[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6363999,"mediaKeyId","2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96","parentId",2165462,"title","Board accepts $30,000 donation for parks and approves 669-acre conservation acquisition in Crystal Springs","audioSeconds",1465,"startMs",765000,"endMs",2230000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96&start=765&end=2230","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96/thumbnail_765000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6363999/Pasco-County/Florida/Board-accepts-30000-donation-for-parks-and-approves-669-acre-conservation-acquisition-in-Crystal-Springs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363999-6e32abbdb15acecc7c61be0b9d58ba87/orig.mp4?Expires=1775147189&Signature=fpX8bNUTkVNT3I~eE9K61OKgE9j0Wlp5RPDXOocxBVK~yo3AEZRgreQ1k~vcCTYbnkTdPGQLFgLTwa6uvLwoqu02q4ONSmCiGMo9Ey8yR7z2PGGGlCDvezA11Ne6JtllOnUOuXVA~tPOEV33J0vcFgUWQLIiFlHvXzm1gxPNGhWnR5G-bGZh~h53LQEM84qVlGaoJno6Ye55HGlYPMf1Q1TrP1pWcCZdEu55zrUrxNxzmSEYHgEYjPoza9WD19gvZ0hHw3w~B4LERHHktkbM81cCMomGecx7nZQPvgZk5VgmR4sQ60qGICyQGkyXjNoZEzMMMDKrYvMZ9hmjDMQ46Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pasco County, FL","date","2025-01-29T05:23:06Z","article","The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners accepted a $30,000 donation from Hub Life Charities and approved a consent-agenda item authorizing the county to pursue the acquisition of roughly 669 acres in the Crystal Springs area as a conservation parcel.

Reagan Weiss, founder of Hub Life Charities, and Amanda Hart appeared during public comment; Hart said the organization delivered a $30,000 check to the board in support of parks programming. The board voted to accept the donation during the meeting.

Commissioners also approved consent agenda item C28, which staff said involves a 669-acre conservation opportunity in southeast Pasco near Crystal Springs owned by the Austin family. Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Director Keith Wiley said the parcel connects ecological planning units and would expand contiguous green space and outdoor recreation opportunities. The board's approval of the consent agenda included C28; commissioners thanked the landowner for participating in conservation and discussed future partnership hopes with the state.

No additional negotiation details or purchase price were specified on the record; staff said the acquisition would be coordinated with state partners and conveyed its appreciation for the landowner's willingness to engage in conservation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","1.28.25 Pasco Board of County Commissioners Meeting (Morning Session)","oneSentenceSummary","The Pasco County commission accepted a $30,000 check from Hub Life Charities for parks and approved consent-item C28, a conservation acquisition of roughly 669 acres in the Crystal Springs area from the Austin family.","taxTitle","Pasco County, Florida","taxId",12581,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6364004,"BayCare outlines Pasco services, says new behavioral-health urgent care opens Monday with county and settlement support",367,2330000,2697000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96&start=2330&end=2697","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96/thumbnail_2330000.jpg","/articles/6364004/Pasco-County/Florida/BayCare-outlines-Pasco-services-says-new-behavioral-health-urgent-care-opens-Monday-with-county-and-settlement-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364004-dc14d9c7f5d3ffd5b95288a31e5a6b63/orig.mp4?Expires=1775147189&Signature=ewn2ub-BsCFdmaUYinF7gwV~fDC2-NKLPHCdx~DO~5t3iGddpj7PWDuYeL9--S6JDyFZAqe~BP-NGOFHzKco-VFNIXC11AIOzsbTBwJt5GY8da1Oc0nt6FbPaZlSiiPPYAm50PhEFyRrDASdHh8PfKYGtqHVNvyRupu5CpxPaFFDtUPEEEkuI3jlaG8QQxB9maQc1QXdH3HH6NmxVDhNqBeeq9janoLaOuMXp~gOpfFOwehwndCWKGANMJ~30KIArC1PC3oyUuqorZmkmFzAiGRa6~Wmqix3dInw6h4g--mhmJcFPjrM0tmLXbAT-7CHUF6mLhnp8c4eFq74Pquw2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BayCare Behavioral Health on Jan. 28 presented its Pasco County services and said a county-backed behavioral-health urgent care will open Monday, supported by Community Development Block Grant funds and opioid-settlement dollars.

Tracy Kelly, director of operations for BayCare Behavioral Health, told the board BayCare serves five counties and treats roughly 70,000 patients a year; the Pasco continuum includes outpatient clinics, two residential programs, an integrated stabilization unit (a combined detox and crisis-stabilization facility opened in 2013), a mobile crisis-response team and an emergent behavioral-health urgent-care center.

Kelly said the integrated stabilization unit is a 30-bed facility that handled about 1,800 combined crisis and detox cases in 2024 and reported an 11% recidivism rate. BayCare's mobile crisis team responds countywide and, Kelly said, diverted 87% of roughly 1,000 calls in the past year from involuntary commitment or emergency detainment by creating safety plans and linking people to outpatient services.

Kelly described the urgent-care center as filling an intermediate role between outpatient care and involuntary hospitalization: a quick-access clinic for people who may need same-day evaluation or treatment but not locked inpatient care. She said the urgent-care opening was financed in part by CDBG funds and opioid settlement money and that the county match dollars serve as a safety net for uninsured and underinsured residents.

The board welcomed the presentation and said officials plan to coordinate on ribbon-cutting and on linking other county services to the new facility. No board action or vote was required.","BayCare Behavioral Health briefed the board on county-match funds, its crisis services and an urgent-care clinic for behavioral health supported by CDBG and opioid-settlement funding; presenters reported low recidivism and high diversion rates for their crisis teams.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6364008,"Residents press Pasco County to shut down nearby homeless encampments; commissioners seek options",284,1484000,1768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96&start=1484&end=1768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96/thumbnail_1484000.jpg","/articles/6364008/Pasco-County/Florida/Residents-press-Pasco-County-to-shut-down-nearby-homeless-encampments-commissioners-seek-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364008-fd1cb0b83f79be42533c99d825727d46/orig.mp4?Expires=1775147189&Signature=k0AUCZdoJYD0GNR4hFsDCIT8VnxeyUfNziO3xYh721rzGwHv9pDyaxoz1HF1uG0HG9091x7pH-wvWt-yJgCY6Y1UxLCkfA2D2ZdYMBjpkZDzE~GvJraivqgOqY0dGbGx85ivtiL4IdH7myWjBYo85C4dRJ-icJeqZzUrlzw84IG6CsQvkjo6nYBAVzbqOyUeuGF-XMufd9CoebQ~kwbRKt~MPZXWB0jjyxhgM06AbA3kg3WeKKM6B50eSip1t8OnvQGAC56lgnPOd3xAhxdlGoE~UHkhZLVMuke2Vb4n~xvcdG7qHkh7OhWSUnGxPFuw5K7Mhr6MiSJn2-UZ5B2z~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents and nearby homeowners used the public-comment period Jan. 28 to urge Pasco County commissioners to take immediate action against a homeless encampment near Green Key Road and other East Pasco locations.

Irene Welch, who said she lives two houses from the encampment, told the board her autistic child was attacked and described on-site fires, tent camps and drug activity. Another resident, who identified herself as a fireman's wife, said tents and debris left on the property were an ignition risk and pleaded with the board to \"please shut this down.\" Several speakers asked the county to hold absentee landowners accountable for unauthorized encampments on private property.

Chair and commissioners acknowledged the complaints and asked staff to respond. The chair asked county staff, including County Administrator David Allen and public-works representative Chase Daniels, to meet with residents and first responders and produce a plan to address the immediate public-safety risks and cleanup. Commissioner Waitman voiced support for decisive enforcement that would reduce repeat transient activity and suggested options including relocation or transport out of county for nonresidents.

Commissioners and staff also discussed the limits of county authority: some landowners live out of state or overseas and must be located and provided a trespass agreement to remove encampments on private property. Officials said the county had tools to pursue trespass enforcement and cleanup but that execution sometimes requires landowner cooperation. The board asked staff to report back after the on-site meeting.

No formal policy changes were adopted at the meeting; the board's immediate action was to direct staff to coordinate a response with law enforcement and county operations and to report back with findings and proposed next steps.","Multiple residents urged commissioners to close a Green Key-area homeless camp, citing fires, drug activity and safety risks; board members asked staff to meet on-site and to explore enforcement, trespass and relocation options.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6364013,"Pasco County begins FY2026 budget cycle, board weighs public-safety staffing and tax options",4593,3023000,7616000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96&start=3023&end=7616","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165462-2aee2fa3dc424b7a1f1579b888bbaf96/thumbnail_3023000.jpg","/articles/6364013/Pasco-County/Florida/Pasco-County-begins-FY2026-budget-cycle-board-weighs-public-safety-staffing-and-tax-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364013-732c621a688e8b9f426094aa14f5a319/orig.mp4?Expires=1775147189&Signature=fVQ228AXDeNc5PzopMVyW84qJNftIpoKqPmazxOmNPxtWIb66meWu1VkGJpC6BtjRFZcJAQApiP21Xxtz08L-Zcwg8PptkbyplYoXgYlewzmDfXpbCKqAU8-X1yeiB-7vgziWVjqBSEkjNZDzLehRXUDsHIJRbyINzoHfsqSUosEF8IIklj-AxGCu1bplFdKjYVuK8VkFBIb9rZvbN9VUIAg2oZDim3eUED5Hg59kSPSWpq0Wp44ukQkeV0pJwiIX3QEjXAvz34ICrhIpWuG0A~ip8815UyfNYAq3AESNPZ33xtrQNt2ZcYbB35eWQfR9DjPeF7eUn7Vmj5InF3Drg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pasco County budget staff opened the fiscal year 2026 planning conversation Jan. 28, outlining a calendar of public workshops and warning of rising costs tied to population growth and storm recovery.

Budget Director Amy Farrell told the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners the county's population has grown about 36% over the last 14 years, single-family permits have risen sharply, and calls for public safety were up 117% in recent years; the board will take revenue projections in February and refine the recommended budget through April and June before final adoption in September.

The presentation framed fiscal choices around three strategic pillars: (1) create a thriving community, (2) enhance quality of life, and (3) drive economic growth and prosperity. Farrell outlined budget pressures for FY26 including staffing all four shifts at every fire station, costs associated with the jail expansion, annual retirement and Medicaid rate changes, and utility rate planning tied to a multi-year study. She said the county's operating budget has grown roughly 30% while population and service demand climbed faster.

Commissioners pressed staff on specific issues during the discussion. Commissioner Waitman said the board must be deliberate about homelessness spending and urged options that would allow the county to compel repeat transient offenders to leave or be returned to relatives out of county. Commissioner Mariano urged leveraging federal and state recovery dollars and lobbying partners to maximize grant and appropriation opportunities. Commissioner Oakley and others raised septic-to-sewer conversions and coastal resilience as potential uses for incoming federal funds tied to storm recovery.

Board members also debated revenue tools. Farrell summarized existing and possible tax vehicles including the roads MSTU, a parks maintenance tax, and other MS TUs; she noted the board had set the parks-maintenance MSTU at zero mills earlier. Several commissioners encouraged staff to model full funding scenarios and to show the likely delta if cities do not participate in countywide MS TUs. Commissioner Starkey emphasized the roads MSTU's initial success and execution of projects and asked staff for continued quarterly reporting.

Separately, judicial and court officials attended to press the need for a centrally sited criminal courthouse to relieve capacity and security strains. Chief Judge Sean Crane, State Attorney Bruce Bartlett and Public Defender Sarah Malo described growing caseloads and the inefficiency and safety risks of transporting inmates across the county; they asked the board to examine funding paths, including bonds and appropriations, and noted existing county studies that recommended a central criminal courthouse.

The board directed staff to return with refined revenue projections, analysis of MS TU and impact-fee options (including a public-safety impact fee), and additional details on storm-related exemptions and their tax-base effects at the February workshop.","Budget staff presented an FY2026 planning timeline and data showing rapid growth; commissioners discussed public-safety staffing, jail expansion, road maintenance funding, parks maintenance options and possible tax tools including MS TUs and impact fees.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board accepts $30,000 donation for parks and approves 669-acre conservation acquisition in Crystal Springs

BayCare outlines Pasco services, says new behavioral-health urgent care opens Monday with county and settlement support

Residents press Pasco County to shut down nearby homeless encampments; commissioners seek options

Pasco County begins FY2026 budget cycle, board weighs public-safety staffing and tax options