At the workshop, commissioners are expected to discuss the Planning Commission, an issue that\u00a0emerged\u00a0publicly earlier this month when\u00a0City\u00a0Commissioner Sam Ruth sought support to reevaluate the city\u2019s Planning\u00a0Commission\u00a0during a May 6 commission meeting. Commissioners later agreed to continue the discussion during a workshop session.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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See Member Benefits<\/a>Join Our Newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n Ruth later told The Apopka Chief<\/a>\u00a0his concerns were tied to whether the city\u2019s current planning structure is adequately addressing the pace of development and infrastructure demands.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGrowth is good, but controlled growth is smarter, wiser and better for the community as a whole,\u201d Ruth said.\u00a0\u201cI think we\u2019ve lost sight of that in the last several years.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Included in the workshop packet is a legal memorandum from Assistant City Attorney Holli New examining what laws govern the possible removal of Planning Commission members.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n A legal memo included in the workshop packet examines what laws govern the removal of Apopka Planning Commission members, who also serve as the city\u2019s Local Planning Agency under state law.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The memo, written by Assistant City Attorney Holli New,\u00a0concludes the board\u00a0likely falls\u00a0under protections outlined in Florida Statute 112.501, meaning members would be entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard before removal.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The memo states that interpretation\u00a0likely conflicts\u00a0with language in the city\u2019s Land Development\u00a0Code\u00a0allowing members to be removed without cause or notice.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Planning Commission currently includes\u00a0Chairperson William Gusler,\u00a0David Woods,\u00a0Eric Mock,\u00a0Wes Dumey,\u00a0Mary Norwood, Malika\u00a0Harrison\u00a0and Robert Ryan.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Under the city\u2019s Land Development Code, members of the Apopka Planning Commission are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Commission. The seven-member board reviews land-use proposals, comprehensive plan\u00a0amendments\u00a0and other development-related matters before making recommendations to the City Commission.\u00a0<\/p>\n In March,\u00a0Harrison was appointed to the Planning Commission<\/a>\u00a0by then-Mayor Bryan Nelson and approved by a 3-2 City Commission vote. The appointment sparked debate because it came shortly after Harrison\u2019s unsuccessful City Commission campaign and near the end of Nelson\u2019s mayoral term, with opponents\u00a0arguing that\u00a0the incoming administration should have been allowed to make the appointment.\u00a0<\/p>\n The workshop agenda also lists\u00a0possible future\u00a0discussions involving transportation planning, utility infrastructure, citizen advisory\u00a0boards\u00a0and the city\u2019s comprehensive plan.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Later\u00a0on\u00a0Wednesday evening, commissioners are expected to consider approval of the seventh amendment to the memorandum of agreement\u00a0(MOA)\u00a0for conveyance of the Golden Gem Road property.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The agreement involves property connected to a proposed regional water storage and treatment project involving the\u00a0city and\u00a0the St. Johns River Water Management District.\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0MOA\u00a0was\u00a0originally executed\u00a0in 2009\u00a0as\u00a0the city and\u00a0the\u00a0water management district explored long-term plans for the property and related water infrastructure needs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Since then, the agreement has been extended six times\u00a0from 2014 to 2025\u00a0as negotiations and planning discussions continued.\u00a0The sixth amendment\u00a0was approved<\/a>\u00a0for MOA extension in September 2025\u00a0with a May 29 deadline,\u00a0while both sides continued evaluating future use of the site and related project terms.\u00a0<\/p>\n Also on the regular meeting agenda is a quasi-judicial hearing for the proposed Sheeler Park\u00a0subdivision major development plan at 1920 Sheeler Ave. The proposal includes 115 single-family residential lots on about\u00a040 acres\u00a0with a proposed density of 2.86 dwelling units per acre.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0Wednesday\u00a0regular meeting agenda also includes consent items involving code enforcement lien releases,\u00a0purchasing\u00a0contracts\u00a0and the city\u2019s April 2026 disbursement report.\u00a0<\/p>\n Teresa Sargeant has been with The Apopka Chief for over 10 years.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.png\")
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