QC
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAYOR ELLEN GLASSER
FEATURE
April FLM regional dinner in Northeast Florida at the Mayport Naval Station, which was coordinated by Atlantic Beach Mayor Ellen Glasser.
LEADERSHIP
Mayors Share Best Practices
Ideas and advice improve ability to serve communities by Sheryl S. Jackson Florida League of Cities
T
he sports practice field at a park in the City of Crescent City has working lights now, but it wasn’t too long ago that parents used their car headlights to illuminate their children’s practices. “For several years, parents have asked for the City to replace the broken lights in the park,” said Mayor Michele Myers. “Before I was elected Mayor, we received an estimate of approximately $190,000 to replace the six lights on the sports field, but it was not approved by the City Commission because it was too much for the budget.” When she became Mayor, Myers wanted to take a second look at the issue. “I know how important recreational sports are for children, so I was determined to find a way to light the field.”
The solution came after asking Mayor Terrill Hill of the City of Palatka for ideas,
she said. “Mayors in our county talk regularly to each other, and Mayor Hill offered to have the person who handles lighting for his parks take a look at our park,” said Myers. About two months later, Hill and the lighting vendor met to evaluate the lighting needs of the park. “The new estimate to replace the old poles with new concrete poles along with lights was $94,500, a savings of about $90,000.” Working together to share best practices, advice and lessons learned is the primary goal of the Florida League of Mayors (FLM), said FLM President Mayor Scott Singer of the City of Boca Raton. “We’ve focused on helping Mayors improve communications among each other and with their communities,” he said. Training
has included seminars that teach how to communicate to address a crisis, resolve conflict and get work done. “We’ve had more than 100 attendees, virtually and in-person, at our seminars.” FLM meetings also address issues faced by all Mayors. The opioid crisis and how it affects cities in Florida was the topic of a June meeting, with a presentation provided by Project Opioid, a nonprofit organization that works with communities to increase awareness of and promote strategies to address addiction. “We wanted to support Project Opioid’s efforts and let Mayors know what resources exist to help them address the issue,” said Singer. The emphasis on communication does not stop with formal training sessions. This year, the FLM launched a series of Continued on page 49. THIRD QUARTER 2022 | QUALITY CITIES 47
