City of Dade City

Dade City projects progressing, others delayed

April 28, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

As coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) affects how municipalities and government entities operate, the City of Dade City is striving to keep day-to-day duties relatively intact, while following various safety procedures and precautions.

Not unlike its municipal neighbor Zephyrhills, which is 9 miles down the road, Dade City has gone about minimizing the number of personnel at City Hall or out in the field — incorporating rotating shift schedules and allowing others to work remotely. The city, for example, is limiting the number of staffers inside City Hall to no more than six to 10 at a particular time, Dade City Manager Leslie Porter told The Laker/Lutz News.

Porter acknowledged the pandemic has presented some logistical challenges, but added “the majority of us have been able to be fully functional, whether we’re remote or in the office.”

She continued: “We’ve been doing our best to keep business moving forward.”

So, while municipal offices on Meridian Avenue are emptier than usual, several projects and initiatives are progressing, albeit with slight delays, Porter said.

For instance, the city recently was able to put two construction projects out to bid:

A new concession stand and public restroom building at Moore-Mickens Field, 14318 Canal St. The city has budgeted $150,000 for the project.
A visitor’s information center building at the Hardy Trail trailhead, near property that later will be developed into a multi-use splash park/bike hub. The Pasco County Tourist Development Council allocated $250,000 for the information center.

Moreover, the $2.3 million downtown stormwater improvement project is nearly completed and is on track to meet its summer deadline, Porter said.

The scope of the project generally takes underground piping through multiple downtown streets into an existing conveyance system into a reconfigured Irwin Pond, just past U.S. 98 and the CSX railway.

All downtown roadway construction work is done, while “final pieces” of the pond component are underway, Porter said.

There were “a few delays” because of COVID-19, she said.

Other city plans are facing longer postponements, however.

The multimillion dollar Tank Hill wastewater facility improvement project has been put on hold, until on-site pre-bidding meetings can be scheduled, something necessary because it’s a larger-scale project, Porter said.

Also, the splash park/bike hub project is facing indefinite delays. A public draft conceptual presentation was originally scheduled in mid-March, but canceled due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, and has not yet been rescheduled.

A visioning meeting would have allowed residents to provide input and ideas on wanted amenities for the new downtown park, located on a 2.23-acre parcel that borders the Hardy Trail on Church Avenue.

Other updates from the city manager:

City Hall remains closed to the public, so utility billing payments are being accepted online, over the phone, or through drop box. The city is absorbing the cost of credit card transaction fees for utility bills.
Playgrounds and public restrooms are closed, but city parks and trails remain open with the exception of Naomi Jones Park at 38122 Martin Luther King Blvd., due to challenges associated with users not obeying social distancing protocols.
Dade City Commissioners Eunice Penix and Nicole Deese Newlon, who are not seeking re-election, have agreed to remain in their legislative roles up until the rescheduling of the Pasco municipal elections. The elections have been delayed per an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis
The Dade City Police Department is temporarily pulling back on some of the in-person, community policing efforts, to minimize face-to-face contact in the wake of COVID-19.
The city is releasing a quarterly newsletter on its website and becoming more active on social media, to better engage citizens on various happenings and initiatives.

City to begin virtual meetings
Dade City will start holding virtual city commission meetings by teleconference, the first coming on April 28 at 5:30 p.m. The virtual format will continue “as long as necessary to keep business going and keep everybody safe,” Porter said.

Porter added the city also is prepared to hold other noteworthy meetings virtually — such as planning commission board — should stay-at-home orders extend indefinitely. “We don’t want to hold up progress,” she said.

The city had to cancel multiple in-person commission and planning board meetings in March and April due to COVID-19, and needed additional time to explore how to best go about a virtual meeting setup.

Persons wishing to participate in virtual meetings:

Call +1 (517) 317-3122
Enter access code 342-617-085(Mute your phone unless you wish to speak during public comments)

Comments about items on the agenda will be solicited and heard during the meeting by telephone or communications media technology.

General public comment (limited to 3 minutes) unrelated to an item on the agenda should be e-mailed no later than 60 minutes before the start of the meeting to . If received in a timely manner, the mayor or city staff will read the public comment at the meeting.

For more information on the setup, call (352) 523-5052, or visit DadeCityFl.com.

Published April 29, 2020

East Pasco municipalities declare local states of emergency

March 24, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

Responding to concerns about coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) , the City of Zephyrhills passed a resolution declaring a local state of emergency — taking steps to implement protocols suggested by state and federal agencies.

The City of Zephyrhills declared a local state of emergency on March 17, in response to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). It must be renewed every seven days, or it expires. (File)

The measure allows Zephyrhills flexibility to act quickly, if needed. However, its primary purpose is to allow the city to seek future reimbursement for costs incurred as it deals with the coronavirus outbreak.

It also results in several temporary changes in city services, including some cancellations and postponements, among other measures.

The motion passed unanimously be Zephyrhills City Council on March 17. It must be renewed or updated every seven days, or it expires.

Per the plan:

Any city employee traveling on a cruise or traveling out of the country must self-isolate for 14 days before returning to work; sick time will be charged.
Council chambers will be utilized only for essential meetings, such as city council meetings.
City staff is sending emails and messages to utility customers, encouraging them to pay their bills online.
Zephyrhills Fire Rescue has purchased gloves for all departments, and gloves and mask for the city’s fire and police departments.
City staff will begin to utilize FEMA 214 forms to track time, purchases, use of equipment, and use of vehicles as it relates to the city’s COVID-19 preparation and response.

Additionally, the Zephyrhills Public Library is closed to the public and has suspended all other programs until further notice. However, library staff have developed a drive-thru service for citizens to place a hold on a book and book checkout.

All rentals for the Alice Hall Community Center, Wickstrom Stage and Zephyrhills Train Depot Museum have been canceled at least through March, and likely April.

Events such as the March 28 Snowbird Palooza and April 25 Touch-A-Truck also have been canceled.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe underscored the need for such measures: “It’s a very real possibility that it could get so bad that there is a mandatory shutdown of the state or the nation, but we’re not to that point, yet. Can it happen? Yeah, I think it could. I hope it doesn’t, but we’re preparing, trying to think of those things now, so that if it does happen, we have an action plan that we can activate.”

The Zephyrhills Police Department has been actively visiting bars, restaurants and other establishments, making sure their they’re aware and compliant with tighter state-issued regulations guidelines, due to the coronavirus outbreak. (Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 17 ordered all bars and nightclubs to shut down for 30 days). He also ordered restaurants to close down dining rooms.

“It seems like a lot of them are emptying out on their own, but we’re going to continue to still make sure they’re following those orders,” Police Chief Derek Brewer said.

Establishments that do not comply will be referred to the “appropriate state agency” for review and possible action, such as license suspensions, Brewer said.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport will continue to operate as usual, still providing fixed-base operator services. But, the airport may at some point switch to a “self-service” model, where planes would be able to take off and land, but all fueling would be done by the pilot and not airport staff; the airport’s fuel pump has a credit card swipe for purchases.

The City of Dade City declared a local state of emergency March 16.

The airport would close if the FAA enacts a no-fly policy.

City staff is “continuing to monitor the airport and surrounding (general aviation airports) in the area,” Poe said.

Meantime, city leaders are actively discussing the possibility of having non-essential staff telecommute, or work from home — something the city has the technological capability to do.

Dade City declares local state of emergency
Similar to Zephyrhills, the City of Dade City also declared a local state of emergency after a motion passed by the Dade City Commission on March 16.

As part of the measure:

Non-essential meetings are postponed.
City commission agendas will be limited to essential items.
City parks remain open to the public, but facility rentals and special events are canceled, including the City Market Place scheduled for April 4. Staff will not process special events permits or park reservations through April.
Residents are encourages to mail or pay their water bill online. Non-payment turn-offs are temporarily suspended.
For building permit and inspection services, the city is encouraging online permitting and either calling or emailing staff members with questions. All notary services are suspended until further notice, except for city-issued permits.

• The Dade City Police Department has suspended all fingerprinting services and canceled on-site meetings and tours.

Published March 25, 2020

Dade City seeks feedback on new park

March 4, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

The City of Dade City is seeking community and resident input for its newest park — what’s being hyped as a downtown splash park/bike hub.

Public meetings to gather input on the project’s finer details are scheduled for March 5 at 5:30 p.m., and March 12 at 1:30 p.m., while a draft conceptual presentation is scheduled for March 16 at 6 p.m. Each of those meetings will be at the Dade City Commission Chambers, 38020 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

Dade City has set several public meetings to seek input on a future multi-million dollar downtown splash park/bike hub. Shown here is an initial rendering of the project, which will be situated near the Hardy Trailhead on Church Avenue. (File)

The City Commission in October approved an $800,000 land purchase for a 2.23-acre parcel near the Hardy Trailhead on Church Avenue to be the site of the future park. (The contract sale price totals $1.3 million, but the property owners have agreed to donate the difference toward the park project.)

A preliminary concept plan for the park has called for a multi-use water splash pad, bike-share shelter, amphitheater, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible playground, open space, a concession area and other amenities. Funding for the project is expected to come from city reserve funds, Penny for Pasco revenues and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Meanwhile, the Pasco County Tourist Development Council has allocated $250,000 for the recreational project.

After residents and city officials weigh in on the project, the next steps include finalizing a master plan, and then moving onto a final design and engineered site plan.

The park likely will be completed in phases over the next several years, officials have said, starting with the bike hub, which could break ground sometime this year, in partnership with the county’s tourism office.

City leaders have discussed building a splash park/bike hub the past few years, with the idea it could help revitalize the downtown business district, while offering another healthy recreational outlet for local youth, residents and visitors.

For more information, call the Dade City Planning Department at (352) 521-1493.

Published March 4, 2020

New route for Pasco Fair parade

February 5, 2020 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

This annual Pasco County Fair parade will take on a few new twists and turns this year in downtown Dade City.

The parade, set for Feb. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will travel an alternate route, due to ongoing road closures and construction associated with the city’s downtown stormwater improvement project.

Country music star Billy Dean is grand marshal of the Pasco County Fair parade. (Courtesy of Pasco County Fair Association)

According to a news release from the Pasco County Fair Association, the alternate route will begin at Rodney B. Cox Elementary School on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and turn south on Seventh Street until Meridian Avenue. The parade will then turn east on Meridian Avenue and continue until Third Street, ending on Live Oak Avenue.

In prior years, the parade has traveled along Seventh Street from Meridian to Florida Avenue. The event represents a kickoff to the weeklong 73rd annual Pasco County Fair, which runs from Feb. 17 through Feb. 23.

Pasco County Fair chairman and board member Tracy Thompson commended the City of Dade City for accommodating the new route, in the release.

Thompson said: “Unforeseen road construction almost disrupted the parade. But, the city has worked with us to establish an alternate route. We are thankful to them. Otherwise there would be a lot of disappointed children and adults.”

This year’s parade grand marshal is Grammy Award-winning country music star Billy Dean, who also will present an acoustical concert that evening at 7 p.m., at the Clayton Way Stage, with former American Idol contestant Chloe Channell.

Dean has released 11 albums, and has been recognized with several awards and nominations during the course of his 25-plus year music career. The Quincy native also has performed and toured with some of the country music industry’s biggest stars, including The Judds, Kenny Rogers, Clint Black, Alan Jackson, Wynonna Judd and others.

In addition to Dean, the parade will feature many colorful floats, and horse and buggies, and school marching bands, a tradition that dates back some 70-plus years.

Entry in the parade is free, with a Feb. 7 entry deadline. The lineup will be based on those entries, but others will be accepted until 5 p.m., Feb. 12.

Information and applications for the parade are available online at PascoCountyFair.com, or by calling the Fair office at (352) 567-6678. The fair will open at 2 pm. on Feb. 17, at the fairgrounds on State Road 52 in Dade City, and continue through Feb. 23.

Published February 05, 2020

Report sheds light on Dade City economy

January 22, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

An economic development report shows how the City of Dade City is faring through the first quarter of the 2019-2020 fiscal year — in other words, from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.

Dade City’s new community and economic development director, Melanie Romagnoli, presented the quarterly report to city commissioners at a regular meeting on Jan. 16.

Romagnoli, who assumed the position late last year, first unveiled a portion of the city’s current demographics — some of which may come as a surprise to the small town community.

Dade City community and economic development director Melanie Romagnoli recently briefed city commissioners on the first quarter of fiscal year 2019-2020. (Courtesy of Melanie Romagnoli)

The city has actually positioned itself as a younger market, she said, with a median age of 35.5 years old, according U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey findings.

The findings show more beginning householders and newer marriages are settling in the city limits.

“The young ones are taking over,” Romagnoli quipped to commissioners.

Of the city’s roughly 2,600 residential households, traditional living makes up the dominant tapestry segment, encompassing a mix of married couple families and singles. The next largest segment is the senior or elderly population.

The city’s median household income is $40,000, with primary employment in the manufacturing, retail trade and health care sectors.

The report also states that generally two generations have lived and worked in the community, and their children are likely to follow suit.

Romagnoli shared other various development figures in the new fiscal year.

The city staffer said there were 475 total permits and 477 building inspections in the first three months, equating to roughly $156 million in improvements, upgrades and so on.

She explained a majority of those permits were related to new single-family homes, apartments and commercial buildings, followed by various renovations to properties in the form of new roofs, new air conditioning units, garage doors and other improvements.

Romagnoli also noted that the city experienced 102 new code enforcement cases in the first quarter. Of those, 59 have already achieved compliance. Eight required liens from the city for the mowing of overgrowth. The remaining 35 cases are still open, undergoing due process and re-inspections.

Meantime, she said the city’s planning and zoning department has been “fully loaded” with work orders — anything that requires comprehensive plan amendments, zoning amendments and annexations.

The department underwent 116 site plan approvals/reviews and two land use variances. It also sent out 238 zoning determination calls/letters during the last three months.

The department also completed 31 pre-application redevelopment meetings with various developers.

Online permitting is expected to become available sometime this quarter, Romagnoli said.

There also will be an online GIS map system available for public viewing of parcels and properties in the city limits.

And, the economic development director mentioned two new city planners were recently added to the department. Sarah Rader, a Planner I, is updating the city’s future land use maps and filing system. Sam Mirza, a Planner II, has assumed planning commission duties, as well as anything related to site plan, long-range and current planning.

Romagnoli also outlined some of her initiatives for the rest of the year.

She told commissioners that she plans to have more focused and proactive code enforcement efforts, particularly getting a handle on illegal dumping areas and abandoned/junk vehicles.

She said those are “two particular issues we have throughout the city.”

She continued: “We’re trying to get some of the concerns addressed by the neighborhoods.”

She has ideas for sprucing up downtown, too.

She hopes to upgrade downtown lighting and kiosks, establish a downtown landscaping plan in collaboration with the Dade City Garden Club, and develop a public art mural standards and application process.

She’s also interested in creating a prospectus for the city’s CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) district that would include property valuations, areas of focus and marketing material, in partnership with local realtors and building owners.

Other large-scale projects Romagnoli plans to focus on include:

Contracting a visitor’s information center at the Hardy Trail
Updating the city’s comprehensive plan
Finalizing and completing enclave annexations
Developing a city destination marketing plan with involvement from local merchants and stakeholders

Published January 22, 2020

Dade City is adding population, new attractions

January 8, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

As a new decade begins, the City of Dade City plans to resolve its longstanding stormwater issues, enliven its downtown with more shops and entertainment, add new attractions and to increase residential development.

The Dade City Commission also is expected to vote on the issue of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries within the city limits during the first quarter of 2020.

Here is a closer look for what’s in store for 2020, and beyond.

Resolving stormwater issues
Dade City’s downtown streets and sidewalks have been known to be swallowed in at least 6 inches to 7 inches of standing water for days at a time after heavy summer rains.

Much of that should be resolved soon.

Construction is in full swing to fix the downtown flooding and drainage issues — via a $2.3 million stormwater capital improvement project, paid for with a combination of state appropriations, and funding from the Florida Department of Transportation and Dade City.

The project takes underground concrete piping through multiple downtown streets into an existing conveyance system into a reconfigured Irwin Pond, just past U.S. 98 and the CSX railway.

Work has been paused to accommodate the Jan. 25 Kumquat Festival in downtown, but the project completion is expected around mid-year.

Meantime, the city is seeking state appropriations and disaster recovery funding for a another multimillion dollar stormwater project in the Dade Oaks community.

A bike hub/splash park is coming
City staffers recently closed on a $800,000 land purchase that will become the location of a splash park/bike hub to the city’s downtown area — on a 2.23-acre parcel on Church Street, which borders the Hardy Trail and is diagonal from The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce. (The contract sale price totals $1.3 million, as the property owners have agreed to donate the difference toward the park project.)

A preliminary concept plan for the project calls for a multi-use water splash pad, bike-share shelter, amphitheater, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-accessible playground, open space, a concession area and other amenities. The next step will be developing and finalizing a master plan for the project, with input from residents and city officials, then moving onto a final design and engineered site plan.

According to Dade City Manager Leslie Porter, the project will likely be completed in phases over the next several years, starting with the bike hub, which could break ground this year, in partnership with Pasco County’s tourism office.

Events venue and retail shops
What was once a vacant car dealership in downtown Dade City will soon be a hub for retail and social entertainment, called The Block.

The development, at 14313 Seventh St., involves converting two existing buildings, totaling 21,000 square feet.

The main plaza will have an area for retail spaces, along with a venue to accommodate events, such as weddings, parties and fundraisers. There also are potential plans for a bridal shop and a brewery there, too.

The second building is being turned into a CrossFit gym.

An outdoor patio and bar will run between the two complexes, complete with seats and tables, and string lights hanging above.

While inclusive to all, it is geared toward the younger-adult demographic, somewhat inspired by the mixed-use Armature Works facility in Tampa Heights.

Expected to open in phases beginning this year, The Block is the brainchild of local realtor and investor Larry Guilford and Melanie Armstrong, owner of Savory Roots Catering and Events.

Dade City will be home to Florida’s first-ever snow park attraction, called Snowcat Ridge. (Courtesy of Point Summit Inc.)

A snow park in Dade City?
Come November, Dade City will be home to a very unique recreation attraction — the state’s first-ever snow park, called Snowcat Ridge.

The one-of-a-kind snow park will feature a 60-foot-tall and 400-foot-long snow tubing hill, where visitors will be able to ride in single, double, or six-person tubes down the hill; a 10,000-square-foot snow play dome to make snowmen and snow castles; and, an Alpine Village serving food and hot cocoa.

For those wondering, snow will be made with technology that can stay in place for an extended period of time, provided the temperature is under 80 degrees.

The project is being developed by Point Summit Inc., which also manages TreeHoppers Aerial Adventure Park and Scream-a-Geddon Horror Park. It will be located at 27839 Saint Joe Road.

Residential development on the rise
Like neighboring Zephyrhills, Dade City anticipates a surge of new rooftops in the coming decade, as the municipality has roughly 4,000 residential unit entitlements — which means they are actively under construction or review.

This year, the city will see 25 single-family homes come online at Countryside, a development situated behind McDonald’s that sits at U.S. 301, while affordable workforce/affordable housing communities Osprey Pointe (110 multi-family units) and Arbours at Hester Lake (80 multi-family units) are expected to begin leasing in the next few months.

Other residential developments on tap include the following:

Highland Trails: 1,110 single-family
Wickett: 892 single-family, multi-family, assisted living, townhomes
Summitview: 812 single-family, townhomes
Philmon: 510 single-family
Suwanee Lakeside: 302 single-family
Abbey Glenn II: 170 single-family

Vote expected on medical marijuana dispensaries
Dade City has had a series of concurrent moratoriums on medical marijuana treatment centers within its municipal limits dating back to 2016, but that could change in the new year.

City commissioners in September directed city staff to draft an amendment to the city’s land development regulations that would permit medical marijuana dispensaries in the general commercial zoning district. That district generally spans U.S. 301/U.S. 98 south and north of town, but avoids much of the city’s historic downtown main street and central business district.

A drafted ordinance is expected to come before the city’s planning board and the city commission sometime during the first quarter of 2020.

Published January 08, 2020

Dade City announces road closures for stormwater project

January 8, 2020 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The City of Dade City has announced updated road closures that will take effect after the Kumquat Festival, for when construction resumes on the city’s downtown stormwater capital improvement project.

Following the Jan. 25 festival, Seventh Street will be closed between Church Avenue and Pasco Avenue, for approximately one month to complete construction of the stormwater improvements, and provide a staging area for equipment and materials. Pasco Avenue will remain open to two-way traffic between Seventh Street and Fifth Street until the water main construction, anticipated in March.

While Seventh Street will be closed, the city has secured permission from several private property owners to be able to utilize their existing parking areas for public use.

Customers can utilize the city’s public parking areas on Eighth Street and Pasco Avenue, as well as Bank of America and the former site for San Antonio Credit Union on Church Avenue. Additionally, on-street parking will be available in surrounding blocks.

City officials are encouraging visitors traversing the downtown area to watch for construction crew members, and yield to all the construction signs and workers. Traffic patterns and detours will change in the upcoming weeks as construction continues, city officials say.

The city will be posting regular updates in the upcoming weeks on their website at DadeCityFl.com.

For more information, call (352) 523-5050.

Published January 08, 2020

Dade City project put ‘on hold’ for Kumquat Festival

December 24, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

Trying to ease concerns from downtown merchants, the City of Dade City’s massive downtown stormwater capital improvement project will be halted until after the Jan. 25 Kumquat Festival.

The work stoppage will come with a price tag not to exceed $65,000 — as contractor Kamminga & Roodvoets (K&R) will need to place temporary asphalt from Pasco Avenue to Sixth Street, and remove all construction staging equipment for the week leading up to and after the festival.

Heavy construction machinery is spread out all along Pasco Avenue, as work is underway on Dade City’s $2.3 million downtown stormwater improvement project. The area will be cleaned up and temporarily paved for the week of the Kumquat Festival. (Kevin Weiss)

Commissioners unanimously approved the construction change order “not to exceed $65,000” during a Dec. 17 special meeting.

Under the work order, the contractor will install the asphalt, then remove it after the Kumquat Festival, so crews can resume installing pipes, generally from Pasco Avenue to Seventh Street to the intersection of Pasco Avenue and Fifth Street.

Commissioners took the action after downtown business owners and merchants pleaded with city officials earlier this month to pause the project. They feared that construction work zones could negatively impact the safety and overall experience of festival vendors and attendees, and in turn, local businesses.

The annual festival, in its 23rd year, is expected to draw more than 400 vendors and 35,000 visitors, with an estimated economic impact of almost $900,000.

Dade City business leaders originally called for the stormwater project to be delayed until April altogether, so as to not disrupt the busy winter season where northern snowbird residents and other visitors flock to the city.

But, that suggestion was strongly discouraged by Doug Benjamin, K&R’s vice president of Florida field operations, at the Dec. 17 meeting.

He told commissioners delaying the project until April “is a very bad idea,” noting it would create scheduling conflicts with K&R crews scheduled to be on other jobs, and interfere with Florida’s wet season, which could yield further delays.

Benjamin put it like this: “We’re in the dry season — this is when we can work, without dewatering and without additional costs.”

Benjamin said he understands the inconvenience for local business owners, but it’s all a reality with any downtown stormwater project: “There’s always an economic impact when we work in cities and towns – that’s what we do. What you see out here is what we do day in and day out, all over the Tampa Bay area, and there’s always an impact, there just is.”

Local business owners also have taken issue with the amount of heavy machinery equipment and concrete piles blocking off parts of the downtown and access to parking around Pasco Avenue and near the Historic Courthouse. Some have called for staging areas to be placed somewhere west of Seventh Street once construction resumes.

Benjamin rebuffed those suggestions, too. He stressed that area really needs to be shut down when work crews proceed with the project’s water main portion, also noting there’s additional liability associated with the further away equipment is placed from a work zone. “You can do anything for a cost, but there’s a huge cost associated with that, and it’s going to slow the project way down,” he said.

“The more hurdles you put in our way, the longer it’s going to take,” he said

The $2.3 million stormwater project is funded by state appropriations, as well as the Florida Department of Transportation and Dade City. It seeks to address flooding problems that have plagued the area for years, where downtown streets and sidewalks have been known to be swallowed in at least 6 inches to 7 inches of standing water for days at a time after heavy rains.

The scope of the project generally takes underground piping through multiple downtown streets into an existing conveyance system into a reconfigured Irwin Pond, just pass U.S. 98 and the CSX railway.

Work began in August, but was delayed more than a month because TECO and Centurylink needed to clear their utility complex around construction zones. The project has a yearlong timeline for completion.

Mayor Camille Hernandez said the decision to temporarily pause construction to accommodate the Kumquat Festival “is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we’re trying to do what’s in the best interest of the merchants in Dade City.”

Hernandez, like fellow commissioners, said she would have preferred to delay construction until the springtime so downtown business owners can capitalize during the busy winter months. “We’re throwing money away, but I don’t think we have a lot of other options at this point. We’re trying to salvage what we can for the holiday season,” she said.

Commissioner Nicole Deese Newlon said the plan doesn’t go far enough to help merchants, but added, “I don’t know that there’s much alternative at this point.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Jim Shive called the brief construction postponement “a workable solution.”

Published December 25, 2019

Dade City to finalize city manager contract

May 1, 2019 By Kevin Weiss

The City of Dade City is nearing a contract agreement with its newly named city manager and current finance director Leslie Porter.

Details of the latest drafted employment contract were shared and amended during an April 23 regular city commission meeting.

The latest draft calls for a base salary of $98,906.00 payable in monthly installments in the same manner as other city employees are paid.

The base salary would be automatically amended to include any salary adjustments that are provided or required by the city’s compensation policies to other city employees, such as cost of living adjustments.

Additionally, the agreement calls for the city manager to receive standard benefits provided to other city employees, including holiday leave, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, term life insurance, FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) leave, short- and long-term disability, and transfer of earned benefits to named beneficiaries in the event of death.

The contract also includes provisions for sick leave, retirement contributions and expenses provided for a cellphone and professional development services.

A final version of the employment agreement is expected to be approved at the next commission meeting on May 14.

Porter would be on a probationary period during her first 90 days of employment as city manager, per the contract.

Porter, who lives in Tampa, will not be required to maintain a residence in Dade City while serving as city manager. She also will be permitted to continue operating her tax service and real estate businesses.

In the event Porter is terminated without cause within the first 180 days of employment as city manager, the city would pay eight weeks’ salary and any accrued benefits. Severance pay maximizes out at 20 weeks’ salary and any accrued benefits if Porter is terminated after two years of employment, according to the draft contract.

In the event of voluntary resignation, Porter would be entitled to accrued vacation leave and sick leave (capped at 480 hours) if employed for longer than 10 years. She would also be paid through the last workday and is required to give at least 60 days’ notice prior to resignation.

Elsewhere, regular performance reviews and evaluations have been worked into the contract agreement.

City commissioners would conduct structured quarterly reviews with Porter during her first year as city manager, then proceed to annual evaluations every year after that; pay raises or salary increases may be tied to the results of those reviews and evaluations.

In early April, the commission voted to extend an offer and enter contract negotiations with Porter to become its next city manager.

Porter has been acting as the interim city manager since February, while also maintaining duties as the city’s finance director, a position she’s held since 2014.

Porter assumed the city manager vacancy created by Billy Poe, who left the post after nearly 12 years. Poe is now the deputy city manager in the City of Zephyrhills and is expected to move up to city manager once longtime city manager Steve Spina retires later on this year.

Before coming to Dade City, Porter spent nearly a decade working as town treasurer for the Town of Chesapeake Beach in Maryland. She holds a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a master’s degree from George Washington University.

The decision to offer Porter the city manager job came during a special meeting on April 3, when commissioners reviewed and ranked top candidates for the city manager position; Porter was one of the nine applicants who applied by the March 15 deadline.

It marked the second call for applications after the city was unable to come to a contract agreement with Tallahassee-based real estate associate Christopher Edwards, its top candidate for the city manager position back in February.

Published May 01, 2019

Dade City attracts thousands to 22nd Kumquat Festival

January 30, 2019 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Thousands streamed to the 22nd annual Kumquat Festival in historic downtown Dade City on Jan. 26

Members of the Mexican dance troupe, the Folkloric Toltecatl, featured 11 Mexican folklore dancers. They are from Dade City. (Fred Bellet)

In an open letter, John Moors, executive director of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, recapped the event, and offered a heartfelt expression of gratitude for the army of volunteers who helped to pull it off.

“Over 400 vendors and sponsors sold and promoted their wares and services,” Moors said, in a news release.

“Our entertainment stage at the Historic Courthouse featured free live performances from wonderful local talent all day. Many of the shops and restaurants in Dade City, and the surrounding area, enjoyed their busiest day of the year,” Moors added.

A 10-year old Treeing Walker Coon Hound, named Zissou, waits patiently by his master, Nicholas Moo’s side, as Moo and his wife, Jenna, of Altamonte Springs, select bags of the Nagami-type kumquats to take home. It was the family’s first visit to the Kumquat Festival.

On behalf of the chamber, its board and its staff, Moors extended “heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors (especially our headlining sponsor, AdventHealth Dade City), vendors and supporters.”

The festival was supported by a $60,000 marketing campaign and, in conjunction with the City of Dade City, Pasco County Tourism and Visit Florida — which all promoted Dade City and the area as a unique place to visit, Moors noted.

He credited Bobby Van Allen and Jason Sasser, the festival co-chairs, for leading the efforts of more than 200 volunteers.

Moors estimated that the event generated more than $1 million in economic activity, based on calculations derived from the State of Florida Economic Impact Multipliers.

Zephyrhills winter resident Karen Bennett’s face says it all, as she discovers the taste of a very tart Nagami-type kumquat. She and fiance, Russ Spreeman hail from Houghton Lake, Michigan.

Moors also credited a number of others for making the festival a success.

Dade City Police Chief Jim Walters and Lt. Bill Rowe co-chaired the event’s safety and security team, including support from multiple agencies, Moors noted.

Others pitching in included the Pasco High School and the Saint Leo University ROTC, who helped with parking.

The Pasco-Hernando State College Fire Cadets helped with numerous tasks, and Joyce and Rick Dodd organized our “Welcoming Committee” for the early morning volunteers, Moors wrote.

Plans are already starting for next year’s event.

Published January 30, 2019