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Residents tell Pasco commissioners to enforce codes as HOAs face new wetland responsibilities and proposed boat-parking changes
Summary
Multiple residents at the May 19 meeting urged Pasco County to enforce blight and code violations in Green Key and elsewhere, warned that a new ordinance would shift invasive-wetland control costs onto HOAs, and criticized language in a pending RV/boat ordinance that may allow unlimited driveway boat or trailer parking.
Multiple Pasco County residents used the May 19 public comment period to press the board on enforcement of blight laws and to raise concerns about recently changed ordinance language.
Cheryl Orchard, who said she lives in Green Key, described ongoing problems including nighttime noise, hoarding, debris and alleged public-health threats. "This is like living in jail," Orchard told commissioners, and she said residents have paid a cumulative county cost of about $250,000 in related responses.
Ron Orchard, speaking after Orchard, challenged the board to ensure consistent, fair enforcement across neighborhoods and asked for stronger backing and authority for code-enforcement officers. "Pasco County and the state of Florida already have codes and statutes in place," he said, urging that officers be allowed to pursue violations rather than "just drive past them." He cited specific statute numbers as read from his notes.
Ronald Levy, representing an HOA in Trinity, said that Pasco County recently passed an ordinance that assigns responsibility for invasive species control in adjacent wetlands to HOAs. Levy said the change creates an "unprecedented" financial burden and called on county staff for clear guidance and recourse: "HOAs cannot financially do this," he said.
Separately, Mitch Kobernick of the Gulf Harbor Civic Association criticized a pending RV/boat ordinance, arguing the draft’s new definitions remove a prior prohibition on parking certain trailers and could permit indefinite driveway storage of utility or landscaping trailers as well as unlimited boat parking. "If this ordinance passes . . . there is no longer any prohibition against parking trailers on your property," Kobernick said, calling that an unintended consequence that would make neighborhoods look like "a boat storage lot."
No formal action on these public comments was taken during the meeting. Commissioners referred some residents to staff and asked code and relevant departments to follow up.
