2012 State of the City Speech

February 29, 2012
UCF College of Medicine
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In the 1950’s a group of dreamers looked out at a giant pasture near Orlando and imagined what could be. Those visionaries built Walt Disney World. Their dream changed Orlando for the better. Forever.

Ten years ago, another group of dreamers looked out at a similar piece of land and imagined the possibilities. They envisioned a new kind of home for hospitals, universities, research institutes and life science companies a place where medical breakthroughs were made steps away from moms and dads raising their families.

They dreamed of a live, work, play campus that gives our residents and visitors access to some of the best health care professionals in the world. And, they imagined an economic engine that would pump billions into our local economy and create quality, high-paying jobs for generations to come. Today, we are standing on that once-vacant land. We are looking at a dream that has been realized. Good Morning, everyone.

Welcome to the Medical City at Lake Nona.

Members of our City Council, neighborhood Leaders, faithful members of the clergy, owners of businesses, small and large, representatives of our valued charities and non profits, all of our other elected officials and, of course, the residents of Orlando.

I want to thank you, once again, for the opportunity to report to you on the state of our City.
This is the first time we’ve taken the State of the City “on the road.” We are here today for one, simple reason:  Because just like Disney a half century before, the Medical City is going to change Orlando for the better. Forever.
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The first step in turning the Medical City dream into reality was securing the University Of Central Florida College Of Medicine. More than 200 students are enrolled in the medical school and the campus has expanded to include the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, a medical library and other UCF health sciences programs. The campus was augmented with the addition of the MD Anderson Cancer Research Institute, bringing a world-class cancer center to the residents of Central Florida. Our region has no better partner than the University of Central Florida.
That is a credit to UCF President John Hitt, who this year celebrates 20 years as the leader of our hometown university. Please join me in saying thank-you to Doctor Hitt for all he has done for our City.

The second piece of the Medical City fell into place when the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, one of the leading research institutions in the nation, selected this Lake Nona site for its new east coast home. The facility will employ over 300 scientists dedicated to finding cures for disease and improving quality of life.

This summer, the University of Florida Academic and Research Center will open its doors, which includes UF’s College of Pharmacy and Institutes on Aging and Therapeutic Innovation.
The facility will allow UF scientists to work with researchers from the Sanford Burnham on diabetes, aging, genetics and cancer research.

Also later this year, the Nemours Children’s Hospital and Outpatient Clinic will open.
Nemours will bring comprehensive children’s healthcare and research capabilities to the forefront of the emerging health and science sector of Central Florida.

The last major tenant of the Medical City is the VA Medical Center. It’s the first VA hospital built in the United States since 1995.  The 665 million dollar hospital will increase access to health care for 400 thousand Central Florida veterans and includes the national headquarters for the VA’s simulation training program. With more women serving in the military than ever before, the new center will also feature a specialized Woman’s Care Clinic.

Once all these facilities are open, the Medical City will create more than 30,000 jobs and have a 10-year economic impact of nearly 8 billion dollars. This one-of-a-kind cluster of clinics, classrooms and laboratories will revolutionize America’s healthcare landscape and our local economy.

But, the Medical City’s impact doesn’t stop at the end of the workday. We can’t forget about the other side of the Medical City, the high-tech residential neighborhoods and schools that will be home to doctors and scientists and their families. Already being built, are the first of many homes that feature energy efficient technologies that dramatically reduce power bills. These homes also have electric vehicle charging stations and internet access that is among the fastest on earth. Nearby, Valencia College, American’s best community college, will open its new southeast campus, right next to Lake Nona High School in 2012.

The Road Map for a Better Future As important as the Medical City is to our future, the way it was created might be even more important. The seeds for the Medical City were sewn when we lost out on the Scripps Institute to south Florida in the early part of the last decade.

Realizing that we would not be able to compete for the companies and jobs of the future unless we redefined the way our entire region worked together, this community committed itself to a level of cooperation never before seen in Central Florida. In fostering the partnership necessary to create the Medical City, we didn’t just build a one-time project.

We also created a road map for how to get big, important things done and how to overcome the challenges that confront our community. The partnership strategy that fueled the Medical City was the foundation of our effort to secure SunRail, Central Florida’s first commuter rail system.
Our community worked relentlessly to advance SunRail as the critical first step in the effort to reduce traffic congestion, give our residents alternatives to their cars and create tens of thousands of quality jobs.

Just 27 months from now, Central Floridians will be able to board a train that connects our communities in the City of Orlando, Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties. SunRail is expected to generate 250-thousand jobs and an 8 billion dollar economic impact over the next 30 years.

Our model for partnership also paved the way for the Creation of the Amway Center, the Doctor Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and the ongoing revitalization of our Downtown
The Amway Center celebrated its first anniversary a few months ago. With the leadership of Commissioner Lynum, the associated Blueprint program is still putting residents to work.
Around the corner, construction is in full swing on the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, which is set to open in 2014. We also remain committed to finding a way to refurbish the Citrus Bowl.

Just a few days ago, the eyes of the world focused on Orlando for the NBA All Star Game.
The game gave us the chance to showcase our City and our Downtown. It also gave us a glimpse of the power of our community venues… and what the future could look like as we expand our brand as a premier destination for arts, entertainment and sports.

Our newfound culture of collaboration helped us weather the worst recession since the great depression and position Orlando as one of a handful of American cities primed to recover faster and stronger than anyone else.

Knowing small businesses are critical to creating jobs, we partnered with our neighborhood businesses to launch our Main Street program. Our Main Street Districts are responsible for 278 new businesses… and more than 15-hundred new jobs. I know Commissioner Stuart is proud to have a district that’s home three of those Main Streets.

We also took bold steps as a government to reduce regulation and red tape at City hall. We cut the City’s transportation impact fees for small businesses looking to re-activate dormant property.
In return, those businesses made an investment in our City of more than 5 million dollars and created more than 500 jobs in only one year. Knowing that the best way to create good jobs for our residents is to grow them ourselves we continued to invest in entrepreneurship through our businesses incubators.

We also worked with our partners at the county and state level to retain companies and attract new ones. Amcor Rigid Plastics, Signature Flight Support, Planet Hollywood, Row Sham Bow and Publix have new or expanded homes in Orlando, creating hundreds of jobs.

Some critics use inflammatory terms like “corporate welfare” to attack any program that uses tax incentives to support local businesses.  To them I would say – you are mistaken. We’re not giving businesses a hand-out. We are giving them a hand up. These incentives don’t kick in, until a company proves they created the jobs they promised. And, the investments we’re making to create a business-friendly atmosphere are paying off. This year alone, national publications ranked Orlando as the least expensive city in America to open a business. The most business-friendly city in the United States. The third best city in the country for finding an IT job. One of a handful of cities poised to be America’s next “Boom Towns.”

We are proud to be laying a foundation for our businesses to chart their own individual courses for success.

A road map for collaboration isn’t the Medical City’s only legacy. We are replicating the “clustering” approach being used here, to the technology industry. Our aim is to bring high-tech companies together on the 68-acre site of the old Amway Arena.

When the Amway Arena is imploded, we will begin transforming the site into a live, work, play campus that’s home to companies in cutting edge industries like digital media and modeling and simulation. The Creative Village will be another economic engine for our City. One that creates more than 5-thousand, quality jobs.

When we talk about partnership we can’t forget that collaboration is also at the heart of our work to strengthen neighborhoods. Orlando is fortunate to have so many diverse, distinct neighborhoods. That’s why we’ve engaged in City-wide vision planning, which gives residents and small businesses new opportunities to determine how their neighborhoods grow and prosper.
These sessions helped us add 14 miles of sidewalks over the last four years and repair another 7 miles of sidewalks.

We worked with neighborhood leaders to create a maintenance strategy to resurface 15 miles of neighborhood streets and repair 13-hundred feet of curb and gutter. The sessions helped us prevent accidents and reduce speeding in 15 different neighborhoods through the installation of new traffic calming devices. Through the leadership of Commissioner Ings, neighborhood leaders also helped secure a desperately-needed supermarket and a new police sub-station for the west side of Orlando.

Along Semoran Boulevard, Commissioner Ortiz has worked with residents and businesses to rejuvenate the entire corridor, making it safer for pedestrians and giving one of our City’s gateways a new identity. Our focus on neighborhoods also helped put plans in place to extend our free Lymmo bus service east to Thornton Park and West to Parramore, right in time for residents to use Lymmo to connect with SunRail.

The passion our residents have for their City and their neighborhoods also helped bring back the iconic Lake Eola Fountain, bigger and better than ever.  Isn’t that right Commissioner Sheehan?

In Orlando, we love our neighborhoods. One of the great pleasures of being Mayor is the opportunity to work alongside our residents as we build the strongest, most engaged neighborhoods anywhere in America.

We’ve talked a lot today about the significance of partnership. But, there is another “Piece of the puzzle” that’s just as critical when it comes to making our City the best place anywhere to live, work and raise a family. Strong, efficient, City government.

First and foremost, good government means keeping our City safe. Orlando now has more police officers and firefighters per thousand residents than any major city in Florida. At the same time, we’ve reduced our workforce everywhere else. In the last few years, we’ve engineered the most dramatic reduction in crime in City history.

We’ve also made huge strides in combating domestic violence, preventing crime at apartment complexes and increasing neighborhood watches. One area of concern where crime is up slightly is property crime and burglaries. Law enforcement experts often describe these as low priority crimes. But, you try telling that to a family whose house has been broken into. We will not tolerate crime anywhere in our City, violent or non violent. That’s why we are putting new resources into the fight against property crime.

We’ve formed specialized patrol units to focus on stopping burglaries. We’ve also added property crime detectives, to make sure that we send burglars to jail. Technology continues to be critically important to the safety of our City as we expand our IRIS camera program. Chief Rooney will tell you that one IRIS camera is like having three extra police officers; at a fraction of the cost. The cameras not only prevent crime, they also greatly increase the odds of an arrest and successful prosecution when a crime is caught on camera.

While we love technology, nothing can replace our hard-working police officers, who serve our community in ways that go far beyond what they do in uniform. A great example is Operation Positive Direction, where police volunteer their spare time as mentors to kids. I want to read part of a thank-you letter from Droody Pierre, a student at Jones High, about her experience as a member of the City’s Dragon Boat team with members of OPD.

Droody writes,

Paddles up, all boats hold. Go!!

This was the last thing I heard before taking off with a force of ten teens and eleven swat team members. We reached and stretched; pulled and counted. For that moment we weren’t just “teens from the neighborhood.” We were a force to be reckoned with.
We not only created a team but a long lasting bond and family; something I know we will truly never forget.

Some of the OPD volunteers are here today. Please join me in recognizing them for their hard work.

Not to be outdone, Orlando’s firefighters are getting out of those big red trucks and spending time in neighborhoods as well. They call it the Blitz Program, where firefighters pound the pavement to provide home safety inspections, install smoke detectors and even give CPR training. Just a few days ago, I had the chance to join them. I must say our City has no better ambassadors than our firefighters. Please join me in saluting them for all that they do. I should also mention that our Fire Department has maintained its ISO 1 rating. That means they continue to be one of the top 60 fire departments in America out of more than 50-thousand departments. This year, our Fire Department took on the responsibility of transporting patients. In doing so, we have been able to increase the continuity of care we give to victims, while keeping our fire department fully staffed.

Good government also means being as careful with a dollar as the families in our City.
We take great pride in the fact that our City government is in the best financial shape of any major city in Florida.  Orlando residents pay the lowest tax rate of any major city in Florida.
Our City government has fought tax increases, while other Florida cities have raised their tax rates in response to the negative effects of the recession.

We’ve reduced the size of our government and dramatically cut costs with the only new spending going toward police and fire protection. Our City government has balanced its budget without draining reserves. In fact, since 2005 we’ve added to our savings by 30 percent while other governments around Florida have reduced their strategic reserves.

Orlando is the only major city government in Florida that has funded all of its retirement benefits. And, Fitch Ratings gave us a Triple-A bond rating this year. That means our City has better credit than the federal government. Our strong financial health is the product of tough, but necessary decisions by this City Council. Please, join me in recognizing our City commissioners for their hard work and fiscal discipline. Commissioners, in order to live within our means we’ve had to make some hard choices during these tough times.

For example, we reduced mowing and watering cycles and cut back on hours at some community centers. We’ve had to find innovative ways to save money, like partnering with Google to provide email for our City workforce at a cost savings of a quarter of a million dollars a year.
Of course, we don’t like to see grass a little higher than it should be or community centers closing a few hours early. But, you know what?

Because that grass is a little higher, we’ve been able to keep our taxes lower!
I am proud that our government has been able to live within its means without placing any additional burden on our residents. The good news is because of our fiscal prudence; once again, we can announce there won’t be any tax increases in the year ahead, so we can keep money in the pockets of our residents as the economy recovers.

Lastly, good government means providing the services people depend on every day.
I want our residents to be proud that they live in a City that delivers these core services better than anyone else. Every three weeks, every street in our City gets cleaned. That’s more often than any other city in Florida.

By filling potholes in 24 hours or less, we also boast the fastest response time in the state. Our flood plain management program entitles our residents to a 20 percent discount on their flood insurance. Our bike lanes and green space are second to none. In fact, 60-thousand people played sports in our parks last year. Another important aspect of our City services is helping people get around safely and efficiently. Our new Downtown Intelligent Transportation System will provide real time parking information for drivers.

We are also expanding the ITS program city-wide, which includes a mechanism that coordinates the movement of emergency vehicles with traffic lights. That means accident victims will get to the hospital faster and safer. We are also proud that our City services include programs that help our kids succeed.

The Parramore Kidz Zone is entering its 6th year. Thanks to PKZ, juvenile arrests in that neighborhood have been reduced by nearly 80 percent. The City also provides a safe haven for more than two thousand middle school students each year through its After School All Stars program. Nearly 90 percent of the kids in After School All Stars have improved their reading and math scores. In two years, these young people have logged more than 7-thousand hours of community service.

These programs are more than child care or mentoring. They keep money in the pockets of moms and dads by allowing them to keep a job or take extra shifts at work. 

There’s an old saying that “Success has a thousand fathers.” It’s not meant as a compliment.
It means everyone is quick to take credit when something good happens, even if they didn’t have much to do with it. Here in Orlando we are turning that adage on its head. In our City, we want success to have a thousand fathers and mothers, too. In fact, our future depends on us working across party lines, geographic boundaries, and even ideological differences.

Our future depends on us sharing the responsibility and the credit. As I look out at this room today, I see so many people who are doing just that. I see the team from Fifth Third Bank who led the effort to send more than 1,000 homeless kids to summer camp.

I see representatives from Florida Hospital and Orlando Health. Both of our hospital partners are expanding their campuses to connect to SunRail and creating true north and south gateways to Downtown Orlando.

There’s our partners at the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation who have given out 25 grants totaling more than a million dollars to support the Medical City. I see our hometown utility, OUC, that’s helping residents keep money in their pockets by fostering the development of more energy efficient homes here in Lake Nona.

I see our partners from Goodwill, who have launched a program in partnership with our Blueprint Employment Office to provide free interview apparel and other services for job applicants. We have local businesses HHCP and Parsons Brinkerhoff, who both moved their Central Florida headquarters to Downtown Orlando recently.

I see our elected leaders and partners from our economic development, civic and transportation sectors:  The Metro Orlando EDC, The Central Florida Partnership, MetroPlan Orlando, LYNX and Visit Orlando.

Finally, I see the dedicated, hard working members of our City family. Every year, City staff engages in a workplace giving campaign. This year, our employees broke all records for charitable giving at City Hall.

There are so many more partners that I want to recognize. Unfortunately, if we saluted all of our deserving partners, we’d be here until the medical school class graduates. Just know that each of you here today, and everyone who calls Orlando home, are partners in our journey to make our City the best place anywhere to live, work and raise a family.

Because of all of you, we can proudly declare that the state of Orlando remains strong!
Because of you, our City has never been more full of promise and possibility than it is right now!
2012 is going to belong to the Medical City.

If we continue to work together, there is no doubt the next decade will belong to Orlando!

Thank you.

God Bless America.

God Bless the City of Orlando.