Victoria Bruce, Author at Victoria for Winter Springs

Winter Springs Has 353 Stormwater Ponds. Here Is the Plan to Maintain Them.

Winter Springs has a stormwater system that most residents rarely think about until it rains hard enough to matter. Behind the scenes, that system includes 353 ponds, miles of drainage infrastructure, and a network of pipes and outfall structures that manage water flow across the entire city. Keeping that system functional takes sustained investment, and for years, the funding has not kept pace with what the work actually costs.

At the May 11, 2026 City Commission meeting, the city’s engineering consultants Kimley-Horn and Raftelis presented a comprehensive stormwater management and rate study. The presentation is embedded below. This post walks through what the study covers and why I supported moving it forward.

How Winter Springs Stormwater Works

Not all ponds in Winter Springs are the same, and understanding the difference matters when discussing who is responsible for what.

The city recognizes three categories. Public ponds sit on city-owned property and receive stormwater from public roads and rights-of-way. The city maintains these fully. Private ponds sit on privately owned property and receive stormwater from private infrastructure. The city has no maintenance role there. Hybrid ponds are the category that affects the most residents: they sit on privately owned property, often within HOA communities, but receive stormwater directly from public roads and infrastructure. Because public water flows into them through public pipes, the city has both access rights and a maintenance responsibility for the infrastructure connected to those ponds.

Of the 353 ponds in Winter Springs, 131 are city-maintained. That includes 43 fully public ponds and 88 hybrid ponds.

What the Maintenance Program Covers

The study presented a detailed operations and maintenance plan that goes well beyond routine debris removal. For hybrid ponds, the program includes yearly inspections of outfall structures and drainage pipes, sediment removal, pipe relining, scour and outlet protection, and control structure repairs. The average cost to fully maintain a single hybrid pond is estimated at $152,000, with a 15-year maintenance cycle across all 88 locations.

For fully public ponds, the program includes monthly aquatic vegetation inspections, monthly mowing, debris and sediment removal, aeration, erosion repairs, and pipe repair or replacement as needed.

The study also includes a creek inspection and maintenance program focused on targeted intervention where blockages and localized issues occur, as well as a series of larger capital improvement projects funded through third and fourth generation sales tax revenue.

The full presentation is embedded below. I encourage residents to review it and reach out with any questions.

The Rate Adjustment

The city’s current stormwater rate is $10.00 per month per residential unit. That rate has not been sufficient to fund a comprehensive maintenance program, and the gap between available revenue and actual maintenance costs has grown.

The proposed rate schedule phases in adjustments over four years: $15.00 in FY2027, $17.50 in FY2028, $19.50 in FY2029, and $20.50 by FY2030.

For context, Winter Springs at $15.00 per month would still be below what residents pay in Apopka, Orlando, Oviedo, Maitland, and Winter Park. The current rate of $10.00 is among the lowest in the region. The adjustment reflects the real cost of maintaining aging infrastructure that serves the whole community.

Why I Supported This

Residents have raised concerns about flooding, pond conditions, and sediment buildup for years. Those concerns are valid. The stormwater system in Winter Springs includes ponds that are decades old, and without a funded maintenance program, the problems compound over time.

What the May 11 presentation showed the commission is that the city has a plan. It is structured, professionally developed, and tied to a realistic financial forecast. The rate adjustments proposed are incremental, regionally competitive, and directly connected to a defined scope of work.

Supporting this program is consistent with what I have heard from residents in District 2: they want the city to address infrastructure problems, they want to understand what they are paying for, and they want a plan that reflects responsible fiscal management. This study provides that foundation.

The full presentation is embedded below. I encourage residents to review it and reach out with any questions.

Victoria Bruce City Commissioner, District 2 vbruce@winterspringsfl.org VictoriaForWinterSprings.com

Why Water in Winter Springs Is Everyone’s Concern

Water management is often discussed in pieces. Residents hear about stormwater when there is flooding. Drinking water comes up when there are quality concerns. Wastewater infrastructure gets attention when a system needs repair. But these are not separate problems. They are parts of one system.

That idea has a name: One Water. It reflects the reality that drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, groundwater, surface water, and recycled water are all interconnected. How a community manages one affects the others.

Why It Matters Now

Florida has experienced an unusual pattern in recent years. Extended droughts have lowered groundwater levels and contributed to wildfire conditions across parts of the state. Those drought periods are then followed by heavy rainfall and flooding. The extremes are becoming harder to manage in isolation.

Addressing those extremes requires looking at the full water cycle, not just one piece of it. A stormwater pond that is properly maintained does more than reduce neighborhood flooding. It filters runoff before it reaches surface water and eventually groundwater. A well-functioning wastewater system protects the same water sources that supply drinking water. These connections run in every direction.

What Winter Springs Is Doing

The City is actively working to improve its water infrastructure on multiple fronts.

On the stormwater side, Winter Springs is in the process of updating its pond maintenance program. The City manages 122 stormwater ponds, and an ongoing review is determining how best to maintain those systems over time. That work is connected to a broader capital improvement plan that addresses long-term infrastructure needs across the stormwater network.

This investment is not just about flood control. Properly maintained stormwater systems protect local water quality and contribute to the health of regional water supplies. That is relevant in a part of Florida that relies on the Floridan Aquifer and is managing ongoing pressure on groundwater levels.

Regional coordination matters here as well. Effective water management does not stop at city limits. Collaboration between municipalities, water management districts, and state agencies is part of how communities build resilience against the kinds of conditions Florida has been experiencing.

What Residents Can Expect

As the City moves forward with infrastructure improvements and maintenance planning, residents will have opportunities to learn more about what is being proposed and why. Commissioner Bruce has been following the stormwater program review closely and will continue sharing updates as decisions move through the Commission process.

The goal is straightforward: a water system that works for Winter Springs residents today and holds up over time, regardless of what weather conditions bring.

More information on the City’s stormwater program and upcoming Commission discussions is available at victoriaforwintersprings.com.

What the Stormwater Rate Increase Actually Means for Winter Springs Residents

The May 12 City Commission meeting was a long one. Residents filled the chamber. The debate was real. And at the end of it, the Commission voted to raise the monthly stormwater rate from $10 to $15 starting October 1, with gradual increases continuing through 2030, when the rate reaches $20 per month.

That is a real increase, and it deserves a clear explanation.

A second and final vote is expected at the June meeting. Before that happens, here is what residents should understand about what this rate increase covers, why the fund needed it, and how the Commission arrived at this decision.

The stormwater fund was already running a deficit

Before any discussion of new services, City Manager Kevin Sweet addressed something residents may not have known: the stormwater enterprise fund has not been self-sustaining for years. Prior administrations moved general fund money into the stormwater account simply to keep existing services operational.

“Our stormwater is an enterprise fund, which means it should be self-sustaining, and it has not been,” Sweet said at the May 12 meeting. “Prior administrations have been moving general fund money into that account to keep it operational. So the stormwater enterprise fund has been running in a deficit, even maintaining existing services.”

That is not a sustainable situation. It means the stormwater system has been maintained at a bare minimum while a backlog of deferred work has grown quietly in the background. Hurricane Ian in 2022 made that backlog visible. Public Works Director Clete Saunier told commissioners that while no stormwater system in Florida could fully handle a storm of Ian’s scale, the flooding that followed pointed to specific infrastructure gaps that had gone unaddressed for too long.

The last time Winter Springs adjusted its stormwater rate before the recent $10 increase was 1992. Nobody in that chamber could argue that costs have not changed in the past three decades.

What the rate increase actually funds

The additional revenue — projected to grow from roughly $2 million annually to more than $4 million by 2030 — is structured to phase in services over time. The financial forecast presented at the meeting shows existing operating expenses holding steady while service enhancements are layered in gradually across fiscal years 2027 through 2030. This was intentional.

In practical terms, the rate increase funds:

A four-person maintenance crew dedicated to stormwater pond work, along with the trucks and equipment they need to do the job. Visual inspections of every public and private stormwater pond in the city. A commitment to higher-level maintenance for the city’s 88 hybrid ponds — ponds on private property that receive public stormwater drainage — with up to six ponds per year receiving full rehabilitation. Capacity to address creek maintenance and sediment removal as tertiary projects, as the fund stabilizes.

The most significant line item is pipe relining — approximately $120,000 per pond, based on an average pipe length of 400 feet at $275 per foot. Engineer David Hamstra walked commissioners through what happens when that maintenance is deferred: pipes crack, joints fail, soil migrates into the drainage system, and what starts as a small repair becomes a very expensive one. In one case Hamstra referenced, a 36-inch pipe replacement in a community development district cost over a million dollars — in a neighborhood only 20 years old.

“These are real numbers,” Hamstra told commissioners. “Averages, yes. But real.”

The rate would also keep pace with what neighboring communities are doing. At $15 per month, Winter Springs remains approximately in the middle of the pack for central Florida stormwater rates.

How the vote came together

The Commission was closely divided. Commissioners Paul Diaz and Mark Caruso voted against the increase, citing the broader financial strain residents are facing. Commissioners Cade Resnick and Sarah Baker voted in favor. Commissioner Victoria Bruce made the motion to approve.

She did not arrive at that decision quickly.

Throughout the discussion, Bruce pressed the consultants and city staff with practical questions. She asked whether stormwater impact fees could be imposed on new development. She asked whether using general fund reserves as a temporary bridge was allowable and advisable. She asked what would happen to staff and equipment if the Commission approved only the first year of increases and revisited the rest annually.

She also asked directly whether the rate schedule could be made less aggressive.

“Is there a way we can modify this schedule, make it less?” Bruce asked during the hearing.

The answer from the rate consultant was that pacing could be adjusted, but that doing so would delay services and leave the program without the sustained revenue it needs to function as designed. Hiring crews and ordering specialized equipment — some with 18-month lead times — requires a multi-year financial commitment. Starting and stopping creates the same deferred maintenance problem the city is now trying to dig out of.

After hearing that, and after listening to the full public discussion, Bruce moved to approve the rate ordinance as staff recommended.

“I want residents to understand that I took this seriously,” Bruce said. “I asked whether we could do less, whether we could slow it down, whether there was another way. The honest answer is that we have already waited too long. Every year this goes unaddressed, it gets more expensive. The families most at risk of flooding are often the ones least able to afford the damage when it happens.”

What this means going forward

The first reading has passed. A second and final vote is expected at the June Commission meeting. If approved, the new rate of $15 per month takes effect October 1.

The rate increase does not cover the 12 large regional stormwater improvement projects identified in the city’s recently adopted Stormwater Master Plan. Those projects — totaling approximately $8.8 million — are funded through the city’s third and fourth generation penny sales tax revenues, not through the stormwater utility rate. The rate increase funds operations, maintenance, and the pond rehabilitation program.

Residents with questions about the stormwater system, the pond maintenance program, or how the rate structure works are encouraged to attend the June meeting or contact the city directly.

Winter Springs Finally Has a Farmers Market and It’s Worth the Trip

Winter Springs has a farmers market, and it’s growing into something residents and visitors alike are making a point to attend.

Held on the first and third Sunday of every month at Trotwood Park, the Winter Springs Farmers Market is organized by Specialty Pop Up Events, a Central Florida-based company that produces craft shows, artisan events, and family-friendly community markets throughout the region. What started as a modest first event has now grown, market by market, into a genuine community gathering.

What You’ll Find There

The market brings together a wide variety of vendors, including fresh produce, plants, local honey, jams, fresh-baked breads, bakery items, hummus, and handmade crafts. Shopping vendors round out the mix, making it a place where you can pick up something for the kitchen, the garden, and the home all in one stop.

A Setting That Makes a Difference

One of the things that sets this market apart is where it now lives within Trotwood Park. The earliest events were held closer to the park’s athletic fields, and the setup presented some real challenges. The location was difficult to navigate, and the environment wasn’t ideal for vendors or shoppers.

The organizer and the city responded quickly. The market relocated into the heart of Trotwood Park, using the park’s existing concrete walkway as a natural path through the event. Vendor tents line each side of the path, creating a shaded corridor under the mature tree canopy that Trotwood is known for.

For anyone who spends time outdoors in Seminole County during the summer months, that shade is meaningful. It makes the market welcoming and comfortable even as temperatures climb, and it gives the event a feel that is relaxed and community-centered rather than rushed.

A Long Time Coming for Winter Springs

For years, residents asked about the possibility of a farmers market in Winter Springs and were told it wasn’t something the city could make happen. Commissioner Victoria Bruce was among those who continued to advocate for it, recognizing that a regular community market was something residents wanted and that the city’s parks could support.

The market is now several events in, and each one has improved on the last. The city has become increasingly supportive of the effort, and that partnership between local government and a proven event organizer is part of what makes this one feel sustainable.

Commissioner Bruce has attended multiple markets and remains one of its most visible supporters. In her own words: “The market has been nothing short of amazing. Each time I go, it seems they are improving. This is very exciting for our community, and I will do all I can to support it continuing.”

A Destination Worth the Drive

What’s becoming clear is that the Winter Springs Farmers Market isn’t just drawing locals. Visitors from neighboring communities are making the trip to experience Trotwood Park and support the vendors who show up every month. That kind of outside interest is what helps a market like this become a fixture rather than a short-lived experiment. The more residents and visitors attend and support the vendors, the stronger the market becomes for everyone.

Plan Your Visit

The Winter Springs Farmers Market takes place on the first and third Sunday of every month at Trotwood Park, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The market is free to attend and open to the public.

Trotwood Park is located at 1000 Trotwood Blvd, Winter Springs, FL 32708.

Interested in Becoming a Vendor?

Specialty Pop Up Events welcomes vendors across a range of categories. To inquire about vendor opportunities, reach out directly:

Email: specialtypopupevents@gmail.com

Phone: 561-271-4771

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/specialtypopup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialtypopupeventsfl/

Winter Springs Crime Has Dropped for Three Straight Years. Here’s What the Numbers Show.

The Winter Springs Police Department has released its 2025 Annual Report, and one finding stands out above the rest: crime in Winter Springs has declined for three consecutive years.

According to the report, the department recorded 698 incidents in 2025, down from 729 in 2024 and 860 in 2023. That represents a nearly 19% reduction over three years — a trend that reflects both the work of the department and the engagement of residents who take public safety seriously.

Three Years of Decline

The decline is consistent and measurable. Each year since 2023, the number of reported incidents has fallen:

2023: 860 incidents

2024: 729 incidents

2025: 698 incidents

Chief Matthew Tracht credited residents directly in his message accompanying the report. “Your willingness to stay engaged, look out for one another, and speak up when something doesn’t seem right truly makes a difference,” he wrote.

The department handled 84,598 calls for service in 2025, maintaining an average emergency response time of 3 minutes and 23 seconds — a benchmark that reflects the department’s operational capacity relative to the volume of calls it manages.

Where Fraud Stands Out

Not every trend in the report is positive. Fraud-related offenses accounted for roughly 45% of all investigated crimes in 2025 — the most frequently investigated crime category. The department notes that these schemes arrive through phone calls, emails, text messages, and online platforms, and often rely on urgency or fear to manipulate residents.

The guidance is straightforward: verify before acting, avoid clicking unknown links, and never share personal or financial information with unverified sources.

Vehicle Burglaries Remain Largely Preventable

The department recorded 36 vehicle burglaries in 2025. Nearly half involved no forced entry — meaning unlocked doors were a primary factor. The department’s consistent message applies here: lock your vehicle, remove valuables from plain sight, and park in well-lit areas when possible.

Read the Full Report

The complete 2025 Annual Report is embedded below. It includes a full breakdown of operations, staffing, traffic enforcement, internal affairs, accreditation status, and community programs, including the Citizens Police Academy, Coffee with a Cop, and the Special Needs Registry.

Residents with questions or non-emergency concerns can reach the Winter Springs Police Department at (407) 327-1000 or visit winterspringsfl.org/police.

When Winter Springs Residents Reach Out, Here Is What Happens

One of the most common questions residents ask about their local government is simple: if I reach out, will anyone actually respond?

For a growing number of Winter Springs residents, the answer has been yes.

Over the past several weeks, a handful of community members have shared their experiences publicly, and the consistent thread running through each one is accessibility. Not a form letter. Not a referral to another department. A real response, followed by real action.

A Street Light Eight Years in the Making

Edwin Jesus Hernandez Erazo lives on a one-way street that dead-ends near a natural reservoir, surrounded by tortoise nests and forest. Most of his neighbors are over 65. For nearly eight years, the street had no light pole, and repeated attempts to get one had gone nowhere.

After reaching out to Commissioner Bruce, he received a same-day reply asking him to photograph the street both day and night to document the conditions. A week later, her office called to let him know they had connected with Duke Energy and the Mayor’s office. The pole was approved.

Four months from first contact to installation.

“She kept her promise that she will fight for that pole no matter what,” he wrote, “and she did.”

Living Next to Trotwood Park

Brian Boehly lives adjacent to Trotwood Park, close enough to the water park that the surrounding activity is a regular part of daily life. He has emailed Commissioner Bruce about various neighborhood concerns over time and noted that her team and the park rangers have been attentive to the area.

“Appreciate the team of park rangers and Victoria for what they do,” he wrote.

Straightforward to the Point

Anthony Rossetti kept his review brief: “She is very responsive to issues.”

It is a short sentence, but it reflects something residents consistently value in local government. When someone reaches out, they want to know the message landed.

What Accessibility Looks Like in Practice

Responsiveness in local government is not just a courtesy. It is how residents learn whether their concerns are being heard, and whether the process of local government is actually working for them.

The situations described above cover different parts of the city and different types of concerns: infrastructure, park management, general issues. What they share is that a resident made contact and something happened as a result.

If you have a concern about your neighborhood, a question about city services, or something you would like Commissioner Bruce to be aware of, you can reach out through the contact page at victoriaforwintersprings.com.

Should Winter Springs Give Up Gas Tax Revenue for the Seminole Connector?

Seminole County has asked the City of Winter Springs to redirect a portion of newly available gas tax revenue toward the Seminole Connector, a toll road extension formally designated as S.R. 452. A formal presentation from the county is scheduled for the May 11, 2026 commission meeting, and I want residents to have the full picture before that conversation takes place.

What Is the Seminole Connector?

The Seminole Connector is a proposed limited-access road that would create a new connection from S.R. 417 to Orlando Sanford International Airport, routing traffic on the far side of Lake Jessup. The project has been in development for more than two decades. Its total estimated cost is approximately $200 million. CFX has committed $150 million, and Seminole County contributed $25 million from its Penny Sales Tax earlier this year to fund the design phase. A funding gap of roughly $25 million remains, and the county is now turning to municipalities to help close it.

What Is Being Asked of Winter Springs?

Under the proposed arrangement, Winter Springs would enter into an interlocal agreement to dedicate its share of a five-cent Local Option Fuel Tax increase — recently approved by the County Commission — to the Seminole Connector project for up to 10 years. The city’s portion is estimated at approximately $260,000 per year, for a total contribution of roughly $2.9 million over the life of the agreement.

These funds carry a legal restriction: they must be used for transportation purposes. That means they cannot go toward parks, utilities, or general operations — but they can go toward road improvements, paving, and transportation infrastructure right here in Winter Springs.

Four of Seminole County’s seven cities are being asked to participate: Sanford, Oviedo, Lake Mary, and Winter Springs.

My Initial Perspective

I want to hear the full presentation before this commission takes any position. That is the responsible approach, and I remain open to the county’s case.

That said, my initial read is straightforward: Winter Springs has real transportation needs of its own. These are new funds the city has not yet budgeted, and there is no shortage of local projects that could put them to work. We are a community that is roughly 90 percent residential. The case for directing our residents’ gas tax dollars toward a toll road that primarily serves regional travel and development near Sanford Airport will need to be a strong one.

The Oviedo City Council, which received a similar request the same week, reached a consensus not to allocate funds to the project. Winter Springs should make its own decision based on what is best for our community.

What Comes Next

The county manager and a representative from CFX are expected to present to the Winter Springs City Commission on May 11, 2026 at 6:30 PM at Winter Springs City Hall, 1126 East State Road 434.

If you have thoughts on this issue, I encourage you to share them before that date. Resident input ahead of the formal presentation matters. You can reach Victoria directly at (407) 327-7585 or friends@victoriaforwintersprings.com, or plan to attend the meeting and speak during public input.

Victoria Bruce Joins Leadership Seminole Class 36

It is an honor to announce acceptance into Leadership Seminole’s Class 36.

Leadership Seminole is a ten month program that brings present and future community leaders together for the sharing of knowledge and professional development. Beginning each August with a two-day orientation, the program runs through May with monthly one-day sessions covering a broad range of topics including government, arts and culture, infrastructure, public safety, human services, healthcare, education, economic development, environmental preservation, and law and justice.

The program concludes with a sold-out graduation ceremony attended by approximately 400 people.

What the Program Involves

Participation is highly interactive and experiential, with opportunities for networking and team building throughout. Sessions bring together community leaders, facilitators, and subject experts, giving participants the chance to build lasting relationships and develop broad knowledge of the issues that shape daily life in Seminole County.

Each class also takes on a Legacy of Leadership project, identifying a community need and working together to make a meaningful impact. Leadership Seminole classes have collectively raised and invested over $1.6 million and contributed nearly 20,000 volunteer hours to non-profit organizations through these projects.

More information about Leadership Seminole and its programs is available at leadershipseminole.org.

Victoria Bruce

Winter Springs Commissioner, District 2

Protecting Winter Springs

What Winter Springs Residents Should Know About This Weeks Stormwater Workshop

Today the Winter Springs City Commission is holding a workshop focused on two connected topics: a stormwater pond maintenance plan and a rate study recommending significant changes to what residents pay each month. The presentations will be led by consultants from Kimley-Horn, Pegasus Engineering, and Raftelis.

This is the kind of meeting that does not always get much public attention, but the decisions that follow will affect most households in Winter Springs. Here is a plain-language breakdown of what is being discussed.

What the City’s Stormwater System Looks Like

Winter Springs has 346 stormwater ponds. Of those, 122 are currently the City’s responsibility to maintain. That group includes 43 fully public ponds on City-owned property, and 79 “hybrid” ponds — ponds on privately owned land that receive runoff from public roads and rights-of-way.

The distinction matters because the Commission is being asked to decide how much maintenance responsibility the City takes on for those hybrid ponds. That decision directly affects staffing levels, operating costs, and ultimately the stormwater rate.

Maintenance on these ponds typically runs on a 15-year cycle and covers things like pipe relining, sediment removal, control structure repairs, and scour protection. The average estimated cost per pond is $152,000. The plan calls for addressing six ponds per year at a total annual cost of $912,000 once fully phased in.

The Proposed Rate Increases

This is where residents will feel the impact most directly.

The current stormwater rate is $10.00 per equivalent residential unit per month. The rate study, prepared by Raftelis, recommends the following schedule:

FY 2027: $15.00 per month
FY 2028: $17.50 per month
FY 2029: $19.50 per month
FY 2030: $20.50 per month

That is a proposed increase of more than 100 percent over four years. A resident paying $10.00 per month today would pay $20.50 by 2030.

The rate study frames this as necessary to cover expanded pond maintenance, a new stormwater crew planned for FY 2027, equipment acquisitions, and 12 capital improvement projects totaling $8.825 million. For context, Winter Springs currently has one of the lower stormwater rates in the region. Even at $15.00 in Year 1, the City would fall below several neighboring communities. That context is worth knowing, but it does not answer every question about pace and scope.

What the Commission Needs to Work Through

Today’s workshop is informational. No votes will be taken. But the direction Commission provides on several questions will shape what the final rate picture looks like.

The biggest open question is the hybrid pond scope. The presentation materials note directly that Commission direction on how many ponds the City maintains will affect the staffing cost category in the rate study. A narrower maintenance scope means lower costs and a different rate trajectory.

Other questions that deserve clear answers before any rate vote: whether there are grant or outside funding opportunities being pursued for capital projects, what drove significant repair and maintenance spending in FY 2025, and what the billing mechanism for the stormwater fee will look like as rates rise.

What Comes Next

Additional rate study meetings are expected before any formal vote. Residents should have the opportunity to see the full study findings and understand the options before the Commission acts.

Stormwater infrastructure is not a glamorous topic, but it affects flood management, water quality, and neighborhood conditions across Winter Springs. Getting the maintenance plan and the rate structure right matters. I will continue sharing updates as this process moves forward.

Victoria Bruce

Winter Springs Commissioner – District 2

Protecting Winter Springs

Winter Springs Takes a Major Step Forward on Wastewater Infrastructure

Last Monday night, our Commission took a vote that has been years in the making—and I left the meeting genuinely encouraged about where Winter Springs is headed.

By unanimous vote, the Commission approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the East Water Reclamation Facility expansion project: $65,847,589, with construction anticipated to begin in early June 2026 and reach final completion in November 2028. This is the last major Commission vote required on the East facility. From here, the work begins in the ground.

What Is a GMP, and Why Does It Matter?

A Guaranteed Maximum Price is exactly what it sounds like: a firm ceiling on what the project will cost the city. It’s not an estimate—it’s a contractual commitment from our construction manager at risk, Wharton-Smith, backed by competitive bids from 85 subcontractors and suppliers across 37 individual bid packages.

That level of transparency is one of the things I appreciate most about this process. Rather than a single lump-sum number, the Commission and residents can see the exact breakdown of every component of the project. The contingency built into the GMP—$5.5 million—is carefully documented against a risk register, and any release of those funds requires explicit approval from city staff. This is not a blank check; it’s a structured, accountable process.

Perhaps most encouraging: when the competitive bids came back, they came in below the January 2026 internal estimate of $72.8 million. The market responded. Contractors wanted this project.

How We Got Here

This project did not happen overnight. Carollo Engineers, our design firm, has been working through the funding, permitting, and design process for years—navigating the Clean Water State Revolving Fund application process, securing FDEP permits, and collaborating closely with Wharton-Smith to value-engineer costs at every stage. The design for the East facility is now complete. FDEP permitting is in hand. And critically, construction funding is fully secured.

That funding package is worth highlighting in detail, because it reflects both strong planning and some fortunate timing. The city secured:

$54,179,318 through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)—low-interest financing specifically designed for public water infrastructure
$19,166,503 through a Supplemental Appropriation for Hurricanes Helene and Milton—with 50% principal forgiveness, meaning roughly $9.6 million of that loan does not need to be repaid
$600,000 through the Protecting Florida Together grant program—a straight grant, no repayment required

All told, the city secured over $73 million in construction and design financing—more than enough to cover the $65.8 million GMP and associated project costs. That’s smart, patient financial stewardship on behalf of Winter Springs residents.

What This Means for Our Community

I want to be direct about something that came up at the meeting: the rate increases that helped make this project financially viable were real, and I know they were felt. They were not comfortable decisions. But they were the right ones. Our wastewater treatment infrastructure was overdue for replacement by a decade. Deferring that investment further would have meant higher costs, greater risk to our environment, and eventually a crisis rather than a plan.

The new East Water Reclamation Facility will be more efficient to operate than the existing plant. It will meet current and future environmental standards. And it positions the city to move forward on the West facility as well—with design already contracted and construction funding to be sought through CWSRF in 2027.

One resident who addressed the Commission at the end of the evening captured the moment well: “We finally come to the point where our wastewater treatment is being addressed. We’re almost to the stage of construction. What a great, great thing.” That enthusiasm is well-earned, and it belongs to everyone—residents, city staff, engineers, and the Commission members who have kept this project moving through staff transitions, funding applications, and years of detailed work.

What Comes Next

Following Commission approval, Wharton-Smith will begin issuing purchase orders and subcontracts to the project’s bidding partners. Procurement of long-lead materials and equipment is already scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2026, with mobilization on-site expected in early June. The city will also pursue an Owner Direct Purchase program to eliminate sales tax on major equipment purchases—a straightforward way to stretch every dollar further.

Value engineering will continue throughout construction. The risk register will be reviewed regularly. And the contingency will be managed with the same discipline that brought us to this point.

Construction is expected to run through November 2028. That’s a 2.5-year project. It will be visible, at times disruptive, and the kind of infrastructure work that tends not to make headlines once the shovels are moving. But it is exactly the kind of foundational investment our community needs to remain healthy, financially sound, and environmentally responsible.

I’m proud of what this Commission, city staff, and our project teams accomplished to reach this milestone. And I’m looking forward to the day we celebrate a completed facility—cleaner water, a more resilient city, and a promise kept to the residents of Winter Springs.

Victoria Bruce

Winter Springs Commissioner – District 2

Protecting Winter Springs