Resident input sought on LWR budget

LAKEWOOD RANCH — If there ever a time for Lakewood Ranch residents to get involved in the process of how their money is spent, the time could be now.

Supervisors face key decisions in preparation of their 2011 budgets including decisions on irrigation which could involve millions of dollars. There’s also lake and preserve maintenance, infrastructure needs and prioritizing hundreds of special requests from residents.

“We have 60 project requests from residents to prioritize,” District 4 supervisor Gordon Norquay said.

Residents not only will be allowed to speak at these meetings, their input is badly wanted and needed, District 1 supervisor Alan Roth said.

“If people have an opinion, now is the time to express it,” Roth said.

All the budget workshop meetings are set for Town Hall:

n District 1, 7 p.m. Tuesday

n District 2, 3 p.m. Monday

n District 4, 7 p.m. Monday

n District 5, 3 p.m. March 29

n Inter District Authority, 3 p.m. Tuesday

Supervisors face having to make a decision on whether to approve thousands of dollars for the third phase of an irrigation study into erratic water pressure or turn their focus and dollars to renovating the pipes.

Or, as one supervisor put it, “Is paying for the study like putting new tires on a car you are about to trade in?”

Supervisors might consider holding off on the next phase of the study to see what happens with the possible partnership between Lakewood Ranch and the City of Bradenton on a reclaimed water agreement. It has been estimated that a complete re-do of the irrigation pipes in all districts would cost $1 million to $3 million.

The public can add their voices to this issue during a strategic planning session just on irrigation to be held from 1 to 3 p.m. March 23 at Town Hall.

In Country Club, residents of District 5 are finding themselves looking at an expenditure of a half million dollars because of sinking sewer drains. So far, District 5 has spent $221,584 to fix sunken drains in Portmarnock, Villamoura and Orchid Island. Five more sinking drains have been discovered and supervisors plan to fix those in Portmarnock, Ashland, Orchid Island, Mizner Reserve and Blythefield, district engineer Mike Kennedy said during Thursday’s meetings at Town Hall.

The construction firm and the engineer for the original project are being sued and they are in the process of being served papers, District 5 attorney Andy Cohen said Thursday.

District 2 has not been spared. Laurel Valley has one sinking drain inlet and supervisors Thursday voted to draw up a contract for Frederick Durr Construction to fix it for roughly $30,000.

In other business:

n During next month’s district meetings, community manager Bob Fernandez will give a report on Town Hall’s hours of operation. Town Hall is closed Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and staffers work four 10-hour days.

Resident Charlie Brummer, of Augusta, suggested that if a few staffers were on the job Fridays, they might be able to fill the need. Fernandez said Brummer’s idea can be discussed, but he would be concerned that having a few staffers would raise resident expectations that all business could be conducted.

Tom Green, IDA chairman, assured Brummer that all options would be considered before the IDA votes.

n Operations director Ryan Heise is seeking volunteers to install plants along the banks of Lake Uihlein behind Town Hall at 9 a.m. March 27 as part of a water quality demonstration project.