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Eighth Street

Pastor is ‘Birthday King’ for a day

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Members of St. John Missionary Baptist Church recently helped to celebrate the Rev. Harold Thomas’ 85th birthday, and his 37th year of leading the church.

In the midst of COVID-19, the church couldn’t host the gathering it wanted, so it adapted to the times, according to Bermice Thomas, the pastor’s wife, who provided information about the event.

Pastor Harold Thomas celebrates his birthday, seated next to his wife, Bermice Thomas. (Courtesy of Bermice Thomas)

Church members outfitted Thomas with a “Birthday King” robe and crown, and had a surprise luncheon — adhering to COVID-19 social distancing.

Festivities included a parade of law enforcement officers from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Dade City Police Department — complete with lights and sirens, the pastor’s wife reported.

Pastor Thomas has “humbly served” at the church, located at 14549 Eighth St., in Dade City, his wife said, via email.

She thanked ANA’s Devine Events for providing beautiful decorations for the church’s dining area.

She said the pastor’s birthday was on July 21, but members decided it would be more of a surprise if they had the party on July 19 — the same day as church service.

Festivities included a parade by members of the Dade City Police Department and Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, complete with lights and sirens. The law enforcement officers couldn’t stay for the party, but they posed with the pastor for a photo. From left: Pasco Sheriff’s Lt. J. R. Law, Dade City Police officer Jose Felix, Pastor Harold Thomas, Dade City Police officer Devon Greenwald and Dade City Police Sgt. Rob Tungate.

Those attending the morning service were invited to share in the lunch.

The luncheon foods came from Olive Garden and Wingstop.

Bermice Thomas said her husband rode with her to Wesley Chapel to pick up the chicken wings — one of his favorite foods.

His wife said she drove slowly deliberately, to ensure they arrived at the church close to the arranged time of the law enforcement parade.

The pastor became somewhat suspicious when she got of the car quickly, to go into the church.

“The cars were waiting to proceed at 1 p.m. sharp starting at the corner of Sumner Avenue and 10th Street,” she reported. “As the sirens got closer, Rev. Thomas, as well as everyone, came out to the covered sidewalk to see what was going on and why the sirens were so close.

“When the officers turned into the church parking lot with all the bells and whistles, my husband asked what was going on.

“The officers got out of their vehicles and those gathered began singing Happy Birthday, and each officer came up to congratulate him on 85 years,” Bermice Thomas’ email says.

Even though the officers could not stay to enjoy lunch, the pastor’s wife said, “I’d like to thank Chief Walters and the Dade City Police department for sharing in this wonderful blessing.”

She also appreciated the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office for being there.

Pastor Thomas was moved to tears by the touching tribute, her email says.

Published August 05, 2020

The church hall was decorated for a party, celebrated with COVID-19 social distancing.
Rev. Harold Thomas dons a cape and crown, as he celebrates his 85th birthday.

Dade City moves ahead on priority projects

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Dade City is moving ahead on some city priority projects.

The city’s commissioners have authorized staff to enter into a design-build contract with Borregard Construction Inc., for a design-build of a visitor’s information welcome center, to be located on the south side of Church Avenue near the Hardy Trail multi-use trailhead.

Preliminary plans call for a building of 1,100 square feet to 1,500 square feet, with two family bathrooms that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

The center will feature an open floor plan — allowing for vendor operations, area attractions, museums and art exhibits to host mobile displays.

Officials said the visitor’s center will not exceed $250,000, which is funded through a grant from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

The facility will be part of a larger exterior space concept that will feature a bike-share hub with stations for parking, minor repairs, and public resting areas for cyclists and exercising pedestrians.

The public will be invited to provide input on the design of the building, in the coming months. The general idea is for the visitor’s center to help promote some of the city’s attraction to locals and out-of-town visitors, said Melanie Romagnoli, the city’s community and economic development director.

For example, Pioneer Florida Museum would be able to display items to help promote that attraction.

“We want to make sure that the building will fit into the context of the neighborhood, with a contemporary interior that will allow for modern amenities, such as digital display ads and a place for our nonprofit partners and our community partners to have mobile exhibits,” Romagnoli said.

The project passed by a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon dissenting.

Also, commissioners approved a motion allowing City Manager Leslie Porter to negotiate a contract with Wesley Chapel-based Magic Bubbles, to pressure wash sidewalks in the downtown area.

The company’s quote came in at $3,050 to pressure wash sidewalks from Church Avenue to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Meridian Avenue from Eighth Street to Third Street. However, the commission also agreed to have the company clean other surrounding areas heavily trafficked downtown, including the sidewalks by Nancy’s Natural Foods, Lori Anne’s, Green Door on 8th, Magnolia Title Agency, and The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, among other businesses.

The request for additional cleaning services came from Commissioner Jim Shive. Given the added work will be at relatively minimal cost, commissioners directed the city manager to proceed without having to return for funding approval. The motion passed 4-1, with Newlon dissenting.

Published June 17, 2020

Dade City considering sidewalk cleanup program

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The Dade City Commission is considering a sidewalk pressure washing program to address the downtown’s main corridors — as part of a concentrated effort to provide a cleaner community appearance to attract visitors to the town.

The city already has strived to beautify the downtown of late, with recent improvements to the public parking areas on Eighth Street, including tree trimming, mulching of planted areas, and debris removal.

Now, city leaders are looking to pressure wash sidewalk areas on both sides of Seventh Street, between Church Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and Meridian Avenue, between Eighth Street and Third Street. Work would encompass concrete curbs, driveways, and both public and private sidewalk areas.

Commissioners on May 26 provided general consensus to review three third-party quotes for pressure washing services at a future meeting. Received bids ranging from $2,800 to $6,000 to $7,290 for a one-time deep cleaning. Commissioners also are requesting additional information from the companies, such as signing off on hold harmless insurance requirements.

If approved, a sidewalk cleaning project would be funded out of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA ).

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter explained the program would be similar to that of New Port Richey, which has a regular sidewalk cleaning maintenance program as part of a downtown revitalization initiative.

Commissioners agreed some type of downtown sidewalk cleaning is long overdue, and perhaps should be done as regularly as annually or biannually.

Commissioner Jim Shive couldn’t recall the last time the sidewalks had been pressure washed, or if ever.

Some type of cleaning program would be “a small investment that will definitely make the downtown shine,” he said.

“It would definitely make the walking and pedestrian areas downtown pop and make it look a lot cleaner,” Shive said, adding it makes sense to contract for such services. The city’s public works crew doesn’t have the equipment needed to perform efficiently, he explained.

Shive also observed that it’s an opportune time to undertake such a project because of lower foot traffic downtown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s time to do some things that we normally couldn’t get done in the downtown area,” Shive said.

Mayor Camille Hernandez said a sidewalk cleaning would “just give our city a refresh” and “make people feel good about their city and have some pride.

“I think this is a small investment that can make a huge difference as we continue to clean up our town,” the mayor said. She favors pressure washing sidewalks at least once a year, if done at “a reasonable cost.”

The city’s practice in the past has been to expect property owners to clean and maintain private property, including sidewalks, curbs and drives, unless part of a code enforcement action. If a property owner has not maintained their property according to city code, and the city remedies any violations, a lien is placed on the property to recoup the costs associated with the cleaning of the property.

Other updates from Dade City Manager Leslie Porter:

  • Staff is in the process of ranking bid responses for the construction of a new concession stand and public restroom building at Moore-Mickens Field, 14318 Canal St. The city has budgeted $150,000 for the project. The old structure was demolished on May 22 by city public works.
  • Staff is applying for a technical planning grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), to help fund an update to the city’s comprehensive plan.
  • Staff is developing a budget workshop calendar for fiscal year 2020-21, with an expectation that several workshops will be required once new city commissioners come aboard following the June 30 municipal election. “We’ll really need to hit the ground running when we have our new commission installed, so I anticipate there’ll be quite a few budget workshops as we work through the process this year,” Porter said.
  • Bidding is expected to open July 9 for the multimillion dollar Tank Hill wastewater improvement project. The scheduled on-site pre-bidding meeting had previously been delayed, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Published June 03, 2020

Dade City flood relief in final stages

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Construction is nearing completion on a project in downtown Dade City — which aims to address flooding that plagued the area for years.

The project involves installing new underground stormwater piping.

The concrete pipeline has been lengthened longer than its initial 2,400-linear-foot projections, said Abu Nazmurreza, Dade City’s public works director. New curb drains also have been incorporated.

Behind Dade City’s City Hall, a portion of Pasco Avenue is being unearthed to facilitate new piping. This is one of several routes to see pipe placement that will help diminish flooding in the downtown region. (File)

These improvements will ease the flow of rainwater as it goes down the piping system, passing U.S. 98 and the CSX railway, to the east. The water is then stored in Irvin Pond.

The new system runs from Seventh Street’s intersections with Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue. Then it heads east on Pasco Avenue to Third Street, before heading north up to Meridian Avenue.

Although the majority of construction has been completed, work on Pasco Avenue still needs to be done, Nazmurreza said.

“We are installing a new 6-inch water main through Pasco [Avenue] between Eighth Street and Fifth Street,” he added.

Currently, there are sections of Pasco Avenue that are still unearthed and await repaving.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has to certify the completion of the project by analyzing water pressure, and checking for any bacterial content.

At that point, the existing pipeline will connect with the new one, and Pasco Avenue will be resurfaced.

Modifications also have been made to Irvin Pond to better accommodate the additional stormwater.

The body of water has been expanded by 50% from its original width, according to Nazmurreza.

“The pond on Canal Street was not sufficient enough for taking all the water from the downtown area,” he explained.

The wider area also will extend the time period for the wastewater to be treated.

And Canal Street, east of the pond, has had its culvert pipe reconfigured, as well.

The metal pipe has been replaced with concrete piping, due to rusting.

The street will have to undergo repaving now that the new culvert pipe has been installed.

The road has been temporarily laid with gravel for motorists.

The $1.8 million project is scheduled to wrap up in the coming weeks, Nazmurreza said.

Currently, a detour has to be made on Pasco Avenue. Shop owners, however, are not currently affected by construction.

Published March 18, 2020

Zephyrhills steps back to the 1920s

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This year’s Founder’s Day weekend in Zephyrhills will give event-goers a taste of what life was like during the 1920s.

The event kicks off with a public dance, on the evening of March 6, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Those attending are invited to wear period clothing and to enjoy recreating popular dance moves of the era, including the “Charleston,” “Black Bottom” and “Shimmy.”

These Model T Fords rolled down the road during a previous Founder’s Day celebration in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills)

The free event will be at Zephyrhills’ Eiland Clock Stage, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street.

The Run for Life event on March 7 will start at the same location.

A 5K begins at 7:45 a.m., and a 1-mile run at 7:50 a.m.

Refreshments will be provided, and awards will be given after the run.

Registration can be done online, or the day of the event at 6:30 a.m.

The Founder’s Day Heritage Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Main Street Zephyrhills, 38537 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills.

This free celebration includes games, live entertainment, vendors offering food, and arts and crafts.

It also will be the site for the 10 a.m. parade, where spectators can cheer on the stream of vehicles, bands and horse riders to grace downtown’s Fifth Avenue.

Online registration is $25 for the 5K run, and the virtual 5K run – for those contributing but not physically participating. The 1-mile run registration is $15 online. The price for each event goes up by $5, when registering the day of the run.

Proceeds will benefit the Zephyrhills Pregnancy Care Center, which helps to assist mothers and their young ones.

To register, visit tinyurl.com/vgv733j.

For additional information, call (813) 780-1414, or visit MainStreetZephyrhills.org.

Founder’s Day  
When: March 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; March 7 –  5K run at 7:45 a.m., 1-mile run at 7:50 a.m., festival at 9 a.m., and parade at 10 a.m.
Where: Main Street Zephyrhills, 38537 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills
Cost: Free admission for dance and festival. Online registration is $25 for the 5K run and $15 for the 1-mile run. Prices increase by $5 when registering the day of the event.
Details: Zephyrhills will step back in time to celebrate the 1920s era.
Info: For registration, visit tinyurl.com/vgv733j.
Info: Call (813) 780-1414, or visit MainStreetZephyrhills.org.

Published February 26, 2020

Dade City announces road closures for stormwater project

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The City of Dade City has announced updated road closures that will take effect after the Kumquat Festival, for when construction resumes on the city’s downtown stormwater capital improvement project.

Following the Jan. 25 festival, Seventh Street will be closed between Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue, for approximately one month to complete construction of the stormwater improvements, and provide a staging area for equipment and materials. Pasco Avenue will remain open to two-way traffic between Seventh Street and Fifth Street until the water main construction, anticipated in March.

While Seventh Street will be closed, the city has secured permission from several private property owners to be able to utilize their existing parking areas for public use.

Customers can utilize the city’s public parking areas on Eighth Street and Pasco Avenue, as well as Bank of America and the former site for San Antonio Credit Union on Church Avenue. Additionally, on-street parking will be available in surrounding blocks.

City officials are encouraging visitors traversing the downtown area to watch for construction crew members, and yield to all the construction signs and workers. Traffic patterns and detours will change in the upcoming weeks as construction continues, city officials say.

The city will be posting regular updates in the upcoming weeks on their website at DadeCityFl.com.

For more information, call (352) 523-5050.

Published January 08, 2020

Dade City has location for downtown splash park

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The Dade City Commission has approved a land purchase that may finally bring a splash park/bike hub to the city’s downtown area.

The city has targeted a 2.23-acre parcel that borders the Hardy Trail on Eighth Street. The property, at 3772 Church St., is owned by local businessman Otto Weitzenkorn.

This is a preliminary concept plan for a splash park/bike hub in downtown Dade City. The recreation project calls for a multi-use water splash pad, bike-share shelter, amphitheater, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible playground, open space, and concession area and other amenities. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

The real estate’s 2018 appraised value is $1.168 million, but city officials say the Weitzenkorn family is willing to sell it to the city for $800,000.

At their Oct. 22 meeting, commissioners voted 4-1 to proceed with the purchase. Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon dissented.

The city has until the end of the year to close the transaction per terms of the presale agreement, according to City Attorney Thomas Thanas. An onsite inspection, suitability study and new appraisal will be needed, too, he said.

City leaders have discussed building a splash park/bike hub for the past few years.

Finding an ideal location had been another matter, until the Weitzenkorn family approached the city in August.

A preliminary concept plan for the recreation project calls for a multi-use water splash pad, bike-share shelter, amphitheater, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible playground, open space, and concession area and other amenities.

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter indicated during the meeting the city plans to use reserve funds and Penny for Pasco revenues for the land acquisition, then apply for a series of Community Development Blocks Grants (CDBG) to fund park amenities. Pasco County Tourist Development also has allocated $250,000 for the recreational project.

Porter said the splash park project “has a lot of possibilities to take Dade City to the next level.”

Commissioners concurred the initiative can help revitalize the downtown business district while offering another recreational outlet for local youth, residents and visitors.

Commissioner Jim Shive said “it’s time to start thinking outside the box, bringing some things here to make things lively for the downtown and help pick up things.”

Commissioner Scott Black called the project “a good investment.”

Black added: “I think it’s something that future generations will appreciate the foresight that we had in doing this. It will be a really nice complementary to our downtown area, and I think that’s going to be a great thing.”

Mayor Camille Hernandez likewise supported the project as a community asset and possible tourism draw.

Hernandez said the project falls in line with the city’s ethos of building a healthy and age-friendly community.

“This is huge for Dade City in so many ways,” she said. “This will definitely help us to promote our business district, to help our CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) and to do all those things that we need to do.

“I believe this is another thing that will help to bring people here for our festivals, for our downtown, our community markets and all those other events,” the mayor said.

In casting the sole negative vote, Newlon said she’s a proponent of a splash park, but she expressed several reservations about the discussed property and project in general.

Newlon said she was “very concerned” the city would be tapping into reserves to pay for the Weitzenkorn property. She also pointed out the parcel contains a house with asbestos, which the city would be responsible for removing — therefore increasing the project cost.

She estimated the splash park/bike hub project could cost more than $2.5 million to $3 million, and added “that’s probably a conservative number.”

“I’m a little concerned about where that money’s coming from at this point, and it makes me uncomfortable to rely on the prospect of grant monies, when we really don’t know,” she said.

The city commissioner also said she thinks the new park location might take away from nearby Price Park, which is about a block away on Magnolia Avenue and recently has undergone upgrades.

“I’m concerned that we’ve put a lot of money into Price Park, and that park is almost going to be kind of an afterthought,” she said.

Plus, she took issue with the preliminary rendering, which shows a smaller, scaled-down splash pad overshadowed by other amenities and features.

“It feels like to me, we’ve lost the point of this exercise, which was the splash park. The design to me lacks that appeal, beyond the pricing issue,” she said.

Published October 30, 2019

Celebrating the kumquat’s place in history

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Every year, for one day, a small, oval-shaped fruit called the kumquat takes center stage during a festival that was established by The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce in 1998.

The annual event celebrates everything that makes the Dade City area unique.

Casper Joseph Nathe came to what is now known as St. Joseph and planted an acre of the fruit trees in 1912.

(Courtesy of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce)

The Nathe family used the fruit for preserves and orders started coming in. In less than 15 years, Florida Grower magazine crowned Casper Nathe “the world’s Kumquat King.”

Since the town of St. Joseph was already known as the Kumquat Capital of the World, the chamber decided that this little fruit with the funny name could be the focus of an annual Kumquat Festival.

Thousands stream to historic downtown Dade City each year to attend the festival, which is held on the last Saturday in January.

The event features local music, arts and crafts, and myriad opportunities to sample the fruit, whether it be kumquat pie, marmalade, cookies, salsa, ice cream, or a sip of kumquat beer.

This year, besides playing its starring role at the annual festival, the tart-tasting fruit also will be the centerpiece for the annual Dade City Garden Club Christmas ornament, which honors the Kumquat Festival.

Ornaments are $22, payable by check to The Dade City Garden Club, and can be purchased at The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, 14112 Eighth St.

For information, call (352) 567-3769.

Published October 09, 2019

Economic summit to focus on industrial hub

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Local business and government leaders in Zephyrhills will join together for an event that will spotlight the city’s industrial corridor and ongoing efforts to cultivate high-wage manufacturing jobs.

The third annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit is scheduled for Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills.

The summit primarily will focus on the city’s forthcoming industrial corridor master plan and Zephyrhills Municipal Airport runway extension, according to a press release from the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce executive director Melonie Monson is organizing the third annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

Other topics will broach infrastructure and the East Pasco roadway network, plus updates on various state and county intergovernmental collaboration projects in the region.

The event is presented by the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition (ZEDC) in partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and the Zephyrhills chamber.

Registration is $10 and will include lunch and continental breakfast.

The summit will feature interactive discussions and presentations from the following speakers:

  • Billy Poe, Zephyrhills city manager Billy Poe
  • Dr. Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills chamber president
  • Todd Vande Berg, city planning director
  • Mohsen Mohammadi, chief operations officer for American Infrastructure Development
  • David Gwynn, District 7 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
  • Randy Maggard, State Rep. District 38
  • Ron Oakley, chairman of the Pasco County Commission
  • Tom Ryan, economic development manager for Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc.
  • Danielle Ruiz, economic development manager for Duke Energy

Zephyrhills’ proposed industrial development hub focuses on a large grouping of industrial properties and adjacent areas within the Chancey Road corridor and municipal airport.

The planning area is generally bound by Melrose Avenue to the north, the CSX Transportation railroad and U.S. 301 to the west, Pattie Road to the south, and Barry Road and the Upper Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area to the east. That encompasses approximately 9.76 square miles (6,248 acres), including 33% within Zephyrhills and the remainder in unincorporated Pasco County — representing the largest aggregation of industrial lands in Pasco.

Zephyrhills chamber executive director Melonie Monson, who’s organizing the summit, underscored the need to build out the industrial corridor, to recruit employment-generating manufacturing companies and to develop a middle-class workforce in Zephyrhills.

The city is pining for a “medium-sized industrial manufacturer,” Monson said, to give local high school graduates a place to work, so they can remain in the community.

The chamber director believes that Zephyrhills could attract such a company soon. She cited the city’s recent efforts to partner with Pasco County to spend millions of dollars to extend water and sewer to the industrial site.

“It’s just ready for industry, it just is,” she said.

Monson put it this way: “We’re excited the city’s being proactive instead of reactive, so when that big person hits and says, ‘I want to come here,’ we’ll be ready for that and say, ‘Here’s your spot, this is what we have, these are the incentives, this is your workforce.’

“That’s what we’re working toward, to put all those pieces together to make sure that we get what we want here,” Monson said.

She said the industrial corridor also could pave the way for other companies in distribution, light manufacturing, aviation and so on.

“I believe it’s going to have a lot of different textures to it,” the chamber executive said.

She is encouraged by the city’s direction in recent years of attracting younger families and groups to live, work and play.

She mentioned the downtown area alone has added a brewery, a billiards hall and axe-throwing venue, and other things to do.

Zephyrhills also is in the midst of getting a state-of-the-art tennis center and thousands of new homes and apartments.

The city recently landed its first Starbucks and Wawa. A Chick-Fil-A in the works.

Other notable businesses set to come online include Aldi Supermarket, PetSmart, Marriott Fairfield Hotel and Dollar General.

“We’re getting there. In the last three or four years you’ve just seen this huge spur of development,” Monson said.

Previous Zephyrhills economic summits focused on the medical community and education. Monson said next year’s will likely be geared around workforce development.

The summits encourage stakeholders to collaborate to help move Zephyrhills forward as a viable community.

“We’re the only community in Pasco County that’s doing something like this — where we have a coalition that really focuses on pro-business, pro-education, trying to make our community stand out in the midst of all of the other communities.

“We just every year want to make sure that we let people know what we really have here and what we’re doing and why you might want to come and be a part of the Zephyrhills community,” Monson said.

For information and to register for the summit, contact Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce director Melonie Monson at (813) 782-1913 or

Published October 2, 2019

 

 

Dade City sets tentative millage rate

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Dade City residents will not see an increase in their property tax rate for the coming year.

Dade City Commissioners unanimously voted 5-0 on July 23 to set the tentative millage rate at 7.14 mills — the same rate as last year.

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 commission does, however, have the option to reduce the rate before then.

The Dade City Commission set the 2019-2020 tentative millage rate at 7.14 mills, the same property tax rate as last fiscal year. (File)

At the tax rate of 7.14 mills, ad valorem tax revenues in the city’s general fund are anticipated to decrease by $40,850 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, according to Dade City Manager Leslie Porter.

Because of that, Porter recommended the commission choose a higher tentative tax rate “to allow us the flexibility as we see what comes into the budget.”

The recommendation included the rollback rate of 7.3297, which Porter said would result in a $50,000 swing and thus increase ad valorem revenues in the general fund by about $10,000 compared to 7.14 mills.

The rollback rate is the millage rate that would collect an equivalent level of ad valorem taxes in the next fiscal year as in the current fiscal year.

Traditionally, the commission has voted to use the rollback rate as the proposed millage, while instructing city staff to set a lower rate for the fiscal year.

However, that was a non-starter for commissioners, who pointed out residents have already seen increases in water and sewer rates, along with a stormwater fee assessment.

“I think we just need to work within the budget and make the cuts where we need and see how it rolls out,” Commissioner Jim Shive said. “I think residents in Dade City are paying more than enough in taxes. …I talk to constituents every day about taxes and a lot of them are very concerned with the amount of taxes we have to pay.”

Other commissioners concurred.

“I think we need to live within the means that we have,” Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon said. “I don’t want to give us the opportunity to try to make 7.3297 (mills) work. I would rather stay within 7.14 (mills) and if things have to be cut to stay within 7.14 then they have to be cut, so I do not want to raise taxes.”

“We’re going to have to make it work,” added Mayor Camille Hernandez of setting the tentative 7.14 millage rate. “I think we’re all hearing every day from citizens and we’re just responding to what we are hearing out in the community.”

A budget workshop preceded the city commission meeting. Discussions focused on some reorganization, specifically creating a development services department and related additional staffing changes. Major general fund capital requests included several new vehicles (four police vehicles, shop truck, safety services truck, grapple truck), rehabbing the city’s old police department building, Hardy Trail improvements and Morningside Drive extension studies.

With some of those projects and initiatives on the docket, Commissioner Scott Black warned concessions may have to made with a 7.14 millage rate.

“We do need to keep in mind we do have some basic needs here in the city that need to be met,” Black said, noting the city’s millage rate hasn’t changed in “probably seven or eight years.”

“A lot of those things that we’re saying that we need to do, they’re going to have to be funded somehow.

“We’re not waving a wand with our budget. If we want certain things, there’s going to be some disappointment I think in some things we’re indicating that we would like to see happen,” Black said.

In other business, Dade City is still searching for a finance director since Leslie Porter was officially promoted to the role of city manager in May.

In addition to city manager duties, Porter is still serving as acting finance director until a full-time replacement is found.

She told commissioners the city may elect to use a temporary personnel agency to fill the vacancy and then re-advertise the job posting.

“We really have not been receiving a response to the ads, so we’ll keep moving forward,” she said.

Elsewhere, city officials have targeted a location for a bike-share hub/splash pad/pavilion recreational project that’s been in talks the past few years.

Porter said the property is centrally located in the downtown area, near The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce on Eighth Street.

Porter said city officials plan to enter negotiations over the next month with the property and local business owner Otto Weitzenkorn.

The Pasco County Tourist Development allocated $250,000 for the recreational project.

Published July 31, 2019