committee reports and commissioner comments

5:55:43And folks, we're just gonna go over committee reports, so the the saddleback business is over. Thank you.

5:55:50Is the right-

5:55:51No, no, just if just uh go ahead and exit, we'll we'll be fine, we'll carry on.

5:56:01You

5:56:01didn't need it.

5:56:07Okay, so we finish with Commissioner Weightman. Commissioner Starkey.

5:56:10Um, can you put that photo up please that I sent you from Commissioner Weightman's district.

5:56:17What were you doing in

5:56:18District 2? Welcome. You're welcome eating. I told him I was coming. You're welcome even too. Um and I every time I pass this I say, how is this possibly legal? Well I I wanna ask everybody How is this legal? How can that fence be legal? That is a hurricane, tropical storm. Killer. I'm sure that's in my districts. Yes.

5:56:42Yes. It was

5:56:43Gowers Corner.

5:56:45Commissioner

5:56:45Oakley.

5:56:50It's west of forty one.

5:56:52It is West of Forty One. Oh, maybe it's yours. Yes,

5:56:55welcome to Rabbit.

5:56:58So Commissioner.

5:57:01It was in the old

5:57:01this is gonna slice and Dice. Anybody with those those panels are just laying against up those

5:57:09Commissioner Starkey.

5:57:10Yeah.

5:57:10I got it.

5:57:13All right.

5:57:14Commissioner Weightman Commissioner, I will tell you that that that's been there since I've been the county attorney driving to Dave. Since we did the complaint in 2020, I always wonder if Starkey bring this up. Well no, it w it's I remember it being the answer coming back that it was a non-conforming junkyard, but That's just what's behind the fact.

5:57:36That is a killer. That is a killer if the wind was.

5:57:40They need to apply for a grant. On

5:57:41a

5:57:41wind side, too.

5:57:42I got

5:57:42it.

5:57:42Yeah.

5:57:43Sally?

5:57:44Um okay. Um I know I had other things, but I can't remember. Commissioner Mariano. You know a sport, J P chair. But I'm having shades of Sun West and it has my anxiety level up so high because I don't think you followed our board procedure for public coming. And I wanted the county attorney who sent me up sent me what we updated, how public comment is supposed to

5:58:14be dished out to uh groups. So can you go over those again? Um because I am so whatever that group was and then four minutes to all those other people. And so we came up with board policy because when I was chair You know, it it was like look make it up as you go. So so we all voted on a war policy. I just want to touch on it again so this doesn't happen again. So

5:58:4310.3 says an individual speaker shall be given three minutes to present his or her comments to the board. For public hearing items. Persons who have been authorized in writing to represent an organization with five or more members or a group Group of five or more persons shall be entitled to speak up to fifteen minutes without interruption, provided others in that organization waive their time in writ in the written authorization. Upon approval by the Chairman

5:59:13or majority vote of the board, a speaker's time may be extended. Hearings on zoning and other quasi-judicial matters shall be conducted in accordance with Rule ten. uh Rule twelve point one in the same manner as such hearings have been conducted in the past.

5:59:31Okay, so I just wanna try and be mindful of everyone's time and that was to me it we didn't have to go I mean I I thought it was a next sense.

5:59:43Uh Well L let me explain why, just so it helps. Um do you get the list?

5:59:48Uh yes,

5:59:48sir.

5:59:49So there was one person that had four Four people. And she was gonna have all four come up. She says they'd feel more comfortable if I just spoke all at once. So I thought it'd be saving time if I just had one person speak for the four people. Nancy Foster represents her HOA, she got an extra minute, she didn't even need it. Um Jane Graham getting forty five minutes, this was a lot of information. And she had a lot to cover. And if you watch the Planning Commission, which uh you she you watched it, right? That was a lot of stuff that was on there. I didn't want the situation of she had to come up and rebut

6:00:19what was being said and how got squashed. And if the way the planning commission went Uh I wanted to make sure that everybody got their voice heard so we had this done once. And again

6:00:31once. Right.

6:00:33But everybody everybody got their input in and I think we did it as quickly as we could with all the people who wanted to speak. And I think a lot of people didn't speak because of These people getting to speak as they did.

6:00:43I think this is the longest hearing we have ever had.

6:00:45Uh I have no doubt.

6:00:51Um I I don't think it was appropriate the way it was handled. Because I I I don't want to keep ham hammering up things. That's why we have that's why we have And and again

6:01:00I look I looked at what the people were asking for, how they wanted to go do it, and I've seen it where you have one person come up, another person person come up, another person come up, it's disjointed, it takes more time and doesn't come off. I wanted these people to be able to communicate to us what they wanted to say. Commissioner

6:01:13Oakley

6:01:16No, I wanted to I don't care which way I went. I didn't I didn't cut off the other two guys that went over time.

6:01:21All right.

6:01:22I let them all go. Matter of fact, the attorney at the applicant, she wanted 30 minutes, she ended up with 45. I didn't cut her off either. I wanted all the information out here so that we whenever we decide, we're gonna be done and we over. We knew it was contentious, and frankly, with this hearing Frankly, to be set up on Planning Commission agenda On consent. It told me we weren't listening to the people. I wanted the people to get their voice heard. That's all I was trying to do. Alright,

6:01:49so um uh there is a letter come on up, Carl. What is that letter called again?

6:01:56Um For the record, Carl Mikeska, Executive Director of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization. the Sun Coast Transportation Planning Alliance, which is a collaboration of our County and the other counties making up the Tampa Bay area. requested that we sign a letter supporting an application for a raise grant by Hillsborough County for their heavy maintenance facility for transit.

6:02:26So I I they put it in front of me And I said I I had a little eggs. I know I don't think you've already said you support it or from something. I don't know what you want to do.

6:02:38No, we've voted against it.

6:02:39But we voted against it.

6:02:41That was that was a that was a that was heard before, correct?

6:02:45It's not been brought to this body.

6:02:51Oh you voted against it. I thought you voted for it. Uh we voted on our own. We had a vote at the TMA meeting. They wanted to pr place it on the priority list and that was voted down. And the alternative that was proposed was then the letter of support please.

6:03:08I got a little bit of angst. voting to give federal money to the county that is killing all our plants. That's so I just want to bring it to you. I don't know where where's the Commission Lee? Yeah. Um you know it's do we want to sign that lot or do we not want to sign that? I mean I w I wanna be a regional thinker. I have always promoted regionalism. So part of me says suck it up and that's not a possible.

6:03:38I actually made

6:03:39a motion and sign it. But

6:03:43So I actually made a motion after we didn't want it on the list. We actually made a motion we do a letter of support. So I don't mind the letter of support. I just didn't want to put it on the priority list.

6:03:52I I I'm having no lengths with the letter of support, but um at least I'm getting my voice heard here that We, you know, we supported the West Shore interchange funding for federal funding. We have always supported, we supported Finellas County's ask. And I guess we will stand here and support Hillsborough's opportunity to get federal funding. But I do it with a not a big smile on my face because

6:04:23I don't think they some of them are playing well in the regional samples. So that's what's

6:04:29there's a new board there.

6:04:30Yeah.

6:04:31So if you want to make the motion for it.

6:04:33Hi, so I make the motion that we support Hart's request for federal funding.

6:04:41On the on that letter.

6:04:43Well, I I kind of seconded or voted no on that.

6:04:52If there's no second it dies.

6:04:57Well Commissioner Starkey. You are a regional thinker. I'm gonna go ahead and support you.

6:05:06Okay. It could be a two two, you don't know. Well,

6:05:10I know how to count to, so Well again,

6:05:12I I I was uncomfortable with the list, but I did actually make a recommendation that we actually did it with Regional Planning Council and Regional Planning Council did it, so I'm gonna be supporting the motion. So any further discussion on it? All in favor say aye. Aye.

6:05:25Aye. Aye. Any

6:05:27opposed?

6:05:29Okay. So my last thing I wanted to bring up and maybe I'll save it for next time I'll um but I did want to talk about Our lap. Of applying for federal funds. I see everyone around us applying and winning. Uh I just saw and someone else just sent it to me today, Hillsborough County got nineteen million for something. Um And I've talked to the administrator about this. If we don't apply we're not gonna get any. And it's a record year for funding the out

6:05:59of Washington and we're not in we're not playing in the sandbox. So we gotta tee it up for next year. All right,

6:06:05Commissioner Bradford? Yeah, but in charge of that.

6:06:08You know, lobbying is a l applying for grants and lobbying and Hiring your lobbyists. That's just a very small part of the game. You gotta be willing to get on the plane. Go up there. Disrupt your week. Bang on the doors. You can't see the if you can't see the senator, see the chief of staff. They're usually the ones who're gonna make the recommendation anyway. So I don't see us doing that a lot. Like I said, I just got here. I'm gonna play the rookie card,

6:06:38but we need to do that.

6:06:41Next

6:06:41week. Next week I can't, you know why I can't. So but uh I'm all in for Tallahassee now.

6:06:50And I'll go further with that. I I think it is something we need to do. Matter of fact, I was talking to Carl earlier that um I think we need to go put some things together, set 'em up. Uh and you know, going up with NACO is one thing. It's good that we do, we get a lot of information. We work with a group of people and kind of like lobby together. But I do think we need separate trips up there as well.

6:07:08Right.

6:07:08Uh that can work. And but set those appointments up ahead of time across the board so that we can go up as you know When we went up to get Ridge Road,

6:07:16Commissioner

6:07:16Starkey, Commissioner Oells, we went up there, and guess what? And it helped with administration had just come in and all they had done. Uh governor support. our our our uh legislative support. So all that said and done that worked and helped. So I think that's what we need to go do. And I wanna I want to compliment you Mike as as Ronnie says, I think you're doing a phenomenal job. You've addressed it the last meeting we talked about about trying to work on more of these things. We're gonna help on resiliency stuff as well to apply. So I know you get it. I know you're working on it. Um and

6:07:46I just I I guess this was pretty well uniform I'm saying we want to do more of it and just again with so much out there, we need to guess get whatever we can get. Commissioner Oakley?

6:08:00I just wanted to tell Mike that I I I appreciate all the um

6:08:07Tutelage. 'cause I ask him a lot of tough questions and he kinda looks at me and he goes, Haven't done this job before, I know. So he always takes the time for me. Uh I'm the kind of guy that'll just walk up and Bang on the door he generally make time for me. So uh and then I

6:08:29butt in.

6:08:30Yeah, then you butt in. But I'm gonna take care of fent. I'm gonna take care of the fence so we're gonna knock it on more button in.

6:08:38So anyway, uh I really uh appreciate Mike very much.

6:08:42Very good. All right, Commissioner Starkey you done with your committee reports?

6:08:45Yeah, well I uh did want Uh um on our on our a our state asks, do you have that ready, Ralph? Do we have something? And I have no idea what my fellow commissioners are going after, but and do we have a Tallahassee date all set up for Yes, we have a Tallahassee date all set up. Okay. And while he's walking up, uh so just so you know, it used to be in Uh I guess it was Christina's used it used to be in your district. Now it's in my district, but we got a problem in Riverside

6:09:16Village, um, which is right by Mitchell Field, right across the street. For some reason the first sixty houses are on septic. It's very low. It rains, their septic is on the s their stuff is on the sidewalk for everyone to share. Yeah. And

6:09:30out there.

6:09:30Yeah, it's a real problem. So FGUA

6:09:33is

6:09:33going to fix it and assess the citizens and they're gonna go after a state grant, but they're asking for a hundred percent. I don't think that's smart, and I just wanted this board what I I think they should be asking.

6:09:52Well can't we help direct them?

6:09:55Uh

6:09:55well I mean, you know,

6:09:56FGUA

6:09:58if I could just real quick, I mean FGUA is under tremendous rate pressure as it stands because remember when they go in and they buy the systems, you know, there's there's a tremendous amount of rate pressure already. So, you know, uh They they could assess septic to sewer is very expensive. I will I will just say this collectively to the board. One of the things that I've discussed with with Brantford and David Allen, our utilities director, is to look at an approach to septic to sewer. Because again, we are we are missing out on some dollars. We did apply uh for a DEP

6:10:28grant uh a year or two ago. We we were denied because we're not really in the priority focus areas. But we have a coastal area. area that's that's rich in environmental quality and and I I think an argument can be made there. So utilities is coming up with a strategy as to how we make that happen. And there's really two two big issues when it comes to subject to sewer conversions. The first is usually the grants fund about half, so where do you get the other half from? And how you know and how much do you assess the future rate payer. And then secondly, and maybe even more concerning from a board

6:10:58perspective is um essentially forcing that person to become a rate payer. So those will be issues that we will have to, you know, tackle um because if we build it by state law they have to connect, of course, but you're we will essentially be mandating that they have a sewer bill at some point in time.

6:11:16But those are ugly public hearing. Yeah.

6:11:18Well uh FGUA doesn't have to come to us to go in there and fix that problem. The septic companies will no longer go in there and fix their septic tanks, all three three of them, because it's just it's it it's a failed health disaster there. So FGUA is gonna go ahead and start putting in the septic the sewer system. It won't be ours. Theirs, but um but we uh eventually will buy it.

6:11:46Correct, and I and I will say that we we did ask the FGOA to um expand the scope and do a pump station versus uh they they had a lower tech version, uh a grinder pump and some vacuum sewers or something. So with the anticipation that one day it will become a county asset.

6:12:02But don't we want them to be successful in their grant and if they go for a hundred percent I I don't know, I'm asking about it. No,

6:12:08it the amount that they're asking for is a doable amount. Yeah, and I sp I spoke with their uh lobbyists. They had no problem with that. Yeah. And he's been around for quite a some time.

6:12:20Jack, one one of the things I want to end my testimony and I know not talking about testimony. Hello, who

6:12:29Fire station nine. Oh. Up and running. Yes. A great facility, had a great day there, fellow commissioners. Uh we all went out there and uh took a tour and all the vast technologies. Oh that was well played, thank you. Uh and uh I couldn't be happier and I couldn't be prouder. I'm glad we're all part of that team. Thanks

6:12:54to

6:12:55you.

6:12:55Yep, that was a great day. Great great investment and uh protects our firefighters and long term it's it's it's just exciting what we're doing for them.

6:13:03Thank you.

6:13:05That's all?

6:13:06Happy birthday, Andy Taylor. Is that a acre?

6:13:11Anything else, Commissioner Bradford?

6:13:15I'm gonna hang on a high note.

6:13:16You guys can talk about poop.