Windermere Town Council votes to drop code violation

Windermere council members voted to drop code violations regarding two parcels of land in the town of Windermere, which run parallel to Main Street, including dropping more than $3,000 worth of fines. 

The notices regarded dead pines and overgrown bushes that needed maintenance, which the town of Windermere considered a public-health threat. Property owners were assessed the fees the town would need to incur to maintain the property. 

The owners appealed the notice to the council on account of a 1995 agreement and subsequent addendums between the town of Windermere and the original owners of the land. This allowed the town to build a sidewalk and lighting on the property, as well as landscape the area and maintain it. 

What parts of the property are to be maintained by the town is not clear to council members from the original agreement. 

Council members voted 4-1 to drop the fees assessed by code enforcement, and said that all safety issues on that property would be addressed by town staff until the agreement could be renegotiated with more clarity on the responsibilities of each party. 

IN OTHER NEWS

Councils moved a workshop on to ordinances regarding the town charter to the second town budget hearing on Sept. 21. 

The first ordinance, if approved, would allow residents to vote on a proposed version of the charter would make it a shorter and easier document for Windermere residents and taxpayers. It deletes unnecessary passages already covered under Florida law and helps to modernize the wording. It will make no material changes to the council-manager form of government, officers and elected officials, town elections, governing procedures or duties and powers. 

The second ordinance would allow residents to vote on a portion of the charter that currently imposes a borrowing limitation on the town. Currently, the town is prohibited to incur debt greater than 12.5% of the town’s budget without voter approval. The ordinance would allow voters to consider repealing or modifying that limitation. 

If approved, voters will consider these ordinances during the March 14, 2017 election.