Kathy Steele

Starkey appointed to national trade advisory committee

June 27, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey will serve on a national trade advisory committee, providing advice to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

The trade representative serves in a Cabinet level position, and is appointed as President Donald Trump’s principal trade advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade issues.

There are eight advisory committees focusing on different trade issues.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey
(File)

Starkey’s role on the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee is “to represent the voice of local governments on U.S. trade issues,” according to a news release from Pasco County.

“I’m excited and happy to represent us and the voice of local governments,” said Starkey, speaking at the June 19 county commissioner’s meeting in New Port Richey.

Her four-year term runs through April 2022.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative develops and coordinates the United States’ international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and oversees negotiations with other countries.

Starkey currently serves as chairwoman of the International Economic Development Task Force for the National Association of Counties. She also has been on numerous trade missions to South America and Europe.

She is an advocate for developing programs, such as AmSkills, that link education with apprenticeships. She believes they are valuable tools in recruiting European companies to Pasco and the Tampa Bay area.

Starkey anticipates three telephone conference meetings annually as a member of the advisory committee, and also one meeting a year at the White House.

Published June 27, 2018

Business Digest 06/27/2018

June 27, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Sprouts Farmers Market plans to locate at this former Winn Dixie site in Land O’ Lakes, according to a pre-application form filed with Pasco County.
(File)

Sprouts market coming?
Sprouts Farmers Market, an Arizona-based natural and organic grocery store, is the anchor for a proposed redevelopment of the former Winn Dixie plaza on the northeast corner of Collier Parkway and State Road 54, according to a pre-application filed by Benderson Development.

Developers had a scheduled meeting on June 18 with the Pasco County planning department.

Pre-application meetings usually are the first step in the process prior to submitting plans and seeking permits.

A site plan shows an approximately 34,000-square-foot building designated for Sprouts Farmers Market. In addition, two more buildings, of about 17,500 square feet and 16,200 feet, are marked for retail/restaurants.

Winn-Dixie representatives announced in March, the company would close about 100 stores nationwide, as part of its bankruptcy restructuring strategy, including six in the Tampa Bay area. The Collier location was the only Pasco County closure announced.

According to Sprouts’ website, the company’s history began with fruit stands in the mid-1940s.

The company promotes sustainable building practices and healthy food sources. The nonprofit, Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation, started in 2015, the website says.

Wesley Chapel podcasters
Wesley Chapel couple Andy and Shannon Herbon launched a Florida tourism podcast, “Sunshine State of Mind,” to highlight fun things to do throughout the state, according to a news release from the company.

Shannon, a sixth-generation Floridian, who was born in Tampa and grew up in Land O’ Lakes, met Andy, when she moved to Tampa from Chicago in 2001.

Sunshine State of Mind is one of the first podcasts to focus on “everything fun under the Florida sun,” the news release says.

In contrast, other podcasts are about Walt Disney World or Universal Studios.

Sunshine State of Mind has released 15 podcasts to date including “Our Summer 2018 Bucket List,” “Ten Amazing Places Floridians Don’t Want You to Know About,” “Ten Tips for Saving Money at Walt Disney World,” and “Florida Tourist Trap Alternatives.”

Sunshine State of Mind also has a YouTube channel with additional Florida content.

For information, visit SunshineStatePodcast.com, or email the Herbons at .

Pasco County job fair
Pasco County Schools is partnering with county agencies to host a job fair June 28 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Cypress Creek Middle/High School, 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Job applicants can meet with representatives from the school district and several schools; Pasco Sheriff’s Office; and Pasco County government, including clerk of court, emergency services (911), property appraiser, supervisor of elections, and tax collector.

Positions available include 911 dispatcher; accounting/finance; bus drivers/assistants; clerical/administrative support; food services; information services; instructional/childcare; law enforcement/corrections; and, maintenance/skilled trades.

For information, visit the district’s website, PascoSchools.org, and click on the job fair banner at the top.

Economic development briefing
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly economic briefing lunch June 28 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 Scott Sutek, executive director of the proposed Christopher N. Chiles Aquatic Center in Land O’ Lakes.

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

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

Women of Wesley Chapel network
Women of Wesley Chapel (WOW) will meet July 6 from 7:30 am. to 9 a.m., at Beach House Assisted Living & Memorial Care, 30070 State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel.

WOW is a women-only, networking event on the first Friday of each month.

Enjoy breakfast and networking.

Guest speaker will be Trish Buzzone, of the John Maxwell team.

The cost is $5 in cash, paid at the door.

For information, call Grace Martin at (813) 994-8534, or email at .

Central Pasco annual banquet
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have its 2018 Installation & Awards Banquet on June 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at The Groves Golf & Country Club, 7924 Melogold Circle in Land O’ Lakes.

Meet the new board of directors, celebrate award winners and nominees, and greet the new Honorary Mayor.

Dress to impress or wear casual business attire. It’s your choice.

Tickets are $50 per person, or two for $90, through June 27. Thereafter, tickets are $60 per person.

Sponsorships, including tickets, are available.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 909-2722, or email .

Final Friday
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce will have a “Final Friday” mixer June 29 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Noble Crust restaurant, 28330 Paseo Drive, at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

There will be networking, discounted prices and happy hour specials.

The mixer is open to members and guests, who can attend two Final Friday events without joining the chamber.

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

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly business breakfast July 5 from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Golden Corral, 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Guest speaker is Stan Giannet, vice president of academic affairs at the Pasco-Hernando State College.

The cost is $8 for chamber members and $10 for non-members.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 872-1913, or email .

Network breakfast
The Wednesday Morning Network Group will meet July 11 at 7:30 a.m., at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, at 3116 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Each attendee will be able to present a 30-second pitch.

The sponsor is Copperstone Executive Suites.

The cost is $7 for members, if preregistered by June 28; or $10 at the door for members or guests.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 909-2722, or email .

HART rolling out regional bus service

June 20, 2018 By Kathy Steele

The debate over building and operating a tri-county bus rapid transit system on Interstate 275 won’t be settled for months.

But, on July 1, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, known as HART, will launch a new limited express bus service down I-275 from Wesley Chapel to Tampa.

Connections also can be made to existing routes operated by Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority with services to Largo, Clearwater and St. Petersburg.

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit, HART, will launch a new bus route between Wesley Chapel and Tampa. A HART bus is shown here at Marion Transit Center in Tampa.
(Courtesy of HART)

The 275LX route will be a first for regional transit in the Tampa Bay area. It also will be a test of the regional potential for bus transit.

Funding for the new route is from about $1.2 million in grants from the Florida Department of Transportation. Funds are expected to cover operating expenses for 18 months.

“We’re very excited about this service,” said Steve Feigenbaum, HART’s director of service development. “We have very high hopes for it.”

Route 275LX largely will follow Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Interstate 275.

Feigenbaum said this service is separate from a proposed “catalyst” project for a bus rapid transit system that would travel on dedicated lanes built on the shoulders of I-275.

The Florida Department of Transportation funded a study that prioritized a 41-mile bus rapid transit system from Wesley Chapel to St. Petersburg. Initial construction estimates were nearly $455 million.

Supporters hope that bus rapid transit can jumpstart a long-range transit vision for the area. Opponents say the project is too limited, too expensive, and won’t, by itself, address traffic gridlock.

A decision on bus rapid transit is expected in the coming months.

Meanwhile, major stops on HART’s limited express service will include Tampa International Airport, the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, the University Area Transit Center, the Westshore business district, and the Marion Street Transit Center in downtown Tampa.

According to a HART news release, residents and businesses, especially in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, asked for the bus route. It is considered a boon for employees commuting to and from work across county lines, and for area residents who want to visit dining, shopping or entertainment destinations in Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

HART estimates about 123,000 residents live within the service area.

Transportation from Pasco to the veteran’s hospital in Hillsborough is an especially important benefit to the area, said Kurt Scheible, director of Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT).

“I get requests all the time on how can we get people down to the veteran’s hospital,” Scheible said. “I think this is a great step forward.”

The July 1 start is a soft opening, with an official ribbon cutting at Tampa International Airport scheduled for July 13.

HART buses will pick up passengers at the Route 54 bus stop operated by PCPT. The bus stop is located at the Wiregrass Park-n-Ride, at 28222 Willet Way, near Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

The Wiregrass bus stop is the “backbone” of Pasco’s transit system, with the kind of ridership that makes it a perfect fit for HART’s new route, said Scheible.

HART’s operating hours will be seven days a week, generally from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with buses leaving hourly. Bus fares will be $2 each way. Free WiFi is available on the bus ride.

PCPT’s Route 54 operates only six days a week, with no buses running on Sundays. Weekday hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., for east/west service from Universal Plaza in New Port Richey to Zephyrhills.

Major stops are at Medical Center of Trinity, The Shops at Wiregrass and Tampa Premium Outlets.

However, the Wiregrass Park-n-Ride is open seven days a week for residents taking a ride on HART’s buses.

New services are coming in the future, including the expansion of Flamingo Fares, a mobile application for regional bus passes, Feigenbaum said.

It is available from HART and the PSTA. In the next months, Pasco and Manatee County’s transit systems also will provide the mobile app and regional bus passes.

“It will be seamless, built into all the systems,” said Feigenbaum.

Published June 20, 2018

More shops coming to Cypress Creek and Tampa Premium Outlets

June 20, 2018 By Kathy Steele

New retail is on the way to Cypress Creek Town Center, located west of the Interstate 75 interchange, on the north side of State Road 56.

Across the road, Tampa Premium Outlets will add a new big box store – the At Home Décor Superstore.

Construction on the infrastructure for the new shops is in early stages.

Berry Construction has obtained permits for Burlington (formerly Burlington Coat Factory), Earth Fare grocery store, Home Goods, and Five Below, for Cypress Creek Town Center.

At Home Décor Superstore is under construction at Tampa Premium Outlets. (Kathy Steele)

A representative for Sierra Properties, which is developing the site, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Permits are for parcels located along Sierra Center Boulevard, which already is populated with restaurants and shops.

Ford’s Garage, Mellow Mushroom, Men’s Wearhouse, Pollo Tropical, Chuy’s Tex Mex, Great Clips and Bahama Breeze are among existing tenants.

A 130-room Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference is nearing completion.

At Home Décor Superstore is under construction on an outparcel, off Grand Cypress Drive at the outlet mall, which is being developed by Simon Property Group. The store will be directly behind the Costco Warehouse Store.

Advertising on the exterior of a parked Home Décor truck touts a summer 2018 opening.

A company representative couldn’t be reached for comment.

The new retail will offer a range of shopping choices.

Burlington
The company began in 1924 as a wholesaler of women’s coats and junior suits. An outlet store opened in 1972 in Burlington, New Jersey. The shop expanded from women’s clothes to add men’s wear, sportswear and accessories.

Earth Fare
Earth Fare is a full-service supermarket that offers natural, healthy food choices. It began in 1975 as Dinner for the Earth, a health food store in Ashville, North Carolina. The first Earth Fare grocery store opened in 1994.

Home Goods
Home Goods is a discount home furnishings store with a range of departments, including furniture, gifts, bedding, pets, and home accents.

Five Below
Five Below is aimed at teens, preteens and their parents, selling an eclectic mix of items, including cellphone cases and chargers, yoga pants, footballs, and candy and seasonal items for Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

At Home Décor Superstore
The Texas-based discount home décor store sells upwards of 50,000 items in warehouse-size spaces. Departments include furniture, rugs, storage and organization, pots and planters, and lights.

Published June 20, 2018

Delay appears likely on Ridge Road extension permit

June 20, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Pasco County officials were hoping for a decision on a permit, and a construction start for the proposed Ridge Road extension by winter 2018. Instead, a revised schedule provided to the United States Army Corps of Engineers projects the anticipated permit decision in late February 2019.

Despite the revised time frame, Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles remains hopeful of a quicker decision.

“I still think there’s a way to get there this year,” Biles said.

Ridge Road currently dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in west Pasco. Pasco County wants to extend the road eastward to U.S. 41 to provide a hurricane evacuation route. (File)

Pasco is whittling down a checklist of additional information requested by the Army Corps in May 2017.

Monthly status reports are provided to the Army Corps and weekly conference calls are held.

Biles said he was set to meet with Army Corps representatives on June 15 in Cocoa Beach.

Members of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization got a brief update on the project at their June 14 meeting in New Port Richey.

A May 3 letter to the Army Corps, with the new schedule, was included in an agenda packet for the meeting.

The county has been on a quest for the Ridge Road extension permit for nearly 20 years. The roadwork would entail an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road, which currently dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey.

The new segment would link Moon Lake to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes, across from an entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton.

The county puts a priority on Ridge Road as an east-west evacuation route during hurricanes.

Environmentalists are fighting against the project, which would cut through environmentally sensitive wetlands in Serenova Preserve.

The Army Corps is the federal agency in charge of regulating the Clean Water Act. In April, the agency selected one of 17 proposed routes through the Serenova Preserve as “the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative.”

But, the Army Corps requested additional engineering and environmental information, including wetlands mitigation plans.

In March, Pasco County commissioners approved a wetlands credit purchase agreement with Ecosystem Investment Partners Credit Co., for up to $4.4 million. The Florida Turnpike Enterprise would pay a portion of the costs.

The credits would come from the Old Florida Mitigation Bank, located south of State Road 52 and east of U.S. 41, adjacent to the Connerton Preserve.

The route under review was set aside in a court settlement years ago to mitigate about 200 acres of wetlands lost during construction of the Suncoast Parkway.

Opponents of the road extension say the county’s road project violates that agreement. They also maintain the road is meant to encourage new development, and will destroy wildlife habitats.

Attorneys for the Save the Serenova Coalition have submitted documents in opposition to Ridge Road. Coalition members have said they would file a lawsuit, if the Army Corps grants the permit.

Published June 20, 2018

Labor laws explained at chamber luncheon

June 20, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Navigating wage and hour labor laws can be complicated.

The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce offered a primer on the topic at its monthly economic briefing luncheon at Fox Hollow Golf & Country Club.

The guest speaker was Lourdes Bahr, community outreach specialist for the wage and hour division of the United States Department of Labor. Based in Tampa, she travels throughout Central Florida providing federal labor law training.

Lourdes Bahr, of the United States Department of Labor, was the guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce economic briefing luncheon. (Kathy Steele)

Bahr is an Emory University graduate and former investigator for the labor department’s wage and hour division. She also serves as trainer for new investigators.

Good record keeping is the first piece of advice she offered.

“Make sure you have good records,” she said. “They are your protection. They are your friend. Make sure you are proactive in checking records.”

When the labor department investigates for violations, Bahr said it generally is the result of a complaint from a past or present employee, or maybe a third party.

Some investigations also arise based on multiple complaints against a particular industry, she said.

Investigations require interviews with employees and review of records, including time cards and payroll sheets.

“It’s always a nuisance when you’re investigated,” Bahr said. “Our staff knows this. We try to be as efficient and helpful as possible.”

Bahr said the Tampa office has four technicians available to answer questions about labor laws, if business owners have concerns. “There’s nothing wrong with calling,” she said.

Currently the labor department is offering a self-auditing program, known as PAID (Payroll Audit Independent Determination).

It began about three months ago, and will continue for another three months, Bahr said.

The program offers employees and employers a way to resolve inadvertent violations of overtime and minimum wage. It avoids costs and fees of litigation.

However, employers can’t participate if they are in litigation or under current investigation by the labor department.

The process requires completion of an application and registering with the labor department.

The error can be corrected, and the business owner will have a “clean plate,” Bahr said.

So far, not many businesses have applied, but she said, “We want to make sure people have the option to do this. We’re hoping to get some traction with it.”

For information on PAID, visit DOL.gov/whd/paid.

For information on labor laws, visit DOL.gov/whd, or call (866) 487-9243.

Published June 20, 2018

North Tampa Aero Park airport up for sale

June 20, 2018 By Kathy Steele

North Tampa Aero Park is on the market.

The sales price for the licensed public airport is $4 million, according to brokers with CBRE.

The company’s airport specialist group is in charge of marketing and selling the airport, located at 4241 Birdsong Blvd.

“We’ve had quite a bit of interest,” said Gary Bauler, broker and first vice president for industrial properties at CBRE in Tampa.

The North Tampa Aero Park airport is up for sale. The asking price is $4 million. (B.C. Manion)

The airport, which dates to the mid-1970s, covers 21 acres sandwiched between Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Interstate 75.

Compark 75, a business park with premier office, warehouse and manufacturing tenants, is adjacent to the airport.

The airport offers about 10,000 square feet of maintenance hangar space; 3,500 square feet of offices; three platted residential lots; office and hangar buildings; a fuel farm, 16 T-hangars; annual runway easement income fees; a licensed Lasergrade and PSI testing facility; and a licensed Federal Aviation Administration repair station.

While most local airports are regulated by municipalities or aviation authorities, Bauler said North Tampa Aero Park is unique in being privately owned.

The Brammer family has owned and operated North Tampa Aero Park for years. But, Bauler said, “They think it’s time to get out of the business, and do something else.”

The area has seen a lot of changes since the airport opened in 1975, Bauler said.

“When it was originally built, Pasco was a lot more undeveloped,” he said. “Now, you’ve got a lot of residential and more businesses, like Compark 75. We’re encouraged that this is the right time to sell. There are a lot more affluent owners in the area now.”

Tenants at the airport include Happy Hangar Café, American Balloons, and Tampa North Flight Center, which is the airport’s fixed-base operator (FBO).

The flight center offers a range of services, including flight instruction, aircraft sales, instrument proficiency checks, parts sales and biennial flight reviews.

It has been a training and teaching resource for the Wesley Chapel Civil Air Patrol.

Some hangars are leased, but others are condominium hangars, whose owners are represented by a condominium association.

For information, visit CBRE.com.

Published June 20, 2018

Business Digest 06/20/2018

June 20, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Dade City chamber awards
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce had its Annual Banquet and Community Awards Dinner on June 7 at the Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club.

Lifetime Achievement Award Winners:
Elizabeth Tombrink Bodine, left, Judge Richard Tombrink, Patricia Barthle, Randy Barthle and Stevens Tombrink. (Courtesy of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce)

The Richard Tombrink Lifetime Achievement Award went to Jeanette Barthle Sutton, presented posthumously.

Sutton grew up in Dade City and married Joseph Barthle in 1949. She was the mother of seven children, and was an active leader in 4-H and the Florida Farmers Association. She was the sixth recipient of the Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award and president of the Florida CowBelles (now Florida Cattlewomen Inc.)

Sutton also served as president of the American National Cattle Women’s organizations.

In 1994, she wrote “Cowboy, kids & critters,” a memoir of her life. A year later, she fulfilled a lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist and became regional editor for the “Independent Farmer and Rancher” (now “The Record”), a weekly agricultural publication.

Other awards were given to Bob Larkin Construction, which received the Area Business of the Year award, and to Two Men and A Truck, which received the Chamber Member of the Year Award.

For information, visit DadeCityChamber.com.

3D Solar innovation
3D Solar and Quick Mount PV announced installation of the nation’s first Quick Mount PV QRail Racking System, according to a 3D Solar press release.

3D Solar is a solar contractor; Quick Mount PV manufactures waterproof mounting and racking systems’ for installing rooftop solar panels.

The new QRail system, with patented QClick and QSplice technologies, simplifies and speeds up installation, according to the press release.

The company was founded in 2013 by David Ringo, its chief executive officer, and is located in Odessa.

For information, visit 3-Dsolar.com.

Microloan program
CenterState Bank donated $5,000 to the Pasco Economic Development Council’s Microloan Program. The bank has been a donor since the start of the microloan program in 2012.

The Pasco EDC created the program to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses. Statistics show that more than half of Americans either own their own business or work for a small business. Those businesses create nearly two-thirds of the new jobs in the United States each year, according to a news release from the Pasco EDC.

Pasco EDC has awarded more than $1 million in loans to local businesses. More than 40 local businesses on average have received more than $27,000 each.

To qualify, program applicants must be for-profit companies in Pasco County. Borrowers must show that they have the experience and resources to be successful. Proceeds may be used for working capital, inventory, supplies, furniture, fixtures, machinery and equipment. Loans may not be used to buy real estate or to refinance existing debt.

For information, contact the Pasco EDC at (813) 926-0827, or visit SmartStartPasco.com.

Keystone Place opens
Keystone Place at Terra Bella, an independent living, assisted living and memory care community, will have a ribbon cutting and grand opening June 21 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at 2200 Livingston Road in Land O’ Lakes.

There will be tours, hors’ d’oeuvres, music, drawings and giveaways.

Please RSVP by June 18.

For information, call (813) 388-2121, or register online at KeystonePlaceAtTerraBella.com/VIP.

Business roundtable
Zephyrhills Family Health Center and Premier Community Healthcare will host a business roundtable on KidCare on June 22 from 10 a.m. to noon, at Florida Hospital Center Ice, 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.

State Rep. Danny Burgess will be the guest speaker.

For information, call the health center at (352) 518-2000, ext. 9331, or email Rachel Blaasch at .

East Pasco networking
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet June 26 at 7:30 a.m., at IHOP, 13100 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

Guest speaker will be Lisa Marshall, regional director for Sen. Bill Nelson.

For information, contact Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491 or , or Vicky Jones at (813) 431-1140 or .

SCORE business seminar
Pasco-Hernando SCORE will have a free seminar, “Utilizing YouTube for Small Businesses,” June 26 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at SMARTstart Dade City Entrepreneur Center, 37837 Meridian Ave., Suite 309, in Dade City.

The free seminar will teach attendees how to upload videos to YouTube, as well as how to design and develop YouTube videos. Information will be provided on social media strategy and integrating YouTube into social media efforts.

For information, email PascoHernando.score.org.

The sponsor is Complete Chiropractic & Wellness.

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

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

Meet the new board of directors, celebrate award winners and nominees, and greet the new Honorary Mayor.

Dress to impress or wear casual business attire. It’s your choice.

Tickets are $50 per person, or two for $90, through June 27. Thereafter, tickets are $60 per person.

Sponsorships, including tickets, are available.

For information, call the chamber at (813) 909-2722, or email .

Final Friday
The North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce will have a “Final Friday” mixer June 29 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Noble Crust restaurant, at 28330 Paseo Drive, at The Shops at Wiregrass, in Wesley Chapel.

There will be networking, discounted prices and happy hour specials.

The mixer is open to members and guests, who can attend two Final Friday events without joining the chamber.

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

Asirvia Business Solutions convention
Becky Wanamaker, of Land O’ Lakes, earned Asirvia Business Solutions’ Pro Representative Certification. She recently attended the company’s International Convention in Dallas, Texas.

Wanamaker was one of the first in the company to earn the certification.

Asirvia is an online provider of Bluetooth marketing technology. The company offers small and large businesses solutions to create brand visibility to grow their companies.

For information, call (813) 220-8965, or visit GetMyGoToday.com.

Deadline approaching for county budget

June 13, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Crunch time is approaching for Pasco County’s 2019 budget.

On June 5, Pasco County commissioners got a look at a draft budget as part of their review process.

Crucial dates are coming up, including a July 10 deadline to set the millage rate, which determines how much homeowners will pay in taxes.

No increase in millage is expected. However, some will pay higher tax bills because of general increases in property values.

County officials anticipate that the average, single-family homeowner will pay almost $16 more into the general fund on a homesteaded property valued at $100,000. The cost will increase about $3.80 for the fire fund.

Owners of non-homesteaded property will pay almost $65 more to the general fund, and about $15.35 to the fire fund.

New revenues from property taxes are expected to increase by about 8.5 percent for the general fund, adding about $10.5 million to county coffers.

Those funds are evenly divided between the county and its constitutional offices, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

New construction is fueling a large share of the increased tax revenue.

However, a Nov. 8 referendum to add another $25,000 exemption to homesteaded property is expected to adversely affect the county’s 2020 budget — if the measure passes, and county officials are expecting it to pass.

The loss to the county’s general fund in 2020 would be about $12 million, and about $2.4 million for the fire fund.

Funding temporary housing for inmates at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center is one of the immediate challenges facing the Pasco County Commission.

By 2020, projections put inmate population at nearly 2,400 a day. The facility was built to house about 1,400 inmates, and already exceeds that number.

The draft budget includes about $2.4 million for the cost of temporary onsite housing; and another $2.5 million to pay other counties to house Pasco inmates in their jails.

Currently, there remains about $3.3 million in unfunded budget needs at the sheriff’s office.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco struck a positive note on the matter.

“It’s very tricky, but we’re getting there,” Nocco told county commissioners. “I know we’re going to get there in the end.”

Other big ticket items include about $2.8 million for repairs and capital improvements for public buildings; $1.4 million for Medicaid, retirement and health insurance; and $1 million for deferred maintenance of parks that are in danger of closing.

County officials peg deferred maintenance costs at parks at about $24 million.

“So, that’s not even treading water there,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

Published June 13, 2018

Volunteers spruce up Moore-Mickens campus

June 13, 2018 By Kathy Steele

Volunteers put a little shine to the campus of Moore-Mickens Education & Vocational Center in Dade City.

They swept the parking lot, raked and bagged leaves, pruned the greenery and cut the lawn.

Inside, they cleaned up the kitchen and refrigerators, and wiped down walls.

Dade City resident Quantabia Maner serves on the Community Enrichment Committee for the Moore-Mickens Education & Vocational Center. She helped organize a Saturday cleanup at the school.
(Fred Bellet)

Future projects include interior painting and a pressure washing for the exterior of the school’s buildings.

For now, the cleanup efforts were done just in time for summer activities.

“It looks so much better,” said Marilyn Hunter, president of the Moore-Mickens Education & Vocational Center, at 38301 Martin Luther King Blvd., in Dade City.

Many of the volunteers who showed up for work duty on May 26 are former students who wanted to give back.

Some of those who turned out also serve on the school’s advisory board or its junior board.

“This is a legacy,” said Warren “Snapper” Godbolt, a director on the advisory board and a 1968 graduate of the school. “It’s been a life saver in a lot of ways to a lot of people. The teachers here made a lot of difference in our lives. They were like second parents for us.”

Dade City resident Guy Wright brought his ride-on mower to Moore-Mickens Education & Vocational Center to help spruce up the campus.

Moore-Mickens is a historical landmark in Dade City as the first public school for blacks in Pasco County. It began as Moore Academy, but later operated under the Moore and Mickens’ names as elementary, middle and high schools, and lastly as the education center.

The school’s name honors its founding educators, Rev. Junias D. Moore and Odell Kingston Mickens.

Pasco County Schools closed Moore-Mickens in 2016, citing the expenses of repairs and upkeep.

Nearly a year ago, a coalition of community activists accepted the keys to Moore-Mickens from the Pasco County school board. There is a 30-year lease, at a cost of $10 a year.

School administrators and its board of directors are revitalizing Moore-Mickens as a learning center and social hub for the community.

Dade City resident Ed Reed clipped overgrown palms to help beautify the landscape at Moore-Mickens Education & Vocational Center.

“We want this to be a new beginning,” said Godbolt. “The first priority is education. If you can save anyone’s child, you’ve done something.”

In recent months, the school has begun afterschool tutoring and General Equivalency Diploma classes. This summer, the school is partnering with a Gainesville-based nonprofit, Mega Social Enterprise Inc., to offer job training skills to youth, ages 14 to 21.

Although some students have signed up, additional applications are being accepted, Hunter said. The program will provide stipends during training, and will seek to find hands-on work opportunities in the community.

Sprucing up the campus was a kickoff to a busy summer.

Quantabia Maner is in charge of the Community Enrichment Committee for the school and helped organize the cleanup day.

Pam Roberts, a junior board member, attended sixth grade at the school. She was in charge of lunch for the volunteers – hot dogs, chips and drinks.

“It was a great experience for me,” she said of her brief time at Moore-Mickens. “I have great memories.”

Dade City resident Arthur Whitehead, 80, was among the first volunteers to show up on a recent Saturday morning to clear leaves and sweep the parking lot at Moore-Mickens Education & Vocational Center.

Arthur Whitehead, 80, was an eager volunteer. He was born in Tampa but lived most of his life in Dade City. He pushed a broom to sweep up leaves and dirt from the parking lot.

“I’ve lived here longer than Tampa, and I wanted to help out,” he said.

Mack Brockington operates Soul Refreshing Outreach in Zephyrhills. He wants to expand services and open a food pantry at Moore-Mickens. “We’re trying to move in this direction (to Dade City),” he said.

A friend and fellow church member, Guy Wright, brought a ride-on mower to clip the lawn, especially the tall grass between classroom buildings.

Ed Reed is a custodian for Pasco County Schools. He went to elementary school at Moore-Mickens. His father, Freddie Reed, worked on the construction of Moore-Mickens’ buildings.

Baron Bloodsworth, of Dade City, signed as a volunteer, ready for cleanup duty at Moore-Mickens Education & Vocational Center. Bloodsworth attended the school in the late 1990s.

And, Ed Reed’s wife, Ella, was a majorette and student there.

“I’m glad I’m part of it,” said Reed, who pruned palms from planters, and in the landscaping outside the buildings.

Baron Bloodsworth attended middle school in the late 1990s. He grabbed a rake and went to work. “It made an impact on the community,” he said. “Anything I can do to help.”

Edele Graham had appointments that day but made time to give an hour or so to the cleanup. She attended middle school. “I just want to see it stay and thrive,” she said.

For information on Moore-Mickens or the Mega Social Enterprise summer youth program, call Marilyn Hunter at (352) 807-5691 or Saundra Coward at (352) 467-0313.

Published June 13, 2018