Winter Park City Talk

KaBOOM! Names Winter Park among 217 “Playful City USA” communities

With research proving play is critical to the overall well being of children, 217 cities and towns, including Winter Park, earned recognition from national non-profit KaBOOM! as 2013 Playful City USA communities for their efforts to give children the childhood they deserve by providing ample opportunities for play. Today’s generation of children play less than any previous generation, despite the vast benefits of play. The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that play is essential to the social, emotional, cognitive and physical well being of children.

Sponsored by the Humana Foundation, Playful City USA is a national program from KaBOOM! that celebrates and promotes local policies that increase play opportunities for children, and is a key platform in combating the lack of play among children. The Parks and Recreation Department of the city of Winter Park takes pride in providing quality play spaces and ensuring that each one is well maintained.

KaBOOM! created Playful City USA in 2007 to help local governments address the lack of play and it is through mayors, city council members, parks and recreation departments, school districts and community leaders that the program succeeds in benefitting children.

“Kids need to play actively every day at home, in school and their communities, yet play is disappearing,” said Darell Hammond, founder and CEO of KaBOOM! and author of The New York Times Best Seller “KaBOOM!: A Movement to Save Play.” “Children spend nearly eight hours a day in front of a screen; almost half of all poor students are deprived of recess; and to make matters worse, only 1 in 5 children live within walking distance of a park. Playful City USA communities like Winter Park are creating innovative programs and initiatives and deserve recognition because of their efforts to give kids the childhood they deserve and best prepare them for their future.”

For the sixth consecutive year, Florida paced the nation with 32 Playful City USA communities. California earned second-place with 26 communities, while Texas finished third with 15 Playful City USA communities. Each of the 2013 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to addressing the lack of play among children. Playful City USA celebrates and highlights these unique initiatives developed by communities across the country. A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and towns to share ideas, concepts and programs in an effort to increase play opportunities for children.

KaBOOM! also selected Winter Park for its outstanding dedication to play. Winter Park is getting much closer to attaining its goal of providing a playspace within a one-mile walking distance of every resident with the help of a Let’s Play construction grant, which helped build a playground in Fleet Peeples Park in March. This marks Winter Park’s third year as a Playful City USA.

The 217 Playful City USA communities are now eligible for additional grants via Let’s Play, a community partnership led by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to get kids and families active nationwide. Grant recipients will be announced in the fall.

For more information on the KaBOOM! Playful City USA program including Let’s Play grants and applications for 2014, visit playfulcityusa.org

May 13 CRA meeting

There will be a CRA meeting Monday, May 13, at 2:30 p.m. in City Hall Commission Chambers located at 401 S. Park Ave., to discuss the Winter in the Park holiday ice skating rink.

May 13 City Commission meeting

Following the CRA meeting, there will be a City Commission meeting at 3:30 p.m. Below are a few topics of interest:

Mayor’s Report

• Presentation – Habitat for Humanity, dedication of 626 W. Comstock Ave.

• Proclamation – Robert Melanson Day

• Proclamation – Building Safety Month

• Proclamation – Emergency Medical Services Week

• Presentation – Award from the Insurance Services Office (ISO) of their Class 1 Public Protection Classification for Fire Protection

• 2013 board appointments

Non-action items

• Financial Report – March 2013

Consent Agenda

• Approve the minutes of 4/22/13.

• Approve various purchases, contracts and formal solicitations (for a full listing, please visit cityofwinterpark.org under What’s New > City Commission Agenda).

• Approve the “Winter in the Park” holiday ice rink contract with Magic Ice.

Action items requiring discussion

• Proposal to swap 645 Symonds Ave. in exchange for 813 W. New England Ave.

• Request for extension of Vehicle Sales Agreement as well as Settlement and Use Agreements for the Orlando RV properties.

• High Performance Sports Management Inc. contract.

• Video broadcasting of City Commission meetings.

Public hearings

• Request of SunTrust Bank: To extend until Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014, the conditional use approval granted to permit the redevelopment of the property at 301 S. New York Ave. with a new drive-in bank teller facility.

• Request of the Jewett Orthopedic Clinic: Second readings of the ordinances changing the future land use designations and zoning on the properties at 930, 950 and 960 Minnesota Ave.

• First reading of the ordinance vacating and abandoning certain streets within the Ravaudage Planned Development and Home Acres area.

• First readings of the two ordinances establishing city zoning on the non-Ravaudage properties in the Home Acres annexation area.

• First reading of the ordinance establishing hours of operation for state licensed massage therapy businesses and to prohibit residential use of such commercial and office space.

• First reading of the ordinance revising the permitted uses along Park Avenue, south of Comstock Avenue, and providing the definitions for fast casual and fine dining restaurants.

• First reading of the ordinance amending Section 42-1, Definitions, and 42-7, Qualification of Candidates and Clerk’s Certification, of Chapter 42, Elections, to add definitions for “Qualification Deadline,” “Qualification Documents,” and “Qualification Period,” and to clarify qualification requirements.

You can find the City Commission’s full agenda on the home page of cityofwinterpark.org under What’s New > City Commission Agenda.

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