The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Chris Nocco

Road dispute stalls zoning request until January

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The Pasco County Commission has delayed until Jan. 25 a request for a 108 single-family subdivision in Land O’ Lakes — to give the developer a chance to work out a solution for addressing area traffic concerns.

The rezoning is being requested by Darrell A. and Karen J. Renner.

It calls for changing the zoning on 50.5 acres of agricultural land to allow a master-planned unit development (MPUD), on the south side of Bexley Road, about a mile west of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Wisteria Loop.

Both the Pasco County Planning Commission and county planners recommended approval of the rezoning, providing a number of conditions are met — including the construction of a new road.

But the applicant has balked at constructing a new road, because of the cost.

Attorney Shelley Johnson, whose clients are seeking the rezoning, said they are willing to improve Wisteria Loop, to bring it up to county standards  — a condition that county planners required in their original recommendation for approval.

The applicant also has offered to improve a nearby intersection into a safer configuration, Johnson said.

Area residents, however, continue to push for the new road to be built.

Speakers including Ray Gadd, Chris Nocco and Jeremy Couch urged the county board to take action to prevent existing neighborhoods from being flooded by traffic, not only from the future 108-home development, but others that are being, or will be built in the area.

Gadd, who is deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, and Nocco, who is the county’s sheriff, both made it clear that they were speaking as private residents, not in their official capacity.

At the initial planning board meeting, Johnson said her client would be willing to build the new road or improve the existing one and county planners subsequently changed the conditions to require the new road.

But when the issue came back to the planning board for further discussion, Johnson said constructing the road would be too costly. Instead, she said, her client was willing to bring the existing road up to standard.

Published December 22, 2021

Planning board calls for developer to build road

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of a rezoning to allow a 108 single-family home subdivision in Land O’ Lakes, provided the developer meets a number of conditions — including the construction of a road.

The request, by Darrell A. and Karen J. Renner, calls for rezoning 50.5 acres of agricultural land into a master-planned unit development (MPUD), on the south side of Bexley Road, about a mile west of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Wisteria Loop.

The planning board initially heard the request on Sept. 30, then delayed it until Nov. 4 and then heard it again on Nov. 18.

The delays were made to give the applicant a chance to address expected traffic problems that neighbors and the planning board believe will occur, as the area continues to develop.

Some neighbors to the proposed development urged the planning board to require the applicant to build what the county calls a “vision road” to prevent cut-through traffic in the Wisteria Loop area, as the area is poised for significant growth.

Jeremy Couch, who lives on Wisteria Loop, urged the planning board to require the proposed improvement, which the applicant estimated would cost about $2.8 million.

Attorney Shelley Johnson, whose clients are seeking the rezoning, said they are willing to improve Wisteria Loop, to bring it up to county standards  — a condition that county planners required in their original recommendation for approval.

Subsequently, county planners changed the conditions to require the construction of the vision road, with the applicant being able to receive mobility fee credits that could be sold to recoup a portion of the costs.

Johnson noted that upgrading Wisteria Loop and improving a nearby intersection would cost about $1.5 million — significantly less than building a new road.

Chris Nocco, who is Pasco County’s sheriff, appeared at the meeting as a private citizen, not in his official capacity.

He’s against the proposed rezoning.

“I think one day they should be able to build homes, but not today.

“I don’t object to building houses, but build the houses when the roads are in place, and everything is ready to go,” he said.

“If you look at the whole Angeline project (a massive development planned in the area), this will actually tie into it because of Bexley Road.

Nocco said that if needed infrastructure doesn’t come first, existing neighborhoods will be threatened and the area will lack a coherent way to manage future growth.

“Let’s have a master plan for the entire road system,” Nocco said. “If we don’t address those issues now, we never will. All it’s going to do is create more congestion, more heartaches.”

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, spoke at a previous hearing on the request. Like Nocco, Gadd appeared as a private citizen.

Gadd urged the planning board to require the vision road, to help the area prepare for the inevitable traffic that will be coming through, as new developments spring up.

Johnson previously had told the planning board that her client would improve the existing or build the new one, but would not do both.

The willingness to do the either-or, though, changed when they learned about the sizable cost differential.

Planning board members Jaime Girardi and Don Anderson both said that building the vision road was a big burden for Johnson’s client.

But Anderson said he doesn’t see another way to resolve the issue.

David Goldstein, the chief assistant county attorney, said the applicant would get mobility fee credits that could be sold to other developers to recoup the additional expense, over time.

The applicant could be eligible for about $1.3 million in mobility fee credits.

The planning board ultimately voted to recommend approval of the project, provided that a vision road is built.

Planning board member Roberto Saez dissented. He said the area lacks the infrastructure needed to support the development.

The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction over land-use and zoning issues.

Published Nov. 24, 2021

Planning board delays rezoning request in Land O’ Lakes

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A request to rezone 50.15 acres for a 108 single-family homes in Land O’ Lakes has been delayed until Nov. 18, to continue to explore a way to prevent cut-through traffic from future area development.

The request, by Darrell A. and Karen J. Renner, calls for rezoning agricultural land into a master-planned unit development (MPUD) on the south side of Bexley Road, about a mile west of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Wisteria Loop.

The Pasco County Planning Commission first heard the request on Sept. 30, but delayed it until Nov. 4 to give the applicant time to pursue the possibility of building a county “vision road,” which, in effect, would keep future area traffic from spilling into the existing community along Wisteria Loop.

County planners initially had recommended approval of the application, if the developer brought Wisteria Loop up to county standards.

During the Nov. 4 meeting, however, area resident Ray Gadd called for approval of the application to be contingent on the construction of the vision road. Another area resident, Chris Nocco, urged the planning board to take a long-term look and act now to protect existing communities. Gadd is deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools and Nocco is the county’s sheriff. Both made a point to say they were acting as private citizens, not in their official capacity.

Shelly Johnson, an attorney representing the applicants, told the planning board at the Nov. 4 meeting that her client would be willing to construct the vision road or improve the existing road, but not both.

However, her client subsequently found out that building the vision road would cost approximately $2.7 million and improving the existing road would cost $914,000. They also learned there’s wetlands involved, so it could take up two years to obtain the necessary permits to build the road.

Planning Commission Chairman Charles Grey said it’s not the planning board’s job to ensure that a project is financially feasible, but board colleagues Jaime Girardi and Don Anderson said they weren’t comfortable forcing the applicant to shoulder the additional costs.

One possibility would be to reconfigure three existing skewed intersections into a traditional T-intersection, a representative for the applicant said.

The planning board continued the request until Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m., in New Port Richey, at the Pasco County government center. The delay is meant to allow the applicants to bring back a potential solution and to give area residents another opportunity to weigh in at a public hearing.

Published November 10, 2021

Traffic concerns cause rezoning delay

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Saying they want to make sure they get the planning right, the Pasco County Planning Commission continued a rezoning request by Darrell A. and Karen Renner for a proposed 108-home development in Land O’ Lakes.

The request was continued until Nov. 4, when the planning board is scheduled to also consider another nearby rezoning request known as the Clark master-planned unit development (MPUD).

There’s a connection between the two because some right of way is available in the Clark MPUD that could help resolve a traffic circulation concern.

The Renners have requested a rezoning that would allow a new subdivision on 50 acres, on the south side of Bexley Road, about 1 mile west of U.S. 41 and Wisteria Loop.

The site presently is occupied by a residence and some agricultural pursuits, and its current zoning allows a maximum of 19 residences, according to the county’s planning staff.

County planners have recommended approval of the Renner’s request.

They said the proposed density is in keeping with the county’s future land use designations for the area. They also recommend a number of conditions. One condition requires improvements on Bexley Road and Wisteria Loop — to bring both of these substandard roads up to the county’s standards.

Under those conditions, the improvements would be required on Bexley Road, from the project driveway to Wisteria Loop, and on Wisteria Loop, from Bexley Road east to U.S. 41.

Area residents, however, urged the planning board to require a different solution to traffic issues.

They want a realignment of Wisteria Loop, which they say is part of the county’s vision road map.

Ray Gadd, who lives on Wisteria Loop, explained the current scenario to the planning board and what area residents would like to see.

“As it stands now, they (motorists) come to the curve in Wisteria (Loop), and they can go right to Tower (Road) or out to Wisteria Loop,” Gadd said.

If the realignment is constructed, the traffic flow would change.

“What it (vision road) accomplishes is that it essentially makes Bexley a continuous road. So that people coming from the applicant’s property, people coming from the Bexley property, or the future Angeline property would hit Bexley and have a continuous route, without a stop sign, until they hit (U.S.) 41, where they would make a right turn,” Gadd said.

Requiring that approach would be “effective planning,” Gadd contends.

If the planning commission wants to recommend approval of the Renner request, it should require the developer to acquire the right of way needed to make that improvement, Gadd said.

That land is within the proposed Clark MPUD.

Gadd is deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, but made it a point to announce that his appearance was as a private citizen, not in his official capacity.

Jeremy Couch, another Wisteria Road resident, told the planning board: “I feel that the staff’s conditions are completely inadequate for what they want to do.”

He characterized the Renner’s requested development as being “premature.”

Chris Nocco, Pasco County’s sheriff, also spoke at the public hearing. Like Gadd, he announced he was there as a private citizen, not in his official capacity.

Nocco urged the planning board to take a long view when considering the application.

“We want the community, Land O’ Lakes to grow, but to grow smartly,” Nocco said.

“Start those vision roads,” he said, because without them, existing communities are at risk.

“As we start building out Angeline (a massive development planned in Land O’ Lakes), let’s start seeing how it’s going to affect everything else because we don’t want to destroy the communities that are already in place,” Nocco said.

Matthew McClain, who lives on a 3.5-acre property just east of the proposed rezoning, raised issues regarding compatibility.

“My concern is, this will destroy that rural nature. Everything around it is large lots,” he said.

With the proposed rezoning, McClain said, “You’re going to cram 100-plus homes on 34 (upland) acres, in an area where there’s 3-, 5-, 10-acre plots of land. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Shelly Johnson, the attorney representing the applicant, said her client can make the improvements required in the conditions, or can complete the realignment that’s being proposed.

But it can’t do both, she said.

Johnson asked the planning board to recommend approval and to send the request to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction on land use and zoning issues.

“From our perspective, we’re doing everything that we’re required to do that other developments do. When you have a road that’s substandard, you bring it up to standard, and that’s what my client agreed to do,” Johnson said.

“We are absolutely doing everything that we can, and that the code requires us to do, in terms of doing improvements to Wisteria Loop, which right now is our access. That’s our way in and out to (U.S.) 41.”

Planning Commission Chairman Charles Grey told his colleagues, the board needs to be sure “that when we do this, we do it right — we have the proper things in place.

“We can’t let an artificial date define how we handle these neighborhoods. I think traffic flow here, is extremely important,” Grey said.

Planning Commissioner Chris Poole agreed.

“We need to get the planning right on this. This is a particularly difficult area that we’re dealing with here,” Poole said.

After additional discussion, the board voted to continue the request until Nov. 4, the same day it is scheduled to consider the rezoning request for the Clark MPUD.

Published October 13, 2021

Public service campaign targets human trafficking

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Law enforcement agencies and the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking have teamed up to launch a public awareness campaign to target human trafficking.

Three public service announcement videos highlight aspects of the problem.

One video focuses on traffickers; another, on sex buyers; and the third, on human trafficking victims.

The five law enforcement agencies in Pasco County — the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Port Richey and Dade City — all joined in on the effort.

The videos feature Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco, Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer, New Port Richey Police Chief Kim Bogart, Port Richey Police Chief Cyrus Robinson and Dade City Police Chief James Walters.

The videos were set to be released on all participating agencies’ social media platforms on Oct. 7.

These PSAs highlight Pasco County law enforcement’s unified front in combating human trafficking,” Liana Dean, chair of the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking, said in a release.

“This crime will not be tolerated in Pasco, and if you’re trafficking or buying sex, law enforcement will track you down,” Dean said.

The PSAs also address human trafficking victims and survivors directly – assuring them that law enforcement cares about them and letting them know help and resources are available.

“The commission is honored to continue to work with our law enforcement partners on this project, and we are extremely grateful for its help and support,” Dean said.

To report human trafficking or to ask for help, call 911 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Here are the links to the PSAs on YouTube.

Published October 13, 2021

This K9 is trained to help rescue people from disasters

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The Pasco Sheriff’s Office has added another police dog to its ever-growing K9 Unit — and this one brings a unique set of skills to the job.

K9 Maddie — a two-year-old black Labrador Retriever — is the agency’s first-ever “live-find” K9. That means the dog has been specially trained to find people missing in a natural or other disasters, such as a building collapse or the aftermath of a hurricane.

K9 Maddie, a 2-year-old black Labrador Retriever, is the Pasco Sheriff’s Office’s first ‘live-find’ K9, meaning it’s specially trained to find people that are missing in natural or other disasters, such as a building collapse or the aftermath of a hurricane. The law enforcement agency now has 31 K9 units. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

So-called live-find K9s like Maddie must be confident working at a distance from their handlers and sure-footed, with a keen sense of smell, sheriff’s office officials say.

Maddie came to the sheriff’s office last May from Maine-based Maranatha Farm Kennels, and began three months of training to pass state certification for search and rescue efforts.

Her handler, Deputy Robert Lewis, also has received intense training in rescue operations to best assist the canine when deployed, acquiring fire rescue certifications in ropes, rescue, trench and confined spaces operations.

Together, they have continued training almost daily on two of the agency’s FEMA-certified “rubble pile” training facilities, which simulate a variety of scenarios, such as a parking garage or house collapse.

Once the duo secures federal certification, the unit will be able to deploy to disasters outside of Florida, if necessary.

Lewis, a sheriff’s office employee since 2015, has previous experience as a field training officer.

When asked by agency leadership about partnering with a live-find K9, he jumped at the opportunity.

“It was very interesting to me,” Lewis said in a video media presentation produced by the sheriff’s office. “It’s a completely different task that no one’s done for the agency yet. Also, the fact that more than likely you’ll get to travel to respond to natural disasters, whether it be a hurricane somewhere else, or out of state.”

Lewis also noted: “I always wanted to be a K9 (deputy). I grew up around a lot of dogs for pet purposes and also hunting purposes.”

Ed and Angie Moore contributed funds for the Pasco Sheriff’s Office to acquire its first ‘live-find’ K9. The Moore family made the donation to honor their daughter, Madison, who suddenly passed away in 2017 at the age of 17 from a blood clot. Madison is remembered as an animal lover, who had aspirations of working in forensics. From left: Cpl. Jimmy Hall, Ed Moore, Angie Moore, Deputy Robert Lewis and Forensics Supervisor Sue Miller.

The advanced canine is named in honor of Madison “Maddie” Moore, a River Ridge High School student who passed away unexpectedly in 2017 at the age of 17, before her graduation. She died after a blood clot in her brain caused a massive stroke.

Her parents, Ed and Angie Moore, donated funds to the sheriff’s office to make the K9 purchase.

Inspired by television shows like Criminal Minds and CSI: Miami, Madison dreamed that she would earn a degree in forensics and become a crime scene investigator.

She showed miniature horses, competitively, and was known for her love of animals.

“Madison was a very outgoing kid,” Madison’s father said in the video. “We feel very fortunate…we were able to continue her legacy and put forth something that she was looking forward to in her life.

“It means a lot to us. It means even more that the dog was named after her and it will continue to carry her legacy.”

Including K9 Maddie, the sheriff’s office now has 31 K9s, which are funded through community donations and contributions.

In addition to live-find capabilities, the sheriff’s office operates K9s certified in narcotics detection, explosives detection, tracking, patrol work, human remains detection and animal assisted therapy. The agency also has K9s assigned to its highway interdiction and SWAT teams.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco underscored the importance of the agency’s K9 Units, during the video series.

“It’s about saving people, protecting our citizens,” the sheriff said. “When somebody’s in need, a child goes missing, a person with Alzheimer’s is lost, we can go out there and search for them. You know, if we have to hunt down a bad person, we find that bad person, but at the same time…the vast majority of our calls for service is to find people, to save people, and that’s what our K9s are out there doing.”

On K9 Maddie joining the force, Nocco said: “We’re blessed to have K9 Maddie now. I’m happy to see who she’s going to find in the future.”

Published March 10, 2021

No plans to shutter Zephyrhills police department

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While Zephyrhills is considering a consolidation of its dispatch services with Pasco County’s emergency dispatch, city officials made it clear that there are no plans to shutter the city’s police department.

Last year, the city merged its fire department with Pasco Fire Rescue, as the city’s fire department faced mounting costs and personnel turnover.

Elected city officials want the public to know that its police department will remain intact.

Council Vice President Jodi Wilkeson put it like this: “We need to reassure people that it’s not our intent to merge the police department with the county, that this is purely to improve communications between law enforcement groups.”

If anything, the city should expand its own police force, which stands at 34 sworn officers, Councilman Ken Burgess said.

“I think we need more officers on the street. This (communications merger) could be a way of putting more officers on the street; I think that’s a positive,” Burgess said.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco doesn’t have interest in absorbing the Zephyrhills Police Department or other municipal police forces, for that matter, said the city’s Police Chief Derek Brewer.

“The sheriff has publicly said he has no interest in taking over the cities, and I will tell you that is a very, very, very expensive proposition for the county to take over, that I don’t think that they’d be willing to look at,” Brewer said.

City officials also said that if a dispatch merger occurs, city dispatchers would retain full-time positions within the municipality or police department, albeit in a different capacity, if for some reason they are not taken in by county dispatch through a merger.

The city is budgeted for 10 dispatchers, but currently has eight on staff.

Published March 03, 2021

Drug overdoses increasing in Pasco County

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During the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, there’s another alarming issue surging in Pasco County  — rising fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office has reported 1,491 overdoses (and 268 deaths) from January 2020 to December 2020 — representing a 71% increase from 2019.

This includes a single-month high of 168 overdoses (39 fatal) in May, agency data shows.

Most recently, the month of December proved one of the most troublesome months in the past year — with 135 reported overdoses and two deaths. The trend continued in 2021, as the first weekend in January recorded 19 overdoses, with three deaths, according to the sheriff’s office.

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco

Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco says the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the county’s substance abuse and mental health problems because more people are dealing with job and financial losses, loneliness, homelessness and other personal struggles.

“We’re definitely seeing an extremely high spike since COVID hit with mental health and substance abuse, and especially the overdoses. There is an absolute correlation there,” Nocco recently told The Laker/Lutz News.

Overdose survivors have told deputies that “they feel like they’ve lost human connection with people,” Nocco said.

Instead of finding solace in faith, Nocco thinks many turn to substance abuse, and that, he said, is creating major issues.

During the midst of a pandemic, there are mental health issues occurring that won’t be healed with a vaccination, he said.

“People right now, they’re constantly on edge,” Nocco said.

These overdoses, Nocco said, are mostly related to heroin and other drugs laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic similar to morphine but believed to be 50 times to 100 times more potent.

Said Nocco: “Heroin and fentanyl are the main two killers. When you’re seeing overdoses, it’s fentanyl. It’s sad. When you have an overdose and people pass away, it’s probably more likely than not that it’s fentanyl.”

Nocco noted the agency has even witnessed instances of carfentanil — an analogue 100 times stronger than fentanyl and most commonly used as an elephant tranquilizer.

Aside from its users, fentanyl and carfentanil offshoots pose a threat to the public and to first responders, as they can be absorbed through the skin or through accidental inhalation of airborne powder.

These substances are coming in from overseas, with stronger and stronger variations being discovered on the streets, Nocco said, adding, “It’s a very dangerous situation we’re dealing with.”

The overdoses predominantly are occurring in the western part of Pasco County, along the U.S. 19 corridor, Nocco said, but there are also pockets of activity in Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

A nationwide problem
Rising drug overdoses are trending across the nation.

Over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020. That’s the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While overdose deaths already were on the rise in the months preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest numbers suggest an acceleration of overdose deaths during the pandemic, the CDC reports.

This graphic shows fatal and non-fatal overdoses in Pasco County for each month in 2020. Absent is the month of December, which yielded 135 overdoses and two deaths. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

“The disruption to daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic has hit those with substance use disorder hard,” CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield said, in a December news release. “As we continue the fight to end this pandemic, it’s important to not lose sight of different groups being affected in other ways. We need to take care of people suffering from unintended consequences.”

According to the CDC, synthetic opioids (primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl) appear to be the primary driver of the increases in overdose deaths, increasing 38.4% from the 12-month period leading up to June 2019 compared with the 12-month period leading up to May 2020. During this time period:

  • 37 of the 38 U.S. jurisdictions with available synthetic opioid data reported increases in synthetic opioid-involved overdose deaths
  • 18 of these jurisdictions reported increases greater than 50%
  • 10 western states reported over a 98% increase in synthetic opioid-involved deaths

More troubling trends
While overdose figures were substantially higher in 2020 compared to 2019 and some previous years in Pasco, the sheriff’s office’s intelligence-led policing unit likewise found a steady increase each year since 2017, which, of course, predates the pandemic.

This may result from lasting effects of Florida’s opioid prescription pill epidemic, Nocco said, with many users who initially got hooked on prescription pills turning to heroin, meth and other substances to get their fix.

“We’re still dealing with it. It’s not over,” the sheriff said of the statewide pill crisis. “You’re looking at individuals that would’ve never used hard drugs such as meth or heroin, but because they were prescribed Roxys (Roxicodone), Oxys (Oxycodone), Xanax for minor things like a minor surgery, a tooth issue, something like that, they then became addicts, and so those people with those addictions, they’re still suffering right now.”

Seeking solutions
To tackle these various substance abuse and related mental health issues, the local law enforcement agency is continuing to leverage its community-based health partners such as BayCare, Chrysallis Health and Pasco County Alliance for Substance Abuse and Prevention, and others.

The sheriff’s office has a rolodex of health care agencies that can provide help with a range of issues, including mental health, substance abuse, homelessness, youth and family services, autism, suicide, and veterans and post-traumatic stress. More details on resources can be found on PascoSheriff.com/MENTALHEALTH.html.

“We want to get to people before they get to that crisis stage,” Nocco said, adding, “and if people are starting to feel depressed, if they’re starting to feel issues and concerns, please reach out to those resources immediately.

“If those health care issues are dealt with very early on, they don’t turn into criminal justice issues,” he said.

The CDC also has made recommendations that can help curb drug overdose epidemic in local communities:

  • Expand distribution and use of naloxone and overdose prevention education
  • Increase awareness about and access to and availability of treatment for substance use disorders
  • Intervene early with individuals at highest risk for overdose
  • Improve detection of overdose outbreaks to facilitate more effective response

On a related note, the sheriff’s office is working to make positive lasting impressions on the younger people, to help get a grip of at-risk mental health and substance use issues.

The agency has partnered with the Pasco County Council Parent Teacher Association (PTA) on a mental health initiative titled, “You Matter,” which mainly focuses on suicide prevention among juveniles. Part of the effort involves distributing magnets with upbeat reminders that can be attached to cellphones and wallets, and other places.

The sheriff said his agency is trying to get this message out to teenagers and young adults: “You matter in life.”

The fact is that many of these kids are isolated, Nocco said.

“They’re on their phones and they don’t feel like they’re engaged with what’s going on.
“I understand a lot of people go on social media and walk away depressed thinking about what they read or if somebody put a negative comment on there,” he said.

He wants to spread the word, to help people realize their value.

“It doesn’t matter what somebody wrote about you, you matter to somebody else, and your life is important.

“We don’t want to see people harm themselves or get an addiction over a comment made on social media by somebody who could live a couple of thousand miles away,” Nocco said.

Published February 03, 2021

Input from law enforcement welcome in planning efforts

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Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore failed to find support from his colleagues when he suggested adding a seat on the county’s planning commission for a representative from the sheriff’s office.

Moore recommended the expansion of the planning commission during the county commission’s Jan. 12 meeting.

He said Sheriff Chris Nocco has asked for such involvement in the past, and Moore asked his colleagues to move forward with the request.

“It would definitely be an asset, with the growth of the county, when it comes to public safety, as well as the traffic concerns. They need to be represented on the planning commission.

“We do have a school board (representative) that’s on the planning commission. It would only benefit us to have the sheriff’s office to have a representative on the planning commission,” Moore said.

But, Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder noted: “the school board is on the planning commission only for the purposes of increase in residential density, and that’s by statute.”

He added: “I’m not sure you couldn’t put a representative of the sheriff’s office on it, but that would require a land development code amendment to change that composition.”

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey was not receptive to expanding the planning commission.

“It just seems kind of odd to me, to put the sheriff’s office on the planning commission,” Starkey said. “Is there any planning commission in the state that has law enforcement on it?”

Steinsnyder said he would have to research that question to find out.

Starkey then asked: “Is there anyone at the sheriff’s office with planning background?”

Moore responded that the sheriff does have someone in mind that he would like to appoint to that role.

Chase Daniels, assistant executive director for the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, said “to Commissioner Moore’s point, obviously any time there are new developments, there could be criminal elements to that.

“There are other concerns with CPTED, which is crime prevention through environmental design — guardhouses, gates, security cameras, lights.

“And then, to Commissioner Starkey’s point, as well, anytime you add more cars on the road, you obviously add more people that are speeding, people looking for through routes and trying to get off major thoroughfares.”

The sheriff’s intent is that “so many of those things that do come through the planning commission, we would appreciate the opportunity to have eyes on, as they go through, and make recommendations,” Daniels said.

Starkey said she’s fine with having a safety voice, but doesn’t think the planning commission is the best place for that.

“We take public comment, and certainly we hold the sheriff’s comments in high regard, and I would think that he should come to the meetings. However, being a voting member — I think that’s just not the right place for them,” Starkey said.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley and Commissioner Jack Mariano agreed with Starkey that the sheriff’s office doesn’t need to have a representative on the planning commission.

Moore told his colleagues: “I guess I don’t understand the apprehension to have somebody appointed from the sheriff to be on the planning commission, when everything and anything approved does have some type of impact on law enforcement.

“They’re asking to be involved in those discussions,” Moore said, noting the sheriff’s office can add a “totally different insight.”

He also reminded board members of how important public safety is to the residents of Pasco County.

“We’ve seen time and time again, on our surveys, public safety always ranks No. 1,” Moore said.

Nectarios Pittos, the county’s planning and development director, said that having a sheriff’s office representative provide input on pre-application reviews could provide a chance for the law enforcement agency to weigh in at a much earlier stage of the project, than they would at the Planning Commission stage.

County attorney Steinsnyder also noted that the sheriff’s office might be able to be involved in another aspect of the county’s planning efforts, too.

“They may need a seat at the table at ordinance review, where we’re developing the land development code changes,” Steinsnyder said.

But Moore pressed on, noting he’d made a motion to take the necessary steps to add a representative from the sheriff’s office to the planning commission.

That motion was seconded by Commissioner Christina Fitzpatrick, but it failed, with Oakley, Starkey and Mariano voting no.

After the vote, Moore asked County Administrator Dan Biles to be sure to reach out to the sheriff’s office to invite them to have a member attend pre-application meetings, which Biles said he would do.

Biles also noted that the county already shares some planning information with the sheriff’s office, but he will make sure that the information is getting to the right place.

Published January 20, 2021