Winter Garden commission restores opening prayer

WINTER GARDEN — Just six months after Winter Garden leaders replaced the city’s traditional invocation with a moment of silence, they voted 4-1 to bring prayer back to the commission chambers.

The resolution — one of six presented by City Attorney Kurt Ardaman — directs City Manager Mike Bollhoefer to compile a database of religious congregations and other groups and organizations with an established presence within the jurisdictional limits of the city of Winter Garden. Its goal is to create a “broad and diverse” pool of clergy to give invocations.

Several commissioners said restoring prayer in a constitutionally compliant manner will bring diversity to the opening of each meeting.

“I take my oath to defend the Constitution very seriously,” Commissioner Bobby Olszewski said.

He said supporting the resolutions was a way to show Winter Garden embraces all religions.

Commissioner Colin Sharman agreed. 

“I believe in diversity,” he said.

Both Olszewski and Sharman suggested the first invocation be offered by Joseph Richardson — the man who launched the controversy last August, when he refused to stand during the traditional invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor John Rees ordered that Richardson be removed from the Aug. 28, 2014, meeting during the prayer and Pledge of Allegiance. The action went viral, prompting the commissioners to approve in September 2014 a resolution to replace the prayer with a moment of silence.

It didn’t take long after the first moment of silence on Sept. 11, 2014, for commissioners to ask for alternatives.

“We just went through a moment of silence for the first time since 1986; It didn’t feel right,” Rees said at that meeting. “I would like to take time and ask our city attorney to get more alternatives.”

Richardson and five others spoke against restoring prayer. Richardson said three of the proposals allowed fire and police department chaplains to offer the invocation.

“(Those options) could be interpreted as a government official offering a prayer and therefore might be prohibited,” he said. 

He also warned the commission that the proposed alternatives opened the door to allowing invocations from “Mormons, Buddhists, Scientologists, Pagans, Satanists, Christian Scientists, atheists, humanists, Muslims, Jews, and anyone who wishes to participate regardless of their message.”

Richardson quoted Commissioner Bob Buchanan, who said during the Sept. 11, 2014, meeting: “I personally didn’t want to sit through prayers I didn’t believe in any more than I wanted anybody else to have to sit through prayers that (...) I chose to have. And by doing a moment of silence to use as you see fit (it) covered everything.”

Other people speaking against the resolutions included Edward Lynch, Paul Tjaden, Warren Geltch, Marilyn Sprechman and David Williamson, founder of the Central Florida Freethought Community, an organization dedicated to keeping “religion out of government in Central Florida.” 

Williamson said his group will monitor Winter Garden’s compliance with all constitutional requirements for diversity in clergy offering invocations. 

Buchanan, a regular churchgoer, cast the only dissenting vote. He said, after talking about citizens who opposed the prayer resolution: “I don’t agree with just about anything they said. I do believe in their right to believe it.” 

Buchanan preferred to keep the moment of silence.

One citizen, former commissioner Theo Graham, spoke in support. Graham said Congress appointed a chaplain and opened legislative sessions with a prayer since 1789. He pointed out the newly elected commissioners swore an oath on the Bible and asked commissioners to discount comments from anyone not a city resident. 

“You represent the people of Winter Garden,” he said.

After discussion, the commission eliminated language in the resolutions that allowed police and fire department chaplains from providing the invocation. 

Rees said he thought the opening prayer was more a way for the commission to ask for guidance than for spectators to have an opportunity to pray. 

“It’s not a sermon; it’s not a preaching,” he siad.

Richardson called the vote “disappointing” and said he would wait to receive an official invitation to give an invocation before deciding how to respond.

IN OTHER BUSINESS

• The commission welcomed newly re-elected commissioners Bob Buchanan from District 2, Bobby Olszewski from District 3 and Colin Sharman from District 4. City Clerk Kathy Golden swore all three commissioners in for three-year terms. Commissioners Buchanan and Olszewski ran unopposed. Commissioner Sharman was re-elected with 70.3% of the vote over David Kassander.

• Commissioners unanimously passed the first reading of ordinances to annex about 0.504 acres of land at 447 South St. on the northeast corner of Fifth and South streets and rezone the land to city R-1 single-family residential. Community Development Director Ed Williams said this was a voluntary annexation. The property owner wanted to take advantage of city services. The second reading is scheduled for March 26.

• The commission unanimously passed the first reading of ordinances to annex approximately 0.989 acres at 483 South St. on the north side of South Street and rezone the property to city R-1 single family residential. This property is across the street from 447 South St. and is also a voluntary annexation.

• Commissioners voted to continue Bob Buchanan’s as mayor pro tem. Olszewski commended Buchanan for his service and said he also would like to be considered for the position. After Buchanan’s nomination was moved and seconded, Olszewski withdrew from consideration. Olszewski suggested in the future, the commission consider rotating duties among all commissioners, which is a practice followed by other municipalities in Florida.

• The commission continued a hearing about  condemning a property at 160 E. Plant St. until the April 23 commission meeting. The property owner requested 30 to 60 days to present a plan to bring the property into compliance.

• Commissioners heard from Willie Fulmore, owner of the property at 740 W. Ninth St. Fulmore praised the rebuilt Ninth Street but said while the road was under construction, the restaurant that leased his property went out of business. He said not only did he lose money, but also he still could smell sewage vapor on the property. He heard other properties in the area also still smelled a foul odor, and he was concerned about possible health risks. 

• The next commission meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, in City Hall Commission Chambers, 300 W. Plant St.