Plant City Times &
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
CAPITALCRAZED
Plant City’s First Baptist team visits Washington D.C.
GIRL POWER
P.C. Merchants host downtown Girls’ Night Out.
RA! RA! RA!
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+ Associate director awarded scholarship
Plant City Photo Archives and History Center Associate Director Shelly Drummond has been awarded a scholarship to attend the annual meeting of the American Association of State and Local History in September. She received one of six small museum scholarships awarded to members across the United States, including Oregon, Kentucky, Colorado, and Illinois. The annual meeting of the American Association of State and Local History will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, and the theme is “The Power of Possibility.” The conference includes over 65 sessions on developing and delivering programs and innovative initiatives for engaging the public in local history. “I’m excited about connecting with other professionals and learning about the latest programs, products and strategies that other organizations have used to engage the community,” Drummond said. “It’s a great opportunity, and I’m honored to be able to attend the conference.”
WATERWORKS by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Rain,Rain,
GOAWAY! Plant City’s departments work around the clock to prepare for storms, but residents outside of the city limits struggle to receive help from the county. From July 24 to July 31, Plant City saw 17 inches of rain. For Assistant City Manager Bill McDaniel, preparing for this kind of weather is business as usual. “As soon as we see the forecast and begin to get alerts, we start different elements of the plan,” McDaniel said. The plan for dealing with this type of weather involves all of the key departments in the city, including the fire, police and engineering departments. “Everybody talks about what their response plans are,” McDaniel said. “No one person is responsible for checking everything.” These departments take a number of preventative measures to ensure that the bad weather will have as minimal an impact as possible on the city. From mowing and clearing ditches to offering residents free sandbags, the city’s departments are prepared for the worst.
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
Within the last 10 years, the east side canal, which runs north through Gilchrist Park toward Cherry Street, received a major reworking that has allowed it to protect areas that would formerly flood, such as Calhoun and Laura streets. Currently, the city’s west side canal is receiving similar work. “It’s still in the design process,” McDaniel said. “But it’s being improved even further.” The city’s canals help manage water flow. If they are properly maintained, the canals can prevent water from potentially flooding nearby roads. “They’re not pretty, but they do a wonderful job for us,” McDaniel said. “The proof of that investment was in the way we handled this major rain event.”
SANDBAG PICKUP City: 1302 W. Spencer St. County: 4702 Sydney Road
McDaniel encourages residents who are in the city to look at the ditches in front of their homes. If the ditches are obstructed, let the city know, he said. “Leaves and tree branches can accumulate,” McDaniel said. “Those things need to be open for water to flow through them. Overall the system that keeps Plant City from flooding works very well.” Although there were no major road closures during the most recent rainstorms, the city is ready to develop alternate routes if necessary. “We would put up barricades and put in a traffic diversion, put in detours,” McDaniel said. Besides the potential damage to vehicles, excessive water can also cause erosion in the roads. If this happens, McDaniel said, the city’s engineers and contractors are called in to look at the problem. However, keeping the city’s canals and ditches cleared significantly reduces the chance for flooding. “This city has people working out there every single day … ready for just what we experienced,” McDaniel said. “They are largely unseen efforts, but people benefit from it. The credit goes to them.” Residents who live on the outskirts of town, however, aren’t as lucky.
SEE RAIN / PAGE 4
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FROM JULY 24 TO JULY 31, PLANT CITY SAW 17 INCHES OF RAIN.
At the July 24 Keller Williams Realty North Florida Regional MidYear Meeting, local Keller Williams Realty Plant City and Brandon/Suburban Tampa offices earned major awards. The awards include: no. 1 Market Center for Closed Volume; Top Market Share for Closed Units; and no. 1 Market Center for Profit Share. Keller Williams Plant City and Brandon/Suburban Tampa distributed almost $200,000 back to their agents who are partners in success. For their leadership, broker Julie Swain and market center administrator Theresa Paoloemillio earned the no. 1 position for growth in the entire North Florida Region that includes offices from Jacksonville to Sarasota.
Two Plant City natives make USF squad.
update by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
OUR TOWN + Keller Williams earns awards
FREE • FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015
Rezoningplans submittedforrehab centeratRedRose The warm wood paneling and bright bed spreads of the Red Rose would be a contrast to the sterility of a rehab center.
It’s no secret the Red Rose Inn & Suites has had trouble selling as a 270-room motel. But what if it was an 80-room drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility? That’s what Florida Rehabilitation & Recovery Services LLC has proposed in a six-page rezoning application summary submitted to the City of Plant City. It is requesting that the 8.4-acre motel at 2011 N. Wheeler St. be zoned from C-1A to Planned Development so that it may operate a rehabilitation facility on the eastern
SEE RED ROSE / PAGE 4
Amber Jurgensen
The Red Rose Inn & Suites has been vacant for three years.
GOVERNANCE by Emily Topper | Staff Writer
Chamber board of directors addresses City Commission
After Commissioner Mike Sparkman questioned where the city’s chamber funding goes, the chamber responded with a letter about current programs and its view on economic development. The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce addressed city leaders at the commission meeting Monday, Aug. 10, through a letter submitted by the chamber’s board of directors. The letter from the chamber is subsequent to a July budget meeting, when Commissioner Mike Sparkman asked to see how the money the chamber receives from the city is being
used. Annually, the chamber is given about $60,000 from the city, which is supposed to be used for economic development. The chamber has been putting the money into the general funds. “It’s not being spent like they told us it would be for economic development,” Sparkman said. The letter, which was read
COMMISSION / PAGE 4
NEW IN TOWN by Amber Jurgensen | Managing Editor
Plant City hires CFO
Diane Reichard will be taking over as the City of Plant City’s chief financial officer from Martin Wisgerhof, who is retiring. Coming from the City of Ocala, Diane Reichard started as chief financial officer of the City of Plant City Monday, Aug. 3. She will take over for Martin Wisgerhof, the director of the finance department. He is retiring at the end of August. “It’s a great opportunity,” Reichard said. “It’s a thriving community. There’s a lot going on.” Reichard was recruited by City Manager Mike Herr. He had asked some mutual ac-
SEE CFO / PAGE 4
Courtesy photo
Diane Reichard is looking forward to managing the City of Plant City during manufacturing and neighborhood expansions.
This week’s winner is
Chris Chapline
See the photo on PAGE 15.
Photo courtesy of Julie Hasting
There was so much standing water on the Hasting’s residence that Julie Hasting’s daughters, Ava and Milee, were able to kayak across their backyard.
INDEX
Calendar..................2
Crossword..............15 Obituaries..............10
Vol.3,No.2 | Onesection
Sports....................11 Weather.................15
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