Welcome to Clewiston

The elected officials who serve as the Clewiston City Commission are a dedicated group of people with great pride for their community. The Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Commissioners are the governing body of the City. They set policies and rules by which the City is operated, including establishing goals and targeting issues as well as setting the tax rates.

Members of the City Commission are elected at-large and elections are held during the Hendry County General Election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even numbered year. At each election, three commissioners are elected; the two candidates receiving the highest vote total are elected for a four-year term and the third candidate is elected for a two-year term. Commission candidates must be registered voters of the City and must have resided within the corporate limits for one year at time of election qualification, and if elected, continue to reside within the City during their full term of office.

During the first regular meeting in December of each general election year, the City Commission holds an Organizational Meeting and from their number appoints by majority vote, the Mayor and Vice Mayor. The Mayor is recognized as the head of government for all ceremonial purposes. The Vice Mayor shall serve in the absence of the Mayor.

Regular Commission meetings are held on the third Monday of each month, starting at 5:00 p.m. in the city hall commission chambers, 115 West Ventura Avenue.  Special meetings may be held at the call of the Mayor or by a majority of the Commission.

City Manager

City Clerk

Lakisha Burch has been employed with the City of Clewiston as City Clerk since October 2024. Under supervisory direction of the City Manager, the City Clerk participates in all official City functions, serves as custodian of the City Seal and official records and history; assists the City Manager in coordinating special and regular City Commission meetings, preparing agenda materials and minutes for City Commission meetings and providing legal notification of various commission and citizen committee meetings; officiates at bid openings, coordinates City responses to subpoenas for records, acts as a Notary Public, and performs related work as required.

The Community Development Department oversees a wide variety of functions. Information on these items can be found via the links to the left, or by clicking on the titles below:

• Business Tax Receipts
• Fire Prevention
• Permitting, Inspections, & Plan Review
• Zoning
• CDBG
• FEMA

COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DIVISION

The Finance Department is responsible for managing the City's financial matters. Primary functions include administration, budgeting, planning, accounting, investments, licensing, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, insurance, and pension administration.

The Finance Department is responsible for the accurate and timely recording of the City's financial transactions in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals. The Finance Department performs daily reviews, balances, and classifies all transactions related to accounts receivable, billing, accounts payable, payroll, and purchasing. Balancing cash receipts and preparing deposits are also daily duties of the Finance Department.

The Department maintains one station, built in 1998, at 120 Commercio Street, seconds away from U.S. Highway 27, and has four first-run engines, the newest delivered December 20, 2004. "Engine 8" replaced a 25-year-old truck. It is a combination pumper/rescue truck with a 1,000 gallon water tank and a 1,268 GPM pump. Among its many features are two high pressure hose reels for the "Jaws of Life," and a 5,000 watt generator for running lights, tools, and smoke ejectors. Ladders are mounted on an electric rack which can be lowered within reach from the ground. It is the first truck out for responding to car accidents and rescues, and the second truck out for structure fires.

The Department also has one brush truck that is generally used to help the smaller fire departments in the rural Pioneer and Montura areas outside the city limits.  A sedan and one van complete the fire department's fleet.

The firemen receive extensive training that includes Fire Fighting, Hazardous Materials, Emergency Medical Training (EMT), First Responder, and Extraction.

Enjoy our championship 18-hole golf course

Highlights:

Located just a pleasant unhurried hour's drive from Fort Myers or West Palm Beach, and merely minutes away from U.S. Highway 27, is the Clewiston Golf Course, a beautifully maintained championship 18-hole golf course that is open to the public. Today, golfers can enjoy the same beautiful scenery and challenges golfers experienced in the 1930's. Designed by Stiles and Van Kleeck, the course is a classic and a joy to play. Amenities such as restaurants or lodging at the historic Clewiston Inn or other well-known chain motels are less than ten minutes away. This is a favorite course for many fishermen as they can enjoy the renowned bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee and still have time to enjoy a relaxing game of golf with their friends all in one day.

Things you need to know about Clewiston's Municipal Golf Course:

• Rates
• Calendar
• Location

It was on January 15, 1941, that the Clewiston Public Library was born. Mayor F. Deane Duff and the City Commission requested the Garden Club, as a civic organization, to assume the responsibility for organizing and operating the library in a rented area of the U.S. Sugar Corporation's administrative building. The Club voted overwhelmingly to undertake the library project and a committee was soon appointed. With a $100 donation from Mayor Duff, the members secured the services of Moore Haven High School Librarian, Miss Hazel Humble, to catalog the books according to the Dewey Decimal System. Every Saturday and Sunday for three months, Miss Humble and her two assistants worked eight-hour days. On Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5, 1941, the library was open for public inspection and browsing, and on Monday, April 7, the first books were issued to the patrons.

After several moves and the formation of the Library Association in June 1952, the Library moved to its permanent home in 1967, thanks to the generous $80,000 donation from the U.S. Sugar Corporation. A furnishing drive spearheaded by two ambitious and creative volunteers, Greg Esser and Dr. L. G. Vaughan, and the equally tremendous response and enthusiasm of literally hundreds of interested citizens provided the funds to furnish the now-named Harry T. Vaughn Library.

By 1992, the City Commission was contemplating adding onto the well-used facility and, in 1993, with $400,000 in state and federal grants, $250,000 from the City of Clewiston, $20,000 from Hendry County, $100,000 from the United States Sugar Corporation, and $57,510 from private donations, the City retained the engineering firm of Gee & Jenson and the construction company, Innovative Builders, Inc., to begin construction. The groundbreaking was held on June 1, 1993, and the grand opening on May 16, 1994. Mayor Perry was absolutely right when he said, "Clewiston is going to have a wonderful library, a facility of which we all can be proud." For more information on the Library, please click on "Library Presentation" under the Related Links below.

The library staff is committed to providing the community with a variety of resources, including fiction and non-fiction reading material, books on tape, videocassettes, and informational resources for reference and homework needs.  The library currently has a collection of 121,811 titles. The library also offers a variety of cookbooks and gardening manuals.

Welcome to the Clewiston Police Department.  We are a full-service agency with 22 employees that are focused on improving the quality of life for our approximately 8,200 residents and all of our visitors within approximately 4.5 square miles.

Located in Hendry County, we share common borders with the communities of Harlem and Twin Lakes creating a total Clewiston area population of more than 15,000 people.  The city is located on the shores of Lake Okeechobee and is home to some of the best fishing in the world.

The Public Works Department maintains the City's streets, sidewalks, and drainage system. The Department is also responsible for the collection of garbage and trash. Other responsibilities include installing and replacing street signs, vehicle repair and maintenance, and keeping the City's rights-of-way mowed and the streets swept.

In 2008, the Public Works Department implemented a fully automated residential garbage collection system utilizing a one person collection operation and providing each residential customer a standardized garbage receptacle With the system in full operation, an overall cost reduction of 50% has been realized. This savings stabilized the solid waste division and insured no rate increases in the near future.

The Public Works Department is consistently upgrading the City's infrastructure. Yearly projects include the installation of new sidewalks and the asphalt overlay of various streets in town. The most recent project was the drainage upgrade and street paving on West Pasadena Avenue.

Seventeen dedicated employees work in the Public Works Department. The Public Works Department is committed to providing essential services in the most efficient and professional manner in order to keep Clewiston clean and safe. However, there's a chance we may have overlooked a pothole or other public works issues. If you see some thing that needs our attention, click on the feedback form below.

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the City of Clewiston Recreation Department to create, promote and develop diverse activities and programs that foster positive community relationships while striving to increase the social, cultural and physical well-being of its residents and guests.

Goals, Purpose & Vision

• Provide safe, secure, clean parks, green spaces and recreational facilities
• Provide efficient and cost effective services to Clewiston Residents regardless of income, background and/or ability
• Continually strive to improve existing facilities while seeking opportunities for future development
• Effectively plan for the future recreational and leisure needs of Clewiston Residents
• Create a partnership with the Clewiston Community to improve the quality of life for all citizens

Clewiston Utilities has provided electricity, water and waste water service to Clewiston and Harlem for over 50 years.  With approximately 4000 customers, we employ 26 people and operate as an enterprise fund of the City of Clewiston.  The City of Clewiston does not  operate its own electricity plant, but purchases all of its power needs through the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) a consortium of 29 other municipalities that operate their own electric systems.  FMPA owns generating capabilities in multiple generating plants as well as having bulk power contracts with other facilities.  The City of Clewiston also owns an interest in the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant that is owned and operated by Florida Power and Light.  Because of participation with FMPA, the City of Clewiston has returned millions of dollars back into the community which has helped to enhance recreation, fire and police services, while maintaining a very reliable and efficient system.

2023 Outstanding Employees of the Year

The City of Clewiston is blessed to have great employees.  Five of these employees achieved our highest honor, being named Employees of the Year.

The following employees were the Outstanding Employees of the Year for 2023: Public Works Department Employee of the Year, Axel Navarro; Police Department Employee of the Year, James Estiverne; Utilities Department Employee of the Year, Sarai Cruz; General Services Employee of the Year, Laurie Lindsey; and Director of the Year, Thomas Lewis.

Congratulations to all of the Employees of the Year for 2023.