July 1, 2011 Today the Governor of Florida gave the go ahead for the Central Florida Sun Rail commuter rail system. Sun Rail has been an extraordinarily contentious political issue in Winter Park over the past several years. For all the contention, Winter Park is the only political jurisdiction to be served by Sun Rail that held a popular vote on the project, and we voted to support it. Various Winter Park city commissions have carefully considered our city’s specific obligations under the Sun Rail agreement with Orange County. Last year, these obligations were materially clarified and agreed to by…
Category: Commuter Rail
Common Sense Wins in Winter Park
December 18, 2010 The Winter Park City Commission approved amendments to the Commuter Rail agreement by a 3 to 2 vote on December 13, 2010. The Orange County Commission then approved these amendments unanimously the next day. What does this mean? It means that SunRail trains will stop at a new commuter rail station located with the existing Amtrak station in Winter Park if and when SunRail becomes a reality. (It currently appears that SunRail is on track to receive authorization and release existing funding to start construction of the system.) The great achievement for Winter Park is that common…
Dillaha Needs to Stop the Nonsense
May 28, 2010 Dillaha is quoted in this week’s Winter Park/Maitland Observer as follows: But Commissioner Beth Dillaha railed against the idea of the city being on the hook to pay for a station and part of the system if dedicated funding for it were to disappear in the future. “You cannot tell a future sitting commission that you have to pay for these things,” Dillaha said. “You can’t do it. It’s the law.” Following the meeting Monday, she said that many of the supporters of the system and the current agreement were those who would benefit financially from SunRail,…
When Pigs Fly
May 26, 2010 Several people have asked me for a clarification of the 3 to 2 vote regarding commuter rail at the May 24 city commission meeting. Here it is: Three of our five commissioners thought it was a good idea to ask Orange County to allow Winter Park to leave the commuter rail system at any time for any reason without any financial obligations and instructed the city attorney and city manager to talk to Orange County about this idea. Regards, Pete Weldon
What is it you don’t understand?
May 20, 2010 Commissioner Dillaha has a letter in this week’s Winter Park/Maitland Observer that includes the same incendiary exaggerations I refuted earlier and that also includes this beauty: “Question those people who are berating my fellow commissioners and me for the audacity to look out for you, the taxpayers, by renegotiating this unilateral agreement with Orange County now. Ask yourself what motivates them to push for an “agreement-at-any-cost.” Investigate who is behind the YES YES Political Action Committee.” The meaning of the word “berate” is to “scold or criticize angrily.” I don’t know anyone who is doing that and…
SunRail Discussion, May 24, 2010
May 19, 2010 The Winter Park City Commission meeting of May 24, 2010 will be focused on discussing Dillaha’s objections to the commuter rail agreement with Orange County and the current city attorney’s concerns about possible “legal risks” with that agreement. The commission agreed on May 10th that any action taken at the May 24th meeting will be limited to possibly requesting amendments for Orange County’s consideration and that the subject of “termination” will not be discussed. NOTE AGAIN: A majority of the city commission agreed that the subject of “termination” will not be discussed. While we now know that…
Confirmation of Winter Park SunRail Realities
May 17, 2010 James Harrison, Director of Growth Management for Orange County, recently offered the points below which confirm my writings on the subject of Dillaha’s continued efforts to obstruct Winter Park’s participation in SunRail. ****************************************************** From: Jim.Harrison@ocfl.net [mailto:Jim.Harrison@ocfl.net] Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 4:11 PM 1. Although the City/County Agreement makes Winter Park responsible for the capital costs of constructing the station, those costs will be covered through a Federal grant and little if any cost will accrue to the City (unless the City “opts out” of the station after the money is spent). 2. FDOT is paying for…
SunRail Financial Realities
May 14, 2010 Commissioner Dillaha continually blusters about financial uncertainties involved in the city’s commuter rail agreement with Orange County. Having 35 years of financial management, executive leadership and investment management experience I share Ms. Dillaha’s fiscal conservatism. However, with regard to her dismissal of commuter rail, Ms. Dillaha repeatedly and consistently overstates the risks without addressing the opportunities and exaggerates the costs without addressing the benefits. The most meaningful risks and costs of SunRail for Winter Park arise from not participating. The following analysis relies in part on SunRail operating cost estimates from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)…
Irrelevant and False Objections to SunRail
After several years of attempting to obstruct SunRail, including a January 2009 effort to use her position on our city commission to terminate Winter Park’s commuter rail agreement with Orange County, Commissioner Dillaha has put her objections in writing. Her April 29, 2010 letter to the citizens of Winter Park contained the following objections, the italicized text numbered 1 through 9 below. My response follows each objection. Dillaha: 1) A weak and vague ability for the city to “opt-out” of the agreement beyond one 60-day window within 99 years. The statement above is false. The “opt out” is…
Dillaha’s Dangerous Disaster
May 12, 2010 The Winter Park City Commission meeting of May 24 has been set aside for commission and public input, and possibly action on Commissioner Beth Dillaha’s continuing efforts to terminate Winter Park’s participation in the SunRail commuter rail system. Ms. Dillaha continues her efforts to terminate Winter Park’s commuter rail agreement with Orange County with the intent to terminate Winter Park’s commuter rail station. (A previous move by Ms. Dillaha to terminate the agreement in January 2009 was defeated by a 3 to 2 vote.) If Ms. Dillaha wanted something other than termination of our commuter rail station…