(11:30 am Time Certain) A Resolution By The Board Of County Commissioners Of Pasco County, Florida, Declaring October 2022 As Disability Employment Awareness Month In Pasco County

1:38:48This is resolution R S three and if you are here for well actually is it Able Trust, if you would please come to the podium. It's too bad they weren't here when the kids from March and Wendell Crenn were here.

1:39:06Okay, I'll go ahead and read the resolution. Resolution number 23-008, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, declaring October 2022 as Disability Employment Awareness Month in Pasco County. Whereas in 1988, Congress declared the month of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month in order to recognize the contributions made by individuals with disabilities. Disabilities Employment Awareness Month is also an opportunity to acknowledge workers with disabilities who

1:39:36make our community, our economy, and our nation stronger. And RAS, according to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 13.7% of Floridians live with disabilities. And RAS Pasco County has numerous businesses throughout different industries committed to hiring people with disabilities. And res residents with disabilities deserve the right to live independently, enjoy self-determination. And to be treated equally in the workplace. And whereas the ABLE Trust, also

1:40:07known as the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation, has worked with employers and community organizations throughout Pasco County and the state of Florida to enable thousands of citizens with disabilities to enter the workforce. And whereas the Florida's Division of Vocation Rehabilitation and Division of Blind Survivors. Services within the Department of Education assist people with disabilities so that they may become employed. And REST, these organizations have an overwhelming impact in the lives of many of Pasco County citizens

1:40:37with disabilities by offering services including job placement assistance, training, support, and job coaching. And REST Pasco County fosters a welcoming environment for people who live with disabilities. This is evidence in By the private part private public partnership that led to the inclusive playground that opened at Wesley Chapel District Park in 2019. And whereas Disability Employment Awareness Month celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities, both past and present, and showcases

1:41:07supportive inclusive employment policies and practices. Now, therefore, be resolved by the Board of County Commissioners. Commissioner O Pasco County, Florida. That said board hereby declares October 2022 as Disability Employment Awareness Month in Pasco County and encourages organizations of all sizes and in all industries to educ to educate Um about disability employment issues and to celebrate the many and varied contributions of American workers with disabilities. Dunner resolved in regular session with the quorum president voting this twenty-fifth

1:41:38day of October 2022.

1:41:39Move for approval.

1:41:40Second. All in favor? Aye. Aye.

1:41:42Commissioner Moore.

1:41:43Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome. How are you doing?

1:41:46Very well.

1:41:47So we have Leanne Rexford, the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Able Trust, and obviously Alexa Stoyles, you

1:41:53are

1:41:53on the board of directors for Able Trust. Thank you so much for being here today. Um it wasn't long ago that myself and Commissioner Mariano was there too. Um we went to the uh the luncheon to talk about all the great things, the initiatives that Able Trust is doing, not only in Pasco County, but uh obviously across the state. State of Florida too. So we thought this was a perfect timing, you know, what month it is, what we're celebrating for you to come in and talk more and explain to the the the audience members, but also those at home that are watching everything that you guys do

1:42:23at Able Trust to help our citizens with disabilities to get out there and get employed. And we could talk a little bit about what you do at Siderbrook too as well as like

1:42:31How much time do we have? A couple

1:42:34minutes.

1:42:36I'll keep it very brief. Um so the Abletrust is the state's endowment for disability employment, which means that we provide resources for providers who and then in turn get Floridians with disabilities into the Workforce. So we are a connector between the power the vocational rehabilitation, blind services, and the end users being the Floridians that need those services but don't necessarily know how to access them and

1:43:06then how to access the providers that can get them to the jobs and the training that they need. But also So most importantly, we're supporting those providers. We're supporting those not-for-profits and for-profits that work so diligently every year and every day to work with this hidden talent pool that is misunderstood most of the time. So getting them in the job is one thing, retaining them is another. And we're here to support them through the whole process.

1:43:37with education and data and research.

1:43:39Great. Thank you. Alexis, why don't you tell us a little bit about how you at Seth Brook in the past have used the program and some of the successes that you've had

1:43:46Yes, thank you. Uh Saddlebrick Resort is an employer in Pasco County and we've had a long standing commitment to employing uh Employees with disabilities and different backgrounds and using their skill set to help encourage our front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house guests that we have to be able to have a great stay at Saddlebrook, to be able to have genuine hospitality. And hospitality is a great driving force for our economy in Pasco

1:44:17County, and we definitely see the benefit for employing the Those with all abilities in all ranges, anything from frontline as a server's assistant, server, back-of-the-house stewarding, all the way up to top positions such as chief financial officer and president. So we've had everything in between making those accommodations for our employees that have different abilities and backgrounds. Some are in wheelchairs, some have different um uh abilities throughout the the spectrum

1:44:47of autism and uh Asperger's and other areas. So just making those accommodations and showing that it's a a great willing uh a great business decision and it's the right thing to do for your business and a great uh direction and commitment for Pasco County.

1:45:05Great. And you like you mentioned, you know there's there's there's such talent pool of people out there with you know of all abilities that we need to obviously continue to focus on Um and you're yourself at Saddlebrook and all the things you're doing at Able Trust, but there's so many more employers that are are participating in this, probably more than ever now, right? Yeah. Good. Um I don't Met Yeah, they're okay. Anybody else? Yeah, well I had to

1:45:28take care of

1:45:29Go ahead and um I would love for Pasco County to be working with you guys. So I also love

1:45:35that.

1:45:36Yeah, I'm familiar with the program that um Hillsboro County uh it's actually the um public defender. Down in Hillsborough County. Um

1:45:47and has a great program for Pep and transition students to come in and work in her office. So Um I I would and I tr we tried with the clerk's office, um with the Uh someone but There there there are funds available to help set up these programs and

1:46:08Yeah. And wanna take this up, this would be something really good for the county to get involved with the

1:46:14city of Tampa just did something as as you're aware of. of yourselves, I think they just um passed an an initiative. I think it was our last commit or council meeting in the city of Tampa. Added some funding to something.

1:46:26Yeah, that'd be good. And thank you. Um I think this is a great program and I would like to say thank you for everything that you do. It is one of the concerns that are

1:46:36Um and I know we briefly discussed summer camps and we have expanded our summer camps to over thirty children's special needs children last summer, which had risen from the year before. And I think this Madam Chair, I think it'd be really important that we implement something or a program like this over the summer for the kids that are transitioning from high school so they can learn how to work in a workplace out of high school and then also for any disabled

1:47:08any disabled member in our community that would like to come out and get on the job training skills and then if it wanted to last over the summer then they could have a long term permanent placement.

1:47:19Yeah, you know um Mr. Administrator. Uh maybe it would be interesting if we could have um different departments suggest ideas of where they could possibly use some um of these kind of clients. I made note of that. Okay, great.

1:47:38Would that fall under um

1:47:40they have not going to be able to do that.

1:47:41Group, would that?

1:47:44They have just to make it easy so so we can you can move on, is that they can explain the program and how it works. They have their way of doing things. They're the professionals, they're the ones that go into the companies and implement this versus us trying to figure it out ourselves. They're the ones that that's why they're there. Yeah. They will tell you what you can do to implement this.

1:48:03But it'd be great for Pasco County to ha offer this to our citizens as well for uh disabled or even our seniors.

1:48:11Couldn't agree more. Um what I can do is leave some information with We'll

1:48:16we'll hook you up. We'll make the connection. Annie's Annie's right behind you.

1:48:19Yeah.

1:48:20I think Commissioner Mariniana's been patiently waiting still.

1:48:22Oh I'm sorry.

1:48:25So he's aware of what's going on here.

1:48:27Right. And Alexis, thank you very much for bringing me out to to this very important meeting with Able Trust who did a great presentation and I think we're all very excited about trying to help our citizens better, especially those that could use that that lift up. Um we talked as well about even trying to work with our federal associate Postmasters. There may be some opportunities there, but wherever it is we can help, I think you see we've got full support here. So thank you very much.

1:48:48And I I wasn't able to be at the lunch, but one of my um friends used to be uh chair of your organization. Right now I cannot remember his name. Um he was uh head of career source for the state of Florida for a while. The uh He's up in Jacksonville now, but I can't remember now.

1:49:03I was there I was there at the lunch about a year ago. I didn't make this last one, but I was there. Alexis I've known for a long time.

1:49:10And

1:49:11appreciate everything y'all do.

1:49:12And vocational rehabilitation is very imperative that we have.

1:49:16Yeah.

1:49:20So let's um you guys stay in the middle here with me? Yeah. I love what you guys do. I think you're good. Well we actually We'll do that. I have extras for you too. We'll do this.

1:49:38All right everybody ready here? One, two, three. Great, thanks.

1:49:48Well right at me

1:49:51Perfect. Thank you. Excellent. Okay, thank you. Very good. Thanks for

1:49:55all the two guys. And then um, here's some actions as well. Wow, appreciate that.

1:50:10Okay.