Polk County  
Polk County Administration Building  
330 West Church Street  
Bartow, FL 33830  
Meeting Minutes  
Monday, September 15, 2025  
1:30 PM  
Board Room  
TPO Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating  
Board (TD LCB)  
September 15, 2025 TPO TD LCB  
Polk County Administration Building  
330 W. Church Street  
Bartow, FL 33830  
Attending by Zoom:  
Polk TD LCB Board Members and Alternates may attend this meeting by Zoom, if they  
wish. They will be counted as “present,” and they can join in the discussion of agenda  
items. However, according to Florida Laws on Public Meetings, members/alternates  
who attend this way will not be counted towards the Quorum. However, they may still  
take part in the meeting, and they may vote.  
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1.  
Call to Order - 1:30 p.m. (Jeremy Clark, Chairman)  
Minutes:  
Members Present: Representing:  
Vice Mayor Jeremy Clark, Chair Polk TPO  
Dale Hanson FDOT  
Kevin Gilds Florida Dept. of Elder Affairs  
Mayor Nat BirdsongMass Transit (Polk Transit Authority)  
Sheryl BrownRepresenting people with Disabilities  
Connie MillerAgency for Person with Disabilities (APD)  
Maia WatsonFL Agency for Health Care Admin (AHCA)  
Joy Johnson Local Medical Community  
Diane Durr (Zoom)  
Others Present: Representing:  
Marcia Roberson Citrus Connection  
Kelly Suazo Citrus Connection  
Julia Davis Polk TPO  
Cindy Mitchell Polk TPO  
TD LCB Meeting  
1. Call to Order  
The meeting was brought to order at 1:30 p.m. by Chairman, Vice Mayor Jeremy  
Clark.  
2. Confirmation of Quorum  
Roll Call was taken by KC Rivera, and a quorum was confirmed.  
3. Opportunity for Public Comment  
Chairman Clark opened the Floor to public comments. There were no public  
comments. The Floor was closed for public comments.  
4. Approval of Meeting Minutes -June 16, 2025  
Motion to approve TD LCB Annual Public Workshop and TD LCB meeting draft  
minutes.  
Motion: Motioned by Sheryl Brown and seconded by Mayor Nat Birdsong.  
Motion was approved unanimously  
5. Agenda Review  
Julia Davis, Polk TPO Staff, provided the agenda review.  
CTC Report  
6. CTC Report on Operating Data and Performance Measures - September  
2025  
Kelly Suazo, Citrus Connection, presented an overview of the operating data  
and performance measures for April, May, and June in the CTC Report.  
A long discussion occurred between the board, Kelly Suazo, and Marcia  
Roberson.  
Action Items  
7. Polk Transportation Planning Organization (Polk TPO) and the Lakeland  
Area Mass Transit District (LAMTD) commencement of the “local  
recommendation process to re-designate the CTC in Polk, an enter into a  
new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Commission of the  
Transportation Disadvantaged (CTD) when the CTC is a government  
agency”  
Julia Davis, TPO Staff, presented the process of re-designating the CTCs.  
Motion: Motioned by Mayor Nat Birdsong and seconded by Dale Hanson.  
Motion was approved unanimously.  
8. Annual Review and Approval of LCB’s Bylaws  
Cindy Mitchell, TPO Staff, presented the LCB’s Bylaws with no changes from  
last year.  
Motioned by Sheryl Brown and seconded by Mayor Nat Birdsong. Motion was  
approved unanimously.  
Information Items, Communications and Reports  
9. CTC’s Annual Operating Report (AOR) covering FY 2024-25  
Marcia Roberson, Citrus Connection, stated the AOR was just submitted and  
nothing stood out.  
10.Training: TD 101  
Cindy Mitchell, TPO Staff, presented the annual training of the TD Program, flow  
chart and the TD schedule.  
11.TPO Distribution Items and Comments  
Julia Davis, TPO Staff, informed the board about Polk TPO LRTP major update  
Envision 2050 and the live forum October fifteenth, which is streamed on PGTV,  
Facebook, Polk TPO’s website, and Citrus Connection’s website. Along with  
Citrus Connection is updating their TDP process on public comment on October  
8th. Lastly, we are scheduling a community-wide workshop with Vision Zero  
SS4A.  
12.CTC Distribution Items and Comments  
Marica Roberson, Citrus Connection, stated to let them know if there are any  
concern about the presentation.  
13.Board Members Comments and Announcements  
Dale Hanson, FDOT, stated Citrus Connection applied for a 5311 grant and the project  
was recommended by the district and approved by the Central Office. Training  
opportunity webinar September 18th for grant management and funding opportunities  
and lastly round 3 of the FDOT triennial reviews began in 2024 which include Peace  
River Center, Polk Training Center, Alliance for Independence, Citrus Connection,  
ROAR Florida and Sunrise Community of Polk County (Lakeland).  
14.Next meeting date - December 15, 2025  
15.Adjournment  
With no further business the meeting, Chair Clark adjourned at 2:33pm  
Motion: Motioned by Mayor Nat Birdsong  
Respectfully transcribed by KC Rivera, TPO Office Manager IV.  
Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes, states that if a person decides to appeal any  
decision made by a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he may  
need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record  
includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
Confirmation of Quorum  
Opportunity for Public Comment  
Approval of Meeting minutes  
Attachments:  
5.  
CTC Reports  
6.  
Agenda Review - Ms. Julia B. Davis, AICP, Polk TPO  
CTC Quarterly Report  
Attachments:  
Action Items  
7.  
Polk Transportation Planning Organization (Polk TPO) and the Lakeland Area  
Mass Transit District (LAMTD) commencement of the “local recommendation  
process to re-designate the CTC in Polk and enter into a new Memorandum of  
Agreement (MOA) with the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged  
(CTD) when the CTC is a government agency”  
Attachments:  
8.  
Annual Review of Polk TD LCB By Laws  
Information Items, Communications, and Reports  
Attachments:  
9.  
Introduction to the CTC’s Annual Operating Report (AOR) for the fiscal year  
ending June 30, 2025.  
10.  
Polk TD 101 - Annual Training and Basic Information  
Attachments:  
11.  
12.  
TPO Distribution Items & Comments  
CTC's Distribution Items & Comments  
13.  
Board Member Comments and Announcements  
14.  
Next meeting date - next regular quarterly meeting is scheduled for December 15,  
2025.  
15.  
Adjournment  
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons with disabilities  
needing special accommodations to participate in this proceeding should contact the  
Board of County Commissioners, Communications Office, at 330 W. Church Street,  
Bartow. Telephone (863) 534-6090, not later than four days prior to the proceeding. If  
hearing impaired call: (TDD) (863) 534-7777 or 1-800-955-8771, or Voice impaired call:  
1-800-955-8770, via Florida Relay Service.  
The TPO planning process is conducted in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights  
Act of 1964 and Related Statutes. Any person or beneficiary who believes they have  
been discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin,  
disability, or family status may file a complaint with Cindy Mitchell, the TPO’s Title VI  
Specialist at (863) 534-6486, or by writing the Polk TPO at Post Office Box 9005, Bartow,  
Florida 33831-9005.