Council debates options for rodeo grounds
by Mark Cowling | Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune
A new water well, treatment and storage at Charles Whitlow Rodeo Grounds would cost Florence an estimated $1.3 million, Town Manager Brent Billingsley told the Town Council Monday.
The council could also choose not to invest in the aging arena and build new rodeo facilities elsewhere at a cost of perhaps $5.5 million, he said. Town staff recommends a new well at the existing arena, he said.
The casing has collapsed on the arena’s old well, which requires a new well to be drilled, Ben Bitter, assistant to the town manager, commented after the meeting. There has been no determination about the future of the rodeo grounds, except that the mayor and council have made a preliminary decision to continue to host signature events, such as the Junior Parada, for the coming year. This will be done by hauling water to the site 3 miles south of downtown.
