By Capers Gay
At the May 6, 2025 Lake Wales City Commission Meeting, a re-authorization of the city’s Citizen Advisory Task Force (or CATF) was approved. This task force exists to provide public input on city projects. In the past, the task force has been used to review grant applications made by the city, and will likely continue to do so.
The city is looking to apply for a Community Development Block Grant (or CDBG); previous iterations were reviewed by the CATF in 2015 and 2020.
A new fire station will be constructed at the southwest corner of the intersection of Nest Egg Road and Hunt Brothers Road in Lake
Wales, and they need the task force’s re-authorization in order to move forward. The reason for this is because a CDBG grant must benefit low-to-moderate income communities with at least 70% of its funds, and this CATF will comprise of folks from that income bracket.
Specifically, the task force must have at least five city residents as members, 51% of which must come from low-to-moderate income households. None can be elected officials, and no more than one can be city employees. Four past members of the CATF have been recommended for appointment with a new member to join them. Like other items on this meeting’s consent agenda, the re-authorization went through with no controversy.
