Kissimmee Ushers in a New City Commissioner Bids Farewell to Another

Transcription

1 Winter 2009 Kissimmee Ushers in a New City Commissioner Bids Farewell to Another In This Issue: Cover Story Commissioner Art Otero The City of Kissimmee held a Swearing-In Ceremony for newly elected Commissioner Art Otero during the City Commission meetingon Tuesday, November 18. Commissioners also bid farewell to Jeanne Van Meter as she welcomed Art Otero as her replacement for Seat 1. I am ready and able to use my leadership skills to lead, represent and be the voice of the community in order to spearhead the direction of Kissimmee into a new era, said Otero. Art Otero is sworn in to office by Osceola County Judge Stefania P. Jancewicz. - New City Commissioner News & Notable Mentions - Holiday Tree Lighting - All-America City Quilt - City Hall Field Trips City Services - New Requirements for Permit Application Submittal Safety Watch - Smoke Alarms Save Lives Events Calendar Programs & Activities City Hall Directory Commissioners bid farewell to Jeanne Van Meter. This is a Publication of: The City of Kissimmee Public Information Office Carla Banks Manager of Communications & Public Information Taina Toro Public Information Coordinator Paula Liska Graphics Coordinator

2 Kissimmee Konnection News & Notable Mentions Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony 2008 City Hall Tree The City of Kissimmee hosted its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday, December 9, The festive event took place on the front lawn of Kissimmee City Hall. Mayor Jim Swan and City Commissioners Jerry Gemskie, Carlos Irizarry and Art Otero did the honors of flipping the switch to light the tree. The ceremony was followed by light refreshments and the City Commission meeting. All-America City Quilt Makes Stop in Kissimmee Traveling Quilt Displayed at City Hall The official All-America City Quilt was displayed in the main lobby of Kissimmee City Hall from Monday, December 22, 2008, to Wednesday, December 31, The quilt is a traveling exhibit, making stops in each of the 17 communities named an All- America City in The squares on the quilt are designed by each community to reflect their individual and unique qualities. Kissimmee, Osceola County quilt square. Kissimmee, Osceola County featured the historic County Courthouse as the focal point of its square, which was quilted by Becky Albers a community service officer with the Kissimmee Police Department. The Kissimmee, Osceola County delegation consisted of 15 citizens who traveled to the Tampa Marriott back in June to compete in the 59th annual competition coordinated by the National Civic League. This is the first time Kissimmee won the All-America City award and the designation expires in 2011.

3 Winter 2009 City Hall Field Trips Florida City Government Week Osceola County high school students took a field trip to Kissimmee City Hall in recognition of Florida City Government Week. The City hosted classes from Osceola High School, Gateway High School and Osceola County School for the Arts. The students participated in interactive hands-on activities coordinated by various City departments. Field Trip Highlights October 10, 2008 Osceola High School Jo Beach s Class October 24, 2008 Gateway High School Gary Mogensen s Class October 31, 2008 Osceola High School Elizabeth Popps s Class November 7, 2008 Osceola County School for the Arts Mary Thiele s Class

4 City Services Stay Informed About City Services Kissimmee Konnection ELECTRONIC FLOOR PLAN REQUIREMENT FOR PERMIT APPLICATION SUBMITTAL Beginning JANUARY 1, 2009, certain permits will be required to have an electronic version of the floor plan submitted with the permit application. The electronic version must be in a PDF Adobe Acrobat format which may be submitted on a CD, by or to the City s File Transfer site. Permits Affected: Non-residential new construction Interior alterations for non-residential buildings Multi-family residential new construction, rental and/ or owner occupied Interior alteration for multi-family residential Permits NOT Affected: Single family new construction or interior remodel, attached or detached Any mechanical, electrical or plumbing permits If the electronic file is not provided with the permit application, a request for it will be addressed during plan review. Permits will not be approved for issuance until electronic file of the floor plan has been received.

5 Winter 2009 Safety W a t c h Smoke Alarms Save Lives From the Kissimmee Fire Department The Kissimmee Fire Department responded to an apartment fire at 11:00 p.m. on Monday, November 24, Two residents are alive as a result of properly installed smoke alarms. The fire was caused by one of the residents falling asleep with a cigarette in bed. The smoke alarm alerted the woman and her husband, giving them time to escape. All four of the City s fire stations, along with a Battalion Chief, and Health and Safety Officer responded to the structure fire. Firefighters successfully extinguished the fire, which fully involved the second floor bedroom and hallway of one of the four adjoining apartments. The Red Cross is assisting the displaced family, but no other residents were affected, since the fire was extinguished so quickly. A fire in the home is never a good thing, but this situation could have been a lot worse, said Kissimmee Battalion Chief Cleve Thomason. The combination of the properly installed smoke alarms and the quick response by the fire department prevented any possible loss of life and further damage to the adjoining apartment units. An average of three children dies each day in home fires and 80 percent of those fires occur in homes without working smoke alarms. The most commonly cited causes of non-working smoke alarms are worn out or missing batteries. Residents should test their smoke alarms by pressing the test button, in addition to planning two ways out, and practicing escape routes with the entire family. Everyone in the household should know how to dial in an emergency. For more information about fire safety or if you are a City resident interested in a free smoke alarm or replacement battery, please contact the Kissimmee Fire Department Life Safety Hotline at or send an to LifeSafety@kissimmee.org

6 Kissimmee Konnection E v e n t s Calendar January 13th Annual Sunshine Regional Chili Cook-off Saturday, January 17, :00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Kissimmee Lakefront Park Kissimmee Parks and Recreation will host the 13th annual Sunshine Regional Chili Cook-off sanctioned by the International Chili Society (ICS). The event will also include live entertainment, a beer garden, children activities, food vendors, and more! The public can cast their vote for the People s Choice Award from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. The public will be allowed to sample all of the chili entries after they have been submitted to the judges. For more information, please call the City of Kissimmee Special Event Hotline at February Kiss-im-mee 5K Saturday, February 14, :30 a.m. Toho Square (near 12 E. Darlington Avenue) Enjoy running through historic downtown Kissimmee, past the beautiful lakefront and through historic neighborhoods. A portion of the event proceeds will be donated to the American Heart Association. Online Registration Deadline: February 12, 2009, at 12:00 p.m. For more information, please visit the Kissimmee Main Street Web site at:

7 Winter 2009 Programs and Activities Available Through the Parks & Recreation Department Oak Street Park Community Center 717 N. Palm Avenue Kissimmee, FL KIDDIE PROGRAMS: Kiddie Korner Kiddie Art Kiddie Gymnastics Kiddie Klay Kiddie Martial Arts Tiny Tots Ballet Tiny Tots Hip-Hop (New in January) YOUTH PROGRAMS: Ballet Baton Twirling Youth Gymnastics Hip-Hop Dance Youth Guitar Youth Martial Arts Youth Piano Special Needs Recreation Parent s Night Out (PNO) Pottery Dynamic Youth Fitness (New in January) Jazz & Modern Dance (New in January) ADULT PROGRAMS: Salsa & Ballroom Dance Pottery Dog Training & Behavioral Class Bachata Dance (New in January) Adult Ballet Fitness Class (New in January) SENIOR PROGRAMS: Texas Hold em Club Ladies Craft Club Mah Jongg Club Bridge Club Cribbage Club Fun Cards Texas Hold em Tournament Monday, January 26, 2008 Bridge Tournament Wednesday, January 28, 2008 Cribbage Tournament Friday, January 30, 2008 TENNIS PROGRAMS: Classes for all skill levels and all ages. EVENTS: Rec Fest (Try all classes for FREE) - Saturday, January 10 at Oak Street Park from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. No School Field Trips - Friday, January 16 TBD and Friday, February 20 TBD

8 City Hall Directory EMERGENCY 911 Main Line Airport City Attorney City Manager City Clerk Public Information Community Redevelopment Agency Development Services Building Inspections Building Permits Business Tax Receipts/Licenses Code Enforcement Development Review, Zoning Planning Finance Fire Dept. (Non.Emergency) Fire & Life Safety Education KUA (Electric) Parks & Recreation Administration Makinson Aquatics Center Chambers Park Parks & Recreation cont. Civic Center Athletics Division Oak St. Community Center Rose Hill Cemetery Special Event Hotline Personnel Job Line Purchasing Public Works Administration Engineering Stormwater Streets Sanitation (Trash Pickup) Traffic Police Department (Non.Emergency) Administration Criminal Investigation Off Duty Details Records Unit Toho Water Authority After Business Hours x5 City of Kissimmee, 101 N. Church Street, Kissimmee, FL, 34741, PH: , FAX: ,