Citizen Portal
Sign In

City seeks state endorsement for SunTrax air-mobility alignment; welcomes new EMS chief and issues quiet-zone update

Winter Haven City Commission ยท February 24, 2026

Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts

Subscribe
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

City staff asked the commission to endorse outreach to state commerce and transportation agencies to align Winter Haven Regional Airport, SunTrax, and the city for advanced air mobility work; the meeting also introduced Justin Hooper as division chief of EMS and reported an FRA inspection date for the quiet-zone project.

City Manager asked the commission to authorize a letter seeking endorsement from the Florida Department of Commerce and the Florida Department of Transportation to support a strategic alignment between SunTrax, Winter Haven Regional Airport and the City of Winter Haven for advanced air mobility collaboration.

The manager described potential safety and operational synergies, noted airport partners including Troy Bridal (director of the Winter Haven Regional Airport) and Bruce Lyon (chair of the airport advisory committee), and said the city's upcoming airport layout-plan work contemplates advanced air mobility and digital remote towers. Staff said the proximity to SunTrax could yield opportunities for research, hangar development and economic partnerships, and that they were asking state partners to endorse a coordinated approach.

The commission also heard personnel and operational briefings: Justin Hooper was introduced as the new division chief of EMS, and staff presented service awards to Julie Adams (parks and recreation, five years) and Eric Labbe (10 years). Deputy City Manager provided a quiet-zone update, saying the Federal Railroad Administration reinspection is scheduled for March 3 and, if satisfactory, the project will be ready to go to bid.

What happens next: Staff will finalize the draft letter for the mayor's signature and seek state endorsements; the quiet-zone team will proceed pending FRA approval and put the project out to bid if inspections pass.