In an age where online media often speaks louder than traditional forms of campaigning, The Apopka Voice has taken the reins of local democracy by hosting a digital forum for the 2024 Apopka City Commission candidates.
Here's how it works...
Each day this week, The Apopka Voice will ask the candidates one question pertaining to the biggest issues facing Apopka. All five candidates are given the opportunity to answer. The Apopka Voice will publish their responses each day.
Readers can compare and contrast each answer and decide which candidates best share their values and vision for Apopka. You can also ask questions under the article on our news site or Facebook page.
In an era where the online realm is increasingly the epicenter of civic engagement, this initiative seeks to bridge the gap between candidates and constituents, fostering an interactive and transparent dialogue that transcends the boundaries of traditional campaigning.
It's like a debate, town hall, and interview all wrapped into one.
The third question put before the candidates is about growth.
"Many believe that Apopka struggles to manage its population and developmental growth. This issue encompasses many factors, including infrastructure, schools, and public safety. As a commissioner, what would you do to manage Apopka's growth properly?"
Here is what the candidates think about growth in Apopka:
Nick Nesta, incumbent candidate for Seat #4:
"Managing growth comes down to proper management of the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Apopka. To ensure we are growing our infrastructure and public safety in sync with our population, the Comprehensive Plan must match a strategic plan that outlines certain metrics like goals and associated timelines. We do not currently have a strategic plan so our Comprehensive Plan is not anchored by any strategic goals.
What helps in the interim, while a strategic plan is created, is establishing partnerships with developers so that they are able to carry any load their projects may have on our public safety and infrastructure in the city.
In my short time as a City of Apopka Commissioner in Seat 4, I have successfully negotiated with developers to upgrade roads, add turn lanes, add sidewalks, contribute to improving neighborhoods affected by their development, increased landscape buffers, increased setbacks and many other action items.
Growth is inevitable and we can get in front of it if we choose to create a strategic plan to get there."
Eric Mock, candidate for Seat #4:
"Roads, schools, drinking water, reclaimed water, utilities, and waste management are a few of the items most think of when thinking of infrastructure. Orange County Public Schools are responsible for schools in Apopka and our county. I do not believe there are any who’d disagree; seeing multiple portables sitting on a school campus, whether the school is old or new, is logical. With the current occupancy expectations of 120%, it would be hard to imagine how a new school would ever be built where there wouldn’t be a portable. I will work with the OCPS Apopka’s elected representative to ensure Apopka’s needs are front and center for our schools. Schools with overcrowding concerns need to be addressed with OCPS. OCPS and Apopka have an elected representative on the school board. Go to the board and speak up during the public comment. Take friends who feel the same way as you. Have them speak. Share your concerns. Stopping or suspending development will not address school overcrowding for many years.
As a commissioner, I will review the comprehensive plan for Apopka. What has been built, what is scheduled next and what developments are in progress and which ones are likely to come up for approval/denial soon. I will work closely with the Apopka Planning Department and the public to update the comprehensive plan addressing future land use designations and allowable densities with as much green space as possible to ensure a sustainable growth plan for our city. Improved, safe roads are critical with population growth. The cost to build new and improvement of current roads are partially paid with development impact fees. I will work closely with the City Planning staff and the public to address the transportation needs of our growing community.
My goal as a commissioner would be to proactively plan for growth. Growth will happen and having good planning in place will address the multiple factors mentioned. At the 2024 budget planning, what would a budget look like if we had everything we needed, then prioritizing what we want. Knowing when new developments come online, we know in advance what we will need for additional police, fire and EMT’s along with needed infrastructure. Are there roads that Apopka should consider taking over from Orange County ? Should Apopka take ownership of anything that is substandard? Apopka taxpayers will be responsible for the bill if upgrading is needed. I will work closely with staff in considering if roads are up to standard or need significant financial investment to bring them up. Impact fees never cover the real cost of needed infrastructure. How much are the gaps? Do we take impact fees and supplement with general city funds to meet those needs now, or do we wait years to allow impact fees to accrue, before moving forward with construction projects?"
Ryan Tucker, candidate for Seat #3:
"Apopka, as it stands right now, is reactive instead of proactive. If we want this issue of unbalanced growth to be corrected it is going to start with having a comprehensive plan in place to right the imbalance that has been created and put benchmarks in place for future growth.
I would love to hear from the various department heads within the city leadership: Police, Fire, Public Services, Parks & Rec, Finance, Code Enforcement, etc. to find out specifically where the current shortcomings are and get their input on solutions. These are the people who work in and run these departments each and every day, who better to discuss needs and solutions with than them.
Many of the issues around roads and schools are joint conversations that need to take place with the county. We need to keep lines of communication open, and consistent, with Orange County and OCPS to keep pressure applied in the right directions to get the things done for our city that we need. With the planned communities being built, and the others that are on the horizon, our schools, some of which were recently relieved with the opening of Kelly Park, are going to be maxed out again, not to mention Kelly Park itself that is not even a full two years into it’s opening and is going to be overcrowded.
We also need to make sure we are asking hard questions and putting necessary requirements on new developments coming into Apopka to make sure they are being proactive on their end when it comes to helping provide solutions to the roads their projects are going to impact.
We have our hands full with the current boundaries of Apopka and what needs to be corrected within them; I would like to see a moratorium placed on new annexation until we can adequately address the issues before us; otherwise, we are simply compounding the issue further."
Nadia Anderson, candidate for Seat #3:
"There’s no question we are experiencing unprecedented growth in Florida. New state laws have made controlling growth even more difficult for local municipalities. As your City Commissioner, my priorities will be to preserve and protect the quality of life we all want for Apopka. We can be an economically thriving community without sacrificing the charm and feel of a small town. We should work with the county to adopt a long-term growth and transportation plan that prevents out-of-scale and unwanted development. We should establish protections for environmentally sensitive areas and tree protection measures. New development should pay for itself, meaning roads and infrastructure should be planned before houses are built. I'll actively collaborate with the local school board, participating in discussions on new school locations and rezoning. Additionally, I'll prioritize allocating funds in the city budget for effective training and staffing of our fire and police department."
Darryl Richardson, candidate for Seat #3:
"Managing the city's growth depends on many factors, Apopka City commissioners have a relatively small part in things like Education, certain roads and improvements to county infrastructure, and some of the environmental impacts. However, there are things that the city can do to properly manage the growth of the city. Since Apopka is experiencing some of the highest percentages of growth in the state, we must do what we can to preserve the history of Apopka while allowing progress. First, as a city, we need to fully understand where the growth targets are and what future needs those areas will have.
A good start so that I may understand the challenges would be to develop a comprehensive growth plan. I would encourage the city government to work with urban planners and engage the community to develop a plan to manage the growth. The plan should take into consideration land use, transportation and infrastructure, and environmental sustainability. The plan should also include a review and update to any zoning regulations to ensure all aligns with this Growth Plan. The underlying item for me is to preserve Apopka’s city character.
At the minimum, a slowing of the growth could be done, and an all-out moratorium halting development can be legally challenged and could open the city up to unnecessary litigation. The city should prioritize infrastructure projects and invest in these projects to manage the traffic and growth efficiently. Addressing items such as public transportation, Water and sewage, utilities, etc, would also be part of this investment.
The city could also look at public-private partnerships to leverage available resources and knowledge of growth project planning. Collaborating with private developers to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes that align with the city’s growth goals. This does not mean a single developer has a monopoly on a vast majority of the growth projects. A Proper review of the current processes should be in place for RFI/RFP submission. Minimums like no less than 3 bids, I would advocate for a review of the complete bidding process to ensure fairness across the board that aligns with the city's needs and cost effectiveness. These projects should focus on Smart Growth Principles addressing items like compact, mixed-use development, walkable neighborhoods, and environmentally friendly solutions that enhance the quality of life for the residents while helping to manage the urban sprawl.
The city growth needs to be cautious of the overall appeal Apopka has today, preserving green spaces should be a huge part of growth. This would include conservation easements, tree preservation ordinances, and sustainable landscaping practices to maintain the city’s environmental balance. The growth plan should also include economic development strategies. These strategies would attract businesses and industries that align with the city’s vision. Diversify the local economy to create job opportunities and support the growing population.
With growth comes the mention of affordable housing as well. Everyone deserves to live where they wish, affordable housing initiatives should be part of this growth that affords everyone an opportunity to live the Apopka dream. This is important to preserve Apopka’s diverse demographic. With any growth there must be adequate educational and healthcare services available, it would be important to ensure proper communication with stakeholders at the county and state level to address these issues.
There is also emergency management and public safety to consider. With growth it will require more Fire protection and staff, also an expansion of The Apopka Police Department to ensure everyone is kept safe. Of course, this all costs money, but by taking a holistic and forward-thinking approach, the City Government can help guide Apopka through a period of growth while preserving its unique character.
Communication is the key. I’ve learned in my life there is always a way. It just depends on how we as taxpayers would like to handle the question."
Tomorrow's Question:The question to the candidates is this:
"What is your moonshot idea for Apopka? It might take more than one budget cycle to complete - but think big and explain how it can be accomplished. Or, if you prefer to keep millage rates low and the government small, explain why you think that's a better plan for Apopka."
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