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City manager highlights career-accelerator hires, veteran outreach pilot and concerns about House Bill 1523
Summary
City manager reported two successful hires from a CareerSource Central Florida partnership, a planned veteran-benefits pilot with Vetabase, and flagged House Bill 1523, which could limit wholesale utility transfers and have fiscal impacts on the city.
City Manager (identified in the transcript as Miss Connart) updated the commission on workforce and policy matters during the March 4 meeting.
She said the city’s partnership with CareerSource Central Florida and the city’s own career-accelerator program produced two successes: an accountant hired by a private firm and an intern recently hired in the Leisure Services department. "She was just excited beyond words to be able to join the city of Altamonte Springs," Connart said of the intern.
Connart told commissioners the human-resources department will target federal-employment job boards to recruit displaced federal workers in Central Florida; she cited informal estimates of 25,000 to 30,000 federal employees in Central Florida and about 12,000 across Districts 11 and 7 (Lake County, Seminole and part of Volusia). She said staff will push city job openings to those audiences.
The city manager also described a planned local-government proof-of-concept with Vetabase (described in the meeting as software developed by a disabled Navy SEAL) to help veterans navigate VA benefits through avatar-assisted tools. She said the city will fund a 300-subscription pilot for eligible veterans and share results with other cities if the pilot proves helpful.
Connart raised policy concerns about House Bill 1523, the current-year iteration of a bill that would cap general-fund revenue transfers and limit utility-service arrangements. "We do charge what is a statutorily allowed amount, which is 25% as our wholesale rate," she said, and warned the bill could force municipalities to raise taxes or rebuild utility capacity if wholesale transfer arrangements were curtailed. She said Public Works Director Bruce Doying and CFO Tara Culver were reviewing the bills to estimate fiscal impacts.
The city manager briefly commented on current market conditions and supply-chain issues, noting tariffs and price increases that are prompting staff to reevaluate capital replacement timing. She also announced the recent death of former Mayor Hugh Harling and said the commission would share details about any city recognition or services if they are scheduled.
Connart closed with local business news: Bucky’s Bodacious Barbecue plans to close at the end of the month; Connart said the owner had been a long-time supporter of youth recreation programs and expected the location to remain a restaurant under new ownership.
