Topics to Explore: Recreation & Information

This week we have two topics to explore:

Youth Recreation: the Boys and Girls’ Club

The parents in our town have a long tradition of providing organized recreation opportunities for our youth. The Lake Wales Little League has been in existence for over 55 years. The Steelers youth football league has been in operation for over 20 years. More recently, with Junior Magic basketball, the Gators youth football program, and the Lake Wales Soccer Club we have a nice variety of parent-run, independent leagues. We are also very fortunate to have the YMCA and the Boys and Girls’ Club.

I suspect that the economic downturn is making it particularly difficult for all non-profit organizations to make ends meet, and I know this is the case with our Boys and Girls’ Club. The Lake Wales Boys and Girls’ Club has been in operation for eight years. The first few years the Club was located on the campus of Roosevelt Academy, and then it moved to its present home in the former and newly remodeled elementary school at the corner of Seminole Avenue and Fourth Street. Every school day the Club’s bus travels to seven schools and picks up our children and takes them to the Club. There is a study hall with tutoring, and then organized activities. This year, the Club operates the Kirkland gymnasium in an agreement with the City.

Our Boys and Girls’ Club serves over 80 of our children each school day, and operates a summer camp during the out-of-school summer months.

Our Club is a branch of the Boys and Girls’ Club located in Winter Haven, and that club has subsidized the Lake Wales Club every year that it has been in operation.

Again, I suspect that every non-profit organization can use our help now. But I am particularly concerned about the Boys and Girls Club.

Information About Our Town

We are fortunate to live in a time when there are so many sources of information about any subject of interest. This is certainly true when it comes to learning more about our town. Town topics are covered by two daily newspapers as well as our own twice weekly hometown newspaper. Perhaps the biggest change in recent times in the creation and continued building of the City’s website (http://www.cityoflakewales.com/).

Our town’s website contains a variety of data and information about our town. One of the most interesting items is the full agenda packet provided for each City Commission meeting. This information is typically published on the Friday before the regular City Commission meetings.

The regular Commission meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. The agenda packet for the second regular meeting of the month typically contains the interim financial statements for the fiscal period ending the month before the meeting. There is also an analysis of the City’s financial position, including comparisons to targets for each fund, a focus on utility billing, and the amount of cash.

In addition to the two regular meetings, the Commission is now having a workshop meeting every month on the Thursday in the week between the regular Commission meetings. The agenda for these workshops cover items that will be coming up on future regular meeting agendas, as well as any other items that Commissioners wish to add to the agenda.

The preparation of City Commission agenda packets is an important staff function. The information is prepared by a City staff member and contains a recommendation for Commission action, the background material on the item, a review of the fiscal impact, and optional actions that the Commission could take. Attachments are also included giving additional or source information.

If you are not familiar with the City’s website or how to access the internet, there are 12 public access computers at our fine City library, and one of our librarians will be happy to assist. All of this information is also available at City Hall.

In the “information age”, our town has taken advantage of this useful tool. Data and information about our town is readily available for anyone to review!

www.cityoflakewales.com

Do you know that the City has its own web site on the Internet? If so, have you visited it lately?

The City’s web site at http://www.cityoflakewales.com/ is nothing short of amazing. It offers a vast amount of useful and interesting information on a variety of topics, as well as on-line services. Our town’s web site also offers maps and photographs in an aesthetically pleasing and easy to use format. The web site is an open invitation to conduct business with the City, get answers to questions on services and programs, or just to visit… a fantastic resource!

If you do not have Internet service at your home, you can visit the City’s web site by using one of the free public access computers at the City library. You can use the address printed above or you can simply type in the words ‘city of lake wales’ into a search engine and the link to the City’s site will pop up.

Let’s explore some of the information and services that are available to everyone on our town’s web site:

• Commission agenda packets: In the past these packets were done on paper, which involved copying hundreds of pages for each meeting. Now, each Commissioner has been provided a laptop computer, and the agendas are provided on a ‘flash drive’. The agenda is also installed on the City’s web site so that citizens can view the same information that Commissioners receive for each meeting.


• Utility bill payment/account information: You can pay your City utility bill on-line, or check your utility account.


• Lifeline program: The City Commission approved this program to help our residents with low incomes pay their water and sewer bills. Customers approved for this program receive a credit on their monthly bills in the amount of the base charge for water and sewer. The Lifeline Application Packet is available on-line.


• Limited income senior exemption: The City Commission approved this program, as described in state law, for City residents. Homeowners who qualify for the regular homestead exemption are eligible for up to $25,000 additional exemption from City ad valorum taxes if they are 65 years of age or older and if they have a total household adjusted gross income that does not exceed the limit set by the state during the previous tax year.


• Do you wish to do business with the City? All City bid invitations, requests for proposals, and requests for qualifications are provided.


• Check a City calendar: There are calendars of City events posted.


• Do you wish to work for the City? Current job openings are listed.


• Would you like to take an active role in City government? Information about all of our citizen boards and committees is available on the web site with a printable application for appointment.


• Report a pothole, streetlight out, or code enforcement violation: Forms are available on-line for reporting directly to the department head responsible for resolving the problem.


• Information on items being considered by the City Commission, and current City projects: For example, the historic preservation ordinance and the designation of a section of downtown as the City’s first historic district (under the ordinance) are posted.


• Information on the City’s financial status: Preliminary current fiscal year financial statements, the budget, and prior year audits are available.


• Contacts: you can e-mail a City Commissioner or the City Manager.

This site is the work of Assistant City Manager Judy Delmar. It is well worth your time to check it out!