Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plantation launches green-business awards, parks calendar; council asks vendors to comply with single-use plastics policy
Summary
Mayor Sordle presented the city’s first Green Business Awards and recognized a local beekeeper; Parks and Recreation announced upcoming events and the city told vendors at Rock the Park to follow the city’s polystyrene prohibition while staff evaluates expanding the single-use plastics administrative policy.
The City of Plantation on Jan. 15 presented its first Green Business Awards and announced a slate of parks and recreation events while staff pledged to enforce an administrative policy that already bans polystyrene on city property.
Nut graf: Mayor Sordle and Parks and Recreation Director Tricia O'Toole used the council meeting to both recognize local "green" businesses — including a bee-removal and honey business — and to brief the council and public about the 2025 Parks and Recreation events calendar and steps to encourage vendors to follow the city’s environmental policies.
Mayor Sordle presented a certificate and window cling for the city’s Green Business program to a local beekeeper who operates under the business name "the bee lady." The business owner described rescue and removal of unwanted bees, sales of local honey and wax products, and environmental education activities for school and homeschool groups.
Parks and Recreation Director Tricia O'Toole outlined near-term events: Movies in the Park (Jan. 17), Plantation Acres Saddle Club Barrel Racing (Jan. 18–19), MLK Day of Service tree planting at Jack Aranda Lakes Park (Jan. 20 at 9 a.m., registration required), DoggyPalooza (Jan. 25), Rock the Park concerts and a multicultural festival (Feb. 1), and other seasonal programs and youth registrations. O'Toole gave attendance counts for recent Rock the Park concerts and said staff is considering additional campout dates for cooler months after a sold-out recent event.
During public comment, Dr. Julie Long asked the city to enforce a prior administrative policy banning polystyrene on city property and to consider expanding enforcement of single-use plastics at events such as Rock the Park. Mayor Sordle and Director O'Toole said the policy banning polystyrene is active and staff has reminded vendors of the requirement; O'Toole said single-use plastics were not yet explicitly part of the policy and staff will evaluate whether to expand the prohibition and reach out to vendors and community partners.
Ending: Council members asked staff to continue outreach to vendors and to share more event and attendance data; staff said vendor agreements require compliance with city policy and that reminders were being sent to Rock the Park vendors.
