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Review and Approval of the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Bylaws to Update Membership
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BRIEF OVERVIEW
Staff conducted its annual review of the Bylaws governing the Hernando-Citrus MPO Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). During this review, it was noted that despite continued recruitment efforts the Public Transit User positions for Hernando County and Citrus County have remained vacant since 2020.
To address these longstanding vacancies, staff presented two options for the CAC to consider or the CAC may advise on another option of their choosing:
Option 1: Retain the current CAC membership of 11 appointed citizens, but reassign the Public Transit User positions to representatives from Unincorporated Hernando County and Unincorporated Citrus County.
Option 2: Eliminate the Public Transit User positions for both counties and reduce the CAC membership to 9 appointed citizens.
For reference, Florida Statute 339.175(6)(e)1 states:
“Each M.P.O. shall appoint a citizens’ advisory committee, the members of which serve at the pleasure of the M.P.O. The membership on the citizens’ advisory committee must reflect a broad cross-section of local residents with an interest in the development of an efficient, safe, and cost-effective transportation system. Minorities, the elderly, and the handicapped must be adequately represented.”
At the regular public meeting on October 23, 2025, the MPO’s Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) voted unanimously to recommend a modified Option 1 to the MPO Board by directing staff to post notices in the buses of the transit systems that recruitment is underway for a “Citizen Representative or a Public Transit User” of each County to participate on the Citizens Advisory Committee. Additionally, it was recommended to forward Public Service Announcements to the radio station and for the County Commissioners to make public announcements during their regular board meetings of the recruitment efforts. The CAC requested an update on the status of recruitment efforts at their next regularly scheduled public meeting on January 22, 2026.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
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LEGAL NOTE
Pursuant to Chapter 339.175, Florida Statutes, the MPO Board has the authority to take the recommended action.
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the MPO Board review the recommendation of the Citizens Advisory Committee and update the bylaws accordingly.