[{"_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",6176803,"mediaKeyId","5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad","parentId",5343145,"title","Apopka trims some park event spending, shifts amphitheater programming and outlines Camp Wewa capital needs","audioSeconds",2617,"startMs",6310000,"endMs",8927000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad&start=6310&end=8927","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad/thumbnail_6310000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6176803/Apopka/Orange-County/Florida/Apopka-trims-some-park-event-spending-shifts-amphitheater-programming-and-outlines-Camp-Wewa-capital-needs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176803-4a557d9f4f49b8a9a96c94b88b487204/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161178&Signature=EVHcPnESY-nO8fCyoQCNv6l5xsiMjp0zZLgs7vKEoi77j96grrpzo5WFCQfryrQOTESbRaQHekGpv3T5XdjeRciNLxkFDcwzHeKWen-NmjrZlXxdy5VDKEgYkIK32VEloVZjO7lQYrOU9mzdSPJjSM33k7k6n0x0x~d0hhXfsMV2xDxlaFW4Df1hPShtRousYe6ohSpvr6X~bIM6KZek3bVCDNADAymsjIcE8f7Z0c~fqIvLYuNqwKImKUDC47yGMbqtRV~Qs~7RW1IjGi5DBdk1zmBUadE~HdqtHtsSDyTzt8jd3FWAl5AUHIkJzCDiokZ3wIFKV4UFBxPrUNCSGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Apopka, FL","date","2025-07-10T01:10:19.543Z","article","Parks and Recreation staff presented a $14.27 million proposed FY26 budget covering cemetery, parks maintenance, athletics and recreation, Camp Wewa (camp/retreat), and facilities maintenance. Parks maintenance and athletics each represent about 31% of the total.

Program and capital highlights: staff proposed removing the higher-cost Apopka Proud concert from the lineup and shifting emphasis to Saturday-night \"Saturday Sounds\" concerts and opportunistic amphitheater bookings. Staff also proposed removing one amphitheater spring orchestra event from the schedule but said the orchestra-style performance could be included as a Saturday Sounds date in the spring.

On operations and maintenance, staff said contracted mowing needs were lowered by about 27.8% because internal crews can perform more work in-house. Staff requested funds for athletic-field turf replacement and a Quad 1 redesign at Northwest Rec Complex to address stormwater washing problems.

Camp Wewa (Camp Weehaw/Camp Wewa in transcript): staff provided a multi-year accounting: the city acquired the property in 2021 for roughly $4.0 million and staff reported total capital spending on the site since purchase of about $6.2 million to date (capital improvements and repairs), with operating budget around $1.8 million year-to-date. Staff said recent and planned work included ADA restroom upgrades, roofing repairs, and roofing/replacement work for several buildings; the pool remains an outstanding capital need under assessment. Council asked staff to return with breakeven and revenue/recovery comparisons and to craft a marketing/partnership approach so camp programming and retreats increase cost-recovery.

Why it matters: the parks budget funds highly used public amenities and events; capital choices (e.g., amphitheater events, pool replacement at Camp Wewa, pickleball/tennis construction) are multi-year commitments and may require grant or impact-fee funding beyond the general fund. Staff and council discussed priorities for allocation and potential sponsorship and naming-rights revenue at the amphitheater.

Next steps: staff will provide itemized attendance/financial reports for the Apopka Proud and amphitheater events, provide a breakeven and recovery analysis for Camp Wewa, and return with a recommended amphitheater sponsorship/naming-rights policy and a more detailed capital schedule for pickleball/tennis and related parking.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Apopka City Council Budget Workshop July 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Parks and Recreation presented a FY26 budget that reduces some events and contracted mowing, shifts amphitheater programming and details capital requests including volleyball-court rebuilds, pavilion additions, and a multi-year capital history for Camp Wewa.","taxTitle","Apopka, Orange County, Florida","taxId",4597,"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},6176806,"Council plans permanent nonprofit/community event grant programs; members ask for clear discretionary-funding policy",129,3444000,3573000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad&start=3444&end=3573","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad/thumbnail_3444000.jpg","/articles/6176806/Apopka/Orange-County/Florida/Council-plans-permanent-nonprofitcommunity-event-grant-programs-members-ask-for-clear-discretionary-funding-policy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176806-290f898da7afd86e6c2b1aedc1592f02/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161178&Signature=K0cHJKTCMLLWhzLqzcmcal3~t1yKaz14f81Db~zmqASZuzwmRiRgWJ1CxJiosm~a5zrHrUcijkFF5xYXGJ~G6W-SkKNIUFyhUQkDiqv2HxGpgfipmFVnwfOab4jETZUgqXsgzG-DhTGGhnHQe~k3GOzdeNknoiFrAYYkYbDSnn~YcWx7GCle~yQhiWuAAJWgSUYqVSyVXVOvTWxmiKk36WJ4LVcBy8Tcw8LpNf1MyJJqSN4qg5Z8Gb0Ddjdr-C4xT43QvkEmkbS6T3Bxdlv8n40~hgFHQDMDyH03oK4MGamaPFaVGp~ymuzWBo0pJS7yFuiXvSzA2n3tCn~-YRTBtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members and staff agreed to continue a $100,000 nonprofit sponsorship/grant program that is planned to roll forward into FY26 and to add a proposed $75,000 budget item for a community cultural-event grant program. Grama Williams said the $100,000 will be used this fiscal year for the newly finalized nonprofit program and \"this would be a rebudget to run it again in FY26.\"

Commissioner Velasquez and others pressed for an explicit municipal policy governing discretionary commissioner funds and annual legacy-organization funding. She said the public had asked whether memberships (for example, Tiger Bay) were appropriate uses of taxpayer funds and asked staff to clarify what the city pays for and why. Radley (staff) said staff will provide a policy recommendation for community events similar to the recently adopted nonprofit program, and that staff would report back on historic partner organizations and recommended funding levels.

Why it matters: council members noted the need for transparent rules about when discretionary funds or city-sponsored grants are available to community groups, how applicants are prioritized, and whether city programs compete with county-run programs (for example, neighborhood restoration projects).

Next steps: staff to publish the nonprofit program launch materials, supply monthly updates on any consultant/grant contractor activity (staff agreed to circulate Grey Robinson newsletters when relevant), and draft formal policy language governing discretionary funding and legacy partnership support for council consideration.","Council and staff discussed formalizing a $100,000 nonprofit grant and a proposed $75,000 community event grant for FY26 while commissioners pressed for an explicit policy on discretionary funds and legacy organization support.",{"_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},6176811,"Council discusses Edgewood Greenwood online cemetery map and Bay Ridge ownership; annexation, signage on the table",1822,347000,2169000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad&start=347&end=2169","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad/thumbnail_347000.jpg","/articles/6176811/Apopka/Orange-County/Florida/Council-discusses-Edgewood-Greenwood-online-cemetery-map-and-Bay-Ridge-ownership-annexation-signage-on-the-table","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176811-97e99c89c080332b2a0f3c5242ecebeb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161178&Signature=NZyNJbQL6V4~bPaqrTdDNCCY9T~w5JZUB-7voHcyqwDoZKdbb6WkffSOV~GJePF5uByC9Q9~EhAZgBTGFBIWjiboMUuN4LrPiSeK10VG~HRv9s39XNzab3PrFORpi~iWCF9Jk6hpFqIDyv~JrnffqtRqlp03r070jk6VtjEPAY1TSUJRkE~UWfSYZbVEHM5jg0rMAluQN3Menpq7Q25OM7AE7Oeg1MaBA7Os9JzNGhbN0oS1TBhOSoXzf1ZiJ19EfTzKjzQcLKK9MCoXvupx6KPnXUOIpIXucmCp971agqordB17wC7PwS2PGDZO6naqe5NCyjpe3~eqUzzHaevBRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Clerk
nd staff told the council they will fund a project to develop an online searchable map for Edgewood Greenwood Cemetery, and Grama Williams confirmed the FY26 draft includes a $40,000 request for a stand-alone election elsewhere in the budget. Williams said the city clerk's office is \"moving towards an online cemetery search and map for Edgewood Greenwood Cemetery\" to allow family members to search gravesites online.

Bay Ridge Cemetery: council members raised the long-running Bay Ridge Cemetery issue and pressed staff on ownership and maintenance. Council discussion noted previous council votes and budgeted funds for takeover, but staff said they still lack documentation from the person listed as \"care of\" on county records. \"The cemetery would also need to be annexed into the city,\" Williams said, adding that the owner or their representative would have to initiate annexation; staff suggested partnering with Orange County for quicker maintenance given the parcel currently sits in county jurisdiction.

Why it matters: the Edgewood Greenwood map is a public-facing service for families of decedents and reduces staff time handling location requests; Bay Ridge has historical significance and overgrown maintenance issues affecting families of those interred.

Next steps: staff said the cemetery signage/directional signage work is underway (directional signs and a permanent sign in this year's budget) and will follow up on Bay Ridge ownership research and possible Orange County partnership. The clerk and staff will provide updates as documents are located and legal steps are clarified.","City staff said a $40,000 line for an online cemetery search and map will allow residents to find graves; council and staff also discussed Bay Ridge Cemetery ownership questions and the need to determine legal ownership before city takeover or partnership with Orange County.",{"_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},6176816,"Apopka council debates cost of outside attorneys; staff to explore hiring in-house counsel",20,863000,883000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad&start=863&end=883","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad/thumbnail_863000.jpg","/articles/6176816/Apopka/Orange-County/Florida/Apopka-council-debates-cost-of-outside-attorneys-staff-to-explore-hiring-in-house-counsel","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176816-ab30c544c99a23cc330fe972beeb357d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161178&Signature=JGh15OHnhZ9nKPqiSZ3lGWuNdRsnkF0kchnmK0A--lhwNlpzDHYzwoMuDHs0l0AN7m5hagvsAgPKJowbvOJ-ma04V4J5B3FaultdqZ6F7WZh4jsAMu0GOs73bCu3WgtL9trc3e1J631GBM59qwaPKoQbZjKtI0mPiEwCttrAGhllLRIasN-zvfURnO6lIVKcHWJ0DMvoKmIEaO1Z8PM~Gwxh2Z2Wwdu6Jl9RZaNPbEaUaNF4~Yl1eQek9KAR8ZjrQW4PNDYB4Vk8Y9l~As9tbjxRYj5ji3mXc81FvUfmTwSRoWqzjh~rA2ubNXFJRLce7oMq40L~LF9D2oIJjwHLRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members pressed staff on the city\fosts for outside legal services and whether an in-house city attorney would save money. Commissioner Smith asked whether the council had analyzed the cost of maintaining an \"in house council that's on salary versus having a la carte\" outside attorneys and said hiring in-house could \"save us a couple 100,000.\" Grama Williams said she and the mayor have begun \"looking at and assessing that to see if we wanna go back out for an in house attorney.\"

Council debate mixed financial and institutional concerns. One commissioner recounted prior experiences with contracted counsel who \"sat quietly to make sure that your agenda gets through,\" pressing for a counsel who would give candid legal guidance. Williams said staff will return with a cost/benefit approach and, if directed, post a recruitment for an in-house attorney.

Why it matters: legal services are a recurring general-fund expense with near-term budget implications; outside legal fees were cited in the presentation as increasing about 10% compared with FY25. Commissioners requested explicit comparisons of total outside-fee payments versus projected in-house salary plus benefits to judge potential savings.

Next steps: staff to run a cost analysis comparing the FY25/FY26 projected outside legal spend with the total compensation and overhead estimate for an in-house attorney, and return with that analysis for council consideration.","Council members questioned rising legal fees and asked staff to examine bringing legal services in-house after staff projected increasing outside legal costs.",{"_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},6176821,"Apopka city administrator outlines FY26 city administration budget, cites $1M contingency for police and fire pay",193,194000,387000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad&start=194&end=387","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5343145-e3558ddd16d58b6f41b862114b3c90ad/thumbnail_194000.jpg","/articles/6176821/Apopka/Orange-County/Florida/Apopka-city-administrator-outlines-FY26-city-administration-budget-cites-1M-contingency-for-police-and-fire-pay","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176821-354b2a640edfb416caa5dc2831978ddd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161178&Signature=Z2F4CENSWe-~N7k6nyQYGrDrC3wE7L4AoaKqGjUHpWs~VCNQzLAxlYQkY6PkeuZB5ttOSDZImB43Hp-fjJ9oT-bhDtKZDRwLTc9WFpsaLvcAhGQxsIxOXi173uXYN91UTklzbuMgX9E8MYZUMYtAto-KaMGSyQvVSCqVNkJeFgY0X8lBda7p9HC7YiEart4qmrjtceBAOQnYVphiq77PqQG8OehYiyaWeEI6l2EkFmc4Hzg9k-gybCK-0nhP1npKzU-uEboy00RPSLO8rpGFm1QfqVGE5QHC6h6TjUjbW4PTNUWhzPhqJOdHaoN3CT7ZWX6oF701BPSwtXEfrMM26w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interim City Administrator Grama Williams presented the City of Apopka\u000fY2026 proposed city administration budget, saying the package covering mayoral and administrative offices, city clerk and related functions totals about $7.6 million. \"Tonight, we're gonna go through the city administration budget, the parks and rec and facilities maintenance budget, and then the finance budget,\" Williams said.

Williams said the mayor's office is proposed at $679,788, the city administrator's office at $582,771 and the city clerk's at $424,007. The legal and risk line is listed at $3,346,948 and economic development at $324,436. Williams said the draft includes a contingency of about $1,000,000 to cover police salary adjustments and compression, fire union contract increases and general employee pay-plan adjustments.

Why it matters: the contingency is a sizeable one-line figure in the general fund that departments and council members said they want broken out or moved to department budgets for transparency. Commissioner Smith pressed for multi-year comparisons to better understand spending trends and line-item drivers, asking, \"Why are we not seeing it in that format this year?\" Williams said department-level historical details exist and can be provided.

Council discussion focused on transparency and comparability. Commissioners requested that the FY24 and FY25 data columns be reposted or made available online in the same readable format as FY26 so the public and council can see multi-year trends. Williams said staff will post the additional year-by-year detail and provide departmental breakdowns.

Other items Williams highlighted: continuing funding for the Apopka Youth Works and Apopka Youth Council (about $42,200 combined), a $40,000 line for a stand-alone election in March 2026 accounted for in the city clerk's request, an increase to legal fees and insurance in the legal and risk line, and an information-technology/HR initiative to digitize personnel records. Williams also called out a planned move of commissioners' travel/training funding from the mayor's budget into administration for FY26. \"I'll get you that additional information\" on historical budgets, she told council members.

Less-critical details: staff noted some increases reflect rising health-benefit costs (Williams cited an 11.5% rise in benefits affecting human resources) and a legal-fee projection increased about 10% based on FY25 trends. Williams said several non-recurring capital or project requests were limited in this draft and will be prioritized in subsequent workshops.

The budget workshop schedule: Williams and staff said they will return with more detailed departmental reports in follow-up workshops and will post the multi-year comparison materials for council and public review.","Interim city administrator Grama Williams presented the proposed fiscal 2026 city administration budget, highlighting department totals, program continuations and a roughly $1 million contingency intended for police and fire salary adjustments and general pay-plan changes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Apopka trims some park event spending, shifts amphitheater programming and outlines Camp Wewa capital needs

Council plans permanent nonprofit/community event grant programs; members ask for clear discretionary-funding policy

Council discusses Edgewood Greenwood online cemetery map and Bay Ridge ownership; annexation, signage on the table

Apopka council debates cost of outside attorneys; staff to explore hiring in-house counsel

Apopka city administrator outlines FY26 city administration budget, cites $1M contingency for police and fire pay