A Citizen's Guide to the Board of County Commissioners Meetings

 

 

 

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Board of County Commissioners:

 

The Board of County Commissioners is the legislative and governing body of Pinellas County. The seven-member commission is responsible for establishing policies to protect the health, safety and general welfare of Pinellas County residents.

 

Commissioners are elected to serve four-year staggered terms. Four are elected from single-member districts in which they must reside. Three are elected at-large, but must reside in the geographic district they represent. Commission members take office two weeks after they are elected in general elections held every two years on the first Tuesday in November.

 

Usually in November, the board selects a chairman to preside over the County Commission and a vice chairman to assume those duties in the absence of the chairman. These appointments usually take effect in January.

 

What your Commission does:

The Pinellas County Charter and Chapter 125.01 of the Florida Statutes establish the specific duties and powers of the Board of County Commissioners.

Exercising their legislative powers, the County Commission adopts ordinances and resolutions to establish policies and programs and to provide public services and facilities primarily for the unincorporated areas of the county.

The County Commission considers major problems facing county government and guides the growth and development of the county in a manner that is consistent with public interest.

 

Where:

Commission meetings are usually held in the fifth-floor Assembly Room of the Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court Street, in Clearwater.

 

When:

Regular commission meetings are held twice a month, usually but not always, on the first and third Tuesdays. The earlier meeting in the month begins at 9:30 a.m. (with the exception of the September meeting which begins at 3 p.m.) with an Invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, Presentations and Awards, Scheduled Public Hearings, Citizens to be Heard and Agenda Items.

 

The second meeting in the month is held in two parts. This meeting begins at 3 p.m. with an Invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, Presentations and Awards, Citizens to be Heard, and discussion of Agenda Items. The commission reconvenes at 6:30 p.m. with Scheduled Public Hearings. Evening meetings are designated for zoning and land-use matters as well.

 

All Board of County Commissioners meetings are shown live (and replayed) over PCC-TV, and can be seen via streaming or archived video on the Pinellas County website, www.pinellascounty.org/tv.

Agendas:

Meeting agendas are available on the Thursday afternoon prior to any Tuesday meeting. Copies of the agenda are available from the Board Records office (fifth-floor of the County Courthouse), courthouse lobby and fifth-floor courthouse corridor. Meeting agendas are also posted on the Friday before the Tuesday board meeting on the county website, www.pinellascounty.org, and shown on Pinellas County Connection TV prior to the live meeting.
To view the agenda on the internet, click here.

 

 

Agenda Format

 

Four main sections comprise the agenda:

1. Citizens to be Heard
The commissioners have set aside time to listen to public comments about Pinellas County government, ensuring the individual’s right to participate in a public meeting, yet maintaining necessary decorum during that meeting. Each person who wishes to address the commission during Citizens to be Heard must complete a yellow citizen's comment card, including place of residence or business address, and submit that card to the Board Agenda Coordinator at the staff table prior to speaking. Remarks are limited to three minutes.

 

Speakers will be called by name to address the commission. When called, each speaker shall approach the lectern and identify him/herself by name and place of residence, i.e., name of city or unincorporated neighborhood.

 

Speakers may be asked whether they speak for a group, organization or third party; whether the view expressed by the speaker represents an established consensus opinion; and whether that group, organization or third party is compensating the speaker.

 

Speakers should make their comments concise and to the point, and present any data or evidence they wish the commission to consider. All remarks should be addressed to the commission as a body and not to any one member. Speakers must 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 chairman and given the opportunity to conclude his/her remarks in a decorous manner and within the designated time limits. Any person failing to comply as cautioned may be barred by the chairman from making any additional comments during the meeting, unless permission to continue or again address the commission is granted by the majority of the commissioners present.

 

If an individual is declared out of order, he/she may be requested to leave the podium, and may be subject to physical removal from the Assembly Room.

No signs, placards or banners will be allowed in the Assembly Room. Clapping, heckling or verbal outbursts in support or opposition to a speaker’s comments is discouraged.

 

A complete list of public participation and decorum rules, meeting information, archived meetings and webcasting can be found at www.pinellascounty.org.

 

2. Scheduled Public Hearings
The public has a right to address the commission during items scheduled as advertised public hearings. In conducting public hearings, the commission will call for a staff presentation, followed by the applicant’s proposal. The applicant will present his/her entire case, including rebuttal, within twenty minutes.

 

The commission will then invite proponents and opponents from the audience to speak on the issue. With the chairman’s permission, speakers may ask questions of the presenters involved or seek clarification of any issues discussed during the presentations. Those who wish to address the commission must fill out a blue public hearing card, submit it to the Board Agenda Coordinator at the staff table, and be prepared to step before the commission when the chairman calls his/her name. All protocol as outlined in the previous Citizens to be Heard paragraphs applies during the public hearings. Persons who have been authorized to represent an organization or group of five or more individuals should limit their comments to ten minutes. It is expected that others in that organization will waive their time. All other persons may speak for a total of three minutes each.

 

Citizens should be aware that if they decide to appeal any decision made at the meeting, they will need a record of the proceedings. It is advised that a verbatim record of the proceedings be made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. Verbatim records of all commission meetings are also available through Board Records, (727) 464-3458.

 

3. Consent Agenda
The consent agenda consists of a group or series of routine items for the commission’s vote. All items on the consent agenda are approved by the commission in one motion.

 

4. Regular Agenda
The regular agenda is broken down by department subject matter, as the commission considers each item individually.

 

 

Work Session Meetings:

Work sessions are scheduled as needed, usually on the Tuesdays when there is no Board of County Commissioners public meeting. Work sessions address specific subjects of particular interest to the commission and are usually held in the fifth-floor Assembly Room of the Pinellas County Courthouse. These meetings are shown live on Pinellas County Connection TV and can be accessed through the county’s website. Agendas for the work sessions are available to the public on the Friday afternoon before the week the meeting is scheduled. Copies are available from the Board Records office (fifth floor of the County Courthouse), courthouse lobby and fifth-floor courthouse corridor.

 

Citizens are invited to share their comments with the commission during work session meetings. Each speaker must fill out a yellow citizens’ comments card which is then submitted to the Board Agenda Coordinator at the staff table. Each speaker’s remarks are limited to three minutes.

 

Enhanced listening devices are available in the Assembly Room. American Sign Language interpreters are available as well. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in these proceedings, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the Office of Human Rights:

400 S. Fort Harrison Ave.,
Suite 300
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-4880/TDD (727) 464-4062

Terms to be familiar with...

Amendment: A change to any previously approved document, resolution or ordinance

 

Ordinance: A local law approved by the County Commission; requires a public hearing

 

Resolution: An expression or decision made by the Board concerning administrative matters or government business ; may require a public hearing

 

Proclamation: A document approved by the Board officially recognizing an event or accomplishment

 

Pinellas County complies with the Americans with
Disabilities Act. To obtain accessible formats of
this document, please contact Pinellas County
Communications at (727) 464-4600/TDD (727) 464-4431.

BCC Questions?
Meeting Schedule & Agendas
Pinellas County Administration: (727) 464-3485

Audio-Visual Equipment Needs
Pinellas County Communications Department: (727) 464-4724

 

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