Winter Park City Talk

Watch City Commission meetings live!

Major policy-making decisions that govern city business are made at the City Commission level. Often, residents and members of the community are unable to physically attend meetings due to work or personal schedules. Now, interested parties can watch city of Winter Park Commission meetings – live – right from the comforts of their home or office.

As long as you have Internet access, you can watch Commission meetings, gavel-to-gavel, live, as they happen from your desktop, laptop or any mobile device. During City Commission meetings, simply log on to the city’s official website at cityofwinterpark.org and click on Government > Live Video Broadcasts to easily stay tuned-in to official city business.

Jan. 13 City Commission meeting

If you were unable to watch or attend the City Commission meeting held Jan. 13 in City Hall Commission Chambers, below are a few highlights of decisions made at the meeting:

Mayor’s Report

• The 2014 Election Proclamation was presented in preparation of the Tuesday, March 11, 2014, General Election.

• The re-appointment of Commissioner Tom McMacken to the Orange County Community Action Board was approved.

Consent Agenda

• The minutes of 12/9/13 were approved with a modification.

• The purchases and contracts (for a complete listing, please visit cityofwinterpark.org/ccpackets) were approved.

Action Items Requiring Discussion

• The 90-day Plan was discussed and approved with dates to be brought forward for the next strategic planning session.

• The Urban Forestry Management Plan was approved with amendments.

• Staff was approved to enter into a 45-day process to evaluate opportunities for minor league baseball in Winter Park.

Public Hearings

• First reading of the ordinance annexing 612 E. Lake Sue Ave. was approved.

• First reading of the ordinance vacating and abandoning the electric utility easement at 470 W. New England Ave. was approved.

• The resolution regarding the notice of Intent to use the uniform method for collecting special assessments within the platted area defined as Seminole Drive within the municipal boundaries of the city of Winter Park, to fund the city’s undergrounding of the neighborhood electrical/Bright House Networks facilities, was approved.

A full copy of the Jan. 13 City Commission minutes will be available at cityofwinterpark.org the week of Jan. 27, pending approval by the City Commission.

Unity Heritage Festival

The city of Winter Park is proud to present the 12th annual Unity Heritage Festival on Sunday, Jan. 19, and Monday, Jan. 20. The annual community festival will promote family history and raise funds for the Educational Fulfillment Fund for local economically disadvantaged youth. The festival begins Sunday, Jan. 19, from 1 to 5 p.m., in Shady Park at Hannibal Square located at the intersection of Pennsylvania and New England avenues. Patrons are also encouraged to visit the Hannibal Square Heritage Center just across the street from Shady Park. The center pays tribute to the past, present and future contributions of Winter Park’s historic African-American community.

The heritage festival continues in Shady Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join Winter Park city officials at 10 a.m. for a special Martin Luther King Jr. symbolic program, including the Feature Family Presentation. Exciting events and activities will continue throughout the day including food and music.

For more information regarding the Unity Heritage Festival, please call 407-599-3275.

More public parking available

The city of Winter Park has opened up new public parking spaces just west of City Hall on Lyman Avenue. This lot was previously designated for City Hall employee parking only. However, due to the identified need for more parking, the city has repurposed those spaces to three-hour public parking.

Visit the city’s official website at cityofwinterpark.org, find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, watch us on Vimeo.