Public comment Middle Lake boat ramp and mosquito control
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, May 7, 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, May 7, 2024
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 10m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 98% of 47 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Here. Let it be known that we have a forum present. Uh now is time for public comment. Citizens are given an opportunity to comment on Any current or future agenda item coming before the board? uh and on their business under the board's review. Today's public comment will be f as as follows. First, we'll take public comment from those that are present
and then we'll take public comment from those who are on queue for the WebEx Link. and currently and are currently on queue. We request that when you address the board, Commerce Directive. Not personally toward a uh commissioner or a team member, but rather to the issues. This provides mutual respect between the board members and the public. After starting stating your name Uh
for the clerk and address? Uh three minute timer will be activated. After two minutes you will have a single beat. After one minute. meaning you have one minute left when your time is up, two beeps will sound and you have to finish your comments. WebEx participants will be automatically
their time is uh cut off. Madam Clerk, do we have anyone signed up public comment?
Uh Mr. Chairman I have two individuals signed up. I have Adam, I think it's Tolly and Lee Hansen. Adam Tolly?
Uh thank you commissioners. My name's Adam Talley, [address removed]. Um I'm here today on behalf of residents of Middle Lake. Uh Middle Lake is a 200-acre lake at the northern border of Pasco County. Um it's close to the Hernando border and um it's managed by Pasco County. We're really appreciative of the county's management of the lake and have very few complaints uh about that. Actually want to compliment you all. Um We when I moved out to the lake a couple years ago with my family, we bought a farm. And most of the lake, just
demographically to give you perspective, is agricultural. Historically it was orange groves and now it's mostly cattle. The The residents of the lake have gotten together and have worked to get to know each other. We help each other when a cow gets out or when a trespasser is on someone's property, someone we don't recognize. And so we do a good job as a community. And um and together we've started to notice a couple issues as it relates to the public vote ramp that allows Pasco residents access to the lake. And we're very grateful that they get to come and enjoy the lake and fish.
The boat ramp hours are the posted dawn to dusk. But there's very little management of those hours, and there's nothing really stopping someone from coming there at midnight and um and running their airboat on the lake. Um, and that's really um that's the basis of some of the challenges we're having out on the property and the residents of the lake are having. So, just generally speaking, our lake is in um in Chairman Oakley's district, and what we wanted to do today was bring a public comment forward as the residents work with our local chairman, uh Mr. Oakley,
to try to get a gate installed that would close at dusk and would open at dawn, and it can be managed by FWC or by Pasco County Park and Rec for opening and closing so that the hours that are posted are actually regulated. We've noticed probably four major issues. most annoyingly probably is is a nice Saturday night at two A. M. being awakened by airboats or people geeking frogs or just fishing. Um it's it's quite bothersome to the residents and the residents on the lake um Granted,
it used to be all Orange Groves, but it's more recently becoming homes and people are living there, and and so there's probably 15 residents. And we have overwhelming support from the residents and my email chains to bring this public comment to see if we can do something about this. In addition to noise complaints in the after dawn to dusk hours, there's theft that's been occurring on construction sites. I don't mean to be crude, but like my I had to explain to my kids while we were camping in January because
someone was having sex out on the boat ramp and we heard it and it was weird. Um I shouldn't really have to explain that to my kids at ten years old. Um and then lastly we've had kayaks and canoes stolen and um And there's just a there's a lot of problems. Re- most recently, even a month ago, someone died down there in their car, and the police are still investigating or a homicide. I think that a gate, which is very cheap and can be open and closed, would help regulate the hours. It would be a very simple solution. And I'm going to follow up with an email to you, Mr. Oakley, with
a resonance on it, so we can just work together to solve the problem. I just wanted to bring it to your attention. I appreciate all of your time.
All right. Thank you.
Right, next up I have Lee Hansen.
Do we do we have a timer because I can't see
it is um
there's the paper is on it.
The papers on it we can't see it.
Good morning. My name is Lisa Hansen, [address removed]. I have been a resident of Pasco County for more than 30 years and can appreciate the seriousness you take concerning fiscal responsibility. within this county and for the residents of Pasco. I unfortunately cannot say the same for Pasco County Mosquito Control District. Since the current director came on board a few years ago, the amount of waste and incompetence is absurd. A
budget showcasing an eighteen million dollar deficit is unheard of and thought the thirty seven million dollar unnecessary campus is also absurd. I'm currently running in hopes that I can initiate a change, but would really appreciate if it was a program the county could take over to make sure the irresponsible spending and blatant neglect in duties is better handled. Thank you. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman's all I have that's signed up in person. I don't know if you would like to Or
does anyone in the audience wish to speak at this time? If so, come to the podium.
C M nine. Are there any on WebEx?
I do. Um we have Ruth Clayton on WebEx. Hold on, Miss Clayton. Um we are elevating you. And you are ready to talk. If you could remove yourself from mute. And um state your name and address for the record and then you can proceed with your comments.
Why do you think?
Ms. Clayton, I'm sorry, there is feedback. I don't know if there is um uh perhaps two speakers uh on your end, but it there's bad feedback. We cannot hear you.
Okay.
There's an echo.
Yes, yes, yes.
Everything you're saying is coming in as an echo.
Not sure it just doesn't understand.
You have you have there's two microphones picking up your voice and that's what the echo is. If you could figure that out. Um Mr. Peppers, do we have anyone else from WebEx online? Is it was it just Ms. Clayton? Okay. Ms. Clayton, would you like to try again?
I'll try trying to fill in your business.
I don't know what's yeah. Okay. It's just an echo here. We're not able to hear what you're saying.
But and Marx. Um what is this thing passing for about nine minutes ago? I've been in the sign industry for twenty forty four years. Um I did test other like about twelve signs my feet they gotta go to work for and this is just the new new morning taking it in Haskell County. I have a lot of uh future clients that want businesses in Haskell County and what's like help them maybe I got stuff in
Uh
Since he already wants down down tilt in one, one part time and one time. I've turned down the 15 jobs that have now illegally done. There's no index build building illegally done. Oh
good.
It's just a
Ms Ms. Clayton, I hate to interrupt you, but everything you're saying is coming through as an echo and what you're saying. So
I can't see the microphone just as exactly.
We can't understand you, I'm sorry.
We can't understand that.
Mr. Chairman M. Maybe maybe she could send an email and I can read it at the committee reports?
Yeah. If you'll do if you'll send us an email, then we'll take care of that. We'll read it out loud for you. At some time. Okay. All right. Thank you. All right. Thanks, Jack.
So I have uh no one else is on WebEx.
Okay. So then we will close uh public comments and then we will um