Zoning Hearing Master - Regular Meeting

OKAY, GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 11th MEETING OF THE HILLSBOROUGH TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATIONISM IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY THIS MORNING. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE RISE AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. MR. STREETER, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? GOOD MORNING, TPO BOARD. ROSS.

HERE. WOSTAL. HERE. MILLER. HERE. MYERS. HERE. COHEN. HERE. BOLES. HERE. CLENDENIN. HERE. HURTAK. ERHOO. CARLSON. HERE. KILTON. HERE. GRAY. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER GRAY? OH, HERE. THANK YOU. KLUG. HERE. RODDER KRISHNAN: KING.

HERE. JOSEPH. HERE. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO EVERYBODY OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, MR. JOHN KING FROM HART. AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, SIR?

THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M NOT A TAMPA NATIVE, BUT I AM A FLORIDA NATIVE. I WENT TO FLORIDA STATE, SPENT 22 YEARS IN THE NAVY, AND RETIRED OUT AT MACDILL IN 2014. I AM MARRIED. I HAVE THREE STEP SONS, AND A GOLDENDOODLE WHO IS AN ABSOLUTE JOY. BUT ANYWAY, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AS HART'S REPRESENTATIVE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU.

WELCOME, MR. KING. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU ABOARD AND YOU'VE JOINED A VERY GOOD BOARD. IT'S LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION HERE, SO I THINK YOU'LL ENJOY IT. OKAY. BOARD MEMBERS, HAS EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MEETING MINUTES FROM JANUARY 14th AND IF SO, IS THERE A MOTION?

WE HAVE A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER GRAY, I THINK SHE GOT IT FIRST, AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER CLENDENIN. ANY DISCUSSION OR CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OPPOSED? NO NAYS. PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION, WE CURRENTLY HAVE NOBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. COMMITTEE VORTS AND ADVANCED COMMENTS, OUR FIRST COMMITTEE REPORT WILL BE FROM OUR CAC CHAIR, RICK FERNANDEZ. MR. FERNANDEZ, YOU'RE RECOGNIZEDDED, SIR. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR. THANK YOU. YOU HEAR ME ALL RIGHT? YES, SIR, WE CAN, THANK YOU, GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING TO ALL. ALL RIGHT, THIS IS FOR THE RECORD, RECFERNANDEZ, CH -- RICK FERNANDEZ, CHAIR OF YOUR CAC. THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MET THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 4. WE EASILY MET QUORUM AS HAS BEEN OUR NORM. TPO STAFF PRESENTED THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRIORIZATION STUDY, AND ALSO PRESENTED THE TIP AMENDMENT FOR HART'S NEW COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS BUSES. BOTH OF THOSE WERE ACTION ITEMS FOR US, AND THEY'RE BOTH ON YOUR ACTION ITEM AGENDA THIS MORNING. SO LET ME START WITH THE PRIORITIZATION STUDY. C AC MEMBERS ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ADA COMPLIANCE AND PEDESTRIAN CALL BUTTONS. AND ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN A SIGNAL DATABASE OR CENTER WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT REGARDING NOTIFICATION OF SIGNALS NAT ARE NOT WORKING. CA AC MEMBERS APPRECIATED THEIR INCOMMENTS INCLUDED IN THE -- CAC VOTED TO APPROVE THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION STUDY AND DIRECT TPO STAFF TO INTEGRATE THE METHODOLOGY INTO THE LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS. I HAVE A SLIGHT DIVERGENCE AT THIS POINT. YOU GOOD FOLKS WERE PROVIDED A LETTER OFFERED BY TWO OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, CHRISTINA COSTA AND REVA INMAN AS PART OF YOUR AGENDA PACK. I REVIEWED THAT LETTER YESTERDAY. I WOULD CONSIDER A WELL THOUGHT OUT DISSENTING OPINION IN PART IF I WERE TALKING ABOUT A JUDICIAL OPINION, AND I WAS ASKED BY MR. CASTA TO READ PORTIONS OF IT TO YOU -- KOSTA, WITH YOUR PERMISSION I WOULD

EXPEDITE THIS BUT I THOUGHT IT DESERVES SOME EXPLANATION. IT'S WELL THOUGHT OUT. ONE IS A NEW MEMBER REVA, AND ONE HAS BEEN WITH US FOR QUITE SOMETIME, CHRISTINA KOSTA. AGAIN THE LATER DATED -- BETTER DATED FEBRUARY 9, 2026, TO THE TPO BOARD REFERENCED TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION STUDY. WE ARE TWO MEMBERS OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WRITING TO EXPRESS CONCERNS REGARDING THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION STUDY. THIS STUDY CONTAINS SIGNIFICANT OMISSIONED RELATED TO SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM USERS. THE STUDY DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY ASSESSMENT OR SCORING CRITERIA RELATED TO PEDESTRIAN AND ICYCLE PUSH BUTTONS, SPECIFICALLY THEIR PRESENCE, ACCESSIBILITY, OPERABILITY, OR PHYSICAL CONDITION. FAILING TO EVALUATE WHETHER THESE DEVICES EXIST, FUNCTION PROPERLY, OR MEET ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS, SUCH AS REACH RANGE, POLE PLACEMENT, AND OBSTRUCTIONS TO SIDEWALK, TACTILE FEATURES, OR AUDIBLE FEEDBACK. AND ATTRIBBABLE POINTS IN SCORING METRICS WILL CREATE A MAJOR GAP IN THE STUDY'S RESULTS AND ULTIMATELY ITS RECOMMENDATIONS. EQUALLY CONCERNING IS THE LACK OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE GEOGRAPHIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND VULNERABLE USER POPULATIONS. THE STUDY DOES NOT APPEAR TO ACCOUNT FOR PROXIMITY TO SCHOOLS, SENIOR COMMUNITIES, MEDICAL FACILITIES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OR AREAS OF HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. BY FOCUSING SOLELY ON VEHICULAR METRICS AND OMITTING THESE CRITICAL NONMOTORIZED FACTORS, THE TPO RISKS PERPETRATING OUR PERPETUATING, EXCUSE ME, INEQUITIES IN OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND MISSING OPPORTUNITIES

TO IMPROVE MULTIMODALLISM, TRANSIT USE, AND SAFETY. I'LL DEFER ANY FURTHER READING. THAT'S ABOUT 50% OF THE TEXT. AS I SAID EARLIER, IT WAS AUTHORED BY CHRISTINA COSTA, REVA INMAN, AND IT SHOULD BE IN YOUR AGENDA PACKAGE. THAT SAID, MOVING TO THE CLOSING HERE, TPO STAFF PRESENTED THE TIP AMENDMENT FOR HART'S NEW COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS CNG BUSES. AC MEMBERS ASKED ABOUT HOW THIS WILL IMPACT SERVICE OPERATIONS, WHY CNG AND NOT ELECTRIC, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BUSES BEING RETIRED, AND ABOUT THE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR FUTURE MECHANICS AS I UNDERSTOOD IT. THE CAC VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO RECOMMEND THE TPO BOARD APPROVE THE TIP AMENDMENTS. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS I'LL TRY TO STAND FOR THEM, AND IF NOT, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, MR. FERNANDEZ. BOARD MEDICATION ARE, THERE ANY QUESTION -- BOARD MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. NEXT UP IS OUR TPO STAFF MEMBER HARMONI MCGEE; GOOD MORNING, MS. McGEE.

GOOD MORNING, HARMONI MCGEE, TPO STAFF. REGARDING TODAY'S ACTION ITEMS, THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT THE TPO BOARD APPROVE THE AMENDMENT TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2026-2030 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. A FEW QUESTIONS AROSE SUCH AS WHETHER ANY OTHER BUSES WILL BE COMING UP FOR REPLACEMENT AND HOW MANY FUELING STATIONS THERE ARE FOR THE BUSES. TPO STAFF CONFIRMED THAT THE OLDEST COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS BUSES ARE DUE FOR REPLACEMENT SOON, AND THAT FUELING IS DONE AT THE HILLSBOROUGH TRANSIT AUTHORITY FACILITY VIA A DIRECT LINE. THEY ALSO DISCUSSED THE CHANGES TO THE BUSES' INTERIORS. IT WAS NOTED THAT SOME CHANGES IL BE SYSTEMWIDE WHS ARE NEW FEATURES SPECIFIC TO THE UPGRADED BUSES. THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THE TPO BOARD APPROVE THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION STUDY AND DIRECT STAFF TO INTEGRATE ITS METHODOLOGY INTO THE LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS. THE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED EVALUATING SIGNAL SIGNAL CABINET HEIGHTS NOTING THAT SHORT, MEDIUM, AND TALL CABINETS WERE ANALYZED. MEMBERS EPHASIZED THAT CABINET EVALUATIONS SHOULD CONSIDER VEHICLE TURNING RAIDSIOUS, NIGHTTIME VISIBILITY, AND THE FREQUENCY OF CABINET STRIKES. THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION REGARDING THE ASSOCIATED GRANT AND THE SELECTION OF ELIGIBLE CORRIDORS. STAFF SHARED THAT A CENTRALIZED SIGNAL DATABASE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL JURISDICTIONS IS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT. THE COMMITTEE REQUESTED THAT A MILTON DEBRIEF BE INCORPORATED INTO THE STUDY. TPO STAFF NOTED THAT LANGUAGE IS BEING INCLUDED TO ALLOW FLEXIBILITY FOR A VARIETY OF BACKUP POWER SUPPLY OPTIONS. STRUCTURAL EVALUATIONS WERE ALSO DISCUSSED AND IT WAS NOTED THAT

THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RESERVE INVENTORY OF SIGNAL MAST ARMS NOR IS ONE BEING CONSIDERED FOR NEW SIGNALS AT THIS TIME. ADDITIONALLY, SOME JURISDICTIONS ARE EXPLORING ADDING A PRIORITIZATION PROCESS FOR NEW SIGNAL LOCATIONS ALONGSIDE UPGRADES TO EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE. PUBLIC COMMENTS WERE ALSO RECEIVED VIA EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA. A LETTER WAS SUBMITTED EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION STUDY, WHICH IS IN YOUR PACKET. ON FACEBOOK, WALK BIKE TAMPA RESPONDED TO A COMMUNITY ADVOCATING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MISSING SEGMENTS OF THE GULF COAST TRAIL BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO REACH OUT TO THE HILLSBOROUGH TPO. SAM BODEN AKBARY COMMENTED ON FACEBOOK STATING THAT WAYMOW SHOULD NOT BE SUPPORTED INSIDE MULTIPLE ARTICLES THAT EXPLAIN ITS NEGATIVE IMPACTS. AND WE ALSO RECEIVED A COMMENT ON THE VISION ZERO HILLSBOROUGH FACEBOOK PAGE FROM ERIC PAIGE WHO SHARED SAFETY TIPS FOR E-BIKE USERS INCLUDING WEARING A HELMET AND PASSING E-BIKE RIDERS PROPERLY. THIS CONCLUDES MY REPORT.

THANK YOU, MS. McKNEE. GY QUESTIONS FOR MS. McGEE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT BOARD MEMBERS IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. IS THERE A MOTION TO PROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CLENDENIN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WOSTAL. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. OPPOSED? NO NAYS. CONSENT AGENDA IS ADOPTED. NEXT WE'LL MOVE ONTO THE TIP AMENDMENT REGARDING HART'S NEW COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS BUSES AND MS. WATKINS WILL EXPLAIN. GOOD MORNING.

THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. ELIZABETH WATKINS, TPO STAFF. I'M REALLY EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS TIP AMENDMENT FOR YOU TODAY. IT REPRESENTS THE LARGEST FEDERAL GRANT THAT HART HAS WON. CAN YOU HELP ME SHARE THE -- SO THE TIP AMENDMENT TODAY REFLECTS THE LARGEST GRANT THAT HART HAS EVER WON IN THEIR HISTORY. IT'S $32 MILLION TO REPLACE THEIR AGING FLEET AND TRANSITION TO 100% COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS OR CNG FLEET. SO THIS AWARD WILL REPLACE 33 AGING DIESEL BUSES, AND WITH THIS INVESTMENT IT WILL MAKE HART THE FIRST TRANSIT AGENCY IN FLORIDA TO HAVE 100% LOW EMISSION FIXED ROUTE FLEET. A SMALL PROPORTION OF THIS GRANT WILL BE USED TO EXPAND THEIR MECHANIC TRAINING PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, SO THAT WILL BE INVESTING IN THIS TECHNICIAN SHORTAGE AND INCREASE THESE TRADE SKILLS THAT ARE SO NEEDED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THIS IS A PHOTO OF A COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS BUS. YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL WHICH ONES ARE CNG BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE TANK ON THE ROOF. SO A FEW OF THE BENEFITS OF THIS INVESTMENT. THERE'LL BE REDUCED AIR POLLUTION, PARTICULARLY WITH THE PARTICULATE MATTER THAT'S EXPANDED FROM DIESEL FLEET. YOU DON'T HAVE THAT WITH CNG BUSES. IT WILL ALSO REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE COST BY OVER A MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR, BECAUSE YOU'LL HAVE NEWER BUSES, WHICH WHEN THEY'RE NEWER THEY DON'T HAVE AS MANY UP FRONT MAINTENANCE COSTS. AND THEN ANOTHER TANGIBLE BENEFIT OF THIS IS THERE WILL BE IMPROVED SERVICE RELIABILITY. NEWER BUSES DON'T BREAK DOWN AS FREQUENTLY AS OLDER ONES, SO

HART IS EXPECTING TO HAVE AN INCREASE IN THEIR ON-TIME PERFORMANCE. SO THE ACTUAL CHANGE BEFORE YOU TODAY IS TO ADD THIS AWARD TO THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVE PROGRAM SO THAT HART CAN ACCESS THESE FUNDS. SO WHAT THE TIP PAGE IS SHOWING IS THAT $32 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS, $8 MILLION TO MATCH IT FOR A TOTAL OF $40 MILLION TO REPLACE THE BUSES AND TO INVEST IN THAT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. THE RECOMMENDED ACTION BEFORE YOU TODAY IS TO APPROVE BY ROLL CALL VOTE THIS AMENDMENT TO THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MS. WATKINS. BOARD MEMBERS, QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBER GRAY.

THANK YOU, MS. CAUGHT WNS. MY QUESTION IS, AND WE JUST BOUGHT A SLEW OF ELECTRIC BUSES, SO, WHAT WOULD YOU ALL, OR DID YOU ALL LOOK INTO THE COST SAVINGS AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF ELECTRIC VERSUS DISEASAL? SO MY UNDERSTANDING, AND IF ANYONE FROM HART WANTS TO ADDRESS IS ELECTRIC BUSES REQUIRE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, SO CNG HAS BEEN THE PREFERRED TECHNOLOGY FOR HART. THEY'VE BEEN WORKING AT THIS FOR 10 YEARS. THEY HAVE A DIRECT LINE. BUT JESUS OR HEATHER IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING.

THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. JESUS BREZAR, TPO STAFF. THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT ELECTRIC. HART STAFF. BUSES ARE MORE EXPENSIVE. CNG BUSES ARE $850,000, ELECTRIC BUSES ARE OVER A MILLION. THERE IS A INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENT AS WELL. LIKE ELIZABETH SAID WE ALREADY KNOW HOW THEY WORK. WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO MAINTAIN THEM. FOR ELECTRIC WE RVE WOULD NEED A LOT OF INVESTMENT ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE, NOT ONLY THE VEHICLE SIDE, CHARGING STATIONS, RETROFITTING THE HEAVY MAINTENANCE FACILITY WHICH AS YOU KNOW IS OUT DATED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT AS IT IS. AND LASTLY, THERE IS A COMPONENT OF HOW THINGS WORK AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. THIS GRANT WAS FOR LOW EMISSION NO EMISSION, BUT MOST OF THE AWARDS WERE FOR LOW EMISSION. SO THERE IS THAT AS WELL.

NOT THE ELECTRIC WAS CONSIDERED. ON THE HART SIDE? ON FEDERAL SIDE. YEAH. NO. WE WEREN'T -- CNG. SO THOSE WERE YOUR CHOICED. MM-HMM. OKAY. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER WOSTAL? NOPE, PASS. ANY OTHER MEMBERS QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBER RADHAKRISH NAN. THANK YOU, CHAIR. WOULD THESE BUSES BE COMPATIBLE WITH RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS, WHICH IS NOT FOSSIL FUEL, IT'S FROM LANDFILLS AND ITS LIKE? WOULD THESE BUSES IN THE GRANT BE COMPATIBLE TO LATER USE RETROFIT TO USE RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS?

YES. WE -- HEATHER SOBUSH WITH HART. WE ARE LOOKING AT RENEWABLE NATURAL GAS, AND OUR MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR IS -- THANK YO. ACTIVELY RESEARCHING THAT.

CAN I ASK ANOTHER QUICK QUESTION? I DO HAVE A QUESTION IF NOBODY WANTS TO -- GOOD. OKAY. I'LL COME BACK TO YOU. ACTUALLY A COUPLE QUESTIONS. ONE IS I KNOW NORMALLY WE WOULD OT BE BUYING OR HART WOULD NOT BE BUYING THIS MANY BUSES IN ONE BATCH, I ASSUME THAT THEY LIKE THIS, LIKE OUR CITY KIND OF METERS OUT THE FLEET SO THAT WE REPLACE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF VEHICLES EACH YEAR. THIS IS A GOOD DEVELOPMENT TO GET THIS SIZABLE FEDERAL GRANT, BUT IT CAUSES US TO BUY ALL THESE BUSES AT ONE TIME. I'M ASSUMING THAT THEY'LL ALL REACH END OF LIFE AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER LONG THEY LAST. THEY'RE ALL GOING TO GET END OF LIFE ABOUT THE SAME TIME TOO. IS THERE SOME TYPE OF PLAN AT HART TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO IN SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN 32 BUSES ARE NOW, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE WE'RE GOING TO GET A GRANT LIKE THIS IN EIGHT YEARS.

SO WE DO HAVE A FLEET EPLACEMENT PLAN, AND THAT'S ABOUT 16 BUSES PER YEAR GOING OUT INTO PERPETUITY. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE IS TO HAVE THOSE ANNUAL REPLACEMENTS. CAN YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? OH, SORRY, HEATHER SOBISH WITH HART. I STILL DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND HOW YOU'LL ADJUST THAT PLAN TO COMPENSATE FOR ONE BIG YEAR. SO IN SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS ONE BIG YEAR COME UP AGAIN. YES, THAT WILL LIKELY OCCUR.

OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER CLENDENIN, I'M SORRY I DELAYED YOUR MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CLENDONM. SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER JOSEPH. ANY DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. OH, I'M SORRY. YOU TOLD ME THAT AND I STILL -- R. STREETER, WED YOU PLEASE CALL THE -- WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL CALL VOTE. ROSS. YES. WOSTAL. YES. MILLER. YES. MYERS. YES. COHEN. YES. BOLES. YES. CLENDENIN. YES.

HURTAK. YES CARLSON. YES. KILTON. YES. GRAY. YES. > KLUG. YES. RADHAKRISHNAN. YES. SLATER. KING. YES. JOSEPH. YES. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIED 16-0. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS WADE REYNOLDS WHO WILL DISCUSS THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL PRIORITIZATION STUDY. MORNING, MR. REYNOLDS.

GOOD MORNING. WADE REYNOLDS, HILLSBOROUGH TPO STAFF. I'M HOPING THIS WILL COME UP ON THE BOARD IN A MINUTE HERE FOR YOU. BUT I'M ACTUALLY JUST INTRODUCING -- WHO WILL BE PRESENTING THE STUDY, SO THANK YOU, MR. BOWERS. GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING. I'M ASSUMING Y'ALL DON'T HAVE IT UP. THERE YOU GO. PERFECT, WYATT POWERS WITH ATKINS REALIS. I BELIEVE WADE MADE A PRESENTATION TO YOU ALL LAST MONTH, AND SO I'M JUST PROVIDING AN UPDATE. WANTED TO GIVE JUST A LITTLE QUICK OVERVIEW AGAIN OF THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY. AND IN TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM CAC AND TAC, BUT ASSESSING THE BASELINE CONDITION OF OVER 1200 SIGNALS THROUGHOUT ALL OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND PREPARE A METHODOLOGY TO HELP IN PRIORITIZATION. WE DID LOOK AT SOME OTHER STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, INCLUDING THERE WAS ONE THAT THEA WORKED ON WITH CUTTER, WHICH LOOKED AT A METHODOLOGY, AND ONE OF THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS TO CREATE A STANDARDIZED DIGITAL TEMPLATE BASICALLY FOR DIGITIZIZING DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF SIGNALS, WHICH WOULD HELP WITH WHEN THEY'RE COMMUNICATING TO EACH OTHER, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WAS JUST MADE IN THE CAC REVIEW. AND AGAIN, ESTABLISH THAT PERFORMANCE METHODOLOGY, WHICH HELPS TO PRIORITIZE FOR THE LOP. SO AIDING AND PLANNING AND RESPONSE OPERATIONS DURING EMERGENCIES, WE DEFINITELY CONSIDERED RESILIENCY AS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE STU STY, LOOKIT TRAFFIC STUDIES RELATED TO VISION ZERO. SO WE DID CONSIDER THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK. YOU'LL SEE THAT IN JUST A SECOND AND SERVING THE PARTNER AGENCIES AS A RESOURCE TEMPLATE. SO THERE WAS A FULL INVENTORY DONE THROUGH MULTIPLE METHODS. WE DEVELOPED THE PRIORITIZATION METHODOLOGY. YOU'LL SEE THE REVISED PRIORITIZATION IN JUST A SECOND, AND THEN RANKED ALL OF THE INTERSECTIONS IN TOTAL, AND THEN ALSO BY JURISDICTION. SO AGAIN, I THINK THIS OFF HAND WAS 1234 BUT IT'S OVER 1200 SIGNALS. NOTING THAT THE ONES IN TEMPLE TERRACE ARE IN FACT MAINTAINED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SO THEY'RE INCLUDED IN THAT TOTAL. AS I NOTED A FOCUS ON RESILIENCY

LOOKING AT THE STRUCTURE, TYPE, AND CONDITION AND AGE OF THE SIGNALS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE LOOKING AT THE CABINETS FOR EXAMPLE WHE, WERE THEY MOUNTED , THEY ABOVE STREET LEVEL, WHICH HELPS IN CASE OF FLOODING SO WE DEFINITELY WERE LOOKING AT FLOODING IN THE FLOOD PLAINS, AND TECHNOLOGY AGAIN WITH SENSORS AND THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. NOTING THE MOST VULNERABLE LOCATIONS SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CHART, THIS IS UPDATED NOW WITH THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS IN IT. BUT YOU COULD SEE FLOOD PLAIN, THE EXISTING SIGNAL INFRASTRUCTURE, THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL SAFETY, WHICH INCLUDES THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK, THE CABINET, AND THEN THERE WERE SOME BONUS POINTS RELATED TO RESILIENCY AND THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK TO TAKE THAT AND REALLY ELEVATE ITS IMPORTANCE. SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW FOUR INTERSECTIONS BASICALLY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, TEMPLE TERRACE, CITY OF TAMPA, PLANT CITY, AND HOW THEY WOULD'VE SCORED ON THE, IN-PERSON IN THE SYSTEM. -- IN THE SYSTEM. NOW WHAT WE'VE DONE IS ALSO PROVIDED A COUPLE OF MAPS SO FOR EXAMPLE, THESE ARE THE TOP THREE INTERSECTIONS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. YOU CAN SEE THEM HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE, PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF RESILIENCY ISSUES IN THE FLOOD PLAIN, THE TOP THREE SIGNALS IN THE CITY OF TAMPA OF WHICH TWO OF THEM ARE IN SOUTH TAMPA, AGAIN, NOT SURPRISING GIVEN THE RESILIENCY CONSIDERATIONS. AND THEN WE ALSO NOTED TOP THREE IN PLANT CITY, AND YOU CAN SEE THE SCORES FOR EXAMPLE. SO THESE WERE AT 17 OUT OF THE 35. THE ONES IN TAMPA, 2023, AND THEN THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ONES WERE 2427, SO IN THE END WHAT WE NOTICED WAS THERE WERE MORE HIGH RANKING OR LOWER SCORING, HOWEVER YOU WANT -- THE HIGHER SCORING OR LOWER RANKED, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO THINK OF IT, SIGNALS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT ARE IN NEED OF PRIORITIZATION FOR IMPROVEMENTS. NOW, THERE WERE SOME CHALLENGES AGAIN IN AVAILABILITY OF DATA IN

TALKING WITH THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES, HOW EACH AGENCY WAS COLLECTING THEIR DATA, WHAT THEY HAD AVAILABLE. WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS SOME WORK THAT FDOT HAS BEEN DOING, AND THEY WERE A PART OF OUR STUDY AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN COORDINATING WITH OUR STAFF OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS AND HOPING THAT WE MAY ACTUALLY EVEN BE ABLE TO FILL IN SOME OF THE GAPS AND DOESN'T AFFECT THE PRIORITIZATION METHODOLOGY BUT IF WE CAN SCORE THINGS AND ADJUST SOME OF THE SCORES, OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT. AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE PARTNERS ON STANDARDIZING THE DATA MAINTENANCE SO THAT SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES WILL NOT úPERSI. WE DID DO SOME FIELD VISITS, AGAIN, OVER 1200 SIGNALS, NOT -- NOT POSSIBLE TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE SIGNAL IN PERSON. THAT DEALS SOMEWHAT TO DO WITH THE ADA QUESTION. AND THE PUSH BUTTONS, YOU'RE SIMPLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION ON THAT FROM GOOGLE STREETVIEW AND FROM THE DATA THAT WE HAD, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL NEED TO BE DONE IN SUBSEQUENT, AND YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A SECOND WHERE WE'RE GETTING TO THAT. WE WERE ABLE TO DO 50 SIGNALS THAT WE LOOKED AT THE ONES THAT WERE IN THE FLOOD PLAIN AREA AND ON EVACUATION ROUTES, PRIMARILY HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE, U.S. 41 NOW. WHEN WE FINISHED THE STUDY HERE, WITH YOUR HOPEFUL VOTE TODAY,

AGENCIES WILL BE ABLE TO SUBMIT

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WE CAN HELP THEM PAY IF THE SIGNALS BUT RELOCATIONS MAY NOT BE AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE. SOME OF THESE OTHER, SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING MAY NOT BE AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE. THANK YOU. I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. I THINK I GAVE YOU MORE THAN YOU ASKED FOR. I WOULD SAY A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH INFORMATION, BUT IT'S -- BUT IT WAS, NO, I UNDERSTAND. OBVIOUSLY I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, AND FOR THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN IT GETS TO THAT POINT IF WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE STUDY, THAT'S FINE. BUT I'M JUST LOOKING AT TRYING TO CAPTURE THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE HEARD AND THEN OF COURSE WHAT WE HAD -- DISCUSSED YESTERDAY ABOUT SIDEWALK OBSTRUCTIONS AND IT SEEMED TO GO IN WITH THE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES THAT SOMEHOW WE'DBY -- AT LEAST HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BIG AND HOW WIDE THE PROBLEM IS.

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY ABOUT WHEN WE COULD FUND THOSE, THE ANSWER IS POSSIBLY IF THEY'RE PART OF A LARGER TRANSPORTATION PROJECT THAT WE'RE FUNDING, AND SO IF WE'RE GOING OUT TO AWARD MONEY FOR A CORRIDOR REDESIGN, UTILITY POLES WOULD BE PART OF THAT ASSESSMENT, MAYBE WE CAN PAY FOR SOME OF THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW THAT WOULD BE COLLABORATIVE PROJECT AMONG OR BUNDLING TPO FUNDS WITH LOCAL FUNDS AND POSSIBLY ANOTHER SOURCE.

I WOULD THINK THAT IN LARGE SCALE PROJECTS THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD PROBABLY ALWAYS RULE IN, AT LEAST TO HAVE THE BIGGER PICTURE FOR BOTH OF THESE ISSUES, THE SIDEWALK IF WE'RE DOING A LARGE CORRIDOR THAT THIS PROBABLY SHOULD BE A DECISION POINT OR AT LEAST AN INFORMATION POINT TO INCORPORATE INTO EVERY PROJECT THAT WE DO, AT LEAST -- THEN WE WOULD AT LEAST START THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S OUT THERE. BOARD MEMBER SLATER AND THEN COMMISSION CORINNE.

I THINK DR. WONG MAYBE ANSWERED MY QUESTION. I WAS A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR ON WHAT THE PROJECT WAS THAT WAS COMING OUT OF THIS, BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE IS A PROJECT COMING OUT OF THIS STUDY THAT'S GOING, IT'S GOING TO BE -- I A TOLL USED WHEN PROJECS COME IN. THE ONLY OTHER SUGGESTION I WOULD HAVE IS I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF VALUE IN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. I THINK THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE IS THERE IS SO MUCH DIFFERENT OWNERSHIP OF THE SYSTEM AND THE ROADWAY SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. MORE OF A MASTER PLAN TYPE OF AN EFFORT THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S THE DESTINATION, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO GET TO, WHAT IS THAT FUTURE SYSTEM LOOK LIKE, WHERE DO WE NEED CROSSWALKS, WHERE DO WE NEED ADA FUNCTIONALITY, WHERE DO WE NEED OTHER PIECES OF INFRASTRUCTURE, SO THAT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY JUST CONSTANTLY REPLACING EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS WITHOUT MAKING PROGRESS. SO JUST IF YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION, AHEAD OF TIME, AND YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOT TO REPLACE THAT, THEN YOU CAN REPLACE IT WITH, WITH THE IMPROVEMENT IN MIND VERSUS JUST KIND OF REPLACING IT THE WAY IT FUNCTIONS TODAY.

COMMISSIONER COHEN? I DON'T WANT TO IMPLY BY MY UESTIONS THAT I'M NOT SUPPORTIVE OF HAVING A METHODOLOGY FOR MAKING THESE TYPES OF DECISIONS RELATED TO SIGNALS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE A, A, ASK A FOLLOWUP QUESTION OF WHAT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER GRAY ASKED. WHAT WAS THE REASON THAT WE DECIDED NOT TO ASSIGN ANY POINTS TO PROXIMITY TO A SCHOOL?

IT WAS NOT A CRITERION THAT WAS REQUESTED OR THAT WE, WE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT. MOSTLY THESE WERE MEANT TO BE ABOUT A COMBINATION OF THE STRENGTH OF THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURES, THE HEIGHT OF THE, ANY FLOOD DAMAGE POTENTIAL AND AGE AND TYPE OF CONTROLLER, SO THAT WE COULD UPDATE -- UPRADE OUTDATED INFRASTRUCTURE WAS THE PURPOSE. WE'VE GONE BACK AND ADDED POINTS AS WAS SUGGESTED FOR THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK, BUT.

SO IF WE WERE TO PASS THIS TODAY, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT SUBSEQUENTLY, OR IS THAT, IS IT A CLOSED SUBJECT? ECAUSE HONESTLY, I MEAN, 500 FEET OF A SCHOOL, TO ME, DESERVES SOME ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION. YOU'VE GOT TO ASSUME THAT THERE IS, YEAH.

SO I WOULD SAY AS PART OF OUR EFFORT, WE DO STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, AND WE, SO WE COULD GO BACK, AND I THINK AGAIN THIS IS MEANT TO BE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS SO EVEN IF WE WERE DONE, THE, YOU KNOW, TPO COULD GO BACK AND MODIFY THE PRIORITIZATION TO INCLUDE THOSE ADDITIONAL FACTORS, BUT YES, AS QUAID SAID, IT WAS REALLY -- WADE SAID, IT WAS REALLY MEANT TO FOCUS, THE REQUEST CAME TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL SIGNAL STRUCTURES THEMSELVES, AGING POLES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AT RISK OF FALLING DOWN, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN WE WENT AND STARTED TO MODIFY FOR THINGS LIKE RESILIENCY AND THE VISION ZERO NETWORK, AND THEN YES SCHOOL ZONES.

I THINK THAT'S GOOD BUT IF YOU MAKE A DECISION AFTER úANALYT TO ADD POINTS, EXPLAIN TO US WHY. BUT I THINK JUST NOT TO ADD POINTS WITHOUT AT LEAST GOING THROUGH AN ANALYSIS IS PROBABLY NOT, WE OUGHT TO DO THAT ONCE WE GET TROUGH THE INITIAL PHASE. AND COMMISSIONER, I WILL SAY THAT ADDING POINTS FOR PROXIMITY TO SCHOOLS IS VERY EASY. THAT'S A GIS EXERCISE RATHER THAN UPGRADING THE WHOLE DATA DATABASE. AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT IF THAT IS THE BOARD'S WILL. THANK YOU. DR. WONG.

> MAY I PROPOSE TO THE BOARD SO THAT WE NAIL THIS DOWN TODAY THAT THAT RECOMMENDATION NOT BE CARRIED FORWARD ON THIS STUDY, BUT WE CONSIDER THAT WHEN WE CONSISEND THE LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS TO YOU. SO IF WE HAVE MULTIPLE REQUESTS TO FUND SIGNALS, WE COULD SHOW YOU HOW THEY SCORED BASED ON THIS METHODOLOGY, AND ALSO NOTE IF THEY'RE IN PROXIMITY TO A SCHOOL ZONE. JUST TACKLING IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING THIS PRESENTATION BACK TO YOU LATER. OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER CARLSON, DID I SEE YOU -- WELL, SHE'S IN LINE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET FIRST PEOPLE FIRST, SO COMMISSIONER WOSTAL. DID YOU SAY YOU HAD --

YEAH, OKAY.

THANK YOU. I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING A FOLLOW-UP STUDY THAT LOOKED AT PATHWAYS TO AND FROM SCHOOLS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT SPECIFICALLY. AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH CROSSWALKS AND SIDEWALKS IF, IF THERE IS NOT A SIDEWALK ADJACENT TO THE SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE CROSSWALKS SO THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THERE. THE CITY WILL BE LOOKING AT IT BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A BROADER STUDY WITH ALL THE SCHOOLS. ALSO COUNCILMEMBER CLENDENIN MENTIONED ADA. IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE A SEPARATE ADD ON STUDY TO LOOK AT ADA ACCESSIBILITY AND OBSTRUCTIONS THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER THING. BUT ANOTHER ISSUE IS IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA WE HAVE A, AN ONGOING ISSUE WHERE DURING PEAK TIMES THE CITY OF TAMPA IS MANUALLY OVERRIDING THE SIGNALIZATION AND THAT'S CAUSING TRAFFIC JAMS THROUGHOUT SOUTH TAMPA. BAYSHORE BOULEVARD ALMOST EVERY NIGHT NOW GETS BACKED UP TO ROME OR HOWARD AVENUE. PLAID STREET GETS BACKED UP FOR A LONG DISTANCE. THE SELMON IS BACKED UP, AND LAST WEEK'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING I ASKED THE CITY TO LOOK AT CONSIDERING IT, CHANGING THAT PLAN BECAUSE WE'VE ADDED A LOT OF DENSITY TO DOWNTOWN, WE'VE ADDED PEOPLE IN DOWNTOWN AND WE'VE ESSENTIALLY BECOME A BIG CITY BUT IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE THAT ALL OF SOUTH TAMPA IS JASJAMMED UP BECAUSE THERE ARE S IN DOWNTOWN. OTHER CITIES WITH MORE INFRASTRUCTURE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THAT. I WONDER IF YOU ARE, IF YOUR STUSTSTUDY HAS ANY LOOKS AT PEAK TIMES OF DOWNTOWN.

OUR STUDY DID NOT EVALUATE SIGNAL TIMING. THAT WAS NA NOT PART OF THE SCO. SO SPECIAL EVENTS AND SIGNAL TIMES IS NOT ADDRESSED. COMMISSIONER WOSTAL AND THEN BOARD MEMBER GRAY. THANKS. IN TERMS OF THE STUDY, WE'RE KIND OF VEERING OFF INTO A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS HERE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU RATED THEM IN FOUR DIFFERENT BUCKETS, THE THREE CITIES AND THE UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH. IS THAT KIND OF HOW YOU PRESENTED IT TO US?

SO WE DID A PRIORITIZATION FOR THE FULL 1200 PLUS SIGNALS. BUT, AND SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN THE REPORT APPENDICES, THEY'RE RANKED 1 TO 1234. BUT THEN WE ALSO DIVVIED THEM UP BY JURISDICTIONS SO THAT FOR EXAMPLE LIKE I SAID, LET'S SAY JUST SAYING FOR SAKE OF ARGUMENT THE TOP 10 INTERSECTIONS ARE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND IT'S NUMBER 11 IS THE FIRST ONE FOR CITY OF TAMPA. THAT WOULD BE WHY WE WOULD ALSO DO A LIST BY JURISDICTIONS. CITY OF TAMPA COULD LOOK --

I WANT TO -- I'LL KEEP THE INFORMATION AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE TO GET TO MY POINT IS THAT THERE ARE FOUR JURISDICTIONS, BUT IT IS A FAIR ARGUMENT TO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS GRAY ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SO HOW DIFFICULT WOULD IT BE FOR YOU TO SIMPLY ADD A FIFTH CATEGORY WITH THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE FOR US TO SEE WHICH, WHICH INTERSECTION STOPLIGHTS WITHIN THAT POTENTIAL FIFTH JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COULD YOU RATE THEM OR WOULD THAT BE TOO DIFFICULT?

WELL, THEY'RE ALREADY RANKED. WE COULD JUST DO A RADIUS AROUND SCHOOLS AND GRAB THOSE, THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ARE WITHIN OR THOSE SIGNALS THAT ARE WITHIN A RADIUS OF THOSE SCHOOLS. AS I SAID, IT'S NOT OUR GOAL TO DO THAT. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD JUST DO THAT AND THEN WE CAN HANDLE THE ADA QUESTIONS AT A DIFFERENT TIME BECAUSE THIS MONEY WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS TYPE OF STUDSY, CORRECT, DR. WONG? SO DO YOU NEED A SPECIFIC MOTION ON THAT FOR US TO JUST DIRECT OR CAN THEY TAKE OUR DIRECTION AND DO THAT FIFTH BUCKET.

BASED ON WHAT YOU MENTIONED I WOULD PROPOSE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THIS STUDY. WE WILL CREATE A NEW LIST OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS WITHIN A 500-FOOT BUFFER DISTANCE AROUND SCHOOL ZONES. 500-FOOT.

YEAH, WELL, I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALL BECAUSE WE HAVE SUMNER 4,000 STUDENTS AND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THIS NEW SCHOOL. EXCLUDING NEWSOME AND OUR BIG CAMPUSES IS GENERALLY SPEAKING MORE THAN A MIEL MILE IN CIRCUMFERENCE AND THAT'S LEFT RIGHT, LEFT SOUTH, THE WHOLE AREA. SO 500 FEET IS A SMALL DIMENSION FROM A -- POINT OF VIEW SO I WOULD SAY TRY TO EXTEND IT FOR A MILE BECAUSE BICYCLERS COME. I MEAN A MILE RADIUS OVER ALL THE SCHOOLS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH OVERLAP. YOU WOULD PRETTY MUCH HAVE THE ENTIRE COUNTY AT A MILE RADIUS. GO FOR HALF MILE PERHAPS?

WELL, I THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE SAYING 500 FEET WITHIN A SCHOOL ZONE, THAT GETS AT THE SIGNALS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS ARE CROSSING. RIGHTS YOU HAVE YOUR CROSSING GUARDS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I MEAN WE COULD LOOK AT WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN SAY 500 AND 1,000. I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD WANT TO GO BEYOND THAT. SO JUST A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THE STUDY AND THEN YOU DON'T NEED -- YOU CAN BRING BACK TO US OFF OF THE DIALOGUE THE FIFTH BUCKET LET'S CALL IT. OKAY. I WILL MOTION TO APPROVE THE STUDY AS IT IS PENDING THE FUTURE INFORMATION FROM DR. WONG. SECOND.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WOSTAL, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COHEN. IS THERE DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION? I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS, AND SO JUST THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. POWERS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THE SCOPE OF THE ORIGINAL STUDY WAS REALLY TO DO WITH THE HARDWARE, THE CABINETS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND THE LOCATION OF THE RESILIENCY AND THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTUAL RANKING OF PROPOSED PROJECTS, THERE'S A LOT MORE FACTORS THAT NEED TO GO INTO THIS, AND I THINK THAT'S COME OUT IN THIS DISCUSSION. PROXIMITY TO SCHOOLS IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM. ADA CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP MANY TIMES ARE I THINK THAT IS A VALID THING THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN WE'RE RANKING, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TOO. THERE'S EMERGENCY ROOMS. I MEAN, ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL, ADVENT, YOU KNOW, BRUCE B. DOWNS AND FLETCHER, THOSE ARE, THOSE SIGNALS ARE PREEMPTED BY AMBULANCES AND FIRE TRUCKS, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THOSE SIGNALS HAVE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AS WELL. IN FACT I MEAN THEY'RE RIGHT UP THERE WITH SCHOOLS IN TERMS OF IF THAT SIGNAL FAILS, AND DELAYS AN AMBULANCE GETTING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM BY A MINUTE OR TWO, THAT CAN BE LIFE CHANGING, AND SO A LOT OF FACTORS NEED TO BE FIGURED IP. SO I THINK THE GOAL WOULD BE TO START WITH THE STUDY LIKE OKAY, WHERE IS THIS INTERSECTION RANK IN TUMS OF AGING -- TERMS OF AGING HARDWARE AND THAT KIND OF THING, BUT YOU KNOW HOW CLOSE IS IT TO SCHOOLS HOW CLOSE IS IT TO INTERSECTIONS. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER SOULED TRUST THAT -- I WOULD TRUST THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF WOULD BE PUTTING A SECOND LAYER ON THIS DECISION MAKING, NOT JUST PUTTING IT INTO -- AND SPITTING OUT, HERE'S THE TIP. OKAY, OTHER DISCUSSION, BOARD MEMBER GRAY.

MY QUESTION IS NOT EVEN A QUESTION BUT IT IS A, WITH GRATITUDE MEMBER WOSTAL, AND MEMBER COHEN, WE HAVE THE SEVENTH LARGEST DISTRICT IN THE NATION. 220,000 STUDENTS LARGEST BUS FLEET IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, 245 SCHOOLS, AND THAT IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF PRIORITIES IN MY MIND THAT THOSE STATISTICS, THE DATA SHOULD BE ALSO GUIDING THOSE FOUR TO FIVE AREAS. I'M JUST GIVING YOU THOSE STATISTICS BECAUSE I'M KIND OF DISAPPOINTED, BUT I'M NEW TO THE TPO BOARD SO I DIDN'T GET TO THE BEGINNINGS AND I WILL VOTE ACCORDINGLY. BUT I DEFINITELY THINK YOU NEED TO PUT THAT IN YOUR STUDY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REPLY AT THIS TIME, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT AS TO WHY IT WASN'T.

WELL I THINK HE'S COVERED THAT. OKAY, SO WE'RE BEATING A DEAD HORSE. I THINK HE'S ALREADY COVERED THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU. I'LL -- OKAY. I YIELD. OTHER OF THE MOTION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OPPOSED? NO NAYS. STUDY IS ADOPTED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE COUPLE OF SIGNIFICANT STATUS REPORTS NEXT. THE FIRST ONE IS FROM HART, AND THE NEXT ONE CONCERNS WAYMO LT. I .I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY -- I'M SORRY, I DIDN'G SOMETHING? I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT THE WAYMO PERSON WASN'T AVAILABLE.

YES, CHAIR. ON MONDAY EVENING, THE WAYMO PRESENTER SAID THAT HE WAS PULLED AWAY TO URGENT BUSINESS IN A DIFFERENT STATE, SO I'M LOOKING TO RESCHEDULE THAT ONE FOR APRIL. OKAY. THANK YOU. I DID NOT KNOW THAT. SO WE HAVE STILL ONE FROM HART, SO THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE I WAS ABOUT TO REMIND EVERYBODY OF THE TIME AND THAT, SO THIS FREES THINGS UP A LITTLE BIT. SO WE HAVE JESUS PERAZZA GARCIA AND DON NY HERE.

I'M MANAGER OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT JOINED BY JESUS PERAZZA CIGAR ISA. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE COVERING SOME PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES THAT MIGHT GO INTO EFFECT IN JUNE TALKING ABOUT THE OUTREACH WE DID WITH TP O COORDINATION AND JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO THESE PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES WERE A RESULT OF A COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS THAT WE DID LAST YEAR. WE DO THIS STUDY ABOUT EVERY FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS. IT LOOKS LIKE SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTSMENT IT LOOKS LIKE SYSTEM ITSELF, TRYING TO OUR IDENTIFY SOME QUICK FIXES TO MAKE OUR SYSTEM MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE EFFECTIVE. THIS COA TIES INTO AS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN, WHICH OUR TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN IS WHEN WE LOOK AT A 10-YEAR FORECAST. THAT'S WHEN WE START TO DREAM A BIT BIGGER, LOOK AT OUR VISION OF HOW DO WE EXPAND GROWTH OVER TIME WITH FUNDS BECOMING AVAILABLE. AND THEN THIS TDP ULTIMATELY TIES INTO THE TPO'S LRTP AS THOSE FIRST TEN YEARS OF THE LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN. SO WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU NEXT MONTH TO TALK ABOUT THE TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND WHAT OUR EFFORTS ARE GOING TO BE FOR THE OUTREACH. IF THE BOARD APPROVES THESE PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES NEXT MONTH, THESE PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES WOULD GO INTO EFFECT THIS JUNE. SO WE DID REQUEST FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THESE PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES FOR A 31-DAY PERIOD FROM IN THE FALL. SO THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD HAVE A VOICE IN WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING TO ADJUST TO THE SYSTEM. WE HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FORMATS TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK, BOTH PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL, SO THAT PEOPLE COULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS, EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO ONLINE. AND TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THESE PROPOSED CHANGES, WE HAD FLIERS, MAPS, VIDEOS, DISPLAY BOARDS, AND ALL TESE MATERIALS WERE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. WE ALSO DID A MASSIVE MARKETING EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RIDERS WERE EVEN AWARE OF THIS ú, BOTH PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL, SO WE HAD POSTERS AT OUR TRANSIT CENTERS, WE HAD INFORMATION ON OUR HART WEB SITE, POSTED THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HAD EMAIL NEWSLETTERS AND THEN POSTED NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS.

SO IN ALL, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH EFFORTS HATOTAL OF 37 COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO REACH A TOTAL OF 750 PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED INFORMATION IN SOME WAY. THIS INCLUDED BEING AT OUR TRANSIT CENTERS, HAVING OPEN HOUSES AT COMMUNITY CENTERS AND LIBRARIES, HOSTING ONLINE VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, HOSTING POP-UP EVENTS AT PARK AND RIDES AND HAVING STAFF RIDE THE ROUTES THEMSELVES SO WE WERE COORDINATING WITH THE HILLSBOROUGH TPO AND WE WERE GRATEFUL WE WERIBLE TO PROVIDE A CONSULTANT TO HELP US EVEN ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THESE MARKETING EFFORTS AND ALL OF THESE OUTREACH EFFORTS SO THAT WE WERE ABLE TO JUST DO MORE, MAKE SURE WE'RE REACHING PEOPLE MORE, MAKE SURE THE EDUCATION IS GETTING OUT THERE, MAKING SURE, AGAIN, THAT PEOPLE HAVE AS MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY AS POSSIBLE TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE THESE ARE THEIR ROUTES. WE WANT TO SMAIK SU -- MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHANGES THAT WE THINK WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT TO DO ACTUALLY REFLECT WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO. ND SO IN TOTAL THROUGH L THESE EFFORTS WE DID RECEIVE A TOTAL OF 212 UNIQUE PUBLIC COMMENTS. OUR PLAN ITSELF WE WERE PROPOSING TO ADJUST EIGHT DIFFERENT ROUTES OF WHICH THREE OF THOSE ROUTES W WE ARE PROPOSG TO REMOVE AND WE'LL GET INTO EACH OF THOSE ROUTES ONE BY ONE IN A MOMENT. A COMBINATION OF THESE ROUTES WERE AGAIN BOTH COMING FROM PHYSICAL OPPORTUNITIES AND THOSE DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES, A REALLY NICE MIX SO AGAIN IT SHOWED US THAT SOME PEOPLE PREFER TALKING TO A AN PERSON AND SOME PEOPLE GOING STRAIGHT ONLINE. BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM ALL OF THESE COMMENTS WE DID ACTUALLY MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR INITIAL PLAN, AND AGAIN YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THAT IN A MOMENT. COUPLE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WE ADJUSTED, WE WERE PROPOSING TO REMOVE A LOOP TO ONE OF THE HCC CAMPUSES. WE REMOVED THAT FROM OUR PLAN. WE WERE PROPOSING TO INCREASE FREQUENCY ON ONE CERTAIN ROUTE BASED ON THE FEEDBACK, WE ACTUALLY CHANGED THAT FREQUENCY TO A DIFFERENT ROUTE. SO THAT SOME OF THEIR REMOVALS ACTUALLY STILL SAW IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE AREAS. THEN WE MADE A UP CANAL OTHER -- A COUPLE OTHER ADJUSTMENTS AS WELL BASED ON WHICH ROUTES WE WANT TO IMPROVE ON-TIME PERFORMANCE AND AGAIN WHICH, WHICH ADJUSTMENTS ARE BEING AFFECTED IN WHICH AREA. AND ALONG WITH ALL THIS

DOCUMENTATION OF ALL THE OF THE REACH WE DID, ALL TE MARKETING EFFORTS AND WHAT WE HEARD IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL. AND SO NOW I'LL HAND IT OVER TO MR. GARCIA TO TALK ABOUT THESE PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES. THANK YOU, DONNY.

THE FIRST PROPOSE -- REMOVE OF 24LX AND 25LX, LIMITED EXPRESS ROUTES FROM BRANDON EAST E ONE-WAY TRIPS IN THE MORNING AND THREE ONE-WAY TRIPS IN THE AFTERNOON. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS BEHIND THIS PROPOSED REMOVAL. FIRST IS TWO ROUTES ARE AMONG THE LEAST PRODUCTIVE IN THE SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T PICK UP TOO MANY PASSENGERS PARTICULARLY ON VERY LONG EXPRESSWAY SEGMENTS. THEN THEY DRIVE THIS LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT PICKING MANY PEOPLE SO THAT MAKES THEM UNPRODUCTIVE. THESE ROUTES SERVE COMMUTE FRIPS TRIPSFOR ONE EMPLOYER, THE AIR E BASE AND SOME -- WORKING CONDITION CHANGES OR WORK SCHEDULE CHANGES. OTHER ROUTES HAVE A MORE DIVERSE AND STABLE RIDERSHIP BASE, SERVING DIFFERENT TRIP PURPOSES, MULTIPLE TYPES OF JOBS, AND MORE DESTINATIONS. THE ALTERNATIVE FOR RIDERS OF 24LX AND 25LX IS VAN POOL SERVICE WHICH IS MAYBE A BETTER FIT FOR THIS TYPE OF SERVICE. IT OFFERS FLEXIBILITY WITH DIRECT TRIPS, SHORTER TRIP TIMES, AND -- IT IS ALREADY A WELL ESTABLISHED PROGRAM FOR MACDILL EMPLOYEES. WE WILL STILL HAVE A ROUTE THAT SERVES THE AIR FORCE BASE. ROUTE 360LX PROVIDES HOURLY SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FROM BRANDON TO THE BASE. FROM MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. AND WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE SERVICE HOURS FOR THIS ROUTE TO START AN HOUR EARLIER ON WEEK DAYS SO THAT IT CAN PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE TO 25LX RIDERS ON TOP OF VAN POOL. WE HAVE ANOTHER REMOVAL, THE HART FLEX SOUTH COUNTY, THE LEAST PRODUCTIVE ROUTE ON THE SYSTEM. ON AVERAGE IT ONLY CARRIES ONE RIDER PER TRIP FOR A DAILY TOTAL OF 30 RIDES, WHICH MEANS THIS SERVICE COSTS HART $60 PER RIDE WHEREAS THE AVERAGE COST OF A

BUS TRIP IS $9. THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT HINDER THE SERVICE. THE LAST IS -- GATED COMMUNITIES AND FRAGMENTED -- WHICH -- MAKING IT HARD AND UNSAFE TO WALK IN THIS AREA. FOR THOSE WHO QUALIFY, SUNSHINE LINE WOULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO HART FLEX SOUTH COUNTY. úSUNSHINR TRANSPORTATION SERVICE FOR THE ELDERLY, LOW-INCOME, AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO HAVE NO OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS. AND THIS SERVICE IS RUN AND OPERATED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. NOW HOW ARE WE IMPROVING THE SYSTEM WITH THE RESOURCES FREED UP BY THESE REMOVALS AND ADJUSTMENTS? ONE OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS IS TO INCREASE FREQUENCY ON ROUTE 38 FROM HOURLY TO EVERY 30 MINUTES ON WEEK DAYS. WHICH IS REALLOCATING THE RESOURCES FROM 24LX AND 25LX. THE INITIAL PROPOSAL LIKE DONNY MENTIONED WAS TO INCREASE FREQUENCY ON ROUTE 9 BUT WE CHOSE ROUTE 38 INSTEAD SO THAT THOSE RESOURCES WILL GO BACK INTO A GREATER BRANDON AREA IN A WAY THAT SERVES PEOPLE BETTER. ROUTE 38 SUNCHGZ MANGO AND BRANDON AND IT IS 1EN HAD% WITHIN UN-- 100% WITHIN UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. ALL BRANDON ROUTES ARE CURRENTLY HOURLY AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE PIMMAGE IN PURPLE SO THIS WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FOR THE AREA. ROUTE 38 IS A HIGH RIDERSHIP ROUTE, AND OUT OF ALL OUR HOURLY ROUTES, IT IS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE. ALSO ROUTE 38 BUSES ARE REGULARLY FULL. ALL OF THIS CONSIDERS THERE ARE A STRONG NEED FOR FREQUENCY THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON THIS ROUTE AND IN THIS AREA. LASTLY ROUTE 38 SERVES INDUSTRIES -- RETAIL, AND THE CASINO TO NAME A FEW. HERE IS ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT. THE REALLOCATION OF RESOURCES IN THE COA ALLOWS FOR ON-TIME PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS TO ONE OR TWO ROUTES. THE EXACT ROUTE WILL BE DETERMINED DURING THE SCHEDULING PROCESS. THERE ARE MANY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING WHICH ROUTE GETS FREED UP BY REMOVALS AND ADJUSTMENTS. THINGS SUCH AS ON-TIME

PERFORMANCE DATA, RIDERSHIP, OPERATOR FEEDBACK, AMONG OTHERS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE BOTTOM OTP PERFORMANCE WITH THE LOW LOWEST RANKED ON TP. AS YOU CAN SEE ROUTE 7 AND 9 ARE STRONG CANDIDATES TO RECEIVE THIS LTP IMPROVEMENTS. FINALLY, HERE'S A SUMMARY OF ALL THE SERVICE CHANGES, WHICH IS THE FINAL PROPOSAL AFTER THE PUBLIC INPUT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED. WE HAVE THREE IMPROVEMENTS, MORE FREQUENCY FOR ROUTE 38, ONTIME PERFORMANCE FOR ROUTES TO BE DETERMINED, AND AN EXTRA MORNING TRIP FOR ROUTE 360LX: WE HAVE THREE REMOVALS, 24LX, 25LX, AND AND -- AND -- ROUTE BY ROUTE BREAKDOWN BECAUSE THEY'RE FAIRLY MINOR CHANGES BUT THEY'RE STILL PART OF THE PROPOSAL. IN TOTAL ALL OF THIS CHANGES TOGETHER WITH PROJECTED 200 NEW RIDES VERSUS AN AVERAGE OF 178 DAILY RIDES THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED. WITH THE FREQUENCY AND ON-TIME PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED A TOTAL OF 1900 RIDES WOULD BENEFIT, AS A RESULT BOTH RIDERSHIP AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ARE IMPROVED BY THESE CHANGES. WITH THAT WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS, QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER WOSTAL? I WAS JUST GOING TO TELL MR. GARCIA THAT HE ALWAYS DOES A WONDERFUL AND PROFESSIONAL JOB PRESENTING US INFORMATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. GOOD. AND AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, WAYMO'S PRESENTATION IS POSTPONED. AND SO WE'LL MOVE INTO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. WE HAVE A TMA MEETING THIS FRIDAYS AT THEA BEGINNING AT 9:30 GOING UNTIL 11:30. IN ADDITION TO THE TMA REPS WHO ALWAYS ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS, WE'VE INVITED MEMBERS OF THE BOCC AND TAMPA CITY COUNCIL TO PARTICIPATE. WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING THAT WORKING GROUP TO TAKE A POLICY ON HOW CITIES WITH A POPULATION BELOW 50,000 WOULD BE REPRESENTED ON A MERGED MPO BOARD. WE MET, WE HAD A WORKSHOP WITH THE LEAGUE OF CITIES TWO MONDAYS AGO, AND THEIR TOP PREFERENCE WAS TO HAVE ONE SMALL CITIES úREG MEMBER ON THE FULL BOARD THAT SMALL CITIES REPUBLICAN WOULD BE VOTED IN BY A COMMITTEE OF OTHER SMALLER SIZE CITIES. THE SECOND PRIORITY OR THE SECOND PREFERENCE WAS TO HAVE ONE SMALL CITY FROM EACH COUNTY TO BE SELECTED TO BE A VOTING MEMBER ON THE BOARD, AND WHETHER IT'S THREE SMALL CITY VOTING MEMBERS OR ONE, THOSE WOULD ALL COME OFF THE TOP AND THE REMAINING SEATS WOULD BE SUB-ALLOCATED BY POPULATION. SO THAT'S ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS FRIDAY. OUR NEXT REGULAR TPO BOARD MEETING WILL BE MARCH. ON A KIND OF RELATED NOTE, LATELY WE'VE BEEN PRETTY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SHORT MEETINGS, BUT I'D LIKE TO TO SSETTHE EXPECTATIONS THAT MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY AND THEN JUNE BEING THE TIP HEARING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ABOUT SIX PLANNING STUDIES CLOSING OUT, ADOPTING A NEW WORK PROGRAM, AND THEN THE LOP AND THE TIP, SO MY EXPECT EXPECTATION IS THAT WE'LL GO THE FULL TWO HOURS OVER THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS, SO JUST BUCKLE UP.

YOU JUST -- YOU JUST THINNED THE CROWD. [LAUGHTER]

POPULARITY'S TRENDING DOWN, I'M SORRY. AND THEN I OWE YOU SOME LEGISLATIVE UPDATES. THERE'S NOT MUCH TO REPORT AT THE STATE LEVEL, HOWEVER, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORIZATION BILL EXPIRES THIS SUMMER. WE FINALLY GOT SOME MOVEMENT ON THAT UP IN D.C. A COUPLE OF FOLKS INTRODUCED A NEW BILL CALLED THE BASICS ACT. WHEREAS UNDER THE IIJA, THE REQUIREMENTS OF MANY PROGRAMS, I THINK IT'S ADVANTAGE STATE DOTS AND OTHER LARGE ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE ABILITY TO DO COMPLEX DATA ANALYSIS, MANAGE CONTRACTS. WE WERE A BENEFICIARY, DON'T GET ME WRONG, HILLSBOROUGH TPO HAS WON A NUMBER OF DISCRETIONARY GRANTS BECAUSE WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT STAFF. HOWEVER, THIS DISADVANTAGED THE MAJORITY OF MPOs ACROSS THE NATION. MANY OF THE FUNDING PROGRAMS WERE ALSO COMPETITIVE. THIS BILL SHIFTS THAT PENDULUM A LITTLE BIT IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, SO IN MY PRELIMINARY READING OF IT, IT SEEMS TO RELY MORE ON APPLYING FORMULA FUNDING RATHER THAN DISCRETIONARY COMPETITIVE GRANTS, AND IT GIVES GREATER PROPORTION OF THE FUNDING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS RATHER THAN STATE D.O.T.s DIRECTLY. SOME OF THE BIG TAKEAWAYS ARE THAT A LARGE PORTION OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY PERFORMANCE PROGRAM FUNDS ARE GOING TO GET SHIFTED OVER TO MORE FLEXIBLE GRANTS. SO NHPP IS ONLY ELIGIBLE TO BE USED ON NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM ROADS. IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THAT'S I-4, 275, 75, 301, 60, AND A HANDFUL OF OTHERS THAT CARRY A LARGE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC UNDER THIS NEW BILL, MUCH OF THAT MONEY WOULD BE CHANGED OVER TO SURFACE U, SURFACE TRANSPORTATION WHICH IS VERY FLEXIBLE. YOU CAN DELIVER MULTIMODAL PROJECTS WITH THAT.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE ANY RESTRICTIONS ON FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION. AND, AND IT CAN ALSO BE USED FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. THOSE ARE THE BIG TAKE WAW IS. I'M STILL GOING THROUGH AND DOING A READING OF THIS. THIS IS AGAIN JUST THE FIRST BILL THAT WAS INTRODUCED. OVER TIME I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO HAVE SOME POLICY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE LIKE TO SUPPORT IT AND IF SO, STAFF WILL TAKE THE LEAD DRAFTING THE LETTER, ALLOWING INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS OR THE TPO IT SEL TO SIGN OFF AS SUPPORTERS. AND THEN TRANSMIT THOSE TO OUR LOCAL CONGRESS REPRESENTATIVES. THANK YOU, DR. WONG. I SAW COMMISSIONER COHEN AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER HURTAK.

JUST LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION. AS TO WHAT'S GOING TO BE DECIDED ON FRIDAY BECAUSE I REMEMBER THERE WAS A DISCUSSION AT ONE POINT THAT AS FAR AS THE APPORTIONMENT WAS CONCERNED, THAT AFTER THE AIRPORT AND THE PORT CAME OFF THE TOP, THE SEATS WOULD BE DIVIDED AND THEN EACH COUNTY WOULD DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES HOW TO HANDLE THEIR APPOINTMENTS, INCLUDING HOW TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SMALL CITIES. WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS THAT THAT IS NOT ACTUALLY WHAT'S ON THE TABLE NOW. WHAT'S ON THE TABLE NOW IS FOR EACH COUNTY TO HAVE A SMALL CITY TAKEN OFF THE -- SO ESSENTIALLY FIVE VOTES WOULD GET TAKEN OFF THE TOP. AND THE REST OF IT WOULD BE DIVIDED. IS THAT ACCURATE?

THE OPTION THAT THE TPO PREFERRED LAST YEAR IS STILL ON THE TABLE. I FAILED TO MENTION THIS, BUT THAT WAS THE THIRD BEST OPTION OR, SORRY, NOT BEST, THAT WAS THE THIRD OPTION SELECTED BY THE LEAGUE OF SMALL CITIES. THAT OPTION IS STILL ON THE TABLE. AND THAT COULD, THAT COULD MOVE FORWARD AS A MATTER OF FACT ON FRIDAY. WHERE IT BECOMES A LITTLE NUANCED IS PINELLAS AND PASCO PREFER FOR US TO IDENTIFY A, A, AN ALLOCATION METHOD THAT IS CONSISTENT ACROSS THE REGION. AND SO WHILE WE PREFER TO JUST ALLOW EACH COUNTY TO DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES HOW TO DELEGATE THE SEATS, I THINK PINEL PINELLAS AD PASCO ARE LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ALIGNED APPROACH IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

I KNOW, BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT PINELLAS HAS 24 SMALL CITIES AND PASCO AND HILLSBOROUGH EACH HAVE TWO. I MEAN IT'S REALLY NOT APPLES TO APPLES IN EACH COUNTY. AND AT LEAST I THOUGHT THAT THE THINKING BEHIND LETTING EACH COUNTY HANDLE IT THEMSELVES WAS THAT IT WOULD TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT. BUT I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT'S ONE OF THE OPTIONS. WE CAN TALK,.

IF I COULD ADD A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I WAS AT THAT MEETING, AND A BIG PART OF THE DISCUSSION, AND SO YES, I REMEMBER THAT THAT'S WHAT THIS BOARD ORIGINALLY APPROVED, AND I STILL THINK THAT THAT'S A SOUND APPROACH. I SPOKE AGAINST THE IDEA OF EACH COUNTY HAVING A SMALL CITY -- I MEAN IT'S THREE, AND OUT OF RESPECT, IN MY MIND, IN FACT I EVEN MENTIONED THIS I'M THINKING OF TAMPA'S PERSPECTIVE, AND IN MY MIND IT OVERREPRESENTS THE SMALLER CITIES IF THEY GET THREE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT OF REPRESENTATION, AND SO I FELT THAT THAT OVERREPRESENTED THE SMALL CITIES BY GIVING THEM TOO MUCH. I STILL LIKE THAT. THE OTHER THING THAT I BROUGHT UP IN INTEREST TO OUR FRIENDS IN PLANT CITY WAS THEY'RE GOING TO BE 50,000 PEOPLE IN NO TIME AT ALL. AND SO THE WAY THIS IS STRUCTURED, WE DON'T REVISIT THE PPORTIONMENT UNTIL EVERY 10 YEARS. BUT WITH THE CENSUS AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE 50,000 PEOPLE IN NO TIME, AND THAT'S GOING TO BUMP THEM OUT OF BEING ELIGIBLE FOR SMALL CITIES COUNCIL AND YET THEY'RE NOT BIG ENOUGH NOW TO BE ON THE BOARD AS A BIG CITY, SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? --

SAME THING HAPPENED TO LARGO. YEAH, RIGHT. AND OTHER ONES THAT --

AND SO I REALLY TRIED TO TAKE MY CONVERSATION AT THAT MEETING, I REALLY TRIED TO REPRESENT AS BEST I COULD THE INTEREST OF TAMPA, WHICH I FULLY AWARE OF, AND OUR COLLEAGUES IN PLANT SILTY TOO, -- CITY TOO. AND SO THE PROBLEM WITH IMREA OF THESE SCENARIOS AS I POINTED OUT TO THE GROUP WAS THETE THREE COUNTIES ARE SO -- THAT THESE THREE COUNTIES ARE SO DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF CITIES THAT THERE IS NO PERFECT SOLUTION TO THIS. WHAT MAKES SENSE HERE WITH THE THREE CITIES DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IN PINELLAS WITH 24, AND NOT ALL OF THEM QUALIFY FOR THE SMALL CITY THING EITHER, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A SIX, AND PASCO AND THEY WANT TO WRESTLE OVER HOW TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR POPULATION IS BECAUSE IT YOU KNOW SEASONAL THERE. SO I STILL LIKE THE IDEA OF EACH COUNTY FIGURING IT OUT ON THEIR OWN, BUT THEN THAT WOULD I THINK THERE WOULD BE SOME EXPECTATION, BUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AGAIN IN TEMPLE TERRACE IS -- I MEAN, AND IT WAS ALSO BROUGHT UP THAT ALL THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REPRESENT THE CITIES TOO, SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ELECTED BY THE TEMPLE TERRACE RESIDENTS TOO, SO IT'S NOT COMPLETELY, SO THAT IS STILL ON THE TABLE.

WELL, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU SAID. OUT OF TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR YOU, MR. CHAIR, THE SCENARIO YOU'RE PAINTING IS THAT TEMPLE TERRACE WOULD HAVE A PERMANENT SEAT ON THE REGIONAL MPO, PROBABLY THAT IS A SACK ROSANT AS THE AIRPORT AND THE PORT, AND IF PLANT CITY IS OUT OF IT, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN FILL THAT, THAT SEAT.

YEAH, BUT THAT DOESN'T -- THAT'S -- THAT'S WONKY TOO BECAUSE I MEAN WE HAVE 28,000 PEOPLE, TAMPA'S GOT 450,000 PEOPLE. SO TO HAVE THIS TRULY REPRESENTATIVE AND APPORTIONED BY POPULATION, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A BOARD OF 80 PEOPLE, WHICH OF CORSE WE CAN'T DO. OKAY, WELL WE'LL -- YEAH, WE'LL, SO I'M SORRY, COUNCILMEMBER HURTAK, YOU'VE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY. I JUMPED IN.

THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE THERE, NEITHER WILL ANY OF THE TAMPA CITY COUNCILMEMBERS BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY LATE NIGHT HEARING ON THURSDAY. WE'RE EXPECTING IT TO GO UNTIL 2:00, POSSIBLY 3:00 IN THE MORNING SO WE WILL NOT BE THERE AT 9:00 A.M. SO YOU ARE ALREADY ON TE TMA, CORRECT? NO? SO THEN IF YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO, YOU SEEM LIKE YOU'RE PASSIONATE. SO I WOULD SAY THAT HE COULD, I JUST WANTED TO LET, TO LEVEL SET AND JUST LET PEOPLE KNOW WE WON'T BE THERE MOST LIKELY. IF IT'S GOING TO BE EARLIER, IF WE END EARLIER, BUT HISTORY HAS SHOWN US THAT THESE, THESE PARTICULAR HEARINGS WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE 500 E-MAILS ABOUT IT, THAT IT WILL BE A VERY LONG NIGHT. SO I DO SUPPORT THE CONVERSATION WITH THE SMALL CITIES, THE TWO THAT WERE EXPLAINED FROM DR. WONG. I WILL RESPECTFULLY LIKE LEAVE THAT INTO YOUR HANDS, AND I KNOW THAT MR. SLATER WILL BE THERE AS WELL BECAUSE HE'S THE, HE'S ONE OF OUR FILL INS AND I KNOW YOU CAN'T MAKE IT EITHER. SO BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE CAN HAVE THREE, SO I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.

IS THERE A STAFF MEMBER THAT COULD AT LEAST REPRESENT THE CITY? DO YOU HAVE ANY AVAILABLE? SOMEBODY BE MAYBE AVAILABLE FROM STAFF -- DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE ATTORNEY HERE, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. YES, UNFORTUNATELY, HE'S ALSO GOING TO BE UP UNTIL 3:00 A.M. AND LIVES IN LARGO, SO COUNCILMEMBER CLENDENIN, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? I MEAN, I THINK ALL OF OUR STAFF PEOPLE, AT LEAST MY STAFF PERSON WILL BE UP ALL NIGHT, SO YEAH, I DON'T NECESSARILY -- I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL BE PRODUCTIVE ANYWAY, IN ORDER TO SPOOL THEM UP IN A TIMELY MANNER. AM I NEXT TO SPEAK ANYWAYS? YES, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.

YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT RESONATED WITH ME. YOU KNOW, THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. EVENTUALLY I THINK WE'LL GET TO A POINT WHERE THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. WE'RE TRYING TO FORCE SQUARE PEG INTO A ROUND HOLE. WE GOT THREE UNEQUAL PARTS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE THREE COUNTIES, AND THEN EVEN WITHIN THE COUNTIES YOU HAVE ALL THESE UNEQUAL PARTS WHICH IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO MANAGE, SO MORE AND MORE IT'S JUST RECONFIRMING MY FIRST INITIAL MOTION, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE APPORTIONMENT, DR. WONG AND I SPOKE ABOUT YESTERDAY, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT PUZZLE TO PUT TOGETHER THAT AGAIN WITH THREE VERY UNEQUAL PARTS. I MEAN, TE COUNTY'S VERY UNEQUAL AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE INTEREST IN SMALL CITIES. I MEAN, THE VOICE THAT THE SMALL CITIES HAVE ON THIS TPO IS STRONG, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO WHAT THEY WILL HAVE IN A COMBINED THE VOICE THAT TAMPA HAWSE ON THE TP -- HAS ON THE, TPO IS STRONG. WE WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHED ON A COMBINED TPO, SO I THINK THAT, I THINK MORE AND MORE IT'S BECOMING SELF-EVIDENT WHERE WE'RE HEADING. THANK YOU.

WELL, THERE ARE OTHERS WHO SHARE YOUR VIEWS ON THAT. COUNCILMEMBER, SORRY, COUNCILMEMBER CARLSON, I'M SORRY, DID YOU -- I DIDN'T CATCH YOU. IT'S OKAY. COMMISSIONER WOSTAL, THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCILMEMBER --

OH. I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY AGAIN, COMMISSIONER COHEN AND I SIT ON TAMPA BAY WATER. AND IT IS LIVING PROOF OF AN OVER THREE DECADE REGIONAL BOARD OF ONLY NINE MEMBERS, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND THE REPRESENTATION FROM THE LARGEST CITY. COMMISSIONER COHEN, I'VE BEEN ON THAT BOARD WITH YOU FOR OVER THREE YEARS NOW, RIGHT? THE CITY OF TAMPA IS RAN BY EIGHT ELECTED DEMOCRAT OFFICIALS. HAVE I EVER ONCE SINGLED OUT COUNCILMEMBER MIRANDA OR úPREVENR MOTIONS FROM GOING FORWARD? AND THE ANSWER IS TO THAT IS NO. ANYTIME THE CITY OF TAMP A'S DEPARTMENT ENGINEERS COME BEFORE US, WE HEAR THEIR NEEDS AND WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT BODIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR NEEDS AND CONCERNS ARE MET, AND WE MOVE FORWARD. AND IT'S JUST LIVING PROOF THAT IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO WORK TOGETHER, THEY WILL. HAS IT EVER BEEN SUGGESTED THAT IN OUR ORDINANCE IN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT THERE E OF THE SMALL CITIES?

FOR OUR MPO, NO. THE, THE CONCEPT OF A SMALL CITIES OR MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS ACTUALLY BORROWED FROM METRO PLAN ORLANDO WHEN WE WENT ON A FIELD TRIP, THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS SPOKE HIGHLY OF THAT IT COMMITTEE AND SAID THAT IT FUNCTIONED RELATIVELY WELL OVER THE YEARS, SO THAT'S WHERE THE IMPETUS FOR THAT -- WELL, --

, I'LL JUST LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. COMMISSIONER COHEN HAS A REALLY GOOD SAYING. IT'S SOMETHING LIKE IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE TABLE OR YOU'RE ON THE MENU OR SOMETHING, YEAH, SO WE CAN DO WHATEVER. I HAD AN ITEM THAT DR. WONG TALKED ME OUT OF BRINGING THAT I'M CONFIDENT WOULD'VE PASSED BECAUSE I JUST DON'T LIKE WASTING PEOPLE'S TIME, SO I DID NOT BRING THE ITEM, WHICH WAS JUST TO END THE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT IF W DON'T KEEP OURSELVES AT THE TABLE OR WHATEVER, WE'RE ABOUT TO NOT HAVE A DECISION AND WE'RE GOING TO BE EATEN, AND THAT IS JUST A REALITY THAT THAT, THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN SOONER THAN LATER. I JUST DON'T WANT TO WASTE ANYBODY'S TIME IF, THE SAME THING KEEPS GETTING TOLD NOW AS A YEAR AGO, THE SAME THREAT FROM THE SAME PERSON, AND JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, TIRED OF HEARING IT. SO IF I NEED TO BRING THAT ITEM, LET ME KNOW. I CAN BRING THE ITEM. I CAN PUT EVERYBODY OUT OF THEIR MISERY. AND THEN WE CAN BE EATEN NEXT YEAR OR POSSIBLY STILL THIS YEAR. OKAY, THAT'S JUST WHERE WE'RE AT ON IT. IT'S UNFORTUNATE. WE'VE TRIED TO BE EXTREMELY, EXTRAORDINARILY REASONABLE WITH EVERYBODY. I'LL BE THERE ON FRIDAY JUST TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON, SO I'LL LEAVE IT THERE, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION OR THE DECISION CAN BE MADE FOR US VERY SOON. THANK YOU.

COUNCILMEMBER CARLSON.

YEAH, I WAS GOING BRING UP SOME OF THE SAME THINGS HE SAID, BUT I WAS INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF TAMPA BAY WATER BACK IN '97-98 AND I MENTIONED THIS A 4REU89 LITTLE BIT BEFORE BUT THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR WENT AROUND. I WENT TO SOME OF THE MEETINGS WITH THEM BUT THEY MET WITH EVERY GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL OF EVERY ONE OF THE MEMBER GOVERNMENTS. THERE ARE NOT AS MANY BECAUSE IT DIDN'T INCLUDE ALL THE CITIES, BUT THEY WENT THROUGH AND LISTENED TO EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND IF THE CITY OF TAMPA HAS TO APPROVE SOMETHING, WE'RE ONLY THREE VOTES HERE. WE NEED TO GET A MAJOR MAJORITYN CITY COUNCIL SO SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT A PART OF AN ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION HAS TO LISTEN TO THE CONCERNS. SECOND, I WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH THE ORLANDO CHAMBER WHEN THEY ARTNERSHIP, AND JAKE STEWARTIDA- WHO WAS THE HEAD OF THAT THEN WENT HEAD AND MET WITH ALL THE CITIES AND COUNTIES AND ALL THE OFFICIALS AND LISTENED TO THEIR CONCERNS AND BUILT AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT COULD HANDLE THAT. I THINK BESIDES REPRESENTATION, IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN M&A WORK WITH COMPANIES, THERE IS ALWAYS CONCERN ABOUT CONTROL AND WHO HAS THE MOST SHARES AND THINGS LIKE THAT BUT IF YOU ASK ANY INVESTMENT BANKER THEY ALSO WILL TALK ABOUT THE TERMS OF THE DEAL. SO YOU CAN EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT HAVE NOT HAVE A MAJORITY VOTE, IF THERE ARE TERMS IN THE DEAL THAT PROTECT YOU OR PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS, THEN YOU CAN GO FORWARD WITH THE DEAL. AND I THINK THAT'S TRUE IN THIS CASE, AND THE TWO EXAMPLES I GABE ARE EXAMPLES OF THAT. WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE HAVE. EACH COMMUNITY HAS DIFFERENT CONCERNS. THE SEVEN MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL AND TAMPA ARE REPRESENTING THE CONCERNS OF THE CONSTITUENTS. AND THERE ARE SARN BRIGHTLINES THAT THE, THAT THE CONSTITUENTS ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT. AND IF WE PUT COV NNT COVENANTSE AGREEMENT THAT PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF TAMPA FROM THOSE ISSUES, THEN, THEN WE, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, AND THE

ISSUE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE IS NOT AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE AS PROTECTING THE CITIZENS FROM THOSE ISSUES BUT THE ONLY WAY YOU WOULD SURFACE THOSE IS IF YOU HAVE A NEUTRAL PARTY NOT CONNECTED TO AN ADVOCACY GROUP THAT GOES AROUND AND INTERVIEWS EACH OF THE CITY COUNCILMEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY AND THEN DOES THE SAME FOR EACH OF THE OTHER GOVERNMENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER. ANYTHING ELSE, DR. WONG? THAT'S IT FOR ME.

OKAY. WE'LL MOVE INTO NEW BUSINESS. I DO HAVE SOME NEW BUSINESS TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD. AS SOME OF YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS, AND SOME OF YOU MAY NOT, WE GOT RECEIVED A WRITTEN ALLEGATION THAT A COUPLE OF OUR MEMBERS OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL HAVE VIOLATED THE SUNSHINE LAW BY COMMUNICATING, COMMITTING BUSINESS OUTSIDE OF A PUBLIC MEETING. THAT, I BECAME AWARE OF THAT ON MONDAY. AND SO THE, THE COMPLAINT THAT WE RECEIVED INCLUDED A REQUEST THAT THE COMPLAINT BE READ IN ITS ENTIRETY INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD AT THIS MEETING. I DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT. I'VE BEEN IN CONSPITA CONSULTATH DR. WONG AND BOARD ATTORNEY CAMERON CLARK. LIKE, I SAID I JUST LEARNED OF THIS MONDAY, SO I HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF TIME. IT IS, IT WILL BE HANDLED PUBLICLY. I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT THIS MORNING BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES OF US AND WHO NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS REVIEW OF THIS. THIS IS AN ALLEGATION THAT ISN'T JUST A VIOLATION OF BOARD RULES. IT'S AN ALLEGATION OF A VIOLATION OF STATE LAW. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RIGHTS OF EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THIS ARE PROTECTED AND THAT DUE PROCESS IS FOLLOWED. AND PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO FLESH THIS OUT. WE ARE WORKING ON THAT NOW. IT'S NOT, WE COULDN'T GET IT COMPLETED BY 10:00 THIS MORNING. WE'VE NOT EVEN TALKED TO ONE OF THE ACCUSED PEOPLE YET, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO READ AN ALLEGATION OF A VIOLATION OF LAW INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD WHEN THAT PERSON HASN'T EVEN BEEN REACHED YET. I WOULD ASSUME THEY KNOW ABOUT THE ALLEGATION BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT FOR SURE SO THAT'S NOT A GOOD WAY TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE ALLEGATION WHEN YOU'RE READING IT OUT TO A MILLION PEOPLE.

SO WE WILL BE DISCLOSING THIS. WE WILL PROBABLY -- AT NEXT MEETING WE WILL PROBABLY GIVE A LOT MORE DETAIL BECAUSE WE'LL KNOW MORE. BUT I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP ANYTHING QUIET OR KEEP ANYTHING SQUASHED BUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A LEGAL WAY TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING WHAT'S REQUIRED OF US AS FAR AS INVOLVING THE RIGHT STATE AGENCIES OR WHATEVER AND THAT WE'RE NOT JUST FLASHING OFF WITH A, YOU KNOW HAVING A PLAN HERE AND KNOWING WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING THIS AND KNOWS ABOUT THIS, I DON'T WANT THEM TO THINK WELL THEY DIDN'T READ IT. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST SWEEPING IT UNDER THE RUG. THAT IS NOT THE CASE. AND WE WILL BE GIVING A DETAILED REPORT TO THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC AT OUR NEXT MEETING. OKAY. AND I DON'T KNOW WHICH OF -- I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF IT. I DON'T KNOW WHO, BUT IN ANY EVENT, THAT'S THE STATUS. BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS BUT I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK THAT THERE'S, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO DO THIS FAIRLY AND CORRECTLY AND LEGALLY AND CAREFULLY. OKAY? ANY OTHER NEW BUSINESS? OLD BUSINESS? NEW BUSINESS? ANYTHING FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER? OKAY. WELL IF THAT'S THE CASE, WE WILL BE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.