The Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida, met in regular session on April 21, 1998, at 5:36 p.m., in the Government Center Commission Room, Building C, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Melbourne, Florida. Present were: Chairman Helen Voltz, Commissioners Truman Scarborough, Randy O'Brien, Nancy Higgs, and Mark Cook, County Manager Tom Jenkins, and County Attorney Scott Knox. Absent was: Commissioner Randy O'Brien who was in Washington.

The Invocation was given by Chaplain Rasberry of Melbourne Beach Community Chapel.

Girl Scout Troop 943 from Grant led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Cook, to approve the Minutes of March 10, 1998 Regular Meeting. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

REPORT, RE: NUDITY ORDINANCE

County Attorney Scott Knox advised the Nudity Ordinance has worked its way up to the United States Supreme Court; there is a petition for writ certiorari which was filed in a case that was prosecuted by the State Attorney; and he is seeking authority to file a petition to intervene in the case as a friend of the court.

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Cook, to authorize the County Attorney to file a petition to intervene in the United States Supreme Court case regarding the County's Nudity Ordinance, as a friend of the court. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

REPORT, RE: DON OLSON TIRE STORE SETTLEMENT

County Attorney Scott Knox advised of a memorandum from Attorney Ken Crooks advising that his client asked for an additional $7,700 to settle the case.

Chairman Voltz inquired if Mr. Knox needs to have a decision tonight; with Mr. Knox responding it is up to the Board if it wants to put it off. Commissioner Cook stated the Board needs an executive session prior to the next meeting to discuss the issue and get verification on what the additional amount pertains to. Commissioner Higgs stated the first figure was an amount the Board could live with. Commissioner Scarborough stated he raised the issue of services Mr. Crooks was involved in; and if the Board is going to have an executive session, Mr. Knox should talk to Mr. Crooks and get a better definition of the services.

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Cook, to authorize an executive session to discuss the Don Olson Tire Store settlement before the next Board meeting. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

NOTE: This item was changed at the end of the meeting.

REPORT, RE: DOCUMENTS REQUESTED FROM NORTH BREVARD HOSPITAL DISTRICT BOARD

County Attorney Scott Knox advised the Board asked him to meet with Nelly Strickland about the Parrish Medical Center public records request, which he did; Ms. Strickland gave him a list of things she wanted to obtain; and he sent a memo today asking for those documents to be produced to the County. He stated he also discovered that there was a Statute that required the Hospital Board to provide the Board with a list of documents that were requested that they claimed were exempt under the Public Records Law, and a list of the out-of-the-sunshine meetings they may have held under the Statute that allows them to do that; the Hospital Board has never provided such lists; so he asked for those as part of the request.

REPORT, RE: GENESIS CABLE COMPANY PROBLEMS

Commissioner Scarborough advised Genesis Cable Company services the Mims area; it has continual outages and failures; the Board should know about it because it may evolve into a bigger problem; and his staff and Sharon Luba put together information, list of calls, etc. for this meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENT, RE: COMMISSIONER O'BRIEN

Chairman Voltz announced that Commissioner O'Brien is on his way to Washington, D.C., to try and get some money for beach renourishment.

RESOLUTION, RE: RECOGNIZING FORMER BREVARD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Chairman Voltz advised the Board wishes to recognize former County Commissioners and the families of the deceased Commissioners; and read aloud a resolution commending and paying tribute to former Commissioners who served Brevard County from 1936 through 1996.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adopt Resolution commending and paying tribute to former Commissioners Ward Klingensmith, L. M. Carpenter, Arthur A. Dunn, Bernard Parrish, Gus Faulk, Ed Kittles, Jack Hurst, Gene Roberts, Charlie Roberts, A. Fortenberry, Dave Nisbet, Fred Fisher, George King, Jr., Lori Wilson, John Hurdle, Theo York, Roger Dobson, Karen Andreas, John B. Rodes, Max K. Rodes, Richard Muldrew, Val Steele, Andrea Deratany, Carol Senne, C. Sweet Smith, C. Sweet Smith, Jr., Curtis R. Barnes, Lee Wenner, Sue Schmitt, Joe Wickham, Guy Brewster, Hugh Evans, Sr., Thad Altman, and Scott Ellis, who earned the respect and confidence of their citizens by their commitment to public service. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Chairman Voltz presented copies of the Resolutions to Peggy Robichaud, Martha Swinson and Julia Wickard, Virginia Smith, Mary Carpenter and Nina Carpenter-Wood, Wanda Wenner, Marie Muldrew, John Hurdle, Jr., Hugh Evans, Lori Wilson, Val Steele, Sue Schmitt, Charlie Roberts, Thad Altman, Roger Dobson, Scott Ellis, Joe Wickham and Dave Nisbet. She advised Carol Senne resides in North Florida and could not attend the meeting due to a business conflict, but sent her thanks and best wishes to the County Commission. She thanked everyone for coming to the reception and meeting, and extended appreciation for their past services.

RESOLUTION, RE: COMMENDING EAU GALLIE HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY CHEERLEADERS

Chairman Voltz read aloud a Resolution commending Eau Gallie High School Varsity Cheerleading Squad for its outstanding achievements at County, State and National competitions.

Motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adopt Resolution commending the Eau Gallie High School Varsity Cheerleading Squad and their coaches Jackie Balcerak and Mandi Field. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Chairman Voltz presented copies of the Resolution to the coaches, and to the cheerleaders Alyson Appollani, Jennifer Perigo, Cara Cole, Landry Constantina, Kristin Cotton, Kristina Dzara, Lori Filichia, Angela Hagerty, Stephanie Haley, Lisa Ichikawa, Heather Kish, Erin McKinley, Becky Pooley, Lisa Redoway, Jennifer Smit, Jessica Smith, Cheree Tagg, Jenny Tagg, Stephanie Terry, Allison Turknett, and Kim Zeller.

Coach Jackie Balcerak thanked the Board for the recognition; advised the girls have worked very hard; and noted they will be in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for their next competition. One of the cheerleaders thanked the Board for the recognition, and noted she never received such recognition before, and it means a lot to her.

RESOLUTION, RE: PROCLAIMING HURRICANE AWARENESS MONTH

Chairman Voltz read aloud a resolution proclaiming May, 1998, as Hurricane Awareness Month in Brevard County.

Motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adopt Resolution proclaiming May, 1998, as Hurricane Awareness Month in Brevard County, and encouraging the cooperation of the National Weather Service, all municipalities in Brevard County, and all media to inform residents and visitors on appropriate preparedness and safety measures that should be taken for hurricane conditions. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
Chairman Voltz presented the Resolution to Emergency Management Director Bob Lay who advised he will take copies of the Resolution to each municipality and encourage cooperation with County agencies to make sure they are prepared when they go into the hurricane season.

RESOLUTION, RE: WELCOMING FLORIDA BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CLUBS, INC. TO BREVARD COUNTY

Chairman Voltz read aloud a resolution welcoming the Florida Business & Professional Women's Clubs, Inc. to Brevard County for their State Conference.

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Cook, to adopt Resolution welcoming the Florida Business & Professional Women's Clubs, Inc. to Brevard County for their State Conference on June 11 through 14, 1998, and recognizing their outstanding achievements, primarily through their Educational Foundation. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Jackie Fleener thanked the Board for the Resolution; invited the Commissioners to attend the conference to hear Astronaut Joan Higgenbotham; and introduced Gloria Corsoro, State Chairman.

RESOLUTIONS, RE: RECOGNIZING THOMAS P. BEERS AND JERIMIAH D. RUSSIAN FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF THE EAGLE SCOUT AWARD

Commissioner Higgs read aloud a resolution commending Thomas P. Beers, who completed his Eagle Scout project of landscaping a playground for children at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, and attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adopt Resolution commending Thomas P. Beers for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout, and extending best wishes for a successful future. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Higgs read aloud a resolution commending Jerimiah D. Russian, who completed his Eagle Scout project of installing a mosaic of the Jesse Tree on the wall of the Sunday School building at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adopt Resolution commending Jerimiah D. Russian for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout, and extending best wishes for a successful future. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

The Scout Master advised it is a new troop which has been in existence five and a half years; Thomas and Jerimiah are their first Eagles; and they hope to produce many more. Commissioner Higgs congratulated the Scouts and their parents.

APPROVAL, RE: BILLS AND BUDGET CHANGES

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to approve bills and budget changes as submitted. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

PUBLIC HEARING, RE: ORDINANCE PERMITTING OPERATION OF GOLF CARTS ON DESIGNATED STREETS

Phillip Swatek, representing Suntree Master Homeowners Association, advised of the symbiotic relationship of the golf course and Suntree communities; and stated about 400 residents have their own golf carts. He stated most residents have to drive on County streets at some point; the Association understands it is against the law to drive on sidewalks and pedways, so they strongly support the ordinance designating streets; but some of the residents feel it is unsafe to operate a golf cart on busier streets because of the speed of automobile traffic which is frequently beyond the 30 m.p.h. speed limit. He stated signage is very important to them; they hope with designation there will be a coordinated effort to educate motorists as to what designation means; and they will ask their friends in the Sheriff's Office to make greater efforts to see that speed limits are observed in Suntree. Mr. Swatek requested the Board designate streets for golf cart use within the Suntree PUD, abutting Suntree Estates, and St. Andrews Boulevard south of the PUD to Suntree Estates and to St. Andrews Isles; and thanked the Board for paving the shoulders along St. Andrews Boulevard and creating a cartway which has added to the safety of all residents.

Barry Richardson, President of Suntree Country Club, echoed Mr. Swatek's statements, and indicated a concern about turn signals and reflectors. He stated they have 400 golf carts with lights and rearview mirrors and all the safety equipment, but they do not have turn signals; and that will be fairly expensive for the Club and its members. Mr. Richardson advised signage is important to them as a club and for the members to know where the boundaries are; and they have occasions to drive after dark and before sunrise, but those are very seldom. He noted they have been operating very safely for a number of years without turn signals.

Commissioner Cook stated he inquired of the County Attorney if turn signals were something required by State law or something the County did; and Mr. Knox can advise the Board accordingly. County Attorney Scott Knox advised the Statute authorizing the Board to adopt this ordinance says it can operate golf carts between sunrise and sunset without windshields, turn signals, and lights, but if it operates after sunset, the State law provides that it has to have all those things.

Mr. Richardson advised Suntree is a very large PUD; it is important that adjoining subdivisions be included in the ordinance; it will be difficult for them to establish where they start and where they stop; and including existing neighborhoods that are already constructed will help them tremendously.

Donald Finlay, representing Savannahs Homeowners Association, apologized for entering the discussion late, and advised it was brought to their attention yesterday by an article in Florida TODAY. He stated golf carts in the community has not been an issue, but they would like to be considered. Mr. Finlay read the letter from Bill Bancroft, President of the Savannahs Homeowners Association, stating Savannahs is a golf course community, requesting no action be taken on the ordinance until the Homeowners Association Board can meet and decide whether or not they want their three streets included in the list of locations where golf carts will be allowed, and if timing does not allow the Board to delay its vote, then include their streets and if the board does not support his opinion, he will ask Commissioner O'Brien to recommend an amendment to the ordinance to remove those streets.

Lloyd Putnam advised he supports the President of Suntree Country Club, and suggested the possibility of a grace period for turn signals to be put on carts of approximately 60 to 90 days. He stated repair facilities to install turn signals on golf carts are limited, and even if they can get the parts, it will take a significant amount of time.

Alan Frisher advised he was concerned about the limitations placed on golf carts, but after listening to the people tonight, he feels the limitations may not be as strict as originally thought. He requested the Board provide for additional golf cart accessibility in new developments and new areas that are being built such as the Pinehurst area.

Commissioner Cook reiterated that State law requires the turn signals and headlights if carts are operated after dark and before sunrise; and recommended the State law that is referenced be specifically described in the ordinance so people understand what part is the State law and what part is the County ordinance. He advised the Sheriff brought the issue to the Board and requested the Board enact an ordinance designating streets in those communities otherwise golf carts would not be allowed on the roads; and inquired if there is additional language to satisfy abutting communities as some of the streets may not be in the PUD.

County Manager Tom Jenkins inquired if those streets are private or public in the two subdivisions mentioned earlier; with Commissioner Cook responding one is private and one is not. Mr. Jenkins advised once they leave the private streets they would be in the PUD so that would be taken care of; and the other, if they are public streets, will need to be added to the ordinance. Chairman Voltz inquired if they have to amend the ordinance every time they add another subdivision; and Commissioner Cook inquired if there is some language to handle that problem. Mr. Knox advised they prepared a revised draft and exhibit with gray language where they added "and abutting subdivisions" after "PUD"; and they put the Statute reference in the ordinance also.

Commissioner Higgs advised additional language was put in the draft which defined what bikepaths are; they are bicycle facilities that are physically separated from the roadway; that is important in Barefoot Bay because there is a designated pedway on a County road; and it would not preclude golf carts operating on the County road within the striped area. She inquired if the County golf courses allow private golf carts; with Mr. Jenkins responding no, but they could drive their carts to the golf course and get on a County golf cart and use it on the course. Commissioner Higgs stated the communities around the County golf courses are in a different situation than the private courses.

Commissioner Cook requested the County Manager insure there is adequate signage for designations.

Commissioner Scarborough advised Exhibit A talks about different roads; Sherwood Estates is a golf course community and is included except for North Carpenter Road; it is a major arterial road, but it divides the community; and there are people on the other side who would want to cross over in golf carts. He suggested signage for golf cart crossings so people would not be in violation if they cross at a particular location. Code Compliance Director Bill Osborne recommended adding, "may be crossed only at designated crossings."

Mr. Jenkins requested clarification about pedways and if it is legal to ride on pedways; with Commissioner Higgs responding no, it is legal to ride on a bikepath that is attached to a County road.

Chairman Voltz recommended adding "on County roads" before "between sunrise and sunset" in the fourth "Whereas," as the County has no control over private roads.

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Cook, to adopt an Ordinance of Brevard County, Florida, creating a new Chapter to the Code of Ordinances of Brevard County, Florida, permitting golf carts to operate on designated streets; providing for definitions, hours of operation, required equipment, age of operator; compliance with traffic regulations; providing for other prohibited conduct; providing for signage of designated roads/streets and crossings; providing inapplicability to neighborhood electric vehicles; providing for area encompassed, conflicting provisions, severability, penalty and enforcement, codification in Brevard County Code, and for effective date, as amended to include "on County roads" in the fourth Whereas, and "may be crossed at designated crossings" to Attachment A(1)(a).

Commissioner Cook amended the motion to request the Sheriff abate enforcement of the ordinance for 60 days to allow people who wish to come into compliance the opportunity to do so; and Commissioner Scarborough accepted the amendment.

Chairman Voltz advised Commissioner O'Brien sent a letter concurring with Savannahs Homeowners Association to put off the ordinance or address the issue; and inquired if the Board wanted to do that tonight or bring it back when Commissioner O'Brien is present. Commissioner Cook stated Savannahs is somewhat different as it is a public golf course, but Commissioner O'Brien can amend the ordinance at a later date.

Chairman Voltz called for a vote on the motion as amended. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Chairman Voltz advised Mr. Finlay to contact Commissioner O'Brien and have the issue brought back to the Board.

CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, RE: HAZARD MITIGATION STRATEGY

Chairman Voltz advised the request is to authorize execution of the Agreement with Department of Community Affairs to participate in the Local Mitigation Strategy Program which will bring $314,500 to Brevard County and its municipalities. Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Cook, to execute Contractual Services Agreement with Department of Community Affairs for Hazard Mitigation Strategy Program, and authorize staff to proceed. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

DISCUSSION, RE: NOTIFICATION OF PROPERTY OWNERS IN WEST CANAVERAL GROVES

Chairman Voltz advised the estimated cost for 2,000 notices to property owners in West Canaveral Groves is $770.

Dick Gregory, representing 65 property owners, advised they are opposed to deleting the roads in West Canaveral Groves; 122 properties were rezoned to ARR; some people may not use their properties for three years, but got them rezoned; and they should be able to build on their properties. He stated deleting the roads would make the properties unbuildable; and it could be open for a class action suit for property rights.

Commissioner Scarborough stated he does not want to overly define the issues, and would like to have some latitude at the public hearing. He recommended the County Attorney look into the legal question of to what extent the Board can advertise. Community Development Administrator Peggy Busacca advised staff can amend the letter to state there may be other issues considered by the Board and broaden the scope so people will know those are not the only issues that will be discussed. Commissioner Scarborough suggested giving them adequate notice and letting them know that the Board is open to discussion. Commissioner Cook stated he likes it being specific about what the proposed ordinance will rescind.

Commissioner Scarborough stated a major risk is the health issue; a lot of the people are financially strapped; and the Board should work with them to provide a homestyle that will lead to better living.

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Cook, to approve the notice to property owners in West Canaveral Groves regarding the public hearing on a proposed ordinance that would rescind the provision for accepting roads for building permit purposes only; and direct the County Attorney to advise the Board of any legal ramifications.

Commissioner Higgs advised the Ordinance has been in existence about three years; the roads are not up to standard; and the proposed ordinance would return West Canaveral Groves to the same standards required in the rest of the County.

Chairman Voltz called for a vote on the motion. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

APPROVAL, RE: PORT ST. JOHN DEPENDENT SPECIAL DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING WITH TICO AIRPORT AUTHORITY

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to approve a request from Port St. John Dependent Special District Advisory Board to meet with the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority to discuss expansion plans of the Airport, increased air traffic, interference with school buildings due to extension of runway, future economic development, and other common issues that impact Port St. John and the Airport. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Chairman Voltz inquired if Commissioner Scarborough attends the meetings of the Authority; with Commissioner Scarborough responding no, but County staff does; and he can send a member of his staff to attend the meeting.

PERMISSION TO ADVERTISE PUBLIC HEARING, RE: ORDINANCE REVISING SUNSET PROVISIONS OF ORDINANCE CREATING PORT ST. JOHN DEPENDENT DISTRICT

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to grant permission to advertise a public hearing to consider an ordinance revising the sunset provisions of Ordinance No. 96-30, creating Port St. John Dependent Special District, for May 19, 1998 at 5:30 p.m. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

RESOLUTION OF NECESSITY, RE: BREVARD COUNTY v. A. DUDA & SONS, INC.

Motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adopt Resolution declaring the necessity to acquire certain real property located in Brevard County for the drainage of a constructed wetland site serving South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and associated facilities on the property described in the Exhibits, lying in Sections 18, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, Township 26 South, Range 36 East, lying in Brevard County, Florida. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

DISCUSSION, RE: ANIMAL CONTROL PROCEDURES

Peter Avner advised of his problems with cats in his neighborhood; Deborah Burns advised of nuisance dogs running loose, and the leash law that requires a dog in the front yard be on a leash or tethered; and Roy Kozlowski agreed with Ms. Burns and requested enforcement of the leash law.

Commissioner Scarborough advised when the problem came to the Board, the concept of multiple offenses was considered; Animal Control officers do not know if they should issue more citations after it went to court; and the Judges want the Board to proceed with the nuisance concept. He stated the Animal Control Director will prepare a memo explaining the problems and the leash law, and the Board can discuss whether it wants to enforce the leash law on dogs in the front yard or revise it.

The meeting recessed at 6:55 p.m., and reconvened at 7:08 p.m.

RESOLUTION, RE: RECOGNIZING FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Chairman Voltz read the Resolution recognizing former County Commissioners; and presented it to former Commissioner Andrea Deratany, who thanked the Board for remembering those who went before them, their contributions, and for the advances made in County Government.

Commissioner Higgs stated it was a pleasure to have the former Commissioners, and there is tremendous appreciation for what they have done.

Commissioner Cook thanked all the Commissioners who served before this Board.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE - TERRY REED, RE: BREVARD VISIONING 2005

Terry Reed advised Brevard County had several wake-up calls last year--losing Boeing and facing a questionable future for the Space Center, which make everyone question how others must perceive the quality of life in Brevard County; and those considerations and many quality of life issues must be foremost in the minds of the Commissioners as they develop goals and plans for the future of the County. She stated in 1996, approximately 2,700 citizens met in open meetings throughout the County to discuss their vision for the future of Brevard, believing they had a responsibility to participate in community goal setting; and the diverse opinions gathered in three rounds of 40 town hall meetings, 60 civic and community organizational presentations, dozens of citizen letters, and three County mall fairs were compiled into 23 broad goals that describe the desired vision of Brevard County by the year 2005. She stated not all the goals fall under the responsibility of government; to achieve the 2005 goals, businesses, citizens, community organizations, and government at all levels must commit to a working partnership; and that partnership is critical to success. She stated they must first take an honest look at the state of the community and know where it stands right now in order to measure success or quality. Ms. Reed advised the State of Florida compiled a set of benchmarks measuring varied criteria integral to quality of life, called the Gap Report; many communities throughout the State are developing benchmarks for citizens and governments to use in setting priorities, developing plans, and directing activities; and there is a need to establish a baseline of data in Brevard County. She stated they must first evaluate where they are before deciding where they need to go, where they need to focus, and how to assign priorities, in essence, how leaders like the Commissioners go about developing plans and goals for the County's future. She requested the Board direct the County Manager to develop a baseline for Brevard County based on critical performance measures of the community. Ms. Reed advised the Board has a suggested list of community benchmarks that could be used as a starting point; and those benchmarks will help to provide direction, focus, and measurement tools for goals that will ultimately fall under the domain of government, the private sector, and the dedicated missions of nonprofit organizations. She stated her experience in grassroots community building clearly demonstrated that the process of data gathering, as well as the data itself, will foster partnerships crucial to realizing the vision of quality life in Brevard County; and all the performance measures are vital to the fulfillment of the visioning goals brought forth by the community. She stated the benchmarks, updated every year for five years and presented to the Board each year, will provide it and the community with solid information for evaluating how it is doing and where it is headed; and armed with that data, the visioning committee, as well as the Board and staff, can best determine where to focus their efforts, how to leverage their resources, how to coordinate the efforts of all agencies, and how to build essential partnerships. Ms. Reed advised visionary community efforts have been occurring and will continue to occur throughout the County; some are project specific, some are neighborhood specific, and a few are countywide, such as Sheriff Williams' recent community outreach town hall meetings, United Way's community initiatives program, Kay Burk and the Cultural Alliance's efforts to save art in the schools, and citywide transformations in Titusville, Cocoa, and all through the community; but the task of achieving baseline data is something they need help with. She stated the Space Coast rose to the challenge over 30 years ago and took the classic journey of a thousand steps to make it possible for man to take that giant leap onto the moon; and now it can take an honest look at itself and begin its journey to enhance and improve the quality of life in Brevard County. She stated they are asking for the Board's help with the next step to further the vision of Brevard in 2005, to direct the County Manager to develop the database for measuring the status of the County in relation to the goals, and report back to the Board by July 1, 1998. She thanked the Board for its initial support of the visioning project, its proclamation of support when the final research report was presented, and its continued commitment to the project and Brevard County.

Viktor Rudnizki advised some of the points of the visioning 2005 are very good, but some involve land buying programs to protect the environment; he found out that about 54% of the land is already owned by the County; and another land buying program will cost a lot of money and raise taxes again, so he is against it.

Charles Moehle stated he has lived and been in business in Brevard County since 1958; and advised of his community services. He stated the Board should not ask the County Manager to do anything about the Visioning 2000 Program which has golden but costly goals; and it is a come down from above direction that perpetuates a planning bureaucracy without definite goals and economic review to see what is achievable. He stated most of the goals are goals that everybody has; the community works very well with the private and public sectors; it should not be a public burden; and it could be some coordination, but not big brother relegating what quality of life the people want. Mr. Moehle advised private businesses and individual cities are doing their own thing very well; and the open-ended request for database is an unending cost for taxpayers that does nothing but plan. He stated the goals he saw published are good, but there was a lot of public input that never came down; it seemed that planners decided what was best in the end; so the Board should not jump into any bureaucracy that would not be meaningful at the expense of the taxpayers. He stated the Board should be careful; private businesses and the cities can handle the problem without big brother looking down or planners telling them where they need to go; that is what he has seen with Vision 2005 so far; and it is not a good direction.

Chairman Voltz advised she looked through the goals and had another set with the goals exactly the same but the criteria were different; and inquired why did the Commissioners receive two different sets of goals.

Commissioner Higgs advised the Commissioners received the 23 goals that were articulated throughout the process; and the other set of goals had potential ways of measuring them if the Board were to proceed to collect the data. She stated what would be useful are benchmarks, and what she hoped the Board would find useful is how to measure the goals. She stated the goal to provide substantial community structure and guidance that nurtures the well-being of children had suggested measures that may be used, such as the number of children living below poverty, the current birthrate of teenage mothers, and the juvenile arrest and delinquency rate; and the County could use those things to measure how it is doing in relation to the goal of nurturing the well-being of children. She noted there were no discrepancies between the goals, but an expansion of the goals by potential benchmarks.

Chairman Voltz stated in comparing the two sets of goals, some of the things in one did not have anything to do with the other; it is a bureaucratic boondoggle that could get the Board in a financial bind; she reviewed each goal; and the County is doing a lot of them right now, and some it has nothing to do with. She stated the Board has no school information; it does not improve the length of someone's life; and there is nothing wrong with the goals, but they are out of reach of what the County can afford. She stated there are goals about different things they want to do in schools; there are children who cannot even read in the schools; and inquired why would they attempt to put something else in the schools. Chairman Voltz advised of an article in the Orlando Sentinel that said one-third of all tenth graders cannot read; and inquired, if that is true, why would they put art in schools. She stated she is not saying there is anything wrong with it, but the Board needs to focus its finances on education of children, because if it does not, it will be in trouble in the future with an uneducated society; and that is what is happening right now.

Commissioner Scarborough advised one good thing about the visioning process is it did not come from the Commissioners; and he would hate for it to be something the Board mandates. He stated if the Board looks at education, the School Board may think it is presumptuous, but it does not mean where goals do apply, it should not look at them and go through the goals that it constantly uses as a part of the measure of whether it is proceeding and to what extent. He stated if there is statistical data that will assist the Board, it has always asked for that type of information. He stated there is data that the percentage of people over the age of 80 will double in the next couple of decades; Brevard County is a location where the population is becoming an older population; so the Board needs to talk in terms beyond the current year's budget and target long-range processes to handle changes as they evolve. Commissioner Scarborough stated he is not opposed to doing it, but is afraid the Board may go off in too many directions and will not come up with specifics that it can direct funds to and be prepared before the problem is evident. He stated some of the goals are not only opportunities, but problems as well, as the County and society evolve. He stated he is in favor, but also shares the concerns of Mr. Moehle; if he knows there will be a real problem in a decade, he is not being responsible if he is not doing some planning to take care of that problem; and if data helps him plan, then he wants that data.

Chairman Voltz advised she looked at every one of the goals and criteria that were given to them; they are either being handled by EDC, TDC, County staff, School Board, Sheriff's Department, or somebody; and 95% or more of everything that she read in those goals is already being done.

Commissioner Scarborough stated roads and scenic improvement were discussed extensively at the Board's Goals and Objectives Workshop; he would like to keep in tune with what Vision 2005 recommends, and separate the items the Board should address from the rest of the items; and if the Board does not address them, it would sort of fail in the visioning process. He recommended the County Manager and staff pull out the elements that the County addresses, things the County has addressed and how it is addressing them, and things in the Visioning 2005 that it should address and is not addressing; then the Board could have another goals workshop to determine what it can do. He noted Visioning 2005 should visit the School Board and volunteer organizations.

Chairman Voltz stated Goal #9 says, "provide the school system with funds, facilities, and staff to ensure quality education and student success"; that is not this Board's responsibility; and the State provides the funds for the schools.

Commissioner Higgs stated no one is asking the Board to take on the roll of the School Board; and what is being asked is that the County be the facilitator and repository and pull the data together so citizens can see what the County is becoming and can measure the Board's performance. She stated benchmarking gives citizens a method of making the Board accountable for what the community is becoming. She stated the Board is not responsible for all the goals, but there are people who are responsible; it is a method of accountability and of measuring performance; and regardless of what the particular measures are, people will be able to say it is the kind of community they want and it is moving in the right direction. She stated if there are fewer violent crimes, if more children are graduating from high school, etc., they can benchmark that against other communities throughout Florida; and it can be used as a tool for people who are looking at Brevard County as a place to bring their business.

Chairman Voltz stated there are students who cannot read; with Commissioner Higgs responding if that is happening and the progress of young students in reading is established as a benchmark, it will allow the Board and citizens to see how things are moving forward; that progress is important to economic development, because it is important to have a trained and capable workforce; and they are asking for simple benchmarks, and for the County, that is in a leadership position, to pull the data together so that those who look at that data can make the appropriate bodies accountable. Chairman Voltz stated she does not think any benchmark goal is going to be simple, and it is all going to be complicated.

Commissioner Cook stated they are admirable goals; the County is working on almost all of them; benchmarking would be difficult because who will decide what the benchmarks will be; and he is concerned that the process will not be citizen driven if it is turned back to the County. He stated Commissioners are accountable every time they come to a meeting and every time they stand for election; and his concern is to ensure it is coming up from the citizens and not down from government. He stated one of the goals is to preserve and protect natural resources; last year alone the County acquired over 7,000 acres under the EELS Program to set aside for future generations; Brevard County was the only county in Florida to meet the mandated State goal of 30% recycling; so there are a lot of things Brevard County is way ahead of compared to other counties. He stated he would prefer to appoint a five-person committee to assist in gathering information because some of the goals the Board has no control over, such as education.

Chairman Voltz stated if the Board appoints a committee, County staff would have to gather all the information, so she is not in favor of another committee. Commissioner Cook stated he wants the citizens involved, and not just hand it over to staff who has plenty to do as it is. He stated the County Manager gives an annual report on what the County has done and is doing to accomplish those goals; that report includes almost every one of the visioning goals; so in some way the County is already supplying some data. Chairman Voltz suggested staff advise the Board what the County is already doing; and if there is something it is not doing, then the Board can address that.

Commissioner Scarborough stated the Board needs information to analyze things; it is a key to understanding the problems; and it has moved to a level of sophistication with its financial analysis due to better information. He stated the numbers on unemployment in Brevard County look good, but there are high levels of attrition of engineers at the Space Center; and inquired how would the Board know what the absorption rate is in different industries. Commissioner Scarborough stated tourism is at the point where it cannot find people in Central Florida to work at the attractions; they are bringing people in from all areas of the world; to work in a high-tech industry at $40,000 plus a year becomes more selective; so the point is not the low unemployment rate, but who is employing whom and at what rate. He stated if the Board does not know the School System sufficiently to ask the right questions to drive the right numbers, it can get false responses; law enforcement may show higher numbers of crime instances, but it could be because of more arrests, higher convictions, and running more people through the legal system; so a lot of times numbers lie. He stated he does not want a good feeling, he wants to know where the problems are and be able to direct the limited resources to those problems to come up with something real.

Commissioner Higgs stated anybody who looks at benchmarks wants meaningful data; the benchmarks and particular statistical measures are open to a great deal of discussion; they could be from a citizens committee as suggested by Commissioner Cook, staff suggestions, or a list someone else generated; but what is important is establishing meaningful measures that can be reviewed to see how the Board is doing and where it is going in the future; and that is what is being asked. She inquired how will the Board know that it is getting there without measures. She stated what measures to use and what economists agree with that are meaningful is open to a lot of discussion; the first step is to ask the County Manager to come back with a suggested process; then the Board can decide if it wants to refer it to a new committee or existing committee that could suggest meaningful measures the Board can use. Commissioner Higgs stated no one is suggesting that all the listed goals or measures are the ones the Board has to have; the process of identifying what are meaningful measures is important; and as the elected body responsible for leadership of the entire County, the Board needs to leap forward to suggest measures that are appropriate whether it comes through a committee or some other way. She stated the Board has to be out there measuring the quality of the community, looking at meaningful measures, and coming up with appropriate courses of action.

Commissioner Scarborough inquired if Commissioner Higgs wants to get into the School Board's purview, or write a letter to the Chairman or Superintendent encouraging them to work with the Board in coming up with measures. Commissioner Higgs stated it is absolutely appropriate to ask any group or body that is involved in those activities to come up with measures; the measures suggested were examples where the Board could go; and Dr. Sawyer or the School Board may be already collecting data that could be put in the benchmarks to give citizens and the Board a way of knowing how it is doing. Commissioner Scarborough inquired if Commissioner Higgs thinks Dr. Sawyer may want to do that on his own; with Commissioner Higgs responding Dr. Sawyer was involved in the visioning process as were other members of the School Board; the Board is not sitting in judgment of any measures, but saying measures are important; and it has been asked to provide measures of the quality of life in Brevard County. Commissioner Scarborough stated someone who is an opponent of Dr. Sawyer and his philosophies may decide to address this Board on the measures Dr. Sawyer used to judge education, then this Board would become the judge of Dr. Sawyer. Commissioner Higgs stated the Board should at least say whether they seem to be meaningful or not. Commissioner Scarborough stated the unemployment rate for Brevard County is irrelevant and stupid; and they would need an economist to tear it apart because it is meaningless as it is stated. He stated if a man loses his job and gets one-third the income he made before working at a convenience store, and has no benefits, that is not employment, it is underemployment; and that is occurring in Brevard County. Commissioner Higgs stated that is a meaningful statistic to measure, but to say the unemployment rate is not meaningful is false. She stated it can give a false sense of security and a picture that is not as true, but it is very important to give an idea of what is available to people.

Chairman Voltz stated if Terry Reed wants to, she has a group that is already established and doing some of those things, so she can meet with the School Board and County staff, then do something; but the Board does not need to address some of the things any further, because it is already addressing them on a regular basis.

Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, to direct the County Manager to go through and identify those items that are directly under the purview of the Board of County Commissioners and subject to funding from the County, including TDC and EDC.

Commissioner Scarborough stated he is not ready to proceed with items that involve other independently elected bodies, but the Board needs to identify what it is doing so it can identify problems. He stated if the Board sees the ugly side of what may happen, it could avoid some downside risks for the County.

Commissioner Cook stated the benchmarks could be easily politicized, and this should not be a politicized process; staff needs to identify those items the Board is already addressing and doing; and he would like to see that list first to determine whether those things are working. He noted benchmarking is going to be a problem; and most of the things are being addressed.

Chairman Voltz advised she reviewed the list to determine what the County is already doing; it is working on 95% or greater of all the things that were listed; it has already increased the number of scenic highway miles through a change in the Comprehensive Plan; it is working on the Juvenile Assessment Center and OJJDP which is the comprehensive strategy for juvenile crime; and it is working on getting a parenting program here.

Commissioner Higgs stated there is no question that the County is involved in many of those things; the issue is whether it is being effective and getting the outcomes it wants; and those outcomes are the measures of the benchmarks. She stated it could have eight million programs addressing some problem, but if none of them are effective in producing the outcome needed, then the Board needs to reassess what it is doing. She stated if the Board cannot measure juvenile crime rate, people coming out of poverty, people employed at appropriate levels, and outcomes of all the effort, it would be meaningless; and it needs to produce meaningful outcomes that the community can see and say it is getting good value for the bucks. She stated the Board needs to be able to say to the community it has increased beautification projects by 6,000 yards rather than say it is involved in beautification, and it needs to say what it is or is not producing for the tax dollars.

Chairman Voltz inquired how would the Board tell whether or not it has increased life expectancy in Brevard County; it is a ridiculous goal; and they were not elected to do those kinds of things.

Commissioner Scarborough stated he read that the number of people over 80 years of age is going to increase 16 to 32% over the next couple of decades; incidents of Alzheimer's and other diseases that cause people over 80 not to be able to maintain their independent lifestyles is going up to 50%; they are kept alive, but society has an additional burden on how to deal with them; so every answer has a dark side.

Chairman Voltz inquired if there is a motion; with Commissioner Scarborough responding he made the motion and Commissioner Cook amended it, that the County Manager come back with identified items which the Board has direct control over, identify those where they have funding and influence over such as TDC and EDC, and a list of where it is going currently with different projects.

Chairman Voltz called for a vote on the motion as amended. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE - SUSANNE BURTON, RE: ORDINANCE TO KEEP JET SKIS OUT OF SWIMMING AREAS

Susanne Burton advised Avon-By-The-Sea is less than one mile, bounded by Cape Canaveral on the North, Cocoa Beach on the south, and A1A to the West; jet skis come to their swimming area with swimmers, surfers, people on boogie boards, waders, etc.; and she knows jet skis is a brand name, but most people do not know what she is referring to by personal watercraft, so she will refer to them as jet skis. She described their activities, and indicated it is unsafe and the noise is terrible. She presented pictures taken from her 7th floor balcony; advised the jet skis do not operate in Cape Canaveral because it has an Ordinance regulating the swimming area 300 feet from shore, nor in Cocoa Beach which has a swimming area 500 feet from shore; and the Cities hired three police officers to patrol the area. She noted she faxed copies of those codes to the Board. Ms. Burton stated the waves are high at times and people disappear from view; she called the Sheriff and told him about the jet skiers, but he said he could not do anything as they had a right to be there; there is nothing in the County Code that prevents them from entering the swimming area; and requested the Board enact legislation that keeps jet skis 500 feet from shore. She stated they weigh about 600 lbs. and go about 50 m.p.h.; they stop or idle if someone falls off so it would not put them in danger to keep them offshore; she is not trying to eliminate them; and 500 feet out will not endanger them and will reduce the noise. She advised of her walk down Harding Avenue and Grant Street to obtain a random sample of how people feel; and stated they were adamant that jet skis should not be in the swimming area. She presented 83 signatures to the Board.

Commissioner Cook stated it is the County portion of the beach area; he is sure Commissioner O'Brien has an interest in doing something; and perhaps the County Manager can look into it and return with appropriate recommendations. Commissioner Higgs stated the Board needs to look into it and determine what it can do; and she also has questions about where airboats can operate and would like more information on that. She stated she showed the letter and information to the President of Bombardier who felt as long as the rules were applied fairly to everyone and they protect the safety of people, he did not see a problem, as responsible use of personal watercraft is a standard in that industry. She stated what is being requested is reasonable; she would need more information on the distance from shore; and suggested Messrs. Jenkins and Knox work on it and bring back options to the Board within three weeks on how to proceed.

County Manager Tom Jenkins requested 30 days. Chairman Voltz stated the Board does not have a meeting in June and by July half the summer will be gone; and recommended staff return in May.

Commissioner Higgs requested information on airboats in Sebastian River as there are numerous complaints from the citizens in the Micco area that they are operating in manatee zones.

PUBLIC COMMENT - BEA POLK, RE: PARRISH MEDICAL CENTER

Bea Polk advised the side-by-side corporation is a private corporation that keeps picking away at what the public has; they were given millions of dollars of taxpayers' money to start off with; they are getting the lease on the MRI and CAT scan; and last week they decided to take the lease on the Port St. John building which is a million-dollar building. She stated yesterday afternoon, they hired another consultant from California; they are back to selling, or leasing, or whatever they want to do; and the consultant admitted they could not do joint ventures, but that is the reason they started the side-by-side corporation to put the joint ventures in it. She stated North Brevard is going to lose the Hospital; it is at least $250,000,000 to $300,000,000 that the taxpayers have; and inquired if the Board is going to sit by the side and let them give away each piece until it comes to a joint venture at which time they will take the rest. She inquired what can be done about a private corporation. Ms. Polk advised the same thing happened with Brevard Community College; the money kept going away from the public and into private corporations; she does not believe it is legal to take taxpayers' money and give it to private corporations; and inquired if it has ever been proven to be legal or not. She stated she called one office in Tallahassee, and they said they cannot take that money; but she called another office, and they said there are certain ways they can do it; and inquired what is legal. She inquired if the Board is going to sit by while they lose the Hospital which was lost once; and stated it took three months to get 10,000 signatures to go to court to get it back. She inquired what is going to happen and what can the Board do.

Commissioner Scarborough stated Ms. Polk is probably better advised of what is going on with Parrish Medical Center than he is; a continual concern started back with the original transaction; it was not only who the Hospital merged with, but who would get control of the monies that came in; so those are not new questions if there is a merger, sale, or joint venture. He stated the issue is not only the transaction being good for health care and somebody responsible who would work with North Brevard to provide quality health care, but if there is going to be $60 million coming in, who is going to control it. Commissioner Scarborough stated he does not know what took place yesterday; Ms. Strickland called him, but that is all he knows; so he does not know what they are planning on doing. Ms. Polk stated she does not know what they are planning to do either.
Chairman Voltz stated ever since Ms. Polk, Ms. Strickland, and Ms. Blickley have been coming to the Board, she has heard continuously about a side-by-side corporation; she has no idea what that is; and inquired if the County Attorney could get information as to what the company is, what it entails, how they get their funds, and how legally they can do what they are doing. She stated it does not seem to be aboveboard; and if they are trying to funnel money somehow through a private corporation to get something done that they cannot spend public funds on, something is wrong.

Ms. Polk stated the Hospital does not charge for MRI's and CAT scans like other hospitals; that fee goes to the side-by-side corporation; and she wants to know what is going on. She stated the new building paid for from Hospital funds will be leased, but the lease money will not go back to the Hospital or taxpayers; it will go to the side-by-side corporation; and they can spend the money any way they want to.

Chairman Voltz instructed the County Attorney to look into the issues. Ms. Polk inquired if Mr. Knox could also look into why the YMCA received $250,000 of tax money for health reasons. Chairman Voltz inquired if that is funneling public money into something else; with Ms. Polk responding that is what is happening. Chairman Voltz stated the Board will try to find out about those things.

PUBLIC COMMENT - NELLY STRICKLAND, RE: PARRISH MEDICAL CENTER

Nelly Strickland advised she read in the "hidden" minutes the intent is to put the money, if it comes in from a sale or merger, into the Foundation; now there are three entities to deal with--the Foundation, a support group, and the Hospital Board; the Foundation is untouchable; and she feels the whole business is a laundromat. She stated there is conflict of interest; an employee of Spencer Edens and Walt Johnson, who bought into that company, sit on the side-by-side board; and they sell insurance to the Hospital as well as the City, or they did last year. She described her encounter with the CEO of the Hospital regarding release of minutes and opinion polls taking five months; indicated the consultant said they could sell the Hospital, and that is what the support group is for; and expressed concern that they may do it and the people will lose the Hospital, without knowing who they will lose it to. She stated she would not mind selling it to some people and using the money to pay off the sewer bonds and get water rates that people can afford to pay so they do not have several hundred cutoffs every week; and requested assistance from the Board to sue the Hospital Board and affiliates.

Chairman Voltz advised there is a lot of information the Board needs to get; where the issue will end up she does not know, but the Board will probably need her help with some of the issues; and the Commissioners need time to get the information and review it before making a decision. Ms. Strickland thanked the Board for its help.

PUBLIC COMMENT - IDA BLICKLEY, RE: VISION 2005

Ida Blickley advised she agrees with Ms. Polk and Ms. Strickland's statements regarding North Brevard Hospital District Board; she has been there since 1984; and she would like to close that door some day. Ms. Blickley stated the "political" Vision 2000 is what she calls it; and she calls it political transformation in Titusville, where they spent a small fortune over the past three years. She stated in the beginning there were about 350 people, and they were doing great until the meetings stopped; there were many things being done in the City that had to do with transformation, but the people never knew about it; it was a political game because the people were never notified; and from all the people who started with the group, over half of them or more have dropped out. She stated she did not attend their meetings, and do not really know what went on; and she runs in a different crowd than Commissioner Higgs, because the problem in Titusville is that most people worry about how to get from today to tomorrow financially instead of worrying about the future.

PUBLIC COMMENT - WILGIS AYRES, RE: ACCESSIBILITY OF PUBLIC RECORDS Wilgis Ayres advised they have had a lot of problems straightening out their public documents and tax deeds; there is a specific relationship between the County Commissioners and the Clerk of the Courts; the Commissioners invested in the Clerk to keep all documents open to the public which is part of the Sunshine Law; and the News Reporter and News Observer were selected by Sandy Crawford to print legal notices like the transfer of tax deeds; however, they are only available by subscription at $28.00 a year. She stated the Commissioners have a vested interest in seeing that it is abolished; the News Observer is a small throwaway paper that is available mostly by subscription in Titusville; and from what she could find out, the judges voted it as a legal paper to print legal advertisements so people can lose their properties. She stated the TODAY paper has legal advertisements in the back and is very open and public and available all over the County; those two papers are very ill-known; and inquired if anyone is aware of the paper Mr. Crawford selected to print transference of tax deeds in.

Commissioner Scarborough stated the News Observer is a Titusville paper, and he is not aware of the second paper mentioned.

Ms. Ayres stated something really bad happened in Orlando in the Criminal Justice System where they got obscure papers and started printing legal advertisements in them; and she would never want to see that happen in Brevard County. She stated those two papers are being used in a very inappropriate manner, and is very detrimental to people; the information may be more readily available to Mr. Knox; there are a few papers that are available on stands; but she could not get copies of the News Observer or News Reporter. She stated her sister is a disabled person with reading and writing disabilities; and there was no way for her to obtain the information in Melbourne because it is not a Countywide paper.

Commissioner Cook inquired if the legal notice on her property in Melbourne was advertised in the News Observer in Titusville; with Ms. Ayres responding yes, in the throwaway paper in Titusville. Commissioner Cook inquired if it was advertised some place else; with Ms. Ayres responding no. Commissioner Cook recommended the County Attorney look into that issue to make sure it is true.

Ms. Ayres stated it is true, and she can show Commissioner Cook a copy. She stated they are skimming outside of the law; the two papers have only been used in that manner for about a year; and it is becoming a horrible situation. She stated another problem is the disappearance of the tax certificates which they need to be produced because they have to pay one deed off immediately, but they have disappeared off the records in Joe Maly's Office. She stated they are asking for the production of those public documents because they cannot get their hands on them.

Commissioner Cook inquired if Mr. Maly is a private attorney; with Ms. Ayres responding no, he works under Sandy Crawford, Clerk of the Courts. Commissioner Cook stated the Clerk is independent of the Board and chooses what papers he advertises in. Ms. Ayres stated there is a reciprocal relationship and a legal relationship between the Board and the Clerk, and the Board has a legal responsibility. Commissioner Cook stated the Board approves the Clerk's budget, but it does not determine which papers he advertises in; however, if what Ms. Ayres is saying is true, there may be a problem.

Ms. Ayres stated they went to get the printout Friday and were told the records of the tax deeds have disappeared; she believes they have been paid by the bank; they have a right to redeem it at 10%; and they have to redeem one immediately before it is published in the paper. She stated between Florida Statutes, Chapters 180 and 190, is a law which has not been used for a long time; she happened to come across a reference to that law; it is a terrible law; it concerns the legal way to take someone's property; and she gave documents to the County Attorney, County Manager, and Commissioner Cook, but nobody seemed to understand what was going on. She stated it had to do with the water assessment; she had strange charges and was told they would not foreclose on her property due to a water assessment; she kept getting the charges; and then she got a $250 charge for an attorney which everybody pays for out of public funds to try and figure out how to get the property in an illegal way. Ms. Ayres stated the law basically says if all the taxes are not paid up, they can legally repossess the property, advertise it, hide it under an electronic key number, and sell it; and they only have to give that person the code number one time.

Motion by Commissioner Cook, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to direct the County Attorney to look into the legal advertisement of property located in Melbourne in the News Observer in Titusville; and assist Ms. Ayres in obtaining public information on tax deeds and/or certificates that she requested. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

REPORT, RE: ADVERTISEMENT OF MEETING

Commissioner Higgs inquired if the meeting that is scheduled tomorrow night was advertised as all the Commissioners were invited; with Chairman Voltz responding yes, it was advertised.

REPORT, RE: EXECUTIVE SESSION ON DON OLSON TIRE STORE

County Attorney Scott Knox advised the law requires the Board to be in litigation for it to have an executive session; they have not filed a lawsuit at this time; so the Board will have to talk about it at a public meeting.

REPORT, RE: GREENERY FOR THE COMMISSION ROOM

Chairman Voltz advised the greenery in the Commission Room on St. Patrick's Day was very nice; and perhaps the Board could consider permanent greenery and artificial trees behind the Commissioners to make it look nice.

Commissioner Higgs stated she is comfortable with the way it is and if there is much greenery between her and the person at the podium, she would not be able to see that person.

The Board took no action to consider purchasing greenery for the Commission Room.

WARRANT LISTS

Upon motion and vote, the meeting adjourned at 8:26 p.m.

HELEN VOLTZ, CHAIRMAN
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

ATTEST:
SANDY CRAWFORD, CLERK
(S E A L)