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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-31-97 MINUTES OF THE CITY OF OCOEE TOWN MEETING HELD OCTOBER 30, 1997 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Vandergrift called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. in the Commission Chambers. Lester Dabbs, Jr., led in the prayer and Frances Watts led in the pledge of allegiance. The roll was called and a quorum declared present. PRESENT: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioners Anderson, Glass, Howell and Parker. Also present were City Manager Shapiro, Planning Director Wagner, Director of Community Relations/Projects Resnik, Finance Director Horton, City Clerk Grafton and Deputy City Clerk Gosnell. ABSENT: None. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTSNIPS Mayor Vandergrift introduced the Ocoee City Commission and Staff Mr. Bill Spoone, Orange County School Board Member was introduced and in turn introduced School Board Member Kattie Adams and Dr. Michael Mekdeci, Associate Superintendent - Governmental Relations. Also introduced were Principals Sheilla Johnson, Spring Lake Elementary, Nora Gledich, Ocoee Elementary, Kate Clark, Ocoee Middle School, Debra Lucas, Lake Whitney Elementary, Dr. Nick Gledich, Area Director, former commissioners Jim Gleason and Vern Combs, and former mayor/commissioner Lester Dabbs, Jr. Senator Ostalkiewicz arrived late in the meeting. DISCUSSION: BUILDINGS/F ACILITIES and DISCUSSION: VOLUNTEERSIINVOL VEMENT Dr. Mekdeci spoke to the issue of a future site of an elementary school to be located on Apopka Vineland Road and Silver Star Road, and announced that during the months of November and December, 1997, they will be hosting community meetings to discuss this issue. Ms. Candy Everly spoke to the issue of the rezoning of Spring Lake Elementary School district, and if it was rezoned approximately 1 to 2 years ago. Dr. Mekdeci responded that any rezonings would be looked at between February and March for implementation for the next school year. Mayor Vandergrift described the map on the wall displaying the schools located within the corporate limits of the City ofOcoee and schools that have been built outside the City, and further described the "neighborhood concept or community concept" of having the children in our community go to schools in our community as opposed to going outside the city. Dr. Mekdeci responded that Mr. John Martin had met with City Staff to look at this issue and share information in an effort to work very closely with the City of Ocoee. Ocoee Town Meeting October 30, 1997 Mr. Bruce Holmes asked Dr. Mekdeci what statistics were being used to base decisions. Dr. Mekdeci responded that census data is not used, but rather a number of studies are used including the GIS system which tracks subdivisions. Commissioner Anderson spoke to the issue of the proposed elementary school's ability to relieve Spring Lake overcrowding. Dr. Mekdeci responded that the proposed elementary school was not intended to relieve Spring Lake Elementary. Former Commissioner Jim Gleason spoke to the issue of the mission statement - what we can do today as a community in partnership with Ocoee schools, and spoke in favor of the one cent sales tax referendum and issues that Ocoee citizens have to face whether the referendum passes or fails. Mr. Gleason recommended that the group discuss what can be done as citizens and as a community in partnership with those schools there today to improve the quality and the life of the children. Mayor Vandergrift read a phone call-in from Linda Campbell, who said she was concerned about the portables and the Governor's comments on the portables during his recent visit to town. Her child attends school at Spring Lake Elementary and she had to leave her portable classroom in the middle of a rain storm recently due to a tornado watch. Her suggestion was that parents and others could work with their schools on a "habitat for humanity" idea where everyone pitches in and work on the schools. Principal Kate Clark, Ocoee Middle School encouraged parents to participate in partners in education and requested volunteers in the schools. Ms. Clark also mentioned that November 19, 1997, is "Teach-In" for all the schools. Former Mayor/Commissioner Lester Dabbs, Jr. spoke of the opportunity to "think outside the box" to make the opportunity available for parents to feel welcome and suggested a mega school advisory committee - "How Can I Be of Service to the Children?" Mr. Dabbs expressed his concern with regard to the lack of communication between governmental entities, cities, school boards, counties, and water management districts and indicated that the opportunity is here now to plow new ground to get the people who live in this area to interact with people who don't live in this area but have purse strings - whether it be the school board or county commission, etc. Mr. Dabbs suggested meetings be held once a month on the same concept as the Council of Local Governments, where all the people "getting into Joe Taxpayer's pocket" met informally to see what the problems were in government. Commissioner Glass discussed his participation on the Public School Construction Study Commission, which is dealing with issues of school sites, planning and concurrency. As part of that Study Commission, Commissioner Glass and other members of the Study Commission have been traveling around the state touring schools and hearing testimony and determined that the two largest problems were money and the lack of cooperation and coordination between the school boards and local governments. Commissioner Glass outlined and stated his support of recommendations heard from around the state: (1) mandatory joint meetings between school boards and local governments; (2) requiring school boards and local governments to use same 2 Ocoee Town Meeting October 30, 1997 demographics and projections; (3) mandatory 20 year plans for school boards; (4) require local governments be more specific and proactive in identification of school sites; (5) require all local governments adopt the public school facilities element; (6) requiring that DCA provide model public school facility elements and interlocal agreements; and (7) merge the Department of Education into the Department of Community Affairs. The Study Commission will not recommend that schools become a required concurrency element. Mr. Tom Powell, Chairman of the West Orange High School School Advisory Council urged parents and business leaders to become involved in the SAC and invited attendance at the SAC meetings held in the Media Center at WOHS. Mr. Powell announced the web page (www.ocps.kI2.fl.us) for the Orange County School System. Break 8:07 p.m. Reconvened 8: 17 p.m. Commissioner Howell spoke to the issue of the money for schools from the one cent sales tax, if the referendum passes, and asked who determines when and where that money is needed. School Board Member Spoone stated that there is a prepared list designating need and when the requirements are fulfilled, the money is granted. School Board Member Spoone spoke to the issue regarding Ocoee Middle School and stated he would like to see OMS re-built by building a new facility on the football field and renovating the other parts of the school after the new facility was built. He also stated that the first relief high school will be built between West Orange High School and Dr. Phillips High School. The next high school after that will be built near University High School area. Commissioner Howell questioned where the money comes from to pay the teacher and employee salaries. School Board Member Spoone responded that monies are budgeted for salaries out of Operations. Commissioner Howell stated that until new schools are built to relieve the overcrowding, something needs to be done as far as storm/lightening proofing, safety, anchoring, air conditioning and general disrepair of portable buildings. School Board Member Spoone responded that 25% of the children go to school in temporary buildings and that he would check into the safety of the portables mentioned. Commissioner Anderson asked if portables were going to be purchased using the revenues from the one cent sales tax. School Board Member Spoone responded that money is in the budget for "relocation." Mr. Mike McEvers spoke to the issue of the need for more cooperation from the community and the School Board, and mentioned that last year on the Ocoee Charter Review Commission's review, the issue of school concurrency was missing. 3 Ocoee Town Meeting October 30, 1997 Mrs. Beth Vandergrift suggested that, at this point in the meeting, there was a need to have some kind of resolution or closure as to where we are now and proposed quarterly meetings. Mayor Vandergrift discussed the piece of property commonly known as the "Coca Cola Property" which includes approximately 200 acres bordering on Lake Apopka. The owners of this property have discussed annexing into the City on occasion and Mayor Vandergrift would like to see a regional park with the West Orange Trail going through the property with an exit from the Western Beltway at that intersection. Mayor Vandergrift proposed a learning center including an elementary school, middle school and high school to be built on the property with the possibility of an adjunct junior college and the high school being a environmental magnet to help clean up Lake Apopka. Mayor Vandergrift suggested that the schools be responsible for buildings and teaching children, and that the community and the neighbors put in the extracurricular parks, ball fields, etc. having it built through volunteers, taking into consideration it could be a ten year plan. Principal Sheilla Johnson, Spring Lake Elementary, spoke to the issue of what the City can do for the schools: (1) sick child care; (2) after school tutoring; (3) access to a 4-year old Pre-K program; (4) use of the Recreation Department bus to go on field trips to Police/Fire/library; and (5) use of the Recreation Department bus to shuttle school volunteers round trip. Mr. Bruce Holmes reaffirmed what Mrs. Vandergrift suggested, that meetings of this nature be held on a quarterly basis; and recommended that (I) the School Board have an emergency plan/contingency plan for bad weather days; (2) communication problems needed to be looked at between local authorities and schools; (3) parents should be allowed to have the option to keep their children at home during bad weather; (4) Veterans Day should be a school holiday; (5) the school year calendar should be made more universal for all schools; and that (6) portable classrooms should be safe and secure and he concurred with Commissioner Howell that they should be looked at and tied down. Mr. Holmes inquired as to how many PT A representatives were present and concurred with Mayor Vandergrift with regard to a learning center and gave two examples - Seminole County's Lake Brantley area and Winter Park's school district. Mr. Holmes suggested that Principal Sheilla Johnson have someone from her school check with Health Central to look into the sick child care. Principal Kate Clark, Ocoee Middle School, discussed a grant to the Citizens Commission for Children through the West Orange Consortium which was funded at $1.5 million for two years, with this being the second year of that Grant. The Grant has funded social workers, parent workshops, to name a few, and stated that one thing the Consortium has done this year was to develop a positive alternative to school suspension. Principal Clark stated that there was a need for transportation to centers for suspended students and announced her telephone number at school for those wishing to volunteer at Ocoee Middle School. Commissioner Howell announced that the traffic problems at Spring Lake Elementary will be on the next City Commission Agenda and encouraged everyone to attend the meeting. Mayor Vandergrift announced the arrival of and introduced Senator Ostalkiewicz. 4 Ocoee Town Meeting October 30, 1997 Mr. Mickey Spencer, Spring Lake Elementary PT A Officer, spoke to the issue of the proposed elementary school site and if the land had been purchased already, and when the last school was built. Dr. Mekdeci responded that the land had been purchased and that the last school was built around 10 to 18 years ago. Ms. Margarita Russell McKenzie stated that she was a parent of six children and spoke to the following issues: (1) wanted to know if the one cent sales tax was to be used to purchase portables - Mayor Vandergrift responded no; (2) remarked that there is nothing available in the area for Pre-K children; and (3) that there is nothing available for the older children as far as planned entertainment in the City. School Board Member Kattie Adams thanked the Commission for allowing her to attend the meeting and listen to the issues. School Board Member Adams responded to the issues concerning the overcrowding and safety of the children in the schools, the scheduling and planning of school holidays and bad weather issues; agreed with and commended Commissioner Glass with respect to his work on the Public School Construction Study Commission. Mayor Vandergrift read a phone call-in from Ms. Vicki Lewis of Cross Creek Subdivision, who wanted to know what the School Board policy is for portables during tornadoes. School Board Member Spoone reported that the policy is to move children into permanent buildings and reported that the School Board meets every second and fourth Tuesday of every month and all citizens are invited to attend any meeting. Senator Ostalkiewicz spoke against the upcommg one cent sales tax referendum. Commissioner Glass rebutted. Mr. Chris VanderBerg, a resident from the Hammocks, spoke to the issue of the state of disrepair of the classrooms in Ocoee. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Vandergrift declared meeting adjourned at 9:48 p.m. ATTEST: APPROVED: City of Ocoee ~~~ Fran Gosnell, Deputy City Clerk / 5