A Special “Notes to the Neighborhood”
Randy Young, TLIA President
Hello everyone, I am taking advantage of this opportunity to speak with you beyond the usual column in the monthly Tower Lakes News. My topic is important to all of us and needs our immediate attention. We have an opportunity before us and a decision that we will all be making together at the TLIA Annual Meeting, November 8.
As a community, we must maintain Tower Lakes as a viable, valuable, and desirable place to live and raise our families. The amenities of our community are key our life in Tower Lakes. The lake, parks, playgrounds and the topic of my words to you today – our tennis courts.
Right now we have a tremendous “one-time” opportunity to increase our community’s recreational value by rebuilding the tennis courts. The Courts Committee has done their homework by creating and developing relationships with key individuals and suppliers allowing for very favorable pricing to rebuild our tennis courts.
Through new, improved and ecologically sound practices, our courts can be rebuilt in their current location with a “100 year” foundation that will not crumble or decay due to their location or weather conditions, as our current courts have over time.
New courts in our neighborhood will provide our community not only a place to play tennis, but a total enhancement to our park system, providing beauty to the neighborhood – an asset that will benefit the entire community.
Our courts are decaying before our eyes. They have become unplayable and unsafe. Now is the time to act. We have the right solution, only if we act now and leverage our relationships to our advantage. Pouring additional monies into the courts for repair and maintenance has become futile, losing proposition. The eventual demolition of the courts will cost us an estimated $40-$50,000, and that does not include the cost for redevelopment of the area into usable real estate!
On Monday October 5, the Board approved this motion:
“To place on the ballot of the November 8, 2015 Annual Meeting: Seek approval from the membership to allow the Board to spend no more than $60,000, out of the Capital Fund to partially fund the rebuilding of the tennis courts, providing that and contingent upon the balance of the construction monies come from individual donations from community members through the TLCF.”
This motion allows the Board, with membership approval, to work together with TLCF to fund the construction of the new courts.
Here is how it works. The total estimate of the project is $110,000. First, we need a “YES” vote from you on the Tennis Court ballot issue at the Annual Meeting. At the “Big Night 6” when the Tower Lakes Community Foundation began accepting contributions, in any amount, “earmarked” for the “Tennis Court Fund.” That evening raised $12,000 for the courts. Those donations must reach a total of $50,000 and be awarded as a grant to TLIA. That action will trigger the TLIA Board to allocate $60,000 from the Capital Fund for the project. Then, and only then, will the project move forward in the spring of 2016.
The alternative to moving forward on this project will be to spend the money to demolish the courts. Without the community support, demolition is the eventual resolution.
I must stress a few key points.
- The TLIA money comes from our Capital Fund, whose purpose is to fund improvement projects
- The Capital Fund has sufficient monies to fund TLIA’s portion of the project
- The spending of the $60,000 is CONTINGENT on raising the $50,000 in community earmarked donations
- Now is the time. This is a one-time opportunity to rebuild the courts at this cost.
- The window is open. If we do not take advantage of this opportunity, it will not be possible at this price ever again.
This is the consensus of your Board. The entire Board of TLIA voted in favor of this opportunity to rebuild new tennis courts. We urge you to do the same. Vote to YES to approve the motion, vote YES to keep our parks and recreational facilities a top-notch asset to our community.