Travis, 36, moves from director of the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency to the $128k job. An economic development emphasis has been added since the retirement of her predecessor, Jim Studiale. Source: City of Lakeland
Category: City Hall
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Today in Lakeland: Electric Bills, City Pay, Oakbridge…
City commissioners today took up a variety of issues from maintaining the fuel charge on electric bills at current levels to expanding Oakbridge to upgrading pay for some city employees. Here’s a chronological look at activity as seen through Twitter:
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How Should Red-Light Camera Funds Be Spent?
Retired productivity consultant Michael Maguire started a discussion at City Hall last week when he suggested that the city’s proceeds from red-light camera fines be spent to bolster established arts organizations through grants. City commissioners then shared their own ideas for how to spend the fine money now that the Florida Supreme Court has upheld red-light […]
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Community Development Director Search Down to Four Finalists
One person who works for the city of Lakeland, two who work elsewhere in Florida and one from Ohio are finalists to become the city of Lakeland’s new community development director, replacing Jim Studiale, who retired in October. All four candidates are being interviewed this week, and City Manager Tony Delgado said he should make […]
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Food Truck Park Seen for Parker Street Area
A six-day-a-week food truck park combined with a small dog park and a comfortable bar is a Lakeland agency’s latest idea to continue redeveloping the Parker Street neighborhood just north of downtown. That idea came a bit closer to reality Thursday when a city board made a formal recommendation that Lakeland’s Community Redevelopment Agency spend […]
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City Receiving Donations to Move the Monument
Lakeland residents have begun donating to a fund the city set up to pay the costs of moving a 108-year-old Confederate monument from Munn Park to Veterans Park. As of this morning, donations came to $7,995, city Finance Director Mike Brossart said.
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Planning Board OKs Compromise on Building Heights
City commissioners seeking greater residential density near downtown asked their staff to look into the issue last year. The recommendations the staff returned included raising height limits for multi-family buildings in places like the Lake Morton District and Dixieland from 40 feet to 70 feet. Residents of those neighborhoods registered intense displeasure in community meetings, […]
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Lakeland Electric Pays $30k a Year for Translations
The utility says its call system doesn’t allow directing Spanish-speaking callers to its four bilingual service representatives, so those calls go to an outside service that charges by the minute for translation into Spanish and other languages. Wait times would have to increase if callers had to hold until a Spanish-speaking Lakeland Electric employee was […]
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City Using GoFundMe for Monument-Move Donations
When Lakeland city commissioners decided last week to move a 26-foot Confederate monument from Munn Park to Veterans Park, they specified that the costs would need to be paid via private donations rather than city funds. A GoFundMe campaign was set up and had $25 toward a $150,000 goal tonight. Source: GoFundMe: City of Lakeland
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LPD: Investigation of Missing Simpson Park Money Could Take Months
The discovery that $117,000 is missing has resulted in three Parks and Recreation Department employees retired or resigned and a fourth fighting termination. Police say they don’t know what happened to the money and an investigation could take months. ALSO: The city’s spokesman tells Fox 13: “We had a total breakdown in cash handling procedures.” Source: News […]