Pasco County meeting record

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1Apr 9, 2025
Board of County CommissionersRS2ProclamationAdopted
Approved minutes
Approved to adopt.
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19m
Kathryn StarkeyChair
All right, um next up is R S two. Presentation.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
The presentation.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Resolution.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
It's um bitch.
Unidentified speakerVoice A
Oh, that's right. Presentation. Someone
Kathryn StarkeyChair
wanna go down? All of
Unidentified speakerVoice A
us? Oh, really?
I was listening to that for a long time.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Don't complain
Keith
when you Run
Kathryn StarkeyChair
out
Unidentified speakerVoice A
of time.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
That's you. You're like, this looks weird. chair is
Kathryn StarkeyChair
dead.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Alright, R S two. Mariano.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Okay, um if you are here or there he is. We're building safety months. I'll go ahead and I'll read the resolution. Anyone else? Yeah, come on up. You have to I'll probably
Unidentified speakerVoice B
stand up for the next four minutes.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
You guys all colour coordinated, I like this. Resolution number 25-175, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, declaring the month of May 2025 as Building Safety Month in Pasco County. Whereas Pasco County is committed to recognizing that our growth and strength depend upon the safety and essential role our homes, buildings, and infrastructure play both in everyday life and when disasters strike. And RAS, our confidence in the resilience of the buildings
that make up our community in is achieved through the devotion of diligent professionals such as building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, builders, tradespersons. Design professionals, laborers, plumbers, and others in the construction industry who work year-round to ensure the safe construction of buildings. And Raz as professionals are dedicated members of the International Code Council, a nonprofit that brings together local, state, territorial, tribal,
and federal officials who are experts in the building industry to create and implement the highest quality codes. to protect citizens in the buildings in which they live, work and play. And Raz during ANRAS modern building codes include safeguards to protect the public from hazards such as hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, uh wild land fires, and earthquakes. ANRAS Building Safety Month is sponsored by the International Code Council to remind the public about the crucial role,
the critical role, Of our communities, largely unknown protectors of public safety, our local code officials who assure us of safe, sustainable, and affordable buildings that are essential to our prosperity. And whereas the 2025 theme for Building Safety Month is Game On, which encourages us all to raise awareness about building safety on a personal, local, and goal. scale. ANRAS, each year in observance of Building Safety Month, people all over the world
are asked to consider the commitment to improve building safety, resilience, and economic investment at home and in the community. and to acknowledge the essential services the essential service provided to all citizens by local and state building departments, fire prevention bureaus, and federal agencies in protecting lives and property. Now therefore be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said board hereby declares the month of May 2025 as Building Safety Month in Pasco County and encourages all
Pasco County citizens to join in participation of Building Safety Month activities, done and resolved in regular session with a quorum present and voting this ninth day of April 2025.
Ron Oakley
Move approval. Second.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
All in favor? Aye.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Hi.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Good morning.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Madam Clerk, for the the wonderful read. Um the theme this year for Building Safety Month is game on. Uh we put a colon on that. It takes a team. Um because it really does take a team to keep Pasco County safe. And I'd be remiss while BCS is standing up here, and I think Aaron from Fire is here. Um That's the kind of the primary point team here, but we couldn't do what we do without uh other members, including the Sheriff's Office, um Mr. Steinsnyder's office actually. You know, we should have Jessica and Sam standing right next to us here
as well. Um but it does take a team. But I'm going to take a moment just to brag about what's happened in the last year since we were last up here. You know, last time I was up here, we were on the verge of doing our first mobile permitting event, which was something that we had never done before in this county. We did that in the Shady Hills area and we we figured out how that would work. And we we said that well that would be good practice for if we have to to activate in a hurricane. do we know that in three or four months we would have to activate not
only once but twice. Uh in that time we activated four mobile permitting sites at various places around the county. Special shout out to uh to Mr Fasano for giving us a home in his lobby in Gulf Harbors for a little bit as well. But I used that But we learned pretty quickly that um we had to go where our customers needed us because our systems weren't really designed um for a disaster scenario. So we made sure that we put smiles on
the other side of the table where people were being affected the most. And I thought that was a a really great thing to see during the storm that had we not gone through that process ahead of time, we wouldn't know what to do. But in that time frame, you know, we we process about sixty thousand permits a year, whether you know it or or not. About eight thousand of those are residential news, but the rest is residential alts alterations, commercial permits, um over four hundred and eight thousand
inspections, which works out, if you do the math, to about three inspections a minute in Pasco County, building inspections. And that's not even inclusive of the fire marshal's inspections. Um but All that comes back to say is that we also had this new disaster um that we all had to work through together. We had to learn a lot of things on the fly, as did our residents, and we had to learn how to communicate and and address what their needs were. Title Basin was a big part of that. Um and as we go through kind of winding down but learning about
what worked, what didn't, one thing really stood out to us uh recently in Data Point, and that was in in an accidental survey that had gone out um over the past 73 days at a point of service, uh we found that over ninety-four percent of our customers that came in to either the third floor or to the the the first floor at Citizen Center left thinking that the quality of service they got was very high or and they were extremely satisfied. And so yes, we do deal with
exceptions. I know the commissioner's office send send me and my team different things to look at. And while we do the exceptions, by and large, this team does a fantastic job at servicing the needs of the public while keeping them safe. The job of a regulator is never easy. It often comes with bad news, but in Pasco County we have a real choice in how we work with the the public and deliver news and work with them to find solutions. And after the hurricane I could not have been more proud of the staff that's behind you and plus at our three standard locations
and again the rest of our team. So with this, we thank you for the resolution for Building Safety Month. We will be doing some educational programming and doing some fun things throughout the the month to to not only recognize our staff, but uh recognize the importance of of our building safety codes. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
Commissioner Oakley. Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to change the protocol from these resolutions from now on. He took all my thunder with the Shady Hills presentation. But I tell you, going back to that that uh simulation where you brought all these permitting folks to Shady Hills out there to do this simulation, which was a great test to see how it would work if we had to work remote. And all the people that volunteered to go there, they didn't have to do it, you made it out there, and the room was full. And everybody get to see everything how it could work in a situation and it worked dynamically
well up there?
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Were they actually taking
Unidentified speakerVoice B
Oh yeah.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
What did you do there? I'm curious.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
We literally set up the room in a horseshoe. So if you came in and and the the goal of that one was um we wanted to take care of after the fact violations because we knew we had a lot in there. We had a a community that said they couldn't make it to our office, didn't know how to or have access to a computer. Um so we set them up in a horseshoe where you would just come in, you would start with your the licensing and work your way around the room, essentially going through the the plan review process. And if it was a simple enough permit, you'd we had a handful of folks
Kathryn StarkeyChair
walk out with permits. You gotta go do that again.
And like we've got to do it.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
When a citizen tries to get a permit, it's not an easy thing. You gotta go here or then. Oh no, it's so hard.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Trust me.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
Which makes it easier for you guys too, because I know you guys want to get these things done. It's just a matter it's got to be done the right way with all the right people and the right eyes on it. Uh so what what you've done there was great. And I tell you if you could and I'm sure you saw her at Gulf Harbors, but at Sea Ranch, it was just an amazing procedure. Uh the people went there. I mean we had some people really hot and JP you you and I went on a couple of tours to go look at some things to kinda like get on site what's what's going on out in the field, how we make it work and go. And I'm telling you that involvement in the field
to know what was going on was phenomenal. But again the coordination of what you put together. Tremendous. Um Working with FEMA, working with the Florida Building Code, trying to work on NFIP to make sure we gotta get the discounts is such a complex thing. JP and I probably talk once every couple weeks about something specific. Just the other day we talked about one and it was like, okay, let's go this, this, and this, and you try to logically go through what things can be done, and and JP's writing the money, put it together. So for you guys to combine all that with the intensity that people are feeling.
They're out of the home still, trying to get back in. You're trying to help them get back in, but following certain rules. It's just a tough, tough situation. And what you guys have done has been phenomenal. I will tell you that when we first opened up the third floor, Sonya and I, we had the first day we had five people coming in. Just because we do have big trouble with them folks and we just want to try to help them get through the process. Everyone else we kind of let them go, but if they have trouble, we say, come to us, and I think Sonja's become pretty much an expert for you guys to try to help get through that process and help people coach to what
they got to go do. And sometimes they don't know, they don't put all the things in they should have put in, so it's difficult, but you guys are doing a phenomenal job all the way through with it. And I want to tell you how important it is. With these storms, and I think you've probably all heard stories, we've had so many people that have hired these out-of-towners that just come in for a day, don't have the license, think they had it, and how many people got the shaft?
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Oh, yeah.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
Tens of thousands
Kathryn StarkeyChair
of dollars
Jack MarianoVice Chair
to take out their
Kathryn StarkeyChair
drywall. I mean
Jack MarianoVice Chair
crazy
Kathryn StarkeyChair
stuff.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
So with all that said, all the stuff you do, not only for the storm situation, but day-to-day is so important to protect people. And that's what it's all about, protecting people. safety and yeah it costs a little bit more to go do it but end result is they get better service, they get better quality product and they go on with their lives knowing uh you paid a little more but as my wife always says you pay a little more but you at least you get the right thing which you want to get. So I want to thank you for uh bringing the resolution to me again to have the opportunity to do it because I support you guys a thousand percent. You guys are doing a phenomenal job. And I know you
guys get attacked over there, but I would tell you We stand behind you a thousand percent to what you're doing, and whatever we can do as you just saw we We've had eye issues with Title Basin to when they first came out, et cetera, but they're working for you, they're helping you. We s we just supported the to go forward to to help you guys keep doing the great work you're doing. So thank you all.
Lisa Yeager
Commissioner
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Yeager.
Lisa Yeager
the voice for the seniors and a huge thank you because when everything was online that was so hard for them to navigate and you guys really whether I had you on speed dial, but whether you sent somebody out to eighty year old people's homes to help them through the permit process, I I just thank you for on behalf of them. And also thank you for watching out for them because I Jack touched on what I said is that there's so many like this one couple I'm working with, a builder came from out of town,
Orlando, and he kept sending different people and without all those inspections, they would have been in deep trouble because there were live wires everywhere, their plumbing would have backed I mean it was it it was Horrible but so glad you guys were there and um again just thank you for being there. You know, for all of our residents but especially for our seniors because this was very, very overwhelming and I think a big takeaway from the storm was, you know, This happened
to all these seniors, right? And they didn't have people helping them. You know, like some of their family members didn't help up to help to so they really were carrying that burden on themselves and you all really made a huge difference with that. So thank you.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Commissioner Oakley.
Ron Oakley
Yeah. Y'all do a great job every day that I've seen you. You really have come a long way in your department to bring things up to stuff and move a lot of projects each and every day throughout the county. And without you we couldn't get a lot of things done. But here you went above and beyond. when you stepped up during after three storms and did what you did, put citizens back in their homes and get things moving and continue things moving until they can get settled
and back into normal life. So it took a long time but Uh those storms came You look back, it was like Like overnight you had three storms, so it's amazing what they did. And one of them flooded Zephyrhills area. The first one. W and it was just a tropical storm. But I got twelve to thirteen inches of rain dumped on the east side of Pasco County. And the others Even worse. a lot,
a lot of damage. But we appreciate that y'all went above and beyond and did that extra that needed to be done to put citizens back in their homes. We certainly appreciate everything you do. Thank you.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Um so uh did you wanna say anything? Sure. Okay. You didn't okay I'll go last a nod. I'm fine to go last. I need
Seth WeightmanSecond Vice Chair
Fireworks.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Chairman Mariano.
Seth WeightmanSecond Vice Chair
Y'all don't look stressed at all. Yeah, look just still smiling. You're a resilient bunch. Thank you for hanging tough, being nimble. Um we know it's not easy, especially when you know residents are stressed and taking out their frustrations on you because you have government on the front of your shirt and we all have a job to do. So your patience, your resiliency, and being able to roll with it and hang it tough goes a long way and we recognize that. So
thank you for choosing this job. and serving uh our residents and businesses in this county. And JP, Mike, you have a good team. Thank you.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
And um, you know I probably I don't know if I was more affected than Commissioner Oakley but sh she had issues in the storm but I certainly and I'm a senior by the way. So um Uh it w it's been tough and I I'm really grateful for all the help you gave me and my family and we're still not through it yet. I have to call to close some of my permits, but I saw I still don't have all my electrical outlets covered. I found one the other day that still needs to cover, but I'm getting very close.
And um You know, these guys work weekends. Uh and who knows if any of your own uh uh lives were upended by the storm. So I'm I'm just I know we're all very grateful for the time you put in. And um I think we all learned a lot too. Um and a lot of people don't realize the rules changed on us uh during the process. And so um I think I uh I would put what we did against any county in the state of Florida uh uh on our responses. So I'm very proud of
our team. Um and I'm very interested in this um What you did in Shady Hills because I think we should repeat that. I think we should have some of these one stop days around the county to make it easier for our citizens to come into compliance and live safely in their homes and legally. So I'd love to see a proposal to um you know, move around the county and please with that kind of exercise, so With that, I'll take a motion.
Jack MarianoVice Chair
So move. Second.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
All in favor? I I oh did you want go ahead Mike you said? Well let we'll go ahead and vote. So I okay, go ahead
Mike Carballa
Mike. No and and thank you. Thank you. Uh thank you board for reinforcing that again on on on these guys. You know, uh it is JP difficult to be a regulator, uh as as we point out. Based on the number of complaints that I hear, usually through through board members versus that 60,000 permit number, I'd say your average is pretty good. My math is it's well over 99.9% of the time, which I think anyone would take that. But your sincere approach to customer service. Is really what makes me proud. You
can be a regulator and you can be a bunch of jerks, but you're not. You're there with a smile on your face, you're there about service. I see your third floor team every single day working with our citizens, and they do a phenomenal job. And I while I know it takes a team, uh JP, your leadership and commitment to innovation in this department has has made a significant difference into how things are going. And Mr. Montraccio is just building officially your your common sense approach to things uh is really moving the needle. So I just thank you both for your leadership of the department.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
Okay. Um there's a lot, so why does Jack why don't you go down? We'll stay up here.
Unidentified speakerVoice B
I think Mr. Steinstender has to be in the picture for this one though.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
The what?
Unidentified speakerVoice B
I see him s slide off, but your team's vital to us.
Ron Oakley
Not to start them in your magazine.
Kathryn StarkeyChair
That's okay. They're here for me to throw away. I gotta read those and then throw away.
Unidentified speakerVoice A
Yeah.

CAO-25-5133

Official title

Every appearance1 of 1 are in a recording