Polk County Annual Report 2008

8/14/2019 Polk County Annual Report 2008

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...responsibleand innovativegovernment

Polk County is...

People Like You & Me

Educatingthe Future

Butteries & Blooms

History & Heritage

Water Adventures

A SwingingPlace

Arts & Culture

NaturallyBeautiul

Great Hometowns

2008Annual Report

to thePeople of

Polk County

P O L K C O U N T Y B O A R D O F C O U N T Y C O M M I S S I O N E R S


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Polk is...?Ask 100 people to complete that sentence and you

may not get the same answer twice. Polk is manythings to many people. The Board of County

Commissioners (BoCC)is proud to be an

important part of the Polk community.

Polk is making progress on a variety

of issues important to citizens. In this

report, youll find examples of many successes

in addressing those issues, all achieved during

the 2007/08 fiscal year. While Polks leaders facedchallenges along the way, we are pleased with the

results that help you, our valued citizen, keep you and

your family safer and improve the quality of life for

residents in this great All-America County of ours.

Polk is also represented by five County Constitutional

Officers: Clerk of the Courts, Property Appraiser, Sheriff,

Supervisor of Elections and Tax Collector. See pages 30-31

to learn more about their accomplishments.

Polk is served by the many dedicated BoCCemployees

whose accomplishments for the community are highlighted

in this review. Polk is a great place to live and work!

Mission Statement

of Board of County Commissioners employees:We enhance the quality of life for people

throughout Polk County.

Our VisionPolk County where people excel.

REACHIS(living the values

of this mission)

Results-oriented: We know what is expected of us,

and we get it done on time.

Excellence: We do right things right, first time,

every time.

Accountability: We take personal responsibilityfor what is expected of us.

Collaboration/Teamwork: We work together to

accomplish more than we could as individuals.

Together Everyone Accomplishes More!

Honesty/Truth: We tell the truth to the best of

our knowledge and do not mask or hide it.

Integrity: We act justly and honorably,

consistent with our words. We walk the talk.

Stewardship: We each take responsibility for the

care and management of the resources entrusted

to us: our communities, the environment, the financial

and human resources of Polk County.

County Commissioners: Randy Wilkinson, Jean Reed, Sam Johnson, Bob English and Ed Smith

Polk County is ... Committed to Excellence


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Fiscal Year 2007/08 Budget by Category

Waste Resource

Management Operating$68,803,380

3.77%

Utilities Operating$96,406,413

5.28%

OtherFee-based

Funds$130,860,483

7.17%

There are a number of different categories in the County budget. The chart shown belowillustrates how the money is divided. As you will see, the Infrastructure category makes up more

than half of the entire budget (category descriptions are on the next page).

Fire Service$33,552,0301.84%

Internal Services$80,476,524

4.41%

Grant Fund$75,668,825

4.15%

General Fund$399,931,211

21.92%

Total Budget: $1,824,850,291

Infrastructure$939,151,42551.46%

Fiscally ResponsiblePolk County is ...


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Budget CategoriesInfrastructure

Budgeted expenditures related to funding and maintaininglarge County assets such as roads, the landfill, water lines, sewerlines, parks, as well as payments made to support the debt (loans)we have taken out to pay for these capital assets in order to keepup with the growth the county has experienced.

Fire ServicesCosts of running our Fire Services within the unincorporated

area of the county, as well as a few cities. Fire Protection fees

are paid through what is called a Municipal Services Benefit Unit(MSBU) and are collected on the tax bill.

Waste Resource Management OperatingCost of RUNNING the landfill on a day-to-day basis. Waste

Resource Managements operating expenditures are fundedthrough an MSBU and are collected on the tax bill (this paymentis for your curbside collection). There is also a separate tipping feethat is collected from direct haulers.

Utilities Operating

Cost of RUNNING the Countys Utilities Department ona day-to-day basis. The majority of these expenditures are relatedto water and wastewater services running your faucet to brushyour teeth as well as flushing your toilet. These expendituresare funded through utility bills which are sent out monthly tocustomers who use the Countys water and wastewater system.

Internal ServiceCosts of governmental services provided by one County

department to other County departments for things likefleet maintenance and replacement.

Other Fee-Based Funds

Costs of providing governmental services which are supportedby user fees collected in one fashion or another. Revenuescollected for this type of fund can ONLY be used for the purposefor which they are collected. For example, the Lake and RiverEnhancement Trust Fund collects revenues from boaters througha tax on their annual vessel registration. These revenues are thenused for one specific purpose boat ramps around the countythat benefit those who use our lakes and rivers.

Grant FundFormed to capture the costs of leveraging power to provide

services this fund accounts for the grants the County receivesfrom both the federal and state government. Some require acash match from our general fund and some do not.

For example, with the transit grant, we receive $12.5 millionfederal dollars, then match it with $1.5 million general

fund dollars, to provide citizens with bus service throughoutthe county.

General FundThe County can have only ONE general fund, and it is the

ONLY fund in which all revenues received into the fund can beused to offset expenditures for ANY governmental purpose. TheCountys general fund for FY2007/08 totals $400 million, of whichrecurring expenditures total $290 million (the difference isreserves and capital projects funded through one-time moniesmade available at the end of the prior year). Of this recurring

$290 million budget, 56 percent funds all the constitutionalofficers (see pages 30-31); the remaining $129 million is usedto provide services through Board departments such as CodeEnforcement, Planning, Zoning, Elderly Services, MosquitoControl and some Support Service Divisions such asPurchasing, Personnel, etc., which provide services forall County departments.

New water main helps get water to customers

Fiscally ResponsiblePolk County is ...

Ridership onWHAT (Winter

Haven Area Transit)

increased in 2008

the nearly 600,000trips represented a

14 percent increase

over last year.

Didyouknow?


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The BoCCcontinues to help citizens stay involved with PolkCounty government whether through the Web, via TV, in printor face-to-face. Here are some of the ways the County keptcitizens informed and connected this year:

PGTV Polks GovernmentTelevision (a part of theCommunications Division)engagescommunity members and organizationsin its programming in a variety ofways from their interaction atCounty board meetings to theirperformances at special events.PGTVallows residents to share their community spirit byhighlighting the services of non-profit organizations, demonstratingthe economic benefits of public/private partnerships and

showcasing County employees and citizens at work makingPolk County the best place to live. This year, PGTV:

Reformatted its local programming content to meet the fastpace of viewers busy lives, condensing informational featuresfrom their previous 30-minute length to shorter news-stylesegments and taking the cameras into the field where all theaction is happening!

Restructured its programming schedule into topic blocksthat relate specifically to community interests. Viewers canwatch shows that pertain to health, seniors, safety, recreation,government services, and so on. As a result of the new schedulingsystem, viewers have more opportunity to choose for themselvesand catch the programs theyre interested in seeing!

Enhanced its computer-based on-demand program archives,in conjunction with the Countys new Web site design, makingboard meetings and local features even more accessible tocitizens (go to www.polk-county.netto see whats available).

Added Verizon FIOS to its cable television lineup, allowing PolkCounty viewers another option to access government operations onTV. Cable subscribers can now watch PGTVon Verizon channel 20,in addition to Bright House channel 622 and Comcast channel 33.

E-access to information about County happenings continuedvia the e-newsletter and the on-line events calendar where users canfind out whats going on at any time. Feedback from the communityabout these communications tools has been positive.

The Communications Division assisted other County officeswith production of many brochures, newsletters and other materialsabout government services. The three most requested publications

are the Budget Question/Answer Document, the CountysAnnual Reportand theGuide to County Services (also known as

the Directory of Services see photo left). Communications alsoassisted with developing presentations about government servicesand initiatives. The most requested is the County Managers

perspective on the State of the County. County Manager Mike Herroffers his analysis of where Polk County is today discussing bothsuccesses and challenges, and also what the future may hold forresidents and visitors to the All-America County. The State of theCounty Address also provides information about how tax dollars are

invested in our community to ensure quality of life.

Also this year, as part of the speakers bureauprogram, department and division directors spoketo more than 400 Polk County civic groups,organizations, homeowners associations and otherclubs providing opportunity for residents tooffer feedback and recommendations on howCounty government can best serve them.

This year, Polk County hosted five chamber leadership groups(Bartow, Lakeland, Lake Wales and Winter Haven and the inauguralclass of Leadership Polk, an initiative of Polk Vision). Most groups

spend a full day learning about Polk County government and havethe opportunity to discuss current and emerging issues with CountyCommissioners and Constitutional Officers. Leadership programs arecustomized to meet the needs and desires of the various groups (seephoto above, left).

The University of Florida, Institute of Food andAgricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Polk County CooperativeExtension Service provided a number of informational programs todiverse groups, including:

The Winter Weather Watch Program for commercial citrusgrowers. This program provides growers with agricultural weatherinformation during the winter, allowing them to determine whenor if they need to use their microsprinkler irrigation systems for coldprotection. The results prevented more than 1.3 billion gallonsof water from being drawn from the aquifer this year. Thats notonly good for the environment, but also reserves water for othercritical needs within Polk County and beyond.

A leadership class takes an airboat ride on Lake Hancock

Keeping You Inormed & InvolvedPolk County is ...

Bright House Ch. 622. Verizon Ch. 20. Comcast Ch. 33.

24-hour live webstreaming: www.polk-county.net

PGTVcovered 131live County meetings

in the Administration

Building boardroom,

delivering 752 hours

of government

decision-making

right to Polk residents

and visitors.

Didyouknow?


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Residents participate in a public workshop on long-range land use planning goals for Polk County

Teaching about Haunglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening.Considered the most destructive citrus disease in the world, itwas found in Polk County in 2007. Cooperative Extensionscommercial citrus agent provided six classes this year educating654 individuals on HLB, enabling growers to be better equippedto spot this disease in their groves and call upon the citrus agentfor proper identification and suppression strategies.

Educating citrus grove workers about the safety hazardsassociated with their jobs. This year, 175 grove workersparticipated in a one-day workshop featuring interactive lessonson pesticide safety, eye and hearing protection, pesticide spillclean-up procedures, first aid, and tractor and ATV safety. The

safety day also included a tractor rodeo wheredrivers from competing groves demonstratedtheir driving skills and safety knowledge.

Offering a water school to provide decision-makers, community leaders and private citizenswith factual information about Polk Countyswater resources and to encourage improvedpublic policy decision-making relative tocounty water issues. This years school, titled,Water Lifeblood of Planet Earth: A WaterSchool for Polk County Decision-Makers,met for seven sessions, including twoday-long tours that gave participantsthe opportunity to visit various watermanagement related projects in the region.

Conducting livestock educational programsfor more than 225 participants on varioustopics to assist livestock producers in the

production of an economical, efficient, safe andmarketable product.

Workshops and other meetings are often held to

encourage public participation (see photo above). For example,the Transportation Engineering Divisionholds convenientpublic information workshops to gain feedback on roadwayprojects with significant impact to the public right-of-way,affecting adjoining private property and to address concerns ofnearby residents. Transportation Planning Organization (TPO)staff also developed a Public Participation Plan that was adoptedby the TPO board in August 2008.

Keeping You Inormed & InvolvedPolk County is ...

VolunteersMore than 375 citizens currently help the County by

volunteering on approximately 36 boards, councils and committeesthat provide valuable advice and assistance on important issuesand projects. One example is the Community Relations AdvisoryCouncil, which provides insight and advice regarding the creation ofeducational programs, projects and/or campaigns devoted to theelimination of group prejudice, racial tension, intolerance and allforms of discrimination in Polk County. This type of outreach andcitizen involvementhelps ensure government sensitivity, responsibilityand accountability. Terms of service on the various boards arelimited and openings occur regularly. Interested in serving in thiscapacity? Call the Communications Division at (863) 534-6090.

Through the efforts of trained volunteers, the FloridaLAKEWATCHprogram continues to make water quality dataavailable on Polk County lakes. Currently, 35 Polk County lakesare being monitored. Volunteers collect water samples (that are

analyzed in laboratories at the University of Florida) andmake visual observations of activities on the lake and nearbywatershed, reporting those that could impact water quality.Water quality data on LAKEWATCHlakes is available onlineat http://lakewatch.ifas.ufl.edu.

TheBoCCalso has formal volunteer programs, each witha different emphasis and age requirement: Cooperative ExtensionServices, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Services, Health CareAlliance Plan Free Medical Clinics, RSVP Senior Volunteer

Program and Volunteers Improving Polk. These 1,549 volunteerscontributed 255,845 hours of service valued at $1,901,968.Programs are available for ages 14 through adult; you canchoose from one of many diverse options whether youd liketo volunteer once a week or once in a while. For moreinformation on volunteer opportunities, visit our Web site orcontact the Volunteer Servicesoffice at (863) 534-6582.

County brochureshelp residents learnmore about services

Our volunteersinclude individuals,

clubs, churches and

corporate employee

teams all

helping make a

positive impact in

the community.

Didyouknow?


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Each year the BoCCestablishes a legislative policy packagedesigned to represent the interests of Polks citizens in Tallahasseeand Washington, D.C. Here is a recap of the 2008 legislative endeavors:

Due to a slowing Florida economy, the State Legislatureapproved fewer community projects in 2008 than it did in2006 or 2007. However, Polk County did have a couple of

major successes in the funding arena:

A $15 million appropriation for University of South FloridasLakeland campus was the culmination of a two-year effort,spearheaded by Senator J.D. Alexander. Under provisions ofthe legislation, USF Polytechnic operates under the generalumbrella of USF, but will be a separate budget andorganizational entity, ensuring that it can determine its own future course. As a result, Polks residents benefit especiallystudents who will enjoy close-to-home, high-tech educationalopportunities and Polk businesses that will benefit fromgreater access to an educated and skilled workforce.

Also related to the USF Polytechnic campus, approximately$26.2 million was appropriated for the Pace Road/PolkParkway interchange. This will provide better access forstudents, educators and visitors while enhancing trafficflow to/from the campus to minimize motorist inconvenience.

Addressing Polk Countys current and future water needs tookfront and center again during 2008. A legislative fundingsuccess of great importance to Polk County was $15 millionprovided for the West-Central Florida Water Resources ActionPlan (WRAP) of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

An over-reliance on ground water that has spanned decadesresulted in depleted aquifers in the region known as the SouthernWater Use Caution Area (SWUCA). The WRAP works with localand regional partners to implement strategies to address issuessuch as saltwater intrusion, reduced water levels and quality,and to ensure the provision of water supplies for all users.

Legislation passed that allows Polk County Emergency MedicalServices (EMS)to collect fees DIRECTLY from insurance companiesfor services rendered. Previously, if an insured patient was transportedto the hospital, the insurance company made payment to thatindividual leaving Polk EMS in a position to have to collect it fromthe patient well after the service was rendered, sometimes withoutmuch success. The direct pay authorization will virtually eliminatethese collection issues a savings for taxpayers.

Polk County successfully advocated defeat of Senate Bill 2548which would have resulted in increased workers compensationlitigation driving costs of workers compensation coverageskyward for both the businesses of Florida and the County itself.This policy decision is an example of the many County legislative

endeavors that save tax dollars for more impactful, broad-baseduse in the community.

Significant progress was made toward allowing Polk Countyvotersto decide how to fund transit (mass transportation)services in the future. Public transit helps minimize congestionand reduces greenhouse emissions, while providing necessarytransportation. Legislation was proposed that would haveallowed Polk County voters to consider, through referendum,collection of a transit sales surtax. The surtax would replace federalfunding that will be lost after the area is categorized urban basedon anticipated population counts in the upcoming 2010 census.

Voters in seven other Charter Counties already have this option, andthe legislature was asked to ensure equity (voter parity) by providingthe same opportunity to voters in Polk. Although it did notpass in 2008, the BoCCwill continue to advocate for its passageduring the 2009 legislative session so Polk County voters candecide how to fund transit services for their community.

In addition to successes on the state level, Polk County continuesto advocate in Washington, D.C. for funding and policies that directlybenefit Polks citizens. Although Congress had not taken action onspending (appropriations) bills at the time this publication went toprint, under consideration for Polk County are funding requests for

several projects, including: the Polk County Gangs, Methamphetaminesand Violent Crime Prevention Initiative; widening of US 98 betweenState Road 60 and State Road 570; Polk County Transit Systemenhancements (buses and technology); and finally, much-neededrenovation of the Polk County Agricultural Center.

Announcing USF Polytechnic in a big way!

County officials met with Marty Bowen, (center) while she was serving as House Speaker Pro Tempore

Legislative SuccessesPolk County is ...

The legislature affectsevery Floridians life

through legislation

relating to how cities

and counties operate,

appointment of

state officials,

investigative and

budgetary matters,

and through taxes.

Didyou

know?


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Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Legislature approvedfunding for the new University of South Florida Polytechnic,which is scheduled to open in 2010 at its 535-acre campus at theintersection of Interstate 4 and the Polk County Parkway. Throughthe Central Florida Development Council, Inc. (CFDC), theBoCCpledged $5 million to support the states first polytechniccollege see page 8 for more details.

In the past three years, the CFDCassisted seven internationalcompanies that created 510 new direct jobs and generated nearly$178 million in foreign direct investment. To continue that success,the CFDCwill use a $60,000 grant awarded by Enterprise Florida,Inc., to build on the significant amount of foreign direct investmentin the areas of manufacturing, logistics management and flavors

and essences.

The CFDCs Business Development Team (BDT)continuedto help our community diversify and strengthen its economy byworking closely with its many countywide partners to attractquality companies (see photo right). The BDTannounced the locationor expansion of 13 companies representing $180 million in capitalinvestment and 1,175 new jobs, 76 percent of which paid wagesgreater than 115 percent of the average annual Polk County wageof $33,010 or $15.87 hourly. Overall, the new jobs equate to $46million in additional annual payroll to the countys employment base.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC)at theCFDCcontinues to provide business development assistancethrough training and business counseling. This year, 467 PolkCounty residents attended the 75 entrepreneurial training classesoffered (see photo below). Staff performed 621 business counselingsessions, resulting in the creation of 40 new jobs. Six of SBDCsclients secured $609,000 inloans, with four of thosecompanies expanding theiroperations. SBDCalso assistedthe community by using

$50,000 from the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture,Rural Business Enterprise Grantto provide bilingual businessassistance to Spanish-speakingentrepreneurs. In addition,the SBDCpartnered withPolk Works to offer for the first time, the FastTrac New VentureProgram for disabled veterans. The 12-week program offeredintense hands-on start-up training and featured volunteer businesscommunity speakers.

Polk County Tourism & Sports Marketing (PCTSM)successfully promoted Polk County, increasing tourism revenuesby approximately 4 percent in 2008. Tourism and sports are Floridas#1 and #2 industries respectively and are critical components in Polkseconomic climate and overall quality of life. Tourism was one oftwo industries in Polk County that actually saw growth in 2008,

ultimately generating new revenue and jobs for Polk County busi-nesses and citizens.

PCTSMs television show, Sports Central, on Bright HouseNetworks, Verizon Fios and Comcast, as well as live Web

streaming, promotes Polk County tourism, sports, arts, culture andspecial events. PCTSMalso produced the hour-long Sports Centralradio show on Talk 1430 WLKF. Both programs highlight tourismand sports in Polk County, while encouraging visitors to take partin special events and activities. Another way PCTSMpromotesPolk County is through media tours and other public relations

efforts, which resulted in more than$2.5 million in unpaid advertising.

PCTSMonce again remained a leaderaround the state in the event market,hosting more than 226 sports events thatgenerated more than $126 million in economicimpact for the county. Events included FloridaAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) baseballtournaments, Floridas Sunshine State Games,YBOA National Basketball Championships andyouth and adult softball tournaments.

PCTSMkicked off Going Green, a program that offersresources for Polk Countys tourism destinations as they learn abouthow to make their lodging properties, attractions, restaurants andshops more environmentally friendly and energy-conserving.

Since its opening, Polk Outpost 27, Polk Countys officialvisitor information center, has welcomed more than 81,000 visitors.This year at the Outpost, visitors from more than 85 differentcountries received more than 155,000 pieces of Polk Countyliterature as well as gracious personalized assistance and conciergeservices from PCTSMs professional staff.

Small Business Development Center training helps localentrepreneurs

Aldi Food Markets 500,000-square-foot regional office and distribution center under construction in Haines City

Promoted by the Central Florida Development CouncilPolk County is ...

With six companies,five international and

one based in Winter

Haven, producing

flavors and essences

in our community,

Polk is becoming the

nations center for

this industry.

Didyou

know?


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County officials accept the Best Places to Work and Spirit of the Family awards

For the fourth consecutive year, the BoCCwas honored asone of five large Polk County-based organizations to win the 2007Best Places to Work award (see photo above). The BoCCwasalso named an Employer of Distinction by Polk Works. This is anew designation, and the County is among the first group oforganizations to receive this honor. The three-year award wasgiven to consistent winners of the annual Polk Works Best Placesto Work award and is a hallmark of excellence, recognizingorganizations that exhibit consistent commitment to improvingthe quality of life for their employees.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Fleet ManagementDivisionearned the Blue Seal of Excellence from the NationalInstitute of Automotive Service Excellence. Fleetcontinues as theonly Polk County Blue Seal recipient. Fleet Managementwas alsonamed among the 100 Best Fleets (most efficient) in America for thefifth consecutive year (this is among more than 38,000 in the U.S.).

The Housing & Neighborhood Development (HND)Division received a first place award from the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development (HUD) for its Hurricane RecoveryTenant-Based Rental Assistance Program. This program providesfamilies and individuals with safe and decent housing using federalfunds for rental assistance for up to two years or until such time astheir financial and housing situation has improved. This programhas been replicated throughout the state of Florida as an importanttool in assisting families on an interim basis. HND was also honoredby HUDs Tampa field office with a first place Best Practice Awardfor implementing a successful rental assistance program.

The Traffic Engineering and Operations Divisionreceived

a certificate from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, onbehalf of the National Transportation Operations Coalition, forparticipating in the National Traffic Signal Report Card. This programfocuses attention on the operation and maintenance of traffic signalsystems an activity that can produce one of the highest benefit/cost ratios for improvement to the roadway transportation system.

The Transportation Engineering Divisions Construction &Testing Section laboratory gained accreditation as a certified soil,

concrete and asphalt test laboratory. It is the only county-ownedmaterials testing lab in Florida to receive this accreditation.Performing tests that were previously outsourced to consultantssaves money for Polk residents.

Donna Kay, Community Health and Social Services Adult DayCare Program Manager, was selected as the 2008 Administrator/Director Award winner for the National Adult Day ServicesAssociation. This national award recognizes those who havedemonstrated outstanding leadership within their centers and theircommunities. One example of Donnas advocating for frail, vulnerable,aging and at risk citizens of Polk County is her establishment of

the Polk County Standard of Care to ensure the patients dailycare is first and foremost in all three centers.

The Communications Division received awards of excellencefrom the Florida Government Communicators Association, FloridaPublic Relations Association (FPRA), the Dick Pope/Polk CountyChapter of FPRA, the American Advertising Federation, MarCom(International) and the National Association ofTelecommunications Officers and Advisors formore than 31 of its communications andcommunity outreach projects, including:Publications Directory of Services and

Pieces of Polk internal newsletterVideo productions Childrens BurnCamp Video, Fire Diversity Recruitment,Kris and Katys Tourism Adventures andPet Shelter Public Service Announcement*Technology Fire Fee PowerPoint* andThunderbolts Opening Animation/GraphicsCommunity Relations/CommunicationsCampaigns All-America County designation*,TPO poster contest *, Pet Shelter campaign*,PGTV on Your PC Webstreaming ad campaign,Art of Transit Desk Art*, Dont forget me!Pet Shelter poster* and Your Hometown Hosts adSpecial Events Art of Transit ribbon cutting* andPassport to Polk Polk County Legislative Day in TallahasseePersonnel The Communications Director, Cindy Rodriguez,was named Polks Public Relations Professional of the Year bythe Dick Pope/Polk County Chapter of the Florida Public RelationsAssociation. This award represents the chapters highest honor.

These recognitions demonstrate the BoCCs dedication andcommitment to effective, two-way communication with citizensand communities throughout Polk County.*Project produced in collaboration with another County division

Polk County Tourism & Sports Marketings professionalawards included being named a VISIT Florida Flagler Award finalistfor Polk Outpost 27 Grand Opening Events and receiving FPRAImage Awards for Central Floridas Travel Writers Media TourProgram and Kris and Katys Tourism Adventures.

Awards and AccomplishmentsPolk County is ...

Award-winningnewsletter helps keep

employees informed

Two FleetManagement

technicians competed

in a national skills

competition where they

were the only public

sector technicians

represented among

techs from national

firms. Were proud

our techs are in the

top 84 in the country.

Didyou

know?


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Recyclables get processed for shipping at Waste Resource Managements recycling facility

For the last 17 years, the Budget and ManagementServices Division has received the Government Finance Officers

Associations Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, whichmeasures the budget in a number of ways, including howsuccessfully budget information is communicatedto citizens.

Organization and Employee Developments EmergingLeaders Program was awarded a 2008 National AchievementAward by the National Association of Counties (NACo). Via itsWeb site, NACo will share with other counties nationwide thedetails of the program and its successes as a model for others.

In recognition of the success of SHINE, Polks employeesuggestion program, the BoCCreceived the national Employee

Involvement Associations (EIA) 2007 SEER Award, whichrecognizes savings per 100 eligible employees within an industrygroup. The EIA, an internationally recognized organization servingprofessional managers and administrators of employee involvementand suggestion programs, also recognized two BoCCemployees:Chris Chila, a Secretary IV in the County Managers Office andan Idea Specialist for SHINE, was named national Evaluator of theYear, an award that recognizes those who make the most impactto employee involvement programs of all the EIA members. Linda McDonnell, Organization and Employee DevelopmentDivision Director, was named winner of the Executive LeadershipAward for 2008. This award represents EIAs highest honor.

The premier local government leadership and managementorganization, the ICMA (International City/County ManagementAssociation) awarded its 2008 Program Excellence Award forStrategic Leadership and Governance to Polks Organizationand Employee Development (OED) Division. Identified byCounty Manager Mike Herr as a strategic initiative critical toorganizational success, this division was established in 2003 tostimulate a culture shift which values employees as a criticalorganizational resource. OED was recognized for its developmentand implementation of a wide variety of quality programs to

support its mission to achieve organizational excellence throughthe engagement, development and recognition of employees.

Twenty-two Polk County managers completed the CertifiedPublic Manager (CPM) course work offered by Florida StateUniversitys Center for Public Management. These graduates,

along with the additional 63 managers who have also earned thecertification, ensure that a high level of skill and professionalismis at work every day for our community.

Now in its fourth successful year, the BoCCToastmasters clubwas given the honor of being named Select Distinguished for the

first time in 2008. Employees who are members of this club havealready earned 15 awards for public speaking expertise at the local,regional and state levels (see photo below). These efforts ensurethat employee participants can successfully and professionallycommunicate BoCCinitiatives in the community.______________________________________________________________

Waste Resource ManagementThe Waste Resource Management (WRM) Division

(formerly Solid Waste Division) continued its stellar trend of

successes. The Recycling Section reached a milestone in July 2008,generating more than $1 million in revenue in the four years sinceit initiated a host-fee arrangement for processing recyclables(contractors pay a per-ton price to process their recyclables throughthe recycling facility). More than 113,000 tons of recyclables (seephoto above) were sold for profit (saving fee-payer dollars) and332,000 cubic yards of material was diverted from the landfill(saving air space for future disposal). Due to the WRMs diligentoversight, the Curbside Waste Collection Program hit full stride thisyear. With nearly 140,000 households served and weekly collectionstops exceeding 530,000, there were less than one complaint for

every 10,000 pick-ups (a success rate of 99.99 percent)!Most significantly, the WRMdid notincrease landfill disposal

rates for the eleventh straight year! Although costs for fuel,labor, equipment and most other expenses have increased, thedivision has managed to offset those increases through continualapplication of cost-saving technologies, finding and implementingbest-management practices and hard work by employees.Toastmasters award winners and OED staff

Awards and Waste Resource ManagementPolk County is ...

If every person inPolk County recycled

just one aluminum

can per day, it would

generate $3.3 million

in recycling income!

This extra income

helps keep collection

and disposal

rates low.

Didyou

know?


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The Information Technology (I.T.) Division completedredesign of the BoCCWeb site (www.polk-county.net) in thespring of 2008. Built from the ground up, this new designfocuses on the most popular and useful information and services.Residents are encouraged to visit the site to learn more about

your County government.A team of County employees recently finished the implementation

of an automated agenda (e-Agenda) system to streamline the BoCCagenda creation and approval process. Secondary benefitsinclude the reduction of paper copies created for review andprocessing, and ease of publishing all material including backupdocuments to the Countys Web site. The system will pay foritself in less than three years.

County government is connected to citizens every day and inmany ways. Consider these County statistics: the Web site received

1.8 million visits this year, the phone network handles more than13 million calls annually, approximately 4.8 million e-mails areprocessed annually and the Geographic Information System (GIS)Data Viewer received more than 48,000 visits by citizens.

Utilities Customer ServicesInteractive Voice Responsesystem was upgraded to allow speech recognition(in English and Spanish). Now you can accessyour account information and make credit cardpayments by speaking your account numberinstead of entering it on your phone key pad.

Leisure Services installed wireless Internetin each of the four community resource centers itoperates to allow citizens public access to servicesand information. Another citizen/customerconvenience is now available through theBuilding Division thanks to new software thatallows online payment of building permit fees.

The Fleet Management Division continued implementingnew innovations. For example, in light of high fuel costs, Polk Countyplaced its first propane-powered pickup into daily service to test this

technology (see photo left). Another advancement is using GPS/Telematics technology for County vehicles to monitor and measurespeed, location, fuel efficiency, employee productivity and responsetime to citizens needs.

Two new laboratoryinstruments that allowsamples to be processedmore accurately andefficiently (see photoright) are now beingused by the NaturalResources WaterResources Program totest lake and streamsamples for pollution.

The Transportation Engineering Division developed a wayto map roadway pavement conditions from the County work flowmanagement system into the Countys GIS viewer (aerial photomapping). Transportation Engineeringalso tracks pavementmanagement warranties through the same system. When TrafficEngineeringand Roadway Maintenance create work orders,

they can check the system to see if roads have warranties beforeperforming maintenance. This helps save money by avoidingmaintenance costs on work that should be done by contractors.

The Traffic Engineering and Operations Division partneredwith the Florida Department of Transportation to get $460,000 toinstall 41.3 miles of Inverted Rib Profile Markings on various roadsthroughout Polk County. These markings are a revolutionary safetymarking system that stays visible even under the heaviest rainfall inFlorida. The raised profile ridges efficiently reflect light back to themotorist and improve drainage of water to enhance driving conditions

in heavy rain.The Traffic Engineering and Operations Division continued

its installation of a wireless fiber network that securely communicateswith Intell igent Transportation System Traffic Signals in the field viaInternet Protocol (IP) addressing. Now at 26 intersections, this system

provides the infrastructure to remotelyanalyze traffic conditions (level of service)on County roadways and identify/resolvetraffic back-ups by remotely alteringthe traffic light patterns to reduce oreliminate the back-up (see photo left).

Along with improving traffic flows andreducing delays, use of this system willproduce measurable savings in commutertimes, fuel emissions and consumption forthe citizens and visitors of Polk County.

New Metrohm titrator used in Water Resources lab

Traffic Engineering Operations staff monitorsthe Intelligent Transportation System

Fleet Management is going green!

Inormation Technology & InnovationsPolk County is ...

The I.T. DivisionsTechnical Services

Section supports

approximately 1,425

desktop and laptop

PCs, as well as more

than 120 servers.

Didyouknow?


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13

Investing in Polks Future

Rapidly growing Polk County covers more than 2,000 squaremiles, is home to an estimated 585,000 people and is the fourth

largest county in Florida. Seventeen municipalities lie withinPolks boundaries. However, more than half of the totalpopulation lives in the unincorporated area, where recent yearspopulation growth has increased congestion on County roads andwhere limited County parks provide sites, facilities and amenitiesfor families to play together enjoying sports, water andrecreation in the great outdoors. The influx of people inhabitingPolk County also creates the need for enhancements in libraryfacilities; waste management services; utilities services includingwater, wastewater and reclaimed water services; and naturalresource programs that support, protect, enhance and manage

the environment including public lakes and waterways.

While progress is evident everywhere in Polk County,unprecedented growth over the past several years, coupledwith anticipated slower, but continued growth, has resulted inmany challenges, among them the need to:

Improve driving conditions by adding capacity toPolks roads (more lanes, etc.)

Improve substandard roads (resurface or widen themto todays standards and vehicle requirements)

Improve intersections (adding turn lanes to improvetraffic flow, etc.)

Add or improve parks and recreation facilitiesIncrease access to librariesImprove drainage . . . and more

All of these quality-of-life issues affect both Polk residents andvisitors to some extent every day.

In 2005, the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC)addressed many critical infrastructure needs when it approved

funding for significant Investments in Polks Future in the formof a one-mill ad valorem tax for roads, a 1/2-mill* MunicipalServices Taxing Unit (MSTU) for parks, a 1/4-mill* MSTU forlibraries and increased impact fees on new construction. As aresult of that decision, the BoCCset in motion a communityinvestment plan that includes approximately $1.6 billion forroads, $93.5 million for parks and additional funds for libraryoperations/project expenses. While the initial timeline forcompletion of all projects was ten years, property tax reform in2007, the passage of amendment 1 in 2008, the slowdown inthe economy (and sales tax revenues) as well as the significant

growth slowdown in Polk (resultingin reduced impact fee revenues) haveall converged to require that someprojects be delayed. The extent of thedelay will be determined by how quicklythe economic conditions improve, butsteady progress on these community

Signage used to identify Community InvestmentProjects part of an award-winning publicawareness campaign

Signs promote spending time with family in Polks parks

technology and Web sitesCommunity Investment ProjectsPolk County is ...

investment projects will continue to provide much-needed jobs inPolk, while also helping speed economic recovery.

*subsequently reduced to 0.4219 mill for parks and 0.2109 mill for librariesthrough legislative tax reform.

Over the next eight pages, youll find details about many of theprojects that were completed this year, as well as some informationabout upcoming projects. There are a number of other ways you canlearn about the projects and their status: via the Countys Web site(www.polk-county.net/cip), through the local media, by e-mail (if yousign up for updates), by inviting a speaker to address your organization,on PGTV and at town hall meetings. On PGTV, tune in to shows suchas Dateline Polk,which recaps County Commission meetings,or Comunidad Vivafor our Spanish-speaking residents. If yourhome or business is impacted by a project, you can expect to hear

directly from County officials through acommunity meeting, by postcard or doorhanger. Youll also recognize the projects asyou drive around the county just look for theYour Road Investment Dollars at Workor Your Park Investment DollarsTaking Rootsigns.Remodeled fire station better accommodates the

revolving schedule of emergency personnel

The BoCC has amulti-year plan for

investments in

Polks infrastructure

making communities

both more livable

and sustainable.

Didyouknow?


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14

Roads OverviewImproving the Countys transportation system remains

a major priority for the Polk County Board of County

Commissioners. Maintaining and upgrading County roadsenhances safety, relieves congestion, creates jobs and

stimulates economic growth. A safe and effective

transportation system is vital to our county. Likewise,

continued roadway and right-of-way improvements

enrich the quality of life for all Polk County citizens.

On the following pages is information about capacity

improvements, pavement management (asphalt resurfacing

and stabilization), intersections, sidewalk projects, bridgemaintenance and drainage maintenance within the Public

Works Department Community Investment Program.

For additional information, please contact the

Transportation Engineering Division at 534-6700.

Capacity ProjectsAdding lanes to existing County roads lessens congestionand delays from increased demand. New roads will alsoaccommodate current and future growth while enhancing theexisting road network through greater connectivity. Improvedsafety is another primary benefit of adding lanes.

Capacity projects currently under

construction include:

County Line Road (Pipkin Road West toEwell Road)CR 54/Ronald Reagan Parkway Phase 1 (US 17/92to Lake Wilson Road) CompleteCR 540A/Central Barn Road Phase 2 (Lakeland HighlandsRoad to US 98) scheduled for completion in 2009Pace Road (Berkley Road to futurePolk Parkway interchange) CompleteSmith Lane (new road between E.F. Griffinand US 98) Complete

Capacity projects scheduled to begin

construction in fiscal year 2008/09:

Berkley Road Phases 2 & 3 (Old Dixie Hwy. to Pace Road)Carl Floyd Road/Overlook DriveCR 54 Phase 2 (Lake Wilson Road to ChampionsGate Blvd.)CR 54 Phase 3 (ChampionsGate Blvd. to US 27)Ernie Caldwell Blvd. Phase 1 (FDC Grove Road to US 27)Ernie Caldwell Blvd. Phase 2 (US 27 to Pine Tree Trail)Helena RoadPine Tree Trail (CR 54 to Ernie Caldwell Blvd.)

Capacity projects under study, design orright-of-way acquisition in fiscal year 2008/09:

Bartow Northern Connector Phase 1 (US 98 to US 17)County Line Road (Ewell Rd. to SR 60)CR 35A Kathleen Road Phase 2 (Galloway Road to Duff Road)CR 37B/Lakeland Highlands Road (CR 540Ato Polk Parkway)CR 547 Jackson Hwy. (US 27 to US 17/92)CR 559A Auburndale Cutoff (Berkley Road to SR 559)and Berkley Road Phase 4 (Pace Road to CR 559A)Harden Blvd. (Pipkin to Polk Parkway)Northridge Trail Phase 1 (Deen Still Road to Sand Mine Road)SR 544 (US 27 to SR 17)Thompson Nursery Road Phase I (US 17 toWest Lake Ruby Drive)West Pipkin Road (Old Hwy. 37 to Pipkin Road W.)

Improving Roads and CapacityPolk County is ...

Crews makeprogress on PaceRoad improvements

To meet the needsof Polk County

residents and make

our roadways

safer and easier to

travel, Roadway

Maintenance

responded to 3,497

citizen action requests

for things like asphalt

repair, road trash

and tree trimming.

Didyou

know?


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15

East Lake Buffum before and after resurfacing

Pavement Management

During the past fiscal year, the annual pavement management programresurfaced nearly 133 miles of County roads at a cost of about $150,000per mile. Roads are prioritized based on surface condition.

Roads resurfaced in fiscal year 2007/08:

Adams Barn Road

Alachua Drive

Allspice Court

Anderson Road

Anise Court

Anise Lane

Anise Place

Anise Way

Appaloosa Road

Archers Path

Arkansas Court

Bannon Island Road

Banyan Lane

Barnes Road

Barnhorst Road

Barton PlaceBasil Circle

Basil Court

Bates Road

Bent Yoke Court

Bering Road

Berkley Road

Black Walnut Drive

Bob Rawls Road

Bonito Way

Bowmans TrailBuck Board Trail

Burns Avenue

Caloosa Lake Circle North

Caloosa Lake Circle South

Canal Road

Cantor Court

Carriage Drive

Chuck Wagon Way

Clark Road

Conch DriveConch Lane

Conch Way

Country Lake Circle

Covey Court

CR 630 (Brewster Road)

Crews Lake Drive

Crews Lake Road

Crest Lane

Crossover Road

Danube Drive

Danube Way

Deen Still Road

Delrose Drive East

Delrose Drive North

Delrose Drive West

Detour Road

Diamond Road

Dixie Avenue

Dogfish Court

Dogfish Lane

Dogfish WayDogwood Court

Dogwood Place

Dolphin Drive

Dolphin Way

Don Place

Don Way

Dovehollow Drive

Dovetail Lane North

Dovetail Lane South

Drum CourtDrum Drive

Drum Lane

Dudley Drive

E F Griffin Road

Edgewood Drive

Edison Road

Erie Court

Erie Drive

Erie Lane

Erie WayEscambia Lane

Escambia Way

Farrington Drive

Farris Drive

Fast Trot Trail

Feather Drive

Flatfish Court

Flatfish Drive

Floral Circle East

Floral Circle West

Florida Drive

Flounder Place

Flounder Road

Flounder Way

Fox Hunt Drive

Frazier Street

Friar Tucks Trail

Gause Street

Gib Galloway Road

Gladys Fewox Road

Grey Fox Hollow Drive

Grouper Court

Grouper Drive

Greenway Circle

Greenway DriveHaddock Way

Halibut Road

Hankin Road South

Hemlock Avenue

Herring Court

Herring Lane

Herring Way

Hidden Creek Lane

Hidden Creek Court

Hudson Court

Hudson Drive

Hurlbut Circle

Huron Drive

Huron Lane

Huron Terrace

Huron Way

Inconnu Court

Inconnu Drive

Ironwood Trail

Jody Road

Johnson Avenue

Kayworth Court

King Road

Kingfish Circle

Kingfish Drive

Kingfish Way

Kitty Fox Lane

Knollwood Drive

Lake Boulevard

Lake Buffum Road East

Lake Dexter Boulevard

Lake Dexter Circle

Lake Eloise Drive

Lake Ina Drive East

Lake Ina Drive West

Lake Ina Wye

Improving RoadsPolk County is ...

The total miles ofroads resurfaced this

year is about the

same distance as

from Lakeland to

Ft. Myers!

Didyou

know?


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16

Pavement Managementcontinued

Lake Miriam CircleLake Summit Drive West

Lakeview Court

Lakeview Drive

Lakeview Lane

Lakeview Place

Lakeview Road

Lakeview Way

Lasso Lane

Longhorn Drive

Lunnway Circle

Mackerel Road

Maggie Drive

Magnolia Drive

Maid Marions Trail

Maine Avenue #1

Maine Avenue #2

Manatee Court

Manatee Drive

Manatee LaneManatee Way

Manitoba Court

Manitoba Drive

Manitoba Lane

Sawfish Drive

Sawfish Lane

School House Road

Shady Acres Drive

Shadowwood Court

Shadowwood Drive

Shadowwood Lane

Shadowwood Run

Shadowwood Trail

Shadowwood Way

Shadywood Place

Sherwood Lakes BoulevardShetland Court

Shetland Drive

Silver Spur Loop

Simpson Drive

Singletree Court

Sky Flower Court

Slash Pine Drive

Snapper Drive

Snapper PlaceSnapper Way

Sourwood Way

Southside Frontage Road

Southcrest Boulevard

Southpoint Lane

Southview Lane

Spoonbill Court

Spring Creek Drive

Spruce Lane

Stallion Drive

Stanford Drive

Stowe Place

Superior Court

Superior Place

Superior Way

Susan Road

Sweet Gum Run

Sweet Leaf Court

Tammis Lane

Taylor Court

Tenth Street North

Tenth Street West

Tiger Circle

Old Bartow/Eagle Lake Road

Olive Drive

Orchid Lane

Overlook Drive

Ox Bow Court

Paces Trail

Pacific Road

Palmway Circle

Parker Road

Parliament Place

Pasteur Road

Patricia DrivePatterson Road

Peace Court

Peace Drive

Peace Place

Peace Way

Pelican Court

Pike Way

Pine Island Drive

Pinto WayPipkin Road West

Point View Lane

Point Way

Poley Creek Drive East

Poley Creek Drive West

Pollard Road

Prairie Circle

Quarter Horse Way

Radford Road

Ranch Hand Trail

Ray Place

Redwood Way

Robin Hoods Trail

Rolling Hills Court East

Rolling Hills Court West

Rolling Hills Loop South

Rustic Circle East

Rustic Circle West

Royal Crest Drive

Rustic Estates Drive

Saddle Way

Sam Keen Road

Sawfish Court

Manitoba WayMarigold Avenue

Marty Lane

Mays Court

Merrily Way

Michigan Court

Michigan Drive

Michigan Lane

Michigan Place

Michigan Way

Moore Road

Morgan Horse Way

Morris Drive

Myakka Court

Myakka Place

Myakka Road

Nature Trail

Newman Circle East

Newman Circle North

Newman Circle WestNinety One Mine Road

Northside Frontage Road

Ohio Lane

Ohio Way

Improving RoadsPolk County is ...

Resurfacing EF Griffin Road greatlyimproved driving conditions

RoadwayMaintenance

graded 2,171 miles

of unpaved road.

Thats about the

distance from

Tampa to Phoenix,

Arizona!

Didyouknow?


17/32

17

Tish Road

Thomas Wood Lane

Tillery Road

Tom Costine Road

Tumbleweed Trail

Valley Farm Road

Valley Trail

Vaughn Road

Wabash Avenue North

Wakulla Road

Walker Road

Walt Williams RoadWarfield Drive

West Lake Wales/Alturas Road

Westminster Court

Wheeler Street

Whippletree Drive

Whisper Trail

Whispering Pines Road

Whitedove Drive

Will WayWindwood Drive

Windwood Lane

Wilson Boulevard

Woodcrest Lane

Wooddale Drive

Woodfern Drive

Woodland Drive

Yeomans Path

Roads proposed

for resurfacing in

fiscal year 2008/09:Avon Park Cutoff Road

Beverly Road

Bradbury Road

Campbell Road West

Chambers Road

Cherry Pocket Road

Cherry Pocket Lane

Cimarron Court

Cimarron Drive

Crews Road

Crystal Lake Drive North

Edgewater Drive

Greenwoods Drive

Greenwoods Lane

Harvard Street

Honeysuckle Drive

Indian Ridge Trail

Jennings RoadJohnson Avenue

KVille Road

King James Court

Kings Mont Court

Kings Mont Drive

Klein Court

Klein Road

Old Bartow Road afterrepaving (above) andbefore (in circle)

SidewalksSidewalks are constructed or replaced to enhance safety,connect neighborhoods and provide recreation for pedestrians.

New sidewalks completed during fiscal year 2007/08:Carter Road (St. John Newman Catholic Church to Eaglebrooke)Cypress Gardens Road (Tyler Road to Kipling Lane)Halibut Road (Flounder Road to north dead-end)Myakka Road (Pacific Road to school entrance)Pacific Road (Lake Marion Creek Drive to Flounder Road)Palmetto Street (Marigold Avenue to Falcon Road)Walnut Street (Tiger Road to Osceola County Line)West Campbell Road (Manor Drive to Lewis Road)Westwood Middle School (Avenue J to Woodside Drive)Yarborough Lane (Summer Glen to Royal Court)

Lake Hatchineha Road

Old Eagle Lake Road

Winter Haven Road

Pine Road South

Rhoden Road

Sidewalk projects proposed for fiscal year 2008/09:

Auburndale areaTeneroc High School entrance to Tower Manor mobile home park Complete

South Lakeland areaCarter Road (from Loyce Harpe Park to Wal-Mart) CompleteScott Lake Road (at Old Scott Lake Road) CompleteStrickland Avenue (Falcons Landing to CR 540A) Complete

Eaton ParkMain Avenue (from Dawn Heights Dr. to Crystal Hills MHP) Complete

Jan Phyl VillageFern Road (from Hatfield Road to Sidney Circle) CompleteHatfield Road (Coleman Road to Fern Road) Complete

Winter Haven areaAvenue C (from 15th Street to existing sidewalk inside city limits)Country Club Road (connect existing sidewalk network)

Improving Roads and SidewalksPolk County is ...

Old Bartow Eagle LakeRoad before and afterimprovements

Robinson Drive East

Sandlewood Lane

Sunset Grove Court

T S Wilson Road

Winchester Road

Woodland Avenue

RoadwayMaintenance

mowed 32,450 acres

of rights-of-way

including road

shoulders andmedians, making

necessary pull-offs

safer.

Didyouknow?


18/32

18

Shepherd Roadat Poley Creekbefore and afterimprovements

BridgeMaintenanceThe County is instituting state-of-the-art database software to aidin bridge repair and replacement. The program will incorporatedata from inspection reports to help prioritize repairs, predict

the extended life expectancy based on repairs and help prioritizereplacement.

Bridges under construction in fiscal year 2007/08:

Shepherd Road at Poley Creek CompleteBridges repaired in fiscal year 2007/08:

Fish Hatchery RoadMann RoadOld Bowling Green RoadReynolds RoadSutton RoadSwindell RoadSeven bridges were improved for safety with theaddition of approach guardrails

Other noteworthy bridge activity:

Hardee County Line Road Bridge replacement project designand permitting is complete. Construction is expected to startin early 2009.

Contracted design and permitting for repairing erosionaround bridge supports needed for six bridges.

Bridge replacement study for Adell Road Bridge is complete.Final design is underway.

Final Design for replacing Rock Ridge Road wooden bridgescheduled for fiscal year 2008/09.

New guardrail installation on Rock Ridge Road bridges iscomplete and guardrail on Deen Still Road bridgesscheduled for fiscal year 2008/09.

IntersectionsIntersection upgrades increase level of service and safety byadding turn lanes, traffic signals and improving sightlines.

Intersection improvement projects completed

during fiscal year 2007/08:

Clubhouse Road at US 98CR 54/Ronald Reagan Parkway at ChampionsGate Blvd.CR 54/Ronald Reagan Parkway at US 27Daughtery Road at Green RoadReynolds Road at Maine Avenue

Intersection improvement projects scheduled

for construction in fiscal year 2008/09:

Alamo Drive at South Florida AvenueCR 544 at SR 17Cypress Gardens Blvd. at Cypress Gardens RoadLake Miriam Drive at Cleveland Heights Blvd.Scott Lake Road at Fitzgerald RoadShepherd at Bailey RoadSouthern Dunes Blvd. at US 27Thornhill Road at Recker HighwayTiger Road/Walnut Street/Country Club Road

Intersection improvement projects

under study, design or right-of-way acquisition

in fiscal year 2008/09:30th Street at Hinson AvenueSR 544 at US 27Yates Road at Ewell Road

Improving Bridges and IntersectionsPolk County is ...

By removing 17,294illegally placed signs

in the County rights-

of-way, Roadway

Maintenance helped

improve Polk Countys

appearance for both

residents and visitors.

Didyouknow?


19/32


20/32

20

Polks Nature Discovery Center at Circle B Bar Reserve offers hiking, biking, picnicking and much more!

It Starts in ParksProgress was made on three major community investment

parks projects this year; all to be completed in 2009:

Simmers-Young ParkProject is currently under construction with an August 2009projected completion date. When completed, the facilitywill be a seven-field soccer complex that can also be utilized

for football, with concession support facilities for both, plentyof parking, picnicking, trails and a playground.

Christina ParkPhase II renovation of Christina Park in south Lakeland consisting of dedicated parking for Phase I ballfields, a newgrand pavilion with integral restrooms, walking paths, picnicshelters and a new roadway is now complete. Christina Parkwill re-open to public use mid-March 2009.

Mosaic Peace River ParkThe Phase II boardwalk construction project is now completeand connects an additional 3,000 lineal feet of boardwalk to

the existing boardwalk to provide a full loop system. The Friendsof the Parks Foundation secured a Charlotte Harbor NaturalEstuaries Program grant to provide interpretativesignage along the new boardwalk.

In addition to these advancements, theLeisure Services Division helped meet the needsof Polk County residents through other leisureactivities and facilities (see page 22).

LibrariesCommunity Library Investmentdollarsimprove and expand library services and materials

to all residents of Polk County through continuationof successful programs such as the Polk CountyLibrary Cooperatives (PCLC) B-Mail (Books byMail) project. As more and more library users discoverthe ease of having requested items mailed to

them at home, more than 4,500 items a month are sent through theB-Mail project! The PCLCalso entered its second year of partnershipwith the Lakeland Public Library System in operating the storefrontExpress Library at Lake Miriam Square. To learn about other PCLCaccomplishments, please see page 22.

Other CIP projectsConstruction of Polks Nature Discovery Centerat Circle B Bar

Reserve was completed (see photo left), and the grand opening was heldNovember 1, 2008. This facility, a collaborative effort of many governmentagencies, provides an opportunity for visitors, students and teachers todiscover Polk Countys water, wilderness and wildlife and the intriguingconnection and balance between them. Several boardwalks allow forspecial wildlife viewing opportunities, and trails are available for walking,jogging and bicycling. This area is also one of the premier birding sitesin the state, allowing visitors to see many different birds in a shortperiod of time. Dont miss out! If you havent already visited PolksNature Discovery Center, make plans now to enjoy this educationaland recreational adventure with your family located at 4300 WinterLake Road, Lakeland.

The Natural Resources Drainage Program managed variousphases of more than 16 Community Investment Program (CIP) projectsthis year. These phases consist of feasibility studies, WatershedManagement Plans (WMPs), design, permitting, land acquisition and

construction. Some projects are funded through Cooperative FundingAgreements (CFAs) with the Southwest Florida Water ManagementDistrict (SWFWMD) where the County funds 50 percent of the cost andSWFWMD funds the other 50 percent. These projects generally involvedevelopment and implementation of the WMPs, which are used toevaluate drainage/flooding problems within a watershed and recommendimprovements. Other CFAs are developed for projects that addresswater quality issues or address regional flooding issues. The remainingprojects in the CIP address local flooding issues or large maintenanceprojects. The Drainage Program also constructed three CIP projects:Frostproof/Lake Clinch Outfall, Schoolhouse/Dorman Road Intersection

Drainage Improvements and Lake Lowery Outfall Pipe Repair torelieve flooding and drainage issues in these areas.

Natural Resources Water Resources Section worked on threeprojects to improve water quality in Polk Countylakes and streams. The Elizabeth Place projectinvolved the evaluation of the drainage system onCR 540A in Lakeland to address improving waterquality in the Banana Lake Basin. The Lake Gwynproject included obtaining state funding for designand permitting for a lake restoration project to createsome open water areas and enhance the wetlands,

which will improve water quality and provide a betterhabitat for wildlife. The Itchepackesassa Creek projectincluded the purchase of 262 acres on Walker Road inLakeland for the construction of a wetland treatmentsystem to improve water quality in conjunction witha proposed County park.

Community Investment ProjectsPolk County is ...

Construction completed on HomelandHeritages Methodist Church

The Nature DiscoveryCenter, partnering

with the Polk County

School Board, plans

to provide hands-on

curriculum to help

middle-school students

understand how

science is used in the

real world and the

importance of their

connection to Polk

Countys natural

resources.

Didyouknow?


21/32

21

The Environmental Resources Departmentcompletedseveral projects to provide additional capacity, enhance operationand increase service to Polk County Utility customers:

Completed water service projects: County Road (CR) 54 boosterstation June 2008 (see photo right), ChampionsGate/Polk/TOHO (Tohopekaliga Water Authority) interconnect June2008, Phases 2A September 2007 and 3A of the CR 54water main relocation May 2008, CR 540A Phase 1 watermain utility relocation November 2008 and Holly Hillcooperatively funded deep exploratory well January 2008.Completed wastewater service projects: Phase 2A - September2007 and 3A of the CR 54 sanitary force main relocation -May 2008, Lake Wilson Road/TOHO wastewater interconnect- July 2007, CR 540A Phase 1 sanitary main utility relocation- November 2008, Southwest Regional Wastewater TreatmentFacility upgraded from 2.0 million gallons per day (MGD) to4.0 MGD - January 2008, Sunray Phase 1 Lift Station - June2008 , Oakhills Wastewater Treatment Facility - July 2007, rapidinfiltration basins - March 2008 and Northeast WastewaterTreatment Facility fast track reclaimed water andheadworks - October 2007.

During FY 2007/08, Polk County Utilities receivedapproximately $1.2 million in reimbursement from the SouthwestFlorida Water Management District for Community Investment

infrastructure projects related to the development of alternativewater supplies, including reclaimed water in the Northwest andNortheast Regional Utility Service Areas. Improvements such asadditional reclaimed water transmission lines, ground storagefacilities and pumping systems will help ensure residents haveadequate water pressure and supply during peak usage times.

A number of major construction projects continued this yearunder the direction of Facilities Management, including:

The Central Energy Plant portion of the South CountyJail Expansion project was completed.

Construction on the Central County Jail Work Campwas completed.

Repair and renovation was completed at the HomelandHeritage Park (see photo on page 20 and description on page 22).

Facilities managed the PolksNature Discovery Center designand construction contracts forthe Natural Resources Division(see page 20).

Replacement of the Jan PhylFire/EMS Station and remodelingof the Providence Fire Stationwere completed (see page 25).

The Countys comprehensiveCommunity Development BlockGrant (CDBG) program workedwith eight municipal partners

and managed several large-scaleconstruction/public facility projects such as the completion of the$1.9 million Phase I of the Eloise Water, Sewer and DrainageImprovement Project (see photos below), city-driven improvementssuch as Lake Hamiltons water improvement project and the InwoodNeighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA), a $505,000comprehensive water study project for this neighborhood locatedbetween Winter Haven and Auburndale. The engineering analysisfor this area led to construction plans for three Inwood projects atan additional cost of $617,442 intended to improve and preventfurther deterioration of the areas existing drainage system.

Long Range Planning and Transportation PlanningOrganization (TPO) completed a number of projects this year:

The County processed 13 small-scale and 14 large-scaleComprehensive Plan amendments that help promote thecommunitys vision while addressing changes in populationand development trends.

Transportation Planning Organization staff kicked off the 2060Transportation Vision Plan and the 2060 Population andEmployment Forecasts to help determine where new growth isexpected and how future transportation investments can meet

the needs of that growth.Transportation Planning Organization staff completed the EastPolk County 2030 Highway Network Plan that includes identificationof a road network that will serve future travel demand in the

Ridge communities.

Polk County was chosen as a pilot county by theState Department of Community Affairs, which provideda consultant to help Long Range Planningwithpublic outreach and preparation of the Post-DisasterRedevelopment Plan.

In February 2008, the BoCCapproved a consultantservice authorization with Reiss Engineering to providePolk County and its municipalities a comprehensivewater supply plan for the next 20 years. The project isco-funded by both the Southwest and South Floridawater management districts and is expected to becompleted by May 2009.

Community Investment & Other ProjectsPolk County is ...

Completed Eloise project

Work inprogress onEloise Water, Sewer andDrainage Improvement Project

Booster station and storage tank allows for more efficient water flowto northeast portions of the county

The BoCC approveda new cleaning

ordinance that allows

Code Enforcement

staff to proceed quickly

on resolving the most

serious cases where

theres an immediate

risk to the health,

safety and welfare

of our citizens.

Didyouknow?


22/32

22

The Methodist Church at Homeland Heritage Parkwascompletely restored to its full beauty and glory this year with theaid of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding (thechurch had been severely damaged in the 2004 hurricanes). Offeringa glimpse into the past and a unique setting for group outings,

Homeland Heritage Parkis a five-acre pioneer village and PolkCountys only historical park.

Facility upgrades assure safe playing conditions for more than15,000 adults and youth participating in league activities on theCountys 112 athletic fields. Some of the projects completed this yearby Leisure Servicespark maintenance staff include constructing16 new dugouts at Mulberry Park, renovating six baseball fields (twoat Hunt Fountain and four at Mulberry) and installing shade coversover heavily used playgrounds at Loyce E. Harpe and East Centralto protect children and their parents from the suns harmful rays.

Nearly all of Leisure Services52 special events are stagedoutdoors. With three campgrounds, four horse arenas, 42 boat ramplanes, and 27 organized youth leagues, there are ample outdoorrecreational opportunities for a wide variety of activities at littleor no cost to Polk County citizens. TheRecreation Unitproduced and hostedspecial events and programs for morethan 16,123 attendees this year,including: Movies in the Park, BlackHeritage Festival, Easter Egg Hunts,Camp Rock summer recreation program,

Hispanic Heritage Festival, CrackerStorytelling Festival, and HauntedHalloween Hayride and Happenings.

Because residents in the growingPoinciana area in northeast Polk County

have immediate needs for services including parks, the BoCCset aside$3.5 million from one-time monies during the 2008 budgeting processto acquire park acreage and approved $1 million per year for debt

service in Leisure Servicescapital improvements budget. Variousper-acre scenarios have been developed to provide planners a financialsnapshot of a feasible purchase in this area. Coupled with fundingfrom the other partners involved, the County may be able to purchasemore than 400 acres by mid-year 2009.

Library news The Polk County Library Cooperative (PCLC)conducted anumber of outreach programs in neighborhoods around the countyand, through the use of a wireless AirCard, issued library cards on thespot. Between these events and the excellent work of the memberlibraries, more than 25,000 citizens signed up for new library cards. Inaddition, the member libraries of the PCLCbroke all previous recordsfor circulation of library materials this year, circulating more than twomillion items countywide! During the summer, member librariesconducted 245 programs for 13,481 children from kindergarten to sixthgrade. Participants were treated to puppet shows, storytelling, craftsand games. To learn more about the PCLC, go to www.pclc.lib.fl.us.

The Historical Libraryset a new all-time record for usage thisyear, serving 11,603 patrons, including people from 27 states, Canadaand the United Kingdom. Use of Internet database resources at the

library also increased 34 percent, with more than 9,600 databasesessions documented on resources like Ancestry and Heritage Quest.

Perhaps the Historical Librarys most exciting project this yearwas the completion of the History of African-Americans in PolkCounty scrapbooks. This 18-volume set of more than 1,500 newspaperarticle abstracts has been in the works for more than five years. Afterindexing is completed it will provide a new and absolutely uniqueresource for African-American research in Polk County.

Historical MuseumThis year, the Historical Museum produced eight rotating

exhibits (see photo below) and accepted new gifts of historical objectsand collections from 23 individuals and organizations. The museumhosted the Polk County History Fair for approximately 175 students,awarding trophies to students for museum-quality exhibit work.

The museum continued to host and partnerwith community and governmental organizationsby providing free meeting and event space tonon-profit organizations, as well as renting toprivate individuals and organizations in need ofsafe and affordable family oriented event space.This year, 67 events brought 8,496 additionalvisitors to the museum a 25 percent increasein special event usage over last year. In addition,1,127 participants in 38 adult and youth tourgroups visited the museum.

New portable bleachers are an invaluable addition to Leisure Services inventory

Polk County Historical Museums 100 Years ofMedicine exhibit

Leisure ServicesPolk County is ...

Leisure Servicesdistributed $40,000

through its Youth

Assistance Program so

financially challenged

youth could participate

in sports leagues.

Didyou

know?


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The Communications Division coordinated several grandopenings, ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings and special events(in collaboration with other County divisions), helping make

progress more visible to citizens. Among these was the grandopening for the new Jan Phyl Fire Station (new facility andlocation); groundbreakings on the Pace Road improvement projectand the Sheriffs Office North Ridge substation; as well as theNew Years Day Heres to Your Health Hike special event anendeavor that helps Polk residents and visitors start their new yearoff right with healthy habits and family fun in the great outdoors.

A town hall meeting was held to give citizens greateropportunity to interact with County government leaders andCommissioners. Coordinated by the Communications Division,

the meeting was held on a week night (a time citizens have toldus is best for them) to reach citizens in the northwest area of PolkCounty (Kathleen High School). Town hall meetings and otheroutreach efforts provide citizens an opportunity to hear aboutplans/projects for their communities, obtain information aboutCounty services and voice issues and concerns. Due to budgetconstraints and declining attendance, the BoCCplans to hold onetown hall meeting in 2009, while the Communications Division/PGTVis also exploring options for offering citizens an opportunityto ask questions and hear from County Commissioners via theInternet using live webinar technology.

In January 2008, the Housing and NeighborhoodDevelopment Division assisted Housing and Urban Developmentofficials in sponsoring a major home-ownership event intended tomatch eligible home buyers with lenders and credit counselors.

Bringing health care information and services into Polk Countycommunities, Community Health and Social Services held fourfamily friendly health awareness expos in Poinciana, Eloise, LakeWales and Florence Villa. Attended by 569 adults and children,these health fairs provided information on health prevention andeducation, such as nutrition, exercise,

obesity, body mass index, smokingcessation, diabetes education,disease management, safety andhealth insurance. A variety of healthscreenings were also offered toattendees (see photo right). Inaddition, social workers assistedparticipants in applying for FloridaKidCare, food stamps and cashassistance (Medicaid), and determiningtheir eligibility for other social service

programs. By providing theseeducational opportunities andhands-on assistance with accessinghealthcare alternatives, CHSSemployees improved communityhealth while also reducing costly reliance on hospital emergencyrooms for non-emergency care.

Social Services also participated in 178 community outreachevents/meetings and saw 5,044 individuals. During those events,1,890 individuals were screened for blood pressure, 1,591 forblood sugar and 1,585 for cholesterol.

The Community Outreach Mobile Unitallows Polk

HealthCare Plan staff to provide outreach, education and healthscreenings to the community. Bilingual staff and a nurse accompanythe vehicle at all stops and locations. This year, the mobile unitmade 149 site visits where staff saw 1,532 individuals.

Polk County Transit Services (with assistance fromTransportation Planning Organization staff) held its firstHuman Services Transportation Summit to bring local human serviceagencies together and form a coalition to bring more transportationto people who desperately need it. Nearly 200 people representing

40 agencies (including the Community

Transportation Association of America,the Transportation DisadvantagedCommission, the Department of ElderAffairs and others) turned out, and plansare underway to secure funding to assistthe coalition with its efforts.

In an effort to raise awareness ofthe issues of child abuse and neglect,the eighth annual Blue Ribbon Run washeld in Lake Wales. In additional to thisevent, Healthy Families participated

in many local health and safety fairs,back-to-school bashes, the annual TeenSummit, Step-Up Florida, Childrens Day

and Family Week all of which strengthen families for the benefitof the community (see top photo).

Risk Managements Community Health and Social Servicesbrings health screenings to the community

Having fun at a Healthy Families event!

EventsPolk County is ...

This year, 114individuals attended

Community Health

and Social Services

diabetic education

classes where attendees

had an opportunityfor one-on-one

disease management

consultations with

an LPN improving

our communitys

overall health!

Didyou

know?


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The Emergency Management Division develops andimplements the Countys emergency plans for natural andman-made disasters, operates the Countys Emergency OperationsCenter, is responsible for operating the Countys E9-1-1 systemand maintains and coordinates operation of the countywide radio

system. This year, Emergency Managementwas involved in anumber of major projects that improved the capability ofemergency services to provide response, including:

The Communications Center, in conjunction with Emergency Medical Services (EMS), continued to move

forward with the implementation of the Emergency MedicalDispatch program. This program allows 9-1-1 call takers to askcallers a series of protocol-driven questions, resulting in dispatchof the most effective response for the incident. This will helpprovide the most appropriate level of service for each call,ultimately resulting in more cost-efficient dispatching of these

critical services.Radio Services continued providing service for more than 4,500countywide subscribers who conducted more than 12 millionradio transmissions this year while attending to the publicsafety needs of residents and visitors.

Radio Services negotiated agreements with Sprint Nextel andMotorola on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-mandated re-banding initiative. Thosenegotiations netted an additional$4.6 million of replacement equipmentto Polk County (at no additional costto local property-tax payers).

A new radio tower and microwavelink were installed at the public safetycomplex. The entire community willbenefit from these installations.

The County Special Needs program registration list continuedexpanding and now includes more than 4,100 citizens. Thisgroup is made up primarily of those county residents who

would require special medical attention during disasters.Planning for the Countys new Emergency Operations Center andJoint Communications Center was completed. Construction hasbegun and is expected to be completed in 2010.

Two highly successful hurricane expos were held in June: one atthe Winter Haven Orange Dome where approximately 4,000residents attended, with more than 70 vendors and displaybooths on hand, and the Four Corners Hurricane Expo with 20vendors and approximately 400 attendees from Polk, Orange,Lake and Osceola counties.

The Emergency Medical Services Division (EMS) respondsto all requests for emergency medical assistance throughout PolkCounty. Included in this years EMSaccomplishments:

Increased by two the number ofparamedic-staffed fire enginesin the county at Lake Hamiltonand Indian Lake Estates, bringingthe total County-staffedparamedic engines to eight.

In conjunction with various cities,

EMSprovided equipment andvehicle permitting for cityparamedic fire engines: Lake Wales(first engine), Winter Haven(second engine) and Lakeland(fifth and sixth engines).

Through the State of Florida EMSGrant program, EMSsecured anATV vehicle designed to provide a method of quick medicalresponse at large gatherings. The ATV is designed to carry bothpatients who are able to sit up and also those needing stretcher

transportation. This ATV was utilized at the 2008 Sun n Fun,Mayfaire and other events needing emergency medical coveragefor large crowds.

EMSreceived an excellent rating from an unannouncedinspection by the State Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.This rating of an efficiently run and well-maintained departmentwas earned based on reviews of areas such as records management

and facility and equipment inspections.

Fire Services protects the lives and propertyof citizens and visitors to Polk County. This year,progress was made on a number of Fire Servicescommunity investment projects:

Jan Phyl Fire Station a new station in anew, but nearby, location replaced a 42-year-oldstation that was originally designed as anequipment-storage garage.

Polk County Fire Rescue getsinvolved in the community

Emergency personnel respond to a traffic accident

Public SaetyPolk County is ...

Aeromed helicopter lands on a roadway foremergency airlift

On average, everyfive minutes and

42 seconds, the

Polk County

Communications

Center dispatches

emergency responsefor citizens. This

includes County

ambulance and

fire services.

Didyou

know?


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Providence Fire Station remodeled a 39-year-old station,including adding sleeping quarters for around-the-clockemergency response personnel.

Crystal Lake Station purchased two acres to build a newstation to replace the existing 40+ year-old facility. The newstation is scheduled for construction in fiscal year 2009/10.

Fire administration also began work on a green goal oflandscaping all 30 stations with Florida-friendly plants within fiveyears. Many of the stations currently have large expanses of grassand non-native plants which require excessive amounts of waterto maintain. The new landscaping will help minimize on-goingmaintenance costs, conserve water and enhance theneighborhoods where the stations are located by providing a

positive public image. To date, improved landscaping has beencompleted at the Eagle Lake, Golfview, Jan Phyl, Providenceand Highland City stations. The Fire Administration Buildingand the Fire Training Center located at the Bartow Airport havealso been landscaped with Florida-friendly plants. Landscapingwork is being accomplished mostly with in-house staff to minimizecosts and ensure prompt and maximum return on the investment.

The Fire Explorer Post, chartered through the Boy Scoutsof America, has 22 active participants age 14-17. These young menand women take part in various events, learning about publicsafety planning/implementation while providing valuable serviceto the community and preparing themselves for possible careersin public service.

Fire Services conducted nine advanced training coursestotaling 9,184 hours with 137 students. These advanced coursesprepare Fire Services members for promotion while improvingtheir emergency response knowledge, skills and abilities in theircurrent positions.

In order to enhance levels of service for citizens and levelsof safety for staff, Fire Services established, as a standard, athree-person engine company with a Lieutenant in each station asa supervisor. Other staffing improvements included securing fourFirefighter Trainee positions for the diversity program and addingtwo new Fire Inspector positions to reduce the backlog ofcommercial property inspections.

To accommodate the three-person staffing standard, a newfire engine capable of carrying a minimum of three personnelwas placed in service. In addition, two20-year-old aerial apparatus units werereplaced with new aerials that havelonger ladders and increased capabilities

that can provide better insurance ratingsand lowered insurance costs for residentsin the service area. The existing aerials willbe maintained as reserves having fouroperational aerials in the fleet at all timesis a definite service improvement.

Polk County personn

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Polk County Annual Report 2008

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