Tourism banquet, resiliency summit, cell tower

3:29:24Um I I did wanna say thank you. I'm gonna save two of 'em for next time. But uh when you talked about the parks I remembered that Elaine, um what's Elaine's last name? At our parks department that was just hired. Elaine Smith, who used to work for us, went to run the parks department at City of New Port Richey, is now back with us as our um Our um Cultural. person had um her f really I think her first event

3:29:54at Starkey Cultural Library And They started out with the steel band, uh the Seven Springs Middle School steel band, if you've never heard 'em, they're really cool. Uh in the outside area. And then they went inside I actually have a little video here but I'll show it to you next time. Caribbean Caribbean chillers, like three hundred and something people. Wow. So we had our first cultural event at Starkey Cultural Center. That's what I'm calling it. Sorry. And uh

3:30:25yeah, so thank you, you know, congratulations to Elaine. And uh I'm glad to see us using it like that. The um St. George where we had our meeting, a county of two hundred thousand people, it is the fastest growing city in the United States. They've had a convention center for like ten years. Two hundred thousand people.

3:30:46Just saying.

3:30:47Let's go.

3:30:48Let's get one. No, let's build one.

3:30:50Anything else?

3:30:51Nope.

3:30:52Okay.

3:30:52I'll save it for next time. time.

3:30:55That was a self inflicted wound.

3:30:58Well

3:31:02All All right. Uh yeah, the tourism banquet was phenomenal. Uh I'd say Ronde Barbara. was a s phenomenal speaker. Uh I loved what he talked about, talking about coaching, how important they are in the community. And uh we talked about maybe someday we can actually do something for coaches, run an event for them through tourism and uh kinda go out and honor our coaches 'cause they are formulating our kids, they sh teach 'em how to compete, makes them I think better citizens. Uh Randy Maggert, I gave him the Chairman's Award. Uh he was very helpful in as far as making some phone calls to

3:31:32uh Fish and Wildlife to get us that thirty-seven-day scallop season. So he was very appreciative and uh I was delighted to honor him. We might be able to have a pretty good one next year too, 'cause we're gonna bring in Tim Tebow. Which is no small task. We'll

3:31:46need a bigger venue. Yeah.

3:31:48Uh we're working on that as well. Uh you might have seen down the street there on fifty four on Saddlebrook coming up, but they're in those conversations. Um the summit was great with for resiliency. Regional Planning Council had a great turnout, 370 plus. The topics were phenomenal. Uh it's gonna l it led to a lot of great conversations. Um and by the way, Brantford, you did made a great selection and Mike I was telling you the same thing earlier, but uh uh Jason Mickel is gonna be a tremendous addition. Uh we went up and down the coast looking at um possible

3:32:19opportunities for baffle boxes litter traps where we get a opportunity for a a joint grant for seven hundred and forty thousand uh with work in University of Florida in Levy County. and then uh the four million dollars that Regional Planning Council in in the estuary got that Full million of that goes to the uh Regional Planning Council. There's all sorts of baffle boxes opp opportunities, and he's got all the experience to go do all that. Uh so I'm very excited about what he's he's gonna come back with the plan, how we go forward. had a quick meeting at uh Hudson

3:32:49Beach with our park staff. They those guys were phenomenal too. We're gonna kinda look at Bringing something forward to kinda like show everybody what we want to do out there as well and try to get those outside parking opportunities. Thanks for letting those guys come out and go take a look at that. And uh I just want to say Uh today's meeting was very tough. We had a regular item. Wasn't supposed to have any public input. Obviously we got a lot of it. But I want to commend all of you for listening, going through the whole thing and I'll just give your accolades again, Commissioner Starkey for Making an extra ditch

3:33:19effort that just was tough coming.

3:33:21Well I got new information and it made a difference.

3:33:23And and and that's what we gotta do is we gotta keep on digging, digging. I was digging hard yesterday trying to make 'em make 'em have 'em make a move. They weren't making it, but I think with enough residents here and us ask asking the right questions at the end of it and Yeah, getting that in information was tremendous. So I think we handled that as good as we possibly could. So I'm pro I'm very proud of you guys the way it all went down. So

3:33:43I I do wanna say, you know, I'm in that area a lot, obviously. And um And I know it happens to some county staff driving down Starkey Boulevard. Uh and I the the perception is not good at all. and uh frequently drop calls. I cannot open email. In that area? Um at Ducks Lou in fifty four, I I I can't do that. Yeah. Um so And

3:34:14when I talked to ATT and they did a study they found that um they were really deficient in the area and that's who I use, AT and T. and they are elevating And rushing uh to fix to add an array on the tower at Trinity. Storage, the one where they cut down all the oak trees for the billboard. Um at Starkey in fifty-four. Um but it's gonna take them a year. Oh, there's the picture. That's not

3:34:44doctored now. That's the f the national forest Taking care of those woods on the left. and the private landowner taking care of the woods on the right. And there's like a straight line. Um It's just really sad.

3:34:57We we didn't ask for that picture.

3:34:59But but I'm glad to see it. Um and you also got the roof there uh of the convention center. But Uh um And and I I had hoped that that would help the school. but we learned that that is more than two miles away from the school. Um so it won't help the school, it'll help some of that area. But they're real it There really is a deficiency in that area.

3:35:22And I'm glad we're gonna go look for other solutions. So with all that said, I th I just want to commend the board. I thought you handled it very professionally. Uh thank you for helping me trying to figure out how to get it all through and getting it done. But We got our two things we need to get done as well, so I think it did very well. So with that, we're adjourned.

3:36:13Light to pay.