Comes to mosquitoes, how exactly are we combating them in the sky?

Nobody complains about lava.

They complain about mosquitoes and specifically adult mosquitoes, female mosquitoes, the ones that bite you, right?

But it's a lot easier to control adult mosquitoes by control at the larva.

What we do is we use a larva side product that attacks the marble and the swamps of uh the bank road areas along the coast here.

We stop their growth so they never grow up and become adult mosquitoes, and the new thing, and the new thing, and the new thing, and the new thing, and the new thing, and the new thing, and the new, and the most important, and the most important, and the most important, and the most important, and the most important, and the most important, and we have a lot of people who are not a big deal.

Welcome to a meeting of your Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

Representing District One, Harry Cohen.

Representing District 2, Ken Hagen.

Representing District 3, Gwen Myers.

Representing District 4, Christine Miller.

Representing District 5, Donna Cameron Cepeda.

Representing District 6, Chris Bowles.

Representing District 7, Joshua Wolstall.

The County Administrator is Bonnie Wise.

The County Attorney is Julia Mandel.

Time is set aside at the beginning of each meeting for citizens to speak on any issue.

So we have time for everyone.

Speakers are asked to limit their comments to three minutes.

Today's meeting is brought to you with closed captioning by Hillsborough Television.

Good morning, and welcome to the June 3rd, 2026 regularly scheduled board meeting of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.

Would everyone please rise with a pledge and invocation given by our chaplain, Commissioner Gwyn Myers.

And to the Republic for which you stand.

Oh gracious heavenly father, I come to you again, thanking you for your grace and mercy.

Father, I ask a special blessing of this board that how we talk to each other on this board, it is with respect in your name.

As they continue to negotiate with the Raids, Father, give them the guidance and the peace.

And we as board members understand that it is going to be your will, your way on the final decision.

Bless our first responders.

Bless all our employees who serve this county in your holy name I pray.

Amen.

Those who win this award are sterling examples of drive and leadership, not just on the field, but throughout their daily lives.

The namesake of the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award is a national baseball hall of fame member, twelve-time All-Star, and a longtime local resident who graduated from Plant High School and has coached at Wharton.

Wade Boggs had an incredible 3,010 hits during his 18-year career in Major League Baseball.

He played for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and the then Tampa Bay Double Rays, where he finished his career.

The Rays retired his number 12 in 2000, and the Red Sox retired his number 26 in 2016.

Unfortunately, Wade Boggs is not able to be here today.

I just want to say that uh we're extremely fortunate uh to have Wade uh as a in our community.

Uh he's incredibly generous with his time and is extremely charitable, uh, always uh giving back.

Um and I would also want to say, and this he has been here for 21 years in a row for this award, so we can give him a pass on the on this one year.

But wish him the best, and we'll see you next year, uh Wade.

Uh standing in for him, though, is uh coach uh Scott Hoffman, uh the former longtime head baseball coach at Wharton, uh, who was Mr.

Boggs representative on the award selection committee.

Uh so coach, would you please come join me at the podium?

And coach, thank you for being here today.

And uh just like to say a few words before we honor these students.

Um I know Wade is sad that you can't be here.

Uh his apologies uh to everybody, and thanks, Commissioner, for doing uh his work, you know, and in making sure that he stays relevant and in the in the game.

Um he is very, very uh in love with the high school athletics as far as baseball goes.

Uh I coached with him for 20 years.

Um I had the luxury of listening to this man talk about hitting and life and stuff like that.

Um he's the only guy that I know with 20 years, he rode a school bus to every game and wrote it back.

So it wasn't like something where he was just showing up for games.

He was there at every practice.

So he knows what high school baseball is about.

He loves it.

Um, and again, he can't he apologize he can't be here, but he uh is truly uh honored and wants to thank all your parents for raising such wonderful, wonderful human beings.

Okay.

Now I'd like to thank all members of the selection committee uh who reviewed the nominations and recommended this year's honorees.

Uh please stand if you're with us today.

They are Tampa City Councilman Charlie Miranda, uh Anthony Tony Bell, uh Pop Questa, I don't see Pop here.

Uh uh K.R.

Lombardia, uh KB Skull, uh Scott Levinson, I don't see Scott, and then uh Pep Prado.

Uh before we begin the presentations, I want to take a moment to remember someone uh whose loss we're feeling today, and it's a significant one.

Uh Tony Saladino, who passed away last August, was not only Hillsborough County's Mr.

Baseball for decades, but he also was a revered educator, coach, mentor, confidant, and goodwill ambassador.

Uh I can tell you uh not only was uh Tony a great man, but uh he had a great memory.

And on a personal note, uh the reason why I can say that is uh when I first met Tony, I guess it would have been in uh five, uh he said, I know who you are.

You made the all Saladino tournament team in 1985.

So he had that kind of memory going back almost 20 years.

But he always uh set beside Mr.

Boggs on the front row of this ceremony, uh man of unending faith.

Tony Salina represented everything that is great about baseball and Hillsborough County as a community.

I will never forget him.

We take comfort in knowing that he's once again with his beloved Bertha, and I think it'd be appropriate if we could uh just stand for a moment and remember this wonderful man with a with a moment of silence.

Thank you.

This year, in addition to honoring the overall winner of this prestigious award, the selection committee continued its long tradition of naming two honorable mentioned recipients, uh, whom we will now recognize.

Uh will the following individuals please join me at the podium.

Uh Winston Pennant and head coach Kennedy Duran of Sumner High School.

And it's my understanding that um uh Rick Altman couldn't be here today, but if um uh coach or is Rick Rick is here today.

If Rick can please come forward.

Yeah.

Uh thank you for coming.

Uh Winston Pennant, who lives in Riverview is one of the most accomplished athletes in Sumner baseball history.

A four-year varsity letterman who plays center and right field.

He has demonstrated consistency, leadership, and elite performance throughout his high school career.

Serving as a team captain the past two seasons, Winston has been a cornerstone of the program, both on and off the field.

He has Sumner's all-time career home run leader with 13, as well as a single season record holder.

This past season, Winston hit 400 with 30 hits, 23 RBIs, 22 runs scored, five home runs, and 10 stolen basins.

Winston's combination of talent, discipline, and leadership makes him an exceptional student athlete and a standout representative of the Sumner baseball program.

He had a 4.2 GPA, reflecting his commitment to challenging coursework.

In addition, Winston is deeply committed to serving his community, actively participating in campus cleanups, volunteering his time to help maintain a positive working environment for students, staff, and visitors, and helping shape the next generation of athletes.

Further, Winston is a strong supporter of his church's community outreach efforts, contributing to service projects, events, and programs that will assist local families and strengthen community connections.

Winston will continue his academic and baseball career at Ole Miss.

At least keeping in the SEC.

And uh no, he will continue to do uh great things.

Uh congratulations, Winston on being named a 2026 Wade Boggs honorable mention.

Uh great job.

Let's share some thoughts and then coach, you're up next.

Thank you, everybody.

Um, it is outstanding when you have um your best player being the hardest worker and and a mentor to the younger in our program.

Um our school's only been open six years, so we achieved great things due to the fact of gentlemen like this.

Um just an outstanding um player, but an outstanding student and uh better person.

Thank you guys.

Um I'd like to thank my parents for always pushing me throughout the years and my coaches and teammates for always having my back and thank you for the committee for uh uh voiding me for this, and that's it.

And now Matthew Altman.

Uh due to prior commitment, uh Matthew's unable to be here today, but my understanding uh his father is here.

Uh if your team needs a win, you want Matthew Altman on the pitcher's mount, or he is absolutely dominating.

This past season, Matthew went 13 0.

Yes, 13 0.

Um, he also had a microscopic .44 earner on average and struck out 83 batters in 79 innings.

Opponents only hit 182 against him.

According to Max Preps, Matthew's 13-year-old record ranked number one both in the nation and in Florida.

This illustrates why he's a perfect game all-American, a prospect wire all-American, and a first team all-western conference member.

Matthew's work ethic, leadership, and mentorship of younger players inspired the entire Gaither team.

For instance, this season he ditched, he pitched on a Saturday and one, knowing he could not be able to pitch on Gaither's senior night.

He also put team above self.

He also is committed to his community, volunteering at his church for three years at Metropolitan Ministries for more than four years, and with Buddy Baseball.

He also volunteers his time to train a nine and under team.

Matthew is a member of the Gaither Honor Roll and was duly enrolled at HCC.

He plans to continue his baseball and academic career at Florida AM University with plans to study marketing.

I'm certain uh Matthew will continue to make us proud at FAMU at home and both on the and off the field.

Uh congratulations to Matthew for being a 2026 Wade Boggs honor honorable mention.

Dad, want to say a few words?

Uh thank you for uh putting Matthew up here.

He's a hardworking kid and uh go rattlers.

Amen.

And I want to point out we have a county attorney whose son, I believe, was uh starting shortstop for the Rattlers for a few years.

I think he just just graduated, but uh got a heck of a program.

At this time.

This time, would uh Wilson Anderson and head coach Miguel Menendez of Jesuit High School, please join us at the podium.

I'm only done this 21 years.

I should know you guys should stay up here.

So I apologize.

Um Wilson Anderson has had an absolutely amazing career for the Jesuit High School Tigers.

Let's start with this.

In Coach Menendez 12 year at the helm, Wilson is the only player to ever spend his entire career on varsity.

Jedu is a perennial powerhouse, and this is really saying something.

Here's something else that's incredible.

Wilson has been a valuable member of Jesuits' team that earned four straight trips to the state final four, including winning the 2024 state championship.

And he gets even better.

This season, Wilson helped lead his team to the 2026 state 4A title with a dominating performance on the mount.

Six and one third innings pitched, 12 strikeouts, only one hit given up, and it all added up to a nine and no victory over Orlando Bishop Moore.

For the season, Wilson was 11 and 2 with a 1.62 ERA and an astonishing 111 strikeouts and only 69 innings pitched.

And he can really he can bring it.

His throws in the mid-90s and hit 98.

He's also a force in the batter's box and at shortstop, hitting 430 with 40 hits, 36 RBIs, 20 runs scored, 11 doubles, four triples, and four homers.

And he finished the season with a fielding percentage of 940.

This young man is a heck of a ball player.

An ultimate competitor and true leader, Wilson was voted team captain the last two seasons.

His leadership helped shape the Tiger culture and had a massive impact on the team's success.

He also was unafraid to have tough conversations with his peers, holding them accountable for everything they do.

Wilson also excels in the classroom, graduating with honors with a 3.6 GPA and is an all-star in the community, volunteering over 200 hours in community service while a Jesuit.

Wilson plans to take his immense talents to Mississippi State University, again in the SEC.

Coach, I know you like that.

Wilson, congratulations on being named the 2026 recipient of the Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award.

And please display this trophy in a place where uh everybody can see it.

Uh congratulations.

Um thank you so much for um everyone here that voted for me and everyone that's here today.

Uh this couldn't be possible without God and uh my coaches and my teammates.

And um, yeah, I'm just so grateful for everyone here, and uh it was a really awesome year, and uh it wouldn't be possible without again my coaches and teammates.

So thank you so much.

Just want to thank the committee and thank everybody here for for voting for Wilson and uh continuing to put this award on and in recognizing high school baseball in Florida and here in Tampa.

Uh it's it's important, it's valuable.

Wilson, I can say a ton of great things about him.

You know, the most the best thing I can say about him is that uh he makes my job easy as a coach, right?

Like everybody sees all the the the talent, and that's obviously beneficial, right?

Um, I tell people all the time I just gotta try not to screw up his name on a line of card, and we're gonna probably be successful that day.

But the reality is is what he does in the locker room, how he treats uh the other teammates, you know, how he handles those kind of things off the field is what makes us special and what's makes Jesuit special.

So uh I know he won't let you guys down in the future, so thank you again.

And you know, I mentioned earlier Jesuit is a powerhouse, but you know, they just won their fourth their fourth state title, so uh coach has got a heck of a program there.

Uh before he takes a photos, I just want to say in closing, as a uh former player and someone that that coached myself.

I just want to thank the coaches uh for everything they do uh for these kids, volunteering their time, um, teaching them.

I've all often said, you know, life's life greatest lessons are learned on the ball fields.

And so they're teaching them not only the fundamentals of the game, but about life as well.

So I want to I want to thank the coaches and all the coaches out there for everything you do.

Uh so now we take a couple quick photos.

Scott, what's it right?

Three, two, and three, two, one.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Congratulations, gentlemen.

I will.

Yeah.

Okay, Bonnie, you want to review uh change the agenda?

Yes, good morning, Commissioners.

We have a few items for time certain.

The first one is item D1 at 10 o'clock.

This is to hold a public hearing to consider a draft ordinance relating to the senior citizen discount for the solid waste non-advalorum disposal assessment.

Item D two at 10 o'clock as well is also a public hearing to adopt the solid waste rate resolution, which establishes a solid waste non-advalorum disposal and collection assessment rates and other user fees and charges and the solid waste disposal and collection roles.

Item F three at 1015 is Commissioner Miller's item to receive a presentation from HCSO regarding fence regulations and challenges that are facing that they are facing.

Second motion approve the changes, Commissioner Myers, second Commissioner Cohen.

Please record your vote, change the agenda.

Okay, this time the board will go into public comments.

Uh in the in by name and the order in which they request uh to speak have been received.

Each person will be given three minutes.

Uh please state your name and to be clearly into the microphone.

First three speakers, Tom Cobert, followed by Denise Herndon, and then Carol McIlows, I believe.

Good morning, Mr.

Cobert.

Morning.

Mr.

Chairman, Commissioner, staff, and deputies.

Good morning.

My name is Tom Cobert.

I'm here to address F three, the property tax uh tax thing coming out of Tallahassee.

I have never seen a proposal move that fast at the state level in my life.

In the old days, you know, people would say that smells like old weak old fish.

They're looking to decimate us at the county level statewide.

And it's all for the governor's per uh benefit.

And I'm not going to get into why he's doing it.

And that's why we have F3.

And we need to work together and work with the other counties in the state of Florida and kill this.

Right now they're counting on the citizens not realizing, yeah, they might get a break on their property taxes, but they're gonna lose so much in public services, it's gonna be unbelievable.

And uh as a community activist, I'm not gonna remain idle in this.

And I proved my worth back in the early 90s.

But I know that y'all are gonna do the right thing.

Yeah, I'll be in touch.

Thanks for listening.

Thanks, Ms.

Cobert.

Uh Denise Herndon, followed by Carol McGillos, who's virtual, and then Sergeant Doss.

Good morning.

Good morning.

I'm Denise Herndon.

I'm here to speak about um A twenty.

I went to a town hall meeting last month of Gwynne Myers, and it was more like a political agenda, clapping everything that was done and then putting down somebody that was running against her.

This is on the agenda A20 to transfer um some county property.

It's this 100 right here in the center of this red.

Well, and that's to help alleviate the flooding and progress village.

Well, Gwyn Myers, I don't believe that you were really fighting for the people of Progress Village.

We had a downpour rain there, and this event was at the um new splash pad on 78th Street, just south of Progress Vol Boulevard.

This sidewalk was the only place to cross the road with, and it was nice that they had that flashing light, but I couldn't even walk on the sidewalk because it was flooded.

As I get down, and this was south.

So the gentleman that is running this company to do the um flooding issue and to have this portion of this land right here.

It's the one the the 100, it's kind of like in the center here.

Well, the man running this, he's had something to do with this complex, this complex, and he owns all of this vacant land right in here, all the way up to Progress Village.

This man has been involved with the Hillsborough County and um state of Florida.

I was looking stuff up, and I was getting a real good brain exercise on this, considering how many companies he's owned or been involved with since 0101 that I could find, and there's even more.

And Gwen Myers, you I went to just about every one of your town hall meetings, and I almost didn't go to your one last month.

Thank God I did, because I found out what you were truly doing there.

You were popping yourself up and saying it's all for flooding, but how is Progress Village going to be really benefiting from this when in the future the land the man that owns the company or thank you, Mr.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is Carol on the line?

And then followed by that Sergette Dawson, Nadia Askar.

It's not on the line.

Okay, Serget Doss.

Followed by Nadia Ascar Virtual, and then Sarah Grossman.

Morning, sir.

Good morning.

I didn't notice this thing very differently.

So I'll track on my time.

Um I'm sure that no, Florida's Constitution, Article 4 particularly, it has provisions that lay out uh veterans' uh services because Florida has its own Department of Veterans Affairs.

And I know that the federal government provides states, and you know the county's gonna get some portion of that to ensure there's services that are known to veterans, and a lot of veterans aren't aware of these services being out there.

And one of the things that I wanted to talk about uh today was in Hillsborough County, there's a fee waiver when it comes to certain filings in the uh the state court.

One of the questions that are asked delves into whether or not a veteran is receiving veterans' benefits, but also about the veterans' compensation.

And because we know that the veterans' compensation is actually not income, that line item should be excluded from the waiver uh application, or there should be some sort of process that allows veterans to be vetted, whether it's through some other system, but these things are already provided for, but they're not being enforced over here.

Ironically, I was here the other day and you didn't call me up when you gave out we call May good services month or whatever, and I saw Joe uh Chief Judge Sabello and some other people here, and I just thought it was pretty coincidental that I didn't get a chance to speak to this issue back uh then.

The bottom line is there's too much red tape involved with veterans receiving services that we've already earned, and that everybody I think it should be for everybody, by the way, but we have a special place with only six percent of the people in this country, as some of you all know have ever put on a uniform for this nation.

I also wanted to speak to the fact that there is a the nation's largest insurer, state farm has an admitted practice of taking advantage of veterans who've been injured in accidents.

I think that you know I'm speaking to the whole world when I'm speaking here, uh, but especially to those veterans who are on this panel.

You might want to look into that, and also they took advantage of a senior in the case that I'm very familiar with.

And and I appreciated seeing you all give the awards to the young people, and it's interesting.

You all they mentioned schools that I'm familiar with.

I have a daughter who graduated from Sumner a year early, and she's in college now.

I have a son who graduated from Jesuit, and he's uh in his senior year at UCF, wants to be a kinesiologist.

Um he's gonna go to grad school.

And I also have a daughter who got her pharmacy degree.

She's actually a doctor of pharmacy from FAMU, so I appreciated those schools, and I'm giving them a shout out.

And as always, uh actually appreciate the fact that the rays are going to be low and remain local, and I'm a little biased because two former rays, um, Tino Martinez and uh Fred McGriff attended the same institution in idea, which is actually the greatest institution of higher learning in the city of Tampa, the University of Thomas Jefferson High School.

You all take care.

Thank you, sir.

Our next three speakers are virtual, Nadia Ascar, followed by Sarah Grossman and Ferris Shaheen.

Naughty on the line.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Hello, my name is Nadia Oscar.

I am a resident of Hillsborough County.

I'm here to speak about the county budget in hopes to ensure that the people of Hillsboro County that their needs are met.

I'm here to also support the demands of local community members who all want funding from the county to be removed from FIBA, the Florida Israeli Business Accelerator, and Israeli linked businesses, so that we can instead focus on supporting local businesses owned by Hillsborough County locals.

Um our Hillsboro County funds belong to citizens of Hillsborough County, and our budget should support that.

Our budget should support our community and our local businesses so that they can thrive.

The businesses that FIBA brings to Hillsborough County are in no need of any financial support.

For example, Extend Defense, a company that specializes in military grade AI drones used by Israeli soldiers.

They are currently merging with JFB construction holding for an estimated 1.5 billion dollars on the stock market.

Our tax dollars should not be given to bring billion dollar international corporations that are complicit in violence and genocide to Hillsborough County rather than upholding the local economy.

The county is responsible for allocating our taxes responsibly and based on what the people actually want.

Um, based on Hillsborough County surveys, you know, several in-person conversations, collections from hundreds of pledges, it is not real.

Working class people are struggling to pay for rent and food, and Israeli companies are not driving economic growth that supports these working class people or any of the initiatives that programs that would of the programs that would actually benefit the community.

Um SHIBA claims that these businesses would create local jobs, but in reality, Hillborough County residents are employed.

The few Hillsborough County residents that are employed, and these jobs are centered in AAI industry, which is inherently seeking to replace workers.

We have major needs that need to be met locally, and putting money in a foreign entity, profiting from war and murder will not make our lives better for us here.

So we need to keep these funds locally to address our local issues, support our local businesses, and other needs that benefit the people of this county, right?

Across the county in Hillsborough, we are people are struggling to get by.

An estimated 67% of people are living to be checked the paycheck.

So the funds allocated in FEBA each year can be spent used on can be better spent on social programs, affordable housing, elder care, public transportation improvement, food security, local initiatives that benefit citizens rather than cost harms and other parts of the world.

We must have ties that we have, any ties that we have with genocide and war wherever possible, and spend these tax dollars on programs that we desperately need that Hillsborough County residents, that's where we move.

We demand that our budget reforms appreciate your comments.

Uh yes, good morning.

Good morning.

Hi, my name is Sarah Grossman.

I am also calling about the county budget.

I am calling to urge you to vote no on the Hillsborough County FY 27 budget if it allows any money to FIBA supported the business accelerator because FIBA supports companies that are directly contributing to the genocide in Palestine and would be better spent on Hillsborough citizens.

Um there are 100 116 nonprofits that are planned to receive less Hillborough County funding than FIBA in 2027, and most of these programs are for children and families.

The list includes several crisis centers, cultural groups, and medical support groups.

Some of these are the Chamane Society, NAACP Empowerment Center, and Cisco South Association.

Photograph County General Funds belong to the citizens of Hobro County and should be used as social programs that benefit us, such as public transit affordable housing infrastructure, youth program, education, just the name of you.

My issue is just with funding agencies.

Even though the county intends to remove all recurring funds to nonprofits in 2029, I am calling to demand no fund filled to Israel starting now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Final speaker, Fair Shaheen.

Commissioner Affairs is not on the line.

Okay, thank you.

That closes public comment.

Can we have a motion to approve consent?

Move to approve.

Motion Commissioner Myers, second commissioner Cohen.

Please record your vote on the consent agenda.

Motion carried seven to zero.

Okay.

We have time before our 10 o'clock time certain.

So we'll move to item B1.

This is to receive a presentation on an unsolicited public-private partnership for lodging for declaring during emergencies.

And John Muller will take us through this item.

Chief Doherty is here, and Kevin Brecketty are also here as needed.

Morning.

Okay, good morning, Chair and Commissioners.

John Mueller, Director of Facilities Management and Real Estate Services.

Go ahead, HCV and put up our presentation, please.

Today I'm presenting a uh public-private partnership or P3 for emergency management lodging.

Here with me today, Bonnie pointed out uh the chief, but also senior assist uh senior county attorney Jared Delfino who worked on this as well.

I'll preface this brief by stating that first there's a lot on these slides.

That is because the information on these slides form the basis of what will be a public interest determination.

We aren't presenting that determination today.

That's a second step dependent upon your approval.

However, I am definitely presenting to you the outline of what that looks like.

And secondly, and this is for the public as well.

I'll note that a P3 in its basic form could be viewed as having two components a method of financing and a sharing or elimination of risk.

So the opportunity today is to be the owner of the ground beneath a 102-room hotel located about 0.9 miles from our public safety operations complex.

I'll repeat for clarity to be the ground owner, not the owner of the hotel building.

The private partner that's proposing mainsail lodging and development is well known locally and is a owner-operator of 14 hotels.

So why?

Well, when constructed 10 years ago, PSOC's lodging for the over 350 plus personnel that could be working in and out of that there during a storm event was value engineered out.

We have sought lodging uh alternatives.

Guaranteeing a hotel close by would have cost hardening, which we would not be able to walk away with easily, and an annual payment or some cost each year.

So we looked at, hey, can we just rent an adequate space?

We also considered building small lodging quarters at PSOC, which had some level of basic privacy.

This we determined was expensive, but also created an asset which would sit idle if not used and be a constant demand of maintenance and operational dollars.

For this reason, in the upcoming PSOC expansion, we really just opted for more additional much needed showers and restrooms with an open bank.

So that's the path that has led us here to consider this proposal, which you can see on the lower right.

In short, it's an investment by us, a seven and a half million to become the landowner, harden the hotel with 2.5 million of that money, receive lease payments, receive free use of all rooms during declared events and storms, and receive a thousand nights a year at half cost to create another revenue stream.

I'll note that the sportsplex is the likely candidate as they are located 0.9 miles away.

I have to note this is an opportunity where the timing is unique.

It was when we have were evaluating hotels.

We like this hotel.

It was one of our preferred ones, and uh for its proximity, kitchenettes, on-site laundry, but by chance this hotel happened to be put up for sale as part of a larger portfolio last year.

So I have copied again here from the mainstream proposal to again highlight the benefits.

I'll note that the ground lease payments of 150,000 a year would increase 2% over year for a 30-year term.

I'll also note that we tweak down the starting value of additional room nights to 80,000 per year.

And lastly, I will note that we intend for all tax revenues to continue.

Room tax revenue continues.

The hotel currently pays about 164 and add the worum.

This will continue as the hotel owner is private.

And we will uh ensure the ground portion has a payment in lieu of taxes agreement.

Uh in the case it should be determined as immune exempt.

So we'll we'll still recoup that revenue and keep that going.

We also see these taxes most likely increasing primarily because upon the sale and improvements, the assessed value should increase.

This is a very preliminary look at the investment.

I will note we do intend to have an outside independent review done, should you authorize us to proceed.

We have not included the tax revenues here increases because those are existing today.

What we have looked at is how quickly do we think that review will show our investment back?

We believe the independent review should show this somewhere around the 21-year range plus or minus.

If the if the value of the land appraises as we think it were, and you put and if the monies that we put towards hardening, uh that if you look at just that portion, we think that will be by year 26.

But the point is is we don't see this as some sort of payback that we'll never get back in the 30-year horizon.

We feel this is a sound uh sound deal for our end.

We also believe the value of the income that we estimate to be generated from the thousand uh room nights that we would get at 50 percent would essentially pair up with the upfront money we're paying.

As as we pay the 7.5 million, we're really paying for hotel rooms in the future.

But then we get that money back on these half-room nights.

And we think that is going to show out to be a wash based on their our assumptions.

But really, finally, being the ground owner allows us to be in a prime position should the worst happen, a foreclosure or other.

We will place protections in to recoup the investment dollars that could be on use during the initial years of the 30 years.

Uh we'll also ask for the hotel owner uh to submit his formal pro forma.

Uh he has put a pro force a little difficult to read, but I will tell you that his net income is estimated at 300 to 400 per year.

I think that's very fair considering the risks that he is taking on in running the entire operation.

So let's talk about some other risks.

So, of course, we're going to look at flood and storm surge.

So the hotel is in the hotel is in uh a position where it sits behind the Mango Canal, which connects to Six Mile Creek.

With regards to flooding, the models show the buildings and properties to be out of the building and properties proper to be out of the hundred and five hundred year floodplains.

The canal, of course, which some of it sits on our property, shows hundred-year floodplains.

And if you look over at the right on the storm surge, the storm surge has the creek being primarily in evacuation zone C and a touch on B.

I note this because the hotel is proper, is really in zones DE, which is the exact similar situation with PSOC.

So we are comfortable that this property would have to receive a storm surge of over 22 feet before an issue.

And as a reference mark, Helene, I think was seven feet of storm search.

So and lastly, I note we have an opportunity with the close proximity to consider dedicated fiber connections between PSOC and the hotel for secure networks.

Bringing it home.

So with regards to the P3 and next steps, this is a qualifying project with the purpose being emergency management.

Today's presentation is a duly noticed public meeting.

I will note the statute requires a meeting, not a hearing.

What we are asking today is to come back in short order with the public interest determination statement, the public comment that we will receive at the next meeting, and a proposed final agreement.

The requirements of the public determination you can read in the statute, but really most of it I've covered today.

Given the unique requirements of the type of hotel, proximity to PSOC, we are using the public determination option and not a public bidding process.

We would also ask for funding of the $7.5 million.

Four million would come from the existing PSOC renovation project, as I stated.

It wasn't enough really to do what we want to do, so we do have funding there available.

But lastly, we do and would plan on requesting three and a half million from construction reserves.

And so in closing, I'll just note that should you approve this item today, specifically you've received this presentation, but items B and C is that we're determining this to be a qualifying project and authoring us authorizing us to take the next steps to come to do the public determination and bring back the negotiated proposal.

We're here for any questions.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh uh, thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I like to see if the chief want to say something before I may comment.

Chief Daughtery.

Thank you, Commissioner, and good morning, all commissioners.

Uh I just want to thank our county administrator and deputy county administrator and uh John and the other folks that worked on this.

I can tell you this is something we've been looking at the 10 year for the past 10 years on how we can uh better serve not our just our community but the folks that serve the community.

And uh two years ago, many of y'all were there at the uh Peace Hog when we endured the three storms back to back to back, and we have to do something to provide better for our folks that are serving the community.

We were sleeping in offices on floors in different places.

This is the uh a great opportunity that I think uh does keep the taxpayers' interest in uh mind and uh will help save the county money, but it's something much needed, so I appreciate everybody that um has worked on this project and uh presented this to you all today, and uh hopefully you can support this moving forward.

Thank you.

And thank you, Chief.

Um, between you and John, you all kind of highlighted all my comments.

So um, but this is a win-win for our county, so I'm gonna move to approve um item B1 as presented to us.

So we got a motion uh to approve Commissioner Myers and Commissioner Miller.

Uh Commissioner Bowles.

John, just came to me, and I would have asked you this prior to this.

Uh with us owning the land, if there's a liability issue, or who's gonna be responsible for injury, death, anything like that.

Is it because if we own the land and they own, yeah, we essentially own the property, not the building.

Do you want to answer?

Oh like uh attorney Delfino answer.

Good morning, Commissioners Jared Delfino, assistant county attorney.

Liability would be uh on the ground lease tenant, so they would be responsible for any and all liabilities that would occur on the premises.

So, you know, we have the deeper pockets, presumably, and so there would be we also have uh immunity under the statutes uh sovereign immunity, so our if there was any liability, it would be kept under statute.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Wolstrel.

Thank you.

What's the total property tax abatement for the period?

This 30-year period.

So we intend for the taxes to continue.

Am I answering your question?

Well, if if we're gonna own the land, that means they're abated from some portion of property taxes, right?

Uh no, we're in the what we're going to do, Commissioners for the ground, the ground lease portion, we estimate it just say 10 percent, but we intend to put after we're consulting with the property appraiser, um, they may or may not make that determination, that's unknown.

But what we'll do to protect ourselves for that 10 percent is we're gonna put in our agreement the uh pilot, the payment in lieu of taxes.

So we'll we intend to get the that ground lease portion regardless.

Okay, and is there gonna be any type of credit to the county for years that you don't have to use these rooms?

Not not at this point, that wasn't part of the proposal structure.

So, but I think we'll take a look at that in the financial analysis.

On the other hand, the risk looking at from the operators' side is as far as I read our deal, it the declared disaster emergency could be unlimited as well.

And so if you look at my presentation, um we had done an estimate of a thousand room nights, which is roughly along with the thousand room nights that we get back.

So if if we use a thousand room nights a year for emergency, we're also getting a thousand room nights at half rate to generate revenue back.

So we're trying to wash that.

Okay.

And this will only be applicable when the um county administrator declares a state of emergency, right?

Uh, right now it's during a declared emergency event.

All right, thank you.

Okay, I don't see anyone else in the queue.

We have a motion.

Uh Commissioner Myers and Commissioner Miller.

Uh, please accord your vote.

Motion carry with seven to zero.

Thanks, John.

Thanks, Chief.

Thank you very much.

Bonnie.

Thank you.

Um, we have time still.

So item B2 is our um executing our agreements with the construction firms regarding the CDBGDR program for the single family housing program.

This is to repair or reconstruct approved applicant storm damaged homes.

And Rob Hendrickson will take us through this item.

Audrey Ziegler is here and our consultants if needed.

Uh good morning, Rob Hendrickson.

Management and budget and rebuilding for tomorrow, CDBGDR uh program manager.

Um the purpose of this item is to bring uh the construction firm's Ducky Recovery and Dynamic Group under contract to repair and rebuild homes for our program, our single family housing program, for which in the last month month we've already received uh just shy of a thousand applications.

Our HUD approved action plan, if you recall, allocates 211 million dollars to this program, of what of which we anticipate spending 165 million on repairs and reconstructions, which will get us to approximately seven to eight hundred um repairs and reconstructions together.

And we're looking at that mix as we go forward.

The reason each of these contracts is set at 90 million, which of course totals more than 165, is because we've built in flexibility to provide more work to either of the two firms, either based on capacity or performance, which we will closely monitor.

The second part of this agenda item uh refers to the delegation of authority, and we know that the board shares our objective to help homeowners as quickly as possible.

For that reason, the agenda item asks for the board's approval to delegate the approval of change orders to the county administrator and by extension to our capable housing lead, Audrey Ziegler.

Lastly, note that authorizing our team to approve change orders will not change the fact that these contracts are bound by line item pricing, that we must still operate within the allocated HUD approved budget, and that any contract modifications would be brought back to you for approval.

I'm available for any questions.

Thank you.

Commissioner Wolstall.

Um after we selected this, I asked both organizations when did they expect to be able to start swinging hammers?

And both of them predicted sometime in the middle of next year.

So when you guys came back and predicted August, I was surprised and confirmed that they were also surprised.

So whatever you and Director Ziegler did should probably be shared with other people and other jurisdictions because in my in my findings, no one has moved this quick after approval to get to actually swinging hammers.

So I'll move for approval.

Second.

Okay, we got a motion to approve uh Commissioner Wilson, second Commissioner Myers.

Please record your vote on B2.

Motion carried seven to zero.

Thank you.

D three.

Thank you.

Our next item is item B three.

This is to execute agreements with the three highest ranked firms for emergency debris management services for the Solid Waste Department.

Scott Stromer will take us through this item.

Good morning, Scott Stromer, Director of Procurement.

Um asking the board to approve and execute five agreements, five-year agreements with the three highest ranked firms for disaster debris management services.

Creditor Gold Joint Venture Incorporated for zone one, series environmental services for zone two, Phillips Environmental LLC for zone three.

The estimated total expenditure for the contract term based on historical usage and the best guess is about 125 million dollars.

All three of the recommended firms are highly qualified and experienced.

All three were fully engaged in 2024 to help with the extraordinary successful cleanup of the debris caused by uh hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Prior to 2017, the best I recall, we only had one contractor uh for debris management.

In 2017, the county went to two contractors, splitting the county into two distinct areas.

The current solicitation calls for the award of three contractors, splitting the county into three distinct areas to improve readiness, including the ability for the award of contractors to also assist in the other zones if needed.

The current solicitation also included updated federal clauses and requirements, language pertaining to the county's disadvantaged business enterprise requirements, which was replaced with the new small business encouragement requirements.

And the current solicitation also included significant updates in addition to the pay items and services to better align with FEMA's latest recommendations and requirements, all of which are required and/or aimed at ensuring maximum federal reimbursement.

The procurement process, evaluation, and recommendation also fully complies with the applicable code of federal regulations procurement standards, which is also required for federal reimbursement.

Because of the deferment from the last meeting upon board approval, the agreements will be changed to reflect the term beginning on the data board approval and continue through June 30, 2031, prior to execution by the board chair.

With that, I recommend approval.

All right, thanks, Scott.

Uh, Commissioner Bowles.

Can you describe why we're moving away from the proven model that we used with the four versus the three?

Is it to align with the current waste management pickup zones?

Or because I don't want to go backwards in my point of view that we provided absolutely excellent service to the citizens of Hillsborough County with the four zone model.

And since primarily this is kind of um reimbursed at some point sometime, maybe not 100% by federal governments.

I don't want to be get hung up on low bid options where we're kind of putting aside safety, security, and comfort of our citizens to save a buck that we're going to get back in the end.

Okay.

So the county for years only had one.

Beginning in 2017, we had two, which has continued for the last nine years.

Um in the latest iteration, public works has asked for three, and that was prior to 24 to make sure we were good to go.

Um that solicitation was still a limbo, it was under protest, so it was still kind of in in flux.

So we had two for so 24, so everybody understands we had two contractors at the time.

Because of the way the storms were coming in, we already had debris from the first storm.

So we had to make a very quick decision to quickly grab the resources were available, which were the other two firms.

And the only way I could do that is because I already had a solicitation.

I had an RFP, I had all the pricing, so it was going to meet the FEMA requirements for competition.

So I just asked those other two that submitted if they would be willing to come in and provide the service.

And so they did.

So we did an emergency with them with those two, but we already had two under contract.

Um as for why three are specified, I'll have to defer to public works on why they thought that was going to be the best thing.

I mean, I can just say just from a logistics, the more firms you get, the more it is to manage.

And the more firms we grab, certainly with the statutes, uh, with them changing that there may be penalties if you don't show up.

Once we capture those firms, it may impact other cities and counties using that same resource.

So if we have four, the they can only do so much.

So uh but for why the three, I'd have to defer to public works on what the rationale was.

Okay, thank you.

And I understand, but we had four, worked out pretty darn good.

We had eight years of debris, millions of cubic yards of debris picked up in three or four months.

Uh, I think that going backwards is a mistake.

Um, and again, in my personal opinion.

Uh and I and I do thank you for your uh comments um to that.

I actually I can make a motion, Mr.

Chair, yeah, if it's in order.

Um I move that the board directs staff to evaluate options to enhance the county's current disaster debris management model by maintaining a fourth debris removal provider and corresponding fourth operational zone in recognition of the operational benefits associated with increased capacity redundancy and post-storm response flexibility.

If staff at some point or legal counsel should determine that legal, I see you moving toward your microphone there, that this procurement or contractual constraints prevent modification of the current solicitation at this stage of the process.

I further move that staff returned to the board with options to extend the existing contracts for up to one additional year and reissue or amend the solicitation to allow for four three removal providers and four operational zones.

Julia Bonnie, can you get on that?

Um, yes.

Um, this particular solicitation only in by its terms called for three um uh uh vendors.

So we would have to re-bid the entire thing to bring in a fourth vendor, which is uh which is possible, I I believe, Scott, for us to do, and I think that the um what would need to occur is if we went ahead rejected um the all of the bids now and re did a new solicitation, then there's existing contracts that would need to come back as soon as possible to be able to continue service through the this hurricane season.

All right, so do you recommend that Commissioner Ball amends his motion or to save a step or is are we fine with what's on the floor?

Well, with what he's put on the floor is fine, just know that step part one cannot be accomplished, so it would have to be part two.

So whether or not he wants to amend it or not, I'll leave to him if it stands, okay.

I'm fine either way.

I if we can't do it, I I just figured since there was a backup already provided that there was a possibility of just adding it because I'm not sure what the metric or what standard hits, and I know you probably can't answer this question.

It would be uh, you know public works or whoever it is that would make that decision at what point, but if we had that opportunity to do that at some point in the future, why couldn't we do it now?

But if that's the case and the easiest path forward is just to extend the contract for a year and then come back with an RFP that provides the four zones and maintain the standard that we've the excellent standard that was put forward in this last then I think we're at this point.

My my recommendation is to to go with the second part of your motion, but certainly with with both parts of your motion being in play, we can have further conversations.

But I believe the most appropriate thing to do would be to just go ahead and rebid.

But but we can we can talk about that in uh with the administration and figure out the best path forward.

Okay, okay.

We've got a motion, Commissioner Bowles, second commissioner Miller, uh Commissioner Wolsto.

Well, uh it doesn't look like anyone's gonna cue to oppose it, but just to reinforce your point is that Ms.

Director Guthrie from the Florida DEM came in here and praised the county.

And I would argue that pre-planning for the four this time, and instead of reacting with an emergency bid would allow those organizations to be prepared to have those resources on hand ahead of time instead of surprised.

So I I wouldn't want to do anything that goes backwards, like you said, away from all of the praise that the county got um during Hurricane Milton, which to be clear, I hope we don't have to utilize um these four organizations.

So I'll be supportive.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, I asked this question in my briefing, but just for the benefit of the public, can you confirm that there's not going to be any gap in services?

Should we have something unexpected happen in the next few weeks?

Um there could be.

I mean, there could be.

The only thing I just want to point out that remember that the previous agreement only has two.

We have the ability to do three now.

We can have those in place, and we can redo that.

We'll give public works, have them take a look at those requirements to go to the four, but at least if we can use the existing contracts for this season, there won't be a gap.

And we can continue on.

But I just I mean, I I appreciate that we want to have as many, but going back to two would be somewhat it it may hurt a little bit.

And those are 2017 contracts that have really kind of outdated terms and conditions when it comes to federal reimbursement.

So I just want to make sure, and there's the pay items on there too, are quite quite a bit more brief than the more comprehensive one that we have now that's completely been updated.

So in and the motion on the floor is to come back next year.

You could come back sooner than that, though, correct?

Sure.

Okay.

But it'd be a good idea.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, it'd be nice to have these in place, you know, through the hurricane season this year, and then we we we can start working with public works right now to get that solicitation on the street.

Right.

I I hear you it doesn't appear to be the pleasure of the board, they seem to be moving forward with this, but thank you very much.

Commissioner Myers.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would support the the three that we currently have.

You know, um, as a former county employee, you know, once we do our bid solicitation, and we come to the board of asking the board to go ahead and vote, and then we get someone that wants to make a call to commissioners to change because they're not in the loop or they wasn't a part of the bid.

Well, that's unfair to all those who have taken the time to meet all the qualifications of the county in the specification document.

And that's what it appears again today.

Um, so I would not be supporting this.

I think we have three.

I I do believe in adding more, but to add more later, we're already in the hurricane season right now.

You know, anything can pop up.

We at least have three that can go out and pick up all of the breed we had so much uh during the last two hurricanes that hit us back to back.

And so I I just believe in what staff has put together and presented to this board in a way of solicitation, and everyone had the opportunity to do bid and did not make the cut.

So I will support what staff has presented.

Thank you.

Commissioner Bowles.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um I'm not sure about phone calls or whatnot, but the idea is not to go backwards from a model that seemed to be an excellent resource that we used in this last process cleaning up debris.

I know you're saying that we have three contract a contract for two.

Whatever we did to get the four, that's what needs to extend forward.

That's that's what I want to happen.

What extend that contract?

And as far as the other of again, low bid, because when we go back to 24, when the I want to say the protest, I believe it was the end of 24 that there was a protest, and I brought up the idea that we were gonna, I want to say was somewhere around seven dollars a cubic yard.

And again, to me, doing that when the next one was at eleven, and now in this last bid, and I don't understand how anybody can save 22 million or 20-something million dollars in today's economy when everything from November to today certainly is a lot more.

You can ask anybody in this audience and anybody sitting at this board if they're not paying more at the gas pump, no one's getting anything less.

So that being the case, at the very least, we need to have keep the same model that provides the same level of service that we gave to our citizens out there, and it was excellent.

And from that point, you know, going backwards to three, going to two is a step in the wrong direction.

Thank you.

All right, we got a motion, Commissioner Bowles and Commissioner Merlot.

And I'm just gonna say years ago on the commission that fought to have two uh vendors, so I certainly support moving forward in this direction.

Um second, please record your vote motion carried six to one.

Commissioner Myers voted no.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Bonnie got a first time certain.

Yes, our first time certain is uh 10 o'clock.

It is item D1.

This is a public hearing relating to the senior citizen discount for solid waste non-advalorum disposal assessment.

And Hank Ennis from the County Attorney's Office will take us through this public hearing.

This is a public hearing.

Right, thank you.

This is a public hearing, one individual is signed up to speak, Denise Herndon.

Good morning.

Good morning, I'm Denise Herndon.

Since I get this discount because I'm low income, at the town hall meeting last month, there was a woman that had her home damaged a lot.

Well, then she's not an occupant of it.

So I'm wondering: is this occupant meaning that they don't own the home anymore, or what is it?

Because some people are still waiting to have their home repaired.

My home's up on stilts.

We're gonna have to have more than a 22 um foot storm surge to flood my home.

My neighbors around, it's a different story.

I've been blessed and thank God this commission had gotten together with public works to remove the swell that was over the now right-of-way that shearing Kenny supposedly owns, and I know Gene Munger, the man that that lives on the west side of me had something to do with putting that swell there, and if it was not removed, his house would have been flooded because he's not up as high as I am, because the majority of the water that that swell was diverting to his property.

I had it going to in between our homes because we live on a lake and it's in between the homes, and it just goes to the water.

I've never seen so much water come up in the almost 27 years I've been in this home as it did with the last storm.

And I believe somebody was pumping water because for three days we still had water coming.

I had water pooling on my property.

But going back to the I don't do social media or anything, and I don't get to voice my opinion on too many things, but concerning this discount, there's people around my lake that have split up property.

This is just in my area.

How many other places where properties are split up and they're not paying any non-advalorum garbage in collection?

There's a problem with that.

So the only issues that I have is occupancy.

Is it because it's damaged during storm?

We haven't had that many since we've been here in um Hillsborough County since 92.

Um, and this is supposed to be a low season this year.

So thank you.

All right, thank you.

That closes public comment.

Uh Commissioner Bowles.

Thank you.

I I want to thank staff actually for kind of uh acquiescing to some of my requests with the changes in the ordinance, also with solid waste and coordinating with uh the clerk's office on enhancing their systems.

And uh actually, I'll address Ms.

Herndon's concern.

One of the changes that I asked was that when the sale of a property occurred at the property appraiser's office, not when there was an occupancy change, but when there was a sale that that would then transfer and revert back to the um away from the discount, and that wasn't actually captured in the ordinance.

And I think with the enhanced changes that uh we're seeing here at the county and our coordination with the clerk's office, some of that we talked about with the API uh and some other enhancements with the two systems talking to each other.

Uh and if you got if you all recall, last year it was identified that there was a problem with this with our auditor, and recently they identified almost as much as $650,000 or more in being captured with this change.

So in lost advalorum dollars that will now be recovered.

So that in itself kind of demonstrates the importance of you know this ordinance and getting it passed through.

So again, thank you, staff, and uh certainly to Victor Christ as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Sure, we'd like to make a motion.

Motion to adopt.

Second.

Commissioner Bowl, second Commissioner Wolstall.

Please record your vote.

The motion carried 70.

D2.

D two is also a public hearing sticking with solid waste.

This one is for the annual solid waste assessments for rates, fees, and charges, and for the collection roles.

Uh, George Cassidy will begin this presentation and then Damian Trammel will take it from there.

It is on.

Uh good morning, George Cassidy, public utilities.

Uh, this item is a public hearing to consider solid waste rates for the fiscal year 27 uh uh for the department.

And so um as we've been looking at this and preparing for this, um, I was reflecting on the journey uh that the Solid Waste Department has taken over the last couple of years, and I thought it was fair and it was important to share a few things with you.

So dating back about um 2018-2019, we were winding down a series of contracts for collection at that point in time.

Um couple of the contractors that we had on board were struggling financially, and what we found at that point in time was that struggling financially to do a service ends up hurting the service.

Um, and and our services suffered to our community.

Uh I will tell you right now that our phones rang nonstop with uh customers upset that we'll miss pickups, uh, that we weren't doing what we were supposed to be doing.

As those contracts wound down, uh we started envisioning a new scope of services uh for the current contracts.

We were given direction by the board to put assurances in the new contract that we would have reliability in the equipment, that we would have assurances that there were adequate resources, that if a truck went down, there was another truck available to continue the services, and so we did that.

Um so we've got equipment reliability, we got uh additional resources, and one very important feature in the contracts that we have today is uh something to insulate the contractors against inflationary impacts.

It's a CPI index, so it's a consumer price index that's posted.

We apply that annually to keep them whole and their business model so that we continue to have high levels of service.

The rate plan that we're proposing for you today is simply uh those embedded CPI indexes in the contracts that we have for collections and also for disposal.

Um Damien is gonna come up and share a little bit more detail on the SOLID waste program as well as how these um uh index are applied.

Um, and at the end, it is really a focus on keeping these contracts whole to maintain the services that we're enjoying.

So thank you very much, Damian.

Good morning, Commissioner's Damian Trammell, Solid Waste Management Department Director.

Item D2 is a public hearing to adopt the annual SOLW waste assessment, fees, rates, and charges.

Next slide.

During the May 6th board meeting, I present an overview of the Solid Waste system.

I will again briefly provide an overview of our system with the recommendation at the conclusion of the presentation.

Our goal is to ensure adequate disposal capacity for both current and future residents while improving our collection and disposal system with a focus on public health and safety.

Next slide.

And we also provide collection services to 20,000 commercial businesses.

Next slide.

Next slide.

The system processes more than 1.2 million tons of waste annually.

Approximately 41% is processed at the resource recovery facility, which is operating at design capacity.

Another 43% is disposed of at the landfill, and approximately 16% of the remaining waste is being recycled.

Next slide.

Customers receive two annual assessments on their property tax bill.

The disposal assessment and the collection assessment.

Next slide.

In physical year 2027, the SOLWAI system will experience increased operating costs driven primarily by the consumer price index adjustments provisions included within our service contracts.

Joe's Cassidy, assistant county administrator, provide a clear overview of our challenges and their underlying causes.

I will just highlight a few more to his opening statement.

Approximately 70 to 80 percent of the services provided by the county solid system are delivered by contracts awarded through competitive procurement.

Most of these contracts include consumer price adjustments, calls that allow for annual modifications based on inflationary increases in labor, fuel, equipment, maintenance, and other operating expenses.

The importance of the consumer price index provisions cannot be overstated.

Several years ago, Gillsworth County, at George Cassidy mentioned, experienced significant service disruptions when residential solar waste collection was interrupted for weeks at a time.

It was one of the most challenging times that I can recall in Solid Waste history.

The consumer price index clauses help mitigate that risk of similar disruptions by allowing contracts to keep pace with legitimate increases in operating costs.

Today, the county provides curbside collection services to over 327,000 customers throughout Hillsburg County.

The three franchise collectors are Republic Service of Florida, Waste Management of Tampa, and FCC Environmental Services.

Totaling approximately 1.2 million services weekly.

All three contracts will expire in 2030.

Each of these contracts contain annual consumer price index provisions designed to account for inflationary increases in operating costs.

Also, the county's disposal and processing service agreements include consumer price-based adjustments.

This includes the agreement with Reworld for the operation of our resource recovery facility, the agreement with waste management for the operation of our landfill, and several other related operational and service contracts throughout the system.

While the consumer price index adjustments contribute to increased cost within the system, they play a vital role in maintaining reliable service delivery and ensuring that the county can continue to provide essential solid waste services to our residents efficiently and effectively.

Next slide.

Last year, we forecasted a rate plan that projected a 6.5% rate increase for fiscal year 2027.

We were successful with reducing our operating expenses, which allowed us to lower our proposed rate increase by 2.2 percent, bringing it down to 4.3 percent.

Of the proposed 4.3 percent rate increase, 2.4 percent will fund the annual cost increases from residential collection service contracts.

1.9% will help cover other contractual disposal cost increases as well as ongoing system maintenance.

Next slide.

We offer for consideration a rate increase of 4.3% for the residential assessment in physical year 2027.

If approved, this change will result in an annual increase of $22, which is approximately $1.83 per month of the proposed $22 annual increase.

$12.09 will be allocated towards our residential collection service contracts, and $9.91 will help support our contractual disposal cost increases as well as ongoing system maintenance.

Next slide.

First, the board approved the construction of a renewable natural gas plant at our landfill.

This project will generate revenue at no cost to the county for the foreseeable future.

The second, the board approved the construction of a new recycling facility.

This project is expected to reduce our recycling costs by a minimum of 30%.

And finally, we are reorganizing our roll car program by internalizing a portion of the operation to reduce overall costs.

Both the renewable natural gas plant and the recycling facility are expected to be in operation in 2028.

The additional revenues and cost savings generated by these projects will begin to be reflected starting in 2029, helping to mitigate future rate increases.

This will conclude my presentation.

Written notices were mailed to over 327,000 homeowners.

Thank you, board.

All right, thank you.

Uh this public hearing, two individuals have signed up to speak.

Paula Maves, who's virtual, and then Denise Herndon.

Is Paula on the line?

Yeah.

Good morning.

My name is Paula May, and I just have a couple of questions, and I hope somebody can answer them.

Um well, actually one now.

So when things drop down, like gas prices or whatever, are we gonna see a drop in the cost for what we have to pay?

And also rather than picking garbage up twice a week, why don't we consider taking it just once a week?

Would that help to drop down prices?

I realize the increase isn't that much.

However, a little bit every year.

My property taxes are outrageous.

You know, include in it, you know, I have a lot of theater assessments, but they have a CDD on there too, which I wish I didn't have, but besides that, you know, every little bit, especially for individuals who are on fixed income, and you know, I am talking, you know, countywide.

Those individuals that are in fixed income, you know, every little bit causes them more stress and anxiety.

And I'm just looking out for the county as a whole and just wondering, you know, when things are gonna drop, are they gonna drop when the you know recycling places come up?

You know, are you gonna be dropping these assessments or are you just gonna mitigate the increase part of it and not look back to drop the prices?

That's my biggest question.

All right, thank you.

We'll uh we'll address your your questions during our board discussion.

Uh sec uh second speaker, Denise Herndon.

Thank you.

I'm Denise Herndon, and I'm so blessed to be living in the situation that I'm living in, but most people that would see it thinks that how can she live like that?

And I've had few of my neighbors say that, but God has allowed me to deal with things that I never thought I would be dealing with.

Our sanitation is one of the most important parts of keeping us healthy.

And if we don't have the sanitation, it's not just the services that these increases need to come up, it's the landfills because people are just disposable society.

They don't need it, they just dispose of it.

Even though that I'm paying for it, even with my discount because I don't drive.

And I made up an acronym Reeb, really evil, evil B word.

And I have it written on my house.

I have a few reebes that live around me.

You don't have to be involved in the dark web to do this.

But Shirlene Hammond has hacked into the Hillsborough County Records, hospital records, she's got doctors on her staff that do things that had imprisoned me for 14 days under a Baker Act.

And then I have De White thinking I should have be Marchman Act for what?

But going back, I'm getting way off of the subject here, going back to the um garbage increases.

We do need this, and whether we get it um cutting the services down, we still have to have a place to put that with so many um Airbnbs.

Thank God, one of them that's near my home, they would have seven cans out continuously.

They would never bring them in.

And how many other homes around Hillsborough County that have these Airbnbs that put so much trash out that the homeowners don't even use?

Um not only that, but what's left around the area, we need this increase, even though I don't get it.

What I think we need to do is make sure that everybody that is supposed to be paying it is paying it.

And I see just in my little neighborhood that there are some that aren't paying it.

And thank you.

All right, that closes uh public comment.

Uh, before we go into board discussion, Bonnie, can you or staff or someone address the one individual's questions?

I know she mentioned if once a week was consider was considered, and I'm not sure what her other thing is.

Yeah, so maybe when uh George did his little history, that was considered when we were going out for the contracts in 2018-2019, and the public and the board overwhelmingly supported keeping that the two days a week because the amount that was saved was really pretty minimal.

However, as we go to the next series of contracts as we go into 2030, and I guess so we will start that a few years prior.

It's always something good to look at to see what the value would be at that time.

No, I and I vividly recall those discussions, and we had the I think it was 111, 211, the different numbers, and so but they we clearly considered that, and that's the what what I recall as well is that the savings that wasn't that significant.

Okay, uh Commissioner Bowles.

Uh Director Chammell, can you?

Damien on one of your slides, sir.

I don't know if you have those in front of you.

You showed a savings uh and uh a cost difference from where earlier this year or when this was first brought up that you have actually showed a difference in that we're actually have a savings that we were a higher rate.

Now we're at a lower rate.

It was a dollar forty-seven or something.

Are you referring to the forecast to rate?

Exactly.

Yes.

Okay, and so my point is is that in kind of addressing uh again what the the virtual speaker was speaking about.

We're always looking for ways to save money.

We're not here just trying to get as uh much money out of everybody as possible, and that when this first was approached to it or brought to us, the rate was higher.

Now we're actually through your cost savings and looking at ways to do that.

We've actually we're able to lower that rate.

That is that's correct, Commissioner Yes, yes, well, thank you.

Uh what um yeah, so there was an actual 2.2 percent decrease in error.

That's correct.

Yes, it was thank you, whoever put that up there.

Okay, so um but thank you very much.

I just want to kind of kind of uh solidify that.

We're always looking for ways to to lower those costs if possible.

Yes, sir, that's credit.

Thank you.

Yes, Commissioner Cohen.

Thank you very much.

Um, you know, there's no question that when we make and consider issues like this, we have to think about affordability in our society and the fact that people really are struggling with the increasing cost of food and gas and insurance and all of the things that that drive the cost of living.

But in this particular case, I was here six years ago, uh, Commissioner Myers and Hagen were too, and we got the calls in our office about the service.

And one of the things that really stuck out to me when we went to negotiate the contracts that were in now was how important it was to pay the people that do this work a living wage.

This is really hard work.

It's gonna get very hot out there in the summer.

And if you don't pay people appropriately to do it, they won't do it.

And we will end up having a degradation in service.

And you know, part of the reason that people wanted the pickup twice a week was because when the garbage sits for for long time during the summer, it it starts to smell.

And it uh it it the amount of garbage that's produced uh is gonna be the same regardless of whether the pickup is once or twice a week.

So the trucks will just fill up twice as fast if they're taking twice the amount.

So for all of those reasons, I want to move this forward.

Uh we recognize it is uh I think a dollar eighty-six a month.

It is a relatively modest increase, but we've competitively bid these contracts based on the the wages that have to be paid to get this work done, and we're obligated to this uh whether whether we like it or not at this point, and I think that the staff and everyone has done a great job of trying to minimize the increase as much as possible.

I know you've looked for savings under every couch cushion that you can find, but this is just the cost of of getting this done and making sure that it gets done in a way that is satisfactory to our citizens, and they feel that they're getting what they pay for.

Second.

Can we have a motion, Commissioner Cohen, second Commissioner Myers?

Uh, Commissioner Wolstell.

Mr.

Damien, how much of this assessment is going to be used for improvement of your facilities?

The there is a there's about a 1.3 million dollars will be used to uh to improve the not necessarily improve the facilities to to make sure that there's uh money set aside for repairs and other areas to um regarding the system.

And is any of this being used for new facility?

No, it's not, sir.

No.

This is purely for operations.

Yes, correct.

Yes.

Okay.

Did you happen to take the time or was there any consideration of what the reduction in rate would be if we um contracted the service area outside of only being or inside of only being inside the current urban service area where we provide utilities?

Sir, we look that that and we have not finished the evaluation as we have, but we we are in the process of looking at that.

Yes.

Okay, yes.

Well, you're great at your job.

I just want to reassure you that.

Thank you.

Yeah, thank you.

Okay.

I don't see what else in the queue.

We've got a motion, uh, Commissioner Cohen signed Commissioner Myers.

And I just one quick comment.

I want to echo what uh Commissioner Cohen referenced, um, particularly regarding the level of complaints that we received back then.

It was extreme.

I mean, it was it was non-stop.

And not to say we never receive complaints now.

I know we do, but it is truly minor compared to the what what we used to get years ago.

So um just want to point that out.

Okay, we got a motion or a second.

Uh please record your vote.

The motion carried four to three.

Commissioner Miller, Cameron Sopaya, and we'll also vote in no.

Okay.

Bonnie, next item.

Next item is uh 1015 times certain.

This is item F3.

This is to receive a presentation from the HCSO regarding fence regulations and challenges they are facing.

Commissioner Miller, this is your item.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you very much.

It was brought to um my it was brought to my attention um actually before I was even a commissioner um about some of the safety issues around fencing and um Hillsburg County Sheriff's Office is gonna give us a presentation this morning on it.

We have coming to the podium, Master Deputy Eric Johnson and Deputy Brad Jones.

First of all, good morning, everybody.

I gotta say this first time I've been here with y'all.

I've watched you on TV, but I ain't never been in here but with y'all.

So it's kind of impressive.

Uh thank you for allowing the sheriff's officer to be here tomorrow and to present something that's very important to us uh on behalf of the sheriff and the office.

Uh on behalf of the sheriff and the office, thank you for everything y'all have done for us in the past.

Uh bringing today a power point, and this is a general power point that we've shown around uh to different uh industries and communities so far before we get to here, and our attorneys have already perused this and gave their blessing for it too.

One organization that the blessing was given by this was the uh Hillsburg County Cattlemen's Association.

So the people that are in the industry have already gave the blessing for this to move forward on their behalf with what the issues we're facing.

Uh go ahead and give me another slide.

Who's my who's my IT person?

Who's click?

Who's doing the clicking?

Are you the clicking?

Huh?

Okay, it's interesting.

Looks like you're kicking your clicking, sir.

I got McClicky right here now.

All right, just to do some real quick introductions.

I move around a lot, y'all, so I apologize.

Uh, real quick introduction that we have in the room right now.

If you look in the back, I've got our Sergeant Sergeant Hearsell, we got Lieutenant Enos, we've got Captain Decovo in there in there.

You already know these over here.

They're here all the time.

Uh, but this is the direct folks we work for in uh homeland security.

Homeland Security is the division under the sheriff's office and under that Homeland Security Division is the agricultural crimes unit.

A lot of people don't realize that we have an agricultural crimes unit.

Agriculture is still a huge industry for Hillsbury County.

I wish it would move forward, and with y'all help, we might be able to make it a better industry.

All right.

Go ahead.

The current fence law that what everybody operates underneath in the state of Florida right now was signed into place in 1949.

It has not been touched, addressed, or even looked at as far as I know since 1949.

To the point of if you go all the way down, it'll say any fence or enclosure with at least three feet in height and made of barbed or soft wire consisting of not less than three strands.

All right.

I don't know how many folks that sit on the commission here have animals, been around animals, but three foot is only about yay high, and a horse and a cow ain't gonna pay much mind to that.

Okay.

Back in 1949, it was free range.

Mr.

Oakley, Mr.

Likes Brothers, and all them had cows wandering all over the state of Florida.

It was put in place for a reason for public safety.

The state law is there, but it's very hard for us to enforce.

And I'll get to that why it's hard to enforce in a minute, but show you how this has been put back on the back burner for so long.

The bottom part said is to prevent the intrusion of swine, where the running of large uh running at large of swine is not prohibited by law.

Tells you how long.

So apparently back in the day, you can just let your hog run wherever it wants to, and nobody can say nothing about it.

We don't do that anymore.

We need to update something.

It's hard to change it at a state level.

We've tried, so I'm asking the commission to work with us at the at the county level.

Next slide.

All right, this is just a little, I had to put pictures in it for other folks, so just bear with me.

But that's uh Osceola County was first county to put bob wire up in Hillsborough County.

But even back in the 20s, which I wasn't around, you got cars versus cow.

All right, go ahead.

All right.

To the point of what I read to you of state statute.

If you look real close in these photos, all three of these photos meet state statute as of an existing probable fence.

As you can see, the center one is just what sticks they could pick up, but there is some wire in there, so it meets statute.

The other ones was just let's just pull it up where we can.

What I'm getting at, folks, is that the three strand is not enough to contain, but I'm not here to tell you what a fence is.

Ain't my place to do that.

It ain't my place to tell you the recipe, what keeps what in.

Only thing we're arguing and won't stop is what the definition of containment is, and that's very easy.

It stays on your place, you don't see us.

If it stays on your place, and I'm talking about horses, cows, whatever.

Livestock in general, not puppy dogs and kitty cats.

Livestock.

If it stays on your property with the containment that you have, you will never see us, you will never be an issue for us.

But it's when these animals are continuously getting out, and we have no teeth to do anything about it.

All right.

Next slide.

Another picture of the same uh a couple of different pieces of properties.

This fellow here, he decided to use tie straps to hold his fence up on Tico Pole.

Folks, there's nothing I can do about it.

It meets state statute.

Next.

All right.

We all know the outcome of uh there's a lot of liability.

There's a lot of money than costs when cows meet the road.

All right.

Go ahead.

More examples, and these are more current photos.

I don't know anybody's background in here, but anything that stands taller than the hood of your car and you hit it, it's gonna roll up on top of the car.

It's not the cow's gonna win, the horse is gonna win.

Okay, and this proves what I'm speaking right here.

This is our intent.

Working for the sheriff's office for 25 years, my job is always to keep the public safe no matter what I'm doing.

My current position has me in the agricultural crimes unit.

I grew up in the industry, I have a strong passion for this.

I see catastrophic damage, injury to cars and people, but I also see a loss of industry laying on the ground beside that car.

So I'm looking at both sides of this.

Easiest way to fix this problem is containment.

Go ahead.

All right.

Just a little bit for you.

Our numbers were from uh two to excuse me, 2024, because it was the most current and accurate we had.

We started working on this about two years ago.

I contacted Commissioner Miller almost three years ago about this problem that we're having and hoping to address it, and she jumped right on board with it.

Whether you see the numbers we dealt with with loose animals or loose livestock calls, was uh 1,165 calls for 2024.

It has gone up.

Or why is going up?

Because a lot of people are thinking, well, there's so much development, we're losing all of our property.

The thing of it is we get a lot more hobby folks in now.

When I say hobby folks, they got through two acres, five acres, ten acres, and they're putting livestock on it.

So we're our cost for service is going up because the footprint of the pasture or such as is going down, but there's more people around that smaller footprint.

So we're getting more calls for service.

Go ahead.

All right, I'm not gonna bore you with a bunch of these, but if you've been anywhere in the county, you'll recognize some of these crawl streets.

All right, Turkey Creek and 60.

I know probably just about everybody's gone somewhere in the Polk County in Grady Land to go over there for some reason.

And you know where Turkey Creek and 60 is.

Turkey Creek and 60 is a very, very busy intersection.

All of your phosphate trucks run through there, school buses, everything you think of runs through that intersection.

At just that one intersection, we had 57 calls for service in 2024.

All right.

That is because of one individual that has livestock at that intersection.

If there was something we could have done to change it, we would have already.

But I need the help of y'all to get this ordinance passed so we can have a documented way of cumulatively working towards the state statute.

We have applied the state statute in the past, but the judges and everybody looks at it and goes, how many times?

Where is your warnings?

Where's the documentation?

Well, with the ordinance, I have that in place.

All right, go ahead.

And I'm not gonna bore you with a bunch of these because it's it's just repetitively the same concept.

You know, tur a cork and shepherd road, 40 calls for service, 4500 cars.

Go ahead.

78th Street in Falkenburg, y'all know where that is.

And that whole area used to be very, very agricultural back in the day.

Now it's more commercial and residential.

Go ahead.

Morris Bridge Road, uh, Pictorial Drive.

Of course, that's booming up there.

We all know that.

K Bar Ranch is gone.

All right.

Lithia Pinecrest, George Smith, same concept.

Go ahead.

Baileco Road and Bogart, 20 calls.

Go ahead.

And every time we've documented one of these as a particular person in that area that's just a repeat customer, just repeat customers, repick customer.

All right.

41 and old 41.

Yep.

So go ahead.

Just because I like colors and it just it was fancy in my eye.

This is a hot spot map for the whole county.

All right, because I'm not sure where each one of y'all have your districts at, but it might overlap and explain that this is a countywide problem.

Normal color, blue is cold, fire hot is hot, more calls for service.

Go ahead.

All right.

The current statutory definition of fencing does not enable us in law enforcement to address the problem posed by loose livestock due to insufficient or inadequate containment.

I don't like to use the word fencing because then it comes down to defining what's the definition of a fence.

I ain't gonna give it to you.

Because I don't care if you're containing a horse or you got a rhinoceros in there, it's your responsibility to keep it in.

So you won't hear the definition of fencing in my ordinance that we're proposing, just for that reason.

All right, because member state statute said three pieces of wire, three foot high is good enough on a 20-foot center.

Okay.

Go ahead.

Now I got fancy with the help of a bunch of people.

I tried to write the top part of it, and everybody said it turned out all right.

But this is my quasi loose wording of what the ordinance could be.

All right.

It shall be unlawful for any livestock or non-domesticated, non-domestic classified animal to run at large or stray within the limits of Hillsburg County.

And no owner or responsible persons, because that's the fancy little twist here, no owner or responsible person shall permit livestock, non-domestic classified animal to run at large or stray upon the public highways or lands other than persons said in county, but shall keep such livestock in non-domestic classified animal contained within the enclosure, which it is suitable and sufficiently fenced for the holding and keeping of the same.

All right.

A lot of mumal jumbo there, fancy words and stuff like that that says contain your livestock.

It's that simple.

And that's all we need help with is something that we can help them get to point across to contain it.

All right.

Rest of this, I'll leave it with you.

You can read the rest of it.

All right, go ahead.

All right.

If the the meaning of livestock, if people don't know what that is, it real non-domestic means any animal not defined as domestic animal.

Go down to domestic domestic dogs, cats, and I've seen code enforcement in here, didn't it?

Oh, you got it.

Good to see you.

Uh there's a the division that deals with those animals.

We don't deal with those animals.

Okay.

We're dealing strictly with livestock.

Whether people consider a cow a pet or cow for production or cow for consumption, it's still a livestock.

We dealing with the livestock proportion of it.

Go ahead.

All right.

We're we're looking for this.

We we went off of the old concept.

You remember the alarm fines from the the you had to owe the county if your alarm went off.

You you come out there, you got a warning the first time, the second time, then you started acquiring these little fines.

That's our concept of what we're doing with this ordinance.

You're gonna be educated the first time, two times, and we'll work with you.

We give you a lot of we give the people of Hillsburg County a lot of uh surplus and supplies.

We give them a fence post, we give them ball bar.

We are actually a lot of times about their fencing fixing their fence for that's what we do.

So we're not out here just to hammer somebody, but it seems that us our suggestions for all these years, decades of saying you need to fix your stuff, ain't working.

And I'm hoping that a dollar amount assigned to it is gonna get their attention and putting them on the ball to get their fences in order.

Okay, but that's essentially what it would in a nutshell it's gonna go from a fine, um excuse me, a warning 100, 200, 300.

But the good part of this is if we have that documentation with these fines, the warning the fines are going through our system, I can take that to court and say this person was given every opportunity before they caught or earned a criminal charge according to state statute.

So this is almost putting a buffer in there.

All right, go ahead.

And luckily for y'all, that's the end of it.

Okay.

Any question on this?

I know it throw a lot at y'all real quick, okay.

We we appreciate that uh presentation very much, and you're you're always welcome to come back in here, sir.

Uh Commissioner Miller, this is your item, but you want any follow-up before we open it up.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you for the entertainment, sir.

We appreciate it this morning.

Um I just want to say um thank you for bringing this information forward.

And I do want to um just clarify a few things because apparently there's a flyer out there that thinks I was on the commission in April of 2024, and I was not.

We had this conversation as fellow cattlemen, and I know how passionate you were about it, and that you had tried to take care of it the state level, and you looked at me and said, When you get elected, you're gonna help me with this, and it is my pleasure to help because I know that you and all of the folks that you work with, your goal is to keep people safe at the end of the day.

And um, my motion today is going to um not only accept this report but ask staff to work collaboratively with the Hillsburg County Sheriff's Office to evaluate potential ordinance amendments or co-changes um related to the regulations and enforcement and return to the board with recommendations for consideration at a future meeting.

Okay, we got a motion by Commissioner Miller sending Commissioner Collin.

Uh, Commissioner Wilson.

Thank you.

Good good job, Brad.

I I hope you were gonna wear your outfit from the clay shoot personally.

Uh I'm gonna ask the sheriff to require it in the final meeting.

Um, really briefly, we I'm happy to hear that the cattlemen's association already supports it.

We actually have an internal um county created agricultural development council.

They meet out there at FSGA in Dover.

So I I've talked to them and they would like to be included if you want to go and run it by them just to make sure there's no unintended consequences.

There's there's other there's other cattlemen in that that aren't active participants of the cattlemen's association, so that would probably be helpful.

And um, I remember when Hurricane Ian um came through.

I was down at Lonesome G Ranch helping them restring just a numerous amount of um feet footage of fence that had been wiped out, and they they had some cattle, some livestock go astray, and they were rounding them up, um, real life cowboys still here in Hillsborough, but we might want some type of grace period or exception, um, even though you're you're very thoughtful and wouldn't abuse this.

We want to make sure that maybe there's not a younger, more rambunctious um deputy in the future that that sees that sees it and holds them accountable and says, Hey, if a storm comes through, there's some type of protection for them.

So I know that you guys will handle all those ins and outs, but it's just some observations, and I'm sure this is gonna pass with no problem.

So good job, thank you.

Are you able to be point of contact or you, Christine, on that next meeting with the the council?

County staff will be in contact with you.

Okay, uh thank you.

Commissioner Bulls.

With this ordinance, it I support it.

And I was just but I a couple thoughts came to mind.

That's what I was over here whispering.

I wasn't talking about that outfit you were wearing at the shoot out there.

But uh that being uh the case, are you thinking this is a unincorporated or countywide or what I the reason I asked that question?

What about all those roosters and chickens that are roaming around Ybor City?

That's actually animal control.

Um I mean kind of tongue in cheek about it.

Yes, sir.

Uh our what we handle and what other entities handle within the county is very specific.

Yes, sir.

Uh, I would like to keep this countywide because believe it or not, we get calls in the city going, my neighbor has four horses tied to his front post right now in his yard, and I'm like, that's subdivision.

But we need to keep it as broad as we can because that way we as the agricultural crimes unit can come in there and deal with it or investigate or do what we need to be having restrictions within the county.

County lines are pretty good boundaries, and just let's leave it at the county line.

Yeah, I I kind of I want to along the same lines of uh what commissioner whistle is bringing up, but you whether it's a rambunctious deputy or police officer or neighbor going, hey Bob's chickens keep running out.

I want him to get a hundred dollar fine.

Well, and that there's the if we can get this implemented with y'all's help, then internally at the sheriff's office.

We will have our own protocol.

We'll have and it'll be presented, but the the teaching aspect of how we are going to handle this is going to be there.

And it's going to be a lot like the the alarm system.

Because like with lonesome G, we fully understand because I own cattle myself.

I run 300 acres of cattle here in Hillsbury, or 300 acres of cattle in Hillsborough County alone.

So I fully understand fence issues.

I know that we know act of God, act of nature, whatever you want to say, the drunk got around see your fence and not in all, you know.

We understand that.

This is for our repeat customers that I showed you those examples of those fences.

That is their everyday operation.

Yes, sir.

That's who our target is.

We understand that the industry has its hiccups and its problems, and we're or or hurdles that we have to jump.

Those are not what we all have on our radar.

The fences that I showed you examples are what we are are striving to to focus on.

So and this may be a question for Julia.

Um our county attorney, excuse me.

Is this a development?

Would this be considered developmental change?

Because I'm wondering if SB 180 would affect this at all.

I will look at that, but what I'm hearing the request is is related more to the containment side rather than the fencing side.

Yes.

And so we we might have an opportunity to look at it from a different perspective to avoid uh a Senate Bill 180, but certainly we will go ahead and look at all that.

I don't care if you use coat hangers and and and whatever to hold your if uh you never we never get the call from it, then it works.

You know what I'm saying?

That's why we won't give you the recipe of what we define as a fence for what animal.

So containment, containment, containment.

So that's why we left the wording of fencing out of anywhere in this we could because it's just strictly about the containment.

We don't we don't Commissioner Mars wants to comment, then we can need to move on.

Commissioner Carter.

I too would just like to ask if you all will work with the Articult Economic Development Council on this issue.

Look forward to it.

Okay, we got a motion uh and a second.

Please record your vote.

Motion carried seven and zero.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Bonnie.

Thank you.

We can move back to the regular agenda to fact to follow.

This is um item F1.

This is um regarding two board appointments, and Glenda will take you through these two.

Good morning, Commissioners.

Our first board is the human relation board.

We have one vacant and the term is for three years.

Um Commissioner Hagan, please choose one.

One commissioner Miller, one commissioner Myers.

One.

Commissioner Cohen.

Commissioner Cameron Cepeda, one.

Commissioner Bowles, one.

Commissioner Woolston?

One.

The board has selected Emily Middleton.

Our next board for appointment is the value adjustment board.

We have two positions that are expiring, one member and one alternate.

The commissioners is to choose the member and the alternate.

The first vote is going to go for the member, and the second vote is going to go for the alternate.

Commissioner Hagan.

Three and then four.

Commissioner Miller.

Four three.

Commissioner Myers?

Three, four.

Commissioner Cohen.

Three four.

Commissioner Cameron Sebeda.

Three, five.

Commissioner Bowles.

Three, four.

Commissioner Wolstall.

Three, four.

The board has selected as Member Amanda Clay and as alternate James Finley.

Commune motion to confirm.

To approve.

Second.

Motion Commissioner Myers and Commissioner Wolstool.

Please accord your vote.

Motion carried seven to zero.

Okay.

F two.

Thank you.

Our next item is F two.

This is Commissioner Bowles' item regarding a presentation at the next board meeting regarding the Florida legislators special action session.

Commissioner Bowles.

Thank you, Chair Hagan.

I think it goes without saying that yesterday a lot of happened at Tallahassee and our with the Florida legislature approving the property tax reforms that have been held over our heads for quite a quite a few months here and not knowing what was going to happen.

Now we know and in anticipation of our budget workshops that are coming up in July and the next few months that we at least before the voters go in November that we um have this come before us and get us an idea.

And I have no idea.

Thank you.

Okay, we got a motion by uh Commissioner Bowles, second Commissioner Cohen.

Don't send it on the queue.

Thank you for bringing this forward.

Please accord your vote.

Motion carry with six to zero.

Next item.

Thank you.

The next item is item G1.

This is a staff report regarding agricultural enclaves regarding SB 686 and Florida law.

And Adam Gormley will take us through this item.

Morning, Adam.

Morning, Mr.

Chair.

Good morning, Commissioners.

Adam Gormley, Development Services Department.

Following will be a report on uh Senate Bill 686, which is dealing with agricultural enclaves.

This is a report that was requested by Commissioner Miller at the May 6th meeting.

Uh this is a new is changed to uh existing Florida Statute 163 3162, uh excuse me, 3164 dealing with agricultural enclaves.

Uh previously that the agricultural enclave statute had dealt with plan amendments, cover plan amendments, and a presumption of urban sprawl.

It has been changed this session and it will become effective on July 1st and works to provide a uh preemption on county zoning and comprehensive plan and a process for establishing a uh agricultural enclave.

We'll note that currently the act expires January 1, 2028, so it's about a year and a half in duration as it stands right now.

So the agricultural enclave is there's several factors that will fun that will uh need to be met to be considered an agricultural enclave.

The first is that it's been land has been used for bona fide agricultural purposes, commonly referred to as green belted for five years prior to application, be owned and controlled by a single entity or person, and has public services available or planned to satisfy concurrency regulations, or there's an offer to enter into a proportionate share agreement for such improvements.

Uh the agricultural enclave needs to be located in a county with uh less up to or less than 1.75 million people, which does qualify Hillsborough County and cannot exceed 1280 acres.

However, in certain circumstances, the size of the agricultural enclave could be considered up to 4480 acres.

There are several other uh alternate criteria that that can be met to uh that need to be met to satisfy uh definition of agricultural enclave.

One is that it be surrounded on 75 percent of its perimeter by either existing residential development, uh combination of land planned for industrial commercial or residential development and developed at 50 percent, or a combination of interstate highway and land within an urban service area plan for industrial commercial or residential development.

Uh alternatively, uh it could be a parcel that does not exceed 700 acres and surrounded by 50 per on 50 percent of its perimeter by land planned for industrial commercial or residential development and 50 percent of its perimeter by urban service area.

Uh last criteria is it's is if it's outlooked in a rural study area that's not applicable in Hillsborough County.

So uh there is a process for certification of land that meets the definition of an agricultural enclave.

Um the property owner would submit that to the county at a proposed development level, and if the project um meets the definition of agricultural enclave with the factors I just ran through, and the development density is proposed is equal to or less than that of an adjacent parcel or development, it can qualify as an agricultural certification.

The process for certification is that gets submitted to staff.

Staff would produce a report within 30 days detailing whether it meets or does not meet the qualification as agricultural uh enclave, and then 30 days following the rendering of that written report, the board of county commissioners would be required to hold a public hearing to decide whether it does or does not meet uh is to be certified as a agricultural enclave.

Uh finally, that there is a 90-day period from the time that the certification comes into the county, and if it's not approved or denied within that time, it's deemed to be approved.

Um if the board denies a certification of an agricultural enclave, need to make findings of fact and conclusions of law, and that denial could be challenged by a writ of sorti to circuit court within 30 days of that decision being rendered.

Uh if an agricultural enclave is approved, uh the owner may submit plans for a single family residential housing development, or if it is uh adjacent to an interstate, that uh development could include industrial or commercial uses in addition to single family residential.

Um for the development standards of a certified agricultural enclave, if it is within or if it's adjacent to an urban service area, it has to be treated as though it's in that urban service area.

Uh the development standards such as lot size, uses setbacks would need to meet those that are applicable to one or more adjacent parcels or development.

Um there is some reserve language there that allows the county to protect uh uh establish wildlife corridors in an agricultural enclave development.

There's a develop the development process is once that process once that agricultural enclave development proposal is submitted within 30 business days, staff would work with the a uh applicant to establish a development process to review those plans, and that process cannot take more than 180 days or uh include a quasi-judicial or public hearing process.

And uh some additional limitations or notes on agricultural enclaves is they uh they're required to be treated as a conforming use for the life of this statute, which right now is until January 1st, 2028.

And finally, the county is not uh permitted to enact a process or requirements that are more burdensome on an agricultural enclave development than would be applied to a similar type development.

Um I'll just note that this is a uh this report is being is being provided for the requirements of the state law right now.

There's no action needed to implement this.

It is a requirement of the state law that we will uh need to follow uh once it becomes effective on July 1st of this year, and I'm available for any questions.

All right, thanks, Adam.

Commissioner Roshal.

I just the Pandora's box, I just I don't think people will appreciate what this opens, frankly.

We've had two um contentious comp plan amendments that came before us recently that I both looked at with concern and warned the people they're fighting um pretty low asks for what was on there, and even if they don't specifically meet the 75% rule that's in there, the problem with one of these laws getting into place, once it's done, it's very easy to change and amend later and drop that 75 to 50 and so on and so forth.

So how close to or are the um Lutz Lake Fern development that came through and the lithia pine crest and 39 properties that recently came through to meeting this these requirements, or have you had an opportunity to look at them?

So we we've looked at the thank you for the question.

We've looked at the Lutz Lake Fern properties.

Um information would need to come from the applicant of what their development proposal would be.

Uh we have looked at the parcels in terms of the greenbelt history.

Um some of them do have green belt for five years, and some of them uh do not.

Um the we have not looked in detail at the 39 and lithia pinecrest property, but do believe that there is some surrounding, I mean it's it's put in the agriculture use to today.

Uh, whether they've had that for five years is something that we would need to look at.

But I we do know that the Lutz Lake Fern does have some parcels, but not all that have been green belted for for five years.

And um we have had some communication about intent, at least one of those sites from from being submitted as an agricultural enclave.

Yeah, I just I just don't think people are gonna appreciate what this could potentially do in Hillsborough County um with the amount of ag land that's left and exists.

So very concerning.

Thank you.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you, Mr.

Gormley, for um that excellent report.

And I know I asked you a bunch of questions yesterday in our briefing and and to um Commissioner Wistel's point, people have no idea.

Um I even think some of our legislators that pass this don't understand the ramifications of what's gonna happen um in their districts um with the passing of this.

Um I'm very concerned by it and even how it looks, right?

So it puts a lot of judgment on you based on how I understand it, because you're gonna be making those decisions whether the 75% threshold was met for um the aglands or what happens when a piece of property has part of it that's been green belted, but the other part, what happens then?

All of those things come into question and and who's making those decisions because when it comes before us, we have no say per the law.

And so I I think that this is gonna be riddled with holes and and um all we can do is try to educate um our constituents and and make the very best decisions that we can, but unfortunately, in this, it's really been taken out of our hands.

Commissioner Bowles?

Director Gornley, three questions.

Yes, sir.

The let's use a Lutz Lake Fern.

Does this bill stop at county lines?

There's no language in the bill that talks about it stopping at county lines, and that there's no language that references, for instance, an urban service area or district that's applicable to that jurisdiction.

It is it is more widely worded than that and does not appear to include a stopping at county line uh any language to that effect.

So a let's Pasco County has denser res than we do on that particular property.

So if they let's just say I think it's res four, res six, but if it was res 20, it could they could do res 20.

It appears that the law is written to allow them to take that into consideration.

And is it just the parcels that are touching, or is one using that same area that we're talking about, or is it all the good contiguous?

It it's any parcel that's adjacent, and and I should have mentioned this adjacent the definition of adjacent excludes right-of-way water bodies or canals.

So if there's a adjacent, there's a right-of-way adjacent to the site, we look past that right-of-way to the land that's on the other side of that right-of-way canal or water body.

So there's roughly I don't I don't know how many acres, several acres.

So where Lutz Lake Fern is and where county line is in that particular area.

Yes.

Let's just say there's 20 different parcels in there, individual parcels or five or ten.

The ones up here, all the way down, could be included.

They could all be either individual parcels or development as a whole, the way that the statute is written.

And roads don't count as like a divider.

Right of way, right away.

Yes.

So thinking about the lithia pine crest, because on one, it may be res two or res or ag around it, but on the other side of Lithia, there may be res four.

So it could have res four on this side.

It could it yes, they could look on the other side of the right-of-way from Lithia Pinecrest.

Okay, and the final thing, this does have a sunset date.

Yes, currently January 1st, 2028.

So it's a year and a half program as as currently written in this in the law.

And if a and as we look at this, if a project starts today, does it have to finish by 28, or nothing can happen after 28 as non-conforming?

I you know, I think that that's a that's a good question, but the way it's written on its face is this is something that can be done until january first, 2028, and until that time, we'd have to treat any development as a conforming use.

Um the statute does not address previously approved developments or approved but unbuilt uh developments.

So I think that there is a a uh argument that the as written currently the door closes on January 1st, 28.

Okay, Mr.

Chair, I told a fib.

I have one more question.

The last question is this is only residential.

So if there's with res four in our land use and codes and zoning and all that, they'll allow us for commercial.

We can't you could put housing in, but you can't put a stop and go on the on the corner.

It's residential, but if the um property is adjacent to an interstate, then it could allow residential, industrial, or commercial development on that agricultural enclave.

But let's use lithia.

They couldn't just all of a sudden put a bunch of 7E11s out there or whatever.

Correct.

For the lithium site and the Lutz Lake Fern, neither of those are adjacent to an interstate, so for those sites, they would be strictly single family residential.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Commissioner Wilson.

Thank you.

Um I I had to Google the actual definition of the word adjacent, which unfortunately says not only adjoining, but also near.

So I want to understand what near might mean, and also joking but not joking.

Do we have the right to um reconsider and re-invite someone back up here if we've told them no?

I I would read, I would look at the term adjacent to mean touching the touching at at least a point.

We have we have looked at that term fool a judge.

Agree with you.

Well, that that is something that we would need to make sure that we're going to be able to do that.

I was just it's an adjective, by the way, um, and near it is is how it's defined.

So I just want to make that point.

So that so do you guys currently believe that the Lutz Lake Fern because of that?

I I was worried wondering about the county line question.

Do you believe that it might be meeting this definition?

There's some information that we don't have on that, but in terms of the green belt, the the property size, um of the parcels would meet can meet believe can meet the definition.

Some of them we've confirmed with the property appraiser, don't have green belt for that five years and and would not.

The majority of them uh do.

The majority of the area on the loot lake fur in site does have has had green belt for the previous five years.

This is why I warned that group to not get so excited if they if they won that vote, because residential 20 on that lot would be an extremely inappropriate location.

Thank you.

Commissioner Miller It's a shame that the press left before this section because this is actual information that the community needs to hear.

And I'm I'm really kind of disappointed by that.

Um I again want to say, Mr.

Wormley, I your professionalism is just amazing.

The fact that you have on top of your regular job been able to sort of understand this um so well and and explain it to us is very appreciated.

Um, how can we?

I think this is first staff.

How can I make sure that we continue this conversation sort of like we have updates in the live local?

Like, what do I need to ask for specifically to say that we continue this updates as people file?

How does that what should I ask for?

So, Commissioner, we do as as a matter of course on the land use meeting agendas each month, provide an update on live local projects that have come in and their status of development.

If it's the board's will, if you well, we can provide a similar report uh on the land use agenda that would give a month by month update.

What we do with live local is we identify it as the initial point, they come in the door, and then provide status updates as that project um proceeds through the development and and land use restriction agreement process.

So we could do something similar for agricultural enclaves to ensure that the board is um kept informed as as what is been brought in and what's coming potentially coming to the I will add that to my motion then when I when I stated, but I I I want to just clearly restate again if if it's not been made clear.

Our powers were preempted hard stop on this as a county commission by the state, and it's just really really disappointing.

So um I want to move to accept your report and um on the agriculture enclaves and then add it to the monthly summaries um for the land use.

Second.

Commissioner Wolstool.

Uh please record your vote.

Motion carried seven and zero.

Thank you.

Good job, Adam.

Thank you, Ann.

Bonnie.

Our next staff report is item G2.

This is to receive a report regarding the implementation of a dirt road repaving program.

Paving program.

And Josh Bilotti will take us through this presentation.

Good morning, Josh.

All right, good morning, Commissioners.

Thank you.

Um Josh Bilotti, Engineering and Operations Department.

Uh, this item is being presented in response to the request by uh Commissioner Cameron Cepeda at the April 15th board meeting regarding implementation of a dirt road program.

Um throughout the county, there are hundreds of dirt roads, and the majority of them are unimproved and are not maintained by the county.

They're either privately owned or they're platted and recorded rights of way that have not been accepted by the BOCC for maintenance.

There are only 27 dirt roads amounting to about seven and a half miles that the BOCC has accepted through the process established in the public works road maintenance policy for dirt road maintenance defined as Class D or E, which essentially means grading on an as needed basis to ensure passability only.

Additionally, land acquisition may be needed to meet the right-of-way needs for establishing appropriate turnarounds at the dead ends or storm and or stormwater runoff mitigation.

To hopefully simplify and expedite the information for today, we've included a cursory review of the cost considerations for implementing a program to pave those 27 dirt roads that have been accepted for county maintenance.

With no additional funding source established, the only current funding source available would be the current CIP program for local neighborhood roadway pavement preservation.

If the board is interested in pursuing alternatives to paving with the goal of improving the dirt roads while maintaining their permeable surface, uh staff could provide some additional analysis for unimproved roadway treatments with a recommendation that includes an estimated cost to conduct a pilot project to improve one of the dirt roads.

And I'll be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Okay, do you have any questions or comments?

Commissioner Cameron's paydom.

Yes, um, thank you very much for that awesome presentation.

Um yes, so we do have, as he mentioned, hundreds of dirt roads and the 27 that's been identified that are um needing paving.

So I have been in contact with constituents who are contacting my office actually.

Um that their neighborhoods, it's a dirt roads, but their neighborhoods have built up with so many road so many homes on it now that um it really does need paving.

Um and as he mentioned, it's only 27.

There's only 27 um of the hundreds of dirt roads, and um they've been told for years, year after year after year, next year, next year, next year, that they were going to pave it.

And so um when it was brought to my attention, that's why I wanted to um bring this up and and look into this.

And also um, so I would like to ask uh staff to come back with the pilot project uh within 90 days, and also I've just recently um since we brought this up, found out about a geo mesh, geomesh um that may be used on that.

So I would like to uh bring back more information on that, which would be um less much less expensive, but we need to look into that because we want to make sure also that we definitely have uh quality roads, of course.

So we'd like to look into that and um also move to uh receive the report.

Thank you.

Okay, we got a motion by Commissioner Cameron Cepeda.

Second, Commissioner Myers.

Uh Josh, I got a question.

I don't see everybody else on the queue.

Um it sounds like uh Commissioner Cameron Cepeda is referencing a pilot that would be, as you stated, an alternative to paving, not to actual paving, right?

That's correct.

That's how I understand it.

All right, and then with what you what you bring back, will there also be the cost associated to to doing that?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Um have you looked into the cost of the 27 roads using the alternative source?

Did we have any idea what that the cost would be?

We don't.

The the report includes some um general cost estimation uh for fully paving, um, but we have not done the analysis on these alternatives yet.

So that's what we understand that we would be doing in the follow-up.

Okay.

Um I'm open to getting getting the information, seeing what the cost will be.

I would certainly like to move forward on on these roads if it's if it were possible, but I'm not gonna get into all the challenges that we face now and and future ones that are coming over the next couple of years.

So um happy to get the information, but not gonna commit anything until we see what you know the costs are.

Commissioner Miller.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I have two questions.

One is the 90 days, I don't know how long it takes you to do something like this, study time wise and everything is 90 days sufficient, or do you feel like you need more time?

Is that going to press you?

I believe that should be sufficient time for us to bring back the information that's being requested.

My second part is I don't know how you would go about doing this, but um you have most of the rural in my district and I don't get any of these calls to my office about the unpaved road.

So is there going to be some type of survey about the actual need and desire per the road and and can that be included in the ranking system because I know a lot of people that prefer their dirt roads over a paved road and so how will we consider that and it would be I'd like it to be part of what's presented back to us please.

Absolutely public outreach will be uh an important part of that so we'll make sure that that's included.

And I I want to point out as of several years ago and I don't know if this was Greg's doing or not but I know staff has considered community feedback or whatever the term you're using when they look into the projects that they do so that would certainly make sense to include any community involvement or input on this type of pilot or this type of program.

Commissioner Cameron Topeda yes so as I mentioned of the few hundred roads this is only a few roads compared to that but um the these are specifically roads where there are many homes that have been built it's not like one or two or three homes it's like entire neighborhoods that have been built out there and that's why they are asking for this so thank you.

Okay got a motion commission to pay it a second commissioner Myers Commissioner Wilson just if if there were whole neighborhoods built out there wouldn't that have been something that development services predicted and had significant impact fees for mobility fees if there's a dirt road that they would if we were going to approve a neighborhood we would have required that to be transitioned to an impervious surface right so I I would like to if if somebody could just send me if there's one road in question so I can look at it a little bit further.

Yeah I can maybe help clarify for you a little bit there.

So when there's an entire development or neighborhood or community that's built and accepted by the board it will have typically had to meet county standards in order to be accepted.

Right.

What we're talking about in these 27 specific roads are roads that were there previously as unimproved roads however through that roadway process that was established in the the manual that I referenced they were they petitioned the residents of that road petitioned for the board to accept it for dirt road maintenance.

So that's how those have become um county maintained dirt roads and but that's why there's only 27 of them there's a very select few that have gone through that process.

Okay I'll take a look at the roads.

Thank you.

Okay.

Commissioner Cameron Sapo yeah and just to quickly add that um yeah these are homes that have been added and added over time it wasn't like a development just they were you know continually built and over time.

Thank you.

Okay got a motion and a second please record your vote motion carried seven to zero thanks Josh thank you Bonnie and that we are up to future discussion items okay Commissioner have any items um commissioner um I'd like the staff to look into the code assignments um issues that we had in place before that any uh procurement item that comes uh the code of signs will remain through until board awards I I hope I'm saying that correctly we've had it in place before and then we took it out so I'm asking if staff the administration and county attorney's office can look into it and bring us back and then we can discuss it.

Okay we can update on where we are where we were maybe compare the two Commissioner Miller.

I'd like to direct the county attorney's office to review and advise the board on its legal authority and available mechanisms to remove a Hillsborough County appointed member of the Tampa Sports Authority midterm including any procedural requirements voting thresholds and legal considerations.

Okay Bonnie got that Julia got that okay I don't see anyone else in the queue so we're adjourned