The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

New Port Richey

EcoFest offers chance to learn, shop, eat, play

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Learn about making herbal salves, cleaning without chemicals or creating a butterfly garden.

Take part in a “Swamp Tromp,” or do a Wetland Wonder Walk.

Check out some live music, take a ride in a kayak, or grab a bite to eat.

Kayak rides are just some of the many offerings this weekend at Pasco EcoFest 2013. (Photo courtesy of Pasco EcoFest 2013)
Kayak rides are just some of the many offerings this weekend at Pasco EcoFest 2013. (Photo courtesy of Pasco EcoFest 2013)

Those are just a few of the myriad festivities that will be offered at Pasco EcoFest 2013. Thousands of people are expected to turn out for the three-day festival that begins Friday evening and runs through Sunday (Nov. 8-10).

This year’s festival is at two locations: Sims Park in downtown New Port Richey, and J. B. Starkey Park off State Road 54.

EcoFest, now in its third year, focuses on helping people learn how to live sustainable lives, said Kacey Atkinson, of the event organizers. To that end, it offers a wide array of free workshops.

There’s also plenty of fun for kids, including arts and crafts, recycling games, stargazing and geocaching.

Geocaching, which is a modern twist on an old-fashioned scavenger hunt, is a big draw. “It’s a huge deal,” Atkinson said, noting organizers expect 300 to 400 people to take part in that activity.

New this year is the Trash-n-Fashion Photo Shoot and the VW Show and Swap Meet. The Florida Modeling Network will host the Trash-n-Fashion photo shoot on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Models and photographers will work out of Peace Hall, along with costumers, body painters, make-up and hair artists.

Costumes for the photo shoots will be fashioned out of recycled materials.

The LocalVolks on the Lake vintage Volkswagen show and swap meet, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature funky, vintage VWs. On Saturday night, Volkswagen enthusiasts are invited to cruise over to Dade City for a pre-jam party, in anticipation of Sunday’s Bug Jam.

Other highlights of Pasco EcoFest include an Eco Market, food trucks and locally brewed beer. Eco Market offers shoppers a chance to purchase locally made, grown and handcrafted items. A variety of food trucks will be on hand, and the Big Storm Brewing Co. will be serving its locally brewed microbrew.

EcoFest also is having a food drive in partnership with the Rec Center’s Youth Advisory Board and the Wellness Worship Center. The food drive will be in conjunction with the VW show.

Canned goods may be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the VW show registration tent located on Grand Boulevard near Bank Street.

Find the full schedule of events at www.PascoEcoFest.com.

Motorists in Pasco won’t pay extra at pump

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Motorists buying gas in Pasco County won’t be faced with an extra nickel-a-gallon tax after a divided Pasco County Commission rejected the proposed increase.

Raising the tax would have required four votes, but during a four-plus-hour public hearing, it became clear that the 5-cent hike lacked the votes to pass.

Chairman Ted Schrader and members Kathryn Starkey and Pat Mulieri supported the additional tax, but commissioners Jack Mariano and Henry Wilson were opposed. The increase needed four votes to pass.

Efforts to compromise by reducing the tax also failed to gain support by Mariano or Wilson.

Instead, the commission decided to shift money out of other gas tax revenues to cover road and bridge maintenance costs. Those funds were intended for road construction projects that now will be built later or removed from the county’s long-range capital improvement plan. Commissioners are expected to weigh in on which roads will be removed from that list before taking their second and final vote on the county’s budget.

The vote to reject the additional gas tax followed extensive public comment, with more than 30 speakers weighing in on the issue.

The testimony broke down into two basic arguments.

Those who favored the tax said the county needs to address deteriorating road conditions. They called the gas tax an investment that would help support the county’s quest to attract more jobs. They said better roads would improve the quality of life and would help give residents the option to stay in Pasco to work, instead of commuting elsewhere.

Those opposed to the tax said that it unfairly burdens those who can least afford it, including single moms driving children to school, middle-aged people looking for jobs, and elderly people heading to medical appointments.

They also argued the government needs to find ways to live within its budget, instead of making taxpayers foot the bill.

“A lot of people are really hurting,” said Denis Murray of Zephyrhills. “There’s a lot of retired people living here. There’s a lot of unemployed people living here. You’re going to hit them right in the pocketbook.”

Barbara Wilhite, an attorney who represented T. Rowe Price, which plans to build an office campus in Pasco, said that having quality infrastructure was a critical issue in attracting the company. She urged commissioners to remain committed to their vision to move the county forward.

“Your leadership is being tested tonight,” she said.

“I think you’re foolish if you turn this down,” Mulieri told her colleagues

But Wilson said he observed those speaking in favor of the tax “make a lot of money,” while those who spoke against it, don’t.

The 5-cent-a-gallon gas tax, which would not have applied to diesel fuel, would have generated $8.1 million a year in revenues, according to county estimates.

While commissioners rejected the gas tax, they unanimously supported a property tax rate increase. Based on the new tax rate, the owner of a $100,000 house, assuming a $50,000 homestead exemption, will pay $33 more a year in property taxes.

Commissioners are scheduled to their final vote on the county’s proposed budget at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 at 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey.

Pasco could have state’s first private toll road

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Gerald Stanley wants to build the first private toll road in the state. And he wants to build it across Pasco County.

Stanley, a retired road builder from Lutz who is a partner with International Infrastructure Partners LLC, submitted an unsolicited proposal June 11 to the state Department of Transportation proposing a toll road be built along the SR 54/SR 56 corridor. That would link Wesley Chapel to New Port Richey, with the possible addition of Wesley Chapel to US 301 in Zephyrhills.

The partnership proposes to lease the right-of-way from the state and both build and operate a 33-mile toll road. Much of the road would be elevated, but portions would be at ground level where necessary. It would be constructed in phases, with the first leg planned for SR 54/56 from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to the Suncoast Parkway.

The second phase would go from the Suncoast Parkway to US 19 in New Port Richey. A possible third phase would extend the road from Bruce B. Downs to Zephyrhills. It’s possible, however, that phases one and two would be combined immediately for cost efficiency.

Stanley touted the benefits of the proposed project in a letter addressed to Anath Prasad, the secretary of the state roads department.

“This will be the first of its kind, privately funded, designed, built, operated and maintained elevated expressway in the state of Florida,” Stanley wrote. “It will create thousands of jobs for Floridians, further economic development in Pasco County, improve traffic flow, and promote use of existing and future transportation facilities.”

International Infrastructure Partners was formed specifically to manage the project and consists of engineers, accountants and financial professionals, according to Stanley’s proposal.

The construction would be done by PCL, a company that is currently working on the Interstate 4 connector project. The company also has completed work for the toll-funded Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway.

Guggenheim Securities LLC would be the capital partner for the project, Stanley said, soliciting investments through a fund called “FL54Xpressway.”

Kris Carson, spokeswoman for District 7 of the DOT, said it is too early to tell if any project like this would come to fruition.

“It could be that nothing ever happens,” Carson said. “There are a lot of questions to be answered.”

In response to Stanley’s proposal, the state roads department issued a request for proposals to encourage a competitive process, and set a date of Oct. 23 for opening those proposals.

John Hagen, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., said when the idea of a toll road was initially raised, there were questions about who would pay for it, and its financial feasibility.

The fact that a private group has stepped forward and is willing to pay for it, gives legitimacy to the concept, he said.

Like Carson, Hagan said it is too early to tell if a project will materialize.

“There are a lot of technical questions that need to be answered,” Hagan said.

But if a toll road is built, it will provide an additional transportation option that will allow traffic to move quickly across the county on a toll road, while local traffic uses the surface streets, the economic development expert said.

Steps must be taken to increase traffic capacity, Hagan said. Otherwise, “eventually SR 54/SR 56 will just become a parking lot.”
Jeff Miller, a real estate agent and resident of Wesley Chapel, said he welcomes this type of project. He sees it as a way for people, like himself, to get to New Port Richey and Pinellas County much more quickly than is possible now.

“It’s not a done deal. We’re all trying to determine if it’s feasible,” Stanley said. “If it’s not profitable, it won’t be built.”

If the project is done, however, it will employ hundreds of construction workers and will bring more industry to Pasco County.

It will also help prevent gridlock, as Pasco continues to grow, said Stanley, who has been a part of the Florida Transportation Builders Association for 35 years, and was the group’s president in 2005-06.

“We’re looking to the future,” he said.

In its request for proposals, the state DOT requires those interested in pursuing a private toll road to:

–Obtain any required approvals from federal regulatory agencies to operate a toll facility in this corridor;

–Identify and comply with existing federal, state, and local regulatory agency requirements;

–Identify and address how the proposer plans to design, construct, operate and maintain a toll facility in Pasco County;

–Identify and address existing infrastructure and utility conflicts, and provide for resolution of such infrastructure and utility conflicts;

–Address future build-outs of infrastructure in the corridor(s) that may be impacted by or impact the toll road, and future phases of the toll road;

–Identify and address any zoning or land development codes of any affected local government.

The submitter must also demonstrate its ability to further economic development in the region and state, protect the environment, create temporary and permanent jobs in Florida, improve transportation efficiency and otherwise benefit citizens and the state.

The state would not provide any funding for the project, according to the RFP.

A decision on awarding the project would occur on Nov. 6, according to the RFP.

Public has chance to weigh in on taxes

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The public will have a chance to tell Pasco County commissioners what they think about a proposed property tax hike and a nickel-a-gallon gas tax at a public hearing on Sept. 10.

Commissioners are likely to get an earful.

The county’s proposed property tax rate is 7.49 mills, up from last year’s rate of 6.86 mills. Its proposed municipal fire rate is 1.71 mills, up from 1.54 mills last year.

Each mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value. That means the owner of a $100,000 house, assuming a $50,000 homestead exemption, would pay $33 a year more.

The 5-cent tax would affect anyone who buys gas in Pasco County.

Commission Chairman Ted Schrader and commissioners Pat Mulieri, Kathryn Starkey and Jack Mariano voted in favor of advertising the proposed tax rate in July. Commissioner Henry Wilson voted against it, and said recently that he was still trying to find places to cut the budget.

The proposed property tax hike has drawn criticism from taxpayers who think the county should cut its spending, as well as pleadings from people who don’t want commissioners to cut their programs.

Commissioners have also heard from opponents to the proposed gas tax hike.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Chris Nocco has not given up on his bid to seek more money in his budget. On Aug. 27, however, commissioners passed a resolution allowing a portion of the Penny for Pasco to be spent on unmarked detective cars and other vehicles for the Sheriff’s office. They took that action because the language included in the Penny for Pasco referenced marked cars, but did not specify unmarked cars could be purchased with the tax proceeds.

Commissioners are set to have their public hearing on the taxes at their 6:30 p.m. meeting on Sept. 10 at the Dade City Historic Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave. in Dade City.

The board will cast its final vote on the property tax rate at its 6:30 p.m. meeting on Sept. 24 at the government center in New Port Richey, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

Watch for bikers: They’re honoring local heroes on Sept. 7

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Firefighters and first responders are known for making house calls when they’re needed the most. But on Sept. 7, they’ll get some visitors of their own: Hundreds of motorcycle riders, just wanting to say thanks.

Pasco County Choppers are hitting the road once again for its annual Gratitude Ride, a 50-mile trek from station to station honoring the heroes that don’t get thanked enough. At the same time, these more than 300 bikers raise money for the Pasco County Fire Benevolent Fund, which helps families of firefighters when they need a helping hand of their own.

Motorcycle riders from Pasco County Choppers and other groups line up to take off on its Gratitude Ride last year, visiting firefighters and first responders, to thank them for their service. (Photo courtesy of Dan Turner)
Motorcycle riders from Pasco County Choppers and other groups line up to take off on its Gratitude Ride last year, visiting firefighters and first responders, to thank them for their service. (Photo courtesy of Dan Turner)

It’s no coincidence this ride happens around the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed 412 emergency workers in New York City alone. Local Realtor Dan Turner is originally from New York, and visited the World Trade Center towers many times before the tragedy. While that fateful day is now 12 years in the past, Taylor wants to make sure it’s always remembered.

“Some people have forgotten about 9/11; the whole thing has worn off a bit,” said Turner, who is now in his fourth year organizing the event. “We try to bring as much attention to it as possible.”

For the second year, the Gratitude Ride goes beyond just a gathering for hog enthusiasts. It’s expanding into a public afterparty at the Quail Hollow Country Club beginning at 1 p.m. There, visitors can enjoy the many motorcycles on display, eat food, enjoy drinks, and hear music from the Greg Billings Band.

Funds raised through a raffle and 50-50 will go to the Benevolent Fund.

“We’ll be passing some boots around to try and raise a little bit more money,” Turner said, referencing the boot campaigns conducted by firefighters to raise money for the New York City victims on street corners immediately following the terrorist attacks.

While the party begins at 1 p.m., the chopper riders will be up much earlier, gathering at the government center at 4111 US 41 in Land O’ Lakes around 9:30 a.m. There, Turner will host a dedication ceremony, and just after 10 a.m., the bikes will start heading out to their first destination.

This year’s stops begin with Station 15 at 11538 Trinity Blvd., in New Port Richey. Station 14 follows at 7800 River Ridge Blvd., also in New Port Richey, before wrapping up the trip at Station 20 at 15900 Little Ranch Road in Brooksville.

“We remember the events and honor the lives that were lost,” Turner said of the terrorist attacks. “Closer to home, I wanted to make sure that we recognized our own emergency services, not just after the fact, but all the time. They are the ones that always say it’s just a job, but we all know that they run into danger as we are running away from it.”

While there might be stigmas assigned to large groups of motorcyclists thanks to portrayals of them in the movies, the chopper community is actually quite the opposite.

“It is a community that gives back,” Turner said. “There’s always some kind of benefit we’re participating in, a lot of toy runs and food drives and things like that. It’s a broad spectrum of people that ride, and they always have an eye for doing something special.”

The rain date for this year’s event is Sept. 8. For more information, visit www.PascoCountyChoppers.com.