The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

School board urges more sidewalks

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Conversations had already been happening between Pasco County Schools and Pasco County government about the need for the county to build more sidewalks — but school board members want to ratchet up the urgency level.

They agreed during their Aug. 30 meeting to send a letter to the Pasco County Commission asking that sidewalks to be made a priority.

The issue has become more pressing because the school district has dropped “courtesy” bus rides this year for sixth- through 12th-graders who live within 2 miles of school.

A bus arrives on the first day of school at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation. While this bus arrived on time, the school district continues to struggle with late buses because of a shortage of bus drivers. (File)

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said the district was forced to take that action because of a shortage of bus drivers and increasing enrollment.

Last year, the district changed its school start and end times, in a shift aimed at getting students to school and home on time.

Browning characterized that as “an extreme step” but said he hoped it would result in students arriving to school and at home on time.

It helped, but did not solve the problem, he said.

“The second initiative we put in place was the elimination of courtesy ridership for secondary schools for this school year.

“This, too, was an extreme step to take, but one that was necessary,” Browning said.

He said he’s received emails from parents who are asking that empty seats on buses be filed by courtesy riders.

But the superintendent said exceptions cannot be made because that would lead to inequities in the district.

He also told the board that district buses are more filled than ever before.

“We’ve eliminated (more than) 100 routes from the beginning of last year, despite the growth that this district has seen. We continue to combine routes this school year to adjust to the numbers of students that we’re required to transport, and we do not have enough drivers to get this work done today.

“At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, we had 436 bus routes. Today, we have 333 bus routes. We’ve grown by approximately 6,000 students in that time,” Browning said.

The Pasco County School Board is urging the Pasco County Commission to put a higher priority of building new sidewalks. Many sixth- through 12th-graders who live within 2 miles of school must walk to school now because the school district dropped its ‘courtesy’ bus rides for secondary students. (Mike Camunas)

Parents have raised safety concerns about their children having to walk to school on streets without sidewalks or lighting.

But Browning is holding firm: “The elimination of courtesy riders for secondary schools will remain in effect.”

Even with the steps the districts has taken, there are still late buses, Browning said.

He attributes that to the district’s 57 driver vacancies.

“I think it goes without saying that our transportation staff is working many, many hours, addressing the issues of parents and students,” Browning said.

School board member Megan Harding said she wants to know how many seats on the bus are vacant.

“I would like some kind of count. We make our decisions based on data, so I think I have the right to have some of that data.

“I believe there are empty seats. You talk about equity and you talk about fairness. It’s not fair if we have empty seats on the bus and we have kids that are walking an hour in the dark to school,” Harding said.

Browning told her the district has rosters of students assigned to buses, but doesn’t keep a running count of how many seats are occupied.

School board chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong noted that parents of students who qualify sign up their children for buses and are entitled to that bus service, whether they use it or not.

In some cases, parents transport their children on most days of the week, but occasionally use the bus, when they’re not able to take the child to school.

Harding said she understands the district is in a crisis, relating to the bus driver shortages, but she added, at the same time: “I do have families reaching out to me, still daily, about their children waiting an hour at their bus stop because the bus is late.”

She said she’s personally written the Pasco County Commission, but asked if the board would support sending a letter, too, which it did.

“I feel that they’re dragging their feet and it’s a huge safety issue,” Harding said.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd said, “I think in the coming months, we’re going to have some commission members who are going to take up the charge for us on sidewalks.

“I think they’re sympathetic toward our cause.”

Meanwhile, Armstrong suggested parents may want to consider the old-school approach of carpooling.

With the availability of today’s social media tools, it might be easier to organize a carpool than it was in the past, Armstrong noted.

Published September 07, 2022

Pasco approves 2 million-square-foot corporate business park

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After months of back-and-forth between two adjoining landowners, the Pasco County Commission has approved a master-planned unit development for a corporate business park on State Road 52, in Land O’ Lakes.

The project, known as Eagle II, is entitled for up to 2 million square feet of corporate business park, targeted businesses and light industrial uses, as well as 150,000 square feet of commercial/office uses on 321 acres.

The site is on the south side of State Road 52 about a half-mile west of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard.

The property is within the Central Pasco Employment Village, which was designated years ago by the county board to create a coordinated vision among a group of landowners.

As adopted, the plan envisions a mixed-use employment village on more than 2,400 acres, located along the south side of State Road 52, roughly between the Collier Parkway Extension and Bellamy Brothers Boulevard.

The employment village is expected to contain commercial, residential and industrial uses.

A system had been developed to allow landowners to swap entitlements among themselves, under the county’s supervision.

But it became clear in this case that those swaps don’t always go smoothly.

During a Pasco County Planning Commission hearing on this request, the planning board voted 3-1 to recommend denial of the request, after it appeared that the applicant in this case, George Southworth, of 3KS Family LLLP, could not reach an agreement with Andy Joe Scaglione, of D&D Ranch, who owns the adjacent property.

During the county board’s Aug. 24 public hearing, Cynthia Spidell, a professional planner with the law firm of Stearns, Weaver, Miller, testified that the issues had been worked out between her client and his neighbor.

“The road alignment was changed, which the neighbor is fine with,” Spidell said.

Commissioner Mike Moore said: “the road alignment needed to get worked out.”

Scaglione said he no longer opposes the proposed connection between Eagle II and his  D&D Ranch.

“It’s a shame this wasn’t done at the planning commission, that it had to come to this point,” Scaglione said.

Moore agreed a quicker resolution would have been nice.

Meanwhile, another aspect of the application involves a proposed alignment for a portion of the proposed Orange Belt Trail.

Spidell said her client has agreed to provide 30 feet of the right of way for free, with the county having the option to buy an additional 30 feet of right of way.

The cost of the additional right of way would be based on the average of costs in the area, she said.

Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey said Tampa Bay Water has control of a portion of the right of way and the county is seeking an agreement to use it for the trail.

Sam Beneck, a project manager with the county’s engineering services, has been working to secure an easement from Tampa Bay Water.

He said it appears that Tampa Bay Water is amenable to granting the easement, along with some reasonable conditions.

If that happens, the trail will be going through a beautiful area, Starkey said. But if it doesn’t, the county can purchase the additional land from Southworth.

Moore said he’d prefer to avoid that option.

“You’re going to pay a pretty penny for that,” Moore said, noting the current land values are inflated.

The price tag would be around $465,000 based on the 5.7 acreages needed at a current average cost $81,122, Moore said.

“I’d be concerned paying that high of price for a trail,” the commissioner said.

Starkey is confident the ongoing negotiations with Tampa Bay Water will be successful and the county won’t need to purchase Southworth’s land.

Published September 07, 2022

Taskforce focused on homelessness in Zephyrhills

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They are taking care of their own.

Over the past year, local organizations, churches, charities and citizens, have formed The Hub Taskforce. It’s a coalition of like-minded individuals, either representing a place in Zephyrhills or Dade City or just themselves, that comes together monthly to discuss initiatives and how to get more resources to the homeless community.

“This is a group effort — a community effort,” Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer said. “When we started over a year ago, we just started meeting to talk about resources and where we wanted to go as a group. It has snowballed into something much more.”

The Hub Taskforce, made up of community representatives from the city, churches, businesses, charities and citizens, meets at Genesis Community Center in Zephyrhills, and discusses initiatives and resources to help the town’s homeless people. (Mike Camunas)

At first, the taskforce was small and it reached out to the Pasco County Coalition for the Homeless. However, Brewer says it was evident that that group was “stretched pretty thin” and the community, at large, was looking for ways to make an immediate impact on their streets.

“We’ve learned over the years that you can’t rush away homelessness,” Brewer said, “and we wanted a humanitarian approach to it.”

Brewer admits, especially in the meetings, that his officers will be the first line in meeting with homeless people. Which is why he wanted to address the issue in a way that doesn’t involve escalation or even incarnation.

So, the taskforce sets about finding ways to help the homeless, by either getting them the resources they need at the moment, such as a food bank or a shelter.

Backpacks, full of useful supplies for the homeless, were packed and donated by Mechell Alline, a local entrepreneur and life coach.

“We want to get them out of the situation, that way they’re not just sitting in jail,” Brewer added.

Over time, more and more organizations, charities and businesses have joined or attended the meetings. The August meeting was well-attended, and joining the Zephyrhills Police Department (ZPD) was the Zephyrhills Women’s Club, Meals on Wheels Zephyrhills, Pasadena Food Pantry in Dade City, United Methodist Women of Zephyrhills, Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church Food and Baby Pantries, Premier Community HealthCare, First Presbyterian Church of Zephyrhills, Pasco County Schools Students In Transition (SIT) Program, Healing Hearts Cafe, Palm Medical Center for Seniors, and Samaritan Project in Zephyrhills.

The roundtable discussions will present new or recurring issues and those attending will offer solutions. The goal is to find resources and ways to help the homeless, with potential options to improve their lives.

“There are new people every single month, and it’s about what they can offer us, what we can offer them,” Brewer said. “Someone has an issue, everyone jumps on top of it to help. That’s the goal.”

Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer addresses attendees of The Hub Taskforce during its monthly meeting at the Genesis Community Center.

Others are going a step further. Mechell Alline, a local entrepreneur, life coach and aneurysm survivor, has been putting together helpful backpacks that include supplies like snacks and water, but also resource materials that could lead the homeless person to charities and organizations that might help their specific need.

Members of the taskforce will take a backpack and hand it out to a homeless person. Alline made 12 backpacks at the most recent meeting, paying for them out of her own pocket.

“My intention (with the backpacks) was to make people feel like they are human beings by providing some comfort — it was something I really wanted to do,” she said. “It feels good to be a part of something that’s working toward helping the people in the community who really need it.”

Other members of the taskforce are looking for ways to involve the city more. For the police department, “it’s typical for law enforcement to be thrust into this because we’re the ones making contact with them,” Brewer says, adding “unfortunately we don’t have all the resources available to us.”

“As the officers are coming in contact with them, we want to be able to say, ‘I know who you can call’ and it doesn’t matter if they need clothing or food or shelter or even a backpack.”

However, the taskforce is hoping to get more city representatives to the meetings, as a way to get their feedback and suggestions on solutions.

“I would like to see a little more involvement from the city, especially if we’re addressing this as a city issue and not just a police one,” said Becky Finley, who represents St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Food and Baby Pantries.

In the end, the taskforce sees homelessness as a community, a city and a citizen issue. One that should be solved by their own in the community.

“This is a great group of individuals with the same goal in mind and that’s to help people,” Brewer said. “I didn’t realize the impact these individuals can and will make, until I started meeting with them. They are entrenched in the community, and really care about what happens here.

“They are Zephyrhills people trying to take care of Zephyrhills people.”

The Hub Taskforce
When: Every third Wednesday of the month, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Genesis Community Center, 38112 15th Ave., Zephyrhills
Details: A monthly roundtable of Zephyrhills community, local organizations and citizen representatives that meet to discuss initiatives to help the homeless and poor, and to share other resources to contribute to the city-wide effort. Anyone from the community is welcome to attend.
Info: Call Beth Aker at 813-782-7859.

Published September 07, 2022

Billy Brown to receive special Pasco EDC honor

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Billy Brown, known for his philanthropy and leadership, will receive a special honor at the Pasco Economic Development Council’s 34th annual awards ceremony on Sept. 8. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

The Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC) is honoring Billy E. Brown with its Leadership Award this year.

The economic development organization always singles out one person who has made extraordinary contributions and this year, it chose Brown, according to a news release.

Brown began his employment with Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) in 1956 as a lineman making just $1.10 an hour, the news release says.

Over the years, Brown’s leadership skills were recognized and he rose through the ranks, being promoted into supervisory positions, executive vice president and general manager — a position he has held for 49 years.

During his half-century of leadership, he has contributed to the community in myriad ways.

Brown has made an impact on many local charitable projects including the Boys and Girls Club, the Lacoochee Project, and the Vincent House Project, as well as being instrumental in the development of One Pasco Center, which has served as a catalyst economic development project and provided pad-ready sites for companies looking to locate to Pasco County, the release says.

Under Brown’s leadership, WREC has awarded over $15 million in local scholarships, provided lighting for college baseball fields, and funded equipment and technology for the local school system, release adds.

“Mr. Brown’s footprint is forever embedded in Pasco County; he has touched thousands of lives and made a lasting impression on our community. We are privileged to honor Mr. Brown with the 2022 Leadership Award,” Bill Cronin, Pasco EDC president/CEO, said in the release. “He is an exceptional example of a leader and philanthropist making a difference in the local community.”

Brown will be honored with this award at the Pasco EDC’s 34th annual awards, accompanied by a tribute from family and friends.

The event is set for Sept. 8 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Pasco-Hernando State College Instructional Performing Arts Center (IPAC), 8657 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Tickets are available online, at PascoEDC.com.

Published September 07, 2022

Pasco cleanup needs volunteers

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Keep Pasco Beautiful is gearing up for its annual cleanup and is seeking volunteers to help out.

The annual countywide event aims to pick up debris before it has a chance to enter the area’s waterways.

Volunteers will work to pick up litter on roadways and in public spaces all around Pasco County, according to a county news release.

An estimated 80% of the trash that ends up in the county’s waters started out on land, so the cleanup efforts help to prevent pollution from entering the county’s stormwater system, which often leads to waterways and the Gulf of Mexico.

Here are the event details:
When: Sept. 17, from 8 a.m. until noon
Where: Various Pasco County locations.
Info: Visit KeepPascoBeautiful.org.

Registrations are being accept through Sept. 9.

Disposable gloves, trash bags and Keep Pasco Beautiful Cleanup T-shirts will be supplied while supplies last, the news release says.

“We’re excited to have the support of so many community organizations,” Keep Pasco Beautiful Coordinator Kristen King, said in the release.

She also expressed gratitude to Rotary District 6950, in partnership with West Pasco Rotary Clubs of New Port Richey, Holiday, Hudson, Seven Springs, Trinity and West Pasco Sunset for providing grant funding to support this year’s event.

This event is part of the International Coastal Cleanup coordinated by Ocean Conservancy.  The worldwide event has collected more than 348 million pounds of trash with help from around 17 million volunteers – since 1986.

Published September 07, 2022

Pasco has a new chief correctional officer

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The Pasco County Commission has confirmed the appointment of Stacey Jenkins to serve in the role of chief correctional officer, effective Oct. 1.

Major Jenkins will be leading the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, as it transitions from being managed by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to a department operated by Pasco County.

Stacey Jenkins, the new chief correctional officer for Pasco County, thanks the Pasco County Commission on Aug. 24 for confirming her appointment to the role. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

She has more than 31 years of correctional operations experience as a corrections/law enforcement officer with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, according to materials in the Pasco County Commission’s Aug. 24 agenda packet.

She is experienced in developing policy and providing direction for the operation of the detention facility, ensuring adherence to federal and state law, as well as standards of the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission.

She also has developed and managed budgets, set department goals, and has communicated operational needs to the staff and the public, the agenda materials say.

She holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, with a concentration in legal studies, from Saint Leo University.

The county board approved her appointment on a 5-0 vote.

In another action related to the shift of jail operations, the county board approved the expenditure of nearly $1.58 million to replace correction department vehicles, to cover some trainee personnel costs and to provide for IT services.

Some of the vehicle replacements will be delivered in fiscal year (FY) 2022 and some in fiscal year 2023, but all are being budgeted in the 2022 fiscal year. The money will roll forward, if the cars are not yet available.

The county also is responsible for picking up the costs of salaries and uniforms for 20 new trainees, for the remaining two pay periods of FY 2022, according to materials in the agenda packet.

The increase includes $514,799 for a separate IT system that is needed for the corrections department.

In other action, the county board:

  • Approved $371,910.08 for the purchase of a fire rescue landing craft boat
  • Recognized the need to provide $6 million more for the health insurance fund because a higher number of claims caused the county to exceed its estimated costs
  • Approved an interlocal agreement with Tampa Bay Water for The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program, to provide a coordinated environmental education program that promotes responsible actions by homeowners, businesses, and schools to conserve water and improve the water quality by reducing polluted runoff from yards and other landscaped areas
  • Approved an agreement with BayCare Behavioral Health Inc., to provide mental health and human development services for indigent residents in Pasco County. The contract is for an amount not to exceed (NTE) $1,221,148 for fiscal year 2023; NTE $1,221,148 for fiscal year 2024; and NTE $1,221,148 for fiscal year 2025. The cumulative NTE is $3,663,444 for the three-year agreement.

Published September 07, 2022

Pasco Fire Rescue employee named ‘public educator of the year’

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Lisa Brekke, an employee of Pasco County Fire Rescue, has been the focus of attention lately — in a good way.

Lisa Brekke was honored during the Aug. 24 Pasco County Commission meeting. She received a resolution from the county board, recognizing her contributions and for being named the 2022 Public Educator of the Year by the Florida Fire Marshal and Inspector Association. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Most recently, she received a resolution applauding her work from the Pasco County Commission, during its Aug. 24 meeting.

The board acknowledged Brekke for her recognition from the Florida Fire Marshal and Inspector Association, which named her as the 2022 Public Educator of the Year.

The state association’s award recognizes “leadership for superior life safety strategies through inspection, investigation, public education, and code management,” according to the board’s resolution.

The distinction “signifies dedication and leadership in preventative risk education and fire safety,” the resolution adds.

Brekke joined Pasco Fire Rescue in 2018.

She has served as the lead contact for Pasco County’s Prom Promise, a program that educates high school students throughout Pasco County on the dangers of driving under the influence.

She also coordinates both Pasco County’s smoke detector installation program and the Knox Box program, which allows firefighters quick access into citizens’ homes during emergencies.

Brekke also is a program instructor for the Juvenile Fire Starter Intervention Program, according to the resolution.

The county’s commendation also notes that “Lisa does not hesitate to assist her coworkers in whatever way she can. She will do whatever it takes to ensure her team’s success, even if it includes working early in the morning, late at night, or on the weekends.”

The resolution goes on to credit Brekke’s “work ethic and spirit of cooperation” for bringing her team together, and it notes that beyond her work on countless safety events and programs, she also serves as “a preventative safety instructor in Pasco County Fire Rescue’s Community Risk Reduction division.”

Published September 07, 2022

285 dwellings approved at Old Pasco Road, State Road 52

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a rezoning for a development of 285 multifamily dwellings, on approximately 29.2 acres, at the southeast corner of State Road 52 and Old Pasco Road.

The development, known as Stillwell Pasco Station, will be maintained under a common ownership, said Barbara Wilhite, an attorney representing the applicant.

All of the structures abutting the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club will be a single story, Wilhite said, and all of the buildings within the development will be a single story or two stories.

“This will be a high-end, built-to-rent project,” she said.

The expected demographics for the development is roughly 60% retirees and 40% young married couples.

Commissioner Ron Oakley voiced support for the development.

“This actually is a very good project. It’s done very well. It fits the community,” Oakley said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey also gave the project high marks for design: “I think this is the best one we’ve seen come through here, personally.”

But Elayne Ayan, who lives nearby on Princeville Drive, spoke in opposition.

“I, and dozens of my neighbors, oppose the Stillwell zoning application.”

She voiced concern about the rate of growth Pasco County is experiencing.

“There are six separate items for rezoning, just on today’s agenda, which creates over 7,000 new homes and millions of industrial/retail square footage, and that’s just today’s agenda.

“In just this year, within a couple miles of my house, dozens more projects have already been approved, tens of thousands of houses and millions more retail/office footage.

“The approvals seem to be done in a routine manner, like, ‘All is well,’ But I’m here to tell you something I think you already know ,and that’s that it’s not all well.

“Already, Pasco is the third-busiest county in the state for EMS calls. At the Aug. 9 board meeting, two people talked of the dangerously long response times for Pasco Fire EMS. One of the speakers said this has been brought to your attention a full year ago. Since then, has anything been done to fix this?

“How will this not be a catastrophe, when all of these approved projects are built and inhabited, adding tens of thousands of residents? The county’s firefighters have been asking the board for its help. This is a public safety issue, which should be a top priority.

“You’re not doing Pasco County residents any favors by building them new houses and inviting thousands of new people to move in, when our public safety infrastructure has not and cannot keep them safe.

“Pasco Fire EMS is struggling and has repeatedly asked for the board’s help. Instead, the board is approving thousands and thousands of new housing units every single month. It is inevitable the county will see an increase in traffic accidents, fires and medical emergencies.

“How is it responsible to continue to approve such rapid new growth without properly resolving the essential required Fire EMS/public safety concern?

“I urge you to pause rezoning approvals, at least in the Route 52/75 area  (State Road 52/Interstate 75). People’s lives are truly at stake and this is why I, and my neighbors, oppose the Stillwell rezoning,” she said.

Chairwoman Starkey asked interim County Administrator Mike Carballa to address the Fire Rescue question.

Carballa responded: “We have a number of new fire stations that are either under construction, under design or in process. We recognize that we’re catching up on a lot of that. We also are putting in a lot more money for additional apparatus and equipment for Fire Rescue, so those items are coming forward.”

He also noted that a big chunk of proposed budget involves investments in Fire Rescue.

Commissioner Mike Moore said the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club, which is next to the planned development could prove to be an amenity that will provide enjoyment for retirees moving into the area.

Starkey also noted: “This area is going to be filled in, as time goes by. Because everyone wants to live in Florida right now.”

Published August 31, 2022

Voters approve school tax in Pasco, reject it in Hillsborough

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A ballot initiative by the Pasco County School Board was approved, with 58.66% of the total 94,230 voters who weighed in on the issue.

After the vote, in a video, Superintendent Kurt Browning assured voters “that every penny that is raised as a result of this referendum will go to improve non-administrative salaries for teachers, bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, maintenance workers and many, many more.”

A similar ballot initiative in Hillsborough County failed, by the thinnest of margins.

In Hillsborough, 111,076 voters cast “no” ballots, while 110,486 voted “yes.” The end result was a difference of 590 votes, or 0.26% difference in the total.

Voting on the issue was so close in Hillsborough, it triggered an automatic machine recount of the ballots. In the end, though, the negative outcome remained the same.

Prior to that recount, Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Addison Davis addressed the issue on his blog, which is posted on the Hillsborough public school district’s website.

Davis wrote: “If the unofficial results stand, it will not change our efforts as we fight to increase education funding for students and staff. The following facts remain:

  • We are facing an alarming teacher shortage due in part to salary levels.
  • Florida is ranked near the bottom in education funding nationally.
  • Hillsborough County is ranked 45th in state and local per-pupil funding.
  • Twenty-three Florida school districts – many bordering Hillsborough County – now have an additional millage allowing them to enhance compensation packages for teachers, administrators, and support staff.”

Davis added: “Please know we will be back in 2024 to ask the board to place a millage referendum on the ballot, asking voters for additional funding to further support education. As the seventh-largest district in the nation, we must do everything possible to inform our community on how education is funded in Florida and push lawmakers to help us create the best educational system for our children.”

Pasco County voters were urged to support a referendum intended to approve higher property taxes to support higher salaries for Pasco public school teachers, bus drivers, kitchen workers and other non-administrative personnel in the district. The ballot initiative passed. (Mike Camunas)

Meanwhile, in Pasco, on Aug. 24 — the day after the Primary Election — Pasco Schools Superintendent Browning issued a video expressing gratitude for the voters’ support.

Browning characterized approval of the ballot initiative as “a wise investment in our schools, our employees and our students.

“It’s an investment in the future of our community,” Browning continued. “It will enable us to be more competitive with surrounding school districts so we can recruit, retain, the best employees and make good on our promise to provide a world-class education. As superintendent of schools, I have to tell you that it is gratifying to see this kind of support from our community.

“Community support is essential to our success,” the superintendent said.

Don Peace, president of United School Employees of Pasco (USEP), played a key role in persuading school board members to place the measure on the ballot.

On a motion by Colleen Beaudoin and a second by Alison Crumbley, the board voted unanimously in April, to pursue up to a 1-mil tax. The additional tax will begin July 1, 2023 and end 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.

An oversight committee will be appointed to ensure that the revenues are properly spent, Browning previously announced.

Much like the Hillsborough school district, Pasco has hundreds of vacancies in the district, for a wide variety of jobs.

After Pasco voters approved the referendum, USEP president Peace shared his thoughts on the initiative’s passage in a posting on the union’s website.

Due to the referendum’s success, Peace wrote, “Pasco County will now be able to negotiate competitive salaries for our employees and keep the high-quality educators we already have working here in Pasco. It is our goal to see that the multitude of vacancies in this district are filled with competent, qualified people being paid a fair, competitive, and rewarding salary.”

Like Browning, Peace thanked the Pasco voters for their support.

He also thanked all of the people who played a role in helping to ensure the adoption of the referendum.

“Many of you joined with USEP and waved signs and had roadside conversations with drivers to push the information out. Thank you.

“Many of you spent some pretty warm hours outside polling places to greet and educate voters. Thank you!

“No matter how you helped, USEP wants to say a heartfelt thanks to you for working toward this cause,” Peace said.

He also expressed gratitude to a group of former educators and school district who formed a group called Lift Up Pasco, to help in the effort.

Peace also thanked Browning for his support.

Peace said the next step will be “collecting the funds and negotiating salary increases and doing it in a way to provide transparent information to all those voters who heard of our concern and stepped up to make something positive happen.”

The union leader characterized the vote’s passage as being “momentous” for Pasco County’s public school system.

“Long-term, both our students and our employees are going to benefit from this victory,” Peace wrote.

Published August 31, 2022

Hillsborough board will take one more step to block incinerators in Lutz

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Applicant Louis Geraci LLLP recently withdrew his application for two air curtain incinerators in Lutz, after infuriated neighbors and elected leaders rose up against it.

Now, the Hillsborough County Commission wants to be certain the request can’t surface again on the site at 1225 Crystal Lake Road. They are expected to modify the original rezoning that listed the incinerators as an allowable use in an agricultural zone.

The county board is expected to take that action on Oct. 11.

County board members, who also sit as the board of the Environmental Protection Commission (EPC), said they had no knowledge the incinerators were being planned because there had been no discussion of that possibility when the rezoning occurred.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Mariella Smith noted: “We have to count on the people who come and testify to us, to give us an accurate assessment of what is being approved in the zoning stage.

“In this case, we had the founder of the assisted living facility right up the road writing us a letter saying he was in support of this because it was going to revert back to agriculture, because it was going to reduce traffic. He was fooled into thinking this was going to be good.

“His clients at the assisted living facility were going to be at risk because of the fumes,” Smith said.

County Commissioner Ken Hagan thanked his colleagues for supporting his motion at the EPC board meeting, which called for halting the EPC staff from working on the application and communicating the EPC board’s objections to the secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, to the governor and to members of the Hillsborough Legislative Delegation.

“I knew what I was asking for was unprecedented. Procedurally, this was supposed to be an administrative issue. It did not come under our purview.

“I want to thank each board member for standing with the neighborhood and doing the right thing, even though we knew it was unprecedented and it could have led to legal challenges,” Hagan said.

He continued: “The reaction was swift. That day I received a call from their attorney. At that time I encouraged them to rescind their permit application, as well as their site development plan.”

They did both.

It was, Hagan said, “a clear victory for the neighborhood.”

The commissioner added that the intense community opposition played a key role in the outcome.

“Very rarely have I ever seen a neighborhood come together so quickly and be so unified.

“With respect to Lutz, I think it goes back to the ‘80s, when it was the East-West road that wanted to go through Lutz,” Hagan said.

Smith pointed out that the EPC’s staff played a crucial role on the issue, too, because of the notice it provided to neighbors about application for state approval of the incinerators.

“Typically, the applicant in a case like this, just would have gone straight to the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection),” Smith said.

But Hillsborough has its own EPC staff and board, and its staff is under contract with DEP to process such applications.

The EPC staff recognized that the request was for a project of heightened concern, triggering public notice and a planned community meeting.

When word got out about the proposed use, hundreds of opponents bombarded county board members with emails, and more than 600 signed up for the planned community meeting.

The county commissioners, sitting as the EPC board, listened to more than an hour of public testimony against the request. Opponents raised issues about public health hazards, negative impacts on the quality of life, potential dangers caused by truck traffic in area neighborhoods, and a likely reduction in nearby property values.

“If we didn’t have EPC, nobody would have even know that this was happening. It would have gone straight to the state, and the state would have issued a permit. Boom,” Smith said.

Adam Gormly, director of development services, said that beyond modifying this particular rezoning application, the county also will engage in amending the county’s land development code regarding the location of incinerators and the types of operations.

For instance, the way the code is currently written, there’s no distinction between temporary and permanent incinerators, he said.

Gormly added: “This site is a good example of a location of where it would not be a good use for the community.”

Commissioner Pat Kemp said she’d like to pursue whether the county can charge a fee and conduct its own traffic studies on rezonings. She noted that Sarasota County does that.

“We should have had a traffic study for everything in here,” Kemp said, noting the county board had no idea that truck traffic might be coming and going to the Crystal Lake Road location.

Gormly told the board that having the county handle the traffic studies would add a significant amount of time necessary to process rezoning requests.

Published August 31, 2022