The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

Planning board delays vote on new flood prevention regulations

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has delayed consideration of new flood prevention regulations until July 21, to make sure that details are worked out before it votes on the issue.

The planning board provides recommendations to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning issues.

Before sending the issue to the county board, planning board members said they want to make sure that the changes being recommended do not have unanticipated impacts.

Jonathan Moody, who was sworn in as new planning commissioner on July 7, said he’s been working on the issue, alongside Barbara Wilhite, a private attorney, who often appears before the planning board to represent clients on land use and zoning issues.

Moody, who was named to the planning board as Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano’s appointee, is a civil engineering consultant who specializes in land planning, permitting and drainage design.

He asked the planning board and county staff if the issue could be delayed until the planning board’s July 21 meeting, to try to work out the details before voting.

Esther Oluyemi, an official with the county’s building department, represented the county on the issue. She said she thought it would be possible to address the loose ends by the July 21 meeting

Moody’s request for the delay came after he raised questions on some issues for which there were no immediately available answers.

Moody and Wilhite pointed out that county staff has been responsive, diligent and collaborative in working on the issue.

But more clarity is needed, Moody said.

Wilhite said the goal is “to make sure there is not unintended consequences.”

Changes are needed to the county’s land development code to bring the county’s flood damage prevention regulations in line with the model ordinance approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and to coordinate with Chapter 18, buildings and building regulations of the Pasco County Code, according to Oluyemi.

The county participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and is currently a 6 on the Community Rating System, qualifying county residents for a 20% discount on flood insurance policy rates.

In 2021, the county had 19,015 policies and the discount represented $3.1 million in savings, Oluyemi said.

Woman’s club honored by county board for its good works

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Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club who attended the Pasco County Commission meeting on June 21 were operating in a different mode than usual.

Instead of being there to give, they were there to receive.

Typically, when the women show up somewhere, they are carting books to coin laundries,  delivering practical items to help residents of a domestic violence shelter, placing flags near the headstones of veterans at a cemetery or performing some other public service.

At the county board’s meeting, however, they were there to be honored.

Commissioners adopted a resolution to acknowledge the woman’s club’s “62 years of dedicated service to the residents of Pasco County.”

The Pasco County Commission honored the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club for its 62 years of community service. From left: Commissioners Ron Oakley and Mike Moore; GFWC club members Annette Bellingar, Elayne Bassinger (club president) and Nancy Taylor; and, Pasco County Commissioners Kathryn Starkey (chairwoman), Christina Fitzpatrick and Jack Mariano. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

The club is part of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC).

The GFWC, according to the resolution, is “one of the world’s largest and oldest nonpartisan, nondenominational women’s volunteer service organizations.”

The Lutz-Land O’ Lakes club was founded on March 4, 1960, and currently has about 100 members. It focuses on six areas of community service projects: arts and culture; civic engagement; environment; education; health and wellness; and domestic violence prevention and awareness, the resolution says.

During the club’s history, members have donated more than 1.5 million hours of volunteer service and have raised almost $3 million.

In 2021 alone, the women completed 421 projects, volunteered 29,675 hours, and raised  $109,459 to support scholarships, projects and good works, the resolution adds.

The group’s fundraising efforts and charitable acts have been covered for decades in the pages of The Laker/Lutz News.

The volunteer group hosts two major fundraisers each year. It holds an arts and crafts show during the holidays, which features vendors from around the country and attracts thousands of shoppers from throughout the region.

The club also conducts a flea market — luring crowds of bargain-seekers.

The pandemic temporarily put the kibosh on those events — putting a significant dent in the woman’s club budget.

But the club kept rolling.

And, the events are back on.

Besides the big fundraisers, the women also host periodic small fundraisers to support various projects and activities.

They provide practical support, in all sorts of ways.

When Habitat for Humanity held a housewarming in Dade City, for instance, the woman’s club was there with gifts, including a wreath, a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, a water filtration system, a set of Tervis tumblers and other useful items.

Kate Frederick, of Wesley Chapel, left, and her sister, Ava, sit on the back of a golf cart decked out with streamers and a message of Lutz pride. The girls are members of the GFWC Little Women of Lutz. This photo was taken during the Lutz Fourth of July parade in 2019. (File)

Club members were at the St. Pete-Clearwater Airport, to provide a warm welcome — and a unique flag star — to veterans returning from an honor flight to tour the war memorials in Washington D.C.

The ladies also stopped by the Lutz Senior Center, to chat with seniors and serve breakfast treats. And, they helped on projects at a Sensory Garden on the grounds of Camp Idlewild in Land O’ Lakes.

On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, club women delivered gift baskets filled with snacks, treats and fruit to eight local first responder stations in Land O’ Lakes and Lutz.

They also collaborated with the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library and its Foundry to install a little library on the campus of Shady Hills Elementary School in Spring Hill.

The woman’s club also knows how to have fun.

It holds luncheon fundraisers, fashion shows and other events to raise money for community causes.

Members can be entertaining, too.

At the Gulfside Hospice Charity Festival of Arts, in May, some club members dressed up as nuns and performed a number from “Sister Act.”

In addition to providing support for survivors of domestic violence and providing annual scholarships to help area students continue their education, the woman’s club has its hand in a wide array of projects.

It works to protect the environment, to promote education, and supply warmth and good cheer to veterans and the elderly.

It also supports efforts to mentor youths, through the Little Women of Lutz, various scouting organizations and other youth groups.

When Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles finished reading the county board’s resolution at its recent meeting, Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore congratulated members who were there representing the club.

Moore told them: “You do so much for the community. It’s so greatly appreciated. The time and effort you put in, to all of these projects. You make Pasco County and the whole Tampa Bay region much better than it was.”

Elayne Bassinger, the club’s president, responded: “Thank you, commissioner. Thank you all for acknowledging what we have tried to accomplish over the last 62 years, to make our community a better place (in which) to live and to work. We appreciate it (the honor) so much.”

To find out more about the woman’s club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org or its Facebook page.

Published July 06,202 2

Reduce congestion: Make better roadway connections

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It’s no secret that Pasco County motorists frequently are frustrated by traffic backups, as they make their way to get wherever they need to go, throughout the day.

But the county already has a tool aimed at relieving congestion on its major roads, it simply isn’t using it as frequently as it should, according to David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney.

Goldstein cited a portion of the county’s land development code that requires connections to be made between developments.

Those interconnections would give motorists additional ways to get around, without routinely being forced onto main roads to reach their destination.

The attorney’s remarks came during a June 16 discussion between members of the Pasco County Planning Commission and a consultant, regarding issues that need to be part of the county’s update of its comprehensive plan.

“To a large extent, the county has been good about trying to incentivize, encourage compact walkable communities,” Goldstein told Steve Schukraft, a planner with HDR Inc., consultants working with the county on its Pasco 2050 update.

“You’ll see some examples throughout the community,” Goldstein said, pointing to Starkey Ranch and Bexley as communities designed to be walkable and compact.

But, Goldstein said: “What happens is, you get a great community — like a Starkey Ranch or Bexley that has all of these compact, walkable, mixed-use requirements, for a sense of place — but then one development over is a gated subdivision, with no interconnectivity whatsoever. It doesn’t interconnect with the one that is connected.

“And, I’ll just be honest with you, we’re sometimes our own worst enemy. We’ll approve MPUDs (master-planned unit developments), flat-out gated subdivisions, with no interconnectivity,” Goldstein added.

He continued: “I review almost every MPUD that comes through the county. I’d say 80(%) to 90% of them have some part of the project they don’t want to interconnect.

“We have a code section that says, ‘You shall interconnect.’ But we are frequently granting alternative standards or variances, so people don’t have to do that.

“In many cases, it’s just because the developer says, ‘I don’t want to.’ Or, ‘I want to have a gated subdivision. I don’t want to have any interconnectivity.’

“With all due respect to staff, staff says, ‘OK, you don’t have to.

“Staff recommends approval of it. Planning Commission approves it. The board approves it. And everybody just acts like it’s not a problem.

“My point is, if we’re serious that this is what we want — compact, walkable communities with a street network that’s connected and plenty of alternate modes, at some point we just need to step up and say, ‘This is what you have to do.’”

There are some communities that have been planned with ways for people to get around from place to place, using golf carts, scooters, bicycles or walking.

“But in terms of local connections, local road interconnects? In my opinion, we’re doing a horrible job with it,” Goldstein said.

“I’m not blaming anyone in particular, we’re all rubber-stamping this,” Goldstein said.

“It’s sort of a death by a thousand cuts. Nobody realizes that we’re doing it, but I’m just telling you, we are,” he said.

Published July 06, 2022

Themes emerge, as Pasco updates plan

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As Pasco County works to update its comprehensive plans, themes have been emerging through listening sessions, according to a consultant working with the county on the Pasco 2050 update.

Pasco residents primarily identify as being residents within a specific community, said Steve Schukraft, a planner with HDR Inc., the consultants working on the county’s plan update.

There’s “a very diverse set of perspectives and a diverse set of ideas about what their life is like in their community and how they see the county, overall,” he said.

Schukraft shared some of the key issues that have emerged during the listening sessions with members of the Pasco County Planning Commission, during a June 16 workshop.

The State Road 52 and Interstate 75 interchange is expected to become far busier, as large industrial projects that are planned near the interchange are developed. Pasco County has approved recent incentive packages that are expected to yield more than 8,000 jobs in the area. Planning for industrial development has been identified as one of the county’s key needs, during Pasco County Commission discussions. (Mike Camunas)

He also shared information gleaned from reviews of previous engagement efforts by the county, and from a review of the county’s planning practices and documents.

Plus, he opened the discussion up to the planning board’s thoughts on issues they think must be addressed in the Pasco 2050 plan.

One topic that’s been raised repeatedly during the listening sessions is a concern about the impacts from rapid growth on community character and compatibility, Schukraft said.

He also told the planning board: “An observation that we would make is that there’s not a real clear sense among the general public about what the comprehensive plan calls for. So, they’ll see development on the side of the road that is perfectly in line with what the comp plan calls for and what zoning allows — they’re just upset because it represents a change in their day-to-day life,” he said.

“People talked a lot about their concern when they see a site cleared for development, when they see corridors getting more development and getting more dense over time,” he said.

“People don’t know where the line is drawn now between the more suburban future land use categories and the rural categories,” he noted.

Opinions about life in Pasco vary widely, depending on where people live, he added.

“We heard from people in the new large-scale master-planned communities (who said) that they had the best quality of life of anyone in the country. We had some people in some other communities who felt they were kind of falling behind, that they didn’t have the advantages of other folks in the county —  they didn’t have the same quality of facilities, same accessibility. So, there was a big divergence in perspectives.”

One big theme that came up centered on “protecting and conserving rural communities and landscapes.

“We heard that often. We heard that throughout the county,” Schukraft said.

The consultant said he thinks for many, it’s an issue of visual impact.

His sense of their sentiment was this: “I like my open views. I like the rolling hills in Northeast Pasco and I don’t want those developed.”

Planning board member Chris Williams told Schukraft: “As somebody who lives in the Dade City area and lives on a rolling hill and has an open view, those (statements) ring true to me.”

But David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney, noted: “The people who are saying, we need to protect our rural area, where are they suggesting that growth go? You can’t say, ‘We want no growth.’”

During listening sessions for the upcoming update of Pasco County’s comprehensive plan, the need for preserving rural areas was one of the common themes that emerged. Balancing that desire with the need to accommodate growth could surface as one of the major debates, in the process to create the Pasco 2050 plan.

Work on comprehensive plan update is in early stages
Schukraft told the planning board, at this point in the process, he was merely presenting what was heard in the listening sessions and what has been gleaned from reviewing previous county engagement efforts,

The research being done also includes a look at the county’s demographics and socioeconomics; land use development conditions; mobility; a review of existing planning and policy framework; a market analysis to look at where the market opportunities are; strengths and weakness in Pasco’s market position; and, some planning best practices.

Charles Grey, the planning board’s chairman raised an issue that bothers him.

“It really turns me off when I drive by a nice wooded piece of property and then the next day I drive by and it’s leveled, there’s not a tree on the site.

“I’ve seen them tear out 500-year-old oak trees to put in a car wash. That doesn’t make sense to me,” Grey said.

He’d also like to see what can be done to encourage redevelopment.

“There’s plenty of areas that could be redeveloped. From a practical point of view, how do you do it?” Grey asked.

Schukraft noted the negative impacts caused by congestion.

“One of the direct impacts of development is traffic and most of the county is developed in auto-oriented fashion, so to get a gallon of milk, or to get your kid to school or to get to work, you’re driving.

“So, you’re in a car and you experience the county in a car to meet most of your daily and weekly needs.

“We need to look really carefully about how we accommodate those additional trips on the network with already constrained capacity,” Schukraft said.

Planning board member Don Anderson addressed the shortage of affordable housing.

He told Schukraft: “There’s already tenants being displaced because people are moving into the area. People who have lived here, were raised here, are actually being displaced because of the increase in rents.”

Schukraft responded: “People are bringing fat checkbooks into the region and pricing folks out.”

“And then just the movement from folks getting priced out of Hillsborough and Pinellas, coming up to Pasco to try to find cheap housing is putting pressure on the market, too. Some of it has to do with raw supply. The market needs to probably be producing twice the amount of houses per week or month, or units per week or month to meet that demand. And, that ramp-up hasn’t happened yet.”

If you would like to know more about Pasco County’s comprehensive plan update efforts, visit Pasco2050.com.

Published July 06, 2022

‘Watch what consumers do, not what they say’ expert says

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Is the nation headed toward recession?

Rising interest rates, high gas prices, supply chain issues, labor force shortages and the highest inflation in 40 years are prompting lots of commentators to raise the prospect of a looming recession.

But Ryan Severino, chief economist at JLL, looks at the issue this way: “If we keep the faith on this, there’s a really good chance that we can avoid a downturn.

“If we start to lose that confidence and adjust our behaviors, that’s where I think this could become a bit of a problem at some point,” Severino said.

Presently, he said, “I still think there’s good momentum. Job growth is strong. Wage growth is strong. Consumers are spending money.”

However, he noted: “We don’t live in a world of certainty, we live in a world of probability.”

If rising interest rates start to influence psychology and the way people behave as economic actors, a downturn could become a self-fulfilling prophecy, said Severino — who has been quoted in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Financial Times, and others.

Severino was among a panel of experts assembled by Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez to talk about such issues as the economy’s impact on the current and projected real estate market in Hillsborough County. The panelists shared their expertise at a morning meeting at The Cuban Club in Ybor City, on June 23.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor offered a snapshot of what’s happening in Tampa — noting she has meetings all of the time with companies that want to move their headquarters to Tampa, or establish a presence in the city.

Other expert panelists shared their insights about what’s currently happening in the commercial and residential markets.

Severino focused on the national picture.

He expects inflation will peak this year and then begin to decline.

He notes that the pandemic, the government stimulus and the war in Ukraine each have contributed to an inflation rate that’s the highest it has been in four decades.

“The situation in Eastern Europe is not helping at all, with this,” he said. “Right now, because that part of the world is so important to energy production and food production and the economy, it is having an out-sized effect,” he said.

Severino also noted that the pandemic remains disruptive.

“It’s certainly disrupting the supply side of the economy.

“China is still shutting parts of production down because it’s (COVID) still spreading,” he said.

Economists look at core inflation, which doesn’t include food or fuel because those prices are too volatile, Severino said.

In looking at the current inflation rate of 8.5%, and backing out fuel and food, the result is 6%.

Then, back out the government stimulus of $6 trillion, that drops it to in the 3% range.

“(It’s) not as bad as 8½%, but certainly not where the Fed would like it to be,” he said.

The demand side of the economy, on the other hand, has been “doing a spectacular job of rebounding,” he said.

“It’s (inflation) not really impacting behaviors.

“Watch what consumers do and not what they say, because if you look at what consumers are doing, which is pretty much all of us, we are pretty much out powering the economy,” he said.

U.S. consumers make up 18% to 20% of the global economy. By itself, the U.S. would be the second- or third-largest economy in the world, he said.

He also noted that “the aggregate spending power of consumers has grown faster than inflation has.”

The aggregate earnings figure, he explained, serves as a proxy for the overall spending power in the economy. It’s based on the number of people working, how many hours per week they are working and the hourly wage they are paid.

“The Fed thinks the labor market is too hot,” he said.

The Fed wants to tamp down what it views as an excess demand for labor, Severino said.

“I’m not so sure that they’re really going after the right thing,” the economist said.

“I worry that there is potential for collateral damage.”

“The bad news is the more aggressive the Fed is with interest rates, the higher the probability of the dreaded R word. The good news is that the Fed doesn’t have a really great track record for even following its own forecast for a measure that they themselves control,” Severino said.

He expects the Fed to respond to signals it gets from the economy.

“For now, short- to medium-term, I still feel confident about the economy,” the economic expert said.

Published July 06, 2022

Fate of Penny for Pasco will be on November ballot

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Voters will decide in the Nov. 8 general election whether Penny for Pasco, a local infrastructure surtax, should be extended for an additional 15 years.

If approved, the extension is expected to yield about $1.9 billion in revenues, which would be split between the school district, the county and the county’s municipalities.

The school district and county each would receive 45% and the municipalities would share the remaining 10%.

The special 1-cent sales tax initially was adopted in March 2004, and was in effect from Jan. 1, 2005 through Dec. 31, 2014. Voters extended it for 10 years, with that renewal going from Jan. 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2024.

The proposed renewal would be from Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2039.

The Pasco County Commission and the Pasco County School Board both took action June 21 to ensure the initiative could be placed on the general election ballot.

The Pasco County School Board has identified a list of projects that the tax extension would support and Pasco County has identified a similar list.

The school board’s list includes new schools, school expansions, school renovations, additional technology, school safety enhancements, athletic facility improvements, improvements in the driver pickup areas at schools, and other projects.

The county proposes to spend its portion of the tax revenues this way: 40% for transportation, 20% for economic development, 20% for public safety; and, 20% for environmental lands, as well as park infrastructure.

Economic development funds will be used to attract new companies, enhance the potential for existing companies, stimulate redevelopment of blighted areas and help develop the work force, among other things. The funds also will support business incubators and locally owned small business assistance.

In general, the aim of these programs is to help businesses of all sizes to be successful, to generate more high-paying jobs in the county and to broaden its tax base.

A portion of the county’s proceeds also would be used to acquire environmentally sensitive lands. It is estimated that 3,000 to 3,700 additional acres could be acquired with future Penny for Pasco revenue.

The funds also would support infrastructure projects at Baillies Bluff Wilderness Park and at the Len Angeline Wilderness and Recreation Park.

The county’s allocation also would include 20% for public safety.

Fire Rescue would receive boats, life-saving emergency response equipment, in-vehicle computers, facility upgrades and some new vehicles, including utility terrain vehicles.

The Sheriff’s Office would receive new vehicles and in-vehicle computers and equipment.

Transportation and engineering services would receive 40% of the county’s share of the proceeds.

A portion of that money would be spent on a countywide multimodal needs study.

Tax proceeds also would go for a wide array of projects in specific areas around the county, including sidewalks, multi-use paths, bicycle lanes, intersection improvements and roundabouts.

Published July 06, 2022

Pasco signals that it will ban retail rabbit sales

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It’s not official yet, but the Pasco County Commission said it wants to end the retail sale of rabbits, except for agricultural uses.

The board voted on June 21 to end the retail sale of rabbits at flea markets, open-air venues,  parking lots and other public places. It also voted to bring back a future amendment to its ordinance that would ban the retail sale of rabbits, except for agricultural uses.

The action followed testimony by advocates for the ban, who have been seeking the change for months. Those asking for the ban told commissioners that rabbit purchases frequently are impulse buys, especially around Easter.

Many buyers are unaware of the care that rabbits require, which leads to a large percentage of rabbits being abandoned, they said.

The creatures are not well-equipped to survive in the wild, so the abandonment typically leads to death, the advocates have told commissioners in the past and reiterated their concerns at the recent meeting.

The commission was not able to call for an outright ban during its meeting last week because the public notice did not include that provision, but the issue will be placed on a future agenda, according to a motion by Commissioner Mike Moore, which the board approved.

On another matter, the county board approved the acquisition of the Florida Governmental Utility Authority Lindrick Utility System for $24 million, using American Rescue Plan Act grant funds.

Lindrick customers will transition to county rates, representing a 41.75% reduction in the average water/sewer bill.

The acquisition area includes 3.24 square miles, and represents 3,161 water accounts and 2,661 sewer accounts, according to materials in the board’s agenda packet.

In other action, the board:

  • Approved changes in the comprehensive plan involving the types of uses allowed in the Gateway Hub area, at the northwest corner of State Road 52 and Interstate 75. A rezoning request to designate the area as a master-planned unit development (MPUD) is being processed.
  • Approved a change to the county’s land use plan on 188 acres on State Road 52, west of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard. A rezoning petition to create a MPUD with a maximum of 380 single-family attached and detached dwellings also was approved on the site. The property is across State Road 52 from the Central Pasco Employment Village, and across Bellamy Brothers Boulevard from the Gateway Hub and the Hillcrest Preserve MPUD. It also abuts the Fort King MPUD.
  • Approved a rezoning request by MMLJ Holdings LLC and Christina H. Dilorenzo for a rezoning to allow Hillcrest MPUD, a development on 740 acres at the northeast quadrant of State Road 52 and Bellamy Brothers Boulevard. It is expected to include up to 1,800 single-family detached units, 600 single-family townhouses, 450,000 square feet of retail and 200,000 square feet of light industrial/office.
  • Approved a county-initiated rezoning on a 0.92-acre site on the north and side of Chapman Street, east of Pine Products Road and west of Bower Road. The applicant is One Lacoochee Center Inc./WREC Property-EDC. The rezoning was from a high density residential category a light industrial park district.
  • Approved updates to the county’s land development code relating to the sign regulations. The changes were needed to allow digital signs in certain districts of the county and to comply with a United States Supreme Court decision, Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Arizona.
  • Authorized the distribution of more than $23.3 million in school impact fees to the Pasco County School Board. The fees are associated with new construction and are collected by the county. The money is used to provide additional schools to accommodate growth. Revenues collected have been higher than anticipated because of the pace of building, as well as the timing of the rate increase in 2020. The amount being distributed is based on an estimate of the total through the end of fiscal year 2022.
  • Approved a budget amendment for slightly more than $2.1 million for expenses associated with additional staff, maintenance and system operations for fiscal year 2022.
  • Adopted a resolution recognizing former Speaker of the House Will Weatherford, for the many contributions he made to Pasco County through his public service. Projects he championed as a legislator included securing the funding for two lanes of the extension of State Road, from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to U.S. 301; construction for the Porter campus of Pasco-Hernando State College and for the College’s Instructional Performing Arts Center, according to the resolution. It also notes that Weatherford’s commitment to public service in the greater Tampa Bay area continues as he currently is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the University of South Florida and was co-chairman of the host committee for Super Bowl LV in Tampa in 2021.

Published July 06, 2022

Political Agenda 07/06/2022

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Precinct lines changed
The Pasco County Commission recently approved changes to some precinct lines that were brought forward by Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley.

The following precinct lines have been modified:

  • Precinct 9 and Precinct 76: Precinct 76 was split by a Florida House District line. The portion of Precinct 76 lying west of the House District line will be combined with Precinct 9.
  • Precinct 90 and Precinct 101: Precinct 101 was modified to accommodate additional census blocks pertinent to its respective Community Development District from District 90 to meet the census block requirements in accordance with state law.
  • Precinct lines of 011, 031, 36 and 095 were modified to include the census block requirements under state law and to conform to new congressional lines. No voters are affected by this change.

Democratic Club meeting
The East Pasco Democratic Club is set to meet remotely, via Zoom, on July 18. The speaker will address the referendum on raises, which voters will decide on the primary ballot. Socializing begins at 6 p.m., with the meeting starting promptly at 6:30 p.m. Email , or call 813-383-8315 for details.

Pasco Republican Party
The Pasco Republican Party of Florida recently had a ribbon-cutting at its second office, at 14341 Seventh St., in Zephyrhills. A celebration was held on June 14 to mark the office’s opening.

Be ready to vote
Here are some reminders from Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley, to help you to be sure you are ready to vote. (These pointers are excerpted from Corley’s Corner, a column posted on election supervisor’s website).

  • In addition to registering to vote, make sure your voter registration is up to date with your current name, address, party affiliation, and signature. Address changes can be done by telephone, online, or by written notification. Failure to update your address prior to Election Day could result in delays at the polls.
  • Check your voter registration online at PascoVotes.gov or by calling 800-851-8754. Don’t wait until Election Day to make sure you are registered and your registration is in good standing.
  • In addition to partisan contests on the Primary Election ballot, nonpartisan races, such as school board members and judges, are elected at large and are on every voter’s ballot. These offices are assigned specific geographical areas, but are elected by all voters.
  • Use your sample ballot to help expedite voting at the polls. Mark your sample ballot and take it with you, so you can copy your choices onto your official ballot.
  • Due to redistricting and facility agreements, some polling locations have changed. Once redistricting is complete, all voters will be sent a new voter information card that will list their new districts and their assigned polling location. We anticipate mailing the new information cards around the middle of June. If you have not maintained a current address with my office, you may not receive your new card.
  • Information relating to voter registration deadlines, closed Primary Elections, polling places,
    early voting, voting by mail, etc. can be found at PascoVotes.gov.

Endorsement
The American Association of Senior Citizens has endorsed Gus Bilirakis, who is running for reelection in Florida’s 12th congressional district, according to the Bilirakis campaign.

Mike Carballa is named Pasco’s next county administrator

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The Pasco County Commission decided it didn’t need to look beyond its current staff to fill the county’s top job.

Board members took action at their June 21 meeting, elevating Mike Carballa, assistant county administrator of public infrastructure, to interim county administrator, effective July 30.

Board chairwoman Kathryn Starkey will negotiate a contract with Carballa, who has been selected on a unanimous board vote to become county administrator, effective Oct. 1.

Mike Carballa is Pasco County’s new interim administrator, effective July 30. He has been selected to replace Dan Biles as the county’s new administrator, when Biles’ contract lapses on Oct. 1. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

The action to promote Carballa happened quickly.

Dan Biles officially announced his resignation on May 17. His contract expires Sept. 30, but he’ll be leaving sooner because of accrued time off.

County Commissioner Ron Oakley made a motion to appoint Carballa to the interim county administrator during the board’s June 7 meeting, but withdrew it after Starkey raised concerns about making that decision without a full board. Commissioner Mike Moore was absent because of illness.

Seeking a compromise, Biles suggested that the board could direct him to start working with Carballa, and delay any formal action until the following meeting.

That led to Oakley’s motion on June 21.

Oakley told his colleagues: “Last time I’d made a motion for an interim administrator and by waiting, I’ve thought more about it. If I was doing this in my business, and it was a vice president, or something who had left my business and I had someone interim to put in that position, I wouldn’t put him in there as an interim. I’d put him in the position and go forward, and it would be a smooth transition.”

Commissioner Jack Mariano added: “My first thoughts were a national search, get the best candidate you can for the county.”

But Mariano said he, too, had a change of heart.

Mariano referenced a budget meeting that he’d had the previous day with Carballa, Erik Breitenbach, assistant administrator of internal services, and Robert Goehig, the county’s budget director.

That meeting, Mariano said, solidified his feeling that promoting Carballa was the right move.

He said both Carballa and Breitenbach initially indicated interest in the job, but Breitenbach backed away, saying this wasn’t the best time for him to pursue it, because of family considerations.

Commissioners express confidence in Carballa
“I don’t think there’s been a better person suited to take over the county administrative than Mike Carballa, of anyone I’ve ever seen,” Mariano said. “He’s really diligent. I think he’s ready for the job.”

Oakley agreed: “I think it would be really smooth and this county will keep moving forward.”

Commissioner Mike Moore said Carballa is “obviously, very competent, obviously, understands the county — lives in the county, knows the county very well.

“I have all of the confidence in the world in him. I think he would excel at this position,” Moore said.

At the same time, Moore said he wanted to hear the thoughts of his other colleagues.

Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick gave her stamp of approval: “I think he would be a great asset to the county.”

Chairwoman Starkey added: “I also think Mike is very, very capable. I’ve talked with people who have worked with him, in other agencies, and they find him to be capable, as well.

“I have mixed emotions because I think sometimes it’s good to hear what other people’s ideas are in other places.

“I’ve had the opportunity to live around the world and I’ve learned something in every place that I’ve lived, so I guess I can go either way.

“I know sometimes when you do a national search you don’t know what you’re going to get. “We’ve interviewed some people that probably weren’t right for our county, but we did find someone like Dan Biles.

“I think Mike can do a great job, but I also think it’s good to hear what others have to offer, and bright ideas from other really prime areas that I think we could attract from,” Starkey said, but she did not push for a national search.

Moore said the decision to hire from within is not unusual.

“Pasco County is a very large company. We’re the board of directors and all of the constituents are its shareholders. The shareholders decide who the board of directors are and the board of directors decides who our new CEO is.

“If you look at companies, throughout time, people groom their replacement. The board doesn’t always go out and do a national search.

“Why put outside people through a process when we know who we want?

“It’s not fair to them, anyhow. So, good decision,” Moore concluded.

Fitzpatrick also noted some of Carballa’s attributes: “It’s very easy to speak with him. He has great communication skills. He’s respectful. He has ethical values and integrity.”

Mariano added: “We’ve got a great team. We’ve got great leadership. We can keep this thing rolling … without skipping a beat.”

Carballa, who was filling in for Biles at the June 21 meeting, told commissioners that their action was unexpected, but appreciated.

“It was also unexpected for me to land here, in Pasco County, and work for such a great administrator, Dan Biles, as well as the people that we work with here, this board and our various stakeholders.

“I do appreciate your confidence. I look forward to working alongside the women and men, as well as our key stakeholders, in Pasco County, as your county administrator. So, thank you for that,” Carballa said.

Carballa joined the county’s senior leadership staff in 2014, after working at Tampa Bay area engineering firms, according to information provided by the county.

Before working in the private sector, Carballa was a captain in the U.S. Air Force for five years.

He holds a master’s degree from the University of Florida Warrington College of Business and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of South Florida.

Carballa and his wife have two children, and they are Pasco residents.

Published June 29, 2022

Basketball coach’s influence honored at Land O’ Lakes High

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For over three decades, he ran basketball players up and down the court — getting them ready for big moments, in big games, in big seasons.

On the evening of June 21, retired Land O’ Lakes High School basketball coach Dave Puhalski had a big moment of his own: That’s when the Pasco County School Board approved a request to name the Land O’ Lakes High School gym after him.

The effort to honor the coach in this way was brought forward by Ric Mellin, the school’s principal, and Heather Wall, the school’s assistant principal. Former assistant coaches, players and others were there, too, to signal their support.

From left: Land O’ Lakes High Principal Ric Mellin; Coach Dave Puhalski; the coach’s wife, Erika; the coach’s children, DD and Kenzie; and Land O’ Lakes High Assistant Principal Heather Wall. (Courtesy of Ric Mellin/Land O’ Lakes High School)

The coach retired in May of 2021.

Mellin addressed the board: “I’m here tonight to speak with you about the dedication of the gym at Land O’ Lakes High School, in honor of Coach Dave Puhalski.

Cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.

“He’s here with his wife Erika, daughter Kenzie and son DD, and I just wanted to mention, both of them are alumni of Land O’ Lakes High School.

“And, as you can tell from the applause, many of his other supporters are also here with us tonight.

“My letter included in the board’s agenda states the reasons why we believe this honor is warranted.

“For just over 30 years, Coach Puhalski served as the head coach of the boys’ basketball team, winning nearly 500 games, earning six conference and six district championships, and taking 15 teams to the playoffs. Very few, if any, coaches ever reached that level of success.

“But more important than the accomplishments on the court were the strong relationships built along the way, as a well-respected mentor and educator at the school during that same time.

“Coach Puhalski taught thousands of students and had a remarkable influence on everyone. In a Tampa Bay Times article about Coach Puhalski, published in February 2020, it stated his hope was for the program to continue standing solidly on the foundation that he built.

“A foundation full of heart and soul.

“In recognition of Coach Puhalski’s successes and devout allegiance to the school’s athletes and programs and the community in which he served for over three decades, we are requesting that the school’s gym be named the Dave Puhalski Gymnasium at Land O’ Lakes High School.

“It certainly has the solid foundation because of his body of work. His name displayed will serve as a stronger reminder of the person that relentlessly gave his heart and soul.”

Assistant Principal Wall also expressed her support:  “As a member of the Land O’ Lakes community for more than 20 years, and now in my role as assistant principal at Land O’ Lakes High School, I’ve had the privilege of knowing or working with Coach Puhalski for quite a few years.

This rendering shows the Land O’ Lakes High School gymnasium, which has been newly christened the Dave Pulhaski Gymnasium at Land O’ Lakes High.

“My husband, and many of his friends all played high school basketball for Coach Puhalski, when they attended Land O’ Lakes High School.

“I have heard endless recounts of big games, as well as stories and pranks that are only fit for locker room conversations,” Wall said, with the audience responding in laughter.

“What they remember the most are the life lessons that were gained from being a part of his program.

“I have seen pictures of Coach Puhalski speaking at former players’ weddings, and know that several years ago, he had the honor to speak at the funeral of one of his former players, Dave Starkey.

“Clearly, he has been asked to carry this role because of the difference he has made in the lives of all of his players.

“When I joined the staff at Land O’ Lakes High School in 2018, I was able to get to know Coach P on my own. I quickly saw the positive impact he made on so many of the students on our campus — both those who played for him and for some who were just in his P.E. classes. He became a mentor and a role model for my son, as well,” she said, noting he still asks about her son.

This coach left an impression
“When you talk to people who live in our community and they find out that you work at the high school, they’re always quick to ask about several of our past coaches,” she said.

People frequently mention that they played soccer, football, baseball or basketball for one of the school’s revered coaches, she added. She noted the school already has named its soccer, baseball and football fields after the outstanding former coaches.

“We would be remiss if we did not honor Coach Puhalski with naming the gym after his 32-year commitment to Land O’ Lakes High School,” Wall added.

“I know I speak for many community members and former players when I say he is so deserving of this honor,” Wall said.

On a motion by Colleen Beaudoin and a second by Megan Harding, the school board unanimously approved the request.

Its action was greeted by another round of cheers and applause.

Coach Puhalski addressed the board: “If I said what I really want to say, we’d be here a long time tonight. I would just like to thank the board for this opportunity and all of my friends, former players, assistant coaches — especially my wife (Erika), who was there for 32 years, and my children (DD and Kenzie).

“I’ll keep it that brief, because, like I said, we’d be here until the lights are off,” he said.

Published June 29, 2022