Ordinance could limit Winter Garden Cemetery eligibility

The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved a first reading for an ordinance only allowing Winter Garden residents to be buried in Winter Garden Cemetery. 

During the commission’s meeting Thursday, Sept. 25, Assistant City Manager Steve Pash said now that the construction of the cemetery is coming to an end, the city wanted to update the ordinance to clarify residency eligibility for the purchase of lots and niches, refine ownership rights, and update the fee structure.

Pash said for the second reading of the ordinance, which will take place at the commission’s Oct. 9 meeting, the ordinance will change the residency requirement to limit the sale of new burial plots to current residents of the city at the time of the purchaser’s death, former residents or maybe an immediate family member of current residents. The burden of providing residency falls on the purchaser.

He said the fees were removed from the ordinance and will be put in a resolution that will be brought forward to the commission Thursday, Oct. 9. 

Another change to the ordinance before the second reading will define “immediate family” to the lot owner’s spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, mother-in-law and father-in-law. 

Budget approved

The City Commission unanimously approved the second reading of several budget ordinances finalizing the city’s Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget. 

The commission unanimously approved an ordinance setting the millage rate for ad valorem taxation of real and tangible personal property for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, at the rate of 4.8565 mills. The rate is an increase over the current rate of 4.5 mills. 

Another ordinance was unanimously approved to show the total revenues available for expenditures at $70,303,710.

An ordinance allocating all revenue and funds of the Community Redevelopment Agency totaling $3,406,348 was unanimously approved. 

The commission unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing the appropriations of city funds for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. 

Taking back control

The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance amending a section of the city’s planning and development code to add a new section to combat Senate Bill 180. 

The ordinance addresses relief concerning declared emergency restrictions. It provides a new process when an applicant can apply to revert to an earlier version of the city’s land development code and/or comprehensive plan existing as of Aug. 1, 2024, if the applicant provides a good-faith argument as to why a new city-initiated amendment is “more restrictive or burdensome” to the proposed development application.