Winter Haven staff preview development plats, developer incentives and multiple infrastructure amendments

City staff on Monday summarized a slate of consent-agenda and resolutions that the Winter Haven City Commission will consider, including development plats and incentive agreements, a 10-year lease for data-center space, engineering amendments for septic-to-sewer designs, change orders on a lift station project and proposed procurement manual edits.

Bridal Hart (presenting as public-works lead) and other city staff described a 10-year lease with IF and D Data Suites LLC (Inland Fiber) for expanded data-center cage and cabinet space. The lease begins this fiscal year with an annual cost of $37,500 and a 3% annual increase, funded from the city’s internal service fund, staff said.

Staff also noted travel and training items: a request for Mayor Pro Tem Pritam Yates to attend the Florida League of Cities Federal Action Strike Team fly-in (Feb. 3–6 in Washington) and a retroactive ratification for Mayor Birdsong’s attendance at a Florida Regional Councils Association policy-board meeting.

On downtown development incentives, staff described two items previously considered by the downtown CRA advisory committee. The first is a residential TIF rebate for a Derek McWaters project off 7th Street Southwest at Avenue N (west of Oaklawn Cemetery) with a $10,000 maximum rebate per unit. The second is a second amendment to the developer agreement for the Jade (the former Holiday Inn) that increases the number of units from 211 to 238; the developer is seeking the per-unit incentive to apply to the final count of 238.

Staff said a previously discussed developers agreement for the Hamilton on Central — an 81-unit attainable-housing project — will not move forward because the underlying property is no longer under contract and acquisition-cost adjustments dissolved that agreement.

The Harmony master lift-station project has a change order of $92,523.16 to address pumps, access hatches, control systems, a newly added 12-inch force main and interior wet-well coating. That lift station is part of an approximately $8 million project, staff said.

Wright-Pierce Inc. received an amendment to expand its scope on septic-to-sewer remediation project 6A (north and south) for design, bidding, preconstruction and construction-phase support; the amendment is for $133,150 and is accounted for in the project budget.

The police department will redirect reserves from five totaled vehicles to buy three new patrol interceptors, staff said; this was described as a reallocation of existing reserves rather than a new recurring expense.

Staff presented two residential subdivision final-plat/resolution requests for CRA-area developments: Harmony on Lake Eloise (Four Star) Phase 4, a 57.25-acre subdivision with 322 building lots and 12 common lots; staff estimated built-out lot values at $300,000 each and an approximate taxable value of $96.6 million, producing an estimated $637,000 per year in ad valorem revenue. The second is VMARDEV LLC’s Villamar Phase 7, a 108.7-acre subdivision with 393 building lots and seven common lots; staff said a performance bond of $391,435 has been submitted, estimated built-out taxable value of about $118 million and roughly $777,000 in ad valorem revenue annually. Staff stated Villamar is being developed under the city’s PUD ordinance 02172.

Staff also asked for permission to add a late item to the Granicus agenda for Intermodal Corporate Park Phase 3, a 56.96-acre tract near Logistics Parkway and Intermodal Drive; presenters said the item required a small fact-sheet tweak prior to posting. They described the parcel as due south of the Coca-Cola facility and noted the site’s role in ongoing economic-development work related to a potential rail spur and “Project Ray.”

On land-use matters, staff proposed an annexation ordinance (first reading) for four parcels totaling 93.45 acres (GAIN Inc.), located off Old Bartow Lake Wales Road; the annexation is sought to provide city utilities for future development. Staff recommended approval on first reading to move the annexation to second reading.

Procurement changes presented for informational purposes included revising the related-party disclosure rules so employees complete the form at hiring or upon assuming a position with purchasing authority (rather than annually), and adding a process for the city to accept donated equipment from outside groups (for example, Lake Ashton donated several high-end water fountains for dog parks). Bethany Owen, procurement officer, was introduced to answer questions.

Staff emphasized that one previously approved developers agreement dissolved because the property was no longer under contract, rather than because of city incentives. Several of the items described will appear on the commission’s formal meeting packet for action or ratification.