Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout_2021 03 22 City Commission Regular Meeting MinutesFrom:Jesse Phillips To:_City Clerk Department Subject:Public input Date:Monday, March 22, 2021 2:41:39 PM EXTERNAL EMAIL: [Caution: Do not click on links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.] Cristian, Please read the following comment during the first public input related to the resignation of Mayor Lacey (item 503): While it is the prerogative of the city commission to steer the process of selecting an interim mayor, in light of the recent failures of the commission and growing distrust in its leadership among residents, we strongly encourage the City to engage in a fully transparent and deliberative selection process. We ask each commissioner to pledge not to appoint themselves as Mayor, nor anyone who has recently held office or run for office or with known political or professional ties to a commissioner. We need a fresh voice and new direction. Given our City’s failures with water quality, unprecedented environmental damage resulting in the fish kill, odor issues, 13 DEP violations since the Flint Water company took over, traffic and development concerns, toxic work environment in city Hall and persistent talent drain among staff, we need an outside perspective now more than ever. I emailed this request to each commissioner and as of 2pm, did not receive a even a courtesy reply or acknowledgement of receipt. Submitted, Jesse Phillips 1124 Duncan Drive 407-492-4915 From:kmiericke@aol.com To:Christian Gowan Subject:Citizen"s comments for Commission Meeting this evening, March 22 Date:Monday, March 22, 2021 3:07:25 PM EXTERNAL EMAIL: [Caution: Do not click on links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.] To Whom It May Concern: My name is Dr. Kurt Miericke and I have been a resident of Winter Springs since July 1997. I am the past President and a current Director of the Chelsea Woods Home Owners Association. I am Vice-President of the Tuscawilla Home Homeowners Association and have been a Director since 2007. I am also a member of the Winter Springs Rotary Club. I would like to thank Mayor Lacey for his years of service to our community. However I do want to go on record that I strongly support the current Winter Springs City Commissioners and the direction that they are leading our wonderful community. They each were elected to serve after listening to the needs and concerns of our community. We are fortunate to have them. Sincerely, Dr. Kurt Miericke May 22, 2021 To Whom It May Concern I am David Price, a resident of Winter Springs since 2011. My wife and I moved here because it is, and has, a small-town friendly atmosphere of predominately single-family homes. The rise of condos/apartments in Winter Springs, along 434 as an example, is concerning! Many of the past city commissioners obviously supported the buildup. Thanks to the practical and future looking current Commissioners a stop to the large apartment and condo development has stopped. They now have focused on what is important to the residents, clean water and “up to standard” wastewater treatment plants. Charles Lacey’s article in today’s Orlando Sentinel, March 22, is almost laughable. Lacey has not been a leader but a puppet for the likes of Greenberg, who desperately wanted to be elected again on the council. Lacey’s comments reflect an individual who is bitter and no longer interested in working with the council members, nor interested in doing what is right for the Winter Spring residents. Our current Commissioners were elected by large margins. This should have been a message to Mr. Lacey and his supporters that an uncontrolled building development is not acceptable to the Winter Springs residents! Sincerely, David Price 1 Tristin Motter From:Beverly Egan <bevandbob360@att.net> Sent:Monday, March 22, 2021 4:56 PM To:Christian Gowan Subject:Commission Meeting March 22, 2021 PUBLIC INPUT EXTERNAL EMAIL: [Caution: Do not click on links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.] My name is Beverly Egan I am a resident of Hacienda Village and I am also the board president of Hacienda Village. We as a community of over 400 homes have been extremely happy with the representation we have from the current commissioners especially Ted Johnson. I know that if we need anything or have any questions I can call Ted and he will return my call or stop by to discuss or needs. I have talked with him and several of the past and newer commissioners about how I feel Winter Springs should handle future growth. We should concentrate more on single family homes, condos and townhomes. Developments that promote home ownership because the past city officials seemed to concentrate on larger apartment developments that are rental properties. These larger properties are a strain on our facilities such as water and sewer services, roads and schools. Good business developments with some commercial type of industries as well as some type of technology or medical type of industries should also be pursued. I believe the commissioners we have are listening to the people who wants us as a city to be more restrictive and selective as to how we develop our community. Thank you for listening. Sent from my iPad 1 Tristin Motter From:withee@mindspring.com Sent:Monday, March 22, 2021 5:51 PM To:_City Clerk Department Cc:withee@mindspring.com Subject:Public Input - March 22nd Commission Meeting EXTERNAL EMAIL: [Caution: Do not click on links or open any attachments unless you trust the sender and know the content is safe.] To Whom It May Concern:    Due to a previously scheduled client engagement, I cannot attend this evening’s Commission meeting.  Otherwise, I  would, because I’d certainly like to gain a better understanding about the nature of apparent discord between current  and/or former City leadership.  In the interest of full disclosure, I currently serve the City of Winter Springs as Chairman  of the Board of Trustees (Pension Advisory Board).    Of late, meaning the past two months, I’ve received several unsolicited emails from a self‐described community  association which highlights what it perceives as shortcomings in the priorities and abilities of the current City of Winter  Springs administration and the City Commissioners.  I don’t know this association’s founders personally, but on some  level I appreciate that a group of citizens cares enough about what is happening in the City to produce a newsletter on  its own.  However, the tone of the recent communications has a sharp edge that moves well beyond simply highlighting  issues and appears to be as much about attacking City leadership as it is to inform and opine.  This is counter‐ productive.  I have no problem with genuine disagreements about City priorities – in fact, they are healthy – but there  are more appropriate and effective forums for meaningful reconciliation of these disagreements.     I was surprised by Mayor Lacey’s recent resignation.  He, too, has been very vocal recently about issues that he says  made it necessary to take this step.  While I don’t know him well, I’ve met him on several occasions and generally have a  favorable opinion of his service to the City, and because of that I listened to his comments with interest.  I was struck by  the tone of his rhetoric and personal attacks on certain individuals.  Whether one agrees with his assertions or not, there  are more appropriate forums and ways to articulate those concerns.      I moved to Winter Springs in 2004 and chose this area for the same reasons as many of you:  good schools, low crime,  and overall good quality of life.  Over the years, as I’ve availed myself of City services, gotten to know my local  representatives, and eventually volunteered time to serve on the Board of Trustees, I have gained an understanding  about how the City is run, and I must tell you it is run very well.  City leadership with whom I work closely (including the  City Manager) and certain Commissioners whom I know well, are very focused on the operational issues and how they  affect the citizenry.  Are there legitimate disagreements between various groups about priorities, funding,  etc?  Sure.  That is the nature of running any organization of size.  But I am confident in saying that whatever the nature  of the disagreements, it isn’t because current leadership doesn’t care, isn’t capable, and can’t think independently.  To  either insinuate or outright state otherwise is highly irresponsible.    As a citizen of Winter Springs, I’d like this to look a lot less like the municipal equivalent of the old television show  Survivor, where tribalism is the key to winning, and a lot more like an Amish barn‐raising.  People of good faith and  candor can come together to discuss their perspectives about what’s best for the City and not resort to personal attacks  on those trying to make it better.  We’ve got some important decisions to make that have long‐term fiscal and  operational implications and it demands a cooperative approach.  I respectfully ask those doing the attacking to be part  of the solution and leave the incendiary communications behind.  2     David    David Withee  407‐448‐0089  withee@mindspring.com