Council Highlights – January 24, 2022
Last updated on January 24, 2022
Council Update – January 24, 2022
MAYOR’S UPDATE
General Items
COVID-19 & ERAP2 Rental Assistance
Mayor Dyer and Susie have tested positive last Friday and as they isolate, Mayor Dyer is remote for today’s council meeting. This is a good reminder to get vaccinated as he credits his vaccine and booster to experiencing mild symptoms and not serious illness.
We want to remind everyone that our free testing site at Camping World Stadium remains open seven days a week.
Our staff managing the site would like residents to know that there has been little to no wait time each afternoon. If you need to be tested, it might be good to visit the site after lunch. The City of Orlando continues to work to leverage federal funding to help our community who’ve been impacted by the pandemic financially. We were awarded $6.8 million dollars in COVID-19 Relief Funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to provide Emergency Rental Assistance for households.
Our online application portal will open on February 1 for residents to apply for financial assistance. In the interim, residents are highly encouraged to prepare by confirming eligibility information and gathering the necessary documents which you can find information on online at orlando.gov/assistance.
Commissioner Bakari Burns Birthday on Sunday, January 30
We want to wish Commissioner Burns a happy early birthday. We hope you enjoy your day on Sunday.
Steinmetz Hall Opening
Speaking of celebration, this month we had the historic opening of the Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. We want to thank again our commissioners and the many partners for the continued support as we work to ensure Orlando is a world-class city, offering world-class amenities for all residents.
Items of Note
Downtown Safety Items
Moving to items of note, last year, the city implemented several initiatives to further efforts against violent crime in downtown Orlando. We know the success of our downtown is dependent on people feeling safe coming to the area. Building on this continued commitment, today we will seek to approve the Safety Awareness for Everyone Program and other initiatives aimed at increasing safety for everyone in the area.
Also, during the CRA portion of the meeting, Thomas Chatmon will be presenting and providing further background on these items.
These actions are another step as part of our comprehensive look at safety measures within downtown and understanding what long-term impacts some of these could have at increasing safety for everyone in the area.
FPR #1 Community Violence Intervention Initiative
Additionally on the agenda, is an item that will allocate our first use federal funding we received through the American Rescue Plan Act. The funding will go to expand violence intervention initiatives for our youth as an alternative to police enforcement. These programs are modeled on programs that have reduced gun violence by 40 to 70 percent in other locations across the country. Our Families, Parks, and Recreation Department and Orlando Police Department will work with national experts to implement these programs and evaluate progress regularly to track impact.