Additional Purchase Authority and Budget Amendment Journal No. 1189 – Megascapes Landscape and Maintenance, Inc. – As Needed Horticulture and Landscaping Services – $1,000,000.00

59:08to do cooperative funding. So it really frustrates me that When we started getting some money to be able to do cooperative funding Um They got rid of the basement boards, they they went to this more regional funding um policy, and we kind of missed the boat, so a lesson there. Little history. Alright, C sixty seven.

59:31Uh C67, I pulled this one here. Um, I talked to Greg Armstrong just the other yes just yesterday, matter of fact, about the agreement that they had initially where they were gonna be able to put out advertising signs, which Commissioner Starkey and R is gonna do one together as well. Um and go put signs out there to get advertising dollars to go pay for the landscaping that was gonna have to be put onto the county. And They had the agreement they thought in place. They worked on the signs, they ordered the signs,

1:00:02and then DOT pulled the agreement and said we're not going to let you go put signs on. Well that killed all the funding that was going to go take care of the signs. So my opinion is if DOT is not gonna allow us that agreement to stay in place where we can get the funding by the private citizens or the businesses that would accomplish it, then we should ask DOT at this point to have them to go fund it. Uh one of the two 'cause part of our agreement to take it was that this agreement was in place by the business

1:00:32community that wanted to see it happen. So the s the li the landscaping looks great. Uh did fall behind on maintenance because of the same issue, so I think we need to address it. But I think we need to bring this uh to D O F F D O T to try to get the funding back in place where they take care of the maintenance. At least doing a sharing of the cost.

1:00:50Uh, I think that'd be a real uphill battle to set a precedent like that that would be um I'd wanna Put on every other road in the county if I could. But I do um I do think this landscaping project has been so important to the west side of the county. Um and the return on this investment I think is is really big. And the citizens love it. Um And uh I get I get contacted when a palm tree dies or the weeds are too high, um, in my office for sure. Um I

1:01:20drove up US 19 all the way to Hernando County the other day and I saw the new plantings coming in. Looks really good. Um I think this is a a really important project and uh maybe we still see if we can continu we can work with DOT to continu to see if we can get sponsorship. I think the issue was the the signs and the safety of the signs. Um but I'm more than happy to talk to them, I just don't feel

1:01:48Very h hopeful. Well again I wanna I wanna bring this out too so we can talk about as a board we can't talk with each other obviously with Sunshine Law but I will say from what I heard there's three other areas that had agreements as well with DOT they're having the same struggle. So we won't be fighting this alone.

1:02:02Yeah. And well maybe it's important

1:02:03we do.

1:02:07And um we work with them to get Funding. so they can do this in other places. 'Cause I'd love to see fifty-four landscape. And um but the minute you put for the public, the minute you put landscaping in a DOT right away, you have to take over the maintenance. And um And so I I I think we should talk about that when we're in Tallahassee or with Secretary Quick.

1:02:29Yep, Matt, sure. Real quick. Um I spent some time, it's been like I think anyway's been what two years ago now, right? Two years ago. Runner violent with Secretary Gwen and other members of um the other um team members at um DOT. And around fifty four, Wesley Chapel Boulevard Um Really concerned about the um 54 exit there on Western Boulevard of 54. But we were close with them and that's why that landscape is there now. They put

1:02:59in, yeah, we actually got them to do that and they were very willing to do it. Um when it came to the medians like you spoke about, you can put in requests for that. And they're willing to look at it, that's just kind of at the bottom of their priority list. Because we were asking if they would be willing to put some at least to a certain extent off the off the interchange. You know, I think we still may have that opportunity to do it, just That's what they have in their budget. But so they're not opposed to it. per se, from

1:03:30what they told me. Um it just do they have the funding or not?

1:03:34So I think when they put the um um so a certain portion of every uh road construction job has to go to landscaping. It might be one percent. If you don't ask for it, you don't get it and before if you remember before Commissioner was on your when we had meetings with the Turnpike, uh was we had nothing at fifty two and fifty four and the tur and the Sun Coast so we we kind of talked to them about building this up and of course when they're done with the renovations we'll get more. But

1:04:05The issue is the medians. Um, you put a tree we put those trees on forty one, we took ownership of mowing under the trees. And I don't think that's a good policy theirs, but

1:04:17Yeah, because they're not opposed to doing it, but like you said, you

1:04:19No, you can put it in. You just have to mow it.

1:04:22Maintain it. Yeah. Mike Cabella has it in his budget, who said he'll do it.