Commissioner committee reports and updates

1:49:12Okay. Now we're gonna move miscellaneous items. Uh committee reports. Chairman Vice Chairman Oakley.

1:49:19Yep. I um have more than usual this time. I've Um This past week at the Premier Zephyrhills Family Health Center. Um Hard hat and uh signing of a beam in their new facility in the Zephyrhills. Did that on February sixteenth. Also, there's a picture of it.

1:49:45Mr. Pasano was there with us, so

1:49:52Yeah. There are signs on the beam. I don't think they'll tear that down to see that, so

1:50:00But it was good. Uh next on Thursday sixteenth I attended the KIRES board meeting where I was inducted as honorary board member. And uh Had a good meeting with them in a lunch that day. Then we went to uh celebrate the opening of New State Highway fifty two on Friday. And here we are cutting it.

1:50:23Beautiful

1:50:23time. I mentioned to Secretary Gwen at at this Ribbon cutting. That if you machine is in the way right now, but if you could look across there to the north I don't know how far you can say, but it really reaches out a long ways to where Um quite a quite a view. I told 'em we probably should have put a scenic view where you pull off there to look Over Pasco 'cause all of our hills and all that's part of uh Uh

1:50:54Dade City Pasco County has uh Brooksville Ridge, comes from it from Levy County all the way down and ends in Zephyrhills. That's where we get our hills and That's right. Most people think Florida's just flat, but As you can see looking across to the uh Actually you'd think we were looking across there to University of Saint Leo. But in fact we were checking out those bulls right there in the pasture.

1:51:19And um What I want to um And the missing trail. Mm-hmm. I wanna talk about the possibility. I think Serenova d do they have a camping area for horses where you ride horses? Conservative. Does Starkey also have an area like that?

1:51:40Yes, it has a paddock and everything.

1:51:46Is there a

1:51:47way to go from one to the other or not?

1:51:49Well now that's a good question.

1:51:51Like a horse trail rather than

1:51:52So uh there are ranch roads that go underneath Ridge Road. And we want to make sure that they s they are open Um there if Sam were here or Tina they could answer it more. But there was a time when that gate was closed. Um By Duke. But um I don't think it's them. I think it was us. So I think that gate is open now. So I think that they could go underneath.

1:52:23Yeah. Um but I was thinking it was

1:52:25maybe something we could look at in the future 'cause we're still growing east Pasco County and and even the northeast rural area that I have a vision for I could see uh the possibility of a place where you could ride your horse to and possibly spend the night there in a campsite or something like that.

1:52:41No, I know y I know you can do that in Starkey.

1:52:43And really fits in really fits into the the rural area of our county.

1:52:48Yeah.

1:52:48And um The possibility I was talking about the vision here in the past and in the near future I'll bring that to you and and uh show it to you but Um One of the facts is I was talking about ranchettes one day and they said, Oh, well, ranchettes, that's a old Way back, I mean you had ranchettes and all I s Then I come to find out a a week or two later somebody came to me and said, Ranchats are coming back so That is a part of the rural area and I think that'd be a part of that new vision.

1:53:19in some bad area where you you don't have houses right up against each other and you have space. And I think that's part of that rule area and should be.

1:53:28Yeah, and um Commissioner Oakley, can I if I could add to that. You asked me if there were horse trails along the multi use trails. Right. And I think that would be really smart to make sure that especially on the east side We Add a couple of feet, you know, for the horses because they don't want to be on the pavement.

1:53:47And I don't want to have that trail might have to be different because of footing, but I I don't know.

1:53:51Yeah, but but we should be think contemplating that.

1:53:53Yes,

1:53:54I think so. I did um I did did a bike trip years ago with my girlfriends in Vermont. where you you cycle. They told me we were in the flat part, but they lied to me. And um but you cycle from bed and breakfast to bed and breakfast and then someone moves your luggage. But they had a huge tourism Um uh draw where you could do that by horseback. Right. And you could ride from bed and breakfast to re bed and breakfast on horse trails and they moved your luggage. That's

1:54:24pretty

1:54:24nice.

1:54:26I agree. So it's something to look at as

1:54:28we

1:54:28move

1:54:28forward and move on to the S. And Commissioner to go further with that, I think all our environmental lands have that potential. I think uh

1:54:36Swift Mudlands has that. A part of their their property. So

1:54:40with the new penny we did did actually allow for facilities to be constructed along with SISC with it. So you've also got a funding source to actually make those things happen.

1:54:48Oh yeah. Okay. Sounds good. Um I don't cycle. Well I'm gonna go to this one f I got two items left. One is Pasco County Fair opened up yesterday. Uh I laid a brochure on on your desk in front of you and I laid one out in front of I only had so many. Laid out one there for Uh Mr. Kwawa. Uh if anybody would like to go during this week, I have some tickets. See me before we leave and I'll I'll provide you a ticket. So

1:55:19Did they do the milking thing already?

1:55:21No, they uh actually not having it this year 'cause the I guess the last dairy in Pasco County sold out to someone in Mayo. And they would have been able to do it except They said that They couldn't get people to wanna do the milk off anymore. This is a bunch of bull, but

1:55:43all they gotta do is have somebody ask people and have people. So instead of sponsoring the milk off this year, I'm sponsoring the pig race.

1:55:52Oh

1:55:54it's on the brochure.

1:55:57But it's all it's all good and it's all fun and if anybody wants to go let me growing

1:56:01up

1:56:02at the end of the meeting and then I've got some tickets. So uh last thing I have is yesterday was Pasco County Employee Appreciation Day. I don't know if we have a lot of film or anything. To show ya? But it was a great day. It was a Chamber of Commerce day in Cruise Lake. First time I've ever been and first time I'd ever walked there. Because I couldn't get any parking up front.

1:56:30But I won't uh

1:56:31Ha ha.

1:56:32I think I walked almost three miles. I walked in. and then walk back out. So Uh but it was a beautiful day. There's some pictures. It was great. I certainly enjoyed serving food to all of our employees and getting to see 'em and speak to 'em. So

1:56:53You missed a big deal there, Ms. Starkey. So

1:56:57Hmm? Oh, I'm not very good about throwing atches. Mr. Caballo was a champion I saw on that hatchet throwing 'cause I mean he's he's done that before somewhere. 'Cause he he hardly missed. I hardly I think I made one. Just depends on who you were

1:57:14envisioning

1:57:15on

1:57:15the target.

1:57:17Oh

1:57:18there's a

1:57:19there's a failure.

1:57:21There you go. I didn't have that kind of vision, so All right. But it was it was all fun. I think everybody enjoyed it. The food was great. Uh Florida Cracker provided the food. It was from their cook shack. Location in Brooksville. They have a Cook Shack barbecue place in Brooksville. and Florida cracker, so it it really turned out good. So

1:57:41Yeah like poses as well, doesn't he? Yeah. Who is that guy?

1:57:46That belongs in a mill car. Somebody said he's gonna take a picture and he smiles, so anyway, you know. He's always you know, if it's staying on that picture a long time, he's he must be thinking something.

1:57:59I serve I served beans and I had a lot of girls that would not there were girly girls 'cause they wouldn't take the beans. And then I had a few guys, a pretty good size guys that wouldn't take the beans either, so I call them girly guys, so anyway that they all enjoyed and the food would actually the food was very good. Very good. So that's all I have.

1:58:21Commissioner Weightman. Thank you. Yeah, we talked about Chamber of Commerce weather. It's been It's been a fun couple of weeks since the board meeting. Um I'm kicked off. So Keeping in the theme of International Trade and Tourism Day. So Tampa Cricket League and the Cricket Council of USA invited us out. Uh

1:58:46And uh take a swing with that and uh cricket Andy and I, we've got quite a bit of experience with cricket down in Hillsborough County, and it's it's made its way into Pasco. And uh over over the long weekend, there was eight teams, one from Bermuda, Arkansas, and Miami, uh, and they had some uh professional players there. Um to get to get teams you know ginned up and fired up. Uh encourage them to meet and of course you know being the sports coast and all, encourage

1:59:17them to get with you chairman uh since the TDC piece of it um and they they were pretty excited like anybody they're they're vying for field space and field time And uh as they grow, we did a interview uh internationally to kick off the tournament and um of course obviously sold Adam in the sports coast and so we sold Sold the Pasco brand and it was beautiful weather for it. And uh so there'll be hopefully

1:59:47vying for more more tournaments here.

1:59:51Well let me ask you a qu qu question. How far can you hit that ball?

1:59:55Well good question. I was afraid to swing too hard.

2:00:00It's right here. Never got to you. Yeah,

2:00:03never got to it.

2:00:03Never

2:00:04got to it. I just tapped it easy, you know. It's like kinda putting. Kinda putting. So then of course you know, perfect segue, we had the kickoff of Pop Stroke. Uh everybody came to Pop Stroke, had a fantastic time. uh talk about a wonderful new amenity and vision uh for Pasco County and for something to do. Commissioner Starkey's there, Jack Chair Mariano came and You know, thanks to Florida Sports Coach for helping Kick it off and promote it. And um

2:00:35the the CEO Greg Bartoli He's a guy worth meeting in a vision and uh really appreciate him investing uh in our community. The Popstroke facility, from understanding Sarasota, it's been open 12 months, had a half a million visitors in the first 12 months. And uh so they're projecting every bit of volume of customer here. uh in the uh Wesley Chapel location. Uh as in South Florida. So I encourage everybody to

2:01:04go. I mean it's got for families. It's got a playground with kind of a the adult area and fenced in. It's it's it's really well thought out. It's fun for all for all ages and uh it's not your your typical putt putt golf course so Congratulations to everybody involved there. Great job on a beautiful day and a and a great kickoff.

2:01:27It's so lush. You smell that landscaping behind there.

2:01:31So what were the results of the tournament we had? Oh

2:01:33Chairman

2:01:33Mariano.

2:01:36A couple of holes of wine. He brought his own putter.

2:01:39Did you get

2:01:39a trophy there? I was prepared for that. He showed up with his golf shoes, his own putter. Here I am in a tie.

2:01:46I looked in your office and all those trophies or one from here? Uh no, but I checked out. Well we might just

2:01:51we might just have to uh notice a meeting there and have us a formal Yeah. a formal game.

2:01:58I would have been there if somebody sent me up to be at KIRS that

2:02:01day.

2:02:06Next we have The detention facility, which happens to be in District Two, so great turnout there. Appreciate the voters. approving the bond in twenty eighteen and congratulations to the team and and uh all the folks training at jail J J and and your squad getting ready to expand the footprint Uh at your facility. And that was another beautiful day. Uh For groundbreaking.

2:02:34And then next we have Commissioner Starkey touched on this at M PO and I got excited. I know The Cogan grass issue, which is more of a a policy discussion. It Swift Mud before I was finished there Uh we started talking about Cogan grass and how to figure out how to manage it and I've heard Commissioner Starkey bring up Cogan multiple times. I n Pasco County it's certainly not immune. uh anywhere really in our county for for Cogan. And uh we're looking

2:03:04on the F W C site and F W C gives some pretty clear uh direction on the invasiveness of Cogan. Cogan grass is considered to be one of the top worst worst weeds in the world and has extensively invaded north and central Florida and distributed areas and pinelands. And so with that, you know, I don't know what we do to mitigate it, what our best management practices are, but I figure with Commissioner Starkey here, and it's been a hot topic for her, that maybe we could get some traction on

2:03:34this.

2:03:35And you know, when I was on a Swift Bud board we talked about Cogan grass. And I I think that um Hernando County is a great example of what we don't want to have happen to us. And um I I I was noticing coming back from one of those ribbon cuttings, I think the State Road 52 one, that someone has started to clear a pasture for development with Cogan grass. And here's what happens if we don't have regulations. 'Cause it happened in in Aristida. They

2:04:05clear that off, it becomes Phil for another project and then you brought it in to another neighborhood. So that's how it was brought into Aristida and the homeowner would not let the HOA go back in and spray it. They didn't understand what it was and what it could do and so we We had to sit there and watch it grow because we had no right to go on our property. And so it got into the wetlands because they keep mowing it and when you mow it it grows. and I've got quite a few neighbors that keep mowing it

2:04:35in Aristida. So I personally think we need to have um some kind of rule here that says you cannot um clear and and transport Cogan grass that has to be s disposed of in a different way and we should research that. Um I think the way IFIS says to do it is to put it in a pile and burn it. Um, but you certainly don't want to be scraping off Cogan grass and bringing it to someone else's property. And and

2:05:05f and D O T has brought it in all along State Road 52 and places where they've widened it. Um and used it on the you know for Phil on the side. So I talked to Secretary Gwynn about it. Um so one I think we need some kind of rule that says you can't That you have to dispose of it properly. I don't know what that is yet. And two I think we should contact um Um I still say Senator Simpson. Whatever his title is now.

2:05:37And Do a ask for a pilot program out of the partner bag to r eradicate it before it spreads and you know t and maybe there's some funding that he can put towards our efforts to get rid of it before it becomes a real problem.

2:05:53Commissioner Starkey, you I think you saw some there at Overpass Road. Oh at the intersection there.

2:05:59I did. And every time we mow it, we we grow it.

2:06:02Yeah.

2:06:04That goes with, you know, the whoever we have our contracts with roading mowing our right of ways, what's our best management practices? Are they rinsing? Are they bl their blades? Um i it's it's a problem, you know, and as this stuff spreads and With Commissioner Oakley he mentioned his vision and with that grass spreading up through North East. It we've we've got figured out if we partner with, you know, m the Mosquito Control District if they're out spraying or have some interlocal with that department, work with Swift Mud, work with IFIS,

2:06:35maybe become a a pilot through Like Commissioner Starkey said, the Florida Department of Agriculture. Uh I was just hoping that we get get some consensus here today on this this topic and actually take take this environmental hazard seriously and uh prevent it from ruining our green spaces and our parks and And um you know. So I appreciate the

2:06:58Yeah and I would say Swift Mud does a great job of keeping it out of their property. And um we worked with them to keep it out of their property along Starkey Boulevard when it was first built. It It came up and We uh our family partnered with them and we said, We'll eradicate the Cogan grass if you do this. I don't remember what the trade off was, but we got rid of it on that side and it did not go into the park.

2:07:21I think someone we can add to that too would be uh Brazilian peppers. Yeah. And I I I've had other people request and have mentioned over the years about actually doing the same type of thing, about eradicating it in the county. And maybe we took a look at especially if you have a homeless population, we can kinda like trigger that but I think both of these things we we can work together on

2:07:41to make it happen. I think it's a it's It's a big job.

2:07:45It is.

2:07:45But I think if we if we s really get Mr Karbal and your team or whoever to to look at it and take it seriously and just start getting it under control and mitigate mitigating as best best we can. Um I think it's an effort that's worthwhile.

2:08:01Yeah. And I appreciate that the the perspective on that. Public Works has started a program, but I think it's it's very small. It's probably not aggressive enough. So I'll discuss with public works what our options and alternatives are. We'll look at rules, other best management practices, washing of mowers to burning. We'll let me let me see what we can come back with.

2:08:21But I think we also need to discuss what private landowners need to do, the responsibility before they scrape off the top and use it as a fill on some project. 'Cause that's how it's getting really transported.

2:08:37Yeah, I agree. Anything else?

2:08:40Yes, of course. All right, well hey, we have Oh

2:08:43I love it.

2:08:44Yeah, wait, wait, hide that, hide that. Hide that.

2:08:47So um We had that going in there City.

2:08:50We have so Pasco County, some some good news. We have a new governing board member, uh Dusty Rowland, uh out of Dade City. He was appointed uh late, I think it was late yesterday yesterday or day before yesterday. Uh to Swift Mud. So he's our representative, local farmer, business owner. I encourage uh each one of you who haven't met him. Mr. Oakley and I could probably set up meetings for y'all to meet Dusty and uh get to know him. And uh so we're back in back in business at Swift

2:09:20Mud. I don't know if Amber's here, but uh Dusty uh hopefully he'll be a a good representative of our county and he's a he's a really good person. Uh next wanna thank uh where's Ralph Lair if he's in here uh for uh putting getting our legislative priorities in. uh and and working to to get those on the docket and maybe we can get some more winds up in north Florida. And then lastly

2:09:44Just an idea for potholes and green spaces. I saw this online and I couldn't help We've had some long meetings lately. Uh uh couldn't help but share and think this might could be some solutions to some to some of our our problems. So

2:10:01I don't know if you know it or not. And Brantford's not here to stand up for himself 'cause he's over overseas, taking care of some issu family issues.

2:10:10Oh yeah, Bramford is it here.

2:10:11But Bramford Uh I have set up a A pothole fix. He has a list, he makes a list. You call in, any of you, anywhere in your districts, you call in. And within two days, that pothole is fixed. And I tried it out.

2:10:31We

2:10:31called in from my office about a couple of potos on forty County Road 41 in front of a friend of mine's house and he he actually is the one that told me about They're having this policy. So I called it in. The next morning my friend calls back, Tom Johnson. He calls back. They're already fixed. Two potos right on one side of the road there in front of his driveway. And I don't know why they just happen to be there, but But he called they did it right away. So then I reached out to Brantford and found out

2:11:01he has this process in where they take the calls on Pottos. And they fix 'em Immediately. I mean within a day or two, they're done. Ciao. That's That's a real blessing 'cause A lot of those will mess up a lot of tires and a lot of cars. Going down the road as pothos, so

2:11:23Taken care.

2:11:23So we'll skip the plants in uh we're just filming the last time.

2:11:28Banana tree is not gonna

2:11:28put

2:11:28it in the middle of the easy

2:11:29ideas today.

2:11:31All done. Thank you. Thank you.

2:11:34Commissioner Starkey.

2:11:35Uh I sent some photos, trying to remember what they are. Um So um my my big thing uh this last week was uh Washington and uh we had a very successful trip. Um you know I'm chair of the um Fact, federal committee And my co chair and I w we decided we were each gonna take up an issue. And then um Talk about it up on the

2:12:05hill. and he got COVID so he wasn't able to go and work on his. But I did work on mine and if you remember that was um this that's not what this is about, but hang on to that. It was about the um loss of funding no of of med federal medical benefits when an inmate When someone gets arrested. And and as um as Senator Rubio pointed out in our meeting with him

2:12:37Uh in the Social Security Act of nineteen sixty-three or five or whatever, they use the term when someone's incarcerated. And they didn't define incarcerated. So it's just one little legal thing there. that uh for What sixty years now has caused counties to have to absorb. the medical costs of someone who's arrested and held in jail but but not Is uh adjudicated the right word? Not a little bit of a When

2:13:07you're found guilty then we take over those costs. I'm not happy about that either, but that's not what we were arguing. What we were saying is someone should not lose their benefits. And if you you know, a lot of the people that get arrested have

2:13:24issues and on certain medications. And when they come out And f so Florida is a termination state There are some states that suspend it, but Florida terminates federal benefits. And they come out and they have no health insurance, then they have no ability to get their medicine and it's a seventy percent recidivism. Um rate for those people and it's it's just not a good program. So Um I we did talk to Senator Scott's staff. Senator Rubio staffed and went back and talked then talked

2:13:54to Senator Rubio. and he was amazed and I think we have a champion now. in Senator Rubio's office to take a look at this and get this fixed. I I felt my other big win was um uh meeting with Congresswoman Virginia Fox's staff. She is the chair of educational workforce in the House. and uh we had we um tomadano flew up for that day and we talked to

2:14:24her about AMSK talked to the staff about AMSCOLs which they just loved and Um but we also talked about WIOWA and WIOA is the Workforce Innovation Act and that's our federal funds coming down for Department of Labor and you know, that's our career source money. And It It is very difficult for companies and people to ac be able to access some of that training money and this has been something that my committees at NACO that we've been working on and complaining

2:14:54about for years. So We have an opportunity now to get Jerome. and uh others. We're gonna put them in a group Um and do a um a Zoom with Virginia Fox's staff. We may be testifying up in Washington about um specific fixes that can happen with the reauthorization of WIAWA that will help counties all across the country be able to access that money better. Counties send back millions of dollars every

2:15:25year because it's so difficult to use, especially the displaced worker funding, that no one uses it. And it's really frustrating when there's such a need and we have to send the money back. So Um th that was very good, but I'll tell you what was eye-opening to me. So if you could put those pictures up. Because when I went in these meetings, I brought um uh staff from other counties into the meetings and um was there another picture?

2:15:54Okay. Well, I'll talk about that in a second. And to listen to the other counties in their legislative people like Ralph, you know they had the them there Thank you. the congressmen and their staffs for all the money that came back to their county For um trails, overpasses, septic to sewer, um interchanges, Bringing s getting sand on their beaches.

2:16:25I just w was amazed because we don't do that. And it was really frustrating to me. And um you know, there's so much money out there For um for us to go after that and I talked to the The administrator bounce has a plan, which I want him to discuss with you. Um, but we are going to get more aggressive about going after this money. And Saint Lucie County told me. tens and tens of millions of dollars they've been bringing

2:16:55back. And one of the first places I think we can get money for, because I think it's shovel ready, is our waste to energy plant. And um And so Um I'm hoping that we can jump on board and and And Go after it. You heard Secretary Gwynne at the fifty two ribbon cutting say, Pasco County's so unique, they paid for their road themselves. Did you hear 'em say that?

2:17:21Yeah,

2:17:21yeah.

2:17:24Okay. Yeah. So what's the so Mike, you had some thoughts?

2:17:29Yeah, so sitting I've I've discussed this with the executive leadership team. It's gonna come up uh again at the end of this week with a little more data and information. Our our approach, especially to federal grants, is pretty I'll say decentralized within the county. I think there would be some benefits of trying to centralize and provide a little more. Of a comprehensive and targeted approach. Uh right now we don't we don't do that. Departments kind of work to their best interest, which is which is fine. They're running their businesses and doing things. But I think looking out overall for

2:17:59the county's best interest in a in a more deliberate, centralized manner is probably the way that we need to head. We're gonna talk more about it, like I said, on Friday. And and the intent there is is for us to really Chase these federal dollars and even I mean, you know, if I I take a step back being being in this position now for for you know six months of of really looking at overall approach even to legislative appropriations and how we do that after going through this cycle uh in the administrative role, uh I I think there's a lot of changes that we can make

2:18:29to bring back more of of you know, federal and state tax dollars back to Pasco County. And that's the intent. And so m more to come. I'll I'll you know, to the extent I need, you know, board board blessing to to handle positions, we'll we'll be we'll be taking care of that. But uh there there's there needs to be a change in how we approach it. I completely agree.

2:18:49In talking with some of the other counties they um they felt For a lot of them the best way the way they found themselves being successful was to have a grant writing department and a gr with along with grant fulfillment people. Um some examples here. Just clean heavy duty vehicles, which I'm sure are we buy vehicles all the time. I we approved them all the time. Uh one billion dollars. Uh applied

2:19:19directly to the EPA, grants for low and zero emission heavy duty duty vehicles and related infrastructure. Um diesel emission reductions. sixty million dollars grants to identify reduced diesel emissions due to goods movement facilities and low income and disadvanced communities. Commissioner Oakley, that's you know That's definitely Lacucci and all in there. Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program. Grants to improve walkability, safety, and affordable transportation

2:19:50access. mitigate or remediate adverse impacts from surface transportation facilities and enhance planning, and capa capacity building in underserved communities. I mean there's there's And y uh you ha saw the one up there for railroad crossings and I sent Jack over there to talk to that those people. Um What they did this year at NACO I thought was brilliant. They had every single government department set up E P A, E D A. Um

2:20:21DOT, Homeland Security, um Hud. Everybody. And so we went to this one. On consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvement grants as we work on State Road 54 and 41. there's we can get some money and not pay for it ourselves, you know. So um I just really want to work with our federal lobbying team and get a list of everything that we can go after and let's just get on it. So

2:20:51I could just pile on a little bit with that. And and I tell you it was the first time I've seen them set up all those federal agencies. It was amazing. Uh I've already talked to your people about energy, Eric and and Andrew. Um I already talked to Carl Makiska getting with DOG who recommended at the M PO we help him out. There's like a ton of money going direct, as they say, but so easy to get. Safety grants on US nineteen. Yeah. The most dangerous highway in the world, right? We didn't reply. And there was money left over because not everybody applied. So the money is sitting

2:21:21there, it's gonna get rolled over again. So there's an opportunity there. I think we could.

2:21:27I I think that whole underpass of US nineteen could get paid for with that one grant.

2:21:31Yeah.

2:21:31With all that we've got and all the availability of money. Never before have we had this much money available to us. And the way President Biden spoke was like we want to get it to the counties direct. As quick as we can, as easy as we can. So having that set up there gave every county an opportunity to go look at what can you use, what can you not. We talked about m like Magnolia Valley, trying to what what to do there could be like a community garden center thing, same thing with Pineapple Lane, the FGWA plant. uh over in Port Ritchie. I mean the opportunities are there. Four

2:22:01hundred and fifty grand sitting there for the first grant. And they got money available, not applied for. The restoration money up and down that I talked earlier just to touch about on the uh previous item. was it's all intertwined about making the environment better as well. So the money's out there is never been greater, never been easier for a county to get. So I love the idea of setting up a team. And and Mike, I I appreciate your Effort and openness to go forward because we haven't had this before. So I've seen you solve complex things. Justin in mind with that

2:22:32You know, Highlands P P P VAS that we did and led the way for these great things. But I think if we set that team up, we get that going, focus on resiliency as well, because there's tons of money for resiliency. We can bring a lot of money back here. Instead of just doling it out as we do for road after road. Um we c we can make it happen.

2:22:49And just like uh we did for the Army Corps permit. Where we went up as a county. Uh we need to go up as a county. and go hit these departments, you know, once we have our list, we have to go meet the staff. And make sure they know who we are. And and um Commissioner Long said they did that Multiple times before they started getting the big grants for from DOT. Um, you know, w which they funded their son r

2:23:19runner with. And we just signed off on the Hillsborough one, City of Tampa. Okay. Tell me about City of Tampa, Mike.

2:23:30Um I know they they have a team that works uh pretty diligently towards that and I I will tell you that uh they're they're definitely earning their salary back uh Hundreds and thousands of times over with the amount of money that they're bringing in. Make make make offers.

2:23:47What?

2:23:48Make offers. Go

2:23:49poaching. Hey they're they're poaching for battles up to us, right? Let's go to put a sign up. And a billboard. Adam, can you help me out with that?

2:23:59Okay, well that's really just one I wanted to talk about the um success of the Washington trip. And um And that I think we got real traction on that um healthcare issue. And

2:24:12What's it? Okay. Commissioner Bradford.

2:24:16I don't know anything about lobbying, so

2:24:23It works. Uh I just, Mr. Chair, I wanted to thank uh Seth for uh uh attending the uh groundbreaking grand opening of the detention facility. He knows that's even though it's in his district, it's close to my heart and I appreciate him letting me tag along and have a little expertise now and then. Uh I also want to say

2:24:51Saint Pete's got the race. Right. That's a pretty good ball team. I've got the West Pasco Little League.

2:25:04I was able to go out to their opening day. Oh nice. try to throw at the first pitch. Uh I'm getting old. It was ugly. Uh they uh got some funding requests in. This is the shameless plug for my my constituents. They have a plug-in. And uh so we're really uh excited to uh be a part of that uh process out there. Uh there that is, I was told I didn't have time to verify it, but that

2:25:35is the oldest. Little league. On the west coast of Florida. Not the ball field but the Little League organization itself. So very uh very proud to be a part of that. Um they're great kids, great families. Completely different than uh the east side. Uh but still a very, very good time. From there we went over to Rasmussen University. Here's another little tidbit

2:26:05for you. Radmuson I'm sorry, let's back up. Morton Plant High School or Morton Plant Hospital. They started out. In the early sixties. in a cabin with an army medic. Really? You did not want to get hurt. On the what side of Pasco County. and be treated by an army medic. Now it's a it's a great facility

2:26:35now, but it started out. Uh Pretty uh Pretty barbaric. But anyway, had uh they took me all over and met the historian of that area. Uh absolutely wonderful. Told me uh how uh They've uh hurricane the place and water and Uh uh they're doing a great job over there. was able to go to Raspes in college. As you know everybody, we need some nurses.

2:27:07and uh they are pumping out the nurses left and right. uh great university. Uh I think they're up to don't quote me, but uh maybe Six hundred nurses uh every quarter. So they're uh they're doing the Lord's work in that area. Uh I did want to uh comment on the uh employees Um Picnic,

2:27:37Mikey did a great job. It's always good to tell everybody that we care about him. That they're valued. Uh I'm uh I really uh

2:27:52So Mr. Jair, you're done. Sorry,

2:27:54thank you. Mr. Becky have one of

2:27:56the

2:27:56things that I'm going to do.

2:27:56Yeah, I just want to say I'm sorry I missed the picnic, but I had a Very lengthy eye exam, which is sending me to a retina specialist, sadly. Um, but and after it was over, um, my eyes were dilated and I I I couldn't it was It was hard to drive home. I had to break it up in pieces, so Um I'm sorry I missed it, but I had to take add a health issue. No, but I'll be there next year.

2:28:21No doubt in my mind.