Gallagher's powers expand

Pasco County commissioners Tuesday gave County Administrator John Gallagher greater authority to act alone on behalf of the county in the wake of natural disasters and other sudden emergencies.

In requesting the additional authority, Gallagher invoked memories of the tornado that struck Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club in San Antonio on Christmas Day 2006.

The tornado damaged about 80 homes in the retirement community near State Road 52 and Interstate 75 as it hopscotched across northeast Pasco. At the time, Gallagher had limited ability to protect homes and other damaged property from further destruction after the storm.

Among other things, Gallagher used that limited authority to get tarps to cover damaged roofs.

Gallagher said he would use his new authority to act more aggressively to protect both private and public property after such a disaster. That could include sending public employees onto private property unless the other objected, Gallagher said.

The new rules let the county administrator spend as much as $100,000 on supplies and other emergency measures without commissioners' approval. The administrator's emergency spending had been limited to $25,000.

Gallagher could also declare a state of emergency if the commission's chairman or vice chairman couldn't be reached. County rules currently require the full commission to declare a state of emergency - an action that means commissioners must call a public meeting.

While a slow-moving hurricane might allow such a meeting, a sudden emergency such as a tornado could require quicker action, Gallagher said. That justified the rule change, he said.

A formal state-of-emergency declaration opens the county to federal financial help recovering from the disaster.

Commissioners increased Gallagher's emergency spending with a vote Tuesday morning. They'll vote later to change county ordinances to simply the process of declaring a state of emergency.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners:

• Approved nearly $58,000 to redesign plans for a water line along U.S. 41 in Land O' Lakes. The redesign will correct mistakes the county says Kearney Construction Co. made while working on the $5-million project. The county fired Kearney this summer for botching the work. The corrections will have to wait until mid-2010 after the state Department of Transportation gets work under way widening U.S. 41 with federal stimulus funds, said Bruce Kennedy, the assistant county administrator over utilities.

• Approved nearly $350,000 for a study aimed at preparing the way for an interchange at Interstate 75 and Overpass Road in Wesley Chapel. The interchange has been on the county's agenda since 2004. Development plans for the Pasadena Hills section of east Pasco has convinced federal highway officials that the interchange will be needed in the future, consultant Domingo Noriega told commissioners. County officials see the interchange as one step toward linking I-75 with U.S. 301 at Kossik Road, north of Zephyrhills.

• Received a $207,300 dividend from Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative. The nonprofit power company will return $14 million to its customers this year, said Joe Marina, director of the company's east Pasco division.