HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 12 08 Public Hearing 402 - (First Reading) Ordinance 2025-17 : Reasonable Accommodation from the City's Land Development Regulations and Certified Recovery ResidencesPUBLIC HEARINGS AGENDA ITEM 402
CITY COMMISSION AGENDA | DECEMBER 8, 2025 REGULAR MEETING
TITLE
First Reading of Ordinance 2025-17: Reasonable Accommodation from the City's Land
Development Regulations and Certified Recovery Residences
SUMMARY
The Community Development has worked with the City Attorney's Office to draft
changes to amend Chapter 20, Zoning, to add procedures for processing requests for
Reasonable Accommodation from the City's Land Development Regulations, which
would also be applicable to Certified Recovery Residences in order to comply with
Florida Statutes Section 397.487; Amending Article III, Establishment of Districts, to
establish Certified Recovery Residences as permitted or conditional uses in certain
zoning districts. The Notice of Public Hearing for Ordinance 2025-17 was advertised in
the November 26, 2025 publication of the Orlando Sentinel.
FUNDING SOURCE
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Commission hold a Public Hearing and approve the
first reading of Ordinance 2025-17.
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Ordinance No. 2025-17
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ORDINANCE NO. 2025-17
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA; AMENDING CHAPTER 20, ZONING,
ARTICLE V, SUPPLEMENTAL DISTRICT REGULATIONS, OF THE CITY
OF WINTER SPRINGS CODE OF ORDINANCES TO ADD PROCEDURES
FOR PROCESSING REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATION FROM THE CITY’S LAND DEVELOPMENT
REGULATIONS, WHICH SHALL ALSO BE APPLICABLE TO
CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCES IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH
FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 397.487; AMENDING ARTICLE III,
ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICTS, TO ESTABLISH CERTIFIED
RECOVERY RESIDENCES AS PERMITTED OR CONDITIONAL USES IN
CERTAIN ZONING DISTRICTS; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF
PRIOR INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS,
INCORPORATION INTO THE CODE, SEVERABILITY, AND AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City is granted the authority, under Section 2(b), Article VIII, of the State
Constitution, to exercise any power for municipal purposes, except when expressly prohibited by
law; and
WHEREAS, the City maintains Chapter 20, Zoning, of the City Code, which sets forth the
City’s zoning code and provides standards for the use and design of real property within the City;
and
WHEREAS, federal law, specifically the Fair Housing Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601-
19, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 12132, requires
local governments to make reasonable accommodations to rules, policies, practices or services,
including land use or zoning laws and policies, when such accommodations may be necessary to
afford persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; and
WHEREAS, local governments are strongly encouraged to have established procedures
by which persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations with respect to rules,
polices, practices, or services, specifically including land use or zoning laws and policies, in
accordance with Jeffrey O. v. City of Boca Raton, 511 F. Supp. 2d 1339 (2007) and the Joint
Statement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice,
State and Local Land Use Laws and Practices and the Application of the Fair Housing Act,
published November 10, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Section 397.487, Florida Statutes, as amended by Fla. S.B. 954 (Reg. Sess.
2025) (codified as Laws of Florida Chapter 2025-182) mandates that the City Commission of the
City of Winter Springs adopt an ordinance to establish procedures for the review and approval of
certified recovery residences, including a process for requesting reasonable accommodations from
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any local land use regulations which serve to prohibit the establishment of a certified recovery
residence; and
WHEREAS, the City therefore desires to add a new Division 5 to Article V, Supplemental
District Regulations, of Chapter 20, Zoning, of the City Code to set forth procedures for the review
of reasonable accommodation requests to the City’s zoning code, including for certified recovery
residences, within the City’s jurisdictional boundaries; and
WHEREAS, adoption of this Ordinance is required to implement the new provisions of
Florida Statutes § 397.487, and thus is required to comply with state law; therefore, the City is not
required to prepare or cause to be prepared a business impact statement pursuant to Florida Statutes
§ 166.071(4); and
WHEREAS, the City further desires to amend its land development regulations to
establish development standards and regulations for certified recovery residences in order to
promote the consistent and uniform application of the City’s land development regulations to all
uses of land; and
WHEREAS, on December 4, 2025, the City’s Planning and Zoning Board (Local Planning
Agency) reviewed the amendments contained herein at a duly noticed public hearing and
forwarded its recommendation of adoption to the City Commission; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission held duly advertised public hearings on this Ordinance
and has determined that the adoption of the amendments to the City’s zoning code as contained
herein is in the best interests of the City and the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Recitals. The foregoing recitals are hereby fully incorporated herein by this
reference as legislative findings which reflect the intent and purpose of the City Commission of
the City of Winter Springs.
Section 2. Code Amendment. Article V, Supplemental District Regulations, of the City
Code is hereby amended as follows to add a new Division 5, Reasonable Accommodation
Requests: (underlined type indicates additions to the City Code and strikeout type indicates
deletions, while asterisks (* * *) indicate a deletion from this Ordinance of text existing in Article
V. It is intended that the text in Article V denoted by the asterisks and set forth in this Ordinance
shall remain unchanged from the language existing prior to the adoption of this Ordinance):
ARTICLE V. – SUPPLEMENTAL DISTRICT REGULATIONS
* * *
DIVISION 5. – REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS
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Sec. 20-455. – Reasonable Accommodation Requests.
(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish procedures for the review of
reasonable accommodation requests made regarding City land use and zoning
ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures that may either be necessary to
afford persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling or to
avoid discrimination consistent with the Federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601,
et seq.) (“FHA”) and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12131
et seq.) (“ADA”). In addition, this section is intended to address the establishment of
certified recovery residences and provide procedures for the review and approval of
requests for a reasonable accommodation in the application of the City’s ordinances,
rules, policies, and procedures with regard to such certified recovery residences as
required by Section 397.487, Florida Statutes.
(b) Eligible Applicants. Any person who is disabled, their designated representative, or a
provider of services to disabled individuals, collectively referred to as “applicant” in
this section, may request a reasonable accommodation to the City’s land use and zoning
ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures in accordance with this section.
For purposes of this section, a "disabled" individual or person is an individual that
qualifies as disabled and/or handicapped under the FHA and/or ADA as defined therein.
(c) Application Requirements. A request for reasonable accommodation under this section
from the City’s land development regulations, rules, policies, and procedures shall be
made in writing to the Director of Community Development and shall at a minimum
provide the following information:
(1) The name and contact information of the applicant making the request or the
applicant’s authorized representative.
(2) If the applicant is not the owner of the property where the reasonable
accommodation is being requested, contact information of the property owner
must also be provided, and the written consent of the property owner must be
provided to the City before the application is considered complete.
(3) The property address and Seminole County Property Appraiser’s parcel
identification number.
(4) A description of the applicant’s disability (a physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits one or more major life activities). The applicant may attach
any information that he or she wishes to provide the City verifying his or her
disability as defined by federal law, such as:
a. Medical records or letter of a medical profession;
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b. Proof that, if the individual is under 65 years of age, receives
Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability
Insurance benefits; or
c. Statement of a non-medical service agency or reliable third party
who is in a position to know of the individual’s disability.
If the applicant is a qualified entity serving disabled persons, the applicant
need not produce individualized evidence of their residents’ or clients’
disability, but must submit a copy of policies or governing documents of the
qualifying entity verifying and ensuring that it serves or will serve only
those with actual disabilities as defined by the FHA and ADA and that it
will adhere to such policies and procedures, such as house rules or
admissions criteria.
(5) A description of the accommodation needed, identifying the ordinances, rules,
or policies from which the applicant seeks reasonable accommodation,
including a description of why the requested accommodation is necessary and
is related to the identified disability.
(6) A certification stating as follows: “I certify, under penalty of perjury, that the
information provided in this request is true and correct. I understand that if I
knowingly provide false information with this request my request shall become
null and void.”
(7) Any additional documentation the applicant feels is necessary to support the
request for reasonable accommodation.
(8) The notarized signature of the applicant and date of the application.
The City shall date stamp the application upon receipt and shall notify the applicant in
writing within thirty (30) days if additional information is required, which may include
further documentation verifying the disability of the applicant or verifying the
disability-related need for the requested accommodation to the extent allowed by law.
The applicant shall have 30 days to respond with the additional information to complete
the application or the application will be deemed withdrawn.
(d) Review Process. Within sixty (60) days of receiving the completed application for
reasonable accommodation, the Director of Community Development shall review the
request and make a determination to either: (1) grant the reasonable accommodation
request in full; (2) grant the reasonable accommodation request with conditions; (3)
grant the request in part and deny the request in part; or (4) deny the request, in
accordance with local, state, and federal law. The Director of Community
Development’s determination shall be in writing. If the request is denied, the reasons
for the denial shall be stated in writing. Denials shall be based on objective, evidence-
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based reasons and identify any deficiencies or actions necessary for reconsideration.
The final determination shall give notice of the applicant’s right and method of appeal.
For certified recovery residence requests for reasonable accommodation, if the final
written determination is not issued within sixty (60) days after receipt of the completed
application, the request is deemed approved unless the parties agree in writing to a
reasonable extension of time. The Director of Community Development shall be
permitted to include a condition of approval that current evidence of disability be
provided to the City at regular intervals, no more frequently than annually.
The Director of Community Development shall make the determination consistent with
the City Code and the FHA and/or ADA after considering the following review criteria:
(1) Whether the applicant has established that he/she is protected under the FHA
and/or ADA by demonstrating that they are handicapped or disabled, as defined
in the FHA and/or ADA. To do this, the applicant must show he or she has, or
is serving those with:
a. A physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one (1) or
more major life activities;
b. That they are regarded as having such impairment; or
c. That they have a record of having such impairment.
(2) Whether the requested accommodation is reasonable and necessary to afford
the applicant with an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling or is
reasonable and necessary to assure the applicant an equal opportunity to enjoy
a service, program, or activity offered by the City.
(3) Whether the requested accommodation would impose an undue financial or
administrative burden on the City.
(4) Whether the requested accommodation would require a fundamental alteration
in the nature of the land use and zoning regulations of the City.
If the Director of Community Development finds that the requested
accommodation will impose an undue financial or administrative burden on the
City or will require a fundamental alteration in the nature of the City’s service,
program or activity, the Director may consider whether an alternative reasonable
accommodation exists which would effectively meet the disability-related need. An
alternative reasonable accommodation may be the requested accommodation with
conditions. In conducting the review, the Director may make a site visit to the
property where the reasonable accommodation is being requested, if needed.
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(e) Appeals. The applicant may appeal the written decision of the Director of Community
Development within thirty (30) days of the issuance of the Director of Community
Development’s decision. Appeals shall be made in writing to the City Manager and
filed with the City Clerk. Appeals shall include the name, address, and telephone
number of the applicant; a notarized signature of the applicant; and a written summary
of the reasons for the appeal, including any legal or factual basis for the appeal. The
City Manager shall issue a final decision on the appeal within forty-five (45) days of
filing the appeal with the City Clerk. Any applicant aggrieved by a final decision of
the City Manager made under this section shall have the right to file an appropriate
action in a court of competent jurisdiction.
(f) No Application Fee. There shall be no fee imposed by the City for the reasonable
accommodation request process or appeals outlined in this section.
(g) General Provisions. The following additional general provisions are applicable to
requests for reasonable accommodation under this Section.
(1) An applicant may request a reasonable accommodation on their own behalf or
may be represented at all states by an attorney, legally appointed guardian, or
other person designated by the individual in writing.
(2) In the event that a reasonable accommodation is granted, the applicant shall
comply with any and all applicable conditions, as well as all permitting
procedures required by the City Code and all land development regulations of
the City which have not been affected by the reasonable accommodation.
(3) All reasonable accommodations are specific to the applicant and do not run with
the land.
(4) A reasonable accommodation does not alter an individual’s obligation to
comply with all other applicable federal, state, county, or City requirements,
rules, regulations, or laws.
(5) A reasonable accommodation issued pursuant to this Section shall not supersede
any current or future declaration of condominium adopted pursuant to Chapter
718, Florida Statutes, or cooperative document adopted pursuant to Chapter
719, Florida Statutes, or declaration of covenant adopted pursuant to Chapter
720, Florida Statutes.
(h) Revocations. Approvals granted under this Section for a reasonable accommodation
may be revoked or modified by the City Manager, or designee, if the applicant fails to
comply with all conditions of approval or fails to maintain all certifications and/or
licenses required by law and such certifications or licenses are not reinstated within
180 days. The City shall provide a 30-day written notice of the proposed revocation or
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modification. The applicant may request an opportunity to be heard before the City
Manager prior to the effective date of the proposed revocation.
(i) Certified Recovery Residences. A certified recovery residence may be established as
a permitted use in the R-3 zoning district without reasonable accommodation. Certified
recovery residences may be established as a conditional use in the C-2, I-1, and C-3
Highway 17-92 Commercial zoning districts. Certified recovery residences must
comply with the zoning regulations established in Chapter 20, Zoning, of the City Code
and all other applicable land development regulations, except that reasonable
accommodations may be requested pursuant to this Section.
With regard to recovery residences, the City shall require all applicants for a reasonable
accommodation to have a valid certificate of compliance and provide evidence that it
is actively managed by a certified recovery residence administrator as provided in
Section 397.311 and 397.487, Florida Statutes, unless the recovery residence has a
charter from an entity recognized or sanctioned by Congress. The Director of
Community Development shall deny requests for a reasonable accommodation from
the definition of a “family” for recovery residences, otherwise known as “sober
homes,” that are not certified in accordance with the provisions of Section 397.487,
Florida Statutes, unless the recovery residence has a charter from an entity recognized
or sanctioned by Congress. The City Commission finds that persons suffering from
addiction represent a vulnerable consumer population and adopts by reference the
findings and intent of the Legislature as expressed in Section 397.487, Florida Statutes,
and its supporting legislative history, and concludes that the requirement to maintain a
certification is intended to protect persons who reside in recovery residences.
If the Applicant is not the administrator who will be actively managing the residents
and staff of the certified recovery residence, the name and contact information of the
administrator must also be provided. A copy of the current certifications and licenses
for the certified recovery residence shall be attached to the application.
(j) Community Residential Homes. Development permit applications for community
residential homes, as defined in Section 419.001, Florida Statutes, shall not be subject
to the provisions of this Section.
Section 3. Code Amendment. Article III, Establishment of Districts, of Chapter 20 of the
City Code is hereby amended as follows: (underlined type indicates additions to the City Code and
strikeout type indicates deletions, while asterisks (* * *) indicate a deletion from this Ordinance
of text existing in Article III. It is intended that the text in Article III denoted by the asterisks and
set forth in this Ordinance shall remain unchanged from the language existing prior to the adoption
of this Ordinance):
ARTICLE III. – ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICTS
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* * *
* * *
DIVISION 6. – R-3 MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICTS
* * *
Sec. 20-207. – Uses permitted.
Within any R-3 Multiple-Family Dwelling District, no building, structure, land or water shall be
used except for the following uses:
(1) Any uses permitted in R-1AAA, R-1AA, R-1A, or R-1.
(2) Apartments, townhouses, patio homes or other multiple-family dwelling structures.
(3) Boarding and/or lodging homes.
(4) Guest and tourist homes.
(5) General office including: medical, dental, legal, architecture/engineering, real estate,
financial, information technology, and administrative headquarters, or similar use,
however, under no circumstances will any type of office use incompatible with
residential, schools, parks or public buildings be permitted. Signage shall be limited to
building-mounted identification signage. No outside storage or fleet and dispatch yards
are permitted; however, governmental vehicles are exempted.
(6) Certified recovery residences.
* * *
DIVISION 8. – C-2 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
* * *
Sec. 20-254. – Conditional uses.
* * *
(9) Certified recovery residences.
* * *
DIVISION 8.5. – I-1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
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Ordinance No. 2025-17
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* * *
Sec. 20-261. – Conditional uses.
* * *
(10) Certified recovery residences.
* * *
DIVISION 15. – C-3 HIGHWAY 17-92 COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
* * *
Sec. 20-346.3. – Conditional uses.
* * *
(12) Certified recovery residences.
* * *
Section 4. Code Amendment. Article I, In General, of Chapter 20 of the the City Code is
hereby amended as follows: (underlined type indicates additions to the City Code and strikeout
type indicates deletions, while asterisks (* * *) indicate a deletion from this Ordinance of text
existing in Article I. It is intended that the text in Article I denoted by the asterisks and set forth in
this Ordinance shall remain unchanged from the language existing prior to the adoption of this
Ordinance):
ARTICLE I. - IN GENERAL
Sec. 20-1. - Definitions.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings
ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
* * *
Certified recovery residence. This term shall have the same meaning as provided in Florida Statutes
§ 397.311(5), as may be amended from time to time.
* * *
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Ordinance No. 2025-17
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Section 5. Repeal of Prior Inconsistent Ordinances and Resolutions. All prior inconsistent
ordinances and resolutions adopted by the City Commission, or parts or ordinances and resolutions
in conflict herewith, are hereby repealed to the extent of the conflict.
Section 6. Incorporation into Code. This Ordinance shall be incorporated into the Winter
Springs City Code and any section or paragraph, number or letter, and any heading may be changed
or modified as necessary to effectuate the foregoing. Grammatical, typographical, and like errors
may be corrected and additions, alterations, and omissions, not affecting the construction or
meaning of this ordinance and the City Code may be freely made.
Section 7. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, word, or
provision of this ordinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of
competent jurisdiction, whether for substantive, procedural, or any other reason, such portion shall
be deemed a separate, distinct and independent provision, and such holding shall not affect the
validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance.
Section 8. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective upon adoption by the City
Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, and pursuant to City Charter.
ADOPTED by the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, in a regular
meeting assembled on the _____ day of______________, 2025.
Kevin McCann, Mayor
ATTEST:
Christian Gowan, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM
AND SUFFICIENCY FOR THE CITY
OF WINTER SPRINGS ONLY:
_______________________________
Anthony A. Garganese, City Attorney
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Ordinance No. 2025-17
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First Reading:
Legal Ad:
Second Reading:
1015
This Business Impact Estimate may be revised following its initial posting.
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
BUSINESS IMPACT ESTIMATE PURSUANT TO F.S. 166.041(4)
This form should be included in the agenda packet with the proposed ordinance to be considered. It
must be posted on the City’s website by the time notice of the proposed ordinance is published.
City Commission Meeting Dates: First Reading: December 8, 2025
Second Reading: TBD
Ordinance Number: 2025-17
Posted To Webpage: Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Date of Publication: Wednesday, November 26, 2025
This Business Impact Estimate is given as it relates to the proposed ordinance titled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS,
FLORIDA; AMENDING CHAPTER 20, ZONING, ARTICLE V, SUPPLEMENTAL DISTRICT
REGULATIONS, OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS CODE OF ORDINANCES TO ADD
PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
FROM THE CITY’S LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, WHICH SHALL ALSO BE
APPLICABLE TO CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCES IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH
FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 397.487; AMENDING ARTICLE III, ESTABLISHMENT OF
DISTRICTS, TO ESTABLISH CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCES AS PERMITTED OR
CONDITIONAL USES IN CERTAIN ZONING DISTRICTS; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF
PRIOR INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS, INCORPORATION INTO THE
CODE, SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Parts I-IV below are not required to be completed if the ordinance involves any one of the following
types of exemptions. Please check if applicable:
_X_ 1. Ordinances required for compliance with federal or state law or regulation;
__ 2. Ordinances relating to the issuance or refinancing of debt;
__ 3. Ordinances relating to the adoption of budgets or budget amendments, including revenue
sources necessary to fund the budget;
__ 4. Ordinances required to implement a contract or an agreement, including, but not limited to, any
federal, state, local, or private grant, or other financial assistance accepted by a municipal government;
__ 5. Emergency ordinances;
__ 6. Ordinances relating to procurement; or
__ 7. Ordinances enacted to implement the following:
1016
This Business Impact Estimate may be revised following its initial posting.
__ a. Development orders and development permits, as those terms are defined in s. 163.3164, and
development agreements, as authorized by the Florida Local Government Development Agreement
Act under ss. 163.3220-163.3243;
__ b. Comprehensive plan amendments and land development regulation amendments initiated by an
application by a private party other than the municipality;
__ c. Sections 190.005 and 190.046;
__ d. Section 553.73, relating to the Florida Building Code; or
__ e. Section 633.202, relating to the Florida Fire Prevention Code.
Part I.
Summary of the proposed ordinance and statement of public purpose:
N/A
Part II.
Estimate of the direct economic impact of the proposed ordinance on private, for-profit businesses
in the City of Winter Springs: (fill out subsections a-c as applicable, if not applicable write “not
applicable”)
(a) Estimate of direct compliance costs that businesses may reasonably incur if the proposed
ordinance is enacted:
N/A
(b) Identification of any new charges or fee on businesses subject to the proposed ordinance, or
for which businesses will be financially responsible; and
N/A
(c) An estimate of the City of Winter Springs’ regulatory costs, including an estimate of revenues
from any new charges or fees that will be imposed on businesses to cover such costs.
N/A
Part III.
Good faith estimate of the number of businesses likely to be impacted by the ordinance:
N/A
Part IV.
Additional Information the City Commission may find useful (if any):
N/A
1017
ner authorities believe has fled to her native China are the only ones who have not reached a deal with prose-cutors.Lopez’s attorneys are set to meet with prosecutorson Tuesday as part of a plea negotiation conference, witha hearing before a judgescheduled for Dec. 8. He has pleaded not guilty to chargesof racketeering and conspir-acy to commit racketeering.Severance-Lopez, initially charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering,pleaded guilty to a reducedcharge of money launder-ing and a separate charge of lying to a judge for a bond modification, according tothe plea agreement. Thoughthe deal allows her to avoid acriminal conviction, she willhave to serve a minimum oftwo years of probation andpay $5,356 in investigativefees to state prosecutors.The plea deal comes justweeks after Severance-Lo-pez was offered a simi-lar agreement, which her attorney, Michelle Yard,said at the time she refusedbecause it required her client to be formally convicted ofa crime.Severance-Lopez wasfirst arrested June 23 on a racketeering charge, but was released on a $400,000bond in early July. She wasarrested again in Octo-ber after prosecutors saidshe opened up three bankaccounts while on bond andmoved thousands of dollars she later told a judge she didn’t have. The omissioncame during a hearing in which she sought to have her ankle monitor removed,citing an inability to pay thedaily cost to have it on.She was released from the Lake County Jail after enter-ing the new plea, where shestayed for a month following her most recent arrest.The acceptance of the new deal also comes justthree days after prosecu-tors disclosed Deokaran’stestimony alleging Sever-ance-Lopez was handedmoney gained from the illegal gambling opera-tion to give to Lopez. Yardhad previously maintained that the prosecution’s case against her client hingedupon a single email sent to one of Lopez’s allegedcollaborators.Deokaran, who ownedand operated many of the illegal casinos used in the operation, is expected to testify he gave an envelopeof cash to Severance-Lo-pez on Dec. 16, 2022, in the Osceola County Sheriff’sOffice parking lot, placed in a bag containing other gifts,according to a discoverynotice. It was the same day Lopez swore in Deokaran as a “special deputy,” a statusmeant to deputize civilians during emergencies butoften used to reward polit-ical allies.“This is for Marco,” Deokaran claims he toldSeverance-Lopez. The money is said to have come from the proceeds of The Eclipse casino in Kissim-mee, which Lopez was protecting.Prosecutors had accusedSeverance-Lopez of play-ing a “ministerial” role in a multi-million dollar illegal gambling enterprise spreadacross three counties along-side Lopez, now the soleco-conspirator still facing more serious racketeering charges.Lopez, according to investigators, made initial contacts in 2019 with other co-conspirators —Deokaran and realtor Ying Zhang — to establish illicitgame rooms. He was then a candidate for sheriff. Afterwinning election as the county’s first Hispanic sher-iff in 2020, Lopez helpedestablish The Eclipse, which opened May 2022 atthe site of a deadly shooting his deputies investigatedmonths prior.Lopez then used his posi-tion to protect it from scru-tiny in exchange for personal payments and campaign contributions, according to an affidavit laying out the allegations.It wasn’t until the casino was raided August 2024 that the business came crashingdown, eventually resulting in charges against him, Sever-ance-Lopez and four others: Carol Cote, Sharon Fedrick, Sheldon Wetherholt andZhang.Deokaran’s special deputystatus was revoked the dayafter the raids, and he waslater forced to relinquish $1.1 million across two forfeiturecases filed in Orange andOsceola counties. Federal investigators were probing his business dealings begin-ning in January 2024, beforediscovering the Metropoli-tan Bureau of Investigationwas already looking at The Eclipse.Cote, the business’bookkeeper, and SharonFedrick, who paid itsbills, pleaded guilty tocharges of racketeeringand conspiracy to commit racketeering in exchangefor a lesser sentence, while Wetherholt, whose nameappeared on the business records, pleaded no contest to the same.Zhang remains a fugitive.Dealsfrom Page 1By Ron HurtibiseSouth Florida Sun SentinelReprinted from the Nov. 18 e-edition’s News Extra.State-owned CitizensProperty Insurance Corp. may continue to pursuemore than 400 claimsthrough an alternativedispute system that critics say produces rulings favor-able to the insurer.A circuit judge from Leon County, Jonathan Sjostrom, signed an order on Friday saying that state law autho-rizes the company to sendpending lawsuits to theDepartment of Administra-tive Hearings rather thanthe court system.The ruling requires DOAH to move forward onpending arbitration casesthat have been stalled sinceAug. 1. A Citizens spokesmansaid Monday that he doesn’tknow whether the order allows it to send new cases tothe panel. Seven other cases recently approved by judgeswill proceed, the spokesman said.The ruling by Sjostrom overturns a statewideinjunction issued by Melissa Mary Polo, a Hillsborough County circuit judge over-seeing Citizens policyholder Martin Alvarez’s challenge of Citizens’ right to divert aclaim to the DOAH panel.Alvarez and other plain-tiffs have argued that Citi-zens’ diversion of the cases— permitted under a 2023 law and required by a policy provision that cannot be declined — violates policy-holders’ constitutionallyguaranteed access to the courts.Citizens appealed the injunction and declaredthat it could not remainin effect while the appeal was being considered. Polorejected that argument and reinstated the injunction, prompting Citizens andDOAH itself to seek emer-gency orders to resume the DOAH hearings.A legal analysis in Sjos-trom’s ruling says the arbi-tration provisions “areexplicitly authorized bystatute,” that arbitration is favored by state law, and allparticipants are protected by the Florida Arbitration Code.It also points out that theplaintiff in the case was notcoerced into accepting aCitizens policy and there-fore accepted its arbitration requirement.Sjostrom issued his ruling in another case filed by Alvarez’s attorney, Lynn Brauer, represent-ing Elmber Lombana. He rejected Brauer’s argument that the Alvarez injunction prevented Lombana’s case from moving forward as “unavailing.”Brauer told the SouthFlorida Sun Sentinel on Monday that the court’sruling did not consider “the real life application of theprocess,” nor did it considerthe constitutionality of thearbitration agreement. She and her client are consider-ing appealing the order, shesaid.Although Citizens’ appeal of the injunction is still pend-ing, Brauer said she received a notice dated Friday thatCitizens dropped its order transferring Alvarez’s case to the DOAH panel aboutnine minutes after Sjos-trom’s order was entered.“I believe they with-drew the Alvarez arbitra-tion request because they believe that it makes the liti-gation and the appeal moot,” she said.But she said the appeal isstill pending “and still has consequences.” She added, “There is case law out there that says that litigation canproceed even if the defen-dant does something to resolve the issue if it can be repeated.”Seeking to reduce the time and expense of litigat-ing claims, Citizens began enforcing the DOAH policy clause last year and by this year had moved more than 1,300 claims to the panel.Plaintiffs attorneys began objecting to Citizens’ use of the DOAH system lastspring, saying their clients’ rights were being violated. While the policy provision allows either Citizens ora policyholder to request arbitration, only Citizenspursued the option, they pointed out.Citizens settled mostclaims out of court for $250or $500 because plain-tiffs who refused the offers risked having to pay Citi-zens’ legal fees if they lost their cases or withdrewprior to hearings, the attor-neys said.Citizens prevailed in 47of 51 cases that advanced to final hearings by July 10, according to an analysis by the South Florida Sun Senti-nel.In September, Citizens CEO Tim Cerio said that the accusations of unfair-ness were actually an effort to overturn reforms that have returned the insuranceindustry to profitability.A Citizens spokesmansaid it pursued only cases it was confident in winning,while plaintiffs attorneys said that DOAH judgestended to side with the company because it fundedits participation.Citizens’ Board of Gover-nors approved paying DOAH up to $19.3 millionto administer the programthrough 2027, though Citizens officials said in September that the actualcost will be lower. The Citi-zens spokesman countered that the company willinglyincreased its settlementoffers when additional facts arose during the discoveryphase that supported poli-cyholders’ claims.Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071 or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.Judge: Citizens’ arbitration cases can resumeState-owned insurer may continue topursue more than 400 claims through an alternative dispute system that critics sayproduces rulings favorable to company R6 Orlando Sentinel | Section 1 | Wednesday, November 26, 2025
NOTICE OF
PUBLIC HEARING
CITY OF
WINTER SPRINGS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE CITY COMMISSION
PROPOSE TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-17
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA; AMENDING
CHAPTER 20, ZONING, ARTICLE V, SUPPLEMENTAL
DISTRICT REGULATIONS, OF THE CITY OF WINTER
SPRINGS CODE OF ORDINANCES TO ADD PROCEDURES
FOR PROCESSING REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE
ACCOMMODATION FROM THE CITY’S LAND
DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, WHICH SHALL ALSO BE
APPLICABLE TO CERTIFIED RECOVERY RESIDENCES IN
ORDER TO COMPLY WITH FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION
397.487; AMENDING ARTICLE III, ESTABLISHMENT
OF DISTRICTS, TO ESTABLISH CERTIFIED RECOVERY
RESIDENCES AS PERMITTED OR CONDITIONAL USES
IN CERTAIN ZONING DISTRICTS; PROVIDING FOR THE
REPEAL OF PRIOR INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES AND
RESOLUTIONS, INCORPORATION INTO THE CODE,
SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
PLANNING AND ZONING/LPA PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL
BE HELD ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025 AT 5:30
P.M. OR SOON THEREAFTER IN THE COMMISSION
CHAMBERS LOCATED AT WINTER SPRINGS CITY
HALL, 1126 EAST STATE ROAD 434, WINTER SPRINGS,
FLORIDA
CITY COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR FIRST
READING WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, DECEMBER
8, 2025 AT 6:30 PM OR SOON THEREAFTER IN THE
COMMISSION CHAMBERS LOCATED AT WINTER
SPRINGS CITY HALL, 1126 EAST STATE ROAD 434,
WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA
THE CITY COMMISSION RESERVES THE RIGHT TO
POSTPONE OR CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON
THIS ORDINANCE AT THIS MEETING WITHOUT FURTHER
NOTICE.
The proposed ordinance may be obtained by interested
parties between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
from the office of the City Clerk, located at 1126 E. SR
434, Winter Springs, Florida. For more information, call
(407) 327-1800 #237. Persons with disabilities needing
assistance to participate in any of these proceedings
should contact the Employee Relations Department
Coordinator, 48 hours in advance of the meeting at (407)
327-1800, #236. This is a public hearing. Interested
parties are advised that they may appear at the meeting
and be heard with respect to the proposed resolutions.
If you decide to appeal any recommendation or decision
made by the City Commission with respect to any matter
considered at this meeting, you will need a record of the
proceedings, and for such purposes, you may need to
ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made
upon which the appeal is based.
CITY OF CASSELBERRY, FLORIDA
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER
ADOPTION OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
NOTICE IS GIVEN by the City of Casselberry, Florida, that the
Commission will hold a public hearing to consider the adoption of
an ordinance entitled:
ORDINANCE 25-1627
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CASSELBERRY, FLORIDA,
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERMINATION AND DISSOLUTION OF
THE CITY OF CASSELBERRY COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY ON DECEMBER 11, 2025, PURSUANT TO THE TERMS OF
THE SEMINOLE COUNTY RESOLUTION 2016-R-184; ACCEPTING
THE CONVEYANCE OF REAL PROPERTY AND ANY TANGIBLE
PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REMAINING FUNDS FROM THE
AGENCY TO THE CITY OF CASSELBERRY IN FURTHERANCE OF
THE AGENCY’S TERMINATION AND DISSOLUTION; CREATING
A CENTRAL CITY REINVESTMENT FUND FOR PURPOSES OF
MAINTAINING THE REMAINING UNENCUMBERED FUNDS
FROM THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY RECEIVED
FROM THE SEMINOLE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS;
REPEALING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE I, SECTION 2-5 AND ARTICLE
IV, DIVISION 4 – COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF
THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF CASSELBERRY,
FLORIDA; AMENDING CHAPTER 14, ARTICLE III, SECTION
14-67 REGARDING PURPOSE AND FINDINGS RELATED TO
REGULATION OF ADULT ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENTS
TO RECOGNIZE THE TERMINATION AND DISSOLUTION OF
THE CITY OF CASSELBERRY COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION WHERE DESIGNATED
HEREIN, CONFLICTS, SEVERABILITY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
This notice is pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 166,
Florida Statutes, Charter and Ordinances of the City of Casselberry,
Florida as amended and supplemented.
The Commission will consider the adoption of Ordinance
25-1627 on Monday, December 8, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.or as
soon thereafter as possible, Casselberry City Hall Commission
Chambers, 95 Triplet Lake Drive, Casselberry, Florida. At the
meeting interested parties may appear and be heard with respect
to the proposed Ordinance. This hearing may be continued from
time to time until final action is taken by the Commission. Copies
of the proposed Ordinance are available at City Hall with the City
Clerk and the same may be inspected by the public.
Publish Date: Donna G. Gardner, CMC, FCPC
November 26, 2025 City Clerk
“Persons are advised that, if they decide to appeal any
decision made at these meetings/hearings, they will need a
record of the proceedings and for such purpose, they may
need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings
is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence
upon which the appeal is to be based, per Section 286.0105,
Florida Statutes.” “Persons with disabilities needing
assistance to participate in any of these proceedings should
contact the A.D.A. Coordinator 48 hours in advance of the
meeting at (407) 262-7700, Ext. 1150.”
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