The Laker/Lutz News

Scott Black

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 Commission solidifies legislative priorities

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The City of Dade City has identified four legislative priorities to present to the Pasco County legislative delegation at its upcoming annual meeting.

The session is for Sept. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St.

The public and representatives of various interest groups are invited to present their requests to the delegation before the 2022 Legislative Session begins.

Pasco’s delegation includes State Reps. Amber Mariano, Ardian Zika and Randy Maggard; and State Sens. Wilton Simpson, Ed Hooper and Danny Burgess, respectively.

The Dade City Commission is seeking state funding for these key priorities:

  • Morningside Drive Extension: $8 million
  • Meridian Avenue/21st Street/St. Joe Road-Suwanee Way Intersection: $4.2 million
  • Wastewater Transmission Forcemain: $4.7 million
  • Wastewater Treatment Plant Relocation — design and permitting: $1.75 million

The four projects are described, in a staff memo, as elements that would foster “an overall favorable effect on our local and regional economic development efforts.”

The extension of Morningside Drive to connect U.S. 301 to Fort King Road is undergoing a route study, design and engineering of the project, following a $5 million state appropriation in 2019. Another $8 million is needed to complete the project, with rising construction and right of way acquisition costs. The preferred 1.19-mile route is shown in the rendering. (File)

The city document explains how the municipality’s economy has been “greatly enhanced” through redevelopment efforts during the past several years.

But it also underscores the town’s “many challenges” that are related to its aging infrastructure systems and its large percentage of nontaxable properties.

The memo also mentions “the need to attract more business, industry and residential rooftops to help improve its local economic situation.”

Dade City, incorporated in 1889, has a population of about 7,400. It is the county seat of Pasco County.

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

Morningside Drive Extension
The primary aim of extending Morningside Drive is to relieve Clinton and Meridian avenues by providing additional eastbound and westbound travel options for residents and visitors. But the extension also would provide direct east-west access for AdventHealth Dade City.

The proposed roadway also would accommodate new development, improve emergency response times and serve as a corridor for the extension of utility services.

City leaders, however, were surprised when they learned the project’s expected cost.

The city received $5 million in state appropriations in 2019 and is now asking for an additional $8 million. That money, if awarded, would go toward securing necessary right of way and constructing the road.

The initial $5 million is paying for a route study, design and engineering of the project.

Meridian Avenue/21st Street/St. Joe Road-Suwanee Way Intersection
Officials say a roundabout would greatly improve efficiency and safety at this five-point intersection on State Road 52.

The project is promoted as a gateway to assist the town’s central business district and surrounding neighborhoods. It also is expected to provide a better traffic pattern for city and county residential subdivisions that are approved to be built west of the intersection.

City Manager Leslie Porter told commissioners that state legislators in the district have encouraged the city to submit the project for funding.

This comes after the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) narrowed the original project’s scope and pushed it back on their priorities list, she said.

The intersection request will call for a full roundabout to best leverage safety factors, Porter said, and therefore would most likely require the acquisition of right of way, hence the $4.2 million price tag.

Mayor Camille Hernandez labeled this asking price as “much more realistic” compared to some lower estimated costs thrown around in prior meetings and discussions surrounding the project.

Wastewater Transmission Forcemain
In simple terms, construction of a new wastewater transmission forcemain will direct wastewater to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The $4.7 million project is designed to foster growth in a financially disadvantaged community, too, officials say, with a secondary benefit being the reduced need for septic systems to serve commercial and residential growth.

The city manager told commissioners that staff also is pursuing a separate grant opportunity for the force main initiative.

Wastewater Treatment Plant Relocation — design and permitting
Dade City currently owns and operates a 1.5 million-gallons per day (MGD) wastewater treatment facility situated in the heart of the environmental justice Mickens-Harper neighborhood.

But this current facility site is built out with no room for expansion or upgrades to accommodate a higher level of treatment, officials say.

Meanwhile, the city is experiencing an increase in development that will impact future capacity.

The project also is slated to benefit the environment and impaired water bodies — Withlacoochee River Basin, Big Gant Canal — into the Hillsborough River Basin through implementation of a three-stage biological nutrient removal process.

Aside from seeking $1.75 million in state appropriations for design and permitting, Porter told commissioners the city is pursuing alternative means to see the entire project through.

“This is, you all know, a large project, so we’re looking at every possible funding source we can,” Porter said.

After the commissioners reached consensus on their priority projects, at the commission’s July 27 meeting, the mayor encouraged city stakeholders to attend and take part in the upcoming delegation meeting.

Hernandez — who plans to attend — urged that whoever speaks on behalf of the city keep talking points on the projects “very brief and to the point,” as more in-depth presentation materials can be sent to legislators’ aides ahead of time.

“We learned that brevity is a good thing, especially at those events,” said Hernandez. “There’s lots going on. It’s one after another for (the legislators), so it’s a pretty busy day.”

Porter concurred “a very brief script” is the way to go when addressing the delegation.

Hernandez went on to point out there’s no indication any or all of the projects — some carryovers from prior years — will get sponsored for state funding. “They may all go by the wayside, (or) something may get picked up,” she stated.

Commissioner Scott Black offered optimism regarding the possibility of securing state funding for the designated projects.

Published August 25, 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 approves contract for destination marketing campaign

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The City of Dade City is poised to launch a destination marketing campaign — with the aim of attracting more tourists, as well as engaging area residents.

To that end, Dade City Commissioners on June 22 unanimously approved a $14,200 contract with The Creative Stable Inc., a Dade City-based advertising, marketing, media and public relations firm operated by Jennifer Frazier. Frazier is the agency’s creative director, senior copywriter and general manager.

The scope of work entails the creation of a photo library ($2,500), the development of an advertising campaign ($3,200), the design of a destination website called DiscoverDadeCity.com ($1,000) and a video and short television spots campaign refresh ($7,500) — in collaboration with other Tampa Bay area multimedia companies.

Jennifer Frazier, creative director, senior copywriter and general manager of The Creative Stable Inc. (Courtesy of The Creative Stable Inc.)

In its proposal, Creative Stable listed its objective is for the municipality “to attract more foot traffic from surrounding areas to the downtown core of Dade City by visually portraying it as a unique, rewarding, memorable, and fun destination, thus increasing sales for area businesses.”

The proposal also outlines some of the city’s unique selling propositions. Those include Dade City’s small-town character; its historic buildings, including some Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles; its specialty retail, restaurants, brewery and events center; its public parks; its biking/hiking/walking trails; its cultural offerings, including the Dade City Center for the Arts and the Dade City Symphony; and, a new Visitor’s Center in the works and a splash zone being planned.

A photo library creation will encompass four days of on-site shooting by Rick Tauceda of Tampa-based Rick’s visual, to give the city hundreds of usable shots, be it streetscapes, historic churches, Kumquat Festival event action, local restaurants, pedestrians walking downtown, children playing at Price Park, cyclists and runners on Hardy Trail, and so on.

Meanwhile, a video refresh will be shot and produced by Tampa-based Diamond View Studios, updating a 2016 video library focusing on new footage and more experiential imagery “to avoid logos and storefronts as much as possible to give it a longer shelf life.” The group also will replace footage no longer relevant in the live, work, play, shop and dine spots, for 30-second high-definition television and social media spots.

In its advertising campaign for the city, Creative Stable will create “a cohesive series of community ads to develop wider market awareness for the downtown core.”

These would include:

  • An outdoor board
  • Print and digital ad series of five ads (live, work, play, shop and dine)
  • Social media campaign promoting 30-second spots and an invitation to visit
  • Event poster format
  • Event digital ad format
  • Event print ad

Meanwhile, the design of a “link-centric” destination website for Dade City would have pages to include, “Shop, Dine, Live, Work, and Play” in keeping with the themes of the marketing campaign. For instance, the “Play” webpage on the site would feature the Hardy Trail and city parks, along with other recreational opportunities such as TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park, and Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club.

The marketing plan also provides an option for ongoing support with a retainer fee, which can be modified to fit the city’s needs. The company recommended a monthly retainer of $1,500 (approximately 20 hours per month) to keep marketing consistent for the city over time, to provide event posters, print and digital ads, website updates and so on.

City leaders and merchants of late have expressed a need to attract a younger demographic and more foot traffic to support more contemporary types of businesses, such as bike shops, art galleries and taprooms.

As part of its proposal, Creative Stable garnered anonymous feedback from downtown business owners, who shared a mix of opportunities and concerns for the city’s ability to attract new people and thrive, including:

  • More affordable rent rates compared to Wesley Chapel
  • Too many empty storefronts
  • The need for a concert series at Agnes Lamb Park
  • Targeting day-trippers from Wesley Chapel, Lutz, New Tampa, Trinity
  • Incorporating more crosswalks to make the city more walkable and safer
  • Develop a curated mix of retail to better make the city a destination
  • More events needed to spur foot traffic

Commissioners like Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez expressed enthusiasm with the full-throttled marketing blitz and its desired impacts.

“The time is right for Dade City to really move to that next level,” she said. “We want a very high-quality product.”

The mayor described Frazier as “really talented” and “a tremendous asset” having produced campaigns for Florida League of Cities and First National Bank of Pasco, and many other entities.

The Creative Stable Inc.

Frazier has lived in Dade City since 1985 and raised her family in the area. She recently was inducted into the Tampa Museum of Art and serves on the Gasparilla Arts Festival and Gasparilla Music Festival boards.

Commissioner Scott Black added it’s advantageous that Frazier’s company is nearby on Fort King Road “so we can hold her accountable and we can pull her in more easily anytime there is an event going or a need.”

Meanwhile, Dade City Manager Leslie Porter credited Frazier for recently assisting Dade City pro bono on a newspaper ad campaign where “she was a great help and really helped the city a lot.”

With an influx of growth and development on the horizon, Frazier said it’s an opportune time to begin promoting the city more aggressively.

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

She put it like this: “I think we’re ready for our close-up now.”

Frazier thanked the commission for being receptive with the forthcoming initiatives, too.

“This has been months, and for a couple of us, years in the making to get to this point to try to create a cohesive marketing program for the City of Dade City, that’s easily repeatable, that’s going to bring in new people to our city, and also ignite those people who are already here, to get back and re-engaged, if they’re not already,” Frazier explained.

Work will begin once a signed contractual agreement is in place, outlining specific deliverables, terms and payment schedules.

As for a timeline for the marketing campaign, Creative Stable plans to complete library and video shoots “as soon as possible to avoid storm season.” From there, an eight-week window is planned “to deliver the videos, spots, advertising campaigns and website.”

Published July 14, 2021

Dade City boosts IT security system, in response to breach

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The City of Dade City is taking actionable steps to strengthen IT security protocols to prevent future data breaches and hacks.

Dade City Commissioners on March 9 voted unanimously to purchase cybersecurity services from Arctic Wolf Networks Inc., to provide managed risk and managed detection and response solutions, in an amount up to $41,901.88.

The action follows a ransomware data security breach that occurred in November, which compromised the city’s website, email systems and online payment systems — which continues to prevent residents from paying utility bills online.

In a February proposal and presentation overview from Arctic Wolf, it was revealed the city’s core systems were down for weeks and other components of the network were affected months after the breach; the attacker had access since April 2020; and, there was a $25,000 deductible for cyber insurance.

The City of Dade City is boosting its IT cybersecurity system in response to a data breach last year. (Courtesy of City of Dade City)

The agreement with the Minnesota-based firm will provide log retention for one year, as well as 24/7 monitoring of those logs.

The service also includes monthly vulnerability scanning with recommendations on remediation of detected threats, as well as the ability to allow the firm’s security team to immediately quarantine threats and suspected compromised systems.

The company is described as “the market leader in security operations,” utilizing a “cloud-native security operations platform to deliver security as a concierge service.”

The cybersecurity service was not budgeted in the current fiscal year, however officials felt it vital to now provide additional protection for the IT and security system. A portion of the unanticipated costs can be funded through the city’s GIS analyst vacancy and changes to some existing IT programs. Also, up to $20,000 will be funded from the city’s General Fund contingency.

The decision to ultimately proceed with the purchase came after a recent IT risk assessment by Mandiant, a Virginia-based IT security firm. The firm recommended the city improve its system logging and monitoring, as well as hardening defenses on all systems.

Dade City Manager Leslie Porter underscored the need for the enhanced IT security measures: “Unfortunately, we know the threats will continue coming. We just have to position ourselves in the best way possible,” she said. The city manager also noted additional cybersecurity measures will need to be considered in forthcoming budget years, as well.

Aside from meeting general risk assessment recommendations, the Arctic Wolf package needs to be in place before reestablishing online utility billing payment options for local customers, said Kevin Towne, the city’s IT director. He observed, “When you bring (utility billing) online you’re allowing people to come into your network to see that stuff. I can’t watch it 24/7, that’s what this company will do. It’s 24/7 protection. It doesn’t matter if its midnight on Christmas.”

Towne said the price for the service is reasonable because a comparative package from other cybersecurity companies could have cost upwards of $94,000.

“I don’t think anybody offers a package like them,” Towne said of Arctic Wolf. “They’re providing above and beyond.”

Commissioners recognized the need for enhanced cybersecurity.

“We realized we’ve got to do something,” Commissioner Scott Black said. “We can’t afford to let things like that continue to happen to us.”

Mayor Camille Hernandez agreed that the additional security is the way to go. She also noted: “The price tag, even though it looks high, is a great deal.

“If this is going to get us on the path the progress that we need to see and the utility bill pay and other things, it certainly seems like the right thing to do,” she said.

Published March 31, 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 to permit alcohol sales on Sunday mornings

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The phrase, “Bottoms Up!” may begin a bit sooner on Sundays in Dade City.

Consumers in Dade City will soon be able to purchase alcoholic beverages on early Sunday mornings  — if an amended citywide ordinance is approved on a second and final reading.

Under the proposed change, Dade City businesses with liquor licenses would be permitted to start selling alcohol at 7 a.m., on Sundays — four hours earlier than currently allowed.

The City of Dade City is set to permit alcohol sales at 7 a.m., on Sundays, earlier than the 11 a.m., blue law restriction that remains in place.

If adopted, the measure would create uniform alcohol sales hours all seven days of the week in Dade City — from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., the following morning.

The proposal to change the alcohol sales hours passed on a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Scott Black dissenting.

A second and final reading is expected on Feb. 23.

The ordinance mirrors a recent ruling enacted by the Pasco County Commission, which voted unanimously in November 2020 to change the county’s “blue law,” which had outlawed alcohol sales before 11 a.m., on Sundays.

A blue law generally refers to a state or local law that restricts certain commercial activities on Sunday for religious reasons, in order to observe a day of worship, or rest.

Other nearby municipalities also have repealed their respective blue laws in recent years, including the cities of Tampa, Lakeland and St. Petersburg. The City of Zephyrhills repealed the restriction on early Sunday morning alcohol sales more than a decade ago.

The call for the change in Dade City came at the behest of multiple Dade City establishments as a way to remain competitive, and as a way to avoid confusion for patrons.

In addition to retail packaged alcohol sales at local grocery or liquor stores as early as 7 a.m. Sunday, the ruling also would allow restauranteurs’ wish to sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday mornings, such as mimosas, Bloody Mary’s and so on.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez spoke in favor of relaxing the ordinance, reasoning that it is a “business friendly” measure intended to create “a level playing field” with the rest of the county.

Hernandez said the issue seemingly came to a head during Super Bowl Sunday, when many local shoppers — who were preparing for Game Day festivities — were informed it was too early to purchase alcohol at various grocery stores and other establishments within city limits.

“It’s not so much about drinking a mimosa at certain hours of the day, but having the opportunity to come into a grocery store or other establishment and being a convenience item to be able to do that one-stop shop,” the mayor said.

She also noted that if those shoppers ventured to Wesley Chapel or slightly outside limits, they’d have been able to make those one-stop shop alcohol purchases, which therefore discourages commerce in Dade City.

“People don’t want to go elsewhere,” Hernandez said, but, “if they’re not going to get it here, they’re going to go support other businesses that are outside of the Dade City limits.”

Hernandez also pointed to the city’s reputation as a fun place to shop and dine.

And, that’s likely to get a boost once a new downtown events and entertainment venue called The Block opens up on Seventh Street later on this year.

“We are trying to support businesses in our community and trying to help them with what they need to continue to survive and flourish in our area,” Hernandez said.

The mayor also noted that the Dade City Police Department has not expressed opposition or raised any “red flags” regarding passage of the proposed change.

Published February 17, 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

Dade City approves visitor’s center design

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Dade City Commissioners have narrowed in on a design for a new visitor’s information center building that’ll help round out Roy Hardy Trail trailhead — and serve as an important component for a future multi-use park near Church Avenue in the downtown area.

Commissioners on Aug. 25 unanimously selected a preferred design option that was favored by nearly 62% of residents in an online survey.

The visitor’s information center is being funded with the help of a $250,000 grant from the Pasco County Tourist Development Council.

The visitor’s information center will generally match the look of the surrounding Church Avenue neighborhood, which commonly features homes with wood siding, columns and brick embellishments. The 1,380-square-foot building will feature informational kiosks and mobile displays for all county tourism amenity partners, and showcase exhibits from local artists and museums. (Courtesy of the City of Dade City)

Plans call for a 1,380-square-foot open floor plan with two family bathrooms that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

The interior space will feature informational kiosks and mobile displays for all county tourism amenity partners. There also will be a third-party vendor space to provide maintenance, information sharing and security. The space also can be used to showcase exhibits from local artists and museums.

The center’s exterior will generally match the look of the surrounding Church Avenue neighborhood, which commonly features homes with wood siding, columns and brick embellishments; the building will be painted with a historic color palette of amber, copper red and black.

The building also will be accompanied by two porches and a bike rack — its location designed to offer easy access off the Hardy Trail for riders and exercisers to gather and rest.

The final building design, however, might take on a few more minor tweaks. Commissioner Scott Black expressed a desire to incorporate some elements of the former Seaboard Airline Depot, a Mediterranean-style structure that was once located northeast of the site. Any changes will likely apply to lighting fixtures, decorative elements and benches that can give the feel of a depot and railway platform, city officials say.

The project’s budget will next be finalized by staff and commissioners. Construction is expected to begin in January following the approval of submitted building permits.

Commissioners in May approved a design-build project bid with Dade-City based Borregard Construction Inc.

Mayor Camille Hernandez described the visitor’s center as “a major part” of a proposed downtown community park that’ll someday be “a destination in our town.” The center will be situated at the northeast corner of the 2.23-acre park property that could eventually feature a water splash pad, playground, event lawn and walking path, among other amenities.  “We certainly want it to become something that we’re all very proud of,” Hernandez said.

Published September 02, 2020

Dade City Commission welcomes new planning board

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The Dade City Planning Board has added a new face, plus a few familiar ones to its dais.

Dade City Commissioners on Aug. 11 reappointed three board members whose terms recently expired, and approved a new at-large member to the agency’s group of seven.

Matthew Munz was approved to the Dade City Planning Board, as an at-large member. The Dade City resident is a project manager at Mead & Hunt, an architecture and engineering firm. He takes over for Knute Nathe, who vacated the seat after being elected to the Dade City Commission last month. (Courtesy of Matthew Munz)

The three reappointments are James Cosentino, Bermice Thomas and Joe Kennard.

Dade City native and resident Matthew Munz is the new at-large appointment.

Terms of each of the four appointments will expire April 2024. The other planning board members are Jimmy Miller, Davis Henley and Juliann Hale.

Munz, the newest addition, is a project manager for Mead & Hunt, an architecture design, engineering, environmental and construction administration services company.

He takes over the at-large seat previously held by new Commissioner Knute Nathe, who vacated the seat after being elected last month to the Dade City Commission.

“I enjoyed a great deal my tenure on the planning board. It can be thankless service, but it is service that is necessary to the city,” Nathe said.

With that, Nathe recommended Munz for the at-large seat, citing his experience as an engineer leading various water, wastewater, and stormwater projects in multiple stages of development — matters that go hand-in-hand with planning board responsibilities.

Fellow commissioners concurred, unanimously approving the recommendation.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said Munz’s credentials “certainly are impressive” and his knowledge in development-related matters “should be an asset to the board.”

Hernandez noted that Munz sat through a four-plus hour commission meeting last month, underscoring his passion for community issues.

“If that ain’t dedication, then I don’t know what is,” Hernandez quipped.

Aside from professional experience, Munz also has deep-rooted ties to Dade City coming from a family of public servants.

His mother, Barbara Munz, was principal of Pasco Elementary School for 23 years.

His father, William Munz, was assistant county administrator for Pasco County throughout the 1990s.

Munz kept his comments brief following the appointment. “I look forward to being able to serve the city,” he said.

The city’s seven-member planning board also serves as the Local Planning Agency for quasi-judicial procedures, and also includes one member representative from Pasco County Schools.

The board meets monthly, or as needed.

Duties include transmitting recommendations to the commission regarding zoning district amendments, comprehensive plan amendments, variances, and conditional use permits.

On another matter, commissioners unanimously approved a final plat for Countryside, a 25-lot subdivision located on 5.72 acres east of U.S. 301 and adjacent to a busy block that includes a McDonald’s, O’ Reilly’s Auto Parts, Captain D’s and EZ Clean Car Wash, among other businesses.

The Countryside development has been in the works for some time.

Commissioner Scott Black noted the subdivision has been in entitlement ever since the city landed the McDonald’s location when he was a freshman in high school, roughly 40 years ago.

“It is rather interesting that the project is finally, after so many years, something is happening there,” he said.

The development has received some pushback due to potential negative traffic impacts in that area, including from former Dade City Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon.

Budget transparency headed to city’s website
Local residents soon will be able to get an inside look at Dade City government’s spending and departmental operations, in real-time online.

Newly appointed Dade City interim finance officer Andrew Laflin told commissioners he’s rolling out a cloud-based budgeting transparency software program onto the city’s website, within the next month or two.

The new program, will allow users to view and navigate the municipality’s multi-year capital projects and budget actual data, with links to the city’s annual budget document and ongoing budget preparations. It also will provide updates and messages from the city’s various departments, he said.

The new online feature will “show really a whole lot of stuff,” Laflin said.

Mayor Hernandez applauded the initiative, especially at a time when the city is experiencing a wave of commercial and residential development.

“I think that’s excellent,” Hernandez said. “I love the fact that it’s not only going to be available to the commission, but it’s going to be available in real-time, so I’m excited. That sounds like a good addition to providing information and transparency to our residents and those in Dade City.”

Laflin has hit the ground running on budget preparations for fiscal year 2020-21 since being hired to provide consulting financial services a month ago.

Other items worth noting:

  • The Dade City Police Department announced the hiring of two new police officers — Christopher Amatruda, 35, and Ronny Rivera, 48.
  • Dade City’s public restrooms have reopened, accessible from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily.
  • Work is underway on the design of a visitor’s information welcome center building at the Roy Hardy Trail trailhead.
  • Pasco County issued a notice to proceed with a route study for the extension of Morningside Drive — to connect U.S. 301 to Fort King Road in Dade City.

Published August 19, 2020