Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson delivered the State of the City Address yesterday at the VFW/Apopka Community Center before an announced crowd of 339. The event was sponsored by the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce.
Nelson spoke on a range of subjects including the recently-completed budget, economic development, infrastructure, public safety, Camp Wewa, and COVID-19. The address took a little over 34 minutes to deliver and was approximately 4,500 words.
"What an honor to be out here this morning," Nelson said. "We've got a lot going on in Apopka, and we've only got 30 minutes, so you better buckle up, get ready, here we go.
It was the first State of the City address since 2019. In 2020, the speech was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nelson addressed those dark days in his opening.
"I'd first like to go back to when our world, country, state, and city changed," he said. "We must discuss the effects that COVID has had on all of us over the last 20 months. We first realized this at the end of March 2020, that COVID would impact our way of life and that we as a city must adapt to the necessary changes."
Nelson spoke about the action taken by Apopka to combat the spread of COVID-19.
"By the middle of April, we secured the first 1,000 COVID test kits. We tested all of our police and fire [departments] and even had enough left over to supply the cities of Winter Garden, Ocoee, Eatonville, Winter Park, and Maitland. Our firefighters took the lead by helping our residents with a two-day vaccination event at the community center here and vaccinated over 500 people."
Nelson also pointed out that in April 2020, he knew the budget would have to be scaled back because of the pandemic.
"By the end of April, we knew that sales tax revenues were going to be much lower... so our staff actively froze hiring and eliminated any non-critical expenditures. As we moved into the sales tax early in the pandemic, we had to borrow just under a million dollars from our reserves. We didn't take that decision lightly. But with a global pandemic, along with uncertainty in Central Florida, we thought it was the right situation to use our reserves. Thankfully, by the end of the fiscal year our conservative approach had paid off, and we were able to replenish the reserves. We are proud that we were able to do this despite a $3 million hit to our sales tax revenue."
By the 2021-22 fiscal budget cycle, Nelson believed the City had rebounded financially from the pandemic, and his administration had gotten the budgetary house in order.
"Now let's talk about the general overall financial health of the city and what this year's budget plan looks like," he said. "Since taking office in 2018, we have reduced the general fund indebtedness by over $9-million and have also reduced the ongoing debt service by $1.4 million per year. That's what's given us the ability to keep moving forward even with the big sales tax decreases."
Nelson's move forward included investments in infrastructure, public services, and public safety.
"Some of the capital improvements for this year include $7-million for transportation improvements, $2-million for fire improvements $2-million for street improvements, $500,000 for recreational stormwater improvements, and almost $13-million in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements," he said. "We've just completed a 300 million gallon reclaimed water reservoir when Golden Gem and are digging another 50 million gallon pond to supplement it. These two ponds alone will give us almost 30 days of storage in Orange County, Utilities Inc., and Altamonte Springs send us the maximum amount of water under their current contracts. Our contract with Water Inc. has found over $500,000 in under and unbuilt water, wastewater, and reclaimed water across our system. We have replaced 3,000 water meters last year and we're projected to replace 4,000 water meters this year to make sure that everyone is paying for the water that they consume."
"We have replaced 13 septic tanks with a distributed wastewater system in Wekiva Glen, which is the closest neighborhood to Wekiva Springs," Nelson said. "This reduces the amount of nitrogen entering the groundwater by over 17 pounds per system per year. And we plan to install another 17 additional systems in the upcoming year. Our water department has begun to re-drill the final two drinking wells to the lower aquifer to meet the more stringent DVP standards."
Nelson also announced significant investments in streets and lighting in Apopka.
"We have added $1.8 million to our Streets Department to implement the newly created payment condition study and resurface more roads based on an analytical analysis," he said. "We have added over 123 new streetlights and upgraded 626 street lights to LED. We are also adding over 8,000 lineal feet of sidewalks to continue to focus on these critical infrastructure programs. Our new lighting assessment program, which mandates new communities pay for their own neighborhood lighting will save the city millions of dollars over the next decade. We have acquired a new software asset management system to track all of our buildings, equipment, and infrastructure, giving us valuable information on age and useful life."
With the help of grants, and modest investments from the budget, the Apopka Community Redevelopment area and downtown have seen improvements.
"Our CRA has been busy coordinating and facilitating amazing improvements to our downtown," Nelson said. "Now that our fifth street parking lot has been completed, we have spruced up South Central Avenue by adding palm trees, and with the help of a $250,000 federal sidewalk ramp, we will be able to give the CRA residents additional walking and biking opportunities. We've also received a $750,000 CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) grant for repairing low to moderate-income homes here in Apopka."
Affordable housing has also been a topic in Apopka news lately. Nelson announced a partnership to help with that issue.
"We're completing a partnership with the South Apopka Ministerial Alliance to build more affordable housing units across from Alonzo Williams Park and continue to help with impact fee credits and improvements to beautify our community," he said. "With the current companies expressing interest in opening business right here in the Apopka CRA, it's an exciting time to be involved in the CRA with the private and public sector putting dollars to work here in Apopka."
Nelson announced the progress made in the public safety building to house the Apopka Fire and Police Departments as well as an increase in the APD's sworn officer's roster for the upcoming year.
"As we move into our first responders and the accomplishments they have achieved, we must begin with a just-completed needs analysis for a brand new public safety building. And we'll have our fire and police departments with a hardened bunker for dispatch, emergency management, and IT. This facility will satisfy our needs for decades to come.
"Our police department budget includes adding 10 new officers to this year's budget along with the equipment that makes them an even more effective law enforcement team."
"Our ISO-1 fire department continues to be in the top 1% of all agencies across the country," Nelson said. "We are excited to announce that we will begin to build a new firehouse station #6 early next year across from AdventHealth Apopka, which will help to reduce response time in the growing southwest quadrant of our city. We have also partnered with Orlando Health to position a life-saving helicopter at fire station #4, which will reduce the transport times by minutes which could save lives.
Nelson also projects that the City of Apopka will go 100% digital in the near future.
"The most exciting news is that we have the tools in place for every department across the city to become fully digital without any paper to conduct business," he said.
A lot of attention is being placed on the Parks and Recreation department in this budget and in the coming years. Nelson took perhaps the most time on this subject during the address.
"Our Parks and Recreation Department has been extremely busy beginning with our partnership with AdventHealth at the Northwest Recreational Complex, adding value to our fields with wind strings, a $10,000 youth scholarship each year, an outdoor fitness center for all to enjoy. We have just completed two bathroom facilities in our baseball complex and we'll be adding one in the amphitheater and one in youth soccer this fiscal year.
"We have a proposed plan for improvements at Northwest Rec, which include seven tennis courts, 12 pickleball courts, six basketball courts, six volleyball courts, nine ball fields, an ADA compliant playground, field housing, a pool, and a dog park. I'll have to admit the price tag is a little steep, but I think over time we will try to accomplish all of these proposed changes."
"We have signed up over 1,500 youth for our soccer, flag football, and basketball to participate this year alone. If you add in the community partners including Little league, Pop Warner, lacrosse, and dance, the total number of kids participating here in Apopka is 2,500."
"We are now completing two digital signs one at Kit Land Nelson Park and one in Northwest Rec to keep everyone informed as to events going on in the city. The framework is already there, just waiting for the sign to be installed and be able to give all the information about what's going on in our city to those traveling on Park Avenue or out at Northwest.
"Our Saturday Sounds concerts have been a huge hit in the amphitheater with crowds of up to 2,000 excited to see bands from performing right here in Apopka. Our Fourth of July celebration was the largest ever with over 5,000 visitors attending. We continue to partner with the Women's Club, Rotary, and Sertoma to bring you the Christmas parade, Art and Foliage Festival, Fall Festival, and Spring Fair. A few events to close out the year include our weekly Saturday Sounds concerts, the fall family festival, put on bt Rotary this weekend, our tree-lighting event, and our first year doing Apopka Arts in the Park at Northwest. Our annual Christmas parade in partnership with the Apopka Foliage Sertoma Club, and our third annual concert from the Orlando Philharmonic back for the popular holiday Pops concert."
Possibly the high-water mark for Nelson's during his term in office was the acquisition of Camp Wewa. He talked about it during his address with an endearing fondness.
"One of the things I'm most proud of is Camp Wewa," he said. "The city began to talk to the YMCA about nine months ago about purchasing the 100-year-old Camp Wewa. And with the support of the City Council, we purchased it in September. A huge thank you to our friends at Lowe's for their hundreds of volunteer hours and donated supplies, and about 100 team members were there three days in a row... out there and hustling from 8am until 5pm. What a great group of folks out there to help us spruce up Camp Wewa."
He also saved another announcement about Camp Wewa for the address.
"Hot off the presses. We just found out late last week that the city was awarded a grant for $1-million to the purchase of Camp Wewa from the FEP Conservation Fund."
In the early stages of this political cycle, the biggest issue and debate point has been centered around economic development in Apopka. In his address, Nelson took ample time to make the case that economic development in Apopka is flourishing under his administration.
"The partnership between the city of Apopka, and the Chamber of Commerce created a world-class EDC website called the Apopka Growth Alliance at growapopka.com," Nelson said. "This website has information that any business looking to recruit locate or expand into the central Florida area might need to make an informed decision about why Apopka is the place to be. They can search potential site locations based on their needs, and then additionally have an up to date demographics, school information taxes, incentives, and special zones and maps with available property for sale, and much, much more. The economic partners for the site include Vince Development Corporation, Coca-Cola, Mullinax Ford, and Seacoast Bank."
"With the help of the Orlando Economic Partnership and Duke Energy, the property around our airport has been designated one of the top 10 industrial sites for all of central Florida<" Nelson said. "With the opening of the 429 and the completion of the Wekiva Parkway in the near future, our city has become ground zero for industrial developments."
"We've already had ribbon cuttings for Goya, Amazon, Coke, and MedPharm Logistics Center and have up to eight million more square feet of industrial coming our way. The new industrial complexes across Apopka had contributed 1/3 of all new property taxes, which will reduce the tax burden on you and Apopka residents. We have more high-wage employers coming to town and with that opportunity to bring in more restaurants and shopping to the Apopka area."
"Our friends at Wilbright Development have been busy retooling Piedmont Plaza and Wekiva Riverwalk. Chick-fil-A has decided to move their Hunt Club location to the Piedmont Plaza and at Wekiva Riverwalk, Woolbright is adding an Alta and a Sprouts Farmers Market to their center. Sprouts is known for their healthy organic foods, and be a great addition to the Woolbright Center."
The Apopka City Center has been a slow-moving project since 2016, but Nelson announced several steps forward in bringing this longstanding project to fruition.
"Our City Center is putting the finishing touches on the development of our former city-owned property," he said. "Taurus Investments has just inked deals to develop a brewery, food court, Starbucks, Hand in Stone, and a high-end prototype Winn Dixie... and is currently negotiating with a couple of local upscale restaurants to complete the project."
"The future is bright for us here in Apopka," Nelson said in his closing remarks. "All these accomplishments would not have happened without a dedicated staff... and to each and every one of you, I want to say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's not been an easy journey. Your commitment to our city of Apopka is unwavering and on display each and every day, and to my City Council members that put Apopka citizens first in everything we do."
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