2020-11-05 News ArticleNovember 11, 2020 Lake Okeechobee News — merger of Okeechobee News, Clewiston News, Glades County Democrat, and The Sun
�I., I) `, i 1 T
Few attend city council town hall meeting
BY Cathy Womble
lake Okeechobee News
OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee City
Council had called a town hall meeting for
Thursday, Nov 5 in the council chambers,
and only two individuals came forward to
speak.
The first, Suzanne Bowen, who serves
on the newly formed charter committee,
told the council she lives on Southwest
Ninth Street and is concerned about the
overgrowth of kudzu in and around the
ditches surrounding her property. She said
that, driving down the sheets around her,
the waterways are very well maintained,
but when you get to her property, it is
"kudzu heaven!" She said nothing has been
maintained, and it is filthy. Her family has
dug out weeds blocking the metal culverts
running beneath her driveways, but the city
has not done any work on the area in the
two -plus years she has lived there, she said.
"We did call out public works last
summer, because it got so bad with the rain
that it was encroaching into our yard," she
said. They came out and dug a hole near
one of the driveways. "That's all they did."
She went on to say, with another tropical
storm coming and ail the rain here in the
last month, she wondered what options she
has as a homeowner. "Can I do it myself, or
am 1 going to get in trouble? Who do I call?
Can I yank all that garbage out, or will I be
doing something I shouldn't?"
Mayor Dowling Watford Jr. laughingly
told her she could do all the work she liked
for the city. On a more serious note, he told
her they would check into the situation and
get back with her right away.
The second comment came In the form
of a letter written by Jennifer Tewksbury,
executive director of the Economic Council
of Okeechobee. In the letter, Tewksbury
mentioned some of the things the council
has done that economic council members
believe are improvements to the communi-
ty. Among these improvements, she lists an
increased investment in and value placed
on professional legal counsel; demonstrat-
ing fiscal responsibility by approving the
interlocal agreement for fire and rescue
services; increasing transparency with the
implementation of the city website; pub-
lishing public meeting materials online and
on time and the video -recorded city council
meetings; engaging the community in the
citizen -led charter review initiative; collabo-
rating with the economic council on Flagler
Park improvements and welcoming citizen
engagement with the implementation of a
design review committee; and, finally, with
a request for qualifications from landscape
architect professionals.
The letter goes on to list things the
economic council would like to see the
city council do in the future. Some of those
listed are to place a greater importance on
community aesthetics; to raise expectations
for road improvements, drainage and other
infrastructure developments; and to contin-
ue supporting code enforcement by hiring
full-time professionals.
After the letter was read into the record
by Watford, Tewksbury came forward to
speak and thanked the council for hosting
the town hall meeting, saying the gratitude
expressed in tier letter was heartfelt and
genuine. "Those are realty great steps for-
ward," she said.
Councilman Bob Jarriel said the town
hall meetings started a couple of years ago,
and there was a good turnout at the first
one. He said the council and staff went to
work right away on the things brought up
at that meeting. 'It's very important to us
to hear from the public," he said. "I don't
know how we can get more attendance."
He said he passed out a lot of town hall
meeting fliers and was told by many that
they would be there, but then they did not
come.
"We're here to serve the public. We
will vote on a lot of issues next year. Every
issue we vote on has effect on somebody.
Somebody will be affected by every vote."
He would like to see more people attend
and tell the council members what they can
do better.
"We will also take a compliment. That
would be OK, too," he said with a laugh.
Mayor Watford held up the letter from
the economic council and said, "We got
one here."
Councilman Jarriel went on to say the
council is here for the taxpayers, be they
citizens or businesses.
Lasting only 17 minutes, the town hall
meeting ended with coffee and donuts.
Special to the take Okeechobee News
Riedel honored
OKEECHOBEE — At the Nov. 5
Okeechobee City Council meeting,
Mayor Dowling Watford presented
a certificate to City Finance Director
India Riedel for 15 years of service.
Hendry County
Recycling
..America -Recycles -Day ga 563-675-5252 Pie
Nwnmlwrl5 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Rcctcle IIll,
Aluminum: soda(beer cans, aluminum foUtpens
�2gCjl t�F.�re
Mandate: Islas de refresco ( cerveza, papel de aluminio / sartencs
Glass: soda/bea/liquorNnne bottles, jelly/salsa &arty clembrown/green glass bottles/jars (west out) Vidrio: mfresco / cerveza / bebides / botelli s de vino, jalea / salsa y Ins botellas clam / marr6n / verde / fi—
de vidrio (Sin Aciamdo)
Metal: soup/fiuitluice/pet food/uure/vegemble cans, empty aerosol cams
McWL• Iatas de comida de sopa / frum /jugo / animal / atim / verdums, Islas de aerosol vaciaa
Paper: newspaper/magazenes, browar/white/colored paper bags, phone books/junk mefi/catalogs,
office/computer paper/corrugated cardboard (moving/cereal/gift/pasta boxes) Papal: perk dicos / revisms, bolsas de papel marr6n / blmco / de colorer, libros de teldfono / coneo brims /
cat6iogos, oficum / ordensdor papel cart6o ondulado (rajas m6viles / cereales / regalo / parts)
Chria nam, Wrap/Gin 9oxes (no ribbons please)
Cnjas Wrap Nevidad / regulo (sin sinters, per favor)
Plastic: containers marked N i thm N7 (water/detergent/bleach/soda/shampoo bottles, milk jugs. Plistieo: envases mareados N 1 a N 7 (botcllaa do ague / detergente / lejfa refrescos / champ(, botellas de leche,
buner/whipped topping mbs, N2 black nursery plant pots mantequilla / bail mel de creme baticia, oilas N 2 plautas de vivero negm
Aluminum: pots/pens/cooking utewils/door screcrec lawn furniture
V,r recicle
Aluminio: pamallas utensilies ollas / sartmes / rosin / puerms / muebles de jardin
Glass: medicine bottles/dishes/drinking glasses/windows/minore/cookwere (Pyrex or Coming) VWrio: botellas de medicine / plates / vasos / vemmrras / espejos / utensilios de rosin (Pymx o Coming)
Metal: tooL/carparm/licenseplmes/cutlery
Paper: shredded/packaging paper with wax layer (juice boxes or waxed cardboard)
Plastic: plastic bags, chemical/motor oillantifiem/household chemical waste containers/flower pots
(except black N2)/medicine vialstegg canons/polystymne hays/newspaper sleeves/stymficam
r' Most smear, Rares have a reevcline container to Lquo3 ,fdn.tic ba"s
Hendry County Special Diatricm 863-675-5252
Metal: herramientas / piezas de mtom6vil / plecss / cubiertos
Papel: papel triturado / envasado con una calla de sera (rajas de jugo o cart(n eneemdo)
Pmstko: bolsas de pldsfico, conume lores de msiduos qu(micos aceite quf nico / motor anticongelante, / hogar /
muctas (excepto negm N 2) bmdeiw rajas / frescos de la medicine / huevo / poliestimm / mangos de peri6dicos
/ espuma do poliestireno
Lit rfl d Ins tiendas d?stibi tiencts tin conteardordeicisie aara vaiver holaes de nl4stico.
xeudry County Special Districts 863-675-5252
Nov. 5, Mao
I owh Hvll WE nl