It was a tough crowd for Osceola County Commissioner John Quiñones last week Thursday for his district 2 town hall meeting.

Residents gathered at the newly renovated Robert Guevara Community Center and voiced several concerns: how the county could begin the first phase of converting the former Walk-N-Sticks golf course into a park for passive recreation in the face of a $27 million to $34 million budget shortfall; the recent escapes from the county jail and the fact that County Manager Michael Freilinger and Corrections Department Director Greg Futch still had their jobs; and concern over an extension of a contract for excavation work at the Meadow Woods South golf club.

Quiñones, a Republican running for re-election this year, started out stressing the positives in and around BVL: the $17 million Osceola Parkway widening project now under way and the decision to replace an existing 5-foot screening wall with an 8-foot wall; the $27.5 million John Young Parkway flyover project, also under way; and the repaving of Buenaventura Boulevard using federal stimulus money, a project that is nearing completion. He also touted the number of Osceola County companies participating in these contracts.

On the Walk-N-Sticks conversion project, the commissioner said the first phase of work would involve establishing an entrance to the park and building a playground, now that the former clubhouse has been razed.

He didn’t specify, though, when that conversion work would begin, hinting that it could be included in the 2010-11 budget but that it might not be funded.

“Look, times are tough, and the prediction is that we could have a $30 million deficit,” Quiñones said. “Over the last two years, we cut more than 400 county jobs and cut the budget 20 percent. As a commissioner, my job is to try to balance the budget and provide for basic services.”

Quiñones also had good news for residents about a post office in the community center.

“The Buenaventura Lakes post office has been taken off the list of post offices to be closed,” he said. “It is still closed now but they (postal officials) have come and looked at the space we have for them. We have to make a few small changes for them to occupy it.”

On the jail escapes, the commissioner outlined the measures taken to shore up security at the facility, including adding temporary perimeter lighting, establishing perimeter patrols, bringing in portable guard towers, establishing new entry and exit procedures and discontinuing the work release center.

“This is not an easy time for us in terms of public safety,” Quiñones said.

Quiñones also informed residents that the County Commission at its March 15 meeting approved an 18-month extension for Jr. Davis Construction Company and Te Deum LLC (owner) for excavation work at the 125-acre Meadow Woods South Golf Club Planned Development, which is in BVL. The work involves building retention lakes on the golf club fairways to aid in stormwater drainage. Quiñones voted against the extension.

As a precaution, the commission tacked on a requirement that the contractor must finish all work in the first phase of the project involving three lakes before starting the second phase, which involves excavation of additional lakes. Work has been delayed because the contractor cannot sell the excavated dirt as fill for other construction projects due to the economic downturn.

BVL residents complained at the commission meeting that the initial 18-month term for the contract was long enough. Others complained that the landscaping to be included around the lakes was “insufficient.”

The planned development includes commercial and public uses for property fronting Buenaventura Boulevard. Public uses could include a new recreation/community center and publicly funded housing for seniors.

Other concerns voiced by residents at the town hall meeting were: no stove in the community center to allow anyone renting the facility the opportunity to cook a meal; ponding water on Buenaventura Boulevard due to construction; and the fact that the community center was never built as a hurricane shelter.