September 2015 - Access Lakeland by City of Lakeland

DOBBINS PARK RE-OPENING

30290-I-0160

A BILL WITH NO SURPRISES ENROLL IN AVERAGE BILLING

THE SMARTEST CARD IN YOUR WALLET SIGN UP FOR A LIBRARY CARD THIS MONTH

MEET ANGEL DAVIS LIBRARIAN SUPERVISOR

REFUSE TO LOSE

COMMUNITY OUTREACH PLANNED

Join US FOR

SaturdaY

1 2

8AM-12PM

THE CITY OF LAKELAND’S t h

B I E N N I A L

Historic

home Workshop

OCTOBER 10

2015

FLORIDA

CITY OF LAKELAND NEWS & EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 2015

CREATE A MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR YOUR HISTORIC HOME

SOUTHERN

DESIGN AND BUILD A COMPATIBLE ACCESSORY BUILDING

ORDWAY BUILDING

INSULATE YOUR HISTORIC HOME THE RIGHT WAY

COLLEGE

Is your historic home in need of repairs or renovations? Do you simply love old houses? Then come to the Historic Home Workshop on October 10th to learn about masonry repair, restoring historic wood windows, navigating the design review process, plus many more topics related to the upkeep of historic properties in Lakeland. This year marks the 12th biennial Historic Home Workshop held by Lakeland’s Historic Preservation Board and Historic Lakeland, Inc. Begun in 2000, this event provides a series of informative and educational presentations related to the care and preservation of historic homes. The one-hour presentations are given by local and statewide preservation professionals, as well as staff from various City departments. “While the Workshop is aimed at residents in our Historic Districts, it is open to anyone with an older home, as well as those with simply an interest in historic buildings and preservation,” said Emily Foster, Historic Preservation Planner in the City of Lakeland’s Community Development Department. The Workshop provides a chance for residents to talk oneon-one with local contractors, craftsmen and staff about the correct way to make changes to their historic house. “Often, homeowners don’t realize a minor change to their house could negatively affect its historic character, said Foster. “With knowledge gained from the Workshop, they can feel confident that they are making appropriate changes, which will maintain their home’s architectural style and integrity.” A regular feature of the Workshop is the Exhibit Area, in which trade groups and companies that provide services and supplies for the maintenance and restoration of older houses are represented. Many of these exhibitors also provide door prizes, which are given away to Workshop attendees throughout the event. Other exhibitors will include City agencies and various organizations devoted to historic preservation. The Historic Home Workshop will take place on Saturday, October 10 from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Ordway Building on the Florida Southern College campus. Workshop presentations will begin at 8:30 a.m. This event is free and open to the public and no registration is required. Following the Workshop presentations, tours of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Usonian House will be offered to Workshop attendees at no charge. Historic Home Workshop sponsors include the Lakeland Historic Preservation Board, Historic Lakeland, Inc., Florida Southern College, Wood Window Makeover, LLC, and Publix Super Markets, Inc. For more information about this event or to be an Exhibitor, contact Emily Foster at 863.834.6094 or emily.foster@lakelandgov.net. Information can also be found on the City’s website www.lakelandgov.net.

MORE INFORMATION • CONTACT 863.834.6011

www.lakelandelectric.com

NO SURPRISES WITH LAKELAND ELECTRIC'S AVERAGE BILLING PLAN Lakeland Electric’s Average Billing Plan allows customers to pay a fixed amount of money each month. The fixed amount is based on the previous 12 months of billing from the consumption-based utility services (electric, water and wastewater) for your location. This option is perfect for people who don't want to guess what their monthly payment will be and it eliminates large fluctuations between winter and summer bills. Your averaged bill can start any month and end any time you choose. Your meter will still be read on the same schedule as in the past and your bill is computed just like always. Your bill will continue to show how many kilowatt-hours were used and the total bill amount. Your averaged bill amount will be shown as the amount due on your bill. When you receive your 12th bill, you will be required to pay the actual charges and the deferred balance amount (also known as a “trueup”). If the amount of your balance is a credit, it will be a subtracted from the actual charges. Your new average will be recalculated based on your actual billing for the previous 12 months and will begin with your next billing cycle.

LAKELAND ELECTRIC'S NEWEST SOLAR FARM COMPLETED Lakeland Electric held a ribbon cutting ceremony last month for its latest solar farm located on Bella Vista Road in North Lakeland. In addition to the Bella Vista solar farm and the solar farm located at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, two more solar farm projects are about to break ground. In 2016, all the projects will be complete and Lakeland Electric will generate 46 million kilowatt-hours of solar power yearly — enough to power approximately 4,000 houses for a year. And, Lakeland Electric will generate more solar kilowatts than any other municipal utility in the state of Florida. We are proud to be a community that invests in solar power!

To qualify for the program, you must: • Be a residential or small commercial (general service non-demand) account • Be current with your account, no past due balance For more information, please call Customer Service at 863.834.9535 or sign-up online at www.lakelandelectric.com.

LAKELAND ELECTRIC OPEN HOUSE 10.24.15

LAKELAND ELECTRIC 10AM-2PM TRAINING FACILITY FREE EVENT

2727 CENTURION DRIVE

October 5, 2015 is the deadline to register to vote in the November 3, 2015 Lakeland Municipal Election. City of Lakeland residents are encouraged to register with the Supervisor of Elections. All voters are encouraged to keep their address information up to date. Absentee voters are encouraged to update their signature on file, especially if they registered a long time ago or have suffered an illness that has changed their signature. Additional information is available at http://www.lakelandgov.net/cityclerk/ lakeland-municipal-elections

LIKE US ON

facebook.com/cityof lakeland

LIBRARY CARD SIGN-UP MONTH September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month. Lakeland Public Library invites Polk County residents of all ages to register for a free library card. There are two ways to get your card: (1) visit an area library and present a valid picture ID with your current Polk County address or (2) register online at www.lakelandgov.net/library and bring in proof of address within 30 days. In Lakeland, students can obtain a library card by simply presenting their school ID at the service desk of any library location. From any Lakeland library location patrons and cardholders can borrow materials like books, music and movies; reserve and renew items; download ebooks and stream recordings; access online databases; use public computers with internet access or connect to a free public WiFi network; get help with research questions; attend computer and software training classes; reserve tutor rooms; and other services such as faxing, printing and coping. It all starts with signing up for your very own library card today! All materials can be checked out for a period of two weeks, and may be renewed unless they are on reserve or otherwise noted. Items may be returned to any public library in Polk County. The Public Library has introduced new self-service options! By creating a personal online account with the Polk County Library Cooperative, users can see current and overdue items, renew materials, see outstanding fines, and place items on hold. To take advantage of these services all you need is your library card number and PIN. To set up your initial PIN visit the library or call 863.834.4263. Self-service is also available through an automated phone line 863.534.0854. For more information about signing up for a library card and cardholder services, please visit www.lakelandgov.net/library or stop by any Lakeland Branch.

Lakeland Public Libraries Main Library 100 Lake Morton Drive Lakeland, FL 33801 863.834.4280

Larry R. Jackson Branch 1700 N. Florida Avenue Lakeland, FL 33805 863.834.4288

eLibrary South Lakeland 4740 S. Florida Avenue Lakeland, FL 33813 863.838.4507

CITY OF LAKELAND EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

ANGEL DAVIS LIBRARIAN SUPERVISOR Eleven years ago, Angel Davis was a student at Florida Southern College looking for a job. A friend mentioned that the Lakeland Public Library was hiring, and the rest is history. Davis began her career with the City of Lakeland stocking books in the Children’s Department at the main library on Lake Morton. The Library underwent a renovation, and a Teen Room was created. Davis was the supervisor of this room, where she was known as Mz. Library Lady. Davis was able to mentor these teens, but she learned from them as well. From there, she moved to the reference desk, which was her first real experience working with adults. Here, she found that each day was different, and she never knew what she would be asked to help research. A few years later, she was promoted to Children’s Librarian at the Larry R. Jackson Branch Library. This promotion was contingent on Davis completing her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science. Davis fulfilled that requirement, and worked to improve the collection and services to children at that location. Currently, Davis is the Librarian Supervisor at the eLibrary South Lakeland, located at the Lake Miriam Publix Plaza. Davis says most people think the “e” in eLibrary stands for electronic, but it actually means express. With limited space, the collection of books at this library is considered ‘new and now,’ meaning the books were published within the last five years. Though compact, this facility offers the same services you would find at the Main Library. In addition to checking out books, DVDs, Playaways and LaunchPad tablets for children, there is computer access, Wi-Fi, printing, faxing, and one-onone technology tutoring available. Davis says, “It is all about learning and educating. Not everyone can afford to go to school, but we can help you reach your goals-that is our focus. We want our community to engage in lifelong learning. At the library, it does not matter who you are; you get the same level of service. This is a judgment-free zone.”

Davis was born and raised in Lakeland. Growing up, Davis lived with her mom and four siblings. Life was not always easy, and at one point the family found themselves living at the Salvation Army. Fortunately, that was just for a short season of their lives. Through scholarships, Davis was able to attend and graduate from Lakeland Christian School. She graduated from Florida Southern with an undergraduate degree in Sacred Music, her voice being her instrument. She earned her Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science doing online classes through Florida State. Davis always envisioned leaving Lakeland one day and starting a life somewhere else. Growing up, Davis’ family did not have the financial means to be exposed to all that Lakeland offers. Once she attended Florida Southern, things changed. She began to see Lakeland from the eyes of those students that came here from other places. Plus, she was working and had more financial freedom. It is no surprise that her favorite thing to do is hang out with her friends and try new things. She also likes to tinker. From cell phones to computers to alarm clocks, Davis will take it apart just to see if she can put it back together. Occasionally there may be a screw leftover, but mostly, she is successful! Dear to her heart though, is volunteering. At one point she worked for VISTE, Volunteers in Service to the Elderly. Though she no longer works there, she still volunteers her time and resources. She has been a United Way Reading Pal and is a part of the United Way Young Leader’s Society. The Ledger has a program, Focus on Leadership, of which she is an alumnus. Having benefited from the services of the Salvation Army, she is supportive of that organization as well. Davis says, “If you have an opportunity to give back, you should.” Clearly, Davis not only talks the talk, but she walks the walk. Thank you Angel Davis for having such a positive impact on the City of Lakeland.

REFUSE TO LOSE: COMMUNITY OUTREACH PLANNED

The City of Lakeland and many partners including teachers, church groups, neighborhood leaders and dedicated citizens have come together over the past year to make a difference as part of an effort called Refuse to Lose. Refuse to Lose started as one of the Mayor’s Task Forces to answer a growing gang issue. Violent gang behavior was growing at the time with young lives and neighborhoods being impacted. Eight homicides were attributed to gang activity. The Gang Task Force concentrated on suppression, intervention and prevention programs. The Lakeland Police Department spearheaded suppression efforts by partnering with Federal agencies like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to seek federal indictments on the most violent gang offenders. This partnership proved to be very effective and increased punishment for violent gang behavior. As part of suppression efforts 427 guns have been seized since January 2014 and seven of the eight gang related homicides have been solved. Intervention plays a huge part in the Refuse to Lose approach with school resource officers taking the G.R.E.A.T. program into the classroom. Gang Resistance Education And Training is a proven program that is built around law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curricula. The program offers components for students and their families providing life skills to students to help them avoid using delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems. These components target middle school and elementary students. G.R.E.A.T. is presented to entire classrooms and over the past year over 550 elementary and middle school students completed the program. Prevention tactics include community outreach events that concentrate on neighborhoods where there is known gang activity. There have been three neighborhood outreach events and a fourth is planned for October 3, 2015. “The goal is to go into these neighborhoods and show some love,” said Commissioner Phillip Walker. “We not only show up in mass for a neighborhood cleanup but we also go door-to-door and share food. Each neighborhood outreach has been very successful because of the efforts by our Refuse to Lose task force partners who dedicate their time to assist others.” He added, “That’s what community building is all about.” Past events include a successful June 21, 2014 community outreach that focused on 7th St. Park. The event had hundreds of volunteers come together for a massive neighborhood cleanup. There were sports activities for the kids and give-a-ways as well as food served for those in the neighborhood. The second neighborhood outreach took place, in the area around Westside Park, on November 1, 2014, with volunteers from faith-based organizations, public safety, Community Development, Parks & Recreation and community stakeholders. On May 23, 2015 a third neighborhood outreach focused on the Garden Street Neighborhood. The same model was followed with volunteers cleaning the neighborhood, mowing lawns and sharing food with the neighbors. During September, the City of Lakeland is partnering with Southeastern University, the Dream Center, faith-based organizations and community stakeholders for a neighborhood outreach event that will focus on the Crystal Lake area. Event planners are also putting together a fall festival for the neighborhood that will coincide with cleanup efforts.

CITY OF LAKELAND FOCUSES ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS In an effort to inspect and prevent illicit discharges to the storm sewer system, the City of Lakeland has added an environmental code enforcement officer position to its Neighborhood Services Division. Environmental code enforcement is a strategic solution to ensure compliance with environmental-related City codes. It helps to monitor point sources of pollutant discharges into our waters, a regulation authorized by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program under the Clean Water Act. The Solid Waste Division also benefits from this initiative as it assists with effectively curtailing illegal dumping and/or storage of trash and debris on or near City streets. Dirt, grass and leaves should not be left in the street as they can flow into storm drains and pollute our lakes and waterways. Contaminated liquids such as those from commercial car washing, oils, paints and pool discharge must be treated, contained or disposed of properly. These materials can make our waterways harmful to aquatic plant and animal life. Polluted waters make it unsafe for drinking and recreational activities. Reported and observed violation notifications are issued to residential customers and commercial entities in the City of Lakeland. Upon such notifications, the Lakes and Stormwater Division steps in to educate offenders and provide recommendations for rectifying the issues in order to be compliant. After a reasonable amount of time has been given for corrective action. The environmental code enforcement officer, Scott Childers, performs follow-up investigations to determine if the noted infractions have been addressed. “Everything left or blown into the street will eventually make it into the storm system,” said Childers. “We encourage our residents, contractors and businesses to pay special attention to their household and worksite activities to avoid contributing to the common environmental violations we see regularly.” To report code enforcement violations call the Neighborhood Services Division at 863.834.6251 or send an email to codeenfcomplaints@lakelandgov.net.

UPCOMING EVENTS CARDBOARD BOAT CHALLENGE & LAKES FESTIVAL OCTOBER 10 • 8:30AM-12PM

LAKE HOLLINGSWORTH BOAT RAMP

LAKELAND POLICE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE OCTOBER 17 • 10AM-2PM 219 N MASSACHUSETTS AVE

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.