FLORIDA COORDINATING COUNCIL
FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
Quarterly Meeting
Tallahassee, Florida
Friday, February 7, 2020 
8:00 a.m.

Onsite CART Captioning provided by
Lisa B. Johnston, RMR, CRR, CRC
www.providingcart.com 

** This is a rough‑draft text file that was produced by a live CART Captioner (Communication Access Realtime Translation) to ensure effective communication for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.  This file is not a certified, verbatim record, and it should not be quoted as such. ** 

* * * * *

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Good morning.  This is Gina.  We're going to start in about three minutes.  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  We haven't started yet.  Darlene, can you hear me?

[No response]. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Yes, this is Darlene, I can hear you.  I'm not able to access the CART in the chat box, because it keeps freezing up my computer for some reason.
So yesterday I was on the phone mostly on my iPhone with my palm pilot and I will be doing that today.
I do want to say that the meeting room is definitely sound friendly because there wasn't a lot of interference with the voices. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you, Darlene.  This is Karen Goldberg, Chair for the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, we're going to get started in just a couple of minutes; we're working on technology.  Thank you.  

[Pause]. 
[Background noise on telephone].

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Good morning, everyone, this is Karen Goldberg, Chair for the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  We're going to go ahead and get started.
We're going to start with a call to order and a roll call.  So let's go ahead and we'll start with Tiffany, are you ready to start [laughs].  Good morning, Tiffany.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Good morning, this is Tiffany Baylor, Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing coordinator from DOH.  

>> MARY HODGES:  Good morning, this is Mary Hodges, Department of Elder Affairs.  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Good morning, this is John Jackson from the Department of Children and Families.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Good morning, all.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Good morning, this is Gina Halliburton from FRID, Vice Chair.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Good morning, this is Chris Littlewood, I represent the Association of Late‑Deafened Adults, I live in Seminole, Florida, and work for St. Petersburg College.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Good morning, everyone, this is Cecil Bradley representing the Florida Department of Education.  

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And who do we have on the phone?  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  This is Darlene.  I am on the Council as an individual who is deaf‑blind.  Good morning to everyone.  I just want to let you know that I am not able to access the CART or the chat box.  And yesterday and today I will be using the phone.  And I just want to let you know that the sound in the room was very helpful and I was able to hear better.  So I will be here.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Wonderful.  Welcome, Darlene.  Anyone else, council members, joining us by phone or chat?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Debbe Hagner is here from HLAA.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Welcome, Debbe.  And, again, this is Karen Goldberg, Chair and representing HLAA.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  And this is Gina.  Also, Cindy ‑‑ oh ‑‑ they're going to try to call in in a minute, they're on their way to the airport, and Glenna.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And Glenna.  Okay, great.  Thank you very much.
We would also like to welcome our folks who help us make health a key ‑‑ no, that's not part of it. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Our CART Provider, Lisa Johnston; and AV technology, LaShay Lewis ‑‑ I want to make sure ‑‑ and our fantastic interpreters. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  April Perry, David Phillips, Adam Ledo, and Rebecca Blitch.
Welcome all to day two for the quarterly meeting for the FCCDHH.  We welcome the public to join us as well.
I hope you're all rested well and weathered the storm.
You'll notice that outside the temperature has taken a tumble.  I think we might actually be colder than where my daughter is in Boone, North Carolina.  I think she was bragging about that [laughs]. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  A couple more hours, that will change. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  It will change in a couple hours because they're expecting snow and a high of 33, I don't know what she's talking about.  It's not below 33 here.
So, we were going to do a review of upcoming meetings, dates, and locations, so we did decide that the May meeting will be in Miami‑Dadeland and we also talked about the possibility of having a ‑‑ maybe a day early to have some public hearing or public advocacy something.  Would we like to open up the floor for that discussion now?  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  I think we should table the idea of a public forum until we have a goal and decide exactly what we want to do.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  I was just gonna ‑‑ after we heard our speaker yesterday talking about the expanded role, that's actually not really expanded, it's always been there, but it's much more broad than what we had understood, I thought we would take advantage of that, particularly since we've been really cost‑conscious up until this point, and the end of the fiscal year is June 30th, I don't see us having a lot more expenses between now and then.
I'm trying to think, is there something café, Family Café is in June, but I don't know if we're going to that or not?  Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  No, I don't have us listed as going.  But I do want to say that there is, for a while, it's in October, the It's A Deaf Thing is going on then and they've already sent us a request, and so the cost for us is 181, as opposed to the 1,000 that we paid last year for doing it late.
And so I gave them a tentative "yes, please, hold our spot."  So I need to discuss and make sure it's okay with you guys that we do It's A Deaf Thing.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  That would be the next fiscal year.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, it would. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So we'll talk about that in just a second.  But thank you very much for getting us in the queue for that.
Other thoughts about doing some kind of a public forum?
I actually like that terminology better, Chris, than public hearing or public... yeah, I like public forum.
Yes, Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  I think we should probably stick with promoting us attending other organizations that have already set up and have their goals of what they're doing, like It's A Deaf Thing.  I think it was very valuable that Tiffany and Debbe were there at It's A Deaf Thing.
I went as a participant because it was in my area.  I missed, Tiffany, can you say where it's supposed to be this next time?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Uh... I have to look that up, but I think it's somewhere near the Orlando area, I think.  I'm going to check again.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Okay. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  It's in here. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  The situation that I was thinking of is regardless of what Ms. McMullen said yesterday as far as our expanded abilities, we still have to get anything we do approved through the Department that supports us through DOH.
So, that said, if we try to do a public forum with an additional day with any type of objectives, and we just say we want to do something like that, if somebody put that request on my desk, I don't know that I would necessarily approve it unless I already had set up goals and objectives, some type of strategic plan of what I intended to achieve.
So what I would suggest that we do instead of that is maybe table that at least for one more meeting for a discussion or a vote on that and maybe set up an ad hoc subcommittee to maybe discuss that on a telephone meeting, and then once we have a plan of what we intend to do, who we intend to invite, how we're going to pay for it, things like that, then we can move forward.
If we don't have anything more laid out to just say to Shay or whoever, this is what we want to do, I can't see that it's necessarily going to move forward.
We've tried that.  We said we wanted to do something before in the form of an expo, which I certainly want to do.
So I think we should maybe look at the idea of discussing how we can do something that involves other hearing loss agencies, a town hall meeting, a public forum, an expo, whatever you want to call it, and just set up an ad hoc subcommittee first and discuss and outline the goals and objectives.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  Thank you, Chris.  Any other discussion?

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  This is Debbe.  It was in Lakeland where the It's A Deaf Thing.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you, Debbe.
Debbe, did you have any thought about public forum?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Last year it was Lakeland. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Well, I think FAD has always had a town hall meeting a lot, so you may want to check with [NAME] Scott and FAD for their format for the town hall.  I'm sure they have some kind of record.  I'm sure they have some kind of minutes or summary of some of the issues that were brought up during the town hall meetings.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  That's a good idea.
Oh, so it looks like It's A Deaf Thing is going to be at Florida State Fairgrounds.  Again, we're talking about October of 2020.  I would like us to back up into this fiscal year, which is June 30th.
Do we have any other activities that we are going to?  Yes, Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  I was going to bring that up a little bit later when we talked about announcements or things that we're involved in for the Council, but since we're talking about this fiscal year, I'll mention it.
We had discussed earlier about our involvement for the Governor's Hurricane Conference and we thought that it might be cost prohibitive because to rent a table in the expo hall, even for a non‑profit organization, is pretty expensive.  I think we looked it up, it was close to $1,000, if not more.
What I've ‑‑ what has happened since our last meeting is, number one, they came to me with a request to provide my training, it's for public safety specialist and victims' advocate and things like that.
However, unfortunately because the grant that we're operating on, the target audience is victims' advocate for victims of crime first is kind of different than the audience for the Governor's Hurricane Conference.  Yes, it may be victims and survivors, but they're victims and survivors of natural disasters and not necessarily a crime.
Although we would have loved to do that and we were trying to work something out so that we could, it was turned down for us to do the two‑day training at the Hurricane Conference.
I have been in communication with Renée Baines (sp) who is the director of the Hurricane Conference and she is aware if some type of shorter training spot that opens up in the workshops, I think the shortest ones are, like, an hour, she will let me know.
But I can't do the full two‑day training.
The best news that I have is AQI, our partners for interpreters here with the Council and also for me for St. Petersburg College and the trainings that I provide, they will have a table.  And they have said that they would provide a small area on their table for us to put our biennial reports and any information at the conference.
They have also said that if I would like to go with them, that I could do that.
Once again, I'm working under a grant that is not necessarily supported so I would have to ask the Council to pay for my travel.  The college can certainly support my absence and being down there for a couple of days, but I was hoping that Shay would be here to approve it if they wanted to send me as a representative.
Also it being best for, you know, me as a selected person being involved in public safety and emergency preparedness.  But I wanted to see what you all thought of that.  And again, of course, because Shay is not here, I don't know how that's necessarily received; I may need to e‑mail her about that. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you, Chris.  I think that's a good question for Shay.
It sounds like you will be representing St. Pete College and you would be wearing two hats, I'm not sure.  Tiffany, would that be a question for Shay?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, it's a question for Shay, mostly because of the two‑hat issue.  They would have justification for funding it.
We have a list of things that we're allowed to choose and we have to check one and choose one for why we are funding the cost of anything, and so I don't think ‑‑ we have to be sure that there's some way to just firmly state that there is ‑‑ that you're going as a representative of us.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  As an aside to that, when is this conference, Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  The conference is in May; I'm not sure exactly which week.  It's May of this fiscal year.  Again, the main function of me being at ‑‑ with AQI at their table in the expo hall would be to identify and let people know what we are doing with the Council.
Like the college supports me being here for the council meeting, it would be to let people know that the Council exists.
Because there's a lot of questions at the Governor's Hurricane Conference that came up last year that I heard from other interpreting agencies and the interpreting agencies that were there were actually a home‑based Georgia agency, so they were not familiar with the hearing loss services or anything about the Coordinating Council for the state of Florida.
So, again, we could have our biennial report and information on the Council and I could be there at the table with AQI to explain about that.  And AQI can explain about their services and doing contracts for emergency preparedness and response in disasters like hurricanes in the state of Florida.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you, Chris.
The conference is May 17‑22 in West Palm Beach.
The question would be is it too late to get a table?  Is it too late to be an exhibiter or a co‑sponsor?  They have one, two, three, four co‑sponsors right now.  It may be too late.
But if we could have a table for FCCDHH, I think I'd feel better about ‑‑ 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  We already discussed previously, it would be coast prohibitive to have the Council have a table.  AQI already has a table.  They have said that they would let us work with them, because we work together as partners here with the Council and I've discussed the possibility of us doing that.
So, again, it's something we need to ask Shay.
Everything is paid for, other than the travel for somebody to go down there.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  If we want to send Tiffany instead of me or something like that, we could do that as well.  I'm not committed to it being just me, but just that I have the emergency preparedness history and information, I thought I would be the best person, but that's up to you guys. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  No, no, no, it's not personal about you.  The question I'm asking is, if it's too late.  And I'm not sure what cost prohibitive means.  We have, it looks like we're going to have an excess in our budget and this would certainly be a worthwhile event to attend.
So, Tiffany, thoughts?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I was just going to say that I think it would be ‑‑ he has the expertise, so he would be actually a pretty ideal person to represent the Council in that type of situation.
But also we did speak about it being cost prohibitive because it was way above even knowing our budget, it was just going to be such a large cost with very little that has to do with us specifically, so it just did not seem to meet the same purpose or focus as it was.
But, if we have a table that's connected to theirs because we don't have to pay for a table, I know I'm not necessarily on the Council, but I do feel like that would probably look good for DOH to see that they are saving some funding in order to just have him there and then with him having the expertise in that area, which is an added plus, because he's representing the Council and he's representing the Council and is well versed in all areas. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Right, again, this is not about Chris versus somebody else, I'm asking what makes it cost prohibitive.  I'm looking at the perspectives, the exhibiters' perspective page and why not have one of our own?  Especially when we're looking at the funds that we have available to us towards the end of our fiscal year.
Yes, Cecil?  Gina, then Cecil. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay.  I just want to throw out there, you're talking about having the funds that are available.  The interpreter gentleman at public comments yesterday when he was talking about preparing for this small army of interpreters for our Miami meeting, we have to keep that in mind, because that's going to be additional expense if we're going to really accommodate the communication access needs of that particular community.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  This is Cecil.  I just want to make a comment.  The bylaws for Florida State, I want to make a comment about those.  It wouldn't hurt to ask if they would give us a table under our bylaws.  I mean, we are here, we're a Council for the state, we're an advisor for people who are deaf and hard of hearing.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Right, you're absolutely right.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  At the Hurricane Conference, they may provide us with a table for free. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Tiffany ‑‑ I'm sorry, I thought you were done, sorry about that.
Tiffany, would you be able to look into that?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I could, and I'll also ask Shay about the other two, just so that we have all the knowledge to make a full good decision on what to do. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Fantastic.  Thank you.  The cost for a standard booth, which includes two complementary exhibiter staff badges is 1600 for 10x10, 1800 for 10x10 corner, which is a prime booth.
I'm not sure if it's too late, I'm just looking at perspectives.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris again.  We already discussed this in the November meeting.  Bring up the caption and the CART.  Shay already said the cost is too high for us to have our own table.
The only reason I even brought this up is AQI said to me that we have a table and we could share with them.  They're paying for everything.  So the only issue is the travel and the attendance is the purpose for someone here on the Council.  But they already said the Council can't have their own people and when I say they, Shay said last time we can't have our own.
If that's changed and we want to revisit that discussion, that's fine.  But it seems like everybody is forgetting the discussion we had at the last meeting, because this is redundant. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Chris, Chris, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, I'm trying to bring up the possibility of something, that's all.
Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  This is Cecil.  I wanted to ask a question for clarification.  I know that we have a contract with AQI to provide interpreter services, so I don't know if this would provide a conflict for us because of this?  Because we're just kind of tagging onto what they have and taking advantage of that.
They are our business partner and I'm not sure if that's a conflict.  That's something we may want to clarify that.  John?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, John?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Now that I know that we are a business partner that we contract with, Cecil is absolutely right, there is an ethical problem there; absolutely.  Like she said yesterday, Ms. McMullen I think her name was, made it clear that the ethics rules applies to us as well, and I think Cecil's point is excellent, now that we know ‑‑ now that I know that we're contracted with them.
I didn't know that.
Now that I've got the floor, I would like to say that I wasn't at the November meeting, you know, and I'm sure that whatever is discussed with the meetings, I always ‑‑ I believe in asking more than once and I'm saying that in terms of the possibility of a free table, I think that Cecil's comment is very well taken.  We're not just a council, we are by definition in the statutes, we're an agent by definition.
Now, we're not the same as the Department of Health or APD or anything like that, but many things applies to us applies to us as an agency.
If I understand it right, the Hurricane Conference is the Governor's Conference.  The Governor's Office is arranging it and it's an executive functioning thing, so to speak?  Because if so, I think that especially given what Ms. McMullen told us yesterday, I don't think there's any reason for us to not approach it ‑‑ I mean, we have to understand that, you know, when you ask something, you know, Shay asks something, it's going probably up multiple rungs of some sort of ladder or something, for lack of a better way to describe it, and as it goes up, it's kind of like that game you played when you were a kid and you whispered in the ear and goes around the circle and see what you got at the end, it's kind of the same thing here.
You know, you say "council," Shay knows we're a council and knows where we come from and everything, that we're in the statute and that we're an executive council, we're administrated by an executive agency but as it goes up the ladder and gets straightened out, it may not get any further than someone thinking" council" and say hold on, that's just another group that's out there, another advocacy group or something like that.
So I don't think there's ever a problem going back and asking a second time and making sure that we back up the "ask," so to speak with facts and information about who we are and what we do, and instead of just asking maybe the second question needs to be well, given that we are, you know, an agency by definition, that we come under the Governor's Executive Branch, then why not?  Why wouldn't we not get a free table?  We have a statute that says we can reach out to other agencies for financial assistance, et cetera, why ‑‑ long story short, why the heck not ask again?
But again, I didn't realize we were contracting with those folks and there are other folks that I'm aware are, and I see Chris has a question.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Even though it's called the Florida Governor's Hurricane Conference, it's a for‑profit agency. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  [Groans]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  It's not a hurricane conference controlled by the state, they have been in operation for at least 10‑15 years or longer.
So, I'm not opposed to going and asking the question again.  I'm just saying we have already asked that question. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Mmm‑hmm. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  And also the reason I'm bringing this information to the Council is for exactly what Cecil brought up, the ethical issue because they are our partner and they do provide the interpreters for the agency.
I know through my grant through St. Pete College and through here, we have said we cannot have a table there.  If we want to ask again, we can ask again, but even there ‑‑ I'll have to check the pricing exactly again, but the non‑profit agency, the cost is really high to have a table in the expo hall.
So AQI, we were discussing some other issues, but they said they're having a table at the expo, they've already paid for it, set it up and everything, they said they could have the flyers and information there at their table for the Council, and even if we don't have a council representative, they have offered to have our information there for the Council, because they know historically, they were there at the conference last year and people were asking about what support do we have in Florida for interpreters and for people that are deaf or hard of hearing?  And the person that provided training and information last year was from Georgia and didn't have any information for them at all.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you, Chris.  Hold on one second for everyone.  Cecil first and then Mary and John, okay?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  This is Cecil.  I just wanted to ask a clarifying question.  I think this has been a good discussion and very worthwhile for consideration, but I did want to ask if the program is for‑profit, the hurricane conference, do other state agencies have tables at that conference?
And then does the Council partner with any other state agencies?  Would it be possible to?
For example, the Department of Health or any other agencies that we have representing and has a table at the conference ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  That's a good question, Cecil.  Mary, then John, and then I have a comment. 

>> MARY HODGES:  This is Mary.  My question was along the same lines as Cecil's, because if there are other state agencies involved, especially the Department of Emergency Management Services, I think is what it's called, I think we would stand a better chance of getting a free table as an agency or a council who is responding to the needs of a population who are very much in trouble, if we remember correctly at the last hurricane.  We had a public forum in Pensacola where people actually came and talked about how they lacked communication and how difficult they had the experience was for them.
So keeping that in mind and understanding that we really, really need to reach that population and have the other state agencies understand the role that we play, then perhaps we could appeal to that.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you very much, Mary.  John?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Just briefly.  That's kind of the same place where I was going kind of feeding off of what Cecil was saying.  You know, two things, number one, if there are other agencies, state agencies, departments, I'm curious if they're paying anything for their area or for a booth or whatever.
And number two, around the conflict, I don't think we need to ask an opinion for, I think it's clear on its face, a way around the conflict, to use, if we can't get or afford our own table is those other agencies and maybe have even multiple agencies that those tables have our stuff.
So I think we've got options here.  The problem is, we need information quick, I guess. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yeah, it sounds like it. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Because the May meeting wouldn't give us enough time to fund and everything and get this thing across for mid‑May, right?  So... 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I agree with you.  Thank you, John.  I do want to make a comment about that.  Sometimes, first of all, since it's the Governor's Conference, I don't think that the Governor's Office is going to say okay, you can use my executive office to fund this, if, in fact, they're not involved at all.
So sometimes ‑‑ and that may be that that is the case.
But sometimes when there's big conferences like this, they may contract a company to organize the entire conference, and that doesn't mean that it's a for‑profit conference, if that makes sense.
Now, it may be that this one is.
But I do think we need more information.
I am looking at the target audience and list of individuals who are coming.  FEMA, Armed Forces, National Weather Service, health departments, fire, EMS, public works, health, medical, law enforcement, agricultural, emergency managers, transportation departments, communication specialists, volunteer, and non‑profit organizations.
So it sounds like it's a lot of agencies in Florida.
So I just think we should make a phone call today and ‑‑ while we're in our council and see if we can get more information.
Gina, then Cecil. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Well, Cecil seems to have an urging matter.  You go ahead. 

[Laughter]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I just wanted to quickly make a point.  Thank you.  You mentioned the Department of Health had a table or was involved in that list you just said?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yeah. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  That's what I was thinking. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  If Tiffany could check on that ‑‑ 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I will. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  ‑‑ with your supervisor, maybe we could use their table. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I think that sounds good.
And in fact, there's a contact name here, contact Amy Williams, exhibit manager.  We could ask those basic questions, the number is 866‑361‑4442.
So sometimes these big conferences are contracted out to a company that does big conferences and it wouldn't be outside the realm of a possibility that a government program, like the Emergency Hurricane Preparedness is contracted out to an agency or a private company that puts together big exhibits, okay.
So that might be that for‑profit piece of it.  But that's not uncommon even with non‑profits to work with an organizing company.
So those are the questions to ask.
Gina, you've been waiting very patiently. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  That's okay.  I don't know if I'm going to be throwing water or gasoline on this fire, but my question is, we talked about this a lot in November and now we're going to be pushing and hurrying and trying to find information in a short window.
I don't think that's fair to Tiffany.  And it doesn't really make us look that good. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Why?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Because we talked about this in November.  The AQI lady was here, Chris, we talked about the conference, it was for‑profit, we went through all of that in November.  And now we're going to back up and redo it and that's kind of weird.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I don't know that that's weird.  And I disagree.  I think that we get more information as we go along and I think more information is more empowerment and I don't see this as a huge issue.  And I'm not sure, what it means that it doesn't make us look good.  I think it makes us look thoughtful and careful in our planning process.
Cecil first, then Chris.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I don't really have anything to add, but I am aware of the time and I also know that the EECO, there are staff involved in interpreting ‑‑ whether the staff involved in interpreting, we can ask the EEOC, but maybe... I think DOH is the secondary, so maybe we could reach out to a contact there or to the EEOC at the same time and keep our options open in the search for the Department of Health.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I agree.  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  First of all, I want to say Karen's most likely exactly right as far as just having a contract with an organization to provide the large conference.
I do know it's FEMA, state agencies, emergency management, the Department of Health all attend.
I don't care whether it's a private interpreting agency where we have our information or if we find out who our primary contact would be at emergency management for the state or if the Department of Health, as a whole, has a table and we want to have our biennial reports and information there.
I was just trying to jump off the comments that Lisa made when she attended the last meeting in November and them saying that we could go with them, because their direct focus is sign language interpreters and people who are deaf and hard of hearing, so that is a primary place that we "could" be involved.
But again, if it makes more sense because we are under the Department of Health or as part of emergency management, we can provide our information there too.
And just determine how we're going to move forward.
But as of last meeting, I can't even remember for sure, but I believe Shay was there as well, and we had not approved for anybody from the Council to attend the Hurricane Conference.  That's the only thing that I'm talking about.
And AQI has said we could have the brochures there.  But it's very important, what Cecil said and what John said, about it being a conflict of interest, we don't want to do anything that could be seen as that.
So it may be more important to have our brochures at the Department of Health or state emergency management, and I would support that.  I don't want to do anything that's gonna put us in jeopardy for being a conflict of interest.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you, Chris.  Gina?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Is it a conflict of interest since it's not a for‑profit company?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  That's the other question. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  It's my understanding that we thought it was the governor's deal because it was a conflict of interest because we contract with interpreters.  If it's not a governor's deal, if it's a for‑profit company, just a private company, is that still a conflict of interest, if we partner with the interpreters?
Because communication access is the key.
That's okay, go ahead. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I'm going to interrupt right now out of respect for our speaker who has traveled here.  We will table this and we will discuss it again, if there's no additional public comments at the public comments section.
I would like to introduce our third presenter, travel reimbursement process, submission of travel reimbursements, Kim Ingram is our travel "champion" from the Department of Health.  I love that title!  Is that on your business card, travel champion?  

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I think it should definitely be on the business card.  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Where is it best for everyone to see?  She's asking where she can stand?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Right there. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Because some things on the screen, on the TV ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  She's going to do a PowerPoint?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  There are pieces ‑‑ 

>> KIM INGRAM:  She wants to show you a ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Right there is perfect.  Welcome, "champion."  

[Laughter]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  One more thing.  There is a paper in the back of your binder and it will be the same pieces of paper that are up here.  Yours are blank there and it will show those items of travel, in case you want to see them close up and analyze the question.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Good morning, good morning, good morning, everyone!  I feel like I'm coming home!  I was with this group for two years, so this is an awesome experience to do this.  Thank you, Tiffany, and also thank Shay for asking me to come forth and do the travel part.  It's kind of tedious at times because we are learning new systems and new procedures and policies.
So, without further ado, my name is Kim Ingram.  Most call me Kimmie, this group knows me as Kimmie.  I am with the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention, I am also the travel champion for our division.

[Microphone feedback]. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  I also help the people throughout the department with the various county health departments.  So it's a big job, but I enjoy doing it.
So what we're going to do is we're going to open up with our first form that telephone says is in the back, and that's our travel authorization form.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Wrong one?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Wrong one?  That's awesome!  

[Laughter]. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Actually, the department is in a new travel system.  For those of you that was with me a few years ago, you remember Go Travel and that was one of the confusing systems we ever had, but the members were actually put into Go Travel.  The new travel system is our statewide travel system.  The only difference with that and Go Travel is that we cannot put any outside DOH person into the system.  So now we're going back to the old way of doing things, the manual way, which, to me, is kind of easier for you all, because you don't have to compete to go into a system and you only go in it every so often, so that's the good thing about now doing everything manual.
The first one we're going to look at is our authorization form.  This form actually gives you all permission to travel for the department.  Now, for us who actually are DOH employees, in the new system, if any changes occur, we have to do that travel over.
So, with you all doing it manual, let's say you first wanted to drive your personal car.  That is great, that's fine.
But something happens and you have to rent a car.  You have to then get additional permission to change your form of transportation.  Because they also look at this form to say that what you approve to do was travel in your personal car, it changed.  So any change in expense has to be an approved change, which means we can change it on the form, but Shay would have to get permission to actually say okay, I approve your change.
This, the numbers that you see on this form are not real numbers, they're guesstimates, they're actually estimates, what we think you are going to do and how much it is going to be.  But this is not real numbers.  But it has to have your original signatures.
That's the difference with the forms now.  At one point you could sign it, scan it, send it in.  That was okay.
Now everything has to be original signatures, which means you can sign this before your meeting, which means ‑‑ she could e‑mail it to you, you scan it, sign it back ‑‑ I'm sorry, you scan it, you sign it, and then you mail it back in, or you bring it to the meeting.  Every signature has to be original or they're going to reject your travel.
And most of this stuff on here, I'm going to talk about some of the things.
Per diem, before I talk about that, let's change forms.  Let's go over to our reimbursement form, because that's where our changes have occurred.  

[Pause]. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  This is the voucher, it's our reimbursement form that she would have to fill out.  Now, the difference is and what I used to do was I would actually have you sign it and then come back and put numbers in.
But because you have to approve your reimbursement, which means you need to see the numbers, you need to agree to the numbers that are here.  This is after the actual meeting.
So she can fill it out, but it can be e‑mailed to you all.  You have to scan ‑‑ print it, review it, sign it, and then mail it back into the Department.
Because you want to make sure the numbers that are on here are what you're agreeing to.
So, we're going to go over each one.
The address, make sure that the address is the address you actually want your check to be mailed to.
Because once we turn it in, it gets processed and approved, we no longer see the check.  The check is mailed out.  And if it gets lost, you have a month ‑‑ actually you have to wait 30 days in order to report it, in order for them to even see where it's at.
So just make sure the address is where you want your check to be mailed to.
Tiffany can fill all of this out, except when it comes to the meals are automatically, you're going to get that.  It's according to the time you leave your location until the time, if you, like, you all came on Wednesday, according to what time you left your location determines your meals.  It's not when you make it to Tallahassee.  If you left ‑‑ if you left at 11:00 o'clock, you do not get breakfast, you start off getting your lunch, so you get lunch and dinner.
If you remain overnight, that clock begins again; you get $36 for the next day.
If you leave today, most of you are leaving today, that goes into your per diem, which your per diem is the last amount.  That's your last day of travel.
Unless, and a lot of people do not know this, when you stay with someone, if you're here and you're staying with relatives, you do not have to claim meals, you can claim full per diem, which is a little bit more than your meals.
So you do not have to lodge in the hotel; if you have a friend here, a relative here you want to stay with, you can get permission to do that.
Lodging, if your lodging is over $150, we are to do, and we are to do this, we are to do an analysis of the area and not just two, three miles out, you have to actually do ‑‑ we were told we had to actually go ten miles out, which is, of course, you're going to find hotels that are less than 150.
So you have to do an analysis of the area, if your hotel is over the 150 threshold.
And we have to come up with different hotels ‑‑ the change in that, I used to just do hotels in the area, you cannot do that.  If you do a three star hotel, your other hotels must be a three star.  You cannot, like, do just randomly pick hotels.  We used to do that; they changed that for us.  So now hotels must match all hotels.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  So may I clarify?  When we pick a hotel and you all have to ‑‑ that will be the hotel you guys go to, before we pick the hotel, one, it has to be $150 or less, and then I have to go and search and come up with three others.  So she's not talking about you guys have to come up with the three others or five others, I have to come up with five others that are in the same area, which is something I didn't know, so this is very informative to me. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  [Laughs]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  And with the less expensive one is the one generally they take, unless there's a justification that we're sending in that our community needs to be able to access this location.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Or you can actually do the 150, if all the hotels in the area is over the 150 threshold, which we have done that before, too.
I want you to see something.  Do you have the POV versus ‑‑ this is one of the big questions being a part of DOH.  This is our new form.  They changed it on us.  It is the rent of car versus a POV worksheet and this is when you want to drive your own, your personal car.
This is something we have to do, if you choose not to rent a car, which you can rent a car.  But if you want to drive your personal car, this is now what we have to fill out.
And we try to fill it out beforehand so people can see what you would actually get at the end of your trip.  This is what you're going to receive at your reimbursement.  So I like people to see this up front.
So rental car fee, you can rent a car.  We have a form that we can fill out and you get the actual cost that we would pay, but it's only up to a compact, you can only do a compact car which is 25‑55.  You pick out the car, fill it out, scan it, show it to the Enterprise cashier and know what to do in order to get the 2555 rate. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I have a question from Debbe.  What is POV?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  That is a personal ‑‑ let me make sure I am getting it right for you all.  That is... 

[Pause].

>> KIM INGRAM: That's privately owned vehicles 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, John?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  If I was to choose my, to take my own car but I had no desire to get paid back any gas or anything like that, do I still need to go through the form process?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  What happens if I don't and I just go?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Well, we can ‑‑ I'm going to explain that to you.
If anything you opt out of doing, you can opt out of anything, you can tell us you don't want something.  The only thing we have to do is note it, but we have to say you told us to, because to them, it's, like, we can't make a decision ‑‑ we can't say the traveler said, per the traveler, he's rejecting reimbursement, so no, you don't have to, because you actually rejected it, you don't want it. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  And in writing. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yeah, and we have to note that you say that.
But, yes, the POV is ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Can I ask you another question?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Mmm‑hmm. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  This is just the worksheet.  Under mileage, are you asking us to put the total mileage or calculating it for us?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  That's another one, we have to go through the Department of Transportation, we have to go from your home, your city, not your location, but your city to Tallahassee, we have to do Department of Transportation miles.
Anything outside of that is the same miles, but in this form, sometimes the more miles you have, the more it's going to say that it was cheaper to take a rental car, so, you know... 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I have a question, Kimmie.  This is Gina.  I have a question, you note on your form there, the mileage is 44¢ per mile.  On the website, it says the state of Florida files with the IRS mileage, which is like 52¢. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  They don't, they don't ‑‑ the agency does the .445, and I actually discussed with them, your estimated fuel costs, I did discuss that with Travel, there is a link that we can use to determine the actual ‑‑ she just took it away ‑‑ 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Oh, I'm sorry, I was trying to find that link for you.  Hold up, let me go back. 

[Pause]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I'm sorry, I'm running a little slow. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  That's okay. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Here we go. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  To calculate your estimated fuel cost, my question to them was, what happens if the average miles per gallon is not 30, it might be more than that, but there is only for us to use to change that, there is a link that we can use, but we have to show proof of it.  Everything now is kind of like we have to show what we're doing, but they did send me a link and I gave it to Tiffany so she can share it with everyone.  But we can change those numbers to match you and not, you know, this form. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  So if I told you what my car actually gets per gallon, because I've never owned a Prius that gets 60 miles a gallon. 

[Laughter]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I can send you that?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Let me ask, which one can we choose for the rental car?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  If you rent with the department, you use our ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  No, no, I mean, compact, intermediate, or full sized?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  It would be compact, which are tiny cars!
Now, we do not stop people from renting, we have people all the time rent an intermediate or full size.  The difference in doing that, when it comes time for your reimbursement, you have to pay that part, you pay that yourself.  You can get up to the 25‑55 and a lot of people say those cars are too small, they run off the road, you know, the wind is blowing and they move. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  They don't like that, they actually pay the $5.40.  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  What's the best way to do that?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  On?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  The process?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Oh, you choose that ‑‑ 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Basically how to do the upgrade?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  They call it in and do it themselves and just tell me, like, one guy is really tall, he's, like, six feet something, we tried to put him in a compact, that doesn't work.  I felt sorry for him, you don't travel to Orlando being six feet. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I can relate. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  He asked for an upgrade and at the very end, we did his reimbursement, and I did the calculations and I noted it that the traveler was paying for the upgrade in his car.  It's just that simple, yeah.  

>> INTERPRETER:  Question. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  One more question, there are some exceptions.  So what if two or three members ride in the same car?  Can you ask for an intermediate sized car for that, if you have the justification filled out?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes.  If it's more than two people riding in a car, you are ‑‑ you can do an upgrade.  You can do an intermediate car for three people.
The only thing you have to do with that is list the other additional people in your car, that's it.  So, yeah, you can upgrade if it's more than two.
This is our Enterprise National car rental authorization form and this gives you permission to use our rate, the Department of Health rate, or the State rate.
So we first fill this out, how Shay's signature is, and we actually e‑mail this to you and you print it out, sign it, and take this to the desk of the Enterprise and they will treat you as if you were, you know, you were a State employee, getting the same amount of rate.
The difference is, because we are tax exempt, we don't do the taxes, you all probably pay for the tax, but you get that back at the end of your trip, you get all of that back.
Rental cars, you get few, personal vehicles you only get your mileage, and if the POV deems that it was cheaper to rent a car, you only get the amount of the rental car.
So if you were on a trip from Orlando here and your mileage was $486, your total was 200 plus dollars, when we do the rental car part, your rental car, three days, I try to always go over, three days at 25‑5 will put your fuel down and at the end of it, if the total POV cost is greater than the total rental car cost, we can only give you the cost of the rental car, which, you know....
So some people, they have lost 200 and, you know....
It's not fun, it's not fun [chuckles].  It's really not, but they ‑‑ like here, for example, so even if that person did the total cost was $214, the only thing at reimbursement time we could pay that person is 76.65. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Wait a minute, wait a minute. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I didn't add the thing yet.  Give me a number. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  270, 280, 294. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So, for instance, for instance, if I'm going to be renting a car and I go to get that car, it's involving, having my husband drive me to get the car, okay, and I work full‑time, I'm a physician, so I'm going to be in Tampa all day long seeing patients or what have you, I came up on Tuesday, okay, so I would have to get the car Monday night, all right.  So now that's an extra day.  And then I'm leaving at 12:00 noon from my office in Tampa, whatever, and then driving up. 
So now that's Monday, because I came in a day early to see the Legislature.  So that's Monday.  Now I'm getting back on Friday night when I'm done, that's ‑‑ so I drop it off if I get home by 6:00, but they're going to charge me extra because it's not... 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Mmm‑hmm. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Well, if I did Monday night, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... so we're looking at four days, okay.  So that's allowed.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  To do that extra day. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Now, some people who leave early from here, let's just say you have to leave at ‑‑ you've got to be on the road at 8:00, Enterprise does not open here until about 8:00 if you need to be on the road at 8:00, there's no way you can be here at 8:00, so they're allowed to pick up the day before, they have picked up that day. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Debbe has a question.  Go ahead, Debbe. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  This is Darlene, this is Darlene.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay, the chat said Debbe, but go ahead, Darlene.  

[Pause]. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Okay.  I'm doing fine.  I wanted to ask, I don't drive, so I have to get someone to drive me to go somewhere.  So do they still have to get a rental car?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  No, Darlene, you don't have to ‑‑ 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  How does that work?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  You can drive your own personal vehicle, that is allowed for you to drive your personal vehicle.
If you have an ADA on file here, you actually can ‑‑ you actually can have permission to drive your car. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Yeah, I do have an ADA on file, I have that on file, so I just wanted to... okay. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Okay.  As long as you have an ADA on file, you can actually get ‑‑ you actually have permission to drive your personal vehicle.  We have people with ADA on file, they are given permission to upgrade.  And they're not penalized for that upgrade. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Okay. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Because it's on file.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, Mary?  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  All right, thank you.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  You're welcome.  

>> MARY HODGES:  Kimmie, the rental car authorization indicates the form has to be completed by non‑employees.  Does that include other state agencies?  Are we considered non‑employees?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  No. 

>> MARY HODGES:  So we wouldn't need to do this. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Debbe still has a question.  Go ahead, Debbe. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, Debbe?  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Two questions.  What is the ADA on file?  I have never heard of that.  I mean... most of us like to use our own cars because we have our cell phones hooked up with the bluetooth and our phones in our cars, that kind of thing.  That's one question.
The other question is, just recently in December, I got a bill on my credit card or my debit card for Enterprise, from Enterprise for $5 something and it turns out that it was a toll from the August meeting.  And I was shocked to see that it was on there, from the August meeting.  Now I'm getting bills for the tolls from Enterprise that I got on my debit card.  And it's too late to report it to ‑‑ for reimbursement, and Tiffany was working on it, I guess.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Good question [chuckles].  That's something me and Chris actually discussed earlier during the week.
I'm going to talk about the tolls first.  And I discussed that with them.
When it comes to tolls, there are so many ‑‑ now the tolls are now you just go through them.  But if you are in a rental car, the rental car company is going to charge the car because you had it.
You will not see a bill hit for four weeks, because it has to go through the Department of Highway Safety and it takes about four weeks before you see it hit.
A lot of people actually come and tell us that that's what happened so we can go on up front and try to handle it because it's going to hit their P‑card, most people have P‑cards and it's going to hit their P‑cards.
What I was informed to do, if you all were to get a transponder on your own, you can be reimbursed for whatever tolls hit your transponder.
The only thing we need is a directory or a log or activity sheet of your charges.  And you can be reimbursed for your tolls.
Oh, and your other question with the ADA ‑‑ I'm sorry about that ‑‑ the travel of persons with disabilities, if you put your ADA on file here, it gives you permission to drive your car because that's what you feel is necessary for you to actually travel.
Some people don't like driving in a rental car because it's not set up for them.  Their personal cars are set up for how they want to travel.  That's fine.  But you have to put your ADA form on file giving you permission.
We can send you a link, there is a link, there is a form to fill out. 
It's kind of like confidential stuff, so we really don't know you're doing it, we're not supposed to know because it's confidential for you.
So I'll have Tiffany send you the information and you can work that, so next time you won't be penalized for how you're traveling.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  We have Chris and then we have Tiffany and I have Cindy.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Hi, Kimmie.  First of all, we love you.  I'm not shooting the messenger, I promise. 

[Laughter]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  I also have been asked by Glenna and Cindy to say a big "hello" and pass on a hug to you because we miss you!
The issue of tolls is a crazy one.
I have mini passes on both of my cars.  I have no need for a transponder for anything other than travel for the state, quite honestly, so if I'm buying a transponder, a transponder is $20, so basically I don't charge that cost to the State, right?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  No. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Okay.  So traveling up here, the e‑toll system or whatever it's called through Enterprise, they said it's automatic. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Mmm‑hmm. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  But any day that you incur tolls, the e‑tolls is $5, plus the actual cost of the tolls.
The problem is, the actual cost of the tolls don't show up for, I kid you not, 6‑12 weeks later or longer.  Four weeks is a dream. 

[Laughter]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  That doesn't happen. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  No!  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This problem first came up, I think, when we were in South Florida and they had toll by plate and I was in a rental car.  I don't have the luxury of using my personal vehicle because I drive a truck and it takes 8 gallons to the mile, or something like that. 

[Laughter]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Not good!
But anyway, so, traveling up on the Suncoast Parkway, it's supposed to be $6 from end‑to‑end and they triple and quadruple administrative charges and it's $18‑24 each way.  So that gets kind of expensive.
And to this point, quite honestly, I've eaten a lot of the costs.
So, I mean, the e‑tolls, can we ask for reimbursement for that $5 on the day we use the tolls?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Now, we have people do that and they were denied.
But we can bring it forward.  We cannot say they would deny it.  We can bring it forth to say that.
I did ask travel staff about it and what I was informed was to have them purchase a transponder.  And I said these are not DOH staff, they are not a part of the state, these are court (sic) appointed council members, and so I would take it to ‑‑ maybe we can take it a little higher and maybe we can get Shay to talk to Shamary (sp) and take it higher than us. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  John and then me. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Is health paying for transponders for health employees?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  For our bureau, I purchase transponders for the bureau, you know, so many transponders.
We purchase so many to put in the rental cars because we was actually getting hit with the, you know, the fees, too, we were getting hit a lot with that.  Because sometimes people went through and they didn't even know it was a toll they were going through, and we were getting hit a lot, and after four weeks, we were seeing these things hit the P‑card and we couldn't justify what had happened. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Can you deploy your transponders to us since you all are traveling?  

[Laughter]. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  We can check on that, we can check on that!  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Cecil?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Before you get off the mileage, I have a question on that.  We have Cecil and Tiffany.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  This is Cecil, just a quick comment.  I remember we had a rental car, it was a business a few months ago that I did, and one of my staff had something personal happen and the responder, they put their personal responder up there and they were charged through that, and I know it's not convenient, but it is less of a problem for reimbursement, being able to document it if it was a personal, you know, transponder.
So, that might have solved that?  It's a more immediate answer to that is taking that transponder off and putting your personal transponder there.  I don't know if that would solve it, in a rental car anyway, I don't know if that would solve it.  Just another suggestion. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  It will, it will, you get that money back, you truly get it back.  So you put $20 on your transponder, that's what I put on, I put 25 on each one of them and from here to Orlando and back, it might have been $12, maybe $15‑16, and it was covered, and anyone else that does that, even if they're not a DOH person, they get that back, they get that money back.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, Tiffany and then Mary.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hi, this is Tiffany.  So I'm just speaking for Debbe Hagner.  She did send in a question about that with her Enterprise toll bill for the $5.30.  We're still processing her travel, so I can possibly add this onto her travel. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  We can see if she will get that back, because a lot of people that we realized what was going ‑‑ what happened is that they did not even ‑‑ there was no one to give money to, so we ‑‑ there was no one, they just had to go through it, so they were charged.  And then they get all these fees and of course, yes, we had to fight it, but we were told they could have done it. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  She might not ‑‑ 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Darlene. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  ‑‑ get the receipts anymore ‑‑ 

>> KIM INGRAM:  The only reason I like receipts, it keeps everything, if someone wants to say Kim, show me the amount of travel on every receipt, that's why I keep the receipts.
You can actually go $25 up to your tolls without receipts, you can still get reimbursed even without receipts, up to $25.  I like receipts because if you wanted to see your travel and you wanted to see everything, you know, then I like receipts to show the person everything that we put on their reimbursement, this is the receipts. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  This is what we did. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  And then the last piece is apparently it is probable that there will be more, if this is just the first one to hit and there may be more, we are doing more travel ‑‑ 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Travel can be amended.  If there's a charge, and let's just say you have the travel, you got it, you got your check, it's been approved, and you found out that I missed something and I need to be paid for this, travel can be amended.  You simply have to do it again minus everything that you have gotten paid and what you're going to do is put on the travel what you're trying to get them to pay for, with all of the documentation behind it.
So travel can be amended. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  That's good news.  That was my question.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you.  Mary?  

>> MARY HODGES:  Thank you.  This is Mary Hodges.  So I see the voucher for reimbursement and it is specific to the Department of Health in regard to org codes and et cetera.
Is there a travel authorization form?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  It has the org codes. 

>> MARY HODGES:  So you do have an authorization form that is provided as well?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  For you, for ‑‑ because the Department is paying, everything will reflect the Department, even if you were with another agency, every org code, it looks like you went through the Department, because every code will show us, and not you.  

>> MARY HODGES:  I understand.  So for non‑state employees, do they do a travel authorization form?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes, everybody does.  Go back to the form.  Everybody does. 

>> MARY HODGES:  I'm going to just, so that you know, be providing this information to the Department so that we can start to partake in [chuckles] the Department of Health's budget for this ‑‑ 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes, I always wanted ‑‑ I always... um... wanted everyone to be, you know, paid for, and I was, like, I know you all was with a different agency, but it never did with reimbursement and I couldn't double dip, you know, we couldn't do that.
But yes, you can, you are allowed to be paid through this department. 

>> MARY HODGES:  Excellent.  Thank you.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Gina?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  You mentioned about the mileage being, the Department of Transportation goes from city to city.  If you live 20 miles outside of the city and you were arriving 20 miles outside of the city, you're ditching 40 miles that's not accounted for. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  That's going to be your vicinity mileage.  Map to map is city to city and that's the Department of Transportation.  Anything outside of city to city is actually vicinity mileage and that becomes your 20 miles is vicinity, from wherever your location is, let's just say it's Tallahassee, it's your 300 miles, that's transportation, anything outside of that is vicinity mileage, and it's on ‑‑ it's actually put on here, we have a spot for vicinity mileage on here.
Tiffany, do something, can you put vicinity mileage on?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  So we're going to take a few more questions, but I don't want to, you know, rush you or anything, we have another speaker at 9:45 and we're in public comment section right now, so Cecil, you have a question?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Thank you, Madam Chair.  Just one question. 

>> LaSHAY:  Turn your mic on. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I know a long time ago, in 2010, the Council paid for my expenses, maybe two, three years ago, someone told me the Department of Health refused to pay for my travel expenses and I was, like, what?!
So it was a couple years ago.  So I don't know what the policy is for that, if my agency prefers DOH to pay for my travel or how that works.  How does that situation work?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Actually because you are a member of this Council, you are to be paid through us, even if you were with another agency, you do get paid through us.
You are to let your agency know that the Department of Health is covering my travel and then that frees them up for us to take over. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Yes, okay.  I just wanted some clarification and last year they said no, my agency would pay, and I was, like, what?  You clarified it.  Thank you. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you.  Other questions?  Yes, Mary?  

>> MARY HODGES:  I'm sorry, I was just having a sidebar with Tiffany that maybe if we could have something to actually give to our agency that would let them know that this is covered by the Department of Health?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes. 

>> MARY HODGES:  Thank you. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  The authorization is what you need to show them that we are covering your ‑‑ we are covering your expenses and all expenses are paid through here. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  I am so sorry that you did not get paid, I really am.  I always question why, so we can fix that, that can be fixed.  You can be paid. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Is there anymore questions?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  We're not rushing you, are we?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  No!  [Laughs]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Tiffany is admitting she's rushing you. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I'm sorry, I don't mean to rush this, but I do want her to explain how you can see what the balance of what you will receive in a situation like what has been posted up here.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Okay.  Go back to your reimbursement. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  So it makes sense to you. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Oh, here?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, here. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  The rental car we added a 40 mile vicinity mileage onto here, and because we have to do the cheaper amount, the most economical for the state, you would end up what we would reimburse you for would only be the 127.90, so you lost, even though that was not a savings to the state, you lost $104.80.  That's a lot ‑‑ that's a great amount, when ten years ago you would have gotten the entire 232, so... so that's how they calculate it, that's how they calculate it now. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  So this means the person would only receive how much in their reimbursement for this part?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  This part, 127.90.  They would only get the cost of the rental car, because it's cheaper than their personal vehicle. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  Y'all get that part?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Gina has a question. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Tiffany, is this form online, do we do it electrically or ‑‑ 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Actually, Tiffany does this form.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Oh. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  That's why at the end, or the beginning, whichever one you want to see, if you decide to use your personal vehicle, you see this form first.  I used to send this form for reimbursement to let you know, this is the form, this is how I calculate it and this is how much you are going to receive.  That gives the person time to talk to me, we can work it out before it gets to our travel staff and they reject it and sends it back, and that's just a whole new ball game. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Yes, ma'am!  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  This is why there is one in your folder now. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I see it. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  So you guys can look at this stuff on your own. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  This is such a great discussion, but I want to be cognizant that we are currently in the time for public comments.
I'm not going to rush you off the stage.  I'm gonna check, we're going to take a second and check and see if there's anybody online, on the phone, or in the room that has public comments?

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Anyone in the room that wants to make a comment?  This is the public comment section of our meeting.

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  You can continue.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Anymore questions?  

[Pause]. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Okay.  I do have one ‑‑ oh, Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  It's not a question.  I just wanted to mention, the toll issue is only because they've removed the ability to pay by cash.  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes, yes. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  On Suncoast Parkway, I think it was a week or two ago, they just stopped all cash transactions and it's toll by plate or e‑pass only or sun pass only.  The mini transponder is $5, the transponder is $20, but I have the mini pass. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  Yes, we tried to work that and we follow the policies and procedures of the State and not the DOH policies and procedures. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And the mini pass is so convenient, because you get $5 back, right?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  Mmm‑hmm. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I think that was the deal when I got mine.
We want to thank you very much for your presentation.  We have a thank you card for you. 

>> KIM INGRAM:  One more thing, since I was last year I have graduated from the University of West Florida with my master's in public administration. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Do we have direct deposits for our checks?  

>> KIM INGRAM:  No, unless you work for the State.  They are mailed.  

[Pause]. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Darlene. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  This is Karen.  We are currently in the public comment section.  We want to check again if there's anybody in the room, online, or on the phone who would like to make a public comment?  Or, you know, publicly share anything, anything you would like to share?

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Lots of great discussions we've had today.  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  We have our next presenter at 9:45. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  That is Debbe. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Debbe, I didn't mean to cut you off.  Go ahead.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Is Tiffany planning to go to the expo on February 15, in Sarasota?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Oh, the Sarasota HLAA expo?  The hearing expo by HLAA, is that the one you're referring to?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  In Bradenton?  Yes, I am planning to be there. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  What's the date?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  It is the 15th of February.  The 14th I'm going over, the 15th is the actual event. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  It's next Saturday, is that correct?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes.  

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Yes.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  You know what?  I think I can clear my schedule to be there.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  The difference is that we have not ‑‑ 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I might be going as well.  It depends on the doctors.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Normally I see patients in my private practice on Saturday, but for some reason I have a very small schedule next week, so... 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  We don't have a table.  We are just going. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Right.  But I represent HLAA, so I'd like to be there.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Tiffany, I believe we do have a table there, from what I understand.  I can double‑check that.  Because you and I are working together and I'm sharing a table also with ALDA and HLAA.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Hello, this is Tiffany.  Yes, I know I was allowed to put stuff on the table that you guys have.  That's what I learned.
I don't think that FCCDHH has purchased a table or signed up for one.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  Okay.  I'll investigate that.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  I appreciate it.  

[Pause]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I think it would be nice if FCCDHH had a table there.  I tried to convince my agency to get a table there, but I'm not sure on that.  

[Pause]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I think we brought that up to my bosses and for some reason, which I'm not really remembering which one it was, but we were not able to do so, and so the next best way to deal with it was to just let me be able to go.
So, I don't think we got voted in to do so at our last meeting; I don't think we made a decision, and so we just couldn't make the decision without having made the decision to the Council. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I gotcha.  Thank you.  Yes, Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Just let me clarify, the interpreter misunderstood.
We're working out the details for getting a table there; we're in the process.
The State registration process before we're able to go in and get the table finalized there.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  For this hearing expo?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Yes, for the expo, for the hearing expo, that's correct.  They contacted us a while back on a local level and so we're trying to go through the process, through the My Florida Marketplace to get the funding for that.  So we're working it go out. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Fantastic.  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay, five more minutes left for public comments. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Darlene. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Any other expos or events coming up soon?
I gave a call over to the Governor's... uh... Hurricane Preparedness, the number that they listed to get more information and I'm waiting for a call back.
Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I also wanted to mention, I learned in, what was it, in April, no, in March, there's a Cochlear Implant Expo in Orlando for families and children.  I believe that's in March, on the second Saturday in March, if I remember correctly, in Orlando.  That might be something of interest.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  We might consider attending that. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Wonderful.  If you do go, I look forward to hearing about that, about that conference.
Anyone else?  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Do we want to have the speaker present ‑‑ 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  This is Debbe.  I will send you all the information about February 15th, that's also a major speaker, Juliette Sterkens from Madison, Wisconsin, she will be talking about the loop system and that will be held on February 12th.
She will also be on there on February 15th as well.  Tiffany, I will send you the information and the schedule as well.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you, Debbe.  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  I have a question for Debbe, actually.  It's regarding the HLAA presentation on February 15th.
For the speakers, are they going to have CART there or interpreters for the presentation?  Because there have been times where they've had one or the other and doesn't necessarily accommodate the diverse population of people with hearing loss of HLAA.
So I think that's been corrected, but I just wanted to make sure.  

[Pause]. 

>> DEBBE HAGNER:  As far as I know, I believe there are, but I can double‑check.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Thanks, Debbe.  If you would check with Ed, I would really appreciate that.
I do know that we want everybody to be involved, and I think ALDA is work to work on being at that as well, so we have to discuss that more, but we'll make that happen real quick, because I know it's fast approaching.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you, Chris.
Well, it's just about 9:45, so why don't we go ahead and get started with our fourth on final presenter for this meeting.
This is on budget, grants,ous funding, bank accounts, line items.  I may have to have help with the name.  Latheria Charleston, I'll call you "budget champion" since we have a theme going. 

[Laughter]. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Good afternoon, everyone.  My name is Latheria Charleston and I'm the budget coordinator for the Bureau for Family Health Services.  I would like to thank Tiffany for asking me to present and and Shay for allowing me and I'll hopefully give you an overview for the budget from the bureau.
And we're going to just jump right on into it.
Topics we're going to cover today, we're going to cover the bureau of family health services budget overview, how that budget is allocated, we're going to go into what categories they're allocated in, and I'm going to go over ‑‑ do an overview of the funds and also an overview of the budget for the Council. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Darlene. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference.  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Okay.  The Department of Health needs two things in order to expend funds.  The obvious is cash.  But the second thing is budget authority.
The bureau for family health services, most of our cash comes from federal grants that we've applied for and also general revenue and some of our cash comes from trust funds that the State manages.
And in your case, the Council's case, our funds come from the administrative trust fund.
So, again, cash is the obvious, but most people don't know that we also need budget authority, and budget authority is the authority that we receive from the legislative process to spend the funds that we have.
In your case, the budget authority, I won't say it does not matter.  It does matter.  But when we get authority to spend from the Legislature, the cash comes with it.
But for grants, on the other hand, we may have applied for the grant, receive the cash, but yet not the budget authority or enough budget authority to actually go ahead and spend that cash.
But, again, in your case, the Council's case, our budget and cash comes from the administrative trust fund, so those two comes together.
Again, general revenue, we have general revenue, we get federal grants trust fund.  The county health department has their own trust fund.  And again, your funds are from the administrative trust fund.
Okay.  And after the legislative process, the House has agreed on a budget, it's gone to the Governor.  The Governor can either veto or pass that budget.
Once that whole process is done, the resulting document is the General Appropriations Act and this document is just a portion of that Act.  It's actually many pages, but I had this put up here for an example, because once we receive the cash in the budget authority, that budget authority is broken up into categories that further dictates how we spend that money.
And after categories is broken up into funds.
And depending on the type of revenue or where the revenue comes from, that determines where that cash goes.
So here we have an example of just one line, we receive budget authority, in this category, which is contractor services, and then also is broken up of how much budget authority and cash we receive in each of our funds.
And our categories generally at the Department of Health, these are our basic categories:  Salaries, OPS expense, and contractor services.  So most of the programs that we have on the Council, we are going to have these basic categories.
There are other categories we can expend funds out of, but in this case, in your case, we will have just the basic categories up top.
We also have special categories that funds goes into and examples of those are, like, Healthy Start, out of the health category, and again, those special categories are normal program specific for special purposes.
Now, each of these categories, again, the categories further dictate how to spend the money, there are certain things we can spend the money for.
Salaries can only be for salaries, OPS or OPS employees, expenses can only be for, like, commodities, and contractor services would be our services, like the AQI would be in contractor services, Ms. Johnston would be contractor services.
So after receiving all the money, again, it's separated into categories and the categories restrict actually what we can spend funds in or for.
And I just had some examples of funds included what that cash goes into.  Again, I think I've gone over that.  Federal grants trust fund.
Sometimes we get fines and fees that are imposed on citizens, and an example of that is rape crisis trust fund, those are imposed on violators and that goes into the category as again, the administrative trust fund, the administrative trust fund is made up of indirect costs that are charged to grants.  Every time we apply for a grant that has salaries in it, the State is allowed to charge that indirect.  And that indirect cost is used to fund administrative activities that are not specifically to that grant.
For example, in the budget office, they work for the whole department and not for that particular grant.
So, those costs for those administrative functions are allocated out of the indirect trust fund ‑‑ I'm sorry, the administrative trust fund, which includes that indirect.
And also out of that indirect that's in that fund, the Council is funded.  And other programs also are funded as well.
Okay.  So where does the Council come in in that big overview?  There are a lot of moving parts that time would not permit me to explain today.
But to get down to where the Council fits in that budget, we're going to go over your spreadsheet today.
And I think everyone has a copy of it?  Because it's not hard to see or to squeeze all of that into this PowerPoint slide.
So, for this fiscal year, the Council received a total of $165,342.  And that's noted on row E, if you can see it in your binder there, the total funds allocated.
And as I mentioned earlier, those funds were broken up into different categories and that's where I have the A, B, and C at on the PowerPoint slide.
You can see the total allocated for that OPS position, the total completely allocated for that services, and the total allocated for expenses there.
So, again, we have to be mindful of where we're talking about spending money, we have to look at not only the total budget, which is 165, 165,342, but we also have to look at what was allocated in each category.
So, for example, if we had money left in services but not in expenses, and you wanted something, a commodity, or something tangible that you wanted to purchase and no money left in expense, we couldn't just jump over in services and spend that money; it actually has to come out of a specific category, and that category has to be budgeted, have enough budget in it to make that purchase or to purchase that service.
Here I tried to break everything down in, say, the second column, you're going to have, again, what's allocated, the total allocated per category, and also you're going to have your conferences.  Your conferences are just funds that are obligated, such as the contracts we have with Vanguard Visual, CART, interpreter services, the registrar's office. So those are actually the balances of the encumbrances and I totaled those at the bottom.
So if we look at the bottom figures, line E is just going to give you the total allocation minus the encumbrance prior to the expenditures for that month, but after you take out expenditures for January, that bottom line, that bottom row F, is going to give you the total budget that you have left, minus the encumbrance, minus the expenditures for each month.
So you can see where we are now, we are about ‑‑ about halfway through the budget, and so we have a balance of 80,184.32 which is good for this year, we're about halfway, so we're spending it pretty good all the way through.
So I tried to make it as easy as possible to understand.  You can let me know if you want anything changed, I will be glad to change it.
And so I'm just going to pause for questions right now.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Anybody have any questions about the budget?  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Okay.  This is Chris, thank you so much for the presentation, I appreciate everything that we can learn on the budget.  Understanding, of course, that the money that we receive is ‑‑ we're not an official line item in the State budget anymore, so we get our money directly from the Department of Health to operate. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Mmm‑hmm, yes.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  So, that said, our operating expenses for our four meetings and travel and whenever Tiffany is able to attend another conference, that's all paid by the Department of Health. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  One of the things we wanted to do is see if we can bring funds in from elsewhere.  So if, in fact, one of us was to hypothetically apply for and win an award for a federal grant, because there are several grants out there through NIH or Health and Human Services, things like that that would be very applicable to our missions and goals as a Council.
But my concern is, if we do that and we bring money into the Council, you said things can't just be transferred from one line item to another and the way things are set up with DOH, they can't get ‑‑ if we get a grant, they can't all of a sudden say we're going to pay Tiffany's salary or pay for accommodation services for a meeting out of the grant instead of out of the DOH budget.
Can they do that?  Or how would that work?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Are you applying for funding on the behalf, under the State or outside?  Part of the state?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  We would be applying for funding as a Council ‑‑ 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Under the Department of Health?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  If the Council is the recipient of the grant.  The Council operates under the State, so, say, just hypothetically we received $50,000 from an NIH grant.  Can they take $50,000 that we're supposed to receive for the goals and the purpose of outreach and training for people in the state of Florida with hearing loss, can they say well, the outreach that we do for our quarterly meetings is similar, so we take the operating expenses for that and it really isn't an increase, it's just DOH uses our money elsewhere?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  There are programs that use money from different funding sources and different grants, that happens all the time.
Many of our programs are funded, again, from federal grants, as well as money that we receive through other agencies within the state.
So, that can be done.
There would have to be a request for budget, because, again, once we bring in cash, budget authority has to be received also.  And that would be the process.
Now, if it's approved by DOH and then it goes to the Legislature and it's approved giving us the budget for it, then you can spend it.  You can spend those funds.
And you choose where those expenditures come from.
But, again, even if those funds are approved, they're going to be broken down again into categories as well.
But like you said, you can, once that's approved by DOH, once you received it and once the budget is given, you can say well, I don't want to pay it out of the administrative trust fund, this pot of money, I want to pay it out of this pot of money this time.
But you would want to take into account, if you get more cash, we only have a certain length of time to spend it, because budget authority is only given from July 1 to June 30.  So it would need to be spent completely by June 30th of that state fiscal year, unless it's funding that would cross over the state fiscal years.
Because that budget authority goes away by June 30th and everything refreshes, everything we did refreshes.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you.  We have comments or questions from Gina, Mary, and then Cecil.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is actually from Glenna, who is sitting on the other side of Karen. 

[Laughter]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  She asked to make sure that we ask you about getting a grant writer, a loan ‑‑ blah ‑‑ loan us a grant writer because there are a lot of excellent grant writers, she wants to know can you give us one as a Council to help us locate a foundation that may be able to support some of the things that are not necessarily listed on your sheet there?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  That would be up to Shay to determine that.  That would be a conversation for her. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Oh, okay... thank you.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you.  Mary and then Cecil.  

>> MARY HODGES:  This is Mary.  I think that my question was actually answered.  I was just going to ask, where in the budget would that kind of income show?  Would we get, you know, if the Council actually wrote a grant proposal and was funded, where would that show up in the budget?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  We would simply add that to it.  I probably would then break it down to split it out so you know which funding is which.
Because actually I identify your funding by what we call a cost accumulator, another cost accumulator.  In short, we call it OCA, so your funding actually has an OCA on the search for what's spent, and then if there is another funding source, it's going to receive another OCA.  So I will be able to track both and add it here and break it out by OCA, so you can see what you have and what you have left in each fund.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you.  Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  This is Cecil.  A clarification here.  The Florida Statute allows the Council to apply to receive funding.  That's part of the statute, and that seems pretty clear.
So, the clarification regarding the budget, so we have July to June, okay, is the year.  And we seek a grant, a grant funding in order to do things beyond what we have budgeted, okay.
The budget, if the budget remains as is for the purpose of the Council for conducting meetings and such and we get a grant for additional activities, perhaps providing some sort of training to police officers, Chris, you know, hiring someone to do that training out in the field, the money that we receive would be put into the budget.
But I ‑‑ that would be put into the budget, but, for example, where does that fit in?
So, since this is ‑‑ say it's an ongoing project, maybe not just a one‑year thing, it would not impact the budget because it serves a different purpose, a different function.
Is that ‑‑ how is that allowable without disrupting the funding that we receive from DOH?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  If I'm understanding you correctly, you're asking... it's going to be Council specific, the funds that you're thinking of applying for.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Yes, suppose we receive funding for a specific project. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Mmm‑hmm.  And in regards to the budget, how is that going to affect the budget authority?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Yes, the question is will it affect it?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Will it affect the DOH controls over the money?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes, it will affect it.
Again, because we're not allowed to spend, regardless of the funding source, above what the Legislature and the Governor approves for us to spend.
So if you apply for additional funds on top of this, we would have to request them to allow to spend in the budget.
And if your funding exceeds past that first year, everything past that first year, we would have to apply for or ask for budget to expend those funds that past that first year in that second year.
So we would, again, ask for this budget, ask for the budget for the additional funding, and if it crossed the state fiscal year, again, we would ask for this budget, and what's remaining of that additional funding.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  So ‑‑ if you don't mind real quick for clarification ‑‑ let's say it's a three‑year project, we get funding for three years. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Okay.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  It still requires permission from the Legislature to let us keep spending that money the following year, the following two years, to continue the project?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes, sir.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Wow... oh, my God... that's bad news. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  John?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes, we ask for the budget once a year and regardless, it refreshes, we still have to ask for the budget again, each fiscal year.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  John, go ahead.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Thank you. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Latheria, you probably answered this, we get a grant from Washington, D.C. regardless, one years, three years, whatever, it has nothing to do with Florida State Government, we still have to go through this process to get permission to spend it?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  And if we are told no, and we got the grant from... and never mind?  Wow... 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  You have to, if you're doing it as a Council under DOH, again, as I said earlier, you may have the cash and not receive the budget.  It does happen.
We hope that if the cash is not spent in that, in this current fiscal year, that you have this cash you have left could ‑‑ that runs over to the next fiscal year, hopefully you will get enough budget to continue that.
But when I say budget again, budget is already from the Legislature.
So, it could possibly be that we have some cash that reverts back to our funding source.
So everything that comes into DOH, in order for us to, again, spend it, is dependent on whether or not the Legislature and the Governor gives authority to spend it.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I have a question.  Oh, go ahead.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I'm sorry to interrupt, Gina.  Just an additional clarification.
So you're saying from the administrative trust fund, that's not a line item on the legislative budget. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes, it is. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Okay.  But it comes from different administrative cost that kind of gets comprised as part of the payment for the Council, so more like... um... administrative fees that they're getting from different sources, that monies ‑‑ those monies ‑‑ let's say whatever percentage they are collecting, that money is going towards the Council's funding. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  So you say we need legislative approval.  I mean, they charged those fees, but you don't... I don't see in the legislative budget, like, there's no line item for FCCDHH specifically, right?  It's not there?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Not in the General Appropriations Act, it's not a specific line for you in the General Appropriations Act.
So there's a line ‑‑ if we want to go back to ‑‑ oh, Tiffany stepped out a moment ‑‑ to that document, there's a line for administrative trust fund and there's a pot of budget authority there that sits there.
So, out of that comes the Council's funding that the Council has received and other programs and other administrative costs.
So, particularly for the Council, as of yet there's not a line there.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Okay.  Thank you.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Latheria, I want to clarify something.  Let's just suppose hypothetically that Cecil has a really rich uncle and he's really so proud of what Cecil does for the Council and he wants to leave him a lump sum chunk of money to use for what he wants to do for the Council, and he has this huge foundation or grant that he can have to use for the Council.
Then are you saying that even though that's a personal, private money that he was given, because his family supports what he does, for example, that that would have to be reappropriated and used within a year and all that kind of stuff?
That's kind of deep... 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  When you say he is given or are you talking about ‑‑ 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I'm saying that he has project money that he was given, he was left, when God made his transition, he said Cecil, I'm going to give you this money and you have a three‑year project that you're working on and I want the Council to really excel in, he leaves it to him in a trust or foundation or whatever you want to call it, then that has to be then reappropriated, approved, used within a year, et cetera?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Now, this is not something you apply for or receive under the State. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Right. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Different rules may apply to that.  Now, I don't want to... um... give you any information that's not correct.
I can search specifically and ask questions specifically concerning that and get back to you, because I mostly ‑‑ well... I only deal with monies that are received and applied for under the State. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay.  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  So ‑‑ but if you're talking about outside of the state ‑‑ 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Outside, right. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  ‑‑ that's not going to have anything to do with the state is governed differently or might be governed differently.
Again, I would be happy to get that specific answer for you to make sure I give you the right information.
But I do know if it's some money that you received or applied for as a program or a Council under DOH, those rules apply in the General Appropriations Act of how much and how that money is spent.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Anybody else have any other questions?

[No response]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  For the budget champion?  Cecil, go ahead.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I'm a little devil's advocate here, but just clarifying about the State Legislature, I know they want oversight over all the funding, including external funding sources, so I'm not sure if you're the right person to answer this, but can the Council create a 501(c)(3) incorporation, that would be an external, that would be outside of the department, is that still required legislative oversight?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Now, that question is outside of my expertise!  [Chuckles].
So, like I said, I don't mind asking that all to give you a definite answer. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Latheria, that was the same kind of question I was asking about, that's the same thing I was asking. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yeah, if it's outside of the agency that somebody is donating or giving you but not as ‑‑ it's not falling under DOH, that could be governed by a different set of rules. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  But if you're applying for as under, being under DOH, everything that you receive will fall under the General Appropriations Act. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay, if you could send that to Tiffany and let us know?  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Sure. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Glenna was wanting to have an expo and how to pay for it and if we had a separate bucket ‑‑ 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  So donations outside of what the State provides?  Okay, I will get that answer to you. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I have a question.  Wednesday we were meeting with the Legislature and we were hearing some questions about possibly something impacting the Council as a whole in terms of maybe some either language in the statute, and I wanted to know if you were aware of anything that's impacting the funding.  

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  In the budget?  Not that I'm aware of.
The information I received so far, it did not apply to the administrative trust fund. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  I think I'm referring to Senate Bill 596, but she said they were going to be looking at deleting some obsolete language in the statute.
But nothing that you've heard of. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Nothing that I'm aware of.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Any other questions?  It is 10:15 and we want to make sure that we're on time for our break.

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Anyone on the line ‑‑ I mean online or on the phone or in the room for any additional questions?

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I don't want to cut you short.  Are you ‑‑ 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  I'm good. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  I don't want to cut you short. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  I'm good. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I see this, did I miss that?  Because that looked like an important page [laughs].
So... okay.  No other comments?

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Well, I'd like to thank you very much. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Thank you!  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I'm going to give you a better gift than I gave her. 

[Laughter]. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Thank you so much.  

[Pause]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Pardon me.  Can you send me the ‑‑ pardon me?  Latheria?  Latheria?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Latheria, excuse us.  Cecil had a question. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Can you possibly give Tiffany the two links you had there in the PowerPoint and send those to us?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I can send you the PowerPoint. 

>> LATHERIA CHARLESTON:  Yes, Tiffany has it.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Okay.  Thank you. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  This question is for Cecil.  Cecil?  Question.  I'm just wondering, Cecil, do you really think your uncle loves you that much if he's going to leave the money to the Council instead of you?  

[Laughter]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Probably not, probably not enough.  I wish!  

[Laughter]. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I think you should look into that relationship a little bit more. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you very much to both of our presenters today.  And for everyone having a very lively and engaged discussion.
We are on break until 10:30.  We will resume then.  Thank you.

[Break].

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Ding dong, lights flashing.  Ding dong. 

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Ding dong.  I don't know how those singers can get right up there [singing] went to Alabama with a banjo....
You know how singers get up right in there....
Ding dong, time to restart, it is 10:30.  Welcome back.  I hope the break was restful, so restful, some of us haven't returned!  [Laughs].
Okay.  But I think we should still get started.
I would like to wait until everyone gets back in the room, though, to make some of my announcements.
We wanted to address if there's any public comments for discussion?

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Any public comments?
Okay.  I did receive a message from Debbe Hagner that she's going to the library now and she's going to follow on the chat line, but she's not able to be on the phone at the moment.
And Tiffany brought back cake for everyone!  

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  So any public comments in the room, on the phone, or online?
And that does include council members.

[No response]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I want to review the public comments that we had yesterday regarding proper preparation for Miami's community access.  It was mentioned that we might need a small army of specialist interpreters and I think that we should not just let that pass, but we should perhaps think about how we're going to go about doing that and perhaps pull from the resources that are currently here to see how many of these interpreters are trilingual, how many of them are CDIs [chuckles], et cetera, so that we have the right amount, the right people for Miami.
And the second part of that, Drew mentioned about proper advertising and making sure that the Deaf community is aware, especially those that are Spanish speaking, et cetera, that they're aware that we do have the accommodations.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So you mentioned Spanish‑speaking individuals that may be coming.  So we would need to get an aural language translator as well?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina.  He mentioned the aural translator, trilingual interpreters, that they sign in Spanish, is that correct, Drew?  Correct me if I'm wrong.  As well as your regular standard ASL interpreters and CDIs, because of the cultural differences in the community.
And I have Chris here with a comment.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This conversation probably, Tiffany, if you would directly call and talk to Lisa Schaefermeyer from AQI.  I do know that they have trilingual and Spanish‑speaking interpreters that they work with in Miami and the South Florida area.
Also several CDIs.
The important thing is maybe encouraging people not only to come, but let us know what their access needs are.
Because what we don't want to do is have a team of, you know, instead of four interpreters, if we had six or eight interpreters and then nobody shows up for public comment, that would be pretty discouraging.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  This is Gina, Karen?  I would like for Drew to address that, because he mentioned yesterday about how they determine what kind of services were needed.
Drew, do you mind?  

>> AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Oh, not at all.  It was a very complex setup.
What we did ‑‑ first of all, on our flyer, we advertised if anyone is deaf‑blind, please let us know by a certain date so we could have close vision or tactile interpreting.  We didn't hear anything and we had someone with close vision show up and that ‑‑ we had to work on the team and we had zone, we had a couple of interpreters take turns using a standard ASL, we had a little interpreting zone where an interpreter was signing ASL but mouthing Spanish.  And then we had some CDIs who assisted with relaying comments from Deaf in the audience if Deaf did not want to come up.
It was challenging.  It went well.
We did not have any oral Spanish interpreting or CART, that might be something you might want to explore if you're in that community, but there are zones to meet language needs.
Now, I don't know how feasible that is.
One thing you might think of, too, is something that's done similarly at emergency briefings, where there is a CDI up front watching a hearing interpreter.  That might take care of kind of the broader language needs.
But it really was good for us to have local interpreters.
They helped us identify those zones and pockets of people and who needed what.
I don't want to make it sound like a logistical nightmare, because it did work out, but it was challenging, we did have to consider a lot of things in advance.
And I think if you need anymore insight on that, certainly you can contact Cecil on the part of his team, I'm happy to tell you about what we did to try to prepare it, if that's something you want to do. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Thank you. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, John?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Just piggybacking on what Chris said, I do understand the, you know, let's find out if we can what we need before we invest.  But the problem with that is, number one, Drew just gave us a great example of, you know, you always have the chance of people showing up who didn't respond and let us know.
Secondly, you have the possibility someone saying yeah, I need that, and then they don't show up.
So I think if we think too hard about the money, you know, if we have the money to spend, we shouldn't worry about waste, number one, right now.
Number two, what I was thinking is maybe we need to turn in a different perspective on how we're doing this.  It seems to me that if we, as a Council, guarantee that all of these people, different types of interpreters are going to be here, that then we can also use that to advertise the function, you know?
Does that make sense?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  That's a good idea. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  As opposed to, you know, let us know, how many times have they read something like that on a flyer and showed up and they didn't have the accommodation there that they had said they wanted?  I mean, that's happened to this Council.
So, but on the other hand, you know, we're gonna have all these interpreters there.  These are the subjects that we need to talk about and the Deaf community needs to express their opinions on so we can get it to the people in Tallahassee that need to hear it.
Just an example. 
If we're willing to invest the money and we have the money to invest, it seems like it would not only be the safest option, but it also could be used to actually, I guess, promote the meeting itself.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I think that's a great comment.  And advertising I think is critical as well, just as Drew stated.
Chris and then Cecil.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Okay.  This is Chris.  Just off of what John just said, first thing that we probably need to do, like we have always done, is just let people know when any advertising that ASL, sign language interpreters, and CART captioning will be provided.
That way, most people know that accommodations and access are provided.
For specializing interpreting services, like Drew spoke about, for people that speak Spanish or other trilingual interpreters, things like that, specialized access service, we need to encourage people to come early or to let us know early that they will be there.
We might want to make concessions and have a CDI or a trilingual interpreter, so maybe a team of six anyway, like you said.  That's very important.
I will say about Miami, we were there a couple years ago and we did not have an overwhelming number of people for public comment.
I will also say back before I was actually officially on the Council, John was there, I was there, Cindy was there, and it was standing‑room only.  It was amazing!  It was probably one of the best council meetings I have ever been to, because there were a lot of people that had good comments, letting us know about the things that the state should be involved in, issues with communication access, and that's probably one of the most important things that we do.
Then we advise the State on the comments that were made.
So, it's very important, and I know there are a lot of people in South Florida that we will reach out to, but it's Tiffany's job and everybody's job to make sure that we advertise in advance, so that we get people to come out to these meetings.
I think Miami and South Florida is a great opportunity to increase the public involvement.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, John, and then Cecil.  I'm sorry, I'm sorry ‑‑ 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I'll say it again and adding on and jumping on with Chris and saying it again, but, again, from another perspective, and, you know, this Council is a council that informs.  And sometimes this Council works and arranges things to inform council members.
I would push that we invest the money ahead of time, even if it ends up we're not going to get anybody, because, quite frankly, you're talking about types of accommodations that I myself, a council member for 16, 15 years, as never witnessed before.
I would like to see that.  Because I think I need that knowledge.  I need that experience, to be able to do the job on that council, not to mention, to be able to do, I will argue, the job I have, you know, normally, 40 hours a week, you know, I want that knowledge, I want that information.
So whether or not it's simply just for the possibility of showing up or just making sure, I mean, I don't want to take a poll or anything, but, I mean, am I the only person on this Council that has never seen someone do ASL with their hands and Spanish with their mouth?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I have never seen that. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  That would be phenomenal to see as just a layperson [chuckles].  I mean, that would be awesome to see something like that, to understand what it is and what it does for people.
So it seems to me, you know, we have more than ‑‑ we have ample reason to set it up this year.
We have invested over the past 15 years lots of resources and no one shows up.  We can argue about it, we don't advertise right, we can argue it's because the Council, you know, maybe doesn't even understand its own Council very well, we don't know the powers, there are lots of reasons for it.
But in the end, got the money, fiscal year is coming to an end, it just seems like a win‑win to me. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you very much. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  And one other thing.  Again, back on what Chris said, I mean, we do need to reach out to people to get some information on how we're gonna make this happen.  We definitely need to do that.
But Lisa Schaefermeyer, founding member of the Council and just one of the most phenomenal people you will ever meet, not just in this community, but in general, okay, the problem is, again, is that she is ‑‑ she works with a company that I believe that we communicationally contract with, am I wrong?  If I'm wrong, then that's okay.
Regardless, Drew, you work at...?  

>> AUDIENCE MEMBER:  VR. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  VR.  State agency.  State agencies are supposed to help us when we ask for help.  We've already gotten help before we've even asked, but we have a source right there, that should be the first thing, it should be at the very least Tiffany having long conversations with Drew ‑‑ not necessarily long ‑‑ but detailed.
Secondly it might not be a bad idea as a Council that we vote on one council member to also speak with Drew about this, it wouldn't be a Sunshine violation problem or anything like that, if we vote on a council member to go out and get some information.
You know, and so, I don't know, maybe we could pick a council member that we think would be good, I don't know, maybe someone that's close by, Drew, someone who sees Drew occasionally, if not always... 

[Laughter]. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I think what I'm getting at is, I mean ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Oh, I think we all know what you're getting at?  

[Laughter]. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  A combination of, you know, our support, and taking advantage of the subject matter experts we have on the Council and just to make it clean, it would probably be good as a Council that we vote as one particular council member that we choose, who hopefully will volunteer, and not object too much, not run off and cry. 

[Laughter]. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  And we ask him to take that extra step and do that work for us. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  No problem!  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I remember exactly what Chris was talking about at that Miami meeting, it wasn't just crowded, it was energy, it was different.  I only remember one other meeting in all my years that I felt similar to that and that was in Orlando probably eleven years ago, it was just like that.
And the idea that we might be able to recreate that is good.  If we lose some money, you know, we've lost money, a lot of money, over the past 15 years [laughs] if you're just going to gauge it on whether or not shows up or we get a good crowd.
Again, win‑win. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And thank you so much, John, for that.  I hear the passion from you.
And Cecil, then Gina.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Gina first.  Go ahead.  I have questions, so go ahead. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I was going to say since Cecil has a rich uncle, I would nominate him to be the one to work with Drew and get us that information. 

[Laughter]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  So that we are really ready and able to serve the community.
And the other thing, John, I would say to you, you have not lived until you see a CDI working with an ASL interpreter. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Oh, yeah, it's cool. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  You think a trilingual interpreter is cool, it's better when you see a CDI working with an ASL interpreter. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And kudos for the State on one of the emergency announcements using that, it was fantastic.  Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Oh, thank you, this is Cecil.  I just want to clarify something that was said last.
I'm looking at the budget and I overlooked this.  We ran out of money for interpreters, it seems, if you look on that line item, the encumbrance, it's already 8,840, so that money is gone last November.
So, are you in the process of amending that contract so there's more funds there for interpreters?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  They haven't mentioned amending the contract.  However, that encumbrance just means that that's how much we were planning to use for that.
So, and that amount is going to go ‑‑ it should cover us as we've been going, supposed to go.  In other words, we don't have more money sitting there waiting for us to spend more for that, for it, other than what's already set in the ‑‑ for the meetings.
Let me just look at that to be sure. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  [Laughs]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  But I've had a conversation with ‑‑ we go over the budget every ‑‑ every month, we have a meeting, Latheria and I, and we aren't ‑‑ it doesn't show ‑‑ 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I think it's tab 8. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yeah, but mine is ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Cecil, are you saying that we've already spent the encumbered amount?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  If you look at line five, the fifth line down, you'll see the encumbrance on the left, it's 8,040, so it's 420 for August and 4,020 (sic) for November and those amounts have already been spent, if I'm following the budget correct.  It seems it's already been expended.
So there's no money for this meeting or the next one.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So, that means ‑‑ 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  No ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  ‑‑ it wasn't budgeted correctly?  Is that what that means?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I don't know, I'm asking for clarification. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you for bringing that up. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I'll explain to y'all in a second, I'm going to my notes to explain it, in case it comes up.
But we are not out of money for interpreters, I do know that, because she would have red flagged that big time for me.  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So do we have a big "thank you" to give to our interpreters for... 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Lunch for them?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Well, it's just an important question. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  It's looking like ‑‑ 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  If we have to move money or get more money for Miami. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  It is ‑‑ 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Really, we've got two meetings left, and I wanted to make sure as I was looking through that, I didn't want to make a mistake or there be one. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Does it seem like, is this typical what we end up having, Cecil, but this time?  That ‑‑ 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I don't know.  I don't remember, I mean there was two meetings and I thought they were, like, 4,000 a piece but I'm exactly sure where that would put ‑‑ it wasn't me that prepared this budget.  Um... Latheria I believe was the person who actually did that.  She missed ‑‑ she missed that meeting in November, I think, but I can't remember.
I see the expenditures are up until now.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yeah, I don't recall this ever being an issue before, that halfway through our fiscal year, we're talking about money has not been allotted.
Well, my question is ‑‑ 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Ask Latheria. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I'm calling her now. 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  Let's get clarification.  Thank you very much for bringing that up. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I will look into it right now.  

[Pause]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  The same situation I see on AV as well, audiovisual, I don't understand, it seems that they have run out of money as well, if you look at the budget.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I think it's... 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  AV and interpreters.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I think that's a line showing how much has been spent thus far and they're encumbered ‑‑ they have a contract that has considerably more than that amount, that 8,000.  In that thing, it's probably showing that it is the ‑‑ that's what has been spent, because if you look at the ‑‑ 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  It's supposed to reflect the increments and the price and how much money the contract is committed to.  But it seems like maybe that's not the right amount, the encumbrance on the left, that's where it should be.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Because the 8,840 is, if you add it up, it's literally the amount that has been spent.  And that, just saying, if it was ‑‑ if it was ‑‑ it would never equal out perfectly like that unless it's meant to add those too.  That's just a clue.
But at the same time, I have seen their contract and the contract is for much more than that.
So there's something different and correct about that, but I will find out. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So maybe the encumbered is the mistake.  Right?  The amount that's listed.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I'm assuming so.  I just didn't understand how Latheria was able to figure out the encumbrance for the net plus the encumbrance.  It just wasn't adding up.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Well, if you also look over to the encumbered line for Vanguard, if you look at the August 2019 and the November '19, that's going to equal out to that 11,500 also.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  But you see that it doesn't seem that it's true for CART.  That doesn't apply there, it's less.  So CART is a full encumbrance and their expenditures are less, so... they're not completely spent.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  No, 162500 plus 1625 again in November plus the other two amounts there that I'm not able to focus ‑‑ 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  It's still below 5,000.  It doesn't matter, it's still below 5,000. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Well, if you guys will let me step out, I can call.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Well, you can figure it out later, it's okay, we can work it out later, it's okay, whatever.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Do we want to have more discussion about this or about Miami?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Is this approved for Cecil to be our stand in guy?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  [Laughs]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Well, he was nominated by John. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I second the nomination.  It's done. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All in favor?  It's done!  

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All in favor say aye, or not.  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  I guess the big question is if we need six or more interpreters for Miami, is VR able to pay for part of the cost for sign language interpreters, if that's necessary?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  [Laughs].  I'd rather not!  It's our project, it's the Council's project, so I'd like to coordinate that with whatever is required for the people that are involved.
But really, the Council should really pay for that, is my opinion.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  This is Karen, I agree with that.  I mean, this is our council meeting.  VR made the recommendation and we think that, you know, we have the ability to say yes or no to their recommendation.  If we say yes, then it's our baby [chuckles].  Okay.  Yes, Gina?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  We have a comment from Drew.  

>> AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Just some clarification bus I've heard both things proposed.  It depends on if you want to do, like, a separate town hall‑type meeting, someone had suggested doing, like, an extra day, compared to the public comment part.  If you did the separate town hall, you need a lot more specialized interpreting.
If you did just that public comment part, you would still need some specialized interpreting, but it would look really different.
And I can work something up, give it to Cecil for edits, corrections, whatever, and he can pass on what the two events would look like.
There are some similar considerations.  One is easier than the other, but one maybe will get you more information.
So, a little bit of pros and cons.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Thank you.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And I think you bring up a good point.  I mean, what do we want the Miami experience to look like?
We did talk about that, we would like to have better advertising to make sure that we can reach all the people.
A lot of times they don't know that there's even a meeting happening.
And so what are some ideas on how to reach people?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  The one thing I want to make sure we don't lose sight of, John mentioned, having that in the actual advertisement, that we have communication access and the different types.  That's key.
Because the first thing, in my experience with a person who is deaf reads something and they say it's not for me, because they don't see there's access for it. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Darlene. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  And won't consider it but if the flyer says we will provide the different forms of access on the flyer, electronically and posted, that would be a good thing.
Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  I agree.  It has to be posted early, it has to be on the website, and there has to be reminders.
That falls on Tiffany first.
Then everybody else has to jump in and do the same thing, talk to every organization we know that's in South Florida, Cindy's in Miami, Gina's in Boca ‑‑ I'm sorry, Glenna is in Boca Raton, I have several contacts.  My co‑facilitator in my class lives in West Palm Beach, she does a lot of work in the Miami area, she is a CDI, she can help get the word out for us.
And I will definitely share the information with her.
I know a lot of us, myself included, are guilty of when we ‑‑ 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Darlene. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  ‑‑ when we leave these meetings and we have an abundance of free time to focus on broadcasting and advertising for the future meetings.
We need to make sure we put a small amount of time aside for every one of us to do this.
And that's what's gonna really help get our numbers up for public comment.
What Drew was mentioning and reiterating the comments from yesterday about a town hall meeting or a public forum or whatever we're going to call it, I don't suggest we do that yet; we need to table that idea until we have goals and objectives, and until we get our numbers up for people showing up for public comment.
If we only have two or three people showing up for public comment, we can't expect 30 people to show up for a day early of a town hall meeting.
Let's get our numbers up for public comment first.  Don't put the cart before the horse. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay, thank you, Chris.
I wanted to add to that, that that's a really good suggestion, Chris, that we do want to get our numbers up.
Now, each of us represent agencies, right?  So I think it falls on us as well to make sure that we are communicating with, for my role with HLAA, and making sure that we're reaching out in that area, to let them know.
Another question that is going to come up when we talk about communication access is looping.  And Tiffany, I think that's gonna be a big issue, is to ask them about having the meeting looped and what it would cost.
Some are already looped.  But then there's also some ‑‑ what do you call it?  Temporary looping?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  FM systems?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  No, they come in and loop it for the day and leave.  Loop and go. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I don't think that's it [chuckles], but there is the ability, so you don't have to have wherever we're meeting looping permanently, which is a big expense, and everyone should have it, but there is a way to do it for looping for that event.
So, that's going to be a question that comes up for HLAA:  Is this a looped event.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris again.  Short of looping, the Council did, in the past, own a couple of personal FM systems for people to use.
When Judy Martin sat on the Council for HLAA, she used a looping system for every meeting and we had FM system if they were here for public comment and they had a mild or moderate hearing loss, we had a FM system for them there.  That's just one option.
I think we heard that they were misplaced or something and we no longer have them.  I guess Tiffany would have to check on that again or if we were gonna see if there is an agency that could loan us one, a couple or something like that, if we don't.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I think Tiffany and then you.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, I did find them.  They were provided in a container that Megan, I suppose, had prior.  So we did find them.
But most, if not all of them, were very malfunctioning and missing pieces.
So if we did need to reenact that or bring that back, we have to start from scratch, pretty much.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Maybe there would be something that's more accessible. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Updated. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Updated now.  It's kind of like bringing a TTY to the meeting.
I think Gina, then Cecil. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I want to really defer this thought to Glenna and to Cecil, in that they are actually Deaf people, because I can only talk in my experience and I would like for them to comment as to which is is better populated:  A town hall that is featured for the Deaf community?  Or a meeting like this where you can come during a block of time and have a public comment?
In my experience as a hearing person, when it's focused for the Deaf and here's a town hall, we want to hear from you that are better intended than an open meeting and say you can come if you want to.
Cecil, can you comment?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Gina, thank you for asking that question.  Really, frankly... hmm... we know it's more likely and more complex and more challenging. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  ‑‑ to have it separated, I understand that.
But as a Council, we represent all people with hearing loss.  

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  And there's no preference ‑‑ 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  There's no specific population over the other.  Are we going to ignore some?
So the important question would be, just for example... hmm... what do you call it?  The maximum benefit at the least cost.
We could have one day for a town hall, maybe a morning presentation, and then in the afternoon have discussion, brainstorming as a public hearing ‑‑ 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  ‑‑ at the same time and then the council days are Thursday and Friday and not have public hearings or comments.
We could move that and that would help save cost so that we don't have to hire additional interpreters or specialist interpreters for that Wednesday, for example. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Or Thursday evening.  That would save cost.
So thinking about the ‑‑ about maximizing, saving the cost, that's one thought ‑‑ 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  ‑‑ as the officers of the Council, how we can do that all in one event and have two or three functions and the Council just focus on business Thursday and Friday. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  So the council members can discuss what the public comment and feedback were and not have that on Thursday evening. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  That's one thought for you all to decide. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I hear what you're saying and Cecil, there are lots of different ways for us to work this. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  But I do think the expectation is at the council meeting. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  We will have time set aside for public comments within those two days, I think that's what we're expected to do. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  But I don't think it's either/or.
I think Chris had made a good point, that, you know, let's get our numbers up at a meeting and before we plan for a town hall. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I love the idea of a town hall, I love it. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Is there background noise or is it me?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  It's coming from someone on the phone. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Darlene, I'm not sure if your phone is causing background noise or if somebody is on the line or on the phone that's making background noise ‑‑ 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  It's me.  I was waiting to make a comment [chuckles]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  That's fine. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  I was waiting for a break in there to make a comment. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Go ahead and make your comment.  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Okay.  Okay.  I lost myself on some of that.
What is the purpose for this town meeting, town hall meeting?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Well, this is what we've been discussing, that we, as a Council, are allowed to have public hearings, town hall meetings, to discuss the issues that are facing Florida's deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf‑blind communities.
But Chris's point was well taken, we need to have goals, we need to have objectives rather than just say we'd like to have this.
And so that's kind of where we are with that discussion.
So, that would be part of the discussion, is, well, what is the objective for that town hall?
But I think that we can do a lot for this next meeting, of advertising and getting the numbers up at that meeting, and... um... I think there would be a lot of benefit in that.
Yes, Chris?  Oh, and Drew, I'm sorry. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  I was thinking that what if you can invite other agencies to set up a table around the room while we are meeting so that it can draw the constituents, so whenever we're on break or if we are waiting for comments and we don't have anybody to speak, they can browse and the public can browse and meet the other agencies as well to get more information?
That might be a way to draw the constituents. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Well, I like that you're thinking of ideas.  I like that you're thinking of ideas.  And we're gonna get a subcommittee together and have people give those types of ideas. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Okay. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So keep thinking, Darlene.  Thank you.  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Okay.  I will.  Thank you.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris, just real fast.  What Cecil said before about making sure there's no public comment on the second day, that reduces the cost of the specialized interpreters, because we only have to have them on Thursday.  We can have a bigger public comment session, a couple of dynamic presentations, and no public comment on Friday, and then we don't need the specialized interpreters on the second day. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I hear ya.  So we focus heavy on Thursday. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Focus heavy on Thursday and do a big push for advertising for that Thursday. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has left the conference. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  John?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I was trying to pull up the statute, but I'm pretty sure that the statute ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  It's in your binder, actually. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  The entire statute?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  The entire statute. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I haven't been able to find it; maybe I didn't go far enough. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I forgot what section it's in, let me see... Tiffany, where is the statute?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  The statute is... 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I believe it's section three. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Five, it's in tab five. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  It's right behind the bylaw section. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  It's three.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I said three!  Yes, the very last part of the ‑‑ there it is, on Section 3, the very last two pages. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  It's behind the two bylaw pages. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  The very last pages. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Of the Florida Statute. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So John is making comment right now. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  What I'm trying to see and find in the statute is the exact language about our meetings.  Ta, ta... sorry, I can't find it ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Read it and enjoy it, we can come back.
I want to distract a little ‑‑ oh, Drew is behind me, thank you.  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  It's 3(e), John.  Public hearings are required. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Drew would like to make a comment and then we'll come back to you, John, and then I'd like to make a comment.  

>> AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you.  This is Drew.  If you did want to go the route of having a well‑advertised public comment portion of your meeting, that's something certainly that's doable.
One thing that VR did to try to bring out the Deaf community is we made sure, as Cecil had mentioned, to get leaders in the community to talk with folks that they knew, grassroots organizations, and then we had those leaders speak at our event.
All of the presenters at our event were deaf, so if you, say, set aside Thursday afternoon, like someone had mentioned, also like Darlene had mentioned, in trying to get the community out, having some deaf presenters from the community, people, if they know those names are much more willing to come out.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Maybe we could target the afternoon part of that, have some presentations in the afternoon and public comments and we do a lot of our business in the morning?
You know, because right now we have it kind of interspersed.  But we could probably do that, thank you, Drew, for that comment.
I forgot who's next. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Back to me. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I think John.  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I looked at that statute and says have public hearings as needed.  It says public hearings, it's not defined, it's not in capital letters, it's in small letters.
The point I was going to make is we can call our public hearings whatever we want to call our public hearings. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  That's true. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  If we want to call our public hearing a town hall at our next meeting, we can do so.  And when we advertise the meeting, we can make it very clear that we'll have several hours where we want to talk, we need input from the public on these big issues facing the deaf, hard of hearing, et cetera, community, text to 911, have a few big ones, and that we really need some input on these things so we can get it to our leaders, and, of course, we will also reserve the last hour of the town hall meeting for any general public comments that the public wants to bring to the Council or bring to our attention.
We can advertise this any way we want.  We have to be open to the Sunshine, whether or not we have a public comment period or not, we know that.  If we're going to have a public comment period, it has to be within the Sunshine Law.  We can call it any darn thing we want.
So again, we can think in terms of those things for advertising for this meeting.
We've had public comments portions of our meeting, that's what we've chosen to call it, the public comment portion of our meeting.  But we can call it whatever we want to call it, it can take a different format, but I still like the idea of still keeping it a two‑day thing, I like the idea of saving money if we need to on the Friday and skipping public comments there.  I think four or five hours of public time on Thursday should be sufficient.
But I'm just reminding, we can call it whatever we want. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I think that's great.  Thank you so much, John.
We're all getting real jazzed up about May!  I'm getting jazzed up!
Okay.  I do want to make a comment.  But I don't want to interrupt our flow about May.
Do we want to discuss more about May?  Or can I make a comment about something else?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  You all need to decide. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  I just wanted to go back a little bit to the Governor's Hurricane Conference.  Earlier I made a phone call to the executive director of the Governor's Hurricane Conference and just spoke with her.  She clarified, this is a non‑profit conference, okay.  And that it is supported by the Department of Emergency Management, okay.
So she was very, very clear, and we asked her are you sure it's not for profit?  And she said I am sure.  And I asked her what her role was and she said I'm the executive director and I said thank you.
And I asked if the Department has a booth or table there, she didn't know, she doesn't handle that, she gave me another name, I put in a phone call to that other person.
She did tell me, however, that the cost for non‑profit agencies is different than what is advertised.  It's 1600‑1800 than what's advertised.  But if you're non‑profit, it's $250 to have a table.
So that was part of the message I left for the exhibit person that we're supposed to speak to, is find out if DOH already has a table, find out how much it would cost, if it's free or if it's the 250 to have a table for this Council. She said it is not too late to get that.  But once we speak with the exhibit coordinator, we can ask more questions.
Because if you purchase a table through the internet, you got two free badges to go to the conference.  So I don't know if they would honor that for non‑profit or if you have to purchase to go to the conference.
Because the conference does cost money to attend.
So, but if it's, you know, I think that's just something for us to look into.
So this is good information.  It's certainly better than what I was expecting.
So, I don't know if that helps or not.
But Tiffany is going to stay on top of this contact.
The woman who's the exhibiter coordinator is out today, but we left her the voicemail.
And I think probably she's going to be checking e‑mails, so I'm going to ask Tiffany to send one on behalf of us.
Okay.  That's all I wanted to share.
Gina?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I have three quick things so we can get done.  I want to go back to what we talked about, having a subcommittee for funding and grants.
I want to nominate Mary as the Chair of that committee and establish that and someone we can do to start investigating what grants are out there, talk to Cecil's uncle. 

[Laughter]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Do whatever we need to do to get the money and find out what kind of foundations he has.
I would like to nominate Mary, if that's appropriate to nominate someone?  I don't know. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I don't know.  Does our bylaws say we can't nominate or create a new subcommittee?  I think we can create a new committee as we see fit and we can certainly nominate anyone we would like to nominate.
The question is Mary, do you accept the nomination?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  That's what we need to do first.  Would you be willing?  

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Mary, do you accept the nomination?  

>> MARY HODGES:  This is Mary, I would be willing to accept the nomination, with assistance from several committee members. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I think that's a very good point to make, because I was thinking the subcommittee would be chaired by you, members would be you, you'll report back to us. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  And you fund yourself. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  So all in favor ‑‑ I'm sorry, do we have ‑‑ we have a nomination and do we have a second to the nomination for Mary?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I second. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Cecil seconds.  All in favor?

[Ayes]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  [Clapping]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Now, as the Chair of the subcommittee, who would you like to have on it?  And there's discussion, yes, Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Okay.  So did we have a nomination and a second?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Okay.  And we have discussion.  I would love to have Mary do this.  However, the presentation that Ms. Charleston presented to the budget and how grant money would be handled as rather discouraging, because it seems like what she explained was if we got a grant award, we would have no control over it whatsoever.
And so it was discouraging for the Council to go after something like that.  That's my opinion.
Does somebody else have a different opinion?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  It's like it is, this is John, and Chris is right.  But at the same time, there are a lot of agencies out there that work under these same somewhat bureaucratic and confusing rules and grants are pumping like nuts and just millions upon millions coming into my agency alone.
Nothing holds us back from trying, and I think we should.
I think, though, that after Ms. McMullen's speech yesterday, I'm a little bit more confident that when we get an answer, if we don't think it jibes with statute or the intent with what this Council was created for, then we can push back, and I think we've got ‑‑ we should be ‑‑ I feel better about pushing back as a Council now than I ever have been before.
In the end, in many ways, I mean, I work in State Government so I think as much as anyone I can have a, you know, I have a right to my own opinions and bureaucracy is hell sometimes, it really is.  I know, I'm part of it!  You know, it is, it's stupid, it's ridiculous, it's redundant, you name it, just keep listing all words to describe it.
But we've got to try, we've got to push forward.
Sometimes when you push forward, sometimes when you push forward and keep pushing, sooner or later... so many of us have had to do that with our own children and things like that, you know, in our own lives, you hit a brick wall, if you stop at every brick wall, you don't get anywhere.
We've got, I think, statutory authority to push and let's do it!  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  And to what Chris was saying, Cecil and I had asked a very similar question about the confusion with the grant money and how if we get the grant money we can use or can use it.  Miss Latheria is sending Tiffany money once she finds out what if we get money outside of our Council, how do we use it for our Council, how do we do that without going through all of this minutia. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And I don't think we want to lose the potential for our line item either if we get a grant, a one‑time grant.  Once you get a reduction in your line item, it's hard to get that back, and I wouldn't want a grant to offset what we really desperately need to have set aside for our council.
Chris, you look like you want to make a comment.  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris again, I just know with all of the major skills, I don't want to set her up for failure and all of these grant writings and everything, and thank you for your candor, John, and I agree with you in a lot of areas as far as the bureaucratic red tape that we have to cut through.
So while I see value in us trying to get additional funding, it seems like grants and such may not be something that we want to do, or right now, because if... 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Well ‑‑ 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  ‑‑ if the Department of Health controls what we do with the money or even if we're allowed to spend it, then that's very problematic.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Thank you, Chris.
I want to just go on record and say that a little bit of information keeps us stuck and I think that this, having a subcommittee in this manner would be more information gathering.  I think that would be our first step as part of this subcommittee, is get the information, getting with the people in the know about budget and about grants and how it works at the Department of Health.
It doesn't mean that we expect Mary to find a grant, apply for it, and have money in hand by May.  You can take until June if you'd like. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  But I'm just saying, we're not expecting that.
I think a subcommittee is just that, it's going to start getting more information.  And no commitments with that, but I don't see it as being a set up for failure.  I think that more information is king ‑‑ key, king?
Go ahead, Mary.  

>> MARY HODGES:  In our department, whenever we are allowed to apply for grants, we generally have to show a need above and beyond what we have dollars for.
So, I think it's going to be necessary that the Council determines need that is outside of what we have money for, and then be able to look for dollars to address that need.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Good enough, very good.  Well stated, from the new Chair of that subcommittee. 

[Laughter]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  When you look for members, I'll help.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Mary?  We'll all help you. 

>> MARY HODGES:  I think that we should probably look for members right now. 

[Laughter]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Right now before the end of this meeting!  We need to look for members. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Okay.   We have ‑‑ do you want ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  We have two people who would like to be on the committee.  You ‑‑ 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I'll help. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  You and ‑‑ so Gina and Chris.  And Tiffany, can you put out an e‑mail to everyone about this new subcommittee and who would like to work with Mary on getting more information and be on the subcommittee?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  We have two things. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, ma'am?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Cindy wanted to make sure that we capture the iconic moments of the Council and include them in the binder, and the example she gave was when Ms. McMullen was giving us the strength that we need to be able to go forward and Cindy's position was if we capture the historic moments and include them in the binder, then as members come on, they can look and see all of the steps that we've succeeded at, and that kind of thing.  She was asking me to include that in the binder.  That's one. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  The second one is to remind Karen about applying now to get a table for the legislative meetings next year. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yeah.  So Tiffany, that's actually a really good point.  In order to have a table inside the rotunda, it doesn't cost anything, is what I've been told.  You maybe want to confirm that.  But it takes ‑‑ it's the time factor.  So if we want to get a table for next year for Wednesday when we're doing our legislative visits and have a table downstairs in the rotunda, we'll take turns standing at the table answering questions.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  I'm going to show you... yeah, that would be good, that would be good. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So looking into it now is the goal.  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Oh, and Tiffany, you had stepped out, I had shared about the phone calls we had made to the Governor's Hurricane Conference and that we left a message for the exhibiter ‑‑ 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Absolutely. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  ‑‑ person.  It may be a good idea to e‑mail that person, she's out today.  But I think the other woman said she was checking e‑mails.  I don't know if she was checking voicemail, her name is Amy Williams, the exhibiter, and we want to confirm a few things.  So send her an e‑mail.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  That's it. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  So it is currently 11:30.  I would like to do, just because we've been a little bit of a mishmash with public comments and I want to make sure there's not somebody waiting on the phone or online or in the room for public comment.  And I certainly don't want to miss them.
So let's just take a second and see if anyone would like to make public comment.

[No response]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  [Off microphone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I know, we had presentations during that and I wanted to be respectful if someone was waiting.

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  So it does not appear that there is anyone.  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris.  Maybe go around the room and see if anybody has any information or comments from their organization?  And then take a vote and see if we can adjourn a little bit early?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Would you like to start?  

[Pause]. 
[Laughter]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I'm sorry, what?  

[Laughter]. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Any information you want to share. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Thank you.  There is no news, per se, just to let you know that we have a regional rehab conference for deaf professionals, it's in 2021, the fall of 2021, that we're one of eight states in the southeast that rotates hosting this regional conference.  It's called Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness or SRID, and so we will be hosting that, it's a Federal Government Region 4 they host those regional meetings, and our turn is in 2021, and I will have more information on that.  It's an exciting conference with professionals involving rehab, mental health, education, and other professions.
So we're working on it for the fall of 2021 and hopefully we're looking at Jacksonville area for that, so stay tuned.  Thank you.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Thank you.  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Thank you, this is Chris.  For ALDA, not a whole lot to report, other than the fact that we have voted and elected a new board.  I'm the new president again [chuckles] so I was on the board before as past president and now reappointed to the board and elected as the new president for another two‑year term.
So, I will certainly make sure that the information is shared with other ALDA members around our community.
We do not have a lot of official ALDA members in South Florida, but I certainly have a lot of deaf and hard‑of‑hearing contacts that I'm going to be reaching out to for our Miami meeting.
So, I will certainly work on that and won't forget about the energy that we hope to create for that meeting for public comments.
The last thing I would like to say is I just want to make a motion that Tiffany check with Shay if we are allowed to get a booth or a table in the expo hall at the Governor's Hurricane Conference.
Time is of the essence, so I want to make sure that we do that.  So I want to propose a motion that that happens.
I was not aware that the reduced non‑profit cost that you mentioned.
However, I would find out from Renée if attendance or a full badge is required.  Because then it brings the cost right back up.
So, again, my motion is that we have some type of table or partnership and that we find out from Shay what our availability to do that is.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  Thank you.  Gina?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  And on that, piggybacking on what Chris said, if a non‑profit is needed, you know, to get in, like you said, we're a state agency, and we're not sure whether we would qualify for that reduced cost, you know, I don't know.
But there are non‑profits and we could get the table through that would match our goals and purposes.  And like he said, for them to have a table.  Chris?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  Well, there's a motion on a floor, so the motion dies. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Oh, I'm sorry. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Wait a minute, wait a minute, I don't know what the motion is. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  The motion is to communicate with Shay if we're allowed to ‑‑ she said in November the cost was too high. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Right, I don't think we need a motion for that.  We're going to communicate with Shay, that's fine.  We don't need a motion, we don't need to vote on that.  We'll get with Shay and get more information.  I think that's fine.
And I think we have to be very careful about partnerships.  That's my concern, because it's very easy to get into an ethics dilemma and a conflict of interest without realizing it and we don't want to be guilty by ‑‑ what's the word?  Legal ‑‑ 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  You don't want the appearance of impropriety anymore than you want to be found or acted in an inappropriate manner. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  You do well if you just have your own table [laughs], right?  You do well on your own.  Yes, ma'am?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  May I suggest that some kind of vote happens today that allows for if it is approved by DOH, you guys agree that the monies will be spent to get a booth at the thing for $250 and blah, blah, blah, so that once I do speak with Shay and it is approved, then I don't have to come back and try to speak with each one of you guys.
Because a vote has to happen for it to happen anyway and that will impede us from getting things done. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  Fair enough.  The motion is if we get additional information from Shay and she says it's an allowable event and let's say the cost is no more than 250 for a table, do we want to put it to a vote that we will proceed?  Go ahead, John.  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Discussion?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, yes. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I want to go further than that. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Go ahead. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  What I want to do is if the answer comes back no, I want to get back to everyone on the council, I'm sure Tiffany would do, but from Shay, I want other options.
Given that, you know, not just can we do this, yes or no?  But what are we trying to accomplish?  Make sure Shay understands that, you know, the reason we're trying to do this and why and that we would like to do it and are there any other options.
I just don't want a simple yes or no on this one, especially, if we are really able to get it for that not‑for‑profit price, I want to know why, if the answer is no [chuckles], if that is an available price, I want to know, because that is cheap. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, that is cheap. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  We'll take four tables [laughs]. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I would like to add to that motion, I don't know if it's clear, I jumbled it, but I would like to add that to the motion or amend the motion or get it to a vote. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Let's clarify what the motion is, please?  Can we clarify?
The motion is that if we get this additional information, a booth is 250... um... do we want to set aside the money to, say, send two people, up to two people?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  This is Chris. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  To this conference. 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  The motion is supposed to be permission to do that from Shay, if it doesn't exceed more than 250 or whatever you found out.
Because in the November meeting, we were told that we could not proceed with getting a booth.  And now we're having the discussion again.  And I love that.
I also understand the ethical situation.  And if we don't want to partner with a table from a private organization or our interpreting agency partnered, that is very important.
But like you said, DOH and emergency management are there also and there may be other people that we cannot have such a conflict of interest with that are also state agencies.  So we can look at that.
But we need to get permission from Shay first because they control whatever traveling or funding that we do.
If we're going to have a table, then we have to have somebody to travel to be there.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Right.  I don't know that we need a motion to ask Shay a question.  I think what we need a vote on and a motion on is ‑‑ 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  For Tiffany to move forward. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yeah, for Tiffany to move forward, and that's the issue. 

[Talking over one another]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And Shay may not have had all the information, she may have been going on the information that was incorrect information, that this is a for‑profit conference.  We have now gotten the additional information, it is not a for‑profit conference.  We have experts in the room with emergency management, and I'm thinking about you, Chris, that would be an excellent representative of the Council at this meeting.
So, the question is on the table and the motion should be that should this information be accurate, that it's non‑profit, $250, give this information to Shay, oh, I didn't realize that, let's move forward.
The vote is do we give Tiffany permission to move forward with this in setting this up and sending up to two people to this conference?

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Also, do we add in that John's point, that if she says no, that we ‑‑ don't worry about that?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I don't think we should worry about that. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I would like to know now. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  I think we should have a solid motion where you are at right now, nothing else for Tiffany ‑‑ 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  So I've made that motion, allowing Tiffany to move forward. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  I second. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Who firsted it?  Do I make it?  I made the motion ‑‑ 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  No, it only needs to be second. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Is it your motion?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Is that close enough to your motion?  

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  I don't know which vote we're trying to approve.  I mean, we all need to review our own oath, apparently, because the motion on the floor that I proposed was permission for us to be involved in the hurricane conference. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  That's the same motion.  Okay, that is the same motion.  You had said the permission was to talk to Shay.  There should not be permission to talk ‑‑ 

>> CHRIS LITTLEWOOD:  If that's the motion, I'm voting yes. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I don't think we need to talk to Shay.  She's part of the Council [chuckles]. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  We need a vote. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  The question is, to get everything out, get affirmatives, the motion is do we move forward to getting a table and sending up to two people to this conference?
Can I get a second on that?  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  [Raises hand]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  John is the second.  Let's put it to a vote.  All in favor that we move forward?  Should everything be affirmative?  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All opposed?  

[Pause]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Motion [banging table] motion passes/carries.  Okay.  All right.
Next.  Tiffany, does that give you the vote that you needed?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes.  I just want to make sure, so there wouldn't be a delay once we ‑‑ once I speak and find out it's okay, I just want to make sure we move forward, because it sounds like although there is the $250 thing, we have a few hoops that we have to jump through to get it paid and get it, you know, sent up the line, and I just want to make sure we're going in the right direction and there's no delays. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Terrific.  Darlene, are you still on the phone?

[No response]. 

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  Debbe says aye.  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Darlene. 

>> OPERATOR:  Has joined the conference. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Oh, Debbe is on the line.  Darlene has joined the conference.  Okay.  All righty, yes, ma'am, Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I don't know where we are right now, but I did want to give you guys the options for the pictures here, to pick which one will go on the website at ours, if I'm allowed.  I'm going to push for that, I just want to know, so I'm going to put it up there. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I would like the one with you in it. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Well, let's see if the others look good first.
That's number one.  Get a good look, because I'm going to change it. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  

[Pause]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  All of your smiling faces. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Everybody's eyes are open.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Good.  

[Pause]. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  This is Darlene.  I couldn't unmute myself, I had to hang up and call back.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay, all right.  Well, we're glad you're here. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Four is a no go. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Why is four a no go?  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  Is there a reason it's quiet?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Everybody is looking. 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Everybody is looking one way and I'm looking elsewhere.  Four is a no go. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Three is perfect, everybody is looking at the camera. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  That was three. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I like three. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  We'll bypass four.  And there is five.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I still think three.  I think by five, we're, like, if you take one more picture... I dare you... click that thing one more time... 

[Laughter]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  All right.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  What was Darlene saying?  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  She was saying she couldn't unmute.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Oh. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  Last call, any new comments?  Last minute comments, thoughts, feelings, emotions?

[No response]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Tiffany, did you have something?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Yes, you guys were mentioning wanting to get some information about that S Senate Bill 1006 and then House Bill 1005, this is 1006, this is the transcript piece of it that I was able to pull down and I have copies of that here, where you can look at it.
And then ‑‑ I believe that's 106.
105 was 90‑something pages and I didn't want to send you home with that, but I can send you the link that will let you guys look at it in a little more detail at that time.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Was that it, Tiffany?  Is that it, Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  [Nods head]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Lisa, if you could do the chat, our WiFi is off again. 

>> LISA (CART CAPTIONER):  Debbe says:  What about those who could not be there?  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  For the pictures.  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Um... that's a good question.  Thank you.  Because that means what do you want me to do, Council?  Do you want me to post it still or do you want me to ‑‑ 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Sure.  Let's take a new picture every meeting. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yeah, take a new picture every meeting.  You can just put up there, not pictured and list the people who aren't pictured. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  And then if you have to retake another picture next time.
I don't think there will ever be a time when everyone is at every meeting.  We're so blessed to be up in Tallahassee and finally seeing the Tallahassee folks. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 
[Pause]. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Tiffany?  

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I am so sorry, it seems that I think Latheria sent us the explanation regarding the encumbrance report. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  And this is it. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  I'm trying to see if she ‑‑ 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  She sent it to a different Tiffany. 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  I can't quite see what she wrote, but there it is. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  I can read it, I can read it.  I got that good vision far away, I just can't read anything in front of me.
Encumbered means that the funds are obligated and not necessarily spent already.  These are the funds that we at the Department of Health have entered in an agreement to pay, provided the requested goods and services under the encumbrance agreement are received.  If you need me to come back over, that wouldn't be a problem, just let me know.
Yeah, tell her to bring ‑‑ no... 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  She doesn't need to come back over.
The question really is that there's a ‑‑ we know what the definition of encumbered means, we just don't know why there's a mismatch on what the actual cost is.
That's I think maybe a discussion to have with her when you sit down to discuss budget. 

>> TIFFANY BAYLOR:  Okay.  Because I have a sheet that kind of explains it a little bit, but we can ‑‑ I'll send you guys something regarding that and it will come to you.  I'll have her give me a better explanation and I'll send y'all that. 

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Cecil?  Ground ground. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Yes, Cecil?  

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  I understand the 25,000 we're talking about in the left column, but encumbrance, if you look at the expenses, the expenses seem to match up with what's encumbered, so it's not clear.
Is the encumbered, does that mean it's finalized or is... 

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> CECIL BRADLEY:  Is it just ‑‑ what's the word for it ‑‑ it's still flexible enough to allow for more higher expenses than expected?
That might be something to clarify.  

[Background noise on telephone]. 
[Pause].

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  So Tiffany, have you got all that?  

[Pause]. 
[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  So we have about ten minutes left until the end of the meeting.  If there's no pressing business, we can put a motion out to end a few minutes early.  Anyone ‑‑ so my motion is that we end ten minutes early.  

>> GINA HALLIBURTON:  Second. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Gina seconds.  All in favor?  

[Background noise on telephone]. 

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  This is... 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Darlene and Debbe, we are making a motion that we end ten minutes early.  We're not in the public comment section, so ‑‑ 

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Mary just left, do we have a quorum?  

>> DARLENE LAIBL‑CROWE:  That's okay, I don't have a time limit.  So I can second it.  

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  All right.  All in favor?

[Ayes]. 

>> KAREN GOLDBERG:  Okay.  Have a good weekend.  Thank you all for participating.
Bye‑bye.  The meeting is adjourned.  

>> JOHN JACKSON:  Safe travels everybody.

[Concludes at 11:49 a.m.]

** This is a rough‑draft text file that was produced by a live CART Captioner (Communication Access Realtime Translation) to ensure effective communication for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.  This file is not a certified, verbatim record, and it should not be quoted as such. **