Citizen Boards & Committees

The regular City Commission meetings are normally held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 pm in the Commission Chambers at City Hall. Some of the items that come before the City Commission for a decision are first reviewed at one of the City’s many advisory boards and committees. For these items the board or committee makes a recommendation to the Commission on what action to take.

All of the meetings of the City’s advisory boards and committees are open, public meetings, and everyone is cordially invited to attend. Some of the meetings are also televised on Comcast channel 5. Each meeting has an agenda, and minutes are taken to keep a record of decisions that are made.

Some of the boards and committees have authority that is separate from the City Commission. For example, the Board of Zoning Adjustments and Appeals hears requests for variances from the zoning code. A typical variance request is to allow a homeowner to build a screen room onto the back of his or her home that extends into the “setback” area of the lot (where no structures are allowed). A final decision is made on variances by this board - variances do not go to the City Commission.

The City Commission appoints the members of the boards and committees. Some of the member seats have specific requirements, such as categories of membership; and most seats require city residency, while some do not. Application forms for appointment are available at the City Clerk’s office in City Hall, and on the City’s website. The completed application form must be submitted to the City Clerk’s office with an original signature.

Let’s look at when and where each of these important boards and committees meet:

• Airport Authority: meets monthly on the first Monday at 5:30 pm in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall;



• Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee: meets monthly on the first Thursday at 5:30 pm at City Hall;



• Board of Zoning Adjustment and Appeals: meets monthly on the third Thursday at 9 am in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall;



• Code Enforcement Board: meets monthly on the second Monday at 5:00 pm at City Hall;



• Depot Advisory Commission: meets monthly on the last Monday at 12:30 pm at the Depot Museum;



• Drug & Prostitution-Related Nuisance Abatement Board: this Board does not have a regularly scheduled meeting but meets as needed at City Hall;



• Historic Preservation Board: This Board does not have a regularly scheduled meeting but meets as needed at the Depot Museum;



• Historic District Regulatory Board: This board was recently created by the City Commission. Applications for appointment are now being taken;



• Housing Authority: While this is not a City advisory board, the City Commission appoints the board. The Housing Authority meets monthly on the third Wednesday at 6:30 pm at the Housing Authority office in the Grove Manor complex on Sessoms Ave near First Street;



• Lakes Advisory Commission: meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 5:30 pm in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall;



• Library Board: meets monthly on the first Thursday at 11 am in the Library;



• Parks & Community Appearance Board: meets monthly on the fourth Monday at 5:30 pm in City Hall;



• Planning and Zoning Board: meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday at 5 pm in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall. This board also meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 5:00 pm at City Hall to review the agenda for the upcoming regular meeting;



• Recreation Commission: meets monthly on the third Monday at noon in the City Manager’s Conference Room at City Hall;



• Police Officers’ Retirement Board: meetings are arranged quarterly at the Fire Station;



• Firefighters’ Retirement Board: meetings are arranged quarterly at the Fire Station;



• General Employees’ Retirement Board: meets on the third Wednesday in the months of January, April, July, and October at 8:30 am at City Hall.

The Spirit of Volunteerism

One of the many things that makes Lake Wales special is the spirit of volunteerism. There are multitudes of people who volunteer their time and energy to many organizations around the City. Agencies like the B Street Center, the Care Center, and the Senior Center could not operate at anywhere near their present level of service without volunteers.

This is also true in the world of recreation and sports, where adult coaches put in untold hours, year after year, to help kids learn good sportsmanship, discipline, and teamwork. The Lake Wales Little League, the Steelers and the Gators youth football programs, Jr. Magic basketball, the Ridge Soccer League, and the YMCA all offer coaching opportunities. I myself have only coached one season of soccer, but I still remember smiling when a fourth grader recognized me in the grocery store and said, “Hey mom, there’s my Coach!”

The City also has many volunteer opportunities, including service as a member of Voice, or by serving on a City advisory board. Voice stands for “Volunteer Observers Impacting Community Effort”, and Voice members carry out a variety of tasks to aid our police officers and stretch our law enforcement resources. For example, Voice volunteers can be seen at every parade, helping to direct traffic. They keep things running smoothly and enable us to have someone at every intersection. They also serve in this role when there are other special events, such as a bicycle race last summer. Voice volunteers are a tremendous asset to our police department.

Our City also has 16 active advisory boards. Citizens are appointed to these boards by the City Commission, and meetings are usually held once per month. Other conditions of membership vary with each board, such as the length of membership, and whether or not the member has to be a city resident. Some boards currently have vacancies, and applications for any open seat are available from the City Clerk’s office in the Municipal Administration Building.

The work of the Advisory Boards is very important, and their meetings are subject to the “sunshine law”. This means that the meetings are open to the public, with the meeting times posted in the Municipal Administration Building, and minutes are taken. Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings, especially if you are thinking about volunteering for one of the seats on an advisory board. The boards and their meetings are as follows (Note: all meetings are held in the Municipal Administration Building unless otherwise noted):

• Airport Authority meets the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m.


• Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meets the first Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m.


• Board of Zoning Adjustment and Appeals meets the third Thursday of each month at 5:00 p.m.


• Code Enforcement Board meets the second Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m.


• Depot Advisory Commission meets the last Monday of each month at 12:30 p.m. at the Depot Museum


• Drug and Prostitution Related Nuisance Abatement Board meets when called


• Historic Preservation Board meets when called – at least 4 times a year, at the Depot Museum


• Housing Authority meets the 3rd Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Housing Authority Office


• Lakes Advisory Committee meets the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m.


• Library Board meets the 1st Monday of each month at 11:00 a.m. at the library


• Parks and Community Appearance Advisory Board meets the 4th Monday at 5:30 p.m.


• Planning and Zoning Board meets the 4th Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.


• Recreation Commission meets the 3rd Monday at 12:00 p.m.


• Police Officers’ Retirement Board meets when called, at least quarterly, at the Police Department


• Firefighters’ Retirement Board meets when called, at least quarterly, at the Fire Department


• General Employees’ Retirement Board meets when called, at least quarterly

Last but not least, the 5 City Commission members receive a nominal stipend for their service. Each Commissioner spends innumerable hours preparing for and attending City Commission meetings, receiving input from citizens, attending City related meetings, and studying City matters. It is often a thankless job, and yet it is crucial to the well-being of our town. Please thank the Commissioners for all that they do for us!

The number of programs with volunteers in our community is an indicator of the vitality of our community. We are blessed with a wonderful Community Spirit in Lake Wales.