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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Pasco County Sheriff's Office

Turnout might break record in August primary

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Midterm elections typically get a low voter turnout.

But, there are signs of energized voters for the 2018 primary set for Aug. 28 and the general election on Nov. 6.

New voter registrations are up somewhat, said Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley spoke at the monthly luncheon of the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. (Kathy Steele)

A bigger indicator of voter interest is the more than 62,000 ballots mailed to local residents and military personnel, Corley added, in remarks at the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon at the Hilton Garden Inn.

That is a record for mailed out ballots, and if most or all of the ballots are returned, Pasco could set a historical record for total voter turnout in a primary.

About 60 percent of Pasco’s total votes comes from absentee or early voting. Pasco has been promoting both methods of voting to reduce lines on election day.

Corley’s remarks centered on voter turnout and cybersecurity threats from hackers.

“The threats are real,” Corley said. “My job is to be neutral, but facts are stubborn things.”

He cited the federal charges filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller against 12 Russian intelligence officers. They are accused of interfering in the 2016 election through phishing attacks, money laundering and hacking into state election boards.

Corley said he was a target of phishing in 2016 from an email that appeared to come from a vendor. He said he didn’t click to open it, and security measures would have quarantined the email, if he had.

Corley noted that he later learned from court documents (prior to the recent indictments) that the email came from a hacker in Moscow.

Other reports of Russian interference also have emerged since the 2016 election, he said.

About 65,000 Americans apparently responded to social media invitations from Russian hackers to political events that weren’t real.

Also, about 6 million people “liked” or “didn’t like” postings on Facebook from bots. There were postings both for and against Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Black Lives Matter.

“They were playing both sides, hedging their bets to get people fired up,” Corley said.

Measures are in place to ensure the reliability and security of Pasco County’s elections, he said.

The elections office works closely with the FBI, Homeland Security, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office regarding potential threats, especially from cyber attacks.

In a worst-case scenario, Pasco would have a backup plan, with a paper trail to secure the vote’s accuracy.

“You can’t hack paper,” Corley said.

A prime concern continues to be low voter participation, particularly in midterm elections.

Typically, about 20 percent of registered voters turn out during primaries, Corley said.

“That’s sad when you think about it,” he said. “We should be the benchmark for having elections in a democracy,” the elections supervisor said.

While a high volume of absentee ballots was requested, Corley said, on average, about 40 percent are returned.

Other countries fine nonvoters or give cash prizes via lotteries to voters.

For example, Corley said Australia fines voters $50 for not voting.

If that were done in Pasco, about $8 million, on average, could be collected. Statewide, about $300 million would be handed out in fines, Corley said.

Residents who want to vote in the primary must register by July 30. Because Florida is a closed primary state, only registered Democrats and Republicans can participate in their party primaries.

Residents registered, for example, with no party affiliation will be excluded from the primaries. However, Corley said people can change their registration to Republican or Democrat in order to vote on Aug. 28.

“They can always change back later,” he said.

Every registered voter is eligible to cast a ballot in the Nov. 6 general election.

Voters on that date will have choices in local, state and federal races, including county commissioners, state legislators, a governor’s race and a United States senator’s race.

Voters also will decide on 17 referendums, including constitutional amendments, and four local bond issues to fund programs for public safety, fire rescue, parks and libraries.

The elections office managed to put everything onto one page — using the front and the back of the ballot.

Even so, Corley said, “It’s going to be a very, very lengthy ballot.”

Deadlines for voter registration
The last day to register for the August 28 primary is July 30.
Florida is a closed primary state. Only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary; only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary.
The last day to register for the Nov. 6 general election is Oct. 9.
For information, visit PascoVotes.com.

Published July 25, 2018

More programs, initiatives, on tap at PHSC, provost says

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Pasco-Hernando State College — which recently has been recognized as one of the top schools in the nation for its return on educational investment — continues to add new programs and initiatives.

That was the message that Dr. Stan Giannet, the college’s provost, delivered to a crowd at a recent Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Golden Corral.

Pasco-Hernando State College provost Dr. Stan Giannet was the featured guest speaker at the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce July 5 monthly breakfast meeting at Golden Corral. He discussed some of the new programs and initiatives the state college has in the works.
(Kevin Weiss)

The state college received notification from the Department of Education last month that it was one of the top schools for affordability in bachelor’s degree programs.

And, earlier this year, WalletHub, a national economic magazine, ranked PHSC among the top three community colleges in the nation for return on educational investment, out of more than 800 candidate schools. The WalletHub study took into account student learning outcomes plus the cost.

“We’re a major state power in higher education,” said Giannet, who has been at PHSC for more than 27 years.

Giannet, also PHSC’s vice president of academic affairs, said the college has “exceeded every metric” from employability, to test score passage rates in workforce programs — suggesting over 95 percent of PHSC students who graduate with associate of science degrees or receive technical certificates find employment in their chosen career field.

“There’s nothing worse for a college to do than to have a degree program where students invest money, invest time, get out in the workforce and (find) they’re not employable in the industry or the career of their choice. We don’t have that,” he said.

The state college provides training for more than 30 careers in business, health, industry and technology, and public service through new bachelor’s degree, Associate in Science degree and certificate programs.

And, while he’s proud of the institution’s growth and achievements over time, the college has much more on tap, Giannet said.

The state college has more than 15,000 students and 500 faculty and staff members across its five full-service campuses in Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey, Spring Hill and Wesley Chapel.

Giannet told the crowd: “We have a lot of things in the pipeline.”

The state college is building a $15.5 million performing arts instructional center, expected to be complete by Aug. 2020.

The facility will be built on a 5.5-acre tract of land donated by Pasco County Schools on the campus of Cypress Creek Middle High School, off Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Expanding its program and degree offerings
The state college plans to develop an Associate’s of Science degree in digital design and graphic multi-media technologies, and, Associate’s of Arts degrees in dance, music, and theatre. Several accompanying technical certificate programs also will be offered through the arts center.

The arts center will be shared with Pasco County Schools, and will be a venue for various community events.

“It’s going to be fantastic,” Giannet said.

The college also is working on other degree offerings, he said.

Pasco-Hernando State College boasts 5,000-plus students and 500 faculty members and staffers across five full-service campuses in Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey, Spring Hill and Wesley Chapel. (File)

The college offers two four-year degree programs currently, and is working to identify a third, Giannet said. The current four-year degrees, introduced in 2014, are for a bachelor of science in nursing and a bachelor of applied science in supervision and management. The college also is working with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to develop an A.S. degree in crime scene technology and forensics.

That program will likely be offered at the Dade City campus, with clinical training opportunities at the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field “body farm” on the grounds of the Pasco Sheriff’s detention facility in Land O’ Lakes.

The college also is gearing up for several contract and corporate workforce training programs that are set to come online.

Among them are a 911 training program for the Hernando Sheriff’s Office; a child protection services leadership program for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office; a medical scribe exclusive online training program; and, a childhood education certification program for the Pasco and Hernando school districts.

Elsewhere, PHSC is expanding its welding technology program to the west side of the county.

The welding program has been offered on the Dade City campus.

Now, Giannet said night classes will be available Marchman Technical College in New Port Richey, thanks to a developmental partnership between the college and Pasco County Schools.

That expansion is much needed due to an increased demand for certified welders and lack of programming the county’s west side, the provost said.

“We have a huge waiting list for welding on this (east) side of the county,” Giannet said. Our welders, when they graduate from our college, they’re snatched up by the industry. “It’s a win-win situation for our community,” he added.

Giannet also talked about the college’s new aviation program, which debuted last year.

The college offers four aviation-related associate degree programs — professional pilot technology, aviation administration, aviation maintenance administration, and unmanned vehicle systems.

Several PHSC students have already become certified pilots — including a female pilot in what is “a traditionally male-dominated industry,” Giannet noted.

He expects the program to skyrocket in the coming years.

“Aviation is going to be the hottest industry in the nation, with the impending shortage and retirement of all these aviation professionals…so we’re really excited for that program,” the provost said.

The college is next looking to create more aviation partnership, with facilities such as the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

It already has an existing partnership with American Aviation Flight Academy, at the Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport, he said.

Published July 11, 2018

 

 

Neighbors object, but family housing OK’d

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The Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County can move forward with plans to temporarily house homeless families in a building at the former campus of the Boys & Girls Club in Port Richey.

The coalition, with support from other social service agencies, also will open the Housing Services Center, which will administratively help families and individuals seeking permanent housing and other services.

A former Boys & Girls Club on Youth Lane in Port Richey will be renovated and opened as a temporary shelter for homeless families, and administrative offices for the Housing Services Center.
(File)

The Pasco County Commission, with Commissioner Jack Mariano dissenting, approved the coalition’s plan at its June 19 meeting in New Port Richey.

Commissioners also approved a 15-year lease agreement for $1 a year; and, a $190,000 contract to design renovations of two buildings at 8239 Youth Lane.

During the public hearing, many area residents who live near the site gave county commissioners the same unified message they’ve delivered before: They don’t want the coalition in their neighborhood, and they are voters.

Residents say they worry about crime, loss of property values, and safety.

“We deserve to be heard. We deserve to be listened to. We live and sleep here,” said Suzanne Greene Taldone, a resident in nearby Crane’s Roost. “You keep trying to put a square peg into a round hole.”

Supporters, including most county commissioners, say it’s overdue for Pasco to step up efforts to help the homeless population.

Data from the coalition puts the number of homeless people in Pasco County at about 2,500. Homeless families make up about 1,800 of those people and there are about 700 single adults.

Mary Ashcraft is pastor at Joining Hands Mission Church and opens the church to the homeless in cold weather. She supports the coalition’s project.

“There’s so many families out there,” she said. “I get phone calls, and I have nowhere to send them but Metropolitan Ministries. They go a great job, but they are full and packed.”

The county owns the land on Youth Lane and is providing at least $700,000 in grants, and other sources, to pay for building renovations.

“I think we’re going to do the right thing,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “Sometimes, we just have to take a chance.”

The lease agreement has a 90-day written notice of termination clause.

Starkey said, “If it doesn’t go right, we’ll do something about it.”

Crane’s Roost resident Valerie Schaefer said the coalition’s programs would be like a magnet — attracting more homeless people and transients into the neighborhood.

“We taxpayers and voters will hold you commissioners responsible if you vote this through,” she said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano
(File)

Mariano shared concerns that the Housing Services Center could have people loitering in the area. He also thought spending available grants on Habitat for Humanity houses would be a better option.

“The issue is something we’re all sensitive to. It’s only primarily about location to the neighbors,” Mariano said. “I still don’t think it’s the right project.”

The programs approved by county commissioners were a change from the initial project to open a one-stop navigation center, with wrap-around services and a shelter for adult men and women.

Most supporters liked the shift in direction to help homeless families; while others still favored the original navigation center concept.

Under the amended proposal, the center will house four to eight families in the former teen center that’s on the site. They can receive services for up to 180 days, though coalition representatives say they expect most will be there about 45 days before transitioning to permanent housing.

No more than 36 people can stay there at any one time.

There also will be background checks, curfews, security cameras, and staff members onsite at the family shelter 24 hours a day.

Plus, the coalition will limit services available at the Housing Services Center, which will operate Monday through Friday office hours.

There will be no showers, emergency food or clothing, or health care services.

Those conditions convinced owners of an adjacent shopping plaza to support the coalition.

“This is not going to bring people out of the camps,” said Robert Lincoln, an attorney representing the plaza owners. “There’s not giveaways. It’s not going to be the anchor for bringing those people into the area.”

Chase Daniels, assistant executive director for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, also voiced Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco’s continued support for the program.

The coalition will provide desk space for deputies working in the area. They can stop by and fill out their paperwork, Daniels said. “They will have a presence,” he added.

Published June 27, 2018

Bond referendums will be on 2018 ballot

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Pasco County’s jail in Land O’ Lakes is overcrowded.

Fire rescue needs new and refurbished stations.

And, the upkeep and repairs for parks and libraries are years behind schedule.

Annual budgets, however, barely scratch the surface on the costs to fix these deficiencies.

Pasco County wants to issue bonds to pay for fire rescue improvements to stations, including Fire Station 22, at 9930 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
(File)

So, Pasco County commissioners are hoping voters will approve four general obligation bond referendums in November 2018.

If all four were approved, owners of a $100,000 home would pay about $8 a year in each of the first three years. As the loan on the bonds was repaid, the amount would gradually increase to about $31 a year during the lifetime of the bonds.

In a June 19 vote in New Port Richey, county commissioners agreed to put the bond issues on the ballot, and see what happens. No one spoke in opposition at the public hearing.

Two library advocates spoke in favor.

They reminded county commissioners of the bond referendum in the 1980s that paid for libraries operating in the county.

The library bond would collect more than $18 million to help modernize the county’s libraries.

“Certainly technology has changed dramatically in the way libraries offer their services,” said Gail Stout, a member of the library advisory board. “This bond will provide some of the renovations and repairs drastically needed for many years.”

Rosalyn Fenton, president of the Friends of the Library, said libraries make a huge difference in the quality of life for Pasco residents.

“Our library system is a wonderful, wonderful service we provide our citizens,” she said. “We’re really reaching out to provide many more services.”

Voters will mark a simple yes or no response for each bond on the ballot.

About $132 million would be collected in total for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to build a 1,000-bed expansion of the existing Land O’ Lakes Detention Center. About $1.5 million would be collected in the first year, with the amount increasing to about $7.5 million in the third year.

At times, the jail houses more than 1,800 inmates in a facility built for about 1,400 inmates. Pasco is under a judicial order to come up with a plan to resolve the overcrowding, before the inmate count reaches 1,900.

“That means either letting inmates walk or coming up with another solution,” said Bob Goehrig, Pasco’s budget director.

County officials estimate costs of $4 million to $6 million annually to temporarily house inmates in on-site trailers, or offsite at jails in other counties. Funding for this is included in the draft 2019 budget.

The fire rescue bond would collect about $70 million in total. The funds would pay for nine fire stations, either new or refurbished, as well as for equipment and staffing.

Goehrig said some stations were built in the 1970s when the county relied on volunteers, rather than full-time firefighters.

Parks would receive about $20 million to help with a backlog of about $26 million in deferred maintenance. The county’s budget in recent years has included as much as $1.5 million for maintenance at parks in danger of closing.

The approximately $18.6 million bond for libraries would pay for repairs, renovations, equipment and upgrades at seven branch libraries.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted that the annual cost to most homeowners for parks and libraries would be $2.55 and $2.35, respectively.

“To me, it’s just critical if these pass,” she said. “I’m hoping the public will look at these as wise investments.”

Published June 27, 2018

Deadline approaching for county budget

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Crunch time is approaching for Pasco County’s 2019 budget.

On June 5, Pasco County commissioners got a look at a draft budget as part of their review process.

Crucial dates are coming up, including a July 10 deadline to set the millage rate, which determines how much homeowners will pay in taxes.

No increase in millage is expected. However, some will pay higher tax bills because of general increases in property values.

County officials anticipate that the average, single-family homeowner will pay almost $16 more into the general fund on a homesteaded property valued at $100,000. The cost will increase about $3.80 for the fire fund.

Owners of non-homesteaded property will pay almost $65 more to the general fund, and about $15.35 to the fire fund.

New revenues from property taxes are expected to increase by about 8.5 percent for the general fund, adding about $10.5 million to county coffers.

Those funds are evenly divided between the county and its constitutional offices, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

New construction is fueling a large share of the increased tax revenue.

However, a Nov. 8 referendum to add another $25,000 exemption to homesteaded property is expected to adversely affect the county’s 2020 budget — if the measure passes, and county officials are expecting it to pass.

The loss to the county’s general fund in 2020 would be about $12 million, and about $2.4 million for the fire fund.

Funding temporary housing for inmates at the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center is one of the immediate challenges facing the Pasco County Commission.

By 2020, projections put inmate population at nearly 2,400 a day. The facility was built to house about 1,400 inmates, and already exceeds that number.

The draft budget includes about $2.4 million for the cost of temporary onsite housing; and another $2.5 million to pay other counties to house Pasco inmates in their jails.

Currently, there remains about $3.3 million in unfunded budget needs at the sheriff’s office.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco struck a positive note on the matter.

“It’s very tricky, but we’re getting there,” Nocco told county commissioners. “I know we’re going to get there in the end.”

Other big ticket items include about $2.8 million for repairs and capital improvements for public buildings; $1.4 million for Medicaid, retirement and health insurance; and $1 million for deferred maintenance of parks that are in danger of closing.

County officials peg deferred maintenance costs at parks at about $24 million.

“So, that’s not even treading water there,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

Published June 13, 2018

Pasco Sheriff’s Office has new tool to track missing persons

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The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has a new tool to help find people with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism or other cognitive disorders who wander off.

Sheriff Chris Nocco held a news conference last week to talk about using scent kits to help locate missing persons with cognitive disorders.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Office K-9 deputies Chris Miller and Jimmy Hall, explain how Buster, the bloodhound, tracks the scent of a missing person.
(B.C. Manion)

“What we’re trying to do, as quickly as possible, is to find those loved ones who go missing — find those missing children who have wandered off from the house; those who are dealing with mental disabilities that wander off,” Nocco said.

“The stress on the family is overwhelming,” Nocco said, noting that in addition to other calls, his department handled 1,200 calls regarding missing persons in the past year.

“The faster we can track them, the faster we can find them, the faster that we save them,” the sheriff added.

Besides protecting the missing persons from harm, a quick result alleviates concerns of loved ones and enables the law enforcement agency to deploy its forces sooner to respond to other types of calls, Nocco said.

The scent kits will be distributed through the department’s SafetyNet Program, said Det. Gennis Holsom.

That program uses a transmitter attached to a SafetyNet particpant, which is tracked by deputies with radio receivers. The scent kit will add another tool to that program.

That program focuses on the cognitive disorders community, Holsom said.

“If they wander off, we’ll respond to the scene with receivers, we can put in the unique radio frequency that that particular transmitter emits and we’ll basically track the sound. We can track right to them.

“To add to the toolbox of the Safety Net program, we’re adding the scent kit, starting in June.

“The scent kit is specifically for our bloodhounds. It will be a pure scent, which will be kept at that individual’s house,” he said.

To collect someone’s scent, sterile gauze is rubbed on exposed skin, such as the arm or neck. The gauze is then sealed in a glass jar. The scent can remain viable for 5 years or longer. Care must be taken to collect the scent properly, to be sure there is no cross-contamination.

During the news conference, the department gave a demonstration of how the scent kids will be used.

A bloodhound named Buster was given a sniff of a scent that had been collected and stored in a jar. Working with K-9 deputy Chris Miller, Buster followed a trail that led to a man who was hiding in a stand of pine trees.

The scent kid enables the bloodhound to smell an item that has just the missing person’s scent on it, K-9 deputy Jimmy Hall explained.

“Sometimes, if we take a scent article from the house, three or four other people within the house might have touched it,” Hall said. “If you were to hand me a shirt, there’s no telling how many different scents are on there.”

Those who are interested in learning more about the program should contact Shelby Homko, at (727) 815-7119.

Published June 6, 2018

 

Pasco schools adopt new safety measures

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An initiative to place school safety guards into Pasco County’s elementary schools attracted 125 applicants for 53 job slots.

Training for the safety guards is scheduled to begin in June, with a goal of having the guards prepared for duties by August. Some applicants were retired law enforcement officers.

“We’re excited about the level of interest and the caliber of people who are interested,” said Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services with Pasco County Schools.

Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services at Pasco County Schools, standing, and Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning, sitting to the right, led discussion on school safety at Wiregrass High School. (Kathy Steele)

The update on hiring school safety guards was part of a broader presentation on school safety, hosted by the Pasco County Schools public school district on May 7, at the Wiregrass High School cafeteria.

About 100 people attended, including parents, teachers, school board members and school bus drivers.

The presentation highlighted the school district’s response to a new state law requiring elementary schools to have armed security. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act is a reaction to the Valentine’s Day school shooting in Parkland when 17 people were killed.

Lawmakers approved some financial assistance for boosting school safety, and for mental health care. But, school officials said funding is inadequate, and won’t pay to place School Resource Officers, who are certified law enforcement officers, at every school.

The school district now has SROs at its middle and high schools. The security guards that will provide protection at elementary schools are a less-expensive option.

Before being stationed at schools, the guards will go through 132 hours of training with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

Other topics discussed at the public meeting included the school district’s update to its Active Threat Plan; the highlights of the state’s new restriction on firearms; and mental health care services.

Making campuses safer
The school district began a review of its existing school safety plan in January. The updated version was implemented in August.

Priorities are on safety, prevention efforts and working collaboratively with the sheriff’s office.

An assessment of the district’s 90 facilities is underway. The final report will look at additional ways to eliminate vulnerabilities on campuses, Kuhn said.

“We want to make sure we remain vigilant as we get farther away from Parkland,” she said. “We’re looking at how we balance our facilities so they are welcoming to the community, but safe.”

That isn’t a balance everyone supported.

One woman during public comment said, “I don’t want my school open to the community. I want it closed.”

About a dozen people spoke during public comment. They talked about their fears, and those of their children or students. They also spoke about how the school district can improve safety, and do better at communicating to parents and school employees.

Rayomond Chinoy has two children who will attend high school next year. He has met privately with school officials about his concerns.

One issue he raised at the public meeting is how school officials would stop potential shooters from entering school buildings, once they have been identified as threats. He also worries about safety on school field trips.

“I don’t think they’ve figured out a balance yet,” said Chinoy, speaking after the meeting. “I want to know this is how we’re going to fix it. This is where the money is coming from.”

Some also wanted greater emphasis on prevention efforts, and mental health support.

Browning said, “This district works incredibly hard to identify those kids who need extra support.”

But, funding is an issue.

And, regarding the issue of identifying potential active shooters, Browning said, “I don’t know of anyone who is a clairvoyant who knows what’s in the head of every kid.”

Lt. Troy Ferguson, with the sheriff’s office, talked about law enforcement’s role in school safety.

“It’s a sad commentary on society that we have to have these types of meetings,” he said.

But, the sheriff’s office monitors threats on a daily basis.

Recently, a teenager who moved from Pasco to Ohio made a threat on social media. Ferguson said he was arrested in Ohio.

And, even if it means waking parents at 2 a.m., to ask about a tweet or Facebook post by their child, Ferguson said deputies will do what’s necessary for safety.

Active shooter situations generally last 6 minutes to 12 minutes, he said.

In those moments, response plans rely on a “mitigation strategy not a prevention strategy,” Ferguson said.

The goals are self-evacuation; communications and alerts for school lockdown and barricading classrooms; concealment; and, as a last resort, countering the attacker.
“It’s literally about defending your life and the life of a child, looking for a place to take refuge,” Ferguson said.

The sheriff’s office, similar to the school district, wants to strike a balance.

“We want to be inviting to the community,” said Ferguson. “We don’t want to think about building moats and putting in big dragons, just yet.”

There were divisions among those at the meeting on whether to arm school employees, including teachers, with firearms.

Browning said state lawmakers want SROs at every school, but they didn’t provide funding for that.

“We can’t afford true SROs on all of our campuses,” he said. But, he added, “I’m not ready to arm district personnel. I’m just not ready to do that.”

Browning said deputies responding to active shooters would have trouble distinguishing between school employees and the shooter.

One woman suggested that district personnel could wear badges or special vests, if they were armed.

Some parents spoke about building modifications that were needed. For example, they said many schools have doors with glass windows that can be broken for easy access into classrooms.

Once the campus assessment is done, Browning said the district will know more about additional expenses needed to boost safety measures. The next step would be to identify financial resources, which might involve local fundraising activities.

“This was an insightful evening,” Browning said. “We’re still working through the plan. We can do a better job of communicating. The conversation does not stop here.”

Published May 16, 2018

Pilot code enforcement program yields results

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A more proactive approach to reducing blight in Pasco County appears to be working, and the Pasco County Commission wants the efforts to continue.

Commissioners approved a pilot program in April 2017, described as “high return enforcement.”

The focus was to become more aggressive in pursuing the worst of the county’s code violators through the use of fines and court actions.

A pilot program to take proactive actions to reduce blight in Pasco County resulted in demolition of about 50 mobile homes in the former Lazy Breeze Mobile Home & RV Park, outside Dade City. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

A partnership of county departments, including the county attorney’s office, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, code enforcement and building inspections have worked together, using existing staff members and resources.

The program has received no dedicated funding.

Assistant County Attorney Kristi Sims presented a progress report during a recent workshop in New Port Richey.

“The idea was to use what we had and to reorganize to take on more than what would normally have been taken on,” said Sims.

The program focused on repeat offenses, danger to health and public safety, and violations with serious impacts to the community.

Highlights from the past year include:

  • 63 blighted structures were demolished by property owners
  • 55 blighted structures were demolished by Pasco County
  • 17 demolitions are pending
  • 10 nonconforming signs have been removed or converted to monument signs
  • 46 signs have been repaired
  • More than 8,500 illegally stored tires were removed from five sites, as a result of lawsuits
  • Lawsuits are pending against five owners of vacant, dilapidated commercial buildings

One court case, settled in 2017, led to the removal of about 40 mobile homes and as many as 15 recreational vehicles at the Lazy Breeze Mobile Home & RV Park, off U.S. 301, outside Dade City.

“We’ve done a lot with a little,” Sims said. “It’s up to the board to decide if they want us to continue doing it.”

The program won praise from county commissioners.

“I think the public really notices,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

More than 8,500 illegally stored tires were removed from several sites as a result of a pilot program to take proactive actions to reduce blight in Pasco County.

In her district, Starkey said no one has a problem with removing blight because “it’s keeping their property values down. It’s keeping commerce and business out.”

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Wells Jr., also complimented the program’s results.

He had one cautionary caveat.

“We shouldn’t be overregulating and hurting small businesses,” said Wells. But, he did favor demolitions, and other actions that address matters of life and public safety.

The county’s priority is “not to go out and bust people’s chops about a sign or bushes,” he added.

Sims said the program relies on a scoring system to prioritize the worst offenses, including factors such as safety risks.

“Our goal is to strategize enforcement based on the board’s goals,” she said.

“Commercial blight is an expressed priority of this board,” Sims said.

She also noted that the county is flexible in scheduling a timetable to complete repairs.

“Our goal isn’t to eradicate a business or use, if it can be fixed,” Sims said. “What we’re looking for is compliance, and progressing toward fixing it.”

One of the challenges is to balance an employee’s everyday workload with the additional duties required by the new enforcement efforts, Sims said.

A lot of time is taken up with clerical work, and the need for up-to-date communications on work done by multiple departments. Additional staff for clerical work and building inspections is needed, Sims said.

County commissioners seemed to be receptive to the idea of including funds in the 2019 budget to address some of these issues.

Published May 9, 2018

Pasco elementary schools to get safety guards

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The Pasco County School Board approved Superintendent Kurt Browning’s proposal to hire a director of safety and security, and to add up to 50 school safety guards for the district’s elementary schools, according a district news release.

The school board’s action was in response to a 2018 bill that the Legislature passed and the governor signed into law. It requires all school districts to provide security at all schools beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.

The Legislature provided funding in the bill and districts were given three options:

  • Provide school resource officers (SRO) at each school,
  • Provide school safety officers for each school, or
  • Participate in the school guardian program requiring certain school personnel to be armed.

The law also requires each district to appoint a school safety specialist, which is the director of school safety and security position approved by the board.

During a recent school safety workshop, Browning told school board members he would prefer to have an SRO on each of the district’s school campuses, but the district could not afford that option.

The advertisements for the jobs have been posted on the district’s website and its Facebook page.

The district is hosting two recruitment and interview events for the school safety guard positions. They will be on May 10 and May 21, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., in Building 2 of the district office complex, at 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. The interviews for the director position will be on May 10 and May 11.

The district’s middle schools and high schools will continue to be staffed by SROs through the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments.

Published May 9, 2018

Corley discusses voting system reliability, security

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With primary and general elections on tap later this year — and the recent completion of the municipal election — Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley wants local residents to know their vote always counts.

His message: “Sleep well at night; we’ve got it covered.”

Corley was the featured speaker at the Republican Club of Central Pasco’s recent monthly meeting, where he spoke extensively about the reliability and security of the county’s voting system.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley spoke extensively about the reliability and security of the county’s voting system during the Republican Club of Central Pasco’s monthly meeting. (Kevin Weiss)

Corley, who’s served as the county’s elections supervisor since 2007, explained the elections office has been working closely with the FBI, Homeland Security, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies to vet any potential threats, particularly of the cyber variety.

Additional security precautions have been taken since the 2016 Presidential Election and measures are in place for “every possible scenario,” Corley said.

In a worst-case scenario — such as the PascoVotes website getting compromised — Corley explained the county’s elections office would have the ability to recreate the election. That’s because its headquarters has “multiple redundancies” to preserve the county’s voter registration database.

“If there was any kind of issue, there’s backups of the voter data,” the elections supervisor said.

Corley referenced a website called Norsecorp.com, which analyzes real-time cyber  attempts to hack networks. To underscore the reinforced security of the county elections office, Corley made an analogy of would-be election hackers to a car thief attempting to unlock cars in a parking lot: “In our office, our doors are locked — and you can’t get to the car.”

Corley explained the Dade City-based elections service center “couldn’t be any more secure” should someone attempt to hack its internal servers, steal electronic poll books or other data.

The Category-5 hardened building is equipped with security cameras and multiple levels of physical access control systems, Corley said.

Furthermore, to even activate those voting machines or poll books, Corley said the elections office has multiple sets of unique passwords.

“You’d have to physically drive a Mack truck through the wall, and I don’t think a Mack truck can even get through that wall, to be honest,” he said.

Corley also said his office always conducts a post-election audit — physically counting ballots from a randomly selected race and a certain percentage of precincts, to be sure of factual results.

“We reconcile everything that we do,” Corley said. “We always have 100 percent accuracy,” Corley said.

The elections supervisor also addressed other voting-related matters, including voter fraud.

He acknowledged the existence of voter fraud in Florida and elsewhere, but doesn’t feel it’s as widespread as some believe.

“Respectfully, I don’t really think it’s as bad as the president says it was,” he said.

Corley suggested many fraud cases occur through voters registered in multiple states, such as Florida and New York. “When you vote in two states, that’s when it becomes problematic,” he said.

The dilemma may soon be alleviated once Florida and its 14 million voters officially join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), which is a nonpartisan, nonprofit consortium among 20 states and the District of Columbia. The consortium shares voter registration information to improve the accuracy and integrity of voter lists.

The consortium was designed to improve the integrity of voter rolls by matching millions of voter records from one state with those of other participating states. The data matches can identify voters that have registered in two states, voters that have moved between states, and those that have died.

“It’s an absolute no-brainer,” Corley said of the ERIC system. “We’re obviously very, very excited about that.”

Meanwhile, Corley shared some details about the upcoming Aug. 28 primary election.

He branded the one-page midterm ballot “very, very busy” with its Florida Constitution Revision Commission amendments, as well as several other state and county amendments.

“We’re going into a crazy midterm,” Corley said. “It’s like the election in 2016 never ended. It has that feel to it. It’s going to be a lengthy battle.”

He said the elections office is doing more to service absentee voters.

More voting days will be added to the schedule, and there will be three additional voting precincts — Pasco County Utilities building, in Land O’ Lakes; Alice Hall Community Center, in Zephyrhills; and Odessa Community Park, in Odessa.

With a population of nearly 500,000 and a voter registration roll of about 340,000, Pasco County is divided into 109 precincts.

Absentee or early voting accounted for about 60 percent of all votes cast in the 2016 election, Corley said.

“Early voting seems to kind of be the way to go,” he said. “We’re not expecting that to change.”

Published May 2, 2018