Dozens of residents used the Board of County Commissioners’ Nov. 6 public forum to press officials about flooding, stormwater standards and developer impact fees, saying better local standards and clearer use of revenue could reduce future damage and protect housing values.

Mary Knoepka began the night’s public comments by pointing to other Florida counties that assess impact fees to require developers to pay for on‑site stormwater, roads and other infrastructure. “The developers are assessed impact fees and are expected to build complying to updated specs for stormwater drainage, roads, sewage, and lighting,” she said. Several speakers noted state programs — including the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program cited by Diego Konopka — that can partner with developers for affordable housing while addressing stormwater needs.

Flood Defenders representative Chris Curb urged the commission to adopt updated design standards that use modern rainfall datasets (Atlas 14 and forthcoming Atlas 15) and to return a previously tabled county stormwater ordinance for board consideration. “FDOT has adopted resilience action plan, which, includes federal rainfall data,” Curb said, and he warned that engineers relying on outdated archived rainfall records could open the county to future lawsuits.

Other residents described personal damage and county responses. Resident J.D. White praised public works staff for a rapid response to a sinkhole at his home, describing a nine‑day repair that included field supervisor visits and use of correctional facility crews. Several speakers urged that inspection records be kept and made available so the county can audit compliance and improve outcomes.

Commissioners acknowledged the concerns and noted the stormwater ordinance had been tabled earlier to await state guidance; some asked staff to return with more information and timing for reintroduction. Commissioner Ashley Hoffberger asked for public explanation later in the meeting regarding delayed firefighter pay; that separate payroll matter was addressed later by county counsel and administration.

Speakers asked the commission to clarify anticipated uses of large MSBU and bond proceeds referenced in the county’s budgets, and called for clearer public communication on how funds for fire services, drainage and other infrastructure are allocated.