[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6199957,"mediaKeyId","3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed","parentId",3820265,"title","Council transmits transportation element update, endorses LaSalle extension over Michigan Avenue cut-through","audioSeconds",671,"startMs",7621000,"endMs",8292000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed&start=7621&end=8292","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed/thumbnail_7621000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6199957/St-Cloud/Osceola-County/Florida/Council-transmits-transportation-element-update-endorses-LaSalle-extension-over-Michigan-Avenue-cut-through","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199957-511db9a306460cfd9225aae186ae24a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162186&Signature=hxNBcBO4M6OU51cwxMzJ09bzWlumL1eJ85EP4IMY2A2jRGKH6yJXMaS5QPfujJ2rClDDq~WmPorGx1T-nOiVRtNJeCMpsJ1nBo5ywKvMc4GazxZ9vs3xH5-Uit2JY7yKOvU2NP6Unt4toiTwWg401Gvh~1Pfu4YnWE52~m-kH76qmQSsHbJYun0fDICLm8c88i~xkMlIc7u9yvHrogDQ~q6lEm90wBfoxZQL0OOa9nW7W4fMpWIrfTXVIj5F-rmNiG1AHgefvqUd4JE-213g1GsFym730nm7-an~F4cSk2ZJbXBCsNlNX0CpfPYM6Nd~AkhipCz~vuAQOgK2ah6I4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of St. Cloud, FL","date","2025-06-13T12:42:08Z","article","The Saint Cloud City Council voted unanimously to transmit an update to the transportation element of its comprehensive plan and to prioritize extending LaSalle Avenue rather than routing Michigan Avenue through the municipal golf course.

Melissa Dunklin, director of community development, told council the update incorporates recommendations from the city's Transportation and Mobility Master Plan and the Vision Zero (Vision 0) Action Plan. The element adds maps and policies for framework streets, crash density and severity analysis, and multimodal and maintenance-responsibility maps.

\"The city is committed to creating a safe, efficient and accessible multimodal transportation system for all users,\" Dunklin said, reading updated goal language that places an explicit focus on all users including pedestrians and cyclists.

Council Member Urban urged the council to avoid putting a road through the middle of the city-owned golf course and proposed LaSalle Avenue as the preferred alternative. Staff and public-safety advisors had recommended the LaSalle option; staff said it would better support multimodal connections and future fire-station planning along Orange Avenue.

Council approved transmittal of Ordinance 2025‑49 (transportation element update) to the Florida Department of Commerce for interagency review with the LaSalle extension reflected in the transmitted document. The vote was 5–0.

The transmittal sends the plan for state review; final adoption will return to council after interagency comments are addressed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Cloud, FL - City Council Meeting - June 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Saint Cloud transmitted an update to its comprehensive plan's transportation element to state review with a change: council backed a LaSalle Avenue extension as an alternative to routing Michigan Avenue through the municipal golf course.","taxTitle","St. Cloud, Osceola County, Florida","taxId",4583,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6199962,"Thompson Estates rezoning and subdivision plan continued after residents raise drainage and traffic concerns",2985,4692000,7677000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed&start=4692&end=7677","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed/thumbnail_4692000.jpg","/articles/6199962/St-Cloud/Osceola-County/Florida/Thompson-Estates-rezoning-and-subdivision-plan-continued-after-residents-raise-drainage-and-traffic-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199962-85dab42d37fd7070630538e057a93c0f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162186&Signature=WdeOA2HrZLJP3YmKh3prFdyFWQT9NkAOgm0SctqptE2WtyZHfmYLiruBGG6RyTsNN~9nZce56pOu7F7fyWAgClDeFIbBgzFagz4CjYrRnWEFwBASTJiqS9ZeSSR05CE1XOzDg~GYgAZ47D3KWhojbt9It~yNUrs5y-W28qlSMJo~xb6r7R8JjmFymkSbIoA2wf1xaWecLwOqxq3HX4xwTz7Nprn63qL0Pp~oXTofdnvseFOTnQ7XVomeJJ9AO4TgU4tdmC4oLynzVny0RsISh-pFtv9JQjkEdI8CLmuaWV5gffbwcnzKoEXI4a~fPNjfor3DWIhfzAkImdL~2SFc1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council postponed final action on a rezoning and a preliminary subdivision plan for a 10.31-acre site south of Frederick Road and east of Michigan Avenue — identified in staff reports as Thomason (formerly Clark) Estates — until the July 10 meeting after residents expressed safety and drainage concerns.

City planning staff said the application requests rezoning from agricultural to R-1B single-family residential and proposes 30 single-family lots (about 2.9 dwelling units per acre) with 2.13 acres of open space. Staff recommended approval of the zoning amendment (Ordinance 2024-49) and the preliminary subdivision plan (PSP 24‑00005).

Neighbors told council the Michigan Avenue corridor already suffers congestion because of multiple schools and existing sight-line problems at a key intersection. Several residents said stormwater from nearby properties already causes standing water on local streets and in backyard areas and that adding houses and driveways would make the drainage problems worse.

\"We had engineers come out a couple years ago, and my understanding behind my home, there was a right of way ... I just wonder, is there anything we can do about the standing water?\" resident Pat Erber told council.

The applicant and engineer presented a drainage report and said they had revised the plan after meetings with residents and staff. The engineer told council the design reduces the hundred-year peak discharge toward the west from about 20 cubic feet per second to roughly 5 cfs and eliminated discharge to the east — a 70% reduction for westbound flows and 100% reduction to the east, the engineer said.

A central point of contention was a proposed connection of South Delaware Avenue through the parcel. Residents said the connection would increase cut-through traffic and reduce safety near schools. The developer and staff said the city's land-development code generally requires street interconnectivity; staff indicated the city may require the connection unless council directs otherwise. Fire and public-safety staff noted dead-end length and turnaround requirements for emergency and service vehicles.

Deputy Mayor Mary Fletcher moved to approve the zoning amendment while removing the South Delaware connection from the submitted PSP; Council Member Urban moved to continue the items to July 10 so staff and council could resolve remaining questions. The council voted to continue both the ordinance and the PSP to the July 10 meeting by a 5–0 roll call.","Council continued on first reading a zoning map amendment and preliminary subdivision plan for the 10.31-acre Thompson (Thomason) Estates development to the July 10 meeting after neighbors and the developer disagreed about drainage, sight lines and whether a proposed connector road (South Delaware) should be built.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6199967,"Saint Cloud outlines floodplain work, CRS class 5 status and watershed plan need",106,627000,733000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed&start=627&end=733","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed/thumbnail_627000.jpg","/articles/6199967/St-Cloud/Osceola-County/Florida/Saint-Cloud-outlines-floodplain-work-CRS-class-5-status-and-watershed-plan-need","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199967-95602718acde067457c4dbcdccec65cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162186&Signature=iLs5MaYs8FLIRLCoYX8lFPL87Wj8YB4nBRcs8GjB81OufCefmlqvvtYpC336-tgp5DTAu-mvgEI4wdGPHMmKenMhBAK0PkbRP9iMu8TrwikhaMxnjjMq654SPu2CrUxZ2ZUMO4wPuCeKOhtT3CCTK1jd3GdTUeSAxFjfIH6vwVzS08snevpu0Yn6ZizdPmHV5Ru3kqfnFJUvTJxk9zh7x2ztaYLJeOQIW0LGtda3d-u1~ghPJx9638~EZwTPlOwLThVOfB1ZrM~TaEpcNaTP5v7bbRQC~wRZ3p4dmmhLisKoSBLJyat6UkOZQu6XPpQVlBPkA2mUTkbCMFY~48mU4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of storm season, city staff briefed the Saint Cloud City Council on floodplain management, saying the city participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and has maintained a Community Rating System, or CRS, Class 5 designation since October 2022.

\"At a Class 5, city residents qualify for a 25% discount on their flood insurance policies,\" Michelle Acosta, the city's CRS coordinator, told council. She said the program's earned discounts translate to an average citywide annual savings of about $115,000.

Leanne Tomano, the city's floodplain manager, said about 4,900 acres — roughly 24% of Saint Cloud — lie in mapped flood-prone areas, and nearly 1,800 buildings are located there. Much of the city's undeveloped land and joint-planning area is in the flood plain, Tomano said, and the city enforces the minimum National Flood Insurance Program building standards.

Tomano said Saint Cloud is \"almost there\" to reach a Class 4 CRS rating but still needs a citywide watershed master plan and several minor mitigation steps. \"If the city were interested in moving towards being a Class 4 community, we would actually already be set up for success with the exception of a citywide watershed master plan,\" she said.

City staff also said they have submitted the annual CRS recertification, are preparing for a FEMA five-year audit, and are updating the city's vulnerability assessment and adaptation action plan. An improved interactive city flood map is due to be publicly launched this summer, staff said.

Council members thanked staff and asked staff to return with proposed next steps and cost estimates for the watershed master plan and other mitigation tasks that would support a Class 4 application.","City floodplain manager reported Saint Cloud participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and is a Class 5 community in FEMA's Community Rating System, which yields a 25% discount on flood insurance; staff recommended a watershed master plan to pursue a Class 4 rating.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6199972,"Council presses staff for answers after dispute over 'Proud in the Cloud' event fees and permit process",766,10704000,11470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed&start=10704&end=11470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed/thumbnail_10704000.jpg","/articles/6199972/St-Cloud/Osceola-County/Florida/Council-presses-staff-for-answers-after-dispute-over-Proud-in-the-Cloud-event-fees-and-permit-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199972-df001ffc5d5722915730e396cf179289/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162186&Signature=LshsVFZD~fuZcs752ap7XHn8SP4muzXsHta1pAqlV1tJr03B9u3V~98lJcVKrYHQYesqh1EdWfzf8R1Zy-MphND33zLh6bBd82jC~-vRKnE7dU7lHB8XIPeWy4agAWKqL1AE77CglkoIKGxCuZkobt-iHc6uGS3NYdkljDBDswEdKLlEqVz9n91r3HySQapSYhfFmVOysNBH3kKx-EVUY01fYHt3MYcHCRdNlfQdOnwSfjAd44j0WYWUPMTVUDMQJhAglSSVB4Eyx~cm8p5TmTGxOvDdIFpBSAPmXp4OMHmeq2WdviZ-DQqVTonZ8Kdvj75E8XjuyvfhqrgLZKo6-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Saint Cloud council members on Tuesday sharply questioned staff and event organizers about the city's special-event process after a request to match Lakefront Park rental rates for a Pride event at The Ranch surfaced in the public record.

The dispute began when organizers of \"Proud in the Cloud\" requested a fee reduction to host the June event at The Ranch instead of the lakefront. The city previously approved a $1,250 community support grant for the event; council members said they later learned staff had exchanged emails and a parks application that included differing fee and staffing assumptions.

Mayor Chris Robertson reviewed city fee language during the meeting and cited details from the Ranch application: \"Any event over 150 will be subject to a special-event permit fee ... and one additional hourly staff person per 75 people at an hourly rate of $65 an hour during the scheduled event.\" The application listed an estimated attendance of 2,000–4,000 people; the mayor and several council members said they were concerned that the agreement, as written, could generate a minimum of roughly 325 staff-hours and a staffing cost on the order of $21,000 for a 2,000-person event if those staffing terms were strictly applied.

City staff said the Development Review Committee (DRC) and public-safety departments review special-event applications, and that fees for staffing are typically reconciled after an event because required personnel depends on final attendance and operational factors. Parks and recreation staff provided a timeline of outreach and invoices to the council during the meeting; the deputy city manager also briefed council and gathered the documents requested by members.

Organizers told the council they are a volunteer alliance fiscally sponsored by the LGBT Center Orlando; the center handles accounting and tax reporting while the local volunteer group organizes on-the-ground activities. Sharon Cardenas, who spoke on behalf of the local organizers, said the alliance is still building organizational capacity and welcomed staff guidance on proper application and sponsorship procedures.

Council members asked staff to provide the full event application packet, vendor invoices and all email communications about fee reductions and waivers; Mayor Robertson and others pressed for clearer rules about when staff may approve fee waivers or reduced rates without explicit council direction. \"We have a $5.5 million asset out there,\" the mayor said, referring to The Ranch property purchase, \"and we need to protect it.\" City staff agreed to follow up with a complete record and to bring recommended process improvements back to council.","Tension over a requested fee reduction and the special-event process for the 'Proud in the Cloud' festival exposed gaps in the city's event vetting and prompted council direction to staff to review timeline, fees and staffing requirements.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6199977,"Saint Cloud council replaces deputy mayor after dispute over proclamations",5180,3822000,9002000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed&start=3822&end=9002","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3820265-d490b467989f3dc4630c507c301773ed/thumbnail_3822000.jpg","/articles/6199977/St-Cloud/Osceola-County/Florida/Saint-Cloud-council-replaces-deputy-mayor-after-dispute-over-proclamations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199977-7308df2d4042afe8e0e5bcd791a5a1ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162186&Signature=mU9cgj~qZRJjm6rPeiQaJ-JEFN0ILYF5GpsZ6hvfKgANgRpEcwRmTEXW6xYBk-rMQSXpRdnJxUc3XDyyVkfa6gitFNc9YlVKNA8xw9grcOlaLIBRCo3TIUPVfYy7iiJbaD-CwOKAxThEbGhQ5~f9kkCm9~MBOLHt2felwl5Q8ehUmuFNMrIVzqG3SOhL0cyLnhXt3feuj-za8MThyDwlcizQBL1kA3kb3JFcXxohEZmTQprqtY-h7sQTE2w2AHYKhFLGXv4vPqiEToyM065sYGtXrkka~y2GlkTQZ-PGOunwz5tAc2VIbJdX35uWhGlhuqPk5r2Qz6apCNhd38ghSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Saint Cloud City Council reassigned the deputy mayor title to Council Member Gilbert on a unanimous vote Tuesday after several weeks of disagreement among council members over how proclamations and event fee requests were handled.

Council Member Adam Urban moved to reassign the deputy mayor title and said council members had been mischaracterized in public comments leading up to the meeting. \"I find these comments not only offensive, but also irresponsible and borderline defamatory,\" Urban said during the meeting as he laid out his motion. The council voted 5–0 to make Gilbert the deputy mayor.

The personnel action followed a public dispute over whether the council should pause or vote on proclamations after Deputy Mayor Mary Fletcher publicly criticized the council and, according to media accounts cited in the meeting, said \"these matters should never be decided behind closed doors.\" That phrase was repeated in news coverage and drew several weeks of public comment. Fletcher said she supported issuing a deputy-mayor-issued proclamation off-site for Pride month; other council members said they preferred a clearer, council-voted process.

Council Member Jennifer Paul, who had sponsored earlier proclamations on other topics, and others said the dispute had become a distraction from other city business. Paul emphasized that the pause on proclamations was meant to create a consistent, transparent policy and that the pause was not aimed at any single group.

The council first voted 3–2 to add discussion of the deputy-mayor role to the agenda. That procedural vote then allowed the subsequent motion to reassign the title to be considered and approved 5–0.

Council members and staff said they want to move past the dispute and focus on the city's agenda. Mayor Chris Robertson asked staff to follow up on outstanding items that had been raised during the public discussion, including the status of proclamations guidance and related internal procedures.

The reassignment is an internal title change on the council; it does not affect the mayor's duties or council membership. City staff said the council will consider any formal amendments to the proclamation policy at a later, properly noticed meeting if council wants to revise the rules.","After weeks of dispute over how proclamations are handled, the Saint Cloud City Council reassigned the deputy mayor title to Council Member Gilbert following heated public comment and internal disagreement about a proposed pride proclamation and fee waivers tied to a Pride event.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council transmits transportation element update, endorses LaSalle extension over Michigan Avenue cut-through

Thompson Estates rezoning and subdivision plan continued after residents raise drainage and traffic concerns

Saint Cloud outlines floodplain work, CRS class 5 status and watershed plan need

Council presses staff for answers after dispute over 'Proud in the Cloud' event fees and permit process

Saint Cloud council replaces deputy mayor after dispute over proclamations