II (A) State of the City Address AGENDA 1-17-95
Item II A
"CENTER OF GOOD LIVING -PRIDE OF WEST ORANGE"
Ocoee s.Sw i 1 VAN UhRUKII"i.
0(\ COMMISSIONERS
., r
•• ° CITY OF OCOEE RUSTY JOHNSON
D PAUL W.FOSTER
v O 150 N.LAKESHORE DRIVE SCOTT A.GLASS
cf. 4, OCOEE,FLORIDA 34761-2258 JIM GLEASON
(407)656-2322 CITY MANAGER
404bOF GOOD ELLIS SHAPIRO
MEMORANDUM
To: Board of City Commissioners
V
From: S. Scott Vandergrift, Mayor blMir
Date: January 12, 1995
Re: State of the City Address
As we discussed at the last meeting, this year's State of the City address has been videotaped
and will be presented by WCTV at 7:00 p.m. on January 17 and again immediately
following the Commission meeting. The message is included in your packet so that you
might have a hard copy.
STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS -- January 17, 1995
Citizens of Ocoee and surrounding communities, Commissioners, and staff:
According to the Ocoee City Charter, Article III, Section C.20, the Mayor
shall prepare and present to the city an annual state of the city message in the
month of January of each year in which the Mayor holds office. Therefore,
according to Charter, I am making this State of the City address to you.
First let me thank all who helped with the preparation of this message -- my
wife Beth who is my editor; my volunteer secretary Cindy Bowen;
Commissioners, staff, and citizens of our community who provided
information; and the staff of WCTV of Westside Tech for taping and editing
the video portion of this address. The preparation of this message is no easy
task -- to separate the political from the real agenda and accomplishments and
goals for the city requires many hours of thought and consideration starting in
mid December. Staff and other employees are asked for input to help make
this message accurate and reflective of the true accomplishments of our city
in the past year.
The growth of our city is progressing at a phenomenal pace. This past year
was no exception, and growth in 1995 looks even greater. We are not seeking
growth, it is seeking us! There are many reasons for this explosive growth.
People are moving here because we are still a small town and still a good
place to raise children -- our schools are second to none. Another reason is to
get away from the hustle and bustle of our larger sister city, Orlando. We
must continue to lay the groundwork to maintain our image and be sure our
city stays safe.
Water -- too much of it -- was a major issue in the last year and continues to
be. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the rainfall for 1994 was just 3 tenths
of an inch short of setting a record for central Florida. The record was set in
1960 when Hurricane Donna raked across our area. This year the central
Florida area received 20 inches more than it normally does. Tropical Storm
Gordon dumped as much as 8 inches in certain areas, while Hurricane Donna
dropped only 5 inches. So much for the Hurricane myth.
All of this water has stretched our drainage system to the limit and in
some cases has revealed problem areas that need attention before we have
another record wet year. For the most part, planning and mostly good luck
stood us in good stead compared with other areas. All we had to do was
watch TV to realize that some places did not fare as well. In our city, Pioneer
Key II, Forest Oaks, Amber Ridge, and Coventry subdivisions were the worst
hit. Some homes were flooded in Pioneer Key II, railroad tracks washed out
in Forest Oaks, yards and streets flooded in Amber Ridge, and roads
crumbled and flooded in Coventry. Fortunately, no life was ever in danger.
Some areas experienced other problems -- a sink hole in Sawmill
actually helped prevent further flooding when it sucked all the water out of a
burgeoning holding pond. Lake Shore Drive in front of City Hall flooded
when drainage wells failed to work properly. Our lakes are filled to capacity
and it is hoped that they have now reached their crest. With normal rainfall
they should recede to more normal levels. Folks, it is wet, but soon it may
become dry again. Let's hope that we will have heeded the warning of this
year's experience or it could be much worse next time.
The number one impact on the community in the future will be Lake Lotta
Mall and Lake Lotta Center planned for the northeast and northwest corners
of Clarke Road and Highway 50. A major approval was accomplished when
environmentalist, former county commissioner Vera Carter, moved to
approve the preliminary plans for the mall. Carter is a representative of the
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, whose job it is to look at the
impacts of such projects on not only Ocoee but the surrounding communities.
The impact of the mall will extend from downtown Orlando to Cleremont and
from Windermere and MetroWest to Apopka. This project has now come
under the scrutiny of our city and all efforts are being expended to ensure a
quality project. The Planning and Zoning Commission, City Commission and
Staff, and interested citizens traveled to Georgia and South Florida to visit
malls recently completed by Homart, the developer of the Lake Lotta Mall.
This project will have an approximate cost of 250 to 300 million
dollars and will provide about 2,500 jobs, a high tax base for our community,
and shopping for us and our neighbors. At completion, the mall will be on a
scale of the Florida Mall.
The greatest downside to the mall is traffic, which will be on a par with
other malls on main roads such as Clarke Road, Colonial Drive, and Silver
Star Road. Environmental impact and crime are also high on the agenda for
concern. The mall developers seem to be very conscious of these
considerations and are making every effort to cooperate with all involved,
State of the City Address 1/17/95 2
which is heartening to all. The mall has been in the planning stages for more
than two years now, and if all goes as planned the groundbreaking could
come as early as late spring to mid summer, with a completion date in late
1996 or early 1997.
The two largest capital improvement projects that your tax dollars helped pay
for and that were completed in 1994 are the wastewater facility on A.D.
Mims Road and the municipal complex, that is the City Hall and Police
Department buildings. Both projects were dedicated this year after many
months of planning and development. The wastewater plant is a state-of-the-
art facility, utilizing a Danish process of treatment that is one of a kind in this
country and is energy efficient in the purification of the recycled water. The
plant is being visited on a regular basis by officials from other cities and
counties to learn of the benefits that can be had through the use of this
process. The recycled water is being used to irrigate the golf course. In the
future, this water will also be recycled through the city for use on lawns, thus
keeping the cost of water use down and providing for complete utilization of
this precious resource.
The new City Hall and Police Station offer not only utility but also
provide room for the staff working there on a day-to-day basis. Gone are the
cramped quarters that hampered job performance in the old facilities. The
new Commission chambers are well appointed and can accommodate the
public, but are not ostentatious. The electronic and TV coverage is also
improving, although there are still some bugs to be worked out. Be patient --
it will get better. In the roomy lobby, the work of different local artists is
displayed. The displays are changed each quarter. Come see us and enjoy the
art exhibit.
The golfers in the community were pleased by the opening of the Forest Lake
Golf Course of Ocoee in February. This course has consistently received
raves as one of the finest in central Florida. The course is open to the public
and has a good grill room for lunches and drinks at reasonable prices and a
well-equipped and well-staffed pro shop. The development of the golf course
was a combined effort -- the land from the city and the financial backing of
private investors leasing the land. The course is operated and maintained as a
private enterprise.
State of the City Address 1/17/95 3
The greens fees are comparable to other courses and Ocoee residents
receive a discount. According to investor Ken Ezell, the course has exceeded
expectations over the past eleven months, which makes for a win/win
situation for all concerned, because we are using the course to spray our
recycled water from the wastewater plant.
The Lynx system committed to placing a bus line through Ocoee that will
cover 60 percent of our needs for mass transit. The new bus route will not
only connect our uptown with our downtown, but also give service to Winter
Garden, Oakland, Orlando, and all points they intersect with, such as
Apopka, Kissimmee, Seminole County, and East Orange County.
We are working on a direct route to Apopka as well as a superstop at
the new Lake Lotta Mall that will give direct access to all cities in West
Orange and eastern Lake County, with Ocoee being the hub of the system. In
addition, there will be a park-and-ride express bus to downtown Orlando
connected to the Mall.
The launching of the Lynx service in Ocoee will take place on Friday,
February 3, in front of the Withers-Maguire house. The official running of the
route through Ocoee will begin on Monday, February 6, 1995.
In our Building and Inspection Department, 402 single-family-home building
permits were issued. This department conducted over 10,000 inspections of
all kinds, from roofs to electrical and so on, on new homes, resales, and
additions. Every home and business is now reinspected based on our new
code, which requires such inspection if the water is turned off in one name
and turned on in another. This may sometimes be a nuisance to the home
owner or business owner, but we are looking for several things when we
perform these inspections, not the least of which is the safety of you, our
citizens. Another reason for the reinspections is to maintain or enhance the
appearance of our city by bringing the outside of all homes up to code. They
also issued 650 occupational licenses for businesses in Ocoee an increase of 3
percent over 1993. This department, under the direction of Don Flippin, is
one of the busiest and one of the most conscientious departments within the
city. Keep up the good work. It's showing!
State of the City Address 1/17/95 4
The Planning Department, under the direction of Russ Wagner, has been busy
with development plans either approved or in various stages of review. Six
new subdivisions were finalized and are ready for building to start. These
subdivisions represent 544 new homes, with an average, per-unit occupancy
of 3 people, resulting in as many as 1,632 new citizens. We are growing at a
rate of 1,200 to 1,800 new citizens per year with our current population
standing at over 17,000. Our current inventory of building lots is between
1,500 and 2,000, which could result in an increase of up to 6,000 residents
within the next few years.
This department masterminded changes to our comprehensive plan that
were needed to keep up with growth and account for planning of the new
mall. Another 21 subdivisions are under review for coming years. While
doing all this, we are participating in a joint planning agreement within
Orange County to help prevent the duplication of services and taxes, as well
as protecting our borders from any unwanted growth.
Along with growth in residences comes the need for shopping facilities.
Two major shopping areas are under construction in our city-- the Publix
shopping center on Maguire Road and the Winn Dixie Marketplace on Silver
Star and Clarke Roads. These two projects are expected to be completed this
year.
The Fire Department has had an active year with placing two new fire engines
into service and the addition of 6 new fire fighters. A joint response
agreement was signed with Orange County Fire and Rescue Division for
dispatch services along with the upgrading of all radios to 800 megahertz.
The first statewide mutual aid agreement was signed for catastrophic disaster
response and recovery. This means we will have help and will help others in
case of an overwhelming emergency, such as a hurricane or tornado. The
department, one of the best in the county, responded to 2,050 calls in 1994,
an increase of almost 12 percent over 1993.
The Recreation Department, under the direction of Jim Beech, has offered a
wholesome recreation program over the past year. Overall they have had over
3,600 participants involved in active programs. The following are some of
the activities and clubs directed, sponsored, or assisted by the recreation
department:
State of the City Address 1/17/95 5
1. Adult men's, ladies, coed, and church softball leagues
2. Adult flag football
3. Ocoee golf association
4. Karate classes
5. Tennis classes
6. Dance classes in tap, ballet,jazz, and country line dancing
7. Youth basketball
8. Youth volleyball
9. Youth Hershey track and field (sponsored by Hershey candies)
10. Easter Egg hunt
11. Christmas outdoor lighting contest
12. Community Christmas caroling
13. Big Orange Games for Physically Impaired Youth
a. Benefit bass tournament
b. benefit golf tournament
14. West Orange Senior Citizens Club
15. Grandmothers Club
16. Founders Day celebration
17. WalkAmerica program
18. Ocoee Christmas parade
19. Pop Warner football
20. Little League baseball
The recreation department also runs weekly day camps for each "off
track" group from Ocoee schools. A new neighborhood park adjacent to the
Ocoee Flea Market and Pioneer Key II mobile home park is about to open .
Ray Brenner is the Director of Public Works. In the past year, this department
has overseen numerous projects including: installation of the stub road in
Sawmill, construction of almost a mile of new sidewalks, and the removal of
vegetation in Starke Lake. In addition, this department participated in an SBA
(Small Business Administration) Tree Grant, planting more than 400 trees in
Tiger Minor Park, Parkside Park, Central Park, Palm Drive Park, Sorenson
Field, the gazebo area, areas around the football bleacher perimeter, and
Peach Lake Park. Collectively thousands of feet of irrigation line were
installed to provide proper water to each of these plantings. Together with
our arbor ordinance, which requires 3 trees per each new home built, we have
planted over 1,600 trees this year.
State of the City Address 1/17/95 6
The Commission approved the purchase of 3,500 95-gallon garbage
carts at a cost of approximately $168,000, that will serve the city with a much
more efficient and cleaner garbage collection system. Initially two thirds of
the residences will receive the new containers; the remaining one third will be
purchased in 1996.
This department provided a citywide fall cleanup at no additional cost
to the citizens. A spring cleanup is tentatively scheduled. In the 1994
Christmas tree recycling program, approximately 2,500 trees were collected
and mulched, and the mulch was used in various parks throughout the city.
For next year, we are encouraging the use of live trees that can be replanted
by property owners or donated to the city for the use of beautification
projects.
The Police Department has undergone a change in command since the
retirement of Chief John Boyd. The new Chief selected from numerous
applicants across the country is Bob Mark, who has extensive law
enforcement experience. Chief Mark comes to us from New Hampshire,
where he was Chief of Police for several years. He has been busy getting
acquainted with the community since arriving in November. Welcome, Chief,
from all of us in the city. We look forward to your programs unfolding.
The aging fleet of police cruisers has finally been replaced with
vehicles that are no more than 3 years old. This helps with the safety and
well-being of our officers as well as their efficiency.
The Police Department had its annual "Toys for Tots" program at
Christmas, wherein families were able to "shop" for gifts for their children.
More than 650 children from Ocoee benefited from this program. Without
this program, some of our children might not have received any gifts for
Christmas. The department raised more than $10,500 in toys and cash to
support this effort. The city and I express our thanks to our police force for
being not just "cops," but humanitarians.
The department has been active in the establishment of the
Neighborhood Crime Watch programs throughout the community. One story
involves a newly established program in the Ocoee Garden Villas. The day
after their initial organizational meeting, these active citizens reported a stolen
State of the City Address 1/17/95 7
vehicle found in their parking lot. Wow! It does work! Thanks! Keep up the
good work and keep your eyes and ears open.
The idea of Crime watch is for you and your neighbors to watch out for
each other and your children and to call the police if you suspect something is
amiss. Your neighborhood may already have a Crime Watch. If you do, the
police department can tell you how to get involved. If not, they can help you
get one started. Let's set a goal of 100 percent participation in Crime Watch
in our city. Get involved!
Federal and/or State grants in progress or completed this past year include
$25,000 for a recreational park downtown; $25,500 to replace the roof on the
Withers-Maguire house; $180,000 to finish the restoration of the Withers-
Maguire house; and $35,000 for trees throughout the city. Another grant of
$150,000 is expected to improve our boat dock and boat launching area. This
totals $415,500 in grants to help our city. Thanks to all who worked for these
grants.
Grants from the city totaling $7,500 were awarded to help support
schools, boy and girl scouts, seniors, and various other clubs and
organizations within the community to help them help citizens of our city.
The Ocoee Lions Club once again represented the city at the Central Florida
Fair by overseeing our community display exhibit. The Ocoee Lions won first
place, "Best of Community Displays," beating out cities including Winter
Garden, Apopka, Clarcona, and Zellwood.
Some of our citizens made the news this year, too. The "Ocoee Citizens of
the Year" award was presented to Doris and Tom Slimick and their family.
Doris and Tom were honored after they had cared for their 100th foster baby.
They are to be saluted as a truly giving family and we are proud that they are
a part of our community.
Vernon Long received his high school diploma at age 90, one of the
five oldest in the Country to have done so. Vernon accomplished this feat
after a full career as a local minister, and he was recognized in the national
news media. Congratulations, Vernon, for your tenacity.
State of the City Address 1/17/95 8
The "Mayor of the Moment" program recognized Kevin Forte, a
student in Ocoee Middle School, and Brandon Sabat, a student at Ocoee
Elementary school. These two students, who each presided at the opening of
a City Commission meeting, were selected for their scholastic achievements
and participation in school activities.
Art work from students in all our city schools is being displayed in the
Mayor's office. The work is changed on a quarterly basis, and all citizens are
invited to visit and view the displays.
I would be remiss not to congratulate Rusty Johnson on his reelection as
Commissioner for District 1 and Scott Glass on his election as the new
Commissioner for District 3. Gentlemen, I hope we will be able to work
together in the next two years for the betterment of the city.
As you can see, it has been another busy year in our growing city. If I have
left out any major event or any key individuals who had an impact on our city
this year, please accept my apology. In last year's address some goals were
presented for this year. Not all of those goals were fully realized, although we
did accomplish a citywide, bi-yearly trash cleanup.
One of our continuing goals for this year should be to reestablish
elections in the city to coincide with the general elections. The elections on a
day other than the general elections this past November resulted in a low
turnout of voters.
One newsletter was published in 1994. A goal for this year should be
to publish a quarterly newsletter that will provide news of citizens and
information about city services and events. I believe that such a newsletter
can be produced and distributed efficiently and inexpensively.
Another goal has been to hold a town meeting at least twice a year.
However, currently the majority of the commission is not in favor of such
meetings. Town meetings would give citizens opportunities to present
concerns, ask questions, and make suggestions about city issues. Another
goal is to have work sessions to discuss issues such as downtown restoration,
lake cleanup, parks, beautification, growth, drainage and flooding.
State of the City Address 1/17/95 9
For the past two years I have been encouraging interested volunteers to
get involved in their local government. Some of you have gotten involved
through the various commissions within the city. Many of you may not be
able to devote the time necessary to serve on a commission, but are still
interested in improving conditions in the city. There are things you can do that
don't take a long term commitment such as -- lake cleanup, civic
organizations, crime watch, schools, or any other aspect of our city. Please
contact me at city hall for more information. With the burgeoning growth of
our city, individuals and their concerns sometime get lost in the bureaucracy.
In order to maintain the closeness of a small town within a growing city, we
must tap all our resources. To quote Linda Chapin, Orange County
Commission Chairman, "We can have the best of both worlds -- big city
opportunities and traditional hometown values."
So I continue to ask for your help and involvement in order to keep our city
the "Center of Good Living."
Thank you, good night, and a happy and prosperous new year to you all.
S. Scott Vandergrift
Mayor of Ocoee
State of the City Address 1/17/95