Kathy Steele

Business Digest 05/16/2018

May 16, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Florida Hospital Dade City opens
Florida Hospital executives cut the ribbon and unveiled new signs on May 8 for Florida Hospital Dade City.

Florida Hospital executives, and guests, cut the ribbon for Florida Hospital Dade City, which was formerly Bayfront Healthcare Dade City. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital)

Adventist Health System, parent company of Florida Hospital, acquired the former Bayfront Health Dade City in April. The hospital is the Florida Hospital’s 27th hospital in the state, and the 10th hospital in the West Florida Division of Adventist Health System.

Other hospitals in the west Florida division include Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

Florida Hospital invested nearly $3 million into the Dade City facility to install an electronic medical records system for patient privacy and security.

The 120-bed hospital has about 150 physicians, and a long history of community health care in Dade City. It provides acute care and is a primary stroke care center, with 27 medical specialties including bariatrics, cardiology and emergency care.

Jason Newmyer is administrator for Florida Hospital Dade City. Newmyer previously served as assistant vice president of specialty service lines for Florida Hospital Tampa. He helped foster the partnership between Florida Hospital and Walgreen’s drugstores, which added 15 retail health care clinics locations in the Tampa Bay area.

David Weekley Homes in Lutz
David Weekley Homes is selling single-family homes in the gated community of Lakeshore Oaks, at Lakeshore Road and Lake Le Clare Road in Lutz.

The homebuilder will offer one- and two-story single-family homes, ranging from 2,500 square feet to 3,000 square feet.

Starting prices are around $425,000.

The homes have four floor plans, with three bedrooms to five bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and up to three-car garages.

Lakeshore Oaks is near the Upper Tampa Bay Trail, and is served by Northwest Elementary School, Ben Hill Middle School and Steinbrenner High School.

For more information, call (866) 493-3553, or visit DavidWeekleyHomes.com.

Ultimate 3D ribbon cutting
Ultimate 3D Printing Store will have a ribbon cutting on May 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 1900 Gunn Highway, Suite 1, in Odessa.

Ultimate 3D offers equipment and services. The company includes clients from automotive, health care, education, defense, architecture and robotics industries.

For information, call the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce at (813) 909-2722, or email .

East Pasco networking
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet May 22 at 7:30 a.m., at IHOP, 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

Guest speaker will be Mark Warren, pastor of Richland Baptist Church and manager of Positively Christian.

For information, contact Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491 or , or Vicky Jones at (813) 431-1149 or .

Mettler Toledo job fair
Mettler Toledo will have a job fair May 24 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 1571 Northpointe Parkway, off State Road 54 in Lutz.

Job openings are available for electrical and mechanical assemblers; electrical and mechanical e

ngineers; regional sales manager; welders; direct marketing specialist; sales engineers; order entry administrators; field service engineers; and more.

For a full list of available positions and to apply online, visit MT.com/careers.

Zephyrhills chamber mixer
The Suncoast Credit Union will host a mixer for the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce on May 17 from 5 p. m. to 7 p.m., at 32745 Eiland Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 782-1913, or visit ZephyrhillsChamber.org.

Free business seminar
SCORE will have a free business seminar on “Finance Options with the SBA” on May 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the SMARTstart Dade City business incubator, at 37837 Meridian Ave., Suite 309, in Dade City.

Space is limited, so register early.

Topics will include how to apply for a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration, and other programs offered by the SBA.

To register, visit PascoHernando.score.org.

Pasco’s vibrant places
The Suncoast Section of the American Planning Association Florida will host a seminar, “Putting the Urban in Suburban: Building and Connecting Pasco’s Vibrant Places,” on May 24 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2155 Northpointe Parkway, off State Road 54.

Guest speakers will be Karen Kress, director of transportation and planning with the Tampa Downtown Partnership; Rodney Chatman, planning division manager with Forward Pinellas; and a representative from Newland Communities, which is developing Bexley.

Following the presentation, tethered hot air balloon rides will be available for the first 50 pre-registered attendees who want a bird’s eye view of some of Pasco’s vibrant places. Time slots for the rides will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Tickets cost $10.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/y6wqngsw.

Economic development briefing
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly economic briefing lunch May 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Hunter’s Green Country Club, 18101 Longwater Run Drive in Tampa.

Guest speaker will be Ram Kancharia, vice president of planning and development for Port Tampa Bay.

The cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 994-8534, or email .

Central Pasco mixer
Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppe will host a mixer for the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce on May 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 1930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., next door to the chamber.

The mixer will have time for networking, refreshments, a swag bag and VIP access to shop for name brand items and new arrivals at the thrift shop.

Proceeds from the thrift shop help provide patient care for hospice recipients in Pasco County through Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care.

Gulfside Hospice is a nonprofit that serves more than 350 patients daily. Gulfside employs more than 250 professionals, and has more than 500 volunteers.

Please RSVP to Neveen Walker at (727) 845-5707.

For information, visit GHPPC.org.

Keystone Place open house
Keystone Place at Terra Bella will have an open house on May 24 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at 2200 Livingston Road in Land O’ Lakes.

Keystone Place is a new rental complex for independent living, assisted living and memory care.

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP for yourself and a guest at (813) 388-2121 or (813) 695-6439, or visit KeystonePlaceAtTerraBella.com/OpenHouse.

Pilot code enforcement program yields results

May 9, 2018 By Kathy Steele

A more proactive approach to reducing blight in Pasco County appears to be working, and the Pasco County Commission wants the efforts to continue.

Commissioners approved a pilot program in April 2017, described as “high return enforcement.”

The focus was to become more aggressive in pursuing the worst of the county’s code violators through the use of fines and court actions.

A pilot program to take proactive actions to reduce blight in Pasco County resulted in demolition of about 50 mobile homes in the former Lazy Breeze Mobile Home & RV Park, outside Dade City. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

A partnership of county departments, including the county attorney’s office, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, code enforcement and building inspections have worked together, using existing staff members and resources.

The program has received no dedicated funding.

Assistant County Attorney Kristi Sims presented a progress report during a recent workshop in New Port Richey.

“The idea was to use what we had and to reorganize to take on more than what would normally have been taken on,” said Sims.

The program focused on repeat offenses, danger to health and public safety, and violations with serious impacts to the community.

Highlights from the past year include:

63 blighted structures were demolished by property owners
55 blighted structures were demolished by Pasco County
17 demolitions are pending
10 nonconforming signs have been removed or converted to monument signs
46 signs have been repaired
More than 8,500 illegally stored tires were removed from five sites, as a result of lawsuits
Lawsuits are pending against five owners of vacant, dilapidated commercial buildings

One court case, settled in 2017, led to the removal of about 40 mobile homes and as many as 15 recreational vehicles at the Lazy Breeze Mobile Home & RV Park, off U.S. 301, outside Dade City.

“We’ve done a lot with a little,” Sims said. “It’s up to the board to decide if they want us to continue doing it.”

The program won praise from county commissioners.

“I think the public really notices,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

More than 8,500 illegally stored tires were removed from several sites as a result of a pilot program to take proactive actions to reduce blight in Pasco County.

In her district, Starkey said no one has a problem with removing blight because “it’s keeping their property values down. It’s keeping commerce and business out.”

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., also complimented the program’s results.

He had one cautionary caveat.

“We shouldn’t be overregulating and hurting small businesses,” said Wells. But, he did favor demolitions, and other actions that address matters of life and public safety.

The county’s priority is “not to go out and bust people’s chops about a sign or bushes,” he added.

Sims said the program relies on a scoring system to prioritize the worst offenses, including factors such as safety risks.

“Our goal is to strategize enforcement based on the board’s goals,” she said.

“Commercial blight is an expressed priority of this board,” Sims said.

She also noted that the county is flexible in scheduling a timetable to complete repairs.

“Our goal isn’t to eradicate a business or use, if it can be fixed,” Sims said. “What we’re looking for is compliance, and progressing toward fixing it.”

One of the challenges is to balance an employee’s everyday workload with the additional duties required by the new enforcement efforts, Sims said.

A lot of time is taken up with clerical work, and the need for up-to-date communications on work done by multiple departments. Additional staff for clerical work and building inspections is needed, Sims said.

County commissioners seemed to be receptive to the idea of including funds in the 2019 budget to address some of these issues.

Published May 9, 2018

Proposed road connection remains controversial

May 9, 2018 By Kathy Steele

A proposed 700-home addition to K-Bar Ranch is reopening arguments on the long-debated road connection of Kinnan Street in Hillsborough County and Mansfield Boulevard in Pasco County.

Hillsborough and Pasco officials have disagreed over the connector for at least a decade.

And, Kinnan and Mansfield remain dead-end roadways separated by a weedy plot of land — about 30 feet to 40 feet long.

Barricades are set up on Mansfield Boulevard in Pasco County, where the road dead-ends a short distance from Kinnan Street in the K-Bar ranch development in New Tampa. (File)

Tampa City Council members voted May 3 to postpone a decision on the K-Bar Ranch expansion in New Tampa until June 28.

The added time is to give Hillsborough, Pasco and developers another chance to reach agreement – to connect or not to connect.

However, Pasco isn’t likely to be ready with an answer before September at the earliest.

Pasco County commissioners approved the “Wesley Chapel Roadway Connections Study” in 2017. The study is looking at three potential connectors between the two counties. One is Kinnan and Mansfield.

Other connections under consideration would extend Wyndfields and Meadow Pointe boulevards in Pasco to link with existing and future roads in the K-Bar ranch.

A draft report is scheduled for May 15, but a final recommendation from Pasco’s Metropolitan Planning Organization won’t be presented to the Pasco County Commission until September.

“We’re sticking to our timeline of getting the study and getting public input,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore. “We represent the citizens of Pasco, not the citizens of Hillsborough or Tampa. That’s what we have to be concerned with, what will have a negative impact, what will have a positive impact.”

For residents of New Tampa, the lack of a north/south connector is a traffic hardship on a daily basis. The drive toward Wesley Chapel follows a circuitous route that adds miles and minutes to the trip, coming and going.

“Many of them feel locked in their neighborhoods,” said Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera. “It’s very important to them to have the connector.”

Viera has, to date, been the lone vote on Tampa city council against the K-Bar project, based on the uncertainty over Kinnan and Mansfield.

“It’s a crisis of governments not really working together,” he said. He added, “I certainly hope we can use all of our power…to advocate for this connection to be made.”

Viera said he would bring up the topic on May 11 at a public meeting of the Tampa Bay Transportation Management Area Leadership Group. The group includes representatives from Pinellas County, Pasco, Hillsborough and Tampa, and generally discusses regional transportation issues.

The meeting will be at 9:30 a.m., at the Pasco County Utilities Administration Building, at 19420 Central Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Area residents in Hillsborough and Pasco have competing petitions at Change.org, for and against the connection.

Meadow Pointe II resident Chris Dillinger organized opposition. He lives near the connector site in Pasco, and has children who attend area schools.

Opening Mansfield to additional traffic is a safety issue, he said. “I’m very, very concerned about it,” Dillinger said.

Meadow Pointe II residents also opposed a rezoning for a 7-Eleven gas station and convenience store at Mansfield and County Line Road. The matter was postponed in January to a “time uncertain.”

7-Eleven wants to build there in anticipation of Mansfield and Kinnan linking, and the additional traffic that will flow onto Mansfield, Dillinger said. “That’s still out there,” he added.

Published May 9, 2018

Budget talks look at next two years

May 9, 2018 By Kathy Steele

As the Pasco County Commission contemplates the county’s budget for fiscal year 2019, it’s also thinking about the budget for 2020.

Commissioners are looking ahead, because they know that a referendum on the November ballot could have a sizable impact on the county’s budget.

Voters will decide on Nov. 8 whether to expand homestead exemptions by $25,000. If the referendum passes, Pasco County stands to lose an estimated $10 million to $12 million in property tax revenues.

So, instead of looking at just this year’s budget, commissioners are taking a close look on any expenses that could affect future budgets.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles has asked department heads to submit flat budgets, with little to no increase.

There are 14 potential budget initiatives that will compete for property tax revenues in the 2019 budget.

Expanded library hours is one of the initiatives competing for the funds. Libraries slated to get more hours in 2019 are Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City and Hudson Regional Library in Hudson.

Other budget initiatives include the 911 Call Center and salary increases for county employees.

Salary raises would be 2 percent for cost of living, and 2 percent for merit.

Biles said employees “are our most important resources.

“That’s my No. 1 priority, taking care of our employees. We need to stay competitive.”

As they consider budget priorities, commissioners also are facing a Pasco County Sheriff’s budget request for a total of about $12.6 million.

Of that, about $7.2 million is for operations, with about $5.4 million for the cost of temporary housing for inmates at the overcrowded Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.

The county’s 2018 budget came in at about $1.3 billion, with no change to the existing millage rate.

The millage rate determines how much the county collects from property taxes.

Estimates on new property tax revenues for 2019 have increased slightly. In February, county officials anticipated a 7.5 percent increase of about $13.3 million.

The estimate now is for about an 8 percent increase, or $14.2 million. However, once deductions are made for items such as payments for special tax districts, community redevelopment areas, and temporary housing for inmates, the county’s portion of new money dips to about $3.7 million.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco’s operations budget – separate from inmates’ temporary housing – is about a 6 percent increase. That’s a smaller increase than the $8.1 million requested in 2018, which paid for raises, equipment and new hires.

Nocco brought up the issue of overcrowding at a February workshop with commissioners.

In his budget letter to the board on May 1, Nocco puts the blame for the matter on the “failure of (the) past County administration.”

No action in past years was taken to approve a 1,000-bed expansion, estimated at around $128 million.

Now, according to Nocco, the county can expect an annual bill of about $9.8 million to pay for temporary housing, until the jail expansion is built.

“It has now become a burdensome, unfunded liability for the county,” Nocco states in his letter, which commissioners didn’t receive until after their May 1 workshop.

At the February workshop, county commissioners discussed placing bond issues before the voters to pay for the jail expansion, other public safety projects, and libraries.

No decision has been made.

Current options for inmate’s temporary housing include transferring some inmates to Seminole County, possibly Hernando County, and installing trailers at the detention center. The cost of a contract with Seminole is estimated at $2.5 million, with another $2.4 million for trailers at the detention center.

Pasco County officials expect to receive the final taxable assessed values from the Pasco County Property Appraiser by July 1.

Commissioners would then set the millage rate on July 10, and the budget would be finalized in September.

The fiscal year for 2019 begins Oct. 1.

Published May 9, 2018

Business Digest 05/09/2018

May 9, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Mettler Toledo job fair
Mettler Toledo will have a job fair May 24 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 1571 Northpointe Parkway, off State Road 54, in Lutz.

Job openings are available for electrical and mechanical assemblers; electrical and mechanical engineers; regional sales manager; welders; direct marketing specialist; sales engineers; order entry administrators; field service engineers; and more.

Mettler Toledo had its grand opening at Northpointe Village in April. The Swiss-owned manufacturing plant is a global supplier of precision scales and services uses in research, and the packaging and production of food and pharmaceuticals.

Mettler Toledo offers an entrepreneurial environment, and competitive salary and benefits, including health, dental, vision, prescription, life, short-term disability and long-term disability. The company also offers 401k accounts with a company match; tuition reimbursement, employee referral bonuses; and training.

For a full list of available positions and to apply online, visit MT.com/careers.

The Main Ingredient opens
The Main Ingredient opened at the corner of State Road 54 and Collier Parkway, behind the new 7-Eleven convenience store.

The specialty food store offers bulk food bins of organic, vegan, gluten-free and paleo foods. Other items include specialty tea leaves, fresh roasted coffee beans, specially blended spices and rubs, infused olive oils and balsamic vinaigrette.

Customers can scoop and weigh as much or as little as they want.

Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store is family-owned and operated.

Planet Smoothie opens
Planet Smoothie opened at 1941 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in The Shoppes at New Tampa plaza in Wesley Chapel.

The new fruit smoothie shop, a franchise operation, is part of the national Planet Smoothie brand. It is across from The Shops at Wiregrass.

The first shop opened in Atlanta in 1995. Planet Smoothie’s headquarters are in Arizona.

For information, contact Insiya Choilawala at (386) 538-6006.

Dickey’s Barbecue opens
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit opened April 30 at 23048 State Road 54, Suite 505, in Lutz.

Franchise owner is local entrepreneur Sunny Patel, according to a news release from the Dallas-based, Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc.

World War II veteran Travis Dickey opened the first Dickey’s Barbecue in Dallas, Texas in 1941.

To celebrate the grand opening, Dickey’s Barbecue will offer four weeks of specials and giveaways on the following days:

Thursdays: A free Big Yellow Cup with free refills all day
Fridays: All first responders in uniform will receive a 50 percent discount. Guests also can make donations to Dickey’s charitable foundation — Barbecue, Boots & Badges.
Saturdays: $2 pulled pork sandwiches from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sundays: Guests receive one free Kids Meal with each $10 adult purchase.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.

For information, call (813) 406-5259.

Scrub-A-Dub Bin Cleaning opens
Scrub-A-Dub Bin Cleaning opened recently at 27027 Fordham Drive in Wesley Chapel.

The business offers a monthly service of scrubbing clean residential trash and recycling bins at curbside. Scrub-A-Dub uses eco-friendly, biodegradable disinfectants and deodorizers. A specially equipped truck will reclaim the dirty water used to clean the bins, so there is no runoff. Waste water is then disposed of at a waste water treatment facility.

For information, contact owner Jennifer Trudel at (844) 727-8229 or , or visit ScrubaDubBinCleaning.com.

Free business seminar
SCORE will host a free business seminar, “How to Really Start Your Own Business” May 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills.

The seminar will cover the idea, testing and protecting the idea, finding good people, how to structure your business, cash flow and more.

Seating is limited.

To register, visit PascoHernando.score.org.

For information, email , or call (727) 842-4638.

North Tampa luncheon
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have its May 2018 Momentum Thursday on May 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Brookdale of Lutz, 414 Chapman Road.

For early bird registration, RSVP online with credit card at NorthTampaChamber.com or by email to the chamber at by 5 p.m. May 9, at the discounted rate of $15 (whether you eat or not).

After that date, the cost is $20 (whether you eat or not), payable at the door by cash, check or credit card.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 563-0180.

Backyard Pool Supplies opening
Backyard Pool Supplies will have a grand opening and ribbon cutting May 10 from 10 a.m. to noon, at 6417 County Line Road, Suite 103, in Tampa. The store is on the southwest corner of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, between Winn Dixie and LA Fitness.

Refreshments will be served.

For information, email Charlene Kutzan at .

North Tampa Bay Chamber grand opening
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce will have its grand opening and ribbon cutting May 10 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A, in Lutz.

There will be hors d’ oeuvres, an office tour, networking and a cash bar.

Please RSVP to the chamber at (813) 994-8534, or email Grace Martin at .

Coffee social
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce will have its Monthly Coffee Social on May 15 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Buttermilk Provisions, 2653 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

This is a “no agenda” event with time for social networking.

For information, call Grace Martin at the chamber at (813) 994-8534.

Discovery Village anniversary
Discovery Village at Tampa Palms will have its one-year open house anniversary May 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 17470 Brooksdale Trace Court in New Tampa.

This free event will have cocktails, appetizers, live music and door prizes.

Come tour this senior-living community.

For information, contact Kim Frattini at (813) 600-5994 or .

Local man is named minority business person of the year

May 2, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Brian Butler was the only employee of his company — Vistra Communications — when he launched the business out of his home in Lutz in 2007.

It wasn’t exactly the best time to launch an ambitious plan.

The real estate market crashed and the nation’s economy cratered.

Brian Butler, president and CEO of Vistra Communications, pitches in during laundry day. Vistra provides ongoing support to the Laundry Project, which helps families in need through providing laundry services, converting coin laundries into community centers of hope. (Courtesy of Vistra Communications)

“I started my business in the toughest economy we’d seen in 30 years,” he recalled.

There were days when he considered giving up.

But then, as now, the business leader said anyone starting a new venture needs to stick with it.

“You can’t afford to give up,” said Butler, who is president and chief executive officer of his company. “There are opportunities out there. You’ve just got to have a plan.”

Vistra Communications now has about 70 employees with offices in Lutz, Tampa, Miami and Washington D.C.

And, on May 4, Butler will receive the 2018 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Minority Business Person of the Year — for the state of Florida and the South Florida District.

He is one of nine recipients who will be honored at a luncheon during the 31st annual Government Small Business Conference at the Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore.

Butler began thinking like a business owner early on.

During his formative years, while growing up in Palm Beach County, he had newspaper routes — flinging newspapers onto lawns.

Even then, he flexed his organizational skills.

“I was business-oriented as an elementary school kid,” Butler said. “I hired two friends to fold, so I could deliver more newspapers.”

Brian Butler reads to children at Mort Elementary School. Butler serves as CEO Mentor for the Mort Elementary School principal through The Council for Educational Change.

He followed a straight path into a business career in marketing and communications.

After he graduated from high school, he attended Hampton University, a historically black college in Virginia that was founded in 1868 to give education to freed men.

He decided to attend the college after visiting a friend who was going to school there.

He knew immediately it was the place for him.

“The campus is just beautiful,” Butler said.

The opportunity to earn a college degree there “just resonated with me,” said Butler, who received a Bachelor of Science in marketing.

Butler received a three-year scholarship from the university’s R.O.T.C. program, and upon graduation was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. He commanded combat troops in Kuwait during Desert Storm in 1990.

There were lessons learned from the military that translated to his values in running a company later.

“I’m focused on treating people right. And, I operate (my business) with values found in the community,” he said.

He earned a master’s degree in business administration from Central Michigan University and a master’s in national security strategy from the National War College.

He stepped back into civilian life in 1988 and spent a year at the Washington D.C., powerhouse public relations and communications firm Fleishman & Hillard International Communications.

He put his uniform back on after that, and served as spokesman and chief of communications for the U.S. Army secretary. He was on the staff and communications team for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

After 22 years of military service, he retired as a colonel in 2006.

However, retirement was more like a transition to a new beginning.

The next year, he founded Vistra Communications.

In the early days, Butler frequently worked with nonprofits.

Brian Butler spends some time with students at Mort Elementary School.

One of his first accounts was the private charter school, Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate High School. The school was founded by former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Derrick Brooks and former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, Jr.

Butler also won a contract with Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, providing communications and consulting services.

Vistra’s clients today include businesses in health care, information technology, transportation, airports, entertainment, sports, and local and federal government.

Over the years, Butler and Vistra have received many honors and awards.

Tampa Bay Business Journal ranked Vistra as the No. 1 public relations firm in 2016 and 2017. It was the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year in 2016, for 21-50 employees. Vistra also was singled out in 2016 as the SBA South Florida District Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year.

Last year, Vistra acquired Tampa-based Marketing Associates USA. The Tampa company is now a division of Vistra.

A shared interest in Trinity Café brought Butler together with Jeff Darrey, president of Marketing Associates.

Darrey founded Trinity Café, a nonprofit restaurant that feeds the homeless.

Butler believes that community service is a basic foundation of a successful business. To that end, he serves on several boards and committees, including Florida Hospital Tampa Foundation, Minority Enterprise Development Corporation, Mort Elementary School Cabinet and Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. He also is a founding member of USO (United Services Organization) Tampa Bay.

Butler is especially proud of the Laundry Project, an effort of the Florida nonprofit Current Initiatives.

Volunteers come to area coin laundries in Tampa Bay and pay for laundry fees, help with laundry services and create a community day.

“It’s part of my foundation and part of our company,” Butler said. “It’s exciting to make a difference right at home.”

Published May 2, 2018

Green Dot program teaches violence prevention

May 2, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Central Pasco Huddle hosted a community discussion and learning session at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library on violence prevention.

The huddle is a locally organized group of the Central Gulf Coast chapter of the Women’s March Florida.

Its members, who come from Wesley Chapel, Land O’ Lakes, and Lutz, meet monthly in Land O’ Lakes, said huddle member Charity Henesy-Brooks.

The goal is to find activities “to make Pasco better for people,” she said. “We’re going to do more events like this for Pasco’s women and children.”

Green Dot coordinator for Sunrise of Pasco County, Aubrey Hall, led discussion on violence prevention at Land O’ Lakes Branch Library. The workshop was sponsored by the Central Pasco Huddle of the Women’s March Florida. (Kathy Steele)

Aubrey Hall, Green Dot coordinator with Sunrise of Pasco County Inc., led the recent workshop – “Embrace Your Voice.”

Combatting violence in all its forms “is daunting,” she said. “How do we change something that is so ingrained?”

Cultural change isn’t something that happens quickly, she added.

She said, though, that she’s encouraged by the #metoo movement, which is prompting people – mostly women – to come forward to tell their stories.

Green Dot is a violence prevention program that seeks to enlist the help of bystanders — who witness violence in everyday situations.

Green Dot provides educational awareness, training and actions that can reduce sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking.

Green Dot serves more than 300 colleges and universities across the country.

Sunrise at Pasco works with students at Saint Leo University.

“To stop violence, we first have to recognize what it is,” Hall said.

Examples of violence include physical, sexual, verbal, economic and psychological assaults where one person has real or perceived power over another person.

People often overlook economic issues, Hall said. But, she noted: “Economic abuse is present in 98 percent of domestic violence abuses.”

She also explained that stalking can go beyond physically shadowing another person.

“You can be stalked by someone you never see now because of social media,” Hall said. “It’s so normal to like and follow.”

Hall led the workshop participants through a series of activities to identify early, immediate and after signs of sexual assault, stalking and dating/domestic violence.

She also addressed bullying.

Participants watched videos that had no sound to help them learn how to recognize body language cues, in different scenarios, of stalking and domestic violence. The videos show bystanders reacting to each situation.

“Being able to identify behavior, that’s going to be key,” Hall said.

Working in two teams, the workshop participants came up with ways that bystanders could choose to intervene, either directly or indirectly, to stop or calm down volatile situations.

They also discussed the barriers that often prevent bystanders from becoming involved.

Sometimes those barriers are the fear of becoming a target, or of being retaliated against, or of being uncomfortable, or not knowing where to seek help.

The Green Dot program offers the “three Ds” as guidelines to follow.

Those are:

Direct action: Asking someone to stop his or her behavior.
Delegating action: Calling 911, human resources or the school’s campus police. (The key is “making sure it’s someone who can do something,” Hall said.)
Distraction or delay: This can be done by possibly asking a question. “Do anything that allows the tension to break,” Hall said.

The Green Dot program launched at the University of Kentucky in 2006, as a sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking prevention program. It was funded with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The program was adapted for high schools, and expanded to other colleges. A nonprofit, known as Green Dot, etc Inc., was established, and its headquarters moved from Kentucky to Washington D.C.

In 2017, it also got a new name – Alteristic.

For information, visit SunrisePasco.org/green-dot-rev.

For information on Central Pasco Huddle, email .

Published May 2, 2018

Homeless shelter to help families find housing

May 2, 2018 By Kathy Steele

A “one-stop navigation center” for the homeless population in Pasco County will provide temporary shelter for families, instead of the initial plan to help single adult men and women.

If opened, the center would be Pasco’s first homeless shelter.

An estimated $100,000 annual cost for around-the-clock security at the facility and neighborhood opposition to the original plan prompted the shift in the shelter’s purpose.

A public meeting in 2017 to discuss a proposed homeless shelter drew a large, impassioned crowd. (File)

“We realized the need was great for families, and we will have more funding (opportunities) for families,” said Don Anderson, chief executive officer for the Homeless Coalition of Pasco County.

A public meeting to discuss the new concept will be held May 16 at 6 p.m., at the Pasco County Commission board room in New Port Richey. Additional outreach to residents in nearby neighborhoods also is planned.

Commissioners voted on April 24 to continue the public hearing for a conditional use permit for the facility until June 19.

That will allow time to amend the coalition’s application, and to hear from area residents.

Commissioners have been supportive of the project, and previously approved funding to remodel the center.

Commissioner Jack Mariano, however, has been critical of the county’s choice of location.

Residents from Crane’s Roost, a neighborhood of about 90 homes, off Little Road, said the homeless population needs help, but they think the proposed location is wrong.

They worry about increased solicitations, crime and lowered property values.

Business owners at Ridge Plaza, adjacent to the Youth Lane site, have objected, too.

The commission’s boardroom was packed during the public hearing in 2017, with people equally passionate on both sides of the issue.

A former Boys & Girls Club in New Port Richey is being proposed as a temporary shelter for homeless families.

Advocates for the center point to its location near bus stops, government offices and service agencies as a good fit to help people in need. They also say Pasco County has been unresponsive in the past in meeting the needs of its homeless population, which at times has been counted as high as 3,000 people.

The center would operate at the two-building campus formerly leased by the county to the Boys & Girls Club, at the end of Youth Lane, off Little Road.

Under the initial concept, the goal was to house 50 to 75 homeless adult men and women for an average of 90 days at the navigation center. They would receive help in locating housing, jobs, job training and health care.

A survey by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office found about 100 homeless camps throughout the county. The initiative would focus on one camp at a time.

Under the new plan, the coalition’s “housing first” program would provide temporary shelter to families for 30 days to 60 days.

Anderson said an average stay could be 45 days or less. He anticipates housing about four families to six families at a time.

The coalition’s administrative offices would operate from Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. People would receive help with job training, showers, health care, behavioral health care, case management, resume building and financial literacy.

The only food services provided would be to families staying at the center.

The people who are served at the coalition’s location on Pine Street are polite and respectful, Anderson said.

“They are really looking for services that can help them get out of their situation,” he said.

Anderson said he was hopeful that the new direction for the navigation center will be well-received.

“We really want to take advantage of their (the county’s) willingness to do something in the community for the homeless,” Anderson said.

Published May 2, 2018

Business Digest 05/02/2018

May 2, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Local training dollars available
Career Source Pasco Hernando offers financial assistance for employee training through the Employed Worker Training Program.

The program aids the employer by improving company efficiency, increasing employee retention and building employee morale.

Up to half of the employers’ direct training costs can be reimbursed through the EWT program. Employers can choose a specific trainer, curriculum or training course that benefits the company’s needs.

The program has yielded 77 certificates, to date, for 2017-2018.

Training grants are limited and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

For information, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com, or call: in east Pasco County (813) 377-1327; in west Pasco County (352) 293-1335; or in Hernando County (352) 200-3027.

Chamber annual business awards
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its annual business awards.

The deadline for nominations is noon of May 4.

A Nominating Committee will review all nominees.

Nominees must be members in good standing for at least one year, and have a record of outstanding business and civic contributions to the community.

Reasons for the nomination, including accomplishments, must be part of the application. Additional reasons or comments on a separate sheet of paper are welcome.

Awards are given to the Non-Profit of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Chamber Member of the Year and a Community Service Award.

Mail nominations to 1903 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite 16, Land O’ Lakes, FL 33549. Or, email to .

Nominations also can be submitted online at CentralPascoChamber.com.

Culver’s ribbon cutting
Culver’s of Zephyrhills had a ribbon cutting April 30 to celebrate the fast-food restaurant’s opening at 6386 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Hours of operation are seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the exception of some holidays.

Culver’s signature sandwich is the “Butterburger.” The restaurant also offers three flavors of frozen custard: vanilla, chocolate and Flavor of the Day.

Franchise owner and operator Mark Murphy started his Culver’s career in 2013 as general manager at Culver’s in Mauston, Wisconsin, according to a news release from Culver’s.

The restaurant’s menu includes Wisconsin cheese curds, fresh garden salads, and chicken and fish dinners. Kid’s meals also are available.

For information, visit Culvers.com.

Creativity Unpinned opens at Wiregrass
Creativity Unpinned opened its doors at The Shops at Wiregrass, at 28163 Paseo Drive, Suite 180, in Wesley Chapel.

The store helps artisans and crafters find customers who want to buy handmade products. It features distinctive items in apparel and home décor.

Founder Wendy O’Neill attended CO.STARTERS, a SMARTstart program offered through the Pasco Economic Development Council. She learned how to price items, and also got advice from local business owners.

Women-n-Charge
Join Women-in-Charge May 4 from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at the new meeting location at Plantation Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The women share talents and resources, and build relationships with other women in business.

Guest speaker will be Christy Maldonado of Social Media Marketing. She will discuss Facebook basics and marketing tools.

The cost is $15 for members and $18 for guests who RSVP by Tuesday prior to the meeting. Afterward, the cost is $20 for members and $23 for guests.

For information, call (813) 600-9848, or email .

Florida Hospital Dade City ribbon cutting
Florida Hospital Dade City will host a community celebration and ribbon cutting May 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at 13100 Fort King Road in Dade City.

For information, call The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce at (352) 567-3769.

Business seminar
SCORE will host a free business seminar, “Learn How to Start a New Business Successfully” at the New River Library, 34043 State Road 56 in Zephyrhills.

The seminar will cover the business idea, testing and protecting the idea, finding good people, how to structure your business, cash flow and other relevant issues.

Seating is limited.

North Tampa luncheon
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have its May 2018 Momentum Thursday on May 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Brookdale of Lutz, 414 Chapman Road.

For early bird registration, RSVP online with credit card at NorthTampaChamber.com or by email to the chamber at by 5 p.m. May 9, at the discounted rate of $15 (whether you eat or not).

After that date, the cost is $20 (whether you eat or not), payable at the door by cash, check or credit card.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 563-0180.

Refreshments will be served.

For information, email Charlene Kutzan at .

Business seminar
SCORE will have a free business seminar on “YouTube and Small Business” May 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Hugh Embry Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City.

Space is limited.

To register, visit PascoHernando.score.org.

Apartments on the rise at Brightwork Crossing

April 25, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Brightwork Crossing is going vertical.

Brick-and-mortar tower-like structures are rising on the 32-acre site, off State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

These are early signs of an apartment complex approved for up to 350 units. The complex will be a series of four-story buildings with more than 60 apartments per building, according to county records.

Permits also have been approved for a WaWa convenience store, a Burger King and the apartment’s clubhouse. Internal roads include Tapestry Way, Maren Way, Ashley Creek Trail and Canopy Creek Way.

Construction crews are building apartments at Brightwork Crossing, a mixed-use project at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 54. This view is from Old Cypress Creek Road. (Kathy Steele)

Alabama-based Arlington Properties and BW 54 56 Holdings LLC are partners in the development. Representatives for the companies weren’t available for comment.

Pasco County commissioners approved the mixed-use, commercial and residential project in August 2017. It’s been on the drawing board since 2015.

Brightwork Crossing is approved for the apartments, as well as 250,000 square feet of offices, retail and a 150-room hotel.

Firestone Complete Auto Care store has been named as a potential retail store.

Construction began in summer 2017 as bulldozers cleared and leveled the vacant land, located directly behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

Traffic spills into the area from all directions, off State Road 54, State Road 56, Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Interstate 75.

Brightwork Crossing will fill out a prime corner at this major juncture for new development, which already includes Tampa Premium Outlets, Cypress Creek Town Center, and Florida Hospital Center Ice.

The site where apartments are being built was bisected by Old State Road 54, and often used as a cut-through by motorists seeking to avoid long waits at Wesley Chapel and State Road 54 and State Road 56.

Old State Road 54 became part of a land swap that gave the county green space for its wildlife corridor, as well as room for a future park-and-ride facility.

Recent and future road projects are on tap to improve traffic flow along the area’s major corridors.

Brightwork Crossing will have access via Wesley Chapel Boulevard to Cypress Creek Town Center, at the center’s Pondside Drive entrance.

Wesley Chapel is partially widened, near State Road 56, and the county plans eventually to widen the boulevard to six lanes to just north of Magnolia Boulevard. There will be 4-foot bicycle lanes, a median, 5-foot sidewalks on the eastern side, and an 8-foot multi-use trail on the western side.

Construction is expected to begin in 2018 on a diverging diamond interchange at I-75 to improve traffic flow.

Published April 25, 2018