The Laker/Lutz News

Normita Woodard

Dade City approves new pay scale for employees

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The City of Dade City is set to ring in fiscal year 2021-2022 with a slew of new positions and increased employee wages.

The updated employee pay plan incorporates the greater of the following: 3% cost of living, new minimum pay rate and new minimum pay adjusted for years of service (1.5% per year of service greater than one year) in an attempt to help with wage compression issues.

The pay plan has 19 salary steps, ranging from part-time crossing guard, which has a salary range of $23,400 to $35,100, all the way up to police chief, which has a range of $80,931.06 to $121,396.59.

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter (File)

The pay plan also includes funding for 14 new positions, within the proposed budget, including the following:

  • Four police officers
  • A deputy city clerk
  • An executive assistant to the city manager/public relations specialist
  • A groundskeeper
  • A utility service worker
  • An engineering inspector
  • A utilities electrician
  • An assistant code enforcement officer
  • Three wastewater treatment plant operator trainees

Other notable changes include bumping up paygrade levels for the city’s utility billing supervisor to be commensurate with other assistant crew leaders; upping the executive assistant to the city’s police chief to the same grade as executive assistant to the city manager/public relations specialist; and, adding paygrade classification levels for fiscal assistants based on experience and duties.

The new plan will increase personnel costs, and benefits, by an estimated $626,446 compared to the current year’s budget, according to Dade City Manager Leslie Porter.

Dade City Commissioners approved the pay scale plan on a 5-0 vote during the commission’s Sept. 13 meeting. The plan is effective Oct. 1.

Porter had outlined the city’s need to add staff and to budget additional money for payroll during a commission workshop last month.

She explained that more employees are needed to help manage the rapid growth and development planned throughout the municipality.

About 6,500 new rooftops and several commercial properties have been approved to be built over the next two decades.

Porter and Human Resources Director Patty Coram conducted an in-house salary study using pay information from seven comparable local governments, including Zephyrhills, New Port Richey and Pasco County.

The City of Dade City has adopted a new pay scale to address salary compression issues and to bring on more staffers.

The pay plan will make the city more competitive when it comes to attracting applicants, hiring candidates and retaining quality personnel, officials say.

Moreover, officials say beginning to raise wages now will make for an easier transition to Florida’s $15 per hour mandatory minimum wage, which takes effect in 2026.

Mayor Camille Hernandez voiced support for the justification of the comprehensive pay plan. She said it rewards long-term employees and will attract more qualified job-seekers, to ensure the municipality is fully and adequately staffed across all departments.

“I do hope and pray with these new positions that we are adding, that we’re stepping it up a notch,” Hernandez said, addressing her comments to the city manager. “You’ve asked for things, we’re giving it.”

The mayor also emphasized that expectations are high for city administration and supervisors on down to entry-level employees.

“As we raise the bar and we provide this system, we expect certain things. The expectations are pretty high now,” Hernandez said.

Commissioner Normita Woodard agreed that with more resources in place, there’s a greater responsibility and scrutiny in terms of serving residents and following through on outlined citywide goals and initiatives.

Woodard put it like this: “I just want to make sure that I do say it in this forum that the money matches the work efforts, and that the supervisors are going to be doing what they need to do to make sure that it is accountable.”

The city’s last classification and compensation study was conducted in 2015, according to a city commission agenda memo.

The city adopted a proposed pay plan then, but was not in a financial position at that time to address compression issues included in that plan, the memo states.

In lieu of that, the city had been providing 3% salary increases each year, in an attempt to keep up with cost of living and rising wage environment, the memo reads.

In other business, commissioners approved the Rolling Hills residential planning development annexation, comprehensive plan and zoning amendment, on a 3-2 vote.

The development is approved to build up to 700 homes on slightly more than 151 acres, located west of Opportunity Way, south of State Road 52, and north of Roberts Road.

Commissioners Scott Black, Knute Nathe and Hernandez voted in favor, while Woodard and Jim Shive, who is mayor pro tem, voted against.

Published September 29, 2021

Dade City Council debates proposed rate, then adopts it

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Dade City property owners won’t see an increase in their ad valorem tax rate for fiscal year 2021-2022.

Despite a debate, the Dade City Commission voted 4-1 to adopt the tentative millage rate at 7.14 mills for fiscal year 2021-2022 — the same rate as it has been for several years.

Under state law, once a tentative millage rate has been set, the city cannot raise it before the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez (File)

The commission has the option, however, to reduce the rate before then.

At the rate of 7.14 mills, ad valorem tax revenues in the city’s general fund are anticipated to levy an estimated $2.3 million, an increase of slightly more than $262,000, up from this year’s $2 million budget.

The breakdown of ad valorem revenues comes from the assessed value of the city’s 1,857 single-family homes, of which 1,231 have at least one exemption, according to city records.

A mill represents $1 in tax for every $1,000 worth of a property’s taxable assessed value.

The property tax on a home assessed at $95,000 at 7.14 mills would yield $678, for example.

Public hearings on the proposed millage rate are scheduled for Sept. 15 and Sept. 27.

Debate ensues over tentative millage rate
Commissioners debated at length, during their July 27 meeting, before adopting the tentative rate.

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter offered no staff recommendation, leaving the direction up to elected leaders.

Dade City Commissioner Knute Nathe (File)

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Shive made a motion to set the tentative property tax rate at 7.14 mills, quickly seconded by Commissioner Normita Woodard.

Then, Commissioner Knute Nathe opened up discussion.

He advocated setting a higher millage, at 7.497 mills, to provide greater financial flexibility to fund various initiatives discussed during a preceding 90-minute budget workshop.

This higher rate of 7.497 mills would represent a 5% increase in ad valorem revenues compared to 7.14 mills, levying slightly more than $2.4 million. (The property tax on a home assessed at $95,000 at 7.497 mills would be $729, instead of $678 at 7.14 mills.)

During the preceding workshop, needs identified included about 15 new full-time positions to resolve staffing needs across several city departments, a need to adopt a competitive pay scale and the need to address wage compression for existing employees.

Nathe noted that workshop discussion involved a lot of talk “about a lot of wants and a lot of extra dollar signs.”

Commissioner Scott Black backed Nathe’s concerns, expressing the need to give the city some “wiggle room” to help accommodate staffing needs and wage increases.

The City of Dade City set its tentative property tax rate at 6.35 mills for fiscal year 2021-2022 — the same rate as it has been for several years.

Black moved to amend the original motion to set the tentative millage rate at 7.497.

But Black’s motion failed, on a 2-3 vote, with Shive, Woodard and Mayor Camille Hernandez dissenting.

After that, Nathe suggested setting the tentative millage rate at 7.3185 mills, but that failed to find support from his colleagues.

So, board members voted on the original motion to set the tentative millage rate at 7.14 mills, passing it on a 4-1 vote, with Nathe voting no.

Hernandez pointed out that the city has some “creative funding mechanisms” it can use to resolve some staffing and salary issues.

“There are some things that we’ve had in the past that people said we couldn’t do it, and we did it,” she said.

Some of these funding options will likely be addressed in more detail at forthcoming budget workshops, she said.

“I know there’s lots of things that need to be done,” Hernandez said, “so I certainly look forward to the next workshop with some numbers and things that we can continue to have some productive conversation, as we continue to move forward.”

Shive likewise is confident with the city’s budget situation.

He suggested the municipality is “in a better position than we have in the past,” thanks to a slew of new residential developments (and thousands of new homes) coming on board over the next handful of years. “I think we’re going to be fine,” he said.

Black cautioned that items discussed during the budget workshop may not be feasible, if the city is not willing to generate the revenue that’s needed.

Published August 04, 2021

Dade City Commissioners seek city manager improvements

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As the City of Dade City is staged for a wave of unprecedented growth, development and other happenings, elected leaders want to ensure they have the right leadership and administration in charge to navigate the East Pasco town’s future.

Much of that starts with Dade City Manager Leslie Porter, who has officially held the position for nearly two years.

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter’s contract is up for renewal May 14. (File)

Porter’s employment contract will renew on May 14, unless the Dade City Commission acts otherwise.

Keeping this time frame in mind, Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez has called for significant tweaks to the handling of Porter’s annual performance review — with the aim of helping the city manager carry out the city’s established vision and goals.

The topic came up during the commission’s March 9 meeting.

Hernandez said the municipality is at a “critical juncture.”

She detailed major undertakings, such as the U.S. 301 commercial corridor; the developing of major recreational and park amenities; overseeing several new residential developments and annexations; and, figuring out the way to market, brand and promote the town going forward.

“We’re dealing with growth issues and concerns that we have never dealt with before, so we need to make sure we’ve got our game in order,” Hernandez said.

Because of that, Hernandez urged fellow commissioners to put deep, and serious, thought into their observations of Porter’s job to date.

Said Hernandez: “I want to make sure that when we get through this evaluation, that we can all walk away confident that (Porter) is the person that is going to lead us on, as we move forward and have all of the skillsets that we need.

“I think Ms. Porter is an extremely talented individual, and if she’s the one that we want to keep in this position as we move forward — if that’s the one we choose — then we need to make sure we’re all on the same page in making sure that we help her to have that, by way of marking improvement that peaks her performances.

“I think more than ever, I think we need to be on the same team, ‘Team City Manager,’ so that we move forward to get the city’s best interests,” the mayor said.

Hernandez said her comments are “nothing personal” toward the sitting city manager, but rather about “having Dade City’s best interests at heart.”

Hernandez then described disappointment with the handling and execution of various city operations on the whole, specifically noting a general lack of communication and engagement and not being “in the loop” on certain matters.

Hernandez also mentioned others in the community and throughout City Hall have expressed “angst and frustration” of late, too.

“We’re in the hot seat all the time because of all the people that come to us when things are done and not done,” Hernandez said. “I know this commission wants to know what’s going on, because the last thing we want to do is walk down the shopping aisle and have somebody tell us (about a local issue) and we look like a deer in the headlights…”

Even with this direct and clear warning shot and wakeup call, the mayor did credit Porter for making “considerable changes recently in terms of communicating and engaging.’

The mayor added: “I think if we can continue to move in that direction, then we are on the right path, but if we can’t, then we’ve got some issues that we need to address.”

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez

Evaluations should be meaningful
Commissioner Normita Woodard, sworn into her first-term last July, agreed with calls for more proactive oversight and transparency in manager evaluations, as opposed to a mundane check-the-box exercise.

“I definitely don’t think we just do an evaluation and call it a day,” Woodard said. “I do think that we need to make sure that all of what we want to see and all the criteria is being met, and if not, then we need to have a plan set up of how we’re going to meet that objective or what we’re going to do, if it’s not done. But, I don’t think we can just evaluate and move forward.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Scott Black suggested scheduling a workshop to brainstorm ways to fine-tune the manager evaluation and clarify other goal-setting measures. This exercise, he said, “would go a long way for helping address the concerns” the mayor brought up.

“We haven’t had (this type of workshop) since our new commissioners (Woodard and Knute Nathe) have joined us and that is something we once did on an annual basis, where we just go in and indicate what our priorities individually, and bring all that together to have a collective vision or at least a plan for the city manager to pursue.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve done that, and I think this would be very helpful for the commission, for management, for staff, for everyone else involved, and that keeps us all where we can have something that we can measure performance based on what our collective vision is as a commission,” Black said.

Porter’s last evaluation was presented at a meeting in June 2020.

Commissioners then rated Porter’s overall performance at a 4.1 out of 5.0 scale, graded on management in administration, adhering to governance, relationship-building, leadership, and financial acumen, among other areas.

The main focus for improvements was in the arenas of building relationships and better communication with legislators, residents, merchants, The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, and so on.

Other constructive criticism also called for Porter — who commutes from her home in Tampa — to have better familiarization with the municipality as a whole, along with various city departments and employees.

Previous city manager evaluations came in with satisfactory marks from commissioners.

After the commission meeting, The Laker/Lutz News reached out to Porter for her reaction to comments that were made pertaining to her during the meeting.

In an email response, Porter said: “I agree the city needs an evaluation tool that the commission as a body agrees upon. The city manager is in a unique position in that he/she reports equally to five elected officials. Each voice is important, and for the city manager to be most effective, he/she needs to know the expectations to which they are being held accountable and  the priorities of the commission as a whole.”

Porter was originally hired as the city’s finance director in 2014.

She was appointed interim city manager in February 2019, assuming the post long-held by Billy Poe, who took a similar position with the City of Zephyrhills.

Porter was selected, after the city was unable to reach a contract agreement with Christopher Edwards, its initial top candidate for the position, who was then a real estate associate in Tallahassee and previously had served as deputy director of the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economy Vitality.

Instead of selecting a list of new candidates to interview, the commission opted to proceed with Porter for the post, starting with a base salary of about $99,000, citing her performance as acting city manager over prior months while also juggling her duties as finance director.

Before coming to Dade City, Porter spent nearly a decade working as town treasurer for the Town of Chesapeake Beach, in Maryland.

She has a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a master’s degree from George Washington University.

Published March 24, 2021

Dade City approves modified CRA plan

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The City of Dade City has finally gotten around to revising its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) plan —  a document which hadn’t been updated since its original formation back in 1998.

The Dade City Commission in December unanimously approved a modified CRA plan — which looks to address conditions of blight in the core of the city and, according to the new 118-page document, “seeks to position the city for renewed economic success in the 21st century without compromising on the city’s character by leveraging existing physical, cultural and natural resources to encourage private sector investment.”

Dade City’s 137-acre CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) district primarily encompasses the city’s downtown corridor east of the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 bypass, stretching south from Coleman Avenue to north of Whitehouse Avenue. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

Work to revise the original CRA plan began in late 2016, with the help of North Carolina-based consulting firm S&ME Inc.

Though a modified plan was completed in 2018, the commission tabled approval until a new city manager was hired, which occurred in April 2019.

Since then, the plan has further been updated to encompass the latest available socioeconomic demographic information, which revealed an even younger profile compared to just two years ago, officials say.

Dade City’s 137-acre CRA district primarily encompasses its downtown corridor between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the U.S. 301/U.S. 98 bypass, stretching south from Coleman Avenue and north of Whitehouse Avenue.

The five-year plan encompasses a wide range of background information on the city, plus community surveys, and various goals and objectives to focus on in the near future.

The following four strategic goals for the CRA were established out of the new plan:

  • Increase awareness of Dade City and its amenities
  • Establish Dade City as a leisure, cultural and ecotourism hub
  • Improve quality of life for current and future residents, and visitors
  • Establish Dade City as an entrepreneurial destination for those seeking access and opportunity for new businesses

The plan also summarized various viewpoints on wants and needs within the CRA limits, based on a series of stakeholder interviews conducted by local officials and input collected from the city’s Resident Advisory Committee, Downtown Merchants Association and Dade City Chamber of Commerce, among other groups.

Some of the outlined priorities and other thoughts from stakeholders include:

Emphasize bricks and mortar

  • The CRA could benefit from a renewed focus on pedestrian improvements: increasing mid-block crossings, repairing sidewalks and alleyways
  • Focus on increasing trail connections and expanding infrastructure surrounding the Hardy Trail
  • Increase accessibility of downtown buildings through ADA improvements

Grants (proposed new grants topics)

  • Provide grants for ADA improvements
  • Provide residential painting grants
  • Rental subsidies program
  • Historic structure plaque grant

Opportunities for Dade City

  • Increase coordination with advertisement for events
  • Catering to cyclists with targeted businesses in downtown
  • CRA frontage on U.S. 301 to signal presence of downtown (gateway)
  • Expand CRA boundaries to include more residential and commercial areas
  • Moving the farmer’s market downtown
  • Proximity to Saint Leo, and ability to attract and retain millennials
  • Cultivating a relationship with local hospital system and Pasco-Hernando State College

Threats to Dade City

  • Attorney general opinions regarding use of agency funds for contracted services
  • Grant program criteria: project and applicant eligibility, performance criteria and measurement
  • High downtown rents
  • Downtown flooding
  • Not enough family friendly activities
  • Downtown businesses not staying open past 5 p.m.
  • Matching requirement on grants makes them unattainable for businesses with fewer resources
  • Pass-by traffic along U.S. 301/U.S. 98

Commissioner/CRA wish list

  • Gateway signage
  • Splash pad for kids
  • Bring back a movie theater
  • Get a community/youth center
  • Create a business incubator
  • Consistent streetscapes
  • Clean up entryways to downtown
  • Highlight areas of historical interest
  • More duplex housing
  • Grocery store
  • Evening programming

The comprehensive plan also included details on the city’s ever-changing demographic profile, which reads:

The Dade City CRA strives to address blighted conditions generally in the downtown corridor, through a combination of reinvestment, grants and other programs.

“While Florida is historically known as a state comprised of a primarily older demographic, the median ages for the top five tapestry segments (traditional living, hardscrabble road, social security, down the road, old and newcomers) present in Dade City are below 44.2 years of age. Albeit lower income, the tapestry segments reveal a younger, family oriented demographics than traditionally present within Florida. …More than half of the city’s population is white (67.3 percent) with an almost equal share of Black and Hispanic residents, 20.4% and 20.6%, respectively.”

  • Current population just over 7,500
  • Approximately 2,600 households
  • Median household income is $31,497 (compared to Pasco County’s $45,064)
  • Nearly 7% of Dade City households make more than $100,000

The CRA plan is a living document of sorts, meaning it can be adjusted as needed depending on the city leader’s objectives, said Melanie Romagnoli, the city’s community and economic development director.

With that, she recommended the city — given the CRA has two newly elected board members in Knute Nathe and Normita Woodard — do another check-up on the plan in a year “to see if anything needs to be modified, or it’s still the same path that this existing commission wants to go on.”

“We can modify this as many times as we’d like, we just have to provide notice to the county and the state of any modifications that we make,” explained Romagnoli.

Estimated budgets for the CRA across the next five years are as follows: $246,361 (2021), $253,752 (2022), $261,365 (2023), $269,206 (2024) and $277,281 (2025).

Romagnoli indicated at least one issue that needs to be addressed is revisiting some arbitrary timelines for getting certain action-level steps and projects accomplished in the next handful of years.

“Some of them are very unrealistic with current staffing conditions and financial constraints,” said Romagnoli.

“The current CRA does not gather as much money as what’s required for all these things to get accomplished, so we definitely need to revisit it and make sure it’s realistic for us to be able to implement and prioritize and figure out what this commission and CRA board wants to do in the next five years.”

There’s also been discussion about possibly expanding the CRA district beyond its current boundaries, she said, which likely will require many in-depth workshops.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez agreed that additional workshops are needed to perhaps further refine the plan and gather input from Nathe and Woodard, first-term commissioners and board members elected back in July.

“I know it’s important to all of us,” Hernandez said of the CRA plan. “It has been a long time in the making and processing. Hopefully we can move forward with the next steps.”

Published January 06, 2021

Cemetery complaints addressed

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The Dade City Commission has approved a landscaping contract, after grievances aired in recent months about the upkeep of the Dade City Cemetery.

Commissioners have approved a contract with a landscaping company to maintain the grounds of the 17-acre cemetery, at 38151 Martin Luther King Blvd.

The agreement is with Gotha-based JDMF LLC, and it calls for landscape management services from April 1 through Oct. 31, at an annual cost of $37,200.

The Dade City Commission approved a contract with landscaping management firm JDMF LLC, to maintain the Dade City Cemetery during the rainy season from April through October. The cost of services is $37,300 annually for the seven months of work. (Kevin Weiss)

The seven months of work coincide with the area’s rainy season when grass grows more quickly at the site nestled in the Mickens-Harper community, on the northeast side of town, across U.S. 98.

Two other bids received for cemetery landscape management came in at $61,446 and $179,746, respectively.

The city originally budgeted $36,000 to hire an additional public works/park employee who would have shared duties between the cemetery and downtown grounds maintenance.

However, city administration felt it more prudent to outsource the cemetery workload instead.

As explained in a city memo dated Dec. 8: “Contracting out the cemetery landscape management will eliminate the current need to hire an additional employee and provide the current downtown and parks employees the help that is needed to maintain a park-like setting in our city’s downtown area. During the dry season, city employees will maintain the cemetery.”

Dade City Public Works Director Bryan Holmes also deemed the workload “too great for one employee to maintain during the rainy season.”

Funding for the contract services will come from the parks department’s operational budget. The cost for outsourcing the work will be offset by the cost of hiring an additional employee and the vehicle costs associated with maintaining the grounds, officials say.

Split decision
The decision to go with the landscaping firm was divided among commissioners, narrowly passing by a 3-2 vote at the Dec. 8 meeting.

Mayor Camille Hernandez, and Commissioners Scott Black and Knute Nathe voted for the contract. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Shive and Commissioner Normita Woodard voted against.

In dissenting, Woodard expressed concern about the number of tasks the municipality has been outsourcing — as opposed to finding solutions in-house with city workers.

“It seems like anytime we meet any type of adversity, the solution is contracting someone from the outside,” Woodard said. “I personally feel like our solution should not always be to contract out.”

She added: “It seems to be that we are consistently setting a precedent that when we can’t do the job, we are immediately going outside, and I don’t like it.”

Shive made similar points. He preferred adding another a full-time employee to handle the grounds and other areas for 12 months, instead of “turn over control of the cemetery with contracted people” for seven months of the year.

“I just want to remind everybody this is $37,000 for seven months. What is going to happen for the other five months when they’re not here to do the job?” Shive asked.

“I have a problem paying $37,000 for seven months when we can hire a full-time person that can work for the cemetery and the CRA (the Community Redevelopment Agency special district) — and we’re actually creating a job for somebody.”

The mayor pro tem, too, noted the city previously hired a contractor to maintain parking lots downtown, which led to unsatisfactory results.

The other commissioners, however, supported the city staff’s recommendation for various reasons.

Over the last handful of years, some 175 gravesites have been installed across the city’s 17-acre cemetery, sparking the need for more groundskeeping assistance. Some local residents have complained about the upkeep of the site in recent months.

“For smaller municipalities like Dade City is, sometimes you can’t do everything in-house,” Nathe reasoned. “Sometimes it is more cost-effective to hire out and go to a third party to maintain something that we don’t have the resources to do ourselves.”

He continued, “I don’t care whether it’s somebody directly employed by the city who does it or a third-party contractor.

“If staff’s telling us, ‘Listen, it’s more efficient to get a third-party contractor to do this, so that it frees up the cemetery groundskeeper to go help out in other parts of the city,’  — and I’m sure they need help during the rainy season — then I say let’s do that.”

Meanwhile, Black pointed out the firm JDMF had strong references from the cities of Lakeland and Bartow, as well as Pasco and Lake counties. Also, he surmised the contractor is set to bring in an experienced multi-person crew with their own equipment to spruce up the cemetery, likely to be more effective and efficient than any one person.

“The fact remains that we’ve got a problem that we need to take care of, and this does seem like a cost-effective way of doing it,” Black said. “You’re getting a team that comes in, that works and does this for other municipalities and a couple of counties, and I think we’re needing to do something different here, and if it doesn’t work out, then we can go back and find another way to do it, but this does sound like this could be a very good solution for us, and hopefully we can go back and break the cycle of the problems that we’ve been having of late.”

Hernandez — who was the favoring swing vote — acknowledged being “really torn” with the decision.

The mayor emphasized that the city’s public works supervisors must have regular follow-up with the landscape company. Moreover, the contractor better give ample attention to weed-eating around headstones and gravesites, she said.

“I just want to make sure that we’re doing our work, that this gets done,” Hernandez said. “As we get ready to do all this marketing of our town and not only the cemetery, but all of those things that we’re doing, that everything is looking in a way that people are proud of, especially when they’re going to pay tribute to their loved ones who’ve passed.

“We all realize this is important for people with gravesites. It’s in a lot of ways very emotional and very sentimental, as well as being something that we need to take care of.”

In recent months residents have levied ongoing complaints on the growth of weeds, and damaged graves and headstone decorations, making comments on social media and during commission meetings.

It came to a head during a September meeting when residents, including Mario Jenkins, spoke up about the conditions.

Jenkins told commissioners when he last visited his mother’s grave, he discovered some of the decorations—including a memorial cross — had been destroyed.

“Every time I go there, I seem to be disappointed,” Jenkins said. “The upkeep on the grounds is very poor.”

Cemetery duties increasing
For many years, the city was able to have a single groundskeeper maintain the entire cemetery parcel, officials say.

But, apparently that’s no longer the case.

One explanation may be the surging demand of marked graves and installed headstones over the last several years.

Dade City Clerk Angie Guy is responsible for selling cemetery spaces and when families want to have headstones installed for loved ones.

Guy explained that more than 175 graves have been added to the cemetery during the last six years.

The increasing number of gravesites has increased the workload for maintaining the cemetery, she explained, as more man hours are needed to mark the grave, install headstones, landscape surrounding areas and so on.

“The workload has increased substantially, so that’s another part of the issue,” Guy told commissioners at the meeting. “It’s not just marking the grave and that’s it. Now there’s a headstone that (residents) want installed, that (worker) is going to have stop mowing, stop weed-eating, and install the headstone, and make sure it’s installed correctly. If there’s any problems (with the headstone install), then they go back and forth…”

Published December 30, 2020

2020 eventful for East Pasco communities

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The COVID-19 pandemic aside, the year 2020 brought myriad new developments and occurrences within the cities of Dade City and Zephyrhills.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights from the past year:

Dade City

Medical marijuana dispensaries allowed
Medical marijuana treatment centers and dispensaries can now set up shop within certain areas of Dade City, following a commission ruling.

Medical marijuana facilities are now allowed in Dade City. (File)

An ordinance approved in January altered Dade City’s land development regulations to make treatment facilities a permitted use in the city’s general commercial zoning district, and an allowed use in commercial and employment center planned development districts.

More specifically, the action ordinance lets medical marijuana facilities be situated along U.S. 301/U.S. 98 south and north of town, and certain pockets of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) district, while avoiding much of the city’s historic downtown main street and central business district.

The city previously had a series of concurrent moratoriums on medical marijuana treatment centers within its municipal limits dating back to 2016, to study its possible impacts.

 

Group 4 Commissioner Knute Nathe

New commissioners elected
The 2020 municipal election cycle brought aboard a pair of fresh faces to the five-member Dade City Commission — in Knute Nathe and Normita Woodard.

Normita Woodard

Nathe, an attorney at McClain Alfonso, assumed the Group 4 seat vacated by Nicole Deese Newlon, who chose not to run for reelection. Nathe in his campaign was vocal about controlling development that comes into city limits, to curb “out-of-control” growth seen in Wesley Chapel and San Antonio.

Woodard, a secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School, assumed the Group 5 seat that had been held by Eunice Penix since 1993 (Penix opted not to seek reelection.)

Woodard’s platform focused on building a strong downtown, while also advocating for more accountability and efficiency in municipal services for residents.

Meantime, Group 3 incumbent Jim Shive was elected to serve a third term on the commission.

A $2.5 million construction project was completed to help relieve downtown flooding in Dade City.

Downtown gets stormwater relief
Dade City’s downtown streets and sidewalks have been known to be swallowed in at least 6 inches to 7 inches of standing water for days at a time after heavy summer rains.

This issue was seemingly mostly resolved when construction wrapped up in August on a $2.5 million stormwater capital improvement project.

The project generally took underground concrete piping through multiple downtown streets into an existing conveyance system into a reconfigured Irwin Pond, just past U.S. 98 and the CSX railway.

The new system runs from Seventh Street’s intersections with Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue. Then it heads east on Pasco Avenue to Third Street, before heading north up to Meridian Avenue.

The project was paid for with a combination of state appropriations, and funding from the Florida Department of Transportation and Dade City.

Snow in town?
While slightly outside the city limits, the brand-new Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park has brought an influx of visitors seeking a unique, family friendly thrilling adventure to the Dade City area.

Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park opened in November, at 27839 Saint Joe Road in Dade City.

The theme park hyped as “Florida’s first-ever snow park” opened for business in November,

at 27839 Saint Joe Road in Dade City.

There are three main attractions on the 20-acre site:

  • Snowy Slopes — 60-foot-tall, 400-foot-long snowtubing hill featuring single, tandem and family-style snowtubing.
  • Arctic Igloo  — 10,000-square-foot enclosed circular space that is covered in snow thick enough to build snowmen, and make snow angels and snowballs.
  • Alpine Village — expansive concourse area that exhibits a line of local vendors offering an assortment of food, drinks, beer, wine, craft goods and holiday gift shopping.

The park operates daily, except Christmas, from around November through March. Snowcat Ridge is owned by Point Summit Inc., which also operates TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park and Scream-A-Geddon Horror Park.

Zephyrhills

Main Street Zephyrhills garners statewide recognition
Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., annually puts on some of the city’s largest and most popular downtown events, such as the Festival of Lights, the Founder’s Day Parade & Heritage Festival, Music & Motorcycles, and others.

Main Street Zephyrhills in March was designated Florida Main Street Program of the Month. (Courtesy of Main Street Zephyrhills)

The 501c3 nonprofit also works closely with city leadership on other initiatives, such as creating interactive art murals, and installing public Wi-Fi downtown and more public park benches.

The organization’s varied efforts didn’t go unnoticed in 2020.

In March, it was designated Florida Main Street Program of the Month by Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee.

The monthly statewide honor is believed to be a first for Main Street Zephyrhills, which is mostly run by a large contingent of volunteers. The City of Zephyrhills does staff a coordinator to facilitate the group’s events and other programs.

Also, the organization in 2019 achieved national accreditation by the Main Street America program “for generating impressive economic returns, preserving community character, and celebrating local history.”

Attorney Clarke Hobby will serve as co-counsel for the City of Zephyrhills.

Zephyrhills joins water contamination lawsuit
Coincidentally enough, “City of Pure Water” this year joined a massive federal lawsuit regarding contaminated water.

In May, the municipality became a plaintiff in a multi-district litigation case filed against various companies that manufactured firefighting foams, or manmade chemicals found to contaminate groundwater, wastewater and water wells.

The chemicals in question are perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), compounds historically used in carpets, clothing, food packaging and a number of industrial processes.

High levels of PFOA/PFOS were discovered in Water Well No. 1 utilized by the city’s downtown fire station for training purposes, dating as far back as 2014, officials and experts have said.

Armed with this information, the Zephyrhills City Council unanimously voted to enter negotiations for representation with Cossich, Summich, Parsiola and Taylor LLC., a New Orleans-based litigation firm. Local co-counsel includes Tampa-based firms Hobby & Hobby P.A., and Young & Partners LLP.

Zephyrhills joins more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in the lawsuit. Other plaintiffs are as far away as California and North Dakota, and within Florida, Pensacola and Lauderhill.

Bidding adieu to local fire department
The Zephyrhills Fire Department — as it had been known for some 100 years — made its last service call in September when the agency officially became part of Pasco County Fire Rescue, through an interlocal agreement.

The Zephyrhills Fire Department consolidated with Pasco Fire Rescue through an interlocal agreement.

With the merger, the locally controlled fire department’s 24 full-time employees, two stations and apparatus were absorbed into the county’s fire and rescue operations.

The fire stations’ computer and audio systems unified within the county’s 911 operations center, too.

Along with the change, the city’s two stations have been renamed from Zephyrhills Fire Department Station 1 and Zephyrhills Fire Department Station 2, to Pasco County Fire Rescue Station 25 and Pasco Country Fire Rescue Station 29, respectively.

The merger had been inevitable for the past several years.

Besides a ballooning annual budget, Zephyrhills Fire Department over the years battled personnel turnover, staffing shortages and outdated equipment. The city also was without a fire chief for over 18 months, instead dividing those duties among three battalion chiefs.

The consolidation saved Zephyrhills from having to implement what would have amounted to a pricey fire assessment fee on residents and business owners to keep the local agency afloat.

World-class tennis center opens
Lace up the tennis shoes and prep those rackets and balls for play — because the state-of-the-art Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is now game-ready for local use.

The multimillion dollar Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is open for public use.

What began as drawings and plans on paper some four years ago has become a reality — in the form a $4.9 million athletic complex situated on nearly 10 acres of land, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills.

The facility’s centerpiece is 11 regulation outdoor tennis courts (nine clay surface, two hard surface), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts.

Attached is a nearly 8,000-square-foot indoor club housing cutting-edge health and wellness amenities that promote training and recovery via cryotherapy, salt therapy, yoga, athletic training and more. The indoor clubhouse also has a full restaurant and cafe operated by Land O’ Lakes-based caterer Mark Vesh.

The complex is named in honor of Sarah Vande Berg, a former Zephyrhills High School district champion and three-time state qualifier who died in an automobile accident in South Carolina at the age of 21, in October 2015.

The tennis center venture is a public-private partnership between the City of Zephyrhills and Pascal Collard, a longtime tennis pro and instructor serving as the facility’s CEO.

Besides public use, the facility is anticipated to be a host to national and international racquet sports tournaments.

A soft opening was held in September and grand opening in October.

Published December 30, 2020

Is Dade City poised for a marketing rebrand?

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The City of Dade City is in midst of an evolution that undoubtedly will alter the community’s aesthetic  — perhaps for decades to come.

The charming town in East Pasco is poised to see some 14,000 new homes on the books within the next five years, plus a slew of exciting downtown amenities and other unique, adventurous hotspots on the outskirts of town, just outside the city limits.

Drawing attention to Dade City’s past, while embracing it’s future is likely a challenge as the community looks to define its marketing identify. It’s an exercise that’s similar to how Pasco County in 2019 rebranded itself as ‘Florida’s Sports Coast,’ which is intended to capitalize on the county’s wave of youth and amateur recreation facilities. Shown here is The Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum, housed within the Dade City Atlantic Coast Line Depot. This was the first site in Pasco County that was be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. (File)

It’s longtime moniker, “Proud Heritage and Promising Future,” may no longer be quite apt — because, as it turns out, the future is happening now.

So, city leaders face this looming question: How does Dade City go about rebranding itself as a tourist destination, and what specifically does it want to promote, to best encourage visitors and foster economic growth amid an unprecedented period?

Melanie Romagnoli, the city’s community and economic development director talked about those issues during two city commission workshops, held in October and November.

“We need to decide who we are and what we want to be,” Romagnoli said, addressing the Dade City Commission. “I think the whole thing about the brand is actually having our vision of what we want our future to be and sticking to it. How can we market the city as a destination, like Clearly Zephyrhills, like Florida’s Sports Coast?”

Following the monthly workshops and three-plus hours of discussion, at least one conclusion is apparent —  much more brainstorming is needed, before the city become serious and throws thousands of dollars to a branding consultant to develop an image profile (photos, videos, graphics, logos) to best promote the town’s features.

Built into the city’s budget for this year is $40,000 toward a marketing and advertising plan, promotional activities and other contractual services.

Before that money (and possibly much more) gets allocated, however, commissioners believe additional input is needed from the community and the public, including local businesses, residents and other stakeholders.

The input could take form in charrettes, surveys, monthly forums, and even door-to-door visits.

Commissioners also agreed that it may be prudent to wait until some new amenities throughout the city are established.

In other words, don’t put the cart before the horse.

“I do think branding right now is a little premature,” Mayor Camille Hernandez said. “There’s a lot of things happening, but I think what we need to do is go back to this community (for input).”

She also added: “I think we’re just a few steps away. It’s right under our noses.”

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Shive likewise was vocal about fostering grassroots community feedback on branding the city for the future.

“I don’t think we have actually talked about a real vision of what we want, or expect from the future, when it comes to development, when it comes to growing the city,” he said. “I think we need to have the public on board with this, especially when you’re talking about branding.”

Commissioner Normita Woodard, too, pointed out that some of the best ideas or designs may first come from a talented local volunteer, which may yield some cost savings instead of hiring an outside branding firm. Woodard also added she’s in “a reserved state” about spending thousands of dollars just yet, as the city is in a transitional period and still navigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

First things first
In the meantime, sprucing up the city’s downtown is necessary before doubling down on a full-scale rebranding effort, commissioners agreed.

Commissioners expressed concerns on proceeding with a full-on rebrand until noticeable improvements are made along the city’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) district in the form of wayfinding signage, speed limit and lighting fixtures, façade improvements and filling commercial property vacancies.

Some solutions could come via a commercial minimum maintenance standards ordinance, which staff is drafting — based on a consensus reached by commissioners to proceed in that direction.

If a maintenance standard is approved, it would require upkeep from property owners and business tenants on building paint, signs, window coverings, dumpster enclosures and fencing or security upgrades. Besides the CRA, standards would likely apply to the city’s main thoroughfares along U.S 301, U.S. 98 Bypass, State Road 52/21st Street intersection, and Meridian Avenue.

Emphasizing the importance of cleaning up the city, the mayor said: “Nobody wants to go to an icky, dirty place.”

Also before spending thousands on branding and marketing, another pressing issue is solving the city’s sizeable commercial building vacancy rate.

It presently exceeds 40% just in the downtown area, Romagnoli said.

“What are the vacancies telling our visitors: That there’s not anything going on. You walk down a street and you see a long wall of nothing but empty,” she said. “What makes them want to go to the next store?”

Commissioner Knute Nathe said it’s a “chicken-and-egg” dilemma that can’t quite yet be fully quantified: “You know, it’s kind of hard to market a place as a destination, without a ton of stuff already there; but it’s hard to bring businesses into town when people aren’t going there,” he said.

One way to create more consistent foot traffic is to have the city retain an event coordinator, Romagnoli suggested. The coordinator could host artisan and craft vendors somewhere downtown each weekend.

Commissioners expressed optimism with that idea.

Branding options abound
Aside from blighted areas, Dade City is beaming with opportunity on the horizon.

The city is in the midst of developing a 2-plus acre downtown park on Church Avenue, slated to include a multi-use water splash pad, bike-share shelter, amphitheater, ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible playground, open space, concession area and other amenities.

Just a stone’s throw away is a forthcoming event and entertainment center on Seventh Street, known as The Block.

The site of a former car dealership, and spearheaded by development partners Larry Guilford and Melanie Armstrong, The Block will include a wedding and event venue, outside patio, brewer, catering business, space for food trucks and a CrossFit gym.

Also on Seventh Street is the Dade City Center for the Arts, which has begun making inroads to facilitate community art events, as well as indoor and outdoor arts and cultural exhibits.

Other imaginative and creative marketing and branding possibilities seemingly abound.

Possibilities include leveraging the fun, family friendly experiences at Treehoppers Aerial Adventure Park and Snowcat Ridge, the state’s only snowtubing park, off St. Joe Road. Those attractions are just outside of city limits, but have a Dade City address.

The city also may be able to capitalize on another niche: Its budding reputation for rural, rustic destination weddings.

There are about nine such spots in East Pasco, including several with a Dade City address, Romagnoli said.

The city could consider a branding campaign that hypes local wedding spots, while encouraging other activities nearby, whether it’s biking the local trails and roads, shooting at West Armory’s indoor range, strolling the downtown shopping and dining scene, touring Pioneer Florida Museum, and so on.

The city’s economic director said another opportunity to piggyback on the destination wedding angle, includes attracting photographers, caterers and wedding planners to lease one or multiple empty building spaces downtown.

Yet another branding concept? Promoting the city as a wholesome place to raise a family.

In any case, a challenge going forward will be fighting through some established perceptions and misconceptions, Romagnoli said.

A case in point: Forbes magazine once listed Dade City among “The Best Places to Retire.”

That label no longer fits, or is appropriate, Romagnoli said.

The city’s median age is around 36.

“We’re no longer the best place to retire, but we’re a great place to raise a family,” she said.

Published December 02, 2020

Former Dade City commissioner honored

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The City of Dade City recently paused to pay honor to Eunice Penix, one of its longest-tenured public servants, educators and community activists in the East Pasco town’s history.

Family, friends and community leaders gathered outside the City Hall building on Nov. 6 to recognize the many accomplishments of Penix, a longtime city commissioner.

Former longtime Dade City Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem Eunice Penix, left, receives a proclamation from Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez. Penix’s 27 years of public service, her volunteerism and her career as a school teacher were highlighted during a Nov. 6 ceremony. (Courtesy of Leslie Porter)

The proclamation ceremony provided an opportunity to formally thank the 79-year-old Penix “for her dedication to improve Dade City for its residents and future generations to enjoy a prosperous, sustainable community.”

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter welcomed the large gathering, and Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez read the proclamation, presented the plaque and gave closing remarks.

Guest speakers of the event included Florida State Senate President Wilton Simpson and Rev. Clyde Carter, president of the NAACP-Pasco County chapter.

Penix’s lengthy record of public service, included serving as a city commissioner from 1993 to 2020.

In August 1993, she was appointed to the commission to fill a vacancy. She then was unopposed in her bid for election in April 1994, to fill out the remainder of a two-year term. She went on to win reelection seven times, including six contests that were unopposed. She held the title of mayor pro tem from 2009 onward.

During Penix’s time in office, the city hired five city managers, three city attorneys, two clerks and a finance director.

She also played an instrumental role in numerous enhancements to the municipality over the years, including:

  • Annexed lands for commercial and residential development
  • Paved and resurfaced streets and sidewalks
  • The acquisition and restoration of the Atlantic Coast Line Depot, now used as the Dade City Heritage Museum
  • The creation of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency
  • The initiation of plans to move the city’s wastewater treatment plant
  • The reduction of flooding issues downtown with the construction of Beauchamp Pond
  • Progress on numerous park improvements, including the land purchase to build a downtown splash park/bicycle hub

Penix was a mentor for the Dade City Youth Council, and served in public office during the time of the development of a Hampton Inn and a Publix Supermarket within the city limits.

She advocated for the Morningside Drive extension project and construction of the new City Hall/Police Department facility.

As a government representative, she was involved in the Florida League of Cities, Women in Municipal Government, Florida Black Caucus of Elected Officials, and Suncoast League of Cities.

Aside from her civic duties, the now retired Penix spent four decades as a schoolteacher — the bulk of her time at the now-closed Floyd Academy in Lacoochee and Pasco Elementary in Dade City, where she earned “Teacher of the Year” during the 2001-2002 school year.

Penix herself graduated from Mickens High School in 1958 and Bethune-Cookman University in 1962, earning a degree in elementary education. She went on to obtain a master’s degree from the University of Tampa in administration and supervision in elementary education.

Her other volunteerism and community engagement is notable, too.

Penix has served on the Martin Luther King Scholarship and Moore-Mickens Scholarship committees, including 10 years as president.

She’s been a member of the Dade City Community Alliance-Charter, Dade City Rotary, and Habitat for Humanity of East and Central Pasco County. She also has served as vice president of Beta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Pi Chi Sorority.

Penix is an active member of her church choir at St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, in Dade City.

She chose not to seek reelection to the commission this year.

Her Group 5 seat is now held by Normita Woodard, a first-time elected commissioner and secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School.

Penix’s final commission meeting was on June 23, held in a virtual format amid the coronavirus pandemic.

During her final meeting as an elected official, Penix took time to deliver some parting words to thank the Dade City community. She said: “I’m grateful for the citizens of Dade City for allowing me to serve them for 27 years. I am so honored. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love all of you.”

Penix remains involved with citywide affairs, regularly attending commission and other pertinent meetings as a concerned and vocal citizen.

Published November 25, 2020

Commissioners sworn in, virtually

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The swearing-in ceremony for the Dade City Commission took on a new look, as the city adapted to this COVID-19 time.

This year, oaths were recited and hands were raised, as usual — but not at City Hall.

Group 3 Commissioner Jim Shive (File)

Commissioners took their oaths remotely, by video conference and telephone.

While not quite as ceremonial as a traditional swearing-in ceremony, a purpose was served, as third-term incumbent Jim Shive and newly elected Knute Nathe and Normita Woodard became official members of Dade City’s legislative body.

The July 14 virtual proceedings were handled by City Clerk Angelia Guy and City Attorney Tom Thanas.

The action also coincided with the selection of the municipality’s mayor and mayor pro-tem.

Commissioner Camille Hernandez was unanimously reappointed to the mayor’s chair, while Shive was named mayor pro tem.

Hernandez thanked fellow commissioners for a “vote of confidence to continue to lead the city for the next term.

Group 4 Commissioner Knute Nathe (Courtesy of Knute Nathe)

“I’m honored, I will continue to do my best, and will continue to move Dade City forward as we handle lots of different things,” she said.

The newly sworn-in commissioners, who will serve four-year terms, also offered some remarks.

Shive thanked Dade City residents for allowing him to serve for another term. The retired government employee has served on the Dade City Commission since 2012. He retained his Group 3 seat after receiving 58.14% of votes to defeat challenger Matthew Shane Wilson.

“I really care about Dade City, and am really looking forward to working with the new commissioners and getting things done,” Shive said. “We have a lot of work to get done, but I appreciate the support and thank you very much.”

Group 5 Commissioner Normita Woodard (Courtesy of Normita Woodard)

Nathe, an attorney, assumes the Group 4 seat vacated by Nicole Deese Newlon, who chose not to seek reelection. He defeated Ann Consentino by garnering 56.72% of the vote.

Nathe thanked his supporters and encouraged Dade City residents to become more active in governmental affairs and provide feedback to the commission, whether it’s through phone calls, emails or attending meetings.

He also was vocal about controlling development that comes into city limits, to curb “out-of- control” growth like you have in Wesley Chapel and what’s going on now in San Antonio.”

Woodard, an educator, assumes the Group 5 seat held by Eunice Penix since 1993.

Penix decided not to seek another term. Woodard received 52.46% of votes, edging out Christopher King.

Woodard used her platform to prompt commissioners and department heads to offer more appreciation and thanks to the city’s rank-and-file employees who daily deal with the public.

“I just want to make sure that we’re telling them, ‘Thank you’ just a little bit more, because it seems like a lot of them are wearing a lot of hats. …I think we just need to take a little bit more time and acknowledge them, and that goes a long way.”

Commissioners also:

  • Approved first reading ordinance establishing the Highland Trails Community Development District (CDD), encompassing approximately 243 acres located south of Morningside Drive, north of Clinton Avenue, west of Old Lakeland Highway and east of U.S. Highway 301
  • Approved first reading ordinance for an annexation of approximately 13.59 acres located west of U.S Highway 301 and north of Clinton Avenue. The annexation petition was requested by Wagenvoord Advertising Inc., and David and Gordon Howard.
  • Approved first reading ordinance for an annexation of approximately 52.32 acres located east of U.S. Highway 301, west of U.S. Highway 98 and south of Clinton Avenue. The annexation petition was requested by Iqbal Groves Inc. Additionally, commissioners approved first readings of a large-scale comprehensive plan amendment and zoning amendment for the vacant property, to make way for a future 298-unit subdivision.
  • Approved first reading ordinance amending a zoning map on approximately 2.13 acres of real property located at 36847 and 36851 State Road 52, from CN (Neighborhood Commercial District) to CG (Commercial General). The applicant, Benoit Trust, is proposing to develop the property for a small-scale commercial retail building, namely a Dollar General.
  • Approved preliminary plan for a new seven-lot subdivision called Teri Court near the intersection of 14th Street and Dixie Avenue
  • Approved preliminary assessment for stormwater utility fees for the 2020-2021 tax year, whereby the preliminary equivalent residential unit (ERU) rate is $45 per year. A public hearing is set for Sept. 8.

Published July 22, 2020

Commissioners elected in Dade City, San Antonio

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It came more than two months later than expected, but voters in Dade City and San Antonio finally had the chance to head to the polls to elect a new group of city leaders.

The Pasco County municipal elections took place on June 30, rescheduled from the original April 14 date because of COVID-19.

A total of six people were newly elected or re-elected to serve the respective municipalities.

In Dade City, the Dade City Commission will see one familiar face and two new fresh ones on its five-member legislative body.

Incumbent Jim Shive retained his Group 3 seat for a third term, receiving 58.14% of votes to defeat challenger Matthew Shane Wilson.

Shive, a retired government employee, has served on the Dade City Commission since first being elected in 2012.

Knute Nathe garnered 56.72% of votes, defeating Ann Cosentino for the Group 4 seat.

Nathe is an attorney with McClain Alfonso P.A., who also serves on the city’s planning board. He will take over for Nicole Deese Newlon, who did not seek re-election after serving a single four-year term.

The closest race came in Group 5, where Normita Woodard received 52.46% of votes, edging out Christopher King.

Woodard is a secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School. She will assume a seat held by Eunice Penix since 1993. Penix opted not to seek re-election.

In San Antonio, five candidates vied for three open seats on the San Antonio City Commission.

Unlike the head-to-head matchups of other municipalities, the top three overall vote-getters earn commission seats and serve two-year terms.

Incumbents Elayne Bassinger and Sarah Schrader won re-election, while the third open seat went to John Vogel II. Vogel II earned the highest percentage of votes (27.62%) to beat out challengers Joseph Couture and Dacia Wadsworth Mitchell.

Voter turnout was a combined 20.26% for the municipalities — 1,036 ballots cast among 5,114 registered voters. All municipal races are nonpartisan.

For more information, visit PascoVotes.com.

Pasco County municipal election results

City of Dade City
Group 3 Commissioner

  • Jim Shive — 58.14% (475 votes)
  • Matthew Shane Wilson — 41.86% (342 votes)

Group 4 Commissioner

  • Knute Nathe — 56.72% (439 votes)
  • Ann Cosentino — 43.28% (335 votes)

Group 5 Commissioner

  • Normita Woodard — 52.46% (405 votes)
  • Christopher King — 47.54% (367 votes)

City of San Antonio
San Antonio City Commissioner

  • John Vogel II — 27.62% (132 votes)
  • Elayne Bassinger — 24.69% (118 votes)
  • Sarah Schrader — 21.34% (102 votes)
  • Joseph Couture — 13.18% (63 votes)
  • Dacia Wadsworth Mitchell — 13.18% (63 votes)

Published July 08, 2020