While I agree with the rest of your post, this statement is incorrect. The district government is responsible - this means you and me.

For example, a story from the online news site:
Jan. 13, 2019

"Villages officials this week will look at prices for a fire station upgrade needed due to the addition of a massive senior living facility on County Road 466.

"The multi-story Elan Buena Vista senior living facility has put more demand on Station 40 located on Parr Drive. The station will need to be equipped with a ladder truck, which requires an additional 3,212 square feet at the building for a total of 6,500 square feet. The ladder truck is needed in case of a fire at the multi-story facility.

"In October, the Villages District Office put out a request for proposals for the project and four contractors responded. Mark Cook Builders Inc. has offered to take on the project for $1.339 million. In addition to the lowest price, Mark Cook Builders received the highest score from the committee that reviewed all four proposals.

"The Sumter Landing Community Development District Board of Supervisors will review the proposal when it meets at 10 a.m. Thursday at the District Office at Lake Sumter Landing.

"The Project Wide Advisory Committee discussed the fire station this past November, and raised concerns about the appearance that amenity money would be used to pay for upgraded fire service for private enterprise."

Good for you, back in the day I swam in the Junior Olympics and was projected to represent our country in backstroke and the Individual Melody when I was old enough. I ultimately gave it up because my passions at the time were basketball and skiing and they conflicted with swimming (plus there was this guy named Mark Spitz who was way better than me). I know a little bit about swimming.

Responding to your above points:

1) Your suggestion partially works for an organized and well coached swim team, but not for senior citizens swimming in a free for all. First, swimming without lanes is very difficult for a backstroker who can’t follow the lines on the bottom of the pool, especially in an outdoor pool (you can’t follow a line created by the ceiling panels). Also, without lanes swimmers would be colliding with the water walkers that use any portion of the pool that is lane less (and sometimes invade the lanes). Many seniors refuse to share a lane with a single swimmer, let alone multiple swimmers. I always invite someone waiting to share the lane I am in (notice I don’t say my lane), but the favor is rarely reciprocated. Some older and more frail seniors are afraid to share a lane with someone like me, who is long and strong and occasionally makes contact swimming backstroke, so I understand their need for space.

2) If I got paid for all the times I have volunteered to put in the lanes and swim flags (or volunteered to help a recreation department employee), current gas and food prices wouldn’t bother me nearly as much. I even keep my own properly sized ratcheting tool in my swim bag so I can tighten the lanes once installed. Last winter I got reprimanded twice by recreation department staff for installing the lanes myself and was told it is not allowed. So now when the pool schedule says “lap swim”, I have no option but to call the recreation center when they are not installed.

I kind of did that, but also added the caveat that paying higher salaries will result in higher amenity fees. I expect that would result in numerous "complaints"

Personally, I am all for higher salaries. No fixed amount to suggest, just what the market will bear.

They only pay $10-$11 per hour go to McDonald’s and make 18

Most people who work at the rec centers are basically retired, and they have no interest in working at McDonald's.

If they turned management over to residents we would probably be looking to move. Prior to moving here we lived in a gorgeous planned community in Venice, Florida. When we moved in it was still being run by the developer and a professional management company because it wasn’t completely built out. The place was gorgeous, pristine, and the HOA was reasonable (although higher than what we pay here for an amenities fee.) after about a year and a half building was complete and the HOA was turned over to the residents. Eighteen months later we were out of there. Constant in-fighting amongst board members, they really couldn’t agree on the color of ****e. Things started to deteriorate almost immediately in the common areas. This resulted in some injuries in the clubhouse area that resulted in liability suits causing our fees to skyrocket. We are still on their email list and just received an email last week that they are having a recall vote on one of the board members because he spent unauthorized funds, signed an agreement with a contractor without a vote, and verbally abused a homeowner who spoke out against him at a meeting. We have heard similar horror stories from friends who live in other planned communities with resident run HOAs.

The developers are responsible for the beauty and wonderful amenities we see around us. When we came here (just this year) we looked around us and were amazed at what they have built, and how well it works. We have lived in 13 different states (including Hawaii) and have traveled extensively over our lives and I can honestly say we have never seen a place like this. It is exceptional in every way and it didn’t become that way because of bad decisions made by the developers. They have a vested interest in maintaining this place as the beautiful oasis it is because it sells homes for them and they have plans to sell lots more homes. I say, let them keep doing what they have done so beautifully up to now.

I agree with a previous poster that said that seniors are an extremely difficult group to please. I hear that from people in the outside community as well. A lot of resentment because they say we want everything for nothing and aren’t very nice when we don’t get it. I am saddened that we have garnered that reputation among our neighbors but from the complaints that seem endless about a myriad of things that, not only seem trivial a lot of times, also are things that most people in this country could only dream of but for so many here just aren’t “good enough.”

As for the complaints I see about the amenities fees…..look around you, so many amenities it would take a year to do something at each one of them. That community I mentioned previously had a clubhouse with a small fitness center and one pool. Their HOA fee this year is $359 a month. Property taxes are just as high also.

We may still be in the honeymoon phase, but there is no place else we’d rather be. And if someone else knows of another place that offers as much, runs better, is more beautiful, and costs the same or less, then they should probably go there, and let the rest of us know about it too.

Not $12
 

I have been an Recreation assistant for over three years and still make less than $11. Starting pay is $10

speech is silver, silence is golden to management
 

Thanks for transparency

your story about the infighting reminded me of a story about my mother , they had moved into a condo building after selling home in Boston , my mother went to a meeting and brought cookies with her, she came back upset and telling my father she couldn’t believe all the pleasant people she had met in building could be so mean to each other. I’ve been in a building where it’s a fight to get little things done because some people feel there not going to be around for all the changes and resist doing it , same thing here , lots of people don’t want to spend money to keep up everything , I wish the developer was always in charge there would be no need for clipboard ladies

Regarding pay at the Villages rec center: Most people working are retirees on social security. If they make too much money, their social security checks are reduced. If you work at the Country Clubs, you get a discount at the pro-shop (I don't know if that's a discount all employees get, but the ones at the CCs get it).

Also anyone who isn't old enough yet for Medicare (which is anyone under 65 years old) will pay significantly more money for health insurance premiums if they work, compared to if they don't work. Unless the company offers insurance. But if they want to be semi-retired, they won't be working full-time jobs that offer benefits. So again - you earn less, you make a few bucks, grocery money mostly - which makes it easier to enjoy the Villages lifestyle but doesn't cost you extra in insurance premiums.

Higher pay could actually drive some folks away from jobs at the Villages rec centers because of that.

Looking at the budgets for the SLCDD (SLAD & PWAC) and the CDD10:

- CDD10 receives only Maintenance income (no Amenity fees) and has landscaping expenses
- PWAC receives only Maintenance income from the CDDs (no Amenity fees) and has landscaping expenses
- The bulk of the SLAD income comes from Amenity fees and pays for Community Watch Services, Recreation Services, and landscaping

So it appears that Recreation employees are paid from Amenity fees while landscaping is paid from both Amenity fees and Maintenance assessments.

Actually, as soon as the area is sold out the developers turn control of the area over to the Community Development District (sort of a "homeowners association). That is the way it has been for over 20 years now. And it works great here - as you can see.

I don't know if the rec centers are run/controlled by the devs or not. Someone smarter than me can explain that. If I had to guess I would guess that our amenity fee covers the rec centers. but I just don't know (or care).

Who runs the CDD’s? And if that is the case then why is almost every complaint I see directed at the developers?

You would think, from some of the comments on this and other social media sites, that the Morse family themselves plant the flowers and clean the rec center bathrooms and are responsible for all other issues here in TV. Either they are running things in some way, or they aren’t. Which is it?

Government - The Villages, Florida - 55+ Active Adult Retirement Community Website

What is CDD Orientation?
CDD Orientation is our “Introduction to your Special Purpose Local Government” informational program. You will learn how the Districts operate and learn other important community information about the people, services, and other supporting entities that help make The Villages a premier community.
No sign-ups or fees are required for this presentation. Sessions are held the 2nd and 4th Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the District Office located at 984 Old Mill Run in Lake Sumter Landing.

Also lot of info here….
Village Community Development Districts

I work at a rec center. The reason that I applied for the job was to have more things to do while being retired. We work 10 to 15 days a month (5 to 7 hour shifts). That still gives me time to play golf and pickleball. The pay is absolutely secondary. I don't want to sit in the house and watch TV between 8 and 5. If you are interested in a job, contact HR.