Changes to city’s charter mulled

Winter Park discussion veers from suggestions

Winter Park commissioners are in the midst of considering recommendations to the city’s charter but the discussion swayed this week to topics that weren’t on the list of proposals.

Amending the mayor’s authority to appoint board members wasn’t suggested by the Charter Review Advisory Committee, which convenes every 10 years to recommend potential revisions to the governing document for the city of about 30,000 residents.

But public input and a proposal by Vice Mayor Greg Seidel at the meeting Monday could lead to the issue being placed on the March 2020 ballot with any other recommendations that may be approved.

Up for debate is whether the mayor’s role in selecting members of the city’s advisory boards should be split with the four commissioners.

Currently, the charter’s language says “the mayor shall annually appoint members of the city boards subject to the approval of the commission.”

During the meeting, Seidel suggested striking that line from the charter and replacing it with language that would apply to quasijudicial bodies including the planning and zoning board, lakes and waterways advisory board, historic preservation board and board of adjustments.

Seidel’s proposal calls for seven -member boards in which the mayor appoints three people and the four commissioners each get one pick.

“In my mind, this is a system where we can get good people still appointed,” Seidel said. “In this case, you can’t really complain because everyone is getting to be heard. If you want to be heard, you can vote for a commissioner that is going to listen to you and put people in these roles that you would like to have them in.”

Mayor Steve Leary said he was willing to further discuss the issue but noted that he doesn’t view candidates selected as “my appointments.”

“I try to let appointees do their

job,” Leary said. “I never ask board members to vote a certain way.”

The board appointment process wasn’t the only charter topic discussed Monday that wasn’t recommended by the committee.

Commissioners heard from residents of the Hannibal Square community, a historically black neighborhood, who are pushing for single-member districts. That would would mean future commissioner seats would be divided up geographically instead of serving at large.

Barbara Chandler reminded commissioners that the city hasn’t had an African-American commissioner in more than 125 years.

“I would like to see a more inclusive model of representation,” Chandler said. “If we are not doing that, then we are not the model city.”

LaWanda Thompson told commissioners that west side residents “had to beg” for a voice on the charter review committee because there was initially no one from their neighborhood appointed to the board.

The board met in series of meetings from April to September. Longtime resident and Hannibal Square Heritage Center historian Mary Daniels was appointed to the committee in June.

“No one should be forgotten,” Thompson said. “I

hope the city of Winter Park remembers that the next time it plans a charter in 10 years. If we have singlemember districts, then we won’t forget it.”

Commissioner Todd Weaver, who read a statement on various issues, referenced the topic of singlemember districts after public comments.

“This is thought to be a solution to a well-founded perception of a lack of representation for some citizens. That perception of non-representation for outlying sections of our city was certainly one reason I ran for this office,” Weaver said. “Currently, there are no citizens of color on the standing city boards … just based on population, African-Americans should hold a dozen or more city positions.”

Commissioners are in the process of choosing topics to include in an ordinance with ballot questions to be voted on in the March 2020 election.

Committee suggestions include a notable annual salary bump for the mayor to $15,000 from $3,000. Commissioners’ pay would increase to $12,600 from $2,400.

If adopted, the salaries would take effect in October 2020.

Residents will have two more chances to speak to commissioners about the charter at public hearings next month before the ballot is finalized.