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Dade City seeks grant for ballfield
By CHASE SQUIRES © St. Petersburg Times, published September 26, 1998 Commissioners -- in their roles as the Planning Board -- agreed to apply for a state recreation grant to buy a heavily-wooded lot next to Watson Park off 17th Street. The land, added to Watson Park, would provide room for a baseball field. City Manager Doug Drymon said the vacant lot generates $190 a year in taxes, but under city ownership it could replace a ball field in town that was destroyed to make room for a retention pond for the new county administration building. Otto Weitzenkorn, representing the group that has held the property for 25 years, told commissioners he wanted to sell. "I would like for the city to have this property," he said. "The city ought to own it." Along with adding park land, commissioners discussed asking the YMCA or another private organization to provide recreation programs in the city. Without a full-time staff person or the money to organize recreation activities, programs haven't been developed. "To be honest, the city has done a lousy job in recreation," Commissioner Bill Dennis said. Dennis said a large organization, such as the YMCA, could even be helped to build a swimming pool or other facility in town. Weitzenkorn said if the city cleared his lot, residents who have used it as a dumping ground for years might stop. In the past, residents have discarded old appliances, trash and furniture in the woods, and cleaning up the mess has cost $2,500 in recent years, he said. Commissioners authorized the staff to file a grant request with the state. The city will probably learn whether it got the grant next May, then negotiations could take several more months, Drymon said. Weitzenkorn is asking $50,000 for the property. Commissioners said they also will consider Weitzenkorn's offer to let the city lease the property for $1 until the deal is done. In other business Thursday: Commissioners formally set the millage rate at 7.4965 mills, which would mean about $562 in city property taxes for a $100,000 home with a $25,000 homestead exemption. The rate is the same as last year but is 1.9 percent above the rolled back rate of 7.3584 mills. The rolled back rate is the rate that would have raised the same amount of taxes as last year, taking into account higher assessments and new construction. City Attorney William Brewton was told to work with Drymon to develop guidelines for city donations to non-profit groups. Brewton said his research has found that the city can safely give to some private groups that serve the city -- such as Main Street Inc. and the chamber of commerce -- but may not be allowed to give to others. Main Street Inc. Executive Director Gail Hamilton asked commissioners to tell planners to forbid pawn shops from the downtown business district. An old set of ordinances banned pawn shops, but as the city revamped its rules earlier this year, the section dealing with pawn shops downtown was discarded, she said. Keith Hediger, owner of Keith Hediger Gold and Pawn, saw the opening in the ordinance earlier this year and opened his shop at 14402 Seventh Street. Inside he offers a variety of electronics and tools, but he doesn't carry guns and said his store is a valuable service to the community. "It's like a key in the back pocket of the police," he said. "It can help people find their lost items." Hediger said he keeps careful records of people who pawn items and works with police if an item is found to be stolen. He said he also provides loans for people who might not qualify at a bank or who only need a small amount, and he offers bargains for downtown shoppers. Commissioners told planner Doug Currier to draft an ordinance.
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ADE CITY -- City Commissioners took the first steps toward buying a 3.5-acre lot Thursday and wondered aloud about luring a YMCA or other private agency to provide recreation services, something at which they said the city has failed.
