City Council Highlights - August 12, 2019
Last updated on August 13, 2019
COUNCIL UPDATE 8.12.19
Workshop
Today we’ll hear an update from our “Future-Ready” team on how that work is going. Kevin Edmonds our Chief Administrative Officer will kick off the presentation and will be joined by Mike Hess, Smart City Project Director, and Charles Ramdatt, Director of Smart Cities and Special Projects.
General Items
El Paso/Dayton Shootings-
Last weekend, two cities in our country faced horrors as the result of senseless acts of gun violence. Our community knows what it is like to endure these types of tragedies and is sending its love to El Paso and Dayton. We have reached out to offer support to Mayor Margo and Mayor Whaley and we continue to stand with these communities, grieve with the families of the victims and thank the first responders.
Commissioner Hill and Ortiz Birthday (Aug. 15 & 18) -
Now moving on to something a little happier, Commissioner Hill and Commissioner Ortiz both have birthday’s coming up this month.
Creative Village-
When we envisioned the future for the old Amway Arena site in downtown Orlando, we wanted a development that would provide residents with new paths to education, careers, business opportunities and housing. The transformation of 68-acres of land into Creative Village, a mixed-use, innovation district, is nearly complete.
A day that we have all been looking forward to – the start of UCF and Valencia College classes – is two weeks from today. Creative Village is another example of how collaboration between residents, government partners, educational institutions and the business community allows us to fulfill our shared vision for the future of our community.
Reopening of Constitution Green-
Later this week we will cut the ribbon on the recent improvements made to Constitution Green. Join us Thursday at 11 a.m. as we celebrate the reopening of this beloved downtown park following a ten-week renovation that expanded the dog run, added more seating and improved drainage within the park.
OBJ Healthiest Employer
Out of all the employers in six central Florida counties, the City of Orlando has been selected by the Orlando Business Journal as Central Florida’s 2019 Healthiest Employer for our innovation and leadership in wellness programs.
This is a testament to the city’s commitment to the health of our employees. And healthy employees also benefit our community as a whole by creating even more savings for our tax payers.
Items of Note
Mayor #1- Memorandum of Understanding establishing the City of Orlando as an official member of the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaboration (ECFR2C) -
The City of Orlando is dedicated to ensuring that we are prepared for, can respond to, and recover from any shock or stressor to our city – from public health epidemics to intensive hurricanes due to climate change, to events like the Pulse tragedy. On today’s agenda is an agreement to join the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative. This collaborative will increase our collective impact potential and overall resiliency as a region.
B5- Ranking and Authority to Negotiate and execute a Contract for Design Services for Camping World Stadium Improvements-
On today’s agenda is a vote to approve the ranking and authority to negotiate and execute a contract for design services for Camping World Stadium improvements. We’re excited about the planned enhancements will ensure that Orlando continues to stand out as a premier sports destination and ensure that we continue to bring high profile events like the NFL Pro Bowl, which we just announced will be returning to Orlando in January for the fourth consecutive year.
B10- Ranking and Authority to Negotiate for Professional Services for Construction, Engineering and Inspection Services for Orlando Urban Trail Gap-
The City of Orlando is committed to providing safe, comfortable and accessible transportation options for everyone who lives, works and plays here.
Today, we will vote to begin negotiations for the Orlando Urban Trail Gap and Extension Project so that we can continue to improve connectivity and expand the more than three hundred sixty miles in our bicycle network.
Parramore Oaks
Lack of Affordable Housing is one of the biggest challenges we face as a region and as a nation. As a city, we are committed to working with our local, state, federal, and development partners to address this challenge.
We have a unique opportunity in front of us to support Parramore Oaks’ application for low housing income tax credits that would allow the developer to complete phase two of the development, bringing 91 more affordable units to our city. Parramore Oaks phase one is already under construction with a more than $25 million investment that will bring 120 affordable units that will open later this year.