[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6675127,"mediaKeyId","2171590-fb73504614df50db7021cd482094c59c","parentId",2171590,"title","Votes at a glance: Dec. 3 Orange County commission meeting — housing investments, procurement, permits and land‑use actions","audioSeconds",2368,"startMs",5792000,"endMs",8160000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171590-fb73504614df50db7021cd482094c59c&start=5792&end=8160","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171590-fb73504614df50db7021cd482094c59c/thumbnail_5792000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6675127/Orange-County/Florida/Votes-at-a-glance-Dec-3-Orange-County-commission-meeting-housing-investments-procurement-permits-and-landuse-actions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6675127-23e72cd3c705bf3d46fda0c6b0b8b182/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142792&Signature=CM9~GitG9IQafHfkfF-LbtuzWd9jMZ4NGQC4QI2GR0FYbt6EeSYhxFLAVZCrGAeXDySJN4Iq12UL-qBhhdFwo-PcttAYSm2enaQAbjxf31LE3Kdw1Ma8NSdJt12KKcmZmHBG-CZoJVG9jJdUzLQNbuMm0b9mptkWP-9tTgmhdw8xC59-BMext556jsEBSJZ0T2B9RJVv0AMMwq4PQu2ig-h1KwB-zHEk74Jb5krJR6d~WTTKURY9nt9cBNsctDLBEvAidDkXd2SuuZ4HfSjS7wEICpexERN37iRiVL9o1HkDhMs0YM0o6ypUfCYI5~2XWNJu2C-XbLoMbVPB4PPhaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Orange County","date","2025-01-01T05:08:34.897Z","article","The Orange County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 3 approved a package of consent and regulatory items. Below is a concise summary of formal actions recorded during the meeting, including vote outcomes and key details from staff presentations.

Affordable housing and trust fund (consent agenda)
- The board approved awards from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and related programs. Highlights included a $7,000,000 gap financing award to \"The Mirror,\" a 300‑unit affordable rental project at 1130 Spring Lane in Apopka. The project will limit rents to HUD‑based maximums and income to 60% of area median income for eligible units; the county also designated $4,000,000 in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF) to close construction funding gaps. Separately, the board established a revolving loan fund with an initial allocation of $3,500,000 to provide low‑interest loans to nonprofit developers for owner‑occupied affordable homes.

Procurement: Convention Center sustainability
- The procurement committee recommended selection of Branch Pattern, Inc. (top ranked), and ranked SGM Engineering, Inc. and Exp US Services, Inc. as alternates for Orange County Convention Center sustainability initiatives. Commissioner Wilson moved the procurement recommendation; Commissioner Scott seconded. The board approved the selection unanimously.

Board of Zoning Adjustment recommendations
- The board accepted the BZA's recommendations for nine cases, with two items set or pulled for separate public hearings per staff request (one appealed and one pulled for a board hearing). The vote to accept the BZA recommendations (except pulled items) was unanimous.

Vacations (public works)
- Two petitions to vacate utility easements (PTV 24‑08‑029 and PTV 24‑04‑016) were presented and approved without public objection. Motions to approve were moved and seconded; both passed unanimously.

Conservation area impact permit and related consent release (Correct Craft / Nautique)
- The board approved Conservation Area Impact Permit CAI2309043 to allow roadway widening that would impact a small portion of wetlands previously placed in a conservation easement; as part of the action, a partial release of a county conservation easement (previously established under CAI 05‑102) was approved to permit the work. The motion passed 5‑2; Commissioners Kelly Simrad and Commissioner Wilson voted no. Staff said the wetland area was already degraded by roadside edge effects, that proposed mitigation included purchase of mitigation bank credits and that the City of Orlando will handle future roadway construction permitting following annexation of the parcel.

Land‑use items (substantial change requests)
- CDR 2303088 (Dean Road PD substantial change): Approved (finding of consistency with comprehensive plan); change converts previously approved 56 multifamily units to 46 single‑family attached townhomes. Vote: unanimous approval.
- CDR 2407175 (Grasmere Reserve PD amendment): Approved with amendment to allow a second vehicular access point from the commercial portion of the site onto Orange Blossom Trail; staff recommended and the board approved the change. Vote: 6‑1 (Commissioner Simrad opposed).
- CDR 2406145 (Lake Buena/Square PD trip conversion to multifamily and waiver for height): Approved; staff noted the PD previously authorized taller buildings and the requested change reduces approved height while converting hotel entitlements to multifamily. Vote: approved (record reflected passage; no formal roll‑call dissent recorded during item presentation).

Other actions and procedures
- The board pulled consent item D12 to consider it concurrently with CAI2309043 (the conservation easement release) as directed by administration and approved the combined action.
- The Board continued one zoning‑related substantial change case (a multifamily conversion that had public concerns) to Jan. 28, 2025, to allow a community meeting and additional outreach; motion made by Commissioner Wilson and seconded by Commissioner Uribe; the board approved the continuance unanimously.

Ending: The meeting closed with a unanimous board decision to pause further draws to the Supervisor of Elections pending a comptroller review (see separate article). Several land‑use matters generated dissenting votes or requests for additional outreach; the board scheduled follow‑up briefings and public meetings to address outstanding neighborhood concerns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Orange County Board of County Commissioners Meeting | December 3, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","At its Dec. 3 meeting the Board approved a consent agenda that included affordable housing investments, established a revolving loan fund, selected a firm for convention center sustainability work, and approved multiple land‑use and permit items; one conservation‑easement release and wetland permit drew two no votes.","taxTitle","Orange County, Florida","taxId",2866,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6675133,"Commissioner seeks zoning review, not a moratorium, after public outcry over rural church development",4789,1731000,6520000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171590-fb73504614df50db7021cd482094c59c&start=1731&end=6520","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171590-fb73504614df50db7021cd482094c59c/thumbnail_1731000.jpg","/articles/6675133/Orange-County/Florida/Commissioner-seeks-zoning-review-not-a-moratorium-after-public-outcry-over-rural-church-development","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6675133-933f8cd689f65e6d2addb8fa6e1bfef6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142792&Signature=TMEQX7QtDZ0i1ZCwT07oEwj1kg4l~Vdbq6AmeaZvhpejIGyz0r~1Ae568cJvJOp7uBvhHzyA9NgsfA~z31HyJGvGR00DscKVx33oDA3zcdwgCVzpcY25p3-46TQ4yJKGL4pPZnnoZNC-6gmkoeJS6j5wh~2ftp7OyFRcd1IC7vhj7kZ860R0TnRh5uK4FGtXt8LkONXn1i8QXwZyg6yBv1VocEpBLNLkEDa3HE8JbUOrYLByK-g5rs3CYM1WJ23MdkTq3V0qkwsK1hezjI1LfRqZ1KHDVwnRoHPwbDR~MxFFlnN3Xv87BKpYoGK8JwitqeYii-OXD3CU-7ADQOzXJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner Kelly Simrad (District 5) asked the Orange County Board of County Commissioners Dec. 3 to direct staff to analyze a potential gap between the county code and voter‑approved protections for rural areas after widespread public comment about a planned church in east Orange County.

Simrad told the board she was not seeking a moratorium on church development. Instead she sought a policy solution because the county’s 1957 code allows churches as a by‑right use on A‑2 (agricultural) property, while rural settlements within the new voter‑approved rural boundary must follow a more public review process that includes the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).

The public comment period that followed the ceremonial items became focused on one site: a proposed CrossLife Church campus on Lake Pickett Road. Dozens of residents, pastors and attorneys spoke. Speakers who opposed permitting the church on a by‑right basis raised concerns about flooding, septic systems, traffic, light and noise, and compatibility with the rural character. Many residents asked that applications for churches within the rural boundary be required to go through the BZA special‑exception/compatibility review used for rural settlements.

Pastors and church members said they support serving the community and do not want to be singled out. CrossLife East representatives said they had purchased a parcel they believed permitted a church by right and had submitted a conservation‑area determination; they asked the board not to take actions that would impair the congregation’s previously permitted development rights.

Mayor Jerry Demings and county staff advised the board to allow staff and the county attorney to research the legal interplay between the rural‑boundary charter amendment, Orange Code and state law before any binding action. County administration suggested returning to the board with a workshop that would present options and legal analysis. Staff proposed Feb. 11, 2025, as the earliest available date for a full work session; commissioners and staff agreed to that timetable during the meeting.

Commissioner Simrad said the intent is consistency: if churches in rural settlements are subject to BZA review, then similar intensity uses on A‑2 land within the rural boundary should be examined for compatibility, or the board should identify a clear legal reason not to require similar review. Several commissioners asked staff to prepare comparisons to neighboring counties and to identify whether a definition such as “megachurch” or thresholds based on floor‑area ratio or trip generation would be useful for policy drafting.

The board made no ordinance change Dec. 3. Instead the commission directed county planning, environmental and legal staff to brief the board at a February work session with options that could include an ordinance, zoning code updates as part of Orange Code/Vision 2050, or other remedies to close any gap. Commissioner Simrad emphasized she is not seeking immediate moratorium action and asked the public for patience while staff prepares a legal and policy analysis.

Ending: Commissioners set a February 11, 2025, work session (staff indicated Feb. 11 or 25 were possible dates; Feb. 11 was flagged as the first available) to review legal options and technical definitions for handling high‑intensity places of worship and similar uses in the rural boundary. In the meantime the board did not take any ordinance or moratorium action and left existing permitting rules in effect for pending applications.","Commissioner Kelly Simrad told the Board of County Commissioners she is not seeking a moratorium on new churches but wants staff to review a potentially outdated 1957 code that lets churches build by‑right on A‑2 (agricultural) land; dozens of residents and clergy spoke for and against the proposal during a lengthy public comment period.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6675138,"Orange County freezes further draws to elections office after comptroller seeks financial records",2903,10687000,13590000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171590-fb73504614df50db7021cd482094c59c&start=10687&end=13590","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171590-fb73504614df50db7021cd482094c59c/thumbnail_10687000.jpg","/articles/6675138/Orange-County/Florida/Orange-County-freezes-further-draws-to-elections-office-after-comptroller-seeks-financial-records","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6675138-7de5ea38c22311d3d0e9ce086e6c53d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771142792&Signature=lKtvccJQkR3ENrKqzndwy8IkzsI596FMZLOXKsj5uebETLH9hj~Dx9JdhUy0yrRO6LUPdFy63dlG1g7gnAKu10SCcWm3CUGambSCf2pG48CiJdEbr7SMpriMcZYYo3opEWHPCJ7tG9Uryog5zH1bwVpqgJFezTno-TrsZqIlZjuDUp8mHMRok~kvRYNq2JxMQurFlJ3uFeYZGWYag1zzyMA6l4Uzp4VvvboStWbO0jqbih6gB-9KC0AAggui4LBiy7SWbbfkX-xeTNxX4a8WSDRDwNYTICa3EUS0U8UBw5v2wvGfehA~pV3yxpfXHzBnJtM0XqsDLQ33Iv5~RBvBqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Orange County commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 3 to pause further scheduled disbursements to the Supervisor of Elections while the county comptroller reviews bank records and other financial documents.

The board action followed a request from Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond, who told the commission his office received a confidential tip alleging potentially improper spending by the Supervisor of Elections and that his auditors were denied access to basic bank records when they went to the elections office to inspect them.

Diamond said his auditors asked for bank statements covering October and November and related transaction documentation after he was told a $1.1 million transfer had been made in early October to a nonprofit. He told the board that CareerSource had returned previously reported funds but that other transfers remain under review. \"Open the books,\" Diamond told commissioners, saying the public and the county have a right to know how public funds were spent.

Mayor Jerry Demings, who introduced the item as an unscheduled (non‑agenda) update after learning of the comptroller's review, urged caution and called for the comptroller to complete an initial review and report back to the board. Several commissioners said they supported a pause on further draws until the comptroller can confirm whether funds remain available and whether past disbursements complied with law and authorizations.

The board then approved a motion — moved by Mayor Demings and seconded by Commissioner Wilson — directing that no further draws under the previously approved fiscal‑year draw schedule be released to the Supervisor of Elections until Comptroller Diamond reports back to the Board of County Commissioners with findings. The vote was 7‑0.

What happened earlier this month: the comptroller said the elections office had already received roughly half of its annual appropriation for the fiscal year and that a wire or check of about $1.1 million dated Oct. 2 or Oct. 3 was reported to him by a confidential informant. The comptroller said CareerSource returned funds that had been transferred earlier this year, but that other transfers remain in question. The comptroller provided the board a copy of the written request his office made to the elections office and the elections office's written response; the response did not include the records the comptroller's auditors sought.

Legal and procedural context: speakers referenced Florida's public‑records law (Chapter 119) and a county‑charter and statutory framework governing the timing of disbursements to constitutional officers (the comptroller and county attorney referenced section 129.06(5) as part of the legal backdrop for transition‑period protections). Commissioners and the comptroller said litigation to compel records is an available option if voluntary production is not forthcoming.

Next steps: Comptroller Diamond said he will attempt to obtain and review the records and report back to the board at the next scheduled commission meeting in December. The board's action does not remove funds already disbursed; it only pauses additional scheduled draws while the comptroller completes an initial review.

The board emphasized the decision was taken to protect public funds and to ensure transparency; multiple commissioners urged that any organization that received funds intended for other uses should return them to Orange County pending the comptroller's review.

Ending: The commission's unanimous vote to pause draws buys time for the comptroller to determine whether public funds were used in ways consistent with county approvals. The comptroller will present his findings to the commission at a later public meeting so the board can consider next actions, including possible referral for further audit or enforcement.","Orange County commissioners unanimously agreed to pause additional scheduled disbursements to the Supervisor of Elections pending a comptroller review after an audit request and allegations about large transfers and spending in the office.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Dec. 3 Orange County commission meeting — housing investments, procurement, permits and land‑use actions

Commissioner seeks zoning review, not a moratorium, after public outcry over rural church development

Orange County freezes further draws to elections office after comptroller seeks financial records