Civil Municipal View Feb2023

47 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 the recent opening of the Crave & Copper Microbrewery, by the owners of the long-established Florida Brewery. Those owners used community redevelopment funds to support their investments. Palmer says the opening of this new sit-down restaurant is an important addition to the downtown community, with the hope that it will lead to additional eateries in Auburndale that provide more diverse food options. This in turn could allow downtown Auburndale to become more of a foodie destination. Auburndale participates in water co-op with other municipalities and Polk County given the fact that drinking water is in short supply. Together, these municipalities must follow a Water Star Ordinance that requires homes to have water-efficient indoor fixtures and appliances and drought-tolerant plants. The ordinance limits the amount of high-volume irrigation such as spray and rotor heads in the landscape. Polk County itself is an important partner, regularly working with Auburndale leadership on ensuring all households in the community have access to the basic services they need, from utilities to transportation. The State of Florida is an important partner on the transportation side as well. Highway 559 was changed to a local traffic route and a transportation plan is underway to maintain safe traffic flow. Berkley Road was reclassified as the truck route to remove excessive truck traffic off 559 and downtown. All bordering municipalities like Polk City and Lake Alfred regularly meet and converse with Palmer, Womble, and other city leaders. The aforementioned and all employers in town are invaluable partners because of their financial commitments and investments in long-term success. “It’s a community of collaboration with (business) leaders, entrepreneurs, (public) departments, and our residents,” Palmer says. Transportation remains a major initiative for Palmer and Womble while investments continue in the AUBURNDALE , FLOR IDA