The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Rule change affects redacting of court records

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A new state law says that Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers are “not required to identify and designate information as confidential” in small claims, county civil and most circuit court documents, according to a news release shared with The Laker/Lutz News by the office of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles.

The Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers (FCCC) sent out the release to alert the public about a recent amendment made by the Florida Supreme Court, regarding the review and redaction of confidential information contained in certain court documents.

Beginning July 1, filers became solely responsible for ensuring that any confidential information contained in court records filed with the clerk is appropriately identified for redaction in these cases, the FCCC news release says.

A filer is defined as anyone who submits official court documents with the clerk to start or support a legal action, the news release says.

If a filer drafting a document believes it contains confidential information, he or she should: Exclude the information if it is not necessary; or complete a Notice of Confidential Information Within Court Filing form before filing.

Filers are required to identify the precise location of all instances of confidential information within the document – including page numbers and attachments, appendices and exhibits.

The amended rule affects small claims, county civil, and most circuit civil court cases, except for Jimmy Ryce civil commitments, cases stemming from sexual assault, medical malpractice filings and family law cases, the release adds.

Clerks around the state are exploring options across county offices to address the amendment’s broad implementation. Clerks strongly suggest attorneys, legal professionals and self-represented litigants review the amendment and become fully familiar with the rule change.

To help filers prepare and reduce the risk of confidential information becoming public record, FCCC is developing a communications campaign to help educate attorneys, self-represented litigants, and legal professionals on the rule change.

Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420 outlines 23 categories of information automatically confidential in court records, such as Social Security numbers, health records, bank account numbers, addresses of domestic violence victims, and juvenile delinquency records.

Previously, clerks would independently review all filed records to further identify and redact confidential information protected by the rule, the release says.

In accordance with the amendment, clerks no longer are required to perform this review and are obligated to protect information in civil and small claims cases only when notified by filers, by court order, or when the case itself is confidential under law, the release adds.

See Supreme Court Opinion No. SC20-175 for the full text of the Florida Supreme Court’s amendment.

For more information on the rule change, visit FLClerks.com/ConfidentialRuleChange.

Published July 21, 2021

Worth the Trip

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Explore the ways of the West
The West isn’t nearly as far away as you think. Spend a few hours at The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art and you’ll feel you’ve landed in the heart of western life.

You’ll see paintings, life-size sculptures, sketches, jewelry, photos and etchings depicting Native Americans, cowboys and cowgirls. You’ll see sultry landscapes, stampeding horses, and life as it was, and still is, in the West.

The Introductory gallery showcases majestic landscapes of the American West and some of the diverse peoples who have called these places home. Figurative bronze sculptures seemingly bring to life 19th century Native leaders. (Courtesy of The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art)

The museum building is artistic itself, with mesa-like sandstone walls inside and out, evoking western landscapes. Featuring 350 artworks and 100 pieces of jewelry, the permanent collection is one of the largest of its kind on exhibit in the country.

Art on display is just a sampling of 3,000 pieces owned by collectors and museum founders Thomas A. James and Mary James. For years, some of their art was exhibited at Raymond James Financial headquarters in St. Petersburg, where Thomas James served as CEO for 40 years and is chairman emeritus.

Now, the art is available for all to see in the museum that opened in 2018, thanks to the James’ $75-million initial investment.

On the first floor are larger-than-life sculptures. Visitors are lured upstairs by a bronze sculpture called “The Wild” of frontiersmen Kit Carson and John Fremont riding a canoe through roiling waves. Vast galleries feature paintings by Charles Russell, Frederic Remington, Ernest Blumenschein and others. There’s also Native American pottery, paintings and sculptures; contemporary Western paintings and more.

A glass room called The Jewel Box features Mary James’ Native American concho belts, rings, necklaces and bracelets. Another gallery is filled with wildlife paintings and sculptures of animals from around the world.

The museum gift shop sells books, jewelry and other items. The Canyon Cafe is temporarily closed.

Museum membership offers rewards. The biggest reward, though, is being able to see some of the best of the West, slightly more than an arrow shot away from Tampa Bay.

The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
Where: 150 Central Ave., downtown St. Petersburg. Parking is on Levels 3 and 4 of the South Core Parking Garage at 101 First Ave., S. The first hour is free; $1 an hour after that.
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, except Tuesdays, when hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: adults, $20; seniors, active military and students, $15; ages 7 to 18, $10. Discounts given on Tuesdays. Tickets can be purchased at the door or at TheJamesMuseum.org.
Covid-19 restrictions: As of mid-July, masks are not required for vaccinated visitors but are required for unvaccinated visitors. The museum is temporarily not accepting cash. Canyon Café is closed, but free tea and coffee are available. Please check to see if there are any changes to these restrictions.
Info: 727-892-4200;

By Karen Haymon Long

Note: This is an edited and updated version of a story that originally appeared in The Laker/Lutz News on Jan. 15, 2020.

 

Visit a ‘palm paradise’ in St. Petersburg
Tom St. Peter, a volunteer at Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum in downtown St. Petersburg, has always been attracted to plants and trees.

When he was in the corporate world, he often spent his lunch hour buying plants in local nurseries. The palm park is a special place, he said.

Foxtail palms, natives of northern Australia, are rare and protected. (Karen Haymon Long)

“It’s like my cathedral. There’s an aura about it.”

The 2-acre park once was a city-owned miniature golf course that closed due to increased costs.

In 1976, resident Elva Rouse suggested a palm arboretum for the spot overlooking the bay. The St. Petersburg City Council agreed and Gizella Kopsick, a longtime palm admirer, contributed stock to establish the park.

It began with 60 palms, representing 10 species. Now it has 500 palms and cycads, totaling 150 species apiece, and every palm species is native to Florida.

Volunteers and city workers maintain the park.

Volunteer Phil Stager, who leads free tours, said he’s not aware of another place like it in the Western Hemisphere, even though palms are nearly universal.

“Palms are native to every continent, except the Antarctic,” he said. “Cycads are native to every continent except Europe and the Antarctic.”

Cycads, he said, are the oldest seed-bearing plants on the planet. They go back about 300 million years, while palms are about 60 million to 65 million years old. Sago palms and other cycads are labeled by green signs in the park; palms are designated by gray ones.

Tours are just one way to enjoy the park. Some visitors exercise there, push baby carriages along the winding paths, take pictures, or merely sit on benches to enjoy the tropical views.

When Sager moved to Florida, he recognized two types of palms – coconut palms and all others. Then he planted a few palms at his home and joined a local chapter of the International Palm Society.

“That’s the best way,” he said, “to learn about palms.”

Gizella Kopsick Palm Arboretum
Where: 901 North Shore Drive, N.E., St. Petersburg
When: Open daily 30 minutes before sunrise to 11 p.m. for self-guided tours
Cost: Free admission, parking and volunteer-led tours
Info: For volunteer-led tours, make reservations at 727-893-7441; more details at StPeteParksRec.org.

By B.C. Manion

Note: This is an edited and updated version of a story that originally was published in The Laker/Lutz News on April 19, 2017.

 

Stop by for beauty and tranquility at Sunken Gardens 

Birds chirp, as breezes stir through trees. Beauty abounds around every bend in this tranquil place, so different from outside its walls just off busy Fourth Street. There’s plenty to take in at Sunken Gardens, which dates back more than a century.

Described as St. Petersburg’s “oldest living museum,” the botanical gardens boast waterfalls, meandering paths, demonstration gardens and more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers, some of the oldest in the region.

Live pink flamingos, not the plastic ones found in many Florida yards, make their home at Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg. (Courtesy of Dwayne Biggs/Sunken Gardens)

Where else within walking distance of a busy downtown can you see flamingos, koi, tortoises, orchids and palms all in one place?

Here, moms push strollers, or walk along, clinging to small children’s hands. Friends chat as they make their way through. Couples, families, photographers and nature lovers share the experience, too.

Sunken Gardens dates to 1903, when George Turner Sr., a plumber and gardener, bought the site that included a shallow lake 10 feet below sea level. He drained the lake to form his private sunken garden and grew papayas, citrus and exotics in the rich soil.

By the 1920s, he had opened a nursery and sold fruit, vegetables, roses and other plants. He charged a nickel to stroll through his gardens. In the fall of 1935, he fenced his gardens off and upped admission to a quarter.

Over time, Sunken Gardens became one of Florida’s most popular attractions. Turner’s sons, Ralph and George Jr., carried on after he died in 1961. Ralph’s sons sold the attraction to the City of St. Petersburg in 1999.

Today, near a bench made of fossilized limestone rock, known as the Sunken Gardens Growing Stone, a sign proclaims: “Legend has it that, ‘He who sits upon the ancient stone shall be granted tranquility, inner harmony and the talent to make things grow.’”

Sunken Gardens
Where: 1825 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg
When: Open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 4:30 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Cost: adults, $12; seniors 62 and older, $10; children 2 to 17, $6. Parking is free.
Info: 727-551-3102
Covid-19 update: As of mid-July, no events or programs were scheduled. Call the gardens to find out the latest news.

By B.C. Manion

Note: This is an updated and revised version of a story that originally was published in The Laker/Lutz News on Aug. 8, 2018.

Published July 21, 2021

AmbuBus helps streamline emergency response

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(Courtesy of Hillsborough County)

With a fresh coat of paint, a new logo and an interior revamp, an old Hillsborough County school bus has been converted into a new AmbuBus, according to a Hillsborough County newsletter.

The vehicle was funded solely through donations and grants from the Hillsborough County School District, and the Tampa Bay Health and Medical Preparedness Coalition.

The interior of the bus has been outfitted with supplies, cots and stretchers. It can carry 12 to 20 patients and paramedics at a time, and will be used for large-scale emergencies, such as hurricanes.

The bus will be equipped with all of the necessary medical equipment that is included in regular ambulances and will be used to free up other vehicles that are needed to respond to different locations.

Published July 21, 2021

Pasco health grant will help with return of students to school

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The health department in Pasco County recently received a $12 million grant from the Florida Department of Health, that is intended to help with the return of students to school, according to Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

“This is a very broad grant,” Gadd said, during a school board meeting last month. “It’s allowing us to purchase canopies, picnic tables and various supplies that will help us kind of separate kids during lunches and cafeteria time, to help mitigate the impact of COVID in the new school year.

The grant will support more health professionals, nurses and other personnel — allowing district nurses to focus on their nursing duties, which involve screenings and of other activities with students, Gadd said.

“Also, as part of this grant that we have with the department of health, we’ll be continuing to offer testing services to kids and staff, although the department of health will be running those testing programs.

“They’ll be doing it with a mobile bus on the east and the west side of the county. We’ll still have this location here, in the center of the county, but the department of health will be running it, as opposed to the school system.

“In addition, we are offering vaccinations through Health Heroes, and this is strictly voluntary,” Gadd said. That program provides free vaccinations for youths age 12 and older.

Published July 21, 2021

Will planning board appointments become more political?

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Pasco County commissioners want a greater say, individually, regarding appointments to the Pasco County Planning Commission.

The issue arose at the county board’s July 6 meeting, when commissioners were set to approve two-year reappointments of planning commissioners Charles Grey, Christopher Poole, Roberto Saez and Don Anderson.

The item had been placed on the board’s consent agenda — meaning no discussion was expected and it would be approved as part of a bundle of agenda items.

But Commissioner Mike Moore pulled the item to express his desire to consider such appointments individually in the future —  instead of voting on them collectively.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, however, pushed for a bigger change.

She wants to discard the process that’s been used recently to choose the planning board.

Instead of soliciting applications and then voting on appointments as a collective county board, she called for individual commissioners to choose a planning board member to represent their district.

“I prefer to appoint someone to that (planning board),” Starkey said.

Jack Mariano supported the move.

“Commissioner Starkey, I agree 100%. I don’t have a single person from District 5 and there’s not a single person from District 1, either.”

Moore said he had no problems with what Starkey and Mariano were suggesting.

It’s similar to the process that commissioners used in the past to select members of the planning commission.

County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder told the board that changing the selection process would require an amendment to the land development code.

Steinsnyder added: “I’ll also remind you that the reason you moved to board appointments versus commission appointments was to move forward the way most other jurisdictions do it.”

Having the entire county board select planning commissioners reduces potential for “political appointments,” Steinsnyder said.

“It is probably your most important board,” Steinsnyder said.

“That’s why I feel that the west side should be represented,” Starkey said. “They don’t have to live in a commission district. I may not find anyone who qualifies in my district,” she said. “But at least I want someone on the (planning) board who understands my district.”

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said he doesn’t have a problem with the current planning commission.

“I think the planning commission has been operating very well. I don’t have any feeling of not being represented on that planning commission board. They’re all our citizens,” Oakley said.

However, Oakley joined in with the rest of the commission when they approved a motion by Starkey to extend the terms of Grey, Poole, Saez and Anderson for six months.

That will allow time for new commission district lines to be drawn through redistricting.

After that, commissioners agreed they would appoint one planning commissioner each, with the full board choosing an at-large member. The school board seat on the planning board would not be affected by the change.

Planning board members who already have been reappointed to longer terms would need to be addressed separately, Moore noted.

The issue was bought up at the Pasco County Planning Commission’s meeting on July 8, by Denise Hernandez, the county’s zoning administrator.

She informed the planning board about the county board’s action.

David Goldstein, the chief assistant county attorney, said the possibility remains that the planning board’s composition could remain the same — since commissioners have the option of appointing someone who lives outside of their district.

Future vacancies, he said, will be filled by individual board members, except for the at-large seat, which will be selected by the entire board. The school board seat will not be affected.

Because the change requires an amendment to the county’s land development code and because it would not take effect until redistricting is done, it might not occur within six months, Goldstein said.

“My understanding is that there’s an issue with the census data. It’s not out yet. The redistricting has to be based on the census data.

“It may not occur in six months. It may roll into the next year. I suspect what will happen is that we may need to be going back to the board saying, ‘We need to extend another six months, or something to that effect,” Goldstein said.

Currently, there are no representatives on the planning commission from Oakley, Starkey or Mariano’s districts.

“There are three planning commission members from Christina Fitzpatrick’s district and three members from Commissioner Moore’s district,” Hernandez said.

The planning commission is a volunteer board, which provides recommendations on comprehensive land use, zoning, and land development code changes, as well as conditional use requests and operational permits. It is the final decision-making body for special exception applications.

Planning Commission Chairman Grey quipped that zoning administrator Hernandez was behind the planned change.

To which Goldstein responded: “It was not the recommendation by staff or the county attorney’s office.”

Planning board member Anderson asked: “Does that (the new process) make it more of a political appointment?”

Goldstein responded: “Yes, that was one of the reasons the county attorney’s office originally recommended that it be the decision of the entire board, so the entire board could pick the best fit from an expertise perspective, more so, versus, say, they happen to live in the district, perspective.”

Serving on the planning commission requires a certain amount of expertise in real estate, planning, development and so on, Goldstein said.

“I think the county attorney’s office, and probably the planning staff as well, thought the appointment should be based on knowledge and expertise, rather than where you live,” Goldstein said.

Published July 14, 2021

Diverging Diamond is delayed

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Work on the diverging diamond project at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel has been halted, and the project is not expected to be completed until after the holidays.

That news was announced by Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore during the Pasco County Commission’s July 6 meeting.

Moore told his colleagues that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) had found the company doing the work — D.A.B. Constructors — in default.

Kris Carson, department spokeswoman for FDOT’s District 7 office, explained the series of events in an email.

This is an aerial of a diverging diamond project. Work has stopped on a diverging diamond project that is being done in Wesley Chapel, which is expected to ease traffic at State Road 56 and Interstate 75, once the work is finished. An estimated completion date on the project has not been determined. (File)

She said that in November 2020, FDOT “issued a Notice of Intent to Default (NOI) to the contractor due to concerns they were not proceeding at the pace required to meet the contractual completion date.”

In its response, D.A.B. Constructors “included a recovery schedule showing a project completion date of October 2021,” Carson wrote.

Based on that schedule, FDOT “established interim milestone dates that the contractor would need to meet in order to avoid being defaulted,” Carson’s email continues.

“One of the milestones was set for June 28, 2021, and the contractor did not meet this milestone.

“On June 25, 2021, D.A.B. notified the Department (FDOT) they were demobilizing from the project. As a result of missing the milestone, the Department (FDOT) defaulted D.A.B. on July 1, 2021,” Carson’s email says.

She also noted that “at the time of the default, D.A.B.’s schedule submitted to the Department (FDOT) showed a final completion date of Jan. 6, 2022, and the interchange would be in its final configuration in early November 2021. However, interim milestones on the projects critical path were not met to achieve that schedule. D.A.B. demobilized on June 25, 2021, which would further delay the project.”

Carson goes on to say that FDOT “will work with the surety company who is required to provide a replacement contractor to complete the project. At this time, FDOT is unsure how long it will take the surety to procure the replacement contractor but will work diligently to move the process as quickly as possible.”

During the July 6 county board meeting, Moore told his colleagues that motorists driving through the area likely would have noticed the work stoppage at that location.

“The company swore up and down they would get this done. They would meet the milestones. The timelines. They were moving along nicely, in the beginning, unfortunately, they slowed down again,” Moore said.

Despite the delay, Moore reiterated his support for the diverging diamond.

“It’s such a great project. It’s going to have huge benefits,” Moore said.

Still, the county commissioner expressed frustration.

“It’s unfortunate. It really is. Because who pays the price? It’s our citizens — that’s their taxes and they expect these projects to be done in a timely manner,” Moore said.

In her email, Carson said FDOT is “empathetic to impacts any project delays may cause to motorists, residents, and businesses and will make adjustments to traffic signals and any traffic control devices to help accommodate extra traffic volume” that’s typical during the holiday season.

She said D.A.B. is the prime contractor on two other projects in Pasco County: State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road; and State Road 52, from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41.

“The default does not apply to these state road projects,” Carson wrote.

Published July 14, 2021

Searching for answers about Eddie Lewis

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The word “Ehren,” of German origin, means “to honor.”

And, an example of doing just that can be found at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery, in the once-thriving community of Ehren, off Ehren Cutoff in Land O’ Lakes.

For more than 114 years, a small grave in this 1-acre cemetery, has been marked by the name “Eddie” at the top of a small tombstone.

Karen Matthews, of Land O’ Lakes, and Patricia Puckett, of Dade City, clean the grave marker of Eddie Lewis, buried at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery in 1906. This burial ground is one of four historic African American cemeteries that still exist in Pasco County. (Courtesy of Doug Sanders)

This is the final resting place for Eddie Lewis, who died on Nov. 8, 1906, at the age of 14.

He was buried there, at a time of segregated homes, churches, schools and cemeteries.

“Eddie’s was the only marked grave with a headstone and mount when I first stopped to see the cemetery,” says Karen Matthews, of Land O’ Lakes, who lives six miles away.

“It’s obvious his parents put all their love and money in honoring their dead son, and I was overcome with wonder and curiosity about his short life,” she said.

Eddie Lewis was born on March 17, 1892, according to the grave marker.

Public records about Eddie Lewis’ life and death are elusive.

There was no hospital in Ehren at that time, and no medical records are available.

No death certificate is available, either.

Florida didn’t begin requiring death certificates until the 1920s, according to Jeff Cannon, the former director of the Pasco County Historic Preservation Society.

While not much is known about Eddie Lewis’ life, insights about the community of Ehren can be gleaned from historic records, accounts of local historians and from newspaper reports.

For instance, the Orange Belt Railroad arrived in 1888.

The local post office was established on Jan. 17, 1890, to serve 300 people, according to an application to the postmaster general in Washington D.C.

Elizabeth Riegler MacManus and Susan A. MacManus, authors of “Citrus, Sawmills, Critters & Crackers,” described the working conditions in the community more than a century ago.

White workers cut wood to feed the wood-burning trains, while Black laborers cut railroad ties to maintain and expand the railroad tracks, the historians wrote.

Before cleaning.
After cleaning.

During the 1900s, Blacks in Ehren worked at a turpentine still built southeast of the Ehren Pine Company, collecting resin from trees, in heavy barrels.

The only other source of real income was agriculture where local farmers produced crops of watermelons, cantaloupes, onions, tomatoes, cane syrup and peanuts.

Historian Cannon described the devastation caused by a fire on March 28, 1920 that burned the Ehren Pine Company to the ground.

“Within a few minutes, the sawmill was ablaze along with a large boarding house and two homes,” Cannon wrote in 2011. Total losses were reported at $125,000, according to his research.

The Dade City Banner reported on April 2, 1920: “With the sawmill gone there is little left of Ehren, and its future depends largely upon whether Mr. Mueller and his associates rebuild or not.”

Historian Cannon observed: “Although research has revealed a great deal of information about the sawmill town, there still remains that which we do not know.”

It’s not even known precisely when Mt. Carmel Cemetery was founded.

Approximately 40 graves were found in the cemetery in September 2006, by SDII Global, which conducted a ground-penetrating radar survey of the cemetery.

Seven of those were marked with traditional headstones, but the others had wooden markers, which had rotted away.

“The earliest marked grave is the infant daughter of T. & M. Horton, dated Dec. 23, 1903,” according to Cannon.

The genesis of this column was a 2020 request from Matthews, who asked for help in tracking down more information about Eddie Lewis.

On June 20, 2009, the cemetery was officially designated a historic site by the county’s historic preservation committee.

Although little could be learned about him, some online searches helped to provide more details about his family.

The online source FindAGrave.com identifies Robert Milton Lewis and Jane Lloyd Lewis, as Eddie’s parents.

Additionally, handwritten records from the 1900 census (Pasco Ehren District #0129) reveal that Eddie had three brothers: Robert, born in 1890; Montine, born 1895; and Abraham, born in in 1900. He also had a sister, Ida, born in 1887.

Other information about Eddie’s family was found in additional census records and Ancestry.com.

Those records say that Eddie’s father was born in 1866 in Mississippi and his mother was born in 1871 in Florida.

His parents, according to the records, were married in 1886.

Records indicated that both parents could read and write, and Eddie’s father worked in a “log yard sawmill.”

Records from the 1910 census reveal that the Lewis family moved to Clearwater, and that Eddie’s father was the owner of a blacksmith shop.

Those records also indicate that Eddie had another brother, John, who was born in 1904, but that his sister, Ida, had apparently died because her name was not listed in the census.

Eddie’s parents are not buried at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, according to obituaries found on Newspapers.com.

His father died in Clearwater at the age of 89 on July 5, 1956. His mother died in Pinellas County in 1945 at the age of 74.

Although the ground survey did not identify any names at the Mt. Carmel Cemetery, at least four interments are listed by PeopleLegacy.com:

  • Minnie Blocker (1876 to 1954)
  • Lonnie G. Bowen (born 1875)
  • Lydia Gibbs (1867-1936)
  • W.G. Gibbs (Died 1935)

Any Information about others buried at the cemetery remains a mystery — at least for now.

Published July 14, 2021

Penny for Pasco funds to help pay for road widening

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The Pasco County Commission has approved spending $3.2 million in Penny for Pasco funds to help pay for widening a portion of Old Pasco Road.

The expenditure is considered to be a fair share contribution, associated with an economic development project at the Overpass Business Park property at 7012 Old Paso Road and 7526 Old Pasco Road.

The county’s engineering services department requested the county’s Office of Economic Growth to provide the $3.2 million toward the road’s construction costs, according to the Pasco County Commission’s July 6 agenda packet.

The concept plan for the business park consists of four buildings totaling 860,000 square feet. The project is expected to generate 1,500 full-time jobs.

The agreement says Old Pasco Road must be widened to four lanes, from the southern point of the property going north to the intersection of Old Pasco Road and Overpass Road, before the first certificate of occupancy will be issued on the property.

The first industrial building on the property is expected to be completed by the end of September in 2022.

In other action, commissioners:

  • Approved a task order in the amount of $584,100 with Bandes Construction Company Inc., to provide construction services for the interior renovation to the Commissioner Suite on the first floor of the West Pasco Government Center.

The existing suite is outdated and doesn’t meet the functional needs of the three commissioners who have offices there and their support staff, agenda materials say. The renovation involves a 3,257 square-foot area, including one large conference room, two small conference rooms, two restrooms, three commissioner offices, six administrative assistant offices, a breakroom, reception area, copy area and storage.

  • Approved an increase of $171,000 with TNT Environmental LLC for expenditures relating to the countywide slum and blight demolition program. The increase will result in a new not-to-exceed amount of $466,625 for fiscal year 2021 and a cumulative total not-to-exceed amount of $1,195,500 for the three-year contract term.

The additional money is needed to allow a task force to prioritize an additional 20 to 30 structures for demolition in fiscal year 2021.

  • Approved a development agreement with Taylor Morrison of Florida Inc., regarding the design, permitting and construction of a turn lane on the west side of Morris Bridge Road, at the intersection of State Road 56, in exchange for mobility fee credits.

The county’s transportation planners have determined that this improvement is not a site-access related improvement, and is an existing deficiency unrelated to the master-planned unit development, which makes it eligible for mobility fee credits.

County planners and the County Attorney’s Office have vetted the agreement, according to agenda materials.

  • Approved a funding agreement between the county and Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County Inc., to allow the county to expend grant funds as approved under the Fiscal Year 2020 HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The agreement allows $400,000 for the construction of 10 affordable for- purchase homes located in the Cove neighborhood on Main Avenue and 17th Street in Dade City.

The term of this Agreement begins on the last day signed by the county and continues through Sept. 30, 2022. Payment of the allocated sum is to be made as reimbursement to Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County.

• Approved a change to the county’s land use plan to allow 11 more single-family homes in the Orange State Grove, north of County Line Road, west of Livingston Road, in Lutz. The change increased the designation from three dwellings per acre to nine dwellings per acre, on approximately 2.32 developable acres. The existing Orange State master-planned development permitted 206 residential units, but the additional homes required a change in the land use designation to support the increased density.

Published July 14, 2021

Zephyrhills welcomes new Main Street director

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Faith Wilson is off to a quick start — as the new director and events coordinator for Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.

In about a month’s time, the 32-year-old has helped relaunch the organization’s website, created a community interview series, increased social media engagement across various platforms, and streamlined membership and sponsorship packages.

She’s also planning the organization’s 17th annual Music & Motorcycles event, set for Sept.11, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Main Street Zephyrhills is a 501c3 nonprofit that generally facilitates new business, and organizes large events and parades within the historic downtown district — particularly along Fifth Avenue.

Faith Wilson (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.)

Events include Music & Motorcycles, Halloween Howl and Zephyrhills Christmas Parade, among others.

Wilson was introduced during a Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting June 28 at Zephyrhills City Hall.

She is a Lithia native, who lives in Lakeland with her husband and two children.

She graduated from Newsome High School, and studied liberal arts and architecture at Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida, respectively.

She officially began working for Main Street Zephyrhills on June 1, with a salary of $38,456.

Her role — as the organization’s only city-funded position —  consists of serving as an advocate and liaison for the downtown district with initiatives to bring economic growth and community connections. The role involves working closely with the Zephyrhills CRA and other groups.

The organization relies on donations, memberships and partner organizations to help fund projects such as public artwork, family friendly events and activities.

Wilson’s background is in retail management, having been an assistant store manager and corporate leadership team member at Stein Mart. She also served on the advisory board for USO (United Service Organizations) Tampa Bay.

Wilson assumed the Main Street position vacated by Paxton McCullough, who held the role from June 2020 to May 2021. Before that, the role was held by Anna Stutzriem, who resigned in March 2020 after more than two years on the post.

Wilson shared her vision for Main Street Zephyrhills and the city’s historic downtown, a subject broached by CRA Commissioner Lance Smith during the meeting.

“I see opportunity overall,” Wilson responded. She cited the potential for events, particularly markets because they draw the community out — something that was hampered by COVID-19.

“When people get out in the community and they shop local, they see their local friends, they see their neighbors out there, it really brings that bond and sense of community back together, and hopefully from that, (people) become inspired to continue to come downtown and support their local businesses,” Wilson said.

Building momentum for Zephyrhills historic downtown, particularly around Fifth Avenue, is a primary objective of Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.

Describing herself as personable, as well as a person of action, Wilson said “I want the community to feel like they know me and that they can talk to me at any time.”

She has been keeping busy with Main Street functions.

Initial tasks included being a part of the well-attended Seventh Street Mural ceremony back in late May.

The vibrant mural, titled ‘Ocea,’ is located on the south-facing wall of 5210 Seventh St.

The outdoor event gave residents a chance to mingle with the mural’s artists, partake in refreshment, take pictures and spend time together in downtown.

“That was quite a success,” Wilson said. “It was positively received, and it was a nice community event, especially post-COVID, for everyone to get out and see what we’re doing in the Main Street sector.”

Wilson also has updated the organization’s social media platforms, ensuring presence on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, SnapChat and Instagram.

“I’m keeping up with all of that,” Wilson said. She also is “trying to cater to all age groups of the Zephyrhills community and let them know what Main Street is doing,” she said.

Wilson has been doing a livestream interview series, in which she dialogues with various Main Street members and business owners “to let the community get to know the people behind these organizations, so I think that’s going to be very helpful with connecting the community.”

The most recent interview piece featured Habitat for Humanity ReStores representatives, which can be found archived on YouTube.

Wilson’s “big project” has been the relaunch of a new Main Street Zephyrhills website, MainStreetZephyrhills.org.

She shared details of the website on the council chambers’ projection screen, during the meeting.

The fresh site includes several new user-friendly features and accessibility tools, such as shortcuts to information about dining, shopping, events, activities and service experiences throughout town.

There’s a detailed downtown Zephyrhills business directory, providing information including address, phone number and links to their respective websites.

Other highlights include a city events calendar and listing of upcoming Main Street projects and attractions.

There’s also a business entrepreneur resources toolkit that lists available vacant properties for lease, as well as how-to information about licenses, permits, loans, utilities, community connection opportunities and more.

The website is ADA-compliant, with accessibility tools to alter contrasts and text sizes, too.

Wilson worked closely on the project with The Social Connection — a Land O’ Lakes based marketing agency specializing in website development, social media and graphic/digital marketing, particularly for start-up companies and small businesses.

The website undertaking involved “many, many hours,” Wilson acknowledged.

Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., is a 501c3 nonprofit that generally facilitates new business and organizes large events in the city’s historic downtown district.

CRA Director Gail Hamilton, who serves as Main Street’s ex-oficio, attested: “She’s providing content and she’s having to pull teeth from everybody to get the content to put on there,” also noting that Wilson often has been tackling details, late into the evening.

Hamilton commended Wilson’s efforts.

“She hit the ground running with this (position),” said Hamilton, “so we are very excited about the future.”

Other city leaders came away impressed with Wilson’s presentation and overall work, over the  short time frame.

“I think she’s doing a great job, and I think we’re going to see Main Street grow and begin to flourish,” said Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

CRA Commissioners also happily observed Main Street’s complete roster of volunteer board members — something that’s been a challenge for the organization in the past.

In fact, Poe pointed out the local Main Street chapter was “very close” to shuttering about a year ago, because there weren’t enough board members per state requirements for a period of time.

Besides Wilson and Hamilton, other key Main Street figures now include president Linda Kerns, vice president Devin Alexander, board members Antwon Gildon, Christin Bennett, Sarrah Vesselov and Grant Posner, treasurers Martin Harm and Keith Wolfe, and Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson.

“We’ve got a great mix of residents who live in the downtown neighborhoods who work and have businesses in the downtown area that are really committed to this,” Hamilton said.

Published July 14, 2021

Mask mandate dropped in Pasco, Hillsborough public schools

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Students returning to public schools in Pasco and Hillsborough counties will not be required to wear masks.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning took a moment at the school board’s July 6 meeting to reiterate the Pasco district’s position.

“I’ve been getting a number of emails from folks, across the district, that I guess are still concerned that I’m going to have staff and students in masks.

“I am not going to have students in masks, come the beginning of the school year.

“I think it’s been patently clear by this district that masks would be optional starting in August.

“I think it’s even more clear with the remarks made by our governor that there would be no masks in school. So, they’ve removed that decision from local school districts,” Browning said.

“So, I just want to make it abundantly clear that we will not have masks required in Pasco schools.

“We will, however, continue to monitor COVID and COVID data, with the Delta variant that’s out there,” Browning added.

Hillsborough County public schools also has announced that it would drop the mask mandate.

Gov. Ron DeSantis told the Florida Board of Education at its June 10 meeting that most of the state’s school districts had already decided that “kids should be able to go to school normally, they should not be forced to wear masks.

“I think that that’s important that we do that statewide,” he said.

However, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, updated on July 9, for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools says: “Masks should be worn indoors by all individuals (age 2 and older) who are not fully vaccinated.”

The guidance continues: “Consistent and correct mask use by people who are not fully vaccinated is especially important indoors and in crowded settings, when physical distancing cannot be maintained.”

The CDC “recommends schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms, combined with indoor mask wearing by people who are not fully vaccinated, to reduce transmission risk. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully reopen while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as indoor masking.”

Published July 14, 2021