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The county has received 51 requests, adding up to $19-million. It raised $2-million to distribute.
By LISA GREENE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published December 17, 2002
Pinellas County commissioners increased taxes to raise $2-million because so many county residents want more recreation programs.
Do they ever. The county's call for grant applications got 51 requests from 31 agencies. The total: $19-million.
"It's a reflection that there is definitely a need for more recreation opportunities, particularly with youth athletics," said Liz Warren, park director.
"I expected there to be interest," said Steve Siesel, a board member of the Seminole Jr. Warhawks, one of the groups asking for money. "But I don't know about $19-million interest."
Take away the city of Clearwater's mammoth $12.7-million request to remodel and build new facilities and that still leaves $6.3-million, more than triple the amount raised by the county's tax increase. The county has added about $1.4-million in other funds to the program, but that still will leave many programs unfunded, at least for now.
County staff members are scheduled to give commissioners their recommendations of which programs to fund today. By late Monday, county managers still were tallying the scores the programs received from various county staff members, park board members and members of the county's youth advisory committee.
Commissioners can accept those recommendations or change them.
"This is a start into a whole new area," said County Administrator Steve Spratt. "We realize it may evolve, but we think this is a good start because there are a lot of programs that may have high impact quickly."
Requests came from cities -- Dunedin, Pinellas Park, Belleair and Clearwater -- and private groups. The YMCA of the Suncoast, the Kiwanis Horses for the Handicapped of Pinellas County and various Little League and youth sports groups all asked for money.
Requests to help build, improve or maintain soccer or baseball fields were among the most popular. Other proposals included neighborhood playgrounds, nature trails, swimming pools and a youth summer camp program.
Clearwater's request includes $3.3-million to expand Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex; $1.5-million to improve Coachman Park; and money for a senior center, cultural arts facility and soccer fields. The city has proposed matching 75 percent of the cost with its own money. The county would pay the city its total request of $12.7-million over 10 years under the proposal, said Kevin Dunbar, Clearwater's Parks and Recreation Director.
If the county helped pay for the improvements, the city's proposal says it would charge people who live outside Clearwater the same as city residents on certain recreation programs, Warren said.
But there's a catch. The county's $2-million comes from taxes paid only by residents of unincorporated areas. So the grants must go to programs that benefit them, Warren said.
All the applicants were asked to specify what portion of their proposal benefits residents outside the cities. That way, the county can determine what percentage to fund, Warren said.
The county's staff also is looking at other measures. Does the group have a track record of providing recreation? Does the proposal serve part of the county that lacks the most recreation? Does it fund activities so popular they already have waiting lists?
Once the money is awarded, county officials will monitor the funds to make sure they're spent as intended, Warren said.