The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

On the ‘Main(e)’ strip

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Looking to add a little flair to its establishment, Welton Brewing Company and Oyster Bar, at 2624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, opted to spruce up the outside of its building — the one that has been several different local water holes in its lifetime.

Owner Sean Welton tapped local artist Lindsi Werner to paint her first mural on the front of the building. Sticking with the oyster bar theme, Werner’s piece is titled “Main(e) Hangout” and features notable landmarks and themes from the northern state. Werner, who spent nearly 30 hours painting the mural, opted for the theme because Welton hails from Maine.

This is now one of three murals on local businesses on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard between State Road 54 and Bell Lake Drive. The other two are on neighboring brewery In The Loop Brewing Company and longtime barbecue restaurant Hungry Harry’s.

Published on May 25, 2022.

Land O’ Lakes artist Lindsi Werner puts the finishing touches on her mural, ‘Maine Hangout’ on the outside of Welton Brewing Company and Oyster Bar, at 2624 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. (Mike Camunas)

Pasco County hires new utilities director

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The Pasco County Commission has confirmed the selection of David F. Allen, as the county’s new utilities director.

Allen begins in his new role June 6.

He arrives in Pasco County with more than 30 years of experience in technical, management and leadership in local government and utility business operations, according to information in the county board’s agenda packet.

His experience includes serving for the past 15 years as an assistant city and county manager, and utilities director for the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Colorado State University, and a Master of Science in water resources from the University of Southern California.

He is a licensed professional engineer in Colorado and California, and intends to apply for reciprocity in Florida.

This is a new role in the county. The position was necessitated by the increasing size of the department to address the county’s expanding needs, assistant county administrator Mike Carballa told the board, during Allen’s confirmation by the board on May 17.

Published May 25, 2022

Hillsborough tax collector collects delinquent toll payments

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Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy C. Millan has partnered with the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) to provide a convenient way for customers resolve vehicle registration holds due to unpaid tolls.

To reduce red tape, the Hillsborough County Tax Collector will collect payment for the unpaid tolls along with the registration renewal transaction — streamlining the process for customers.

The arrangement allows vehicle owners to pay delinquent toll-by-plate invoices while renewing their vehicle registrations at all Hillsborough County Tax Collector locations, according to a news release.

In the past, the Tax Collector’s Office was forced to turn away customers with a hold on their registration due to unpaid tolls. Customer would have to pay the Expressway Authority first, then come back to the Tax Collector’s Office to renew their registrations.

“My top priority is to provide convenience and exceptional customer service to the taxpayers we serve,” Millan said in the release.

Her office processes close to 1.4 million motor vehicle transactions annually.

The Tax Collector’s Office provides this service at no additional cost to taxpayers.

The office also can collect unpaid tolls and clear vehicle registration holds for the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX).

Published May 25, 2022

Environmental lands committee reappointments

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Pasco County’s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program purchases environmentally sensitive lands throughout the county, using funds provided through the taxpayer-supported Penny For Pasco program. (File)

Pasco County has an Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Program, which has a volunteer committee made up of 11 members.

Five of the board members have at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in the natural and/or environmental sciences. They make up the scientific subcommittee.

Four other members shall have expertise in at least one of the following fields: real estate, business, or finance. One member shall have expertise in governmental affairs (with an emphasis in funding sources). One member shall be a layperson with interest in the program and the committee.

No more than three members of the volunteer committee may live outside of Pasco County’s boundaries.

The Pasco County Commission on May 17 reappointed these five members to that committee:

  • A one-year reappointment of Patricia Fesmire, an environmental scientist from Tampa Bay Water
  • A two-year reappointment of Joanne Hurley, a retired Pasco County School Board member
  • A three-year reappointment of Eva Bailey, a wetlands scientist and retired professional from Cardno Entrix, with a background in ecological assessments and habitat restoration
  • A three-year reappointment of Clark Hull Jr., principal owner of Clark Hull and Associates LLC, a multi-disciplinary professional association of scientists and engineers serving private and public sector clients in various aspects of environmental permitting
  • A three-year reappointment of Dr. Chris Miller, professor of biology and ecology with specializations in tropical forests and mangrove forests with the School of Arts & Sciences at Saint Leo University.

Published May 25, 2022

Ms. Staney retires for a second time, this time at 75

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As staff members arrive at Sand Pine Elementary each day, they know one thing for certain: Corey Staney already will be there.

The 75-year-old second-grade teacher is first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at the end of the day.

“Her work ethic — it’s legendary,” said Shay Peck, a fellow second-grade teacher.

Ms. Staney is also known for her warmth.

Sand Pine Elementary second-grade teacher Corey Staney, 75, speaks to her classroom about proper grammar and elements of an article during a lesson. Stanley has been an educator for 53 years, has been at Sand Pine since 2007, and plans to retire at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. (Mike Camunas)

“When I first started here (at Sand Pine), I was 25 and she was so welcoming,” Peck said. “She taught me to be kind, always.”

Staney’s presence is comforting, too.

“Every school needs a grandma,” Peck said, jokingly, but also lovingly.

Ms. Staney has been a teacher for 53 years, spending the last 15 at the elementary school tucked inside the Meadow Pointe Community.

Her career as an educator may be coming to an end, but she expects to return again.

Well, in a way.

“Oh, she’s already figured out when she can come back — about a year after retiring — to volunteer,” Sand Pine Principal Christina Twardosz said.

Ms. Staney is invested.

The principal said Ms. Staney is the first to say: “‘They (the kids) need us. I need to be here.

“And she is always here. She’s never sick — basically perfect attendance, but she’s also always there for the kids, academically and emotionally,” Twardosz said.

The principal added: “I mean, she’s been teaching longer than I have been here — not (just) at the school — (but) alive in this world!”

The teacher’s colleague, Nathan Moore, said: “People her age, they’d be out on an island or living it up, but she loves what she does.

“You don’t replace Ms. Staney.

“What’s awesome about her is that she cares about her students like no one I’ve ever seen,” Moore said. “She always has her kids on her mind. That’s her passion to not only help them academically, but as a person — to see them grow to their fullest potential.

“To have her as a mentor, it’s been amazing,” he added.

Ms. Staney began teaching, alongside her husband, Joe — a former teacher and assistant principal — in Worcester, Massachusetts.

They met at Worcester State University, formerly Worcester State College, at a time when Ms. Staney was certain she’d be a teacher for life.

But then she had some second thoughts.

“When I was a sophomore, I said to my dad that I didn’t know if I wanted to be a teacher.

“I even left school.

Longtime elementary school educator Corey Staney, left, speaks with Sand Pine Elementary Principal Christina Twardosz. Staney is 75 years old and has been an educator for 53 years. She plans to retire at the end of this school year.

“I went to work for an insurance company and knew right away that wasn’t for me.

“I knew I wanted to be a teacher for sure, so I went back to school, right away, and have been at school ever since.”

After spending 36 years as a teacher in Massachusetts, Ms. Staney and her husband decided in 2005 that they wanted to retire early and move to Florida. The couple had two children and three grandchildren.

The retirement, however, was short-lived.

After being in Florida for just two weeks down here, her husband required quadruple bypass surgery and then an angioplasty soon after.

Ms. Staney had help from her daughter, Lisa, to care for her husband, but she needed to find work and needed medical coverage for her husband.

She tutored in the neighborhood and did the same thing at the nearby Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Meadow Pointe.

That turned into a preschool teaching position and then she joined Sand Pine as a second-grade teacher.

Over the years, she’s touched thousands of lives, and has even kept in touch with some of them.

Students in her class speak highly of Ms. Staney.

“She’s a perfect teacher,” 8-year-old Kaylanis Rodriguez said. “She’s nice and she always makes us learn new things that we always love to learn about.”

“She has a lot of stories,” added 8-year-old Evan Kalojiannis. “I didn’t know she had been a teacher for so long, but she has a lot of funny stories that help us learn.”

Saying goodbye is never easy, Ms. Staney said, adding it will be especially difficult this year.

Teaching children has been such a source of joy for her.

“They’ll just make your whole day,” said Ms. Staney, flashing a broad smile.

“It’s worth it to get up and see the kids first thing in the morning. I loved every minute of it.”

Published May 18, 2022

Tax holidays savings are estimated at $1.2 billion

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Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law House Bill 7071, which provides more than $1.2 billion in tax relief for Floridians through 10 tax holidays.

The items that will be free from taxes, for a specific period of time, include fuel, diapers, disaster supplies and tools.

In a news release from the governor’s office, DeSantis said, in part: “In Florida, we are going to support our residents and help them afford the goods that they need. Florida has been fiscally responsible, so we are in a good position to provide meaningful relief for families, right now.

Florida will have a monthlong Fuel Tax Holiday in October, as part of a package of tax holidays signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis. (File)

The news release also quotes House Speaker Chris Sprowls: “The Florida House’s tax package — the largest middle-class tax relief package in the history of the state — is now the law of the land. A bill like this has never been more needed than it is right now.

“From tools to diapers to books for summer reading, this billion-dollar tax package includes something for every Floridian, and that’s what I’m most proud of.”

Senate President Wilton Simpson offered some remarks, too.

“Florida cannot independently fix or outrun all of the problems leading to the cost increases that are wreaking havoc on families, especially our most vulnerable,” Simpson said.

“However, we are working to ease the pain with broad-based sales tax relief and a monthlong gas tax holiday. This bill supports growing families, Floridians looking to prepare their homes for severe weather, and the blue collar working men and women of our state who are trying their best to get by amid record-high gas prices and inflation that many of us have not seen in our lifetime. We are increasing the length of sales tax holidays for hurricane season and back-to-school, and also creating new short-term and long-term sales tax relief on key items needed by families,” he said.

The 10 tax holidays are:

  • A three-month sales tax holiday for children’s books from May 14 through Aug. 14, providing $3.3 million in tax relief
  • A 14-day Disaster Preparedness sales tax holiday from May 28 through June 10, for supplies such as flashlights, radios, tarps, batteries and fire extinguishers, providing $25.6 million in tax relief
  • A seven-day Freedom Week from July 1 to July 7, providing a sales tax exemption for specified admissions and items related to recreational activities, providing $70.6 million in tax relief
  • A one-year sales tax holiday from July 1 through June 30, 2023, for baby and toddler clothes and shoes, providing $81.5 million in tax relief
  • A one-year sales tax holiday from July 1 through June 30, 2023, for children’s diapers, providing $38.9 million in tax relief
  • A one-year Energy Star Appliances sales tax holiday from July 1 through June 30, 2023, for washing machines, clothes dryers, water heaters, and refrigerators, providing $78.5 million in tax relief.
  • A two-year sales tax holiday from July 1 through June 30, 2024, for impact resistant windows, doors, and garage doors, providing $442.8 million in tax relief
  • A 14-day Back-to-School sales tax holiday from July 25 through Aug. 7, for clothing, shoes, backpacks and school supplies, providing $100 million in tax relief
  • A seven-day Tool Time sales tax holiday from Sept. 3 through Sept. 9, for tools and other home improvement items, providing $12.4 million in tax relief
  • A one-month Fuel Tax Holiday from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, saving Floridians $200 million by lowering the price of gas by 25.3 cents per gallon

The permanent tax relief provided in the legislation consists of various sales tax exemptions, corporate income tax credit expansions, and ad valorem tax and exemption provisions that will generate an additional $190 million in tax savings over two years and $140 million annually after that.

For additional information about the tax holidays, visit FloridaRevenue.com/SalesTaxHolidays.

Published May 18, 2022

Apartment moratorium area is not oversaturated, study finds

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moore questioned the accuracy of figures in the report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key findings from that study include:

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

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

Published May 18, 2022

Pasco schools feeling the pain of rising insurance costs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published May 18, 2022

Share your thoughts on Pasco’s long-range plan

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Pasco County is in the process of updating its long-range plan. One issue expected to get considerable discussion is how the county allocates land uses for residential, commercial and industrial development. Currently, seven out of 10 employed Pasco residents travel elsewhere for work. County leaders want to change that. (Mike Camunas)

Pasco County is updating its comprehensive plan, which provides a vision and policies that influence future planning decisions and affects economic development, transportation, parks, natural resources and other aspects of life within the county.

The county has set up a website to invite public participation in the Pasco 2050 plan, which will guide decision-making for the next 25 years, according to a county news release.

The county welcomes members of the public to visit the website, to:

  • Participate in surveys, polls and contests
  • Register to receive updates on the process
  • Stay informed about upcoming public meetings
  • Provide input and feedback throughout the process

Pasco is among Florida’s fastest-growing counties, and this planning process will have significant implications regarding how the county plans for various types of uses, including commercial, residential and industrial.

To begin weighing in on the county’s planning process and to keep abreast of what’s happening, visit Pasco2050.com.

Published May 18, 2022

Zephyrhills says: ‘Goodbye, final dirt road’

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Now, it’s no longer dust in the wind.

The City of Zephyrhills and its Public Works Department have completed the work to pave the very last dirt road maintained by the city within its limits.

Jennifer Lane was a dusty road about the length of a city block located just west of Oakside Cemetery.

Residents of Jennifer Lane would often complain about how dusty it could be to travel what was the last dirt road in Zephyrhills city limits. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Public Works)

Now, it’s completely paved.

The city wrapped up the $163,000 project on May 13.

“Being the only unimproved (and dirt) road in Zephyrhills, it was a thorn in my side for a long time,” said Shane LeBlanc, the city’s public works director.

“We had a resident of Jennifer Lane always calling to tell us how dusty it was — that there was so much dust. So, this was a short project, and now that it’s done, one that is very welcome.

“There are no more dirt roads in the City of Zephyrhills, and I’m very proud of that,” LeBlanc said.

Pavement and minor renovations were recently completed on Jennifer Lane, the last dirt road maintained by the City of Zephyrhills.

Zephyrhills now has more than 70 miles of paved lane roads.

There are some dirt roads remaining in Zephyrhills, but those are maintained by Pasco County, not the city of Zephyrhills.

LeBlanc says he constantly fields calls about dirt roads, but is unable to respond because those are a county issue.

“Now, when I get a call about a dirt road, I know it’s not a city issue because they are all paved,” LeBlanc said, with a laugh.

The final walkthrough inspection occurred the morning of May 13, and the project was completed well within the 120-day contract.

LeBlanc said the weather cooperated, enabling the pavement project to be done in less than 30 days.

“This was knocked out real quick, with no big disruption to the residents or the city,” the public works director said. “There was a little inconvenience, but, again, they are now overly pleased because there is no more dust!”

Published May 18, 2022