The Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida, met in regular session on April 13, 1999, at 9:00 a.m. in the Government Center Commission Room, Building C, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, Florida. Present were: Chairman Truman Scarborough, Commissioners Nancy Higgs, Sue Carlson, and Helen Voltz, County Manager Tom Jenkins, and County Attorney Scott Knox. Absent was: Commissioner Randy O'Brien, due to illness.

The Invocation was given by Reverend Dick Perkins of the Church in the Wildwood, Cocoa, Florida.

Chairman Truman Scarborough led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

REPORT, RE: REMOVAL OF ITEMS FROM AGENDA

County Manager Tom Jenkins requested Items VI.E.4 and VI.E.6 be removed from the Agenda.

The Board removed Items VI.E.4 and VI.E.6 from the Agenda.

REPORT, RE: WAIVER OF TIME FOR EDC PRESENTATION

County Manager Tom Jenkins advised EDC's video presentation is eight minutes which is three minutes over the time limit set by the policy; and requested waiver of the time limit.

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to waive time limit and allow EDC to present a video of its recruitment efforts. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

REPORT, RE: HEALTH INSURANCE STATUS

County Manager Tom Jenkins stated he asked Human Resources Director Frank Abbate to advise the Board of his meeting with the School Board on health insurance.

Human Resources Director Frank Abbate advised in the last several months he and the County's consultant Wittner Associates met with many physician groups and various hospitals to talk about options for the County's insurance program; and yesterday he met with Gene Burkett, Assistant Superintendent of Finance for the School Board. He stated Mr. Burkett was impressed with the progress the County has made, and will take it to the School Board to hire Wittner as its consultant, approve an RFP process to join with the County and go out for direct contracting with hospitals and physician groups effective January 1, 2000, and consider entering into interlocal agreements to hire advanced registered nurse practitioners and locate them in different areas of the County where employees, dependents, and retirees could get preliminary medical services. Mr. Abbate advised many companies, such as Harris, are using it as an opportunity to focus on health and wellness, identify risks, stratify those risks, and help those individuals to better their health, which ultimately will have a beneficial impact on the County's health insurance plan. He stated they are getting the message out that they want long-term stable relationships with provider groups, which would give them the incentive to invest in the health and wellness of County employees; that is something that has been missing over the years because of the turnover with various insurance providers; and they are going to explore those opportunities and also look at a fully-insured opportunity.

Mr. Jenkins advised the approach with the School Board is to use joint buying power, but still not co-mingle funds which will allow each agency to be responsible for its own health, etc.

REPORT, RE: PERFORMANCE ZONING

Assistant County Manager Peggy Busacca advised she and Mel Scott went to Chicago last week to talk to Lane Kendig and his associates; Mr. Kendig will be here on May 10, 1999, which is the day the Board will hold its Visioning Workshop; and staff will schedule any Commissioner who wishes to meet with him one-on-one either before or after the Workshop. She stated Mr. Kendig will be touring the area by air, and meeting with EDC and Brevard County Manufacturing Association; and he will also meet with a group of interested citizens, yet to be delineated, who would like to speak with him. She noted the next day he will meet with the technical staff to talk about various technical standards at the State, County, and regional levels; and on May 11, 1999, staff hopes he can start a workshop with the Board with a major focus on the parameters staff outlined previously, to give more depth to that; and he will also make recommendations to the Board about the kind of criteria that he has seen used successfully.

Chairman Scarborough stated it would be advantageous if Mr. Kendig could do a guest editorial for Florida TODAY, describing what performance zoning is, as it would better inform the community on the concepts. He stated if Mr. Kendig has materials, staff could condense those and make them available for anybody who calls, so if they attend the workshop, they would be better prepared because he does not want to waste Mr. Kendig's time.

REPORT, RE: LETTER ON ST. JOHNS RIVER UPPER BASIN

Commissioner Carlson advised of a letter from Commissioner Voltz regarding the St. Johns River Upper Basin; and stated her office is trying to contact Bill Kerr, the most recent appointee to the St. Johns River Water Management District Board, who seems to be well versed on issues, and ask him if he would come and give the Board an update on what the situation is. Commissioner Higgs stated she understands they are going to ask for additional studies today at their board meeting, so it does not sound like a decision on the project is imminent.

Commissioner Voltz advised the letter she wrote was in response to the Corps of Engineers' letter giving 30 days to respond to their projects.

Assistant County Manager Stephen Peffer advised he understands at today's board meeting of the St. Johns River Water Management District they will decide to do an additional environmental assessment; and if that is done, it will provide the Board with additional information to make a determination as to how it feels about the project. He stated it will also allow an additional public comment period, so the County will have another window of opportunity to make its feelings known.

RESOLUTION, RE: PROCLAIMING BREVARD COUNTY CELEBRATES THE ARTS WEEK

Commissioner Carlson advised Brevard Cultural Alliance is the officially-designated cultural agency for Brevard County; and Kay Burk is here to represent the Alliance. She read a resolution proclaiming April 18 through 24, 1999, as Brevard Celebrates the Arts Week. Motion by Commissioner Carlson, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to adopt Resolution proclaiming April 18 through 24, 1999, as Brevard County Celebrates the Arts Week in Brevard County, and encouraging residents and visitors to visit Building A at the Government Center to enjoy the live music and creation of a public art mural. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Carlson presented the original Resolution to Kay Burk, who invited everyone in Brevard County to join the Alliance, bring their lunches, and watch Tom Green create the mural in Building A.

RESOLUTION, RE: COMMENDING BREVARD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

Commissioner Voltz read aloud a resolution commending the Brevard County Library System for its outstanding work on behalf of the citizens of Brevard County, and encouraging all citizens to enjoy the 16 libraries during National Library Week.

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to adopt Resolution commending the Brevard County Library System. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Voltz presented the Resolution to Judy Collier and Fernanda Safarik, representing the Brevard County Library Board.

Judy Collier presented each Commissioner with a pen and ink drawing of the St. Augustine Lighthouse in appreciation for all the help the Board has given the Library System. She advised of Library Day held in Tallahassee each year; noted the Brevard Delegation was the largest and had more politicians at the legislative reception and dinner; and stated the libraries are getting a reputation of being one of the best in the State. She presented hearts to the Commissioners imprinted with, "Keep Brevard Libraries Close to Your Hearts."

Chairman Scarborough stated Brevard County libraries are in the top three statewide according to State statistics. Commissioner Voltz expressed appreciation for the picture.

RESOLUTION, RE: PROCLAIMING BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB WEEK

Commissioner Higgs read aloud a resolution proclaiming April 11 through 17, 1999, as Boys and Girls Club Week in Brevard County, in recognition of the outstanding work the clubs do for the youth of Brevard County.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to adopt Resolution proclaiming April 11 through 17, 1999, as Boys and Girls Club Week in Brevard County. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Higgs presented the Resolution to Rick Gonzalez, who thanked the Board and advised of the accomplishments of the local and State Boys and Girls Clubs, giving statistics of the volunteer and educational hours in Palm Bay, Melbourne and Titusville. Mr. Gonzalez invited all Commissioners to visit the Clubs and see the work they are doing to change the lives of youths and keep them out of trouble.

Commissioner Voltz stated the Clubs do a great job with the children.

EASEMENT TO FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY, RE: UNDERGROUND UTILITIES FOR DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. PUBLIC LIBRARY

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to execute Easement to Florida Power & Light Company for underground electrical utilities at the new Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT WITH PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANT, INC., RE: MALABAR ROAD WIDENING PROJECT, PHASE II

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to execute Amendment to Contract with Professional Engineering Consultant, Inc. for design review services to modify the bridge design for Malabar Road Widening Project, Phase II at $1,783 paid by Ranger Construction. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

AGREEMENT WITH ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, RE: GRANT FOR INDIAN RIVER LAGOON WATER QUALITY MONITORING NETWORK

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to execute Agreement with St. Johns River Water Management District for Grant #99B174 (53718-99-001) in the amount of $17,000 for the Indian River Lagoon Water Quality Monitoring Network. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

PERMISSION TO BID AND AWARD BID, RE: ALS RESCUE UNITS

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to grant permission to bid two Advanced Life Support (ALS) rescue units and award the bid to the lowest qualified bidder. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

RESCIND PREVIOUS PERMISSION TO BID AND AUTHORIZE BID, RE: PUMP FOR MARSH RESTORATION OF MOSQUITO CONTROL IMPOUNDMENTS

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to rescind permission to bid one 36-inch pump, and grant permission to bid one 42-inch pump to be used as part of the marsh restoration of Mosquito Impoundments under the SWIM Program. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

TASK ORDER NO. 5 WITH CAMP DRESSER & McKEE, INC., RE: ONSITE CHLORINE GENERATORS AT SOUTH BEACHES AND SYKES CREEK TREATMENT PLANTS

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to execute Task Order No. 5 with Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc. to provide engineering services for onsite chlorine generators at South Beaches and Sykes Creek Wastewater Treatment Plants, at $65,000. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

TASK ORDER NO. 5 WITH POST, BUCKLEY, SCHUH & JERNIGAN, INC., RE: ONSITE CHLORINE GENERATOR AT SOUTH-CENTRAL REGIONAL TREATMENT PLANT

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to execute Task Order No. 5 with Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan, Inc. to provide engineering services for the onsite chlorine generator at South-Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, at $21,000. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

TASK ORDER NO. 9 WITH POST, BUCKLEY, SCHUH & JERNIGAN, INC., RE: ONSITE CHLORINE GENERATOR AT NORTH BREVARD WATER PLANT

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to execute Task Order No. 9 with Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan, Inc. to provide engineering services for the onsite chlorine generator at North Brevard Water Plant, at $36,500. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

RESOLUTION AND APPLICATION, RE: BREVARD WATERWAYS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CANOE PROJECT GRANT

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to adopt Resolution and approve application for Brevard Waterways Environmental Education Canoe Project grant. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

MODIFICATION #3 TO CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, RE: EXTENDING LOCAL MITIGATION STRATEGY THIRD PERIOD DELIVERABLES

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to execute Modification #3 to Contractual Services Agreement with Department of Community Affairs, extending the Local Mitigation Strategy Third Period Deliverables due April 30, 1999 to May 31, 1999. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

APPOINTMENTS/REAPPOINTMENTS, RE: CITIZEN ADVISORY BOARDS

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to appoint and/or reappoint Christopher Graham to the Meadowlane Community Library Board with term expiring December 31, 1999; Sharon Savastio to the Environmentally Endangered Lands Procedure Committee, with term expiring December 31, 1999; and Terri O'Brien and Mary Ann Kise to the Parks and Recreation South Service Sector Advisory Board, with terms expiring December 31, 1999. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

APPROVAL, RE: BILLS AND BUDGET CHANGES

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

PUBLIC HEARING, RE: AUTHORIZING BREVARD COUNTY ROAD AND BRIDGE TO PERFORM NECESSARY SERVICES FOR CONSTRUCTION OF PORT ST. JOHN EAST CONNECTOR ROAD

Chairman Scarborough called for the public hearing to authorize Road and Bridge to perform certain services for construction of Port St. John East Connector Road.

There being no objections heard, motion was made by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to authorize Brevard County Road and Bridge to perform the services necessary for the construction of Port St. John East Connector Road. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

SUPPORT CS/HB815 AND CS/SB1254, RE: SPACE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ACT

John Halsema, NASA Legislative Liaison, advised the bills are related to a loan guarantee; he understands the House Bill passed the Transportation Committee; and the funds are for the science experience research lab.

Chairman Scarborough stated it will move from a concept to specifics; and recommended the Board allow Mr. Halsema to meet with Guy Spearman.

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to authorize the Chairman to send a letter to the Legislative Delegation supporting CS/HB 815 and CS/SB 1254 regarding the Space Transportation Planning Act; and to send a letter to Guy Spearman to lobby on its behalf and to advise of the Board's support for location of the Challenger Center for Space Education in Brevard County. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

DISCUSSION, RE: OPTIONS FOR EMERGENCY AND NON-EMERGENCY AMBULANCE SERVICE

Jim Wilson, representing Harbor City Volunteer Ambulance Squad (HCVAS), Tom Phillips, Jay Moskowitz, Kerry Darkey, Dan Gloger, Talena King, HCVAS CEO Bob Cunningham, HCVAS Medical Director Dr. Jere Fitts, P. J. Cawley, and Chairman of HCVAS Board of Directors Sue Schmitt-Kirwan addressed the Board in favor of continuing the contract for ambulance services with Harbor City Volunteer Ambulance Squad; and depicted numerous reasons, including excellent standard of patient care, better response time, less costly than the County's proposal, improved administration and board of directors, strong community and municipal support, paramedics and EMT's not wanting to be fire fighters or County employees, revised salaries to keep paramedics, no County plan, and difficulty of passing fire fighters training for some women.

City of Satellite Beach Fire Chief Dan Rocque, also representing Palm Bay Fire Chief Dave Greene, advised municipal governments should be included in the discussions on options for emergency and non-emergency ambulance transport services; and some cities have not received the Certificate of Necessity. He stated the Board should get input from fire departments for a plan to provide ambulance services, and make decisions after it identifies the most efficient method.

Fred Jodts with the City of Titusville advised the proposal does not have an "opt out" provision for Titusville; and read a letter to Mr. Jenkins from City Manager Sam Ackley regarding the issue. He stated he hopes the Board will hold a workshop on emergency transport and EMS assessments to allow all partners to be heard.

County Manager Tom Jenkins instructed Public Safety Director Jack Parker to give the Board an overview of the County's proposal.

Public Safety Director Jack Parker advised the loan of $2.375 million is included in the assessment rate of $34.99, and is not in addition to the assessment. He stated the training requirement for EMT's is a fairly extensive requirement for the County to do; it would be easier to hire new fire fighter EMT's than to take EMT's from Harbor City and get them trained as fire fighter paramedics; but he would make that commitment to the employees of Harbor City in an attempt to get them to come with the County. He stated if the Board elects to use County Fire Rescue Department to provide the emergency service, he would like to, within a period of three years, take the existing one paramedic and one EMT per rescue unit and build them up to two fire medics per rescue unit; and he would like to use the Harbor City base of employees who are willing to come with the County to do that. Mr. Parker advised he would work with Mr. Cunningham and interview all the employees; of those who commit to the County, he would hold positions for them until October 1, 1999; then he would know how many people he would need to hire. He stated his staff does not consider it to be a huge management undertaking or something that will get the County off track of the referendum services; and they can completely manage the situation and have the service in place on October 1, 1999 with the help of HCVAS.

Commissioner Voltz advised a speaker said the service is doomed to suffer if the County takes it over; and she knows County fire medics and paramedics would take exception to that because they give excellent service. She asked Mr. Parker to comment on the shortage of paramedics and how that problem will be addressed. Mr. Parker advised there is a shortage of fire fighter paramedics in the system, but not paramedics or fire fighter EMT's; so they will have to hire paramedics and send them to fire school or hire fire fighter EMT's and send them to paramedic school through the transitional process. Commissioner Voltz inquired about where the units would be housed; with Mr. Parker responding they are looking at the seven County fire stations as good locations for seven of the 12 units; and they want to work with the cities on the other five units to centrally locate them within the jurisdiction where they will provide the most service. Commissioner Voltz stated someone said the County had problems as well as Harbor City; and inquired if the County has the financial problems that Harbor City has; with Mr. Parker responding negatively. Commissioner Voltz requested Mr. Parker address municipalities taking over ambulance service and the potential impact of that; with Mr. Parker responding some municipalities may approach the Board and ask if they can do their own transport; regardless of whether Harbor City gets the contract or not, that issue will not go away; the City of Palm Bay will probably ask the Board in the near future for transport; so giving the service to Harbor City will not make that a moot issue. He noted the cities will probably approach the Board over the next year to ask for the ability to opt out and transport within their jurisdictions.

Mr. Parker stated Public Safety is not in favor of the opt-out clause because it puts the cities exclusively in charge of transport whenever they feel they are ready, and it takes a tremendous amount of communications and coordination for that to happen. He stated staff's recommendation would be, once a city feels it is ready to transport and has all the issues handled, it can approach the Board and ask to take over transport. He stated they work together as a system and demonstrate that daily; they have good working relationships with all the fire chiefs in the County; but it is difficult, if not impossible, to insure a system that is very effective when it comes to countywide ambulance service if they try to split up the system, because it will become fragmented and inefficient. Mr. Parker advised the ambulance system is complex with limited mobile resources that are difficult to share; one example is dispatch; individual cities dispatch their own fire units, but the County dispatches every ambulance; so one advantage of Brevard County Fire Rescue taking over the ambulance service countywide is they already dispatch ambulances countywide. He stated they have a fear that fragmentation will lead to inefficiency, redundancy, additional expense, and probably poor quality of service in years to come. Commissioner Voltz stated someone mentioned that the State does not allow the County to turn down cities that ask to take over transport; with Mr. Parker responding there is a feeling that cities should be able to control service within their jurisdictional boundaries; that holds true for a lot of services; however, the ambulance service is a special service, so the State has given boards of county commissioners authority to decide how that service is conducted. He stated the State gave that authority to counties for a reason; that service is different than most other services; and it is easy to talk about having multiple providers within a system and they will all work together, but it is nearly impossible to actually insure that will happen. Commissioner Voltz stated crossing boundaries is where the problem comes in.

Commissioner Voltz stated it was mentioned that paramedics do not want to become fire fighters; and inquired if the County's fire fighters were happy to become paramedics; with Mr. Parker responding not initially, but they realized the responsibility of the system, where things were going, and that people demand the highest quality of service for the least amount of cost; and a fire fighter paramedic provides that. He stated they are versatile and can provide a tremendous service to the community, so they have changing mindsets within their agency, and realize the fear of change from Harbor City's perspective. He stated it is not an easy challenge becoming a fire fighter, but staff will be there to help them through the process and to adjust to their new role.

Commissioner Voltz stated it was also mentioned that Harbor City would fall victim to politics; she does not play politics with people's lives; so any decision she makes today will not be political. She stated someone said more for less financially with Harbor City; the County is proposing two fire medics on an ambulance, keeping 12 stations, and doing other things; and it is $5.00 more than Harbor City's proposal, but the services will be much more. She stated one major question people have asked is who will fight the fires if fire medics are on ambulances and a fire breaks out, and who is going to pick up people who need ambulance service. Mr. Parker advised it is not the County's intent to close down rescue stations; there are two shifts that are off duty and those people will be called into action if there is a significant event; and the ambulances will be running at the same time. He stated they will use off-duty rescue personnel to fill in as fire fighters in situations of long duration. Commissioner Voltz inquired if the County is not going to pull fire medics off their runs to fight fires; with Mr. Parker responding no. Mr. Parker advised the only exception to that would be if there is a structure fire and a rescue unit is in the area that could assist immediately, but the district chief would make sure another ambulance is backing that one up. Commissioner Voltz asked Mr. Parker to address salaries; with Mr. Parker responding the main difference in the assessment increase for Brevard County Fire Rescue is the additional $5.00 will go into the benefits of the employees; Mr. Cunningham said he would bring salaries up to what the County pays; however, in addition to salaries, the County's fringe benefit package is about 40% of the cost. He stated the reason he wants to motivate all Harbor City employees to become fire fighter certified is because it entitles them to enter the high-risk service of Florida Retirement System, which is an extremely good benefit. He stated while Harbor City offers salaries commensurate with the County's salaries, the County offers an additional benefit package, which should attract high quality employees.

Commissioner Voltz advised the Titusville representative said the new EMS assessment rate affects Titusville; and it actually affects everyone in Brevard County, not just Titusville. She stated if the Board decides to go with Brevard County Fire Rescue, it needs to have a public hearing to make sure all citizens have input into what the County is doing and know that their quality of service will not go down. She asked Mr. Parker to address women as fire fighters. Mr. Parker stated the fire academy is very difficult and physically challenging, but any person who is truly motivated and in good physical condition can work their way into passing the academy; and they will help them to do that. He stated it is not necessarily women who cannot pass the academy, but people who are around 100 lbs. will have difficulty dragging the hoses and doing other strenuous things. Commissioner Voltz inquired how many women are with Fire Rescue; with Mr. Parker responding he does not have those numbers, but the President of the Union is a woman around 110 lbs. who is a good example of someone who has enthusiasm, keeps herself in good physical condition, and got through the academy. He stated there are also several female lieutenants. Commissioner Voltz inquired if the service is being put out for bid; with Mr. Parker responding no, Harbor City's contract expires on September 30, 1999; and several months ago the Board knew that proposal would be coming and asked staff to put together a counter-proposal as to what it would cost Brevard County to perform the service at a higher level using two fire medics per rescue unit.

Commissioner Higgs inquired if the County's proposal is implemented, would it be expanding services it currently provides; with Mr. Parker responding that is correct; and it will not be a major managerial undertaking because it is something they already do. Chief Bill Farmer advised the County has city EMS vehicles in Rockledge, Titusville and Cape Canaveral; it also has the south area with Micco where it performs the service; so it would basically be expanding service it already provides, including city vehicles. Commissioner Higgs asked for an explanation of the difference between what fire medics and EMT's are able to do; with Mr. Farmer responding the difference between an EMT and paramedic is the ability to provide medications; and the difference between a paramedic and fire fighter is that the fire fighter is able to perform a wider range of skills on more than just structure fires. He stated the fire medic will be able to make quick entry, take patients out of burning buildings and provide immediate care at an advanced level of service; and they can go into hazardous material situations, confined space situations, and motor vehicle accident scenes, and provide higher services as far as extrication and patient contact. He noted that is the difference between a fire paramedic and a straight paramedic.

Commissioner Higgs inquired if the difference in service would be expansion of the services the County provides over what Harbor City has provided in the past; with Mr. Farmer responding yes, in addition to having two paramedics. Commissioner Higgs advised someone said the simplest thing would be to renew the contract with Harbor City; and that would be the easiest thing, but not the right thing to do. She stated in the six years she has been on the Board, she has seen plans from five different HCVAS CEO's; and it will have an additional CEO by the end of next week to provide another set of plans. She stated under the direction of the current board and Mr. Cunningham, she has seen great progress for the organization; but over the past six years, she has not seen the consistency of commitment and follow through that is needed. Commissioner Higgs advised Harbor City's proposal went from $14.92 to $29.45 assessment, a $2.3 million plus increase; it forced the Board and staff to look at what the alternatives are for providing the best service; and that is what this is all about. She stated the Board should not be fearful of people's jobs or level of service, but look at the positive side; and what is going to be provided is the best level of service for the citizens of Brevard County in the unincorporated and incorporated areas. She stated that level of service depends on consistent management and structure; someone said there will be a new structure, but there is no new structure today in place for Harbor City; there is continued change; there will be a new CEO next week and a search for an additional CEO which will make seven in less than six years; and there will be a new medical director. Commissioner Higgs stated if the Board goes with Harbor City's proposal and contract, it would have to almost double the assessment; it has looked at those issues for a number of years; it can go back to look at the proposals to provide services that have changed and commitments that have not been met; and that has led her to seriously look at what is the best way to provide the services. She stated the County has been working for several years on a better system countywide to provide a first responder in connection with the cities, as well as integrate and not further fragment the system; to build an effective and efficient 911 system and fire system for Brevard County is in the best interest of all; it will keep costs down in the long run; and if the County takes over the 911 service, which it is already doing in the north and south areas, it will have the supervision in place. Commissioner Higgs stated the County has the ability to bring on board those Harbor City employees who wish to be considered; it has the ability to enhance their skills to the level that will deliver the best service for the citizens; and it has funded equipment for Harbor City and hopes they will be cooperative in working with the County to see that equipment which is in good condition continues to be used for the citizens of Brevard County. She stated two fire medics on each unit will provide the best service for the citizens; it is tough to look at a decision today; citizens who represent employees and volunteers and want to see the organization continue are here today; but the Board has to do something tough that involves an assessment increase to provide enhanced service in the best interest of the County. She noted in the long run it will be the most efficient and effective system; she has looked at this issue for over six years; the County has reviewed it carefully; and the best service it can provide is to wrap it into the County's current system and provide high level personnel to deliver the service.

Commissioner Carlson advised there is a lot of concern regarding community outreach programs that Harbor City now provides; and inquired if Mr. Parker will address that. Mr. Parker stated the administrative and support budget includes an 11th position for a volunteer coordinator should the Board direct staff to take advantage of the volunteers who assist Harbor City; staff is very pro volunteer and sees a benefit in allowing people who volunteer for Harbor City to volunteer for the County if they so desire; and staff will assist in any way possible. Commissioner Carlson inquired if Mr. Parker sees problems working with the community; with Mr. Parker responding he is not aware of anything that would be a problem; and if there is anything, staff will be open-minded to try and provide that same level of service. Mr. Farmer stated when they combined fire service and EMS service, there were individuals who were EMS reservists who wished to continue in that category; and the County absorbed them into the volunteer system, and they continued to ride as EMS providers; so staff has gone that road before and should be able to continue it.

Commissioner Carlson advised if she were to invest in a company and had to look at its financial stability and leadership aspects, she would have difficulty investing in Harbor City based on its lack of leadership and difficult financial situation. She advised of her experience as an attendant with Harbor City; stated she knows how much they mean to the communities they serve, and understands how they feel regarding the future of Harbor City; however, it is not a political decision, but a decision based on what the taxpayers deserve and the quality of service the County can provide with a systematic approach. She agreed with Commissioner Voltz about holding a public hearing to make sure people know what is going on; stated there should not be turf building but one systematic approach where everybody works together for the common good and not build their own empires. Commissioner Carlson stated she cannot support an approach that does not have sound management and financial stability or a well thought out and proven plan.

Commissioner Voltz advised of her experience riding with Harbor City Ambulance Squad; stated this decision has nothing to do with the job they perform on a daily basis; it is a financial decision; when she met with Alan Escoffery, who showed her his five-year plan, not once did he have a bottom line that was in the black; it was in the red every year and no plans to get out of it; so the Board has no choice but to leave the assessment where it is, let it go defunct, and have no ambulance service or raise the assessment. She stated the Board can raise the assessment to $35 as proposed by the County or $30 as proposed by Harbor City; she is not comfortable not knowing what Harbor City will be like three, four or five years from now; and it is difficult to take taxpayers money and put it into an organization that she does not know will be a viable organization. She stated it is unfortunate that Harbor City had bad management; the citizens want to continue having good service provided by Harbor City; but the County cannot continue to put good money after bad, year after year; so if the Board decides to go with Brevard County Fire Rescue, she hopes that the employees of Harbor City will want to join Brevard County and stay together to serve the same people in the community.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to authorize Brevard County Fire Rescue to provide 911 emergency transport service to the Central EMS Benefit Unit. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Higgs stated to implement the service, there are steps that have to be taken; Fire Rescue needs permission to do certain things; and inquired if the Board wants one motion or a series of motions. The consensus of the Board was for a series of motions.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to grant authorization to hire fire paramedics or fire fighter EMT's as early as May 31, 1999, utilizing cash forward; and authorize up to 30 employees to be on board to begin the process. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to authorize staff to quote, award quote, and purchase rescue units and equipment as approved by the County Manager, with first priority given to negotiations with Harbor City if it wishes to work with the County on sale of its equipment.

Commissioner Voltz inquired if Harbor City chooses not to sell the ambulances, does the Board have an obligation to carry over all its equipment; with Mr. Parker responding there is an expectation that any ambulances Harbor City has possession of are owned by Harbor City; the County could purchase what it perceives as quality equipment for fair market value; Mr. Cunningham and he will work to establish that fair market value; but there is some question, since the County has been paying Harbor City over the years, and some of that money was used to purchase equipment, what degree of ownership does the County have on the equipment. He noted that is something he, Mr. Cunningham, and the County Attorney will have to work out.

Chairman Scarborough recommended including the opinion of the County Attorney in the motion regarding the County's legal equity in the equipment; and Commissioners Higgs and Voltz agreed to the amendment.

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

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to authorize the County Manager to get the necessary capital up to $2.3 million for start up funding through the commercial paper or other sources, including the Florida Association of Counties commercial paper. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to authorize the County Manager to execute contracts regarding station locations.

Commissioner Voltz recommended the list of locations come back to the Board first. Chairman Scarborough stated he wants the list to go to the municipalities also.

Commissioner Voltz amended the motion to direct that the list of locations come back to the Board and be sent to cities for review and comment. Chairman Scarborough called for a vote on the motion as amended. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Higgs advised because the Board will have to hold public hearings regarding rates, it will need a full accounting and thorough implementation description as part of the budget and setting the rates so it can look at all the costs. She stated staff may have been conservative in the estimate of cost, but she is certain they will be aggressive in finding ways to bring the cost down as best they can.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to direct staff to provide a full accounting and thorough implementation description to the Board as part of the budget and rate setting process. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Voltz advised she wants input from the public regarding the County's take over as there will probably be a lot of misconceptions about what the County is doing. Commissioner Higgs inquired if Commissioner Voltz is talking about a public information effort; with Commissioner Voltz responding yes, she would like to have a public hearing where people can come to the Board and address the issues. Commissioner Higgs inquired if Commissioner Voltz wants to direct the County Manager and staff to implement a public information campaign so people in the area will understand what is going on; with Commissioner Voltz responding yes. Chairman Scarborough stated he would prefer an information session where the community has an opportunity to talk and ask questions, rather than just putting something in the newspaper or mail.

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to direct staff to return with ideas for a public information campaign to get information out to the public about the County taking over emergency transport service. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Higgs stated at some point the Board has to schedule a hearing on the ordinance to talk about what it wants to do with the assessments. Commissioner Voltz inquired if the Board wants to do that after staff returns with the information and breakdown requested in previous motions; with County Manager Tom Jenkins responding they will incorporate the budget with the rate setting so the Board will know what the actual requirements are.

Mr. Jenkins recommended staff negotiate with Coastal to absorb the inter-facility non-emergency transport service. Commissioner Higgs inquired if there is no interest at Harbor City to do that; with Mr. Jenkins responding that is his understanding.

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to direct staff to request proposal from Coastal Health Systems for Countywide non-emergency transport. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Chairman Scarborough stated since Titusville is in his District and brought up the issue of opting out, the Board needs to keep an open mind on those things; but he agrees the big picture has to be discussed; and inquired, as long as any opting out or in is preceded by discussions, where does the Board want to go with that.

Chairman Scarborough stated there has been concern about the County taking over on an emergency basis; the County has a lot of dedicated people who will work very hard; and it is unfortunate when people are affected by an organization. He stated Harbor City could hit critical points, and people in South Brevard would not be served properly; and while he appreciates and respects the individuals of Harbor City, the Board has a responsibility to the public to provide certain levels of service.

The meeting recessed at 11:09 a.m., and reconvened at 11:33 a.m.

Chairman Scarborough advised Commissioner O'Brien is at Wuesthoff Hospital.

DRAFT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND FINANCING OPTIONS, RE: NEW VOTING SYSTEM

Supervisor of Elections Fred Galey advised the optical scan system equipment prevents accidental loss of votes and over-voting; and gave a detailed explanation of how it would work to allow the voter to correct any mistakes on the spot, and compared it to the current system. He stated there are only two systems certified in Florida; it simplifies absentee voting; it will read all colors except red; and it will eliminate the chad problem. He praised the poll workers for their outstanding job working 14 hours a day without leaving for lunch; and noted other counties have problems getting poll workers. Mr. Galey advised the new system would eliminate issuing numerous cards, making it easier on the poll workers; ballots will be tabulated at the precincts and posted there before transmitting tabulated results to the central count site; and the results are not finalized until copies of the tapes from each poll and memory cards are received to make sure everything is the same as what was left at the precincts. He advised of his observation of Orange County's election; stated the Marksense is the proper thing to do to maintain the paper ballot and make it more efficient and easier for voters and poll workers; and there is a cost up front, but over time it will save on ballot costs.

Chairman Scarborough stated if the County asks for specific equipment, how many companies will respond; with Mr. Galey advising there are two systems that are certified in the State; and three companies that deal in that equipment, but only two may respond. Mr. Galey stated the Board can study the proposals, appoint a selection panel to look at it and make recommendations, and if it decides to purchase the equipment, he would have to convert the voting booths to flat panels to be ready by the Fall. He noted they can do it depending on delivery and training, but they will be ready by the Presidential Primary in March, 2000.

Commissioner Voltz inquired if they can sell the current equipment; with Mr. Galey responding yes as smaller counties still use them or they could be sold overseas, but they would not be as valuable, and would probably bring in about $150,000 or less.

Nelly Strickland stated they do not want modems and phone connections because every computer system can be entered by hackers, and they may change elections. She mentioned incidents with Shirley Baccus and Sue Schmitt's elections; stated there should be a law against modems on any voting equipment; and noted if there is a new voting system, the County should have it, but not with modems. Ms. Strickland stated she requested, at a public meeting, to have the blinds in the Election Office up on election night, but they were not up; and inquired why. She stated that is where the ballots come in; it is easy to take a ballot box and move it and get another one in its place; she could not see what was being done; she could not follow the cards from the truck into the building to the reception station; and that is wrong. She stated the process should be visible for her to see what is going on.

Chairman Scarborough stated those people move masses of cards and work hard; poll workers would see and know it is being counted before being transported; and that is what he likes best about the system. He stated the ballot being protected with precinct workers seeing the votes counted is the real issue. Ms. Strickland requested Mr. Galey tell the Board why the blinds were not opened when she asked for it. Chairman Scarborough stated if the votes are counted at the precincts, the blinds become less relevant. Mr. Galey stated the blinds were open in all cases; what Ms. Strickland was upset about was that one set had a broken cord and was not pulled all the way to the top; however, they were open and people could see through them. Chairman Scarborough noted perhaps someone could inspect the blinds and replace those that need to be replaced a month in advance of elections.

Mr. Galey advised every operation, whether it is central counting or tabulation at precincts, the tabulation is done before an outside connection to the modem is made; the only reason for the modem is to transmit results that are tabulated at the precincts; and it will not affect any tabulation process.

Dan Gloger advised the present voting system is accurate and counts votes; and voters do not want to spend money on new equipment, as there are more important issues. He advised of problems in Volusia County with Marksense system ballots not being read, in Hawaii where they had to recount the whole State election, and in Reno, Nevada where a judge ordered recount of absentee ballots. He stated Valdosta, Georgia had one-third of its scanners go down and counted ballots by hand; noted there were massive breakdowns of different types of scanning equipment in Volusia County; and requested the Board poll the voters before spending tax money for new voting equipment. He stated local people do not care about the speed of results; newspapers should report the facts; and taxpayers should know all the facts.

Chairman Scarborough asked Mr. Galey to respond to the problems mentioned in Volusia County and Hawaii; with Mr. Galey responding the system in Hawaii is not certified in Florida; it has a contact read head and is not a visible light reader; and that created the problems along with a programming error. He stated the vendor re-tabbed the ballots and there were no changes. Mr. Galey advised Volusia County had an early model of the optical scan system and did not have the visible light reader, so it did not read other colors marked in blue, red, etc.; voters did not follow instructions; and this system will read any color except red as long as it is marked in the box. He stated if it is circled or not marked properly, it will not read it. Mr. Galey advised Volusia County is under a court order because of problems with the initial models; they operate under other instructions; so it caused them delays; and it was not the malfunctioning of the equipment except for a few modems. He stated with the new visible light readers and education and training of poll workers and voters, the County will not have those kinds of problems. He noted things will not work right every time, but it will work, and the accuracy of the count will be the same as the Data Vote system which is required to be certified by the State.

Bea Polk stated she was the first person who wanted precinct counters, but did not think the public wanted anything hooked up to them; Mr. Galey said he would not turn the modems on until after the polls close, but he may not be around for the next election; and whoever is there does not need that kind of power. She advised of her continuous fight for accurate honest elections since 1981; stated she agrees with getting precinct counters without modems; and inquired if they can be bid without modems.

Chairman Scarborough inquired if it is possible to ask for both prices in the RFP; with Mr. Galey responding anything is possible. Mr. Galey stated they have computers in the current system that have no outside connection during the process of counting; there is no outside connection to the precinct ballot tabulation systems while they are counting; and the modem is only to transmit preliminary results after the counting is finished. He stated the primary reason is safety, because if an accident damaged the memory card or anything else, the preliminary results would already exist. He reiterated the problems that could be eliminated with the new system and the speed of results as a secondary benefit. Mr. Galey advised if a modem is connected to a system that allows someone to dial in like the Internet, it could be messed with; but the tabulation system is not that kind of system; it will not accept telephone calls coming in; and it is only to transmit out from the precincts to a pre-specified number programmed into it. Chairman Scarborough inquired if the line is connected while the voting is taking place; with Mr. Galey responding no. Mr. Galey stated it takes specific action on the precinct counter to close and lock so it will not accept any more voted ballots; that is done after 7:00 p.m. when the last person in line has voted and put in a card; after that is done it adds the votes and prints the totals on a tape that will be hung on the wall at the precinct; then it can be hooked up to a phone line and the results transmitted.

Commissioner Voltz inquired if every precinct at the end of the day does the tabulation, has the printout, and transmits to Viera by modems; with Mr. Galey responding yes. Commissioner Voltz inquired if all the tapes will come up with the final results achieved at the counting center; with Mr. Galey responding yes; it is a three way process; the results are transmitted to the counting center by modem; a copy of the tape will come with the memory card from each precinct; that is compared with what is transmitted; and only then are the results verified. Commissioner Voltz inquired if the ballots in the box could also verify exactly what is on the tapes; with Mr. Galey responding absolutely, and they can be hand counted.

Commissioner Carlson inquired if the Board is going to review the criteria for the RFP.

Bea Polk advised of a new law she thought was passed by the State where they would pull three precincts out of a hat and count the votes; but the Supervisors of Elections, with tax money, lobbied hard against it; and when it came out, it said they "may" have three precincts pulled. She again requested bids for a system with a modem and without a modem; with Chairman Scarborough responding he has been advised that is possible.

Commissioner Carlson inquired about the financial analysis, indicated inconsistencies, and inquired what was the inflation factor or assumptions; with Budget Director Kathy Wall responding for the year 2004-2005, the permanent employees cost of $669,000 was obtained from the Supervisor of Elections information; that information should be $734,871 with the Marksense System; the assumptions used to compute those numbers were consistently used with both systems; and she used what the Supervisor of Elections previously projected for the Board. She stated the voter population of the County increased 1.5% per year; 63% of eligible residents will be registered to vote; and that is how they came up with the voter numbers. Ms. Wall advised the inflation factor was figured at 5% per year; it was based on historical data of the office plus escalating costs over 20 years; the number of new precincts that will be on line was figured at three in the even number years and two in the odd number years up to the year 2012; and after 2012, it would be ten precincts per year. She stated those numbers were consistently applied from the Data Vote and Marksense systems, so the two numbers can be compared. Commissioner Carlson stated page 10 states, "Precinct tabulator shall contain an internal baud modem and an RS 232 port which permits transmission of precinct results. . ."; and inquired if Mr. Galey wants to specify the speed of the modem and the telephone connector type; with Mr. Galey responding no because the size of the data that will be transmitted from each precinct is very small and it would only make a difference of one or two seconds, but it could be more expensive if it is specified. Commissioner Carlson stated part of the item says, "precinct results via common carrier telephone lines or cellular"; and inquired if "both" should be added so they can do either or; with Mr. Galey responding that can be done. Commissioner Carlson stated 2.3.5 on page 12 may need to include "both" also. Commissioner Carlson stated 2.3.9 states, "the election management software shall run on an IBM computer preferably 486 or faster"; she would prefer Pentium class or faster IBM compatible personal computer running Windows 95 operating system or later; and inquired if that can be specified; with Mr. Galey responding affirmatively, and noting one company may not be able to provide Pentium class, but he will check on it. Commissioner Carlson stated page 16 addresses issues of security on the modem line; and inquired how the transmission of data is validated to provide it actually comes from a specific polling place; with Mr. Galey responding as it comes in, the local receiver site looks for a specific precinct; it is maintained on the screen showing that precinct has reported; and that is how they know all precincts have reported. Commissioner Carlson inquired if there is an encryption methodology at both ends; with Mr. Galey responding yes, it is modem to modem. Chairman Scarborough inquired why should public information have encryption; with Commissioner Carlson responding to secure the phone line so they cannot input on the system and manipulate the data. Mr. Galey stated the security is provided by the paper tape which cannot be changed; the system looks for each precinct as it comes in; after it is downloaded, it looks for another precinct to dial up and make the modem connection; and no one can dial in and get in the middle of that because it would not be looking for that information, so it will not accept it. He stated he is not aware of it being encrypted, but it is straight data transmission; and the security is that it looks for point A to point B and for a specific number. Commissioner Carlson inquired if there will be an acceptance test procedure after the RFP's are received and finalists selected; with Mr. Galey responding he could do that, but the two systems certified in Florida are used by several counties, and he has observed elections in those counties using both systems. He stated they will do a considerable amount of testing for acceptance; and elaborated on the type of testing procedures.

Commissioner Voltz inquired how will the financing be done; with Ms. Wall responding she suggested the Board consider the Florida Association of Counties tax exempt commercial paper program which the County has been in since the inception in 1991. Ms. Wall stated it provides the County the ability to borrow money for smaller projects without incurring the standard bond costs; the all inclusive interest rate is 3.98% which means the cost to borrow money plus the cost of the program; and it will cost the County for a two-year period of the 20 years, approximately $186,199. She stated Mr. Galey suggested using the $120,000 assigned to him for capital purchases to reduce the acquisition cost of the machines. Ms. Wall advised there will be a savings beginning in the first period of $74,000 in operating costs; and it will increase to $259,238 to the year 2018 to 2019, for a total savings over 20 years of $1,881,364.

Commissioner Carlson inquired if there are built-in replacement costs; with Ms. Wall responding new voting machines for precincts coming on line are included; and some replacement costs may also be associated with that. Commissioner Carlson inquired why is there a big reduction in temporary employees and no reduction in permanent employees; with Mr. Galey responding the reduction in temporaries reflects those people who would not have to come in at night after the polls are closed to inspect ballots that come in from the precincts. Commissioner Carlson inquired if there will be no reduction in permanent employees; with Mr. Galey responding he will need a certain number of poll workers with any system because the law requires a deputy sheriff, clerk and assistant clerk, and people to work the precinct books.

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to authorize advertising request for proposals for a new Marksense voting system including both modem and non-modem options. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

The meeting recessed at 12:38 p.m., and reconvened at 1:45 p.m.

STAFF DIRECTION, RE: ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL TO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENTS RELATING TO WETLANDS

Mary Todd advised the Agenda Report presents answers by County staff about the proposed wetlands settlement language; she hopes it will bring them one step closer to the resolution of the wetlands language; and there is an additional paragraph prepared by Assistant County Attorney Christine Lepore to be added to the Conservation Element. She stated the paragraph is intended to deal with the complications that may arise from the Bert Harris Act; and their attorney wrote to Ms. Lepore that the language was acceptable provided it specifically referenced the portion of Section 62-507, Code of Ordinances, that pertains to takings. She stated the information the Board has will allow it to put any needed finishing touches on the wording; and with the additional paragraph worked out by the attorneys, they hope that all parties can find the language acceptable. She stated they are optimistic an agreement can be reached; and it is time to resolve the wetlands issue for the benefit of Brevard County.

Chairman Scarborough inquired where is the County on this issue and how is it coming together; with County Attorney Scott Knox responding the hearing was scheduled in April and continued for a time to be determined depending on what is resolved with the interveners; there is language negotiated between the interveners' attorneys and his office which everybody on the legal side is satisfied with; and they will probably discuss that with the Board as they get to it. He stated the interveners' proposal is fine as long as they have one paragraph that allows the Board to review any claims for Bert Harris violations or takings which brings it back under the old provisions of the Comprehensive Plan. Chairman Scarborough inquired what will happen next; with Mr. Knox responding it will go back to the Department of Community Affairs for its approval; and if the parties all agree to it, they will stipulate to an entry of an order which provides for the approved language; it would come back to the Board with a recommendation from Department of Community Affairs as approved; and the Board would proceed with the final adoption process.

Charles Moehle, President of Modern, Inc., stated the last minute submittals and considerations do not give people the opportunity to become aware of it, comment on it, or know what the ramifications are; there were no changes in the wording of the proposed mediation language submitted or talked about two or three weeks ago; and his comments are to fortify the fact that Modern and a lot of people who have been here before have a problem with losing the value and use of their property. He stated the analysis of Bert Harris Act in the memo from the County Attorney states, "The only land affected by the proposed language is: (1) land designated mixed use or zoned commercial/industrial prior to February, 1996, and (2) contains wetlands"; that involves roughly 100 acres that Modern owns or represents worth $35 to $40 million; there are other people concerned about it; so the liability is roughly $50 to $80 million. Mr. Moehle advised Modern has under its ownership or direct management over 2,000 acres that would qualify as residential property; that would be another $20 to $25 million and more because he received calls from people indicating they could not come to the meeting and wanted to fortify what happened in the last meeting and their concerns and objections. He stated the technical definition of a wetland under the regulations and jurisdictions of the Corps of Engineers and St. Johns River Water Management District is that it does not have to be flooded or wet at the surface, it only has to have water in the root zone or within one foot of the surface if it is fine sands, or six inches two months out of the year. He stated the definitions on page 34 list slash pine, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, hardwoods, wetland coniferous forests, pond pine, Atlantic white cedar, pine, cabbage palm, understory grasses, spartina bakeri, etc.; and much of Brevard County is covered by that vegetation but is not necessarily in flooded lands. He presented and explained pictures of wetlands and lands similar to those in Brevard County; stated it would be a lot of takings; and if the Board is not going back to the original settlement language it should include something in the agreement that makes the interveners financially responsible for any losses or takings of property instead of the taxpayers of Brevard County. Mr. Moehle advised he read in the Water Resources Atlas of Florida that there are 150,000 acres preserved, enhanced, and created in Indian River and Brevard Counties in the upper St. Johns River basin, most of it in Brevard County; there is no shortage of wetlands; wetlands are being preserved for the proper maintenance of a water resource; and this is a land confiscation issue. He requested the Board send it forward to an administrative hearing.

Kim Zarillo, legal representative of Florida Native Plant Society, advised the Society intervened to protect the public interest in wetlands and their resources; thanked staff for its quick response to the Board's questions, most of which pertained to Conservation Element 5.2.f.3; and that the added paragraph from the County Attorney's office include reference to Section 62-507 regarding takings. She stated the additions to Conservation Element 5.2.f.3 including a definition of substantially surrounded and reference to include infrastructure sufficiency are improvements to the proposed mediation language; and the definition was not included in the proposed mediation language, but a definition was given and is used elsewhere in the Comprehensive Plan. She requested the Board accept the proposed language in the best interest of the County and the public. Ms. Zarillo advised they have databases on types of wetlands as defined by the National Wetlands Inventory and others; and they may not be exactly the same as the Army Corps of Engineers, but they are the types of wetlands that are addressed in the Comprehensive Plan to be used as the definitive wetlands.

Commissioner Voltz advised Mr. Knox's letter regarding the Bert Harris Act takings says, "Under the interveners proposal, specifically paragraphs a, b, c and d, any commercial and industrial development activity in the wetlands is only allowable on commercial/industrial land designated prior to February of 1996 if all the criteria as specified in those paragraphs are met." She inquired if it leads back to the Board where it started; with Mr. Knox responding the bottom line is yes; and with the change in the additional paragraph providing for appeal in the event of a Bert Harris claim or taking claim, it allows the Board to review that particular claim. Commissioner Voltz stated the memo says, "notably to offset the Bert Harris impact, a provision could be added to the interveners proposed language"; there is new language that says, "review by and the possibility of relief from the County Commission in the event the owner was denied the opportunity to develop in the wetlands under the new language, and such provision would have the effect of placing the owner in the same position that exists under the current language of the Comprehensive Plan that is, the opportunity to seek relief with no guarantee that relief would be granted." She stated it also says, "With such a review provision in place, the owner would have a much more difficult time making out a case under the Bert Harris Act since he or she would have to provide that (a) relief would have been granted under the old Comprehensive Plan provision; and (b) that the only reason for denial under the new review procedure was the application of the criteria set forth in the interveners' proposal." Commissioner Voltz stated it would require a landowner to go to court over this issue; the County and Department of Community Affairs agreed on specific language; she is not prepared to tell people to take the Board to court; and recommended going to the 120 hearing and not bowing to the whims of a few people and placing in jeopardy other people who own land in Brevard County.

Chairman Scarborough inquired if there were any comments about the definitions of the various wetlands; with Commissioner Voltz responding the species are named but not defined; and people can interpret them in different ways which could put the Board in a bad situation. Chairman Scarborough inquired if the definitions are sufficient; with Mr. Peffer responding each Commissioner was provided with a report on how much wetlands would actually be affected and fall into those categories; and staff does not intend to extend the definitions of wetlands. He stated some wetland definitions are provided in the Florida Land Use Cover document which Mr. Moehle read from, and may include communities which are not wet; but the wetland definition the County uses in applying jurisdictional determinations is the one by the St. Johns River Water Management District. He stated certain communities exist within that definition; and staff has tried to answer the Board's questions of what those communities are and to quantify them.

Commissioner Voltz advised it does not say that the definition used by the County is from the St. Johns River Water Management District; with Mr. Peffer responding that has been applied throughout the process; it would not be in this section but is in the Comprehensive Plan or Ordinance or both; and since there is no proposed change to that, it will remain as is and would not be included in this section.

Chairman Scarborough inquired about the definition of substantially surrounded concept; with Commissioner Carlson responding it should be clarified and defined better. Commissioner Higgs stated it says, "When a parcel of land is bordered on two sides by land developed as commercial or industrial, such commercial or industrial development should abut the subject land"; and inquired if that will be added to the definitions in the Comprehensive Plan; with Ms. Busacca responding yes. Chairman Scarborough stated what is on that side of the street is more relevant than what is on the other side of the street; and inquired if it could further say, "For the purpose of this definition, property across a street does not abut." Mr. Knox noted it is not a problem.

Chairman Scarborough stated the Board voiced concern about the vicinity of new interchanges; and if the County has extensive infrastructure in place, it would be difficult to say no development and do a disservice to the whole planning process. He stated where there is infrastructure in place, it would impact communities to a lesser extent; and he does not want a policy to protect the wetlands that will mandate increase of infrastructure. Commissioner Higgs stated the Future Land Use definition says they shall direct new commercial land use designations to areas which are determined to be appropriate based on several different things; so if there is a need at a newly developed infrastructure site, the Board has the ability to consider it. She inquired if the policy allows the Board to consider new commercial/industrial development close to an interchange; with Ms. Busacca responding the Future Land Use Element would allow that, but the Conservation Element, last page of the interveners' language says, "The property is substantially surrounded by lands developed as commercial or industrial as of February 23, 1996, and has sufficient infrastructure in place to serve the commercial or industrial use." She stated the idea of being substantially surrounded by lands currently developed would not address Chairman Scarborough's issue. Chairman Scarborough stated that is his problem; a major interchange occurs through massive planning, and the County cannot allow anything there which leads to sprawl and additional infrastructure; yet it will give special consideration for people who may not meet the criteria but are substantially surrounded by commercial and industrial development. Mr. Knox stated the language by definition would apply only to wetlands that are in the vicinity of interchanges; and it does not affect the uplands. Commissioner Higgs stated the Future Land Use Element talks about designating new commercial and industrial land uses and bases it on public facilities, surrounded land uses, character of the area, etc. which would allow the Board, if it is appropriate, to do what Chairman Scarborough is talking about. Ms. Busacca stated it will allow the land use of industrial or commercial to be designated, but it would not allow the wetland to be impacted; so staff can put the designation on there if there is sufficient upland use.

Discussion ensued on development around interchanges, mitigation, sufficient infrastructure, vacant land not meeting the requirement of surrounding, intersections, under-utilized infrastructure, I-95 and other major highway situations.

Mr. Knox stated there is some solution which he has not discussed with the interveners; but he can suggest changing "and" where it says, "and has sufficient infrastructure," to "or", and changing "in place" to "available", which would read, "or has sufficient infrastructure available," and mean it does not have to be right there, as long as they can get to it.

Chairman Scarborough stated it should be more definitive or it could mean any time two roads cross some place; substantial level of infrastructure should be defined; and the level of service, volume of traffic, and different types of roads may be issues to consider. He inquired if there is infrastructure being used at 50% capacity, paid for by capital investment of taxpayers money, why would the Board say it does not plan to put anything there.

Mr. Moehle stated maybe the word is "concurrency," which is a problem for people who invested in land; some invested for the future, retirement, their children, or a business after they retire; and it is a real inequity to take the use of their land away. He stated he did not see the information on the amount of wetlands that would be affected in the Agenda package.

Discussion continued on how to word it so development can take place where there is infrastructure without opening it up for everywhere; describing it as road infrastructure with certain volume of traffic and substantial capacity, and cost to the taxpayers by not considering other elements.

Mr. Knox inquired if the planning staff has an acreage figure that would be impacted by the policy as it is written; with Ms. Busacca responding staff looked at the amount of acreage that is forested and wet prairie wetlands which have both mixed use districts or industrial land use designations and appropriate commercial and industrial zoning; forested wetlands, including wet flatwood, have 164.79 acres, and wet prairie wetlands have 25.67 acres for a total of 190.46 acres. Commissioner Voltz stated in the beginning the County told the interveners there were 600 acres; the interveners said there were thousands of acres; and now it is down to 190 acres. Ms. Busacca stated it is now limited to forested and wet prairie wetlands; the initial discussions included all wetlands; and that is the difference. She stated the reason forested wetlands have been focused on by the interveners is because they are relatively rare in Brevard County.

Chairman Scarborough stated the Board will not resolve this issue now; and recommended it be continued until next week. Ms. Zarillo inquired if it is possible to define what the Board means by infrastructure which to her means more than roads. Chairman Scarborough stated he would like to define it as roads. Ms. Zarillo stated the workshop on the Future Land Use Element may be a good time to discuss roads, level of service, and future interchanges; they are trying to settle the wetlands issue; and if paragraph 4 is added with the proposed language of #3, that would settle the issue. She stated the issue of future interchanges and development around those interchanges is a bigger picture that needs to be addressed when the Board undergoes a restudy or workshop of the Future Land Use Element.

Commissioner Higgs stated paragraph F.3 deals with property designated on the Future Land Use Map as of February 23, 1996; and inquired if the interveners are not dealing with or concerned about properties that may have been designated after February 23, 1996. She noted the Board is looking to the future so it should be paragraph 2 and not 3; and it could make a qualifying statement such as "unless it is a part of a major infrastructure project to allow public access."

Chairman Scarborough stated he has a problem of how to define road infrastructure. Commissioner Higgs inquired if it would go under 2 and not 3; with Chairman Scarborough stating if it is okay with the County Attorney, that would be fine. He stated he would like it clearly defined as to what type of road system, so it does not go to every arterial road, because there could be other areas besides I-95 that carry a lot of traffic.

Commissioner Voltz recommended the item be continued until next week. County Manager Tom Jenkins advised the meeting is a night meeting. Commissioner Voltz recommended the next day meeting.

The item was continued until April 27, 1999.

DISCUSSION, RE: ORDINANCE PROHIBITING OFF-PREMISE SIGNS (BILLBOARDS)

Dale Mallow advised he had a billboard lease on his property; by removing the two poles from his property it will still be close to his lot, and they cannot maintain the sign without access through his property. He stated he thought when the lease expired on March 10, 1999, it would come down completely; and described how they removed the two poles from his property. He inquired how they could plant a site and sound barrier without conflict; and stated it is sad when a homeowner has to get a private attorney to determine where he can plant trees on his property. Mr. Mallow stated the billboard industry is not being controlled by the County; and requested they not be allowed and steps be taken to remove all of them.

Charles Moehle advised outdoor signs are needed for commerce; removing all billboards is not good for Brevard County; and there are certain areas that need billboards. He stated Modern, Inc. has property that could allow billboards but it does not have them; and suggested the Board get the problem under control and not pass the ordinance which would send a bad message.

Sally Mallow complained about the billboard on her property; stated the sign companies are allowed to intimidate and use people; the billboard industry is not controlled by the County; and urged the Board not to allow billboards.

Chairman Scarborough advised of a letter from Sandra Ball who was present to support prohibiting billboards, as follows: "I would like to encourage you to move our County into a new era concerning off-premise signage, i.e. billboards. Our County has been littered with billboards over the years. Now we find ourselves with another form of pollution. There is a simple solution to the beginning of clean up. It is the prohibiting of any new billboards. We, as a County, are increasingly focusing our attention on attracting tourism as well as diversified industry. In order to achieve this we must begin to present a better appearance. Transformation Titusville of which I am a member has also recognized the severe problem of billboards in our County. The primary benefactor of a billboard is the sign company and the private landowner. The best way to benefit the taxpaying citizens as well as all of our business community is the prohibiting of billboards. Thanking you in advance for your consideration. Sandra L. Ball."

Chairman Scarborough advised the County Attorney suggesting the amortization issue be taken up separately; and inquired if that is agreeable. There were no disagreements heard. Chairman Scarborough stated there is a market on I-95 for billboards, and there needs to be a means for allowing appropriate billboards.

Commissioner Voltz advised of a letter from Barbara Jagrowski suggested the Board redo the Ordinance to make signs low to the ground, smaller in size, and less in number. She stated the Board needs to designate appropriate places for billboards. She stated the Board cannot do anything with billboards on the federal system; with County Attorney Scott Knox responding the Board can prohibit new ones but cannot make them take down the existing ones. Commissioner Voltz stated there are some places like I-95 that need billboards; with Chairman Scarborough responding the business community can help the County determine what is needed. He recommended the ordinance be advertised to prohibit billboards with the thought that it can be amended downward.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to authorize the County Attorney to advertise a public hearing to consider an ordinance prohibiting off-premise signs; and direct staff to contact other counties and municipalities having similar Ordinances to see to what extent exceptions were made for signs on interstate highways. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

AGREEMENT WITH ST. JOHNS RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, PERMISSION TO BID AND AWARD BID, RE: CONSTRUCTION OF BROADWAY BOULEVARD POND AND MERRITT ISLAND AIRPORT POND

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to execute Agreement with St. Johns River Water Management District for joint funding of the construction of Broadway Boulevard Pond and Merritt Island Airport Pond; and authorize advertising for bids and award of contract to the lowest qualified and responsive bidder. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

RESOLUTION, RE: AUTHORIZING COMPETITIVE SALE OF NOT TO EXCEED $5,150,000 GUARANTEED ENTITLEMENT REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 1999

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to adopt Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida, authorizing the issuance by Brevard County, Florida, of not to exceed $5,150,000 in aggregate principal amount of Guaranteed Entitlement Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 1999, in order to refund all of the outstanding principal amount of the Brevard County, Florida Special Obligation Refunding Revenue Bonds, Series 1991, previously issued to finance the cost of acquiring and constructing a public golf course within Brevard County, Florida; pledging that portion of the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for counties received by the County and designated as the County's First Guaranteed Entitlement to secure payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds; providing for the rights of the holders of said bonds; making certain covenants and agreements in connection therewith; authorizing the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners and the Clerk or deputy clerk of the County to award the sale of such bonds based on bids submitted at public sale and approving the conditions and criteria of such sale; specifying the data, interest rates, interest payment dates, provisions for redemption, series designation and maturity schedule of such bonds; approving the form of a draft notice of sale. bid form, summary notice of sale and preliminary official statement; authorizing and ratifying the circulation of a preliminary official statement; authorizing the Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners to deem final the preliminary official statement for purposes of Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 15C2-12, and authorizing the execution and delivery of a Final Official Statement; approving the form of and authorizing the execution and delivery of a continuing disclosure undertaking; designating the registrar and paying agent for said bonds; approving the form and authorizing the execution and delivery of an Escrow Deposit Agreement and appointing an escrow agent thereunder; providing covenants to comply with applicable tax and arbitrage rebate requirements; providing certain covenants for the benefit of the insurer as an inducement to issue a municipal bond insurance policy with respect to the bonds; and making certain other covenants and agreements and providing certain other details in connection therewith; providing an effective date for this Resolution. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

DISCUSSION, RE: SENATE BILL SB1804, RE: MITIGATION BANKING

Drainage and Surface Water Management Director Ron Jones explained the provisions of the proposed Senate Bill regarding mitigation banking.

Construction Management Director John Denninghoff advised it reduces flexibility and increases costs.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to authorize the Chairman to formally oppose Senate Bill 1804 relating to mitigation banking. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE - O. DEAN MADISON, CAPE KENNEDY KOA KAMPGROUND, INC., RE; FINE IMPOSED BY CODE ENFORCEMENT SPECIAL MASTER

Dean Madison advised he owns a park in Mims, and is here to appeal the fine imposed by the Code Enforcement Special Master. He stated the problem began when he installed cabins; they were installed on property zoned commercial rather than RV park; and his options were to have the property rezoned, which he was going to do, but he would have to lump it in with rest and would lose his sites, so he had the six cabins moved. He advised of the problems that led to the fine; stated the time was not sufficient to correct the problems; and not using them is costing him $200 a day.

Chairman Scarborough advised it was discovered August 29, 1997; and inquired when the cabins were placed on the property; with Mr. Madison responding about three years ago. Chairman Scarborough inquired if he obtained a building permit and certificates of occupancy; with Mr. Madison responding he purchased it from KOA which told him some counties do not require a building permit because they are on skids and can be removed. He stated he could have gotten a building permit and CO's. Assistant County Manager Peggy Busacca advised a building permit is required.

Commissioner Carlson advised on March 4, 1999, the fine was $10,046; and inquired what happened; with Mr. Madison responding it was reduced to $2,600. Chairman Scarborough stated he wants the fine forgiven; and inquired how staff charges for administrative costs. Building Director Bob Bowen advised they do not charge for staff time. Ms. Busacca stated the special master charges by the hour and staff pro-rates the cost. Commissioner Higgs inquired how many staff hours were used for this case; with Mr. Bowen responding he does not know, as it goes back to 1997.

Chairman Scarborough recommended staff return with more realistic administrative charges as $228 does not seem reasonable.

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to table the request of O. Dean Madison for forgiveness of the fine imposed by the Code Enforcement Special Master until April 27, 1999; and direct staff to provide more realistic administrative charges, staff hours, special master costs, etc. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

Commissioner Carlson recommended staff provide that type of information in the future when scheduling similar request for reduction or forgiveness of fines.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE - KIM MEEHAN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION OF THE FLORIDA SPACE COAST, RE: EDC RECRUITMENT VIDEO

Kim Meehan, representing EDC of the Florida Space Coast, advised EDC has contracted services to perform economic development services; they do that in number of ways; (1) recruitment of new industry, (2) retention of existing industrial base, and (3) value added jobs.

She stated last year in their proposal for County funding was a project to create a promotional video and recruitment package; and today she would like to share that video with the Board. She noted it was designed and produced locally; it has been used to get companies; they were impressed with it; and there is no better way than through videos. She presented the video.

Chairman Scarborough thanked Ms. Meehan.

Commissioner Voltz advised in June they hope to have tapes for everyone who goes to the conference. Commissioner Carlson stated there is a video by Spaceport Florida also. Ms. Meehan advised they led the effort with Spaceport Florida and Enterprise Florida to develop the Place for Space video that is being used in a public education plan all over the State of Florida, to educate all other economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, and anybody who would listen to them about the benefits of space throughout the State of Florida, and the opportunities that would arise from Florida banding together and marketing the commercial space elements of our communities. She noted they we will be more than happy to come back and show that video which is only three minutes. Commissioner Carlson noted it may be worthwhile to show videos at the beginning of the meeting while people are still in attendance. Chairman Scarborough stated it could be shown independently.

Commissioner Carlson stated in terms of Ms. Weatherman coming back with the three-minute video produced in combination with Spaceport Florida, it might be worthwhile to show it at the beginning because of the viewers who may not watch the meetings on Fridays. Chairman Scarborough stated when the Board takes a break it could be inserted.

FLORIDA HOUSE BILL 357 AND SENATE BILL CS 102, RE: HOSPITAL RECORDS AND MEETINGS

Christopher Skeldon advised in any business there should be the ability to meet in private on certain aspects of that business; it has to be balanced with the public's right; when they talk in general about buying property, those are things the public should have some say in; but if they talk about specific areas and strategic planning, it may be different. He stated any business owes its stockholders openness; government should run like a business, but it has more requirements because it is a public business; and a long time ago the only way to get hospitals in a lot of areas was for the public to step forward and create hospital districts and tax themselves. He stated now hospitals are big business and it is all about money; he is a hospital health care consultant and does a lot of work for Wuesthoff Hospital; and if a hospital board discusses additional services, even though it is strategic planning, it is something the public should be involved in before a decision is made. He stated when a public agency meets in public, there should be a verbatim transcript of the meeting; those are some things the bills do not include; and there should be someone else present who can see if what they are doing conforms to the law as it is written. He stated there should be oversight so the public's interest is guaranteed and protected; there are needs to meet in executive session; but the bills are bad bills at this point.

Chairman Scarborough advised Nelly Strickland left a note indicating she was under the impression it was not a good bill and felt there were some problems with it.

Bea Polk stated she is against the bill; and advised of problems with Parrish Medical Center's Board meeting behind closed doors, taking public polls, and lying. She stated there are certain things that may have to be in private, but the stockholders should have a say. She stated if the hospital board could get away with it, there would not be public meetings because when they discuss something it is just to vote on it and if prior meetings were not attended, there is no way to determine whether it was right or wrong. She requested the Board not support the bills.

Chairman Scarborough advised Mr. Skeldon is an employee of Wuesthoff; Wuesthoff Hospital acted in a proprietary manner when there was discussion of a merger with Health First, and took an adversarial position; Parrish is the only hospital that would be affected by those bills; and he believes only those meetings that need proprietary rights should be allowed. He briefly described the problems with Health First and Wuesthoff that are being discussed statewide; and indicated Wuesthoff needs to have Parrish Medical Center to strengthen its position.

Commissioner Voltz inquired if the Board wants to send a letter to the Legislative Delegation opposing the bills. Chairman Scarborough stated he agrees with providing public access to historical information the public is entitled to, but the Board should not be the battleground; and reiterated problem situations regarding a possible merger of Health First and Wuesthoff. He suggested a generic statement be made to the delegation.

Motion by Commissioner Higgs, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to authorize the Chairman to send a letter to the Legislative Delegation advising that the proposed bills were brought to the Board's attention, and it supports the Sunshine Law and open public records and meetings.

Chairman Scarborough suggested including that it also recognizes the need for confidentiality in certain cases. He called for a vote on the motion. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

SUPPORT CS/HB815 AND CS/SB1254, RE: SPACE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ACT

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Higgs, to authorize the Chairman to send a letter to the Legislative Delegation supporting CS/HB815 and CS/SB1254, the Space Transportation Planning Act. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE - CLARENCE ROWE, RE: POLLUTION RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES COMING INTO BREVARD COUNTY

Clarence Rowe suggested the Board look at pollution on a wider scale, make adjustments for those that already exist, and make sure the County has good air and water for the health and welfare of the community, children and grandchildren. He inquired if the County has a monitoring system; and stated it is reasonable to monitor wastewater, air pollution, noise, and other things. Mr. Rowe expressed concern about buffer zones from power plants; and advised of concern from ladies in Mims about cancer causing agents. He stated he is not sure anyone checked it out; and if the County cannot do it, it could contract with the appropriate agency or contact the government agency that is responsible. He advised of a plant in Rockledge polluting the air, and a chemical leak in Titusville; and requested the Board look at the big picture and make sure it investigates and monitors all pollutants. He stated Governor Chiles signed an Executive Order in 1994 regarding pollution, but people coming in through the back door can cause new air and water pollutants.

Commissioner Carlson recommended Ms. Busacca brief Mr. Rowe on their trip to Illinois; and advised he will be able to listen to the consultant on performance standards. Assistant County Manager Peggy Busacca advised the discussion will be on industrial zoning and the performance standards will include carcinogens that are released into the air and water.

Chairman Scarborough stated Florida Power & Light Company said if it went to gas, it would cost $40 million a year; and recommended staff report back on where to go with something in the Mims area or Rockledge area, whether there are higher rates of cancer, and are they related to certain things, and find out what those things are and if they can be eliminated.

Mr. Rowe stated there are a lot of things going on in the County; his concern is the quality of life; the promotion video emphasized the beauty of Brevard County; but too many environmental catastrophes appear to be happening here; and in 20 or 30 years, if those things are overlooked, it may cause a downhill roll.

PUBLIC COMMENTS - CHRIS SKELDON, RE: CORRECTION OF STATEMENTS

Chris Skeldon advised a comment was made that was not accurate; he is not an employee of Wuesthoff Hospital; he is a health care consultant; Wuesthoff is one of his clients; and he wanted to correct that, but was shut off.

Chairman Scarborough stated health care is a dynamic situation in Brevard County; and Wuesthoff is in a bitter battle. Mr. Skeldon advised of his experience as a member of the North Brevard County Hospital District Board; stated he was the only one opposed to continued taxing; Parrish Medical Center did not need the money as proven by the $80 million it has in the bank; and other things that were said were somewhat inflammatory. He stated there is a health care situation in Brevard County; there is diversity of opinions; but the same thing is happening in other places, including Orlando. Chairman Scarborough stated perhaps he did not state it right, but his point is medical care reaches all three hospitals, not just Parrish; solving Parrish's problems will only limit the impact on the citizens of Brevard County until other things occur; and health care is not headed on the right track at this time.

Mr. Skeldon stated the bill does not only affect Parrish Medical Center; and there is recent Florida Supreme Court ruling that public hospitals leased by another agency fall under the same Sunshine Law requirements. Chairman Scarborough noted it will affect Canaveral Hospital.

Chairman Scarborough advised of the problem with employees in South Brevard being dropped because of the politics; and stated he did not mean to make it a big issue, but he has a responsibility to ensure good health care in Brevard County. He stated the Board needs to say it wants all the medical groups to get together and give the County quality health care, or it will hurt in the long run, and people will judge Brevard County as less than quality if it does not have quality health care as part of the component. Mr. Skeldon stated when speakers come up to the podium, walk away, and their motivations are challenged, they should have the opportunity to rebut. He stated the Board is discussing the public records law and not Wuesthoff or Health First; the health care business needs to work together to have quality health care throughout the County and have it recognized as an asset; and they want health care to be one of the great things about the Space Coast along with the other great things shown in the EDC film.

WARRANT LISTS

Upon motion and vote, the meeting adjourned at 4:09 p.m.

ATTEST:

TRUMAN G. SCARBOROUGH, JR., CHAIRMAN
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

SANDY CRAWFORD, CLERK
(S E A L)