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Economy Keeps Zephyrhills' Long-Term Spending List Short

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By NICOLA M. WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 12, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - No frills.

That was the phrase city officials used over and over Monday evening as they discussed the city's long-term spending goals.

Fancy new library? Maybe one that has 10,000 square feet of space instead of 15,000. A new city hall? Forget about it.

The city won't be able to afford a park on the north end of town until it can come up with a spare $8 million or $9 million. In other words, keep dreaming.

And the fire chief's proposal to buy an empty office building to house Zephyrhills Fire Rescue's administrative offices has been tabled.

"We're going to make do with what we have," City Council President Kent Compton said.

Keeping uncertain economic times in mind, the city council passed the first version of the city's capital improvement plan - a list of big-ticket items the city needs to either build or purchase in the next five years.

This year, the list is pretty lean.

The city's No. 1 goal is to get the ball rolling on building a fire station to replace the one that flooded last month when severe thunderstorms battered Zephyrhills. Initial damage estimates call for at least $83,000 to repair to the Sixth Avenue station. City Manager Steve Spina said that's too much to invest in a 48-year-old structure that no longer meets building codes.

In the meantime, the firefighters who used to work at that station will be housed at the World War II Barracks Museum at the city airport. The barracks, which resembles a long trailer, housed fighter pilots training for World War II.

City officials will consider building a new station near the airport, a proposal they have been talking about for years to accommodate future growth on the south end of the city.

Councilman Danny Burgess, though, raised concerns about that plan Monday, saying fire engines would have to cross train tracks to leave the airport. Trains could delay the fire department's response time, he said.

"Everybody knows when a train comes across Zephyrhills, pretty much all the roads are blocked," he said. "While it may not happen all the time, what about that one time?"

Assistant Fire Chief Glen Clegg pointed out that the city's other fire station, on Dairy Road, could easily respond to fires downtown if such a problem arose.

In other news, the city council passed a law that imposes stiff penalties for people who skateboard downtown. First-time offenders would pay $75; a second offense would cost $150, a third, $300 and a fourth, $500. Anyone caught skating on a railing, fence or bench would be charged $500.

Reporter Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com.

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