Maitland City Talk

The Maitland City Council met on Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. Below is a synopsis of that meeting. The next regular scheduled Council meeting will be held on Monday, March 14. For updates, please check our website www.itsmymaitland.com

Special Presentation:

• Kathryn Salerno, Outreach & Education Coordinator for the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services spoke to the Council regarding the services and educational opportunities provided by the Division under CFO, Jeff Atwater.

• Patricia Tyjeske, Senior Planner with LDI, provided a project outline and schedule for the development of the Pattern Book for CRA District.

Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Decision Item:

• The CRA Board passed a Resolution to increase the FY 11 operation budget to incorporate an appropriation of $18,800 for professional services to complete the Adoption Phase of the Downtown Development Standards (CRA Pattern Book).

Consent Agenda:

• The Council minutes of the Feb. 14 were approved as presented and are now available on the city web page. Also approved were the Council/MAHA Workshop minutes of Feb. 9 and the Special Council meeting minutes of Feb. 22.

• A Resolution was approved to adopt the Supplemental Local Area Program (LAP) Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of Keller Road and Westhall Lane/Maitland Summit.

Decision Item:

• Authorized the city manager to approve Change Order Summary 2011-1 to the fire station contract, adjusting the contract from $2,938,843 to $2,923,557.87

Discussion Items:

• Discussed the city’s needs relative to the upcoming PD&E study on Maitland Boulevard between Interstate 4 and Maitland Avenue. The purpose of the PD&E study is to provide recommendations for widening this section of Maitland Boulevard to six lanes.

• Councilman Bonus provided a summary of the trip he took last week with Mayor Schieferdecker and Vice Mayor Linda Frosch to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of meetings with Maitland’s Congressional delegation.

• Councilman Bonus volunteered to act as liaison to the Maitland Chamber’s leadership in connection with their executive search for a new director.

Washington, D.C., trip

By Councilman Phil Bonus

Mayor Schieferdecker, Vice Mayor Frosch, and I traveled to Washington, D.C., recently to conduct the annual meetings with federal elected officials. These meetings usually focus on funding priorities.

Many of Maitland’s current priorities center on infrastructure items: quiet rail crossings, connectivity trails, road improvements, public safety, sanitation and wastewater issues, plus needs related to parks, recreation and the arts.

Gov. Rick Scott had just announced he was going to reject $2.4 billion in rail funds that Reps. John Mica and Corinne Brown, and Sen. Bill Nelson (and others) had set aside for Florida. The coincidental impact of this announcement on the visit was huge.

The announcement had both a destabilizing impact and a riveting effect on Maitland’s agenda. Members who had been first befuddled by the governor’s actions were rebounding quickly. By chance, Maitland was right there with them.

Sen. Nelson was first. He was only minutes from a news interview to respond to the situation. He was calm, but California was already moving to claim the dedicated rail funding, and he was determined to save the money for Florida. While in his office watching him compose his remarks he wondered aloud: “How would this affect SunRail and Maitland?” “Would there be repercussions beyond the obvious job losses?” Although distracted, he listened to our concerns for traffic safety near Park Maitland School and about our waste treatment infrastructure needs. And then he was gone to the TV interview. His staff stayed behind and earnestly vowed to help us with grant applications.

With Congresswoman Brown later in the day, we observed an experienced politician struggling to grapple with the situation. She called Mayor Dyer while we were there. Not in private, but in front of all gathered. On the speakerphone she pleaded: “Why?” “What can we do?”

These elected officials wanted to know what we thought. What could we do to help? As had Sen. Nelson just minutes before, Congresswoman Brown instructed her staff to listen to Maitland’s needs, which they did, and to assist us with grant applications, which they promised to do.

Congressman Mica was the last meeting on our agenda. He had already spoken directly to Gov. Scott, and others, to no avail. He showed the leadership that years in Congress had ingrained. He was undaunted. He vowed to keep working on the issue.

The day ended with Council headed back to Maitland on an evening flight. Our lobbyists had provided Maitland access to our delegation on a remarkable day. It was a little chaotic, but Maitland will always have those moments of shared adversity with our delegates. They say good things come from bad… Let’s get to work!