Chairman Oakley report on hurricane tour and FEMA meeting

2:17:34Okay, and I've allowed myself thirty minutes.

2:17:37Mm-hmm.

2:17:38No, I'm not spending thirty minutes talking about things, but

2:17:43Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton. Everybody knows it. Everybody's heard it. Uh, just on and on. I've been out talking to people I went to the Enclave for that area in the enclave development is a bowl. And that water rushed in there and We were able to with the help of State Guard. to save a lot of people in that area. Uh like two hundred and eighty eight people I think they've moved out of that area. When it was flooding. And no one was

2:18:14injured.

2:18:16There may be some houses in In floodwaters. I mean in They got flooded. But When I was out there the other day, most people said they didn't get bloodied there. So But the world was up. It's like a bowl inside the development. So And that water came over in and then It flooded like a pond. So But two hundred and eighty eight people were moved and then I was over at uh Um Allen Mall and Uh got being one of those I think they call it a

2:18:46fat truck or a toy truck. but I was able to travel in one of those for the State Guard. It went out into the pond to the back side of the uh Allen Mall. the water at that point in time that we were in was uh A part of those floodwaters, but The fact of it is it had to travel or gain five or six feet before it got up to road level. And I at that point I just never realized that uh that actually the mall would flood. And it looks like

2:19:16they built the mall up enough that That that didn't happen. So But the builders of that were I guess looking at the hundred year floodplain for whatever, but it was well taken care of. So I'm not gonna say it'll never flood before c or again because there's always that chance of getting a Mm. Three hundred year or four hundred year. storm in our area, but uh It hasn't this time. Um I've worked with the people there that live in Hickory Hill, been trying

2:19:46to pump water over the old railroad track bed over there. I've worked on that since I was at Swift Mud and Two thousand seven till now. And um I think when this all first started I was the only one that Are there some people in the right-of-way? east side of the county sea barn that realize we put We put pumps there at one time or other. to pump water over There's a covet there that if it would if it was and I try to get permission from the Evans Evans family,

2:20:17if it was set Even a foot lower. Those homes will never got flooded. if that covered. But that didn't happen, but they gave them permission to pump over. And we did that up until the point of all the river was flowing into Dade City and we couldn't pump any more over because We would just continuously uh flood neighbors out there and we didn't want to do that. And we didn't do that. So but a lot of people even though it's happened on the west side with everything they have is

2:20:47kinda a little different than on the east side where We're a bit higher in some areas 'cause we're on the Brooksville Ridge. Um So we got hilly hills and things of that nature. the river and that over there too. We um Have a lot of beautiful hundred and fifty year old oaks and all that didn't make it through the storm and It's this is not the first time we've lost a lot of big oaks, but a lot of oaks have been planted. before and there'll be planned after this. So

2:21:17they're very majestic and very beautiful other trees. Um And they're They gotta be hundred and fifty to two hundred years old, as huge as they are. And just to let you know that uh my plans at um historic chorass will be to take the oak that I was afraid that was gonna come down on the World War Two Memorial. after we kind of settle the dust here with We're gonna take that oak tree down. And then Needs too. It's fixing

2:21:48the following World War Two Memorial. We can't keep it from I mean a big limb a big limb came off. I heard about it. I was afraid it was gonna be in that memorial and I got there and it was not. So Be thankful then that it didn't happen. We can take that tree down and Uh it looks like we're gonna come back in with some uh Maybe some cabbage palms over that's a state tree. We look back in history and and in front of the courthouse in history back Maybe

2:22:19fifty years ago or so. It had cabbage palms in front of that courthouse. There we go. And they're in the picture. So we've got to straighten that up. But we gotta take that tree out. We've been told by by

2:22:34Arbor Yeah. That actually that tree has been needing to come down for quite a while. So we're gonna have to do this. Just letting you know. So But um

2:22:48Then we all went to uh went to a uh Had a big discussion at St. Leo University. and discussed a lot of things happening around the state and the county. And um Very Very important if Um presentation from myself, Danny Burgess, Randy Maggard, Um Seth Weightman, right? Yeah. Seth was there also. Yeah. But it was a very informative meeting and and a lot of

2:23:18people got information they didn't have. So Those kind of things are very important. Um I th I can't thank each and every one of you, my board members and County Attorney's Office and uh Mike and all your staff and all of our employees. all over the county for what they've done during this time 'cause Um Thank you just doesn't sound good enough. But I'm telling you it's Yeah. It's well noticed. Not

2:23:49just with us but others. And our

2:23:54Yeah, I guess tri county area of uh the Stamp Bay region with with Hillsborough Pineals. and Pasco County people notice. When you carry out the right kind of job for your county. And they have noticed Pasco County has done just that. So Uh

2:24:13I think I don't know what the format I want to ask one question and then I'll be done. But one question is on the Fima meeting on Thursday night at the Historic Courthouse, which I will be there. What is the plan? I mean, is it gonna be just like this other one they had and 'Cause people are I'm afraid people are gonna go there. Looking For county information. More than just FEMA, but county of They need both, but

2:24:44yeah. Yes, sir. So that and that was the intent. That was kind of the lesson learned from FEMA's meeting that they had uh at the Hudson Library is that folks really kind of want information from both. So it's my understanding FEMA will will be there as part of that, but we will have County personnel on hand to discuss county specific issues and matters for the county. All right. Sounds good. There's also a there's a virtual option as well that'll be through Teams or WebEx

2:25:14that that will allow folks to the opportunity to to watch

2:25:18Yeah.

2:25:19Okay.

2:25:20Well when he over in Hudson There was over a hundred people watching that on uh one of Troy's

2:25:28He had broadcast over there. There was over a hundred people in the parking lot there at the judicial center that that watch that going on. So I mean you'd think well they wouldn't be interested but Over a hundred people gathered to see it. There was some interest there, so Yeah, lots of it. Yeah. So I expect Knock on wood, I expect a big crowd, but The fact of it is I expected a much bigger crowd here today too, but it didn't come to be but I know we've

2:25:59done a lot of uh messaging out there. Uh I think Troy many times for the type his trucks are and they're going down through and broadcasting that message to everyone. It really paid off. Uh from Helene to Melton it really paid off a lot for uh people moving. Yeah. And it it did a good job, so And I thank you many times. Yes, sir.

2:26:26So I know years ago we we try to put um uh a swamp out for billboards. And I know there's at least two or three On nineteen alone that have been just ripped off their foundation. What happens to a build aud after the fact? Can they put it back up?

2:26:44Well if it's non conforming then it's More than fifty percent. Now if it's non conformant it can

2:26:49go back up.

2:26:50But if it's just their signs, you know they're no I mean

2:26:52the whole I mean foundation like the the support system split. Yeah.

2:26:57Oh good. Give me the address. There are a lot of signs that will be changed. That's all I got

2:27:04to clear.

2:27:05Um I just got a little notice about Red Tide. Do we know what's going on off our coast with Red Tide?

2:27:13I do not but uh I'll certainly get back to

2:27:15it. The weather channel's showing a map and it's got us with red tide off the coast. Yeah, but I and I and you know, I'd like to know. Also what if I'm sorry Pardon

2:27:26me, uh but I forgot to ask the clerk. clerk what he would like to say.

2:27:31And then ask about the dengue fever stuff.

2:27:33What?

2:27:34The dengue give me Go ahead.

2:27:38Nothing on behalf of uh the clerk, but just an anecdotal type thing because I mentioned earlier about two thousand four. when the Charlie and two others criss cross Polk County. and the east side of the county. had a little more impact than again being city manager at the time and everybody was hugging that tree canopy. of those stately laurel water oak and live oaks that they wanted to be preserved. Well, right after those three storms, all of a sudden there

2:28:08was much more interest in We need to do something about the trees. Because it made spaghetti o out of and And having lived on the w uh east side of the county and experienced Probably hundred mile an hour winds and downburst from the what I think is probably that cold front hitting that causing that caused the fourteen inches of rain. I'm not a meteorologist, just play at it. But um if you notice in the Dade City area the trees for the most part are

2:28:38pushed. South. Yeah. The winds at that point should have been out of the east. uh when that storm. So we think a lot of that, but regardless of all that uh the very tall, overmature murel oaks and others that just are down all over as as uh Commissioner Weightman just said. And while the canopy in Dade City was changed in two thousand four, it's been changed tremendously

2:29:08again. And uh i it's amazing you drive down the street and the sky is open. And uh It's uh it's a little it's a little shaking.

2:29:21I'm not looking forward to seeing uh Mr.

2:29:23What were you talking about?

2:29:24Um I missed the call about where we talked about dengue fever. Um there are I know of at least one and really two stores on Nineteen that have exposed tires. Um the health department's supposed to be kind of all over that, I thought, but a dead gate fever is transmitted through mosquito bites. So we have an ordinance in the county that tires cannot be left Uncovered. And I just What's

2:29:55going on with the dengue fever and do we need to be vigilant with code enforcement on getting those those tire stores to Cover their tires.

2:30:06So two things real quick. I'll answer your question on red tide. We have pinged um trying to see if there's any update on dengue fever. Um I'm on Fish and Wildlife's uh Red Tide status sampling map, which is the most recent eight days of sampling. There is a what would be considered a high hit. of of um concentration probably about fifteen miles due west of Caladesee uh lowering as you go south um but there's it's not present in other Other

2:30:36sampling spots that would be more relevant to Pasco, so up around Anclode Key. So I mean there does appear to be some samplings that that suggest that. We'll have to look into that and provide more information. Regarding dengue fever, of course, uh the Department of Health was concerned about that, especially post-rain. I know Mosquito Control has ramped up efforts, and I know that there was also the Department of Agriculture has an intervention team as well that is working on spraying for mosquitoes. I'll have to look into our tire

2:31:06ordinance in terms of that, but there's there's plenty of breeding ground. uh for that. So we have uh fourteen Cases of dengue fever as of last week.

2:31:16That's a lot. That's a lot. Um and don't forget Thursday, Kathy, can you talk about um the event at the at the Grand Boulevard. And um William Crozier, who was at the White House with Trump and is now the lobbyist for the company that sells those pallets, he contacted me. And uh he's heard about our event and they're sending someone to that. But did they get in touch with you? Absolutely. Okay, great. That's taken care of.

2:31:44Kathy Pearson, Assistant County Administrator, Public Services. This is a media event, so it's a little bit different. Uh it's gonna be from nine to eleven on uh Thursday morning. And where the media event is, Joana probably can talk better than me, but it's an opportunity for the media to come and visit. to come and tour, to take pictures, take videos, interview some of the team members that have been instrumental in getting this done. And that's Thursday morning at the 2654 Grand Boulevard. I want to personally

2:32:15thank the public works team, the public infrastructure, facilities, county attorneys. I am simply blown away by what they did in a few weeks to create what they created down there and so thank you all from the bottom of our hearts and hopefully we're gonna have some great success stories come out of that.

2:32:35And when will when will we start uh filling The

2:32:38So we are almost at the end of our agreement and so Mike has the authority to sign that agreement and the plan is to open on Monday if all goes well. So we're planning on Monday. And new plane will be about another two weeks, so we're looking at mid November. They're still putting the infrastructure in there. Okay.