Winter Park City Commission Regular Meeting Summary - April 22, 2026

The Winter Park City Commission held a regular meeting on April 22, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. The meeting featured a presentation from the United Arts of Central Florida, a legislative update from the city's lobbyists, proclamations for Aspiring Entrepreneurs Day and Earth Month, the approval of several consent agenda items, and public hearings on zoning and fee schedules. The meeting adjourned at 5:56 p.m.

Cultural Partner Presentation

• Jennifer Evins, President and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida, presented the organization's strategic plan and impact report. She noted that Winter Park-based nonprofit arts organizations serve over 700,000 audience members and that United Arts has allocated over $1.3 million in discretionary funding to these organizations over the past three years. The presentation focused on arts advocacy and tourism, with no action requested of the commission.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of the April 8 regular meeting and April 9 work session, with an amendment to the April 8 minutes proposed by Commissioner Lindsey to add wording regarding "other changes to address comments and concerns" discussed at that meeting.
• Approved formal solicitations, including a Professional MEP Engineering Services contract (top-ranked firms: SGM Engineering and Graef-USA) and an Outage Management System (OMS) contract with Milsoft Utility Solutions, Inc.
• Approved piggyback contracts for generator maintenance (Cummins, $375,000), a powered reel transport trailer (Wesco Distribution, $130,000), and wire and cable supply (Stuart C. Irby Co., $2,000,000).
• Approved contracts for street sweeping (United Sweeping, $330,000), underground conduit installation (HDD of Florida, $6,500,000), St. Andrew's Trail design (Kimley-Horn, $274,933), and crossing guard services (All City Management Services, $103,680).
• Approved a grant-funded purchase from Moleaer for an Oxygen and Ozone Nanobubbler Treatment system ($1,798,564). Staff explained the grant is a high-level award requiring the DEP Secretary's signature. Commissioner Lindsey asked about the sole-source nature of the purchase; staff confirmed Moleaer is the only provider of such infrastructure at this scale, which also meets the Buy American Act requirement.
• Approved a First Amendment to the Joint Planning Area Agreement with Orange County, FY26 Budget Amendments, and the opening of an account with Commerce Bank and Trust.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Stuart Bogue, 2270 Howard Drive, expressed gratitude for the accessible new restroom pavilion in Central Park. He advocated for the city to provide universal changing tables in restrooms, stating that inclusive design is critical for dignity and does not happen by accident, and urged the city to incorporate this into the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

Discussion Items

• Lobbyist Update: Ryan Matthews and Angela Drzewiecki of GrayRobinson provided a legislative update. Bills passed affecting the city include raising tort claim thresholds ($350k/$500k), prohibiting DEI initiatives, prohibiting net zero mandates (with a carveout for municipal utilities), and requiring budgets and salaries to be posted online. Bills that did not pass include elimination of the local business tax and new growth management restrictions. Commissioner Lindsey questioned the lobbyists on their specific advocacy for Winter Park regarding the property tax debate and local business tax, requesting advance written notice of impactful bills in the future. The lobbyists noted they are working on appropriations for Mead Gardens ($350,000) and vehicle threat mitigation ($62,500).
• City Manager Updates:
  • Lifetime Fitness: Contractors voluntarily installed sound blankets, lowered pickleball court lighting, and agreed to shut down courts by 8 p.m. to address resident concerns.
  • E-Bikes: Police Chief Volkerson reported on a regional effort to create a uniform countywide ordinance on e-bikes and e-motos, noting the primary issue in Winter Park remains unregulated e-motos (dirt bikes). MetroPlan Orlando is running a pilot safety training program for students.
  • Electric Rates: Due to the impact of global conflicts on natural gas prices, the city over-recovered slightly on fuel costs in March to stabilize the fund. Rates will continue to be adjusted as needed.
• PQP Zoning Amendment (1st Reading): The commission considered an ordinance to allow detached single-family homes in the Public and Quasi-Public (PQP) district. This is specifically for five Habitat for Humanity homes on Beloit Avenue for Orange County Public School employees. Commissioner Lindsey moved to strike the last sentence of the codification section (giving the City Clerk authority to correct Scrivener's errors). The City Attorney agreed to strike the language for this ordinance, promising to draft better language for future ordinances. Jeff Briggs, Habitat for Humanity Treasurer, confirmed the homes will be leased to qualified school employees to maintain affordability.
• Fee Schedule Amendment: The commission adjusted fees for plat review and right-of-way/easement vacations. Commissioner Lindsey successfully moved to raise the fee for abandonment requests from $1,000 to $1,500 to better reflect the value of the action. Minor and major plat fees were approved at $1,200 and $3,000, respectively.
• Pennsylvania Avenue Brick Road: Mayor DeCiccio raised concerns over numerous complaints about the condition of the brick street on Pennsylvania Avenue. Director of Public Works Charles Ramdatt explained the bricks were originally laid unevenly to deter cut-through traffic and that staff is evaluating a hybrid approach (asphalt sections interspersed with brick) to balance traffic calming and road condition.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda Amendments: Items 14.b and 14.c (ordinances requiring bonds from communication companies for underground work) were removed from the agenda following the Governor signing Senate Bill 488, which prohibits such bonds.
• Consent Agenda Approved: The consent agenda was approved with an amendment to the April 8 meeting minutes (5-0 vote).
• Housing Authority Appointments: Unanimously approved (5-0).
• PQP Ordinance Approved (1st Reading): Approved unanimously (5-0) with the codification clause regarding Scrivener's errors stricken. The City Attorney will bring a new draft for the second reading.
• Fee Schedule Approved: The amended fee schedule for plat review and right-of-way/easement vacations was approved (5-0). The fee for abandonment requests was set at $1,500.
• Pennsylvania Avenue: Staff will evaluate repair and road surface options for Pennsylvania Avenue and return to the commission with recommendations in approximately two months.