Winter Park City Talk

City Hall closed

Please note that City Hall will be closed and all Waste Pro services will not be provided Thursday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. Regular services will resume on the next pickup day. City offices will reopen at 8 a.m. on Friday, July 5. The city of Winter Park wishes everyone a safe and happy Independence Day.

Don’t forget: Olde Fashioned 4th of July fun!

The city presents the 18th annual Olde Fashioned 4th of July Celebration on Thursday, July 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Central Park. Mayor Ken Bradley will lead a special presentation at 9:15 a.m. from the main stage. The annual celebration will feature live patriotic music performed by the Bach Festival Brass Band and Bach Festival Choir, horse-drawn wagon rides, Orlando Cloggers, Rockin’ Roadster Road Show and much more! Children’s activities will include the annual bicycle parade at 9 a.m. (lineup begins at 8:30 a.m.) from City Hall to Central Park, as well as fun games and inflatables. Free hot dogs, watermelon and water will available for all to enjoy, while supplies last.

In addition, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art will present its Independence Day Open House where admission is free to its galleries from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, please call 407-599-3463.

Law enforcement crack down this holiday weekend

Most Americans may not realize it, but the Fourth of July is one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 392 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the Fourth of July holiday in 2010. Of those fatalities, 39 percent were in crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

The Winter Park Police Department, along with other law enforcement officials, will be out in force conducting saturation patrols looking for impaired drivers. No warnings. No excuses. Driving impaired will get you arrested. Not just this holiday, but every day – please always remember to drive safely.

July 8 City Commission meeting

There will be a City Commission meeting on Monday, July 8, at 3:30 p.m. in City Hall Commission Chambers, located at 401 S. Park Ave. Below are a few topics of interest. Please visit city website for the most current agenda:

Mayor’s Report

• Recognition of Robert Ross – Art in Chambers

• Recognition of Diane Culpepper (Bright House Networks) retirement

City Manager’s Report

• Capen House update

Non-action items

• Budget presentation

Consent Agenda

• Approve the minutes of 6/24/13.

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

• Approve the administrative costs related to the red light camera hearing program.

Public hearings

• First reading of the ordinance annexing the right of way of Aloma Avenue from 2015 Aloma Ave. east to the city limits and the right of way of Balfour Drive from Amsden Road south to the city limits.

• First reading of the ordinance authorizing the conveyance of the city-owned property at 645 Symonds Ave. in exchange for the property located at 813 W. New England Ave.

• Second reading of the ordinance amending Section 1-7 to amend the penalty for violating municipal ordinances to comply with state law.

• Second reading of the ordinance renaming the portion of Loch Lomond Drive between Glenwood Drive and Mizell Avenue as North Edinburgh Drive and renaming that section of Edinburgh Drive between Mizell Avenue and Dundee Drive as South Edinburgh Drive.

• Request of the Winter Park Hospital:

o Final approval of the plans for the parking garage as approved in the Winter Park Memorial Hospital master plan.

You can find the City Commission’s full agenda on the home page of cityofwinterpark.org under What’s New > City Commission Agenda.

Easier green payment options

The City of Winter Park is pleased to announce its new electronic billing and payment service powered by Payment Service Network, Inc. (PSN). By implementing the latest technology, the city will provide several easy payment options for utility customers with no convenience fee. Customers participating in online billing will receive an email notification with a link to the PDF of their actual bill when it is ready for viewing. Bills can also now be viewed online which will save printing and mailing costs.

In order to reduce costs and paper usage, utility customers are encouraged to opt out of receiving paper bills and use eBill which is a free service. This new online billing and payment service complements the city’s efforts to be environmentally-conscious. If customers prefer paper bills, they can still pay electronically by paying online, via mobile app available mid-July, or by calling PSN. Another benefit is that current balances are posted daily so customers can see how much they owe by going online or using the new mobile app.

Customers are now able to review their accounts and pay from the comfort of their homes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by selecting one of the following options:

1. Log on to cityofwinterpark.org and click on “pay your utility bill” button.

2. Download “WP BillPay” mobile app for Android, Windows or iPhone app (available in mid-July)

3. Call the toll-free, automated phone service at 1.877.885.7968 (English and Spanish languages)

4. Pay by eCheck, VISA, Mastercard or Discover (customers can pay immediately, schedule a payment, or set up recurring payments)

Security of online information is a top concern of the city. One of the reasons PSN was chosen is due to their Level 1 certification by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, the highest degree of security awarded by the industry. PSN specializes in providing billing, payment and communication services to utility companies and municipalities. They are a pioneer in the online payment industry. For questions, please call PSN’s toll-free help line at 1.866.917.7368.

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