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YOU'LL HAVE YOUR TAKE A SEAT, PLEASE. GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING DAUGHTER FROM THE BAY COUNTY DELEGATION. IT'S FIVE PM ON OCTOBER 2ND. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT. WE APPRECIATE THE COUNTY COMMISSION OPENING THEIR DOORS FOR US. WE ASK YOU PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES. SO THE PROCEEDINGS CAN BE RECORDED WITH ANY WITHOUT ANY EVENTS. WE WANT TO THANK THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR THESE FACILITIES. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ISSUES THAT MAY FACE THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE IN THE UPCOMING SESSION. WE WILL START AT FIVE PM AS WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND ADJOURNED BY SEVEN PM OR COMPLETION OF THE AGENDA. IF YOU DID NOT FILL OUT A REQUEST FOR HIM TO SPEAK TO US, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND STAFF WILL BRING THOSE FORMS TO YOU SO WE CAN HAVE A RECORDING TO MAKE SURE YOU RECORDED FOR THE RECORD. UM WE ASKED YOU IF YOU ARE SPEAKING TONIGHT, PLEASE KEEP YOUR REQUESTS. THAT KIND OF A 30,000 FT VIEW. THIS IS NO TIME TO REALLY GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THE WEEDS OF YOUR REQUEST. THE MONETARY AMOUNTS. SO PLEASE, IF THAT IS A CONCERN, REACH OUT TO OUR STAFF. WE HAVE ALL OUR STAFF HERE IF YOU'LL PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ANDREA SONYA KIM ASHTON BEFORE THEM, PLEASE. TAKE CARE OF THEM. THEY'LL THEY'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU AS WELL. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. UH WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION. TOMMY HAM TO THE PODIUM TO GREET US TONIGHT. THANK YOU. HELLO GUYS. APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE.
WELCOME. EVERYONE GOT A ROOM FULL, WHICH IS GREAT. THIS IS OUR ANNUAL DELEGATION MEETING THAT WE HAVE SENATOR. TRAUMA REPRESENTED GROUPS APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE. LISTEN TO WHAT EVERYBODY'S GOT TO SAY, UM , AND I'M SURE THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF IT. BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY ELSE FOR SHOWING UP. AND AS ALWAYS, THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COMMISSION CAN DO TO HELP YOU GUYS, PLEASE LET US KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS WILLING REALLY READY AND ABLE. THANK YOU, SIR. I APPRECIATE YOU APPRECIATE YOU. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE TO CALL A PASTOR COLLEGE SHOOTS TO THE FRONT TO SAY A QUICK INDICATION IF YOU'LL PLEASE STAND FOLLOWING THAT WILL DO THE PLEDGE BY SENATOR JAY TRUMBULL. ALRIGHT IF YOU BOW YOUR HEADS.
FINALLY, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET TOGETHER TO ENJOY THE FREEDOMS WE SO, UH , SOMETIMES TAKE FOR GRANTED HERE IN AMERICA LORD. THANK YOU FOR OUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR BLESSINGS. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR BAY COUNTY AND OUR LEADERSHIP.
LORD, HELP TO NOT BE PRODUCTIVE. LET'S BE HONORING TO YOU AND ALL THAT WE DO AND YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN PLEDGE. BUDGET. YEAH AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. WE DO HAVE A FULL AGENDA TONIGHT. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP. SO WE'RE ASKING YOU PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. WE WILL CUT YOU OFF. WE WILL CUT YOU OFF. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US TONIGHT. UM WITH THAT BEING SAID YOU GOT ANYTHING ANYTHING TO GO. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO. NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST IS, UH MAYOR HENDERSON COUNTY T. P O CHAIR FLOOR IS YOURS, MA'AM. GOOD AFTERNOON, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF OUR LOCAL DELEGATION . THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AS WE DELVE INTO A PIVOTAL INITIATIVE THAT PROMISES TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF A COUNTY. THE BAY COUNTY TRANSIT GOVERNANCE ANALYSIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY DESIGNED TO DEFINE THE ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES AND GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT TRANSIT AUTHORITY IN BAY COUNTY , WHICH WOULD CONSOLIDATE SERVICES UTILIZED SERVICES MORE VIEWED AS UTILIZE RESOURCES MORE EFFECTIVELY. AND ELEVATE OUR MOBILITY SERVICES. IN OCTOBER. 2022 THE BAY COUNTY TRANSIT GOVERNANCE ANALYSIS WAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED. THE GTC THE GOVERNMENT TRANSIT AUTHORITY.
TOOK SHAPE ON FEBRUARY 1ST 2023 BY AN INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BAY COUNTY T. P O AND THE BAY COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THE G TCS TASK WAS TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL OVERSIGHT AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGHOUT THE ANALYSIS JOURNEY. ON JUNE 13TH 2023, THE GTC RECOMMENDED THE APPROVAL OF A SEVEN MEMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A NEW INDEPENDENT TRANSIT AUTHORITY. THE BOARD WOULD INCLUDE REPRESENTATION FROM THE BAY COUNTY COMMISSION, PANAMA CITY COMMISSION, PANAMA CITY BEACH COMMISSION, LYNN HAVEN COMMISSION CALLOWAY COMMISSION. AND THE BAY COUNTY T P O. ANTI IN THE TIME FROM JUNE 3RD 2 2013 TO AUGUST 2013 A TASK FORCE WAS CONTAINED TO DRAFT THE FINAL LANGUAGE REQUIRED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS INDEPENDENT TRANSIT AUTHORITY. THE DECISIVE MOMENT ARRIVED ON AUGUST 23RD 2023 WHEN THE GTC STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THE APPROVAL OF THE DRAFT BILL LANGUAGE. THIS SET INTO MOTION THE NECESSARY ENDORSEMENTS BY WAY OF RESOLUTIONS FROM THE T P
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O ON AUGUST 23RD AND THE BAY COUNTY COMMISSION ON SEPTEMBER 6TH BOTH BY UNANIMOUS VOTE. IN CLOSING. I HUMBLY REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS THAT WILL BRING THIS INDEPENDENT TRANSIT AUTHORITY DO FRUITION. THE AUTHORITY WILL SERVE AS A CATALYST, ENHANCING THE MOBILITY AND ELEVATING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE RESIDING IN OR VISITING BAY COUNTY. IT WILL CONSOLIDATE PUBLIC TRANSIT SERVICES, INCLUDING FIXED ROUTE BUS SERVICE IN DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICES FOR THE TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED UNDER A UNIFIED UMBRELLA. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WILL EMPOWER DEDICATED BOARD TO SET POLICIES AND OFFER THE FLEXIBILITY NECESSARY TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE ADVERSE NEED THE DIVERSE NEEDS ABOUT COUNTIES COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. GOT A COMMENT. RIGHT SO THIS IS A LOCAL BILL. SO THIS IS THE ONLY BILL TONIGHT THAT WILL BE TAKING SOME ACTION. UM SO I HEAR A MOTION. I THINK YOU NEED THE MOTION TO VOTE AND APPROVE OF THE LOCAL BILL. AS CHAIR. I DON'T THINK I CAN MAKE THEM. REALLY? OKAY NOW NOW I CAN MAKE A MOTION. THE SECOND THE MOTION SECOND THE MOTION, RIGHT? WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. I GO. YEAH YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ALONG. UH, NEXT ON THE LIST. KYLE SHOOTS COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHAIRMAN, FLORIDA CURSOR. THANK YOU GUYS ARE MEMBERSHIP. WE DO A SURVEY EVERY YEAR AND I WANTED TO BRING SOME OF THOSE RESULTS TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION THIS UPCOMING YEAR. UH THIS, UH, SURVEY BROUGHT BACK OBVIOUSLY A TOPIC THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WORKFORCE HOUSING. UM OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE NEED A PLACE TO LIVE. THEY'RE GOING TO WORK HERE. ALSO UH, OF MAGNET TOP CONCERNS WAS THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION, THE IMPACT OF INFLATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE. WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. UM CHAMBER MEMBERS ALSO VOICED SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE STATE IMMIGRATION REFORM THE TAX CLIMATE AND SUPPLY CHAIN. THEY'RE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTING THEIR BUSINESSES. I'M SURE YOU WERE ALL AWARE OF THAT, UM, ALSO, UH , WITH THIS SURVEY AMOUNT OF TRADE WORKERS, SKILLED TRADE WORKERS, PEOPLE WITH JUST WORK ETHIC. OBVIOUSLY, AS THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WERE SUFFERING, UH, BE ABLE TO FIND GOOD PEOPLE TO GO TO WORK. LASTLY AND I WANT TO KIND OF HANG OUT OUR HAT ON THIS ITEM ON THERE. YOU BOTH ARE AWARE OF IS THAT THE CHILDCARE ISSUE FACING US AS A COMMUNITY IS SIGNIFICANT. WE HAVE FORMED A TASK FORCE AT THE CHAMBER TO TRY TO RALLY. UH WHAT RESOURCES WE CAN TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IT'S NOT JUST AN ISSUE FOR THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, BUT IT IS FOR BOTH. BASES THAT ARE HERE ON THEIR THEIR FOLKS ARE HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING CHILDCARE. AND OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU'RE IN A LABOR CRISIS, HAVING FOLKS BEING ABLE TO FIND CHILDCARE SO THEY CAN GO TO WORK. IT'S A BIG ISSUE THAT'S FACING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. UM LASTLY, THANK YOU GUYS FOR SO MUCH SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR US. IT'S UM I THINK SOMETIMES WE TAKE YOU FOR GRANTED ALL THAT YOU DO IN YOUR TIME THAT YOU SPEND WORKING ON THE BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH THAT. HOPEFULLY, WE'LL SEE YOU IN JANUARY AS WE USED TO DO AS A CHAMBER. THANKS GUYS. THANK YOU.THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL PROVIDE US A LIST OF ALL OF THE PRIORITIES. YES SIR. AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE YOU MENTIONED ON THE CHILDCARE THING. WE GRIFFIN ARE BOTH VOTED ON. THE BILL ACTUALLY RAN THE BILL IN THE SENATE THAT MADE IT A LOT EASIER FOR A CHILD CARE FACILITY TO COME ONLINE. UM SPECIFIC TO FOR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE FENCE THAT THOSE ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE ALREADY YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH THE DIODE PROCESS FOR TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE STATE'S PROCESS. SO UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT UM UM THAT'S GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOLKS WHO ARE IN OUR MILITARY TRYING TO FIND CHILDCARE ON A DAILY BASIS. UNDERSTOOD I THINK WE'VE AS A CHAMBER. WE'VE DONE A DECENT JOB BEING ABLE TO QUANTIFY THAT NEEDS SO HOPEFULLY UM, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PUT IN PLACE AND ARE QUANTIFIABLE NEED. WE CAN COME TO SOME KIND OF RESOLUTION. THANK YOU GUYS.
THANKS, KARL. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. ALRIGHT NUMBER FIVE TONIGHT. RYAN HENLEY MARINE INDUSTRIES OF FLORIDA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA. ON THE ON DRIVE. GOOD EVENING, SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE. MY NAME IS RYAN KINDLY AND I REPRESENT OUR LOCAL MARINE INDUSTRIES OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA AS WELL AS THE STATE MARINE INDUSTRIES. MY DAY JOB. I'M A LOCAL MARINA, OWNER AND OPERATOR LAST YEAR, THE RECREATIONAL BOATING SECTORS ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE STATE WAS IN EXCESS OF $31.3 BILLION 100 AND 10,000 JOBS AND OVER 1 MILLION REGISTERED RECREATIONAL BOATS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT 61% OF THOSE BOAT OWNERS IN THE STATE HAVE AN ANNUAL INCOME
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OF LESS THAN $75,000 TRULY PASTIME THAT CAN BE ENJOYED BY ALL. JUST A FEW POINTS FOR THE UPCOMING LEGISLATIVE SESSION. I'D LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT VOTERS SAFETY, SO I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT THE WATER TO BE A SAFER PLACE. THE MARINE INDUSTRIES, UH, THINKS THAT THE SENATE BOATING SAFETY BILL THAT'S ALREADY BEEN FILED FOR THIS UPCOMING SESSION AS WELL AS THE HOUSE BILL THAT WE FOUGHT LAST YEAR WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT RECREATIONAL BOATING.SPECIFICALLY GOING BACKWARDS WITH THE BOATING SAFETY COURSE. IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO GO BACK IN TIME FROM THE 1988 BORN AFTER DATE TO THE SIXTIES, AND THEN WE'RE ULTIMATELY ENDED UP ALL VOTERS WOULD NEED THE SAFETY COURSE, INCLUDING THE TWO OF YOU IN FRONT OF ME AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS BEHIND ME. RANDOMLY PICKING AN EARLIER YEAR WITH NO DATA IS ARBITRARY. MARINE INDUSTRIES FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER MARINE GROUPS HAS BEEN WORKING ON BURBAGE THAT I BELIEVE WILL GET US TO THE END GOAL FOR SAFER WATERS, WHILE ONLY IMPACTING THE BAD ACTORS. THE NEXT POINT I HAVE FOR YEARS. THE RICE AS WELL. SPELLED RICE IS PRONOUNCED BRUTUS. I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENS. UH IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT I AM NOT ANTI WHALE STANDING BEFORE YOU TWO GENTLEMEN, BUT I AM PRO BOATING. FREEDOM IN MILITARY ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT VOTERS TEND TO BE AS THE GREATER GOOD THE MOST AND BEST STEWARDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY THE WATER. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THIS IS TOTALLY A FEDERAL ISSUE.
I JUST WANT YOU TO BE INFORMED OF THE SITUATION. OVER 400,000 SQUARE NAUTICAL MILE CHUNK OF THE GULF OF MEXICO IS PROPOSED TO BE A VOTING SLOW ZONE WITH NO NIGHTTIME TRANSIT. THE PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE ALSO HAS A GOVERNMENT OBSERVER TO BE ON BOARD OF YOUR VESSEL. THIS IS ALL FOR 51 WHALE VARIANT OF THE RIGHTS. WELL THAT DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY WERE A SUB SPECIES IS THIS COUNTRY WAS DEALING WITH THE EARLY DAYS OF COVID. MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL THIS WOULD JEOPARDIZE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AS IT WOULD BE AN AFFECTING ONE OF THE LARGEST MILITARY RANGES IN THE UNITED STATES. I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE TIME FROM BOTH OF YOU AND ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS EVENING AND FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE. THERE'S NO QUESTIONS LIKE TO YIELD MY TIME BACK TO THE FLOOR. OKAY, THANKS FOR BEING OVER HERE. BUT WE WATER, RIGHT? BLUEWATER BAY. THAT'S IT . YEAH. THANKS FOR THANKS FOR COMING OVER TO BAKE AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU IN OKALOOSA AT THE END OF THE MONTH. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. BASED ON THAT AGE REQUIREMENT, YOU STILL MIGHT NEED TO TAKE THE ALL RIGHT.
MOVING ON NUMBER SIX. LINDSEY CANON CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY, LINDSEY, COME ON. GOING DOWN.
YOU'RE THE NEXT CONTESTANT. WELL TELL ME WHAT WE WON BECAUSE WE NEED SOME MONEY AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS. I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR HAVING US HERE. SENATOR TRUMBULL REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS BEHALF OF ALL CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY. WE WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK THAT YOU DID PUSH THAT APPROPRIATION UP TO 11 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY SECURING THAT FUNDING FOR OURS HERE AT PARKER ELEMENTARY. YOU KNOW THIS FUNDING SUPPORTS 36 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA, INCLUDING PARKER. UM AND THESE NEW FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, OF COURSE, STABILIZE OUR FUNDING AT THE SCHOOL FOR BACKBONE FUNDING, BUT WILL HELP US WITH THE PARENT ENGAGEMENT AFTER SCHOOL, ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AND SUPPORT. WITH THE NEW FUNDS ALSO COMES. A NEW OPPORTUNITY WILL BE LOOKING AT APPLYING FOR GRANTS. THERE WILL BE EIGHT NEW ONES THAT COME OUT, SO THAT'S EIGHT NEW SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND NOT THE WERE COMPETITIVE, BUT WE'RE GOING FOR ONE HERE LOCALLY FOR RUTHERFORD, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL. VERY EXCITED, AND WE HOPE TO BE ADDED TO THAT LIST OF AWARDEES SHORTLY. THIS MODEL PULLS TOGETHER, OF COURSE FOR CORE PARTNERS, WHICH IS BIG COUNT OUR BAY COUNTY SCHOOLS, WHICH I SAW OUR SUPERINTENDENT HERE. PAN CARE ROBERT THOMPSON SOMEWHERE IN THE CROWD, AND THEN , OF COURSE, GULF COAST STATE AND CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY. WE MADE A 25 YEAR COMMITMENT TO THIS, SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN THAT WAS SO IMPACTED, ARE STABLE FOR YEARS TO COME. WE ALSO KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS, UM COME WITH NEEDS THAT ARE MORE THAN JUST THE PLACE TO LEARN. IT NEEDS TO BE A HUB THAT SERVES AS A RESOURCE FOR THEIR PARENTS AS WELL AS THAT LOCAL COMMUNITY WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANDED LEARNING AND ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. WE'RE PROUD OF THIS IMPACT THAT WE MAKE ON STUDENTS. WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THOSE IMPACTS LEAD TO HIGHER TEST SCORES LESS DISCIPLINARY REFERRALS, REDUCED ABSENTEEISM AND, OF COURSE, TEACHER RETENTION, WHICH IS WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO SEE. WE KNOW WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY MORE GREAT TEACHERS. SO WE ARE GOING TO BE COMING BACK AND REQUESTING THE LEGISLATURE. A LITTLE BIT MORE NEXT YEAR, BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE PATH FOR SCHOOLS THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING . WE KNOW THIS MODEL WORKS. WE ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AROUND HEALTHY FAMILIES , WHICH IS ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE SUPPORT STATEWIDE. AND CHS IS A PROVIDER OF YOU WORKED VERY HARD LAST YEAR TO STABILIZE OUR WORKFORCE, AND WE ASK YOU TO LOOK INTO MAKING THAT REOCCURRING FUNDING HAPPENED THIS YEAR SO THAT WE CAN KEEP
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OUR WORKFORCE WHERE IT IS REALLY WORKING WITH THAT 0 TO 5 POPULATION. AND INTERRUPTING THAT CYCLE OF, UM CHILDREN COMING INTO FOSTER CARE, WHICH IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS CHANGING THAT DYNAMIC FOR FAMILIES. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND FOR COMING TO PARKER. I'M GLAD YOU GUYS GOT TO DO HOPSCOTCH AND YOU'VE GOT TO SEE ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OUT HERE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO INVITING YOU BACK TO RUTHERFORD WHEN WE GET THAT ONE TOO. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. AMAZING WHAT Y'ALL DID AT PARKER. WE APPRECIATE THE TOUR. SO UH, HOPE WE DO HOPE YOUR COMPETITIVE PAYS OFF. I HOPE WE DO. SECURE. OKAY. GOOD. GOOD TO KNOW. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON NUMBER SEVEN. MATT CHESTNUT SPACE FLORIDA. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR LETTING ME BE HERE TONIGHT. MATT CHESTNUT VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH SPACE FLORIDA APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SUPPORT IN THE PAST AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AS ALWAYS FROM FROM OUR ORGANIZATION, AS YOU KNOW, SPACE FLORIDA SERVES AS THE STATE'S AEROSPACE FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. WE WORK WITH AEROSPACE COMPANIES TO SECURE STRATEGIC FINANCING FOR PROJECTS AND WORK WITH F D. O. T TO UNLOCK CRITICAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING. SPACE FLORIDA OFFERS LEADING AEROSPACE COMPANIES UNRIVALED EXCUSE ME, UNRIVALED EXPERIENCE UNMATCHED FINANCIAL TOOLS AND AN UNBEATABLE LOCATION FOR THEIR NEW INITIATIVES. UM SPACE. FLORIDA'S DOESN'T IS OFFICIAL IN FLORIDA SPACES DESIGNATORS OFFICIAL MODE OF TRANSPORTATION , AS WE KNOW, UH, WHICH OPENS UP TRANSPORTATION FUNDING TO ALLOW THOSE DOLLARS TO FLOW TOWARDS SPACE AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. UH, RECENT MOST CURRENTLY OUR PIPELINE. AS A VARIETY OF PROJECTS. 30% OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE MORROW MAINTENANCE, REPAIR OVERHAUL FROM AN AVIATION STANDPOINT AND 50% OF OUR PROJECTS OR MANUFACTURING SO NICE DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS IN THAT AEROSPACE, UM DIVERSIFYING, NOT ONLY THE TYPE OF BUSINESS WE WORK WITH AND WHERE THOSE, UH, COMPANIES WHERE THOSE COMPANIES LOCATE OPENS UP AVENUES FOR GROWTH AND INNOVATION AND LONG TERM STABILITY IN THE INDUSTRY. WE HAVE ACTIVE PROJECTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE, INCLUDING 16 AT VARIOUS STAGES IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA. UH HIGHLIGHT THE ONES THAT WE ARE WORKING ON NOW PROJECT MAPLE, WHICH IS ANNOUNCED AS AN MRF FACILITY AT THE PANAMA CITY AIRPORT PROJECT LASER, WHICH IS A FACILITY AND PENSACOLA, LEONARDO, WHICH IS DEVELOPING AND BUILDING IN MILTON IN SANTA ROSA COUNTY, AND I GMC AND INVESTMENT WE MADE WITH THEM IN THEIR PRINCIPAL FACILITY. DIVERSIFYING AND EXPANDING. OUR FOOTPRINT STATEWIDE IS ESSENTIAL FOR LONG TERM SUSTAINED GROWTH FOR THE INDUSTRY. AND IT'S ALSO WHY THIS YEAR WE ARE PURSUING LEGISLATION TO EXPAND FLORIDA SPACEPORT TERRITORIES TO INCLUDE BOTH HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE AND TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE INTO THE SYSTEM. THIS ONE LAKH ADDITIONAL SPACE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND FURTHER SOLIDIFIED FLORIDA IS THE PREMIER GLOBAL AND INTERPLANETARY CAPITAL FOR AEROSPACE COMMERCE. THIS EXPANSION WILL ATTRACT A DIVERSE RANGE OF SPACE COMPANIES DRIVING GREATER ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS IN NEW REGIONS OF THE STATE BY INTEGRATING TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE INTO FLORIDA SPACEPORT SYSTEM TERRITORY, THE STATE CAN ALSO BETTER SUPPORT MILITARY RESILIENCE CREATE SPACE TRANSPORTATION HUBS THAT BOLSTER MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE STATE. THROUGH THIS NEW DESIGNATION, FLORIDA WILL POSITION ITSELF TO MEET THE GROWING DEMANDS OF THE SPACE INDUSTRY AND ENSURE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SOLIDIFY ITS POSITION AS THE PREMIER GLOBAL AND INTERPLANETARY CAPITAL FOR AEROSPACE COMMERCE FROM ADDING DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, STRENGTHENING FLORIDA'S SPACE INDUSTRY AND MEETING THE GROWING SPACE INDUSTRY DEMANDS. THE NEW EXPANDED DESIGNATION IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE. WE ARE CREATING A STRONGER AND RESILIENT FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH, TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT AND NATIONAL SECURITY FOR YEARS. IS TO COME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOUR CAT. WOULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT WE GET A COPY OF THAT PROPOSAL LANGUAGE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT OUR OFFICE GETS THOSE THINGS TO YOUR OFFICE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT WE WON'T DEFINITELY WANT TO STAY ON TOP OF THAT. THANK YOU. MOVING ON. MAYOR JESSY NELSON CITY OF LYNN HAVEN. MAYOR. AND COMMISSIONERS.GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS GETTING HERE. BUT WE TOLD PEOPLE YOU GOT THREE MINUTES. SO YOU NEED A. IN CHURCH. WE SAY HE MAY NOT COME WHEN YOU WANT IT, BUT HE'S ALWAYS ON TIME. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF LYNN HAVEN. SO AS MYSELF MARRIED JESSIE NELSON AND OUR COMMISSIONERS JUDY VANDERGRIFF.
COMMISSIONER JAMIE WORK IN COMMISSIONER SAM PEEBLES. WE STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE PREMIER CITY IN BAY COUNTY IN THE 20,000 NEARLY 20,000 RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF IN HAVEN, ASKING THAT YOU WOULD HELP US CONTINUE TO BUILD FOR GROWTH AND WE'RE
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FOCUSING ON INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT. WE KNOW THAT STORM WATER IS A HUGE ISSUE IN BAY COUNTY AND HAS BEEN OUR FOCUS OVER THE PAST TWO PLUS YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN MAYOR, AND SINCE THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE BEEN WITH US TO FOCUS ON ALLEVIATING AS MUCH STORM WATER AS WE CAN IN OUR CITY. IT'S HARD FOR US TO ALLOW BUILDERS TO COME IN AND CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN OUR AREA. IF WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR THAT GROWTH. WE CANNOT ALLOW NEW DEVELOPMENT TO COME IN THAT WOULD IMPEDE UPON THOSE WHO WERE ALREADY RESIDENTS IN THE AREA BEFORE THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT CAME AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE YOUR ASSISTANCE WITH IS PURSUING FUNDS TO FUND $1 MILLION FOR ENGINEERING FOR RSR STORMWATER POUND. THIS WILL BE A REGIONAL PINE BELT ALLOW US TO HELP STORM WATER ON THE EAST SIDE OF LYNN HAVEN, PARTICULARLY IN THAT 17TH STREET MODE HIGHLAND AREA, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY HELP OVER 1000 RESIDENTS, UM ALLEVIATE STORMWATER ISSUES ALSO, UM, WE ALSO WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE MATCHING FUNDS TO HELP US EXPAND OUR HIT WORKS FOR THE A W T.THIS WOULD HELP ELIMINATE SOME S S, O S AND SPILLS IN THE WATERWAYS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE $3 MILLION IN THE BANK FOR THAT. BUT WE WOULD LOVE IF YOU COULD HELP US FIND ANOTHER $5 MILLION TO COMPLETE THIS $8 MILLION PROJECT. UM ALSO, WHENEVER IT RAINS, IT LITERALLY DOES FLOOD SOMETIMES AND IT FLOODS ARE OUR MITIGATION IN OUR LIPS. IT FLOODS OUR LIFT STATIONS, WHICH THEN CAUSED US TO HAVE SPILLS OVER INTO OUR WATER, WHICH THEN CREATES SEWAGE ISSUES. AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE SEWAGE THAT RUNS IN THE STREETS. AND SO WE WANT HELP WITH OUR LIFT STATIONS. WE ONLY AT ASKING FOR $750,000 FOR THAT. UM SO THAT WE CAN HELP LIFT THESE LIFT STATIONS. ALSO WE DO PLAN ON EXPANDING OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN IN THE FUTURE.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT CAPACITY. ALMOST, UM AND WITH NEW RESIDENTS COMING AND GROWTH ON THE WAY WE NEED TO EXPAND IT IN THE COMING YEARS. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS SET OF SOUTH OF ENGINEERING AND ASKING THAT YOU WOULD MATCH THAT MILLION DOLLARS SO THAT WE COULD HELP IT SO THAT WE CAN GET THE ENGINEERING GOING FOR THAT. BUT KEEP IN MIND. WE WILL BE BACK IN YEARS TO COME BECAUSE THIS IS A 40 TO $45 MILLION PROJECT. UM AND FINALLY, WE LOVE THE FACT THAT PEOPLE LOVE TO COME THROUGH IN HAVEN EVERYWHERE THEY GO, SO WE NEED A MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP PAVE OUR ROADS. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT IN TALLAHASSEE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. YOU GET THAT REALLY WELL, MAN. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON RUSTY RUSSELL CRIMESTOPPERS. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. UH I SERVED ON THE ALL VOLUNTEER PANHANDLE CRIMESTOPPERS BOARD OF TRUSTEES . CRIMESTOPPERS IS A NONPROFIT 501 C THREE ORGANIZATION PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT PROVIDING A SAFE ANONYMOUS. WAIT FOR INDIVIDUALS TO REPORT CRIMES AND PROVIDE VALUABLE INFORMATION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. ITS VALUE LIES IN THE FACT THAT IT ENCOURAGES CITIZENS TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME WITHOUT FEAR OF RETALIATION. BELANG TIPSTERS TO REMAIN NAMELESS CRIME STOPPERS HELPS PROTECT THOSE WHO MAY BE HESITANT TO COME FORWARD WITH INFORMATION. THIS ENABLES LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO SOLVE CRIMES MORE EFFECTIVELY LEADING TO SAFER COMMUNITIES FOR EVERYONE. ADDITIONALLY, CRIMESTOPPERS OFFERS REWARDS FOR TIPS THAT LEAD TO REST FURTHER INCENTIVIZING EXCUSE ME TO GET INVOLVED AND CONTRIBUTE TO PUBLIC SAFETY. OUR CALL CENTER NEVER CLOSES AND PROVIDES A SAFE , CONFIDENTIAL CRIME REPORTING OPTION FOR ANYONE WITH A NEED OR DESIRE TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. THESE TIPS HAVE INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT MURDER, RAPE. ASSAULT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, DRUGS, THEFT AND MORE. THERE'S REPORTS ARE TIPS HAVE RESULTED IN THOUSANDS OF ARRESTS AND RECOVERY OF SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF PROPERTY. WE BEGAN SERVING BAY AND GULF COUNTY 42 YEARS AGO AND PLEASED TO REPORT THAT OF THE THOUSANDS OF TIPS CALLED IN NOT ONE TIPSTER HAS EVER BEEN IDENTIFIED. I WANT TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF A RECENT TIP. ON THE 15TH OF JUNE OF THIS YEAR, CRIMESTOPPERS RECEIVED A TIP.
THAT INCLUDED THE LOCATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH AN ACTIVE WARRANT FOR VIOLATION OF PROBATION. THE TIP WAS PASSED ON TO THE BAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHO DISPATCHED OFFICERS TO THE LOCATION PROVIDED BY THE TIPSTER. WHEN THE OFFICERS ARRIVED, THEY FOUND AND ARRESTED EIGHT OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH OUTSTANDING AWARDS. WE GOT NINE ARRESTS ON ONE TIP. THAT WAS REALLY GOOD DAY FOR CRIME STOPPERS AND FOR BAY COUNTY. I CAME HERE TODAY WITH TWO OBJECTIVES FIRST REPORT THAT WHEN THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE ESTABLISHED THE CRIME STOPPER ACT IN 1998, THEY GOT IT RIGHT. THE ACT ESTABLISHED THE CRIME STOPPERS TRUST FUND BY IMPOSING A $20 SURCHARGE. FINES FOR CRIMINAL OFFENSES THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR CRIME STOPPERS TO OPERATE WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM THE PUBLIC. NO TAXPAYER MONEY IS USED TO FUND CRIMESTOPPERS. THE CRIMINALS ARE FUNDING CRIMESTOPPERS AND SECOND TO REMIND YOU OF THE GOOD WORK THE
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PANEL CRIMESTOPPERS IS DOING AND IF THE NEED SHOULD EVER ARISE TO ASK YOU TO PROTECT THE CRIME STOPPER ACT WANT TO THANK THE DELEGATION FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND SAY THAT YOUR DEDICATION TO SERVING THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY IS TRULY COMMENDABLE. THANK YOU APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. MOVING ON. FLORIDA VOICES FOR HEALTH. DAVID ALBERTUS WAS THAT. DAVID, ARE YOU HERE? COME ON NOW. THANK YOU, MR GRIFFITH AND MR TRUMBULL FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TODAY. MY NAME IS DAVID ALVAREZ . I'M A STUDENT AT GULF COAST STATE COLLEGE, PURSUING A DEGREE IN RADIOGRAPHY. I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS THAT I'D LIKE YOU TO ANSWER. BUT FIRST I WANT TO PRAISE AND ACKNOWLEDGE MR GRIFFITHS FOR SPONSORING THE DENTAL FOR VETERANS BILL LAST SESSION AND MR TRUMBULL FOR SPONSORING THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR KIDS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES LAST SESSION. THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE SUFFERING CAUSED BY A LACK OF MEDICAL CARE HERE IN BAY COUNTY AND ACROSS FLORIDA. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS HURTING PEOPLE. 25,000 PEOPLE ARE UNINSURED IN BAY COUNTY. THE AMOUNT OF SUFFERING AND DEATH CONTAINED IN THAT NUMBER IS HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS IMAGINE LIVING WITH CHRONIC PAIN EVERY DAY WITHOUT ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE. IMAGINE WITNESSING YOUR SPOUSE HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND THEN COMING HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL. TO A BILL THAT BANKRUPTS YOUR FAMILY. THIS IS THE REALITY HERE IN BAY COUNTY AND ACROSS FLORIDA FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. BUT THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES COULD VOTE TO EXPAND MEDICAID AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RIGHT HERE IN BAY COUNTY WOULD GAIN HEALTH INSURANCE, AND THERE'D BE LESS SUFFERING AND LESS DEATH AND THE STATE OF FLORIDA WOULD SAVE MONEY. WHY DIDN'T BOTH OF YOU? COAST SPONSOR THE BILLS TO EXPAND MEDICAID LAST SESSION? GET THREE MINUTES. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO CONTINUE, THERE MUST BE A GOOD REASON BECAUSE 39 OTHER STATES HAVE EXPANDED MEDICAID STATES LIKE WEST VIRGINIA, ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA. KENTUCKY HAVE DONE THE MATH, NOT ONE STATE THAT IS EXPANDED. MEDICAID HAS GONE BACK BECAUSE SAVING LIVES AND SAVING MONEY MAKES SENSE. I KNOW THAT IF WE ASK THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA TO VOTE ON SAVING LIVES AND SAVING MONEY THAT OVER 50% WOULD VOTE TO EXPAND MEDICAID. IF WE ASKED THE CLASS OF KINDERGARTNERS WOULD BE 100, AND THEY'D LAUGH AT YOU. WHO IS ON THE SIDE OF NOT SAVING LIVES AND NOT SAVING MONEY. WHY DIDN'T YOU WORK TO EXPAND MEDICAID LAST SESSION? AND WILL YOU THIS SESSION MEET WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOST HURT BY THIS ABSURD AND WASTEFUL SYSTEM AND EXPLAIN YOUR PLAN TO THEM. WILL YOU? WILL YOU MEET WITH THOSE PEOPLE FOR YOUR COMMENTS? APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT. MOVING ON NUMBER 11 YOU'LL KEEP. PLEASE KEEP IT'S NOT THE TIME FOR THIS NUMBER. 11 DR AVERY BRINKLEY. THEY COUNTY GOP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, FLORIDA FREEDOM COALITION. THANKS FOR REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS AND SENATOR TRUMBULL. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THIS SESSION AND ALL OF YOUR SERVICE. TIME AND ENERGY INVOLVED IS TREMENDOUS. I'M HERE. BASICALLY I'VE ALREADY MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES GRIFFITHS REGARDING SB 252, WHICH WAS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ORIGINAL SP 2 TO 2 IN THE LAST SESSION BEFORE THE PAST ONE. UM THERE ARE MANY ISSUES THAT HE AND I SAT DOWN AND WENT OVER THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC INTO 52, WHICH NOW IS PART OF 2023-43 CHAPTER IN FLORIDA LAW SIGNED OFF BY GOVERNOR DE SANTIS, UM, IN YOUR PACKAGE, YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE 17 PAGES OF SP 252. WITH THE RED STRIKES THE ADDITIONS TO LEASH INS. THIS IS ALSO PROVIDED TO SENATOR TRUMBULL THROUGH TINA. UM AS I RECALL, I DON'T HAVE I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND GO THROUGH ANYTHING IN DETAIL. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT SENATE THAT REPRESENTATIVE BANKS AND OF APOPKA HAS HAD A CONFERENCE CALL WITH LOU MORAN, EXECUTIVE VICE[00:30:06]
PRESIDENT, FLORIDA REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY. IN MYSELF AND DR JEFF MUELLER OF APOPKA. HE AND I ARE THE TWO PHYSICIANS WHO ARE LEADING THE HEALTH FREEDOM COMMITTEE OF FLORIDA REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY. UM WE ARE FR A AND OUR LOCAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE GOP, WHICH I JOINED AFTER THE PREVIOUS ELECTION IN 2 22 2020, ALSO THE FLORIDA HEALTH FREEDOM COALITION, WHICH IS A LOOSELY AFFILIATED GROUP HERE IN FLORIDA , BUT AS A FAIRLY STRONG VOICE, UM WE WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU AND I KNOW REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY AND YOU KNOW BANKS AND VERY WELL TO TRY TO FIND MAYBE WITH SENATOR TRUMBULL OR SOME OF YOUR OTHER SENATORS THAT YOU'RE CLOSE TO TWO COSPONSORS SOME OF THESE REVISIONS BECAUSE WHAT'S IN 2 52 AS WE'VE POINTED OUT AND DISCUSSED AND JUST SO THE FOLKS HERE KNOW THERE IS CONTRADICTORY LANGUAGE IN THAT, AND PARTICULARLY MY FOCUS WAS ON IN HOSPITAL TREATMENTS. I'VE BEEN A POSITION FOR 43 YEARS IN THIS STATE HAVE BEEN RETIRED FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, SEMI RETIRED AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THIS PLANNED EMMICK THAT OCCURRED IN THE PAST THREE YEARS. YEAH I THINK SO. REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS UNDERSTANDS ALL OF THAT. SO, SENATOR TRUMBULL, I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE YOU GETTING WITH GRIFF AND SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES AND LET'S TRY TO CLEAN THE BILL UP OR THE LAW SO THAT IT DOESN'T CONTAIN CONTRADICTIONS THAT DEPRIVE PATIENTS OF OFF LABEL MEDICATIONS. I WILL STOP RIGHT THERE. YOU'LL MY TIME. I THINK THAT WAS ADEQUATE. SO IF YOU WANT TO MEET WITH ME J AT SOME POINT, I'LL BE GLAD TO SIT DOWN FURTHER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING IT CONCISELY WITH THE RED LINES AND ALL LIKE THAT. WE APPRECIATE YOUR HELP WITH THAT. NUMBER 12 TONIGHT WILL BE ABOUT COVERED DEFEND FLORIDA. BOB. THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS AND SENATOR TRUMBULL. FOR HAVING US HERE THIS AFTERNOON AND LET ME TAKE A MOMENT TO ADD MY SUPPORT FOR THE HEALTH FREEDOM IMPROVEMENTS THAT SB 2 52 THAT DR BRINKLEY HAS REVIEWED. UM I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT ELECTION INTEGRITY. SO SINCE WE'VE MET, I'M GOING TO ADDRESS MY COMMENTS TO THE AUDIENCE. IF I MAY, SIR, PLEASE DRESS US. THAT'S NOT HOW THAT'S NOT HOW THIS OPERATES TO ADDRESS US. THEY CAN HEAR EVERY WORD YOU SAY. BUT UM, IT'S THIS IS A TIME TO ADDRESS US, OKAY? WELL, THANK YOU. FOR UH, AGREEING TO TAKE ELECTION INTEGRITY IMPROVEMENTS RECOMMENDED BY DEFEND FLORIDA AND APPROVED OR ACCEPTABLE TO OUR TERRIFIC THEY COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS MARK ANDERSON. TO RUN THOSE UP THE FLAGPOLE TO A HOUSE LEADERSHIP. AND IF THEY PROVIDE THEIR NIGHT OF APPROVAL PRESENT THESE IMPROVEMENTS AS A PROPOSED COMMITTEE BILL. UM THESE ARE IN THE AREAS OF ONLY CITIZENS ALLOWED TO VOTE CLEANING THE VOTER ROLLS. AND IMPROVING, UM, PROCESS SECURITY AND TRANSPARENCY. TAKE A MOMENT HERE TO SWITCH IT TO MY READING GLASSES. UM THESE ARE IN THE, UH SOME OF THE SPECIFICS THAT WE HAVE INCLUDED HERE ARE REQUIRING BOTH DRIVER'S LICENSE STATE I, D AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER REGISTERED TO VOTE. REMOVE THE MACHINE COUNT ONLY MANDATE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW HAND COUNTS, UM, TO MAKE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RECORDS OF ALL VOTER ROLL ADS, REMOVAL AND CHANGES TO, UH INCORPORATE STATEWIDE SIGNATURE VERIFICATION STANDARDS, INCLUDING SIGNATURE ON FILE, UM, HAVE VOTE BY MAIL BALLOTS. MUST HAVE THEM. WHERE THEY HAVE TO BE RECEIVED BY ELECTION DAY. IN ORDER TO BE COUNTED. AND WE'RE TWO DAYS AFTER THAT IN THIS STATE AND IN SOME STATES AND CAN TAKE WEEKS. AH THEY WERE MAILED OUT 45 DAYS IN ADVANCE, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE RETURNED BY ELECTION DAY. UH AND LET'S SEE DEPARTMENT OF STATE MY CERTIFY ALL ELECTION TECHNOLOGY AND VENDORS WHO HAVE ACCESS TO THE VOTER ROLLS. UM, AND ALLOW. AH INTELLIGENT, INELIGIBLE, UM, VOTER RESEARCH FROM ALL[00:35:10]
VERIFIABLE SOURCES AFTER THE RESEARCH CRITERIA HAS BEEN I RAN OUT OF TIME. THANK YOU, BOB, IF YOU WOULD. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I HAVE THAT IN WRITING. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUBMIT IT TO BOTH OFFICERS AGAIN, OKAY, JUST STAY. BESIDES WILLING AND MAKES IT TO THE SENATE. I HOPE WE CAN COUNT ON SENATOR TROUBLES ENDORSEMENT FOR YOUR COMMENTS WE APPRECIATE TONIGHT. MOVING ON ROBERT THOMPSON, PANTERA, FLORIDA. CORRECT. HEY GUYS, SENATOR TRUMBULL REPRESENTED GRIFFITHS.THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE IN THIS ROOM HAVE A LOT OF THINGS ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND CERTAINLY AT PAN CARE WERE PART OF THAT GROUP OF THINGS WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR LAST SESSION.
YOUR WORK ON PBM REFORM BILL THAT WAS DEFINITELY IMPACTFUL TO PAN CARE AND WHAT WE DO IN OUR PHARMACY AND OUR PATIENTS, AND SO I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU GUYS DID ON THAT AND ALSO FOR ATTENDING THE GROUNDBREAKING WE HAD RECENTLY FOR A NEW PRIMARY CARE CLINIC OVER THERE AT THE, UH, AS EVERYONE CALLS THE OLD FLEA MARKET PROPERTY. UM WE HOPE TO HAVE IT BEEN KNOWN FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE HEAD AT SOME POINT ONCE WE GET UP AND GOING, BUT I'M HOPING THAT CLINIC WILL BE THE PHARMACY BUILDING WILL BE UP AND RUNNING HERE IN THE NEXT PROBABLY 30 DAYS AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO START NEXT DOOR ON THE NEW PRIMARY CARE CLINIC. I DO WANT TO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, HERE AT PAYING CARE. WE UM WE HAVE 200 JOBS HERE IN BAY COUNTY THAT THAT WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AND WE LAST YEAR WE SAW 29,000 PATIENTS THAT ARE BAY COUNTY RESIDENTS IN OUR CLINICS, AND THAT'S THAT. THAT'S SIGNIFICANT TO US. THERE'S I THINK 100 AND 80,000 RESIDENTS IN BAY COUNTY AND 29,000 OF THOSE, UH WALKED INTO A PAN CARE CLINIC WALKED ON. ONE OF OUR MOBILE UNITS GOT SEEN AT A SCHOOL FOR TELEHEALTH AND THAT THAT'S A LOT. THAT'S ALMOST ONE IN SEVEN. BAY COUNTY RESIDENTS RECEIVE SERVICES FROM PAIN CARE LAST YEAR, AND WERE WE TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUS? AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT. AND SO I DO WANT TO TELL YOU, UM, OF THOSE 29,000 ALMOST 12,000 OF THOSE PATIENTS WERE UNINSURED AND ABOUT 10,000 ON MEDICAID. AND SO THE SUPPORT WE RECEIVED FROM YOU GUYS IN TALLAHASSEE CERTAINLY HELPS US WITH OUR MISSION OF SEEING THOSE PATIENTS AND MAKING SURE EVEN PAGES THAT ARE UNINSURED STILL HAVE CARE STILL HAVE ACCESS TO CARE, HIGH QUALITY CARE, AND CERTAINLY OUR NEW PHARMACY BUILDING IS GOING TO INCREASE THE ABILITY FOR THOSE PATIENTS GET HIGH QUALITY CARE. UM THE 30,000 FT VIEW OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK FORWARD. PROBABLY THIS NEXT SESSION. WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE DETAILS, BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM ARE INVOLVED WITH CHILDCARE SERVICES AND BEHAVIOR ALL THE SERVICES IN PARTICULAR. SO WE WANT TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE A SUMMER THERAPEUTIC PROGRAM FOR KIDS THAT ARE RECEIVING THERAPY, BEHAVIORAL THERAPY MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT DURING THE SUMMERTIME, A LOT OF THEM THEY DON'T WE KIND OF LOSE TRACK OF THEM. THEY DON'T RECEIVE SERVICES AND THEN WE SEE THEM BACK IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER. WE CAN SEE THERE'S A THERE'S BEEN A DECREASE, AND SO WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO COME VISIT YOU GUYS AT SOME POINT THIS SESSION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A PROGRAM TO HELP THOSE KIDS. I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT IN BAY COUNTY.
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT THE HURRICANE COVID ALL THOSE THINGS AND OUR OUR KIDS CERTAINLY NEED ALL THE HELP THEY CAN GET RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. LAST THING IS, I JUST WANT TO SECOND WHAT LINDSAY CANNON WAS SAYING FROM JOHNSON SOCIETY. THANK YOU FOR THE VISIT AT PARK ELEMENTARY. THAT WAS THAT WAS A GREAT VISIT. THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF GREAT THINGS OUT THERE AT THAT SCHOOL, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO. I KNOW LINDSAY IS TRYING TO EXPAND THAT TO RUTHERFORD AND DO SOME MORE THINGS AND SO WILL WILL BE FULLY SUPPORTED THAT AS WELL. AND I'M SURE AT SOME POINT IN TALLAHASSEE, UH, I'LL BE WITH HER MEETING WITH YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE SO THANK YOU AGAIN, BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
APPRECIATE IT. THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON LYNN CHERRY BOARD MEMBER OF FLORIDA STATE PARKS IN FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR. GOOD EVENING , WELL AS A VOLUNTEER FOR YOUR FLORIDA STATE PARKS FOR OVER 27 YEARS. I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE FLORIDA STATE PARKS FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS WELL AS YOUR FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. SO WE'RE IN BOTH HATS. WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT WITH FLORIDA STATE PARKS AS WELL AS THE WILDLIFE CORRIDOR. YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE 175 STATE PARKS WHEN OUR IN OUR GREAT STATE OF FLORIDA THOSE UNIQUE GEMS ARE AMAZING HIGHLIGHTS FOR OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY AS WELL AS PROTECTING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, CREATING THAT OUTDOOR RECREATION AND PRESERVATION OPPORTUNITIES. LET ME GIVE YOU SOME NUMBERS WITH HAS ASSOCIATED JUST WITH A COUNTY WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR TWO BOOKENDS OF STATE PARKS HERE IN BAY COUNTY WAS ST ANDREWS. ST ANDREW'S LAST YEAR HAD OVER 630,000 VISITORS. AND GENERATED AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $82 MILLION. OUR CROWN JEWEL CAMP ELLEN, ON THE WEST END OF PANAMA CITY BEACH, 51,000 VISITORS IN
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GENERATED $6.5 MILLION LOCALLY HERE IN BAY COUNTY COMBINED THAT 700,000 VISITORS ON PANAMA CITY BEACH THAT CHOSE TO GO TO ONE OF OUR STATE PARKS. UPCOMING LEGISLATOR, R FLORIDA PARK SERVICES ASKING YOU FOR $50 MILLION TO SUPPORT THEIR FIXED CAPITAL OUTLAY OF FUNDS OF THE 175 STATE PARKS. THIS WILL ENABLE OUR FLORIDA STATE PARK SYSTEM TO RETROFIT MANY OF OUR CRITICAL FACILITIES AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. WITHIN YOUR HOME. WE HAVE HISTORICAL SITES. WE HAVE CULTURAL RESOURCES AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TO BE USED WITHIN THAT $50 MILLION ARE STATE PARKS GENERATE $4 BILLION. THEY'RE ONLY ASKING FOR 50 MILLION AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. I'VE OWNED A COMPANY HERE IN BAY COUNTY FOR 20 YEARS. I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF RETURN ON MY INVESTMENT.AND I KNOW YOU DO AS WELL. SO I'M ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT YOUR FLORIDA STATE PARKS. $5 MILLION FIXED OUT LIGHT APPROPRIATION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR ACT. WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT OUR PINCH POINTS FOR OUR AT WILD ANIMAL. IN TRYING TO KEEP FLORIDA WILD. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR MAKING FLORIDA ACCESSIBLE TO OUR VISITORS, OUR CITIZENS AND OUR ANIMALS. THANK YOU. I'M MOVING ON. KAREN CAMPBELL, NORTH FLORIDA OFFICE OF PUBLIC GUARDIAN. CAMPBELL, COME ON DOWN. YEAH. ALRIGHT. YOU'VE GOT TIME. START THE CLOCK ON THE MAYOR EARLY, BUT NOT YOU. THANK YOU, SENATOR TRUMBULL AND REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS. MY NAME IS KAREN CAMPBELL AND THE ATTORNEY AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR NORTH FLORIDA OFFICE OF PUBLIC GUARDIAN. AND I'M HERE TO BRIEFLY SHARE WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO AND WHAT YOU'RE LIKELY TO SEE IN THE LEGISLATURE. THIS SYSTEM THIS SESSION REGARDING PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP. SO FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO SAY WE'RE NOT GUARDIAN IT LIGHTEM. ARE OFTEN CONFUSED WITH GUARDIAN AT LIGHTEM GUARDIAN. LIGHTEN WORKS WITH KIDS IN THE COURT SYSTEM. UM PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP WORKS WITH ADULTS WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANT COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS THAT INTERFERE WITH THEIR ABILITY TO MANAGE THEIR OWN LIVES AND MAKE DECISIONS TO HELP KEEP THEM SAFE , LIKE ALZHEIMER'S OR OTHER DEMENTIA, SOME INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES FROM BIRTH. BRAIN INJURIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
ALSO TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP SERVICES. IT'S BEEN DETERMINED BY A COURT THAT THERE ARE NO FAMILY MEMBERS, NO NATURAL SUPPORTS TO PROVIDE THAT KIND OF CARE THAT KIND OF SERVICE AND THE PERSONS DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR PRIVATE GUARDIAN SO THE COURTS AUTHORIZED OUR AGENCY AND THEY ARE 17 OFFICES ACROSS THE STATE. EVERY STATE, UH, EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE. IT'S COVERED, UM, TO PROVIDE INFORMED MEDICAL CONSENT , ARRANGED LIVING ARRANGEMENTS, PAY BILLS SECURE PUBLIC BENEFITS , AUTHORIZED SOCIAL SERVICES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. NOW THIS YEAR, WE EXPECT YOU TO SEE THREE ITEMS BEFORE YOU, UH, INVOLVING PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP. THE COALITION OF PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP DIRECTORS ACROSS THE STATE IS ASKING THE LEGISLATURE TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF FUNDING RIGHT NOW WE RECEIVE A LITTLE OVER $16 MILLION, BUT A RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP SERVICES SAVES FLORIDA OVER $29 MILLION EACH YEAR. UM WE ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT THE DEPARTMENT OF ELDER AFFAIRS , OUR OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING AGENCY AND ITS LEGISLATIVE BUDGET REQUEST TO ADDRESS THE OVER 200 PEOPLE ON THE WAIT LIST FOR PUBLIC GUARDIANSHIP SERVICES. AND FINALLY THE COALITION'S WORKING ON AN INITIATIVE. TO ADDRESS THE SERIOUS ISSUE OF THE PEOPLE WERE SERVING AND I SHARED HOW VULNERABLE THEY CAN BE. UM THAT ARE BEING TURNED AWAY FROM HOUSING. BY ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES, NURSING HOMES WHEN THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE SERVING HAD BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT CAN'T THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE, SO IT'S A LONG TERM HOUSING ISSUE FOR THOSE WHO ARE THE STATES WARDS, THE STATES PROTECTED PERSONS WE'VE WE'RE HAVING LATER THIS MONTH AND A SYMPOSIUM IN TALLAHASSEE, WHERE WE'VE INVITED REPRESENTATIVES AND STAKEHOLDERS FROM MULTIPLE AGENCIES TO LOOK AT THAT ISSUE, AND WE HOPE TO HAVE SOMETHING BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE SOON, SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
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THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. RON SHARP BARK OF THE BAY. GOOD EVENING, REPRESENTATIVE GRIFF GRIFFITHS AND SENATOR TRUMBULL. THANK YOU , BOTH FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING AND REPRESENTING OUR COMMUNITY IN THE CAPITAL ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THE BEHALF OF 450 INDIVIDUALS THAT WE WORK WITH WITH UNIQUE ABILITIES THAT WE SO PROUDLY GET TO SERVE. I AM I'M RON SHARP. THE PRESIDENT, CEO OF THE SYNERGY BASED ENTERED BIA, THE ARC OF THE BANK. LAST YEAR. YOU MAY RECALL WE HAD A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE OUR 65TH ANNIVERSARY, TEACHING LIFE SKILLS AND JOB SKILLS TO THOSE 450 INDIVIDUALS HELPING TO LEAD A MORE PRODUCTIVE AND INDEPENDENT LIFE AND NOW IN OUR GREAT COUNTY AREA. LAST YEAR ALONE, WE HAD OVER 350 EMPLOYMENT REFERRALS. BUT WHY AM I HERE TODAY? IN REVIEWING A P D AGENCY FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. THEY'RE LBR. FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR FOR PROVIDERS LIKE THE ARC OF THE BAY OR EXCLUDED FOR AN INCREASE IN FUNDING. WE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS BATTLING IN A MINIMUM WAGE INCREASES AND OH, BY THE WAY, A PPD GAVE THEIR ASSOCIATES AND INCREASED LAST YEAR. THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS CONTINUES TO RISE. OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I WAS DOING THE MATH OR GENERAL LIABILITY. COMPASS DOUBLED A PDS ROLLING OUT A NEW SOFTWARE PROGRAM CALLED I CONNECT. THEY'VE BEEN WORKING OUT OF THE PAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS AND PUTTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO IT. IT'S LABOR INTENSIVE PROVIDERS HAVE TO CREATE A NEW POSITION. DATA ENTRY TO HANDLE THE ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD WHEN A PROVIDER ASKED. HEY, P. D ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL COST. THEY WERE TOLD THAT AS FAR AS THAT INITIATIVE THAT'S JUST THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS. LASTLY THE WAIT LIST YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT IS THE RECEIVED THE MEDICAID WAIVER FUNDING. WE CURRENTLY HAVE OVER 22,000 THROUGHOUT OUR STATE. BUT GUYS, I GOT TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT'S EXTREMELY LOW. WE HAVE 761 ON THE WAIT LIST AND BAY COUNTY ALONE, AND WE HAVE MORE THAN THAT. IN BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS. THEY'RE NOT BEING ACCOUNTED FOR. THE AVERAGE WAIT LIST IS SEVEN YEARS ON THAT TO RECEIVE FUNDING. UH, WE LIVE IN A STATE THAT RANKS 44TH AND WHAT WE PROVIDE FOR PROVIDERS LIKE US. I MENTIONED TO YOU SEVEN YEARS. WAIT LIST I HAVE WITH ME RIGHT NOW. OUR BUDDY MY BUDDY, MISS MARISSA. 20 YEARS ON THE WAIT LIST. UM WE CAN DO BETTER. WE GOT TO DO BETTER. WE'RE WORKING HARD. I THINK YOU'RE VERY, VERY PLEASED. WE'VE GOT A GROUNDBREAKING I SENT YOU. THE INVITATION PRESENT LEAST TODAY ON A GROUP HOME. WE'RE WORKING ON AUTISM. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON. WE'RE TRYING TO BRING A MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM DEBATE COUNTY FOR THE FOLKS THAT WE SERVED. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT DOING ACQUISITION FOR ANOTHER NONPROFIT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WOULD BRAIN INJURIES WERE DOING A LOT OF THINGS AND WE'RE JUST WORKING HARD, BUT WE NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING. WE APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT THE ONLY COMMENT I'LL MAKE IF IT'S OK, MR CHAIR I'LL MAKE IS THAT YOU KNOW NOW, 2.5 YEARS AGO, THE LEGISLATURE GAVE A P D , UM YOU KNOW, LIKE 100 EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS AND THEY GAVE IT ALL BACK. JUST TELL YOU THEY'RE DISCONNECTED. AND THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN UH, WHAT LEVEL AN INDIVIDUAL IS ON WITHIN A P D. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. WE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE PILOT PROGRAM THAT I RAN AND GOT PAST THIS LAST SESSION WILL THANKFULLY WORK AT TACKLING SOME OF THOSE ISSUES. HEALTHCARE DOWN SOUTH WE JUST WE JUST DID A PILOT PROGRAM FOR TWO REGIONS AND IN FLORIDA. UH ONE WAS SORT OF CENTRAL AND THE OTHER WAS MIAMI, WHICH IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE FAMILIAR RESIDES . UM IN IN THE GOAL THERE WAS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, CAN WE CAN WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO YOUR POINT TO DO IT BETTER. UM BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT THROWING MORE RESOURCES BECAUSE A P D CAN'T MANAGE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE. THEY GAVE BACK 250 MILLION LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE FORTUNATE , BLESSED TO HAVE THE DIRECTOR DO A TOUR WITH US I SHARED WITH HER. I PROJECT A $96,000 LOSS IN OUR ADULT DAY TRAINING PROGRAM. SHE SAID. SEND ME THE PERFORMER. I DID. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING.BUT WE'RE GONNA AND GOD IS GOOD . THANK GOD THAT WE HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS AND WE FUNDRAISING. WE WORK HARD AND WE'RE WORKING HARD. WE STILL OPERATE ON 13% OVERHEAD. WE CLOSED OUT 2.8 MILLION LAST YEAR IN OUR BUDGET AND OUR AND OUR PERFORMANCE AND OUR P AND L JUST FOCUSING ON THE NEEDS FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. I WISH THAT THE AGENCY RAN LIKE YOUR NEVER RUN A BUSINESS UNTIL YOU RUN A BUSINESS AND UNDERSTAND THAT I CAN TELL YOU ANOTHER STORY ABOUT VR. I WAS ON THE PHONE TODAY WITH THEM. WE HAVE $85,000 TIED UP IN FUNDS
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BECAUSE THEY ROLLED OUT A NEW SOFTWARE PROGRAM. HELP ME UNDERSTAND? I DON'T THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE. ROGER. APPRECIATE YOU APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU, RON. ALL RIGHT.MOVING ON VETERANS FOR POLITICAL INNOVATION. STEVE STEVE HUFF. COME ON DOWN, STEVE. GENTLEMEN THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU THIS EVENING. UM I WON'T BE ASKING FOR ANY MONEY.
AH. I REPRESENT, UH. ORGANIZATION CALLED VETERAN FOR POLITICAL INNOVATION. WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR ONLY TWO YEARS, BUT WE'VE GROWN, UH STATE LEADERS AND VOLUNTEERS IN 47 STATES TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 300 INDIVIDUALS AND WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT THE STATE ELECTION SYSTEMS AND SEE IF WE CAN SUPPORT OR MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT FLORIDA THE RIGHT AND LOOPHOLE. CAME TO OUR ATTENTION. IN 1998, THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION COMMISSION PUT FORTH A PROPOSED AMENDMENT, WHICH BASICALLY JUST SAID THAT EXCUSE ME IN ELECTIONS WERE ONLY ONE PARTY IS PUTTING UP, UM CANDIDATES, AND THEY HAVE NO OPPOSITION IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, THEN THAT PRIMARY BECOMES A DE FACTO. GENERAL ELECTION, AND IT WOULD BE, UH, IN FACT, BE A SHOULD BE A UNIVERSAL OPEN PRIMARY. IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY WITH 64% AT THE TIME WHEN 50% WAS STILL A THRESHOLD. OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS. THERE'S BEEN 100 AND 14 RACES THROUGHOUT FLORIDA, WHERE CANDIDATES HAVE ENLISTED. BOGUS TO BE HONEST, BOGUS WRITE IN CANDIDATES TO KEEP THOSE PRIMARIES CLOSED IT DISENFRANCHISED AND THAT 114 RACES 8.2 MILLION VOTERS. AND WE JUST, UH YOU KNOW, WE JUST DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR. UH IN THE LAST YEAR C IN 2017, 2018, COMMISSIONER, APPLY MALE, UM, SUPPORTED DAVE ARONBERG CITIZENS PROPOSAL TO CLOSE THE RIGHT IN LOOPHOLE. ONCE MORE. SHE GOT IT THROUGH TWO COMMITTEES. BUT THEN THE FULL COMMISSION FAILED TO TAKE IT UP. SO IT DIED. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE STARTED CAMPAIGN. WE'RE ABOUT THREE MONTHS INTO IT. I KNOW YOU'VE RECEIVED LETTERS. YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE GO ONLINE AND PUT IN THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS AND AUTOMATICALLY SEND YOU A LETTER. UH GET A VOLUNTEER IN ORLANDO.
WHO'S CONTACTED, UH. AND UH, S KHAMENEI'S OFFICE, WHICH IS YOUR OPPOSITION IN THE HOUSE, BUT JASON BRODER'S OFFICE REPUBLICAN SENATOR HAS REACHED OUT. NO YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? WHAT'S THE CAMPAIGN LANGUAGE LIKE IT'S VERY SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, WE JUST SAY , UM THAT, IN ADDITION TO NOT HAVE ANY OPPOSITION IN THE GENERAL ELECTION THAT OPPOSITION WOULD NOT INCLUDE ANY MORE WRITE IN CANDIDATES. SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE YOU INTERESTED IN? UM I KNOW YOU HAVE LIMITED AMOUNT OF BILLS, AND THERE'S A LOT ON THE PLATE.
SO IF NOT A IF IT'S NOBODY, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN SPONSOR 1 MAY BE SLIPPING AMENDMENT IN SOMEHOW, BUT I HAVE AH! THIS CAN I LEAVE WITH SOMEONE RIGHT HERE ON THE TABLE? SO ALRIGHT. APPRECIATE COMMENTS TONIGHT AND WE'LL LET STAFF HANDLE THAT AND DISPERSE IT AMONGST US. THAT'S ALRIGHT.
WE'LL MAKE COPIES STORY. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, COLLINS. I'M MOVING ON. JANET PATTERSON MOMS FOR LIBERTY COUNTY. NOT DOWN, JANET. HELLO GOOD EVENING . THANKS FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
I'M JANET PATTERSON. I'M REPRESENTING MOMS FOR LIBERTY HERE IN BANK COUNTY WERE A GROUP OF MOMS, DADS, GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHERS THAT I'LL LIVE HERE IN BAY COUNTY. WE'RE 5014 C NONPROFIT. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CURRICULUM HERE IN BAY COUNTY SCHOOLS, SO WE STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS. WE ATTENDED SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. AND UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET ANSWERS AND PROVIDE LOTS OF INPUT AND WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP NOW WITH A DISTRICT SCHOOLS WERE NOW PROVIDING ALL THE EIGHTH GRADERS POCKET CONSTITUTIONS FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROOM. WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING PARENTAL RIGHTS BILLS THIS LAST YEAR, AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND INPUTS AND GETTING OUR NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. UM THIS YEAR WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEW OR THE ONE OF THE LAWS THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR THAT IS NEW FOR A POLICY THIS YEAR, ALLOWING CHILDREN TO CARRY HEADACHE MEDICATIONS IN THE SCHOOLS AND I HAD WRITTEN TO YOU ALL ABOUT THAT. WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOW READING AND MATH SCORES IN THE DISTRICTS, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE STATES AND MORE MONEY TO BUY DISTRICT SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT READING PROGRAMS. AND WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN TEACHER PAY THIS YEAR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
[00:55:03]
PANAMA CITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ELLEN ANDREWS. SENATOR TRUMBULL REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TIME TO SHARE MY APPRECIATION AND THE APPRECIATION OF THE SYMPHONY FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING IN TALLAHASSEE. WE BEGAN OUR SEASON A WEEK AGO, OR 28 SEASON WITH A CAPACITY CROWD, AND WE WELCOME TO WORLD RENOWNED ARTIST AND WHO IS ONE OF FOUR THAT WE WILL BE WELCOMING TO PANAMA CITY THIS COMING SEASON. THE INAUGURAL SEASON OF OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR SERGEI BUGS INJECTED A NEW DYNAMIC ENERGY INTO THE SYMPHONY AND WE HAD SOLD OUT PERFORMANCES AND EXPANDED COMMUNITY OUTREACH. BUILDING UPON THESE POSITIVES, NEW INITIATIVES AND CONCERTS WILL BE PRESENTED IN THIS PERFORMANCE YEAR. WE HAVE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL HALLOWEEN THEMED CONCERT AND ARE EXPANDING OUR MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR OUR YOUNGEST MUSIC LOVERS. CONSISTING OF MAKING MUSIC MAGIC , WHICH IS FOCUSED ON K THROUGH TWO. DISCOVERING MUSIC FOR GRADES THREE THROUGH FIVE MUSIC EDUCATION TO THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAS BEEN PROVEN TO CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVEMENT IN LANGUAGE, MATH AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS. IF I CAN SHARE THE WORDS OF OUR CONDUCTOR, NOTHING CAN REPLACE THE EARLY IMPRESSIONS OF LIVE MUSIC. IT'S A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY TO REALIZE THAT THE MUSIC YOU CHOOSE TO SHARE WITH KIDS HOW YOU SHARE IT AND WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT IT AND HOW YOU SAY IT WILL SHAPE THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS IT. IT IS WITH THIS SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE EMBRACE THE POSSIBILITIES OF HOW WE AS AN ORCHESTRA CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE FUTURE OF MUSIC ON WHATEVER THESE CHILDREN'S PATH MAY TAKE THEM. AS I STATED EARLIER. WE ARE BRINGING IN FOUR WORLD RENOWNED ARTIST. AND WHO ARE ALSO GOING TO BE SERVING AS TEACHERS TO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. THEY WILL BE CONDUCTING MASTER CLASSES, GIVING THESE STUDENTS OF EXPOSURE TO PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AND PERFORMERS TO BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE AND SKILL LEVEL AS THEY PURSUE THEIR MUSICAL FUTURES. WE WILL CONTINUE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH OUR FREE SYMPHONY IN THE CITY CONCERTS AND OUR MOMENTS WITH THE MAESTRO LECTURE SERIES DISCUSSING EACH PERFORMANCE. WE ARE ALSO PROUD TO BE PLANNING OUR FIRST EMERGING YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION TO BE HELD NEXT SUMMER, BRINGING TALENTED MUSICIANS AND VOCAL PERFORMERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO THE PANHANDLE. OUR LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO THIS AND TO ALL OUR PROGRAMMING IS TWOFOLD. IT'S TO SHARE AND INSPIRE THROUGH MUSIC AND TO OFFER OTHERS A GLIMPSE INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT WE CALL HOME. WE ARE POISED TO MOVE AHEAD IN DRAMATIC WAYS AND SHOWCASE PANAMA CITY AS A PREMIER LOCATION IN THE PANHANDLE AND AS A LEADER IN PERFORMING ARTS. THROUGH MORE SOPHISTICATED AND DIVERSE PERFORMANCES, OUTREACH, LEVELING TECHNOLOGY AND MORE. WE ARE FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE. THE FUTURE FULL OF AMAZING POSSIBILITIES. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN FOSTERING THE NEXT GENERATION TO NOT ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL MUSICIANS, PERFORMERS BUT ALSO PRODUCTIVE INDIVIDUALS. AS AN ORCHESTRA. AND AS A STATE WE OWE IT TO THIS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. A SUSTAINED AND HEALTHY ARTS CULTURE. WE THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS AND CULTURE THROUGH THE DIVISION OF ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAM. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON JENNIFER LOAD ASTHMA, CPR PRESIDENT. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU. I AM JENNIFER LOAD ASTHMA ON THE PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRAL PANHANDLE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. I'M HERE TO BRIEFLY OUTLINED THREE KEY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES AND EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS. LET'S BEGIN WITH THE PRESSING CONCERN. MR SHOOTS ALSO BRIEFLY RECOGNIZE THIS THE DESPERATE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITIES. SEAPOWER WHOLE HEARTEDLY SUPPORTS ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAMS LIKE HOMETOWN HEROES AND THE LIVE LOCAL ACT. THE IMPACT OF THESE PROGRAMS SIGNIFICANTLY BENEFITS OR RESIDENTS BY PROVIDING A CENTRAL FUNDING FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP. WE ALSO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFEGUARDING THE SADOWSKI FUNDS FOR HOUSING SPECIFIC PURPOSES AND MAINTAINING THE STATUTORY LANGUAGE THAT PROHIBITS SWEEPING THE SADOWSKI HOUSING TRUST FUNDS TO GENERAL RESERVE. NEXT IS THE BUSINESS RENT TAX REDUCTION IN TERMS OF THE BUSINESS RENT TAX.WE HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL STRIDES . WE URGE LEGISLATORS TO PERSIST IN RELIEVING UNDUE BURDENS TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS. NEXT IS NO SURPRISE IS THE PROPERTY INSURANCE? WHAT A MOUNTING CONCERN FOR HOMEOWNERS ACROSS FLORIDA AS REALTORS. WE ENCOUNTER DAILY CONCERNS ABOUT SOARING COSTS AND LIMITED OPTIONS SEEP OR ENDORSES LEGISLATION THAT ATTRACTS
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ADDITIONAL INSURERS PROMOTING A COMPETITIVE MARKET AND BETTER RATES. LASTLY OUR ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO BE THE VOICE FOR REAL ESTATE AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA. WITH THAT WE FULLY SUPPORT LEGISLATION THAT FACILITATES ACCESS TO HOMEOWNERSHIP AND PRESERVES PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS. PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR TIME AND DEDICATION. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND TO OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT MAKING SOME GOOD TIME HERE. I'M MOVING ON TO SUSAN GAUGE ALREADY EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA. GENTLEMEN THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND SENATOR . THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF CHILDCARE IN THE MILITARY COMMUNITIES. THAT WAS REALLY AMAZING WORK THAT YOU GOT DONE, AND WE HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE YOU AS AN ADVOCATE FOR CHILD CARE IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR. UM AS YOU ARE ALL AWARE IT COSTS MORE TO SEND A CHILD TO CHILD CARE THAN IT DOES TO ONE YEAR OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITY HERE IN STATE OF FLORIDA. SO UM , HAVING RAISED THREE I CAN ATTEST TO THAT ONE. CURRENTLY WE ARE REPRESENTING 54 CHILDCARE PROVIDERS. 37 VOLUNTARY PRIK INDICATED KINDERGARTEN KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS. 1226 CHILDREN WHO ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN SCHOOL READINESS OR ATTENDING CHILDCARE, PLUS ALL THE OTHER PRIVATE PAID CHILDREN THAT ARE INVOLVED IN 787 CHILDREN AND VOLUNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT CHILDREN ARE READY FOR KINDERGARTEN AND THAT FAMILIES ARE ABLE TO WORK AND PARTICIPATE IN JOB TRAINING FOR THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF A COUNTY. THE REALITY THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY FACING IS THAT FLORIDA EXPERIENCES $5.38 BILLION LOST IN LOST REVENUE ANNUALLY DUE TO CHILDCARE ISSUES THAT 24% OF OUR LOW INCOME AND WORKING FAMILIES WERE FORCED TO LEAVE THE WORKFORCE DUE TO CHILDCARE ACCESS OR AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE. IN THAT FLORIDA PROBABLY INADVERTENTLY IS PENALIZING TWO PARENT FAMILIES WHEN IT COMES TO THEM BEING ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR, UM COST REDUCTION PROGRAMS FOR CHILD CARE. CURRENTLY IF YOU ARE A TWO PARENT, TWO CHILD FAMILY, YOU DO NOT QUALIFY FOR SCHOOL READINESS, AND BY THE TIME THAT THE MINIMUM WAGE REACHES THE $15 AN HOUR MARK IN 2026. IF YOU ARE A ONE PARENT, ONE CHILD FAMILY, YOU WILL NOT QUALIFY FOR SCHOOL READINESS. SO THERE HAS GOT TO BE SOMETHING DONE AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL IN ORDER TO CHANGE THAT, AND THAT WILL DEFINITELY ONLY JUST CONTINUE TO MAKE A COUNTY THE BEST PLACE TO NOT ONLY LIVE BUT TO RAISE RAISE A FAMILY. YOU ASKED FOR A 30,000 FT VIEW, AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A 30,000 FT VIEW. AND THEN A 15,000 FT VIEW. IF YOU ALLOW ME TO DROP DOWN A LITTLE BIT, THE WAY FORWARD IS TO INCREASE AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO PROMOTE EARLY LEARNING FOR ALL CHILDREN AND SUPPORT WORKING FAMILIES ON THEIR PATH, THE ECONOMIC SELF SUFFICIENCY. THE WAY FORWARD IS TO MAINTAIN CURRENT ENROLLMENT OF ALL CHILDREN ELIMINATE WHITE LIST AND INCLUDE ALL ELIGIBLE POPULATION TYPES AND MEAT. UNIQUE COMMUNITY NEEDS. THE WAY FORWARD IS TO SET PROVIDER REIMBURSEMENT RATES TO INCREASE PARENTAL CHOICE AND SUPPORT HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. THIS PAST YEAR. THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION, NORTHWEST FLORIDA LOST ALMOST $3 MILLION AND WE ARE WE WORKING TO RECOVER THOSE? SO I'M GOING TO ASK AT THE 15,000 FT LEVEL IF YOU WILL HELP US STABILIZE FUNDING TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS CONTINUED ACCESS. FOR EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS, ALLOWING CHILDREN TO LEARN AND COUNTY PARENTS TO WORK. THAT'S IT. OF COURSE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DOCTOR KELLY LANGENBERG EDUCATION FOUNDATION.GOOD AFTERNOON, REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS AND SENATOR TRUMBULL. MY NAME IS DR KELLY LANGENBERG, AND I'M, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BAIT FOUNDATION. I'M JOINED TODAY IN THE AUDIENCE BY THEY HAD BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER BRIAN TAYLOR. FOR 35 YEARS, DAD HAS HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO BE THE FIBER. ONE C THREE DIRECT SUPPORT ORGANIZATION FOR BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS. AS AN ORGANIZATION. WE HAD A LOCAL AFFILIATE FOR THE TAKE STOCK AND CHILDREN PROGRAM, AND WE ADMINISTER THE MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM WITH A CONSORTIUM OF FLORIDA EDUCATION FOUNDATION ON BEHALF OF THE FLORIDA D. O E, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER PROGRAMS LOCALLY, INCLUDING THE RECENT RESILIENCY THROUGH THE COMMUNITY FUNDS AND THE NEW WORLDS READING INITIATIVE WITH US LAST INJURY INSTITUTE. REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS. WE'VE HEARD ABOUT YOUR BREAKOUT FRESHMAN YEAR IN THE HOUSE, AND WE'RE THRILLED. YOU ARE BEING NOTICED AS A STANDOUT AMONG YOUR PEERS.
SENATOR TRUMBULL. WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE YOUR LEADERSHIP AT THE STATE LEVEL AND TO HAVE YOUR SUPPORT LOCALLY, INCLUDING MOST RECENTLY YOUR SPONSORSHIP AT R ARTS ALIVE FUNDRAISER LAST SPRING. THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS IS THE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN THE ABILITY TO LEVERAGE STATE FUNDS TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN CLASSROOM INNOVATION THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FOUNDATION MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM. OF THE 6 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR THIS
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SCHOOL YEAR. OUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION RECEIVED $56,948, WHICH WE MORE THAN DOUBLED FOR $140,000 INVESTMENT IN CLASSROOM GRANTS AND BAY DISTRICT SCHOOLS BETH AND DEL MAR, A GRANT RECIPIENT AND CLASSROOM TEACHER AT DEER POINT ELEMENTARY, LED HER FIFTH GRADERS IN A PROJECT TO COMBINE THEIR ROBUST SCIENCE, MATH AND TECHNOLOGY SKILLS. TO DESIGN MEASURE CUT AND CREATE THESE BEAUTIFUL SET OF PENTATONIC WIND CHIMES. FLORIDA'S 2024, TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND MEDIA SPECIALIST AT NORTHSIDE ELEMENTARY. ADRIANA SWEARINGEN USED HER CLASSROOM GRANT TO ENGAGE PARENTS TO READ WITH INTO THEIR ELEMENTARY LEARNERS THROUGH A MATCHING GRANT CALLED WALK WITH ME, MAMA. STATEWIDE THROUGH THE CONSORTIUM OF FLORIDA EDUCATION FOUNDATION'S FUNDING IS SUPPORTED LOCALLY DRIVEN THROUGH INITIATIVES IN NEARLY ALL OF OUR STATE'S COUNTYWIDE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THESE FUNDS ARE FLEXIBLE, FOCUSED AND ACCOUNTABLE. EACH LOCAL PROJECT HAS MEASURABLE OUTCOMES AND SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS PRIORITY AREAS IN EACH COMMUNITY HERE IN BAY COUNTY, OUR PRIORITY PRIORITY AREA IS LITERACY. I ASK THAT YOU MAKE THIS PROVEN STATEWIDE PROGRAM A PRIORITY AND PRE K 12 EDUCATION BUDGET FOR 24 25. I AND MY COUNTERPARTS ACROSS THE STATE REQUESTS YOU INCREASE OUR FUNDING LEVEL TO $7 MILLION.FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FOUNDATION MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM TO CONTINUE TO INNOVATE, LEARNING AND POWER. THE POTENTIAL OF OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. THANK YOU.
FLATTERY OBVIOUSLY WORKS. YOU SEE, SENATOR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE THAT. ALRIGHT THIS ACTUALLY COULD YOU DEFINE BREAKOUT SESSION FOR? YEAH I WAS WONDERING GIVE YOU THAT $20 LATER. SO I APPRECIATE THAT, UM , ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON WEST BEACH DRAFT PRESERVATION GROUP.
HE WAS GOING TO BE LEADING THAT CHARGE. COME ON DOWN, SIR. I DON'T HAVE A NAME. BUT LET ME SEE WHO MR PICKIN AND THEN ROSS MCCOY MCCOY AND THE CHICKEN. COME ON DOWN, ROSS. NEVER DO ANYTHING IN THREE MINUTES BEFORE SO AS A LAWYER. THAT'S TOUGHER NOW. AFTERNOON GENTLEMEN, WE APPRECIATE THE FACT YOU'VE COME DOWN TO LISTEN TO US. UM IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN EVERYBODY ELSE. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY , BUT WE'RE STANDING HERE TO GIVE YOU A, UM UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME HEROES BY REPURPOSING. THE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO BUILDING A MULTI USE PATH. ON WEST BEACH DRIVE. $8 MILLION IN THIS GRANT. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON THREE FACTS THAT ARE GOING ON NUMBER. ONE FACT THE MATTER IS AS THE CITY ITSELF. APPLIED FOR SIGNIFICANT FUNDS FROM FEMA. AND THEY'VE BEEN SHORTED IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IT IS, BUT IT'S A IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY. THE OTHER IS WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE CITY HAS MET AND WENT THROUGH PRIORITIES. AND THEY'VE ESTABLISHED FIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS THE MLK RECREATION CENTER. THE SECOND IS THE MARTIN THEATER. THE THIRD IS THE CIVIC CENTER AND THE 4TH AND 5TH OF THE BOTH. BOTH THE MARINA'S ST ANDREWS AND THE CITY PIER. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE MULTI POWER DID NOT MAKE THAT LIST OF FIVE HOWEVER, UM INTERESTING THING IS, TOO IS THAT THE GRANT ITSELF WILL EXPIRE ON THE 31ST OF MARCH OF NEXT YEAR. HE'LL EXPIRE BECAUSE ALL OF THE WORK WAS TO BE DONE BY THE 31ST, AND THAT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN. THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY ON THE 31ST OF MARCH. TO UM, REPURPOSE THESE FUNDS AND JUST FOR INTEREST. THE FIRST PRIORITY ON THAT LIST WAS THE MLK RECREATION CENTER. THE SHORTFALL ON THE FUNDING FOR THAT FROM THE STATE WAS $7 MILLION. SO BY TRANSFERRING THE FUNDS FROM THE MULTI USE PATH OVER TO, UM, THE MLK REC CENTER WOULD MAKE THE REC CENTER FEASIBLE AND POSSIBLE. SO I THINK AS A FIRST PRIORITY WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT. AND USE THE MONEY FROM THE GRANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WOULD BENEFIT FROM FAR MORE THAN THE CITY WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS UM , CONTROVERSIAL PATH. AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE LOSS. DO I GET HIS 23? SECONDS OKAY. ALRIGHT, GENTLEMEN. UH AS
[01:10:08]
I UNDERSTAND IT. THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT IS TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY. GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS WITH YOU BEFORE THE SESSION TAKES PLACE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE. UH, CONCERNS ABOUT INTEREST ABOUT WHETHER IT'S ASKING FOR MONEY OR OTHERWISE AND ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO LOCAL BILLS. I'M ALREADY THROUGH. OKAY WE APPRECIATE IT TONIGHT WITH BUT WE ARE. WE ARE. WE GOT TO KEEP TO THE SCRIPT, ALL RIGHT? AH LOCAL REPRESENTATION IS CERTAINLY NEEDED. WE CAN'T GIVE YOU ANOTHER THREE MINUTES. WE'RE NOT. I'M SORRY. I THOUGHT WE HAD NOT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW SUBSTITUTES. IT'S ON THE SAME ISSUE, BUT ALL RIGHT, AND I'M SORRY. I THOUGHT WE HAD 23 MINUTES WORTH OF TIME. LET ME AT LEAST GIVE YOU IF I CAN BE GREAT. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. I RECEIVED YOUR EMAIL THIS AFTERNOON AS WELL. SO THANK YOU.I'M MOVING ON. JULIE SANDERS, PRESIDENT COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN. GOOD EVENING, SENATOR TRUMBULL AND REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THIS FORUM FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS JULIE SANDERS AND I AM SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BAY COUNTY, REPUBLICAN WOMEN. AND WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
TONIGHT IS A NEW LINE ITEM OR RELATIVELY NEW IN THE FLORIDA STATUTE. 48 CHAPTER 1002 SECTION 20 K 12 STUDENT AND PARENT RIGHTS AND IT'S ITEM P USE AND POSSESSION OF HEADACHE MEDICATIONS. AND I KNOW THAT JANET ALLUDED TO THAT EARLIER, SO I'M GOING TO GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THAT, UH, THE WHAT THIS SAYS, IS THAT A STUDENT MAY POSSESS AND USE A MEDICATION TO RELIEVE HEADACHES WHILE ON SCHOOL PROPERTY OR AT A SCHOOL SPONSORED OF INTERACTIVITY WITHOUT A PHYSICIAN'S NOTE OR PRESCRIPTION IF THE MEDICATION IS REGULATED BY THE US FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION FOR OVER THE COUNTER USED TO TREAT HEADACHES.
NOW THIS FIRST CAME TO LIGHT, UH, WITH SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS THROUGH ATTENDANCE AT BAY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS WHEN THEY WERE ADDRESSING THE STATUE AND DETERMINE DETERMINING HOW IT WOULD BE ADDRESSED WITHIN BAY COUNTY SCHOOLS, AND THEY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT STUDENTS BEING ABLE TO CARRY THEIR OWN CARRYING ADMINISTER THEIR OWN MEDICATIONS . UM AS THEY SHOULD, AND SO THEY CAME UP WITH SOME GUARDRAILS TO KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT. AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN PLACE ARE THAT STUDENTS WILL HAVE TO HAVE A SIGNED PERMISSION FROM PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN ITSELF. KERRY AND SELF ADMINISTER UM PARENTS DO HAVE THE OPTION TO HAVE THE MEDICATION STORED WITH THE SCHOOL NURSE OR ENTRAINED SCHOOL PERSONNEL ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS . UM STUDENTS CAN'T CARRY MORE THAN A ONE DAY SUPPLY WITH THEM, AND THEY'RE OF COURSE, PROHIBITED FROM SHARING OR DISTRIBUTING HEADACHE MEDICATION , AND WE BELIEVE THE DISTRICT IS DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO HELP IMPLEMENT IT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. BUT WE JUST HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHY THERE WAS A NEED FOR ALLOWING STUDENTS TO CARRY THEIR OWN MEDICATIONS IN THE FIRST PLACE. OUR CONCERNS ARE THAT WITH THE ONE DAY SUPPLY THEY ARE NOT CARRYING THOSE PILLS IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING , SO HOW DOES ONE KNOW IF THIS IS TRULY TYLENOL OR WHATEVER MEDICATION IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE? HOW DOES ONE KNOW WHAT THE DOSAGE IS? IF IT'S NOT TAKEN AS DIRECTED? OF COURSE, IT CAN HAVE ANY NEGATIVE OUTCOMES. AND I KNOW WHEN I GO INTO THE TO LOOK AT THE MEDICINE. THERE'S A WALL OF IT GIVES YOU A HEADACHE, TRYING TO PICK OUT WHICH ONE YOU WANT TO GET, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS, DIFFERENT DOSAGES AND WITHOUT THE WITH CARRYING A ONE DAY SUPPLY, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PACKAGING. ALSO THIS LAW HAS NO AGE RESTRICTIONS . SO IT'S FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE, AND WE'RE GIVING CHILDREN THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR THEIR OWN MEDICATIONS. AND WHAT'S TO STOP STUDENTS FROM KAREN SHARING THEIR MEDICATIONS BEING A RETIRED EDUCATOR AND ADMINISTRATOR, UH THERE'S PROBABLY SO MANY SCENARIOS THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF. YOU KNOW IF THE STUDENTS DROPPED THOSE PILLS, ANOTHER STUDENT PICKS THEM UP. SO WE'RE JUST UNCOMFORTABLE THAT THIS LAW OPENS THE DOOR FOR STUDENTS TO BRING OTHER LOOSE PILLS INTO SCHOOLS. WE HAVE ZERO COLORANT TOLERANCE FOR DRUGS, BUT YET WE'RE TELLING THEM THEY CAN CARRY THEIR OWN. SO WE JUST ARE ASKING TO RE LOOK AT THIS. AND THIS NEXT SESSION. THANK YOU. JENNIFER JONES, FLORIDA CULTURAL AUDIENCE. GOOD EVENING, SENATOR TRUMBULL AND REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS. I'M JENNIFER JONES WITH FLORIDA CULTURE ALLIANCE AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK FROM 100,000 FT. VIEW ABOUT ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDING. YOU ALREADY HEARD FROM THE PANAMA CITY SYMPHONY? I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE THREE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE FUNDED BY ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTS IN BAY COUNTY, AND THAT WOULD BE KALEIDOSCOPE THEATER, THE MARTIN THEATER AND UM, BAY ARTS ALLIANCE, SO I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND THANK YOU ON RECORD YEARS TWO YEARS AGO UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SENATOR
[01:15:06]
TRUMBULL WHEN HE WAS REPRESENTATIVE TRUMBULL IN THE HOUSE. HE ACTUALLY, UM, CHAMPION RECORD FUNDING IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA FOR ARTS AND CULTURE GRANTS AND FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROGRAM FROM ITS INCEPTION, AND HE WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE LEGISLATORS AND AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS FOR BEING THE STATE LEGISLATOR CHAMPION FOR THE ARTS AMONG ALL LEGISLATORS IN THE COUNTRY, SO I WANT TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE PROCESS.I KNOW REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS . YOU MAY NOT BE ON THE NECESSARY COMMITTEES, BUT I DO WANT YOU TWO KNOW AS YOU'RE TALKING TO YOUR PEERS THAT THESE GRANTS HAVE BEEN VETTED AND THEY'VE BEEN REVIEWED ON STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE AND ACCESSIBILITY, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS IMPACT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND I'M SURE YOU KNOW FULL WELL THE IMPACT THAT THE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HAD HERE. THEY'RE ALL REQUIRED. CURRENTLY THESE APPLICATIONS IN BAY COUNTY WILL HAVE TO MATCH THE GRANT. REQUEST 4 TO 1. IS THE GOLD STANDARD AS FAR AS FUNDING GOES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA BECAUSE OF THE VETTING THE REVIEWS THE MATCHING REQUIREMENTS. FIVE REPORTS HAVE TO BE RETURNED TO THE STATE FOR FUNDING. YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR ANOTHER GRANT. IF YOU DON'T TURN IN ALL YOUR FUNDS, AND THEY ALSO, UM, I LEARNED THIS SUMMER.
UM. I LEARNED THIS SUMMER THAT UM, AMONG STATES, FLORIDA IS IN AN ENVIABLE POSITION WE COME.
THE APPLICANTS HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO ASK FOR APPLY FOR THE GRANTS AND BE REVIEWED A FOUR YEAR BEFORE THEY'RE APPROVED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THEN FUNDED BY THE LEGISLATURE. OTHER STATES ASKED FOR LUMP SUMS OF FUNDS AND THEN THEY GO AND DISTRIBUTE THE FUNDS TO THE GRANTEES. SO EVERY LEGISLATOR KNOWS WHAT FUNDING IS GOING INTO THEIR DISTRICT. IT'S LIKE LOCAL, UM, PROJECTS, BUT OUR MEMBER PROJECTS THAT AREN'T REALLY MEMBER PROJECTS BECAUSE IT HAPPENS ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE. AS I SAID TWO YEARS AGO, YOU ARE FUNDED AT RECORD LEVELS.
LAST YEAR, YOU FUNDED A RECORD NUMBER OF APPLICANTS, AND NEXT YEAR YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BREAK BOTH RECORDS. WE HAVE OVER 870 APPLICANTS AND OVER $77 MILLION IN REQUEST THAT SURF FLORIDIANS AND EVERY HOUSE AND SENATE DISTRICT AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN JANUARY ON ARTS DAY ON THE 24TH AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN THE ARTS IN THE PAST YEARS. THANK YOU APPRECIATE IT. THANKS. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON LAURIE ALLEN. GOLF COACH CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER. HELLO GOOD EVENING. IT'S GOOD TO SEE BOTH OF YOU, REPRESENTATIVE GRIFFITHS ALMOST SAID TRUMBULL, UM, GETTING USED TO THE FLIP THEIR SENATOR TRUMBULL, THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS SUPPORTING THE GULF COAST CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER AND OUR RAPE CRISIS CENTER PROGRAMS. I'D LIKE IT TO BE NOTED IN THE 12 YEARS. I'VE BEEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER COME UP HERE AND ASKED FOR MONEY, BUT TONIGHT I'M GOING TO CHANGE THAT RECORD. WE HAVE REALLY A CRISIS BEFORE US THAT I KNOW THAT BOTH OF YOU ARE AWARE OF REGARDING VOCAL, WHICH IS THE VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT, AND I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE BOTH OF YOU WITH AN UPDATE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME UPDATED INFORMATION INTO HOW THAT'S GOING TO TRANSLATE LOCALLY. SO THESE ARE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT PASSED THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. THERE WAS A DECREASE IN FUNDING. THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR THIS OCTOBER 1ST AND THAT WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE REDUCTION IN FEDERAL PROSECUTIONS. SO WE LOST 25% OF OUR VOCAL GRANT THIS OCTOBER. SO AS OF YESTERDAY, AND WE WILL ARE SET TO LOSE ANOTHER 25% IN OCTOBER OF 24. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WELL FOR CIRCUIT 14 OPERATIONS THAT WAS $750,000.
THAT WE TOOK A CUT, AND THAT WAS SEVEN FULL TIME POSITIONS, ONE, WHICH WAS A VICTIM ADVOCATE THAT CARRIES A CASELOAD OF 60 VICTIMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING A VICTIMIZATION THAT'S WORKING IN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. JUSTICE COORDINATOR THAT GOES OUT IN THE FIELD WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ASSIST VICTIMS IN THE FIELD. A VICTIM SERVICES EDUCATION COORDINATOR TIMES THREE. THEY WORK WITH LOCAL CHILDREN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING TRUANCY, DISCIPLINE CONCERNS AND ACADEMIC FAILURE THAT HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED A MALTREATMENT. EACH OF THOSE POSITIONS SUPPORT A DOZEN CHILDREN, COMMUNITY OUTREACH ADVOCATE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A WAIT LIST FOR DISTRICT SCHOOLS AND CIRCUIT 14 THAT ARE REQUESTING OUR STAFF TO PROVIDE THAT MANDATORY CRITERIA ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CHILD MALTREATMENT. AND SINCE WE'VE STARTED THAT PROGRAM, HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN HAVE COME FORWARD NEEDING ASSISTANCE RELATED TO VICTIMIZATION. WE ALSO HAVE A CURRENTLY WAIT LIST FOR ADULTS NEEDING THERAPY, AND WE'RE HOLDING A THERAPY POSITION AND CIRCUIT ONE. WE ALSO LOST $700,000. WE BRACE THOSE THIS YEAR BY HOLDING THESE POSITIONS NEXT OCTOBER. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT I'M GOING TO DO OR HOW I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. THE SOLUTION IS THAT IN OCTOBER 25 WE DO EXPECT A PARTIAL RESTORATION TO THE FUNDS, SO
[01:20:03]
WE'RE ASKING FOR GAP FUNDING. THERE ARE TWO STATE ENTITIES THAT ARE WILLING TO ADMINISTER THAT ALREADY ADMINISTERED STATE APPROPRIATIONS. AND THAT'S THE FLORIDA NETWORK OF CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS IN THE FLORIDA COUNCIL AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE . THEY'RE CAPABLE. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THOSE FUNDERS FOR YEARS, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH VICTIMS SERVICES PROGRAMS TO HELP WITH THAT GAP FUNDING. MY LAST REQUEST IN THIS IS THAT PROVIDES A LANGUAGE WOULD BE VERY SPECIFIC. TYPICALLY IF IT'S NOT PROVIDED THE LARGER METROPOLITAN AREAS SCOOP UP ALL THE MONEY SO WE WOULD LIKE PROVISO TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS LOSSES AND NOT GIVE IT INTO SOME FORMULA THAT LARGELY LEANS AND POPULATION. WE HAVE A LARGE CATCHMENT AREA AND RURAL POPULATIONS NEED TO BE SUPPORTED. THANK YOU BOTH.APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MOVING ON, TOM, IS IT MASON, TOM MASON. THOMAS. I'M SORRY, SIR. VERY MINUTES. DO THAT THREE MINUTE. SOME OF YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THIS. UH, SOMEONE MENTIONED THE CONSTITUTION. UH, POCKET CONSTITUTION. THIS IS 2012. SO. CONVENTION OF STATES IS REALLY ACTIVE TO TRY TO REDUCE THIS. AND BRING THE POWER BACK TO THE STATES. AS IT WAS INTENDED IN THE BEGINNING. AND THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU ALL THIS YEAR IS TO ASSIST US WITH STARTING TO THINK ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER THE WORKING GROUP. WHAT ONCE MORE. THAT WE HAD IN THE BEGINNING. TWO. FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THE DELEGATES. AND BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING. WE'RE GETTING THE MOMENTUM NOW TO WHERE WE WERE PROBABLY BE HEADED TOWARDS A CONVENTION IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. THERE'S 19 STATES HAVE PASSED. THERE'S 20 THAT HAVE PASSED IN EITHER THE HOUSE OR THE SENATE. SO IF YOU COULD CONSIDER THAT I'LL LEAVE YOU THE LATEST POCKET GUIDE ON ARTICLE FIVE. THANK YOU, SIR. SORRY HAVING TO CARRY THAT AROUND. CHECK EXERCISE FOR SURE. HIS CURLS AND THANK YOU, SIR.
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT, RECTORY. COME ON DOWN, REX. HOW Y'ALL DOING THIS EVENING? YEAH WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME. I WANTED TO BRING UP A COUPLE THREE THINGS.
I'M NOT GONNA ASK FOR ANY MONEY. I'M ACTUALLY GONNA OFFER TO HELP. IT SOUNDS CRAZY. I KNOW.
FIRST THANKS FOR OR NOT THANKS, BUT CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING SENATE PRESIDENT. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S RECOGNIZE THAT ONE AMAZING HONOR. ALONG WITH THAT I WAS HOPING THAT YOU COULD HELP THE GOVERNOR FULFILLED ONE OF HIS CAMPAIGN PROVINCES FROM 2018. HE STATED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THAT HE THOUGHT RED FLAG LAWS WERE UNCONSTITUTIONAL. AND IT HAS BEEN IN OFFICE RIGHT ROUGHLY FIVE YEARS NOW. HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET AROUND TO REPEALING THAT SECOND ON OUR ELECTRICITY GRID. WE ARE CAREENING TOWARDS AN EVENT LIKE IS GOING ON IN TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA. WE'RE ALLOWING F P L TO USE SOLAR PANELS AND THEN REDUCE CONTINUOUS FLOW FROM NATURAL GAS. WE'VE HAD AN INCREASE OF ROUGHLY 27% LET'S SAY ONE OF OUR BIGGEST INDUSTRIES HERE, AND I BELIEVE IT'S A CELLULOSE PLANT RIGHT ALONG WITH SAINT JOE, IF THEY HAVE TO GO TO OUT OF STATE, THE PROCESS THERE WOULD BECAUSE OUR ENERGY RATES ARE HIGHER.
INTERMITTENT LIKE THEY ARE NOW IN TEXAS AND FLORIDA, TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA AND THEY'RE GONNA THEY'RE GONNA MOVE ELSEWHERE, RIGHT, AND THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THEM. PLUS IT ALSO IMPACTS ALL THE RATE PLAYERS HERE. BUT IT'S GOING ON BECAUSE YOU CAN MAKE IT. YOU CAN MAKE ADDITIONAL PROFIT ON THE SOLAR PANELS OVER A CONTINUOUS GENERATION OF NAT GAS. WHEN THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE SEEING AN INCREASE BECAUSE ROUGHLY F PL GENERATES 73. OF OUR ELECTRICITY WITH NAT GAS, AND IT'S ROUGHLY THE 10 YEAR STATISTICAL AVERAGE AROUND 2 50 LET'S SAY AND THIRD . UH I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THE PROPERTY INSURANCE MARKET HERE IS TOTALLY I'LL REFRAIN MY COLOR FOR LANGUAGE, BUT HAVING MY POLICIES CANCELED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
IT'S A DISASTER HERE. I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY OFFER TO HELP. I'M A LEAN SIX SIGMA MASTER BLACK BELT . I HAVE HELPED NUMEROUS COMPANIES SAFE. HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. I HAVE WORKED WITH THE MILITARY THEMSELVES WHAT WE CALL A SPECIAL CONTRACT OFFICE WOULD
[01:25:03]
LIKE TO SEE 1 30 LONGEST RUN OF PRODUCTION AIRCRAFT. WE COMPLETELY REDESIGNED THEIR PROCESSES AND HOW THEY CONTRACTED WITH US. I WILL DO. I WILL OFFER MY SERVICES FOR FREE TO GET IN A ROOM AND FACILITATE THE PEOPLE HERE THAT NEED TO CHANGE THIS BECAUSE WE NEED TO TEAR THAT SYSTEM DOWN TO THE GROUND. AND BUILD IT BACK UP AGAIN BECAUSE PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG. IT'S NOT HELPING ANY OF YOUR RATEPAYERS. FAIR ENOUGH. AND YOU CAN CALL ME I'LL BE GLAD TO HELP. JUST PUT ME IN A HOTEL. IF YOU WANT ME TO TEST THE HUTS, I'LL DO IT FOR FREE. THEY'LL SAVE ME IN THE END. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON. UM JENNIFER BENNETT SAYS THE SUBJECT IS THE WEST BEACH DRAFT SIDEWALK, ALTHOUGH WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION. ALRIGHT. OKAY. COME ON DOWN. WE'LL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I JUST WANTED TO PROPOSE SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS WHOLE SIDEWALK ISSUE WAS PRESENTED IN 2016. IT WAS SHUT DOWN. THE CITIZENS DIDN'T WANT IT. HERE WE ARE AGAIN. FOR MANY REASONS. CITIZENS DO NOT WANT IT AND THE IT SEEMS TO BE IGNORED. SO IT MIGHT ME TRYING TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROJECT. I WAS IT WAS THE CITY WAS NOT HONEST AND TRANSPARENT. I WAS REDIRECTED. AND I DUG IN AND I DID ALL MY RESEARCH. SO UM, ACCORDING TO BOT, UM, THIS IS THE PIECE THAT'S DIFFERENT. YOU COULD ACTUALLY INSTEAD OF TRYING TO TAKE THE MONEY BACK OR DEBATE THIS OR LAWSUITS OR WHATEVER.
YOU CAN JUST SHIFT THE FUNDS OVER THE SAME PROJECT, BUT IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION, AND ACCORDING TO F, D, O T, UM INSTEAD OF TAKING THE MONEY BACK OR YOU HAVING TO RE APPROPRIATE IT'S CALLED CHANGED IN THE LIMITS, AND THAT'S THEIR INTERNAL BURBAGE AND ALL WE WOULD NEED IS FOR THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSIONERS TO JUST SEND A REQUEST TO MOVE THE PROJECT. SO INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT COORDINATES BETWEEN FRANKFURT AND JOHNSON BY YOU YOU COULD MOVE THE. IT'S BASICALLY A BOARDWALK. YOU CAN MOVE IT TO THE AREA WHERE MOST OF THE CITIZENS ARE INTERESTED DONE BY THE MARINA, AND THAT'S WHERE WEST BEACH AND THE SPEECH INTERSECTED. HARRISON THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE DOING PROPOSED BUSINESS 98. IT'S ROUGHLY TWO BLOCKS FROM THE MARTIN THEATER ROUGHLY TWO BLOCKS FROM THE MARINA. AND I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS. UM THERE'S. THERE'S MORE THAN ENOUGH AMBIGUITY IN THAT GRANT THAT THEY COULD DO PARKING BENCHES, FOUNTAINS, SIDEWALKS AND WHATEVER ELSE THEY WANTED, AND I THINK THE ENTIRE CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO EMBRACE THAT. AND IT JUST IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A VERY EASY THING TO DO.
JUST REQUEST IT. AND AFTER YOUR T WAS GRANTED AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS 100% LEGAL TO DO THAT. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO MICHELLE SMALLWOOD. MICHELLE, ARE YOU IN THE CROWD? GOOD EVENING, AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR MONEY EITHER. ALRIGHT SO MY NAME IS A LITTLE MICHELLE SMALLWOOD AND I WEAR MANY DIFFERENT HATS IN THIS COMMUNITY. I'M A LICENSED ATTORNEY AND OWN A SMALL BUSINESS HERE WITH MY WIFE, WHO WAS ALSO AN ATTORNEY WHERE MASOCHISTS SO WE HAVE SMALLWOOD MIRANDA LAW HERE ON MAGNOLIA AVENUE. I HAVE AN 11 YEAR OLD THAT ATTENDS TENDER ACADEMY WHO'S BIRACIAL? AND I AM A MOM AND WIFE AND MANY OTHER THINGS. I HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF A COUNTY FOR 12 YEARS, A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF FLORIDA AND IT'S A GREAT STATE TO LIVE IN. AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT I DID VOTE FOR BOTH OF YOU DESPITE BEING A REGISTERED INDEPENDENT, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT YOU'RE THE BOTH BEST FOR THE JOB. SO I SAY THAT INDEPENDENTLY BEFORE MOVING ON TO WHAT? I'M ACTUALLY HERE FOR TODAY, AND I AM HERE REPRESENTING THE GULF COAST LGBTQ CENTER. I AM THEIR CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PRESIDENT. AND I'M HERE TO REPRESENT AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY ON MY OWN. I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE IN THE ROOM AND THAT'S OKAY. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COME HERE AND REQUEST CERTAIN THINGS FROM YOU ALL. YOU SPENT THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION ATTACKING OUR YOUTH, AND WE'VE HAD TO WORK WITH THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION CALLED THE RAINBOW YOUTH PROJECT , WHICH JUST LAST WEEK THEY FIELDED 127 CALLS JUST FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND THEIR AVERAGE CALLS MONTHLY OR ABOUT 27. FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WHICH THEY FIELD CALLS AT THAT ORGANIZATION FOR HOMELESSNESS FOR YOUTH FOR THE L G B T Q. OR ATTEMPTED SUICIDES, SO THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING OR NOT ONLY AFFECTING A COMMUNITY THAT NEEDS HELP YOU
[01:30:03]
YOU TALK OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF YOUR MOUTH. YOU PREACH ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, PARENTAL RIGHTS AND ALL OF THESE THINGS, EXCEPT YOU'RE RESTRICTING THEM FOR AN ENTIRE FACTION OF THE COMMUNITY.AND I JUST WANT TO BE HERE TO REPRESENT THAT COMMUNITY BECAUSE I AM AN AVERAGE PERSON WITH A LAW LICENSE. I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING CRAZY. BESIDES MAYBE DYEING MY GRAY HAIR PINK. UM BUT OTHERWISE I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER ME AND REMEMBER WHO I REPRESENT HERE TODAY. BECAUSE WE ARE JUST AVERAGE. UH WELL INTENDED LAW ABIDING FAMILIES AND CITIZENS OF BAY COUNTY. SO WHEN YOU'RE OUT REPRESENTING YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT INCLUDES AN ENTIRE FACTION OF THE COMMUNITY THAT I REPRESENT, AND I'M TRYING TO HELP LIVE EACH DAY. AS THEY WANT TO LIVE. THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING FROM YOU ALL IS TO EXPAND WITH R BRICK AND MORTAR THAT SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ACROSS THE PAN WE PROVIDE IN BAY COUNTY. FOR THE LGBTQ POPULATION AND EXPANDED THROUGHOUT THE PANHANDLE BECAUSE THE SUICIDE NUMBERS ARE RAISING WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING MAKES ME GET EMOTIONAL BECAUSE KIDS SHOULD NOT. KILLING THEMSELVES BECAUSE OF WHO THEY LOVE OR WHAT THEY DO IN THEIR OWN SPARE TIME. THEY'RE THERE TO GET AN EDUCATION AND THEY SHOULDN'T BE OUSTED BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS AND THE SUICIDE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP. SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU OF THAT. I WORKED REALLY HARD TO SAVE THE KIDS IN THIS STATE. THANK YOU. MICHELLE. APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DO ON THE BILL. AND MOVING ON MALI, ALICE MOLLY. HELLO GENTLEMEN. I'M HERE REPRESENTING LAW, WATER LAKE OLD COASTAL DUNE LAKES OUT IN PANAMA CITY BEACH IS A RESIDENT. UM IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE 30,000 FT VIEW OF LOW WATER LEG, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE GEORGE SMATHERS VIDEO IN AERIAL LIBRARY THAT'S AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. GO GATORS. SO, UM I VERY BEGINNING. UH MR GRIFFITHS . I HEARD YOU SAY, LET'S NOT GET DOWN IN THE WEEDS, BUT YOU KNOW THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO DO, AND IT'S NOT ABOUT NUMBERS. IT'S ABOUT ACTUAL WEEDS. IT'S ABOUT REAL LAKE WEEDS. UM SO A COUPLE OF POINTS I'LL STICK WITH 33 NUMBERS OF THE NUMBER THREE.
THERE ARE THE CITY OF PANAMA CITY BEACH PUT OUT ITS AGENDA. IT'S BIG NUMBERS WHAT THEIR BIG PROJECTS ARE. THREE OF THEIR FIVE MAIN PROJECTS ARE AT THE LOW WATER BASIN. THEY ARE WIDENING THE ROAD THEY ARE CLEANING LOW WATER LAKE. THEY ARE FOR THE OUTFALL PROJECT.
BOTH YOU GENTLEMEN KNOW I'M VERY AGAINST THE OUTFALL PROJECT. UM I WON'T GO INTO DETAILS, BUT I WILL SAY I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW , AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING. UM, I WENT TO. I'VE ALSO BEEN, UH, SAMPLING LONG WATER LAKE FOR 13 YEARS AS A FLORIDA LAKE WATCH VOLUNTEER, AND I'VE SEEN IT GO FROM ANALOG, A TROPHIC STATE TO AU TROPHIC STATE WHERE SEDIMENT NG AND PRETTY HARD RIGHT NOW WE'RE GETTING NEW PLANTS THAT SHOW SHALLOW WATER INSTEAD OF DEEP WATERS. I WENT TO THE LAKE WATCH MEETING. IT'S AN ANNUAL MEETING OVER CHALK TO HATCH E BASIN ALLIANCE AT 3 31. UM AND ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES THERE, SAID MOLLY. THE DATA SHOWS THAT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE OKAY. YOU KNOW, MY HEART BLEEDS FOR LOW WATER LAKE . YOU KNOW HOW EMOTIONAL I GET ABOUT IT. UM WHEN I SAMPLE THE WATER. I'M JUST HOPING THAT BIG OLD SNAPPER TURTLE I SEE OCCASIONALLY DOESN'T GET MY THUMB. YOU KNOW, AS I'M LIKE GETTING IN THERE TO GET THE WATER MY REAL CONCERN. GENTLEMAN IS FOR THE HEALTH OF THAT LAKE. IT IS MY ONLY CONCERN. IT TRULY IS. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THOSE ANIMALS. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE WHAT LAW WATER LAKE IS. IT'S A GREAT FISHING LAKE. IT IS SO AMAZING. I'M AGAINST THE OUTFALL PROJECT BECAUSE OF HOW IT WILL AFFECT THE LAKE. I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT ALL OF THE OILS AND GREASES THAT ARE GOING TO RUN OUT. NOT ONLY THROUGH OUR LAKE, UM, BUT OUT INTO THE GULF. SO THIS GENTLEMAN TOLD ME, MOLLY , SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE OKAY IN THE LAKES ACTUALLY BECOME MORE CLEAN WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS. I'M ASKING YOU TODAY, NOT FOR MONEY, BUT JUST TO SUPPORT LOW WATER LAKE, PLEASE. IN YOUR HEARTS, IT IS AN AMAZING COASTAL DUNE LAKE. OUR LEGS. LIKE POWELL, LOW WATER LAKE. THEY ARE FAILING WATER QUALITY. IF YOU LOOK AT THE ANNUAL REPORTS, AND TO ME THAT STAT, ESPECIALLY AFTER HEARING ABOUT OUR PARKS, SO THANK YOU BOTH. THANKS APPRECIATE YOUR PASSION. WE'VE MET MANY TIMES ON THE LAKE. SO YEAH, I KNOW. UM WE'RE GONNA MAKE A SMALL EXCEPTION RICE. BECAUSE THE FORM HAD YEARS AND THE OTHER GENTLEMAN'S NAME ON IT WITH
[01:35:05]
THOUGHT WE'D STOP YOU FROM LEAVING AND GIVE YOU YOUR THREE MINUTES TO PLEASE. YOUR CASE.YOU MAY THINK I'M CONCERNED, BUT I GET SPEAKER INTERRUPT US AT THE HOUSE ALL THE TIME. AH! GENTLEMEN. YOU TO HAVE, UH ARE HERE TODAY TO HEAR US EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT LOCAL ISSUES AND LOCAL REPRESENTATION IS INDEED IMPORTANT AND IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU HAVE DISASTER. ISSUES OCCUR LIKE WE HAD WITH HURRICANE MICHAEL AND YOU HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF GETTING SOME FUNDING FOR LOCAL PROJECTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT SOMETIMES FUNDING WITHOUT A PLAN OR NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC CAN BE PROBLEMATIC AND THE BEACH DRIVE WEST BEACH DRIVE. MULTI USE PAYOUT IS ONE OF THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS. THIS PROJECT WAS PROPOSED FOR A GRANT IN 2021, AND BUT THERE WAS REALLY NO NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OR THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS TYPE OF A PROJECT WHETHER YOU LIVE ON BEACH DRIVER ELSEWHERE IN BAY COUNTY. THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST DEFINES IT BROADLY AS A 12 FT. SIDEWALK ON THE SOUTH OF BEACH DRIVE WITH BICYCLE PATHS, BENCHES, WATER FOUNTAINS. LIGHTS AND THAT SORT OF THING. AND ESSENTIALLY, IT TURNS A RESIDENTIAL AREA INTO A RECREATIONAL AREA, WHICH IS A MAJOR CONCERN AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN, TOO. NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON BEACH DRIVE. ACCORDING TO THE APPROPRIATION DOCUMENTS. THERE WAS NO SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT AND THE COMMUNITY BEFORE THE GRANT WAS ISSUED. ACCORDING TO THE APPROPRIATION DOCUMENTS, THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THE PROJECT. BY WAY OF A DOCUMENTED STUDY. BUT YET $8 MILLION WAS FUNDED TO DO ALL THIS WITHOUT A DESIGNER OR A PLAN OR OR MAJOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WHEN THIS HAPPENS. YOU CAN EXPECT THAT A COMMUNITY LIKE CITY PANEL LIKE PANAMA CITY IS GOING TO GET GIDDY WITH THE MONEY. AND IN FACT, THEY REFER TO THIS AS A GIFT CARD MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS STAGE. BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT PROPERLY VETTED AND WAS WITH THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THOSE WHO LIVE AND TRAVEL BEACH DRIVER ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS PROJECT HAS BECOME AN UNNECESSARILY DIVISIVE AND PROBLEMATIC CONTROVERSY THAT WE'VE BEEN LIVING WITH NOW FOR MONTHS SINCE FEBRUARY, WHEN ALL THIS ON THE LIGHT SHONE ALL OF THIS. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PETITION OUT THERE. THIS PETITION HAS BEEN SIGNED BY JUST LESS THAN 400. PEOPLE EXPRESSLY REQUESTING THAT THE CITY NOT PURSUE THIS PROJECT AT ALL 80% OR MORE OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ON BEACH DRIVE, IF SIGNED THIS PETITION, AND YOU SEE THE COMMENTS THAT I SENT TO YOU EARLIER BY WAY OF EMAILS. AS A RESULT, THIS IS A PROCEDURAL ISSUE IN MY MIND. AS A RESULT, I'M ASKING THAT YOU DO MORE THAN SIMPLY FIND MONEY. TO SHOWER ON THE BAY COUNTY, THE SHOWER ON THE PANAMA CITY AND THAT YOU YOU IF YOU FIND IT IF YOU FIND MONEY THAT YOU YOU YOU HAVE THEN MAKE FIRST MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A SHOW OF SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE FUNDS AND THEN MAKE SURE THERE IS A NEED FOR THE FUNDS THAT IS DOCUMENTED BY A STUDY. OTHERWISE YOU CREATE A CONTROVERSY LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE NOW, AND IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE. AND AS MR PICKENS SAID, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTUBE TO TALK TO OUR LOCAL COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAYOR TO SEE IF SOMETHING CAN BE DONE TO REPURPOSE THESE FUNDS AND KIND OF MORE MEANINGFUL FASHION.
THANK YOU APPRECIATE YOU APPRECIATE APPRECIATE YOU LET ME COME BACK UP. THAT CONCLUDES THE COMMENT PORTION TONIGHT. WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S TIME THIS EVENING. WE, UM WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMENTS. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US THAT WE HEAR THIS FROM THE PEOPLE ARE OFFICES ARE ALWAYS OPEN. THE STAFF IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE, SO PLEASE REACH OUT TO THEM IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS UM, BEFORE WE LEAVE TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE NOMINATE SENATOR TRUMBULL IS CHAIRMAN NEXT YEAR. AND I'LL SECOND THAT AS WELL. SO OPPOSED? NO. YOU GOT ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY? NO I JUST APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING OUT TONIGHT. UM YOU KNOW, SACRIFICING YOUR MONDAY NIGHT TO, UH, TO JOIN US, AND IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT OF HERE. UM EVERYBODY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY IN SESSION STARTS IN JANUARY. SO IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO SPEED OBVIOUSLY, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ANDREA AND KIM AND TINA AND ASHTON AND SONIA TO BE ABLE TO GET A MEETING WITH US IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT. WITH THAT BEING, SAID SENATOR CHAMBA RISES , WE RISE. I'M A GOOD MEAT BREAD. DOING IT FOR ANY FOR DINNER. YOU GOT THE MEDIA WILL HA
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.