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10, 2007- City News |
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Dear friends,
As Downtown Orlando
continues to grow with more than $3 billion
in construction, more restaurants,
businesses and residents are moving
Downtown. With the approval of the three
Community Venues and commuter rail, downtown
will continue to experience a renaissance in
the next few years.
To elevate the
Downtown experience, the Downtown
Development Board is launching an Ambassador
Program that will provide world-class
hospitality service. Through a partnership
with local businesses, a team of Ambassadors
will offer information to visitors and
residents about places to eat, where to park
and activities to do. And to make the
Ambassadors stand out and get around
quickly, they will be riding on Segways -
two-wheeled single person transportation
mobiles that can easily navigate our
Downtown streets and sidewalks. We will also
have a traditional walk in Downtown
Information Center in the Regions Plaza on
Orange Avenue to provide information to
residents and visitors.
In addition to
providing hospitality to our Downtown, these
Ambassadors will serve as additional eyes
and ears for the Orlando Police Department.
As the Ambassadors travel through Downtown,
they will keep an eye out for suspicious
behavior and will be able to radio
information directly to OPD.
We expect to see the
Ambassadors on the streets by the end of the
year. This project has been made possible
through a partnership with local businesses
and the Downtown Development Board. We hope
this cooperation creates an inviting
Downtown for our residents and visitors
alike.
Sincerely,
Buddy Dyer
Mayor
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News provides public safety updates on new and ongoing City initiatives and opportunities for citizens to become engaged.
National Night Out
 On
Tuesday, August 7, Orlando neighborhoods
participated in National Night Out,
featuring rallies by Neighborhood Watch
groups to engage residents in crime
prevention and awareness. Mayor Buddy
Dyer, Police Chief Michael McCoy, Fire
Chief Jim Reynolds and City
Commissioners participated in a kick-off
party in front of City Hall. The Mayor
visited three block parties in Metro
West, Wadeview Park and at OPD
Headquarters. This annual event raises
awareness about the impact residents can
have on crime prevention when they
become involved. To learn more about
Neighborhood Watch, log onto
cityoforlando.net or call 407-246-2461.
Red Light Ordinance
On Thursday, August 9, Mayor Buddy Dyer
unveiled a proposed ordinance to help
reduce red light running accidents in
Orlando as part of the National Campaign
to Stop Red Light Running. Red light
violations are among the most common
factors in motor vehicle collisions and
the resulting fatalities and injuries.
In Florida, red light running accounts
for at least 100 fatalities and more
than 6,300 injuries every year. In 2006,
there were at least 458 red light
running crashes in the City of Orlando.
The 2007 National Campaign to Stop Red
Light Running takes place the week of
August 5-11. The campaign focuses on the
advancement of red light camera
technology along with an educational
outreach to the public and support by
law enforcement agencies to help address
the concern of drivers who run red
lights.
The City of Orlando is in the final
stages of the ordinance that supports
the Red Light Enforcement Initiative.
The ordinance will enforce compliance
with red lights through a code
enforcement system.
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No points will be assessed against the
vehicle owner’s record.
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A civil
fine for $125 will be assessed for the
first two violations and a civil fine of
$250 shall be assessed for the third and
any subsequent violation by the owner in
any three year period.
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Before a notice
of infraction is issued, a Code
Enforcement Officer will review the
recorded images to determine clarity and
establish accurate identification of the
motor vehicle and infraction. Once the
information is confirmed, the notice of
infraction shall be sent to the owner of
the vehicle no later than ten days after
the date of violation. The notice shall
be sent by certified mail return receipt
requested.
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An owner who
receives a notice of infraction shall,
within thirty days of the date of the
notice of infraction either:
- Pay the assessed civil fine as
instructed on the notice or;
- File a Notice of Appeal to contest the
notice of infraction.
This approach
provides for a safer traffic experience and
a more uniform enforcement of red light
violations. In its initial phase, the City
is planning to install cameras at ten city
street intersections, with more to be added
later depending on the success of the
initial program.
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Families, Parks and Recreation
Outreach Programs
At the Monday, August 6 City Council
meeting, the City Council approved funding
for three organizations that are stepping up
to the plate to help children in the City.
The Willows neighborhood is taking a group
of high school kids on college tours, the
Compassion Children’s Clinic is offering
free health care and prescriptions to
children in low-income families and the City
Tennis program is offering tennis lessons to
youth at six of the City of Orlando’s
recreation centers. Each year the City
allocates approximately $20,000 for projects
of this nature to encourage community based
organizations to build community
cohesiveness and offer programs that enhance
the quality of life for our children.
MEBA Program
The City Council approved the second
Minority/Women Entrepreneur Business
Assistance Program (MEBA) grant for Sakile,
an all natural skin care company. The MEBA
grant is part of the Pathways for Parramore
Initiative, an effort to revitalize this
important Downtown neighborhood. Since the
City announced the Pathways for Parramore
Initiative two years ago, a number of
businesses have opened successfully in
Parramore because of assistance programs
such as MEBA.
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Top Companies for Working Families
This week, the City of Orlando was
recognized by the Orlando Sentinel as
one of the Top Companies for Working
Families.
Workforce Central Florida
Promoting Math and Sciences
Workforce Central Florida (WCF) has
developed a series of new programs
designed to partner with the region's
education industry to help meet its
goals for employee recruitment, training
and retention in the fields of math and
science. Among these programs are:
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The "Leaders in
Science Academy," which will train 200
Central Florida elementary school
science teachers in best practices.
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Awarding of math
and science labs that include
microscopes, digital scales, test tubes,
petri dishes and more to one elementary,
one middle, and one high school.
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Selecting schools
to host an "Engineering Roadshow." This
field day format program will provide
children with hands-on experience and is
a long-term strategy to build future
workforce in engineering fields.
These are just three
examples of new programs offered by
Workforce Central Florida for local math and
science educators. For more information or
to apply please visit:
http://www.workforcecentralflorida.com/employers/targeted-education.asp.
Centennial Fountain T.V. Special
 In
honor of the Lake Eola Fountain’s fiftieth
anniversary, the City’s Office of
Communications has produced a special
television show, “The Centennial Fountain.”
If you missed it last Sunday on WMFE Channel
24, you can catch it on WMFE-CFAN on
Brighthouse Channel 1126. Check your
listings for airtimes or log on to
CityofOrlando.net. Find out why the fountain
isn’t centered in the lake, how the City
celebrated its dedication and more
interesting stories from people involved
with creating the fountain.
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Mayor's Message
