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JUNE 17, 2020
New interchange will ease congestion
By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Construction crews could be turning dirt within months on a new interchange at Interstate 75 and Overpass Road. A contractor is expected to be selected by August, and completion is expected about 2 ½ years after construction begins. The junction frequently is identified as a “gateway” into Pasco County, and a potential catalyst for new development in a largely rural area already experiencing a burst of growth.
“It has a regional impact for Pasco,” said Bill Cronin, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council.“Another exit opens into the county where we have potential for residential and commercial growth.That is another big gateway for Pasco County from the north but from the east, too.” On a more local scale, the new interchange is expected to ease traffic congestion, bring more connectivity to northeast Pasco cities, and give the county another evacuation route for hurricanes and other emergencies.
“The benefit to the county is just tremendous,” said Margaret Smith, Pasco’s director of engineering services.“We’re giving residential and commercial users a whole other entrance. It takes the volume of traffic off the two busiest interchanges.” Situated about halfway between I-75 interchanges with County Road 54 and State Road 52, traffic engineers estimate a reduction of about 13,000 vehicles per day at each interchange. It also opens up an east/west route that See INTERCHANGE, page 11A
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The new I-75/Overpass Road interchange is expected to significantly reduce the volume of vehicles per day here and at two other interchanges.
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The new I-75/Overpass Road interchange will feature a flyover.
In this rendering, cars are eastbound as they approach the I-75/Overpass Road interchange.
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Zephyrhills can handle COVID-19 budget impacts By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
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INSIDE, PAGE 1B
Cities and towns across the country are gearing up for budget cuts because of prolonged COVID-19 shutdowns, but that isn’t true in Zephyrhills. Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe said the city is in good enough shape financially to handle any lingering effects of the shutdown for the rest of this fiscal year, and for next fiscal year, too. He provided that reassuring news to city council members at their regular meeting on June 8. Although state revenues shared with local governments could be reduced by 50% for the months of April, May and June, Poe said that’s “not a super larger part” of the city’s roughly $66 million budget. The city had larger-than-anticipated revenues at the beginning of the year, which helps to offset lower state revenues, Poe said. He also noted that some big-ticket purchase items came in under budget. Plus, the city has flexibility to slow down some city projects that are less critical, he said. “Talking to the finance director I think we’re going to be OK,” the city manager told the council. “There’s some money that we can move around, so there will be a decrease, but I think we’re going to be OK,” Poe said. Meanwhile, as the city prepares its 202021 fiscal year budget, Poe has directed city department heads “to really hold the line” when prioritizing needs and projects. Besides the negative revenue impacts caused by COVID-19, the city also is facing higher health care and retirement costs for next fiscal year. The millage rate will be set during the first week in July.The city will hold two public hearings on its budget, which must be adopted by Oct. 1. On the upside, the city manager noted a preliminary estimate from the Pasco County Property Appraiser’s Office shows the taxable value of the city up about $42 million, with $35.7 million in new construction value.
Dade City moves ahead on priority projects By Kevin Weiss kweiss@lakerlutznews.com
Like other government organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Zephyrhills City Council to hold virtual call-in meetings over the past two months or so. That all changed June 8, when council members gathered inside the Zephyrhills City Hall chambers, for the first time since March 23. The move came at an appropriate time, as City Clerk Lori Hillman administered the oath of office to Mayor Gene Whitfield and Councilman Alan Knight, who retained their seats since being declared elected unopposed. Whitfield has held the mayor chair since 2014, when Danny Burgess resigned to run as the area’s state representative in Tallahassee. Whitfield has owned Whitfield Funeral Home in Zephyrhills the past 25 years. He also is former director of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce. Knight, first elected to Council Seat 2 in 2014, is a retired educator who’s worked mainly in Pasco County Schools as a teacher,
Dade City is moving ahead on some city priority projects. The city’s commissioners have authorized staff to enter into a design-build contract with Borregard Construction Inc., for a design-build of a visitor’s information welcome center, to be located on the south side of Church Avenue near the Hardy Trail multi-use trailhead. Preliminary plans call for a building of 1,100 square feet to 1,500 square feet, with two family bathrooms that meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The center will feature an open floor plan — allowing for vendor operations, area attractions, museums and art exhibits to host mobile displays. Officials said the visitor’s center will not exceed $250,000, which is funded through a grant from the Pasco County Tourism Development Council. The facility will be part of a larger exterior space concept that will feature a bike-share hub with stations for parking, minor repairs, and public resting areas for cyclists and exercising pedestrians. The public will be invited to provide input on the design of the building, in the coming months.The general idea is for the visitor’s center to help promote some of the city’s attraction to locals and out-of-town visitors, said Melanie Romagnoli, the city’s community and economic development director. For example, Pioneer Florida Museum would be able to display items to help promote that attraction. “We want to make sure that the building will fit into the context of the neighborhood, with a contemporary interior that will allow for modern amenities, such as digital display ads and a place for our nonprofit
See BUDGET, page 11A
See PROJECTS, page 11A
COURTESY OF CITY OF ZEPHYRHILLS
Councilman Charles Proctor was elevated to the role of council president at a June 8 regular meeting.
“What it’ll do is offset some of those reductions from the state, those lost revenues as a result of COVID-19,” said Poe.
COUNCIL SWEARING-IN, REORGANIZATION