The Laker/Lutz News

Roberts Road

More police needed, as city grows

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Dade City Police Lt. Robert Tungate was a guest speaker at The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce business breakfast meeting, held last month at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.

Among his talking points during the Sept. 21 gathering was how the local law enforcement agency is managing the municipality’s impending residential and commercial growth and development.

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

Dade City Police Lieutenant Robert Tungate was a guest speaker during a Sept. 21 business breakfast meeting hosted by The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

Homes soon will be popping up across all parts of the city, Tungate said, pointing to scheduled land clearings along Clinton Avenue and U.S. 301, St. Joe Road, and Roberts Road, among other areas.

With that, the local police official predicted the city’s population of some 7,000 residents will “probably” triple within the next five to eight years, and added, “that’s not counting all the amount of traffic that comes in every day to work, especially if we get all these new developments going on.”

“We’re going to swell during the daytime, and then when everybody goes home, we’re, of course, going to have all these rooftops,” Tungate said. “The houses mean more calls for police services.”

As the city balloons, so will its local police department.

The Dade City Police Department presently has five open positions, Tungate said.

One vacancy is due to a retirement, while the other four are newly funded positions in advance of the ensuing growth.

Other changes on tap include the launch of a Chaplain Corps program, to offer advice, counseling and assistance to police employees, particularly in times of crisis and otherwise.

At full strength, the city has budgeted for 27 full-time sworn officers for fiscal year 2021-2022.

This is a number the department hasn’t seen in some time, Tungate said.

To fill these positions, the agency is recruiting local colleges and universities wanting to land “top of the tier” applicants and hires, Tungate said.

To that end, Tungate shared the ongoing battle of being competitive and on par with other Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies in not only recruiting qualified officers, but preventing those from bolting for larger, more prestigious agencies once they gain some field experience.

“This new generation of cops coming in, they’re all saying, ‘What’s in it for me?’ It’s not like the old days where people get a job and they stay there,” explained Tungate.

“These guys are coming in, saying, ‘Hmm, this (agency’s) better, that (agency’s) better,’ for whatever the reason. Sometimes, it’s pay. Not always. Sometimes, it’s working next to a best friend, it doesn’t matter…”

Meanwhile, Tungate thanked the Dade City Commission and Dade City Manager Leslie Porter (who was among dozens in attendance during the meeting) for proactively directing more resources to the police department of late.

“The city manager has done a great job to recognize the need for our police department,” said Tungate. “If we keep growing like we’re growing, the city commission and city manager recognizes that we’re going to grow again.”

This has included increased wages and benefits for patrol officers, detectives and sergeants through new collective bargaining agreements between the city and the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association, on behalf of the local law enforcement agency.

Moreover, city leaders recently approved increased public safety impact fees on new single family homes (now $449, up 375% from the prior $94) and retail units (now $462 per 1,000 square feet, up 52% from $304).

The measure was recommended by consulting firm Stantec, given the municipality hadn’t increased since 2004.

Additional revenues from the public safety fees will be used to address the police department’s increased costs of service delivery, operations, capital outlay, training and new equipment, including police vehicles.

The public safety fee hikes, Tungate said, “takes the burden off the city to have to come up with Penny (for Pasco) money or your other tax revenues” to fund local police operations.

Tungate is third in command of the Dade City Police Department and is responsible for the supervision of criminal investigations, forensics, property evidence and records and communications divisions, according to the city’s website.

The lieutenant of police administration also serves as the public information officer and is responsible for agency recruitment and professional standards. He also writes, tracks and manages grants; and supports the annual budget preparation process.

Pasco County District 1 Commissioner Ron Oakley also spoke during the breakfast meeting, offering general updates on some of the county’s roadway and development projects.

He took a mostly positive angle on the impending growth coming East Pasco’s way.

Said Oakley, “You’ve got all these homes coming into Dade City, guess what it’s going to do for the businesses in Dade City? It’s going to increase. The economic value of those homes, that’s going to pour into Dade City and make it better, so it’s a good thing for everybody.”

Oakley acknowledged more traffic buildup occurring in these parts, but pointed out supporting infrastructure like roadway improvements and schools can’t be furnished until residential developments and communities are built out and related impact fees collected.

Addressing the crowd, Oakley said, “I know you all know how much growth is happening in Pasco County, and a lot of it has moved to the eastern part of Pasco County, which for us, that’s a lot of new things happening. We want to be a premier county, and we’re going to do things the right way.”

Published October 20, 2021

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

Despite neighbors’ concerns, commissioners OK subdivision

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a 145-home subdivision on the west side of Fort King Road, south of State Road 52 and north of Roberts Road, despite opposition by neighbors.

Attorney Barbara Wilhite, representing the applicant, Dade City Fifty LLC, noted that the county’s future land use designation allows a potential of 284 units on the 50-acre property.

Wilhite also noted that flooding historically has been an issue in the area, and that this project will actually help improve drainage.

Neighbors expressed concerns about flooding back in 2005 when the property originally was rezoned to allow 100 homes, Wilhite said.

“The board heard these neighbors’ concerns and put stricter requirements,” Wilhite said, noting that a study of Tank Lake was done and the board adopted a Drainage Basin of Special Concern ordinance in the summer of 2005.

“So, as we come forward now in 2018, this project has to comply with those (stricter) standards,” Wilhite said.

Jeremy Couch, with Tampa Civil Design in Lutz, said he understands neighbors’ concerns.

“We’re higher than them, their fear is that we’re going to dump more water on them.

“We’re going to keep it (the water) there. We’re not going to let it go downstream,” Couch said.

Twenty-nine percent of the property is going to be used for ponds and drainage, Wilhite said.

“One 50-acre project is not going to fix the flooding that happens downstream. But, we are going to do our little part,” Couch said. “And, our little part is to put in infrastructure, trap the water and keep the volume. We are not going to slow-release. We’re just going to hold it.”

Still, neighbors were skeptical.

Once the retention pond fills up, the water will flow downhill, they said.

“What they’re going to do — I can guarantee you, is not going to hold all that,” said Betty Jean Perez, of 12431 Fort King Road. “When that water comes down, off those hills, it comes down like a river — a rushing, rushing river.”

Kathleen Schrimpf, of 12457 Fort King Road, also weighed in: “I understand they’re not responsible for the entire flooding issue in this area, however, I’m not confident that what they’re doing isn’t going to at least exacerbate the problem.”

Marie McLeod, 12524 Green Oak Lane, who said she’s been a flooding victim twice, urged board members to protect the neighbors.

“I would like to place my trust in you, that you will keep us safe and dry,” McLeod told commissioners.

Eddie Schultz, 12510 Fort King Road, noted: “I do think the engineers have done a good job of trying to come up with a solution.”

However, Schultz added, “there is a real concern about the ability of the water to actually be absorbed. The question is, how fast can it be absorbed?”

Cheryl Musgrove, speaking on behalf of her mother, Martha Damron, of 12231 Fort King Road, said there’s standing water on her mother’s property now — just from normal rains.

“Flooding plans are nice, but if they don’t work, real people’s lives and older homes are at risk of flood damage and loss,” Musgrove told commissioners.

Sheila Tomlinson, 12649 Green Oak Lane, said adding more homes will increase the potential for flooding.

“That’s a lot of roof, that’s a lot of cement, that’s a lot of driveways, that’s a lot of sidewalk,” she said.

Tomlinson said she was unaware of the area’s flooding problem when she moved into her home in 2004.

“Within two months, we had hurricanes come in.

“I was the mother of twin daughters. Every day I had to walk with my children on my shoulders in waist-deep water, so we could go to school and work every day for over a month,” Tomlinson said.

Jeff Richey, 12509 Green Oak Lane, cited concerns about increased traffic.

There are no sidewalks in the area, he said.

Plus, “at the wrong time of the day, it’s hard enough to get out of our neighborhood,” Richey added.

Wilhite said the applicant hired a traffic consultant to analyze the situation and that there will be no degradation of traffic standards, even with the project’s traffic.

Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, former chairman of the board for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, said the area has been plagued by drainage problems and efforts have been underway for years — and still continue — to address the issue.

Meanwhile, Oakley said, “I appreciate this development taking care of as much water as they can going across their property.”

Commissioners approved the rezoning, 5-0.

Published September 12, 2018