General Information
Regular & Special Meetings
The Council’s regular monthly meetings are held on the second Monday of each month, Conference Rooms A & B, 10:00 a.m. at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, 4000 Gateway Centre, Blvd., Suite 100, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782. Most meetings adjourn by Noon. Special meetings of the Regional Planning Council may be called by the Chair provided ample notice is given to all members. The Annual Meeting is held the second Monday in December. All regular, Executive/Budget, Committees and special meetings are open to the general public and are noticed according to Florida State Sunshine Laws. General Dress Code for Council Meetings: Business/Professional Attire.
Executive/Budget Committee & other Council Committee Meetings
Committee Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month prior to, or after the regularly scheduled meeting of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council. Meeting times and dates are subject to change. Please call for current information or visit the website’s homepage for an announcement.
Meeting Cancellation Policy during a Tropical Storm or Hurricane-Related Event
According to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council policy our meetings will be cancelled if the National Hurricane Center issues a Tropical Storm Warning, Hurricane Watch or Hurricane Warning at or after the 8:00 a.m. intermediate advisory on the day of business. This policy will apply if any or all of our six county region (Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties) have been placed under these advisory conditions. Please check your advisory during these storm-related events prior to attending a scheduled TBRPC meeting.
Quorum and Voting
A quorum consists of a simple majority of the total number of representatives. A quorum shall be required for the conduct of all official business. Each representative present shall vote on each question presented to the Council except in the event that a representative reports a voting conflict. No one individual shall cast more than one vote on any question. Any appointed representative may send an alternate to represent him/her at any meeting of the Council provided the alternate is duly appointed to the same member government governing body.
Weighted Vote: Prior to a vote and upon the call of three representatives, a weighted vote shall be taken by roll call. The total weighted vote shall consist of the member governments’ vote and the Governor appointees’ vote. The member governments’ vote shall be two-thirds of the total vote and shall be apportioned among the member government representatives in the same proportion as the member governments’ population bears to the total population of the region; provided, however, that no portion of the population shall be represented by more than one member government.
The Governor’s appointees’ vote shall be one-third of the total vote and shall be apportioned among the Governor’s appointed representatives and in the same proportion as the appointed representative’s county of residence’s population bears to the total population of the region.
Agendas
Meeting Agendas are sent to each Council Member ten days prior to the Council meeting. Agendas are posted to the Council’s Meeting Materials page when the agenda packet is mailed. Past agendas are also archived on the Council Meeting Materials page.
Chapter 286, F.S. Sunshine & Public Records Law
Florida’s open government provisions are applicable to all government and public agencies in the State. The Sunshine Law established a basic right of access to the public for most meeting of boards, commissions and other governing bodies of state and local governmental agencies and authorities. The law requires that meetings of boards and commissions be open to the public; that reasonable notice of such meetings be given, and minutes of the meetings to be taken. The law applies to all discussions or deliberations as well as formal actions taken by a board or a commission. In addition, the law is applicable to any gathering, whether formal or casual, of two or more members of the same board or commission. The law is intended to prevent members from discussing matters which will be considered by the public board or commission. Member of a public board are not prohibited under Sunshine Law from meeting together socially, provided that matters, which may come before the board, are not discussed at such gatherings.
The sunshine Law also includes a limited number of exemptions which would allow a public agency to close a meeting. These include, but are not limited to, certain discussions with board’s attorney over pending litigation and portions of collective bargaining sessions. In addition, specific portions of meetings of some agencies may be closed when those agencies are making probable cause determinations or considering confidential records.
Open government principles apply to public records as well as meetings. They are not limited to traditional written documents. Tapes, photographs, films and sound recordings are also considered public records subject to inspection unless a statutory exemption exists. As soon as a document if received by a public agency, it becomes a public record, unless there is a legislatively created exemption which makes it confidential and not subject to disclosure.