January 2010
Community Paper
copyright ©2010 by Community Paper College Park, Inc. All rights reserved.


From the Desk of Orange County Commissioner Bill Segal

Changes in life are normally incremental; oftentimes you don’t see a paradigm change before your eyes. Here in Orange County we’ve witnessed game changer after game changer for the past several years. First was the news that UCF would grow its educational endeavors with a new medical school. That led to the success of bringing the new Burnham Institute and VA Hospital to Orange County. From Martin Marietta to Disney and now to the Biotech and Modeling and Simulation industries, we are fortunate to have been blessed with so many economic opportunities. A year and a half ago we said yes to building new venues for our citizens to enjoy the arts and sports and help us attract further new jobs and industries. It brings me great pride to say we are now about to experience another great step forward for Orange County – one that will hopefully mean a few less cars on our roads.

In December, the State Legislature finally made SunRail a reality. It took the support of people like you and others from around the state to acknowledge that we have to invest in different ways of moving people around our community. In this New Year, SunRail will not only change how we get to work but will bring much needed jobs to the area. Twelve stations are planned to be built and include stops at Maitland, Winter Park, Florida Hospital, Lynx Central Station, Church Street, Orlando Health, and Sand Lake Rd. Each stop along the route will bring new customers for business and more efficient transportation for employees. Right now, jobs are the most important thing we need as a community. The construction jobs associated with SunRail are important, but so too is the position we are in as future opportunities present themselves whether they be High Speed Rail or new industries that want to call Central Florida home.

There are those who choose to focus on what’s wrong – we have all certainly had our share in this recession – but without a focus on what’s right, you can’t have hope for the future. With a new transportation option to move people where they need to go like SunRail, I think it is an exciting time to be part of Orange County. I’m looking forward to all the excitement the New Year will bring!

As always, my staff is available to answer questions on these programs and offer any other assistance. Contact Travis Johnson or Amanda Penner at 407.836.7350 or email district5@ocfl.net.