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Shady Hills residents deliver petition asking Pasco County to investigate repeated code complaints
Summary
Residents of Shady Hills told the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners they are being harassed by repeated code-enforcement complaints they say were filed by a neighbor; one resident who has filed many complaints defended his actions, and county staff were asked to follow up.
Shady Hills residents asked the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on March 25 to investigate what they called a pattern of excessive code-enforcement complaints filed by a neighbor and to dismiss cases they called unjustified.
The petition was presented by Linda Farmer, who identified herself as a Shady Hills resident. "We have submitted this petition to formally challenge the actions of Tom... regarding the excessive and unjustified reports for Pasco County enforcement," Farmer said, and told the board the petition includes "over 200 citizens in Shady Hills." She asked for "a full and transparent investigation" and for dismissal of complaints she described as unjustified.
The petition was one of several public comments about code enforcement and local development. Sarah Gonzales, who said she has lived in part of Shady Hills since 2017, told commissioners repeated complaints have affected her family and described longstanding interactions with code staff. "We have always worked with them. They've worked with us," Gonzales said, noting that repeated reporting led to enforcement at her home in 2020 and again last year.
Several other speakers described neighborhood problems they said need county attention — transient encampments, dumpsters and trash along Old Shady Hills Road, and increased truck traffic — and asked county staff to prioritize those issues. Steven Ivester said neighbors are more concerned about transient camps and environmental risks near an auto shop than some of the smaller property complaints that have been enforced.
At the podium, Tom Boglino — whom several speakers identified as the person at the center of complaints — gave a different account. Boglino thanked code enforcement for acting after his reports about illegally placed dumpsters and described the current response process: "When there is a violation somebody calls it in ... the officer comes out, recognizes it, calls the garbage company ... and the [waste] is moved within a day. The citizen, the property owners [are] never even affected ... that's a good thing," he said.
Commissioners and staff asked that the matter be handled as a staff follow-up. County staff — Deputy David Allen was identified in the meeting — was asked to meet with residents who presented evidence and to have code enforcement review the complaints and the petition.
Why it matters: Residents said repeated enforcement actions and perceived inconsistent prioritization are affecting homeowners' finances and neighborhood relations. Commissioners agreed to have staff investigate the claims and to review the specific locations raised by speakers.
What happened next: Commissioner responses indicated staff would follow up. At the meeting's close, the chair asked staff to coordinate with residents and David Allen to arrange inspections and provide clarifications about the complaints and enforcement process.
Ending: The commission did not take a formal vote on the petition; staff were instructed to review and report back to the board.
