County commissioners connect with citizens at community forum | Community Spirit

Pinellas County, Florida -- Citizens came together to share their views and vision for the future of Pinellas County at the April 10 Community Forum, hosted by the county in partnership with the Seminole campus of St. Petersburg College.

The forum was held at the college’s Digitorium, and started with an open house for county commissioners and the county administrator to meet and speak with citizens.

The commissioners and administrator then became part of the panel for an online eTownHall. Attendees of the forum were invited to be a part of the live audience for Pinellas County’s interactive event. For an hour, panelists answered questions that were sent in via the blog, phone, Twitter and from the audience at the event. Dick Crippen served as moderator.

The Pinellas County Community Forum was the kickoff to the FY2013 budget outreach, which focuses on developing strategies to define the future of the community and the services that the county provides.

As county commissioners, key county officials and community leaders work on the development of the first stages of a strategic plan. Citizens are being asked to help formulate strategies for the community’s future as they share their vision and their views on the services that county government should provide.

Upcoming opportunities for citizens’ input include two budget information sessions scheduled in May.

• Thursday, May 10, 5 p.m., Safety Harbor City Hall, 750 Main St.
• Tuesday, May 15, 5 p.m., St. Petersburg City Hall, 175 Fifth St.

Tuesday night’s community forum was the first time that Pinellas County hosted the eTownHall with a live audience. The eTownHall was streamed live on www.pinellascounty.org/eTownHall, where a video of the presentation is available for viewing. The meeting was also aired on PCC-TV and made available via phone. In addition, 65,000 phone calls were made to residents, inviting them to participate in the forum.

Pinellas County is the first government in the region to integrate five forms of participation in an interactive, online event. Now, it is the first to hold the eTownHall at a public venue with a live audience and the first in the area to combine it with a traditional open-house style of a public meeting.

Pinellas County’s innovative eTownHall earned awards in 2011 from the National Association of Counties and the Florida and National Hurricane conferences.

For more information on Pinellas County services and programs, visit www.pinellascounty.org, now with LiveChat, or create a shortcut to www.pinellascounty.org/mobile on any smartphone. Pinellas County government is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Release courtesy of the Pinellas County Government.