9.3.25 Pasco Board of County Commissioners Meeting (Afternoon Session)

All right, welcome to the afternoon session of the Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 board meeting. Um, please remember to uh silence your phones and we are going to start with P43. Right. P43 was advertised in Tampa Bay Times on July 9th, July 16th, July 23rd, and July 30th, 2025.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Pitos Planning Development, economic growth. Item P43 is an ordinance is PDB 25173. This is an ordinance amending the uh Paso County ordinance number 2140 contracting and expanding the boundaries of the Two Rivers North Community Development District. Uh this comes with a request to approve the continuence to the October 7, 2025 board of county commissioners meeting at 1:30 p.m. in date city.

Okay. I need a motion.

I move to uh continue meeting. What was the date?

October 7th.

Second. Okay. All in favor? I

opposed. All right. P44.

P44 was advertised in the Tampa Bay Times July 23rd, 2025 and by affidavit of certified mailings and site postings.

Item P44 is PDE 25395. This is an ordinance amending the Pasco County comprehensive plan for a small scale comprehensive plan amendment to the future land use map uh 2-15 and sheet08 from AGR agricultural rule to res 1 residential one dwelling in Prosa and approximately 19.69 acres of rural property located on the north side of Blandon Road approximately 21 2,150 ft east of the intersection of Blandon Road and Troby Road. Uh this is actually the adoption hearing for this item. So this there is a request to continue this to the November 12, 2025 board of county commissioners meeting at 1:30 p.m. in date city.

We continue time.

Second.

All in favor?

I

P45.

P45 was advertised in the Tampa Bay Times July 9th, July 16th, July 23rd, and July 30th, 2025.

Item P45 is PD250184. This is an ordinance amending the Pasco County ordinance number 2141 contracting and expanding the boundaries of the Two Rivers West Community Development District. This comes to you with the request to continue the item to the October 7, 2025 board of county commissioners meeting at 1:30 p.m. in Date City.

Continue time. Second.

All in favor?

I P46. Did everyone vote on that one? Lisa.

Okay. P46 was advertised in the Tampa Bay Times May 7th, May 14th, May 21st, and May 28th, 2025.

Item P46 is PTE250166. This is an ordinance amending Pasco County Ordinance number 249, contracting the boundaries of the Two Rivers East Community Development District pursuant to chapter 190 Florida statutes, providing for miscellaneous provisions, providing for an effective date. This comes to you with a recommendation to adopt the proposed com the proposed uh community development district ordinance. Um and by roll call vote

roll call vote. Okay. Um

any questions?

So for purposes of the record that motion packet is adopt it's needs to be corrected to be adopt the proposed ordinance amendment by roll.

Correct. Okay. Is there anyone here who wishes to speak to this item? So, chairman, there's one individual signed up, but it's not clear for which item. So, I will call David Tuttle. Did you want to speak to this item?

Well, that was to the basis.

Okay. We're not there.

All right. Thank you.

Okay. Uh, anyone online to speak to this item?

No, ma'am.

I'll take a motion.

Move approval.

Second.

All in favor?

I'm sorry.

District one, Commissioner Oakley.

I.

District two, Commissioner Weightman. Hi. District four, Commissioner Joerger.

Hi.

District five, Commissioner Mariano.

Hi.

District three, Chairman Starky.

Hi.

Okay. P47.

Stand by.

All right. P47 was advertised in the Tampa Bay Times, August 13, 2025.

Uh, item P47 is PDE250425. [Music] This is an ordinance by the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners amending the Paso County Land Development Code amending chapter 100 to create section 106.6 amendments after August 1, 2024 and other sections as necessary for internal consistency providing for applicability repealer providing for severability inclusion into the land development code and an effective date. This is the first public hearing of the proposed land development code amendment. We have a presentation.

Okay. Good afternoon, Board of County Commissioners. Rebecca Bogue, Planning, Development, and Economic Growth. Here to present PTE250425, section 106, amendments to this code. Someone need to pull up the PowerPoint for me.

Can you talk more into the microphone?

Yes. Sorry. Last time I felt like I was was right there.

Um I have a power Okay, here we go. So on July uh 15th, 2025, the board considered um how Senate Bill 180 would affect new regulations um in Pasco County. specifically um those that have been affected by a hurricane. So, as part of that conversation um the county board of county commissioners directed the county to proceed with business as usual except where those any new regulations might affect a property damaged by a hurricane. So, we're proposing section 106.6 Six amendments after August 1st, 2024.

Am I going?

Thank you. Okay. So, essentially what this uh amendment is saying is that any new regulations that the county proposes um are applicable um across the county except where a property has been damaged by a hurricane. and that would apply to any code amendments, res resolutions, manuals, or written procedures. Next slide. We took this item to the planning commission on August 21st, 2025, and they found it consistent with the comprehensive plan. They recommended adding some additional language to um to reflect Senate Bill 80 more appropriately regarding proximity, tract, and landfall. And then they recommended defining properties damaged by a hurricane. So this is the amendment we're proposing. The text in italics is the changes that were made post the local planning uh agency's recommendations. So as mentioned, this is the first public hearing and we're hoping for final adoption at 9:16. And that's it. I'm here for questions if you have them.

Can you go back to the red typed screen and just let us peruse that just for a second?

Chair, who's the subject matter on this? David Goldstein.

I think David is. Yeah. Can I listen to the planning committee committee discussion? Yeah, I I think chair, so we have a good audience here. How far Yes. How far in depth do we want to talk about Senate Bill 180 with hurricane season upon us and what what this is doing to put us in a better position with regards to the state's new requirements. So, as I explained to you at the last time this came up to the board, this legislation is not a model of clarity. In fact, I would say that remember all the complaints we've had about live local, this is probably even worse in terms of how clear the the bill is.

Yeah.

Um and it's subject to many competing interpretations. Um, this change to the code effectively implements an interpretation that Senate Bill 180 is limited to properties damaged by hurricane. Um, I can't tell you definitively that a court's going to uphold that interpretation or not, but it it is consistent with what the board directed us at the last meeting in terms of how we should interpret Senate Bill 180. I will tell you that we do have a legislative proposal. Um, Ralph has already submitted that to the Florida Association of Counties. is going to be discussed I think at their next meeting. Um there's probably three or four other counties that have already joined our legislative proposal to clearly limit this the impact of this bill to properties damaged by a hurricane. And so this code amendment is consistent with what we're requesting that the legislature actually clarify in the law. Um, so I believe that at least attempting to implement Senate Bill 180 in some form gives us a better defense if we're sued than just ignoring the law. There are some jurisdictions that are basically just choosing to ignore the law entirely. Um, and I'm not sure it's going well for them or they're just implementing an affirmative lawsuit against the state, which I'm not sure that's going to go well either. We're just trying to set this up so that we can best defend any claims made under Senate Bill 180. Hopefully, we get the legislature to fix the law so it's consistent with this interpretation. Um, but in the interim, we do have regulations on the book that are books that are potentially affected. And so, this is basically codifying an exemption for properties damaged by a hurricane from those regulations. Um, Commissioner, I was on the Florida Association of Counties call yesterday where um it's the community um something something group. I don't know what it's called there. I'm now a voting member of it and this came up and um and yeah, there are some communities, counties who are just totally ignoring everything. But um for the most part, this is what most people think is what they meant. I mean that there's some I think it was in a a bill that happened at the very end and didn't get a chance to get

and we had one of our lobbyists from Southern Groups actually spoke to the sponsor of the bill and

based on the conversation he had with him

we believe this the Senate sponsor did intend

yes that is

this was his intent when he

asked this bill to be adopted but there may be another legislators that had a different intent I can't tell you definitively what the over because Commissioner Stark is right. This is something that this language wasn't even in the final bill until the final day of the session and it was something that the House put in that the Senate had previously objected to. So, I can't tell you definitively what the legislaturator's intent was or how courts can interpret this law. But what I can tell you, the language we've drafted here is consistent with what the board directed us to do when we brought the fire rescue impact fee to you for action. and it's consistent with the legislative proposal that we've submitted to FAC. And do I think it's a better it's easier for us to defend a lawsuit if we've implemented Senate Bill 180 in some form? Yes, I do. I think that's a better way to defend the law than to just ignore it entirely.

Yeah, it's not our I just want to be clear. It's not our intent to ignore Seno when like some it's

I have I have to believe that the our own board doesn't want to make things more difficult for properties damaged by a hurricane. Yeah. So, this is for the most part most of the state's understanding of what is meant and and that's kind of that's kind of speaks to how hastily potentially this was written and intent. So, I'm I'm fine with this.

Plus, there's an argument to be made that this is the only constitutional reading of the law. And I don't want to bore you with constitutional theories, but um the warehouse clauses of the ordinance do kind of get into that issue.

I think I recall you ch doing some challenges in the planning commission on that.

Commissioner Moody seem to think you hit a law degree. So I guess I had to

that was pretty rich.

Although this passed unanimously at the planning commission.

Commissioner Moody actually voted against it, but the rest of the planning commission didn't vote for it. Yeah,

there's a lot of things in that bill that are undefined

and that is one of our constitutional arguments is that it's

it's incredibly vague.

Yeah, it's Yeah. Okay. Um any other questions on this? All right. Um this is a public hearing. It does anyone here wish to speak to what number are we? P47. Is there anybody online to speak to people?

No one online. No one signed up.

Okay.

No actual referral.

Okay.

Let's see if it's written here.

September 16th.

This the adoption hearing will be September 16, 2025.

Oh, here it is. It's and it's publicized BCC adoption at NPR on 9:16 2025. A very very important day. This is my birthday. Okay. P48. P48 was advertised in the Tampa Bay Times August 20th, 2025.

Good afternoon, commissioners. Tracy Overurve, Public Infrastructure Fiscal and Business Administration interimm director. Item P48 is a resolution revising the water, wastewater, and reclaimed water rates, fees, and charges and providing an effective date. This is the second public hearing on this item with the first being in Newport Richie on 8:19. And we have our consultant, uh, Justin Grant, here to present the finding and recommendations of the study. And we also have the utilities team here to answer any questions you may have. Good afternoon. Great to see you all again. All right, Justin Grant, Stantech.

Um, Justin, are you thinking you're going to do that presentation that you did last night?

You know what? Thank you so much for interrupting me because I was going to ask the board if they would like to see the presentation again, right? Uh, given it's the second public hearing, but certainly I'll take direction from the board on whatever they would like to do. public.

What I'm going to check and see is there anyone here that wants is here to speak to this utility rate study public hearing. One person.

There's two. I can't see the other hand.

Not solid waste utilities. Is that you here for?

So what? The water and sewer utility. Yes. Carl,

do the procedures.

Oh,

that's 49. That's the next item.

Okay. Um but before you start, let me have him um do the procedures.

Well,

are we

we can we can do that.

This one. I was I was going to let you go through 48 and 49 and then do them at 50, but

we're not.

It's up to you.

No, she she just thought we had to do it now, so I was following what she said.

Um Okay. Do we want the full presentation,

Madam Chair?

Yep.

Um I don't need the full presentation, but I did have some people from uh the Trinity or Winry that wanted to speak. I don't know if they're online.

I do not have any one.

Oh, they're here. Never mind.

Okay. All right. So, this is the item you want to speak to. Okay.

Okay. Well, why don't you go ahead and give your presentation and that may answer some question.

So, you'd like me to give it once more?

How long was it?

We have all day though.

It's it's it Mike Mike's answer is absolutely appropriate. As long as you want it to be or as short as you want it to be. I've only got about 10 slides in the base, right? And a couple in backup depending on if the board would like to see them.

You throw out a lot of numbers very quickly. It's my regular.

You have a synopsis.

I'll take that as a compliment hopefully.

Justin, do you have like a high level You know, you know what's probably good is is you're right, Commissioner. What I can do is I can probably do kind of slides one and two. Why are we here? What do we do? And go right to the recommendation slide that summarizes everything we've got. That maybe will be a shorter version if the board likes that.

And then if we hear from the public and we haven't, you know, gone over the parts, we can have you come back up and answer the hows and wise and all that.

Absolutely. Happy to do it. Okay. So, we'll do the abbreviated as we talked about. Uh this one was given in full on 8:19. And so I'll walk through and get our clicker working here. Okay, perfect. So why do we do this? This is every four years. So this is kind of just the overall of why uh the board's considering this item. They do it through two public hearings, but ultimately they take a look at uh the utilities rate structure and kind of dump the bucket out. Look at four major pillars, right? Look at those revenue requirements. How much? What are your operating costs? your capital costs, your financial policies and things that you need to adhere to for rating agencies, so on so forth. How do you allocate said costs across your different customer groups, residential, commercial, industrial, etc. How do you design your rates? Why do you have certain block structures? Why do you have certain rates, fees, and charges? And how do those things compare to other utilities? And then ultimately, how do you reset? You know, you take this opportunity here for other fees and charges when the utility decides to roll trucks and things for specialized services like meter installs and others and including your environmental lab. Cost recovery is the game for the utility. And so the utility takes this opportunity to to look at all the resources it expends to do those things and reset those fees to that. And so ultimately, let me go down, right? This is your timeline. And so we're here in September 2025, right? Uh where we're doing the second hearing. And so this will be the the board board meeting where the board will consider adoption for the next four years. And then there in October it'll implement implement for your residential or regular customers. And then December because of noticing requirements uh those bulk rates will go into effect on 121. And this is where I'm going to skip through a lot of the other slides and we're going to go right here to the end and kind of summarize what those recommendations are. So, the financial management plan for this one is a 4-year plan that begins with a 375 increase in 26 and a 475 increase starting in 27 through 29. There's a slide in here that talks a lot about the major capital pressures for some large wastewater plants that are occurring starting in 27 that require that. And then you go through and retail rates. So, there's no structural changes to water sewer. We have a few changes here for reclaim that adjusts some things on the residential side, adds in two tiers, changes consumption, and then ultimately indexes it moving forward. It also links your connection fees with the rate study. Bulk bulk rates are also addressed, water and sewer and reclaim. And then other fees, as we mentioned, are reset using uh that reconciliation method. And I'll pause there for public comment if that's what you desire, ma'am.

Yep. Second. Okay. Let's uh let's have the public comment on this and then we'll see if we can help answer any questions. Come just go ahead and line up whoever has questions on this.

Good afternoon. My name is Margaret Walker and I live in Winry subdivision as you know was one of the first subdivisions in that part of Pasco County. We're right off East Lake Road. I'm very proud of it says welcome to Pasco and there's wintering. It's beautiful

and our water, you know, we had major problems with it and they've been they've been resolved and we're happy about that.

Are you on FGUA?

You're on Aloha.

We were

we were Can you give your specific address to

1022 Middle Sex Drive near Port Richie?

And we're grateful that the water was resolved, but I think back in about 2010, we went to FGUA. I recently sent to Jack and several others copies of our invoices for water. During the dry season, most are seeing between 300 or 275 to 350 a month in water. During I mean during the rainy season, during the dry season, people are seeing bills close to $500 a month. So, we're asking for some oversight in that because since we made that change, we don't know what's happening. We don't know how long we're going to have to live with these rates. Um, and we're proud of Winintry. It's really, if you haven't driven through it, it's very wellmaintained. The people there, um, have been there for 20, 30 years. They love Pasco County. Um, they take pride in it. But as people are aging, it's getting harder and harder for our homeowners to afford these rates. And so, again, we'd like to see some oversight on that. We're right now sitting wondering how long are we going to see these bills this high and especially when we talk to other people who've been moved off um what was aloha and when they hear our bills they're it's they're like oh we're paying $100 a month even with watering our lawn. So we just like some attention to this if we could. Thank you. I I I used to live near there and actually my good friend um Gunther's flag he developed Winry and you are on Aloha um what was Aloha now part of FGA and we have talked here about buying you that system out. We're not there yet, but we're going to be talking with

Well, and that's what we've heard that others are have out and we'd like to be on that list and maybe possibly expedited since we're 15 years in. And I just want to make a comment.

I have been living there since 1990. And when the first when the water issue first started, I was pregnant with my second child who's now almost 29. So, we've been pretty patient all these years and grateful for what was done, but many of us are approaching retirement and $500 a month is just way too excessive. We just need some help.

Yep.

Okay. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Lysa Spencer and I live at 7421 Esbor Lane in Trinity in Winry. Morgan and I are neighbors and we built our home in 1992 there and we've loved living there. We love Pasco County. It's it's been great for our family. We've raised our daughters um and now our daughters and grandchildren also live in Trinity. Um and I I thought maybe it would be helpful. I know that um Commissioner Mariano maybe has been able to share some of the invoices, but I did do a a quick overview to give you an idea. We're I'm a family of two now, just my husband and I, and we live on a corner lot, but in a a community, a neighborhood division subdivision. And since the um first of this year, just to give you an idea, um in January of this year, our bill was $320,83. Then in um February, it was $21,757. And then it went to 29520. then $3.8963. Then in April it was $42341. And then in May it was $47,2.95. And June we must have had a little rain because it was $275.46 and then in July it was $33.93. So again, any attention you can give us to help with this matter would be so much appreciated. We appreciate. Thank you. Did anyone else want to speak to this? Didn't Didn't you raise your hand over there? Nope.

No one else. Okay. Um Well, that's not anything you can go ahead. You can try and address that.

M. Anyone? There's no one online either.

There's no one online.

Can I make a comment?

Yeah, of course.

So, uh I've known Margaret Walker now for many, many years. Families, uh kids went to school. So, excuse me. She called me up and uh we were talking about it and from years ago when we first took it over how bad the water was, it did get a lot better.

When she told me her rates of like $500 a month, I got that's absolutely absurd. Uh and I told her that the board had talked about looking at taking and we've taken over Aqua, took over Lindrich. I thought this one should be next just because of the timing of was one of the first four to be taken over and looked at anyway. Uh, I know it's the most expensive, but uh, I talked to administrator Carbellar about this and he he thinks a good approach and Mike I don't want to put words in your mouth, but to do kind of like we did with Lindrich and Aqua. Let's go to take a look at the system, find out what it takes to if we have repairs to make. Uh, they've got the money they had sewer program. Let's go take a look at what it takes to take the system over. Then go put a legislative ask together along with some numbers. in facts and then go try to get funding for it like we did with the other two to keep the

cost that

so

well actually it wasn't legislator money it was um it was that other money we got

sprinkle

no it didn't come from the legislature it came from the feds

came from the feds okay

what was the money that we got and we

it was the car's act that's what we used to buy lend out we did get a 300 $3 million sprinkle when um uh House Speaker Sprouse was in, but we used that to sleeve the Gulf Harbor's um neighborhood to stop the water intrusion that was affecting the waste.

Thank you. Thank you, Eric. Commissioner, I'll correct the record. It was actually ARPA, the American Rescue Plan Act. Yeah, I know CARES was right around that same time frame, but thank you.

Okay. Um well, we we talked

Okay, Mike, go ahead, Mike.

Yeah, I just want to add to the conversation. I' I've asked uh utilities to implement the um study of both systems similar to that. And so the idea the idea behind those systems is to do

kick the tires I guess if you will to see see what works what doesn't work and to come up then with a an implementation plan. And I will tell you that when we originally reported this to the board, we started doing this back in I don't know 161 17. We were talking about this, you know, the Aloha system was was to be last because it was the largest the most debt saddled and had the largest customer base. Um I do think that, you know, whatever direction the board wants to give, it's important that we do these studies because otherwise it's the operational takeover is is also a complicated maneuver. You have the Aloha systems which are about 16,000 customers versus the consolidated systems sitting around 6,000 customers. I think Lindre was around three and if I'm not mistaken the Aqua were around three to five. So correct. So much much smaller. So there is a heavier lift there. Um

but we have a lot more people.

Well and and I have I have had discussions too with utilities. We do have a seat on the FGOA board to be extremely cautious of how much debt these systems potentially will will take on in the next couple of years. And so those conversations are being had. And so what I would like to do is complete those studies and then we could bring something back to the board for direction on to implement because the next step will be then how to handle the financing. You got about $80 million worth of debt still sitting on uh this particular system, the Aloha system. I don't know what consolidated is just

I do. Yeah. Consolidated uh is about 37 plus million.

That's actually very high uh debt per customer. But regardless, we would we would need to seek that and then we could seek legislative asks for individual projects if if that's if that's the case and that works. That's what we did with with Lindra. It was it was that particular one, but the overall buyout of the debt actually was using the ARPA funds. I do recall that now. So, I'd like to bring that back to the board probably let me I'll set a timeline of six months and then we'll just see what the utilities comes back with and then we can set the priority. But then we will have to discuss um implications to the existing rates.

Yeah. cuz everyone's rates in the county will go up

when we take on the debt from that neighborhoods from Aloha and uh Madhatter I think it

is Se forest in that uh study as well.

I believe Se forest falls would already be on our

So if you like Mike what I can do is I can go right past this and let me go back. I think last meeting we uh we looked at the two service areas for the two systems. So maybe that'll be a good refresher to add to this discussion. Here's consolidated. And so the two large terms, right? Consolidated number of smaller areas, right? The most commonly known here for Mad Hatter, right? East and west. And you have a bunch of smaller systems within it uh that are put together and then I'll let that digest for a moment and I'll go to Pasco. So you can see the individ individual areas there as well. And so Pasco a little bit smaller here, but you heard my Aloha. Yeah. So, Loa, you see down there in that bottom left corner right as I'm standing approaching it here. And then seven spring service area is that larger box on the screen. And then of course you have, you know, the names of those areas above.

So is that is that in Newport Richie or no?

The Aloha.

The Aloha system. Um I don't want to speak out of term whether that's in or outside of city limits. Right. That I I'm hearing folks here in the room say outside. Um but we'd have to double check the map. I don't want to speak out of turn.

That is looks like uh uh Southern Oaks and Riverside Village and I know Riverside's in FG.

No, the one on the water. Aloha Gardens.

Oh, no. No, that's in Holiday.

Oh, Holiday. Okay.

Cuz there's G Harbors up at the top.

The one I'm talking about. What? It's um by the car dealership.

Cross by you.

There are some small privately owned ones that are not part of F2A around the county. ridiculous over there.

Yeah.

Yeah. So, and I think we we remarked on this a little bit last time. The the key difference between the two systems and certainly this board had outlined its intentions to walk through the FGA acquisitions. There are four systems, two of which are done. The other two we've discussed here is there's a predefined process for completing those acquisitions, which is basically take over the mortgage of the system, right? So, it's the debt. Mike talked about it. Uh you know, how much leverage there is. So there is a whole definition outlined in a transition that you have would do a transition agreement per the interlocal agreement between the county and the FUA that dictates how they these things get taken over. What gets a little bit more complicated with some of those private systems is the biggest thing right in the very front end is how do you value it, right? And so you're going to have a private entity that believes a certain way and will certainly probably have studies done and will name its price. the county will probably have differing feelings and you'll have to go through a heavy level of analysis to ultimately get to to something that is agreed upon. Whereas the FGA stuff that part of it's done it's a known element. So that's just a key difference for the board to consider as they talk about those smaller utilities.

Okay. Um but that's a separate subject from what we're dealing with today.

Well, Madam Chair,

yeah. The reason I wanted to bring it up is we're looking at rates all the way through 27. So, I just wanted to make this part of something to think about that if it does come back, we are looking at this and trying to do it.

Re we'll be doing it again.

Yeah. And commissioner, you outlined it correctly, right? And so reframing what we talked about two weeks ago was that you know this measure here and certainly the county attorney could provide clarity for your rate structure. So what we're asking the board to take a look at as a part of the measure that utilities is bringing forward today is to adopt the rate structure for 26 through 29. And so ultimately that would dictate that right there in that top left corner of this slide 375 and 475 for 27 through 29 those actions you're you're mentioning about these FGO acquisitions when those things are completed the tire kicking as Mike says right the further evaluation of those systems and then ultimately they go through what ends up being a diligence process that's required through state statute that has to find those acquisitions in the public interest. the utility would need to come back to this board and find that it's in a public interest via public hearing and at that time the board would be able to you know consider whatever offsetting financial measures would be required. So commissioner to your point right that's where you know they consider a revised capital plan and and the amount of leverage that's on the system and whatever that separate rate increase that the board would like to consider to take that on that's separate from the measures that you're looking at today.

I I do think for me that's where we need to end up. Um, personally, I'd like to even keep going after the other ones like that one I have. Uh, it's very small that Amskills is on. It's owned by that company out of Canada,

but it's all it's really polluted water that they're delivering.

Um, did you want to say something else?

Yes. Justin, are you going to cover like part of the reason for these rates as far as what the state mandates are as far as water quality standards that's making us do higher treatment of this of of water? Are you talking about the current rates that are being proposed in the utility or you talking about the the rates that were being described for the FGA systems?

Um I'm just talking for the regular system

for the for the current system. Yeah. So certainly work closely with with the utility now and and and certainly you know there's a lot and I'll go back to this slide here. I know we didn't cover it today um but right here. So we talked through a lot of the key expansion projects and some of those added costs, right, that come in with, you know, latest regulation and the additions of of a number of different treatment requirements and things like that that go into the design of these plans. Whereas when you were looking at some of these things four years ago, you know, inflation notwithstanding, right, you have additional regulatory requirements that are placed on the design some of these things that have inflated that the slide you're seeing here is over $400 million, right, just between two plants. And Madam Chair, that that was why a lot of this big rate increases here because not only just the expansion of the system was one of them, but the improvement of the water quality the state's making us do, which I'm not opposed to doing. It's going to make the water quality better, but that's what's driving it. So if you wonder why rates are going up 375, 475, it's it's not for what we're doing, just running the system. It's just mandates being put on this.

Exactly.

And this is this slide is your wastewater treatment plant. So it's while you're delivering portable water,

it has to go someplace.

Yeah.

System only has so much capacity. What's it 80ish% that the the D makes you do a

bumps up the you have to do a you have to do an expansion of your plan.

Usually it's five. You've got to be a twothird. You're already building an active design. Um, could you put one more slide up that shows our rates once raised compared with our communities around us?

Sure.

No, ma'am. This is, like I said, they're separate measures.

It might be fiscally responsible to start preparing ourselves for that.

I mean, I think I would do that as a separate action. I think these are the advertised rates.

Yes, sir. They're public published four-year rate study as Yes, sir.

Ah, we should have done that last last time. But that can be addressed as we learn more about the systems and then we can actually see what the true cost is going to be and that you could build that in potentially if you have to make great adjustments to acquire a system.

Well, we we know we're going to have to make big adjustments. Oh,

you did it. You've been through it.

Yes, ma'am. Twice before.

We're going to have to have rate adjustments.

Yeah.

But we could soften the blow. That's what I'm saying.

Certainly. And I think Mike Mike speaks to it well, right? having gone through those first two acquisitions, the um the kicking the tires approach, right? The ultimately it's a condition assessment, engineering assessment of all the assets within the system, how they're functioning, really letting utility staff and their representatives get in there and really take a look at how things are working because the prescribed CIP plan on how FGA may be handling and running the system likely doesn't exactly align with the way that the county would like to do it, right? And I speak from that from a historical basis on the revisions that this county took to do the first two systems made significant investments into those things and the capital plan and the way they were going to operate it was significantly different than FGA did. Now a lot of that is inner ties and things like that that would connect it to the larger system. So that's that is the part that is not currently completely vetted out that sounds like the county administrators already provided direction for county staff to begin that process.

Okay. I'm going to throw something else out there and I know um it's like the catchall, but our CDBGDR money um um look like looking I I don't know if in any of these areas it was affected by the hurricanes and there's um things that need to get fixed in those areas. Um, you know, we're partnering with FGUA in the Riverside Village with uh Representative Joerger and getting 50 people, 50 homes off of septic. Um, I'm wondering if there's an opportunity within any of these systems to help um fix fix them or do something with that debt. you know, just using that any of that money to help us when we come down the road to buy it.

I'm not entirely sure if acquisitions are part of it. I'm certain that there's probably mitigation dollars that projects could qualify for to whether that's hardening or things that can make the system better. We would have to research that.

Yeah, I think I think it's worth it to take a look and see if there's anything we could do to chip off some of the cost of it with some of that money. You know, I I don't know the grant off the top of my head, but I do know and Commissioner, I believe you referenced it previously, um, is that there was some cooperation in Lindrich, right, where he got some, you know, state funding where there was kind of that cooperative capital program.

That could be something. Yeah, I think I believe it was procured under FUA. I know the county was involved in some of those things. Some of those cooperative efforts for offsetting CIP, you know, costs that the FGA system would otherwise incur could be accreted to the county in the long run when they go to acquire it. Well, we we we paid some bills and it freed up some of the money. Um I just know that when when and for the residents that have that water when we came in and took over Lindrich and typically FGA is just putting band-aids on issues, they're not fixing it. Um they're doing, you know,

they're subject to heavy rate pressure.

Yeah. Yeah. because they don't want to raise your rates yet anymore because you already have probably some of the highest in the state. Um so they don't go in and like really fix it. So when the county came in and took it over and fixed it, oh my gosh, the water, you know, it was everything got so much better. Um rather than just fixing one little thing, they were tearing up my roads all the time. Um so if we can just be creative, that's all I'm asking. Okay, I'll take a motion. If there's no more discussion,

move approval. Second.

Uh, all in favor? I

Okay. P49. All right. P49 was advertised in the Tampa Bay Times July 30th, 2025. Good afternoon, Madame Chair, Commissioner Kevin, solid waste director. Today I am here to present resolution by the board of county commissioners of Pasco County establishing annual disposal assessments tipping fees and others rates fees and charges for the funding of the solid waste disposal and resource recovery system.

Sorry. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. All right. Uh, a little bit of background. This is year seven of a planned 7-year disposal assessment increase. Um, this area has seen significant increases in uh growth. With that growth comes increased solid waste generation. Uh, from that a a plan was established years ago to expand the existing waste to energy facility. Uh, that's a 200 $250 million project that is underway today. Uh in addition to funding the waste to energy expansion, uh this increase is meant to offset higher operating costs with the waste to energy facility. Operating costs comes in two forms, right? Actual operating costs and then also lacking revenue that we had back in 2024 from Duke Energy. We had a significant decrease in energy uh revenues with uh a new power purchase agreement. So, this funding helps offset that as well. This seven-year plan was meant to prevent big shock to the customers, uh, phasing this in rather than one big chunk. Uh, and we've seen some pretty big shock in the community. Some of our, uh, communities to the south of us have had some pretty big increases over the uh, recent years. And some of those communities have also had to put significant capital into their waste to energy plants, hundreds of millions of dollars. Our our money is going towards expanding the plant, not necessarily repairing it. So this year, the $7 assessment increase per equivalent eru that equates to $6.39 tipping free increase year-over-year. The annual uh residential assessment per eru with this year will be $114, which translates to $104.3 per ton. This would become effective on um October 1st if the board approves it. Um and as you will see on the next slide, our annual costs still fall well within the low range of waste to energy municipalities. You see where we are on the bottom. This does include hauling. It includes hauling and disposal, but we are at $381.90. the proposed rate for this upcoming year compared to what you see the other uh waste to energy communities in Florida. The average of this is $49159. Uh so we have a very good robust system and we're still at the the low end of the price point. So, the recommendation is to adopt the resolution establishing the proposed annual adjustments for the disposal assessments, tipping fees, and other rates, fees, and charges that fund the solid waste disposal and resource recovery system. Authorize the chairman to execute the two original resolutions. Direct board records to distribute set forth in the distri in the distribution section. and authorize the county administrator or designate to sign the final road certification. Authorize staff to release the final row role and related information to the property appraiser and tax collector. Any questions for me?

Board members, any questions?

Okay. Um I think we have uh some people that want to speak to this.

Yes. So, Mr. David Tuttle, if you want to come to the podium

and um just give your name and address once you're up at the microphone.

Thank you.

Yeah. Good afternoon, commissioners. My name is David Tuttle. Uh my family and I own the Golden Corral in Zephr Hills. How you doing, Tom? Ron, I uh received my solid waste assessment tax bill. Uh needless to say it was a shock after all the years and been in Zephr Hills Golden Crow for since 2003. I used to pay about 77,800 every year for the solid waste tax plus you pay for your garbage of course. So I wasn't even sure where that extra $7,800 was really even going. It never it was never explained, never made much sense to me. It was just an aggravating check to write once a year uh along with all the other taxes. This year uh my tax mount proposed assessment of course it was 777800 13,65805 is this year's solid waste tax.

What was it last year?

Uh last year was pretty close to the same even though I uh I sent in all the paperwork and to dispute it and everything. I virtually got no response at all. Uh the year before it was high like that, not quite that high, and they ended up fixing it and getting it back down to about $8,000. They're trying to say that because I have three 8y dumpsters that if one dumpster is half full and the other dumpster is half full, that's still two eight yard dumpsters they're emptying. Whereas I believe in the past probably the reason I was paying the 7,800 a year is because they did calculated it out. But in this in the busy season of course I'm going to fill them dumpsters up. This time of the year dumpsters don't get filled up and they still empty twice a week and charge me for full dumpsters. And that's where I'm coming up with a $14,000 a year tax. And I hate to raise my prices and then Ron might not show up as often and But I guess that's my concern. I just don't understand. That would be like if you ate at lunch in my restaurant and tomorrow you go there and the price is two and a half times the price, you're probably going to turn around and walk out. Unfortunately, I can't just throw this away and walk out. I'm going to get stuck paying for this no matter what. So prices are just getting passed along. It just doesn't make sense to me. I guess that's why I'm here today.

So I don't know if Bradford's here or Mike, you've heard me gripe about this for a long time. This is why I understand the the money in disposal is bonded, but scenarios like this happen every year and we've been contacted every year when disposal is not baked in to the rate that the hauler is charging. So, the customer pays the hauler and if he doesn't pay his bill, then the county tells the hauler he can't be picked up, which then stops his business from operating altogether. We need to change the way that we do disposal for commercial customers in this county

and I

and it it's it's it's not fair. You have customers who think they're paying their rate, you know, to their hauler every month. And then at the end of the year when the hauler's a audited and submits their information, the frequency and whatnot to the county and the county comes up with their their rate which gives the abil, you know, there's an appeal process, the whole process is incredibly clunky. And I I question the accuracy of there's just too many moving parts in it. We we really need to change the process and have the disposal pay the time of service every month. And I don't know how we unwind that. Bford, I know Bford and I have talked about it, but we're we're starting to see when you have bills like this and there's others getting so large and it's a sticker shock because you don't know the businesses don't don't know what they're going to pay. There's no way to budget until the county sends the notice about this time every year. And it's it's just I'm not saying it's right or wrong. I'm just saying when you're a business, you want to forecast a $15,000 solid waste assessment. And some business, well, I paid my solid waste bill. No, you paid your hauler to provide the service. Yeah, you got to pay the piper, which is the county. So, we we've I think we need to move forward in figuring out how to undo what's been been done. There's a lot of legal in there. Uh but it's not it's not it's not the best way to do do business and I

just confused.

And also according to the letter if I don't pay this there goes my business license which is right in the letter. So,

I mean,

it's almost like a a threat on top of, you know, you've been there all these years providing service and employing 90 people and doing everything right and then this shows up with a threat to pay it or lose your license and you're out of business. So, obviously, I'm going to pay it as aggravating it is going to be to write that check for double the amount. That that I don't understand. if we could redo it, it would be better for businesses to know up front, you know, approximately what it's going to be, not not at the end of the year. And it's a surprise. And I don't like it. I never have. Um, see people who've worked through this process for a long time, but I think we need to really take a look at it and figure out how to do it a different way.

Um, Commissioner Oakley.

Yeah. I was just wondering your last three bills were did you say 13,000 or?

Yes.

Okay. Last year I I appealed it with no luck at all. The year before I appealed it and they fixed it.

Right.

And this year I haven't appealed

between last year and this year it's what $500 or $1,000 difference.

Yeah. About $1,000. Mhm.

Between the two. So it's gone up, but it hadn't doubled this year. But I understand how can they, you know, drop it and be $8,000 and the next year back up for 13,000. So,

right, because basically

basically I was told they assessed it with not full dumpsters during the slow season. That's how it was told to me when it was taken care of. I think there's a way staff and and I'm sure Mike will go through it with people that uh staff can relook at that especially in the off season. It's you've got empty dumpsters, but

um

you can hardly get in this place this starting this time of year,

right?

So,

what we're going to do this again back in is this our first time talking about this?

No, this one's one and done.

Oh, this is this is setting the the assessment. I agree the the commercial assessment approach is um

it's not not working

there. There we we need to find a way to make that transparent and predictable. I understand. I've I've seen it. I I couldn't explain it to you myself here right now. And so we

So you're saying hold off, don't pay it until you fix it. [Laughter] No, you need um but but I but I but I do agree uh with with the commission's points, you know, Commissioner Oakley, Commissioner Wademan, uh that we need to take a look at it and uh you know, as Commissioner Waitman points out, there there are there are legal ramifications. There's a whole host of things. It's it's something that we need to look at and we'll see what can be unwound. But let's I'll talk with uh Mr. Adamis and uh Mr. and we'll bring something and have discussions with Jeff's team and

because we we experienced this. I'm texting here with my husband. Um I think he would love to be

y'all would get hit too.

Oh my gosh. So we had the blueberry farm and we have the market and um the blueberry farm we don't we had a dumpster and it's very seasonal.

Yeah.

Um very very seasonal. Um and it it was crazy. It was I don't know 20,000 25,000 a year

really.

And uh my my husband they they quit doing it up there and and we just take our garbage up to the market. Um but our market now is it's it's 1,100 a month in fees and 12,000 a year in in assess assessments. It's $25,000. Um but what was happening at farm was really crazy. Um, so I I However you can make sure that we're doing it right.

Yeah.

Yes.

Thank you.

If it's if it's you have two eight yarders going three times a week or whatever and your bill is seven $1,400 a month, per se, but you're done that month. You know how to factor in your your cost for what it is versus whatever the commercial rates are now. It's just it's better predictability for the business for the business owner. They can budget appropriately and then all of a sudden and there's been issues like Hilton Hotels and whatever larger corporations that get hit with with their disposal fees and um if they don't pay it right away by law their business is shut down until that fee that that's paid and then you're trying to reach out and the corporations are saying well what this is odd. This is not something that's done. This is not a standard practice throughout the solid waste in the way Pasco County builds disposal.

This it's not a it's out of the ordinary.

It's out of the ordinary. Yeah. It's it's with it's the disposal is typically factored in with your monthly rate, the hall rate. So you're paying more upfront, but your disposal is factored in for that service and you're paying it real time.

Where Pasco bills, the disposal piece at the end end of the year and then folks receive sticker shop. It's a lot of time on staff. It's a lot of stress on our customers trying to go through the appeals process and staff is going through records and then they're touching base with the hollers to make sure all the information was. It's just a lot of moving parts on a lot of people. And the crux of this is is however long ago the county bonded the disposal fees for whatever reason for whatever projects. And that might have been okay when we were a smaller county, right? Not as much enterprise and business going on, but our county's changed a lot in recent years. and um it's just better to give folks the predictability of what they're paying every month. So,

Madam Chairman,

I'm not sure that I disagree with you, but I think part of the scenario that is different about Pasco is that the

the hall, we don't have a franchise hauler system.

Yeah. And you have you have the

special assessments which are designed to pay for

the waste energy facility. And so to integrate those with the haulers is kind of what's causing the problem. But that's there I don't disagree that there probably is a fix, but that's

I'm confident there's a fix and I've pitched it. The bonding the bonding the bonds are paid by the special assessments for the waste energy facility.

I wonder if there's a way they could add partial payment to the monthly bill instead of the end of the year sticker shock. You know, like add $500 a month on my trash bill and then at the end of the year can reassess and maybe I only owe $1,000 instead of

$14,000. Okay. I think I think that our we're not going to solve that here.

Y

but it sounds like uh we can work on some um solutions.

Yes.

Much appreciated, Mr. Thank you very much.

Before you leave, can you give your address for that?

I can. It's 5209 Okay. Tuscilla, Tusca W I L A Drive, Wikiwatchi 34607.

Thank you, sir.

You're welcome. Thank you. Is there anyone else here to speak to this one?

No one else has signed up over there. Over here. Okay. All right.

As you approach, if you'll give your name and address for the record.

Edinva's 12882 Palapa Loop Spring.

Palapa. What?

Palapo.

Okay. Thank you.

All right. Um, my issue isn't to the amount of dollars that this gentleman had, but it speaks to mo, you know, I'm a resident. I moved to Pasco County u four years ago and I receive these letters from the solid weight solid waste resource recovery assessment department every year. I keep them. And so I was looking them over and what I noticed is when I first moved in was 83 bucks a year. Not 14,000 or 8,000, but it was 83 bucks a year as the assessment. And then today we're considering $114. Then I looked back at the pattern and I noticed it was 86 bucks and it was 93 and 100 107 114. So that's seven bucks. Seven bucks. Seven bucks. Seven bucks. So seven bucks on the original amount of 86 comes out to an 8.1% increase. Some change. This year it comes out to about 6.5% I believe. So I guess that's my first question. 6.5% to an 8.1, you know, that's a that's a large percentage increase every year. It it's it's too much. Um, I'm a retired person, but I spent most of my career in management. And my supervisor or my manager always asked me every year to give better service, higher quality service, increase customer satisfaction, and lower my operating budget. All three, they can be done. And I I achieved it most years through innovation, technology, and so forth. And that kind of what is what happens in the private sector. I really don't see that happening in the public sector so much. It just seems like we need to do more. We need to increase taxes. And um I'm just asking you know this department and across Pasco County departments to just consider operating in that way. Use your brains, use your minds, innovate, use technology and lower cost and increase quality of service. It can be done. It is done. Okay. So, I'd like to understand why such large percentage increases have been happening.

Um, I will take a stab at that. Um, we we are on the final year uh and I'll need Kevin to correct me if I'm wrong of a multi-year assessment that is paying for a whole new expansion of our treatment plant. Because are we hauling our trash out of the county right now?

Onethird of our trash goes out of county.

Yes. So, we're we're we're paying to send our trash to other Sumpter, I think maybe, or Lake um county because our waste energy plant is full. So, we have been slowly increasing the fees instead of doing one big jump to pay for new construction to expand our facility. Did I answer that right?

This is the last year or

it's a Kevin, you have to come to the mic. You have to come to the mic. Yeah. So this is the last year of the increase.

Yeah, for sure.

Yes. 7 for seven primarily to fund the waste to energy expansion and associated operating costs with that expansion. Okay.

I can certainly go through more details with you.

So I guess my followup question then would be once this is done and once this with $250 million expansion I think is what you mentioned before.

Once it's done, are my rates going to go down?

There there is no anticipation of the rates going down. Our plan is like you said,

why do it?

Well, it's the waste energy expansion is I'll just say beyond just a lowcost option. It has to do with the strategy of the of the community that was established many years ago. So, we continue to move forward with waste to energy as the primary disposal option, minimizing our natural resource footprint. All right. So the plant that has been in operation for 34 years has been very successful and the board has decided years ago to move forward with an expansion. So we're not relying on outside communities.

No, I don't think that's his question. So So if we've raised the rates to pay for a capital project once we paid for the capital project, why would we still have that built into our rates? I think that's the question.

Yeah. And why wouldn't 114 be 112 next year?

I'll take a stab at that if I could, ma'am. The, you know, Good point. Capital, the capital was part of it, but we're also doing debt financing as well. There will be debt service to pay for that. In addition, you Mr. mentioned it. Um the um more lucrative waste to energy contract that we have enjoyed which has actually helped Pasco keep its rates low for many many years uh with Duke Energy um expired. And so as such, we're subject to now market rate prices on selling our power, which we continue to do that. The solid waste department continues to innovate. uh they continue to look for innovative ways to reduce our landfill footprint, which ultimately save the solid waste program millions of dollars in new cell construction. So I I think they they continue to do everything in their power to uh to control that. As far as future rates, Mr. Kl and I are having conversations on what does that look like in the future in an attempt to you know again try to keep those costs as low as possible. Um they're at the end of the line. The garbage has to go somewhere and you know where the government is left to is left to handle it. So, um I I I will say this that that the capital portion while that may be complete, there's still additional costs and and revenues that simply are not recoverable uh through through other means.

Okay. So, the Duke energy contract is up. I would expect that you would get actually a better contract.

We we do not I I don't

I mean energy, you know, if you're investing now in the market, you're investing in in energy and electrical power because you know what's going on with AI. So, you'd expect our to be able to charge more for energy. Just saying.

I'd be glad to go over the the new contract on the energy side and explain the difference. It is significant. It's a $20 million headwind year-over-year on the old energy contract and what we have today. And I certainly can get into the details with with you if you'd like.

And the other thing is um

yeah,

I think I've made my point.

Yeah. And you're talking about what I what the expectation is is that race actually should be going down ac across all of government

with you know using technology and innovation.

Thank you.

Um

I'm sorry sir.

Second point is

sir

sir you're out of time.

Yeah even after you were out before I even

I know but this other gentleman more time

someone else may bring up your point um because we have some other people that want to speak. So, and you want to give me a call.

I think I think we're going to No clapping from here. Thank you.

Yeah.

Um, we're we're going to work on this a little bit still.

Sounds like

Okay. Did you want to speak over there?

No, you can't speak from there. All right. This lady right here, these two ladies, are you coming up together or separately?

Yeah. She's I I don't see well and I don't hear well, so she's just kind of

Okay, go on.

Keeping up. Okay.

We need your name and address, please. My name is Terry Painter and I'm the mother of Samuel Wright and Ricky Firestone. And the address is 35030 Chansy Road, Suffer Hills, Florida 33541. Anyhow, my son wants off the mortgage. Worked hard to buy him out, which we don't have to pay for the house. We just have to have the extra money. Well, Milton took out $50,000 worth of damage, not to the house, to the property. 6 and 12 acres. Anyhow, we've been trying to take care of that. Anyhow, then we get um we keep getting these these forms and um anyhow, when we first moved here, my daughter worked for the trash place in Date City and they were taking the trash out of her paycheck. Well, I didn't want her to do that because she had a young child that she had to raise. So, I put it in my name. Well, that started it. Now, now we get we tried to get a loan the other day and it was um $17,000 just on the the main address and then we have a secondary house which is part of the same parcel. They have $13,000. We never knew until they told us that we're paying double assessments on on the the waist thing. So, anyhow, I don't think that's very fair. Um, and anyhow, we're going to we could we don't want to lose our house after 25 years.

You're paying 17,000 a year per me.

Is that what I um You know what? Maybe someone needs to meet with you. Um, that's here. Okay, John over here will step outside and go over that with you and make sure that everything's going right at your properties.

Okay.

Will that work for you, John? Yeah, he's happy to help you.

Thank you for coming today. Okay. Is there anyone else that wishes to speak to this? Okay. Is there anyone else after her? After that, we're going to if they don't raise their hand now, we're going to cut off public comment. Do we have anyone online?

Okay, last speaker then.

Hi, my name is Christa McDonald. I live at 18325 Greensboro Street in Leisure Hills. I've been there 16 years. I've been a resident of Pasco County for 41 years. I've raised four children here. I work here. I work in the school system. Um, like everybody else, I got my tax bill as well with this proposed storm water um, and waste management, which I sorry, I fully oppose. Um, my trash bill goes up every every few months. So, it started off at $40 and now I'm up to $90. And now this is going to get tucked on which automatically we've been seeing these increases but it goes above the 3% max that is supposed to be. So, I was just wondering why certain places like where we live where most people have four yard dumpsters, two yard dumpsters pay their bills, it's going to jack it up $29 where as a single mom I, you know, I scrape it together where I can. So, things like this, it's not, you know, I'm don't own a golden corral or anything like that, but it hurts. It hurts a lot of people, not just me, but in the entire community. So, if there's a way around it, make the haulers pay for it. Stop building. There's got to be other ways to fix this cost that you're trying to tack on to well, not y'all, but to on onto the proposed taxes. That's all.

Thank you.

Maybe have John look at her bill.

Will you also meet with John out there and show him your bill?

How much she's got a trim notice versus

Okay. But how much should an average How much does it an average bill at home cost? I have no idea.

The average I'm sorry.

Yeah. The average I'm sorry. Um, the average if you have collection is $381 a year. The average with collection.

So why are these why is that one woman saying 16,000?

I I don't know. I hope they fix that.

Yeah, John.

If their parcels are in here's what gets if if your property happens to be in some sort of a business name and not a resident. the the the the switch is where people get hung up is they'll get a commercial container and they'll put it in a business name and the commercial rate is different than if it's a residential dumpster. They're two completely different categories. And if you're in that commercial rate and your dumpster could be a residential dumpster, you just happen just you have a business or a real estate, you just throw everything in there not thinking. In our county, if you're you have a dumpster and it's in a commercial business name, your disposal is very different than what you are if it's a residential. And Kevin, you could probably you should probably go into it more than me, but it's significant.

You're accurate. There's three forms for commercial. It could be based on volume, which I believe the gentleman mentioned from the Golden Corral, how many times he's being picked up versus in addition to the size of the container. Secondly, it can be on weight. There are commercial customers with compactors and it's being weighed. That is very accurate. And then lastly,

what Commissioner, you know, um Weightman is mentioning is if you're a category of business, it depends on your business, the category you're in, then the square footage of your dwelling. Those things come into play and there's a formula that's factored in and it predetermines what your rate is going to be. That is very complicated. Boy, if there was a way we could educate people who maybe are not paying their disposals correctly and could have a big savings, I wish there was a way we could figure that out. Yeah, there is a lot of interaction with the assessment team and commercial owners to talk about, hey, if you are doing it this way, but if we take the hauler data and we know the frequency and the size of the container, at least you could better triangulate on what it may be. Uh, that is not perfect. As Commissioner Wait,

I want to ask you a question. Do you mind coming back up here? This is just in investigation. Do you just have the regular garbage can you wheel out on Monday and Thursday?

No, it's a fouryard dumpster. primary rural area considered agricultural. Um it's 1.16 acres of land. Um typically um every other house

why don't you switch and get a garbage can and pay 300 a year.

There's they only allow you six and there's a massive dog coyote raccoon problem. So the dumpster helps um you'll save a lot of money.

Just tie it down. We use we use rope. We tie ours down for the for the dogs and

coyotes.

Again, in Leisure Hills, if you're not familiar, um trash cans are really not the best option.

Well,

unfortunately, but so I'm paying $1,000 a year for that on top of now I'm going to be paying more.

I'm just trying to give you a $300 option.

I understand.

Yeah.

Seal disposal on res

take maybe. Yeah.

All right. All right. Thank you everybody. Um Okay. Okay. Well, it sounds like there's room where we can I I want to figure out this assessment thing at the end of the year that we can amortize that over the year. Um Jack, did did you want to speak to something?

I was just going to make a comment back to the energy plant. I mean, years ago when energy capacity was critical, it was a it was a big incentive for the energy companies to go build capacity. So, the reason the contract was so favorable was they got credits for building that energy plant. And that's how that's how the money went. When that went away, our contract ran out as well. And then we had to renegotiate and all we get to market rate now.

Well, it's it's based on an offset to the next lowest form of power, which is still a coal fired power plant. And so, no one's building those anymore. And so, you're the rate that your standard offer rate is significantly lower because of that. And anyway, it's it's a complicated formula. Fortunately, the solid waste team has diversified their approach. We we do broker some of our power. we do have some of our power under contract. And so they're we're looking for ways to to maximize the return on that.

And I'll say something we did with um with our human waste that we have. Uh we we changed the way we used to truck it to Miami or wherever. We're paying a lot of money for it. The money was going up every year. We had the fear of what was going to happen if those landfills went away and now you don't have to do it, how much more it's going to cost you. And we brought in a company called Merrell Brothers who's been doing a phenomenal job and is now actually putting stuff to market. So that actually stabilized with innovation uh our rates and we'll keep them stable and we might even see them go down with the income we're going to make off the uh product they're going to put out there. So I think we've been innovative but sometimes you can't control what government forces market forces are out there.

Um just because I was on the losing side of this I'm going to bring it up again that most counties franchise their garbage pickup and that so most counties they save money that way. Um, we looked at a plan where we would divide the county into different sections so that no hauler would lose market share. Um, and it didn't fly with the board. But if anyone wanted to look at franchising again, um, that is a way to help our residents save on their garbage pickup.

Those are those are two very different commercial service. that has nothing to do with how commercial service is built. A residential franchise and the way disposal is collected uh and between residential and commercial are two totally different aspects of the business. So when the county attorney mentions the the franchise, you can theoretically you can franchise residential, but you can keep open market commercial and have competition in the market and still build a disposal the way that I think it should be done versus how it's done in Pasco County and it not have an impact on the residential piece. We just our issue is yeah, we've we've bonded and however it was done so long ago, we've kind of handcuffed ourselves until time or whatever. I don't I forgot all the details. It's been a year or more. Um but there there's a way to to to do commercial service and commercial disposal separate from the residential.

All right.

Way we just want to get the our best rate for our citizens. Uh do then do we require a vote?

Yes.

Uh yes.

Okay. I'll entertain a motion.

Move approval.

Second.

All in favor?

I

Okay. P50.

Now, do you want to read the procedures?

Yes.

Now I'll read the procedures.

I just

There are two reasoning agendas, regular and consent. Staff will present each application to the board of county commissioners. If staff or planning commission has recommended approval and there's no opposition, the application will be considered by the board without further presentation. If staff or planning commission has recommended denial or if there is opposition to the application, the applicant will be given five minutes for presentation. The opposition will be given three minutes for each individual or five minutes for a group representative and the applicant will be given three minutes for rebuttal. Any individual disagreeing with staff or planning commission recommendation or anyone wishing to object to any condition of the resoning may at this time request that the petition be pulled from the consent agenda in which case that application will be heard under the regular agenda later on during the meeting. Otherwise, all reszoning applications on the consent agenda will be approved by a single motion vote. If you wish to speak to any petition, please give your name and address and whether or not you've been sworn for the record. These are quasi judicial public hearings. The law in Florida is that mere public support or opposition of an application is insufficient for this board to take action. Please limit your comments to those criteria found within the board's land development code. Madame clerk, would you like to swear the public in, please?

Yes, sir. If anyone is planning on speaking to one of the following items, um P50 through 52, please stand and raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm the testimony you're about to give is the truth? So help you God.

Thank you.

All right. So would you want to do P50 first?

Yep.

P50 was advertised in Tampa Bay Times June 25th, 2025.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Nario Speedos, Planning Development, Economic Growth. Item P50 is PTE 25766. This is a zoning amendment to the name of Murphy Road MPUD by Oakley Pasco County Property Trust at all which is a resoning from RH mobile home district and AR agricultural residential district to MPD master plan unit development. This is being requested for a continuence to the October 7, 2025 port of county commissioners meeting in Dayton City at 1:30 p.m.

to continue time certain. Second

um this is a public hearing. Do we need to It was advertised.

It was advertised. Okay. Um, do I need to see if they want to speak here instead of in the future?

Was advertised as a continuence.

All right. Uh, all in favor?

I I

P5 P51 was advertised in the Tampa Bay Times July 23rd, 2025 and by affidavit of certified mailings and site postings.

Item P-51 is PTE 257864. This is a zoning amendment in the name of Grove at Wesley Chapel MPUD master plan unit development by Misher and Huntsville LLC at all. It's a resoning request from an MPU master plan unit development to an MPU master plan unit development to amend the conditions of approval allowing for the development of 275 multif family units and associated infrastructure on approximately 165.16 acres. This comes with a recommendation uh to approve the MPD resoning subject to the attached reszoning conditions of approval.

Madam chair.

Yep.

I want to pull it.

What?

I want to pull it.

Okay.

P52. Okay. P52 is advertised in the Tampa Bay Times July 23rd 2025 and by affidavit of certified mailings insight postings.

Item P-52 is PD257873. This is a zoning amendment in the name of one Luchi Center. It's a change in zoning from AC agricultural district, R3 medium density residential district, R4 highdensity residential district, and MF1 multiple family medium district to I1 light industrial park district in East Pasco County on the north side of Kr, south of State Road 575, east of Pine Products Road and west of Bower Road containing approximately 7.93 acres. This comes with a recommendation to adopt the zoning amendment.

Okay. Um does do we want to keep this one on the consent local on this ter?

Yes.

See if there's anybody in opposition.

All right. Uh no one here has any issues on this one besides that. Anyone here speaking against this item? This is P52.

Is there anyone online? Do you have anyone online? Seeing none.

Okay. Seeing no one, we'll keep that on consent and approve the consent agenda.

Second.

All in favor?

I I

Okay, so we're on to P-51.

Good afternoon, William Million, Planning Development, Economic Growth. Before I get started today, I do have two expertise for the record. Move to receive it. Yes.

Second.

All in favor? I

Madam Chair, I did meet with the applicant as well.

Yep. I did too. I don't know who's on the export.

Okay. And proceed.

Got a new clicker. Going to have to figure out how this one works. This is a zoning amendment. The Grove Wesley Chapel MPD. This is a substantial amendment to the existing master plan unit development. Here's the location map in the South Market District just on the west side of I75. This substantial amendment to the MPD is to allow for an increase in the multif family residential entitlements from 300 to 575, an increase of 275 residential dwelling units in what we're calling phase two of the Wesley Chapel Grove MPUD just on the west side of I75, 650 ft north of Wesley Chapel Boulevard. Here is the location map of the entire existing MPD outlined in red. The current zoning map reflecting master plan unit development and the future land use of mixed use. Here's the context map showing the fire station, the MPD master plan showing parcels one and parcels two. and the more illustrative binding plan here showing the exact building orientation and design of phase 2 of these 275 additional apartments. PTE worked with the applicant on the building orientation here to front the buildings along the the roads as well as the on street parking creating linear park space and a central park amenity directly across the street from the existing movie theater and tying into the existing pedestrian connections within the MPD to facilitate movement from this development. the existing apartments that you can see a little bit on the right side of the screen here to the existing businesses within the MPD as well as down to crate. There were additional um conditions of approval added after planning commission for this one. One of them being some pedestrian safety improvements that were being added by the applicant, which are stop signs and safe pedestrian crosswalks located more toward the crate to help facilitate pedestrian safety as more people will be circulating throughout the MPD with the additional residential dwelling units. And the other was the provision of the weiwork space that will be uh the office space that's going to be located within this MPD. That square footage is now in these conditions of approval.

That comes with a recommendation of approval with conditions from both the planning commission, planning, development, economic growth department. I'm here for any questions.

I have a question. Go ahead, Commissioner Mariano.

Thank you. So, it is a substantial modification going from 300 to 575. They're taking town homes out of the project. I mean, we've got so much traffic in this area all the way through and this is a hard area to get to in and out. Um, doesn't have direct access to 75, which I don't know anyone that does. Um, I don't know why this was actually put in there, but I don't understand how with all the traffic we have, all the developments coming in there that we would want to consider this until at least we did the timing and phasing with analysis of what developments are coming in with the new apartments already being built and approved. Um, especially we're trying to spend money on getting old Pasco Road finished. It's going to take a long time to throw all this extra traffic in the area. I mean it's it's it's it's a mess out there.

Absolutely. And uh I believe the applicant has Steve Henry here who can talk about his complete study analysis and whether or not that's inclusive of the multif family units that you just mentioned.

Let me ask you though, it says feasibility analysis timing and phasing and a substantial road analysis is found to be exempt.

How how does that happen?

Sure. the the substandard road analysis was found to be exempt because all of the roads in the area are up to county standards or collector or in arterial roads. The timing and phasing was not exempt. They did study the additional 275 multif family dwelling units as a part of this proposal.

Did they base that upon just a 2% area of growth or do they factor in all the developments that are coming in that I usually factored in?

Sure. I I don't have the study right in front of me and Steve can speak to that. But I know that 2% is the baseline required by the code, but Steve can speak to uh some of the historical trends that he may or may not have used in his timing phasing.

Do you know how many town how many apartments are coming online in the next year out there

in this direct vicinity? I I couldn't off the top of my head. Madam Chair,

Commissioner Oakley,

how how many total apartments are they going to be?

Total with this addition would be 575. There's 300 that are existing. This would be the increase of 275.

200 or something like that.

Yeah. You're not adding 500.

You're not adding 500. That's what I was.

No, sir. Just 275us number.

So, but the fact of it is

this is a pretty good project. the way it fits into this uh Grove area. You have three maybe four different ways you can go out of there that splits the traffic up. I mean go out to Pitchfor. You actually go out to Fitch 4 and then turn and and go to Fitch for two different directions and then you also can go over to Old Pasco Road which is going to be four lane pretty soon and that's going to handle a lot of that traffic. you go back to the north and you hit overpass and go across or you can go on down and hit 52, but all that's going to be four lane. So, the infrastructure is coming to handle this project and the people that have already got there. So, but a very walkable area and a lot of things for them to do in this area. So I I particularly like the project and it's actually I think the last piece they have to develop in that particular area of the growth. So

um my questions are are might be for you might be for the applicant but the one thing that I was pretty insistent on was the we work type of office space. So, I just want to make sure that we have that captured in the rules. Uh, and it's I'm not talking four offices in the sales office. I'm talking about dedicated um work space so that all the people that work live in these apartments and town homes in the area can um put an office there.

Yes, ma'am. We did codify that in the conditions of approval number 30 with the wei work space quantifying the minimum square footage that would have to be done by the weiwork space outside of the leasing and maintenance office that would be existing there on site.

Okay. And and um how how many square feet is that?

Be a thousand square feet of office space outside of the leasing office.

Okay. So when when it says here um requested entitlements, current entitlements, and this is where I think was a little confusing. Um it says there's they currently have the current entitlements are 1,171,000 no 1,171,33 ft of commercial retail. But when I look up here at the request entitlements, it it didn't increase. Is that because they're not using all the entitlements?

So,

I'm just trying to figure out where it fits in here.

Absolutely. So, because this is a substantial amendment, we didn't change anything to the improve the approved non-residential entitlements. The only thing changing is the additional 275. So, all of the applicants non-residential entitlements to include that office space, the hotel rooms, the commercial retail, and the movie theater all will still exist with this approval. We're just adding 275 residential apartments to the existing uh 300 that were originally approved by the BCC.

Okay. So, that office space that's going to be within this building is is absorbed within this 1,175,33 ft commercial retail.

Well, it would be within the 500,000 ft of office entitlements that they currently have on

Okay, I'm in the wrong place then.

Yes, ma'am.

500,000. So, it's within that.

Okay,

Madam Chair.

Yeah, I'll check that.

I have a question. How many um apartment homes are there in the the current the building that's already existing?

300 multif family units.

Okay.

Well, yes. And right behind that is I think it's a town home project that is almost 100% cement just kind of like the DR ones where they I don't know if you've driven around in that area. So

So this is going

there's a lot of multif family in that the modifications going from how there you're increasing it by 200

275. Yes, ma'am.

Madam Chair.

Yeah.

So, will what have they built out there between the office space, hotel, etc. for the entitlements and what is this going to do to the space available to actually fill out those other entitlements that are there? Um, do we want to have the applicant present?

I want to ask Will.

Okay.

Apologize. Let me I'm checking my notes here for the entitlement tracker since this is a lot of entitlements up here. I'm going to ask Mr. Cyerson to pull up. We have an entitlement tracker with each MPU at the county. It's a ongoing Excel spreadsheet to so to give you the most up-to-date numbers because of site plan. I'm gonna have him pull that just because I don't know if any site plans are in review. Well, does anybody want to hear a joke during the the dead air or or Barbara could talk?

We can dance.

Yeah. [Applause] Oh, by the way, on the uh the hauling cuz my husband I was texting with it while we're going through that. They said the recycle hauling cost him more than the regular hauling. So, we've stopped recycling our boxes.

Yeah, recycling is uh not what people think it is anymore.

So, currently, right now, this project has used 562,385 square ft of their commercial retail entitlements, 120 hotel rooms, and so far none of the office space has been used. What? There's office there. There's office because we had a meeting in one of the offices upstairs.

That's a classified as commercial office.

Yes.

Oh, okay.

Interesting.

Does that answer your question?

Um, yeah, pretty much. So what you see is you don't have all the hotel or the office and by adding almost double the amount of apartments. You're going to take away from space that was designed when this was approved or I was here when this was approved many years ago that you're going to have something where at 5475 is going to create some jobs. What you're doing now is allowing these departments to come in and you're going to find out it's not going to come forward. These other others that are going to create jobs and you're just going to add to more traffic. This goes completely against what the MPD was approved for years ago.

I thought I I thought I I think there's some pads still suitable for development that where a hotel could go, but we may hear from the applicant. But that's that's why I was insisted on the we work kind of space. So there would be offices there.

What do you have now?

No, they're going to put it in there. They got they're putting it in.

Barbara will height 6327 Grand Boulevard.

Maybe it's not big enough.

I have been uh had the pleasure of representing this project for over 15 years. I've represented it with the prior owner, represent the the current owner, Mr. Gold, who's here. um have watched this project evolve. What we're requesting to do is to add a second phase of apartments, 275 apartments. And the way I did this, I know there's a lot of questions about the entitlements and traffic review. I could have requested to use the loom land use equivalency exchange matrix and reduce reduce the non-residential to increase the residential and not have any transportation impact or analysis. Actually, people suggested that I do that because it was easier on the paperwork and I said, "No, we're going to increase. We're going to seek an increase in residential entitlements 275 and we're going to do the traffic analysis for it." So, could have messed with the entitlements and reduce some to increase these, but didn't do it that way. And so, we did do a traffic analysis, although the other way we could have done it, we wouldn't have had to because there was a land use equivalency exchange matrix already approved. The project, the first phase has been wildly successful. It's a threetory walk up product. This will be fourstory with elevators. So to kind of give some choices if you want to have an elevator product because you don't want to carry your groceries up or if you want to do the walk up three stories. So that's how this will interact. The one of the things you can see regarding these apartments and again it's being developed by the same people who developed the first phase. Their first phase was leased up above at exceeded averages and expectations. And what's really interesting is their retention rate because now that first phase has been in the ground long enough that people's leases are coming due. And normally you see about only about half the people um re re-execute their leases to stay and they're seeing 75 to 80% of their tenants want to stay. This is a good location. This is a classic mixeduse project. the way we're always asked to do them. It allows the retail to stay vibrant. I have watched this project um go down because all of the national retent tenants, the new tenants all want to be at 56 and the n some of the national changes went out of business. Toys R Us, Babies are Us. So when Mr. Gold came in and reinvigorized this project, it wasn't without a lot of effort. Crates very successful. Those are small businesses in the downtown center. Those are small businesses. He's really relying upon this is bringing a place for small businesses. But what small businesses need, they don't they need foot traffic. And the fact that there's more residences that we're proposing here are more people that can go on a f on a Thursday night, on a Wednesday night, maybe even on a Monday night when there's no real traffic that that visits some of these restaurants. We have a restaurant complex. There's

entertainment and retail, multifamily. Yes, we have dedicated 1 th00and square feet vertically integrated office space, co-working, sharing space that'll be open to the public. It's a very good project. I don't think there's anything here that's being taken away. We're trying to evolve this project over time and keep it viable. It's 165 acres. This is not a walk in the park to try to keep 165 acres project like this viable over time as nationals go out of business and as as some of the newer projects take take away a lot of the uses the users a lot of the businesses. So with that, I just wanted to explain Steve Henry is here can tell you about his transportation analysis. You know, he's going to say this meets the code. He did traffic counts. The traffic counts included the apartments because the apartments are already existing, the 300. I certainly can bring him up here. This is a good location. This will be helpful. This is a vote for this project. This is a hope a vote for Mr. Gold who has done a great job at bringing this project back. and I want to see him successful because um it's been a tough road for this project over the years. Thank you.

Question.

Yep.

Can you point on the map where this is going exactly on that picture that's right in front of us?

Sure. If I can figure out how to. It's in front of the movie theater that Mr. Gold has also taken over to revitalize um when Cobb moved out. If anybody wants to show me how to use this new thing,

you see where that white square, that white rectangle is in the northern part of the

which outline? Yeah. Right.

Which way?

Right there. Yes.

So, it's going to

So, the apartment building is going to be blocking the view from the highway. Now, you're going to see a parking lot and an apartment building and not not see that.

What's left of the property? Is it just to the southern part or what else can be developed down there?

Next to the Dollar Tree,

there is a

probably can get Mr. Gold up here that could explain.

Well, I'm looking to see what's what's open land now because we're taking up 275 spaces for the apartments in spaces that could be something else. What is left for the land,

empty land that's out there? I

I would Mr. B will need to tell you what parcels he still has to develop and clearly many opportunities to redevelop because this complex has a lot of square footage left to be redeveloped um and to change over time. So, let me have Mr. Gold tell you about what he has left uh to develop.

Did um did Mr. Gold stand up?

He did. Hi, Mr. Gold. was one.

Okay. I have very heavy accent. I apologize. If somebody want to laugh, please address.

Okay. Yes. I have a three lot or four lot.

Wait. Name

name, address, and whether you've been sworn.

Excuse me.

Name?

My name is Mar Gold.

Your address?

My address is Sunny Isle and 300 Sunny Isle. And

And you have been sworn.

Okay. Yes.

Yes. Apologize so often. Uh I have approximately left over approximately 150,000 square foot to build for retail. It's another three lot inside the grove. Also I have an um old Pasco road another six acre 6.3 and I need to think what I'm doing that. also have behind the movie theater also an old Pasco road 27 acre and I still need to think what I'm going to do with that

madam chair.

Yeah.

What I mean with this MPUD is what I'm looking at.

Yes. Exactly.

Well, you still have the Is there a piece of land next to Chuck-E-Cheese?

Exactly. I have beside Chuck-E-Cheese I have one land. Beside Dollar Tree I have one land.

Yes. That's a big

beside the the gym I have in another land total it's approximately supposed to be 120 to 150,000 square foot and I allow I allowed to build overdose and everything supposed to be commercial.

Are those yours on the corner of Oakley Boulevard and Wesley Grove Boulevard as well? Those two lots. Yes.

Yes.

It's going to be hotel in one side.

There's still sites left.

So, what are the what are the plans for office and hotel?

Hotel. It's already I have LOI signs is uh

you don't have to say who it is.

Okay.

You just have a hotel.

I have hotel signs 120 room. It's already signs. It's supposed to be go ahead for the office for the office.

The office are not decide yet because office have very tough time to rent now.

Extremely tough time.

I'm going to I don't know. We all know people that have owned business on old Pasco Road that tried to find office space to rent. They couldn't find anything.

Please give him my phone number. I have three three available offices.

Yeah,

I have tough time.

You know, there I think there's high demand for office in certain little micro areas of the county and not in others. Um cuz because my husband has some clients that want office space. They want to be in a certain spot and that's it.

I I would love love for you to get with David Engel and our team to go look at uh doing something to give you some incentives for office space out there.

Beautiful. No problem. So, you know, to um Mark, I think what you've done there is amazing. Thank you.

I just hear um how people love going to your crate, which was super innovative and so innovative that we had a very hard time permitting it because we, you know, we've never done anything like that before. So, um

people call us from all over the United States about the crate. was chapel become famous because you

and I think that your residents that come here will be able to just walk or ride their bike down to everything. Um I am uh grateful that they uh agreed to this layout where they're lining the road. It'll be much more of an urban feel. You know, if we if we had known better whenever this whole thing started, I think David Angel and I would say you could we could have had a downtown here. We could have had a walkable community with shops below and residential above and that whole uh feel that's, you know, really creates great value and a lot of money for the developer and would have been good for the county. that what you've done um is innovative and I I'm supportive of your apartments as long as it has the um office dedicated in it.

Thank you.

And I hope that I hope that 1,000 ft is big enough um to make a I mean how many how many does that get you a boardroom and private offices and little offices? I that that's not my world. So

seems kind of small.

Steven eps 4411 West Melrose Avenue. Uh it's a minimum thousand we'll do. So once we start laying it out, we'll put you know conference room, common area space, multiple offices, open area. So we'll start to lay it out and how it but yeah, we want to provide good office space for it. My husband mentioned that he just had a meeting yesterday at one in Tampa um with Dewey Mitchell and some other people and he said and it's his first time in one and he said it was just amazing the amount of business energy that was going on in the building and

so um um yeah so I I am supportive and I think you may find you need more than that space

u and it's another revenue generator.

For the record, will you state if you were sworn? I believe

I was. chair.

Yes. Thank you. Any other questions? Yeah.

No.

Okay.

No, Mr. Golden team, it's it's been fun to watch the crate evolve and so much so that appreciate your team looking into the pedestrian safety aspects of it just because of how successful the area has become and as we've grown younger and families coming to get to the crate and then, you know, the the the downtown revitalizing and trying to get people to connect to go and and back and forth. Uh it's a problem. It was a good problem to have, right? Because folks are coming and going and now with the pup put golf course next to the, you know, where this project is looking and and Chuck-E-Cheese, I just hope that that uh that all that this project will just bring more foot traffic to the businesses that are here. If there was ever an appropriate place in this county to have multif family, this this is it. Uh we have a lot of multif family all over the the county that um you know I've been critical of but this project is certainly appropriate if there ever ever was a place and I just hope that it helps keep the folks who are in business here stay in business a lot longer and attract more more people to come into your remaining remaining parcels. So um you know I I hope that this is a nice nice addition to folks who live there. Hopefully your retainage rates and your rent stay for

where they are and um you know the next evolution of the of the grove uh is a good one. So appreciate you being here today.

I I do want you to make sure Chuck-E-Cheese has their required landscaping.

Okay.

No crate myrtles.

That mouse lives in those

I'm looking and I think the trees are missing.

The mice lives in that those palms. My my comment is I'm I'm not a huge fan of uh multif family, but um I agree with Commissioner Weightman that this is a good place to have it to 75 and

and my tenant really need it because it's really busy in the weekend and the date and the week time it's not so much traffic.

Wow.

Okay. Um this is a public did you have another question? Okay. Because I don't take public comments. a comment and you know I think what you've done out there has been great. I just think that with all the apartments we have in there we don't need them. The one thing with the lot if you were going to build an office complex and you know I've seen you see them up down I75 like right above you at uh old Pasco Road where they had the old waste utility site with Sprayfield.

Mhm.

We got big buildings on there. So if a building wants to come in kind of like you see on highways etc. they can advertise a big office. big companies can come in from that. Okay. If you take this apartment and put it here instead of maybe that sixacre parcel you have up on old Pasco Road, you take away a prime site at an office complex or something big could actually be seen from the highway and generate some attention as opposed to building a another office complex just harder to get to, harder to see. I really try do my best and everything what I promise and I do from day one. really keep my promise. I try to think about office building. This lot it's not a for office building believe me because the idea it's um put the lot and you and it's be access enough to people come and over there I show this to I don't know how many developer and everybody refuse this lot. But I have another idea. If you tell Mr. Angel engine Angel to call me after or be in contact with me are going to be appreciate.

He's sitting right right there. Mr. Angel.

Yes.

Okay. Um this is a public hearing, so I'm looking to see if anyone wants to uh speak to this item.

Do we have anyone online?

No, ma'am.

Okay, it's to the board.

Move approval.

Second.

All in favor? I

call call for opposed.

Call for

Oh, opposed.

No.

Okay. Sorry. I I was wondering if you voted on the I He must have heard that,

too. I think I was trying to keep it.

Okay. All right. Um I think we're done. So, back to your

We're back to Commissioner items and we're on Commissioner Joerger.

Okay. I'm ready. I guess well I want to start with um I am working with um Andy Fawa and we are working with the lighthouse of the blind and the deaf of heart heart of hearing for hurricane shelters. So we're going to utilize a school on the east side and on the west side in the gymnasium to have a special special section where they can be cared for. We're going to make sure we have the appropriate signage and we are going to be getting the ASL logo so it would be on all social media and also make sure that we have a contract with a interpreter. Um we are also trying to get some money for iPads and we would utilize a program called VRI. So, we're just trying to make sure our citizens with disabilities are able to um know when lunch will be served and things are are um happening. So, that's something we're working on.

Commissioner, um maybe many public entities have to um get new iPads or whatever every so often and they can you might be able to get them donated when they do the refresh.

Oh, okay.

Yeah. So, you have to look into that.

Okay. So, um, and this is, um, I went with the Early Learning Coalition. I'm on the the board there and we visited three preschools and, um, one of them we read a book to, and the other two we just we I don't know, we were there. It was like three hours. So, um, and these kids were so cute. They they didn't have like stranger danger. They were coming up uh, wanting to play with us and, um, it was just the it was the highlight of my week. It was great. So, um, and this was the, uh, premieres breakfast, which I know a lot of you were there. So, and that was great. Um, Kathy Pearson had an award. She's on vacation, but she was recognized for all her amazing work. So, um, and that's all I have.

Mr. Mariana,

uh, just had a couple of things. One was at Premier Breakfast as well.

I tell you what, a what a great turnout again. Yeah.

Uh they do a great job presenting what they do. Uh speakers are great. Um just just doing a great service for us. And we had the beach tennis tournament up at uh Sunwest Park. And um I was one of the players yesterday. She actually won the championships for the ladies on on Sunday. Um but we got a little issues up there that we can deal with. When when the water gets up, there's no drainage put underneath. Uh the sand is not the same quality that it used to be. So Keith is looking at putting in a plan to put some drainage in so that you can have this a little bit better sand. Number one, I see there's a lot of lot of rock there as well, which is not good. No.

Um so there's a way to put a retaining wall in. It could probably bring another row of seven courts that could be out there, which beach tennis, we had people coming from Brazil, uh Puerto Rico, Texas. Matter of fact, the American team that won Saturday uh was from Texas and uh they played a great game right to the

laying in sand with those rocks.

Well, they did play that that was a part a little to the side.

Okay.

But it was kind of draining down at the end. But if you look at all the water in these fields, it was just tough to go. And again, they didn't put drainage in place. And again, the sand quality is not what it used to be. Uh he got he got us some sand and that just is not as good. And and the players made comments of it. A matter of fact, the American team that actually won on Saturday was afraid to play and almost didn't play. And the gentleman who was in the finals for the men uh in the in the finals in the last game, he was playing with the student. It was really kind of cool. So, they had the teacher and the student playing together and they got all the way to the finals and uh right down to probably halfway through uh he came down hard and hurt his knee and he couldn't finish the game. He had to pull it out. So, I I don't want to see that again. The only negative complaint was really to that situation. They loved the park. They loved seeing the the wakeboarding out there. They loved seeing the floatable out there. Um the trail around the park. They were like thrilled because they're they're all all families there and it's they played music all the way through. Um and they just they just had a great time. They want to come back again. And I told him I was going to work on making some improvements out there and we're going to work on that with uh with Keith as as we speak now. But that's all I got. Thank you. Um, nothing.

Okay. One of you two. Nothing.

No.

Okay. To me,

it's to you.

Okay. Um, well, we mentioned already about Keep Pasco Beautiful. Um, uh, you can go to keep pasco beautifulorg.org to sign up that. Okay. That's that site visit to G&H with the congressman Velarakis. I also went with him. He asked me to attend. Um, he's it's not on here, but he spoke You can go to the next picture. he spoke to um the city of Newport Richie. He he got a a congressional allocation for them to build senior housing um in the city of Newport Richie and he was having a lot of trouble getting that through.

Yeah.

And he got a lot of money for them. So um he asked me to go and support so I did. Hopefully that's moving forward. But if you know anyone in city Newport Richie

No, we've we're moving on to a different location. Oh, so we're they're leaving the uh recreation. Yeah.

Well, I told them they don't want it. We'll take it. But I don't know. Are they staying in the city or they moved to

We're just looking around right now.

Okay. Um

uh No, because we would have had to um there was a senior center on on the parcel. So, we would have had to knock down that senior center and we did not want to do that.

Oh, I was told it was going behind the the the weight the skateboard park where those trees are in the back corner.

Yeah. No. So, we're just looking at a new piece of land.

So, okay. Um, my staff attended the ribbon cutting for the Elers's Spur Trail extension. This is an extension of the Penllis Trail along the former railroad corridor that's owned by the city of Tarpet Springs. It stretches 1.2 2 milesi northwest from the city's north Anklo nature park to Ankllo Boulevard and it connects with the Pasco County's Anklo coastal trail which needs some trees along it along Ankllo Boulevard um and some of that's in Penllis County so we need permission from Penelis County to um put some trees along it shade it a little bit we built the trail in Penllis County with a an agreement and I'm pretty sure it agreed it was also we could put some landscaping on Um, the refurbished Alpha Spur will include midblock crosswalks, advanced warning signage at Dixie Highway, US19 Alter 19, and LNR Industrial Boulevard. They received a Florida Department of Environmental Protection Recreational Trails Program grant to offset the cost. This is kind of a big deal because it connects to our coastal anklo trail that one day it's going to connect to Sunwest Park. Right, Jack?

To me, the Coastal Anklo Trail is the best trail in the county. So beautiful. Um, okay. I was a guest judge for the chopped competition. Um, and we had two of the three contestants here. Um, Jacques, what? I can't remember his first name.

Jacim. Oh, yeah. Jacqu Kakeim and Mike Wells. Um, as we all know, Mike doesn't touch anything healthy. He only eats meat and bread. Um, so it was so funny to see him um cooking here. Um, of course he brought in a professional chef right there on on his right and um and Jacques hired this award-winning professional chef. Um, but Mike didn't win one thing. I did vote for him for his appetizer, but um it was very good, but I I couldn't convince my other judges to uh to award it to him. But Jacques won two and um the lady in the middle won the for the entree. And um but Mike did bring in the most money, so he was happy. Okay, that's a great event. If you guys ever have a chance to go to that, it's a lot of fun. So, this is something I've been meaning to bring up. Um we have an ordinance. I mean, our rules in this county are that tires have to be kept in a covered location. They cannot be exposed to the elements. Um, one, it's unsightly, but two, it's more from the Department of Health when they they trap water and then there's mosquitoes and the mosquitoes have disease. And we are not getting this done. Somehow we have forgotten that these are our rules. So, I had um Jenny just run out for an hour today and just take a few pictures on US 19 of what's going on. And this is going on all over the county. So, we need to um especially if you see people are are getting very sick right now from some of these mosquito-b born diseases, we need to enforce our our regulations and tell them they can't they cannot be piling their tires outside. Um okay. Last week, uh I don't think I took any photos, but um I was at the governor Florida governor's conference on tourism in Orlando.

You got it.

Oh, there Oh, there is one. Okay. So, actually the governor was there and the governor's wife was there. So, it's the first time since Governor Scott that I think that we had a a governor at the governor's conference on tourism. Um they were they were rolling out a new campaign. It was pretty cool. Can you go back? Can you go back?

Um uh and and it's the new campaign in Florida is called Florida Days. If you remember, they had Pitbull and then they had another singer. I can't remember who the other one was. Well, this time it's Jimmy, they're honoring Jimmy Buffett and he has a song named Florida Days. And um so the this guy that's in that with the guitar, that's Jimmy Buffett's guitar. And my husband knew who he was right away. Mac Mini or something like that. He's one of the Coral Weavers.

Yeah. And um and then the other guy to the left is the president of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritavville, Inc. Uh you know, his business entity. And um I I had to leave uh the second day at the end of the day. So I didn't get to stay for the night time, but the cor the coral reefers were playing there at at the tourism. So did I say it right? Coral reefers.

Coral reefer band.

Coral reefer band. Yeah. But um you'll be hearing this.

Probably a few reefers.

Um so anyway, uh tourism numbers are up and and um they're doing better than they thought they were going to. So, we didn't win any awards this year, but we're hoping for next year. We have some great ideas. Um, there were some really interesting awards that were given out that gave us pause to think. Um, okay. Uh, yesterday driving home,

driving up Stark. Oh, okay. This was sent to me by Mike Cox, former county commissioner. Uh, he says this is happening all over the place. you know, Duke's coming in and putting in new poles.

That's quite true.

Um, but they're leaving the old ones and there's there's like a wire. They're cutting off the tops of the old ones, but there's one wire left on the old ones, which I think is a telephone wire.

Um, so imagine the visual clutter cuz I can't I can't stand those telephone poles to begin with, but now they're leaving another one everywhere. So, I just I need to try and figure out what's going on. You know, I want our county staff to reach out to Duke and say, "Is this temporary?" I mean, usually the telephone lines are on their polls. And I'm and I'm just guessing that's what's left. Didn't I send you two pictures?

You can see there's still a little there may or I don't even know if there's one on that one, but they're just cutting off the the the tops of the old poles and leaving them. So, not okay. Um, all right. So the sports facilities companies began the management operations. This is my T TDC update besides the governor's conference. So the new company has uh officially begun at Wiregrass Sports Complex and um we are uh looking forward to great things from them. And I just want to say Commissioner Mariano, I think you need new sand out there at Sunwest. I agree. Commissioner Joerger. Um I saw online the discussion about the park out at Moon Lake. Um and you know what? We need to fund parks. We we we did not fund their maintenance budget. And so this is what this is what happens when I showed you what's going on. I showed you Green Key Park last time. Not not a premier park at all. Um, so when we don't give parks the money they need to do maintenance, we're going to have substandard places. So with that, I think we are adjourned until 5:50.