Winter Garden commissioners approve multiple procurement waivers, contract awards and development items

Winter Garden commissioners on an evening meeting approved multiple procurement waivers and contract awards, extended a school resource officer agreement and approved development and event permits.

The commission voted unanimously to: reduce the residential utility deposit return window and remove the requirement to pay interest on utility deposits through a second reading of an ordinance; waive formal procurement and hire contractors for sewer and lift‑station work; approve a contract extension with the School Board of Orange County for the city's officer resource program for the 2025–27 school years; reduce a special assessment lien on a property at 159 Ninth Street under conditions; award a purchase order to Mead & Hunt to analyze the reclaimed water hydraulic model; award construction on a recently acquired Lumen property; approve the final plat for the Habitat Edgeway subdivision; and approve a series of special events, including Memorial Day and two July 4 events.

Staff presented the second reading of an ordinance described in the meeting as reducing the time for the city to return residential utility deposits from a 24‑month period to 12 months and removing the requirement that interest be paid on those deposits. Staff said it recommended approval. Commissioners took the item up as a public hearing; no members of the public spoke and the ordinance was adopted by voice vote. (Transcript shows inconsistent ordinance numbering: the item was introduced at one point as Ordinance 25‑14 and at another as Ordinance 25‑15.)

On utilities and lift stations, staff asked the commission to waive formal procurement. One presentation requested waiver and the hiring of Engineered Spray Solutions to rehabilitate 11 sanitary sewer manholes for a total of $60,866.55, including a 5% contingency. The motion passed unanimously. A separate waiver and contract award to Xylem Water Solutions USA Inc. and "flight products" (as spoken in the meeting) to replace control panels, alarms, work lights and junction boxes at Lift Stations 21 and 24 was approved for $60,270; staff said the city uses one brand across lifts to maintain parts consistency.

Commissioners also approved hiring RCM Utilities LLC to remove and replace electrical wiring, enclosures, conduit and perform startup work at Lift Stations 21 and 24; the company was approved by voice vote and the motion carried unanimously.

The commission approved a contract extension with the School Board of Orange County covering the remaining second and third years of the officer resource program (school years 2025–27). Staff said the city currently has officers assigned to seven schools and a sergeant for the program; the renewed agreement includes a cost‑sharing provision tied to the state's safe schools allotment, and staff said the city will learn the exact share only after the state determines amounts. The commission approved the extension by voice vote.

On property and development actions, the commission voted to reduce a city special assessment lien recorded March 3, 2015, on 159 Ninth Street. Staff said the original charge was $4,011.56 and the current lien, including interest and fees, was $12,759.37; staff recommended reducing the lien to $4,050.06 (which staff said reflects the original amount plus recording and satisfaction fees) if the property owner pays and records right‑of‑way, sidewalk, landscaping and utility easements for four properties on Center Street by May 31, 2025. The motion passed unanimously.

The commission awarded a purchase order to Mead & Hunt to analyze the reclaimed water hydraulic model. Staff recommended the work to explore timing of projects and to study a pump sequencing issue; staff proposed a purchase order of $86,150, and the motion passed (the voice motion later referenced $86,001.50, a discrepancy recorded in the transcript).

The commission awarded construction work on a recently acquired portion of the Lumen property at 681 West Plant Street to TD Thompson for $227,505.09. Staff said the work will remove septic servicing, add a pump station, install generator charging stations, add paving for truck circulation and employee parking, and replace security fencing; staff said the western portion of the parcel is intended to be opened to public parking in the future.

Commissioners granted final plat approval for the Habitat Edgeway subdivision, described by staff as a 1.31‑acre site on the north side of Edgway Drive with seven single‑family lots, a stormwater management tract and easements; staff said the final plat is consistent with the planning and zoning board's pre‑plat and the property's low‑density residential future land‑use and R‑4 zoning. West Orange Habitat for Humanity executive director Marilyn Hathaway told the commission the organization sells its Habitat houses at appraised value and said the homes "appraising for a 3 bedroom, $1.87, and for a 4 bedroom, $1.92" (as stated in the meeting). The plat passed unanimously.

The commission also approved three special events: the Memorial Day ceremony at Veterans Park (May 26), the All Americans Kids Parade and Pancake Breakfast (July 4, organizers estimated about 1,200 attendees) and the city's Party in the Park on July 4 at Newton Park (staff estimated about 15,000 attendees). Each event and related street closures were approved by voice vote.

All votes reported in the meeting were by voice and recorded as carrying unanimously.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): - Second reading/adoption of ordinance reducing residential utility deposit return window to 12 months and removing interest payment requirement — approved (voice vote). - Waive procurement / hire Engineered Spray Solutions to rehabilitate 11 sewer manholes — approve $60,866.55 (including 5% contingency) — approved (voice vote). - Waive procurement / hire Xylem Water Solutions USA Inc. and "flight products" for lift station control panels and equipment — $60,270 — approved (voice vote). - Waive procurement / hire RCM Utilities LLC for electrical work at Lift Stations 21 and 24 — approved (voice vote). - Authorize city manager to sign contract extension with School Board of Orange County for school years 2025–27 (officer resource program) — approved (voice vote). - Reduce special assessment lien on 159 Ninth Street from $12,759.37 to $4,050.06 if owner records specified easements and pays the reduced amount by 05/31/2025 — approved (voice vote). - Award purchase order to Mead & Hunt to model reclaimed water system — staff recommended $86,150 (motion later referenced $86,001.50) — approved (voice vote). - Award construction contract to TD Thompson for Lumen property improvements — $227,505.09 — approved (voice vote). - Final plat approval: Habitat Edgeway (seven single‑family lots, 1.31 acres) — approved (voice vote). - Special events approvals: Memorial Day ceremony; All Americans Kids Parade (Plant Street closure); July 4 Party in the Park at Newton Park — approved (voice votes).

Discussion and clarifications recorded during the votes included staff explanations of brand consistency at lift stations, staff rationale for splitting control panel and electrical work between vendors to save money, the inclusion of a 5% contingency in the manhole lining estimate and staff's note that the school resource agreement now includes a cost‑sharing provision for state safe‑schools allotments (exact state funding not yet known). Several items in the meeting transcript show inconsistent naming or numeric discrepancies (for example, ordinance numbering, contractor naming and two differing Mead & Hunt amounts); the commission proceeded with unanimous voice approvals despite those inconsistencies being present in the meeting record.

Ending: The meeting record shows the commission handled the consent and regular business items in a single session with no recorded votes in opposition. Several approvals move ahead pending administrative follow‑through (recording of easements, contract execution and standard procurement documentation).