taxpayer money to paint the crosswalks green because it was in fact a safety enhancement.
So aside from the change of the code, do they believe that the green is a safety enhancement
or not. She wants to know what new studies or new data they've come across that has now
made that to not be a safety enhancement.
IX. DISTRICT COMMISSIONER REPORTS
District 4 - Commissioner Lockhart
Commissioner Lockhart played a short video "Celebrate America's 250th on SunRail." At the
request of the Commissioner, Lorie Bailey Brown, Resource Management Director, addressed
the Board and provided an update on CFCRC's budget. Discussion ensued.
Commissioner Lockhart reported on the last Medical Examiner meeting including the budget
that was presented and the County's cost share. Discussion ensued and she advised she will
bring back to the Board any calculation errors.
The Commissioner advised consolidation of Fire and Law Enforcement is creeping up in
conversations because of the budget predicament that they're in and more people are
learning that the reason why they are having a budget imbalance is primarily due to public
safety purposes. She asked what is the most appropriate way to start engaging in those
types of conversations about consolidation. Obviously they cannot go in and force a City into
conversations they don't want to have, but all citizens are paying more because they are
running duplicative services. She doesn't want to have those conversations inappropriately.
Chairman Zembower advised at the Mayors and Managers meeting three or four months ago,
it was determined that many of the Cities are dealing with the same public safety challenges
that the County is. So he raised the question about consolidation, and the discussion was
that if they want to have the honest conversation and dialog on the most efficient dollars spent
for the citizens as a whole, they need to have an honest conversation on how they can
collaborate to save the taxpayers' dollars. One of those that's already been proven to work
out, that they already have a model for, is consolidation of fire services. And they should also
be looking at law enforcement, but they didn't want to have the conversation; they even said
the fire department deal is fine, but there was no interest in the law enforcement side. He
noted the market will ultimately and eventually dictate how and when those conversations
happen. Vice Chairman Herr opined the more they have this conversation from the dais to
the Cities, the worse that they're going to recoil. This has to be a ground-up maneuver.
There has to be a need at a local level. The County has always said, let local government run
local government. Commissioner Lockhart explained that's why she asked the question the
way that she did; how do they get those conversations going. She shared her comments on
the matter and indicated if there's no objections, she will continue to have small private
conversations with city commissioners as appropriate. Vice Chairman Herr asked if they can
prove what they've saved from former consolidations, and Commissioner Constantine
answered yes, they have that data. He explained how consolidation started back in the early
1990s with the City of Altamonte Springs proposing it to the County. There were few further
comments.
District 5 - Commissioner Herr
Vice Chairman Herr reported on a waterline break on a road that was repaired in hours. She
advised there was a Proclamation on today's Consent Agenda where the guests that were
present to accept the Proclamation wanted their picture taken with the Board. Unfortunately,
that photo opportunity did not happen. She invited Runway to Hope to attend the next Board
meeting to have that opportunity.
