Lakeland CRA board to reconsider its ways

A string of recent tough decisions and moral dilemmas in the sale of city-owned properties have left some questioning if it’s time to reevaluate the process. Members of the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency’s advisory board asked city officials Thursday for suggestions on how to make the sale of city-owned land more transparent and consistent. The…

Leesburg to bring website up to ADA compliance

The City of Leesburg is revamping its website to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. City commissioners last week voted to spend up to $100,000 to rework the site after settling a lawsuit alleging documents weren’t accessible to blind people. Specifically, the suit said, the documents weren’t compatible with text-to-voice assistive technology. Joel Price,…

Four CRAs in Pensacola and Cantonment could be designated ‘brownfield areas’

Escambia County is considering designating four Community Redevelopment Areas in north Pensacola and Cantonment as brownfield areas. The County Commission will vote Thursday to schedule two public hearings on designating the Community Redevelopment Areas in Atwood, Ensley, Oakfield and Cantonment as brownfield areas, which would allow properties in those areas to qualify for state and federal…

CRA Website Requirements Webinar

The legislation which passed in the 2019 session, CS/HB 9, is now law effective October 1, 2019. Although there are several provisions that tighten up reporting, auditing and training provisions in Chapter 163, Part III, there is also a part of the bill that deals with new rules for website postings. Due to the fact…

America Needs More Community Spaces

As our political discourse generates derision and dissension, our time in the virtual world crowds out our time in the actual one, and trust in our institutions and one another has plummeted, local places such as markets, libraries, and coffee shops can help. A new study shows that living near community-oriented public and commercial spaces brings a…