Us
Print
E-mail
Rate
Council urges ice owner to talk to neighbors
Site of vending machine was denied last month.
By JOHNNA PINHOLSTER
jpinholster@lakecityreporter.com
Polar Ice Express owner Raymond Logan asked Lake City City Council to reconsider its vote concerning a proposed ice machine at the corner of Washington and Patterson Streets at Monday’s meeting.
At the December 15 City Council meeting, an ordinance rezoning the proposed site from residential single family to commercial neighborhood was met with a 37-signature petition against the rezoning from people in the neighborhood and a unanimous no vote from the council.
Logan said he was not at the last meeting due to a death in his family.
The proposed ice machine would clean up the site and serve purified bottle water and crushed ice, Logan said.
When Logan first considered the site, he said he approached several neighbors about the issue and they had no qualms about the zoning or the ice machine. Logan said he was also not aware that a petition has been circulated and signed concerning the issue.
City Councilman John Robertson said the reason he voted no on the ordinance was because the residents of the area had stepped forward and voiced their displeasure about the prospect of a commercial parcel in their community.
City Councilman Michael Lee encouraged Logan to hold a town meeting in the neighborhood to explain his vision to the people it would effect.
Logan said he would go back and do a better job of talking to the residents and if an agreement could not be reached, he might consider putting an ice machine across the street, an area that is already zoned commercial. A gas station currently sits on that property.
City Hall security
City Hall will soon have an upgraded camera security system to protect its employees and patrons. Safety and Risk Management Director Gene Bullard and IT Director Zach Mears presented the $8,700 system to the council.
The new system will place nine cameras inside and outside of City Hall and will record and save up to 30 days worth of material, as opposed to the current system that only saves video for two to four days.
The digital cameras will also provide better quality images and will have real-time monitoring that can be accessed by city employees with a password. The cameras will be managed onsite by the IT Department, Mears said.
The old camera security system will be transferred and installed at the Lake City/Columbia County Parks and Recreation Girl’s Club on Northwest DeSoto Street.
Lake City Police Department Crime Unit officers Paul Kash and Robert Milligan were presented with certificates of appreciation by City Manager Scott Reynolds.
Reynolds said he is trying to spend time in each department to get a better understanding of what they do and the police department was his first stop. Reynolds spent a 12 hour shift with the officers, who handle street-level crime that includes robberies, shootings and drug investigations.
In other news:
A memorandum of understanding between Columbia County and the City of Lake City concerning the leasing of Richardson Community Recreation Facility and Annie Mattox Park was approved. A formal resolution is currently being drawn up by County Attorney Marlin Feagle and City Attorney Herbert Darby and will be presented to
council at a later date.
City Council will hold a workshop on Jan. 22 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss additional 911 funding in Council Chambers at city hall.
The Lake City Police Department Parking Enforcement Officer position has been reclassified as a certified police officer position. The new position will enforce parking laws and patrol downtown.
Lester McCellum and Nelo Williams were appointed to the Citizens’ Advisory Task Force for community development.
An internet/intranet/password/e-mail usage policy for the city that was presented by Mears was approved by council. The policy was written to help the city define the appropriate use of the City of Lake City computer and network resources. Employees are prohibited from accessing personal Web sites, installing personal software on city computers and are instructed never to share or reveal individual passwords.
The Lake City Police Department will enter into Third Judicial Circuit Mutual Aid Agreement between municipalities.
Council approved the Lake City Police Department to enter into a Reaccreditation Agreement with the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc.
Kent Harriss and Daniel Adel will serve two year terms starting Jan. 7 and ending Jan. 7, 2010, on the Planning and Zoning Board. Additionally Martin Martinez and Mary Jane Woods will replace former board members, Lisa Vanacore and Bruce Drawdy, after a resolution is submitted and approved by council.
The Northeast Florida Leadership Council, Inc. will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr., parade on Jan. 21 from 10-1 p.m.
The Blue Grey Army, Inc. will hold its annual Olustee Battle Festival downtown on Thursday, Feb. 14, starting at 5:05 p.m., and ending Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
The city’s 1926 LaFrance Fire Truck will be used by Blue Grey Army, Inc. in the Springtime Tallahassee Parade on March 29.
Council approved a Jones Edmunds invoice for $985.60.
City of Lake City’s Growth Management Department will purchase two laptop computers with $1,500 in budgeted funds.
The City of Lake City IT Department will transfer $490 from the machinery and equipment account to the travel and education account in order to attend a Florida League of Cities IT/GIS conference.
Funds from the Drug Forfeiture account will be used to purchase a cargo trailer at the cost of $3,195 by the Lake City Police Department. The trailer will be used for the Third Circuit Rapid Response Team for storage and hauling of necessary natural disaster and emergency equipment.
The Lake City Police Department will purchase a new server, server upgrades and installation of hardware and data migration at a cost of $11,000 from the Drug Forfeiture account.
The Greater Lake City Regional Utility Authority agenda was approved by council and included an invoice from engineer Henry Sheldon at a cost of $6,690.40.
The amended Community Development Block Grant Program was approved by council. Applications will know be handled by the Growth Management Department instead of the City Manager’s Office.
At the December 15 City Council meeting, an ordinance rezoning the proposed site from residential single family to commercial neighborhood was met with a 37-signature petition against the rezoning from people in the neighborhood and a unanimous no vote from the council.
Logan said he was not at the last meeting due to a death in his family.
The proposed ice machine would clean up the site and serve purified bottle water and crushed ice, Logan said.
When Logan first considered the site, he said he approached several neighbors about the issue and they had no qualms about the zoning or the ice machine. Logan said he was also not aware that a petition has been circulated and signed concerning the issue.
City Councilman John Robertson said the reason he voted no on the ordinance was because the residents of the area had stepped forward and voiced their displeasure about the prospect of a commercial parcel in their community.
City Councilman Michael Lee encouraged Logan to hold a town meeting in the neighborhood to explain his vision to the people it would effect.
Logan said he would go back and do a better job of talking to the residents and if an agreement could not be reached, he might consider putting an ice machine across the street, an area that is already zoned commercial. A gas station currently sits on that property.
City Hall security
City Hall will soon have an upgraded camera security system to protect its employees and patrons. Safety and Risk Management Director Gene Bullard and IT Director Zach Mears presented the $8,700 system to the council.
The new system will place nine cameras inside and outside of City Hall and will record and save up to 30 days worth of material, as opposed to the current system that only saves video for two to four days.
The digital cameras will also provide better quality images and will have real-time monitoring that can be accessed by city employees with a password. The cameras will be managed onsite by the IT Department, Mears said.
The old camera security system will be transferred and installed at the Lake City/Columbia County Parks and Recreation Girl’s Club on Northwest DeSoto Street.
Lake City Police Department Crime Unit officers Paul Kash and Robert Milligan were presented with certificates of appreciation by City Manager Scott Reynolds.
Reynolds said he is trying to spend time in each department to get a better understanding of what they do and the police department was his first stop. Reynolds spent a 12 hour shift with the officers, who handle street-level crime that includes robberies, shootings and drug investigations.
In other news:
A memorandum of understanding between Columbia County and the City of Lake City concerning the leasing of Richardson Community Recreation Facility and Annie Mattox Park was approved. A formal resolution is currently being drawn up by County Attorney Marlin Feagle and City Attorney Herbert Darby and will be presented to
council at a later date.
City Council will hold a workshop on Jan. 22 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss additional 911 funding in Council Chambers at city hall.
The Lake City Police Department Parking Enforcement Officer position has been reclassified as a certified police officer position. The new position will enforce parking laws and patrol downtown.
Lester McCellum and Nelo Williams were appointed to the Citizens’ Advisory Task Force for community development.
An internet/intranet/password/e-mail usage policy for the city that was presented by Mears was approved by council. The policy was written to help the city define the appropriate use of the City of Lake City computer and network resources. Employees are prohibited from accessing personal Web sites, installing personal software on city computers and are instructed never to share or reveal individual passwords.
The Lake City Police Department will enter into Third Judicial Circuit Mutual Aid Agreement between municipalities.
Council approved the Lake City Police Department to enter into a Reaccreditation Agreement with the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, Inc.
Kent Harriss and Daniel Adel will serve two year terms starting Jan. 7 and ending Jan. 7, 2010, on the Planning and Zoning Board. Additionally Martin Martinez and Mary Jane Woods will replace former board members, Lisa Vanacore and Bruce Drawdy, after a resolution is submitted and approved by council.
The Northeast Florida Leadership Council, Inc. will hold its annual Martin Luther King Jr., parade on Jan. 21 from 10-1 p.m.
The Blue Grey Army, Inc. will hold its annual Olustee Battle Festival downtown on Thursday, Feb. 14, starting at 5:05 p.m., and ending Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
The city’s 1926 LaFrance Fire Truck will be used by Blue Grey Army, Inc. in the Springtime Tallahassee Parade on March 29.
Council approved a Jones Edmunds invoice for $985.60.
City of Lake City’s Growth Management Department will purchase two laptop computers with $1,500 in budgeted funds.
The City of Lake City IT Department will transfer $490 from the machinery and equipment account to the travel and education account in order to attend a Florida League of Cities IT/GIS conference.
Funds from the Drug Forfeiture account will be used to purchase a cargo trailer at the cost of $3,195 by the Lake City Police Department. The trailer will be used for the Third Circuit Rapid Response Team for storage and hauling of necessary natural disaster and emergency equipment.
The Lake City Police Department will purchase a new server, server upgrades and installation of hardware and data migration at a cost of $11,000 from the Drug Forfeiture account.
The Greater Lake City Regional Utility Authority agenda was approved by council and included an invoice from engineer Henry Sheldon at a cost of $6,690.40.
The amended Community Development Block Grant Program was approved by council. Applications will know be handled by the Growth Management Department instead of the City Manager’s Office.
 |
||
| Arabs share Bush’s concerns |
