[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6447411,"mediaKeyId","5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3","parentId",5094786,"title","Mayor and residents highlight hometown-hero awards, Deltona University and playground upgrades","audioSeconds",118,"startMs",2200000,"endMs",2318000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3&start=2200&end=2318","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3/thumbnail_2200000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6447411/Florida/Mayor-and-residents-highlight-hometown-hero-awards-Deltona-University-and-playground-upgrades","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6447411-53db2c0c0b0b3388e3eb484190ac474a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775337600&Signature=MoeqdOx-lbYf4YkjeXQEWpziRML78IrFu8-Ebfixvsrnnl3LHi9ELbSp1WOzLWtYNWLR1mq8seN-2b1i4t~r7oEDFqSgPJNjACGC3S3Pgrz6FZiKZX3BnP-U2XGNVsbQJo1s6XdOUQDuIvw-AukAa81QzWVnmPSUVZWiKWwVds5CU~SyYaxhbXC1pca8dhhpu04-W4fRFpkmz4JRP5I6lXkH6cnXUNBHcKiYLCpZQyNI1v8Bm7Ax7Uw0DEvSYwQUeqCkmEFLTkn~BemfVzclPvkm4TzQx1JsEK0lMeR7xPkDct7Kr2MX6ayikYiG64gNWvnDDR3I6pswwyexR4N~sw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Deltona, FL","date","2025-06-28T20:21:00.573Z","article","Several residents used the town-hall to thank the mayor and volunteers for new community programs, including a hometown-hero recognition and Deltona University civic-education sessions.

A resident said the hometown-hero program completed its first year and that organizers and sponsors including AdventHealth provided donations that covered participation costs for veterans. The mayor said the program’s first year was driven by volunteers and that organizers plan to expand the program with additional sponsors next year.

Residents also praised recent upgrades to city playgrounds and the return of Deltona University, a civic-education offering residents said helped them understand local codes and commission roles. \"I learned so much especially about the codes and code enforcement,\" one attendee told the mayor.

The mayor said he will work with communications staff to post more information about the hometown-hero program on city channels and encouraged residents to seek sponsorships if cost is a barrier.

No formal action or funding vote was recorded during the town-hall. Speakers framed the items as community initiatives supported by volunteers and local donations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Hall with Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr.","oneSentenceSummary","Speakers praised a new hometown-hero recognition and local civic-education programs; the mayor said volunteers and business sponsors helped the program and that the city is expanding community outreach and playground improvements.","taxTitle","Events, Deltona, Volusia County, Florida","taxId",80690,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6447414,"Residents and mayor call for clearer performance-evaluation and onboarding processes after heated meetings",1336,1711000,3047000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3&start=1711&end=3047","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3/thumbnail_1711000.jpg","/articles/6447414/Florida/Residents-and-mayor-call-for-clearer-performance-evaluation-and-onboarding-processes-after-heated-meetings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6447414-e964c25b132a19cd3f0e9695c720c0de/orig.mp4?Expires=1775337600&Signature=AffwlfP3fRSeli4BRucYGlDT1duH7L-IXjkGaUA64tQ2ysU1bOteen4jgY1rXAcGmZKoWA353IHOOfEKmqywlI34R12sXEsfq7HZCECjbEi8XCmeBDR2~VFN~NvreDWDUMprMIZKXj1c3XXmQERZqBo9ihxn6coWREdUM3dvudmNoKGnwiBvcvAXiFsBSRmJYt8iTNhhEeYDi0s6jGZn9nnZUlgDZZiBeu4UYS9yQrHOrLFBqpQD4EfD6CNpsAU~j~zb4bnpySgcOmFvoLBmGydqgL1ES2e-Bt7Ud-Mds7zko~x5BifA5cY8CbOnfJhHgb8pm27iKMhufwHUqp~REw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents and the mayor used a town-hall meeting to press for more structured onboarding for newly elected officials and for a clearer, consistent performance-evaluation process for the city manager.

A speaker said the commission had conducted what amounted to a \"coaching conversation\" but treated it as a vote of no confidence without established interim steps. The speaker recommended a written benefits-and-risks document and a formal onboarding and evaluation timeline for executives, arguing that such paperwork would create clearer expectations and reduce public conflicts.

The mayor said he had asked for onboarding materials for elected officials and called for a formal approach to performance reviews. He said not all commissioners had turned in written performance evaluations for the city manager before a public vote and that holding a public vote without completed evaluations was inconsistent with best practice.

Speakers also criticized decorum at recent commission meetings, calling some public exchanges \"unprofessional\" and urging stronger adherence to rules of order. The mayor said he has tightened time limits for public comment and that workshops should be used for longer, collaborative discussion so routine commission meetings run more efficiently.

No formal policy change or ordinance was adopted at the town-hall. Attendees and the mayor urged the commission to develop written onboarding materials for elected officials, a standard performance-evaluation process for executive staff, and clearer public-comment rules to reduce interruptions and repeated decorum violations.","Multiple speakers at a Deltona town-hall urged better onboarding for elected officials and formal performance-evaluation processes for the city manager after recent contentious commission meetings. The mayor acknowledged gaps and urged written processes to prevent repeated conflicts.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6447419,"Residents and mayor spar over moratorium, land-development codes and impact fees",1038,420000,1458000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3&start=420&end=1458","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3/thumbnail_420000.jpg","/articles/6447419/Florida/Residents-and-mayor-spar-over-moratorium-land-development-codes-and-impact-fees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6447419-c6015a0bdebbc812aa6e471415fe69d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1775337600&Signature=nA2Z5N5zyEu2kicqbHUmKa92rNLfrYGHjDHEVrtxmgeTaayaG36C-LWQN6wvfdbADFck~~i9zm7ivlAdD2UFwsG0e7e2agmEBLm5Khey3uDK3TtOJNVfK3oEXvaSpfBRSNOxq1uUfzNCOG~fsmjYxyOj6uljOeTecmartavkrm0QvQL3xcZ2-63cEtIyftU3-9Zc9Lv5uI8jCO2A766J1~~Mcx~oRa5Y~fQEkZF5YG9V9sSVTILSKAsvZs3nYl6FPnBjSQD9F8mkbKo9Wenm8IqKjdl2Fg2dF3xzSswhWIXPJ87uRwKRC3EczfkeiHncKFLrXhFI-4L7cpJg83Np4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple residents used a mayoral town-hall meeting to push for clearer city rules on development, to question the scope of a moratorium on new development and to press for land-development-code updates that they say would reduce flooding and preserve trees.

One long public comment criticized the moratorium as “setting our city up for so much failure,” saying that the city should use existing votes to deny developments it opposes rather than pursue a broad moratorium that could risk state funding. That speaker also said the city has $3,000,000 pending to come to Deltona and said a moratorium could endanger relationships built with state legislators.

The mayor said the city has received a roughly $2,000,000 grant \"for designing\" an elevated road connected to flooding mitigation and told residents the city is updating land-development codes that had not been revised for decades. He said those code updates include moving from counting total acres to counting buildable acres, which he said can reduce development in wetland areas.

Speakers raised several specific concerns:

- Impact fees and timing: Residents warned that rushing an impact-fee study before new permits are processed could raise costs for a small number of homeowners as projects move forward.

- Annexation and infill rules: A resident said a property buyer was annexed into the city and can no longer build because of new infill minimums (cited as one acre in public comments); the resident asked the commission to consider exceptions for individual homeowners living on small lots.

- Tree preservation and design: Commenters urged the city to value existing trees in project design and to adopt newer site-planning techniques to reduce habitat loss and flooding.

The mayor said concessions had been made to remove infill and mixed-use from a proposed measure to make it more acceptable and that the city is trying to balance attracting commercial development while preserving open space. He also said the city is tracking a state bill (identified in public remarks as SB 180) that could affect local moratoria.

No formal vote on the moratorium was recorded at the meeting; participants emphasized the need for a written benefits-vs.-risks analysis and an implementation plan if the commission proceeds. The mayor and several commenters urged that any moratorium be accompanied by a clear plan for administration and a timeline, with attention to whether state law would preempt local restrictions.","At a Deltona town-hall meeting residents and the mayor debated a development moratorium, land-development-code updates, annexation effects and timing for an impact-fee study. The mayor said code updates and a $2 million grant for road elevation are in progress; residents urged changes to reduce flooding and protect trees.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6447423,"Resident describes weeks-long delay clearing tree on power line; mayor offers follow-up",250,100000,350000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3&start=100&end=350","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5094786-4540e7c207b7752669f592e57e2c98f3/thumbnail_100000.jpg","/articles/6447423/Florida/Resident-describes-weeks-long-delay-clearing-tree-on-power-line-mayor-offers-follow-up","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6447423-e1529b089670f750ff6ad3e8b0cf3ed0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775337600&Signature=DB3H2HnNmRkZxmpzp3OE6ggovabMuBWGrYNJVCImF1hwcd~SLDNK~FT-3bQRePAGoolY4vQLBOtlfN8XtGeh3IUUZB9RCVfLYlGX~uWe3F-WSVaVqO47WSUcaDPpIetSxxYtRzJrvcbCgedOo2tMGIMS1OzQEhbgB3DrWRHOtFh8jgtGHlByzp7jhrkrRw6UMRDeYqULpLcLWFwM0tlV2xMYxbs3zWl9gJZbG3mi4DDKzR~SkQ3gcpekuyR9gEA9Pr8ZKh~lsLDaPWrkbrYDlNZWn9m1p9qZ5yiAZK7B7DfG7wEX-IdGB9GV5hSqHjAwLqCpUS8wRnVCvVTlS7--8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lisa Green, a Deltona resident and disabled veteran, told the mayor at a city town-hall meeting that a tree fell into her yard during last year’s storms and landed on a power line, and that she spent weeks being transferred among Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy and local governments before crews cleared the site.

\"I finally call FPL, they give you a ticket, we'll get somebody out there…Within a week, nothing happens,\" Green said. She said the work that was done later damaged her fence and septic system and that large limbs remain in her backyard. \"I physically can't\" remove the debris, she told the mayor.

The mayor said staff have a system for identifying the right utility provider by address and that he would connect Green with deputy public-works staff and the city manager to try to simplify future cases. \"If you don't mind, and I'll give you the card…send me that information and…I'll see what I can do to help you take care of that,\" he told Green.

Several speakers at the meeting described similar service coordination problems between residents, investor-owned utilities and city or county departments. The mayor said he forwards resident emails to the city manager and to the deputy public-works director when he receives them, and offered to do the same for Green.

The mayor and other speakers named the two utilities involved during the meeting—Florida Power & Light (FPL) and Duke Energy—and described confusion over which entity is responsible for vegetation trimming or work around electrical boxes. The mayor said some utility work focuses on equipment boxes and that other vegetation work is handled by vegetation or right-of-way crews. He urged residents to provide contact details so staff can route requests and promised to follow up on Green’s case.

No formal action or vote on utilities coordination was recorded at the meeting. The mayor encouraged residents to email details and said city staff would attempt to consolidate reporting routes for residents who are uncertain which provider serves their address.

Residents seeking similar assistance should document provider names and ticket numbers and supply addresses when contacting the city so staff can trace responsibilities and escalate to the correct utility or department.","A Deltona resident told the mayor at a public town-hall meeting that a fallen tree landed on a power line and remained in her yard for weeks while she was routed among FPL, Duke and city and county offices. The mayor said staff would follow up and asked the resident to share contact information.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mayor and residents highlight hometown-hero awards, Deltona University and playground upgrades

Residents and mayor call for clearer performance-evaluation and onboarding processes after heated meetings

Residents and mayor spar over moratorium, land-development codes and impact fees

Resident describes weeks-long delay clearing tree on power line; mayor offers follow-up