Transit homeless trash and development

1:35:22Right? Yeah. That's right. So it's good for the family, it's good for all of us. So All right, appreciate that. Um I have a few items. Um And one of them, Commissioner Starkey you brought up as far as like transit. Um

1:35:36With the TMA with all of us, I think, and and I even put a letter supporting the gold standard BRT running from Wesley Chapel all the way down to St. Pete. We as a TMA also approved I think the bridge coming across to make sure it accommodated rails. So if the conversation with CSX ever came together, we can then combine it. where we could really make a difference for transit in the whole area and provide those opportunities. Uh I will say I met a new rep from CSX at the uh PE D C uh economic report. Uh great guy,

1:36:07had a conversation about some other things. But this will be a conversation we would bring it up. at the Moffitt groundbreaking, I will say You know, Mr Moffat, just what what a what an awesome man, what an awesome family he's got, right? And just the passion of of what he's done to bring all this together. I met him only a couple of years ago up in Tallahassee, a few years ago actually. Uh and he was talking about the project. He was talking about CSX with me. And he really wants to see it happen. So he's encouraged us to reach out to our state delegation,

1:36:37our federal delegation, and let's go get these conversations go with CSX, because I think everybody that I've talked to agrees if you get a rail line run the middle of a community, a region, that doesn't have transit, that sits idle for twenty out of twenty four hours a day. And that could provide an opportunity for better transportation. It's something we should be doing. So w they think we should need to get everybody in the room to go talk this through. So as we go forward, uh I'm hopeful with this new gentleman that I've met that he

1:37:07might even be a help uh to drive it back to the table because the T M A And

1:37:15Bob O'Malley from C S X presented, here's what we can make available to you. I know, that's what I'm saying. So so we need to take a different approach and now I think we need to get the legislators, state and federal, to put some pressure, to put some conversation about how important this is and how we want to get this together one way or the other. And hopefully they'll just come cooperate cooperating better. than they have in the past year or two. And that's Really why? Uh Commissioner Weightman and Commissioner Bradford, I wanted you to sit on that TMA. SBPTA just to drive this

1:37:45point through because it's right in the middle of both your districts or both the key points of all of it. So if we're all pulling together and you guys are from the from the home district commissioners Um I think it's gonna be uh we get a better opportunity.

1:37:56Um Commissioner, if you may if if there's someone around who's uh uh a nice person to talk to at CSX. We have a a little problem with them as we're working on the extension of rangeland slash tower. So We need to de uh definitely get him in the loop of the discussion of uh what they think their little sliver of property is worth.

1:38:19I will share the con the the person with you. I can share the contract. Okay. Um Tourist Development Council had our my first meeting with them. Uh great meeting. Um I'm very, very pleased with the people. They're they're energized about getting things done, bringing heads in beds and and working to improve the whole county. So that was an awesome meeting. Um On PEDC, the Pasco Economic Development Council and the TEB, Tippa Bay Builders Association both had economic report meetings. And thank you, Commissioner Starkey for

1:38:50bringing the Builders Association to my attention because

1:38:52that was great.

1:38:53Hearing one was phenomenal, and hearing two, even better than that, uh the information that came out uh I thought was very informational. It's not doom and gloom, it's there's opportunity still and Pasco still has great opportunity.

1:39:06Our county administrator was there as well. Yes

1:39:08he was. I saw him there. He texted me, he says, I'm on your right. On your left.

1:39:14Uh so with those meetings, there's one thing that came out that it was a significant change from what I heard probably eight to ten years ago, and you might have heard the same thing. It was years ago that the Millennials did not want to own their own home. And at the T B B A they clearly showed ninety-five percent Of our millennials coming up, the largest population population segment coming. wants to own their own home. So just keep that in mind as you're looking at everything.

1:39:40But can't afford it.

1:39:41Well and but and and I say that just to to to think about between apartments, between Rent uh Built to rent. Built to rent. Uh those two groups don't fit that segment's population. And that was what a lot of things were talked about years ago, and I think that's where we were driving. Now that we're seeing this different, it's time for us to rethink And again, with with the great ideas everybody's bringing up here, it's now time to rethink what's going on. A townhouse, if you get in the townhouse and you own the townhouse, guess what? you

1:40:12get a chance to build for inflation are the costs that you can go from the townhouse to a bigger house. So I think with all that we've seen and all that we're seeing right now, this is a good time to let's let's let's go take a close look at what we want to do and how we want to think for the future. So I'll appreciate all the new energy.

1:40:28I guess I'm a millennial, so you're lucky you have a millennial on the board. There we go.

1:40:34Maybe.

1:40:35I've learned. I'll uh

1:40:39that date range, I question it, but

1:40:43Well you're right there. And you're right in the middle and you're right in the middle of your family. You're doing awesome, so it's

1:40:48good.

1:40:49Alright. Um I want to talk about the homeless population. Um I will say Kathy Catholic charity has got a great idea. We had code enforcement people out there. Um Community development services out there all looking at trying to make make some things happen and um I'm encouraged that we've got some opportunities that could be coming up to take a look at. But I do want to say when you talk about code enforcement officers, um I need them working very closely with the Sheriff's Office. I had one right now from a from a property

1:41:19that I know has had people in the back. I've got a development with an ALF coming in in the back. When the ALF was doing surveying work They had homeless people there with machetes threatening the survey as they left. We went back out there with code. Cleaned them out. But I'm here to tell you. From the email I got uh just today and I I put you on it, Sally. uh put Mike on it, put the sheriff on it, uh code enforcement team, sheriff's officers. So I get everybody in the loop and Kathy's gonna be included from here through, is like we need to go

1:41:49get those guys to work. to get those people out that are dangerous.

1:41:53Jack, um I had a meeting yesterday with the sheriff and his team. and um mentioned to him that our code of enforcement officers will not be enforcing or going into homeless camps anymore without deputies present.

1:42:08It's it's it's like we don't want to put our people in danger. I mean they feel they feel scared enough, frankly, at dusk working with the panhandlers when some guy maybe, as one of the code guys says, he could be high on drugs, he's fired up.

1:42:20Yeah.

1:42:20I don't want my people in danger from that. And I don't want to put our people in danger either. But I'm I the reason I'm bringing it out to everybody here is it's tough for me to like Share it without commenting on it as I go forward. Now if I just touched it and sent it to you, I may start doing some of that. Uh I may send you a whole bist list of the emails I've got over the time, but it's a problem that can get fixed. Yeah, there's gonna be some solutions out there, but we just can't have people destroying business owners' business by coming out front One guy did the

1:42:50bathroom right in his driveway not l not long ago. Uh they don't they don't need to be scared about their business or get their business hurt because people don't want to go by, just like we dealt with down at the cracker barrel in Asia Lane.

1:43:01Seth has a comment and then I want to do it after.

1:43:04Okay. So we need to we need to work on a close, but uh Commissioner Weightman? Thank you. Chairman M

1:43:09We brought this I don't know how long it's been brought up to I forgot who who we brought it up to, but I think it's time, you know pa Pasco's changed unfortunately. And our code enforcement folks. Need to have the ability to protect themselves. And I think they need to carry the tools that's needed. Necessary to protect themselves. Or protect if they're out there making a service call. Potentially protect other folks that they're interacting with. What level of protection they

1:43:40need to have or warranted to have. I I think that County staff needs to determine that. But No option for me is is off the table to keep code en our code enforcement folks safe. They keep them they go to work and then go home to their families. And uh I think it's necessary, I said a directive from this board to To tell staff next, you know, whatever trainings need need to happen that they have the tools they need to protect themselves. while

1:44:10out on a call at any given time. Uh from whether it's too much.

1:44:18Hernando County has a rule, ordinance, I'm not sure it is, it's an example's out there. Hernando County allows their county staff. to to carry on the job. So I don't know and I'm not saying the use of of of firearms, I'm saying what whatever whatever tools, pepper spray, you name it, what whatever's appropriate for this job for for our code enforcement to protect themselves. To do the duties they need to. I'm I'm open to any and all options to

1:44:48hear and would like to see something in action sooner than later. Because this is something I've brought up to staff. Obviously it doesn't sound like anything has transpired from that conversation. Uh I think we need to have a sense of urgency on on this matter.

1:45:04So the if I can weigh in here for a second. I b I believe there are statutory limitations on what our code officers are and aren't allowed. They're not law enforcement officers, first of all. Um secondly, in in terms of doing something, yes, extracting them from the situation right now is the right thing to do. They are not law enforcement officers, period. And so, you know, they're there to enforce the ordinances that that the board has that the board has passed. So uh believe me, we take safety of our employees very, very seriously,

1:45:34which is why I you know, after last week's incidents, I told 'em we're not going in. We're done. and you know until until there's until there's something better uh in into terms of how they can protect themselves. I mean we we follow state statute and and that's that's what we do. So, you know, if there are other alternatives we'll we'll certainly look into them, but I I think in terms of of allowing code officers to carry things directly. Um we we may have our hands tied in that regard. But uh but again, you know, we extract

1:46:05them from the situation. There's there's really nothing worth sending their lives into on on any of that. So I do appreciate the board's uh support and confidence. I know that we take their safety very seriously as well. And so uh we'll we'll we'll continue to do that. I don't know, Sally, if you have anything you want to add to that. Sally?

1:46:23Uh thank you, um commissioners and Mike, uh Mr. Kabbalah for your insight. Um we had several incidents within the past week that really Elevated the concerns. We had already, Commissioner Weightman, looked into what can the code officers do to protect themselves in these situations. You know, even the individuals that they're working with advised

1:46:53them just the other day, be careful, there's weapons back there. So when they contacted me, of course I kept Mr. Kavala informed. It is incumbent upon us to make sure that they're protected. And based on the information and the feedback that we've gotten from uh uh law enforcement officers and and and some others is that by law they are not

1:47:21because of not being law enforcement officers, they cannot carry anything um that can be s be perceived as protective weapons or anything. We have gotten them some Narcan um coming in because we've got them going into situations where uh They're dealing with fentanyl have been located in certain locations. So we are able to do that. But right now we don't have anything by

1:47:51way of giving them to protect themselves. So in our discussions with Mr. Kabala and my discussions with the team, we're going to pull back them for their safety. And we have now scheduled meetings with law enforcement to talk about a safe process moving forward with moot carrying for the board's directive with regard to how do we handle encampments.

1:48:19So as I said when I This this latest one that was up on Hudson on nineteen, no very very familiar with the area. And again I think s coat and the Sheriff's Office cleaned it out I'll say three months ago. Um that situation having them come back again, just blatantly coming in Um Emilio, I think it was, sent an email back saying Don't go out there until you get the Sheriff's Office. Now I'm glad when I sent my email out I put everybody on that list so that everybody knows we've got

1:48:49to work together to solve this. So it's gonna take the Sheriff's Office with us. to make this happen. We can't have our guys in danger. Uh and Commissioner Weightman I appreciate What you want to do to protect these guys, but maybe it is going to be the g the the Sheriff's Office with the training they've got experience they've got, et cetera. They're they're up to it and we don't have to worry about that. But they can be there to to work together. It's gonna take working together to to To get these people where they shouldn't get out of the areas they shouldn't be in. Commissioner Starkey.

1:49:20Um Yeah, 100% don't want our code guys going in there without the sheriffs, but I d but I 100% don't want to stop dealing with the situation because we let we let it be known, okay, we're not going back there, you're on your own. That's just gonna grow and fester. So it's it's just that the way we're gonna deal with it. we're I mean we're gonna have to find a way, but we can't let that situation But I I wanna go ahead and see if you're Um I ask you 'cause I have I have it going on in my district. They're back

1:49:50again on nineteen and MOOC. And the owner of that property, right on nineteen, lives in Thailand. Um the agent so I looked them up on how they're paying their taxes. Um with and the code guys we were all trying to figure out how to deal with getting these people off the road because they have not signed the no trespass sign. I mean get out of the property. I mean they have a whole village there. Um Um yeah, it's uh it's unbelievable. And so I c I literally called the I guess

1:50:20the guy's niece who's in LA. and said, We want to send you this no trespass form. And um we need you guys to sign it so we can kick these people off the property. Well, every time we send it, they send it back. Um Like it wasn't delivered. So I said We either I think we need to hire someone in Thailand to go knock on the frickin' door. and and have the and give it give it to the guy. I'm sure there's servers that we someone said, I'll

1:50:50use my contacts at the State Department. Um but what is our recourse? I know that we had um another incidence, if you remember behind the Wall Greens in nineteen and Trouble Creek where they were living in that little sliver of land and they had to close down the well 'cause they contaminated it with fecal matter. Uh they had to shut down my our drinking well for the area. Um, and we were able to get the guy's attention by citing him for operating a campground without a permit. So I

1:51:20would ask um If this owner is out of the country. and he won't sign this trespass agreement, can we start citing him? for operating a campground. What are the rules as far as Sighting.

1:51:35Our county attorney provided us six months ago with a whole list of things were a violation. You can't go to the bathroom, you gotta have facilities. You can't be living there, so

1:51:44maybe we if before before Christy left, she gave the board an entire list of things that code could cite property property owners for. Whether or not Even if you can't

1:51:57find them?

1:51:57Well you're going to have to get service on them at some point in I mean,

1:52:04Why can't we just bill him, start citing him in if he's not here?

1:52:08Because you don't get then you have no due process. How are you gonna you're gonna go into a into a court hearing and say, yeah, we didn't tell them But we want you to start li levying fines.

1:52:20Okay. So th you know the Scientology thing? I don't want them spying on me now. But you know how they're trying to serve David Miss Cavage? I think that's his name, Miss Cavage. And he's avoiding his um His avoiding uh accepting his serving. How many times do we have to try and notify this guy? Who is still paying his taxes, we know where he is, we know his family, and they avoid it. Um Before we can start citing him, or is it just never?

1:52:52There are there are ways to get service on people any place in the world. I know our code

1:52:57people want to go

1:52:58to Thailand. The question is whether or not you want to If it's important enough to the board It's a financial commitment, but it can be done.

1:53:08Right? We can can we hire we can hire someone over there to go Hand it to him.

1:53:13Is that the best way to do it? Yeah, you can. I mean it it it's

1:53:17You should see the village. Drive down nineteen, look at the right, just before you get to MOOC. I watched them d uh riding their bikes out of it yesterday.

1:53:27Property is not is owned not in a corporate name. It's o owned by an individual.

1:53:33Yeah. Pretty sure it's an individual. He wants to sell it. We could buy it.

1:53:39Well there you go.

1:53:41It's one of those deals where we can buy it and then Determine its destiny.

1:53:47Commissioner Bradford. Jeff, could you uh do me a favor and provide that list?

1:53:51Sure. Yeah, I'd like it again to

1:53:54Also

1:53:55Commissioner Weightman.

1:53:57But if you can't serve them then basically you can't do anything. So the list is moot if you can't serve them.

1:54:03But let's let's let's let's take that route, Commissioner

1:54:05Starkey. I think we need to change the state statute.

1:54:10That's not a state statute question. That's a constitutional due process issue.

1:54:18Well there's a way to change that, but I'm not sure that I mean we got the Jack Mariano.

1:54:26Okay, I'm gonna look and see. All right, so can we take a look look at at what what it it takes to serve people even in Thailand?

1:54:34we can bring something back to us about doing that. Because we have a whole bunch of trouble properties like this that if we did this once and for all it may may may give us a solution we need.

1:54:43And they won't so can we serve them in LA? Mm-hmm. We can serve 'em in LA because it's a limited it's an L T

1:54:49if it's if it's a partnership, you can serve the registered agent. With process. in absence of of the owner. We like to you know, we generally advise code to f to serve a real person. But in the instance of instance of corporations or partnerships, that's why the Secretary of State's office lists a registered agent.

1:55:17Okay. Very good. Done with that subject. Um I want to talk about the I'm seeing a lot more, I think others have mentioned this, but I'm seeing a lot more trash on roadways. And I'm wondering if we can set up a crew one person, two people, whatever it may be with a truck to go around and uh get picking up trash. I will say there was a group of people on uh Shady Hills the other day. Those are probably six of them, kind of like we did on uh up at Seapines and Old Dixie Highway just picking up trash on the side of the road. It's hard

1:55:47to get all that organization together, but I think it's worth it to us to make the county look better and somehow trying to put a plan together about getting the roadways cleaned up. And that may may take l literally a person with a even a golf cart going up and down the side of a road. Picking up the trash. How hard do you think that would be to do do Mike?

1:56:20We'll look at it, come up with a plan? Okay. All right. Well, that's all I have. You've

1:56:25got something to say? Right.

1:56:28Does someone have something else?

1:56:30I think he just said yes he'd do that. That's what he was reaching out.

1:56:37And we've reached out to Bramford's group and and told 'em about that. And it's happening not with full necessarily full trucks going to the dump. It's happening when they're unf I have Or you delivered a load and it's floating around in the back of the trucks and it swirls and puts it out on roadways. So yep. I've I've been in contact with them to take care of some of that.

1:56:59Okay.

1:57:00Okay.