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<title><![CDATA[Poinciana's Future blog/news comments]]> </title>
<description><![CDATA[ Poinciana's Future(poincianafuture.org) comments ]]> </description>
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<lastBuildDate>Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:53:39 GMT</lastBuildDate><image><title>Poinciana's Future blog/news comments</title><url><![CDATA[http://spruz.websnapr.com?size=S&url=http://poincianafuture.org]]></url><link>http://poincianafuture.org</link></image><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Gee, all the excitement, critical comments are just a memory, here's hoping that COPI no CAP and the SOS can help citizens to see that incorporation was not the right move for the Greater Poinciana.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:53:39 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Congratulations to COPI and SOS on their successful campaign to defeat the pro-incorporation proponents at both the Osceola and Polk County Delegation meetings.

By providing our local Legislators both in Osceola and Polk Counties with facts and not emotional arguments, personal attacks and demands to vote, COPI and SOS convinced our Legislators that the Feasibility Study produced by UCF was improperly prepared and was not in the best interest of the residents of Poinciana.  

In conclusion, the Legislators stated that there was no consensus and that the pro-incorporation supporters were looking for things that a city would not be able to provide them.  That all alternatives should be exhausted before trying to incorporate.  

The hardwork, dedication unemotional presentations by COPI and SOS against all odds and staying focused provided the turning point versus the emotional, illogical arguments and personal attacks by the pro-incorporation spokesperson on our Legislators and communities that opposed incorporation.
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:21:10 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[My dear friends and foes, wishing you Happy Holidays. This will be my last post since I'll be leaving for the holidays. Wishing everyone the best. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 2 Dec 2009 21:46:59 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, nobody is trying to bully you.  But how about posting facts to support incorporation instead of emotional tirades against a particular community, our elected representatives or a meeting that was an accommodation and was not legally required?  You label the October 27th meeting a joke but the pro-incorporation presenter had the same amount of time to make his argument as the anti-incorporation presenter.  Residents pro and anti were all given the same amount of time (3 minutes) to give their opinion.  An equal amount of residents on both sides of the issue were given an opportunity to speak.  It did not matter how many residents filled the room from either side.  Even if the 200 residents that were not allowed in, due to fire regulations, did get in, the swaying factor was not the amount of residents in the room but what was said by the presenters and residents that did get to speak.  The pro-incorporation presentation and resident comments were all emotional and none of the comments that were made of what the residents wanted would be fixed by Poinciana becoming a city.  While on the anti-incorporation side, the presentation pointed out all of the flaws, weaknesses and non compliant issues of the Study.  In other words he stated facts and not emotional reasons why this Study should be rejected as not being in the best interest of the residents.  And let’s not forget that the Delegates were presented with petitions from 12 of the 20 communities being included within the boundary lines with signatures from a majority if not all of those residents of those communities expressing their opinion that they did not want their community to be included in the proposed city.  Self rule and determination are lofty goals for a community, but it should also be coupled with realistic goals and a realistic plan to reach those goals.  The Study prepared by UCF is not a realistic plan and was ill prepared with faulty research, no rationale for non compliant issues and data was inappropriately presented.  Also a consensus of all of the communities to be included should have been considered before putting everybody through the hoops of this process.  If you and the pro-incorporation leaders truly want to improve the conditions for the Villages under APV jurisdiction, then put your egos aside, realize that incorporation of Poinciana is a white elephant and be willing to work with residents to come up with a better plan for the residents that is consensual, better researched and will not burden the residents with an extra layer of government that they just can’t afford in these tough economic times when all other municipalities, city, county, state and even federal governments are cutting back on benefits to the residents and increasing costs for those diminished benefits.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:28:14 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I did stop, but when I witnessed the joke that meeting was, keeping people from expressing their position by not even polling the hundreds outside, I decided to be a one man band against the so called "facts" that are posted by a couple of you here. I know that you would rather have no one who has a different point of view posting but I fought for freedom of speech and press, I will not back down from you people. So, let it rip! Bullies don't impress me.  ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:50:11 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tf51d, What everyone keeps on forgetting is how this entire process has over reached and grabbed so many other communities that are either not in Poinciana or do not share the same issues as those communities under APV jurisdiction.  I am sure that if this process did not include all those non APV communities and Solivita, the opposition would not have been as strong as it is currently.  As a resident in a community not in an APV community and outside of Poinciana, when I first heard about Poinciana looking to incorporate my first thought was good for them.  I never even heard of the APV prior to this process and could care less how Poinciana wanted to organize themselves.  After reading the Study though, I felt that even for the APV communities incorporation under the terms set out in the Study would not be a good thing for those residents.  If you look at the most liberal definition of Poinciana, you can identify 2 separate communities.  Both communities have different needs and expectations.  The communities along Poinciana Boulevard versus the communities around Poinciana Town Center are 2 diverse groups of communities.  While one group of communities are perfectly happy with the services provided by Osceola County and have no need to be included in an incorporated city, the communities surrounding the Town Center need something, either a better and more active APV or another alternative that would meet their needs.  The 4 communities along Pleasant Hill Road are not and never considered themselves part of Poinciana and are perfectly happy with the way Osceola County services them and have no need for another layer of government that would add a tax to them and provide them with no additional benefits.  Solivita has dealt with their issues and pay dearly for the services that they receive through their HOA and CDD and have no need for another layer of government.  Maybe if the pro-incorporation leaders get off their high horses and stop with all the rhetoric, the residents can come together and determine what is best for those communities under APV jurisdiction and leave the other communities alone unless they want to be included and not dragged into a solution that does not meet their needs.  Now it is the time for the residents, not any entity or individuals with a self agenda, be it political or something else, to come together and form a committee of concerned citizens to hash out the problems and come up with solutions that everybody can agree to before pushing those solutions on the residents of Poinciana.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:46:55 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, I'm against this incorporation, but not for the reason most here are. I live in Poinciana, and I just don't see how replacing one bureaucracy, with an even bigger more powerful one is going to help matters, if we don't get any clear established benefit from it It's clear from reading this report, at the proposed 3mil rate there is no additional services that will be provided, and a ton of risk! With this economic decline this just doesn't make good fiscal sense. All you have to do is look what's going on around us. Government at all levels is cutting budgets and services. Incorporation may ultimately be the answer for us at some point, but now is not the time for it. The fact is though is areas like Solivita will bear the brunt of the property tax. For example, in Poinciana if your assessed value is 83000, (which is about the median value in Poinciana these days.) at 3 mil you would just about break even vs the APV fees. Plus your county taxes  of about $1640 brings your total cost to $1880 If you have Homestead, you would actually pay significantly less, about $100 city property tax + 1000 county =1100.(That is not including any city Non-AdValorem tax added.). That's also assuming the APV can and does keeps it's word and disbands. Now if you lived in Solivita, if your value was $285000 (Which is low for Solivita), the city tax would be about $855. Add current County tax of $5572 (That includes a whooping $1104 Non Ad-Valorem Tax.) + their HOA fees, which I believe at least $250 a month, which will not be going away, and you can see why they were opposed to this. Be honest, you would too if you lived there.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:48:44 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, it is so simple.  I did what UCF did not do.  I did a community outreach to the non-APV communities.  I spoke with the HOA’s of those communities.  If they did not have HOAs, I spoke with the unofficial community leaders of those communities that got signatures on the petitions of those communities.  In the case of Cypress Cove, I live there.  I went to each house and collected the signatures personally.  The number population of 628 that UCF reports in the Study became a running joke at the Cove.  We are sending out search parties to look under every rock, every nook and cranny and are scouring the lake for 300 more residents.  After all, if a prestigious institution like UCF says they are here, they must be here and the owners of the Cove want to be assured of collecting rent and membership fees from these phantom residents.  Regarding finances, I was just reiterating what UCF states in the Study.  Intergovernmental Revenues are based upon population according to UCF.  See nothing up my sleeve, no rabbit pulled from my hat.  I just did some good old fashioned leg work and had a willingness to put forth an effort rather than a guess allows me to come to the conclusions that I have posted on this site.   Those conclusions led me to the fact that the Study was poorly researched and written and does not inform the residents of Poinciana properly on what the true cost would be to become a city or that if the proposed city is feasible or not.  Just look at page 32 of the Study.  UCF lists all of the reasons why the proposed city may not be feasible.   You stated in an earlier post prior to the October 27th Joint Delegation meeting that you would stop posting and let the meeting settle this issue.  Well the meeting has come and gone.  The Delegates expressed their opinions on the matter.  The presentation by the pro-incorporation leader did not even get a whimper from his supporters (no matter how many of them were there) while the anti-incorporation presenter received a standing ovation.  The APV, who contracted the Study, is not even willing to take a stand on the issue.  Interesting that none of the Charter Committee members made any comments during the open resident time.  As a matter of fact, I don’t even remember seeing more than 2 or 3 of them there.  And 2 of them that were there have signed petitions from their community in opposition to the process of incorporation.  So no support from the contracting entity, no support from the Charter Committee and a presenter of the pro-incorporation side received no support giving his presentation (I almost felt sorry for him as he clumsily tried to juggle his papers and work the computer during his presentation) while the anti-incorporation presenter had someone working the computer, someone arranging audience members to hold up signs and even someone to put out the display of the 2 binders of petitions for the Delegates and audience to see.  This issue has now boiled down to emotions and not looking how a divided community move past the incorporation process and can come together for the improvement of Poinciana.  There are better ways to improve the conditions of Poinciana than to create an extra layer of government with all that extra taxation on residents that are struggling to stay in their homes.  ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:57:19 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Tf, that's precisely where many of you posting fall into the expertise void; I never stated that 26 officers would constitute a police department, I was told I did not explain what I had researched. I just stated what I found. My figures come from contacting the S.O. to find out what one officer costs, if contracted. MPA, you seem to have a lot more facts than even the UCF staff has on population, finances, etc. can you please expand on how you come about with your figures? Please, do not use other Incorporation Studies to uphold what you state, each Study has its own differences, don't you think? ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:11:54 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, if you did your're research like you say, you would realize a Police department of 26 deputies, would not be enough for an area the size of Poinciana. For example Haines City which is much smaller, and only a population of 18,000+ is budgeted with a staff of 70. We are twice the size of Manhattan and have over 70K people. You do the math. It's not just the deputies you have to have, it's administration staff as well. Since we would be a start up department, you would also need start up capital for it. (New Police Cars, weapons, a facility etc...) Also intergovernmental revenue, is often earmarked for certain things by statute, so just because we may have available funds, doesn't mean necessarily it can be used for whatever we want to do with it. It may be granted for a specific purpose. For example road construction. So even though on the books the money may be available to the city, it may not be able to be used, for what we need it to be used for.  ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:05:18 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, Factso, Factso, nobody said that additional law enforcement could not be had.  It is just that it will cost more than what UCF has projected, as they projected none.  And if you take the 3.7 million you say it will cost to add 26 deputies (I will not even debate you on how you came up with that price tag) you have just added 3.7 million to the already listed expense of 21.99 million that UCF projects, you end up with 25.69 million or 1.92 million more than UCF projects for revenue.  Can anyone say deficit? Or do we raise the millage rate to a more realistic one?  And let’s not forget you want to spend 3 million for entrance beautification to instill pride in the community.  Now you are up to almost 5 million more than what UCF projects the proposed city will bring in.  Now let’s look at the fact that some of that 23.77 million UCF says the proposed city will generate is made up of Intergovernmental Revenues.  And Intergovernmental Revenues are based upon population.  Well the population in the Study is inflated for the non APV communities.  So that means that the Intergovernmental Revenues are also inflated.  So we now have less revenue coming into the proposed city and you want to spend over 6 million more.  This is not brain surgery.  This is simple, you can have a city but it will cost the residents more than what UCF says it will and more than they are currently paying into the APV, which they may still have to pay into as it has yet to be determined if legally the APV has to or will disband.   These are the same residents that balked when an idea was floated at an APV Board meeting to raise the assessment by $1.67 a month.  Why should those communities not under APV jurisdiction pay for things that, by the way they do not need and are perfectly happy with the status quo from the county, when the residents in Poinciana don’t want to pay for it?  If the residents of Poinciana want a city, then fine, let them have a city, just leave out all those communities along Poinciana Boulevard, east of Pleasant Hill Road and Solivita and form thier own city.  Population wise you will still have about 65,000 residents so you are not the 42nd largest city in Florida but maybe the 50th.  That is nothing to sneeze at.  All of the above mentioned communities are perfectly happy with the services provided by the counties and their entrances and want nothing to do with the proposed city.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:33:27 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lita and MPA, first of all I did my rearch to inform myself. I don't go professing that I am an expert on this matter, unlike some who are self professed experts. But since you asked; I informed myself of what the cost of a deputy is, how many hours minimum he/she must be employed for, and came upon the conclusion that 3.7 million can provide us approximately 26 deputies for the year. An additional 3 million can beautify most of the corners leading to the neighborhoods, thus creating community pride. To clear some of the previous comments and an enormous bit of misinformation; I referred to communities that pay a full assessment to the APV and their own internal association. Miss Lita; of course, picked on Alhambra as being a Time Share, which it is. Nonetheless, they pay their association and APV a full assessment per unit. Coopersmith, Miss Lita, is not a Time Share, please research your facts before you make such a claim, and they pay their association and APV's. That's the way it is. By the way; I am glad I amuse you MPA, you guys amuse me too.  Perhaps it is amusing to some. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:43:25 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is just a sidebar about the preacher being “heckled” at the meeting.  I agree that it was not appropriate to interrupt the minister but he did say at least two prayers and took a very long time. I have often wondered why there even is a “pray time” at a public meeting and how it is decided it should be a Christen prayer. What about people who believe in other religions such as the Jewish religion or Muslim or no affiliation? Why do they have to bow their head and pray to Christ? I wonder how many people would have “heckled” if an Islam (second largest religion in the world) gave the opening  prayer. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:53:37 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso,

Again your facts are wrong.  You give the impression that Coopersmith and Alhambra are equal to Solivita in status but pay the annual fees per residence of $240 a year. Both Alhambra and Coopersmith are timeshare properties and have no full time residents to pay the $240 per year.  How did you do your research?  What are these properties really paying?]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:04:36 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, you are so funny.  You mention you did a lot of research regarding law enforcement, landscaping and beautification but make no mention of what you found.  As to your claims regarding why Solivita doesn’t pay its full share on the APV assessment maybe it is probably because they negotiated with the APV the reduced amount for letting the APV off the hook in any responsibility within the walls of Solivita.  Maybe if those other communities were better organized they could do the same thing.   Your claim that the APV has been receiving a bad rap and is doing a wonderful job is funny as it is the pro incorporation leaders and groups leading the charge for incorporation that are the ones riling against the APV?  They are the ones that want a city to replace the APV.  While you were doing your research regarding the $7.5+ million the APV is holding back on answer this question.  Why would UCF label it in the Study as unrestricted cash instead of reserve?  The definition for unrestricted means that there are no claims on it and the funds can be used for anything.  A Reserve in a budget is restricted and to be used for just what the reserve is set up for.  If it is a reserve then why didn’t UCF label it as such and what is it for?  As to the sign at the corner of 17-92 and Poinciana Boulevard welcoming drivers to Poinciana, it is just a sign, nothing more.  A sign doesn’t make a community.  Does the first right on Marigold Avenue, south of Cypress Parkway for the road Haines City Road make those residents part of Haines City?  Maybe if you do less bashing of Solivita and state more fact you would be taken more seriously.

Now let’s look at the facts as stated in the Study of what the residents in the APV communities are looking for in a city that they are not getting from the APV.

1.	Enhanced Law Enforcement.  The Study maintains the same levels of law enforcement currently available at no additional cost but any enhancement and the proposed city would have to raise the taxes on the residents to pay for it.

2.	More parks and recreation.  No capital budget for the first 5 years to create more parks.

3.	More bus transportation.  A city doesn’t do this, the carrier Lynx would and they just added another line to Poinciana and increased its pick up service.

4.	More landscaping and beautification.  No capital budget for the first 5 years.

5.	More signage.  I can’t even comment on this as I don’t even know what they mean by this.

6.	Quicker response from owners who let their homes look unkept.  Maybe if the residents contact the county instead of the APV something would get done.

7.	More street lighting on main thoroughfares.  According to the Study this will only be accomplished by the proposed city creating a Special Assessment for the community requiring the street lights.  So that means those residents will be paying more.  And just look at the stink created by the pro incorporation leaders when it was suggested at a recent APV Board meeting to raise the assessment $1.67 a month.  They were all over the Board for suggesting such a thing.  

None of the communities along Poinciana Boulevard or east of Pleasant Hill have any of these issues and are perfectly happy with the way we receive services from the county.  If the APV community residents have problems then they should look to ways of solving them without adding another layer of government or involving communities that do not share their concerns or want to be part of their proposed city.
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:13:58 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I will agree with you, heckling a preacher was totally out of line. Whomever did it, be it someone in opposition or in favor of incorporation should feel ashamed. 
I did a lot more research on the matters affecting Poinciana;, mainly law enforcement, beautification and lighting. We all know APV has taken the brunt of the blame for everything under the sky. However, in researching; I found some interesting things.
1. When the boundaries were drawn, they reached all the way up to 17/92 because the Industrial Park and Broadmoor are within the APV jurisdiction.
2. All other communites, except Solivita pay the full assessment to APV. I know some will argue that APV provides no services within the walls. APV does not provide services within the boundaries of Coopersmith, Golf Villas 1 and 2, or Alhambra. It looks as if Solivita received special treatment. Had Solivita contributed as all of the communities within the Villages, the APV would have an additional $587,000 in its budget. That would help toward the beautification of the areas outside of Solivita. There is reason to ask, why didi this happen?
3. Much have been said about APV holding onto $7 million, however, it has been explained at the Board of Directors meeting and confirmed by checking the Florida Statutes governing HOA's that replacement funds are required to be maintained and not used for anything other than what they were collected for. I believe we all have pounded on a corporation that has done its job magnificently. 
4. As to those who live off of Poinciana Boulevard and believe they are not a part of Poinciana, they are foolish. If you drive past the welcoming sign on 17/92, as was stated at the meeting on the 27th, and believe you don't live in Poinciana, Welcome to Poinciana. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:26:18 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, as I am not a resident of Solivita, as you must be, and I did not get involved in this issue until late July, when I found out my community was being included in the boundary lines of the proposed city, I cannot refute or confirm your 2 allegations.  What I can say on the subject though is if this all occurred at the beginning of the process, I think that meeting at Solivita was in mid April, it was before the Solivita anti-incorporation group (SOS) was formed and way before COPI was formed.  If Representative Wood ordered, and I am sure that word is stronger than it should be, Solivita’s removal from the Study’s boundary lines, it was based on the strong negative response he saw from the residents of Solivita at that meeting (I saw the videotape on this website of that meeting).  As someone who represents such a large population, that would have been the responsible thing for him to do.  As to him accepting money from an opponent of incorporation and political club, all I can say again is that I am sure that club was not SOS and was probably the Republican Club, which while may be anti-incorporation is not focused on that one issue and does not represent the anti-incorporation contingency in Solivita.   With all that said, Representative Wood did not have to spend as much time in Poinciana as he did going to every meeting, touring the area with the PRSC leader, who also has been, until recently leading the charge for incorporation or meet with me personally to get feedback on what the other residents of Poinciana think that are not in his district.  In those meetings, I personally found him to be engaging, fully up on all of the issues and he showed the willingness to be part of the solution to the improvement of Poinciana.  You may try and taint him and his position on this issue all you want but, all you are accomplishing and it seems that has been the strategy of the pro-incorporation proponents all along is to divert attention from the real facts.  The Feasibility Study is plagued with so many non-compliant issues and so seriously flawed that it does an injustice to the residents of Poinciana.  Representative Wood was only one of four delegates that saw this as a half baked, not ready for prime time effort as the other three delegates Senator Dockery, Representatives Horner and Precourt came to the same conclusion.  So even if Representative Wood took no stand, that would have been three out of four delegates having doubts on the validity of the Study and the whole idea of incorporation. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 4 Nov 2009 23:18:16 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I will accept all of what you say if you can refute the following facts:
1. Representative John Wood attended a presentation by UCF at Solivita and immediately ordered the removal of Solivita from the Incorporation Study. This took place at the very beginning of the process.
2. Representative John Wood at a meeting in which the incorporation issue was discussed accepted money from an oponent of incorporation and a political club. 
3. If those two previous statements are true; and they are, it puts Representative Wood in an unattainable position because his position on this matter will always be considered biased and favoring the anti incorporation group.
I await your refutal with facts, such as the ones that I presented, which have been reported by the press and/or recorded on tape. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:45:36 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Angel_7_flash you don't need an extra layer of government to do what you want.  Rather than pay politicians and their staffs millions, work to get the money directly from the county. 

What Poinciana does need is to unite and work to get what it deserves from Polk and Osceola County.  Have you heard the phrase - the squeaky wheel gets the grease? Poinciana needs to become the squeaky wheel and make sure we do get the grease, which means we make sure the counties spend the money they are getting in government share for the citizens of Poinciana on the citizens of Poinciana. We also need to question what happened to the impact fees that were collected when building the Polk side of Poinciana?  Have you seen them used?  We also need to question what APV is doing with the $7 million the UCF discusses in the study. Is it really helping Poinciana for them to hoard the money and collect $175,000 in interest each year? Of course not. Why are they doing so? APV leadership needs to change and we can make that happen by going to the APV board meetings regularly and being the squeaky wheel.

We need to make sure we have citizens from Poinciana regularly attending county commission meetings, watching how they spend our money.  By going to county commission meetings and regularly talking about what is needed in the area we become the squeaky wheel. Read this excellent article from the Ledger Political Columnist and learn more about how you can become involved:  http://www.theledger.com/article/20091102/COLUMNISTS/911025032?Title=Don-t-Give-Up-Fight-for-Future-of-Poinciana]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 3 Nov 2009 10:46:46 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[My heart goes out to the people in Poinciana. Many of our neighbors are hurting, tired, angry, unhappy, frustrated...... and the list goes on. (I watched an episode of CSI where a man was attacked by a mob of people on a plane who feared for their lives. The point was later stressed that no one took the time to find out what was causing the man's reaction.) While disrespecting a praying Pastor is no excuse, the people reacted out of frustration. (The point is also noted for the early arrival of Solivita to the meeting, however it is hardly fair to say that someone leaving a job at 5pm, an hour away should have gotten there earlier) This is why the decision need to be made by the people, only the residents of Poinciana can really tell the state what we want. We are the ones losing our homes and our jobs. But even greater than that we are the ones that can determine what happens to our community. Things will remain the same if there is no change. (Respect to those who want it to stay that way.) But as a mother and wife who has seen her husband work and go to school to try to make a better future, as I work part-time a hour away from home. I know that there is always a price to pay for what we want, but we can determine the price and rewards. Yes higher taxes will come, but job opportunities will also come. Greater opportunties for the people with small businesses to flurish will come. We can determine what happens in our community instead of leaving it to the counties. We can keep the wealth of Poinciana in Poinciana by establishing regulations to govern our city that will cause us to benefit. Promoting small businesses is what Brooklyn does that's why there is no wlamart there. We need to do the same, buy from our own, keep out the big dogs that will come to rob us of our wealth and spread the wealth in the community by supporting our residents. We are the ones in need, we know what we can do to cause change. I don't know about you but when I shop at Walmart, Publix, Burger King, Lowes, Home Depot, Chase, Upcoming CVS, Walgreens.. I want to know that the taxes they pay from the purchases I make goes back in my comminuty. That is not happening now! We are financing everywhere else in polk and osceola county but nothing is coming here. (I know for a fact that the new park in Haines City we built it.) I am sick of driving a hour to work and I know many of you are too, so let us decide what changes we want for the Poinciana we love, to make it a better and more profitable community for us the residence.    ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 3 Nov 2009 09:35:21 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This was posted under the blog on this web site but is too important of a post to be hidden there.

LynnS.(5 Days Ago)
Today, I am embarrassed to call myself a Poinciana resident. The emotional display that took place at the Liberty High School meeting last night was a disgrace. Shouting down a minister during his prayer? Offering conspiracy theories to the press outside because of fire regulations? What has happened to this community? We have no business even thinking about becoming a city right now. My neighbors are currently still losing their homes to forclosure (I am a resident of Village 3), and many are just bearly holding on to their homes. Should we ask them to pay more taxes to a city right now? Would that not put the final "nail in the coffin" for them? And for what? For police and fire services we already have through the county? For more parks that our children will not use, or worse yet, teenagers will vandalize like the ones we already pay for through the APV? A lady at the meeting last night stood up and said she wants to be a city so her kids will have a library, parks, etc. I don't believe she is very observant... there are parks all over Poinciana and a library as well. What will another bureaucracy offer us? Don't we have enough government control in our lives? Don't we pay enough taxes already? Unemployment in Poinciana is a big problem, as I know from watching neighbors who have been "unemployed" for 18+ months. Again, who will be paying these city taxes? We're asking the same small percentage of people who are working hard to support their families and actually paying their bills to pick up the tab for everyone else. I believe we have problems in Poinciana that the word "incorporation" will not fix. We have become a community of people who feel entitled to privileges just because we breathe. Why on Earth would a resident of Solivita want to support our new city with their tax money? They moved into Solivita behind their walls to be separated from us! Not to be a part of us! And who can blame them, did you SEE the behavior at the meeting last night? Very few among us here are even trying to help ourselves these days. It is not a conspiracy that some people actually READ the information and arrived at the meeting at 5:15pm when the doors opened. Take some personal responsibility! Ignorance in this magnitude makes all of us look stupid. Anyone who thinks these words are harsh should live a day on my street, or take a walk through the Poinciana Wal-Mart. You will see entitlement attitudes, a total lack of common decency, and lines of people proudly buying groceries with food stamps or WIC coupons while talking on their $100 per month cell phones. We have morality problems in this community (heckling a praying minister??)and a city ordinance will not fix that. No incorporation for Poinciana! 
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 2 Nov 2009 14:12:30 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Many have failed to realize that Incorporating Poinciana is a political issue. MY VOTE is MY VOICE!!!.  I want to speak for myself. Everyone has the right to have their voice heard. Though some of us speak LOUDER than others, it is not our place to assume that the voices that have been hushed or is whispering their views, WANT US TO SPEAK FOR THEM. Whether or not we want to accept it, the fact is, incorporated or not, everyone will have something to lose or gain. Just because you don't know which will be greater for you, does not mean that your FEARS should be the deciding factor. One thing is for sure CHANGE WILL COME whether Poinciana is Incorporated or not. So we need to swallow our pride and embrace what the future holds. Our decision and voice should be focused on what is best for children and not our selfish desires.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 2 Nov 2009 13:38:27 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I believe a main reason the Incorporation did not go forward was not only a lack of general consensus by residents, but the Florida requirements for Incorporation was not completed.  The meeting last Tuesday highlighted some of the questions/issues that were not addressed in the Feasibility Study or by the APV. 

Florida Statutes 165.041 Incorporation; merger. 9. Data and analysis to support the conclusions that incorporation is necessary and financially feasible… 10. Evaluation of the alternatives available to the area to address its policy concerns.

1. Why is incorporation necessary?
2. What alternatives are available? 
3. What services do residents want that they can only get by becoming a city?
4. What are the actual capacity issues of the APV?
5. Why include communities not currently within APV boundaries? Do they want to be included?
6. What are the real costs per service?

Most of these issues have been asked by many people (including me) since the beginning of this process and have been essentially ignored. I believe that if these very basic questions are addressed and openly discussed, many residents might be more receptive to incorporation if it is found to be necessary.

Recommendation:
Develop a volunteer committee to help re-evaluate the Incorporation process. The Poinciana area has many residents with diverse professional backgrounds and could provide a wealth of experience.  The committee should include all potentially affected areas including surrounding communities like Cypress Cove and Solivita.

If possible, employ an outside (independent) professional consulting firm to complete the evaluation. The volunteer committee, APV, UCF, Osceola and Polk Counties, and area residents should all have input in the evaluation thereby creating a document that is inclusive, open and fair.

]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sun, 1 Nov 2009 18:14:47 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, there you go again, like UCF you are forgetting all of those communities along Poinciana Boulevard and the other communities east of Pleasant Hill Road.  This was not just about Cypress Cove and Solivita fighting incorporation.  This was about all of the communities that COPI was representing:  Southport Bay, Merry D, The Wilderness, Countryside Manor, Isles of Bellalago, Trafalgar Village, Crescent Lakes, The Reserve @ Doral Woods and last but not least 2 of the Villages in Poinciana.  COPI presented petitions, to the Delegates, from ALL of these communities stating their preference to be left out of the incorporation of Poinciana.  The auditorium Tuesday night was filled with a lot of hard working individuals from these other communities.  Knowing the residents that I worked with from these other communities, I would have to say that they made up almost 40% of the audience with about 25% of the audience pro incorporation.  While Solivita made up 1/3rd of the audience this can be understood as they represent such a large population of the total population.  

As to your comment that the talent will be silenced, there is no reason for that to be.  There are many other alternatives to incorporation that can be worked on together that would deal with the problems within Poinciana.  Forcing communities that do not relate to Poinciana or have the same problems is not one of them.  If the talent in Poinciana comes together and leave their egos at the door we can achieve a better Poinciana.  

As to your attack on Representative John Wood, that is what is called a low blow.  Representative Wood attended every meeting and has spent time within the entire community.  He spent time with PRSC touring the problem areas of Poinciana.  He has met with the APV, County Commissioner, pro and anti incorporation leaders in an attempt to come to a solution to the problems of Poinciana.  And just remember, Senator Dockery spoke first how she felt about incorporation and ALL of the other Representatives echoed her sentiments that this was half baked and not ready for prime time.  It was not just Representative Wood but ALL the delegates stating the same position.  And as Representative Horner stated, this meeting was an attempt to hear the voices of the residents.  Holding this meeting was not a requirement but an accommodation.  Even though the room was filled with a majority of anti incorporation residents, I looked at the two lines that formed at the microphones.  They were EQUAL in the amount of residents from both sides that spoke and Representative Horner alternated between the two insuring that an equal amount of residents from either side spoke.  Maybe if the pro incorporation presenter in the beginning stated more fact and not opinion or emotional items, the Delegates and audience might have been swayed.  There was no comparison between the two presentations.  One was awkward with no fact and the other was polished with fact and no emotional issues.  As Liberty High was the largest venue available this was the best place to hold the meeting.  Emotional outbursts that the meeting was held in a location that was not convenient for Poinciana residents was just another attempt by pro incorporation people to try and divert attention from the business at hand.  What about all of the Town Hall meetings held at Palmetto Elementary School or the Community Center.  Those locations weren’t convenient to the residents along Poinciana Boulevard or east of Pleasant Hill Road or even Broadmoor.  Until this process started, I didn’t even know there was a Community Center let alone where it was.  

What is going to set Poinciana back decades is not Solivita’s stance on incorporation.  It is attitudes like yours that rather blame others for a solution that was cooked up by big egos with no regard for all of the communities involved and attack those communities or our Representatives for not getting your way. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:41:50 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The meeting held on Tuesday left a lot to be desired. Hundreds were kept out of the auditorium, the working class was silenced. Nonetheless, I have to congratulate COPI for organizing and making sure that they took most of the seats very early to keep the rest of the community out. I agree that there is a lot of talent in Poinciana, perhaps never to be known. The legislators charade perpetuated the very entity that everyone seems to be against. As to the divide; it will remain for a long time. I have never faulted Cypress Cove's opposition, they never were a part of Poinciana, as to Solivita, they have probably set Poinciana back decades because of their attitude. Those very contested and loud meetings were always because of their comments. Meetings held away from the Comunity Center, where they didn't attend, were respectful and orderly. As to John Wood, he is unethical in that he committed to Solivita even before the study was released. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:08:45 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Event information is now posted on the calendar. If other community events should be posted here, please email me at tbryer@mail.ucf.edu, and let me know. You can also place a note on the blog or in the What's On Your Mind wall with event information. This is a community website; the content is yours to create. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:33:06 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[As I understand the event, I will be making a very brief statement with an update on the study process, which will basically be a statement of the blog entry at the top of this page. This will be part of a larger event with numerous speakers addressing a variety of community issues. If you have the full event information, please post it here so that others can know of the community event. I don't have the event information available to me at the moment.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:54:28 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This entire process has driven a wider divide between the community of Poinciana and its neighboring communities thanks to the APV, PRSC and UCF.  It has also widened the divide between the APV and its’ member communities.  Going forward to improve the situation in Poinciana will be very difficult as long as the APV communities continue to look to the outside for help without first looking inwards to create a better community for itself.  There is plenty of talent right in Poinciana to correct this situation without utilizing “strangers” that do not have a clue of the scope of the community as they are neither in the community or operate in the real world but in the world of theory and books.  Just like the grass root organizations that rose up to fight the incorporation and some of the individuals, within the community that live in the problem communities that organized to support incorporation, there could be another grass root movement that could come together for the advancement of Poinciana that would have a fresh start as it would not be tied to existing organizations that are ineffectual.  Residents have to be involved and not just to support or be opposed to one solution generated by an organization that does not have the confidence of the community and makes decisions without resident input to correct the problem.  This means residents are going to have to be involved and not stand on the sidelines until a solution is put forth but be involved in putting that solution together.  It also means that residents have to realize that this involvement might mean financially as well.  Nothing in life comes free but, once paid for by those involved, the end result, a better Poinciana, would be all that much sweeter.  If we take on this issue non-emotionally and more analytically then what has been done in the past, together we can make Poinciana a better place for all the residents in Poinciana.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:43:30 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why isn’t an event that is taking place where UCF will be doing a presentation on incorporation posted on this web site?  Is this more of the transparency that has been taken place all through this process?  Why isn’t UCF’s appearance at the Annual Poinciana Update meeting listed here?]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:15:07 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[RE:What Now?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today, I am embarrassed to call myself a Poinciana resident. The emotional display that took place at the Liberty High School meeting last night was a disgrace. Shouting down a minister during his prayer? Offering conspiracy theories to the press outside because of fire regulations? What has happened to this community? We have no business even thinking about becoming a city right now. My neighbors are currently still losing their homes to forclosure (I am a resident of Village 3), and many are just bearly holding on to their homes. Should we ask them to pay more taxes to a city right now? Would that not put the final "nail in the coffin" for them? And for what? For police and fire services we already have through the county? For more parks that our children will not use, or worse yet, teenagers will vandalize like the ones we already pay for through the APV? A lady at the meeting last night stood up and said she wants to be a city so her kids will have a library, parks, etc. I don't believe she is very observant... there are parks all over Poinciana and a library as well. What will another bureaucracy offer us? Don't we have enough government control in our lives? Don't we pay enough taxes already? Unemployment in Poinciana is a big problem, as I know from watching neighbors who have been "unemployed" for 18+ months. Again, who will be paying these city taxes? We're asking the same small percentage of people who are working hard to support their families and actually paying their bills to pick up the tab for everyone else.  I believe we have problems in Poinciana that the word "incorporation" will not fix. We have become a community of people who feel entitled to privileges just because we breathe. Why on Earth would a resident of Solivita want to support our new city with their tax money? They moved into Solivita behind their walls to be separated from us! Not to be a part of us! And who can blame them, did you SEE the behavior at the meeting last night? Very few among us here are even trying to help ourselves these days. It is not a conspiracy that some people actually READ the information and arrived at the meeting at 5:15pm when the doors opened. Take some personal responsibility! Ignorance in this magnitude makes all of us look stupid. Anyone who thinks these words are harsh should live a day on my street, or take a walk through the Poinciana Wal-Mart. You will see entitlement attitudes, a total lack of common decency, and lines of people proudly buying groceries with food stamps or WIC coupons while talking on their $100 per month cell phones. We have morality problems in this community (heckling a praying minister??)and a city ordinance will not fix that. No incorporation for Poinciana! ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/default.asp?a=&nid=C0069DDA-B837-44AC-AF80-32E0793F1B46 ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:15:39 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/default.asp?a=&nid=C0069DDA-B837-44AC-AF80-32E0793F1B46 ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[People stop talking about parks and all that nonsense, we do not need any more parks and right now my kids dont use any of thise 3 parks because there full of teens that are cursing and  doing drugs and I dont want my kids around that type of element. There for I am against the so called city that avatar wants to impose on us here in Poincina, I personally live on the Osceola side and our residents on my block dont want this project to go forward and we are all happy with this just the way it is. So on October 27 lets all go to Liberty High School and make our voices loud and clear that this can not go forward and make sure that we tell them that they will not be elected again if they approve this so called city.So again NO TO CITY AND VOTE NOOOOOO!!!!!!]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:01:06 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[FACTSO you just like to think people are stupid. The mill rate of 6.99 is not out of line with that of other cities in Polk County. The mill rate is that high because of the costs of running a city today versus the cost of running a city in 1885. The fact that it took 124 years to build a decent park shows you how little money the city has had to put money into parks over the years. Even Deltona, a much younger city and the city even UCF says is the closest to Poinciana, has a mil rate of 5.44.  That 3 mill rate is just a come on to get people to vote for the city. The elected officials will find that they can't afford to do what they want at that low rate and will end up raising it closer to the average UCF found of over 5 mils the first year they set a budget.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 2 Oct 2009 09:22:02 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Wildcat, thank you for the information. I thought they were talking about the Regional Park that was planned at Lake Hatchineha and Poinciana Parkway. Don't be upset by Lita's request that you move to Haines City, she's always so sweet. Ironically, Haines City's mil rate is in the high 6's after 124 years, not bad! In 124 years, our suggested mil rate of 3 can also reach the astronomical rate of 6.99 and I won't care, will you Wildcat? LOL. We won't be around! By the way, that park in Haines City is LOVELY!]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 21:41:03 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[Citizen Charter Committee Meeting]]></title><description><![CDATA[Wish I could be there but I'll be out of town starting the 14th. Who is chairing the meeting and where can I read the minutes ?]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?page=event&cmd=view&day=15&month=10&year=2009&id=112310 ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 11:40:54 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?page=event&cmd=view&day=15&month=10&year=2009&id=112310 ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Yes, Haines City does so well.  It's mil rate is 6.99 and that's after making significant budget cuts:  http://www.newschief.com/article/20090915/news/909155024.  It may finally have opened an incredible park but it took years to do so.  The city was first platted in 1885. You certainly can move there if you'd like and leave us alone without a major new tax entity in Poinciana.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:46:56 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The "Park" at Lake Hatchineha is an RV Park and boat ramp.  No ball fiels, no playgrounds etc.  The closest real park is in Haines City.  It just opened and was paid for by the city with additional mony from grants.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?cachecommand=bypass&PageIndex=1 ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:59:41 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?cachecommand=bypass&PageIndex=1 ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/9/22/should_poinciana_become_its_own_city.html
Yeah, real cute. The news guy calls us "Ponce-e-ana" until he cuts to the info babe and hears her correctly pronouce Poinciana. She also says she's on Poinciana, Osceola County. Woa, babe...you're standing in Polk. All this feeds into the people who want to become a city to be "recognized". Sheesh...]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:09:43 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Now, that is something I fully agree with. See you on the 27th, Factso out. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:20 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[come on guys we all want he same thing for this place and that is a NO CITY and NO MORE TAXES.We can afford to pay any more]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:40:47 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, According to PRSC the park at Lake Hatchineha opened up this past August.  As I am not a resident of Poinciana or Polk County, I know nothing more than what the pro incorporation people put out here on there web site announcing the opening to the residents.  While the one just outside of Poinciana might be just a dream in your mind, the proposed City adding more parks to the area is just a pipe dream as well.  And we can go on and on with this pissing contest.  I suggest that we wait until the 27th of October when we all get to have our say in front of the Legislators and see whose arguement is more persuasive.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:36:22 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Please, Sir. I try to be as factual as possible. The so called park at Lake Hatchineha is a project that was supposed to be funded through a joint project between Polk County Leisure Department and the School Board. Perhaps you should ask the Polk Commissioner the status of that project. As to the one just outside of Poinciana, the old McOverstreet land, it has been over a decade since the purchase and there are still no fields. Those are not parks, please. However, in Poinciana proper, for your information there are three parks, two are owned by the HOA and one by the county. Those are true parks, the rest are just dreams, my dear man. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:23:30 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, read the Palm Bay Feasibility Study.  In that Study, they made provisions to PAY the county for the parks in the second year.  So I guess the transfer of ownership of parks is NOT generally a non monetary transfer.  Second, didn't you post that Osceola and Polk Counties are looking to further develop the park at Country Club and acquire the land from Avatar.  Also the park at Port Hatchineha was developed by Polk, so I guess they own that one too.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:40:33 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[My dear Sir; another piece of misinformation. Only one park, Deerwood Park, belongs to the county. Additionally, Sir, cities generally receive those parks in a non monetary transfer of ownership. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:33:23 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[More on capital improvements: 

Page 23: "A village-based assessment system, in which individual villages in Poinciana are identified as funding units, may be considered to be established for village-specific developments." and on Page 33:  "Because Poinciana consists of a large number of individual villages (20) and some villages appear to be in different phases of development, the possibility of developing an assessment fee structure designed to fund village-specific needs should be explored. With this option, special assessment fees could become a major revenue source for Poinciana."]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:50:42 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[To back up MPAholder's statements here are some direct quotes from the UCF study or from Dr. Wang:

On Police:

When asked about police and fire service costs on PoincinaFuture.org, Dr. Wang of the UCF study team said, “One important reason that the 3 mill (a lower end of the millage range) was chosen is because policing and fire are not included. If policing and fire are included, the millage rate would be higher.”  Will Poinciana ever offer police and fire services? Page 33: “If Poinciana wants to provide law enforcement and fire/emergency services, new revenue sources (such as public utility taxes and federal block grants in public safety) need to be identified, and/or the rate of current revenues will have to be increased.”

On any type of capital improvement, including building of parks and fixing of roads, the study says on Page 8:

“In an effort to respond to the expectation and desires of the resident for more and better government services,” the Study team indicates that even with incorporation the citizens will have to wait at least five years (Page 18), “the future city will take advantage of existing infrastructure as much as possible. Unless it becomes absolutely necessary, the future city does not intend to initiate new major capital projects during the first five years of incorporation."

On impact fees:

While impact fees are considered another key part of the revenue pie, even the study team admits they don’t seem likely in the short term. Page 23: “If growth returns, impact fees could be an important revenue source for Poinciana to pay the cost associated with development.”

]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:46:35 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[For those of you that do not have Brighhouse Cable for television service, here is a report on Tuesday night’s Town Hall meeting that aired on the show “Weather on the 1’s: Watch the video also.

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/9/22/should_poinciana_become_its_own_city.html
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:54:07 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso, thank you for being self righteous and humoring us here.  We must all look pretty small to you from your mount.  Let’s look at your claims.  Regarding parks, nowhere in any of the anti-incorporation literature or posts do we claim that both Counties are buying 250 acres of land for parks.  What we do say is that Polk just spent a lot of money for the park down by Port Hatchineha located on the northern tip of Lake Hatchineha.  Osceola County is developing a park just east of Pleasant Hill Road by Reaves Road.  While not in Poinciana it is close.  We cannot be responsible for what one resident says to another but it was not an official statement from any anti-incorporation group.  Solivita while maybe not going to be the cash cow of the proposed City, they do constitute almost 20% (17.6%) of the total revenues not the 10% you quote.  No one said that the Impact fees would not come back to the proposed City.  But with little or no new home development taking place the monies allocated in the budget proposed by UCF are not enough to do any real work on the roads in Poinciana, that by the admission of all are over 30 years old and are in need of desperate repair plus the need for more roads out of Poinciana is high up on the minds of the residents.  Regarding funding for additional police, the only monies available for payment of additional police service is in the $13.87 million set up in the General Government category.  How many things do you think this category can pay for?  First, there is the expense for the government itself i.e. salaries and benefits for the employees, building maintenance and office supplies, telephone, electric, water etc. for the new government, equipment and maintenance for said equipment, insurance (liability, workers comp, etc.) and travel expense for government employees to go to Tallahassee to lobby for all that Intergovernmental revenues UCF promised Poinciana will get.  How many more expenditures do you think that $13.87 million can take care of?  Yes, there is $2.09 million for parks.  Well the County owns the parks now.  So the proposed City would have to buy the parks from the Counties.  If they can be bought for this measly sum, they then have to maintain them and there is just not enough money allocated for that.  And what do the residents have?  The residents end up with the same parks that they had before, but whoopee, Poinciana now owns them.  As for UCF, yes they have an interest in this process.  Their reputation is on the line.  They are saying that the incorporation of Poinciana may be feasible (won’t even say that it is definitely feasible) but if they can’t convince the residents or provide a legitimate Study to convince the Legislators that it is feasible their reputation goes down the proverbial toilet.  As for creditability, they lost that when they started dancing around the tough questions and ignored the even tougher ones. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:53:38 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ok, my dear pack of wolves, I'll humor you. 
At John Wood's meeting; one of your supporters stated that the Village 7 gentleman had nothing to worry about in relationship to having no parks in that area, "Polk and Osceola were buying 250 acres of land together". LIE! No such plan exists. Osceola and Polk are trying to develop the rest of the park at Country Club. First, the land has to be obtained from Avatar and it is nowhere near 250 acres. I will challenge any of you to have Jean Reed or Brandon Arrington, the County Commissioners state otherwise. 
Solivita would be the cash cow for the rest of Poinciana. LIE! They don't even constitute 10% of the proposed budget.
Roads would be the responsibility of the city with no funding available, since the imnpact fees belong to the County. LIE! Impact fees are, by law, required to be spent in the area where they were collected and must be transferred to the city. There is no money allocated for additional law enforcement. LIE! There are funds in the Study that can be used to contract additional police, there is not enough to create a Police Department. There is no allocation of funds for parks. LIE! There are millions of dollars allocated towards that purpose.
The biggest LIE of all; that the Institute of Government is skewed in favor of Incorporation. They have a lot more credibility than the whole bunch of you together because they do not have any personal interest in this fight but you all do! So, go ahead, my dear pack, tear into me. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:26:06 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[For centuries, in any discussion or debate on a topic, when individuals or groups are losing the debate, their fallback position has always been to rely on desperate measures of emotion when they cannot support their argument with facts.  Personal attacks to cloud the issues are their main weapon.  And that seems to be the case with Factso.  He attacks LitaB accusing her of not being civil and earlier he attacked me stating that I was spreading fear.

Why don’t those in favor incorporation ever back their arguments with facts?  Why don’t they inform those hard working families that, if a city were to become an actuality, that those amenities that they want, they will have to pay extra to receive those amenities in the form of Special Assessments added to their tax bill for their community alone?  Why don’t those pro incorporation people point out that in the current projections of the proposed city, there are no plans to give them any of the benefits that they so dearly want?  Why don’t those that are pro incorporation mention that improved police, fire and emergency services will not even be possible in the first five years (Page 33: “If Poinciana wants to provide law enforcement and fire/emergency services, new revenue sources (such as public utility taxes and federal block grants in public safety) need to be identified, and/or the rate of current revenues will have to be increased.”).  Why don’t those pro incorporation state that even though the Study represents that property tax will be set at a 3 millage rate it is for presentation purposes only as the newly elected Mayor and Commissioners can set the rate higher at their discretion without community input.  Residents are asking the APV for services such as new sidewalks, street lighting and more parks.  The APV is not providing these services at the same time they are hoarding over $7 million that could be used right now!  NO city is needed to spend this money which rightfully belongs to the residents. Why don’t the residents demand that some of this money be spent NOW?

Yes, make this an emotional process.  Cloud the facts with innuendo and false statements to further divide the community.  Turn Poinciana into a socialist welfare city, whereby those that have worked hard all of their lives and many are still working hard to provide a better life for themselves are paying to have amenities to make their lives better, must now turn around and work harder to give those that don’t have those amenities the same benefits while receiving nothing in return for their hard work.  


]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:07:56 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Factso,
I now recognize you by your attack, not on issues, but your inability to challenge Lita B. on the facts.  You are a very frustrated individual.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:10:01 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ms. Epstein; you just made my case about lack of civility. See you on the 27th. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:41:17 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[FACTSO - Why thank UCF, they just did what they were paid $76,000 by APV to do. I'm not sure that APV would give them"a job well done" since I've yet to see where the APV has accepted/approved the study. Instead four of our residents saw fit to sign the study for us and start it on the required political path for us to vote on becoming a city. I missed the alternatives offered by UCF, perhaps you could point them out to me.  I could tell you a few alternatives available, short of becoming a city but not in the UCF study.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:40:34 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The meeting last night went pretty much as expected. No real information and only generalized answers to questions. I still do not believe that the basic requirements for Incorporation have been addressed in the Feasibility Report.
  
Florida Statutes 165.041 Incorporation; merger 

9. Data and analysis to support the conclusions that incorporation is necessary and financially feasible, including population projections and population density calculations, and an explanation concerning methodologies used for such analysis. 

10. Evaluation of the alternatives available to the area to address its policy concerns. 

Until these requirements have been met, the Feasibility Report is incomplete and should be rejected.

]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:46:09 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Interesting article in today’s Orlando Sentinel regarding the plunging population and rising unemployment due to the housing crisis and economy.  And the writer points out that this information is from the year 2007 prior to the 2008 economic collapse and that the current year will be even worse.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-florida-income-drops-092209,0,984389.story
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:30:38 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[If UCF’s efforts are being defined as “a wonderful job”, I would hate to see what a lousy job would look like.  As more than one questionnaire at these meetings has stated, if they had handed in a Study like this to their superiors in the private sector they would have been fired on the spot.  This Study is rancid with flaws, half truths (only truths that support incorporation) and has more holes in it than swiss cheese, that it is laughable, if it wasn’t for the fact that they are playing with resident’s pocket books.  There is no looking at alternatives except for incorporating.  But then again that is not what UCF was hired to do.  They were contracted to provide the APV with a Study to show that it was feasible to incorporate.  Not “if” but to come up with a Study that shows “it” is feasible.  For at least the first five years there is no improvement to the lives of the residents from what they are experiencing now.  And when a newly elected government is formed, the residents will learn that a 3 millage rate just does not work.  Dr. Wang states that UCF utilized the 3 millage rate because the proposed City will not have police, fire or EMT services and that the comparative cities do, so that is why their millage rate averages 5.123.  At the same time, the Study states that if the newly formed government wants to provide these services, they would have to seek alternative sources of revenue to pay for them such as governmental grants.  Well, doesn’t anyone believe that these other cities have explored those alternative sources for revenues to pay for police, fire and emergency services also?  So paying for those services is not coming out of the property tax revenue of those cities.  

As for the APV staying neutral on this subject, I just don’t get it.  They are the ones that contracted out the Study.  They are the ones that should have decided that the Study was worth going forward with or not.  But due to incompetence, they have lost control of this process (as stated in a APV workshop with UCF) and now it is in the hands of UCF and the four residents, who volunteered to submit this study to the legislature, without knowing what the Study was going to report.  The Study could have stated that it was not feasible but these four individuals were willing to sell their community down the river for their own agenda whatever that might be.  This Study should have gone first to the APV and they alone should have decided to go forward or not and if they determined to go forward with it they would have been the ones to solicit the required number of volunteers to do so.  
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:30:05 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[LarrySue, you ask a good question. I still wonder why anyone would sign a report they had not even read. In fact, one of the signers, Lili Patrick, has even be quoted recently in the newspaper ("Since the completion of the study, she said it would be good for residents at least, adding that she needed more information on how the new taxes would affect the business community." http://oscnewsgazette.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4706&Itemid=6) that she must research the city's impact on business. I've heard (but have not personally confirmed) that she will head the Poinciana Area Council (local Chamber of Commerce) next year. I hope its members ask her why she would sign a report that she hadn't read or analyzed for business impact.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:15:15 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Only people like you are turning this into a war of the classes. Most of us are just searching for the true facts, which UCF continues to avoid. As I posted below, UCF said last night the most cities were either holding the line on mill rates or lowering them, but in reality four of the six comparable cities in this study have just raised their mill rate and two are holding the line by cutting their budgets. 

Those of us concerned about another layer of government are not raising concerns based on "class wars" but instead are opposed to writing a blank check for a group of politicians who will decide at some point in the future how much they want to collect in taxes for another layer of bureaucracy.

Even UCF clearly states that there will be NO MONEY FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS or improved police, fire or EMS services in Poinciana for at least five years and unless there is a dramatic improvement in economic conditions it could take 10, 20 or 30 years to see major improvements. Yet during all that time we will have to fund an ever growing bureaucracy.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:54:09 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I'd like to take the time to thank the UCF team for doing a wonderful job in providing the Incorporation Study. I know a lot of self proclaimed experts have actually turned a very civil attempt at looking at alternatives for Poinciana into a civil war of the classes, but it is ok. We now also know where we all stand. Once more, THANK YOU, UCF TEAM for a wonderful job. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:49:16 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Meanwhile when APV raised it's assessments a couple of years ago (I think it was only $5-$10) it was the first time it was raised in 10 years. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:37:23 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let us not forget that besides raising millage rates and/or cutting back on employees and services, these Cities are also dipping into their reserves.  The proposed City, as currently planned, will have no reserves to dip into for the first couple of years at least.  UCF also states that at the minimum revenue collection, the proposed City will be able to maintain the current benefits the residents are receiving from the County and APV now.  At a three millage rate, with property values still falling, that would mean that the proposed City will not meet the minimum level of revenue as projected and will have to cut services to the residents to a level less than what the residents are receiving now.

UCF projects Intergovernmental Revenues as part of the projected revenues (35.64% of the total revenues projected). These Revenues must be applied for by the new city government.  If the proposed City becomes a reality, the elected officials must first find competent individuals to apply for these Revenues and then they must apply for them.  This process could take anywhere up to a year or longer to come to fruition.  Where will the Revenues come from to make up this short fall?  An increase in the millage rate, that’s where.  

Impact fees and special assessments are also projected as Revenue for the proposed City by UCF.  While just a small amount ($1.35 million to $4.63 million or 5% of the total revenue).  These are Revenue sources collected on new home construction and special assessments charged to one particular community only that needs special attention for lack of services or benefits.  With over 6,000 foreclosures, there is a glut of existing homes on the market now.  How much new construction will be taking place in the near future?  Special Assessments are charged to a particular community and is earmarked for that community only.  It is not revenue that the entire proposed City would be able to utilize and if averaged out among the residents of that particular community, their out of pocket costs would be a lot more than what they would be paying just in property tax.

UCF projects out that Permits, Licenses and Franchise Revenue would be 15% of the total Revenue the proposed City should be able to collect.  At both Town Hall meetings, Dr. Wang keeps reassuring the residents that they shouldn’t worry about this Revenue source as it would be paid by businesses.  Licenses and Franchise fees will be paid by businesses, unless a resident is running a small business out of their home but Permits are paid by residents.  Every time you want to do a repair or expansion to your home (replace roof or windows, add a room or lanai) you must file a building permit with the proposed City.  While that is the same as residents are doing now to the County, it is disingenuous of UCF to imply that only business will be paying into this Revenue source.

UCF continually states their disclaimer, at least three different times during their presentations at both Town Hall meetings, that they are not rate setters and just presenting their findings if it is feasible for Poinciana to become a City.  But they only report in their presentations the positive side of their findings.  Much like a used car salesman only points out the positive side of that clunker he/she is trying to sell you (this car was only driven to church once a week by a little old lady) UCF never tells the residents that incorporating is a hard road and that to make this work the residents are going to have to financially suffer and share the burden of creating a city and extra layer of government, that so far, they have not proved would enhance the lives of the residents but just the opposite, it could drive more residents into foreclosure and out of Poinciana.  
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:48:25 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[You must stop misrepresenting what is happening with city tax rates. Last night you said most cities were holding the tax rates the same or lowering them.  Based on news reports that is not what is happening. For example, using the cities you consider comparable:

Deltona has raised its tax rate by 30% from 4.15 to 5.44"

"Because of the city's lack of commercial property, Deltona's per-capita taxable value is the lowest in Volusia County, he said. It's $28,227 in Deltona, as compared with $90,569 in DeBary, placing a greater burden on Deltona residents to support their local government.

The commission voted 4-3 to pass the rate, which is 30 percent higher than the current rate, $4.15. However, it is not considered a tax increase under Florida law because it is the rolled-back rate, the rate that will raise the same amount of revenue as the current year not including new construction.

Deltona has reduced the number of city employees from almost 400 two years ago to about 300 today without massive layoffs, Mayor Dennis Mulder noted."  (http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/WestVolusia/wvlWEST03092209.htm)

Kissimmee raised its tax rate 24%: "Property values in some Kissimmee neighborhoods have fallen as much as 32 percent. By applying the higher tax rate to homes that are less valuable, the city hopes to collect the same amount in property taxes as it did during the past year.

City Manager Mark Durbin said keeping the current tax rate of $3.70 for every $1,000 of taxable property value would have resulted in a loss of $2.2 million or more in revenue. The approved rate for next year is $4.63 per $1,000 of taxable value."  (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/osceola/orl-kissimmee-property-tax-091509,0,3723183.story)

Lakeland increased it's tax rate: "City Commissioners gave final approval Monday night to a $542 million budget for the 2010 fiscal year. They approved an increase in the city's property tax rate from $3.40 to $3.65 per $1,000 of taxable value." (http://www.theledger.com/article/20090921/NEWS/909215098/1338?Title=Lakeland-s-Budget-and-Tax-Rate-Increase-Approved)

Palm Bay increased its tax rate: "Plunging property values forced the Palm Bay City Council to approve a higher tax rate this week in order to maintain the current level of services.
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Proponents said they increased the tax rate from $5.30 cents for every $1,000 a property is worth to $6.81, in order to give residents the same, current level of police, fire rescue, parks, utility and road services, among others." (http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090912/NEWS01/909120320/1006/news01)

St. Cloud kept its rate the same but it will mean cuts yet to be determined and the city must pull from its reserve funds to meet budget: "The rate that carried – 4.05 mills, or $4.05 per $1,000 in assessed value  – was the lowest rate proposed during Thursday’s public hearing on the budget. City staff started the budget process by recommending an 18 percent tax rate increase to compensate for falling property values. Going with the lower rate creates a $1.1 million deficit in the upcoming year, which council members said they would make up with additional cuts and with money from the contingency fund." (http://oscnewsgazette.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4692&Itemid=6)

Winter Haven decided not to raise its mill rate and instead cut its budget: "According to City Manager David Greene, this millage rate, which is 15 percent below the rollback rate of 6.8227 mills, will generate about $9.95 million for the general fund.

Greene said the decrease in the budget was necessary because of the weakened economic conditions and state tax reform, which reduces the amount of property tax collected. But he reassured commissioners that residents will not see a decrease in the level of services provided by the city.

Commissioner Nat Birdsong praised the city staff for its work on the budget.

"When you look at our millage rates today and look what it was 10 years ago, everything has gone up by leaps and bounds. In the last four years, we are in the position to have an ad valorem rate that is 5.79 percent," he said. "There are a lot of municipalities that are not only increasing ad valorem rates but are decreasing services and laying off staff - fire, EMS and police. We've been working very hard to maintain things."  (http://www.newschief.com/article/20090915/NEWS/909155056/1021?Title=Winter-Haven-budget-passes-first-test-tax-rate-holds)

Palm Bay]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:13:27 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[what a meeting it was very intertaining but still my mind has not change]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:58:41 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The representative from Solivita also has been quoted in the newspaper saying that given the economic conditions of the area this is not the right time to consider starting up a city.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:31:17 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[It was also interesting that he asked if the process could be stopped.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:31:26 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The APV is in a no win situitation if they take sides.  They have to be neutral and let the residents have their say by making an informed decision and voting.  I did think it was interesting that the APV representive for Village 10, Solivita stated at the workshop that he was not opposed to incorporation.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:03:20 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Interesting article in today's Sentinel; 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/osceola/orl-poinciana-city-ucf-study-092109,0,7980668.story]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:49:11 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is what I would like to know! This report was contracted, and paid for by the APV, which now appears to be having seconds thoughts about it. Who gave UCF the authority to give it to anyone other than APV to act on it prematurely? ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:43:50 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[LitaB - Did UCF , in fact find four people willing to sign the report - if so on whose authority. I asked both Fernando Valverde and Keith Latham from whence they drew their authority to sign/forward the study and got no answer. This entire process smacks of "railroading" and "underhandedness" to me. (Typical politics at work) Dr Bryer stated that the report finalization was expedited so that "the delegations" (later it appeared that he defines the delegations as legislators) could receive a copy of the study to review it in detail. Why should the delegations/legislators get to review the study before the residents - what was/is the rush ? I agree with  tfid when he says something appears to be missing here - a whole lot of something in my opinion., ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/default.asp?239&PageIndex=2 ]]></link><pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:53:33 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/default.asp?239&PageIndex=2 ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The local, legislative committee, is meeting on Tuesday October 27th, 6:30 PM at the Liberty High School.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:26:36 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[gungho64, It was $76,000 to UCF and who knows how much to the engineering firm for the map that got all of us grabbed into this mess.  You should contact COPI, the Committee Opposed to Poinciana Incorporation. Contact email webmaster@justvotenocity.org.  They have worked with 7 communities to get petitions started to get out of this.  Good luck to all of us.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:08:58 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[gungho64 I am the HOA President of one of the areas of your land grab and if I spent $50,000.00 of HOA monies on this nonsense I would be hung. My homeowners have directed me to fight this with every possible resource we can bring to bear. We have enough problems of our own without dealing with the apv 6,000 foreclosures. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:34:11 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I am not for City no more taxes!!!]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:00:10 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[It was made perfectly clear at the last APV Board meeting, where UCF made themselves available to the Board for any questions regarding the Study, that the APV lost control of this process and were pretty much told that, maybe not in those exact words, but pretty close. Basically, my opinion is that UCF was under so much pressure to publish the report to the general public, that they did so and found 4 residents that are for incorporation, no matter what the cost to the residents will be or the damage incorporation will do to the community, to volunteer to submit the study to the Legislature sight unseen (or maybe they got an insider’s peek before everyone else).  The president of the APV, on behalf of the board should have received the report and discussed it with the board first before publishing it to the general public or sending it to the affected areas legislators.  This is just another example of mismanagement on the part of the people whose job it is to represent the board on day to day activities.  The Feasibility Study is now owned by 2 Charter Committee members and the PRSC.  Maybe the APV should ask them to chip in on what the cost was for the Study.  ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:16:59 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Another Cost Estimate. How much will it cost each resident if Poinciana becomes a city? I think the average will be about $940 per year. Refining the costs based on a few property Taxable Values (after assessed value and all exemptions) and still using the UCF’s estimated average revenues for the miscellaneous taxes (service charges, communication service tax, franchise Fees, Others). I still took 7 million out because we are probably already paying a portion of these such as communication fees and they are going to the counties. I also keep out impact fees and special assessments. The millage rate of 3 seems very low and hard to believe, but here are the estimates.

Taxable Value: $300,000 - New City Taxes of $1560. ($900 property tax millage rate 3, $660 misc taxes), Taxable Value: $250,000 - City Tax $1410, Taxable Value: $200,000 - City Tax $1185, Taxable Value: $150,000 - City Tax $1035, Taxable Value: $100,000 - City Tax $960, Taxable Value: $50,000 - City Tax $810.
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:13:32 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Well then I have a question? This report was contracted and paid for by the APV, that means the APV owns the result of it. Who gave these 4 people the right to forward it to the local legislature, unless the APV authorized it, which reading this story, seems they may not have? Reading the original letter of intent posted here, doesn't seem to authorize that either (Although there may be something we're not seeing or posted here.) I think we're all missing something here, how this process works. My understanding is this report was contracted by the APV, the result of which UCF would make a recommendation to them, whether this was feasible. The report says it is even though it violates state law in regards to the 2 mile separation rule, and requires a waiver. Then the APV (since it's their report) would determine whether to go forward, hopefully after community input. When did this report go into the public domain allowing others to act on it?    ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:06:39 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Unfortunately for Poinciana, state law only requires four people to sign a report (see Page 5 of the report) to forward the report to the legislature. UCF found four people willing to sign the report even before they read it because the report was made public with those four names on it. Now it's possible these four people did see the report before we did. If not they were so anxious that this report go forward they agreed to whatever it said even though they hadn't read it.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:17:20 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Even a member of the UCF team is beginning to question if this might go through due to all the opposition the  incorporation process is getting.  See the article in The Reporter and pay attention to the last 4 paragraphs of article.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20090906/REPORTER/909065008]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:28:24 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is why this report should not have been permitted to go even to the local legislature before the community reviewed it. Before this it was only a report that the APV contracted UCF to produce, now the wheels are in motion and it doesn't look like even the APV themselves can stop it!]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:51:16 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[It appears even the APV itself is questioning the feasibility of this and wants to stop it!

http://www.theledger.com/article/20090912/news/909135031]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:44:22 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Starman69

Thanks for showing such a strong interest in our community, as well as I appreciated all of your post to this website, not to mention that you took the time to provide the contact info of the local State of Florida legislative delegation. Keep it up!]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:45:16 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[We dont need another layer of goverment and who said that APV wont stay after the election is over ?
I know that if we do decide to become a city and APV does not want to leave then what happens? Do we desolve the so called city that we are being pushed into. I dont want a city  and no more taxes.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:33:01 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I attended the townhall yesterday at the Palmetto Elementary School.

The UCF study team presented their findings.  They maintain that the incorporation is feasible at 3 mils with no additional fire or police services.
 
There are not a lot of people attending these meetings, considering that the population in this area is estimated at 75,000 citizens.
 
We will not know how much the incorporation/city will cost the taxpayers until:
 
The incorporation issue goes to the voters for consideration on November 2, 2010
 
Should the measure pass, The Mayor and City Council will be voted for in a special election on March 2, 2011.  They all have to win by a majority vote.  There may be a "run off" vote held April 9, 2011.
 
The city council, in 2011, will then meet and determine what services the city will provide.
 
Then they will set the budget and determine what the millage rate will be for the city.
 
There are more Town Hall meetings scheduled:
 
Tuesday September 22nd 6:30 to 8:30 at the APV Center 
 
Tuesday September 29th 6:30 to 8:30 This meeting will be in Spanish at the APV Center
 
 
Additional information may be found at:
 
http://www.justvotenocity.org
  
http://poincianasmartchange.org
 
Now is the time to act. Should this issue pass, we will be writing a blank check for the politicians to cash.  There is no guarantee that the APV will "go away"
There is no guarantee that the assets of the APV will revert to the corporation.
There is no guarantee that the people of poinciana will not pay any more than the $240.00 a year they turn over to the APV.  Get out and find out for yourself
what will happen if this is approved by a few voters.  Don't rely on what your friends or neighbors tell you.  With our friends and neighbors losing their jobs and homes, this is no time to be in a position to pay more taxes.

Get involved!

Write your representatives:
 
Senator Paula Dockery

District 15
Capitol Office
302 Senate Office Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahasee, FL  32399-1100

Phone:  850-487-5040

District Office
P.O. Box 2395
Lakeland, FL  33806-2395
863-413-2900
email: dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov
 
Rep. John Wood

District 65
Capitol Office
210 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee,  FL  32399-1300
Phone:  850-488-2721

District Office
702 Jones Avenue
Haines City, FL  33844-4342
Phone:  863-419-3470


Rep. Mike Horner

District 79
Capitol Office:
300 House Building
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL  32399-1300

Phone:  850-488-8992

District Office: 
323 Pleasant Street
Kissimmee, FL  34741-5763
Phone:  407-943-3077

Rep. Stephen L. Precourt

District 65
Capitol Office
1101 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee,  FL  32399-1300
Phone:  850-488-0256

District Office
310 South Dillard Street
Suite 400
Winter Garden, FL  34787-3515
407-814-6138


]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></link><pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:13:25 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Starman you are correct. I should have said 1.6 billion not millon.
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:47:29 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I know that right now is not the right time to incorporate there is no money , people have loss their jobs and many peoploe are moving out because they can'y afford it. I personally my family is going thru a rough time since my wife loss her job and we wont be able to afford our mortgage if our taxes go up any higher. So I believe that there is a lot of peoploe in out situation as well. So people think how will this increase in taxes would mean to your pocket book. I rather pay higher dues than more taxes which would be 4 to 5 times higher.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:57:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[That's sounds more like it!]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:45:59 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[It would be nice to maintain the status quo and not have to worry about the prospect of another layer of government developing their own budget and not be bound to a measly 3 mil levy.  There are no guarantees in life; should this incorporation measure pass, in November 2010, we will not know the millage or budget until after a special election in early 2011 to elect the mayor and city council, they have their budget meetings and determine what services the city will have, then assess the millage and set the tax.  They will not be bound to the feasibility study.  People of the Greater Poinciana Area, let your voice be heard!  Write your legislative representatives and let them know you feel.  This is not the time, in today's economy, with citizens losing their jobs and homes, to consider adding another governmental entity with the ability to tax us and our homes! ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:27:40 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[News I saw reflects the budget as:  $1,612,347,876 for the 2009/10 fiscal year
That's one billion, Six hundred twelve million, three hundred forty seven thousand, eight hundred and seventy six dollars.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:17:38 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[1.6M seems a bit low! Especially since Poinciana City budget would be minimum $21M]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:39:45 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[For the residents of Polk County who haven't seen the news yet, Polk Co. passed a 1.6 million $ budget last night. They did not raise property taxes. The rates are the same as last year. From The Ledger: "As a result the tax rates will remain $6.87 per $1,000 of taxable vslue for property located in cites and $7.49 per $1,000 for property located in unincorpotated Polk County, the land outside cities."]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:47:11 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[MPAHolder,

Keith approached Dr. Wang with questions about whether his understanding of the data was correct and if the presentation of information to the audience in Solivita as he was planning was correct. Dr. Wang provided that service; if others seek information or clarification for presentation to others, we would be happy to provide the same.

Best,
Tom]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:16:17 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Something interesting thing was said, and I think it was more as a slip of the tongue than actually meant to be said last nite at the PRSC sponsored incorporation Study meeting in Solivita.  No I am not referring to the questions that were asked and not replied to with straight or correct answers.  No it wasn’t the slides of tax numbers by the droves that had nothing to do with the Study or incorporation.  It was something that the presenter, Keith Laytham, said out of what it appeared to be frustration over a question on some of the numbers that Keith was attempting to use to support his position but couldn’t do.  Keith muttered that he worked on those numbers with Dr. Wang of UCF.  Well, the horse is out of the barn now.  True or not, Keith said it in a public forum.  I always thought and it had been reiterated by the UCF staff many times throughout this process, that they are impartial and their role is research and presentation not to decide if incorporation is feasible or not and that it is up to the Legislature and the residents to determine that.  Well if they are impartial, why are they working with the pro incorporation organization on numbers?  Their client is the APV, not PRSC or Keith Laytham.   Maybe the APV should ask PRSC and Keith to split the bill.  Why doesn’t UCF work with the anti incorporation people?  But then again, why don’t they respond to the many great number of questions that 2 other posters on this website have been trying to get answers for since the Study has been published?  Maybe, those poster’s questions are relevant enough to dissuade people from supporting incorporation, if the real answers were revealed.  ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 9 Sep 2009 21:36:05 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Have the basic requirements for Incorporation been addressed in the Feasibility Report? Two of the requirements for incorporation are to show that incorporation is necessary and evaluation of alternatives has been completed (chapter 165 is stated in the UCF contract):

Florida Statutes 165.041 Incorporation; merger 
9. Data and analysis to support the conclusions that incorporation is necessary and financially feasible, including population projections and population density calculations, and an explanation concerning methodologies used for such analysis. 

10. Evaluation of the alternatives available to the area to address its policy concerns. 

Is incorporation necessary to provide transportation and park services? This is part of what Dr. Bryer stated on April 16: The final report will examine current services provided, by whom, and at what cost. This includes services provided by the counties as well as by APV. We will not be conducting a full analysis of the APV budget, examining line by line their expenditures. We will examine their revenue potential as a master homeowners association, as well as their legal capacity, to fulfill the service needs of the community.

Maybe I missed that part of the Feasibility Study.
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 9 Sep 2009 19:37:36 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Wildcat,
Are you still pretending to be an outsider with no opinion?
If you knew what you were talking about, you would realize that many of us have no connection to the APV and couldn't care less what they do.
As far as HOA's are concerned, you move to a community with an HOA realizing that there are RESPONSIBILITIES to paying your fees, and facing increases.  That is far different from unwillingly being made part of a city where you will be a minority voter and get stuck with higher taxes to pay for those things that the IRRESPONSIBLE residents want for Christmas.
The term "for the greater good" is used by this pro-city crowd.  It's a great sociailst term.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 9 Sep 2009 16:26:21 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[To make i clearer. The APV budget for 2009 was $6.6m, which includes the following

Description             Operating       Capital    Total

Administration          $2,424,920.00   $0.00      $2,424,920.00

Parks & Recreation      $785,299.00     $0.00      $785,299.00

Community Service       $357,610.00     $4,000.00  $361,610.00

Public Works            $3,095,582.00   $23,753.00 $3,119,335.00

Grand Total:            $6,663,411.00   $27,753.00 $6,691,164.00

Out of the minimum expenditure of $21m if we became a city $13.87 is for administration, leaving a remainder of roughly $8m. Out of that $8m $5.23m of that is for Local Transportation which reading the report that is mainly maintenance of Roads, since the city would take over responsibility for at least the residential streets. This is something that is already maintained and by the county, and paid for in our county property taxes, which won't be reduced if we become a city. So essentially we will be paying twice for the same services. That is why I'm against icorporation. ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 9 Sep 2009 14:26:24 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[One I think it is inevitable the APV fees will go up, but it won't go up as much as we would be taxed by a city. It doesn't cost APV $21M-$134M to operate Poinciana. Since the APV (and all HOA's) are non profit organizations they can't raise the assessments more then their estimated budget + reserves required by law.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 9 Sep 2009 14:13:20 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I find it interested that the posters here are so untrusting of persons that would be elected by the residents, yet are so confident that a board elected by lot owners will not raise their HOA fees.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Wed, 9 Sep 2009 12:39:28 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[I want to thank those who are working diligently throughout Poinciana educating the people who were kept in the dark throughout this sham of a study.  I had the great satisfaction of speaking to a hard working man who lives in Crescent Lakes.  He told me that he and his neighbors had all signed a petition against incorporation.  Now we know why the public was kept in the dark.  There are many more opposed than there are for incorporation.
Keep up the good work out there and we will keep working where we are.
By the way, Keith Laytham has written a letter to the editor of The Ledger.  In it he claims that there are many people from Solivita who are for incorporation.  I know of three.  There are 2,000 signatures on petitions who are against it.]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sun, 6 Sep 2009 02:51:26 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[As Ms. Crotty had said a few Charter Committee Meetings ago and again at the APV Work Shop.  We will not know the actual millage rate until the Mayor and the City Commissioners are elected and set the budget for the city (if for some obscene reason this boondoggle is voted in).  Nothing like writing a blank check.  Also, Ms. Crotty "believes" that the APV will disolve and go away and that all the buildings, equipment and the $7,000,000.00 more or less dolars will go to the new city.  There is nothing in writing that this will/can happen. 

Even if there is a contract with one or both of the counties, there will be a desire for additional public safety officers, there will have to be more fire fighters and deputies hired to fill the need.  This will be at an additional cost.  

How can anyone believe that this incorporation won't "cost any more than you are paying now?" 

Where will the "start up" money come from?  

I certainly hope that the residents of Poinciana don't vote for incorporation on the premise that APV will go away.  

New streets and parks, as pointed out already, will be assessments on each individual "village" or precinct.  ]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 5 Sep 2009 22:41:26 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp?&new_log=yes ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Yes tf51d says it all.  The Tables 8 and 9 lay it all out for a reasonable person to come to the conclusion that this doesn’t work.  

Table 8:  Estimated Revenues – Property tax: at a low unrealistic and not binding on any newly elected official to the proposed City rests all on the backs of the residents.  While those residents with less than $100,000 assessed value home will be pay less than what they are paying now to the APV, the majority of the homes will be paying anywhere up to $1,000 for property tax.  Intergovernmental Revenue: even though the Study lists a dollar amount in the first 2 years of the proposed City, realistically the first year of the proposed City will be spent hiring the right people to apply for this and the second year just applying for these revenues.  Depending upon when the grant deadlines are and when they would be rewarded, it could end up being not until year 3 of the proposed City before the proposed City will see any significant dollars from this area.  Permits, Licenses and Franchises:  collected off of the backs of the residents and small businesses.  So that property tax bill those homes under an assessed value of $100,000 thought would be less than what they are paying to the APV just went up to more than they are currently paying.  And the part of this revenue which would come from businesses, just look around at the shopping centers in Poinciana now and count all the empty storefronts.  Yes let’s put more of a burden on small businesses and drive more of them away.  And let’s not forget all of you residents that are running a small business out of their home.  You will be paying more to do that as well.  Impact fees and assessments:  With the inventory of homes as high as it is now, due to foreclosures, there is no building going on to speak of at the present time and until the inventory dwindles down, and there is no positive sign of that happening soon, won’t be for a few more years.  Assessments, this is another revenue collected on the backs of property owners.  Service Charges:  the Study states that this category is paid for users of services.  Who are users of services, residents are.  Something else added on the backs of the residents.  Plus the Study concludes that the proposed City is less likely to provide services in the first 5 years but, that they justify putting a dollar amount in this area by saying that your newly elected officials can charge for parking facilities, parks and recreation activities and transportation services (e.g. transportation for the elderly).  There is more money coming out of the pocket of an already strapped population.  Local Communications Services Tax:  this revenue source is based upon retail sales of the very things residents need, telephone, cable and satellite services.  Again, this money is coming out of the resident’s pocket.  Other revenue:  catch all for everything else that can be charged to residents e.g. rents, royalties, sales, contributions, donations, judgments, fines, forfeits and anything else the elected officials can find in your pocket.  

Now let’s look at expenses.  General Government:  60% of the expense is to provide for the organization to run this boondoggle.  Cultural and recreation:  which at the low end will not change what is currently being experienced.  Local transportation:  this category includes expenditures on constructing and maintaining local roads, streets sidewalks, as well as road/street facilities.  Most of the roads are over 30 years old and are substandard (not up to code).  There is no money set aside for capital expense so this dollar amount is way too low to adequately improve what the Counties are currently doing for the roads now.  Physical environment:  As most of the items that are lumped in here (e.g. electric utility, garbage/solid waste control, sewer/water service, conservation and resource management and flood control and storm water management) are items that for the first 5 years the proposed City will still use the current services except for flood control and storm water management, there is no benefit to the residents.  Flood control and storm water management, an expense that is now being taken care of by the Counties, could end up being an added assessment to the residents to deal with (see Saturday, September 5th Orlando Sentinel article with regards to what Seminole County is doing).  

So bottom line, everybody will be paying a lot more than they are currently paying (including those with homes assessed for less than $100,000) and getting no increase in service or benefits.
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 5 Sep 2009 22:40:04 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/Default.asp? ]]></guid></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's on your mind?]]></title><description><![CDATA[LitaB and tf5Id
I have been on this site since the beginning and found that many if not all the people that post negative/dismissive comments such as reanmat and factso are in some way connected to the APV and have a financial interest in the incorporation, and are not interested if its better for its residents. This site could have been a way to discuss the issues and debate the merits of incorporation but its been mostly filled with misinformation and UCF has not shown more leadership in providing more details on its Feasibility Study leaving most people (including me) confused and no idea why we would want to incorporate. 
But most of the residents will not look at this site or go to the meetings and will probably vote to incorporate with no real understanding that most of their taxes will go to paying for a new bloated bureaucracy to provide jobs to the people that got us in this mess. Perhaps the current APV Board, Charter Members and APV staff will pledge not to be employed or in any way related to the new city. I kinda don’t think so. 
]]></description><link><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></link><pubDate>Sat, 5 Sep 2009 21:12:15 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="true"><![CDATA[ http://poincianafuture.org/main.asp? ]]></guid></item></channel></rss>