Vidalia &8212; Vidalia has seen growth this year, but it hasn&8217;t come without some growing pains.

Early in the year, attempts to grow the city&8217;s recreation facilities ended in controversy when recreation district members walked out of a January aldermen meeting with no discussion of a proposed tax for recreation facilities.

The controversy led the board of aldermen to consider hiring a consultant to study the town&8217;s recreation needs.

Talk of a tax increase to boost recreation facilities actually began in 2004, but public opinion helped sway aldermen to postpone the tax election.

The mayor and board had proposed a new park with various facilities, such as soccer, baseball and softball fields.

The mayor and board invited the recreation district and the public to a Jan. 11, 2005, meeting to discuss the possibilities for new recreation facilities.

The meeting was packed &8212; but recreation district members didn&8217;t stay long.

&8220;The recreation board would oppose any tax increase for recreation at this time,&8221; rec board chairman Don Joseph said at the January meeting.

Joseph said if the city wanted soccer fields, the rec board might maintain them if the city donated property on the riverfront or elsewhere in the community. But he and other rec board members did not publicly discuss the idea of a larger recreation park.

Many of the residents at the meeting were also opposed to a tax increase, but they said they wanted to find ways to fund new recreation facilities.

In the end, the board of aldermen agreed to consider funding a consultant to look at recreation needs.

Mayor Hyram Copeland said this week he has not talked with recreation district board members in several weeks.

&8220;The city would work with them on acquiring land and designing facilities,&8221; he said.

Recreation district board chairman Don Joseph could not be reached for comment.

Construction has begun on the Vidalia Gateway and Welcome Center, after delays and questions about bids.

The welcome center has been on Vidalia&8217;s horizon for years, as part of the original plans for the riverfront development.

In the spring, bids for the project &8212; which had been estimated to cost less than $4 million &8212; were over budget by more than $1 million.

But with some cutting here and some scrimping there, the city was able to accept bids later in the year and begin construction on the project, which will have meeting facilities, a welcome center and chamber of commerce offices.