Tourist Council To Help Market Sports Complex

The Highlands County Tourist Development Council has agreed to help develop a marketing strategy for the Highlands County Sports Complex in Sebring.

Vicki Pontius, the county's parks and recreation director, updated the council during its meeting Thursday on what has been happening with the complex since its manager, Rocky Ellingsworth, was fired earlier this summer.

Joining Pontius on the subcommittee are John Scherlacher, the county's tourism director, and TDC members George Hall, Mark Stewart and Christine Hatfield.

The subcommittee was formed to determine how to promote the sports complex "to put heads in beds," Pontius said. Its first meeting will be Aug. 13.

Pontius told the council she is going to propose to the Highlands County Commission a different fee schedule for the complex that will be comparable to what other counties are doing. She wants to implement a per field rental fee.

It will be presented to the commissioners the budget hearing process.

In other action, the council also recommended approving sponsorships for Florida's Freshwater Frontier, the Florida NSA World Series, the Sebring Historic Fall Classic and the Highlands County Lakes Association.

Michelle Phillips, tourism coordinator for Florida's Freshwater Frontier, made a presentation to the council about the benefits of partnering with Florida's Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative. Phillips said the organization spent $68,000 last year promoting the region.

The request was for $10,000. The council briefly discussed $7,500 and made a motion for that amount.

But Jim Otterman, FHREDI's executive director, told the council that Okeechobee and Hendry counties are each going to put up $10,000. The motion was then amended to raise the amount to $10,000. It passed unanimously.

Sebring International Raceway requested $30,000 for Fall Classic in December, but the council agreed to $15,000.

The council, pending verification of out-of-town teams and hotel rooms, recommended a sponsorship of up to $3,500 for the NSA World Series.

The amount for the lakes association for cleanup projects is $1,500.