Even citizen volunteers won’t escape budget scrutiny: The Sarasota County commissioners will ask six advisory councils, committees and boards to space out their meetings to save money on staff support – or even to quit meeting entirely.
Because these groups meet "in the sunshine," they require official minutes created by staff, as well as advance staff preparation. The commission decided to save staff work by suggesting the meetings be spaced further apart or that committees be merged or outright abolished.
For example, the Stormwater Environmental Utility Advisory Committee and the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee were asked to examine the merits of combining themselves into an "Integrated Water Advisory Council."
The Public Facilities Financing Advisory Board would be cut back from six meetings a year to sessions "as needed."
The Traffic Advisory Council would meet quarterly instead of monthly. The Sarasota Tree Advisory Council would meet once every two months instead of monthly.
The Solid Waste Management Citizens Advisory Board would be dissolved and recalled as a temporary ad hoc committee as needed.
Only the Parks Advisory Council was exempt from this suggested overhaul.
The commissioners asked the groups to examine these revisions to their schedules – and their existence – and report back.
... S.Z.
February 9th 2010 - 2:18PM