public comment on agenda items and county business
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The source document
The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Apr 19, 2022
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The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Apr 19, 2022
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What was said
Machine transcription of 35m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 89% of 142 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Excuse. Now is the time for public comment. Citizens are given the an opportunity to comment on any current or future agenda item coming before the board and on any other business under the board's purview. Today's public comment will be handled as follows. First, we will take public comment from those who are here in person. Then we will take public comment from those who are pre-registered for a WebEx link and are currently on queue. We request that when you address the board, comments are not directed personally at
a c against a commissioner or team member. but rather directed at the issues. This provides mutual respect between the board members and the public.
After stating your name and address for the clerk, A three minute timer will be activated. After two minutes, a single beep will indicate you have one minute left. When your time is up, two beeps will sound, and you should close your comments. WebEx participants will be disconnected automatically when their time is up. Madam Clerk. Do we have anyone signed up for public comment?
Yes, uh Mr. Chair, we do have um individuals signed up in person. No one is here on WebEx, so I'll go ahead and call the first person. I have Mark Twalshofen. I might have pronounced that incorrectly. I apologize. And um he has been granted five minutes. Yes.
If you could state your name and address for the record and then you may begin your comments.
Motion
to receive and file.
It's all second
online.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. I just hand it to the clerk. Sorry.
You hand it right over here.
Thank
you.
Tell me when I need to start.
Okay, my name is Mark Twelfhoven. My address is [address removed]. I'm speaking in behalf of Pilot Country Airport with the address one one five zero zero Pilot Country Drive in Spring Hill. Florida. Not California. Florida, sorry.
Okay. Good morning, Commissioners. Um I appreciate the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Pilot Country Airport. Um I have made a small presentation with eight slides. Maybe we could forward to the next slides. Of course I'm here because we are very concerned about the future. of the airports in general for pilot country. Um there is a Florida statute 330 and 333 which was passed by Florida in 2011
with a mandate to be implemented by 2017. With the development of SR fifty-two and forty-one, there is a significant amount of new development. that is coming around our small airport. Our airport is a public airport by the FAA. It's op it's a public transportation hub. and with the new Moffat Research Centre coming in, I can assure you that doctors typically would
like to have airports nearby. Next page please. This is one of the pages That was presented by PASCO as their large development plan. When you look at the Florida statutes. We are concerned about four topics. One is noise, one is landfill, one is height, and one is land compatibility. Noise talks about the quality of life for your citizens. No one wants to live in a noisy environment. Landfill is
regarding Birds that tend to gravitate towards landfills, which are prohibited around airports. That's not so much our concern. The height is called the airport protection zone. Mind you, I say airport protection zone, not runway protection zone. Land compatibility is the responsibility of PASCO. to make certain that land use around the airport is compatible with uses of airports according to the
Florida statute. The next page please. In the meetings I have participated with, which there is a commission. On the airport protection zone implementation, everybody talks about the RPZ, the runway protection zone. On the image on the left, it shows our runway, it shows a narrow funnel that is defined according to the FAA as a runway protection zone. That means that's where the planes come
in. According to the FAA, there is a airport protection zone, which is the yellow elliptical shape. It is one half the longest runway. Our runway is 3,700 feet. One half is 1,815 feet. If you draw a circle around our airport, you will see on this image. That all the land up to Florida 41 and north of SR 52 falls
within this space. This is the APC, and at issue here is the land compatibility. Please go to the next slide. We have received a drawing that is being considered by Pasco, the zoning committee, whereby there is a development to the north of the airport called the Fletcher Land. Where there are three-story or there's high density housing directly at the end of our runway. The
argument that the developer has is that it's clear of the runway protection zone. Uh, ladies and gentlemen, let me assure you it's not clear of the airport protection zone, the APZ. Let's go to the next slide. We had frequent visits. by the uh air force, by the army, by the navy, by the by the guard, the National Guard. Dus noises. And by the way,
was that the... One minute left after five minutes. I'll go faster. The noise of a helicopter is stronger than a jackhammer.
I'll grant you extra time if you need to. Finish your presentation.
Thank you, sir. I have two more slides after this. Thank you, Commissioner. Um be aware that a helicopter generates one hundred five decibels. Now, the problem with the studies of noise, people talk about the DBA, that is the decibel average. When you have a quiet airport and nobody flies at night or it's quiet particular days, they say, okay, it doesn't matter if you hear a jackhammer sound or a helicopter. It's
only one minute or two minutes in in a one hour time frame. Believe me, you don't want a helicopter or a jackhammer noise at one in the morning, at two in the morning, at six in the morning. It is a nuisance to your citizens. Two more slides. On the next slide, please. On the west of the airport is the new development being proposed by Campbell. And again, people say, oh, it's clear of the 65 Disible average
contours. Let me assure you, this home does not give a quality of life for the citizens. This is a very big concern for us. It's not the noise study 65 dicible. It is the peak noise. My last slide, ladies and gentlemen. With Florida Statute 330, it is a concern about land compatibility. I like to read the blue part that says the character of the neighborhood, the uses
to which the property to be zoned is put and adaptable and the impact to any new use activity or construction on the airport operation capability and capacity. Florida statute three three zero and three three. three, which ought to have been implemented more than five years ago. Pasco is one of the few. Regions of Florida. Counties that have not adopted this mandated Florida statute, and I would like to have the commissioners
please consider the fact. that we're talking about compatibility in zoning next to our airport and it would improve the quality of life. Activities we could agree to are commercial development, restaurants, warehouses, You name it publics, those type of facilities are in fact compatible with airport protection zone regions. I thank you very much and I
appreciate that you have considered considered these issues. Thank you. Thank you.
And there's no one else signed up?
Oh no, we have a couple. Okay. Okay. Okay. The next um person signed up is Jill Trofton.
Uh please state your name and address and then you may begin your comments.
Um Jill Jill Trotton. I reside at [address removed]. Um I'm here today. By the way, hello, Board of County Commissioners.
Just bend the mic down.
Help how about that?
Bend it. You don't want to hold it. No. Bend it. Bend the end.
Good?
Look good? It'll go down. Bend it down. down.
How about this? It's
just the the end of it. Just the end of it.
I'm not used to this. Okay. All right. You're good. So thank you. I'm here today on behalf of Mark Bud. He's not able to be here today due to being sick. He is a resident of Pilot County. He lives at [address removed]. This um is in reference to the Watermark residential development just southwest of Pilot Country Airport and the Fletcher Conceptual Site Plan C just north of the Pilot Country Airport. These areas
would be in direct violation of the protections to both the community developments proposed and the airport which Florida Statute 333 is meant to ultimately protect. He suspects that the if these developments are allowed to continue without compliance to Florida Statute three three three, Pasco County and all involved will be subject to future legal. Proceedings. The moratorium should be preventing these projects until Pasco complies with the Florida Statute three three
three. Pasco County has been in violation of Florida Statute 333 for years and continues to delay compliance to allow incompatible land use to the detriment of the airport and the surrounding community development, impacting the safety and well-being of our citizens and airport operations. Com excuse me, compliance was supposed to be done by July of 2017. It seems that other special interests have influenced
the county, affecting those continued delays to pursue their own interests contrary to the Florida statute, which promotes the protection of County Airport assets and surrounding communities. Pilot Country Airport, the nearby Pasco Sheriff Helipad, and the future Pasco Mosquito Control Helipad operations within one mile of the airport require that the Commissioners do what is necessary To finally comply with With the Florida Statute 333
to protect these and other aviation assets which serve the county and surrounding communities. The county has already allowed rezoning of the Campbell property adjacent to the west side of Pilot Country Airport for residential development in October of 2020. Common sense would indicate that this would be considered an incompatible land use So close the airport. And yet it was done anyway. This development will end up being a source
of conflict for the airport operations, safety, and the residential community in the future. This prediction is based on what typically happens when incompatible land use occurs around existing airports and other aviation related support activities as we have here. This is why the Florida statute exists. Mark would like to arrange a demonstration what it would be like to reside in these proposed in these proposed development areas so close to the operations of the
airport. You might have a better appreciation of what it would be in the best interest, the safety and well being of those future residents as well the airport community. That's all. Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to speak on his behalf.
I do not see a name for this one. I'm gonna skip it and go to the next one where I look. Um the next person is Rick Warner.
Thank you.
my name is uh Rick Warner. I live at uh [address removed]. I'm a private pilot, also former air traffic controller. Of And I I really want to bring to your attention to understand what these proposals are. You're creating what's called a kill zone. A kill zone is anywhere on the approach or departure of a runway for the purpose of transitioning from a flying aircraft to a ground aircraft. by allowing this on the Fletcher property, you're allowing this to
be an enormous safety hazard to these people who would consider buying or living there. Not only that, you're creating a natural are in natural navigational hazard. There's also a proposed pond off the north end as well. Now you're creating a natural disaster area because of the birds that are gonna be coming in. We've already had many bird strikes on that airport. By putting that pond there as an example, you're also creating
another navigational hazard. There should be an FAA study for wind shear that comes across those buildings. We've seen no FAA wind studies at all. So I recommend that you postpone any type of approval on that property, particularly on the Fletcher property, until these studies can be completed and that you'll find that this is a serious public hazard. Thank you.
Neil Corella.
Hello, Neil Corella. I live at [address removed]. Live at Pilot Country Airport. I'd like to express my strong opposition to the possible rezoning and the high density construction proposed on the north side of our pilot country airport. The falls and the airport protection zone surrounding the airport specified in Florida statutes 333 and 3C 330. I'm one of the newest residents residents in Pilot Country and moving in November of 2019 after building a new home. And a hangar is my primary
investment, my largest personal asset. At the time of construction Between permit and impact fee I paid twenty eight thousand dollars just to have the opportunity to live in pilot country. The planned projects will jeopardi jeopardize the airport and the future of the airport. The sole reason that I relocated to the community was for personal and professional reasons. I run a small aviation business which depended on airport access. The airport brings value to the country, I mean to the county and the state in a myriad of ways, including
increasing tax rev revenues. And it can be used in the aftermath of national disasters such as a hurricane for supplies and humanitarian aid to the community. State laws require proper airport protection zone around the the public airport for its safety of its pilots and its citizens. From what I read And the fact that you have already approved high-density housing underneath our traffic pattern to the west of our airport. It seems the board is using a decibel rating provided by the developer and its lawyers. Now, the same lawyer that's
representing the developers is the same lawyer that fought us and cost us tens of thousands of dollars. to have a gun range shooting machine guns right behind our houses. So this lawyer and this noise study as far as I'm concerned is is ridiculous. Anyways.
The the non sensible decibel rating is based on a distance from the center line of the runway, it is not actual noise rating of planes flying overhead in the traffic patterning. Meaning days on which these readings have been taken, especially readings by the lawyer representing developers for the property next to our subventions will not account for lots.
And helicopters. High performance aircraft, for example, taking off at six A. M. or any time on a full power setting to the north of the property, which is our departure area. can generate a propeller tip speed of almost supersonic speeds, which create a lot of noise. And that noise is gonna be a little bit more than a little bit. Create complaints. Complaints that go to the airport, goes to the county and puts our airport in jeopardy. So I would ask that the county. Would please reconsider any changing of the zoning that's there
and put something more compatible. Such as Home Depot. Anything like that. Anything commercial, industrial is better than having houses sitting underneath the airport protection zone. Thank you.
All right. Uh next individual signed up, Wanda Chasnov.
Mm-hmm.
Mr. B. Hi, Board. I'd like to say thank you for all the help. You have to state your
name and address
me in. This is gonna be my time.
Ma'am, I need your name and
address first. My name is Wanda Chasnel, [address removed]. Okay, now you may proceed. Okay, thank you, Board, for all the help that I have received from y'all. This is gonna be my poor time here for other incidents. I'm here on to represent Green Key on the flooding. I live in the front part of Green Key where the motel is. They're revamping the motel. I've been to the city mayor about the ditches that are by the motel. The motel floods and oversees Green Key and
then comes on our street, which is considered private property. Well, now the roads are deteriorating because of all the water that's there. Right now the fire hydrant is Covered up, if we have a fire in that Mobile Home Park in front of us, we're doomed, okay? Because number one fire department cannot get in there and can't get to the fire hydrant. All I ask is I know that we've applied for grants. I know we're waiting. I know Franklin County just got one point three million dollars, okay, on April eighth. And I
don't see why is it that we got to fight so hard to stop the flooding. Y'all just dug out Ozler, I can take you on Ozler and show you where the dirt already fell in and won't even drain. Okay? Now, I just bought a brand new car. This la Thursday before last when it rained, I moved my car to higher ground and guess what? The rain was all the way to my door jam. I'm not gonna pay twenty-one thousand dollars for a car for flooding and I can't even get into my house. or anybody
else. Can't even walk to the school bus. The man down the street carries his daughter on her shoulders on his shoulders to go to the bus stop. I got two amphithee mans on my street. They can't get out. They don't drive because they're amputees. They're both veterans. Why is it that we can't get no help? What did you tell me, Jack? That we was possibly looking at the governor doing something?
Yeah, this board put up application with New Port Richey and it's on his desk, hopefully.
But what do we know about that?
Well we've got away from him to sign the budget. If he signs the budget, we're good.
Okay. You know, I I'm I'm raising cane. I want to stop. Okay, 'cause I can take you right now and show you how grown up that ditch is and that no water can drain. And also I went to the mayor of New Port Richey. I asked her, I said, why is it that the county and the DOT, because we're looking at DOT, we're looking at the county, we're looking at New Port Richey, why is it that we can't dig out the ditches till we get the grants? You know what she told me? We don't have the equipment. And you know what I
said to her? I said, Why is it that Pasco County and DOT and New Port Richey can't come together and dig it out till we get the grant? If you could just drive down Green Key, look at the trees in the ditch, look at the grow overgrowth. We can't get in our houses. We shouldn't have to fight to get home. The mailman can't come, the city crew can't come, they come and put barriers there. Would you like to not get into your home when you're worked all day and you wanna go home and you
wanna eat and you wanna relax? Y'all don't want to do the same thing that I want to do or anybody else. And I'm on a fixed income. I ain't got money to go out there and repair everything that needs to be repaired. Thank you. I hope you have a nice day and I hope we get a grant.
Uh Wanda, before you leave, Mike, if you talk with her and just kinda like re reemphasize they have looked in the area about cleaning the ditches and you're calling me the other day w about New Port Richey
So if we would talk to Mr. Carbella right there. Yes, sir. As you will. Thank you.
Uh next member of the public, Mike Moran.
Yeah. Did I do that? Yeah. Well you that wants the whole company.
Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Mike Moran. I'm the Executive Director for the Florida PACE Funding Agency. My address is [address removed]. That's in Sarasota, Florida, 34240. Just a reminder, I'm from the governmental entity that exists to bring hurricane hardening and energy efficiency financing to Floridians. This is all bonding that's done through our agency. But it is no taxpayer money. It's all private citizen money. I'm here today, actually, given that
we're a governmental entity and you guys are too, obviously, that we're required under the interlocal agreement between the two of us to give a written report and a verbal presentation every three years. With your blessing, I'll put um the written report to the clerk when I'm done here. and then a verbal presentation um today of course but um I'm just down in Sarasota and we have folks in Tampa. If you need or want us to come and deal with you guys or staff or whatever we're always available to you. And just a couple of uh real high-level discussions here. One is the total number of assessments
for the last few years has been just under six million dollars in the unincorporated area. Um the balance, which is worth noting, is about uh 3.5 million, um, which is interesting that even since um the inception is that already 2.5 million of the assessments have been paid down by your constituents. Um that's an interesting. Interesting number for us and very positive, meaning that people are using the financing appropriately. They might finance an air conditioner for let's say 10 years and two or three years into it, they might get an inheritance or whatever, a bonus, and
then they pay down the assessment. I think it's worth noting there's been some confusion on this. When somebody does pay off, um they literally call us up, they get a payoff amount, and there's no prepayment penalties whatsoever, so they can pay. Payoff. So that's just a healthy statistic to report for you. The average amount of each assessment that we're doing in Pasco County Unincorporated is $16,184, which is a little lower than the state average that we see. But again, it's an average, it's everything from financing an air conditioner
that might be $10,000 to a roof that might be $60,000. I would anticipate the next time I see you that might be a little higher just due to construction costs and just what's going on in the marketplace. And again, um we're seeing a lot of activity related to um the statute was put in place to bring in hurricane hardening and energy efficiency. But one of the things that we are seeing is a whole lot more roofs that are coming about. Um which will bring up the average, of course. But I think just speculating here, there's a lot of activity with homeowners insurance
in Florida and why the intention of the statute was hurricane hardening and energy efficiency. We're just seeing a spike in the roofs, which I'm again speculating it's due to people suffering from the homeowner's insurance. Some of these folks that have roofs that are over 15 years are having trouble getting homeowner's insurance. So this is a five.
And then uh Chairman Mariano I will um uh ask to be submitted into the record for the written report and again I can't stress enough we're available for any communication you want of course by phone or um we can come back up and visit you guys.
Let me ask a question if I could. When someone d does a PACE loan, they don't have to have insurance though, do they?
It's it's a we it it's an assessment, it's not a loan where we we spend a lot of time and energy making sure there's a differentiation, but I I I get your point for sure. Um the financing um mechanism around that is is no relation to anything related to any folks that are living in the home. It is by the way, I didn't mention that, it's commercial and residential, and it's related very specifically to the property. The homeowners insurance carriers, um, and any relationship. they would have contractually with the homeowners a totally completely firewalled separate from what we do.
So if someone was to be in that situation where they needed a roof to get their insurance rates down or to get insurance period, which is going on, and I'm glad the governor is calling a special session to address it. Uh they're much better off doing this PACE program they would be doing a reverse merg mortgage, correct?
Um I I'm biased on that answer, but I would say sure is that you know I say all the time there's really only a few options you have. If you're in trouble and you have a roof that's leaking and in the drywall is getting wet, um you're either gonna pay cash Um which a lot of people don't have. You're either gonna borrow it from friends and family Um, you're gonna do a HELOC, which is always a great choice. Um the reality is statistically speaking, it's in the 80th percentiles they put on a credit card. And I don't have to tell you with the rotating debt of a credit card of 19 or whatever percent, uh 20% in a credit card, or
they do nothing. And that's what the motivation from the state statute came about is for get people to hurricane harden their homes at and or make them energy efficient. So Um yeah, there's all all sorts of different financing mechanisms. Um, but I would argue that PACE is a a great solution for a lot of people, but um HELOCs and cash and the you know those are those are basically all the options that I just mentioned. Um including yours that you mentioned on a reverse mortgage, but I I would argue very much PACE is probably a better option.
Well and the reason I want to bring it up, I think the PACE program is a better option for a s a senior that's out there that doesn't have the money or or anybody that doesn't have the money to pay for the roof that need to get. instead of borrowing it, which you then have to cover ins have insurance for it. Um if you didn't want it. Michael, this lady didn't have insurance and now she's gotta carry insurance. With the insurance rate she's having a tough time making her bills, so But it's a good option to have so I appreciate you.
Your instincts are great. You literally zero down. They you you pick the contractor. It's a big part of my life is making sure that's clear. We don't bring contractors, we bring financing. They put the new roof on the home, you finance it over the useful life. That's as far as we can finance all the useful life of the product and it's a fixed amount payment. And again, there's no early paym off if they need to. Mr.
Chairman. Can I ask the question? So what thank you. What is your average um interest rate right now?
If you had to throw a dart and hit any one of our finance agreements, you're r roughly looking at the five to seven percent rate.
Thank you. And next time if you would, let's schedule an agenda item so we can put you on there instead of doing a public comment.
I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. Actually, we were required to do this by uh May twenty first and giving your meeting schedule. I thought I'd at least do this, but again, I can't stress enough. I'll be come back as much as you want. No, I that's
submit to the clerk.
Fair enough. Anytime you want. Okay to submit to the clerk. Can we do a motion to make it?
Motion was second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.
Okay. Thank
you all. Have a great day. Thank you.
All right. Um uh next person is Jesus Martinez.
Uh Jesus JJ Martinez. I'm the Vice President of Local 4420, our Pasco County professional firefighters. I also live in uh Pasco County, [address removed]. I'd like to start today by thanking you. Thank you for what you've done for us in the past. Thank you to commissioners that have met with us. and hearing our concerns. Pasco County is growing. At an alarming rate. We're being told that Rescue two thirty will be in
service. by the first week of uh May, and station nine by the end of the summer.
With that said, I'm asking you for help. Rescue two hundred thirty and the four new stations on the G O Bond that the citizens voted on were needed four years ago when they were voted on. The number has doubled as we near the completion of the first station off the Bond and the second new station, not a rebuild, in nearly ten years. The number of needed positions is growing as well. Our thirty-seven new hires is now down to thirty-two, as
many of them have left for other departments with better pay and better benefits. We've lost seven experienced firefighters. Because they are simply burned out from the large call volume.
And the relief is nowhere in sight. The county will continue to grow and the amount of emergency calls is increasing faster than we have all expected.
We've worked with our administration to do what we can to help with these issues. Pasco firefighters are a proud breed. We love our job, we love this county, and we love the citizens in it. But we're human. Humans break.
I I got a call from a friend of mine. In the Wesley Chapel area. He was responding to a call. They just pulled in the station. They came from a call, the rescue was transporting. And um They got another call. They were in and out of the station in thirty seconds.
The GPS said they were eighteen minutes away.
Within seventeen minutes, the patient stopped breathing.
It took eighteen minutes to get there and their ambulance took twenty three from their station.
All this firefighter could think of, what if I got there sooner? What if I could make a difference? I could be there. We have the tools, we have the knowledge, we just need to get there sooner. This is just one example of what is going on in our county. We are here today 'cause these stories haunt us. This county can do better and our residents deserve better. But we're willing to work with you. for our citizens. Thank you.
Next person is John Weber.
Most will receive a file. Second.
All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye.
Aye.
John Webber, [address removed]. I also am a resident at the airport. What I'm here about today is Uh asking the uh county to to help with a a trash problem. Uh this particular property is in Miss Sparkey's uh area. Uh I've talked to the
uh Vote enforcement people they tell me that there's nothing that they can do but write a citation that gets ignored. And uh if you could uh see the pictures you'll understand what I'm talking about that These pictures was taken in the first part of the month and it's gotten worse since then.
Um
I I stopped down to see Miss Starkey but she was out but You know, I don't know Where else to go for help? for this particular problem.
Is that is that all sir?
Mr. Chairman Mariano.
Um code enforcement. I was gonna go to Sally, but I didn't know. Well
Sally S Sally Sherman's here. Um, If you if you're through, I would say talk talk okay. So talk with Sally Sherman, she'll uh look at these and address them for you.
She might want those pictures
though.
Don't think he has another copy. Sally, if you want these pictures are available.
Yeah, they're pretty ooh.
These are the official records, so I need a back.
Thank you.
All right, and the last person I have signed up is George Hulse.
Okay.
That's it. But I have signed up. Okay.
Cool.
Is there any anyone else who didn't sign up that would like to address the board?
Okay. Yeah.
No one