Winter Park City Talk

Sept. 8 City Commission meeting

There will be a City Commission meeting Monday, Sept. 8, at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall Commission Chambers located at 401 S. Park Ave. For the most up-to-date agenda, please visit cityofwinterpark.org under What’s New. Below are a few topics of interest:

Mayor’s Report

• Winter Park Historical Association report on funding agreement and video

• Recognition – Diane Boswell, artist for SunRail Art in Transit “Tree Whisperers” installation

• Appointment of Golf Course Task Force

• Board appointment – Utilities Advisory Board

Non-Action Items

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Citywide Connectivity Plan

• Presentation/demonstration of the new Undergrounding Status Map

Consent Agenda

• Approve the minutes of Aug. 25, 2014.

• Approve contracts (for a complete listing, visit cityofwinterpark.org/ccpackets).

• Approve the annual review of the city’s Debt Management Policy (no changes are recommended).

• Approve the update to the Purchasing Policy.

Public Hearings

• Second reading of the ordinance vacating and abandoning the easement located at 1870 Laurel Road.

• Second reading of the ordinance amending Section 62-77, Loitering-Generally.

• First reading of the ordinance establishing a Market Business Purpose Area at the Winter Park Farmers’ Market and providing for a designated open public forum area within the market.

Budget Public Hearings (must be held after 5 p.m.)

• First reading of the ordinance adopting the millage rate.

• First reading of the ordinance adopting the Fiscal Year 2015 annual budget.

Remember, if you are unable to attend City Commission meetings, you can watch them live, gavel-to-gavel as they happen. During the meeting, simply log on to cityofwinterpark.org/cclive to easily stay tuned-in to official city business.

Country Club Centennial Kickoff

The Parks & Recreation Department and Winter Park Country Club (WPCC) 100th Anniversary Committee invite the community to the kick-off event for its Centennial Celebration of the Country Club Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 7 to 9 a.m. The yearlong celebration will begin with the unveiling of a centennial clock, located next to the putting green, which has been graciously donated by the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation. The event, which will include remarks from Mayor Ken Bradley, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner, First Tee Director Thomas J. Lawrence, and local patrons of the course, will be broadcast live by the Golf Channel on their “Morning Drive” show. At 10:30 a.m., following the “Morning Drive” live broadcast, Secretary Detzner will announce the Florida Historic Golf Trail Program, presented by the Florida Department of State, with WPCC as the featured course.

The Winter Park Country Club was formed in 1914 and that fall a nine-hole golf course was opened at the north end of town. The course went through a series of changes in its first 25 years of existence, but today the WPCC is a thriving nine-hole course open to the public. More than 24,000 golfers annually play a round on the second-oldest golf club in Central Florida. They are drawn to the family-friendly course for its picturesque surroundings, challenging fairways, exciting camps, and variety of programs for professional and amateur players alike.

Limited event parking will be available in surrounding lots including Casa Feliz, The University Club, and First Baptist Church. In addition, the Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Board will be providing a free bike valet service for those who ride their bike to the event. The bike valet will be available from 7 to 11 a.m. just northeast of the clubhouse at Webster and Old England avenues.

The city has launched a WPCC Centennial button on the home page of its official website at cityofwinterpark.org. This will highlight all of the Centennial Celebration events, as well as provide historic resources and pertinent information associated with this milestone.

For more information regarding the Florida Historic Golf Trail, please visit floridahistoricgolftrail.com.

CoffeeTalk featuring Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel

Don’t forget to attend CoffeeTalk featuring Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel Thursday, September 4, at 8 a.m., for conversation and a cup of coffee provided by Palmano’s Cafe, Coffee & Wine Bar. CoffeeTalk is held at the Welcome Center located at 151 W. Lyman Ave. For more information, please call 407-599-3428.

City advances to Georgetown University’s Energy Prize Quarterfinals

The city of Winter Park was selected to advance to the quarterfinalist round of the Georgetown University Energy Prize (GUEP), a $5 million incentive competition to reduce America’s energy consumption.

Winter Park is the only city in Florida and is among a very select group of just 52 small- and medium-sized cities and counties from across the country that has advanced to quarterfinalist round of the competition. For the next two and a half years, these agencies will continue to compete for the $5 million prize, with the final award to be presented in 2017.

At the project inception, GUEP coordinators noted that creating a project team that required collaboration between major utilities, municipal government, and community organizations was seen as an insurmountable challenge. Winter Park is one of the selected participants that overcame this major hurdle in garnering support from other utilities such as Duke Energy Florida, TECO Peoples Gas, and Orlando Utilities Commission, as well as community leaders.

The city’s proposed Sustainability Action Plan provided the backbone for this effort and helped set Winter Park apart from the competition. Winter Park’s submission was also differentiated by the robust support of the 15-member Keep Winter Park Beautiful & Sustainable Advisory Board and commitment of dedicated sustainability city staff members.

Dr. Francis Slakey, executive director of the GUEP shared, “The communities we selected are leaders in energy efficiency who will develop innovative approaches that will inspire and enable others to follow in their footsteps.”

To learn more about the GUEP and to track the competition’s progress, visit guep.org. For more information about the city’s Sustainability Program, please visit cityofwinterpark.org/sustainability.

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