Winter Park utilities teams will present a status update on current electric, water and wastewater projects during a public meeting on Tuesday, May 23, at 5:30 p.m. in the Edyth Bush Theatre at Winter Park Library. Among the utilities projects that will be part of the conversation is the ongoing undergrounding of overhead electrical cables.
In 2005, Winter Park switched from an investor-owned electric utility to municipal ownership and began infrastructure upgrades and undergrounding. City Manager Randy Knight, during the January CoffeTalk meeting series, stated that ongoing supply chain issues have impacted the availability of materials and stalled the project.
“We can’t buy transformers right now so we’ve pretty much ground to a halt,” he said, adding that the scarce supply of materials has resulted in a 175% price increase. At that time, the estimated completion of the project had been pushed to 2030.
City staff will also offer hurricane preparedness information as departments prepare for the 2023 season. Winter Park Communications Manager Clarissa Howard recently told the32789 that the Stormwater Division is developing plans to investigate the city’s aging storm sewer infrastructure and prioritize upgrades to improve drainage. The Lakes and Stormwater Divisions have also been collaborating on a means to guide the management of lake levels prior to major hurricanes.
Edyth Bush Theater is located on the first floor of Winter Park Library, 1052 W. Morse Blvd. Space is limited, those wishing to attend are asked to register on the Winter Park Library event page.
