The Laker/Lutz News

Randy TeBeest

Pasco County fills leadership jobs

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New hires will step into leadership roles at three Pasco County departments.

Pasco County commissioners approved the hiring choices at their Dec. 1 meeting in New Port Richey.

Brian Head, a former chief deputy with the Pasco County Sheriff’s office, will be assistant county administrator for public safety and administration. He served 12 years with the sheriff’s office before retiring in 2013 with the rank of colonel. Most recently, he has been employed by Pasco-Hernando State College at its law enforcement academy.

Kelley Boree, left, spoke to Paso County commissioners who appointed her the new director of Pasco County’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department. Cathy Pearson, assistant county administrator for public services, stands next to her. (Courtesy of Pasco County)
Kelley Boree, left, spoke to Paso County commissioners who appointed her the new director of Pasco County’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department. Cathy Pearson, assistant county administrator for public services, stands next to her.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

In 2011, Head was one of three finalists for the top cop job in Pasco County following the retirement of Bob White. Gov. Rick Scott appointed Chris Nocco as the county’s sheriff and, soon after, Head was promoted to second-in-command as deputy sheriff. He held that position at his retirement in 2013.

He is a graduate of Troy University with a degree in public administration, and also has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Head’s start date is Dec. 14 at an annual salary of $115,000. He will oversee Fire Rescue, emergency management and the county’s new 911 communications center. He replaces Randy TeBeest who left several weeks ago to move out of state.

“I believe he is exactly the right candidate to help us put the cherry on top of the consolidated communications center,” said Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker.

Cloyd “Flip” Mellinger will become assistant county administrator for utility services effective Dec. 9. His start date will overlap by a few weeks the remaining tenure of Bruce Kennedy, who plans to retire at the end of the year.

Mellinger currently is director of utility services in Marion County, a position he has had for about six years. Previously, he also served four years in supervisory positions with the same department.

He served in the U.S. Navy and is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and a master’s degree in science and environmental management.

His annual salary will be $128,000.

Kelley Boree will become director of parks, recreation and natural resources effective Jan. 4. She currently is parks and recreation director in Jacksonville.

She is a graduate of William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri with a degree in business administration. She has served in director level positions with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Her annual salary will be $105,000.

“I look forward to leading an awesome parks team,” said Boree in comments to commissioners prior to her appointment to the job.

Published December 9, 2015

 

Consolidation improves emergency operations

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Pasco County’s 911 call center is making strides in improving its operations, according to an annual report of its activities.

For the past two years, the Public Safety Communications department has been in transition as the county and Pasco County Sheriff’s office consolidated emergency response operations.

The Dade City Police Department also recently merged its 911 center with the county.

The Public Safety Communications division is a busy place.

In 2014-2015, it answered more than 525,000 calls.

Of those, more than 210,000 were 911 calls, and nearly 38,000 were classified as high priority.

Police vehicle

Of more than 252,000 dispatched calls, most went to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and Pasco Fire Rescue, the report shows.

There were about 15,000 dropped, or abandoned, calls.

That’s a significant number, according to Randy TeBeest, assistant county administrator for public safety and administration.

But, it’s an improvement.

In a single year, the center has reduced the number of abandoned calls from 10 percent to 7 percent, the report found.

“Abandoned calls are a national problem,” TeBeest said, and they happen for a variety of reasons.

Children sometimes dial 911 by mistake. Prank calls are made. In the age of the cellphone, pocket dialing happens. And at accident scenes, people who start to call 911 realize other people also are dialing and, TeBeest said, they drop their calls.

A benefit of consolidation is a 55 percent reduction in call transfers from one department or agency to another. That has helped cut down on the time a caller has to wait and also on the potential for dropped calls.

Emergency dispatch times have improved by 30 percent, the report found. National standards require 90 percent of emergency calls be answered in 10 seconds during the busiest hour with the greatest call volume.

The standard also requires 95 percent of all emergency calls to be answered within 20 seconds. There was a significant decline in answering times for the sheriff’s office in the summer of 2014, but TeBeest said, “At all times, we were above industry standards.”

Most recently, call takers answered about 99 percent of calls for assistance from the sheriff’s office within the standard recommended time.

One of the biggest challenges for the center is staffing turnover due to the intensity of the job. The center currently has 13 vacancies.

But, TeBeest said the center expects to be close to fully staffed soon.

The county authorized eight new hires and, in total, there are 11 new employees in training, he said.

The emergency response operations will deploy a new radio system in the coming year to enhance communication among agencies. A new phone system also is being installed to thwart potential cyber attacks.

Published November 11, 2015

Citizens Academy connects the dots

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The class kicked off with a “show-and-tell” display of Pasco County’s firefighting and rescue vehicles in the parking lot outside of the county’s Emergency Operations Center. It ended with an up-close look inside the command center of the county’s 911 operations.

“It was fascinating,” said Nancy Menendez. The Land O’ Lakes resident expressed surprise that the 911 center wasn’t larger. Blinking red lights mounted at each cubicle signaled a call in progress.

Pasco firefighter Michael Tomlinson, right, explains the uses of fire suppression equipment to Port Richey resident Jeromy Harding and Land O’ Lakes resident Sandy Graves. Harding and Graves are students of the county’s Citizens Academy. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Pasco firefighter Michael Tomlinson, right, explains the uses of fire suppression equipment to Port Richey resident Jeromy Harding and Land O’ Lakes resident Sandy Graves. Harding and Graves are students of the county’s Citizens Academy.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Menendez noticed the even-keeled, calm tones of call operators and dispatchers as they answered nearly nonstop calls in rapid-fire succession.

She is one of about 20 students chosen from about 50 applicants to attend the county’s third Citizens Academy. The first academy was in 2014.

There are two semesters a year, in spring and fall. Anyone who lives or works in Pasco, and is 18 years of age or older, can qualify. Students in each semester come from all five of the county’s election districts.

The goal is to inform residents about local government as well as their roles as participants. The hope also is that students who come to the academy will want to be ambassadors, sign up for advisory boards or find other ways to volunteer.

“Most of the folks learn something,” said Randy TeBeest, assistant county administrator for public safety. “I’m betting they learn a lot. This really gives them an idea of where tax dollars go to and why and how we decide to spend those precious dollars.”

Menendez found herself in the academy after discovering the program on a random search through the government website.

“It really sounded interesting,” said Menendez who at age 59 is beginning to think about retirement.

“I’m not going to sit home and watch TV,” she said. “I’m going to get involved. I want to see what I want to do in my future life. I’ve been enjoying this. It’s an experience I’ve not expected.”

Each class focuses on a specific area of government such as constitutional officers or planning and development. Last week’s class was about public safety and included briefings on the departments of misdemeanor and probation, and emergency management. The Office of Tourism Development was on the agenda, too.

Organizers try to include an interactive element in each class, such as the 911center tour.

In March, the academy convened at the Dade City courthouse for a mock public hearing with students playing the roles of county commissioners and the residents who took sides on a proposed housing project.

New Port Richey resident Marilyn Shaw played a resident who opposed the development. “It’s so fun,” she said.

Though she has done public speaking before, the retired registered nurse said, “You find out what your skills are. I felt very honored (to be selected for the academy). I wanted to be more active in government and understand what department does what.”

Some students want to hone existing skills and knowledge.

Land O’ Lakes resident Sandy Graves is on the board member for the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. Her chamber connection was partly her motivation for signing up for the academy.

But she also said, “I think it’s important we all learn to work together. Local government is where it affects you most.”

She has a new awareness of the many levels of government.

“I didn’t know it was that complicated,” Graves said. “Bureaucracy tends to do that. There are so many times you don’t know who it is to call or what they do.”

Trilby resident Richard Riley is a retiree and an activist in the Dade City area.

“I feel it’s necessary to know what’s happening and how it’s happening in the county. This (program) is on-site, hands-on.”

The academy is meeting his expectations. “I’m learning who to contact, and who to thank,” he said. “We pay taxes for these people. It’s necessary to see how well things are running.”

Jeromy Harding, 24, owns an insurance business in Port Richey. He ran in the Republican primary for State House Representative, District 36, the seat vacated by Pasco Tax Collector Mike Fasano.

“I’d do it again,” Harding said. “I’m very active politically in west Pasco.”

The academy is a chance to learn more about the county commission, voting issues and the budget process, Harding said.

At an upcoming class, students will learn about how budgets are put together and participate in an exercise similar to the mock hearing in Dade City.

Learning the nuts and bolts of county government is the motivation for Julian Ford. The 39-year-old is an entrepreneur, spiritual leader and owner of a business in Dade City. He grew up in Pasco and lives in Lacoochee.

“I want to put myself in a position to make a more valuable contribution not just to me, but to my (community),” said Ford.

When the academy is over, Ford said he wants to be in a position to explain to other people how government works.

“It’s doing exactly what I want it to do. It’s connecting the dots, answering the why,” he said. Later on, he said, “I can be the why.”

Published April 8, 2015

Everyday tips to stay away from flu, other illnesses

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Local efforts are under way to encourage healthy habits to avoid illness.

Everyday preventive actions can help slow the spread of germs that can cause many different illnesses, and may offer some protection against the flu.

“While a flu shot is the most effective measure against getting the flu, good prevention habits help reduce more than just the spread of flu,” said Kathleen Yeater, executive director of nursing at the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County, in a release.

The school district, government and health department in Pasco are pushing out reminders to practice healthy habits for prevention. Even Pasco County Parks and Libraries have teamed up with characters they developed named Nate and Wendy to get the message out about flu prevention. Thousands of people have watched the “Nate & Wendy” shows that address a variety of topics from the county government, according to a release.

The latest episode focuses on school children washing their hands and covering their mouths when they cough. That video can be found at Youtu.be/nPHV5mesjMY.

The messages, however, are the same for adults.

“If you do catch the flu, it’s important that you stay home and fight the illness,” said Randy TeBeest, assistant county administrator covering public safety. “We encourage our county employees not to spread the illness around by coming back to work. Stay home, get better, then come back.”

Some steps to help with everyday preventive actions include:

  • Stay home when sick. If possible, stay away from work, school and errands. This will help prevent others from catching it. Also, avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Cover nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue away after use, and wash hands. If a tissue is not available, cover mouths and noses with sleeves, not hands.
  • Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth. Germs can spread this way.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill.

Second Citizens Academy class now forming

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Pasco County is now accepting applications from the public to attend the second Citizens Academy class.

Applications will be accepted throughout August for a class that will begin Sept. 24, and run through December.

The first class formed in January, and finished in spring.

“We had a wonderful selection of candidates to choose from for the first class, and I’m hopeful we’ll have another top list of candidates to choose from for the fall class,” said Randy TeBeest, assistant county administrator for public safety and administration, in a release. “We’ve had applicants from all walks of life, from those currently in the work force to retirees, citizens who want to learn how their county government works.”

Participants will learn about all aspects of county government as well as Pasco’s constitutional offices. Some of the classes include subjects in emergency management, fire rescue, elections, the property appraiser’s office, libraries, tax collector, sheriff, public service, and development services and utilities.

Those who would like more information can visit tinyurl.com/PascoCitizenAcademy.

For information, call Paula Baracaldo at (727) 834-8115, or email her at .