November 16, 2007 - City News

Mayor's Message

Dear Friend,

This week, people camped out for days in Orlando. Not for concert tickets, a new Harry Potter book or the release of a Star Wars movie, but for the opening of IKEA, an international furniture store. Many people are excited about the opportunity to shop, but I’m also excited about the impact this store will have on our City.

IKEA has over 200 stores in 30 countries. It is an internationally recognized store, and it won’t just serve Orlando residents, but will pull people from across Central and North Florida. It will draw shoppers to our City and bring customers to our other retail stores and restaurants.

The new store also adds 350 new jobs to our community. Ranked by Forbes magazine as one of the top 100 companies to work for, IKEA provides competitive pay and benefits, including tuition assistance, for part- and full-time employees.

In addition to providing new jobs, IKEA is a good corporate neighbor. They have already donated to A Gift For Teaching, a local charity that assists needy children with school supplies and other needs. Their new building is built to LEED certification standards, constructed to be energy efficient and even uses solar panels.

It is definitely exciting that IKEA has chosen to invest in our community. Just as we support our existing businesses and help them grow, this new addition will make our business community stronger. Like the announcement of the Burnham Institute and the House of Moves setting up east coast operations in Orlando, this week’s new addition to our business community continues to propel the City’s positive growth.
 

Sincerely,

Buddy Dyer
Mayor


 

This section of City News provides public safety updates on new and ongoing City initiatives and opportunities for citizens to become engaged in their neighborhoods.

OPD Officer Profile

Employees in the workplace can sometimes be as close as family, but for C.Y. Rollerson, Denise Brown and Reggie Smith, they literally are family. Combined, they have 65 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. Officer C.Y. Rollerson was the first in her immediate family to start a career in law enforcement. Twenty-five years ago she joined the Orlando Police Department with the hopes of helping to protect the citizens of Orlando. Two years later she convinced her younger sister, Denise Brown, to apply as a civilian Community Service Officer. Seeing his older sisters’ love of OPD, Reggie Smith joined the OPD family as a police officer after four years with the US Marine Corps.

Since starting with the Orlando Police Department, the siblings have seen many changes within the agency and the community, including changes in technology, diversity and uniform. When C.Y. patrolled 25 years ago, she had to check out her car and radio at the beginning of every shift. Reggie’s academy class was the first to wear blue, rather than brown uniforms. Today the siblings see better training and sharing of information along with incredible advances in technology.

C.Y., Denise, and Reggie grew up in Orlando, with a large extended family that still meets every Sunday for supper. The siblings have built countless friendships within the Orlando Police Department and by doing so have helped to spread the family atmosphere within the agency.


Employment Opportunities at the 911 Call Center

The Orlando Police Department Communications Division is looking for people to join the team. The Communications Division is currently seeking qualified applicants to become Emergency Communications Specialists for the 911 Call Center. If interested in applying, contact Communications Recruiting at 321-235-5313 or email Lisa.Ingram@cityoforlando.net.

 

Thursday, November 15 was America Recycles Day, an effort to encourage Americans to recycle and buy recycled products. Recycling is an easy way to protect the environment. Besides reducing the amount of garbage that goes to our landfills, recycling reduces carbon emissions associated with mining natural resources and manufacturing products. Last year alone, the energy saved by recycling common household items such as aluminum cans and newspapers was equivalent to the amount of electricity 17.8 million Americans would use in one year.

The City of Orlando encourages its residents to take part in the City’s curbside recycling program, which includes newspaper, aluminum and steel cans, glass containers and plastic beverage bottles. Until February 15, yellow phone books may also be recycled with newspapers by residents with curbside recycling or at special dumpsters at fire stations 1-12 and at the Orlando Police Headquarters. For more information on the City’s recycling program or to request a recycling bin if you do not have one, visit Solid Waste online at the City’s website.

Attracting High-Paying Jobs

City Council approved providing Intellon with $20,000 in incentives, over a 6-year period, to attract the firm to Orlando. Intellon Corp., an Ocala-based company that sells integrated circuits to the electric utility industry, is considering relocating to Orlando. Ranked number 19 on Inc. Magazine's list of fast-growing companies, its jobs pay an average of $96,645 annually. Intellon forecasts creating 20 new jobs over the next three years in addition to relocating another 14 jobs from Ocala.

Expanding in Orlando

City Council approved a $20,000 grant to Emergency Insurance Restoration Services Inc. (EIRS) to help defray various impact and permitting fees for their future headquarters. EIRS is a 24-hour emergency water and fire damage restoration and clean-up company, and they plan to invest $1.5 million to construct a 36,000-square-foot building with office and retail space at 485 South Kirkman Road. The grant is part of the City’s Business Assistance Program, which encourages small businesses to expand in Orlando.

OPD Grants

The City Council approved more than $40,000 in grants from the United States Department of Homeland Security for the Orlando Police Department to purchase retrofit equipment for existing breathing apparatus to meet the new National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health standards. The grants allow OPD to buy laser/infrared aiming devices for existing weapons, and to purchase masks, chemical detection kits and other equipment for SWAT. OPD also received grants to assist with the Collision Avoidance Training program for teens, the Business Watch Program, and for Quick ID systems which can be used in the field for quick fingerprinting.
 

Mayor in the Community

 

On Saturday, November 10, Mayor Buddy Dyer participated in the annual Veterans Day Parade in Downtown Orlando. More than 12,000 people came out to the parade to honor Veterans for their service and sacrifice to the United States.

 

On Wednesday, November 14, Mayor Buddy Dyer helped open the new IKEA store by cutting a log in half, a Swedish tradition that brings good luck.

On Thursday, Mayor Dyer attended the 30th Annual Leadership Prayer Breakfast and Awards Presentation to recognize community leaders with significant accomplishments to the welfare of the community. Also on Thursday, Mayor Dyer attended the Florida Classic Corporate Scholarship Luncheon.
 

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City Hall
400 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407.246.2221
Fax: 407.246.2842
Email:
buddy.dyer@cityoforlando.net