Oakland residents will vote by mail for charter revision

— The town of Oakland will save about $6,000 by having a mail-only ballot.

The Revision Committee has met monthly for three years, going over every word in every section of the Oakland town charter, which is small at 13 pages but nevertheless a powerful document that defines the organization, functions and procedures of the town government.

The committee, which must meet at least once every 10 years, was made up of five Oakland residents: Mike Braden, Warren Griffin, Frank Merritt, Sal Ramos and Fred Shepherd. They determined the charter was in need of updating for clarification to conform to changes in the law and changes to certain provisions, including elections, town debt limits and a redefining of the police department function. Committee members dissected each section, and a great deal of time was spent cleaning up the language.

The five members recently finished their work on the revisions and presented the changes to the Town Commission at its Sept. 23 meeting. The commission voted to approve the new charter, but it must also go before Oakland’s registered voters next year.

An election could be held in March, and by offering it as a mail-in ballot, the cost would be about $6,000. The town stands to save approximately $6,000.

Voters will answer yes or no to adopt the revised charter.

In other business, the elected officials:

• passed the budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15 in the amount of $9,987,458. The budget is broken down as follows: General Fund, $3,547,727; Facility Fund, $40,200; Utility Fund, $1,250,252; and School Operations, $4,249,279. The new fiscal year began Oct. 1.

• learned through the town manager’s staff report that the Motamassek Road right-of-way is almost a reality. Once a Memorandum of Understanding is drafted and signed by the involved parties, the portions of their land can be dedicated to be used for a public road.

“This will allow for future construction of a roadway that will connect Oakland Avenue to State Road 50 and, among other benefits, provide another option for the routing of charter school traffic,” Town Manager Dennis Foltz said.

• voted to disband the town’s code enforcement board and adopt an alternate system using the services of a special magistrate to hold hearings and assess fines against town-code violators.

• discussed creating a prioritized list for renting town facilities for town-sponsored events, town-sponsored non-profit events, town-based non-profit functions, regular rental events and other agency and government office functions. They are also looking into how to handle conflicts, such as when a Home Owner Association books a facility at no charge and then a resident who would be paying a fee and deposit inquires about renting. Finance Director Becky Rotroff will bring the issue back at a later date.

• heard from Barbara Gugliotti, Oakland Natural Preserve managing director, who said sponsorships and silent auction items are still needed for the annual Oakland Heritage Festival. For more information, call (407) 905-0054.

• approved an interlocal agreement between the town and Orange County regarding the transfer to the town of Remington Road between John’s Landing Way and John’s Lake Drive. Previously, the Florida Department of Transportation controlled the right-of-way section.

• discussed a tiered ranking system for naming facilities, landmarks and other locations in Oakland after residents who have made a significant contribution to the town. Mayor Kathy Stark suggested a committee be formed to handle the naming process.

“This would take it off us,” she said.

She added: “Just because they served on the commission doesn’t necessarily mean they deserve to have something named after them. And, there are some people who have never served in office who are deserving.”