Chairman Mariano reports on environmental permitting, beach, signs

1:22:27Okay, thank you. Uh anyone here from the Sheriff's Office? Let's see Chase or Alex. Okay. All right, I'll go to my my reports. Um I had attended the Florida Chamber environmental permitting course, which uh was phenomenal. I used to start I started with that when I first got elected, uh learned all about stormwater to T M D L's that really helped me with my career. Uh when we were pushing for Ridge Road a few years ago, because I needed the same time. I had become

1:22:58more active active with NACO, became on the Transportation Committee, um in the with President Trump getting elected, Governor Scott sending a letter, Congressman Bellaraka sev seven sending a letter, uh Commissioner Starkey IN Wells going to DC to work with the Army Corps to get Ridge Row done. That was my big focus and I never kind of looked around from there. But Uh I was gonna go to NACO this year. I had a little family situation where made me adjust my calendar, didn't have to, just something I wanted to do for the family. So I

1:23:28um uh skipped NACO and went down to the permitting class. And I want to tell you the money that's out there, the state is has, the federals have is unbelievable. Um and I know Mike's working on getting himself a resiliency officer. I'm gonna tell you Hillsborough's. So far ahead of us right now, getting money with the project they got. It's crazy. But the great thing is, a lot of those contractors and engineers work for us too. They want to help us. Getting a C grant agent. These got to be the two top things we add into a

1:23:58budget if they're not fully funded yet, but they have to they have to get in. We just have so much opportunity that's out there, and with all the great things we've got coming up, I see a lot of leverage. coming up but we do need to take these steps and Mike I I want to thank you for saying you're gonna go do it and I'm just gonna say it's it there's just so much that's out there that's out there uh that we can benefit from. Uh just wanna show you this is a picture of Hudson Beach. Um I think three months ago in May. I showed a picture where we just put brand new sand out there. We took it from down in the channel

1:24:28and put it up and over and it looked beautiful. just a few storms, it's all washed away right back. There's there's the sand that was on our beach that's down the channel right now. So it's a continuing problem. Uh we definitely need to fix it. We had a great plan in front of the state uh two years ago for one point eight million when Hurricane Ian came in. Uh they pulled it back 'cause they thought they need the money. Uh this past year we didn't even get funded uh to be to be on it. So I don't want to wait for the state again until we can proceed.

1:24:59This type of project could be one that we could get funded elsewhere. But we've got to put the engineering in place. Now I talked to Keith Wiley, I've talked to Adam Thomas, I'll talk to C D B G, whoever it may be. But I want to have Mike, if you would, talk with Keith. Let's go talk about doing this because the people in Hudson are coming from everywhere. That's a different picture I'm going to get to, uh, which can help us. Um But with with Hudson Beach, which so many people get down there every every night. night to see the sunset, their friends come down out of town and they

1:25:29come down to see that beach, it just doesn't look good. So if we could I'd like to get the sand back on the beach right away, but more importantly I want to think longer term. Now the next feature I want to show you is like right next to the same channel, just down a little bit further.

1:25:42Nasty.

1:25:42nasty that's oil, that's diesel. Uh there's been other things found there we don't want to talk about uh in that channel. Now currently DEP we had to a grant from them we're spending they're spending I think a hundred and sixty five grand studying all the bacteria. I was talking with Colleen as I was in a in a residence house last night about what's going on out there. And GEP is aware of this, but they're not doing anything with the study that they've got. So I think it

1:26:12may be something where they said they they mentioned the Colleen mentioned the Coast Guard may be the one responsible. I don't know who it is, but we need to go take a look at this. The residents also said they had a big issue up in Horando County with diesel fumes leaking from old shrimp boats. And the rumor was, don't know it's factual, that they've come down here now. I talked to Mike Malicos from who owns a marine. He says, Jack, there's nothing I do to put any diesel out there. When the f when the tranc tanker comes in, it

1:26:43comes in the container, it's controlled, it goes through. When I put it out, I watch it as well. We're not doing any leaking out there. So

1:26:52Yeah, yeah.

1:26:53Well it's it's uh we just we need more awareness and and I think I'm gonna start working with the feds, so I just want to make you aware of this. One of the benefits could be with flushing would would be better, but there's a core problem that's there we gotta we gotta find out what's causing it. And it's gonna it may take more attention from the feds to help us out to fund it to go look at it and and get it done, but there's definitely an issue that's out there. And all that could get dramatically improved by opening up the sand bar uh the getting the sand and putting a jetty there. But there's just something we need to do to get that done. Um

1:27:25And I would also like to say, um, you know, we're working hard in the panhandling, but we still have the issue. We need that focus uh continually. I don't give it weekends, Sundays. I see a lot of snipe signs everywhere that continually are there and never getting picked up. If our code people are going by, they should be picking that stuff up, uh, in my opinion. Uh

1:27:43there was a time, uh President, when we had uh uh volunteer sign. guys who um you know they were retired they were all gentlemen not to think they had any females that were authorized by the county to go pick up the snapshots. And do some education on signs. And do you remember when we had that? Yeah, and someone got a w got rid of them. But I'd love to bring that uh that

1:28:09volunteer back. It

1:28:11was

1:28:11an enforcement problem. It was an enforcement problem for my office. For what? What do you mean? because you have we have a couple of issues that folks that were on on that brigade went above and beyond what the board had authorized them to do. And um well it's

1:28:35just a matter of

1:28:35interest even even in resulting in fisticuffs. Um and it was

1:28:43decided that it was better to have our Paid employees do that work.

1:28:49Well I I would consider bringing them back and if we go just to cover some stuff. But maybe that's a leadership education issue.

1:28:57Well

1:28:58get rid of the bad apples on the brigade.

1:29:02It's it's it could be an issue if you can bring a brigade back we can look at it, but I think our code people should be doing it period anyway, even while this is.

1:29:13And if you have the code people doing it, they can make note where it was picked up, they can make a phone call to the people that they're not allowed, and hopefully it discourages the beh behavior map it again. Especially if they know it's gonna get picked up.

1:29:23Oh can we can we find them?

1:29:29That's a moneymaker right there.

1:29:31So let's let's take a look at code then. Um

1:29:36I I just want to put a a shout out, you know, Mike, you've done a great job putting people in in great positions, but I will say I'm feeling it, I'm sure you guys are too, but Rob Marin, uh what you're doing with the team has been phenomenal. Um literally we get all sorts of complex problems and sometimes it's like Jack does nothing we can do and we can fix it, whatever it may be. You're clear, you're concise, you get your team. And I'll tell you just seeing and just seeing them respond, like you said, we got great people working for us. And when they're positioned and empowered

1:30:06to find solutions, they're doing it. They're helping people make closings and doing all that great stuff. So I just want to give you a shout out because what you're doing is a tough, tough job. I hope you stay on for five years. But uh no knowing you're gonna retire. But I wanna just say uh just keep doing what you're doing, it's phenomenal and I think you're elevating the whole team up and you're making Pasco better. So keep up the great work. And that's all I have. Anyone else? Okay, we're adjourned. Thanks. Yeah.