Multi-Purpose Sports Complex Now Open

The Multi-Purpose Sports Complex on Hunt Brothers Road is now open for league play. If someone familiar with municipal budgets were to take a close look at our City budget, and then drive out to see the new Complex, I would expect this question:
So just how does a city with a relatively small tax base, and a financially constrained General Fund, in this tax reform era, come up with the money to build a $1 million dollar+ sports complex?

This question recognizes the fact that the City could not fund the construction of this project. In fact, other than fertilizer and weed control, the City did not contribute any hard cash to the construction of the fields. Remarkably, all of the other development costs were paid for through grants and donations.

This is the modern day equivalent of a community barn raising, where everyone joins together and pitches in to get the job done. This can serve as the model for similar projects, here and elsewhere, in the future. The elements of this project that made it successful are as follows:

1. It started with a clear “end use” with wide appeal: to build a facility to serve as the home for soccer games, and for other sports as well. There are hundreds of Lake Wales youth who play soccer who would benefit from the building of such a complex.


2. The project is inclusive. Sports and youth activities attract families from all income levels and neighborhoods. The development of this project required the cooperation of many people and organizations, and everyone involved welcomed the contributions that new partners brought to the project.


3. The project had a driving force in Robbie Shields, Tony Mathewson, and the other directors of the Ridge Soccer League. They were willing to do a tremendous amount of work.


4. The city staff and the soccer league directors recognized and capitalized on opportunities.

With these four cornerstones, the City’s inability to fund the project was not an obstacle. The directors of the Ridge Soccer League were willing to conduct fundraisers and go after grants to make the dream come true. Along the way there were other “spin-off” benefits, such as the re-establishment of the City’s Recreation Advisory Committee, and participation in countywide recreation meetings.

In this new era of tax reform, the development of this project is the new paradigm of community capital projects. A single local government alone will be less likely to have the financial resources to make large community improvements.

The next challenge will be to ensure that there is adequate funding for maintenance. The same ingenuity that was used to build the complex will be needed to develop the resources to properly maintain it. New ideas include:

• A small maintenance fee will be charged to players for each season;


• For a certain fee, a field and the entire complex could be named for a person or a company for several years;


• The fields could display company advertisements on field fences; and


• A fee could be charged for use of the concession stand and for use of the field for clinics.

As one speaker noted at the grand opening Saturday, the Soccer/Multi-Purpose Sports Complex is a good example of the spirit of Lake Wales – a town with a strong sense of community!

A few Facts in response to a letter in Saturday’s edition

• A position’s total compensation consists of a salary and benefits. Unfortunately, a letter in Saturday’s paper mistakenly stated the total compensation for the City Manager position as “salary”. The salary budgeted for that position in the current fiscal year is $105,527 (which includes $4,058.73 in deferred compensation). How does that compare to City Manager salaries in other cities of similar size in our area?


• Auburndale Salary $117,042, car allowance $500/month


• Haines City Salary $133,413, car allowance $375/month
• City Manager car allowance: The car allowance of $400 per month is the same amount provided in the employment contract dated July 3, 2001, when regular un-leaded was $1.22!

Mark Your Calendar. . .

Within the next 30 days there will be two important City events! The budget process will draw to a close in anticipation of the start of the new fiscal year on October 1; and the new soccer/multi-purpose park will open on September 13.

City Budget Meeting

The draft of the City’s fiscal year ’08-09 budget was discussed at a budget workshop on Wednesday, August 20, at City Hall, and will be discussed again at a budget workshop to be held in the next week (probably either Wednesday or Thursday at 6 pm in the Commission Chambers).

The preparation of this year’s budget was particularly difficult, given the effects of two waves of tax reform and the poor condition of the economy. Despite a shrinking general fund revenue picture, there are some bright spots:

• The draft CRA budget contains funding for a community policing effort in the Lincoln Avenue area. The effort is another facet of the revitalization of neighborhood commercial in the area. In the past 12 months there has been one new business, Massey’s Meat Store that has opened on Lincoln between C and D streets. The barber shop building a block away has been sold, and the new owners are remodeling the interior and plan to open soon. Improvements are also planned for the 2 story building at the SW corner of C and Lincoln which is owned by the CRA. When completely renovated, the building will provide 5 apartments, a police sub-station, and professional offices on the second floor;


• Capital improvements in the draft budget include the following:


• A modest allocation for Police Department replacement vehicles;


• The Twin Lakes water level pump station project, to keep the water level low so that rainfall does not raise the lake level above the stormdrain system on Grove Ave;


• Several water utility improvement projects, including Phase 2 of the downtown water main replacement, and the Southside water tower near the corner of Hunt Brothers Road and Scenic Highway; and


• The replacement of the blue light poles on Lincoln Avenue and the installation of the standard black pole, “acorn” lens lights similar to those downtown.

Grand Opening of the New Soccer/Multi-Purpose Park

The grand opening of the new soccer/multi-purpose park on Hunt Brothers Road, between US 27 and SR 17, is scheduled for September 13 at 10:00 am. Following the ribbon cutting, the Ridge Soccer League has scheduled a game for an under-17-year-old team. The park has been in development for several years, beginning with a donation of 18 acres by Feltrim Developments, a $400,000 grant from the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, a $200,000 grant from the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program, and a significant donation from the Breakfast Rotary Club.

The park features four soccer/multi-purpose fields, a concessions/storage building with a covered picnic area, and a parking lot. One field is lighted at this time.

City Charter

Just a quick note on the City Charter, as there seems to be some confusion expressed in a recent letter to the editor. The city charter is included with the city’s code of ordinances and appears as Part 1 of the code. The charter and the entire code is available for review at City Hall, at the public library, and on the City website at http://www.cityoflakewales.com/. The website can be viewed at one of the public access computers in the public library.

Changing the City charter requires a public referendum. City staff is not working on any proposed changes at this time.

Projects Update

The budget approved by the City Commission for the 2007-2008 fiscal year contains a number of capital projects. Let’s take a look at some of the most anticipated projects and get an update:

• Soccer/Multi-Purpose Complex: Located on Hunt Brothers Road between US 27 and the Scenic Highway, east of the Longleaf Business Park, this complex is scheduled to open in the spring. It will have four soccer/multi-purpose fields, two of which will be lighted. It also features a concession stand/restroom/storage building, and a playground area. Uses for the complex will include youth soccer hosted by the Ridge Soccer League. This project is funded by a combination of grants from Polk County, the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP), and the Breakfast Rotary Club, with City recreation impact fees. The property was donated by Feltrim Developments NA Inc, the developer of the “Mayfair” mixed-use development to be located nearby.



• Selected street re-surfacing in the historic area of the City: A number of streets will be re-surfaced with proceeds from a bond issued by the City’s Community Re-Development Agency. The list of streets will be finalized at a special City Commission tour on Saturday, January 26, at 9 am.



• City Swimming Pool: The City Commission set aside $1 million from the sale of the City’s property at the corner of US 27 and Hunt Brothers Road for the building of the swimming pool. Since that time City staff has been working with an investor who has expressed an interest in building the locker room area for the pool. It is anticipated that within the next two to four months a final decision will be made as to the location of the project and the schedule for completion.



• Improvements to the Boat Ramp on Lake Wailes: This project is funded by a $50,000 FRDAP grant. The plans for the boat ramp improvements have been submitted for state approval and it is anticipated that work will begin in the next 120 days.


• Skate Park at Kiwanis Park: This project is also funded by a $50,000 FRDAP grant. The plans are being finalized and will soon be forwarded to the State for approval.



• Elimination of street flooding on First Street north of the railroad tracks: This project is currently underway and involves the construction of a stormwater pipe near the railroad down to Lake Worth behind the Austin Center. It is funded from a portion of the funds from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and should be completed in the next four months.



• The Southside Force Main: Construction of this long-anticipated project began last week. It involves the installation of a new sewer force main from the Wal-Mart area west along portions of Grove Ave to Miami Street, and it will divert some of the flow that goes through the piping around Lake Wailes and will serve new developments on Buck Moore Road and south of SR 60. This $2,500,000 project is funded by a line of credit to be repaid by sewer impact fees from new development.



• The Extension of Grove Ave, from Minnesota to 11th Street: The building of this section of Grove Avenue, and the construction of a sidewalk on Marietta Avenue from Grove Avenue to SR60, were commitments requested from (and agreed to by) the developer of the nearby “Whispering Ridge” subdivision and approved by the City Commission. The road project awaits a property swap that has to be approved by a federal government agency. This section of road will complete the re-building of Grove Avenue and its extension to 9th Street that was completed several years ago with funding from a $750,000 CDBG and additional CRA funds.

With the exception of the City Swimming Pool and the possible exception of the last item, it is anticipated that all of the above projects will be completed by September 30, the last day of the City’s fiscal year.