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Close to 60 individuals including elected officials, city and county officials and private individuals gathered at the Lake Mary Events Center on January 25, to discuss the key issues surrounding water supply, demand and conservation facing Seminole County. 

This was the last of seven "stakeholder" meetings held throughout the region, where over 200 leaders have provided input, as part of the first phase of the Developing a Regional Water Strategy for Central Florida project. This seven-county initiative, coordinated by myregion.org and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Central Florida, is conducted in partnership with all three water management districts: St. Johns River Water Management District, South Florida Water Management District and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Other partner organizations include the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the University of Central Florida Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies.

The goal of this project is to create a regional strategy while avoiding the use of any public money for litigation. The reasoning is that spending money on litigation doesn't produce a single drop of new water, so the resources are best spent solving the problem, rather than fighting about it.

Top Left: (From left to right) The Honorable D. Lee Constantine, Senator-District 22, The Florida Senate; Shelley Lauten, President, myregion.org;  Diane H. Trees, Ed.D., Associate Vice President, Community Relations, University of Central Florida and James Sellen, Executive Vice President, MSCW, Inc., TAPS Vice Chair, ULI Central Florida.  Top Right: (From left to right) The Honorable Dede Schaffner, School Board Member - District 3, Seminole County Public Schools; The Honorable Carlton D. Henley, Sr., Commissioner - District 4, Seminole County Commission and The Honorable Michael McLean, Commissioner - District 2, Seminole County Commission. Click here for more photos from this event.

Participants were given significant opportunities during the two-hour session to provide input on what they see as the primary issues, barriers and opportunities associated with creating a regional water strategy. Senator D. Lee Constantine, who is committed to protecting and promoting Florida's natural resources, was also in attendance during a portion of the myregion.org Seminole County Stakeholder Meeting and hosted two other public meetings surrounding water policy, at the same location: the Wekiva River Basin Commission meeting and a public forum with the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Inland Waters.  These series of meetings were sponsored by the University of Central Florida Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies.  

The Development of a Regional Water Strategy for Central Florida, the top priority for the Congress of Regional Leaders in 2010, is already proving to be of benefit to the seven counties and 86 cities of Central Florida.

Click here to review the Project Background Information Sheet. 

myregion.org is one of four lines of business by which the Central Florida Partnership focuses on “Regional Research and Resolves.”  By identifying and examining the changing demographics and powerful trends that are shaping the Central Florida Region – myregion.org is helping to identify the issues and challenges that affect our future.

Working together with Orlando, Inc. (Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce) focused on Regional Entrepreneurship, BusinessForce (Public Policy Advocacy), and Leadership Orlando (Regional Leadership), the Central Florida Partnership is moving “Ideas to Results.”

About myregion.org
Click here to learn more about myregion.org.
Click here for the myregion.org Board of Directors.