Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/92622
Sarasota News Leader November 9, 2012 "How the place generates revenue remains to be seen," Lambie said. Although the board members are "a very im- pressive group by the way," Robinson said, "quite frankly, that $100,000 could be spent on our ball fields right now, which are in dire, dire need in some cases." Robinson added, "I just can't justify spending the money on the Florida House when we've got kids playing on fields that are unsafe." Commissioner Joe Barbetta made the motion to allocate the funds to the Florida House. "The Florida House needs to be finished," Barbetta said, "… so I think the money's well spent." Page 46 He reiterated a point he has made several times over the past months: The county has assets it needs to sell, which would make funds available for projects such as this one — "to invest in our own properties." Commissioner Jon Thaxton seconded the motion. "I tend to look at track records, and when I look at this organization's track record and the return on investment … I look at this one as being a relatively safe bet, especially compared to some of the other ventures that we embark on." Additionally, he said, "I tend to look more to- ward those business plans with ongoing op- erations as opposed to one-time capital ex- penses." A diagram shows plans for renovating the Florida House's grounds. Image courtesy Sarasota County