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I am against the tennis courts, however just read about the cost and where will the  money  come from.   What happen to the gas tax money for Veterans park improvement?  The tax went into effect when the hotel and golf courses came in. As far as I know it is still being charged and has not gone away (as was the concern when powers to be started charging it).  Are we being mislead again? did they use the money for other things?  I wish I could go to the council meeting and ask. Maybe the Times Daily will step up on this question

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I would like to see an economic study before building such a large facility (31 courts).  Its like the ag center.  Looks like its going to be a concert hall.  The state has to support the ag centers that are already in existence.  I do like the idea of the small center to marry up jobs with skills.  

The federal courts just gave Alabama a big bill to improve the prison system.  Taxes will probably go up.  If Alabama neglects the order, the court will seize state revenue and make the improvements, itself. In such cases, the federal court is usually quite liberal with other peoples' money. 

1130 posted:

I am against the tennis courts, however just read about the cost and where will the  money  come from.   What happen to the gas tax money for Veterans park improvement?  The tax went into effect when the hotel and golf courses came in. As far as I know it is still being charged and has not gone away (as was the concern when powers to be started charging it).  Are we being mislead again? did they use the money for other things?  I wish I could go to the council meeting and ask. Maybe the Times Daily will step up on this question

Perhaps a family member or friend can attend the meeting for you and you can give them your questions to ask the council for you. Also, let them voice record the questions and the answers using a smart phone. Be sure to put the phone in airplane mode, so you don’t get a call while voice recording. Just point the microphone toward the person speaking. Later they can download the recording to a computer to share the voice file with you.

   Too bad a boat launch for access to Wilson lake can’t be designed for public use, otherwise you have to haul the boat to Shoals Creek or further east.  Seems to me that Boating, Fishing and a variety of water activities would be a “Natural” ideal selection for use of the waterfront site.  Maybe Council views come down to What is more Popular vs. What is more Profitable, or for the “Enrichment of Life” for Citizens of Lauderdale County. Let’s not forget the maintenance cost for whatever complex would be designed & built. May have to add some more taxes to maintain/refresh the complex over time.  But I agree, Tennis must be more popular than Frisbee Disc Golf currently on the acreage waterfront site. Given Wilson Lakes Natural Assets, Boating & Water activities could be enjoyed close to year round minus our coldest 3 months, thus its popularity must be far lower in demand by the Council standards of measure, than the popularity and participation the 31 tennis courts will acquire from across the State and southern region. I just don’t see Tennis participation by local residences using 5 tennis courts, at a given tennis location, at one time, during prime Tennis season.

  I know UNA has 6 public courts and rarely seen in full use, year round. Many apartment complexes have their own courts, for their residences. As the remaining public courts sit idle most of the year.

   All in all, it’s a tough question for the council, as to what to do with the existing public waterfront property, just about anything is better that what you currently have, unless you are a member of the Frisbee Club. If you are going to be Taxed Extra to Pay & Maintain  it, then you should be able to have a say in the final decision or citizens should partition for a public vote for the best 3 ideas presented by (Council currently acting on behalf of the residences) and  citizens should have the option to vote for “none of the above”.

 At the end of it all, I have to Agree – Florence City Veterans Park, abundant acreage & waterfront are currently underutilized/outdated/out of touch for usability, by its tax paying residences living in Florence.  Florence being the chief beneficiary as a revenue stream from taxes to recoup its cost of infrastructure promoting tourism through Tennis.  But, does it provide the locals any direct enjoyment of life benefits while paying the taxes or enjoyment of life for a few, with others paying the taxes?

I can't go because of work.    The big question is what happen to the money from the gas tax?  When retirement came in and built the Marriott and two golf courses and the conference center was given to them for $1.  There was a gas tax put in place for the Shoals.  Is it still in place? how much has it generated? where is the money?   Was this another shell game?  

A 31 court tennis complex is an ultra high maintenance operation.  They'd need a number of employees properly trained to keep up the place--and a marketing person to get tournaments in.  Courts have to be resurfaced every few years at a cost of $15K per court--pushing $500K combined.

We don't have enough tennis players to fully utilize the current courts in town.  What are they going to do with the other tennis courts--they wouldn't need? 

The tennis complex would be a boondoggle--paid for by every citizen but used by just a handful of people.

giftedamateur posted:
River Runner posted:
direstraits posted:

Would a modular plan be feasible? Build a certain number of indoor and outdoor courts, with plans to expand, if the players came?

Sounds feasible to me.. Might add some Pickleball courts too...

Pickleball? I'm afraid to ask.

Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with the net lowered to 34 inches at the center. It is played with a perforated plastic ball similar to a whiffle ball and wood or composite paddles about twice the size of ping pong paddles. No where to play around here that I know of...so we laid out our own court in the yard for the kids to choose between badminton or Pickleball.

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