Oakland mayor presents State of the Town

Oakland Mayor Kathy Stark presented her State of the Town to residents Monday, Oct. 16, at the Healthy West Orange Arts & Heritage Center at the Town of Oakland.

“This occasion provides us with a moment to reflect upon past accomplishments, challenges and the vision for the future of the town of Oakland,” Stark said. “Our vision for the town is to serve the citizens of Oakland with a government that provides a high level of service while keeping our identity as ‘Oakland’ — where we maintain and preserve natural beauty and history while being friendly and respectful of each other and keeping a careful and pragmatic growth that fits into the fabric of our town and a prudent fiscal approach.”

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Oakland is designated for its 20th year as a Tree City USA and is committed to urban forest management. Last year, Public Works staff oversaw the planting of nearly 500 new trees of various species. In a further commitment to the environment, the town is working to obtain Dark Sky certification.

• The town adopted new branding, refreshed the town logo and implemented a new style guide with distinct features. The acorn graphic signifies Oakland’s connection to its roots and commitment to continued conservation.

• Oakland hired a new police chief, Darron Esan, in November, and a new town manager, Andy Stewart, in June.

• The town has more than 260 registered commercial and home-based businesses, an increase of 60 in the last two years.

• Since the last State of the Town in 2019, the Healthy West Orange Arts & Heritage Center opened, constructed from a $1 million donation from Healthy West Orange, a $225,000 grant from United Arts and Orange County Cultural Arts and Affairs, and contributions from several other donors. The center has welcomed more than 13,000 visitors and held more than 15 curated exhibition openings.

• The town’s first farmers market opened this fall.

• Since the last State of the Town, the Public Works Department oversaw the construction of about five miles of new streets and nine miles of new sidewalks, made improvements to parks, added a pavilion to Speer Park, built a pavilion and boardwalk at the new Hull Island Park, added parking and ADA improvements to the fishing pier, and began construction of the new Sadler Park and trail.

• In just a few years, the town went from one lift station to seven, allowing for wastewater to be pumped from homes and businesses to the treatment facility in Clermont. More than 650 homes and businesses have been converted from septic to sewer, including Oakland Avenue Charter School and the Oakland Police Department facility. The crew also oversaw the construction of about six miles of new water mains and 48 new fire hydrants.

• At the Oakland Nature Preserve, the boardwalk was completely refurbished, a new porch and rest rooms were built at the Jim Thomas Environmental Education Center, and murals were added to outhouse-style rest rooms by three local artists.

• The ONP Youth Climate Project is a partnership between the Amon Family Foundation and ONP. Since 2021, the project has funded $40,000 in college scholarships for local high school seniors and will offer another $20,000 for the 2023-24 school year.

• At OACS, students tested in the top four schools in Orange County on the fifth-grade FCAT Science Sunshine State Standards test, “thanks to excellent instrument from OACS’ science teachers and weekly visits to ONP. For the first time, all third-graders tested at or above grade level on standardized tests. As well, the school has received more than $1.5 million in grants and the PTO raised $70,000 last year.

• The police department practices community policing, and Chief Esan hosts Chat with the Chief on a quarterly basis to connect with residents and businesses. A change in command structure, with the addition of Deputy Chief Mike Bryant and the promotion of Lt. Rene Castro, has allowed for better communication and accountability and efficient day-to-day operations.

“As you can tell, I have a lot of love and pride for this small town I’ve called home for more than 33 years,” Stark said. “In 2024, I will have served the town of Oakland for 30 years. I did not set out to do this, and it certainly wasn’t for the pay. I just had a vision of where we could go, and that is what I set out to do.

“I will always say it is the residents here who make this town what it is by volunteering their time and talents,” Stark said. “By compassionately working together, we can continue to build a community that we all are proud to call home. Let’s keep moving forward!”