committee reports and public safety update
What the county recorded
This item is not from the published agenda
This archive found it in the recording: a call to order, a recess, or business the board never listed. The county recorded nothing about it, so everything below is our reading.
The source document
The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Oct 20, 2026
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 16m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 100% of 59 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Okay. And now we go to committee reports. Mr. Ron.
I don't have anything. I'm spin it all.
No.
Commissioner Weightman.
Yes. Thanks, Chair. Um really the main main one uh just wanted to Chair about uh Mr. Starkey's funeral service and Commissioner Starkey and your family did a beautiful service for Mr Starkey and it was very a very fitting tribute to a fine man who did so much for our county. and led the way for land preservation
and how this should be done. And so just wanted to recognize Mr. Starkey for all he's done for our county and um and uh honor him with those remarks.
Thank you. Thank you for being
Chip? Yes, sir. Mr. Starkey.
Um so we had our women main business networking event. Um It was a success. Do we Okay, that's not it. But um
Oh there you are.
Commissioner Yeager was in a beautiful dress. I think you did buy some oh Lord. Um we had uh some of our uh local ladies, including our clerk of court, uh wearing some of the dresses from um the Cinderella projects. Uh they have a lot of dresses for I'm not gonna say mature women because Commissioner Yeager got mad at me for that term. But I don't know what other term to say for non-high school girls. There you go. Um And I mean great
buys. So if you know anyone who needs some formal gowns, uh they have 'em
brand new.
Brand new. Maybe worn once. Same ones I've seen at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom's. They they even have some couture ones there that I Chat GPT that go for thousands of dollars. For fifty dollars, eighty dollars, all different sizes. It's amazing. And then the money goes to the charity. So uh but Um Uh thanks to everyone who who showed up. Let's see, what else was on there? Um I attended the Um That other picture was Rep Congresswoman Luna um came to Amskills
and um did a tour and we gave her a presentation and there's Ethan. Um working on his He's deburring there in that machine there, but Yeah, and you can't do it. Oh, you can't see the little tool that he's making. Oh, I have one in my hand. I was gonna bring it today. There it is in my hand. That's the tool that he machines. And it goes in the um the wall of the door to help it. Uh move. Um these flasks are what um that's that's um
Mallow's son in the back, uh James Mallow's son who works with us uh and he is um showing the Congresswoman the flasks that are being three D um printed no, no, eng engraved for their big tournament. So f if you know of someone who needs a really cool uh gift idea. These flasks were amazing and they're They're um like tone on tone and they're on two sides and what a great
gift for the golf tournament for Bama that they're going in the golf bags for the Bama. Um manufacturing golf tournament. Um Okay. Let's see what else we have. Um I tended the um well first before this I attended the All Children's Mixer in Land O' Lakeshore. wasn't very well turned out. It was to help the community get to know about Johns Hopkins, All Children's. And by the way, I was at their board meeting in Baltimore last week. Um uh
cut that short for the my father in law's funeral service, but um What a great organization we have coming to our county. I mean, just top notch, top notch organization. So they had a mixer in Land O' Lakesh And it worries me that we're not doing a good job of getting the community to know what an asset we have coming. So We ever think of how to help um help them meet people and let them know about the hospital. Um, they'll be
all ears. Um After that I drove back over to the uh went to the Riverside Village septic to sewer conversion project. As far as I know, this is gonna be our first septic to sewer program. Um this is one that Representative Yeager helped get the money for Um, and he got them almost a million dollars. And this is an FGUA project. It's an isolated 54 homes. You can see the map here. When it rains. They can't flush their toilets. They can't even go outside because
they can't shower. Everything is on the sidewalk. Everything is in their driveway. It's How how this was allowed to occur, I don't know. Um, but the residents came to me and said they were willing to pay for us to fix help fix their problem And it's not our p it's FG UA. So FGUA came up with a plan. But The plan We you know, we plan to buy it. This is Alojas territory. They were gonna put a grinder and a lip station in front of every single
house. That is not something we wanted to inherit, right, Joseph, when we when we when this project comes to us. So we were getting ready to put in a million dollars. Representative Yeager was gonna ask for another appropriation and we were gonna try and help the residents because it's seventy thousand dollars a house to connect. Um
But Uh FGUA hired a company named has a company on staff or contract called Jones Edmonds. Which I see Jack at FAC all the time.
Okay. So they found Four and a half million dollars uh uh from C D B G D R money that the state got. Um and because and FG WA was able as its own form of government able to apply for some of that money. And I believe that Charlotte County got like thirty million dollars to do septic to sewer in Charlotte County from that money. So I it's it's a bummer that we don't use we didn't go after that. I don't know if there's any left. Um But um I
I know we've talked about maybe I talked with Joseph about Getting with them? Um
And the So what's happening is that we're not going to be able This project is coming in at half that cost. So I wanna I called I called Representative Yeager. I w I wanna see if it's possible. If we can take The million dollars that he got for them, 'cause they don't need it anymore. and put it to the Elfers, same district, right down the river, same river. Um To help that project. That project is
coming through on the C D B G DR funding. Um I did talk with staff on that one and I wanna Relook at that project because We were doing much more than just Elfers Parkway. and we were gonna spend something like the project was about Of twenty four million dollars and that wasn't even hooking the houses up. So I wanna re look at that scope. And see if we can take the million dollars that was coming here and use it there. I don't know what the law
is on that. But um these these these people are thrilled that they're gonna be able to have um a real yard. Um And Bim I don't know if you guys know who Bemitra Simmons is. She's the head of Tampa Bay Partnership. She called me Very concerned about the um merger. I
I think a bone of contention is the
Saying they're regional but not being regionally represented by the other two counties. and she was getting with them to talk to them about expanding their boards to Pasco and Pinellas. Um and I ha I hadn't heard back from her yet. But um I can tell you the business community is very, very concerned. That the merger Is having these bumps after thirty years of work. And um And so uh I talked with Commissioner Eggers. We don't have sunshine because
he's not on the T M A. Um or the MPO in Pinellas. And he said that they're not bringing this forward in Pinellas till after the election. Um So we'll we'll see what n um
I told him in my mind the first two regional projects that need to happen Our one the B R. T that we were working on forever on Tamp on Tibarda. That Hillsborough County and In uh city of Tampa killed because they wanted to take down two seventy five, not add a high speed lane to it. Um And the nineteen US nineteen project that we are continuing to work on with Pinellas and Pasco on the rapid BRT or
US nineteen. And if you've driven US nineteen at five o'clock It's not fun. Um and in talking with Eggers and and Bemitra it seems like the federal project that we would be going after funding for There would be to Uh fund the next overpass. They're doing Curloo. The next one would be Tampa Road. And then the n you know, we then it would be keystone. Um it's gonna take three more years for that curly to be done. Shocked.
Um if you driven nineteen and curly. So It's silly to me for Pinellas to say. that they want to pull out when We're all gonna advocate for giving money to Pinellas to build Another another overpass on US Night D. So more conversations to be had. I have to circle back with Hooper. Um that's it. Okay, Mr. Eager.
Okay. See where are we starting? Okay. So um this was a event for our small business initiative. So um have you guys been briefed on the small business initiative? The board. Okay, perfect. So this was a big success. Shout out to David Ingall and JP and their staff. Um it was a sold-out event. Um they are doing a great job making it easier for our citizens to do business in Pasco. As
I was walking out Well, multiple people stopped me and I they had nothing but great feedback about the program. So I'm super excited about it. Um we just had a business reach out yesterday and David and I sat with them and we're making a path forward for them as well. So next is the Habitat for Humanity home dedication. This is congratulations to the Brown family. It was one of those days that it was raining, so they moved it inside. And then the next slide, Commissioner Oakley!
Look it so pretty. Yes. I had no idea that I would show a little skin on that dress because I'm not a pressure. Anyway, next slide. That was great. Yesterday we had uh Patrick Nardy. He uh senior at Sun Lake High School. Um He wants to go into the Marines, very interested in polist politics. He enjoyed um Meeting county manager Mike Carbala. I believe they're in the same run club. And
um he beat you yesterday, correct? To
be seventeen again.
Yeah. Okay. So anyway, uh very distinguished young man, and uh he said he had learned a lot more than he ever thought of local government to be. So I always enjoy having students and teaching them, and of course I had to Bring Cooper. Um he's our mascot. Alright, next you can't see it I'm I hate that the this is the picture, but for our Moon Lake tire drop, we had a whole thirty yard um Dumpster filled with tires. And then this was the start of another one. So
um Moon Lake comes through again. Woo! So all right, last is my public safety update. And let's see, fire rescue. They had for stats for their last 30 days, total calls 9,188. Motor vehicle, 349. Structure fires 27. Special ops calls, 178. For the Sheriff's Office, during the month of September,
they responded to 29,000 calls for service. That included more than 3,000 traffic stops. They had uh critical incidents such as domestic-related shooting, numerous school threats, which led to arrests, bomb threat at West Pasco Courthouse, and an officer-involved shooting on September 10th, where two deputies were shot at attempting to rescue a hostage. Thankfully, the deputies were unharmed. Armed and saved by their shield. So always a shout out for our first responders because they are amazing and they are what keeps us safe. And that is
all I have.
Mr. Starkey. Um at the uh woman Women Mean Business event, um, there were two young girls from Hunter's Ridge? Um with the bread. I don't know if you got to go buy their table.
I was too busy.
Yeah. I I tried to go to every table and I didn't make all of them. But the bread was amazing. Um it's Pocaccia and all different. forms of Focaccia, the best I've ever had in my life. And it's funny because at my Trinity Odessa Leadership Council meeting, one of the residents there was asking if it was okay if you were allowed to have uh business from your house, because they've got a stand in their driveway And the cars are nonstop. And I said, Yes, you are, and can I have their address? And um So I was so excited
to see them at our event and everyone was flipping out on their bread. I'm gonna have it at the Bilaracus Fundraiser tomorrow. And Um, they get their olive oil and the recipes from Albania. So is I gotta hook Dan Biles up with them. And And they said everywhere they go people wanna sell it in their store, but they can't because they're a cottage industry. So P E D C had a table. Um and so I hooked them up with the P E D C ladies and they are gonna go to Dade City and
get certified commercially certified. And Gulf Harbor's now has a commercial kitchen. It'll be certified in the next week or two. And they can't. go to Gulf Harbors and bake their bread and sell it to in all the stores. So That's what I'm saying. That's what that event was all about, right? Yeah, I'm so excited for those young girls. They're in their twenties. They have other jobs, they do this on the side. But this I I just love helping entrepreneurs. That can be
life changing.
And this is life-changing for them. They had no idea we had a commercial kitchen and a way to teach them how to be entrepreneurs and business.
And if you have their contact number, if they need any startup money. money or anything like that. Um
Oh perfect. We'll get you guys involved. I will hook you up with them. Yeah.
There's a commercial over they're easy.
But they live over here. They they're gonna be going over there to get certain.
Well that's where
the classes are. So they're they'll be driving all the way over there. Um but when they're done they can bake it over here.
You may want to have them check uh Ritchie Park Library. They've got a kitchen in the uh library as well.
That might be which one they like. Yeah.
Because Anything else?
That's it for me.