Casselberry City Commission Meeting - December 8, 2025

The Casselberry City Commission met on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 5:30 PM in City Commission Chambers. The meeting included recognitions, approval of a consent agenda, discussion and approval of commercial solid waste franchise renewals, a safety improvement agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation, second reading of an ordinance terminating the Community Redevelopment Agency, annual selection of the Vice Mayor, and approval of the 2026 meeting calendar.

Recognitions

• City Clerk Donna G. Gardner was recognized for achieving the Florida Certified Professional Clerk (FCPC) designation, one of the first municipal clerks in Florida to earn it. Gwen Peirce, City Clerk of Satellite Beach, presented the certificate. Gardner completed a 20-month program and a capstone project on restructuring the city's records management system.
• Mayor Henson presented a proclamation recognizing John Pool's retirement after 35 years of service as a Parks Maintenance Worker with the City of Casselberry.

Consent Calendar

• The commission approved 13 consent agenda items (A through M) unanimously. Items included:
  • Approval of legal services invoices ($17,285.10)
  • Budget Amendment #26-004 for FY 2026 budget rollover ($13,011,911)
  • Change Order No. 3 with Cathcart Construction for Northgate Phase 1 Water Main Replacement ($131,849.34) and Budget Amendment #26-014
  • Resolution 25-3551 for easement to Duke Energy at Dew Drop Park
  • Piggyback agreement with Ferguson Waterworks for utilities inventory (not-to-exceed $800,000)
  • Budget Amendment #26-010 recognizing DuPont PFAS settlement ($174,878.09)
  • Budget Amendment #26-012 for Swing "Fore" the Arts golf tournament proceeds ($12,128)
  • Change Order No. 2 with Geosyntec for Queen Mirror Nutrient Reduction Facility ($16,072.12) and Budget Amendment #26-013
  • Resolution 25-3552 adopting Seminole County Floodplain Management Plan
  • Task Authorization No. 10 with Geosyntec for lake water quality monitoring ($73,102.12)
  • Piggyback agreement with Cathcart for citywide infrastructure repairs (not-to-exceed $500,000)
  • Amendment No. 1 to Flock Safety agreement for additional license plate recognition cameras
  • Change Order No. 2 to Task Authorization No. 5 with Tetra Tech for Northgate Water Main Replacement ($14,269)

Discussion Items

• GFL Commercial Solid Waste Franchise Renewal (Resolutions 25-3554 and 25-3555): Commissioner Kirk, who pulled these items from the consent agenda, reported complaints from local business owners about poor customer service, lack of a dedicated account manager, illegal dumping, extra charges for Saturday pickup, and difficulty obtaining a custom dumpster. Staff and commissioners discussed the history of the exclusive franchise system (consolidated from 10 franchisees in 2021) and the need for better communication so that businesses direct complaints to the city. The commission voted to approve both resolutions unanimously while committing to improve complaint tracking and communication to customers. A future workshop on the franchise system was considered but deferred to allow time to assess improvements.
• SR 436 Safety Improvements (Resolution 25-3556): Staff presented a Locally Funded Agreement with FDOT for $684,430 to construct safety improvements on SR 436 from Lake Howell Road to the county line. Improvements include 11-foot travel lanes, two new signalized pedestrian crossings (at Lake Howell Road and Winterwoods Boulevard), and modifications to right-turn slip lanes to prevent illegal through movements. The city negotiated a lump-sum payment; if bids come in higher, FDOT covers the difference; if lower, no refund. Costs will be reimbursed through Seminole County sales tax. The resolution and related Budget Amendment #26-011 passed unanimously.
• Second Reading of Ordinance 25-1627 – CRA Termination: The ordinance acknowledged termination of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) effective December 11, 2025, and created the Central City Reinvestment Fund to hold remaining funds. The CRA was established in 1995 and extended to 2025. The ordinance passed on second reading unanimously.
• Future Agenda Items: The commission briefly discussed reviewing commissioner compensation. Staff noted that any change would require an ordinance and would not take effect until after the next city election. The commission agreed to place it as a discussion item at the next regular meeting.

Public Comments

• Michelle Roberts (2520 Caper Lane, Maitland) described being chemically burned multiple times at her residence and expressed frustration with lack of response from police, code enforcement, health department, and EPA. She noted high pesticide readings and suspected malicious contamination. The mayor acknowledged her concerns and stated the city would follow up.

Other Business

• Annual Selection of Vice Mayor: Commissioner Bush was nominated and re-elected as Vice Mayor for the upcoming year, receiving unanimous support.
• Proposed 2026 City Commission Meeting Calendar: The calendar was approved with modifications: one meeting in May (no meeting on Memorial Day), one regular meeting in July (annual budget workshop replaces the first meeting), one meeting in November (third Monday to avoid Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving), and one meeting in December (cancel the meeting following Christmas).

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda (items A through M) approved unanimously.
• Resolution 25-3554 (GFL Franchise 2 – open top roll-off containers) approved unanimously.
• Resolution 25-3555 (GFL Franchise 1 – front load dumpsters, carts, compactors) approved unanimously.
• Resolution 25-3556 (SR 436 safety improvements) and Budget Amendment #26-011 approved unanimously.
• Ordinance 25-1627 (CRA termination) approved on second reading unanimously.
• Commissioner Bush re-elected as Vice Mayor for 2026.
• 2026 City Commission meeting calendar approved.