Older Americans Month, resolution 25-208

1:01:56How will we do this one? Okay, we'll stay up, Mr. Aker. you did that one and then as soon as we're done with this, please start reading. resets. Yeah. Just don't be walking up and we start reading.

1:02:11Yeah. Don't give Martinez a hortier.

1:02:35So

1:02:38Oh, we got one more. We're gonna go ahead and start reading at Lisa. Keep moving.

1:02:45Okay, so resolution number six, if you are here for

1:02:50Older Americans Month in Pasco County, if you could please step up to the podium.

1:03:01All right, resolution number 25-208, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, declaring the month of May 2025 as Older Americans Month in Pasco County. Whereas May is a time for us to recognize and honor Pasco County and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas, older adults and their immense influence on every facet of American society. ANRAS, through their wealth of life experiences

1:03:32and wisdom, older adults guide our younger generations and carry forward abundant cultural and historical knowledge. ANRAS older Americans are a vital part of Pasco County's demographic makeup, contributing their time, wisdom, and experience to the community. ANRAS, every citizen in Pasco County, should strive to recognize, understand, and address the evolving needs of older adults. ANRAS older Americans improve our communities through intergenerational relationships, community

1:04:02service, civic engagement, and many other activities.

1:04:13Yeah. And whereas Pasco County and the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas must ensure that older Americans have the resources and support needed to stay involved in their communities, reflecting our commitment to inclusivity and connectedness. ANRAS, the 2025 theme of Older Americans Month, is Flip the Script on Aging, which seeks to transform how society perceives, talks about, and approaches aging, encouraging individuals and communities

1:04:44to challenge stereotypes and dispel misconceptions about older adults.

1:04:53Pasco County citizens to recognize the contributions of old of our older adults and to join in promoting programs and activities that foster connection, inclusion, and support for older adults. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida. That said board hereby declares the month of May twenty twenty five as Older Americans Month in Pasco County, done and resolved in regular session with a quorum present and voting the sixth day of may 2025.

1:05:22Move approval.

1:05:23Second.

1:05:24All

1:05:25in favor?

1:05:26Aye.

1:05:26Commissioner Yeager.

1:05:28All right. Well I am honored to bring this resolution to you all. One, not only 'cause I'm on the Board of Area of Aging, but Also because um I don't know some of you may know my grandfather lived to be 104 just shy of his 105th birthday. So as a little girl I would just sit there and ask him about things from his childhood and um he would tell me these fascinating stories, things I could not even even remember. And um whenever I see an older person, I mean that's that's

1:05:58history walking around. There's so much knowledge and information it in in that person and I you know I try to encourage people to sit and just have a conversation with them with and tap into that wealth of knowledge and I'm I'm super proud to be on the board to work with you guys and everything you do for our seniors. Um I encourage people to go visit a senior center, get involved because the look on their face when you come see them, they are

1:06:28so thankful. They hug you, they clap, they're just they're they're almost forgotten sometimes, and it's it's very um heartbreaking. So thank you for being a light in their lives. Thank you for everything you guys do and and recognize. Recognizing them. So

1:06:45Christian Mariano.

1:06:46Thank you. Uh thank you all for your service uh in in aging. Uh our seniors are just they need the help. Uh they love the help. I mean we had a ribbon cutting yesterday with Gracie's food Gracie's food pantry and the the look of happiness, all them being together but getting that little bit of extra help for food makes a difference. Whatever you guys are doing for your services is making their lives better. So thank you for all that.

1:07:11Commissioner Oakley. Yep. Thank you all for all you do for our seniors. I I take particular notice when they talk about seniors anymore. And uh fact of it is uh they talk about veterans and seniors I've perk up. So The fact of it is y'all do a great job for our seniors and you're the lifelink for a lot of them. They have no one else. So what you do for them, they're very, very grateful for for that. And I'm I'm sure you they're very thankful when

1:07:42the the driver, whoever comes by to drop off mails or whatever they're doing for them, they're very grateful for that, that reach out of Pasco County and Pasco and Pinehouse. Worked out a great deal and service a lot of seniors in our area. So thank you very

1:07:59much. Commissioner Weightman. Thank you, ma'am. Yep, Ms. Pearson, Ms. Winter, Mr. Hovind. Thank you guys for choosing this line of work. Folks age, they become more delicate. And they're not sure what to do, what to do next. And just glad you're there to help them, help them figure out their this current phase of life. We're all going

1:08:21to

1:08:21be there one day. And I'd be remiss if I didn't remind everybody that Pasco County passed a senior tax exemption, $50,000 additional homestead exemption for folks. And this is what the first year that it's going to go into effect. So uh please call the property appraiser's office. He has a whole team ready to help help our seniors save some money, stay in their homes. And uh please take please take advantage of Pasco's new senior tax exemption. Proud of the work that the board did to pass that tax exemption to

1:08:51help save our seniors some money. And um Hope that uh the program is widely successful. So thank you all for being here today.

1:08:59And um I would echo all the words of my commissioners and also add that we have our first senior well not if it's our first, but we have a new senior housing project going up. um by a company called Dominium behind Southgate Publics, which will um offer very safe, affordable housing for our seniors. I think it's at sixty percent AMI. So um I think there's three hundred and something units in there, right?

1:09:24Yep.

1:09:25You wanna say something?

1:09:27Yeah I just wanted to I just wanted to add on to it that you guys are honestly at the heart of our county mission of serving our community to create a better Future, so I can't think of anything more fitting when I when I guess brought some new people on board at the new higher organization, and I just thank them because you guys are really doing the hard work on that Tiffata sphere with the most vulnerable in our society. And our seniors have given so much to care for us, so it's only right with a society we care for them. So just thank you for committing your your careers to doing that.

1:09:58There.

1:09:58Yep, and and um as those of us really saw it on the west side with Hurricane Haleen, uh how many of our vulnerable senior citizens were impacted? It was heartbreaking. Um and um just so we're just glad we have an agency like yours that can step in and help. So thank you very much. Yep, and we'll stand up here.

1:10:20I just just want to say a couple of things. I can't thank Pasco County enough for their amazing partnership. Um Kathy Pearson, Brian Hoban, Tom Snee, Josephine Benson, and the entire team that's not here. We couldn't do it without you. Um everything that you said is true. We want Pasco County to be the best place for seniors to live and so far you're living up to it. So thank you very, very much. We are, however, in a crisis situation with potential budget cuts coming as of October 1st. We need to use all of your

1:10:50spheres of influence to help us ensure that the federal government continues to provide for our most vulnerable and only the most vulnerable. um potential cuts to your transportation program that we fund, complete elimination to the utility program. decrease funding for meals. Now is the time for us to work together to ensure that these seniors continue to get the services that they need in Pasco County and in the state of Florida

1:11:21and throughout our country. I do want to end on a high note though, because I'm super excited that we're going to be partnering on our senior affordable housing project. We're closing in on a location, and because of Congressman Bilarakis and the support of Pasco County, we too will be building senior affordable housing in collaboration with the county. We think it's going to be a legacy project, and we're really looking forward to that. Thank you all very much. Yeah.

1:11:47Thank you. All right, let me show you here. You go down, we'll stay up.

1:11:54Well should we do that one?

1:12:09Hey, stand over there by Dom.