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Marc Bellas

Survey results show gains, but ample room to improve

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Pasco County received higher marks this year than it did last year in numerous categories in the annual National Community Survey.

Even so, substantial improvements are needed, if the county wants to achieve its stated goal of being a premier county.

An average of 350 communities participate annually in the National Community Survey, which is a collaborative effort between National Research Center Inc., and the International City/County Management Association.

Pasco participated in the survey in 2009 and then again from 2012 through 2020.

Last year, the county had an 18% response rate, for a total of 1,600 respondents.

The validated survey results show how the county compares to other survey participants, in numerous categories. The rankings can be lower, similar or higher.

The county also does a separate online community survey, using the same questions — with the goal of collecting additional data to help inform county decisions. That survey received 2,007 responses in 2020.

Marc Bellas, the county’s performance management director, presented the survey results at the Pasco County Commission’s meeting on Jan. 12.

The really good news is that “everything, almost across the board, is up from last year. Overall quality of life in Pasco County is up 12% from last year; that’s wonderful,” Bellas said.

He added: “If our vision was to be Florida’s good county, we could stop right now, because we’re really doing good work.”

But, the county isn’t satisfied with that designation, Bellas said.

“The county wants to take what it has now that is good and take it to the next level, which is great. We need to be better than the average,” he said.

This year’s results show substantial gains, in numerous categories, which demonstrates the county’s efforts are having an effect, he said.

“We have been at work for quite some time in order to create a better community, and it’s showing up and the citizens are seeing that,” Bellas said.

Bellas also reminded commissioners there often is lag time between improvements the county has made and improved survey results.

He stepped through results in numerous categories.

Overall confidence in Pasco County government has improved by 8%, Bellas said.

In the area of governance, which he described as the county’s board’s report card, survey  respondents gave higher marks for value of services for taxes paid (up 8%), government working in the best interest of the community (up 8%) and honesty (up 13%).

“In this survey, double-digit movement is unheard of. That is huge. That is huge,” Bellas said.

The county also saw a significant improvement in the category relating to fair treatment of residents. That jumped up by 13%.

County Commissioner Mike Moore weighed in on that finding.

“People recognize that this county does care about the residents and we do treat everyone on

equal footing,” Moore said.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley said that result also reflects well on Pasco residents.

“They’re some of the greatest citizens that you could have,” Oakley said.

Survey results also show improvement in the area of customer service.

Overall, the county’s customer service received a positive rating of 75%, up 6% from the previous year.

Bellas said that reflects the board’s emphasis on customer service.

“I remember just a couple of years ago, you as a board said, ‘You guys got to really get into this customer service thing.’ We heard you. It’s happening, and the citizens have seen the result of that,” Bellas said.

He also noted a big jump in the category of information services, which experienced a 12% gain.

“These are big, big moves forward. Feel good about that,” Bellas said.

Despite the progress, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey wants to seek out ways to perform better.

“I’m curious,” Starkey said. “Who has higher (results) and what are they doing?

“I’d love to learn what they’re doing that maybe we could copy, and do better. I’m not good with being similar. I want to be higher,” Starkey said.

Bellas said the county plans to address that: “In our strategic plan revision, that is part of our strategy — to benchmark against those higher-performing organizations, to really see what it’s going to take to go from that good to great.”

The survey did identify some areas of concern, Bellas said, including few affordable housing options, public safety issues in West Pasco and the growth of multifamily housing outpacing infrastructure.

Overall, Bellas said, “we’ve got some work to do, but we’re moving in the right direction and that’s the exciting part.

“We’re better this year than last year; next year, we’ll be better than this year.”

Summary of Pasco County survey results

Overall Quality of Life
Excellent: 19%
Good: 55%
Fair: 20%
Poor: 6%
(Overall 74% positive rating, up 12% from 2019)

Overall confidence in government
Excellent: 12%
Good: 36%
Fair: 41%
Poor: 11%
(Overall positive rating: 48%, up 8%)

Economic health
Excellent: 11%
Good: 44%
Fair: 34%
Poor: 12%
(Overall positive rating: 55%, up 13% from 2019)

Mobility
Excellent: 8%
Good: 40%
Fair: 36%
Poor: 16%
(Overall positive rating: 48%, down 5% from 2019)

Overall design of residential and commercial areas
Excellent: 14%
Good: 38%
Fair: 31%
Poor: 17%
(Overall positive rating: 52%, up 8% from 2019)

Overall feeling of safety in Pasco County
Excellent: 16%
Good: 46%
Fair: 28%
Poor: 10%
(Overall positive rating, 62%, up 1% over 2019)

Overall quality of natural environment
Excellent: 21%
Good: 46%
Fair: 23%
Poor: 9%
(Overall positive rating, 68%, up 1% from 2019)
Source: Pasco County results from the 2020 National Community Survey

Did you know?
The Pasco County government:

  • Has 2,900 employees
  • Manages 57 lines of business
  • Serves 550,000 customers
  • Covers 740 square miles

Source: Marc Bellas, Pasco County performance management director

Published February 10, 2021

Pasco commissioners delay hiring decision

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The Pasco County Commission wants the county to advertise a top administrative position before deciding who should get the job.

Commissioners made that decision during their Nov. 17 meeting, when they were asked to confirm the selection of Gary Joiner to be the director of administration in the county’s building and construction services department.

The job pays $125,000.

Sally Sherman, assistant county administrator for development services, spoke in glowing terms of Joiner’s qualifications and “fit” for the job. He has 30 years of professional experience, including as Pasco’s county property appraiser. He initially filed for reelection, but failed to qualify in the race for the seat that was won by Mike Wells Jr., who just left the county board.

County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, however, wasn’t so sure that Joiner is the right choice for the job.

“I have a little reservation with this selection, just from my own personal interaction when I found something that wasn’t correct, in his world of property appraising,” Starkey said.

She said she brought the issue to Joiner’s attention repeatedly and it wasn’t corrected.

“It took me talking to Dr. (Marc) Bellas (performance management director) about it, to get it fixed, and it cost this county tens of thousands of dollars.

“The inaction, of fixing the problem, does not sit well with me,” Starkey said.

She suggested: “I think we maybe need to keep looking.”

Commissioner Ron Oakley was willing to support Joiner’s hiring, noting that he trusted County Administrator Dan Biles’ selection. But, Oakley’s motion to confirm the appointment died, for a lack of a second.

Newly elected Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick asked if the position was advertised.

Biles said it was not.

Commissioner Mike Moore observed: “Typically, on a director-level position, from my memory, unless it’s an internal promotion, they are always publicized. I don’t remember one time, when we did not publicize an opening, unless it was an internal promotion.”

Biles responded: “In general, we would.”

In this case, however, he and Sherman believed that Joiner “specifically had the skills and experience necessary to do the job.”

Biles also noted that Joiner “was already effectively a Pasco County employee, as the property appraiser.

“It just made sense to just go directly to him, and not go through the process, when I already knew who I thought we needed to hire,” Biles said.

The county administrator continued: “Anytime you go through that (hiring) process, you put other people through time and effort to get through that. If you already know who you think you want to hire, it probably makes sense to go straight to the end result.”

Fitzpatrick asked if the board could put off the decision until its Dec. 8 meeting, to provide the time to advertise to be sure that the county had the best person for the job.

Moore told Fitzpatrick that the decision could be delayed.

Biles told Fitzpatrick that he would prefer not to do that.

“The board obviously can direct us to what the board wants us to do. I will go back to the hiring and firing of the county employees is an operational decision. We bring the directors and above to board for confirmation,” Biles said.

But, Commissioner Jack Mariano said, he, too, supported advertising the job.

“I think we’re best serving the people of Pasco by looking at everybody out there. Let’s go look at the talent that’s out there, and who wants this job, and find out what’s best for the position,” Mariano said.

Starkey again expressed her dissatisfaction with Joiner’s response in her previous interaction.

“It wasn’t my role to fix it. I brought it to the attention of someone in a leadership position that should have fixed it. I brought it to his attention multiple times, and it never got fixed on their end. That, to me, is a lack of leadership. I think you need leadership in that position,” Starkey said.

Sherman assured Starkey if an issue arose, it would be addressed.

But, Fitzpatrick made a motion to delay the issue until the board’s next meeting, with the position to be advertised to ensure the best candidate is selected. Starkey seconded the motion, which passed on a 5-0 vote.

Moore noted the board’s action does not take Joiner out of the running for the job.

Published November 25, 2020

Pasco County launches citizen survey

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Pasco County is conducting its annual Citizen Survey through Nov. 6, according to a county news release.

The Citizen Survey, initially launched in 2009, is conducted annually to collect feedback on a variety of topics that affect the county’s future.

Here are topics included in the survey: Transportation; parks and libraries; emergency services; safety; growth; importance and quality of services.

The survey typically receives thousands of responses, intended to help the Pasco County Commission with planning discussions and decision-making.

“We’ve adapted in the face of unprecedented challenges to serve you in innovative new ways during 2020,” Organizational Performance Management Director Dr. Marc Bellas said, in the release. “Your feedback is a critical component to learn what matters most as we work to develop future programs and places that ensure a bright future for Pasco County.”

You can take the short survey in one of the following ways:

  • On the Pasco County’s homepage: MyPasco.net
  • On the MyPasco App, by clicking on the Citizen Survey button
  • On the Pasco County Facebook or Twitter pages
  • Click directly on the survey link: bit.ly/2020CitizenSurvey.

Published October 14, 2020

Residents generally pleased with county services, surveys say

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Overall, Pasco County fared well in recent citizen surveys intended to help inform the county’s planning in its allocation of resources, and to improve its programs and policies.

“This is what we call our voice of the customer,” Marc Bellas, performance management director for Pasco County, told the Pasco County Commission during a recent meeting.

In terms of overall government services, the county scored above the national benchmark of 67%, Bellas said.

“This is the highest rating we’ve ever had, since we’ve been doing this here in Pasco County since 2009,” he said, noting the goal in the county’s strategic plan is to score 70 percent.

“We believe in the next year that we’re going to be able to do that,” he said.

According to the survey, 72% of Pasco residents rated the county as a good or excellent place to live. That’s up 5% over last year.

Two-thirds gave the county excellent or good ratings for its customer services.

In terms of the economy, Bellas said all of the dimensions are trending up.

“That’s very good news in Pasco County,” he said.

“Usually, employment opportunities and Pasco’s a good place to work have always been the very lowest, but you can see that we’re now trending upwards from 2014. That’s good news. That means that we’re moving in the right direction,” he said.

Those were just some of the findings from the National Community Survey, which was conducted through the National Research Center Inc., in collaboration with the International City/County Management Association.

The survey was developed to provide a statistically valid survey of resident opinions, regarding their community and services provided by local government. About 350 communities participate in the survey annually, according to Bellas’ presentation to commissioners.

This year’s survey was distributed to 1,600 selected addresses in Pasco County, with 263 surveys completed, representing an 18 percent return rate. The results have a plus or minus 6% margin of error.

In addition to the surveys that were distributed, the county conducted an online citizen survey, using the same questions.

The county does the online survey primarily for comparisons, Bellas said.

“It is not a statistically valid instrument, but we find the correlations between the two to be very, very close,” Bellas said. The online survey gives citizens who were not selected for the survey a chance to express their views. This year 1,748 citizens took part.

Bellas said the survey looks at eight facets of livable communities: safety, mobility, the natural environment, the built environment, the economy, recreation and wellness, education and enrichment, and community engagement.

“In our particular survey, for our folks, the three most important areas were safety, mobility and the economy,” Bellas said.

“When we look at the Impact on the overall quality of life, safety is always at the very top.

Safe neighborhoods, and safe and uncongested roadways — are No. 1 and No. 2.

“The folks who took the survey consider these to be essential, or at the very least, very important,” he said.

Most of this year’s ratings were similar to last year’s, Bellas said.

But, the county did see “some significant downward movement in the mobility piece,” he said.

Regarding mobility, the people using Pasco County’s bus system gave it favorable marks.

But, motorists were less complimentary.

“There are some downward trends here, ease of car travel, specifically, traffic flow, traffic enforcement — those are some concerns for us, because they are downward trends,” Bellas said.

There also are concerns about traffic congestion, light timing and speeding, Bellas noted.

Sgt. Steve Gaskins, of the Florida Highway Patrol, said there are 24 troopers assigned to Pasco County.

“We work everything in unincorporated areas of the county,” he said, noting “we had roughly 5,000 crashes so far (this year). We worked 85 percent of them with our 24 troopers.

“We’ve had 55 fatalities in the county, this year alone,” Gaskins added.

“One of our big issues is getting to people who need help, as quickly as possible,” he said.

He also acknowledged concerns about speeding.

“Speeding is one of the huge complaints that I get all of the time from residents across the county,” Gaskins said.

If there were more troopers, they could be more proactive, Gaskins said.  “We could do more activity to stem the tide of those crashes,” he said.

Additional equipment also would help with speed control and enforcement, he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore asked how many troopers Gaskins thought were needed.

“If I had a wish list, I would say 50,” Gaskins responded.

Chase Daniels, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, said efforts are being made to identify problem areas for speeding, and in the development of enforcement action plans.

Daniels also noted: “We are increasing our radar-certified officers.”

In terms of mobility, both Moore and Commission Chairman Ron Oakley noted a number of recent improvements and projects that will be coming soon that they expect to create much better mobility across the county.

Specifically, they mentioned the Diverging Diamond being built to relieve congestion at State Road 56 and Interstate 75; the recent extension of State Road 56 to U.S. 301; and work underway to widen State Road 52 and State Road 54.

Other future projects that will be done in coming years include a new alignment for State Road 52 near Dade City and a new I-75 interchange at Overpass Road.

Published August 28, 2019

Citizens’ survey offers praise, concerns

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About 60 percent of residents who responded to an annual National Citizens Survey rated Pasco County’s quality of life as good.

Similarly, residents gave good marks to the overall quality of county services and customer services.

But, the survey results weren’t entirely rosy.

The growth in housing is happening faster than infrastructure, including roads and schools, according to residents who took the survey.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey

Traffic congestion and unsafe speed limits on roadways also emerged as a top concern among residents.

And, only 38 percent thought Pasco had a good or excellent reputation and image.

In comparison to 472 other communities included in the national citizens survey, Pasco ranked 410.

Pasco actually participates in two annual surveys to gather information about what is on the minds of its citizens.

One is the National Citizens’ Survey, based on random outreach to residents in communities across the country, including Pasco. At the same time, Pasco conducts its own online survey, open to anyone who wants to participate. Questions on both surveys are similar.

The goal is to collect feedback that can guide Pasco County officials in crafting policies and addressing issues of concern to residents.

The online survey is used mostly for comparison to the national survey’s data on Pasco, said Marc Bellas, the county’s performance management director.

Pasco’s online survey received more than 2,800 responses.  Of those, 1,200 people also provided comments.

“The citizens’ survey is our primary listening mechanism,” said Bellas. “We can identify things before they become a problem.”

The survey identified safety, the economy and mobility as the top issues of concern.

Some comments focused on traffic, including the timing of traffic signals and speeding motorists.

Bellas said the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has been notified regarding specific problem areas.

“They have directed targeted patrols to address these things,” he said.

The national survey contacts residents randomly based on factors such as zip codes, population density and housing.

Bellas said the survey is statistically valid, with a plus or minus error rate of 6 percent.

In addition to the top three issues of concern to residents, the surveys also looked at these factors: natural environment, built environment, recreation and wellness, education and enrichment, and community engagement.

Online survey results trended generally lower than the national survey results.

Bellas said some of that difference is based on how data is collected for each survey.

For instance, online results on overall quality of life were about 57 percent — lower than the national survey of 60 percent favorable.

Both surveys had ratings below the national benchmark of about 68 percent.

“We still need to get much, much better at pushing out the positive things (about Pasco),” Bellas said.

On the national survey, about 62 percent of residents thought the overall quality of services provided to residents was good. That was on par with the national benchmark.

However, the online survey found less than 50 percent of residents felt good about the county’s delivery of services.

On the “most important issues,” residents put road maintenance first, followed by code enforcement, and parks and recreation.

A number of comments, especially from west Pasco residents, raised concerns about drug-related crime, blight and homelessness.

“There were more comments on that than I have seen on any prior year,” said Bellas. “Our challenge is to engage others to be part of the solution…to make Pasco a premier county.”

One issue that drew attention from county commissioners was how to improve Pasco’s reputation and image.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey suggested the county adopt a “state of the county” annual report, similar to those done by city mayors.

There were some concerns raised by county commissioners regarding an A & E television show, “Live PD.” On Friday and Saturday nights, camera crews from the show follow deputies on their night shifts as they respond in real time to emergency calls.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco signed up his office as one of about six departments around the country that are highlighted on the show.

“It’s about transparency,” said Chase Daniels, assistant executive director for the sheriff’s office. It allows people to see the challenges that law enforcement faces, he added.

But, some area businesses can end up shown in the background as arrests are made. County commissioners said they would like to see more positive aspects of policing presented, along with the crime fighting.

“We need to be very mindful of the image we’re putting out to the world,” Starkey said.

Published August 15, 2018

Citizens can help shape Pasco’s future

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The Pasco County Commission’s decisions are partly guided by resident responses to the annual Pasco County Citizen Survey, which officially opened April 2.

The Citizen Survey, which was first launched in 2009, is conducted every year to collect feedback on numerous topics related to Pasco County’s future. These topics include transportation, parks and libraries, emergency services, safety, growth, and the importance and quality of services.

Thousands respond to the online survey each year, which is intended to help commissioners with planning discussions and decision-making.

“We invite everyone in Pasco to participate in the Online Citizen Survey,” said Marc Bellas, organizational performance management director.

“The survey allows you to be part of the decision-making process and helps the board understand what issues are important to our citizens,” he said.

The survey will be available until May 18, and can be accessed a few ways:

  • Go to Pasco County’s homepage at PascoCountyFl.net, and click on the survey link.
  • Use the MyPasco app, by clicking on the 2018 Citizen Survey button.
  • Use the Pasco County Facebook or Twitter pages.
  • Click directly on the survey link at bit.ly/2pGs3Z6.

Results from previous Citizen Surveys are available at bit.ly/2G1DReq.

Published April 18, 2018

Pasco wants you, to fight illegal dumping

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Pasco County is turning to a state law against littering — coupled with the help of its citizens — to get tougher on illegal dumping.

The targets of the get tough campaign are illegal dumping by individuals and blighted commercial properties.

Pasco County citizens will be enlisted in a social media blitz, dubbed #PascoProud, aimed at catching illegal dumpers in the act, and prosecuting them.

No changes to current county ordinances are planned.

A donation bin, off State Road 56, became a magnet for illegal dumping. County officials plan to use a state law, and #PascoProud campaign to get tougher on citizens and commercial haulers who illegally dump. (File)

Instead, county officials have created an email address —  — where citizens can report locations of illegal dumping, vehicle license plate numbers and, when possible, attach videos and photos of offenders.

People also can post locations and photos to social media with the hashtags – #PascoProud and #RIDPasco. On MyPasco mobile application, they can click the link, “Report Illegal Dumping.” And, they can visit a Report Illegal Dumping website at http://bit.ly/2Bj6CUz, or call (727) 847-2411.

This new program aims to make it possible to report illegal dumping in as many ways as possible.

Citizens are ready to join in the fight, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who worked with county staff members to craft the proposal.

“They’re mad. They’re already out there taking pictures,” Moore said.

Pasco County relies on cameras placed in about a dozen locations. And, citizens routinely call in complaints to county staff and county commissioners.

But, greater citizen engagement in catching illegal dumpers, and boosting arrests and penalties, would be a “proactive, preventive measure,” said Marc Bellas, the county’s performance management director.

Bellas said county employees will conduct “triage” to prioritize the emails and other citizen-reported information. Part of their efforts will be to determine whether debris and trash are on public or private property.

There are limits to what county government can do when dumping is done on private property, Bellas said.

Emails and photos will be forwarded to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to investigate.

Violators under the county’s ordinance can be fined up to $500 a day, per violation.

However, state law also can be applied. Pasco officials have their sights on blighted commercial properties.

Penalties under state law could mean fines, points against a driver’s license, community service, and jail time.

Haulers who work for profit could face forfeiture of trucks and other vehicles, if they are caught illegally dumping.

Penalties under state law are partly based on the amount of litter that is dumped, and partly based on who does the dumping.

Litter that is 15 pounds or less, or less than 27 cubic feet in volume, for instance, would carry a civil penalty of $100, under state law. However, violators could be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for dumping more than 15 pounds, but less than 500 pounds, or an amount greater than 100 cubic feet in volume. This applies to illegal dumping not done for “commercial purposes.”

According to state law, convictions for first-degree misdemeanors carry stiff fines, and potentially could result in points on the violator’s driving record.

Violators who illegally dispose of more than 500 pounds or more than 100 cubic feet, or “any quantity for commercial purpose,” can be charged with a felony of the third degree. Penalties include jail time and forfeiture of vehicles used in the illegal dumping.

“We’re going to go stricter,” Moore said. “We’re not going to put up with this anymore.”

For more information, visit PascoCountyFl.net.

Published February 14, 2018

Residents offer opinions on life in Pasco

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An annual online citizen survey offers a snapshot in time of how Pasco County residents view their quality of life.

And, it turns out that in 2017, about 71 percent of the people living in Pasco considered the quality of life either excellent or good.

The survey did spotlight a few negatives, including a frustration with traffic that makes it hard to get around. On that issue, results showed about a 10 percent decline in their views on “traffic flow” compared to the rating they gave it in 2015.

“Ease of travel by all modes of transportation such as walking, biking, driving or public transportation were rated lower in Pasco County than in communities across the nation,” according to survey’s written conclusions.

But, the news wasn’t all bad on roads.

Pasco Performance Management Director Marc Bellas

There is room for improvement, but about 34 percent of survey responders felt positive about road repairs, compared to only 25 percent in 2016.

That “big jump” is a trend in the right direction that indicates residents are seeing improvements in road repair efforts, said Marc Bellas, the county’s performance manager.

And, the overall quality of government services rose about 9 percent from 2014, according to the survey.

In general, Bellas said, “(Residents) feel more positive about the direction we’re going in.”

Bellas presented the survey results to Pasco County commissioners at their Aug. 29 meeting in New Port Richey.

County officials launched the online survey in mid-April. Residents had until May 31 to participate. Residents also had the opportunity to complete a survey during the Pasco County’s Disaster Expo in April, and later at a county-staffed booth at the Cotee River Seafest in New Port Richey.

About 2,500 residents completed the survey, and also provided written comments.

On average, about 350 communities within Pasco participate in the survey each year.

About 59 percent of the responses in 2017 were from west Pasco; 26 percent from central Pasco; and 15 percent from east Pasco.

Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes generally fell within central Pasco. Zephyrhills and Dade City were in east Pasco. But, there was some overlap as boundary lines were drawn, based on population density and zip codes.

The survey is one of the county’s tools to measure how often residents use government services, and how effectively government meets their needs. Results also can help guide county officials in strategic planning.

The survey provides insights, too, on areas where residents might need more information on projects their government is working on, said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore.

“Let’s think about how we can get the word out there better, so (residents) know what’s coming,” he said.

Questions were modeled from a national citizen survey, and results compared with national benchmarks. Pasco did its first online survey in 2009.

Safety and the economy were among the most important issues in 2017. These results largely mirrored results from the 2016 survey, though the economy slipped past mobility into second place as an issue of importance.

Comments on the economy were mixed.

Residents said they still see empty buildings, but Bellas said, they also like seeing new businesses “that are of high quality.”

Not counting law enforcement, fire rescue and ambulance service, residents singled out road maintenance, code enforcement, and parks and recreation as top priorities.

While residents see improvements in the quality of road maintenance and code enforcement, those services fall below the national benchmarks.

On a positive note, about 70 percent of survey respondents had positive views of the quality of parks and recreation services. That is an upward trend that exceeded the national benchmark.

Residents appear to place increasing value on those services as important to quality of life, Bellas said.

“Citizens are noting that we’re making a difference,” he added.

For more details about the survey results, visit PascoCountyFl.net.

Published September 20, 2017

Pasco County water customers get relief

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Listen to the customer — that’s the lesson learned by Pasco County after unhappy residents repeatedly complained during the past year about exorbitant and sometimes unexplainable water bills.

“It is moving in the right direction,” said Marc Bellas, director of performance development for Pasco County, referring to the county’s efforts to create a more customer-friendly water department.

Bellas appeared before the Pasco County Commission on Dec. 15 to deliver an update on steps being taken to correct deficiencies in the water department billing procedures.

After numerous complaints about water bills by customers, Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller Paula O’Neil ordered an audit by the solicitor general.

One of those complaints came from Louise Gritmon who was floored by a bill she received in July 2014 for more than $3,300.

The county billed Gritmon for 614,000 gallons of water during an 18-day period at a time when Gritmon said her house was vacant.

An analysis of 361 accounts, including the bill to Gritmon, resulted in 60 billing adjustments ranging from just under $2 to more than $3,000 less in Gritmon’s case.

Her bill was lowered to $40, which Gritmon had argued for months was the amount of a normal bill at her house.

Commissioners in November rewrote an ordinance to include language permitting the billing adjustments as a one-time event. Previously, county officials said they had no authority to make adjustments.

Many of the high bills were explainable as leaks or from irrigation of lawns, Bellas said. But, he added: “There were some key errors on our part, and a lot of things going wrong. You’ve got to start with a culture shift.”

That shift, according to Bellas, is meant to move the water department from an office focused on compliance to one focused on customer service and education.

Significant progress has been made, and more is coming, Bellas told commissioners.

The audit found deficiencies in the county’s meter reading and billing process, software glitches, inaccessible meters, inconsistent readings and alerts to potential leaks that weren’t passed on to customers.

To address problems, the county changed a confusing billing format that listed an account number, a customer number and a bill number. How the customer paid a bill could determine which number was used, Bellas said.

A third-party billing system should save the county about $80,000 a year, he said.

Pasco also budgeted for additional staff to boost to 11 the number of full-time customer service representatives. Bellas said that is barely more than a minimum of nine employees needed as “best practice.”

Employees also received more training, with a focus on quicker response times. Progress has been made, Bellas said.

The number of abandoned phone calls dropped from 50 percent in August to 13 percent in November. And, a wait time of 20 minutes decreased to about four minutes.

Bellas also said the customers whose bills were reviewed were asked to rate their service. About 81 percent were satisfied, he said.

That says a lot for how employees are responding to the complaints, Bellas said.

But, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said he would like to see more improvements.

“I don’t think there would be any private company that would be happy with those numbers,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said he did his own checking on customer service by calling the water department with questions on how to pay his last three water bills. He didn’t identify himself as a commissioner.

“The person that helped me was great,” he said, at least on the first call. “The second person, not so much.”

The first employee who was outgoing and friendly, he said, “Those are the people you want to possibly train the others.”

But, Bellas said he hadn’t heard any “really bad stories” from people. “You want most of your customers to be thrilled with what you’ve done, but you can’t always please everybody that’s coming through.”

Part of the solution is on making it easier for customers to understand their bills, and Bellas said the new bill is easier to read. But, efforts to educate the public also matter, he added.

Some high bills resulted from lawn irrigation, he said, adding that residents are often unaware of how much water their lawns soak up.

Published December 23, 2015

Pasco considering ban on hiring smokers for county jobs

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It’s hard to argue the numbers against smoking: It’s caused 20.8 million deaths since 1965, it’s been linked to 12 kinds of cancer and 17 chronic diseases, and can create similar problems to anyone else exposed to the smoke, according to the U.S. Surgeon General.

Life is becoming more and more difficult for tobacco users. Not only is space to light up becoming scarce, but jobs might be more difficult to find as well. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Life is becoming more and more difficult for tobacco users. Not only is space to light up becoming scarce, but jobs might be more difficult to find as well.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

So for Pasco County, banning cigarette smoking is a no-brainer. However, preventing smokers from being hired by the county? That might be a little more problematic.

Yet Pasco is starting that push, although county performance development director Marc Bellas admits that he’s still not sure exactly how the new program will shake out.

“Everyone in this organization knows this is coming, but what we don’t know is what it will look like, when will it happen, and how it will impact each one of them,” Bellas said.

Governments have found some success — and failures — when it comes to implementing policies that would ban hiring smokers. Temple Terrace made national news more than a decade ago when it tried to control smoking in its workforce, and the negative backlash caused them to change gears.

But that was a different time, when Florida’s ban on indoor smoking in most public places was still in its infancy. In 2003, the argument was to help lower health insurance costs. Today, however, the carrot being dangled is healthier living.

“What they’re looking for is kind of a more environmentally friendly and positive work place,” said county public information officer Doug Tobin. “That includes a smoke-free campus, as well as a policy where new employees would be prohibited from smoking.”

And the idea is not new in Pasco County. Both the fire department and sheriff’s office already restrict smoking among employees, Tobin said, and the county itself has flirted with the idea for several years now.

A smoking policy for the county government is far from complete, Bellas said. However, he brought up some initial ideas to the Pasco County Commission last week to get some of their feedback.

In its current form, employees hired after Oct. 1 would be required to sign an affidavit affirming they have not used tobacco products for one year, and agree to submit to a nicotine test if they’re every suspected of smoking. Those who were hired before Oct. 1 would no longer be allowed to use tobacco products while they are on the clock.

New hires would not be allowed to smoke or use tobacco products at all, not even at home, or on the weekends. If they are discovered to have violated the policy, they could be disciplined and even fired.

Yet, even Bellas admits that sometimes a plan looks far better on paper than it does in the field. And his goal is to not make it more difficult to compete for good employees with other counties and private industry by having too restrictive of a policy.

“We have a few challenges that we can’t ignore,” he said. “Between 24 and 25 percent of our employees right now use tobacco, and a lot of them are in the entry-level positions in roads and bridges, and in utilities. The folks in those departments already have a hard enough time keeping those positions filled. If we take one more thing away, and they believe it’s going to be a problem, then that is not a good choice for us.”

That means there’s still a lot of work to do on the policy before it’s completed, Bellas said, and there’s a good chance that what is finally approved to begin next October could be quite different from what’s on the table today.

And the talk alone of implementing the policy seems to have had some positive effect already. Commissioner Henry Wilson, who serves on a committee addressing this issue, told commissioners at the recent meeting participation in smoking cessation programs has drastically increased over the past two months.

“They know the conversation has started,” Wilson said. “This is nothing else but to create a healthy work environment, and that’s what we’ll try to do.”

Published April 2, 2014