And we are ready to resume.

Okay, so I'm gonna start from the top with the role.

Absolutely, thank you.

Okay.

Chief Judge Sabella.

Commissioner Cameron Sapeda.

Present.

Samantha Cole.

Present.

Crisis Center.

I'm not sure who's here from the Crisis Center.

No one.

Okay.

Um school board member Gray.

Sergeant Thomas Wood.

Major Bauman.

Thank you.

Chair Rose.

Present.

Detective English.

Present.

Member Fear's.

Present.

Thank you.

Bureau Chief Mobley.

Member Petrellac.

Present.

Thank you.

Chief Cavotier.

Detective Aguarde.

Present.

Thank you.

Captain Carlyle.

Present.

Thank you.

Member Williams.

Present.

Thank you.

Madam Chair, you have a quorum.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

So we are now at election of officers for 2026.

Yes, ma'am.

I received nominations via email.

And Chair Rose, you were nominated to be chair.

Is there any nomination from the floor?

Hearing none.

Everyone in favor, please indicate by saying aye for member chair Rose to remain Chair Rose.

Aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

With the unanimous consent.

Congratulations, Madam Chair.

Um I did also receive a nomination for vice chair for vice chair Dottie Groover Skipper to remain vice chair.

Do I hear any nominations from the floor?

Hearing none.

Everyone in favor of Vice Chair Groover Skipper remaining vice chair Groover Skipper.

Please indicate by saying aye.

By unanimous consent.

Congratulations, Madam Vice Chair.

And here's the challenging one.

I did not receive any nominations for secretary.

Comes as no surprise, I'm sure.

Would anyone like to nominate someone, including themselves, to be secretary?

Okay, so hearing none, and we are we are you know a few members shy today.

We still have a quorum, but we can uh defer that to the next meeting.

Could I just ask, could you explain the duties of the secretary just so absolutely I don't have the bylaws in front of me, but off the top of my head I can say that the secretary would be the person who collaborates with me on preparing the recap of the meeting who would review the recap who would approve the recap for publication right now.

That is uh the chair and the vice chair who are doing that, um, depending on who is available.

Uh so the chair and vice chair are absorbing that duty right now.

Um there would you know that would be the person who would if we had correspondence to send, they would you know, draft the correspondence if there is a response that we have to give to you know someone who makes an inquiry, you know.

Either I can draft it, they review it, but it would be a a collaboration between myself, the administrator, and whoever serves as secretary to just manage the communications of the board.

Thank you, an important role.

You're welcome, yes.

Um with that, um, I think we can move on to public comment, and madam chair, we do have one person uh still signed in.

Yes, okay.

I wasn't sure with the technical difficulties if waiting for confirmation.

Yes.

I'm here.

Okay, great.

Okay, so uh we can move on then to public comment.

All right, thank you.

So the commission on human trafficking has established a period at each of its meetings to allow citizens to speak.

Anyone who wishes to speak virtually or in person during the meeting may do so by contacting the commission's administrator whose contact information is on the commission's webpage on the county's website at Hillsborough County.org.

All speakers who wish to speak virtually will be required to provide their name, email address, and telephone number.

This information is being requested to facilitate the public comment process.

The chair will call in speakers by name and the order in which their request to speak have been received.

Priorization is on the first come first served basis.

All virtual speakers will be muted upon joining the meeting and will be unmuted after being recognized by the chair by name.

The commission respects the rights of citizens to express their opinions and concerns.

However, the commission requests that the citizen present their concerns in a respectful manner to maintain a polite atmosphere while all individuals are respected.

Up to three minutes are allowed for each speaker.

And I believe we have one uh individual for public comment, and that is Joanna Barballo.

We do, and we have not had anyone sign up in person.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

All right, Joanna.

Yes, I'm here.

I'm here.

Um I I really don't have anything to say as of yet.

This is my first meeting, so I'd like to sit in on the meeting.

Um, and then if I feel I need to comment um during the meeting, I absolutely will.

Uh I'm sorry, Ms.

Barola.

Uh I thought I had explained um in my email that public comment is only taken at the top of the of each meeting, whether it's a full board meeting or a steering committee meeting.

Uh we don't take interaction with public comment during the meeting.

So if there's any agenda item that you would like to uh share uh uh your thoughts on, even an off-the-agenda item that you would like to share your thoughts on, now would be the time to do so.

Okay, great.

Great.

So I'd like to know what kind of resources are available for women that feel they are being trafficked in Hillsborough County, besides the Spring of Tampa Bay or the Mary and Martha House or the Created Women, all of those organizations will only take on women that know who their trafficker is.

So I'd like to know what's available for women that do not know who their trafficker is, and that is going through a situation like that and needs assistance from the county.

What kind of resources are available to her?

Um, Ms.

Barbola, they just I can't speak on behalf of everyone on every department here at the county.

Uh but if there is a trafficking incident or someone believes they are being trafficked, uh their first call should be to 911 to the depending on whether it's the jurisdiction of Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, Temple Terrace, Plant City.

But that would be the first call as far as resources.

Uh the county does not prepare a list of resources, but the crisis center has 211.

Uh they have uh resources, uh, a list of resources available on their website, and there are several nonprofits who uh are members of this commission that offer direct services such as redefining refuge for children, um sale of freedom for adults, there um you know many more that are available.

We just do not publish a list of resources as a county.

Right, but cell of freedom is another organization where they will not accept you unless you are aware of who your trafficker is.

That's what I'm trying to get to.

What type of organization is out there that is offered by Hillsborough County that can help a woman who believes she is being trafficked, however, does not know who her trafficker is.

Well, again, I I I can't answer on behalf of all of the departments here at Hillsborough County, but it's the county does not itself recommend or offer direct services, so it would be up to each individual nonprofit that operates in that space to set their own policy.

So uh, you know, uh you and I can you know talk after this meeting or during the week directly, and maybe I can more fully direct you or or answer some more of your questions.

That would be great.

Thank you.

Okay, and you have my email address, so feel free to reach out.

I will.

All right, thank you, ma'am.

Thank you very much for at our three minutes.

Thank you very much, Joanna.

So we are now um at the point to review and approve our meeting recap.

Staff, please.

Oh, sorry.

So we're reviewing an approval for the meeting recap, which means we need to have a vote on the meeting minutes, please.

That's in your agenda packet.

So someone would have to make a motion.

For the minutes.

I make a motion.

Approve the minutes.

I second.

All in favor?

Aye.

All opposed?

Minutes passed.

Thank you.

So at this time, we would like to have Miracles Outreach come up to the podium.

Is there do you have a PowerPoint?

I wasn't sure about that.

Yes.

Okay.

They do.

And it was submitted to HTV, so it should be queued up.

Perfect.

Right?

Go ahead.

Good morning.

My name is Sonia Jordan.

I'm with Miracles Outreach.

And just want to first of all thank you for inviting us to come out to share a little bit about Miracles Outreach.

I'm going to defer to my senior director, Ms.

Michelle Walker, to give you a little bit about Miracles Outreach.

And I'll be help answer any questions.

Good afternoon, everyone.

I'm Michelle Walker, Director of Miracles Outreach.

Thank you all for having us here today and giving us the opportunity just to share who we are and what we do.

We do have a PowerPoint that's up on the screen.

I'll go through it briefly.

Just Miracles Outreach has been around since 2000.

We actually started out as an after-school program in the Sulphur Springs community at that time, which has now grown into something completely different.

So we have this is what we do.

Residential care, which is for youth ages 12 to 17, also for young adults ages 18 to 24, once they age out of the foster care system, and or have been homeless individuals are also able to participate in that program.

Advocacy, education, and outreach.

Outreach is a big part of what we do in the community.

Going out, feeding the homeless, being able to provide everything from home houseware, hygiene products, or just anything that's people are in need of, is which is the core of what we do and who we serve.

Trafficking, we became a part of working with the trafficking community in 2007.

So not something that we actually set out to do, but just simply through our residential program working with those youth that were ages 12 to 17.

Um over time and those first two years, we were heavily involved and continuously receiving those calls from the police department looking for certain youth.

And in 2008, we were contacted by the FBI and wanted to know how did we know at the time they had a list of 17 victims who were victims of trafficking, which of course I had no idea what human trafficking was, or that it was a name for it.

And their question was why was of the 17 young ladies on the list, 11 of them was associated to a miracles that my name continuously came up.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

And during that time, I had the opportunity to meet with I forget the um agent's name, but we began a relationship and working through the process of the young ladies that were on the list and being able to let them know how we came involved with them through the foster care system and being able to let them know where those young ladies were at the time, or either enrolled in junior college, college, working, and just being able to show that we had developed those relationships over the years.

Um during that time, I think it was prior to that original task force that was started in 2010.

We were a part of that original task force that started, had an opportunity to serve, and through the years have had the opportunity to continue to serve victims of trafficking.

We don't have a uh safe house at this time.

We continue to work with youth that have been involved in trafficking, but trying to integrate them back into the system and being able to really rebuild them from the bottom up, being able to develop them a trust system and being able to have those trusted friends and knowing who did they can who they can come to and turn to in a time of need.

Um on the screen, I know it does have how does trafficking impact the community, and it just has a few of the different things, how it impacts the local economy, um decreases safety in the neighborhoods, and I'm not gonna go through them all because it's on the sheet.

We did give a handout and it does list some of those things as well from different studies.

I talked about how we serve the community with community service, feeding the hungry, educational workshops, different community events, youth empowerment, which is really big for us, being able to focus on youth, helping them and empowering them to be able to one have a voice and be able to focus on the trauma that they've experienced and knowing how to move forward through those things.

Advocating for young adults has also been one of the things that we take very seriously, and that's very important for us, and being able to help them fight for their rights and to be able to even for the victims to know their rights and understand what it is that they need.

I wanted to focus on one of the let me see.

And being able to help them to be able to get back on track.

And I we always say everything is love.

We always say love covers a multiple a multitude of things.

So we really practice that and feel like it's important that every person that's in our circle and our community do the same thing for the young ladies that we work with and being able to help to be able to push them forward.

Um let Sony talk about a little bit more about what she handles a lot of the educational piece and being able to help integrate our students back into the school system.

Hi again.

Um the information that's coming around will um is really just more additional information that I research on just the impact that we have in the Tampa Fake area.

But most of that information I'm sure you all are pretty aware of, but just wanted to highlight a couple of things.

Um as Ms.

Walker said, I do work with the schools uh quite a bit.

Uh one thing that we see with the youth that come in, um, whether it be trafficking or with some of the foster care youth, is there very behind in school because they move around.

And so that is a key piece to what we do.

We want to get them, you know, ready for school and in school as soon as possible.

And it's it, you know, we have different ways where we'll work with them at their own pace, but sometimes school may be the one constant thing that that child had.

Um that's their security, that's the one thing that they know they can count on.

I can go to school, I can get a meal, I have my favorite teacher I can talk to.

So we try to make sure that we keep that peace as constant as possible with the foster youth.

Uh, they do have the ability if they're somewhere close to the area to be able to work something out, to stay in the same school.

However, we do get youth that come from across the state.

Um we have youth that come from Panama City, Tallahassee, from Miami.

So, of course, they have to change schools, but we try to work really closely with the school that they're in to make sure we're getting them in as soon as possible and keeping them on track.

Um, I also work with the independent living youth as well because not all of our kids by the time they turn 18 are done with high school.

So we try to make sure our number one thing is getting them at least that diploma to help them qualify for the independent living subsidies that is allotted to them, as well as the free um education that is uh also a I guess you could say a benefit of coming out of the foster care system.

Uh one of the things that I did want to focus on, you know, in Tampa Bay, we all know that uh we have a beautiful city here, and it's full of great attractions, but with those great attractions also comes a current uh undercurrent of you know crime and unwanted things that happen.

So our focus is always to try to make sure that we're out and we're serving the community, we're doing outreach, uh, whether it's the uh feeding the hungry, um we do projects with schools, uh, work with some sometimes some of the different group homes, working with the other foster care youth, uh, because there's so many foster care youth that fall victim to trafficking.

And so the home that we have now we're considered at at risk, which is at risk of trafficking, and you know, in my opinion, just about every kid is at risk.

Um so it's kind of hard to define who's at risk to me is it's a wide open um everyone is at risk.

So we want to make sure that we're there, we're providing the support, the supervision, and the guidance that these youth need to be able to get through whatever they're going through so they don't fall victim to that.

A lot of that comes out of um you know, poor economic status, needing somewhere to live, needing some food, and so they end up falling victim and being taken advantage of by others.

So um that paperwork does look at some things like the impact to um law enforcement, the impact to health and mental health services.

Uh, one big thing that we're going forward now is um our things as far as where we go from here.

We have um at our location a 72-acre property, so we have done things like the farm to table culinary program.

Vocation is very big piece to sustaining themselves.

If I have to find a way to make a living or a way to feed myself, that ties directly into that.

So we try to use that, um, and then the affordable housing is what we're looking at now because now we have so many youth that we have served that are now adults, and we call them our now, we even have Miracles Grandkids.

So we have our kids that are now having kids, and it they we get the calls of I need somewhere to stay.

We pay for a lot of hotel rooms.

Uh I order a lot of pizza and send the hotel rooms.

I order Walmart delivery, you know, picking up and you know, the staples of the you know, bread and peanut butter and jelly, whatever they need, we just try to provide it.

So that's one thing that we definitely um just want to make sure that everyone's aware of one that we're a resource, uh we're both victim advocates as well, and uh we just really want to be a excuse me.

I'm sorry.

We're um at our 10 minutes.

Can you just do a really quick wrap-up?

Okay.

So we just wanted to uh make sure everyone just we're aware that we're here.

Uh we're here to serve the community and work with the community, and anyone have any questions.

We're available.

Does anyone have any questions?

Sure.

How are children referred to your organization?

Through DCF.

Um, so any kid that comes in with the foster care system, we will get something through the local CBCs.

Do you guys get referred children through other means also, or is it typically through just DCF?

We do get um referrals from some community kids, but I would say 98% of it is is DCF.

Okay, and then what is the criteria for referrals?

I know you said you serve human trafficking victims also, but there's other children that you you serve also.

So what are the criteria for that?

Um youth that are what they consider high risk, so they would have multiple placements, um, several incidents of runaways, sometimes some physical aggression.

Uh we do not take youth that have any acute mental illness or are currently in an acute state of like psychotic, or they you know, if they're at a point where they have been needing to be bakeractive or things of that nature, or anyone with a severe uh substance abuse uh problem.

So if we have kids that participate in outpatient substance abuse program, but if they need to be in a residential program, uh then we can't take those youth because they need to address that first.

Okay.

Do you have any statistics as far as how many human trafficking youth that you guys currently serve?

Currently, I would say we're at about 25 to 30 percent of our population is trafficking.

Uh we do that strategically because our homes are at risk.

So we sit down and we assess and we look at what the characteristics of that child coming in has, um, or I would not place too many kids with the same behaviors in one home.

Uh we've had a trafficking home before with you have six kids with all the same behaviors, and we found out really quickly that that's that's uh uh not always a great idea.

It's a great idea on paper for us, but when you I'd rather take a child, get them stabilized, get them situated, give them that attention, and then when I feel like this kid is moving along and working in the program, then bring another kid in, because that way you have a kid who can hopefully help and say, Hey, I've been here and it's not that bad, and I've been through it.

If you bring a bunch in at the same level, they just kind of gang up together and take off, which is I can only speak from our experience, but I understand.

Thank you.

Okay.

Any other questions?

Yeah, I was gonna ask you.

I just want to say I've known Michelle and Sonia for I don't know how long.

It seems like a lifetime, and the work that you guys do through Miracles is amazing.

So thank you for for being here today.

Thank you.

All right, thank you all.

Hold on, Commissioner.

I was going to say I love the name of your organization.

It's absolutely awesome.

I love that.

And um also uh thank you for uh helping the kids integrate back into the school system.

I think that's really awesome.

And also the fact that you're helping the foster kids that are aging out to help them to get housing and help them get you know settled and ready, you know, for their future.

That's absolutely amazing and wonderful, and thank you so much for all that you're doing.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You guys have like a business card or something like that.

Maybe I can thank you.

I appreciate that.

I can share their contact information with you, Detective.

Even better.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Michelle and Sonia.

Thank you so much.

So we're gonna move right along to the chair's report.

So, you know, I'm also the chair of the steering committee.

It'll be nice maybe when we go to vote for that, someone would want to be the chair.

Who knows?

Um, anyway, so let's go ahead and we'll move on.

Um, I want to first just take a moment and thank everyone here.

Um, you know, the last couple of days in the foyer, you know, downstairs.

Um, many of you, and I have a list to um actually think one by one, but many of you, you know, you brought awareness materials, you sat down there, you know.

We didn't have this huge influx, but we had you know, folks coming in and out and looking and asking questions, you know, etc.

It was our very first time doing this, so thank you so much for that.

Lisa, thank you.

I know that this week we've really taxed you a lot, and uh, we are immensely grateful uh to you because between everything that's gone on the last two days with downstairs and coordinating all of that to yesterday, also the semi-annual report to the board of county commissioners.

So thank you with all your help with that, and then tomorrow we have our tour.

Yes, and then having to help put together that has been a lot.

So we are extremely extremely grateful to you and and the entire team.

I know there's some other folks behind you that have also assisted.

Um, I would be remiss if I didn't mention two people who are not here today from staff, and that's Rob Parkinson and Director Felicia Crosby Rucker.

Um, they are so immensely helpful to me, and the Children's Services Department who always answers the phone when I call them with questions, and and Heather and Director Minzi and others in children's services help out and uh but thank you.

I I've said before it's uh an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to work um with this group with all of the people who are on the ground in the field.

Um, and I learned so much.

So I it's it's it's a wonderful opportunity, and I'm I'm grateful to to be here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We're all grateful for you.

And then, like I mentioned, tomorrow is our bus tour.

So we're so excited.

I believe we have like about 22 folks that are joining us tomorrow on the bus tour.

Um I have my list.

23, not including myself.

Okay, so we have 24, excuse me.

Yes.

So we have two little buses going out, and we have um our map, so we're all set of where we're going.

We're doing this in an hour and a half.

I cannot wait to see how this is gonna work out in an hour and a half, right?

And then we're coming back and we're doing a little QA.

So, right, our first time back out again.

Um, so this will be great.

So, again, thank you for um and if I may anyone who can't make the bus tour itself.

Um, we're expected to be back at county center at approximately sometime between 1.15 and 1.30.

Um trying.

Um I'm sorry, right?

No, no, I'm sorry.

11.

Wow, 1115.

Let's do it for an hour and a half.

That's what we want.

I'm thinking I'm thinking of today's meeting, it's 1.30.

Um, so um 1115.

Okay, or 11:30 tomorrow, we should return to county center.

Um, barring any traffic or incidents that happen along the way.

Uh, we won't be getting out of the buses, so there might be a few places that we pull into, but don't get off the buses.

Um, but the QA will be in the overflow room downstairs in the lobby of county center.

So um anyone who can't make it to the bus tour uh from the board or from the public can join us there.

Um so I'm excited.

This is another first for me.

Good.

Well, we're excited also.

So thank you.

And then yesterday I gave our semi-annual report because you know that was part of when we um went in August.

You know, the BOCC requested that we come semi-annual and just give a report on what we were doing.

So yesterday was the first for 2026, and I believe that it was very, very um well received.

Uh, Commissioner Cepeda mentioned when I walked in, so thank you.

Awesome.

It was also really was awesome report.

Thank you very much.

You're welcome.

Everyone had a part of that.

Yes, yes.

So well, we are the commission on human trafficking, so yes, yes, we everyone did absolutely, Commissioner.

Yeah, so thank you.

So basically, what I did is I just went through the report that was given to me of everything that you know we have accomplished, you know, throughout the year, and um we have really done a lot.

I I would like for you all just really like applaud you because I'm telling you what, 2025, we rocked it.

Look what we did with the children's network.

You know, um now granted it took us to 2026, but we did our first RFQ, right?

For the emergency housing.

We did phones, um, we did a training.

I mean, just look at all the different things that we did in 2025, and that's what you know our semi semi-annual report was about, you know, and then continuing on with um FKQ, which I'm not gonna get into because that's part of Dottie's report.

Um, and so then moving on to the steering committee.

You know, the steering committee is where we come together when we have thoughts about what we'd like to do as a commission, etc.

And kind of really hash things out and really talk about it, and then you know, we come back here to the board at large, and this is where it's voted on, right?

So, just in case of that distinction, um anyone wanted some clarification on that distinction.

And um one of the things that I would really like to point out is the strategic plan.

So, what we did is we came up with a date, it is our March date.

So we we would traditionally be meet meeting anyway on March the 26th.

All we did was expand our time.

So instead of meeting from one to three, we're gonna do a strategic plan again with the collaborative labs from 12 to 5, I believe.

And I believe it's gonna be up here again.

Yes, right.

So very similar to what we did before.

Um, but we had agreed, you know, last time we did our strategic plan that we would come back about a year later, right, and readdress it and expand on it.

Um, so that's the date for the strategic plan to be able to do that, and then pretty much the rest of it.

Dottie's gonna talk about the whole media part of it and FKQ.

So do you want to go ahead and yeah?

Um just we are moving forward with FKQ and Lisa.

Do you want to relay where we are with the contract with them?

Sure.

Um the outdoor advertisement went live yesterday, or possibly the day before.

I've lost track.

Um so that part of the campaign has been executed.

The uh blanket purchase agreement for the remainder of the contract work.

I should have in hand uh the director of procurement, also someone I need to thank uh who works behind the scenes to help.

Um he said that I should have the the blanket purchase agreement in hand next week.

Once I have that, then we can uh go ahead and contract with the uh with FKQ, and then they can um perform the work that that you've requested that is part of the scope, and that the I think the bulk of it is the refresh of the um media campaign.

Yes, and they will hopefully be giving a report to us on the I'll get to that when we get to the um staff report portion.

Okay, I will leave that for you then.

But we're moving forward, um, and that also includes the social media campaign uh with FKQ.

So it's all gonna come together about the same time, and it's going to be amazing.

Um it will really work to continue well to strengthen our messaging in the community for awareness efforts, and you know, we're excited about that, and hopefully also in part of that communication and messaging, not through FKQ, but um the mural uh project.

Um fingers crossed, we will get that over the finish line in the next few weeks.

I don't know about a few weeks, but we will get it over the finish line, yes.

I'm thinking sometime soon.

In 2026.

In 2026.

Yes.

Yes.

So we're we're moving forward with public awareness.

All right, that's all I need to say.

And I would also like to take a moment to congratulate uh state attorney Susie Lopez.

She received the human trafficking proclamation yesterday from Commissioner Cepeda.

Commissioner Cepeda, I'm sorry, caught you while you were sorry about that.

Um but thank you yesterday for honoring um Susie Lopez, State Attorney Susie Lopez with the human trafficking proclamation.

Thank you so much for that.

And so we want to also, as a commission, publicly acknowledge.

So yes, thank you.

Thank you.

And Lisa, I believe at this point we're ready for a staff report.

Well, thank you.

Um so you've already mentioned that the March 26th regularly scheduled board meeting will be expanded so that it will be the strategic plan meeting.

So I'll send out a calendar invite very soon so that everybody can have that time period blocked out on their calendars.

Uh I have to work with procurement to get the scope of work uh approved, uh, but it is government to government and it is a follow-up to the previous uh purchase agreement that we had with uh St.

Petersburg College because collaborative labs is not a nonprofit standalone, they are part of uh the university system.

So once I get that settled, we can begin planning for March.

Um so the chair vice chair mentioned uh the social media subcommittee.

Uh right now that consists of member um Petrellac, Detective English, and Vice Chair Groover Skipper with FKQ requesting expanded review of the refresh of the campaign.

I think we need to uh add some members to that committee because this is going to be a campaign that is going to be public facing that's going to you know last through September 30th and beyond.

So I'll be sending an email out because I don't like putting people out on the spot, and again, we're shy of few members today, but I'll be sending an email out once I get the blanket purchase agreement uh approved from procurement uh to schedule a meeting.

I did have a brief conversation with FKQ to find out how much time they would like.

Uh and they said that in order to fully go through the campaign, it would be at least an hour.

So I I didn't feel asking the chair or vice chair to put it on the steering committee agenda for next month because that would be then the whole almost the whole meeting, and there are other things that you need to discuss at steering committee.

So an email will go out uh about that.

And speaking of the steering committee, um the chair mentioned that she is also chair of the steering committee.

So next month when the steering committee meets, there'll be another election for the chair and vice chair of the steering committee.

So everybody who is a current member, keep that in mind.

Um I'm also going to send out an email to see if anyone needs to step back from the steering committee or if anyone wants to step up to the steering committee.

So that will be another email to watch out for in your inboxes.

Um the I didn't I didn't put this on the agenda because I didn't know um where we would be with this, uh, but a procurement update.

We already talked about the um FKQ blanket purchase agreement.

Um I'm waiting for the um review of my responses because as project manager for the um the RFQ request for qualifications for emergency housing counseling and support services.

That is an open RFQ.

It is out on our procurement system public facing, it's called UNA EUNA.

Um, there have been respondents who ask questions.

I'm in the process of preparing responses to those questions.

If all goes well, it should close, I believe the end of this month.

Um, and then we'll move forward.

But what I can say about that is limited.

If anyone has any questions, they can contact the procurement department.

Mr.

Wonderly is the person who is assigned to it currently.

And he can answer questions that anyone might have about the RFQ.

I just wanted to give you an update as well where we were in timeline about that.

But that's all I can say about that.

And now I'd like to turn it over to Heather Cazola from Children's Services, who can talk about the other approval for funding that the committee has made to the Board of County Commissioners.

So the during the steering committee last um it was voted on and approved for Children's Network to receive a new agreement this year that will be focused on stipend supports for our victims, our youth victims in foster care, also not just foster care, but our community youth that are being served.

It will include training, specialized training for foster parents, foster youth, the community at large, and our staff that work within the dependency system on human trafficking awareness and the signs.

So kind of continuing the training that they had during the last agreement last year, and then continuing the marketing.

They've done a really good job with the website and some snippets, and they're going to continue the marketing that is targeted on recruitment of foster families that are willing to work with the population of our victim, human trafficking victims, along with awareness in our community as to the higher risk to our kids that are in our foster care system that they pose with human trafficking.

So that agreement is been reviewed as of 10 o'clock this morning, and we'll go out for signatures.

And then our goal is to get it placed on the BOCC agenda for February 18th for the February meeting for review.

That if if it gets approved on the February 18th, that will allow them to start as of February 1st so they can do payments back through no February.

So because it'll be approved in February, the way that it works, then they can go ahead and start with that funding as of February.

So that will give them through September 30th to utilize those funds for those three outcome goals.

I did want to just address with the training.

So they were able to get that.

And that's all I have.

Any questions?

Just a big thank you.

Thank you.

So finally, um the chair mentioned earlier about the tabling the information distribution event that we had yesterday and the day before in the lobby of County Center.

I do want to take the minute because I do have the list of participants.

She will be, you'll see her as you know much as possible, maybe online.

She'll be volunteering throughout the year with us.

The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Declare No More Foundation, Redefining Refuge, Selah Freedom, and the Children's Home Network.

Without them, it would not have been possible.

They brought all the materials, they sat at the tables, they answered questions.

We collected not as many donations as I would have liked to see, but we did get some donations, so that's a good thing.

But it was I I was just so pleased that they stepped up to come here and do that for us.

Also, I wanted to mention that the chair was uh interviewed by Channel 10 News.

That story did run last night.

Um, so if you haven't seen it, you can go on the Google machine and look up Commission on Human Trafficking, Channel 10 News and watch that.

Um there are a lot of events coming up.

There are a lot of events that have already happened that so many of you have participated in panels, discussions, speeches, appearances, QAs.

Uh, the ones, and I'm sure there are more, but the ones that I know of that are yet to happen.

There is one that I will be asking for volunteers again.

Uh the Commission on Human Trafficking will have a table at the Red Sand event, which is Wednesday, January 28th.

The Commission on Human Trafficking will have a table at the Red Sand event, which is Wednesday, January 28th.

We'll have a table.

And if we can just have somebody to who's not tabling themselves, because a lot of you, a lot of the nonprofits here will be tabling themselves.

It's I think set up at around one.

The uh actual event goes from two to five, and it will be at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office down on Falkenberg Road.

So that'll be the Red Sand event.

It's hosted by one more child.

And there's one other event that the Commission on Human Trafficking will be participating in.

Board Member Lynn Gray will be representing the Commission on Human Trafficking at Human Trafficking Awareness Forum, which is Saturday, January 31st from 1 to 215 is her panel session.

It's hosted by the top ladies of distinction and their youth component, top teens of America.

That will be at the Robert Saunders Library, 1505 North Nebraska Avenue.

Again, that's Saturday the 31st, and that was at the recommendation of Commissioner Gwen Myers, who was contacted asking who from the county could participate, and she uh recommended the Commission on Human Trafficking.

So we appreciate that recommendation.

Um there's one more event.

It's not happening until February, so we get a little bit of a breather, but uh I would want to mention that one more child.

Um I'm sorry, not one more child.

Declare no more foundation is preparing roses with a message of hope for ministry partners to distribute Friday, February 13th from 1 to 3 at North Point Church.

There is a link if you go on Google and put in declare no more dot com slash give a rose, you can sign up to volunteer for that event.

And I just wanted to mention that because human trafficking, as the chair and vice chair reminded me yesterday, is not just January, it's all year long.

So we continue with our events into February, and I'm sure there will be others as they come up.

I will let you know.

Um the information for the statewide council is in your packets, their agendas.

I will have to wait to request the minutes from those meetings.

And that the summit from 2025 is still available.

Um that the statewide human trafficking task force hosted.

It will be available until March 26th.

So if you want to go back and review any of those sessions, they are still out there and still available for viewing.

And that concludes my report.

Thank you, Lisa.

You're welcome.

That was great.

Anyone have any questions about the staff report?

Can I just I just wanted to say the um the Declare No More Foundation, they're they're give a rose.

I know my organization, Heart Dance has participated in that for many years.

And it's we take roses into the strip clubs.

That's what my organization does.

And the women are just so appreciative of getting a rose and with no strings attached, and it's just a beautiful gesture, just to say, hey, we see you, and is there anything we can do for you?

So it's just a beautiful, beautiful thing.

It goes over really, really well.

Something so simple but so powerful.

So I just wanted to put that plug in.

And if anybody wants to take some information with them, or if your organization participated in the past two days and you left information here with us, um, I have some here and I have some in my office.

Lisa could ask one more question.

Um the um requests for proposals that are depends on which one you're referring to.

The one summer cues and summer P's.

Um, I think the one that for housing, emergency housing.

How would an organization find that information?

I know going through the right.

So if you go to Hillsborough County's website, there is a department, one of the buttons at the top says department, go to procurement.

Okay, and under procurement, there'll be information on current available opportunities.

I don't have the wording like right in front of me, but it'll say something, you know, current procurement opportunities.

To respond, you would need to register with the system is called UNA EUNA.

And you can view, you can read it, you can you know submit a proposal or submit your qualifications actually because it is an RFQ.

Okay, thank you.

I know I probably will be asked by a couple of entities, so I wanted to have the correct information.

Or they can just call the procurement department and ask for uh Mr.

Wonderly.

Waterly wonder, like as in W U N D E R L E, I believe.

Okay.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

So we are moving on to new and old business.

And I would like to bring up something that we have discussed previously, but not to take away from one more child in the red sand project that they're doing this year, right?

But we have talked previously in previous years about doing the red sand project ourselves here on with the Commission on Human Trafficking.

And I will say that One More Child has partnered with other commissions or other task forces, you know, over in Seminole County and Orange County, etc.

So I would like to discuss about for next year us partnering with one more child and doing the Red Sand Project together as we are now starting to put kind of put together a human trafficking awareness we know as we continue planning out 2026, which really rolls us into our plans for 2027.

You know, maybe we can start having that conversation of what would a human trafficking week look like in 2027 and having a conversation with one more child.

And our and of course all our other organizations, but the only reason I mentioned one more child is because they are the ones this year doing the Red Sand Project, and it just seems right to have that conversation and continue that project with them, and then whoever else has, you know, like I know Reed Finding Refuge, you do the the blue hands, right?

So whatever projects any other organization, how can we partner together and maybe do a week and really rise up even more?

I'm in Hillsborough County.

So that's my my new business.

Um does anyone have anything that they would like to talk about, new or old business?

Yes, I would.

Yes, please, Commissioner.

So um yesterday during the board meeting, um we also were talking about sports events and things that we have here in the area in tourism, and um Commissioner Wallstall had brought it up about our uh tourist tax, and um I'm gonna be uh looking into that to get you know be able to use our tourist tax to bring money into our commission on human trafficking because so much of this happens, you know, because of the tourism here, sports events we have here, and um I think it this will be really an excellent way, you know, to to make sure we have even more funding that we than we've already been getting so that we can do even much more to um you know stop this horrible crime.

Thank you.

And thank you, Commissioner, for that reminder because I had it written down in my notes about the tourist tax.

Yes, so very appreciative for that.

Again, anyone any old or new business.

Can I just say I know uh I don't know if it would be more appropriate for the steering committee or but I would like legislative updates, you know, sessions and session right now, and I know there's um a bill I've been working on, Connie too, I guess with the statewide legislative working group.

Um it is House Bill 1467 and Senate Bill 1688, and it's really uh penalties for prostitution and related acts where we've been working for a few years to try to get the penalties increased for buyers.

So uh it's actually made it into bill form, and I believe it's now I just last looked on the legislative tracker before I came in here.

It's now going to the criminal justice committee.

Um that's all the information I have.

But basically, it would be a first offense for a buyer would go from a second degree misdemeanor to a first degree misdemeanor.

Second offense, it's a first degree misdemeanor now, it would go to a third degree felony, and third offense and third degree felony would become a second degree felony.

So we're really trying to tackle the demand and make it more challenging for buyers to buy people and not just a slap on the wrist.

Um in the House Bill 1467, uh there's also some extras for soliciting prostitution, a hundred hours community service, mandatory educational program, 10-day minimum incarceration for repeat offenders, and vehicle impoundment for up to 60 days for anyone who is trying to buy another person.

So that's the only bills that I've been keeping up with, but I would love, you know, I know that there's more.

Yes, and um Mr.

Parkinson and myself uh monitor the legislative session for human trafficking bills.

Uh as I'm pointing to him, he's usually sitting here.

Um Mr.

Barkinson monitors for any criminal justice uh issues that are coming before the legislature, so I can ask him if uh he can give a report at the next meeting, will be the steering committee meeting in February will be the next opportunity.

Perfect.

Okay.

Thank you.

And before before we uh move on to close out, if there is any more of these that are over on the table, this is from the children's network.

This from the the funds that we provided for them.

This is one of the awareness or two of the awareness pieces that they had on the table yesterday.

So I was able to pick these up and brought them.

Hopefully, maybe there's some more, and I'll ask them if we could have a copy for each one of you.

Um you'll be very impressed.

Um they did a really a fantastic job.

So I'll put them on the side here so that you can take a look at them, and then we'll request um to have more if there aren't any over on the table.

So at this time, anyone like to motion to end our meeting?

Or do you have one more?

I have one more thing to say.

I know that.

I just want I'm sure this commission realizes how fortunate and what a pathway forward and breaking ground that we are doing to have a lived experienced expert leading this commission.

I don't think any other government entity of this nature has a lived experience expert leading the charge here.

So I just thank you for voting.

Uh Miss Rose back in is our fearless leader, and I just wanted everybody to realize how fortunate and what how groundbreaking this is.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And that's all.

I won't say anything else.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right, so with that, anyone want a motion to adjourn today.

No one?

Motion to motion to adjourn the meeting.

Thank you, Captain.

Thank you.

Any second?

All in favor.

I'll oppose.

All right, meeting is adjourned.