Session 6: Toward the Future Tour

Session 6 was initially held at the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center for opening presentations by Planning and Development Services Director Erik Bredfeldt and Assistant City Manager - Neighborhood Improvement Fred Murry. Following an interesting overview of the various responsibilities of these departments, the participants boarded an RTS bus and toured the Airport Industrial Park, Waldo Road Corridor, Cedar Grove Neighborhood and other Eastside neighborhoods, concluding with a stop at the former Kennedy Homes Property, which the City plans to revitalize into a vibrant mixed income neighborhood.

Session 5: GRU - More Than Energy

Session 5 was held at the Kanapaha Water Reclamation Facility, located at 3901 SW 63rd Blvd. The facility serves as one of the City’s main sources of reclaimed water, and now handles up to 14 million gallons of water per day.

To begin the morning, Wastewater Plant Operator 3 Steven Byce gave a general overview and history of the facility, and explained how the water comes in, what the treatment process entails, as well as where the water goes after it is treated. He explained that per federal guidelines, all water coming into the treatment facility must leave the plant as drinking-quality water (although the water is not used for drinking, a point everyone was relieved to hear!). He also explained that the process by which the plant treats the water is no more than a high-tech faster version of what Mother Nature does in the wild. Afterwards, we donned latex gloves, and proceeded to tour the actual equipment used to treat the water. The smell at times was strong to say the least, but we continued on and saw how water enters the “tanks,” and how it is sorted and treated. It was interesting to see how the beginning of the tour involved seeing the dirty, smelly water, while the end of the tour showed the water completely clear.

As an added bonus to the session, Citizen Academy participant Leslie Straub of Florida Wildlife Care and a few remaining participants helped release a wood duck in a nearby pond.

REMEMBER: The final session (#6) will focus on the City’s Neighborhood Improvement and Planning and Development Services departments, with an RTS bus tour around some of the City’s development and redevelopment projects. The session will begin this Friday at the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center (GTEC), located at 2153 SE Hawthorne Road. We will board the bus following a short presentation at GTEC. The bus will return to GTEC by 11:30 p.m. As always, do not hesitate to contact us by e-mailing parmeleeka@cityofgainesville.org or calling 334-5017 if you have any questions. See you soon!

Session 4: Public Safety

Session 4 discussed Public Safety and was held at the Gainesville Police Department. To begin the cold morning, the Gainesville SWAT team displayed some of the tools and equipment they use, and we got a chance to see first hand how they operate and deal with situations that would require their presence.

Afterwards, we joined GPD Chief Norman Botsford and GFR Chief Bill Northcutt in a briefing room that was renovated and refurbished using funds seized from drug busts.

After Chief Botsford’s introduction, he turned it over to Captain Ed Book and Lieutenant Keith Kameg who explained different aspects of the organization and function of the Gainesville Police Department (http://www.gainesvillepd.org/), and how their officers are assigned to the different patrol zones. Captain Book emphasized that while a police presence is always helpful, the citizens of those individual communities can really help crime control and prevention. The officers assigned to each region make every effort to be heavily involved with neighborhood watch committees, and encourage prevention techniques such as trimming bushes and hedges so patrols can see all the way to the house and windows, etc. Using these prevention and cooperation methods with community and neighborhood leaders, the Gainesville Police Department can serve a more supportive role in keeping crime at a minimum.

Next, Chief Northcutt gave a presentation on the history and locations of the Gainesville Fire Rescue Department (http://www.cityofgainesville.org/gfr/) and stations located throughout the City limits. Did you know that the station located at 10 SW 36th Street was originally designed as a fallout shelter? “The exterior walls and roof are poured concrete 12 inches thick, and is built to withstand the worst nature can offer,” said Chief Northcutt. He then announced that thanks to the City Commission, a new fire station, number 8, was recently approved and the zoning and land use changes are currently taking place. This will relieve other stations and put another layer of protection over that area of the City.

A second point that was mentioned with Gainesville Fire Rescue was the fact that GFR is different from other City fire departments in that every engine or ladder has at least one employee who is trained in EMS. Thus, with the necessary medical supplies on the vehicle as well, GFR is able to do and control any situation that would require a standard ambulance, except for transporting someone who needs medical attention at a hospital. This greatly reduces response time, and could mean life and death if an ambulance was first needed once the Fire Rescue team arrived. This 2-in-1 system has provided numerous benefits to the City, and provides an advantage over a traditional Fire Department.

Next came the part of the session that everyone was waiting for. Multiple demonstrations and hands-on explanations awaited us outside the Police Headquarters building, where both GPD and GFR had fire engines, police patrol cars, the SWAT vehicle, and the HAZMAT team. We broke up into different groups, and rotated amongst the “stations”.

One was with the head of Gainesville Police Department’s traffic division, Officer Steve Girard. He explained what his job with traffic entails, and showed us how to use the laser “guns” that detect certain vehicle’s speeds.


Other stations included Gainesville Fire Rescue’s HAZMAT unit, a GFR ladder-engine, the Gainesville Fire Rescue Department’s Search and Rescue Dog, as well as one of the Gainesville Police Department’s K-9 Units that demonstrated how the officer gives commands to the dog “Grady” and how the dog would handle taking down a suspect.

Kate volunteered to take a ride 100 feet in the air in the basket of the ladder to demonstrate the height of the ladder truck and take photos of the participants enjoying the demonstrations below. You can see some of those photos below.

REMEMBER: The next to last session (#5) will focus on GRU (with a special bonus budget session) and will be held this Friday at the Kanapaha Water Reclamation Facility at 3901 SW 63rd Boulevard. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes. If you need a ride to the facility (it is a bit distant from the closest RTS bus stop) there will be a van available to transport you that will leave from City Hall - but you will need to meet in the City Hall lobby by 8:00 a.m.(staff is driving and will need to arrive at the facility early). We will return to City Hall by 12:00 p.m. As always, do not hesitate to contact us by e-mailing parmeleeka@cityofgainesville.org or calling 334-5017 if you have any questions. See you next week!

Session 3: Infrastructure & Communication

Session 3 was held at the City of Gainesville’s Public Works Compound on 39th Avenue. The morning began with an overview of the function and responsibilities of the Communications and Marketing Office from Communications and Marketing Manager Bob Woods and Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist Kate Parmelee. In addition to managing external and internal communication for the City, marketing of the City, emergency communications, media relations, special events and other activities the Communications and Marketing Office also manages the City/County Government Access Television Station- Channel 12, seen locally on Cox Cable and online anytime through our live web streaming.

Broadcast Production Technician James Scott debuted slides that revealed the eventual new look to the City of Gainesville’s website. It is still in development, and should likely be launched during January 2008.

The Communications and Marketing Office also discussed the Service Request Center, a new online service request and comment tracking system. The system was created to make it easier for citizens to have better communication with their government when trying to make a request for information and/or solve an issue that a citizen may have that is under City’s jurisdiction. From traffic signals to abandoned vehicles, the City of Gainesville's new Service Request Center makes it easy to submit your requests online, anytime. After you submit your request you will receive a tracking number allowing you to check the status of your request. You can also login any time to monitor the status of your request or add more comments. This new system will allow you to track the progress of the inquiry, and is available 24-7 on the City’s website. It is currently in the “soft opening” phase, but can be used at any time. To access the Service Request Center please visit this Website: http://src.cityofgainesville.org/

You can view the presentation on the Communications and Marketing Office’s role here.

After a short break, Public Education Specialist Gina Hawkins and Public Works Director Teresa Scott gave an informative overview of the Public Works Department, what they do and what they are responsible for. Did you know that they actually encourage citizens to email (or call) to report traffic/city light outages? They can’t fix what they don’t know is broken- so feel free to e-mail Public Works Customer Service at customerservice@cityofgainesville.org. Tom Frisbie, Operations Division Manager also answered more specific questions during this presentation.

The presentation included topics such as traffic and traffic signal maintenance, road projects, storm water location conversion into new storm water parks, just to name a few. You can view the presentation on Public Works here and RTS here at the Citizens’ Academy Online Web page.
Immediately following an informative question and answer session the participants were broken up into three small groups and given a tour of the Public Works Compound. We toured the Mosquito Control Division, where they breed special fish that eat mosquito larvae. The more larvae are eaten, the less adult mosquitoes are around to bite you. Consider it a first line of defense, more so than spraying.

We saw the sign shop, where road signage is made, and peeked in on the “interim” traffic management center. As the City continues to upgrade its traffic signal software from MS-DOS to a significantly more sophisticated system, traffic is monitored from the Compound on multiple screens, and you as a driver should begin to see considerable improvements in traffic patterns in the near future!

We even saw the efficient street sweepers all lined up and ready to begin cleanup of the University of Florida’s Homecoming Parade later in the day.

Finally, the Academy participants were gracious enough to line up and “star” in a promo for Community12, your local government connection. Stay tuned to Channel 12 to see your television debut!

REMEMBER! Session 4 will address Public Safety, and will be held at the Gainesville Police Department, Friday, November 16 at 9:00 am. The address is 721 NW 6th Street- please park in the parking lot on the east side of the new Administration Headquarters Building (just past the new building on 8th Avenue, around the corner from the GPD Headquarters). GPD staff will direct you to the session. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes. We will explore how our City protects and serves its citizens through the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) and Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR). As always, do not hesitate to contact us at parmeleeka@cityofgainesville.org or 334-5017 if you have any questions. See you next week!

Session 2 Recap: Quality of Life & The Budget Process

Session 2 focused on Quality of Life, featuring the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs and the Budget Process, focusing on the Administrative Services Department. The site of Session 2 was Morningside Nature Center, Gainesville's premiere nature park. The session began inside the half moon schoolhouse on the Living History Farm.

Cultural Affairs Manager Coni Gesualdi presented an overview of the diverse operations of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. The Department provides a variety of active and passive recreational activities for all City and area residents. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs also maintains the landscape of all City parks, recreational facilities, parking lots, streets medians and rights-of-way. A general overview of the Department is available on the Citizens' Academy Web page.

Following the presentation and questions, participants were split into two groups. Each group had a chance to tour the Living History Farm with our host, Recreation Leader Kate Devine who dressed in period clothing and shared a number of insights into what life was like on a Gainesville Farm in the late 1800s.

The second tour focused on the preserve areas in the park with Habitat Naturalist Don Musen. Don explained the importance of prescribed burning in the park. Morningside Nature Center is one of the last remaining examples of fire-dependent longleaf pine woodlands in the area. More than seven miles of trails wind through sandhill, flatwoods, cypress domes, and areas where native vegetation is being restored.

Following the park tours the Academy participants experienced a sample nature education program from dynamic Nature Operations staff members Sally Wazny, Program Coordinator and Hollie Greer, Nature Assistant.

Last on the session's agenda was an overview of the Administrative Services Department and the City's Budget process by Administrative Services Director Becky Rountree. A general overview of the department as well as the PowerPoint presentation given by Ms. Rountree is available on the Citizens' Academy Web page. Given the complexity of the budgetary process we plan on offering a second mini-session on the budget at Session 5 on November 30.

REMEMBER: Session 3 will be held at the Public Works Compound, located at 405 NW 39th Avenue, on Friday, November 2 from 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Please wear comfortable clothes and closed toed shoes suitable for walking. Questions? Please call the Communications and Marketing Office at (352) 334-5017 or e-mail parmeleeka@cityofgainesville.org.We look forward to seeing you next week!

Session 1 Recap: Governing the City

Thank you Citizens' Academy participants for your participation in Gainesville 101, the 2007 City of Gainesville’s Citizens’ Academy! We truly hope that you will receive the more insight into how your government operates on a daily basis and that you enjoy your experience.

Following each session we will post a blog entry recapping the session highlights and resources available on Gainesville 101: Citizens’ Academy Online, our Web page. Although we encourage attendance at every session, we understand that you may not be able to attend one of the sessions (if you need to miss a session, please e-mail us at parmeleeka@cityofgainesville.org). We hope this blog and the Web page will keep you informed and receive the most from your experience. If you have any questions or topics that you would like to see discussed, please feel free to post them here and a staff member will respond as soon as we have an answer. We look forward to serving as your “tour guides” throughout City government over the next few weeks.

Last Friday’s session covered “Governing the City”, where you met the honorable Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan and the Charter Officers. The Overview and Organizational Chart distributed to participants is also available on the Web page. Here is a brief recap of the session and information on additional online resources:

Communications and Marketing Staff Bob Woods, Communications and Marketing Manager, and Kate Parmelee, Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist, outlined the goals of the program. We then asked all participants to introduce themselves and describe why they enjoy living in Gainesville. Responses ranged from “I like how it is so green” to “I like the small town feeling,” to “The people are just so nice”. Many participants mentioned that they wanted to learn more and possibly become more involved with their City government.

The Honorable Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan discussed the role of the Mayor and City Commission, and explained the differences between different local government systems. She compared the Tallahassee City Government with the Gainesville City Government, explaining that the power really rests with the City Commission, of which the Mayor is a directly-elected member. More information on the role of the Mayor and City Commission is available on the City of Gainesville’s Web site here.

City Manager Russ Blackburn explained the role of the City Manager and the vision and values of the organization. A copy of the PowerPoint presentation given by the City Manager is available on the Web page here and you can also view the 2006 Citizens’ Report.

Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) General Manager Karen Johnson explained how GRU works and how they provide more than just electricity and discussed and how GRU is addressing power needs and consumption. She also recommended reviewing the GRU Web site (http://www.gru.com/). On the Web site, you can create an account and see how much energy you are consumed per month, as well as learn ways to further save energy and the price of your utility bill. More GRU resources are available on the Web page, including the Presentation given by Ms. Johnson, Residential Customer Rebate Information, Business Customer Rebate Information, Seasonal Energy Efficiency Tips and Storm Central – Hurricane Preparedness Information.

Litigation Attorney Liz Waratuke spoke on behalf of City Attorney Marion Radson and the City Attorney’s Office. More information on the role of the City Attorney’s Office is available on the City Attorney Web page.

Equal Opportunity Director Jimmie Williams provided an overview of the Office of Equal Opportunity. More information on the Office of Equal Opportunity is available on the Equal Opportunity Office Web page.

Kurt Lannon, Clerk of the Commission, gave an overview of the role of the Clerk of the Commission’s Office. More information on the role of the Clerk of the Commission is available on the Clerk of the Commission Web page.

City Auditor Brent Godshalk provided an overview of the City Auditor’s Office. More information and resources on the City Auditor’s Office is available on the Auditor’s Office Web page.

In addition to reviewing session information you can also access other important information on Gainesville 101: Citizens’ Academy Online, including information on how to get involved, community issues and the latest session information and maps. Remember to use the login information provided to you via e-mail and at the session to access all materials for each session. If you cannot login, please e-mail parmeleeka@cityofgainesville.org.

REMEMBER: Session 2 will be held at the Morningside Nature Center, located at 3540 E. University Avenue, on Friday, October 19 from 9:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Please wear comfortable clothes and closed toed shoes suitable for walking. Questions? Please call the Communications and Marketing Office at (352) 334-5017 or e-mail parmeleeka@cityofgainesville.org.

We look forward to seeing you next week!

Welcome to the Gainesville 101 Blog!

Welcome to the official blog of Gainesville 101: the 2007 City of Gainesville Citizens' Academy. Here we will post summaries and pictures of our sessions as well as share links to important information. We also welcome your questions and comments on the sessions: post or e-mail your questions and we will work to get an answer for you. We hope you enjoy learning more about your local government and thank you for your participation!