August 2015 - Access Lakeland by City of Lakeland

PAY AS YOU GO

LAKELAND ELECTRIC'S NEW PROGRAM

MEET YOUR 2015 SROs

LPD SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS

LPD PROMOTES NINE SWEARS IN NEW OFFICER

LAKE CRAGO DOG PARK GRAND OPENING

30290-I-0159

LPD RULES OF THE ROAD BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION

school bus

SAFETY

CITY OF LAKELAND NEWS & EVENTS

AUGUST 2015

Each year Florida drivers illegally pass school buses nearly two million times. Each illegal pass could result in a tragic injury or fatality of a student. The inconvenience of an extra few seconds spent waiting for a stopped school bus is insignificant compared to the loss of a child’s life. When you are driving it is important to pay attention to your surroundings. It’s always a good idea to stay a safe distance behind any vehicle especially our school buses. Flashing yellow lights indicate that the school bus is preparing to stop. When a bus comes to a stop the red lights begin flashing and the stop arms are extended. Florida law requires that vehicles behind the bus must come to a complete stop regardless of which lane they are in. Sometimes there is confusion about the law when you approach a stopped school bus going the opposite direction in an oncoming lane. On a two lane road all vehicles must come to a stop when a school bus is stopped. Vehicles traveling in both directions on a multi-lane road or a highway must stop even if the lanes are separated by a turn lane. The only time traffic approaching an oncoming school bus does not need to stop is if there is a raised barrier such as a concrete divider or at least five feet of unpaved space separating the lanes of traffic. When there is a median motorists still need to exercise caution as the children may not be aware of the traffic around them. Simply put, Florida Law requires that motorists stop when approaching any school bus that displays its flashing red lights and stop arms extended. Passing a stopped school bus in Florida not only endangers our most precious resource, our children, but it can also empty your wallet. Penalties could include up to a $500 fine, four points on your driver’s license and could lead to a suspension of your driving privileges. School buses are extremely safe. Safety features include steel reinforced frames, flashing lights and stop sign arms. Most school bus injuries take place when children are getting on and off. School buses are safest when drivers obey all of our laws. Drive carefully, your safety is important to us.

www.lakelandelectric.com

PAY AS YOU GO: LAKELAND ELECTRIC OFFERS NEW PROGRAM

This month, Lakeland Electric introduces a new payment program for our residential customers called Pay As You Go (PAG). Available August 17, 2015, this program offers no late payment fees because you pay upfront, no monthly billing statements, no deposit, and the ability to purchase electricity and other utilities at your convenience. PAG allows customers to monitor and manage their daily utility needs to stay within their budget. We are very excited to be able to provide this new payment program!

Pay As You Go Questions & Answers 1. What is this program and why is it different from other payment programs? Currently our customers use utilities for 30 days and then get a bill that is due four weeks later. Since you don’t know how much that bill is during the course of the month, sometimes the amount due comes as a real surprise. In addition, many customers also have to maintain a deposit on their account. With PAG, the surprise and the deposit are both gone. Instead, you pay for your utilities just before you use them, just like you pay for gasoline, cable service, your cell phone or groceries. 2. How Does It Work? Customers create an initial credit on their account of at least $25. This includes unbilled charges at the time of setup. Lakeland Electric provides electricity and other utilities as long as there is a credit balance in the account. Customers can add funds to their account whenever they choose and for whatever amount they wish. Customers can also set up an automatic bank draft for their account that will periodically add funds based on your individual settings.

7. Is a deposit required to be a PAG customer? For new customers, there is no deposit required when you open a PAG account. If you are an existing customer and you have a deposit on your account, your deposit funds will be applied to your account balance. Any remaining deposit funds in excess of the balance due will be credited to your new PAG account. No new deposit will be required when you transfer to a PAG account once your outstanding balance is resolved. 8. Will I be disconnected if my PAG account runs out of money? Once the account reaches a balance due of $1.00 or more, a disconnect order will be generated. If your service is disconnected, you will have to pay a reconnect fee. A reconnect order will be issued once the reconnect fee has been paid and the account has a minimum $25 credit. 9. What kind of equipment do I have to have in order to be a PAG customer? Your home must have a smart meter. Also, you must provide at least two of the following methods of communication so Lakeland Electric can keep you advised of your account balance: i. Mobile phone number for SMS text or voice messages ii. Email address iii. Land line phone number with voicemail capability iv. Customer verifies that they have internet access so that they can view their account via the portal 10. How will I be notified if my balance is getting low? Each PAG customer is required to setup two low balance notifications on their PAG account as indicated in number nine above. Lakeland Electric will use number of days remaining to determine if the PAG account should be notified. When the days of credit remaining reaches the individual thresholds set on the account, a notification will be sent out that morning and every day thereafter, until a payment is made that puts the credit above the threshold amount. Lakeland Electric will notify you your balance is getting low using the methods of communication (e-mail; voicemail; and text messages) you have provided us (see question number 9).

3. Who is eligible for this program? The program is available to all customers on residential service rates, with the exception of medical essential accounts.

11. Can I set my own “low balance alert” or is there a standard amount set by Lakeland Electric? Yes. Each customer can setup their own number of days remaining thresholds, as long as they do not fall below the minimum days as defined by Lakeland Electric (i.e. text – two days, interactive voice mail – four days, email – seven days).

4. What fees will I have to pay if I enroll in the PAG Program? There are no deposits or late fees for this program. However, if at any time after joining the program your service is disconnected for nonpayment, you will have to pay a reconnect fee.

12. How often will my account be charged for the electricity I have used? Your account will be charged daily for the amount of electricity you have consumed based on the reading from your Smart meter.

5. How do I enroll in the program? Contact us at 863.834.9535. No application is required to open or transfer an account.

13. How will I pay for the other charges that are included on my Lakeland Electric bill (customer charge, sewer, water, refuse, etc.)? The other utility charges billed on the PAG account will have a prorated amount taken out daily. The monthly "true up process" will adjust the PAG credit based on actual usage of other consumption based charges (water and wastewater; see #6 above)

6. Will I get a monthly bill if I am a PAG customer? As a PAG customer, you will not be issued a monthly statement. There is a monthly “true up process” that will increase or decrease the PAG credit for those customers who have other utility services that will be prorated during the month. Customers are encouraged to enroll in Lakeland Electric’s online customer portal at lakelandelectric.com in order to view your account balance. You will also be able to view your monthly and daily electricity consumption data, payment and low balance notification history, PAG balance remaining and the number of days of credit remaining based on your average daily usage.

For more information or to sign-up for Pay As You Go, please contact Lakeland Electric by calling 863.834.9535 or e-mailing customerservice@lakelandelectric.com.

LIKE US ON SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS Protectors and Mentors to Lakeland Youth

The Lakeland Police Department’s School Resource Officers (SROs) work in collaboration with educators, students, parents and the community to reduce crime, drug abuse, violence and to provide a safe school environment. Lakeland’s School Resource Unit is comprised of eight School Resource Officers and one Sergeant. Members of the team act as liaisons between the Police Department and the school district. The officers are in the schools providing law enforcement services, along with being a friend, mentor and role model to the students. How do School Resource Officers provide a safe school environment? • They patrol school grounds, respond to calls for service in the area, and participate in enforcement missions to prevent juvenile delinquency. • They initiate interaction with students in the classroom and general areas of the school while being a positive role model; provides individual counseling and mentoring to students. • Officers give school presentations on what an SRO does, the criminal justice system and other related topics that help to build an understanding of law enforcement’s role in the community. • SROs increase visibility within the school community, attend and participate in school functions, and build working relationships with the school’s staff as well as with student and parent groups. Lakeland’s SROs have become an integral part in the proactive steps being taken to reduce gang activity in the City of Lakeland. Not only are the officers looking out for the typical signs of gang activity in our schools and public places, but they are training fellow school administrators on what to look for as well. They know that early intervention is the key to stopping many impressionable children from venturing down the wrong path. Last year the unit began reintroducing the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program into our local schools. Five of our school resource officers are nationally certified and all will be certified by the end of this year. The program is intended as an intervention tool against delinquency, youth violence and gang membership and targets children in grades four and six. Over 530 students graduated from the program last year. “We are already seeing results in the community,” said Sergeant Richard Rose. “Kids are building relationships with their G.R.E.A.T school resource officers.” Also, during the past summer months, SROs were out patrolling parks and other areas where children and teens were known to hang out to ensure families that they could play safely and free from gang activity. SROs are here to help increase positive attitudes towards law enforcement by proactively working with students and staff to address issues before they become a larger problem.The officers want to assist in maintaining a safe, secure environment for the students to have opportunities for learning so they can achieve their goals in life. The SROs maintain offices at the various school campuses throughout the city and encourage students and/or parents to contact them should they have any issues at school.

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MEET YOUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS Sergeant Richard Rose Supervisor of School Resource Officers richard.rose@Lakelandgov.net 863.834.8962

Officer Walter Dennis Blake Academy walter.dennis@Lakelandgov.net

Officer Fred Lewis Gang Liason Officer fred.lewis@Lakelandgov.net

Officer Doris Diaz Sleepy Hill Middle School doris.diaz@Lakelandgov.net

Officer Lori Edwards Rochelle School of the Arts, Lawton Chiles Middle & Lincoln Academy lori.edwards@Lakelandgov.net

Officer Dave Torres Southwest Middle School dave.torres@lakelandgov.net

Officer Oscar Wesley Lakeland Senior High School oscar.wesley@lakelandgov.net

Officer Adam Williams Truancy Officer adam.williams@lakelandgov.net

Katina Lewis Elementary Schools katina.lewis@lakelandgov.net

LAKELAND ELECTRIC OPEN HOUSE 10.24.15

LAKELAND ELECTRIC 10AM-2PM TRAINING FACILITY FREE EVENT

2727 CENTURION DRIVE

LPD PROMOTES NINE AND SWEARS IN NEW OFFICER

The Lakeland Police Department was proud to promote nine team members and swear in their newest officer at a ceremony held on July 10, 2015. Congratulations to Assistant Chiefs Victor White and Ruben Garcia, Captains Hans Lehman and Sammy Taylor, Lieutenants Mark Melius and Brent Addison and Sergeants Joe Parker, Brian Wallace and Jasper Yzaguirre on their promotions. Also congratulations to Heather Harrison who was sworn in as the Department’s newest officer. We wish all these officers the best and thank them for their dedication to the Lakeland community.

HOLIDAY CLOSING City Hall will be closed on Monday, September 7, 2015 in observance of Labor Day.

Solid waste pickups for the week will be delayed one day.

LPD RULES OF THE ROAD: BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION The Lakeland Police Department is seeking to make the transition back to school safe for students, pedestrians and motorists. Many streets surrounding schools tend to become increasingly congested in the morning and afternoon hours. During the first few weeks of school, Lakeland Police Officers will be enforcing speed limits at various school zones. Each school zone is clearly marked with signs and in most cases flashing lights. Please allow for extra travel time if your route takes you near school bus stops or near school zones. Parents and guardians who are stopping or parking their vehicles while dropping their children off are reminded to do so in an appropriate and legal fashion. Please pay attention to "no stopping" and "no parking" signs in schools zones. Drivers should abide by the pick-up and drop-off programs that are already established for your child's school. The Lakeland Police Department recommends that children who walk to school be accompanied by an adult several times. This allows familiarization with the route, traffic hazards and situations to avoid. As the distance from home to school increases, so does the risk of encountering traffic safety hazards. Talk to your child about traffic safety. Teach them when and where it is safest to cross, while stressing the importance of using crosswalks and abiding by the direction of school patrols. Children should visually scan potentially dangerous areas such as parking lots and driveways for vehicles. Here are a few tips to keep your child safe as they walk to and from school. 1. Teach children not to walk and text. This will help them avoid trip and fall accidents while allowing them to remain aware of potential stranger dangers. 2. Attach a high-pitched whistle to their backpacks. Just in case a stranger does approach them, this is a great tool for children to get help quickly. 3. Kids should walk on sidewalks when they are available. Use the same route every day and avoid taking shortcuts to school. 4. Teach your child to keep their heads up and to make eye contact with people walking past them. It shows people that your child is alert and confident, two qualities perpetrators dislike in potential victims. 5. Never cross the street against a red light, even if you don't see any traffic coming. 6. Ensure your children learn and practice the safety rules for waiting at the bus stop, getting on and off the bus and riding the bus. 7. Upon arriving at home in the afternoon have a checklist for the child to follow to ensure their safety. 8. Walk to school with other students. There is strength in numbers. We hope this information contributes to a safe school year!

STAY CONNECTED

IMPORTANT NUMBERS:

City Hall • 863.834.6000 Lakeland Electric Customer Service • 863.834.9535 Power or Water Outages • 863.834.4248 Pollution Hotline • 863.834.3300 LPD Crime Tips Hotline • 863.834.2549 LPD (Non-Emergency) • 863.834.6900 PAYING YOUR UTILITY BILL: ONLINE | www.lakelandelectric.com 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.