Can you believe the month of May is here already? The first 100 days in office have already come and gone. Since taking office in January, my team and I have been busy addressing a number of different issues affecting our district, and I’d like to take a moment to share some of what’s going on with you.
Advisory boards
Becoming a member of an advisory board is a great way to get involved with your community. With more than 50 advisory boards and committees, odds are you can find something of interest to you. Members of these boards act on a volunteer basis and provide valuable insight to help shape the future of the area. Being active on these boards is not a major time commitment either, with most boards meeting once a month or on an as-needed basis. Getting involved is simple — all advisory board vacancies are posted online and updated regularly at http://apps.ocfl.net/aware/advisory/ or send an email to susan.makowksi@ocfl.net
Alafaya Trail update
You’ll be happy to hear (if you haven’t noticed already) that construction has finally begun on the widening of South Alafaya Trail! Crews have started on the south end of Alafaya Trail near Avalon Park and will work north toward Mark Twain Boulevard. Construction is slated to occur during the day between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. You should plan on adjusting your commute times in consideration of lower posted speed limits, traffic congestion, uneven pavement, travel lane shifts and large construction vehicles driving in the area. Every time you sigh, just think of how nice it will be once complete!
Crime prevention
In response to concerns about crime and graffiti in East Orange County, a community meeting was held to discuss preventative measures for deterring crime in the area. Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Neighborhood Services, Code Enforcement and representatives from Orange County’s 311 were all on hand to answer questions from concerned residents. Members from the Orange County Gang Unit showed residents the differences between gang-related graffiti and tagging and how to identify them properly. While it is impossible to stop all crime, it was clear that the OCSO has all the resources to serve our community effectively.
If you do see graffiti in your area, the best thing you can do in my opinion is call 3-1-1 or the Orange County Sheriff’s Office — this allows us to track and record the location and rectify the problem sooner. Orange County 3-1-1 is a telephone and web-based service that acts as a point of contact for Animal Services, Code Enforcement, Roads & Drainage, Traffic Engineering and Zoning. Using the service also helps me because my office tracks the call volumes via a single monthly report — it’s an effective way to keep things from falling through the cracks.
Neighborhood Services is a valuable resource to all communities in Orange County you may want to consider as well. Their mission to strengthen the Orange County Community is visible in the depth of services they provide for area neighborhoods, including multiple funding opportunities available to neighborhood groups fighting crime that threaten their community’s integrity. A Crime Prevention Grant Program has been formed to provide funding to neighborhoods to enhance security and safety in neighborhoods.
Next steps
The next thing for you to do is get involved and take that proactive step to making our community a better place. Remember, you should always report suspicious activity to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The non-emergency line is 407-836-HELP(4357). For more information about anything reviewed in the article, please visit the Orange County government website, www.ocfl.net, or call our District 4 office at 407-836-5881.
Thanks for reading and talk to you soon!