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Browning: Normalcy, routine is important

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Kurt Browning

LAND O’ LAKES – Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning acknowledged Oct. 15 that plans to reopen schools following Hurricane Milton were met with some criticism.

But that’s par for the course for decisions involving such storms.

“It doesn’t matter what the decision is that you’ve made,” Browning said. “You will have people over here that think you are a rock star. And there are people over here that if they saw you in the produce section of Publix, they would drag you out of that store and beat you about the head and shoulders.”

Staff returned to work Oct. 15. Students returned to class Oct. 16. 

Browning explained that he believes consistency and routine are important for children to have a sense of normalcy. 

“They’ve lost their homes. They’ve lost their clothes. They’ve lost the roof over their head. They’ve lost their automobile. And they need a place to belong,” Browning said. “Oftentimes, that place they belong is their school.”

Browning said storm-related decisions are vetted multiple times by his amazing team at Pasco County Schools. He described his top-level staff as selfless.

“I continue to be amazed when we get into a situation of not just one storm but back-to-back storms,” Browning said. “People are dead-dog tired but they don’t hesitate to step up and do what’s right for this community – mainly our students and our families.”

Elizabeth Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services, told the school board Oct. 15 that Pasco and Zephyrhills high schools sustained the most damage from Hurricane Milton. 

“The fortunate thing is in both situations, we were able to reopen without making huge changes,” Kuhn said. 

Pasco High School had roof damage to Building 6 and the gym. The district is putting a temporary roof on Building 6 but the gym is going to take time to fix.

Zephyrhills High School experienced heavy flooding. Staff discovered water in the band room and a couple of classrooms. The city has helped by pumping water into two retention ponds. School leaders have had to make adjustments related to student drop-off and parking.

“We’re monitoring water all over the county as everyone,” Kuhn said. “The biggest challenge with this storm is that it changes. Today there were roads that might have been OK and now they’re not.”

Transportation staff has been evaluating roads daily to ensure they’re unobstructed. 

Kuhn said as many as 44 schools were without power. Power returned for all schools by the end of Oct. 15. 

“We’re very happy that you’re back at school,” said Megan Harding, chair of the school board. “That’s all our hearts want is for you to be at school but we also understand this is a very difficult and stressful and traumatic situation. So,if it’s not safe or if you’re having (trouble), please contact your administrator, contact your school, because we’re all in this together.”

 

Cell tower gets bad reception from Pasco County neighbors

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Anthemnet provided this aerial map to the Pasco County Planning Commissioner to show where a cell phone tower would be located. Photo courtesy of Pasco County

DADE CITY – A request to install a 195-foot-tall monopine cell phone tower did not gain a favorable recommendation from the Pasco County Planning Commission on Oct. 3. 

Cynthia M Barthle/Anthemnet, Inc./Verizon Wireless had requested a conditional use that would enable the cell tower to be located on the northwest corner of the intersection of St. Joe Road and Mt. Zion Road. 

County staff recommended the planning commission send a favorable recommendation with conditions to the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, which has final authority. 

If approved, the proposed cell tower would have dense branching and could accommodate Verizon Wireless and up to three additional cell carriers. It would be located within a 2,500-square-foot fenced compound area within an overall parcel that contains 4.22 acres.

Mary Solik, who is legal counsel for the applicant, told the planning commission that the area where they wanted the cell tower to be placed was the result of a long search to find a site that was buildable, leasable and that would meet locational and performance criteria. 

“We were left with very few options and unfortunately we have unhappy neighbors,” Solik said.

Some residents of the nearby Willow Run subdivision objected to the proposed placement of the tower at that location.

Nancy Cabiness Johnson described Willow Run as a gated, deed restricted, high value residential community. Johnson said she believed the placement of the cell tower so close to Willow Run that it would have a negative impact on the community’s property values.

Robert Welbourn, who is president of the Willow Run Property Owners Association, told members the home values in his neighborhood “range probably anywhere from $700,000 to $1.5 million. 

“This has a greater financial impact on our residents and our community,” Welbourn said. “It has a more unfair impact to us financially because we have a greater investment.” Welbourn believes placing the cell tower at the proposed location would stigmatize the property.

Solik responded to some of the concerns of neighbors.

“The Barthle property was really all we had left,” Solik said.

“It truly looks like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree up on a pole,” planning commission member Jon Moody said.

Planning commission member Chris Poole said he understood that 5G technology, which is being used, would require tighter spacing of cell towers for it to work efficiently. However, Poole said, “I’m struggling with the need for a tower a mile away from another tower.”

David Taulbee, of Tampa-based Lee Pallardy Inc., told the planning commission that he has 25 years experience evaluating whether cell towers have negative impacts on property values.

“Not once has your appraiser or any appraiser along the whole west coast of Florida and into central Florida made a reduction in an assessment of property – commercial, rural, residential, urban, whatever you want to call it – because of proximity to a tower,” Taulbee said. “There’s simply no market data that indicates and supports that these towers impact values.”

Charles Grey, who chairs the planning commission, disagreed with Taulbee’s view on whether cell towers impact property values.

“I tend to take the common-sense approach,” Grey said. “I’ve been in the real estate business for over 50 years here. So, in my opinion, if I had that monstrosity next to my house then it would impact the value of my property. So if you think it doesn’t you’re just making up a story.

“We’re here to protect our people. That’s our number one job.”

Moody asked the applicant if they would rather have a long continuance so they could either find another site or a tower that could be more compatible with the area, or if they preferred a recommendation of denial.

“I don’t often bring you a site like this but this one is what it is because of what’s on the ground out there,” Solik said. “We have limited choices so I think we would prefer to keep it moving.

“I’m sorry that you’re choosing to penalize Anthemnet going forward.”

“I want you to understand,” Grey said, “that we’re not penalizing anyone. We’re just protecting the people that live here – the same thing I would do for you if you lived here.”

Solik and the people accompanying her were reminded that Moody had given them the option to do a continuance so the issues could be readdressed and they hadn’t done that.

Planning commission members then voted to recommend to county commissioners to deny the request. County commissioners are scheduled to vote Nov. 12.

 

Dade City interviewing for new city manager

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DADE CITY – Leslie Porter resigned as the city manager of the City of Dade City, effective Oct. 10.

Porter had worked for Dade City for more than 10 years. Prior to becoming city manager, she was the city’s finance officer from 2014 to 2019.

Her departure from the position occurred after members of the Dade City Commission expressed a desire earlier in the year for a new administrator to take the city in a different direction. 

An amicable separation agreement was negotiated between the commission and Porter regarding a severance package. The agreement emphasized that Porter’s termination from employment was not “for cause or for misconduct.” It also said that she would be eligible for future employment with Dade City if she applied for a position for which she was qualified either through education or experience.

Mayor Scott Black praised Porter during an emergency meeting Oct. 7 in preparation for Hurricane Milton.

“It has been a pleasure to work with you as finance officer and city manager,” Black said. “Thank you for your grace, your composure and your dedication. It means a lot to me.” 

Commissioner James Shive also spoke highly of Porter and her accomplishments.

“I really want to thank you for your 10 years of service to Dade City,” Shive said. “We appreciate what you’ve done for Dade City and we wish you the best moving forward.”

Porter recommended during the Oct. 7 meeting that her executive assistant, Marieke vanErven, be appointed as acting city manager, effective Oct. 11, until an interim city manager is hired.

Commissioners agreed by a vote of 4-1 to appoint vanErven as acting city manager.

Black, Shive and commissioners Kristin Church and Ann Cosentino voted in favor of vanErven’s appointment. Mayor Pro Tempore Normita Woodard abstained from voting. City attorney Patrick Brackins said Woodard’s abstention was considered a vote against vanErven’s appointment.

In addition to having served as Porter’s executive assistant, vanErven is also the city’s public relations specialist and staff liaison to the Youth Council, Redevelopment Advisory Committee and Community Redevelopment Agency.

The city had planned to conduct interviews with two applicants for the interim city manager position during the week of Oct. 7. However, those interviews were rescheduled due to Hurricane Milton.

Brackins asked if the interviews could be conducted virtually through Zoom because it wasn’t known at that time how much damage might be caused by Hurricane Milton.

Black said he would only want to conduct the interviews that way “as the last resort.”

The two applicants for the interim city manager position are:

  • James Gabbard, who is an executive search consultant for the Florida Police Chiefs Association. He has served in that capacity since 2018. Prior to that, he was a senior manager for the International City/County Managers Association Police Consulting Services from 2008 to 2018. He was city manager for the City of Vero Beach from 2005 to 2011.
  • Glenn Irby, who has been city manager for the City of Edgewater from 2019 to 2024. Prior to that, he was city administrator for the City of Apopka from 2015 to 2018 and city manager for the City of Umatilla – airport manager, from 2006 to 2015.

The dates for these interviews weren’t available by print deadline. 

 

 

 

Pasco County issues state of emergency for Hurricane Milton

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NEW PORT RICHEY – The Pasco Board of County Commissioners convened an emergency meeting Oct. 6 to declare a State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Milton. 

The board convened about five minutes after the tropical storm was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, according to Andrew Fossa, director of emergency management for Pasco County.

“Currently, its projected path is going to put us in harm’s way,” Fossa told commissioners. “By the time it makes landfall, it’s projected to be a very strong Category 3 hurricane.”

He said the area should get tropical storm force winds from Tuesday evening to late Wednesday afternoon. The coast is also expected to sustain a six-foot storm surge. 

“We are going to have issues,” Fossa said. “We are going to have debris floating. We’re going to have missiles flying everywhere with the debris. So we’re asking for this local state of emergency and then we’re going to follow up also with a request for an evacuation order.”

The county has issued mandatory evacuations, which go into effect at 10 a.m. Oct. 7 for the following:

  • Evacuation Zones A and B.
  • Everyone living in a manufactured home, mobile home or RV anywhere in Pasco.
  • Everyone in low-lying areas or areas prone to flooding.
  • Everyone in an area ordered evacuated by local authorities due to life-safety hazards.

Voluntary evacuations will go into effect at 10 a.m. Oct. 7 for the following:

  • Evacuation Zone C.
  • Everyone registered with Pasco as a special needs resident.
  • Everyone who would be vulnerable in the event of a power loss.

Visit https://pascogis.pascocountyfl.net/evaczone/finder.html to enter your street address and determine your zone. 

District 5 Commissioner Jack Mariano asked Fossa to compare the storm surges of recent hurricanes Helene and Idalia to give people perspective about how important it is to evacuate. 

Pasco County saw storm surges of seven feet during Idalia and 12 to 15 feet during Helene. 

“It’s extremely important to evacuate,” Fossa replied. “We’ve preached that through Helene. We preached that through Idalia. When we issue an evacuation order for surge – we’re doing it to save people’s lives. Fortunately, Pasco County was one of the few counties that had zero fatalities.”

Pasco County tallied over 200 rescues in the aftermath of Helene. Fossa said citizens don’t have to evacuate hundreds of miles but tens of miles. He encouraged people to go to a hotel or stay at a shelter.

Pasco County is also opening shelters Oct. 7 for anyone who needs to leave their home ahead of the storm and has nowhere else to stay.

The following shelters open Oct. 7 at noon (and accept family pets): 

• Centennial Middle School, 38505 Centennial Road, Dade City.
• Fivay High School, 12115 Chicago Ave., Hudson.
• River Ridge Middle and High Schools, 11646 Town Center Road, New Port Richey.
• Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel.
• Fasano Regional Hurricane Center, 11611 Denton Ave., Hudson (Special Needs Only).

GoPasco bus services will operate regular routes Oct. 7 and offer free rides to shelters. Visit mypas.co/PetHurricanePrep for details about what to bring.

Mariano was encouraged by the work of the county. He mentioned how the county was helping evacuate residents of four trailer parks. 

Mariano also expressed concern about debris left over from Hurricane Helene flying around during high winds from Hurricane Milton.
“Citizens also need to remember with all this debris on the ground right now, first responders are not going to be able to navigate those roads,” Fossa said. “It’s going to damage their vehicles and put them in harm’s way also.” 

District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said the Gulf Harbors community was going to get attention as it has one way in and one way out. 

“We are working very hard today to clear that road to be sure that people can evacuate,” Starkey said. “You’re going to inconvenienced maybe by one way traffic or stop-and-go traffic but it is just paramount that we keep at least that road clear so people can get out.”

Commercial haulers will be coming in Oct. 7 to remove as much debris as possible, according to John Battista, operations director for the solid waste department. 

“We want to get the storm debris off the roads,” Battista said. 

Commissioners were pleased with county staff’s work post-Helene and pre-Milton. District 4 Commissioner Lisa Yeager gave a shoutout not just to county staff but also the community. 

“It’s just really awesome to see our community come together and everybody helping everybody,” Yeager said. “It’s just been a huge movement. I’m just really proud to be living in Pasco County.”

 

Have questions?

Pasco County Customer Service is open until 7 p.m. Oct. 6 and will be open 24 hours beginning Oct. 7 at 7 a.m.  Call 727.847.2411 or chat with the county online at MyPasco.net.

Pasco County Schools to close Oct. 7-9 due to Tropical Storm Milton

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PASCO COUNTY – Pasco County Schools announced all schools and district offices will be closed Oct. 7 to 9 as a precaution due to Tropical Storm Milton. 

All extracurricular activities, athletic events and after-school programs are also canceled for these days as forecasts indicate Milton may strengthen into a hurricane and make landfall in the region.

The district will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.

Families and staff are encouraged to follow the district’s website and social media channels for the latest information.

 

Hillsborough County’s Community Investment Tax is on the ballot

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This map, which is available at https://hcfl.gov/CIT, shows projects supported by the Community Investment Tax since 1996.

CIT funds roads, fire stations, stormwater enhancements, and other capital improvement projects throughout Hillsborough County.

The Community Investment Tax, a half-percent sales surtax that funds major infrastructure projects in Hillsborough County and the cities of Plant City, Tampa, and Temple Terrace, as well as Hillsborough County Public Schools, is on the ballot this November. 

Initially approved by Hillsborough County voters in September 1996 for a period of 30 years, the tax expires Nov. 30, 2026. Since gaining voter approval, the revenue generated by the tax has funded or partially funded more than 780 projects throughout the community.

 

CIT projects from 1996 to present

Over the past 28 years, CIT has provided about $2.77 billion to fund or partially fund 784 capital improvement projects. 

Many of the CIT-funded projects residents pass by or visit regularly – checking out a book at the local library, visiting a park, attending a local public school or driving down a county-owned road. 

Other projects funded by the CIT surtax are not as visible and include projects such as culvert replacement throughout the county to improve water drainage, replacement of the bridges along Florida State Road 39 at the Alafia and Little Manatee Rivers, and the installation of pipes to transport drinking water in Wimauma. 

Some CIT funding also goes to projects at major community facilities, such as the Museum of Science and Industry, Raymond James Stadium and the Tampa Bay History Museum.

For a full list of projects funded by the CIT from 1996 to present, view this map.

 

Proposed CIT projects for 2026-2041

If approved by voters in November, the CIT will continue to fund much-needed capital improvement projects and capital equipment across the community. Among these projects are the building of nine new fire stations, road repaving, sidewalk repairs, enhancing additional transportation and stormwater infrastructure, new schools and general public safety investments.

 

Hillsborough County Project Lists  

Transportation & Public Works – $1.34 billion

  • 16% – Intersection safety and mobility.
  • 16% – Lithia Pinecrest Road congestion relief.
  • 15% – Bridge repairs and replacements.
  • 13% – Repaving and pavement preservation.
  • 11% – Sidewalk repairs.
  • 9% – Traffic signals replacements and upgrades.
  • 8% – Pedestrian safety and mobility.
  • 7% – Van Dyke Road congestion relief.
  • 5% – Multi-use trails and boardwalks.
  • Trails: (Balm-Boyette Scrub Preserve, Sydney-Dover Trails, Flatwoods Park, Fishhawk Preserve, Northwest Equestrian Park, Tampa Bypass Canal, South Coast Greenway Trail, Kirby Canal Trail, Memorial Bikeway and Wimauma Connector Trail.
  • Boardwalks: – Brooker Creek Headwaters Preserve, Alderman’s Ford Park, Cypress Creek Preserve, Rhodine Scrub Preserve, Stephen J. Wortham Park Connection, Little Manatee River Preserve and Alafia Scrub Preserve.

 

Public Facilities – $597 million

  • 91% – Community facilities (pet resources shelter, community facilities, Sulphur Springs grocer infrastructure, tournament sports facilities, Steinbrenner Field capital maintenance/repair, Amalie Arena capital maintenance/repair and Raymond James Stadium capital maintenance/repair).
  • 9% – Parks and conservation (synthetic turf field projects, shade sails over playgrounds: covered basketball courts and Collins/Panther Trace Park improvements).

 

Public Safety – $487 million

  • 35% – Fire rescue (nine new fire stations, vehicles and equipment).
  • 34% – Sheriff’s office (jail expansion and improvements, vehicles and equipment, training center improvements, and equipment and facility improvements).
  • 31% – Courts (land acquisition for future expansion, courtroom expansions, downtown chiller expansion, Twiggs Parking Garage and new downtown courthouse).

 

Public Utilities – $180 million

  • 56% – Stormwater infrastructure (Town and Country regional improvements. stormwater culvert renewal and replacement, stormwater pump station renewal and replacement, drainage improvements and stormwater quality improvements).
  • 44% – Septic-to-sewer conversions (Gibsonton phases 3 and 4, Ruskin/Wimauma area and Palm River phases 1 and 2).

 

Hillsborough County Public Schools – $188 million

  • New elementary school and middle school in Wimauma, elementary school near Apollo Beach and future school builds. 

 

City of Plant City – Not specified

  • Community center, Fire Station No. 4, Fire Station No. 5, law enforcement equipment & facilities, transportation infrastructure (intersection safety, multi-use trails and corridor congestion relief), parks and recreation improvements.

 

City of Tampa – $783 million

  • $191 million – Sidewalk repairs, repaving and pavement preservation, bridge repairs and replacement, traffic signals replacements and upgrades, intersection safety and mobility, pedestrian safety and mobility, corridor congestion relief and multi-use trails.
  • $339 million – Vehicles/equipment and facilities.
  • $253 million – Public facilities (capital maintenance/repair of Raymond James Stadium and Amalie Arena) and parks and conservation. 

 

City of Temple Terrace – $54 million

  • Public safety building, Fire Station No. 3 training tower building, police vehicles and equipment, fire apparatus/vehicles and equipment, new park construction and improvements to general government facilities, library, parks and recreation facilities.

 

Want to learn more?

Visit HCFL.gov/CIT for more information about CIT, including the history of the tax, surtax performance audit, Nov. 5 ballot language and funds distribution details.

 

This article was provided by Hillsborough County.

PCS closing three schools to create Chasco K-8 

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This slide from a Sept. 10 school board presentation shows enrollment over time at three schools that Pasco County Schools is closing.

Plans are in the works to open Chasco K-8 School in New Port Richey next fall following a Sept. 10 vote by the District School Board of Pasco County.

The board unanimously approved closing Calusa Elementary, Chasco Elementary and Chasco Middle schools at the end of the current school year. This will enable the new K-8 school to open on the existing campus of Chasco elementary and middle schools in September 2025.

School district staff requested the closure of these three schools because of steadily decreasing enrollments at Calusa Elementary and Chasco Middle. 

Calusa is operating at 65% capacity with 429 students. Chasco Middle is operating at 73% capacity with 614 students. 

Wyatt Grinage, whose daughter attends Calusa, expressed concerns over whether the proposed K-8 school will have enough space to accommodate all the students who will be coming from Calusa.

The combined square footage of Chasco Elementary and Chasco Middle is 238,612 while Calusa Elementary has 75,000 square feet, Assistant Superintendent Betsy Kuhn said. There already is enough space at the Chasco campus to accommodate 254 more students than are currently attending there, Kuhn said. 

Minimal modifications and reconfigurations that can be made to the two buildings on the Chasco campus will provide more than enough space to accommodate the 1,600 students currently attending all three of the schools, Kuhn said.

That necessary work will include, among other things, converting a media center in one of the buildings on the Chasco campus into four classrooms, Kuhn said.

This work will occur during the summer of 2025 so it won’t have an impact with students’ learning, according to Corey Dierdorff, the district’s public information officer.

One of the advantages of the consolidation expressed by Kuhn included a minimal transportation impact because Calusa Elementary, which will be permanently closed, is only 1.4 miles from the campus where Chasco K-8 is going to be located. The schools are all in the same community according to Kuhn.

Other advantages include the stability of students being in the same school for nine years and the minimization of a negative impact with the transition to middle school, according to a presentation made by Kuhn.

Board member Al Hernandez agreed with Kuhn that consolidating the three schools would use the district’s financial resources more efficiently. 

“Closing a school is never fun,” Hernandez said. “This is not a take-away. It is enhancing the community.”

Kuhn also tried to alleviate concerns that had been expressed about children being able to walk safely to Chasco K-8 after it opens next year. There are currently five crossing guards assigned to Chasco Elementary, and a traffic control officer and two crossing guards are assigned to Calusa Elementary. Discussions will be held with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office next year to have the crossing guards currently at Calusa to be reassigned to Chasco K-8, Kuhn said.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said during the Sept. 10 meeting that parents who would be affected by the closure of the three schools would be notified the next day.

A public workshop focused on the closure of Calusa Elementary, Chasco Elementary and Chasco Middle and the reopening of those three schools as Chasco K-8 is scheduled for 5 p.m. Oct. 1 in the gymnasium at Chasco Middle School, according to the district’s website. A proposed boundary map for the K-8 School will be displayed and staff will be available to answer questions. 

Also, a public hearing on the boundary proposal will be held during the Oct. 15 school board meeting at 6 p.m. at the district office complex in Land O’ Lakes. 

The final vote on the boundary proposal will be held during the board’s Nov. 5 meeting at 9:30 a.m. at the district’s office complex, according to the district’s website.

Plans are also in the works for teachers currently assigned to Calusa Elementary to follow their students when they go to Chasco K-8, Kuhn said.

Acting on this so early in the current school year will give parents opportunities to explore other options regarding where their children could attend school within the district if they didn’t want them to go to Chasco K-8 next year, Kuhn said.

 

Memorial in Pasco County honors fallen law enforcement officers 

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DADE CITY – More than 100 people turned out Sept. 11 in downtown Dade City to witness the unveiling of a memorial honoring law enforcement officers who had lost their lives in the line of duty.

The ceremony on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse was the result of nine years of fundraising efforts, according to attorney Craig Laporte, who was one of the speakers at the event.

Attorney Craig Laporte, District 1 County Commissioner Ron Oakley, Dade City Police Chief James Walters and Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco unveiled the Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial during a ceremony Sept. 11 on the grounds of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in downtown Dade City. Photo courtesy of Joe Potter

Laporte, who had been a Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputy in the 1970s and 1980s, said he understood the stress that families of law enforcement officers experienced when their loved ones were working. He added that the memorial is a good thing for families to relate to.

“Everybody chipped in to help to make this possible,” Ronald E. “Ron” Oakley said, adding that the memorial “was very much worth the wait.”

Oakley, who is chairman of the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, was another one of the speakers at the event. He represents District 1, which is located in eastern Pasco County.

“We’re not only honoring those who gave their lives . . . we’re honoring their families as well,” Sheriff Chris Nocco said. 

He added the memorial would be a place families of fallen officers could find solitude and receive God’s comfort.

Nocco noted he was at The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on the night of Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists had attacked it along with both towers of the World Trade Center in New York. 

The demand for the memorial had been so great that it was actually ordered six years before the Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial and Benefit Foundation Inc. had enough money to pay for it, according to Laporte.

Several donors combined their efforts to contribute $100,000 in a week and a half, Oakley said. 

The final cost of the memorial hasn’t been disclosed but it was completely funded through charitable contributions to Pasco County Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial and Benefit Foundation Inc., which is a 501c3 nonprofit.

Members of the foundation and its supporters were reportedly inspired to create the memorial after having seen one in Polk County honoring law enforcement officers who had died there in the line of duty.

Brian Brown, the sheriff’s office’s chaplain, said a prayer at the beginning of the ceremony. Part of what he said was that fallen law enforcement officers had put their lives on the line so that others might live.

Several people who assisted in raising funds for the Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial are shown in front of it after it was unveiled on Sept. 11. Photo courtesy of Richard K. Riley

Other things that occurred before the unveiling of the memorial included Jennifer Ferguson singing the National Anthem and Dade City Police Chief James Walters leading attendees in saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.

District 4 County Commissioner Lisa Yeager read a list of donors who had contributed toward the cost of the memorial.  

Donors recognized for their contributions were Adam Smith Enterprises, Barbara L. Wilhite P.A., BRW Contracting, Deeb Construction & Development, Deeb Family Homes, Heidt Design, JDR Properties of Pasco, members of the Maggard Family, Make A Difference (a 501c3 nonprofit), Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells, Pasco Office Park, PCS Civil, Randy & Shannon Blankenship, Ronald E. Oakley, Santo Carollo, Floria Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, Sunrise Consulting Group, Tew & Associates, Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Home, Waist-Aid Systems and Wiregrass Ranch Foundation.

Cancer battle inspires a new path for Jolie Dopa

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olie Dopa shifted from music to fashion as she battled Stage 4 breast cancer. Photo courtesy of Jolie Dopa

Jolie Dopa has been working in the fashion industry for the past couple of years. This is a new interest of hers that was inspired, in part, by surviving breast cancer.

Dopa, who lives in Land O’ Lakes, was originally diagnosed with the disease in November 2017. It was at stage 4 at that time.

Dopa said she has survived since then due to having had 78 rounds of chemotherapy treatments and through God’s help.

Dopa has accomplished two significant dreams during her lifetime.

Her most recent accomplishment was being able to work in the fashion industry.

Prior to that, the other dream she had shortly after graduating from Land O’ Lakes High School was to become a musician. She began accomplishing that dream in Atlanta, Ga., when she was 19 years old.

She’s now well known for her album, “Struggling 4 Thee Diamond Life,” which was released in December 2020. She traveled far and wide as a singer and songwriter. 

Having cancer resulted in her mind being “totally reprogrammed” to do things that would bring her happiness and help her to heal, Dopa said. 

Healing, for her, is an ongoing process because Dopa said she will have to receive cancer treatments for the rest of her life.

She started to focus on things that didn’t require her to be in the public eye after taking a break from the entertainment industry. It was during that time that she felt led to choose to create unique clothing. 

“I believe God gives us the vision and then we must act on that vision. So I did and do,” she told Bold Journey magazine in a Sept. 29, 2023, interview.

Her career in fashion designing originated as a jacket line but has since grown into mostly wire bras, bikini bras and vest/jackets, she previously told Bold Journey. 

She began to make money off of her clothing by offering them for sale on Instagram after her mother had suggested that she do that, Dopa previously told Bold Journey. This led to her being invited to do her first fashion show as a vendor, Dopa also previously told Bold Journey.

The first show she was talking about was during the annual 2023 SKIN! Art Show, which was held at the Art Institute of Tampa on July 14 and 15, 2023.

Some of her other displays have also been featured at The Armature Works and Hotel Haya, both of which are in Tampa; and at Coastal Creative – The Factory, which is in St. Petersburg.

The past two years working in the fashion industry have been wonderful, Dopa said. She does about two to three events a month as a vendor. 

And she has also been posting her unique clothing on various other social media platforms since 2021.

But her life isn’t just about being involved in the fashion industry, Dopa said. 

She’s a single parent who’s actively involved in the life of her son, Josiah, who’s 10 years old. 

 

Want to reach out?

Learn more about Dopa by visiting her Instagram @d0paminedreamz or by emailing her at .

 

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.