Resolution 24-125 Older Americans Month

29:45Okay. Uh R S two. Anyone here representing Older Americans Month in Pasco, please come to the podium.

29:54I didn't

29:55aim to skip to do your the jobs. training home. This one

30:12All right. Good morning, everyone. This is resolution number 24-125, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, declaring the month of May 2024 as Older Americans Month in Pasco County. Whereas there are more adults reaching retirement age, remaining strong and being active than ever before. and whereas, through their wealth of life experience and wisdom, older adults guide our younger generations and carry forward

30:42abundant cultural and historical knowledge. And whereas older Americans are a vital part of Pasco County's demographic makeup, contributing their time, wisdom, and experience to the community. and whereas every citizen in Pasco County should strive to recognize, understand, and address the evolving needs of older adults. And whereas older Americans improve our communities through intergenerational relationships,

31:12community service, civic engagement, and many other activities. And whereas communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can participate and live independently. And whereas Pasco County and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas must ensure that older Americans have the resources and support needed to stay involved in their communities, reflecting our commitment to inclusivity and connectedness.

31:43And whereas the 2024 theme of Older Americans Month is Powered by Connection. which emphasizes the profound impact of meaningful interactions and social connection on the well being and health of older adults in our community. And whereas Pasco County and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas urges all Pasco County citizens to recognize the contributions of older adults and join in promoting programs and activities that foster connection, inclusion,

32:14and support for older adults. Now therefore be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said Board hereby declares the month of May twenty twenty four as Older Americans Month in Pasco County. Done and resolved in regular session with a quorum present in voting this twenty first day of May twenty twenty four.

32:34Move approval. Second. Got a motion second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Motion passed five zero. Brian, you gonna be the spokesman?

32:42I will for a brief minute. Good morning, members of the board, Brian, Open Community Services. Wanna first say welcome and congratulations to Commissioner Yeager. We really look forward to working with you and serving the community in the future. So congratulations on your appointment.

32:56Thank you.

32:56Also want to thank you, Commissioner Weightman. Your service on the area agency board is tremendous. I want to thank you for your heart and dedication to serving our seniors in the community. Thank you very much for bringing this resolution forward. And want to thank the board holistically. I want to thank you all for your support. The team behind me, the Pasco County Senior Services team, has worked tirelessly to serve the seniors of our community, and your support has been tremendous. Also, your support in fostering the relationship between Pasco County Senior Services and our biggest partner, Area Agency on Aging of Pasco

33:27and Pinellas, has been tremendous. Over the years, we've done some amazing things to serve the seniors of our community. But this past year, that relationship and the services that we've provided to the seniors has seen new heights, and it's been absolutely amazing. Thank you for your support. I want to take a second too to introduce Anne-Marie Winter from Area Agency on Aging as she has a few words to say too.

33:48Thank you, Brian. Thank you, uh, Chair Oakley and our uh board member Commissioner Weightman and Commissioner Yeager. We look forward to um working with you and helping you understand what we do at the Area Agency on Aging. We are the coordinating planning and funding body for services to seniors in Pinellas and Pasco County. We've been in existence since 1974. and we've been partnering with Pasco County since nineteen eighty one. So for more than 40 years we've

34:19been working together to provide services to seniors and I can't say enough about this incredible team and Kathy Pearson and the amazing partnership that we have. In the 50 years that we've been in service, we have served 1.7 million seniors with at least one service in Pinellas and Pasco counties. Last year we served 69,000 people in these two counties, helping them to stay in their homes, avoid nursing

34:49home placement with a variety of services. The number of seniors is growing in Pasco County. We invite and we want to continue working with the county to make sure that there are credible and sustainable nonprofit organizations that can help us to serve our seniors. We look forward in the years to come to having even more people standing behind us as our partners. We thank you so much for honoring our older Americans

35:19this month. And every single day. Thank you so much.

35:23Thank you. You

35:25wanna speak?

35:27Yeah it's um

35:33You hear from a lot of folks on the campaign trail. And it was pretty Pretty exciting to see this last my first budget cycle Uh we work through the senior tax exemption and what that means in the sever growing and expensive world that we now live in. And so Pasco County is taking steps forward to help affordability. for seniors uh within our within our county and I hope that folks out there who Would qualify, would definitely take advantage of that exemption. Our board supported the highest level of exemption,

36:03which is commendable. Also Something to think about. along with Anne Marie and then with Kathy and and Brian. uh about what's our next step in how to help seniors continue to live and afford to live in Pasco County. And so excited to work and brainstorm through uh different affordable housing. uh products and product types for our seniors here and where the appropriate place is to to have that type of amenity.

36:34And you know, with that comes Folks who there's an article that's a very good thing. Mr. Kabala shared and I shared with Kathy about older Americans going back into the workforce. And Quite frankly, I don't think that's a bad thing. Uh they have a lot of experience. That they can teach the younger generations. and the responsibility and just showing up to work. Now they may not want to come back into the workforce but The economy you know. kind of dictates that for some folks. But

37:05there's true there's a true offering within, you know, the older life cycle that can still be a tremendous benefit. to our county and our state. So Uh very commendable the work you guys do. And uh thank you for for hanging with folks who are at the

37:25this proclamation to do today. But uh hopefully you know. We'll make it we'll make it all the way through. So thank you for all your dedication and your hard work to our seniors in Pasco County and Pinellas County.

37:36Mr. Story.

37:37Um Echoing all those things and I I'm a senior it's funny we have our youngest one on that on that uh committee but uh

37:43born in eighty six is eighty one

37:47uh but gosh your numbers are tremendous and um and I know I know that your services are much needed and And we are uh getting we we have a lot of younger families moving in, but we also have a lot of aging population. And um so I'm grateful for all the work that you do and I just mentioned you at a meeting last night and the services that you do if anyone needed anybody. I had them call the county and then we would refer them to you but Um, because it's getting a little harder for some of our seniors to um deal with the rising

38:17costs of services. So I'm grateful for all you do.

38:21Okay. Mm.

38:23I just wanna say how important I think your organization is because when we were younger they were the ones who took care of us and now people like you w can give back and now we can take care of them. So thank you. Okay. Mr. Mariano?

38:41Thank you. And I know Commissioner Oakley when you appointed Commissioner Weightman um was of out of a strong need, but as you as you might want to can reconsider, he he wasn't even born when we started this relationship with Arian Aging.

38:55But uh Emory, you've done a great job every step of the way. Your passion's always been there, trying to get the right things done every step of the way. And I think that relationship is a very good thing. is going to grow in more importance in the near future as well. So working with our team, working with you is going to be critical. So thank you for all your dedication to our seniors. It's very important. Thank you.

39:15Anne Maria, all the work you do, I I certainly appreciate that. the more and more I hear and About Seniors and aging. I fit that scenario. Sure. I um I would if I needed your services, I would want to be living in Pasco County to get the services y'all provide. That includes our staff and everybody involved with Kathy's group. Um It it's a very important and it's getting more

39:45important. I know we're gonna have in the center part of the state or the county sometime. we're gonna have a new facility showing up, so we look forward to that and all that we do. We do a lot, but we there's always more we can do. And We went the other day feeding seniors And breaks my heart that we have a list that of people seniors that we feed every day. But there's a list. That are not on that list. And it but it

40:15take it's like everything. It takes money to be able to do that. But it breaks my heart the fact that we can't seem to get 'em off that list. But I guess people continue to fall in those bad times and and need that service, but More we can do the the better that'll get. So I look forward to not seeing that line behind the group and in front of them that are getting the mills that everybody's included. And no one's left behind. So But I appreciate everybody. I appreciate all the efforts of the

40:45staff. So very, very important. Um Mr. Weightman, that's your So you want to go down, you want us to Maybe the rest of us stay up here behind you? Whatever part of Okay. Make for a better picture, I think.

41:20So we have to see Jack over there.

41:26Where Brian goes. He needs to be in a chair in the front.

41:33I'm tall. I'll stand up here.

41:37I can't get into the doctor, get my contacts out. out.

41:40Okay. Everybody right here, please? I've gonna get my contacts out at lunch if

41:44we can.

41:44thank you.

41:50Looks good. Thank you all.

41:56And that's what I'm like. to sleep with them in the battle much. No, I'm not supposed to have my

42:03eyes

42:04get irritated.

42:08interest.