During the April 16, 2025, Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Board presented the 2025 Theodore Roosevelt Hillsborough Forever Conservation award to Michael S. Flannery for his decades of work in environmental protection. Some of his major accomplishments include a 29-year-career at the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
As Chief Environmental Scientist, he conducted extensive ecological research on the region’s rivers. His work is a significant contribution to our area, enabling an adequate supply of water for the public without harming natural resources.
Commissioners presented a commendation to Tampa General Hospital for being ranked the No. 1 Hospital in the Nation for transplants by volume in 2024.
TGH completed 889 transplants between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024, the most of any transplant center in the nation that year. This groundbreaking milestone further illustrates the hospital’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading academic health systems.
The Board also declared April 2025 as Donate Life Month to raise awareness about the critical need for organ, eye, and tissue donation. A new patient is added to the national waiting list for an organ transplant every eight minutes, and each day, about 16 people die due to the lack of available organs.
Commissioners approved a modification to the agreement with National Metering Services, Inc. for an additional $6 million to purchase advanced metering infrastructure systems or (AMI). The meters will be installed across the county in areas where water meters have outlived their useful life. The new system will improve the accuracy of utility usage and billing for customers.
The Board directed staff to research and bring back a report on an employee-focused mental health pilot program to address mental health-related issues through education.
Commissioners received the monthly report on the post-hurricane regional stormwater assessment. Over the past few months, staff has met with neighboring municipalities and community partners to collect data and identify focus areas where flooding was most prevalent.
This month began the first of eight community open houses to receive resident feedback regarding past and future storm seasons.
Potential improvements include capacity and storage improvements, new and upgraded pump stations, maintenance frequency, development standards, and increased emergency preparedness and stormwater funding, along with interagency collaboration.
The next BOCC regular meeting is at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 7, 2025. You can watch the meeting live on YouTube on the Hillsborough County Meetings channel.
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