Local News

Business Digest 1-8-14

January 8, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Lewis family wins $1,000 from Connerton
Scott Lewis, right, receives a $1,000 prize from Stew Gibbons, after he and his wife Erica won the $1,000 drawing as part of New Town of Connerton’s Grand Tour of Homes contest. Connerton visitors were able to enter a drawing at Club Connerton and the four builders’ models — from Ryland Homes, M/I Homes, Taylor Morrison and Homes by WestBay — giving each visitor five chances to win.

Realtors take home Connerton prize
Beth Hibben of Exit Realty Bayshore and Linda Roy of Charles Rutenberg Realty, were $1,000 winners as part of the Grand Tour for Realtors drawing at Connerton.
Hibben resides in Lutz, while Roy makes her home in Land O’ Lakes. Both have sold homes in Connerton in the past.
Both Realtors also have military ties. Hibben is a volunteer agent at MacDill Air Force Base, while Roy has both a husband and son who are retired from the U.S. Air Force.
All Realtors had an opportunity to enter their names in the drawing by visiting Club Connerton and models from four builders — Ryland Homes, M/I Homes, Taylor Morrison, and Homes by WestBay.
Connerton, located on U.S. 41 north of Land O’ Lakes, has had more than 70 sales in the past six months.

Tampa Bay area leads in job creation
Job creation is up statewide, and a lot of that has to do with the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater region, which led all metro areas in job creation over 2013 with 39,300 jobs added.
That resulted in a 1.9 percentage point decline in the unemployment rate for the region, bringing the rate to 6.2 compared to 8.1 percent the year before.
The top jobs in the region included professional and business services with an additional 12,000 jobs; education and health services with 9,700 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities with 7,100 jobs; and construction with 6,400 jobs.
The area also led in online job demand, as well as those in the high-paying areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey shows Tampa Bay area employers are expected to continue hiring at an active pace, with 21 percent of companies interviewed saying they plan to hire more employees.
Statewide, the unemployment rate dropped from 6.7 percent to 6.4 percent. The state has created more than 446,000 private sector jobs since December 2010, according to the governor’s office.

Brenneman retires from tax collector’s office
December capped the end of a 30-year career for Denise “Dee” Brenneman with the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, not only serving customers as a member of the service staff, but also as a trainer who helped employees learn the often complex tasks of running a tax collector’s office.
“It is with both regret and joy that we see Dee retire from our office,” said Mike Fasano, Pasco’s tax collector, in a release. “We regret that she will no longer be a part of our staff, serving the taxpayers as well as she has done for the past three decades. However, we do feel joy for her as she moves into this new stage of her life.”
During a farewell ceremony on Dec. 20, Brenneman was presented with a plaque commemorating her career with the office.

Another honor for New Identities Hair Studios
New Identities Hair Studios of Tampa — with locations in both New Tampa and Riverview — was selected as one of the Salon Today 200 top 200 salons in the United States.
The annual listing honors the top salons and spas, as judged by the editors of Salon Today magazine in New York. Winners are chosen from thousands of applicants nationwide, according to a release.
This is the fourth consecutive year New Identities has won this award.
New Identities is located in Tampa Palms, 15307 Amberly Drive in Tampa, as well as in South Shore at 10639 Big Bend Road in Riverview.
For more information, visit NewIdentitiesSalon.com.

Florida leads way in aviation
A new study from PricewaterhouseCoopers has ranked Florida first in overall U.S. aviation manufacturing attractiveness.
That joined other rankings of ninth for the state’s industry and sixth for cost in the first ranking of its kind in the nation.
The PwC ranking used a weighted average of variables in the report, which includes costs, workforce, and the number of aerospace companies. Texas was ranked second in the report, and Washington was third.
Florida’s manufacturing sector has 17,500 companies employing 311,300 workers around the state, according to the governor’s office. Manufacturing accounted for 93 percent of Florida’s exports in 2012, and the state ranks first in the nation in manufacturing export intensity — the percentage of total manufactured goods that are exported.
For every dollar invested in manufacturing goods, it creates another $1.43 of activity in other sectors, according to the governor’s office.

Looking back, instead of ahead, this New Year’s

January 1, 2014 By Diane Kortus

Today is Jan. 1. Which means you’re probably making a list of all the things you hope to do, improve or change in 2014.

But let me stop right here before you turn the page. I promise — this is not another column about New Year’s resolutions that are almost certain to go unfulfilled.

Instead, I want to look back, instead of ahead, much like this week’s paper that profiles our favorite stories of 2013.

So here, in no particular order, are 10 achievements of the past year that I’m most proud of professionally and personally.

1.) More readers than ever
In March, we learned that our 2012 circulation audit reported that 80 percent of households in Lutz regularly read The Lutz News. And in Pasco, The Laker is read by 75 percent of households in our distribution area. This is an increase of 8 percentage points in just two years — a statistically remarkable accomplishment.

2.) Better business coverage
Our business reporting really took off after Michael Hinman joined our staff in July. In particular, his focus on growth and development — topics readers told us they wanted more of in a readership study — have added more depth and analysis to our news coverage.

3.) Breaking news reporting
In early November, we reported that the long-stalled outlet mall at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 had finalized a permit with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, clearing the way for construction approvals. We were the first to report this story, which was later picked up by just about every other news outlet in Tampa Bay.

As a weekly newspaper, it is never our priority to be first with a story. We leave that to the immediacy of television and the daily newspapers. But it sure felt good, and made me proud, that our small news staff broke such important regional news.

4.) More faith and worship stories
One of my favorite stories this year was about the Rev. Garry Welsh, a new priest assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes. It was one of many religion stories written by B.C. Manion, a subject she does a superb job exploring and writing about.

5.) Redesigned website
A redesign of our website makes it easier to read and find stories in our archives. Check it out at LakerLutzNews.com, for everything from things to do this weekend to stories you want to share with friends and family.

6.) An active Facebook page
It took us a while to join the conversation with an active Facebook page. But we’re finally there, thanks to the combined efforts of Suzanne Beauchaine of our advertising staff, Michael Hinman of our editorial staff and Stefanie Burlingame of our design staff. This threesome makes our Facebook presence engaging and fun. See for yourself at Facebook.com/TheLakerLutzNews.

7.) Three employees celebrate 10 years
For a small business like ours, it’s quite remarkable that three out of 12 employees celebrated their 10th year with our company. Terri Williamson in sales, Carolyn Bennett in customer service, and Mary Eberhard in accounting are outstanding individuals whose commitment to our customers and company are much appreciated. Another employee, Mary Rathman, also has played a valuable role in our company for more than a decade, with a brief break in service. She’s the one who makes sure our t’s are crossed and our i’s are dotted.

8.) My son’s engagement and marriage
It was a huge year for my son, Andy Mathes, a first lieutenant in the Marines. He became engaged to Erin Morgan on Labor Day and married her Nov. 2, a week before his deployment to Afghanistan. I never imagined I would be marrying off my son last year, and couldn’t be happier with the daughter-in-law he chose for me.

9.) My daughter turned 21
I know my daughter, Rachel Mathes, has technically been an adult since she was 18. But there was something about her turning 21 that has solidified our adult mother-daughter relationship. Rachel graduates from Stetson University this spring, and I am so proud of her perseverance and commitment to completing her degree in four years.

10.) Zeke dies, Jonas lives
On March 27, my family lost Zeke, our 14-year-old yellow lab. We never doubted our decision to euthanize Zeke, but that didn’t make it any easier to say goodbye. Zeke left behind Jonas, our 8-year-old Airedale, who has flourished with all the extra attention and elevation to alpha dog. Sadly, Jonas had a cancerous spleen removed in September, and we were told he had only one to three months to live. Four months later, Jonas is proving the vet wrong and is livelier than ever. We’re beginning to call him our miracle dog.

Zephyrhills to pay $500k more for library

December 25, 2013 By Michael Hinman

The Zephyrhills City Council got an unwelcome lump of coal in their Christmas stocking after finding out the stately brick and stone library they were expecting was going to cost them a lot more money.

And none of them were very happy about it.

Harvard Jolly and A.D. Morgan had originally presented the idea of building a brick and stone library for $1.7 million, using primarily Penny for Pasco money. However, after discovering the reality of the market, they realized it would cost more than 30 percent more to build, and proposed a cheaper stucco building. The City Council opted for the more expensive option instead. (Image courtesy of Harvard Jolly)

The council hired the architectural firm Harvard Jolly and contractor A.D. Morgan after they presented an 8,500-square-foot facility next to the library’s current location on Eighth Street for $1.7 million. However, after going out into the market to look at materials and supplies, the two companies came back with a new price tag: $2.5 million, a 47 percent jump.

The options? Either go with a cheaper, stucco version of the library, or pay more money.

“One of my reasons for picking your company is your guarantees that we were going to be in budget,” Councilman Charles Proctor said. “I run several companies of my own, and being in budget is very important to me.”

Yet, as Proctor pointed out, there was a larger issue.

“The prior councils made promises to the city to build a beautiful library,” he said. “The brick building is going to be a much more substantial, better built, longer-lasting building. We really needed to come in on budget on this.”

Harvard Jolly and A.D. Morgan were able to reduce the overall cost to $2.26 million, but that remained 33 percent over budget. That can be mostly blamed on the existing volatile market for brick and stone, said George Goodspeed, manager of pre-construction services at A.D. Morgan. When the company sought bids on the masonry and concrete, the largest bid was double the smallest bid, and all of them were much more than they anticipated.

The concrete and masonry work, however, would go to Ervin Bishop Construction of Land O’ Lakes.

Councilman Ken Burgess said he felt the architects were practically baiting and switching the city.

“You have two buildings here,” he said. “It’s like giving a kid a shiny penny, but then here’s a dull one. They both do the same thing, but the shiny penny has already been handed to him. It’s a little bit difficult to kind of go back and use the dull penny. It puts us in a bad spot.”

It would, however, bring the library a little closer to what was first proposed nearly a decade ago, said librarian Vicki Elkins. The original plan was to build a 27,000-square-foot library, but that was quickly pared down to an 18,000-square-foot facility for $3.8 million.

Money for it was to come from the Penny for Pasco tax program, with the city making annual contributions to a construction fund.

In 2009, however, a flood at the fire department halted contributions to the library construction fund, and they never returned.

“Had Penny for Pasco funding been added after 2009, the building reserve would have the funds to cover the brick design,” Elkins said. “There is money that is available in the Penny for Pasco reserve to cover the brick design, and that is what we are asking you to consider tonight.”

Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson said if such an overage had happened in the business world, she would’ve been fired. Yet, the library design was intended to help inspire a brick construction style that peeks into the past of Zephyrhills. And the council could not lose sight of that.

“When you go to a place like Dade City and enjoy the country Christmas stroll, and the county hall is lit up, there is a character to that space … that is unmatched,” she said. “For the most part, some of the most beautiful cities in our country have been built with municipal structures being the most enduring, and the highest quality of design.”

With the council reluctantly leaning toward spending more money on the library to maintain its original vision, council president Lance Smith added a stern warning to Harvard Jolly and A.D. Morgan.

“Please don’t come back” for more money after this increase, Smith said, “because it’s not going to be successful.”

Ground should be broken in March for the new library, with an anticipated opening in spring of 2015.

Revival of Christmas Card Lane draws a big crowd

December 25, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Children played drums, rang hand bells, sang, clapped rhythmically and even did a little dancing to entertain the crowd that gathered for the Christmas Card Lane celebration in downtown Lutz.

If there’s a community event in Lutz, you can bet that the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club will have a hand in it. This group raises money with various events, and uses the funds to support numerous community causes. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

Hundreds gathered for the event, which also featured a visit from Santa, a few remarks by the community’s honorary Lutz Guv’na, and the ceremonial flipping of the switch to illuminate 16 giant holiday cards.

The 8-by-4-foot cards are posted along the edge of Memorial Park, across the street from the Lutz Depot Building, where the crowd watched the children from Lutz Elementary School perform.

The event marked the revival of the old Christmas Card Lane tradition in Lutz. The tradition ceased some years back, but a special edition of the event was done this year to mark the community’s 100th birthday.

The Christmas Card Lane celebration was the fourth and final event to mark the community’s centennial.

Ligia Grams was there to watch her son Dakota, 8, perform.

She gave the event high marks.

“It’s a good community outing for everyone,” Grams said. “It just brings everyone together. The kids will have a blast.”

Diane DeMarco and her husband, Dan, also came out to watch the Lutz Elementary children perform, which included their son, Joseph, 8. DeMarco also thought the event would be a good way to get into the Christmas spirit.

Her family moved to Lutz three years ago because of the community’s reputation for having a small-town feel.

Indeed, as chronicled in local history books written by Eliabeth Riegler MacManus and her daughter, Susan A. MacManus, community gatherings have long been the social glue for Lutz.

So, when the Lutz Centennial Committee was planning how to celebrate the community’s 100th birthday, they reasoned that community gatherings would be the way to go.

The first centennial event was a food truck rally in March. Next came the community’s massive Fourth of July Celebration, with its many traditions. Like always, it drew thousands of spectators.

After that, the committee had a chili cook-off and classic car show.

Suzin Carr, honorary Lutz Guv’na, was delighted by the turnout at the Christmas Card Lane event. Indeed, all of the celebrations have been well received by community residents and businesses, she said.

“We had fun during all of them,” said Bob Moore, chairman of the Lutz Centennial Committee.

The chili cook-off and classic car show had to contend with morning downpours, causing Moore to nickname it “Rain Fest.” But even that turned out to be a good event, he said.

“We’re from Lutz, we can party in the rain,” he quipped. “We can party under any conditions.”

The collection of giant cards on Christmas Card Lane reflects the community’s stalwart organizations and some local businesses. The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club’s card, for example, depicts Santa riding in a train — a tribute to the community’s deep history involving the movement of goods through it by rail cars.

Troop 12 of the Boy Scouts, and Pack 12 of the Cub Scouts also created cards. There’s also a card from the Civil Air Patrol – North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron.

The Citizens for the Old Lutz School also posted a card, as did Lutz Elementary, Maniscalco Elementary and Learning Gate Community schools.

The cards show varied artistic styles and holiday themes.

One sign that seems perfect for a Florida Christmas depicts a pink flamingo wearing a Santa’s hat, while hanging out under a palm tree at the beach.

There’s a bucket on the sand nearby, chock full of paintbrushes. That card, fittingly enough, was sponsored by The Florida Suncoast Decorative Artists.

Some angels, like this volunteer, don’t have wings

December 25, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When 77-year-old Jeanette Tatro heard her name being called as the Volunteer of the Year for Gulfside Regional Hospice, the Zephyrhills woman couldn’t believe her ears.

Jeanette Tatro, Gulfside Regional Hospice’s Volunteer of the Year, has a long record of serving others through the organization. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

After all, she had received the award two other times in the past, and she also is the sole winner of the organization’s Spirit of Hospice Award.

It didn’t surprise her when her name was announced as one of the organization’s volunteers who had clocked more than 500 hours of service that year. But when the presenter began describing the winner of the volunteer of the year, the petite, silver-haired woman, Tatro thought the speaker was talking about someone else.

“When I heard my name announced, I was actually dumbfounded,” Tatro said. “It was unbelievable. I couldn’t move. I was shocked.”

In just a year, Tatro racked up 541 volunteer hours. She cashiered at the organization’s Zephyrhills Thrift Shoppe. She visited hospice patients. She called families through Gulfside’s bereavement program.

She helped promote the organization by working at information booths at fairs and festivals throughout Pasco County.

Kelly Milner, director of volunteer services, characterized the volunteer as “a very loving and compassionate person” who is always willing to pitch in, wherever needed.

Tatro said she became a hospice volunteer 11 years ago, a year after her husband, Edmund, died from lung cancer.

“He was actually under hospice care for one week,” Tatro said.

Her husband wanted to die at home, but he was a large man and Tatro lacked the strength to manage his care on her own. Tatro also was caring for her ill sister at the same time.

So, her husband went to Hospice House for his final days. After he died and Tatro’s sister died, the Zephyrhills woman stepped up to volunteer.

“I felt that no one should die alone,” she said. “I felt that I could help the family out in that transition, due to the fact that I had gone through it.”

Tatro said another personal loss she experienced also prepared her to help others work through their grief.

“I lost a child, and I think that’s another reason that I can relate,” Tatro said. “It was a miscarriage at five-and-a-half months,” she said. “That’s been over 55 years” ago, she said. To this day, she feels sad on the anniversary of that baby’s death.

Besides having the desire to support others through their grief and loss, Tatro has another motivation for volunteering: “It’s a give back,” she said. “I think I’ve been very blessed by the Lord and I feel I should give back. I can reach out in so many different ways. Not everybody can.”

Beyond helping others, volunteering brings her great joy.

“It’s very rewarding,” Tatro said. “You meet so many different people. There are so many stories that they have.”

Besides suffering through personal losses, Tatro has spent time with many others who have experienced a death in the family. She has been with patients as they took their final breath, and has been with families as they experienced the loss.

“Grief is different for each person,” Tatro said. Hospice is there to help — not only during the time of a loved one’s death, but also through ongoing bereavement support.

She encourages anyone who wants to be of service to consider becoming a hospice volunteer.

“We can do so much for the families,” Tatro said. “We can give them time, either to go to the store or, they might want to go out on an outing for a couple of hours. We can give them a break. They need a break.”

Not everyone is able to sit with someone who is facing the final stage of life, Tatro said. But there are plenty of other ways to help. They can volunteer at the thrift store, or help in the kitchen, or deliver meals, or work at information booths at festival and fairs.

Donating items to the thrift shop is another way to help, Tatro said. If someone has an interest in volunteering, she encourages them to give it a try.

“It is a great experience and the only way they’re going to find out is to experience it for themselves,” Tatro said.

Sanders Memorial Elementary to reopen as magnet school

December 25, 2013 By B.C. Manion

It may be a while, but when Sanders Memorial Elementary School reopens in Land O’ Lakes, it will become Pasco County Schools’ first magnet school.

Sanders will emphasize science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics, said Dave Scanga, executive director of the Central Region of Pasco County Schools.

This is a preliminary rendering for what Sanders Memorial Elementary School will look like when it is redeveloped. The appearance could change slightly because the final plans are not yet done. (Image courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The school district funded the redesign of Sanders in 2008, but the project was put on hold because the housing market crashed. Now the district is looking to open Sanders in the 2015-16 school year. But first construction plans for the school must be updated to comply with changes in the Florida building code as well as educational needs of the magnet program.

The enrollment would be drawn largely from the Land O’ Lakes area to relieve overcrowding at Connerton Elementary School, Scanga said. Remaining seats would be open for students living outside the school’s normal boundaries.

When completed, Sanders — located at 5126 School Road — will be almost entirely new. Just three of the former school’s buildings remain on site. The rest were demolished.

Besides being the district’s first magnet, Sanders also will benefit from an agreement between the school board and Pasco County. The arrangement aims at providing more recreational opportunities for school children and the community at large, while also broadening learning opportunities and providing a venue to accommodate community gatherings.

The county expects to make about $1.5 million in improvements in 2014 at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park, located at 5401 U.S. 41.

The school board set the redesign of Sanders into motion on Dec. 3 by approving the expenditure of $684,350 for architectural services from Williamson Dacar Architects for the design, permitting and contract administration services. The district also has put out a request for qualifications for the Sanders project.

In keeping with the school’s educational mission, the updated plans will include some special design features.

For instance, the classrooms will have wireless technology, and space will be planned to give students room to collaborate. There also will be storage space for student projects and sinks in classrooms, to accommodate experiments.

Plans also will include several site design elements, which may not be built right away, but added later. Those include:
• An environmental center and boardwalk through the wetlands. Designs for the environmental center will include a covered work area with power, water and wireless connections.
• Photovoltaic demonstration panels to be used as a teaching tool for students.
• A solar hot water heater system to be used as a teaching tool for students.
• Provisions for a wind turbine.
• Areas for student gardens around the classroom buildings.

Alison Crumbley, chairwoman for the Pasco County School Board, said she supports giving parents another school choice. At the same time, she wants to see more educational opportunities in these academic areas for children in schools throughout the district.

There are hundreds of thousands of jobs that are not being filled in the country because of a shortage of skilled workers, Crumbley said. She wants district schools to do more to help its students acquire skills they will need to pursue those kinds of careers.

Old Lutz School turns into Christmas House for holidays

December 25, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Jason and Jessica Smith have a holiday tradition with their three young children.

The Land O’ Lakes couple brings the youngsters to the Christmas House at Old Lutz School where the kids get a giant serving of holiday cheer. As they make their way through the historic building, Maddy, 6; Amelia, 5; and Elliot, 2, have plenty to see.

Do you love nutcrackers? Then you’ll enjoy the giant collection on display at the Christmas House at Old Lutz School. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

One room in the school at 18819 N. U.S. 41 is filled with Christmas trees, decked out in all sorts of themes. One of those trees is decked out with paper ornaments colored by kindergarten children at Lutz Elementary School.

In another room, visitors can check out a huge assortment of nutcrackers. There are also rooms with miniature trains that make their way through towns and villages.

Outside there are other decorations.

Lights spell out “Season’s Greetings” in front of the historic building, and windows are illuminated by lighted decorations. There’s an old-fashioned Nativity scene on the south side of the school, and lighted sculptural figures include deer and an angel.

After enjoying the decorations, visitors are invited to have a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie or two

“For kids their age, this is great,” said Jessica Smith, noting her kids just love it. “We usually come on multiple nights.”

Admission is free, but donations are accepted to help pay for the upkeep of the building, which opened in the 1926-27 school year. The building, which has a Georgian architectural style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The schoolhouse is an icon in this community, which has a long history of protecting its quality of life. At one point, there were plans to knock down the building as part of a plan to widen U.S. 41.

Those plans were tossed out, however, after the community galvanized to save the old school, which has a special place in the collective memories of generations to Lutz residents.

The Citizens for the Old Lutz School puts on the annual Christmas display as a way to share the building with the community and raise funds to support its upkeep. Group member Marilyn Wannamaker has volunteered at the Christmas House for years. She was there last week, serving up hot chocolate and cookies.

People of all ages enjoy the annual tradition, Wannamaker said.

“There’s mothers, dads, grandparents and children — most of them come back year after year,” she said.

“You see families return every year,” said Helen Cantrell, another volunteer.

For many, it’s a chance to run into old friends — something quite easy to do in Lutz — where many residents have lived for generations.

Maxine Conway, of Land O’ Lakes, came out to Christmas House to help Wannamaker pass out goodies.

“I appreciate the work that goes into it,” Conway said.

Christmas House organizers realize that people are often frazzled before Christmas, so they keep the house open for a couple of days after Dec. 25. Besides accommodating busy parents, it also gives out-of-town visitors a chance to savor the season.

Annie Fernandez, whose family has deep roots in Lutz, enjoys volunteering at Christmas House. She gets a kick out of watching the children’s reactions as they go through the decorated rooms. The youngsters tend to gravitate to a collection of elves, Fernandez said.

At first, Fernandez didn’t understand the children’s fascination. But now, she knows.

It turns out that they know all about the “Elf on A Shelf” — a special scout sent from the North Pole to help Santa manage his nice and naughty lists, said Fernandez, who reminds the children that these elves also are Santa’s Helpers.

WHAT: Christmas House at the Old Lutz School, featuring decorated trees, miniature trains, angels, Santas, nutcrackers and other holiday décor
WHERE: Old Lutz School, 18819 N. U.S. 41.
WHEN: Dec. 26 and Dec. 27, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
COST: Admission is free. Donations are accepted to support the upkeep of the Old Lutz School, a building on the National Register of Historic Places.

Starkey Ranch park moves forward while others still struggle

December 25, 2013 By Michael Hinman

With 18 sports fields, eight total courts for basketball and tennis, more than a mile of trails, and a library, Starkey Ranch District Park is aiming to become a centralized recreational location for the entire county.

Developers of the Starkey Ranch District Park showed the proposed layout of its massive recreational offerings within the community just off State Road 54 past Trinity. The first phase of the district park is expected to open in 2015, with the county expected to take over the full estimated $285,000 in maintenance and operations costs a decade from now. (Image courtesy of Pasco County Commission)

And while Pasco County’s financial commitment is minimal compared to that of the school board and the private developer of the project just off State Road 54 past Trinity, commission chairman Jack Mariano wanted to make it clear that his approval comes with conditions: start fully funding the rest of the county parks.

“We cut libraries back tremendously, and cut parks back tremendously,” he said, adding that by the time Starkey Ranch District Park moves forward, “if we haven’t addressed getting rid of the park fees and putting more money back into the parks, I am not going to be comfortable moving forward.”

The problem, Mariano said, is that the county already is struggling to maintain the recreation areas it already has. Adding the Starkey Ranch project could make it even more difficult for the county, which is already charging $2 parking fees for those who visit various parks in the county. Those fees were designed to stave off further funding cuts from parks following a fall in overall tax revenue after the housing market collapse.

If the fees were still in place by the time parts of Starkey Ranch opened up, visitors also would pay the parking fee there, county administrator Michele Baker said.

“We cut back parks over 30 percent, and we’re going to add another liability for more parks and libraries,” Mariano said.

Starkey Ranch, however, is planned to become much less of a liability. The county would not be responsible for taking over part of the maintenance fees until 2017 when it would take on 15 percent of the costs — estimated at $42,700. The county wouldn’t fully take over maintenance of the park until 2023, where it’s estimated to cost just under $285,000.

By then, the existence of the park should spark more residential growth in and around Starkey Ranch, and those additional taxpaying rooftops should more than offset the costs incurred by the county, Baker said.

“The developer has stepped forward and he is taking the risk, eating that operation cost, but bringing that quality,” Baker said. “They are stimulating growth in the area, and stimulating property value.”

Pasco County Schools will work directly with the developer on most of the district park project, funding its share, and even providing a small loan to the county to help it fund its contribution.

The first phase of the project would include five baseball and softball fields, six multi-purpose fields, two concession stands, a pavilion with picnic tables, a playground, a maintenance building and just a little less than a mile of trails. The price tag to build that portion is $9 million.

The second phase would be built when the $1.9 million in funds become available, and will include three more large multi-purpose fields, an additional playground and concession stand, and nearly 2,000 feet more of trails.

The first phase is expected to open in 2015, carrying an annual operating and maintenance cost of $285,000, which will be fully paid for by the developer over the first two years, before the county responsibility is phased in.

The overall project will include a lot more, as well. With the plans to build a three-story elementary and middle school near the project, the developer and the school district also are planning a 20,000-square-foot library, a 6,000-square-foot “black box” theater, a gymnasium, four tennis and four basketball courts, and a track among other amenities.

The county and school district also have the chance to generate revenue from the park from things like ticket surcharges, rent from private users, facility fees, advertising, and even naming rights.

Paying to name something in the park is an experimental concept the county and school board are trying, although no one can buy the rights to name the entire district park or the school. Under the program, the school district would bid out such an offering, and it would need the county’s approval.

Any name that is chosen would have to contain the phrase “at Starkey Ranch” at the end. Among the examples the county provided were “Raymond James Theatre at Starkey Ranch” or “Coastal Caisson Field at Starkey Ranch.”

Naming rights for major facilities, like Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg generate millions of dollars in revenue. However, naming shared-use facilities at Starkey Park is expected to go for much less.

The commission green-lit the project unanimously. Commissioner Kathryn Starkey abstained, citing a conflict of interest.

Lawmakers promise to fix broken flood insurance program

December 25, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Groans, interruptions, occasional applause. That was the scene in the New Port Richey city council chambers last week when federal, state and local officials — led by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis — pulled homeowners together to talk about what’s been a painful subject in recent months: flood insurance.

The city council chambers at New Port Richey’s city hall were overflowing last week for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, addressing skyrocketing flood insurance rates. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal insurance plan administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have skyrocketed since October when a federal law went into effect designed to help the program make up for losses from major disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.

Implementation was designed to slowly ramp up increases for affected policyholders, but what has actually happened has been much different.

One homeowner on the west side of Pasco County got a rude awakening soon after purchasing his waterfront property in April.

“I have a $2,500 monthly mortgage, and now we’re talking about $2,000 a month more to pay for our insurance, and that’s not going to happen,” the resident said. “If we don’t get a fix, they are going to foreclose on my property. I cannot physically make my payment.”

For some NFIP policyholders, what were once annual premium amounts became their monthly payments, in many cases, creating situations where some homeowners would pay the entire value of their property in a little more than a decade, before turning around to start the process all over again.

Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, says he’s demanding immediate relief for those affected, especially in Florida which has traditionally paid out three times more than they’ve ever received in the program.

“We’re not going to rest until we get results,” said Bilirakis, who introduced what he calls the Homeowners Flood Insurance Relief Act last October. It’s expected to cap premiums at the value of a home at the time it was purchased, divided by 30 — the typical timeframe of a mortgage — and would cap annual premium increases the first 10 years at 10 percent.

“I think we have a real good chance of passing a version of the bill,” Bilirakis said. “I don’t care if it passes with my name on it or not, you guys need relief.”

Bilirakis, who sternly questioned a FEMA representative flown in from Atlanta to talk about the rates, had to answer some questions of his own, however. For one, why he voted for a 2012 bill widely blamed for current increases in flood insurance.

The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 passed Congress and was signed by President Obama last year. The bill phases out government subsidies for premiums in long-standing policies, but caps the annual increases at 25 percent.

It was part of an overall transportation bill that overwhelmingly passed both the House and the Senate.

“We voted for the bill to save the program, but it has not been properly implemented,” Bilirakis said. “We need an NFIP until we get a viable private flood insurance.”

The bill instructed FEMA to, in part, conduct an affordability study for its proposed premiums before implementing the bill, Bilirakis said. Susan Wilson, chief of the Floodplain Management and Insurance Branch of FEMA, admitted the study had not been done, but only because there was no money to fund it.

Although the insurance program has been self-sustaining for decades, storms like Hurricane Katrina and later Hurricane Sandy threw the program into debt of more than $24 billion.

“Hurricane Katrina was anything but an average loss year, and everyone can agree with that,” Wilson said. “I spent many months in Mississippi, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and there were a lot of losses paid out for claims.”

Before Biggert-Waters, the NFIP was different from private insurance companies as it was not allowed to maintain a reserve fund. With a reserve fund, the organization would have extra cash on hand in case more claims were paid than premiums received — like when Katrina or Sandy hit. Otherwise, the program has to borrow to pay claims, and premiums would have to rise to pay not only the additional money, but the interest for the loans, as well.

State Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, said Florida is looking to help policyholders, as well. The bill he is co-sponsoring would allow private insurers to help with flood insurance in the state.

“This is the backstop to give homeowners options,” Simpson said. “Since this has become such a big issue for the state of Florida, we have started working on legislative solutions in Tallahassee.”

That bill is set to go in front of the state senate’s banking and insurance committee on Jan. 8.

Nothing is more precious than the gift of time

December 25, 2013 By Diane Kortus

I don’t think I’ve ever been more relaxed than I am this holiday season.

I finished my shopping early at the big Lutz/Land O’ Lakes Arts & Craft show in Lake Park. Swapped out my table’s placemats from autumn leaves to snowflakes the day after Thanksgiving. And have two batches of Christmas cookies waiting in my freezer for my family’s holiday party.

This Frosty the Snowman has greeted visitors to Publisher Diane Kortus’ front door for more than 20 years

As I write this column a week before Christmas, I still haven’t put up my tree nor pulled down the boxes of ornaments I accumulated during 25 years of raising children. And it’s likely that I won’t.

As far as outdoor decorations, I plugged in our iconic 4-foot Frosty the Snowman on my front porch, which gives off just enough light to illuminate the wreath on my door. Instead of spending hours hanging lights from the roof and wrapping them around trees, I’m enjoying the beautiful lighted scenes in my neighbors’ yards.

After decades of being caught up in the holiday hoopla that we mistakenly think is essential for our children’s happiness, this year I’ve said no to those holiday indulgences that make me feel overstimulated, unsatisfied and guilty for not doing more.

Instead, I have slowed the season’s pace to give myself the most precious gift of all — time.

Time to enjoy the spiritual significance of the season. Time to reflect on the joys of past holidays. Time to do things with people I care about with no expectations of exchanging gifts.

I never imagined that the holidays could be so enjoyable. I am basking in the pleasures of what I love most — whether it’s reading a book, listening to medieval Christmas music or calling friends whom I have not talked to since last Christmas.

Time is a gift I am also sharing with my staff. We’ve been off since last Friday when we finished putting together this Christmas edition of the paper.

Producing our holiday edition early gave us five glorious days off. We’re back to work tomorrow and Friday to get out our Jan. 1 edition, and then we’re off again for another five days.

These beautifully long, back-to-back weekends are possible because Christmas and New Year’s fall on Wednesday, the same day The Laker/Lutz News is delivered to your home. This doesn’t happen often (the last time was in 2002), and we’re delighted to be taking advantage of the calendar.

My daughter, Rachel, is home from college on her winter break, and we’re using this bonus time to visit family in Minnesota. We’re hoping that being with parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins will ease the sorrow of spending Christmas apart from my son and Rachel’s brother, Andy.

Andy is a Marine who deployed to Afghanistan in November, just a week after he was married. But thankfully, while in Minnesota, we’ll be seeing Andy’s new wife, Erin, because she too will be in the Midwest visiting her parents and siblings.

As happy as I am to be at my childhood home for Christmas, I am sad to leave behind many people whom I care deeply about.

Of course, it is impossible to spend Christmas with everyone we love. There are too many people, too many miles, too many constraints. But when we get back from our travels, we can give those who remained here our time, attention and presence — the most precious gifts of all.