Highway 70 and Canada Road intersection-TDOT recommends 4-way stop/signalization

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) recently studied the Highway 70 and Canada Road intersection and recommended a 4-way stop in the immediate future and traffic signals when possible.

This recommendation is on the Lakeland Board of Commissioners Work Session agenda on Monday, November 27, 2006 for discussion with possible action at the Tuesday, December 4, 2006 Regular Meeting. The Lakeland Board of Commissioners meet at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 10001 Highway 70.

The TDOT letter notes that traffic signals are recommended, but only with left turn lanes on Highway 70. The recommendation states this would be an “expensive and lengthy process”.

A 4-way stop, including the conversion of the existing flashing light, stop signs and flashing warning signs of the stop ahead is recommended in the immediate future, while the City prepares plans for signals and searches for funding for signalization. I understand from the TDOT letter that funds are available to assist in a four-way stop in the immediate future.

The Canada Road alignment is being finalized from I-40 to Highway 70 within the next year. The City is currently waiting for funding for the necessary engineering study. We expect this funding in the immediate future.

Natural Resource Inventory meetings

The adoption of the Natural Resource Inventory includes a series of meetings in addition to the Public Input meetings. The schedule includes:

-Tuesday, November 21, 2006: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Public Input Meeting, Lakeland City Hall, 10001 Highway 70

-Saturday, December 2, 2006: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Public Input Meeting, Lakeland Mall (after Christmas Parade)

-Tuesday, December 5, 2006: 6:30 p.m., Lakeland Board of Commissioners. The Natural Resource Inventory will be presented to the Lakeland Board of Commissioners for information.

-Monday, December 11, 2006: 6:30 p.m., Lakeland Park/Natural Resource Board. The Natural Resource Inventory will be presented to teh Lakeland Park Board/Natural Resources Board for recommendation.

-Monday, December 18, 2006: 6:30 p.m. Lakeland Municipal Planning Commission. The Natural Resources Inventory will be presented to the Municipal Planning Commissoin for action.

All meetings are open to the public. All interested persons are invited to attend.

Refuse Collection changes Thanksgiving Week

Refuse collection schedule for the week of November 20-25 (Thanksgiving week) is:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday routes will be picked up on their normal schedule.

Thursday routes will be picked up Friday, November 24.

Friday routes will be picked up Saturday, November 25.

Natural Resource Inventory Public Input Meetings

Public input meetings on the Natural Resource Inventory are scheduled for:

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at Lakeland City Hall, 10001 Highway 70; and

12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, December 2, 2009 at the Lakeland Mall (site of the end of the Christmas Parade) The meeting will be inside the mall.

All interested persons are encouraged to attend. There will be a short presentation of the Natural Resources Inventory followed by a comment and question time.

Natural Resource Technician Nick Bridgeman developed the Inventory and this is the assessment stage of the process with the ultimate goal of conservation of Lakeland natural resources.

The Future

I just realized today, 20 years ago (Veterans Day) I purchased my first “real” (IBM Compatible) computer. It didn’t have a hard drive (the store told me I wouldn’t need one for awhile!), and I thought I was up to date on technology! (I had had several Commodores, a VIC 16 and a Commodore 64). I actually used it for at least 6 years when I jumped at least two generations of computers.

I had no idea of the tremendous changes yet to come. I believe cell phones had just come out and were still a novelty, Blackberry’s, GIS,digital cameras, digital music, GPS navigationsystems and similar items were still to come. Lakeland was just 9 years old as an incorporated city.

I can remember in the late nineties I went to a conference where a speaker observed that it was possible to build and operate a plane that would be completely computer operated form take-off to landing and it was feasible for small “computer” airplanes. This hasn’t happened yet and I don’t foresee it in the future. Also, when I was about ten years old, I remember seeing an ad with a car with the passengers playing cards etc. with the car controlled automatically. I never thought that in 2006 we would be driving cars the “same old way”!

Technology has completely changed the way cities operate, yet we still do many things, mow grass, fix streets, drive cars etc. basically the same way. In other areas, including communication, we would never have imagined the future of 2006 back in 1986.

The Board of Commissioners, Lakeland Boards and Commissions and city staff are always preparing for the future, especially now in our period of rapid growth. When we look back from 2026, I expect there will be many concepts we can’t even imagine now but we do our best to prepar for the future. Every structure, street and residential or commercial addition built today (and trees and natural resources saved) will impact our future and the BOC, Lakeland Boards and Commissions and city staff have the difficult task of forecasting and preparing for the future.

The City will soon be announcing the dates for Public Input Meetings on the Natural Resources Inventory. The Assistant Natural Resources Director Nick Bridgement and Natural Resources Director Eric Bridges have completed an AMAZING amount of work on this. I encourage all residents to attend one or both of the meetings to provide input. The Natural Resources Inventory will also be reviewed at Board of Commissioner and Municipal Planning Commissions meetings.

The Natural Resources Inventory, along with the Comprehensive Plan, Code revisions and a Park and Recreation Plan are only a few of the tools the City of Lakeland uses to forecast and prepare for the future. We especially value the comments, suggestions and input from Lakeland residents as we prepare the Lakeland community for future generations. (Times and dates for the Natural Resources Inventory public comment meetings will be announced in the near future.)

Help-Ok signs now available.

“Help-OK” placards are available immediately from Lakeland City Hall, 10001 Highway 70, Lakeland, Tennessee or at Lakeland Fire Station # 1 on Beverle Revira Drive. We are also providing placards for Home Owners Associations, Neighborhood Associations and other groups to distribute to individual dwelling units.

Placards have two sides a “Help” side and an “OK” side. Rescue workers can quickly determine if a resident is ok or needs help. This will substantially increase rescue operations and all residents are encouraged to participate in this program.

The Placards are not just for an emergency. They also provide useful information on an item you need to keep in easy reach in the event of an emergency. The Placards are the color “red” on one side (the “needs help” side) and the color “green” on one side (the “ok” side). In addition to providing assistance in an emergency, the Placards also contain useful information on emergency preparedness, helpful numbers, and information on the type of emergencies in Shelby County and what to do for each one.

I feel these are excellent tools for an emergency and I encourage all residents to get a placard and, more important, know where you put it.

The Placard is prepared by the Memphis/Shelby County Emergency Management Agency.

Remember to get your “Help-Ok” placard now

Trash pickup is on normal schedule this week

The Vetereans Day holiday will not affect the trash pickup schedule. Residents with scheduled Friday collections will be picked up on Friday.

Wyatt Bunker speaks thisThursday in Lakeland

Shelby County Commissioner Wyatt Bunker is the featured speaker for the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Meeting at11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. this Thursday, November 10, 2006 at the the Oakwood Clubhouse. The scheduled speaker, Shelby County Commissioner Joyce Avery, will be unable to attend due to having to attend funeral services Thursday.

If you haven’t met Commissioner Bunker, come out and meet him! If you have met him, stop by and visit with him!

This is an excellent opportunity for Lakeland and Shelby County residents to hear and visit with one of our elected representatives in Shelby County government.

Additional information is available at the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce site www.LakelandChamberofCommerce.com..

Schedule Changes for November and December

Closings and changes in schedules for meetings and for City Hall for November and December are:

-Friday, November 10, 2006: Veterans Day (observed): City Hall closed

-Thursday, November 23 and Friday, November 24, 2006: (Thanksgiving, Day after Thanks giving): City Hall closed

-Thursday, November 30, 2006: Economic Development Commission meeting changed from Thursday, November 23 to Thursday, November 30)

-Tuesday, December 5, 2006: December Board of Commissioners Regular December meeting changed to Tuesday, December 5 (from Thursday, December 7)

-Tuesday, December 19, 2006: December Board of Commissioners Work Session (for January, 2007 meeting) changed to Tuesday, December 19, 2006 (from Monday, December 25, 2006)

-Monday, December 25, 2006 and Tuesday, December 26, 2006: Christmas Day and Christmas Eve (observed): City Hall closed

-Economic Development Commission meeting is cancelled for December, unless it is rescheduled a the November meeting

A City Calendar is available at www.lakelandtn.org and is updated when changes are made.
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It's Lakeland, Tennessee!

A resident recently advised me of a mixup because of a Lakeland store using an “Arlington” address rather than the correct “Lakeland” address.

There was a special event at the store and apparently several residents saw the “Arlington” address and went to the Arlington store and missed the event.

The Economic Development Commission recently discussed this at the October meeting and resulting action hopefully will lead to a resolution of the reason why so many Lakeland businesses and residents are assigned “Arlington” addresses.

Also, the City staff is sending flyers to all Lakeland based businesses suggesting they make sure their residents can find them by using “Lakeland, Tennessee” in their address!