Public comment on cell tower and other matters

1:40Now's 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 for those who are pre-registered for WebEx Link and currently on queue. We request that when you address the board, comments are not directed personally at a commissioner or team member. but rather directed at the issues, this provides mutual respect between the board members and the public.

2:13After stating your name and address for the address of the clerk, a three-minute timer will be activated. After two minutes, a single beep will indicate you have one minute left. When your time is up, two beeps will sound and you will close your comments. WebEx participants will be disconnected automatically when their time is up. Madam Clerk, do we have anyone signed up for public comments?

2:31We do. We actually have a long list. So I'm gonna call uh three at a time and uh have you line up. So first we have Connie Luco Followed by Tom Weibert. Followed by Nathan Miller. But Ms. Luco, would you like to go first? Name and address for the record.

2:52I'm here with the West Pasco Board, so Tom is part of my conversation today. Um Tom, do you want to introduce yourself and you first.

3:02Tom Weiber, [address removed].

3:07I'm Connie Luco, [address removed]. I have copies to hand out to the county commissioners. Move to receive and file. Thank you.

3:21All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed?

3:27Thank you for having us here today. We are recommending to the county commissioners.

3:37Okay, sorry. On behalf of over 4,100 real estate agent professionals we reside who reside in Pasco County, we are asking that you consider creating a task force to review outdated and unnecessary Pasco County rules and procedures related to code enforcement, land development, and permitting. The term of existence would be no more than twelve months. We believe that such a review is long overdue

4:08and would create numerous efficiencies for our county government. It also would streamline and improve processes for residents who interact with the county on a daily basis. It would also lead to quicker turnaround times in many areas. We know you share our belief that our government can and should be speedier and more efficient. Thanks for all you do and the staff do to make Pasco County a great place to live, work, and play. This was

4:38signed by myself as president of the West Pasco Board of Real Tours. It was signed by the president of the Florida Gulf Coast Association of Realtors. It was signed by Pinellas and Central Pasco president. And also the Greater Tampa Realtors President. Tom Weybert is our public policy chair, and I am the president, and we are recommending this to the county commissioners today. Thank you.

5:07I would just love to get a meeting with you guys to see what's going on here. So um my I don't think any of my aides are in here, but if you go around and out, um make an appointment with me, I'd love to meet with you guys.

5:19Wonderful. We'd love to meet with you. Thank you.

5:23Yes, I did.

5:23Thank you.

5:25Thank you.

5:25All

5:26right.

5:26Thank you.

5:29Okay, Mr. Miller, you're next.

5:32Yes, my name is Nathan Miller. I live at [address removed]. I don't know what the zoning is for today. If it's got anything to do with that, I need to participate in that. I would like to get an extension. I'm new to this. I'm just in the beginning. It wouldn't be much of a stinch. I already got the trailer setting on the property. I just I got mis miscontrude and went the wrong way about it. And I need to get Just a couple of weeks. If I just sat here and for when we would be there for that today. Yeah.

6:04Okay.

6:04Um

6:05the cell here? Is Shelly Sherman here?

6:09So

6:10Did you step down?

6:11Mr. Chairman Mariano.

6:12Paula, if you would if you would uh Take him and let him see Sally but go ahead Commissioner Starkey.

6:18Well I I listened to this gentleman. He came and spoke at the Planning Commission, I believe. Is that right, David?

6:23Yes.

6:24And

6:26Yeah, and um it's a it's a code violation and I think our staff is um trying to help him find s a place to live. But I see Kathy Kathy is not here today. And is Marcy here today?

6:42Paula's here commissioner. She can take care of the thing.

6:44All right, Paula, would you mind stepping out and helping this gentleman? Uh okay.

6:49Yeah, this is Sally Sherman's walking in now. Yeah, it's

6:51not it's

6:52So I'm gonna introduce you to Sally Sherman. She's walking in now in the blue blue sh blue jacket. Um And if there's a way we can find to help him as he goes through this process so he doesn't get become homeless, that's what I want to achieve. So if you would Sally maybe take him out take him outside and talk with him a little bit? Thank you.

7:10Well, Mr. Chairman

7:13Mariano can't carry on conversation on the comments. Just making an introduction. Just want them to talk. Okay.

7:20Okay, so the next three that are lined up are Pastor Troy Peterson, then Zachary Hewitt, followed by Mr. Joel Lopez.

7:33Good morning, uh commissioners, chairs, staff, Pastor Troy Peterson, eighty-one fourteen Leo Kidd Road. Uh that's Light of the World Tabernacle. Somebody cares, Pasco, where I serve. Um This morning uh I was on the phone uh with Anthony Verdugo, Christian Family Coalition, works with uh Governor DeSantis. Uh he informed me of uh the town of Greece law Galloway five seven two US sixty f or five sixty-five

8:05from two thousand fourteen is a United States Supreme Court case in which the court decided that the town of Greece, New York, may permit it. W may permit volunteer chaplains to open each leg lessage legislative session with prayer. Um I could go on to read this. I did send this to uh you uh Commissioner uh Mariano Chair um so to give the you an opportunity to read it over. Um after

8:35talking this morning uh with uh Anthony. He said he'd be willing to meet with attorneys to go over this uh law that allows uh this governing body to elect chaplains to lead in the invocation. Um the other scripture this morning when I was praying, um you know I always come with scripture and uh because I know God's Word will not return void. And in the book of Exodus in the 18th chapter, starting in the

9:0521st, 21st verse, we see, moreover, that you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, that is, wanting things that aren't ours, and place them such over the people to be rulers of thousands. rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of ten. And I tell you, uh what I see on this governing board is you guys

9:36really want to see Pasco be a a great place to live. Uh yeah, I know you guys want God to bless Pasco. And we are so honored to work with you as somebody cares, and we're so thankful for the National Day of Prayer and everybody that came out. And I just right now bless you in the name of Jesus. Amen. Mm-hmm.

9:58Hey, how's it going? My name is Zachary Hewitt. I'm only 19 years of age and my location is uh [address removed]. I stay with uh Pastor Troy Peterson and um I'm organized with somebody cares Pasco. So me being at you know quite a bit of a young age, I just kinda wanna stand up and say that a real issue is, you know, with the young teenagers, the youth, um as everyone's all aware and you know, everything that pretty much has come into my life from me being young and going through the trials and tribulations as everyone else

10:28does was um kind of me finding God, you know, Jesus specifically. And I wanna point out that, you know, I'm here today and not have a place of my own. I'm technically homeless, but with the roof over my head. And uh I just wanna say that everything's been adding up, you know, gratefully for me. And it's it's because you know that I brought God in my life. It's because, you know, that I I started doing right and and helping people that I was able to help. But um, you know, I just wanna say, you know, I'm thankful to have this opportunity to stand in front of y'all commissioners and and

10:59and speak freely of course and um you know I just wanna point out that uh you know, a lot of things of going on and I thank you all once again for doing your best to help, you know, everyone in Pasco County. And um, you know, like I said, me being at such a young age, a lot of things, you know, with myself I notice these other teenagers, you know, the youth in general, Um, a a lot of people are struggling at a young age, but um, you know, maybe we could um Have a moment and come together

11:29and just work on uh work on that, just push towards maybe like the school system, the educational system. Um I feel like that is something that definitely needs to be um you know, appointed to. Um but, you know, I really have nothing else to say. So once again I thank you.

11:46Thank you.

11:52Hi, my name is Joel Lopez um [address removed]. Uh came with Pastor Troy. With somebody cares and um As a Christian, we believe that uh the Word is our sword. And so that's uh that's what I would like to do is is bring that and and read uh some Bible verses. Uh Revelation twelve, eleven and they Have you got a little bit of a little bit of conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and

12:22by the word of their testimony, for they love not their lives until death, I believe the Lord is raising up some people. that are that person. I believe that you may be some of them that will not Care about the consequences of what we're fighting for. And so I'd like to read Samuel 17, 34 through 36. And David said to Saul, Your servant was tending his father's sheep when the lion and the bear came and took the sheep from

12:53the flock. I went out after it and attacked it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. And when it rose up against me, I grabbed it Grabbed it by its mane and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and the this uncircumstined Philistine will be just like them, since he has defiled the armies of the living God. So what I'm saying is is what God is speaking is is some of you may be that person and that God is is wants you to look at how you've gotten

13:23here and realize that God is still with you. And so the concerns that you may have uh of the consequences uh of standing up for what is right for the children and for bringing prayer and bringing God back into the government is just to know that that He's with you. And I just want to end it with this, of 1 John 3, 16. And we know What real love is because Jesus gave his life for us, so we ought to give our lives for our brothers and sisters.

13:52Okay, thank you. So the next three to line up first will be Erin Stroop, followed by Jessica B, followed by Christina Mooker.

14:13Good morning. My name is Aaron Stroop. I live at [address removed]. I've spoken with many of you over the last few weeks about all of these reasons why a cell tower on the Starkey K-8 campus should not be approved today. Many of these reasons will be discussed today, and some reasons may not be discussed as much as they were at the school board meeting several weeks ago. But I do want to share two facts with you. Facts that led me to start asking questions in the first place. One, the FCC lost a court

14:43case to the children's health defense due to lack of updated information and studies regarding to the safety of 5G technology and any potential environmental or health effects specifically related to children. They have a court order to provide a reasoned explanation for its decision to retain its safety limits set in 1996, and they have yet to comply. They have done nothing. This is not hearsay. This is not an interpretation. This is facts, ladies and gentlemen. The American Cancer Society states, and I quote, most

15:13expert organizations agree that more research is needed to help clarify the safety of cell phone towers, especially for any possible long-term effects. This is not hearsay, this is not an interpretation, this is a fact from the or a quote from the American Cancer Society. These are the reasons why I began arguing the apparent need for a cell tower in the first place, and I will stand by these reasons until my legs give out beneath me. These aren't the only reasons why we're asking you to vote no today. Those facts aside, the very clear reason why

15:43this cell tower lease should not or should be reconsidered is because more than 1,500 of your constituents have signed a petition opposing it, asking you to explore alternative locations and solutions. Once that lease is signed, that will not be possible. We aren't asking you to deny a community cellular service. We are not asking you to deny our own school effective means of security. We are asking you not to put a 180-foot obtrusive steel tower emitting high-powered radiation on the grounds of our school.

16:14We believe the school district has done our community a great disservice by publicly using a national crisis as an apparent need for a cell tower. The reality is the cell tower has been in the works for over 10 years, well before anybody lived or worked here. It has been a planned means of revenue to maintain shared use facilities on the campus. If cell service was really as big of an issue as a superintendent and chairwoman of the school board have made it out to be, somebody at the school district. Would have done their due diligence and sought out immediate solutions, like interior self-service repeaters, which

16:44we know they were given a quote for and ignored. I hope you will listen to all of the testimony today and really ask yourself: can I, in good conscience, agree to this 27-year lease without exploring all other options? Can I, in good conscience, ignore the requests of 1,500 people who live and work in this community every single day? If you do not believe us if you do not believe me who lives directly across the street from the school, go to the school, go outside, go inside, connect to Wi-Fi and try to make a call for yourself. Please do your due diligence. We have certainly done ours. Thank you so much.

17:17Ah we got

17:18problem.

17:19Uh folks

17:25To be able to move everything along, please do not clap. This is all public comment and just let us go from one to the other as we go forward. The next speaker probably just wants to play a video.

17:35Hi, my name is Jessica B. and in lieu of speaking um we've sent Chairman Mariano a video. Can you send your address for the record? It is [address removed]. Thank you, Ms. B.

17:51you did not get the data you needed. You needed a a propagation study. And we'll talk speak to that specifically today. Because the very first a uh paragraph of the telecommunication act of nineteen ninety six, paragraph C seven A, Which entitled General Authority. Under general authority, Congress deliberately preserved to you the general authority to regulate the placement of these wireless facilities wherever you want, is what that means. There are perfectly valid legal grounds for denying an application of this conditional use permit, both under the Unified Land Use Ordinance and Federal Law. However,

18:22also provide that if you were to deny the S application, Any denial has to be based upon substantial evidence. One of the things local governments have been doing across the entire United States is to try to minimize the number of towers you need to provide personal wire services. And to do that Anytime an applic commit submits an application, they require the applicant to provide probative data, not computer generated propagation maps, which have no probative value, In order to enable this board to determine, is this a good spot for a wireless facility, you need the data. The most common

18:52form of the data is the drive test. If you get the drive test data, which is very simple, they take a recording device, attach it to a phone, drive through the area, and that recording device gives you the actual signal strengths throughout the jurisdiction. That data, that actual probative data, shows you number one, the existence or absence of gaps in service. Number two, the geographic locations of those gaps. The application, this applicant did not provide any of that to you. He's got a map. But any first grader could have drawn that map. I mean there's no data in there. There's no

19:22whatsoever. The applicant uh Let's see here.

19:31So for years, applicants have provided basically these generated maps. And so the FCC said, you know, how's this working out? So they did a study. They did 10,000 miles of drive testing. This is the FCC. They conducted 24,000 tests in nine states. And what the FCC found was that the propagation maps that were submitted by companies like the companies submitting tonight, the accuracy of those computer-generated propagation maps ranged below of 16.2% to a maximum of 64% accuracy. Yeah.

20:02And so the staff advised the FCC. They should no longer accept computer generated propagation maps without hard data. You have no hard data in this application. For that reason alone this should be denied. Because they fail to provide that. Uh it's incomplete application to begin with. If they want to claim that the tower is needed for capacity deficiency, the most common form of data they can provide is dropped call records. If they claim ATT has a capacity

20:32deficiency, ATT can use its computer and print on a list of all drop calls for any specific location for any period of time. It's a few keystrokes. None of that has been submitted here. Simply put, the applicant has failed to give you enough data to put you in a position to determine if in fact this tower is necessary at all, much less at this location or at this height. Mr. Chairman Mariano.

20:56Thank you.

21:02Good afternoon. Thank you for allowing me to speak today. My name is Christina Hooker. My address is [address removed]. So I am a resident of Starkey and I do pick my two elementary school children up every single day, right outside of the school. I have Verizon coverage and have zero issues with service while on calls and taking Zoom and also team meetings. I am hearing that coverage is an issue, and I'm gonna say that isn't so from my own personal experience.

21:33To quote Ryan Petty, State Board of Education member, he says that the school currently communicates with emergency services and is in compliance with state statute regarding Alyssa's alert. Yeah. Starkey K-8 has multiple ways to effectively communicate within their facility and with emergency services, as Ryan Petty says. Cellular services only serve as one form of communication. Other forms include radios, intercoms, school-based telephones, as well as Alyssa's Alert. Can

22:04teachers utilize the district provided Wi-Fi found in schools when coverage is poor? How can it be said that cell coverage is the reason for putting in the cell tower on school property? This does not add up. Not to mention there are two other cell towers very close. One is 1.2 miles away from the school and the other is 1.7 miles away. What steps have been taken to measure the gaps in coverage currently? A gap study has not

22:34been done, and why are these measures not been taken to put in a 180-foot cell tower if no measurements of actual coverage or lack thereof have not been looked at? Please do not you do not need to sign your agreement lease today. Vertex must complete a conditional use in order to move forward. Why would we sign a lease before this is done? Are we seeing that this makes sense currently? There are over 1,500 residents that want

23:04answers. This is our community, our children. So please vote no. Thank you.

23:11Okay, next uh Mary Francesi, Roman Gasowski, and Rusty Craig.

23:31Hi there. I am Macy Franzis. My address is [address removed], in Starkey Ranch. Today I'm actually going to be reading a letter from an influential realtor in our community. His name is Judson Van Werp. The imposing presence of a cell tower within fifteen hundred feet of residential areas has had detrimental impact on home prices, leading to an average drop of seven point six. The

24:03The once desirable neighborhood now bears a burden of unslightly structures looming over the landscape, instilling a sense of unease and concern among potential buyers. As many of us have uprooted our lives to settle here in Starkey Ranch, mainly due to its natural Florida beauty and the desire of having a brand new K-8 school within walking and biking distance. Cell phone tower could potentially have a much higher, much higher impact on our local property value

24:33values, not only because of the health risk, but also because it's a complete eyesore and in this amazing place we call home. Many residents will have to be reminded of this tower every day through our windows, driveways, on their way home, and the commutes as they exercise throughout this neighborhood. Which again are many reasons why I have helped families move into this neighborhood. Sorry about that. There are so many unique properties that Starkey Ranch and a wide and

25:03a wide array of home values to accompany that. Most homes in Starkey Ranch carry a price tag of $700,000 to $800,000, if not much more. A 10% or possibly more decrease in home values of just those homes alone would cause many homeowners, friends, employees. And families to be upside down significantly in their homes from something that should not be affecting homes at all. The county, on the other hand, will also lose

25:33a significant amount of tax revenue and potential cause and potentially cause a lot of homes to be sold for even less than what the current market value, and it would drop to a fire ceiling homes in order to vacate before the tower is constructed. If the above it becomes true, which I've heard over and over again from many neighbors and past clients, Yeah. It would cause the county to adjust taxable values down and down significantly for the first time in this amazing community. In closing, not

26:03only is the aesthetics of the community a downfall, but those towers have fueled health anxieties, compounding the negative perception. Homeowners are left grappling with diminished property values, potential health risks. Nobody should want to be responsible for causing this harm to anyone. This will also cause fight families' financial hardships due to the potential for a massive loss in their property value. I truly believe Pasco County and the school board would be

26:33making a irreplaceable and massive mistake going through with this cell phone tower. It will cause repairable re a repairable relationship between the county and its people. I think that's the end. Thank you so much.

26:55Good morning. My name is Roman Gas Gonsovsky. I live at Starkey Ranch, [address removed]. My both kids attend the school at Starkey Ranch. I'm here today because I strongly oppose a cell tower at Starkey K eight. The need for this tower is based on the idea that teachers do not have adequate service in the case of an emergency. I ask why aren't teachers being instructed to make calls

27:25using Wi Fi. If cell phones are part of the emergency communication plan, are teachers being provided cell phones? Uh what provider will they use and how will a cell tower change their current service? even with a tower on campus, service can be interrupted. Landlines, walkie talkies and even the generators should all be part of the emergency communication plan. According to Ryan Petty, the Florida

27:56Department of Education, uh our district's communication plan is impressive and within all rules and regulations. Uh let's assume Ryan Petty is not telling the entire truth. According to the renowned professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of New Hampshire, Kent Chamberlain and Hurricane Hardened Building Like Starkey K eight uh can likely block service inside the building. using or upgrading

28:26the school's existing Wi Fi infrastructure and having the teachers use Wi Fi wireless calling provides the most robust workaround. Alternatively, interior signal boosters are designed to amplify the exterior signal within the walls of a building. This would be a definitive fix for any cellular service problems faced within the walls of the school. The district was provided with a proposal for campus-wide boosters

28:56from the same company that installed their emergency BDA system. This quote was ignored. Their negligence in not responding to this quote has left us in the place we where we are right now. While we are discussing coverage, let's discuss the fact that the gap study has not been conducted. Yet parent after parent is saying that there have adequate coverage outside of the building. So many references to revenue in the P four

29:27agreement and a lack of evidence to support the need. It's hard to believe that this cell tower is not about money. A school is no place for a cell tower. I ask you, please vote no today. Thank you.

29:41Thank you.

29:43I wasn't done, but so we got it.

29:47Have a motion? Uh

29:48moved to receive and file.

29:49Second.

29:50All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. May I pause?

29:57Hello, my name is Rusty Craig, and I live at [address removed]. I'm a Navy veteran and I worked on RF Weapons Systems on board the USS John F. Kennedy. At the school board meeting, Megan Harding talked about a weak connection outside the school and her phone saying SOS inside the school, and to quote her, that's a big safety issue. Kurt Browning said he's worried about in an instance on campus and that he has a moral imperative to keep our kids safe from an active instance. They're trying

30:28to paint a picture that there's a real problem with emergency communications at the school. and that we need this tower to fix that issue, I'm going to prove that's incorrect. We asked community members if they have service at our at or on our school, and we received over a hundred responses showing that all carriers have the ability to call and text. I've printed those comments and given them to you.

30:51Can I stop you for one second? Do you have any more copies because we're one short. Um

30:56I do.

30:58I share.

31:00What's up? Well could Commissioner Starkey can use a copy? Okay.

31:08To test this, we took phones from each carrier and checked signal strength in the front, sides, and back of the school and at the track field. We screen captured GPS coordinates and signal strength for all those locations. All three major carriers had the ability to call and text from all locations around the school. ATT, Verizon, and T-Mobile all had two out of four balls bar sorry bars or better at every location, and in most cases, they had three out of four bars or five

31:38out of five bars. I provided those printouts. Yeah. We also visited cell phone coverage maps online for all major carriers and printed those for you. I've circled Starkey on the maps. As you can see, they all have 5G coverage at the school. There are no gaps in coverage for any carrier at any location around the school, and this information is coming straight from the carrier's own websites. At the school board meeting, Cynthia Armstrong said, and I quote, We've had numerous situations on playgrounds, on ball fields,

32:09out away from the school where there's no Wi-Fi calling, and we've had serious medical emergencies, but to say we can't call, we can't call 911. I met personally with a school resource officer at Starkey, and there's not been a single incident where emergency services were needed and communication was a problem. To quote the officer, my radio gets out everywhere and is connected directly to the sheriff's office. We're required to test the radio every year at all locations to ensure everywhere works in the school. They also have Wi-Fi services

32:39inside the school and can use Wi-Fi calling in the case service is poor. They use hardwired voiceover IP lines in every classroom, and they have panic buttons as well. Megan Harding mentioned seeing SOS on her phone inside the school. I'd like to remind everyone that you can make emergency calls when it says SOS. We have reached out to the Department of Education, Office of Safe Schools, who's in charge of school safety and compliance. They did a full review of Starkey

33:10K eight and discussed it with the school board. Here's a quote of their findings directly from Ryan Petty. Our team came away from the impressed by the school district's plans. Our Office of Safe School is confident that Starkey has a means to communicate with emergency services in complying with state laws and rules in this regard.

33:31Okay. Sure. Thank you. So the next three that I have signed up are Rachel Nader, Jesse Golmish, and Monica Gasowski.

34:01Hi, my name is Jesse Golmish and I live at [address removed]. Thank you for letting me speak today. I'm gonna take off, um I'm gonna take over where Rusty left off. Our team came away from the review impressed by the district's plans and facilities. Our Office of Safe Schools is confident that Starkey has the means to communicate with emergency services and is complying with all state laws and rules in this regard. Kurt Browning and the school board. Know that they have a great communication

34:31and safety system, but they are presenting a different narrative to the community and the county. This is as deceitful and manipulative as it gets. The subject of an active shooter is an extremely serious topic and not to be used lightly. The Pasco County School Board knows that the school is fully capable of communicating in an emergency. Acting like the school isn't equipped to deal with an active instance and using it as a scare tactic is absolutely disrespectful. The school board talked about their Wi-Fi not working

35:01outside and their cell service not working inside. There's a simple solution for that. Use your cell service outside and use Wi-Fi inside. That coupled with the robust communication system that the school and law enforcement officers have in place is everything that the school needs for emergency communication. There is no gap in coverage, which is provided by the carrier's own coverage maps and our own signal strength tests with GPS coordinates. The evidence from myself, the Office of Safe Schools, and Law Enforcement

35:32Resource Officer proves that emergency communication is not an issue at Starkey K-8 school. If this contract is signed, you'll be locked into agreement with a cell tower company that is notorious for controlling and for use and for suing counties. Starkey community is not okay with them doing whatever they want with no regard for the health of our children or our community for the next 27 years. We are asking you today, as concerned parents, property owners, And community members. Please do

36:02what is right for our community, its members and our children. Please say no to the cell tower on Starkey K through eight and let's have a conversation on how to move forward and let's find a win-win for all of us. I have two children at Starkey K through eight and we love our school and we love our community. And I really hope to feel very comfortable and confident continuing to send my children there. Thank you so much.

36:25Okay.

36:31Hello. I'm gonna lighten the room up a little bit today. It's a little stuffy in here. You all look wonderful. Mr. Ron, Seth, Nikki, Jack, Jeffrey. Hi, Katherine. I don't know you, but Starkey. I live in Starkey. Good morning. My name is Rachel Nader. My address is [address removed]. Thank you for taking this time to hear me today. I come to you as a Starkey Ranch resident, Starkey K-8 school mother with two elementary age

37:02children enrolled, a business owner who supports various other Starkey Ranch small businesses. Daughter of a police officer and teacher, wife of a Marine, Semper Fi, and lastly and most importantly, I come to you as a Starkey K-8 substitute teacher. Beside me is a student I have taught. Octavio is a seventh grade student at Starkey. You see, last year I left a lucrative corporate America job as an associate vice president. Huh,

37:33big title. To be a more intentional mother and wife. I've been married 13 years. I found myself substitute teaching middle school at my children's private school in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. With a newfound passion for sixth grade, believe it or not, they're a handful. I fast forward to today. I have substitute taught at Starkey School almost every single week since the beginning of the school year. Naturally back in middle school with this guy, but with a newfound love for ESE, children

38:03with special needs. I'm here to provide my personal experience. I have been able to use my cell phone inside and outside the school alongside my son who has one of those little gizmo watches. I thank you all genuinely from the bottom of my heart for caring about the safety of our students, our children. Trust me. All of us today wearing red. Understand and know that safety is absolutely the most important thing for our kids. It's one of the

38:33main reasons. My husband works for Corporate America still that we've moved twelve times, different states. Why we chose Starkey Ranch? Because of the safety that Starkey K eight school provides. This is why I beg you to reconsider the location of the tower. I, for one, do not want my kids as guinea pigs for the unknown effects of being within feet of a 5G tower for six plus hours a day. We care about this community and simply ask you to hear and see our point of views. as shared

39:03today. Thank you again very much for your time.

39:15Mm. My name is Monika Gonzowska. I live in [address removed]. I come to you today with a strong opposition to Cell Tower at Starkey Ranch. I brokenhearted because this place that we've built our lives is being threatened. A cell tower at the centre of our community threatens our livelihood, health and safety. My husband and I have considered all the options and feel that should a cell tower

39:46go up, we will have to move our family. This feels me much too close to home for me to stay. You are taking guidance from an attorney. Please understand that he is not the final authority. Each attorney specializes in a specific area. Does your lawyer have a broaden knowledge of telecommunications and land of land use field area? If your good is telling you to vote differently than your attorney is advising, I suggest you follow your instincts.

40:17Your vote matters and your job is to listen to the fifteen hundred people that voted you into office and have signed in opposition to the Tower. I can speak to you about Europe. I've heard it said that they are far ahead of the US. Did you know that many countries already forbid 5G near neighborhoods and schools? The list includes, among others, Brussels, considers de facto capital of the European Union, halted five G due to adverse health

40:47effects, United Kingdom, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Netherlands, Cyprus, Switzerland, Malta, France. This is not even the whole list. Please take care of our children. We grew up with much less radio frequency radiation than exists today. Unfortunately, there is already a lot of radiation all over, to have the same chance of a healthy life, they need our help. Please understand the obvious. We can control

41:17the use of our cellphones. We can use Wi Fi calling mode or just switch phones off whenever we want. A cell tower, on the other hand, will be an exposure that we will be out of our control twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. A school is not a place for a cell tower. I ask you to vote no today. Thank you.

41:44Thank you. I'm going to call the next four. Um, Alex Hamilton, followed by Olivia Hamilton, then Mark Arnold and Serena Arnold.

42:04Good morning. Alex Hamilton, a licensed real estate sales associate in the state of Florida, [address removed]. Starkey Ranch is the number one master plan community in the Tam in Tampa Bay. We as residents were sold in the Starkey brand with 20 miles of trails, wetlands, lakes, wildlife, parks, blueberry farms, and a farmer's market adjacent to 2,400 acres of wilderness preserve. Points for consideration: real estate effects. This will negatively impact the real estate market. In Starkey Ranch. The homes in the very comparable Bexley neighborhood have sold for $21 less per square foot in the last 60 days.

42:34People pay more for the openness and natural aesthetics in Starkey. On average, the external cost of a wireless tower in Starkey will be approximately $17,000 per residential property, which corresponds to a negative price effect of 2.6%. The negative price impact of 9.7% is much more severe for property. Properties within visible range, the negative impact vanishes at 2,362 feet. 280 Starkey Ranch homes and investments are in that range. That's $4.7 million in decreased home values using the low

43:04figure. Pasco County Land Development Code on your website. Section 1002, Wireless Communications Facilities. Discourage new towers when existing structures are available for the placement of wireless communications facilities. current ex existing structures. The school currently has two cell towers on either side with direct line of sight, one point two miles and one point seven miles respectively, on top of the transmission line towers between Starkey Boulevard and and the neighborhood, like the transmission line cell tower at Mitchell Crossing. Section G, to encourage the compatibility of wireless communication facilities

43:35with surrounding land uses that protect the attractiveness, health, safety, general welfare, and property values of the community. Shared use agreement cited in the lease. The county and the school district shall have the right, but not the obligation to lease wireless facility rights within or on some of the shared use facilities. The lease of any wireless facility on or within the library or outdoor shared use facilities shall be the primary responsibility of the county, but shall require joint approval. That's you. You are the county

44:05and you are the primary. You are the county you the county solicited for the cell tower on February 2nd, 2022. You the BOCC are the issuing organization. School safety. One of the issues the school board had had was physical safety communications at the school. We provided many solutions to fix the issue short of a 180-foot 5D cell tower. Those solutions were never acknowledged. This cell tower, at least, was drawn up for the same reason as the other 12 schools, the money. The school district could have fixed the school safety issue by approving the upgraded option bi-directional amplifier

44:35two years ago. They were quoted $128,000 for the proper BD. BDA system to amplify major cell carrier signals, and they never responded to the quote they requested. Instead, a meet emergency frequency only BDA systems were installed at the school and library to meet Pasco County fire code requirements. If your phone says SOS, you can still call emergency service because your phone will connect to no other service providers. There are three towers in a two-mile radius south of the school. What is the maximum effective range of a cell tower? By that account, you would need a cell tower every mile to have service. cell tower issues, it's the construction of the school. Spend the $128,000

45:07and put the quoted BDA system in the school and put the tower north where it can broaden the area coverage. You are the elected officials in charge of making the decision, not the school district, vertex, your staff, your or attorney. If you couldn't vote no, we wouldn't be here. This is the quote for one hundred and twenty eight thousand dollars that the school board didn't use. You can keep that. Somebody wanna turn that in?

45:28Uh move to receive and file.

45:30All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

45:33Sorry, only have one copy.

45:34That's right.

45:42Hi, my name is Olivia Hamilton. My address is [address removed] in Starkey Ranch. It's clear from the P-4 agreement that revenue is the original and sole purpose of a cellular tower installment within the shared use area of the Starkey Ranch K-3. The P-4 only mentions wireless leasing rights in context with signage and naming rights as a means for significant monetary value. Nowhere does it cite the need for improving cellular service or the safety of students and staff. The school board's

46:12recent claim of school safety is a convenient excuse to continue the campaign of leasing towers on school rounds around the county. By placing this tower in the heart of the Starkey Ranch community, a master planned community sought out for its natural theme and aesthetics would directly diminish the unique characteristic and appeal. Because of these natural aesthetics and central theme, Starkey Ranch boosts higher relative home values than neighboring communities. A 180-foot radiation-emitting steel tower in plain view of hundreds

46:42of homes is anything but natural. This tower most definitely tarnishes the natural theme and could ultimately impact the average home prices in the community. The cell tower placement would affect. Yeah, yeah. Money from the homeowners' investments into the hands of the county and school board by way of this lease as a zero-sum game. We are not against broadening the cellular infrastructure within the area. We are only against placing it in the heart of our community. We are asking for due diligence in exploring other

47:13sites and even the existing multiple towers within a one mile radius. If this lease is signed today, we are no longer At a place to do our own due diligence and will be subject to the will and rights of the telecommunication industry as granted by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The conditional use process, once started, will give Vertex months on end to prove everything they need in order to get this approved. This is their business. They will find loopholes and if denied a permit, they will turn around and sue you. They have done this

47:43time and time again across the country. We are asking that you stop this process now so you can explore all options outside of this lease. Thank you.

48:00My name is Mark Arnold. I live at [address removed], Circuit Ranch. I'm standing here today to express my deep concern about the pro proposed placement of the Starkey K eight cell tower. I spoke in opposition at the school board meeting last month as well. The main driver behind Uh the the school board's um approval of the lease was predicated upon school safety and the lack of ability to communicate in emergency situations. As a parent, I was alarmed when I heard the district superintendent say that he would rather take a chance of his own grandchild

48:30getting cancer due to a cell tower than deal with an active threat under current conditions. After that meeting, I personally reached out to the Office of School Safety. The Office works with all school districts around the state to ensure compliance with state statute and the State's Department of Education's rules for school safety. The Office assured me via emailed response that they have reviewed the emergency communications plan for Starkey K-8 with the district's safety specialist and was quite impressed by their plan and facilities.

49:01Furthermore, the Office of School Safety detailed multiple means of communication the school has at its disposal, including radios, intercoms, school-based telephones, and a mobile panic alert known as a list's alert, which is required by state statute and the school has. He further stated, and I quote, it is not accurate to assume that the school cannot currently communicate with emergency services if the need arises. Starkey has the means to communicate with emergency services and is in compliance with state statute and all rules and regulations set

49:31forth by the Department of Education. So I ask you now. Why is the district so hard pressed to install a s a s a cell tower on school ground? That the district leader would paint such a dire picture that is in such contrast with the findings of the state office of school safety and drive the districts to schedule a closed door meter meeting under a guise of school safety in order to subvert sunshine laws and discuss school board agenda items two hours before the school board meeting, in which that item would be Voted

50:01on. This leads me to ask you one question. Are they lying to us or are they just incompetent? I ask you to vote no to this location. There are many other options that the school district has just flat out refused to consider. Thank you.

50:24Good morning. My name is Serena Arnold and I live at [address removed]. Commissioners, let's discuss options. Currently there are two 200 plus feet steel towers within close proximity to Starkey Ranch K eight. I have pass I will pass out photos of both for your review. One tower at State Road Fifty Four and Gun Highway is one point two miles away and within eyeshot of the school. The other is one point seven miles from the school in the opposite

50:54direction, on the corner of fifty four and Starkey Boulevard. Upon a visual inspection of both towers, Kent Chamberlain, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of New Hampshire, feels strongly that these very tall towers have ample room to accommodate more antennas. Still, if you somehow find conflicting opinion, there are power lines within the community that could be utilized to co-locate an antenna. If outdoor

51:24cellular service around the school is an issue, then either of these two towers or the existing power lines could be utilized by the cellular companies to improve coverage. That can be done by requesting more antennas from the actual cell companies and ensuring they are faced in the appropriate direction in order for the school to benefit from their placement. We know that Starkey Ranch K8 is made of cement block walls, which are known service blockers. Even if both of these two towers were used

51:55at full capacity and a tower was put on the grounds of the school, the interior of the buildings would likely still experience poor cellular service. None of these would be a guaranteed solution to increasing interior cellular service to a building built to withstand hurricanes. The true fix for increased cellular service inside the walls of this school are with cellular service repeaters. The school district received a quote for these last year, which was

52:25not acted upon. Their negligence to reply is what has brought us here today. I'm curious, is Vertex saying that these two towers are at full capacity without any room for expansion? Are they also arguing that there are serious gaps in coverage? How many towers exactly within a one-to-two mile radius does it take to get decent cell service? Please enlighten us. We are asking you that you heed the concerns of the 1,500 constituents who oppose this tower. There's no reason

52:55the antennas directed at Starkey K eight can't be co-located on one or more of these existing towers to provide whatever robust cell coverage is needed at the school. Please vote no today. I'm here because, quite honestly, I'm afraid for my children's health and I'm fully prepared to pull my children out of Starkey K-8 should this tower go up. And quite honestly, I can't imagine having to look them in the face and tell them that I can't keep their my promise to them to stay. So I pray that you will look

53:25at the solutions that I've presented today, Mr. Oakley. Thank you.

53:32Okay, so the next four is Anna Sluzi Sluzinski. Jasek Sluzinski, Susan Eccle, and Stacy Miller Dacy.

53:48Good morning. I'm Anna Swzinski. I live at [address removed]. I would like to address today communication in regards to physical threats and cyber threats. Сайберс Сайберсекюрі, Сайберкам. A recent study conducted by a Black Folk, a global leader in cybersecurity, concluded that the education sector has moved to a number one spot in 2022 for ransomware attacks. A massive increase of 48% from 2021, followed by the government and healthcare sector. Will the tower resolve this issue? No, I don't think so. But

54:18I do strongly believe that it will provide a better, another opportunity for the bad actors to infiltrate the schools. system. In twenty eighteen, six US intelligence chiefs, including the directors of CIA and FBI, cautioned Americans against using Huey products, warning that a five G inventor company could conduct espionage, undetected espionage. During the recent pandemic years, cell tower installation was at a full speed. Um tracker devices on kids. Hackers can watch it as well. Study every move of a child, prepare

54:48for kidnapping, a new path of life in human trafficking. A cell tower will not resolve this issue. I could go on and on and on. I could leave the future of cybercrime at the creative imagination to you. We don't hear much about this in the news. This is a major, major underground. industry. I was able to see it firsthand. I am a former corporate security officer and acted as a backup to the information security officer. For seven years I worked closely with the local law enforcement spatial agents, heard from many local, nationwide experts regarding physical and cybercrime. Going

55:19back to um physical threats. Active shooter, many concerns of parents. When an active shooter enters the classroom, the first response should be to attack the the the shooter. It's a tragedy. But five losses versus twenty losses is a much better outcome. Your cell phone will not save you during the active emergency. Running for safety, hiding are the first two steps. Two kids walking on the sidewalk, one with phone, one with the other. Which one is more vulnerable to be attacked and robbed or kidnapped? The one with the phone that's distracted. It. On April twenty sixth, twenty twenty-three, a seventh grader saved his school

55:50bus because a bus driver lost conscious. The only Ch child that did not have a cell phone was able to save all the students' lives who otherwise were glued to the phone. On February 20, 2023, at 729 PM, I personally was on the phone with 911 to give paramedics to the tennis courts right next to the school to help a patron in medical crisis, help arrived within minutes. This was not a first issue contacting the per uh law enforcement. I was not able to find an example of an emergency situation

56:20where help was not able to be reached. Cell phones are equipped to be able to dial 911 even if it is in SOS mode. The reason for this new emerging stage of removal of these towers from other schools or being banned in other countries are parts in the US are an advanced trend. This is a new trend of them being removed and blocked. A fiber active cable is more reliable than a 5G Wi-Fi tire and it's also more secure. There should this is a common denomin common denominator here with all of us for no school tower at that location. There is

56:50just no reason. There is the right time and the right place for proper safe communication. Thank you.

56:57Mr. Chairman Mariano. Thank you. Ms. Brooklyn. Make a motion to receive the information from this lady. Uh second.

57:03All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Thank you.

57:08Thank you.

57:11Good morning. My name is Jacek Sluzinski. I live at [address removed], Starkey Ranch. Um there are currently ten towers that have erected in our district over the past ten years and we have confirmed that with the school board that there have been zero studies and zero safety tests conducted to the date. that can prove that there is uh towers th those towers are safe. The district can't even gr guarantee that the ten towers are even with FCC guidelines. And yet we

57:42have been told that you will not place the vote today based on the health concerns. Let's discuss the topic insurance. Page twenty eight of the P4 agreement uh details imposing private insurance on the third parties using the outdoor shared uh use facilities. God forbid a cancer cluster were to develop in the school. Victims could sue and recover millions of dollars in damages. Vertex, a tiny company with literally a handful of employees would just disappear and the c and the county taxpayers along with the school districts

58:13and possibly the board members would be left with the great liability. Here is what we need to understand. Under the proposed lease, Vertex must obtain and maintain various insurance policies during the initial terms and any renewal terms against claims for injuries to person or damages to property which may arise from an um or any connection with the Vertex operation use of the site. The policies are required to name to the country and additional insured. The problem with the vertex cannot be cannot obtain the required

58:43liability insurance to cover claims for risk risks arising from exposure to virus radiation. The kind of insurance is not available at the commercial market because there is a risk too high. Even the underwriters, a Lloyd of London. Won't issue the policies covering risks arising from virus radiation exposure because the risks are too high. The markets at Lloyd almost went bankrupt. from as best of liabilities and uh has learned its lesson. It won't go near uh wireless radiation risk, so Vertex can't get the coverage.

59:13Verizon can't, nor can A T and T. They self insure meaning they don't have any insurance. Are you sure you want to make this vote today? Considering health effects. I'm here today standing next to only a small pre presentation of huh uh fifteen hundred parents who uh uh who feel the same. We went from curious to concern to convince it only. A matter of weeks. I understand this is our third meeting and some of us has gone great lengths to be here today because we have researched the risk. Barriers

59:44like work Um Child care and doctor appointment need to be arranged. before you enter the twenty uh seven years list Ask us I I ask you to consider all the options and vote no. And uh what I would like to add to to this um I know you all Elected officials. And we're not going to be able to do We vote for you, we we choose you, we trust you, we believe in you. So now before you make the final decision for the tower. Please do. Listen

1:00:15to us, not ignore us. Please um Solve the problem, not create the problem.

1:00:24Uh Not harm us, just protect us. Thank you.

1:00:34Good afternoon. My name is Susan Eccle. I live at [address removed]. I know you were stating one of your biggest excuses for this tower is, quote, lack of communication. One of my children was seriously injured last school year at recess, and I'm here to reinstate that the school had no issue when calling for and receiving an ambulance immediately. as well as getting a hold of me. All communication was clear and quick with no lol in emergency service. Case in point.

1:01:04This includes oh sorry. Sadly, my family will not be returning to this great school if this unnecessary tower is installed. And I feel for those who would need to sell their homes, as many are already planning, and uproot their families for this decision, which favors nobody. We already have many families who have already chosen to move to a private school for next year or move their home and even homeschool due to the fact that you even possibly thought this would make sense or be fair to place a 5G tower. in the middle of a K-8 property and other schools in our county. This includes the staff who may choose to leave as well

1:01:34as they do not want themselves or their children to be exposed at least seven hours a day, five days a week underneath these electromagnetic frequencies. According to a survey we posted to the community just last night, over 64 parents are choosing to remove all of their children if this tower passes. That would be hundreds of students, many of them whose moms and dads are very active on the PTO and do so much for this school on a daily basis. Our county is currently in the process of building an amazing additional classroom building at our school, but we may have more families leaving than coming. This

1:02:05cannot end well if a tower gets placed and you lose control completely of that space for a twenty-seven-year lease on Starkey Ranch and this company would have full reign of our current space. Even if something goes wrong, you will end up having to pay to remove the tower and break contract. So once the health troubles can no longer be denied, it will cost hundreds of thousands to break contracts, pay for medical lawsuits, and so on in the future. This contract would even impose another unsettling concern as a security issue with Vertex employees being allowed to walk onto our school space anytime they would like,

1:02:35since we would have no limits on that tower space, which would then be all theirs. Not to mention the fact that once a lease contract has been signed, Vertex development would have the freedom to place any kind of apparatus they would like on that tower, which belongs to them. And hypothetically, it could be 10G, even 20 G at some point. The possibilities are endless in how much magnification of radiation they install above the heads of these developing children. once you give up your rights. The FCC has denied studies on three G, Four G, Five G, let alone a possible ten G. So who knows what those

1:03:05dangers could even include. I am in all that you would want this on Starkey's school property as the money would not be worth the eyesore, neighborhood fury, radiation with medical ramifications, newscasting, resale values dropping, and so many more objections. Could you put this monstrosity over your heads and homes in our place? I have an even better idea. Should we put it on Starkey Markets property to camouflage in with the enormous electrical poles, and at least not be firing down onto little children consistently for over six hours a day there? And to make it an even better situation, Starkey

1:03:36market then would be making the money directly from it as well. That alternative option honestly feels like the best of both worlds. I pray that you find that the last place any more towers should be placed on our school grounds. Thank you.

1:03:57Good morning. My name is Stacey Meller Dacey. I live at [address removed]. I have a son that attends Starkey Ranch K through eight and three younger children who I had hoped would be able to attend there as well. My husband and I grew up in Pasco County and attended public school here. We have chosen to remain here and raise our families within this community. We love our school and we're devastated and deeply disappointed to learn of the massive cell tower being proposed at the school. If this tower gets approved, we will utilize step-up scholarship program to withdraw our children from the Pasco

1:04:27County School System and move them into private school where we will not be at the mercy of the school board's detrimental plan to put cell towers on as many of our public school campuses across the county as they can possibly get away with. We strongly oppose the proposed cell tower at Sarkey Ranch for a multitude of reasons, but I would like to focus on the county's own land development code with regard to wireless communication facilities. First, I'm concerned that the Commodity Commission is here voting today on a lease agreement for a cell tower that Vertex has not even submitted for permits on. As part of permitting efforts associated with

1:04:57a two tier two or tier three cell tower, the onus is on vertex to demonstrate compliance with applicable standards of section one thousand two of our code. Per section 1002.1, Part C, New Towers are to be discouraged when existing structures are available for the placement of commun wireless communication facilities. As a matter of fact, section one thousand two point eight indicates that a new tower shall not be approved unless Vertex can demonstrate that there are no co-location opportunities available within the two nearby existing towers. Has Vertex proven this to

1:05:27you? Per section 1002.1, Vertez is expected to locate a cell tower in a way that minimizes the adverse visual impact of the tower. How is placing an up to 180-foot tower behind a three-story school that tops out around 40 feet not considered an adverse visual impact? Section 1000.2, Part B, on Tier 3 Towers lists negative factors that defined an adverse visual impact, such as the wireless communication facility is in the normal view of a person, a moving vehicle for more than

1:05:57a short period of time. It appears out of place in the area. The scale, height, and bulk are significantly greater than other uses in the surrounding area. Vertex proposed cell tower meets nine of the eleven defined factors for adverse visual impact. Our County LDC also requires certain uses to contain uh to maintain a minimum distance from schools. For example, per section 526.3 C, in the C2 district, no pain management clinics are to be located within the thousand feet

1:06:27of a daycare school or park. Per Section 527.3 in a C3 district, no sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages may be conducted within a thousand feet of a school or park. Our county LDC clearly prioritizes restricting certain uses from close proximity to our public schools, but somehow there is no restriction in the code to prevent a cell tower that emits radio frequency radiation emissions directly over a public school. I imagine that the county attorney has warned the commissioners that Vertex will undoubtedly sue the county if their conditional use permit is denied,

1:06:58even if the grounds for denial are properly determined. This is a common tactic that Vertex has used countless times throughout the state over the years to bully their way into communities that do not want cell towers. Please vote no on the cell tower today so that We don't have to deal with this for the future of our children. Thank you.

1:07:17Okay, thank you. So the next three are Megan Ford, Melanie Campbell, and Megan Katou.

1:07:37Megan Ford, [address removed]. My husband and I have lived in Pasco County for a combined 78 years. We grew up here and never went far because of the respect it has shown for our shared values. Our families moved here from New York and Philadelphia decades ago to provide a wholesome upbringing for us that we strive to pass down to our three children. This move to put a cell tower on school property for revenue gain

1:08:07goes against everything we believe in, and for reasons completely unfounded. There's service in and around the school across all carriers, and if this reactionary approach to emergency services is what we have to rely on to keep our students safe, then there's more to discuss with the school board about how that needs to be rectified immediately. To boot, it's within a master-planned community with a slogan of where life takes root, and a neighborhood with a marketing strategy focused on health, wellness, nature, and community. Sticking

1:08:38a cell tower in the center of that simply doesn't make sense. It goes against what I know Pasco County to value and what some commissioners have even shared in campaign materials. Specifically referencing placement of cell towers and what was sold to me in buying a house within the Starkey Ranch community. I understand the majority of the school board members were not concerned about the health and wellness of the students. but there are hundreds of peer reviewed studies that point to detrimental health effects. The decisions you make today

1:09:08will certainly have an impact ten, twenty, or thirty years from now. Remember when we thought cigarettes were safe and doctors would smoke them in their offices? We know better now, and this will be a similar situation. Is that a risk you're willing to take? I'm asking you to consider alternative locations for this cell tower. I not only speak for myself, but many of the neighbors I've discussed this with. And we will not only be removing our children from Starkey Ranch K8, but we will relocate to a county that shares the same values

1:09:38as we do, in putting our children and their futures first, as well as listening to the constituents that school board members and county commissioners are supposed to stand up for and support through their public service. Thank you. Thank you.

1:09:59Good morning. My name is Melanie Campbell. I live at [address removed]. It has come to our attention that you all have been advised by your attorney to vote yes today based on previous votes regarding the P4 agreement. This P4 agreement clearly states on page 35 that the county and the school district shall have the right, but not the obligation, to lease wireless facility rights within the shared facilities. So let's be be clear, there is no obligation under this agreement.

1:10:30Previous votes regarding this agreement did not include all of the information being presented today.

1:10:38Page 26 of the P4 agreement also states that the county and the school district agree not to bring into the outdoor shared use facilities any material, substances, equipment, or objects that are likely to endanger life or to cause bodily injury to any person or to the outdoor shared facilities. From a public safety standpoint, aside from the RF radiation, You must know that this a hundred and eighty foot tall tower poses a serious safety risk. given

1:11:08its extreme close proximity to the track and field of the school building. Since Florida is very susceptible to high winds, tornadoes, and hurricanes. It is undeniable that the tower presents an unnecessary physical danger to the school community should any of these events strike the area. Over the past several years, cell towers on school campuses in California, Ohio, and elsewhere have burned down. Just this past August, a cell tower in Fort Myers caught

1:11:39fire. It was determined that the cause of this fire was electrical. Aside from the very first tower that went up at a Pasco school, our district has had not seen much opposition to these towers. I think we know why. How was the public notified? How much notice were they given? To date, despite our best efforts, much of the Starkey Ranch residents have no idea what is being voted on today, due to the lack of adequate notification to those most impacted. We

1:12:09also believe that we could have a lot more people here today if this meeting was after work hours and people were effectively notified of the business being conducted here today. If residents were properly notified around the other schools, you know there would They They would have been up in arms as well. Respectfully, times are changing, and our knowledge about the towers Uh the dangers of the cell towers and wireless radiation exposure is improving. We ask that you consider this vote

1:12:39with the new information you've been given today. There are other options. Please vote no today. Thank you for your time.

1:12:52Good morning. Megan Carter, [address removed]. I'm a proud Starkey Ranch resident. My five-year-old is excited to start kindergarten at Starkey K through eight in the fall, and I have a two-year-old attending Creative World. It's our understanding that the Commission has been advised on potential concerns with the existing P4 contract with the school board on the wireless facility lease. The P four agreement

1:13:22clearly states in section seven J that the school board and the county shall have the right, but not the obligation, to lease wireless facility rights on the shared use land. In addition, it will be the primary responsibility of the county, yourselves, not the school board, of this 27-year-long lease on the shared use land. It's also clearly stated as a joint approval, which tends to imply that both parties are

1:13:53served in regards to their own interests. Previous votes on this matter do not mean that we can't change the course in light of new information. Information such as the school board approval nearly failed in a 3-2 vote to begin with. There are over 1,500 of your constituents who have signed the online petition against the tower in this location. There

1:14:23are other solutions to the school board's alleged need for this tower already existing. And those solutions are being ignored. Finally, this lease should not be approved with the assumption that the County's conditional use process will investigate any of our arguments today. Pushing this lease agreement now will only ensure that the full spectrum of options and solutions will not be explored. We urge you to vote this

1:14:53down so that proper due diligence can be done in selecting the most appropriate sites or solution to any wireless coverage problems, if actually deemed that that is needed in the first place. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you.