February 21, 2012 I have started a new blog to address my curiosity about all things political at the national level: americanstance.org. Earlier posts on winterparkperspective.org on national issues have been moved to americanstance.org.
Category: Policy
Notional Accusations
Here is a letter I wrote to the Winter Park Mayor and City Commissioners today: June 15, 2011 Mayor and City Commissioners of Winter Park, After listening to the audio of your meeting of June 13th I felt compelled to write. I had the opportunity to talk with Jack Rogers at a “Community Conversations” session (or was that “Factional Conversations”) and was enlightened by him noting that when Park Place, Douglas Grand, Landmark, and the Carlisle were approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission there was one woman attending some of these meetings who noted that three of the five…
Realizing Transparency
April 26, 2011 As a citizen interested in governance I marvel at the great job our city management and staff do to further transparency. Our city has been extremely proactive and a leader in making information available to all. Use these Internet resources: Virtually any information can be readily found at the City of Winter Park Web Site. Stay connected with automatic email notices of city events important to you. Register for the city Outreach program (emergency notifications). Friend the City of Winter Park Facebook page. Receive Tweets about city news in real time. Our city management and staff provide…
Urban Planning Lecture March 16th at Rollins
March 9, 2011 Bruce Stephenson of Rollins College contacted me about an upcoming lecture I thought may be of interest to some readers. Andrés Duany will be discussing planning and civic organization on March 16th at 7:00 PM in the Bush Auditorium at Rollins. Click here for a preview of the lecture. Regards, Pete Weldon
Don’t let your vote be manipulated.
March 1, 2011 City management noted material falsehoods (see below) in the Fleet Peeples Park mailer sent under Herb Weiss’s name. Herb Weiss acknowledges that the the mailer was paid for by people who wish to remain anonymous. The most sensational points about “environmental devastation” in this mailer are totally bogus, fabricated, a manipulation to support an intentionally inflammatory conclusion designed to influence your vote on March 8. Don’t fall for it. Our city deserves better. We as voters need to see through the curtain of fear and elect people who are motivated to serve our city, not their personal…
Herb Weiss Speaks (but what is he saying?)
(Be sure to check out this follow-up post from March 1.) Herb Weiss authored the six page mail piece Winter Park residents received recently that details his concerns about Fleet Peeples Park. The following is my letter to Herb on the subject after speaking with him at length about these issues. February 24, 2011 Dear Herb, First let me thank you for investing so much energy into something you believe is important and for your time on the phone discussing these issues. As you have likely noted, I have been at it for several years and appreciate those willing to…
Whose money is it?
February 2, 2011 On January 24th three of five Winter Park commission members voted down a proposed 50 year commercial lease on the five acre parcel of land owned by the city at the corner of Denning Avenue and Morse Boulevard. The short form of this long story is that two commissioners wanted you to steeply subsidize a 50 year lease of city owned land in order to “refurbish” a dilapidated building that utilizes 60 percent of the land’s capacity, to “retain” a long time employer who offered an unenforceable commitment to stay in Winter Park, and to “save” trees…
Cleaning up after the dog fee
October 18, 2010 Monday, October 11, 2010 our city commission approved fees to use Fleet Peeples Park with your dogs effective December 1, 2010. Commissioners Dillaha, Cooper, and McMacken voted for the fees. Commissioner Anderson and Mayor Bradley voted no. (I am not a dog owner.) Hundreds of Winter Park residents and non-residents take advantage of Fleet Peeples Park weekly to exercise dogs off leash and socialize with other dog owners. This has been going on for over ten years. Dog owners are a constituency whose needs should be addressed just as the city addresses needs of other constituencies ranging…
Defending our City Commission
September 30, 2010 I have never before had reason to tell you about a unanimous decision of the Winter Park City Commission that I strongly agreed with. I have a reason now. Unfortunately and unwisely, the commission decided in their budget decisions to provide for the possibility of increasing their pay ($200/mth for commissioners and $250/mth for the mayor) which has not been changed since my mother changed my diapers. This is virtually all the Orlando Sentinel had to talk about (here also) and it sends a very incomplete message. We should be focusing on the bigger picture. All Winter…
Who Owns the Risk?
September 27, 2010 To: Mayor and Commissioners, City of Winter Park, FL Subject: Who owns the risk? – or- What does Winter Park have to look forward to if Amendment 4 passes? I write to encourage unanimous support for the 2010-2011 city budget you preliminarily approved at the meeting of September 13, 2010. While there are important concerns about the wisdom of recommending spending increases for projects of personal interest to certain commissioners who also recommend decreasing previously established benefits for city employees, overall, your instincts are to be encouraged and applauded. Each of you deserves praise for the unanimous…