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Commissioners discuss out‑of‑date online resource listings; ask staff to explore auditing options
Summary
Commissioners flagged inaccuracies in findhelp.org and 2‑1‑1 listings and discussed whether the county should help audit or maintain community resource guides; a commissioner said UF previously ran undergraduate audits and asked staff to consult local service providers on solutions.
Commissioners raised concerns that publicly used resource directories are not reliably up to date and discussed potential county involvement in improving accuracy.
A commissioner described multiple reports from residents who visited organizations listed online only to find closed offices or incorrect hours. She recalled a past University of Florida project in which public‑health undergraduates audited 2‑1‑1 listings annually and recommended the county investigate a similar approach or a more reliable auditing process. "Some of the agencies are underresourced, and they're not keeping the information up to date," she said, noting that small nonprofits often lack the staff capacity to regularly update listings.
Staff noted that United Way currently manages 2‑1‑1 locally and that individual agencies are expected to update their entries; commissioners questioned whether that arrangement is sufficient. Suggestions included asking United Way to increase auditing, coordinating a county‑led audit, or developing a dashboard to make updates easier and more regular.
No formal direction or motion was adopted at the meeting; commissioners asked the sponsoring commissioner to confer with local service providers and bring back potential solutions for keeping resource guides current and reliable.
