The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Union rep says Pasco needs to ask itself: Why are firefighters leaving?

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The two new members of the Pasco County Commission had barely warmed up their seats on the board before hearing about the increasing number of the county’s firefighters that are resigning.

“In the year 2022 alone, we’ve had 49 resignations, and that number will undoubtedly grow before the end of the year,” Dixon Phillips, the District 3 representative of IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) Local 4420, told the board during the public comment portion of the Dec. 6 meeting.

“You must ask yourselves: Why are firefighters leaving? The answer to that is simple. Quality of life.

“Pasco’s firefighters work 208 hours more per year than almost all of our neighboring fire departments.

“If you march that number out over a 30-year career, that means a firefighter that works in Hillsborough County will work on a truck 2.3 years less than a firefighter that works on a truck in Pasco,” Phillips added.

Pay is a concern, too, he said.

This badge represents Pasco/Fire Rescue. (File)

“Starting in April 2023, that same firefighter, on average, will be paid 20% more than firefighters in Pasco,” Phillips said.

He also listed a number of other issues.

“Pasco County firefighters have not had a health screening or physical since 2018, even though the bargaining agreement stated that physicals were to begin in 2021.

“Pasco County firefighters have not had a physical agility test since 2016.

“This county denies job-related cancer claims, but does nothing to ensure that our firefighters are healthy and in good physical condition.

“We scratch our head and wonder why we lose 20% of our new hire class before they even step in the door.

“How are we supposed to retain or recruit, when the No. 1 international publication in our field, Firehouse Magazine, writes a story about Pasco County commissioners approving up to $85,000 (in legal fees) to fight a state-mandated $25,000 firefighter-related cancer claim?

“Would you work for a business that did that to their employees?” he asked county board members.

The resignations of firefighters comes at a time when the county’s emergency response calls are on the rise, Phillips said.

“According to the state fire marshal’s office, in 2021, out of all the fire departments in the state of Florida, Pasco County Fire Rescue ran the third most EMS calls in the state.

“This is no surprise because Pasco County Fire Rescue saw a 16% increase in total call volume that year, and those numbers continue to rise in 2022.

“With that in mind, our local (Local 4420) anxiously awaits the opening of Fire Rescue Station 9, which is scheduled later this month.

“However, Station 17, which broke ground on June 10, 2021, is not projected to be completed, until the earliest, August 2023.

“We need stations to be built faster.

“Trucks like rescue 223 and 226, to be put on the road faster,” he said.

Phillips’ appearance before the board is just the latest in a series of such appearances by representatives for the county’s fire/rescue crews, who have experienced a sizable increase in emergency response calls, as a result of the county’s rapid growth.

Fire/Rescue personnel have urged the county board to increase resources to enable them to trim emergency response times.

The county’s voters have approved bonds to pay for new fire stations to be built, and the county board has approved budget increases for Fire/Rescue equipment and personnel. But there has been a lag time between those approvals and the availability of additional resources for emergency responders.

Published December 14, 2022

Pasco scores 555 manufacturing jobs

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The Pasco County Commission has approved an incentive agreement with Gary Plastic Packaging Corp., in a deal expected to result in 555 new manufacturing jobs.

The board unanimously approved a total of $983,000 in incentives during its Dec. 6 meeting.

The property is located in the Harrod Properties venture, at the North Pasco Corporate Center, according to David Engel, director of Pasco County’s Office of Economic Growth.

The Pasco County Commission, county staff, representatives of the Pasco Economic Development Council and from Gary Plastic Packaging Corp., celebrate an economic incentives deal expected to yield 555 new manufacturing jobs for Pasco County. At the center of the photo, Commission Chairman Jack Mariano holds a framed copy of the agreement, along with Richard Hellinger, president of Gary Plastic Packaging Corp. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

That project consists of two buildings, each being approximately 440,000 square feet, on 72 acres, off Softwind Lane, in Spring Hill.

One of the buildings, according to the developer’s website, has been completely leased, Engel said. Gary Plastics Packaging will occupy 279,000 square feet of industrial space in the other building.

“The property has been cleared and is under mass grading right now and construction is imminent,” Engel said.

He also noted that Gary Plastic is investing approximately $16 million in improvements such as manufacturing equipment, furniture, and other fixtures.

Harrod Properties is set to invest approximately $50 million in the building, land, and infrastructure, according to a Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC) news release.

Engel outlined the incentives package for Gary Plastic Packaging Corp., for the county board.

He said the economic deal essentially can be broken into three buckets. $552,000 for 184 new jobs; $306,206 for a high-impact bonus; and, $100,000 in training funds.

The agreement is a terrific investment for the county, Engel said.

“For every dollar the county provides, we’re getting back annually approximately $110. So, the rate of return is enormous to the community,” Engel said.

The deal came to the county through the Pasco EDC.

Tom Ryan, director of business development for the Pasco EDC, has been working for four years to secure it.

Ryan told the county board that he went to the Bronx to meet with Richard Hellinger, president of Gary Plastic.

“He was enamored with the idea of moving to Florida, he thought it was a great opportunity, but he was looking at two other states. So we had to make our case, and we made our case,” Ryan said.

The biggest issue was finding a suitable space, Ryan said.

Hellinger, the company president, told the county board that he’s “super excited about this opportunity to expand my operation into Pasco County, from New York.”

He expressed enthusiasm for the workforce training opportunities available in Pasco, through the county’s high schools, colleges and AmSkills.

Hellinger also provided some insights about his company, which was named for his father, Gary.

The company was founded in 1963, Hellinger said. It produces plastic packaging and plastic promotional items.

The plastic packaging is clear, hinged containers for the electronics industry and the medical industry, he said.

The vast majority of the company’s product now — 85% — is in the promotional space, he added.

The company’s customers include government, pharmaceutical, medical, gift, cosmetic, jewelry, hardware, automotive, food, drug, and discount chain accounts throughout the United States, according to its website.

Published December 14, 2022

Matter Brothers furniture store coming to Wesley Chapel area

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a rezoning that will clear the way for a Matter Brothers furniture store.

The project is slated to be located on the south side of State Road 54, about one-fourth mile west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard. It is between Cypress Creek Road and Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

The site is planned for development consisting of an 80,000-square-foot furniture store, 12,230-square-foot leather gallery store, and 23,800 square feet of retail/office land uses.

The project buildout is expected in 2025, according to materials in the county board’s agenda packet.

The rezoning was approved, without discussion, as part of the board’s consent agenda. That agenda allows a number of items to be approved in a single action, if no one has requested the item be pulled for discussion.

The furniture store is planned on a 9.4-acre site, which was previously zoned for agricultural and general commercial uses. The site is currently undeveloped.

The applicant has volunteered to record a deed restriction to the property, which addresses a number of issues such as environmental conservation and protection, flood damage prevention, site access, and others.

Published December 14, 2022

Postal Service shares plans for the holidays

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Since Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on a Sunday this year, the U.S. Postal Service will observe the holidays on the Mondays following those holidays.

That means post offices will be closed and there won’t be residential or business deliveries on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, as those are the days the federal holidays will be observed, according to a news release.

Priority Mail Express will continue to operate, since it operates in select locations for an additional fee, 365 days a year.

Some Post Offices may have extended hours leading up to the holidays, while others may limit their hours on Dec. 24. Currently, there are no plans to limit hours on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.

Customers are advised to always check with their local Post Office for hours of operation.

Blue collection boxes with final collection times before noon will not be affected by an early closing on Dec. 24.

Customers who are unable to mail items before the scheduled collection box pickup times on Dec. 24 should visit the online Postal Locator, at tools.usps.com, to find a Post Office that may be open late.

Blue collection boxes are not serviced on Sundays or holidays.

For more information on ship-by dates and more, visit USPS.com.

Published December 14, 2022

In Pasco, it’s ‘code compliance’ team now, not ‘code enforcement’

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Pasco County has changed the name of its team responsible for making the county’s neighborhoods and communities safer, cleaner and more attractive.

Now that department will be known as Code Compliance, not Code Enforcement, according to a county news release.

The name change is intended to emphasize the county’s focus on education, which is intended to help customers come into compliance before any warnings or citations are issued, the news release says.

The idea is to reduce confusion because “code compliance is not law enforcement,” the release says. Plus, the focus is on why and how people can come into compliance with codes.

“We want to educate our community members about the importance of compliance and erase the negative stigma associated with the idea of enforcement,” Patrick Arotin, director of Code Compliance, said in the release. “Enforcement is the last step in the code compliance process.”

The Code Compliance team aims to help people understand the primary purpose of county codes, which are designed to protect and improve the health, safety and welfare of everyone living in or visiting Pasco County, the release notes.

To find out more about Code Compliance or to report a potential violations, call 727-847-2411.

Published December 14, 2022

Study results in higher pay for Pasco government workers

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Pasco County’s human resources staff has completed a Classification and Compensation Study, which subsequently led to salary increases that were approved as part of the county’s budgeting process.

“Our pay and class study is key to retaining team members and attracting new employees,” said Kathryn Starkey, who was board chairwoman when the raises took effect.

“Pasco County is committed to creating a better future for our community, and there’s no better way to do that than by investing in the right people,” Starkey said, in a county news release.

The human resources team worked with all county departments and hundreds of team members during a months-long study to review position equality internally and competitiveness within our local economy externally.

The salary increases took effect Oct. 1.

The increases include frontline workers from multiple departments including Fire/Rescue, Public Transportation, and Corrections.

The study resulted in the following average pay increases:

  • 14% for those making less than $30,000 a year
  • 12% for those making $30,000 to $40,000
  • 10% for those making $40,000 to $50,000
  • 6% for those making over $50,000

There also were increases of 10% to 15% in starting pay for most positions.

“This is our third pay and class study since 2016, and the biggest bump we’ve seen to date,” said Barbara Hitzemann, director of human resources, in the news release.

To learn more about Pasco’s career opportunities, visit MyPas.co/Jobs.

Published December 14, 2022

This prom gives people with special needs a ‘Night to Shine’

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Grace Community Church in Wesley Chapel is hosting a “Night to Shine,” an event aimed at giving people with special needs a prom of their own.

Churches around the world will be hosting the event simultaneously on Feb. 10, 2023, according to a news release from Jeff Olsen, pastor of Grace Community.

The event will be held at Cypress Creek Middle School, 8845 Old Pasco Road, Wesley Chapel, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This is the first time the Wesley Chapel church has joined the worldwide event sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Organizers at Grace Community are encouraging those wishing to attend to register early, before the event reaches capacity.

(Courtesy of Grace Community Church)

“Every guest of ‘Night to Shine’ enters this complimentary event on a red carpet, complete with a warm welcome from a friendly crowd and paparazzi,” according to Olsen’s release.

“Once inside, guests receive the royal treatment including corsages and boutonnieres, a catered dinner, karaoke, prom favors, a dance floor… all leading up to the moment when each guest is crowned king or queen of the prom,” the release says.

“Grace Community Church is excited to be a part of this movement that God is using as a catalyst to change how cultures embrace people with disabilities and to rally the church to honor their local community of people with special needs, ensuring they know that they are valued and loved,” the church’s news release adds.

Night to Shine launched in 2015 with 44 host churches and 15,000 volunteers honoring more than 7,000 kings and queens of the prom, according to the release.

In February 2020, 721 host churches and 215,000 volunteers came together to celebrate 110,000 honored guests with special needs.

“Over the past two years, Night to Shine innovated and endured through the pandemic with the first-ever virtual Night to Shine, celebrating thousands of honored guests through unique adaptations, including a complete virtual video experience and socially distanced Shine Thru drive-thru events,” according to the release.

Tebow weighed in on the upcoming event, in the release.

“I’m so excited Night to Shine 2023 will be back in-person! All around the world, individuals with special needs are going to be celebrated like they should be,” he said. “We’ve been able to adapt over the last couple years but we can’t wait to be back together in person to cheer for every guest as they walk the red carpet, dance the night away with their friends, crown them as a king or queen of the prom and most importantly, tell every single one of them that their life has purpose and they are loved by us and the God of this universe.”

Lexus of Wesley Chapel is the Title Sponsor for the inaugural Night to Shine event in Wesley Chapel.

For additional information on the Night to Shine at Grace Community Church, visit NightToShineWesleyChapel.com.

For more information on the worldwide event, visit TimTebowFoundation.org/night-to-shine.

Published December 14, 2022

Don’t end up on the naughty list

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The holidays are a time for joy and celebrating, and with those celebrations comes a lot of extra waste.

Pasco County wants to remind residents about recycling, but to be mindful about what is tossed in the bin.

These items are on the “nice” list for recycling: wrapper paper; holiday cards and envelopes; cardboard boxes; plastic bottles and jars; small plastic containers; and aluminum steel and tin cans.

On the “naughty” list are: batteries; holiday lights, garland and tinsel; plastic wrap and bags; bubble wrap and styrofoam; plastic party cups and plates; and Christmas trees.

For more information, call 727-847-2411, email , or visit MyPasco.net.

Published December 14, 2022

Pasco County Commission reorganizes

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The Pasco County Commission has reorganized, naming Jack Mariano as its new chairman and Ron Oakley as its vice chairman.

The other members of the county board are Kathryn Starkey, Seth Weightman and Gary Bradford. Weightman was elected to replace Mike Moore, who did not seek reelection and Bradford defeated incumbent Christina Fitzpatrick.

Weightman and Bradford were sworn in on Nov. 22.

Oakley represents District 1, Weightman represents District 2, Starkey represents District 3, Bradford represents District 4 and Mariano represents District 5.

Pasco County Commission meetings typically are held every other Tuesday, with meeting locations alternating between the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey and the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

The meetings are streamed live online and are broadcast on Pasco TV.

Published December 14, 2022

Pasco leaning toward requiring commercial fence permits

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The Pasco County Commission wants to improve the county’s appearance and one of the ways it wants to do that is by prohibiting chain-link fences that are visible from its collector or arterial roadways.

The code change, adopted by the county board at its Dec. 6 meeting, does allow an exception for properties being used for legitimate agricultural purposes.

Enforcing the chain-link prohibition is expected to prompt new commercial fencing regulations.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said a commercial fence permit process is needed to enable the county to enforce the new standard.

“If we don’t have a commercial fence permit requirement, how will people know what’s allowed and what’s not allowed?” she said. “I don’t want someone to come in and put in a chain-link fence and then have code go out and say, ‘You’re not allowed to do this.’ That’s just a nightmare for us. I want them to know ahead of time.

“If we’re going to have some fence rules, we need to be sure that we are catching these and have the ability to enforce it,” Starkey said.

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder recommended the board revise its ordinance and then let the permitting process catch up to that.

He said the revised section of the code should read: “Chain-link, welded wire or similar fences and gates visible from collector or arterial roadways, on the highway vision map and functional classifications map, shall be prohibited.”

In addition to adopting the revision relating to fences, the board adopted a number of other changes to the land development code. These include:

  • Requiring two shade trees at residential lots that are 6,000 square feet or smaller. One shade tree had been required. The change also allows a shade tree to be placed in the right of way fronting the lot.
  • Requiring applicants for comprehensive plan amendments to post, publish and mail notices of the request. The code had only required notices of applications for comprehensive plan amendments to be published, and in some cases, posted, but not mailed.
  • Allowing publication of requests to be made by posting to a newspaper of general circulation, or any other means. That change anticipates the implementation of a new state law that allows publication on a publicly available website, instead of requiring publication in a paper of general circulation.
  • Making it possible for some projects to be approved through a development agreement, a special exception, (or) a conditional use, instead of being required to go through a master-unit planned development zoning.

The code revisions also provide new definitions for what constitutes a family, a group living arrangement, and a residential treatment and care facility.

Those changes were prompted by a previous case involving what the county considered to be a residential treatment and care facility, but which the applicant argued fell under the county’s definition of a family.

The changes are meant to clarify when special permission is needed for a particular living situation within a single-family neighborhood.

The amendment defines group living arrangements as those including, but not limited to, convents, monasteries, fraternities, boarding homes, shelters for abused children, runaway shelters, and dormitories.

Group living arrangements do not include residential treatment and care facilities or independent living facilities.

The definition for residential treatment and care facility was modified as well, to reflect that these facilities employ the help of skilled and licensed practitioners.

Published December 14, 2022