Calls of abandoned properties in Avon Park have flooded the city's code enforcement's office. Complaints about overgrown grass, squatters living in the abandoned homes and illegal activity on these lots have been an ongoing problem for the city. ...more

October 28, 2009

Union Congregational Church's Solid Grounds, a meet and greet eatery, is operating in violation of the city's Land Development regulations, according to the city attorney's interpretation of the Central Florida Regional Planning Council's statement on the issue. ...more

February 11, 2009

The Avon Park City Council is sending a message to the governor - that it opposes Miami-Dade County's effort to eliminate municipalities from lawfully setting higher utility rates for customers outside the city limits. ...more

December 29, 2008

The CRA here hasn't had a public hearing since March 2007, but it's possible that a public hearing wasn't required, said the deputy mayor, a city councilman and the city attorney. ...more

December 11, 2008

AVON PARK - Avon Park took Sebring's side in its mounting turf war with Sun 'n Lake's water utilities, asking the county to refuse Sun 'n Lake's request to let the district expand its water lines outside the district's limits. The Avon Park city council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday afternoon opposing Sun 'n Lake Improvement District's request to serve new developments, including a new assisted living facility located at 4029 Schumacher Road, just outside of Sebring's city limits. The request already provoked Sebring officials, who passed a similar resolution later that evening. ...more

August 28, 2008

AVON PARK — The City Council heard some noise from a resident complaining about people blasting their stereos all over the city, and agreed that the existing noise ordinance wasn't enough to mute them. The council asked City Attorney Gerald Buhr and Police Chief Matthew Doughney to figure a way to increase the penalties for playing loud music, after Charles Devlin said that he could hear them across Lake Tulane most weekends. "Every single night without exceptions you hear loud music," Devlin told the council. ...more

May 28, 2008

AVON PARK - The city council heard some noise from a resident complaining about people blasting their stereos all over the city, and agreed that the existing noise ordinance wasn't enough to mute them. The council asked City Attorney Gerald Buhr and Police Chief Matthew Doughney to figure a way to increase the penalties for playing loud music, after Charles Devlin said that he could hear them across Lake Tulane most weekends. ...more

May 27, 2008

AVON PARK — Even though the Avon Park City Council voted 4-1 to continue its police chief search, a budget crunch anticipated after Amendment 1 passed last month has prompted city officials to consider merging the police and fire chief positions. ...more

February 13, 2008

AVON PARK — The Avon Park City Council decided to form a seven-member committee to recommend a new police chief from the 61 applications the city received. In creating the committee, the council decided to fill the police chief's position before they found a new city manager, using the committee's recommendations to help interim City Manager Sarah Adelt pick out Frank Mercurio's successor. The city has not begun advertising for the city manager's position. ...more

January 16, 2008

AVON PARK — Memorial Elementary School is scheduled to open for classes in August, but first the school district has to resolve water/sewer service issues for the school. The School Board of Highlands County and the city of Avon Park are at a stalemate over water reclamation piping. Avon Park wants the school district to pay about $180,000 for the installation of more than 9,000 feet of "purple pipe" to transport reclaimed water. It is quite possible the school district would spend that money not knowing when the reclaimed water would be available to the school site, according to a letter the school board approved Tuesday to send to the city of Avon Park. It is likely to be three to five years before any reclaimed water is available for irrigation use at the school. "The school board is being asked to completely fund the master infrastructure required for this area," the letter states. ...more

November 24, 2007