The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michele Baker

Women celebrate 100 years of voting

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In 1920 Harry T. Burn, a 24-year-old delegate in the Tennessee General Assembly, heeded his mother’s admonishment in a letter to be “a good boy” and vote for women’s suffrage.

Burn did as he was told, and Tennessee — by the margin of one vote — became the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution.

Congress officially certified the 19th amendment on Aug. 26, 1920, a date now celebrated annually as Women’s Equality Day.

To honor the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village is hosting a Smithsonian poster exhibit, “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!”

College women, often members of sororities, picketed in front of the White House from January 1917 until the 19th amendment was ratified. (Courtesy of Stephanie Black, Pioneer Florida Museum (From the Smithsonian poster exhibit, ‘Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!’)

The exhibit runs through Nov. 3 — the date for the 2020 presidential election.

“We’re excited to have this here,” Stephanie Black, the museum’s executive director, said regarding the exhibit. “It’s very interesting and very diverse.”

The posters highlight more than seven decades of struggle to earn women a place in America’s political life. But, it also reveals the racism that separated white and black suffragists who worked toward the same goal. In the end, black women, including activists Mary Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells, were marginalized and the 19th amendment won only white women the right to vote.

Black women and black men in the South waited another 45 years for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Native American women won legal citizenship and the right to vote in 1924. But they, like black men and women, suffered racist attacks that denied their access to the ballot box.

Even with its limitations, the 19th amendment shook up the political and cultural world of America.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” said political scientist Susan MacManus. “It shows that a lot of things in the political world take time because the work takes a while.”

Today, women are filing to run for political offices in local, state and national races in numbers never seen before. MacManus counts 178 Florida women seeking office in 2020 – a record for the state.

Pollsters are focused intently on the women’s vote and its impact on dozens of races across the country, including the presidential contest.

Ida B. Wells was an investigative journalist and suffragist.

But now, as in 1920, MacManus said people make a mistake in thinking women vote as a bloc.

All women didn’t support the 19th amendment. Anti-suffrage clubs did their own protesting.

Women today also hold diverse opinions on everything.

“That’s never been truer than in politics,” MacManus said.

For some suffragists, the 19th amendment came too late.

Susan B. Anthony, who wrote the ‘Anthony amendment’ for women’s right to vote, didn’t live to see it approved. She cast an illegal ballot in New York in 1872. She was arrested, but refused to pay the $100 fine.

Women voted in the first presidential election in 1920 ushering Republican Warren G. Harding into the White House. Records suggest women represented about 36% of the electorate. It’s likely some women asked their husbands for voting advice.

Slowly over the years, women began running for office, at first mostly in local elections. They became role models for women who came behind them.

Many black women can trace their modern political activism to college sororities who organized for suffrage as well as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, MacManus said.

Black women students from Howard University and Delta Sigma Theta were among those who marched in Washington D.C., in 1913. White organizers feared offending Southern lawmakers and told black women to march in the rear of the parade.

But, Wells boldly caught up with the white Illinois delegation and walked with them, refusing to be ignored and segregated.

Sororities set up picket lines outside the White House during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency. “Some stayed until the bitter end,” said MacManus.

Wilson eventually threw his support to the suffragists.

MacManus said Kamala Harris comes from that tradition as a Howard University graduate and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Harris made history last week by becoming the first woman of color running on a major political party’s ticket as vice president.

In Florida, black women have role models, including Carrie Meek, Frederica Wilson and Val Demings.

“More women are getting into politics and lot of that is driven by more women than men — by far — going to college,” MacManus said. “This is especially true with minority women.”

The #MeToo movement also has had an impact, the political scientist said.

By 1980, a voting gender gap emerged as more women than men voted in each of the last nine presidential elections.

In 1913, women held a Suffrage Pageant. Actor Hedwig Reicher is in the foreground.

A record number of 100 women held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, in 2018. About 90 are Democrats. But, a growing number of Republican women also are seeking elected office.

According to the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics, about 200 Republican women are running for House seats in 2020, an increase from 133 candidates in 2018.

“We’re raising our numbers,” said Sandy Graves, who won in the Aug. 18 Primary Election in the race for Republican State Committee Chairwoman for Pasco County. “We’re working very hard to try and encourage women to get in there.”

Graves is a lifelong Republican and especially honored to win an election in a year that celebrates women’s right to vote.

The amendment “was a hard-fought battle,” she said. “It is a testament to our country.”

She noted that Florida didn’t ratify the amendment until 1969, when Claude Kirk was the first Republican governor since Reconstruction.

The Pasco County Commission had planned to recognize the 100th anniversary, as well as the month of March as women’s history month, but that was delayed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Several women in past and current leadership roles will be honored when the recognition takes place, including former County Administrator Michele Baker, former Clerk and Comptroller Paula O’Neil, County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey and Assistant County Administrator Cathy Pearson.

Cheryl Pollock said the event will be scheduled once the county commission is again able to meet in person.

Pollock is the first black woman to serve as chair of the county’s Commission on the Status of Women. She joined the commission about three years ago.

“While there are limited women of color in leadership roles in our county, the county itself is slowly growing in diversity based on census reports,” Pollock said, via email.

She also said the Commission on the Status of Women is dedicated to “strive to understand disparate issues of women in our community and work toward solutions.”

A poster exhibit from the Smithsonian, “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!”
Where: Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City
When: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., now through Nov. 3
Cost: $10 general admission adults; $8 for seniors; $5 for students; free for children under age 5; group rates available
Info: (352) 567-0262 or PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

Timeline for Women’s Suffrage
1848: Seneca Falls, New York convention; “Declaration of Sentiments” issued
1850: First National Woman’s Convention
1866: Suffragists sent petition to Congress requesting women’s right to vote
1872: Susan B. Anthony arrested in New York for voting illegally. Fined $100, but never pays
1878: Susan B. Anthony wrote the “Anthony amendment”
1890s: National Association of Colored Women founded by Mary Church Terrell
1909: National Suffrage Party founded
1910: Suffrage parades begin
1913: Congressional Union for Women’s Suffrage founded by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns; Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago founded by journalist Ida B. Wells
1913: More than 10,000 women march for suffrage in Washington D.C.; Ida B. Wells defiantly marches with Illinois delegation, refusing to be segregated
1917: College women begin picketing White House
1917: Anthony Amendment reintroduced in Senate & House
1919: Congress approved the 19th Amendment; sent it to states
1920: League of Women Voters founded
1920: 19th Amendment ratified by 36th state (Tennessee)

Published August 26, 2020

2017 had it all: A sinkhole, Hurricane Irma, wildfires and floods

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But, it also was a year of significant growth, notable achievements and touching moments, too.

It’s not often that Land O’ Lakes makes the international news, but it did just that in July when a massive sinkhole swallowed two homes in Lake Padgett Estates.

This is an aerial view of a giant sinkhole that developed in Lake Padgett Estates, swallowing two homes and causing several others to be condemned. (File)

Then, just a few months later in September, the world’s attention turned to Florida as a potential category 5 Hurricane Irma appeared heading straight toward Tampa Bay.

The year also was marked by severe flooding and wildfires in Pasco County.

It also was a year for the changing of the guard, as Dan Biles was named Pasco County’s administrator to replace Michele Baker, who retired.

Scores of headlines during 2017 involved stories about the area’s congested roadways — and projects that are planned, underway or being discussed to improve traffic flow.

Major road projects that have begun or are planned include improvements to Interstate 75 and state roads 54 and 52. A four-lane extension of State Road 56, between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills, is also under construction.

With its sustained wind speeds of 185 mph, Hurricane Irma was deemed to be one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the Atlantic. At one point, forecasters said it appeared headed toward making a direct hit on the Tampa Bay region.

Another improvement, known as the diverging diamond, is planned to improve traffic flow at I-75 and State Road 56.

And, discussions continue over the best ways to reduce congestion at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, an intersection that handles roughly 100,000 vehicles per day.

The county also appears to be making progress in its quest to secure a permit for the extension of Ridge Road, a project it has been seeking for nearly two decades. While the project can’t come soon enough for supporters, its detractors remain steadfast in their opposition.

Increasing traffic is a symptom of Pasco’s robust growth
Housing developments, retail projects, restaurants, businesses and medical facilities are sprouting up on land previously occupied by citrus groves, farms and cattle ranches.

New schools continue to pop up, or expand, too.

Zephyrhills now has a permanent venue for community events, such as the Z’ Hills BBQ & Blues Fest, a popular event, which features blues bands and tasty barbecue.

In August, Pasco County Schools opened Bexley Elementary, in the Bexley subdivision off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes and Cypress Creek Middle High School, off Old Pasco Road, in Wesley Chapel. In the coming year, it plans to begin construction of Cypress Creek Middle School.

Also, on the same campus, the school district and Pasco-Hernando State College plan to operate a new performing arts center. That center will be built by the college with $15.5 million in state funds, but both the school district and the college will use it as a teaching facility.

Meanwhile, the school district continues massive renovation projects at Land O’ Lakes High School and at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills.

More public school projects are expected, as funding for school construction gets a boost from increased school impacts fees adopted by the Pasco County Commission that will begin being phased in on Jan. 1.

On the private school front, North Tampa Christian Academy is expected to begin operations in Wesley Chapel in the fall of 2018.

Roy Hardy, of Dade City, who died this year, was known for his perfect Kiwanis attendance and his fish fry fundraisers for the Hardy Benevolent Fund to help cover medical costs for others in need.

And, a charter school also has announced its intentions to open in Wesley Chapel in 2019, but has not identified its location yet.

The year also signaled changes on the spiritual scene across the region, too.

Van Dyke Church in Lutz changed its name to Bay Hope and expanded the scope of its mission. North Pointe Church settled into its first permanent home in Lutz, and the Episcopal Church announced its intentions to branch into Wesley Chapel.

The region also added to its list of amenities during the past year.

In Wesley Chapel, the 150,000-square-foot Florida Hospital Center Ice opened in January, with its Olympic-size rink, three National Hockey League-size rinks and one junior rink. Several rinks can easily be converted to accommodate basketball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball and events such as corporate meetings, and parties.

In Land O’ Lakes, the Heritage Park Stage opened, off of U.S. 41. The project, which was years in the making, has already become a popular gathering spot for community events.

Starkey Park District Park also opened in Land O’ Lakes, off State Road 54.

Meanwhile, across the county, Zephyrhills added a permanent venue for community events, such as Pigz in Z’Hills, a popular barbecue and blues event.

A time of milestones and transitions
While new construction made the news, 2017 was also a year of big milestones, including R.B. Cox Elementary School’s 90th birthday, in Dade City, and the Dade City Garden Club’s 70th anniversary.

Andre Pamplona, general manager for Royal Lanes, said the closing of a bowling alley has an impact on the community. Royal Lanes, which opened in the 1970s turned off the lights for the final time in May. Lots of memories were made in that building, known for its bowling leagues and birthday parties.

But, it was also the year that Royal Lanes, a community fixture in Lutz since the 1970s for bowling leagues and birthday parties, turned out the lights for the final time in May.

On a more personal level, the region mourned the loss of some of its biggest champions, including Eddie Herrmann of San Antonio, Roy T. Hardy of Dade City and Ray Mason of Land O’ Lakes. All three men were known for their deep commitment to civic causes.

Others — who captured headlines for their excellence — included Margaret Polk, the Odyssey of the Mind team from Wesley Chapel Elementary School, and Courtney Urban, a volunteer for Gulfside Hospice who received a national award for her volunteer work.

Polk, a school nurse at Pasco High School, was named the Florida Association of School Nurses’ 2017 School Nurse of the Year.

Elaine Pittman, a Lutz gardener in her 80s, grows plants and sells them to raise money for Christian Social Services. She chose that cause because it feeds people who are hungry.

Wesley Chapel Elementary School’s “Catch Us If You Can” team, finished first in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals held in May at Michigan State University. Members of the team were Jake Piller, Sam Cappelluti, Isabell Barrios, Mina Melaika, Rowan Heyman, Jason Sherman and Justin Acosta. Teachers Veronica Acosta and Janet Heyman coached the team.

And, Urban, who initially began volunteering at Gulfside’s Thrift Shoppe in Lutz so she could hang out with her grandmother, went on to serve the organization in a variety of roles.

And then, there were the people who simply extended themselves to help others.

There was Elaine Pittman, a Lutz gardener in her 80s, who nurtures plant cuttings to create plants, which she sells to raise money for Christian Social Services, an organization that provides food for people who are hungry.

And, there was Whitney C. Elmore, who oversees Pasco County Extension.

Elmore reached out to help Frogmore Fresh Farm, outside of Dade City, after Hurricane Irma uprooted and toppled about 100,000 blueberry bushes. Elmore got the ball rolling, but hundreds of volunteers responded — stepping forward to help the farm.

Two Boy Scouts also made a difference in the communities where they live.

Michael Valenti of Lutz and Gabe Vega of Land O’ Lakes each spearheaded Eagle Scout projects.

Cypress Creek Middle High School students make their way to their second class the first day of school on the new campus in Wesley Chapel. Bexley Elementary School also opened for the first time in August, for the 2017-2018 school year.

Valenti spruced up the Lutz Memorial Park in Lutz, and Vega created a Rosary Garden at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes.

And, then, there was a trio of Wesley Chapel Girl Scouts in Troop 1263 who gave new life to Karina’s Garden, behind the administrative offices of Sunrise of Pasco County, in their quest to earn a Girl Scout Silver Award.

The girls — Paige and Kaitlin Trabouley and Alyssa Duran — added flowers, plants, butterflies and statuary to create a place of repose and refreshment in the garden which honors the late Karina Abdul, a former shelter director.

The garden now provides a place to take a break and enjoy nature, according to Vicki Wiggins, director of development for Sunrise, which is a domestic and sexual violence prevention and services organization.

The garden had been choked with weeds and had fallen into disrepair.

The girls and the volunteers they enlisted changed all that.

“It’s beautiful. I’m so happy they did this. They brought it back to life,” Wiggins told The Laker/Lutz News, when the project was completed.

Published December 27, 2017

Pasco names new assistant county administrator

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The Pasco County Commission has named Kevin Guthrie as an assistant county administrator for public safety.

The appointment took effect on June 12, and Guthrie will receive an annual salary of $135,000.

Guthrie had been serving as the county’s emergency services director.

Pasco County Assistant County Administrator for Public Safety Kevin Guthrie (File)

Commissioners promoted Guthrie during their June 6 meeting in Dade City, acting on a recommendation by County Administrator Dan Biles.

Since 2015, Pasco County Fire Chief Scott Cassin has served as acting assistant county administrator for public safety. Cassin now will return full-time to his position as fire chief.

Pasco County Emergency Manager Laura Black will be in charge of the Division of Emergency Management during non-disaster operations. Capt. Dan Olds, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, will lead the Division of Public Safety Communications.

Former Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker hired Guthrie in 2016 as the county’s emergency management director. Within months, he was promoted to emergency services director.

“I’m excited about what we’ve accomplished in the emergency services department over the past year, and I look forward to leading the entire public safety team,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie served for 24 years as a law enforcement officer for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in Duval County. He also served seven years as emergency preparedness coordinator.

He retired from law enforcement, but was Flagler County’s emergency management director for three years before his hire in Pasco.

Published June 14, 2017

Pasco County begins budget review for 2018

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Pasco County officials anticipate an increase in property tax revenues, which in recent years have been on an upward trend.

But, that doesn’t mean the budget will be flush with money for fiscal year 2018.

Pasco County commissioners will be grappling with an $8.1 million increase in the Pasco County sheriff’s budget; a request to restore operating hours for libraries to 2008 levels; and, a parks system trying to keep up with population growth.

That’s a short list of anticipated budget requests.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano
(Fred Bellet)

Commissioners got a preview of the tough budget decisions for fiscal year 2018 at a May 2 workshop in New Port Richey. Final figures on revenues and expenses are evolving.

The Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office is scheduled to provide tax valuation data in June. Commissioners are set to review the budget in July and to have two public hearings before final approval. The fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

At the workshop, county projections pegged property tax revenues according to three scenarios – a 4 percent increase, a 7 percent increase and a 9 percent increase.

Even with the rosiest of scenarios, the county’s property tax revenues for 2018 will be less than where the county was 10 years ago, said Bob Goehrig, the county’s budget director.

The county also will be facing the potential loss in 2019 of as much as $13 million in property tax revenues. Voters will decide in a 2018 referendum whether to increase the current $50,000 standard homestead exemption to $75,000.

“That will make our decisions more difficult,” said Pasco County Transition Manager Michele Baker.

Baker is retiring as county administrator. Her replacement is Dan Biles, who started his new job on May 1.

One of the biggest ticket items for 2018 will be the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. A requested increase of $8.1 million would be used for pay raises, equipment and new job hires. About $5.5 million of the increase is for the last phase of a 3-year pay raise plan for deputies.

A somewhat smaller amount of about $4.8 million had been anticipated, said Goehrig.

Several other departments made presentations requesting budget increases.

Over three years, library officials want to restore operating hours to 2008 levels of 40 hours a week at each library, and to hire eight full-time employees. The total cost over three years would be about $985,000.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey

In the first year, the Land O’ Lakes Public Library and Regency Park Public Library would add hours and staff at a cost of about $325,000. In later years, service would increase at the Hudson Regional Public Library, Hugh Embry Public Library, New River Public Library, Centennial Park Public Library and South Holiday Public Library.

“We should be doing this,” said Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley. “But, we’ve got to come up with a funding source.”

The county’s parks department needs about $15 million to pay for deferred maintenance and about $6.4 million to replace aging infrastructure. Based on a long-range master plan for parks, about $134 million is needed to provide amenities to meet population growth for the last 10 years and for the next 10 years.

At a prior workshop, county commissioners requested information on eliminating $2 parking fees at county parks, and $60 annual passes.

That would mean a revenue loss of about $332,000 a year, said

Kelley Boree, the county’s parks, recreation and natural resources director.

To cover the loss, general funds could be used or, Boree said, the county could end three programs – aquatics, horticulture at sports field and summer camp.

“I’m just totally against taking any money from parks,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

But, Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said he wants to see fees eliminated and suggested a higher tax rate would save programs from being cut. “You increase access and quality of life; I think that’s great advertising for the county.”

Published May 10, 2017

Contract approved for Pasco’s new administrator

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Pasco County commissioners signed off on a contract to hire Dan Biles as the next Pasco County administrator, with an annual salary of $220,000.

County commissioners agreed to hire him on March 14, when he competed against four other candidates at a special public meeting in New Port Richey.

On March 28, commissioners made Biles’ hiring official by approving his contract.

Biles is scheduled to begin his new duties on May 1. However, his three-year contract also requires that he spend a few days in Pasco County before then, to take part in budget discussions with county staff for fiscal year 2018.

Dan Biles, deputy county manager in Jefferson County, Alabama, will be the new Pasco County administrator. He was among five candidates interviewed for the job on March 14.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

Biles is leaving his job as deputy county manager in Jefferson County, Alabama, to step into a position being vacated by Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker.

Baker opted to retire after four years, and not seek a contract renewal.

There will be some overlap of time between Baker’s departure and Biles’ arrival. Baker’s contract ends in mid-July.

“I think we’re extremely fortunate to have such a strong county administrator coming here,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore. “He is very impressive. He’s going to help us take Pasco to new heights.”

In addition to his annual salary, Biles’ contract includes benefits for a total package of about $278,000.

The county will pay $10,000 in moving expenses and up to $2,000 for temporary housing.

Biles also will receive an automobile allowance of $450 a month, term life insurance of $100,000, and retirement benefits.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley wants the county to schedule meet-and-greets with Biles, on the east and west sides of the county.

When county commissioners interviewed potential candidates, they anticipated two days of interviews.

But, Biles scored so well on the first day, they opted to immediately offer him the job.

“I think he’s the right fit for us,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

Biles holds two civil engineering degrees from Texas A & M University.

He is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and also commanded three Air National Guard units.

His work experience includes engineering positions in the private as well as public sector in Texas and Washington State.

He was hired in 2014 as the first deputy county manager of Jefferson County, Alabama, which was newly formed.

Previously, he worked for four years in Corpus Christi, Texas, as director of engineering services and executive director of public works.

He also worked for private engineering companies in Washington State including Maverick Engineering Inc., and SBI Developing LLC.

As Jefferson County’s deputy county manager, Biles led the County Infrastructure Group, which included environmental services, roads and transportation, general services, land planning, inspection services and stormwater.

According to his resume, he developed a litter collection program that removed more than 100 tons of litter in its first four months.

Biles also coordinated road improvement plans in partnership with local cities and state transportation officials. And, he led a customer service improvement initiative in permitting. The Greater Birmingham Home Builders Association praised his efforts, his resume states.

Though Baker is slated to end her tenure with the county, Starkey suggested another option. She would like Baker to stay on and help shepherd the county’s longstanding request for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to extend Ridge Road. The road is a high priority for the county as an east-west emergency route. Environmental groups are opposed.

“No one can speak to this effort as well as our Michele Baker,” said Starkey. “I don’t know what that (job) would look like and if she wants to do that.”

Baker didn’t respond, and Moore said discussions on meet-and-greets and Baker’s status should wait until Biles arrival.

Published April 5, 2017

Pasco, administrator agree to terms

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Daniel F. Biles has agreed to contract terms to become Pasco County’s next administrator.

The final step to hiring Biles is expected on March 28, when the Pasco County Commission will vote on Biles’ contract.

All five commissioners ranked Biles as their top choice on March 14, after a day of public and private interviews with the candidate.

Commissioners also authorized the board’s chairman, Mike Moore, to negotiate a contract with Biles.

Biles has signed off on the offer sheet, Moore said.

The new administrator will receive an annual salary of $220,000, under terms of the contract offer, Moore said.

Biles now works as deputy county manager in Jefferson County, Alabama, located in Birmingham.

Moore is delighted that Biles has accepted the offer.

“I’m definitely excited about it,” Moore said. “He’s going to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our area, at a time when we are seeing a lot of great things happening in the county.”

Pasco is growing in both population and economic development, Moore noted.

The chairman also expects Biles to play an instrumental role when it comes to infrastructure and stormwater projects because of the knowledge that Biles has developed through his previous experiences.

Biles will replace County Administrator Michele Baker, who is retiring. She has been in the role since 2013, following a lengthy career with the county.

In addition to his work in Jefferson County, Biles served in the military and worked in private business.

Biles was among a list of 11 candidates recommended by the Chicago-based recruitment firm of GovHR USA. Commissioners decided to interview five of those candidates.

Both Moore and Commissioner Mike Wells said Biles stood out, among a pool of top-notch candidates.

Both were impressed by the combination of skills and experiences that Biles brings to the role.

Moore also appreciated the way Biles conducted himself throughout the interview process.

Biles appeared to be relaxed and engaged, Moore said.

“I watched how he interacted with folks, during the meet-and-greet period,” Moore said. “He just felt at home, to me, talking to people.

“Something else that stood out is that his spouse flew down with him, too. His spouse came to the meet-and-greet. She sat with him, while he was interacting with others. She also came and sat in the public interviews that we did, as a group, too,” Moore said.

“Obviously, you really take it serious if you make that decision to bring your spouse down,” Moore said.

That fact didn’t escape Wells’ notice, either, and it left a positive impression.

Wells said Biles obviously had done his homework and, he said, Biles clearly values the importance of customer service.

Moore also noted: “When I had my private interview with him, too, going one on one, he was very comfortable during that conversation. I never felt once that he was trying to oversell me.”

Besides being factual, “he (Biles) was bringing great ideas to the table,” Moore said.

After commissioners offered Biles the job, Moore said he was chatting with him, and Biles mentioned that today’s technology will enable him to be out and about in the county, while remaining accessible.

Moore thinks that’s important.

“When you’re a leader like that, your team needs to see you, and the community needs to see you,” Moore said.

Published March 22, 2017

Negotiations underway for county administrator

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Pasco County Commissioners have selected Daniel F. Biles as their top choice for the next county administrator and his contract negotiations are underway.

Biles emerged as the clear favorite in the selection process, and commissioners voted unanimously to offer him the position, said Commission Chairman Mike Moore.

If Biles agrees to terms, he will replace County Administrator Michele Baker, who is retiring. She has been in the role since 2013, following a lengthy career with the county.

Commissioners had planned a two-day selection process. Initially they intended to conduct public interviews with all five candidates, followed by one-on-one individual interviews between each commissioner and each candidate.

After that, they were set to reconvene on the first day to narrow the field to three finalists, with those interviews expected on the following day, March 15.

But when they got back together, commissioners received a score sheet to rank the candidates on a scale of one to five, with five being the best score.

Heather Grimes, assistant county administrator, tallied the sheets and announced the outcome.

Biles scored a 25, meaning each commissioner identified him as the top choice, Moore said. Commissioners then decided to drop the second day of interviews.

Biles currently is the deputy county manager of Jefferson County, Alabama, located in Birmingham.

He has 10 years of experience in engineering, including work on stormwater issues. He also has a military background and has family living in Florida.

Besides the public interviews and one-on-one interviews, the candidates also went on a tour of the county and attended a private meet-and-greet session on March 13.

Other candidates that were considered were:

• Mark A. Cunningham, assistant county administrator in Sarasota County

• David M. Ross, the first county administrator of Rock Island County, Illinois, which formed its government in 2015

• Theodore L. Voorhees, the former city manager of Fayetteville, North Carolina

• Dale M. Walker, the county manager of the Macon-Bibb County government, which consolidated in 2014

The five candidates who were interviewed were selected from a list of 11 candidates recommended by the Chicago-based recruitment firm of GovHR USA.

Both Moore and Commissioner Mike Wells said the county had a top-notch pool of candidates.

But, both also said that Biles stood out.

Both commissioners said Biles’ military leadership experience, his private business experience and his government experience equip him to perform well in the job.

Moore characterized Biles as being relaxed and engaged.

“I watched how he interacted with folks, during the meet-and-greet period,” Moore said. “He just felt at home, to me, talking to people.

“Something else that stood out is that his spouse flew down with him, too. His spouse came to the meet-and-greet. She sat with him, while he was interacting with others. She also came and sat in the public interviews that we did, as a group, too,” Moore said.

“Obviously, you really take it serious if you make that decision to bring your spouse down,” Moore said.

That fact didn’t escape Wells’ notice, either, and if left a positive impression.

Wells said Biles obviously had done his homework and, he said, Biles clearly values the importance of customer service.

Moore also noted: “When I had my private interview with him, too, going one on one, he was very comfortable during that conversation. I never felt once that he was trying to oversell me.”

Besides being factual, “he (Biles) was bringing great ideas to the table,” Moore said.

After commissioners offered Biles the job, Moore said he was chatting with him, and Biles mentioned that today’s technology will enable him to be out and about in the county, while remaining accessible.

Moore thinks that’s important.

“When you’re a leader like that, your team needs to see you, and the community needs to see you,” Moore said.

The board is expected to vote on Biles’ contract at its next meeting, scheduled for March 28.

Published March 15, 2017

Golf course could be replaced by houses

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Despite impassioned pleas from residents of Quail Hollow, it appears that the Quail Hollow Golf Course & Country Club soon could give way to residential and retail development.

Property owner Andre Carollo, of Pasco Office Park LLC, is proposing to build a maximum of 400 single family homes, 30,000 square feet of office/retail and 10,000 square feet of day care.

The golf course is located on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

More than 20 residents attended a public hearing of Pasco County’s Development Review Committee on March 9 in Dade City.

Committee members agreed to recommend approval of the project to the Pasco County Commission.

County commissioners will have another public hearing, where they will make the final decision.

Many residents speaking in opposition to the proposal said they bought their homes decades ago when it was marketed to them as a golf course community, with large lots, ranging from 1 acre to 3 acres.

Land use attorney Barbara Wilhite said the golf course – built in the 1960s – pre-dated the home sales.

There never was a master-planned golf course community, said Wilhite, who represents Pasco Office Park LLC.

The golf course shut down in 2008 and reopened in 2011.

Its website touts Quail Hollow as “more than just a golf course” with a restaurant and banquet facilities for weddings, parties and special events.

Residents are worried about losing their rural enclave.

But, they also raised issues about ongoing flooding in the neighborhood and concerns about increased traffic.

Boom Boom Drive currently is the only access road off Old Pasco Road into the golf course.

A traffic engineer for Pasco Office Park described intersection improvements that would add right- and left-hand turns on Old Pasco to improve traffic flow. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2019, about the time new residents would be moving into their homes.

Flooding already is a chronic problem for homeowners, said Edward Glime, who lives in the area.

“We can’t stop them from building on the golf course,” he said. But, he asked: “Is it (water) going to be running like a river? “What kind of erosion is going to be happening to my property?”

Engineer Greg Singleton said a drainage system would be designed to “provide more area for floodwaters to spread out.”

Resident Jeanne Luczynski was skeptical.

“The flooding is tremendous in the rainy season,” she said. “We need more assurances that this is not going to be worse.”

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker expressed sympathy for the residents’ plight.

But, the reality she said is that “golf courses are a dying breed.”

At least three in Pasco County have shut down, including the now-closed Magnolia Valley Golf Course in New Port Richey.

Residents either face redevelopment or finding a way to buy the land to stave off new housing construction.

Plantation Palms Golf Course, in Land O’ Lakes, is one community that opted to hold onto its golf course, but Baker said it was at a “premium.”

She did make a promise to residents about flooding when the final plan came to the county commissioners.

Baker came to Pasco County initially as its emergency management director. She also has dealt with flooding problems countywide in recent years from heavy summer rains and tropical storms.

“I hear you,” she said. “We will be reviewing it with a very jaundiced eye and make sure there is no negative impact.”

Published March 15, 2017

Quest continues for Ridge Road permit

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Pasco County officials are hoping a letter of support from Gov. Rick Scott, and an executive order from President Donald Trump, could finally lead to a permit to build the Ridge Road extension.

For 19 years, the county has pursued the permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an approximately 8-mile road extension that would cut through a portion of the Serenova Preserve. The road extension is a high priority for the county to give residents an additional evacuation route during hurricanes.

But, critics of the project vow to fight an extension of the road.

Clay Colson, chairman of the nonprofit Citizens for Sanity Inc., said development, not a hurricane route, is behind the county’s efforts to extend Ridge Road through the preserve.

“The county had this idea of entitlement,” he said. “They think they are entitled to the permit.”

A county delegation, including Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker and Pasco County commissioners Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano, went to Washington D.C., in early March, to lobby for the project.

During an unexpected meetup with the governor, Baker asked him to write a letter supporting the project.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis also wrote a letter of support and sent it to President Trump.

According to the president’s executive order, the White House Council on Environmental Quality would have 30 days to respond to the governor’s request for priority status for Ridge Road.

Scott’s office has not responded to The Laker/Lutz News to inquiries about the letter.

The president’s executive order directs federal agencies to give priority to longstanding infrastructure projects with pending environmental reviews.

“The wheels are definitely moving to try and get it finalized,” Baker said, during the March 7 county commission meeting in Dade City.

Besides running into Scott, the group also met Ted Boling, the acting director of the White House’s council on environmental quality.

While the county may be making progress toward obtaining the permit, opponents of the road say construction of the road should not be about political pressure from letters and executive orders.

“They (federal agencies) are supposed to do their job,” Colson said.

His group and others will file a lawsuit, if the permit is granted, Colson said.

The county initially submitted its application for Ridge Road in 1998. The road dead-ends at Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey. The extension would provide a link to U.S. 41, with a connection to Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reviews permit applications to determine if projects meet regulations within the Clean Water Act. If approved, projects should do a minimum of damage to the environment.

About 58 acres of the 6,000-acre Serenova Preserve are under review. The land was set aside years ago to mitigate about 200 acres of wetlands lost due to construction of the Suncoast parkway.

An elevated road design to limit environmental damage is among potential alternatives for how the road extension would be built.

Over the years, environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, have opposed the Ridge Road project, saying it would destroy wildlife habitat and degrade water quality.

Pasco commissioners hired Washington D.C. consultants with Dawson & Associates in 2016 to lobby for the permit. The county is paying the firm about $28,000 a month.

The costs expended on the project so far, including land acquisitions and consultants, is about $19 million.

Published March 15, 2017

Stormwater fees could increase to fix flooding

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Pasco County residents could be asked to pay higher stormwater fees in 2018.

A divided Pasco County Commission approved a tentative increase of $38 a year on top of the current $57 stormwater fee, for a total annual payment of $95.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore tried to persuade the board to wait until June to take action on the issue.

By then, Moore hopes the county will have good news on its request for state funds to help pay for some of the county’s priority projects.

Moore also wants to see the county explore other options, including special assessment districts.

“I don’t see people lining up for increased fees,” Moore said.

Despite those arguments, the vote was 4 to 1, with Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells dissenting.

Moore reluctantly voted yes — after he was assured that the increase could be rolled back, or scrapped, if state funds arrive.

Three commissioners – Ron Oakley, Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano – argued that the county can’t keep putting off repairs and maintenance of infrastructure that should have been funded years ago.

County staff members estimate there is a backlog of 93 years of service and maintenance to clean and repair culverts.

There also is a list of more than 300 stormwater projects, in total, that are needed to address flooding. The cost for that work is estimated at $300 million.

“We’ve got to step up and make this decision,” Oakley said. “I believe flooding and stormwater issues are countywide. It’s all part of our working together.”

To delay action would be to do the same thing as previous commissions have done, Starkey said.

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker said there was some urgency in deciding on a stormwater rate increase. The county’s department heads will begin piecing together the 2018 budget in March.

The Pasco County Property Appraiser’s office also needs to know if there’s a rate increase, in a timely manner for its trim notices to property owners.

Baker, who is retiring in July, also had an opinion on the rate increase.

“I have always been a proponent of funding a fix,” she said.

The additional revenues are expected to generate about $24 million for engineering and design of 10 priority capital projects, and for cleaning, replacing and maintenance of culverts and swales.

Southwest Florida Water Management District, known as Swiftmud, will contribute half of an estimated $38 million construction cost for the capital projects.

The fee increase was among several funding options presented to commissioners by county staff at the Feb. 21 meeting.

They opted to postpone decisions on two choices. One would be to establish a capital utility fund for stormwater projects and collect $77 annually from property owners. The fee collection would begin in 2019. That would be on top of the $95 fee, for a total of $172 a year.

Another would establish the special assessment districts that Moore, and also Wells, favor.

“When is enough, enough,” Wells asked. “I don’t think it’s fair for everyone to pay for what is really the west side.”

Tropical Storm Hermine in 2016 and torrential summer rains in 2015 caused extensive flooding to Pasco County homes. Much of the damage was in New Port Richey, Port Richey and Elfers, though some areas of central and east Pasco also saw flooding.

Starkey countered that the county’s property tax base suffers whenever properties, wherever their location, are devalued because of flooding damage.

Mariano agreed.

Although commissioners live in different districts, they are elected countywide, Mariano noted.

“You are hurting the rest of the county by not fixing those problems,” Mariano said.

Published March 1, 2017