SunRail negotiations near finish line

The negotiation process is nearly over for Winter Park and its commuter rail agreement with Orange County. That's what City Attorney Larry Brown said at Monday night's meeting.

But commissioners still had some final quibbles over the controversial interlocal agreement, which would determine how much the city would pay for its portion of the SunRail system, and how much liability it would share.

Negotiations about the agreement have dragged on since 2008, when Commissioner Beth Dillaha originally challenged the agreement between the city and the county, saying that the city would be exposed to too much cost and too much liability in the event of an accident.

In the ensuing period, the city had negotiated with the county to reach a consensus on the agreement.

"The next round is really going to be it," Brown said of the final negotiations. The city will pass a final agreement in its first meeting in December, then send it to the Orange County Commission for final approval.

"The language they're waiting on from me ... I think that's going to happen clearly in the next couple weeks," he said. "It's conceivable ... our goal is Dec. 13."

But more fuel was added to the fire at that Commission meeting when Dillaha took a Nov. 2 vote that shot down commuter rail funding in Hillsborough County and used it as ammunition.

"Hillsborough County asked the voters if they'd approve a tax for transit, and they all turned it down," she said. "We talk all around about a dedicated funding source, but the part that needs to be done is to ask the people to approve it."

She suggested a referendum to ask Winter Park voters if they wanted to pay for the system, which she said has seen rising costs that the voters had not previously approved, plus additional accident costs that could hit the city in the future.

As of the current agreement, the city is set to pay $170,000 of the insurance deductible in the event of an accident, Brown said.

"I have a real problem sharing in the liability because that was never part of the original agreement," Dillaha said.

Currently the city can opt out of the interlocal agreement if the SunRail system does not have a 100 percent dedicated funding source.

"Any future city commission could choose not to participate because of a dedicated funding source," Brown said.