Winter Springs Commission talks infrastructure, future vision

In a moment of tentative cooperation, the Winter Springs Commission reached a consensus on the start of the outline for the future vision of the city during its recent strategic planning workshop. 

The workshop, held on Jan. 15, lasted just over three hours, another notably shorter meeting time for the Commission seemingly heralded by City Manager Kevin Sweet’s ability to answer questions and provide direction to the commission during its discussion on the city’s goals for the next five years. 

Lengthy meeting times, some spanning almost five hours, have plagued the commission in recent months with many of its members calling for more efficiency in discussing city matters. 

“From listening to the conversations today, there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ve hired the right city manager,” resident Art Gallo said at the meeting.

The Commission’s last meeting on Jan. 13, in which tensions rose during a discussion on potentially nixing multiple volunteer committees, also saw disagreement over the purpose and organization of the workshop itself amongst members. 

While Monday’s workshop saw noticeably less of the infighting displayed in some of the Commission’s most recent meetings, tempers did flare as the Commission struggled to agree on an outline and starting point for the strategic plan. Deputy Mayor Cade Resnick opened with a discussion on potentially combining or creating new departments. 

“Can we agree that it is a city manager’s role to hire the absolute best people for each one of those leadership roles, in those director positions, and then leave it alone, empower them to do their job, to get it done, and we get out of the way?” Commissioner Paul Diaz said. “We go to the city manager if we have questions. Is that agreed upon?”

“That’s how it is now,” Resnick responded. 

After some heated debate between the two, Sweet eventually responded by saying that even prior to the start of his role he’s been heavily focused on administrative review. 

“I do agree that it is the city manager’s duties and responsibilities to form the organization,” Sweet said. “One caveat to this is neither this dais or myself has the ability by charter to actually create departments, that’s actually a defined issue that’s sort of been skirted around.” 

Sweet offered five general goals as a starting point for the plan discussion at the behest of Mayor Kevin McCann, including matters related to infrastructure which were characterized as the greatest priority for the city, as well as staffing and administration, internal and external communications, financial and operational efficiency, and economic development

The commission also used an incomplete strategic plan draft as a starting point, an internal document which McCann said in the commission’s last meeting potentially had the “brakes” put on it due to the sudden retirement of former City Manager Shawn Boyle. 

As the workshop continued, the commission began to work through the goals suggested by Sweet. When asked about staffing, Sweet said his priority is the appointment of a utilities director for the city, as well as staff retention. 

“If you look at the employee history with the city, not just at the police level, that’s been a major focus,” Sweet said. “Thirty-six months, 28 months, and then we’re back at it again. So strategies around trying to recruit, but once we get them and we hire the right people, how do we retain them?”

Other staffing and administration matters included prioritizing and improving upon customer service, recruitment, and reevaluating processes for e-billing and permitting.

The commission moved onto the city’s finances, a matter which Diaz recently made an extensive records request for at the last commission meeting. 

“Obviously, each fiscal year, the priority is going to be developing a balanced general fund and enterprise fund budget, and working through the budgetary process on identifying revenue opportunities and developing a sound, financially conservative budget that allows the city to be able to at best maintain services, but hopefully enhance our services,” Sweet said. 

Commissioner Victoria Bruce added that the city’s outsourcing of contractors was one area both financial and communication efforts could be improved upon. 

“For example, Veolia [Water Technologies Inc.], their contract expires this year,” Bruce said. “I understand that we’re going to be putting out a bid, so I think that’s important to express that to the residents, so that they are aware of what we’re looking at and understanding a timeline and how that might play out.”

Mayor Kevin McCann said another matter to be explored would be the city’s communications, such as promoting a sense of community through branding opportunities like a symbol for the city, similar to Winter Park’s peacock. 

“I also think we need to do a better job, communications wise, during crisis management, and have a real clear path during the hurricane of how we’re getting information out,” McCann added. 

Infrastructure matters related to the city’s various water systems received much discussion, highlighting ongoing and future efforts to remedy drinking water and flooding issues. 

“We need to have a meeting with [Carollo Engineers] to understand the update on the secondary standards, taste, odor, smell,” Bruce said. “There’s really been no update on that in two years, and that’s a major thing every time I talk to a constituent.”

Sweet agreed, saying he’d met with the engineering team to request an update that was “overdue.” As the discussion turned toward the matter of managing private versus public waterways, he added that the city’s attorney Anthony Garganese had spent countless hours reviewing the issue. 

“It’s extremely complex, because the city’s entire stormwater system is all interconnected,” Sweet said. “I don’t know how we get there, but this dais is probably gonna’ have to start making some decisions around investing or spending taxpayer dollars on privately owned ponds.”

At one point, Diaz asked Sweet if he had any professional insight as to how the recent presidential election might impact future federal funding for projects, to which Sweet replied that he did think a reduction of grant funding in some areas would be seen over the next four years. 

“Infrastructure-wise, and with the new administration coming in, I definitely see that there could still be some impacts,” Sweet said. “Nobody knows yet. There’s a lot of speculation amongst everybody of what that will look like, but everybody’s fairly confident that there’ll be some reduction.”

Discussions of the city’s strategic plan are expected to continue in the near future, with the commission’s next regular meeting scheduled for Jan. 27. As the workshop winded down, McCann asked to share a concern on the conduct displayed in recent meetings. 

“Please forgive me, just let me say this and I’ll let you respond because I am guilty as well, but I am growing concerned about some of the hostility,” he said. “Our city has been, in a way, it’s been divided, and the residents are divided. I’m saying, me included, it starts with us. To set the example of a collegial body that behaves like neighbors, that treats each other with respect.”

Bruce agreed, additionally reminding McCann of an idea he’d mentioned previously to conduct a team building volunteer opportunity with the commission. 

“I am just so blessed and honored of this new dais, and I think the next two years are to be fabulous as well,” she said. “I agree, personal issues need to be put aside, but we have a tremendous potential.”

“Commissioner Diaz put it well; we all bring something to the table,” McCann said. “Let’s set the example. With that being said, ladies and gentlemen, it’s an honor to be here with you.”

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