Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Hello my name is Curtis Gibson, I am a Lake Wales city commissioner in district 19, seat 2. I never thought about getting into politics. In fact, I used to say I am not a politician. The fact of the matter is I am. When I jumped into this arena it was in 2015 when I ran for mayor of Lake Wales. I was terrified and didn't know what the outcome was going to be. I had so many people from both sides wanting to know who pushed me to run against the mayor and I simply told them I...
Responding to continued concerns from members of the business community, Lake Wales Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson is proposing a possible modification to the mask mandate ordinance up for final approval at the Aug. 18 city commission meeting. The proposed changes would place the responsibility for compliance on the individual rather than making businesses the enforcers. Financial planner Jimmy Nelson approached Gibson, still concerned about the mandate's impact on businesses, who...
Lake Wales commissioners in a 3-2 split vote Aug. 4 took the first step toward mandating masks in businesses throughout the city. Their ordinance would not take effect until after they vote at a second public hearing Aug. 18. After not obtaining the supermajority four votes needed to pass an emergency ordinance that would mandate masks for 30 days, Mayor Eugene Fultz, Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson and Commissioner Terrye Howell approved the proposal as a regular ordinance. The...
About 30 people stood outside the Lake Wales city administration building praying to God while Sarah Ray of the Atheist Community of Polk County gave the invocation at the city commission meeting Aug. 4. Others filled some of the available seats inside the commission chamber or in the lobby and break room and some people indicated they were praying from home. City commissioners Al Goldstein and Curtis Gibson exited the room during Ray's comments and returned for the Pledge of...
The city's proposed emergency face mask mandate doesn't have the four votes needed to pass, but Lake Wales City Commissioners who support it have a backup plan at their Aug. 4 meeting. Once the emergency mandate is voted down, the commission will consider a regular ordinance that needs only three votes, but wouldn't go into effect until after a second reading at their Aug. 18 meeting. Rather than expire in 30 days, the regular ordinance would remain in force until repealed by...
Some Lake Wales city commissioners are not happy with the "special guest" Lake Wales City Clerk Jennifer Nanek announced would be praying at their Tuesday, Aug. 4 meeting. With the link to the commission agenda, Nanek said Sarah Ray with the Atheist Community of Polk County had volunteered to give the invocation. "Who will she be praying to?" asked Commissioner Al Goldstein, who said he plans to set his Bible on the dais and exit the room when Ray speaks. "The word invocation...
Lake Wales City Commissioners have given the green light to fund two positions largely concentrated on improving the quality of life in the city's northwest community. Acting as the board members of the Community Redevelopment Agency, the group unanimously approved the hiring of a police community liaison officer for District 3 of the CRA, which covers the northwest area, as well as a CRA coordinator for that district. The action came during the CRA meeting on July 14. The...
Although it would only cost about an extra $8,300 for the year, the Lake Wales City Commission in a split vote decided not to approve a potential 30 percent salary hike for themselves that would have taken effect next May. Mayor Eugene Fultz and Commissioner Al Goldstein advocated for the raises, citing the increased number of meetings and out-of-pocket expenses, but Deputy Mayor Robin Gibson and Commissioners Terrye Howell and Curtis Gibson voted against the raises, citing...
This is the tenth installment in the Lake Wales Renaissance series. Lake Wales City Commissioner Robin Gibson serves as Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. Best Bang for the Buck Trees are the best. Their mere presence improves individual property values. Collectively they improve the town's tax base as a whole. The improved value comes from the purchaser's desire to buy the advantages of appearance and aesthetics. Not only do trees...
The Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council Board of Directors went on record Friday July 24 calling for the city commission to adopt an emergency resolution to mandate face masks in the city to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. A letter signed by Chamber President Kevin Kieft and Board Chairman Andy Oguntola said face masks should be a "government led issue" and the Chamber board "voted to support and push for a mask mandate in the City of Lake Wales...
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Polk County and Lake Wales, the City of Lake Wales has partnered with Polk County government services to distribute disposable face masks to its citizens. Polk County has purchased one million disposable, multi-use masks utilizing federal CARES Act funds. "24,000 masks will be available for our citizens to safely pick up at convenient locations," stated Joe Jenkins, Lake Wales Fire Chief and Emergency Operations...
Efforts to beautify and green Lake Wales streets got another boost Saturday as community volunteers led by the Lake Wales Woman's Club prepared three street "triangles" along Lakeshore Boulevard for new floral plantings. "I'm totally stoked!" said Bonnie Poller, who is chair of the Environment Committee of the Woman's Club, which is spearheading the project. "Neighbors came out to help." More than a dozen volunteers participated. "This was only Phase one," Poller added....
Eddie Lee Brown, 75, of Lake Wales passed away Saturday, July 18, 2020 at Bartow Regional Medical Center. He was born December 6, 1944 in Lumber City, GA, to the late Eddie and Pearlie Brown. He moved to Lake Wales in 1969. Eddie was a golf course maintenance worker. He served in the U.S. Army. Eddie was a member of the Church of God and he loved to fish. Eddie was preceded in death by his sister, Maxine Smith; and brother-in-law, Lee Kimbrell. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Marie Brown; son, Darrell Brown of Lake...
Zachary Kirkland was in middle school when he started his own non-profit called Silly Sock Saturdays. Now a rising senior at Lake Wales High School, Zachary continues his mission of making hospital stays more pleasant for children by providing them a gift bag with silly socks, toys, games and other items. "Being able to help those in a hard and stressful situation is the reason for creating the nonprofit and getting to hear the feedback and know that what I do invokes a smile...
A group of Lake Wales police officers were treated to a free tasty lunch and desserts on Friday by a group of homeowners from Lake Ashton, who wanted to show their appreciation for the peace-keeping efforts of the department. "The Loop" is a five-block neighborhood of the sprawling development on the north side of Lake Wales, and home of a casual organization that organizes community events three times a month. Calling itself the Looplanders, the neighborhood group has been...
With regard to the health environment in Polk County, the Lake Wales History Museum has cancelled the Pioneer Days Festival, originally scheduled to take place on October 24 & 25, 2020. The health and safety of our community is first and foremost, and due to the national and local concern regarding coronavirus, hosting a large scale event of this proportion is not possible this year. The Pioneer Days Festival encourages engagement with vendors, historical demonstrators, food...
This is the ninth installment in the Lake Wales Renaissance series. Lake Wales City Commissioner Robin Gibson serves as Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. Victor Dover and his co-author have poured their careers as town planners into what has become the definitive handbook entitled Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns. The book recounts the history and experience of a wide range of different situations across the globe that...
Lake Wales Interim City Manager James Slaton has hired certified planner Mark Bennett to become the city's new Development Services director. "I'm coming home so to speak," said Bennett, who has been a Lake Wales resident since 1998. In addition to being a certified planner, Bennett is a certified redevelopment specialist with more than 20 years of public and private sector experience. For the last eight years he has served the City of Haines City as Deputy Director of...
For the first time in 20 years, the City of Lake Wales is undertaking a full overhaul of its Comprehensive Plan. The consulting firm S & ME conducted an online public workshop July 8 to get input from city officials and citizens about priorities for developing the city over the next 20 years. Consulting Project Manager Chris Dougherty defined the comprehensive plan as "a document designed to guide the future actions of a city. The comprehensive plan also presents a vision for...
Lake Wales commissioners are hitting the pause button on their search for a new city manager. Interim City Manager James Slaton will stay in that position while a new 2020-21 budget is being crafted this summer. The new spending plan must be in place by late September, with the Lake Wales fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Commissioners heard from Ken Parker – a senior advisor from the Florida City-County Management Association -- during a July 1 workshop, who said it wouldn't b...
Lake Wales City Commissioner Curtis Gibson is moderating an online panel discussion at noon July 15 called "Toward Solutions – Justice in Our Communities." The online webinar will be broadcast on Facebook Live and can be accessed with this ZOOM link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84499220092?pwd=QXBhZFlWT3kyNHhVODcyQTIyL1Irdz09 Gibson said he "gathered a panel of people from different backgrounds and in different positions to look at what can be done and should be done at m...
The Lake Wales City Commission, in its role as the Community Redevelopment Agency, will consider at its July 14 meeting offering $150,000 in incentives for two proposed downtown restaurants. James Ellis of Ava Properties in Heathrow is asking for a $100,000 grant - double the amount specified in the city's restaurant incentives program – to help him fund the Corner Café at One Scenic Central, a combination coffee shop and fine dining restaurant. His company purchased the tw...
The Lake Wales City Commission voted Tuesday to encourage people to wear masks or similar face coverings to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Commissioners stopped short of issuing a mandate, but indicated that's something they may consider in the future if voluntary compliance doesn't seem to be working. The resolution adopted during the July 7 commission meeting cites support for Center for Disease Control recommends wearing face coverings, particularly "in public...
The City of Lake Wales is holding an interactive public workshop July 8 to discuss the city's current development trends, long-term vision, priorities, opportunities and needs. The consulting firm S & ME, which has Florida offices in Tampa and Orlando, is working to update the city's Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Workshop participants using the online ZOOM platform will be asked for input regarding these questions: - What are the city's opportunities? - What is Lake Wales'...
Lake Wales city commissioners are expected to discuss reviving the long-dormant Citizens and Police Community Relations Advisory Committee during its agenda workshop session at 3 p.m. July 1. The committee was created in 2011, and originally contained two residents and one police department representative. Residents were appointed by the mayor with approval of the other city commissioners, according to Interim City Manager James Slaton. The group met monthly, and was expanded...
