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City of Lakeland’s Monthly Newsletter
July 2014
IN THIS ISSUE
Stay Cool This Summer— Efficiently
A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A MONARCH
Meet Pam Page: Deputy Parks and Recreation Director
GENERATIONS 1-3
6-8 WEEKS 6-9
GENERATION 4
A Brief Bit: Parks & Recreation
MONTHS
EGG STAGE
CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS STAGE STAGE
4DAYS 14 DAYS
10 DAYS
BUTTERFLY STAGE
2-6 WEEKS
Generation 1 - March / April | Generation 2 - May / June | Generation 3 - July / August
EGG STAGE
CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS STAGE STAGE
4DAYS 14 DAYS
10 DAYS
BUTTERFLY STAGE
5-8 MONTHS
Register Your Neighborhood for National Night Out 2014
THE MONARCH MIGRATION:
228 S. Massachusetts Ave. Lakeland, FL 33801 863.834.6000 www.lakelandgov.net
Source: Canadian Geographic
Due to cold temperatures in the north, every fall, the fourthgeneration monarchs fly south for the winter for warmer climates in southern California and Mexico. They hibernate for the winter, awaken, and migrate back to breed, lay eggs for the new first-generation and then die.
Recent research indicates that the monarch butterfly population is declining due to decreasing numbers of milkweed plants. This plant is a the only food source for the monarch caterpillars before they transform into butterflies. The availability of the milkweed plants in the breeding grounds in North America (particularly in the Corn Belt and Southern United States) has been lowered due to roads and construction projects. In response to the declining monarch butterfly habitat, the Parks & Recreation Department has grown 1,500 milkweed plants in the City of Lakeland’s nursery that are ready for planting. Pam Page, Deputy Director of Parks & Recreation said, “We are doing our part to replenish milkweed breeding grounds so the monarch butterfly population will increase. Not only does the plant help attract monarch caterpillars that will turn into butterflies, the plants will also add a very bright splash of color to the City’s landscaping.”
Monthly Comparison of Residential Electric Rates
Source: Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) Monthly Utility Bill Comparison • April 2014
www.lakelandelectric.com
stay cool this summer
*per 1,200 kWh usage
SIGN UP FOR LAKELAND ELECTRIC'S
E-SERVICES efficiently. Lakeland Electric’s website has recently undergone a facelift. The new site features an eServices Portal that allows users to conduct a number of business functions and monitor usage from any convenient location. Signing-up for eServices is really as easy as 1, 2, 3 at lakelandelectric.com.
Summer is fast approaching and Lakeland Electric customers tend to use more energy during summer months. Find out how you can possibly save money by having a free energy inspection conducted at your home by a Lakeland Electric Energy Analyst. A knowledgeable energy analyst will survey your home's insulation, duct work, water heating, cooling & heating systems and overall efficiency. You'll then be provided with energy-saving recommendations & practices and other cost-effective energy-saving measures. Call 863.834.6789 to schedule your Free Energy Inspection.
tips for comfort:
78°
This is the best setting for your A/C during the summer. Setting a lower temperature will result in higher energy usage. A drop to 72° could increase the cost of cooling by as much as 50%.
OUT WITH THE OLD
Replace A/C filters every month to maintain good air flow. A clean filter can decrease energy usage by up to 15%.
CURTAINS COOK & CLEAN AT NIGHT
Blocking sunlight also keeps the sun's heat out of your home.
Limiting tasks that produce heat and humiditiy such as laundry or cooking to early morning or evening will decrease your cooling costs.
1. Locate your Lakeland Electric account number listed on your utility statement. 2. Provide the last four digits of your social security number or if the account is related to a business, then the Federal ID number. 3. Lastly, select the correct picture from the prompt and then you are ready to start discovering the eServices portal. Customers who sign-up for eServices can review their utility bill details and pay online. They can view their current statement, previous balance and transaction history. Users can check their monthly carbon footprint and conduct business like disconnect service, transfer service to another address and for our winter visitors, they can restart their service all online. Because of the integration with smart meters, eService users can view real time consumption (kWh and estimated dollar levels) at monthly, daily and hourly intervals. Lakeland Electric customers can also enroll in a new notification program so they can be alerted if there is an outage in the area. The notifications can be received through texts and emails and can be received on multiple devices. Sign-up for eServices today to monitor your energy consumption because smarter power is in your hands.
LAKELAND ELECTRIC
CUSTOMER NOTIFICATIONS
Lakeland Electric customers can now receive text messages, emails or even voice mail messages on their mobile devices about outages and restoration efforts. Customers interested in the program can visit lakelandelectric.com to sign-up. With storm season fast approaching, customers are encouraged to sign-up for Lakeland Electric notifications today so they will know if their power is out due to weather related issues and when they can expect power to be restored. In the very near future, customers will be able to receive messages that will notify them that their power is about to be disconnected for non-payment. Customers can choose to have their notifications in either English or Spanish and they can receive notifications on multiple devices. Visit the eServices portal at lakelandelectric.com today!
like \''līk\ vb: to be suitable or agreeable to. w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / c i t y o f l a k e l a n d
LIKE US ON
PARKS & Recreation The City of Lakeland’s Park and Recreation Department strives to engage citizen interaction in attractive public spaces to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors in our community. Great public spaces are created to provide infrastructure venues where people gather for entertainment, sports, and culture. A connection between public spaces and native habitats encourage socialization and provides wellness opportunities for the enjoyment of participants and proactively encourages a healthy livable community. The City of Lakeland Department of Parks and Recreation is comprised of five divisions; parks, recreation, libraries, cemeteries and Cleveland Heights Golf Club. The Department manages over 1,450 acres of open space and maintains 730 acres of land to accommodate sporting activities such as tennis, golf, football, soccer, lacrosse, baseball, skating and playgrounds. The Parks Division also oversees land that provides access to natural resources in scenic, commemorative, or urban parks distributed widely throughout our community including the botanical Hollis Garden. The City has scenic parks that are situated on 11 different lakes including Lake Parker and Lake Hollingsworth. The recreation division manages three separate community centers; Kelly Recreation Complex, Simpson Park Recreation Center and the Lake Mirror Complex. The division is also responsible for three aquatic areas Gandy Pool, Simpson Pool and the Barnett Family Park Play Fountain. The library division has three facilities; the Main Library, located on Lake Morton; The Larry Jackson Branch, on Modest & North Florida Avenue; and the E-Library, located in the Lake Miriam Plaza. All parks and recreation facilities and venues are available for event rentals as well as public use. Please call 863.834.6035 for additional information about your parks and recreational activities and be sure to check out the Parks & Recreation website www.lakelandgov.net/parkrec.
GET INTO THE GROOVE Pet waste isn't fertilizer, it's pollution. Bag it and trash it every time!
POLLUTION HOTLINE
863.834.3300
G OV E R N M E N T E M P L OY E E S AT WO R K
Meet PAM PAGE Meet Pam Page, Deputy Director of Parks & Recreation. When asked to describe her job, Page said, “I assess the needs and fill the gaps for Parks & Recreation facilities throughout the City and I assist in planning for the future recreational needs of our residents.” Page said that her favorite park that she has worked on is Common Ground. “It was an interesting collaboration when we designed Common Ground because we worked with parents of special needs children who came to us with an idea to build a park for kids of all abilities,” said Page. “We got to be really creative in designing Common Ground but the best part of the project was the fundraising effort with the Kaleidoscope public art project where we raised $585,000 to help build the park.” Common Ground may be her favorite park but the park that she helped design that was the most fun was the Lake Bonny Skate Park. Page said, “I had to learn everything I could and find experts who knew the elements and construction of skate parks.” That project included input from skateboarders on what they would like to see and it allowed the Parks Department to bring creativity into the plan so the skate park wasn’t just a concrete jungle. Page said, “We have learned how to stretch a dollar and we are known for getting the most creativity out of our limited project budget when you compare us to other communities.” Page uses Crago Park as an example. Crago Park is under construction for the first phase but it wouldn’t have happened if Parks personnel didn’t have the vision to construct Lakeland’s first marine based park. It also took some creative thinking to
put together a land swap with the State of Florida to maximize developable land that was close to Lakeland’s population center. Page said, “We had to build a road and bridge to get to the usable land.” She added “I always see the elements that I would like to incorporate into a park before I draw it up but that’s the landscape architect in me.” Lake Crago Park is a 128-acre park and phase one will open in September with Lakeland’s first dog park. But the real excitement comes when phase two is slated to begin in 2019. This will include a discovery center with water-based recreation that includes sailboats, kayaks and canoes. The park once completed will also have disc golf, three multipurpose fields and three baseball fields. The entire property is surrounded by water with Lake Crago, Lake Parker and Tern Lake. The park will feature miles and miles of hiking trails that will connect the Tenoroc Fish Management Area to the Van Fleet Trail. Page said, “I’m very excited about Se7en Wetlands Park that will open next year. This is another outdoor facility that is located within the City of Lakeland’s 1,640 acre wetlands.” The first phase of the park will include a 3.5 mile loop but eventually there will be over 22 miles of trails all accessed through Polk County’s Loyce E. Harp Park. Page grew up in Westport, Connecticut and she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut, her Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from Cornell University and her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of South Florida. She has two sons, one who is currently in Chicago attending
medical school and the other who is opening his own insurance office in Lexington, Kentucky. In her spare time, Page enjoys gardening, cooking and playing bridge. Page says that she spends about 25 hours per week in her yard and she has a bridge group that has been together for at least 20 years. Page loves bridge so much that she and her group go on annual bridge vacations where they hike, cook and play bridge each afternoon into the night. Page says her favorite author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez and her favorite book is 100 Years of Solitude. Her favorite meal is homemade black beans and rice but she said that she also enjoys lobster and tuna fish salad. Her favorite quote is “Do it today and don’t put things off tomorrow.” Her favorite television show is Treehouse Masters on Animal Planet. In fact, Page stated that she would love to live in a treehouse. When you visit many of Lakeland’s signature Parks you can rest assured that Pam Page has had something to do with the design so the next time you visit Lakeland’s Skate Park, Common Ground, Sunflower Park or Cypress Youth Complex you can thank her for helping our parks come to life.
Register Your Neighborhood FOR
national night out 2014
The Lakeland Police Department would like to invite you to participate in the 31st Annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5, 2014. National Night Out is an annual event where neighborhoods, businesses, churches and law enforcement come together to show solidarity in the ongoing fight against crime and drugs. This event is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness, generate support and participation in local anti-crime programs as well as strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. This is a great opportunity to send a message to criminals letting them know that local neighborhoods are organized and fighting back! Along with the traditional outside lights and front porch vigils, your neighborhood can celebrate National Night Out with a variety of activities such as block parties, cookouts, parades, festivals and visits from local officials and police officers. To ensure that members from the Lakeland Police Department stop by and celebrate with you, register your neighborhood or community group today! It’s free to participate and the benefits your community will derive from participating in this event could extend well beyond this one night. Applications are available online at www. lakelandgov. net/lpd. For full details, contact Cindy Sharp at 863.834.6912 | cynthia.sharp@lakelandgov.net.
Water Restrictions In Effect for Polk County Did you know that all of Polk County, including the City of Lakeland, is on permanent water restrictions? These restrictions apply to the use of water from public and private water utilities as well as the use of all wells and surface water sources (lakes, ponds, rivers, etc). Here are some of the most important highlights of the restrictions: Existing Lawn (Turf, Sod or Grass) & Landscape (Garden Plants) Watering: • The two day a week schedule below must be followed. Watering is allowed before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. (But not both). • These restrictions apply to private residences and to commercial landscape. • Addresses Ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 may only irrigate on Thursday and/or Sunday • Addresses Ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 may only irrigate on Wednesday and/or Saturday • All locations without a discernible address (such as common areas and subdivision entry ways) may only irrigate on Tuesday and/or Friday New Plants and Turf: New plant material may be watered out of cycle for up to 60 days for establishment (Keep a receipt for proof of new material, before and after pictures are also helpful). Here are the guidelines: • Days 1 through 30: Watering is allowed on any day • Days 31 through 60: Watering is only allowed on the following days: • Addresses Ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 are allowed to water Tuesday, Thursday and/or Sunday • Addresses Ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 are allowed to water Monday, Wednesday and/or Saturday • A minimum of 50% of the area being watered must contain new plants or sod • New plant material may be watered in any time on the day of planting Other Water Uses: Automobile washing, fountains and falls, and pressure washing are not currently restricted. However, the District asks that residents be as efficient as possible, so water isn’t wasted. Using an automatic shut-off nozzle on a hose is required for automobile washing.
KEEPING YOU SAFE DOWNTOWN
The Special Purpose Vehicle or the SPV, is the Lakeland Police Department’s vehicle for patrolling downtown Lakeland. Patrolling our downtown area and promoting positive community relations with downtown merchants and citizens is just part of the many duties assigned to the SPV Officer. Without the barriers of glass or a door, citizens feel comfortable approaching the officer and asking for directions or assistance. “When you’re in a vehicle like this, citizens and business owners are more apt to come and talk to you versus being in a patrol car,” said Officer Staci Scott. “They love to see us patrolling because we are very accessible to them.” To help keep businesses running smoothly as possible for those who love visiting downtown Lakeland, the officers also often assist with enforcing parking violations and calls for service in the Downtown area.Your safety and enjoyment is our foremost concern.
L O G O N. T U N E I N. G E T C O N N E C T E D.
www.lakelandgov.net
STAY CONNECTED ONLINE www.lakelandgov.net
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IN PERSON City Hall is open 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday PUBLIC MEETINGS City Commission Meetings First and Third Monday 9:00 a.m. Utility Committee Meetings First Monday 1:00 p.m. Watch the live broadcast on:
Channel 615 (Brighthouse) or Channel 43 (Verizon FiOS) IMPORTANT NUMBERS vv863.834.6000 Lakeland Electric Customer Service 863.834.9535 Power or Water Outages 863.834.4248 Pollution Hotline 863.834.3300 LPD Crime Tips Hotline 863.834.2549 PAYING YOUR UTILITY BILL ONLINE www.lakelandelectric.com BY PHONE 863.834.9535 IN PERSON Lakeland Electric has partnered with over 50 local businesses including area AMSCOT offices to accept your utility payment.