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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Billy Poe

Zephyrhills sets tentative millage rate

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Zephyrhills property owners won’t see an increase in their ad valorem tax rate for fiscal year 2020-2021.

The Zephyrhills City Council on July 27 unanimously voted to set the tentative millage rate at 6.35 mills — a rate the municipality has maintained for several years.

Public hearings on the proposed property tax rate have been scheduled for Sept. 14 and Sept. 28.

Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The council does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then.

A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 worth of a property’s taxable assessed value.

In Zephyrhills, maintaining a rate of 6.35 mills would levy about $5.32 million in property taxes — a revenue increase of nearly $380,000 compared with last year.

The figures are based on the total city’s property value of nearly $838 million, an increase of $63.8 million over last year. Of that increase, $28.7 million is attributable to new construction.

The city’s tentative budget is typically set by Aug. 1 each year. However, staff requested to delay the deadline until Aug. 7, because the city is awaiting various revenue estimates from the state.

In other news, council members received an update on the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation’s outreach plans, in the midst of COVID-19.

The Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, at 6585 Simons Road, won’t open its doors until mid- or late September, but inroads are being made to grow the sport among local youth.

The outreach will be done through the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation, a nonprofit that subsidizes tennis equipment, lessons and afterschool programs to underserved community youth, in partnership with the forthcoming tennis facility.

Nick Walton, the foundation’s program director, explained that the foundation had partnered with West Zephyrhills Elementary School to offer an afterschool tennis program in the spring, but that the program had to be postponed until the fall because of the pandemic.

In addition to partnering with individual schools, including West Zephyrhills Elementary, Walton said the nonprofit also will host a series of free afterschool programs available to all youth in the community during the 2020-2021 school year — regardless of whether students attend brick-and-mortar schools or take virtual classes.

The afterschool program likely will be held around 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m., on weekdays, Walton said.

“We’ve secured enough funding right now to secure us through the entire school year, so you guys will be seeing me, hopefully trying to raise more, and get into more schools and have more programs running,” Walton told the council.

The nearly $5 million tennis complex features 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts, as well as a state-of-the art indoor health and wellness center, among other amenities.

The facility is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

Virtual meetings set for audio upgrades
In the last several weeks, Zephyrhills city government meetings have mostly returned in-person amid COVID-19, but citizens still have the opportunity to listen and participate through a telephone call-in number.

The Zephyrhills City Hall council chambers is being outfitted with a new computer system to enhance audio quality for broadcasting virtual meetings. (File)

As staffers and council members have begun conducting semi-virtual meetings at the City Hall council chambers, some audio quality issues have arisen for those who listen in on the phone in real time.

That’s because the chamber room’s communications system wasn’t originally designed to accommodate in-person meetings that could also be broadcasted remotely.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said those issues should be sorted out in time for the next scheduled council meeting on Aug. 10, as the city’s IT department is working to retrofit a new computer system that will provide for better sound processing.

“We’ve heard complaints about people being able to only hear every third word or being muffled,” Poe said. “Hopefully, we’ll have something in place, and hopefully it’ll work for the next meeting.”

With that, council president Charles Proctor expressed his appreciation for Mike Panak, the  city’s IT director, for helping set up a virtual meeting system on the fly, over the course of the shutdown.

“I’m sure this has been difficult for him to run all of this, and get all this, and I’m sure this has been a nightmare for him, and I really appreciate the fine job done, especially when we were meeting virtually,” Proctor said.

The council president also thanked the city’s entire staff for its dedication and its work to keep the municipality running over the last several months.

“This has been one of the most difficult times in our country’s history, and we have such an amazing group of employees that are so faithful. They show up to work, do an amazing job, even through all this nightmare that we’ve all been living.

“From the guy on the back of the truck to our police and city manager, I’m just so thankful that we have such an amazing team,” Proctor said.

Published August 05, 2020

Zephyrhills wants more data before setting tax rate

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Zephyrhills property owners will have to wait a bit longer before finding out the property tax rate for fiscal year 2020-2021.

The Zephyrhills City Council tabled setting a tentative millage rate, until information on projected revenue streams is provided from the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research (EDR).

The consensus decision came during a July 13 regular council meeting.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe (Courtesy of Billy Poe)

A memo from city staff recommended setting the tentative millage rate at 6.35 — the rate the city has maintained for several years.

However, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe advised council members to hold off on a decision until more concrete projections are available from the EDR on various revenue sources, including communications services tax, Penny for Pasco, local government half-cent sales tax, local option fuel tax and the municipal revenue sharing program.

Once the council adopts a proposed millage rate, it can be decreased but cannot be increased unless the city mails a notice to each taxpayer.

Poe told the council he’s “pretty positive” the city won’t need to set a millage rate higher than 6.35. But, the city manager warned: “With everything that’s going on, we don’t want to have to set the millage rate too low, if we have to increase.”

A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 worth of a property’s assessed value.

In Zephyrhills, maintaining a rate of 6.35 mills would levy about $5.32 million in property taxes — a revenue increase of almost $380,000, compared to last year, according to the memo.

The figures are based on the total city’s property value of nearly $838 million, an increase of $63.8 million over last year; $28.7 million of that increase is attributable to new construction.

Reports from the EDR are expected in time for the July 27 council meeting, Poe said.

Once the city sets a tentative millage rate, the council will conduct two public hearings in September before adopting a final rate.

The delay in receiving EDR reports won’t have an impact on budget preparations, Poe said, noting that various department heads have been in such discussions.

With that, the city manager outlined considerations and projects that likely will need to be factored into the city’s next budget. Those include:

  • 911 Public Service Answering Point (PSAP) agreement with Pasco County
  • Funding for the East Pasco Family YMCA
  • Payouts for all city fire rescue personnel, as part of a merger with Pasco Fire Rescue
  • Funding for a business/job incentive program, in conjunction with the county
  • Increased wages for Zephyrhills Police Department officers — negotiated last year through its police union
  • Life Scan Physical program for police department
  • Stormwater Master Plan funding
  • Retirement payouts
  • Simons Road Phase II design
  • Installing a crosswalk between the subdivisions connecting Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center and Silverado Golf & Country Club, on the east side of Simons Road
  • Increased animal control costs
  • Increased retirement costs
  • Trail System Master Plan funding
  • Sidewalk improvements within the city’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA)
  • County Road 54 improvement costs
  • Agenda software upgrades
  • Renovations to the Hercules Park property

Published July 22, 2020

Zephyrhills joins water contamination lawsuit

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The City of Zephyrhills — also known as “The City of Pure Water” — is joining a massive federal lawsuit regarding contaminated water.

The municipality is set to become a plaintiff in a multi-district litigation case filed against various companies that manufactured firefighting foams — Aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) — containing a series of man-made chemicals found to contaminate groundwater, wastewater and water wells.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in a federal lawsuit that is going after various companies that manufactured firefighting foam containing chemicals found to contaminate water wells. (File)

The chemicals in question are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), compounds historically used in carpets, clothing, food packaging and a number of industrial processes. The chemicals have been linked to human health effects, such as low infant birth weights, immune system suppression, thyroid hormone disruption and cancer, according to health organizations, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously voted on May 11 to enter negotiations for representation with Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC., a New Orleans-based litigation firm. Local co-counsel will include Tampa-based firms Hobby & Hobby P.A. and Young & Partners LLP. The action came during a virtual council meeting.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in the lawsuit. Other plaintiffs are as far away as California and North Dakota, and within Florida, including Pensacola and Lauderhill.

The New Orleans firm is known for its work in securing a $7.8 billion settlement for plaintiffs in the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill case back in 2010. The firm told city leaders it will front the cost of litigation and expert work on a contingency, then would accept a settlement fee.

Officials say high levels of PFOA/PFOS have been discovered in Water Well No. 1 utilized by the city’s downtown fire station for training purposes, dating as far back as 2014.

Samples taken from the well in 2014 showed PFOA/PFOS levels of 160 parts per trillion in water, lower than the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) levels of acceptability of 200 parts per trillion at the time, officials say.

However, in 2016 the EPA established new health advisory levels of PFOA/PFOS at just 70 parts per trillion. Because of that, the well was subsequently taken offline and was no longer in service when follow-up tests measured 120 parts per trillion of PFOA/PFOS, officials say.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said that staff is working with environmental engineering group Jones Edmunds on monitoring wells and “to try to delineate contamination plume.”

Poe expects the EPA and Florida Department of Environmental Protection to make requirements for PFOA/PFOS remediation and removal, which he said “will have a very large price tag attached to it.”

Clarke Hobby of Hobby & Hobby P.A., will serve as co-counsel for the City of Zephyrhills, who will be a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against companies and manufacturers that used a series of man-made chemicals in firefighting foam found to contaminate water wells. (File)

City attorney Matt Maggard concurred with the city manager’s assessment. He emphasized the need to partner with the multiple litigation firms to seek damages from companies that used PFOS/PFAS chemicals in AFFF production.

Maggard put it like this: “Cleanup is coming, and it’s going to be very, very expensive, and I think we should protect the city and seek compensation from these companies. It’s really negligent what they did, in my opinion, as far as knowing the dangers of these chemicals and letting them go out into the public the way they did.”

Attorney Clarke Hobby, a partner in Hobby & Hobby P.A., originally brought the matter to the city’s attention.

A Dade City native who normally deals in real estate and land use matters, Hobby said he felt a calling to be involved and assist the municipality with the developing case.

The attorney said he believes the EPA will even further lower the levels of acceptability for PFOS/PFOA in water sources because “they’re finding that this stuff is not water soluble and it just doesn’t go away and it is a serious threat to water quality.”

Said Hobby, “I just don’t want Zephyrhills to get on the hook for what a multi-, multi-billion company knew about 40 years ago and continued to put it on the market, and leave us holding the bag.”

He added: “The liability for creating this chemical contamination should lie with the manufacturers who knew about this for a long time and allowed the contamination to continue over a longer period of time.”

Upon hearing comments from Hobby, as well as representatives from Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC, and city administration, the council agreed it was important to move forward in the legal process.

“We definitely have to act on this,” said Council president Ken Burgess.

Councilman Charles Proctor added, “It sounds to me like we are going to deal with this, probably sooner rather than later, so if we’re going to hire a group of attorneys, we would want to hire a (law firm) that’s familiar with this sort of litigation.”

Published May 27, 2020

Zephyrhills OKs alcohol sales at tennis center

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At the forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center, after a sweaty session of volleys and serves, players will be able to slake their thirst with an adult beverage or two.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved the sale of beer and wine — but no liquor —  at the city-owned facility’s indoor restaurant/café. The action came during a virtual council meeting on May 11.

The original request for alcohol sales came from Pascal Collard, who’s private management company is operating the $4.9 million tennis center, set to open in July, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

Beer and wine sales will be allowed at the new Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of David Alvarez)

Situated on more than 8 acres of land, the complex will feature 11 outdoor tennis courts built to United States Tennis Association (USTA) standards, plus eight pickleball courts, four padel courts and an event pavilion.

The facility also features an adjoining 7,400-square-foot indoor space that will house the restaurant/café, as well as a fitness and rehabilitation studio, salt/sauna room, cryotherapy, pro shop, kid’s area and more.

Collard expressed the need for a beer and wine license, in a memo to council members. He explained the sale of beer and wine is needed to help lure a new restaurant business partner. Wesley Chapel-based Buttermilk Provisions planned to run the restaurant/café, but backed out following the rise of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The primary focus of our business is to provide a place where people can gather to play sports, meet friends, benefit from our wellness offers, and spend time over food and drinks,” Collard wrote in the memo.

Alcohol sales could be a “make or break” contract opportunity with any prospective new restaurant partner, Collard noted in the memo.

Council members concurred with Collard’s request, to help him cast a wide net to attract another partner as the state-of-the-art facility readies for a summer opening. Also, they feel confident that the consumption of beer and wine will be done judiciously.

Councilman Lance Smith put it like this: “The tennis folks aren’t going to get all ripped up after they have a tennis match.”

Collard later told The Laker/Lutz News he’s signed on Mike and Sue Prenderville as restaurant partners.

The Prendervilles own Song Printing & Design in downtown Zephyrhills, and Mike once operated one of the largest pubs in London, England, Collard said.

The facility’s restaurant/café would operate for lunch and dinner, with a brunch option on weekends, per the memo. Daily operating hours of the café typically will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., then opening at 10 a.m. on weekends. (The tennis complex’s gym will open at 5:30 a.m. everyday, however.)

The restaurant is expected to provide a full menu of hot and cold food, with the ability to offer a juice and protein shake bar and other non-alcoholic beverages.

The ambiance of the facility’s restaurant/café will consist of  “easy listening music,” the memo says. No televisions or dance floor are planned.

Noise will be limited because no loud music will be played, Collard wrote.

The city has previously granted alcohol sales at city-owned, but privately-managed facilities.

Years ago, the council approved such sales at the city-owned municipal golf course, which is leased to a private operator, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said.

City ordinance allows for the sale of alcoholic beverages within 300 feet of a school, provided seating capacity is not less than 25 and at least 51% of combined gross sales comes from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The tennis center’s café will be audited annually to ensure they meet that standard, Poe said.

Meantime, the council also approved a request to use $100,000 from the city’s tree mitigation funds to plant more trees throughout the tennis center property.

The additional funding brings the total landscape budget for the project to $200,000.

The contract for the $4.9 million guaranteed maximum price of construction project had called only for $100,000 for landscaping and irrigation.

As a result of the council’s action, the city’s tree mitigation fund has been reduced to $41,000.

Though the measure passed unanimously, council members advised city staffers to have better cost estimates on large projects in the future.

“We need to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” said Smith, noting the original $100,000 allocation for landscaping seemed “a paltry sum” on a nearly $5 million recreation project.

Councilman Jodi Wilkeson pointed out the tree mitigation fund “is only good when development is good.” “When we have a lull in development, it takes a long time to get that (up), so for us to spend it all in (one) fell swoop, makes me a little nervous,” she said.

Council president Ken Burgess said he’s not opposed to using tree mitigation funds for the tennis center, but added, “I just think we maybe need to take a closer look at something like this on the front end so that we don’t end up with something like this on the back end.”

Council members expressed concern about all-but bottoming out the mitigation fund so quickly. The tree mitigation fund is made up of fees property owners and developers pay when they are unable to mitigate trees removed from their property.

In other action, the council:

• Approved a final plat for an additional 20 single-family residential lots in the Zephyr Lakes subdivision, a 63-acre development north of Pretty Pond Road and west of Wire Road.

• Approved purchase of a new public works front-load sanitation truck totaling $269,116.50, using sanitation reserves funds ($174,116.50) and insurance provider funds ($95,000). The purchase replaces a 14-year-old sanitation truck damaged beyond repair in February after a fire formed in the truck’s hopper.

• Passed a first reading ordinance consenting to the inclusion of the city’s boundaries into the Pasco County Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) for fire rescue services.

Published May 20, 2020

Zephyrhills approves fire department consolidation

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After more than 100 years of tradition and service, the Zephyrhills Fire Department soon will be no more.

Its operations are expected to be consolidated in September, into Pasco County Fire Rescue.

Under the merger, Pasco Fire Rescue would operate the city’s two fire stations and hire all 25 of the city’s fire rescue personnel at their proper pay step, pending background checks. The county agency would ensure and maintain additional staffing needs at both stations, and place an ambulance within the city limits. (Courtesy of Pasco County Fire Rescue)

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved an interlocal agreement with Pasco County to provide fire suppression/first responder services to the municipality. The action came during an April 27 virtual council meeting.

Per the agreement, Pasco Fire Rescue would operate the city’s two fire stations and hire all 25 of the city’s fire rescue personnel at their proper pay step. The county agency would ensure and maintain additional staffing needs at both stations, and place an ambulance within the city limits.

The agreement calls for a 20-year term, with automatic 20-year renewals, unless the city or county provides written notice at least a year prior to the end of a term.

For a merger to take effect, the Pasco County Commission must approve a corresponding agreement. Also, consenting ordinances allowing the county to charge city residents an MSTU (Municipal Service Taxing Unit) for firefighter services will need to be passed at a later date.

Under the agreement:

  • Zephyrhills will continue to handle plans review, fire and building code administration, and annual inspections
  • Zephyrhills will provide Pasco with final approved as-built plans for any new commercial construction
  • Pasco will provide a water usage report to Zephyrhills for any water used through city hydrants
  • Should Pasco not utilize a city station as an operational fire station, Zephyrhills will have the first right of refusal to purchase the property back at its then assessed value
  • Zephyrhills will allow Pasco Fire Rescue housed at Station 25 to use the City Hall parking lot

The agreement also gives transferred city fire rescue employees the option to remain in the Zephyrhills fire stations for six months. After that, each employee will be required to bid to stay in the local stations.

Under the terms, Zephyrhills also agrees to conduct soil remediation at the downtown fire station, if required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Separately, the city has agreed to waive any employee tuition reimbursement requirements.

It also has agreed to pay each current Zephyrhills fire rescue union member 50% of remaining sick time above 120 hours that is being transferred to Pasco, and to award all vacation time up to 500 hours and all accrued comp time.

The agreement (as well as extended employee benefits) will cost the city roughly $5.5 million total and will generally be spread out over a period of seven years, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said.

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved an interlocal agreement that will allow the city’s fire department to be consolidated by Pasco County Fire Rescue. The merger is expected to occur in September. (File)

After fiscal year 2027, the city won’t have to pay the county for fire rescue services — as it’d be solely propped up by an MSTU assessed to city residents and commercial entities, similar to how Dade City receives such services.

For comparison’s sake, the city’s fire department budget the last two years was $3.3 million in fiscal year 2019 and $2.8 million in fiscal year 2020 — nearly totaling the amount the city is prepared to pay the county to take fire rescue operations off its hands in perpetuity.

The fate of the local fire department had been coming for some time.

Besides a ballooning annual budget, Zephyrhills Fire Rescue battled personnel turnover, staffing shortages and outdated equipment over the years.

Also, the city hasn’t had a fire chief for over 18 months, instead splitting those duties among  three battalion chiefs.

Following formal negotiations with the county that been ongoing since last July, Zephyrhills leaders now feel they have an agreement that takes care of the city’s firefighters, enhances fire rescue services for the community and minimizes the city’s costs.

Council president Ken Burgess described the merger as “a difficult, momentous, emotional day for the city.”

He added: “I think we can look at it as a positive moving forward for the city’s firefighters and everyone involved.”

Fellow council members echoed similar sentiments.

Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson said, “We really feel like we negotiated the very best possible deal for the firefighters. I don’t think any of us are happy about the fact that we’re losing what’s a 100-year tradition for our community, but the bottom-line line is that our long-term fiscal health for the city was dependent upon this merger.”

Councilman Charlie Proctor pointed out, under the merger, the city’s two firehouses finally will be at full staff and will have transport units. That’s something, he said, the city has not had for decades.

“I believe the end result was fair for everybody, and I also believe in the long run the citizens will be served more safely,” Proctor said.

Zephyrhills firefighter union president Travis Geiger, who was heavily involved In negotiations, said union membership supported the merger by a supermajority vote and is “on the same page” with the city’s consolidation plan.

“It’s been quite the journey,” Geiger said.

The entire process required “much discussion, and back and forth, and headaches and everything else,” he said.

The history of the city’s fire department dates back to 1915, when it started as a volunteer organization. Since the 1970s, it has had a paid professional staff.

To preserve a sliver of that history through the consolidation, city officials said fire engines and vehicles will have signage along the lines of “Proudly Serving Zephyrhills,” even though equipment will now be owned and operated by Pasco Fire Rescue.

Published May 06, 2020

Officials express guarded optimism through COVID-19

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As Florida slowly lifts stay-at-home orders — caused by concerns about potential spread of  coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)  —  local leaders and officials are taking a positive, yet guarded, outlook.

They are hopeful that the regional and state economy can rebound sooner than later.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley (File)

Many retailers and restaurants have announced plans to reopen to modified dine-in and foot traffic, while more parks and beaches are reopening with restrictions.

Signs of optimism are beginning to show, state Rep. Randy Maggard, R-Dade City said, during an April 28 virtual town hall meeting presented by The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

“A lot of people feel we’ve crossed the high point of (COVID-19) and we’re on the downward slide. We hope so,” Maggard said.

In the same breath, he urged people to continue to take necessary safety precautions and “use common sense” in public gatherings.

“It will be good to get our economy going. It’s been tough for a lot of businesses here, it’s been tough for a lot of individuals,” he said.

Maggard also addressed “the 800-pound gorilla in the room” during the speaking engagement. And, that’s the fact that the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) is having trouble managing the massive volume of people filing for unemployment benefit claims.

The state representative pointed out roughly 40% of the 1.8 million claims filed have been either bogus or scams. That has led to further delays in legitimate applicants getting their unemployment benefits, he said.

“The process just takes long when you have to deal with things like that,” Maggard said, adding the DEO is expected to have those issues resolved soon.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, like Maggard, has an optimistic view of the future of the local economy and markets, overall.

“Things will get better. There is a light at the end of that long tunnel we didn’t think we’d have,” Oakley said.”

He said Pasco government activities have not slowed, in the midst of COVID-19.

Oakley noted that neighboring counties haven’t been so lucky as to keep operations moving along when it comes to handling regular tasks, such as reviewing building permits.

“We’ve continued to work, as we do normally,” Oakley said, “except most of our people are working from home instead of our offices.”

Oakley, 74, is still taking the virus quite seriously, however.

He reported the county had 241 positive coronavirus cases and six deaths, as of April 28. One place particularly “hit hard” is the Royal Oak Nursing Center in Dade City, with 20 positive COVID-19 cases, he said.

The commissioner acknowledged most of the people who’ve died from the disease have had pre-existing conditions. But, he added: “This is not the flu. It’s a little more infectious than the flu is.”

So, while businesses start opening with some semblance of normalcy, Oakley said he’s not yet  comfortable to enter a restaurant or other public spaces.

“You probably won’t see me out in a restaurant, that’s just my feeling,” said Oakley. “Of course, I’m of the age that the virus will treat me a lot worse than it would for younger people, but I think there’s probably a pretty large percentage of young people, middle-aged people that will do that, they’ll go right back out, they’re not fearful of any of that, and hopefully they’re taking precautions.”

Like Oakley, Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer remains concerned about the serious nature of COVID-19 and feels it isn’t going away anytime soon — witnessing the virus’s impact on the frontlines.

Brewer said there’s an expectation the county’s coronavirus cases could peak sometime around mid-May, based on joint conversations with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and Pasco County Emergency Management.

“We may be getting close to opening the state,” Brewer said, “but, I don’t think we’re going to be ready yet to open it up completely yet.”

The police chief reported Zephyrhills has 25 positive COVID-19 cases as of April 28, representing more than 10% of all cases in the county. Additionally, the department is tracking a total of 48 addresses under investigation as possible COVID-19 cases as of that date.

Meanwhile, Brewer said the local law enforcement agency has observed spikes in domestic violence and disturbance cases, as well as increased juvenile problems, during the course of the pandemic.

On the other hand, the department has seen fewer accidents and total calls for service overall.

With fewer service calls, Brewer said officers have placed more focus on performing spot checks on local businesses that may not be in compliance with state executive orders.

He also noted the department has enacted an “extensive screening process” to determine whether someone absolutely needs to be sent to jail after an arrest. That approach is being taken to try and limit the spread of COVID-19 within the local criminal justice system.

He said the pandemic “has been a been a unique challenge for law enforcement.”

City of Zephyrhills pushing through COVID-19
Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe also offered an update on some of happenings within the East Pasco municipality throughout the town hall discussion.

Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, Poe said the city is “open for business, so there are still a lot of projects that are going on.”

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce organized an April 28 virtual town hall meeting featuring a panel of area leaders and representatives, discussing the various impacts of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. (Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

For instance, work is progressing on multiple subdivisions and communities that will bring hundreds of new homes to the area. Those projects include the Oaks at Pasco and Links at Calusa Springs located on both sides of Simons Road; District at Abbott’s Square near the forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center; and Abbott Park, situated on the former Gore’s Dairy property that wraps behind the Publix Super Market at Zephyr Commons on Gall Boulevard.

Several commercial developments are moving along, too.

A couple notable projects under final site plan review include a new Veterans Administration clinic along Eiland Boulevard, as well as the Crystal Bar rebuild on Gall Boulevard, a longtime community staple destroyed in a fire last May.

Poe said a Chipotle Mexican Grill franchise at Zephyr Commons “is projected to come here in the next few months.” Also, the Chancey Partners industrial park project continues its build out with “a lot of businesses going in at that location.”

Poe touched on various city-related projects, as well:

  • Relocation of the U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road traffic signal should get underway in August, spurring development in that area, which he said will eventually include a Chick-fil-A franchise
  • Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center construction “continues to be strong” and should be complete around July or August
  • Road paving and resurfacing has been ongoing at various city streets the past several weeks

Elsewhere, the city manager encouraged residents to continue to support local businesses “either by takeout or gift cards or anything that you can do.”

He also noted he’s in conversation with Zephyrhills High School Principal Dr. Christina Stanley to “plan something special” for graduating seniors, such as a parade or other community-wide gathering at some point.

Other speakers during the town hall included Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield and Zephyrhills City Council president Ken Burgess.

Published May 06, 2020

Zephyrhills employees taking coronavirus precautions

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Work inside Zephyrhills City Hall proceeds, but additional safety precautions have been instituted among city staffers, in response to threats posed by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Most all city departments and employees have begun working in split shifts, or A-B shifts, to create more separation among each other, Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe explained during an April 13 virtual city council meeting.

Poe said city employees have begun a “day on, day off” schedule model — working Monday, Wednesday, and Friday one particular week, then Tuesday and Thursday the following week.

The scheduling change, which affects more than 100 city employees, is expected to continue “for the foreseeable future,” Poe said.

The change won’t really impact the city’s police and fire departments and dispatchers because they already follow a split-shift schedule, Poe said.

The city manager explained the reasoning to cut daily work crews in half, particularly for areas such as the city’s maintenance yard: “We wanted to split those crews basically in half, so that God forbid somebody comes down with it (COVID-19), they don’t infect the entire department, they only potentially affect only half the department, so that we can continue to operate.”

Meantime, most department heads are still working full shifts, Poe said, “because they’re able to be in their office and keep the separation,” though large staff meetings are being held via virtual conference call.

Some city employees have been able to work remotely, accessing desktops and answering phone calls from home. The city’s IT department is trying to issue more laptops and the necessary software for more employees to do so, Poe said.

Other safety measures have been taken, too.

Inside the confines of City Hall, staffers have relocated desks further from one another and set up glass partitions.

Each employee has been provided N95 masks, gloves and their own refillable bottle of hand sanitizer. The fire department, meanwhile, has been issued retrofit respirator masks, gowns and other personal protective equipment, some of which also has been ordered for the city’s police, utility and public works departments.

Aside from scheduling and social distancing changes, various city projects and regular day-to-day operations press forward.

Construction is ongoing at the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellbeing Center, along with road resurfacing work on Sixth Avenue and 12th Street, for instance.

Other routine maintenance projects, however, are taking “a little bit longer” because of the split shifts, Poe said.

Meanwhile, the city is receiving building constructions plans and issuing permits, and collecting in-person utility payments, though residents are encouraged to pay online or use the drobox as much as possible to limit contact.

“Zephyrhills is still open for business,” the city manager said. “Obviously, we’re trying to take all the precautions we can, to create the separation and safety of all our employees and citizens, but we’re trying to keep as much normalcy as we possibly can.”

Alan Knight (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

No municipal election for Zephyrhills
Municipal elections in Pasco County have been delayed indefinitely, but in Zephyrhills a local election isn’t needed after all.

A city mayoral race was initially set between incumbent Gene Whitfield and Justin Docherty, but Docherty has since dropped out of the race after failing to properly qualify for the local election. The announcement was made during an April 13 regular city council meeting.

Gene Whitfield

Whitfield has held the mayor chair since 2014, when Danny Burgess resigned to run as the area’s state representative in Tallahassee. Whitfield has owned Whitfield Funeral Home in Zephyrhills the past 25 years. He also is former director of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

The Zephyrhills mayor serves mainly an ambassador’s role, being a presence at many public events, ribbon cuttings and so on. As far as citywide matters, the mayor doesn’t run council meetings, cannot make motions and cannot vote on matters before the council, but does have the ability to veto city ordinances.

Meanwhile, Seat 2 councilman Alan Knight retains his seat after running unopposed. Knight is a retired educator who’s worked mainly in Pasco County Schools as a teacher, coach and administrator. He was first elected to the seat in 2014.

Published April 22, 2020

East Pasco municipalities declare local states of emergency

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Responding to concerns about coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) , the City of Zephyrhills passed a resolution declaring a local state of emergency — taking steps to implement protocols suggested by state and federal agencies.

The City of Zephyrhills declared a local state of emergency on March 17, in response to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). It must be renewed every seven days, or it expires. (File)

The measure allows Zephyrhills flexibility to act quickly, if needed. However, its primary purpose is to allow the city to seek future reimbursement for costs incurred as it deals with the coronavirus outbreak.

It also results in several temporary changes in city services, including some cancellations and postponements, among other measures.

The motion passed unanimously be Zephyrhills City Council on March 17. It must be renewed or updated every seven days, or it expires.

Per the plan:

  • Any city employee traveling on a cruise or traveling out of the country must self-isolate for 14 days before returning to work; sick time will be charged.
  • Council chambers will be utilized only for essential meetings, such as city council meetings.
  • City staff is sending emails and messages to utility customers, encouraging them to pay their bills online.
  • Zephyrhills Fire Rescue has purchased gloves for all departments, and gloves and mask for the city’s fire and police departments.
  • City staff will begin to utilize FEMA 214 forms to track time, purchases, use of equipment, and use of vehicles as it relates to the city’s COVID-19 preparation and response.

Additionally, the Zephyrhills Public Library is closed to the public and has suspended all other programs until further notice. However, library staff have developed a drive-thru service for citizens to place a hold on a book and book checkout.

All rentals for the Alice Hall Community Center, Wickstrom Stage and Zephyrhills Train Depot Museum have been canceled at least through March, and likely April.

Events such as the March 28 Snowbird Palooza and April 25 Touch-A-Truck also have been canceled.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe underscored the need for such measures: “It’s a very real possibility that it could get so bad that there is a mandatory shutdown of the state or the nation, but we’re not to that point, yet. Can it happen? Yeah, I think it could. I hope it doesn’t, but we’re preparing, trying to think of those things now, so that if it does happen, we have an action plan that we can activate.”

The Zephyrhills Police Department has been actively visiting bars, restaurants and other establishments, making sure their they’re aware and compliant with tighter state-issued regulations guidelines, due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 17 ordered all bars and nightclubs to shut down for 30 days). He also ordered restaurants to close down dining rooms.

“It seems like a lot of them are emptying out on their own, but we’re going to continue to still make sure they’re following those orders,” Police Chief Derek Brewer said.

Establishments that do not comply will be referred to the “appropriate state agency” for review and possible action, such as license suspensions, Brewer said.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport will continue to operate as usual, still providing fixed-base operator services. But, the airport may at some point switch to a “self-service” model, where planes would be able to take off and land, but all fueling would be done by the pilot and not airport staff; the airport’s fuel pump has a credit card swipe for purchases.

The City of Dade City declared a local state of emergency March 16.

The airport would close if the FAA enacts a no-fly policy.

City staff is “continuing to monitor the airport and surrounding (general aviation airports) in the area,” Poe said.

Meantime, city leaders are actively discussing the possibility of having non-essential staff telecommute, or work from home — something the city has the technological capability to do.

Dade City declares local state of emergency
Similar to Zephyrhills, the City of Dade City also declared a local state of emergency after a motion passed by the Dade City Commission on March 16.

As part of the measure:

  • Non-essential meetings are postponed.
  • City commission agendas will be limited to essential items.
  • City parks remain open to the public, but facility rentals and special events are canceled, including the City Market Place scheduled for April 4. Staff will not process special events permits or park reservations through April.
  • Residents are encourages to mail or pay their water bill online. Non-payment turn-offs are temporarily suspended.
  • For building permit and inspection services, the city is encouraging online permitting and either calling or emailing staff members with questions. All notary services are suspended until further notice, except for city-issued permits.

• The Dade City Police Department has suspended all fingerprinting services and canceled on-site meetings and tours.

Published March 25, 2020

Fire department merger talks continue

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The Zephyrhills Fire Department soon could consolidate into Pasco County Fire Rescue, but myriad issues are still being negotiated.

The Zephyrhills City Council held a March 2 workshop to review a county-drafted interlocal agreement that would provide fire suppression/first responder services for the municipality.

Under the agreement, Pasco Fire Rescue would operate the city’s two fire stations and would absorb the city’s fire department personnel at their proper pay step. The county agency would ensure and maintain additional staffing needs at both stations and place an ambulance within the city limits.

The negotiations are a result of a unanimous council decision last July to direct city staff to begin formal consolidation talks with Pasco County Fire Rescue.

The City of Zephyrhills is in negotiation with Pasco County regarding a proposal for the Zephyrhills Fire Department to become part of Pasco County Fire Rescue. The Zephyrhills City Council would need to approve any consolidation agreement. (File)

The impending merger is due in part to funding and staffing issues that have plagued the city’s fire department for several years.

With a merger, Zephyrhills property owners would pay for county fire rescue services through a Municipal Service Taxing Unit, or MSTU.

City officials say that an MSTU for fire services is expected to have less financial impact on city residents and commercial entities than a fire assessment fee.

During the 90-minute workshop, however, city leaders expressed reservations about several aspects of the drafted proposal.

One of the larger concerns involves the amount of leave hours that a Zephyrhills Fire Department employee would be allowed to transfer to the county.

Based on the agreement, the Zephyrhills fire employee could transfer a maximum of 48 hours of annual and sick leave to the county.

Zephyrhills firefighter union leader Travis Geiger and city staff both object to that limit.

Geiger is a 13-year Zephyrhills fire veteran with more than 1,000 hours of vacation and sick leave on the books.

“Some of us have accumulated a lot of hours, and now we’re not going to have that,” Geiger told the council.

“For me to go over and now suddenly have only 48 hours and be a 13-year employee, I do feel like there’s a certain amount of time off that I’ve earned, that when I want to take a day off, I would like to be able to take that day off; that’s part of the longevity, and that goes for anybody,” he said.

Geiger said he understands the county’s point of view — a concern that Zephyrhills fire employees would “just take a bunch of time off” when they move over to Pasco Fire Rescue.

He suggested that city staff negotiate for 50% of what each Zephyrhills fire employee has accumulated.

“It seems like an easy number,” Geiger said. “I’m not taking all of it…but, it gives me a little bit of cushion.”

Issues remain unresolved
Another concern involves the proposed requirement that a Zephyrhills fire employee must have eight years of service with the county before receiving retiree group health care.

That requirement would pose a problem for four Zephyrhills fire employees, who’ve been with the city for more than 20 years and have less than five years to go until earning retirement status.

Geiger said he believes there’s “some amount of wiggle room” for the county to take care of the longest-tenured employees on a case-by-case basis.

“We’re trying to reduce that eight years,” Geiger said. “The eight years was a number (the county) pulled out of the sky.

Zephyrhills firefighter union leader Travis Geiger addresses the Zephyrhills City Council at a March 2 workshop regarding consolidation negotiations with the Zephyrhills Fire Department and Pasco County Fire Rescue. (Kevin Weiss)

“I think they’re willing to lower that number again,” he said, and he thinks “their concern is they don’t want people to work for a day and quit.”

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe also had some issues.

He pointed out various financial errors in the agreement — such as how the city isn’t properly credited for transferring over fleet and equipment to the county, which he said could mean a net positive swing of at least several hundred thousands of dollars.

The city manager also questioned a “Public Service Answering Point” charge, which states the city must pay the county $17.47 for each emergency 911 call for medical/fire rescue services. Based on the roughly 4,000 calls the city had last year, that would equate to about a $70,000 charge each year, Poe said.

“That number may be justified,” Poe said, but he needs to see the breakdown of where the costs are coming from.

Another issue that needs further discussion involves the county’s push to handle plan reviews for all new construction within city limits, Poe said.

The city has an in-house building official.

Poe said he understands the county’s perspective, as its firefighters would be the ones going into various building structures.

But, he said, “we want to be able to control the development and the pace of development and the timeframes that these plans are approved.”

City council president Ken Burgess agreed: “We don’t want our development at the mercy of somebody else’s department, so we need to make sure we find a solution for that.”

Elsewhere, the city is seeking a 20-year contract with automatic renewals with the county, as opposed to a 15-year agreement with automatic renewals the county has proposed.

The city also wants more information from the county on such issues as: the costs for Pasco Fire Rescue to conduct home assists for city residents (helping someone who’s fallen to the floor and can’t get up); and costs to cover special events, like Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest and the Founders Day Parade and Heritage Festival.

City staff will again meet with county fire leadership on March 11.

The hope is to have a finalized agreement in place by June, nearly a year after the council directed staff to begin formal negotiations.

Burgess put the status of negotiations like this: “It seems like it’s taking a long time, which it is, but I can see why it’s taking a long time, too, because we’re just having to go back and forth.

“As we said from the beginning, we want to look for as close to a perfect solution as we can get, and knowing that all sides are going to have to give a little somewhere to achieve that.”

Councilman Alan Knight added the impending fire department merger is “maybe the biggest step this council has taken in a long time.”

He asked negotiators to protect the city and the interest of the firefighters, as they continue their discussions.

Published March 11, 2020

Zephyrhills is gearing up for big changes in 2020

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As a new decade approaches, the City of Zephyrhills plans to open a much-anticipated tennis facility, plans to extend its airport runway, will be engaged in infrastructure improvements and could possibly end a 60-year tradition of operating its own fire department.

Here’s a closer look for what’s on the horizon for 2020 and beyond:

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center
The $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is expected to be open in late summer, about a year after its July 2019 groundbreaking.

The much-ballyhooed facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills, will feature:

  • Eleven outdoor tennis courts (eight clay, two hard surface, one exhibition), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts
  • An adjoining 7,400-square-foot indoor wellness center, with a fitness and rehabilitation studio, salt/sauna room, cryotherapy, pro shop, café, kid’s area and more.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe recently told The Laker/Lutz News that the city also has requested an additional $1.5 million in state appropriations for a second phase of the project, which would encompass a 30,000-square-foot multipurpose indoor facility for tennis, soccer, athletic training, banquets, receptions and so on.

Zephyrhills Fire Department consolidation?
The Zephyrhills Fire Department could be absorbed by Pasco County Fire Rescue sometime in 2020, after nearly 60 years of operation and tradition.

The county is drafting up a tentative agreement that will be presented and reviewed by Zephyrhills officials sometime in early 2020, Poe said.

The move is due in part to funding and staffing issues that have plagued the city’s fire department, the city manager said.

Should the merger occur, Pasco County Fire Rescue would operate the city’s two fire stations and would absorb the city’s fire department personnel at their proper pay step.

The county also would ensure and maintain additional staffing needs at both stations and place an ambulance within the city limits.

Zephyrhills Municipal Airport’s runway 1-19 is getting a $5.9 million extension. (File)

Airport runway extension
Work is progressing to extend Zephyrhills Municipal Airport’s runway 1-19, a measure to accommodate larger passenger and corporate jets, and spur aviation and industrial development.

The city received $5.9 million in state appropriations to extend the runway by 1,200 linear feet — which will bring it to about 6,200 feet.

Engineers and officials are analyzing the design of the project, keeping in mind any potential  impacts it could have on Skydive City’s landing zone, Poe said.

The airport also is set to receive an upgraded fuel farm, as well as airfield beacons and lighting improvements, he said.

Relocation of U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road traffic signal
Development plans at and near the corners of U.S. 301 and Pretty Pond Road have prompted the relocation of the traffic signal that currently is located at Merchants Square and Townview shopping centers, to a new location at Pretty Pond Road.

The city is working with the Florida Department of Transportation on the design, and has requested $2.3 million in state funds  for the project. If funding comes through, construction likely would begin in August or September. Completion is targeted for early 2021, the city manager said. Relocating the signal would improve traffic flow, he said.

Meanwhile, the city has budgeted $600,000 for road resurfacings in 2020, the most significant being 12th Street in front of Zephyrhills High School.

New developments on tap
Zephyrhills expects to see a surge in population growth over the new decade, as residents move in to make their homes in residential projects that are now at the permitting stage, are already coming out of the ground, or have received entitlements for future development.

Larger single-family developments include The District at Abbott’s Square, Zephyr Lakes, Hidden River, as well as expansions to the Silver Oaks and Silverado communities. Meanwhile, Wire Ranch Apartments and Pretty Pond/Wire Road Apartments are some of the larger multifamily units in the works.

Commercial development is expected to follow.

Chipotle and a Chick-Fil-A are expected to open in Zephyrhills, and there are rumors the city could become home to some other chain restaurants and businesses.

Published January 01, 2020