Once again, the Orange City Council will talk about spending $8 million on long-range projects. The council will have a public workshop on Thursday, May 31, at 9 a.m. in the Ira Williamson Meeting Room of the Orange Public Library.
The workshop agenda also has “possible action” on the projects.
For three years, City Manager Dr. Shawn Oubre has told the council the city in 2019 will pay off bonds for the police station and fire station on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The city pays about $500,000 a year on the bonds.
The city could sell about $8 million in bonds and repay them in 20 years for the same amount each year.
At a workshop in April, the council saw drawings for a proposed water park on the current site of the Natatorium. Tearing down the Natatorium and building the park will cost about $1 million.
The city also had an architectural drawing of a possible community center at the old armory site on Meeks Drive.
Other proposals made in the past couple of years have included a covered pavilion at the Orange Boat Ramp, baseball and softball fields, and street repairs.
The council has not had an evening or night workshop to discuss the projects. In April, a councilor asked about having a public survey. Oubre said a survey could cost about $10,000. He said people who answer may not live in the city or be taxpayers.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
How about letting the ones who do live in the city ad pay taxes have a voice in it. The city streets and drainage need repairs (not patching) much more than a water park, covered pavilion or ball parks.
While I support our city manager & staff, as well as the Mayor & council, I would like to see us double down on cleaning up our city which means more money for code enforcement, tearing down more abandoned houses & buildings. When we make our city more attractive, we improve
the quality of life for all our residents.
Just imagine for a moment if you would , the positive effects of taking the 8 million dollars the city has mentioned spending & dedicating it entirely to cleaning our city.
Demolishing delapedated buildings and houses. Making way for new homes & businesses. Improving quality of live for Oranges residents as well as increasing new construction of new homes & businesses , it would increase our population, put folks to work. We could be a dream city so easy. Maintain this by
Increasing our city code enforcement.we didn’t get this way over night. But it seems like an easy fix if our city leaders really would like us to be a dream city. Just my thoughts…..