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Saturday, July 31, 2021
updated with reader suggestions
Sunday, August 8, 2021
The items listed below quote the Council's 2 August 2021 workshop agenda presenting the mayor's concept proposal and also the lease agreement for Tequesta Park. It is worthwhile to review these items carefully noting that at the August 2 meeting Mr D'Ambra and Mr Prince hardly mentioned anything in the agenda documents. They glossed over all the details. Nevertheless, Mr D'Ambra would have the Council approve the proposal by resolution at the next Council meeting (Thursday, August 12). This resolution must be opposed.
The current annual maintenance cost for Tequesta Park:
$132,089
We can expect the maintenance costs for the mayor's plan to be substantially more: the mayor's concept would require much more maintenance and much more intensive maintenance. (See also below.)
Much more and much more intensive. Here is what the mayor's proposal presentation set out:
It will be important to allocate the appropriate human and financial resources necessary to operate and maintain the facility. Best practices learned from comparable facilities include utilizing a full-time dedicated staff of experienced professionals to manage and market the complex who understand the unique needs of tournament play and local sports organizations.
In addition, maintaining high-quality, tournament-level fields and providing first-class customer service should be operating priorities. As such, it is important that financial support for the complex be consistent and long-term in nature with an initial capital contribution, on-going financial commitment, and associated risk with respect to operations and capital improvements.
The cost estimates in the mayor's proposal presentation did not include the cost of insurance:
This analysis assumes that property, casualty, and liability insurance needs [costs] associated with the proposed new outdoor sports field complex will be covered under the Village's umbrella insurance policy and as such, no amount is estimated.
From this you can see that the cost estimates in the mayor's proposal presentation are low ball estimates.
The cost estimates in the mayor's proposal presentation did not include the replacement costs:
Although no dollar amount is included in this analysis, it is recommended that the Village plan for an annual payment specifically designated as a reserve for replacement fund to safeguard this investment.
Again, from this you can see that the cost estimates in the mayor's proposal presentation are low ball estimates attempting to minimize what the real cost would be to the village in the future.
The mayor's proposed concept calls for four or five new staff.
For purposes of this analysis, the facility is assumed to employ between four and five additional full-time staff ... .
This particular cost is exposed to a substantial likelihood of significant increase.
The proposed concept will not generate revenue. To the contrary. For reference, the Jupiter Rec Department operates at a loss of about $1.5M per year. See Council Agenda (2 August 2021), p.13 (questions 1 and 4).
The declared purpose of the mayor's proposed concept is sports tourism. This is a terrible, destructive goal and there is no evidence showing that a majority of Tequesta residents (or even a non-trivial minority) want the village to be a sports tourism destination. It's a terrible idea.
Sports tourism is a growing niche regionally and nationally. ... new facilities have been developed to accommodate competitive sporting events designed and operated to primarily attract visitors ... .
The proposed concept does not prioritize the residents of Tequesta. It prioritizes visitors while Tequesta taxpayers would be paying tens of millions of dollars over the next three decades to cover the costs of this plan.
The village leases Tequesta Park (until 2055) from the state of Florida and under the lease, the village is required to prioritize conservation of the imperiled sand pine scrub for the benefit of the public. The mayor's concept would trample all over that obligation with pavement for roadway and parking lot destroying the natural habitat. Likewise for the playground and skatepark elements in the concept. Tequesta should never propose such a destructive concept.
Lessee [the village of Tequesta] shall manage the leased premises only for the conservation and protection of natural ... resources and for resource based public outdoor activities and education which are compatible with the conservation and protection of these public lands, as set forth in subsection 250.032(11), Florida Statutes, along with other related uses necessary for the accomplishment of this purpose as required in the Management Plan ... .
Lease Agreement p.1. (See also other similar provisions in the lease.)
The village was supposed to submit to the state a Management Plan for review by a 2019 deadline but had not done that. Our understanding is that the village would now propose the mayor's concept as the Management Plan. This is totally unacceptable in view of the conservation purpose of this land to protect natural habitat.
Under the lease, the village is committed to provide recreation based in conservation of the natural habitat. Not facilities that destroy the last remnants of the natural habitat.
Resource-based outdoor recreation is dependent on a particular element or combination of elements in the natural and cultural environments that cannot be easily duplicated by man. In contrast, user-oriented recreation can generally be provided anywhere, assuming the availability of space and funds for development.
Fla. Depart. Env. Protection (floridadep.gov/files/outdoorrecreationdefinedpdf) p.1.
This documents provides examples and it is perfectly clear that the mayor's proposed concept does not qualify as resource based recreation.
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