[Goldwingnut]

Originally Posted by TOTV Specialist

In May, the Amenity Authority Committee and the Project Wide Advisory Committee decided to collectively spend over $800,000 in amenities fees on Recreation News for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. However, this decision from May is still receiving mixed views.

The AAC who is responsible for amenities north of County Road 466 will spend $245,306 to publish and distribute Recreation News, which is released weekly. This will cause a four percent increase from the previous year. Whereas the PWAC, which holds responsibility for amenities south of County Road 466, is preparing to spend $565,020 for Recreation News. Based on last year, the PWAC will see a one percent decrease. By the end of this fiscal year, the two committees combined are looking at spending $810,326 towards publication.

The printing and distribution of Recreation News comes with some debate from Villagers. On one side, Villagers find the content relevant and helpful.

“[It’s] Very useful when visitors need good information,” Wrote Villager, John H.

For this very reason, realtors are among those in favor of the publication, as it acts as a valuable tool for promotion of all of the Villages many recreational activities.
However, those who stand on the other side of the debate argue that the publication is redundant and no longer necessary.

“[It is a] Waste of paper, many events are not listed. A comprehensive and up-to-date web site would be much easier and would reduce waste,” wrote Villager, Penny T.

As of now, John Rohan, The Villages Recreation Director, reported that there is currently work being done to create an online database for Villagers to access. Rohan did not specify on a completion date; however, an online database does already exist on Talk of The Villages through their Activities and Clubs directory.

Villagers seeking an alternative from Recreation News can take advantage of TOTV’s extensive online database of clubs through the Villages Activities page. On this page, users can find activities dates, times, clubs, location of recreation center, and more. As for now, work continues to be by Recreation News to create an online database.

For the sake of accuracy the actual number in the budget for the Rec News is $208,656 north of CR466 and $448,224 south of CR466 for a total of $656,880. The remaining amount in the budget is for the printing and publication of the rest of the printed materials, forms, and paperwork necessary to run the amenities.

The Recreation News is included in the Amenity Purchase as an asset and has certain intrinsic values that add to the value of the amenities. The paper Rec News has the ability to reach 100% of the population/target audience and does not rely on the user possessing the hardware and ability access the media unlike an on-line version. Without residents using the amenities they lose much of their value, value that is of primary interest to the bond holders and the underwriters.

The Rec News is available on-line and efforts are being made to improve it as an on-line resource. Even putting it on-line has significant costs that cannot be avoided, layout and design of the publications represent a substantial portion of the costs involved in its production and distribution. The technology side of making it available on-line is also very expensive to ensure usability and reliability. While the internet may be free for the end user, the content providers pay significant costs to provide their content. Most websites rely on advertising dollars to offset this cost, no advertising is included in the districtgov.org website and therefore all costs must be paid directly.