Please join me, our City
Commissioners and the Orlando Magic on Friday, October 1 at
10:01 a.m. for the opening of the Amway Center and its
dedication to our community. The City would like everyone to
be a part of this celebration. Immediately following the
ribbon cutting ceremony, you will be the first to enter the
building on “opening day” and invited into the Amway Center
for my annual State of Downtown address. This year, the
State of Downtown is a free event, open to all residents.
Additionally, the City is
also hosting a free Community Open House in early October to
give Central Floridians an opportunity to experience our
newest venue. For the official date of the Community Open
House and latest news and information about the Amway
Center, please visit
amwaycenter.com. We look forward to seeing you on
Friday, October 1 for this celebration and the annual State
of Downtown.
On August
16, 2010, Mayor Buddy Dyer delivered his annual Budget
Address and presented the City of Orlando’s proposed budget
for fiscal year 2010/2011. This budget fulfills the pledge
the Mayor made to Orlando’s residents several months ago
when he announced he would not support raising taxes in
order to bridge our anticipated budget gap. Rather, this
fiscal year 10/11 budget accomplishes that goal by
continuing the City’s commitment to cutting costs and
reducing the size of government in response to the negative
effects of the recession. Highlights of Orlando’s FY 10/11
budget include:
Maintaining the Millage Rate: By keeping the City’s
millage rate steady, we have effectively kept money in the
pockets of our residents at a time when it’s needed most.
Continuing our Commitment to Safety: This budget ensures
that no sworn police or firefighter positions will be
eliminated. It continues our investment in the tools,
technology and training necessary to keep residents and
visitors safe. In fact, over the past three years (and under
the worst economic conditions in 75 years), we’ve engineered
the most dramatic reduction in violent crime in City
history.
Cost Cutting and Efficiency Measures: We have continued to
cut costs and reduce the size of our government in order to
overcome the effects of the ongoing recession. This budget
includes spending and positions cuts generating more than 18
million dollars in savings. It also includes efficiency
measures such as partnering with Google to provide the
City’s email services at a savings of a quarter million
dollars per year.
Fire and Police Union Contracts: The City’s police and
fire unions agreed to open up their contracts and forego
cost of living increases for the next two years in order to
help us generate an important savings in this year’s budget.
The “Basics”: This budget allows our City to continue to
perform the functions of government that people depend on
every day at the highest level possible.
The City’s new fiscal year (FY 10/11) begins on October 1,
2010 and ends September 30, 2011. I encourage you to stay
informed about our budget process and invite you to attend
the two budget public hearings we are hosting in September.
The first public hearing is on Monday, September 13,
2010 at
5:01 p.m. and the second and final public hearing is on
Monday, September 20, 2010 at 5:01 p.m. Both hearings will
be held at City Hall (400 S. Orange Ave.) in Council
Chambers on the second floor. You may watch these public
hearings on Orange TV aired on Bright House channel 199 or
go on-line to cityoforlando.net, click on “Watch Orlando on
TV” in the lower right hand box of the home page.
Leadership Training – Community
Connections Workshop
Do
you ever feel like you are in your neighborhood leadership
position for life? If YES, you are not alone. Too often
neighborhood organizations fail to mentor members to be
future leaders. A large part of your current leadership role
should be recruiting and cultivating someone to follow in
your footsteps. This workshop will cover how to create a
leadership succession plan: strategies to identify & train
potential new leaders! See
enclosed flyer for details.
Hosted
by City of Orlando and Orange County Government
Date & Time:
Saturday, September 11, 2010, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Location: Orange County Internal Operations Center,
450 E. South Street
Registration: To register for this workshop, please call
Orange County Neighborhood Services at 407.836.0035 or
register on-line at
ocfl.net/CommunityConnections.
Join Mayor Buddy Dyer, City
Commissioners, staff from the City of Orlando’s Office of
Community Affairs, the Hispanic Office of Local
Assistance and community partners on Wednesday, September 15,
2010 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the City Hall Rotunda, to
kick-off National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place
from September 15 to October 15, and coincides with the
anniversary of independence for five Latin American
countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and
Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on
September 16 and Chile on September 18. This is a free event
for the entire community. For more information on the event
contact Carmen Wells at Holacwells@gmail.com or call
407.254.4652.
In recognition of the many
unsung heroes that work hard to keep their neighborhood a
great place to live, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer created the
Neighborhood Champion Award, which he will present at the
annual Neighborhood and Community Summit held in the spring
of each year. This award is geared towards City of Orlando
residents, 18 or older, that demonstrate exemplary
dedication and commitment to neighborhood improvement and
sustainability. These individuals are the kind of citizens
that consistently make a positive impact in their
neighborhoods through their volunteer efforts, neighborhood
organizations, or Citizen for Neighborhood Watch groups.
Nominations may be submitted throughout the year by
completing the online nomination form located on our
website, CityofOrlando.net. The nominee’s efforts will need
to have occurred between February 1, 2010, and February 1,
2011, to be eligible. We will contact the nominator and the
nominee after the selection process has been held in March
of 2011.
Keep Informed about
your City – Subscribe to “City News”
City News is the City of
Orlando’s weekly electronic newsletter delivered to your
e-mail every Friday. City News keeps you up-to-date on what
is happening in Orlando by featuring a message from the
Mayor, City Council updates and information on City
programs, services and events. If you would like to receive
City News, please go online to subscribe at
cityoforlando.net/elected/subscribe2/index.htm.
Buy Local Orlando connects
Orlando's businesses with the buying power of our local
community. Visit buylocalorlando.net to register for and
print your FREE Buy Local Orlando consumer card and start
saving money through special offers and discounts offered at
Buy Local Orlando merchants. For more information, visit
buylocalorlando.net or call the City’s Economic Development
Department at 407.246.3109.
The Dr. Phillips Center for the
Performing Arts is spreading the word! Eager to share its
mission and vision for a premiere arts and cultural
destination in Downtown Orlando, the Dr. Phillips Center has
created a speakers bureau comprised of staff, consultants
and volunteers to speak to community-based organizations in
Orlando and the surrounding Central Florida region. The team
will be traveling to local professional, civic, educational,
non-profit and neighborhood organizations to present and
answer questions about the purpose and progress of the Dr.
Phillips Center, as well as provide the direct cultural and
economic impact it will bring to the community. The ultimate
goal of the speakers bureau is to share the positive
momentum leading up to the groundbreaking this September and
engage all residents in the project. If you are a member of
any local organization that would like a member of the Dr.
Phillips Center’s speakers bureau to present to your group,
please contact Rachel Steele, Associate Director of
Communications, at rachel@drphillipscenter.org.
On behalf of Schuff Steel and
all the women and minority-owned businesses and local work
force that participated in the building of the new Amway
Center, I want to thank the Orlando Magic, the City of
Orlando, the mayor and the design construction team,
including Hunt Construction and Turner Construction, for
making sure the work we performed on the arena was kept
within our local community. Many companies and individuals
contributed to the success of this project, but the local
workers, businesses and local economy benefitted the most.
The commitment by the city, the Magic and the construction
team was kept. A huge part of the success for the downtown
venues was the city's blueprint to involve local firms,
which was executed on our part of the work flawlessly, at no
additional cost to the project. The spirit that surrounds
the project was enough to motivate Schuff Steel to provide
materials and labor on the five Orlando Magic gymnasiums
well below our costs. Now that's teamwork.
The Community Venues BLUEPRINT Employment
Office is located at 1200 W. South Street, Orlando (corner
of Orange Blossom Trail and South Street.) - 407.246.3721.
Anyone interested in finding a job with one of the Venues,
should go to the BLUEPRINT Employment Office for
registration and referral. The office will also provide
supportive services to eliminate barriers to employment, if
needed. Examples of supportive services are resume writing,
bus passes, childcare, tools and mentoring.
Please
join me at Orlando Police Headquarters on Wednesday, October
13, 2010 from 6 - 8 p.m. for our annual Open House. This
event will showcase our various departments including
patrol, criminal investigations, crime scene unit, crime
prevention and special operations. The Orlando Police
Department SWAT team, Emergency Response Team, Crisis
Negotiation Team and Emergency Services Unit will be on hand
with static displays. Many of our police vehicles will also
be on hand for display. This is a unique opportunity for you
to come out and learn about your local police department.
This year’s National Night Out
was a huge success. Congratulations to our three winning
parties: Island Club Apartments, College Park and Metrowest.
This year, the Orlando Police Department also put on
National Night Out Goes to Summer Camp, a Crime Walk around
Lake Eola, National Morning Out for Seniors and a kick off
party at Orlando Police Headquarters. Fun was had by all.
The Office of Emergency
Management (OEM) has produced a short video titled “Disaster
Preparedness…A Way of Life”. This video contains a lot of
great information and tips to make sure you are prepared in
case of a Hurricane or another natural disaster. The video
is available online at
cityoforlando.net/emergency. You may
also obtain a copy to show at your association meetings, by
calling the Office of Communications and Neighborhood
Relations at 407.246.2169 or emailing
susan.harris@cityoforlando.net.
The City
encourages you to share this important information
with your members and neighbors. For more
information about Hurricane preparedness visit
cityoforlando.net/emergency or call the OEM at
321.235.5437.
Operation Identification
– 407.246.2369 – Marking or taking pictures of your property
to prove ownership.
Crimeline –
1.800.423.8477 - Available 24 hours a day, taking anonymous
tips on any felony criminal activity. Spanish speaking
operators available. (If you witness a crime in progress,
you should call 911)
Drug Hotline -
407.246.CRAK (2725) – An anonymous hotline for citizens to
report drug activity to the Orlando Police Department.
Illegal Gun Bounty Program
- call CRIMELINE at 1.800.423.8477. CRIMELINE, along with
the City of Orlando, sponsors the very successful Illegal
Gun Bounty Program. You are eligible for a $1000.00 reward
for information that leads to an arrest, a gun recovery and
a weapons charge. You can also remain anonymous.
City
of Orlando residents who want to receive two free trees to
plant in their landscapes should register upon arrival and
provide proof of Orange County residency (such as driver’s
license, photo I.D., or utility bill). Trees are distributed
on a first-come, first-serve basis. The give-away supply is
limited to two 7-gallon trees per household. Trees may not
be planted on public property or retention ponds. Orange
County/University of Florida IFAS Master Gardener volunteers
will be on hand to answer landscape questions. The next
Tree Adoption Program is September 18 at Barnett Park 4801
W. Colonial Dr., Orlando FL, 32808 at 8 a.m. For more
information about the program or other dates, please contact
the Orange County/University of Florida IFAS Extension
Education Center, 407.254.9200.
Participate in the Florida
Coastal
Cleanup
Saturday, September 25, 9
- 11 a.m. - Register by September 18
Join your neighbors to help
beautify four lakes in Orlando. Volunteers are needed at
Lake Ivanhoe (1236 N. Orange Ave. at Gaston Edwards Park),
Lake Orlando (Rose of Tralee Way and N. Lake Orlando Pkwy.
at Rosemont Preserve Park), Lake Lorna Doone (Tampa Ave. and
Church St.) and Lake Lawne (1320 Lake Lawne Ave. at Lake
Lawne Park). All are welcome (adults must accompany
children). To register, contact Katie Kulbaba at
407.246.2257 or Katie.Kulbaba@cityoforlando.net. Equipment
and snacks provided. Visit
cityoforlando.net/kob or see
attached flyer for more information.
National Public Lands Day at Bill
Frederick Park at Turkey Lake
Come celebrate the first
annual National Public Lands Day (NPLD) on Saturday
September 25th from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. NPLD 2010 celebrates
service and recreation on public lands while educating
volunteers about one of the City of Orlando's most unique
parks - Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake. NPLD engages a
diverse audience of adult and youth across the country in
one day to get outdoors and enjoy their lands, whether at
the grandest national park or at an urban park in their
neighborhood. The event also encourages all ages to explore
and enjoy America's natural wonders through outdoor
recreation while inspiring a new generation of volunteers
committed to service on public lands. The public can learn
about fishing, enjoy bird watching, try a game of disc golf,
create outdoor art, meet farm animals, discover kayaking or
get healthy by walking one of the park's trails along the
beautiful lakefront. In addition, we hope to excite everyone
about volunteer opportunities at the park and throughout the
City. Admission is free for the day. Come be a part of this
special day with your family.
Building
Citizenship in the Community: Back to Basics
Our City motto, The City
Beautiful, dates back to 1908 when Mayor William H. Jewell
and the City alderman, as they were known then, began a
beautification movement. The City planted trees, flowers and
shrubs and encouraged businesses and residents to do the
same. The beautification efforts were so successful and
people were so excited about the improvements that Mayor
Jewell decided that the City’s motto, The Phenomenal City,
needed updating. A contest was organized and the winning
entry was The City Beautiful. The new motto was an instant
success and its adoption triggered another wave of
beautification work. From there, the work never stopped. See
the
attached flyer and learn about Keep Orlando Beautiful.
Residents can call in and report
graffiti to 407.254.GRAF (4723). This information
clearinghouse, managed by Keep Orlando Beautiful,
streamlines the process for graffiti removal by working in
tandem with City departments and the OPD Gang Enforcement
team to aggressively locate and remove graffiti. Residents
can also report graffiti online by going to
cityoforlando.net/public_works/graffiti/Graffiti.aspx.
Orlando lakeshores are great
places to enjoy summertime picnics, celebrate special events
and enjoy nature. Unfortunately, these same activities can
also result in large amounts of littered debris and trash.
Litter is a concern for both the aesthetic nature of the
lake, and the health and safety of the environment and local
wildlife. Please remember to collect any trash, large or
small, from your yard, street or the shoreline before it
ends up in the lake. This includes yard debris like grass
clippings and leaves. The only thing that belongs in the
street or storm drain is rainwater! In fact, Stormwater
Utility Code 31.19 states: “It is prohibited to discharge
any polluting matter into the streets and/or storm
systems…Violators may be subject to a civil penalty, a
citation, pollution abatement costs, and/or action by the
City of Orlando Code Board.” Please contact the City of
Orlando Stormwater Hotline at 407.246.2370 to report illicit
discharge or dumping into any part of the stormwater system.
Thank you in advance for your participation in keeping
Orlando beautiful!
Office of
Communications and Neighborhood Relations - Executive
Offices
Michele Brennan, Director
City of Orlando - 400 S. Orange Ave - P.O. Box 4990 -
Orlando, FL 32801-4990
Phone 407.246.2169 - Fax 407.246.2584 - Web Site
cityoforlando.net/ocnr
Follow us::
Florida has a very broad public records law. As a result, any written communication created or received by City of Orlando officials and employees will be made available to the public and media, upon request, unless otherwise exempt. Under Florida law, email addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this office. Instead, contact our office by phone or in writing.
Do
you ever feel like you are in your neighborhood leadership
position for life? If YES, you are not alone. Too often
neighborhood organizations fail to mentor members to be
future leaders. A large part of your current leadership role
should be recruiting and cultivating someone to follow in
your footsteps. This workshop will cover how to create a
leadership succession plan: strategies to identify & train
potential new leaders! See
Please
join me at Orlando Police Headquarters on Wednesday, October
13, 2010 from 6 - 8 p.m. for our annual Open House. This
event will showcase our various departments including
patrol, criminal investigations, crime scene unit, crime
prevention and special operations. The Orlando Police
Department SWAT team, Emergency Response Team, Crisis
Negotiation Team and Emergency Services Unit will be on hand
with static displays. Many of our police vehicles will also
be on hand for display. This is a unique opportunity for you
to come out and learn about your local police department.
City
of Orlando residents who want to receive two free trees to
plant in their landscapes should register upon arrival and
provide proof of Orange County residency (such as driver’s
license, photo I.D., or utility bill). Trees are distributed
on a first-come, first-serve basis. The give-away supply is
limited to two 7-gallon trees per household. Trees may not
be planted on public property or retention ponds. Orange
County/University of Florida IFAS Master Gardener volunteers
will be on hand to answer landscape questions. The next
Tree Adoption Program is September 18 at Barnett Park 4801
W. Colonial Dr., Orlando FL, 32808 at 8 a.m. For more
information about the program or other dates, please contact
the Orange County/University of Florida IFAS Extension
Education Center, 407.254.9200.
