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

mkt

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
I

Isamar

Well-Known Member
DCBaker said:
Disney has reportedly filed a copy of this decision in its lawsuit against DeSantis.

Here's the article from the Orlando Sentinel.



www.orlandosentinel.com

Disney cites Andrew Warren decision in lawsuit against DeSantis

Disney’s lawyers think a court ruling boosting ousted ex-Tampa prosecutor Andrew Warren’s bid to get his job back will also help their lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis.
www.orlandosentinel.com www.orlandosentinel.com
Click to expand...

Here’s Disney’s filing, with the 11th circuit’s Warren decision attached. (I don’t see it on CourtListener yet but when I do I’ll post a link to that too.) The Warren decision is worth reading.



And here’s a Slate article about that decision:

slate.com

Trump Judge Spanks Ron DeSantis for Retaliating Against a Democratic Rival

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis faced a sharp, surprising rebuke from a conservative appeals court on Wednesday.
slate.com slate.com
 
D

DCBaker

Premium Member
Isamar said:
Does anyone have a link to this one without a paywall?

Click to expand...

Here's the article.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District request for operational assessment proposals has its first bidder. AhVanguard LLC of St. Petersburg has thrown its hat in the ring to be the prime contractor on a project that could transform the way Walt Disney World does business in Florida.

The oversight district is seeking a contractor who, once selected, will be tasked with operational assessments and developing “a prioritized list of reform strategies with associated action plans for implementation.” Bids are due Jan. 18 at 2 p.m.

All bidders will be posted on the eBid website.

President Michelle Holguin said her company’s co-founder, Brandon Huskins, is particularly well-versed in the Orlando market.

“[His] journey includes significant contributions to renowned brands and iconic locations. He played an integral role in Levy Restaurants, contributing to high-profile events such as Orlando Magic games, Orlando Convention Center's home, surf, and boat shows, and the Shiner's Game at Camping World Stadium,” she said.

AhVanguard was established in 2016 by Holguin and Huskins. The full-service agency specializes in small business development and transformation. Since its founding, the firm has built a roster of clients including Premier 1 Dental Laboratory, Riviera Bay, Churchill Stateside Group, Floridian Social Club, Quadrum Fitness and others.

Holguin said AhVanguard also has a proven track record of conducting operational assessments and providing strategic recommendations for government agencies.

“We worked with Pinellas County on local mayoral races, crafting effective marketing strategies that highlighted candidates' strengths in addressing community concerns. Our commitment to building safe, high-quality communities through neighborhood associations aligns with CFTOD's objectives,” she said.

The recently opened bid opportunity — published Dec. 27 — revived interest in a month-old report developed by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Entitled “Report on Past Practices of the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” it covers similar territory to the scope of the new bid opportunity: a detailed scrutiny of Disney’s Central Florida operations. The board of supervisors turned in the report almost three months early. It was required to fulfill a mandate included in Florida legislation passed last Feb. 27.

The report characterizes Disney’s relationship with the former Reedy Creek Improvement District as entrenched and problematic, beginning with the following description of the origins of the district.

"Using shell companies to avoid valuation spikes, the company began buying up property. Then in earnest in 1966, it started petitioning the Florida Legislature to create a public corporation that would oversee the amassed tracts of land. Walt Disney passed away toward the end of the year, but Roy Disney immediately took over, determined to realize his older brother’s vision. On May 12, 1967, with the enactment of the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, he triumphed."

Disney representatives responded with this statement: “This report is an exercise in revisionist history,” going on to say the report wasn’t credible, that it was wasteful and that it has the potential to derail investment within the district. The Orlando Sentinel reported Dec. 13 that as much as $360,000 was spent on contractors who contributed to the report.

The contributors are:
  • Donald J. Kochan, professor of law at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia
  • William Jennings, senior director at Delta Consulting Group of Woodbridge, Virginia
  • Kimley-Horn, an engineering, planning and design consulting firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Public Resources Advisory Group headquartered in New York City
  • Raftelis, a government and utility management consulting group based in Maitland
As stated in the published bid opportunity, the district reserves the right to cancel the request for proposals, but should the selection process move forward as planned, the chosen bidder will be the sixth in recent months paid by the district to produce analytical documents about Disney’s relationship with Reedy Creek.
Click to expand...
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
The Warren decision definitely challenges some of the issues raised earlier regarding otherwise permissible acts. The desire to surprise Disney really undercuts the state’s position as they didn’t even bother to do the pretextual work up front and it has only really now been undertaken by the District itself. The big difference though is executive versus legislative action, but when you have the true cause as part of the official legislative record it seems hard to ignore that.
 
C

Chip Chipperson

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
The Warren decision definitely challenges some of the issues raised earlier regarding otherwise permissible acts. The desire to surprise Disney really undercuts the state’s position as they didn’t even bother to do the pretextual work up front and it has only really now been undertaken by the District itself. The big difference though is executive versus legislative action, but when you have the true cause as part of the official legislative record it seems hard to ignore that.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they're blatantly trying to work backwards to find anything to justify what they did after the fact. It's too late to fool anyone looking at it fairly and the state's only hope is to get a string of judges who look at the case through the same biased lens (up to and including the Supreme Court).
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Chip Chipperson said:
Yeah, they're blatantly trying to work backwards to find anything to justify what they did after the fact. It's too late to fool anyone looking at it fairly and the state's only hope is to get a string of judges who look at the case through the same biased lens (up to and including the Supreme Court).
Click to expand...
I think the odds in the lower federal courts have increased for Disney. They submitted this ruling to get it into the record that it is now precedent for the 11th Circuit. Obviously nothing is guaranteed but at least for now it seems that motivation is something the federal courts are seriously going to consider. Disney also now has some more time since the Warren case was sent back to the lower court for consideration which will maintain the 11th Circuit’s ruling for a longer period of time.
 
flyakite

flyakite

Well-Known Member
Meeting notice from Orlando Sentinel:

YOU WILL PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on January 24 at 9:30 a.m., or as soon thereafter as practicable, the Board of Supervisors of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District will meet in regular session at 1900 Hotel Plaza Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. At that time and in addition to other business on the agenda, the Board of Supervisors will conduct a reading and public hearing on and consider for adoption:
Resolution No. 658 A RESOLUTION OF THE CENTRAL FLORIDA TOURISM OVERSIGHT DISTRICT ADOPTING A PAID PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY FOR DISTRICT EMPLOYEES.
Interested parties may appear at the public meeting and hearing to be heard with respect to the proposed resolutions. If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the Board of Supervisors with respect to any matter considered at such meeting or hearing, he or she will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he or she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.
By: Alycia Mills, District Clerk Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
 
D

DCBaker

Premium Member
Here's the agenda for the January 24 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Screenshot 2024-01-17 at 4.47.05 PM.png
Screenshot 2024-01-17 at 4.47.23 PM.png
 
I

Isamar

Well-Known Member
We have new filings in the state court.

In the district’s lawsuit against Disney (& Disney’s countersuit):


NOTICE OF HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. EDT, or as
soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, before the Honorable Margaret H. Schreiber, Circuit
Judge, the undersigned counsel will call up for short-matters hearing the following:
DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO COMPEL DISCOVERY
Attorneys/parties shall appear via Webex. The Cisco Webex information for the hearing is
below. Parties should connect to the videoconference at least five (5) minutes before the scheduled
hearing time.
Join by videoconference: https://ninthcircuit.webex.com/meet/division35
Join by telephone (through Webex only): (to be used only in the event of technical
difficulties with videoconference)
+1-904-900-2303 United States Toll (Jacksonville)
+1-408-418-9388 United States Toll
Access code: 2344 322 8983 #
PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY.
Dated January 17, 2024.
 
I

Isamar

Well-Known Member
And in Disney’s Public Records claim:

NOTICE OF HEARING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. EDT, or as
soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, before the Honorable Chad K. Alvaro, Circuit Judge,
the undersigned counsel will call up for short-matters hearing the following:
PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR IMMEDIATE HEARING
Attorneys/parties shall appear via Webex. The Cisco Webex information for the hearing is
below. Parties should connect to the videoconference at least five (5) minutes before the scheduled
hearing time.
Join by videoconference https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9534919222
Join by phone: 305-224-1968
Meeting ID: 953 491 9222
PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY.
Dated January 17, 2024.
 

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