2020-08-04 News ArticleLake Okeechobee News - merger of
City Council presented with
Flagler Park redesign plan
By Richard Marion
Lake Okeechobee News
OKEECHOBEE —At their Aug. 4 meet-
ing,Okeechobee City Counc l members
were presented with a conceptual redesign
of Flagler Park in downtown Okeechobee.
The redesign was spearheaded by the
Economic Council of Okeechobee (ECO),
a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization
that has operated in Okeechobee for nearly
30 years.
The presentation received by the
Okeechobee City Council described an
all-encompassing redesign and renovation
which ECO sayyss will preserve cherished
elements of 0keechobee's local history and
celebrate the area's agricultural heritage.
The initial, broad concepts of the pro -
Mo ,d redesign were fust showcased pub-
ic cty in Okeechobee back in February at the
Historic Okeechobee County Courthouse.
Members of the community were able to
view basic conceptual art and the themes
ECO had put together through nearly 12
months of research and discussions with
local stakeholders and elected officials.
"The designs at this point are all concep-
tual," said ECO Executive Director Jennifer
Tewksbury at the February showcase.
"We've intentionally tried to stay out of the
weeds of specific details. The main goals
we're trying to accomplish are continuity
from one end of the park to the other, and
to show the need for public and private
investment into this valuable space for our
community."
Some of the concepts of the redesign
included naming the park located between
Southwest Second and Southwest Third
avenues "Speckled Perch Square" and
envisioned a traditional fountain or water
feature for children as in its center as the
focal point Life-sized bronze art depicting
native Florida wildlife could then be placed
at the center of the water feature or other
prominent locations of the park.
The park between Southwest Sixth
Avenue and Southwest Seventh Avenue,
which currently holds the butterfly garden,
would utilize landscape dest'gns to blend
the colorful butterfly art displays with the
"Old Florida" aesthetic of the other parks
and provide a play area for children. Added
landscape buffers would serve as a barrier
betweeIn park attendees and nearby traffic.
The Veterans' Memorial Square near
Parrott Avenue would see additional seating
at memorial monuments with redesigned
landscape screens to provide privacy for
rettection. The park located between South-
west Fifth Avenue (Osceola Avenue) and
Southwest Sixth Avenue would be named
"Cattleman's Square" and include the cattle
drive art installation currently scheduled to
be completed by 2021.
The project was put on hold for several
months due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
but at their Aug. 4 meeting City Council
members were, finally, officially presented
with the plans.
"Overall our goal is to create a unified
plan for all the parks," said Tewksbury
at the Aug. 4 meefing, "one that elevates
our downtown area for us and for future
generations."
Michael Flaugh, a landscape architect
brought on by ECO to he incorporate
some of the existing and future park
structures into the eventual overall dest'gn
plan, was at the meeting and addressed the
council as well.
"I would be hard-pressed to find a
greater opponunity in my career as this,"
said Flaush to council members. "I think
it's amazing that you have this park system
in place. It's a very exciting project."
Some of the local organizations support-
ing the project are Okeechobee Main Street,
Okeechobee Historical Society, Chamber of
Commerce of Okeechobee County, Semi-
nole Tribe of Florida, Okeechobee County
School District, Indian River State College
and more.
l look forward to this moving forward,
because I've heard from our city clerk that
there was a parks master plan previously
developed a decade or so ago," said City
Councilman Bobby Keefe. I don't know
where it's at. And that's typically what hap-
pens, I've found, both here and at the coun-
ty level. There is this great master plan that
isput together, and then it sits on a shelf
au,
dust. l certainly don't want that
to happen again. This is way overdue."
Okeechobee Mayor Dowling Watford
thanked ECO for putting the presentation
together. The city council agreed to start the
process of requesting bids from landscape
architects for the project and made plans to
discuss creating a citizen's advisory board
for the project at a future meeting.
arly voting under w;
in primary election
Special to the Lake Okeechobee News
Early voting is under way for the August
primary election.
• In Glades County, early voting contin-
ues daily through Sunday, Aug. 16, from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 598 Ave. J. in
Moore Haven.
• In Hendry County, early voting con-
finues daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m, through
Sunday Aug. 16, at the Supervisor of
Elections office 25, E. Hickpochee Ave. in
LaBelle, and the County Commission Build-
ing, 1100 S. Olympia Street in Clewiston.
• In Okeechobee County, early voting
continues daily, through Sunday, Aug. 16,
from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Super-
visor of Elections Office, 304 N.W. Second
Street in Okeechobee.
• In western Palm Beach County, early
voting continues daily through Sunday,
Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in
the Public Library, 725 N.W. Fourth St. in
Belle Glade, and the Supervisor of Elections
Office, Second Floor, 2976 State Road 15 in
Belle Glade.
Clewiston News, Glades
g/1�(ao cc M�
and ins Sun August 12, 2020
` HENDRY COUNTY
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
ON LEVY OF NON -AD VALOREM
ASSESSMENTS AND COLLECTION BY
THE UNIFORM METHOD
ON RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS,
HOTELS AND MOTELS
TAKE notice that a public hearing will be held before the Board of County Commissioners of Hendry
County, Florida, at 5:30 p.m. on September 10, 2020, at the Commission Room, Clewiston City
Hall, 115 West Ventura Avenue, Clewiston, Florida, for the purpose of considering the levy of new
non -ad valorem assessments on recreational vehicle parks, hotels and motels within the West
Hendry County Recreational Municipal Services Benefit Unit.
The parcels subject to the assessments are depicted on the adjacent map.
The purpose of the non -ad valorem assessment Is to provide recreational services and facilities.
The proposed assessment amounts are as follows:
Recreational vehicle park rental Iota $50.00 per lot
Recreational vehicle park fee simple lots $50.00 per lot
Hotel/motel roams $50.00 per room
,tach proposed assessment will be collected by the uniform method (on the tax bill) by the Tax
Collector and each assessment will be collected every year Indefinitely until the County Commission
discontinues it.
All affected property owners may appear and be heard at the public hearing and also have the right
to file written objections with the Hendry County Administrator, P.O. Box 2340, LaBelle, FL 33975,
at anytime within 20 days from the date of this publication.
Members of the public may attend the meeting In person or are Invited to watch a livesbwm
of the meeting at https://www.facebook.com/hendtyoDunty and/or participate in the meeting by
telephone by calling 877-853-5257 and entering meeting Identification number 955 2625 75844.
Members of the Board may participate in the meeting by telephone, as well.
If a person deddes to appeal any decision made by the Board with respect to any matter consid-
ered at this meeting, he/she will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he/
she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes
the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.
If you have a disability that will require special assistance or accommodation for your participation
In the meeting, please contact Hendry County Administration at (863) 675-5220; Hearing Im-
paired: Florida Relay 7-1-1; or e-mail tracy.nobles@hendiyfia.net.
Hendry County Is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Si necesita ia assistencia de un Interprets que hable espanol para partidpar un esta reunion, por
favor pongase en contacto con Myra Johnson ad (863) 6753240.
MiiAaIt Fli-