Public comment from citizens

10:10Here. Okay, now is the time for public comment. Citizens are given an opportunity to comment on any current or future agenda item coming before the board 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 who are here in person. Then we will take public comment from those who are who have pre-registered for a WebEx link and are currently on queue. We request that when you address the

10:40board, comments are not directed personally against the commission or team member. but rather directed at the issues. This provides mutual respect between board members and the public. After stating your name and address for the clerk, a three minute timer will be activated and a green light will be shown on the podium. After two minutes, a yellow light will indicate you have one minute left. And when your time is up, a red light will be displayed, three beeps will sound, and you should close your comments. Web X participants

11:11will be disconnected automatically when their time is up. And Madam Clerk, do we have anyone signed up?

11:16We do. We have two signed up. First, Lauren Abercrombie, and then after Lauren, uh Brent Talley. So Ms. Abercrombie, if you want to come to the podium.

11:30Please give your name and address for the record and then you can start.

11:33My my home address?

11:35Yes, ma'am.

11:35Yes, my name is Lauren Abercrumby and I'm at [address removed]. Okay. Proceed? Hello, my name is Lauren Abercrombie and I am a vegetarian animal rights activist. The Bible says in Proverbs verse 318, speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. I have been protesting the elephant rides at the Dade

12:06City Bay Area Renaissance Festival since 2024. Elephants are wild animals. They are not meant to be domesticated. In the elephant ride industry, elephants are taken from their family and their natural habitat and forced into captivity. In order to get them into submission, the handlers beat them with bull hooks until their spirit is broken. They do this so they can control them. Beating elephants with bull hooks is standard

12:36practice, so it's not against the law. but it would be against the law if the elephants were dogs or cats. The elephant's backs and spines are not designed to carry anything. Carrying weight on their back permanently damages their spines and causes them agonizing pain. Imagine yourself being taken from your family and your natural habitat, going into captivity, getting beaten with bull hooks, being forced to give rides on your backs, having

13:06spinal damage while being in pain in this terrible heat against your will, and you never get any pain medicine. Sounds like hell, right? The elephant ride industry is no different than the history of African slave treatment. All slaves are kept in terrible living conditions. Treating other species with love and abusing other species is called speciesism. Speciesism is no different than racism. All creatures deserve the same protection and love, just like us. The

13:37elephant's trauma will continue unless we ban the elephant rides at Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City and anywhere we possibly can. We have a choice. The elephants do not have a choice. If either one of you were those elephants, I would be right here speaking up for you two. Other cities in Florida and other states have banned elephant rides. So can we please be next? The Bible says in Proverbs twelve ten, the righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest

14:07acts of the wicked are cruel. My question to you, will you be righteous and ban the elephant rides? Thank you for your time. Are there any questions?

14:17We don't engage um During this time. But thank you very much. Thank you.

14:22Okay, Mr. Brent Talley.

14:32Good morning sir. If you'll give your name and address for the record and then you can proceed.

14:38I'm uh Brent Tully. I'm at uh [address removed]. Thank you. Good morning, Commissioner. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to you this morning. I'm here to address And have some influence and give feedback to the draft action plans. I'm with On-time background checks, and we are also current members of the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce. I'm also a eighteen year

15:08eleven Retired civil servant. I've submitted on Monday the ninth to Commissioner Starkey's office. A qualifying letter Uh to address the fourteen points from your ex parte sign in sheet, all fourteen points. Um I'm definitely not gonna be able to get it in three minutes, so that's why I asked for the uh personal meeting. along with uh miss Uh Marcy, who by the way she's doing a

15:38fantastic job for you. I would like to meet before the HUD date if possible, ma'am. And I wanted to in closing Thank the county for a wonderful job, including the Pascoalcani days at Tal in Tallahassee when we were there in March. The wonderful people. Of the county here that do your work. Old blue collar. And regular line employees. And I wanted to thank you very, very much, ma'am. I'm looking forward to seeing you, Commissioner. Thank you, Commissioners. Have

16:09a good morning.

16:09Okay. Thank you.

16:12Do we have anyone online? No one else has signed up. Okay, is there anyone else here who wishes to um Speak to the county commission.