For mosquitoes because they are a threat to public health there are many mosquito-borne illnesses they can pass on to humans and other animals therefore we want to mitigate their populations and we're only spraying whenever we have justification and that could come from our surveillance data or from our inspectors who go out and are looking at different larval production sites every single day. We don't have a spray schedule because everything we do is based on data that we collect so it's based on the number of mosquitoes that we find in our traps every day it's based on what the inspectors are finding out in the field if they're finding a lot of breeding they'll obviously treat then but we don't have a set schedule because everything is based on data that we find. We don't do any individual spray requests you can always submit a request for spray a request for a property inspection or report any standing water that you have around your house and we'll come send out an inspector they'll come look at that area see if it's breeding and then based on the data that they find we'll see if that area is eligible for treatment but we don't do treatment based on special events. We're spraying right at sunset because dawn and dusk are the most active times for mosquitoes so in order for our treatments to be the most effective we obviously want to treat when the mosquitoes are most active and we're going to be able to mitigate the population best at those times. Hey everyone, welcome to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Quarterly Awards and Recognition Ceremony. We're going to have the invocation and pledge given by our chaplain Commissioner Meyers. Commissioner, you are recognized. Okay, thank you Madam Chair. If everyone could please stand. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Oh, gracious Heavenly Father, I come and ask thank you for our employees. Our employees who's going to be recognized this morning and their contribution to our county. I ask that you will continue to bless them and the work that they're doing on behalf of our constituents, the board, and administration. Bless the department that's going to receive the proclamation, the Claiming World Sight Month, and also those who are experiencing breast cancer. Father, we know that you are a God that can heal all of us through our trials and tribulations. And also, God, I want to thank you for all of our employees who have been recognized this year as our quarterly event comes to a close. In your holy name I pray. Amen. Thank you very much. Today's ceremony celebrates the employees and organizations and causes that help make Hillsborough County such a great place to live, work, and play. Out of respect for all of those being recognized today, we ask that all of our attendees remain until the conclusion of the ceremony if you are able to do so. Commissioner Cameron Cepeda will present our first recognition. Thank you, Commissioner, and good morning, everyone. Today I'm pleased to recognize four county departments who earned reaccreditation from the American Public Works Association, also known as the APWA. To say it was a rigorous process would be an understatement. Would the following individuals please come to the podium? From Public Works Assistant County Administrator Kim Beyer, Engineering and Operations Director Josh Belotti, and Business Operations Division Director Maritza Ramirez, Facilities Management and Real Estate Services Director John Muller. From Solid Waste Management Director Damian Trommel, and Assistant County Administrator for Public Utilities George Cassidy, Fleet Services Director Justin Laffler, and from the American Public Works Association Region for Director Larry Ingram. Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome. The purpose of the APWA accreditation is to provide excellence in the operation and management of a public works agency, its programs, and employees. Accreditation is designed to assist the agency in continuous improvement of operations and management, and it provides a valid and objective evaluation of agency programs as a service to the public and the profession. Any government agency with responsibility for public works functions is eligible for accreditation, which is awarded to the agency, department, or division within the agency that provides the public works service. The accreditation process is a significant effort carried out every four years and requires involvement from virtually the entire agency. It requires a comprehensive review of the department's guidelines and internal practices against the APWA's Public Works Practices Manual. This means reviewing 40 chapters containing 525 best practices and providing responses and documentation of how the departments meet that standard. The team from our county departments spearheading this process consisted of six reaccreditation managers and over 30 individual chapter leaders, all of whom did this work in addition to their everyday duties. Their commitment to excellence is what keeps these vital departments in compliance with their individual industries' best practices. Understandably, the reaccreditation effort can be a months-long effort. As the material needed to respond is enormous. This culminates in an intensive review of material by members of the APWA's Accreditation Evaluation Team. It marks the fifth reaccreditation for Public Works Administration, who were first accredited in 2006, and the second reaccreditation for Facilities and Real Estate Management, Fleet Services, and Solid Waste Management. The four dedicated departments that are being honored today underwent this comprehensive review of their internal guidelines and procedures, updated them, and provided documentation to the APWA that demonstrated how they followed their practices where applicable to our departments and agencies. The bar for reaccreditation is high, requiring 97% of the 528 practices to be in full compliance. These four departments not only met that standard, but exceeded it, earning 100% full compliance. They are four of the 231 accredited agencies across the United States and Canada, part of an elite tier of public service agencies. To all the dedicated staff in Public Works, Fleet Services, Facilities Management, and Real Estate Services and Solid Waste, congratulations to you all. Awesome. Thank you. You did a great job. You guys are awesome. Well, well-deserved, and you're just absolutely amazing. We can't say enough of how proud we are of all of you. Your hard work, dedication, and service to our community is absolutely awesome. And Ms. Meyer, would you like to say a few words? First, I want to thank the board for this recognition. But most of all, I want to say thank you to our Public Works employees. You are the frontline employees. We say this every day. You make us proud. This accreditation is just another example of how you go above and beyond every day. These accreditations are very difficult to receive. And on top of what you already do, I just want to say thank you. Maritza, your team is the backbone behind what we do, and so I want to say thank you. But I also want to say thank you to our division director, Rob Seas, who was one of the original, had the vision to try to achieve this accreditation. And so I want to say thank you to him. He could not be here today. But again, thank you to all the Public Works employees for everything you do every day. This is, again, a great achievement. Thank you. Mr. Ingram, would you like to say a few words as well? Good morning, everyone. To kind of echo what she said, thank you. I know Public Works employees don't hear that enough because if they're doing their job right, nobody thinks about them. It's when something's gone wrong that everybody thinks about Public Works. So thank you for everything you do. It's kind of fitting that today is National First Responders Day. Most people don't think of Public Works employees as first responders, but they are. They're the first in once it's safe to get into somewhere, and they're the last out, putting the communities back together. Somebody has to clear the trees, clear the roads for emergency vehicles. So just please keep that in mind when there's storms or natural disasters that those Public Works employees are out there as well, getting the communities back to normal. But a little bit more on accreditation. I think there's actually 241 now. I got the newest numbers last night, accredited agencies. There were a few others that have come up over the last couple weeks. But that number is kind of a big number, but it's an even more impressive number when you think there are 23,000 Public Works agencies across the U.S. and Canada. And that puts Hillsborough County's departments in the 99th percentile of all departments across the U.S. and Canada. And actually, y'all are four of, I believe, 42 agencies in the state of Florida, which by far in my region is the largest group of accredited agencies. And this is one of the pleasures I get to come and do these accreditation presentations and recognize these departments. But I do want to say, again, thank you to the Public Works professionals, and also thank you to the county administration and the county commissioners for their commitment to allowing the departments to seek this accreditation and continuously try to improve themselves. Thank you. Thank you all so much. Thank you so much. Let's all take some pictures. The next recognition will be presented by Commissioner Cohen. Thank you very much, Commissioner Miller. Would the following guests from Preserve Vision Florida please join me at the podium? Board Chair Kevin Bakewell and Director of Programs Miralee Berrios. Good morning. Good to see you. Good morning and welcome. Eye health is vital to our daily lives. According to the World Health Organization, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment, and at least 1 billion of those cases could have been prevented or are yet to be addressed. These statistics are stunning. However, in Hillsborough County, we have the finest state-of-the-art technologies to help improve eyesight and prevent blindness. Additionally, there are numerous organizations dedicated to promoting healthy vision through vision health awareness and education for all ages. Preserve Vision Florida is one such organization, and I am proud to present this proclamation, which recognizes October 2026 as World Sight Month. It reads, Whereas Hillsborough County is home to people of all ages with vision loss, the most significant disability experienced by children and adults, and whereas one in three children enter school with vision loss, 75% of adults use some type of vision correction, and seniors are at increased risk of falls, social isolation, and depression due to vision issues. And whereas the ability to see clearly provides an individual with hope and the ability to read, perform daily tasks, secure meaningful employment, drive an automobile, and see the faces of loved ones, and whereas Preserve Vision Florida, a 501c3 nonprofit, initially established as an affiliate of the National Society to Prevent Blindness, was founded by Mildred Baynard of St. Petersburg in 1957 and will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2027. And whereas Preserve Vision Florida's mission is to promote healthy vision through vision health awareness and education for all ages, vision screenings for children and adults, assistance to obtain medical eye care, and advocacy for vision and medical eye care services. And whereas Preserve Vision Florida will help thousands of Hillsborough County children and adults see their bright futures, providing more than 16,000 services, including vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses, and vision health education. And whereas World Sight Month, commemorated annually during October, is a month of awareness to focus local and global attention on the preservation of vision and the prevention of blindness. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County, Florida, does hereby declare October 26 as World Sight Month in Hillsborough County, and encourages all residents, businesses, and other organizations to make eye health and safety a lifelong priority, ensuring that all individuals can all see their own bright futures. I just want to say, from a personal point of view, I really am glad to be able to present this proclamation. I depend on my glasses every day, and it is something I seriously am grateful for every morning when I wake up that I can put them on. I got glasses when I was in second grade, and I will never forget putting them on and being actually able to see the leaves on trees. And it's something that I just don't take for granted. So many of us depend on eyeglasses and corrective lenses and other technologies, and it's a real blessing to be able to have it available to us, because I know for me, without them, I would really have very, very significant problems. So I appreciate your being here, and I want to invite you to say a few words, Mr. Blake Ball. Well, thanks very much, Commissioner. And congrats to the folks before us. As a resident of unincorporated Hillsborough County, I greatly appreciate all that you do as well, and also living in the Commissioner's District. Thank you so much for this honor today. Again, the proclamation said most of what I would have said, but celebrating our 70th anniversary coming up next year, Preserve Vision is not just the name of our organization. It's also what we do. And if I have my stats right, when you ask people, what are they most worried about from a health perspective, I think number one is cancer. I think number two is heart disease or heart attacks. Number three is losing their vision. And so it is a profound service that we provide to those tens of thousands every single year throughout Hillsborough County. So we're very grateful for this recognition, and we're going to continue to serve folks in Hillsborough County. We ask that everybody really recognize the importance of good vision. I'm grateful, too. I started wearing glasses in, I guess, junior high school. Fortunate to have implants now. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see any of you. So thank you so much, Commissioner, for the recognition, and we look forward to continuing to help everyone see their bright futures. Thank you. I'll get me for the next one. With the following individuals, please join me at the podium. Paige Carbon, Executive Ambassador Co-Chair of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Tampa Bay and Director of Business Development for Patawi Connect. Megan Arnold, Director of Marketing at the American Cancer Society. And Doug Abate, Ambassador of Men Wear Pink. Yes, come on up. Come on up. I also want to recognize representatives from the American Cancer Society, ambassadors for Portraits of Hope, and the ambassadors of the executive, ambassadors from Men Wear Pink, all of whom represent Making Strides of Tampa Bay and are in the audience. Welcome to you all. Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States. The good news is the disease is curable thanks to the dedication of medical professionals, researchers, and numerous others. Early detection and intervention are key. New treatments and therapies, regular breast exams, and mammograms have resulted in breast cancer death rates declining for over 30 years. Numerous local organizations are instrumental in providing the best resources available for breast cancer detection and treatment. Most significantly, the American Cancer Society is leading the charge to end breast cancer with its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign. In the nation's largest breast cancer movement, rallying teams, companies, and individuals to build a more powerful and supportive community for courageous breast cancer survivors, people living with metastatic breast cancer, caregivers, and families. In honor of this measure, the Board of County Commissioners recognizes October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and October 24th, 2026 as Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Day. And it reads, I think I'm going to get it out so you guys want us to hold. All right. So it reads, whereas October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to celebrate survivors and thrivers, honor those living with breast cancer, remember those lost to the disease, and unite communities in the fight to end breast cancer. And whereas, other than skin cancer, breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, and the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 323,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2026. And whereas, meaningful progress is being made with breast cancer death rates declining 44% since 1989, and more than 4 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States today demonstrate that life-saving impact of research, early detection, improved treatments, and greater access to care. And whereas, the American Cancer Society continues to advance the progress through innovative breast cancer research, advocacy efforts, early detection initiatives, and patient support programs that help people and their family throughout every single stage of cancer journey. And whereas, the American Cancer Society making strides against breast cancer movement, the largest breast cancer movement in the country transforms awareness into action by bringing communities together and raising critical funds to fuel life-saving research, expand access to care, and provide support to the people affected by breast cancer. And whereas, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Tampa Bay took place on October 24, 2026 at Raymond James Stadium, uniting survivors, thrivers, caregivers, families, businesses, and neighbors to celebrate progress, inspire hope, and to help create a future where no one faces breast cancer alone. Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County, Florida, does hereby declare October 26, 2026 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Hillsborough County and October 24, 2026 as Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Day and encourages all residents, businesses, community organizations to join the American Cancer Society in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, support fundraising for the society's mission, and stand with everyone affected with breast cancer, executed this 28th day of October, 2026. Would you like to say a few words? Thank you so much, and good morning, everyone. This is such an honor. Again, my name is Paige Carbon, Executive Ambassador and also co-chair for the Executive Ambassadors for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. On behalf of the American Cancer Society and our local board, thank you to the Hillsborough County for recognizing October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and honoring Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Tampa Bay. This proclamation sends a meaningful message to people facing breast cancer. Your community stands with you. This past Saturday, more than 32,000 people came together at Raymond James Stadium to celebrate survivors and thrivers, honor those we've lost, and help move our mission forward. The hope, joy, and connection throughout the morning showed the heart of Tampa Bay. The support went well beyond showing up. Our community rallied to put us on track to reach our goal of $1.2 million, positioning Tampa Bay as the number three Making Strides event in the country. That achievement speaks to the generosity and dedication of our walkers, volunteers, sponsors, and donors. Those funds support life-saving breast cancer research and help people facing cancer access rides to treatment, lodging where care is far from home, and guidance and support around the clock right here in the Tampa Bay area. As October comes to a close, our commitment continues. We encourage everyone to carry this momentum beyond Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Talk with your health care provider about your personal risk and screening. Encourage a loved one to do the same or offer support to someone facing a diagnosis. Thank you for celebrating this community's impact and helping to turn awareness into action. Together, we bring hope to our neighbors and families throughout the year. Thank you. Okay, this concludes our ceremony this morning. I want to thank each of you for being here today, and I want to thank all of our award recipients for their invaluable work that they do to help make Hillsborough County a great place to live, work, and play. That's it.