City Commission Highlights Via Social Media

CITY HALL: Lakeland Utility Committee Committee is meeting now. City Commission meeting starts at 3 p.m. Watch both live at https://t.co/CD80dhj9jg. Only five commissioners are here. Mayor Mutz and Commissioner Franklin are absent. #lkld pic.twitter.com/m6nDPA5QEt

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

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Rickey and Martha Harrison’s recently renovated home at 2119 Woodbine Ave. won the city of Lakeland’s residential beautification award for July. The Harrisons added 1,200 square feet of front and back porch space. (Martha Harrison said Hurricane Irma helped with removal of the previous front porch.) The July commercial beautification award winner was Action Gator Tire, 4516 S. Florida Ave. The company removed several large trees but replaced them with other tall trees, the city’s Bill Koen said. The beautification awards recognize notable landscaping and building exteriors. #lkld

A post shared by lkldnow.com (@lkldnow) on Jul 1, 2019 at 12:17pm PDT

City proclaims Washington Park/Rochelle High School Alumni Association Day in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Rochelle High School’s final graduating class. Representatives included a valedictorian and two salutatorians, one from the final class. #lkld

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

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City Commission Proclamations – July 2019 | Washington Park/Rochelle High School Alumni Association Day – July 1, 2019 Here to receive the proclamation is Ms. Beverly Brooks Boatwright – President, Lt. Colonel Terry Coney – Vice President, Ms. Rosa Lux Hughes – Secretary, Ms. Gwendolyn Du Bose Curtis – Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. Angela Terrell-Walker – Financial Secretary and Mrs. Jacqueline Speed – Scholarship Banquet Chairperson. The Washington Park/Rochelle Jr-Sr High School will have a forever historical legacy in the city of Lakeland. In 1927, Washington Park became a school with grades 1-8 and in 1928, expanded to grade 11 becoming one of only six Black high schools in Florida. On June 8, 1930, the first class graduated from Washington Park High School with a graduating class of ten students. In 1949, the school’s name changed to Rochelle Jr-Sr High School, after Professor William A. Rochelle, a teacher and former Principal of Washington Park High School. In 1951, a new high school was opened across the street from the old school with the last class graduating in June 1969. On May 17,1954, the United States Supreme Court ruled American State laws establishing racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional and in 1965-1966 the Polk County Public School System started a voluntary integration plan with a selected group of black students attending Lakeland High School. On October 19, 1993, alumni from Washington Park High School met to organize the Washington Park Club with a mission of sponsoring fundraising events with proceeds supporting higher education for students in the Northwest community. The name of the organization was amended to Washington Park/Rochelle High School Alumni Association, Inc. and awarded three $750.00 scholarships. On June 5, 2019, the Washington Park/Rochelle High School Alumni Association, Inc. recognized the 50th Anniversary of the last class graduating from Rochelle Jr-Sr High School and on June 8, 2019 awarded 13 $2,000 scholarships. Washington Park/Rochelle High School Alumni Association, Inc. has awarded over $200,000 in financial assistance over the last 26 years. @RochelleSOTA

A post shared by City Of Lakeland (@lakelandgov) on Jul 1, 2019 at 1:20pm PDT

City Commission is discussing the upcoming city charter vote. Joe Mawhinney, a former city attorney who chaired the committee that drafted the proposed changes, says he is not an advocate for selling Lakeland Electric but always felt the barrier is artificially impossible. #lkld

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

Charter committee recommended tightening term limits. Mawhinney said he personally doesn’t favor them, feeling voters will impose needed limits. Were they in place, limits would have restricted the good work of people like Carl Dicks, Tom Shaw and Peggy Brown, he said. #lkld pic.twitter.com/mNk78BouT6

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

Commissioner McCarley: A 65% vote in an election is still a high threshold for selling Lakeland Electric. She doesn’t think any commissioners want to sell LE, but future commissions and the electorate shouldn’t have their hands tied if circumstances change. #lkld

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

Commissioner @JustinTroller still wants to remove the Lakeland Electric issue from the November ballot. He doesn’t think there is sufficient time to fully educate the public. Calls it a “Trojan horse” amendment. Commission will decide what goes on ballot on July 15. #lkld

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

City Commissin ratifies a collective bargaining agreement with Utility Workers Union of America Local 604 representing Water Utilities employees. https://t.co/SFkosNIp6h #lkld

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

City Commission approves $66.9k contract with Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions Inc. for construction engineering services on the upcoming Lake Hunter stormwater treatment project. https://t.co/Z1cfH9FOJX #lkld

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

Commission supports the naming of six miles of I-4 from east Lakeland toward the Lake Alfred exit in memory of Trooper John Hagerty, who died at age 44 in 1970 when his FHP plane was struck in the area by a low-flying U.S. Navy jet. https://t.co/Wmgeo0J26q pic.twitter.com/2APNsLjrSr

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019

Commissioner @JustinTroller responds that, unlike most cities, Lakeland already owns miles of fiber optics and mentioned cities with successful municipal broadband. #lkld https://t.co/gIhzeLBu13

— Lkld Now (@LkldNow) July 1, 2019