The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Handcart Road

Pasco adopts moratorium regarding vehicle sales businesses

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Pasco County has adopted a temporary moratorium on the establishment or opening of any new or used car, truck or sales business — to give the county time to draft new regulations affecting that industry.

The moratorium, which applies to vehicle sales businesses in unincorporated parts of the county, does not apply to businesses that are currently planning to open a new business or to amend their current site plans, provided they are following the county’s regulations.

The intention is to halt a proliferation of businesses that are opening without following proper procedures, according to Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey, who has championed the 180-day moratorium.

Ultimately, Starkey said, this step will benefit the businesses that either are currently operating within the county’s regulations or are seeking to open or expand their business under county-approved site plans.

The idea is to require everyone to play by the same rules, Starkey has said during previous discussions on the topic.

The county board unanimously approved the moratorium at its March 8 meeting.

An industry stakeholders’ meeting has been scheduled on April 13 to discuss potential changes to regulations, and to gather feedback and suggestions. To find out more about that meeting, interested parties can call Starkey’s district office or the county’s planning and development department.

In other action, the county board:

  • Approved a request by Eddie L. and Elizabeth A. Hill and Lennon, Inc./SR 54 & Morris Bridge Road to rezone slightly over 2 acres from an agricultural residential zoning to a general commercial zoning. The property is on the south side of State Road 54, about 310 feet east of Morris Bridge Road.
  • Approved a change to the county’s land use plan to increase the development potential on approximately 80 acres from one residential unit per acre to three residential units per acre, on a site that’s east of Handcart Road and north of Eiland Boulevard. A rezoning request will follow, seeking to change the zoning designation on the property to a master-planned unit development. The proposed site, Chapel Creek master-planned unit development phase II, will be required to opt into Villages of Pasadena Hills.
  • Approved an amendment to the land use plan to comply with a state requirement for local governments to amend their comprehensive plan to define “solar facility” using a standardized definition and to permit it as a use within agricultural land uses.
  • Approved a rezoning to allow a maximum of 200 single-family attached and detached dwelling units on approximately 40 acres, within Village F of the Villages of Pasadena Hills.

Published March 13, 2022

Pasco gains state funding for wide assortment of projects

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Initially, things were looking pretty bleak on the state fiscal front — before the last session of the Florida Legislature.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey recalled some previous remarks from the county’s state lobbyist, Shawn Foster, of Sunrise Consulting.

“Before session started, you were like: ‘This is going to be a really bad session. We’re going to be billions of dollars in the hole,’” Starkey said, during the Pasco County Commission’s June 22 meeting.

Foster said that was before the dollars that came in from the America Rescue Act.

Nearly 10% of the state’s $101.5 billion came from the federal government, Foster said.

“If it had not been for that $10 billion that we got from the federal government, there would be no good here. There would be no good,” Foster said.

Without the federal money, he added: “There would be none of these projects on here, none of these other big grants.”

Instead, “the state took $7 billion of the American Rescue Act and implemented it into this year and held off another $3 billion for the next budget,” Foster said.

Instead of being decimated, the statewide budget includes:

  • $1 billion for community substance abuse and mental health
  • $3.2 million for homeless program challenge grants
  • $500 million for the Resilient Florida Trust Fund and programs
  • $626 million for septic to sewer and stormwater improvements
  • $146.7 million for the State Housing Initiative Partnership program
  • $74 million for the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, including $24 million from last year
  • $1.5 billion in the Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The county can apply directly for funding through the Septic to Sewer/Stormwater Improvement program, Foster said.

“That was our Sen. (Wilton) Simpson’s priority and has been for years. I think it started with an idea a few years ago; it was $50 million. So, to see it up to $626 (million) is amazing.”

The lobbyist also noted that the Emergency Rental Assistance Program is one in which constituents can make direct applications, through OurFlorida.com.

Three Pasco County projects also went through to the governor.

Those were:

  • $6.5 million for the Handcart Road water and wastewater improvements
  • $200,000 for the Ackerman Street drainage improvements
  • $3,818,208 for the Lindrick sewer and water quality

“The county as a whole, really did well,” said Ralph Lair, the county’s intergovernmental affairs officer.

Other county projects receiving funding were:

  • $3 million to extend the runway at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport
  • $4,665,000 for the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center in Zephyrhills
  • $25 million for a Florida National Guard Armory in Zephyrhills
  • $1.25 million for a CARES One-Stop Senior Center in Dade City
  • $450,000 for AmSkills Workforce Training
  • $25 million for a Pasco-Hernando State College student success and community engagement center in Dade City
  • $34,738 for a Pasco Association of Challenged Kids Summer Camp
  • $5 million for Metropolitan Ministries to expand its campus in Pasco County
  • $700,000 for Bridging Freedom Program in Pasco County

While Commissioner Mike Moore expressed gratitude for this year’s appropriations, he said the county needs to focus on securing funding to address flooding issues in areas such as Quail Hollow and around Eiland Boulevard.

“That needs to be a big focus, going forward,” Moore said. “Those are very important. Those affect our citizens on a day-to-day basis,” he said.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said she’d like to follow the Pinellas County Commission’s example of meeting with their county legislative delegation and with their federal legislative delegation.

She wants Pasco to be more proactive in seeking state and federal funding to help address county needs.

Foster expressed optimism about the state’s revenue prospects for next year.

Committee meetings will begin in the fall, and the next session of the legislature is set to start Jan. 11 and end on March 11.

Published July 07, 2021

Maggard addresses state budget, new laws

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District 38 state Rep. Randy Maggard has reason to be upbeat.

After all, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a record $101.5 billion state budget for fiscal year 2020-2021 — making it official during a notable June 2 appearance at Zephyrhills City Hall.

The state budget allocates more than $66 million East Pasco projects alone, including:

  • $25 million for new facilities at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Dade City Campus
  • $25 million for a new Florida National Guard armory in Zephyrhills
  • $6.5 million for water and wastewater improvements on Handcart Road
  • $4.6 million for improvements to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center
  • $3 million for improvements to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport

Maggard — who was born in Dade City and grew up in Zephyrhills — gave a positive account of the  latest legislative session and provided other news, as the featured guest speaker for the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce’s June 3 business breakfast meeting at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.

District 38 state Rep. Randy Maggard, R-Dade City (Courtesy of Florida House of Representatives)

“We have a lot of good things to talk about,” said Maggard, who represents Dade City, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills, among other areas, in the Florida House of Representatives.

“Pasco, East Pasco especially, did really well this year,” the state lawmaker said.

Maggard particularly credited the county’s legislative delegation — singling out Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Republican from Trilby and state Sen. Danny Burgess, a Republican from Zephyrhills — for myriad strides made on behalf of East Pasco during the past legislative session.

The legislator otherwise emphasized that the region’s municipalities, businesses and educational institutions have a “prime opportunity” to garner state funding for other future projects and initiatives with the current legislative leadership.

“I can’t say enough about the work the delegation did to help East Pasco,” Maggard said. “This is your time, because you only get these moons and stars to line up so often, when you have people (in the state legislature) from here (in East Pasco).”

Bullish about bills
Maggard detailed several pieces of legislation that he supported, and which ultimately became Florida laws during the recent session.

For instance, he told the audience that the state’s enhanced “right-to-farm” law expands protections for farmers by generally making it more difficult for residents to sue over the impacts of agriculture operations — whether for flooding, burn fields or other reasons.

“You would not believe the lawsuits filed against farmers,” said Maggard. “They get sued more than you’ll ever know.”

The speaker underscored “the pressure” Florida farmers face relating to rapid growth and development — noting the state is now netting about 1,000 new residents per day.

“The farming industry is a lot bigger and we do a lot more than people realize,” Maggard said.

He also talked about a new state law that limits civil liability against businesses for damages related to COVID-19 — creating separate standards and procedures for lawsuits against general businesses and entities versus litigation against healthcare providers.

In other words, the law is designed to protect restaurants, retail shops and other establishments from lawsuits if an individual contracts COVID-19 in those places.

“We had to do something to protect our businesses,” the lawmaker said.

“I can tell you, certain sides were ganging up and getting ready to unload on businesses off of easy and cheap lawsuits, saying, ‘Oh, my constituent got COVID in your establishment,’ and the numbers were startling how they were lining up for that to happen, so I’m particularly proud of that bill that protects the businesses,” he said.

Another bill Maggard helped push through was enhanced civics education programming for public school districts and charter schools, requiring Florida high school students to earn three social studies credits covering U.S. history, world history, economics and U.S. government.

It also requires the Florida Department of Education to develop or approve integrated civic education curriculum that meets certain requirements, including “a comparative discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism, that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy essential toward the founding principles of the Unites States,” according to the bill’s text.

The lawmaker said the legislation is needed to educate youth on the perils of communism and socialism beyond “what the world paints, that it’s a little rosy picture.”

“We forget what we have. We forget these freedoms,” said Maggard. “If we don’t teach it, maybe it’s our fault.”

The state representative also addressed the governor’s signing HB1, the so-called “anti-riot” bill, which increases penalties for bad actors who turn otherwise peaceful and constitutional protests into violent assemblies where law enforcement officers are attacked and public and private property is destroyed.

The bill signed into law in mid-April came in the wake of civil unrest throughout the country over the last couple years.

Maggard observed of the highly-publicized legislation: “(It’s) basically saying, you’re not going to defund your police department, and if you want to protest, it’s fine to protest, you have that right, but you’re not going to burn down the Golden Corral to do it, you’re not going to burn down the bank across the street to do it.

“There’s a lot of ways you can (protest) in this country, freely. You can walk up and down this road, but you’re not going to burn anything down. That’s not freedom of speech, that’s called rioting. Rioting’s against the law. We all work hard for this. we all work hard for what we do every day, and I think it’s a great bill, actually. It’s sad that we even have to have a bill like this.”

Maggard also shared his viewpoint on the controversial law prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in female sports, dubbed the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.”

Signed by DeSantis on June 1, the law specifies an athletic team or sport that is designated for females, women, or girls may not be open to students of the male sex, based on the student’s biological sex listed on the student’s official birth certificate at the time of birth.

The bill applies the requirements to interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural, or club athletic teams or sports that are sponsored by a public secondary school, high school, public college, or university institution.

Maggard said the law “doesn’t allow boys and men to play in girls’ sports,” a comment which a drew rounds of applause from Zephyrhills Chamber members in attendance.

The lawmaker acknowledged the transgender community’s perspective, but also remarked, “How about the other 99.5% of folks? My granddaughter, I’m thinking of her during these conversations.”

The entire measure brought about what Maggard labeled as “interesting testimony” from all involved parties.

“That was a bill we got a lot flak over, but it’s just right,” he said.

“You would not believe the hate e-mails and phone calls we got from that. It was quite interesting,” he said.

Maggard elsewhere described being “most proud of” of a pair of other bills, one related to reclaimed water reuse technology requirements for utility companies; another related to auditing requirements and increased scrutiny of independent special taxing districts.

Meanwhile, Maggard said DeSantis deserves “big credit” for keeping the Sunshine State open and restrictions relaxed amid the coronavirus crisis.

“Not everybody liked it, not everybody was for it,” said Maggard, “but I can tell you, at the end of the day, ask the rest of the nation, when we talk to all of them, they want to be Florida. “People want to go back to work, people didn’t want to quit working, and the kids wanted to go back to school.

“I think we need to thank our governor for standing up, because I’ll tell you what, he took a lot of criticism, a lot of hit from that,” Maggard said.

Published June 16, 2021

Florida Governor pens $101.5 billion budget in Zephyrhills

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It’s not very often the governor makes a public appearance in Zephyrhills, let alone to make a major statewide announcement.

But that’s what happened on June 2, when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appeared at Zephyrhills City Hall for a state budget-signing ceremony — penning into law a record-setting $101.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2021-2022.

City of Zephyrhills administrators and officials pose for a picture with Gov. Ron DeSantis outside of Zephyrhills City Hall. From left: Council President Alan Knight, City Attorney Matt Maggard, Councilman Ken Burgess, Mayor Gene Whitfield, DeSantis, Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson and City Manager Billy Poe. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The invite-only press conference drew several dozens of area residents, business owners and government officials, in a standing-room only affair.

“It’s great to be in Pasco County,” DeSantis said, opening his speech. “It’s great to be here.”

The Republican governor was accompanied by several members of the Republican-led state legislature, including Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby), Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls (R-Palm Harbor), state Rep. Randy Maggard (R-Dade City), state Rep. Ardian Zika (R-Land O’ Lakes), state Sen. Danny Burgess, (R-Zephyrhills), state Rep. Amber Mariano (R-Hudson), and state Sen. Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), among others.

As for dropping by the City of Pure Water, DeSantis acknowledged plans to stop somewhere in the Tampa Bay region for one of his multiple budget-signing ceremonies. He took input from Simpson and others for an ideal spot in Pasco — which figured to be Zephyrhills’ multimillion dollar statuesque municipal building built in 2018.

The trip from Tallahassee also coincided with particularly strong results for Zephyrhills and the greater East Pasco area, which combined to receive over $40 million in appropriations alone, including:

  • $25 million for new facilities at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Dade City Campus
  • $6.5 million for water and wastewater improvements on Handcart Road
  • $4.6 million for improvements to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center
  • $3 million for improvements to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport
  • $25 million for a new Florida National Guard armory somewhere in Zephyrhills

Altogether, DeSantis stated the county and region “did very well” in the latest budget, and therefore “should feel very proud.”

The governor observed Florida’s largest budget in history overall was made possible because the state reopened more rapidly compared to others across the United States, resulting in unexpected economic and revenue boosts amid the coronavirus crisis.

Governor lauds reopening state
“We made a decision,” DeSantis said, “as other states kept locking their citizens down, we lift people up in Florida.”

Aside from the $101.5 billion, the 2021-2022 budget leaves another $9.5 billion in reserves, for hurricane relief and other unforeseen circumstances.

Gov. Ron DeSantis makes the record-setting $101.5 billion state budget official, during a June 2 invite-only press conference at Zephyrhills City Hall.

It also implements a program designed to cut taxes by $169 million and includes the first seven-day freedom week sales tax holiday, a 10-day back-to-school sales tax holiday and a 10-day disaster preparedness sales tax holiday.

Meanwhile, DeSantis’ vetoes totaled $1.5 billion from this session. He labeled the cuts as mainly “back of the bill” items related to the state’s general and trust funds.

Relatedly, the governor pointed out Florida’s budget is less than half of New York State’s $212 billion mark, despite having “millions of fewer people than we do.”

He added: “We’re very prudent with how we spend our money.”

Throughout the 30-minute briefing, DeSantis hyped up the budget’s commitment to issues regarding education, environmental protection, and mental health.

Said DeSantis, “I think, all thing’s considered, you look at a lot of the major issues, and I think the legislature did a really good job to address all of the key issues, so I thank them for that.”

On the education front, there’s roughly $23 billion for the kindergarten through 12th grade system, plus $2 billion for early childhood education. The budget also includes $1,000 bonuses for teachers and principals in the state’s public and charter schools “because they had to work extra hard,” during the pandemic, DeSantis said.

About $2.5 billion is set to address mental health and substance abuse across all associated agencies. DeSantis specifically cited $137.6 million for community-based services for adults and children with behavioral health needs; $120 million for school-related mental health initiatives; and, $5.5 million for youth mental health awareness and assistance.

Noteworthy environmental-related response includes a $500 million stormwater infrastructure grant program — with another $100 million in recurring funds — where Florida cities and communities can apply as needed. There’s also $155 million for beach renourishment, “which is important when you have 1,300 miles of coastline,” DeSantis said.

Another notable budget item: $1,000 bonuses for roughly 175,000 first responders throughout Florida, including police, fire and other emergency medical personnel.

DeSantis underscored the challenges of such jobs throughout the pandemic, as reasoning for creating the bonus pool.

“We understood when COVID hit, there’s folks in white-collar jobs that could work from home, or remote, but the people in uniform have to show up every day.

“They can’t keep the streets safe on Zoom, you can’t put out a fire on Zoom, you’ve just gotta be there, and they were there from the very beginning, day in and day out,” he said.

The governor overall was bullish on the Sunshine State during his in-town visit, emphasizing the increasing number people who’ve relocated and vacationed here — be it related to climate and weather, property values, or fewer COVID-19 restrictions.

“We really served as kind of a respite for other citizens of our country in states that were chafing under these lockdowns,” he said. “I can tell you, I think there’s a lot of people in the last year, year-and-a-half, that have said, ‘Thank God I live in Florida.’”

Meantime, the Florida Senate Democratic Caucus released a joint statement on the day of the governor’s budget signing:

“Thanks to President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress passing the ‘American Rescue Plan,’ the governor can tout a state budget that helps Florida recover from the pandemic, allocating billions for the environment, public schools, and community health care.  A big chunk of the $10 billion from the federal stimulus act added to a bounty of transportation and economic development projects all over the state. The money even allowed the governor to dole out $1,000 bonuses to law enforcement, firefighters, and other frontline emergency workers,” the statement reads.

“Unfortunately, as he took his victory lap to hand out the bonuses, and brag about the many programs rescued as a result of the federal help, the governor never once directed thanks to those who made this possible. It was a crass example of freeloading off the hard work of others he doesn’t want to acknowledge because he doesn’t agree with their politics. Shame on the governor. When the president and congressional Democrats stepped up to the plate, there were no political litmus tests. There was only the question of how to help. And how to do so quickly.”

Published June 09, 2021

Pasco board approves nearly $200,000 for design work

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The Pasco County Commission has approved $198,500 for design and permitting work for site refurbishment of the East Pasco Transfer Station.

The task order will be accomplished by JMG Engineering Inc., according to agenda background materials for the county board’s March 23 meeting.

The East Pasco Transfer Station, at 9626 Handcart Road, in Dade City, was constructed in 1991 to support the transfer of municipal solid waste from the east side of the county to the county’s Waste-to-Energy Facility located at 14230 Hays Road, in Spring Hill.

The county began expanding the East Pasco Transfer Station in 2017, to increase the overall size of the facility to support the rapid volume of waste growth, driven by development, on the eastern side of Pasco County, the background materials say.

For instance, in fiscal year 2020, the transfer station processed more than 92,800 tons of garbage, up over 25% from the 74,000 tons it processed in fiscal year 2015.

The expanded transfer station enables the facility to handle the increase in tonnage, but the facility also needs to be refurbished, according to county documents.

The structure has experienced wear and deterioration through its many years of operation, and

its refurbishment must meet current codes and operational standards.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) requires that the proposed improvement design work be under the direction of a licensed professional engineer.

JMG will perform the design and permitting work necessary to allow the county to put out public bids to refurbish the facility.

Improvements to the site and facility will include:

  • Constructing a new access road that will reduce queuing of vehicles on Handcart Road, which services the transfer station
  • Modifying the stormwater system to support the proposed roadway changes and improve the overall site drainage
  • Designing drawings and specifications to replace the tipping floor pit and metal framing
  • Evaluating the facility roof and exterior walls
  • Designing drawings and specifications for repair and/or replacement, modification, and permitting of the facility’s leachate collection system
  • Evaluating the fire system and developing specifications needed to update the system to the current Florida Building Codes

The scope of work also includes obtaining all applicable permitting and handling any zoning modification that are required.

The refurbishment will allow additional area to handle waste and will provide space for recyclables collection, increasing the efficiency of the county’s collection of recyclables by allowing waste haulers to deliver recycling to the eastern side of the county.

JMG is expected to begin the task this winter and complete it within a year.

Construction is expected to begin in the Spring of 2022 and be completed in Winter 2023. Funds for the construction will be included in the 2022 budget year.

Published April 07, 2021

Eiland Boulevard undergoing improvements

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Eiland Boulevard is undergoing repaving between its intersections with Handcart Road and Fort King Road in Zephyrhills.

The project, which began the week of May 13, is a result of studies showing the road’s need for resurfacing because of crevices.

“We evaluated the condition of the pavement,” stated Ainsley Caldwell, chief project manager of Pasco County. “We did some ratings on [a] number of roads and we selected that (Eiland Boulevard) for repaving.”

Construction consists of shaving off 3 inches of damaged asphalt, then repaving it with two coats of new liquid asphalt, Caldwell explained.

The work schedule will run Sundays to Thursdays from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Message boards, flag crews and law enforcement are on site because the road closures result in opposing traffic having to share one lane.

No detours are planned on Eiland Boulevard, the project manager added.

Construction has begun on the eastbound lane. The westbound land will be resurfaced next.

The $3.4 million development is expected to be completed by mid-June.

Published May 15, 2019

Browning talks school safety, other issues

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More than a year since the Parkland school shooting claimed the lives of 17 students and faculty members, ensuring school safety remains a forefront priority for Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning.

Browning discussed that, and a number of other school issues, as the featured guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce March breakfast meeting at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel.

“Parkland kind of rocked our world,” Browning said, during the breakfast meeting. “It really shook everybody’s core about the magnitude of what our responsibility is about making sure that our kids are safe in our schools.”

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning was the featured guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce March breakfast meeting. (Kevin Weiss)

Browning said Pasco Schools have made a number of sweeping changes to enhance school safety, in the wake of the February 2018 tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida.

Among the most noteworthy, Browning said, was the district hiring around 60 armed school safety guards to place in elementary schools — in addition to school resource officers at all middle and high schools — to comply with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, also known as Senate Bill 7026. The district’s safety guards are required to have a minimum of 10 years of experience in the military or law enforcement.

Browning explained the safety guards have quickly made a positive impact on school campuses, by taking on a mentoring relationship with students, which, in turn, has led to fewer discipline referrals districtwide.

“These men and women are kicking it,” Browning said. “Just having that presence on the campus has been significant, has been incredible for this district, and also provides a sense of security, and, it does provide security.

“We’re much more tight about who’s on campus. If you don’t have a (identification) badge on, they’re going to ask you where you are from or what you’re doing on campus.”

As another safety measure, Browning said district schools are getting upgraded door locks, thanks in part to a security grant from the Florida Department of Education, whereby classroom doors can lock from the inside when they are closed.

“There’s no getting back in that room unless you have a key,” said Browning. “Whether teachers or principals like it or not, those doors are going to lock, and you better have a key on your body if you want to get back in a classroom, because your kids need to be safe and they need to be protected.”

The school district is also “installing a lot more (security) cameras,” Browning said.

Browning also mentioned there’s a districtwide policy requiring gates and classroom doors to be locked and secured during school hours.

Browning said the policy — put into effect a week after the Parkland shooting — received pushback from some teachers and administrators, who called it “inconvenient” at the time.

“I don’t want to hear about how inconvenient it is that you’ve got to wear a key on your lanyard to get back into your door,” Browning said of those complaints. “It would be inconvenient for me to have to stand before a bank of national TV cameras explaining how someone got onto our campus, and worse yet, got into your classroom. That’s what’s inconvenient to me.”

He continued, “Kids needs to be safe in our schools. Parents need to have the expectation when you drop your child off at our school that they’re going to be safe.”

Besides addressing school safety, the superintendent offered an update to some new school projects in East Pasco, including the new Cypress Creek Middle School being built next to Cypress Creek Middle High School, which opened in 2017.

“We have broken ground. We are tearing ground open. We are putting walls down at Cypress Creek Middle School,” Browning said.

The new middle school is set to open in 2020.

Once complete, the approximately 185,000-square-foot to 195,000-square-foot middle school will become Pasco’s largest middle school. It will serve more than 1,600 students in grades six through eight.

Related to that, Browning said the school district is set to undergo another redistricting either later this year or early next year, whereby students from Seven Oaks Elementary will likely be zoned to the Cypress Creek schools — a measure to reduce overcrowding at John Long Middle and Wiregrass Ranch High schools, respectively.

Browning also said moves are being made to bring a technical high school to East Pasco.

“We’re getting ready to break ground. We’re in the design stage now,” Browning said.

The superintendent explained that district officials are leaning toward having the unnamed technical school built on the recently purchased 104-acre Kirkland Ranch property, situated at the southeast corner of Curley and Kiefer roads.

The district has also considered the technical school for a 125-acre tract along Handcart and Fairview Heights roads.

Browning, however, said the Kirkland Ranch property may present a more desirable location once the new Interstate 75 interchange at Overpass Road is completed.

“It’s a good shot from Zephyrhills, a great shot from Wesley Chapel, and a great shot from Dade City,” Browning said.

Either way, Browning said a technical school would help relieve overcrowding concerns at Pasco, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills high schools.

“It will lower the numbers again in those schools, but also give kids in this area a technical education if that’s what they want to do,” he said.

Elsewhere, the superintendent touched on teacher salaries — and finding ways to boost them.

Browning said he’s having ongoing discussions with district staff about the possibility of holding a millage election “solely for the purpose of paying our teachers more money.”

“The mission we have in Pasco is paying teachers,” Browning said. “We’ve got to make an investment in our teachers.”

Published March 20, 2019

Architect selected for $48 million technical education center

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The Pasco County School Board has selected Hepner Architects Inc., to provide architectural services for the design of the new east-central Pasco technical center the district plans to build.

The facility, which has a construction budget of $48 million, is planned for the northeast corner of Handcart Road and Fairview Heights Road, in Wesley Chapel.

Hepner’s fee includes architectural design, civil engineering, structural engineering and other services for a total fixed basic fee of $2,880,000.

The agreement also includes not to exceed confirmed additional services allowances in the amount of $403,570, and a not to exceed reimbursable allowance $30,000.

Hepner was selected from a short list of three architectural firms that the school board approved in November, and it was ranked No. 1 during the interview process.

The center will be designed for 900 students in grades nine through 12, although the district may opt to incorporate post-secondary programs, according to documents included with the board’s agenda item.

The center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2022.

Published February 13, 2019

Zephyrhills economic summit puts focus on education

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Fostering educational opportunities in Pasco County was the primary focus of the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

Doing that begins with beefing up the Pasco County school district’s career and technical education programs, said Kurt Browning, superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

“We need to put our career academies on steroids,” said Browning, one of several guest speakers at the Oct. 24 summit, at the new Zephyrhills City Hall, that brought together local education, business and government stakeholders.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning was one of several guest speakers at the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. The event focused on local educational and career opportunities in Pasco County. (Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Based on the region’s business profile, Browning said there needs to be greater emphasis on teaching trade skills — such as roofing and carpentry, plumbing, HVAC technicians, electricians and more.

“One of the things that we keep hearing a lot about is the trades. I’m continually amazed of the number of people that stop us and say, ‘I just need young men that can get up there and lay roof,’” Browning said.

To meet those demands, he called for increased state funding and greater collaboration with the Florida Department of Education to create industrial certifications for those fields. The district also needs to ensure opportunities for students, not destined for college, to have a chance to learn trade skills that can translate to high-wage job right out of high school.

Browning put it this way: “What we need to do is have training programs that meet the needs of all of our students, so if you’re going to be a plumber, you be the best plumber you can be.”

Browning also said the school district needs more input from local business leaders on the types of labor needed for the present and future.

“We need to do a better job of communicating, and we need to create a better relationship with our chambers, because the chambers are the ones that are really connecting, letting businesses know what we do and creating dialogues to help build that need,” the superintendent said.

Preparing tomorrow’s workforce
Browning was upbeat about some of the career and technical academies the district presently offers.

Pasco County School’s Career and Technical Education programs were discussed extensively at the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. (Courtesy of Pasco Schools)

He pointed to Zephyrhills High’s aviation academy and Wesley Chapel High’s automotive technology academy, along with academies at other schools ranging from health and finance, to cybersecurity and culinary arts.

“I think we’re on the right path,” Browning said. “We’re working tirelessly trying to make sure our programs are relevant to meet the employment needs of our employers in Pasco County. We’re not perfect, and we’re not where we need to be. We’re still trying to figure out how to address the trades issue.”

Browning also mentioned the district is designing a technical high school in east Pasco that would likely open by 2022.

The district’s only two technical offerings — Marchman Technical College and Wendell Krinn Technical High School (which replaced Ridgewood High this school year) — are located in New Port Richey.

Plans call for the new school to be built on a 125-acre, district-owned tract of land along Fairview Heights and Handcart Road in the Dade City area.

It will help relieve overcrowding at Pasco, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools, Browning said.

“It’s going to be uniquely situated in the right place, right spot, offering technical career education students are clamoring for,” he said.

The technical school is also something the manufacturing industry is pushing for, according to Tom Mudano, AmSkills executive director, another guest speaker at the summit.

Mudano said a tech school based in east Pasco could help lure more manufacturing business to the region, to follow in the footsteps of companies such as Mettler Toledo and TouchPoint Medical, which he said have already brought a combined 700 jobs to the county.

“We truly believe that we need a facility on this side of Pasco County,” Mudano said. “If you’re looking at bringing jobs here, having a workforce is important.”

Mudano pointed out Tampa Bay has the most number of manufacturers in the state. And, he said that many of those companies have expressed a great need for additional skilled and semi-skilled workers.

“A lot of people don’t even realize that there’s a lot of (manufacturing) opportunities out there,” he said.

Mudano also assured that those types of trade jobs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

He cited information from the National Association of Manufacturers that projects there will be about 3.4 million jobs over the next 10 years, yet only 1.1 million of them will get filled.

The summit also featured a lengthy presentation from state Sen. Tom Lee, a Republican from Thonotosassa. Much of his talk centered on the state’s education system and the strides made during the last several years.

He pointed to the advent of charter schools and various opportunity scholarship programs as key reasons for boosting the state’s public education system on the whole.

“Everybody is more on their game today than they were 20 years ago. We have a rising graduation rate, better testing scores,” said Lee, who represents parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties in District 20.

He added: “We have created some competition for the public education system, and the public education system has responded well.”

Meanwhile, Lee suggested that going forward, the state legislature should “back off some of the micromanagement” of county school districts. He said school boards should instead have more control over district budgets and educational programs to “best meet the needs of the individual student populations of the schools.”

Lee also advocated for creating “fair competition” and “leveling the playing field” between public schools and alternative charter schools.

One way to do that, he said, includes loosening up some of strict building requirements of new public schools, called State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF), that cost school districts exponentially more than their charter school counterparts. He asked: “Why is it costing public education system 20 percent more to build a public school than it is a charter school?”

Other speakers at the summit included Dr. Keiva Wiley, Pasco County Schools director of Career and Technical Education; Angie Stone, Zephyrhills High School principal; Dr. Stanley Giannet, of Pasco-Hernando State College; Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley; Maria Reza, Career Source Pasco/Hernando business services consultant; Seta Ruiz, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills director of clinical services; and, Dr. Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president.

The Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition presented the summit, in partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Published November 7, 2018

Traffic signals on tap in Zephyrhills

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Pasco County officials are lauding a new traffic signal in Zephyrhills — for making a busy intersection a little less dangerous.

The fully operable traffic light at Eiland Boulevard and Handcart Road was installed in time for the 7 a.m., start of the school year on Aug. 13.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said the project has been “a main priority” for Zephyrhills and the county since he stepped into office in 2014.

Pasco County officials recently held an informal ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new traffic signal at Eiland Boulevard and Handcart Road in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

“It was much-needed,” Moore said. “It’s a life-safety issue, so that’s what’s most important. We have to think about our citizens’ lives and their safety, and this is obviously done to stop potential accidents.”

It, too, has been on fellow County Commissioner Ron Oakley’s radar for some time.

He explained: “I’ve been here my entire life, so I know so many different people that this light affects. Before this light was installed, many accidents were happening.

“I can’t tell you how many people I’ve run across and said, ‘Thank you for getting that light.’”

Pasco County engineering services director Margaret Smith called the traffic signal “a definite, definite need” for Zephyrhills — labeling it “a good intersection control project.”

“Just watch (traffic) coming through compared to the craziness it was before — it totally controls the intersection,” she said.

Smith pointed out previous struggles for motorists to make left-hand turns east from Handcart onto two-lane Eiland Boulevard.

“I’ve been there all kinds of times of day, and it was very difficult. I think they needed to slow it down a little bit,” Smith said.

Such turns were also something Oakley experienced, as a nearby resident: “You can take a right turn here fairly easily, but you take a left turn and you’re taking a chance,” he said.

Along with the traffic signal, Eiland and Handcart had other improvements, including guardrails and road resurfacing.

Reflective pavement markings also will be installed at the intersection in about a month, officials say.

The Pasco County Commission approved the design plans for the project in 2016. Construction began in March 2018.

Before construction, the county completed a 30-day traffic operations study at the intersection to collect traffic data.

The analysis showed the traffic signal was warranted “based on Handcart (Road) southbound approach volumes and the amount of left turn vehicles turning east onto Eiland Boulevard.”

The study also found that two crashes occurred from Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2013. The crashes “may have been prevented with the installation of a traffic signal,” the study found.

From Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2014, the study also documented two angle crashes that occurred at the intersection.

Meanwhile, other traffic signals are coming to Zephyrhills.

A new signal is expected to be operating at Eiland and Geiger Road by late November.

A third is planned at Chancey and Coats roads. That signal will be operating in late October.

Oakley noted each of those signals are necessities to keep up with increasing traffic patterns: “The reason for these (roads) being so busy is our growth in our county. I mean, that’s great growth we’re having, and it’s a managed growth, so this is part of that management — managing traffic because it’s gotten bigger and bigger with the schools and the communities here.”

Published August 29, 2018