February 15, 2008 - City News

Mayor's Message

Dear Friend,

At this week’s City Council meeting, four City employees were recognized who exemplify the best in service to our community. These employees were nominated by their peers and honored for increased productivity, performance beyond their job responsibilities, high quality of work, creative, innovative or cost-saving ideas, courteous customer service and job-related community service.

This year’s McNamara Award winners are Geraldine Wilkerson, Records Supervisor, Human Resources; Bryant K. Doyle, Police Officer,K-9 OPD/Special Services; Marily Gonzalez Rivera, Compensation Analyst, Human Resources; and Elisabeth Holler, Planning Manager, City Planning Division.

Join me in congratulating these employees for their outstanding service to our community and thanking all City employees for delivering public services in a knowledgeable, responsive and financially responsible manner.

 

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.

Funding Available for Youth Crime Prevention Programs

The City is pleased to announce additional funding for the Mayor’s Faith Based and Community Matching Grant (MFBCMG). These youth crime prevention grants range from $1,000 to $10,000 for projects and programs that provide adult-supervised, structured activities for City of Orlando youth during non-school hours. Projects and programs that focus on character building, life skills training, career development and other skill-building activities are eligible for funding. Tax exempt 501(c)(3) community and faith-based organizations may apply for the grant and must establish a partnership with a City of Orlando neighborhood, homeowner, condominium or resident organization.

Information about grant guidelines, eligibility and an application can be found on-line at www.cityoforlando.net/grants. A required application workshop will be held on February 19, 2008 at the Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center from 6 – 8 p.m. (call 407.246.3787 to reserve a seat). A minimum of one individual from the nonprofit organization and two individuals from the partnering neighborhood organization must attend the application workshop to apply for this grant. This workshop is not required for applicants who attended a Mayor’s Faith Based and Community Matching Grant workshop in 2007.

Applications are due on March 7, 2008. The grant cycle will begin April 14, 2008 and end December 31, 2008.

Neighborhood Watch Community Meetings

Join your neighbors and Orlando City officials for a Neighborhood Watch community meeting.

Neighborhood Watch remains the most successful crime prevention program worldwide. Its success is demonstrated by our community's commitment to safer neighborhoods. By encouraging the citizens of Orlando to become actively involved with the Orlando Police Department through practicing crime prevention techniques and reporting crime or suspicious activity, we are taking control back from the criminals. Through the dedicated commitment of the City of Orlando, the Orlando Police Department, and the concerned citizens of Orlando, we have made a significant impact on neighborhood crime and made Community-Oriented Policing a reality. Visit CityofOrlando.net for more information.

Last October, Orlando was the first large metropolitan city to be accepted into the renowned national “Main Street” program. This initiative provides small neighborhood businesses with tools and training so they can work together to make their local business districts stronger.

Since then, the Economic Development Department has been working with neighborhoods to develop a Main Street district in each commission district.

The Main Street program focuses on organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring. It advocates a return to community self-reliance, local empowerment and the rebuilding of traditional commercial districts based on their unique assets. Unlike a merchant organization, the Main Street program also includes neighborhood and community organizations to provide comprehensive support.

While many national Main Street programs focus on downtown districts, Orlando’s will focus on business districts throughout the City. For more information on the City’s Main Street program, contact Pauline Eaton at 407-246-3259.
 

Metropolitan Medical Response System Grant

The City Council approved a grant of $258,145 from the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management to the City’s Emergency Management Office. The Metropolitan Response System grant will be used to develop medical and health disaster planning efforts.

AirTran Airways

City Council approved an Economic Development grant to AirTran Airways to support creating new, high-wage jobs. AirTran Airways will expand its headquarters in Orlando and build a state-of-the-art Systems Operation Center. The 121 new jobs will pay more than 125% above Florida’s average annual salary. AirTran Airways is the only major airline based in Florida. The City of Orlando is providing $186,600 in incentives, the State of Florida is providing $3 million and the Orlando International Airport is providing $1.7 million.

City Council Runoff for District 2

A runoff election will be held on Tuesday, February 26, 2008, for the District 2 City Commission seat.

Please note that the polling place for the runoff election may be different than the location where you voted for the primary election.

Please consult your sample ballot, which will be mailed to you, for the specific location of your polling place and additional election information.
 

Orlando Wetlands Festival
 

Enjoy the Ninth Annual Orlando Wetlands Park Festival on Saturday, February 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will include guided birding and wilderness hikes, bus tours, live wild animals, Talako Indian dancers, entertainment, a bounce house, face painting and more.

The Wetlands Park is a great place to relax and enjoy nature. The most popular activities are bird-watching, nature photography, jogging and bicycling. Nature enthusiasts will be greeted by 1,650 acres of hardwood hammocks, marshes and lakes. The Orlando Easterly Wetlands represents the world’s first large scale, constructed wetland treatment system designed to polish nutrients from reclaimed water. It is truly a “green” project, serving to protect our communities’ vital water resources by reducing potentially harmful nutrients in a safe, natural, effective method.

Directions: To get to the Park, take S.R. 50 to Christmas, Florida. Turn north onto 420, Ft. Christmas Road, and travel 2.3 miles, then turn onto Wheeler Road and travel 1.5 miles. The address is 25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, Florida 32709.

Keep Orlando Beautiful Awards

Mayor Buddy Dyer recognized winners of Keep Orlando Beautiful’s 2007 Beautification Awards at Monday’s Council meeting. The beautification awards are presented to one business in each of the six districts within Orlando that have made a visible effort toward improvement and beautification of their property. These businesses are overall aesthetically pleasing and maintain a litter-free, well-kept landscaped property.

District 1: Denny's Store #64255
District 2: A-AAA Key Mini Storage
District 3: Didier Law Firm
District 4: Ace Hardware
District 5: Victorious Living Church
District 6: Royal Summit Apartments
 

Did You Know?

Find out how you can benefit from the Community Venues projects by joining Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, District 5 City Commissioner Daisy W. Lynum and the Orlando Venues Project Office for a meeting and barbeque on Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center (Washington Street and Parramore Avenue). This event will provide information on training and job opportunities created by the construction of the new Community Venues. For more information, call 407-246-3721 or email venues.blueprint@cityoforlando.net.
 

Upcoming Events

Road Closure

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