In this video, we discuss how wetland restoration is possible and how it is done. I have spent my entire professional career working in an industry focused on fixing broken swamps.
Reedy Creek is one of the first mitigation banks in the state and definitely one of the biggest restoration success stories
My pledge to all residents of Winter Springs. I will protect our natural resources, our trees and everything we all love about Winter Springs.
I am running for Winter Springs City Commissioner to be the VOICE of Winter Springs!
I want Transparency, Honesty & Integrity!
I will bring a wealth of knowledge, resources and communication skills to the City!
I have 3 children in 3 different Winter Springs Schools, my priorities are the Children First!
Currently, Winter Springs is the only 1 of the 7 cities in Seminole County who is refusing to sign the Interlocal Agreement with the Seminole County School Board.
Why won’t the City cooperate with Seminole County School Board?
My 18 year career as an entrepreneur in the Environmental Mitigation & Wetland Restoration industry allows compensatory mitigation off-sets required by state and federal agencies that regulate development in sensitive areas.
Our mitigation banks total more than 40,000 acres of preserved & restored land throughout Florida.
Wetland Mitigation Banks improve the quality of environmental restoration and mitigation by locating and acquiring the best properties, planning the site restoration using best practices, constructing and planting the site in the most conscientious manner, and maintaining and monitoring the property over the long term.
Whether wetland mitigation other ecological restoration or water quality improvement, each mitigation bank is protected, in perpetuity, by environmentally protective conservation easements. Our commitments are permanent.
To address the many locations in the Gee Creek basin that experienced flooding due to Hurricane Irma in 2017, the City of Winter Springs initiated a comprehensive stormwater study of the entire Gee Creek Basin in Winter Springs. The study was performed by CDM Smith, a stormwater consulting firm, and it addressed three main items: 1) what happened during Hurricane Irma; 2) why did it happen; and 3) what can be done to minimize future flooding in the basin.
The study looked at the basin as a whole, and examined specific problem areas including: 109 Lido Road, Hacienda Village, Moss Road at Gee Creek, etc. The intention is to give everything a “fresh look” based on the current conditions, explore any solutions that may be available, and to then prioritize and implement projects.
The City paid $50,000 for the study and it was completed in March 2018, however we don’t believe anything was ever done.
We need a fresh set of eyes and ears added to our city government. We need someone who will hold our city accountable for taking care of the residents and their needs. We need someone serving on the commission who will follow up on these important action items.
We need Victoria Colangelo.
My participation in local government started when Kevin Cannon knocked on my door in 2018 campaigning for the last election…. He spoke with me about the local issues and how he was against development. He spent 45 minutes with me that day on my front porch. It was a nice conversation.
A few days later I received a cease and desist letter from Kevin Cannon with a stack of paper highlighting his arrest for hitting his wife. Along with his demand letter, was a request for my homeowners insurance, my guess as a threat to sue me. At the time I had no idea why I was receiving this letter.
That is when I realized it was time to for me to get involved in more city government. I would not let this bully scare me or anyone else again.
I then started listening to the city commission meetings online and noticed many things that didn’t add up. The FDEP consent orders, the revolving door at Police Chief, Director of Utilities and Public Works positions. All of these things were a concern.
I started attending more meetings in person, and each time I did, I was targeted and singled out in some way. Cannon would either make reference to me or a member of the audience, an obvious Cannon supporter, would harass me in some way. Sitting really close to me, look over my shoulder or take videos and pictures of me sitting in the audience. All attempts to intimidate me.
When I am elected, it will be safe once again to participate in local government meetings without fear of being bullied or singled out.
In 2007, The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Found Probable Cause to Believe Cannon “Committed Aggravated Battery With A Weapon” and Battery (Domestic Violence)”
We Need a Commissioner With The Temperament To Lead, Not One Who Suppress Police Findings
Vote Against The Loose Cannon
My Opponent, Kick the Cannon, has been very negative of my business with Wetland Mitigation Banking.
However, did you know, that in 2017, The City of Winter Springs received a SJRWMD permit which authorized 0.63 Acres of Direct Wetland Impacts for a NEW Parking Lot and Basketball Courts at TORCASO PARK!?
So add hypocrite to the list of things Kevin Cannon attributes. Not the advocacy we need in Winter Springs
The City purchased 0.147 UMAM Mitigation Credits which provided 2.5 Acres of Wetland Mitigation for Torcaso Park from Lake Jesup Mitigation Tract!!
Within the SJRWMD Technical Staff Report it actually states that Elimination or reduction of impacts was not required for the 0.63-acre direct impacts to W1 because the ecological value of the functions provided by the area of wetland to be adversely affected is low, and the proposed mitigation will provide greater long term ecological value than the area of wetland to be adversely affected, pursuant to Section 10.2.1.2(a.) ERP A.H. Volume I.
If you like to learn more about my industry and how we work with both the state and federal agencies to protect natural lands please visit https://mitigationbankinginc.com/
Although her campaign really started a few months ago, with great success, we are excited to finally throw a kickoff party for her strongest supporters. The event is by invitation only, and RSVP’s are required. If you have never been to a Victoria party, you are in for a treat! During the RSVP process, there will be an opportunity to support the campaign and all monies collected will be used to keep pushing for victory all the way up to November 8th.
Thank you for your support and we hope to see you on 10/08 at 2:00pm.
Questions? Please contact friends@victoriaforwintersprings.com or call 407-808-2222.
The afternoon started with a little rain, but the residents still came out and enjoyed the food trucks and community. The Trotwood Park pavilion provided excellent cover. After spending a few hours with the residents, it was time to head over to Tuscawilla Country Club for Meet the Candidate night. It was a fantastic day. The opportunity to speak with residents of our community is the fuel that powers my campaign. The things I hear and learn during these events are the very things I will be fighting for when I am elected. Collaborative leadership is what our city needs right now.
“We need to be a good steward of the land and also our neighbors as far as the school board, and the county and the other municipalities around us, and right now I am not hearing favorable things about our city and they’re begging me to win,” District 2 candidate Victoria Colangelo said.
“Let’s not rip down 100-year-old trees and then plant a tree that’s, you know, a seedling,” she said.
Check out this article and full audio from the event: https://oviedocommunitynews.org/2022/09/21/candidates-trade-jabs-at-winter-springs-forum/
Please learn more about the issues facing our city, please visit my blog https://victoriaforwintersprings.com/blog/ and if you need to reach me, please contact me directly friends@victoriaforwintersprings.com
In the spirit of bragging about our strong financials, Kevin Cannon and our City Manager have ignored the lessons of the past. In 2017 during IRMA millions was set aside to avoid this situation, but it was never executed. We have a multimillion dollar Lake Jesup Waste Water Plant that has never worked right and we recently learned will never work correctly. So we brag about the money we save but watch our city’s infrastructure completely fail across the board? Not the advocacy we need for our community.
Please watch the video below.
Although Commissioner Cannon (elected 8 years ago in 2014) made campaign promises to stop development and reduce traffic, here is a partial list of projects which have been passed while he has been in office since 2014, all of which a) he has voted to advance at some point or b) have passed through a commission whose votes he controls. These developments have overburdened our roads and water systems as we all saw during Ian.
Former Seminole County Commissioner
Winter Springs Resident
Retired Partner of Foley & Lardner
Victoria Colangelo is highly qualified. She is intelligent, experienced, knowledgeable and personable. She will be a servant leader who will make our City Commission better. I endorse her for City Commissioner District 2, Winter Springs.
