Virtual Board Meetings

Due to COVID-19, the Board of County Commissioners has been holding its meetings virtually using the Zoom teleconferencing platform. As of July 21, 2020, the Board meets in-person for some meetings with social distancing while still allowing virtual participation via Zoom. The meeting announcement will indicate whether the meeting will be in-person with virtual participation or entirely virtual. 

 

New location when meetings are in-person

To enable social distancing, in-person meetings will be held in the Magnolia Room at the Pinellas County Cooperative Extension, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo Florida, with offsite participants joining by Zoom.

 

How to watch the meeting or work session

Members of the public are encouraged to watch the public meeting and public hearings at YouTube.com/PCCTV1, PinellasCounty.org/TV, or on cable television (Spectrum 637, Frontier 44, and WOW! 18).

 

How to participate in the meeting

For meetings held virtually, members of the public wishing to address the body on any agenda item may do so virtually.

 

For meetings held in-person with virtual participation, members of the public wishing to address the body on any agenda item may do so in person or virtually. Space for in-person attendance is very limited due to COVID-19 social distancing. Members of the public wishing to address the Board are strongly encouraged to participate virtually.

 

To participate virtually, visit www.pinellascounty.org/attend or call the Zoom meeting at one of the following numbers: 1-646-558-8656; or 1-312-626-6799; or 1-301-715-8592; or 1-346-248-7799; or 1-720-707-2699; or 1-253-215-8782.

You will be asked to enter a Webinar ID number. That number is 238 247 671.

 

Providing comments in advance

Those wishing to provide comments on any agenda item are encouraged to do so in advance. The following are available options for comments:

 

• Complete the BCC Agenda Comment Form
• Call the County dedicated voicemail at 727-464-4010
• Call the Agenda Comment Line at 727-464-4400 (includes instructions on how to comment on an agenda item)

 

Comments on any agenda item must be submitted by 5 p.m. the day before the meeting.

 

Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may provide public input on any agenda item through use of the State of Florida's relay service at 7-1-1.

 

All comments on any agenda item received by 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting will be included as part of the official record for this meeting and will be available to be considered by the County Commission prior to any action taken.

 

Visual Presentation Materials, Documents, or Photos

Public comments in virtual meetings are audio only. Public comment in-person is also audio-only. Any visual materials must be submitted in advance.

 

All presentation materials, documents, or photos that are to be presented or entered into the record for a public hearing item MUST BE RECEIVED NOT LATER THAN SEVEN (7) CALENDAR DAYS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.

 

Materials, documents, or photos for a public hearing should be submitted via email or mail.

 

Email Address (for submitting materials, documents, and photos ONLY): bccagendacomments@mypinellasclerk.org

 

Mailing Address:

Pinellas County Board Records
315 Court St.
Clearwater, FL 33756

 

All submissions MUST be accompanied by information that contains:

 

• The identity of the sender
• Contact information for the sender
• The Agenda date and Agenda Number or Public Hearing topic information to identify the matter

 

Failure to comply with these provisions may result in the submission not being available for the public hearing.

 

Answers to questions on the submission of Presentation Materials, Documents or Photos for Public Hearings may be received by leaving a message at 727-464-3458.

 

Reasonable accommodation requests during COVID-19 pandemic

Persons with disabilities who need to request reasonable accommodation(s) to effectively participate in this meeting may contact Pinellas County's Office of Human Rights. As Pinellas County is currently operating under a Declaration of Emergency relating to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and is practicing CDC recommended social distancing protocols, staff from the Office of Human Rights is working remotely from the office.

 

Persons with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations are asked to e-mail such requests to both pvalenti@pinellascounty.org and to jlorick@pinellascounty.org at least three (3) business days in advance of the need for reasonable accommodation. You may also call (727) 464-4882.

 

More information about the ADA, and requests for reasonable accommodation, may be found on the Office of Human Rights website.

 

Pinellas County Commission public participation and decorum rules

Decorum for virtual meetings

• Please be respectful of others' opinions, and refrain from making personal attacks. Any person who becomes disorderly or who fails to confine remarks to the identified subject or business at hand shall be cautioned by the Chair and given the opportunity to conclude remarks on the subject in a decorous manner and within the designated time limit. Any person failing to comply as cautioned may be barred from making any additional comments during the meeting by the Chair, unless permission to continue or again address the Commission is granted by the majority of the Commission members present.

 

• If the Chair or Commission declares a virtual participant to be out of order, he or she may be muted by the moderator.

 

• All remarks shall be addressed to the Commission as a body and not to any member thereof.

 

• No person, other than a member of the Commission and the person having the floor, may be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of the Commission, without permission of the Chair. No question may be asked except through the Chair.

 

• Speakers should make their comments concise and to the point.

 

Public hearing procedures

It is the intent of these Public Participation and Decorum Rules that all Public Hearings before the Board of County Commissioners are governed by the provisions of Section 134-14 of the Pinellas County Land Development Code. That code provides that at the conclusion of each person's presentation, any speaker may seek the Chair's permission to ask questions of staff. Specifically:

 

• At the conclusion of the presentations by the applicant and any proponents, all affected parties may seek the Chair's permission to ask questions of or seek clarification from the applicant and/or the proponents.

 

• At the conclusion of the presentation by the opponents, all affected parties may seek the Chair's permission to ask questions of or seek clarification from any opponent.

 

The applicant's closing comments will address testimony subsequent to their presentation. Continuing rebuttal of other than directly preceding testimony will not be allowed.

 

All other persons may speak for up to three (3) minutes on the item through the virtual meeting webinar or call-in phone number. At the appropriate time during the meeting, instructions will be given to those on the webinar or on the phone how to indicate that they wish to speak. When called on to comment, you must state and spell your name, and say your address, before commenting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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