Sarasota, FL - City Commissioners would like to hear your comments about the proposed fiscal year 2009-10 budget prior to the budget workshops when the Commission will begin the decision making process to set the millage rate. A public comment session on the proposed budget will be held Wed., July 15, 2009 at 6 pm in the Commission Chambers at City Hall, 1565 First Street.
Citizens will be given three minutes to comment on the proposed budget. There will be no formal staff presentation.
The proposed budget, including an executive summary, will be posted on the City's website, SarasotaGov.com, after 5pm on Thurs., July 9, 2009.
Jan Thornburg City of Sarasota Public Information Officer
From the County's Home Page, an invitation to attend the state's annual Neighborhood Conference. (This blogger attended last year's conference in Tallahassee and found it very worthwhile. This year, it's in St. Pete.)
Sarasota County neighborhood leaders invited to conference
Neighborhood leaders, concerned citizens and organized neighborhood groups are invited to learn more about helping their communities at the 13th Annual Florida Neighborhoods Conference in St. Petersburg July 9-11 at the St. Petersburg Hilton Bayfront Hotel. Sarasota County Neighborhood Services is seeking advanced registration for a free shuttle bus to and from the conference on July 10 and 11.
Participants can attend workshops, tours and exhibits focusing on subjects such as neighborhood improvements, leadership training, citizen engagement, neighborhood legal issues, partnerships and more. Subject matter experts from across the state will provide advice on many subjects including foreclosures and how neighborhoods can take advantage of the state’s new Neighborhood Stabilization Program, controlling traffic through neighborhoods, crime prevention, conservation and sustainability, and connecting with local governments.
Participants in the conference will also have the opportunity to take part in bus tours of the historical sections of downtown St. Petersburg including Roser Park and the old northeast portion of the city as well as Main Street, Midtown and the Arts and Culture Center.
For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000 and ask about the 13th Annual Florida Neighborhoods Conference.
To blog the virtual Town Hall meeting, I'm in Sarasota County's "think tank" room, where we have wifi and monitors from the TV studio. Here are some of the participating citizens:
Any questions for the virtual Town Hall received through the comment portions of this blog will be relayed to those in the studio. Here's a shot of the studio shortly before the start of the meeting:
There are several ways for people who aren't physically present at this evening's meeting to participate:
Telephone: 861-2255 (active on June 8)
Fax: 861-7354
E-mail: communityconnections@scgov.net
Comment right here on this blog.
As the meeting develops (it begins at 6:30 p.m.), feel free to drop comments, questions, observations here. This is an independent blog created by a Sarasota resident interested in exploring the possibilities of social media for civic purposes, and will serve as a public record of the event.
Think of it as an experiment in an alternative mode of citizenship and join in!
Here are more particulars about about the meeting coming up on Monday, June 8th, at 6:30 p.m. (from an email from County Planner Chris Kohatsu):
Greetings,
Thank you for your interest in "Community Connections" a town hall styled meeting to be held on June 8 at 1660 Ringling Boulevard in Sarasota. The meeting will include participation from citizens in a variety of forms. It will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. and run until 8:00 p.m.
We have received a number of questions from interested participants and are happy to respond with the following information:
Why is this called a "virtual" Town Hall Meeting?
Citizens will be able to participate in several ways which include:
·In-Person
·Telephone: 861-2255 (active on June 8) or Fax: 861-7354
The Town Hall will broadcast on the Access Sarasota network (Verizon Channel 32/Comcast Channel 19) as well as via streaming video through our Web site:www.scgov.net. Short text based updates, commonly known as "tweets" will be posted on Twitter.com.
How can I participate in the Studio Audience?
Due to the size of our production facility, a limited number of seats are available. To accommodate all that are interested, a camera with a live feed and a microphone will be positioned in the Commission Chambers, located on the first floor of the County Administration building. If you are interested in being a part of the studio audience, please arrive by 5:30 p.m. There will be a check-in table as well as staff available to guide you to a waiting room. We will do our best to accommodate everyone interested in participating in-person.
What is the Expected Format?
The Town Hall meeting will focus on the County's budget. There will be a panel of speakers who will make introductory remarks. This program is intended to provide a forum for citizen input as well as consensus building, so time will be dedicated to answering questions and sharing information.
How Do I Ask a Question?
Questions and comments maybe submitted via e-mail, telephone, fax, online or in-person. We ask that every question be accompanied with personal information such as your name, neighborhood or affiliation with Sarasota County, and if possible, the category most applicable to your question (example: Parks, Utilities or Libraries). A sample question can be viewed by clicking the following link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHILKqjDw3I
Is there a Dress Code? If you are participating in-person, we ask that you arrive in business casual attire. Nice slacks or khakis with a collared or button down shirt is appropriate. Please avoid wearing white, red and black as these colors may interefere with camera images. Commercial logos and busy patterns are also discouraged.
What is the Studio like?
The Access Sarasota studio is small in space and will accommodate a limited number of people for this production. There will be several cameras in use as well as high powered lighting. Those sensitive to light may prefer participating from Commission Chambers. The studio is also temperature controlled (approximately 70 degrees) due to the large amount of equipment in use. Please dress in accordance with the lower temperature. Seating will be in rows of small chairs separated by stage risers.
Is there anything I can do to Prepare?
You may visit our Web site at: www.scgov.net to access the latest news and information pertaining to Sarasota County. When you arrive, staff will provide an orientation and walk-though prior to the show. There will be light refreshments available in the green room to maintain your energy.
We anticipate the Virtual Town Hall to be an enjoyable evening and look forward to your participation. Thank you in advance for your interest and service to Sarasota County.
The impetus behind this blog was twofold: first, to create a means for people to join in the civic conversation -- via comments, questions, and observations -- and second, to invite others to post editorial viewpoints, links, and notes on resources that enrich and further the dialog.
A good deal of budget dialog in depressed economic circumstances tends to surround the question of "what am I ok with giving up?" - What can you name as something you now enjoy as a resident of Sarasota County that you are willing to forego? Have a look at the stories about Hillsborough County, the cuts they're facing: What sacrifices can we agree on?
A blog like this one sits in a new space between government, residents, and media -- i.e., this digital mode is not "the media" -- rather, it's for people who wish to go beyond traditional commercial media formats and formulae to engage the financial and quality-of-life issues we're facing on a level playing field.
If you're like to have posting privileges to this blog, please leave your name and address in the comments, or send an email to lakesarasota@gmail.com. Thanks.
This is an independent citizens' blog developed to facilitate online communication during virtual Town Hall meetings held by Sarasota County.
The first of these meetings is to be held on Monday, June 8, beginning at 6:30 p.m. There's more information here and also below. The subject is the county budget, and the idea is to hold an open conversation between county officials and the public. The first topic is the county budget, and some of the links to the right go to relevant portions of the county web site.
During the meeting on Monday, we'll be live-blogging the event, and the comments section will be open for public input. Please join us, and keep an eye on this space -- this is but the first of a series of virtual meetings.
A televised “virtual” Town Hall meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on June 8 in the Sarasota County Access TV television studio.
The Town Hall discussion will be broadcast with a studio audience on Comcast 19 and Verizon 32. The session also will be streamed on the County's Web site to allow citizens to participate in the discussion online.
Citizens will be able to participate in the discussion and ask questions in several ways:
Would you like to talk about how you want your community to spend your money?
You're invited to a conversation - about "Money Matters" - a public discussion regarding Sarasota County's revenues and budget planning for next year. It's on Monday, June 8th, starting at 6:30 p.m.
For more information about the virtual Town Hall meeting, call the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000 or visit the Community Connections Web site. Or stop back here - we'll have more details soon.
Blogs are not new, but we keep finding new uses for them. This blog is a conduit for citizens to comment and post on issues arising at the Sarasota Virtual Town Hall meeting. This is not the government, nor the media. It's people. Join us.
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