April 21, 2020


For

Zellwood, Tangerine, Surrounding Neighborhoods



April 21, 2020



Odor Reports


Call and write e-mails when you smell the odors. Don't give up, that is what the offending businesses want us to do. The e-mail list is located at the bottom of the page. 

Letters and Correspondence


Important: We are going to need to keep a set of records for the state and to use the online reporting for Orange County when it goes live. I'll post more on that in a bit. 


There is a reason to do both. The state has authority over different areas than the county, particularly when it comes to what is important to us. Yes, we need the county, but we also need the state. 
..........

I got a response from Maria Repass of Orange County.

Maria.Repass@ocfl.net

Mon 4/20/2020 4:00 PM


Good afternoon REDACTED,

Sorry, I missed your call from earlier today, I haven’t had the opportunity to reply to all my calls of yet.  But your email allows me this opportunity to respond quicker, so I hope you don’t mind.

As for the online odor complaint form status- we are making a few adjustments which has delayed the launch, but I feel confident it will be ready for live access this week.


Ashely is aware of our online form, but the FL. Dept. of Environmental Protection is conducting its own investigation and has provided the residents with the form they want to be submitted for their database.
OC EPD makes every effort to share our information with FDEP, so they are aware of complaints they might not have received.  This is not in an effort to make reporting more burdensome for our residents, but a lot of the data we collect is helpful to each agency in diverse ways. All the data we are provided is very helpful in addition to our own inspector’s observations of the various suspected sources of the odor.

As soon as I get the go-ahead on the live launch of the form, I’ll be sure to keep you informed. I always appreciate your patience, follow up and all the information you provide to us.

Best regards,
Maria Repass
Citizen Services Coordinator
Environmental Protection Division
Compliance and Waste Management Section
3165 McCrory Place, Suite 200
Orlando, Florida 32803
Office:  407-836-1468
Fax:  407-836-1499
Email:  EPDComplaints@ocfl.net

..........

This e-mail was posted on the Facebook page and was copied to Maria Repass and Ashley Gardner.

Good afternoon,

I'm breaking this e-mail into two parts, FDEP, and Orange County.


FDEP

The attached form is what FDEP wants us to use to report odors. I'm going to contact them and ask them how they want us to get the information to them once the forms are filled out. I believe that we should continue to send e-mails as well, as this system seems impractical to me unless they have interns to organize the data. I believe the best way to report is with an online reporting link. And of course, we want to be able to get data reports as well. I had hoped that FDEP and Orange County could work together, but they use the data differently. 

FDEP's system further complicates reporting because many people today use their phones as their sole portal for internet access. If someone can't print the form, they are deprived of the ability to be able to report odors easily. I'm a person of privilege but I only have a laptop. If I need to print something, I forward it to my husband who will print it when he gets around to it.

Many of the most affected people are struggling to survive during the fallout of the pandemic and the more complicated reporting is, the fewer people will do it. It is an injustice to those less privileged who just happen to live the closest to the offending plants. 

If a person can print a form, the form can be e-mailed from a phone after scanning the completed document with an app such as Scanner Pro (the one I use, it was $4 at the App Store.) But as a recently retired teacher, I can tell you that digital ability is all over the place even with teenagers. For every kid who can create something wonderful, there is one who can't type in a URL for testing without help (such as reminding that URLs can't have spaces.) This digital divide extends to adults as well and makes for interesting memes. Remember that we don't yet know how FDEP wants to get their data. 

With the need for physical distancing a real concern and people working from home, I cannot see the data being organized and fear it will be lost. We can create a record by using e-mail in addition. 

Orange County

Orange County is expecting to have an online odor reporting link up this week. My efforts to have FDEP consolidate odor reporting with FDEP were unsuccessful. I still think we should e-mail odors reports to create a public record. We need to find out if the online odor reports will public record and if we can see what is being reported. 


I'll let you know when I get more information. 

Best regards, 

Redacted


PS: The intended recipients are blind copied and the CC recipients are visible to everyone

..........

This was sent to Ashley Gardner 

Hi Ashley,

Please advise how you want the odor reports sent to you from the Tangerine/Zellwood area. Do you want to receive e-mails with the information of the form included as part of the e-mail, the forms submitted by e-mail, or the papers mailed to you?

Thank you,

Redacted




Helpful Links
We vote and we talk to voters

Link to FDEP Odor Reporting Form




E-mail List

Address your e-mails to these people

david.smicherko@FloridaDEP.gov
EPDcomplaints@ocfl.net   
ashley.gardner@dep.state.fl.us                              
mayor@ocfl.net
robert.spivey@ocfl.net
Copy your e-mails to these people
phil.kane@dep.state.fl.us 
chris.testerman@ocfl.net
district2@ocfl.net
daniel.vanegas@ocfl.net
jon.weiss@ocfl.net
maurice.barker@dep.state.fl.us
david.jones2@ocfl.net
bradley.campbell@OCFL.NET
jennifer.moreau@ocfl.net
joel.prinsell@ocfl.net
erin.hartigan@ocfl.net
kelley.rose@ocfl.net
shally.wong@ocfl.net
maria.repass@ocfl.net   
wanda.parker@ocfl.net

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