“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.”
— A Tale of Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens
In my time as managing editor of The Apopka Voice, I have attended, watched online, and/or written about 250+ Apopka City Council meetings. Over that span, there has been drama, plot twists, and controversy, but at the February 18 edition, I saw something I’ve rarely seen before — collaboration amongst the commissioners.
Related: OP/ED - Apopka should pause NWRC bid process and ensure fairness for youth sports groups.
That’s not to say the commissioners don’t want to collaborate more often. The system is just kinda set up against it. Sunshine Laws do not allow them to talk to one another in private, and the standard operating procedure for agenda items is for them to ask independent questions after the presentation until they have all the information to vote yes or no, but not to go back and forth to find a better solution.
But last week's meeting was different, and it may have saved a community fight from becoming a community fracture.
The debate over the Northwest Recreation Complex (NWRC) fields had all the makings of a political train wreck: an RFP (Request for Proposal) issued for the first time in the City's history for youth soccer use. Accusations of a broken “cone of silence” in the RFP process. A local youth soccer club with passionate supporters, and hundreds of Apopka children caught in the middle.
In past years, this might have hardened into predictable lines: staff defends the process, the mayor defends his agenda, commissioners retreat into their factions, and the public leaves angrier than when they arrived.
But that didn’t happen.
The Best of Times: Commissioners choose resolution over rhetoric
It started with a simple question.
Commissioner Nadia Anderson looked down at the newly delivered agenda packet and asked, “I just received this packet, so I'm just looking at it now. Is this the normal practice for us to bid this out, or is this something new that we just started?”
“It is not," said City Administrator Radley Williams. "This is the first time we bid fields out in this manner."
Anderson pressed further.
“For me, I think there should be a process all the way across the board for every RFP for every program. So that way, it's not about one club or organization feeling that the City is picking on them. I have received calls from parents, and their concern is that, for whatever reason, they feel that the City is not being fair.”
Commissioner Diane Velazquez added context to the alleged cone-of-silence violation:
“At the time, his email was not about choosing him,” she said. "He was just questioning … how do we define these legacy sports organizations that the city has been supportive of?”
The “him” in question was Naji Khouri, President of the Central Florida Soccer Club (CFSC), who participated in the RFP but was disqualified for emailing Velazquez.
Commissioner Nick Nesta challenged the broader narrative and timeline.
“So my concerns, too, are that if we try to plan and say, ‘hey, the fields are coming, the fields are coming.’ I've heard that since pre-COVID… I have low confidence that that's going to be done by July… and I really think we need to start giving local preference to organizations, especially nonprofits that serve our local schools and students and families.”
Commissioner Alexander H. Smith was also concerned that CFSC would be shut out from the fields they have called home for 14 years.
"As a result of their being disqualified from the bid, they can't use the fields?" He asked.
Williams told Smith the CFSC's contract was good until July.
"So their contract is up in July?" Smith asked. "Will the other fields be ready?"
Notice the pattern. The commissioners weren’t dismissing the process. They were weighing the process against people and looking for a solution beyond the agenda item and the RFP outcome.
Then, during public comments, Khouri made it clear this wasn’t about refusing competition.
“Our argument is not the RFP or whether we violated the cone of silence or not. Our argument is we’re not being treated equally… There’s never been an RFP in the history of Apopka for athletic fields for sports organizations. Tonight, we're not asking you to award the contract to us. We're asking you to cancel the RFP and direct your staff to restart the process under clear and more transparent conditions.”
The Worst of Times: Nelson draws a line
Mayor Bryan Nelson, however, saw it differently. In a tense exchange, he questioned Khouri.
“Did you know the rules?” Nelson asked.
“Yes, sir, I know the rules,” Khouri replied.
“You knew the rules,” Nelson repeated. “You broke the cone of silence. That’s why we’re here.”
That may seem reasonable. An RFP process is simply black-and-white. Rules matter. Procurement integrity matters. But a couple of things happened here that probably shouldn’t have.
First, it’s rare that Nelson ever responds to a person during their three minutes of public comments, except to say, 'Thank you, your time is up,' but interrogation of someone who has paid the City well over $500,000 in 14 years for Apopka youth to play soccer was definitely a first.
Then, he went on to tell Khouri twice to stop talking while he was at the podium, then closed his attacks by saying this when it seemed as though the Council would cancel the RFP and start over:
"We're going to give him access to the fields because he broke the rules. That's essentially what we're saying. Then we may as well get rid of the cone of silence, because if we don't do it for soccer fields then..."
"You're focused on the wrong things," Nesta said.
It was surprising for Nelson to climb onto what he perceived as the moral high ground, given some of his actions during his two terms, which included:
- Telling the City Council in 2019 he had no intention of firing or forcing then-Apopka Fire Chief Chuck Carnesale to retire, while a separation document had already been emailed between the City attorney and City administrator.
- Telling the City Council in 2023 that the City attorney, Michael Rodriguez, was no longer employed after his resignation at the previous meeting, only to be proven untrue two weeks later, and then getting censured because of it.
- Attempting to reverse that censure later in 2023 by claiming a former City commissioner tried to blackmail him by telling a City employee he would drop the censure if Nelson didn’t run for mayor again. He told the Council the employee would confirm this on the record, or take a lie detector test, neither of which happened.
- Stating in a 2026 debate that reserves for the previous administration were $3 million, when, according to the budget book, they were at a healthy $8 million, or 20% of the general fund.
Given previous instances in which the mayor's statements were later contradicted by public records or council proceedings, some residents may question his rigid ‘by-the-book’ posture in this case.
The Age of Wisdom: A transition back to purpose and an attorney with a steady hand
While the mayor returned repeatedly to the violation, Anderson redirected the focus:
“I just want to keep these kids on the field. That’s my goal.”
That was the pivot point. The commissioners began looking for an off-ramp.
Nesta proposed a solution outside of the RFP.
“So let’s do a temporary extension of six months (for CFSC) to make sure that the fields are done in time," he said.
Anderson raised fairness concerns again:
“If I were the person who won the bid, I would come in here next council and be upset," she said.
Then, suddenly, that person appeared at the podium.
“How are you doing? I’m Brian Fergala. I am a current coach with Central Florida United who has won this bid.”
Fergala emphasized that many of his CFU families were also from Apopka and that his club was willing to work with the CFSC to find a solution that would work for both.
That’s when Shepard’s advice closed the negotiations with a solution that will hopefully hold.
“I’m trying to provide options,” Shepard said. “One option… You could—with their acknowledgement—table this item till the next meeting and see if they can actually bring a joint proposal."
“Now that is not within your purchasing policy, but it is within your discretion.”
Shepard acknowledged the integrity of the process. He acknowledged the winning bidder. But he also acknowledged that discretion exists. In contentious meetings, that kind of calm framing prevents irreversible mistakes, and Apopka benefited from it.
When it became clear that both clubs were willing to attempt cooperation, the Council tabled the RFP and voted unanimously to give them two weeks to reach a resolution.
"I still say expedite the completion of those fields before July," Smith said as the vote ended.
A season of darkness. A season of light. A spring of hope
Despite the collaborative outcome, the underlying issue remains: Why was this RFP structured this way in the first place?
If competitive bidding is now the standard, it should apply across the board — to Pop Warner, to Little League, to every youth partnership. Otherwise, even well-intended reforms appear selective.
Transparency is good, but consistency is better.
Last week's City Council meeting was messy. It was emotional. It was uncomfortable, but it was also constructive. Commissioners listened. They questioned. They reconsidered. They adjusted. Instead of digging into procedural trenches, they chose a pause. They chose dialogue. They chose the kids.
In 250-plus meetings, I’ve seen plenty of rigid votes and rehearsed talking points. What I saw last night was different.
Dickens wrote of light and darkness existing simultaneously.
This meeting had both, but this time, Apopka leaned toward the light. Let's hope it continues this spring.
