The Laker/Lutz News

Jodi Wilkeson

Pace of growth quickens in Zephyrhills

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Burgeoning residential and commercial growth has been a prime theme of late, within the City of Zephyrhills.

Thousands of new homes are on the books, and there’s an influx of new businesses, too.

The city now claims a Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Starbucks, and Wawa, too.

The surging growth is keeping the city’s building department busy.

Longtime building official Bill Burgess shared just how busy they’ve been — during an Aug. 9 Zephyrhills City Council meeting,

The department issued 1,765 permits, from Oct. 1 through July 30, according to Burgess’ report.

The Zephyrhills Building Department issued 1,765 permits from Oct. 1 through July 30. The department also handled 6,226 site inspections during that time frame. (File)

General residential building accounted for the bulk of the work — with 788 permits issued for miscellaneous home upgrades like screen rooms, roofs, sheds, air conditioning changeouts and solar panel installations. That represents 44% of total permits issued.

“We’re getting solar permits left and right,” Burgess said.

There’s also been significant demand for new residential building construction — with 407 permits issued for single-family dwellings and multi-family units. That represents 23% of the total permits issued.

Residential additions and alterations accounted for 162 permits, representing 9.2% of the total;  electric service replacement, 159 permits, for 9% of the total; general commercial building, 104 permits, for 5.9% of the total; and, new fire systems, 77 permits, representing 4.4% of the total.

The department also issued 20 new commercial building permits. However, he was quick to point out that those permits don’t necessarily mean that many brand-new buildings are coming aboard.

Some of those permits, he explained, are for signage and other ancillary items.

The building department handled 6,227 site inspections during the October to July timeline, which equates to roughly 35 inspections each business day, Burgess said.

Given the level of activity, the department’s seven staffers — who handle permitting, inspections, code enforcement and other duties — have had their hands full, Burgess said.

“We’ve been busy,” Burgess told council members, noting it has been good for the city and the city’s finances.

“It has been a good year,” he said. “I think it’ll help the budget.”

Times certainly have changed, noted Burgess, who has worked for the city since 1990.

He recalled, with a chuckle, how he used to know just about every person who came into the building department for a permit, inspections and other matters.

“That’s not the case anymore,” he said.

Still, the department tries to maintain its “hometown” feel, he said.

“As we get bigger, it gets a little harder,” Burgess said.

In the discussion with council members, Burgess acknowledged the need for succession planning and boosting departmental staffing in the near future — perhaps in fiscal year 2022-23.

“If things continue the way they are, I will be coming to you all to talk about staff,” Burgess told the council.

“We were comfortable this year, I think this coming fiscal year we’ll be OK…so I think we’re in good shape and we can handle it for another one,” Burgess said.

Councilman Lance Smith, however, noted the cyclical nature of the real estate market and cautioned that the city’s growth may slow in coming years.

Burgess agreed that outcome is possible, but he posited the East Pasco community’s nearby distance to Tampa likely will equate to measured growth for a while.

“I think we’re going to be in a good place for several years, just my feeling, just because of our proximity to Tampa and everybody pushing out,” he said.

Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson queried Burgess about the department’s ongoing code enforcement efforts and legal resolutions.

The building official said the coronavirus pandemic “put a damper” on the time frames of trials and arraignments to settle outstanding issues. This included about a six-month lull in such court system meetings, he said.

Though activity picked up in recent months with the courts, Burgess said, questions remain if measures again will begin to slow down amid the surge of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.

“Who knows with this new variant if they’ll make a change again,” Burgess said.

After Burgess’ presentation, Councilmen Alan Knight and Charles Proctor commended the building department’s overall level of professionalism and proactiveness in dealing with the public at large.

City Manager Billy Poe echoed those sentiments, sharing a positive testimonial from the owner-operator of the new Chick-fil-A on Gall Boulevard, which celebrated its grand opening late last month.

Poe relayed how the Chick-fil-A manager “had nothing but praise for the building department and how well the building department worked with them.”

Poe also mentioned Chick-fil-A officials being satisfied with the efficiency of the city’s site plan review and permitting process, compared to locations in other municipalities: “They said, that if they were building anywhere else, (the grand opening) would’ve been two weeks to a month later, because the hassles, I guess, they get from other municipalities, so I thought that was good to hear and needed to be passed along.”

Published September 01, 2021

Zephyrhills welcomes new Main Street director

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Faith Wilson is off to a quick start — as the new director and events coordinator for Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.

In about a month’s time, the 32-year-old has helped relaunch the organization’s website, created a community interview series, increased social media engagement across various platforms, and streamlined membership and sponsorship packages.

She’s also planning the organization’s 17th annual Music & Motorcycles event, set for Sept.11, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Main Street Zephyrhills is a 501c3 nonprofit that generally facilitates new business, and organizes large events and parades within the historic downtown district — particularly along Fifth Avenue.

Faith Wilson (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.)

Events include Music & Motorcycles, Halloween Howl and Zephyrhills Christmas Parade, among others.

Wilson was introduced during a Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting June 28 at Zephyrhills City Hall.

She is a Lithia native, who lives in Lakeland with her husband and two children.

She graduated from Newsome High School, and studied liberal arts and architecture at Hillsborough Community College and the University of South Florida, respectively.

She officially began working for Main Street Zephyrhills on June 1, with a salary of $38,456.

Her role — as the organization’s only city-funded position —  consists of serving as an advocate and liaison for the downtown district with initiatives to bring economic growth and community connections. The role involves working closely with the Zephyrhills CRA and other groups.

The organization relies on donations, memberships and partner organizations to help fund projects such as public artwork, family friendly events and activities.

Wilson’s background is in retail management, having been an assistant store manager and corporate leadership team member at Stein Mart. She also served on the advisory board for USO (United Service Organizations) Tampa Bay.

Wilson assumed the Main Street position vacated by Paxton McCullough, who held the role from June 2020 to May 2021. Before that, the role was held by Anna Stutzriem, who resigned in March 2020 after more than two years on the post.

Wilson shared her vision for Main Street Zephyrhills and the city’s historic downtown, a subject broached by CRA Commissioner Lance Smith during the meeting.

“I see opportunity overall,” Wilson responded. She cited the potential for events, particularly markets because they draw the community out — something that was hampered by COVID-19.

“When people get out in the community and they shop local, they see their local friends, they see their neighbors out there, it really brings that bond and sense of community back together, and hopefully from that, (people) become inspired to continue to come downtown and support their local businesses,” Wilson said.

Building momentum for Zephyrhills historic downtown, particularly around Fifth Avenue, is a primary objective of Main Street Zephyrhills Inc.

Describing herself as personable, as well as a person of action, Wilson said “I want the community to feel like they know me and that they can talk to me at any time.”

She has been keeping busy with Main Street functions.

Initial tasks included being a part of the well-attended Seventh Street Mural ceremony back in late May.

The vibrant mural, titled ‘Ocea,’ is located on the south-facing wall of 5210 Seventh St.

The outdoor event gave residents a chance to mingle with the mural’s artists, partake in refreshment, take pictures and spend time together in downtown.

“That was quite a success,” Wilson said. “It was positively received, and it was a nice community event, especially post-COVID, for everyone to get out and see what we’re doing in the Main Street sector.”

Wilson also has updated the organization’s social media platforms, ensuring presence on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, SnapChat and Instagram.

“I’m keeping up with all of that,” Wilson said. She also is “trying to cater to all age groups of the Zephyrhills community and let them know what Main Street is doing,” she said.

Wilson has been doing a livestream interview series, in which she dialogues with various Main Street members and business owners “to let the community get to know the people behind these organizations, so I think that’s going to be very helpful with connecting the community.”

The most recent interview piece featured Habitat for Humanity ReStores representatives, which can be found archived on YouTube.

Wilson’s “big project” has been the relaunch of a new Main Street Zephyrhills website, MainStreetZephyrhills.org.

She shared details of the website on the council chambers’ projection screen, during the meeting.

The fresh site includes several new user-friendly features and accessibility tools, such as shortcuts to information about dining, shopping, events, activities and service experiences throughout town.

There’s a detailed downtown Zephyrhills business directory, providing information including address, phone number and links to their respective websites.

Other highlights include a city events calendar and listing of upcoming Main Street projects and attractions.

There’s also a business entrepreneur resources toolkit that lists available vacant properties for lease, as well as how-to information about licenses, permits, loans, utilities, community connection opportunities and more.

The website is ADA-compliant, with accessibility tools to alter contrasts and text sizes, too.

Wilson worked closely on the project with The Social Connection — a Land O’ Lakes based marketing agency specializing in website development, social media and graphic/digital marketing, particularly for start-up companies and small businesses.

The website undertaking involved “many, many hours,” Wilson acknowledged.

Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., is a 501c3 nonprofit that generally facilitates new business and organizes large events in the city’s historic downtown district.

CRA Director Gail Hamilton, who serves as Main Street’s ex-oficio, attested: “She’s providing content and she’s having to pull teeth from everybody to get the content to put on there,” also noting that Wilson often has been tackling details, late into the evening.

Hamilton commended Wilson’s efforts.

“She hit the ground running with this (position),” said Hamilton, “so we are very excited about the future.”

Other city leaders came away impressed with Wilson’s presentation and overall work, over the  short time frame.

“I think she’s doing a great job, and I think we’re going to see Main Street grow and begin to flourish,” said Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

CRA Commissioners also happily observed Main Street’s complete roster of volunteer board members — something that’s been a challenge for the organization in the past.

In fact, Poe pointed out the local Main Street chapter was “very close” to shuttering about a year ago, because there weren’t enough board members per state requirements for a period of time.

Besides Wilson and Hamilton, other key Main Street figures now include president Linda Kerns, vice president Devin Alexander, board members Antwon Gildon, Christin Bennett, Sarrah Vesselov and Grant Posner, treasurers Martin Harm and Keith Wolfe, and Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson.

“We’ve got a great mix of residents who live in the downtown neighborhoods who work and have businesses in the downtown area that are really committed to this,” Hamilton said.

Published July 14, 2021

Barbecue and classic car event planned for July 4 weekend

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A Backyard BBQ and Classic Car Show has been set for Independence Day weekend, in downtown Zephyrhills.

The Zephyrhills City Council cleared the way for the event, by granting a special event request from the Zephyrhills chapter of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.

The downtown event, set for July 3 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., will require the closure of some downtown streets.

The streets that will be closed from noon to 10 p.m. are:

  • Fifth Avenue, from Seventh Street to Ninth Street
  • Eighth Street, from Fourth Avenue to Sixth Avenue

Alcohol will be available in a designated area, with off-duty Zephyrhills Police Department officers on hand throughout the event.

The event on July 3 will feature barbecue contests and a classic car show. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Eagles #3752 Facebook Page)

City staff recommended approval of the request, which council members approved unanimously at their June 14 meeting.

An online flyer of the event promotes vendors, hot rods, prizes, live bands, barbecue contests, a full bar and more.

While council members expressed enthusiasm for having the event during the Independence Day weekend, they also advised event organizers that in the future they must coordinate downtown events in advance through Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., and the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Such coordination is intended to help prevent scheduling conflicts with other downtown events and to control the closure of roads, which could affect surrounding businesses and properties along Fifth Avenue, they said.

Council Vice President and CRA Board President Jodi Wilkeson made those issues clear during the meeting.

But she added: “I think this is a great opportunity for the Eagles to promote the downtown community.”

City Manager Billy Poe addressed the councilwoman’s concerns directly.

He explained now that Main Street has just filled its director position with the hiring of Faith Wilson, staffers will be more insistent with local organizations wishing to host downtown events to follow proper communication channels.

“That conversation’s gonna ramp up a little bit more,” Poe said. “I think as we move forward, we’ll have some more communication about different events and how do we coordinate everything together.”

That said, Poe suggested the council go ahead and approve this latest request from the Eagles.

“What the Eagles are putting on is what we want downtown,” Poe said, noting their prior events have attracted visitors from Lakeland and other locales.

Council President Alan Knight added he’s “very happy” to see the downtown barbecue and car show come about.

But Knight wanted assurance from the organization that attendees limit alcohol consumption to a specified block, and not throughout the entire event.

“We just don’t want (drinkers) wandering around or running through town,” Knight said.

Zephyrhills Eagles representative Reed Sutton said the group is amenable to each of the council’s requests and accommodations.

“We are a nonprofit organization, and we are here to help downtown Zephyrhills to grow back up and be something exciting,” Sutton told council members.

“We will do whatever we have to do to work with you city members…and whatever you need from us, we’re here, and we’ll back ya’ll and do whatever we have to do,” Sutton added.

The Zephyrhills Eagles run their charity operation out of a two-story former bank brick building, at 38421 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills

Their regular events and programming include bingo, darts, pool, card games, karaoke, live music, line dancing instruction, and more.

The international nonprofit organization was founded “on a premise of proud, caring, people helping people with a passion for community service.”

Published June 30, 2021

Will Zephyrhills golf course become home to armory?

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The future of the Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course is uncertain, as city leaders are considering sale of the property for possible use for a Florida Army National Guard Armory.

The 18-hole, par 68 course, at 39248 B Ave., sits on roughly 65 acres of prime real estate on the southwest quadrant of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course is designed to provide a public, low-cost alternative compared to other courses in the area. The 18-hole, par 68 course is known as a haven for snowbirds and beginners alike. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills Municipal Golf Course)

It is regarded as a low-cost alternative compared to surrounding golf courses, where snowbirds and others flock to throughout the year.

Discussion about its future came up during the Zephyrhills City Council’s May 10 meeting when the council was set to consider a staff recommendation to approve a first amendment lease agreement between the city and Under Par Inc., to continue to serve as course management operators.

That contract includes running the pro shop and snack bar, and providing golf cart rentals and golf equipment.

But instead of considering that rather routine contract, council members tabled the issue for a future meeting and instead focused on breaking developments regarding the Florida Army National Guard’s interest in the property.

News that the organization had scouted the golf course and expressed interest in the property came about the same time the council’s meeting agenda was being prepared.

It all comes as state lawmakers recently approved allocating $25 million in appropriations to the National Guard, for a location in Zephyrhills.

Zephyrhills City Councilman Ken Burgess

With that in mind, council members Ken Burgess, Lance Smith and others figured it best to delay action at least a few weeks or months until more information can be gathered, given the present lease agreement doesn’t expire until April 2022.

“I know (Under Par) would like to have something done right now, but we do have a little bit of time,” Burgess said. “I don’t see a reason to approve it, and then six months from now say, ‘No, we’ve got to come back and do something different.’

Zephyrhills City Attorney Matthew Maggard said: “I don’t think it’s going to hurt anything to push it a couple of meetings.”

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe told council members he’s set to have ongoing discussions with National Guard representatives to discuss various site alternatives and parcels throughout the city.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe

“We’re looking,” he said. “Obviously, we want them in the Zephyrhills area, in the Zephyrhills city limits.”

Down the line, if the golf course lease agreement as written is ultimately approved and the National Guard (or other group) later presents a lucrative enough offer for the property, a renegotiated buyout would need to be arranged between the city and Under Par, Poe explained.

Under Par’s annual rent is upward of $60,500 per year, broken up into monthly installments, which provides a solid revenue generator for the city.

The new agreement would have extended the lease for an additional 15 years, until April 30, 2037, with an option for two additional five-year renewable periods.

Zephyrhills City Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson

Per the agreement, Under Par also would be required to invest $80,000 in total capital improvements over the 15-year extension. That could include clubhouse modifications, cart cage and parking lot enhancements.

The agreement also states the lessee’s total course acreage would need to be reduced by 0.65 acres due to construction of an airport access road from Alston Avenue, which slightly impacts one of the holes.

Even though consideration of Under Par’s lease extension has been delayed, Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson did question why monthly rent costs on the golf course property aren’t being increased from the original September 2002 agreement.

She also pondered the overall level of service and added value it provides compared to other courses in the area in terms of full-fledged youth programs, memberships and even whether there’s ADA-compliant restrooms.

Zephyrhills City Councilman Lance Smith

“Those are the kind of questions that I feel like we should have answers to before we launch into another long-term lease with these folks,” Wilkeson said.

Later in the meeting, Wilkeson said she likely would have voted against the lease agreement, as she didn’t feel her questions were satisfactorily answered by city staff or Under Par representatives.

The course was established in 1957, then opened in 1978, according to the course’s website.

Its longstanding history prompted council members to express feelings of nostalgia.

Burgess mentioned it was the first golf course he ever played on, when he was growing up.

“We could play there for 50 cents,” he quipped.

Smith recalled similar positive experiences about the course, and said he knows there are others who feel an attachment to it.

“It’s a great course, and there’s people that have been out there for years,” Smith said. “Every winter they come down and they have their buddies that they play with, and there’s a social aspect to it as well.”

At the same time, Smith observed: “Something I can say is the golf industry is not a growing industry at all. Matter of fact, it’s going the other way; you see golf courses closing.”

Jeff Sweet assists with operating the golf course for Under Par.

Sweet asserted the course’s benefits, explaining there’s upwards of 200 rounds played on some days in the wintertime. He also noted there’s about 50 seasonal memberships sold.

“People like it,” Sweet said. “It’s a shorter course, it’s not a five-hour round, it’s three-and-a-half hours, and that really fits in. It’s more of a beginner’s course, not as much trouble, so I think it really has a niche.”

Fellow Zephyrhills golf course manager Ayako Burkhart added that youth can play the course free when accompanied by an adult. “We like to teach the kids how to play outside and be good in sports,” she said.

Published May 19, 2021

Zephyrhills councilmembers retain seats

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The names and faces on the Zephyrhills City Council will remain familiar — but some titles are changing.

Incumbent councilmembers Charles Proctor and Jodi Wilkeson have been reelected to new three-year terms, both running unopposed in the 2021 municipal election.

Charles Proctor

They each took the oath of office, in a swearing-in ceremony conducted by City Clerk Lori Hillman during a special meeting on April 15 at Zephyrhills City Hall.

Other members on the voting council include Ken Burgess, Alan Knight and Lance Smith. Mayor Gene Whitfield also sits on the dais, though he doesn’t run council meetings, cannot make motions and cannot vote on matters before the council. He does, however, have veto power on city ordinances.

While the composition of the council didn’t change, there was a reorganization, with Knight selected to serve as council president, and Wilkeson as vice president.

Councilmember liaison appointments were finalized, too.

Burgess will serve on the Pasco County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce; Proctor, on Ridge League of Cities; Smith and Whitfield, on Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO); and Wilkeson, on Main Street Zephyrhills.

Proctor begins his fifth term on Council Seat 5.

He was elected to his first term back in 2011, when he defeated then incumbent Manny Funes.

Proctor has owned an auto detailing and coin collection shop on Eighth Street for about three decades.

A native of Portland, Maine, Proctor moved to Florida in 1989, where he quickly landed a job washing cars and as a butcher, before launching his own businesses in Zephyrhills within a couple years.

Jodi Wilkeson

Wilkeson likewise is no stranger to the city’s governing dais — beginning her fifth term — having been elected to a three-year term April 2018 and also previously serving from 2008 to 2014.

She lost Seat 2 in the 2014 municipal election to Knight, a retired educator, but assumed Seat 3 in 2018 after defeating candidates Devon Alexander and Cory Sommers. She took over for outgoing member Kent Compton, who did not file for reelection that cycle.

Wilkeson is the founder and president of an architecture and interior design firm in Tampa.

She’s held numerous volunteer roles over the years, previously serving on the citizen-led Zephyrhills Planning Commission and Zephyrhills Historic Preservation Board.

Besides her council duties, Wilkeson is board president of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

The mayor and city council serve as representatives of the electors of the City of Zephyrhills, and are responsible for establishing the direction and policies of all affairs of the city.

Their primary duties include exercising legislative leadership and policy to promulgate the laws and ordinances of the city, approving an annual budget to provide for the needs and services of the city, setting policy and direction for the various functions of city government, and appointing citizens to serve on various advisory boards and committees.

Council members each receive $6,000 annually for their duties.
It’s undoubtedly a busy time inside city hall — navigating the East Pasco town’s rampant growth, development, infrastructure enhancements and other changes.

Some of the council’s recent and future undertakings include:

• Managing the addition of thousands of new homes throughout city limits

• Multimillion dollar expansions to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, municipal airport and municipal tennis center

• Myriad roadwork projects, such as U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection and paving of Simons Road

• Work to revitalize the historic downtown district

• Overhaul of the city’s 911 dispatch communications system

Zephyrhills City Council
Seat 1: Lance Smith
Seat 2: Alan Knight
Seat 3: Jodi Wilkeson
Seat 4: Ken Burgess
Seat 5: Charles Proctor
Mayor: Gene Whitfield

Published April 28, 2021

Zephyrhills councilwoman bullish on town’s outlook

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Zephyrhills City councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson has closely observed the evolution of the small-town East Pasco community over the past three decades.

The elected official and longtime resident is pleased, overall, with the current situation in the municipality — amid a period of rampant growth, development, infrastructure enhancements and other changes.

Some of the city’s major tackling points of late include:

  • The addition of thousands of new homes throughout city limits
  • Multimillion dollar expansions to the city’s wastewater treatment plant, municipal airport and municipal tennis center
  • Myriad roadwork projects, such as U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road signalized intersection and paving of Simons Road
  • Work to revitalize the historic downtown district

This imminent progress can be traced to comprehensive plans solidified some 20 years ago, Wilkeson said during an East Pasco Networking Group meeting last month at IHOP in Dade City.

Zephyrhills City councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson (File)

Wilkeson, who is the founder and president of an architecture and interior design firm in Tampa, credits the city’s “history of success” to “a series of elected leaders who’ve helped move Zephyrhills forward.”

“All of this is possible,” she added, “because we had a plan.”

Unopposed in this year’s municipal election, Wilkeson is set to embark on her fourth term — in total — of serving on the City Council. She was elected to a three-year term in April 2018 and previously served from 2008 to 2014. She also serves as board president of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Wilkeson’s gateway into local volunteerism public service began as a concerned Zephyrhills citizen about 20 years ago when she responded to a mail-in survey regarding city utilities and services, then writing a detailed note to city administration and leadership.

Wilkeson joked that the conscientious letter was “a fatal error,” as she was asked to meet with then longtime city manager Steve Spina and planning director Todd Vande Berg to gain the resident’s perspective on municipal operations and other happenings in the city. “The moment I wrote that note, they said, ‘Oh, she’s smart and she knows what we’re doing, we need to get her in here,” Wilkeson recalled during the March 9 breakfast meeting.

She subsequently was urged to serve on the citizen-led Zephyrhills Planning Commission beginning in 2002, given her expertise as an interior architect, and ability to decipher building plans and drawings.

Later, she served on the Zephyrhills Historic Preservation Board, from 2004 to 2008. She also was a volunteer board member for Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. — organizing parades, events promoting local CRA district businesses and otherwise helping preserve the city’s unique charm.

She was acknowledged for her contributions by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce who named her “Volunteer of the Year” in 2007.

While serving on the city’s planning commission, Wilkeson discovered Zephyrhills and surrounding Pasco County previously had been — as described — “giving away the farm.” In other words, the area had been receiving less than favorable or beneficial returns on utilities, properties, land deals and so on.

Since then, however, the town has undergone a more proactive shift.

She credits the city’s planners and public works team.

“We really raised the bar in terms of fees and accessibility, and that’s why these developers continue to want to come to our city, because they can get in front of somebody that knows what they’re talking about, and now we don’t give away the farm anymore, and it’s transforming the way our community looks. There are no more metal buildings on (U.S.) 301, (and) we have invested millions of dollars in our downtown district, and the Main Street and CRA,” she said.

As CRA board president, Wilkeson told the breakfast crowd about some of the enhancements to the city’s historic CRA district —  which is a  special taxing district that spans roughly 500 acres through the center spine of Zephyrhills.

In that district, future revenues from increased property values are set aside in a trust fund to support economic development and redevelopment projects within the designated CRA area.

Wilkeson detailed how these funds have been allocated toward business and residential façade grants, landscaping beautification, and maintaining the historical architecture of the area via special light fixtures, wayfinding signage and so on.

One program involves providing $5,000 grants to encourage the purchase of a single-family home within the CRA District. The idea is to spur purchases within distressed neighborhoods and to improve the owner-occupancy rate within the district. It also is meant to encourage a neighborhood friendly walkable community.

This initiative and other changes, Wilkeson said, have spurred Tampa Bay area families “who want to be able to roll their kids down in a stroller and watch a parade through downtown Main Street,” to purchase homes within the city’s CRA district. “These are people who are coming in from Tampa and St. Pete and saying, ‘We love the charm of your little community’ and they buy houses in the historic district,” she said.

Previously, Wilkeson said, “we were not reinvesting in this community and we had these older homes that were rentals, and they were a crime problem and a code enforcement problem.”

Wilkeson also expressed confidence in the city’s direction under the leadership of Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

Poe was named Zephyrhills assistant city manager in November 2018, then stepped up to replace the retiring Spina come July 2019.

Poe, born and raised in Zephyrhills, began his career as an intern with city administration, then spent several years working as an assistant city planner. Poe went on to land a city manager role with Dade City in 2008, a position he held for over a decade.

Wilkeson was part of the committee that ultimately selected Poe as Spina’s successor a couple years ago.

“Billy was a natural choice,” Wilkeson said. “He knew the city. He had 11 years (of) experience in Dade City as a city manager. It was a great launching pad for him to come to the city. He had a transition period with Steve Spina that helped him get everything up to speed and take over, and it’s been a nearly seamless transition.”

Published April 14, 2021

No plans to shutter Zephyrhills police department

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While Zephyrhills is considering a consolidation of its dispatch services with Pasco County’s emergency dispatch, city officials made it clear that there are no plans to shutter the city’s police department.

Last year, the city merged its fire department with Pasco Fire Rescue, as the city’s fire department faced mounting costs and personnel turnover.

Elected city officials want the public to know that its police department will remain intact.

Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson put it like this: “We need to reassure people that it’s not our intent to merge the police department with the county, that this is purely to improve communications between law enforcement groups.”

If anything, the city should expand its own police force, which stands at 34 sworn officers, Councilman Ken Burgess said.

“I think we need more officers on the street. This (communications merger) could be a way of putting more officers on the street; I think that’s a positive,” Burgess said.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco doesn’t have interest in absorbing the Zephyrhills Police Department or other municipal police forces, for that matter, said the city’s Police Chief Derek Brewer.

“The sheriff has publicly said he has no interest in taking over the cities, and I will tell you that is a very, very, very expensive proposition for the county to take over, that I don’t think that they’d be willing to look at,” Brewer said.

City officials also said that if a dispatch merger occurs, city dispatchers would retain full-time positions within the municipality or police department, albeit in a different capacity, if for some reason they are not taken in by county dispatch through a merger.

The city is budgeted for 10 dispatchers, but currently has eight on staff.

Published March 03, 2021

An entertainment venue in downtown Zephyrhills?

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Downtown Zephyrhills could get a little louder and livelier in the next year or so — if a proposed project pushes through.

The City of Zephyrhills is considering the creation of its own entertainment backyard featuring food trucks, vendor carts, games, live music, public art installations and various seating areas. Picture it as a scaled-down version of the popular Sparkman Wharf waterfront venue in downtown Tampa’s Channelside.

The Zephyrhills concept, called “Little But Loud,” would be developed on a 150-foot by 60-foot city-owned vacant lot at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street. The site was once home to a Disabled American Veterans chapter building, and is situated just a block north of Fifth Avenue and adjacent to Zephyrhills City Hall.

‘Little But Loud’ entertainment venue concept renderings were presented by Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency Director Gail Hamilton at a January meeting. This one shows semi-rigid covered seating, covered seating area, food cart court, game lawn/overflow seating, outdoor seating and food truck access. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

Gail Hamilton, director of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), presented two concept renderings at a CRA meeting in January.

The first concept shows semi-rigid covered seating, covered seating area, food cart court, game lawn/overflow seating, outdoor seating and food truck access.

The second concept shows an event stage/elevated seating area, mobile high-top seating, food and vendor stalls, a semi-rigid overhead structure and raised concrete deck, food truck access and a versatile event lawn.

As for parking, eventgoers could use the nearby City Hall parking lot on nights and weekends.

Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., would likely be tasked with managing Little But Loud, and with arranging the venue’s programming.

The scope of work and budget are not yet final.

No start date has been determined, either, but it’s possible the project could be completed by the end of the year, if the initiative gains the CRA Board of Commissioners’ approval.

Hamilton said the new venue would generate downtown foot traffic and “create a sense of community,” by giving locals and visitors a multi-use entertainment space on weekends.

It also gives the city an opportunity to use “a beautiful lot” that is currently vacant.

“People would want to come, especially in the spring and in the winter when we have beautiful days, to sit out, listen to some music, have something to eat, come downtown. The idea is to create an attraction to get people to come downtown,” said Hamilton.

Two ‘Little But Loud’ concept renderings were presented by Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency Director Gail Hamilton at a meeting. This one shows an event stage/elevated seating area, mobile high-top seating, food and vendor stalls, a semi-rigid overhead structure and raised concrete deck, food truck access and a versatile event lawn.

She thinks the project also would encourage residents and visitors to explore other areas of the city, including the historic downtown business district through Fifth Avenue.

Hamilton observed: “This is not to exclude any of the businesses on Fifth Avenue. It’s not to cut them out, it’s to get some activity going here, so that everybody who comes here goes to the restaurants and stores that surround it. You get up, you walk around — it’s a way for people to explore downtown Zephyrhills that maybe have never been here.

“It would bring people in that would go and shop, and try a craft beer that didn’t even know there was a microbrewery down here (at Zephyrhills Brewing Company).”

The intimate property — purchased by the city in 2017 — was originally anticipated to be developed into some type of retail/office space — which remains a future option.

However, Hamilton noted that option is not feasible yet, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lot also could be reserved for some type of apartment or residential concept, but Hamilton doesn’t believe that’s a best use.

“If we wanted to do apartments, we could probably do apartments, but in the long run, that’s not what’s best for downtown, that’s not what’s best for the core of the city,” Hamilton told the CRA board.

If and when the time comes to redevelop the small lot, Hamilton said the Little But Loud concept could simply be relocated to another area of the city, perhaps Zephyr Park on Fifth Avenue.

“It’s a way for us to engage that lot without spending a tremendous amount of money, and when the market gets to the point where we want to build a building on that space, all of it can be picked up and moved somewhere else,” Hamilton explained.

Members of the CRA board expressed interest in the venue concept, with several more tweaks and details to be hammered out and finalized in coming months.

Board member Ken Burgess called Little But Loud “a good idea to get something going,” but advised the project be done in sections or phases, instead of all at once.

Board member Lance Smith said the concept would create an “inviting” atmosphere to downtown, pushing for other accents such as artificial turf and a large-sized television or projector to broadcast movies and sporting events.

Alcohol sales should be another consideration, he said.

“I think it’s interesting,” Smith said of the plan. “I think you need to look at the budget for it, too, because I’ve looked at these (venues) and they’re way more expensive than you think they are, but I think it’s a great concept to take a look at.”

Board President Jodi Wilkeson, too, was keen with the project, but expressed concerns about potential vandalism and possible impacts on surrounding take-out and sit-down restaurants and businesses.

“If we’re doing this to help promote businesses downtown, I think we should make an effort to ensure that they’re not producing food that’s in competition with any other businesses,” Wilkeson said.

She suggested that Little But Loud food trucks and containers stick to offering snack items, such as flavored popcorn and other treats “so that it gives people something to eat, but when they’re really hungry (for a meal), they’re going to go somewhere else.”

Overall, though, she likes the concept. “I think it’s a great idea. I look forward to seeing it a little fleshed out, but I’m in support of it as well.”

Board member Charles Proctor also offered his support: “I think it’s a good idea as well. We’ve gotta do something with (the lot).”

Published February 24, 2021

Zephyrhills plans to seek state funds for three projects

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The City of Zephyrhills has decided to seek state funding for three improvement projects during the 2021 state legislative session.

Those projects involve improving Seventh Street; expanding the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and, improving a runway at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport. The total costs for all three projects is estimated at $11.6 million.

This is a rendering of what a complete roadway would include, traversing Seventh Street from C Avenue north to U.S. 301. The 1.5-mile section would be converted from a single two-lane, one-way northbound road to a two-lane, two-way road with the addition of a multi-use trail, a sidewalk, on-street parking (where practical), and drainage improvements. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

The Zephyrhills City Council unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to submit funding requests for these projects at a Jan. 11 regular meeting.

When the Florida Legislature meets, it considers requests from local governments for assistance with projects of local importance.

Zephyrhills must ask state Rep. Randy Maggard, R-Dade City, and state Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, to sponsor these projects on the city’s behalf.

Staff will work to complete the applications and then submit to both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, said Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe.

Monies would theoretically be made available to Zephyrhills in July, should one or more of those projects be approved by the Florida Legislature and signed off on by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Here’s a more detailed look at the proposed projects:

  • Seventh Street complete street

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has proposed to convert U.S. 301 and Sixth Street to a one-way pair street network. Because of these improvements, the city correspondingly wants to construct roadway improvements along Seventh Street from C Avenue north to U.S. 301. The roadway would be converted from a single two-lane, one-way northbound road to a two-lane, two-way road with the addition of a multi-use trail, sidewalk, on street parking where practical, and drainage improvements. The length of the street project is approximately 1.5 miles. Estimated cost is $6.3 million.

  • Indoor tennis complex, plus outdoor hard courts

Shown as Phase II on the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center plans, this includes the construction of a 30,000-square-foot indoor tennis facility with the capability for other sports and activities (soccer, ping pong, banquets, ceremonies), along with associated parking. Additionally, staff would like to construct six outdoor hard courts, allowing for sanctioned hard-court tournaments. Estimated cost is $2.5 million.

  • As part of the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport’s runway 01-19 extension, additional funding is needed for paved runway shoulders, taxiway B extension, stormwater piping and an access road. These projects have a total estimated cost of $2.8 million. (File)

    Zephyrhills Municipal Airport runway extension

The city previously received a state appropriation of $5.9 million for the extension of runway 01-19, which is currently out to bid. However, an engineer’s cost estimate indicates the original appropriation will cover only the design and construction of the runway, and will not cover the paved runway shoulders, taxiway B extension, stormwater piping or the access road. These additional items have a total estimated cost of $2.8 million.

Before deciding to approve the project submissions, there was much discussion during the meeting — mainly concerning the additions to the tennis center and the airport runway extension.

Zephyrhills Council President Charles Proctor, for one, expressed disappointment because the city again must request for additional state funds regarding improvements to the airport runway. He was dismayed, as well, that no state funding requests were presented for improving various city parks facilities, including Hercules Park.

The city manager addressed both matters.

Poe detailed how original airport runway costs were likely underestimated because there was no design at the time of the requests for fiscal year 2018-2019, plus he said there was a short time frame for an engineer to put a package together. Moreover, construction costs have changed somewhat since then, Poe said.

“I agree, it’s crazy to me that $5.9 million doesn’t cover everything we needed out there; unfortunately, that’s where we are on that,” the city manager said.

As for not requesting anything in the way of local parks improvements from the state, Poe suggested next year might be more apt given expected state budget reductions due to the COVID-19 pandemic — where officials have said could hit the $5 billion shortfall range.

He mentioned conversations with various state representatives made it appear they’re likely to sponsor fewer projects on the whole because of the pandemic’s lingering effects. For example, Poe said Burgess previously told him he’d be comfortable sponsoring just two Zephyrhills projects this year.

Poe observed: “Let’s be honest, I think this state budget coming up here is going to be very tight. That doesn’t lend itself to a lot of appropriations, but we could be surprised. I think people are spending more than what we thought they would be throughout this past year, so hopefully projections were off.”

The City of Zephyrhills is seeking state funding for a trio of infrastructure projects. (File)

Meantime, there always had been plans to construct an indoor multi-purpose sports complex holding four tennis courts, at some point.

City council members were taken aback that the proposal also includes the construction of six additional outdoor hard-surface tennis courts to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, situated on 10 acres at 6585 Simons Road.

The facility already features nine Har-Tru clay tennis courts, two hard-surface tennis courts, eight pickleball courts and four padel courts.

If the multimillion dollar expansion project is passed in its entirety, that would give the facility 21 tennis courts in one form or another, plus the pickleball and padel offerings.

Aside from a quartet of indoor/covered courts, Poe explained the reasoning for funding an additional six outdoor hard surface courts is to open the facility to a wider range of tournaments, and to accommodate increasing recreational uses and demands.

In order to host certain tournaments — such as high school district or regional meets — the facility must have a minimum of eight hard-surface courts, he said. (Any indoor courts would not count toward that requirement because they technically have a different playing surface.)

As a further added use — the outdoor hard-surface courts could be converted and taped into pickleball courts as needed, Poe said.

Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson and Councilman Alan Knight questioned why an extra half-dozen outdoor hard courts weren’t part of original construction plans several years ago.

“It’s unfortunate that we didn’t plan ahead,” Wilkeson said, adding she’d also like to at some point see some concrete economic data generated from tennis tournaments and other events.

“It would be nice for me to look at it from more of a business plan perspective,” she said. “We talk about these amorphous numbers that impact the community tax revenue, but what other source of revenue is there for the city as it relates to these tournaments, or the tennis center.”

Poe wasn’t quite sure why more hard courts weren’t included from the onset, as he wasn’t the city manager at that time.

He suggested this possibility: “I don’t know that it was anticipated that the center would be as successful as it has been this early.”

He also pointed out there was perhaps more emphasis on constructing clay courts at the time: “I think the thought was the future of tennis facilities is to have the Har-Tru courts. With the clay courts, it’s easier on the joints and offers a little more flexibility to its users,” Poe said.

Despite council’s critiques, they ultimately agreed to seek funding to advance the tennis center’s build out.

Councilman Lance Smith underscored the facility’s importance, to put the matter into perspective: “I was over there for some of the (recent) tournaments and there were people from all over Florida that were in Zephyrhills, spending money in our restaurants, and then some of them lived at homes across the street, too, so there’s an ancillary benefit you get from it.”

Smith continued: “To host a high school tournament…that’s not a significant amount of revenue, but it brings people to the area. All of it generates traffic that wouldn’t otherwise be here in Zephyrhills. That being said, we do need to be careful spending our money.”

Elsewhere, regarding Seventh Street enhancements, Poe explained this project still needs to be designed.

Poe also noted: “There are some elements that could be removed or phased in to make that very large number more palatable for funding.”

Published January 27, 2021

Zephyrhills renews utility billing service

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Utility customers and Zephyrhills city staffers can breathe a collective sigh of relief: For the next year at least, MuniBilling will continue to handle the city’s utility billing.

That means customers will be able to continue to view their water consumption and make payments, without switching to another company.

The Zephyrhills City Council made that official announcement during the council’s Nov. 9 meeting.

The City of Zephyrhills has renewed its contract on utility billing services with MuniBilling, a North Carolina-based firm that provides cloud-based utility billing software for governments and private companies. The renewal comes a year after the city was forced to scramble to find a new utility billing provider, after it was informed that Fathom Water Management was going out of business. (File)

Last November, the city had to change its water billing provider after it was informed that Fathom Water Management was going out of business. The notice came from the Arizona-based company in a Saturday email — telling the city it had three weeks to find a different provider to service utility customers.

The bombshell — or what city officials describe “a disastrous day” — forced the city to scramble for a new utility billing provider, subsequently requiring the complete overhaul of billing system software and repository information, as well as bill printing.

“It was quite an undertaking,” Zephyrhills Finance Director Ted Beason recalled. “I used to be thin and had a lot of hair before that process, so it’s had a toll on the staff.”

By December, the city was able to land with MuniBilling, who converted the city’s billing data to their software and offered call center services within a period of days.

Customers were able to provide their same username and account number on MuniBilling as they did on Fathom. Also, the company combined 1,700 irrigation accounts on the same bill as household meters.

That first-year agreement with MuniBilling came with an $812,000 price tag, or $5.99 per active account (roughly 11,300) for 12 months.

Now, in continuing the relationship for a second year, MuniBilling services will drop to $541,000 ($3.99 per account for 12 months), yielding a savings of $271,000 for the city, the finance director says.

“We’re now in a position where we can take advantage of our second year of our contract with MuniBilling,” Beason explained to the Zephyrhills City Council. “We think it’s worth the second year of the contract, and we think they performed well enough that we’d like to push forward.”

Beason highlighted other program benefits, too.

The firm’s associated integrated customer portal — WaterSmart — allows customers to make online payments, set up autopay and review data on their water consumption. The program also sends email and text notifications to customers on abnormal water usage. A meter showing 20 gallons of water being used in the middle of the night may signal a leaking toilet, for example.

Beason called the feature “a total win” as it allows customers to resolve a potential issue before seeing major effects on the following month’s bill.

“It’s very much the case of, we don’t want to produce boomerang bills. As we notice the problem, reach out to the customer and try to head off the problem before it really becomes expensive for them,” explained Beason.

However, the finance director acknowledged there were some hiccups in the early days of the MuniBilling partnership, including: inexperience of the firm’s call center staff; software that didn’t smoothly handle old customer move-outs and new customer move-ins; and, deposit refunds requiring a lot of effort by city staff.

But, Beason noted the company in June added “a really good project manager” who “seems to be in tune with not repeating the same mistakes more than once, and goes ahead and gets that taken care of quickly.”

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe also went to bat in favor of renewing MuniBilling’s contract.

Poe told council members he’d “highly recommend against” changing gears and searching for a new water billing provider.

If that was to be the case, Poe, perhaps half-jokingly, said: “We probably will not have a finance director or many utility employees,” referencing the stress and workload involved in transitioning from one utility billing firm to another.

Other city staffers didn’t have to put up much of an argument, as council members likewise expressed their satisfaction with the MuniBilling and WaterSmart system.

Said Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson: “For me personally, I think that the bill is easier to read. I think that it’s pretty consistent when it arrives and for the general customer experience, overall, has been pretty positive.”

Council President Charles Proctor also shared upbeat comments about MuniBilling, noting he has not received many complaints from utility customers.

Efforts to modernize the city’s water billing system had been in the works for some time.

Prior to signing up with Fathom more than five years ago, Zephyrhills leaders expressed the need to shift to state-of-the-art, cloud-based technology that can monitor for leaks and spikes in water usage, and provide more accuracy and consistency in meter readings and billings.

Confidence in the city’s billing system had eroded in recent years because of inaccurate meter readings, broken meters, leaks that went undiscovered and other problems.

Residential and commercial customers then reported incorrect billing, including a $100,000 error in the Zephyrhills bottled water account.

Yet, even the initial Fathom rollout led to numerous complaints from residents, who saw their bills go up after installation of new bar meters provided more precise water-usage readings, finding leaks the old system did not detect.

Published November 18, 2020