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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024 10 28 Consent 308 - Consideration of Support for Proposed University of Central Florida Institute of GovernmentCONSENT AGENDA ITEM 308 CITY COMMISSION AGENDA | OCTOBER 28, 2024 REGULAR MEETING TITLE Consideration of Support for Proposed University of Central Florida (UCF) Institute of Government SUMMARY UCF is seeking to launch a Florida Institute of Government (IOG) in their School of Public Administration at their downtown campus in Orlando. They are seeking support from local governments in the region to secure state funding and want the City of Winter Springs’ support to be included in their state proposal. FUNDING SOURCE RECOMMENDATION Staff requests the Commission authorize the Mayor to sign the letter of support for the University of Central Florida Institute of Government 102 Phone: 407-823-2604 • Web: https://ccie.ucf.edu/public-administration/ School of Public Administration 528 W. Livingston St. Orlando, FL 32801-1395 Date 10/14/2024 County and Municipal Leaders in Central Florida Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Volusia, Brevard, Citrus, Flagler, Lake, Levy, Marion, and Sumter Counties and Municipalities Re: Florida Institute of Government (IOG) Proposal for Central Florida Governments Dear County Chairs, Municipal Mayors, and Local Government Administrators: As Director for the School of Public Administration in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida, I am writing to you because your central Florida county or municipality is a local government we have identified for inclusion as part of our planned service area for a prospective Florida Institute of Government (IOG) program, housed in our School of Public Administration. Our school mission is to engage with communities and local governments to advance knowledge and develop public service leaders equipped with ethical, managerial, and professional skills and values that promote social progress. In addition to the undergraduate and graduate degrees we offer in public administration and related disciplines of public service, we have identified the IOG as another avenue to provide education to emerging and seasoned public servants. The Florida IOG, established in 1981, has a long history of serving local governments by funding higher education institutions to share training and expertise with local governments. There are currently three IOG programs in the state but none in our region. We strongly believe that the governance demands from growing populations in central Florida come with additional needs for training, education, and research. We want to share those resources by being your higher education partner through a state funded IOG program in central Florida. Please join our school’s experienced faculty and staff in our proposal to the Florida Institute of Government Executive Office and Statewide Administration by reviewing, editing, and signing the enclosed letter “Support for IOG in Central Florida and the Greater Orlando Area” on your organization’s letterhead. It is our aim to have signed support from the board chair, mayor, and city/county administrator in the 11 counties of our region. Should you have any questions or thoughts on how to make a prospective central Florida IOG best serve your needs, please contact me or the faculty member who called and emailed you this request. We look forward to advancing public service in central Florida through this higher education and local government partnership. Sincerely, Doug Goodman Professor & Director School of Public Administration 103 CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA 1126 EAST STATE ROAD 434 WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA 32708-2799 TELEPHONE: (407) 327-1800 FACSIMILE: (407) 327-4753 WEBSITE: www.winterspringsfl.org Jeff Hendry, Director, John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government Florida Institute of Government Executive Office and Statewide Administration 3200 Commonwealth Blvd., Suite 7 Tallahassee, FL 32303 October 28, 2024 Re: Support for IOG in Central Florida and the Greater Orlando Area Dear Director Hendry, On behalf of the City of Winter Springs, I am writing in support of the University of Central Florida (UCF) to secure state funding for the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government (IOG) to serve our region of Central Florida and the Greater Orlando Area through its faculty experts on local and state government and public policy and administration. Created by the State Legislature in 1981, the Florida Institute of Government—and its affiliate programs among higher education institutions in the state—is charged with sharing resources and expertise that responds to solving problems of state and local governments. Currently there are several IOG programs in the state (e.g., Tallahassee, Tampa, and Boca Raton), but none in our region of Florida. The School of Public Administration at UCF aims to support the IOG in our region with its faculty and staff expertise and access to resources for public service education. Through a prospective IOG, we believe there will be more opportunity for the school to provide access to training, technical assistance and applied research for pressing issues in local and state government, which would be beneficial to us. Further, the school shared that they have a stated commitment of providing quality education to current and future public service professionals who can improve our local and global communities for the better. Given the School of Public Administration’s mission, outreach to us, and our regional need for an IOG, we at the City of Winter Springs support the IOG at UCF. UCF’s proposed IOG in the School of Public Administration at UCF Downtown Orlando, in partnership with Florida Institute of Government Executive Office and Statewide Administration, will serve the state and our local governments. Please contact our office should you have any questions about our support. Sincerely, Kevin McCann Mayor 104