Upcoming Community Activities

There are many ways to find out what events are scheduled in our dynamic town. In addition to newspaper announcements, the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce website has a community calendar. The City’s website has a link to that calendar.

Let’s take a look at some of the activities coming up in our town.

Commission Swearing-In

The elected candidates from the April 7 election will be sworn in at the May 5 City Commission meeting at 6 pm at City Hall. Vice-Mayor Jack Van Sickle will be sworn in as Mayor, and re-elected City Commissioner Terrye Howell will be sworn in for another term. Commissioner Kathy Manry will retire and be recognized for her service, and new Commissioner Jonathan Thornhill will be sworn in. A Commissioner will then be chosen by the Commission members to serve as Vice-Mayor. The regular City Commission meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 6 pm at City Hall. Everyone is cordially invited to attend.

Workshops

At the April 9 City Commission meeting the Commissioners decided to set the schedule for monthly workshops as follows:

• This month the workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 28, at 6 pm in the lunchroom at City Hall. One of the topics to be discussed is the feasibility of holding an “Economic Development Summit.” It is proposed that the purpose of the Summit would be threefold:


• To review the City’s economic development strategy and to gauge how it is working;


• To hear from representatives of the Central Florida Development Council their vision of economic development for the entire county and how we fit within that plan; and


• To get input from our citizens and advisory board members to determine what the City’s focus should be.


• In May and every month thereafter, the monthly workshop meetings will be held on the second Thursday of each month in the City Commission chambers at City hall at 6 pm. The date of next month’s meeting will be May 14.

Municipal Pool Survey

The survey cards for the municipal swimming pool survey are scheduled to be sent out with this month’s water bills. Please fill one out, attach a stamp, and drop it in the mail… or drop off the completed survey card at the B St. Center, City Hall, the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce, or the YMCA.

SR 60 Road Work

Last week the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) began an improvement project on State Road 60, from US 27 to the Scenic Highway overpass. The improvements will include sidewalk sections, some landscaping, and resurfacing. There will also be a change in the median cut at Second Street.

Sidewalks

The City’s efforts to increase our “walkability” continues with the completion of the sidewalk on Central Ave from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd to US 27. A path connecting the two walking trails near the Little League fields on Lakeshore was also completed. The next area for sidewalk construction will be on the north side of Sunset Ave, from Yarnell Ave to Lakeshore Blvd. These efforts are being funded by a portion of the proceeds from the CRA bond issue.

The Great American Clean up

A clean up is scheduled for this Saturday, April 18, from 8 am to noon, beginning at Kiwanis Park. Everyone pre-registered will receive a free t-shirt and a ticket to Bok Tower Gardens. To pre-register please call Jacquie Hawkins at City Hall: 678-4182 extension 233.

A Note on the Proposed Use of the 1919 Building

In this space on March 25 it was mentioned that the 1919 building could become a center for music education as well as musical performance. Those uses, along with using the building for film showings and as a conference center, were part of “The Vision” that was proposed for the building by Dr. Gabe Statom. He reviewed this vision with the citizens attending the facility open house in March of last year. A copy of that event program is available at City Hall.

Mark Your Calendar

February will be a busy month! Let’s take a look at just a few of the activities, meetings, and events planned for this month:

• Thursday, February 5, 5:30 pm, City Hall: the regular meeting of the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee. Agenda items include a discussion of the feasibility of applying for a grant to fund the next section of the trail that now ends at Buck More Road.



• Friday, February 6, 6 – 9 pm, in the Park Ave. Rhodesbilt Arcade: James R. Hahn Productions presents “A Taste of Lake Wales” featuring drinks, food, art, and music, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Vanguard School Performing Arts Center project. Tickets are $25 and are available at the Gallery at 230 E. Park Ave or by calling 863-241-3852.



• Friday, February 6, 5:30 pm, City Hall: a meeting of the City’s Finance Committee. The agenda will include:


• a discussion on the feasibility of applying for $200,000 swimming pool construction grant. While the City has over $1,000,000 in the swimming pool construction fund, there is not an available revenue source to pay for the operation and maintenance of the pool. City staff recommends passing on this grant opportunity until there are more funds built up in the pool fund. The cost of construction is over $800,000, and user fees are not likely to support the on-going costs of operating the pool. This item will come to the City Commission for the final decision on this grant opportunity at the February 17 regular meeting;


• Paul Simmons will discuss the requested donation to the Winter Haven Area Transit (WHAT) system of over $5,000 for the route that serves Winter Haven and the area around the Eagle Ridge Mall. Mr. Simmons is also on the February 17 City Commission meeting agenda to formally make this request.


• Saturday, February 7, 9:00 am – 1 pm, City Hall: Polk County will hold its annual Household Hazardous waste drop off event in conjunction with Keep Polk County Beautiful. Area residents can bring a variety of hazardous items to City Hall and dispose of them for free. The items accepted include cleaners, polishes, solvents, automotive products, aerosol cans, insecticides, disinfectants, paint products, batteries, and pool chemicals. Residents can drop off up to five electronic items per household, including computers, monitors, keyboards, terminals, televisions, stereos, printers, fax machines, VCR/DVD players, video cameras, and video game consoles. Business waste will not be accepted. If you are planning on buying a new television to prepare for the changeover this month to the digital signal, this would be a good place to take your old television. In addition, up to 10 standard vehicle size tires without rims will also be accepted per household with a photo ID and proof of Polk County residency. For further information call (863) 284-4319 or (863) 399-2689, or visit the Polk County website at www.polk-county.net, or call Keep Polk County Beautiful at 676-7019 for questions about tires.



• Saturday, February 7, 10 am, Kiwanis Park: the Grand Opening of Barney’s Dream, the new playground constructed at Kiwanis Park by the Lake Wales Kiwanis Park for children of all abilities. Kawanian Barney Moore initiated this project and the Kiwanis Club raised the money through a variety of fund raising efforts to see the project to reality. Congratulations Barney and the Lake Wales Kiwanis Club for an outstanding job!



• Monday, February 16, 6 pm, City Hall: I will give the “State of the City Address” as requested by the Mayor and everyone is cordially invited. This address was given to the Chamber of Commerce at their January luncheon. Arrangements are being made to televise the address on Comcast Channel 33. (I will also give the address at the coffee meeting in Lake Ashton on Monday, March 23.)



• Tuesday, February 17, 6 pm, City Hall: The City Commission will hold their regular meeting.



• Thursday, February 19, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, City Hall: The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will hold its anticipated Open House on the proposed project to construct medians on State Road 60 from 11th St to Capps Road. Consultants to FDOT have stated that they will be mailing a notice to all property owners along this route, as well as distributing flyers.

Mark Your Calendar. . .

There is an annual family event just around the corner, as well as many recreational opportunities for our young scholars who are off for the summer. Let’s take a look at what is available:

• City July 5th celebration: yes, this year we will be celebrating July 4th on Saturday, July 5th, at the Lake Wailes park. In addition to fireworks (courtesy of some community-minded business people) in the evening, Parties by Robert will again host the day’s music and activities. In addition there will be crafts, food vendors and pony rides for children.


• Free Children’s Movies: The City has again paid Eagle Ridge Cinemas to host free children’s movies at the mall theatre every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 am. The movies for June 17th and 18th are Mr. Magorium, and Firehouse Dog. For more information and listings go to http://www.regmovies.com/


• The Lake Wales Care Center “Stay at Home Work Camp”: This long-running camp provides work opportunities for several different age groups throughout the summer. Please call 676-6678 for further information.


• YMCA – The YMCA pool and other Y facilities are open to non-members for a charge of $5 per day for children and $8 per day for adults. Please call 676-9441 for further information.


• Ridge Soccer League British Challenger Soccer Camps: From June 23rd to June 27th. Ages 4 to 6 years from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., cost $102. Ages 6 to 16 years from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., cost $117. Camps are held at East Central Park in Dundee on Scenic Highway. Fee includes a t-shirt and a soccer ball. Register on line at http://www.challengersports.com/ or call Robbie Shields at 676-3304.


• Lake Wales Little League: The All Star Tournament will be from July 7th through July 14th at the little league complex on Lake Shore Blvd. For information call 676-1943.


• Kirkland Gym: open for basketball and weight-lifting everyday: Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Located at 400 N 3rd St. Call 678-4088 for further information. Free admission.
  
• Lake Wales Care Center’s Heat Retreat: Middle and High School students Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. through August 8th at the Youth Coffee House at 205 Park Ave. Free admission. Call 676-6678 for details.


• Lake Wales Care Center’s Youth Coffee House: Activities every Friday from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for high school students. Activities include music performed by local bands, billiards, board games and video games. Free admission.


• Lake Wales Care Center’s College Fellowship Night: every Wednesday night through July 30th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Youth Coffee House. Free admission.


• Lake Wales Arts Center Camps: from July 7th through August 1st, each two week camp for $25.00, for students 6 to 12 years of age. Classes include Theatre Camp, Clay Creations, Collage, Wood Sculpture, Modern Dance Camp, Medieval Stained Glass, World Dance Camp, Optical Art, Flower Jungle Painting, 3-D Mask Making, Clay Creations, Wood Sculpture, Bookmaking, and Greek Pottery. There are a few openings available for the session starting June 16th and running through June 27th. Call the Lake Wales Arts Center at 676-8426 for information.


• Lake Wales Arts Center’s “Artrageous”: a hands-on exhibit running until August 8th at the Lake Wales Arts Center, 1099 SR 60. Free admission.


• Lake Wales Library: Every Monday is craft day, and special activities are held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Story times are scheduled throughout the week, and every Saturday at 11:30 is Chess for Kids. Please call 678-4004 for further information.

CITY MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Tuesday, June 24, two meetings:
  
• The City Planning and Zoning Board will hold a public workshop on Tuesday, June 24 at 6 pm to begin the process of updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The meeting will be held at City Hall; and The City Recreation Advisory Committee will host a Recreation Summit at the Boys and Girls’ Club, corner of Seminole and 4th St, at 6pm.


• Thursday, June 26, Budget Workshop and preliminary discussion of the fire assessment fee proposal: 5:30 pm, Lake Wales Arts Center, corner of SR 60 & 11th St.

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.

Mark Your Calendar

Each month the City hosts a number of regularly scheduled meetings. The month of January will be particularly busy with the addition of special events and additional meetings. All of this activity indicates that our town is at the threshold of a great year, a year in which a number of projects that were mere conjecture not so long ago are getting closer to reality!

The regular meetings and special events planned for our busy January include the following:

• Wednesday January 9, 5 p.m., City Hall: The City Planning and Zoning Board will host a public hearing to make a recommendation to the City Commission on a comprehensive plan amendment for school facility planning.



• Thursday January 10, 5:30 p.m.: City staff will discuss the proposal for a fire assessment fee to be levied to all properties within the city limits;



• Saturday January 12, 2 p.m., Lake Wales High School: Board of County Commission representatives will host a forum on the January 29 tax reform vote;



• Monday January 14, 5 p.m., City Hall: Code Enforcement meeting



• Tuesday January 15, 6 p.m., City Hall: regular meeting of the City Commission. The agenda is scheduled to include the fire assessment fee.



• Friday January 18, 11:45 a.m., First Baptist Church: The topic of the Chamber lunch meeting will be the “State of the City” address, with a look at the achievements of 2007 and the prospects for 2008. This presentation will feature views of downtown using the latest computerized mapping software.



• Friday evening, January 18, downtown: Friday Night Live!!!



• Monday January 21, 11:00 a.m., James P. Austin Jr. Community Center – a program of activities to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The parade will begin at 3 p.m. from this location and go past Roosevelt Academy and up Lincoln Ave to A street, and around to First Street.



• Wednesday January 23, 6:00 p.m. at Lake Wales High School: City staff will hold an open forum on the January 29th tax reform vote featuring a video from the Florida League of Cities;



• Thursday January 24, 6 p.m., Lake Wales Art Center: a repeat of the open forum held January 23.



• Saturday, January 26, 9 a.m., beginning at City Hall: The City Commission will tour the areas where funds from the CRA bond will be used to re-surface streets, address drainage problems, and re-build utility lines;



• Monday, January 28, 5:30 p.m. at City Hall: The regular meeting of the Parks and Community Appearance Board will discuss improvements at Crystal Lake Park and parking near the Pram Fleet Building.



• Tuesday January 29, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the locations listed below: Statewide presidential primary election and tax reform referendum. Polling places include:


• B Street Community Center - 230 B Street


• Lake Ashton Clubhouse - 4141 Ashton Club Dr


• First Methodist Church - 230 N 5th St


• Holy Spirit Catholic Church - 644 9th St South


• James P. Austin Jr. Community Center - 315 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Please call the County Supervisor of Elections office for further information on the election.

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.