Norton N. Bonaparte

The City of Sanford's strategic plan is designed to guide program development, service delivery, and focus planning and budgeting efforts. The plan outlines five key priorities: High Performing and Competent Government, Community Safety and Wellbeing, Preparing for Future/Sustainability, Functional and Updated Infrastructure, and Financial Stewardship. The overall vision is to ensure a high-quality workforce, promote community safety, proactively address growth, enhance public infrastructure, and maintain financial responsibility.

This document provides population estimates for Florida and its counties and incorporated cities as of April 1, 2025. Prepared by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida, these estimates are derived using the housing unit method. The report details data sources such as active residential electric customers, residential building permits, and homestead exemptions, along with methodologies for calculating persons per household and group quarters population, to determine the resident population.

The primary focus of the work session was the disposition of three Semino County properties located downtown: the Engineering Building, the Courthouse (Block 1), and the County Admin Building (Block 2/3). Discussion centered on coordinating redevelopment efforts with Semino County. The Engineering Building was noted as the most viable for quick reuse, potentially accommodating around 100 employees. The Courthouse and Block 1 parking lot were discussed as a combined redevelopment opportunity, possibly involving Seminal State for campus use, or demolition. The County Admin Building is the most difficult due to abutting residential neighborhoods (Mayfair and Georgetown) and is complicated by adjacent privately owned parcels. The Commission generally agreed to explore an interlocal agreement to drive the disposition process for all three parcels together, as the County prefers a global approach rather than handling them separately, given Sanford's critical role in rezoning and adaptive reuse approvals for the County Admin Building.

The community meeting included an opening prayer and presentations from various community organizations. Jermaine Carter from Fleet Reserve provided information on their nonprofit veteran organization activities, and William Fbert discussed Chosen Veteran Outreach, which focuses on suicide prevention among veterans and first responders, including providing food assistance on Tuesdays. Updates were provided regarding the Crooms High School reunion and the upcoming 100th anniversary of Crooms High School in 2026. Updates from True Health covered their nonprofit medical services, sliding scale payments, and holiday closure schedule. The Seminole County Health Department provided their holiday closure schedule and announced the rescheduling of their food pantry distribution due to the holidays. Significant discussion focused on the upcoming MLK celebration events scheduled for January 16th through 19th, including an oratorial contest, a banquet honoring local leaders and organizations, a church service, and a parade followed by a festival in Heritage Park. Department representatives provided updates on public safety, including precautions for holiday shopping and police department hiring initiatives, Parks and Recreation programming and senior center activities, and CDBG updates regarding housing rehab application reviews and the opening of the LIHEAP application period. The Fire Marshall mentioned the free smoke alarm program.

The community meeting featured several updates, starting with discussions related to the 100-year anniversary of an academy. A segment focused on Simino High School highlighted recent achievements, including the cheer team winning the regional athletic conference, the school receiving recognition from Zeta Phi Beta for community impact, and the cross country team being honored as the top all-academic female team in Florida. Graduation rates were reported as the highest ever during the pandemic, with specific improvements noted for exceptional student education and English Language Learner (ELL) students. Other discussions included upcoming events such as a 5K run, a Veterans event in February, and community initiatives like the renaming of the food pantry to 'Sanford Agricultural Business Market'. Updates were provided on capital improvement projects, including new shell construction for a theater near the park, improvements around the museum, and the redevelopment of the mall featuring a Costco. Road projects, including safety improvements on State Road 46 and a study for the 47 spur to the airport, were mentioned. The police department provided updates on community outreach events like support for Special Olympics and hiring efforts. Finally, discussions covered upcoming baseball/soccer registrations, Valentine's Day activities at the senior center, swimming lesson registration, and ongoing partnerships with FEMA for recovery efforts.