What’s Happening at City Hall?
What’s Happening at City Hall?
The Place Is Hopping – Even In This Heat
You think Winter Park is sleepy during the summer? Think again. In July alone, there will be 23 public meetings.
The Voice has received requests for notifications and schedules, so we’ve compiled a list of standing boards and task forces and will post monthly meeting schedules. You can also see the schedule, schedule changes, agendas and lists of board members on the City website at https://cityofwinterpark.org/government/boards/
City Commission — 2nd & 4th Monday Each Month
Of the 23 July meetings, two are Commission meetings. These are held the second and fourth Monday of each month, beginning at 3:30 pm, in the Commission Chambers on the second floor of City Hall. They go until they’re finished – typically until 5:30 to 6:30 pm unless there is a controversial item on the agenda. In that case, they’ve been known to go as late as 10:30 pm, but under the current administration that is the exception.
Nineteen Advisory Boards
Nineteen citizen boards advise the Commission on topics ranging from Police Officers’ Pensions to Lakes and Waterways and Code Compliance. A full list of these boards and board members can be found at the above link.
All advisory boards are formed of citizen volunteers who bring their experience and expertise to the business of running the City. They operate in a strictly advisory capacity, offering guidance to the Commission, the policy-making body of the City. The boards make the recommendations; the Commission makes the decisions.
Most advisory boards meet once a month. There are a few, including the Commission, that have workshops for the sole purpose of discussion among board members. While the public is invited to observe, at workshops, there are no decisions, no votes and no public input.
Three Task Forces
In addition to the standing advisory boards, there are currently three task forces, which are formed for a single stated purpose with definite beginning and ending dates. Ending dates, known as “sunset dates,” are, of course, flexible. The three currently active task forces are described below.
Charter Review Advisory Committee
This task force is formed every 10 years for the purpose of updating the Winter Park City Charter. The Charter is our City’s ‘Constitution,’ its primary governing document. Some major issues are under discussion, making these meetings interesting and relevant.
One is the question of whether we will continue to vote ‘at large,’ as we currently do, for mayor and commissioners, or change to a voting method based on geographic districts. There is still time to get in on this discussion, as the question was tabled until the full task force is present (which hasn’t happened yet).
Other topics include increasing compensation for Commissioners and who should have the authority to appoint Advisory Board members.
Meetings are held at the Community Center from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The first hour is devoted to public comment, so best be on time. This task force began April 23 and will run through September 24. The next meeting is Tuesday, July 23.
Orange Avenue Steering Committee
The purpose of this task force is to decide the parameters of a zoning ‘overlay,’ which will establish guidelines for the redevelopment of that stretch of Orange Avenue reaching from 17-92 to just north of the corner of Denning and Fairbanks.
The discussion is informative and the outcome will directly affect the sizable population that lives in the western part of the city. City Planning Director Bronce Stephenson wants everyone involved, and you are encouraged to attend. Meetings are held twice a month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the Commission chambers. The next meeting is Wednesday, July 24.
Old Library Reuse Task Force
This group is charged with recommending to the Commission the proper disposition of the current library facility. The task force meets once a month in the Commission chambers at Noon. The next meeting is Wednesday, July 17.
Coffee Talks
Not only do we have official commissions, boards and task forces, we also have informal gatherings with the Mayor and Commissioners where you can let them know what you’re thinking and find out what they’re thinking. Except for the Mayor’s, which is at the Welcome Center across the street from City Hall, all Coffee Talks are 8:00 to 9:00 am at the Winter Park Golf and Country Club, 761 Old England Ave.
The Coffee Talks with the Mayor and Commissioners will be on the following dates.
Mayor Steve Leary – July 12 – at the Welcome Center on Lyman Ave.
(All others are at the Winter Park Golf & Country Club.)
Commissioner Greg Seidel – August 8.
Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel – September 9.
Commissioner Carolyn Cooper – October 10.
Commissioner Todd Weaver – November 14.
Here’s What’s Left of the July Lineup
Look for August when we get closer. Note: the Chapman Room and the Commission Chambers are on the second floor of City Hall.
Will Lee Road Get the Axe?
Will Lee Road Get the Axe?
Axe-Throwing Venue Slated for Old Booby Trap Property
Two local doctors plan to breathe new life into the 0.6-acre property at 2600 Lee Road, site of the double-domed Club Harem – variously known as the Booby Trap, Club Harem, Club Rio and Christie’s Cabaret — an adult entertainment venue with a lurid history.
The contract to purchase the land from the City for $950,000 was approved by a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Carolyn Cooper casting the dissenting vote. Local vascular surgeons Dr. David Varnagy and Dr. Manuel Perez Isquierdo plan to build an axe-throwing facility where the Booby Trap once stood.
Axe Throwing?
A popular pastime in Canada and a feature in lumberjack competitions, axe-throwing is now gaining popularity in the U.S. According to Wikipedia, indoor axe throwing is a sport in which the competitor throws an axe at a target, attempting to hit the bulls eye as near as possible. Today there are commercial locations in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom where participants can compete, similar to dart throwing. For a video of axe throwing, follow the link below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axe_throwing
City Buys High . . .
In 2015, the City purchased Club Harem at 2600 Lee Rd. for $990,000, an amount well above market value. Then-Mayor Ken Bradley pushed for the purchase in order to “eliminate alleged illegal activity” at the location. Stories about the building with the breast-shaped roof line include a 2008 undercover police investigation at Club Harem, which led to a lawsuit by its owners against the City. The case was quietly settled in 2011 when the City issued a check for $250,000 to the aggrieved parties.
Sells Low
Explaining her vote against the sale, Commissioner Cooper noted that since 2015, the City has invested around $1 million in the property. She said she thought the City should hold out for a better price. She pointed out that property values in this area have increased by 14 percent in the four years since the City’s purchase. City Manager Randy Knight acknowledged that the City was “not hurting for money” and that there was no pressing need to sell at this time. The City’s broker, Bobby Palta, suggested the City could counter the doctors’ offer with a higher price, but the Commission chose to do neither.
Is Axe-Throwing Conducive to Better Behavior?
In his remarks, Commissioner Todd Weaver wondered if an axe-throwing venue that plans to serve beer and wine was “conducive to better behavior than what was there before.” Even though he expressed concern over mixing alcoholic beverages with axe-throwing, he did vote in favor of the project.
At the time of publication, neither Dr. Perez Isquierdo nor Dr. Varnagy responded to requests for comment.
Why No Confidence
Why No Confidence
In WP’s Largest Public Works Project?
Guest Columnist Charley Williams
The planned Canopy project may be the largest public works project ever undertaken by the City of Winter Park. Approved in 2016, the Library, Events Center and Parking Garage referendum garnered a slim majority of 214 votes, out of over 10,618 votes cast.
Campaign Literature in 2015-16 Promised Cost Levels
| New Library: | $17,435,700 |
| New Events Center: | $ 3,004,943 |
| Parking Deck: | $ 3,004,943 |
| Shared Costs: | $ 8,405,496 |
(demolition, design/engineering, landscaping, site work)
Library Board to Raise: $ 2,500,000
TOTAL PROJECT COST $ 29,914,311 with a promised 15 percent contingency
Three years later, why does the public continue to be skeptical about the chances for success?
Why is public trust in this project, funded by taxpayer dollars, continuing to falter? The answers to these questions are not difficult. Look at the project track record over the past four years. Promises were made, then discarded. Trust evaporated. The trend line below speaks for itself.
Original Pledges
- $29.9 million project with a 15 percent contingency
- 50,000 square foot library
- LEED-certified building including solar energy capacity
- Multi-deck parking garage to ensure easy access, safety and security for patrons
- Footprint that takes no more than 1 percent of MLK Jr Park acreage
- A site suitable to build upon with no extraordinary contamination or soil stability issues
- Storm water plan that could be addressed without taking more parkland
- A transparent process open to public comment, with all commissioners kept in the loop
- Project focus is a world class library and a community events center
- Robust community fundraising support assured
- CRA funds unlikely to be needed and should be reserved for other city priorities, like the purchase of the Post Office property.
The Path Forward
- Price tag increased to $40+ million and is tilting toward $50 million
Note: Taxpayer dollars restricted to the original $30 million bond limit - Greatly reduced contingency fund resulting from a challenging construction environment
- Library size reduced to 34,400 square feet with no LEED certification
- No parking garage, requiring consumption of more park space for parking lots
- No traffic study of Morse & Harper to address congestion and safety issues
Note: Plan proposed to model the entire Orange Avenue MLK Park region - Continued flooding of Morse and Harper with no approved storm water plan
Note: Lake Mendsen is currently at capacity, per St Johns River WMD - Complex site issues with debris buried to 30-35 feet and muck.
Note: Building site has been shifted west to avoid muck pockets. - Trees removed without public notice or involvement.
Note: There is a moratorium on future tree removal. - Consumption of MLK Park acreage now in excess of 15 percent of park space, and
- Lake Mendsen could be further expanded by taking 1-2 more park acres.
Note: There is some effort to dial back the size of the project footprint. - Lack of Transparency — the last comprehensive public forum on the project was the April 9, 2018 City Commission Meeting approving Schematic Designs.
- Tourism as priority pitched to Orange County Tourist Development Council (TDC) — our own “I-Drive.”
- One commissioner was not informed of TDC meeting and the request for $6 million.
- Fundraising from the community still not accounted for, though the deadline was April 2019.
- CRA funds will likely be tapped to bail out this project.
- Martin Luther King, Jr: still has not been honored as the namesake of this park.
What if This Were Your Own Health?
Citizens have not been presented with a satisfactory explanation for this list of discrepancies. This is the chance for the commission to step forward and demonstrate leadership.
If this project were a medical patient, we could say we have seen the X-Rays and indicators of a potential complication are all there.
If we wait seven more months, until January, when construction pricing comes due, we then face a crisis decision of whether to administer chemo or radiation or both. Why not take preventive measures now? Get a second opinion? If your health was at stake, what would you do?
Maybe change medical providers?
Can We Afford This Project?
For many, the fiduciary handwriting is on the wall: we cannot afford this project.
No wonder the citizenry is concerned.
Cost estimates and overruns will not diminish. Instead, they will likely increase. Change orders will become a major concern. Our Central Florida construction market is robust but stressed, increasing pressure on construction costs. That context has already been established with the I-4 Ultimate, Orlando Airport’s New South Terminal and the building boom.
Commissioners Need the Chance to Talk to One Another
At the June 10 Commission meeting, Commissioner Carolyn Cooper requested a workshop so the Commission as a whole could discuss various budget issues, including the Canopy and the CRA, without having to go through the City Manager. She was dismissed by Mayor Steve Leary, but her suggestion deserves reconsideration.
Recommendation: Give Us the Benefit of Your Shared Vision
Hold a Workshop.
Put the questions on the table and explore some answers together.
Educate a very concerned public.
How Much Can the Camel Carry?
In the case of the Canopy, it is reasonable to say that a $1,000 per square foot public works project is unacceptable. So, what is acceptable? $700 per square foot? $500 per square foot? $350 per square foot? That guide star needs to be established — or at least discussed – and the public needs to hear the discussion.
If we cannot attain that acceptable price per square foot, alternative scenarios need to be explored. When a project moves beyond 60 percent design, the time and money already invested make it increasingly difficult to say “no” or even to change tack.
Think Big: Where is Plan B?
The goal is to maximize all our assets to make this project the best it can be. For this reason, the process deserves heightened public involvement, heightened communication and heightened stewardship by our elected leaders.
Are our taxpayer dollars being wisely spent? If so, show us how.
That’s how public trust can be restored.
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