The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Government

East Pasco to receive new, upgraded veterans clinic

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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is in the midst of building a new outpatient clinic in Zephyrhills.

As a branch of Tampa’s James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, the facility will be an upgraded replacement to the current Zephyrhills Community Based Outpatient Clinic. It will serve former members of the military.

“I’d say accessibility is probably our biggest reason for building a new clinic,” said Shayna Rodriguez, public affairs specialist at James A. Haley. “It will be easier for veterans to use, and we’ll have more capability and accessibility for them.”

This rendering offers an idea of what the appearance will be of the exterior for the new Zephyrhills VA outpatient clinic. The facility, set to open in mid-2021, will replace the existing facility and will have more rooms.
(Courtesy of Shayna Rodriguez/James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital)

Danny Burgess is the executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

The Zephyrhills native said he’s anticipating the added amenities this new facility will offer service men and women.

Burgess stated that, “The new VA clinic in Zephyrhills will be a game changer for veterans in East Pasco. The expansion will provide increased access to quality healthcare. We are so excited for this commitment to our community by USDVA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs); and FDVA (Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs) looks forward to growing our strong relationship with our federal partners.”

The 14,000-square-foot facility will offer more space, housing both primary care and mental health services within the same building.

Ten rooms will be devoted to primary care, while six rooms will be used for treating mental health.

The expansion of rooms indicates the VA’s efforts to provide more access to psychiatric care, Rodriguez noted.

The clinic will be designed to accommodate the handicapped, and will offer new services such as podiatry and physical therapy.

It also will include anticoagulation pharmacy services and a lab. Telehealth – services provided remotely over the phone — also will be available.

Each patient will have an assigned “patient-aligned care team,” Rodriguez said. The team will consist of a physician, nurse, social worker and a mental health provider.

Patients will be referred to and treated at the James A. Haley hospital for surgeries and extensive therapy.

Those without their own transportation will be able to take advantage of a pick-up service to receive free rides to their doctor’s appointments.

“When we do these studies,” said Rodriguez, “we take a very close look at where is going to be most convenient for them, where the bulk of veterans live.”

Based on travel time, veterans may be eligible for reimbursement when commuting to the clinic in their own vehicle.

Veteran women’s health has been ongoing, but additional services will be provided  at the new clinic – especially for those with infants.

“We’ll also be adding a lactation room because women veterans are one of our fastest-growing demographics,” Rodriguez said.

The increase in the number of veterans living in Tampa Bay has led to a need for more clinics.

The James A. Haley hospital is not exclusive to just its VA clinics in Zephyrhills and New Port Richey, but branches out cross-county.

These counties include Hillsborough, Hernando and Polk, with Citrus County expected to join the list.

In September of last year, alone, there were over 6,000 visits to the current Zephyrhills clinic, Rodriguez said.

She also noted there’s typically an increase of veterans needing services, as snowbirds flock to Florida near the end of the year.

The U.S. Congress approved more than $12 million to fund the new complex, back in April. Construction on the Eiland Boulevard facility started in June.

Construction is expected to be completed by late 2020 and to open by mid-2021. Once operational, the current Zephyrhills clinic will be closed down.

Published October 2, 2019

Cannabis dispensaries coming to Dade City?

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The Dade City Commission during a workshop session directed city staff to draft an amendment to the city’s land development regulations that would allow medical marijuana dispensaries within one of the city’s zoning districts.

Commissioners, at their Sept. 24 workshop, indicated that the dispensaries should be allowed in the general commercial zoning district.

That zoning district generally spans U.S. 301/U.S. 98 south and north of town and certain pockets of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) district, but avoids much of the city’s historic downtown main street and central business district.

The City of Dade City is considering an ordinance that would permit medical marijuana treatment centers in one of its business zoning districts. (File)

The amended ordinance would require any future standalone pharmacies and drug stores to locate within the general commercial district only, as Florida statutes prevent municipalities from enacting regulations that restrict dispensaries more so than traditional pharmacies.

However, existing pharmacies in other zoning districts would be grandfathered in and would be able to continue to operate as a legal non-conforming entity.

The workshop session set direction only.

Any drafted ordinance will come before the city’s planning board and have two public hearings before a formal commission vote.

The majority of commissioners concurred that limiting dispensaries and pharmacies to the general commercial district would offer convenient access for local residents facing debilitating conditions, and still preserve the historical integrity of the downtown area’s specialty shops and mom-and-pop businesses.

“The general commercial (district) seems to accomplish what we’re trying to do,” Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said. “We’re trying to find places within our municipality limits that we can have these (medical marijuana) facilities without adversely affecting merchants’ concerns, but also be sensitive to the needs of folks that are in need.”

Commissioner Jim Shive agreed the general commercial district “seems to have less impact to the direct downtown around the merchants,” but noted he is concerned about some existing pharmacies being deemed legal nonconforming.

“I think we all want to be very compassionate people,” he said, “but we all want to do the right thing.”

Commissioner Scott Black was the lone commissioner who favored an outright ban medical on marijuana treatment centers within the municipality.

He said dispensaries are “readily available” throughout Pasco County and have become more accessible compared to a few years ago.

The county presently has three medical cannabis dispensaries in New Port Richey and another situated near the Land O’ Lakes-Lutz county line.

“It’s much more convenient to go 20 miles now than it was before (Amendment 2) was passed when you couldn’t get it at all,” Black said.

Black also had reservations about any dispensary ordinance that could prevent a locally owned pharmacy or drugstore from opening up somewhere downtown.

Black observed: “Keep in mind, what you have is a goal for a livable, workable downtown, in terms of if you want a pharmacy downtown or don’t.”

Since 2016, the city has enacted five six-month moratoriums, or temporary ban, on the sale of medical marijuana while staff researched its potential impacts on the community.

The latest six-month moratorium expired Sept. 21. If no action is taken, dispensaries could theoretically locate in multiple zoning districts, including the historic downtown area.

It’s not the first time commissioners have sought to allow dispensaries in designated areas.

The commission earlier this year directed staffers to draft an ordinance that would have permitted dispensaries in all zoning districts where the city allows pharmacies, except in the CRA district.

However, the city’s planning board recommended denial of the drafted ordinance, primarily due to language that makes existing pharmacies and drugstores in the district legal nonconforming uses.

The planning board subsequently recommended the commission to extend the moratorium, which they did.

At the latest workshop, new Dade City Senior Planner Melanie Romagnoli pointed out the previously drafted ordinance wasn’t exactly kosher, because the CRA district isn’t truly a business zoning district. “We would have to rezone everybody in the downtown to a certain district and then ban it from that certain district to practice zoning law,” she explained.

When asked by the commission for a recommendation, Romagnoli all but endorsed allowing dispensaries within city limits in some form or another.

“Coming from a pure zoning standpoint, I don’t view medical marijuana as the recreational pot that a lot of people are concerned about,” the city planner said. “It’s heavily controlled, it’s heavily regulated, and you have to have a prescription to get, so I view that particular product as going to get your prescription antibiotics, and my personal opinion is we should not regulate what is sold inside of a pharmacy if it’s already regulated at the state and federal levels. I don’t want to deny medical access to those who may need it.”

The mayor followed that sentiment, saying dispensaries should to be examined in a “medical context” to serve local residents stricken with illnesses like cancer, glaucoma and so forth.

Said Hernandez: “My heart just can’t do anything but go, ‘Hey, wow, there’s a condition and a need that needs to be addressed that we can provide access to.’ You can argue about the location of it and all that, but still having access to it is very important.”

Published October 2, 2019

Pasco opens first incubator kitchen

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An incubator kitchen has opened in Dade City, to promote economic development through food businesses.

The new facility is a collaborative effort between University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)-Pasco County extension, the Pasco Economic Development Council, Inc.’s SMARTstart incubator program and Pasco County.

The kitchen was officially unveiled on Sept. 23, during a ribbon cutting at the Stallings Building, in Dade City.

Mark Richardson, Ron Oakley, Michael Anderson and Mick Hughes congregate inside the new incubator kitchen at Dade City’s Stallings Building. The kitchen is expected to support education and economic development.
(Brian Fernandes)

Pasco County Commission Chairman Ron Oakley, told those gathered, “This kitchen is going to do great things for Pasco County. It’s going to start those businesses off, and then they’re going to create jobs.”

The incubator will be operated in a renovated kitchen, where participants will  learn culinary skills and entrepreneurs will have a launchpad for new businesses.

Dr. Whitney Elmore said she had that vision in mind, when she first saw the building five years ago.

“Turning this corner out here on 14th Street, I saw this county-owned (Stallings)building sitting unused in a community that was, frankly, in need of resource development and economic opportunity.

“I saw this building’s potential to become an educational outreach center where members of the community, and all of Pasco County, could come for educational services and furthermore, empowerment,” Elmore said.

The Stallings Building, also now known as the One Stop Shop, was established in 1991.

It had been vacant when Elmore, the director for the Pasco Extension Office, came across it.

She has helped to establish the building as a hub for educational classes and food demonstrations.

The kitchen was not in a suitable condition for showing demonstrations, Elmore said.

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences-Pasco County Extension, recently unveiled its new incubator kitchen at the Stallings Building in Dade City.

The renovation has been three years in the making, she added.

The $30,000-project included refurbishing the oven hood, installing a built-in grease trap and new ceiling tiles. There also is a pantry closet to store dry foods and other products.

Welbilt, a kitchen equipment company, donated a stove, oven, a three-compartment sink, stainless steel counters, an ice maker, a fridge and a freezer.

“Not only did they donate that kitchen equipment that you see in there,” the director said, “they helped us figure out what needs to go where, to optimize safety and to optimize utility of the different parts.”

And Welbilt is planning to do more, Elmore said.

Oakley said the project is a “public-private partnership, working together for the betterment of the community.”

After the ceremonial ribbon cutting, guests had the opportunity to tour the newly-built kitchen.

What sets the incubator kitchen apart from other commercial kitchens, said Elmore, is that it’s open to the public to stock and preserve food.

The kitchen can be a learning space and can serve as a stock room, for a culinary instructor about to teach a class.

The storage space can be used by food trucks, too.

Those using the kitchen for storage will pay a fee.

Dan Mitchell, manager of Pasco Economic Development Council’s SMARTstart incubator program, has been involved in the project, too.

SMARTstart offers memberships so people can take advantage of the kitchen.

“When we start a new entrepreneur [as] a member, we build an action plan for them,” Mitchell explained. “If they think it’s going to take them a year to launch, we meet with them once a month, we coach them, we hold them accountable and we help them get to that launch date.”

Elmore said the kitchen will help people develop skills to be culinary entrepreneurs. She also thinks it will be an incentive for migrant workers to stay within the region.

Elmore also believes the kitchen will give people healthier food options, which will lead to fewer chronic illnesses.

The kitchen could help reduce crime, too, she said.

“We know through many different models all across the nation, and all kinds of studies, that if you offer economic opportunity, job growth development [and] educational services, that you can cut down on the crime,” Elmore explained.

And with a community garden based outside the Stallings Building, the kitchen provides a convenient space for preparing one’s own produce.

Long-term plans include starting an educational program for single mothers to become businesswomen within the food industry, as well as adding new incubator kitchens throughout Pasco County.

“That’s our goal,” said Mitchell, “to knock down the barriers to entries to starting a business, and be that launching pad.”

Pasco County’s budget tops $1.4 billion

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The Pasco County Commission has adopted a proposed budget topping $1.4 billion for fiscal year 2020.

The property tax rate did not change, but revenues collected by the county will go up because of an expanded county tax base due to new construction and property value increases.

Also, property owners will pay additional taxes to generate revenues needed to pay for four bond issues voters adopted to support a jail expansion, additional fire stations, park improvements and upgraded libraries.

The tax rates adopted by a 4-0, with Commission Chairman Ron Oakley absent, were:

  • Property tax: 7.6076 mills
  • Municipal fire service unit: 1.8036 mills
  • Jail (bond issue): 0.0277 mills
  • Fire rescue (bond issue): 0.0222 mills
  • Parks (bond issue): 0.0100 mills
  • Library (bond issue): 0.0096 mills

The aggregate millage rate is 9.3666 mills.

“The county realized a 9.3% increase in taxable assessed values over the past year,” said Robert Goehig, county budget director. Overall, the county’s budget is $1,465,713,041.

“Compared to the current fiscal year, the final general fund expenditure budget represents an increase of $44 million,” Goehig said.

This year’s budget includes a $20 million increase in the county’s reserves, the budget director said.

The budget also:

  • Fully funds the sheriff’s budget request
  • Includes a 6 percent wage increase for the board and constitutional officer employees
  • Includes $6.8 million for initiatives, including the restoration of library hours, an emergency generator replacement plan and other items.

Also, Goehig noted, there’s  $6.6 million for investments in infrastructure, such as the Starkey Ranch District Park baseball fields; two roller hockey rinks in partnership with the Tampa Bay Lightning; various information technology projects; and, the facilities master plan.

No transportation millage was levied last year and none was proposed this year.

The county’s Municipal Fire Service Unit Fund, which has a tax levy of 1.8036 mills, will generate an additional $4 million because of an increase in property values.

Those funds will be spent to support the negotiated firefighter wage increase and staffing for new fire stations.

No one spoke for or against the budget during the comment period of the public hearing.

Published October 2, 2019

Volunteer sought for Pasco Planning Commission

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Pasco County is seeking a volunteer to serve on the Pasco County Planning Commission.

Ideal candidates will represent diverse knowledge and expertise in the areas of engineering, planning, real estate, surveying, property management, architecture, construction and/or other related fields, according to a county news release.

The deadline for application is Oct. 11.

Planning Commission members review and make recommendations to the Pasco County Commission on proposed amendments to the county’s comprehensive plan, proposed changes to county zoning, requests for conditional use permits and other development applications.

The Planning Commission also conducts hearings and makes final determinations on all variances, alternative standards, and certain appeals and special exception applications.

To apply online, go to bit.ly/2G3IqUH.

The County Commission will be filling one vacancy on the Planning Commission, created by the resignation of Kevin Ryman, former vice chairman of that board.

The Planning Commission generally meets twice a month, on Thursday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. The meetings alternate between the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City and the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey.

For more information about Pasco Planning and Development, visit bit.ly/2hMXfkD

Published October 2, 2019

Advocates address legislators to reduce veteran homelessness

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Local agency officials recently addressed an array of issues facing homeless veterans, before members of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, at a session in New Port Richey.

U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, chairman of the subcommittee, and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, ranking member of the committee, listened to suggestions on reducing veteran homelessness from a group panel, to relay back to the U.S. Congress.

Levin, a Democrat, represents California’s 49th congressional district, and Bilirakis, a Republican, represents Florida’s 12th congressional district.

Mary White was one of several panelists urging an expansion of services for homeless veterans, during a Sept. 16 meeting of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. The meeting was at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey. (Brian Fernandes)

Panelists were Joe Battle, director of the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital; Danny Burgess, executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs;

David Lambert, chairman of the Pasco County Housing Authority; Michael Raposa, CEO of St. Vincent DePaul Cares; Brian Anderson, CEO and founder of Veterans Alternative; and Mary White, a former homeless veteran.

“Today we’re here to examine and highlight programs and benefits to help combat veteran homelessness,” Bilirakis said, in his opening statement. “There’s been a significant amount of progress made nationwide in reducing homelessness among veterans, but we still have much more work to do.”

Burgess noted that Florida’s VA department implemented the Forward March initiative throughout the state earlier this year. This program teams state agencies with various grassroots organizations to find ways to deal with the crisis.

The executive director told the congressmen that strategies need to be in place to integrate servicemen and servicewomen back into civilian life.

Burgess also advised that the government should make the first initiative, approaching veterans with beneficial opportunities, as opposed to them seeking it out themselves.

“We have about an estimated 2,543 homeless veterans in Florida that we know about,” he said, adding that five counties have already been successful in ending this issue.

Burgess suggested that other regions of the nation could follow their example by having more community-based organizations invested in veterans’ welfare, while working alongside state government.

“As of 2018, Point-in-Time count reveals Pasco (County) and Pinellas County are leading in several homeless statistics, including veteran homelessness,” said Anderson, the Veterans Alternative CEO. “We lack the number of beds needed, and unfortunately cannot build and fund fast enough to keep up with the demand.”

Like Burgess, he emphasized the importance of community involvement backed by government support – especially as it relates to mental health.

More resources should be allocated to wellness programs in addressing the psycho-social needs of veterans, Anderson said.

“Homelessness is not the root cause – rather is a byproduct of several contributing factors, including mental health, medical and economic hardship,” he said.

Levin noted that earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would provide grants in helping states collaborate with veteran organizations to address psychiatric needs for those coming out of service.

The pivotal role of HUD-VASH vouchers
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher program, also was a topic of discussion.

The federal government issues the vouchers to provide suitable housing for low-income people, the elderly and even veterans.

Bilirakis asked Battle: “What is the one message or need that I need to take back to Washington (D.C.) with me, that would make your job easier, or would reduce homelessness among veterans?”

Battle’s response: “How can we adjust HUD vouchers to be able to accommodate for rising rents in different areas.”

The VA hospital director stated that the program has been key in putting veterans into homes, and has seen its benefits.

“At (James A.) Haley, we have 1,060 HUD-VASH vouchers available for use and currently 119 veterans are permanently housed using these vouchers,” Battle explained.

However, as the cost of living continues to escalate, this has been a challenge, he noted.

In addition, Pasco County doesn’t have a sufficient number of homes to put these vouchers toward, said Lambert, chairman of the Pasco County Housing Authority.

The authority recently purchased property to build a 78-unit veterans housing community. But this, too, was a dilemma for the housing authority because various banks refused to lend the necessary funds.

Addressing the congressmen, Lambert said: “We respectfully request the federal government create regulations to do what you have already done in the housing arena – to allow banks to fund our projects.”

A first-hand account
White was one panelist who could attest to the importance of the voucher system.

“The program that probably helped me the most would be HUD-VASH and the housing voucher,” she said. “Without that, I would probably be couch-surfing with my son.”

As a U.S. Army veteran, White found herself as a single mother with an infant, when she became homeless.

With the HUD-VASH voucher, she was able to get herself and her child into an apartment, and various organizations donated furniture and food, she recalled.

White was able to go back to school with the help of the GI Bill, and the VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program.

She also was granted a voucher to offset costs for child care while working and in school.

She currently holds a master’s degree and works for the Department of Economic Opportunity.

At the hearing, she took the time to address the transportation barriers that prevent veterans from sustaining a job, as well as their need for proper dental care.

St. Vincent DePaul Cares also was instrumental in helping White get proper housing.

“Since 2012, St. Vincent DePaul Cares has been a leader in many of the areas toward the end of veteran homelessness – including the counties of Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Polk,” said Raposa, the organization’s CEO.

Since the institution began, it has shortened the time it takes for veterans to transition from the street into a home — from 180 days initially to 60 days now, Raposa said.

He implored the congressmen to help expand Florida’s affordable-housing trust fund. Under the Sadowski Coalition, various organizations have pressed lawmakers in putting housing trust funds toward the state’s housing programs.

Raposa noted: “2019 was the first time in many years that we saw the governor’s office and the Senate on the same page to release a historic portion of that money, but the House did not support it. We desperately need your help with that.”

The Sept. 16 hearing was held at the West Pasco Government Center.

Published September 25, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

Ridge Road permit coming soon, administrator says

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A permit to clear the way for the construction of the Ridge Road Extension is expected to be granted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers within the next four weeks to six weeks, Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles said.

That would signal the end of a two-decade effort to secure the federal permit needed to create a new 7.6-mile east-west connection from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

The only way for the county to be absolutely sure it will receive the permit is for the Corps of Engineers to issue it, Biles said.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles
(File)

“They won’t ever tell you that you’re going to get the permit until they sign the letter on the permit, giving you the permit. They’ll never tell you, ‘Yea, you’re going to get approval on the permit’ until then. That isn’t the way the Corps works,” the administrator said.

That being said, it appears that everything is lining up toward the county obtaining the permit, Biles told those gathered at Sept. 17 breakfast meeting of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce at Scotland Yards Golf Club, on U.S. 301 in Dade City.

While the county awaits the permit, it is preparing to move ahead with the project.

The first phase of the project, which is funded, is from Ridge Road in New Port Richey to the Suncoast Parkway. The second phase of the extension, not yet funded, will provide a link between the Suncoast Parkway and U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

Biles told the breakfast crowd: “The construction project is actually on the street today, so we can bid that and start work the day I get the call from the Corps.

“We’ve got it set so that, I get the call from the Corps, I call public works, I call the project manager. They get our consultant out there and start removing the gopher tortoises off the right of way.

“Our surveying crew is already working on surveying the right of way,” Biles added.

The contract includes three milestones, with bonuses available to the contractor if the work is completed within certain timelines.

The Pasco County Commission approved the approach.

“It’s pretty unique. It took a lot of work in the county attorney’s office to set it up,” Biles said.

The first milestone involves providing a secondary access to River Ridge High and River Ridge Middle, before the school year begins in August 2020.

To achieve that, Biles said he would need the permit in hand, and a contractor notice to proceed, by Dec. 1.

“That’s a goal to hit that, and we can do it,” Biles said.

The second milestone is to have two lanes of Ridge Road open to the Suncoast Parkway, and to have the interchange operational before Hurricane Season 2021, Biles said.

“So, we’re going to get there, open up two lanes, we’re going to breathe and relax for about 30 seconds, then they’re going to finish the other two lanes, finish the project by the next hurricane season,” the administrator added.

Biles said he wants to get the first two lanes open as quickly as possible, to get traffic onto it to the Suncoast Parkway.

That will provide another hurricane evacuation route, and will open up the west-central area of the county to within a “commutable distance” of downtown Tampa, Biles said.

It also would be good timing, in conjunction with a new $191 million expansion campus that Moffitt Cancer Center wants to create in Pasco County.

Moffitt recently announced it would be asking the state Legislature to increase Moffitt’s share of the state’s cigarette revenue from 4% to 10% to support an expansion of its facilities in Hillsborough County, and to provide for a new campus in Pasco County.

The project would allow Moffitt to meet future demand for cancer therapies, create a research park that would be a magnet for biotech partners, and expand its services in the Tampa Bay region, according to information provided by Moffitt.

Published September 25, 2019

Digital billboard lights up Land O’ Lakes

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The digital age of outdoor advertising is coming to central Pasco.

Motorists may be familiar with a two-sided “Tri-Vision” billboard on U.S. 41, north of State Road 54. The Champion Outdoor billboard flips through a trio of advertisements on each side, as slats rotate and marketing messages change.

But, the area’s first digital billboard is being installed on the west side of the apex where Dale Mabry Highway and U.S. 41 meet, in front of the WalMart Super Store, according to county permitting records.

Workers are installing a digital billboard for Clear Channel Outdoor at 1714 Dale Mabry Highway, in front of a Walmart Super Store.
(Kathy Steele)

Thousands of motorists pass through the juncture at North Dale Mabry Highway and U. S. 41 daily, making it a prime site for outdoor advertisers.

The location is one of four digital locations in Pasco County planned by Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc. as the company moves ahead on the digital campaign it began about nine months ago in the county.

Another location in central Pasco is slated for digital at 6027 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Activity in west Pasco also is changing the billboard landscape.

Permits for demolition of several static billboards and installation of two digital billboards happened in 2017 at 2310 U.S. 19 in Holiday, and on State Road 54, east of Little Road, in New Port Richey, according to county records.

A representative of Clear Channel couldn’t be reached for comment.

The Pasco County Commission approved an ordinance in early 2017 to allow permitting of new billboards as part of a strategy to reduce visual blight on the county’s major corridors. Until then, a ban on new billboards had been in effect for about 17 years.

Outdoor advertising representatives lobbied for the ordinance, which allowed new billboards and established rules for converting static to digital billboards. Provisions also were included for Tri-Vision billboards.

It took nearly two years of negotiations to strike that bargain.

County representatives wanted to eliminate a glut of static billboards dotting the roadways, including those in disrepair. Outdoor advertising representatives wanted to get their digital messages in front of passing motorists.

Clear Channel, OUTFRONT Media and The Champion Family of Companies participated in crafting the ordinance.

So far, Clear Channel in its agreement with Pasco has removed about 8,220 square feet of static billboard advertising. During the next months, another approximately 8,220 square feet will be taken down by Clear Channel, according to data provided by Pasco County.

The ordinance targeted billboards on major roadways including segments of State Road 54, U.S. 41, U.S 19, State Road 52 and Interstate 75.

A cap permits a maximum of 37 digital billboards in the county, with more digital allowed in some areas than others.

County officials estimated about 190 static billboards would be eliminated through the new regulations.

Some sites are off limits to digital including The Heart of Land O’ Lakes Vision Plan, Connerton New Town, the Villages of Pasadena Hills Stewardship District, and the State Road 52 gateway into Dade City.

Published July 11, 2018

Dade City water and sewer bills going up

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Dade City residents can expect an increase in their water and sewer rates, effective on Nov. 1.

Dade City’s city commissioners approved a 2 percent water rate increase and a 6.5 percent sewer rate increase at their Oct. 10 meeting.

The vote was 4-1, with Nicole Deese Newlon voting against the increases.

Water customers on average use about 6,000 gallons a month, which means the increase will add about 35 cents to the monthly bill, said Leslie Porter, the city’s finance director.

The sewer fee increase will add about $2.25 a month to the bill, she said.

The total increase for water and sewer customers would be about $2.60 a month.

Porter said Dade City also supplies water to some residents outside the city limits. They can expect similar increases in their bills, she said.

The new rates will be applied over the next five years.

But, Porter said, “That will be re-evaluated each year.”

This is the city’s first increase in fees in about eight years.

A consultant hired by the city completed an “Annual Water Resources Rate Study,” and presented the results to city commissioners in September.

In recent years, the city has paid for major upgrades to its wastewater system, and the additional revenues will help to pay down the debt service.

The increased funds also will help with operating expenses for renewal and replacements, Porter said.

The study also recommended that the city add two water system employees.

For information on the study, visit Dadecityfl.com.

Published Oct. 18, 2017

Pasco’s early law enforcement days were notorious

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Pasco County’s early law enforcement days inspired quite a few dramatic stories.

An illegal killing captured headlines during Henry C. Griffin’s tenure as sheriff.

Built in 1892, the Old Pasco County Jail is the oldest brick structure in Dade City. It had two inmate cells, an isolation cell and an east wing used for the Sheriff’s living quarters. A later addition to the west end was the county’s gallows where the last legal hanging included “An array of picnickers positioned on the grounds surrounding the gallows area,” according to research conducted by local historian Madonna Jervis Wise in 2014. (Courtesy of Norman Carey)

During his second term, a mob killed two black men who were being held inside the county’s first jail located near downtown Dade City.

Will Wright and Sam Williams had been charged in the murders of Dan Childers and J.B. McNeil at Rice & Phelps’ turpentine camp near Dade City, according to newspaper stories published by The Tampa Morning Tribune.

The Tribune reported on Feb. 14, 1901, that Griffin refused to give up the keys and the mob —estimated as being between 30 to 50 men — broke down the outer door.

When they were unable to break down the steel doors of the cells, they opened fire, shooting both Wright and Williams to death, the report said.

The Coroner’s jury determined the prisoners came to their deaths at the hands of “parties unknown.”

Griffin lost his bid for re-election in 1904 to Bart Sturkie, who went on to serve four terms.

Another account of Pasco’s early law days involves the death of a Dade City farmer named Noah Green, who also is the Cherokee great-grandfather of Debbie DeLuca of Land O’ Lakes.

“As it stands right now, the only word I have on his death was the fire in the jailhouse,” DeLuca said.

“I have had cousins try to find his grave over in Linden Cemetery (off State Road 50 in Sumter County),” she added. “We were told it was in the center of the graveyard in an unmarked grave.”

Based on research for this column by Pasco County historian Jeff Miller, four newspapers including The Atlanta Constitution reported on the fire started by Green, who was “arrested on a charge of drunkenness and duly locked up.”

The 1892 cornerstone from the Old Pasco County Jail is currently on display at the West Pasco Historical Society in New Port Richey. (Courtesy of Fivay.org)

With a headline, “Cremates himself in lockup in Dade City,” The Tampa Morning Tribune printed this account on Nov. 23, 1911: “About 3 o’clock this morning, beginning to get sober, Green began to feel cold and scraping what rubbish he could gather on the floor, set fire to it.

“Locked up alone in the place, Green found it impossible to escape and began to cry loudly for help. No one was on the streets at that hour but a citizen who lives near the jail hurried to the place. He arrived too late, for Green was then beyond human aid. The jail was burned to the ground and Green’s charred and shrunken body was found in the ashes.”

Newspaper accounts are clear that Green left behind “a wife and five children,” but not much is known not about the wooden jail facility itself.

That incident offers just a glimpse into the county’s early law enforcement history, according to documents archived by fivay.org, a website that specializes in tracking Pasco County history.

Another vigilante mob stormed the jail in Dade City on the night of Aug. 5, 1915 and took a black inmate named Will Leak, according to the Dade City Banner. Leak had been charged with the attempted rape of a young white girl in Trilby and was hung on an oak tree in front of Hillard’s barber shop in the center of town. Details of the event were published on The Banner’s front page on Aug. 6, 1915.

Sturkie, who was serving his fourth term at the time of the break-in, was defeated in his re-election bid for sheriff in 1916 by Isaac Hudson, Jr., who served two terms as sheriff.

During his first six months in office, Hudson raided 164 moonshine stills, according to his son, Leon, who served as Dade City’s Police Chief in 1951.

Hudson’s family is prominent as the founders of Hudson, Florida.

Sheriff Hudson had a historic role on Dec. 28, 1917, when he released the trap door and executed Edgar London for the murder of his wife in the summer of 1917 at Ehren, near present-day Land O’ Lakes.

This is how the newspaper reported the last legal hanging in Pasco County, on Jan. 4, 1918: “The execution took place at ten minutes past one in the presence of a large crowd of whites and blacks who had come in for miles around to witness the affair.

“The negro was led to the platform by Sheriff Hudson and Deputy Osburn. He was accompanied by Rev. Father Francis (future Abbot at Saint Leo Abby), who had been with him all during the day, preparing him for his death. While the noose was being adjusted about his neck by Deputy Osburn, the negro displayed the utmost composure, never flinching once during the nerve-racking ordeal. He had the side of his face to the crowd and his lips could be seen moving in prayer.”

The account continued: “He never offered to say anything to the crowd, but kept his head well up and an erect position to the last, exhibiting a wonderful nerve. The black cap was placed over his head and the trap was sprung by Sheriff Hudson at 1:10. His neck was broken by the fall, and in six minutes he was pronounced dead by Dr. E. L. Reigle, the attending physician.”

Doug Sanders has a penchant for unearthing interesting stories about local history. His sleuthing skills have been developed through his experiences in newspaper and government work. If you have an idea for a future history column, contact Doug at .

Published Oct. 11, 2017