Remarks by René Flowers
91 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 4
- Play at 13:57
“Good afternoon, everybody. Full house. The Heavenly Father, we just thank and praise you for safe travel and grace and mercy. We thank you for each and every person that is seated here on today. We thank you for our firefighters who are representative of just a small portion of the concerns that are. Citizens have throughout Pinellas County. They provide a yeoman service and they do a yeoman's job. We thank and praise you for the staff of Pinellas County government. You have brought us so far. We've not had to worry about hurricanes or storms, but when we did, you made sure that the staff had…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:00:19
“I just want to remind everyone that when this executive order did come down, Barry took it upon himself to review policy language, contract language, anything that would be indicative of an adversarial communication based on what did come down when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is really what we're talking about here. So, you know, I don't have a problem with you delaying it, but I really don't believe that based on what other contracts we've approved for the airport or other renovations and improvements, this language has been in place. It's never been an issue before.…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:02:03
“Like I said, I don't have a problem with moving forward. I just wanted to make sure, for the record, that it was shared what this is really all about, number one, and number two, that the county has gone through and assured or made sure that we were in compliance with what it is that Donald Trump put forth, him and his administration. And no one has raised this as an issue, and we have sat here and approved other contracts as it relates to the airport. That is simply my comment. So, you know, feel free to bring it back. But again, like I said, it's ridiculous. Thank you.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:03:03
“of a protest for a contract with a county government system, the person that's protesting has to put up a bond because you're holding up business. And I can't remember what the percentage of the bond is for the contract that you would have to put up. And then you take it through the process. So if they want to take it through a legal challenge or whatever, you hold that bond so that if they lose, you get to keep that money because it pays for your costs and whatnot. And then if you don't win, then whatever it is that the judge or the magistrate decides, that's how you move forward.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:07:29
“For the scoring on this, the person who was the winner of the bid, is it a minority-owned contractor?”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:07:37
“A minority-owned business. Minority being women or minority being African-American, Hispanic? A woman. A woman. African-American woman or just a woman?”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:12:38
“Yes, Commissioner just want to point out on that the EEOC while those things have changed within the current administration, the EEOC definitions remain the same. I deal with this through the Office for Human Rights because, you know, we had the whole thing going on there and through the EEOC it still reflects. you shall not be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Sex would be the woman because she's a minority. So, you know, again, deferring to legal, but EEOC, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission still reflects and designates, despite the current…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:13:59
“The point of the executive order was for minority people. Yeah. African Americans, Hispanic, Asian, etc.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:27:37
“commissioner flowers excuse me thank you thank you mr. chair I support because the the blue swoopy swoop shade things they put up I know what you're talking about. Yeah. And it does make it.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:27:53
“They do work. They work. But here's my question. Um, because it says, um, funding of this project is not recommended to operational and maintenance responsibilities. So the 7,500, is that just for the installation? Do you know what the ongoing maintenance costs are? Because I just want to make sure that whatever that is, that you get it covered in your ask.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:28:18
“So that maintenance will be something you bring to us annually?”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:39:00
“Pinellas County Schools does have a drug-free program that they operate, and then they have the smoke. um, smoke free program for persons who may be smoking or vaping or whatever. Um, and so I know they have like, um, uh, I'm going to call them evening courses where they do things by zoom, but they also have in school, you know, participatory events and things. Maybe that's a place where, um, this can be very, very effective because it's youth who maybe they're through the juvenile justice system because they've had some issues where certain drugs have been detected in their system. And so…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:45:26
“Sir, hadn't had a chance to meet you. Hopefully I'll get an opportunity to come out and just see the facilities again. But just wanted to say thank you. I've had my older brother was a guest of the organization some years ago. Um, when Shirley Coletti first started the program as a result of her son, um, and they were out there on 66th street with a little, I call them the cottage homes. That's our village. He, yeah, he and Carl divine actually were two individuals that were the first tenants in there. But I just want to say thank you because my family has had an opportunity to, um, be…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 2:11:23
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. Before I begin, just a question, Barry, before I make a comment. Our code enforcement officers don't carry guns, do they? Okay, so I know what our policy is, you know, not to go back and forth, but I didn't want that to go unaddressed that code enforcement officers are showing up with weapons because that could get out of control in this environment. I know, but in this environment that could get out of control.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 2:11:53
“Yeah, I pay attention, but I just didn't want I don't want anyone to think that they still code enforcement officer. They think that they have a weapon on them and and all of that good stuff. So thank you for clarifying that. I just wanted to make sure we're not using guns to enforce our rules. Exactly. Exactly. So I had I had an opportunity on on the 12th of the sorority of which I'm a member of. We have a nonprofit arm called the Youth Development Foundation and we hold different activities to raise money to put money back into the community. And so we were able to give checks. They weren't…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 16:58
“Dear Heavenly Father, we just thank and praise you for allowing us to be here on this day. We know that the inclement weather has given us hesitation in a lot of areas, but we are still thankful for the rain that you've allowed to flow upon us for our necessary needs. We ask that you send your angels of grace and mercy to those who are sick among us, especially our chairperson. We know that a healing is already on the way, and you've provided him with the ultimate surgeon and the ultimate doctor. We pray especially for those who are within our body, not present here on today, but our…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 19:52
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 50:48
“Doctor, don't leave. Doctor. Oh, he's my doctor. Don't leave.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 50:57
“I just wanted to say how much you are appreciated. I'm not a doctor or a full-time nurse, but when you think about just how small veins and arteries are, and the equipment that we use now, the robotics that are used to be able to have surgeries not be so invasive. But the amount of knowledge and education that you guys go through and then the retraining because you don't stop all of these new procedures are coming out. You're constantly learning. And I will tell you, I've already shared it with Chris and more so with Bianca because I wasn't talking to him. I was chatting with her, but. When I…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 1:56:52
“Just real quick. This young lady, when I was a city council member in the city of St. Petersburg, she started out as a receptionist. Student intern. Yeah, with the city of St. Pete. And I have watched her rise up through the ranks. And then she moved up to the mayor's office, like as the receptionist when you walk in. And now she's working with Amy Foster through the housing department, homelessness, all of that. So she's doing an absolutely wonderful job. And I can tell you, she doesn't just work in the office anymore. If there's something going on in the community or they need someone's…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 2:23:18
“Thank you, Mr. Chair. So all of us that with each other at the besties awards and we did have a lot of fun just joshing each other, but also celebrating what I really enjoyed about it is to see the restaurants and businesses that. have been able to get themselves back up on their feet. And now they're getting an award for the service. And it seems to be quite competitive in that room. But I had a really good time and I got a chance to meet some people that I didn't know. I had an opportunity, of course, to attend the Forward Pinellas Workshop, as well as the actual board meeting, and that was…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 2:45:42
“I don't know. That may be kind of dangerous.”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 2:46:13
“a for three hundred million dollars or less in a very good campus uh... uh... will only only on the corner like a little small that yeah i think that's a real good idea current policies is like for naming a building or whatever the person needs to be deceased five years and have made a significant contribution but i think that we could certainly look at expanding that uh... and do it for a time frame like with the mahafi you know that was associated for a number of years uh... with Duke Energy at one point, and so they paid for naming rights for that period of time, and then when that time…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 2:47:16
“Listen, as long as they have food that's not that food that's in the vending machine across the street, I'm good. Well, maybe we'll do trucks outside, Barry. Uh-uh. Well, we could do that once every three months. I like that idea, though, a nice restaurant or something, because, you know, when you're working, you may want a good hot meal or whatever, or...”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026
- Play at 3:09:27
“Um, if you, um, if you will go to our website and look me up, my name's Renee flowers. And if you can email me, I'll be happy to answer your questions for you tomorrow online. Um, I think you were intending to call in during the public comment piece to ask this question. Um, but yeah, um, I just know about the class is doing the project. That's all. So, um, so thank you so much for being involved in the process and for hanging around and cause you could have been doing something else at six o'clock. But if you could look me up under Pinellas, uh, county government.com. Pinellas.gov, I'm…”
Board of County Commissioners · Sep 10, 2026