by James Coulter
Attracting new businesses and restaurants to the downtown area, preserving its historic atmosphere, and helping promote mixed-use within the district are some of the criteria Lake Wales Main Street (LWMS) is expected to meet under its new contract with the City.
During their meeting on Feb. 14, 2025, board members of the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) reviewed and discussed its two-year contract with LWMS, a local non-profit organization dedicated to developing the city’s downtown area.
In lieu of its contract, LWMS agrees to fulfill several services, including:
• Implementing the comprehensive Main Street Four-Point Approach for the benefit of the city.
• Educate and promote the awareness of the Downtown Mixed-use Design Standards.
• Coordinate with the Historic Preservation Board and partner with the City in creating a Historic Preservation Ordinance, and
• actively recruit new businesses, with particular emphasis on restaurants, for the downtown area.
LWMS will receive $150,000 for the period of this contract from the CRA through the Downtown CRA fund; and in return, it will “submit an invoice each quarter accompanied by a detailed report regarding projects undertaken.”
Previously, LWMS had been employed under the city; however, through its new two-year contract, LWMS will serve as an independent entity.
Lake Wales Main Street Director Ronni Wood is especially proud of this contract for providing a definitive list of deliverables that her organization will be required to meet to help keep it accountable to the city.
She also boasted how well her organization has aspired to go above and beyond meeting the standards to remain accredited with its national program. Part of that process involves filling out an annual evaluation form. The total score is 116, and the passing score is 86. LWMS received a total score of 98.
“I am a big strong believer in accountability,” she said. “If you expect nothing, you get nothing. So I am all for you all wanting deliverables and accountability, and we will rise to that occasion.”
Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson appreciated how LWMS strived for accountability. He recalls years ago how poorly the CRA was abused and exploited by the city for its funds that it inspired him to run for his current political position to ensure better accountability.
“This town was not following the CRA guidelines,” he said. “They were using it as a cookie jar and trying to do city projects with CRA money. The key letter in CRA is our redevelopment and there was zero redevelopment. It drove me nuts. I want us, as a CRA, to do what CRAs do and not what cities do.”
“I keep thinking, over and over again, that this is not our money,” he continued. “We are fiduciaries. We have a responsibility to represent the best interests of the people whose money it really is, and that is our citizens, and we should have standards that comply with that money and we have to be guardians of that money to protect it from being abused. I saw it happen over and over again, and I do not want it to happen again.”
City Commissioner Keith Thompson asked if LWMS has any money reserves. Woods replied that they have a money market, CD, and checking account with more than $100,000. To which, Thompson inquired why such an organization needed so much money in a reserve account, and asked the board to look into the matter.
Mayor Jack Hilligoss recommended that the contract include even more specific measurables by which to judge LWMS. He mentioned the recent controversy with BizLinc, and how its contract was under fire for allegedly not meeting its goals with the city.
Commissioner Thompson similarly recommended an incentive program by which the city would give more to LWMS if it manages to do more through its contract.
“The more you do, the more we fund you, and I think it will be the most productive thing,” he said.
Woods commended the board for their insight and promised them that LWMS would remain committed to going above and beyond their expectations.
“[Thank you for] your wisdom and seeing that we are all on the same page,” she said. “Whatever you want, [we will do it]…to be good stewards of CRA funds.”
