March 2016 (view) - Lakeland Electric

30290-I-0166
ANNUAL REPORT COMING
LAKELAND ELECTRIC BREAKS DOWN NUMBERS
HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION
SPRING CLEANING D­ ONE SAFELY
MEET MICHELLE BROWN
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
A FLORIDA FRIENDLY YARD
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g celebRrIaLtion
HOW TO KEEP YOUR YARD GREEN
AP
CITY OF LAKELAND NEWS & EVENTS
MARCH 2016
22
On Friday, April 22nd there will be a FREE Green Celebration in honor of Earth Day with a
concert & showcase at the Lake Mirror Promenade from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. There will be
live music from the reggae band Redemption lead by front man Cliff Brown.
The musical journey of Cliff “Redemption” Brown has been an amazing adventure. He has
produced melodies that turned in to Grammys for Mary J. Blige and he has made platinum
selling records for artists such as Jeezy and Rick Ross. Brown has also fronted numerous bands
and played guitar on tour with reggae legends such as Yellowman, Peter Metro and Admiral
Tibbet. Redemption fans can expect a musical blend where pop melodies meet conscious
lyrics all while the beat is keeping the dance floor packed. Redemption is influenced by
legendary artists such as Bob Marley, Frank Ocean, Bruno Mars, J Boog, Outkast and Sublime.
The Green Celebration honors Earth Day, a day intended to inspire awareness and appreciation
for the Earth’s natural environment. Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord
Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. Earth Day is now coordinated
globally by the Earth Day Network and it is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year.
In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22nd as International Mother Earth Day.
There will be a number of exhibits and vendors that will have displays at the Green Celebration.
The Polk County School Board will showcase programs and earth friendly initiatives designed
to promote a greener more sustainable future. The audience along with a panel of judges will
decide on the most innovative school program that promotes a cleaner, greener environment.
Past students have developed a number of innovating projects that included building their
own skateboards, green houses built from plastic bottles, jewelry made from plastic grocery
bags, clean water initiatives and of course great ideas on how to recycle.
Bring a blanket, a picnic basket and enjoy the festivities as
we celebrate Earth Day.
featuring
Redemption
www.lakelandelectric.com
@mylakelandelectric
LAKELAND ELECTRIC'S
ANNUAL REPORT IS COMING
Lakeland Electric will be releasing its annual report so customers can
review important financial information about the utility and learn more
about key projects and priorities. The annual report shares Lakeland
Electric’s vision, mission and values. There is also useful information on
the utility’s service area, historical facts, details on how power is generated
and key measures that gauge the performance of the utility.
The annual report outlines the most recent work Lakeland Electric
employees have been doing in the community that includes information
about Project Care, the Community Giving Program and the Lakeland
Electric Volunteer Program. Readers can also learn about Lakeland
Electric’s Speakers Bureau, the many events that the utility participated in
over the past year and the community advantages of having a municipal
owned electric utility.
Lakeland Electric’s annual report will be available online at
lakelandelectric.com and printed copies can be requested by email. To
request a printed copy, please contact [email protected].
KIOSKS
Coming Soon!
24 Hour Service
Accepts Cash, Check
or Debit/Credit Cards
Four Locations
Lakeland Electric is excited to
announce the installation of four new
Express Pay kiosks. The new kiosks
will allow you to pay your utility bill
or other City accounts at a time and
location convenient for you. Kiosk
locations include our downtown
office, Jackson Branch Library, Kelly
Recreation Complex and Town Center
on Memorial Boulevard. The kiosks
will be available for use in April.
Additional information will be
announced soon.
LIKE US ON
facebook.com/cityof lakeland
Hazardous Waste Collection
On Saturday, April 23, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the City of Lakeland’s Solid Waste Division, in coordination with the Polk County
Solid Waste Division, is sponsoring a FREE Household Hazardous Waste and End-Of-Life Electronics Collection Event. The event will take
place at the Lakeland Center, 701 W. Lime Street, in the south parking lot west of WONN/WPCV Radio Station. This Mobile Collection event is
intended to make it more convenient for you to safely dispose of your household hazardous waste and discarded electronic equipment.
Household Hazardous Waste Accepted Materials
Paints, paint thinners, florescent light bulbs, motor oil, drain cleaners,
pool chemicals, insecticides, household batteries, etc.
No biohazard (medical) waste or business waste will be accepted.
End-Of-Life Electronics Accepted Materials
Computers, monitors, keyboards, terminals, televisions, stereos, printers, fax machines,
video games consoles, wireless devices, etc.
No more than five items per household please.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please call 863.834.8778.
SWAN CITY CYCLES Lakeland's New Bikeshare Program
Riders can become Swan City Cycle members by purchasing an annual, monthly or hourly pass. An annual pass can be purchased
for only $25. Rides for annual members are free for up to an hour and a half, then $3 per hour after.
The program is made possible by sponsorship from the City of Lakeland’s Community Redevelopment Authority, Lakeland
Downtown Development Authority, as well as: Lakeland Vision, Citrus Connection, Polk Museum of Art, Lake Morton Neighborhood
Association, First United Methodist Church and Florida Southern College.
Riders can join by following the instructions on the Zagster Mobile App, available for iPhone and Android, or online at
zagster.com/lakeland. To use the Mobile App, riders simply enter the unique ID of the bike they wish to use and an access code for
the lock box is provided. Alternatively, they can text the bike ID and receive the code in return. Riders can use the code throughout the
duration of their rental to lock and unlock the bike anywhere along their trip. Once the bike is returned to any of the seven Swan City
Cycles locations, the touch of a button ends the rental and releases the bike for the next rider.
CITY OF LAKELAND EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
MICHELLE BROWN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
Meet Michelle Brown, an Emergency Communications Specialist
with the Lakeland Police Department. For 13 years, Brown has enjoyed
being a part of the team, helping people when they need it most.
While taking emergency calls for Lakeland citizens is a big part of
the job that is certainly not all Brown does. If the Polk County 911
Call Center is inundated with emergency calls, they will get routed
to the Lakeland Police Department. The officers can also contact the
Communication’s Center if they need information on a person, vehicle,
address or a prior incident. Brown was proud to mention that Lakeland
is the only city in Polk County where 911 calls come directly to the
Communication’s Center for dispatch versus a call center. This certainly
expedites the response time for police, fire or ambulance services.
There is a common misconception that Brown would like to dispel.
When someone calls from a cell phone, the dispatcher cannot pinpoint
the exact location of the call. They can get an officer to the vicinity of
the call, but a land line phone is the only way to get an exact location.
When calling 911 from a cell phone the first thing you should do is
give the operator your location. Non-emergency calls far outweigh
emergency calls received by the dispatchers. In 2015, 232,431 nonemergency calls were answered compared to the 95,360 emergency
calls. Many of these non-emergency calls are accidental dialing. All of
these calls are handled by a team of 38 specialists that undergo nine
months of training before they are fully versed in every aspect of the
Communication’s Center.
Born and raised in Lakeland, Brown is a graduate of George Jenkins
High School. She then earned her Liberal Arts degree from Polk State
College. She worked as a substitute teacher for four years before her
brother, a Lakeland police officer, encouraged her to apply for the
opening in the Communication’s Center. Having recently celebrated
her two year anniversary to Sergeant Doug Brown, she is thrilled she
took her brother’s advice. Brown and her husband each brought four
children into the marriage. Brown says, "cooking for that many people
is really not so bad, but the grocery bill is outrageous! It takes 1
½ dozen eggs just for breakfast and the family drinks 1 ½ gallons of
milk every day." They do raise their own chickens so that helps with
the amount of eggs needed. In addition to the chickens, they also
have rabbits and a Brittany Spaniel named Otis. The Browns love
loading up their van and taking the family to the beach or the drive
in theater. They also enjoy going camping and fishing at Ft. Desoto.
Brown adores their home built in 1910. With multiple floors, wrap
around porch and big yard, there is plenty of space for all the children
to play. Besides the kitchen, the other room that gets a lot of activity
is the laundry room. With only one washer and dryer, for now, there
is rarely a time when a load of laundry is not being washed. Brown
enjoys reading and gardening during her down-time. When asked her
favorite food, the question was barely complete before she exclaimed
“bacon”! While her family may not be conventional, she would not
trade it for anything.
Thank you Michelle Brown for helping the citizens of Lakeland when
they need it most!
DID
YOU
KNOW?
:
Florida Friendly LandscapingTM
BEAUTIFUL YARD — LESS WATER
EASTER IS CELEBRATED
ON THE FIRST SUNDAY—
AFTER THE FIRST FULL MOON —
AFTER THE VERNAL EQUINOX
The formula for calculating
the date of Easter was settled
on during the First Council
of Nicaea in 325AD called by
Roman Emperor Constantine I.
Its goal: to define the
common beliefs for all of the
Christian world.
The Polk County Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ program coordinator Anne
Yasalonis can provide free information on how to have a beautiful landscape that saves
water and protects the environment. The program is guided by the nine science-based
Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles that were developed by the University of
Florida specifically for Florida’s climate and soils. Any landscape can be Florida friendly
if it is designed and cared for according to the nine principles.
If your homeowners association, business or home would like to receive information
on classes, educational materials or assistance with your irrigation system and
landscape, please call today. This program is free to Polk County residents.
Call us today at 863.519.1047 or email us at [email protected]
Equinox, in latin, means
“equal night.” At the
equator, during the vernal
and autumnal equinoxes,
day and night are
almost equal.
This is also
the first day of spring.
MARCH 20, 2013
16 BILLIONjelly beans
ARE PRODUCED EACH YEAR—JUST FOR EASTER
PLACED END-TO-END,
THEY WOULD GO AROUND THE EARTH
OVER 3 TIMES
600 MILLION PEEPS
WILL BE CONSUMED
THIS YEAR
@ 32 CALORIES EACH, THAT’S
19.2 BILLION
CALORIES
STAY CONNECTED
Online | www.lakelandgov.net ­ In Person | City Hall • 8AM – 5PM • Monday-Friday
facebook.com/cityoflakelandfl | twitter.com/lakelandgov | youtube.com/cityoflakelandfl | instagram: cityoflakelandfl
Listen Lakeland • First Sunday • FM 97.5 WPCV @ 8:30AM | FM 98.3 WWRZ @ 8AM | AM 1430 WLKF @ 8AM | AM 1230 WONN @ 9AM
Public Meetings | City Commission Meetings • First and Third Monday • 9AM | Utility Committee Meetings • First Monday • 1PM
Live Broadcast on LGN | Channel 643 (Brighthouse) | Channel 43 (Verizon FiOS)
IMPORTANT NUMBERS:
City Hall • 863.834.6000 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 LPD (Non-Emergency) • 863.834.6900
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.