Commissioner Arrington's September Newsletter

Dear Poinciana Residents,

We are now entering the final phase of our budgeting process. I know I've mentioned it in several of my most recent articles, but September is a very important month in terms of finalizing the budget and preparing the county for the next fiscal year. Staff has done an excellent job in being diligent and thorough in presenting us a balanced budget, as required by state statute, and now we're down to the final public hearings as we work to finalize it for 2012.

Earlier this month we held our first Special Assessments Public Hearing (to discuss new MSBUs and West 192 only, on September 6th) and out first TRIM Public Hearing (on September 7th). We also held the second of our two Special Assessments Public Hearings to discuss all other MSBUs, including Fire and Solid Waste, on September 14th. Our final meeting as part of this process is the second and final TRIM Public Hearing, where the balanced budget will be finalized and approved. This public hearing is scheduled to be held in our Board Chambers, located on the fourth floor of the County Administration Building in downtown Kissimmee, on Tuesday, September 20th at 5:30 p.m.

I'm pleased to report to you that we have moved Poinciana Boulevard Phase III to the top of our priority list for road improvement projects. Additionally, we have funding available to move forward with the $21 million project, which will affect just over two miles of Poinciana Boulevard, from US 19-92 south to Oren Brown Road. Improvements include widening Poinciana Blvd. from two to four lanes with drainage outfall systems and storm water management ponds, and replacing a bridge over Shingle Creek for the new southbound travel lanes. Also included in the project are improvements to the CSX railroad crossing at Poinciana Boulevard and Old Tampa Road, which will improve traffic flow and safety through this important corridor.

I'm also pleased to announce that LYNX, with whom we work very closely to provide affordable, efficient public transportation options to our community, has added a Monday-Friday morning and afternoon commuter service named FastLink 441. The route runs from the Osceola Square Mall in Kissimmee along U.S. 441/Orange Blossom Trail and U.S. 17-92 to the LYNX Central Station (LCS) in downtown Orlando.

FastLink 441 runs six routes a day (three in the morning, three in the late afternoon) with a limited number of stops. This new service kicked off August 15th with a total ridership of 172– not bad for a first day – and is designed to reduce the commute time from Kissimmee to Orlando by about 52 minutes. It will only run during the week (Monday – Friday).

Fares are the same as they are for regular bus service ($2.00). You can find more information about the routes and times at www.golynx.com.

I can't say it enough, but as September is the busiest month of hurricane season, please make sure you and your family are prepared in case disaster strikes. Be sure and visit our Community Safety website, at mysafety.osceola.org, for important information on what to do, when to do it and why. It's a fantastic resource that's designed just for you!

On a final note, I hope you were able to come out and join me at some great events we partnered with in late August. On Saturday, August 20th, the county partnered with the Health Department to hold the "Back to School Health Fair" at the Primary Care Medical Services of Poinciana. In addition to providing important information on many of the county's programs, we were able, through community partnerships, to provide free school-required vaccinations and low-cost screenings to children four to 18 years of age, to assist parents in preparing their children for the upcoming school year.

Also that Saturday, Osceola County hosted the 7th annual "The Fair of the Family" event at Osceola Heritage Park. This free event focused on Hispanic families throughout Central Florida and attracted over 20,000 guests this year! Information was available on education and services such as health, finance, insurance and legal advice. While attending the fair, visitors were able to enjoy authentic food, entertainment and much more. As I mentioned above, we had an incredible turnout, and I look forward to more events like this in our future.

Please feel free to share any of your concerns, ideas or information by calling my office at (407) 742-2000 or by email at barr@osceola.org.

Thank you for your time,

Brandon Arrington
Commissioner District 3