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Matthew Munz

Dade City Commission welcomes new planning board

August 18, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

The Dade City Planning Board has added a new face, plus a few familiar ones to its dais.

Dade City Commissioners on Aug. 11 reappointed three board members whose terms recently expired, and approved a new at-large member to the agency’s group of seven.

Matthew Munz was approved to the Dade City Planning Board, as an at-large member. The Dade City resident is a project manager at Mead & Hunt, an architecture and engineering firm. He takes over for Knute Nathe, who vacated the seat after being elected to the Dade City Commission last month. (Courtesy of Matthew Munz)

The three reappointments are James Cosentino, Bermice Thomas and Joe Kennard.

Dade City native and resident Matthew Munz is the new at-large appointment.

Terms of each of the four appointments will expire April 2024. The other planning board members are Jimmy Miller, Davis Henley and Juliann Hale.

Munz, the newest addition, is a project manager for Mead & Hunt, an architecture design, engineering, environmental and construction administration services company.

He takes over the at-large seat previously held by new Commissioner Knute Nathe, who vacated the seat after being elected last month to the Dade City Commission.

“I enjoyed a great deal my tenure on the planning board. It can be thankless service, but it is service that is necessary to the city,” Nathe said.

With that, Nathe recommended Munz for the at-large seat, citing his experience as an engineer leading various water, wastewater, and stormwater projects in multiple stages of development — matters that go hand-in-hand with planning board responsibilities.

Fellow commissioners concurred, unanimously approving the recommendation.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said Munz’s credentials “certainly are impressive” and his knowledge in development-related matters “should be an asset to the board.”

Hernandez noted that Munz sat through a four-plus hour commission meeting last month, underscoring his passion for community issues.

“If that ain’t dedication, then I don’t know what is,” Hernandez quipped.

Aside from professional experience, Munz also has deep-rooted ties to Dade City coming from a family of public servants.

His mother, Barbara Munz, was principal of Pasco Elementary School for 23 years.

His father, William Munz, was assistant county administrator for Pasco County throughout the 1990s.

Munz kept his comments brief following the appointment. “I look forward to being able to serve the city,” he said.

The city’s seven-member planning board also serves as the Local Planning Agency for quasi-judicial procedures, and also includes one member representative from Pasco County Schools.

The board meets monthly, or as needed.

Duties include transmitting recommendations to the commission regarding zoning district amendments, comprehensive plan amendments, variances, and conditional use permits.

On another matter, commissioners unanimously approved a final plat for Countryside, a 25-lot subdivision located on 5.72 acres east of U.S. 301 and adjacent to a busy block that includes a McDonald’s, O’ Reilly’s Auto Parts, Captain D’s and EZ Clean Car Wash, among other businesses.

The Countryside development has been in the works for some time.

Commissioner Scott Black noted the subdivision has been in entitlement ever since the city landed the McDonald’s location when he was a freshman in high school, roughly 40 years ago.

“It is rather interesting that the project is finally, after so many years, something is happening there,” he said.

The development has received some pushback due to potential negative traffic impacts in that area, including from former Dade City Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon.

Budget transparency headed to city’s website
Local residents soon will be able to get an inside look at Dade City government’s spending and departmental operations, in real-time online.

Newly appointed Dade City interim finance officer Andrew Laflin told commissioners he’s rolling out a cloud-based budgeting transparency software program onto the city’s website, within the next month or two.

The new program, will allow users to view and navigate the municipality’s multi-year capital projects and budget actual data, with links to the city’s annual budget document and ongoing budget preparations. It also will provide updates and messages from the city’s various departments, he said.

The new online feature will “show really a whole lot of stuff,” Laflin said.

Mayor Hernandez applauded the initiative, especially at a time when the city is experiencing a wave of commercial and residential development.

“I think that’s excellent,” Hernandez said. “I love the fact that it’s not only going to be available to the commission, but it’s going to be available in real-time, so I’m excited. That sounds like a good addition to providing information and transparency to our residents and those in Dade City.”

Laflin has hit the ground running on budget preparations for fiscal year 2020-21 since being hired to provide consulting financial services a month ago.

Other items worth noting:

  • The Dade City Police Department announced the hiring of two new police officers — Christopher Amatruda, 35, and Ronny Rivera, 48.
  • Dade City’s public restrooms have reopened, accessible from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily.
  • Work is underway on the design of a visitor’s information welcome center building at the Roy Hardy Trail trailhead.
  • Pasco County issued a notice to proceed with a route study for the extension of Morningside Drive — to connect U.S. 301 to Fort King Road in Dade City.

Published August 19, 2020

Filed Under: Local News, Zephyrhills/East Pasco News Tagged With: Andrew Laflin, Barbara Munz, Bermice Thomas, Camille Hernandez, Captain D's, Christopher Amatruda, Dade City Commission, Dade City Commissioners, Dade City Planning Board, Dade City Police Department, Davis Henley, EZ Clean Car Wash, Fort King Road, James Cosentino, Jimmy Miller, Joe Kennard, Juliann Hale, Knute Nathe, Matthew Munz, McDonald's, Mead & Hunt, Morningside Drive, Nicole Deese Newlon, O' Reilly's Auto Parts, Pasco County Schools, Pasco Elementary School, Ronny Rivera, Roy Hardy Trail, Scott Black, U.S. 301, William Munz

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February 23, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

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03/05/2021 – Apple Pie Bombs

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will offer “Foodie Feast: Apple Pie Bombs” on March 5. Participants can learn how to make tasty, apple pie bombs. Watch the prerecorded video between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., online at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary. For information, call 352-567-3576, or email Danielle Lee at . … [Read More...] about 03/05/2021 – Apple Pie Bombs

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The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present a video on how to grow a tomato garden. Those interested can view the video at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary, all day, on March 8. For information, call 352-567-3576, or email . … [Read More...] about 03/08/2021 – Tomato garden

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The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present a video on how to make green grilled cheese on March 9 at 4:30 p.m., for grades four to seven. To view the video, visit the Library Cooperative on Facebook or Instagram. … [Read More...] about 03/09/2021 – Grilled cheese

03/09/2021 – Poetry discussion

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host a virtual poetry discussion group on “Female Power!” on March 9 at 6:30 p.m., for ages 16 and older, via Zoom. Participants can share a favorite poem or take part in discussions on poems about women or written by women poets. Themed poems will be sent out to help with the session. Registration is required. For information, contact Amaris Papadopoulos at 727-861-3020 or . … [Read More...] about 03/09/2021 – Poetry discussion

03/09/2021 – Technology Tuesday

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will offer a Technology Tuesday: Robots & Machines on March 9, through a curbside pickup activity. The kit will help kids learn more about technology, from robots to coding, through online and hands-on activities. The pickup is limited to 35 participants and must be reserved ahead of time. A book bundle can be included. Kits must be picked up between March 9 at 10 a.m., and March 13 at 5 p.m. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 03/09/2021 – Technology Tuesday

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