Maitland City Talk

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week is May 15 through May 21, 2011. This week honors Fire and EMS professionals for a job well done. The 2011 EMS national theme is “Everyday Heroes.” This theme celebrates the exceptional services being provided to countless patients every day, often under challenging circumstances. It illustrates the fact that EMS providers are dedicated to saving lives and limiting suffering on a daily basis. They are selfless professionals who put their own lives on hold, day after day, to respond to the emergency needs of others. Maitland Fire Department will honor our “Heroes” with a lunch. This will be a low key event because most of the time we function under high stress and close scrutiny. It isn’t often we have the opportunity to be light hearted. We will have “Heros” (subs) for our members and we will discuss specific incidents where their actions made a major impact (even lifesaving in some cases) on the citizens and visitors to the City of Maitland. They will be awarded a special pin that will be worn on their uniforms indicating “Excellence in EMS.”

The week of May 15th through May 21st is the annual National Police Week. This annual event was started by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 as a time to recognize our Law Enforcement Officers and to honor those officers who have given their lives while serving in the line of duty. President Kennedy also designated May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day, a day many communities will spend paying tribute to those officers who have paid the ultimate price for our safety and security. Unfortunately, this year has been a particularly tragic year for our state as Florida has the unenviable position of leading all 50 states in Law Enforcement Officers deaths. Florida has lost 10 Officers during the first four months of this year which is already more than were killed during the entire 2010 year. I hope all of our residents will join me in thanking and honoring those Officers who know the risks, and still work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to keep our community safe.

National Public Works Week, May 15th through May 21st, 2011, is a celebration of the tens of thousands of men and women throughout North America who provide and maintain the infrastructure and services collectively known as public works. On this 51st anniversary of National Public Works Week, the City of Maitland recognizes the 60 men and women within the Public Works Department who operate and maintain our public works systems and programs. Public Works is responsible for providing drinking, irrigation, and fire protection water services. They also perform all of the upkeep of City buildings, City vehicles/equipment, City-owned streets, grounds maintenance tasks for all City-owned properties, and engineering services. These responsibilities also include the protection and maintenance of all the lakes, storm drains, and wastewater collection systems within the City, as well as preservation and maintenance responsibilities for more than 110 sites including buildings, grounds, rights-of-way, ballfields, parks, and undeveloped lots. Along with these responsibilities, the Public Works Department also provides staff liaisons for two City advisory boards, the Transportation Advisory Board and the Lakes Advisory Board. These systems and programs are often unseen by the general public, because the City’s Public Works Department usually plays the part of the “people behind the scenes”. Success in our work is marked by silence. When our phones start ringing, it usually means something went wrong.

City Council meeting of May 9, 2011

The Maitland City Council met on May 9, 2011 at 6:30 in the City Hall Council Chambers. Below is a synopsis of that meeting. The next regular scheduled Council meeting will be held on Monday, May 23, 2011.

Decision Items:

Introduced on first reading, an ordinance that prohibits the establishment and use of simulated gaming devices in the City and scheduled a Public Hearing for May 23, 2011.

Adopted a Resolution calling for a referendum election authorizing City Council to grant Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions under § 3, Art. VII of the State Constitution.

The Council moved to use the same selection process for the City Ambassador as is presently used for appointments to a City Advisory Board.

To listen to the complete recording of the meeting, please check our website www.itsmymaitland.com.