The Bartow City Commission meets every first and third Monday at 6 pm in the commission chambers at Bartow City Hall. The weeks with a commission meeting tend to be jam-packed and this week is no exception. We’ve got some pretty exciting opportunities for the public to be engaged in the life of the city. Keep reading to see what’s on tap for this week.
Commission Meeting Agenda
There are a couple of items of importance on tonight’s agenda. A major topic that has consumed our management staff’s attention for the last year is the struggle to protect Bartow’s water supply. A rule change recently initiated by the state has put our water permits in potential jeopardy. As you might imagine no water = no growth. So we have worked very hard with our neighboring municipalities to protect these permits. I know the city attorneys and managers held a meeting this week and it looks like we will be getting an update on that progress this eventing.
In the Hearings section, we will have a public hearing and adoption of a budget resolution amending this year’s budget. These are not uncommon this time of year as we work to make sure our budget stays in line with actual expenses.
The Consent Agenda contains the typical type of actions we see in this part of the agenda (board appointments, absence approvals, etc.) One item of note is that we will be presenting Mr. Herb Dixon with a key to the city later this month. This is probably the highest honor the city has to give.
In Other Business, we will be reviewing the change order for our wastewater expansion project and the Community Development Block Grant proposal that was recently chosen.
The full agenda is listed below.
Candidate Forum This Week
This week Bartow Residents will have two chances to get to meet and hear from the candidates for 2 of Bartow’s City Commission Seats. In my first election, we did not hold a meeting of this type so I am excited to be participating. The first option will be held virtually and streamed over the internet on Thursday. Once I have the link I will provide it. The section option will be held live in Main Street Bartow on Friday. See below for more details or visit the Chamber’s website to submit questions you would like the candidates to address.
Looking Ahead
On March 30th at 1:30 pm the City will hold a work session on the status and future of our Recreation Facilities. This is been a major topic of conversation among commissioners and on social media. My hope is to make a decision about the current status of our soccer fields in Mary Holland Park as well as discuss the potential future expansion of our recreational amenities. The meeting is open to the public and we are working on an option to stream it as well.
A Note About This Post
This post is me trying something new. I want to be more intentional about communicating what is going on in the city throughout the month. I’m never going to be the best Facebooker. I’m doing good if I log on once a day, and even then it is just to look at my notifications. But, I do want to remain accessible and communicate in a way that is effective.
I’ve had a mailing list for quite some time now. If you’ve spent any time around this blog you will know it is mostly book reviews and life updates. I’m trying to share more city-related info as well. Not every post gets shared on social media cause I don’t want to be that guy.
So if you are interested in receiving the most recent updates I would invite you to sign up using the form below. My promise is not to spam you or share your contact information with any other entities. Use the form below to subscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time. Thanks!
