by James Coulter
Residents living along Conner Road may not be concerned whether the road is owned by the city or the county, so long as the road and its culvert are properly maintained to prevent potential flooding.
At their regular meeting on Tues. July 15, 2025, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to approve an ordinance thatwould approve a Road Transfer Agreement to transfer Conner Road from Polk County to Lake Wales.
During public comments, Jessica Brower, a resident along county road, raised concerns she and other residents had about the road’s maintenance. Specifically, they are concerned about the road’s culvert that empties stormwater into Lake Dance and thus prevents flooding.
“We don’t care if it’s the county or the city [maintaining the road], we just want to be sure that the responsiveness that the county has provided in maintaining the culvert,” she said. “If it [the culvert] fails, all our properties will be flooded. We want the city to be sure and mindful to maintain the culvert so our houses don’t flood.”
Commissioner Carol Gillespie commented that, once the road has been transferred, the public works department remains mindful about these concerns and properly maintains the road and its infrastructure.
“This is apparently a road that could fail and undo these homes, and that would certainly be a negative,” she said. “[If] after the culvert has failed, and your house has been undone, that really wouldn’t be much comfort. So, yes, our public works people need to keep that in mind and keep an eye on that during the transition.”
Commissioner Keith Thompson assured residents living in the area that the road would be placed in good hands with the city government.
“With this coming into the city, I hope it will encourage the residents out there to know that your city government will react a whole lot faster in regards to this, and possibly we will be given a chance to make this road and culvert even better,” he said.
