Zoning Hearing Master - Special Meeting

OKAY, I HAVE 10:00, SO I'M READY WHEN YOU ARE.

VERY GOOD, GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER 2nd MEETING OF THE HILLSBOROUGH TPO. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S DECEMBER ALREADY. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT WAS JUST JANUARY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THERE, BUT I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A GREAT HOLIDAY. WE'LL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER, AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] ALL RIGHT, IF WE COULD GET MS. RAMOS, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

GOOD MORNING, ROSS. HERE. WOSTAL. HERE. MILLER. MYERS. COHEN. HERE. BOLES. HERE. CLENDENIN. HURTAK. HERE. KILTON.SON.- GRAY. HERE. KLUG. STEPHENS. HERE. SLATER. HERE. HARTFIELD. JOSEPH. HERE. YOU HAVE A QUORUM, SIR.

THANK YOU. AND I DO HAVE A NOTE THAT COUNCILMEMBER CLENDENIN HAS A CONFLICT. HE MAY BE LATE OR HE MAY NOT MAKE IT AT ALL, AND I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF OTHERS COME IN LATE BECAUSE THERE'S AS YOU KNOW, PRETTY HEAVY TRAFFIC THIS MORNING. SO WISH SOMEBODY COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. ME TOO. [LAUGHTER] IT ALL -- THE BUCK STOPS HERE, RIGHT? RIGHT. YES, YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO HAS EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES FROM OUR SEPTEMBER 2nd MEETING, AND IF SO, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE. MOVE APPROVAL. SECOND.

ANY CORRECTIONS OR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE MINUTES? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OPPOSED? NO NAYS. MINUTES ARE ADOPTED, AND THE MOTION WAS MADE BY MR. STEPHENS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BOLES. OKAY. I DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT REQUEST FROM CARMIETTA ALEXANDER. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE IS ONLINE OR IF SHE IS HERE PHYSICALLY. I DON'T SEE ANYBODY HERE PHYSICALLY, SO -- IS MS. ALEXANDER ONLINE?

I BELIEVE SHE MAY HAVE JUST JOINED. MS. ALEXANDER, CAN YOU HEAR US? S THAT CARMIETTA ALEXANDER? IT DOESN'T SEEM SHE'S RESPOND, SIR. OKAY. VERY WELL, THEN WE WILL MOVE ONTO ACTION ITEMS. FIRST ITEM IS DRAFT MEETING ALNDAR FOR 2026, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT COMMISSIONER WOSTAL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR INTERVENTION ON THAT, BUT I JUST OUR MEETING SCHEDULE -- I THINK OUR MEETING SCHEDULE IS BACK ON TRACK THERE, BUT R. WONG, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ELABORATE?

YOU'RE RIGHT, MAYOR ROSS. THAT IS CORRECT, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER WOSTAL FOR RESOLVING THAT CONFLICT WITH HTV. SO HTV IS NOW ABLE TO COVER ALL OF OUR MEETINGS AT THE REGULAR SCHEDULED TIME THAT WAS PRESENTED LAST MONTH. I UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS THE DATES IN FRONT OF THEM, BUT I'LL ASSURE YOU, WE DID REVIEW ALL OF YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETING CALENDARS TO ENSURE NO CONFLICTS. THERE'LL BE SCHEDULED TENTATIVELY FOR THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH, WHICH IS OUR STANDARD. I'LL READ THOSE OFF TO YOU RIGHT NOW AND AT THE END WE'LL BE SEEKING APPROVAL OF THE CALENDAR FOR 2026. JANUARY 14th, FEBRUARY 11th, MARCH 11th, APRIL 8th, MAY 13th, JUNE 10th AT 6:00 P.M. IS THE TIP PUBLIC HEARING. WE RECESS IN JULY. AUGUST 12th, SEPTEMBER 9th, OCTOBER 14th, NOVEMBER 4th. WE HAD TO MOVE THAT ONE UP BECAUSE THE SECOND WEDNESDAY CONFLICTS WITH A HOLIDAY. AND DECEMBER 9th. AND AGAIN, WE'RE SEEKING APPROVAL OF THOSE MEETING CALENDAR DATES.

ANY DISCUSSION OF THE CALENDAR? COUNCILMEMBER HURTAK. DO WE HAVE -- DO WE KNOW THE DATES FOR SPRING BREAK? I DON'T -- WE HAVEN'T DONE OUR CALENDARS YET. I CAN TELL YOU THIS, THE SPRING BREAK FOR USF. I CAN TELL YOU, AND THAT IS MARCH 16th. OKAY, PERFECT. THAT'S THE WEEK THE BOARD IS OFF. YEAH, OKAY. YEAH BECAUSE WE TAKE -- YEAH WE TAKE THE WEEK OFF AS WELL, SO I JUST WANTED -- THAT IS USF'S SPRING BREAK. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE WELCOME. WE HAVE MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MYERS, AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WOSTAL. ANY DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. OPPOSED? NO NAYS. CALENDAR IS ADOPTED, AND IF YOU'LL INDULGE ME JUST FOR A MOMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK AND SEE IF MS. ALEXANDER IS AVAILABLE FOR HER PUBLIC COMMENT. I WOULD HATE TO SEE HER LOG IN AND GET SKIPPED OVER. STAFF? HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH HER? SHE IS NOT LOGGED IN. IT WAS A DIFFERENT NUMBER THAT HAD CALLED IN. SIR. WHAT DID HE SAY? IT WAS A DIFFERENT NUMBER THAT HAD CALLED IN, SIR.

OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD. OKAY. WELL WE TRIED. THE NEXT ITEM IS A BUSINESS OPERATIONS REPORT FOR 2025. IF BOARD WILL RECALL, LAST YEAR WHEN WE DID DR. WONG'S EVALUATIONS, WE HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT MAYBE BEFORE THE EVALUATION HAVING SOME TYPE OF YARDSTICK, SOME PROGRESS REPORT, ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THAT TYPE OF THING. SO WE'D HAVE A LITTLE MORE BASIS FOR DOING PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS, SO I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT THIS IS FOCUSED ON. SO DR. WONG?

EXACTLY CORRECT. GOOD MORNING AGAIN, BOARD MEMBERS. JOHNNY WONG, YOUR DIRECTOR. I'LL BE SPEAK TO THE 2025 HILLSBOROUGH TPO BUSINESS OPERATIONS REPORT. THERE IS A HANDOUT IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME AS I NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS. AS ALL OF YOU ARE AWARE, MPOs ARE REGULARLY EVALUATED BY FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIONS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIRED PROCESSES. FOR MPOs IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WE HAVE TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER. PROCESS EVALUATIONS OCCUR EVEN MORE REGULARLY AS OUR FDOT PARTNERS ENSURE COMPLIANCE AND GIVE US A CERTIFICATION REVIEW EVERY YEAR. WORKING PROGRESSIVELY MORE LOCALLY, BECAUSE THE HILLSBOROUGH TPO IS HOSTED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND PROVIDED ACCESS TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESOURCES, PORTIONS OF OUR BUDGET ARE ALSO EXAMINED BY COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND THE BOCC. WITH THREE LAYERS OF SCRUTINY, YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELVES, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION? WELL, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION REALLY IS WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES. SO WITH THIS BUSINESS OPERATIONS REPORT, IT'S MY ATTEMPT TO BRING YOU BEHIND THE CURTAIN AND EXPLORE HOW THE AGENCY IS BEING OPERATED. AS MAYOR ROSS MENTIONED, LAST YEAR FOLLOWING MY ANNUAL REVIEW, SEVERAL OF YOU CAME UP TO ME AND SAID I DIDN'T FEEL COMFOR COMFORTABLE GRADING YOU ON YOUR PERFORMANCE ON THESE KEY DIMENSIONS BECAUSE WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THOSE DIMENSIONS AT BOARD MEETINGS. WE TRY TO SKIP TO THE SCRIPT OF THE CORE DOCUMENTS AND PLANNING STUDIES SO THIS IS MY ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION MOVING FORWARD. AND TO THAT END, I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT, THIS IS NOT THAT POWERPOINT SLIDE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE PRINCIPALS WORKSHOP. NO WORRIES. SO TO THAT END I'M HAPPY TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE INAUGURAL BUSINESS OPERATIONS REPORT FOR YOUR TPO, AND IT'S MY HOPE THAT THIS REPORT WILL SERVE AS A BENCHMARK TO ASSESS AGENCY EALTH ACCORDING TO FIVE DIMENSIONS, AND ALSO PROVIDE YOUR STAFF WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRAG ABOUT SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SHARE WITH YOU THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AND REALLY TO REFLECT ON THINGS THAT ARE NOT CAPTURED IN THE DOT AND THE FEDERAL REVIEWS AS WELL. SO OUR APPROACH TO DESIGNING THIS BUSINESS OPERATIONS REPORT WAS TO GAIN INSPIRATION FROM CORPORATE ENTITIES AND ADAPT SOME COMMONLY USED PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, AND TRY TO FIT THEM TO OUR CONTEXT. SO THE FIRST OF FIVE STRATEGIC PILLARS IS OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS. AND WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME IS WE'RE ASSESSING WHETHER WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING OUR CORE MISSION. THROUGHOUT CALENDAR YEAR 2025, WE ADOPTED ALL OF OUR CORE PLANNING DOCUMENTS ON TIME AND WITH A HIGH STANDARD OF QUALITY, LOOKING BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE YEAR OR EVEN BEFORE THEN ACTUALLY, IN LATE 2024, WE ADOPTED OUR 2050 LONG RANGE PLAN. IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF 2025, I BELIEVE IT WAS FEBRUARY OR MARCH, WE HAD TO AMEND THAT TO INCORPORATE SOME NEW STATE PROJECTS THAT WERE ADVANCING WITH FUNDING EARMARKED SPECIFICALLY ALONG THE I-4 CORRIDOR. WE ALSO ADOPTED A NEW LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS, A NEW FIVE-YEAR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, A PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN, AND WE PROCESSED NUMEROUS TIP AMENDMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. YOUR STAFF PARTICIPATED IN 74 COORDINATION MEETINGS WITH FDOT, AND STAFF FROM THE AGENCIES THAT YOU REPRESENT TO ENSURE THAT OUR PLANNING IS DONE IN AN INTEGRATED WAY AND COLLABORATIVE WAY. LOOKING BACK, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE SPEAR-HEADED MONTHLY TRANSIT COORDINATION CALLS TO ENSURE THAT TPO, HART, CITY OF TAMPA, AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND FDOT ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT TRANSIT INITIATIVES AND IDENTIFY CAPITAL AND OPERATIONAL NEEDS. WE ALSO USED THAT TIME TO COORDINATE ON GRANT APPLICATIONS AND BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AS WE COMPETE FOR AWARDS, SPECIFICALLY FROM FEDERAL DISCRETIONARY GRANTS. THAT INITIATIVE SPEAR-HEADED A COUPLE YEARS AGO CONTINUES TO THIS DAY, AND NOW INCLUDES STAFF FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND

SOMETIMES EVEN PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION OPERATORS. OUR TEAM HAS A REALLY GREAT REPUTATION ACROSS THE STATE FOR BEING PLUGGED IN AND ACTIVE ON STATEWIDE INITIATIVES LIKE THOSE COMING FROM THE FLORIDA METROPOLITAN PLANNING PARTNERSHIP, THE MPO ADVISORY COUNCIL. THIS YEAR WE FUNDED A SYSTEM THAT HELPS MPOs AND FDOT PRIORITIZE PASSENGER RAIL PROJECTS, AND I'VE SERVED AS THE VICE CHAIR OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE FOR TWO YEARS NOW. IN ADDITION TO FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION OUTWARD, WE ALSO LOOKED INWARD THIS PAST YEAR TO COMPREHENSIVELY REVIEW AND UPDATE OUR BYLAWS. WE ACTUALLY DID ON TWO OCCASIONS. SO IF YOU RECALL, THOSE BYLAWS HADN'T BEEN THOROUGHLY REVIEWED IN ABOUT 10 YEARS. SO WE WENT THROUGH WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB AND SOUGHT TO CLARIFY AND UPDATE ANY INFORMATION THAT WAS OUTDATED. WE CLARIFIED THE RULES ABOUT VIRTUAL BOARD MEMBER PARTICIPATION, COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULES. WE SOUGHT TO GIVE OUR COMMITTEES MORE TIME TO APPROVE ACTION ITEMS AND APPROVE CONTRACTS. AND WE HELPED THEM MEET THEIR RESPECTIVE QUORUM REQUIREMENTS BY REDUCING THEM WHERE IT WAS APPROPRIATE. ON THE HANDOUT I'LL NOW LOOKING TO THE RIGHT SIDE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE, WHICH IS OUR SECOND PILLAR. OUR COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL REGS IS VERY CLEARLY DOCUMENTED. JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS ARE SUMMARIZED TOWARD THE VERY TOP OF THAT SECTION. THIS PAST YEAR OUR FEDERAL REVIEW INCLUDED FIVE NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS WHILE OUR STATE REVIEW INCLUDED 14, AND THERE WERE THREE RECOMMENDED ENHANCEMENTS REPORTED IN EACH. THE OTHER PART OF THIS STORY IS TELLING HOW WE'RE PROACTIVELY POSITIONING OURSELVES TO SUCCEED UNDER A SHIFTING PARADIGM THAT SEEMS TO BE EMPHASIZING AN ECONOMIC LOGIC TO ADVANCE PROJECTS. IN FEBRUARY, WHEN THE INCOMING D.O.T. SECRETARY PUBLISHED GUIDANCE ON INTEGRATING ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES INTO TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIZATION PROCESSES, WE SAW THIS AS A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.

JUST MONTHS BEFORE THAT GUIDANCE WAS ISSUED, YOU ALL RECOMMENDED TO OUR STAFF THAT WE PRIORITIZE PROJECTS IN THE LRTP BASED ON A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS. AND WE DID THAT BEFORE THAT GUIDANCE WAS RELEASED. SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR QUITE A LONG TIME. AGAIN, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A STRONG ADVANTAGE IN THIS AREA ALREADY. BUT WE TOOK THAT STEPS FURTHER THIS YEAR. WE WERE AWARDED A NEW FEDERAL GRANT TO INTEGRATE CBA INTO OUR ANNUAL LIST OF PILOT PROJECTS AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PASCO AND PINELLAS MPOs TO EVALUATE LARGELY REGIONALLY SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS IN A CONSISTENT WAY. AS FAR AS PERSONNEL ON OUR TEAM, WE ADDED AN ECONOMIC MODELER THIS PAST SUMMER, AND A DEDICATED GRANTS MANAGER TO HELP ENSURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE AND NAVIGATING THE SHIFTING LANDSCAPE. THIRD PILLAR, WHICH IS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BROCHURE OR HANDOUT, IS SPEAKING TO RECOGNITION AND BUILDING, PRESERVING OUR REPUTATION. OVER THE 10 YEARS THAT I'VE SPENT WITH THIS AGENCY, I'VE LOST COUNT OF HOW MANY TIMES FOLKS HAVE SAID TO ME, NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE MPO IS OR WHAT YOU DO OR WHO YOU ARE. I MEAN, I COULD, IF I HAD A NICKEL, YOU KNOW. OUR REPUTATION DOES NOT EXTEND VERY FAR BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL TRANSPORTATION CIRCLES, AND CERTAINLY NOT FAR BEYOND THE STATE. BUT WITHIN THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE STATE ENVIRONMENT, WE HAVE A REALLY STRONG REPUTATION AS A LEADER IN ENGAGEMENT, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT REPUTATION IS DESERVED. THIS PAST YEAR WE WERE AWARDED A NUMBER OF RECOGNITIONS. I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE ECOGNIZE ENGAGEMENT IS NOT THE SAME THING AS BUILDING OUR BRAND. BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT OUR PRODUCTS ARE REACHING THE INTENDED AUDIENCE BECAUSE WE HAD THE NUMBERS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT. WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS REACHING OUR CORE AUDIENCES.

OUR NEXT STEP IS TO CONNECT OUR BRAND IDENTITY TO THOSE PRODUCTS. FOLKS KNOW WHEN AN LRTP OR A TIP OR A SURVEY COMES THROUGH THEIR EMAIL. THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE TPO IS LEADING THOSE INITIATIVES. BUT AGAIN, THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ANNUAL IMPRESSIONS, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF WEB USE FOR PLANHILLSBOROUGH.ORG. IN 2025 WE WERE RECOGNIZED BY BOTH THE SUNCOAST CHAPTER OF THE FLORIDA APA AS WELL AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR DRIVING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON OUR ACCESS 2050 PLAN. THIS PAST YEAR WE ALSO WON AN AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR THE GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY AIR MONITORING PROJECT. BUT WE'RE AGAIN WE'RE WORKING TO BUILD OUR RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND THE LOCAL AND BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL TRANSPORTATION CIRCLES. THIS YEAR OUR STAFF IS HAS PRESENTED, PARTICIPATED, OR SERVED ON THE AMPO SAFETY INTEREST GROUP ASSOCIATION OF MPOs SAFETY INTEREST GROUP, TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD TECHNICAL COMMITTEES, TAMPA BAY DEVELOPER PODCAST, URBAN LAND INSTITUTE, LEADERSHIP TAMPA, GREAT AMERICAN TEACH IN, TAMPA BAY CHAMBER, CAMP STREET LIGHT EVENTS, CEOs TO SCHOOLS EVENTS AND EVEN MORE I COULDN'T FIT O THIS PAGE DUE TO REAL ESTATE CONSTRAINTS. THE FOURTH PILLAR ON THE BACK RIGHT SPEAKS TO STEWARDING PUBLIC RESOURCES. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THIS, I'M ASKING MYSELF ARE WE DEMONSTRATING THAT WE'RE EFFICIENTLY UTILIZING PUBLIC DOLLARS AND TIME. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT THERE IS A HISTORICALLY STRONG INTEREST RIGHT NOW IN GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SPECIFICALLY WITH THE GOAL OF ELIMINATING WASTEFUL SPENDING. AND WE'VE TAKEN THAT ISSUE TO HARD THIS YEAR. FDOT HAS AWARDED US ITS LOWEST RISK RATING FOR RECEIVING FEDERAL GRANTS BECAUSE OUR ACCOUNTING PRINCIPALS AND INVOICING PROCEDURES ARE RIGOROUS AND COMPREHENSIVE AND BASICALLY AIRTIGHT.

ONLY ABOUT 50% OF MPOs ACROSS THE STATE HAVE THAT RISK RATING. THE OTHERS FALL IN EITHER THE MEDIUM OR HIGH RISK CATEGORY. WE HAVE HAD THAT LOW RISK RATING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. TO ME THAT SIGNALS THERE IS A LOT OF TRUST BETWEEN YOUR MPO AND THE DISTRICT 7 D.O.T. OFFICE. THE TPO OPERATING BUDGET COMES FROM FEDERALLY SUB-ALLOCATED DOLLARS, AND THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS USED TO FUND PERSONNEL. WE SPEND ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH ON PERSONNEL AS WE DO ON CONSULTANT LED PROJECTS, AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY STRONG TEAM OF CAPABLE AND COMPETENT PLANNERS THAT CAN DO THE MAJORITY OF THAT WORK IN HOUSE. OF COURSE SOMETIMES WE LOOK TO CONSULTANTS TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT WE DO, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S TECHNICAL OR THEY HAVE ACCESS TO TOOLS THAT WE CAN'T JUSTIFY AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO. THAT SPEAKS TO THE QUALITY OF YOUR STAFF. IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, ALL OF THESE EXPENSES HAVE TO BE AUTHORIZED BY THE FDOT FOR US TO BE REIMBURSED, SO WE COMMIT TO SPENDING THE MONEY, AND FDOT APPROVES A REIMBURSEMENT TO DIRECT THAT MONEY TO US SO THAT WE CAN PAY STAFF'S SALARIES AND CONSULTANTS. THE REMAINING 12% OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET IS DIRECT AND INDIRECT EXPENSES, AND THOSE GO MOSTLY TO THINGS LIKE HR, LEGAL SERVICES, LEGAL ADS, CONFERENCES, TRAININGS, AND SOME OTHER MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES. ONE HIGHLIGHT THAT I REALLY WANT TO HARP ON IN THIS PRESENTATION IS THAT THIS PAST YEAR WE MADE IT OUR TEAM'S GOAL TO REVISE AND STREAMLINE OUR INVOICING PROCEDURES. NOW TO THE CASUAL OBSERVER OR THE OUTSIDER, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS AND SAY THAT'S NOT A WIN. THAT'S REALLY NOTHING THAT BIG, BUT FROM A BUREAUCRATIC AGENCY PERSPECTIVE, THIS WAS A TREMENDOUS COST SAVINGS. SO WE SYNTHESIZED OUR INVOICING PROCEDURE BECAUSE PRIOR TO THE CHANGE OF STREAMLINING, OUR

STAFF USED TO SPEND QUITE A LOT OF LABOR TIME DOCUMENTING THEIR PROGRESS ON EVERY BILLABLE TASK THAT THE TPO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR. AND THIS WORKED OUT TO ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS OF STAFF TIME EVERY SINGLE QUARTER. 80 HOURS. 80 HOURS IN TOTAL. OUR FINANCIAL MANAGER WORKED CLOSELY WITH FDOT TO SIMPLIFY THOSE REPORTS, WHILE STILL PROVIDING THE JUSTIFICATION THAT D.O.T. NEEDS TO AUTHORIZE THE REIMBURSEMENT AND AS A RESULT, THE SIMPLIFIED FORM SAVED US TWO FULL WEEKS OR 80 HOURS OF STAFF TIME EVERY QUARTER, WHICH FREES THEM UP TO WORK ON TASKS FOR CORE PRODUCTS AS WELL AS USING THAT TIME TO BUILD THEIR PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS. WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE FINAL POINT, WHICH IS THE VERY BOTTOM OF THAT SECTION. THE BOTTOM SECTION SPEAKS TO HOW WE'RE INVESTING IN OUR WORKFORCE. AS PART OF THE REGIONAL MERGER STUDY, THE EMPLOYEES OF HILLSBOROUGH, PINELLAS, AND PASCO MPOs WERE ALL ASKED WHAT ASPECTS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENCY CULTURE DID THEY VALUE THE MOST, AND WHAT WOULD THEY WANT TO CARRY FORWARD TO A MERGED MPO IF WE EVER GET THERE. 90% OF OUR TEAM SAID THAT THEY PROVIDE -- THAT WE PROVIDE A GREAT WORK/LIFE BALANCE AT OUR AGENCY, FOLLOWING THAT, THE MAJORITY SAID WE PROVIDE A SUPPORTIVE TEAM ENVIRONMENT. THEY HAVE VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES. AND THAT LEADERSHIP IS OPEN, APPROACHABLE, AND ACCOUNTABLE. HAT THOSE RESULTS TS THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO FACILITATING A GREAT TEAM DYNAMICS. WE CHOOSE TO INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE. THEY RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THAT. OUR TEAM OF APPROXIMATELY 15 ATTENDED A TOTAL OF 28 CONFERENCES AND TRAININGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, TO HELP THEM BUILD THEIR PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS AND GAIN CERTIFICATIONS AND SPECIFIC SKILLS THAT CAN BENEFIT THE AGENCY. SOME OF THOSE WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS INCLUDED GRANT WRITING

WORKSHOPS, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, IDENTIFYING THE LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL OF JUNIOR STAFF, AND WORKING TO BUILD THEM INTO LEADERS OVER THE YEARS. THAT WORKS OUT TO NEARLY TWO OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY PERSON ON THE TEAM THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. WHEN THEY BRING BACK THAT KNOWLEDGE, IT'S THEN MY JOB TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THOSE SKILLS AND MAINTAIN A HIGH QUALITY WORK PRODUCT FOR YOU ALL. TO GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED, WE'VE ACCESSED -- WE HAVE GAINED ACCESS TO CUTTING EDGE ENGAGEMENT TOOLS LIKE GEO FENCING, NEW SURVEY, ANALYT -- MEASURE PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS THE PROCESS OF CONTINUALLY SEEKING TO REFINE AND IMPROVE OUR PRIORITIZATION PROCESS. TO WRAP IT UP, I THINK WE'VE HAD AN AMAZING YEAR, IN NO SMALL PART THAT'S DUE TO THE GREAT TEAM THAT I MANAGE. OUR TRUSTED TEAM OF CONSULTANTS OF COURSE, MOSTLY SUPPORT FROM OUR BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. SO THANK YOU ALL. IN 2026, IN ADDITION TO MAINTAINING THE STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE THAT HAVE REPORTED FROM ACROSS THESE FIVE PILLARS, WHAT I'M LOOKING TO DO IS CONTINUE IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO STREAMLINE PROCEDURES, REDUCE UNNECESSARY BUREAUCRATIC POLICIES OR PROCESSES, AS WELL AS CONTINUING TO IMPRIOR OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH -- IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS WITH EACH OTHER ON THE TEAM, OUR PARTNERS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND THE COMMUNITY. THAT PRETTY MUCH WRAPS IT UP, BUT IF YOU FELT THAT THIS REPORT WAS HELPFUL TO YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES, I WOULD LOOK THERE YOUR BLESSING TO -- FOR YOUR BLESSING TO UPDATE THIS REPORT IN 2026 AROUND THE SAME TIME FRAME, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE KPIs THAT WE WE REPORTED, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE, I

CAN ALSO FIELD THOSE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS NOW. THE REQUE REQUESTED ACTION FROM THIS BOARD IS TO APPROVE RECEIVING THIS REPORT. THANKS, DR. WONG. BOARD MEMBER GRAY.

DR. WONG, THANK YOU FOR THIS PROFESSIONAL OVERVIEW. IT'S VERY, VERY FORMIDABLE. MY QUESTION CENTERS AROUND THE SAME SITUATION THAT WE'RE FACING WITH AI. WE ARE NOW TRYING TO BE THE DISTRICT THAT LEADS IN THE AI TEACHING AND LEARNING EFFECTIVE AND AFFECTIVE, BOTH DOMAYNES. THUS FAR THREE POLICIES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE USAGE OF AI, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND HOW TO PREVENT IT FROM BEING LIKE THE OUT OF CONTROL CELL PHONE USAGE THAT WE SEE TODAY. AND NOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT 2026 AND SOME SUGGESTIONS, I JUST WONDER IF IT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE LOOK AT BYLAWS, WHICH IS WHAT, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT OUR BYLAWS ARE SET UP THE SAME AS YOUR BYLAWS. OR OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT BECAUSE MIAMI-DADE AND OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN INTEGRATING AI LANGUAGE AND ACCELERATED VENUES, I WONDER IF THAT MIGHT BE AN INTEGRATION FOR THE FUTURE FOR THIS BOARD TO LOOK AT PUTTING INTO OO BYLAW FORMAT, AND I ALSO WONDER IF WE CAN START MENTIONING AND EVOLVING INTO THE AI IN YOUR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, YOUR BRANDING, FOR EXAMPLE. AND OF COURSE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. SO I THINK IN, IN A NUT SHELL, THAT WOULD BE MY COMMENT TO START TALKING, NOT ONLY ARTICULATING VERNA VER VUCIALY, BUT ALSO IN -- VERBALLY BUT ALSO IN YOUR COMMUNICATIONS.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT. úSO THE TPO, BECAUSE WEE NESTLED AS PART OF PLAN HILLSBOROUGH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES HAVE SOME AI POLICIES. WE HAVE INVESTIGATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO UTILIZE AI. WE DON'T PROHIBIT AI USAGE FROM OUR CONSULTANT TEAMS. HOWEVER, WE DO ASK THAT THEY TELL US WHEN THEY'RE USING AI TO GENERATE REPORTS OR PRODUCE WRITTEN MATERIALS. THE THOUGHT BEHIND THAT IS IF THEY ARE GENERATING CST SAVINGS BY REDUCING THEIR LABOR TIME, WE DON'T WANT TO PRESENT THAT AS A WINDFALL FOR THEM TO RECEIVE MORE MONEY THAN THE EFFORT THAT THEY PUT INTO IT. SPECIFICALLY REGARDING AGENCY OPERATIONS, WE ALSO DON'T PROHIBIT AI USAGE. WE ONLY ASK THAT OUR TEAM OFFER OR IDENTIFY IF IT HAS BEEN USED AND IN WHAT CONTEXT. WE ARE LOOKING FURTHERMORE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BIG TOPIC SO I COULD GO OFF ON A TANGENT.

YEAH, I FIGURED.

WE'RE DEFINITELY INVESTIGATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AI TO HELP US PRODUCE DOCUMENT DESIGN. THAT IS A PRETTY BIG, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT COST TO ANY WRITTEN REPORT THAT HAS TO BE PUBLISHED. WE'RE IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO UTILIZE THAT TO SAVE US FROM SOME LABOR TIME, AND NOT STRESS OUT THE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ON OUR TEAM. QUICKLY COMING UP AS IN WE'RE GOING TO EXECUTE A SCOPE OF WORK PROBABLY EARLY NEXT SPRING, IS VEHICLE COUNTS. THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE OF THE TPO BUDGET THAT WE UPGRADE OR UPDATE, TRAFFIC LIKE VEHICULAR AND MULTIMODAL COUNTS. THERE ARE AB INOF TOOLS OUT THERE THAT CAN UTILIZE AI TO ESTIMATE TRAFFIC COUNTS IN A NONTRADITIONAL WAY. O WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THAT R THOSE SCOPES OF WORK -- BEFORE THOSE SCOPES OF WORK ARE EXECUTED.

IT'S AN EXCITING, I'M CALLING IT A REBLUTION OF SORTS, RIGHT? SO THANK YOU FOR TOUCHING BASE WITH THAT SUBJECT. THANK YOU, DR. WONG. THANK YOU. OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? MR. HARTFIELD.

[OFF MIC] THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I APOLOGIZE FOR RUNNING A LITTLE LATE THIS MORNING. GREAT REPORT, MR. WONG. WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE IN YOUR REPORT, AND LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS TRULY A QUESTION, TO IDENTIFY, THIS DOES A GREAT JOB OF CAPTURING WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT THE YEAR LOOKED LIKE FOR US. WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO CAPTURE YOUR BHACs, YOUR BIG BASIS GOALS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR? WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO CAPTURE SOME OF THE BENCHMARKING THINGS THAT MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN FROM DIFFERENT TPOs OR AN MPO AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT YOU MAY WANT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR OPERATIONS REPORT? WOULD IT BE --

ABSOLUTELY. SO MY QUESTION, ARE THOSE THINGS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS DOCUMENT? ABSOLUTELY THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S POSSIBLE WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION SO THAT YOU GET A SENSE OF HOW WE STACK UP AGAINST OUR PEERS. IF ANY OF THE KPI DATA IS BEING RECORDED BY OTHER MPOs, WE CAN REACH OUT AND GAIN ACCESS TO IT AND SHOW YOU HOW WE STACK UP. I'LL CAVEAT THAT BY SAYING I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER MPOs THAT ARE PUBLISHING OPERATIONS REPORTS LIKE THIS. WE MAY BE BLAZING A TRAIL HERE. . IF THAT DATA IS AVAILABLE, WE'LL SEEK IT OUT AND FIND IT, BUT JUST A CAVEAT THAT IT MAY NOT BE.

COMMISSIONER MYERS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. VERY EXCELLENT OVERVIEW FOR US. I'M GOING TO MOVE TO RECEIVE THE REPORT AND TO GIVE US AN UPDATE IN 2026 OF THE BUSINESS OPERATION REPORT, SO I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE WITH THIS REPORT. THANK YOU. THAT'S MY MOTION.

WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND BY COMMISSIONER JOSEPH. ANY DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. úOP? NO NAYS. DR. WONG, I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS. I THINK THIS GIVES US A GOOD, MUCH BETTER FOUNDATION TO COMPLETE A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, AND BOARD MEMBERS, WHILE WE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTH YESTERDAY, BUT IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME TILL HE WAS TALKING THIS MORNING, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS OF PROPOSED MERGERS, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING WHEN WE GID -- IF AND WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT OF ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE BYLAWS OF THAT ORGANIZATION MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WHAT TYPE OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES WE WOULD PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST MAKING A BIGGER MPO BUT MAKING A BETTER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAINTAINING THE QUALITY AS WE CONTINUE TO RAISE THE STANDARDS OF OUR EXPECTATIONS, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON THE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AT SOME POINT WE'LL WANT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF MEASURES ARE WE GOING TO PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE IF YOU GET WHAT YOU MEASURE. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MEASUREMENTS IN PLACE, HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL OR NOT? SO ANYWAY. WE'RE GOOD WITH THIS? MS. RAMOS, THERE ARE SEVERAL MEMBERS THAT HAVE COME IN. HAVE YOU BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF EVERYBODY WHO'S COME IN?

YES, SIR, I HAVE GOT EVERYONE. OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU. SO OUR NEXT ITEM IS A STATUS REPORT FROM SARAH CAPER ABOUT THE REGIONAL MPO SUPPORT SERVICES UPDATE. WE RECENTLY HAD A PRINCIPALS WORKSHOP. MANY OF US WERE IN ATTENDANCE. NOT EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO ATTEND, BUT MS. CAPER IS GOING TO GIVE US A QUICK RUNDOWN AND SUMMARY OF HOW THAT EVENT WENT. GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING. SARAH CAPER, TPO STAFF, AND BEFORE I START ON THE PRESENT OPTION THIS MORNING, I DID WANT TO RESPOND, CHAIR ROSS, TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT MEASURING MPOs TO LET EVERYONE KNOW ON THE REGIONAL MPO WEB PAGE, WHICH IS ON THE HILLSBOROUGH TPO PLANHILLSBOROUGH WEB SITE, WE DO HAVE SOME DRAFT REPORTS UP THERE. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO UPDATE THEM, SO THEY ARE DRAFT, THAT LOOK AT THE OPERATIONS OF EACH OF THE MPOs LIKE STAFFING, FINANCIAL AGREEMENTS, COMMITTEE STRUCTURES, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE ARE STARTING TO LAY SOME OF THE PIECES OF HOW EVERYONE IS COMPOSED TODAY. AND WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO PROVIDE YOU THIS MORNING WITH AN UPDATE ON THE NOVEMBER 14th PRINCIPALS' WORKSHOP, WHICH IS PART OF THE REGIONAL MPO SUPPORT SERVICES WORK THAT THE HILLSBOROUGH TPO IS MANAGING ON BEHALF OF AND IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH FORWARD PINELLAS AND THE PASCO COUNTY MPO. I'M GOING TO START THIS MORNING WITH THE SLIDES THAT WE SHARED AT THE WORKSHOP, DISCUSS SOME OF WHAT WE HEARD, AND THE UPCOMING STEPS. AND THEN AFTER MY PRESENTATION, DR. WONG WILL PROVIDE HIS THOUGHTS AND WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. AS INTRODUCED AT THE WORKSHOP, THIS EFFORT BUILDS ON THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AMONG THE THREE MPOs THAT WAS DONE IN 2023, AND THE WORK THAT WAS COMPLETED AT THAT TIME. POST OF YOU PROBABLY RECALL THAT -- ALTHOUGH LEGISLATURE DID NOT REQUIRE US TO DO SO. THE HILLSBOROUGH, PASCO, AND MINEL HAWS MPOs COLLECTIVELY DECIDED TO EXTEND THAT WORK TO EVALUATE A RANGE OF APPORTIONMENT METHODS AND GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES AND OPERATIONAL POLICIES. EACH OF THE OPTIONESS FOR APPORTIONMENT AND GVERNANCE HAVE BEEN WORKSHOPPED WITH BOARD REPRESENTATIVES AT THE TMA MEETINGS. BEFORE THE T MA MEETINGS, THE HILLSBOROUGH TPO BOARD HAS DISCUSSED THE OPTION SO OUR TMA REPRESENTATIVES CAN HEAR FROM THE FULL BOARD IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETINGS. BECAUSE THE TMA IS COMPOSED OF

JUST A SMALL SAMPLE, THREE MEMBERS FROM EACH OF THE MPOs, THEIR DISCUSSIONS AND IDEAS HAVE THEN BEEN REPORTED BACK TO THE MPOs MAKING THIS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS SOME OF THE REASONS BEHIND THIS AND PREVIOUS EFFORTS TO EXPLORE REGIONAL MPO, INCLUDING PRESENTING A UNIFIED VOICE, AND RECOGNIZING THAT TRANSPORTATION DOESN'T STOP AT COUNTY LINES. THIS SLIDE IS A HIGH LEVEL LOOK AT THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS PROJECT. YOU MAY RECALL WHEN YOU PROVED THE AGREEMENT WITH WHITE HOUSE GROUP THE CONSULTANT FOR OUR EFFORT BACK IN AUGUST, THAT THERE IS A SEOND PHASE. HOWEVER, WE HAVE AUTHORIZED ONLY THE FIRST PHASE AT THIS TIME. THIS FIRST PHASE INCLUDES DOCUMENTING THE OPERATIONS AND STRUCTURE OF EACH MPO, WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER THIS MORNING, INCLUDING WHERE THERE ARE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AND DEVELOPING A DRAFT OF WHAT THE APPORTIONMENT PLAN AND BYLAWS MAY LOOK LIKE. THE WORK THE TMA HAS DONE IS A CORNERSTONE FOR THIS. THE FEEDBACK FROM THE PRINCIPALS' WORKSHOP IS HELPING TO FURTHER GUIDE THIS EFFORT AND TO PROVIDE MORE DETAIL AND TRUCTURE ON A POTENTIAL MPO BOARD THAT IS ACTION FOCUSED. BY THE END OF THIS FIRST PHASE, WE SEEK TO ASK EACH OF THE THREE COUNTY COMMISSIONS AND THE CITY OF TAMPA TO CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE KEY POINTS FOR A REGIONAL MPO, THE BASIS OF THE DRAFT LEGAL AGREEMENTS. I'LL DISCUSS THIS MORE AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION. IN PREPARATION FOR THE WORKSHOP, WE PREPARED SEVERAL FACT SHEETS, INCLUDING ONE THAT REFERS TO STATE AND FEDERAL GUIDANCE ON MPOs, AND THESE ARE AVAILABLE ON THE PROJECT WEB PAGE, AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THE TOPICS OF THEM. THE WORKSHOP INCLUDED A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO SET THE STAGE AND ESTABLISH COMMON GROUND. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY POLL QUESTIONS, WHICH I'LL SHARE WITH YOU IN A MOMENT. THE PARTICIPANTS THEN SPLIT UP INTO THREE LABS, PRINCIPALS, INFLUENCERS, AND PARTNER CITIES TO DISCUSS DIFFERENT PROMPTS.

EVERYONE CAME BACK TOGETHER TO SHARE ONE TAKEAWAY AND TAKE A FINAL POLL QUESTION. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WERE ABLE TO SIT IN ON ANY OF THE ROOMS OR THERE WAS AN AREA WHERE THEY COULD SEE THE LIVE RESPONSES FROM EACH ROOM IN ONE PLACE, AND THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT TOWARDS THE END OF THE WORKSHOP AND WE HAD COMMENT CARDS THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. THIS SLIDE LISTS SEVERAL AREAS THAT DEVELOPING A REGIONAL MPO MUST CONSIDER. FROM OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL INPUT, FAIRLY REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY, AND TO SATISFY LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS. THE NEXT SLIDES SHOW THE POLL AND LAB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS. I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO DETAIL ON ALL OF THEM, BUT WILL SHARE SOME OF WHAT WE HEARD. MEETING DOCUMENTATION IS BEING DEVELOPED, AND WILL BE SHARED ONCE AVAILABLE. WE'LL ALSO HAVE MORE ON THIS AT THE DECEMBER 12th THE FIRST POLL QUESTION YOU CAN SEE HERE ASKED THE PARTICIPANTS, WELL, IT'S NOT SHOWN HERE, THE FIRST ONE ASKED PARTICIPANTS FOR THEIR NAME AND ORGANIZATION SO THAT WE CAN ESTABLISH WHO WAS PROVIDING WHAT RESPONSES FOR TRACKING PURPOSES. FOLLOWING THAT, THE ONE THAT YOU SEE HERE, PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO SELECT A SINGLE BENEFIT OR SERVICE THEIR CURRENT MPO IS PROVIDING THAT IS MOST CRITICAL TO THEIR AGENCY'S SUCCESS. THIS HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFERENT AGENCIES VALUE TH MPOs TODAY. THE SECOND QUESTION SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFERENT ENTITIES COULD INTEGRATE WITH A REGIONAL MPO. SOME OF THESE LIKE THE PORT AND AIRPORT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED AND AGREED TO PREVIOUSLY BY THIS BOARD AND THE TMA. OTHERS LIKE TRANSIT ARE CALLED OUT IN STATUTE. FINALLY, THE RA LAST POLL QUESTION ON THE SLIDE WAS ASKED AT THE END OF THE WORKSHOP TO GAUGE WHAT PARTICIPANTS THINK OF A PATH FORWARD ON A POTENTIAL REGIONAL MPO. THE RESPONSES THEY COULD SELECT WERE STRONGLY OPPOSED, SKEPTICAL, UNCERTAIN, CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, OR STRONGLY CONVINCED. CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC WAS THE

MOST SELECTED RESPONSE. ALL PARTICIPANTS REGARDLESS OF THE LAB OR BREAKOUT GROUP THEY WERE IN WERE ASKED TO RESPOND TO A QUESTION ON STRUCTURAL MODELS WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE. I RECOGNIZE THAT NONE OF THE RESPONSES AVAILABLE EXACTLY MATCHES WHAT THE TMA AGREED UPON. THE PURPOSE OF THIS QUESTION WAS TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT MODEL TYPES AND SEE WHAT THE RESPONSES AND FEEDBACK WERE FROM THIS WIDER RANGE OF AUDIENCE OF ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE HEARD FROM THE PRINCIPALS LAB, WHICH INCLUDED COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FROM PASCO AND PINELLAS COUNTIES, CITY OF TAMPA COUNCILMEMBERS, AND A CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG COUNCILMEMBER THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN VING THE PORT AND AIRPORT AS NONVOTING SEATS, HAVING A ROTATING SEAT FOR NAWL CITIES, AND ANOTHER FOR TRANSIT PROVIDERS, SPLITTING THE REMAINING SEATS BY POPULATION, AND HAVING A SUPERMAJORITY FOR VOTING. HERE WERE THE QUESTIONS THAT THE PRINCIPALS LAB DELVED INTO. ONE THING WE HEARD RELATED TO PROGRAMMING POLICY I THIS LAB OF THE PRINCIPALS, AND THAT WAS REGARDING SPLITTING FUNDING FOR TRANSIT AND ROADS 50/50. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE INFLUENCERS LAB QUESTIONS. THE INFLUENCERS ALSO RESPONDED TO THE PARTNER CITY QUESTIONS IF THEY HAD TIME. SOME OF WHAT WE HEARD HERE WERE RELATED TO THE CHALLENGES OF IF AN ENTITY HAS VETO POWER, HOW TO BALANCE THE INTEREST OF ALL INCLUDED PARTIES, AND CONSIDERING SOMETHING BETWEEN A SIMPLE AND SUPERMAJORITY FOR MAKING DECISIONS, THE EXAMPLE WAS 65%. HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS ASKED IN THE PARTNER CITIES LAB, WHICH WAS THE BIGGEST OF THE LABS AND DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS. THOSE GROUPS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN A DEADIDATED DELEGATE OR ADVISORY COMMITTEE MODEL AND DISCUSSED PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION AND ALSO PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALL ENTITIES TO INPUT THEIR NEEDS AND HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE

VOTE AMONG OTHER THINGS. AS I TOUCHED ON EARLIER, WE ARE USING WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE PRINCIPALS LAB TO GUIDE THE LEGAL AGREEMENTS. IN DECEMBER WE WILL PRESENT MORE THE WORKSHOP AT THE TMARD FROM MEETING. AFTER THE PRINCIPALS WORKSHOP, THE CONSULTANT TEAM AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF THE THREE MPOs HAD A DEBRIEF MEETING, AND FELT THAT WHILE THE DISCUSSION WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE, IT WAS A START AND MORE CONVERSATION IS NEEDED. THEREFORE, WE'RE WORKING ON DEVELOPING A PROGRAM FOR THE FEBRUARY TMA MEETING THAT WILL INCLUDE INVITING A WIDER GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING THE THREE COUNTY COMMISSIONS, AND A CITY OF TAMPA COUNCILMEMBER. ALSO IN 2026, WE'LL BE ASKING EACH OF THOSE ENTITIES TO CONSIDER A VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THE DRAFT LEGAL AGREEMENTS OR COMPONENTS OF THEM FOR A MERGED MPO. SHOULD THEY SUPPORT A MERGER, OUR NEXT STEPS WOULD BE TO FURTHER REFINE LEGAL AND LOGISTICAL DETAILS AND PREPARE A DRAFT TRANSITIONAL PLAN. SHOULD A MERGER NOT BE SUPPORTED, WE WOULD LOOK AT OTHER MECHANISMS TO ACHIEVE REGIONAL GOALS AND RETHINK PHASE 2 OF THE CURRENT SCOPE OF SERVICES WITH OUR CONSULTANT AND IN OUR JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT FOR FUNDING THIS EFFORT. THAT I WANT TO THANK YOU, AND ASK DR. WONG IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS TO SHARE.

YEAH, I HAVE SOME. I THINK SARAH DID A GREAT JOB OF CAPTURING WHAT HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I SPENT ALMOST THE ENTIRETY OF THE AFTERNOON FACILITATING THE PRINCIPALS LAB BREAKOUT GROUP. THAT WAS THE ONE WHERE WE HAD REPRESENTATION FROM TAMPA CITY COUNCIL, PASCO COUNTY, PINELLAS, AND A COUPLE CITIES IN PINELLAS. I FELT THAT THE CONVERSATION IN THAT ROOM WAS PROMISING, ESPECIALLY FROM WHERE IT BEGAN TO WHERE IT ENDED. IN THE EARLIER PARTS OF THAT THE SESSION, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF CONFLICT, HEALTHY CONFLICT. YOU KNOW, THEY WERE DEBATING IDEAS ABOUT APPORTIONMENT, GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE. BUT IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THEY ALL BROUGHT A VERY SPECIFIC GOAL IN MIND, AND WHEN THERE WAS DISH AGREEMENT, THEY WERE NOT SHY TO TELL EACH OTHER. BUT I THOUGHT THE CONVERSATION WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE BECAUSE IN THE END I THINK THEY ACHIEVED NEAR CONSENSUS ON MOST OF THE IMPORTANT POINTS, AND WE EVEN TOOK REALLY GOOD CARE TO TIST TEST THE ASSUMPTIONS AND CLARIFY THEIR POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATION. THAT GROUP AND COUNCILWOMAN HURTAK, YOU WERE PART OF IT, SO PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. THAT GROUP FAVORED A 75% SUPERMAJORITY FOR ANY ACTION ITEMS TO BE APPROVED. I ACTUALLY ASKED THEM IF THEY THOUGHT THAT NUMBER WAS TOO HIGH BECAUSE TO ME IT STRUCK ME AS A VERY HIGH BAR FOR ACTION BUT THEY SAID NO, 75% IS THE RIGHT NUMBER. THEY ALSO DISCUSSED A BOARD POLICY OF HAVING 50% OF SU FUNDS, THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT THE MPO DIRECTLY CONTROLS, SPLIT ACROSS TRANSIT PROJECTS AND HIGHWAY PROJECTS. AND THEN FINALLY, THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD CONVERSATION TESTING THE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT BOARD

APPORTIONMENT, SPECIFICALLY THE ROLE OF THE AIRPORT AND THE PORT. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WAS CONSENSUS ON THIS, BUT THERE WAS ENOUGH AGREEMENT TO, TO REQUIRE FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF THOSE PARTICIPANTS, SO IF YOU RECALL, IN 2024, OUR BOARD POLICY POSITION THAT WAS VOTED ON HERE, AND THEN BROUGHT TO THE TMA WAS TO HAVE A BOARD OF 25, TWO SEATS COMING OFF THE TOP, ONE FOR THE PORT, ONE FOR THE AIRPORT, AND THEN THE REMAINING 23 WOULD BE DIVIDED BY POPULATION. OF THOSE 23, ENTITIES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WOULD RECEIVE 11, AND THEN EIGHT FOR PINELLAS, FOUR FOR PASCO, OR SEVEN FOR PINELLAS, FIVE OR FOR PASCO, HOWEVER THEY WANT TO DIVIDE IT. BUT THAT GROUP REALLY PUSHED THE ASSUMPTIONS ON THAT. THEY SAID ARE WE SURE THAT WE STILL FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT DESERVE A SEAT, AND IF NOT, HOW SHOULD THEY BE REPRESENTED. SHOULD THEY BE VOTING MEMBERS? NONVOTING ADVISORS? LEFT OFF ENTIRELY? IF THEY ARE LEFT OFF ENTIRELY, WHO DO THOSE SEATS GO TO? SO THAT'S MY HIGH LEVEL TAKEAWAY. I'D BE HAPPY TO ADD ANYMORE DETAILS, BUT I LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE --

HOW DID IT GET LEFT?

SO THAT GROUP WAS TASKED WITH IDENTIFYING ANY RED FLAGS OR DEAL BREAKERS. ONE DEAL BREAKER THAT WAS IDENTIFIED WAS ANY ENTITY HAVING VETO POWER. SO THIS -- I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WOULD CONFLICT WITH THE 75% SUPERMAJORITY. IT'S JUST THAT NO BOCC OR CITY OR ANY OTHER ENTITY CAN CAST A VOTE THAT KILLS AN ACTION THAT'S SUPPORTED BY THE REMAINING MEMBERS. AND THIS WAS NOT A DEAL BREAKER. I THINK IT WAS GENERALLY SUPPORTED, BUT SOME MEMBERS SPECIFICALLY IN PINELLAS HAD CONCERNS ABOUT A POLICY THAT DIVIDES SU50% TO TRANSIT, 50% TO HIGHWAY. AND FROM A LEGAL REVIEW, I'M NOT ENTIRELY CERTAIN WHETHER THAT'S POSSIBLE EITHER BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT MAY LOCK A FUTURE BOARD INTO FUNDING DECISIONS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?

BOARD MEMBERS, OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER COHEN.

YOU KNOW, I WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT THERE UNFORTUNATELY. I DO JUST HAVE TWO SORT OF EARLY RESPONSES TO WHAT YOU'VE SAID. FIRST IS THAT I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM IF THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT DON'T HAVE A VOTE ON THIS BOARD. THAT, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO AGO, AND I DON'T -- I JUST, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW THIS CAN WORK IF THAT ISN'T THE CASE. THE SECOND THING ABOUT THE VETO BUSINESS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY OF TAMPA IS GOING TO GO FOR THIS IF THEY DON'T HAVE A WAY OF HAVING SOME PROTECTION AGAINST ESSENTIALLY BEING GANGED UP ON AND TOLD THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO GO THROUGH YOUR CITY WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. WHAT -- AND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COULD BE THE EXAMPLE TOO. I THINK BACK TO THAT ISSUE AT TAMPA BAY WATER WITH THE PIPELINE. I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THE IDEA THAT A MULTIPLE JURISDICTION BOARD COULD IMPOSE SOMETHING ON A LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT INVOLVES PUTTING SHOVELS INTO THEIR GROUND IF THEY ARE ACTUALLY OPPOSED TO IT. I DON'T -- I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT CAN WORK, AND I CAN SEE AN EXTREME SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THAT COULD BE EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC. I JUST, I'M, AND THEN CITY I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE MAYOR OR THE CITY COUNCIL OR WHO ULTIMATELY WOULD EXERCISE IT, BUT USING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AS AN EXAMPLE, IF A MAJORITY OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION WAS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING HAPPENING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE REST OF THIS BOARD WANTED TO DO IT ANYWAY, I SEE THAT AS BEING LIKE

A HUGE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS. SO I'M NOT, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD WORK. I DON'T KNOW. I'M JUST WANTED TO -- I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. MAYOR KILTON.

I AGREE VERY EMPHATICALLY WITH COMMISSIONER COHEN ON THE ISSUE OF THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TA TALKED ABOUT AND AGAIN BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE EMPLOYEES, CEO, YOU KNOW, THE REPRESENTATIVES AND NOT ELECTEDS FROM THOSE TWO. THAT'S -- I HAVE BEEN CLEAR ON THAT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE VETO ISSUE. THAT'S SOMETHING I NEED TO GIVE MORE THOUGHT TO, BUT I ALSO FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE DON'T NEED TO PAINT OURSELVES IN A CORNER ON TRYING TO DETERMINE TRANSIT VERSUS OTHER PROJECTS TODAY. WE NEED TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO USE THOSE DOLLARS AS PROJECTS COME UP. SO I THINK THE LEGAL ISSUE IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THAT, WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE VETO BECAUSE I'M JUST -- I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE AN EDUCATED OPINION ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM NOW. BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AD NAUSEAM AS IT RELATES TODAY PORT AND THE AIRPORT, AND I WILL STAND FIRM ON THAT.

I SEE A LIGHT OVER HERE. IS IT MR. SLATER?

JUST QUICKLY, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE GROUP THAT YOU KNOW I DID GO TO THE PRINCIPALS' WORKSHOP. I KIND OF STRUGGLED WITH IT A LITTLE BIT. I CAN'T TELL WHETHER IT WAS THE FORMAT OF IT OR KIND OF THE WAY WE WENT AROUND THE ROOM AND KIND OF REPORTED OUT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY AND DO PERSONALLY BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT PHASE IS REALLY UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT THE FORMAT OF THAT FINAL PRODUCT MIGHT BE SO THAT I CAN KIND OF HELP FIGURE OUT KIND OF WHERE THAT FITS IN THE PROCESS. BECAUSE I DID STRUGGLE WITH THAT WORKSHOP A LITTLE BIT. I JUST KIND OF FELT LIKE WE WERE ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND I WANTED TO -- I WAS TRYING TO CONNECT IT TO, OKAY, WHERE ARE WE TRYING TO GET TO, WHAT IS BEST FOR THIS REGION, HOW DOES THIS WORKSHOP GET US TO MAKING THAT DECISION, AND SO I WANT TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT BEFORE THE NEXT ONE HOW WE CAN KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT FINAL PRODUCT MIGHT BE.

BOARD MEMBER GRAY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, COMMISSIONER COHEN, WHILE DR. WONG, WHILE YOU WERE SPEAKING, I WROTE DOWN AND MAYOR KILTON, THE PORT, AND THE AIRPORT, JUST AS AN ALMOST OUTSIDE, A NEW PERSON COMING IN, IT IS VRY SURPRISING THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A VOTE, A PRESENCE. THAT'S JUST FOR THE RECORD. AND ALSO COMMISSIONER COHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT AMOUNT OF CONSENSUS, COMING INTO STRONG PART OF TAMPA, OUR CITY OF TAMPA, I DO THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A PROBABLY AN UPCOMING NIGHTMARE, SO JUST, I'M JUST SHARING MY, I DEEFLT AGREE WITH THOSE -- DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THOSE REMARKS AS AGAIN A PERSON THAT'S COMING IN FOR THE FIVE MEETINGS BUT THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT TO ME ARE PROLIFIC. WE'RE PROUD OF THEM. THEY DO A LOT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS AND THEY DO LOT OF THE TRANSPORTATION, ET CETERA, SO THOSE ARE -- THAT'S MY TWO CENTS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ARE THERE COMMENTS? I KNOW ABOUT HALF OF US WERE AT THE WORKSHOP, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANY OTHER TAKEAWAYS, COMMENTS? YES? , MR. JOSEPH.

I JUST WANT T WANTED TO SAY AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN AT PLAN HIL HILLSBOROUGH FOR OVER A DECADE NOW I WANT TO COMMEND DR. WONG AND MS. CAPER FOR THE WORK THEY HAVE DONE AND THE AGENCY AS A WHOLE. I THINK THE MPO HAS TAKE AN LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THIS WHOLE MERGER PROCESS UNLIKE ANYTHING I HAVE SEEN IN MY TIME HERE SERVING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. STRANGE THE WAY THE LORD HAS TIMING AND PLANNING OF THINGS SET UP, BUT THE WAY THAT THIS GROUP HAS TAKEN A HOLD OF THIS AND LED IN TIME WITH THE OTHER COWNLTIES AND THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, I THINK IS COMMENDABLE BECAUSE FIVE, TEN YEARS AGO, IT WOULDN'T BE AS SMOOTH AS IT'S GOING RIGHT NOW. SO I JUST WANT TO DEFINITELY COMMEND YOU AND ALL THE STAFF, YOU KNOW, TPO STAFF WHO HAS BEEN WORKING SO HARD AT ALL THIS, AND THE WORKSHOP WAS A LITTLE HERE AND THERE LIKE MR. SLATERR SAID, BUT I THINK A BROAD PART WAS TO GATHER BROAD IDEAS. YOUR CONCERNS WERE ECKED IN THE MEETING, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE FINAL WORD ON IT. THE WORKSHOP WAS KIND OF TO GET THESE BROAD IDEAS AND SEE KIND OF WHERE WE WANT TO GO, SO IN THAT RESPECT I THINK IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL SO I WANT TO OMMEND YOU ALL.

THANK YOU, MR. JOSEPH. OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS? COUNCILMEMBER HURTAK.

I WON'T MINCE WORDS. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE WORST ORGANIZED WORKSHOP I HAD EVER BEEN TO. IT WAS VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. THE QUESTIONS ON THE BOARD. IT WAS VERY HARD TO FOLLOW. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT AGAIN IN THAT FORMAT. I DID NOT LIKE THE FOLKS WHO LED IT. IT SEEMED VERY ELEMENTARY FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING. IT WAS KIND OF INSULTING I'LL JUST SAY. I MEAN, AGAIN, THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION. HOWEVER, WITH THAT CAVEAT, THE PRINCIPAL, THE WHT IS IT, THE, WAS IT THE PRINCIPALS GROUP? WAS EXCELLENT. DR. WONG EXPLAINED IT VERY WELL. WE STARTED -- THERE WAS A LOT OF DEBATE. IT WAS HEATED. BUT BY THE END, WE PRETTY MUCH CAME TO A CONSENSUS, AND I'M, I DO NOT REMEMBER ANYONE IN THAT GROUP DISAGREEING THAT THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT SHOULD NOT BE ON. PINELLAS AND PASCO HAVE STRENGTHENED THEIR OPINIONS ON THAT TO MORE SO, SO IT WAS, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING. AND THE 75% WAS SORT OF A --

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEIR STRENGTHENED THEIR OPINION? WHAT DID THEY STRENGTHEN THEIR OPINION ON?

THEY ABSOLUTELY DO NOT -- THEY WON'T DO IT IF THE AIRPORT AND THE PORT ARE ON AS VOTING MEMBERS, JUST IT WAS A NO. SO THAT WAS, THEY WERE KIND OF OKAY WITH IT IN THE BEGINNING, AND THOU TH NOW THEY'VE REALLY STRENTENED THEIR OPINION TO ABSOLUTELY NOT. CITY OF TAMPA. I DON'T REMEMBER ANYBODY DISAGREEING, SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING. BUT THEN AS FAR AS THE VETO THING, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE OTHERS SAID ABSOLUTELY NOT, THEY WOULD NOT AGREE WITH. SO THAT'S WHERE THE 75/25 STARTED TO COME INTO PLAY. SO IT WAS A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE PARTNERSHIPSP PRINCIPALS ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND NO ONE FROM THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMISSION WAS THERE. IT WAS ONLY PASCO AND PINELLAS AND CITY OF TAMPA, SO THERE IS DEFINITELY MORE CONVERSATION TO BE HAD. BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS TE BEST PART, GETTING THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHO ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE THE VOTES WAS, OR WHO ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE UP THE NEW TMA OR MPO WAS PERFECT IN MY OPINION.

COMMISSIONER WOSTAL? WHO IS, WHO IS THEY? WHO SAID THAT THEY DON'T WANT THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT? WHO IS THEY? YOU'LL HAVE TO ALLOW ME TO GO BACK AND CHECK MY NOTES IN THE RECORDINGS. I HAVE A SUSPUGZ OR I'LL ADMIT, I MAY BE MISTAKEN. I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM TAMPA CITY COUNCIL. I STAND CORRECTED, COUNCILMEMBER HURTAK, IF I MISUNDERSTOOD, MY APOLOGIES, BUT I THOUGHT THAT THE TAMPA CITY COUNCIL FOLKS WERE LEADING THAT CONVERSATION.

OKAY, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL, AND IF IT IS THE TRUTH THOUGH, THEN YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST WRAP THIS UP BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO DIE ON THE VINE. SO SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STOP JOCKEYING AND START BEING REASONABLE. THANK YOU. OTHER --

THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY TO THAT POINT, I WAS AT THE WORKSHOP AS WELL, AND I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE SOME OF THESE SEGMENTED DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE NOT PROVIDED ANY ADDITIONAL CONTEXT FROM SAY THE PORT OR THE AIRPORT, IT'S EASY TO KIND OF GO INTO A DIRECTION BECAUSE THERE ARE -- AND I AGREE WITH A LOT OF FOLKS IN THERE, THERE WAS A DEGREE OF CONFUSION ABOUT THE QUESTIONS, THE CONTEXT AND ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS SO I THINK WE GOT A LOT MORE RUNWAY AND DISCUSSION TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A BROADER, MORE STRUCTURED DETAILED QUESTIONS, AND DISCUSSION SESSIONS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE PINELLAS AND PASCO FOLKS MAY VERY WELL THINK BECAUSE THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT ARE LOCATED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT SOMEHOW THAT DILUTES THEIR VOTING POWER. BUT WE'VE ALWAYS CONSTRUED OURSELVES AS REGIONAL, BOTH THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT. SO I THINK HAVING THOSE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WILL HELP ILLUMINATE AND REDUCE SOME OF THE ANGST THAT WE MAY BE HEARING. SO I THINK WE GOT MORE ROOM TO GO HERE.

THANK YOU, MR. STEPHENS, COMMISSIONER COHEN.

MR. STEPHENS MAKES AN EXCELLENT POINT AND I WOULD REMIND EVERYONE THAT WAS IN ORLANDO THAT THE ORLANDO PEOPLE PLAYED RIGHT INTO THAT ARGUMENT BECAUSE THEY WERE BRAGGING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY PUT ELECTED OFFICIALS ON IN THE SPOTS FOR THE AGENCIES IN ORDER, IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY AFFECT THE REGIONAL BALANCE, WHICH YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO RUN OUT OF THE ROOM WITH MY HAIR ON FIRE BECAUSE TO ME THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO. AND I THINK THAT IN OUR NEXT MEETING IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN THAT AND MAYBE MAKE IT A LITTLE CLEARER WHY WE MADE THE DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT AND SAY THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY WHICH LIES WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND WE VIEW AS BEING AN IMPORTANT PLAYER AT THE TABLE BUT WE'RE WILLING TO PROVIDE FOR OUT OF OUR OWN APPORTIONMENT. AND THEN JUST ON THE SECOND THING ON THE -- YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN LISTENING A LOT TO THE CONCERNS THAT ARE RAISED IN THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND I JUST, I DON'T SEE HOW WITHOUT GIVING THE S THEY'RE NOT GOING TO -- NOT VETO THIS. AND SO YOU KNOW, IF THE OTHER TWO COUNTIES WANT TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT DOING IT, THEY HAVE TO I THINK UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET IT OVER THE FINISH LINE ON OUR SIDE OF THE BAY. NOW, THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO GET IT OVER THE FINISH LINE ON THEIR SIDE OF THE BAY, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT THAT AND BE OPEN TO IT, BUT YOU KNOW, IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE BIGGEST ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, AND SO OUR SUPPORT IN THIS ROOM IS CRITICAL TO THIS GOING FORWARD. AND MAYBE IN OUR NEXT MEETING WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, CAN GET SOME

COMMISSIONERS THERE TO INTERACT WITH THEM.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. SO I HAD A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS. I WAS IN A DIFFERENT BREAKOUT GROUP. I WISH I HAD BEEN IN THAT ONE. IT SOUNDS, NO OFFENSE, BUT IT SOUNDED PRETTY INTERESTING. HAVING -- THESE ARE MY PERCEPTIONS HERE. BEING ON THE TMA AND HAVING BEEN ON THE TMA THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE THING, AND THEN GOING TO ORLANDO, WHICH I THINK WAS A VERY BENEFICIAL EXPERIENCE AND THEN HAVING THIS, I KIND OF AGREE WITH COUNCILMEMBER HURTAK ON THIS WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW. BUT THERE ARE SOME -- I THINK THE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD, AND I AGREE WITH MR. JOSEPH THAT EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE LEANING INTO THIS AND HAVING SOME VERY PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS. I DON'T KNOW, I'VE SAID FROM THE BEGINNING, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS IS SOMETHING AT THE END OF THE DAY I WOULD EVEN BE IN FAVOR OF OR NOT. CONCEPTUALLY I'M IN FAVOR OF THE POTENTIAL OF MERGING. I THINK POTENTIALLY IT COULD WORK, BUT THE DEVIL'S ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS. BUT I THINK YOU KNOW WE TALKED EARLY ON IN THIS, OUR OBLIGATION HERE IS TO ENTER INTO THIS WITHOON OPEN MIND AND LEAN INTO IT AND HAVE A GOOD DIALOGUE, NOT MAKE IN OUR MIND ON DAY 1, AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S DOING THAT. AND SO SOME THINGS THAT I HAVE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE PICKED UP ON, ONE IS I THINK THERE IS GROWING HESITATION IN PASCO. I KIND OF THOUGHT THAT THE BIGGEST PUSHBACK MIGHT BE FROM PINELLAS BECAUSE THERE IS SO MANY CITIES THERE. BUT I THINK THAT THE GROWING HEADWIND SEEMS TO BE IN PASCO. THEY'RE GROWING MORE, IN FACT SOME OF THEM THAT WERE INITIALLY IN FAVOR OF SOME THINGS HAVE NOW SWITCHED, INCLUDING THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT. THEY ALL THREE COUNTIES AGREED TO THAT AND NOW THY'RE HAVING BUYER'S REMORSE ON SOME OF THEM ARE HAVING BUYER'S REMORSE ON THAT. THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PORT AND THE AIRPORT. THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SMALL CITIES MAINTAINING

REPRESENTATION. OBVIOUSLY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THAT'S OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT TO ME. BUT WHAT I'VE ALSO LEARNED IN LISTENING TO MOSTLY CITY OF TAMPA BUT ST. PETE TOO IS THAT THEY DON'T WANT THE SMALL CITIES TO HAVE THE VETO POWER OVER PROJECTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM. AND I DON'T THINK I REALLY EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AT THE BEGINNING BECAUSE I'M COMING FROM A SMALL CITY, AND I'M MORE WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING, BUT I KIND OF GET THAT. I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE 450,000 PEOPLE IN OUR CITY, YOU KNOW, 30,000 TEMPLE TERRACE, SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO KILL YOUR PRIORITIES, AND I DON'T THINK WE WOULD SET IT UP LIKE THAT BUT I KIND OF GET THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ST. PETES AND THE TAMPAS OF THE WORLD NEED TO BE FAIRLY REPRESENTED. THEY'RE REPRESENTING A LOT MORE PEOPLE. THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE SUPERMAJORITY, THE 75%. I WASN'T IN THAT DISCUSSION, BUT I HAD A LENGTHY DEBRIEF WITH DR. WONG ABOUT THAT. I THINK THAT'S A HIGH BAR, BUT I REALLY DON'T THINK, THE MODEL I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EXPLORED A LITTLE BIT IS THE HAMPTON ROAD MODEL FROM VIRGINIA. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT TO KNOW HOW IT WOULD REALLY PLUG INTO OUR REGIONAL MPO, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE MODELED OUT AND THAT IS SO SO IN ORDER FOR SOMETHING TO BE APPROVED THAS TO BE APPROVED BY A MAJORITY OF THE VOTE. IF IT'S A REGIONAL PROJECT. IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD, BUT THE VOTING MEMBERS IN FAVOR OF IT THAT PASS IT HAVE TO REPRESENT MORE THAN 50% OF THE POPULATION OF THE REGION. SO IN OTHER WORDS IF THE VOTE TURNED OUT TO BE, YOU KNOW, SMALL CITIES GUY AND THE AIRPORT AND THE PORT AND ALL THE SMALLER CITIES, BUT QUMBINED THEY DON'T

REPRESENT 50% OF THE POPULATION, THAT'S NOT A GOOD ENOUGH MAJORITY. SO YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE -- AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MODELED OUT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF -- I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL TURN OUT TO BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US OR NOT, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE HAVING THE NECESSARY DISCUSSION -- I THINK THIS IS GOOD PROCESS. I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT WE'RE FLESHING OUT SOME OF THIS. I DO WISH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY MADE UP THEIR MIND, LIKE WE HAVE A TMA BOARD MEMBER THAT HAS ONLY BEEN TO ONE TMA MEETING AND THAT WAS TO COME IN AND WANT TO REDO EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD DECIDED FOR A YEAR. WE HAD BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS, FROM ANOTHER COUNTY, AND THEN THIS TMA MEMBER COMES IN AND GOES, OR OH, NO, WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT. WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A YEAR. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE. AND I DO WISH THAT EVERYBODY THAT'S GOING TO VOTE ON THIS WOULD ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS, AND I THINK WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD WITH THAT. I THINK PINELLAS IS DOING PRETTY GOOD WITH THAT, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT AREN'T PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS AND THEN COME IN AFTER THE 11th HOUR AND SAY OH, NO, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. IT'S LIKE YOU ALREADY VOTED ON IT, YOU KNOW? BUT COUNCILMEMBER HURTAK.

YOU KNOW, I WILL SPEAK AS SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, JUST WAS ADAMANT WHEN THIS BEGAN THAT THIS WASN'T SOMETHING I WANTED TO CONSIDER BUT I WENT IN AND WENT TO ALL THESE PLACES BECAUSE THIS WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED TO DO AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. AND I WOULD JUST CAUTION EVERYBODY, THERE'S NOTHING LEFT FOR ME THAT IS A MUST HAVE. I'M NO LONGER A IF THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN THIS IS GOING TO DIE BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING FROM OUR COUNTERPARTS IN PINELLAS AND PASCO IS THEY DESPERATELY WANT TRANSIT TO. SO FOR ME THEY'RE WINNING MOO EOVER BY THEIR FOCUS ON TRANSIT AND NOT ROADS AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT TO FOCUS ON SO THEY'RE WINNING ME OVER. AND I THINK THAT THAT WE ALL NEED TO GO INTO IT, FIRST OF ALL TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS. AND THEN NOT TO, I JUST CAUTION YOU TO SAY IF THIS IS ON THE BOARD I'M GOING TO -- OR IF THIS IS A STANCE I'M GOING TO VOTE NO. BECAUSE YOU GOT TO SHOW UP. YOU GOT TO HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS. AND I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GOT ME AWAY NECESSARILY FROM HAVING TO HAVE VETO POWER TO TALKING ABOUT PERCENTAGES AND AGAIN, THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT SORTS OF WAYS WE CAN DO IT BUT IF YOU'RE NOT THERE HAVING THE CONVERSATION, IT'S VERY HARD FOR US TO DISTILL HERE HOW THAT WENT. AND IT'S VERY HARD TO BRING YOUR VIEW IF YOU ARE NOT THERE. SO I'M JUST GOING TO.

MAY I? MR. CHAIR? YEAH, COMMISSIONER COHEN. I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. HONESTLY IT'S THE ONLY MEETING I'VE MISSED ON THIS SUBJECT, AND I JUST COULDN'T GET THERE THAT DAY. BUT LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION BECAUSE YOUR VIEW HAS CHANGED ON THIS. I MEAN, I LISTENED TO WHAT YOU SAID IN THIS ROOM, AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT IN LISTENING TO YOU AND ALAN AND SOME OF THE OTHERS, I DIDN'T FEEL THAT THE CITY OF TAMPA WAS GOING TO GO ALONG WITH THIS WITHOUT A VETO, AND NOW YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE SOFTENED ON, SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATING POSITION OF THIS BOARD. BOARD TO SOME DEGREE.

WELL, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT COUNCILMEMBER CLENDENIN SHARES THAT OPINION WITH ME, SO BUT REALLY WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IS SOMETHING LIKE IF IT'S IN THAT JURISDICTION, YOU WOULD NEED A MAJORITY. I MEAN, THAT WAS A 75%. THAT WAS ONE OF OUR REASONS THERE. SO AGAIN, THAT WAS JUST A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. I CAN'T REMEMBER EVERY SINGLE PORTION FROM THAT CONVERSATION, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS RECORDED OR OF ANY SORT BUT YOU KNOW IF IT WAS, THAT MIGHT BE WORTH GOING BACK AND LISTENING TO. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WAS BY FAR, THAT PRINCIPALS MEETING WAS THE BEST CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE HAD ABOUT IT, WOULDN'T YOU AGREE? IT WAS BY FAR THE BEST CONVERSATION WE HAD HAD. AND I THINK THERE WERE ONLY SIX OR SEVEN OF US SO IT WASN'T A LARGE GROUP BUT WE WERE REALLY ABLE TO DIVE IN AND I THINK THAT HONESTLY, THAT'S PROBABLY THE WAY FORWARD IS FOR US TO GET THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE ON THAT BOARD, ELECTEDS, WHO HAVE TO VOTE, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. THAT'S REALLY, SO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE CITY OF TAMPA. THOSE ARE THE FOLKS WHO NEED TO GET IN A ROOM AND REALLY HASH THIS OUT.

WITH THEIR COMMISSIONERS? YEAH. NO, I'M SAYING BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION FOR PASCO, PINELLAS AND ALL OF THE CITY COUNCILMEMBERS. AND OUR ATTORNEY EVEN CAME. OUR CITY COUNCIL ATTORNEY CAME JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT PRIVILEGE WAS, YOU KNOW THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THINGS WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO. BUT THAT WAY WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A NOTICED MEETING. IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE FELT COMFORTABLE SPEAKING FREELY BECAUSE HE CAME.

WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT REALLY IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO GET THE NEXT MEETING TO GET ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS INTO A ROOM. I WOULD JUST SAY THIS ON THE VETO POWER ISSUE. I'M, WHILE I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE CITY -- THAT THERE'S SOME OPEN-MINDEDNESS ON THIS, I DO THINK THERE IS, FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA, FOR EVERY JURISDICTION, AN ISSUE WITH HAVING SOMETHING IMPOSED ON YOU BY A LARGER BOARD. AND I JUST THINK EVERYBODY'S GOT TO HAVE NOT HAVE BLINDERS ON ON THAT ISSUE BECAUSE IF WE'RE REALLY IN A SITUATION WHERE EVERYBODY ESSENTIALLY SAYS YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, THAT'S GOING TO, THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY TOUGH, AND SO WE OUGHT TO GO IN WITH OUR EYES OPEN TO WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. BUT WELL, WELL SAID ON -- ON THE WHOLE THING.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. COUNCILMEMBER CLENDENIN.

> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. SORRY I WAS LATE. I WAS OVER IN DOWNTOWN ST. PETERSBURG FOR THE PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE TRANSBAY FERRY, WHICH WAS EXCITING. IT WAS REALLY NICE. GOOD EVENT. XCITING DEVELOPMENT. ON THIS I THINK COUNCILWOMAN HUR THANKIN HURTAK KIND OF HIT IT. I'M NOT AS OPTIMISTIC AS SHE IS ON THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT. I THINK IT'LL BE INTERESTING WHEN WE GET ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER BECAUSE YOU KNOW WE HAD A SUBSET OF WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE ONE OF THE ACTIVIST LEVEL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE FOLKS THAT SHOWED UP AT THAT MEETING WERE REPRESENTATION OF THE LARGER BODY OR WHETHER THERAPY THE ONES THAT WERE JUST -- THEY WERE THE ONES THAT WERE JUST REALLY PASSIONATE BECAUSE I KEEP HEARING YOU KNOW, SIDE BAR CONVERSATIONS THAT THEY'RE HAVING SOME OF THE SAME KIND OF -- I WON'T SAY NEGATIVELY BUT PESSIMISM THAT I MAY HAVE, AND IT'S FUNNY, AND LIKE, COMMISSIONER COHEN SAID, NOBODY LIKES TO BE, THINGS TO BE SHOVED DOWN. I THINK SOME OF THE SMALLER CITIES AND OTHER COUNTIES WILL HAVE THE SAME KIND OF FEELING. I MEAN, IT'S THE SAME PTSD THAT I HAVE. I NEMEAN HONESTLY I CAME INTO THIS ON A SINGULAR ISSUE AND IT WAS EYE OPENING FOR US WHEN COMMISSIONER WOSTAL INTRODUCED THE ISSUE OF 275 W50E 275 WIDENING AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON OF CITY OF TAWA VOTED NO AND WE HAD THAT -- TAMPA VOTED NO AND WE HAD THAT SHOVINGED DOWN OUR THROAT. THAT GAVE ME PTSD IS THIS A VISION INTO THE FUTURE OF WHAT THE LARGER BODY WOULD LOOK LIKE F WE'RE GETTING IT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD NOW, IS THIS WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE. SO THAT REALLY WAS AN ALARMING SIGNAL TO ME. BUT I WANT TO JUST RIGHT SET THIS. I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABSOLUTELY NO. IN FACT I VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE EXPLORATION COMMITTEE AND DOING THE PROCESSES WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. I WAS IN FAVOR OF THAT. úI THINKP OUR, YOU KNOW, TRUST BUT VERIFY. KEEP OUR EYES OPEN, OUR OPTIONS OPEN, AS WE MOVE FORWARD. AND THE DEVIL IS ALWAYS IN THE

DETAIL. IT'S THE LAST DEAL THAT YOU SEE. BEFORE YOU PUT THE PEN T PAPER AS THE ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON. AND IF THAT, IF THAT DEAL IS GOOD FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA AND GOOD FOR THE FUTURE OF THE REGION, I THINK THAT CITY 0678 TAMPA CAN BE THERE BUT IT'S GOT TO BE A GOOD DEAL FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA AS WELL INCLUDING THE REGION. SO THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. IT'S GOT TO BE FAIR. IT'S GOT TO BE GOOD FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OFL TAMA AS WELL AS THE CITIZENS OF THE ENTIRE REGION. THANK YOU.

WELL, WE'VE HAD GOOD DISCUSSION ON THIS, AND I'M SURE THERE'S MORE TO COME. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AT THIS POINT IS HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS AND WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB AT THAT. THANK YOU, MS. CAPER. I JUST YOU'RE BEEN STANDING THERE A LONG TIME LISTENING. THANK YOU. AND I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION AND ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO ATTEND T THE DECEMBER TMA MEETING AND THE FEBRUARY TMA MEETING AND HOPEFULLY THAT'S THE NEXT FORUM TO CONTINUE WHAT DESOUNDS LIKE HAPPENED AT THE PRINCIPALS LAB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT. DR. WONG.

THANK YOU ALL. BE VERY QUICK. THE NEXT TPO REGULAR MEETING IS NEXT WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10th. IT WILL BE ON THE SECOND FOOR BOARDROOM AT 10:00 A.M. WE ONLY HAVE 90 MINUTES ALLOTTED BECAUSE THERE IS A MEETING THAT FOLLOWS BEGINNING AT 12:00 O'CLOCK, SO WE HAVE TO BE OUT OF THERE BY 11:30. WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO KEEP THE AGENDA LIGHT. ON THE TOPIC OF THE NEXT TMA MEETING, THE NEXT SCTPA/TMA LEADERSHIP GROUP MEETING WILL BE DECEMBER 12th AT THEA. THANK YOU THEA FOR HOSTING THAT. THAT'S IT FOR ME UNLESS THERE ARE QUESTIONS. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. ANY NEW BUSINESS OR OLD BUSINESS TO DISCUSS? COMMISSIONER SLATER?

NEXT WEEK I WILL BE IN DECEMBER AS PART OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ON AN ADVISORY PANEL FOR UPDATING THE INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES FOR HOW MPOs, DOTS, AND TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES COLLABORATE FOR BETTER TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO KIND OF SHARE THE RESULTS OF THAT WHEN I GET BACK. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. ANYTHING ELSE? , BOARD MEMBERS, TO COME BEFORE US? COUNCILMEMBER URH HURTAK? DR. WONG S THERE A WAY YOU COULD MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU SEND OUT THE INVITATION FOR NEXT WEEK YOU MAKE IT REALLY BIG THAT IT'S IN THE SECOND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM? OTHERWISE I WILL BE HERE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, SO YEAH THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.

ABSOLUTELY. WE'LL HAVE STAFF IN THE LOBBY TO REDIRECT ANYONE WHO'S HOPPING ON THE ELEVATOR. THANK YOU. I'M ON AUTO PILOT. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, GUYS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD DISCUSSION TODAY. HAVE A GREAT WEEK.