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Commission raises Oak Forest assessment cap; sets current maintenance rate unchanged
Summary
The commission approved a higher maximum cap for the Oak Forest maintenance district but left the 2025‑26 assessment unchanged, after staff said the change was needed to keep pace with contract and insurance costs.
The Winter Springs City Commission on Sept. 9 approved increasing the maximum annual assessment cap for the Oak Forest maintenance district from $63 to $84.03 per equivalent residential unit (ERU) while leaving the district’s maintenance assessment for 2025–26 at $60 per ERU.
Finance Director Holly Queen explained the Oak Forest advisory committee sought a review of the district’s long‑term costs and that the MBS rate study recommended the higher cap to cover utilities, irrigation repair and periodic re‑landscaping after ivy removal. Queen told the commission the Oak Forest district is smaller than the Tuscarawilla district and that staff had not proposed changing the 2025–26 rate.
Residents from Oak Forest raised concerns about visible wall deterioration, ivy removal impacts and the need for masonry work and prioritized repairs. Doug Atkins, a resident who said he served on the wall committee during construction, asked for clearer transparency about how prior assessment receipts had been spent; another resident, Gary McCotter, asked who is responsible for routine wall maintenance and said he had not seen masonry work in years.
After brief discussion, Deputy Mayor Kade Resnick moved to approve item 401 as presented; Commissioner Bruce seconded. The motion passed on a 3–2 vote (Yes: Resnick, Baker, Bruce. No: Caruso, Diaz). Commission and staff commentary indicated the city will work with residents to prioritize necessary wall repairs and to return with scheduling and cost estimates.
The action only changed the cap; any future year changes to the maintenance assessment will require additional notice and a separate commission vote. The staff packet and the rate study are to be posted to the city website and the final assessment roll will be submitted to the Seminole County tax collector as required by ordinance.
