Plus, Lakeland Electric's $21 million renovation
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Today’s Forecast

77º | Light thunderstorms and rain | 90% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:20 a.m. | Sunset 5:49 p.m.
 

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Curious about the commission?

What you need to know about attending a Lakeland City Commission meeting
Interior of Lakeland City Hall Commission Chamber
Watch city commission meetings in person or online. | Photo by the City of Lakeland
Did you know that the Lakeland City Commission’s bi-monthly meetings are open to the public? Attending these meetings is a great way to become more involved with local government, learn about the initiatives and issues of our city, and even make an impact.

If you’re looking to become a more informed + involved Lakelander, here’s what you need to know about attending city commission meetings:

When are they held?
Meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month at 9 a.m. — unless the day falls on a holiday — at City Hall (228 S. Massachusetts Ave.). You can find the schedule for future meetings here. Pro tip: Arrive a few minutes early so you can find your seat before the meeting begins.

Special note: The City Commission Chambers will be undergoing a major audio/visual renovation project from Friday, May 5-Thursday, June 1. The Monday, May 15 City Commission meeting will be moved to the Lakeland Electric Building 1 A/B.

A screenshot of the City of Lakeland's online parking map shows the Iowa Street Garage, adjacent to City Hall, available to employees and visitors.

Use the city’s online map to find parking options throughout downtown Lakeland.

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Screenshot via ArcGIS online map

Where do I park?
Use the city’s interactive online map to view different parking options. On this map, the Iowa Street garage (orange square) has access for city employees, visitors, and customers. Visitor parking (yellow square) is also labeled outside of City Hall’s entrance off South Iowa Avenue.

Where’s the agenda?
You can preview topics of upcoming meetings (and find previous minutes) online. Agendas are published the Wednesday prior to each meeting.

How can I make a comment?
At the end of each meeting, audience members are given the opportunity to make comments.

In addition to attending in person, city commission meetings are streamed live on LakelandGov TV. Additionally, catch up with what you missed from former meetings with the city’s Meeting Minutes videos.

Do you have lingering questions about attending a Lakeland city commission meeting? Send them our way and we’ll do our best to answer them for you.
Lakeland Realtors
 
Events
Monday, April 17
  • Yoga for Beginners | Monday, Apr. 17 | 10-11 a.m. | Simpson Park Community Center, 1725 Martin L. King Jr. Ave., Lakeland | $5 | Bring your mat and some water to this yoga class for all levels focusing on breath, alignment, balance, and strength — must be 16 or older.
  • Alzheimer’s Association’s In-Person Caregiver Support Group | Monday, Apr. 17 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Schalamar Creek Clubhouse, Garden Room, 4500 US Hwy. 92, Lakeland | Free | Connect with other caregivers at this group that meets on the third Monday of each month.
Tuesday, April 18
  • Tasty Tuesday | Tuesday, Apr. 18 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland | $25 | Buy a pack of tickets to use at downtown eateries for food and drink samples, and enjoy them with live music in Munn Park.
  • American Business Women’s Association Fundraiser | Tuesday, Apr. 18 | 6-9 p.m. | Cleveland Heights Golf Course, 2900 Buckingham Ave., Lakeland | $35 | Bid on gently used purses and new designer purses to benefit American Business Women’s Association’s scholarship programs.
Wednesday, April 19
  • Spring Pop-Up Series: Baking Brewer | Wednesday, Apr. 19 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Catapult Lakeland, 502 E. Main St., Lakeland | Free | Treat yourself to savory brunch items like breakfast sandwiches infused with craft beer.
  • Trivia Night | Wednesday, Apr. 19 | 7-9 p.m. | Union Taproom, 245 W. Central Ave., Ste. 102, Winter Haven | Free | Pour your own drinks and enjoy fresh pizzas at Union Taproom while showing off your general trivia knowledge.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
Wellness

🌱 Spring into health this year
AthleticGreens_AG1_ProductHand_Drink_2.jpg
Athletic Greens replaces multiple supplements with one packet. | Photo by Athletic Greens
Spring cleaning? Here’s a storage solution: Replace nine supplement bottles with one product.

AG1 by Athletic Greens contains 75 vitamins, minerals and whole-food sourced nutrients, replacing nine other products like your probiotic, multivitamin, daily supplement, and more. Hint: It’s the best thing you could do to improve your gut health.

Bonus: Receive a free one year supply of vitamin D and five free travel packs with your first purchase.*
Snag some AG1 this spring
News Notes
Number
  • $21 million. That’s how much the repairs to Lakeland Electric’s McIntosh Power Plant Unit 5 — which was responsible for 64% of Lakeland Electric’s electricity until it went offline on February 21 — will cost. The City is exploring options for funding and filing an insurance claim. (LkldNow)
Development
  • A vacant 1925 Lake Wire home known as “The Emory Bryant House” has been proposed as the site of a new apartment complex. While not technically a registered historic site, the Lakeland City Commission is considering relocating the home or designating it a historic property. (The Ledger)
Health
  • Lakeland Fire Chief Doug Riley hopes to limit exposure to PFAS — chemicals that have been found to be carcinogenic — for Lakeland firefighters. PFAS have been found in protective gear often worn by firefighters. Riley’s plan is to modify how often Lakeland firefighters wear the bunker gear in non-emergency situations. (The Ledger)
Award
Edu
  • Florida Polytechnic University is sending three students to Seattle, Washington in May for the Robot Combat League National Championship. Russell Williams, Sam Porter, and Rhys Kephart will compete with their combat robot, Insomnia, which is currently ranked No. 2 in its class nationwide.
  • Rochelle School for the Arts’ historic auditorium recently got some updates — including new seats to replace the wooden ones originally installed in the 1950s. The $574,000 renovation also included fresh paint, new carpeting, improved accessibility, and fiber optic connectivity. (LkldNow)
Outdoors
  • Calling all green thumbs — UF/IFAS Extension Polk County is hosting a gardening workshop on Thursday, April 27 at 10 a.m. at the Polk Museum of Art. Participants will learn to create a garden container — register online.
Biz
  • Skate World Lakeland is celebrating 50 years in business in style. The business is planning to renovate its facilities with a dedicated party room, a new cafe, a game room, and ADA-accessible bathrooms.
Talk
Eat
  • Must be spring. Publix GreenWise Market has a host of spring items on sale through Wednesday — like baby carrots, fresh salmon, and rosé wine. Bonus: Halloumi cheese is buy one, get one free. Never tried it? It’s a mozzarella-like, fry + grill friendly cheese made of sheep’s milk. Give it a try.*
Lakelander
  • Meet Jarrett Benavides and Michelle Crawford. They are the owners of Cult Legume, a food company that makes 100% vegan ready-to-eat meals, meat substitutes, sauces, and more. They got their start at Catapult — like so many Lakeland entrepreneurs. Find out how Catapult can help you launch your business idea.*
Stat
  • It’s estimated that 34 million adults in the US have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and another 88 million have prediabetes (and most don’t even know they have it). Consider joining a Diabetes Prevention Program to kick start your health goals.*
Finance
  • Now may be a good time to transfer your balance. This leading balance transfer card offers 0% intro APR for 21 months and no annual fee. Eliminating interest payments? A no-brainer.*
Tech
  • The next time you travel, don’t get stuck with cheap wired headphones the airline passes out — meet the AirFly wireless audio transmitter. The device connects the plane’s in-flight entertainment to your wireless headphones via Bluetooth. It’s sorta the one thing we never fly without. Shop it now.
 
Cause

Good Deeds Day was on April 16...

Volunteer, clean up, or donate: Good deeds you can do in Lakeland
A swan swimming across Lake Morton at sunset
Make Lakeland beautiful literally or figuratively. | Photo via @cathyannstokes
...but you can make a difference in the Lakeland community all month long.
The Wrap
 
Rilee-Delgado-Headshot-LAL

Today’s edition by:
Rilee
From the editor
Surprising no one, both of your city editors spent their weekend with Miss Americana herself: Taylor Swift. In case you missed it, Connor (our resident Mastermind) created this amazing roundup of Lakeland locations that remind us of Taylor Swift lyrics.

Two redheaded girls, one in pink and one in blue, smile for a selfie in Raymond James Stadium.

Does seeing Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour mean we’re coming to the end of our Taylor Swift puns?

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Photo by LALtoday

Missed Friday’s newsletter? We stepped back in time and compared Lakeland of the past with the one we know and love today.
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