We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

Tampa Capital of Florida Government for the Day

Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2001
Time: 9:00AM - 5:00PM EST (GMT-05:00)

On Tuesday, February 27, 2001, Governor Bush, Lt. Governor
Brogan and the Florida Cabinet will declare Tampa as the next
Capitol For A Day!  Gov. Bush and the Cabinet members will hold
a meeting in the Hillsborough County Commission Chambers,
starting at 9:00 a.m.  There will be an agency fair and free
lunch at the new Courthouse Square in downtown Tampa from 11:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

There will also be a LWVHC FYI luncheon on that date, noon-1:30
p.m., at Valencia Gardens to present a Point/Counter-Point re:
Growth Management in the State of Florida.  Our guest speakers
will be:

Charles Lee, VP of Audubon Florida and Co-Chair of the Growth
Management Study Commission (who voted against the final
recommendations), will talk about his experience serving on the
commission, final GMSC recommendations, and the Growth
Management Coalition.

Ron Weaver, Attorney, Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff &
Sitterson, P.A., will talk about his experience dealing with the
commission, business perspective on the final GMSC
recommendations, and what the legislative session might do with
those recommendations.


Look for your FYI invitation via e-mail &/or mail.  Members $15.
Guests $20.
RSVP to Coralie Lang 265-4273 & ask about our new member
opportunity to join the League for $25.

Dena
831/6718

The message has me confused.  Bush will be here from 9 - 5, but you have two
different lunch meetings dealing with responses to GM on the same day.  Where
is Valencia Gardens, will Bush be there?  Kathryn

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

Tampa Capital of Florida Government for the Day

Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2001
Time: 9:00AM - 5:00PM EST (GMT-05:00)

On Tuesday, February 27, 2001, Governor Bush, Lt. Governor
Brogan and the Florida Cabinet will declare Tampa as the next
Capitol For A Day!  Gov. Bush and the Cabinet members will hold
a meeting in the Hillsborough County Commission Chambers,
starting at 9:00 a.m.  There will be an agency fair and free
lunch at the new Courthouse Square in downtown Tampa from 11:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

There will also be a LWVHC FYI luncheon on that date, noon-1:30
p.m., at Valencia Gardens to present a Point/Counter-Point re:
Growth Management in the State of Florida.  Our guest speakers
will be:

Charles Lee, VP of Audubon Florida and Co-Chair of the Growth
Management Study Commission (who voted against the final
recommendations), will talk about his experience serving on the
commission, final GMSC recommendations, and the Growth
Management Coalition.

Ron Weaver, Attorney, Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff &
Sitterson, P.A., will talk about his experience dealing with the
commission, business perspective on the final GMSC
recommendations, and what the legislative session might do with
those recommendations.


Look for your FYI invitation via e-mail &/or mail.  Members $15.
Guests $20.
RSVP to Coralie Lang 265-4273 & ask about our new member
opportunity to join the League for $25.

Dena
831/6718

Dear Community Leaders and Friends:

Thank you for your continued interest and support in improving our quality
of life in the Tampa Bay region.

FYI - Below is revised staff report & recommendation re:  Non-Competitive
Funding of Cultural Service and Social Service Organizations for Feb. 14
Budget Workshop.

Many thanks, again, and look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

Dena
813/831-6718

-------------------

Paraphrased message received from Eric Johnson
<JohnsonE@...> on Friday, February 09, 2001 4:37 PM.

The non-competitive agency discussion is now scheduled as one of several
items on the agenda on Wednesday, February 14th, 10:30 am to 12:00 noon.
Revised report is posted below.  The report is being emailed or faxed to
each of the non-competitive agencies.  Contact Eric Johnson, Director of
Management and Budget, Hillsborough County, at 813/272-6582 with questions.

----------------------

Non-Competitive Funding of Cultural Service and Social Service Organizations

BACKGROUND

The Board of County Commissioners (Board) has used both competitive and
non-competitive funding methods to allocate funds to non-profit cultural and
social service organizations. This report describes each method, options,
and a recommendation.

Specifically excluded from discussion in this report are non-profit
organizations that compete for contracts bid by County departments and
agencies for the provision of specific services. Those contracts differ from
the contracts discussed in this report in that a department or agency has a
specific service to deliver and has chosen to provide such service through a
contractual relationship rather than with in-house staff.

Competitive Funding Process

The Board awards funds to private non-profit social service organizations
through two formal competitive processes, the Social Services Request for
Applications (RFA) which is funded from Countywide general revenues and the
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Public Services RFA which is
federally funded and targets unincorporated Hillsborough County. These two
application programs do not currently address any cultural services. In
order to qualify for funding, an organization must be a private non-profit
and provide direct social service(s).

The Management & Budget Department advertises the RFA process and receives
the application responses. These applications are then reviewed and scored
by two review committees that each includes representatives from the Citizen
's Advisory Committee. One committee considers programs that will be funded
with general revenues while the second committee considers only programs
eligible for CDBG funding. The review committees use established criteria to
evaluate the need and benefit of the service(s) each organization proposes
to provide to the community.

The competitive RFA processes for the FY 02 and FY 03 budget cycle have been
advertised. The deadline for submitting applications to the Management &
Budget Department was close of business on February 5, 2001.

Non-Competitive Funding Process

The Board also awards ad valorem funds to private non-profit cultural,
social service, and economic development organizations through an informal
"non-competitive" funding method. The following reasons have historically
led to the Board identifying organizations as eligible for this funding
process:

1. A statutory mandate, or a local ordinance requirement to provide funding
for a specific social service  (e.g. transportation of mental health
patients to mental health receiving facilities);

2. A multi-year commitment to a social or cultural service organization. No
organization currently meets this criterion. In the past, the County's
commitment to fund the Tampa Museum of Art for five years fit this category;

3. A funding commitment to another municipality or quasi-governmental agency
(e.g., the Arts Council, the City of Tampa Youth Council); and/or,

4. A designation for any other reason.

Organizations funded through the non-competitive funding process, in most
cases, complete an application during the County's budget process. The
application is similar to the application completed in the RFA process and
provides information for contract development. Currently, these applications
are not evaluated, rated, or ranked by a review committee. Additionally,
funding for these organizations typically continues from one budget cycle to
the next.

The exact identification of "non-competitive" organizations is difficult
because some economic development organizations have been historically
funded without having been part of the RFA process.

Related Issues

Both the Blue Ribbon Committee on County Finances and Florida TaxWatch
recommended against funding non-profits. County staff has distinguished
between agencies funded through a competitive process and those that receive
funding without competition. No organization is funded without a contract
that specifies what services the County will receive in exchange for
funding.

A decision to eliminate the non-competitive funding of agencies is not
necessarily a decision to cut funding, but it provides the Board the
opportunity to have all cultural and social service agencies compete and to
decide the total funding that will be committed each year to such programs.

The Board previously deferred this issue to the FY 02 and FY 03 budget
process.

The competitive RFA process for FY 02 and FY 03 that uses Countywide general
revenue had a due date for applications of February 5, 2001. That date would
have to be extended if organizations not previously required to compete are
directed to apply through the competitive RFA process. Additionally,
elements of the current application that address only social services would
be revised, as necessary, if the application is used by cultural service or
economic development organizations. The CDBG RFA process would not be
impacted.

Options

There are at least three options available to the Board:

1. Eliminate the non-competitive process and require non-profit cultural
service, social service, and economic development organizations that do not
compete for a County contract to formally apply for funding under a modified
RFA process, or

2. Leave the existing process unchanged, allowing selected organizations to
receive County funding without formal competition, or

3. Establish a modified process that combines some elements of the
non-competitive and competitive processes, but considers additional funding
groupings and/or incorporates some non-competitive contracts into the
responsibility of selected County departments.

Consideration of Options

Option 1

The first option would require an expanded competitive process. Presumably,
the current funding allocated to both competitive and non-competitive
contracts would be combined and a ranking would be made of all organizations
to determine which applicants would be funded. There has been some concern
expressed about the ability to prioritize dissimilar programs. While
criteria would need to be revised from the existing RFA process to consider
programs that are not social service related, such a prioritization is
conceivable. To compare cultural service programs against social service
programs and economic development programs is similar to the County's
existing challenge of deciding how County funding is allocated between the
Economic Development Department, the Health and Social Services Department
and the Parks and Recreation Department. Each of these County departments
competes for the use of tax dollars collected through a Countywide tax levy,
and they compete with a variety of other Countywide programs as well as each
other.

Option 2

The existing processes can be continued. All of the funds allocated to
non-profits and other governments are subject to contracts or interlocal
agreements. These, in turn, are subject to audits. Most County contracts
have been converted to "pay-for-performance" contracts that pay only when
services are provided in accordance with standards established in each
contract.



Option 3

An alternative change would be to break out additional funding "pools" so
that cultural service providers compete against each other, social service
providers compete against each other, and economic development service
providers compete against each other. This modified approach endorses the
competitive process, but eliminates concerns about evaluating dissimilar
programs.

This option can be further expanded to consider incorporating some specific
services into the responsibility of existing County departments, which would
contract through a normal RFP or accept bids for the ongoing provision of
services. Potential candidates for such a process include drug treatment
services, transportation of mental health patients, examination of rape
victims, veterans' services, historic markers, and specific economic
development services. In each case, a department would be identified to
provide a service and would contract with local providers for the provision
of such service.

In the short term, existing providers could be retained for FY 02 or for
both FY 02 and FY 03 to provide a transition to a competitive provision of
these services in future years. Since the service would be incorporated into
the mission of a particular department, the Board would ensure that specific
services to the community are continued. At the same time, the Board would
allow other potential providers a future opportunity to compete. In some
cases, there may be no other providers locally available and the existing
relationship would continue under a competitive process.

Potential funding changes include:

A competitive funding of cultural activities that would include the Museum
of Science and Industry, the Lowry Park Zoo, the Tampa Bay History Center,
Public Access Television, Educational Access Television, and the Arts
Council. Current funding for these organizations totals $2,777,477. In the
past, the Tampa Museum of Art and the Florida Orchestra have also received
non-competitive funding.

Incorporate funding of economic development activities into the Economic
Development Department budget. Current providers include the Greater Tampa
Chamber of Commerce, the International Economic Development Program, the
Tampa Bay Partnership, and USF Corporate Development. Current funding for
these organizations totals $528,500.

Incorporate responsibility for drug treatment, mental health patient
transportation, examination of rape victims, and veterans' services into the
Health and Social Services Department budget. Current providers of these
services include DACCO, ACTS, Goodwill, Tampa Crossroads, the Hillsborough
County Crisis Center, and the Veteran's Council. Current funding for these
organizations totals    $2,372,877.

Incorporate responsibility for youth programs into the Parks and Recreation
Department budget. The current provider is the City of Tampa with $2,910 in
funding. Also, incorporate responsibility for funding historic markers into
the Parks and Recreation Department budget. The current provider is the
Historic Advisory Council in an amount of $3,000 and that organization can
continue to identify where such markers should be erected.

Incorporate responsibility for senior employment into the Aging Services
Department budget. The current provider is the American Association for
Retired Persons, with $8,715 in funding.

Direct consideration for the police community relations program to the
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for potential inclusion in the Sheriff'
s budget. The current provider is the City of Tampa Community Relations
Department, with $14,744 in funding.

Combine the remaining social service organizations into the existing RFA
process, effective FY 04:

§ Hillsborough County Crisis Center (general administration component)
§ National Conference for Community and Justice
§ Sickle Cell Association
§ Tampa Hillsborough Urban League
§ The Spring

The first four organizations received $681,444 in non-competitive funding in
FY 01. The Spring has voluntarily participated in the competitive process
for the past two biennial cycles and currently receives $106,800 through
that process. The Spring is, however, currently authorized to receive
funding under the non-competitive process.

Recommendation

County Administration recommends the Board adopt Option 3.

Option 1 has raised concerns in the community that dissimilar services
cannot be compared. Choosing that option may generate continuing controversy
and unnecessary concerns on the part of citizens that support each of these
organizations.

Option 2 would continue a perception that organizations are inappropriately
receiving County tax dollars without having to compete. That perception
raised concerns by both the Blue Ribbon Committee on County Finances and
Florida TaxWatch (see attached TaxWatch comments).

Given that the deadline for the social services competitive process for FY
02 and FY 03 has passed, the five social service organizations identified
for the competitive process would have two years notice of a requirement to
compete. One organization, The Spring, has already chosen to compete for
funding in past budget cycles.

Cultural services organizations would be asked to participate in a separate
cultural services review process for FY 02 and FY 03. These organizations
currently provide information on activities as part of their existing
contractual relationship with the County and the materials submitted for the
review process would be similar to what has historically been requested for
those contracts. These organizations would not compete with social services
organizations.

Other organizations' existing funding would be incorporated into the FY 02
and FY 03 budgets of the County departments previously discussed and each
existing organization would be guaranteed to be the provider for at least FY
02. The Board would be given the opportunity to either initiate competition
for those services in FY 03 or allow each existing provider to continue
service through FY 03. There is no guarantee that any other providers would
step forward to compete to provide these services. County Administration
does believe that by shifting these programs and integrating them into the
responsibility of specific County departments, the perception that we award
contracts without allowing competition would be resolved since other
providers, if they exist, could submit proposals or bids.

This recommendation does not consider any changes in funding levels. That
point cannot be stressed enough. Increases or decreases in funding of
specific programs would be considered later during the budget-balancing
stage of the budget process, just as they have in all previous processes.

1. Statutory mandate or local ordinance requirement for specific social service (e.g. transportation of mental health patients to mental health receiving facilities);
2. Multi-year commitment to a social or cultural service organization (no current examples; past use included Tampa Museum of Art funding for 5 yrs)
3. Commitment to another municipality or quasi-governmental agency (e.g., Arts Council, City of Tampa Youth Council); and/or
4. Designation for any other reason.

1. Blue Ribbon Committee on County Funding and Florida TaxWatch recommended against funding non-profits.
2. Board previously deferred issue to FY 02 & FY 03 budget process
3. RFA applications for FY02 & FY 03 due Feb 5, 2001 (recommended extension & revision of applications if change made)

• AARP Senior Employment
• Agency for Community Treatment Services/Drug Treatment
• Arts Council of Hillsborough County/Administration & Regranting
• City of Tampa/Youth Council
• DACCO/Drug Court Supplement
• DACCO/Residential Drug Treatment
• Hills. County Crisis Center Operations/Trans./Nurse Examiner
• Historical Advisory Council
• Goodwill Industries/Drug Treatment
• Lowry Park/Wildlife Awareness Days
• Museum of Science and Industry
• National Conference for Community and Justice
• Northdale Partnership
• Sickle Cell Association/Community Education & Counseling
• Tampa Bay History Center/Operation & Artifacts Preservation
• Tampa Crossroads/Residential After Care
• Tampa Hills. Urban League/Race Relation Symposium
• Tampa Hills. Urban League/Renov. Centro de W. Tampa
• Tampa Museum of Art
• United Way/Management Assistance Program
• Veteran's Council

• City of Tampa Police Community Relations
• Florida Orchestra
• Speak Up Tampa Bay Public Access Television, Inc.
• Tampa Educational Cable Consortium - Education Access TV
• Time-Warner Entertainment

FYI - Dena

----- Original Message -----
From: "Miriam Snipes" <Miriam.Snipes@...>

To Members and Interested Parties
of the Growth Management Study Commission:

Please find attached the Fourth Draft Report and Recommendations of the
Growth Management Study Commission.  For your convenience  two versions have
been provided, however, you may experience formatting difficulties when
printing.

You may view and print the document from our web site at
www.floridagrowth.org.  To access this file you must install  "Adobe Acrobat
Reader" software which can be downloaded free throughout the  site.

Thank you,
Tammy Anderson
Administrative Assistant

            Vol. 11 #4, Fall 2000

Politics as unusual
Study circles help connect community and political life

By Martha L. McCoy, SCRC Executive Director

Here we are in the middle of another presidential election season. Pollsters and pundits are busily analyzing each candidate’s message of the moment, and trying to predict November’s election results. Who will the American people vote for, and why? Will most of the electorate even go to the polls?

This last question flashes a warning signal about the health of our democracy. During election season, when democracy should shine its brightest, many people feel hopeless or doubt that their participation can make a difference.

Yet, under the radar screen of electoral politics, there are signs of hope for our democracy. People are motivated to work in their communities, and frequently do so. In fact, most activity at the community level — whether it’s mentoring young people, starting a neighborhood playground, or organizing a neighborhood watch — takes a lot more energy and time than voting.

Why these apparently opposite impulses? Why do people care so much about their communities and yet seldom want to play an active role in our political life? This is worth asking, because the gap between community activity and politics is sapping our ability to build a vibrant democracy with a place for everyone’s voice and participation.

The League of Women Voters examines the disconnect

The League of Women Voters recently released a study that sheds some light on this question. "Working Together: Community Involvement in America" (see sidebar for more details) shows that:

• More than half of Americans are involved in community activities and issues. This cuts across race, ethnicity, gender, and age.
• Almost half of Americans say that they want to be even more involved. They are especially interested in working with friends and neighbors to solve a community problem. This also cuts across racial, ethnic, gender, and age groups.
• People are pressed for time, but they are willing to get involved if they believe it will lead to real change in their community.

• People are most likely to get involved in community when someone they know asks them to participate, and when they receive information they can trust about opportunities for their involvement.
• Many people — especially those who describe themselves as "disengaged" — do not associate any of their community activities with "politics."
• Most Americans do not feel that they are part of those sectors of the public to which elected officials pay attention.

The findings of the League study resonate with what we at the Study Circles Resource Center are seeing in the communities we work with. In the almost two hundred communities that are organizing study circle programs, we see that people of all backgrounds, ages, and beliefs want to make their communities a better place.

Many of them are extremely busy with parenting, jobs, going to school, taking care of aging parents, or other important daily challenges. Yet they often take the time to participate when they know their participation will make a difference.

Beginning to reconnect community and politics

How does this relate to politics as usual? Too often, our political process seems unrelated to those community issues that matter to us. It often seems like a necessary evil, a struggle among a few groups or individuals. In this version of our public life, the so-called experts or the monied interests are the ones that are in the fray. Once in a while, the rest of us are called to add our voices, to help tip the balance in a political struggle.

When public life works like this, people get involved only if their self-interest is threatened, or if they are extremely selfless and perform their "civic duty." In this kind of politics, voting is the most we can ask of ourselves, and even that often feels meaningless.

How can we create a politics that invites our participation as much as community life does? Can we imagine and create a political life that is connected to the needs and hopes of all of us, a political life where we feel that our participation makes a difference?

Here, the League of Women Voters study offers some vital clues. If our politics were to connect to people’s real concerns and daily lives, we could create a democracy that welcomes and includes everyone.

The Study Circles Resource Center was formed by the Topsfield Foundation in 1989 to help create this kind of politics. The core belief behind our creation was that a strong democracy requires participatory processes that welcome everyone’s voice, beliefs, and experiences.

Our charge was to develop tools that communities could use to involve large numbers of people, from every background and way of life, in small-group, face-to-face discussion and action on critical issues. We turned to the study circle idea, because it embodied the essence of democracy — active and voluntary participation, welcoming to all people, openness to all perspectives, dialogue that leads to action, without a requirement for consensus.

• The small-group aspect of study circles helps assure that each person will use his or her voice.
• The community-wide scope of the process helps assure that many people from all across a community will come to the table.

Community-wide, regional and statewide study circle programs are showing that people are willing to get involved in tackling complex political issues. In these programs, people are connecting their civic energies to community problem solving and to work on public policy. They are showing their willingness to participate in political life.

And it’s not a case of "the people vs. the leaders." When study circles are their best, participation is very broad and includes public officials — elected officials, school board members, commission members, state legislators, and others — both as program sponsors and as participants.

To mobilize larger numbers of people for dialogue and problem solving, study circle organizers are using the very principles that came to light in the League study. In particular, people need to know that their individual participation will make a difference, that their time will be well spent, and that people they know and trust are inviting them to get involved.

They are also discovering what it takes to connect people’s community involvement to a new form of political involvement:

• For people to get engaged, the issue must be of broad community concern. It must be clear that participation is not just for "conservatives" or "liberals" or the "civic crowd" or any one group.

• People want to work in diverse groups. They want to cross typical dividing lines (whether racial, age, education level, income level, or citizen-public official). But they need to know that they can participate in a structured, safe environment where they have the chance to hear one another and work together productively.

• The dialogue must start where they are, and then connect their personal concerns to the larger dimensions of the problem — to the whole community and to public policy.

• Dialogue must be linked to the possibility of action at all levels. People need the chance to connect their individual actions to other individual, institutional, and policy changes.

These principles suggest a new definition of politics, one that is based on a more interactive and productive relationship between citizens and their communities.

In "politics as unusual," citizens have the opportunities to express their concerns, form new relationships, learn about issues and each other, solve local problems, and give meaningful policy input to governments.

Governments and community organizations have the chance to achieve broader public support, a better understanding of what citizens want, and the problem-solving capacity that comes from large numbers of active, engaged citizens.

As the November election approaches, we should let it remind us to work toward this more complete and active vision of democracy.

From the Tampa Bay Estuary Program:

We want to know what you think about the present and future health of Tampa
Bay!  Please visit the Tampa Bay Estuary Program website at www.tbep.org and
take the Bay Opinion Poll on the home page.

This informal poll was created by our Community Advisory Committee to assess
perceptions of the bay and identify major community concerns related to bay
protection.

MEMORANDUM

TO: Growth Management Study Commission Members

FROM: Norma Lindsey, Executive Director

DATE:            February 5, 2001

RE: Information Update - Final Meeting
February 12, 2001

The full Commission will hold its final meeting in the Senate Office
Building, Room 32S, on February 12, 2001, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and
continuing until as late as 9:00 p.m., if necessary, to conclude the work of
the Commission.

Subcommittee Meetings:

Urban Revitalization and Rural Policy Subcommittees will meet on Sunday
February 11, 2001, in Tallahassee to finalize their recommendations to the
Commission in light of the discussions that have taken place thus far.
Urban Revitalization will meet from 4-7 p.m. in Room 32 of the Senate Office
Building.

Rural Policy will meet from 4-7 p.m. in Room 42 of the Senate Office
Building.

----------------

MEMORANDUM

To: Growth Management Study Commission Members

From: Norma Lindsey, Executive Director

Date: February 2, 2001

Re: Schedule Update and Process for Amendments to Fourth Draft
___________________________________________________

Please note the updated schedule and procedures outlined below.

Subcommittee Meetings:

At the meeting this week in Orlando, the Commission decided that the Urban
Revitalization and Rural Policy Subcommittees would meet again on Sunday
February 11, 2001, in Tallahassee to finalize their recommendations to the
Commission in light of the discussions that have taken place thus far.
Urban Revitalization will meet from 4-7 p.m. in Room 32 of the Senate Office
Building.  Rural Policy will meet from 4-7 p.m. in Room 42 of the Senate
Office Building.  We are working on scheduling a casual dinner/reception
following the Subcommittee meetings.  Details will be provided shortly.

Final Meeting of Full Commission:

The full Commission will hold its final meeting in the Senate Office
Building, Room 32S, on February 12, 2001, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and
continuing until as late as 9:00 p.m., if necessary, to conclude the work of
the Commission.  Commission Members should plan to stay overnight on Monday
February 12 unless they are able to make arrangements to leave Tallahassee
after 9:00 p.m. on that evening.  Please let us know, at your earliest
convenience, whether you will need a room for Sunday and/or Monday or both
nights so that we may make hotel arrangements for you.

Fourth Draft - Procedures for Commission Members to Propose Amendments:

The Fourth Draft of the Commission's Report and Recommendations will be sent
by overnight delivery to Commission Members on Wednesday February 7 for
delivery on Thursday February 8, and will posted to the Web site no later
than Thursday morning.  The Fourth Draft will include the changes that were
voted upon by the Commission on January 31 and February 1, 2001.  Commission
Members should submit any proposed amendments to the Fourth Draft that they
wish to have included in the amendment package to DCA by 12:00 noon on
Friday.  (A list of e-mail addresses and fax numbers is provided below that
may be used for your submissions).  These amendments should be in
legislative style underline/strike-through format on the Growth Management
Study

Commission Draft Report - Comment Form (available on the home page of the
Web site http://www.floridagrowth.org/), one proposed amendment per form.
Memorandum to Commission Members - February 3, 2001


The amendment package will also include a section containing all proposed
amendments that were submitted to the Third Draft but were not withdrawn or
voted upon at the Orlando meeting along with copies of the Fourth Draft.
The package will be available at the Rural Policy Subcommittee meeting on
Sunday February 11, at 4:00 p.m.  Any proposed amendments received after the
Friday noon deadline will not be included in the package.  If you wish to
have an amendment voted upon by the Commission that is not included in the
amendment package, you must bring sufficient copies with you to the meeting
for the Commission, the media and the public.  We suggest 100 copies.

Fourth Draft - Procedures for Non-Commission Members to Propose Amendments:

As a reminder, anyone who is not a Commission Member that would like to have
a proposed amendment considered by the Commission at its final meeting on
February 12, must find a Commission Member to sponsor that amendment.
Please follow the same procedures as for Commission Members regarding use of
the Draft Report Comment Form and suggested number of copies.

E-Mail Addresses:

norma.lindsey@...
floridagrowth@...
jim.quinn@...

Facsimile Numbers:

850-414-8566
850-922-1831
850-488-3309
850-922-2679


Please call if you have any questions or need any assistance.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR, SUNCOAST EARTH FORCE

Background
Earth Force is a national, youth-driven, nonprofit organization that engages
young people aged 10-14 in solving local, environmental problems through
active, civic participation in their community.  Our mission is young people
changing their communities and caring for the environment now, while
developing life-long habits of active citizenship and environmental
stewardship.

The Position
The Program Coordinator is responsible for supporting educators in
conducting projects that affect environmentally related private policy,
public policy, or community practices.  The projects are conducted through
school and community-based organizations. The Program Coordinator works
directly with the Community Vice President.

Responsibilities include:  educator recruitment, training and support;
making site visits to schools in three counties, developing meaningful and
fun educators activities to use in implementing Earth Force programs;
connecting educators and students with community resources to help them
identify environmental issues and implement community action projects;
enhancing Earth Force
programs by providing a focus on civic, urban and environmental justice
issues; working with young people in youth leadership development.

Specific duties include:
Recruiting educators and adult leaders to implement Earth Force programs
Creating support-networks for both adults and youth participants
Building support with key school and community-based organization
administrators
Providing training, support, encouragement, and technical support to
educators and adult leaders
Supporting the recognition of young people for their projects
Developing and implementing a youth summit at the conclusion of the program
year through the support of the Youth Advisory Board
Participating as part of the national Earth Force team

Preferred Skills, Background, Experiences
Experience as a middle school teacher, trainer and/or facilitator is a big
plus
Polished presentation, facilitation skills
Ability to perform highly in entrepreneurial environment
Understanding and experience in service learning, environmental education,
and civic action
Competency in MSWord, e-mail; access to home PC & printer

Further Information Contact: 			 Expectations
& Benefits
Patricia Yarnot, Community Vice President 	 Full time,
40 hrs.
Suncoast Earth Force 				 Provide own
transportation
701 Channelside Drive 					 Benefits

Tampa, FL  33602 				 Paid
vacation
Work:  (813) 273-4507 / Fax:  (813) 273-4162 	 Salary in
mid twenties
"mailto:Suncoast@..." 			 Position
available immediately


Patricia Yarnot, Community Vice President
Suncoast Earth Force
Serving both Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties
Earth Force -- Youth for a Change!!
Phone (813) 273-4507  Cell (813) 601-1682

The Learning Communities--an interdisciplinary undergraduate program at
USF--is looking for one or two community artists with a graduate degree
(MFA, MA, Ph.D., etc.) to teach part-time in the program. The program
emphasizes community engaged learning.
Visual artists, photographers, musicians, dancers, artists involved in
theater or film, curators, and art critics are all welcome to apply (and
others that I am not thinking of presently). Currently Lance Goldenberg, the
film critic at the Weekly Planet and Curtis Ross, the music critic at the
Tampa Tribune are both teaching in the Learning Communities. The schedule is
flexible, the pay will not make you wealthy.
Please email Janna Jones, the associate director of the program at
jjones1@... or call 974-8123.
I am in the need of one artist immediately and one or two artists for the
the academic year of 2001-2002.

Janna Jones
Associate Director of the Learning Communities

TOMORROW MATTERS! A regional community initiative balancing natural, social
and economic systems.

Dear friends,

Still learning to post things on our new site, but encourage you to check it
out!  Although many of the items are not posted yet, thought you might be
interested.  Have also added 2 new folders under "files" - Pasco County
(with Pasco Vision guest editorial) and Study Circles (with invitation).
Will try to send update at end of week with additions.  Appreciate your
patience as we learn how to better share information with you!

Many thanks for your continued interest and support of TOMORROW MATTERS!
Please don't forget to register & attend the Study Circles training on Feb.
16 & 17, and the Transportation Summit on Feb. 28.  The next Planning Group
meeting to plan the April Community Dialogue in St. Pete/Pinellas will be
held on Feb. 23.

Dena
813/831-6718

----------------------------

Weds., Jan. 31 - DEADLINE - Education Channel's Community Communicator
Awards, www.educationchannel.org or  contact Laura 254-2253

Thurs., Feb. 1, 9:30 a.m. - PUBLIC COMMENT:  Tampa Greenway & Trail Master
Plan presentation to Tampa City Council  by Tampa Parks Department and
Citizen's Advisory Committee.  Karla Price, City of Tampa Parks Department,
931-2626.

Thurs., Feb. 2, 2 p.m. - SWFWMD PUBLIC MEETING: Legislative Delegation
Drought Briefing, Greater Tampa Board of Realtors & Builders Association of
Greater Tampa, 2918 Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa

Monday, Feb. 5, 5 p.m. - DEADLINE - Hillsborough County two-year funding
applications for social services (RFA #1134-01) and public services (RFA
#1135-01 Community Development Block Grant, uninc. Hillsborough, Temple
Terrace & Plant City), Oct. 1, 2001 through Sept. 30, 2002, and Oct. 1, 2002
through Sept. 30, 2003; Management and Budget Dept. 26th floor, County
Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. in downtown Tampa,
www.hillsboroughcounty.org/mbd/pub.html, or (813) 272-5890.

Thurs., Feb. 9, 9:30 a.m. - Nat'l Endowment for the Humanities Application
Workshop I re: federal grants & awards (consultation
grants up to $10,000; preservation assistance grants up to $5,000, faculty
research awards up to $24,000, and institutional awards up to $25,000), USF
St. Pete, 140 7th Ave. S., Davis Hall, Rm 130.  Contact Anne Lopez-Buitrago
at 202/606-8285 or alopez-buitrago@....

Fri., Feb. 10, 10 a.m. - Nat'l Endowment for the Humanities Application
Workshop II re: federal grants & awards (humanities scholar-in-residence
grants up to $10,000), USF St. Pete, 140 7th Ave. S., Davis Hall, Rm 130.
Contact Anne Lopez-Buitrago at 202/606-8285 or
alopez-buitrago@....

Fri.-Sat., Feb. 16-17 - Friday Study Circles Orientations (9-11 a.m. NCCJ,
St. Pete;  2-4 p.m. Sun City Center Community Center; & 6-8 p.m. HCC Dale
Mabry Campus, Tampa) & Saturday Organizing Clinic (HCC Dale Mabry Campus,
Tampa), Friday FREE, Saturday $10.  FMI, see
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TomorrowMatters-TampaBay or call 813/831-9774.

Weds.-Sat., Feb. 21-24 - USF Conference on Engaging Universities and
Communities, USF Embassy Suites, Tampa.  $200 (Saturday FREE).

Fri., Feb. 23 - TM! Planning Group Meeting, NCCJ Parish Hall, St. Pete,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TomorrowMatters-TampaBay/

Weds., Feb. 28 - Transportation Summit, USF Embassy Suites, Tampa.
www.tbrpc.org

Thurs., Mar. 1, 6 p.m. - Walk for Hunger 2001 Planning Meeting, First
Christian Church, 350 S. Hyde Park Ave., 744-5519 ext. 108

Thurs., Mar. 29, 7 p.m. - Walk for Hunger 2001 Kick-Off Rally, First
Christian Church, 350 S. Hyde Park Ave., 744-5519 ext. 108.

Sunday, April 29, 4 p.m. - Walk for Hunger 2001, Bayshore Blvd., Tampa.
FMI, Faith Based:  933-7900, Secular:  744-5519 ext. 108.

Thurs.-Sun., May 10-13 - Florida Native Plant Society's 21st Annual
Conference re: "Biodiversity & Development: Striking a
Balance," Westin Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor.  Contact Pinellas chapter
(727) 544-7341, www.fnps.org , buhrman@...

Enter your vote today!  Check out the new poll for the
TM-TampaBay-Community-Plan
group:


What do you think of this group
environment?

   o Great!  What can I do to help.
   o Move to eCircles.com or another environment.
   o Consider TBO.com
   o Consider MSN.com


To vote, please visit the following web page:

http://www.egroups.com/polls/TM-TampaBay-Community-Plan

Note: Please do not reply to this message. Poll votes are
not collected via email. To vote, you must go to the eGroups
web site listed above.

Thanks!