The Winter Garden City Commission on first reading approved Ordinance 25‑35, which amends city code provisions governing the newly constructed Winter Garden Cemetery to tighten residency and immediate‑family eligibility for purchases of lots and niches.

Why it matters: The ordinance determines who may purchase burial plots and niches in the city cemetery and will shape access as plots become available for sale. Staff additionally removed fee schedules from the ordinance text and said those fees will be set by a separate resolution to be considered at the commission’s Oct. 9 meeting.

What changed
- Residency: The distributed language had limited purchases to "City of Winter Garden residents" and allowed former residents with at least six months prior residency to purchase. Staff said the recommended revision limits sales of new burial plots to current residents at the time of purchase or death, and to certain former residents and close relatives already interned in the cemetery; staff presented the revision as an effort to simplify eligibility while prioritizing residents.
- Immediate family: The existing code listed an extensive set of relatives; the revised text narrows the definition to immediate family categories (spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister and parents‑in‑law), removing broader language such as "other members of the household." Commissioners discussed whether to allow spouses of siblings and similar extended relationships; staff recommended the narrower definition and proposed striking "other members of the household."
- Fees: Staff removed fees from the ordinance and will present them as a separate resolution for the second reading/public hearing scheduled Oct. 9.

Discussion and procedure
Staff told commissioners that cemetery construction is nearing completion, that a surveyor is marking plots and that the changes reflect a desire to prioritize long‑term access for city residents. Commissioners raised practical questions about where spouses of extended family would be permitted; staff said the forthcoming fee resolution and cemetery policy will flesh out implementation details. The first reading passed; commissioners authorized the ordinance to return for a second reading and the public hearing on Oct. 9.

Ending
Staff said they will return with the fee resolution and any minor edits for the second reading. The commission’s adoption of the first reading advances the city’s policy for sales at the Winter Garden Cemetery but does not finalize fees or related administrative regulations.