City/County News

Although not within the Oak Crest community, these local news items from the City of Orlando and Orange County should be of interest to our residents.

Thursday, July 5 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Orlando Fire Station 15
10199 South Narcoossee Road

Orlando Fire Chief Roderick S. Williams invites Orlando residents to a Touch-A-Truck event with free refreshments and interactive demonstrations while meeting the firefighters of Station 15. Firefighters will showcase our newest investment in public safety, a custom built Sutphen Tower Truck apparatus. Read more...

Orange County hosts FREE Community Connections Workshops(*), usually held on the 2nd Saturday of every month. They are designed to help residents make the most of their neighborhoods.

Saturday, July 7 ~ 9:30am to 12:00pm

HOA & Condo Board Of Directors Certification Training 101
101 Beardall Senior Center, 800 South Delaney Avenue, Orlando, 32801

All newly elected or appointed Condo & mandatory HOA board members are required by Florida law to certify in writing that they have read their association’s governing documents and will faithfully discharge their fiduciary responsibilities to the association’s members or take a state certified course and submit a Certificate of Completion. This workshop meets these certification requirements. Board members will learn what they need to know to be an effective mandatory association board member.

Community Connections Workshops are FREE! Parking is FREE in the surface lots in front of and behind Beardall Senior Center. Complimentary refreshments courtesy of the City of Orlando. Read more...

Have you ever been inspired to stop and take a photo while walking around the city?

The Historic Preservation Board is seeking photographs of our historic streetscapes and landscapes for the popular Historic Preservation Board Calendar for 2019. We hope you take advantage of this great opportunity and join in on our celebration of Orlando’s history. Read more...

The Orlando Fire Department and Orlando Police Department can now accept text messages to 911.

Calling 911 is still the most efficient way for emergency dispatchers to retrieve and deliver life-saving information. As a voice on the other line can help the caller remain calm and give life saving-instructions. Text-to-911 is helpful for those who are unable to speak or hear or have difficulty speaking and hearing.

There are specific guidelines needed to follow to utilize the text-to-911 service. Read more...

Did you know that 24-percent of the municipal solid waste stream is food and yard waste? A great way to reduce your landfill contribution and reduce landfill odors is home composting. It also creates your own nutrient rich soil.

The City of Orlando is offering FREE home composters and workshops to residents of the City of Orlando through Mayor Buddy Dyer’s Green Works initiative.

Request your free composter (*)

Community gardens are spaces for neighbors to come together and grow wholesome and healthy food for their families. They are places for new gardeners to get their hands dirty, and for seasoned gardeners to pass their knowledge on to newcomers.

Community gardens provide a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about how food is grown and to garner an appreciation for where their food comes from. Each garden is self-managed, holds their own waiting lists and bylaws, and organizes community events around the garden.

View a Map of City of Orlando Community Gardens (*)

Beneath Orange County lies a freshwater reservoir known as the Floridan Aquifer. It is primarily fed through rainwater filtered through hundreds of feet of sand and rock in a natural filtering process.

Because of its high quality, the groundwater we use needs little or no treatment other than disinfection and aeration.

Saturdays
from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Valencia College, 12350 Narcoossee Rd, Orlando.
Orlando, FL 32832.

They are open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.

All profits go directly to helping wildlife. For more information please visit their facebook page(*)

Free trees are available through the City of Orlando as a part of its One Person, One Tree program which is targeting a 40% increase in Orlando's tree canopy by 2040.

Trees may be ordered online for residential property within city limits, for the City's rights of way, or for neighborhoods. For more information go to http://www.cityoforlando.net/trees/ (*).

The Orange County Utilities Water Division has a FREE service to help customers make their irrigation system more efficient.  

The audit includes a complete evaluation by a certified irrigation professional contracted by Orange County Utilities who will check all sprinkler zones to ensure there are no leaks and water is not being misdirected onto paved surfaces.  

For more information and to find out if you are eligible for an irrigation audit, please contact the Orange County Utilities Water Division at 407-254-9850 (select option 1, then option 2) or visit occonservewater.net

Monday thru Friday, 8am to 5 pm
Orange County Extension
Education Center

Tuesdays, 9am to 12pm
MREC, Apopka

Wednesdays, 3 to 5pm
Leu Gardens

http://orange.ifas.ufl.edu/res_hort/

Do you have a crime prevention project and need funding? If so, the Neighborhood Pride Crime Prevention & Safety Grants are still available.  These grants assist Orange County residents' efforts to reduce crime and increase safety by providing funding for community driven projects.  If your organization is interested, please contact Emily Hanna at 407-836-7371 or by email at Emily.Hanna@ocfl.net.