HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026 01 12 Consent 309 - Approval of the Minutes: Thursday, December 18, 2025 City Commission Special MeetingCONSENT AGENDA ITEM 309
CITY COMMISSION AGENDA | JANUARY 12, 2026 REGULAR MEETING
TITLE
Approval of the Minutes: Thursday, December 18, 2025 City Commission Special
Meeting
SUMMARY
FUNDING SOURCE
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Commission review and approve the Thursday, December
18, 2025 City Commission Special Meeting Minutes as presented.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 8 , 2025 AT 9:00AM
CITY HALL – COMMISSION CHAMBERS
1126 EAST STATE ROAD 434, WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA
CITY COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
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CITY COMMISSION MINUTES | SPECIAL MEETING | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 8 , 2025 | PAGE 2 OF 4
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Kevin McCann called the Special Meeting of Thursday, December 18, 2025 of the City
Commission to order at 9:01 a.m. in the Commission Chambers of the Municipal Building (City Hall,
1126 East State Road 434, Winter Springs, Florida 32708).
Roll Call:
Mayor Kevin McCann, present
Deputy Mayor Cade Resnick, present
Commissioner Paul Diaz, present
Commissioner Victoria Bruce, present
Commissioner Sarah Baker, present
Commissioner Mark Caruso, present
City Manager Kevin Sweet, present
City Attorney Anthony Garganese, present (arrived at 9:05 a.m.)
City Clerk Christian Gowan, present
Mayor McCann asked for a moment of silence which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mayor McCann asked if there were any agenda changes. There were no changes and the agenda was
adopted.
PUBLIC INPUT
Mayor McCann opened Public Input.
Mr. Jerry Wood, Seminole County, spoke as an environmental engineer and caretaker of property
near Clifton Springs. He expressed concerns about severe flooding issues in his area, noting that
Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused significant damage that wasn't included in the stormwater
study being presented. Mr. Wood requested that the Commission consider a workshop focused
specifically on stormwater issues in the Greenway Interchange District (GID).
Mr. Art Gallo, Winter Springs expressed disappointment with aspects of the draft stormwater study,
mainly the failure to include analysis of Jetta Point Park and creeks and streams on private property.
He noted that his HOA had documented flooding issues from Jetta Point Park into the Howell Creek
Reserve area and emphasized that private creeks are used by the city to catch and convey
stormwater, essentially functioning as utilities, yet received no help from the city.
Ms. Gina Shafer, Winter Springs criticized the meeting's 9 AM timing as lacking transparency since
most residents couldn't attend. She noted that the Winter Springs Village spent $14,000 annually on
sidewalk pressure washing due to slime from flooding and raised concerns that Wetlands Park was
not addressed in the study.
Mayor McCann closed Public Input.
REGULAR AGENDA
500) Stormwater Master Plan and Capital Improvement Plan
Mr. Clete Saunier, Public Works and Utilities Director, introduced the Stormwater Master Plan as the
culmination of 18 months of work involving thousands of hours of field work and engineering analysis.
He explained this was a critical first step in identifying and codifying the city's stormwater needs into
a comprehensive plan. He noted that following adoption, the Commission would address a pond
maintenance policy in January, followed by a rate study.
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CITY COMMISSION MINUTES | SPECIAL MEETING | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 8 , 2025 | PAGE 3 OF 4
Mr. Matt Brosman of Kimley Horn presented the stormwater improvement program, explaining that
the first three phases consisting of data collection for drainage system inventory, system maintenance
and retrofit improvements, and maintenance equipment and manpower had been completed.
Mr. Brosman explained that Phase 4, the current stage, developed the Stormwater Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) contained within the master plan. He described how the study identified
46 areas of interest that were refined to 12 major capital improvement projects. These projects were
prioritized using a weighted scoring criteria that included factors such as downstream impacts, level
of service improvements, public benefit, maintenance considerations, and benefit per dollar spent.
The presentation included maps showing the condition of existing stormwater infrastructure across
the city and highlighted areas with significant stormwater issues, particularly on the west side of the
city. Mr. Brosman noted that the plan focused primarily on flood risk protection rather than water
quality issues. Mr. Brosman concluded by reviewing next steps and schedules for requested action at
future meetings.
Several commissioners raised questions about implementation priorities, downstream impacts,
permitting challenges, and coordination with county projects. Commissioner Diaz expressed
concerns about open-ended costs and the lack of reassessment triggers in the plan. Mr. Saunier
clarified that the cost estimates were conceptual with potential variations of 25-50%, and that the final
implementation would be incorporated into the city's 5-year CIP budget with annual reviews.
David Hamstra of Pegasus Engineering addressed questions about grant opportunities, noting that
major flood protection grants were limited primarily to FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency
Management, often following declared disasters. He also mentioned that water quality grants were
available through FDEP but could be equally expensive to implement. City Manager Sweet
commented further that the city would seek grants but should not count on them to fund necessary
improvements.
"MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 500 AS PRESENTED.” (ADOPT THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN
INCLUDING THE PRIORITIZED LIST OF PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE
INCLUDED IN THE MASTER PLAN.) MOTION BY DEPUTY MAYOR RESNICK. SECONDED BY
COMMISSIONER BRUCE. DISCUSSION.
VOTE: BAKER (AYE); BRUCE (AYE); CARUSO (AYE); DIAZ (AYE); RESNICK (AYE)
MOTION CARRIED 5-0.
PUBLIC INPUT
Mayor McCann opened Public Input.
Jerry Wood, Seminole County explained that flooding in his area comes not only from Lake Jesup but
also from significant overland flow from the GID area.
Tim Wansburg, Winter Springs requested the Commission consider increasing the stormwater utility
discount for gated communities beyond the current 25%, noting his HOA had spent approximately
$160,000 over the past five years on stormwater maintenance.
Art Gallo, Winter Springs thanked the Commission for approving the plan as a starting point and
expressed hope that creeks on private property would be recognized as part of the overall
stormwater utility system.
Mayor McCann closed Public Input.
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CITY COMMISSION MINUTES | SPECIAL MEETING | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 8 , 2025 | PAGE 4 OF 4
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor McCann adjourned the meeting at 10:36 a.m.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
____________________________________
CHRISTIAN D. GOWAN, MPA, CMC
CITY CLERK
APPROVED:
_____________________________________
MAYOR KEVIN McCANN
NOTE: These Minutes were approved at the January 12, 2026 City Commission Regular Meeting.
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