Council renewed, future reviewed in Meadowlakes
Submitted by highlander1 on
GLYNIS CRAWFORD SMITH/THE HIGHLANDER
Meadowlakes City Secretary Loren Meiner, left, administers the oath of office to returning city council members on Tuesday, May 17. They are, continuing to left, Place 3 member Jerry Drummond, Mayor Mary Ann Raesener and Place 1 member Mike Barry.
BY GLYNIS CRAWFORD SMITH
THE HIGHLANDER
The City of Meadowlakes was among cities with uncontested city elections in 2016 and three city leaders will continue service on the city council.
Mayor Mary Ann Raesener and councilmen Mike Barry in Place 1 and Jerry Drummond in Place 3 renewed their oath of office before City Secretary Loren Tuesday, May 17. Barry Cunningham was re-elected mayor pro tem.
David Baker addressed the council in a pre-meeting workshop to present the results of the study by the new study committee he heads.
“This item was added mainly for direction of staff regarding the Capital Improvements and Long Range Planning Committee’s recommendations,” said City Manager Johnnie Thompson.
“These are needs we found,” Baker told the council, clearly anticipating the questions that immediately began. “Paying for them would be your problem.”
Although the report led with citizen suggestions to the committee, the council made it clear that budgetary attention would begin with upgrades needed to the water and sewer system.
Members were quick to see planning needed to satisfy the need for a community center and more meeting space and remodeling needs for the current city hall. Barry expressed a hard line on outright spending while Council Member Alton Fields appealed to the sense of savings in the long run of shifting both to expansion of the Hidden Falls club facility.
The improvement and planning committee already had identified the need for improvements at the restaurant and pro shop there, along with handicap-accessible restrooms for pool, tennis and golf users.
Needs identified for the golf course included improved storage and disposal of effluent and irrigation, concrete cart paths, ladies tee box improvement and expanded food and beverage service.
Fields suggested cart path improvement might be limited to a nine-hole loop that could be played through twice,” he said, convinced of the benefits of the course, despite his stringent economic view. “It is just a lot cheaper to play here (in Meadowlakes) and the group of experienced golfers is growing again.”
“I think cart paths would up play more,” said Council Member Clancy Stephenson. “We have a golf community that ought to be a priority.”
“If you don't have cart paths, you're done,” added Council Member Barry Cunningham.
An entirely new swimming pool was proposed with a deck area and children's swim lane and water feature.
A list of ten improvements for parks and other recreational facilities outside the club had been proposed.
Mayor Raesener and the council mulled the $500,000 price tag a new pool would represent.
“New, younger residents with children moving here are most interested in the pool,” said Raesener. “We might consider a water feature, a splash pool like some cities are going to.”
Agreeing that priorities and any discussion of funding methods would be a part of the ucoming budget process, the council was generally pleased to hear that most of the work on four of the tennis courts would be done by month's end.
“The fifth court will be striped for tennis and pickle ball,” Thompson assured the council who has been hearing from a contingent of pickle ball enthusiasts.
Rate this article:
