Commissioners Present: T. O’Neal Douglas (Chairman), Mae Louise Baker, Tess Canja, Irene DeLaby, Maritza Gutierrez, Dan Lestage, Barbara Lindstrom, Clarence McKee, Richard (Dick) Nunis, John Ruffin and William (Bill) Schoen.

Others:  Secretary Terry White, Laura Branker (Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff), Pam Dana (Governor’s Office of Tourism), Tom Thomas (General Counsel), Tom Reimers, Eloise Williams, Horacio Ferrer and Gail LaRosa, all of DOEA, Cynthia Barnett (Florida Trend), Ken Plonski, and Peggy Bailey.

Chairman O’Neal Douglas called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.  He welcomed everyone and thanked them for their attendance.  He complimented the Commissioners on a job well done thus far and thanked them for their fine working relationship.  Chairman Douglas then summarized the public meeting held in Pensacola on November 25, 2002.  Chairman Douglas then gave an update of the meeting he and Secretary White had with the Governor on November 12th regarding the Interim Report.

The Chairman then challenged the group to move from their original “fact finding” mission to that of formulating recommendations.  He said that he would be offering several opinions to set the pace of the meeting, and encouraged Commission members to do the same.  After seeking comments from the group concerning both the Executive Summary and the Interim Report, the overwhelming consensus of the group was that Florida should be making strong efforts of recruiting and retaining elders to our state.

Chairman Douglas then gave the floor to Secretary White, who facilitated the remainder of the meeting.  Secretary White asked Commissioner McKee and Peggy Bailey to give their report on construction lien law research as assigned by the Chairman at the last meeting.  Secretary White then reiterated the Chairman’s charge was for the group to address each of the areas of discovery and suggest any recommendations that should be made to the Governor.  The Secretary then followed a format of identifying a premise statement for each area; identifying all of the Florida’s positive attributes associated with each area; and finally, offering any recommendations.  The following is a summary of each area:

ECONOMICS
Premise Statement:  Economics can often be the determinant factor in why a person can or cannot relocate to the state.

POSITIVES

• Florida has the right Governor who is sensitive to the need to recruit more elders 
• Tax circumstances 
• No state income tax 
• Homestead exemption ($25,000) 
• Save Our Homes 
• Age is no barrier for work and volunteering 
• Lifelong learning opportunities at community colleges and state universities 
• Economic conditions are better than most other states 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Freeze on property tax increase (for those 55 and over, defer increases until death; estate to pay deferred amount) 
• Intangible taxes – implement current legislation 

HEALTH CARE  
Premise statement: The major users of the health care network are people age 50 and over

POSITIVES

• Florida is a healthy place to live (DOH statistics) 
• Florida’s health care costs are lower than other states 
• Florida provides a high quality of specialized care for target group (Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic) 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Since the majority of long-term care is provided by family members, Florida needs to assure caregivers have adequate support 
• Tort reform is a major concern that threatens both cost and quality of health care –can cause possible decline in services and availability of physicians 
• The state should ensure that the long-term care network is better coordinated and the fragmentation reduced (creation and placement of Office of Long-Term Care in DOEA should help) 
• More funding for home and community based services is needed 
• Create more incentives to recruit nurses and partner with hospitals to provide better training 
• The state should ensure that it maximizes the use of federal matching dollars (Medicaid) to expand services 
• The state should develop “regional facilities of excellence” to provide health care 
• The state should continue to emphasize more geriatric training within each school of medicine 
• Provide more education to elders, as well as baby boomers about long-term care insurance 
• The state should continue to educate elders about availability of insurance and their options 
• Prioritize surplus dollars, using them to provide services to those on current waiting list 
• Market incentives to nurses and doctors, including nursing home staff 

HOUSING
Premise Statement:  A continuum of housing options (both availability and affordability) is needed to ensure that elders can age-in-place.

POSITIVES

• Florida has a wide variety of options for elders (diversity CCRCs, ALFs, etc.) 
• Range of affordable housing for all income levels 
• DOEA’s Communities for a Lifetime already has the message Florida should be promoting 
• The state enjoys moderate temperatures which eases costs associated with utility bills 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Introduce incentives for new homebuyers.  Also educate them about existing programs, i.e., SHIP, homeowners associations, etc.) 
• Require mandatory disclosure and strong education regarding construction lien law. 
• Require enforcement and education to protect seniors against predators.  (Note:  need to research current laws). 

TRANSPORTATION
Premise Statement: The availability of transportation is directly correlated to the elder individual’s level of independence

POSITIVES

• Department of Transportation has done an excellent job:  wide lanes, good signage, and pedestrian friendly 
• Florida is a low gas tax state 
• Sidewalks, as well as, bike and jogging trails are accessible 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Florida needs to assure adequate mass transit is available in all areas of the state 
• Increase demand-response transportation for local areas (for non-ambulatory persons) is needed that is specifically designed for older persons and their needs 
• As Florida is a “donor state,” it should investigate how it might attract more of its federal taxes to strengthen its transit system 
• Florida should revisit the Transportation Disadvantaged Commission to assure that it is being fully sensitized to elder issues 
• Florida may want to consider providing discount cards and vouchers to seniors to assist with taxi and bus transportation costs

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Premise Statement: Florida is the fifth largest state in the nation for high-tech jobs.  Must-have for future generations (option today, but not tomorrow).

POSITIVES

• Access is available in most communities. 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Study high speed access issues further 
• Provide more access in rural areas 

FLORIDA’S AMENITIES
Premise Statement:  Florida’s amenities (natural, historical and volunteer) not only enhance the quality of life of older individuals but also are major “attractors.” 

POSITIVES

• Outstanding parks system and other natural amenities (beaches, etc.) 
• Volunteer opportunities 
• Volunteerism inspires a sense of renewal and fulfillment 
• Florida has a significant number of theme parks and other entertainment attractions 
• Florida has a moderate climate 
• Florida is known for its “friendly people” 
• Florida’s diversity within its population is an attractor 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Florida should continue to promote its natural and volunteer amenities 
• Florida should continue to protect its natural resources and parks so that they may continue to attract future generations 
• Florida could better educate the public about of natural amenities (e.g., through publications in hotels and mass media) 
• Florida could develop and distribute welcome packets for new residents 
• Florida should focus on companies that do employee recruiting as well as work with local Chambers of Commerce to promote its positive image to out-of-state visitors, etc. 

After the Secretary was finished with the areas of discovery, the Chairman offered Commissioner Gutierrez an opportunity to outline her thoughts on a marketing plan for the state.  She distributed an outline and suggested an approach that the Commission may want to recommend in their final report.

After Ms. Gutierrez was finished, the Chairman sought any final comments from the Commissioners.  He shared a suggestion that was made during lunch that he felt capped the thoughts of the day’s meetings:
                  FOLLOW THE SUN TO FLORIDA WHERE AGE IS NO BARRIER!
The Chairman also outlined his plans to have a final report to the Governor and suggested that the Commission may want to meet one more time to review a draft prior to its submission to the Governor.  The group agreed upon January 21, 2003, in Orlando, Florida.  Meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

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