County Administrator report on awards and sewer agreement

3:28:51County Administrator. Uh yes, uh I have a few more items than usual today, so if the board will indulge me, I'll move quickly. Uh just a quick couple of blurbs. Um I know Commissioner Weightman mentioned Laurel, Congressman Laurel Lee. Uh she was actually at one of our fire stations on August 17th to meet. Uh, we appreciate her support of our first responders as our entire federal delegation, but uh specifically uh looking to to push forward some safety.

3:29:20Uh bringing financial support back to the county. Second item is that uh our purchasing department actually uh was one of forty-five counties to win a national award being recognized as uh having an excellence in procurement. So we're we're very proud of our purchasing department, uh helping us to to make sure that we're we're We're doing the right things when it comes to government procurement. So hats off to them. Um, I do have another accolade for our media relations and communications. And if you've got a second here, I'd like to show

3:29:50you the video, but we won another telly. This was a bronze telly. And the teles, as you know, recognize excellence in video and TV communication. They have 12,000 entries annually. Um, so to win one of these is rather prestigious. And this was uh related to Pasco Outdoor Adventure. ventures. So I think that's queued up. Uh if you wouldn't mind showing that, Sonia.

3:30:29Mm.

3:31:37I've never seen that bird move like that. Very nice. That was very good. That's

3:31:41very nice. Yeah.

3:31:42So hats hats off to the team. We're very, very proud of them. The last item, and I'm really just this is just more of a report because it just happened. Um some of you may have been been uh uh rec recall that uh we had a 2017 sewer agreement with Hernando County along the provide service along the county line that was some Subsequently canceled by their board in 2022. That obviously put a blow to development on the Pasco County side of the line since we don't yet have sewer service up there. Uh

3:32:12we had kind of worked together to try to to work on a joint agreement with Hernando County. To uh do some uh to support jointly the widening or transfer of of uh County Line Road North uh and and in return get that sewer agreement, something that would benefit both both parties. Um I'm I and I had that actually teed up to go on to the September 5th agenda because it was going before the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners today. Unfortunately, they passed the road agreement.

3:32:43But also again shot down the sewer agreement. So at this time I'm just advising the board that I do not intend to bring that agreement forward at at this time until I have an opportunity to speak with their county administrator. If the board has any guidance or anything that they'd like to say to me about this before I go forward, uh I'd certainly love to hear it at this time.

3:33:03Well, Mike, this is a very important agreement to us. And I and I know you as past utilities director knew exactly what to do, how to work it out, and you took the long approach to getting it right. Uh so to see it not go forward is very disappointing. Um and I think we talked just a bit little bit and you mentioned a comment that um Sometimes the counties that border each other will service another area, uh maybe not for water, but at least for sewer where they're gonna make money, especially if capacity is available. Uh and especially if there's a a long term plan that we

3:33:33could show That we're going to build our capacity. We're just not ready for it yet. So

3:33:38Yeah. I mean the existing agreement did have a 10-year initial term on it. So the intent was for Pasco County to eventually get utilities into those areas. So that it would have helped, but again, it it again, we you know I know we we we struggle with development in that area. And the original agreement did include water and sewer, but we were respectful of Fernando's wishes to because they're not part of a regional water supply, and so their their water supplies were limited. So we we kinda backed off of that. But um at any rate uh I intend to have those conversations but um I I will do not intend to bring that agreement forward at this time um

3:34:08just because that really wasn't what we what we discussed and so um we'll we'll continue to have those conversations.

3:34:15I mean no we're gonna be running sewer up there. And it would make sense for us to rebuild the road and then have to redo our side of the road to go put the pipes in anyway. So w it wouldn't wouldn't be wouldn't be efficient for the state to even go forward with it at this point.

3:34:29Yeah, I I don't I don't disagree, but this was just just happened today. So I just wanted to report it since the board was in session now and and just to to let you know.

3:34:37Well and I'll thank I'll thank Carl Murchiscu who's our our MPO director for being there and and he's been shepherding this all the way through uh as far as the transportation part to to work with DOT to s to see it. Uh it's

3:34:49It's been over a year in the works.

3:34:51Kind of a sad thing. Uh Commissioner Oakley.

3:34:54I think um Kathy Pearson might have something to report that we were the Well I I

3:34:58was gonna add as well that yeah absolutely was the I was

3:35:02thinking you were done so

3:35:04No no sorry there there's a lot going on here. The uh of course if you if you didn't hear we are now the lead agency um for area um for the for senior services so uh we will we will be taking over. You did pass a consent item today, uh subject to county attorney review of the agreement that uh that I can execute and we can we can go forward in and providing that vital service to our to our seniors. I also think um Denise did you have an answer to a question that was asked during the board meeting that you'd like to

3:35:31I do think you I know it's um not normal but um In response to how many billboards were removed off of nineteen, the answer is a total of eighteen.

3:35:42Eighteen, okay. Thank you. And that's it. Thank you.

3:35:50Very good. Well