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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Ted Schrader

Local governments share forum

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Pasco County has shared interests with city governments, but it’s a rare occasion for county and city officials to meet in a joint public forum.

But, that’s exactly what happened on June 26 when staff members and elected officials from Pasco County, the town of St. Leo, San Antonio, Zephyrhills and Dade City sat down at Saint Leo University to discuss topics of mutual interest, and such meetings could become an annual or semi-annual event.

“We need to do more things together,” Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., said.

Officials from Pasco County, the town of St. Leo, San Antonio, Dade City and Zephyrhills held a joint forum at Saint Leo University to discuss topics of mutual interest. (Kathy Steele)

Most of the talk centered on roads, traffic and redevelopment.

Each of the city and town representatives highlighted accomplishments and issues of concern.

Traffic and road projects topped the list, including one traffic crossroad, known as “calamity corner.”

The intersection is where State Road 52, headed toward St. Leo, takes a turn to the right. But, motorists at that juncture also are navigating along Pompanic Street and College Avenue.

They are guided by signs to stop or yield, and a string of three red caution lights that motorists can find confusing.

“There are a lot of accidents, near accidents, and complaints,” said Eric Stallworth, who serves on the San Antonio City Commission.

Former Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader spoke a few months ago at a Pasco County Commission meeting about the intersection and urged county commissioners to find a fix for it.

One idea was for a roundabout.

That appealed to Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who said the topic could be brought up at the August Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Discussion also focused on current and ongoing road projects, including widening and realigning State Road 52.

An additional extension of State Road 56 is being sought, too.

Currently, State Road 56 is being extended from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wiregrass Ranch to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

Zephyrhills’ officials are seeking additional state funding for a study on linking State Road 56 to State Road 39.

City and county benefit from greater roadway connectivity, said Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’ planning director.

With roads and existing rail lines, Vande Berg said, “We think there’s an opportunity to have an inland port at the (Zephyrhills) Municipal Airport.”

Zephyrhills and Dade City representatives also provided brief views on projects paid with revenues from their Community Redevelopment Areas, or CRAs.

Zephyrhills has used funds for items, including Hercules Park, street lighting and three neighborhood cleanups that removed 900 tons of debris.

“It has made a difference,” said Gail Hamilton, the city’s CRA director.

Future plans include Zephyr Park improvements.

Dade City (which has two CRAs) used its CRA funds, along with Florida Department of Transportation money, to extend Hardy Trail. The trail is envisioned as part of a network of area trails.

The CRA also provides matching grants as incentives to redevelop Dade City’s historic downtown.

The projects brought praise but also criticism of CRAs in general from Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

“It’s no secret. I’m not a big huge fan of CRAs,” he said. But, he added, “I do appreciate both cities doing it properly, and not including the entire city in a CRA.”

Moore and other county commissioners have been critical of CRAs in Port Richey and New Port Richey, which are drawn to include all properties within city limits.

State law has since been amended to be more restrictive, with a CRA being no more than 80 percent of a municipality.

CRAs are special taxing districts that generate property taxes for reinvestment in community projects to end blight within those districts. Once a property tax baseline is established, future property tax revenues are available to the CRA. Those revenues, then, aren’t available to the county’s general funds.

Moore said it doesn’t make sense for areas with expensive homes to be in a CRA. “Obviously, we know an entire city isn’t blighted,” he said. “That’s not too kosher.”

He anticipates the Florida legislature eliminating new CRAs after complaints about mismanagement statewide.

Zephyrhills City Manager Steve Spina disagreed.

“I’m not sure they’re going away,” he said.

If they do, Spina said the city would lose the incentives it can now offer to spark redevelopment. “We have a much more vibrant downtown now,” he added, because of the city’s CRA.

It’s the “bad apples” that are misusing CRAs that are the problem, said Starkey.

“I’m OK with it, if we add accountability and transparency,” she said. “I think the language in the (Florida) statute was poorly written.”

Published July 4, 2018

Pasco County Commission selects new chairman

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Mike Wells Jr., took the helm as chairman of the Pasco County Commission in a vote taken Nov. 28 in New Port Richey.

The District 4 county commissioner replaces Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore who served as chairman during the past year.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr.

The position typically rotates year-to-year among the commissioners.

Duties include leading county commission meetings and being the public face of the board as a whole.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, who is in his first term on the board, got the nod from fellow commissioners to be vice chairman.

Wells was elected to the board in 2014 after defeating incumbent Pasco County Commissioner Henry Wilson.

Wells, who is Republican, has filed for re-election in November 2018.

Democrat Brandi Geoit also has filed to run in that race.

Wells’ father is Mike Wells Sr., who served on the county board in the 1980s and later as the county’s property appraiser.

Wells worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car for many years before becoming a Realtor.

Oakley won the District 1 election in 2016 and replaced former Commissioner Ted Schrader who decided not to seek re-election and, instead, made an unsuccessful run for county property appraiser.

Previously, Oakley served on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s board as treasurer, vice chairman and chairman.

Published December 6, 2017

Gary Joiner takes on new role as property appraiser

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Gary Joiner will be sworn in as Pasco County’s property appraiser in the new year. But, he started laying the groundwork for his first day soon after winning the Nov. 8 election.

Joiner’s starting point is customer service.

Gary Joiner is the new Pasco County property appraiser. He previously served more than 33 years with the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office, most recently as director of operations.
(Courtesy of Gary Joiner)

He has met with some of the office staff members to discuss ways, for instance, of modernizing the website.

He wants ideas on how to make it more user-friendly.

“Tell me what works and what doesn’t work,” he said. “We’ll build on that.”

It all comes back to customer service.

“It has to be No. 1,” said Joiner, who worked for more than 33 years at the Pasco County Tax Collector’s office. His last position was as director of operations.

Joiner replaces Mike Wells Sr., who chose not to seek a sixth, four-year term in the office.

Joiner defeated Democrat Jon Sydney Larkin in the general election after winning the Republican primary against former Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader.

Long-range, Joiner plans to focus on making sure the office is up-to-date on technology. Eventually, he would like the property appraiser’s office to move off the county’s mainframe and operate a web-based platform, either in-house or with a third-party contractor.

Among the challenges for the property appraiser’s office is the explosion of new development.

“We need to make sure we have enough staff on the road, looking at the new buildings, getting these assessments and values,” Joiner said. “We want them to be right.”

Joiner knows the county well.

He grew up in New Port Richey, and graduated from Gulf High School.

He attended Pasco-Hernando State College, though he didn’t earn a degree. “It’s probably one of my regrets, not finishing college,” he said.

Instead, he worked at a local hardware store for $3.60 an hour. More than a year later, he took a job in the front office of the tax collector’s office, where he stayed more than three decades.

“I took a 10-cent pay cut to come here,” said Joiner.

Over the years, his job positions included supervisor, assistant manager and manager of offices.

“Anytime we opened a new office, I opened it,” said Joiner.

As with any new job, there is a learning curve.

Joiner said he wants to learn all aspects of the property appraiser’s office so that, like the tax collector’s office, it all becomes “second-nature” to him.

“I’ve always had a hands-on approach,” he said. “I want to learn it from the top to the bottom.”

He also looks forward to working with Realtors and others who know Pasco’s real estate inside and out.

It’s part of customer service for everyone.

“We’ll try to make their lives easier,” Joiner said. “They also can be the eyes and ears out there.”

They notice where development is happening, he said, and “we can work as a team. We all take care of the same people.”

Published December 28, 2016

Glimpsing the upbeat in a gloomy 2016

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You don’t have to be a disappointed supporter of Hillary Clinton to have arrived at the notion that 2016 can’t end soon enough.

Tom Jackson

I mean, lots of us got there long before Nov. 8. Simply put, 2016 was, in many respects, a rough year, and not just because of the rancor of the election.

We needn’t revisit the particulars here. That’s for the news services, networks and major dailies. Let’s just say any year that begins and ends with relentless horror that elevated an unknown Syrian city — Aleppo — to nightmarish prominence, and still found time to accommodate the Orlando nightclub massacre, two mass killings by truck, and the deaths of Prince and Zsa Zsa Gabor is a year that will live in infamy.

Not unexpectedly, then, as if to hasten its exit, we have for weeks been awash in the business of mopping up 2016. People of the year have been declared. News events have been ranked. And, we’re up to our chins in forecasts about what 2017 will bring. (Breaking: CNBC projects Americans still will buy lots of trucks and SUVs.)

Ordinarily, I am second to none when it comes to reveling in expectation, what psychologists call “the joy of anticipation.”

This is why you never will find me lining up with those who complain about Christmas merchandise filling the shelves in the middle of September, or TV commercials for April’s Masters golf championship airing in January.

Both are terrific dates on my calendar, and I extract enormous pleasure from contemplating them. In fact, I’m going to pause right now and think about the banks of azaleas surrounding the 12th green and 13th tee at Augusta National’s Amen Corner. … OK, back to our regularly scheduled column.

The thing is, although it’s true 2016 packed no shortage of misery — for me, the year will forever be framed by the death of the Tampa Tribune, where I’d toiled nearly a quarter of a century until its abrupt termination May 3 — but, what the old Scottish philosophers said about ill winds applies equally to the year behind us. Close inspection finds some slight cheer amidst the tumult, including within the region served by The Laker and Lutz News.

Mike Wells, Pasco’s longtime property appraiser, retired, as scheduled, celebrating among friends and associates at the Champion’s Club clubhouse in early December.

Land O’ Lakes-based Richard Corcoran, meanwhile, has become Florida’s Speaker of the House, giving Pasco its second House speaker in two years (Wesley Chapel’s Will Weatherford turned it over in 2014), and, Corcoran’s pronouncements on crony capitalism, lobbyist activity and government transparency — all welcome — sent tremors across the state.

In Pasco, another can-do fellow with an agenda — Seven Oaks’ Mike Moore — was elected chairman of a county commission that, with the loss of Ted Schrader, will be looking for leadership.

Moore’s job will have to be easier than that of Pasco schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, who, even as the district races to complete new schools — including the jewel, Cypress Creek High, with a state-funded performing arts center — has been accused of unfairly tampering with attendance boundaries.

So, yes, we suffered losses in our region, although few were more keenly felt than that of Joe Hancock, forever 57, descendant of pioneers, farmer, philanthropist, family man and cycling enthusiast, knocked off his German Focus and into eternity on rolling Lake Iola Road in early May.

Those hills are God’s way of reminding us space must be honored, which is among the reasons folks in Pasco’s high country remain worried about what encroachments might be signaled by the rollout of the “Connected City” plan proposed by Metro Development, a massive project of homes and job centers east of Interstate 75 and south of State Road 52.

Although ground recently was broken on a staggering 7.5-acre lagoon slated to become the centerpiece of a $100 million residential community, Metro has yet to submit its final proposal involving about 96,000 new residents to county commissioners.

So, something else to anticipate in 2017. Need more? OK. Spokesman Kim Payne says the Florida Hospital ice center is only weeks from exiting its construction stage. Soon, only hockey players will need hard hats.

And finally, this upbeat note. Upbeat? Make that soaring. The results of the raffles involving Sherry Lee Steiert’s quilts are in, and San Antonio Rotarian Betty Burke has this to report: The drawing attracted $420. Through the miracle of matching funds — from various divisions of Rotary, plus the Gates Foundation — that $420 became $3,150, enough to purchase 5,250 polio vaccinations.

Y’all did that. In a certifiably terrible year, assorted acts of kindness, love and generosity stitched together to produce a quilt of human selflessness. Something to build on as we contemplate 2017.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published December 28, 2016

Ron Oakley sworn in as Pasco County Commissioner

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Ron Oakley brings more than 50 years of business experience and a passion for public service to his new job as Pasco County District 1 commissioner.

Oakley was sworn into office on Nov. 29.

He replaced former Commissioner Ted Schrader who decided not to seek re-election and instead made an unsuccessful bid for property appraiser.

Ron Oakley received congratulations from Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano and Mary Lecznar, senior executive assistant for the Pasco County Board of Commissioners. Oakley was sworn in on Nov. 29 as commissioner for District 1.
(Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

Though this is the first time Oakley has served as an elected official, he’s not new to public service.

He was appointed to serve on the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s board, and served as treasurer, vice chairman and chairman.

It was while serving on that board, Oakley said that he began “loving public service.”

Oakley, 71, is chairman of the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee. He also sponsors the annual John Anderson Benefit Concert in Dade City, with proceeds aiding local charities.

Oakley views elected office as a new way of serving, and he takes it seriously.

Before and after the election, he frequently could be found in the audience at commission meetings, listening and observing.

“I did that as preparation,” he said. “I’m very, very honored to be elected commissioner of District 1 and to serve the people of Pasco County.”

Oakley grew up in Dade City and worked in the family’s businesses, including cattle ranching, citrus growing and a truck transport business for liquid food products.
He sees his business experience as a plus in dealing with the county’s budgets.

Ron Oakley settled into his new office after being sworn in as Pasco County commissioner for District 1.

“I’m going to focus on everything as it comes up and try to do my best to come up with solutions,” Oakley said. “I’ll keep taxes down and be frugal with your money. It’s got to be used in the proper way.”

High on his list of priorities is road maintenance.

The county is about 13 years behind in addressing crumbling roads, he said. “It didn’t happen in one year or four years, but you have to start somewhere, and money is an issue.”

Expanding some two lanes roads to four lanes, and creating greater connectivity between east and west Pasco is important, Oakley added.

He supports extending Ridge Road, but also shares in the county’s frustrations over waiting years on a decision from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding permits for the project.

The 8-mile extension would provide an evacuation route during hurricanes or other emergencies, and would give the county another east-west connecting route.

The Connected City project also is on the commission’s agenda. In 2015 state legislators approved a 10-year pilot program which will focus on development of communities and new jobs utilizing cutting edge technology, including gigabit Internet speeds.

Ron Oakley took the oath of office as Pasco County District 1 commissioner from Matt Maggard, a Zephyrhills attorney and Oakley’s nephew.

Pasco County and Metro Development Group are partnering on initial projects within the boundaries of the Connected City. The total area covers about 7,800 acres in northeast Pasco, bordered by Interstate 75, State Road 52, Overpass Road and Curley Road.

Some residents within the Connected City have raised concerns that future developments will harm the rural character of their neighborhood.

Oakley said he supports the Connected City but, “I want to be very aware of what I’m voting on, make sure I study the issues.”

Flooding problems, which affects much of western Pasco, also need solutions. Oakley said he believes his service on Swiftmud’s board gives him a useful background in tackling the
matter.

The commission also faces tough decisions on solid waste, in particular the funding of an estimated $190 million expansion of waste-to-energy facility at Shady Hills. The facility burns trash to produce renewable energy.

Ultimately, everything comes back to the budget, and a conservative approach to what can be done, he said.

“We have budgetary restraints,” Oakley said. “Money is an issue.”

Published December 14, 2016

CORRECTED: Pasco County looks for ways to boost recycling

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A corrected version of this story appears below. Pasco County’s waste-to-energy facility at Shady Hills burns trash to produce renewable energy. Recyclables are not burned, but processed and sold to market. This information was incorrect in the original cutline of a photo and in the story. A correction also will appear in the Dec. 7 publication of  The Laker/Lutz News.

Pasco County faces a double dilemma.

First, how does the county get more residents to recycle?

The county plans to post a survey online early next year seeking public input on what it would take to boost residents’ 27 percent participation rate in curbside recycling.

Answers to that survey could help to shape the solution to the other half of the dilemma.

A pile of what is called ‘clean recyclables’ stack up on the transfer floor at the Shady Hill Waste-to-energy facility, where recyclables are burned to produce renewable energy. (Courtesy of Pasco County)
A pile of what is called ‘clean recyclables’ stack up on the transfer floor at the Shady Hill Waste-to-energy facility.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

How can Pasco find $190 million to expand its waste-to-energy plant at Shady Hills that burns trash and produces renewable energy?

The county doesn’t have that money. It’s not even close.

About $48 million sits in the county’s solid waste’s reserve budget, but that covers any potential expenditure for solid waste.

More recycling could reduce landfill disposal costs and mean a delay in expanding Shady Hill’s facility beyond 2030.

Members of the county’s solid waste department presented options at a public workshop on Nov. 15. Those options include a $2 to the annual assessment.

Developers also could possibly see an increase in solid waste impact fees that would be offset with an equivalent decrease in water impact fees.

The long-range goal is to build up funds for the expansion costs.

“The further we put it out, the more it’s going to cost,” said Flip Mellinger, assistant county administer for utilities. “Either way, it’s not going away.”

A decision on the fees, as well as other options, won’t likely come until more discussion in 2017.

The workshop was presented to a commission that is n a state of transition.

Only three current commissioners attended – Mike Moore, Mike Wells Jr., and Jack Mariano. Pasco Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey had a scheduling conflict and Commissioner-elect Ron Oakley, attended, but had not yet been sworn in.

Ted Schrader decided not to seek re-election, but instead made an unsuccessful run for property appraiser. His last meeting was Nov. 9.

Commissioners agreed to pursue a community survey on residents’ recycling preferences. But, a proposed list of questions will be reviewed, with more discussion with staff members on a final document.

Residents probably will see the survey in early 2017 when it is posted online to the county’s website, PascoCounty.gov, and the county’s mobile application, MyPasco.

The survey is expected to attempt to determine how often people use curbside recycling, trash pickups, the county’s drop-off recycling centers and what kinds of materials are recycled.

It also asks if residents would give up one day of trash pickup a week in order to have recycling once a week at no additional charge. Or, would residents be willing to pay more to have two days of trash pickup and one day a week of recycling.

Currently, about 27 percent of residents participate in curbside recycling. That is a somewhat higher number since June when the county added cardboard and paper to a list of approved items for recycling pickup. In each month since then, recycling grew by about 100 tons a month or more.

“It was a significant jump, but not where we need to be,” Mellinger said.

The goal is to boost recycling by 10 percent a year by 2030, or 48,000 tons with no changes to the current program. However, an expanded recycling program would aim for a goal of 35 percent more recycling per year by 2030, or 168,000 tons per year.

The current amount recycled annually is about 4,200 tons a year, or about 1.4 percent of all solid waste collections.

An educational program could be done in-house or by hiring an outside communications firm.

Giving carts to residents also is seen as a way to significantly boost recycling.

But, solid waste officials also said one-day-a-week trash pickup encourages people to make use of one-day-a-week recycling programs that provide carts.

Short of that, a two-day-a-week trash pickup, with one day for recycling would work, if residents pay more, but should be seen as an interim way to reach the “one/one” option.

Moore said he would expect pushback from residents on going to one day each for trash and recycling. “I don’t think that’s a great idea,” he said. “I think we’d take a lot of hits from citizens.”

An increase in fees also is doubtful, he said.

Wells noted a program in Clearwater for one day each of trash and recycling pickups, and carts. It got off to a slow start, with some resistance from residents. But, he said the program eventually boosted recycling by about 20 percent.

“It really comes down to education,” Wells said. “There’s no doubt we need to do a better job with education.”

Published November 3o, 2016

Digital billboards illuminate controversy

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Stand-alone, static billboards litter the highways and roadways across Pasco County despite a 17-year-ban on permitting new billboards.

Dismantling and removing many of these outdoor signs is a longstanding goal of county officials who want to reduce what they view as visual blight on county roads.

But, in a high technology world, the wave of the future is illuminated digital billboards that flip through multiple advertisements in seconds, and at night, illuminate the skyline while motorists zip by.

(CreativeOutlet.com)
(CreativeOutlet.com)

Owners of outdoor advertising companies are hoping to strike a deal with Pasco County commissioners to swap out some static billboards in return for installing a smaller number of digital billboards.

But, working out a formula for the trade-off is proving to be difficult.

On a 3-2 vote on Nov. 9, the Pasco County Commission decided to postpone a decision on the proposed ordinance for 30 days to allow additional negotiations.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey took a tough stance on the matter — while commissioners Mike Moore, Jack Mariano and Mike Wells Jr., favored the delay.

“I think you guys are being played by a savvy industry,” Starkey said. “Why do we have to give them everything they want?”

The ordinance, if approved, would amend an existing one that bans new billboards. It also would add rules for companies seeking to convert static signs to digital ones.

The proposed formula is based on total square footage, not billboard structures or sign faces. It would result in removing about 10 billboards for every digital billboard that is installed.

Industry representatives lobbied for a five-to-one ratio, which they say would make the swap-out profitable for their companies, including Clear Channel, OUTFRONT Media and The Champion Family of Companies.

County staff members previously backed off an initial proposal for a 14-to-1 ratio.

There’s also disagreement over the rotation cycle for advertisements. The county set a limit of 30 seconds, while industry representatives favor 8 seconds.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said industry input would be key to making the ordinance work.

“I would like to see some of your static billboards come down,” he said. “But, I don’t want to pass something and you’re not going to participate.”

County data shows there are 133 static billboards on U.S. 19.

The next highest count is on State Road 54, with 66 billboards, followed by U.S. 41, with 53; State Road 52, with 46; and Interstate 75 with 33. In total, the billboard structures account for about 172,000 square feet of advertising.

But, the 10-to-1 ratio just isn’t doable and could mean no static billboards will come down, said Tom O’Neill, local vice president for real estate and public affairs for Clear Channel Outdoors.

“I’m not saying you’re trying to be egregious, but you’ve got to get it closer to what we need,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader pointed out that it was industry representatives who pushed for the ordinance, not residents or chambers of commerce. He offered an 8-to-1 ratio compromise, but got no takers.

“I don’t know how this helps our local businesses,” he said.  “To me it’s sort of the tail wagging the dog.”

Schrader suggested voting on the ordinance with the 10-to-1 ratio and giving it a chance to work.

He criticized industry representatives for missing a meeting with county staff to discuss the ordinance prior to the hearing. They did meet individually with some commissioners, he said.

“They chose not to lobby me, because they knew I couldn’t be persuaded,” Schrader said.

Wells Jr., who supported the delay, had a warning for industry representatives.  “If you don’t meet with them (staff), I’m done, too,” he said.

The Nov. 9 commission meeting in New Port Richey was Schrader’s last meeting, after 16 years on the board.

His seat will be filled by Ron Oakley, who won the District 1 race on Nov. 8.

Published November 23, 2016

Pasco testing idea of cat license fees

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A catfight nearly broke out as Pasco County commissioners couldn’t quite agree on whether to mandate $5 license fees for man’s best feline friend.

The fees are among a package of changes proposed for the county’s Animal Services, which is searching for ways to boost its budgetary bottom line.

In a compromise, county commissioners agreed to approve the entire package included in an amended ordinance, with one exception.

Pasco County Animal Services wants to collect funds from mandatory cat licenses to supports its low-cost spaying and neutering program.
File photo                                           Pasco County Animal Services wants to collect funds from mandatory cat licenses to supports its low-cost spaying and neutering program.

The mandatory cat fees and licenses will be charged as part of a one-year pilot program, with quarterly updates on the number of licenses sold. Cat licenses currently are made available on a voluntary basis.

Animal Services’ officials are working out details on how to get the word out to residents and veterinarians.

The goal with the mandate is to collect about $60,000 for an Animal Services Sterilization Fund to support the county’s low-cost spaying and neutering program.

“I’m willing to give you a year but I’m expecting you to exceed the numbers,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells. “I’m not sold on it. I hope you can prove me wrong in 12 months,” Wells said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said the fees could have unintended consequences, if cat owners balk at the costs.

“What are they going to do? Let the cats go,” he said. “It’ll get worse and worse.”

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader said he thought the fees had been scratched from Animal Services’ proposal, when it was presented at a budget workshop.

County officials said they were trying to be creative in coping with an approaching depletion of funds for spaying and neutering. At the workshop, they projected the coffers will be empty within three years unless a funding source is found.

Currently, revenues from dog licenses are the only resource, essentially subsidizing the expense of spaying and neutering cats, said Michael Shumate, the county’s Animal Services director.

“That revenue source is drying up,” he said.

Pasco is one of three counties in the state that doesn’t require cat licenses, and collect fees, said Cathy Pearson, the county’s assistant county administrator for public services.

However, one exception to the fees raised questions with some commissioners.

No fees will be charged when feral cats are trapped and released after being sterilized. And, they won’t have to wear collars displaying their tags. Veterinarians identify those cats by clipping a notch in one of their ears.

The trap and release process is a sometimes controversial method of trying to reduce kitten populations among feral cat colonies.

County Administrator Michele Baker is a cat owner and lives in a neighborhood with a number of feral cats.

“They are producing kittens. They are walking on my car,” she said. “I would gladly buy a $5 tag if that would allow Pasco County to neuter and spay some of the cat colony in my neighborhood.”

Cat licenses aren’t the only change for pet owners and veterinarians.

The county will require that animals sold or adopted must by micro-chipped. Veterinarians and pet dealers must have license tags available for sale, report stolen tags and provide copies of rabies vaccination certificates.

A new fee schedule also was approved.

Costs for dog and cat adoptions are unchanged, at $70 and $40 respectively. But adopting a small breed dog and puppies under four months of age will cost $85. Kittens younger than four months will cost $50.

However, animal services often have special discounted adoption events.

Dog and cat owners also will be able to get three-year rabies tags.

Published Oct. 19, 2016

 

Pasco property tax rates holding steady

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Property tax rates won’t go up in fiscal year 2017, though a more robust trend in property values could bring a slight boost in property taxes for some homeowners.

At a final hearing on Sept. 27, Pasco County commissioners approved a $1.3 billion operating budget that includes increases for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and 16 new business initiatives that give residents more services.

The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Mike Fasano
Mike Fasano

The final budget is about $80 million less than what was proposed in July, partly due to accounting adjustments in how unspent funds for capital projects are counted.

Tax rates remain the same as last year. A homeowner will be assessed about $7.61 for each $1,000 in property value for the county’s general fund, and about $1.81 per $1,000 for the fire district.

However, as the economy has improved, property values in the past year have increased. Tax bills also could tick up slightly.

On average, county officials anticipate an additional $6.89 on a tax bill for a home valued at about $106,000.

“Hopefully, most citizens are going to see some reductions in their taxes,” said Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader.

A request weeks earlier from Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano resulted in a one-time allocation of $100,000 to the elderly nutrition program.

The money will be held in a reserve account while county staff members provide details on how the money will be spent. Fasano told county commissioners he wanted the funds to reduce the waiting list of elderly residents who want to participate in the free meal program.

The money is from additional funds returned to the county from the tax collector’s office.

Dade City resident Amy Gant made a plea for money to repair the Dade City Little League concession stand at John S. Burks Memorial Park.

The 30-year-old structure is in dire need of repairs, she said.

Code violations include a leaking roof and broken plumbing.

An electrical fire happened recently, and critters crawl through broken windows, Gant said.

“The concession stand for our league is one of the biggest moneymakers,” she said. “I know that it’s expensive, and you probably can’t afford it, but I’m going to ask anyway.”

As a youngster, Gant said the Dade City Little League was a lifeline for her. She told commissioners she would be dropped off at the ballpark by her drug addicted mother, and picked up at the end of the day.

But, she said, “A lot of the character I learned was on that field from coaches that mentored me.”

While the county set aside about $1.5 million for park upkeep, the concession stand isn’t on the list. Gant did get some encouragement.

County officials will look into repairing the electrical outlets.

A 2015 parks’ master plan that included an overall needs assessment is in early stages of implementation.

“This is a story that is repeated all over our parks’ system,” said Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey. “We just don’t fund them enough.”

Budget highlights include:

  • A bus circulator route for Land O’ Lakes
  • A $6.3 million increase for the sheriff’s office to fund a second year of salary raises, 24 additional fulltime employees, and new patrol laptops
  • A fire rescue ambulance and crew for Fire Station 37 on State Road 54 at Ballantrae
  • A code enforcement initiative to clean up major corridors, such as U.S. 41 and U.S. 19

Published October 5, 2016

Rural protections in place for Northeast Pasco

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After more than a decade, a set of regulations laying out a plan to preserve the rural character of northeast Pasco County finally is in place.

The Pasco County Commission unanimously approved an ordinance to adopt development standards for the Northeast Pasco Rural Protection Overlay District on Aug. 9.

Nearly 50 area residents attended the public hearing on the ordinance. A handful spoke approvingly during public comment.

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader voiced his approval of regulations to preserve the rural nature of northeast Pasco, and to guide future development there. (Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley)
Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader voiced his approval of regulations to preserve the rural nature of northeast Pasco, and to guide future development there.
(Photos courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

“This is going to add something to Pasco County that I don’t think any other county in Florida has,” said Nancy Hazelwood. “This is going to be your jewel.”

County officials crafted the ordinance after holding numerous public meetings and getting input from area residents.

Not everyone embraced the ordinance.

Area resident and property owner George Dombrowski objected to the new rules as government overreach.

“I don’t think there is a need for the county to tell me what I can do with property I’ve owned for 10 years,” he said.

The ordinance puts into practice a rural preservation goal embedded into the county’s land use plan about 10 years ago.

It establishes a “northeast rural area” bordered by Bellamy Brothers Boulevard, the Green Swamp, State Road 52 and the Hernando County line.

Nancy Hazelwood encouraged Pasco County commissioners to approve an overlay district to preserve the rural character of northeast Pasco.
Nancy Hazelwood encouraged Pasco County commissioners to approve an overlay district to preserve the rural character of northeast Pasco.

The regulations govern residential development of three houses or more. They restrict mining operations or other developments that could lop off hillsides or impair vistas.

Portions of some roadways, including State Road 52, Bellamy Brothers Boulevard and Trilby Road, are designated as scenic. Development along those roadways must meet landscaping and buffering requirements.

Rural lighting standards also are established.

A second ordinance will deal with commercially zoned properties and designated employment centers, largely along U.S. 301. The highway isn’t on the list of scenic roadways and won’t be subjected to the scenic landscaping rules.

County commissioners urged county staff members to move quickly on crafting the commercial standards.

That could aid in economic recovery for the area, which was devastated by freezes that decades ago wiped out citrus crops, and cost upwards of 3,000 jobs, said Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader.

“This is clearly an area we need to work hard on to bring more job opportunities,” he said.

Published August 17, 2016