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Pasco Code Compliance Chief Ortiz Leaves County Government

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: February 20, 2009

Updated:

NEW PORT RICHEY - Friday the 13th brought some bad luck to Richard Ortiz.

That's when Pasco's code compliance manager submitted his resignation after leading the department for nearly four years.

County officials say the position will remain vacant and his duties split up among other staff members. That will save the county Ortiz's salary of $56,503 at a time the county is struggling with budget cuts as tax revenue drops.

Ortiz started in the job on May 5, 2005, according to Barbara De Simone, personnel director. His letter did not give any particular reason for leaving.

ORTIZ

Word of Ortiz's departure began filtering out Wednesday morning at the monthly meeting of the Council of Neighborhood Associations.

CONA had invited Ortiz as its speaker this month, but Pauline Smith, a field supervisor for the county Code Compliance Department, appeared instead, along with other code officers at the CONA meeting.

Ortiz, Smith said, had left county government and his job won't be filled. Ortiz's boss, Zoning-Code Compliance Administrator Debra M. Zampetti, and other staff members will take over Ortiz's duties.

That leaves 15 people on the code compliance staff, Smith said. She wouldn't rule out more staff reductions.

Smith encouraged homeowner association members to sign on as volunteers to assist code officers. The next training class is coming up soon with 11 people registered so far. Several CONA members said they were interested.

The Pasco Code Compliance Department phone number is 727-847-8171.

It would help if homeowner associations first try to resolve neighborhood conflicts before asking the county to get involved, Smith said.

"We'll take any help we can get," Smith said.

Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.

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