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COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL

• What is the Community Improvement Council (CIC)?
• How Can I Make a Suggestion to the Community Improvement Council (CIC)
• Contacting the District Office
• Adopt-A-Bench Program
• Golf Cart Tunnel Identification Program

What is the Community Improvement Council (CIC)?

The Community Improvement Council (CIC) was organized in 1985 to serve the community as a liaison between the residents, the Developer, and the Community Development Districts (CDDs). The CIC members provide a voice for the ideas and suggestions that are provided by residents of The Villages. Many aspects of The Villages lifestyle are the result of CIC efforts to turn ideas into reality.

The CIC meets monthly to review resident suggestions to enhance or improve life in The Villages. These suggestions are also reviewed by a representative of the Developer and by a representative of District Government. Members of the CIC follow-up as needed, and personally contact each resident who submits a suggestion.

Each year, the CIC selects new members to serve a three-year term on the Council. Notices of openings appear in the Daily Sun and are announced on the District’s website. Candidates must be residents who have lived full-time in The Villages for at least six months as of the date they assume membership on the CIC.

Some of the suggestions that have come to reality through the CIC are: the Adopt-a-Bench program; a handicap lift at the Calumet Grove Pool; bicycle racks for the Town Squares and recreation centers; the golf cart tunnel numbering system; and, other safety, maintenance and landscape improvements.

How Can I Make a Suggestion to the Community Improvement Council (CIC)

Residents may submit their suggestions either on-line at districtgov.org or by using the Community Improvement Council Suggestion Form. The forms are available at Regional Recreation Centers and at CIC boxes located at neighborhood postal facilities. At the postal facilities, the completed forms should be deposited in the CIC box, which is for CIC suggestions only. The CIC suggestions are collected approximately two weeks prior to the monthly CIC meetings.

Suggestions submitted to the CIC must include a name, address and telephone number. Anonymous suggestions will NOT be reviewed and all submissions will be kept confidential.

Contacting the District Office Directly

Occasionally, residents may have concerns that need to be addressed in a timely manner. Some examples are broken sprinkler heads, burned-out streetlights, or the presence of door-to-door solicitors. In such cases, it is suggested that residents contact the appropriate District Department directly. District staff is always ready and willing to address the concerns of residents, and they can be contacted by e-mail[click here] or by calling Customer Service at 352-753-4508. Customer Service is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For suggestion that have a significant budgetary impact, such as widening multi-modal trails, residents should contact their Community Development District Supervisors [click here] or attend a District Board meeting.

Other important contact information is available on-line at districtgov.org. The Villages Phone Book also has pertinent telephone numbers and other valuable information regarding life in The Villages.

In any emergency, residents should always call 911 immediately.

Information concerning community development district government can be obtained at District-sponsored orientation sessions conducted every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the Sumter Landing Community Development District office. For more information about these sessions, call 753-4508. Click here for the District Information Guide.

Adopt-A-Bench Program

The Adopt-A-Bench program is the result of a suggestion to the CIC, and it is one of the most visible ways to honor or remember a loved one or to promote a club or organization. The 4-foot durable cast aluminum benches are located in approved locations along the multi-modal paths of The Villages, and each features a black vinyl plaque displaying the donor’s name or inscription. The current one-time cost for a bench is $562. This cost includes the bench, concrete slab, and installation. The price is subject to change. Please call 352-259-3339 for more information on the Adopt-A-Bench program.

Golf Cart Tunnel Identification Program

Golf cart tunnel identification signs are posted at the entrance to all tunnels. These signs state both the GRID number associated with an emergency grid map, and the location of the tunnel. This information will assist responders to a medical emergency, an accident, or to a golf cart breakdown. The idea for these signs was submitted as a suggestion to the CIC, and its implementation became a collaborative effort with The Villages Homeowner’s Association who funded the project.