More speech is always better than less if we are to be accurately informed. To that end, please explore and sign up for “the32789.com,” a new digital asset for Winter Park. From publisher Matt Certo: “We started the32789 to give Winter Park a dedicated source of local journalism that our community needs. Whether you live, work, or spend time in Winter Park, this platform is for you and about you. It’s about telling our individual and collective stories in a way that gives us more insight about what’s happening in and around our town. My goal is to make us more informed, more…
Progress Point Considerations
The city owns 4.4 acres of vacant land at the south west corner of Denning Drive and Orange Avenue. Our city commission has considered many uses for this land over many years. Our current commission met on May 4, 2020 on this issue. You can view their meeting here. My May 6, 2020 letter to the commission on this issue is below. Please contact the commission with your thoughts: mayorandcommissioners@cityofwinterpark.org. Mayor and Commissioners, I offer comments on your discussions of May 4, 2020 regarding the Progress Point land owned by the city. There seems to be a baseline expectation that…
Getting Together While Being Apart
Chris Cortez, guitarist and proprietor of Winter Park’s Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts (don’t forget Melody!), organized a remote recording session with friends. The result is their recording of Chris’s composition “Awakenings.” Click here for some musical enjoyment. Please keep our Winter Park cultural organizations in our heart as we work our way through the current challenges. They can all use our social, emotional, and financial support. Enjoy “Awakenings” by Chris Cortez and Friends.
Bad Governance
We have good reason to be upset and concerned about our new city commission. The intent of the Orange Avenue Overlay was to create a new mixed use neighborhood similar to Park Ave and Hannibal Square, extending and re-enforcing the Winter Park character that benefits all residents. This opportunity is now dead. Two new members of the city commission, Sheila DeCiccio and Marty Sullivan, and two existing members, Carolyn Cooper and Todd Weaver, worked feverishly immediately after the March 17th election to “rescind” the Orange Avenue Overlay (OAO) Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Land Development Code that had earlier received final…
City COVID Response Status
The CRA Board and City Commission each met on April 8th after two days public notice* and voted to proceed with some of the proposed programs. The CRA Board and City Commission reduced the use of taxpayer funds from that initially proposed. City management has released a press release (click here) concerning the approved response programs. Thanks to many who provided comments and suggestions to our city commission. Policy decisions under current circumstances are very difficult. I believe we arrive at the best policy results when we seek experience and wisdom from our community. Here is my take on what…
Appropriately Compassionate or a Knee-Jerk Reaction?
Fellow Winter Park Residents, Please share with friends and neighbors. Please send an email to mayorandcommissioners@cityofwinterpark.org expressing your thoughts on this issue. Tomorrow, with two days notice, our city commission and CRA board are each holding a “Special Meeting” where they will vote on commiting over $2,000,000 of our money for a local “response” to the COVID-19 pandemic. My letter to the commission on this subject is below. Please share your thoughts with them on this issue. To Winter Park Mayor and Commissioners: The notice for tomorrow’s scheduled “Special Meetings” (“is insufficient per statute” removed 04.08.2020 per the comment below)…
Live Stream the Arts from Winter Park’s Blue Bamboo.
How about some good entertainment? Want to see a great a show this Friday evening March 20, 2020 at 8 PM? Now you can thanks to on-line live streaming, and in doing so, you will support one of our city’s most important arts venues. One of my priorities has been to support our vision as a city of arts and culture. To that end, I serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Blue Bamboo Center for The Arts, a local not-for-profit performance venue. The Blue Bamboo is closed to audiences during this time of “social distancing”…
Vote for Integrity This Tuesday
Fellow Winter Park Residents, Please share this with friends and neighbors. My strong recommendation is that this coming Tuesday, Winter Park voters elect Jeffrey Blydenburgh and Carl Creasman, two people I know to be capable and honest. Commission member Todd Weaver and commission candidate Marty Sullivan have been working outside the Florida Sunshine law to undermine commission decisions. Weaver has stonewalled numerous requests for public records of his communications with Sullivan and others in violation of the law. The Sunshine law makes providing access to public records a duty of public service in all Florida counties and municipalities. This violation…
WP Voter Offers a New Voice
Fellow Winter Park Citizens, Please share this with friends and neighbors. I was pleased to see that we have a new perspective on Winter Park issues. Check out WP Voter on Facebook. They offer some interesting video interviews and more. This Facebook page was initiated by citizens and property owners who want to see balanced communications on important Winter Park issues. It is important to get a spectrum of information from as many sources as possible, especially in the absence of formal sources of local news . In addition to WP Voter and WinterParkPerspective, I encourage residents to sign up…
Election 2020 – Orlando Sentinel Candidate Interviews
To help consider your votes, here are the Orlando Sentinel interview videos with the Candidates. Winter Park Commission Seat 1 candidates: Jeffrey Blydenburgh and Marty Sullivan Winter Park Commission Seat 2 candidates Carl Creasman and Sheila DeCiccio Look for leaders who will bring our city together to realize a positive future. Sincerely, Pete Weldon