Windermere light display will be brighter this year

The town of Windermere will be shining bright this holiday season after Windermere Town Council approved a proposal for holiday lighting and décor. 

The council approved the proposal 4-1 from Humbug Holiday Lights in the amount of $35,955.27 during its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 28. Council member Brandi Haines dissented.

Mayor Jim O’Brien said some residents were not pleased with last year’s lights display in downtown Windermere. 

This year, the lights will go all the way up the trunk and out the branches on 25 trees as well as be put on 59 light posts, Windermere Public Works Director Tonya Elliott-Moore said.

Elliott-Moore said for the past two years, the town has contracted out the labor to install lights provided by the town. This year, Humbug Holiday Lights will be responsible for bringing lights, putting them up and taking them down. 

“It will be much nicer than what we’ve previously seen,” Elliott-Moore said. “The reason that we’ve been having difficulty getting contractors to come out and just provide the work to put the lights up is our lights are old. They become what is considered unsafe and a liability for that company to put them up. This is good lights, good decoration and décor — just like Winter Garden and Ocoee does every year. It’s nicer looking lighting, décor and all of that.”

Second readings approved

Town Council unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance regarding the town’s comprehensive plan. Town Council held a public hearing and approved the transmittal of the draft of its updated comprehensive plan to the state and other review agencies May 13. The plan was submitted to the Florida Department of Commerce as well as other state agencies and Orange County on May 28. Then on July 25, the town received a letter of no objections and no comments from the Florida Department of Commerce, which directed the town to adopt the comprehensive plan within 180 days. 

Council members also unanimously approved a second reading of an ordinance pertaining to development and clarifying and revising procedures and requirements for review and approval of proposed plats and replats of land. 

An ordinance regarding certified recovery residences was unanimously approved. The Florida Legislature amended Florida statutes to require municipalities to establish procedures for the review and approval of certified recovery residents. The purpose of the town’s ordinance is to establish a mechanism for processing requests for reasonable accommodation to town ordinances, rules, policies and procedures for certified recovery residents in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act.  

Town Council also unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance pertaining to fire safety that would enact a simplified permitting and inspection process for fire alarm system and fire sprinkler system projects. It also would ensure the requirement of certain document retention by contractors and provide for application fee refunds in certain circumstances. 

Finally, the council unanimously approved an ordinance regarding condos and coop building repairs and inspections. The ordinance would require milestone inspections of condominiums and cooperative buildings, require inspection reports, specify timeframes for repairs to be scheduled and commenced, and require the building official to submit repair and inspection information to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.