7.15.25 Pasco Board of County Commissioners Meeting

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County Board of County Commission meeting at 10:00 a.m. July 15th, 2025. At this time, silence all electronic devices and mute your microphones. Let's stand for the invocation and the pledge of allegiance.

Honorable commission and community, this is Chaplain Anthony Shai, Pasco County Fire Rescue, privileged to give the invocation. Let us pray. Almighty God, we thank you for this opportunity to conduct our civil business today. We ask that you'll grant protection to our policemen, firemen, school teachers, community workers, and our school children. Please protect our community. Thank you for this opportunity. Amen.

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Um, madame clerk,

would you please call the role?

District one, Commissioner Oakley

here.

District two, Commissioner Wakeman present.

District four, Commissioner Jerger here.

District five, Commissioner Mariano

here.

District three, Chairman Stark.

I am here. And now is the time for public comment. Citizens are given an opportunity to comment on any current or future agenda item coming before the board and on other business under the board's purview. Today's public comment will be handled as follows. First, we will take public comment from those who are here in person. Then, we will take public comment from those who have pre-registered for a WebEx link and are currently on Q. We request that when you address the board, comments are not directed personally against a commissioner or or team member, but rather directed at the issues. This provides mutual respect between the board members and the public. After stating your name and address for the clerk, a threeminut timer will be activated and a green light will be shown on the podium. After 2 minutes, a yellow light will indicate you have 1 minute left. And when your time is up, a red light will be displayed. Three beeps will sound and you should close your comments. And WebEx participants will be disconnected automatically when their time is up. Mr. Clerk, do we have anyone signed up?

We have no one signed up in advance.

Okay. Is anyone online?

We have no one online.

Is there anyone here in the room this morning that would have like to address the public? Good morning. Good morning. I've just got a question. Nancy Hazwood 3110.

We don't really answer questions, but you can try.

Um, I'm I'm would like to take something off the consent agenda, and I was wondering if I was too late to do that.

Can public pull off the

No, the public can't pull. You can you can go

ahead and make your comments.

You can make your comment on the agenda item and maybe a board member would pull.

Okay. So my question is I'd like to hear it in totality for C13.

It's both

um excuse me for C14.

Um I'm not sure and I just want to hear the whole thing and I'm sure it's probably fine but I'd like it gone over for the public.

It's already pulled.

It's already was pulled by Commissioner Weightman and Commissioner Oakley.

Wow.

And David

and David.

Lots of polls. Okay. Okay. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak to us today? Okay. Um then moving on. That will conclude the public comment. Now is the time for resolutions. Can you please start with the first one? Resolution number 25277, a resolution by the board of county commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, declaring July 20th to the 26, 2025 as pre-trial, probation, and parole supervision week in Pasco County. Whereas misdemeanor probation provides individuals with a structured opportunity to rebuild their lives under supervision, offering essential case management that fosters rehabilitation, accountability, and personal growth. And whereas misdemeanor probation professionals are dedicated to fostering positive change and offering unwavering support to individuals in their journey toward accountability. And whereas misdemeanor probation professionals collaborate closely with law enforcement, judges, court officials, community service agencies, and treatment providers to enable offenders to continue working while meeting their treatment and community service obligations. And whereas misdemeanor probation professionals uphold the highest ethical standards demonstrating integrity, professionalism, and dedication to the citizens of Pasco County. And whereas misdemeanor probation professionals ensure compliance with sentence sentencing guidelines, reinforcing justice and accountability within the community. And whereas misdemeanor probation professionals provide case management, actively promote prevention, and facilitate the collection of restitution to aid victims who have suffered financial loss, ensuring both financial and emotional support in their recovery. And whereas pre-trial, probation, and parole supervision week presents an opportunity to recognize and appreciate the contributions of Pasco County's misdemeanor probation professionals whose commitment makes a difference in the lives of those placed on probation. Now therefore, be it resolved by the board of county commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said board hereby proclaims the week of July 20th to the 26th, 2025 as pre-trial, probation, and parole supervision week in Pasco County and commends the contributions of the Pasco County Misdemeanor Probation Professionals whose unwavering commitment, professionalism, and collaborative efforts continue to make a meaningful impact on on the lives of offenders while fostering a just society. Done and resolved in regular session with a quorum. President voting this 15th day of July, 2025.

Move approval.

Second.

All in favor?

I.

This is who did this one?

I did.

Wavelin.

Okay. Okay. Mr. Martin, you have the mic.

Thank you, ma'am. Well, you guys have not necessarily the most exciting sounding job the county has, but a very important one. And the balance that you all have to hold with keeping, you know, try to keep young people on task and try to straighten them out and the level of compassion that you have to have while holding accountability for the, you know, the crimes they they have committed um is a is a very big job. and thank you for your dedication to this line of work and to the folks that uh end up in trouble and um thanks for keeping a good spirit about you and hanging tough with these folks day in and day out. So glad you're here today.

Okay,

Mr. Oakley.

Yep. I want to thank you for all that you do for citizens of Pasco County and the work you do is very very important. So, every day get up with a smile on your face because you got a a hard job to do, but you do it very well and we certainly appreciate everything y'all do. Thank you,

Commissioner Joerger.

So, again, thank you for what you guys do. Um, I look at your job and I think of all the people that all the lives you guys touched, how you know, you basically are giving them second chances. You're sharing stories of other people, other success stories. you're you're pouring into them and um most of all you're giving them hope and encouragement and um that's not easy to do daytoday because it gets it's you get very emotionally tied to the person and you want them to succeed so bad. So um just thank you and Commissioner Mariana

I'll say thank you as well. It's just you you meet people at very tough times in their lives and helping them get through it and hopefully better direction to move forward. So thank you for your service. And finally, me. Uh, so I was involved with the county long before I ever became an elected official and had no idea even then that we had this kind of department. So, it was really surprised to me that we we we did this. So, uh, as far as I know, this might be is this the first time we've had you up for resolution?

That's what I was thinking. 16 No, 16 years. Jack, you've been here how long?

Long time.

21. So, um it it's great to see you here and I what I really like is that the public is learning that that we handle this and that we have these fine fine uh employees who are taking care of our citizens in their time and need. So, um and our county administrator would like to say something as well. I think just just to pile on to the accolades, but I I think what's all all the work that you do is important, but really what makes the difference is you guys are positive role models in the community, and that's really what you serve as. Your example sets the tone in addition to just the work that you do. So, just thank you for being role models uh for our citizens, those that have gotten into trouble, but uh you're you're really a positive pillar here in the community. So, thank you.

Okay.

Um there's Do Shall we stand up behind?

Oh, yeah. you you may have the mic.

Have them speak.

So, I'm I'm Tracy Toner. I'm the misdemeanor probation manager. Um, and on behalf of my team, I' I'd like to thank um you the commission here for your support of our division and for this resolution today, which is the first one we've ever received um recognizing this pre-trial, probation, and parole week. Um, it's through case management that my team is able to provide both direction and encouragement to the offenders. Um, helping them take meaningful steps forward, uh, while still holding them accountable for the orders of the courts. Um, it's rewarding to see them when they, uh, change for the better. Um, and your acknowledgement today really reinforces the importance of what we do. Um, I'd also like to thank our director, Brian Hovind. um it's his leadership, genuine appreciation, and shared passion for what we do that really make a difference and motivate us to bring our best um to this role each and every day. So, thank you very much.

Thank you. And so, Commissioner Weightman um you want to go down? We'll stand up here.

Yeah.

Okay. Yes, Seth. Yes, you got some short folks behind you.

I got all these tall. [Music] Thank you. All right. Now the parks RS2

resolution number 25278 a resolution by the board of county commissioners of Pasco County, Florida declaring the month of July 2025 as park and recreation month in Pasco County. Whereas Pasco County's parks, recreation, and natural resources departments, programs, and facilities are essential services that enhance our quality of life by providing a balance of athletic, social, cultural, and recreational opportunities, building self-esteem, teaching life skills, encouraging environmental awareness, and providing public spaces for every citizen to enjoy. And whereas Pasco County's parks, recreation, and natural resources facilities support tournaments and special events that boost our economy, enhance property values, attract new business, and increase tourism. And whereas the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resource Department provides a diverse inventory of facilities, fields, preserves, and conservation areas, as well as campsites, ramps for water access, beach areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, and swimming pools for the public to enjoy. And whereas the parks, recreation, and natural resources department maintains and manages facilities that help build strong communities, excuse me, support family unity and strengthen neighborhood empowerment. And whereas our parks, trails, and blue water showcase ecological beauty, provide space to enjoy nature, help maintain clean air and water, and protect wildlife. And whereas recreational and outdoor activities, adaptive recreation, special needs summer camps, inclusive programming, and leisure education are essential to the well-being and rehabilitation of countless individuals in our community. And whereas the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department oversees 38 park locations and more than 20,000 acres of parkland and open space. And whereas launched in 1985, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Park and Recreation Month. This year's theme, build together, play together, reminds us of the contributions of parks and recreation professionals who maintain our counties and country's parks. And whereas the local and state parks maintained by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department are vital to the well-being and quality of life of every citizen and visitor of Pasco County. Now therefore be a resolved by the board of county commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, the said board hereby declares July 2025 as Park and Recreation Month in Pasco County and celebrates the dedicated work of the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department and resolved in regular session with a quorum present and voting this 15th day of July, 2025.

Move approval.

Second.

All in favor? All right.

This is my res resolution, but I'll go last. So, I'll I'll let Commissioner Oakley speak first if you'd like to.

All I can do is thank you every day y'all out there. You got a tough job cuz um the fact that you got all these fields all over the county. You have more people wanting to be on those fields than anyone. I mean, if we were charging a greater amount of money, we'd bring in all kind of money for those jobs. because people love to be on the fields and y'all do a good job at keeping fields up and and all. So, we need to as a board, we need to make sure we support you now and in the future. So, because we're not slowing down anytime soon. The growth is coming and a lot of kids are coming to Pasco County and they need to have good fields. So, thank you,

Mr. Wakeman.

Thank you, Chair. You know, there's there's politics and then there's sports field politics I've learned in this job. And that's probably the more difficult of the two to be quite honest in balancing the wants and the needs and the demands of field times and parents and coaches. So, you know, know that we recognize those challenges that you guys walk a tight rope trying to figure out and balance every day to provide exceptional service and a fantastic experience to everybody who uses our field. So, glad you guys are here today and thank you for all your work. Commissioner Jagger.

So, one thing I want to touch on is when you think of parks, people have weddings at parks, they have birthday parties, right? So, it's more than just um the fields, but you know, as a mom of five, we have spent so much time at parks and fields and you know, helping restore those fields and um just making memories of it feels like yesterday our kids were playing te-ball. Like, there's so many memories made in parks. So, just thank you guys for everything you do, for keeping everything nice. Um, I'm out in Moon Lake Park every two weeks and I know how hard you guys work on that park to keep it beautiful and it's just absolutely gorgeous. So, thank you,

Commissioner. Go ahead.

I think you guys parks have the best job.

We do, too.

Uh, you I mean, you get you get to have people have fun with people. We just had the pre pre-trial folks up here, etc. Different type of thing. You guys get to see most people having fun other than the sports politics of getting one feel where. But, uh, and what you guys do is great. Uh, I was up at Veterans Park over the weekend with my, uh, grandson, 2 years old, just having a ball in in the splash pad. Families after families were coming in, coming out, step probably like saying 20, 30 minutes, whatever. There was a birthday party going on. Just that quality of life of having a place to go and what you guys have done with Sun West over the past year, uh, two years has been phenomenal. Thank you for the board for supporting it as well. It's going to be a awesome scolop and music fest coming up on July 24th and people are going to be really excited about that one. Uh, and what you guys did with the Wiregrass Sports Ranch when we had the trouble with Rad Sports coming through, you guys stepping in to make that happen. Monumental achievement and just a phenomenal job. So, thank you guys for the great work you're doing. I don't feel bad for I feel great for you.

So, and so I am uh very happy to be the sponsor of this and as everyone knows here, this is A big part of why I'm a commissioner is the parks. My husband and I spent 25 years being youth coaches and he continues on the board of positive positive coaching alliance which uh has a presence here in Pasco County. Um yeah, last week I took my grandsons to Sunwest and they uh my husband, my son, and my grandsons all did the uh the Wake Park and absolutely loved it. And uh I I was just thinking, you know, every vacation that my husband and I go on, it always is we always go to a park, whether it's a a county park where we go, a city park, um state, federal, um or national park. Um it's just a big part of what we we like to do. And so, um, I think we have, uh, such a wonderful park system, but my gosh, we are straining, straining, straining. And something else that comes to mind during CO what our parks department guys went through. I remember that someone spit on someone at I think it was Starky Wilderness Park

because they weren't allowed to go in. I mean,

and I know what some of you have dealt with with the Gulf Harbors.

Okay. Some very passionate Gulf Harbor folks as we work to to uh set up our park. So, um I'm just really glad that we're we're doing this here today and um as you can hear, we we have great support. You have great support here for what you're doing and we'll put our money where our mouth is.

Yeah.

Can I can I pile on here real quick?

Sorry. I would just I would just like to say, you know, Keith, the creativity of of of your team just blended with just the natural diversity of our county. I mean, coast to woods to riverines, it's you guys are able to make a little something for everyone out there. And I think it's I think it's a beautiful thing. And I I also just admire the role that you guys fill every day as as educators, environmental stewards, and and community builders really. And so just grateful for for all that you do and just love our parks. So thank you.

Thank you. So Keith Wy, director, parks, recreation, natural resources. Um, theme build together, play together. So I think very appropriate. I'm not going to ask for any money today, right? Because that's that's not the purpose of this, but we are building together, right? So the the board has been very very supportive. County administration, Mr. Carbala, Kathy, I don't know where Kathy is,

Kathy Pearson. um we we wouldn't we're building everything and addressing all the issues that we that we've you know come across and the board's been very supportive from increasing impact fee to allowing us at first go the general obligation bond to even see if the citizens would support funding parks which of course they did. Um so yeah I think and then a couple board meetings ago Mike the the loan right the boards uh approved the loan to to pursue two district parks on the east side of the county. So we are building together but with the capital investment comes the maintaining the facilities and typically on these events we we bring you know the the the field operations team in but honestly it's this this is the management team for for my you know my department and without them we wouldn't be able to provide answers to all the questions or the reservations or the ideas to add additional infrastructure at various parks. Maybe Sunwest possibly is is the one I'm thinking of. But um yeah without them I would not be able to do my job. So very very grateful uh for their support and their constant dedication. It's just amazing. Um and then play together. I think you all articulated it best. We are involved in the community. We're creating memories. We're creating you know uh holidays sometimes. We're involved in that. So yeah, this this theme I think is very very appropriate for what we're doing in Pasco County presently at the moment. So thank you again for your support.

You know um be before I come down and I I think there's enough we can all go down if you guys want, but um Um, I am going to be bringing up in commissioner items and just in case you're not here, um, when I was in Philadelphia with the the Niko conference, there was great discussion about what all the counties were doing to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday and we're going to be having that discuss. I'm going to set off that discussion today and I'm sure it's going to involve you guys. So, um, stay tuned because we we we need to come up with some of our plans. So, All right. So, if you want to stay up here, then I'll go down.

Stay up here.

I would trust her photography.

I can never pull that off.

Sneakers in a shoe. One of them

little kids with great [Applause] question three,

water poster contest

resolution number 25282. And before I start, if we could go ahead and have our young folks come forward, and I'm going to apologize in advance. Um, so if I mispronounce, I apologize, but I'll take a shot at it here. A resolution by the board of county commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, recognizing and commending Pasco County, Pasco County elementary students receiving first place for their respective grade levels in the 16th annual water awareness poster contest. Whereas clean, safe, and sustainable water resources are vital to Pasco County's economy, environment, and its citizens. And whereas the steps we can take to protect and preserve our water through educational partnerships and positive actions are encouraged throughout Pasco County. And whereas the water awareness poster contest was developed jointly by Pasco County Utilities and the Florida Government Utility Authority, FGUA, with the guidance of the Pasco County School Board to champion water conservation education. And whereas students are given the opportunity with the assistance of dedicated Pasco County school teachers to explore steam sam science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics based teaching materials that expand their knowledge of water related topics through artistic expression. And whereas this year 1,111 posters were submitted with 22,240 entries submitted from Pasco County elementary schools since the program's inception in 2010. And whereas winning posters were selected by a judging panel that included representatives of Pasco County Utilities and the FGUA and community sponsors. And whereas the posters chosen displayed exceptional artistic merit, creativity and clarity of message and is representative of students at various levels of learning from kindergarten to fifth grade. Now therefore, be it resolved by the board of county commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said board hereby thanks each participating student and teacher for their dedication in promoting water awareness through Pasco County and congratulates first place recipients Hunter Hips, Karam Al Habah, Elizabeth Sutnoff, Isan Robbie, Deruv Pedavar, and Jessica Kato. for their outstanding achievement done and resolved in regular session with a quorum president voting this 15th day of July 2025.

Move approval.

Second.

All in favor?

I.

Well, welcome. Um, if you all want to say something real quick, I can start with you.

Yeah. I uh in my nine years being here as a county commissioner, I've actually been a judge several times. And this artwork that you see is very hard to judge when all of them are so great. I mean, they do a great job and such a teaching

method of telling people where the water comes from, where where it goes to, and and all the things that that deal with water on the past year of swift mud and a past year of Tampa Bay water. I really care about this program and and what they do and the artwork they bring forward is very good and very educational for everyone. So, thank you.

Thank you, chair. It's just a fantastic and a fun item that comes forward every year since being on the board. And just can't commend the school district and the parents and the teachers and everybody involved uh in engaging our youth and um teaching them the cycle of water and what's healthy and what's not. And um it's just great to see the the imagination and the learning and the skill come together on on paper. and um just glad we have another year of of successful participation and happy that you all are here today.

Commissioner,

well, I love your poster. Um can you tell me a little bit about it?

Sure.

Okay.

So, I'm very happy to hear here be here. This is my first time being here, so this is a really big thing for me. So what they tried to show is that if you use chemicals, pesticides, and you throw plastics into the water, how polluted it could be. And then as you can see, the houses are all broken down. The ecosystem isn't very good. And then then if you use natural fertilizers, recycle, reduce, reuse, and you follow the local rules, you can get clean water and a good water cycle. So I learned about the ecosystem in third grade and the water cycle. and they really care for the environment.

That's amazing. Great job.

Well, I think we all learned a little bit from your poster today. Thank you for sharing. Great job and congratulations,

Commissioner Mariano.

I want to say that was fantastic. Yeah. Uh congratulations. Great job. Uh we we do uh the entire board appreciates this program uh with what you guys do with it, bringing everybody together, Matt coming out to it's phenomenal. So congratulations again. Great stuff.

Thanks.

And um I want to say thank you for um letting me have the opportunity to judge this. Um um I will say uh to the parents out there because we had to um remove some of the posters from the selection process because it was kind of clear mom did it or maybe dad and and not the youngsters. So parents stay out of it. Let the kids do it and um uh just really impressed with what they came up with and boy am I impressed with you. So are are you looking for a field in science uh as you keep as you uh

grow? Yeah. So we have opportunities um to um uh for you to do things at the county and you know with our you saw our environmental lands program here. So just keep that in mind parents as he gets older if he wants to come um do some shadowing or volunteering at the county we can help him pad his resume.

Madam Chair.

Yeah.

What's the youngest intern we ever had? Yeah, I don't know, but I think he's up to it, right? Um, so, uh, congratulations on your poster. How are we going to, um, well, you could speak. And how are we going to show these to the public? Yeah,

for the record, I'm Sandy Anderson. I'm the director for Pasco County Utilities Customer Information and Services Department. And as you can see, as the resolutions that came earlier today, it's communitywide. It's not one county department doing anything. We're really branching out. We have the good fortune of this being the 16-year partner and expanding this uh with the FGAA and the school board. And also coming up later this fall, we're working with county libraries. We're going to move this into the libraries and make a tie in there, too. So, we're really excited about the things to come. And Phoenix is our water conservation coordinator for the county and it's one of the many programs we do that working together. So, it's it's with these efforts that we have going forward. So we encourage you to be looking forward to expanding in the future and being part of it in the future as well.

Thank you. Phoenix McKenna, I'm Pasco County Utilities Water Conservation Coordinator. First, I would just like to thank you. I'm a little intimidated about following Eson. He was such an outstanding speaker. Um, however, again, thank you so much as always. We appreciate your support. Uh, I am really excited about the collaboration that we're going to be doing with the library right now. The posters um not in this format but in a different format are currently on display in the west west and east government centers and they will be there uh for a month. However, starting in November through May, they will be rotating in four of the different library galleries. There'll be two months in each of the gallery and they'll be in frames similar to this. So you you'll have an ongoing opportunity to see those um over an extended period of time if you miss them now. Uh and encourage people. It's really fortunate for us of the timing that they're going to go in in November because we're currently working on curriculum and new materials that will be used in contests that would uh kick off in December. So uh we're going to hope to use that display time to also encourage more people to get involved. Uh it is an outstanding program and the students do do outstanding art. So thank you very much

and I um does someone else want does someone else want

I believe so. Yes.

Okay.

Hello and good morning board. Uh thank you so much for letting me speak. My name is Vin Jones and I am here on behalf of the FGUA as a community services representative uh specifically based in uh Pasco County in Newport Richie. And what I just want to just share on on behalf of the FGAA is just our um our gratitude and just our appreciation for just the partnership we've been able to have with Pasco County Utilities and just honestly just your support as well. It's so encouraging just to hear um just the impacts that the children that the students been able to have um on their schools, their communities and their families um and even just their own education just learning more about the water and how to preserve it, how to keep it clean. And so I just want to just extend just a thank you really uh just for all your support and we look forward to the continued uh partnership that we have with you and with uh Pasco County Utilities and the the school district as well. So thank you so much.

Excellent.

Um I wanted to make sure that the family knows that um this is on TV so you can go to YouTube and cap

and um you can capture your segment. You know, I was on TV once and I didn't capture mine. The co I was on the coar report and it's gone when I was on the school district. So, go get it now because well, I guess this is government so it may be there forever but

apparently the coar report is not

the parents want to say anything.

Sure.

Okay, great.

Good morning everyone. Uh my name is Rua Rabi. I'm the proud dad. I'm here with my beautiful wife Nah Sherman. We are here to show our great gratefulness that the school district that we have in here is great. We are very happy with what he's learning. The growth has been tremendous. He is not only doing great in the school but also his other uh performance is also doing great. So as a human being we are raising him and and the county is helping us a lot to be a great human being and so that he can give back to the community and serve it. So you want to say all of you thank you very much for your support and help and we very happy to be here today. Well, I I'm very appreciative that you took time off of your work and out of your day to come here and be in Date City with us today because obviously you live in the Trinity area. So, I know it's a drive, but we're we're very grateful that you're here.

Thank you so much.

All right, let's take a photo. [Music] Jack, [Laughter]

you're in the middle. [Music]

Hold this. Oh,

with that one.

Thank you. [Applause] I'm sorry. Okay, I'm gonna have to keep a stash of those in your office.

The challenge coins.

I know. I got to carry them. Okay, we are um on to the consent agenda and I have some items to be pulled. I have C13 by David Angel, C14 and by Weightman and Oakley, C-29 Weightman, C-34 Mariano, C62 Oakley, and C64 Mariano. All right. So, is there anything else any board members would like to pull off the consent agenda?

Okay. I move for accepting all the other items left on the consent agenda.

Second. All in favor?

I.

Okay. Um, we will move on to C13.

Good morning, madam.

Thank you.

Good morning, Madame Chair and Commissioners. David Engel, planning and economic development director. Uh, I'm here to present C13, which is a resolution of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners setting the rates for contribution to the tree mitigation fund and the use of funds and delegating authority to distribute funds funds thereafter. This is one of a two-phase process. This is uh focusing on um increasing the rate structure for our tree mitigation fund. It hasn't been done for several decades and also broaden the use of the funds. I uh the board had authorized uh the use of some funds about three years ago for our commercial landscape program and we've delivered $1.8 $8 million of landscape grants out on the street focused primarily in the West Market area to beautify our county and we'd like to broaden the use of those funds. Uh the second part of our effort will be a tree preservation ordinance and we are planning to bring that to the board. Uh we had a workshop with the planning commission. uh planning commission is going to review and and and then recommend to the board and hope to see you in September with the new tree um preservation fund and program. So at this time I'd like to invite Amanda Hill. Amanda is our principal planner in charge of special projects and she will review the uh initiative with you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning commissioners. Amanda Hill, Planning, Development, and Economic Growth. So, first I'd like to walk you through the history of the fund. It was first created with ordinance 01-017. Subsequently, there were resolutions in 2005 and 2008 to adjust some of the administration of the fund as well as to set some of the contribution rates. And in March of this year, the item along with the tree preservation ordinance was previously brought to the local planning agency at which point the local planning agency members recommended that staff bring this as a separate item to the board for consideration. Hence the reason why we're here today. And as David previously mentioned, we are going to be planning to bring the section 802 updates to the board in September. The current contribution rate is at $50 per inch. For affordable housing projects, it's actually $10 per inch. Uh if it's a project that's not related to a residential project, it's also $50 per inch. And then for projects that aren't related to any sort of building footprint, then it's a $50 per inch rate without a cap. For residential projects, there's a cap of $500 per residential unit. For affordable housing projects, that cap is $50 per residential unit. And then for non-residential projects, the cap is $500 for each 2,000 square ft of first floor building area. The proposed rate of contribution is $75 per inch for all project types. So there would be no distinction between a residential project, an affordable housing project, etc. For trees that are classified as heritage trees, we are proposing an increase to $150 per inch. This wasn't a previous designation in the current contribution rate. And a heritage tree for the purposes of this resolution be considered a live oak that's 34 in or greater or a southern magnolia 24 in or greater. And those trees would have to have a condition rating of good or better as determined by the ISA rating system. Here I included a comparison chart. Um these are just some of the projects that were in-house at the time when this project was being put together by staff. And you can see the comparison in the fees that would be due to the tree mitigation fund based off of the $50 per inch rate versus a $75 per inch rate. All these projects they elected to pay per inch versus paying that cap of $500 per residential unit. This slide just looks at what the cost for a tree would be. Of course, it would vary based off of the diameter of the tree, but I just made some example um trees here. So, you have, for example, a 10-in tree, a 26-in tree, and a 40-in tree. And I compared it in terms of whether it's a non-heritage tree, if it's a southern magnolia, or if it's a live oak. So, you can see for 10 in, the fee would be the same across the board. it would be $750. If it's a 26-in tree, you can see for the southern magnolia, it's significantly more than the others

because at that point it would be considered a heritage tree. And then for 40 in, both the live oak and southern magnolia would be considered as heritage trees. So then that's the increased rate there versus the non-heritage tree. for proposed authorized locations and recipients. The resolution proposes that uh trees be utilized on land owned or under the control of the county where the county desires to assist homeowners and affordable housing projects that service 80% AMI or below for the economic growth landscaping program for the school board and to accomplish a public purpose that will result in an increase of the tree canopy of Pasco County. Whether or not a project serves that public purpose would be determined by the board. Proposed expenditures include reimbursement for drought tolerant trees and plants. This is not to be construed as to include mulch, hardscape, irrigation, design, labor or other non-vegetative materials. It also uh proposes uh authorized expenditures to include the costs associated with the county tree management plan including tree inventories and canopy studies and costs associated with the purchase of conservation easements or deed restrictions on private property. This would be in upland areas and with the goal of conserving and protecting in perpetuity uh heritage trees or and or tree stands. The resolution proposes to provide authorization to the county administrator or designate to release funds from the fund up to $200,000 per request. An amount in excess of this amount would need to be brought to the board for consideration uh and a vote. and the adoption of this resolution would repeal in its entireties the resolutions that were previously adopted in 2005 and 2008. The recommended action by staff is to adopt a resolution setting the rate for contributions to the tree mitigation fund the use of such funds and delegating authority to distribute such funds and repealer. And I'm available for any questions you may have.

Thank you very much. Uh Commissioner W.

Thanks. So

to for clarity, you said the affordable housing projects, they're not getting they're not having a discounted rate. They're going to be paying the same as all the other projects.

It would be a flat rate for all projects

for everybody universally. Okay, good. Thank you. And the next the next piece I had I'd like for consideration to fix is the level of authority for leasing the 200 up to $200,000 worth of payments. It can be I mean theoretically based on the language he the county administrator could do5 $200,000 grants without coming to the board. So I think that language needs tweaked. I talked with Mike about it and I don't know necessarily what the threshold should be but um to have basically unlimited as the fund grows $200,000 delegation authority over over that kind of money. I think we need to tighten the range on that language a little bit.

Possibly we could restrict the $200,000 per project so we don't have that scope creep on the amount of money.

So, how would it read? Because as it reads right now, the administrator going forward. Well, it would it could read um the administer has the authority to allow up to $200,000 per project.

Yeah, there could be but there could be 10 projects at $200,000 a piece and this board would never see it. That's a lot of money to just grant out. Mike, you have any?

Well, I was well, I was originally going to suggest that, you know, purchasing ordinance grants the administrator the authority up to $100,000 and that we could tie this particular, you know, spending authority and caps with that. But the cap isn't necessarily the the problem. The issue that you're you're bringing up is multiple projects and spending. If the board were to come up with programs and budget dollars out of the tree mitigation fund specific programs, it could maintain budget authority over that and thus thus limit it. Or we could we could bring individual projects back. I mean there's I think you want to you want to cap an upper limit. So if we were to establish a program say for I don't know, let's just say parks, we'll call it parks program trees and say you put a million dollars in there. um if it's a $100,000 project that's within the the ordinance limits of my spending authority, I could approve that until we run out of money that the board has appropriated, right? And you would appropriate that million dollars during the budget process against that program. Um that that's one that's one alternative that I think would, you know, satiate at least your concerns on on over overspend. Currently, right now, I mean, I I can spend up to $100,000 on various programs across across county government, just depending on what they are. They're just varied. Um, when they exceed a threshold, we bring those forward back to the board for for authorization. So, you're capping, you would cap the program within the fund. So, we've just come up with programs, parks, uh maybe there's right-of-way use, maybe um you know, uh David, the program you're talking about with the landscaping program, you know, call those three programs and the board appropriates whatever it does that becomes your ceiling.

Yeah. I just figured I'd bring this up to the board to see what they they felt because otherwise we the boards future boards would never

I think your budget authority is what you you leverage to to cap it. But I mean, we can bring every project to you. That that that's not a problem either. I don't have a problem with that.

H um

Commissioner Mariano,

thank you. I think if it's a county project, whether it parks, libraries, or something, even one of our own buildings,

give them full authority to to do it because if we can use this money compared to using our regular taxpayer money, it leaves more money for the general fund flexibility. The reason I pulled item um 34 coming up is because we've got a little road ma landscape irrigation project and my question to staff was was how much of this money can we use for the the tree mitigation fund rather than using our road and bridge money which we can spend more money on roads. Let's go use the tree mitigation funds for that. Um and we'll we'll talk about that. But I want I want to see that flexibility that he can do it any internal county project if you want to talk about private projects which I want to discuss that item too because right now as you said it's only only right now under control of the border county commissioner of the county I want to see that expanded part of the reason I pushed this thing for probably two years ago was we had a project in front of Leisure Beach County gives us the rightway we can go they can go maintain it and it took about a eight months to just spend like probably $10,000 worth of plants to get it through the process. Ridiculous. If I get anybody on any major major roadway, no matter what the HOA is, I want to have them flexibility to go forward. If I've got people like on US 19 where they can't, you know, they're not making a lot of money. Anybody wants to go to the golf mall, go take a look and see what's in that building, what used to be there to what's there now. The demographics haven't supported it and it's hard for them to make money up and down that corridor. I want people with the business on on long 19 and Rich Jenkins can talk about it because he's trying to work with us.

Stay stay on this one and then we'll we'll talk about 34.

All right. So, we'll get to that. All right. So, that'll be the other part. So, as far as that goes, flexibility if we own the property, if it's our county project, whatever you can use it for, I say give them full flexibility to go use it.

Yeah. I I I think that um you know, every Monday I call and say, "Where are the trees?" Because we're not putting them in the ground. and that's what this was was collected for. So I I I don't want to hold anything up. Um the you know this is going on public land and our parks on our rights of ways um a county bu county property, county buildings where uh the trees have been missing for decades. So I'm fine with the 200,000. I really am. It was 100,000. So uh I'm I'm okay with

I'm I'm fine with that, too. Um, I got all the faith and world on the administration and Mike and the work that he does and his team that he's got together that they'll do the right thing with the money. If it gets to a point he has a concern about it, he should bring it to us. He will bring it to us. So that I'm good with what

And on that note, I passed I drove on Ridge Road again today and it's one of the subjects I want to talk to you about this morning. We have an overlook for people who are riding the trail and I've been asking for a year at least a year since it opened for a shade tree there and there is still a Craig marble. So um we need people are sometimes people need to cool down and get out of the sun when they're when they're riding or running and we have got to get a shade tree on that overlook on. Um

okay.

Okay. So uh

I just if I could just interject I And I want to make sure that we're we're tracking correctly. The board is okay necessarily with $200,000 of the upper limit. But I think the question that Commissioner Weightman brought up is just how many $200,000 chunks do you I mean if if the balance of the I could spend the whole fund balance I think is really you know part of his concern or whether that's me or a future administrator or whatever is does the board want to want us to allocate and budget as our budgeting process versus pulling out a reserves on I mean I guess we would have to budget uh a piece of it anyways as long as we stick within the allocated budget. Did that satiate your concern? Do you mean like say 30% will go to parks, 30% will go 20 to medium?

I'm actually saying if the tree mitigation fund balance is a million dollars and the board appropriates half a million dollars of that to be used in fiscal year 26, you've put a backs stop into place in terms of being able to spend it out. Would that be would

I I just brought it up

as general conversation. See how the board how the board what other members thought about it. just, you know, we have a million or two million bucks in there and you or another administrator comes in and just starts spending

$200,000 down and and we and blows the fun in a year, this board wouldn't know about it

because the uni the administrator would have unilateral authority to do that. So, I just know that that trees and landscapings is important to this board and so I'm just thinking of the future as as boards change and administration changes that there's some quality control metrics in there. So that that was my whole reason to have this conversation.

Um this is not landscaping, right? This is trees.

Yes, trees. We could

not

provide a quarterly report to the board.

Um just to give you an update as to what's being spent and what the projects have.

I think it would just

Yeah. Put in the noted items and call it out to us and I'll be fine.

Right. Madam Chair, u just for the board's knowledge, right now the balance is about 9.4 million in that fund. Yeah, but it's about to get dispersed

grow.

Yeah.

So, so part of this thing again with if it's a countyowned piece of property and we can go put trees out quicker as opposed to later again 9.4 million that is outstanding, right? The purpose of it is to put trees back in the ground that were taken down. So, the faster he can put them in the into the ground is what this thing was all about anyway. And if it's county owned property, if I'm saying taxpayer money, I think I should be saving taxpayer money. I don't care what the project is. And let him go do it.

As far as like other things, and we'll get to it. We'll talk about other things, but

let him go.

Save the taxpayer of the money. We want to cut the budget down, right?

I'm not saying not to. You're missing the whole point of what I'm saying. I'm not saying not to. I'm just throwing it out there for conversation. I'm not saying yes or no.

I'm going to support it. I'm just saying it's a point of discussion. I think we've gone way far into the weeds around the trees on this. It was just it was just just a level of authority for spending that I thought was worthy to point out and have a conversation about. And with that,

I think I see where the tea leaves are.

Okay. I'll take a motion approval.

Madam Chairman,

yes. If I may, I have a I hate to do this at the last minute, but I was not able to talk to Miss Blair, who reviewed this for our office um because she's out of the office this week. Um I have a concern that the ordinance has, and it's not to the point that you've just been debating, the ordinance has caps for what the per inch total is. you are changing those caps by resolution. I I believe that the the changes to the dollar amounts cannot occur without the amendment to the LDC going forward.

Should be a public hearing.

So I think you can adopt the resolution, but that section one on contribution rates would have to be not effective until you amended your ordinance. Now, this has already gone through the planning commission.

No, it hasn't. It's a resolution.

No, they did. They

That was That was the tree preservation component. That's phase two for September business. This is for tree mitigation use of funds.

The problem is this changes the rates that are within your ordinance by resolution. That's that's my concern. And there may have been Elizabeth may have had a reason why she thought that was acceptable. I just haven't been able to talk to her about it. So I what I would suggest is if you want to adopt this today,

yes,

you make the uh changes that are found within section one of going up to $75 per inch or $150 an inch contingent upon the adoption of changes to 80 to section 800

if that is necessary.

If that's necessary. Okay. I had that motion.

Yeah. When we get to the motion, please add that. But I had a I had a question. I said I was going to bring this up. It's kind of a David Goldstein question, I think. And I know we're not dealing it with it here, but um we have had to there are some things we have had to tweak over the years because uh we've had instances where um people have cleared their land of these trees before development. And the last one that came to mind was Southwind and he took out all those oak trees as an a property. Um,

and he has a right to

and he and he has the right to, but we have rules that you can't clearcut for before you develop. And I wanted you to go over what those are and just

so I mean, if you're operating under the A exemption and it's bonafideed a then you can clear the trees. We changed our code I think a few years ago though to say that if you do it immediately before you seek a development approval you had to been doing this activity for at least 5 years I believe otherwise you can't clear the trees right before you seek a development approval. What was happening before was the developers were clearing they were using the ad exemption simply to avoid our tree mitigation orders.

Yes. And we don't we don't want that. So, I believe that change we made to the code a couple years ago has already intended to remedy that issue.

Yes.

So, I think it's been fixed, but if you don't believe it has, we can revisit it, but I believe it's been fixed.

Well, I I just um I'm not sure if this is if this is where we fix it or if we fix it in the September.

No, you definitely would not have that's even a bigger

I know we can't fix it today.

Yeah, but first of all, I'm not even sure it is still an issue because I haven't heard from staff that that it's still being abused. So, let's start with that. I would need Patrick Dutter or somebody to confirm it's

still being abused.

But if it is, that's a change in the line of Elma code. That's not something we can fix in this resolution.

Right. And and and I you know, no offense to the gentleman who um had that property, but it was mostly void of trees, but the reason he gave to take down his beautiful oak trees that would have been along our bike trail was he needed them for his cattle, which was not I don't think that would stand up in court if we would take that have taken that issue. So, I think we need to be able I think you know um there's a line in the sand when you cut down some of these trees. Keith, did you want to say something? No.

Madam Chair?

Yeah.

So, before we get to the making a motion, I want to cover the points I want was going to talk about again items.

Well, did you have anything more for David about clarify?

No, I'm good with that. Okay. But but back to before we get a motion. So if you're going to put the amount at $200,000, I want to know if we if we know Mike, hopefully you know the answer. C34, how much money we're going to spend on trees?

Probably about $6 90,000.

Okay. So $690,000. You're now going to say he can only spend 200 of that 690,000 on a project that's viable, that's going to be taxpayer money that could go into roads instead, which I think we all like done. We approved it in our consent agenda. That that item.

I pulled it.

Oh, yeah. You pulled it. I'm sorry.

So, um, but we can talk about it when that comes.

When? No, we need to talk about it now. This is the time to talk about it because you're going to limit him to $200,000. When this got 69, when that one comes up, we will vote on it. It'll be handled. We can give

the point is that I think the commissioner is making is that he thinks the administrator should have more authority because another item like C34 might come up and he wouldn't be restricted.

Not listen we meet twice a month. If we if we have one that comes up that's bigger than 200 he can just ask us if we can give him the blessing. Right.

All right let's go back to the previous slide. C can I just make one point? Uh, Madame Chair and Mr. Steinsteiner, I believe I know why Elizabeth allowed this to proceed by resolution. The land development code stipulates that the board shall set tree mitigation fees by resolution. So potentially that's the reason then I have a problem.

Nope. because it says it what the language says is as set forth below and it has the caps.

Okay, sir. We'll take care of it.

There's already a motion made, but he needs to

redo his motion. Seth's already got a motion on the floor and I second.

All right. Can I Can I keep the floor for a minute?

Yep. Um, I want to I want to go back to the language under control.

No, keep where it's we talk about where you can use it like under property owned by the county.

Keep going the wrong direction. It keeps going to move. Can you help me, Gina?

Yeah.

All right. So, so anyway, part of the reason I brought this up from a couple years back was you got an HOA on US 19. They want to go fix the trees that they've actually got a right of use agreement and we're trying to work that out where they can maintain the trees. It's right on busy road. Looks great when they do it. All they want to do is get reimbured. We're going to respect. I've got an HOA, not an HOA, but a another group that's another association.

Why are we talking about that one here and not in 34?

Because 34 is different. This is this is where we're going to set an ordinance up, but changing our rules. So, we're going to change rules. Part of the reason I wanted this thing brought back to us was to go look at what the rules are. Now, you could have affordable housing project done by somebody else. Could be, you know, David Lambert's group that that we have. It could be

an H like a another association with another HOA that's not a true HOA that wants to go beautify along the property. You've got properties up and down 19 that if they're bound by all sorts of different rules, they can't afford to go put trees out, which could make it look better. You know, Rich Jenkins is going to tell you about how people don't want to go spend the money because all the other things that fall in line with going to change the trees. I want to make it easier for anybody along, let's say, the 19 corridor, you can pick out the streets, too, to make it look better. if I can an association one that makes their entryway look better and I got $9.4 million. Let's get the money out there. Get the trees back.

Are you saying they would apply for a landscape grant? Cuz I I I'm not sure why I'm not sure that we should be landscaping private property.

The main thing I'm trying to do is allow the place county to look better. And if you've got 9.5 million from private property people that you took money from, whether it be private or not, if it's going to make the county look better along a roadway especially, why aren't we doing that and get those trees in the ground?

So then any HOA that's under development could come in and say we don't want to do our plantings along the front of our development, let the county pay for it.

No, I'm saying let's say let

Well, that's what's going to happen. Well, I'm so so said it be something that's existing already that's been done that wants to redo it because maybe it wore out, maybe some car hit it or something and they just want to make it look better. I'm okay if they want to apply for a grant maybe which is matching, but I'm not okay to open the floodgates to take off responsibility of their the community to care about how they look and pay for it and not have the taxpayers of another community pay for theirs because they let theirs go under. And again, not taxpayer money. It's tree mitigation,

but it's not money that we can use um for other

It's got to be on trees.

Yes, we're going to go through that money.

Isn't the goal Isn't the goal of the program to put trees back in the ground? It's another alternative to go do it.

How about if if there's No. Well, I I'm okay if they want to apply for a grant and there's rules with the grant um that requires some participation by those that HOA,

but I'm not okay. I I think we have consensus that we're not in agreement with.

Let me just make one more point. So you you got trees that you're going to do. Doesn't count for the irrigation, doesn't count for the watering that may have to be their responsibility. It doesn't count for the mulch or other flower stuff going around. Just the trees. So far that if they get that help, you're going to see it look better. You keep talking how you want this kind of look.

I do. And Gulf Harbors is an example. We have it's actually a county road. We have um an agreement with the county to um that we can have trees in the median. We don't have any water for it. We have that's another battle that maybe we can talk one day is we're not they're not allowing us to put irrigation in it. Um so we're hand watering, but I'm I'm saying I'm okay with it in a grant process where the community pays for part of it.

And the grant process is in place already. They were in process to go through and do this and they went through the process to do it and they did. They went through it. It took like eight months and we said we got to tweak some rules to make it better to make it easier. I'm just trying to make it easier.

I would like to call a question. Got a motion and a second on

Okay. All right. So, we we does the motion include

changes motion based on

you want to adapt your motion to include the county attorney's language?

Yes. My my motion will include the county attorney's uh language slash con concerns or what what would you say it would be? that the section raising the raising the uh fees in section one would not take effect unless um county at subsequent county attorney approval or with the statute or the ordinance would be

with with that motion I hope that it would be done the county attorney's office would move in an expeditious manner

that way we could move these fees

forward to grow the fund

no question, but I I am I I'm almost positive that this is going to require an ordinance amendment.

And can we just add that um David would update us on whether it's What do you want to do? Uh quarterly on the

quarterly progress reports?

Yes. I mean, I I I would like to make sure we're getting this back out, the trees back out. As I mentioned to the administrator this morning, for a developer or, you know, someone who paid in 20 years ago, that's not covering a tree that we have to buy today. I mean, right. So, we have eaten into our ability to put these trees and build our tree canopy back up. And I want to be sure this doesn't go to crate myrtles and to under to what are bushes or you know, these need to go this needs to be there to replace tree canopy, oaks, pines, magnolia, maples, not

well, we some some places are appropriate for that.

Well, the DOT just put them right down the middle of 52. So,

um but needs to go to canopy trees, not bushes, understories.

So, Commissioner, uh our draft does not have that restriction. It does allow uh drought tolerant shrubbery. So we can amend the or uh the resolution u through the board action to only allow use of funds for canopy trees including oaks, um magnolia, etc.

Well, that's what we're taking down. That's what we should be putting back in. If you drive on 54, I noticed this. Someone else commented to me, there's no canopy along very, very little canopy anymore. We're allowing people to take down oak trees and put up crate myrtles in their parking lots. It's it's a travesty.

So

So as I understand it today,

I would like I would make that a motion.

The the motion will read uh to restrict use of funds to canopy trees that the the fe the new fees cannot take effect until an ordinance is amended or adopted allowing those fees. And thirdly, we will make quarterly progress reports as a notice item on the use of funds. guys.

Well, then that means a motion be needed midday again. Tree types.

So, you don't want palm trees in this thing?

Really?

Um, I I'm thinking about I'm thinking about palm trees, but the thing is we're not charging for anyone taking down a palm tree,

right?

But it does help beautify. It is helping

it. It it it it does. Um,

Sable Palm is a state tree.

Yeah. All right. We'll add palm trees

uh specific to sable palms or just in general.

I I think we just leave in general. Of course, there's no queens. Of course,

festival it's all palm trees except for queen palms.

Yeah.

Okay.

Don't like the flowy.

I just don't like that the number one tree for the next free. So that's

Okay. So you a you amend your you amend your motion to accept that motion.

So I'll county attorney. Do you want to clarify this this uh word jumble here of a motion?

I think David what David stated is is what the motion now would read with the exception of if if the county attorney believes that an ordinance amendment is not necessary, it would go into effect immediately. But I think the three the three bullets that that David added on to the motion is is where the board currently is.

Second.

That's my that's my motion.

All right. All in favor?

I

Please go shopping.

One day.

Oh, one day. Okay. Please go shopping. And I know Keith needs a lot of trees now. I see they're missing already in Starky. I know he has trees that were knocked down from the hurricane. Um the courthouse needs trees on the west side. So, I'm very glad we got that done. Okay. What are we on to now? We are on

C14.

Yes, ma'am. Uh, good morning again. David Engel, planning and economic development director. Now, for the easyear agenda item, this is a proposal for a cooperative economic development agreement for Evans property. The property is located uh it's 80 acres approximate in size. is located on Lake Iyola Road adjacent to the Blandon Road intersection near the I75 interchange. Uh before I get into the uh the actual specifics, I just wanted to give the board a bit of history. Uh, in December of 2006, Pasco County entered into a stipulated settlement agreement designating this property as employment center requiring corporate business park or targeted primary industry or industrial uses, multifamily uses, support commercial office uses, including service stations, hotels, neighborhood scale markets, and restaurants. Uh subsequent to that in 2022 the applicant uh submitted an application for zoning for an MPUD and at that time they requested 1.5 million square feet for distribution warehousing and 300 apartment units. At the uh early part of this year uh the matter was brought in front of the planning commission and the application was amended and then I'll just I'll pick it up from here. Uh the applicant is revising its uh original request to include one and a half million square feet of IL office 100,000 square feet of uh retail uses supporting the business park and one of the commissioners had requested during the course of action that the uh residential be platted uses not uh not rental type of uses but for home ownership. The property is located uh again here on on Lake Iola Road. Uh we have a plan without any residential that we're profering today. The frontage uh on Lake Iola that that pink area will be for smallcale flex in light industrial uses. We've identified that there are a lot of business people that live in the northeast part of the county that need access to a business park. In fact, uh, one of the one of the residents who lives just north of this property, uh, was, uh, objected to the apartments, but we worked with them on the plan, and they said as soon as the, uh, building's available, they're going to move their business in here. So, we've been getting a lot of uptake. The yellow phase two part of the property is uh, for uh, for some distribution uses. The property slopes down from the frontage on Lake Iola to the back. You can't see the back piece. And we're capping the amount of distribution to 500,000 square feet. So you will be achieving 1 million square feet of high employment generating light industrial. There are probable costs associated with improving this property to get to it to a site ready position. Uh that's roadway improvements, that's drainage, that's doing on-site utilities. The probable cost for all in is $18.2 2 million and we are proposing a $15 million economic incentive package. $12 million comes from advalorum rebates which is uh the if you recall they pay their property taxes and then a portion of those

property taxes in the following year are delivered back in a form of a rebate. Um, and we also proposing $3 million of penny for Pasco because we need to get these improvements in and there won't be any tax generation till they start construction. Uh, but it'll all be on the basis of reimbursement. They have to do the work. They have to show us the receipts and then they get reimbursed for whatever the incentive requirements are. And we prioritize the infrastructure to make sure that this is uh developed in an orderly fashion. First we'll be doing the Lake Iola road improvements. Then bringing utility improvements within the property. Then doing the internal roadways, then mass grading for the phase one non-residentidential. That's the million square feet of light industrial. So it'll be pad ready, ready to go. They're really it's a ready site program. And lastly, the the the following areas, if there's still sufficient funds, is the rural scenic harder preservation and property buffering, which is required anyway by the development uh and uh MPUD, which we'll have in the afternoon, sidewalks, and other required MPUD improvements. We are also proposing a 20-year moratorum for residential development on the property via the 200 2006 stipulated settlement agreement. there is a very um significant incentive payment clawback if the uh developer opts to do residential in 20 years from now. Uh we believe that those clawbacks are significant enough to not allow for a residential project to pencil out. And the way we've configured the improvements and designed the project, it's highly unlikely you'll ever see residential on this property. All economic incentives again are reimbursible grant items. Uh there are features associated with this cooperative economic development agreement. We have enhanced architectural standard requirements. We don't want to see cement ugly tiltups from the Lake Iola Scenic Carter. So they'll be using brick facades and other treatments to make it look consistent with the rural history and heritage of the area. All scenic roadways have to be protected according to our scenic roadway plan ordinance and the surrounding properties have extensive bufferings in particular the northern side. Uh we have a type B 50Foot buffer and we are preserving existing hardwood trees in that buffer area. Uh the developer has agreed to cap commercial support at 100,000 square feet and cap the uh distribution of 500,000 square feet. So we have a pure 1 million square foot light industrial deliverable. Uh the project as far as the financial characteristics and component uh over the 30-year period of this agreement, the general fund will net $40 million in tax revenue. Right now the property isow and egg, so we have no really tax revenue on the property. Uh once full buildout is occurred, we'll have a annual gross county product contribution of $78 million a year. Uh approximately 700 new full-time jobs will be generated

at the site. Uh the economic incentive is equivalent to a $10 million $10 square foot buyown, which is consistent with what we've done with I75 gateway and double branch. and it is finally establishing an an important employment generating area in the northeast part of the county. And uh this is this Evans uh project if the board will approve it today will be phase one. Phase two, we've already been having discussions with the public through Pasco 2050 is to create a specific employment center sub area policy that will be unique to Northeast Rural and protect the character of the surrounding area. And we're we're working on that. And I've even asked uh Miss Hazlewood to participate in in helping us out create guidelines for this new employment area. So on that I I recommend approval of this item based on the conditions that I just stipulated my presentation. Thank you.

Commissioner Oakley

have um I'm in full agreement of this project. Matter of fact, this project has gone from what was presented early on to this this program much better than what they were asked for before. This project is good for Pasco County and the citizens of Pasco. Can you imagine being in a business park having things that deal with new homes and homes in the area and you're right on the border of Hernando County where a lot of growth is happening and also with Pasco County. I mean, it's a win-win for those people who put their business in here. They have a, you know, the audience they're going to have coming for their business is going to be great. Uh, one change I would like to make and what David uh repeated, if you go back one slide, I think it's on slide before where it talks about the 20-year moratorum, I'd like to change that to 30 years and it'll be better. I I never believe that the Evans family is going to wait 20 20 or 30 years to do a residential area on here on this property because they're going to there's going to be somebody out there right now that's looking to take care of this property and make it what it what we're wishing it to be. So, I'd like to make that motion to uh change that one item.

Well, I'm trying to understand the reluctance to have people live near where they work. So, does wouldn't it depend on what what that residential looks like? So, you're saying you you don't want any homes there for 30 years?

No.

So, what if it's someone who wants to build a 20 acre horse farm?

Well, they're not going to do it there.

Why?

Because you're going to have a business park there.

It's an employment center.

It's an employment center. But if I looked at the map, maybe the applicant's attorney wants to be good. There's no places in here that can be

No, I'm not going to put any residential. If if uh Joel 2 comes up, I think we can uh give you security that the Evans family is good with this.

Madam Chair, I I think there's one relevant thing to bring up that I should have done before. In 2024, the board adopted in the revision to the employment center. Originally, it was struck that it would be 20 or 40% of it would be multif family housing. The board eliminated that 20% threshold down to zero because they wanted to maximize employment on these properties.

Now, the surrounding area obviously has residential, massive residential in Hernando County, which is just a spit away from this.

But across the street from this, you got rural homes across the street from this product. I I can't Where's the map of the Can you bring up the other map that showed there was a big square there? Okay. So, what are we looking at here?

That's the site. Yes.

Okay. So, what is is phase two is warehouse

that well distribution and warehouse.

So, where were you where were you going to put residential even if there was allow change plan?

Well, that's why we ch we've developed a plan like this to to avoid having residential on this property. Well, you said in 20 years they could put residential book.

Well, they are allowed, but it would be virtually almost impossible to do so. The lot platting is too small. We have the 50 foot set back off the scenic road on the front.

Oh, I know.

Phase two. Yes, it is.

And what is that?

And it Well, that's where the distribution is. And if they were ever

not phase two,

the entrance number two.

Oh,

down the bottom left. What is that?

Cuz when I look at the map,

that's that's a service road that goes in through the site that service that creates frontage on those those

is that also part of the Evans property. That white piece at the bottom. It's not that L.

So it's not an L. It's just this rectangular.

It's just a rectangular.

Um I I have another question. And Jack, you had some questions. Go ahead and I'll come back to mine. So, I'd say this project is a lot better than when it first came to me. They talked about apartments, too, and I said, "No way." Um, I'm glad to see that we're

almost completely eliminating the possibility of residential. Um, and and I'm glad you're going from 20 to 30 making that suggestion. I I would even suggest if we're going to do all this money because when I first discussed this project, there was wasn't talk about any incentives. So seeing it take this extra step forward, David, I think it's good that you're doing it to ensure that it weakens any chance for it, but I would really like to just see even the residential part wiped out.

And I don't know if the

Why are we leaving residential on there?

Well, and again, I I'll listen to Joel when he comes up, but I I want to just see if they because it's going to be so hard, especially you're not going to be able to do in phase two. Phase one, if you're getting all that stuff built out, you're not going to be able to really do it and again for 30 years. If he's willing to do that, maybe he'll just say we'll just even take it out.

And and I have another question for you, too. Are those contour lines on phase two? Does that mean that's a hill?

No.

Damn.

Joel 2, Palm Arbor, Florida, Land Use Development Consultant for Evans Properties, Inc., the property owner and applicant.

Okay.

Um, I'll answer the second question first. Yeah, the topo drops from west to east. So the highland is at grade at Lake Iola on the west side and then it drops dramatically to the east. That's why on this plan the larger warehouse distribution site would be on the lower portion of the property and in fact it is a it is a severe enough drop that you literally will not even see you you'll be over the top of the buildings. Um, so they'll be uh substantially shielded from Bllandon Road. Uh, Evans does not own the property south of us that goes down to Bllandon Road. Evans does not own, but all of that land is part of your EC future land use area. So all of that ultimately will come in presumably if this approval occurs and Evans can kickstart this employment center. Presumably those other properties will be coming in under the EC designation to seek similar approvals uh to map this thing out. Uh getting back to the first issue, um since it's been a three-year process literally uh for us to get to this point uh since we applied, um it is important to note, as Mr. Engel pointed out, that Evans, at least in our opinion, has an absolutely vested legal right to build rental apartments based upon the 2006 court settlement reached with the county. they are willing as part of this negotiated resolution to essentially not build the residential for the life of these agreements. So, we have agreed um we have agreed and do not object to Mr. Commissioner Oakley's proposed modification that would extend that for the full 30-year term of the development agreement and the MPD. Now, when the MPD comes up this afternoon, if you approve the the economic incentive agreement, we would need to modify the MPD to match the 30-year restriction. As a practical matter, that is a permanent restriction unless this board changed its mind because the zoning will expire in 30 years and the DA will expire. So they literally at that point would not have zoning and would have to come back 30 years from now in front of whatever board is sitting here for to do anything else. Um the reason it's kind of a moot point as a practical matter is the 3 million penny grant from the county will not be nearly enough to do the phase one because we have to do all of Lake Isa Road, the utilities and the mass grading. So Evans andor its industrial partner, they're going to be spending at least 3 million more out of the box to get phase one ready. Uh we also have a deadline on doing that or we don't get the 3 million. Um common sense tells you that once you start the project as a business park and spend all that money and particularly if you have to pay that money back if you ever go to residential that it essentially serves that purpose. Uh but I think because we have the existing legal rights to build apartments, um this is a solution that frankly made sense for both parties. We think it makes sense for Evans and the county. And I think it gives you with a 30-year deal, the short answer is the county then controls any change. We would no longer have the right, we

wouldn't have zoning to do it. So we can we can make the further concession and we've made a lot of concessions the last three years. We can make the further concession to go from 20 to 30 years uh to get approval uh provided that both the economic incentive agreement and the zoning ultimately are approved today with that change and that change only. Uh we're just not in a position to renegotiate the rest of the deal. So, we will accept that 30y year uh restraint and we'd appreciate your support.

Um, okay. So, I have another Oh, go ahead, Jack.

Just just I I just want to say, Commissioner, I commend you for working with them. I mean, to take this this was one of the projects from 20 plus years ago. We made this an employment center area and we knew it was going to be difficult because of the topographical issues that are out there, but we still wanted to provide that. So, I appreciate Joel, the Evans family coming back forward and working with Commissioner Oakley and probably Commissioner Weman along the way as well uh to to bring this forward. It's a lot more than I expected, but I think it's a lot more beneficial and I think it ensures pretty much that we're going to get jobs created out there like we wanted to. So, thank you for that.

It's a win. It's a win-win for the Evans family. It's a win-win for the Pasco County

because this is going to be a good project and

um it'll service a lot of citizens, not just here, but even to the north. Sir.

So, so my question um is on the improvements to Lake Iola, which is an arterial road that it will have the multi-use path on one of the sides.

Yes, ma'am.

We have the crosssection is um is stipulated within the land development code for the scenic collector roads and whatever that cross-section is uh will be produced on this property. Okay. along this property

because we have cyclists who are out there and better to get them on a multi-use path than to have them stay on the road.

And you can ask that

as fast we can.

Well, please answer ask that question when we have the MPD this afternoon and Mr. Vermillion will give you a an overview of what that crosssection is.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right. Um I'll entertain a motion.

Move approval. Second.

All in favor

with the 30-year

with the with the 30.

With the 30year. Yes. Okay. All in favor? I

I thank you very much.

Know y'all worked hard on that one. Uh C29.

Yes,

Mr. Wait.

Thank you. Now, I just I pulled this one because it said uh not to exceed budget amount of 20%. And I don't know if Mike Carbala or who I don't know who wants to to speak to this, but it's two essentially $280 million project on consent uh when digging into it. So I just pulled it based on the the dollar amount and then the 20% contingency. So aside from that, I don't have an issue just

fire away.

So I think I think what we would like to do is so the 20% has just been kind of a general rule of thumb that staff have used uh to allow for negotiating room. Typically when we started doing this practice probably about 5 years ago, they were more for consulting type contracts, not necessarily design build. So I am perfectly fine. 20% of of a $280 million project is probably a lot. It is a lot. So, you know, if we can reduce that to have some wiggle room in terms of negotiation to say 5%. I think that would be great. I I'll be my my motion with the county administrator's recommendation for approval.

Okay. Do I have a second?

Second discussion.

Okay.

Fire away. Quick.

I was just going to say please make sure everything goes smoothly with the same.

Yes, sir.

100%.

Please. What?

Make sure it goes smoothly all the way through.

All right, I'll take Okay, so there's a motion and a second. All in favor?

I

Okay, C34. Commissioner Mariano.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just pulled it for the one reason. I wanted to uh give the county administrator a chance to look at the hazard mitigation fund money instead of using regular money so we can put the money back in the road and bridge on other projects as opposed to this. And that's why I pulled it. Yeah. So any any of the money that uh any of the trees should be able to come also from the tree mitigation fund.

So we have up to we have about $670,000 worth of trees on this particular project. If we spend uh tree mitigation money up to that amount on this project and we can we can move the monies around provided that they're the types of trees that the board is allowing us. Then I I can work with that. if the board wants to amend the motion to to include that.

So, I'll make a motion to approve C34 using the hazard mit uh the tree mitigation fund up to 700.

You said hazard mitigation.

I did. I just changed it to tree mitigation fund. I corrected myself.

Use that for that.

So, I want So, I'll make the motion to approve C34 using up to 700,000 of the tree mitigation fund money to offset the costs.

I second. And um just under discussion, Commissioner Mariano, they are deep in the planning for Ridge to 19. So it'll continue all the way up.

Sure.

Yeah. So we'll hopefully we see that soon. Um okay. All in favor? I

opposed. There you go.

Um C62 Oakley

C52 uh perpetual.

I actually pulled this. This is Oakley Grove subdivisions uh out on Curly Road and St. Joe Road. It's a property was owned by my former company. I am not receiving any funds from that or anything, but I'm abstaining from voting on this item.

Does he can he legally?

Yep. He can. They changed the statute a couple of years ago.

Okay. So, I'll take a motion.

Move approval C62.

Take a second. Second.

All in favor?

With one abstension?

Abstain. C64.

Uh, Madam Chair, I just want to bring Keith Wy up just for a moment. Um, I'm very happy about this uh project. Um, environmental lands is doing a good job and he's paying a very good price for this. I think it's like 25,000 an acre. So, Keith, whatever you can get in that area to help kind of supplement, I'm fully supportive too. But I think you've done a great job with this. I just want to highlight it and congratulate you.

Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that.

So, move approval.

Second.

Uh, all in favor? Hi. Hi.

Okay. I have an 11:30 time certain.

Can I um just ask a request here? So, we have a couple of things. Our lobbyists uh are unable to come back this afternoon. Um I have had Carrie speak with the uh folks for R69. And if they could be heard immediately following lunch, I think we can we can move R69 to 1:30. At 1:30. Okay.

And then if we could hear the R67 legislative review, that would be great.

All right. Let's do it.

Thank you. Good morning, commissioners. Madam Chair, today our lobbying team is here from Tallahassee to give us a legislative update on the 2025 session. We have Sean Foster with Sunrise Consulting, Mike Moore Southern Group, Steven Shell with the key partners, and after we get done with that, we'll do be looking ahead at the 2026 uh legislative session. So, I'm going to call Sean Foster up. Sean,

good morning. Good morning. How are you doing? Scallop season, excuse me, is alive and going. We're out there this weekend. There was a ton of people even with bad weather and we got some good scallops. And um we're going to jump in real quick and just we're going to the next page. I know you're limited on time. We're going to do a a quick session overview uh talk about the state budget. Uh give you some um legislative and policy outcomes and some issues that we've worked with Ralph and your staff on with. going to talk a little bit about the property taxes and uh a petition referendum obviously coming up here and a big thing a lot of people are looking for is what the uh the financial outlook is going to be going into next year. As you know uh this year we were uh still having some of the dollars left over that we had from COVID. We also had a benefit of $2.5 billion extra coming in than what was expected but a little bit of that is going to change. So we're going to jump to this part real quick. It just kind of gives you I just want to go to the bottom. Uh, we passed 20% fewer bills compared to previous years. I think it's probably a good thing if I get up here and tell you that we passed 20% more bills. It's usually, you know, people would take you a lot more regulation and other items, but it was a huge session and you all know what it was ruled by and we're going to talk about that a little bit at the end. And and that was how they were going to try to reduce the taxes that they take in as a legislature. Were they going to do it through uh giving back folks their funding and their money through property taxes or were they going to do it through sales tax or other ways? That's really what was the driver and the obviously the whole reason we had session extended. So I'm going to jump off here and let you know we're going to have three of us coming up in and out. So Mike Moore,

thank you Sean, Madam Chair, commissioners, Mr. Steiner, Kabala and the team. Um happy to be here on behalf of the Southern Group. Um just some state budget highlights. You can see here a smaller budget this year. Um negotiations between the house and senate they yielded a $15.1 billion budget for 2025 and six and they wanted to continue to increase the reserves. So those reserves um were included 15.7 billion in reserves. So you look at the overall state budget there, you see a big portion of that is under healthcare and then following that is education and then we can go down the line when it comes to transportation and then general government, a and natural resources and public safety. We can just go to the next slide. So we're going to get into appropriations a little bit here. So our first appropriation that we succeeded at as a team is Trinity Boulevard, the multimodal corridor investment of $2.5 million. um Chairman Hooper and Chairman Joerger um were the sponsors for that. We're also very appreciative of not just these these members but the chairs of the committees as well. When some of you were up in Tallahass, you were able you were able to meet with Yes, Chair Hooper. We also were able to meet with um Chair Mccclure as well as well as some of their members. So, as you know, when we're going through this process, you know, there's a lot of people involved all the way from the the sponsors to the governor's office. So when we think about, you know, who helped with this, let's remember that this kept bumping up the line as well. But we're very grateful obviously for Chair Joerger and Chair Hooper. Um the next one on the east side of the county was the Curly Road safe routes to school that was sponsored by Senator or Chair Burgess and I like to call him leader whip Maghard. Uh that was the full ask of the 1.5 and I should have said that that was the full ask.

Can I ask a question on that? Yes ma'am. Does that come out of transportation or general revenue?

That one I would

That was at a good question. It comes out of the trust fund out of the five-year work plan that was out of the general revenue. It did not.

Yep.

So that's just a re So that's kind of just a reordering of our district 7 money.

No. If it had come out of the trust fund, that would be when it comes out of general revenue.

It did come out of general revenue.

Correct.

Awesome. So it's in addition to

correct.

Awesome. Correct. Correct.

We make sure to work on that.

Right. But if you saw this year when it comes to the road projects, every road project, every single road project, every appropriation was out of the trust fund.

Actually, the road projects,

they were out of the trust fund.

Every every road project eventually came out of the Yes. was out of the trust fund.

Not just ours, everybody's. That's why you probably saw a lot get vetoed as well,

but yours didn't,

right?

So, it's a good thing. So, moving on. So, Pasco County Fire Station number four. Um again that was Senator Burgess and that was um or Chair Burgess and Chair Joerger. Um obviously with the assistance we have some firefighters here. They're here today. They were very supportive of this appropriation and worked very hard and spent some time in obviously up in Tallahassee as well. So we're very appreciative of of the the team from uh Pasco Fire Rescue for all the efforts and work that they put into to this project. Now the the unfortunate thing is the Pasco Emergency Shelter which where'd he go? We lost we lost Oakley. Um well well we can I guess we can wait for that in a second if if he comes back. I can I can come back to it. But um C Pine's flood abatement that as we know that was not fun. That was never in the budget. But again the Pasco emergency shelter I'd like to wait for him. But we can if he wants to talk about when he comes back we can as well.

We'll bring it back up.

But we we can we can we can yeah we can we can talk about that at the end.

Uh you were doing the text back.

Yep.

In here. I I kind of told you um you know there was two things that really led the session and and one of it was the the tax package and we can all jump in. Um you know I kind of people saw everybody kind of arguing kind of fighting and and I said isn't a terrible thing the legislature is fighting on how to give money back to you. Really what it was the governor had way senate president had away the speaker of the house wanted to reduce your sales tax. Just to let you know the state sales tax has never been reduced in states history not once. So, you know, people were looking at, wow, he's only trying to do it by 3/4 or half of a penny, but that would have been but and also the biggest thing that came out was the repeal on the business rent tax. And people kind of say, what is that? Well, when you see all these folks and all these offices up and down and those were the HVAC and plumbers or those even where you work out of the gyms, they all pay a rental tax. They all and they reduced it some last year and they got rid of the remainder uh this year. Some of the big items though um obviously were in there will have impacts on us. Um

well that one has impacts on us. It does $7 million.

I think it was close to seven.

Seven. It was three. It was seven and building up. Um there was a lot of of reflection on rural communities. The rural bill did not pass. So Senator Albertton wanted some u investments for rural communities in there. the same things that you've always seen before about, you know, giving back the the special dollars that we do for going back to school was made permanent. They also made sure to do a lot of things that had to do with tourism in the state of Florida. People come here to fish. People come here to to hunt. They made sure a lot of those items went in there with that type of economic development that goes as a tourism. Um, and one of the things I'll say, this is going to come back next year. Um, we're going to let Steve and others kind of talk about it. Um, next year is going to be a little bit tougher and I'll give you that little financial outlook. But in the end, it it is the part that extended session longer than what we would all want. Um, I will tell you again, if you look at some of these, we've talked about these before, the ones for hurricanes and all those, all those are being made permanent. Uh, so you no longer need to come back and do it yearbyear, but there was quite a bit in there. We can go to the the next one. I'm going to kind of jump into the legislative and policy outcomes and I'm going to let Mike kind of kick us off and Senate Bill 1080.

Thanks, Sean. And real quick, I'm going to go back to if I could just the appropriations. Um, so, Commissioner Oakley, we're talking about appropriations. Um, unfortunately, one of the ones that was vetoed was the emergency shelter. As we know, I can tell you that, um, you know, Chair Burgess and and leader Whip Maggard were obviously disappointed. They wanted to see that go through. Um, it was hanging on till the end. not just the 25,000, but it was getting close at the end to actually funding it for a large amount. It got caught up in the world of what's happening with emergency management and where those funds going. So, they want to bring that back next year and try again. So,

okay.

And

can I chair Starky,

can I just bring up one more thing to you back to the road? Um, so the trust fund, it's not the same trust fund that your project's going. It's a separate trust fund just to

different than district 7 work product.

Okay, good. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, it is a trust fund, but it's a different it's a different

affecting our other projects.

Correct. It doesn't touch your stuff.

Okay.

And hopefully none of the other counties in district 7 are touching our our money either.

I don't other county. No,

we'll find out at our MP meeting.

Okay. So, obviously a lot of bills. Um we could be here all day to talk about the bills, but um there's some things that obviously Ralph and the team wanted us to go over. So, the first one we're going to talk about is SB 1080, local government land regulation. I'm going to hit some highlights on this. As it states here, it imposes strict review timelines and refund penalties for development permits, bars caps on monthly hearings that would delay decisions, and it expands administrative approvals for agriculture enclave development. So, again, let me do some highlights to get in the weeds a little bit. Um, one of the things it does is it modifies the threshold vote required to approve an impact fee from 2/3 to unanimous going forward. So if you decides if you decide to erase impact fees, it has to be a unanimous vote of this body moving forward. Um in addition, um it also requires local governments to implement an increase in impact fees in at least two but not more than four equal annual increments. Now I've had some conversations with David Goldstein on that as well. So he's he's in tune what's with what's happening and I know um the planning department's working to make sure those uh when they move forward they're abiding by those new rules. Um let's talk a little bit about um public hearings and comp plan amendments. It also specifies in certain comprehensive plan of amendments um that are not adopted sorry plan amendments are not adopted at a second public hearing. The amendments must be formally adopted within 180 days of the separate second public hearing or the amendments are actually deemed withdrawn. So some of these things mean that obviously you're playing the department. Where's he at? There he is. um are going to have to expedite things obviously much quicker than they

you said after the first hearing between the first and the second

specifies if certain comprehensive plan amendments are are not adopted at a second public hearing the amendments must be formally adopted within 180 days of the second public hearing where the amendments are deemed withdrawn

what they're referring to is the transmittal hearing and the adoption hearing

okay

there were we actually had some issues where

that didn't go

that period was too long There are multiple counties in the state that have had that problem and so they're clarifying in the legislation what what happens if we miss the deadline. Something else that your team's going to have to obviously work towards and work on is that within 30 days of receiving an application for approval of a development permit or order, a local government must review the application for completeness and either issue a written notification to the applicant indicating that everything required anything everything that was required was submitted or specify in writing anything areas that are in a deficit. So for applications that do not require a final action through a quasi judicial hearing or public hearing, the bill requires the local government to approve or approve with conditions or deny the application for a development permit within 120 days after the local government has deemed the application complete. So I know again David, you're probably uh working on that now, but that's something we have got to move forward with doing. Um something else to just to highlight for applications do require a final action through a quasi judicial or a public hearing local governments must approve with conditions or deny the application within 100 days after the local government has deemed the application complete. A local government and an applicant may agree in writing or in a public meeting or a hearing to extend the time or the process as long as the applicant agrees to that.

Okay, let's uh if we could let's move on to six.

Wait, wait, wait. But there's more of that built 180 that at that jumped in at the very end.

That's 1080, not 180. 180.

We're going to go to 180 in a minute.

Believe me, we've gotten 1080 and 180 next up from

We're going to go to 180 next.

I'm getting my numbers mixed up. Okay. Well, you'll also similar 1080 actually we got ecstatic. Floor Association counties worked uh immensely in this bill. It actually died in the Senate. Uh they pulled off some of the language that had to do with the agricultural on enclave language and brought that bill back to life. So I I just want to give you some also kudos the floor section of counties and uh the next bill 683 I think it was Griff Griffiths uh did this bill and it's really just a a new era of code review I'll say I mean it sets statewide synthetic turf standards requires under the 35day deadline for local governments to act on changes um it also I put some notes on my own if private providers will use AI and so and and required to use some softwarebased review systems also expedite their their channels. Um, expands the use of the private inspectors I was just talking about and prohibits permit denials for missing builder owner contracts. So, again, I call it the new era of of code.

What does that last one mean?

What's that?

What does that last bullet mean?

Prohibits permit denials of for missing builder owner contracts. That I'm gonna Andrew wrote this and worked on that bill, so he's not with me. Do you remember that one? I will get back to you on that.

Sure.

Yeah. Admittedly,

uh Sean or retired commissioner Moore,

what does that mean?

Um were there when when these when they're going through the local government

uh changes like this, is there any feasibility kind of study high level conversation about the money it takes to have to expedite or hire staff or or what we need to do, the cost associated with it. I'm not going to get in detail. I'm just curious if in

Yes, a bill analysis does take in into context any any type of cost that would take uh to the state or to a local government. But you remember some of these are coming in quickly and some of the times we're reaching out to your staff. Hey, what is the impact? Because an amendment can come up, but they do and that's being presented by tomorrow by 5:00 p.m. So, how quickly are you able to deal with those? But in the end, the bill analysis will have them. Pardon me.

Mo, as you know, most of the an bill analysis say no impact to local government.

Yes, sir. I hear the answer.

Yeah.

All right. The next one, real brief on this one. Again, a little bit more with um streamlining permitting, kind of like what the other bill did, uh fire prevention bill, um is going to be doing some streamlining for small fire alarm sprinkler systems. I put some other thing here to help with the permitting. It's going to require local governments to refund 10% of permit fees per day if deadlines are missed. And the last one enhances inspection and reporting and limits of ordinance enforcement to those who appreciate.

Does that only requiring require the 10% of permit fees for a sprinkler?

That's what I had it on. Correct.

Not not any other. Correct.

Just specifically for sprinkler permit.

Correct.

Okay.

Mike's going to jump in here on 381.

We'll go quick on PLA quick on platting. As you know, um, Madam Chair and commissioners, that a lot of these bills are a result of sometimes mishaps by certain local governments or counties. Um, that's where I feel um, HB 381 came from. Um, there were some counties out there that were holding up plaques and um, after the development was approved and um, upsetting quite a few people. wasn't Pasco County, but um that was happening where they were bringing those back and continuing plats and continuing plats.

That's not the normal course of business as we all know. So basically what this day is is going forward is that plat approval must be done without the need of going before the legislative body which be here would be the board of county commissioners. So plat approval would be administrative. So the county administrator would either assign him him or herself to approve the plats or assign that to somebody else within the team moving forward. Personally, I don't think it's a bad thing. I think when I sat on the on this board, I was like, why are we why are we approving these plats? We already

need to make sure they have certain things in

Yeah. But it I don't think to me I don't think it's that big this is that big a deal. you know, take something off your plates and administratively you have a good team here that's going to obviously be able to focus on what's right or wrong.

Okay.

Okay. Utility relocation. You want to take that, Sean?

I want to tell you real quick. Yeah. So, real quick, you talk about a bill where they did come in and ask us from the cost and that was 818. They absolutely came in and said, "What is it going to cost your county?" And it was huge numbers that they were getting. So, this bill may not be as pretty as when it came at the end, but it's a lot better than when it started. Now the grant program and it there is specifically in law. Let me tell you what it literally says in law now. The law now states the burden is not shifted to local government. So to just let that settle in for that was the first time we ever got into law that this in future could not be shifted. Uh it requires FDOT. I can show you that one 50% creates a grant program and that grant program if that empties and there's not in there they still cannot go to the counties for the rest of that funding. shields local governments from financial responsibility. But I will tell you the Florida Association of Counties worked hard in this. Your staff gave us these amounts. We were meeting with the Senate President Speaker's office. So I will say, Seth, that is one of the areas where we did get the information on a huge impact.

And I talked to some of the guys um I can't remember the name of the company, the big one that does the cables. They said they told me 80 they're putting $80 million the state in a fund for this. That was the number they told me. But um I was really glad to hear we're not on the hook for it.

Yeah.

Okay. Here's the big one. So 180 um will, you know, have an impact on many departments within Pasco County government um all the way from obviously EM to planning from the the fire rescue pretty much across the board. It also on a state level too um DEM um has there's a lot of requirements for DEM as well on the state level. So let me just hit some again hit some of the highlights. We could literally talk about this bill for probably hours. Yeah, it's it's long detailed. So some of the bigger the larger impacts um as you can see posttorm permitting counties must adopt and publish expedited posttorm permitting plans and recovery checklists. debris management. Counties must apply for D authorization for at least one debris site encouraged to amend solid waste contracts. Um, something else when it comes to breed management as well is that there's there's section there's a part of this bill that talks about your contractors that you hire to they it's really pushing it where they could be penalized or fined if they don't move forward with doing their job when it comes to say debris pickup or or something associated with the storm. So there's penalties not just for the county, there's penalties from a vend to a vendor for not moving through with something. So, you hire somebody to pick up debris, they don't do it, there's penalties if they don't move forward with with doing that as well. Um, here's a big one. Fee protections. Local governments are prohibited from raising building inspection fees for 180 days.

Did somebody do that? Well, here we waved them

and people are raising them.

That's unbelievable.

You know, there's

there there were some knee-jerk reactions. You figured people had flood mitigation. They went into moratoriums. In other words, around the state. So, this was a a lot of the counties and cities.

Correct. Correct. And you know, and you see some people involved in the bill, they lived in coastal communities. Um they had a lot of municipalities in their district and um obviously there were some mishaps that they responding to.

Madam Chair,

yeah,

quick question. Uh with posttorm permitting,

uh even debris management, you've got FEMA requirements, etc. FEMA contracts.

They want us to do certain things to stay in the NFIP. Does that get factored into when you say expedited permitting? Because if they people have to do certain things all the way through, it's it's a problem.

I also recall it did FEMA specific items in there. It was more the ones that you had on

because they changed the rules on us mid midstorm cleanup.

I don't see anything in the legislation that even mentions mentions FEMA. So we could not dictate to be faster than the third. Okay.

Yeah. I don't I don't see

but again a lot of this was coming from postnal disasters and um and there's and it does go retroactive back to August I think of

that's what we're Yep.

and it limited to 2027.

Yeah.

Part of it they're trying to push AI as well. I mentioned it earlier because I I know there's some programs out there we might be able to even join in on.

That that was one of the reason why I mentioned that under the bill. They're hoping that that if they see the private sector does it that the governments would also be considering to do that to expedite the process.

Okay. Yep. So if a storm if a hurricane fell or made landfall within a 100 miles of the county or municipality within 100 miles

um doesn't mean you had to get hit by it within 100 miles. There's a lot of things that that that triggers. So it bars moratoriums. It also um bars restrictive land use regulations post hurricane. Um so for example a moratorium on construction, reconstruction or redevelopment of any property. So the way I interpret this is it means that you cannot have a moratorium at all. We have talked to your county attorneys about this but that's the way I interpret it. I'll let them give you their interpretation but I read in black and white to me that's what it states. Um and when it says a more restrictive reverse of any type of amendment to the comprehensive plan as well. So we talk about land regulations anything you you can't touch you can't make the land the comprehensive plan more restrictive. Um that also includes anything procedures coming with the issuance of a of a site plan or a development permit or a development order as well. That is all in this bill.

A lot a lot.

There's a lot. I mean, we can ask we can answer as many questions as you want on it in in the time that allows, but if if you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to us. Happy to have these conversations. I know we've had conversations with a lot of you. I said, I've had conversations on multiple occasions with Mr. Goldstein as well. Um, and we'll continue that to find out any answers.

I do have a question. I have a question and sorry, I got a medical text here from family members. I had to read it. Um, so on that last bullet,

did you talk about that one?

That that that's what we just talked about. Yeah. So, um, it's funny because I understand this came from Manatee County, a a builder in Manatee County and, uh, and at Niko, I talked to Manatee County commissioners who say they're going to try and get a carve out from this this which is funny when it's potentially caused by them. I but I am wondering if if um if it's possible that we could talk about that next year for counties who are within x amount of time of finishing their comp plan because we have been working for three years on our comp plan revision. I mean the the community needs us from 2006. So I'd like and then it puts a freeze on us and all the money we spent getting that done to enact our LDC's. So correct

I think we should talk about counties who within

oh

certain amount of completion or finished a recent comp plan you know the revisions what they which they want us to do that maybe we can get some kind of carve out

sure and those are conversations we can have with you and and your fellow commissioners the and having conversations with legislators that that's how you guide us

I think and I was going to bring up the I think that a workshop that we did a couple years ago worked out really really well and it's something we should consider in that type of information come in. We have two we're going to go through.

I was going to say real quick.

So, it is noon, a little afternoon.

I'm sorry. I got to go back to a question on that one. It just came to my mind. We have all this FEMA money or HUD money.

We have a certain amount of time to spend it. Some are going to require land use change potentially.

A more a more restrictive land use change than you currently have.

Well, I don't know. It depends on what we're going to try and do over there on the coast. Now they're restricting us from what we might want to do with some of our money that we have only a certain amount of time to do it in. Right? Is do you see any conflicts there?

I think as we get into the implementation phase and we actually see the projects they come to fruition, we can better make that assessment. But you're not wrong to assume that there could be an impact.

Again, restrictor is a key word though.

You could free it up, make it easier. Well, let's say you want to get rid of a mobile home park that is in a fl getting whacked and whacked and whacked by a storm.

But if it was voluntary,

huh?

We can have this conversation.

Just thinking ahead that maybe bad.

Yeah. All right.

Thank you. Next.

All right. So, we'll move fast. Um, three. We have three minutes for you. I guess we're always told TDT again, no changes this year. Did not pass. Um, I could get in the weeds really. We worked as a team. worked really hard on this. Obviously, you had Adam Thomas come up with some of his team members, too. We took them around. Um, this will come back next year. I mean, there's no doubt. We're being told it's going to come back. We'll have to work on this again.

Who's who's pushing this one?

Well,

well, I don't I don't like to There's multiple legislators,

right?

Multiple legislators

from counties have a lot of money.

Well, remember, you know, the argument is also trying to get tax dollars back for property taxes. So this would be the way that

this would be a good segue into what Steve's going to talk about as well. Um but it's acade by our

across the board and there are people that have were part of this bill that live and are represent um beach areas by the way as too. So it's not just rural counties that are looking for the money.

No, I don't think it's rural counties. I think it's the big counties that get the big bucks. Well, obviously places like Orange County and, you know, Orlando would never want to see this property tax.

Hey, commissioners Steve Sha the Ay partners. The point about TDT, it plugs in here. There basically were two proposals this year that I think will come back. One is the large county, Orange County, Miami Dade being able to use money raised over $50 million for roads and housing, those kind of things. The other was the proposal that came out of the house which was to basically take the TDT money, give it to you as general revenue and and then give rebates back for property taxes which I think is what we're going to we're going to see more of that next year. So um next uh slide here we go. Sorry.

Sorry.

I went to liberal arts college. Forgive me. um is uh you know so so the governor has talked about um repealing property taxes altogether. Uh just in terms of the politics, the senate has been fairly skeptical about property tax reform in a significant way. The house has taken it on in a in a a fairly aggressive way. Uh neither one of Governor Dantis' proposals passed this year, but we will see it back. The House has uh formed a special committee. It's about 30 members uh chaired by Vicky Lopez from Miami and Toby Overdorf uh from Palm City. Vicky Lopez is a former county commissioner from Lee County, so she has some history in the issue.

And didn't they the governor veto their million?

Yes, he correct. I thought governor basically said we have staff that already does. We don't need to have another study. Um but the House is approaching it like they you know they're moving forward with a full full-fledged study. We talked about increasing the homestead exemption to 500,000. There's a proposal by Senator Martin that is floated around to going to $700,000 which he says would be the uh inflation adjusted from the very first uh homestead exemption when we first did that. Uh I think the I would not be surprised if they go to the ballot with allowing the legislature to adjust the homestead exemption to give them the power to be able to do those things. Uh, and then again, I think the the big piece is this one that's shown up in all three of all five of the proposals the House have floated, which is that somebody should not lose their home exclusively because they can't pay their property taxes. Uh, I I fully expect that we're going to see something particularly something will definitely come out of the house. Again, I think that there is uh I don't Shaw agrees, but I think there's more of a pause in the Senate about making these big changes concerned about the financial outlook, which we'll get to in a second. Uh, petition reform real quick. want to talk about because it does, Commissioner Lightman, it does one of these things that's not really funded. Uh the legislature uh has uh I think wisely made some changes to try to uh ratchet down, you know, uh petition gathers, make sure that we know who they are, make sure their background check, make sure they're registered. Um they had the time that you from the time you get a petition signed, you turn it in, I think has gone from a month to to 10 days. Uh the big thing uh it'll impact Commissioner Corley I mean not Commissioner Corley the supervisor corley is um every time he gets a petition for a constitutional amendment he's going to have to send a letter to the voter basically saying confirming you signed this petition and giving the voter 14 days to resend their

who's paying for that exactly

you all

oh my goodness so um

it's a postcard not a letter

correct uh yeah but it will so that that is the the one piece of this bill. Uh again, I think there's there's a lot of changes in here that are pretty smart. That is the one change that is going to have an impact on the county. So I think though what about Sorry, I know we're in time frame about the petitioners too. The people there there was some legislation that changed because of the petitioners themselves have to live within the state of Florida.

Correct. I mean, sorry, I was just trying to run it through quickly. Petitioners now will have to live in the state of Florida. They'll have to register with the state. Uh that's a should be a pretty easy process. We have that process in place now for people that that do voter registration be a very similar process. I think the the impact the the piece that will impact the county is this last piece that will allow them if he gets 25 25,000 petitions from Pasco County residents, they'll have to send 25,000 letters out uh to confirm that they did actually sign that petition.

I I think one of the reasons for that change was um not for this this possible referendum for this for these positions, but um you have people coming from all over the bust in to do these petition drives and get petition signed. So they change the law that you must be with the state of Florida and must register.

Um just real quick moving ahead and I'm really surprised Florida association counties at the conference didn't really mention some of this but I kind of put on their uncertainty exists. We just do not know what the next year but revenue estimating conference and I put some of the things in here. It's going to be a weaker and state national economic variables. You know we've seen so many things going on with the tariffs recently. Last week, I just heard the tariffs gave us the best June that we've ever had, but we could end up having the be the worst July we've ever had. Uh, federal cuts to programs that come down to the to to the state and to the counties. We're already hearing that. We're already feeling that. We're waiting to see what those numbers are going to be. And the forecasting is much less stable from the revenue estimating conference. When I told you earlier, they gave us our pot of money for 2024 to 25. We exceeded that by $2.8 billion last year. This year that number has gone, it's a little bit farther down the slide. They're saying no more higher than expecting 384 million for the 2025 to 2026. Why? People are going to be spending a lot less money. We have the issue of the interest rates and consumer uh confidence. Um so the last thing I I'll tell you is that we also saw when they did the revenue estimate conference for the first time coming out in June, we had a net negative with population. We've always talked about this more people more people coming to Florida. Well, there still is, but there's also more people now moving out. So, for the first time in June, we had what we'll call it a net negative. Same amount of people coming in, same coming out. Um, so we still have a very healthy state. People are coming here. Homes are getting a lot more expensive. Homeowners insurance is finally starting to stable a little bit.

Folks on the lower end of the socioeconomic level leaving for

they do

less expensive states.

And the last thing I know we you know, a lot of things you were trying to bring up and I'd like to really encourage all to do the workshop like we did a couple years ago. I think we're able to really flesh out a lot of the ideas, a lot of the policy items, and and really get you ready for the appropriations.

Yeah, that's currently scheduled for September 9th.

So, something that's that's strong, though, and something to be positive about is um yesterday CNBC came out again and ranked Florida as um the nation's number one economy. So, that's that's pretty positive news.

Okay. And then real quick just uh looking ahead uh 2026 January 13th uh session convenes uh the committee meetings start up October 2025. So in preparation for that today after uh this afternoon I'll be sending out an email to the organization asking back for policy and funding initiative proposals to come back to me by July 29th so we can plan ahead and prepare for the September 9th uh meeting that we will have and extend an invitation to our legislative delegation for you all to finalize your priorities for the 2026 legislative session. And with that, I'll bring it to an end.

Madam Chair,

yep.

I'd like to say um you know, this was a big year for us, but especially for the previous year, we got next to nothing between all the vetos and and stuff getting through. So, I think we made a great move hiring the three firms together. You guys worked together very well. No matter who was going on, we had at least one of the groups with us every step of the way. You cooperated great. And again, from what I see we got compared to what I expected, you guys did a phenomenal job. So, thank you. question.

It's because we have more of a lobbying team.

Oh, yeah.

All right. Thank you guys. Um, we will break for lunch.

That was good. [Music] Ways and wildlife depend on you to keep them healthy. Excess fertilizer, grass clippings, trash, oils, and pet waste wash into gutters and storm drains when it rains. Storm water carries these pollutants