News Reedy Creek Improvement District and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

[Minthorne]

"When they tell you who they are, believe them."

Calling themselves the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District was no accident. They told you exactly what they intend to do. The only misnomer is including Central Florida, since WDW is the only tourism being overseen.

Isn’t when something is missed also an oversight? Like the oversight is that they missed the point.

 

[sedati]

I don't get why this thread is here. I haven't visited this thread at all for probably over a year (I don't care to check), but it's just tiresome so I always leave. I'd much rather comment on which bottles they're hanging today on Tiana's Salt Mound.

Seems to me this may be the most important development since Walt first started buying land in Florida, but okay.

 

[Chip Chipperson]

Did they? I didn't remember a new deal coming before the board?

You might be right. Negotiations were reopened and the head of the firefighters union was mad that the union members shot themselves in the foot by leaking details before it was approved, but after looking for articles about it I think the new pay was unchanged in the final deal. Very sneaky, if that's the case - delay and reopen negotiations in response to criticism but then wait for the heat to die down and approve the same deal and hope people just assume the "renegotiating" resulted in a more reasonable deal.

 

[monothingie]

You might be right. Negotiations were reopened and the head of the firefighters union was mad that the union members shot themselves in the foot by leaking details before it was approved, but after looking for articles about it I think the new pay was unchanged in the final deal. Very sneaky, if that's the case - delay and reopen negotiations in response to criticism but then wait for the heat to die down and approve the same deal and hope people just assume the "renegotiating" resulted in a more reasonable deal.

Darn those overpaid firefighters.

 

[monothingie]

View attachment 764875

I guess improving staffing and paying first responders a decent competitive wage isn't an improvement.

 

[mkt]

I guess improving staffing and paying first responders a decent competitive wage isn't an improvement.

The first responders pay rise is an improvement, but at the cost of benefits they previously enjoyed. Additionally 30 employees left the district, so I wouldn't call that "improving staffing".

 

[monothingie]

The first responders pay rise is an improvement, but at the cost of benefits they previously enjoyed. Additionally 30 employees left the district, so I wouldn't call that "improving staffing".

I was referring to improved staffing for first responders. Staffing levels which RCID (Disney) seemingly seemed to abuse for their own purposes.

With regards to 30 employees who left, turnover during administration changes is to be expected and is quite normal. I would also expect that most if not all have already been replaced.

 

[wdwmagic]

I was referring to improved staffing for first responders. Staffing levels which RCID (Disney) seemingly seemed to abuse for their own purposes.

With regards to 30 employees who left, turnover during administration changes is to be expected and is quite normal. I would also expect that most if not all have already been replaced.

I can't recall any instance under RCID over 50 years where there was an emergency situation that first reponders were understaffed to deal with.

With regard to the departures, a huge amount of insitutional knowledge was lost. You don't just replace those types of people.

 

[monothingie]

I can't recall any instance under RCID over 50 years where there was an emergency situation that first reponders were understaffed to deal with.

When the skyline incident happened, RCID did not have enough staffing to even attempt to affect any type of rescues until additional staffing and mutual aid was brought in.

How many times have people within the district have had to rely on OC Fire for ambulances?

There were news stories about First Responders coming to scenes in department SUVs because there wasn't sufficient manpower to staff a rescue.

With regard to the departures, a huge amount of insitutional knowledge was lost. You don't just replace those types of people.

Sure you do.
It happens all the time and is common place in government every time leadership changes. Each side has their group of resources to come and fill in the gaps.

The work that was being done was not something exclusive to RCID, everyone of the people that quit was easily replaceable and they certainly were not the "keys to the kingdom" so to speak in that nothing could get done without their personal presence.

 

[mkt]

With regards to 30 employees who left, turnover during administration changes is to be expected and is quite normal. I would also expect that most if not all have already been replaced.

It's expected with regards to political appointees - NOT career civil servants, which is what the resignations were.

 

[monothingie]

It's expected with regards to political appointees - NOT career civil servants, which is what the resignations were.

The facts do not support that. Administration changes result in new oversight and new leadership. Many non-political appointees will use transitions as a severance point for multiple reasons, including retirement options, pension calculations, unwillingness to work for a new boss, etc. For example during high level executive administration changes (president, governor, etc) especially when there is a change in party, you see a large number of these separations occur.

 

[mkt]

The facts do not support that. Administration changes result in new oversight and new leadership. Many non-political appointees will use transitions as a severance point for multiple reasons, including retirement options, pension calculations, unwillingness to work for a new boss, etc. For example during high level executive administration changes (president, governor, etc) especially when there is a change in party, you see a large number of these separations occur.

I mean, if you're including third world countries where EVERYONE is a political appointee, then sure.

But in a stable democracy, as the US and Florida purport to be, career civil servants do their jobs regardless of the party in charge and retire when their time is up, or if they got a better offer - that's expected.

But they're resigning in large numbers, it's a sign of something else that's wrong, and not just merely "what happens every administration change".

 

[monothingie]

I mean, if you're including third world countries where EVERYONE is a political appointee, then sure.

But in a stable democracy, as the US and Florida purport to be, career civil servants do their jobs regardless of the party in charge.

If they're resigning, it's a sign of something else that's wrong, and not just merely "what happens every administration change".

Lookup how many civil service federal workers left before the 44th president was sworn in.
Lookup how many civil service federal workers left before the 45th president was sworn in.
Lookup how many civil service federal workers left before the 46th president was sworn in.

There is turnover.

For 30 people to leave RCID because it became a new entity under new leadership after 50+ years of existing in one way is by no means abnormal. Were there a handful that wanted to make it about politics? I'm sure. But in no way was everyone who left motivated to do so because of politics.

 

[mkt]

Lookup how many civil service federal workers left before the 45th president was sworn in.

1/3 were due to retirements, but yeah - he was definitely the exception a lot of rules.

 

[wdwmagic]

When the skyline incident happened, RCID did not have enough staffing to even attempt to affect any type of rescues until additional staffing and mutual aid was brought in.

There were no injuries at Skyliner, and it was not an emergency.

And I would expect a very similar outcome if it happened today.

 

[monothingie]

There were no injuries at Skyliner, and it was not an emergency.

And I would expect a very similar outcome if it happened today.

The Fire Department does not respond to and call in additional resources and mutual aid from out of county for "non-emergencies".

 

[mkt]

The Fire Department does not respond to and call in additional resources and mutual aid from out of county for "non-emergencies".

They do when staffing levels are low enough to warrant it (which I'll admit is a long term issue). Ask me how I know.

Also, OCFR isn't "out of county"

 

[flynnibus]

When the skyline incident happened, RCID did not have enough staffing to even attempt to affect any type of rescues until additional staffing and mutual aid was brought in.

This is normal and the intended planned response. No agency is staffed to handle everything themselves in case of a mass-event. The system is designed for this very type of tiered and layered response. Doesn't matter if it's RCID or Hollywood, CA.

How many times have people within the district have had to rely on OC Fire for ambulances?

Again, not a sign of something wrong.

There were news stories about First Responders coming to scenes in department SUVs because there wasn't sufficient manpower to staff a rescue.

This is also normal depending on the situation. Staff can respond based on where they are depending on the kind of call it is.

The department was calling for more fire apparatus - not ambulances. The recurring theme from the union was they wanted shifts staffed with more people (because they wanted more hours) - not that they didn't have the bodies to use the equipment they already had.

 

[MR.Dis]

So, after reading the last few pages, not one instance of the CFTOD getting in the way on how Disney conducts its business. So it has zero effect. We have almost 1200 pages of comments with all this hand wringing about this horrible CFTOD, and in reality it has zero effect. People still go to the parks and spend money. Disney is still doing ongoing projects. ZERO effect. About time people realize there is a lot of hand wringing over what is actually a non issue. Yet we still have law suites with both State and Federal Courts waying in with what will end up costing millions of dollars in legal fees. The only winners here are the attorneys.

 

[DCBaker]

The Reedy Creek Fire Department has been officially rebranded today.