Call to Action: Please Attend Tomorrow's (Wed) 1pm ANNUAL Meeting of Lake County Legislators

Tavares, FL - Sept. 27, 2011 -  Readers of FiscalRangers.com are encouraged to attend tomorrow's (Wed) 1pm ANNUAL meeting of the Lake County Legislator's Delegation forum at Lake Sumter Community College

Here is the meeting agenda.  Unlike last year, where part of the meeting was held in the evening so the public could attend, this one is all during the day from 1-5pm.

Download 2011-09-28 Legil Del AGENDA   

 This agenda was only sent out today.  Van Zant's office didn't return phone calls or the requested minutes, and could not tell us which building the meeting was in.

UPDATE:  I was told by an attendee that "The meeting is in the Fine Arts Auditorium in front of the gym."

However, we obtained the minutes of January's meeting, and they are ATTACHED.  It is a long Word document.

Download 2011-01-05 FLORIDA DELEGATION MEETING MINUTES

Thus, we assume the meeting is in the AUDITORIUM of the Lake Sumter Community College campus and is at  1pm.  Please arrive early to ensure you find the right building (not the conference center).  We will try to post some signs.  Enter the campus on the west side by Cracker Barrel restaurant on Hwy 441.

AGENDA

LAKE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION

September 28, 2011

1:00-5:00 p.m.

• Welcome-Chairman,  Charles Van Zant, State Representative

• Invocation-Senator Alan Hays

• Pledge of Allegiance-Representative Larry Metz

• Roll Call, Mary Jo Marjenhoff, Legislative Aide, Representative Van Zant

• Introduction of  Legislative Delegation and Staff

Representative Charles Van Zant, Chair

Senator Paula Dockery

Senator Alan Hays

Representative Larry Metz

Representative Marlene O’Toole

Representative Stephen Precourt

• Introduction of Elected Officials-Representative Charles Van Zant

• Welcome Delegation- Ms. Margo Odom, Chair, Board of Trustees

• Local Government Presentations
  • Dr. Dan Holsenbeck, Vice President of University Relations-University of Central Florida
  • Mr. Richard Scott, Vice President for Business Affairs-Lake Sumter  Community College
  • Ms. Jennifer Hill, Chair-Lake County Board of County Commissioners
  • Ms. Debbie Stivender-Lake County School Board
  • Mr. T.J. Fish, Executive Director-Lake Sumter Municipal Planning Organization

• Public Presentations & Testimony
  • James Lowe, Executive Director-Lake Community Action Agency
  • Joe Helme, Volunteer-American Lung Association
  • Kathy Williamson, Volunteer- AARP
  • Ann Griffin, Volunteer-Water Authority, Nutrient Reduction Facility, dredging
  • Katina Mustipher, Director of Program Operations-Elder Options
  • Mark Middlebrook, Executive Director-St. Johns River Alliance

• Local Bills
  • Phyllis Baum, Senior Vice President-Leesburg Regional Medical Center
  • Ken Mattison, CEO-Florida Hospital Waterman
  • Representative Larry Metz-North Lake County Hospital District

• Final Remarks from Delegation Members

• Adjournment

Appearance cards are located at the door for members of the public who wish to address the Delegation.

=============================================================

Below is the text of the email I sent out to our email list:

Please attend this meeting tomorrow (wed. Sept 28) at 1pm at Lake Sumter Community College if you can to support Larry Metz and Marilyn Bainter in reform proposals for the North Lake County Hospital District.

This is the annual meeting of the Lake County six member Florida legislator’s delegation.  Two will be absent.

The meeting will be from 1pm to 5pm in the Auditorium (we assume, no one would respond with the actual location, so probably not the Conference Center – look for signs if any).

Unlike the last meeting in January, there is no evening meeting to enable more working people to attend. 

Attached is the agenda AND the minutes from the last January meeting.  We were not able to get an agenda until TODAY from Rep. Van Zant’s office.    Van Zant’s office did not answer the phones or return calls or provide the January minutes. 

This meeting let’s you see the annual parade of various public agencies requesting funds form the Legislators (don’t expect much).

Additionally, Rep. Larry Metz is proposing a local law regulation regarding reforming of the North Lake County Hospital District.  That is the one where about half the taxed residents NEVER, in 40 years, have been allowed to vote to approve the tax.   Additionally, there are NO RULES in the existing regulation to specify how the three receiving hospitals will spend about $8-million of taxpayer funds.  It is time for reform, and you can provide public input on the issue.   We encourage you to do so, since representatives from both larger hospitals, Leesburg, and Waterman, have been given time on the agenda to plead their case for continuing this 40 year subsidy of the two private hospital corporations.

Be there!   Please send this to any friends concerned about paying taxes without any conditions on how the funds are to be spent.

You can see my prior FiscalRangers articles on this Hospital District Issue at:

http://webworks.typepad.com/lakecountyfiscalrangers/north-lake-county-hospital-district/ 

And, you can visit our website WE created for the District issues since the BOARD so far has refused to provide a phone number, office location, email or website for taxpayers to locate information about them.

http://northlakecountyhospitaldistrict.com/       (not updated as much as the FiscalRanger blog)

And, you can LIKE our Facebook page related to this issue at:

https://www.facebook.com/FixNorthLakeCountyHospitalDistrict  

Vance Jochim

Lake County Fiscal Rangers

Chief Fiscal Watchdog

Volunteers Searching for Ways to Improve Local Government Fiscal Management, Efficiency & Effectiveness

Tavares, FL 32778

Mobile:  352-638-3578

FiscalRangers@comcast.net

www.FiscalRangers.com   

Fiscal Ranger's page on Facebook

CLICK HERE to see recommended internet links related to Local Lake County government fiscal issues.

 

Comments

[FiscalRangers]

I am posting this comment on behalf of Ralph Smith, owner of Lake Tire & Auto:

For any member of this legislative delegation not to at a minimum, to support a referendum to allow the voters of the North Lake Hospital Tax District to voice their opinion through the ballot box on the need for the continued existence of this elected board and/or the continuance of said tax, is in my view, a dereliction of duty and I for one and I suspect many others will work tirelessly to remove said member of our elected local delegation from the office they currently hold, as that in my view, they do not, regardless of any rhetoric to the contrary, believe in this basic constitutional precept and therefore are not qualified to hold any elective office..

Most sincerely and seriously,
Ralph Smith