State lawmakers gift Zephyrhills with $12 million for new projects

ZEPHYRHILLS — As other local governments watched Gov. Ron DeSantis veto their dreams, one Pasco County community enjoyed seeing its legislative wish list survive intact.

Florida lawmakers gave Zephyrhills more than $12 million in gifts this session, money that will go to its municipal airport, enhance efforts to convert old septic systems to sewers and build a new road that will provide access to a planned National Guard facility.

And DeSantis let them slide, even as he whacked millions aimed toward Pasco, from money for a new Moffitt Cancer Center campus to funds for a potential Tampa Bay Rays spring training site, on his way to whacking more than $3 billion in pet projects statewide.

“We’re very fortunate as a city and, in fact, we’ve been very fortunate for the last several years,” said City Manager Billy Poe.

The city has recently been able to make important investments in its municipal airport with hopes of increasing traffic and providing incentive for more development in its nearby industrial zone, he said. This year’s $6.6 million allocation will pay for a terminal building that will provide a resting spot for pilots as well as office and meeting space for airport operations.

Taxiway construction will also be part of that new package and will provide access to new box hangars. The airport is in the process of wrapping up its runway extension, and the taxiway is connected to that work, Poe said.

“Future development of the airport and the adjacent industrial park will attract new corporate and recreational aircraft operations, including increased jet traffic,” according to a city news release. The city hopes it also will lead to the creation of job opportunities at aviation-related businesses, including pilot lessons, new hangar construction jobs, aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul operations business and corporate relocations.

The state awarded the city another $1.94 million to build the new entrance road for the $25 million National Guard facility in Zephyrhills the state backed last year. The site selected for that building, just north of Sixth and South avenues, needed a new access road.

The extension project consists of purchasing the right-of-way, building a quarter-mile roadway to access to the site, storm water work and extending a water main and sewer main to service the site. Poe said that in addition to providing access to the National Guard site, it also will open up access to adjacent industrial property.

The National Guard has purchased the property, but construction on that facility has not yet begun.

A $3.5 million extension of the Kossik Road and Fort King Road sewer and water mains also has been funded for the coming year. It should improve the water quality and pressure.

The sewer project will replace 400 existing septic systems and prevent the need for another 2,000, as well as providing reclaimed water.

Poe said the city is appreciative of the continuing support from local lawmakers to help their long-term growth.

“We’ll take it for as long as we can,” he said. “We’re doing the best that we can with these dollars to make a positive impact on our community.”