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Public commenter tells planning board DEP retests "came back polluted"; board says records are public but not in packet
Summary
A member of the public told the Dade City Planning Board DEP retests of his property showed pollution and said several DEP staff resigned; staff responded that DEP records are public but were not included in the board’s annexation/zoning packet.
At the planning board meeting a public commenter described a long-running contamination concern and said multiple DEP staff assigned to his case resigned after inspections. The commenter said retests "all came back polluted" and identified Ryan Armstrong as the director of Swift Mud.
Staff and the chair listened and reminded the speaker that public comment time is not a question-and-answer period; staff also told the board that DEP records are public but confirmed those records were not part of the planning materials being considered for the annexation and zoning recommendation. Board members asked the commenter to direct questions and noted staff would address records availability.
Why it matters: The allegation of pollution and repeated inspections raises environmental concerns that, if substantiated, could alter planning or permitting decisions. The board did not introduce DEP test reports into the record during the hearing, and staff said they do not typically require DEP reports for annexation or zoning recommendations.
