Select Winter Garden school zones will have new speed-detection systems

School speed-zone cameras will be installed in nine locations in Winter Garden.

The Winter Garden City Commission at its Jan. 9 meeting approved unanimously the second reading of a proposed ordinance that will establish a school zone speed-enforcement program and the use of speed-detection systems.

The systems will be active in the 30 minutes before and after school, using photographs and video to capture violations. Those caught driving more than 10 mph over the speed limit during that time will be issued a $100 fine.

Mayor John Rees questioned why drivers will be in violation for driving more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit rather than only 5 mph over the limit. Rees said he called state representatives to determine a reasoning but did not receive any responses. 

Rees said it was “illogical” to allow people to drive 10 mph over the speed limit because it is unsafe. 

“Despite our efforts to understand the logic behind setting it at 10 mph over, … we have no choice but to pass this,” Rees said. 

Police Chief Steve Graham said if it is determined there is a continued problem with people driving over the speed limit in one of the designated zones with a speed-detection system, an officer can be placed in the zone. The officer can issue a ticket to a driver going over the speed limit, and the officer’s citation will take precedence. The ticket from the officer also will be a more expensive fine than the $100 ticket if someone is caught by the speed-detection system. 

Greg Parks, vice president of RedSpeed, said the school zone speed-enforcement program is based on a similar program in Georgia. RedSpeed Florida is the company providing the speed-detection camera system for school zones. 

Parks said over the past six years in Georgia, the program has resulted in a 90% reduction in speeding in school zones, with 91% not repeating the offense.

“(No police department) has enough personnel to sit in each school zone for the whole day, if you could even find enough officers, and I know in a growing community that demands high constituent services, there’s a lot of things for these folks to do,” Parks said. “We’re a complement to them, not a replacement for them. … I really firmly believe that if a program like ours is not there, there will be no incentive to slow down during the 90-plus percent of the day that your excellent police department can’t be there.”

Parks said RedSpeed can develop a report for the City Commission that details how many times people are driving over the speed limit, how fast they’re going, what hours of the day they’re speeding the most in the school zone and more. 

Although commissioners weren’t pleased with the 10 mph over the speed limit stipulation, having the program was better than nothing at all. 

The speed-detection systems will be installed in the school zones for West Orange High; SunRidge and Lakeview middle schools; Tildenville, Whispering Oak, SunRidge, Dillard Street and Maxey elementary schools; and Esteem Academy.

The funds collected from the fines will be distributed as follows: 20% to the Florida general fund; 3% to Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission; 12% to the School Board of Orange County for security, safety and school walking route improvements; 5% to the City School Crossing Guard program for training, recruitment and retention; and 60% to the city for public safety. 

In other news...

• The Winter Garden City Commission approved unanimously the first reading of an ordinance amending an ordinance for the City of Winter Garden Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget to carry forward prior year appropriations. A second reading and public hearing will be conducted at the commission’s meeting on Thursday, Jan. 23. 
• The commission approved unanimously the second reading of an ordinance for the proposed new section of the City of Winter Garden Traffic Safety Act. The new section establishes a red-light enforcement program within the city, allowing the use of traffic infraction detectors for red-light violations. 
• A resolution electing not to exempt certain properties from ad valorem taxation of the Live Local Property Tax was approved. The Shimberg Center for Housing Studies 2024 Report identified that Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida metropolitan statistical area has a surplus of affordable and available units for households in the “0-120% area median income” category relative to the number of renter households in the same category. As a result, the city elected not to exempt properties eligible for the 80 to 120 tax exemption and directed the Orange County Property Appraiser not to grant those exemptions for the 2025 tax roll or any subsequent tax year during which the resolution is in effect. The resolution will expire Jan. 1, 2027.
• A construction contract with Wharton-Smith Inc. for the Crest Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades was approved with a guaranteed maximum price of $132,637,770.
• A professional services agreement with Inspire Placemaking Collective was approved in the amount of $299,640.
• The site plan for 321 N. Hennis Road was approved with conditions. The applicant proposed to demolish two existing buildings on the seven-acre property, including the 35,813-square-foot Diamond R. Fertilizer Plant. The plan also includes the refurbishments of several existing buildings as well as improvements to associated parking and landscaping.
• The sixth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration was approved for Monday, Jan. 20, in downtown Winter Garden. 
• The commission approved appointing Eddie Young to the Code Enforcement Board. 
• The City Commission made a proclamation that designated Jan. 19-25 as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Week.