Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation And Innovation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City manager updates commission on Seminole County trail crossing, microtransit and city innovation work
Summary
City staff reported Seminole County's $40 million tunnel estimate for a San Sebastian Park trail crossing, discussed an upcoming county microtransit RFP, and highlighted the city's innovation lab and an HR chatbot pilot.
City staff updated the commission Jan. 21 on several items including a Seminole County proposal for a trail crossing at San Sebastian Park, a pending county microtransit request for proposals (RFP), and the city's innovation lab work.
Mr. Morris noted Seminole County's engineers returned a $40,000,000 estimate to construct a tunnel under the roadway at the San Sebastian Park crossing and said county staff have been directed to recheck designs after discovering unknown utilities in the right-of-way. "The estimate is $40,000,000 to do a tunnel underneath," Mr. Morris said. He added the county asked for the city's reaction and that Altamonte Springs told the county it favored doing the right thing but questioned a $40 million price tag.
On transit, Mr. Morris said the county has issued (or is preparing) an RFP to explore microtransit options. He described concerns that on-demand, door-to-door microtransit could attract users who otherwise would use commercial ride services, reducing its effectiveness for transportation-disadvantaged riders. "If the county pays for 100% of the trip why wouldn't you?" Mr. Morris asked, summarizing a potential pitfall.
Mr. Morris also described the city's innovation lab and a pilot HR chatbot, "Herman Resources," built by Deputy Director of Human Resources Kendall Gao. He said the tool allows employees to query the personnel policy manual in multiple languages and estimated it may recover up to about $40,000 of staff time. "We were the first city in America to do AI powered site plan review," Mr. Morris said, citing the city's earlier pilot work.
Mr. Morris additionally noted the county's discussions with nonprofits on homelessness, a potential nonprofit summit and ongoing coordination with Seminole County on shared projects tied to the county sales-tax process. No formal action was requested on these items; Mr. Morris said he would keep the commission informed as county work proceeds.
