Latest news with #Mickel
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pasco Co. using data, resident feedback to help with stormwater master plan
PASCO COUNTY, Fla., (WFLA) – With hurricane and rainy season here, Pasco County leaders are working to make sure their stormwater system can handle the increased amounts of water. The plan has been years in the making, but the process is not without its challenges. County leaders said they are not just focusing on flooding from the hurricanes, but also from your typical summer thunderstorm. The county is no stranger to flooding; to help fix the issue, they are working on their stormwater master plan, which hasn't been updated in almost 20 years. There are 15 projects they want to implement over the next decade, and they are taking public input from their sessions to help create them. Pasco Co. using data, resident feedback to help with stormwater master plan 21-year-old dies when Tesla hits tree, engulfs in flames: FHP 'He died 3 times': Community rallies for Pasco deputy's recovery after flood rescue The goal of the project is to create a cost-effective way of taking people out of the flood zones. 'The way we're trying to do that through our stormwater master plan is through our Capital Program, so, we will invest in the community, come up with a storm water plan for that community, and add infrastructure that will alleviate flooding for that community,' said Jason Mickel, Public Works Director for Pasco County. That process is easier said than done, the biggest hurdle is that they need a place for that water to go without flooding someone else. 'We don't have a ton of elevation, we're flat, we have a lot of water, we have a lot of rain, we have over 50 inches every year. In Florida, it's either at 40 or 60 a year, or some other extreme,' said Mickel. 'So, it's very difficult to predict what type of rainfall you're going to get, and then you add hurricanes, tropical storms on top of that.' During Tuesday night's meeting, residents brought up issues like missing pumps to help with the flooding, especially along Little Road. 'I don't care where it went, I want to know when it's going to come back, because the reason they were put in was to assist the water in getting away from that area,' said a resident. The county said they have had to do some maneuvering with the pumps over the last few years, but everything will be back in place. 'There's been some complaints about the aesthetics of those pumps, we've tried to kind of make them look better. Right away, we had some of those concerns, as the storm season starts to approach,' Mickel responded. The county then confirmed they will have the pumps back in place and in operation. Through data collected from last year's hurricanes and feedback from residents, the county will adjust some of its projects. A huge area of concern is the east side of the county, with areas like Dade City and Zephyrhills. The next public input session will be Tuesday, June 10, from 6-8 p.m. in Dade City. It will be held at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, in the boardroom on the 2nd floor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ABC News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Karen Andrews's retirement opens up competition in Gold Coast seat of McPherson
The Gold Coast seat of McPherson has always been conservative. But among the city's three long-held beachfront Liberal seats, it may have the greatest appetite for an alternative. "Of all the seats on the Gold Coast, McPherson is the one where the Greens do particularly well," said former Queensland Labor politician John Mickel. Stay updated: Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on The Greens achieved 15.4 per cent of the vote in McPherson in the 2022 federal election, when the so-called teal independents had a national impact. Karen Andrews served as home affairs minister in the Morrison government. ( ABC News: Andrew Kennedy ) But this election has come with the retirement of former home affairs minister Karen Andrews after 15 years representing the seat for the LNP. Mr Mickel said independents could take advantage of her departure amid a broader swing "I can understand why an independent is having a red hot go at it," said the political commentator and Queensland University of Technology adjunct associate professor. Away from major parties McPherson constituent Matilda Morgan said she usually voted for the Liberal Party. But the 34-year-old artist said both major parties seemed "pretty much the same" ahead of this year's election. Matilda Morgan paints at Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast. ( ABC Gold Coast: Dominic Cansdale ) "They're saying the same things [but] in different words," she said. Ms Morgan, who lives in her van, said she had not seen any radical change from the major parties. "It's really hard to be a young person in this day and age when it comes to cost of living, inflation and finding work," she said. Currumbin Beach is in the federal seat of McPherson. ( ABC Gold Coast: Dominic Cansdale ) Mr Mickel said Ms Morgan's age group had demonstrated Photo shows A young woman wears her blond hair tied up and a brown jumper as she smiles at the camera While younger Australians are tuning out of politics, researchers say people aged in their 30s to early 40s are the most disengaged group. With about 38 per cent of the McPherson electorate aged 15-44, he said it was a significant demographic. "It is currently a death zone for the major parties," Mr Mickel said. "This is a group, the younger groups, who are no longer attached to the major parties and look for alternatives. "In McPherson this time, they've got plenty of them." Housing in focus Ms Morgan is the type of voter the LNP's Leon Robello and Climate 200 independent Erchana Murray-Bartlett are aiming to attract. The two are among the highest-profile candidates in a busy field. They both said housing was a key concern. Leon Robello (left) takes a photo with volunteers at Palm Beach. ( Supplied: Instagram ) Mr Rebello, 29, said he recently bought his first home. "In the last five years I've rented, I've bought my first home, I've gone through that and seen it from different perspectives and I understand the challenges," he said. Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 Ms Murray-Bartlett said she did not own a home in the electorate she wanted to represent. "We need more affordable homes on the Gold Coast," said the ultra-marathon runner, who has leveraged her 39,000 Instagram followers during the campaign. "I'm a renter on the Gold Coast, I don't own a home, and so making sure renters are just as looked after is just as important." Erchana Murray-Bartlett is the Climate 200 independent candidate for McPherson. ( Supplied: Instagram ) Long list of candidates They are among 12 candidates for McPherson, up from eight in the 2022 election. Alongside independent Michelle Faye, the minor parties include One Nation, the Greens, Trumpet of Patriots, Legalise Cannabis, Animal Justice, the Libertarians, People First and Family First. Photo shows An election sign of Wil Anderson in a neighbourhood with a dog urinating on it with Gruen Nation Election edition and iview. It's election season and politicians are trying to sell you the world. The team at Gruen isn't about to buy it. They're taking a big swing at the election, showing you how the democracy sausage is made, all the sizzle and none of the meat. Griffith University associate professor of politics, Paul Williams, said the LNP should retain the seat easily but "might go backwards a couple of percentage points". "There are four or five, what you'd call hard right, even far right candidates in that field," he said. "They'll get a very small percentage of the vote but those preferences will filter up to the LNP." Associate Professor Williams said many voters felt the major parties were not solving problems and that independents contesting safe seats such as McPherson had become the new norm. "It's about flying the flag, it's about building support," he said. Matilda Morgan paints at Currumbin Beach. ( ABC Gold Coast: Dominic Cansdale ) "You've got to start somewhere, you've got to take losses, you've got to build credibility." Ms Morgan was skeptical of whether the shift away from major parties would make a difference. "They'll do the election thing, but then does it actually make waves when they're elected?" she said. Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
One of Pasco's largest parks finally reopens after Hurricane Helene
The Brief Seven months after Hurricane Helene, one of Pasco County's largest parks has reopened. SunWest Park officially reopened last Saturday. The park suffered major flood damage due to Helene's storm surge. HUDSON, Fla. - Nearly seven months after Hurricane Helene, one of Pasco County's largest parks has reopened. SunWest Park in Hudson is built on a former limestone mining operation and features a 70-acre spring-fed lake. It's located right near the coast. Pasco County Public Works staff said it became inundated with water from the storm surge. Dig deeper The storm surge pushed sand to the middle of the lake and into the parking lot. Milton brought strong winds that damaged some structures. Public Works Director Jason Mickel said heavy equipment was necessary to clean it up. Crews first clawed out the now dirty, mucky sand from the lake. "They pulled a lot of that sediment out, got it back onto the exposed limestone that's around the perimeter of this lake," Mickel said. Mickel said it wasn't just for aesthetic purposes but also because it was a safety hazard. 26 truckloads of fresh, clean sand were hauled in to restore the shoreline. What's next The park hosted a formal grand reopening last Saturday. It's open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, click here. The Source FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis collected the information in this story. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS LIVE: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
State leaders send pumps to help clear remaining floodwaters from Hurricane Milton in Pasco County
The Brief The state of Florida is indefinitely loaning Pasco County equipment to help residents still experiencing flooding from Hurricane Milton. While most public roads have been cleared since the hurricane, many private roads in the county still experience hurricane-related flooding. The county says they will prioritize properties in Dade City, which are experiencing the most prolonged flooding. DADE CITY, Fla. - Pasco County families still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Milton may finally be getting some relief as the state recently delivered pumps to help clear the remaining water. Pasco Public Works Director Jason Mickel said the state provided the county with three pumps and 3,000 feet of hose to help move water out of the dozens of properties. READ: Parts of Pasco County still dealing with flooding months after Hurricane Milton Dig deeper Mickel said the immediate priority is the Hickory Hills community in Dade City. "We're talking about October, when these floods first started, and here we are in late February, and there are still people dealing with water, either on their property, near their homes, on their streets, that they're still looking for help and relief," Mickel said. "The state has provided us with some resources." The backstory FOX 13 first reported residual flooding problems plaguing parts of the county earlier this month. At that point, Pasco leaders said the county had cleared the public roads, and in mid-December, the state moved their pumps elsewhere. WATCH: Pasco residents still struggle from storm flooding The state told owners of any remaining private streets and properties to contact FEMA for help finding a solution. However, families across Dade City begged state and county leaders for help, which led the state to send in pumps last week. "The state has provided us with some resources that now we've prioritized based on if there's a private road, but that private road leads to a public road. That's one thing we're looking at," Mickel said. "Another is, are we able to get emergency vehicles down that road? We want to make sure that our community is safe." CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Mickel told FOX 13 that the state has indefinitely loaned the county the pumps to help with this situation and any future floods that emerge during an emergency declaration. The Source FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer collected the information in this story. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pasco families still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Milton plead for help at county commission meeting
The Brief Several Pasco County families still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Milton urged county commissioners to help them clear it. Pasco leaders said their hands may be tied, and may not be able to help with the issue. Pasco homeowners who spoke at the meeting said they believe several county-approved developments have made flooding worse. DADE CITY, Fla. - Several Pasco County families still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Milton attended the county commission meeting on Tuesday, urging county leaders to help them clear the residual water from their properties. Pasco leaders said state-operated pumps cleared water from public roads before they were deployed elsewhere, leaving several private roads and properties still underwater. RELATED:Florida emergency officials assessing Pasco County flooding left 4 months after Hurricane Milton What they're saying Jason Mickel, Pasco County's public works' director, said he sent crews to areas that are still dealing with flooding in Dade City and Zephyrhills on Tuesday. "There's only so much that we can do at this time," Mickel said. "What we are doing is we're teaming up with our partners at the city, also our local water management district, Southwest Florida Water Management District, to find some areas that we may be able to improve conveyance into some of these systems, if there are any. We'll be looking at that and that may help drain some of these areas." Mickel said some homeowners may be on their own. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube "We as a county do not use public funds on private property," he said. Local perspective Homeowners, however, believe several county-approved developments have made flooding worse, so they believe the county should assist with moving the remaining water off their land. "We haven't lived in our home since the storm and this is like a last attempt," said Kim Barnes, a Dade City resident who spoke during the commission meeting. "I'm tired of not living with my family. My kids are living somewhere else. And we just need to get some solution." "This story goes on and on and just need to get the water the heck out of there," added Dade City resident Ron Tucker, who also addressed commissioners. "Water was going down great. They stopped pumping. The water stops and there it sits." PREVIOUS: Parts of Pasco County still dealing with flooding months after Hurricane Milton The other side Commissioner Ron Oakley, whose district includes Dade City, said the county's hands may be tied, because at least one homeowner whose property is adjacent to a nearby lake from which the water originated won't allow crews to pump across his property, because he's worried his home will flood again. "I wish I could go in and take all that water out, but we're not allowed to get from private property like that," Oakley said. What's next State Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Pasco County, recently told FOX 13 the Florida Division of Emergency Management visited some of the flooded areas in Pasco County. FOX 13 reached out to the division to see if there's anything the state can do to help homeowners, but has not yet heard back. The Source The information in this story was gathered from Tuesday's Pasco County commission meeting as well as previous FOX 13 News reports. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
