Alan Ott is an Oviedo City Council Group 3 candidate and has been an Oviedo resident since 2019. He currently works for SoftIron as the director of platform software. In the community, he is an Eagle Scout, a member of University Presbyterian Church and board member and tenor section lead with the nonprofit Messiah Choral Society. Previously, Ott was a Boy Scout leader for 17 years.
According to his website, Ott’s campaign platform focuses on fiscal responsibility, working to pay down bond debt, sustainably funding infrastructure projects, increasing public safety, solving traffic problems, improving water filtration treatment and protecting the Seminole County rural boundary. Learn more.
According to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Alan Ott’s campaign finances show $23,510.93 in monetary contributions, $122.56 in in-kind contributions and $3,160.65 in expenses. Ott self contributed $22,085.
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OCN Q&A
OCN created a profile for each candidate and sent each candidate a list of questions that we created based on input from residents of Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs. Each candidate within a specific race got the same list of questions at the same time and had a 50-word limit per question. Answers were only edited for grammar and clarity.
Q: With Oviedo having a tax hike on the ballot, some residents worry that taxes being raised might be used to fund unnecessary projects. What would you do to add public input and transparency to these decisions by Council?
A: Last week I spoke at the [Oviedo City] Council meeting in favor of having budget information presented to the residents as part of the second public hearing when it was not presented at the first public hearing. We also need to get information out in a way that more people will read, likely through email, social media, and the website.
Q: What do you say to longtime residents who see continually rising fees for services in the city (which some call hidden taxes) and higher proposed millage rates making it harder to stay in their homes? Some service fee increases that Oviedo Community News has covered recently include water rates in Oviedo and Winter Springs.
A: While it is definitely true that any increase in prices makes it harder to stay in one’s home, we should always be examining the budget closely for excess. However, it’s also costing the city more to pay for services at the level which the residents expect. It’s a delicate balance but worth spending effort to get right.
Traffic and transportation
Q: Residents are concerned that development in the area is outpacing the infrastructure, including water, housing, schools and roads. For instance, back in 2022, OCN reported that Seminole County is responsible for grading road capacity locally and that it uses total daily traffic numbers instead of the numbers at peak traffic times to determine if they’re at capacity, which is why roads commonly show that they have capacity for growth even though motorists experience congestion. What will you do to ensure that population growth does not overburden local roads?
A: We need to get ahead on roads and infrastructure. In the places where we know development is coming (based on current zoning and future land use designations), we should start planning for roads and other infrastructure around these places ahead of time. Rush hour metrics are what matters when determining capacity.
Q: What will you do to improve traffic flow in key areas that experience frequent backups, such as the east and westbound approaches to the intersection of Mitchell Hammock Road and Alafaya Trail?
A: We probably need a new traffic study near [State Road] 434 and Mitchell Hammock and appropriate re-timing of the lights there and at Lake Jessup [Avenue]. Multiple directions have significant left-turn traffic, and I support additional turn lanes where possible. In general I also support studying and considering the use of roundabouts.
Housing
Q: Some residents say they’re being driven out of the Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs area by a shortage of affordable housing. According to the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies’ 2023 annual report, the statewide median single-family home price hit a new peak of $400,000 in the first half of 2023. Seminole County was in the third most expensive housing price range in the state with $400,000 to $499,000 as the median single-family home price. The graph below compares the statewide affordable/available housing supply to renter households for six income groups, divided by how much they earn relative to the area median income (AMI): 0-30%, 0-40%, 0-50%, 0-60%, 0-80%, and 0-120%. For example, if the area median income is $50,000, somebody earning $25,000 would be at 50% AMI. Somebody earning $60,000 would be at 120% AMI.
How, if at all, would you address that problem?
A: While the city can’t legally force developers to build any particular type of housing, or housing at a particular price point, the state’s Live Local Act opens up possibilities to create affordable housing where housing previously would not have been allowed, and offers tax incentives to do so.
Infrastructure
Q: With increasing resident concern about the availability of potable water, what will you do to help cut the city’s reliance on potable water for irrigation and improve the quality of the potable water we have?
A: We don’t have enough reclaimed to expand it much. Florida Statutes chapter 373 says that HOAs can’t prevent homeowners from using Florida-friendly landscaping that conserves water. We should provide resources to educate residents and help them work with their HOAs to use water-saving grasses and plants, if they desire.
Q: Recently Public Works Director Bobby Wyatt recently mentioned that some annual budgets, such as for repair and maintenance of sidewalks, have run out before all projects are addressed. Residents have complained about potholes on roads that seem to take too long to fix and the length of time it’s taken to repair the Magnolia Street bridge. What will you do to ensure Oviedo keeps up with its road maintenance in the future?
A: We just need to make it a priority in our budget, and we need to manage the road and sidewalk repair lists effectively. Maintain the highest-traffic roads first, but without neglecting neighborhoods. We should also look at, perhaps sooner for some roads, patching weak areas rather than filling holes continually.
Quality of life
Q: The Oviedo Senior Center was days from opening when Hurricane Ian flooded it, setting its opening back indefinitely. What can you do to expedite its reopening and what activities do you think should be added for seniors?
A: This is an example of where we need to get ahead on budgeting and have more reserve money for when the unexpected happens, rather than having to scramble for funding afterward. For senior-center activities, we should get Oviedo seniors involved in shaping the programs.
Growth
Q: Once land is zoned for development, local governments cannot downgrade that zoning, meaning that local government has little power in the development of zoned land unowned by them. What do you think local government can do, if anything, to preserve as much of the green space and charm of the area as possible?
A: We can keep developers, as much as is possible and practical under the law, within the comprehensive plan and also minimize variances to the code of ordinances wherever possible. We can also oppose annexation that is intended to increase zoning density or is intended to try to get around the rural boundary restrictions.
Q: Residents expressed concern about increasing development density in more rural areas, saying they want more of the area’s green space and charm to be preserved. How do you plan to vote when a developer approaches the board about rezoning to a higher density?
A: In general I’m opposed to rezoning to higher densities than is required, and I’ve addressed the city council on this topic twice in meetings this year.
Q: Some residents are concerned about a lack of notifications for key votes on development. What will you do to increase transparency in the development proposal process?
A: We need to make sure that residents, especially the residents nearest to a development, have proper notice, and opportunity to be heard, regarding changes near their property. I support town-hall-style meetings with developers and residents so that the city and developers can hear the concerns of the residents.
Public safety
Q: Rising costs for police and fire protection, plus the police department’s repeated request for funding for a new police building, have residents worried about the city’s ability to fund its public safety. What will you do to ensure the city has adequate police and fire funding in the future?
A: At the council level, we simply need to make sure that the police and fire departments are fully funded.
Q: What do you say to residents who argue that pedestrian safety is poor in Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs and that the local governments need more uniform signage and safer crosswalks?
A: We definitely should have consistent signage and safe crossings. In addition we should make sure that crossings are still safe while construction is happening. On my bike I currently cross [S.R.] 426 at Oviedo Boulevard in the road (with the cars) since the crosswalk is unusable. It should be better.
Q: As local roads widen to cope with more traffic flow, will you push for more aggressive policing of speeders in the area? If yes, how will you make that happen?
A: “Aggressive policing?” yikes… no. In a construction zone, keep the workers safe with consistent enforcement. In general, traffic should be enforced consistently and appropriately for the type of road.
Q: With increased instances of heavy rain and flooding in the area, what will you do to ensure that local government is taking the necessary steps to keep people, their homes and roadways safe, including improving stormwater drainage?
A: Proper funding and engineering of stormwater systems is ultimately what’s necessary. We need to also make sure that new development doesn’t negatively impact stormwater systems, septic systems, and runoff of existing property and ensure that stormwater systems for new development are designed with this in mind.
Environmental
Q: What do you say to residents who think that local parks are being mismanaged with chemical use, weed-whacked shorelines, etc.? If change is necessary, what would you do if elected to office?
A: Without having heard a rebuttal by the parks and recreation director, it’s difficult to say specifically, but certainly our parks should be maintained within any appropriate guidelines and best practices.