Awards and Recognitions
U.S. Chamber & Siemens Announce Finalists for National Sustainability Awards
The City of Casselberry was selected by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) as a finalist for the Siemens Sustainable Community Award. The finalists were selected based on their outstanding efforts to achieve complementary economic, environmental and social goals, as well as to improve the overall quality of life within their communities.
The City nominated the following projects/programs for the award: Erosion Control Projects, Lake Concord Park, Economic Development Division, Northeast Industrial Park, Comprehensive Plan, Energy & Water Efficiency Team, Blueway Trail, and the Wirz Bike Trail. Casselberry was one of three cities selected nationwide for the small community category along with the City of Manhattan Beach, CA and the City of Newton, IA. The winner will be announced at the 2010 National Corporate Community Investment Conference (CCI), which runs from May 12-14 in Houston, TX. It is an honor to be named a finalist for this prestigious, national awards program. BCLC will showcase the Casselberry community and its accomplishments through various media outlets, including BCLC’s website, the CCI Conference, and in related press announcements. For more information about the finalists, visit
http://www.uschamber.com/bclc/sustainablecommunity.
FCCMA Community Partnership Award
The City of Casselberry was selected by the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) to receive the Program Excellence Award: Community Partnership for Erosion Control Project. This award recognizes a program or process that demonstrates innovative, multi-participant involvement between a local government and other governmental entity, private-sector business, individuals or nonprofit agencies to improve the quality of life for residents or provide more efficient and effective services.
The Erosion Control Project was a partnership between the City of Casselberry and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). After subsequent storm events and hurricanes, the banks along Casselberry’s Gee Creek suffered severe erosion that threatened to damage nearby homes and public and private structures. As a result, the City partnered with NRCS to obtain funding to implement a series of erosion control measures, such as planting trees and installing concrete walls. This project reduced the risk of flooding for over a hundred properties located along Casselberry’s many lakes, ponds, and streams. NRCS were impressed with the quality of work so much that they selected the City for inclusion in a documentary to submit to the US Congress.
The Florida City and County Management Association is a professional organization of practicing public administrators from throughout Florida local governments. The City Manager, Barbara Lipscomb, is a long-time member of the FCCMA.
Casselberry Named Tree City, USA
The City of Casselberry has been named a Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to community forestry. It is the 3rd year the City of Casselberry has received this national recognition.
The City of Casselberry is committed to maintaining the Tree City USA designation by educating the community on the importance of trees in urban settings. Every year, the City must continue to meet the following four standards to maintain Tree City status: having a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, a comprehensive community forestry program and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
Communities that receive Tree City USA recognition not only have taken the time to meet these four standards, they realize that:
- Trees promote healthier communities. Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particles.
- Trees moderate climate, conserve water and provide habitat for wildlife.
- Tees in urban areas reduce the heat island effect caused by pavement and buildings.
- Properly placed trees can increase property values and improve the local economy.
Tree City USA is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit, environmental and education organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the foundation and its programs can be found at
www.arborday.org.
More information about Tree City USA can be found at
www.arborday.org/TreeCityUSA.
Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting
The City of Casselberry has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) regarding its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007.
The GFOA established the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program (CAFR Program) in 1945 to encourage and assist state and local governments to go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles to prepare comprehensive annual financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure and then to recognize individual governments that succeed in achieving that goal.
Casselberry Receives Government Finance Officers Association Award
The City of Casselberry has received honors from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) regarding its budget work and preparation.
The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award was presented to the City of Casselberry for its budget that covered the 2008- 2009 fiscal year. The budget was rated on how well it served as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide and a communications device. Budget documents must be rated as proficient in all four categories to receive the honor.
According to the GFOA, the award reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.
The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving 17,500 government finance professional throughout North America. The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.