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Board of County Commissioners Meeting Minutes - Final September 13, 2022 <br />Attachments: Staff ReDOrt <br />Recommended CSAC Funding FY23 <br />Funding Allocation FY23 <br />Assistant County Administrator Michael Zito introduced Leigh Ann Uribe, Human <br />Services Director, who was the newly appointed Program Coordinator for <br />Children's Services. Mr. Zito described the review process the Children's <br />Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) and the CSAC's Grant Review <br />Subcommittee utilized to determine award amounts, and requested approval of <br />the CSAC's funding recommendations for the full FY 2022/23 budget of <br />$2,443,606. <br />Under discussion, Commissioner Flescher brought forward the Young Journalist <br />program, one of the approved funding recipients, and raised concerns that the <br />program's content was politicized and inappropriate. The Commissioner <br />proposed creating a workshop, to be held before the Board, where all the <br />recommended CSAC organizations would present information regarding their <br />curriculum. Vice Chairman Earman agreed with Commissioner Flescher <br />regarding content, and suggested returning the program to CSAC to re -vet it for <br />controversial content. <br />Discussion ensued among the Commissioners and staff with Commissioner Moss, <br />who agreed with the suggestion for a CSAC workshop, but questioned the nature <br />of the controversy. Commissioner Flescher mentioned global warming and social <br />situations that he and some constituents felt were inappropriate for a <br />school -administered elective. <br />Commissioner Adams received confirmation that the CSAC already had several <br />mechanisms in place to vet programs including a Grant Review Subcommittee, <br />personal interviews, required measurable outcomes, and a final review and vote <br />for funding. She was disinclined to withhold funding for all recipients based on <br />content concerns, and suggested the Board could add content approval moving <br />forward. Chairman O'Bryan also supported the existing Grant Review <br />Subcommittee's workshop for vetting, and favorably described the students' <br />work. <br />The Chairman opened the item for public comment. <br />Jim Sullivan, Sebastian, took issue with the program administrator's personal <br />ideology, and requested that the Board decline funding for the Young Journalist <br />program. <br />Scott Bass, Deputy Superintendent, School District of Indian River County, <br />recalled direction given to keep topics neutral and promised to monitor the <br />Indian River County Florida Page 17 <br />