DIVISION OF BOND
FINANCE
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR
VEHICLES
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION
The above agencies came to be heard before
THE FLORIDA CABINET, Honorable Governor Bush presiding,
in the Cabinet Meeting Room, LL-03, The Capitol,
Tallahassee, Florida, on Thursday, February 26, 2004
commencing at approximately 9:55 a.m.
Reported by:
SANDRA L. NARGIZ
Registered Professional Reporter
Registered Merit Reporter
Certified Realtime Reporter
ACCURATE STENOTYPE REPORTERS, INC.
2894 REMINGTON GREEN LANE
TALLAHASSEE, FL 32301 (850)878-2221
.
2
APPEARANCES:
Representing the Florida Cabinet:
JEB BUSH
Governor
CHARLES H. BRONSON
Commissioner of Agriculture
CHARLIE CRIST
Attorney General
TOM GALLAGHER
Chief Financial Officer
* * *
.
3
I N D E X
DIVISION OF BOND FINANCE:
(Presented by J. Ben Watkins, III
ITEM
ACTION
PAGE
1
Approved
9
2
Approved
10
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES
(Presented by Dave Westberry)
ITEM
ACTION
PAGE
1
Approved
11
2
Approved
13
3
Deferred
13
BOARD OF TRUSTESS
(Presented by David Struhs)
1
Approved
14
2
Approved
18
3
Approved
19
4
Approved
20
5
Approved
25
6
Approved
84
7
Approved
84
STATE BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION
(Presented by Coleman Stipanovich)
1
Approved
86
2
Approved
86
3
Approved
86
CERTIFICATE OF
REPORTER
88
.
4
1
P R O C E E D I N G S
2
(The agenda items commenced at 9:55 a.m.)
3
GOVERNOR BUSH: We now have the appointment of
4 the Secretary of the
Department of Environmental
5 Protection.
6
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Governor, the chair
7 is yours.
8
GOVERNOR BUSH: Thank you, that's right. We
9 now have the appointment of
the Secretary of the
10 Department of Environmental
Protection.
11
CFO GALLAGHER: I move Colleen Castille.
12
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Second.
13
GOVERNOR BUSH: There is a motion and a
14 second. Would anybody
like to say anything?
15
CFO GALLAGHER: I would like to say one thing,
16 Governor, that Colleen
first started in state
17 government with the
Department of Insurance back
18 when I was there in 1989
and was a cabinet aide.
19 And during many meetings,
once in a while I
20 remember we would talk
about what different people
21 that worked in our cabinet
office and other offices
22 would aspire to do.
And I remember that Colleen
23 Castille, who was our
newest cabinet member,
24 cabinet aide, at the time
said that she aspired to
25 be head of DEP.
.
5
1
GOVERNOR BUSH: Or DER maybe back then, maybe,
2 wasn't it?
3
CFO GALLAGHER: It was Environmental
4 Regulation. And it
looks like she is a few seconds
5 away from having that
job.
6
GOVERNOR BUSH: Kind of reminds me of the FFA
7 speech that vision, plus
action, means dreams come
8 true.
9
CFO GALLAGHER: That's it, and she's certainly
10 done both.
11
GOVERNOR BUSH: There is a motion and a
12 second. All in favor
say aye.
13
THE CABINET: Aye.
14
GOVERNOR BUSH: All opposed?
15
Secretary, would you like to say anything?
16
MS. CASTILLE: I would, sir.
17
First of all, I would like to say thank you
18 very much for your
confidence in me, Governor, in
19 appointing me, and the
confidence of your fellow
20 cabinet members by
approving that nomination.
21
I didn't -- it seems like just yesterday I
22 make that silly little
statement, that I would like
23 to be head of the
Department of Natural Resources
24 at the time. And it
was certainly a long overnight
25 success.
.
6
1
And it came with many people and the help of
2 many people, because the
agencies that we work
3 with, the offices that we
work with, are
4 partnerships. They are
partnerships in the
5 Governor and Cabinet, they
are partnerships between
6 agencies, and the
partnerships have grown under
7 your leadership,
Governor.
8
We have become much closer in working with our
9 other agencies.
Department of Community Affairs
10 and Department of
Environmental Protection have
11 been hand-in-hand in the
last year in helping guide
12 the growth of our
communities.
13
I can only hope that the partnership that I
14 have with my family members
and my husband and the
15 staff of the Department of
Community Affairs
16 continue on.
17
The families are always there; and it doesn't
18 matter what those newspaper
articles say about you,
19 they are always there to
tell you that you have
20 done good on each and every
day when you come home.
21 And that's the most
important part.
22
And I would like to recognize my husband,
23 Jesse Bostick, he is here,
my sister and
24 brother-in-law, Danielle
and Dick Shaw, and my
25 other sister, Cathy Henley,
who is also a public
.
7
1 servant in the Department of
Revenue.
2
And the position of the Department of
3 Community -- of I am sorry,
Department of
4 Environmental Protection is
very -- is a very
5 public position, and each
and every day the
6 department brings items to
the Governor and Cabinet
7 each and every week that you
don't realize how
8 important it is until you
step away from the
9 Cabinet.
10
And I have been away from the Cabinet process
11 for a year and realized
every Wednesday or Friday,
12 when the meetings are on
Thursday and you open the
13 newspaper and you see what
grand things that you
14 all have done.
15
And I hope to -- I have some huge shoes to
16 fill with Secretary Struhs;
he has been a great
17 friend as his wife and
family, and I'll miss them.
18 And I will also miss the
people at the Department
19 of Community Affairs, but I
know that they will
20 carry on with your
policies, Governor, and continue
21 to initiate the Quality
Communities Initiative and
22 bringing all of the
important elements to a
23 community that make it --
that make Florida what it
24 is: The environmental
protection, the recreation,
25 the cultural affairs, the
public safety that our
.
8
1 other agencies bring.
It's all about Florida
2 communities and it's all
about making Florida a
3 better place to live.
4
And I want to thank you again, and to promise
5 you that I will fairly and
honestly represent all
6 of the issues that come
before you for the next
7 three years.
8
GOVERNOR BUSH: Thank you, Colleen, I have --
9 Colleen has been a joy to
work with, both as the
10 Chief Cabinet Aide as well
as Secretary of the
11 Department of Community
Affairs, and she is really
12 what best is in public
service.
13
The only problem is that she knows me well
14 enough -- not that David
didn't know me, but I
15 think David was always a
little surprised by my
16 stealth attacks at the
Cabinet meetings. I don't
17 think Colleen will toler --
I think she will
18 probably anticipate them
better, so I might have to
19 be on better behavior.
20
MS. CASTILLE: I just want to remind you that
21 there are four other
executive directors that come
22 before you, and you can
check on them first.
23
GOVERNOR BUSH: I know, but yours is a lot
24 more fun.
25
CFO GALLAGHER: You have the issues.
.
9
1
GOVERNOR BUSH: Anyway, I am excited about the
2 continued efforts of the
department. I know that
3 you will work well with the
great people in the
4 department, and we look
forward to seeing you on
5 the next Cabinet which will
be Tuesday, March 9th.
6
MS. CASTILLE: Yes, sir. I will also be
7 continuing to present on the
Keys item on that day.
8
GOVERNOR BUSH: Good.
9
MS. CASTILLE: It's a partnership that I don't
10 believe I can extricate
myself from that
11 partnership, and nor would
I want to.
12
GOVERNOR BUSH: Very good.
13
MS. CASTILLE: Thank you, gentlemen.
14
GOVERNOR BUSH: Thank you.
15
(Applause)
16
GOVERNOR BUSH: The next Cabinet meeting will
17 be Tuesday, March 9,
2004.
18
Division of Bond Finance.
19
CFO GALLAGHER: Motion on the minutes.
20
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Second.
21
GOVERNOR BUSH: There is a motion and a second
22 on item 1. Without
objection, the motion passes.
23 Item 2.
24
MR. WATKINS: Item number 2 is a resolution
25 authorizing the issuance
and competitive sale of a
.
10
1 combined new money and
refunding for housing
2 facility revenue bonds,
$16,550,000 of new money
3 for renovation of Landis
Hall at Florida State
4 University and $7.2 million
refunding piece to
5 achieve debt service
savings.
6
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Motion on 2.
7
COMMISSIONER BRONSON: Second.
8
GOVERNOR BUSH: Moved and seconded. Without
9 objection, the item
passes.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
.
11
1
GOVERNOR BUSH: Department of Highway Safety
2 and Motor Vehicle.
3
CFO GALLAGHER: Motion on the minutes.
4
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Second.
5
GOVERNOR BUSH: Moved and seconded. Without
6 objection, item 1
passes.
7
Item 2.
8
MR. WESTBERRY: Good morning, Governor. I
9 appreciate the opportunity
to pinch hit for Fred
10 this morning. I am
sure he will be happy to know
11 that Colleen is willing to
share the barbs with
12 everybody else.
13
Item 2 is our quarterly report for the quarter
14 ending December 2003.
I don't believe you'll find
15 any large surprises there
in terms of motor
16 services.
17
Our numbers continue to increase. It looks
18 like we are able to focus a
majority of those folks
19 into our E-Commerce, that's
the up side. The down
20 side is we still have a lot
of folks out there that
21 we are trying to serve.
22
The highway safety numbers look pretty good.
23 They are continuing to show
some improvement in
24 those areas as well.
25
GOVERNOR BUSH: I see our new specialty plate
.
12
1 out on the road, the one
with the orange and
2 MyFlorida.com. It's
--
3
MR. WESTBERRY: Yes, sir, it is. We've tried
4 to have the tax collectors
use as much of the
5 existing inventory as we
could. It looks like they
6 are now beginning to run out
of that and issue the
7 new plates, you will see a
few on the roads. I
8 know there are some here in
Leon County.
9
GOVERNOR BUSH: Any questions?
10
COMMISSIONER BRONSON: Governor, I got
11 questioned, when we got
that tag design with the
12 oranges with the blossoms
on them, about whether or
13 not anybody really sees
that.
14
And we were down in Okeechobee on tour, Lake
15 Okeechobee, some of the
restoration projects that
16 we were working on, and
there were about three
17 groves that down far south
that the weather has
18 been pretty mild and the
whole grove was full of
19 blooms and oranges.
20
GOVERNOR BUSH: Should have taken a digital
21 picture.
22
COMMISSIONER BRONSON: We'll get one.
23
GOVERNOR BUSH: We just figured if
24 Commissioner Bronson says
it's accurate, it's
25 accurate. I am not
going to argue.
.
13
1
MR. WESTBERRY: We appreciate his leadership
2 and that of the Cabinet
members as well to help us
3 put that design
together. I think it is getting
4 some good responses from our
citizens.
5
GOVERNOR BUSH: It's a pretty plate. Is there
6 a motion on item 2?
7
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Motion.
8
COMMISSIONER BRONSON: Second.
9
GOVERNOR BUSH: Moved and seconded. Without
10 objection --
11
CFO GALLAGHER: Motion to defer item 3.
12
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Second.
13
GOVERNOR BUSH: There is a motion to defer
14 Item 3 and a second.
Without objection, the item
15 is deferred.
16
Thank you very much.
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
.
14
1
GOVERNOR BUSH: Board of Trustees.
2
COMMISSIONER BRONSON: Moved the minutes.
3
CFO GALLAGHER: Second.
4
GOVERNOR BUSH: There is a motion and a second
5 of Item 1. Without
objection, the motion passes.
6
Item 2.
7
SECRETARY STRUHS: Item 2, we recommend
8 acceptance of the 2004
Florida Forever report and
9 approval of the priority
list.
10
CFO GALLAGHER: Motion.
11
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Second.
12
GOVERNOR BUSH: There is a motion and a
13 second.
14
Secretary, is the Harris School purchase, does
15 that fit within the
statutory guidelines of the
16 Florida Forever law?
17
SECRETARY STRUHS: Yes, I believe it does
18 although --
19
GOVERNOR BUSH: A one-acre tract of land with
20 a building on it that's for
historical restoration
21 purposes?
22
SECRETARY STRUHS: I think it could be argued
23 that it would fit within
those parameters. Of
24 course, you as the Cabinet
would have the final say
25 so if and when that would
ever come before you as
.
15
1 an opportunity to purchase
that. It is an unusual
2 site. It's not the
typical site.
3
GOVERNOR BUSH: Do we get credit for our 93
4 million dollar commitment to
the Keys with this?
5
SECRETARY STRUHS: Yes.
6
MS. ARMSTRONG: No.
7
GOVERNOR BUSH: No?
8
SECRETARY STRUHS: I would take it.
9
GOVERNOR BUSH: You've lost all credibility,
10 Son. This is not part
of the 93 million, Eva?
11
SECRETARY STRUHS: No, it's not.
12
GOVERNOR BUSH: As I understand it, there is a
13 foundation that has
committed a sizeable sum of
14 money for refurbishing
this. I am just curious why
15 can't they just refurbish
it and have the school
16 district continue to own
it?
17
SECRETARY STRUHS: I think that's a good
18 question and it's one we
would obviously put to
19 them if and when we enter
into any kind of
20 negotiations. It's
the Rodel Foundation, and they
21 apparently proposed
spending as much as $6 million
22 to rehabilitate the
property.
23
GOVERNOR BUSH: I am just setting the stage
24 for whenever it comes
back.
25
CFO GALLAGHER: Well, does this need to come
.
16
1 back?
2
GOVERNOR BUSH: This is on the priority list.
3 We are not buying anything;
we are just, as I
4 understand, we -- some
things have moved off the
5 priority one list and some
moved up, some of them
6 moved down, related on
whether people are willing
7 buyers, and how far along we
are in the ecosystem.
8
SECRETARY STRUHS: This is basically the
9 department's work list for
the year ahead. Some of
10 them will come to fruition,
many won't.
11
CFO GALLAGHER: I guess the decision is: Do
12 we want to leave it on the
list now or take it off
13 and add it later if we come
back when it's
14 something we need to
add?
15
SECRETARY STRUHS: I did ask the question as
16 to whether or not this
Harris School property would
17 not make more sense under
the Florida Communities
18 Trust Program, which is
part of the formula under
19 the Florida Forever
project.
20
GOVERNOR BUSH: It's a little more
21 competitive.
22
SECRETARY STRUHS: And apparently the project
23 just would not rank highly
enough in that process
24 and that's why it's coming
before you for inclusion
25 on the Florida Forever
list.
.
17
1
CFO GALLAGHER: But it might rank higher than
2 if it isn't on this one at
all? If we take it off,
3 it's going to be a lot
better on another one, isn't
4 it?
5
SECRETARY STRUHS: Actually not.
6
GOVERNOR BUSH: If I can recommend that we
7 keep it on, because
apparently the foundation has
8 stated if we don't purchase
it, their seven or
9 $6 million commitment goes
away.
10
And before we -- before it comes to the
11 agenda, maybe to get a
better explanation of how
12 that could be; it just
seems there are some facts
13 missing that would lead me
-- I would like to know
14 more. I don't want
them to leave the game
15 completely, but there has
to be some explanations.
16
SECRETARY STRUHS: This is an opportunity I
17 think to be very creative
and innovative in terms
18 of perhaps a partnership
approach.
19
GOVERNOR BUSH: Very good.
20
CFO GALLAGHER: What's the prices?
21
SECRETARY STRUHS: Its tax assessed value is
22 $3.7 million.
23
CFO GALLAGHER: But the school board owns it?
24
SECRETARY STRUHS: That's correct.
25
CFO GALLAGHER: There may be a trade
.
18
1 somewhere, they are always
looking for a place to
2 build schools or to
expand. You may want to look
3 at that, too.
4
SECRETARY STRUHS: (Nods affirmatively.)
5
GOVERNOR BUSH: Sounds like a good future
6 Cabinet meeting. We'll
videotape it, David.
7
SECRETARY STRUHS: Send me the tape.
8
GOVERNOR BUSH: Is there an acceptance of the
9 Florida Forever report,
approval of the priority
10 list?
11
CFO GALLAGHER: We voted.
12
GOVERNOR BUSH: Motion made and a second.
13 Without objection, it's
accepted.
14
SECRETARY STRUHS: I think it's only
15 appropriate Colleen's first
item would be in the
16 Florida Keys.
17
GOVERNOR BUSH: Wipe the smile off your face
18 and keep going.
19
SECRETARY STRUHS: Item 3, recommend approval
20 of a 32-year ground
sublease agreement between the
21 University of South Florida
and the CAUSF Research
22 Corporation, a similar
sublease agreement between
23 the Southwater Research
Foundation, Incorporated,
24 and CAUFS.
25
A standard ground sublease agreement for the
.
19
1 future use by the University
and the Southwater
2 Research Foundation,
Incorporated, and pursuant to
3 Chapter 253, Florida
Statutes, delegation of
4 authority to the Secretary
of DEP or designee to
5 approve future ground
sublease agreements within
6 the University of South
Florida's Research Park.
7
This is a very similar arrangement to what we
8 have with the Florida State
University in
9 Innovation Park here in
Tallahassee.
10
COMMISSIONER BRONSON: Move item 3.
11
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Second.
12
GOVERNOR BUSH: Moved and seconded. Without
13 objection, the item
passes.
14
SECRETARY STRUHS: Thank you.
15
Item 4 I think is an important item because
16 what this would do is to
put into state ownership
17 the entranceway into
Ochlockonee River State Park.
18 Currently the access to
that state park is via a
19 easement over property
that's owned by the St. Joe
20 company.
21
This is an opportunity to put in state
22 ownership the entranceway
into that park. We
23 recommend approval of this
item.
24
ATTORNEY GENERAL CRIST: Motion.
25
CFO GALLAGHER: Second.
.
20
1
GOVERNOR BUSH: Moved and seconded. Without
2 objection, the item
passes.
3
SECRETARY STRUHS: Item 5 is the item I
4 referred to earlier when I
was speaking. This is a
5 property near Camp Blanding,
and it is the first
6 example of any state taking
advantage of President
7 Bush's really remarkable
leadership in making
8 defense dollars available to
deal with encroachment
9 issues at military
bases.
10
And I am delighted to have with us today
11 General Doug Burnett, as
well as Major Cecil Cauley
12 and Mr. Paul Catlett from
Camp Blanding. And we
13 are going to have Colonel
Jeffrey Hetherington, who
14 is the commander at Camp
Blanding speak to this
15 item for you.
16
COLONEL HETHERINGTON: Governor Bush, members
17 of this Cabinet and other
distinguished guests,
18 good morning.
19
The Camp Blanding Joint Training Center is
20 recognized as the best, if
not the best, in the
21 National Guard, in
particular due to its many
22 accomplishments. And
today, I'm pleased to
23 announce a first ever for
Camp Blanding and the
24 State of Florida. We
are a Department of Defense
25 success story.
.
21
1
Section 2811 of the FY '03 Defense
2 Authorization Act authorizes
the service's
3 secretaries to enter into
agreements with state and
4 local governments or private
conservation
5 organizations to limit
encroachment in the vicinity
6 of a military
installation. The agreement allows
7 the Services to provide
O&N funds to the partner
8 who, in turn, will purchase
title or conservation
9 easements on tracts of lands
that surround the
10 installation to buffer the
installation from
11 encroachment forces.
The army now defines such a
12 zone around an installation
as an army compatible
13 use buffer.
14
In September, the Army National Guard
15 partnered with the Florida
Department of
16 Environmental Protection
and we entered into an
17 agreement, a memorandum
agreement, to acquire lands
18 adjacent to Camp Blanding
for conservation and
19 encroachment buffering
purposes. We called this
20 the Camp Blanding Forever
Initiative.
21
And our vision is to establish a 3-mile buffer
22 of compatible land use
around the boundary of Camp
23 Blanding, and it is shown
on the slide highlighted
24 in yellow. That is
the 3-mile buffer.
25
The acquisition that's being presented today,
.
22
1 this project shares several
common traits required
2 under the new
legislation. One is willing
3 partners, mutual interests,
valued lands possessing
4 important biodiversity, in
some way threatened by
5 encroachment pressures and
proximity to a military
6 facility important to the
nation's military
7 readiness mission.
8
The successful obligation of $500,000 of
9 federal funds, leveraged
with $12.9 million of
10 Florida Forever funding to
purchase 9,000 acres
11 along the eastern boundary
of Camp Blanding as part
12 of the Northeast Florida
Timberlands Project, is
13 the first official use of
Section 2811 of the
14 FY '03 Defense
Authorization Act that anyone has
15 achieved throughout the
services.
16
Sir, this was, I've got to tell you, a
17 monumental task and a
totally collaborative effort
18 on the part of an
orchestrated program of partners,
19 including Camp Blanding,
Florida Department of
20 Environmental Protection,
the Nature Conservancy,
21 National Guard Bureau,
Department of the Army and
22 Department of
Defense. Many people worked
23 tirelessly to accomplish
all the key tasks in order
24 to develop the required
agreements, instruments and
25 proposals, pass the
required legal scrutiny and
.
23
1 obligate the federal funds
for implementing the
2 first ever Army Compatible
Use Buffer.
3
The success of our mutual partnership in this
4 endeavor is important for
many reasons.
5
First, Camp Blanding and the State of Florida
6 are recognized as the
leaders in the nation for
7 private lands
initiative.
8
Second, together we have paved the way for all
9 other military installations
throughout the country
10 to enter into agreements in
order to limit
11 encroachment.
12
Third, the Camp Blanding Forever Initiative
13 has energized other Army
National Guard training
14 sites and military
installations across the country
15 to develop their own Army
Compatible Use Buffers
16 Initiatives to address the
encroachment pressures.
17
But most importantly this enduring committed
18 partnership has helped
facilitate Camp Blanding's
19 relevance into the future
by implementing an
20 effective encroachment plan
that will ensure the
21 installation's ability to
accomplish its military
22 mission well into the
future.
23
We appreciate your support for this project.
24 And we are grateful to the
State of Florida for
25 working with us and the
National Guard Bureau to
.
24
1 leverage the Florida Forever
Program to help
2 protect the military mission
and natural resources
3 of Camp Blanding.
4
Officials at the National Guard Bureau asked
5 me to convey two things.
6
First, they remain totally committed to
7 continue to work with the
State of Florida, the
8 Nature Conservancy, the
Florida National Guard, our
9 local communities and Camp
Blanding to achieve the
10 vision set forth in the
Camp Blanding Forever
11 Initiative.
12
And second, the acquisition of the Dallas
13 Pension Fund Parcel that's
shown here by the
14 Florida Board of Trustees
will positively influence
15 the National Guard Bureau's
ability to garner
16 additional federal funds to
support the next parcel
17 that's being pursued by the
Department of State
18 Lands in the Camp Blanding
Buffer Zone.
19
We plan to leverage as we did with these funds
20 the follow-on federal funds
with state funds from
21 the Osceola to Camp
Blanding Greenway acquisition.
22
Thank you.
23
GOVERNOR BUSH: Thank you very much. It's an
24 exciting project. We
have done the --
25
CFO GALLAGHER: Motion.
. &nb
Cabinet
Affairs
