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Port Richey favors shops with parking
By MATTHEW WAITE, Times Staff Writer
PORT RICHEY -- Given the choice, Port Richey's City Council members said Tuesday night that they would like a parking garage with retail space instead of one without. A minor step, but on a 4-1 vote, the council gave the first view of what a potential garage could look like. There's lots of work to be done on a proposed parking garage on the city's waterfront near the Pithlachascotee River, but the council was asked to give its preference for studies the city is doing. Leslie Sykes, the city's contract engineer from Tampa Bay Engineering of Clearwater, said the retail space would give the city more revenue from rent it could charge for the space. Next year, the city will consider whether it wants to buy property -- estimated to cost $900,000 -- and start construction on a garage costing an estimated $2.4-million. The garage is seen by supporters and city engineers as key to redeveloping the waterfront area. Most open land near the river is being used for parking now. The council chambers at City Hall were packed Tuesday night, but it wasn't to hear debate on parking garages and redevelopment efforts. More than 80 people were there to hear debate on a ballot issue that could eliminate the city's Police Department in favor of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. The council still was debating the ballot issue late Tuesday night. Much of Tuesday's debate was expected to center on City Attorney Paul Marino's proposed ballot language that would leave the final decision on the Police Department in the hands of the City Council. But a majority of the City Council members contacted Friday adamantly opposed the new language, saying the people should decide, not the council. In September, the council approved this language: "Should the City Charter be amended to abolish the Port Richey Police Department and that law enforcement services be provided by contract through the Pasco County Sheriff's Office?" Before Tuesday's meeting, the council was given this question: "Should the city charter of the city of Port Richey be amended to allow the City Council to either retain the police department or contract for law enforcement services through another government agency?" Backers of the referendum think they can save the city an estimated $500,000 a year by contracting with the Sheriff's Office and doing away with the city's 14-member department and its $1.2-million budget. Opponents of getting rid of the department say they pay taxes for such services as the Police Department, and the savings aren't worth losing the department. Divisions in the city -- and on the council -- quickly formed when the matter came up during the summer budget sessions. Vice Mayor Pat Guttman and council member Dale Massad both support doing away with the department; Mayor Eloise Taylor and council member Bill Bennett both oppose it. The swing vote on several issues all along has been Phyllis Grae. She has been the harshest critic of the department, but recently reversed course and said she didn't want to eliminate the department. However, she was the third vote putting the referendum back on the agenda in November. -- Matthew Waite can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6247 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6247. His e-mail address is waite@sptimes.com .
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From today's Pasco Times |
