May 2007
Community Paper
copyright ©2007 by Community Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.


From the Desk of City Commissioner Robert Stuart

Dear Friends,

Spring has finally arrived! With the completion of the Passover and Easter Season, and the end of Spring Break, our students and families are already preparing for a busy summer. It's been busy at City Hall too! Let me share a few things that are happening in District 3 and around College Park.

First, College Park Neighborhood Association hosted their Annual Sunday in the Park on March 25th. My thanks and congratulations to CPNA, President Leza Tellam, and their very active committee for the work they did to make this a success. Many have said it was the best event yet, setting a standard for great things to come. I was honored to judge the Annual Brownie Contest and, with the help of Claire Groover, we again determined that the best brownies in all of Orlando are right here in College Park. (see pictures here!)

Second, on April 24th, we held our second District 3 Leadership Forum at Glenridge Middle School. The focus of this forum was crime and public safety. Dr. Stanley Stone, chair of the Mayor's SAFE Orlando Task Force, presented the committee's findings from more than 7 months of yeoman's work. Simply stated, there are three areas in which we need to focus to make Orlando safer -- Prevention, Enforcement, and Re-Integration. While our police department is second to none, our community continues to see a larger number of convicted criminals turned back out on the streets, only to be arrested once again. With Neighborhood Watch as the core of our prevention efforts, the task force also recommended stepping up our "Citizens On Patrol" and community policing efforts. At the beginning, the taskforce's focus was the increase in violent crime in Orlando, and within a few meetings, they realized that it was prudent to narrow their focus toward finding ways to tackle the rise in juvenile crime and the crimes of repeat offenders.
Following Dr. Stone's presentation, representatives from Orlando's Police Department and Neighborhood Watch shared ways we can all help prevent crime. In addition, members of the Orlando Fire, Code Enforcement, Emergency Management and Neighborhood and Community Affairs Departments were available to talk with participants and share important information. Our special thanks to Dr. Stone and the Mayor's SAFE Orlando Task Force for their dedication to serving our community and their work creating this blueprint for us to follow. For more information on Dr. Stone's work, you can check out the city's web site at: www.cityoforlando.net/elected/safety
Third, if you have passed by Dubsdread Golf Course in the past few weeks, you will begin to notice a big change. Work has begun on the renovation of the course along with the creation of storm water runoff and retention for the future expansion of Interstate 4.

On March 29, I hosted a special informational meeting for the entire Dubsdread Community to share the plans and discuss the construction schedule. If everything goes as planned - and the weather cooperates - we expect to re-open in November with a traditional look to a wonderful new course. As a reminder, The Tap Room at Dubsdread and the banquet facilities will continue to be open during the golf course renovations. If you're interested in checking out the progress of this project, go to the Public Works web site at: www.cityoforlando.net/public_works.

In closing, budget time has already begun in our city. This year, we must also consider the many proposed changes to the state's property tax system from the Governor, the Florida Senate, and the Florida House. My hope is that reason will prevail and, with the Wisdom of Solomon, a long-term solution will be worked out that will benefit the citizens of our state and allow the City to continue serving its citizens. Just a few weeks ago, along with Comm. Sam Ings and a host of citizens from Orlando, I participated in a rally on the steps of our Capitol in Tallahassee encouraging our Legislature to restore the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This fund is seed money for millions of dollars that are used for affordable and attainable housing. With this funding, we will be able to facilitate the dream of home ownership for many of our neighbors.

As we anticipate a busy summer, let me again express my personal thanks to you and all the citizens of Orlando District 3 for the honor of representing you.

Robert

Robert F. Stuart, District 3 City Commissioner
400 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407-246-2003; e-mail Robert.Stuart@cityoforlando.net
or check out Orlando's website (www.cityoforlando.net)