PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Pasco County recently created a new department called the Office of Strategy and Sustainability.

The new office will look at long-term goals for the county, including dealing with rising sea levels, improving infrastructure and preparing for another pandemic.

What You Need To Know

  •  Pasco County created the new Office of Strategy and Sustainability 

  •  The office has a goal to create a long term strategy to deal with rising sea levels, flooding, hurriances and more.

  •  The office will assess areas that can be improved upon 

The office is led by Dr. Marc Bellas, who says that he and his team are still developing a strategy for what’s to come but says it’s important for the county to be proactive and not reactive to events. 

“We have to turn the table to where we anticipate things coming next time,” Bellas said. 

He says the county is following the lead of others within the state who are creating long-term plans, including Miami-Dade County. 

“If you look at our neighbors to the south, they have been at this for 4 or 5 years because they have already seen the effects of global warming. Sea levels rise and they have to protect their coastline and their economy,” Bellas said. 

Bellas also says it’s not just about assessing what might happen in the future in terms of natural disasters, pandemics, and infrastructure, but to assess where funds can be best used.

“There’s a tremendous amount of funding behind the solutions. So, for example, in Miami-Dade, they are pulling down huge grants and building massive projects to protect the coastline,” Bellas said. 

The office is just getting off its feet and Bellas says the county is undergoing a vulnerability assessment to get a better sense of what needs to be done to make improvements to the county. The results are expected in a few months.