Residents and commissioners press Dade City to finish long-delayed splash pad as amphitheater debate continues

Dade City residents pressed the city commission on April 28 to finish a long-delayed Veterans Park splash pad and related facilities, and commissioners debated whether to build a permanent amphitheater or pursue a lower-cost, mobile stage.

At the start of the public-comment period, resident Jeff Marler told the commission the splash park has been on the books for years and said he was frustrated that the project remains unfinished. "Let's quit nickel-and-diming these projects and get them done," Marler said, adding that the city needs completed amenities for children and youth.

Multiple speakers raised the same theme. Resident Lisa Simon said the splash pad and restrooms "look beautiful" but urged the commission to finish the job without pinching pennies. Brian Swan, a downtown business owner, called for greater staff capacity to build and maintain public amenities and flagged difficulties joining meetings remotely.

Commissioners acknowledged the urgency but urged caution about scope and long-term costs. Commissioner Shive recounted years of work on the park and said the commission should "build a project the residents can be proud of," noting other municipalities' larger price tags and the need to steward taxpayer dollars. He cited figures from neighboring jurisdictions — $8 million and $15 million renovation projects — while saying Dade City’s park work has cost about $2.3 million so far.

Commissioner Church warned that state-level review (citing the new January report from the Division of Finance Oversight) has identified taxpayer-subsidized amenities as potential audit targets, and urged contract language that avoids those red flags. "How do we give our citizens what they want while not making ourselves a target of state audits?" she asked.

Commissioner Stout suggested a mobile, trailer-mounted stage as a lower-cost, flexible alternative to a permanent amphitheater. He described a fold-out stage priced near $122,000 plus accessibility lift costs and said a movable option could serve multiple parks and events while avoiding some maintenance and security problems permanent covered structures can attract.

Other speakers, including Margaret Angel from the merchant association, argued a permanent amphitheater would support downtown restaurants and retailers by keeping event attendees in the core longer. "Permanent structure… will boost the economy for the downtown," she said.

The commission did not take final action to change the park contract or to approve additional funding at the meeting. Instead, commissioners agreed to continue detailed discussions at upcoming meetings, to review designs and cost breakdowns, and to ensure accessibility and operational plans (storage, staffing, sound systems) are included in any future proposals.

Next steps: staff will return with cost estimates, procurement options and contract language to address state-audit concerns before the commission considers funding or amendments to the current contracts.