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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Pasco Schools’ employees to receive a 4% supplement

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Pasco County Schools’ teachers and non-instructional staff have ratified a contract resulting in one-time supplements.

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

The non-instructional personnel also will receive a 4% lump sum payment. But the agreement also sets minimum amounts of the supplements for non-instructional staff. For those working six hours or more per day, the minimum supplement would be $700; for those working fewer than six hours per day, the minimum would be $350.

Additionally, the agreements include increases to the district’s contributions toward employee health insurance and Florida Retirement System benefits for the 2021-2022 school year, and nominal salary adjustments to teacher salaries based on a small increase to the state’s Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSIA) categorical, according to the district’s news release.

The United School Employees of Pasco (USEP) and the school district also have agreed to return to the bargaining table immediately, to begin negotiating additional salary improvements for 2022-2023.

On the Instructional contract, out of the 2,686 votes cast, 92% favored the contract. On the non-instructional side, 91% of the 1,998 votes cast favored the contract, according to the USEP website.

Pasco County School Board members approved the agreement in their May 17 meeting, taking action then to avoid a delay in issuing the supplements to employees.

Employees are expected to receive the supplements on June 17, according to a school district news release.

“This is very good news for thousands of employees who have been waiting to receive these supplements,” Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, said in the release. “This is extremely well-deserved.”

In addition to the supplements that were approved this year, the Pasco County School Board is pursuing a ballot initiative asking voters to improve a property tax increase to support pay raises.

The school board voted on May 3 to place the initiative on the Aug. 23 primary ballot.

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

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

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

Specifically, the ballot question asks for a yes or no vote on whether to levy an additional tax, not to exceed 1 mil, beginning July 1, 2023 and ending no later than June 30, 2027.

The proceeds, according to the ballot question, will be used “for essential operating expenses to maintain salaries competitive with the market, attract and retain high-quality teachers, bus drivers and other non-administrative school support employees.”

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

The board’s vote to pursue up to a full mil, followed persistent requests by Don Peace, president of USEP. The union leader has repeatedly cited the loss of personnel to other districts that pay better.

Peace said the district also needs another source of money to fill vacancies, to reduce the burden on existing staff, and to attract quality personnel to the district.

The union leader also has pledged USEP’s full support in efforts to secure passage of the referendum and, during a recent school board meeting, assured taxpayers that if the referendum is successful, the union will be paying close attention to how the proceeds are spent.

Published June 01, 2022

In a class of his own

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His grade point average is anything but average.

Then again, there’s nothing average about Gaither High valediction Dylan Mazard and his off-the-charts intelligence.

“When he was just 2 years old, I would come home from work, exhausted. He would read to me — just climb into bed and read to me before bedtime, said his father, Thomas Mazard, who has been a guidance counselor at Gaither High School for 13 years.

He’s amazed at his son’s accomplishments.

Gaither High valedictorian Dylan Mazard set a county and state record for the highest grade point average (GPA) ever, posting an 11.84 weighted GPA thanks to honors and Advanced Placement courses. He will continue his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), already having earned his associate’s degree through dual enrollment. (Mike Camunas)

“I still don’t know how he was able to do it — just finding the drive and time to do all (the classes). We weren’t looking to break any records,” he said.

But that is exactly what Dylan did.

When the 17 year old graduated with nearly 500 of his classmates on May 23 — he did so with an 11.84 grade point average — the highest ever, not only in the county, but in Florida, too.

It’s a remarkable feat — one that started back when Dylan was in eighth grade and was already taking college-level courses.

“It wasn’t planned, the record,” Dylan said. “These classes, to me, are fun. So, why not take them and experience any class to see if I want to take that a higher level later?”

That higher level for Dylan is now the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),  beginning in the fall. As he enters, he already will have an associate’s degree that he received from Hillsborough Community College on May 6.

However, Dylan plans to take every course he can en route to earning his major in what MIT calls 6-3: Computer Science and Engineering

“I want to enjoy it,” Dylan said. “I know it’ll be a lot harder, too, but the first semester at MIT is pass/fail only, that way students can get used to the rigors of MIT, know what is expected of them and how to balance school life.

“I love the campus and I’m ready to get up there.”

The fact that Thomas Mazard doesn’t know how his son pulled off his GPA feat is not hyperbole.

“I’m inspired by my son,” Thomas said, “Everything I’ve done for him, I’ve done for all of my students. I have top kids going to Yale and produce Ivy Leaguers almost every school year. Everything that he did at school, every kid here at Gaither has the opportunity to do that, it’s just the will and desire to go do that.

“We’re grateful for the school district to provide these opportunities and get such an impressive GPA. (Hillsborough County School Board) Superintendent (Addison) Davis has done a great job of making parents aware of these available opportunities.”

Dylan loves being in class, he also enjoys a social life that includes friends, movies and working out. He’s also belongs to so many clubs that it would make any college admissions advisor drool.

Dylan is president of National Technical Honor Society and also in the Robotics and Engineering Club at Gaither, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), National Honor Society Beta, Sandy Hook Promise Club, and a Parent Teacher Student Association Board Member as the voice for his class and students when they want to express an opinion at meetings. He also works at the Humane Society, as well as tutor at Gaither, where he logged more than 200 hours with Credit Recovery, which helps high-risk seniors graduate.

Dylan’s teachers have taken notice, not only because of his high GPA, but also to his dedication to education.

“It is amazing because (toward the end of their high school time), many students give up a little — he never gave up,” ” said Gaither engineering teacher Ibrahim Ayoub, who taught Dylan in Applied Engineering and Technology and Advanced Engineering Application.

“He is going to have an amazing career and be one of the kids that we’ll be looking forward to seeing in the future,” Ayoub added.

Dylan knows this wouldn’t have been possible without his supportive family.

“I wouldn’t say (learning something new) just clicked, but it definitely came to me a lot easier than you would expect at that age,” he said.

“I had a huge support system, especially my parents who were always proactive, not reactive — staying one step ahead at all times, so if I ever stumbled, they would check to see if I needed anything,” he added. “I just wanted to work hard and take advantage of everything high school had to offer.”

GPA explained
Gaither High valedictorian Dylan Mazard has now posted the highest grade point average (GPA) ever, not only in Hillsborough County, but in the state of Florida. This is his weighted GPA, which means more rigorous courses receive higher point values, increasing a student’s potential GPA. There have been some high GPAs in Hillsborough County.

Here are a few:
2022 – Dylan Mazard – Gaither – 11.84
2019 – Katherine Metheny – Newsome – 10.58
2014 – Dhara Patel – Plant City – 10.03
2012 – Ravi Medikonda – King – 9.30

Published June 01, 2022

Pasco County Schools announces bell times for 2022-2023

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Pasco County Schools has announced its planned bell times for the coming year — as it continues struggling with a bus driver shortage.

In the school year that just wrapped up, the district changed its bell times at mid-year because it couldn’t attract enough drivers to cover all of its routes.

It was a massive shuffle, affecting schools across the district.

Some of the shifts were relatively minor, but there were 24 elementary schools that didn’t begin the school day until 10:10 a.m.

In the coming year, six elementary schools and two other schools will have that 10:10 a.m. start time.

At a May 17 school board meeting, the board adopted next year’s bell schedule.

They did so, after Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services, recapped why the start and end times had to be shifted across the district in the 2021-2022 school year, which concluded last week.

“At the beginning of this school year, transportation had 420 routes,” Kuhn said. “As you are fully aware, we did make some significant changes for second semester, beginning second semester with 367 routes. At this point in time, we have 353,” Kuhn said.

Changes have been made for the coming year with the goal of creating the most efficient plan  possible, while ensuring that students can be transported to and from school safely. The district also made significant efforts to reduce the number of schools with 10:10 a.m. start times, she said.

“We went from 24 elementary schools to a proposal of six elementary schools and then two additional schools, East and West Pasco Education Academy, starting at that time.

“This proposal is certainly not perfect, but we believe it is a big improvement and will allow us to take the steps that we need to, to be as efficient as we can, given our driver shortage,” she said.

Kuhn also told board members: “It is important to note that even with this very efficient plan, we will be starting the school year down 22 drivers, if we have everyone currently employed with us, staying with us.

“We will be focusing efforts again and continuing on recruitment and, very importantly, retention this summer and throughout the next school year,” Kuhn said.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin also noted that the district will revisit the issue, should the district’s bus driver situation improve significantly.

Kuhn confirmed potential changes could occur, but noted that even if the district added a several drivers, they would need to be in the right area of the district in order for changes to work.

However, Kuhn said the district is open to making changes, if they are possible, and will bring a proposal forward if that happens.

Board Chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong told Kuhn: “We know you’re working hard on that and we also know how important it is to our parents that we get it right, so we’re going to keep working on it and do the best we can.”

School board member Megan Harding said she understands “how frustrating this (10:10 a.m. start time) can be to our families, and our school teachers and staff.”

But Harding added: “It does come down to the number of buses. (Kuhn) did explain to me that determining which schools are in which tier — I thought she put this perfectly — is like a puzzle.”

The district needs to balance the number of buses evenly, so that it does not have more buses in one tier, compared to the other, Harding said. It also has to look across six bus garages.

“Additionally, even when the tiers are balanced, with the number of buses per tier, transportation staff has to look at the routes to make sure they fit together.

“Given our driver shortage, we have to be as efficient as possible, so students arrive to school on time and are picked up on time,” Harding continued.

Besides being short on regular drivers, the district also is short on relief drivers, Harding noted.

To find out the bell times for your school next year, visit the district’s website, Pasco.k12.fl.us.

Published June 01, 2022

This wilderness trail provides storytime fun

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This story is a walk in the park.

And now, so is “Armadillo Tattletale” by Helen Ketteman.

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department, in conjunction with Pasco County Libraries, collaborated to design and construct StoryWalk®.

It is a 16-station, 1/4-mile, family friendly wooded trail that lets hikers read the story of an armadillo who has large ears and can hear everything — including the secrets of his animal friends.

Lucas Acquaviva, followed by his parents, Joseph and Catie, enjoys StoryWalk® at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park for the first time, having just moved to the New Port Richey area from St. Petersburg. (Mike Camunas)

There are several of these types of trails in other parks across the country, but this is the first in Pasco County.

The featured story was a deliberate choice.

“That book highlights a lot of Florida wildlife,” said Pasco County Libraries Public Communications Specialist Amaris Papadopoulos, who spearheaded the idea to get the trail erected. “We picked a story in which kids could identify and possibly see those animals in the book there at Starkey Park.

“When the pandemic started, there was a real push to have more outdoor activities, so I felt (StoryWalk®) was something we should do as a library system, and it all just came to fruition.”

Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Program Coordinator Rebekah Jenkins and Pasco County Libraries Public Communications Specialist Amaris Papadopoulos stand at the starting station for StoryWalk®. (Courtesy of Pasco County Parks and Recreation)

The project took six months to install, from clearing out the trail for safety, to painting and placing the pink signs. Those were constructed by the park rangers with the assistance of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), which is the full-time service program that allows young adults to make an impact in communities across the country while gaining valuable leadership skills.

The AmeriCorps NCCC had a nine-member team work for seven weeks on several Pasco County Parks projects including StoryWalk®, painting the north restroom at SunWest Park in Hudson, spraying more than 2 acres of invasive species at Pasco Palms Preserve in New Port Richey, and landscape improvement at Crews Lake Wilderness Park in Spring Hill and Lake Lisa Park in Port Richey.

“Amaris basically came to me and asked if there was a park that could accommodate a StoryWalk®,” Pasco County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Program Coordinator Rebekah Jenkins said.

“We chose Starkey Park because it is our most popular park and gets the most foot traffic. When we want to try new things (in parks), we always start with Starkey because it has a good track record of people seeing it and giving us feedback.

“And, so far, the people who have seen (StoryWalk®) have really enjoyed it because it has a cute story with wildlife you could see at Starkey.”

Children of young age and parents are seen enjoying StoryWalk® at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park, which, with 16 stations, tell the story “Armadillo Tattletale” by Helen Ketteman. (Mike Camunas)

Families that are discovering StoryWalk® for the first time couldn’t agree more.

“We read about it in our neighborhood (Facebook) group that recommended it,” said Catie Acquaviva, who, with her husband and kids, just moved to New Port Richey from St. Petersburg. “And, we decided to check it out with our oldest (child) and see if our two younger kids would like it. It’s so nice!”

“Yeah, we’re loving it and so is (our son, Lucas),” her husband, Joseph Acquaviva, added. “We’ll definitely bring all the kids to it.”

The trail is located behind the day-use playground in the park, which is near the back near Parking Lot 3.

Jenkins said Starkey Park is quite proud of StoryWalk® and hopes other parks will pursue similar initiatives.

“We love trying new amenities at our parks and hope people really take to this,” she added.

Papadopoulos is a native of New Port Richey and grew up going to Starkey Park with her family as a kid and has worked for the county’s libraries since 2015.

It was thrilling for her to see StoryWalk® come to life.

“When it was finally done, and I was first out there, I was just like, ‘Is this real? Is this actually happening?’” Papadopoulos said.

“Seeing all the work go into it, to see the posts in the ground holding the signs — it was an emotional experience, and then to see the first kids walk the trail and their excitement … I mean, that is why we do what we do.”

StoryWalk® at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park
Where: 10500 Wilderness Park Blvd., New Port Richey
When: The park is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily.
Details: A 16-station, 1/4-mile trail located behind the playground at the park and tells the story “Armadillo Tattletale” by Helen Ketteman
Info: Call the Pasco Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department at 727-934-4198, or visit tinyurl.com/2mf78mxz.

Published June 01, 2022

Budget discussions begin in Pasco

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A Pasco County budget workshop provided a preliminary look at the upcoming fiscal year, but County Administrator Dan Biles told the county board he’s holding off on any recommended initiatives until he has more numbers.

“We do not have the preliminary assessed values yet from the property appraiser,” Biles told the county board at a May 24 workshop. So, he told the board, the workshop would focus on “trends and what it looks like going forward.”

Robert Goehig, the county’s budget director, told the board that the scenario the county is working with is based on the taxable assessed values increasing at a rate of 10.8%, the same rate as last year.

Goehig noted that’s “not a crazy assumption, given the amount of construction going on in the county.”

Based on the 10.8% rate, revenues would increase by about $27.2 million, of which 40% — or about $10.9 million — would be allocated to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the budget director said.

“After that, if we deduct the payments to the taxable increment finance trust fund and for the Community Redevelopment Agencies, that’s $3.63 million.

“That leaves $12.7 million or so for the board to spend on new initiatives,” the budget director said.

The county’s Fire Municipal Services Tax Unit is expected to yield 12.6% in additional revenues, which will provide $7.3 million in additional revenues for initiatives.

Goehig also outlined a number of fire rescue enhancements under consideration. They include:

  • Rescue 223 in Land O’ Lakes, at State Road 54 and U.S. 41
  • Rescue 226 in Wesley Chapel
  • Two peak-hour rescue units to reduce rescue response times
  • 25 additional full-time equivalent positions
  • New furniture and equipment for fire stations

The workshop also covered some proposed 2023 capital expenditures. Those include building renovations, information technology hardware and software, athletic field renovations, drainage improvements, park maintenance, and the renovation of the tax collector’s office at the West Pasco Government Center, among other things.

The county has received 140 business plan initiatives from department directors, but Biles said he won’t be making any recommendations on those until he has more information from the property appraiser’s office, which is expected June 1.

Biles said once that information is available, he will have individual sessions with board members to discuss potential budget items. If the board wants additional group discussion on the budget, time can be set aside at a June meeting, he said.

Goehig said there are some expenses the county must cover in fiscal year 2023.

For instance, the cost of fuel has gone up. Last year, the county budgeted it at $2.65 a gallon. This year, the county is budgeting it at $3.65 a gallon. It would budget more, but the county doesn’t pay taxes on fuel, Goehig said.

The county also is feeling the impacts of inflation, which is currently at about 8.5%, Goehig said.

“That is really hitting our departments that rely heavily on building, vehicles and IT (information technology). So, those costs continue to escalate,” the budget director said.

He also noted that the county has a compensation and classification study underway, which will result in recommended salary adjustments.

That state is increasing salaries by 5.38, Biles said.

“So, we kind of set that as a floor. We want to at least be equivalent to what the state gave state employees,” he said.

The county salary study is expected to be completed in mid-July.

That study will base adjustments based on what employees do and the market rate.

“I expect the average to be over 5.3, probably somewhere under 7,” Biles said, referring to expected percentages of wage increases.

The county also must cover increased costs for employee retirement contributions, Goehig said.

Some departments will be faced with rising costs.

For instance, Goehig expects Fire/Rescue to experience a 13.3% increase, largely because of fuel costs and equipment maintenance expenses.

Information technology is expected to face a 6.4% increase, due to increases in software contracts and inflationary impact on hardware, he said.

The county also is facing increased costs for outside spending, including an expected 7.5% increase for Medicaid, which is a state-imposed cost on the county, Goehig said.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey told her colleagues the county needs to find a way to increase funding for public safety.

“We all love Pasco County. It’s very inexpensive to live here. That comes at a price. And, at what point do we have a responsibility to fund fire and safety at a higher level. I just want you to think about that,” she told her colleagues.

The county board is expected to set to adopt the Truth in Millage tax rate at its July 12 meeting. This is the process used to inform property owners what the maximum ad valorem millage rate is that could be adopted by the board in September. The board cannot adopt a higher rate than the one it specifies in July, but it can reduce it.

Pasco County Budget
Preliminary budget recommendations from County Administrator Dan Biles, include:

  • No increase in the operating millage rate of 7.6076
  • No increase in the Fire Municipal Services Taxing Unit millage rate of 1.8036
  • No change to the stormwater assessment (The combined rate of that is about 2.7%)
  • Increased water and wastewater rates, in accordance with the four-year rate resolution

Published June 01, 2022

Pasco continues working toward shifting jail operations

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The Pasco County Commission has approved allocating $150,000 to help cover legal expenses connected to the county’s takeover of jail operations from Sheriff Chris Nocco.

The shift has been scheduled for Oct. 1, but discussion during the county board’s May 17 meeting made it clear that the takeover date could be subject to change.

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder asked for the additional funds, in a memo, which was contained in the county board’s agenda packet.

In that memo, Steinsnyder asked to retain the firm of Nabors, Giblin & Nickerson, P.A.

Pasco County is planning to take over operations of the county jail, as a county department. The scheduled date is Oct. 1, but that did not appear to be locked in, during discussions at a May 17 Pasco County Commission meeting. (Mike Camunas)

The county attorney also noted his office was not involved in the decision to shift the operations.

“I have subsequently briefed the board on the county’s options and my legal concerns with the county’s assumption of jail operations,” his memo says.

He noted the operating the jail as a county department likely will place additional burdens on his office, associated with drafting an interlocal agreement with the sheriff and other related legal documents, as well as addressing other legal questions and issues.

“The county attorney’s office does not currently have the resources to handle this additional

workload and cannot reallocate existing resources without adversely impacting other important

county projects,” the memo adds.

To help address those issues, Steinsnyder said his office has retained the Nabors law firm to draft the interlocal agreement and other related legal documents.

Nabors has estimated that cost at $60,000, but Steinsnyder said because the extent of the work is unknown, his office and the county’s office of internal services administration are recommending the $150,000 budget, to cover additional, unforeseen work.

Besides retaining Nabors, Steinsnyder recommends the board direct the county’s risk management department to solicit and obtain liability insurance for the county’s future operation of the jail, with the exact insurance types and amounts to be determine by risk management, in consultation with Steinsnyder’s office and outside counsel.

The county attorney also strongly recommended the board not rely solely on self-insurance or sovereign immunity limitations to address the potential financial consequences of jail-related claims, the memo says.

He also noted: “To the extent that miscellaneous jail-related legal questions cannot be handled by existing positions in the county attorney’s office, they will be addressed in a future budget request.”

While the county attorney’s office has secured additional help, Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles told the board the final list of items to be included in a transition accounting is being determined, and once it is finalized, quotes will be sought from three external auditing firms to complete the work.

The board already has allocated $150,000 for that task.

Alvarez-Sowles told the board that a comprehensive list had been completed, but she said it is too lengthy to be completed on time, within budget.

So, it is in the process of being pared down.

“What we’re looking at is keeping the things on the list that are essential. What are non-essential, that can be done with the county and the jail working together,” the clerk said.

To complicate matters, County Administrator Dan Biles announced his resignation at the end of the same meeting. The effective date of his resignation is Sept. 30, but he has accrued personal time off, so his last working day will be July 31.

Pasco Commissioner Jack Mariano asked if the county has enough time, to be prepared to take over the jail operations on Oct. 1, especially in light of Biles’ departure.

Biles said that he always considered Oct. 1 to be very aggressive date for the shift.

Steinsnyder said that date is not mandatory, but that the board would have to negotiate the issue with the sheriff.

Published June 01, 2022

Mixed-use project approved in Connected City

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a mixed-use development made up of 525 residences and 106,285 square feet of office uses on 158 acres, in an area known as Connected City.

The site, which is currently vacant and used for agricultural purposes, is at the northeast corner of Elam and Kenton roads, about 6,600 feet east of Interstate 75.

The Connected City corridor consists of about 7,800 acres in a state-approved development district meant to foster residential communities and employment centers that are the wave of the future. Its borders are Interstate 75, State Road 52, and Curley and Overpass roads.

The area is meant to feature cutting-edge technology, including gigabit Internet speeds and innovation.

The rezoning had been recommended for approval, with conditions, by the Pasco County Planning Commission and county planners.

The approved residences are expected to consist of a mix of single-family detached, attached and/or multifamily, courtyard houses, row houses, townhouses and possibly garden-style apartments.

This particular area of Connected City is known as the Community Hub, which is intended to be used for projects that create a blend of employment and housing opportunities, according to Clarke Hobby, the attorney for the applicant.

That portion of the plan requires medium density standards of 3.25 residences per acre.

Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative owns 12.18 acres of the site.

Hobby noted that extensive efforts have been made to mitigate impacts on neighbors, including a series of private agreements relating to trees, landscaping and buffering.

Eight of the 10 neighbors signed letters of no objection.

Michael Pultorak, who lives on Kenton Road, expressed concerns about the potential for area flooding, if the water levels rise in King Lake.

Pultorak told the board that he’s pro-development and pro-responsible growth, but he is concerned about potential flooding in the area.

He said he realized that this particular project may not cause the potential flooding he’s concerned about, but said the next one could.

He asked the board to intervene to prevent that from happening.

Commissioner Mike Moore told Pultorak he would make sure that someone would be out to meet Pultorak for a closer look at the issue.

Board members voted 4-0 to grant the rezoning, with Commissioner Ron Oakley, absent.

Published June 01, 2022

Dade City encourages residents to clean up

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(metrocreative.com)

Dade City has scheduled a Community Cleanup on June 11 from 8 a.m. to noon, so residents can use the time to clean up their properties and remove unwanted debris from their yards.

The city will provide two garbage trucks and one roll-off dumpster, to use to dispose of household waste.

Acceptable materials include glass, wood (8 feet or less), fence, carpet, household trash, furniture, mattresses and plywood.

The city will not accept hazardous waste, appliances, batteries, paint and tires.

All unwanted items can be taken to one of these three locations:

  • 17th Street and Carter Avenue
  • 17th Street and Beauchamp Avenue
  • State Street and Moceri Avenue

For information, call 352-523-5050, ext. 420.

Volunteers are also needed to join the team to help pick up litter. The city will provide disposable gloves, trash bags and water.

To register to volunteer, visit DadeCityFl.com.

Published June 01, 2022

Board is pushing for faster progress on emergency response times

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The Pasco County Commission is turning up the heat on its administration’s efforts to improve response times for the county’s emergency crews.

During a recent budget workshop, board members wanted to know why it isn’t possible to bring fire stations online quicker than is currently planned.

The questions surfaced during the board’s May 24 budget workshop.

The discussion came after repeated appearances at board meetings by members of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 4420, representing Pasco’s firefighters, who have complained that they aren’t able to respond to emergencies fast enough.

They said the delays pose a risk to Pasco residents, who need medical attention and to properties that are in danger of destruction.

During the budget discussion, Robert Goehig the county’s budget director, updated the county board on progress regarding fire stations being built through the general obligation bonds approved by voters.

Fire Station 17 is under construction at 2951 Seven Springs Blvd., in New Port Richey, and Fire Station 9 is being built in Land O’ Lakes.

Fire Station 3, which will be located in Beacon Woods, is expected to be put out for bid in the next few weeks, Goehig said.

Commissioner Jack Mariano wanted to know why more progress hadn’t already been made on Beacon Woods, given the fact the county has owned the property for several years.

Commissioner Mike Moore asked: “What can we do, when it comes to purchasing, to prioritize? I know obviously, when you’re moving something up, something else pops down.

“But we’re talking about public safety. Obviously, that should take priority.

“So, what can we do?”

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the county attorney’s office prioritizes its legal work based on the county administrator’s priority list.

“Fire Station No. 3 is No. 4 on the current ranking,” Steinsnyder said.

Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick responded: “It’s needed now. It’s imperative.”

County Administrator Dan Biles responded: “I want to remind the board that before we even took the bond to the voters in 2018, we outlined a phasing program for all nine fire stations.

“We phased the building so that when they come online, we have the funding to operate them.

“If you build them too early, you don’t have the funding to operate them,” Biles said.

“So, right now, (Stations) two and four, we don’t have the funds in ’23 to actually operate them, if they opened in ’23.”

He said the phasing was requested by the board, to ensure the county would have funding for operations.

“So, that’s what we’ve done,” Biles said.

Growth prompts need for faster action
Commissioner Mariano said the decision that was made at that time made sense.

“However, with the surge of growth that’s out there right now, with the extended times that people are taking to get service, I think it’s time we need to re-look at it, and make an adjustment.”

Mariano said he doesn’t understand why it would take so long for architectural work related to the buildings, since they can be essentially the same buildings.

Biles said each building has to be individually sited to make sure the footprint of the building fits on the site.

“You have to do the civil work and adapt it to the site, because every site is different. Every site has different site constraints, different access points. All of that stuff is different for every site,” Biles said.

Biles told the board a proposed “peak-hour rescue program” can be initiated to help reduce the response time for rescue calls.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey asked about the possibility of adding private rescue companies.

“If our dilemma right now is not having enough rescue, we can contract out, temporarily, until we have more of our own. It’s our same firefighters that are working for those companies that are manning that could be available, parked around the county that could help us.

“Right now, I think they just do transport, but I’ve been told they can do rescue,” she said.

Biles responded: “There are different classifications of transport and we allow the privates to do a certain level of that. We don’t allow them to do the initial emergency response.”

The county administrator said part of the problem stems from neighborhoods springing up in areas that are not close to fire stations. Another problem is that the county went a considerable number of years without adding any fire stations.

“We went over a decade without building a new fire station,” he said.

Meanwhile, “we added 100,000 people in Pasco County and we didn’t build a fire station.”

Biles noted that the corridors of U.S. 19, State Road 54 and U.S. 301 are where the peak-hour calls are happening.

The county has existing facilities in those corridors, Biles added. “So, it’s put the peak-hour rescue units in, the facilities that we have and let them be mobile.

“Every new fire station is going to help, but the issue right now is the peak call volume. So, the peak-hour rescue program that we’re already working to stand up, is the right way to attack it,” Biles said.

Commissioner Moore asked Steinsnyder if the county could pursue a Municipal Services Taxing Unit to attempt to force new growth to pay for itself.

Steinsnyder said he’s not aware of any government entity that has crafted that approach and he’s certain it would hold up, legally.

But the attorney did note that impact fees for capital fire projects have not been increased in numerous years.

Published 06/01/2022

This work is for the birds

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The well-being of bluebirds is on their shoulders — two volunteers from Lutz, who maintain the birds’ habitat and nest boxes at Lake Park.

A female bluebird sits atop one of the 25 bird nest boxes throughout Lake Park, at 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway, in Lutz. (Mike Camunas)

Joni Hartzler and Gary Krotz, a husband and wife duo, diligently keep a watchful eye on the 25 bird boxes throughout the park.

They are members of the Tampa Audubon Society, the longstanding environmental conservation group that focuses on birds and other wildlife.

Each week, they jump in their golf cart and check on each box during nesting and mating season, which runs from January to June. In this time, the bluebirds — along with other species such as Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren and the Titmouse — use the boxes to build nests, lay and hatch eggs, nurse chicks and then send baby birds out into the park.

“We love it,” said Hartzler, who, along with Krotz, has been maintaining the boxes and tracking the bluebirds for three seasons now. “We’re big bird lovers, and when you go out and check, each time is like a surprise. You don’t know if there will be a new nest or more eggs, or if those eggs have hatched or if the nest is empty.

“You just never know what you’re going to get!”

When Hartzler and Krotz took over three years ago, they set out to improve the bird box program at Lake Park. It was not in disarray, but the couple, who have no educational background in environmental sciences or Ornithology (the study of birds), just knew of potential ways to make it better.

Joni Hartzler and Gary Krotz, two Lutz residents who are members of the Tampa Audubon Society, maintain and monitor 25 bird boxes throughout Lake Park. Bluebirds and other species of birds use them to lay and hatch eggs during nesting season, which ends in June. (Mike Camunas)

“It’s a big job,” Hartzler said. “Moving boxes, for sure. But keeping track and going to each box, and when we started they didn’t let us use a golf cart, so being able to do that has been a huge help.

“But Gary fixed the roofs on the boxes, and we installed precautions for predators and other elements, too.”

Krotz hand-built predator guards out of sheet metal to keep out several types of mammals, and the two also put substances on the poles to keep out certain insects.

“I’d never done anything like (building something out of metal), but it was an experience,” Krotz said. “I like putzing around and doing little things, but especially going around the park and maintaining the boxes.

“We’re bird lovers, we’ve been to bird conventions and we’ve been bird watchers (since 1987), so we love this and we just love being outdoors.”

Hartzler and Krotz keep detailed logs of the 25 bird boxes in Lake Park. This includes if the box has a nest or not, eggs or not, and chicks or not. If the nest is empty, after the eggs have hatched and the baby birds have left, they clean out the box. Most likely a week later, a new nest will already be in place.

As volunteers, they do it for the love of nature and birds. However, those at the park know programs like this wouldn’t exist without Tampa Audubon or its members.

“We’re a little short-staffed,” said Senior Park Ranger Jim Malley, who is in his 16th year with Hillsborough County Parks.

“Having volunteers like this from the Audubon Society is just an excellent, wonderful thing. I’ve learned how to put the guards on the poles, thanks to them.

“Bluebirds are a yearly thing at the park now thanks to the Audubon society and without them it wouldn’t be happening. We’re grateful to have them,” said Malley.

Tampa Audubon Society

Details: Established in the 1940s, the Tampa Audubon Society is an active chapter that serves the greater Tampa Bay area and its suburbs, from Citrus Park, Brandon, Odessa, Riverview and Seffner. Its mission is to conserve and restore ecosystems, focusing on birds, wildlife and their habitats, through education, advocacy and community involvement.

Info: TampaAudubon.org

 

Inside the 25 nest boxes at Lake Park in Lutz, hatchlings can be observed huddled together, waiting to be fed by mother bluebirds. (Mike Camunas)

Published on May 25, 2022.