Buses Expected to Have Wi-Fi by Spring of Watch Pasco County Television On: Take a Look at The Latest Information Available!

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1 March 2015 Buses Expected to Have Wi-Fi by Spring of 2015 In response to a citizen survey request, all Pasco County buses are now being equipped with wireless internet access known as Wi-Fi. This feature allows internet users to connect from virtually any location. The addition of 4G LTE Wi-Fi technology, combined with our By Cliff Gill new transportation system, not only enhances our customers experience, but also improves efficiency, safety, quality of service, reliability, cost effectiveness, and accessibility, said Mike Carroll, Pasco County Public Transportation (PCPT) Director. In 2012, PCPT started exploring options to upgrade the existing transit management system, known as Transview. Systems used by other transit agencies throughout the country were researched. Discussions were held with local agencies, including Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) to assess their systems, learn best practices and identify challenges to avoid. One of PCPT s goals was to be able to provide Wi-Fi service on all the buses. Providing Wi-Fi was identified by Pasco County citizens as a top priority to improve our transit system. PCPT s research and recommendations were presented to the County administration and the Board of County Commissioners. With Federal grant monies funding the project, Pasco County s Purchasing Department was required to place the project out to bid. Following an extensive review and approval process, RouteMatch Software was awarded the contract at a cost of $605, The equipment setup included a contract with Verizon Communications to provide routers and 4G LTE Wi-Fi service on buses. With Wi-Fi, PCPT satisfies one of the requirements as described in the Transit Development Plan, said Carroll. At the same time, it enhances the customer experience by providing free and reliable internet service to our patrons while traveling on our buses. Watch Pasco County Television On: Provider Channel Verizon 42 Brighthouse 643 Take a Look at The Latest Information Available! For patrons, advantages include having extra time to read, work, and play while being driven to their destinations in a safe and friendly environment. 1

2 Annual Performance Report Shines Light on Pasco County's Progress The Board of County Commissioners and County Administration presented the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Annual Performance Report to citizens recently. The report, available on Pasco County's official website, updates the status and results of action plans and initiatives outlined in the County's FY 2014 Business Plan. Despite flat budgets and increased demand for services, County staff has continued to provide excellent customer service in cost-effective and innovative ways. These efforts led to regional and national awards for many of the programs and services provided by Pasco County. The County has so many great employees, whose work often goes unrecognized, said County Administrator Michele Baker. Our Mission, Serving our community to create a better future, is why we exist and what we dedicate ourselves to each and every day. This report shows the results of getting the right people to do the jobs of County Government. The report highlights the progress and rates the performance of achieving these individual goals. It's also a useful tool for residents who are looking for facts about the services provided to the citizens of Pasco County in the last year. Some interesting points include: Public Transportation Ridership: 959,855 Library Visits: Traditional 874,608 Virtual 1.3 million Animal Adopted by Animal Services: 1,588 Cooperative Extension Service s Youth Education Participants: 29,243 Pasco Fire Rescue's Total Calls for Service: 59,183 Public Safety Communications 911 Calls Answered: 186,470 Lane Miles Of Roadway Maintained by Road & Bridge: 3,800 Committed to The Community On a recent February morning, several Pasco County employees volunteered their time to help grow food for those in need. Committed to the greater good, they give up one Saturday morning each month to meet at The Volunteer Way and help feed people in our community. Kevin Duffy, Lead Plant Operator for Wastewater Services, mixes soil and peat moss for the hydroponic garden. The growing medium is Perlite, a porous, foam-like substance that is lightweight and promotes vigorous root growth. The materials are then filled and stacked in vertically stacked pods. Subscribe to the Pasco 360 Newsletter easily by going to the NOTIFY ME section of the Pasco County Website: and signing up under Pasco County Newsletters. Dawn Cisbani, Senior Project Clerk, Libraries, prepares a pod for planting. 2

3 Dozer Maneki Abraham Ashe Toby Curtis # # # # # # Tax Collector Expanding Services at West Pasco Government Center Tax Collector Mike Fasano recently announced that the Tax Collector's Office located in the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey, will be a full service office soon. Beginning March 16, 2015, customers will be able to get assistance with driver's license needs too. The office is scheduled to close on February 23, 2015, for upgrades and will reopen as a full service office on March 16, Customers needing assistance before the location reopens are encouraged to visit the Gulf Harbors Branch, located at 4720 U.S. Highway 19, New Port Richey. We are excited that our West Pasco Government Center location will soon be able to provide driver's license services for our customers, Tax Collector Mike Fasano states. Customers who visit the West Pasco Government Center will be able to take care of their needs in one stop. For information regarding hours of operation, services provided and any other questions about the Paso County Tax Collector s Office please phone the customer call center at (727) , (813) , or (352) , or contact them through the website below: Contact Pasco County Animal Services Division to adopt a pet: Land O Lakes (813) New Port Richey (727) Dade City (352) Turn On Pasco TV and See the Newest Pets Available! 7:15 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. Verizon 42 Brighthouse 643 Hurray! Pasco County Animal Services Found Homes For These Great Pets! Yay! 3

4 Board of County Commissioners Recognize Graduates Of Leadership Development Program On February 24, 2015 the Board of County Commissioners meeting included a graduation ceremony for seventeen Pasco County employees who successfully completed the year-long Leadership Development Program (LDP). A certificate acknowledging the accomplishment was presented to each graduate. By Cliff Gill The LDP began in 2012 as a way to identify potential leaders and provide them the appropriate training, experience, and exposure to help them develop within our organization, said Ben Diel, Pasco County Training & Safety Coordinator. The program is designed to develop and enhance leadership skills in our employees and to prepare them for future leadership roles in our organization. The selection process is rigorous and includes an extensive application, followed by interviews with County management. In December of each year, about 20 employees are notified that they have been accepted into the program. At the beginning of the year, the employees come together as a group and complete three distinct phases: 1. A week-long Boot Camp 2. A five-month mentoring phase 3. A final "Stretch Project" At the boot camp, employees participate in leadership training courses. Quizzes and role playing enhance the learning process. The mentoring phase includes meeting regularly for five months with a senior Pasco County official. After the mentoring phase, the program concludes with an assignment known as a "Stretch Project." It is called that because participants are asked to go above and beyond their normal work duties, serving as project managers, coordinators, and facilitators. The duration of the project lasts between two and four months. According to Diel, the higher the participation level, the more rewarding the program. We re really proud of this year s class, added Diel. They did a fantastic job of taking the skills they learned earlier in the year and applying them to a rather difficult stretch project. Not only was this year s Leadership Development Program beneficial to the participants, but the extraordinary work they accomplished will benefit our organization and the citizens of Pasco County. 4

5 Pasco County Commissioners Travel To Tallahassee Pasco County Commissioners traveled to Tallahassee on February 18 and 19, 2015, for Pasco County Legislative Day. In attendance were all of the Commissioners: Chairman Ted Schrader, Vice Chairman Kathryn Starkey, Jack Mariano, Mike Moore, and Mike Wells; County Administrator Michele Baker; and County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder. The trip to the Florida State Capitol was an opportunity for the Commissioners to discuss important issues and inform legislators on those issues as the 2015 Legislative Session got underway. Some of the topics raised during various meetings included the importance of legislative support for the funding of Pasco County s water and stormwater projects, transportation, tourism, and economic development. This is a great opportunity to sit down and meet with the legislators and Department heads that can all influence legislation, said Ralph Lair, Pasco County Government Affairs Officer. It is important for lawmakers to understand the concerns we have in Pasco County and this was a great opportunity for our voice to be heard in Tallahassee. Some highlights during the Commissioners two day trip included: Meeting with Lieutenant Governor Lopez-Cantera Ashley Guinn, Legislative Assistant to Speaker Steve Crisafulli, Overview of Legislative Priorities Senator Jack Latvala, Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development to discuss transportation funding Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Meeting with the Pasco Legislative Delegation In addition, sought legislator support for various projects. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, on water and stormwater project funding and *RESTORE Act. For more information on the RESTORE* ACT visit the following links: *The RESTORE Act directs 80 percent of the fines levied against British Petroleum (BP) to be redirected back to the Gulf States. Pasco County is set to receive nearly one million dollars worth of RESTORE Act funds including: SunWest Park Facilities $195,000.00, Orange Lake Restoration $100,000.00, and Port Richey Waterfront Revitalization, Phase I $667,

6 2015 Robotics Team Is Moving Full Steam Ahead By Doug Tobin In a back room of the Land O Lakes library, you might be surprised to find out students are actually designing and putting together a robot. The Pasco County Libraries Robotics Team uses the library as a starting point to build, design, and promote their latest project. They call themselves the Edgar Allan Ohms and Pasco County Libraries supports the team, which builds a robot from scratch. As far as we know, the group is the first public library sponsored FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team nationally. The team s success so far is catching on. They went from about a dozen students in 2014 to more than two dozen students in On this particular day the team was taking aluminum parts they had ordered in the mail. We ordered this square aluminum for the purpose of using C-channel. We need to cut one side off and then machine our design into the side of it, which will then help us pick up crates, said Miller Bacon, a sophomore Sunlake High School. When the robot is finished it will pick up crate after crate on a chain system. Other students like sophomore Vishal Vellody have been building robots since they were young. I ve built many robots from Legos, said Vellody. There are different sections in the club, we have programmers, social media, and then we have the builders. Personally, I m a builder and I really like building (robots). This is Vellody s first time working with the team made up of Pasco County High School students from throughout the County. When finished, they will take part in state and, hopefully, national For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competitions. You only have six weeks to build the entire robot, said Joel Croteau of FIRST Robotics and AmeriCorps Vista Leader and volunteer. He helps donate his time to work with the team. To our knowledge, we re still the nation s first and only public library FRC team. So we have a disadvantage because we re building in a library. It s like a double-edged sword. We have an advantage because we have access to the community, access to space, access to county funds if we do really well, but the problem is we can t meet every single day like some FRC teams. 6 Robots continued on page 7

7 Robots continued from page 6 The Pasco County Libraries Robotics Team combines skills using STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). Today one group was working on opening the new parts for the robot, while other members were working on designing the robot on their computers. And yet another part of the team was working on their presentation for the upcoming competition where they ll compete against other students in Florida and across the country. It really is a whole lot harder than we thought it would be at first, said Miller Bacon, a sophomore Sunlake High School. But it s all part of the challenge. A challenge this team seems eager to take on. In about two or three weeks, if all goes as planned, the team will have a working robot ready for state competition. Look for an update on the robot and the team coming up in future editions of Pasco 360 Newsletter or follow them on their blog at 7

8 For Those About To Rock: Rockus Maximus And Battle of The Bands The 18th Annual Rockus Maximus Music Festival and Battle of the Bands is here! Organized by the Pasco County Library System, the event features three free concerts showcasing great music from young, local talent. There are still two concerts left to catch, so come out and show your support! Saturday, March 7, 2015 (6:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.) Gill Dawg Marina, 5419 Treadway Drive, Port Richey, Florida Friday, March 27, 2015 (6:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.) The Pasco County Rotary Pavilion at the Concourse at Safety Town Alric Pottberg Road, Spring Hill, Florida Admission and parking at all shows is free. Local vendors will be available at all events selling food and drinks. For more information click on the following link: Pasco County Television Is Now On Brighthouse Channel 643 Pasco County Television is your 24-hour government cable channel, committed to providing viewers in Pasco County with quality programming. The channel also broadcasts live coverage of the Board of County Commission Meetings and Workshops. On February 11, 2015, Pasco County Television Channel on Brighthouse Networks, moved from Channel 622 to Channel 643. Verizon customers can still watch Pasco County Television on Verizon Channel 42. Pasco Fun Fact: Did you know that the City of New Port Richey was considered the Hollywood of the East in the 1920 s? It s true! Rich in culture and history, the City has seen the likes of Gloria Swanson, Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Temple, Thomas Meighan, Irving Berlin, Gene Sarazen, June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash, just to name a few. Click here to discover more: Destination New Port Richey 8

9 Cooperative Extension Service Draws Big Crowds For Butterfly Release Visitors to this year's Pasco County Fair were treated to a colorful display of beautiful butterflies. The Pasco County Cooperative Extension Service presented a "Butterflies and Blooms" display during the fair and held a live butterfly release, much to the delight of the crowds. Educators were on hand to answer questions and help residents learn more about butterfly gardening in Florida. Butterfly gardens are increasing in popularity as people look for ways to improve the beauty of their yards and elevate their connection with nature. The Pasco County Cooperative Extension Service offers information and workshops on a wide variety of useful subjects. If you would like to learn more about butterfly gardens, composting, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, water conservation, gardening, and more contact them by phone at (352) or click on the link below to visit the webpage: Fun Butterfly Facts Florida has 180 recorded species of butterflies Florida's Official State Butterfly is the Zebra Longwing Monarch butterflies may enter the endangered species list soon due to declining numbers from pollution and global climate change. Some Monarchs remain year round and actively breed in Florida 9

10 Contact Pasco County 2015 Art Of Recycling A Sweeping Success Everyone knows that art is a powerful way to share a larger message and Pasco County high school students did just that as they raised awareness of the arts and encouraged recycling during the 17th Annual Art of Recycling Contest. Students from all over Pasco County worked hard to create art from ordinary trash, and they did some pretty amazing things. Exhibited at the West Pasco Government Center through February 27, 2015, the art pieces were a big attraction for visitors and inspired lots of conversation about recycling. The exhibit and art contest is a co-operative project of the District School Board of Pasco County, Pasco County Recycling and Education and the Pasco Arts Council. All of the submissions received were exceptional, but in the end the judges had to make some challenging decisions as they selected the winners for each category. Cash prizes were awarded to contest winners, and the fifteen winning pieces will be available for viewing at the Pasco County District School Board through March 27, To see the list of award recipients click on the link below: (727) (352) (813) Watch Pasco County Television On: Provider Channel Verizon 42 Brighthouse 643 The Pasco 360 Newsletter is a collaborative effort from the following: Writer, Contributing Editor: Doug Tobin Contributing Editor, Writer: Cliff Gill Editor, Writer, Art & Design: Ann Black Special Contributor: Michele Baker We would like to hear your comments or feedback regarding the Pasco 360 Newsletter. us at: pio@pascocountyfl.net 10