APPROVED SEVERAL MILLION FOR THE YMCA, TO BUILD A NEW RECREATION CENTER, WHICH OF COURSE WAS NEEDED IN SOUTH FLORIDA, BUT IT WASN'T LIFE SUSTAINING.

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS JUST GENERAL DAY-TO-DAY LIFE SUSTAINING MEASURES THAT ARE PART OF OUR VALUABLE INFRASTRUCTURE.

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER MILLER.

>> LES MILLER: THANKS.

THAT WAS BASICALLY IN THE MOTION THAT COMMISSIONER BECKNER MADE, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SAYS, WHEN THIS PASSES, HE HAS IN HIS HIP POCKET THE AUTHORITY TO GO OVER TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT AND DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE MAYOR AND TRY TO NEGOTIATE A MEANS OF -- REDUCTION THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE COUNTY, JUST LIKE HE SAID, WATER IS A NECESSITY AND IT IS A LIFE THREAT FOR EVERYONE.

[INAUDIBLE] VIVIDLY SINCE 2010, AND [INAUDIBLE] MY AREA, WE HAVE EASTLAKE AND PALM RIVER.

SO I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE MOTION IN THE HOPE THAT WE GIVE ALL THE AUTHORITY AND BACKING TO OUR [INAUDIBLE] IN HIS POCKET THAT HE FEELS HE HAS TO GO AND DEAL WITH THE MAYOR.

SO I WILL BE GLAD TO SECOND THIS MOTION.

>> KEN HAGAN: OKAY, THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER SHARPE?

>> MARK SHARPE: MY FIRST QUESTION THAT I THINK COMMISSIONER CRIST ASKED, I WAS INTERESTED IN THE 25%.

OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY WE'RE DISCUSSING HERE, DO WE KNOW WHO ELSE PAYS THE 25% SURCHARGE?

DO WE HAVE A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT PAY THE 25% SURCHARGE?

>> JOHN, DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA?

>> MARK SHARPE: AND THE QUESTION I'M GOING TO ASK COMING UP WILL BE A WATER RATE QUESTION BECAUSE I'M INTERESTED IN TRYING TO DRILL DOWN TO DETERMINE WHERE THE RATE DIFFERENTIAL.

>> COMMISSIONER, THIS IS JOHN LYONS.

TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, PLURIS EASTLAKE SENDS THEIR WASTEWATER TO THE CITY OF TAMPA FOR TREATMENT, AND THEY PAY THAT FEE.

THE PLURIS PEBBLE CREEK, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AT THAT LOCATION.

THE OTHER -- THE OTHER FRANCHISE UTILITIES ARE A COMBINATION OF WHERE THEY PROVIDE WATER ONLY, AND MOST OF THE FOLKS ARE ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF ANY URBAN SERVICE AREA FOR THE REST OF THOSE FRANCHISE UTILITIES.

THERE'S ABOUT 970, PLUS OR MINUS, I BELIEVE, RESIDENTS IN EASTLAKE.

>> MARK SHARPE: WHAT MAKES SENSE, THEN, TO BUILD A FACILITY THAT COULD TREAT THE WATER SEPARATELY?

>> IF YOU'RE ASKING MY OPINION -- I WOULD SUSPECT, I MEAN, IF WE OPERATED THE SYSTEM, WE WOULD -- WE DON'T HAVE ANY FACILITIES, ANY PIPELINES WITHIN, YOU KNOW, TWO TO THREE MILES OF THERE.

THE CITY OF TAMPA SURROUNDS PLURIS EASTLAKE COMPLETELY, IT'S WITHIN THEIR SERVICE AREA, AND I SUSPECT WHAT WE WOULD DO IS SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO DOWN IN THE SEABOARD SYSTEM, WHERE WE PURCHASE OUR WATER FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA AND WE SEND OUR WASTEWATER TO THE CITY OF TAMPA.

>> MARK SHARPE: CITY OF TAMPA.

I'M FAMILIAR WITH THEIR WATER.

THERE'S -- IF YOU DON'T FLUSH THE CITY OF TAMPA'S WATER, AND IT SITS, IT WILL COME OUT LOOKING DISCOLORED.

THERE IS NO MAGIC TO THE WATER IN THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND I GUESS I COULD SPEAK TO THE COUNTY'S WATER, BUT SEDIMENT IS GOING TO BUILD UP.

SO THERE'S A WATER ISSUE THAT'S SEPARATE -- EVERYONE IS DEALING WITH THE PIPING ISSUE.

BUT THE PRICE DIFFERENTIAL, BECAUSE I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN SOME OF THE TESTIMONY FROM SOME OF THE CITIZENS, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE RATE DIFFERENTIAL FOR THE -- FOR THE DRINKING WATER, POTABLE WATER, VERSUS THE SEWER.

ARE THEY ROUGHLY -- I'VE BEEN HEARING -- I HEARD FROM PLURIS AND I'VE HEARD FROM THE CITIZENS.

LET'S START WITH DRINKING WATER, AND THEY INDICATED 5,000 AND 10,000, THAT THERE ACTUALLY WAS FAIRLY SIMILAR, PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT LESS, BUT FOR DRINKING WATER.

>> WE DID A -- JUST A GENERIC RATE COMPARISON, OURS VERSUS -- FOR 6,000 GALLONS VERSUS THE CITY OF TAMPA VERSUS PLURIS.

AND WITHIN OUR BILL STRUCTURE TOO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME FIXED FEES IN THERE FOR BILLING COSTS, FOR DEBT SERVICE AND SOME OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

BUT ON THE WATERSIDE, FOR A 6,000-GALLON BILL, PLURIS EASTLAKE WOULD BE ABOUT 35.80 FOR THE WATER ALONE.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 20.13, HAD THE OTHER 22.14.

>> THAT'S DRINKING WATER.

SO NOW WHEN WE'RE SEEING THESE LARGE CHARGES OF 150, 200, $300 AND THEN YOU HEAR THE OUTRAGEOUS EXAMPLES OF 4 AND $500 --

>> FOR 6,000 GALLONS OF WATER, WATER BILL, WHICH TRIGGERS THE SEWER BILL, PLURIS WOULD BE ABOUT 111.27.

WE WOULD BE AT ABOUT 41.25, THE CITY WOULD BE AT 47.16.

>> MARK SHARPE: WE'RE LEARNING SOMETHING HERE.

BUT THAT'S THE SEWER BILL.

IS THAT DUE TO THE 25% SURCHARGE?

OR WHAT'S CAUSING THAT --

>> I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

>> MARK SHARPE: SO LET'S --

>> I MEAN, BASED -- IF YOU TAKE THE CITY OF TAMPA AT 47.16, PLUS 25%, THAT WOULD ONLY GET YOU TO WHAT, ABOUT $60 OR SO.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OTHER CHARGES -- I WOULD SUSPECT --

>> MARK SHARPE: THAT WAS HOW MUCH WATER USAGE?

>> 6,000, BUT LET ME CAVEAT THAT, SIR.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE -- PLURIS IS METERED ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE FOR THE FLOW THAT COMES BACK, AND SO IT DOESN'T COUNT FOR THOSE OTHER SYSTEM INFILTRATION, SO IF YOU HAVE INFILTRATION INTO THE SYSTEM, YOU MAY ONLY BUY 6,000 GALLONS OF WATER, BUT THE SYSTEM MAY PROCESS MORE THAN 6,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER CUSTOMER.

BECAUSE OF THAT INFILTRATION.

>> MARK SHARPE: SO BAD PIPING OR -- OLD PIPING.

>> OLD PIPING, YES, SIR.

>> MARK SHARPE: AND WILL THAT ISSUE GO AWAY IF WE WERE TO TAKE IT OVER?

>> ONLY IF WE FIXED IT.

>> YEAH, WE HAVE TO REPIPE THE PIPES.

>> COMMISSIONER SHARPE, THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE A CHEAP, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE, AND I THINK -- I'M EXPECTING THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A CONSIDERABLE INVESTMENT, AS WE SHOULD.

THIS IS BASIC ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO OUR RESIDENTS, AND YEAH, IT'S GOING TO BE AN INVESTMENT.

WE SHOULD NOT REQUIRE THESE -- ACQUIRE THESE UTILITIES AND THEN NOT MAKE APPROPRIATE FIXES AND HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS.

LET'S FIX THE PROBLEM TODAY THAT EXISTS TODAY, SO NOT ONLY IT'S FIXED FOR TODAY, IT'S FIXED FOR GENERATIONS OR HOWEVER -- 40 YEARS OR WHATEVER THE PIPES ARE GOING TO LAST.

[APPLAUSE].

>> I AM 100% ON BOARD WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING INVESTMENTS IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, PAYING THE COST, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, WHETHER IT'S TRANSPORTATION OR WATER, THESE ARE CORE, ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A COMMUNITY AND HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE, BUT THERE IS AN ISSUE HERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE VERY UP FRONT ABOUT, BECAUSE IF THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL COST BORNE ON THE RATE PAIR, THE -- I REMEMBER WHEN WERE TALKING ABOUT -- WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A 25% INCREASE.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A MONTH OR -- FOR OUR CABLE FRANCHISE.

AND I WAS LOOKING AT MY 8-FOOT -- ACROSS -- I WAS LOOKING ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY, THE ANGRY EMAILS.

WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE IS AN US VERSUS THEM BATTLE AS OTHER CITIZENS FIND OUT THEIR RATES ARE GOING TO GO UP, AND THEY'RE GOING TO COME ROLLING IN HERE.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT ALL OF OUR FACTS AND WE'RE PREPARED TO EXPLAIN IT.

I AGREE WITH YOU.

MY CONCERN IS THE PATCHWORK DOESN'T FIX THE PROBLEM.

I DON'T WANT TO SUPPORT A PATCHWORK.

THERE'S GOING TO BE A COST.

DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA, MR. MERRILL, WHAT -- IF WE WERE TO ABSORB THESE COSTS AND SPREAD IT OUT, WHAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT FOR THE AVERAGE RATE PAYER?

>> ONLY BASED ON JUST AN ASSUMED ACQUISITION COST AND OPERATING LOSSES WOULD BE ANYTHING FROM -- MY SCREEN WENT DOWN.

HOLD ON A SECOND.

>> AT THE 456 TO 612.

>> PER MONTH, YEAH, BUT YOU CAN BET IT WILL BE HIGHER THAN THAT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE COST OF FIXING THE SYSTEM.

SO -- AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT COST WILL BE BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T GONE AND INVESTIGATED THE PIPES AND --

>> MARK SHARPE: BUT LET ME ASK WITH REGARD TO FIXING THE SYSTEM.

I MEAN, PART OF THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE THIS SURCHARGE ISSUE.

IF THE SYSTEM WAS GOING TO BE ACQUIRED AND WE WERE TO TAKE IT OVER AND RUN IT THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, THEY WOULDN'T BE PAYING THE 25% SURCHARGE?

>> NO, THAT'S -- THE PROBLEM IS --

>> MARK SHARPE: AND WOULD THEY THEN NOT KIND OF JUST WORK THEIR WAY INTO -- ALL OF OUR CITIZENS HAVE ISSUES WITH REGARD TO REPAIRS.

WOULD THERE BE AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO REPAIRING THE SYSTEM OR WOULD WE BE ABLE TO KIND OF OVER TIME BUILD IN THE REPAIRS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ADD THAT ADDITIONAL COST?

IF WE GO IN TO REBUILD THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, DO ALL THE PIPES, THAT COULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE.

>> MY SENTIMENTS, MY THOUGHTS ARE, LET'S LET OUR EXPERT BRING US BACK THE OPTIONS, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE -- AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY KNOW AT THIS TIME WHAT THAT WOULD BE.

BUT I THINK WHAT WE NEED -- WHAT I'M ASKING STAFF FOR ARE WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS.

I DON'T WANT A SHORT-TERM FIX.

I WANT A LONG-TERM FIX.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ALL SHOULD LOOK FOR.

AND YES, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RESTRUCTURING AND THE REBUILDING OF A SYSTEM, IT IS NOT THE UP-FRONT COST -- THE UP-FRONT COSTS ARE GOING TO BE PROBABLY SUBSTANTIAL, BUT AGAIN, IT'S AN INVESTMENT INTO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO EVALUATE AS A BOARD.

WE'VE HAD MANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MAYOR IORIO DID THAT BEFORE SHE LEFT OFFICE, INVESTED SIGNIFICANTLY INTO THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO I'M JUST ASKING, I THINK THEY NEED TO BRING BACK THE OPTIONS TO US.

>> MARK SHARPE: CAN WE ALSO AS WELL -- SINCE THE CITY OF TAMPA SITS RIGHT THERE, I MEAN, THERE MIGHT BE -- IF WE'RE PIPING -- IF WE'RE PIPING IT A LONGER DISTANCE AND IT'S GOING TO ADD A COST -- IT'S GOING TO ADD A COST, MIGHT WE BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY AND PROVIDE THEM SOME ASSISTANCE SO THAT -- THERE MIGHT BE A WAY TO DO THIS AT LESS COST, WHERE WE'RE PURCHASE -- WE'RE ASSISTING THE CITY AND ASSUMING SOME OF THE COST AND THE COUNTY DOESN'T TAKE THE WHOLE THING.

I WANT US TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR OPTIONS.

I WANT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION.

I'M GOING TO SUPPORT YOU.

BUT I WANT US TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH THIS --

>> SURE.

>> MARK SHARPE: AND LOOK AT EVERY OPTION.

>> I THINK THIS COULD BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP.

WE WORKED WITH THE CITY ON ERP AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE VERY, VERY CHALLENGING.

SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE OPEN TO ALL OPTIONS, AND CERTAINLY PARTNERING WITH THE CITY I THINK COULD BE ONE OF OUR GREATEST INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS, IF WE CAN --

>> MARK SHARPE: NEXT TO TRANSPORTATION.

>> NEXT TO TRANSPORTATION.

WELL, ACTUALLY -- LET ME TAKE THAT BACK BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY EVEN GREATER THAN --

>> MARK SHARPE: YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU.

DRINKING WATER, I'M WITH YOU.

I UNDERSTAND.

>> KEN HAGAN: WE GOT TO KEEP MOVING HERE BUT I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION.

MIKE, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, HAVE WE EVER HAD A FORMAL DISCUSSION WITH THE CITY ABOUT THE 25% SURCHARGE?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

I'LL HAVE TO ASK.

QUICKLY.

I DON'T WANT TO GET ALL INTO IT, BUT --

>> JOHN LYONS.

THE ANSWER WOULD BE NOT A FORMAL DISCUSSION.

>> I JUST -- IT'S MY RECOLLECTION THIS WAS A POLICY DECISION DRIVEN BY A PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL, ONE OR TWO MEMBERS IN PARTICULAR, NO LONGER SERVE.

AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE EVER HAD A FORMAL DISCUSSION BETWEEN COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR THE COMMISSIONER CHAIRMAN AND THE MAYOR, SO I DON'T BELIEVE IT WOULD BE THAT DIFFICULT OF A FIX, PERSONALLY.

>> KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER MURMAN AND THEN COMMISSIONER CRIST.

>>> YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST SAY IN OUR DEALINGS WITH THE CITY, OBVIOUSLY IT'S ABOUT LEVERAGE, AND, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE OTHER THINGS WE PARTNER WITH THEM ON.

I THINK WE ARE DOING THEM A FAVOR BY PAYING FOR A LOT OF THINGS IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW, LIBRARY SERVICE.

I MEAN, YOU CAN GO THROUGH 68 DIFFERENT THINGS WE PAY IN THE CITY.

WE'RE CONSTANTLY PAYING FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

COMMISSIONER CRIST, BUT -- EASY, JUST FIX IT.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH THE REPORT, ARE YOU GOING TO GO IN AND LOOK AT ALL THOSE OLD PIPES?

>> NO.

>> SANDY MURMAN: YOU CAN'T DO THAT?

>> WELL, IT WOULD TAKE -- I'D HAVE TO GET AUTHORITY TO SPEND MONEY TO DO THAT.

THAT'S A BIG -- THAT'S A BIG PROJECT.

>> SANDY MURMAN: SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL COST IS GOING TO BE?

>> USUALLY IN THESE KINDS OF TRANSACTIONS THEY ARE NOT A FRIENDLY SALE, WHICH IS PART OF WHAT YOU'RE HEARING, AND SO YOU DON'T OFTEN -- WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF GOING IN AND INSPECTING CLOSELY THESE FACILITIES BEFORE WE EMBARK DOWN THIS ROAD.

>> SANDY MURMAN: SO WE WOULD BE GUESSTIMATING?

>> YES.

>> SANDY MURMAN: AND THE GUESSTIMATE COULD BE -- I MEAN, THESE ARE VERY OLD PIPES.

>> YES.

>> SANDY MURMAN: AND I KNOW THE CITY OF TAMPA -- I MEAN, VERY OLD PIPES, AND WHEN YOU TURN THE WATER ON, EVEN -- OFF EVEN FOR SIX HOURS, YOU TURN IT BACK ON YOUR WATER IS RED FOR, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST TWO HOURS.

>> IT'S BEEN A NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE WE'VE DONE THIS, AND SO WHATEVER HISTORICAL COST INFORMATION WE HAVE WOULDN'T BE VALID.

THE OTHER THING I DO NEED TO MENTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THESE FOUR OR FIVE FRANCHISES, THERE ARE OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY YOU'VE HEARD FROM ABOUT WATER QUALITY, SO --

>> SANDY MURMAN: EXACTLY.

>> IT WON'T END HERE, AND SO JUST TO BE AWARE.

WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN AND DO THE BEST WE CAN TO ESTIMATE IT, BUT FOR THE REASONS CHIP MENTIONED IT'S GOING TO BE AN ESTIMATE.

WE CAN GIVE YOU RANGES, AND WE'LL JUST FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.

THAT'S --

>> SANDY MURMAN: I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE, JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING ON TRANSPORTATION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR THESE TYPES OF THINGS, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE FUNDING OPTIONS, FUNDING DECISIONS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THIS?

IT IS A BASIC NEED.

I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THESE MOTHERS UP THERE THAT HAVE TO GIVE BOTTLED WATER TO THEIR CHILDREN.

THEY CAN'T -- I'M SURE YOU CAN'T EVEN BATHE YOUR DOGS IN THIS WATER, AND IT'S PRETTY PATHETIC THAT THE WATER -- YOU'VE HAD TO PUT UP WITH THIS WATER QUALITY AS MUCH AS YOU'VE HAD.

SO FIX IT, I FULLY SUPPORT, AND LET'S MOVE ON.

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEN HAGAN: COMMISSIONER CRIST AND THEN WE'LL VOTE ON THE MOTION.

>> VICTOR CRIST: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MY THOUGHTS COMPLETELY.

I AGREE.

LET'S MOVE ON.

WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AND WE ALL ARE ON THE SAME PAGE.

>> MR. MERRILL YOU HAVE YOUR INSTRUCTIONS TO GET 'ER DONE.

[APPLAUSE]

>> KEN HAGAN: WE'VE GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BECKNER, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MILLER.

PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE.

YOU SECOND IT.

OKAY, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT.

OKAY, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM.

PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE.

>> COMMISSIONER MILLER?

>> LES MILLER: BY ALL MEANS, YES.

>> MOTION CARRIES, 7-0.

>> KEN HAGAN: OKAY, THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING DOWN THIS AFTERNOON.

I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

[APPLAUSE]

OKAY, WE HAVE FUTURE ISSUES AND THEN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE THAT COULDN'T SPEAK THIS MORNING.

ARE THERE ANY FUTURE ISSUES?

>> MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M SORRY, DID WE HAVE ACTION ON THE APPLICATION?

DID WE EITHER APPROVE IT, DENY IT OR CONTINUE IT?

WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON THE APPLICATION.

>> SANDY MURMAN: I'LL MAKE -- DO YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A MOTION --

>> I WOULD PAUSE AND ASK FOR DIRECTION FROM OUR COUNTY ATTORNEYS WITH -- BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD, WHAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO TAKE.

>> PERHAPS IN LIGHT OF THE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, THE MOST PRUDENT ACTION WOULD BE TO CONTINUE TILL A DATE -- A DATE WHICH WE WOULD RENOTICE.

>> SANDY MURMAN: SO I'LL MOVE TO CONTINUE.

>> HANK, DO YOU CONCUR WITH THAT?

>> YES, I DO.

>> KEN HAGAN: A MOTION TO CONTINUE BY COMMISSIONER MURMAN, SECOND.

>> SECOND.

>> KEN HAGAN: SECOND, COMMISSIONER BECKNER.

NO COMMENT.

PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE.

>> COMMISSIONER MILLER?

>> LES MILLER: YES.

>> MOTION CARRIES, 7-0.

>> LES MILLER: MR. CHAIRMAN?

>> KEN HAGAN: YES, COMMISSIONER MILLER.

>> LES MILLER: LET ME ASK A QUESTION OF MR. FLETCHER AND MR. MERRILL.

YOU HAVE IN YOUR HIP POCKET NOW THE ABILITY FROM US TO GO TALK TO THE MAYOR ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS DEALING WITH INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE STILL ONGOING [INAUDIBLE] DEALS WITH WATER IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1968, THAT DOES NOT EXPIRE UNTIL 2018.

AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR STAFF, WHO'S BEEN ASTRONOMICALLY GREAT, AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CITY [INAUDIBLE] GOT IN THERE.

IS THERE A LEGAL WAY WE CAN DO AWAY WITH THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT SINCE IT'S BEEN THERE SINCE 1968 [INAUDIBLE] AREA, WHICH OBVIOUSLY NOW THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT, AND MY CONCERN IS DO WE STILL HAVE THE SAME INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BUT IS THERE AN AGREEMENT WE CAN COME TO ABOLISH THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT [INAUDIBLE] THAT POSSIBILITY -- DISCUSSING THAT POSSIBILITY WITH THE MAYOR, DOING AWAY WITH THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENTS, ONLY AS A PLACE NOW FOR [INAUDIBLE] FOUR YEARS AND A FEW MORE MONTHS.

>> WELL, THAT WAS THE OTHER ONE I WAS REFERRING TO THAT'S NOT ON THE LIST OF FRANCHISES.

SO I GUESS IT PROBABLY IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD TALK TO HIM ABOUT, AND SEE WHERE WE CAN GET TO.

BUT THAT'S AN EVEN BIGGER ISSUE THAN THESE FIVE FRANCHISES, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION, AND I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE AT OTHER MEETINGS AND THE COST TO CONNECT THAT, SO I GUESS THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION TOO.

>> LES MILLER: MR. CHAIRMAN, TO GIVE OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR A LITTLE BIT MORE THOUGHT [INAUDIBLE] I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT MR. MERRILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DISCUSS WITH OUR MAYOR THE POSSIBILITY OF ALLEVIATING AND GETTING RID OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT'S INVOLVED, [INAUDIBLE] DUE TO EXPIRE IN 2018, THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE DELETING THAT OR GETTING RID OF THAT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT ALTOGETHER.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION.

>> SECOND.

>> KEN HAGAN: MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MILLER, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BECKNER.

NO COMMENTS.

PLEASE RECORD YOUR VOTE.

>> COMMISSIONER MILLER?

>> LES MILLER: YES.

>> MOTION CARRIES, 7-0.

>> KEN HAGAN: OKAY, THANK YOU.

ANY FUTURE ITEMS?

>> I HAVE ONE.

AND I HAVE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH MS. GARZA ON THIS.

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK HER STAFF TO BRING BACK A REPORT ON THE RESURFACING IN LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS.

I AM GETTING TONS OF CALLS FROM WEST CHASE, TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, SOUTH TAMPA WHERE THE COUNTY ROADS EXIST.

I KNOW COMMISSIONER MILLER HAS GOT PROBLEMS WITH COUNTY ROADS IN HIS DISTRICT.

I MEAN, IT'S ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LINE.

SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE HER COME BACK AND BRING THE REPORT ON THE RESURFACING ISSUE, IN LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT'S NOT THE MAJOR ARTERIES AND THE RESURFACING WE APPROVED IN THE BUDGET.

>> KEN HAGAN: OKAY.

ANY OTHER ITEMS?

OKAY.

WE HAVE 15 INDIVIDUALS THAT DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS MORNING.

I KNOW I SEE AT LEAST ONE OF THEM HERE TODAY.

IF ANYONE IS HERE THAT DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK THIS MORNING, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

KEVIN THURMAN, 777 NORTH ASHLEY DRIVE, TAMPA, FLORIDA.

I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CONNECT TAMPA BAY AND I'M HERE TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MEETING THAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT THAT IS PART OF THE ORGANIZATION YOU ALL ARE PART OF.

EARLIER TODAY WE SENT YOU A LETTER SIGNED BY 66 PEOPLE OF THE 150 PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE LAST NIGHT.

WE'RE SPECIFICALLY ASKING YOU TO LOOK AT TRADING DEADLINES AND DECISIONS FOR YOUR PROCESS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION LEADERSHIP GROUP, SO THAT SOME ACTION IS TAKEN.

CREATING.

SO THESE ACTIONS OF INFRASTRUCTURE YOU'RE DEALING WITH NOW DON'T HAPPEN ON TRANSPORTATION, SO YOU CAN MOVE AND HAVE THOSE DEADLINES AND DO IT.

AND I'D ENCOURAGE YOU FOR READ THAT LETTER.

I'D ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT I'M SAYING NOW.

THE TRUTH IS THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CARE ABOUT, AND I GUESS WE'LL JUST HAVE TO TELL THAT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

>> KEN HAGAN: THANK YOU, SIR.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR.

MY NAME IS JAMES CHITTENDEN.

MY ADDRESS IS 2137 WEST CHESTNUT STREET, AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.

FROM WHAT -- JUST INFORMATION, THERE ARE SOME COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED SOME SUPPORT FOR FUNDING THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, EVEN IF THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS, AND TO YOU I SAY THANKS.

AND I'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ARE SOME COMMISSIONERS WHO WOULD LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO STUDY THE ISSUE.

THE CENTER IS NOW CLOSED EXCEPT FOR SOME VERY BASIC RUDIMENTARY FUNCTIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT IF YOU WANT TIME TO STUDY THE ISSUE, LET ME HELP.

I SERVED THERE AS A CHAPLAIN MYSELF, A VOLUNTEER CHAPLAIN, FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.

I VOLUNTEER SEVERAL HOURS A MONTH.

I'M NOT A PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED MINISTER OR ANYTHING.

I'M JUST A BUSINESSMAN, BUT I'VE LEARNED A FEW THINGS IN THE TIME THAT I'VE SPENT THERE, SPECIFICALLY THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A PROBLEM THAT DOESN'T REALLY KNOW BOUNDARIES OF -- IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE BLACK OR WHITE OR HISPANIC OR GAY OR STRAIGHT OR MALE OR FEMALE OR MAN OR WOMAN OR CHILD.

THEY'RE ALL JUST SOULS IN THE MIDST OF GREAT TROUBLE.

AND THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK THIS MORNING ABOUT DIFFERENT PARTNER AGENCIES, SUCH AS THE SPRING AND A FEW OTHER PLACES THAT ARE HOUSED WITHIN THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.

THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER RELIEVES A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE OFF OF THOSE AGENCIES BY PUTTING THEM ALL TOGETHER, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IT RELIEVES PRESSURE ON SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND ARE IN THE ABYSS OF REAL PERSONAL TROUBLE.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DOESN'T JUST GO TO BEING SMACKED AROUND IN YOUR OWN HOME.

OFTENTIMES THERE ARE MANY OTHER ISSUES THAT COME UP TOO.

THESE PEOPLE NEED TRANSPORTATION, THEY NEED A HOUSE, THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS -- VARIOUS WAYS THAT THEY CAN ESCAPE THE VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS THAT THEY'RE IN, AND THERE IS NO PLACE ELSE THAT PROVIDES ALL OF IT IN THE SAME PLACE.

IF ANYONE IS WORRIED ABOUT HOW MUCH -- HOW MUCH IT COSTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, I CAN TELL YOU.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, BUT IT'S IN THAT REALLY DREARY GOVERNMENT STRIP MALL OVER ON THE CORNER OF FLORIDA AND BUSH, THE SAME PLACE WHERE YOU GO TO TRAFFIC COURT, THE SAME PLACE YOU GO TO DCF, THE SAME PLACE YOU GO TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE.

I VOLUNTEER THERE, A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE VOLUNTEER THERE.

MOST PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE ARE DOING IT FOR VERY LITTLE MONEY.

NOBODY IS GETTING RICH AND I'M AWARE OF A GREAT DEAL OF PERSONAL SACRIFICE ON THE PART OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

IT IS -- IT'S A VERY AUSTERE PLACE AND I BELIEVE I HEARD SOMEONE ASK THIS MORNING ABOUT IF THERE ARE OTHER FACILITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

IT WOULD BE AN ANSWERED PRAYER IF WE COULD FIND IT.

JUST KNOW THAT EVERYONE IS LOOKING AND I THINK I HEARD SOMEONE SAY RATHER BRILLIANTLY A FEW MINUTES AGO, THAT IT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE FOR, YOU KNOW, THE COMMON GOOD.

THIS IS NOT THE SORT OF THING THAT'S VERY EASILY LENT TO CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP, AND SO I ASK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, FOR SUPPORT FOR THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.

IF NOT THIS WEEK, PERHAPS NEXT WEEK ON THE AGENDA ITEM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> KEN HAGAN: APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

NEXT?

>> THANK YOU.

NEXT, PLEASE?

IF YOU'D PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

>> MY NAME IS PAUL PORTER, 9109 REGENTS PARK DRIVE IN TAMPA.

YOU'RE PROBABLY USED TO HEARING ME AT THE TAMPA BAY TIMES FORUM OR THE RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM.

I'VE SPOKEN WITH MANY OF YOU IN A FAMILIAR VOICE.

AND I DEAL WITH MILLIONAIRE AND BILLIONAIRE ATHLETES AND OWNERS EVERY DAY.

AND I DEAL IN THE BUSINESS OF HAVING FUN, GOING TO A BALL GAME AND ENJOYING YOURSELF OR GOING TO A HOCKEY GAME AND ENJOYING YOURSELF.

BUT TODAY I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, AND THAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND THAT'S WHY I'M WEARING PURPLE.

I'VE SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY WITH YOU COMMISSIONERS.

I WAS HERE AT 9:00 THIS MORNING TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO ME TO WAIT ALL DAY AND WAIT UNTIL I HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW.

AND I APPRECIATE EACH ONE OF YOU AND THE DECISIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE, THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS YOU HAVE TO MAKE IN SPENDING THE TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS, BUT THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN DESPERATE NEED.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES ANYMORE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NEXT HOUR IS GOING TO BRING IN THEIR LIVES, AND THEY NEED THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.

WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS COUNTY THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO IN AN EMERGENCY, BUT THEY'RE OVERFLOWING, AND THEY CAN'T HELP EVERYONE RIGHT WHEN THEY NEED THE HELP.

I COULDN'T GO TO A GAME AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND JUST ENJOY MYSELF IF I KNEW THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE IN THIS TRAGIC, TRAGIC SITUATION.

SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO KEEP THIS FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER ALIVE, AND TO KEEP IT THERE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY, REALLY NEED IT, AND I THINK IF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CAN DO THAT, WE CAN ALL ENJOY OUR GOOD TIMES TOGETHER, BUT WE'LL KNOW THAT THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND NOT HAVING SUCH GOOD TIMES RIGHT NOW WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED AND POSSIBLY, IF NOT PROBABLY, SAVE LIVES AND KEEP PEOPLE, MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NOT JUST WOMEN, BUT MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN THAT NEED THIS HELP.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

>> SANDY MURMAN: THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

COMMISSIONER SHARPE?

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT?

>> KEVIN BECKNER: ON A SEPARATE ISSUE I WANTED TO ASK AND WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS BEFORE THE MEETING, BUT MR. MERRILL, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS IF WE HAD A TIMETABLE AND KIND OF A FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR THIS CONVERSATION ON TRANSPORTATION, WHERE WE'RE -- WHERE HERB AND ERIC ARE TAKING US, THE SET OF MEETINGS THAT WE HAD PLANNED OUT THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR, ANY MEETINGS THAT MIGHT BE PLANNED OUT INTO THE FUTURE, IN 2014, BUT WHAT THE OBJECTIVES ARE, BECAUSE I'M RECEIVING CALLS FROM ALL SIDES, AND I'M TRYING TO GIVE OUT AS MUCH INFORMATION TO EVERYONE, BUT JUST TO KIND OF KNOW WHERE WE'RE PLANNING ON GOING WOULD BE REAL HELPFUL.

 --

>> SANDY MURMAN: YEAH, ACTUALLY I SPOKE TO STAFF THIS MORNING, AND I THINK WE'VE SET UP A MEETING TO DO JUST THAT, SO WE CAN -- MY EXPERIENCE IN THE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY COMMITTEE SERVED ME WELL IN BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU DIRECT THINGS INTO A DISCUSSION, A VERY CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION, SO I THINK ONCE WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO BRING SOMETHING BACK TO YOU.

>> OKAY.

>> SANDY MURMAN: NEXT, PLEASE?

>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS LIZ TAYLOR.

I LIVE AT 1430 PARK CIRCLE, TAMPA, FLORIDA.

WHEN I CAME HERE THIS MORNING AND SIGNED IN BEFORE 9:00, I CAME HERE TO TALK ABOUT TRANSIT, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT THEY GOT MY ATTENTION.

IN FACT, I WAS HERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO BEFORE THE BOARD AT THAT TIME.

AND WHAT HAPPENED -- I DON'T BELIEVE THIS WAS BROUGHT OUT THIS MORNING, THERE IS A HISTORY TO THIS, AND I REALLY HOPE YOU LOOK INTO IT.

AT THAT TIME AFTER THEY HAD THEIR SEED MONEY THE UNDERSTANDING WAS THEY WOULD RECEIVE REGULAR FUNDING FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

THE SHERIFF HAD RECOMMENDED IT.

AND AT THE LAST, AND THERE WAS MONEY IN THE BUDGET.

BUT AT THE LAST MINUTE THE COUNTY COMMISSION HAD A MAJOR DECREASE IN THE SHERIFF'S BUDGET, AND SO THAT WAS WHEN THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER WENT UNFUNDED.

AND AS A RESULT IT WAS TURNED OVER TO THE CHILDREN'S BOARD.

I DON'T KNOW MUCH MORE ABOUT IT THAN THAT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE WERE TWO COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE ON THE BOARD.

I KNOW COMMISSIONER SHARPE AND COMMISSIONER HAGAN, WHO I GUESS HAD TO TAKE A BREAK.

BUT ANYWAY, I REALLY HOPE YOU LOOK INTO THAT AND THINK ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PREVENTION.

I AM SURE THAT NOT ONLY SAVING LIVES, IT MORE THAN MAKES UP THE COST.

SO THINK ABOUT IT.

WOULDN'T YOU RATHER SPEND THE MONEY HELPING PEOPLE AND PREVENTING CRIMES THAN PUTTING PEOPLE IN JAIL?

I KNOW THAT'S HOW I WOULD PREFER MY TAX MONEY TO BE SPENT.

THANKS.

AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE MY TAX MONEY SPENT TOWARD PRODUCTIVE TRANSIT THAT SERVES EVERYONE, ALL KINDS OF MODES.

WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC KIND.

IT WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING TO BE HERE LAST NIGHT AND NOT SEE THE BOARD HERE.

IT WAS A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETING.

WE THOUGHT THAT MEANT YOU WOULD BE HERE.

SO WE SPOKE OUT.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE MEETING WAS FAIRLY INSULTING TO US THE WAY IT WAS FACILITATED.

THEY TALKED ABOUT 2050 PLANNING.

THEY MADE IT ALL ABOUT -- THEY REALLY WANT TO MAKE THIS PLANNING A CAREER.

I THINK WE KNOW WHAT OUR PROBLEMS ARE.

THEY TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE WORK AREAS, THE WORK CENTERS IN OUR COUNTY.

THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR SO PLANNING, LOOKING AT THAT AGAIN I THINK WE HAVE PLENTY OF PLANS, LIKE AT TBARTA, THEY HAVE A PLAN.

SO I HOPE YOU'LL LOOK AT THAT AND LOOK AT SPEEDING UP THAT TIMETABLE.

THANK YOU.

>> SANDY MURMAN: THANK YOU FOR COMING.

NEXT SPEAKER?

>> OKAY, I LIVE AT 30350 USF HOLLY DRIVE.

I REGISTERED THIS MORNING.

THIS IS BECOMING A TIME PIT FOR ME, AND IT MIGHT IMPRESS YOU THAT I'VE BEEN PUT OUT OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AT USF FOR LACK OF PROGRESS ON MY WORK THERE.

BUT I THINK THIS IS VERY MUCH A PART OF MY WORK.

IT'S CALLED -- THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY.

I OFTEN SPEAK ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING, AND HERE'S ABOUT DETROIT.

IF YOU GO OVER THIS, I'VE SENT AROUND COPIES OF THIS.

IF YOU GO OVER THIS YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS IS EVENTS FROM 50 OR 60 YEARS AGO.

YOU THINK BA 50 OR 60 YEARS AGO AND THINGS WERE VERY DIFFERENT.

SO THIS IS THE TIME FRAME I'M RAISING ON GLOBAL WARMING, 50 OR 60 YEARS.

SOME OF THESE OTHER ISSUES COME UP.

I'M A WATER AND WASTEWATER ENGINEER AS WELL AS A TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, AND I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SPOKEN DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING.

BUT THE THING IS THE LAST TIME I DID THAT I LOST MY THREE MINUTES.

AS I SAY, THERE IS SUCH A THING AS PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY, AND WAYS OF SABOTAGING IT.

THIS IS IN PINELLAS COUNTY.

THE SHERIFF IS PERSONALIZING SUVS.

82 OF THESE, THAT'S TWO AND A HALF MILLION, BUT THERE'S ALL THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT 150,000 FOR THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER THAT MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF THESE SUVS RUNNING AROUND.

SO, YOU KNOW, HEY, THAT SEEMS A NO-BRAINER, BUT HEY, PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY.

HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON IT AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY.

THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANT $150,000 TAX INCREASE, WELL, YOU KNOW, LET THEM SPEAK BUT THERE WILL PROBABLY BE TEN TIMES AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE.

OKAY, WITH RESPECT TO THOSE SUVS, WHEN I WAS AT UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND A LOT OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS THROUGH SAE WERE WORKING ON SUV HYBRIDS, AND THEY HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THAT.

THEY HAD FIRES AND EVERYTHING, BUT THEY WORKED VERY HARD ON IT, AND THE PROFESSOR THAT WAS UNDER WAS DR. HOLLOWAY.

SO HE'S RETIRED NOW BUT MAYBE SOMEBODY COULD CONTACT HIM, BECAUSE I'VE SENT THIS AROUND TO YOU TOO, FOR SUV HYBRIDS.

THAT'S SMALL STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

HERE'S A THING THAT -- IT CAN BE CALLED HUBRIS, THE PRIDE WHICH GOES BEFORE A FALL.

ONE OF THE REASONS THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN THE THREE YEARS SINCE ADMIRAL COLLINS WAS KILLED, HIS JULY 4 ADDRESS THAT THE NAVY CANNOT KEEP THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ OPEN.

THE PIPELINE WAS BUILT BY IRAQ.

NATIONALIZED BY SAUDI ARABIA BECAUSE THEY INVADED KUWAIT.

IT'S RELATIVELY EMPTY NOW BUT IT WOULD BE VERY EASY FOR RAEN TO TAKE THAT OUT.

SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT ONLY GLOBAL WARMING BUT [INAUDIBLE] AND VEHICLES THAT THE COUNTY OWNS RUNNING IN THE EVENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL SITUATION.

>> SANDY MURMAN: THANK YOU.

>> IT'S A NO-BRAINER.

>> SANDY MURMAN: THANK YOU FOR COMING.

ANY OTHER SPEAKERS?

ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER COMMENTS?

WE ARE ADJOURNED.

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