[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6232897,"mediaKeyId","3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489","parentId",3425683,"title","Winter Haven discusses community-safety upgrades: new fire station, EV response gear, SCADA fixes, park digital signs and radios","audioSeconds",3177,"startMs",1982000,"endMs",5159000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489&start=1982&end=5159","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489/thumbnail_1982000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6232897/Winter-Haven-City/Polk-County/Florida/Winter-Haven-discusses-community-safety-upgrades-new-fire-station-EV-response-gear-SCADA-fixes-park-digital-signs-and-radios","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232897-30ca55d5b14cf6db0f52af30860aeb52/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190126&Signature=EsM-635KMZMt4tLtRcrQcBSEuQLFvu2t6gsbBiPCjNRenaXcROaJJodCS3APtIUE1evZfRTFGmNyy-7Hb1RlonkVszZR0UlCPfuvjULPglXnvYrMAuhF9Nv0B8mmBOK01P8mFb-JP4mk0uSy9VzEu18lH0KyplZqlRUqUBPmB2GQ25Qf4RQLHUj10n8rv3qzBVGCG7gkYZXOCKQ5Ig4m2YMExNxMsgEDjAIcmyPi1vmT8JFl7eMZfYrjfWfmZho2DdP3kcjumWpG~l2ct7pPovp9wxJiwu6olD3L4u0anDxL9x-m7mH8fLCmUuw61RLJjvf8mMCsAEwGmB8ciDq1lA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Winter Haven, FL","date","2025-05-21T14:34:01Z","article","Winter Haven City leaders on May 2025 received a strategic-plan update on community safety that covered a range of operational changes and equipment purchases, from a new fire station that opens May 21 to new communication and water-system redundancy work.

The fire department told the commission the relocation and opening of Fire Station 4 on May 21 will shrink coverage zones for multiple stations and reduce response times “by over 2 minutes” for approximately 3,800 calls in the newly assigned area. “Two minutes might not sound like a lot right now, but when you're in an emergency ... two minutes can literally mean the difference between life and death,” the fire department presenter said.

The presentation also updated commissioners on Fire Station 5, sited near Lake Hartridge Nature Park. The city is at a percent-design stage for Station 5 and is waiting on a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) from the selected builder. The project will include roadway and watershed improvements, boat-trailer parking and walking-path upgrades tied to the park, and a new, permanent station to replace firefighters currently housed in a trailer on a shared property.

Water staff described an April 3 interruption to the city’s SCADA radio communications that briefly prevented automated pump activation during a high-demand period overnight. “We can definitely say this was not a cyber attack,” the water operator said. The loss of automated control caused pressure drops in portions of the system; because pressure fell below the safety threshold used by staff, the city issued a precautionary boil-water notice and then tested 90 sampling sites twice (180 samples total). All 180 samples passed, and staff said the tests showed no degradation in water quality. Staff said they will pursue redundancy by tying SCADA into both radio and dark fiber communications to reduce future risk.

On electric-vehicle fire response, the fire department announced it purchased insulated “EV blankets” to cover battery-involved vehicle fires. The department said blankets cost about $2,000 each, are carried on every engine, and are reusable after inspection unless punctured. The presenter described the blankets as a mitigation tool because lithium-ion battery fires can require “10 to 20 times” the water of a conventional car fire and may burn for hours if not contained.

Parks and information-technology staff described the city’s acquisition of three SUFA digital display boards to be installed at Trailhead Park, Reuben Williams Sports Complex and the walking trail at Chain of Lakes parks. Staff said the solar-powered displays “don’t need electricity to run” and will carry emergency alerts, calendars and social-media feeds; the purchase price cited to the commission was $60,000 for three boards with an annual maintenance/lease cost of about $2,000.

Finally, the city stated it has procured 100 multi-channel radios for staff outside public safety and will assign them to public works, parks, water and special-events teams to provide a non-cellphone communications layer during incidents. Commissioners were told radios will be used daily for routine coordination and can be switched to disaster channels and shared templates for county-level interoperability.

Commissioners asked follow-up questions about timeline, training and costs for each initiative. The presentations were informational; no formal votes or ordinance adoptions tied to these updates were recorded in the portion of the transcript provided.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Agenda Review Meeting, May 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Winter Haven City leaders received a strategic-plan update that included the May 21 opening of Fire Station 4, an April SCADA radio disruption that prompted a citywide precautionary boil-water notice, purchases of EV-fire blankets and park digital signs, and a 100-unit radio rollout for non-public-safety staff.","taxTitle","Winter Haven City, Polk County, Florida","taxId",12580,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232878,"Commission to consider reappointment to Library Board; Jonathan Owen nominated",37,144000,181000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489&start=144&end=181","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489/thumbnail_144000.jpg","/articles/6232878/Winter-Haven-City/Polk-County/Florida/Commission-to-consider-reappointment-to-Library-Board-Jonathan-Owen-nominated","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232878-686ae70183fada9d7613b1bd3a1dc475/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190126&Signature=eJKTwdRIMNxsaCYmlsHgfh17CLuKaS04TeAP6T~XWNpfUU2TEKnWKpPXVG69nClXnsHTpIloQNcyEJuS9GZt03PhpO3kqMpfMdZ2pO2yxtfs9o3M-szUySUumOOptFuOqphRSetBnOdZpEP28MYiPKBiHJmve-KGH8z6~R9WRQxLAA3WNdnQLrkvV91svQKxVn1rKmsw6UIITehx7t~dJxXexYNVP~dwLDZHFLk6Tsi5Sgivtwg3Cu2sl5JfaX2wroNWzCx-yFC6n1lReFPT9V5t~J5LP4bG3Bw6rmp~Xp7NILXXiqwV~5oMG86Eo8Ree5UkfdcfR4Rf8R0~PRLLmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a consent-agenda appointment for the Winter Haven Library Board recommending the reappointment of Jonathan Owen, whose term had expired in January. Staff noted the library board has served since 1939 and has historically produced city commissioners; Commissioner Dollison serves as the city liaison to the library board. The reappointment was presented as a routine consent item; no contested discussion or recorded vote is included in the provided transcript excerpt.

Staff indicated the item would be included on the consent agenda for formal action in the meeting packet.","Staff recommended reappointment of Jonathan Owen to the Winter Haven Library Board after his term expired in January; the item appeared on the consent agenda.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232882,"Commission reviews multiple development items: Harmony on Lake Eloise Phase 4 acceptance, Shops at Country Club plat and two street renamings",374,655000,1029000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489&start=655&end=1029","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489/thumbnail_655000.jpg","/articles/6232882/Winter-Haven-City/Polk-County/Florida/Commission-reviews-multiple-development-items-Harmony-on-Lake-Eloise-Phase-4-acceptance-Shops-at-Country-Club-plat-and-two-street-renamings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232882-1c07076f8a2c96f42b39059de76e5c9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190126&Signature=T9aaekyXVHxYm3R9lqrRpE2zrljyRx-Nerf7G0YDOak31p-8n4bkco-dx5fcI425-nLbUnxUC2QUjontuSMnSOzLGAJPBej5QKHEWSalAJ8Ihx-HyqU2CZ115sl7G8fpnSsvouedk8ZC2HgAm1Pf63gfE4ttPXGvKstGzsgTgm7ZCktPFm8gTA-2Eix9nOcVW6AP40tlSA2t2KOwMVi~BOZDCZij-HjSC04GmN0g8i9hw~V8ZmL7R6mvs1791SGsTdh9FxMokfwlyq9NJnu1AqehIIaSoY0mpOfzZO0mSwU7NM-fhkYALEviTx-1RWXyzZdR9iuDcE4kpews0mueqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff asked the commission to accept public-utility dedications and related improvements for several development items and to approve two street-name changes that affect neighborhoods in the Harmony on Lake Eloise area.

Harmony on Lake Eloise Phase 4: Staff said R2523 covers a 57.25-acre subdivision comprising 322 building lots and 12 common lots. Water, sewer and reuse lines within the phase will be owned and maintained by the city upon acceptance; roads, street lighting and stormwater infrastructure will remain under the Harmony on Lake Eloise Community Development District (CDD). Staff inspected the phase and reported incomplete items had been finished; they recommended acceptance of utilities and dedications so the city may assume ownership of water, wastewater and reuse utilities.

Road-name changes: Staff presented a request to rename an unimproved right of way (listed in staff reports as an existing local road) to Lake Ruby Drive West, making it a continuation of an existing Lake Ruby Drive north of Thompson Nursery Road and Eloise Loop Road. Commissioners asked whether the suffix “West” or “South” would be more logical given the new segment’s orientation; staff said using the same name as the existing road would reduce traveler confusion. A separate request (R2524) asked to change Pomelo Lane (platted in phase 2) to Pomelo Drive for consistency inside the subdivision; staff noted that the cost of new signs would be borne by the CDD.

Shops at Country Club: Staff recommended final plat approval for the Shops at Country Club, a 34.9-acre commercial subdivision with seven lots. One tract will be dedicated to the city as a 20-foot right-of-way along the eastern edge. Water service will come from the Winter Haven water system; wastewater will be handled by a private sewer system that ultimately conveys to Wastewater Treatment Plant 3. Staff said water allocation has been accounted for and vertical construction is under way.

Commissioners asked staff about local traffic-queueing concerns near a school and whether grading or temporary measures might address queuing; staff said intersection geometry and the absence of signals make rerouting or grading impractical without a larger intersection redesign, and that the school district is planning on-campus queuing improvements. The transcript records staff concurrence that staff will seek additional information from the school board and county staff.

These planning items were presented for commission action; the provided transcript does not record final votes in the excerpt.","The commission considered consenting to infrastructure acceptance for Harmony on Lake Eloise Phase 4 (322 lots), final plat approval for the Shops at Country Club commercial subdivision, and two street-name changes in Harmony on Lake Eloise.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232887,"Commission briefed on $592,000 airport master-plan update grant and extended remote tower grant deadline",131,183000,314000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489&start=183&end=314","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489/thumbnail_183000.jpg","/articles/6232887/Winter-Haven-City/Polk-County/Florida/Commission-briefed-on-592000-airport-master-plan-update-grant-and-extended-remote-tower-grant-deadline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232887-20c04de62cb87e81fe2ddf407756e5be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190126&Signature=Bw2-yuJSsyzPIGMNrSO1R9SJsclAXM~K~o6enjGJ8LUPMHzgR3QmmNFjrJtos3CfLHAoOdBrR2Kbc88bbGd~a4bC-~zkcuf~Eo4Avyh-SD5DiOU20GBjy0INrQRXmX1CBdClCJpU74Qu7tabjT8jZGMH-69qnTyBvMGhODNe~~pNZsjHTj240j3R1yXJI6uldLpG8ft7XiB2XJIfEyKhvxQMWW5lGV9yjucYkjRkIWmWaBKAA9JXtah39~c6-XoocnuDMq9GzkhjUfd1EVU0FX75lxleP6dBEXCPdbyMjJuS7qbxjx3auYymqaQIt9I5lk0YQJc~o6WqqWnPr~hIvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented two airport-related resolutions: one to accept FDOT funding for an updated airport master plan and one to extend the expiration date of a previously authorized grant for a remote air-traffic-control-tower project.

Staff said the airport’s current master plan dates from work begun in 2014 and completed in 2016 and that changes around the field prompted an update to reassess priorities, land-lease opportunities and development along an adjacent highway corridor. The master-plan effort totals $592,000; staff said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would provide 90% of the cost—about $533,000—and the remaining 10% (roughly $29,600) would be split between FDOT and the city. The FDOT grant before the commission covers the state’s share.

Separately, staff presented Resolution R2521 seeking an extension of an earlier grant for the design and construction of a remote air-traffic-control tower. The earlier authorization (Resolution 2329) funds design and construction work and the grant’s current expiration is June 30; the extension would move the expiration to Dec. 1, 2026. Staff said the extension changes only the timeline and not the grant’s cost.

Both items were presented for commission consideration in the transcript excerpt; no recorded votes or final actions on the resolutions appear in the provided portion of the meeting.","Staff presented a resolution seeking FDOT grant approval for a $592,000 airport master-plan update funded 90% by the FAA and a separate extension request to move a remote air-traffic-control-tower grant expiration to Dec. 1, 2026.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232892,"Commission briefed on design-phase contract for City Hall Annex renovation; commissioners raise long-term city hall concerns",666,1094000,1760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489&start=1094&end=1760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425683-05109e87c1c7afd1d7bd39f684c29489/thumbnail_1094000.jpg","/articles/6232892/Winter-Haven-City/Polk-County/Florida/Commission-briefed-on-design-phase-contract-for-City-Hall-Annex-renovation-commissioners-raise-long-term-city-hall-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232892-dc24b8fe5bba572c513e53f75994f480/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190126&Signature=SZOA58IZz9FuuiChb3udB1EI2IgCHU5XIEcfKLG0FrLNfHybsKrSgwvY2N0xlvBjJ2Tgn60R8dPvcIcL5t0ANZf65j-7G21I9qBbvss7LGEy2jYDSVUDhys9mV2A3uxXSrzm2N3B2S0nmYBexSCD3Ztdt6qlVfcsiI6yKO3KPaq-mcv8VKuio9dY9nKr6zx6A-rn6QGkVEnSy5fFvljrgrfWftiGWeOz2LTre~C21z8kPNkX-4i2seumzFhx5s~q-ae1FhGJiy11lzNWhRCeBGvEX-BOMXAgfug6AIeDMq9L8iinW4uwID3xhsGu4e75sXKkLQYMqUHplzccHaxlEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff asked the Winter Haven City Commission to approve a design-phase guaranteed maximum price (GMP) not to exceed $355,930 for a design-build contract with Whitehead Construction to renovate the City Hall Annex (the former fire station) into expanded building-division administrative offices.

Staff said Whitehead was selected through RFQ 2438 in August 2024 and that the submitted GMP covers the design and permitting work only; a later addendum will present construction costs after design is complete. The city has $7 million set aside in a construction fund for building-division capital improvements; staff said that amount was appropriated in compliance with state statutes that govern how building-division revenues may be used. The presenter told commissioners the design work will produce a facility intended to be professional office space and to improve proximity between engineering and building-division customer service points.

Several commissioners voiced concern that investing in significant renovations to multiple existing buildings could complicate any future plan to build a single, new city-hall complex. One commissioner said the prospect of spending millions on renovations gave him “pause for concern” because extensive renovations to multiple properties could make it harder to later replace them with a single new facility. City staff responded that the work now will retain value in the site and that the city is also exploring satellite offices in growing parts of the city as part of a longer-term campus plan. The city attorney said a draft design-build contract and template will be uploaded with future agenda materials; staff said that addendum and the construction-phase GMP will be presented when ready.

The transcript records the presentation and discussion but does not include a recorded vote or final approval in the provided excerpt.","Staff recommended approving a guaranteed-maximum-price (GMP) for the design and permitting phase for renovation of the City Hall Annex (old fire station) with Whitehead Construction not to exceed $355,930. Commissioners discussed the trade-off between renovating existing spaces and pursuing a single new city-hall campus.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Winter Haven discusses community-safety upgrades: new fire station, EV response gear, SCADA fixes, park digital signs and radios

Commission to consider reappointment to Library Board; Jonathan Owen nominated

Commission reviews multiple development items: Harmony on Lake Eloise Phase 4 acceptance, Shops at Country Club plat and two street renamings

Commission briefed on $592,000 airport master-plan update grant and extended remote tower grant deadline

Commission briefed on design-phase contract for City Hall Annex renovation; commissioners raise long-term city hall concerns