Fireworks light up the sky over the Seminole Recreation Center March 9 during the city’s 45th annual Pow Wow Festival.
SEMINOLE – City Manager Frank Edmunds said this year’s Pow Wow Festival made slightly more than last year’s event, thanks to a strong finish on March 10.
The news was good for city residents and city councilors because revenue from the annual festival finances up to 14 special events, including Winterfest.
“Friday night was a little slow because of the weather, Saturday was pretty consistent and Sunday was just unbelievable,” Edmunds said. “What’s important is this one activity helps fund all of our other special events that we have throughout the year.
“As you may recall, we removed the expenses of all our special events from being tax-dollar supported. No local dollars go into our special events. It’s either by sponsorship or primarily through Pow Wow. We have between 13 and 14 events throughout the year and they’re funded through the efforts of this past weekend.”
Edmunds said the event was a success thanks to long hours by the city’s recreation and public works staffs, among others. He said Harry Kyne, the city’s director of administration, worked more than 50 hours over the three-day event, selling tickets and doing other chores. Edmunds also sold tickets for a full day.
EMS, fire budgets
The city plans to submit its proposed EMS and fire budgets for fiscal 2014 to the county this week. Both will be significantly lower than the current year.
The two budgets total $7.78 million, which is $258,016, or 3.2 percent, less than the current year.
The EMS budget is $2.02 million, a decrease of 2 percent, and the fire budget is $5.76 million, a cut of 3.6 percent.
Edmunds said the reason the cuts were possible was agreement by the local chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters to accept a greater expense share of their pension plan.
In other action, councilors:
• Passed a resolution to execute a roadway transfer agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation to transfer ownership of North Bay Pines Frontage Road to the city. The move is part of the process in the redevelopment of the former Bay Pines Mobil Home Park into a mixed-use project. But before any certificates of occupancy can be awarded for new businesses at the site, five improvements to the roadway have to be accomplished by the developer. The change in ownership gives the city more power to oversee the upgrades.
• Approved spending up to $100,000 in CIP funds for repaving projects. Resurfacing will take place this year on Valencia Avenue, 91st Terrace, 91st Avenue, 90th Terrace, 110th Lane, 111th Street, and 110th Street.
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