Winter Park City Talk

Congratulations, Mayor!

On Feb. 6 Mayor Ken Bradley was inducted in to the University of Central Florida Business Alumni Hall of Fame. This award honors distinguished UCF alumni and partners of the College of Business. Congratulations to Mayor Bradley!

Feb. 10 City Commission meeting

If you were unable to watch or attend the City Commission meeting held Feb. 10 in City Hall Commission Chambers, below are a few highlights of decisions made at the meeting:

Mayor’s Report

• A presentation of checks was made by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce to area schools from proceeds from the December 2013 Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser.

• Joe Smirti, horticulture specialist with the city’s Parks & Recreation Department, was awarded Employee of the Quarter for the fourth quarter of 2013.

• The City Commission recapped the series of events that lead to the airing of the “A Hero’s Welcome” during Super Bowl® XLVIII.

• The board appointments to the Code Enforcement Board and Civil Service Board were approved.

Consent Agenda

• The minutes of 1/27/14 were approved.

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

• The request by a non-profit FM radio station to place an antenna on a city tower at 3111 Temple Trail was approved.

Action Items Requiring Discussion

• The 321 Hannibal Square Notice of Disposal was approved.

Public Hearings

• Request of the City of Winter Park:

• The ordinance amending Chapter 58 “Land Development Code” creating a non-compete window of 30 days before or after the annual spring and fall art festivals (relating to non-residential zoning districts and the conditions required for a special event), was amended and will be on the Feb. 24 City Commission meeting agenda for second reading.

• Request of Mr. and Mrs. Truby for the property at 612 E. Lake Sue Ave.:

o The second reading of the ordinance amending the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map to establish a Single Family Future Land Use designation was approved.

o The second reading of the ordinance amending the official zoning map to establish Single Family Residential (R-1AA) District was approved.

A full copy of the Feb. 10 City Commission minutes will be available at cityofwinterpark.org the week of Feb. 24, pending approval by the City Commission.

Winter Park falls “in love” with its new solar panels on Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14, at 10:30 a.m., the City of Winter Park will show how much it “loves” its newly installed rooftop solar panels at the Public Works Compound located at 1409 Howell Branch Road.

Last summer, the City Commission approved an agreement with Clean Footprint, central Florida’s leading solar development and finance company to add solar energy into our city’s electric power supply portfolio. This solar project, developed by Clean Footprint and ESA Renewables, a Florida-based solar company, generates 100kW of clean, green energy and is the city’s first, largest and only solar energy project to date.

“This venture into solar photovoltaic panels is a victory for of all the city’s electric customers. For those seeking reliability, the one thing we can count on is the sun shining in the Sunshine State. For those seeking a smaller carbon footprint, solar energy answers that need as well. This is a huge step for the city as it relates to entering into a more sustainable energy source,” said Electric Utility Director Jerry Warren.

“All other sources of energy will fluctuate in pricing. Solar is an ideal choice granting municipalities and companies access to low-cost and stable electric prices for up to 30 years,” said John Porter, Managing Partner of Clean Footprint.

“This stable, fixed price helps keep the city’s electric rates low and also helps lower the cost of solar energy use in the future,” explained Warren.

With the completion of this renewable energy installation, the City of Winter Park becomes a leader amongst Florida cities committed to providing renewable energy to their citizens.

City Commission Work Session

There is a City Commission Work Session scheduled for Monday, Feb. 17, a 4 p.m. in City Commission Chambers at City Hall to discuss minor league baseball opportunities. The public is invited to attend, however, no public comment will be taken.

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