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Record of Proceedings

Kissimmee City Commission Meeting – November 18, 2025

City Commission — Tuesday, November 18, 2025
BodyKissimmee, Florida
SessionCity Commission
DateTuesday, November 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

30:02

Turn off your phones, and we're gonna call this meeting to order.

30:09

As we proceed, we'd like to have everyone rise for a moment of silence and a pledge of allegiance led by Commissioner Carlos Alvarez.

Speaker 2

30:27

Will you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America?

30:32

Our major legions to the flag of the United States of America.

Speaker 1

30:48

Thank you, Commissioner.

30:50

We move right on to proclamations and special presentations.

30:56

City Manager.

Unassigned speaker

31:00

Thank

Speaker 3

31:00

you, Madam Mayor.

31:01

Our first item on the agenda is item 3A.

31:03

This is a presentation from Heart of Florida United Way Representative Jeff Hayward.

Unassigned speaker

31:12

Oh,

Speaker 3

31:12

and Kelly Astro.

Speaker 1

31:16

Thank you.

Speaker 4

31:24

Evening, Madam Mayor, elected officials.

31:26

Um, thank you very much for the opportunity.

31:28

Um, as City Manager said, my name is Jeff Hayward.

31:31

I'm president and CEO of the Heart of Florida United Way.

31:34

We serve Osceola Seminole and Orange Counties.

Unassigned speaker

31:37

Um

Speaker 4

31:38

we're here to talk to you tonight about an opportunity called community schools.

31:42

Um, we have been asked to open a community school here in Osceola.

31:46

Um somebody once asked me, though, what is my uh advice I would give somebody uh in their career, and I would say don't be afraid to hire people a heck of a lot smarter than you, and then get out of their way.

31:59

So I'm gonna introduce somebody who is a heck of a lot smarter than me, has the experience at running community schools, and is a proud employee of uh Heart of Florida United Way.

32:09

Kelly Astro joins me.

32:11

She is the senior vice president for community impact, and she has 25 years' experience of program development and working in our community.

32:19

Before coming to Heart of Florida United Way, she ran the community school at Evans High School up in Orange, also worked at Valencia College and UCF, was once a school teacher, has a deep and long history in public education, and uh as I said, ran the community schools for children's home society prior to coming to Heart of Florida United Way.

32:40

We are so happy and proud that she is here, and it allows us to bring community schools to communities where the benefits to students are outstanding.

32:48

And I'll let Kelly uh explain those to you.

32:51

Thank

Unassigned speaker

32:52

you.

Speaker 5

32:54

Thank you so much, Jeff.

32:55

I am so happy to be here.

32:57

This is one of those moments over the my last year and a half at Heart of Florida United Way that makes me so proud to be able to stand here and announce that we are in fact launching the first, the inaugural

Speaker 6

33:10

community school in Osceola

Speaker 5

33:12

County at Osceola High School.

33:15

We are planning on launching this in August of 2026, but our plans and hiring of teams and staff members are underway.

33:24

So, what is a community school?

33:26

We have a lot of discussion about there about community about charter schools and all of these different things.

33:31

This is a very different being.

33:33

This is really about a partnership that brings together a school district, a health care provider, a higher education partner, and a leading nonprofit that convenes various wraparound services via a hub.

33:48

So really making it one-stop shopping for students, families, and community members right on the school campus.

33:58

I'm doing this too fast.

33:59

I apologize.

34:01

I'm never good at these.

34:07

Children come to school with baggage.

34:10

They don't all come with the same kinds of baggage, but some may be dealing with homelessness, some with food insecurity, some don't know if the lights are gonna be on, others just have toothaches or stomach problems.

34:23

They haven't been able to see a doctor or mental health is a real challenge for them, and it lands in the teacher's lap.

34:30

And what a community school does is take a lot of that out of the classroom and handles it in a different place within the school and allows a teacher to do what they are supposed to do, and that is teach.

34:45

And so you can really kind of make the comparison of a community school versus a conventional school.

34:53

A community school or the conventional school, it's the old-time rotary phone.

Unassigned speaker

34:57

It does one thing, it dials, you do it the same way every single time.

Speaker 5

35:01

Whereas a community school is like our smartphones now.

35:04

You can basically live your entire life off of it, and you have all of these different options that exist via that smartphone.

35:14

So really when we look at the community school, there are four core pillars to this collaborative leadership, expanded learning, wellness supports, and family and community engagement.

35:27

Everything that we do with this community school is going to be kind of based on this premise of four.

35:32

We move into our four core partners.

35:40

I'm getting rid of that.

35:41

That is the very unique piece about this.

35:44

It is not one person coming in here and operating this on their own.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing███████████████████████23%
Procedural██████████████████████22%
Land Use Planning██████████████14%
Community Engagement████████████12%
Public Safety█████████9%
Education Development███████7%
Homelessness████4%
Senior Nutrition███3%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Kissimmee City Commission Meeting – November 18, 2025

The Kissimmee City Commission met on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting included proclamations, a swearing-in ceremony, public hearings on land-use and zoning amendments, pain management licenses, a budget amendment, consent agenda approval, advisory board appointments, and a Toho Water Authority Board appointment. All five commissioners were present: Mayor Jackie Espinosa, Vice Mayor Angela Eady, Commissioners Noel Ortiz, Carlos Alvarez III, and Janette Martinez.

Proclamations and Special Presentations

  • Heart of Florida United Way Presentation: Jeff Hayward (President/CEO) and Kelley Astro (Senior Vice President of Community Impact) presented a community school initiative at Osceola High School, launching in August 2026. The school will provide wraparound services including on-site healthcare, after-school enrichment, tutoring, and family workshops. Partners include the School District of Osceola County, Orange Blossom Family Health, Rollins College, UCF, and Boys & Girls Clubs. The initiative is a 10-year commitment.
  • Swearing in of 8 New Firefighters: Fire Chief James Walls administered the oath to Firefighters Craig Bronson, Sergio Sandoval, Jackson Campbell, Ryan Womble, Nelson Alvarez, Joshua Nelson, Ryan Dennington, and Anthony Gonzalez. They have completed orientation and are assigned to shifts.

Public Comments & Testimony (Items 4A/4B)

  • Jeremy Fetzer (local business owner) expressed opposition to the emergency resource center portion of the Yates Road project, stating it is incompatible with the Vine Street CRA redevelopment plan and could lead to encampments near Shingle Creek, burdening city police and fire resources. He supported the senior housing component.
  • David Tomak (Osceola County Deputy County Manager) presented in support, highlighting the project's preservation of Shingle Creek, transit access, and need for senior housing (over 11,000 seniors in the county live below poverty level). He proposed conditions including site plan review by the Commission, security and operational plans, and a reverter clause if Salvation Army does not use the property.
  • Andrea Ruiz, Tammy Madison, Kimberly Corcoran, Jessica Miranda, Iris Saldaña spoke in support of the Salvation Army facility, citing personal experiences and community need.

Discussion Items

4A & 4B – Yates Road Land Use and Zoning Amendments (Ordinances 25-18 and 25-19):

  • Proposed changing 13.12 acres at 2001 Yates Road from Recreational (REC) to Institutional (INST) Future Land Use and from Open Space (OS) to Planned Unit Development (PUD) Zoning.
  • The project includes a 10,000 sq. ft. emergency resource center (operated by Salvation Army) and up to 100 age-restricted senior housing units (55+). Only 7 acres of the 13.12 will be developed; the rest preserves Shingle Creek wetlands and trail.
  • Planning Advisory Board recommended denial (4-0) on November 5, 2025. City staff recommended approval.
  • Commissioners expressed concerns: tax base impact (resource center is tax-exempt), duplication of services with Haven on Vine, public safety burden, encroachment on Shingle Creek woodlands, and compatibility with the Vine Street CRA.
  • Mayor Espinosa noted the discrepancy between staff and PAB recommendations and called for a workshop.
  • Motion to continue both the land use amendment (Ordinance 25-18) and the zoning amendment (Ordinance 25-19) to January 20, 2026, passed unanimously (5-0).

5A – Pain Management License for Avita Pharmacy (1080 Kevstin Dr., Suite B):

  • Approved unanimously (5-0) subject to standard conditions.

5B – Pain Management License for Kissimmee Pharmacy (905 W Oak St.):

  • Approved unanimously (5-0) subject to standard conditions.

5C – Adoption of Resolution to Amend FY24-25 Operating Budget:

  • The budget increased by $24,415,591 due to grants, donations, and lines of credit. Resolution 25-2025 adopted unanimously (5-0).

Consent Agenda

  • Items 7A through 7J approved unanimously (5-0) in one motion. Key items:
    • 7A: Approval of November 4, 2025 minutes
    • 7B: $6,500 sponsorship from Toho Water Authority for 2026 Festival Series
    • 7C: City Hall elevators modernization with KONE, Inc. ($797,370 plus contingency)
    • 7D: Resolution (26-2025) approving affordable housing development under Florida Live Local Act (300 units, 15 at 35% AMI, 285 at 60% AMI)
    • 7E: Supplemental Agreement No. 3 with AECOM for Connect Kissimmee Complete Streets Project ($854,849)
    • 7F: Resolution (27-2025) requesting state support for Customs and Border Protection services at Kissimmee Gateway Airport
    • 7G: Piggyback agreement with Cathcart Construction for rapid response infrastructure services
    • 7H: FY24-25 budget adjustments
    • 7I: Accept patrol K-9 Ali from Plantation Police Department for $1.00
    • 7J: Adjust Federal Law Enforcement Fund reserves for FY25-26

Advisory Board Vacancies (Item 8A)

  • Bryant Coleman appointed to Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (motion by Alvarez, second by Espinosa, unanimous)
  • Javin Lopez appointed to Planning Advisory Board (motion by Espinosa, second by Martinez, unanimous)
  • Vera Wilkerson appointed to Board of Adjustment (motion by Espinosa, second by Martinez, unanimous)

Toho Water Authority Board Appointment (Item 8B)

  • Six letters of interest received. Motion by Mayor Espinosa to appoint Jeremy Fetzer, effective November 20, 2025. Passed 4-1 (Commissioner Martinez dissented).

Hear City Officials

  • City Manager Steigerwald reminded of Small Business Saturday (Nov 27) at the rain garden and the Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 29.
  • City Attorney Sanchez de Fuentes wished a happy Thanksgiving.
  • Commissioners gave remarks: Martinez and Eady to attend National League of Cities in Utah; Alvarez encouraged checking on elderly neighbors; Ortiz and Espinosa celebrated their one-year anniversary.

Adjournment

  • The meeting adjourned at 7:33 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Turn off your phones, and we're gonna call this meeting to order. As we proceed, we'd like to have everyone rise for a moment of silence and a pledge of allegiance led by Commissioner Carlos Alvarez. Will you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America? Our major legions to the flag of the United States of America. Thank you, Commissioner. We move right on to proclamations and special presentations. City Manager. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Our first item on the agenda is item 3A. This is a presentation from Heart of Florida United Way Representative Jeff Hayward. Oh, and Kelly Astro. Thank you. Evening, Madam Mayor, elected officials. Um, thank you very much for the opportunity. Um, as City Manager said, my name is Jeff Hayward. I'm president and CEO of the Heart of Florida United Way. We serve Osceola Seminole and Orange Counties. Um we're here to talk to you tonight about an opportunity called community schools. Um, we have been asked to open a community school here in Osceola. Um somebody once asked me, though, what is my uh advice I would give somebody uh in their career, and I would say don't be afraid to hire people a heck of a lot smarter than you, and then get out of their way. So I'm gonna introduce somebody who is a heck of a lot smarter than me, has the experience at running community schools, and is a proud employee of uh Heart of Florida United Way. Kelly Astro joins me. She is the senior vice president for community impact, and she has 25 years' experience of program development and working in our community. Before coming to Heart of Florida United Way, she ran the community school at Evans High School up in Orange, also worked at Valencia College and UCF, was once a school teacher, has a deep and long history in public education, and uh as I said, ran the community schools for children's home society prior to coming to Heart of Florida United Way. We are so happy and proud that she is here, and it allows us to bring community schools to communities where the benefits to students are outstanding. And I'll let Kelly uh explain those to you. Thank you. Thank you so much, Jeff. I am so happy to be here. This is one of those moments over the my last year and a half at Heart of Florida United Way that makes me so proud to be able to stand here and announce that we are in fact launching the first, the inaugural community school in Osceola County at Osceola High School. We are planning on launching this in August of 2026, but our plans and hiring of teams and staff members are underway. So, what is a community school? We have a lot of discussion about there about community about charter schools and all of these different things. This is a very different being. This is really about a partnership that brings together a school district, a health care provider, a higher education partner, and a leading nonprofit that convenes various wraparound services via a hub. So really making it one-stop shopping for students, families, and community members right on the school campus. I'm doing this too fast. I apologize. I'm never good at these. Children come to school with baggage. They don't all come with the same kinds of baggage, but some may be dealing with homelessness, some with food insecurity, some don't know if the lights are gonna be on, others just have toothaches or stomach problems. They haven't been able to see a doctor or mental health is a real challenge for them, and it lands in the teacher's lap. And what a community school does is take a lot of that out of the classroom and handles it in a different place within the school and allows a teacher to do what they are supposed to do, and that is teach. And so you can really kind of make the comparison of a community school versus a conventional school.

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