Volunteers --A Valuable City Resource

Cities, counties, and school boards all over the state are finding that the preparation of the fiscal year 2008-2009 budget is very challenging. The effects of the poor economy are being felt in reduced revenues from a variety of sources, and the second wave of tax reform set up by the State Legislature and voted in last January in the statewide referendum will now be felt with the adoption of the City budget that starts October 1.

Our City Commission held an early budget workshop last Thursday to brainstorm ways to cope with reduced revenues while providing needed services. City staff stated that one area being explored is to seek new partnerships, such as the contract recently approved by the City Commission with the Chamber of Commerce for the Main Street program. This partnership has the potential to save dollars down the road as the Chamber provides management services to this important program, which markets downtown businesses and promotes revitalization activities.

Another important resource to look to for the future is the use of volunteers to carry out work that would otherwise be done by paid staff or consultants. Our town has greatly benefited from the work of several concerned volunteers with special expertise, as well as through the efforts of community service workers. Let’s explore this resource and the opportunity for volunteer efforts.

Volunteer Efforts

Volunteers such as Mimi Hardman, Nancy Furland, and Bob Dioguardi have each given a great deal of their time in a particular area of interest to benefit our town.

In the area of historic preservation, Mimi Hardman has led the effort that created the depot museum and the preservation of a number of buildings. The latest such building is the former CSX building on Scenic Highway near Kissimmee Ave. Mimi is also a member of the State Historic Preservation committee, appointed by the Governor.

Nancy Furland has led the effort to maintain the lakes in the city, most notably Lake Wailes, Crystal Lake, North Lake Wales, Lake Alta, and Twin Lakes. She served as chairman of the committee she helped to form, the City’s Lakes Advisory Committee, and continues now to work on lakes projects and coordinate the efforts of city staff and various regulatory agencies.

Bob Dioguardi is the city’s volunteer bicycle coordinator, and as such he promotes bicycle safety and bike events. Bob also writes a column in this newspaper to alert everyone to safety matters and bicycling programs.

Volunteer Opportunities

There are a number of opportunities for volunteers to help our town save money and continue valuable services:

• Voice – This unit (Volunteer Observers Impacting Community Effort) in our Police Department and helps extend police services in many ways, such as performing traffic duties during parades and other events;


• Office assistance – volunteers have been very helpful in the City Clerk’s office, performing routine office duties and disposing of documents in compliance with the city’s records retention schedule; and


• Offering special expertise – volunteers with special expertise are particularly helpful. In addition to the individuals listed above, Chris Smuck has assisted in the inspection of work done by the city’s asphalt contractor, as he is a retired road company executive.

Anyone who wishes to volunteer their time and expertise is cordially invited to call the Human Resources Department and describe what work they are available for, and when. Your City needs you!

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.