WinterParkPerspective.org

Celebrate freedom by planting a tree on your residential property! The Florida State Legislature passed and the Governor signed a bill effective July 1, 2019 requiring that: (1) A local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for the pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on residential property if the property owner obtains documentation from an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree presents a danger to persons or property. (2) A local government may not require a property owner to replant a tree…

Anne Mooney’s winterparkvoice.com blog and Facebook page continue to mislead Winter Park residents. Her recent “Canopy Chaos” post is an embarrassment to our city in its bias. Ms. Mooney uses the tag line, “A Policy and Issues News Magazine.” Yet, it has nothing to do with policy, issues, and news and everything to do with politics. An accurate tag line might be, “Views for Cynical Conspiracy Theorists.” “Canopy Chaos” implies there is in fact chaos but nothing in Mooney’s post supports that conclusion and information she leaves out supports the opposite conclusion. Mooney selectively edited the exchange between Mayor Leary…

I enjoyed serving our city and wish Todd Weaver well as he transitions from electioneering to decision making as a city commissioner. He and other commission members will decide Monday, May 13 on proceeding to construction drawings on the library/event center project. Myths about a “bait and switch” on the size of the library and about the Tourist Development Tax grant being used to fund cost overruns, as well as trying to turn the project into a convention center have been fabricated and promoted by those who have always objected to the 2016 referendum and its result. Leadership, however, requires…

Fellow Winter Park Residents, I served on city boards for 12 years, the last three as your elected city commissioner. Now is the time to let the Mayor know you want to participate on a Winter Park board. Apply here now. I continually encourage experienced, smart people who have proven themselves outside of government to get involved in Winter Park governance. The almost unanimous response is, “You must be crazy. I spent my life building a career and a family. Why would I want to deal with all the negative nonsense?” This recent opinion piece explains why. It was written…

The city commission approved a contract with the Ravaudage developer in November 2017 to share costs on road improvements for right of ways acquired by the city when the Ravaudage land was annexed into the City of Winter Park in 2012. See page 27 here. The developer will pay for at least 50% of the cost to upgrade these city roads to standards exceeding city requirements, including provisions for paving, storm drainage, and curbing, all subject to city approvals. The city’s obligation is capped at $1.2 million over ten years. Reimbursement from the city can only come from unrestricted permit…

Fellow Residents; One of the best things we have going in Winter Park is a culture of service. Our public safety professionals provide us with leading response times and first class service. They also have a sense of humor. Check this out:   Regards, Pete Weldon City of Winter Park Vice Mayor

February 16, 2018 Fellow Winter Park Residents, Your city commission unanimously approved this letter from the city manager asking you to contact members of the state legislature. Your simple statement to our legislators asking them to “preserve home rule” and “do not preempt our community’s authority to determine rules most appropriate for Winter Park” will be a powerful voice of the people. Last year, the legislature imposed a rule that allows any wireless telecommunications company to place poles anywhere in our right of ways [see (7)(a)]. This year they want to tell us when to hold our elections, limit our…