The Laker/Lutz News

Elizabeth Blair

Pasco aims to rein in rogue vehicle sales businesses

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The Pasco County Commission is taking aim at businesses that sell vehicles, but don’t follow the county’s rules.

The county board held a public hearing on Feb. 22 to discuss a proposed six-month moratorium on the opening or establishment of new and used car, truck and van sales businesses.

The moratorium is not aimed at businesses that are playing by the county’s rules, Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey said. In fact, there are exceptions within the moratorium that protect those businesses.

The idea is to rein in businesses that have been opening without following the proper protocols, or doing business without regard to the county’s regulations.

The board is scheduled to hold a second and final public hearing on the issue and vote on the proposed ordinance at its March 8 meeting, in the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City.

During the 180-day pause, county staff will study the issues and to draft appropriate regulations to address concerns raised regarding these types of businesses.

In seeking action on the issue during past county board meetings, Starkey has specifically mentioned safety hazards posed by these types of businesses that are crowding too much inventory on their lots.

The county’s code enforcement department also has investigated various complaints relating to this issue.

No one from the public spoke in opposition of the potential moratorium.

Starkey said she’d heard from people in the vehicle sales industry and that a stakeholder meeting will be held.

“We will include both used car dealer representation and new car dealer representation,” Starkey said.

Commissioner Jack Mariano, however, raised some concerns.

“I know how this all started was the used car dealerships, up and down, especially on (U.S.) 19,” Mariano said.

He said he knows there are businesses that have defied the system and that has been an ongoing problem.

The focus should be on fixing that, Mariano said.

But he voiced doubts about the proposed moratorium.

“Right now, you’ve got one dealer, in particular, that’s got a $50 million investment scheduled to open,” Mariano said, noting he doesn’t want the county to do anything that could jeopardize that.

“You’re going to affect a business that brings tremendous tax base,” Mariano said.

Starkey said the proposed moratorium will not affect that dealer or any dealer that is playing by the county’s rules.

Mariano said he’s worried about the impact that the moratorium could have on the county’s image. He said it could create the impression that Pasco isn’t a good place to do business.

He noted that he’d been talking to people in the industry recently and, “everyone I’m talking to is afraid of what we’re doing here.

“The image that’s out here is putting us in a dangerous position,” Mariano said.

Starkey, however, said the moratorium is a good thing for businesses that are following the county’s regulations.

They’re put at a disadvantage she said, when they spend the money to abide by the county’s rules and their competitors don’t.

Senior Assistant County Attorney Elizabeth Blair said the proposed moratorium has an exception for “vehicle sale businesses that have an approved site plan and are operating in accordance with the approved site plan, and any county-approved amendments to that approved site plan.”

In essence, according to Blair, the moratorium “does not stop any good actor from operating their business, from opening their business, as long as they have an approved site plan, which is part of the process.”

“It was crafted in a way where only the bad actors are being stopped from going down the street and opening up a business that they shouldn’t be opening,” Blair added.

She also told Mariano that there’s no legal distinction between new and used inventory because the impacts of the dealership are the same, regardless of the status of the vehicle.

Published March 02, 2022

Pasco wins prestigious tourism marketing honor

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From left: Cathy Pearson, Kathryn Starkey, Mike Moore, Adam Thomas, Ron Oakley, Christina Fitzpatrick, Jack Mariano and Dan Biles. Pearson is the assistant county administrator for public services, Thomas is the county’s tourism director and Biles is the Pasco County administrator. The others are members of the Pasco County Commission. (Courtesy of Ryan Hughes/Pasco County)

Pasco County’s Destination Management Organization, known as Florida’s Sports Coast, won a 2021 Flagler Award at the annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism, held by Visit Florida. The honor came in the Resource/Promotional Material-Consumer category for development and marketing of the Sports Coast Pilsner with Escape Brewing.

In an appearance before the Pasco County Commission on Sept. 15, Adam Thomas, the county’s tourism director, expressed his gratitude to his department’s staff, the county board, the county’s executive team, the Tourist Development Council board, to Elizabeth Blair of the county attorney’s office and to Escape Brewing.

Thomas said all of them have played a role in the county’s tourism success.

Besides congratulating Thomas, in a separate agenda item, the county board approved an item that supports the county’s tourism efforts.

The board approved a request to amend the county’s consulting services agreement with Downs & St. Germain Research Inc., to extend the research firm’s services for another year. The contract is for $48,000 for fiscal year 2022.

Published October 13, 2021

Pasco County Commission denies solar farm appeals

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The Pasco County Commission has denied two appeals seeking to block the construction of a solar farm on pastureland, outside Dade City.

Gordon and Kathleen Comer, and Sandra Noble, who live near the proposed solar farm site both challenged the Planning Commission’s approval of a special exception permit for the project.

Attorney Gordon Schiff represented the Comers and attorney Rena Frazier represented Noble during the Pasco County Commission’s Sept. 4 hearing on both appeals.

Those living near the proposed Mountain View Solar Farm said the project will destroy the area’s scenic views. (File)

Attorney Cate Wells represented Tampa Electric Company (TECO).

First Solar Electric, which has a contract with TECO, wants to install about 460,000 photovoltaic solar panels on about 205 of 350 acres of pastureland, on both sides of Blanton Road. Portions of the site are bordered by Frazee Hill and Platt roads.

The solar farm, known as the Mountain View Solar Project, would produce power to be fed to  TECO’s power grid.

From the onset, the proposed project has been controversial.

Opponents packed the meeting room during the Planning Commission’s hearing, with speakers contending that the solar farm would destroy one of the county’s best assets – its scenic views.

At the appeals hearing, Frazer said the solar farm is a major utility that should be located within a master-planned development.

Both Schiff and Frazer said the project should be denied because it violates the county’s Northeast Rural Protection plan.

Wells, representing TECO, said the solar farm will be buffered by trees and shrubs, and will have little impact due to traffic or noise.

Charles Lee, director of advocacy for Audubon Florida, who spoke in support of the project during the Planning Commission hearing reiterated that support.

Lee said TECO has been generous in protecting wetlands and creating a 660-foot buffer zone for an eagle’s nest in the southeast corner of the site.

When the Planning Commission approved the special exception permit for the Mountain View solar farm, the county’s ordinances did not directly address solar farms.

County Commissioners subsequently approved an ordinance, in June, relating to the placement of solar farms.

Pasco County now allows solar farms as special exceptions in agricultural zones, and as permitted uses in some commercial and industrial zones. Future decisions on permitting are now decided by county staff and the Planning Commission, with the County Commission involved only when there are appeals.

During the Sept. 4 appeal hearing, both Schiff and Frazer said that Commissioner Ron Oakley should recuse himself.

“There was an article published right after the Planning Commission decision and Commissioner Oakley made a comment, and the comment was substantial enough to show that he exhibits bias in this proceeding,” Schiff said. “He favors approval, in fact he wants approval.

“In this case, Commissioner Oakley should recuse himself, and if not, he should be disqualified,” Schiff added.

Elizabeth Blair, senior assistant county attorney, said the issue had been researched and it was determined that Oakley had no bias and should participate.

Both Schiff and Frazer said the solar plant should be denied because it is inconsistent with the county’s Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code. Both asked commissioners to reverse the Planning Commission’s decision and deny the application.

Frazer noted the solar farm cannot be adequately buffered because of the area’s terrain.

“The elevation of the land is such that the panels cannot be hidden,” Frazer said.

Wells, representing TECO, cited the County Commission’s June adoption of the ordinance relating to the placement of solar farms.

“The ordinance was intended to be remedial in nature, to clarify existing law and, as such, applied retroactively to all applications or appeals pending as of the effective date of this ordinance,” Wells said.

Noble has filed an appeal, challenging the county’s June ordinance, relating to the placement of solar farms.

Published September 12, 2018

Illegal dumping at bins targeted

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Donation bins that collect used items – mostly clothing – can sometimes become magnets for illegal dumping.

Pasco County commissioners want to break that pattern with an ordinance establishing a registry and regulations on the location and oversight of the bins.

The county’s development review committee reviewed the draft ordinance on Sept. 28.

A donation bin near Sam’s Club, off State Road 56, became a dumping site in March as people dropped off used furniture, a mattress and other junk. (File Photo)
A donation bin near Sam’s Club, off State Road 56, became a dumping site in March as people dropped off used furniture, a mattress and other junk.
(File Photo)

Public hearings on the ordinance are scheduled for Oct. 11 in Dade City, and October 25 in New Port Richey.

County commissioners got a preview of the proposed regulations at their Sept. 27 meeting.

“It’s been a pet peeve of mine,” said Elizabeth Blair, senior assistant county attorney, who made the presentation at the meeting.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore began pushing for regulations in February, and snapping photos of dumped furniture, televisions and bags of clothes that couldn’t fit into the overflowing bins.

“We need some relief,” he said. “This can’t continue.”

However, he added, “We want legitimate charities to continue receiving donations. Most of the charities do a good job of cleaning them out.”

The worst offenders, Moore said, are the companies and organizations that collect clothes to sell for profit.

The proposed regulations would apply to donation bins and also to semi-tractors or trailers, or other temporary facilities used to collect recyclable or for resale materials and goods.

Permanent facilities with collection operations, such as those associated with Goodwill and Salvation Army thrift stores, aren’t included. Also, donation bins set up during permitted events aren’t subject to the ordinance provided the bins are removed within 48 hours of the event’s conclusion.

The ordinance would restrict bins to general and neighborhood commercial districts as well as light manufacturing and general industrial park districts. They also would be allowed in nonresidential areas within commercial and industrial districts that are part of master-planned developments. The regulation would require a company name, contact information and a tracking number be visible on the bins.

The proposed ordinance also calls for requiring permits to be be obtained before the placement of any donation bin. It would allow just one bin per location. However, a second bin can be approved if the location has more than 300 feet of road frontage.

The ordinance would prohibit placing bins in rights of way.

Other proposed requirements include:

  • Site plans detailing locations
  • Written consent from the property owner, or a legal representative of the owner
  • A pickup schedule for emptying and maintaining the bins
  • Proof applicants can legally operate a business in Pasco and the state

Permits for the bins would be renewed annually.

Published October 5, 2016

 

New commission on women forms in Pasco

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Two years ago Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey and attorney Michele Hintson met by chance at a symposium on empowering women in politics and leadership.

They were the only two women at WeWill Tampa Bay from Pasco, but quickly bonded around a singular goal: To form a Commission on the Status of Women.

Hintson joined county staff members on Aug. 23 in presenting a plan to launch the commission.

The Pasco County Commission unanimously approved the concept.

“This is a historical day for women in Pasco County,” Starkey said.

The final vote and nominations to the 15-member commission are expected on Sept. 13.

Each county commissioner will appoint a member to the women’s commission.

Other community organizations, mostly nonprofits, will recommend nominees to fill out the remaining 10 slots. The county commission will make the final selections.

Participating organizations include Metropolitan Ministries, Sunrise of Pasco, Pasco-Hernando State College and Saint Leo University.

“The commission hopefully will be able to provide research and resources to develop opinions and make recommendations to (Pasco County) commissioners about certain needs in the community for women,” said Hintson, a Land O’ Lakes resident and an attorney with the Tampa-based law firm, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick.

Issues might include equal pay, human trafficking, affordable housing, women’s health care and the needs of children.

Research by Pasco County’s legal staff revealed that the commission organizers aren’t reinventing the wheel.

An ordinance establishing a commission on women’s status won the approval of county commissioners on Oct. 16, 1979.

However, except for that one document, there is scant evidence of what happened afterward. It appears the commission was never fully activated, Hintson said.

Hintson said many women participated in two years of meetings to finalize plans to reactivate the Pasco women’s commission.

They included community activists, educators, county staff and business leaders, such as Rosie Paulson, Kelly Mothershead, Suzanne Legg, Elizabeth Blair, Krista Covey and Stephanie Pontlitz.

More than 200 commissions on the status of women are operating nationally. About 20 such commissions are in Florida, including one in Hillsborough County that began in the 1990s, and a Florida Commission on the Status of Women.

President John F. Kennedy formed the first women’s commission in 1961, with former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as chairwoman.

Published September 7, 2016

Electronic billboards coming to Pasco County

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Pasco County officials want to weed out unsightly static billboards in favor of a more limited number of electronic billboards.

But, how to swap out one for the other and how quickly to do that are issues that are open for debate.

Pasco County commissioners discussed the matter at a workshop on Oct. 13 in New Port Richey.

County staff members in the coming months will compile an inventory of existing billboards and locations, get input from stakeholders — including business owners and residents— and draft an ordinance permitting electronic billboards.

The public would have an opportunity to weigh in before a new ordinance could be adopted.

Staff members estimate the process could take a year-and-a-half. Some commissioners want a much shorter time span, and a quick route to taking down static billboards.

Looking at how Hillsborough and Pinellas counties handle the matter would provide ready answers, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

“Talk to them. Figure it out. Get it done in a week,” he said. “We’re going to sit here and talk about this for a year? Come on, guys.”

Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and Tampa negotiated agreements with billboard companies to swap out multiple numbers of the old billboards in return for new, but lower numbers of permits for electronic billboards.

The electronic billboards, with two sides, rotate digital advertisements every few seconds. These are becoming standard fare along busy interstates. The fees for these digital messages are more expensive than those for standard, one-sided billboards.

“These are so much cleaner than regular billboards,” Moore said. “They look so much better.”

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano suggested letting the billboard industry provide data and recommend a swap-out ratio to take some of the research burden off county staff members. At minimum, he would anticipate an industry recommendation to remove five static billboards for each single electronic billboard.

“Let them do their own homework and what signs they want to take down,” he said.

Commissioners then can look at the proposal and decide if it works for the county, Mariano added.

Staff members have met with four companies that each has 10 or more static billboards in Pasco: Clear Channel, Champion Outdoor Advertising, Outfront Media and Logan Outdoor Advertising. They plan to continue with these discussions, as well as talking with small business owners.

In 1999, the county adopted a moratorium on new billboards. The inventory at the time showed 537 registered billboards in the county. Those numbers are somewhat lower now, said Pat Wallace, a county senior development review technician.

The moratorium should remain in effect, said Pasco County Chairman Ted Schrader. “I don’t want to see a bunch of new signs going up,” he said. “I’m absolutely opposed to that.”

It is not clear, even with a new ordinance allowing electronic billboards, just when Pasco would see them popping up. The county’s population isn’t considered dense enough to warrant them as yet.

“It will be years before they actually do it,” said Elizabeth Blair, Pasco County assistant attorney. “It’s not financially productive to them.”

Exactly where the flashier billboards would go also could raise concerns with residents, especially those living near commercial corridors, said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

“I can’t think of very many people in our county for whom an electronic billboard won’t be disruptive,” she said.

Published October 28, 2015