Public commenters raise concerns about Pinellas County mailer, lead testing and surface-water fees

Two public commenters spoke at the start of the meeting.

David Ballard Geddes Jr., a Palm Harbor resident, said Pinellas County mailed homeowners a notice requiring them to replace water pipes under their homes, and he said the letter claims the county now treats those lines as county-owned due to concerns about lead. Geddes also asked whether the county tested for mercury, saying he had previously made a video about the county not testing for mercury in its consumer confidence report. He questioned the surface-water assessment fee and described long-standing pipe-age concerns.

A second speaker, identified as Markleutho (Largo), criticized agency landscaping, questioned conservation messaging and read aloud headlines criticizing regulatory moves and contamination settlements.

No county official responded during the meeting; these comments were part of the public comment period and were entered into the record.