Workshop Topics

The next City Commission workshop meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, May 14, at 6 pm at City Hall. The agenda includes topics of current interest as well as topics regarding the planning for the future. Let’s review two of these topics:

1919 School Building

At the last workshop the project Construction Manager presented an alternative proposal for the next phase of the work. The City Commission’s direction to this point has been to complete the first floor of the building cost-effectively in order to open and begin using the building as quickly as possible. This has meant stretching grant dollars, which are not as plentiful now as they were a few years ago. A number of items originally included in the design, such as extensive lighting for large dramatic performances and an orchestra pit, as well as expensive finishes such as metal ceilings, had been laid aside. The next phase of the work anticipated using less expensive materials, such as vinyl tile in the restrooms rather than ceramic tile. The alternative plan drawn up by the architect and presented by the Construction Manager proposed to finish a portion of the first floor with the original, more expensive finishing materials in order to attract major donors to the facility.

The Commission will discuss the direction of the next phase of the work at the workshop. The funding for the next phase includes a $350,000 grant from the state historic preservation agency and a $300,000 match from the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds.

Review of City Growth Policies and the City’s Capabilities to Serve Growth in the Future

City staff is preparing an update to the Capital Improvements Element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Every city and county in Florida must have a Comprehensive Plan as prescribed by the 1985 Growth Management Act. These plans include maps indicating the future land uses and zoning for all properties within the City, and a description of how the City will serve the needs of these areas.

In the last six years the City has made far-reaching changes to better prepare for growth. The first professionally prepared impact fee study was completed to ensure that new growth pays for itself as much as possible. The future land use map, the centerpiece of a comprehensive plan, and related growth regulations, were extensively overhauled in 2005 during a period in which the City Commission declared a “zoning in progress” period and stopped the approvals of new subdivisions until plan overhaul was completed. This re-write was long overdue, and was attempted twice in the past by hiring consultants. Those efforts were not adopted. The 2005 revision was prepared by City staff, principally City Planner Margaret Swanson and Assistant City Manager Judy Delmar, and adopted by the City Commission.

An example of the type of subdivision that is produced under the new planning regulations is Whispering Ridge. The first proposal from the developer was a plan with over 500 lots arranged in a grid (square blocks) system. The final plan, after many reviews and suggestions by the planning staff, has 349 lots, a bike/walking trail, and a “spine” road that has “neighborhood node streets” rather than driveways connecting to it. The neighborhoods feature a number of common areas in which the original pine trees were saved.

Those staff members also worked with the City’s Utilities Attorney Jerry Buhr in the preparation of the City’s first Concurrency Management Plan. The key provision of the 1985 Growth Management Act is to ensure “concurrency” – that fundamental public services such as capacity for transportation, water, sewer, garbage disposal, recreation/open space, drainage, and schools are available to serve new developments when the services are needed. The City’s concurrency management system now requires new development to pay a portion of their impact fees up front, in two steps, for the building of these new facilities to serve growth.

City Planner Margaret Swanson will review the staff’s updating of the Capital Facilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan, which projects the City’s ability to serve growth that is anticipated during the planning period.

The workshop will feature seven other topics of interest as well, and the agenda is listed on the City’s website at www.cityoflakewales.com and at city hall. Everyone is invited!

Upcoming Community Activities

There are many ways to find out what events are scheduled in our dynamic town. In addition to newspaper announcements, the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce website has a community calendar. The City’s website has a link to that calendar.

Let’s take a look at some of the activities coming up in our town.

Commission Swearing-In

The elected candidates from the April 7 election will be sworn in at the May 5 City Commission meeting at 6 pm at City Hall. Vice-Mayor Jack Van Sickle will be sworn in as Mayor, and re-elected City Commissioner Terrye Howell will be sworn in for another term. Commissioner Kathy Manry will retire and be recognized for her service, and new Commissioner Jonathan Thornhill will be sworn in. A Commissioner will then be chosen by the Commission members to serve as Vice-Mayor. The regular City Commission meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 6 pm at City Hall. Everyone is cordially invited to attend.

Workshops

At the April 9 City Commission meeting the Commissioners decided to set the schedule for monthly workshops as follows:

• This month the workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 28, at 6 pm in the lunchroom at City Hall. One of the topics to be discussed is the feasibility of holding an “Economic Development Summit.” It is proposed that the purpose of the Summit would be threefold:


• To review the City’s economic development strategy and to gauge how it is working;


• To hear from representatives of the Central Florida Development Council their vision of economic development for the entire county and how we fit within that plan; and


• To get input from our citizens and advisory board members to determine what the City’s focus should be.


• In May and every month thereafter, the monthly workshop meetings will be held on the second Thursday of each month in the City Commission chambers at City hall at 6 pm. The date of next month’s meeting will be May 14.

Municipal Pool Survey

The survey cards for the municipal swimming pool survey are scheduled to be sent out with this month’s water bills. Please fill one out, attach a stamp, and drop it in the mail… or drop off the completed survey card at the B St. Center, City Hall, the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce, or the YMCA.

SR 60 Road Work

Last week the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) began an improvement project on State Road 60, from US 27 to the Scenic Highway overpass. The improvements will include sidewalk sections, some landscaping, and resurfacing. There will also be a change in the median cut at Second Street.

Sidewalks

The City’s efforts to increase our “walkability” continues with the completion of the sidewalk on Central Ave from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd to US 27. A path connecting the two walking trails near the Little League fields on Lakeshore was also completed. The next area for sidewalk construction will be on the north side of Sunset Ave, from Yarnell Ave to Lakeshore Blvd. These efforts are being funded by a portion of the proceeds from the CRA bond issue.

The Great American Clean up

A clean up is scheduled for this Saturday, April 18, from 8 am to noon, beginning at Kiwanis Park. Everyone pre-registered will receive a free t-shirt and a ticket to Bok Tower Gardens. To pre-register please call Jacquie Hawkins at City Hall: 678-4182 extension 233.

A Note on the Proposed Use of the 1919 Building

In this space on March 25 it was mentioned that the 1919 building could become a center for music education as well as musical performance. Those uses, along with using the building for film showings and as a conference center, were part of “The Vision” that was proposed for the building by Dr. Gabe Statom. He reviewed this vision with the citizens attending the facility open house in March of last year. A copy of that event program is available at City Hall.

Facilitating a Fact-Based Discussion

At election time every year there are healthy discussions on what the City has done or should be doing. Some of the topics currently being considered are the City’s tax rate, the level of debt, and spending on two capital projects: the Rails to Trails, and the 1919 building. Let’s explore these topics to facilitate a fact-based discussion.

Tax Rate

The City’s tax rate for the current fiscal year is 7.3277 mills. An examination of City budget history reveals that the tax rate approved by the City Commission for the current fiscal year is the lowest tax rate in 17 years! The tax rate for FY ’91-92 is the next lowest. As noted in a previous column in this space, in the last four years the City Commission has reduced the City’s property tax rate 22%.

City Debt

There has been much discussion on the level of City debt, but I have yet to hear anyone mention how our City’s principal debt amount (i.e., the amount owed on the original borrowed amount, without adding in interest payments) compares to that of other similar cities. The cities of Auburndale and Haines City are often used for purposes of comparison. For the 2007-2008 Fiscal Year, these three cities ended the fiscal year with these respective amounts of principal debt:

• Auburndale - $54,143,338


• Haines City - $45,360,648


• Lake Wales - $32,725,486

Lake Wales has the lowest principal debt amount of the three cities.

In this space I have noted before that debt is a necessary method of providing funding for large capital projects.

Rails to Trails

The first phase of this project was a Florida Department of Transportation project, and no city funds were involved. That section of trail begins at Fourth Street and ends at Kiwanis Park.

The extension of the Trail to Buck Moore Road was a City project, paid for with grant funds that required a match of $133,000. The matching amount came from City Recreation Impact Fees, which can only be used to expand or provide new recreation facilities.

1919 Building (Hardman Hall)

The 1919 building project started with high hopes after the property was acquired from the county school board in 1995. An article in this newspaper on June 8, 1995 stated that the buildings would be renovated with funding “…from a variety of sources in the form of grants.” It was also noted that “… the entire project cannot be completed at one time but can be done in phases.”

To date, three of the buildings have been restored, with grant funding for one of the buildings, the former elementary school being leased to the Boys and Girls’ Club. The Club paid the matching funds required for that restoration grant. The other two restored buildings, the Kirkland gym and the Little Theatre, were restored with City bond proceeds and (non-city) funds raised by the Little Theatre, respectively.

The 1919 building has to date utilized $1,869,711 in grant funds and $300,000 in Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds towards rehabilitation. There have also been $154,285 in private donations and $17,124 in other city funds used for the project. The next phase of restoration is currently being planned, and it will use $350,000 in grant funds and $300,000 in CRA funds. Beyond the next phase, it is estimated that it will take $1,011,087 to open the building for use and another $712,787 to completely finish the building, grounds, and parking. The spreadsheet detailing all of these figures (as well as the City budget and millage history noted above) is now available on the City’s website at http://www.cityoflakewales.com/.

The City Commission has established an advisory committee to work on the fund-raising needed to complete this building. Applications for membership are available at the City Clerk’s office.

It is anticipated that when this magnificent structure is completed its focus will be on musical education and performance. Lake Wales has a long tradition of musical excellence at our High School. The recent establishment of McLaughlin Middle School as a “School of the Arts”, and the strong music program being built at Bok Academy will greatly enhance this tradition. We look forward with the vision of the new advisory committee raising the remaining dollars necessary for our children to learn and perform at this wonderful new facility, which will richly add to the definition of our community as a place for both the arts and education.

Rumor Report #2

In this column let’s look at several rumors that have been circulating around town for quite some time.

Rumor: The City is going to close the Depot Museum.

The City never had any intention of closing the Depot Museum. City staff prepared draft budgets for the Depot Museum last summer that included the funding for operational expenses, such as electric, phone, water, etc., with the idea of having the Museum operate with volunteers. This plan came from the thought that a number of community museums operate with volunteers. It was later reported that museums in Dundee, Fort Meade, Frostproof, as well as in other communities around the country operate with volunteers.

In a later draft of the City budget, City staff proposed that in addition to the operational expenses noted above, the budget contain a grant to the Historic Lake Wales Society for the operation of the museum with funds for a paid position. The initial proposal was for a part-time position; the final agreement contained the funding for a full-time position. The total cost of museum operation under the contractual arrangement with the Historic Lake Wales Society, even with the full-time position, is less than the previous year with a city employee. At no time did the City staff recommend, nor did the City Commission discuss, closing the museum.

Rumor: The City violated the law in the approval of a contract with former Mayor and City Commissioner Linda Kimbrough.

The City Charter has a provision which provides that no former elected City Official shall hold any compensated, appointed city office or employment until one year after the expiration of their term. The City went out to bid for community development consultant services last year and received two bids. The bid submitted by Kimbrough and Associates was the lower bid. The City Attorney was asked if the acceptance of this bid was a violation of the charter provision referenced above. He stated that in his opinion since Ms. Kimbrough was not employed by the City in her individual capacity, the utilization of consulting services from Kimbrough and Associates does not violate the charter provision.

Rumor: a portion of the south wall of the 1919 building fell down.

Earlier this year the Construction Manager for the 1919 building project brought in a structural engineer to inspect the south wall. A portion of the wall was “bowing” out, and the engineer recommended that this section of wall be removed by the contractor and re-built. The wall was taken down carefully so that the original windows and bricks in the exterior wall would be in good condition. They were then re-used in re-building the wall. In this way, there was no problem encountered with matching the existing windows and bricks. This work was reported in an article in the Lake Wales News on February 27th.

Speaking of the 1919 building, there have been two tours of the building recently with Hank Donaldson, a local residential contractor, at his request. Mr. Donaldson then wrote a letter to the editor that omitted some relevant information.

For the first tour Mr. Donaldson was asked if the project architect and structural engineer could attend. Mr. Donaldson said no, he did not want to “get in a debate” with them. Later, Mr. Donaldson called back and requested a second tour, this time with a reporter. City staff asked if he would object if a structural engineer who had no connection with the project could attend. It was explained that the large engineering firm that employs the City’s water and sewer engineer also employs structural engineers, and an engineer who has never been in the building and has no connection with it would be available to accompany us. Mr. Donaldson said that was fine, no problem with that. But then Mr. Donaldson wrote in his letter to the editor, “I wish the City had chosen an independent engineer to initially review this. Instead they chose an employee of a firm the City has an ongoing contractual/monetary relationship with. This makes me question the City’s integrity, not the engineer’s.” Mr. Donaldson failed to disclose that before the tour he agreed to have an engineer from that firm present, knowing the firm and their relationship to the City that he later questioned!

Follow-up reports from these tours are being prepared and the results will be featured in a future column. The reports will be available for review at City Hall.

Capital Project Updates

There are many projects going on in our town! Let’s get a quick update on where we are on some of the most prominent projects:

• Proposals for the Grand Hotel – The City is soliciting proposals that are due September 24, and there continues to be interest in the building. For additional information on submitting a proposal please call Harold Gallup at City Hall;


• 1919 Building/Hardman Hall – The contractor is completing Phase 5 and will begin work on Phase 6 of the rehabilitation work. Strategic planning is underway for the adaptive re-use of this former school building as an auditorium for cultural activities, with classrooms to be located on the side exterior walls of the second floor. A capital campaign is forthcoming, and building relationships with user groups in on-going;


• Phase II of the Lake Wales trail, from Kiwanis Park to Buck Moore Road – Work has started on this next section of the trail, as intended by the referendum that was approved by the voters on April 5, 2005;


• Lake Wales Skate Park, Kiwanis Park – The skate park is complete and is now open;


• Lake Wailes Boat Ramp and handicapped accessible floating pier – This facility is complete and is now open;


• Polk Community College campus in old City Hall – Renovations are now well underway and the facility is scheduled to open in January. Work yet to be completed includes the construction of angle parking spaces on Second Street and Tillman Avenues;


• Soccer/Multi-Purpose Park – The concession stand is completed, the fields are growing in, and plans are underway to open this 18 acre park next month – watch for announcements!


• Airport Improvements – The re-construction of the airport buildings is nearing completion. There are now 16 T-hangers and two larger corporate hangers that have been completed, as well as the airport’s first fire response system. The new fire system includes a new well, storage tank, and hydrants. The Fixed Base Operator (FBO) building is currently under construction with a scheduled completion date in January;


• Street Re-surfacing – There are still several streets left to be re-surfaced, most notably First Street between Central Avenue and Wiltshire Blvd, and Polk Avenue between Scenic and First Street. The First Street section is awaiting the phase 1 downtown water line improvements (see below), which will involve an “open cut” near Sessoms and Stuart Avenues. Additional work will involve taking the “millings” from this work and spreading them in alleys to provide a better road surface. A number of intersections, as well as spot repairs, will also be completed;


• Downtown water line improvements, phase 1: A large water main will be constructed from the Market Street water plant to Wetmore to the intersection of First Street and Stuart Avenue, with a “stub out” for a future connection to a new line to run out to SR 60 West. The contractor for this project is scheduled to begin work in the next 30 days;


• Sewer pipe on Polk Avenue, from Lakeshore to Second Street – A contractor hired by the City is constructing a new sewer line along this route to replace an old line as part of a multi-phased project to upgrade sewer capacity in this area of the City;


• Sewer Southside Force Main – This new sewer line provides the new development areas south of SR 60 and east of Buck More Road with City sewer service. A portion of this project – the area just north of SR 60 on Buck Moore Road – took longer than expected. The plans approved by the FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) called for the line crossing beneath SR 60 at this intersection to be over 20 feet deep, and the “directional bore” machine ran into rocky sub-soil. The problem was resolved and the construction is now complete;


• Elevated Water Tank –Construction on a new, elevated water tank near the intersection of Scenic Highway and Hunt Brothers Road has begun;


• US 27 Widening – This FDOT project is scheduled for completion in June of next year. The contractor is currently ahead of schedule;


• Lake Belle pumping station – This County project is actively being planned by County staff. They are now seeking approval for the route of the water to be disposed of from the proposed pumping operation;


• Twin Lakes pumping station – Similar to the Lake Belle project, City staff is in the planning stages for this project. If grant funding is made available, a pump station would keep the elevation of the lake at a level which will allow for the storage of rainwater.

More Project Updates

Last week in this space we reviewed a progress report on a number of high-profile projects, both public and private. There are other public projects underway as well, so let’s take a look at a few more!

Hardman Hall (the 1919 building)

Work continues on this project. The contractor has finished the masonry work on a section of the south exterior wall that was failing, and the wall was taken down and put back up using the same exterior bricks. The remodeling work funded by the Phase 4 historic preservation grant is now complete, and work on the Phase 5 grant should be completed by the end of June. The phase 6 grant is scheduled to start in July and will focus on the installation of drywall and other improvements on the first floor.

This $4.6 million project is being funded with a combination of grants, CRA funds, and donations, and work has progressed as grant funds have become available. As discussed at the public meetings held in the building last March, $907,236 has been secured toward the remaining $2,373,875 in project costs, leaving $1,466,639 yet to be raised. Dr. Gabe Statom has been hired to assist in the fund-raising efforts and to prepare the programming for the building.

Planning is underway for this building to become:

• The home auditorium of the Lake Wales Chorale and the Youth Chorale;


• A venue for concerts by a variety of artists;


• A music education center, reflecting the long tradition of musical excellence in school band performance.

You are cordially invited to join in these efforts that will have far reaching benefits for our community!

Rails to Trails

Funding for the second phase of the Rails to Trails project has been awarded by the Office of Greenways and Trails. The grant award of $200,000 is matched with $133,000 from City recreation impact fees, which are restricted funds that can only be spent on the expansion of recreation facilities. This section of the trail will be built from Kiwanis Park to an area west of Buck Moore Road. It is anticipated that the City will hire the contractor for this work with the contract forbidding the use of vibratory compactors. Again, per the ordinance adopted by the City Commission, contractors with unresolved complaints from City residents will not be eligible to compete for this work.

City staff is checking on the possibility of extending the contract with the asphalt company that is doing the City’s resurfacing work for the construction of the trail. A schedule for the project will be released at that time.

The design of this section of the trail will include the construction of a fence for a portion of the north side of the trail, as well as posts at certain points, to discourage motorized vehicle riders.

CSX Building

The former high school agriculture building on Scenic Highway near Kissimmee Ave is undergoing a facelift. The exterior of the building is being restored to its original look, and inside the restrooms have been renovated. A visitor welcome center room has also been created, to be staffed by volunteers, for area visitors and persons using the trail. The remainder of the building will continue to be used by the City’s parks and streets divisions for offices and equipment storage. Funding for this project is provided by a historic preservation grant which was matched with insurance proceeds that were used to repair hurricane damage.

Re-development activities on Lincoln Avenue

The Community Re-Development Agency has acquired several properties on Lincoln Ave over the past few years. One of these properties is referred to as the Walker Building at the corner of Lincoln Ave and C Street. The CRA’s re-development contractor, Kimbrough and Associates, is exploring the feasibility of using the building for apartments and offices. Recently the interior furnishings on the first floor were removed. In addition, both the Walker building and the barber shop building (under private ownership) were painted using colors from a palette provided by the architect hired to assist in this project. In addition, across the street from the Walker building, a new meat store has opened.