The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Voters approve school tax in Pasco, reject it in Hillsborough

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A ballot initiative by the Pasco County School Board was approved, with 58.66% of the total 94,230 voters who weighed in on the issue.

After the vote, in a video, Superintendent Kurt Browning assured voters “that every penny that is raised as a result of this referendum will go to improve non-administrative salaries for teachers, bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, maintenance workers and many, many more.”

A similar ballot initiative in Hillsborough County failed, by the thinnest of margins.

In Hillsborough, 111,076 voters cast “no” ballots, while 110,486 voted “yes.” The end result was a difference of 590 votes, or 0.26% difference in the total.

Voting on the issue was so close in Hillsborough, it triggered an automatic machine recount of the ballots. In the end, though, the negative outcome remained the same.

Prior to that recount, Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Addison Davis addressed the issue on his blog, which is posted on the Hillsborough public school district’s website.

Davis wrote: “If the unofficial results stand, it will not change our efforts as we fight to increase education funding for students and staff. The following facts remain:

  • We are facing an alarming teacher shortage due in part to salary levels.
  • Florida is ranked near the bottom in education funding nationally.
  • Hillsborough County is ranked 45th in state and local per-pupil funding.
  • Twenty-three Florida school districts – many bordering Hillsborough County – now have an additional millage allowing them to enhance compensation packages for teachers, administrators, and support staff.”

Davis added: “Please know we will be back in 2024 to ask the board to place a millage referendum on the ballot, asking voters for additional funding to further support education. As the seventh-largest district in the nation, we must do everything possible to inform our community on how education is funded in Florida and push lawmakers to help us create the best educational system for our children.”

Pasco County voters were urged to support a referendum intended to approve higher property taxes to support higher salaries for Pasco public school teachers, bus drivers, kitchen workers and other non-administrative personnel in the district. The ballot initiative passed. (Mike Camunas)

Meanwhile, in Pasco, on Aug. 24 — the day after the Primary Election — Pasco Schools Superintendent Browning issued a video expressing gratitude for the voters’ support.

Browning characterized approval of the ballot initiative as “a wise investment in our schools, our employees and our students.

“It’s an investment in the future of our community,” Browning continued. “It will enable us to be more competitive with surrounding school districts so we can recruit, retain, the best employees and make good on our promise to provide a world-class education. As superintendent of schools, I have to tell you that it is gratifying to see this kind of support from our community.

“Community support is essential to our success,” the superintendent said.

Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), played a key role in persuading school board members to place the measure on the ballot.

On a motion by Colleen Beaudoin and a second by Alison Crumbley, the board voted unanimously in April, to pursue up to a 1-mil tax. The additional tax will begin July 1, 2023 and end no later than June 30, 2027.

The proceeds, according to the ballot question, will be used “for essential operating expenses to maintain salaries competitive with the market, attract and retain high-quality teachers, bus drivers, and other non-administrative school support employees.

An oversight committee will be appointed to ensure that the revenues are properly spent, Browning previously announced.

Much like the Hillsborough school district, Pasco has hundreds of vacancies in the district, for a wide variety of jobs.

After Pasco voters approved the referendum, USEP president Peace shared his thoughts on the initiative’s passage in a posting on the union’s website.

Due to the referendum’s success, Peace wrote, “Pasco County will now be able to negotiate competitive salaries for our employees and keep the high-quality educators we already have working here in Pasco. It is our goal to see that the multitude of vacancies in this district are filled with competent, qualified people being paid a fair, competitive, and rewarding salary.”

Like Browning, Peace thanked the Pasco voters for their support.

He also thanked all of the people who played a role in helping to ensure the adoption of the referendum.

“Many of you joined with USEP and waved signs and had roadside conversations with drivers to push the information out. Thank you.

“Many of you spent some pretty warm hours outside polling places to greet and educate voters. Thank you!

“No matter how you helped, USEP wants to say a heartfelt thanks to you for working toward this cause,” Peace said.

He also expressed gratitude to a group of former educators and school district who formed a group called Lift Up Pasco, to help in the effort.

Peace also thanked Browning for his support.

Peace said the next step will be “collecting the funds and negotiating salary increases and doing it in a way to provide transparent information to all those voters who heard of our concern and stepped up to make something positive happen.”

The union leader characterized the vote’s passage as being “momentous” for Pasco County’s public school system.

“Long-term, both our students and our employees are going to benefit from this victory,” Peace wrote.

Published August 31, 2022

Hillsborough board will take one more step to block incinerators in Lutz

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Applicant Louis Geraci LLLP recently withdrew his application for two air curtain incinerators in Lutz, after infuriated neighbors and elected leaders rose up against it.

Now, the Hillsborough County Commission wants to be certain the request can’t surface again on the site at 1225 Crystal Lake Road. They are expected to modify the original rezoning that listed the incinerators as an allowable use in an agricultural zone.

The county board is expected to take that action on Oct. 11.

County board members, who also sit as the board of the Environmental Protection Commission (EPC), said they had no knowledge the incinerators were being planned because there had been no discussion of that possibility when the rezoning occurred.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Mariella Smith noted: “We have to count on the people who come and testify to us, to give us an accurate assessment of what is being approved in the zoning stage.

“In this case, we had the founder of the assisted living facility right up the road writing us a letter saying he was in support of this because it was going to revert back to agriculture, because it was going to reduce traffic. He was fooled into thinking this was going to be good.

“His clients at the assisted living facility were going to be at risk because of the fumes,” Smith said.

County Commissioner Ken Hagan thanked his colleagues for supporting his motion at the EPC board meeting, which called for halting the EPC staff from working on the application and communicating the EPC board’s objections to the secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, to the governor and to members of the Hillsborough Legislative Delegation.

“I knew what I was asking for was unprecedented. Procedurally, this was supposed to be an administrative issue. It did not come under our purview.

“I want to thank each board member for standing with the neighborhood and doing the right thing, even though we knew it was unprecedented and it could have led to legal challenges,” Hagan said.

He continued: “The reaction was swift. That day I received a call from their attorney. At that time I encouraged them to rescind their permit application, as well as their site development plan.”

They did both.

It was, Hagan said, “a clear victory for the neighborhood.”

The commissioner added that the intense community opposition played a key role in the outcome.

“Very rarely have I ever seen a neighborhood come together so quickly and be so unified.

“With respect to Lutz, I think it goes back to the ‘80s, when it was the East-West road that wanted to go through Lutz,” Hagan said.

Smith pointed out that the EPC’s staff played a crucial role on the issue, too, because of the notice it provided to neighbors about application for state approval of the incinerators.

“Typically, the applicant in a case like this, just would have gone straight to the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection),” Smith said.

But Hillsborough has its own EPC staff and board, and its staff is under contract with DEP to process such applications.

The EPC staff recognized that the request was for a project of heightened concern, triggering public notice and a planned community meeting.

When word got out about the proposed use, hundreds of opponents bombarded county board members with emails, and more than 600 signed up for the planned community meeting.

The county commissioners, sitting as the EPC board, listened to more than an hour of public testimony against the request. Opponents raised issues about public health hazards, negative impacts on the quality of life, potential dangers caused by truck traffic in area neighborhoods, and a likely reduction in nearby property values.

“If we didn’t have EPC, nobody would have even know that this was happening. It would have gone straight to the state, and the state would have issued a permit. Boom,” Smith said.

Adam Gormly, director of development services, said that beyond modifying this particular rezoning application, the county also will engage in amending the county’s land development code regarding the location of incinerators and the types of operations.

For instance, the way the code is currently written, there’s no distinction between temporary and permanent incinerators, he said.

Gormly added: “This site is a good example of a location of where it would not be a good use for the community.”

Commissioner Pat Kemp said she’d like to pursue whether the county can charge a fee and conduct its own traffic studies on rezonings. She noted that Sarasota County does that.

“We should have had a traffic study for everything in here,” Kemp said, noting the county board had no idea that truck traffic might be coming and going to the Crystal Lake Road location.

Gormly told the board that having the county handle the traffic studies would add a significant amount of time necessary to process rezoning requests.

Published August 31, 2022

Massive Pasco Town Center project gets OK

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The Pasco County Commission has given a greenlight to a rezoning that clears the way for the Pasco Town Center — a development planned on 997 acres at the southeast corner of Interstate 75 and State Road 52.

Project plans call for 4 million square feet of industrial space; 725,000 square feet of office space; 3,500 housing units, 400,000 square feet of retail and 300 hotel rooms.

The development has been the topic of numerous discussions during the past several months, with conditions and details being worked out at meetings.

The Pasco County Commission voted 5-0 to approve the rezoning, at its Aug. 24 meeting.

During that session, Rob Park, who lives on Ehren Cutoff, raised concerns about how the project’s traffic on State Road 52 will be addressed.

Joel Tew, an attorney whose client owns the property, told the county board that extensive efforts have been underway to work out plans for his client’s property and adjacent properties to gain access on and off State Road 52, at the I-75 interchange.

“Everyone is collaborating. They’ve formed basically a task force to try to get DOT (Department of Transportation) to approve a better way of access on and off of (State Road) 52, east of that interchange.

“We think it’s very close to being resolved. The good news is thanks to the input of your county administration and all of the different stakeholders, it seems to be headed in what all of the parties think is the right direction, at DOT,” Tew said.

Commissioner Ron Oakley wanted to make sure there are no plans to change the name of McKendree Road to Boyette Road, as has been shown on some plans.

Tew assured Oakley: “Pasco Town Center was not trying to rename McKendree to Boyette.

“We received an edict from the county administrator’s office that that (McKendree Road) will continue to be McKendree Road, so we stated that on the record (at the Pasco County Planning Commission meeting).

“Obviously, we’re going to call it what the county tells us to call it. And, we’ve been told to call it McKendree. We love McKendree. We’re going to call it McKendree,” Tew said.

Oakley responded: “Well, that will make my citizens very happy.”

The board previously approved an economic incentive deal related to Pasco Town Center with Columnar Holdings.

Terms of the agreement, approved on June 7, provide a $55.8 million package for Columnar, funded mostly through property tax rebates, as specific milestones are met.

The development company also will install key roads and utility connections beyond the Pasco Town Center Property – providing $70.1 million in public infrastructure, with no direct cost to taxpayers, David Engel, the county’s director of the office of economic growth, said the day the agreement was approved.

Published August 31, 2022

Pasco adopts new flood prevention regulations

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Pasco County has adopted changes to its flood prevention regulations to assure the county can continue to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program.

The board approved the changes during its Aug. 24 meeting.

Participation in the flood insurance program allows Pasco residents to purchase federally backed flood insurance, Esther Oluyemi, a county building official, said during previous hearings before the Pasco County Planning Commission and the county board.

The county has taken part in that program since 1981, Oluyemi said.

The county also has been a member of the Community Rating System (CRS) since 1992.

The CRS allows the county to get a discount for its residents, with the amount of the discount based on the rating. Pasco has a rating of 6, which makes Pasco residents eligible for a discount of 20% on flood insurance rates, according to Oluyemi.

The county had 19,015 policyholders, as of 2021. Based on that, the county’s CRS rating yields an annual savings to policyholders of $3.1 million a year.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made regulatory changes that the county must adopt to get discounts, Oluyemi said.

The county must:

  • Adopt the new FEMA flood insurance study and flood insurance map. (The flood insurance map has already been part of the Florida Building Code since 2020.)
  • Eliminate the 36-inch option for manufactured homes
  • Require wet-proofing for agricultural buildings over 600 square feet in flood zones
  • Standardize the use of market value, for private appraisals

Oluyemi said that adopting the flood map into the county’s local ordinance essentially is a formality because the map already has been incorporated into the Florida Building Code, which is the code the county uses.

The county also has approved a process that provides for appeals of actions taken or denial of proposed construction to be heard by a hearing officer, using the same rules and procedures as demolition appeals when such denials are based on load and flood requirements.

Published August 31, 2022

Pasco and Hillsborough voters make choices known in Primary

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Voters in Pasco and Hillsborough counties have spoken, choosing their candidates for the Nov. 8 General Election, and deciding the outcome of proposed property tax increases for the Pasco and Hillsborough school districts.

All voters were eligible to vote on the referendums for the tax increases, and in the races for school board and judges, which are nonpartisan seats.

Dozens of political signs decorated the drive up to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex in Wesley Chapel, which was the site of Precinct 57. (Mike Camunas)

The tax initiative proposed by the Pasco School Board passed, while the one sought by the Hillsborough County School Board failed. The vote was so close in Hillsborough, it triggered an automatic machine recount.

In the races for Pasco County School Board, voters returned incumbents Cynthia Armstrong and Megan Harding for another four-year term.

Armstrong won the District 3 seat, receiving 58.87% of the vote, defeating Matthew Geiger, who received 41.13%. Harding secured District 5 by picking up 71.32% of the vote, compared to her challenger, Charles Philip Touseull, who took home 28.86%.

In the race for District 1, Al Hernandez garnered 44.77% of the vote, James Washington received 31.67% and Stephen A. Meisman attracted 31.66%.

Since no one received at least 50% plus 1 vote, Hernandez and Washington will compete in a runoff in November to see who will fill the District 1 seat being vacated by Allen Altman.

In the Republican Primary for the District 2 Pasco County Commission seat, Seth Weightman was the top vote-getter, with 48.88% of the vote. He will face write-in candidate Louie Rodriguez in the November election.

In District 4, Gary Bradford received 43.96%, overtaking incumbent Christina Fitzpatrick, who received 37.7% of the vote. Shannon J. Wittwer, a third candidate in the field, garnered 18.35%.

Bradford now faces write-in candidate Cory A. Patterson in the November General Election.

In Hillsborough County, in the race for the District 4 seat on the Hillsborough County Commission, Michael Joseph Owen received 61.79% of the vote defeating Noelle Licor, who received 38.21%. Owen has been elected as the new commissioner in District 4, since there are no other opponents.

In the races for Hillsborough County School Board, incumbent Stacy Hahn secured 63.76% of the vote, securing another term in District 2. She defeated challenger Damaris Allen, who received 36.24% of the vote.

Patricia “Patti” Rendon won District 4, by receiving 53.10%. She defeated Hunter Gambrell, who received 28.44% and Danielle Smalley, who received 18.46%.

In District 6, incumbent Karen Perez was reelected, with 50.74% of the vote. She fended off Alysha “Aly Marie” Legge, who secured 37.51% of the vote and Roshaun Gendrett, who garnered 11.75%.

Published August 31, 2022

Firestorm of controversy halts incinerators in Lutz

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Opponents — both residents and elected leaders alike — vowed to go to the wall to prevent a set of commercial incinerators from setting up operation in Lutz.

But in the end, they didn’t have to: The applicant retreated.

Louis Geraci LLLP has dropped the request for state permits to operate two Air Curtain Incinerators (ACIs), at 1225 Crystal Road.

That action came after the opposition’s full-scale attack.

But the story is more complicated than that.

Essentially, the applicant had been pressing on through the process to obtain a permit for the two ACIs, in what amounts to an administrative action at the local level.

The county’s Environmental Protection Commission (EPC)’s staff was handling the air permit application — under a contract with the state to perform such reviews.

Due to the nature of the request — and its “potential to generate smoke and dust from the burning,” the EPC declared the application one of “heightened public concern” and notified nearby property owners and registered neighborhood organizations of the request. The EPC staff also scheduled a virtual community meeting for Aug. 23.

When word of the request got out, opposition erupted.

More than 600 people registered to attend the virtual meeting and hundreds bombarded the Hillsborough County Commission, which also sits at the EPC board, urging them to kill the project.

The EPC board took up the issue at its Aug. 18 meeting, but before it began its discussion, it listened to 45 minutes of public testimony during its normal public comment period at the beginning of the meeting.

So many people signed up, the board limited each speaker to 2 minutes each, instead of the normal 3-minute limit.

Speakers cited potential health hazards for children playing outside, which is a normal course of affairs in Lutz.

They said residents of senior living facilities should be able to go outdoors to enjoy some fresh air.

They raised objections about potential negative impacts for people who have asthma or other respiratory ailments.

They said the operation would reduce their quality of life, damage their property values and pose a threat to the area’s wetlands and wildlife.

“I don’t understand why an application like this wasn’t immediately rejected,” said Bryan Flynn, a Lutz resident. “This application is considering allowing an amount of toxic materials to fall back down to earth in this well protection zone, and have the ash wash directly into wetlands and waters connected directly to the aquifer that we drink from.”

Lutz resident Jen Messer wanted to know: “Is it safe to have all of these extra dump trucks hauling waste through our community, where kids stand waiting on the street for buses every morning?”

Dr. James Costello, a professor at Moffit Cancer Center and a professor at the University of South Florida, who lives in Lutz, raised concerns about the emission of cancer-causing toxins.

State Sen. Janet Cruz, whose district includes Lutz, said neighbors were in the dark about the project until a few days before.

“They’ve (the applicants) been quietly clearing the land and preparing for this, and the residents had no idea. They’re flabbergasted. Once more residents see what’s happening, I think you’ll see an army of folks here,” she predicted.

After the morning’s public comment session ended, Commissioner Ken Hagan weighed in — excoriating the proposed incinerators.

“The notion of building and operating commercial incinerators on a permanent basis in a residential area is outrageous.

“By now, we’ve all received an avalanche of contacts. I think, over 400 emails; 1,500 individuals signed a petition from the greater Lutz community expressing opposition, frustration, disbelief and concerns about the possibility of having two massive fire pits operating in such a diverse and populated area.

“They are turning to us to protect them and their families.

“Candidly, I’ve represented this area for a long time. I cannot recall another issue in Lutz that has generated so much opposition. I think you probably have to go back to the ‘80s when the East-West road … was proposed to go through the Lutz community and there was a significant uproar about that,” Hagan said.

He made a motion to direct EPC staff to halt the process, and for the EPC board to voice the board’s objections to the secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, to the governor and to the Hillsborough County legislative delegation.

Hagan acknowledged the action could prompt legal action against the board, but he said some things are worth taking that risk.

His board colleagues unanimously agreed to kill the project, but debated the best way to achieve that.

Ultimately, the board voted unanimously to support Hagan’s motion.

Additionally, Commissioner Stacy White suggested asking county staff to prepare a county-initiated rezoning “based upon the health, safety and welfare concerns we’ve heard today” and to research whether that action could trigger a zoning in progress.

He made that motion to do that, which the board supported unanimously.

Now that the incinerators application has been dropped, it appears the publicly initiated rezoning won’t be necessary.

Board members did indicate that they want to discuss the rezoning process and how they can prevent similar situations in the future. The issue is expected to come up at the board’s Aug. 25 land use meeting.

Published August 24, 2022

Pasco continues attracting big employers

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Pasco County is on the verge of adding to its mix of employment opportunities, Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc. (Pasco EDC), announced at a recent Pasco County Commission meeting.

“I anticipate you are going to have a couple of big wins here, before the end of the fiscal year, that you’ll be hearing at the board of county commissioners,” Cronin said during the Pasco EDC’s third-quarter report to the board.

“And, one of them is for 500 jobs coming up in the next couple weeks,” the economic development expert said, at the board’s Aug. 9 meeting.

Mettler Toledo opened its 270,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in 2018, in Northpointe Village, off State Road 54. The company is a global supplier of precision scales and services used in research, and the packaging and production of food and pharmaceuticals. (Courtesy of Mettler Toledo)

Advanced manufacturing still leads the county’s project pipeline, Cronin said, noting “we still have land and we still have people.”

But another category high on the list is life sciences.

“That should be no surprise to us at all, with what we’re doing with Moffitt. That seems to be the gift that’s going to keep on giving because we have companies that all want to co-locate next to Moffitt, including another really big manufacturer looking at right next-door.”

So far, the county has had seven wins resulting in capital investment of $169.2 million and 622 new jobs, Cronin reported.

Capital investment expands the tax base, which ultimately increases property tax revenues.

“For every dollar allocated by the county in the Pasco EDC, the return on investment is almost 300 to 1,” Cronin said.

While debate continues about the state of the economy and impacts on inflation, Cronin said he and his staff are having meetings and pursuing business in other places.

“We don’t just rely on people coming to us,” said Cronin, noting the county has 96 active projects in its pipeline, compared to a normal number of about 35.

“We are busy,” Cronin said.

Board Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey told Cronin: “I was just thinking, where are those people going to live?”

As the county adds jobs, residents driving to other counties can skip that commute and work in Pasco, Cronin said.

The Asturia Corporate Center, a speculative building project supported by Penny for Pasco funding, has reached full occupancy. The 235,000-square-foot building has a mix of occupants, representing various target industry sectors. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.)

Starkey responded: “I think we need to do a marketing campaign to promote that as much as we can. Much as I hate billboards, maybe the county should put some up: ‘Stay here, work here.’”

The board chairwoman added: “I’m hearing of companies that were going to come to the Tampa Bay area, but their employees couldn’t find housing they could afford and they’ve gone somewhere else. We’re starting to see that.”

Cronin told the board that during economic downturns, Florida fared well because it was a low-cost alternative to places like New York or New Jersey.

“We are no longer a low-cost solution, that’s for sure, especially when  it comes to housing,” Cronin said.

He added: “We are still a low-tax solution, though, and business generally goes to where the tax burden is less.”

Starkey said efforts must continue to increase the supply of workforce housing — a problem that’s being experienced by communities across the country.

Besides recruiting new businesses, Pasco EDC also is engaged in a number of initiatives: to help existing businesses to expand; to help new entrepreneurs develop their businesses through incubators and workshops; to expand opportunities for international business; and to provide a source of microloans for businesses that are unable to obtain a loan.

To find out more about the Pasco EDC visit its website at PascoEDC.com.

Published August 24, 2022

Efforts continue to blaze new trails in Pasco

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Pasco County is making progress on creating new trails to give residents more options — for getting around and staying fit.

The Pasco County Commission has approved a $2.3 million professional services agreement with Atkins North America Inc., to provide project development and environmental services in connection with the Orange Belt Multi-Use Trail.

The trail project was identified as a new project to be funded through the Pasco County Penny for Pasco Local Options Surtax that was renewed by voters in 2015, according to materials in the county board’s Aug. 9 agenda packet.

The board approved the professional services agreement, as part of a group of items approved on it consent agenda, without discussion.

The Orange Belt trail is on the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization’s list of priority regional trails.

It is intended to be a paved trail, 12-feet to 15-feet wide, spanning the county.

It will provide connections between three existing regional trail corridors: Starkey Trail Connector, Suncoast Trail and the Withlacoochee State Trail.

Under the approved agreement, Atkins will develop the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the project, which would identify the alignment and required right of way acquisition and permitting.

The agreement also provides for the development of a plan that would divide the project into segments and would have independent schedules for design, right of way acquisition, and construction.

The agreement is to be completed within 740 calendar days from the date the Notice to Proceed is issued to Atkins, according to the agenda materials.

No dates have been established yet for the design, right of way or construction.

The study is expected to be finished by summer 2024. No dates have yet been set for design, right of way acquisition or construction. Preliminary cost estimates for the project are set at $38.5 million.

In another action related to new trails, the board approved a task order for $141,295, with Coastal Design Consultants Inc., relating to the design and permitting of the Boyette Road Multi-Use Path.

The task order provides for the design, permitting and post-design services required to construct an 8-foot multi-use path along Boyette Road extending from Vandine Road, on the south, to the most southerly pedestrian entrance into the Wesley Chapel District Park, on the north.

The project will create a continuous multi-use path along Boyette Road from State Road 54 to Overpass Road, and will provide walkers, runners and bicyclists with a safe route to and from the Wesley Chapel High School compound and Wesley Chapel District Park.

The design, construction plan preparation, permitting, utility coordination, and bid document preparation will be performed within 243 calendar days from the first Notice to Proceed. A second notice to proceed will be given for the post-design services.

Construction is expected to begin on the project in fall of 2023, with completion expected in 2024. The estimated cost of the project is slightly more than $1.3 million, including design, construction, construction engineering and inspection, according to materials in the agenda packet.

In other action on Aug. 9, the county board:

  • Approved an additional position in the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department to assist the department’s project manager to complete additional projects funded by the General Obligation Bond approved by voters.
  • Approved the purchase of two remote-controlled lawn mowers needed for maintenance of very steep areas in the county’s reclaimed water storage reservoirs.
  • Approved the reimbursement of $65,086.91 to Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano for mailing expenses for tax notices for the 2021 tax year.
  • Approved an additional $35,000 in purchasing authority to Nabors, Giblin, Nickerson, P.A., for attorney’s fees, paralegal fees, travel expenses and costs as maybe incurred by the law firm on behalf of the county, for a cumulative total not to exceed $85,000. The law firm is assisting the county in its lawsuit involving a budget dispute between the county and Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller Nikkia Alvarez-Sowles.
  • Approved the appointment of Frank Cornier, president of Tampa Bay Neighborhood Housing Services, to serve on the board of the Pasco County Housing Finance Authority. He is filling a vacancy on the five-member board.
  • Approved a partnership between Pasco Fire/Rescue and the Florida Department of Health, Pasco County to treat and prevent opioid addiction in Pasco County. It includes the addition of up to three positions to support the program.

The program will implement a specialized unit to be deployed to incidents where citizens require medication assisted treatment and/or addiction stabilization services.

  • Approved $100,000 in additional purchasing authority for Florida’s Sports Coast, the county’s tourism marketing arm, for advertising, and funding of programs to incentivize events in Pasco, resulting in a new not-to-exceed amount of $1,272,064.00 for fiscal year 2022.

Published August 24, 2022

Opioid addiction is ‘a national crisis,’ congressman says

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis recently was back in his Tampa Bay home district and spent time with people working on the front lines in the battle against opioid addiction.

One stop was at a community meeting at AdventHealth Center Ice, in Wesley Chapel, where he met with members of the public and representatives of Live Tampa Bay — an organization that’s focused on drastically reducing deaths from opioid addiction.

Bilirakis offered big-picture thoughts on the opioid epidemic and discussed wide-ranging efforts he’s involved with to address it.

“Currently, fentanyl is the leading cause of death in the nation for individuals ages 18 to 45,” said Bilirakis, who represents Florida’s 12th congressional district.

“Folks, this is a national emergency. We must treat it like one. Our kids are dying. Our kids are dying.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis recently talked about a number of federal initiatives aimed at reducing opioid overdose deaths during a session at AdventHealth Center Ice, in Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

“Sadly, the epidemic of substance abuse disorder and addiction continue to have far-reaching consequences that touch every community, every demographic and every single one of us,” the congressman said.

“Tragically, despite historic increases in federal funding in recent years to tackle this issue, the problem is only getting worse.

“With provisional data, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) estimates that over 107,000 Americans died of a drug overdose during the past year, with Florida having particularly alarming numbers, with over 7,000 overdose deaths,” Bilirakis said.

“This is an issue that we must attack in different ways,” said the congressman, who has authored several pieces of successful legislation taking aim at the problem.

He shared insights he’s gleaned from meeting with people who are on the front line of responding to the crisis.

He cited Tampa Bay’s notorious history of illegal pill mills.

“When government stepped up and put a stop to the pill mills, law enforcement saw a huge surge in abusive, illegally trafficked, illicit street drugs, including heroin and synthetic opioids and stimulant drugs, like meth (methamphetamine),” he said.

Criminals will find a way to provide illegal substances, so getting to the root of the problem is crucial, Bilirakis said.

“We know that the issue of substance abuse and mental health are inextricably linked. For years, I’ve been working on legislation to address our nation’s broken mental health system.

“I’m proud to tell you that this is a bipartisan issue folks. (U.S. Rep.) Kathy Castor works with me on this issue. We both sit on the Energy and Commerce committee, and we’re both senior members of the health subcommittee,” he said.

While progress has been made, much work remains, Bilirakis said.

“Too many barriers still exist for getting someone the help they need.

“I recently held a roundtable discussion with federal and local law enforcement officials, public health officials, behavioral health providers and emergency room physicians, to discuss mental health and substance abuse disorder.

“These are the professionals in our community who are battling this epidemic every single day.

“I believe you must look to them for guidance on the ways we can all work together to find more effective solutions.

“Their stories were both powerful and heartbreaking.

“The law enforcement officials identified that they are navigating two distinct concerns. One being (the) trafficking rings and the other being illicit drug users.

“They made it clear that this is a public health crisis, one that we cannot arrest our way out of. “They felt strongly that instead of utilizing incarceration that we need to expand our available treatment options,” Bilirakis said.

Law enforcement officials also told the congressman that they’re seeing “almost every type of drug being laced with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. Very scary, ladies and gentlemen. Very scary.’”

There’s also counterfeit vaping pens, marijuana and prescription pills that are manufactured to appear identical to their counterparts, Bilirakis said. As a result, unsuspecting users ingest substances that have been laced with fentanyl and overdose.

Law enforcement told Bilirakis they also need more resources to battle illicit distribution and drug use.

Another issue is the shortage of licensed psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, and others who can provide assistance to people struggling with mental health and substance addiction issues, Bilirakis said.

“This is definitely an urgent need,” he said.

The gap in insurance — relating to providing coverage for residential health care — makes that option out of financial reach for many.

And, even when families use their life savings to procure residential treatment for a family member, it’s difficult for them to discern the best provider, Bilirakis added.

“Stable care is such a vital component, in ensuring patients do not relapse,” he added.

Emergency room physicians are overburdened, too.

When Bilirakis talked to them, they estimated that roughly half of their time is spent addressing patients who are suffering from mental health or substance abuse disorder issues.

The problem touches everyone’s life, to some degree, Bilirakis said.

“Our neighbors, our friends, our families are struggling and they need help,” Bilirakis said.

Despite the difficulties and the work that remains, Bilirakis said he knows it’s a battle that can be won.

“I have hope,” Bilirakis said, mentioning individuals he’s met who received quality treatment and are living happy and fulfilling lives.

“Federal, state and local officials must work in tandem — that’s the key, collaboration — with nonprofits and private organizations, to generate and implement solutions.

“Together, I’m optimistic that we can, and we will, win this fight,” he said.

Live Tampa Bay mobilizes business, faith, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders in the Tampa Bay region who are dedicated to the mission of reducing opioid deaths.

Here are statistics from the organization’s research:

  • Tampa Bay’s opioid overdose rate of 23.3 per 100,000 population is 9.75% higher than the State of Florida, and 50.5% higher than the nation.
  • Experts estimate that the economic impact of the opioid epidemic on Tampa Bay is roughly $25 billion lost each year in gross regional product, with 35,000 workers sidelined from the labor force.
  • Nearly three people a day die in Tampa Bay from an opioid overdose, totaling 1,024 deaths in 2019.

For more information, visit LiveTampaBay.org.

Published August 24, 2022

Engineering firm wants office building on North Dale Mabry

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Tampa Civil Design is seeking a rezoning to clear the way for a 10,000-square-foot office on about 8.5 acres, on North Dale Mabry Highway, about 1,900 feet north of the Hillsborough County line.

Pasco County’s planning staff has recommended approval of the request and the Pasco County Planning Commission did the same during its Aug. 18 meeting.

The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which makes final decisions on land use and zoning issues.

Jeremy Couch is the applicant on the request.

He frequently appears before both the planning and county board in his professional capacity, but at the Aug. 18 planning board meeting, he was there to answer any questions the board had about his proposed office project.

Attorney Barbara Wilhite represented Couch during the hearing.

She told the planning board: “It’s an ROR (retail, office, residential) land use, it’s on Dale Mabry, it’s pretty straight-forward.”

During the public hearing, John Calamari, of 20719 Preston Lane, noted that there were errors in the application.

For one thing, he said, the site is on the west side of North Dale Mabry Highway, not on the east side as indicated in the application. Also, the application indicates that Preston Lane intersects with North Dale Mabry, but it does not.

Calamari, who has lived on Preston Lane since 1998 said he’s concerned about the use of Preston Lane, which is a 15-foot-wide road.

He said construction traffic or traffic from the project could cause damage to Preston Lane, which is substandard.

“Two vehicles cannot pass on Preston Lane,” Calamari said.

Couch said “it’s my full intention to access this property from Dale Mabry.

“The property does have a legal easement to Preston Lane,” Couch said, so there’s a chance it could be used during the construction phase.

However, once the project opens, the intention is to allow access only onto North Dale Mabry Highway, Couch said.

“I don’t want to encroach on these folks’ neighborhood. We’re going to be a very quiet low-impact use,” Couch said.

The application did not propose any kind of connection to Preston Lane. If Preston Lane is used in any capacity, the application would need to be amended.

A county staffer told Couch that if he uses Preston Lane at all, he must submit a videotape showing the road’s condition before using it. The road must be maintained during its use, and then it must be restored to the original condition when the use is finished. The applicant must then submit a videotape depicting the road after it has been restored.

Couch said he intends to block off access to Preston Lane, once the project is finished.

Goldstein said the application must be modified and conditions would be attached, if Couch wants to use Preston Lane.

Published August 24, 2022