County furlough days announced
The Osceola County Commission last week announced the 10 furlough days for the county’s fiscal year, which began Oct. 1 and which ends Sept. 30, 2011.
The furlough days do not apply to the Osceola County constitutional offices – Clerk of Court, Property Appraiser, Sheriff’s Office, Supervisor of Elections and Tax Collector.
With some exceptions for public safety and other specific operations, county workers will take unpaid leave on the identified furlough days and most county departments and buildings, including libraries, parks, road and bridge, animal control, permitting and others will be closed to the public.
The furlough days will be spread throughout the year to minimize the impact to residents and will save taxpayers nearly $2.8 million, county officials stated in a press release.
The designated furlough days are: Fridays, Oct. 22 and Nov. 12; Monday, Feb. 7; and Fridays, March 11, April 1, May 13, June 17, July 15, Aug. 12 and Sept. 16.
For a complete list of the specific offices and departments these dates do and do not apply to, visit
the county’s website at www.osceola.org/go/fur
lough.
For more information, contact the Osceola County Public Information Office at 407-742-0100.

Groundbreaking for road project set for Oct. 14
There will be a groundbreaking Thursday, Oct. 14, for the city of St. Cloud’s Nolte Road Extension Project.
The ceremony will be at Stevens Plantation, on the southwest corner of Canoe Creek Road and Nolte Road, in St. Cloud.
The capital improvement project will construct a roadway between Canoe Creek Road (County Road 523) and Hickory Tree Road (County Road 15). All of the funding for the project comes from traffic improvement impact fee funds on hand and bond financing to be repaid from future traffic impact fees.
The extension consists of a 3.1-mile, four-lane, divided arterial roadway that will include ponds, underground utilities and a recreational pathway.
Turner Construction Company will serve as the construction manager for the project.
PBS&J and Osceola Engineering will perform construction engineering and inspection services for the project.
Construction is set to begin sometime over the next two months, with an expected project completion in the spring of 2012.

KUA celebrates Public Power Week
Kissimmee Utility Authority along with more than 2,000 other electric utilities that provide electricity on a not-for-profit basis to 45 million Americans is celebrating Public Power Week through Saturday.
Public Power Week is a national, annual event sponsored in conjunction with the American Public Power Association in Washington, D.C., the national service organization for the nation’s community and state-owned not-for-profit electric utilities.
“This year’s Public Power Week coincides with KUA’s 25th anniversary of serving the community,” Jim Welsh, KUA’s president and general manager, stated in a press release. “Public power systems like KUA are an expression of the American ideal of local people working together to meet their community’s needs. Like schools, parks, police, and fire protection, we are governed locally and operated to provide an essential public service.”
With the Kissimmee
City Commission’s formal approval, KUA became official on Oct. 1, 1985; it had been a department within the city since it’s founding in 1901.
On Monday, KUA kicked off its annual calendar art contest by inviting students to use the power of art to promote electrical safety. Details are available at http://kua.com/calendar.
On Wednesday, KUA will gather up its utility vehicle fleet for a 25th anniversary photo.
At the KUA board of directors meeting, also on Wednesday, the board honored 11 employees with a combined total of 199 years of service, and bid farewell to the utility’s longest-serving employee, superintendent of T&D operations Ed Carter. Carter will retire Friday after 44 years of service.
On Saturday, the utility will host Osceola County’s largest outdoor Latin music festival, Viva Osceola, on the Osceola campus of Valencia Community College. The event will feature live entertainment, dancing, art, food and drink and a children’s play area. Admission and parking are free.