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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

School impact fees to increase in Pasco County

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An increase in school impact fees charged on newly permitted single-family homes, multi-family homes and mobile homes will increase on Jan. 1, 2025.

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners adopted the ordinance on new fees by a vote of 4-1 during its Aug. 21 meeting in New Port Richey.

Commissioner Seth Weightman voted against the increase. Commissioners Lisa Yeager and Jack Mariano joined Commission Chairman Ron Oakley and Commission Vice Chair Kathryn Starkey in voting in favor of the increase.

The impact fee for a single-family detached home, which is currently $8,328, will be $9,328 next year. The impact fee will then increase annually through 2028 when it will be $12,328.

The impact fee for multi-family homes, including apartments, is currently $4,884 and it will be $6,389 in 2028. Mobile home fees will go from $5,114 now to $6,477 in 2028.

School impact fees are used by the Pasco County School District to help pay for school construction, including additional classroom space, and the purchase of land and school buses. 

Commissioners were told the cost of all those things provided for by school impact fees have gone up significantly over the past few years. 

For example, the cost of building schools has nearly doubled since 2017, according to district records. It cost about $178 per square foot to construct Cypress Creek Middle School in 2017 while the cost for a new school building that was recently constructed was about $390 per square foot, district records said.

Weightman said he was opposed to the increase because total impact fees in Pasco County will be over $34,000 when fees for parks and other public services are also included. Increasing the fees could result in Pasco County being a less affordable place to live, according to Weightman.

“Our impact fee today is $30,440 in the highest zone. When we add this over the next four years, it’ll compound over $34,000 and the other impact fees that this board is looking at coming out of line so very quickly, we’re going to be approaching probably the $40,000 mark, which is more money than some folks make in a year. 

“I’m concerned with our fee structure that it’s going to erode away the opportunity of home ownership for folks. I just want to put it into perspective that our impact fees are starting to be very heavy and are going up and going up and going up.” Weightman said he thought a workshop should be held to consider ways to reduce impact fees.

Weightman also said he was concerned about the additional financial burden that would be placed on Pasco County property owners by the passage of a $3,500 fee that was approved for parks. He said that schools to him are a bit more important than parks. Weightman also added he hoped the new parks tax could be reduced before the budget for fiscal year 2024-25 is adopted.

Starkey countered by saying the cost of living in Pasco County is “still very affordable” when compared to some other counties in Florida.

Oakley said there’s a demand for schools in Pasco County to get bigger and better because of the number of people who are moving into Florida and into Pasco County. This also requires that the county’s parks be kept up so both current and new residents may enjoy them.

Yeager said she agreed with Weightman that schools should be a top priority. 

”We’ve got to make sure that we get our money to schools,” Yeager said. “I agree to maybe back off the parks a little bit because we just can’t be hammered by all these fees at once, and we also have the MSTU for paving and it’s all going to add up.”

She was referring to the ordinance establishing the Road Rehabilitation Services Municipal Service Taxing Unit that commissioners adopted June 18 as a new way to fund road paving, rehabilitation, sidewalks and drainage facilities. The new ordinance will assess all property owners in unincorporated areas of Pasco County a tax of $51.84 per each $100,000 of assessed value. It won’t become effective until September when final decisions are made on the county’s budget for fiscal year 2024-25.

The new rate will be on Truth in Milling notices that will be distributed to the affected property owners later this year.

This ordinance did away with the method previously used by the county in which funding for road improvements were based upon residents living on those roads being individually assessed for the cost of the work that had been done. It had taken up to 10 years in some cases for the affected property owners to pay off their assessments. 

Under an ordinance the board adopted at its July 9 meeting, property owners who still owed money on the old assessments were relieved of having to continue paying them. This amounts to the county not being repaid $13 million for principal and interest that hadn’t been collected on the old assessments. 

Yeager also added she thought that maybe commissioners could “back off the parks a little bit.”

Mariano said he favors the increase in the fees because new residents are paying for the cost of the growth that the county is experiencing. 

Tom Wilbirt, of the West Pasco Board of Realtors, told commissioners during a public comment portion of the meeting that his organization wasn’t in favor of the increase. The growth that Pasco County is currently experiencing “is one of the main drivers of the economy” but higher impact fees “does nothing but drive up the cost of housing in our community,” Wilbirt said.

 

Zephyrhills leaders offer ideas to enhance parks

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Zephyr Park not only has five tennis courts but also a playground, walking trail, picnic shelters and fishing within the 34-care site of 5th Avenue. File photo

Members of the Zephyrhills City Council shared thoughts on how to enhance enjoyment of parks toward the end of their Aug. 26 meeting. 

Below are excerpts of remarks they made that have been edited for space or clarity. 

 

Jodi Wilkeson

Jodi Wilkeson: Connecting parks to people

I was fortunate enough to attend the Florida League of Cities conference recently and they talked a little bit about the creative class.

They made some analogies between what has happened – that 80% of the people in the U.S. were farmers just 100 years ago. Then there’s changes with the Industrial Age, where most people worked in factories for a period of time. Now, much of our community makeup is based on the creative class and those are people who work from home. 

Some of these people who work from home, they actually work in libraries, restaurants, etc. 

It’s a way to save our Main Street from the trend of dying retail centers. 

They talk about the development of parks. One idea I had was that as we get all these parks developed that we have free internet service at those locations, so that they become sharable, Instagrammable locations and we’re connecting with the next generation of young people in our community.

 

Lance Smith

Lance Smith: Making parks safer

My wife and I have been using the tennis courts at Zephyr Park for about two months now. We’ve been going down there in the evenings and it’s great. 

There’s a lot of people there; however, there are some people that come by there that are either homeless or have mental illness. 

I have asked staff to look at ways that we can help make the park a little bit safer. 

There’s a lot of things that we can do with lighting, possibly with some panic call stations that are on the college campuses, but we’ve got to get a handle on this and make it a safe environment for everybody. 

I know the staff’s working towards it. Matter of fact, [Chief Derek Brewer] said he’s going to have more patrols down there. 

It’s something that as our city grows, it’s part of the growing pains. So we’ve got to just combat it and try and make sure that the people feel safe in these parks.

Councilwoman Wilkeson said something about a coffee shop or something like that. We need to look at opportunities around our park to have these coffee shops, sandwich shops. The commercial element is really nice around these parks. We need to be open and

looking for those opportunities.

 

Zephyrhills Daybreak Rotary Club gives bikes to students

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Zephyrhills Daybreak Rotarians show off a few of the 75 bikes they donated to three schools.  Photo courtesy of Manny Funes

Zephyrhills Daybreak Rotary Club donated 75 bikes with helmets and locks during the 2023-24 school year to ensure students would have a ride to school. 

The club donated the bikes to Centennial Middle, Stewart Middle and West Zephyrhills Elementary schools. 

Daybreak President Cory Sommers came up with the idea.

Sommers saw firsthand the need because of his role as assistant principal at Centennial Middle. He encouraged members to help raise the money to buy the bikes and make a difference in children’s lives. 

Sommers led the club in raising money through its golf and bowling fundraisers along with a matching grant from the district Rotary Club. 

Rotarian Manny Funes remembered Josh Borders, principal at Stewart Middle, telling him that students could not believe the school was giving them brand new bikes. 

Borders convinced them that the gift came from the Zephyrhills Daybreak Rotary Club because that’s what they do.

 

Governor announces expansion of Hope Florida program

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(The Center Square) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Aug. 21 that he will expand Hope Florida, an initiative spearheaded by first lady Casey DeSantis.

DeSantis said that in early August, Hurricane Debby hit the Big Bend region and caused flooding throughout the Gulf Coast and southwest Florida. He said Hope Florida was involved in helping people get back on their feet.

Hope Florida’s mission is to create pathways to prosperity for communities and individuals, to help them become more economically self-sufficient and to instill hope. 

Buildings impacted by rain and storm surge from Hurricane Debby on Aug. 5, in Cedar Key.
(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“Hope Florida was spearheaded by the first lady several years ago and the impetus for it is just the recognition that government cannot solve all these problems that we deal with as a people,” DeSantis said. “Particularly when you start talking about people that are less fortunate, they may need a hand-up.”

DeSantis added that making people dependent on the government does not lead to the realization of their dreams, which is why many government bureaucracies fail to solve social issues.

“What Hope Florida sought to do, is to recognize we have all these resources throughout our communities — our churches, our charities, individual volunteers, businesses that wanna help — that we can tap into,” DeSantis said. “So, rather than think government and be in that silo, let’s use government as a way to connect people in need to all these great resources.”

Since Hope Florida’s launch, DeSantis noted that 30,000 people have either completely or partially eliminated their need for government financial assistance and are moving on a path to self-sufficiency.

“It’s better for those folks and also better for the taxpayers, and so based on our efforts so far, Hope Florida-related initiatives are projected to save taxpayers almost a billion dollars over the next 10 years. Why? Because you have needs, those needs are being met by all these great resources we have,” DeSantis said.

The governor said Hope Florida helps people become self-sufficient enough to stay off public assistance for the long term and is within several Florida agencies, such as the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Elder Affairs.

Veterans are also linked to resources through Hope Florida, which includes mental health resources and job placements. DeSantis noted that other states follow Florida’s lead with initiatives like Hope Florida.

“We have other states that have come down here, studied what we’re doing with Hope Florida and then they’re implementing it in their states respectively,” DeSantis said.

 

Published August 28, 2024.

Moody: Florida will put transnational criminals in prison

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(The Center Square) – From a Romanian theft ring to a notorious Big Boi drug trafficking ring, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is continuing to prosecute transnational criminal organizations.

She’s also issued a warning to criminals: “Florida law enforcement will track you down, and my statewide prosecutors will ensure you end up in prison.”

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (File)

In one case, Moody’s office secured 40-year prison sentences for three members of a Romanian crime ring that targeted and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from schools and churches. A Fort Myers jury found Panait Dumitru, Catalin Trandafir and Simona Trandafir guilty of multiple felonies including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, grand theft, money laundering, aggravated white-collar crime, and unlawful possession of personal identification information.

The verdict was delivered after an extensive investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The Romanians operated out of Orlando from 2019 to 2021, targeted schools and churches in six states, and stole more than $800,000 from them combined, according to the investigation.

“Florida is a law-and-order state, and we work hard to hold criminals accountable,” Moody said. “This Romanian crime ring stole more than $800,000 by taking checks from the mailboxes of more than 250 churches and schools in six states. Many of the donor victims were seniors.”

FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said the case exemplifies how law enforcement officers followed the evidence, were involved in detailed analysis, served search warrants and worked across multiple jurisdictions and regions. 

“It also demonstrates the importance we play in court, breaking down complex facts so juries can easily understand the case,” he said.

The crime ring stole checks from the mailboxes of more than 250 churches and schools in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. During a three-week trial, more than 60 pastors, reverends, ministers and priests testified about the thefts their congregations experienced. When some churches began noticing a pattern, they installed mailboxes with locks. The defendants then returned with crowbars to break into the mailboxes, they testified.

The defendants deposited the stolen checks using a network of 59 bank accounts that had been opened by various members of the crime ring using forged documents, investigators found. They then withdrew the cash from some accounts and redeposited it in others, moving more than $800,000 worth through 1,600 stolen checks.

Three Romanians were charged with multiple felonies and sentenced to 40 years in prison. Two others fled and are at large. Another previously “pled open to the court and was sentenced to 10 years in state prison,” Moody’s office said.

In another case, a supplier in a large drug trafficking ring operating out of the Boynton Beach area was arrested and charged with felony counts of trafficking cocaine and conspiracy to traffic cocaine. According to the investigation, William Moyo supplied cocaine and fentanyl for a notorious Big Boi drug trafficking ring. He is the latest arrest; authorities had already arrested 17 defendants.

“Law enforcement continues to take poison peddlers and their deadly products off our streets, and this latest arrest should serve as a warning to anyone looking to traffic drugs in our state,” Moody said. 

According to the investigation, Moyo supplied multiple kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl to a drug trafficking ring run by Johnson Joseph. After executing a search warrant, authorities found more than 20 kilograms of cocaine at Moyo’s residence.

The Big Boi drug trafficking ring is known among law enforcement for distributing fentanyl and cocaine throughout the Palm Beach County area. Throughout the investigation, authorities seized a combined 50 pounds of cocaine and other illicit substances.

The investigation is ongoing. It is funded through a Florida Department of Law Enforcement State Assistance Enforcement for Fentanyl Eradication grant.

 

Published August 28, 2024.

Report: Florida facing a serious teacher shortage

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(The Center Square) – The Sunshine State may soon reach crisis levels as a teacher shortage looms.

Florida TaxWatch has released a new report showing that Florida’s teacher salaries rank 50th in the nation and school districts are struggling to fill vacancies.

(Kenny Eliason/Unsplash)

“The well-being of Florida’s K-12 education system should be a concern for all taxpayers. Comprising 43.9% of general revenue spending for Florida’s FY 2023-2024 state budget, education is one of the biggest consumers of taxpayer dollars,” the report says.

According to the report, teacher vacancies declined 13% in four years during the 2023-2024 school year. However, the available vacancies were still more than double those during the 2016-2017 school year.

The Florida Department of Education says in the report that many teachers needing to be certified in the appropriate fields are being hired to fill teaching positions. It also notes that postsecondary institutions need to produce more graduates to meet K-12 needs.

Around 15% of courses offered in F-ranked and D-ranked schools are taught by out-of-field teachers, compared to only 6.4% of courses in A-ranked schools.

The report notes the subject area with the most out-of-field teachers is English for speakers of other languages, often these teachers are instructing lessons in different subject areas. Science-Earth and Space and Science have the most significant demand, equating to two courses per certified teacher.

Florida TaxWatch notes several reasons for the growing shortage, the first being a decline in popularity with 270,000 teachers projected to leave the profession every year. Half of those go on to change careers altogether.

There are also fewer people entering the profession from college, as teacher salaries in Florida continue to lag around $53,000 per year.

Compared to other states, Florida’s cost of living adds further barriers to teacher recruitment despite having no state income tax. Teachers’ take-home pay in states like Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois averages between $500 and $1,000 more for every bi-monthly check after state and federal taxes than Florida’s.

The report notes that Florida lawmakers are trying to elevate these burdens and have launched various programs since 2020. These include the Florida Hometown Heroes Housing Program, which helps with a down payment and closing costs and increases to teacher salaries in the state budget.

 

Published August 28, 2024.

Garden club looking for youth to help promote monarchs

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The Dade City Garden Club is looking to recruit enthusiastic, nature-loving youth to participate in the newly launched “Monarch Marvels” youth leadership program, to serve as Monarch Project ambassadors at the upcoming Monarch Butterfly Festival. Participants from grades four to eight can attend a three-part workshop to prepare to serve at the festival scheduled for Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Touchton Park and the garden club, according to a news release.

Monarch butterflies are a welcome visitor to home gardens. Here, one emerges from its chrysalis (File)

The Dade City Monarch Project was created as a community effort to support the city’s designation as a Monarch City USA and is celebrated at the annual October festival to engage the public through environmental awareness and conservation efforts.

“It has always been our vision to include youth as a key component of our educational efforts,” said Joan Hepscher, chair of the 2024 festival, in the release. “Through a generous grant from the Community Foundation Tampa Bay to support the festival, we are able to offer Monarch Marvels as an opportunity for our youth to learn the plight of the monarch, recognize the importance of Dade City’s designation as a Monarch City USA, identify strategies to increase public awareness, and bring the message to the public at this year’s festival.”

A sign at Touchton Park, the site of the Monarch Butterfly Festival, shows Dade City’s designation as a Monarch City USA (File)

The workshops will take place Sept. 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sept. 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Sept. 28 at 1 p.m., at the Hugh Embry Library in Dade City.

Space is limited and registration for all three workshops is required. At the final workshop, participants will be recognized and will receive a certificate.

For more information, call the library at 352-567-3576.

 

Published on August 28, 2024.

Newcomer defeats veteran Pasco school board member

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Jessica Wright narrowly defeated longtime Pasco County School Board member Allison Crumbley in a race to represent District 4 during the Aug. 20 non-primary election.

(Element 5/Pexels)

School Board members don’t declare a political party affiliation when running for office. 

Wright received 29,184 votes, or 51%, while Crumbley garnered 28,110, or 49%. The term of Crumbley, who’s been a School Board member for 14 years, will end on Nov. 19. Wright will be sworn in on the same date and will begin her four-year term.

Here are the results of Pasco County’s Republican Primary election on Aug. 20:

Former state senator John Legg received 24,260 votes, or 76%, in his effort to become his party’s nominee for Pasco County superintendent of schools. His challenger, Michelle Mandarin, received 7,758 votes, or 24%. Legg will face off against Chris Dunning in the Nov. 5 general election. Dunning, who is running as a non-party candidate, currently is principal at Wendell Krinn Technical High School in New Port Richey. 

The winner of the general election will succeed Superintendent of Schools Kurt S. Browning, whose term will expire on Nov. 19. Browning, who has held the position for 12 years, decided to not seek reelection.

Lisa Yeager, who represents District 4 on the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC), received 20,478 votes, or 63%, while her two challengers, Gabriel Papadopoulos and Christina Fitzpatrick, received 6,311 votes, or 20%, and 5,512 votes, or 17%, respectively. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Yeager to the District 4 seat following the April 21 death of Gary Bradford, who passed away midway through his first term. Democrat Daniel Ackroyd-Isales will challenge Yeager in November. The winner of that election will serve the remaining two years of Bradford’s term.

Jack Mariano, who represents District 5 on the Pasco County BCC, received 23,486 votes, or 74%, while his challenger, Gina Finocchiaro, received 8,375 votes, or 26%. No-party candidate Thomas Celotto will challenge Mariano in the fall. Mariano is seeking his sixth, four-year term on the BCC.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-FL-12, received 59,904 votes, or 84%, compared to his challenger, Hank Dunlap, who garnered 11,172 votes, or 16%. He will face Democrat Rock Aboujaoude Jr. in the November election.

State Sen. Ed Hooper, who represents District 21, received 34,377 votes, or 85%, compared to the 6,023 votes, or 15%, received by his challenger, John Siamas. Hooper will face Democrat Doris Carroll on Nov. 5.

State Rep. Brad Yeager, who lives in New Port Richey and represents District 56, got 6,882 votes, or 79%, compared to the 1,782 votes, or 21%, his challenger, Kirk Phillips, received. Democrat William Vernon Pura, who lives in Elfers, will run against Yeager in November.

 

Published August 28, 2024.

Simple recipes that make school days a cinch

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(Family Features) – Resisting the weeknight urge to call for takeout or order delivery starts with an approachable at-home menu with recipes you can prep in an instant. Especially during back-to-school season when schedules are jam-packed with activities, easy meals and desserts you can rely on allow you and your loved ones to ease tension in the kitchen.

Simplicity is the key to putting dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less, and Taco Salad and Taco Mac and Cheese recipes offer mealtime solutions that make cooking duty a breeze. Make all that classroom effort worth it with a kid-friendly dessert you can prepare over the weekend and keep refrigerated for weeknight treats with No Bake Dragon Fruit Cheesecake Bars.

Make dinner happen in 30 minutes

(Courtesy of Family Features)

If you’re looking for a go-to meal for your hungry family, search no more. This Taco Salad calls only for pantry staples, so you can spice up busy evenings in just half an hour.

Visit Culinary.net to find more recipes.

Taco Salad

Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

1 pound ground beef
1 can (15 ounces) black beans
1 can (15 ounces) corn
2 cans (14 ounces each) diced tomatoes with chilies
1/2 cup half-and-half or milk
2 Tablespoons onion powder
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons mesquite seasoning
1 Tablespoon black pepper
Salt, to taste
1 lime, juice only
1 cup chopped cilantro
Romaine lettuce
2-3 cups shredded cheese
1 tub (16 ounces) sour cream
Crushed tortilla chips

In a pan over medium heat, brown beef until cooked through; drain. Add black beans and corn. Stir in tomatoes with juices and half-and-half. Add onion powder, garlic powder, mesquite seasoning and pepper. Season with salt, to taste. Bring to a simmer.

Add lime juice; stir. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Wash and chop lettuce. Place cheese and sour cream in bowls for toppings.

On plates, top crushed tortilla chips with meat sauce, lettuce, cheese and sour cream, as desired.

A sweet treat to make school days special

Sometimes a long day in the classroom and tough homework assignments call for a cool treat. Rewarding all that studying can be a cinch with a no bake cheesecake bar that lasts throughout the week.

No Bake Dragon Fruit Cheesecake Bars allow you to keep things cool in the kitchen without cranking up the oven. Plus, they’re made with C&H sugars that are perfect for adding a little something special to school days.

Find more back-to-school desserts at CHsugar.com.

(Courtesy of Family Features)

No Bake Dragon Fruit Cheesecake Bars

Prep time: 35 minutes

Rest time: 6 hours

Yield: 16 bars 

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons C&H light brown sugar
1 pinch salt 

Bars:

1 small fresh dragon fruit, peeled and cubed small
1/4 cup C&H granulated sugar
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups C&H powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, full fat, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

To make crust: Line 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Leave a 2-inch overhang of paper on both sides. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Place in the freezer.

To make bars: In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook dragon fruit and granulated sugar until sugar is completely dissolved, dragon fruit is soft and mixture reduces in size, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool completely. 

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl. Add vanilla and yogurt. Beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into cream cheese mixture. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared crust. Add 5 Tablespoons of dragon fruit mixture to the remaining cream cheese batter. Mix until well combined. Pour over plain cream cheese mixture. Place in the refrigerator to set at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Cut into 16 bars.

Spice up weeknights

Macaroni and cheese is a beloved comfort food that’s easy to make on busy weeknights. With just a few extra ingredients and steps, you can turn boxed mac and cheese into a filling dinner.

To make Taco Mac and Cheese, simply prepare your favorite boxed mac and cheese according to the package instructions, and stir fry the meat and vegetables together. (Hint: You can even chop vegetables the night before to make cooking the next day even easier.) Then add taco seasoning and combine for a new take on a classic dish.

Visit Culinary.net to find more recipes.

(Courtesy of Family Features)

Taco Mac and Cheese

1 box macaroni and cheese
1/4 cup milk
4 Tablespoons butter
1 pound ground turkey
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons taco seasoning

Prepare boxed mac and cheese with milk and butter according to package instructions.

In a skillet, brown ground turkey over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion. Add taco seasoning.

Stir turkey mixture with mac and cheese to combine.

 

Published August 28, 2024.

Mosquito Control District considers expansion

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The Pasco County Mosquito Control District is in the planning stages of moving to a new and significantly larger headquarters and base of operations, according to Executive Director Adriane Rogers.

Those segments of the district have been located on a 10-acre site at 2308 Marathon Road in Odessa since 1987. The boundary has expanded twice since then and services have been provided to all of Pasco County since 2003, Rogers said.

From left: Pasco County Mosquito Control District pilot Brian Gentry, Aerial Operations Director Wayne Daniels and Executive Director Adriane Rogers stand by a helicopter that is the district’s seventh airborne asset (Courtesy of Maria Johnson)

The tremendous growth the county has experienced since 1987 is one of the reasons for the planned relocation to a 41.85-acre site on the west side of U.S. 41 just north of State Road 52 in central Pasco County, Rogers said. U.S. Census Bureau records indicate that Pasco County is one of the fastest growing counties in Florida.

“As the county is growing at an unprecedented rate, the district must grow our staff, fleet and technologies to keep up,” Rogers said. “A lot has changed at the district since 1987. We are busting at the seams.”

Nearly 50 people are employed at the district year-round and an additional 13 people work during the season when the greatest amount of mosquito control effort is required, according to Rogers.

There are only nine buildings at the current location in Odessa and those buildings are for various uses, including administration and laboratory, vehicle maintenance and repair, helicopter maintenance and storage, fleet storage, warehouse, and facilities maintenance.

As many as 14 buildings could be constructed at the new location that is north of the Talavera community, Rogers said.

The increased number of buildings will allow for ample fleet storage and buildings with diverse functions, such as administration or laboratory, to be in their own buildings with all assets related to that function under the same roof. This will increase the efficiency of the district’s operations, according to Rogers.

Plans call for all of the buildings constructed at the new location to be hardened structures designed to withstand hurricanes and other forms of inclement weather, Rogers said. This will protect all of the district’s assets.

“It’s vital for the district to be operational immediately following a storm event to reduce mosquito populations and decrease the potential for mosquito-borne disease transmission,” Rogers said. “Our number one goal is to protect public health.”

Only two of the buildings at the Odessa site — a warehouse and a hanger for a helicopter — are hardened to withstand strong winds, Rogers said.

Mosquito Control is seeking solicitations from general contractors so they may be prequalified before submitting bids to do work at the new location.

District leadership needs to know if potential bidders are able to construct the types of hardened structures and multi-use buildings that are planned for the new location. This means they must have prior experience in constructing such buildings, according to Rogers.

A site plan for the new location was submitted to Pasco County in December 2023. Permits to begin development have been under review since then by the county, Florida Department of Transportation, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and other agencies, according to Rogers.

Another necessary reason to move is that personnel will be able to provide services throughout Pasco County in a more effective and efficient manner, Rogers said.

It currently takes up to 1 1/2 hours to reach service sites in Dade City, Lacoochee or Zephyrhills and up to another 1 1/2 hours to return back to the headquarters in Odessa, Rogers said. This means some of the employees are spending up to three hours of their workday just commuting back and forth to reach the places where their services are needed, Rogers said.

The new location for the proposed campus is more centrally located in the county. This will result in a significant reduction in travel to allow quicker access to East Pasco so the district will be able to provide the same rapid, quality customer service to residents in the entire county, according to Rogers.

Once the permits are granted and the district selects a general contractor,  construction could take place over approximately one year. It is unknown at this time what the cost of construction will be and when the district will be able to relocate its headquarters to the new base of operations, Rogers said.

 

Published on August 28, 2024.