CAO 26-178 Randy Bentley Waterwise Award
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No so we'll get to RS2. Is Randy Bentley here?
while he's walking up. You know, we keep we I only water one day a week. For most of the year and in the rainy season we can I have three acres. We turn off the sprinklers in the rainy season, so You really don't have to water twice a week.
Already we have RS2 resolution number CA026-178, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, recognizing Randy Bentley as the 2025 Pasco County winner of the Tampa Bay Community Waterwise Award. Whereas the Tampa Bay Community Waterwise Awards program recognizes residential, commercial, and government landscapes in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas Counties that excel in
water conservation and environmental protection, and whereas water-wise landscapes benefit homeowners and the environment by improving drought resistance, reducing water and maintenance, and protecting the environment. And whereas safe, clean, and sustainable water resources are essential to Pasco County citizens, visitors, the environment, and the economy. And whereas Tampa Bay Waterwise is a regional water conservation program offered
by Tampa Bay Water, its participating utilities, and the Southwest Florida Management District. And whereas this program endeavors to identify examples of outstanding Florida-friendly waterwise landscaping in order to promote these principles in the community. And whereas, the support of the annual Tampa Bay Community Waterwise Award reinforces the importance of conserving water and making our community a more beautiful and better place to live. And whereas Tampa Bay
Water facilitates the annual Tampa Bay Community Waterwise Award program. To recognize individuals and businesses committed to water conservation and environmental protection through utilization of the best, most attractive, Florida-friendly landscaping, as well as irrigation systems or techniques that minimize water waste. And whereas the UFIS FAS Extension Pasco County Florida Friendly Landscaping Program serves the
Tampa Bay Community Waterwise Award Program. by providing the judging panel that visits each applicant in Pasco County and selecting an annual winner. And whereas the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners support the Waterwise Awards and encourage water conservation measures within Pasco County and regionally. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said board hereby recognizes Randy Bentley of Dade City
as the 2025 Tampa Bay Community Waterwise Award winner for Pasco County and calls upon all Pasco County citizens to help. Make their landscapes Florida friendly and water-wise in the interest of water conservation. Done and resolved in regular session with the quorum present in voting the seventh day of april two thousand twenty-six.
Approval. Second. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Ms. Roakley?
Yep. Welcome. We uh we certainly appreciate everything that you've done and to win this award and uh maybe you can tell us what you went through. That looks like it's getting pretty heavy over here at Port Roma.
Good morning. My name is Kate Case, and I'm the program manager for the Florida Friendly Landscaping Program at the University of IFAS Extension Pasco County office. And with me is Amelia Brown, Tampa Bay Water. So Tampa Bay Water really facilitates this award, and they work in partnership with the Florida friendly landscaping uh programs in each of the member counties to find landscapes that are water wise and Florida friendly. Uh Mr. Bentley applied for 2025 uh
and he won right so um it's a scoring rubric that we work off of um Mr. Bentley has um He has a an older property, right, that shows that it is possible to have Saint Augustine grass unirrigated, right? Not everybody can have that, right? But but but the soils are right where he is and his yard was a delight. And so congratulations. Thank you.
Good morning, Amelia Brown again. Congratulations. We're really excited to participate in honoring you for the great work that you've done on your landscape, exemplifying what we'd like to see more landscapes in this region look like that use only the water they need, have minimal fertilizer, minimal runoff, and also support pollinators. That's what it is to be Florida friendly and we run this program to exemplify the best landscapes that embody all of those principles. Congratulations and keep up the great work.
Come say something because uh all of us want to know how you did this and uh the effort it took to get it to where it is today. So
Well I actually um it all starts With my my past wife. Um she started thirty years ago on her landscaping effort and you know I was her muscle. She was kind of the brain's behind it.
But we were always um conscious of water, you know, water conservation. So we put in a lot of drip irrigation throughout the property. Right planted, you know water friendly plants. And in just over thirty years, you know, it's it's kind of Ron into this award. I'd like to thank everyone that's involved with the the contests and the program and just making everyone you know
conscious of water conservation is important, you know, as more people move into our our area, the importance of being water wise will become even greater. So thank you for
Yeah.
Can we all do that or are you gonna stand up here and then we'll
we're r trying to go through these quickly. I'll swap with you.
That's nice as well. Okay. Well we get close to maybe I'll some of that rub off on it.
Classics.