Commission sets process to form charter review committee, asks staff to return with consultant options and appointment plan

Winter Springs — The City Commission opened a wide-ranging discussion on Jan. 9 on how to form a charter review committee and how much outside assistance the committee should receive.

Lede: Commissioners debated whether to use outside neutral facilitation (for example, the Florida League of Cities or a university institute) or keep the process in‑house; they ultimately asked staff to return with a draft resolution (based on the city’s 2010 charter review language), costs/options for neutral technical assistance, and a plan for district‑based appointees and public outreach.

Nut graf: Commissioners agreed the committee should have clear charges and public meetings. Commissioner Sarah Baker and others emphasized a desire for neutrality and technical guidance on forms of municipal government; Commissioner Paul Diaz cautioned against letting a lobbying organization set the city’s direction. The commission directed staff to prepare an updated resolution and to solicit proposals and cost estimates for independent facilitation or educational presentations for the committee.

Key points from the discussion: Commissioners discussed (1) using the 2010 charter review resolution as a template; (2) appointing one committee member per commissioner plus the mayor to keep an odd number and ensure district representation; (3) the role of a project facilitator versus technical advisers; and (4) whether staff or an external consultant should fill the facilitator role. Commissioners generally supported the idea of adding a neutral technical expert to educate the committee on governance options (strong vs. weak mayor, commission‑manager models), but they differed on whether that expert should facilitate meetings.

Outcome and next steps: Staff will draft a resolution that adapts the 2010 charter‑review language, include public meeting requirements and a recommended appointment process, and return with cost estimates and options for a neutral technical resource to guide the committee’s consideration of governance alternatives.

Representative quotes: “I asked for this to be here…we need to look at what parts of the charter specifically kind of create a committee and create some boundaries,” Deputy Mayor Cade Resnick said.

“I think we just need to add that one extra layer of the charter review process…an analyst or an expert consultant,” Commissioner Sarah Baker said, asking for technical education for committee members.

Context and limitations: The commission made no final appointments and did not select a specific consultant or facilitator at the Jan. 9 meeting; staff will return with a draft resolution and recommended options for committee facilitation and scope.