There has been lots of screaming and yelling about redevelopment over the past several years. How about understanding the real impact of redevelopment on our quality of life and financial security? Look no further than the Winter Park Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Our resident anti-growth militant Beth Dillaha has referred to our CRA as “a slush fund for developers.” Let’s explore that conclusion. A CRA is a defined geographic area where incremental property tax revenue from both the City and County must be reinvested within that same area. Winter Park’s CRA area is roughly bounded by Webster, 17/92, Fairbanks, and…
Category: Policy
Sentimental journey to lower service levels, higher taxes, and lost independence.
I attended the campaign forum last evening with both Ken Bradley and David Strong making their case. Ken Bradley is a good man who needs to hone his message of rational, positive, professional leadership. David Strong is lost in his emotions. I was simultaneously touched and troubled by David Strong’s teary eyed reading of a letter from his father, a former Winter Park Mayor, delineating the responsibility each generation of residents has to nurture our city. True, but not sufficient. David Strong’s commitment comes not from a passion for leadership but from a deep well of sympathy and sentiment. Our…
Misrepresentation
David Strong’s campaign Web site says, “Winter Park remains financially strong, even as Central Florida has entered uncertain economic times.” This is complete baloney. Our general fund reserves had to be bolstered by the $1,000,000 sale of land owned by our water company and the cancellation of over $500,000 in previously approved capital projects (among other “adjustments”). Our reserves would be $5,500,000 higher and would have been available to soften the shock of the economic downturn if David Strong had not mismanaged the post office redevelopment controversy. Currently, revenues and spending (and thus service levels) are falling faster than projected…
Super-Duper
History of super-majority voting in Winter Park: Since 1971 – Any rezoning request denied by the Planning and Zoning Commission requires a super-majority vote of the City Commission to approve. Since 1991 – (same as 1-1.1.5 below) Any proposed amendment of this Comprehensive Plan denied by the Planning and Zoning Commission, shall not become effective except by a super majority (4 votes) of the City Commission. Several new super-majority voting requirements have been added to the Comprehensive Plan finalized in February 2009 as detailed below. These new super-majority voting requirements are intentionally designed by David Strong and his friends to…
Your property is about to be devalued.
In August 2008 David Strong, Margie Bridges, and Beth Dillaha voted to reduce the maximum residential Floor Area Ratio to 38% in the Comprehensive Plan (see page 10, here). What’s the big deal? The big deal is that: The existing maximum Floor Area Ratio is 43% for lots less than or equal to 11,600 square feet. The 43% ratio is only available if the second floor side setback is increased to reduce the mass of the home and its relationship to neighboring homes. This new rule will reduce the buildable square footage of renovated and new construction on over 60%…
2008 Citizen Survey Results
The survey results are in. Read the Executive Summary Read the Detailed Written Report I asked the City Commission members some time ago whether they believed the survey design was unbiased because I was concerned the questions were focused more on personal political agendas than on issues pertinent to the long range interests of the citizens. Margie Bridges and Beth Dillaha assured me they believed the survey was as reasonable and unbiased as they could make it. Here are some quotes from the report: Residents’ preferred strategic initiatives are: Continuing the underground power line initiative Continuing financial support for the…
“Hometown Democracy” and Super Majority Voting
Below is text of my letter to the Winter Park City Commission on the subjects of “Hometown Democracy” and super majority voting as provided on November 10, 2008.
Do you understand the citizen survey?
The City Commission recently approved a citizen survey seeking input about the policies and priorities you want for Winter Park. You can respond to the survey until November 21, 2008 using this link and the password mailed to you by the city: http://www.kerr-downs.com/websurvey/WinterPark/. Call the City at 407-599-3235 if you misplaced your password. I offer comments on selected items from the questionnaire below. I thought it important that every citizen have the benefit of important context before filling out the survey. Running a city is not about acting on feelings. Is it about managing a $50,000,000 city operation and $100,000,000…
Citizen Survey – Honest and Unbiased?
Click here for the full text of the October 2008 Citizen Survey approved by the Winter Park City Commission. One citizen provided these comments about the survey to the City Commission: “We just did the ‘survey.’ What a waste of taxpayer dollars in that much of it is worded to be the equivalent of a push poll. Anyone that paid attention in high school freshman science knows you do not ask compound questions and that you must offer a full range of responses not just shades of the same answer. Whoever participated in spending our tax dollars on this should…