BREVARD

The efforts of county housing and human services agencies received a lift in the form of grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The tally: $860,271 for services and housing for the homeless. Through the Brevard Continuum of Care Coalition, grants were delivered to the Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless, Crosswinds Youth Services and 211 Brevard Inc. Coalition funds will be used to provide transitional housing to individuals and families. The Crosswinds Youth Services organization has successfully assisted homeless youth ages 16-21 with learning job, daily living and other life skills needed to become self-sufficient adults. 211 Brevard will continue support of the Homeless Management Information System and provide directory assistance to homeless service agencies. The Brevard County Housing and Human Services Department is the lead agency for the Brevard Continuum of Care Coalition, an organization comprising nonprofit agencies, faith communities, local governments and advocates.

---

LAKE

The Lake County Tourism and Business Relations Division has introduced two initiatives to spur a sagging tourism economy, where tourism tax revenue collected from 2008 to 2009 declined by 17.5 percent from the previous year. An online coupon is being offered at www.lakecountyfl.gov, good for $10 off a stay at any participating hotel, bed and breakfast inn or vacation home in the county. To receive the $10 coupon, a guest must fill out a Web form and print the personalized discount. After filling out the form, guests are asked to subscribe to Lake County Tourism’s quarterly newsletter. Also, a new county tourism blog contains helpful information and travel tips for visitors. Lake officials are touting the county’s 1,000-plus freshwater lakes and rivers, charming hometowns and family festivals.

---

ORANGE

Orange County Government expects to save approximately $1,684 per year and reduce its carbon footprint by more than 1 ton using a simple waste-reduction technique: moving payroll completely online for all employees. Orange County eliminated payroll checks years ago in favor of direct deposit, but payroll stubs providing information on payments and vacation hours lingered until now. The total savings equal nearly 260,000 sheets of paper annually, which is equivalent to preserving nine trees. Other recent green efforts include energy-efficient lighting upgrades; a 1-megawatt solar photovoltaic installation at the Orange County Convention Center; and the opening of the new Medical Examiner’s Office, the first county building to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, qualifying for certification at the LEED Gold level.

---

OSCEOLA

Osceola County Emergency Management Specialist Keila Walker has received the Thomas Yatabe Certificate of Outstanding Achievement from the State Emergency Response Commission for her role in planning a multiagency, multijurisdictional preparedness-training exercise last year. Walker took the lead in planning a mock train wreck in downtown Kissimmee that would have resulted in a hazardous materials explosion causing toxic plumes and damaging area homes and businesses, including the county’s courthouse and administration building. Among the agencies participating from outside Osceola were Seminole County Division of Emergency Management; Orange County Office of Emergency Management; Orange County Hazardous Materials Team; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Florida Division of Emergency Management; Florida Department of Environmental Protection; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; United Space Alliance; Lockheed Martin; CSX; Local Emergency Planning Committee Region 6 and American Red Cross.

---

POLK

At press time, the Central Florida Development Council Inc. of Polk County was planning to host a super-region transportation conference in late February in Lakeland — a strong sign that momentum is mounting for a regional approach to transportation. Tampa and Orlando are aggressively pursuing mass-transit options and have received federal money to make it happen. Polk County, meanwhile, is viewed by many officials as a chief component of the plans because of its location at the center of the potential super-region. (See Ppage 36 for related information.) The planned keynote speaker was Pat McCrory, the former mayor of Charlotte, N.C., who is credited with spearheading the city’s 25-year transportation plan through expanded bus service and light rail. Expected attendees included state, regional and county economic development and transportation officials.

---

SEMINOLE

The new Magnolia Square Market, Sanford’s first downtown grocery store in decades, received a major boost by receiving a $116,350 grant under the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Rehabilitation Loan Subsidy Program. The program, established early last year, is designed to provide funding to help building owners and entrepreneurs renovate their properties while they start new businesses. The program assists these owners and entrepreneurs in their renovations by subsidizing all except 1 percent of the interest on rehabilitation loans up to $300,000. With downtown Sanford attracting more quality businesses, the cost of renovating vintage historic buildings has proved to be a problem. The program is designed to overcome the renovation cost barrier while stimulating new business, according to Bob Tunis, Sanford’s economic development director.

---

VOLUSIA

Frederick (Rick) Karl Jr., a Volusia County assistant attorney with 28 years of experience in law and business practice, has been tapped by Volusia County Manager Jim Dinneen to head a reorganized department that will oversee operations at Daytona Beach International Airport as well as the county’s economic development efforts and coastal management. Phil Ehlinger, who had been serving as interim economic development director, now is director of the county’s Economic Development Division. Joe Nolin remains as director of the county’s Coastal Division. The airport director’s job will become vacant when Dennis McGee retires later this year after more than 31 years of service. Other county director appointments: Dona DeMarsh, formerly interim director of the Community Assistance Division, now is director of the same division, and Jeaniene Jennings moves from acting director of the Purchasing and Contracts Division to director.

BREVARD

J. Stanley Payne, chief executive officer of the Canaveral Port Authority, has been named to the 2009-2010 executive committee of the board of directors of the American Association of Port Authorities. AAPA is an alliance of leading ports in the Western Hemisphere. The mission of the organization is to protect and advance the common interests of members as they connect their communities with the global transportation system. It is governed by a 57-member board, consisting of elected representatives of the corporate membership from each of the port regions. Payne represents the U.S. South Atlantic port region. With extensive experience in port operations and shipping, he began his tenure with the Canaveral Port Authority in 2004 after serving as a deputy executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. In addition to his AAPA service, Payne is chairman of the board of directors for the Florida Ports Council. He also is past chairman of AAPA’s Security Committee, past president of the North Atlantic Ports Association and a member of the Governor’s Seaport Security Standards Advisory Committee.

LAKE

For the first time in the county, a family has received funding through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and moved into a new home, located in Eustis. The aid arrived with the help of the Lake County Department of Community Services and Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter. The NSP was created by the U.S. Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to respond to rising residential foreclosures and property abandonment. The NSP’s main purpose is to stabilize neighborhoods negatively impacted by foreclosures. Lake County received $3.1 million to acquire, renovate and sell foreclosed homes at affordable prices to eligible families. To have the most impact on neighborhoods hardest hit by foreclosures, the targeted areas were selected by ZIP code, including some in Clermont, Leesburg and Eustis.

ORANGE

In 2005, with a goal of replacing 10,000 trees by 2010, the city of Orlando began its 10,000 Trees Initiative. The planting of a final few trees citywide during the holiday season marked the achievement of that goal. In 2004, hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne wreaked devastation not only on residents and businesses, but also on Orlando’s landscape, with the city losing thousands more trees than it does in the average year. The city’s Parks Division, along with Green-Up Orlando and Keep Orlando Beautiful, brought together individuals and resources to restore the tree canopy. A core focus of the initiative was developing creative solutions for funding, such as seeking capital improvement funds, grants and donations. Orlando citizens and organizations joined the successful effort. The city continues to offer tree programs to residents and neighborhood organizations, and volunteer opportunities remain for tree planting through Green-Up Orlando.

OSCEOLA

Stacia Hetrick, aquatics agent with the University of Florida/IFAS Osceola County Extension Office, has won a national award from the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals for work on the office’s Hydrilla and Hygrophila Demonstration Project Web site (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/osceola). Extension agents nationwide competed for the award, which honors those who have made significant contributions to natural resource education. Dr. Tina Bond, Osceola County National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System coordinator, also was recognized for contributions. The Web site provides information on a variety of topics, including hydrilla, hygrophila and other non-native invasive aquatic plants, as well as their management and what the county is doing to find solutions. The site represents one component of the outreach strategies of the Hydrilla and Hygrophila Demonstration Project, which seeks to find new, cost-effective solutions to better manage aquatic weeds and enhance the overall health and quality of lakes.

POLK

Energy 5.0, a renewable energy company, has announced plans to design and construct a 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric-generating station in the county. The Florida Solar I Project will be located on approximately 350 acres of reclaimed phosphate mine land. Preparation of permit applications and preliminary design work are under way. Staff members of the Central Florida Development Council had worked with Energy 5.0, Tampa Electric Co., Enterprise Florida and the county’s growth management personnel for the past year to help the company bring the project to Polk. Construction is slated to begin this fall. Under the terms of the agreement, Energy 5.0 will deliver the full output of the facility to TECO Energy at a fixed price per kilowatt hour. The project is expected to produce enough energy to power 3,400 households, and it’s anticipated that the clean technology will avoid the emission of more than 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide over the 25-year contract term.

SEMINOLE

The U.S. Tennis Association Florida named Seminole County Leisure Services Department as 2009 Member Organization of the Year. The USTA award is recognition of the organization’s contribution to tennis in the state of Florida. USTA Florida is a nonprofit tennis association composed of more than 1,000 member organizations throughout the state, with approximately 50,000 individual members. According to county officials, local residents also benefit from the recognition, which enables the county to continue to attract and reap the economic rewards of regional, statewide and national tennis tournaments. By winning the 2009 USTA Florida Member Agency of the Year, the Leisure Services Department gained considered for national recognition with USTA. Seminole County Leisure Services manages more than 6,000 acres of natural lands, 24 parks and 80-plus miles of trails.

VOLUSIA

The city of Daytona Beach has opened its first skateboard park, located within Bethune Point Park. City officials tout the skateboard park as one of a kind and one of the premiere facilities in Florida. Among the park’s features: a large precast concrete clam shell, precast skate-able art pieces and a precast bank textured with grooves — all elements in an innovative skating experience. The park also features an “in-ground bowl.” Skaters under age 17 must provide a signed parental consent form. Breaking Ground Construction, a Jacksonville firm specializing in skateboard park building, constructed the park, which was designed in partnership with Spohn Ranch, a California-based company known for designing courses for several “X-Games” competitions.

BREVARD

In November, NASA successfully launched from Cape Canaveral the prototype for a new generation of space rocket, advancing its plans to return humans to the Moon by 2020. The rocket was the prototype of the Ares I, designed to carry a new capsule-shaped crew exploration vehicle, the Orion, into low Earth orbit for missions to the International Space Station, the moon and beyond. With more than 700 sensors, the rocket is expected to provide engineers with important data for fine-tuning its design. The Ares, along with Orion, is intended to replace NASA’s aging space shuttles, due to be retired later this year. Ares and Orion are part of Constellation, NASA’s grand program to send astronauts back to the moon by 2020 and then perhaps to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The Orion perches atop the Ares rocket, and NASA has incorporated a special launch-abort system to enable the capsule to jettison out of harm’s way should something go wrong.

---

LAKE

After several years of making improvements to purchased property, the Lake County Parks & Trails Division has opened the 192-acre Ferndale Preserve, located off County Road 455 in South Lake County. The preserve is the first county park to feature an equestrian trail. Other activities include biking, hiking, picnicking, bird watching and wildlife viewing, thanks to diverse habitats, including shoreline along Lake Apopka, meadows, forests and wetlands. In addition, the preserve’s elevation allows for picturesque views of Lake Apopka and the hilly countryside along C.R. 455, a state-designated scenic byway called the Green Mountain Scenic Byway. The county partnered with the Lake County Water Authority and the St. Johns River Water Management District to buy the property in 2006.

---

ORANGE

Orange County Government’s fleet of vehicles has been named as one of the “Top 20 Greenest Fleets in North America” — No. 19, to be exact, as determined by Government Fleet Magazine. There are more than 38,000 public fleets in North America. According to the magazine, “greening” the fleet improves its impact on the environment by reducing emissions and fuel consumption; the county also recycles tires, batteries, oil, antifreeze, shocks, sheet metal and more. In addition, Orange County Fleet Manager David Roussel was one of only 20 recipients of the magazine’s inaugural Fleet Environmental Leadership Award, designed to recognize individuals who are implementing initiatives and programs that “significantly improve their fleet’s impact on the environment.” More than 45 percent of the county’s fleet vehicles are powered by some type of alternative fuel.

---

OSCEOLA

Osceola County Public Works recently was featured in an article in Public Works Magazine for its innovative use of the construction manager–at–risk program for the county’s numerous road-construction projects. (The national industry magazine has a print circulation of 65,000 along with an established Web site.) The article highlights the efficiency and effectiveness of the program, which can see up to 90 percent local participation in a given project and emphasizes the synergy between county leaders and staff to make the program a success. County Chairman John Quiñones called the article “good recognition” of efforts and noted that the goal of the program has always been to “get more projects through the process in such a way that our citizens get the best service for the best price.”

---

POLK

The year 2060 might seem a ways off, but the Polk Transportation Planning Organization’s Citizens Advisory Committee and the Polk TPO board have related work high on their current agendas. Last month, the two groups met separately to hear presentations on the Heartland 2060 Regional Vision, the Draft Tentative Transportation Work program and the proposed Bartow Regional Intermodal Transportation Headquarters. The Heartland 2060 Regional Vision covers seven inland counties in Central Florida, including Polk. This visioning effort will help develop a regional blueprint to guide growth and development over the next 50 years. The Draft Tentative Transportation Work program outlines priority transportation projects, congestion management, multiuse trails, and transit and transportation enhancement. These projects are presented to the Florida Department of Transportation as input for the development of FDOT’s 2010-2015 Work Program for Polk County.

---

SEMINOLE

County officials have created a 2010 Census Complete Count Committee to help prepare for the Seminole County Census. The committee is composed of volunteers who have a pulse on the community, representing education, government, business-industry, faith-based and ethnic/cultural-based organizations. The committee has begun spreading the word about the importance of the 2010 Census, literally neighbor to neighbor. The 2010 Census questionnaire, which will begin to be delivered throughout the country and Puerto Rico in March, will be one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10 questions. Strict confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the information they provide. Census data determines the number of congressional seats allotted to each state and distribution of billions in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. It is also vital to decision making about which community services governments need to provide.

---

VOLUSIA

A significant decline in the number of turtle nests last summer on Volusia beaches has county officials concerned and looking for answers. The county recorded 338 nests — 324 loggerhead, eight green and six leatherback nests—which was the lowest total since 2004, when the nesting season was interrupted by a series of hurricanes. And, although the beach habitat rebuilt and revegetated naturally, the number of nests this year was the third-lowest in the past 19 years. In Volusia, each nest counted this season had an average of 100 to 110 sea turtle eggs. It’s estimated that 27,000 eggs successfully hatched this season, compared to 40,000 during an average year. Notably, the same trend appears to be happening on other Florida beaches.