HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-14-04 Minutes SS
MINUTES
CITY COMMISSION MEETING - SPECIAL SESSION
DECEMBER 14,2004 at 6:00 P.M.
I CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Vandergrift called the special session to order at 6:05 p.m. in the Commission Conference
Room of City Hall. City Clerk Eikenberry declared a quorum present.
Roll Call: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioner Anderson, Commissioner Howell (absent),
Commissioner Johnson, and Commissioner Parker.
Also Present: City Manager Frank, City Attorney Rosenthal, and City Clerk Eikenberry.
This Special Session was called by Mayor Vandergrift, for the purpose of discussing concerns with
Schools in the City of Ocoee.
I Discussion Regarding Ocoee Schools
Mayor Vandergrift opened the meeting and stated he called this meeting because he feels the City
needs to make a decision about the next course of action in dealing with the School. He said he
feels there has been a breech of faith, and the City should perhaps consider legal action. At the
last meeting of the School Board they suddenly came up with a new plan, the (Karen) Ardaman
Plan. There is also the matter of the intersection improvements that need to be done to improve
traffic flow in the area around the new school, and Mayor Vandergrift felt that Orange County
should work with the City and the School Board and possibly add it to the Ardaman Plan.
Commissioner Parker said, in speaking with residents, their main concern seems to be that their
children attend a school that is close to home. She does not feel it is feasible to get all of the
Ocoee children in the same school with the amount of growth that will be occurring. She does not
feel it is a good idea to take any legal action against the School Board or Orange County and risk
damaging our relationship with them. The relationship has improved in recent years, and with
decisions on the CRA and future schools coming up, it would not only hurt the City if the
relationship had deteriorated. Commission Parker said she thinks it would be a good idea to form
a committee to work in a cooperative effort to improve the roads and intersections near Ocoee
schools.
Commissioner Johnson said we need to get other cities and government entities (Apopka, Winter
Garden, Ocoee, Orange County, Orange County School Board) to contribute to the funding for
road improvements. If they want a community school, then everyone whose children will attend
the school should help fund road improvements. He believes everyone fighting the rezoning issue
ended up wasting time because the plan was already established and the School Board did not listen
to what the community and other Cities had to say.
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Ocoee City Commission Special Session
December 14,2004
Commissioner Anderson said he feels we should get County Commissioner Bob Sindler involved.
Regarding the road improvements, the property values have increased so drastically that we need to
work with people to get better prices on the land needed for road/intersection construction. He
said he agrees with Commissioner Parker that we need to keep a good relationship with the County
while we are working on our CRA. The City needs to communicate better with new School Board
Member Jim Martin. Commissioner Anderson says he still feels we should consider letting the
School Board know we are considering Charter Schools. He does not feel we should consider any
legal action because the School Board has the authority to take the actions that they took. Our time
would be better spent concentrating on working with them and swaying them our way.
City Manager Frank said that the Commission should keep in mind of the negotiations that will
be occurring very soon with Orange County regarding the CRA.
Community Development Director Wagner said they had a very productive meeting with Orange
County on another section of the road, their staff acknowledged the West road issue and said they
want to work with the City. Orange County staff talked about short-term solutions such as a
median separator and moving the traffic signal, and working with the developer to come up with an
interim solution and getting all of the necessary right-of-way. County staff sounded as though they
were largely going to pay for it over time, but needed some breathing room to find an alternate
solution. The cooperation from the County road division has improved dramatically over the past
month. With regard to the School Board, our staff has a great relationship with their staff and they
are working cooperatively, he hopes that will continue and politics will not interfere with that
relationship in the future.
Commissioner Parker left the meeting at 6:44 p.m.
Mayor Vandergrift told the Commission to go ahead with the politics. He said he has spoken to
Board Member Jim Martin and others and they do not seem to be concerned about our needs. He
said they no longer return calls or emails. He said his main concern is getting a world-class
education for our kids. Mayor Vandergrift said if we do not want to move ahead with the threat
of an injunction, he is going to turn the ball over to the rest of the Commission. Commissioner
Anderson agreed to contact County Commissioner Sindler and other elected officials.
Commissioner Johnson said we need to move forward with working together with other agencies
on the road improvement issues.
No action was taken.
The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
Attest:
APPROVED:
City of Ocoee
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