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Dear friends,
Many fond memories result from activities and events at ballparks, performance halls and stadiums. These venues are the icons of civic identity and pride…Baltimore’s Camden Yard, New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Sydney Opera House all help define the soul of their cities. No matter where you’re originally from, Orlando is now your home and you deserve to have community venues we can all be proud of.
This week, Governor Jeb Bush signed an important bill (House Bill 7089), related to community venues. This allows the Orlando Centroplex to receive certification from the State Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development as a qualified civic facility for the state sales tax rebate program until July 1, 2010.
This announcement comes on the heels of a recent vote by the Tourist Development Council, a group that recommends how to use the tax tourists pay on hotel rooms, to raise this tax from 5 cents to 6 cents. That recommendation was a great step but there is much more to do. I have charged our City staff to work with their counterparts at the County to overcome any challenges associated with finalizing the total funding structure for these community venues. I believe that Mayor Crotty has made this same commitment, and anticipate that a collective recommendation may eventually go before City Council and the County Commission later this summer.
Our City is being presented with an exciting opportunity to provide our residents and visitors with first-class community venues. These venues should be designed to enhance not just the downtown area, but all the neighborhoods in Orlando. Residents’ involvement in our community and our neighborhoods is what makes Orlando a great place to live. Now is the time for residents to learn more about the master planning process for our community venues. I invite you to attend a series of neighborhood meetings, hosted by the City of Orlando, to hear an update about our vision for community venues and give your input.
As always, please contact me if you have questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Buddy Dyer
Mayor
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Mayor Dyer will be hosting a series of neighborhood meetings where you will be able to hear about the planning process for our community venues, get an update on the progress of these projects, and ask about the additional steps needed to make these venues a reality. Information on these meetings is available below, or if you have questions, contact Susan Harris in the Office of Neighborhood and Community Affairs at 407-246-2779 or email her at susan.harris@cityoforlando.net. Additional meetings are being scheduled and will be announced in upcoming weeks.
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Community meetings will be held on the following days:
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| Date/Time |
Location/Address |
Phone |
August 8, 2006
Tuesday, 1PM |
Dover Shores Community Center
1400 Gaston Foster Rd |
407-381-2708 |
August 8, 2006
Tuesday, 7PM |
Dr. J.R. Smith Neighborhood Center
1723 Bruton Blvd |
407-291-7308 |
August 9, 2006
Wednesday, 7PM |
Orlando Science Center,
Founders Room
777 E. Princeton Street |
407-246-4351 |
August 10, 2006
Thursday, 2PM |
Beardall Senior Center
800 S. Delaney Ave |
407-246-2637 |
August 17, 2006
Thursday, 7PM |
Rock Lake Community Center
440 N. Tampa Ave. |
407-246-4133 |
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On June 19, Mayor Buddy Dyer announced the appointment of Frank Billingsley as Director of Economic Development for the City of Orlando. Frank has been tapped to assume this role as Tanja Gerhartz announced her retirement from the City of Orlando after more than 20 years of service in various Economic Development and City Planning roles, effective July 7, 2006.
“Tanja’s work on significant economic development projects extends for many years and her dedication and leadership will be missed,” said Mayor Dyer. “With the large amount of growth and activity taking place in the City of Orlando, I am confident Frank will now continue to advance our City’s economic efforts forward with better services, efficient leadership and innovative programs and initiatives.”
Prior to this appointment, Frank served as the City’s Deputy Director of Economic Development and Executive Director of the Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency (DDB/CRA). He will be responsible for managing all economic development programs and initiatives within the City including the planning, permitting, code enforcement, real estate, and business development divisions, and the Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency.
“This is an exciting time for the citizens of Orlando and I am proud to work under the leadership of Mayor Dyer,” said Frank Billingsley. “I believe the combination of my local knowledge of the region coupled with my development experience, work ethic and commitment will play a key role as our City continues to grow.”
Frank has served the City of Orlando for 12 years, and will continue to provide leadership in the development of innovative programs and implementation strategies to promote and support the growth, expansion and retention of business within the City of Orlando.
“Frank’s diverse mix of economic development expertise has been a catalyst in making Mayor Dyer’s vision for a revitalized downtown a reality,” said Jennifer Quigley Downtown Development Board Chair. “I look forward to the economic success Frank will now bring beyond downtown to the entire City during this tremendous period of growth.”
In 1989, Billingsley recruited to Orlando by the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce to serve as the Community and Business Information Manager. Frank left the Chamber to establish the Downtown Development Board’s Downtown Real Estate Resource Center, a partnership between City Hall and the downtown real estate community focusing on recruiting companies to downtown. In 1997, Frank was appointed the Director of the City’s new Office of Permitting Services, where he guided a complete reorganization of the City’s permitting operations to build a prompt, predictable and customer service oriented team.
Staff will be working with the DDB/CRA Advisory Board on a national search to fill the DDB/CRA Executive Director’s position. An action item will be placed on the July 10, 2006 Council agenda to obtain confirmation of Frank Billingsley’s appointment.
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Recently, E Week, an online magazine, ranked Orlando number 8 as the next location for a technology hub. E Week compiled dozens of news stories, job reports and technology forecasts and came up with 10 cities and their surrounding areas that have the potential to develop a technology epicenter.
According to the article “Indeed.com ranks Orlando No. 9 in the number of jobs per capita, with 10 technology jobs per 1000 people. Joel Kotkin, a writer on economic and political trends, lists Orlando among areas ripe to become the next Silicon Valley, noting its quick economic and population growth, and according to Inc. Magazine, among the reasons is that Florida has a job growth of 9.6 percent between 2001-2005, the third highest in the country.”
An upcoming issue of City News will focus on the growth of high tech industries in Orlando.
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On June 15, Mayor Buddy Dyer attended the awards ceremony for City Arts, which showcases artwork done by City employees and their families. The event was funded by the National Arts Program to provide an uninhibited opportunity for all people to present their talents, at any level, in a public exhibition, free to artists and the public. All the winner’s artwork is on display at City Hall’s Terrace Gallery. Congratulations to all the winners. Taking first place in each category is:
In the Amateur Category: Luis Grajales
In the Intermediate Category: Bob Fish
In the Professional Category: Jocelyn White
In the Team Category: Technology Management Team “B”, comprised of Andrew Nguyen, Carlos Gonzalez, Cindy Ketteler, Conrad Cross, Daly Mulery, Jackie Langford, Karen Lynn Geisler, Newton Kulp, Pete Spurgeon, and Rosa Akhtarkhavari.
In the Youth (12 to 18) Category: Julie Mountz
In the Youth (Under 12) Category: Reana De Pass
Congratulations to Mona Mellon who won Best of Show.
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 On Monday, June 19, Mayor Dyer, City Commissioners and Commissioner Betty T. Wyman’s After-School All-Stars program hosted a meet and greet for current NFL football player and Orlando native Marlon McCree in appreciation for his contributions to Orlando’s youth. Mayor Dyer also recognized Marlon at the City Council Meeting proclaiming June 19, as Marlon McCree day in the City of Orlando.
On Tuesday, June 20, Mayor Dyer participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony of Full Sail’s two new state-of-the-art studios. The two new buildings include a Sony-High Definition Studio, which is the  first of its kind in the United States, as well as a premier Motion Capture Studio. Also in attendance was Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty, City of Winter Park Mayor David Strong, Orange County Commissioner Bill Segal and President of Full Sail Garry Jones.
On Thursday, Mayor Dyer donated blood at Florida’s Blood Centers to raise awareness about the need for blood donation in our community. To find out how you can give the gift of life please visit
 www.floridasbloodcenters.org.
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Catch the latest Inside Orlando on Orange TV. Hosts Brie Turek and Orlando Rolon will introduce you to the newest City Commissioners and show you the kick off of the City Teenz summer camp program.
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 The 4th of July is just around the corner. Join Mayor Dyer at Lake Eola Park for Fireworks at the Fountain. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. with live entertainment for all ages and interests. At 9:15 p.m., Mayor Dyer will kick off the unique fireworks display, that features approximately 20 minutes of colors, sounds and "booms" filling the air to commemorate the 2006 Fourth of July celebration.
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