AUBURNDALE — Auburndale Civic Center has been closed since Hurricane Irma damaged the roof, causing a cascade of problems. But repairs are progressing, Cody McGhee, parks and recreation director, told city commissioners Monday night.
The Sept. 10-11 storm peeled the roof back on the building, and rain on succeeding days damaged ceiling tile, flooring, lighting, the stage and duct work on the already-cranky air conditioner, bringing the total damage estimate to $210,309.
McGhee reported work is progressing on all the repairs, but the 20-ton air-conditioning unit, which had been scheduled for replacement next year, needs to be replaced this year.
Commissioners selected the low bid of $21,450 from Budget Heating & Cooling of Auburndale from among six bids to replace the unit.
Purchasing playground equipment will be pushed back to next year to come up with the emergency repair funds, McGhee said.
“Hurricane repair has been submitted to our insurance carrier and to FEMA, and if the funding comes through, we will put the playground equipment back in this year’s budget,” City Manager Bobby Green said.
Street repairs
The commission accepted a proposal of $495,008 for Tucker Paving Inc. of Winter Haven to provide milling and resurfacing work on 18 segments of streets that interconnect with Pilaklakaha Avenue. Tucker Paving is already under contract on the $3.5 million PK Avenue project, which includes paving, stormwater improvements, street lighting, construction of a multi-modal trail and beautification.
John Dickson, public works director, gave a rundown on the street segments slated for improvements:
• Five streets between Bridgers Avenue and Arneson Avenue: Ariana Avenue, Noxon Street, Nelson Street, Palm Avenue and McKean Street.
• Arneson between McKean and Ariana.
• The alley between Bridgers and PK.
• Newbern Circle, Davis Street, Grant Street, Eau Claire Avenue, Harriett Street, Alberta Avenue.
• Auburn Road between Alberta and Lake Ariana Boulevard.
• Hawthorne Road between Alberta and Lake Ariana.
• Pearl Street between PK and Lake Ariana.
• Lake Ariana between Pearl and Auburn.
• Union Street between Ariana and Howard.
Volunteer city boards
Green presented the names of volunteers who have agreed to serve on various city boards, and the city commissioners signed off on the appointments:
• Board of Adjustment: appointed Donisha Miller and reappointed Tom Reiter and Mike Littles.
• Planning Commission: appointed Danny Chandler and reappointed Perry Price.
• Community Redevelopment Agency: appointed Jack Myers and reappointed Cindy Price.
• General Employees’ Pension Trust Fund Board: reappointed Shirley Lowrance, Eric Pospichal, Tony Persichetti and Adam Mayfield.
• Historic Preservation Commission: reappointed Perry Pryce and Jean Hancock.
Other boards
To fill city representative positions on multi-city/county boards, commissioners appointed newly sworn-in Commissioner Dorothea Taylor Bogert to the Ridge League of Cities board of directors with alternates Commissioner Richard Hamann and Commissioner/Mayor Tim Pospichal; newly sworn-in Commissioner Keith Cowie to the Transportation and Planning Organization Board; and Hamann to the Polk Transit Authority Board.
Cemetery fence
Assistant City Manager Jeff Tillman presented a report about installing a decorative fence and brick columns at Auburndale Memorial Park so that the cemetery’s appearance will be similar to Auburndale Cemetery and Lincoln Park Cemetery.
The commission accepted the low bids for a decorative fence ($81,262 to All Gate Solutions of Auburndale) and brick columns ($75,600 to Everett Whitehead & Son of Winter Haven). Four bids were submitted on the fence work and three bids on the brick column work.
Green said the project was proposed last year but bids came in over budget so the project was delayed.
Marilyn Meyer can be reached at marilyn.meyer@theledger.com or 863-802-7558.