Karen Meyer is running for Winter Springs City District Seat 3. Meyer worked for 27 years at Texas Instruments where she worked in a field sales office. Meyer served as a Police Reserve Officer for 10 years in Brentwood, Missouri and served for 25 years as a volunteer instructor for the Missouri Department of Conservation according to Meyer.
“I believe that citizens should have a choice in candidates,” Meyer said when speaking to OCN. “I believe that I can contribute to Winter Springs and I support the direction that the city is moving in.”
According to Meyer’s website, she is focused on expediting construction of new sewer plants, reducing high-volume cut-through traffic in residential neighborhoods, supporting a new city manager and advocating for engineering plans to evaluate upgrades to Winter Springs drinking water.
According to Voter Focus, Meyer has raised $6,712.00, $4,212.20 was self contributed, and spent $3,858.49 across her campaign.
Meyer did not submit a video.
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.
Taxes
Q: With Oviedo having a tax hike on the ballot, some residents worry that taxes being raised might be used to fund unnecessary projects. That’s a fear residents have in Winter Springs, where some have questioned the need for a pickleball facility while the city tackles water issues. What would you do to add public input and transparency to these decisions by the City Commission?
A: We all have a responsibility to create a strong, effective governing body. The city uses many forms to communicate and inform its residents. I would encourage everyone to be involved by attending meetings. I have learned a great deal over the last five years by regularly attending meetings.
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: Winter Springs has some of the lowest fees in ]Seminole] County. But it is not immune to inflationary pressures. The cost of salaries and benefits, material, and construction have had an impact on the budget. I will be proactive to find funding to offset these costs such as grants.
Traffic and transportation
Q: Some residents are concerned that development is outpacing the capacity of the area’s roads, leading to congestion problems. Construction at the east end of Winter Springs Boulevard has been a particular concern. What will you do to ensure that population growth does not overburden local roads, and to ensure Winter Springs can handle traffic from outside the city?
A: Responsible growth is a critical and sensitive issue. I am committed to responsible growth. It is important to match growth with the ability to provide services. This can be accomplished by regularly monitoring traffic flow and implementing reasonable recommendations for improvements.
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: As a commission, we cannot dictate market values for existing homes or land. I would work with the county to encourage affordable projects in our community.
Public safety
Q: Rising costs for police protection have residents worried about the city’s ability to fund its public safety. What will you do to ensure the city has adequate police funding in the future?
A: Winter Springs takes pride in its police department. As a commissioner I will continue to support competitive wages and benefits and police education. I will look for ways to offset the cost of equipment such as body cameras and equipment through federal and local grants.
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: Winter Springs is ever mindful of public safety. I will support the redesign of roads and intersections as needed to enhance safety, such as the Winter Springs Boulevard redesign, which includes the addition of crosswalks and speed tables.
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: Traffic flow is expected to increase in Winter Springs because of new development in neighboring communities. The challenge is managing the commuter traffic at peak times. I will support vigilant speed enforcement.
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: I will work to ensure that creeks, retention ponds, and culverts are regularly inspected and cleaned out to better handle the volume of water flowing into Winter Springs from upstream development. I encourage involvement and joint collaboration with neighboring cities on flooding concerns.
Working conditions
Q: Tension has been high among the members of the Winter Springs City Commission often leading to arguments on the dais and split votes are commonplace. What will you do to encourage civility among commission members?
A: The 5-0 vote for our new city manager was a step in the right direction. I believe it is important to recognize that all commissioners love their community. I will encourage compromise on issues, and keep open dialog.
Q: In the recent past, staff turnover has been unusually high among city staff. What will you do as a commissioner to contribute to a more stable environment in the city?
A: I support the new city manager, and believe he will bring a new and positive direction to the city.
Infrastructure
Q: Hurricane Ian in 2022 exposed numerous infrastructure issues in Winter Springs, as aging stormwater systems, bridges and roads showed their vulnerability to heavy storms. What will you do locally to make sure Winter Springs fixes those vulnerabilities?
A: Winter Springs is currently working with stormwater engineers to assess our infrastructure and to seek federal and state grants to help offset the costs. I will continue to support this endeavor. Additionally, I will recommend policies to include regular inspection of our facilities.
Q: What will you do to improve the safety of Winter Springs’ water system and to help clarify, and increase transparency into, how the city is handling those water problems?
A: The Winter Springs drinking water is in compliance, and even exceeds the Department of Environmental Protection guidelines for safe water supply. However, I will work to expedite construction of the new wastewater plants and needed upgrades to the sewer lift stations.
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, ensure that we have an adequate supply of reclaimed water in the future and improve the quality of the potable water we have?
A: Winter Springs connected Tuscawilla Crossings to reclaimed water with a supporting grant from SJRWMD [St. Johns River Water Management District]. Connection to reclaimed water is underway for Winter Springs Village. I support future infrastructure for reclaimed water, and would also seek grant opportunities to replace potable water mains.
Growth and development
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 not owned by them. What do you think the local government can do, if anything, to preserve as much of the green space and charm of the area as possible?
A: Winter Springs is moving forward to ensure added protection of park land and designated conservation property. I support this added protection.
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: Winter Springs sends out notices to residents in the immediate area of a potential development. During the construction of Winter Springs Marketplace the developer met with the community to present plans and elicit feedback. I encourage the ongoing communication through mail and social media.
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: Winter Springs offers residents 12 beautiful, well managed community parks, offering lakes, boardwalks, sports facilities, and playgrounds. I will certainly work to ensure that the quality of our parks is continued.