Local appropriations projects and funding request strategy
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And we're we're we're going into our um funding request. And uh I thought before we start bringing up what the the organization and the departments uh presented and I know Commissioner um Or Chairman Mariano, you you had a a specific project you want to bring up again, the one that uh you did la uh we did last year. Uh we'd had that discussion, uh, Commissioner Starkey, uh going forward. You know, I I think we've always talked Do
we all want to be united around bigger projects that impact our county? Um and hope that that might have bigger bang for the buck and and uh if we're all united on something that might be on in the central or or you know, in three part of the areas. Um Uh and I think we've heard that discussion. Uh do we know are uh d but we did not have any project projects I think that we were ready for, that were ready for prime time. Because all along uh w uh when
Sean and I tell you uh But what do uh there is no there is no guideline set up in the appropriations process as far as it comes to member projects. How much should they be? Uh how much skin in the game should you have at the at the county level? So we just give estimates that we hear other counties do and and uh and say anything to wear from a 500,000 to five. millions. Um I mean say we
we can give you an idea. If you do a project more than two million dollars and what we consider a water project, that is generally leadership driven. And so if you don't have so many leadership that request probably isn't going to happen. That's what we've looked at historically. I will say though there's only one change. Senator Blazingolia has some different ideas on on how it should be. He believes that local governments and others should have not asked for a full request, but they should have some money in it. So you know you have Senator Blazing Golia for the first time doing it and this has been the same sentiment
that he has treated as he was a state rep when I've dealt with him for eight years with Hernano. So I just I I I can talk about that more but I will tell you the first thing he asks is have they voted on it and have they approved it all together? together and then secondly how much of every project are they putting in. And he asks that not just for counties, Ralph, he asks that for cities, nonprofits, everybody across the board. I don't get that question from, you know, Senator Burgess or Senator Hooper, you know, but I'm just telling you Senator Ngolia is a little bit different what he supports. So you you know, remember we have three
senators now that we can go to uh to ask for to submit appropriations.
Well and I I I wanted to talk this discussion too because I don't know what's the best way to go. I mean we put like five projects through, I think one got done on the small projects. Is that really worth going after? Is there a better approach we can take? Um meanwhile out in Moffat we did phenomenally well. With big stuff. So should we just be thinking big with our projects and just going that way as opposed to and we all want to try take care of our districts with the different things it need, but I don't know if this is the process to go get that. So I I'll I'm listening for some guys.
I
mean
I'll I'll say and then Ralph, you I mean you have a very young legislative s delegation right now. Yeah, your most elevated person in the legislature right now is Ed Hooper who's head of properties. Chairman. Almost a remainder of all of them. Senator Blaze is a freshman in the Senate. The others are freshmen in the House. So you have a very young, nobody in leadership of both. Senator Hooper can help us with TED appropriations. I wouldn't recommend us submitting five you know appropriations that are going through this committee. So it's you know, I I just say it's kind of like chess, it's
not checkers, it's not one little simple, but I think there's multiple questions and um and How we can do it. I think the best thing is is ask for several items that hit different pots, whether it's a water project, a park, whether it's you know fire, whether it's you know transportation, you know, different different different of those. And also, yeah, I mean you can put a 14 million dollar in you know item in there. Those are those are those are big items. Some of them, some of them get them, and but again, I can break it down and probably tell you that the county that got it uh was the chair. Of that certain appropriations committee, or
it was the Speaker of the House or the Senate President that made sure that his local community got it.
So with Senator Hooper with his district, should we look at something big in his district then?
I would. I would look at something, you know, a couple good couple million dollars. I would meet with Senator Hooper too. I think some of these are before we even vote on some of these and put it on there. Are you uh getting them to buy into it before we even approve it? And because all of a sudden now they're bought into it, not. Just us coming to them and asking them to do it. But I like some here's five projects. What are these five are are your favorite? Which one are you hearing from your constituents that that you think is some of the biggest need? They may think there's a greater need on fifty four than you think there's on fifty two. I'm just I'm just mentioning things. Um Mr.
Starkey.
Um and look, you know, I I asked um and I'm sorry I asked both of you guys and And everybody to get me the list of the um County by county. Uh appropriations and e every time I got one it was it had the the ones it was the asked, not the
right
the ones that were granted. So
after the veto.
Yeah. After the veto. So FAC went through And now and they did this for me and now they're gonna do it every year. So um I want to talk about this about more community aspect. What I but I what I wanna say here and going through a lot of these counties. is the amount of water projects that do get approved in each county. Um but they're not all coming from The county. I mean Or or they don't say the county next to 'em. Do
our And so see But a lot of them are septic to sewer and a lot of them are are mains and I think we got s got some water. Right. Um but are there some categories, Sean, that are more advantageous for the county to apply for and are more likely to make it through, say septic to sewer, since that's uh
so let me give you an example. You had pulled one from a particular county uh and it was in Ben Alburn's district and it was a five million dollar project and uh it was for septic to sewer. Uh it was for uh one of the municipalities. It wasn't for the county. Yeah but that municipality put in twenty one million dollars. And they got five million from the state. And it was a thirty plus million dollar project.
And and he's also a f future Senate
president in twelve months. But but there just showing that there it's a that's a big ticket item that you're gonna probably need. We're gonna have to sh put a lot of money in toward that. What that figure is, I don't know, but that was, you know, like I said, it was a thirty million dollar project. And Pontago it was Ponta Gorda put in thirty or twenty one point five out of that project.
So I I I had mentioned this to the administrator that um You know, when I was in Washington and I w and I went around with the federal committee and all the different counties came in with me They sat there and were thanking Senator Rubio and their staff and Senator um The other one. Scott, um, for all the money they'd sent back for septic to sewer conversions and I'm sitting there thinking, gosh, we haven't done one in our county and they're thanking them for all the money they've gotten back. And I am seeing a lot of septic to sewer many counties
um getting funded and And then we then we heard um Uh Wilton Simpson tell us how he's put some money aside that would help the homeowner. on their side of it. Right. And so
Yeah.
It seems like the stars are aligned to do some sort of consumers.
And if I may interject to that to that point, the utility does have money set aside in its budget now to do what what I would call preliminary design to get projects closer to shovel ready, because right now all you have are conceptual cost numbers. Right. So we'll target those areas and we will have projects aligned. That may not be uh this year, but I think septic to sewer is going to continue, especially In the state as water quality becomes more and more important and money becomes more and more available to be able to do that. So I think we're on that path. I think the original priority were were spring sheds
and a lot of these other areas in the state and the federal area. So I think we're on that path, Commissioner, and and we'll we'll continue that. I think Sean, my my my really question back to that is do you think there are certain pots of money that we should really be thinking about? More so this year. Ted appropriations
the silence. Transportation economic development appropriations. I would put in, you know, probably two to three projects. Ask, you know, him to to put one because remember, here's the here's the thing. You know, you've got Ed Hooper, who's the future appropriations chairman. Everybody knows it, so he's gonna be getting the things that he wants. Um I would pick one in Burgess's district, one in Blaze's district, and one in Ed Hooper's district. Yeah.
Then you're ti kinda teeing up one of the uh the list of projects that we got um that deal with sidewalks that are coming in next to schools uh might be might be good options. And then go
I mean he I mean I I'll I'll look at the amounts. I mean you're looking at several million dollars on just on one of our
five million dollars worth of cycling
projects already.
We For some reason in Pasco County we have to pay for them ourselves, but in the other counties the state pays for them. Right.
I know that. Well and back to your point, Sean, earlier. I mean those are projects we have funded. So I mean I you know if we can offset those costs.
So I mean I think as part of the strategy you know, we we need to decide that. Let me ask you this Sean. Yes sir. Uh does it does it make sense for us to have I mean I think you you mentioned it here with uh Senator Angolia, is is is the project approved and kinda underway? So where is it's I always use the term shovel ready. Yes. Correct. And and is there a match? So should we be focusing on projects that we already have in our capital plan that we are just duly marching down and then
Absolutely for Representative Mongolia, I mean the higher the match, the more excited he get. But I again I want to preface this, he's also knows that he can submit it, but Anything we put in for tet appropriation, they're not gonna have to put any political capital out. Senator Ed Hooper is. So
that's
why even yes. Yes on what you're just asking specifically with with him, but also knowing anything we're putting on is not a burden or political capital on the other two state senators, it's on Ed Hooper is going through his so putting one in each of them doesn't put all three through his district. He's giving something to the others. I would like again I said earlier about looking at It then maybe a couple other water projects, maybe there's something for parks, maybe it's something for fire, but different areas, three different pots, one guy that's in leadership, we have a good path and strategy.
I've got an idea for you. Uh this morning we're on a c phone call uh with staff looking at Septic Sewer. And thank you, Mike, for putting money in the budget to actually have it. We're gonna actually study it to to go forward with the grants coming up. And the conversation was about water projects. One was about sea pines. One was about elphers and the other was Atlanta Lakes. So you got two out of your three senators there. Actually three senators should be covered, different districts that are right in there. The C Pines one, we've spent I'll say over
eight million dollars. with Swift Mud doing a project in there to fix the flooding. Now they've wanted accepted the sewer conversion for a long time, but we wouldn't do it because until we had the flooding fixed, it didn't make sense to fix the other you know, bring the sewer. And the roads are terrible up there, so we're gonna do the roads eventually as well, but not until the the drains was fixed as well. So that's a project. We got a ton of matching monies in that project.
Yeah, a and I support that project.
Yeah.
And that's it that's in Blaze's district.
Yes, yep. Perfect in Blaze.
And isn't that where they have to keep closing the beach for
Well it's it's it's said that up in that area, it's it's right down downstream. So they say that when that gets heavily flooded. There's a farm that's there that may take the water that pushes it down further. And coincidentally a lot of time when that does happen the water goes down there. DEP we're actually doing fecal studies, et cetera, now with that whole area. And we we've spent our money working with DEP to go study that area And Colleen's been very well versed in that and h helpful to make all that happen. But as Echo study, that that can tie into again water quality as well as matching
funds like you're talking about. Elfers is a very low income area which right now.
Elfers Parkway you're talking about.
Elfers
Parkway?
If that's
if that's what we got the D the C D B G D R money to buy out some houses.
So wherever that septic sewer project is, I'm not sure exactly, but that is directly in Hooper's district as well. That could tie to that. And the one in Land O' Lakes, I gotta think, has got to be close to Danny's.
But should we do three or should we do one?
Well here's the thing. All three, we've got basic information to take a step forward, and I think by time session comes. Especially we had uh
Well I'll tell you what is um Angela still here?
And you know, Mike mentioned it and I think we were talking about that, so so so be cognizant of the fact when we
All
right
so I I've got the expert right here who was on the line with us today. So i so if you would talk about the um the three septic projects and where they actu actually are in How be if we could submit them all together as one project. Hitting three Senate districts.
Sure, thank you, Commissioner. So we've requested in your five-year capital improvement project two million dollars in FY24 and two million dollars in FY25 to start the design for two specific projects. One is Seapines, that would be the first one, and the other one is Alphers. Now we picked those two because a few years ago we hired a consultant to look at all the different parts of the county, and there were four. Areas identified Sea Pines, Elfers, Wiki Wachi, and Hillsboro River Basins. And out of
each one, the top four, the top one in each group was identified as a priority project, seapines being one of them. Our intent is to start the design and possibly complete the design for sea pines in the next year, year and a half. And we've also, by this time next week, will have submitted grand apple. Applications to the state for the I believe there are resiliency resiliency grants for Seapines and Alphers as well. Our intent is to submit design grant applications one year, followed up by construction
grant applications the following year, and then essentially just recreate that process from there on so that we always have in the process some grant money available for design and then followed up by construction and then just build. Build on that program and that's being administered by your uh
is that grant or appropriation? And that's one of the things that we're gonna do. So then go to appropriate
So now talking about appropriations, it's better to wait for the con to go after construction dollars rather than design. So once you have that design done, let's say on a road project, you have the right-of-way done, and then you're ready for the construction, that's when you wanna go. That's what we consider shovel ready uh when we when we talk about and that's what the what the legislators say, you know, is a shovel ready. They're they're they want construction.
So they're not ready so those Subject to sewer projects are not ready yet.
Not yet, no. He said they're just still on the designing and
planning. So are you gonna recommend that we wait one year?
Yes, because you said maybe twenty-five it will be ready for the twenty-five well so we're going into twenty-four-twenty five with the state in January. So it'll be twenty-five-twenty-six that we could go after uh in the legislature for twenty-five for funding for construction.
Yes, because we get reimbursed in arrears. So the grant that we're applying for now would be available July one of twenty twenty four for the state's FY25 cycle. Oh. So we're we're starting one year ahead of time and then we'll just create a program. They just constantly ask for design and construction grants to just keep that process
rolling. And that would probably uh uh I mean we could probably have some Let's get in the game toward that or program that but that could be a larger project and uh and kind of achieve these goals that we're we're you're all talking about and and wanting to to go after.
But but I want you this if you t if you t let's focus to C Pond just for a second. If you focus on that project right now, literally been working in that area for nineteen years trying to fix that flooding thing and between plating and other things up there it's been difficult, but we finally have it where We got the last pieces of property which we signed off on. Everything we need, the whole plans together. We're gonna fix that drainage now. Chelsea apartments coming from above is coming in. They gave us eight and a half acres of land. I've got so much matching money right now that if you wanted to look at that type of thing, especially in Blaze's district, we've spent a lot of
money. We've done a lot of things, spent a lot of time. I think it's a great time to ask for the design money too. And if they don't give it to us, maybe. Just leads up to where we're teed up for the next time. No,
so it nope. If you get if you get you get vetoed, you don't you can't ask. Sean maybe
not. I I called up Commissioner Starkey's. We uh we went through every single project that was vetoed in Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus in the Tampa Bay area. Okay, and 75% of the projects that were vetoed this year were vetoed last year. Yeah. Number one. Yeah. Just think of that. was every single project city of Brooksville, Inverness. I went down to all those other municipalities and school boards. Again, looking at your looking at a strategy, and I mean that's why you all are doing this. I think this is honestly this is great. I hope we continue to
do this in in in years moving forward because it gives us more the old adage more than one way to skin a cat. Right. And I think you're in a good position if you do multiple, and I say multiple, I'm looking at like three Three, three projects, one for each senator for tet appropriations, one or two for for water. You know, it wouldn't even hurt to do one with Senator uh ask Ed to do uh Senator Ed Hooper to do two projects, one water project and others, because you know other projects that he's had, he's gonna have leverage to get projects. But unfortunately, yours is in Senator Ngolia's out, and
you either do one with him in Senator N'Golia and one with him and one with Senator Burgess.
We definitely want to spread the wealth with the county. And
I keep saying east-west because again, I don't want to see, you know, I think it's wise to spread it across
everybody
for for
so then we're talking like one two at the most three projects. We're not talking per commissioner's district. And and when I when I think of And when you're dealing with with other with other counties, Hillsborough and Pinellas do not do it by commissioner. Right. They do one or two projects every
they only submit one or two?
That's correct. They do not do it by commissioner. Um and I think you probably go pretty much in any county and it's not five or seven. Commissioner Starkey's going right to the list. Watch out, Rob. You can do that, but those now the the member projects are different. Projects you're talking about municipality projects? They're not a good thing.
Well, that's what we're going
to
talk about, and that's why I gave that to our council member.
Right.
I again I but I I do think you could do a couple transportation projects and and even some water projects.
So what do we think about
um
keying up then?
Rangeland or the over the bike pet overpass at fifty four. and Suncoast that's already in engineering. Those
projects are are in design. Yeah. And they're they're currently, I think, uh penny funded is is what we're doing.
Yeah, but we couldn't we use that penny for something else if we got some stuff. I don't know,
Tracy, we probably could. Can I
tee
her up
and bring her up then and start talking about the project?
And then get the other part for Space.
Even if we got half of that funded by the state, we'd be in good shape.
You want to address that? Uh and then we'll go on into the projects. I
know it was
penny money.
but we can use it on another
current penny. We do have a current penny list. Um and those the sidewalks that are on the list that we gave you would be future penny projects. Um but we're looking at schools are still having issues. So we proposed
her question though on the on the trail issue.
Sorry, can you tell me the
Um so the the residents of Pasco County have saved we've saved Penny for Pasco money. From the first time to pay for the overpasses at fifty four Nasun Coast. and fifty two in the Sun Coast. And they're about I mean they're almost ready for construction. So Uh and they're Does anyone hear from engineering? That's Tracy. Oh you oh so do you know how much those are? They're f twenty thousand, twenty million? Ten, fifteen
million, yeah.
Yes.
How much?
Ten plus million each.
About ten million,
yeah.
Yeah. So if we were asked the state to do So
if
we did some
offset and asked the state for a project as a bigger project, um, could we divide
Then divert that ten million that if they did half of each one, they paid for the ones in Hernando and Citrus a hundred percent. But if they if they um If we got half of ours paid, we could divert that ten million to do sidewalks and lots of other penny projects, right?
I I I'm I'm sorry to speak up. It it just sounds a little bit sexier for sidewalks than it does bike paths. I'm just mentioning I mean you know, I mean not I'm not saying not to go for it. But if you're able to but I'm saying but if you're able to fund
But I'm not saying it's not. I'm just
I mean, these people are tra traversing back and forth, so it gets into a park from one way or the other. Uh it continues with a great trail that runs down to the south and north of us. Uh, and I think you get you get the leverage to say, look, you funded the state funded the other two up in Hernando and Citrus.
I would have to look on how they funded it. Was it in appropriations or
they put it into the Construction cost of the Sun Coast.
No, they did it different th from us.
They did it different, yeah.
No, they did. So so I mean so we get the leverage. I don't care how it gets paid for, but as as far as the state was responsible for it, getting taken care of. Okay. Now we've got matching funds which Blaze will like. And now you got construction documents ready to go? Yeah. And we just had
constructions leaded for twenty five if you were talking about
So you got construction documents ready to go. You wanna talk talk about shovel ready? Here you go.
And is a connector help connector, Hernando? 'Cause if you're working with Lai's any of that up there. I'm being funny, but I knew I knew the answer, but I'm just saying it doesn't hurt. I then I would suggest doing maybe one of those and a bike path. Sidewalk, right. Right.
Well again you want to do one in Blaze, you want to do one in Blaze and or Danny Burgess's and you definitely want to do one in Ed Hooper's district. You wanna do some type of transportation economic.
That's in that's in Hooper's.
Should you do 'em together, going fifty look looking for the fifty fifty match or put 'em put 'em together or keep 'em separate? Two separate ones? Okay.
But let me then and I'm throwing that one out there, but let me back up and ask the administrator for a second. What is the list of shovel ready transportation projects in Hooper System?
I I I mean I don't know if we have that off the top of our heads. But I think we can provide the board no, that's under study right now. So but I mean I think we can provide the board with a list of projects that we either have currently slated in design. that will be ready to go to construction and we have a number of those and certainly you know these districts traverse the county so they'll be in someone's district and then we can certainly balance that out. If it's the board priority it's important for me to know if the board's priority sidewalks and these uh
you know head pedestrian bike type facilities then I I think we can certainly come up with a list of things that we have funded and then with those again We provide a match and there's an offset savings that we can go and reinvest into other, probably similar type projects. Because we have a very long list of sidewalk projects. Signalization projects, there's a lot of transportation safety needs that that we have out there that we certainly will have no trouble um providing funding for. I think Carl wants to add something to the conversation.
I would like to encourage any transportation related project that we wish to pursue funding, make it expressly stated that it is coming from general revenue and not the Transportation Trust Fund. Yes.
Thank you for finding that up, by the way. You just made our job a lot easier on that. Yes. And Carl,
I'll explain why that's important.
Any funds that come from the Transportation Trust Fund that are later vetoed by the governor's pen are removed from the trust fund budget overall. That money is just simply gone and they take it out of our hide, if you will, in terms of what they're going to spend in Pasco County. But if it's from general revenue, no harm, no foul, we still get our money. And DOT has been exceptionally generous with us in the last two years. Yes, yeah. I do not want to damage that relationship. Thank you for mentioning that. Can I go back to
Secretary Gwen will give you an
airful. Yes.
Um going back to this idea of of getting money for the two overpasses, one's in your district and one's in mine. Um that um are shovel ready and we have the money.
If we could get and and if we told the narrative that we'll we would take the ten million that we would save and we would put that into sidewalks. It's kind of a win for everybody. And it's more than this whole list, which is five million. We could do ten million dollars worth of science. And we could pledge that the money goes to sidewalks.
And we could do it cheaper, because we're not we'dn't be uh subject to Hera uh Harris Bacon that
I just wanna listen to you guys if you think that's a good good s
I again I'm just saying I think be reasonable with your ask. You know, the old pigs get, you know, the hogs get slaughtered type thing. We're gonna have Senator Hooper as an appropriations chairman that lives in Pasco County off of Trinity Boulevard. He is gonna be very, very kind to us for the next two years while he's appropriations chairman. So I just say that in consideration. Let's be
Is that too much? Two projects? Yeah, no,
I don't I don't listen. I mean if you are if you're asking to do a ten or thirteen million dollar project, that's big. If you're if you're saying that let's ask for a five you know million dollar project and and do another one for three and two and and
there's other things that he has to give up with that other committee chair over in the Senate. They know I mean in the House. They know he's trying to get these projects here and he has to give pots of his budget to them. So it's it's all a negotiation.
So if we asked for one And my understanding is the fifty-two one is good probably ready to go before the fifty-four one because they're still in design at fifty-four. And so cause so if we ask is that his district? Or will that matter? Is fifty two in the Sun Coast? No, it won't matter. Okay. Um
I I would just again I I would just if you're going to ask for money from his pot, at least do one project from his
Commissioner Oakley, I think we can kinda tailor a package. Yeah.
And I'd also challenge, I think if you all would allow us, when you get that list put together, let us meet very quickly with Senator Hooper and then get back with you all on it.
And the same for water projects.
Right. Well, and let me ask this too, this is water projects, and if if I may, uh, you know, given Senator Hooper's background, are there certain any public safety projects that that makes sense?
Why
I
mentioned fire a couple times.
We we pay a hundred percent of the fire stations. If we can get a twenty percent match, that's two million dollars, if we can the fire stations are now nine million dollars. Yeah, yeah. And we and we fund those a hundred percent out of the geobond. So that would be you tell on the
So only only only a very few fire stations usually get funded in that budget item in there. And so getting that item any higher than two million is probably much, but You know, anything two million and under is um
But I'm just asking for like a twenty percent match or I mean we have two projects so we'll
I mean again if you ask for twenty if if they give you ask for two million if they give you a m you know a million towards the fire station, that's still great. So
when I see the fire stations getting funded there in small counties.
Yes. Okay, no if I can can there's a rule
there's a grant there's there's money set aside for rural or volunteer fire departments.
Right. And it's it's generally the government usually when you see those being vetoed, those are the the governor. The governor has an internal rule that he believes that those funds should go to rural counties who are fiscally restricting restraints. Yeah. And in statute. But you can still ask for it.
Well I think I think the approach we're we're hearing is let's go focus on Hooper's District number one.
Mm-hmm
Let's go look at what we have with Blaze. Let's go look at all of them and as we set 'em up, let's let's forget the commission lines from now on.
Okay.
Right. And let's just go look what can each one of them put something on for their own district so they can say I brought something back to my area. So I think if we if we I think we take that.
I had one more idea I wanted to throw out there that I thought would be good for the county. And you know, maybe this isn't a good idea since we've gone down this path. But I think our county could use an aquatic center. And um I know someone, I know Wilton had tried to help get one somewhere in the center of the county. And I'm I'm still in support of that idea, somewhere in the center of the county or wherever. It's it is very high up on tourism list. I think Adam's here.
And it also helps all our school districts that don't have aquatic facilities. Um and there and there's a long line at the few that we do have 'cause I know my daughter used to dive at River Ridge and trying to get pool time. Uh, in the afternoon or before school it was it was very, very difficult. So
So I don't know if that's something that's an idea. So
real quickly I'll say on that one, I I I th I like the way you're thinking. Uh and those types of approaches you can then say if it impacts the school, the county, um, a partnership. Uh if you have a uh developer, landowner that's willing to give up land. Um that could that could go for something that large. I think when we were talking, um let's let's go ahead and c continue to talk about aquatics. The parks can use, but
you need an Olympic size pool that you can use for events.
Yeah, I'm talking like
the long center. Yeah. So you you know you don't want like a regular county pool. No, you want a big pool. So that's something you think I I I think
facets to that. Um and again, we're not ready for prime time uh for that kind of thing, but you're you're thinking right. Again, rather than member oriented projects, bigger projects. I'll stop there.
Yeah
and
Commissioner, I think too we we also need to consider operational costs of those of those facilities too. Again, like where we're where we're thinking, but we just I I think that would be something we need to put as a you know in a priority on our our own capital plan first because it sounds like even if we were to have multiple participants in it. Um we can we can kinda we may be able to craft a more hybrid type solution and then pull in uh you know state or federal money as a sweetener. Right.
Well I I you know, since we have sunshine, I couldn't mention that to my fellow board members, but I I do think that is something that that is lacking in the county and it's we should d discuss it. Maybe it's not something for this year, but what should be in our radar for the f near future.
You know one time um Lou Friedland was actually up at Sun West? And I guess he's done long distance swimming.
Mm-hmm. And
he said that northern part of that lake would be ideal for that long distance swimming that they travel around the state for.
Oh interesting. Well but usually at a swim meet, um you've got a lot of different events going on. You have platform diving and lots of things going on.
And I wanna stick to the to the the time. Uh there were some i uh issues that we weren't able to address. Uh I did go ahead and pass out when we were looking at individual projects. There are some fire uh rescue projects in there as well. You know, but we'll have continue this discussion. to get it ready for the September fifth um date. Uh so we can kinda hone in and clean up our our list.
Wait, wait, wait. Don't leave Councilwoman. Come back in. Sorry, I'll say this really quickly. And the reason I handed this to you and if you could and I didn't know if there's any other elected officials here. Um But if you if you and Ralph taught me this yesterday or the day before, I never knew this, on appropriations, if if you look at these and you don't see any numbers on the end of 'em, like Senate form or House form, that means it came from
a grant. And
or a pot of money like the the transportation work uh
Well I'm not yeah don't look at the transportation workforce programs but everything else. And if you look I had my staff count these up. For example, uh Brevard had eighty-six projects granted.
Um and you go through well I'll do ours last. Uh Polk and I just I had 'em look at counties near to us in population. Seventy-eight granted. And I'm not doing the ask versus granted because there's political reasons why things get vetoed and that's not what this discussion is about. Uh Sarasota, eighty one granted. Um and I think I have one more. Volusha sixty eight, granted. Pasco, we had 39 granted. We
didn't ask for our citizens, our nonprofits, our cities did not put enough in. So we would ask that you guys start asking for some money. And um I'm sure you have projects I'm thinking the Grand Boulevard Trail or the wastewater treatment plant that's on the water that should be moved out the water. Every Every s every municipality in Pasco should be asking for something and and many of our non profits because These
these asks come from all kinds of entities and they're and if it's a grant funded Chris Brause told me that money's sitting there just waiting to go out and they don't get vetoed. And so let's just bring as much as we can back, even if it's twenty-five thousand dollars. Um, let's go for it. So let's get all our nonprofits to be thinking about asking for money. How do they do that, Sean?
Sorry, just put it
on the
thought for hang on that for a second. How does that happen for someone who's never hang on hang on that thought for a second? Um Newport Rachid Councilman uh Councilwoman Kelly Kelly Miller said, Come on up, Kelly, and why don't you tell us some of the things you guys are thinking about doing that maybe we can even partner with?
Yeah.
So being unprepared, I don't have to be a little bit more. Sorry to do that.
We we do have a lot of projects that we're working on and the uh Grand Boulevard is one of them, the multi-use path coming through um through Grand Boulevard. We also have uh the stormwater issues, um huge stormwater issues with the uh the plant over there on Green on Green Key Road. That's a that's a big one for us too. Um we have a lot going on downtown, but we have all of those issues that we need to fix. And we are we are meeting and we are going to be um talking about requesting more funds than we have in the past for sure.
Excellent.
And and Kelly, I was gonna say with and you and I'm glad you mentioned that plant on because we jointly own it with the with with the with the city. And some of the increases they want to do as far as releasing water into the canals, I get calls all the time on what are you doing, what are you you know, we gotta stop that. the bacteria, the fish kill, the the wildlife kill that's out there is very strong. There is a ton of money uh out there for wastewater treatment plants. So I would love if you would push that forward. Uh that's right in Hooper's district as well. That would be something we could
partner with real easy and then uniformly go up there and I think we've got a great chance to get that funded to move that away in a safer, better way.
Absolutely, and that's one of the things we're looking at is being able to partner uh and get some of these things done a little bit easier and a little bit quicker.
Exactly. And when you go up and talk to the legislators, you know, we and when we go up, we should each endorse and support each other's projects. And we want to get the um chambers involved, yes, and all and rotaries and all other groups to get behind the projects that benefit the citizens of Pasco County.
Yeah, and I actually c had a conversation with a couple of our uh charitable organizations too in putting in some requests. So um yeah, we'll talk about that too.
And I just want to say when you read off some of those counties, just reiterate, I mean Pasco County has very few cities, Brevard and then Penellas, you know, they have a lot more cities, so a lot a lot of reports.
So we need our our six cities. Yeah, we need our municipalities to step up.
Yeah, and we have to all we just have to all get together and work work on it together and like you said, you know. Help e help push each other. So
but both the uh both the state and federal delegation are there to help. That's their constituency. Yep.
We're on it this year.
Thanks for
being
here.
Well one thing I like to add is if we're doing projects and we're getting monies, whether this is a municipality or if it's one of our districts or wherever, as a group we need to be pushing to get that money spent. construction on those roads and things 'cause we've got some on the east side. That they've gotten the money? But nothing's happened. Oh. I mean it's just It was just recently they went from um on design from thirty percent to sixty and they've had the money for four
years.
Yeah, we have some big road projects too. I mean we just started on River Road, so we have a lot a lot of big big road
projects. So we need to push together, I think, to finish get those all finished if we can. Okay.
All right.
Okay. Just one minute. I uh that's our libraries are very efficient with their money. We we have to change the tape actually. So we'll pause. Go ahead, Sean.