The Pasco County Commission is moving ahead with a project to upgrade the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at its Animal Services’ Adoption Center.
Commissioners approved a staff recommendation to proceed with a project design, and build a heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrade for the Adoption Center, for a cost not to exceed $506,190. The agreement calls for utilizing Omnia Partners, with Daikin Applied Americas Inc.
The Adoption Center consumes more energy per square foot than any other county building, according to the board’s Jan. 26 agenda background materials.
The building currently averages an annual electric bill over $160,000 per year, the agenda materials say, and the installation of three new energy-saving HVAC units would save approximately $90,000 annually.
Using Omnia would allow for standardization with current systems already installed throughout the county, the agenda materials said.
In other action, commissioners allocated $40,000 to help pay for amenities at the intersection of the Starkey and Suncoast trails.
The primary source of support for the project is a $160,000 grant from a Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) recreational trail program grant. Pasco County also set aside an additional $10,000, for possible cost overruns.
The money will be used to add a restroom with a composting toilet, an ADA hard-surface access trail, a well/water fountain, a bike repair station, a solar charging station, a bike rack, a wayfinding locator, and a kiosk with trail use/trail safety educational literature.
In another action, commissioners approved the purchase of 1.09 wetlands mitigation credits in the amount of $131,100 from North Tampa Mitigation LLC.
The credits are needed to offset additional wetlands impacts for the Wesley Chapel Boulevard (County Road 54) widening project, from north of State Road 56 to north of Magnolia Boulevard, according to the agenda backup.
As part of finalizing the design plans for the C.R. 54 (Wesley Chapel Boulevard) widening project
from north of S.R. 56 to north of Magnolia Boulevard, two stormwater management facilities located at the south end of the project needed to be reconfigured and relocated. In addition, a right-turn lane was added on northbound Wesley Chapel Boulevard, 54 at Compark Drive to replace the existing right-turn lane.
These design changes resulted in additional wetland impacts, which need to be mitigated in order for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to approve the county’s permit modification application.
On another issue, commissioners approved a resolution requesting the Pasco County Legislative Delegation to sponsor and support a local bill that would support a Net Metering Program in Pasco County.
At the end of 2024, Pasco County’s energy contract with Duke Energy (Duke) will expire. Presently the sale of renewable electricity supplied by the Waste To Energy (WTE) Facility accounts for approximately 40% of the solid waste department’s enterprise fund’s annual revenue, according to a county documents contained in the board’s agenda materials.
Under Duke’s currently available standard offer contract, the county’s annual electrical revenue would decrease by over $22 million, the document says.
If the proposed local bill is adopted, Pasco County would be able to realize fair market value for the renewable electrical energy that it is already generating.
Published February 10, 2021
