- April 16, 2024
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At its Aug. 4 meeting, the Ocoee City Commission made official by vote its Oct. 27 date for its special election to replace retired Mayor S. Scott Vandergrift.
The commission, under the leadership of new Interim Mayor John Grogan, also set Sept. 4-14 as the qualifying period for candidates filing for that special election. City Attorney Scott Cookson said current commissioners would need to file a letter of resignation by Aug. 25 to be eligible, but they would not need to resign until the result of the mayoral election. In the case of no candidate getting a majority of votes, a run-off election would occur in late November, Cookson said.
Voting will occur at the Jim Beech Recreation Center and the Ocoee Lakeshore Center, which all commissioners expressed displeasure with but voted for to avoid any possible challenge to special election results from adding other voting centers. The commission could address its voting centers in number and locations sometime in the future but not for this election.
The commission also elected District 2 Commissioner Rosemary Wilsen as mayor pro-tem, which she will be until the Oct. 27 special election for mayor. At that time, Grogan will revert to both mayor pro-tem and District 1 commissioner. District 3 Commissioner Rusty Johnson recommended Wilsen for this role based on it being her turn in the cycle of commissioners, and he suggested she would assume that role from Grogan in March, when Grogan's District 1 seat is up for reelection.
Just ahead of budget workshops this month, the commission approved a resolution and city grant application to the state for $50,000 under the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program of the Department for Environmental Protection. This money would go toward Montgomery Road Park for a multi-use sports field, picnic facilities, off-street parking and related infrastructure.
The commission passed a resolution and railroad reimbursement agreement to provide funding from the Federal Highway Administration to FDOT to install upgraded railroad-crossing signals at the Florida Central Railroad crossing on Sawmill Boulevard.
Commissioners approved purchase of a $5,458.21 server to replace the city's existing email server and move existing budget funds to the appropriate account, along with authorization for staff to perform similar budget transfers sans commission action in the future.
Because of a new Ambulance National Standards requirement, an increase of $48,915 to purchase a 2016 ambulance became necessary. The commission approved this funding, as well as $120,000 to Duke Energy for street light installation on State Road 50 from West Oaks Mall to Good Homes Road, which the state will reimburse at a later date.
The commission passed a transfer of $15,000 from a contingency account to an education/incentive account and a reallocation of $15,000 in capital budget funds to buy power and backup air conditioning units for the City Hall Server Room at a cost of $11,791.80.
The commission approved Kathleen Crown to serve on the Human Relations Diversity Board but delayed action on waiving the residency requirement for reappointing Barbara Anne Boudokhane to the board.
Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].
