April Update from Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore

Pasco County is a community that cares about its fellow citizens. There were several events in April you will read about below were a strong reminder of the great people that live here. As always, thank you for taking the time to read these updates about all the exciting things happening in Pasco County!

Vaccine rollout is continuing with all Floridians of age now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Please check out the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County’s website at pasco.floridahealth. gov for all the latest information. As of April 21st, there are over 130 sites in Pasco County where you can receive a vaccine.

A huge thank you to The Grove Theater, Bistro & Entertainment for partnering with me on a successful Farm Share food distribution on April 13th. Thirty volunteers gave out 16,000 pounds of food in about three hours. Pictured are early morning volunteer crew that joined me to meet the Farm Share truck at 7 a.m., including Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano. While there is still a need in the community, it was thankfully a much smaller turnout than the 2020 Farm Share food distribution I co-hosted with Representative Maggard. I am so appreciative of the volunteers that help make these events happen, it could not happen without them. The Farm Share boxes included orange juice, milk, tomatoes, potatoes and more.

I do have an update on State Road 54 widening project in east Pasco. I know the pace of this project has been frustrating to many of you in Avalon Park. I have spoken to the Florida Department of Transportation, they have let me know the contractor is on pace to finish the project this calendar year.

Congratulations to Joel Jackson of Land O’ Lakes for winning the 2020 Water Wise Award in the residential category! I had the honor of presenting Mr. Jackson his award in April. He uses less than 3,000 gallons of water a month, has a yard full of life with Florida friendly plants and pollinators. Mr. Jackson is a great member of our community, volunteering his time with many community organizations.

On April 9th, I participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for an expansion of the Soule Company. This locally owned manufacturing company is building a 100,000 square foot expansion, adding more good paying jobs to Pasco County. Adding quality jobs to Pasco County will remain a top priority of mine to make sure we are not just the bedroom community for Hillsborough and Pinellas. This company chose to keep their expansion here thanks to the great work of the Pasco Economic Development Council.

I’m thrilled to let you know New River Library will fully reopen in mid-May! The library has been undergoing extensive renovations as part of the GO Bond projects approved by Pasco County voters in 2018. There is a sneak preview period in early May where not all services will be available, but you can see the renovated library. Libraries are an important part of our community by providing internet access, classes, meeting rooms and makerspaces. I hope you will stop by to visit the renovated New River Library!

As always, information changes fast. Please check out Pasco County’s website at MyPasco.net for all the latest information. Remember, we will continue to get through this by working together!

About: Commissioner Mike Moore represents District 2 on the Pasco County Commission. He lives in Wesley Chapel with his wife and three children.