7/30/1980 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE DISTRICT DIRECTOR IN LAKELAND TOMORROW AND FOLLOW IT UP WITH AN OFFICIAL LETTER INDICATING THAT WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR FIGURES AND NEED SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN ORDER TO MAKE A DECISION. HE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS FOUND THAT THEY ARE USING SOME INCORRECT POPULATION FIGURES FROM THE 1970 CENSUS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 1980 REPORT, WHICH RESULTS IN A PERCENTILE THAT IS IN ERROR. ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN IS THAT THEIR FIGURES INDICATE A LOSS.OF POPULATION IN THE GIFFORD AREA; ALTHOUGH, IT SHOWS AN INCREASE IN DWELLING UNITS. COMMISSIONER WODTKE COMMENTED THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH THE CENSUS WAS CONDUCTED IN 1970 WAS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN THE PRESENT METHOD, AND THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE ARE ON THE PER- CENTAGE OF RETURN OF QUESTIONNAIRES FROM GIFFORD AND WHAT KIND OF FOLLOW-UP EFFORT WAS MADE IN THOSE AREAS. HE POINTED OUT THAT WHAT- EVER THIS FIGURE ENDS UP AT, WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT FOR FIVE YEARS. HE INFORMED THE BOARD THAT THE FIGURE, WHICH IS LESS THAN 60,000, IS WITHIN THE RANGE THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA SAID IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A YEAR AGO. PALM BEACH, ST. LUCIE AND MARTIN COUNTIES ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FIGURES GIVEN THEM. COMMISSIONER WODTKE STATED THAT WITH THE BOARDS PERMISSION, HE WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO OBTAIN A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION. PLANNING DIRECTOR REVER COMMENTED THAT THE FIGURES INDICATED A VACANCY RATE OF OVER 20%, AND HE FELT THE CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING THIS WAS QUITE VAGUE. HE BELIEVED FOR ONE THING THEY COUNTED EMPTY PADS IN MOBILE HOME LOTS. THE CHAIRMAN AGREED THAT COMMISSIONER WODTKE AND PLANNING DIRECTOR REVER SHOULD CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE CENSUS FIGURES. THE PRESS QUESTIONED WHY THE CENSUS FIGURE COULD NOT BE RELEASED TO THE MEDIA, AND IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT FEDERAL REGULATIONS STATE THAT THE FIGURES ARE NOT TO BE PUBLICIZED AT THIS POINT. THE CHAIRMAN SUGGESTED THAT THE MEDIA CONTACT THE DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF THE CENSUS AT LAKELAND. m 'JUL 3 01980 Box 44 PACE A'77