Local News

State regulators approve rate cut requests by two utilities

May 21, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — Florida utility regulators approved requests this week to cut customer rates for two of Florida’s biggest electricity providers.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) held its monthly meeting Tuesday and approved Tampa Electric and Duke Energy Florida’s requests to lower electricity rates, citing lower-than-expected fuel costs. Duke Energy customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, can expect a $5.90 reduction in their monthly bills.

Under state law, utilities can charge customers for increased fuel charges, but when prices go down, they’re also required to lower rates.

(American Public Power Association/Unsplash)

These rates will take effect in June and are in addition to an existing 6% reduction in monthly costs that adds up to $11.29 in monthly savings from January. Duke Energy Florida supplies electricity to over 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in Florida, spread over a 13,000-square-mile service area.

On the company’s website, Duke Energy Florida state president Melissa Seixas said in a statement that the approvals are great for Duke Energy Florida customers.

“Today’s approvals are great news for Florida customers, especially as we get closer to our warmest months,” Seixas said. “Duke Energy continues to look for ways to pass on savings to our customers while providing the reliable, increasingly clean power our customers and communities expect.”

Tampa Electric customers using 1,000 kWh per month will have an almost $10 reduction in monthly bills, going from an average of $143.48 to $136.44 per month. The company provides services to over 840,000 customers throughout west-central Florida

Tampa Electric’s commercial customers will also have a reduction of between 4% and 11%. This is the second time rates have been lowered this year after Tampa Electric petitioned the PSC to decrease residential bills by almost $18 monthly. This cut could lead to potential savings of up to $175 for the remainder of 2024.

President and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric Archie Collins, said in a statement on the company’s website that they are pleased to be passing on savings.

“Tampa Electric is pleased to be in a position to reduce electricity bills again this year,” Collins said. “We are happy to provide customers with some welcome relief as the summer’s heat begins.”

Published May 22, 2024

Report details how state policymakers should use artificial intelligence

May 21, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — A report on artificial intelligence provides guidance on how Florida policymakers can best deal with this emerging technology.

The James Madison Institute (JMI) released Bringing Government Into the 21st Century: Artificial Intelligence and State Government Operations this month and the report says that it is often thought that AI is a new technology, when it has been around for some time in many ways.

The report outlines several ways lawmakers can use this technology to streamline and modernize state government operations and help deliver better services. It also noted some of the potential challenges that could be faced.

One of the biggest concerns is how this technology will affect jobs. The report points out that the International Monetary Fund has stated that around 60% of jobs in developed countries could be exposed to AI. However, researchers have found that early indicators show that instead of replacing jobs, AI is changing jobs.

Privacy and data security are also serious concerns, potentially putting state agencies at risk of cyberattacks. The report further notes that the time it takes for state agencies to procure AI technologies could present significant roadblocks to implementation, leaving those agencies lagging behind.

On the positive side, AI technology presents the opportunity to better streamline unemployment and reemployment benefits by screening applications and pinpointing instances of fraud. AI could also take up general administrative tasks, allowing government workers to focus on more important responsibilities.

Edward Longe, report author and director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at The James Madison Institute, said in a statement that the report’s purpose was to show lawmakers why they should be embracing AI.

“Artificial Intelligence has the power to streamline state government operations, not just here in Florida, but across the country,” Longe said. “In releasing this policy brief, JMI hopes to illuminate the ways emerging technologies can make government work better for citizens in the coming years. We also hope to show why state lawmakers should be embracing these technologies and not rejecting them.”

According to the report, policy solutions include procurement reform, establishing government task forces to study how AI can be incorporated into government services, implementing cybersecurity reform, retraining and reskilling employees and state government allowing state agencies to experiment with AI and use it in day-to-day operations.

Published May 22, 2024

Volunteers sought for World Oceans Day cleanup

May 21, 2024 By Mary Rathman

Each year, the United Nations recognizes World Oceans Day on June 8, a celebratory day to remind everyone of the importance of oceans, to educate everyone on the impact of human actions on the ocean, and to develop a worldwide movement of citizens to create a sustainable solution.

In Florida, the greatest source of water pollution is stormwater. This condition originates from rainwater after it hits the ground. Stormwater runoff picks up waste and debris as it flows across the roads and land, carrying pollutants into the waterways, according to the Keep Pasco Beautiful website.

Keep Pasco Beautiful is offering two cleanup events on June 8 from 8 a.m. to noon, to promote a healthy ocean for a healthy climate, and vice versa:

Inland cleanup, at Anclote Gulf Park, 2305 Baillies Bluff Road in Holiday
Kayak cleanup, Energy and Marine Center, 9130 Old Post Road, Port Richey

Volunteer registration is open until June 1, online at https://www.keeppascobeautiful.org/world-oceans-day.

Published May 22, 2024

Audit finds cybersecurity issues with Florida Department of Revenue

May 21, 2024 By Andrew Powell

(The Center Square) — A recent audit of the Florida Department of Revenue showed that improvements were needed to ensure the safety and privacy of data.

The Florida auditor general found a handful of issues with the department’s operations, including not appropriately maintaining public records, a lack of oversight around ex-employee access to certain accounts and not properly clearing data from surplus information technology equipment.

The Department of Revenue has three main functions: Collecting and distributing state taxes and fees, overseeing Florida’s property tax system and providing child support enforcement services. The department was allocated over $717 million in last year’s budget.

According to the report, it was found that department management’s internal controls for ensuring that text and multimedia messages were not retained in accordance with state law. Communications are statutorily required to be retained for a period of three years for administrative correspondence and five years for policy development correspondence.

The auditor general recommended that the department make or obtain independent, periodic assessments, test the effectiveness of relevant internal controls and strengthen existing controls to ensure department devices with messaging capabilities are retained according to Florida statutes.

The audit also found that department controls over employee access to several different data systems — including the Florida Accounting Information Resource Subsystem, the Contract Accountability Tracking System and the Child Support Enforcement Automated Management System — needed to be improved to prevent unauthorized or improper use of access privileges.

Several instances occurred where ex-employees did not have their access removed immediately upon leaving the department. Further, some access reviews did not have supporting documentation to prove they had been carried out per statutory requirements.

The auditor general recommended that IT user access privilege controls be enhanced and that employee access privileges be deactivated upon leaving the department.

Lastly, department records between July 2021 and January 2023 showed that 1,871 items were identified as surplus IT equipment with data storage. Of the 25 selected for the audit, five iPhones, one iPad and a laptop computer lacked evidence to show they had been properly sanitized and wiped of potentially confidential information.

It was recommended that the department better document evidence that surplus items are sanitized or physically destroyed appropriately to ensure sensitive information is not disclosed.

Published May 22, 2024

Wireless activity may be improved in Blanton Lake area

May 21, 2024 By Joe Potter

Current and future residents of the Blanton Lake area may be a step closer to experiencing significant wireless network improvements in the future following a recent action by the Pasco County Planning Commission.

Planning commissioners approved sending to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) a request for conditional use submitted by Beverly and Vesta James Elliott/Coral Towers, LLC/Verizon Wireless. The applicants want to be allowed to have a cell tower installed at 17272 Spring Valley Road in Dade City.

If approved by the BOCC at its June 4 meeting in Dade City, a preliminary site plan will have to be submitted for review and approval before the cell tower may be installed. All applicable sections of Pasco County’s Land Development Code (LDC) also must be met prior to the tower’s installation.

The tower, which will be 195 feet high with a 4-foot-tall lightning rod on top of it, is expected to provide more coverage and capacity for the existing service area, the conditional request application said.

Plans call for the tower to be installed within a 1,600-square-foot fenced compound that will be suitable for the co-location of three additional carriers, for a total of four carriers.

The property where the tower will be placed is located on the north side of Spring Valley Road, approximately 870 feet west of Adela Street in County Commission District 1 in North Central Pasco County.

In other business at the May 2 meeting in Dade City, planning commissioners also:

Agreed to approve a zoning amendment requested by Trust 12304/Happy Hill for the zoning of approximately 0.66 acres of property located on the southwest corner of Happy Hill Road and Lakeview Drive to be changed from an R-2 Low Density Residential District to a PO-2 Professional Office District.

There currently is a duplex on this property in County Commission District 1 in East Central Pasco County. The change will allow an office to be built on the property.

Approved a zoning amendment requested by Hudson-based Tochas LLC. The applicant asked for the zoning of an approximately 0.69 acre site on the north side of Breakwater Lane approximately 180 feet west of Shady Hills Road to be changed from a C-2 General Commercial District to an A-R Agricultural-Residential District. The property is in County Commission District 5 in Northwest Pasco County.

The property owner had contacted Pasco County’s Zoning Office in August 2023 after he had listed the property for sale. He was told the property was not permitted for residential use except ancillary to a permitted commercial use on the property. He had purchased the property in December 2022 and told officials he did not intend to sell it for commercial use.

The single-family dwelling on the property had originally been zoned General Commercial for the specific use of a pet shop and kennel for racing, breeding and sales of small animals.

Both of the above zoning amendment requests will not become effective unless approved by the BOCC at its June meeting. This is because the Planning Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the BOCC.

The Planning Commission also continued until its own June 6 meeting three requests for zoning amendments. They were for:

The zoning of approximately 3.22 acres on the southwest corner of State Road 54 and Ryals Road to be changed from an A-R Agricultural-Residential District to a C-2 General Commercial District. Thomas Lee and Kimberly Anne Samone asked for the zoning change on the property in County Commission District 1 in Southeast Pasco County.
The zoning of approximately 29.5 acres of property on the east side of Old Lakeland Highway slightly east and north of U.S. Highway 98 to be changed from an A-C Agricultural Zoning District to a MPUD Master Planned Unit Development District
Crossways MPUD – Crossways 301 LLC is requesting the zoning change for the property in County Commission District 1. Crossways seeks to be able to develop up to 130 single-family residential units on the property. The applicant said in its request that the proposed development would consist of 130 single-family detached units and associated infrastructure.
The rezoning from C-2 General Commercial District to a MPUD Master Planned Unit Development District for approximately 14.55 acres on the northwest corner of the intersection of State Road 54 and Lake Crystal Boulevard in County Commission District 1. The applicant is SR 54 and Lake Crystal MPUD Master Planned Unit Development – Interstate Homes LLC, et al. They are seeking to develop a maximum of 300 multifamily dwelling units, 7,000 square feet of office and 7,000 square feet of retail or 160,000 square feet of commercial on the property.

Published May 22, 2024

Community comes together for food drive

May 21, 2024 By Mary Rathman

The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes wants to extend its appreciation to the Lutz community for its generous donation of more than 16,000 pounds of food during the recent U.S. Postal Service letter carriers’ campaign, Stamp Out Hunger.

The pantry also extends its thanks to Boy Scout Troop 33, the Fraternity of Men and many other volunteers for boxing, weighing and storing the donations picked up by the letter carriers.

“Sixteen thousand pounds of food fills approximately 450 banana boxes. To store, box and store that amount of food for future distribution to the hungry is a massive undertaking. We couldn’t do it without their help,” said John Hofmann, council president, St. Vincent de Paul, in a note drafted to the community and sent to The Laker/Lutz News.

This year’s donations surpassed last year’s donations by 3,000 pounds.

Former council president Sharon Turner added, “At a time when food insecurity is on the rise, it is a blessing that the community responded so generously.”

The Stamp Out Hunger campaign began in 1993 and is the country’s largest single-day food drive. It is held on the second Saturday in May and letter carriers in cities and towns across the United States collect donations of nonperishable food items left by residents near their mailboxes.

The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is part of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, a voluntary international Catholic organization founded in 1833 in service to the poor.

The pantry at Our Lady of the Rosary, 2348 Collier Parkway, distributes food to families on Thursdays and Fridays.

For more about the food pantry, visit https://ladyrosary.org/svdp.

Published May 22, 2024

Rep. Gus Bilirakis named Democracy Award finalist

May 21, 2024 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) announced Rep. Gus Bilirakis as a finalist for a Democracy Award, CMF’s annual awards recognizing non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices. Bilirakis was selected as a finalist in two categories: Constituent Service, and Constituent Accountability and Accessibility, according to a news release.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis

“As a Democracy Award finalist in two categories, the Rep. Bilirakis office is clearly one of the best in Congress,” said Bradford Fitch, CMF president and CEO, in a news release.

“This designation demonstrates that Rep. Bilirakis has made a significant commitment to being the best public servant for his constituents. Rep. Bilirakis and his staff are to be congratulated for not only being a model for his colleagues in Congress, but for helping to restore trust and faith that our democratic institutions can work,” said Fitch.

Fifteen House and Senate offices were honored as finalists for excellence in public service in four categories: Constituent Service; Constituent Accountability and Accessibility; Innovation and Modernization; and “Life in Congress” Workplace Environment.

Finalists and winners will be honored at a ceremony in Washington D.C., in September.

For more about the awards, visit CongressFoundation.org/democracy-awards.

Published May 22, 2024

Build your own window feeder for summer bird watching

May 21, 2024 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

There are very few things more relaxing than the amazing sight and sound of birds. A 2022 study even uncovered profound mental health benefits to birdwatching, including stress relief. But how do you go about bringing some of this outdoor zen to your kitchen or living room? The answer is simple: a DIY window bird feeder.

“With a window bird feeder, you’ll create a fascinating view of feathered friends going about their daily routines, great educational opportunities, family bonding moments and even a little fun for your indoor pets,” says Jamie Briggs, director of marketing at Exmark, a leading manufacturer of lawn care equipment.

Below are the tools, materials and basic instructions for this “Done-in-a-Weekend-Project” from Exmark:

Drill
Jigsaw
Miter saw
Speed square
Brad nailer
Sand paper
Tape measure
Wood glue
Pencil
Paint or pre-conditioner and stain
Ear and eye protection
Dust mask
1-1 1/2-inch brad nails
(4) suction cups
Landscape fabric (optional)
(1) 1-inch x 8-inch x 3-foot pine board
(2) 1-inch x 4-inch x 3-foot pine boards
(1) 1-inch x 2-inch x 3-foot pine board

Build Steps

Cut boards to length, according to the cut list (downloadable on the Exmark site).
Measure the angles to form the roof peak.
Trace a window shape in board A and use a jigsaw to cut out the window hole.
Secure the tray using brad nails. Use wood glue along the seams.
Attach the roof boards using nails and glue.
Drill holes that match the diameter and depth of the suction cups. Fill them with glue and insert the suction cups.
Sand the feeder’s edges.
Apply paint or preconditioner and stain of your choice. Finish off with a sealer.
Line the interior of the tray with landscape fabric.

To view the video tutorial and download the full build plans, visit Exmark’s Backyard Life site at Backyard.exmark.com, a multimedia destination that provides homeowners with everything from grilling tips and design projects to gardening and lawn care advice.

“Now all there’s left to do is pick out the perfect window, hang your new DIY bird feeder, and enjoy all the sights and sounds our avian friends have to offer,” says Briggs.

-StatePoint

Published May 22, 2024

Pasco water customers should follow new schedule

May 14, 2024 By Mary Rathman

As western Florida’s drought conditions continue, Pasco County Utilities is using reclaimed water customers to voluntarily limit watering to once a week, according to a news release.

The newly implemented irrigation schedule for reclaimed water irrigation customers is to help consumers and the community save water.

“The lack of rainfall is straining Pasco’s reclaimed water supply and conservation is key to maximizing our supply,” said Pasco Utilities Director David Allen, in the release.

“By switching to once-a-week irrigation, more reclaimed water customers will be able to irrigate and maintain their landscapes, as well,” said Allen.

Beginning on May 15, and until further notice, residents should reset their irrigation controllers to the new one-day-per-week watering schedule. It is important, too, to water only between midnight and 8 a.m., and only on the new designated day and only once that day.

The new reclaimed water schedule is as follows:

If your house number ends in 0-1, water only on Monday; 2-3, Tuesday; 4-5, Wednesday; 6-7, Thursday; 8-9, Friday; and mixed address or no address, Friday.

Year-round irrigation for potable, well and surface water customers remains in place in Pasco County between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Anyone who needs assistance with resetting their irrigation controller can email .

For additional tips for outdoor water conservation and efficiency, visit bit.ly/PascoLawn.

For information about the Pasco Utilities services, visit PascoCountyUtilities.com.

Published May 15, 2024

Living large in Lutz

May 14, 2024 By Randall Grantham

It ain’t me, it ain’t me

I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no, no

It ain’t me, it ain’t me

I ain’t no fortunate one.

-”Fortunate Son,” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

That girl could spot the lip of a 7 Up bottle peeking out from the sand in the orange grove at 100 feet. While riding by on a bicycle.

Cheryl and I were next-door neighbors since birth and best childhood friends growing up and that’s how she and I made money to go to the State Fair and ride rides and eat fair food — combing the groves and pastures that are now subdivisions and shopping centers collecting pop bottles for deposit returns.

At first the deposit was 2 cents for regular sized bottles and maybe a nickel for the larger ones. We felt rich when the price went up to 3 cents. That doesn’t seem like much now, but remember, this was in the sixties. Gas was 25 cents a gallon.

By the time they went up to 5 and 15 cents for the bottles, the Fair prices had also kept pace and we started getting our first lessons in reality and inflation. We needed a new gig.

Now mind you, collecting pop bottles was not our only entrepreneurial endeavor. We used to spend the summers on the lake swimming and fishing. Every year the old cypress fishing boat my parents had purchased from a fish camp on Lake Rosalie had to be bailed out and pulled out from beneath the rising waters as the summer rainy season helped the lake claim her for its own.

We were free-range kids. Our parents basically set us outside every day with instructions to be home for dinner. We would paddle that old boat all around Lake Hobbs catching bream, shellcracker and bluegill in the dredge holes and around the cypress knees.

They were so abundant that we decided we could make some money doing a fried fish dinner for the neighbors. After catching and cleaning a freezer full of the little buggers, we prepared tickets to sell for the big event.

In those days there was no Xerox machine, much less a copy and paste function on the old Royal upright typewriter my Mom had gotten from the welfare office that she worked at before my birth. I had to type and space and do dashes between and X’s down the middle of each sheet of tickets. (I think I did two sheets.) Then we canvassed the neighborhood and raked in the big bucks.

Each dinner was priced at 35 cents and we served fried fish, baked beans and, I think, grits. We provided the fish but the fixins and side dishes were compliments of our parents’ pantry. We each cleared a couple of bucks but it probably cost our parents that much or more in groceries.

35 cents must have been a magic number for us because in spring time, one of our parents would ride us out to Plant City during the strawberry U-Pick season and we would come home with several flats of berries. After setting up a little stand on the side of U.S. 41 in front of my Mom’s real estate office under the big old oak tree just north of Carson Drive, we sold those berries for 35 cents a pint.

While we didn’t grow rich, we did grow older, and as we progressed from elementary school to junior high (we didn’t have middle school), our friends and interests diverged, expanded and matured.

I moved onto mowing lawns and selling forbidden gum and candies at school for pocket money while my parents kept me busy with chores in the pasture, garden and yard.

We were next-door neighbors and had been best friends throughout our formative years, but even as we still lived right next to each other, we did grow apart.

But those early years taught us both the value of a dollar, or maybe a nickel, and those lessons stuck with us both. Fiscal responsibility and the willingness to work for your money was ingrained in all of us growing up in that manner.

Perhaps I am a fortunate son.

Published May 15, 2024