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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Pasco stormwater utility fee expected to stay the same

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The Pasco County Commission has decided that the county’s stormwater utility fees will remain unchanged for the 2021 fiscal year.

The current rate is $95 per equivalent residential unit — which is based on an average amount of impervious area of 2,890 square feet for a single-family home, according to agenda background materials.

County staff recommended that the ERU rate and square footage remain the same for the 2021 tax year, and commissioners signaled their approval, without discussion, during their June 22 meeting.

The public hearing for the Annual Stormwater Management Utility System Rate Resolution is scheduled for 9 a.m., on Sept. 14, in the board room at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.  At the hearing, the board must adopt a final rate resolution. It can reduce the fee, but cannot increase it, at that hearing.

In other action, commissioners approved these items, without discussion, as part of their consent agenda:

  • The award of a professional services agreement with HDR Engineering Inc., to provide the required roadway design services for the widening of Old Pasco Road, from north of Deedra Drive to north of Overpass Road, in an amount not to exceed $2,570,032.37. That figure includes $595,973.19 in optional services for fiscal year 2021.
  • The appointments of Dennis Baker, representing Tampa North Aero Park, and Spencer Brass, representing Pilot Country Estates Airport, to the Airport Zoning Commission. Zephyrhills Municipal Airport Manager Nathan Coleman will continue to serve on the commission, too.
  • A contract to Pacscon GeoEnvironmental Inc., for as-needed gopher tortoise surveying, permitting capturing transporting and after-action reports. The contract is for an amount not to exceed $90,000 for fiscal year 2021; not to exceed $90,000 for fiscal year 2022; not to exceed $110,000 in fiscal year 2022 and not to exceed $90,000 in fiscal year 2024. The total not to exceed amount is $400,000.
  • A task order revision in the amount of $109,910 with Stroud Engineering Consultants to cover additional design and construction inspection engineering services due to the addition of a 16-inch pipeline. The Florida Department of Transportation is fast-tracking the completion of the widening of U.S. 41, from north of Connerton Boulevard to south of State Road 52. After the original task order was approved, additional improvements were identified, which consist of construction of a new 16-inch diameter force main along U.S. 41 to provide wastewater capacity for new development expected to be built in the vicinity in the near future.

Including the piping now will help meet future demands and avoid costly work later, according to the agenda materials.

Published July 07, 2021

Author hopes Bible study guide will lead to richer relationships with God

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It’s not like Liz Lyon-Hall was just looking for something to do.

After all, she’s a professional guardian for the elderly with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Plus, she and her husband, Alan, have two daughters, 15-year-old Eliana and a 12-year-old Alyssa, and two sons, 5-year-old Daniel and 3-year-old Jaidon.

On top of all that, the Wesley Chapel family has dogs, a cat, a bunny, a mouse, a bird and two pet sharks.

Liz Lyon-Hall experienced what she characterizes as a revelation, as she was reading a particular Bible verse. The experience was so inspiring she decided to write a Bible study guide to encourage other Christians to deepen their relationship with God, by reading scripture.

Still, when Lyon-Hall was reading a particular verse of the Bible she experienced what she characterizes as a revelation — and she was inspired to share it with others.

“I realized at one point that any revelation from God, no matter how big or how small, is not necessarily just for the person receiving it, but also to be shared with other Christians,” she said.

“I really want to encourage people to be reading the Bible and studying it for themselves. That’s a big life message for me — just encouraging Christians to spend time in the Bible,” she said.

It’s important, she added, to “know your scriptures and study it as much as you can.

“One of the ways that God speaks to his people is through the scriptures and if you’re not reading them, you’re missing that opportunity.

“Christianity is not just a belief system. We’re meant to have a relationship with God,” she continued. “If you’re missing out on his primary way of communicating to you, you’re really missing out.”

So, what began as a personal inspiration turned into a research and writing project.

“I typically wrote about an hour a night, pretty much from midnight to about 1 a.m.,” she said. She squeezed in some extra writing time on Fridays, which she generally takes off from her day job.

She estimates she spent about six months creating the study guide, which is called “Hezekiah, A Conversation With the Enemy.”

The guide’s release will be celebrated with a book launch on July 11 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at Bridgeway Church, at 30660 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The six-week Bible study is divided into six weeks of study, five days a week.

“That’s kind of a standard format for a lot of Bible studies,” Lyon-Hall said.

While Bible studies can be done individually, that’s not the general approach.

“The main goal for most Bible studies is to be done with a group of people, so that you’re having discussion and you’re fellowshipping — getting to know each other and helping each other throughout life, praying for each other, that sort of thing,” Lyon-Hall said.

This is the cover of Liz Lyon-Hall’s Bible study guide. She lives in Wesley Chapel and attends Bridgeway Church.

“This Bible study, when I wrote it, I did it with my own personal little small group Bible study,” she said. She also ran it through a Bible study at Bridgeway Church, where she has been a member since 2015. A  second Bible study group at the church began using the guide recently.

Lyon-Hall said her guide is designed to be used by Christians of any church denomination.

She plans to get the word out about the book by attending church events, conferences, breakfasts and so on. She is scheduled to sell her book at Palm Harbor’s New Hope Church’s Women’s Dream Conference, Aug. 13 and Aug. 14; at Tampa’s St. Clement’s Episcopal Church’s Blessing of the Animals event Oct. 2; and, at Lutz’s St. Timothy Catholic Church’s Annual Women’s Club Boutique on Nov. 13.

Whether or not it’s a big seller, Lyon-Hall said she’s glad she pursued the project.

She knows that the guide was extremely helpful to one of the participants of the first Bible study group that used it.

“It was a blessing to her, specifically — helped her kind of break through some issues she was having,” the author said.

“I’m not looking to make my millions off this book. I’m just looking to share it and encourage people to be reading their Bible.

“I figure God is going to use it for whatever he’s going to use it for. He will put it in the hands of who needs to read it,” she said.

For more information, visit LizLyon-Hall.com.

Bible Study Book Launch
What: Meet local author Liz Lyon-Hall at an event celebrating the launch of her first published Bible Study: “Hezekiah, A Conversation With the Enemy.”
Where: Bridgeway Church, 30660 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel
When: July 11, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Details: Enjoy Christian fellowship across a variety of denominations. There will be light hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Bring or buy a book for author signings.
Please RSVP to , to ensure adequate provision of food and drink.

Need a guest speaker for your Christian group? Liz Lyon-Hall, author of the Bible Study, “Hezekiah, a Conversation With the Enemy,” is available to speak to your group. Email her at to make arrangements.

Published July 07, 2021

Shop a little, give a little back

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While running routine weekly errands, area residents can help to reduce single-use plastic in the environment — while also giving back to the community — by shopping at the Dade City Winn Dixie.

Through Winn Dixie’s Reusable Bag Program, with every $2.50 reusable community bag purchase, a $1 donation is made to a nonprofit that is local to the grocery store at which it was bought.

The nonprofit Pioneer Florida Museum & Village has been selected by store leadership at Winn Dixie, 12649 U.S. 301 in Dade City, to benefit from the program during the month of July.

The museum will receive $1 for every reusable bag sold at this location.

“It’s more important than ever to help reduce single-use plastic in the environment,” Stephanie Bracknell Black, executive director of the museum, said in a news release.

“Nonprofits at the local level, like us, are in need of community support. This program offers the perfect solution to multiple issues of the world today. We hope you’ll support us in July by purchasing one – or two – community bags at our local Dade City Winn Dixie,” Black said.

For information about the reusable bag program, visit WinnDixie.com.

Published July 07, 2021

Pasco gains state funding for wide assortment of projects

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Initially, things were looking pretty bleak on the state fiscal front — before the last session of the Florida Legislature.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey recalled some previous remarks from the county’s state lobbyist, Shawn Foster, of Sunrise Consulting.

“Before session started, you were like: ‘This is going to be a really bad session. We’re going to be billions of dollars in the hole,’” Starkey said, during the Pasco County Commission’s June 22 meeting.

Foster said that was before the dollars that came in from the America Rescue Act.

Nearly 10% of the state’s $101.5 billion came from the federal government, Foster said.

“If it had not been for that $10 billion that we got from the federal government, there would be no good here. There would be no good,” Foster said.

Without the federal money, he added: “There would be none of these projects on here, none of these other big grants.”

Instead, “the state took $7 billion of the American Rescue Act and implemented it into this year and held off another $3 billion for the next budget,” Foster said.

Instead of being decimated, the statewide budget includes:

  • $1 billion for community substance abuse and mental health
  • $3.2 million for homeless program challenge grants
  • $500 million for the Resilient Florida Trust Fund and programs
  • $626 million for septic to sewer and stormwater improvements
  • $146.7 million for the State Housing Initiative Partnership program
  • $74 million for the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, including $24 million from last year
  • $1.5 billion in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The county can apply directly for funding through the Septic to Sewer/Stormwater Improvement program, Foster said.

“That was our Sen. (Wilton) Simpson’s priority and has been for years. I think it started with an idea a few years ago; it was $50 million. So, to see it up to $626 (million) is amazing.”

The lobbyist also noted that the Emergency Rental Assistance Program is one in which constituents can make direct applications, through OurFlorida.com.

Three Pasco County projects also went through to the governor.

Those were:

  • $6.5 million for the Handcart Road water and wastewater improvements
  • $200,000 for the Ackerman Street drainage improvements
  • $3,818,208 for the Lindrick sewer and water quality

“The county as a whole, really did well,” said Ralph Lair, the county’s intergovernmental affairs officer.

Other county projects receiving funding were:

  • $3 million to extend the runway at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport
  • $4,665,000 for the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills
  • $25 million for a Florida National Guard Armory in Zephyrhills
  • $1.25 million for a CARES One-Stop Senior Center in Dade City
  • $450,000 for AmSkills Workforce Training
  • $25 million for a Pasco-Hernando State College student success and community engagement center in Dade City
  • $34,738 for a Pasco Association of Challenged Kids Summer Camp
  • $5 million for Metropolitan Ministries to expand its campus in Pasco County
  • $700,000 for Bridging Freedom Program in Pasco County

While Commissioner Mike Moore expressed gratitude for this year’s appropriations, he said the county needs to focus on securing funding to address flooding issues in areas such as Quail Hollow and around Eiland Boulevard.

“That needs to be a big focus, going forward,” Moore said. “Those are very important. Those affect our citizens on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said she’d like to follow the Pinellas County Commission’s example of meeting with their county legislative delegation and with their federal legislative delegation.

She wants Pasco to be more proactive in seeking state and federal funding to help address county needs.

Foster expressed optimism about the state’s revenue prospects for next year.

Committee meetings will begin in the fall, and the next session of the legislature is set to start Jan. 11 and end on March 11.

Published July 07, 2021

Alternative route selected for Morningside extension

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The Dade City Commission has approved an engineer’s recommendation for the Morningside Drive extension route study, but funding for the initiative remains an issue.

The extension of Morningside Drive is intended to connect U.S. 301 to Fort King Road.

Commissioners on June 8 approved an engineer’s recommendation for the Morningside Drive extension route study, pond siting analysis and report — authorizing work to proceed on subsequent phases of the project, including funding acquisition, design/permitting and right-of-way acquisition.

This 1.19-mile route with a roundabout is the preferred choice to extend Morningside Drive to connect U.S. 301/98 to Fort King Road in Dade City. The total estimated cost of the roadway project is $12,401,800. Officials have said the Morningside Drive extension project will yield numerous benefits, such as reducing traffic volume on parallel roadways and stimulating economic development. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

The route study — completed by New Port Richey-based Coastal Design Consultants Inc. — is next slated to be presented sometime in August to the Pasco County Commission.

The civil engineering firm’s recommended 1.19-mile route includes a roundabout at the Morningside Drive/Fort King Road west segment, circling AdventHealth Dade City hospital and the Pasco County Schools bus garage.

The preferred route — somewhat resembling a Z-shape pattern — veers slightly northeast from Fort King Road, winding south through open water and upland areas within Dade City and unincorporated Pasco County, connecting parallel with the Hardy Trail, then cutting across eastward to the entrance of U.S. 301, passing between Walgreen’s, Buddy’s Home Furnishings, Winn-Dixie and other establishments.

The roadway calls for two, 12-foot-wide traffic lanes; 5-foot bicycle lanes; curbs and gutters; a sidewalk on the south side; and a multi-use path on the north side connecting with Hardy Trail.

The design speed for the Morningside Drive extension is 45 mph with a posted speed of 30 mph.

Stormwater management facilities improvements and a flood plain compensation area also are included in the roadway plans.

Coastal Design Consultants president/owner Paul Manuel shared a detailed PowerPoint presentation at last month’s in-person meeting at the Dade City Commission Chambers.

According to Manuel’s presentation, the winding route “was developed to optimally utilize the available upland area and parcels of property owners who have indicated that they support the proposed extension.”

The implementation of a roundabout, Manuel said, requires fewer right-of-way impacts and is more conducive to traffic calming compared to a signalized intersection. It’s also less costly to build and maintain, he said.

Other considerations taken into account during the route study were community long-range planning goals, safety, environmental impacts, property impacts and costs.

The estimated total capital project cost of the selected route is $12,401,800. Two other alternatives were considered and studied, as well as a no-build alternative.

This amount encompasses estimated construction, design, and construction engineering and inspection ($9.1 million), right-of-way acquisition ($1.7 million) and wetland mitigation ($1.6 million).

The route’s right-of-way impacts affect 18.44 acres, 17 parcels, two businesses and one residence, according to Manuel’s report.

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter (File)

As plans move forward, funding the entirety of the project remains a problem for the municipality, for the time being.

In 2019, Dade City was awarded a $5 million state appropriation for the Morningside project — less than half the project’s estimated total cost. This funding remains available for use through 2024, unless the city requests the state for an extension to complete the project.

The $5 million is roughly enough to just cover the project’s design, permitting and right-of-way access issues before the build portion.

City Manager Leslie Porter told commissioners that staff is “looking internally at how we’re going to bridge that gap” for monies to pay for the roadway.

Some transportation impact fees will be coming through to help cover costs, but Porter said she doesn’t “have a real hard number on that yet.”

She suggested the city ask state legislators for another round of funding for the project, and seek out opportunities with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and beneficiaries of the project, such as the hospital.

Porter pointed out she’s been in regular communication with state representatives and county partners, so decision-makers are aware of the project’s sizable price tag.

Morningside extension yields benefits, but concerns, too
Officials have said the Morningside Drive extension project will yield numerous benefits, such as reducing traffic volume on parallel roadways and stimulating economic development.

It offers direct access to the hospital, on Fort King Road, which was considered a top priority for the road’s extension, and also improves public safety access for police and fire rescue services.

“I think it’s going to benefit not only AdventHealth, but the community at large with the growth and the other things that are happening,” Mayor Camille Hernandez said.

Having the connection to Hardy Trail is an added bonus, the mayor said.

New Port Richey-based civil engineering firm Coastal Design Consultants Inc., provided the route study recommendation for the Morningside Drive extension project. In addition to the 1.19-mile Z-shaped route, two other routes and a no-build alternatives were considered. (Courtesy of Coastal Design Consultants Inc.)

Addressing the funding shortfall, Hernandez observed, “Clearly, well, ($5 million) isn’t going to work. We do know that we have some work to do.”

She said her concerns include both funding for the project and the time frame for completion.

Commissioner Knute Nathe also expressed support for the recommended route extension for its public safety and fresh development opportunities, but emphasized the importance of considering other community concerns throughout the project’s process.

He referred to some vocal citizens — situated along 10th Street, Fairfield Lane and Willingham Avenue —  who may be affected in one way or another.

Overall, Nathe said, the project will be “very important for our residents,” particularly from the perspective of patients and doctors more easily traveling to and from the hospital, between Dade City and Zephyrhills. “There’s been a lot of public support for extending Morningside,” Nathe said.

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Shive thanked Coastal Engineering for “a phenomenal job with the assessment and the route study.”

Shive continued: “I agree with what’s being recommended. I think it’s going to be a plus for the city.”

In early May, Pasco County Engineering Services hosted an open house for the Morningside Drive extension, which drew about 40 participants at the Dade City Commission chambers.

Public input was received during and after the meeting.

Comments included general support of the chosen route, but concerns were raised about existing flooding conditions within the study area, right-of-way acquisition required for build alternatives, traffic volumes and noise, and wetland and wildlife impacts.

Manuel addressed those concerns head-on.

“There were a lot of concerns about flooding, which we will make an emphasis during the design process, but that is a process that you’re going to get into a lot more deeply when you get into understanding the design of the project,” he explained.

“There were also concerns to right-of-way acquisitions and how close it is to people’s residences and homes,” he added, noting he read through all of the comments and has a good understanding of the concerns.

As for next steps, the project’s design/permitting period will take about a year, Manuel noted.

Back-and-forth negotiations and regulatory processes on wetland and environmental impacts with state agencies takes up the bulk of that time frame, he said.

Published July 07, 2021

Hernandez to represent Dade City at state meeting

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The Dade City Commission has unanimously selected Mayor Camille Hernandez to represent Dade City at the Florida League of Cities’ 95th annual conference in August, in Orlando.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez

The meeting, set for Aug. 12 to Aug. 14, will involve the election of leadership and adoption of resolutions, which will set the direction for the organization. The Florida League of Cities represents municipalities across the state.

In accordance with the league’s by-laws, each municipality’s vote is determined by population, and the league will use the Estimates of Population from the University of Florida.

The conference also provides opportunities for Florida’s municipal officials to learn how to serve their citizens more effectively.

Hernandez thanked her fellow commissioners for allowing her to be the city’s voting delegate, adding that returning to the event in-person again, “will be kinda nice.”

In other action at the commission’s June 22 meeting, Hernandez recognized Kayla Contreras, Diego Grant and LaDanian Johnson — three graduating high school seniors who served various stints on the Dade City Youth Council.

The youth council — formed by the mayor in 2007—devotes a bulk of its time to volunteer service and community enhancement projects. Members of the youth council also have a chance to gain insight into how the municipality interacts with the Florida Legislature and sometimes are able to travel to partake in meetings in Tallahassee.
Hernandez said the youth council is “like my second family.”

She also expressed her appreciation for the group’s dedication to community service and personal growth over the years.
“Dade City should be proud, and that’s why cases like tonight to recognize these young people is really a good thing, and I’m just so proud of them,” she said.

“We’ve got some darn good young people around here, and just to watch them continue to grow and be a part of our community is really cool.”

The city also has set its budget hearing dates for fiscal year 2021-2022 for Sept. 13 and Sept. 27. If the Pasco County School Board or Pasco County Commission sets a budget hearing date on Sept. 13, then Dade City will use Sept. 15 as an alternate date.

Published July 07, 2021

Planning board urges county to speed up reviews

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As the Pasco County Planning Commission considered a request for a special plan reviewer for the Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH), planning board members took the opportunity to encourage the county to find ways to speed up its development review process.

The VOPH asked the county to dedicate a specific planner to handle plan reviews within the special district, which county staff resisted.

“I think their general thought was since they’re paying an extra fee that is not paid throughout the rest of the county that that entitles them to their own reviewer,” said David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney.

But Nectarios Pittos, the county’s director of planning and development, and Ernest Monoco, manager of special districts, said having a specific planner to handle those issues is not a viable solution.

The planning board ultimately agreed with the staff, to recommend to the Pasco County Commission that it rejects the request for the dedicated VOPH planner. But they also urged county staff to find a way to shorten the amount of time needed to complete the county’s development review process.

Planning Commissioner Jaime Girardi put it like this: “I know it’s unprecedented times for the county, and this isn’t obviously the forum for the discussion. But I know there’s a lot of developers out there that are getting extremely concerned with lengths of review time, lengths of pre-application times. Because they see the fees that they’re paying and they know those fees are getting collected, yet there’s not allocation to hire additional staff to support the workload.

“Everybody here understands the problem, and it’s a great problem to have, but it’s out there. I just want to make sure that it’s getting taken care of.”

Girardi continued: “You have great staff here, but I feel they’re under more and more stress every single day, from everybody. I worry for the people here, as much as anything.”

Planning Commissioner Peter Hanzel added: “Is there a possibility you could contract with a vendor out there who could do some of the work, and therefore kind of catch you up? There’s got to be a corporation or a business or a private entity that can bring in some people, do the work — you contract that work out for a short period of time. You only need that manpower for a short period of time anyway.”

But Monoco explained: “The review is more than just the planner. You distribute the review to various entities within different departments. There’s a lot of coordination. It’s bigger than just a particular division within the planning department.”

Richard Tonello, representing the Pasco School Board on the planning board, said the school district takes part in those reviews.

“It’s a huge undertaking. People have to know the county. They have to know the land use. The land development code. There’s a lot to learn. You just can’t farm that out. It’s very difficult,” Tonello said.

Goldstein added:  “In my experience, consultants are best utilized for specific tasks, for specific projects.

“I would say that normal standard review of zonings and MPUDs (master-planned unit developments) is probably still best handled by internal staff.”

Board Chairman Charles Grey said “I think it’s important, Jaime, that you brought that to everyone’s attention. I think we all know it. Sometimes it’s a good idea to just vocalize it.”

Planning board members, Grey said, have been hearing complaints about how long it takes to go through the process.

“Of course, they (those complaining) don’t realize how much work goes into it,” Grey said.

The chairman also acknowledged Goldstein’s comment that “you can’t just necessarily hire somebody off the street to do certain functions of the review process because it takes a lot of expertise, a lot of background information.”

Planning Commissioner Chris Poole noted: “This is not unique to Pasco. All of the surrounding counties are experiencing the same thing. The county immediately to the south is much worse.”

Pittos said there are proposed initiatives in the 2022 Pasco County budget to help planning and development to obtain more resources and more people, but final action on the budget won’t be taken until September.

Meanwhile, Planning Commissioner Roberto Saez said the City of Clearwater and Pinellas County are outsourcing engineering services and it has sped up their reviews.

Published July 07, 2021

Input needed for New Tampa park

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Hillsborough County is asking residents for their input into what will become a regional destination park in the New Tampa area.

Branchton Park, 15504 Morris Bridge Road, currently includes a small parking area, shelter, playground and a basketball court.

The improvement plan will create new amenities for the community.

Depending on the suggestions from residents, features in the park could include small and large dog parks, multiple playgrounds, more shelters, a splash pad, walking trails, pickleball and multi-use courts, and gathering spaces.

The improvements would be built on land south of the park.

Enhancements will be implemented in phases, with work on the first phase expected to begin later this year.

An estimated 45,000 residents live within a 10-minute drive to the park.

Those interested in filling out the survey can visit PublicInput.com/BranchtonRegionalPark_Media.

Published July 07, 2021

Officials praise Pasco’s progress

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Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano has personally witnessed how the area where he grew up and now governs has evolved over the past several decades.

Case in point: When Fasano moved with his family to the Holiday area some 50 years ago as a 12-year-old boy, he recalls seeing signage advertising homes selling for just $6,999.

That’s quite the far cry from today, with billboards promoting $300,000 to $500,000 residences along State Road 52 and 54.

“It’s just absolutely amazing where we’ve come over time,” said Fasano, speaking during an East Pasco Networking Group breakfast meeting earlier this month, at IHOP in Dade City.

Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, left, stands alongside East Pasco Networking Group chairman Nils Lenz. Fasano was the featured guest speaker during a group breakfast meeting earlier this month, at IHOP in Dade City. (Diane Kortus)

The area’s reputation also is changing, Fasano said.

“Pasco has changed over time, not only politically, but also as far as the businesses in Pasco County.

“We’re no longer the stepchild to Pinellas and Hillsborough (counties), if you will. We’re now looked at as a leading community, and you can see it, especially in the Wesley chapel area, the Land O’ Lakes area,” he said.

The emerging growth in Pasco and surrounding Tampa Bay area is being felt at the local tax collector’s office, too.

Fasano said the agency sees roughly 60,000 in-person customers per week across its five branch offices — in Dade City, Gulf Harbors, Land O’ Lakes, New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel — not including additional services handled via phone, mail or website.

This is up from around 40,000 customers per week at only four branches when Fasano first was appointed to the role in 2013 by then Florida Gov. Rick Scott, and following 18 years served as a legislator in the Florida House and Senate.

Anticipating a forthcoming population boost, the agency swiftly opened a new branch back in August 2014, in Compark 75 at 4610 Pet Lane, just off Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

When it first opened, the office in southeast Pasco was serving just 50 customers per day, Fasano said.

It’s now averaging anywhere from 600 to 800 customers daily, and is the tax collector’s second-busiest office, he said.

With that, the agency also is considering opening up yet another office somewhere along State Road 54 or State Road 52 near the Suncoast Parkway “because that area is growing,” said Fasano.

“All you need to do is drive up, especially (State Road) 54, it’s luxury apartment complex after luxury apartment complex — a lot of them are younger families needing services, driver’s licenses, (because) they’re moving in from out of state,” he explained.

Busy offices are not just a byproduct of the county’s residential and business growth, however.

Some partly is due to word spreading that the Pasco Tax Collector doesn’t require appointments for service (except for road tests) and also welcomes out-of-county residents from surrounding Hernando, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Helping non-Pasco residents mitigates financial losses the agency takes on handling motor vehicle-related services, Fasano said, noting it’s Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles that takes in most of those fees, and not the county.

The blanket, come-all service is something Fasano takes pride in — noting tax collectors in adjacent counties oftentimes require appointments two or three weeks in advance, while only serving their respective county residents.

“We welcome everyone,” Fasano said, proudly. “We have people that come up from Hillsborough County, pleading us, ‘Please don’t change it, please don’t change it,’ because they come up there, and wait maybe 30 minutes, 40 minutes or 45 minutes, and they’re able to get the service. It’s either wait 35 or 45 minutes, or you wait three weeks with Hillsborough County to get an appointment.”

Conversely, Fasano pointed out even the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office (and its eight branches) appreciates Pasco shouldering the workload.

“Hillsborough County loves us,” Fasano said.

“They’re happy that we’re taking their customers because it’s less people that have to make these appointments and yell at them down there.

“They, in fact, say to people, ‘Hey look, if you need something done right now, go up to Pasco.’”

The Pasco Tax Collector is open all five days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., while 4 p.m. onward is reserved for Pasco residents only.

Pasco residents also can get service on Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, at the branches in Gulf Harbors and near Wesley Chapel.

“We wanted to make sure that Pasco residents have a day to themselves and that’s what happens on Saturday, and I will tell you that Pasco residents love it,” Fasano said.

He added: “I’ve got to make certain that we take care of our Pasco residents. They’re the ones that pay our salary, my salary, and the rest of our employees.”

The Pasco Tax Collector is mandated for a number of responsibilities, including providing driver licenses, auto registrations, property taxes, hunting and fishing permits, concealed weapons permits, birth certificates, fingerprints, vehicle identification checks, business receipt taxes and other services.

Fasano said the agency recently has witnessed an “an enormous amount” of title transfer on cars and boats, speculating it could be a result of stimulus dollars and returns on income taxes coming through.

The Gulf Harbors office recently handled over 800 boat titles in just one business day, he said.

“My staff tell me, after seeing all this title work on boats, they wonder if there’s boats out there to buy anymore, you know,” Fasano quipped.

Issuing concealed weapons permits also is bourgeoning, with Fasano pointing out the county leads in the state in terms of providing or renewing such permits: “It’s way ahead of every other county,” he said.

He then joked, “I think our office has armed everyone in Pasco.”

Prioritizing tax collector employees
One of Fasano’s more notable undertakings has been increasing wages and promotional opportunities for its some 200-plus employees at the tax collector’s office.

Starting salary was around $9 per hour when Fasano first arrived to the constitutional post.

“We had employees who were employed at our tax collector office for over 10 years collecting food stamps. Unacceptable. We changed that immediately,” he said.

Now the starting wage for an entry-level customer service representative is $16 per hour.

“Our employees are making a decent salary where they don’t have to reach out, and probably not need a second job any longer,” he said.

“I’ve had employees come to us and say they are now buying homes,” he added.

Fasano underscored the necessity to increase wages — to keep governmental effectiveness, reduce office turnover and otherwise “to let our employees know that they are important, that they are the key to keeping our county going.”

He observed, “Let’s remember this, we collect the taxes, and we provide those dollars to our board of county commissioners, to our school board, to mosquito control, to water district, to CDDs (community developmental districts), to paying those at the county collecting the street lights services and the road assessments, and the list goes on.

“If we’re not around, nobody can collect those dollars, so we needed to stay open to make certain that people were able to pay their taxes, and we could collect them and turn those dollars over to the taxing entities, and we’ve been successful in doing that.”

Meanwhile, Pasco County Chief Deputy Tax Collector Tim Couet has developed a leadership program where lower-level employees within the organization are identified by branch managers and directors for training for future advancement opportunities.

“We have made it a goal that when a new position of leadership opens up, we do not go outside our offices to hire someone,” Fasano said.

“If I have to go outside to Ohio or New York or wherever to hire somebody for a management position, for a director’s position, or for a supervisory position, I haven’t done my job.

“Two-hundred nine (employees), there has to be someone in there that’s qualified to take that job, and we’ve been successful over the past seven years. We’ve made it our policy that we will hire within.”

Published June 30, 2021

Tampa International Airport is ‘recovering aggressively’

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There’s no doubt that Tampa International Airport — like airports across the country — took a major hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the airport is taking steps toward an aggressive recovery.

That was a key point shared by Veronica Cintron, the airport’s vice president of communications, during a Zoom presentation in early June to members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Veronica Cintron is the vice president of communications at Tampa International Airport. (Courtesy of Tampa International Airport)

As more Americans are getting vaccinated — and with summer vacation season here — air travel is experiencing an uptick.

The Tampa airport, known as TPA for short, saw about 62,000 passengers on the Monday of Memorial Day weekend — making it the second busiest day of the pandemic. The only day that had been busier to date was Wrestlemania Sunday, which recorded 66,000 passengers in a single day, Cintron said.

“Leisure is recovering far more aggressively than business,” she told North Tampa Bay Chamber members.

Initial expectations were that it would take two years to three years for business travel to return.

But, Cintron said: “I am telling you, in being at the airport, you’re starting to see those folks who are wearing their logo shirts, they’re wearing company clothes. They’re coming with their carry-ons and you know they’re business travelers. We were not expecting to see that now.”

Business travel is now expected to resume quicker than initially thought, she said.

“We are recovering aggressively,” she said. The airport expects to be back to pre-pandemic seat capacity as early as September, Cintron added.

While traffic is picking up now, the bottom dropped out in 2020 because of COVID-19.

The airport was coming off 22 million passengers in 2019, leading up to the pandemic. It expects to be at 16 million passengers for fiscal year 2021.

“Early on, we got hit. Think about the impact when you see, at your worst, in this pandemic, we saw maybe 1,500 passengers in one day. In one day, for an entire airport complex. Think about that,” she said.

Passengers are still required to wear masks in the nation’s airports, including Tampa International Airport.

“It was eerie. It was like a ghost town.

“So, for our retailers and our restaurants, and the different concessionaires that operate out of the airport, many of them had to close. It was not sustainable to be open, when nobody is coming,” Cintron said.

The airport’s projected revenue losses exceeded $300 million, Cintron said, which is amplified because the airport is a regional economic driver.

“During shutdowns all over the country, people were still flying here. They wanted to be outside. They wanted to enjoy those outdoor attractions,” Cintron said, and they wanted to enjoy the area’s beautiful beaches.

TPA also was one of the first to develop a comprehensive safety program. It installed acrylic barriers, instituted social distancing for seating and required masks.

“We led the nation in doing so, really creating a model for other airports to follow, at a time of great uncertainty,” Cintron said, and the airport’s efforts led to international recognition.

The financial well-being of the airport has a spillover effect on the region.

As the nation’s 28th busiest airport, TPA supports 10,500 jobs directly and 121,000 jobs indirectly. It has an estimated $14 billion impact on the economy.

The three largest airlines, by market share at TPA, are Southwest, American and Delta. The most popular markets for passengers flying from TPA are New York, Chicago and Atlanta, Cintron said.

There are about 500 daily flight operations at TPA, including 90 nonstop destinations. The airport has about 30 international destinations.

Tampa International Airport used a number of approaches to keep passengers safe during COVID-19. Here, passengers are shown social distancing at airport shuttles, which are used to get to the gates.

As TPA looks ahead, it is always seeking to enhance its services, Cintron said.

Recently, Breeze Airways chose TPA for its inaugural market with nonstop flights from Tampa to Charleston, South Carolina. The airline plans to operate 10 inaugural routes from TPA, mostly to cities not currently served, including Louisville, Kentucky and Richmond, Virginia.

“When there’s competition, it benefits all of us,” Cintron said.

TPA’s international travel is beginning to pick up, but that’s happening gradually, Cintron said.

Copa Airline, which serves Panama City, Panama, returned to the airport in early June, and British Airways was expected to return later in the month. Grand Cayman expects to return this fall.

All of those plans are subject to change, however, because of the uncertainty about international travel at this point in the pandemic, Cintron said.

TPA continues planning for the future.

“Airport expansion is a key thing to make sure we are prepared for more passengers,” she said.

“Whether we’re a 22 million passenger a year airport, or a 25 million passenger a year airport, we are going to have the infrastructure to support that kind of traffic and demand.”

And, regardless if it’s building a new airside, adding an office tower, expanding parking or increasing shopping and dining options — the focus is on the customer experience, Cintron said.

“If our customers are happy, we’re doing our jobs and we take a lot of pride in doing that.

“We didn’t get the title of America’s favorite airport because we were offering three-star service. Everything we do at Tampa International Airport, we do as a five-star service for our customers,” Cintron said.

Tampa International Airport Accolades
No. 1 Medium-size Airport in U.S., 2019, Wall Street Journal
No. 2 Large Airport in North America, J.D. Power
No. 2 Best Large Airport, USA Today
Top 3 Airports in North America; Top 5 Airports in the World, Airports Council International
No. 4 Best Airport in U.S., Travel and Leisure
Source: Tampa International Airport

Tampa International Airport By the Numbers

  • Four airsides/58 gates
  • 70 shops and restaurants
  • 23,000 parking spaces
  • 500 daily flight operations
  • 90-plus nonstop destinations
  • 30 international destinations

Revised on June 30, 2021