March 28, 2024

Osceola City Council has 2020 vision

Image 1 of 2

Osceola City Council has a vision for 2020 and beyond with multiple projects in the works and many more to come. Sitting on the council is George Fotiadis, who has served the city over 30 years, Douglas Gay who was reelected for another term, Damon Boyd was elected to the council after serving as an appointee filling a vacant seat, Dan Hooper and Dennis Page both serve but neither was up for reelection this election season. Presiding over the meetings is Mayor Thomas Kedley, elected for his third term this fall.

“All elected officials retained their seats...,” said Kedley. “I think it speaks volumes that people are supporting the direction we’re going.”

The council and the mayor have a cohesive vision for the future of Osceola. This vision comes from a comprehensive plan that is community driven. The only projects the city has undertaken that were not already in the plan are those that were handed down from a higher governing power such as the State or Federal government.

Along with developing a new comprehensive plan the council has also continued to push large projects for better quality of life in Osceola.

“Our largest project going on right now, and in Osceola history, is the Osceola waste water treatment plant,” said Kedley. “This project was mandated due to more restrictive permitted limits, but we are trying to do it in the most fiscally responsible way.”

A $200,000 grant was recently awarded for the waste water treatment plant project.

Another big water project is the lake reservoir. All the land has been acquired and the project is now in the engineering stage.

“This project is sincerely important to our community’s livelihood and progress. I am excited to work with all entities on its forthcoming completion,” said Kedley.

“The downtown street project is another one on the list that’s huge,” said Kedley.

“In efforts to collaborate with the DOT and be fiscally responsible we adjusted this project’s scheduled start date. The DOT will be redoing all of Highways 69 and 34 roads and sidewalks within the city limits. We wanted to line up those projects so construction periods were minimized.”

There is a $2.4 million grant going toward the downtown street project’s storm water control.

The I-35 Corridor is a project that Kedley says is the epitome of “respecting tradition, but changing the status quo. It will sincerely make Osceola live up to its motto- proud of our history, ready for the future.”

A new park, coming to the corner of Clay Street and Osceola Street, is in the fundraising stages. The city has been working diligently applying for grant opportunities. They have raised over $200,000 and just received a matching grant of $50,000 from The Dekko Foundation. Nearly $400,000 needs to be raised in order to get the construction underway. The Osceola Parks and Rec appreciate contributions from local businesses or individuals to help fund the park.

Another project is the SOS, Safe Osceola Sidewalks, initiative funded through a franchise fee. Each year different sections of Osceola will have a sidewalk constructed through the high pedestrian traffic areas.

“The goal is to put a sidewalk on every street,” said Kedley. “Public safety is paramount and at the heart of this initiative.”

The city is also taking on housing initiatives.

“Through the demolition of condemned houses and the construction of new housing developments we hope to meet the needs of a growing Osceola. Our goal is to make our community a safer place to live and work.”

“We have a lot of irons in the fire; it’s an exciting time for Osceola,” said Kedley.