Lakeland City Commissioners today approved two land-use measures sought by The Williams Companies for their massive holdings near Florida Polytechnic University but not before saying they hope the land owners work with them on their vision for a research park in the area. More
Surrounding a largely procedural land-use change, Lakeland city commissioners say they see risks to their long-term desires to keep the Florida Polytechnic University area available for high-impact economic development tied to the school. More
Lakeland City Attorney Tim McCausland was arrested in Hillsborough County just before noon Wednesday under suspicion of committing so-called “precursor acts facilitating prostitution,” according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office records. More
The city of Lakeland is planning a series of public meetings on whether it should create a municipal internet service provider even as support on the commission remains limited. More
Lakeland Regional Health is getting rent relief after city commissioners agreed Monday to suspend annual rate increases for five years.
The amendment to the hospital lease agreement removes the annual 2.75% increase in rent through fiscal year 2024, freezing the price at $14.4 million. The annual rent increases had been set under a 25-year agreement between the city and the hospital signed in 2015. More
The scope of a possible city-owned internet service provider became more focused Monday as the City Commission’s broadband committee set a goal to build a fiber optics network to cover all of Lakeland city limits. More
A plan by the city’s staff will reduce the pressure to raise the property tax rate if a request for rent relief by Lakeland Regional Health is granted, but it won’t be pain-free, City Manager Tony Delgado said. More
Lakeland police are happy to get home surveillance video to help solve crimes, Lakeland Police Department Chief Ruben Garcia said, but the department can’t and won’t endorse a particular brand of camera.
LPD was identified in a Vice article as one of many departments throughout the country that has signed an agreement with Amazon-owned Ring Inc., a manufacturer of doorbell cameras and other home automation and surveillance devices. More
The release of estimated costs to build a city-owned internet service utility brought millions of dollars of good news for Commissioner Justin Troller and other “gigabit city” advocates Friday.
The new $80 million estimate to build a network that covers the area within the city limits cuts $30 million from a 2016 ballpark estimate prepared by Magellan Advisors, the city’s broadband consultant. The Colorado-based company was hired by the city this year to create a business plan for a proposed retail internet service. More
Prosecutors will not pursue felony charges against a Lakeland woman who was accused of entering her estranged husband’s home and taking two firearms before being arrested while trying to turn them over to Lakeland police.
Instead, Courtney Taylor Irby, 32, will be charged with misdemeanor trespass, State Attorney Brian Haas announced at a news conference today. She had originally been arrested by Lakeland police June 15 on two allegations of grand theft of a firearm and one allegation of armed burglary. More
