Good Morning Celebration Residents,

I wanted to take some time today to reach out regarding the current activities in the community.

It is apparent that tensions are running high at every level of this community when speaking with residents, committee members, board members, local businesses, and reviewing the many social media platforms utilized in the community. We have many passionate residents in Celebration which is certainly a blessing and part of what makes this community such a wonderful place to live, work, and play. Most recently we saw this when we received over 70 committee volunteer applications, even more when you count the Service Area Committees. This engagement is wonderful and only helps to improve Celebration as each of you have unique skills and perspectives to offer. However, recently there have been a few instances in which those passions have exhibited themselves in a manner that is unproductive in attempts to express differing points of view.

We need to acknowledge that a wide range of opinions exist surrounding the Lot D project vote and other related occurrences. As a result, some residents are pursuing their resident and civic rights to initiate a petition for a referendum vote. This is a Charter right.  Thus, if/when a petition is received, the Community Manager and Executive Director will work with legal counsel to ensure the process, as specified in the Charter, is conducted appropriately and fairly. Please note, the names, addresses, and contact information of those who sign the petition will not be disclosed outside of these three individuals. Contrary to those engaging in the petition for a referendum vote, some residents support the Lot D project and are expressing such support through various mediums. If the referendum petition is validated with the requisite number of signatures, then all homeowners in Celebration will have an opportunity to voice their opinion on the Lot D matter by way of casting a ballot in a referendum vote. Should this come to fruition, the ballot will be conducted in a very similar way to the voting for directors of the CROA Board is conducted, with one vote per property in good standing.

While the community works its way through this process, it is important to remember that this is a community, you are neighbors, your children and grandchildren attend the same schools, you engage in Lifelong Learning or Thriving in Place, you sit on committees together, you participate or run a partner program through Town Hall, you enjoy the same parks and walking trails, and you all come together for community events. In the end, residents may disagree with their neighbor on this or other topics that may arise in the future, but you are united in one common goal: you all want Celebration to continue to be the wonderful place it has been for many years and to move Celebration forward into a new and even better future.

I wish you all a great rest of the week and look forward to continuing to work with all of you for the betterment of Celebration.

Sincerely,

Lauren Gunnyon

Executive Director