Employee Newsletter Quarter 4 by CityofOviedo

Keeping all employees informed about Citynews,awards,eventsandmessages that will allow you to get to know different departments, employees and those who go above and beyond to makeOviedooneoftheTop10Citiesin Florida.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Holiday Events!

Another job well done to our Recreation and Parks team for putting together amazing holiday events in 2024. The Tree Lighting had a spectacular stage show, with a hilarious tribute to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation immediately following the lighting of the tree. The holiday parade was a huge success with every street packed with people watching the festive floats. WinterFest saw families enjoying our Florida ‘winter’ with games, bounce houses and tons of holiday activities. The facilities staff kept the parks clean and tidy for everyone andeveryonehadagreattime!

2025 Strategic Plan Approved

I am thrilled to share that the City Council approved a new strategic plan at its December 16, 2024 meeting. This milestone represents the culmination of months of collaboration, thoughtful discussion, and dedicated effort from every corner of our organization. Our directors spent time with Councilmembers and the public, talking about future goals and identifying objectives and strategies to accomplishthegoals.

TheStrategicplanismorethanadocument.

It is a roadmap for our city’s future. It reflects our shared commitment to enhancing services, fostering innovation, and building a thriving community that we can all be proud of.Theplanoutlinesourkeypriorities,whichinclude:

Enhancing Quality of Life – By investing in public safety, parks, and recreational opportunities,weaimtomakeOviedoasafeandvibrantplaceforall.

Economic Growth and Development – Supporting local businesses and attracting new opportunitiestosustainahealthyanddiverseeconomy.

Sustainability and Infrastructure – Prioritizing smart growth and maintaining the infrastructurethatsupportsourresidentsandbusinesses.

Community Engagement – Strengthening relationships with our residents and ensuring open,transparentcommunication.

Each of you plays a critical role in bringing this vision to life. Whether you interact directly with residents, manage essential operations, or provide behind-the-scenes support, your workcontributestothesuccessoftheCity.

Moving forward, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the strategic plan and consider how it aligns with your daily responsibilities. Together, we can ensure that this vision becomes a reality and that Oviedo continues to be a family community with endless opportunity.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the City. I look forward to working alongside all of you to achieve these goals. If you have any questions or would like more detailsaboutthestrategicplan,pleasedon’thesitatetoreachout. Let’smakethisatransformativechapterforOviedo!

Bryan Cobb City Manager

Two Hurricanes and lots of preparation. Helene and Milton occupied a lot of time and space for your Communications Manager. Your PIO is always watching the tropics and local weather forecasts, especially at the end of summer and into fall. Thanks to her experience working in t.v. news and having gone through at least 29 hurricanes and tropical storms since that time, she was prepared with her messaging. The breakdown is allaboutbefore,duringandafterastorm.Whatdidourresidentsneedtoknow?

Messagingisthekeywhenitcomesto keepingresidentsinformed. Ourcitizens turntothecityforinformationand communication.Itwasthegoalofthis officetocommunicateeveryaspectof whattoprepareforandwhattodoafter thestormpasses.Thankfully,Oviedowas resilientandtherewaslittletonodamage reported.Wehadalotofdebristhough!

GreatworkbyYvonneinGIScreatingan interactivemapofdebriscleanupand theprogressthatwasbeingdoneuntil thelastofitwascollectedbythe contractor. Itwassharedonsocialmedia andthewebsiteandresidentswerevery happytobeabletouseit.

City Council

Upcoming Meeting Dates

Regular Sessions:

February 3rd

February 17th

March 3rd

March 17th

April 7th

Work Sessions (all tentative):

January 27th

February 24th

March 24th

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 resourcesontheCityClerk’sSharePointpage.

At the December 2nd meeting, we had two members of the City Council sworn in. The first was Councilmember Jeff Boddiford who was re-elected to council, and we want to welcome our newest Councilmember Alan Ott who was sworn in by Seminole County Clerk of the Court Grant Malloy. Congratulations to both of you and we look forward to all the great things you will do for the City. We also want to congratulate Councilmember Natalie Teuchert who will be serving as DeputyMayorforthenextyear.

Mail

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 emptyenvelopesintheoutgoingmailtray.

Bob Pollack made his last motion on the City Council to approve the minutes from the last meeting before the Mayor read a proclamation thanking him for his service on the City Council. Well done Mr. Pollack and we hope to see you back at council meetings, in the audience this time!

OCTOBER 2024

Jonathan Bodie (Recreation & Parks: Maintenance Worker I)

Justin Rosado Cabarcas (Public Works: Underground Utility Line Locator)

Anthony Aldana (Recreation & Parks: Maintenance Worker I)

Catherine Holton (Recreation & Parks: Head Lifeguard)

november 2024

Karson McKee (Recreation and Parks Sr. Lifeguard)

Mason Winn (Recreation and Parks Aide Specialist)

december 2024

Alan Ott (Councilmember: Elected Official)

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 referralintheirapplication!

january

Scott Lake (Recreation & Parks) – 5 years

Patricia Lemay (Recreation & Parks) – 10 years

Keith Daly (Public Works) – 20 years

Teresa Tanner (Finance) – 25 years

february:

Elaine Hart (Finance) – 20 years

Gregory McCue (Public Works) – 20 years

Sandra Newhouse (Finance) – 20 years

Jason Smith (IT) – 20 years

march:

Marisol Laureano (Development Services) – 5 years

Christopher Singer (Fire) – 10 years

Brian McCauley (Police) – 20 years

Justin Rosado, Underground Utility Locator

Justin was born in the Bronx, NY and moved to Florida about 9 years ago where he finished his schooling. Shortly after graduating high school, he got a job with a public company where he first learned to use ground penetrating radar (GPR) and wand equipment which are used to find/locate underground utilities. He worked doing locates for various cities, primarily in east Florida. He eventually moved into construction as a boring supervisor, honing his leadership skills. He is thrilled to have joined theCity, in late November, and is excited to be working alongside us. He is looking forward to the possibility of new doors and adventures. In his spare time, Justin enjoys playing basketball.

The City has awarded Atlantic Civil Constructors Corp. a contract to complete the needed improvements at the intersection of Mitchell Hammock Road and SR 434. The project involves the addition of a second left turn lane in the westbound direction along Mitchell Hammock Road at SR 434. The project will also include minor widening, signal modifications, minor infrastructure improvements, and milling and resurfacing of Mitchell Hammock Road from SR 434 to the west side of City Plaza Way/Clara Lee Evans Way. The construction began on December 9, 2024, and will end July 2025.

Hurricane Milton, October 9, 2024

Hurricane Milton impacted the rivers running through Oviedo. The Little Econ in Riverside Park crested 10 feet above normal high-water levels. The Park grounds took the overflow from the river. The floodwaters remained approximately 5 feet below the Lockwood Bridge.

Storm systems in certain areas around the city were inundated by torrential rains causing structural damages. The debris clean-up was extensive; however, the city was well prepared for the storm. Over 30,450 sand bags were distributed and no residential structural flooding was reported.

Our Crews were out responding to inquiries and concerns from residents even as the outer bands of the storm were starting to move across the area. Crews were clearing debris and checking rising waters right up until it became too dangerous to be outside.

The Fire Department did a total of 33 Public Education events for the months of October, November and December. These include: Groups, schools, citizens, etc. visiting the stations; Engines or Rescues visiting schools or community/City events. We also had 7 people interested in becoming a Firefighter who went on a day long Ride Along on an Engine to see what the job entails.

The department also delivered Santa on one of our Engines to the following businesses: Boys Town, Chick-fil-A, Beef O’Bradys, One Florida Bank and also to the Sunshine/Special Needs Dance.

Firefighters participated in the following events in the City: National Night Out, Get Informed About Uniforms (high schoolers getting to know about 1st Responder careers), Cross Life Church Trunk or Treat, Chick Fil A Trunk or Treat, Great Day in the Country, Holiday Tree Lighting, the Holiday Parade and Winterfest.

On December 5th, Firefighter Andre Tichonoff was presented with his permanent helmet shield, after passing his one year probation, that contains his department ID number.

awards

In September 2024, Lt. Charlie Koepsell, Engineer David Montelongo, Firefighter Paramedic Ross Allen, and Firefighter EMT's Alex Nichols, and Ryan Ellis earned a Unit Citation. They received an early morning 911 call for a woman in labor. The crew arrived at the residence to the mom in active labor. Knowing they would never make it to the hospital, the crew stabilized the mom and assisted in the delivery of a healthy baby. Both mom and baby were then transported to a local hospital for furtherevaluation.

Asaresultoftheiractions,ChiefWoodwardandDeputyChiefLivingstonpresented the crew with a Unit Citation for their professionalism and efforts in ensuring the safetyofmomandbaby.

We want to congratulate Firefighter/Paramedic Gary Sgambati who was awarded a Distinguished Service Award today by Chief Michael Woodward. On November 11, Firefighter Sgambati was off-duty, enjoying breakfast at a restaurant on Alafaya Trail when he noticed an adult female in the booth next to his having difficulty breathing. He noticed quickly that the victim was choking and he sprung into action. He performed the Heimlich maneuver and was able to dislodge the obstruction in her throat. The patient wastransportedbyOrangeCountyparamedics tobecheckedout.

A firefighter is never truly off duty when someone is having an emergency and for this, we thank you! Sgambati was joined by Deputy Chief's Livingston and Dorey along with crew membersfromA-shiftatStation46wherehewaspresentedhisaward.

Every October, our Firefighters wear pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These special shirts are worn to memorialize those who have succumbed to this terrible disease, aswellas,honorthosewhoareintheprocessofbeatingit.

busy season!

OurCommunityOutreachwasbusythisfall!

Our officers covered everything from Trunk or Treats to Shop withaCopovertheholidayseason.

Here is a list of some of the really awesome things our officers didfromOctoberthroughDecember:

Oviedo PD delivered bikes to the kids at the Boys and Girls Club in Oviedo

Oviedo PD delivered pet supplies from the PoPo for Pups drive

Oviedo PD Shop with a Cop event

Oviedo Police Officers assisted with the Hope Helps Food Pantry Thanksgiving donation baskets.

Oviedo PD participated in the Trunk or Treat Halloween Event

All of these events are a combined effort between Community Relations, Command Staff, School Resource Officers and all of our officers that go above and beyond to make sure our citizensaretakencareof,especiallythosewhoareunderprivileged.Everyyear,ourofficersstep uptotheplatetomakesureOviedoisthebestplaceforfamilies.

october

Richard Graham

Dale Coleman

Lloyd Coleman

Junny Valerio

december

Renier Marrero-White

Randy Illy

Charlie Crutcher

Matthew Brongel

Jacqueline Lugo

Danny Sacco

november

Gustavo Solares

Chris George

Leonardo Massip Ruiz

Ryan Meyer

Justin Varkony

Shaniya Jernigan

Scott Moseley

Rishona Jerome

Daniel Mattingly

Johnathan Lopez

Nelson Genao

Korey Waldrop

october

Dale Coleman - 1986

Greg Fehl - 2002

Charlie Crutcher - 2005

Daniel Mattingly - 2006

Sandy Workman - 2016

Logan Smith - 2020

Luke Nakamura - 2023

Korey Waldrup - 2023

NOVEMBER

Junny Valerio - 2004

Brittany Warren - 2014

Durell Solomon - 2014

Lindsey Prendergast - 2021

Luis Garcia-Chow - 2022

Renier Marrero-White - 2023

december

Danny Sacco - 1998

Joel Brown - 2017

We want to congratulate School Resource Officer Ashley Pierce for being recognized as with an Employee Ovation Award at the holiday luncheon. Her dedication to the school and community is unwavering. We did a little photoshopping of the picture belowofLt.Waltonacceptingtheawardonherbehalf.

Hurricane Milton Cleanup

After Hurricane Milton, our Facilities and Parks staff went right to work to clean up the parks so residents could get out of their homes and find a sense of normalcy again. Riverside Park experienced flooding that, thankfully, stopped before the water could reach the tennis courts and facilities. Once the skies cleared, staff removed debris and opened up the restroom facilities and parks which only took a few days! Great job to everyone who worked hard to cleanupandopentheparksupquickly!

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 onSaturdaynights!

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.

Recreation and Parks Sports Programs

SpringSportsProgramsarebackandemployeescangettheirkidsregistered!

Youth Volleyball

Save the date for the start of registration: January 6th. (Don’t worry, it won’t sellout immediately but it will eventually fill up soon so don’t delay toomuch.)Note:forbothgirlsANDboysages8-17.

Assessment Day: March 9th. First game: March 29th. Call 407-971-5565

Swim Lessons

RegistrationwillopenFebruary17thforCityemployees.Marchgroup lessonsrunfromMarch3rd–March20th.Formoreinfo,orforprivate lessonrequests,theycanemailmeat kstansell@cityofoviedo.net.

Youth Flag Football

The season begins Saturday, February 1st and we will have assessment day on Saturday, January 11th.

Pricesarefollows:

$160-ResidentMembers

$190-ResidentNon-Members

$180-Non-ResidentMembers

$245-Non-ResidentNon-Members

YoucansignupinpersonattheGym&AquaticFacility

Registration is open until January 8th or until we fill up. This will be an 8 gameseason(weatherpermitting)with7gamesguaranteed. Call 407-971-5565

FINANCE

FY 2024-25 Budget

The 2024-25 Budget is now posted on the City of Oviedo website under the finance page.

DEVELOPMENT

We would also like to introduce, Skylar Ramsey, who is the Development Services Intern for the Spring Semester. Skylar is currently a student at UCF studying Political Science and plans to pursue a graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Skylar will be working part-time with the Development Services team. Teresa Correa, Development Services Director, welcomes his contributions. Skylar has jumped right in and started working on projects in progress. Skylar brings dedication and passion to the team. Skylar lives in Oviedo and has family across Central Florida. He enjoys the outdoors and reading for self-enrichment. Wearegladtohavehimonourteam.

We would like to extend our congratulations to Carron Bartley on reaching her 20th anniversarywiththeDevelopmentServicesDepartmentoftheCityofOviedo.

Carron began her career with the City of Oviedo on December 1, 2004, as an Administrative Assistant in the Building Services Division. Within just six months, she was promoted to the position of Zoning Technician. Over the years, Carron’s hard work and dedication led to her advancement to Zoning Coordinator, and she is currently serving as theZoningAdministratorandSeniorBusinessTaxOfficial.

Carron has been a licensed Zoning Inspector with the International Code Council (ICC) since 2007. She is also a member of the State Board of Directors for the Florida Association of Business Tax Officials (FABTO) and previously served as Vice President of theCentralFloridaChapter.

In her role as Zoning Administrator, Carron is responsible for reviewing various residential building permits and business signage to ensure compliance with the Land Development Code. As Senior Business Tax Official, she supports business owners in establishing and operating their businesses within the City by overseeing the processing of business tax receipts and securing compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. Carron takes great pride in her work, which allows her to collaborate with city and state officials, engage with citizens and business owners, and interact with her colleagues on a daily basis. .

SERVICES

PLANA PLANB

On another note, David Caban the Development Review Coordinator, has departed to a new position in Richmond, Virginia. Much was done in the 2 ½ years with the department. We wish him the best withhisnewadventure

The Land Development Code was adopted by the City Council on November 18, 2024. This concluded many hours of meetings and discussions among staff from Development Services, Public Works, the Assistant City Attorneys and the Land Development Code Committee. The Board members of the Local Planning Agency and the City’s consultants atKimley-HornandAssociateswereinvolvedintheprocessofupdatingtheCode.

The revision updates standards for developers and residents associated with the City’s development – both residential and commercial. The amendments were discussed in detail to provide for the city’s growth and future vision. Focused discussions covered the growing target areas such as the downtown core, the downtown transition, gateway west, West Mitchell Hammock and marketplace areas. Topics of concern were reviewed and debated in detail. The work at hand for the members proved to be challenging at times but final common ground was always reached. Thank you to all the members that worked hard in reviewing and providing comments. Their insight and time allotted to the process was invaluableastheyservedonthesevoluntaryboards.