Winter Park budget calls for cuts

The glow of the movie projector could go dark in Winter Park’s Central Park, one of a few cuts proposed at Monday’s City Commission meeting for the 2013 budget.

The popular Popcorn Flicks free movie night in the middle of Winter Park’s downtown could fall victim to budget cuts as the city shuffles funds around for the coming budget year. The budget is in the early stages of talks at the Commission level, finally giving residents a chance to weigh in on the city’s financial future.

Axing the monthly Popcorn Flicks program, hosted by Enzian Theater, could save the city $12,000 unless it receives a direct sponsorship deal to keep the movies, spokeswoman Clarissa Howard said. That’s something the city is actively pursuing.

The city is also mulling the idea of cutting back on economic development in some areas, while doing away with some staff positions to cut the personnel budget even further.

Personnel cuts have become a fact of life for Winter Park since the housing collapse and recession began in 2008. That year, at a high water mark for Winter Park’s city employment, the city employed nearly 570 full-time workers. For 2013 the proposed number is 516.

But when resident and board member Bill Swartz approached the podium, he was more concerned about what wasn’t being cut, namely large city vehicles. He pointed to the city considering purchasing more SUVs for employee use, which he suggested was excessive.

“Do we need four-door SUVs?” Swartz asked. “My first car when I came to work here was a 1986 Yugo.”

The city is also mulling a few improvement projects in the near future, including brightening up sporting events and replacing a leaky pool built about 50 years ago.

It could cost $243,000 to replace athletic field lights, City Manager Randy Knight said, and months to do so.

“The tennis facility added an extra year to that amount of time,” Knight said. The lights would be brighter and more efficient when finished.

A $740,000 project was proposed for upgrades to the Cady Way pool, deck and buildings, including adding a geothermal heater system to keep the pool usable year round.

“The restrooms have no hot water,” Knight said, noting that the facility was built in 1960s.

Visit cityofwinterpark.org to view the proposed 2013 budget.

Official budget talks could start as early as the July 23 meeting, as the city decides what to cut, what to save and what property taxes will be set at for the next year.

Uncertain history

Talk about erecting signs to draw tourists to the city’s historic district roiled some feathers again, as commissioners said that nobody really knew what the historic district was. Proposed signs on Interstate 4 and along other Winter Park streets would draw visitors toward the historic district, with the hope of bringing dollars along with them.

“Wouldn't it be great if we identified what our historic district was before we put a sign on I-4?” Mayor Ken Bradley said. “I don't think people even know what it is right now.”

“We need to correct that, if indeed there is a lack of understanding,” Commissioner Carolyn Cooper said. “It would be like designating Lake Island Park as Martin Luther King Park and not putting up a sign for it. Why would we go to all this effort to claim something we're very proud of but not put up signs telling people about it? The historic district deserves a sign.”