CAO-21-0808

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TranscriptWhat was said at each appearance is below it. Machine transcription, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 71% of 126 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong. 1 of the 2 appearances are not in any recording, so what was said at those is not here.

1. 1Aug 10, 2021
   Board of County CommissionersR106Regular businessNo disposition in the minutes

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2. 2Aug 24, 2021
   Board of County CommissionersR77Regular businessAdopted

   (11:00 a.m. Time Certain) CLOSED ATTORNEY-CLIENT SESSION – Litigation Assessment Meeting pursuant to Section 286.011(8), Florida Statutes, for the case A Resolution By The Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida v. Amerisourcebergen Drug Corporation, et al., Case No: 8:18-cv-1558-T-33-AEP (US. Dist. Ct., MD. Fla.). Establishing The Terms, Composition, Membership, And Quorum Requirements For The “Pasco County Opioid Task Force,” And Designating The Chair And Vice-Chair For The Task Force.

   Approved minutes

   Approved to adopt the Resolution as revised.

   Open this item →▶ Play from 1:42:19
   ▶ 1:42:1922m

   OakleyChair

   1:42:19move on to R seventy seven.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:42:23Mm. Mr. Chairman, this is the um Resolution establish establishing the Pasco County Opioid Task Force. Um this was at your last meeting and was pulled out of the action item. Um we

   1:42:45Redid the resolution um although I think there are there still was some need for board discussion unless the board is happy with it the way it is. Uh we added on the member of the Pasco Alliance for Substance Prevention, uh ASAP. Um otherwise it stayed the same, but then There was some discussion amongst the board about Whether or not uh the number one position

   1:43:16you wanted to put a board member on it.

   Moore

   1:43:18No.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:43:18Um if you don't want to put a board member on it. Um that can either be an additional county administrator seat Um or that position can be taken out completely given that um the Pasco County uh Assistant County Administrator for Public Services or her his or her designee. um is also a member of the of the task force. Um But that's uh that's completely up to the

   1:43:49board for composition.

   OakleyChair

   1:43:51Mr Moore.

   Moore

   1:43:53Kathy, are you are you are you on it? Are you on it?

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:43:59You just mentioned that.

   1:44:04I don't

   1:44:06Who

   Moore

   1:44:06do you th just out of curiosity, who do you think you might put on it?

   1:44:12Okay. I this is my opinion, obviously this is the entire board uh decision here. I personally don't think there should be a board member on that. I don't Um I think we should leave it to professionals, people that understand this crisis, people that are in the industry. Licensed mental health counselors. Nurses, physicians, people we mentioned ASAP, those professionals, people from you know Baycare, there's a number of groups we have here. that under s there's a there's a representative from the sheriff's office.

   1:44:42I'll give you an example. My wife Um was in charge at one time for the opioid pr um prevention program for Pasco County School Districts. And she said I'm still talking. And she said on a number of committees and boards when it came to this crisis, for example. There's a lot of great professionals out there that have already started this process of decision making process of how funds, if they ever came through, could or should be used. Um

   1:45:14I mean I can get and I can help out with giving you supply those lists to you as well of of those individuals. Um I just think those That this is gonna have to come back in front of this Board of County Commissioners? to make a decision on how f the final on how these funds are gonna be used. I think it's best uh for us to hear from those professionals, then putting their heads together, come and present to us and then us as a collective body make the final decision of how those dollars will be used. Yeah.

   1:45:45Nobody here, and I I you know, has the experience and has degrees in this manner. I mean I if anybody that's me and I don't wanna be on it. You know. I have more health care experience I actually have d than anybody and but at the same time I don't think I should be on it as well. So my opinion.

   OakleyChair

   1:46:05Okay. Ms. Dark.

   StarkeyVice Chair

   1:46:07Uh well, okay, I'll just be real quick after um Christine. And I wasn't here last week or la at the last board meeting um when if you discussed this, but um uh two years ago, um Tommy I think you say Isaura of the head of Baycare. Um convened a group from four counties Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsboro, and Polk. And with Advent Health, Bay C Advent Health, Bay Care and H C A Um Commissioner Oakley, me,

   1:46:37the sheriff, I think Dewey Mitchell was also anyway, there's a there was a group from every county um brought together to discuss the this opioid crisis and how the region could Um Work on this together. Uh And I think a lot of good ideas came out of that and um And And uh I I don't want the county commission to lose its voice on that. I I have no problem appointing for us to appoint

   1:47:07someone to that committee that if someone wants to give us um you know applications and we pick someone. But I do think that that we should be represented because it's gonna be a lot of money. And um I just I just think we should have our hand in it a little more.

   OakleyChair

   1:47:24That's what it is. Ms.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:47:25Fitzpatrick. Mr. Chairman, I would actually like I know it says one of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, and I would like to be on that board. I have been involved with ASAP and Substance Exposed Newborns Committee since 2012. So I am knowledgeable on how much it costs for a neonatal abstinence syndrome baby and I ha am on the board.

   1:47:55um re house reps regarding this issue. So I would like to be very involved with this situation and I have reached out to senators in the past and currently.

   Moore

   1:48:08I'm gonna know what I

   OakleyChair

   1:48:09can I ask you I want to ask you a question and um do you feel comfortable being on that board? Giving up your right as a voting member of the Board of County Commissioners. to accept the professional opinion of those that are on their board from staff or or others. Wouldn't you be better suited for voting for what they bring to you than you are serving on the board and then not being able to vote for it? Mm-hmm.

   StarkeyVice Chair

   1:48:38We can't wait. Well why would we have to do that?

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:48:39She would be she would be able to vote on she would not have a a conflict of in conflict of interest in terms of two eighty six um When it can when it reached the board just like any of your other committees that I that a that a county that make make a recommendation to you.

   1:49:03All right.

   1:49:04Okay. That's

   OakleyChair

   1:49:05understand.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:49:06It's something I've been working on for the past ten years that I Mr.

   Mariano

   1:49:10Mariano afterwards. Yeah, Mr. Chairman Mariano as far as working on an issue and looking at an issue and directly affected as a commissioner for so many years here watching this thing go, I mean I think I'd be very qualified and excited to sit on this board as well. However I think Commissioner Moore brings up a good point that we shouldn't have a Board of County Commissioners. This will be a recommending body to us. Uh thereby we can make the decisions, make the tweaks. We have the flexibility to change anything we see. with the parameters here. Having said that, there's something very important

   1:49:40I think we need to know. Um When we had our presentation on that litigations Yeah. Uh and I think you remember I asked the question How does the money get spent? And we were pretty much told that seventy percent was gonna be dictated from that list that we were shown that was on the agenda. And thirty percent we had control over direct. to we even reimburse ourselves from previous expenses. The way it came out. As the attorney called me back after talking to our county attorney, and he wanted to re-explain to me,

   1:50:10that is not the case the way this legislation was written. We have to follow all of it. through the rules that were were done. Now, I I give this a lot of thought about what to do. My first reaction was well let's just Mm I'm gonna make a motion to reconsider. We're gonna knock it back and and and bring this up. Uh I even talked to Ginger D. Lagal at F Florida Association of the County's trying to put information together. But I think as we also heard the biggest part of the settlements, this is this may be about three point five million dollars a year. for the next

   1:50:40eight years or so far as there could be triple that of money coming up from the next settlements that are coming up. What I think we should do just to keep this move and get the money quicker to us is join with it the way it's you know, go with what we had already voted on to go with it. But I think we need to put our voice together to say we want the flexibility for the next settlement. not to be fully dictated, but to be able to get thirty to forty percent of that money to either get our expenses back or have more control over how we want to spend it.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:51:10Mr. Chairman Mari

   1:51:15The issue that the the attorney misspoke on um is The seventy thirty is the national plan. the money that is flowing through Florida is all subject to the Florida plan. Which that detailed memorandum was provided to the commission at the last board meeting. Um so it all Everything that is coming into Florida is gonna flow through the Florida

   1:51:45plan. And that's going to be the the criteria which Um Which money is going to be Delegated to the to the local governments. Um the issue really here is can you qualify as a qualified county? Um which currently we are not. Uh we are have the significant enough population

   1:52:15to qualify, but you have to put these other pieces in place, one of which is being the ta the the task force re resolution. Unless the Attorney General changes the Florida plan for future settlements, I think you're gonna be bound by the Florida plan as it exists today.

   Mariano

   1:52:34But if the legislature s changed the law,

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:52:38if the legislature did something different and and overrode the memorandum of understanding that the Attorney General's office has put out that Then all bets are off.

   Mariano

   1:52:50Yes. Okay. So We'd have to go legislatively or not. get the attorney general to change what she wants. I think from what I've heard, what we've heard, that she's probably gonna be locked into her position.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:53:04I d I just wanted to make it clear that it that it It all until that plan changes either legislatively or otherwise it's all gonna flow through it. Right and and so any subsequent settlement is gonna flow through it as well.

   Mariano

   1:53:17Right. And and like I said, part of the public discussion that we can have and that that gets out there is That seventy thirty split like the rest of the nation is getting? We're we're bound under different terms and I don't think that's right. We we put our taxpayer money into different things. And if this has so much money into it down the road, which we don't know That I may just be blowing money on things that I don't need to just 'cause I got to spend it on something. I'd rather make sure we have the option to do more of what the national plan does, if we have to go through our legislative delegation to go

   1:53:47push that forward. I think we're better off looking for local control. At least for the last Chunks that are coming up. I'm happy to get this thing going. I think what they put in there is really good. I think it was w well thought out. I just wanted to have some of the control so we can reimburse our own expenses.

   StarkeyVice Chair

   1:54:03I

   Mariano

   1:54:04don't

   StarkeyVice Chair

   1:54:04understand the not reimbursing the citizens of Pasco for the expenses they put out.

   Mariano

   1:54:09Exactly, because it's damages. When you go sue, you sue for damages, that means you're gonna get made whole again. I wanna get made whole. I mean the people from Breen Key. If they weren't going through that situation, would I mo have more money to go put into that situation? So all those things that we've had to skip and hold back on. is is is is hurting us. So If the Board is comfortable, I won't reconc I won't move to reconsider. We'll just make a push though, united we have to be, to that we want to go look at the the f future split to be

   1:54:39along the national plan of the 7030.

   StarkeyVice Chair

   1:54:41Well I I don't know what you're talking about reconsider. Did you make a vote that we

   Mariano

   1:54:44voted yes.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:54:45They voted to approve the the Board approved the memorandum of understanding with the Attorney General at the last meeting. The piece that was pulled out of that approval was this resolution because you had expressed an an interest in that Yeah. in in what the membership was going to be and Commissioner Moore had a concern about a board member being on it and so We moved the resolution to give you all more time to think about it. We moved the resolution pulled the resolution out

   1:55:15and moved it to this bill.

   StarkeyVice Chair

   1:55:17Okay, so Listen, if Commissioner Fitzpatrick wants to do be on there, I'm okay with that. My my plate is very, very full. And when you get when your plate's too full, everything's Everything you're working on gets doesn't get done well. Uh Um

   Moore

   1:55:35Well I don't

   StarkeyVice Chair

   1:55:36know Commissioner Weight doesn't think we need anyone on the M. I

   Moore

   1:55:38don't think the Commissioner should be on there. They're gonna bring this back to us. I think we need to step back, like Commissioner Mariano said a minute ago, let that committee bring the recommendations. We need to have professionals in this industry, and I appreciate your advocacy. I was administrator of a very large health care firm. I had patients with opioid addiction and we tr and we had nurses that treated them. I'm just being honest, I'm more knowledgeable than anybody up here on this issue. I still don't think I should be on it. Um, I don't think anybody, any commissioner

   1:56:09should be on it. We need to leave it to the nurses, the doctors, the licensed mental health counselors. The psychiatrist, the psychologist, somebody from the sheriff's office, because they have somebody that's dedicated to this issue, probably somebody from fire rescue as well, um, that treat this on a regular basis and deal with these people on a regular basis. Let them bring this back to us and then we'll make the decisions from there. Let's take that, let's separate ourselves from this. So they bring us a recommendation. Staff has great people back to the

   OakleyChair

   1:56:36committee or

   Moore

   1:56:37ca Kathy has a great great team members as well that can represent the county that engage in this on a daily basis seven days a week.

   StarkeyVice Chair

   1:56:47Well uh these are gonna be public meetings with the task force, so I guess we want to attend, you can go.

   Moore

   1:56:54Yeah. We can be in attendance.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:56:56And have your voice There's no conflict of interest. There's a lot of recommendations that I have for this.

   Moore

   1:57:01That's that and that's when we make it here on the dias. So if they bring something back and you think they're not making the right decision or you don't agree with their decision. you as a board member, as well as the other four members, against that recommendation.

   1:57:18Recommending the board. on an issue when you're part of the board. Whether there be any of us, not you, pr any of us. What I don't agree with. Let the people that do this for a living be on that committee.

   1:57:36Adamant about that.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:57:37If there is no conflict of interest, I am very confident I would say.

   Moore

   1:57:40I make a motion that no commissioner be on this committee. Leave it to our team to find the professionals that should make up this committee.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:57:47Mr.

   Moore

   1:57:48Second. Commissioner

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:57:50Yeah. Mr. Chairman M so

   1:57:58In that case you would be dil are you deleting number one from the resolution. I'm trying to get action. Go

   Moore

   1:58:05ahead,

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:58:05read off number

   Moore

   1:58:05one,

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:58:05Mr.

   Moore

   1:58:06Stein.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:58:06One member of the Board of Pasco County Board of County Commissioners or in the alternate Pasco County Administrator or his designee. Do you want to leave the the administrator or his designee in that slot? Do you want to Well we need

   Moore

   1:58:18Kathy's somebody from Kathy's Dr.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:58:19She's another she's got another slot lower.

   Moore

   1:58:21Okay, delete number one, delete the administrator, delete a commission member.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:58:25Okay. So we'll we'll take We'll take number one off off the agenda. Is there any other changes in membership to this committee that we have to do?

   Mariano

   1:58:41That's redevelopment. So I just wanted to make I want to make it that that squared away first.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:58:44Yes, take take a vote on that motion.

   OakleyChair

   1:58:51Commissioner Moore and a second by Commissioner Oakley that not to delete number one. Delete number one.

   1:59:00No commissioner will be on that committee.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:59:03Is there a standard list that all the counties have of members of who is on the board?

   Bellis

   1:59:09No.

   OakleyChair

   1:59:12Okay. So I have a motion and a second. All those in favor of that motion say aye. Aye. Aye. All opposed, like so? No. There was got a motion pass four one.

   Mariano

   1:59:24Uh Mr. Chairman Mariano. Yes. Uh and Commissioner Moore, I'm glad you brought up the idea about I thought f someone from Fire EMS should be on there as well, so I think that should be put in there s to some some level. Fire fire EMS.

   Julia Pauls

   1:59:37Oh yeah.

   Mariano

   1:59:37Whether it be chief or his designee. Uh I think that should be Put on there.

   OakleyChair

   1:59:44What's

   Mariano

   1:59:44number

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:59:44two? The number two is the superintendent of schools or his or her designee. Number three is the Pasco County Sheriff or his his or her designee. Number four is the PASCO Assistant County Administrator for Public Services Branch or his or her designee? Number five is one representative of either of the two counties municipalities as defined in the proposed MOU. Um and we had

   2:00:15gone th they're in In Pasco, there are two cities that qualify. It would be Newport Ritchie and Zephyrhills. And so they would alternate on this committee. Um

   2:00:29Number six is the director of the Florida Department of Health Pasco County or his or her designee. Uh number seven is a person with subject matter expertise in public health or addiction who is employed by a provider of opioid-related services in Pasco County, who is nominated to the task force by the county administrator or appointed by the and appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. Number eight is a person with subject matter expertise in public

   2:00:59health or addiction who is employed by a hospital system operating in Pasco County who is nominated by to the task force by the county administrator or appointed by the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners. Uh number nine is the chief judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit or his or her designee. Number ten is the representative of ASAP. Yeah.

   Mariano

   2:01:26Mr.

   OakleyChair

   2:01:26Chairman Mariano.

   Mariano

   2:01:28I I would like us to add in, I mean, I know we are saying the words employed by for the for the health positions, but I think it would be a wise thing to have someone who may be Retired. Um From it. that doesn't have to be employed that could be in the position. Just to get that extra medical benefit where someone is outside the realm of uh the medical world's employee.

   Moore

   2:01:57Add another position.

   Mariano

   2:01:58Add another position. That'll give us eleven anyway.

   Moore

   2:02:00Add another position.

   Mariano

   2:02:01Add another position. And And if if we do that, that retired person

   Moore

   2:02:05that

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   2:02:05replaced yeah.

   Mariano

   2:02:08Definitely have a medical background to some degree that fits in one of these categories.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   2:02:11Okay. Do you want to use the same criteria, public health or or addiction? Yeah, that's fine.

   OakleyChair

   2:02:18Okay.

   Moore

   2:02:23Yeah, Mr. Chairman M yeah, I think that's good because the Sheriff's Office has um Captain Roach. She's this is what she does, opioid, deals with opioid addiction and and uh the school system has a registered nurse. that runs an Oak P education program, which my wife used to be in that position herself, so I know they have that position. And that's and that's a grant that comes through the Health Department Department of Health. And they give that grant to also the s um Pasco County School System and the Pasco County's uh Sheriff's

   2:02:53Office as well. So another good thing.

   Mariano

   2:02:55Right. And one other point of discussion on the settlement where it's now it's gonna be six members will be constitute the quorum. But as far as like who becomes the chair, um I think it probably should start off with the right-of-way. The county administrators public services position to start. From there, I don't mind if it switches around wherever it's got to switch to. You know if the you might have a r a really strong board member from the hospital that seems to want to take control of Ken or whatever. I mean I'm okay with the board selecting

   2:03:26who they want. After that go after the initial point of the first year goes through? So I don't know if we want to make that change or not.

   Moore

   2:03:33Whatever you want. That sounds good to me. Okay. Make your motion.

   Mariano

   2:03:37All right, so I'll add for a retired person to join the board for the eleventh position, changing the quorum to six. And for the first year it'll be the Public administrator. Or their appointee from public services to be the first chairman and after that the chairman positions be elected by the group itself.

   OakleyChair

   2:03:54Okay.

   2:03:58Have a motion and a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. All opposed, like, sign. Motion pass 5-0.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   2:04:07Can I get another motion to add a fire rescue or EMS the fire chief or his designee um and uh the retired Person. So moved? Second.

   OakleyChair

   2:04:23And motion and second. All those in favor say aye. Aye.

   Fitzpatrick

   2:04:27And that will put it at eleven. And I know that.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   2:04:31Thank you, Mr. County Attorney. And with those changes, are you in favor of adopting the resolution? Well mm. Second.

   OakleyChair

   2:04:39Got a motion and second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Motion pass five zero.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   2:04:45We will make those changes and deliver it to Board Records.