End of Watch: April, 11, 2025
BEHIND THE SCENES
Spring Fling
Congrats to our Events team who put on an incredible amount of spring festivities! The events started in January with the annual Cops and Cars for Kids and MLK Day Parade and Celebration, continued into February with the Relay for Life Charity Golf Tournament and into March with the annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival that had a massive turnout! EggCeptional Family festival had a great turn out on a beautiful sunny weekend. Taste of Oviedo also happened at the Mall and the annual Arbor Day Giveaway gave out 600 trees to our residents. Good job by all involved! The 100 Year celebration recap will be in the next edition!
Hello from your City Manager!
It’s that time of year again. On March 12 , we kicked off the preparation of the FY 25-26 budget Preparing the budget is more than a financial exercise. It is the strategic art of balancing resources, making informed projections, setting priorities, and aligning our financial resources to address our City’s operational and capital needs. Our goal is to be a full service City providing the necessary services to keep Oviedo thriving. th
Bryan Cobb City Manager
The budget is our plan for how we will serve Oviedo residents and businesses for the coming fiscal year. It is also time to celebrate our accomplishments and our progress towards a more sustainable and prosperous City. Every department plays a critical role in the budget preparation, ensuring that every dollar spent is an investment in the City we serve.
Preparing FY 25-26 budget will be a greater challenge than this year’s. It will be the second year of the three (3) year financial plan presented with this year’s recommended millage adjustment. The expectation is that there will not be a millage adjustment in FY 25-26. Thus, we must be creative. Let’s approach preparing the FY 25-26 budget with an emphasis on purpose and clearly explaining the “why” behind every dollar requested I encourage all of you to have an open discussions within your departments about what is needed to finish this fiscal year and what will be needed for FY 25-26. It is going to take all of creative talents to prepare the FY 25-26 budget.
On April 11 , I received a call that no City Manager wants to receive. The City had lost a family member. Chief Coleman called to inform me that Police Officer Jimmy SerranoTorres had passed due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident that evening. My heart ached as he delivered the news. Jimmy had served the City with distinction since 2021. He will be greatly missed. Please keep Jimmy’s family and the members of our Police Department in your thoughts and prayers as we grieve his passing.
Thank you for your dedication, hard work, and continued excellence in service to our City It is an honor to serve with you every day.
SR 426/CR 419 Ribbon Cutting
On March 6, 2025, Phase II of the State Road 426/County Road 419 was unveiled during a ceremonious ribbon cutting! The Communications Department worked hand-in-hand, starting in July 2024, with the Florida Department of Transportation and Seminole County to plan every detail involved with the event. It was a combined effort between the City, County and FDOT to bring awareness to the end of Phase II which opens the corridor into downtown Oviedo to redevelopment and new possibilities.
The project end was delayed for several months due to the extraordinary amount of rain in September and Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The ribbon cutting date had to be moved at least four times due to the weather, but in the end, it was a beautiful morning for City, County and FDOT leaders to come together and bring about the end of Phase II. Phase III coming soon!
January was a major milestone for you Communications Director, Lisa McDonald. Lisa flew up to Emmitsburg, MD to attend a week-long training at the National Fire Academy to earn a prestigious Advanced PIO certificate She joins the ranks of 3,000 other public relations and emergency management specialists across the country who have earned their APIO certificates. The next step is a high-level Executive PIO training that is very intensive We’ll keep you updated on that progress!
In February, Lisa was also awarded the Executive Choice Award in photography from the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council for the Disc Golf Course at River Woods Park. This initiative was a project developed by Jack Whittaker and it was submitted as a ‘Health and Equity’ nomination.
City Council
Upcoming Meeting Dates
Regular Session May 5
Regular Session May 19
Work Session (tentative) May 27
Regular Session June 2
Regular Session June 16
Work Session (tentative) June 23
Regular Session July 7
Regular Session July 21
Work Session (tentative) July 28
Please have your agenda items placed in the OneMeeting (PrimeGov) workflow no later than 3 weeks prior to the meeting date Complete Council Meeting Schedule & deadlines available on Sharepoint
Records Management
Reminder: Contact Records Coordinator Annie Mattinson, ext. 5501, or your department’s Records Liaison if you have any questions. You can find the City’s Records Management Handbook & other resources on the City Clerk’s SharePoint page.
Public Records Requests
Reminder: Contact our office if you have any questions or would like to schedule Public Records training. You can find the Public Records flow chart & other resources on the City Clerk’s SharePoint page.
New portal
Public Record Portal
The City has launched a new Public Records Request online portal. This new system will be used for all requests received via email, phone, in person, or subpoenas by all departments. You can utilize this site to submit a public records request, track the request, and download responsive records. The link to the NextRequest page can be found on the city’s website or home page of SharePoint.
Reminder: Please contact our office if you have any questions or would like to schedule training on NextRequest or on general Public Records. You can find the Public Records flow chart & other resources on SharePoint.
City Clerk’s Office Software System Administrators
OnBase: Madelyn Bui
OneMeeting: Elianne Rivera
NextRequest: Elianne Rivera
Please remember to complete all sections of the physical certified mail slip, include your department on the outside of the envelope, verify the address is formatted correctly, and do not place sealed empty envelopes in the outgoing mail tray.
february 2025
Emma Tagye (Recreation & Parks: Recreation Aide Specialist P/T)
Oliver Teal (Fire: Firefighter)
march 2025
Bryan Chesnut (Police: Police Officer)
Jayden Judd (Recreation & Parks: Maintenance Worker I)
Albert Misero (Public Works: Heavy Equipment Operator II)
David Sherman (Public Works: Light Equipment Mechanic)
Bobby Washington (Public Works: Crew Leader)
Recruitment Incentive
Refer someone and earn $$
Employees who refer applicants have a chance to earn bonus money. You can earn $200 if the recruited employee is hired and an additional $300 if the recruited employee completes their probationary period All the applicant has to do is put your name as the referral in their application!
April
Rishona Jerome - Police Officer – 5 years
Lucinda McCarthy – Recreation & Parks Administrative Assistant – 10 years
May
Brenda Lopez – Finance: Customer Service Rep – 5 Years
Dale Poe – Recreation & Parks: Park Ranger – 5 years
Stephanie Abadie – Benefits Analyst – 10 years
Deacon Pollard – Police Officer – 15 years
Joetta West – Public Works: Lead Operator – 20 years
June
Ajan Shane – Public Works: Plant Operator)– 5 years
Congratulations to Gregory Fehl who received a recruitment incentive! (Referred: Lindsey Varkony Selmer)
CRS/FEMA RE-CLASSICATION
The City of Oviedo, along with 242 other communities in Florida and 1,501 throughout the US, participates in the Community Rating System (CRS) managed by FEMA. CRS is a voluntary program rewarding communities that exceed the minimum standards of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Some of the benefits of participating in the program include:
Floodplain Management Activities: These activities enhance public safety, reduce damage to property and public infrastructure, and minimize economic disruption and loss to the greatest extent possible.
Increased Residential Awareness: City staff guide residents, when needed, on issues related to property flooding and drainage, increasing awareness of known flooding risks.
Flood Insurance Premium Reductions: Communities participating in the CRS can receive reductions in flood insurance premiums through the NFIP, based on the community’s classification and efforts to meet program standards.
Access to Federal Benefits: Community participation ensures access to federal assistance during natural disasters, including government-backed flood insurance, disaster assistance, grants, and small business administration loans
The city has participated in the program since 2008 and started as a Class 9 community, which gave residents in Special Flood Hazard Areas a 5% discount on their premiums. Since joining the program, the city has diligently worked to not only maintain its participation but also improve its rating with each evaluation cycle In 2012, the city earned a Class 8 rating, which allowed a 10% discount to those who qualified. In 2016, the rating improved further to a Class 6, and the city maintained this classification through the next two cycles.
The city recently had its five-year evaluation and earned a Class 5 rating. This new classification will provide residents in Special Flood Hazard Areas, as identified on the published Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), with a 25% discount on their NFIP flood insurance premiums.
NEW INTERNS
We welcome these two new interns to the Engineering/Public Works administration team:
Emily is an Environmental Science Student at UCF, and began her internship with the Public Works Department on February 19th Emily has been working on our GIS software by, digitizing sewer systems as well as importing new data after switching from Arc Maps to Arc Pro. She is currently working on creating an HDD Bore Log from the most recent drilling project on the little Econ. Emily would like to eventually dive into the consulting world and become an environmental consultant upon graduating and gaining more experience So far, she has learned a lot about the environmental field as it relates to government work and is excited to start her professional journey with us in Public Works!
Rylan, a Mechanical Engineering student at UCF, began his Engineering internship with the Public Works Department on February 19th. Rylan has been contributing to projects such as mapping ideal digging spots for a Capital improvement project along CR 419, assessing sign reflectivity for regulation and safety, and helped with 100th anniversary event on April 26th. Rylan is proud of the quick progress he has made so far, especially in regards to the roles that fall outside of his typical engineering work. Rylan has aspired to be an engineer since the 4th grade, and is partially inspired by his aunt, who works at Lockheed Martin Upon graduating, Rylan intends to work for Lockheed Martin or Boeing, as they are among the most technologically innovative companies
At the January Employee Luncheon, the following employees were honored for their years of service:
FF/PM Manuel Ildefonso – 25 years
LT/PM Christopher Daily, BC/PM Raul Nin, BC/PM Thomas Algeri and FF/PM Joshua Wolf – 20 years
Stephen Livingston and Charlie Koepsell – 15 years
Christopher Singer – 10 years
Andre Tichonoff – 1 year
On Friday, March 7, 2025, two firefighters were sworn in and pinned at Oviedo City Hall.
Firefighters Oliver Teal and Victor Velasquez III went through the orientation process before being assigned to their shifts following the ceremony. Teal and Velasquez both spent time working with Battalion Chiefs, Engineers, Paramedics, Lieutenants, and trainers on hose lines, hydrant work, rapid rescue, ladders, forcible entry, extrication, and Tower Truck/Aerial operations.
“I am excited to welcome Firefighters Teal and Velasquez to the Oviedo Fire Department,” said Oviedo Fire Chief Michael Woodward. “Their enthusiasm and passion for the fire service will contribute to the great service we provide to the Citizens of Oviedo”
Fire Chief Michael Woodward officially swore in Teal and Velasquez.
“Always remain humble and never stop learning,” said Fire Chief Michael Woodward during the ceremony. Velasquez is originally from Miami and came to Orlando about two years ago. He graduated from the Fire Academy in Orlando. Before becoming a firefighter, Velasquez served four years in the Coast Guard and is currently in the Army National Guard and recently returned from a deployment. Teal originally hails from a town just north of Manchester, England and has been in the U.S. for approximately 13 years, with eight of those years in Florida He wanted to become a firefighter after living next door to a Polk County fire station
Along with family, both firefighters were joined by Mayor Sladek and Councilmember Ott, City Manager Bryan Cobb, Fire Command Staff, Fire Department Staff, and city staff.
Happy Retirement!
We wish all the best to Sgt. Kim Mojica and Officer Richard Graham on their recent retirements. May you dig your feet in the sand and enjoy a margarita on the beach every day!
This quarter, our Community Relations Team was busy! They participated in so many events including Fishing with a Cop (which was a huge success), Get Informed About Uniforms and High School Recruitment, but the one event that will be coming back monthly is Coffee with a Cop. We held the first event at Maple Street Biscuit Co. and had many people show up for some free coffee and conversations with our officers. It was a lot of fun getting to see people we may not normally get to talk to and we hope to keep them growing this year!
January
Joel Brown
Isaac Armstrong
Patrick Daunt
Greg Fehl
Timothy Jernigan
Ed Heim
Logan Smith
Salita Tennant
Nicole Carvelli
Jermaine Walton
JANUARY
Jermaine Walton - 2004
Wade Weaver - 2006
Stephen Rogers - 2008
Kyle Coffman - 2017
Timothy Jernigan - 2024
Johnathan Ortiz - 2024
Vladyslav Blagodar - 2024
Noah Reyes - 2024
Layne Burkett-Driggors - 2024
February
Jarred Buxton
Chris Salemi
Christopher McCree
Charlotte Johnson
Wade Weaver
Tyler Stimpson
Robert Brunjes
Ryan Dauzat
Johnathan Ortiz
FEBRUARY
Mike Beavers - 1992
Matt DePanicis - 2007
Ashley Pierce - 2007
Michael Hill - 2009
Gabriel Roberts - 2012
Robert Brunjes - 2013
Chris Salemi - 2013
Brandon Bedgood - 2018
Ryan Meyer - 2018
Blake Smith - 2018
Johnathan Lopez - 2013
Brian Foley - 2024
march
Mike Beavers
Lindsay Varkony Selmer
march
Carl Rager - 1999
Bryan McCaulley - 2005
Charlotte Johnson - 2016
Nicole Carvelli - 2021
Julissa Vargas Medina - 2022
Bryan Santiago Rosa - 2023
Shaniya Jernigan - 2024
Wendy Buffone - 2025
RIVERSIDE IS FINISHED!
In case you didn’t hear, the Riverside Recreation Center is complete and back open to the public! We will be offering a wide range of programs for all ages and are still welcoming citizens to stop in and give us their programming ideas! Senior programming is on the way and we have several instructors going through the AUE process. We are also working on game times. The racquetball courts were just completed and open for use!
Program Updates that will be starting soon:
New E-Sports programs for kids and teens on Mondays
Chess for kids
Twirling on Tuesdays
Fencing on Wednesdays
Tennis lessons are still available daily.
SNAP will continue for the summer and we are attempting to add one big field trip a month. Registration for the Fall semester will be starting soon end employees get a discount on the program! Give staff a call if you’re interested in signing up for any of the programs!
The amenities at the Center are endless! Staff is working on creating a Book Nook quiet space for reading, a coffee and snack bar and games galore The facility has LED smart lighting, retractable room dividers for small or large groups, bathrooms, smart water dispensers and a friendly staff.
Stop by and say hello if you’re in the area and get a tour of the building! Staff worked very hard to rebuild it after Hurricane Ian destroyed it.
1608 Lockwood Blvd.
Our events staff books monthly comedy nights at the Cultural Center and you, as an employee get an amazing discount! Employees can attend shows for as little as $10 and we bring in world-class comedians that are featured in movies and t.v. shows. Reach out to Terri Martini if you’re interested in going to any upcoming shows. It’s a great date night on Saturday nights!
Cultural Center Rentals
Got a big event coming up? Weddings, Receptions, Birthday Parties, Anniversary Parties and so much more can be accommodated at the Cultural Center! Located at Oviedo on the Park, this beautiful facility can be rented ALL city employees receive a discounted rental rate. We can provide whatever you need for your occasion. Reach out to staff to start planning that special night
Swan Boat rides are FREE for all city employees. (Normal fee for anyone who accompanies you on the boat)
PHISHING - KNOW YOUR RED FLAGS AND
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Hello from Development Services!
there
are New and exciting things are happening in our city!
Check out the City’s website and click on GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Services for Development Services Information and Development Projects updates
We are excited to welcome Natalie Angel to the team as our Development Review Coordinator!
Natalie comes from an Urban Planning background and is an Alum of Florida Atlantic University (Bachelor’s) and currently enrolled in UCF pursuing a graduate degree
She always been surrounded by the construction fields per her parents. Dad owns a metal fabricating company and mom is a civil engineer. Her home is Orlando and enjoys adrenaline-based sports like surfing, dirt bikes and free diving She also has a cat named Honeybun
In addition, welcome Bradley Paul, as a Development Services Intern.
Paul is currently a student at UCF, studying Urban and Regional Planning.
Paul has been working part-time and contributing to various projects with the department
He lives in Oviedo and has family in Lake Worth, Florida. With down time, he enjoys ultimate frisbee And working out. We are glad to have them on our team.
ENCORE AWARDS
Thank you for your dedication!
One Year
Kristapher Banks (Public Works: Utility Technician)
Vladyslav Blagodar (Police: Police Officer)
Wendy Buffone (Police: Police Records Specialist)
Layne Burkett-Dreggors (Police: Police Officer)
Brian Foley (Police: Deputy Police Chief)
Jacob Genao (Recreation & Parks: Sr. Lifeguard PT)
Andres Herrera (Fire: Firefighter/EMT)
Shaniya Jernigan (Police: Police Officer)
Timothy Jernigan (Police: Police Officer)
Lindsey Longstreet (Development Services: Code Enforcement Officer
Dean McCallum (Recreation & Parks: Recreation Events Program Coordinator)
Johnathan Ortiz (Police: Police Officer)
Noah Reyes (Police: Police Officer)
Jason Thibodeau (Public Works: Lift Station Mechanic Trainee)
Austin Turja (Fire: Firefighter/EMT)
Hailey West (Recreation & Parks: Concession Coordinator/PT)
Lily West (Recreation & Parks: Concession Coordinator)
Dusty Winn (Recreation & Parks: Facilities Manager)
Five years
Scott Lake (Recreation & Parks)
Marisol Laureano (Development Services)
Ten Years
Patricia Lemay (Recreation & Parks) – 10 years
Christopher Singer (Fire) – 10 years
Thank you for a job well done! Thank you for a job well done!
engagement squad
Another great job by the Engagement Squad on the April 30, 2025 luncheon. Good food and good times!
