The Pasco County Commission has authorized hiring five full-time code compliance positions in a quest to address code violations and to create a better curb appeal for the county.
The county board unanimously approved an allocation of $306,821 this year for startup costs and $409,097, in fiscal year 2024. Budgeting for the positions will continue to be needed in subsequent years, as well.
Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who frequently brings photographs to board meetings to call attention to violations, is excited about the additional staff.
Commissioner Gary Bradford, who has urged county administration to find a way to provide additional help for the code compliance team to handle mounting workloads, said he’s glad to see county administration taking this step.
Both commissioners said the need is great.
Besides obvious violations, the county also has a problem with businesses that do not comply with county regulations, Starkey said.
“I am finding many places that never came in for a site plan. They may have got their zoning, but then they just went off and opened their business with no site plan review, no site plan approval,” she said.
Some businesses fail to meet the county’s regulations, or, if they do initially, they fail to maintain their properties, Starkey said.
“If we’re trying to attract quality business here and help our residents with taxes, we have to have curb appeal. I think this is really critical. I don’t want to keep sliding backwards.
“I can tell you, if we don’t stay on top of these things, we are sliding back,” Starkey said.
Commission Chairman Jack Mariano said he’d like to see a greater focus on dealing with homeless camps.
Patrick Arotin, director of code compliance, explained how the five additional personnel will be deployed.
“We are going to be looking at businesses and commercial properties a little harder. We’re going to review business tax receipts; research site development plans; and that coincides with that landscaping issue,” he said.
Staff will be asking: “Who has kind of violated that original site plan?” he said.
Additional attention also will be focused on right of way violations, including trash, illegal signs, fence violations and zoning compliance, he said.
Arotin said he also hopes to have staffing on at least one weekend a month, on varying weekends to avoid tipping off potential violators.
Published July 26, 2023
