In June, the Palm Bay Aquatic Center helped establish a Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson ever conducted.

BREVARD

The Palm Bay Aquatic Center had a hand in setting a new mark for the world's largest swimming lesson. In June, the center joined more than 100 aquatic facilities around the globe to establish a Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson ever conducted, as well as to build awareness of the vital importance of helping prevent drowning by teaching children to swim. The “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson” was created as a platform to help aquatic facilities and the many different regional, state, national and international water safety and drowning-prevention organizations work together. Olympic Gold medalists Janet Evans and Rowdy Gaines helped to champion the awareness effort, which locally was sponsored by the Brevard County Parks and Recreation Department and supervised by recreation staff at the Palm Bay Aquatic Center.

LAKE

The Lake County Department of Information Technology’s divisions of Geographic Information Services (GIS) and Programming & Application Support Services have released a new online interactive map named City View at http://gis.lakecountyfl.gov/CityView, which displays zoning and future land use for eight participating municipalities in a single Web application. Reusing existing data, the application takes advantage of both Lake County and municipal sources of information, resulting in a collaborative effort that promotes synergy and eliminates duplication of work, according to Kevin Willis, director of the Lake County GIS Division. Lake County GIS has hosted several municipal Web maps featuring zoning and future-land-use data over the years. Originally, eight separate Web maps were hosted as a courtesy to the local municipalities. When the county’s GIS Division upgraded to a more efficient server platform, it created an opportunity to upgrade the City View maps as well. Municipalities featured in the City View map include Astatula, Clermont, Eustis, Fruitland Park, Groveland, Mount Dora, Tavares and Umatilla.

ORANGE

The Department of Homeland Security has awarded the Orlando Fire Department more than $8.36 million from a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. The purpose of this SAFER grant is to provide funding for rehiring laid-off firefighters, with the funds expected to preserve 46 firefighter positions. At press time, the city was in the process of evaluating and reviewing the guidelines associated with the SAFER grant. Orlando had to address an approximately $40 million budget deficit to arrive at a constitutionally mandated balanced budget for fiscal year 2009-2010. In addition to substantial cuts in operating and maintenance budgets, the city eliminated several hundred positions.

OSCEOLA

After a successful beta-testing phase, Osceola County has launched its free Commercial Property Search Online. The database, available at www.ChooseOsceola.com/go/propertysearch, allows property owners and real estate agents to list their Osceola County properties as the primary response system to submit properties for pending economic development projects. The new system is viewed by county officials as a more efficient and cost-effective way to list properties and showcase them to key decision makers. The system was built by the county’s Information Technology Department and replaces an e-mail query system, as well as a more costly commercial subscription system. The full-featured online search is Phase 2 of the Osceola County Economic Development Department's Web site, which already offers a dynamic and user-friendly online presence that enables site consultants and targeted industries to access information easily.

POLK

Polk County officially opened its new contemporary Emergency Operations Center in Winter Haven. During the active 2004 hurricane season, it became clear that the existing center, located on leased property, could no longer support the ever-changing needs of emergency operations. Polk County received nearly $2 million in state and federal grants to address the space and operational issues by constructing a new facility. Guided community tours marked the opening of the all-hazards center, which features improved capabilities for both community disaster response and recovery.

SEMINOLE

In its early days, Sanford was known for its agriculture, earning the moniker Celery City. Now, perhaps Garden City is more apt, as government officials and residents have tried to revive the past with the groundbreaking of Sanford's first community garden. On a site at 18th Street and U.S. Highway 17-92, beds were raised, several yards of compost were brought in and mulch was spread, followed by the installation of a fence and storage shed. The idea came from city of Sanford staff as part of an employee-suggestion program. Deputy City Manager Kristi Aday liked the idea and pursued it. The city didn’t have to go far to find people interested. Elizabeth Harkey, the city’s urban forester, took the reins and ran with it, immediately finding residents willing to make it work. The first site serves as a pilot project, with plans for other community gardens throughout the city.

VOLUSIA

The Volusia County Public Library system now offers mobile access to Gale databases on the library’s Web site at www.volusialibrary.org. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, maintains more than 600 reference databases for libraries, schools and businesses. The databases include Global Issues in Context, Kid InfoBits, Books and Authors, auto repair with ChiltonLibrary.com, Grzimek’s Animal Life, Peterson’s Testing and Education Resource Center and Gale LegalForms, to name a few. If you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, you can download the AccessMyLibrary application from the iTunes store. The application uses GPS to find public libraries within a 10-mile radius of the user’s location and then allows the user free, unlimited access to that library’s Gale online resources. The Gale databases also are available to library card holders at www.volusialibrary.org when they click on "eResources" on the home page.

//> Officials of Seaport Canaveral are all smiles, thanks to the economic potential of the terminal, which will deliver an independent supply of petroleum products to the state plus create new jobs.

The Canaveral Port Authority and Netherlands-based Vitol Inc. celebrated the grand opening of the $120 million Seaport Canaveral Terminal in late April. The 24 storage tanks located on 36 acres on the Port’s north side will be used for fuel oil, gasoline, jet fuel and biodiesel products. Seaport Canaveral is the single largest investment in Port Canaveral history, and this is Vitol’s first new build-clean products tank farm in the United States. It's forecast by economic development officials that Seaport Canaveral will provide Central Florida with additional jobs, tax revenues and fuel supply options while boosting Port Canaveral’s revenue and status as a regional hub for international cargo.

LAKE

The Lake County Department of Information Technology, Geographic Information Services Division, has released its interactive map of 2009 aerial photography for the county’s entire 1,156 square miles (http://gis.lakecountyfl.gov). The photography was received courtesy of the St. Johns River Water Management District and Southwest Florida Water Management District. According to GIS staffers, aerial photography is a helpful tool for a variety of government services, from land planning to emergency services, particularly in assisting with the location of roads and structures.

The aerial photography is also useful to citizens and businesses, they say, noting that landowners often use the photography to learn more about their property. In addition, the collection of aerial photography on the website provides a historical perspective on the way the county has changed since 2002. From a technical viewpoint, the county’s Programming and Applications Support Services Division added several enhancements to ease the map’s usage.

ORANGE

Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty and the Board of County Commissioners have awarded Harbor House of Central Florida a $50,000 Trust Fund grant to help build Central Florida's first kennel for pets of domestic violence victims. The grant was awarded from the Animal Services Trust Fund, which is composed of public donations aimed at protecting the citizens and animals of Orange County. The on-site kennel at Harbor House will house up to 20 pets of shelter residents and will be one of only 37 known nationwide in American Humane’s Pets and Women's Shelters (PAWS) Program. In addition to the kennel, Harbor House and Orange County Animal Services have developed a unique implementation of the PAWS Program, including a first-responder transport program that enables Animal Services officers to assist domestic violence victims by transporting their pets to Harbor House's on-site kennel, vaccinating them and evaluating them for injuries. In cases where animal abuse is suspected, Animal Services will launch a cruelty investigation. Notably, national statistics show that as many as 48 percent of domestic violence victims delay leaving an abusive home out of fear of what will happen to their pets.

OSCEOLA

With Osceola now one of the few counties nationwide offering cash up front to targeted industries, areas like Celebration could become big winners.

By a unanimous vote, county commissioners approved a new cash-incentive policy — making Osceola one of the few counties in the nation offering cash up front to targeted industries that pledge to create new jobs in the community. The county’s Cash Economic Stimulus Incentive Program offers money to qualified targeted businesses that create 10 or more new permanent full-time jobs with an average wage of at least $60,080 a year. Companies could receive up to $3,000 per new full-time job created. (If the jobs are not created, the company will have to return the incentive money.) County officials believe that given the fierce competition for jobs, the policy will help attract qualified businesses, especially in the areas of life sciences, information technology, corporate headquarters, manufacturing, distribution and clean technology.

POLK

The county's 9-1-1 Communications Center has been named an Accredited Center of Excellence by the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch. The accreditation is specifically related to the development of the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS), which provides guidance to dispatchers and communications operators for establishing priorities when dispatching emergency medical resources. The goal of MPDS is to allow dispatchers to provide 9-1-1 callers with instructions such as those on how to do CPR while professional help is on the way. Accreditation, provided through the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch, represents a measure of accuracy that takes into account all elements of the 9-1-1 response, including dispatch and field response.

SEMINOLE

The Florida Association of Public Purchasing Officers Inc. has presented the county's Purchasing and Contracts Division with the 2010 Excellence in Public Procurement award. This award places emphasis on continuous process improvement and outstanding procurement practices, with the program designed to measure innovation, professionalism, productivity and leadership attributes of the procurement function. To be considered for the award, agencies are required to submit a detailed application with supporting documentation of accomplishments. Specific accomplishments by the Purchasing and Contracts Division include, among others, advances in the electronic procurement process; saving more than $14 million by using the competitive process; strong professional procurement training, certification and ethics programs; and an effective and responsible technical evaluation process. The division provides procurement services to the various departments within Seminole County Government, totaling more than $112 million of activity each fiscal year.

VOLUSIA

Volusia's Children and Families Advisory Board’s Request for Proposal Subcommittee is conducting a countywide provider survey to determine social service needs. Social service providers are asked to complete an online survey (accessible at www.surveymonkey.com/s/398LFXT). Survey topics, among others, center on age groups served, income requirements for services and funding sources. Later, the subcommittee will schedule meetings with local social service providers to gather input regarding priority community needs and gaps in service. For more information, contact Peggy Johnson at 386.736.5955, ext. 5694 or pcjohnson@co.volusia.fl.us

At the direction of the Board of County Commissioners, video streaming of meetings and other informational programming from Space Coast Government Television is now available on the Web. While SCGTV currently is viewable only in Brevard County through cable providers such as BrightHouse and Comcast, the video-streaming option makes the programming available to anyone with an Internet connection.

Live video of SCGTV can be viewed by clicking “Streaming Video” at www.brevardcounty.us. Both live and prerecorded meetings, agendas, minutes and other content also are available by clicking “Board Meetings.” Special software, which allows meeting minutes to be linked to a specific portion of the video, will assist the board’s clerks as they transcribe the text.In addition, the system can be used to catalog and store video for employee development and training, and it includes capability for those both inside and outside the county network to watch board meetings at their computers. The system was provided by vendor IQM2 at an initial cost of $15,960 and a subsequent annual cost of $9,960.

Lake

The Lake County Department of Community Services and its partner Homes in Partnership have been advertising several homes for sale online that were purchased through the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Several of the foreclosed homes that were purchased are available to qualified first-time homebuyers. The NSP was created by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 to respond to rising residential foreclosures and property abandonment, with the primary purpose of stabilizing neighborhoods negatively impacted by foreclosures. Among the eligibility requirements, buyers may not currently own a home, must be able to obtain mortgage financing, have a minimum credit score, complete a homebuyer’s education class and obtain a certificate of completion, and meet income guidelines. Lake County received $3.1 million from the program to acquire, renovate and sell foreclosed homes at affordable prices to eligible families. To have the most impact on neighborhoods hardest hit by foreclosures, these targeted areas were selected by ZIP code to participate in NSP: 34711, Clermont; 32748-34788, Leesburg; and 32726-32736, Eustis. Lake County partners for the program include the city of Leesburg Housing & Economic Development, Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter and Homes in Partnership.

Orange

While high-speed rail could be transformational for the region, it won't happen unless the high-speed rail line connects efficiently with the planned SunRail commuter train, according to Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty.

On the heels of President Obama's announcement that Florida will get at least $1.25 billion to construct a high-speed train connecting Orlando to Tampa, Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty met with officials of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association. The message from Crotty: While high-speed rail could be transformational for the region, it won't happen unless the high-speed rail line connects efficiently with the planned SunRail commuter train. Also, Crotty wrote a letter to members of the Florida congressional delegation, urging them to seek federal funds to help ensure the two trains are connected. He proposed three alternatives: build a station where the two trains intersect; connect to an existing rail spur near the airport to bring the SunRail train into the airport high-speed rail station; and build a light-rail system that would link the airport, the Sand Lake Road SunRail station and a multimodal station at the Orange County Convention Center. Crotty has received a letter of support from Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos.

Osceola

Several candidates in Central Florida stepped forward once Google announced in March that it was accepting applications from cities across the country to install ultra-high-speed Internet service. As part of its attempt to be considered as a test site for this service, Kissimmee launched www.GoogleForKissimmee.com. Officials also unveiled a promotional video produced by Access Osceola, the city’s government access channel, which showcases reasons Kissimmee would be an ideal location for the fiber-optic broadband network, which would deliver speeds of one gigabit per second. Such a network would ensure that future systems will be able to keep up with online video and other advanced applications, including the ability to download a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes or send three-dimensional medical images over the Web. Notably, aside from improving quality of life on the Web, selection as a test site would bring economic benefits to the county, officials contend. For a community to be considered as a test site, Google must receive nominations from residents and community groups, as a supplement to the request for information (RFI) from the local government.

Polk

As part of its Polk Growth Matters program, the Polk County Growth Management Department has been busy reaching out into the community to educate residents about the county's agriculture trends, growth issues and general challenges. A recent free workshop and Webinar featured topics such as the agriculture profile of Polk and Florida, an industry overview of the county and state, and a look at key roadblocks to successful local growth. Polk Growth Matters is a community forum hosted by the Polk County Growth Management Department, with the purpose of providing an opportunity for citizen education and constructive discussion on growth management issues. The forum is intended to further a general and common understanding of current issues in Polk. Consistent with its focus on community education and dialogue, the forum is not used to advocate a position on issues.

Seminole

The National United States Tennis Association named the Seminole County Leisure Services Department its 2009 Member Organization of the Year. Competing against more than 8,000 member organizations, Seminole County is the third member organization in Florida to receive the honor since the Florida Section was founded in 1949. Not coincidentally, Seminole County continues to attract regional, statewide and national tennis tournaments to its facilities. Seminole County Leisure Services manages 6,000-plus acres of natural lands, 24 parks and 80-plus miles of trails. The USTA is the largest tennis organization in the world, with 17 geographical sections, more than 700,000 individual members and 8,000 organizational members, thousands of volunteers and a professional staff.

Volusia

Officials at Daytona Beach International Airport continue to have promising news to report. Airport traffic increased 15 percent in February and 13 percent in March compared with the same months a year ago. Those increases, which represent the fourth and fifth consecutive months of growth, are largely the result of more seats being offered by Delta and US Airways. Airport officials look for continued passenger traffic growth because additional flights and larger aircraft have been scheduled for the remainder of the spring, which should encourage increased air travel over 2009, according to Airport Director Rick Karl. While total passenger counts are still down compared to 2009, at least there is optimism, Karl noted.

BREVARD

Port Canaveral recently received good news with the announcement of an extended commitment from Norwegian Cruise Line. For the next two years, October to April, the Norwegian Sun will sail alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, departing on Saturdays and introducing more flexible itineraries. The new itineraries, which can be combined for a 14-day cruise, include Eastern Caribbean sailings to Nassau, the Bahamas; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island in the Bahamas.  The Western Caribbean itinerary includes Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Great Stirrup Cay. In addition to the homeported Norwegian Sun, Norwegian also makes regular port-of-call stops at Canaveral from New York City nearly year round with the Norwegian Jewel and the Norwegian Gem.

LAKE

The Lake County Department of Information Technology's divisions of Geographic Information Services and Programming & Application Support Services have released a new interactive demographic map that can be used to compare population densities per square mile for all of Central Florida. The map is available through the Lake County GIS Map Gallery at www.lakecountyfl.gov/maps. The map can also show population change from 2000 to 2009, median home value, median household income, unemployment rate, average household size and median age plus information on each individual parcel in the county. Drawing statistics from the Lake County Property Appraiser’s Web site, each parcel listing includes land value and assessed value. The gallery features more than four dozen maps, including those pinpointing libraries, county facilities, fire hydrant locations and voting precincts.

ORANGE

The city of Orlando, along with Nissan North America, has launched the Zero Emission Mobility Project. The initiative promotes the development of electric-vehicle infrastructure and the adoption of electric cars. Nissan will be the first automaker to mass market all-electric vehicles, beginning with the Nissan LEAF, the industry's first all-electric, zero-emission car. Orlando is one of the first markets in the world where the Nissan LEAF will be available when it goes on sale later this year. This project is further supported by the Get Ready Central Florida initiative — a coalition comprising the Orange County and city of Orlando governments, OUC–The Reliable One and Progress Energy — with the goal of expediting Central Florida's progress in preparing its infrastructure for electric-vehicle transportation.

OSCEOLA

The National Weather Service has recognized Osceola County as a StormReady community, a designation resulting from the “team efforts and diligence of local Osceola County Emergency Management partners in preparing citizens in guarding against severe weather threats.” According to the Weather Service, 90 percent of all presidentially declared disasters nationwide involve weather and come with an average annual cost of $14 billion. StormReady programs help provide communities the communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property before and after a storm while also helping community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs. In related news, Osceola County Emergency Management Coordinator Richard Halquist and EM Specialist Bob Howard have earned the Florida Professional Emergency Manager’s certification from the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association. (FEPA is a premier statewide organization dedicated to advancing emergency management planning and preparedness activities at the local and state levels.) Membership comprising local government emergency management agencies; emergency response agencies; representatives of industrial, commercial, educational, military, private nongovernmental and volunteer organizations; and professionals in all careers specializing in emergency management functions.

POLK

The Polk HealthCare Plan has received the Florida State Surgeon General’s 2009-10 Health Innovation Prevention and Management Award. The award recognizes the Polk HealthCare Plan's commitment to providing wellness and disease prevention as well as advocating healthy lifestyles. The Plan has made significant contributions to underinsured and uninsured Polk County residents, impacting nearly 20,000 people’s lives during the past two years. The award was based on the newly redesigned plan, which mcreases emphasis on quality of care, optimal healthcare outcomes and member responsibility — elements that ultimately create value by balancing the quality of care with its cost, according to the Florida State Surgeon General’s office. Plan administrators are developing baselines and implementing benchmarks to measure return on value, increase in quality of care and improvement in member health status. The Plan is funded through a voter-approved half-cent discretionary sales surtax for indigent healthcare services.

SEMINOLE

Sanford/Seminole County YouthBuild has received national recognition as a full affiliate from YouthBuild USA. For an organization to become a full affiliate, it must offer programs that comply with the national program standards for attendance, literacy and numeracy gains, placements and retention. The Sanford/Seminole County YouthBuild program has worked over the past three years to achieve those standards, resulting in $700,000 of funding from the federal government. Recently, five YouthBuild students passed the high school equivalency exam and received their high school diplomas. YouthBuild, a city of Sanford Community Improvement program, offers at-risk youth the opportunity to receive a formal education, on-the-job training in the construction field, counseling, leadership development and job placement. It has helped with the construction and rehabilitation of 20 homes for low-income county residents since its founding in 2007.

VOLUSIA

The wintry weather is gone, but help in dealing with that cold could still be available. The county has federal funds from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to help low-income households with home energy heating costs. Funds will be used to help eligible residents with utility service for winter heating from Dec. 15, 2009, through March 31, 2010. The maximum benefit per household is $600. To qualify for assistance, the family may not have household income exceeding 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Clients must also show that their heating cost was excessive or that they experienced a dramatic reduction or loss of income or an unforeseen event. A household that has received assistance from the LIHEAP Home, LIHEAP Crisis or Emergency Home Energy Assistance programs may be eligible to receive the weather-related benefit. Applications are available in Volusia County public libraries and online (www.volusia.org/community_assistance/applications.htm). Eligible applicants will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis.

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.

>//VOLUSIA: Daytona beach's recently opened skate park is touted by county officials as one of a kind and among the best in Florida.

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: Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer helps to plant a tree as part of the city's 10,000 Trees Initiative, which was achieved in late 2009.

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.