Interim County Administrator Mike Carbala appointment

53:11All in favor? Aye. Thank you very much. Okay, so we have an eleven thirty time certain, so we'll go to we can go to board member comments. Oh we have another one? Did I miss that? Oh sorry, R sixty one.

53:29Okay, Interim County Administrator. So um we started having this discussion At the last meeting. And um Commissioner Moore was not here. So I felt it was appropriate that we have this discussion when all the board members are here. So they tied me down and said easy.

53:50So um you know we have uh choices here and go ahead, Commissioner Oakley.

53:58Uh last time I'd made a motion for an interim. uh administrator and and I've I've By waiting I've thought more about it. Um If I was doing this in my business and it was uh vice president something that that left my business and I had someone enter 'em to be put in that position. I wouldn't put him in there as an interim, I'd put him in the position. And go forward. It'll be a smooth transition. And so I'd like to And

54:29we can discuss this. I I won't wait make a motion yet, but I would like to make that to where it's not an interim, it's a uh Appelsation.

54:39For Demon Strider. Uh Commission Mariano.

54:43So and and I've had much much time to think about it and I've kind of evolved because my first thoughts were we're gonna do national search. Get the best candidate for we can for the county. Um and you know I I know we had two really strong guys who were thinking about it and one a little bit stronger than the uh stronger the other as far as don't n wanting to do it. Um Either either one could do it, but I I will say that after my meetings, even just the budget meeting I had yesterday just really solidified it. Sitting down and talked to the w I was sitting down with Mike Uh Eric. uh and

55:13Bob and just going through what was coming up. I'm going, you know We've built a really strong team. It's great when you can build a great group and you can promote from right within And I will tell you, uh I don't think there's been a better person suited to take over the county administrative job than Mike Carbell than anyone I've ever seen.

55:35the FGA thing we just put through, we gave him that heavy rock to carry and he carried that thing across the finish line again. Uh his team as far as with Stormwater. You look at the satisfaction of the west side to the east side and central? The West Side's been struggling. But if you look at the things that he's done with his appropri with his team with Stormwater, Stormers ranked like Ninety five percent, ninety six percent. That's phenomenal. But that took leadership and dedication, listening to us to get these things done. So I'm gonna I'm gonna back your motion

56:05up, Commissioner Oakley, if if when you when you make it as far as to to back it Mike up, because I think he's ready for the job and I think the county would be so much better served with the jail we got coming up they're gonna take over, all the things going on. That I I think you're right. He's he it's it's a great move to make that next step right-smooth. I think I think

56:24seamless county will cover the easement. I think it'd be seamless. Commissioner Moore.

56:31Thank you, Madam Chair. Having uh microphone problems today. Yeah. No, I I I I I I don't disagree. You know, when we're talking about if we're going interim first, you know, obviously Mike Carball I think would be a a great fit for the team and and uh we've had the uh you know opportunity to have uh many conversations on this. Um during schedule meetings. Um obviously very competent and um obviously understands the county, lives in the county, knows the county very well. and uh I have all the confidence in the world in

57:01them. Um Yeah, you know what I uh I want to see this county obviously continue to move forward and and um And do well and and um Yeah. Um you know I'm only gonna be here for another what four four or five months, like you something like that. You could change your mind. I can be a little it's a little late now. I think I missed that opportunity last week. Yeah, yeah. But um no I think he'd be uh excel at this position. Like I said, um I don't disagree one

57:32bit. Again, you know, obviously um as an entire board, um especially some of you that are obviously going to Be here longer than myself. Um Have to um No, obviously I wanna take your uh

57:50comments into consideration. Before we vote. Um but I don't disagree. Um that I mean definitely should it be interim and I and I have and I do have um confidence that it could be permanent as well. I think it's just how you decide if you how you wanna structure something like that.

58:09I think you would be I think he would be a great asset to the county and whether it was an interim for the first few months and then move forward and again I think he was a great asset and a good choice.

58:25Thank you. So um I also think Mike um is very, very capable and and I've talked with people who work with him in other agencies and they find him very capable as well. I I have mixed emotions because I think um I think it sometimes it's good to hear what other people's ideas are in in other places. I I've had the opportunity to live around the world and I learned something in every place I've ever lived. And

58:56um so I guess I can go either way. Um Um I know sometimes when you do a a a a national search, um

59:08You don't know what you don't know what you're gonna get? I know we've we've interviewed some Some uh People that probably won't write for our county. But we did find someone like Dan Biles. Um So I'm I'm I think Mike can do a great job. But I also think it's good to uh to hear what others have to offer and bright ideas from other really Um prime areas that I think we could attract from.

59:38So Go ahead, Commissioner Oakley.

59:40Okay. Um and when we first started looking and we started discussing, Eric was also in that mix. And I think before the last meeting I heard Eric decided that Maybe I'm not sure. Both of them are very qualified people and I I appreciate both of them very much. And Just want that to be heard 'cause before I spoke last time D didn't say much about Eric but had reached out about Mike, but I'd

1:00:11heard before the meeting that Eric had decided he wasn't quite ready. So I I appreciate that. I think that helps all of us know that and I think he's a great member of the staff and for taking on detention and other things that matter, he's he's got a very big job to do. So and he knows that, so But with that I would uh like to make a motion to

1:00:33Uh Mike Kabala as our new administrator for Pasco County. Second.

1:00:38Madam Chairman M You've already got an administrator on contract through October first. Oh while a contract could be structured in such a way that Mike can take over. Okay. Unless you're trying to terminate Mr. Piles, which I don't think you are. Oh didn't I didn't try

1:00:58to do that. I thought he did that himself, but

1:01:03But he signed the already after him. He's probably less than this. I think I but if I will structure my motion to mean that he would be in the administrative taking over after Mr. Biles contract.

1:01:15Mike would be iterum until Mr. Biles contract elapses and we can at this uh we can begin contract negotiations with

1:01:24with Mike at that point.

1:01:28You can begin contract negotiations with Mike right away to take over on October first. Right. There you go. Okay.

1:01:35That's that's my motion.

1:01:36So you're Madam Chair, so if I if I have it correctly then your motion is to Currently a point um Mike Karbala starting on July when is Mr. Bowles leaving? A point.

1:01:49Uh September

1:01:51Well

1:01:52he

1:01:52Well uh okay. He we're gonna need somebody that's

1:01:55vacation.

1:01:55We're gonna need somebody in that role starting July

1:01:58thirty first.

1:01:59Thirty first.

1:02:02Okay.

1:02:02But he's still the administrator until when? How does that work? Because he's taking

1:02:09the thirtieth.

1:02:10So do we say September thirtieth?

1:02:12No, it's okay to say that. I think it's correct. He Mike will be

1:02:19at the time at the time that leaves the building. Leaves the building. Right. August first.

1:02:28But then would would become the county administrator on October first, which was the day after that Mr. Biles.

1:02:37Yeah. Because no matter what Yeah, because Mr. Bowles w would have to appoint an acting county administrator. Um while he was gone anyway. So let's if he took a two month leave, he's gonna have to appoint somebody as acting as he's done today, for example. Right. Okay, cool. We got a s you got a second there.

1:02:57Is that okay with the second? Good with the second there? Okay.

1:02:59Any more discussion? Okay, all in favor? Aye. Aye. Opposed? All righty.

1:03:06Congratulations.

1:03:12Has that ever happened before?

1:03:15Well Madam Chairman I think you know and I and I appreciate and I appreciate the motion and Commissioner Oakley bringing this up. And I appreciate Commissioner Oakley waiting until I came today to this meeting. Oh I did. Thank

1:03:27you

1:03:27so much for time and if you look at if you look at a lot of, you know, I and I've said this on many occasions. That everybody agrees with me and that's okay. But I look at Pasco County, it's it's it's a very large corporation. It's it's it's a large company. We're the you know, we're the board of directors and all our constituents are our shareholders. And the shareholders decide who the the board of directors are and the board of directors decide who leads and who our CEO is, right? If you look at companies, obviously if the You know, throughout time. People groom their replacements.

1:03:58You know, it doesn't the board doesn't always go out to a national search. We see it constantly. You saw it not too long ago, if I'm not correct, in Hillsborough County, where the um quote CFO was actually um bumped up to um to be the county administrator there as well. So it is not as uncommon as we may think. But I think they didn't corporate world. Um They did, but they knew who they wanted the whole time, let's be honest. You know, that's let's why put through and that's what I think. Why put people through that? Why put peop outside people through a process when we know who we want? You know, let's

1:04:28save 'em the time. It's not fair to them either. So good decision.

1:04:31And Madam Chairman M and I would like to also state that it's very easily it it's it's very easy to speak with him. He has great communication skills, he's respectful, he has ethical values and integrity. So I would like to say thank you.

1:04:47Madam Chairman Mariano.

1:04:51When first thought, you know, Eric was a contender, Mike was a contender, and Eric I support you a hundred percent knowing you want to spend more time with your family while you're Thought not that you're not ready for it, just that you don't want to miss that family time that it may take with the administrative position. But but literally watching you and Mike together with Bob Guring yesterday going through is like we got a great team, we got a great leadership here, we can keep this thing rolling. Creators will go going right now without skipping a beat. So you're you're being there and and knowing that you still wanna stay here and and put a long career in, work

1:05:22with Mike together side by side, we're thrilled. So thank you.

1:05:25All right, so um board members um like you to authorize me to work with um staff to negotiate an employment contract. Okay. Aye. Does that does that take a motion?

1:05:37We got a motion to