Staff meetings are not included under the public meeting rules unless they are being used to discuss possible Task Force actions. It is appropriate to talk about what you are thinking about in a private meeting but if the discussion is about planning the direction of the Task Force, it must follow the public meeting rules. In addition, Task Force members should not use staff to convey direction or strategy to other Task Force members. Representative Argenziano reiterated the importance of the Sunshine Law and that the purpose is to prevent backdoor deals. The Chairman addressed external communication.
All members have the right to speak to the media or citizenry.
It is up to each member to decide whether or not to be interviewed. The media may also be directed to the Lieutenant Governor s office for official comment. No one has to answer every question that is posed by the media. Dr. Polivka , director of the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging, addressed the Task Force regarding the approach that the Center will take to provide research and analysis on the 16 questions outlined in HB 1993. Mr. Rodriguez asked if the task force will be considering federal legislation that affects availability and affordability of housing and service options.