Temporary closure on Simpson Road

Crews will be working nights through Friday to install a 30-inch water main on Simpson Road between Florida’s Turnpike bridge and U.S. Highway 192, and will need to close one lane tonight from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Message boards will alert motorists to the closure and the work site will be lighted. Flagmen also will be on location directing traffic as needed.

For more information, contact the Osceola County Public Information Office at 407-742-0100.

Controlled burns planned

The Osceola County Parks Division is partnering with PBS&J, an engineering firm, to plan a series of controlled burns at the Lake Lizzie Conservation Area this spring and summer.

The purpose of the controlled burn is two-fold: the reduction of fuels that facilitate destructive, uncontrolled wildfires and the improvement of habitat for wildlife and visitor enjoyment.

County officials stated that gopher tortoises and scrub jays, both found in the conservation area, are fire-adapted species that will benefit from the fire management. The fires will provide rejuvenated habitats for both fire dependent-plants and animals found in the 1,000-acre park.

Signs will be posted at both park entrances and at the Division of Forestry office on days that burning will occur. An Osceola County Fire Rescue team will be present on the site on standby as an added precaution.

The amount of controlled burns will be dependent on weather conditions. Every effort will be made to minimize smoke near homes and roadways. Controlled burns will be performed when wind is blowing away from those areas or when conditions are such that it allows smoke to rise vertically into the atmosphere.

All residents immediately abutting the area have been notified.

For more information on the controlled burns, call Bob Mindick at 407-742-7800 or Niki Whisler at 407-742-9000.

KUA announces fee changes

The Kissimmee Utility Authority May 1 implemented several changes that affect customer service fees.

The utility’s board of directors approved the changes following review by the Florida Public Service Commission and a public hearing April 7.

The changes include:

• Additional residential deposits can be required if service is disconnected for nonpayment, checks have been returned by the bank for insufficient funds, the customer has write-off accounts, the customer has filed bankruptcy (consistent with any court order) or tampering or current diversion are found.

• Residential deposits and interest are refundable upon discontinuation of service, less the amounts due from the customer in the final bill. Deposits received prior to May 1 shall be governed by the previous tariff. In the case of any additional deposits assessed after May 1, the entire deposit will be subject to the new tariff. Previously, deposits were returned to the customer after two years of good payment history.

• For same-day reconnection after disconnection at the meter for non-payment, the fee before 2 p.m. is $35 and $85 after 2 p.m.; next day reconnection is $35.

• KUA no longer accepts letters of credit from previous utilities in lieu of a deposit.

Customers with questions about the new tariffs can contact the utility’s customer service center at 407-933-9800.

Three residents apply for utility board

Three residents have submitted applications to fill a vacancy on the Kissimmee Utility Authority board of directors.

The outgoing director, Nancy Gemskie, has served two terms on the board and is not eligible for renomination.

The applicants are:

• William C. “Nick” Nichols, a licensed real estate broker and manager at Goodwin Realty, is a 17-year resident of Kissimmee. He also is the former president of the Osceola County Association of Realtors and former vice president of the Florida Association of Realtors.

• William C. Shupe Jr., a retired construction project manager and former Navy machinist, has been a Kissimmee resident for 15 years. He currently owns a restaurant/tavern in New Jersey.

• Kathleen Thacker, a retired school psychologist from Orange County Public Schools and a graduate of St. Cloud High School, is a seven-year resident of Kissimmee. She holds degrees from Florida State University and Western Carolina University and is a graduate of the Kissimmee School of Government.

The KUA board will interview applicants at a special meeting at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The board will then select one applicant whose name will go before the Kissimmee City Commission May 18 for confirmation. The candidate confirmed by the City Commission will be sworn in at the utility board's October meeting.

St. Cloud lane and road closures

The city of St. Cloud has announced a number of lane and road closures beginning Monday.

There will be lane closures on U.S. Highway 192 for one block in both the east and west direction at the intersections of Delaware, Michigan and New York avenues. There also will be road closures on Delaware, Michigan and New York avenues for one city block from U.S. Highway 192 in both north and south directions.

A completion date for the work is estimated to be Sunday, May 16, weather permitting. The lane and road closures are due to traffic signal maintenance.

Crews will work to minimize any inconvenience and detour routes will be clearly posted.

For more information, call 407-957-7344.

Lock work coming

Nearly 50 years after going into service, the navigation locks in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and the Kissimmee River will undergo complete renovation this year.

The improvements will modernize the locks and make them suitable for many more decades of safe and reliable service, officials with the South Florida Water Management District stated in a press release

Beginning May 17, the district will temporarily close the S-61, S-65, S-65A and S-65D navigation locks in Lake Toho-pekaliga, Lake Kissimmee and the Kissimmee River for complete refurbishment. The work will be completed by Dec. 31.

 “Many of these locks went into service in the early 1960s, so it is time to do the necessary work to ensure their continued operation for another half century,” Tommy Strowd, district deputy executive director of operations and maintenance, said. “We regret the temporary inconveniences that the work will place on the boating public. However, by refurbishing all the locks at the same time, we will save $480,000 in taxpayer dollars.”

Each navigation lock will receive new concrete work, paint, utilities and mechanisms to operate the lock doors. The locks allow boats to navigate around water control structures, providing navigation from the Upper Chain of Lakes to Lake Okeechobee. Their purpose is purely navigational. Closing them will have no effect on water flow or flood protection.

Boaters and outdoor enthusiasts will still be able to access the restored Kissimmee River at various locations, such as the Istokpoga Canal Boat Ramp Area near the border between Highlands and Okeechobee counties. Accessing the river from the Istokpoga Canal, boaters can travel between S-65A and S-65D, which includes about 24 miles of restored river channel and about 14 miles of the channelized Kissimmee River.

The district is placing signs at the locks and at boat ramps throughout the Kissimmee Basin to notify boaters of the planned renovations.

The navigational lock refurbishment work is part of an ongoing effort to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure of the Central and Southern Florida Project, a massive system of flood control works. For more information, contact the Orlando Service Center at 407-858-6100 or the Okeechobee Service Center at 863-462-5260