City Council
General Items
Commissioner Ortiz
Commissioner Ortiz was in Puerto Rico to lay his late father to rest.
Smart City Council Designation & AV Pilot Designation
Last week, the Smart Cities Council, the world’s largest smart cities network, announced that Orlando is one of five cities they will partner with as part of the 2017 Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge.
Orlando was selected because of its commitment to utilizing smart technologies to advance livability, workability, sustainability and resilience in the City.
This comes on the heels of the announcement by the USDOT last month that Orlando has been selected as an Automated Vehicle (AV) Proving Ground – making Central Florida one of the nation’s premier clusters for research and development of automated vehicle technology.
Mayor Buddy Dyer thanked all of our partners in government, education and private industry who have helped make this possible And the City team who helped us make these efforts a reality.
Through these initiatives we will continue to ensure Orlando is a more intelligent, interconnected and efficient City, further improving the lives of our residents and visitors
Blues BQ
Also key to improving the quality of life in our City, is offering amenities for everyone and that includes hosting family-friendly events like our 11th annual Blues B-Q this Saturday, February 18, in Downtown Orlando. The free event starts at 4 p.m. and features two stages in our City Hall Plaza, with live performances from our headliner The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robert Randolph and the Family Band and more.
Items of Note:
A #3 – New Clerk/Amy Retiring
Amy Iennaco, our Interim City Clerk and Chief Assistant City Attorney, is retiring after 26 years of service to the City of Orlando on April 1, 2017.
On Monday’s agenda is an item appointing Denise Aldridge to serve as our new City Clerk.
Over the course of her 21 year career with the City of Orlando, Denise has worked in a variety of roles in multiple City departments and has an extensive knowledge in our City.
A # 4 – Collaborative Partnership Position
To meet the ongoing needs of Pulse victims and based on recommendations from the US Department of Justice, Monday’s agenda included a new position to provide ongoing support to the victims of the Pulse tragedy. The Manager of Collaborative Partnerships will be the main point of contact within the City on all issues related to the Orlando United Assistance Center. The OUAC staffs victim advocates who have access to a diverse network of mental health providers across Central Florida to assist victims with their recovery needs. In addition to connecting victims to specialized mental health providers, advocates also provide referrals for housing and rental assistance, emergency financial assistance, employment, training and educational opportunities.
This position will work closely with the United Way and mental health and social service providers to remove barriers and ensure survivors have access to a variety of services and support which will nurture hope, strength, health and healing.
B # 3 – Mercy Drive Neighborhood Vision Plan
Council voted on an item that will further the City’s efforts to revitalize our Mercy Drive Neighborhood through a community visioning process.
Over the next several months, we will be meeting with neighbors, leaders in the faith-based community, business owners and other stakeholders to create a comprehensive vision for the neighborhood’s future.
Mayor Dyer acknowledged Commissioner Hill for championing this vision plan for the Mercy Drive Neighborhood.
Over the past several years, the creation of vision plans has been a priority for our City, especially as we have worked together to improve the quality of life for our residents.
D 1 & 2 – Orlando Repertory Theatre & Orlando Ballet Inc. Agreements
Council voted on two items that will further the effort to provide youth in our community with access to the arts through partnerships with our local arts groups.
The first is a continued partnership with the Orlando Repertory Theatre where they will work with our youth at four of our community centers to help them build skills in dance, drama, music, visual arts and even spoken word poetry, leading up to an April 21st performance as part of their annual Rockin’ Rep Fest.
The other program is a new partnership with the Orlando Ballet School where they will operate a dance program at the College Park Community Center, providing instruction in performing arts for our youth there. At the end of the program, participants will showcase what they have learned with a performance at the College Park Community Center on Friday April 10th.
