Sheila DeCiccio recently sent a city wide email struggling in over 1,000 words to explain how your city can stop you from removing trees on your property. Some people want to believe trees on your property belong to them. These people concoct complicated rules and penalties related to tree removals in an effort to stop you from removing trees. There is a much simpler approach, tolerance. The only objective of a local tree removal policy should be to encourage replanting when a property owner wishes to remove healthy trees. Pete’s proposed Winter Park Tree Removal Ordinance (87 words): A permit…
Give the Money to the Residents
UPDATE AUGUST 2021: “Rescue” money for Winter Park now at $15,438,814. Tell the city commission to distribute the $13,000,000 in “Rescue” act money directly to Winter Park residents. If distributed evenly across our 15,000 electric utility customers, your family and/or business would receive a check for about $850. The City of Winter Park does not need $13,000,000 from the “Rescue” act, yet the commissioners currently plan to spend all of it. City revenues have not been materially impacted by the pandemic and the city has achieved record levels of reserves. The commissioners already have millions of dollars they don’t know…
Sarah Sprinkel Is Right For Winter Park
VOTE TUESDAY, MARCH 9th – find your polling place The public face of the Winter Park Mayoral election is one of the typical platitudes with an occasional soap opera thrown in. What matters, however, is policy. Sarah Sprinkel has a strong record of reasonableness and sound policy judgment in her previous nine years of service on the commission. As a person of proven character and accomplishment, she has rightly earned the endorsement of six Winter Park mayors and deserves our vote. The current four commissioners have each been promoted and financially supported by Jennifer and Phil Anderson. All four commissioners…
Out of Their Minds
They have been out of control, now they are out of their minds. On February 24th the city commission voted to spend $750,000 of your money for the 0.16 acre property at 901 W. Fairbanks ($4,800,000 per acre). They also voted to negotiate the purchase of the 1.0 acre property at 929 – 957 W. Fairbanks for $3,000,000 more of your money. These purchase prices are more than $2,100,000 greater than the Orange County Appraiser’s estimated market values, and exclude costs for demolition, potential environmental abatement, and improvements (there has been no appraisal). These purchases exclude the connecting 0.13 acre…
Winter Park Playing Field Issues
I endorse quality playing fields for Winter Park children participating in non profit sports leagues. Such fields should be of a quality at least as high as the best fields used generally available for youth sports leagues in nearby municipalities. The commission never looked at the facts when voting to spend $1,600,000 on two artificial turf playing fields outside the annual budget process. Please see the 2018-2019 field comparison and usage statistics prepared by city staff that were not part of the public meeting agenda packet. We are significantly subsidizing other municipalities demand for playing fields. Winter Park has one…
Response to Phil Anderson
Dear Phil, I recently exchanged views with a voter who was hoping you might be a “team leader who will be a unifying force.” Your recent email criticizing specific decisions your opponent for Mayor made during her nine years of service on the city commission certainly dashes that hope. Your views on the decisions are not based on the underlying facts. Either you are incapable of the discipline required to accurately assess issues facing the commission, or you intentionally avoid the factual circumstances in an effort to sway votes through negative campaigning. Either way, these criticisms of your opponent are…
Sarah Sprinkel – YES!
Sarah Sprinkel served as Winter Park City Commissioner for nine years ending March 2020. During that time she was instrumental in many decisions and initiatives we all benefit from today. She is the clear choice for Mayor of Winter Park based on character, experience, and on real policy decisions that benefit our residents and our city. Below are just a few policy accomplishments realized under Sarah’s leadership during her nine years as commissioner. Never voted to raise the property tax rate (unlike her opponent). Never voted to impose a fee to use our dog park (unlike her opponent). Realized our…
Phil Anderson? NO!
Phil Anderson wants to be Winter Park Mayor. He recently sent an email with the subject, “Phil Anderson Will NOT Raise WP Taxes.” To understand why he sent this, we need to go back to 2008 when as commissioner Phil Anderson voted to increase the tax rate. The formal vote was 3 to 2 to keep the tax rate the same as 2007. That wasn’t acceptable to Phil, so he called a “Special Meeting” 3 days later to urge a tax increase, which passed 3 to 2 as one commission member changed their vote. So, Phil, in fact, has a…
Response to Commissioner DeCiccio
Dear Commissioner DeCiccio, This responds to your recent email about playing fields. We all care about Winter Park parents and children, and about the quality of our playing fields. However, your email fails to address important questions. Before I get to questions about your vote to spend $2,800,000 outside the annual budget process and paid for using our emergency city reserve funds, I ask about your involvement in the rescission of the Orange Avenue Overlay last March. As part of your election campaign you postured as supporting the Orange Avenue Overlay. These changes to our Comprehensive Plan received final commission…
Response to Commissioner Sullivan
Dear Commissioner Sullivan, Regarding your email below… My comments indeed take a critical view of the lack of thought and judgment supporting your December 9th vote to spend $1,600,000 for artificial turf fields, among other projects totaling $2,800,000, all of which has not been responsibly planned, is outside the budget process, and is paid for by accounting gimmicks. We can and should improve the condition and drainage of our multi-user playing fields for the benefit of Winter Park children. I fully support that objective and there are many ways to accomplish this for a small percentage of $2,800,000. Your spending…