December 2012 Access Lakeland

30290-I-0121

City of Lakeland’s Monthly Newsletter

December 2012

IN THIS ISSUE

Energy Academy at Traviss

SINGLE-STREAM RECYCLING

ALLOWS YOU TO

RECYCLE MORE!

ITEMS YOU CAN NOW RECYCLE: CARDBOARD (FLATTENED)

PLASTICS 1-7

The City of Lakeland has always had a commitment to being a responsible partner in preserving our environment. Since 1999 we have maintained a successful curbside recycling program. With new technologies and opportunities available we can now accept more recycled materials.

Lakeland Designated as BronzeLevel Bike Friendly Community

Starting this month the City of Lakeland has implemented a singlestream recycling program. Single-stream recycling refers to a system in which all paper fibers, plastics, metals and other containers are mixed in a collection truck instead of being sorted at the curb by a solid waste employee. Your collection method will remain the same but now you will be able to recycle so much more!

Have questions or need an additional bin? Call 863.834.8773.

Meet Sandra George: Environmental Technician

SAME RELIABLE SERVICE WITH MORE OPTIONS.

GLASS

ALUMINUM & STEEL CANS

ASSORTED PAPERS

(NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINES, OFFICE PAPER, CEREAL BOXES, AND OTHER FOOD BOXES)

LPD Has Top K-9 Unit In The Nation

STYROFOAM

ALUMINUM FOIL 228 S. Massachusetts Ave Lakeland, FL 33801 863.834.6000 www.lakelandgov.net

EMPTY AND RINSE CONTAINERS BEFORE RECYCLING!

(& PIE PLATES)

OTHER ITEMS:

PHONE BOOKS • SMALL APPLIANCES • POTS & PANS PAPER-BACK BOOKS • EMPTY AEROSOL CANS

A $65.00 one-time meter replacement fee will be assessed to change out a Smart Meter with a digital meter as part of an opt-out program. This fee will be waived until March 1, 2013.

OPT-OUT PROGRAM

FREE FREE

X X X

ENERGY ALERTS VIEW YOUR DAILY ENERGY USE OUTAGE DETECTION $65.00 ONE-TIME METER CHARGE MONTHLY CHARGE $16.25

g n i t a or c De Safely for the

Mare sure lighting cords are in good condition and ensure electrical outlets have appropriate coverings.

Always unplug holiday lights when leaving home or going to bed.

Do not overload outlets with extension cords.

Use only outdoor lights outside your home and always keep a light bulb in every socket.

Holidays

Lakeland Electric recently introduced the highly successful Lakeland Power Academy program to the Traviss Career Center. A Power Academy at Tenoroc High School was established in 2008, and through this partnership with Traviss Career Center students will be able to get the same instruction, institutional knowledge and industry certifications that will prepare them to compete for jobs in the power industry.

The Energy Academy program at Traviss Career Center started August 2012. Lakeland Electric worked with administrators and instructors at the center to implement the program. There are currently 11 students enrolled in the Energy Academy at Traviss Career Center with the goal to increase the number to 20 by next semester.

There are students from Kathleen, George Jenkins, Bartow, Mulberry, Lake Gibson and Fort Meade high schools that are participating in the program.

David Wiggs, Assistant Director of Curriculum at Traviss said, “Traviss chose this model as a high school career academy because we wanted to expand our existing electricity programming.”

He added, “On the recommendation of Betsy Levingston and a review of the curriculum for the Energy Technician program offered at Tenoroc High School’s Power Academy, we determined it would be a great fit and increase student enrollment. We were confident that a partnership with Lakeland Electric would be mutually beneficial to Polk County

students and the community.” The curriculum used at both academies was developed by the Florida Energy Workforce Consortium and is endorsed by the Florida Department of Education.

To date Lakeland Electric has hired four Power Academy graduates into full-time positions and three as Power Academy Interns.

Lakeland Electric is excited about the partnership with Traviss and the Energy Academy because students are not limited to a particular high school. Students throughout Polk County who are interested in energy careers have the opportunity to participate in the program since bus transportation is provided from other Polk County High Schools.

Lakeland Electric anticipates many career opportunities becoming available for students graduating from high school during the next several years due to employee retirements. The Power Academy programs help students develop the necessary technical skills required for employment at Lakeland Electric or for any other electric company in the world.

For more information regarding the Power Academy Programs, please visit www. lakelandelectric.com and click on the “Careers & Education” tab in the navigation bar at the top of the page or contact the instructor via email at christopher.hallock@polk-fl.net.

There is a $16.25 per month charge to have meters read manually each month (waived until March 1, 2013). Smart Meters automatically report consumption so manual meter reads are not necessary.

Those customers wanting to opt-out of the Smart Meter program can do so by calling Lakeland Electric customer service at 863.834.9535.

YOUR SMALL CHANGE CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. As a City-owned utility, our goal is to provide Lakeland with reliable electric service but we also feel it is our responsibility to help improve the quality of life for our customers. To help our fellow citizens in need, a program called Project Care was developed to assist people with paying their electric bills. Lakeland Electric customers who are 60 and older and/or disabled are eligible for assistance.

Lakeland Electric is pleased to offer a convenient program that provides assistance to those less fortunate.

Round Up for Project Care is a voluntary program that gives Lakeland Electric customers an opportunity to help low-income senior and disabled members of the community.

Through the Round Up program, Lakeland Electric customers can choose to automatically round up their utility bills to the next highest dollar amount.

For example, a participating customer’s monthly bill of $153.75 would be automatically rounded up to $154.00, with the additional 25 cents going to Round Up for Project Care.

Each month the donation will vary, depending on the amount of your electric bill. There will be a separate line on your utility bill indicating the amount donated to Round Up for Project Care for that particular month. The minimum amount you contribute each month is one cent, and the maximum is 99 cents. The maximum any customer can contribute in a year is $11.88 ($0.99 times 12 months).

If you are interested in participating in the Round Up program, please call Customer Service at 834-9535 or visit www.lakelandelectric.com and fill out the quick form because your small change can make a big difference.

Bike Friendly Community The City of Lakeland was recently designated as a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. The Bicycle Friendly America program provides incentives, hands-on assistance and award recognition for communities, universities and businesses that actively support bicycling.

Over the past 10 years, the League has worked with hundreds of engineers, government officials and bicycle advocates to identify the DNA of bicycle friendliness. Using that expert knowledge, the League evaluates communities on the following criteria: 1. Engineering: Physical infrastructure and hardware to support cycling 2. Education: Programs that ensure the safety, comfort and convenience of cyclists 3. Encouragement: Incentives, promotions and opportunities that inspire cycling 4. Enforcement: Programs that ensure motorists and cyclists are held accountable 5. Evaluation: Process that demonstrates a commitment to planning for the future

Celeste Deardorff, Long Range Planning Manager for the City of Lakeland said, “This award means that the City is being recognized for its continued commitment to cycling as a means of recreation and as a mode of transportation. Lakeland is now among the few localities in Florida who have achieved such a level of recognition.” She added, “This award will help the City to attract avid bicycle enthusiasts of all ages and highlights one aspect of Lakeland’s quality of life that can be used in economic development and recruiting efforts by our local businesses, educators and others in our community.”

In four years the community will be re-evaluated and based on that assessment, the City of Lakeland can either improve or lose the bike friendly designation. Deardorff said, “In order to maintain our award recognition and aspire to a new level, it will be important for Lakeland to enhance cycling initiatives by working with local enthusiasts, bicycle clubs and other partner organizations within the community.”

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STAY CONNECTED

ON THE GO

LIKE US ON

G OV E R N M E N T E M P L OY E E S AT WO R K

Meet SANDRA GEORGE Sandra George is an Environmental Technician with the Lakes and Stormwater Department where she is involved in the water quality monitoringprogram for the City of Lakeland.

“I do this job because I love the recreationalactivities that take place around our water bodies,” said George. “I understand the importance of taking care of our natural resources.”

This career field is one that George transitioned into a few years ago. One day while boating with friends and family on one of our local lakes, she noticed some trash floating in the water. Even though that may seem insignificant to many, it wasn’t for George. “I had to make sure it was put in a trash can when I came back on shore,” she recalled. “I realized at the point that I wanted to be a good steward of the environment and help keep our lakes clean.”

Prior to joining the City of Lakeland, George co-owned a construction company where she served as office manager. She left that job to pursue a degree in Environmental Science & Policy at the University of South Florida. In the program, George studied water resources, wildlife

ecology, wetlands, environmental sustainability and environmental policy.

George has been employed with the City of Lakeland for two years it is evident that she is passionate about what she does for a living. “It’s very relaxing for me,” said George. “I feel a certain calmness around water and I’m doing something that I love.”

Her day begins at 6:00 a.m. and after prepping materials at the office, George is in route to take water samples. The samples are then sent to the City’s water treatment lab to be analyzed for possible contaminants such as heavy metals, nitrogen and phosphorus.

George said there several things citizens can do to help reduce pollutants in the lakes. One of them is to use the Lakes & Stormwater Pollution Hotline 863-834-3300. “The pollution hotline offers citizens any easy way to notify us if they see anything out of the ordinary,” George said. She asks that citizens take precautionary measures and don’t blow their lawn clippings into the street because all storm drains in the City discharge into a lake. She added, “If left untreated, stormwater runoff will continue

to pollute our lakes. By managing stormwater, we can protect our lakes from further pollution and improve water quality.”

Lakes are one of our community’s greatest assets.

They provide us with recreational opportunities and lakes serve as habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife. George said, “I’m blessed to have a job that allows me to help the environment and look after the very lakes that contribute to our community’s quality of life.”

CITY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED For The Observance of Christmas: Monday, December 24 Tuesday, December 25 New Year’s Tuesday, January 1 MLK Monday, January 21

LAKELAND HAS THE TOP K-9 UNIT IN THE NATION

Congratulations to the members of the Lakeland Police Department K9 Unit for earning the title of National Champions at the recent United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) National Trials held this past October in Punta Gorda, FL. The eight men and eight canines who make up the unit competed in both the fourman team events and individual events. Our two four-man teams took first and second place in the competition.

The first place team was comprised of Officer Ted Sealy with K9 Bruno, Officer Aaron Peterman with K9 Charief, Officer Cory Bowling with K9 Riddick, and Officer Tye Thompson with K9 Harris. The second place team included Officer Jeff Barrett with K9 Echo, Officer Jose Bosque with K9 Tiberious, Officer Ryan Back with K9 Remy, and Officer Rob Manrow with K9 Quanto.

In addition, Officer Ted Sealy and his partner Bruno took home the honors of first place in the individual trials.

Earlier this year Officer Sealey and his canine partner made history at the regional trials when they scored 697 out of a possible 700 points to win the individual title of Top Dog. In fact, five of the top 10 individual placements at the national event went to members of the Lakeland Police Department team. Officer Aaron Peterman with K9 Charief placed third; Officer Jose Bosque with K9 Tiberious placed 5th; Officer Jeff Barret with K9 Echo placed 7th and Corey Bowling with K9 Riddick placed 10th.

We are very proud of all the officers, both twolegged and four-pawed, who represent our City not only in competitions, but in their day-to-day duties protecting our community.

HOST FAMILIES NEEDED FOR UP WITH PEOPLE STUDENT PERFORMERS

The multinational cast of Up with People is headed to Lakeland. Up with People (UWP), which has toured to 38 countries around the world during the last 47 years, has announced that Lakeland will be the first stop on their 2013 tour. On January 11, Up with People students will arrive to begin their month long stay. While they are here they will volunteer, participate in workshops about culture and diversity, and learn their show, Voices. On February 9, 2013 Up with People will perform a public show at Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College.

Host families are being sought to keep one or more students between January 11 – February 11 for a two week, or one month stay. Local host families are asked to provide a bed, local transportation at the beginning and end of each day, as well as breakfast and most dinners.

Most evenings cast members will be home with the family to participate in their activities and interests.

For more information contact Abby Hull at 314.707.0345 or ahull@upwithpeople.org

STAY CONNECTED ONLINE www.lakelandgov.net

IN PERSON City Hall is open 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Monday-Friday PUBLIC MEETINGS City Commission and Utility Committee meetings occur the first and third Monday of every month. The public is invited to attend or watch live on

Channel 615 (Brighthouse) or Channel 43 (Verizon FiOS) CITY COMMISSION 9:00 a.m.

UTILITY COMMITTEE 1:00 p.m.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS City Hall 863.834.6000

MLK ANNUAL COMMUNITY PARADE

Lakeland Electric Customer Service 863.834.9535 Power or Water Outages 863.834.4248

SATURDAY JAN 19 1 PM

Stormwater Hotline 863.834.3300 PAYING YOUR UTILITY BILL ONLINE www.lakelandelectric.com The Lakeland Police Department would like to remind you to drink responsibly this Holiday Season.

Don’t Drink and Drive.

Designate a Driver or Call a Cab.

BY PHONE 863.834.9535 IN PERSON Lakeland Electric has partnered with over 50 local businesses including area AMSCOT offices to accept your utility payment.