The Orlando Sentinel reports that Osceola County is ready to negotiate with Kissimmee for the city to annex various county enclaves that are totally surrounded by the city. After seeing a map a few years ago that looked like swiss cheese, with little dots of Osceola County within the city borders, we say the time for this project has certainly come.Let's get it done quickly, folks. As Martha Stewart would say, "it's a good thing." And we offer congratulations to both governments for moving forward to clean this up.
8 comments:
What will be interesting about the annexation of the enclaves is what will that do to our tax base and any possible strain on our services. For years the City of Kissimmee has been forced to fix problems the county has not only created, but has been unable (or unwilling) to handle. At least it would take the county out of many of he decisions that the city has to make. Well in theory anyway, because it seems that as of late the city just does what ever the county or the school board wants. I thought we elected politicians not puppets... I just realized that I used the puppet line on one of the most famous puppet sites in central Florida. lol
Word on the street is that Gail Hamilton from the Kissimmee CRA is again saying that there will be Condo Units on the childrens park at the downtown lakefront park. The comment that I have heard from a couple of people is that within 5 years there will be condos on the south park. At first I was shocked to hear this after everything that happened and how the public responed, but after watching the budget come together, it is obvious that the CRA is going to lose much of its funding. Adding condo's back into the mix would help fill their pockets again.
We need to make sure the folks in the downtown are aware of what is going on. They helped stop this before and kept the park renovations for the public good instead of only serving the CRA. I still have a copy of the old flyer the used if anyone needs a copy.
I just finally got my hands on a News Gazette and read the article with City Commissioner Cheryl Grieb and the City of Kissimmee Logo. I should have had a paper at my house yesterday, but as usual, it never showed up. I am not really for or against the cow in the logo. I think it is stupid to waste money on change the logo, when we are stipping departments an reducing the effective staff of our police and fire departments. Talk of a logo change at this time is something the entire commission should be ashamed of.
My real problem with her article was the fact that she, and the other commissioners, threatened our existing downtown. Her suggestion from the paper is that the new image might include representations of the Vine Street Renovation project, which commissioners hope will transform U.S. Highway 192 into a well-landscaped downtown core.
If the commissioners are looking to destroy our historic downtown, then why do we have a CRA that sucks money from the downtown? Why did the commissioners just give money to the Kissimmee Mainstreet party group? If you are going to kill it off, why don't you just tell the merchants and building owners what you are doing and be honest for once. This is a sad day in the City of Kissimmee.
Maybe we should just build a whole stip of schools on 192 since they just killed any hope of economic developement. Since the city is great at allowing strip malls maybe we should look a stip schools.
The Shiny Ball of short term solutions must be the size of a wrecking ball. I can see the campaign postcards now, "Re-Elect Me because I gave you the Roundabout Fountian," "I support Economic Development Fountains," or maybe "I Will Pour Your Money Down The Fountain!" While We know the last statement is true, it would be the only one never to show up on a mailer. Why they don't they just tell us they don't know what to do and move on. These little money spending adventure are only hurting our community.
I just heard that they City is looking to put condos on the Kissimmee Lakefront park again? Didn't that get stopped by public? Why can't they just leave the lakefront alone?
With regards to your reader that said that condos were coming to the lakefront...first off...where did they get their facts? Don't start spreading rumors. I live at the Lakefront and I'll tell you, I'd rather have condos instead of the drug dealers, cheaters, people dumping trash, trespassers, and weirdos that we have now. I invite you to visit and see what goes on here. I am certain that you would be surprised. Yes, during the day it's a great place but the neighborhood changes at night. The view of Lake Toho is one of the best in the City, so if we can increase our tax base, get rid of the low lifes and benefit the residents - why not? Why not build high end condos? Why not try to attract people with good ethics, morals & positive attributes? I have kept up with the plans and your reader is wrong. I have not heard of any talk of condos but I would welcome them. The residents of Kissimmee need to realize that change is coming whether they like it or not, we can either help to make it positve and beneficial or it will happen on its own in a negative way. Stop complaining and starting rumors and get involved in a positive way! We need change at the lakefront!
To the confused commenter above who wants condos on the lakefont park, please think through your ideas before you post and stop being a parrot for the developers and real estate industry. First... the people spoke loud and clear on this issue and their voice said "No" to putting condos on the kids park. Second, your arguements for destroying a natural legacy of our great city, drug dealers, cheaters, etc., are all law enforcement issues and are not reasons to punish the law abiding residents of the city by taking away their park. Third, your belief that bringing in high end condos and the rich translates to people with higher moral values is horrible. I would only say that I am ashamed of your attack on the hard working residents of our city. Money does not translate into better moral values, and I find it sad that you have not figured that out by now. Lindsy Lohan, Paris Hilton, OJ Simpson, you can keep them in your circle of friends because it is obvious that is who you long to be.
As far as starting rumors, the entire Kissimmee Lakefront project started as a rumor. It was a rumor that the Lakefront Park was being targeted for Condos that no resident would be allowed to visit. These were all rumors that at the end of the day were true. Remember -- Trust us, there is no plan. All we can hope is that if these new rumors are true, the same folks who fought to protect our residents before come to our rescue again.
As far as your last comment about change, you could not be more correct. Change is all around us in the City of Kissimmee, and right now it looks like folks such as yourself and our commission have brought in the worst kind of change. Look at 192 and tell me this is part of the positive change you want so much. The insiders and the experienced are a threat to our community. We need new blood and a new direction that will help our community rather than hurt it.
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