Staff member says community will lead design and schedule of city project

At a Winter Haven City meeting, a staff member said the project will be led by the people who will use it, with residents deciding what they want, how to do it and when to do it. "This is just the opposite," the staff member said. "This was, tell us what you wanna do. Tell us how you wanna do it, when you wanna do it. We'll figure out how much it's gonna cost and how we're gonna pay for it."

The staff member said the aim is for beneficiaries to take ownership: "Making sure that the people that are gonna benefit from this have an opportunity to be in on the front end. They take ownership of it." They noted the longevity envisioned for the facility, saying "that building will be there 50, 60, 70 years in the community," framing the approach as one that should reflect long-term resident preferences.

A resident speaker reinforced the message about teamwork and urgency, offering a short motto: "Together, everyone achieves more. ... we only passed this way but once. So whatever good you can do, do it now." The remark underlined the meeting's focus on engaging community members early in the planning process.

The transcript does not record any formal motion, vote or next procedural step on the project. Funding sources, an implementation timeline and formal decision dates were not specified in the discussion. The meeting's statements indicate a planning approach centered on community input, with staff describing that cost and funding questions will be determined after community priorities are established.