B.C. Manion

Pasco Schools begin ramping up ‘engagement’ efforts

May 17, 2022 By B.C. Manion

When it comes to engaging with families and the community, there are some bright spots in Pasco County Schools — but there’s no consistency.

The issue exists throughout the district, and at every level, those are some of the key findings in a report shared with the Pasco County School Board at a workshop in April.

The district has identified community engagement as one of its top priorities and, as it attempts to make improvements, it has been working with TNTP, a national consulting company.

A Landscape Analysis has been done to get to know Pasco and its needs.

“Every community is unique,” said Janet King, of TNTP.

“So, we really need to start by understanding the place’s unique history, needs and priorities.

“Even within a district, communities are not monolithic, so it’s really important to look across a county and to understand that different parts of a county have different ways of accessing information, and different challenges and different resources that we need to understand before we build any kind of plan or solution.

“Finally, without this understanding, any improvement efforts are not likely to last because it’s not responsive to what families and community members most want and need, and works for them,” she said.

The Landscape Analysis included:

Market research: Taking a deep look into Pasco’s unique history, demographics, landscape and growth patterns
Asset mapping: Peeling back the layers of who’s doing great work in Pasco and who could be great potential partners
Insights Survey: Surveyed 38 representative schools, using TNTP’s survey, to enable the results to be benchmarked nationally
Listening Tour: Conducted focus groups, one-on-one sessions and superintendent-led sessions. In short, the sessions asked: “What are your experiences? What’s working? What can be improved?”

The efforts included:

5,397 caregiver/stakeholder surveys
Eight parent/caregiver focus groups, including two conducted in Spanish
42 community stakeholder interviews
Five student focus groups
Four teacher focus groups
Five superintendent-led listening tour sessions

In total, the efforts have included more than 70 hours of listening, said TNTP’s King, who shared findings from TNTP’s work during an April workshop with Pasco County School Board.

Vanessa Hilton, the district’s chief academic officer, said TNTP was brought in to help the district to develop its capacity to improve its efforts regarding community engagement.

The district also formed its own Community Engagement Task Force, made up of district personnel representing different departments, roles and responsibilities. The task force includes school board member Alison Crumbley and assistant superintendent Dr. Kim Moore.

Hilton said the district realizes “we have lots of bright spots around the district in regards to our school efforts, but not yet, an intentional, meaningful strategy from the district level.”

Efforts to establish authentic engagement are important because it has a real impact on student achievement, King said.

“Research shows that when families and communities are engaged, it makes a real difference for students. Increased family engagement has been linked to higher test scores, increased school readiness, better attendance and decreased suspension rates for students,” she said.

Assistant Superintendent Moore noted that some of the school system’s challenges stem from its rampant growth. In the 1999-2000 school year, the school district’s enrollment was 46,458; now, its 82,377.

“That growth puts a strain on our resources. It puts a strain on how we operate as a school district,” Moore said.

“We have to look at putting in systems so our community feels that they can come in and interact with us, and be an authentic partner with us,” Moore said.

“Many of our community leaders, they want to partner with us. They don’t know how. They don’t where to go, to connect with us,” she said.

They call the district and they get passed from one person to the next.

“That increases their level of frustration and then they give up. They want to work with us. They want to support our students,” Moore said.

Steve Hegarty, public information officer for Pasco County Schools, said, in general, the district pushes out information. And, when it seeks feedback, it doesn’t routinely reach back and let people know what it did with the feedback it received.

The lack of systemwide expectation for school-based family engagement has resulted in inconsistent experiences for families, Hegarty said.

One of the issues is the variety of tools that is used to communicate with parents.

The variety of communication methods and styles can be confusing.

“If you’re a parent with three kids in the system, you might have three different ways that you’re being communicated with,” Hegarty said, adding that can be frustrating for parents.

School board member Crumbley said improving community engagement is crucial.

“This is really such important work because it touches everything we do in the school district. Everything. It really does. It has so much to do with the success of our students and our families,” Crumbley said.

She’s particularly alarmed by the survey results that reveal the connection in secondary is far below the national average.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin said she wasn’t surprised by the findings, noting these issues have persisted for years.

She suggested the district build on what’s working.

Beaudoin also pointed out the need to devise training that is focused and avoids wasting staff time.

School board member Megan Harding asked: “If we’re trying to engage the community, shouldn’t we have some parents on that task force as well? We need to be sure that we are listening to those groups.”

Harding likes the idea of holding town hall meetings, to add a forum for engagement.

Board Chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong said when people want to know more about a school, they’ll visit its website.

She’s visited nearly all of them and she’s not impressed by the inconsistency she found.

“There’s nobody in charge of the websites at the schools. It’s whoever has an interest in it.

“That just doesn’t work, from what I saw,” she said.

While one school may offer a plethora of information; another might just say when lunch money is due.

Both Armstrong and member Allen Altman also said greater efforts are needed to inform the general public — who do not have children in school — about accomplishments within the district.

When he talks to people who don’t have students in the district, Altman said that many have no clue about the positive things that are happening. Instead, they only know the negative news they’ve read or heard.

Shifting mindset
Superintendent Kurt Browning agrees that much work lies ahead, and added that establishing authentic community engagement will require a broad-scale commitment.

“It cannot be just a small group of people in this district running, managing the community engagement work. It has got to be a districtwide effort. Not only that, but I’ll also say, community-wide.

“Beyond setting clear expectations, the district needs to develop tools and provide training, to shift the mindset,” the superintendent said.

The effort needs to involve “all district staff, whether you’re a bus driver, an entry operator, a school teacher, a principal, a superintendent,” Browning said.

Efforts to develop a plan of action are under way and more details are expected in June.

Community Engagement in Pasco Schools

Some key findings

Many community leaders want to partner with the district, but don’t know where to go or what the district needs.
District communication practices with community leaders tend to be one-way; stakeholders want more transparency and opportunities to provide feedback.
Where there are bright spots, there are not system-wide expectations for school-based family engagement, resulting in inconsistent experiences for families.
A lot of information is provided to caregivers at the school level, but it is not streamlined, consistent or focused on how they can support their student.
Parents want to know what their children are learning and how they can help.

Issues identified
Comments contained in TNTP’s report reveal the school district has myriad issues, when it comes to communication and engagement.

Here are some comments from the report:

“It is great to know that it is blue T-shirt day, but I want to know what my children (are) learning and how they are doing.” (Elementary and middle school caregiver)
“I left voicemails and never got a response. As a community partner, that is disappointing. I hope that they are not missing other opportunities.” (Community organization staff member)
“Sometimes community input and engagement is more of a ‘checking a box’ exercise, rather than meaningful participation.” (Community Engagement Task Force member)
“Each teacher communicates differently. There are many portals, that we, as parents, have to access.” (Elementary school caregiver)
“The communications from teachers are inconsistent.” (Elementary school parent)
“I wish the teachers all shared a cohesive communication standard.” (Caregiver)
“We should have town halls and be asked: ‘What do you think?’” (Community leader)

Source: TNTP Community Engagement report

Published May 18, 2022

Apartment moratorium area is not oversaturated, study finds

May 17, 2022 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County halted new applications for multifamily development for a year in a portion of Central Pasco, to allow research to be conducted to find out if that part of the market was oversaturated with apartments.

The study was completed by Lambert Advisory and its subconsultant Calvin, Giordano & Associates, working in conjunction with county planning staff.

Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore championed a moratorium on new applications for multifamily developments in South Central Pasco, to allow research to determine if there is an oversaturation of that type of development in the study area. The study found that there is not an oversaturation. Moore questioned the accuracy of the figures within the report. He also reiterated the need for the county to preserve land intended for employment-generating uses. (File)

Based on the results, “there does not appear to be an oversaturation of entitlements for multifamily units,” according to a report delivered to the Pasco County Commission, at an April board meeting.

That assessment is particularly true, as viewed from a five-year to seven-year planning horizon, the report says.

The multifamily market within the moratorium area boundary (MAB) is reporting more than 97% occupancy, with monthly rental rates increasing by more than 17% within the past 12 months, the report says.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore championed the moratorium on multifamily — raising concerns about the prospect of a glut of apartment developments eventually leading to problems of buildings in disrepair and the potential for increased crime.

He also has argued against the conversion of land designated for employment-generating uses into residential development.

The moratorium area was confined to Moore’s district. Initially, it generally included an area between State Road 52 and State Road 54 and approximately Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. Later, after the commission district boundary lines were changed due to redistricting, the MAB was expanded to include areas south of State Road 54, from U.S. 41 to east of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.

Calvin, Giordano & Associates (CGA) conducted the supply side of the study’s analysis, working in conjunction with the county’s planning staff.

Eric Liff, of Lambert Advisory, provided the analysis for the demand side of the equation.

The primary question, Liff said, was to determine if the moratorium area was oversaturated with multifamily.

The study also took a broader look to give the county “enough information and data for future housing policy and planning initiatives,” he said.

In the moratorium area, Liff concluded: “There’s tremendous demand that’s occurring within this market. And, you can see it, because obviously, a lot of it is pent-up.

“The occupancy doesn’t even take a corresponding hit, with all of this new development,” he said.

Historically, growth in this part of the county has outpaced Pasco’s overall growth, Liff said.

Going forward, the assumption is that the study area will capture at least “its fair share of the county’s population growth,” the consultant added.

“If the MAB captures just its fair share, it’s growing at 100 to 150 units per year of multifamily, which is directly in line with historical trends.

“Then, if you shift to the upper, then you’ve got demand of 130 to 200 multifamily units per year, which, as you recall, is well below even what’s under construction today.

The demand for multifamily development in the moratorium study has leveled off to some degree, but remains robust, according Eric Liff, of Lambert Advisory. He was involved in a study to determine if the multifamily market had reached oversaturation in South Central Pasco. (Mike Camunas)

“The supply is outpacing demand right now,” Liff said.

“The bottom line is that there are about 3,400, 3,450 total entitlements remaining in the MAB,” Liff said, citing the findings of CGA, working in concert with county staff.

It is unknown, however, whether those units will be built as single-family residents or multifamily.

Moore questioned the accuracy of figures in the report.

He also pointed to a new application that came in, which was too late to be considered for the study, but which calls for 370 units.

The bottom line is that the area has enough multifamily units coming on line to meet the demand for 10 years, Moore said.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey noted that the number of entitlements doesn’t necessarily reflect what will actually be built.

She said it’s common for developers to build fewer units than their entitlements would allow.

County Administrator Dan Biles agreed. He said this particular market study was a “paper exercise” based on data, not an examination of actual conditions on the ground.

Sometimes an area that has entitlements is not able to get the yield allowed because of environmentally sensitive lands or other constraints.

Moore reiterated concerns he has repeatedly expressed about allowing too much land to be converted from employment-generating uses, such as office, retail or industrial to multifamily.

He said that concern was underscored during a presentation made by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Commission, which was commissioned by the county to take a look at the county’s allocation for industrial sites and employment centers.

In essence, that report found that, in general, the county’s sites are too small for those purposes, and too scattered.

Research from both studies is expected to be useful, as the county updates its comprehensive plan, known as Pasco 2050.

Multifamily market study
Pasco County hired consultants to research multifamily market conditions in a moratorium area that includes parts of Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Lutz. Pasco paused new applications on multifamily development in that area for a year.

Key findings from that study include:

There does not appear to be an oversaturation of entitlements for multifamily units; that’s particularly true, as viewed from a five-year to seven-year planning horizon.
The multifamily market within the moratorium area boundary (MAB) currently is reporting more than 97% occupancy. Monthly rental rates have increased more than 17 % during the past 12 months.
Based upon historical and projected population/household and multifamily development trends, and solely from a market-driven perspective, multifamily demand within the moratorium area is forecast to total in the range of a minimum 1,300 to 1,700 units over the next 10 years.
There is an estimated 3,459 total residential units entitled/not built (including both single-family and multifamily housing). It is not possible to determine whether those units would be single family or multifamily. However, it is estimated that there are roughly 1,200 to 1,500 multifamily units entitled/not built, within the moratorium area.
The estimated development potential represents a six-year to 10-year absorption rate, however county staff has indicated that it may not be possible to reach the full development based on actual conditions on the ground. Therefore, the absorption timeline might be shorter.

Source: Executive summary of Pasco County Housing Entitlement & Housing Study, conducted by Lambert Advisory and its subconsultant Calvin, Giordano & Associates.

Published May 18, 2022

Pasco schools feeling the pain of rising insurance costs

May 17, 2022 By B.C. Manion

As Pasco County Schools seeks out an additional source of funding for employee pay raises, through a voter referendum, it also is dealing with increasing costs for insurance.

During the May 3 Pasco County School Board meeting, Kevin Shibley, assistant superintendent for administration, briefed the board on rising health insurance costs.

The COVID-19 pandemic, he told the board, “obviously changed the dynamics of our health insurance plan fairly significantly.

‘I don’t think there is anybody in the room that is not aware that the property market in Florida is just in utter chaos,’ – School board member Allen Altman (File)

“You will see that we have experienced a drastic increase in claims to the plan; revenues have been stable, which is good, but when claims are increasing and revenue is not, you start to run into deficit issues.

“We do believe that some of this is a result of increased COVID claims, so we have been using some of the federal relief money to plug those holes, but we are also not convinced that all of the increases are a result of COVID claims, so there are some pretty significant discussions happening within the insurance committee right now, to discuss how to handle those recurring claims that will persist, once the COVID claims run out and we stop receiving bills and invoices for those claims.

“For the current fiscal year, cash flow for the health insurance fund is actually negative $9.4 million, so that is a pretty significant deficit.

“Again, a good portion of that is connected to COVID claims that are being paid by the plan, but not all of them are.

“So, we will continue to work with the committee, about not only ways to raise revenue, but also to restructure the plan and the claims liability and make some claims design changes to bring that budget into balance for next year.”

School board member Allen Altman, who serves on the district’s insurance committee told his colleagues: “There will have to be some changes of some sort, and they’re aware of that. Mr. (Don) Peace and his team (from United School Employees of Pasco) are equal partners on that committee, and they’re already cooperatively working toward moving ahead and trying to get ahead of that.”

The news isn’t good on the property insurance front, either, Altman said.

“I don’t think there is anybody in the room that is not aware that the property market in Florida is just in utter chaos,” Altman said.

He said he recently attended a meeting involving the group that represents hundreds of government entities.

“Florida is now viewed as the most difficult state in the union for a municipality or school district or government entity to get insurance. Both property and liability,” Altman said.

On average, reinsurance costs are running about 30% higher. By comparison, Pasco’s increase is expected to be about 9%, Altman said.

“We’re fortunate. There are some other districts, coastal districts, but south of us, that are struggling to even get a renewal offer,” Altman said.

The entire state is grappling with property insurance issues — prompting calls for legislative action to address the problem.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a special session of the Legislature, which is scheduled to convene on May 23 and to end on May 27. The purpose of the session to is consider legislation relating property insurance, reinsurance, the Office of Insurance, civil remedies and appropriations.

Published May 18, 2022

Go Pasco seeks to allow riders to track buses, in real time

May 17, 2022 By B.C. Manion

Go Pasco — Pasco County’s public bus service — is planning to use technology to enable riders to get up-to-date information to track buses in real time.

The department is going through the purchasing process and will be bringing the proposed contract back for approval, James Flaherty, interim public transportation director with Go Pasco, told members of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) at its May 12 meeting.

Flaherty also gave the board an update on current ridership numbers.

Go Pasco is seeking to acquire technology that will allow bus riders to track buses on their routes, in real time. (File)

“Currently, our fixed route is down about 3% from last year. Currently, we’re projecting about 500,000 trips this year. Our paratransit is up about 5%. We’re projecting between 40,000 and 42,000 trips this year.”

Go Pasco plans to install three billboards across the county in an effort to increase ridership, Flaherty said.

The MPO board is made up of elected leaders across the county, including the Pasco County Commission and the cities of Dade City, Zephyrhills, New Port Richey and Port Richey.

New Port Richey City Councilman Matt Murphy asked Flaherty for an update on the status of a proposed study to determine where it would make sense to create micro-transit routes.

Flaherty responded: “Currently, we don’t have any studies that are being conducted. There was a potential route expansion and contraction study, within that, the micro-transit study would have been conducted.”

That study had been discussed at a previous MPO board meeting, when Kurt Scheible, was public transportation director.

Flaherty told the MPO board: “That (study) has been tabled for about two years, until an actual director is identified and we can move forward.”

But both Murphy and Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey wanted more information about the micro-transit study that had been previously discussed.

Flaherty told the board: “I’d have to look into that. I was not aware of a specific study, outside what was within the route expansion and contraction study.”

Starkey said there was discussion of looking at micro-transit in the Holiday area, and then it was transitioned over to Dade City.

Murphy added: “My understanding was that they were doing a feasibility study, to figure out where the best place would be. There’s a lot of money in that. I forget how many millions of dollars were in that, given to the state.”

Flaherty responded: “I will have to look into that.”

Pasco Commissioner Jack Mariano said if funding is available, the entire area should be studied and then, “we’d put a plan together and make decisions on what we think is most appropriate.”

Flaherty then told the board there had been issues with the procurement process, which led to delaying the study.

Starkey asked: “So, we didn’t put it back out there for bid?”

Flaherty responded that in the “2019-2020 time frame, Go Pasco attempted to do a comprehensive, operational analysis, using the MPO’s planning contract. It went to the board. It was pulled.

“A year later, a scope was provided. It went through the procurement process. There were issues with the procurement process. It’s been delayed for two years, until a new director is identified.”

Starkey: “When you say it’s delayed for two years, who decided we’re going to wait two years before we do it, we try it again?

Flaherty responded: “The county administrator.”

Starkey replied: “Well, is it his decision to that, or is it our decision?”

Carl Mikyska, executive director of the MPO, said that’s probably a discussion that should be had by Pasco County Commission or individually with County Administrator Dan Biles.

Starkey added: “Why would we wait? I don’t know why we would delay it for two years.”

Before the MPO meeting ended, Flaherty updated the board.

“That study has been pushed back six to nine months, not two years,” Flaherty said.

In other action, Mikyska told the board that there will be a presentation on the U.S. 41 and State Road 54 intersection at the board’s June meeting. He said the update was requested by the board’s Citizens Advisory Committee.

The board also appointed Geoff Lanier, of Land O’ Lakes, to serve on the MPO’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Lanier is the owner of Suncoast Trailside Bicycles, according to his application, contained in the board’s agenda packet.

Published May 18, 2022

Business Digest 05/18/2022

May 17, 2022 By B.C. Manion

Kent and Cindy Ross display their 2022 Superior Performance in Print Shop Management award. (Courtesy of RP&G Printing)

RP&G Printing wins printers’ award
Kent and Cindy Ross, owners of RP&G Printing Inc., of Wesley Chapel, received the Superior Performance in Print Shop Management award for 2022 from CPrint®, Certified Printers International.

The recognition goes to printing companies that maintain high standards of operational and financial performance as measured by financial strength, profitability and growth, which places them among the top 5% of all printing companies in North America, according to a news release.

The couple said they could not have earned the award without the efforts of all their employees.

Cindy added, “They are the backbone of our success.”

“The Alliance sets a bar high for our performance awards and RP&G exceeded those goals,” said Tom Crouser, chairman of the group. “They are examples of how a small business can prosper in times of increased competition and COVID by focusing on principles and practices geared to exceptional customer service. They truly transcend what customers want and go to the heart of what customers need.”

Certified Printers International is an organization of independently owned printing businesses that strive for professionalism and performance. Companies from throughout the United States participate in the program.

Chamber raising scholarship money
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce is seeking to present 20 scholarships to recipients from Cypress Creek, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch, J.W. Mitchell, Land O’ Lakes, Freedom and Wharton high schools.

Each recipient will receive a $500 scholarship. Scholarship sponsorships are $650.

All scholarships are 100% tax deductible through the 501c3 Chamber Foundation.

If you want to provide a scholarship or for more information, email the North Tampa Bay Chamber at .

Chamber seeking award nominees
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce has set is annual awards celebration for Aug. 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Southport Springs Golf & Country Club.

Nominees are being sought in these categories:

Small Business of the Year: Up to 25 employees
Large Business of the Year: Over 25 employees
The Diamond Award (nonprofit)
Leadership in Government/Economic Development Champion
Citizen of the Year
Alice Hall Community Service Award (for a lifetime of contributions toward the betterment of Zephyrhills).

Last year’s winners are not eligible in the same category this year.

For more information, visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

Pasco EDC microloans
If you are looking to start or grow your own business, a microloan from the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc. could help. Visit the SMARTstart Pasco Facebook page for more information.

Tech Entrepreneur Roundtable
Pasco County-based technology entrepreneurs are invited to a free Tech Roundtable on May 25 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at Epperson Lagoon. A short presentation will be given on Connected Cities, then an open discussion will be held on being a tech entrepreneur in Pasco County and what support is needed, moving forward. Coffee and light breakfast snacks will be available. Visit SMARTstartPasco.com, and click on the menu, then the events tab, to register.

Sephora at Kohl’s now open
Sephora’s grand opening at Kohl’s Lutz, at 3979 Van Dyke Road, was held on May 13. Introduced in fall 2021, Sephora at Kohl’s features a 2,500-square-foot, fully immersive beauty experience that mimics the look and feel of a freestanding Sephora, according to a news release from Kohl’s.

Within all Sephora at Kohl’s locations, customers can explore the signature Sephora experience with a carefully curated assortment of prestige makeup, skincare, hair, and fragrance brands, as well as innovations in clean beauty and self-care. Sephora-trained Beauty Advisors offer personalized beauty consultations and assistance with finding products, while testing and discovery zones serve up a rotating assortment of new, emerging or trending products.

WUSF wins first-place awards
WUSF Public Media received first-place awards in 17 categories for excellence in broadcasting from the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists.

Reporter and “All Things Considered” cohost Kerry Sheridan was named the state’s top radio reporter. In all, 11 WUSF journalists were honored for their work that spanned the range of in-depth investigative reporting to general assignment daily stories and from the website to the station’s podcast, according to a news release.

Small business challenges
A SCORE webinar for small businesses is scheduled for May 19 from noon to 1 p.m.

The webinar topics will include: challenges faced by small businesses; help for entrepreneurs to prepare for the first years of operation; survival skills; how to plan for growth; how to develop a competition attitude; and making the transition from a new enterprise to an established business.

To register, go to PascoHernando.score.org.

Venue at the Block ribbon-cutting
Venue at the Block, 14307 Seventh St., in Dade City will have an open house, tours, and free food and refreshments, on June 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Venue at the Block was an auto dealership in the 1920s and has been converted into an industrial-chic luxury wedding venue.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will include catering and cake tasting, a signature cocktail bar, wedding vendor booth interactions, music, and more.

For additional information, call 352-574-6599.

Seven of 10 Pasco residents commute to other counties for work

May 10, 2022 By B.C. Manion

When it comes right down to it, the sites that are designated for industrial uses and employment centers in Pasco are simply too small and too scattered for the county to attract the kinds of companies that can make a significant difference in the county’s jobs picture.

That was essentially the message delivered to the Pasco County Commission, at its May3 meeting, by Randy Deshazo, chief of staff for the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.

Pasco County has had a significant amount of residential growth in recent years — but it needs to attract more high-paying jobs to keep its workforce at home. To make that happen, the county needs large tracts of land available for the development of employment centers and industrial parks, a recent study shows. (B.C. Manion)

In introducing Deshazo to the board, David Engel, director of the Office of Economic Growth, said, “As a result of unprecedented residential demand for land in our region, the Office of Economic Growth and Planning and Development Department engaged the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBPRC) to conduct a strategy analysis for the preservation and optimization of light industrial and employment center properties and zoning in the county.

“The study does an economic analysis of the fiscal and economic impact to the community, when we take industrial land and we modify it to allow residential,” Engel said.

Deshazo said the focus of the study was on land that has been designated for employment center and light industrial uses.

“You want to increase the share of target industry jobs in your economy and this is your main land use tool to do that,” he explained.

“Target industry jobs are those higher-paying jobs that span a range from blue collar manufacturing to high-tech kinds of jobs, that help raise the average wage in the county and provide, what we’ll call, an employment multiplier.

“They create more jobs through their own spending, down through their own supply chains and household spending,” Deshazo said.

Deshazo briefed theboard on the county’s current employment conditions.

“One out of 10 jobs in Pasco is what we would call a target industry job,” Deshazo said.

By comparison, in both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, one of every four jobs is a targeted industry job, he said.

He also noted that Pasco has the longest commute in the Tampa Bay region, as well as one of the longest commutes in the state.

It also has the highest imbalance, when it comes to number of housing units compared to the number of jobs.

“About 70% of your employed residents work somewhere else besides Pasco County,” he said. “That is not just a case that there’s not enough jobs in the county. There’s not enough well-paying jobs,” he said.

The key questions, Deshazo said, are: “How many jobs does the county need?

“How many acres do those jobs need?”

Decision-makers must focus on how they allocate the county’s land, he said.

Converting an acre of industrial land to a non-employment use has the impact of about $2 million in lost personal income, direct and indirect, he said.

That number was calculated by taking the average of what those wages might be in a target industry, stretch it over the forecast period of 2050, and doing some financial discounting, he said.

The county wants to increase its share of target industry jobs in its economy, and land use designations are the main tool to achieve that, he said.

Large tracts needed to help generate jobs
Pasco has a significant amount of acreage designated for employment centers and light industrial uses, however, those designations are generally on small parcels, he said.

Employment centers and industrial uses need large tracts.

“The average for industrial parks throughout the country is about 550 acres in size,” Deshazo said.

He told board members: “the really big issue here is that you’ve got a very fragmented pattern of industrial land. The overall distribution is that half of your parcels are less than 4 acres; 40% of all those parcels are actually less than 2 acres in size.

“They’re scattered across the county. They’re not easily assembled. So, that is really your land use supply issue. It’s not so much the total acreage, but where those acres are and how they’re divvied up,” Deshazo said.

His report also identifies current concentrations of industrial land. It adds buffer areas around those, as potential places for expansion of industrial land in the future.

It also identifies areas along railway corridors and truck routes for consideration of adding future employment centers and industrial land.

“The point here is not just to add acres, but to look at larger sites that might better fit the needs of future industrial land use,” Deshazo said.

In Jacksonville, there are areas that have been protected for industrial uses. It has coined the term “industrial sanctuary” to identify that concept.

“These are areas that you want to protect from redesignation to residential or other uses, to consolidate industrial land, so that you can get to those scales that industry needs to operate, and to work with each other and to attract labor,” he said.

“To do that you need to identify some basic criteria, such as perhaps establish a new land use in zoning that has a significantly larger minimum lot size than what you currently allow for light industrial or heavy industrial, which is about 30,000 or 40,000 square feet and talk about a minimum lot size of 50 acres or perhaps higher than that.”

Deshazo said the key takeaways in the TBPRC’s report are:

Employment centers and industrial land are the key tools for attracting and developing target industries.
It is important to set job goals; there doesn’t need to be a perfect 1:1 ratio, but every job closer to that is good for the county.
The county needs to think about where future industrial land should go.
It’s important to pay attention to the size of potential employment centers and industrial parks, to make sure they’re large enough.
The county may want to consider creating districts that allow both heavy industrial and light industrial uses.

Engel said the county’s Planning and Development Department, the Metropolitan Planning Organization and his Office of Economic Growth are working together to identify freight corridors, road systems, to look at the marketplace and at available land, to provide information to help inform future land use decisions.

Pasco County jobs picture

One out of 10 jobs in Pasco County is a target industry job; in Hillsborough and Pinellas, one in four jobs are target industry jobs.
Pasco County has the longest commute in the Tampa Bay Region and one of the longest in the state.
Pasco County has the highest jobs imbalance, that is the number of jobs compared to the number of housing units.
About 70% of employed Pasco residents work elsewhere.

Published May 11, 2022

School pay raise vote to go on August ballot

May 10, 2022 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board has voted to ask the Pasco County Commission to place a referendum for school district employee pay raises on the Aug. 23 primary ballot.

Initially, the school board had voted to seek to have the question placed on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. But during its May 3 meeting, the board voted to amend its original request.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd suggested the switch, in background materials contained in the board’s agenda packet.

He explained the rationale for the change this way: “I am making this recommendation for two reasons: This will eliminate any confusion between the salary referendum and the local infrastructure surtax (Penny for Pasco) that will be on the general election ballot.

“Additionally, nonpartisan school board races are being held during the August primary and the salary referendum fits well with the school board races.”

There was pushback on the request during the public comment portion of the board’s meeting.

Some parents were skeptical about the shift from the general election to the primary.

One said fewer voters participate in primary elections and thus, the vote will not be truly representative of the community, as a whole.

Another said that rather than raising taxes, there needs to be greater scrutiny in how the district spends its money.

Speakers said they support better pay for district personnel, but not through the referendum.

A representative for a group called Lift Up Pasco said the group is made up of volunteers who support the referendum and will be working to support its passage. They said the additional source of funding will improve education, and thus, will enhance the community, as a whole.

The referendum question asks voters to approve up to a maximum of 1 mil in funding to be designated for improving pay for teachers, bus drivers and other district personnel, except for administrators.

At an April 5 school board workshop on the topic, it was estimated that a 1 mil increase would yield an average instructional boost of $4,000; for non-instructional, $1,700.

District calculations show that Pasco’s median home cost of $325,000, and assuming a $25,000 homestead exemption, a property owner would pay $300 more per year, if the increase is 1 mil.

Specifically, the ballot question asks for a yes or no vote on whether to levy an additional tax, not to exceed 1 mil, beginning July 1, 2023 and ending 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.”

There also is a requirement for “annual reporting to Pasco County taxpayers for transparency of the use of these funds.”

The board’s vote to pursue up to a full mil, followed persistent requests by Don Peace, president of the United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), urging the board to seek the ballot initiative. The union has pledged to give its full support to efforts to secure passage of the referendum.

Board members have said the request is necessary in order for Pasco to recruit, retain and reward district personnel.

They also noted the district is losing personnel to nearby districts that offer better pay. It also is losing staff to burnout, resulting from a combination of additional stress from fatigue caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of district workers.

The shortage of bus drivers prompted the district to change its school ending and starting times for the second semester this year. And, the shortage also was cited by the district as one of the reasons it has decided to end courtesy bus rides, beginning next school year, for sixth- through 12th-graders living within 2 miles of school.

Board members said action is needed because the district is losing too many employees to other districts, or to industry jobs.

In a video released after the board’s action, Superintendent Kurt Browning said the additional source of money is needed.

“For too long, we have struggled to remain competitive with other school districts in the area,” Browning said, in the video.

In other pay-related news
The union and district instructional bargaining teams have reached a tentative agreement for the 2021-2022.

Under that agreement, teachers will receive a one-time lump sum supplement equal to 4% of their salary, and the base teacher salary will be raised to $45,200 in accordance with state statute, according to information posted on the union’s website.

The union and district also have agreed to return to the bargaining table immediately after the ratification of the 2021-2022 contract to begin negotiating additional salary improvements for 2022-2023.

The union and district also have reached a tentative agreement for school-related personnel for the 2021-2022 school year.

The union and district agreed to the 4% supplement for school-related personnel and also agreed to a guaranteed minimum for all school-related personnel.

Also, the parties will immediately open the 2022-2023 contract year to begin to bargain additional recurring raises to deal with compression as the district moves toward the minimum $15 per hour minimum requirement, beginning in October 2022, according to the union’s website.

Published May 11, 2022

Work continues at State Road 56/I-75

May 10, 2022 By B.C. Manion

A new Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) traffic pattern has been established at the State Road 56/Interstate 75 interchange, but work continues to provide the kind of relief from congestion during peak traffic periods.

State Road 56 was closed down entirely for a portion of a weekend and when it reopened on May 1, there were new ways to travel through the State Road 56/I-75 interchange.

Traffic blurs by scurrying workers early on May 1, as crews from Superior Construction Co. prepare to open the roadways of the Diverging Diamond Interchange, at State Road 56 and Interstate 75. (Fred Bellet)

But motorists continue to face wait times, now that State 56 has reopened.

In an update released from the District Seven Office of the Florida Department of Transportation, officials acknowledged: “During peak driving hours, significant traffic congestion has occurred for some traffic movements.

“After any major traffic change, adjustments are typically needed during the first few weeks of operation. We have been making traffic signal adjustments each day this week to improve the traffic flow, particularly during peak afternoon/evening hours on the northbound Interstate 275/Interstate 75 exit ramp to State Road 56.

“Other changes will also be made to improve the operation of the new DDI area; including adding another thru-lane in each direction as we progress towards the final configuration of the area.”

Work on the new traffic configuration at the interchange is expected to be completed by this summer.

The DDI was chosen because of its ability to handle heavy left-turn volumes, such as the westbound to southbound movement from State Road 56 to I-75.

The expected benefits for the interchange are an increase in capacity and pedestrian safety, while reducing vehicle delays and crashes. These benefits will be achieved by an increased number of lanes, improved pedestrian facilities, more efficient signal timings and reduced vehicle conflict points, according to FDOT.

Before State Road 56 could be reopened, workers clear unnecessary signs and traffic barrels along the eastbound lane of the road.

During the Pasco County Commission’s May 3 meeting, Commissioner Mike Moore mentioned the reopening and thanked former Speakers of the House Will Weatherford and Richard Corcoran for their work in securing funding for that improvement years before it was initially slated for funding.

Without them, Moore said, it could have been 2028 before improvement was completed. Now, completion is just months away.

The project initially was expected to be completed before the holidays, but that didn’t happen because the original contractor was found to be in default by FDOT and a replacement contractor was brought in to finish the work.

That work is ongoing, and while the work is being done, there will be land closures to accommodate the construction.

As of May 1, all lanes and ramps are open at the State Road 56/I-75 Diverging Diamond Interchange that will open in this phase of construction, according to FDOT.

Two thru-lanes are open in each direction of State Road 56 over I-75, plus there are dedicated lanes to enter northbound and southbound I-75. All ramp movements are open and available to enter and exit I-75.

Here’s a list of scheduled lane closures.

I-275 (Exit 59) /I-75 (Exit 275) northbound exit ramps to westbound State Road 56: All traffic to be directed onto eastbound State Road 56, then will U-turn at Cypress Ridge Boulevard onto westbound State Road 56: Through May 13, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
I-75 southbound exit ramp to State Road 56: Lane shifts, through May 13, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
State Road 56, from Grand Cypress Drive to Cypress Ridge Boulevard: Lane closures: through May 14, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Eastbound State Road 56 left turn onto entrance ramp to northbound I-75, U-turn at Cypress Ridge Boulevard and use westbound State Road 56 access to ramp: through May 14, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
State Road 56 westbound turn lanes to southbound I-75 ramp: Lane closures, through May 14, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Motorists are reminded that this is a construction work zone, so to use care when traveling through the area and to keep an eye out for construction crews.

To stay abreast of the latest information about this project, visit tinyurl.com/2s5pa7w6.

Published May 11, 2022

Pasco readies for Suncoast Parkway Trail overpasses

May 10, 2022 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County continues to lay the groundwork for overpasses on the Suncoast Parkway, at State Road 52 and at State Road 54.

The Pasco County Commission on May 3 adopted an amendment to a Locally Funded Agreement between the county and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the planned bicycle/pedestrian overpass at Suncoast Trail, over State Road 52.

Board members approved the amendment for $216,447, as part of the board’s consent agenda — meaning it was approved as part of a bundle of items, without discussion.

This trio of cyclists, led by Tom Spock, completes a ride on the Suncoast Parkway Trail, during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Land O’ Lakes man is accompanied by Michael Russell and Leslie Spock. Plans call for installing overpasses at State Road 54 and at State Road 52, giving cyclists safe access to the trail. (File)

At its Feb. 3 meeting, the board approved a lump sum for the design and construction of the overpass, and the agreement calls for FDOT to be responsible for preparing the design plans, advertising, and letting the construction contract, to include utility coordination, permitting and the Construction Engineering Inspection for the project.

In the agreement, the county is responsible for the completion of all required survey, geotechnical exploration, and Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE).

Since then, it has been decided that the FDOT would be responsible for completing the work the county was going to do, since FDOT already has consultants in place to perform the necessary work.

The total estimated project cost is slightly under $10 million, which the county has provided.

It now will furnish the additional funds, by May 27, for geotechnical exploration, Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) and survey activities associated with this project.

The design, including geotechnical work, is slated to begin this year and be completed by 2023, Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2024.

In another action, the county board approved amending an agreement with the FDOT for work associated with the planned overpass at State Road 54 and the Suncoast Trail. That agreement increased the county’s contribution by $190,007.

That action also was on the board’s consent agenda.

Like the work for the other overpass, this agreement covers expenses for work that FDOT will now do, instead of the county, relating to geotechnical exploration, Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) and survey activities associated with this project.

The design work on the State Road 54 overpass is expected to be completed in 2023 and the construction is expected to be completed in 2024.

Published May 11, 2022

Pasco approves nearly $442,000 to promote tourism

May 10, 2022 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission has approved a professional services agreement with Giant Noise LLC, to promote Florida’s Sports Coast.

The agreement is for $441,666.67, according to materials in the county board’s May 3 agenda packet.

The vote came without discussion, as part of a bundle of votes in the board’s consent agenda.

The agreement includes $41,666.67 in fiscal year 2022; $100,000, in fiscal year 2023; $100,000 in fiscal year 2024; $100,000.00 in fiscal year 2025; and, $100,000 in fiscal year 2026.

The agreement became effective immediately, with up to four automatic renewals, under the terms of the approved agreement.

In other action, the county board:

Confirmed the appointment of Patrick Arotin as the county’s code compliance director. The position is a new one. The Code Compliance Department will encompass Code Enforcement, High Return Enforcement Task Force, Minimum Standards, and Unlicensed Contractors. The position will oversee administrative functions such as the department’s budget preparation

and management, contract management, general business operations and helping

to deliver service through innovative strategies, continuous process improvement, and focusing on performance excellence and customer service.

Appointed members to the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking. Those appointees are: Robert Tedeschi, Ken Kilian, Jessica Mitch, Kelly Sinn, Toby Caroline, Liana Dean, Rosanne Smithwick, Alan Wilkett, Paul Friedlander, Lisa Rapp McCall and Kristen Bracy.
Approved a transfer of $281,056 from the general fund reserves to the Supervisor of Elections for expenses related to mailing voter information cards to registered voters. The funds cover mailing costs related to redistricting.
Approved the award of a task order to Bandes Construction Company Inc., to provide construction services for the resource recovery facility administration building in Spring Hill. The amount is not to exceed $2,792,200.00 in fiscal year 2022.

Published May 11, 2022