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By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET, Times Staff WriterThe commissioner who suggested it, however, didn't realize his pitch could be construed as unethical.
NEW PORT RICHEY - It was only after Tuesday's meeting that County Commissioner Jack Mariano thought he might have done something wrong.
He made a hearty pitch to lengthen the left-turn lane from Little Road onto Timber Oaks Drive, describing it as a "safety hazard" where idling cars back up into the northbound traffic. Many of the turning cars are going to "a school," he said.
What he didn't mention was a longer turn lane would mainly help the Dayspring Academy, the charter school where his two daughters are students and his wife is a volunteer. Mariano served on the school's board of directors until November, when he became a county commissioner.
"I didn't say anything because there was no direct benefit to me," Mariano explained Thursday. But he acknowledged "the grayness of it all" and said he should have publicly disclosed his relationship to the school.
"In retrospect, I was thinking about it afterward. ... I should have made more of a point" to mention it, he said. "I'm going to bring it up next time (the commissioners) talk about it."
Commissioners are required to disclose their personal stake in an issue only if they would receive a benefit greater than the public at large, County Attorney Robert Sumner said.
That's not the case here: In fact, the longer turn lane wouldn't even help Mariano's family, as they reach the school from the opposite direction.
But commissioners often err on the side of caution by disclosing their relationship to a group that might be affected by one of their decisions. Doing so "might be appropriate," Sumner said, "but it's certainly not required."
The county already plans to make some improvements to the intersection as part of the Penny for Pasco road projects. Those plans include adding a left-turn lane from Timber Oaks Drive onto Little Road, and a southbound left-turn lane on Little Road for U-turns.
Mariano wanted to add his proposed fix to the mix, "especially (because) we're under budget." A consultant estimated this project and four others will cost $1.5-million less than the county expected.
But that consultant, Jerry Dabkowski, warned that adding a longer left-turn lane from Little to Timber Oaks would require a new permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, "and that was a touchy intersection to start with."
County engineer Jim Widman offered a simpler solution: Adjust the traffic signal to allow more time for left turns onto Timber Oaks Drive, at least during the peak hours when parents are driving in and out of the school.
County officials also will look at whether the Dayspring Academy's driveway should be relocated farther away from Little Road.
Bridget Hall Grumet covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com