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Merger talks continue in Zephyrhills
By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
The Zephyrhills Fire Department soon could consolidate into Pasco County Fire Rescue, but myriad issues are still being negotiated. The Zephyrhills City Council held a March 2 workshop to review a county-drafted interlocal agreement that would provide fire suppression/first responder services for the municipality. Under the agreement, Pasco Fire Rescue would operate the city’s two fire stations
and would absorb the city’s fire department personnel at their proper pay step. The county agency would ensure and maintain additional staffing needs at both stations and place an ambulance within the city limits. The negotiations are a result of a unanimous council decision last July to direct city staff to begin formal consolidation talks with Pasco County Fire Rescue. The impending merger is due in part to funding and staffing issues that have plagued the city’s fire department for several years. With a merger, Zephyrhills property
owners would pay for county fire rescue services through a Municipal Service Taxing Unit, or MSTU. City officials say that an MSTU for fire services is expected to have less financial impact on city residents and commercial entities than a fire assessment fee. During the 90-minute workshop, however, city leaders expressed reservations about several aspects of the drafted proposal. One of the larger concerns involves the amount of leave hours that a Zephyrhills See FIRE, page 15A
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Traveling back to 1861
The thunderous sounds of canons and rifle fire filled the air at a recent Civil War reenactment at the Florida Pioneer Museum and Village, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City. The three-day event, which concluded March 1, gave those attending a chance to get a feel for what life was like in the 1860s. Actors, dressed in period clothing and uniforms, remained in character, as they mingled with visitors. They set up realistic campsites and gave informational talks — leading to the reenactment of the Battle of Santa Rosa Island, a Civil War battle that took place Oct. 9, 1861, on the barrier island near Pensacola. Above, Al Stone, of Zephyrhills — portraying Gen. Robert E. Lee — gazes into the distance while observing actors playing Confederate soldiers, preparing for battle. Stone, who is semi-retired from his 25-year-long career of playing General Lee, studied Lee’s life for five years, before taking on the role. Over the years, he said he has been part of 30-plus documentaries and private projects for National Geographic, and the History and Discovery channels. For more coverage on this story, turn to page 1B.
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The site is located at the corner of of heading toward a construction start Magnolia Boulevard and Wesley Chapel Amici Plaza in spring with an opening likely Boulevard, which is also known as County ksteele@lakerlutznews.com by the end of 2016. Road 54. Pasco County records show a conceptual Pasco County is moving forward with acOwners of Amici Pizza & Deli are planthe plan with about 3,000 square feet for Road ning to build a new stand-alone restaurant, for quisition of right-of-way along County restaurant, and about 1,800 square feet 54 to prepare for the expansion of the twowith additional retail space, on Wesley retail. the lane road into a four-lane road at Chapel Boulevard. “We’d like to have our own building and 54 junction of State Road 56 and State Road The new restaurant is a short distance a bigger kitchen,” said Andrea Mannino. from the existing Amici restaurant in Grand No decisions have been made on the adSee PIZZA, page 13A Oaks Square, at Wesley Chapel and Pet Lane. ditional retail space, he said. Andrea and Josephine Mannino, are
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JANUARY 27, 2016
Pasco administrator to retire in
By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker expects to be very busy over the next year and a half. She’ll be crossing off a to-do list, one by one, before leaving in 2017 to go on a lengthy road trip with her husband. The couple will hit the road with their recreational vehicle and their motorcycles, on a tour of as many baseball parks and national parks as they can squeeze into a year. “That’s been our dream,” Baker said, so letting her contract lapse in July 2017 makes sense. But, don’t expect a lame duck administrator. “There’s no kicking back here,” Baker said.“This isn’t me slowing down. ” Baker has told Pasco County commissioners she won’t seek renewal of her current two-year contract, which makes her
2017
last day July 9, 2017. the jail and construction of new fire stations By then, Baker will • Relocating have worked 35 years central Pasco more government offices to in public service, 24 Baker also plans to fill vacancies for a of those years with few key leadership positions that remain, Pasco County. cluding an assistant county administrator infor Her to-do list, in public safety and administration. short form, includes: Progress has been made, Baker said, but • Completing mas- government services still could be more ter plans and updates customer-friendly. for storm water, solid A culture that was decades in the waste and tourism making is being changed, she said.“You don’t • Funding and building a diverging get to dia- turn a canoe.You’re turning mond road design to ease traffic congestion a ship.” Public service wasn’t Baker’s first at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 career choice. • Completing the State Road 56 extenOver the years she worked sion as a waitress, • Nurturing SunWest Park, the county’s flight attendant and a theater manager. She also served in the U.S.Air Force Reserve. fledgling aqua park Her undergraduate degree was in • Replacing and repairing aging busiinfra- ness administration. structure and roads damaged by the It wasn’t until she accepted a secretarial summer flooding • Making progress on the expansion of See RETIRE, page 11A Michele Baker
Kumquats reign supreme at area festival By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
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Saturday, January 30, 2016 9 AM - 5 PM Historic Downtown Dade City
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The first kumquat tree in St. Joseph took root more than 100 years ago, when C.J. Nathe planted it in his backyard. He added a few more, and soon he had small grove on an acre of fertile ground. a The kumquat king, as Nathe was later dubbed, transformed a quiet back road community into the Kumquat Capital of the World. An open house will take place on Jan. and Jan. 29 at the Kumquat Growers 28 packi h d
Margie Neuhofer and her h
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Actors portraying Union soldiers fire rifles and a large Gatling gun on wheels toward the incoming Confederate troops, during a reenactment of the Battle of Santa Rosa Island. This reenactment took place during the Civil War event at the Florida Pioneer Museum and Village in Dade City on Feb. 29.
Larry Fentriss, plays a fife, which is a flute-like musical instrument, for the 37th Alabama Infantry Confederate soldiers. The native of Williamsburg, Virginia said he started playing the fife in fifth grade. He began taking part in Civil War reenactments last year.
Pasco eyeing big changes MOSI focusing to apartment mobility fees more on community outreach
By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
The Pasco County Commission has signaled it wants to end mobility fee incentives that it provides for new market-rate apartment construction within the county. At the same time, commissioners are looking to waive mobility fees for builders of affordable housing — homes or apartments. Commissioners also are eyeing a mobility fee waiver aimed to spur new construction in an area along U.S. 19, in West Pasco. Transportation mobility fees are the charges that accompany new construction, with the intent of addressing the impacts that the new building causes on nearby transportation systems. Pasco has used mobility fee incentives to encourage various types of construction, including apartments. But, at a Feb. 25 workshop, commissioners indicated they want change — and county staff indicated it will begin laying the groundwork to arrange public hearings on the issue.
Commissioners cannot take votes during workshops, and no public testimony is allowed. While no public comment was taken, the proposed changes likely will draw considerable interest from apartment developers and their representatives. Numerous high-end apartments have been built or approved along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor in recent years — drawing the ire of Commission Chairman Mike Moore. He voiced his displeasure, again, during the board’s workshop. “If you look at surrounding areas, i.e. Hillsborough County, what they’ve done — i.e., Brandon — that’s what you’re turning my district into, on 54/56. “We’re oversaturating this one area,” he said.“The people that live there can’t stand it. “We’ve turned 54/56 into apartment row. That’s what it looks like. It’s ugly. It’s disgusting. It’s bad development. It’s bad for the future. It’s bad for this county. It looks ridiculous,” he said. See MOBILITY, page 15A
By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
In just a few years, the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) has gone from being millions of dollars in debt to being financially sustainable, operating in the black. The turnaround of the North Tampa organization has come under the new leadership of Julian McKenzie, who was promoted as museum CEO in 2017 after serving less than a year as its CFO. The museum leader led a restructuring effort that saw the organization downsize its East Fowler Avenue campus from 300,000 square feet to about 55,000 square feet, while trimming just about 10% of overall exhibit space. “The big issue for MOSI was it was trying to be too much for too many people,” McKenzie said, during a recent North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting. Museum leadership had to reconfigure See MOSI, page 15A