Public comment on hurricane impacts and flooding
What the county recorded
This item is not from the published agenda
It is a stretch of the recording that this archive identified as a separate matter — a call to order, a recess, or something taken up that the agenda does not list. There is no official title, no staff recommendation and no disposition, because the county never recorded one. Everything below is inferred.
The source document
The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Oct 22, 2024
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Oct 22, 2024
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 18m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 92% of 76 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Here. That being now we have a quorum present and all commissioners are present at the dais. Um I would like to remind people that this is time for public comment. This is one of the times that We the board do not speak back to the public. So you have your three minutes to speak. We listen to you. I have extra staff members here today to follow you out of the room and answer any questions you have directly to that staff member. So But we're prepared to be able
to hopefully answer all your questions. So
uh now is public comment says we're given a uh uh opportunity to comment on Any current or future agenda item coming before the board? And on other and on other business under the board's purview. Today's public comment will be Handled as follows. First, we will take public comment from those people here and signed in. Um
Then we will take public comment from those who are pre-registered on WebEx WebEx link. and currently on Q. We request that when you address the board, comments are directed not personally toward a commissioner. or a staff member, but rather Direct your questions to the issues. This provides mutual respect between board members and the public. Uh after Stating your name and address a Three
minute timer will be activated. After two minutes, a single beep will sound and you will have one minute left to finish your comments. When your time is up, two beats will sound. And You're asked to finish your comments. Um
Okay. Madam Clerk, do we have a Oh, excuse me. Mr. Clerk. My script. Never knows.
Okay, but Uh would you please uh call those to that have signed up to speak?
Yes, sir. First up, the Honorable Mike Fasano, tax collector.
Welcome, Mr. Fasano. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Commissioner, good morning. Uh I won't take but uh a couple of minutes. If I go past my three minutes, I apologize. A couple of things I just want to bring up to date, if I may. First, to thank you. Thank you all, our County Administrator Mike and his staff, uh EOC. Um It's been a rough three weeks, there's no question about it. Uh you all have stepped up to the plate amazingly. But your staff has done an outstanding job and um Um I
don't know well what more they could do and they continue to do their best and uh Hopefully, God willing, uh uh some of those who were still hurting uh some way they'll be able to uh get back. I have great concerns. great concerns about those who are Uh had been put out their home, uh maybe not able to fix their home or maybe their home was uninhabitable. Uh that they have no insurance. Zero insurance. And I was concerned about this when I was a legislator. Of
uh of the mess that would be when we got hit with a major storm, and I think we're gonna see a lot of people. uh not having a home uh to go back to. With that said, uh uh congratulations on a job well done to everyone and thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Um couple of things we did over the past year. Uh we bought a pi uh piece of property in the Angeline community. Uh right on the uh n uh north side of fifty-two at Angeline uh for two million dollars. We're already
in the process of doing our architectural work and our uh engineering work will start uh groundbreaking in next year. And I tell you this because uh it's gonna cost us several more million dollars to build it. We're not asking for any money, we'll do it from the tax collector's uh Um uh The uh budget. Uh we also purchased, which was outstandingly helpful in uh this year, we purchased a four hundred thousand dollar uh generator for our Land O' Lakes office that kept us going. to
keep an office open to serve serve our Pasco residents. Um we um we are plans and the great help of Heather uh and others at your county staff and there goes my three minutes. Uh I have a check to give you. You have one more.
We
plan on moving our Wesley Chapel office, uh which we're uh uh uh staying right now and doing a lease. Uh we're moving into we're gonna build a new office in the Wesley in in the Wesley Chapel area that the county has donated to us and we'll build a new office there. Um our starting salary now is at twenty dollars an hour. Uh something that we've moved uh from fifteen uh uh from nineteen dollars to uh I'm sorry, uh from uh gosh, salary that I think started at nine dollars an hour. Now we're at twenty dollars an hour. Our
uh turnover is almost little to none. Uh we were able to just give out uh significant uh retention bonuses to all our employees recently, just about a week or so ago. And we're looking good at the tax collector's office. Um Your EOC director is second to none in the state of Florida, and that's what I hear throughout the state from other counties and other legislators. With all of that, I think I'm done. Um I wanna give you a check for five point six million dollars today. So I hope that will be helpful. So I'll give it to
Harold. I know he'll he'll take good care of that check.
Well thank you for coming and um the reason you have such good help is y they've got d one of the best bosses They could have in Pasco County. So you do a great job and and we watch you and we all appreciate everything you do do. Thank you. So
just to reiterate, it's five point seven million we're giving today and that's because my staff does an excellent job. But also uh need to We know. Make it clear that that check is gonna start depleting over the next couple of years as we build our Angeline office. Okay. So uh this way there's no surprises. Okay. I hope that will be helpful towards whatever you need to use it for. God bless you. Have a great day. All right, God bless you. Thank you.
Um
I'm not sure of this name.
Shumasy Greer.
State your name and address for the record.
Hello, my name is Shamisha Greer. I live at [address removed]. Um [address removed] I'm a new resident of Pasco County. And my concern is that um I was impacted by the storm, hurricane, two hurricanes bite to bite. My industry is that I'm a caregiver. Um I haven't been working since October because everybody evacuated. I evacuated with my family. So my apartment filed eviction on me. You know, they're not trying
to work with me 'cause I told 'em I was impiked by the storm. So
Also, I'm a kind of like an advocate with Florida Rising, so I'm from Hillsborough County. So that's why I'm here, so I know about coming to the county commission to speak for our resident. And um also the office told me one resident had gave up her key because she was impact in by the storm. No negotiating, nothing. This plane, you evicted. You know what I'm saying? It's like I'm came here for a new change to get on my feet because I was impacting by. Um I
had COVID nineteen. I I was on oxygen, I was very sick, so I lost a lot. So I came here for a new start. Now it's turning bad cause of the storm. I'm finna get evicted.
Because I can't find resources to help me. I'm not familiar with this county.
So it's like um I'm speaking for me and other people in the community that need help. You know, that's what I do. So if y'all see me on the news, I speak for a fund is um if you pull up Bay News Nine, I speak about the funds to help peoples that's impacted by um disasters also.
Okay.
I think Mrs. Pearson's
gonna speak with you. Okay.
Kathy Pearson will meet you in the back there. She's going back there.
She's amazing.
She will a she'll answer your questions.
Thank you.
Um Tangier Square I think is one of our um low income communities that is run by a nonprofit, pretty sure, on fifty four. Old fifty four.
Yeah, next person. Uh Bridget Undrelot.
This is her home.
Oh.
Good morning, Hummy.
Okay.
Name and
address for the record.
Bridget Andre Lot, [address removed]. I'm a resident of Thousand Oaks. I'm here today to address the recurring flooding issues that continue to plague several of our communities, including Thousand Oaks 2 to 5, 6 to 9, Thousand Oaks Multi, Trinity Oaks, Wingate, Chelsea Place, and the Business District behind Walgreens on Mitchell Boulevard, which also includes
Mm-hmm. During Hurricane Milton, we were told this was a hundred-year storm, but this explanation rings hollow when our communities flood during regular storms and heavy rain seasons. This isn't a once-in-a-century problem. It's become a regular occurrence that threatens our homes, our safety, and our peace of mind. I'm here to ask three critical questions. First, what is your concrete plan to address these recurring floods? We need more than temporary solutions about exceptional
weather events. Second, regarding the little road pumps, um, were they all operational during the last flood? And if not, why? Because this is basic infrastructure that should be functioning when we need it most. Third and most crucially, how do you plan to ensure that emergency access during storms, when these areas flood, that although we're not just dealing with property damage, you're potentially cutting off emergency services from reaching
the residents in crisis at the time? Um let me be personal for a moment. Um I invested my entire life savings to move here. I chose this area specifically because it was marked as a non-flood zone, high-end community. My neighbors and I believed that we were buying into a secure future, but instead we live in constant anxiety every time rain is forecasted. This isn't just about property values, although they're certainly important. This is about an emotional toll
of watching our neighbors' hobes homes flood repeatedly. It's about going to bed during storms, wondering if we'll wake up to water in our living rooms. It's about wondering if our retirement investments in these homes were a terrible mistake. We need a comprehensive solution that, number one, addresses the root cause of these flooding issues, ensures that all the pump stations are properly maintained and operational. provides better emergency management during these storms, and restores our community to their intended non-flood zone status with
remediation. The residents of these communities, myself in this area choose this area carefully. We want to stay here, we want to thrive here, but we need your leadership and action to make that possible. I look forward to your specific plans to address these issues. Thank you for your time.
We got someone to speak to you. Thank you.
Uh that's all that have signed up in advance.
Are is it anyone in the uh room that did not sign up, wish to speak?
Did she leave a phone number?
Please come forward. Come forward and state your name and address.
Okay, what was her name? Richard? I mean, right her name too.
Pastor Jen Kerouac, [address removed]. The Pasco Spring Hill. Um I just was moved to come today and I wasn't going to come but it was really on my heart today for a few things after seeing the incredible devastation and and you know all that this young woman just brought forward. Um, so many people do the same thing. I did the same thing. I spent my life savings to move to Florida
from Illinois. Mainly, if I'm honest, for the weather, not so much about the investment in a physical thing in a home, but in myself and and to thrive and to live in a place where I believe that I could thrive. I lived in Pinellas County for many years and after the congestion just Honestly squeezed me out. Because it was just incredible the the vast number of
people that retire to Pasco County. And I understand that we're trying to do something similar in our own way in Pasco County. You know, I think that The congestion and the rate of development and all the things that people previously had been concerned about. We find ourselves in a position today in Pasco County where people are flooding even inland, where they might
be in an X zone, a non-flood, non-evacuation zone. and that they're being flooded. There are many, many issues that I know that are gonna take time to address. But you know, this is what was on my heart today. I don't usually bring a word from God to y'all. But today I just needed to share Psalms 145, 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, gracious, gracious in all
his works. The Lord is near to all who call upon him and to all who call upon him in truth. And if we're truthful, With ourselves and with one another. I would encourage you what I am receiving from people that have reached out to me in many different ways, many different formats. You know, social media, wherever, it doesn't matter. I don't even know some of the people. And they are very concerned about.
The lack of what appears to be the lack of oversight with regards to the building, and perhaps we should consider a moratorium in the same way that Zephyrhills did, to identify these stormwater issues, to identify the issues of the current residents, the people who have already invested all of their life savings. into this community. And look to you for your leadership. and
seek you for wise counsel. And so I just pray that each of you do seek wise counsel. Um Начфрам.
Okay. Your time's up. Thank you.
Kathy, you wanna s speak to her or You got somebody there? Okay. Okay. There's someone in the back that can speak to you outside there.
Yeah, that's good. Anyone else in the audience wish to speak that was not signed up?
Come forward if you're wanting to speak. Yes sir.
State your name and address for the records.
My name is uh Edward Seppelvita and uh [address removed]. Uh I just wanted to come up here just to thank uh the whole board for the organization and the help uh that was out there for everyone who suffered through these past two uh hurricanes. Um it was amazing to see so many boots on the ground um coming from the commissioners all together. So uh I just wanted to say we appreciate
that and uh and thank you very much because um It just showed the unity that uh the board has with the community and and how uh they're reachable and and easy to speak to and it was just a a wonderful coordinating uh situation that was done really quick and fast. Fast, very fast. So um as a resident of Pasco County, we I just want to thank you.
Okay.
Thank you,
sir. Thank you for all you did too.
Yeah.
Okay, anyone else in the room wish to speak? So you know when we have anyone on WebEx?
We do not have anyone on calling.