As they do each year before going to Tallahassee for the annual Legislative session, Osceola County’s state representatives held a public session Thursday to hear what priorities local government officials and public groups have for funded projects and other legislation.
This year, the five-person delegation—four state representatives and a state Senator—includes three newcomers and a one member in a new role.
State Reps. Erika Booth (District 35), Lawrence Spencer (District 45) and Jose Alvarez (District 46) were elected in November, and Sen. Kristen Arrington (District 25) moves to the upper chamber after two terms as a state representative. Re-elected St. Cloud Rep. Paula Stark (District 47) chaired the meeting.
They heard from representatives from the county’s government entities— Osceola and the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud—as well as the School District, Valencia College and other community groups. Each asked for support, either financial or political (or both) support for their legislative priorities.
With an active hurricane season that put Osceola County on some sort of alert three times for hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, and the flooding from 2022’s Ian still fresh in minds of officials, stormwater projects were a popular topic of conversation. St. Cloud Mayor Chris Robertson requested state funding for new stormwater ponds at Hopkins Park as part of the city’s $10 million reinvestment and a new damming system for East Lake Toho to replace temporary earthen dams. Kissimmee City Manager Mike Steigerwald asked that upgrades to the city’s drainage system, one built in the 1970s and growing inadequate for the expanding community, be a legislative priority. And, Osceola County noted its grant proposals for improvements in Buenaventura Lakes, requesting matching funds.
In another water-related request, Osceola County Chief of Staff Beth Knight asked that the state funding Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation’s invasive plant program to clean West Lake Toho of vegetation be part of the upcoming budget, along with the second year of the Army Corps of Engineers’ study on water quality in the lake, Shingle Creek and the Kissimmee River—Knight said the county has already funded a 50% match for it.
Among the other government asks of the legislature, St. Cloud requested a new fire rescue boat to replace St. Cloud’s aging water rescue unit.
Kissimmee has asked for matching funds for Columbia Avenue corridor improvements to increase cyclist and pedestrian safety on a corridor originally designed in the 1980s, as well as $200,000 for a pilot program that will provide community engagement to guide the homeless to transitional housing, in light of House Bill 1365 which makes sleeping or camping in public spaces against the law.
For the county, Knight requested full funding of Osceola road projects in the Department of Transportation’s work plan, plus $6 million in general revenue funding for the Cross Prairie Parkway “missing link” between Tohoqua and Clay Whaley Road; she noted 25,000 motorists will use it by 2030 so it is a local priority— and should be a state one.
Knight also asked the local delegation to do all it could to essentially maintain “home rule,” which would limit any new state-level mandates that would supersede related local ordinances.
“Local decisions should stay in local hands,” she said.
School Board Chair Heather Kahoun asked the delegation push for fully funding a plan to maintain school funding streams for things like wages that takes inflation into account, and for more local oversight on developing rules that affect the entire state.
A couple of the requests over the nearly three-hour session had Stark’s attention. One was a funding request to train law enforcement on autism, creating endorsements for teaching autistic students and .placing cameras in self-contained classrooms.
Stark, who worked on legislation that would better represent mobile home residents who rent against their community, also found kinship with a request to criminally charge mobile home park owners for predatory actions.
“This is a huge issue born out of our community,” she said.
