Apopka council directs staff to scope annexation feasibility study and explore door‑to‑door survey option

Apopka city staff told the City Council May 21 that a comprehensive feasibility study for a proposed South Property annexation is likely to cost substantially more than $50,000 and could reach $100,000, prompting the council to instruct staff to prepare a request for proposals and to gather door‑to‑door survey cost estimates as an interim step.

Blanche Sherman, finance director, said staff contacted 10 jurisdictions to determine the typical cost of annexation studies; three reported costs ranging roughly from $63,000 to $155,000. “Based on what we’re seeing… it’s likely that it will exceed the $50,000, and it could go as much as $100,000,” Sherman said, recommending a formal solicitation to secure a consultant and funding through a budget amendment after award.

Council members discussed lower‑cost options to help gauge resident sentiment before committing to a full feasibility study. One council member suggested mailing a registered receipt to all affected properties for residents to answer yes or no; another recommended hiring teams to conduct door‑to‑door surveys and collect signatures so the city gets higher‑quality responses than a mail poll.

City attorney and staff confirmed the feasibility study is governed by statute and requires a comprehensive review that would include cost analyses, parcel counts and owner/voter information; Sherman cautioned that an informal mail or door survey would not substitute for the statutory feasibility study but could provide earlier insight into community sentiment. The council directed staff to prepare a scope of work for a formal RFP and also to gather quotes for door‑to‑door survey firms so the council would have both cost and outreach options within a short timeframe.

Speakers provided county planning data during the meeting: staff noted previous county numbers that estimated about 2,185 built residential units and 387 vacant lots within the proposed annexation boundary and an approximate 5,943 new residents based on Orange County data from January 24, 2023; staff also cited a proposed annexation boundary of 2,408 acres covering roughly 2,340 parcels. Council members discussed how the annexation process affects voters, not just property owners, because any referendum would be decided by registered voters in the area.

The council’s directive was procedural: staff will prepare an RFP scope for a statutorily required feasibility study and simultaneously collect cost estimates for a door‑to‑door survey; staff noted that a formal feasibility study would also trigger statutory notice requirements to the county and could determine a timeline for placing an annexation measure on the ballot if the council elects to pursue it.