by Joe Potter
Five new hires were sworn in to serve with the Dade City Police Department. Five new members were formally sworn in at the July 14 meeting of the Dade City Commissioners, clearing the way for them to serve as officers with the Dade City Police Department. Chief Ann Starling administered the oath to Joel Corrales, Steven DeRolf, Yoandry Estrada, James Kessner Jr., and Shawn Stepp.
Corrales, DeRolf, and Estrada bring prior law enforcement experience from other departments across the Tampa Bay area. Kessner Jr. and Stepp, meanwhile, recently completed law enforcement academy programs and are now eligible to begin their careers with the department. Kessner Jr. graduated from Wilton Simpson Technical College in Brooksville. Stepp earned his training through the Law Enforcement Academy on the Dade City campus of Pasco-Hernando State College—an institution named after Simpson, who currently serves as Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
DeRolf previously served in the United States Army, and Stepp served in the United States Air Force. Both received honorable discharges. The new hires will help address staffing needs within the department. Some officers are expected to fill vacancies created by retirements, while the remaining additions will increase the overall number of personnel employed by the Dade City Police Department.
In other business, City Commissioners adopted on second reading an ordinance adjusting the fees residents pay for the collection and disposal of solid waste. The updated monthly rate is $20 for disposal of trash, recyclables, and landscape waste, covering single-family residences within the city as well as certain residential duplexes and apartments where dumpster service is not provided.
Waste Pro will continue to handle waste collection, with future fee increases tied to the Consumer Price Index. The city previously charged $15.26 per month for qualifying residences. Commissioners also approved the purchase of a heavy-duty truck for the Street Division of the Public Works Department, and they agreed to a task order connected to the City’s renewal of its permit for the Waste Water Treatment Plant. ♥
