Swiftmud's board gives the new managers of Weeki Wachee Springs another chance to turn around the fortunes of the popular attraction.
By ROBERT KING
Published September 24, 2003
BROOKSVILLE - Weeki Wachee Springs, which looked like it might become the latest old Florida tourist attraction to fade into history, has been given a chance to survive.
The park's landlord, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, decided Tuesday to let the city of Weeki Wachee, population nine, show it can run the place better than a string of private owners who let it fall into disrepair.
The governing board of Swiftmud, as the water district is known, reached the decision despite its own staff analysis that the park, famous for mermaid shows, is losing money, unlikely to finish the repairs soon and swamped with legal questions.
It took six hours to reach that conclusion.
For much of that time, Swiftmud's board angled toward ending the park's lease, which expires in 2031, and writing a one-year lease with strict guidelines.
But Weeki Wachee attorney Joe Mason said that would be unacceptable.
Mason's move was a gamble. Swiftmud officials are convinced they have legal cause to shut down Weeki Wachee Springs for failing to disconnect an aging sewage treatment plant. Swiftmud is concerned the plant could contaminate the Weeki Wachee River.
But Mason said it made no sense for Weeki Wachee to forfeit 28 years of its lease. He made it plain Weeki Wachee would go to court.
Mason's gamble took all the air out of the packed Swiftmud board room. Board member T.G Rice, who had argued vehemently on Weeki Wachee's behalf, saw Mason's stance as a threat.
"Mr. Mason's comments disappoint me. They took 50 percent of the wind out of my sails," Rice said. "I don't operate very well under threats."
But Mason's gamble paid off.
Swiftmud's board allowed the lease to remain in effect and made only a few new demands of Weeki Wachee: access to its financial books, the right to inspect the park for safety hazards and a promise to divert sewage to Hernando County's system by the end of January.
Swiftmud's staff will report back to the board next month. But the board set no other deadlines.
"I think in the end they made a wise decision," said Weeki Wachee Mayor Robyn Anderson, who also manages the tourist attraction.
The board's decision did nothing to answer some key legal questions, however.
Mayor Anderson and City Commissioner Julie Rivers work for the park. So their recent votes to accept the donation of the park to the city by a group of private owners could potentially benefit them.
Swiftmud attorney Bill Bilenky said that could make the donation legally void if a Weeki Wachee resident complains. Bilenky said that's unlikely because three of the nine residents are related to a commissioner and a fourth works in the park. All nine residents live on park property.
Cities are not allowed to assume private debts. Yet the donation obligates the city to 28 years of lease payments worth more than $6-million. Swiftmud plans to ask Attorney General Charlie Crist if that is legal.
Swiftmud board member Ed Chance said he was bothered by a St. Petersburg Times report that the park recently spent $2,705 on Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets to reward senior staff. It also spent $2,320 on airline tickets to a Las Vegas entertainment convention. Both come after the park lost $173,000 in 2002.
"I cannot, with all these questions, support this arrangement," said Chance, who was joined by Pamela Fentress on the losing end of the 7-2 vote.
Still, a majority of Swiftmud's board clearly wanted to preserve Weeki Wachee. They even discussed relieving Weeki Wachee of paying nearly $200,000 to dismantle the sewer plant.
When the push for a new one-year lease failed in a unanimous vote, Swiftmud board member Ronald Johnson said his colleagues were making things too difficult, particularly for Weeki Wachee.
If the park can't make money, it won't make its $225,000 annual lease payments or make the needed repairs. Swiftmud can then terminate the lease then, he said.
"They have every chance in the world to succeed and they better darn well do it," Johnson said.
- Times staff writer Robert King covers Spring Hill and can be reached at 848-1432. Send e-mail to rking@sptimes.com
