ICYMI

Orange County will appeal last-minute rent control amendment decision, Central Florida Zoo reopens, Flagler Beach Pier to be under renovation for several years, and other news you may have missed.

» Orange County to challenge ruling on rent control ordinance

Despite a Florida appeals court ruling against the ordinance, Orange County voters will still see a proposed rent control measure on their ballot this November. The would-be regulation was narrowly approved as a ballot measure by the Orange County commission earlier this year. It proposes a rent cap based on the year’s most recent percentage changes in the Consumer Price Index, which measures the change in the cost of goods and services over time. The Florida Fifth District Court of Appeals overturned a prior ruling from an Orange County judge allowing the ordinance to remain on the ballot. The court said the ordinance was “unconstitutional,” with a “misleading” ballot summary. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings will file for a re-hearing. The Orange County Supervisor of Elections does not plan to reprint the ballots, which still include the ordinance as a portion of the voting. Labor unions and rent advocacy groups have expressed distaste for the way Florida Realtors has handled the ordinance’s removal, claiming that they sent out “deceptive” campaign mail to convince voters to say no to the ordinance. Florida Rising, a social justice group, is fighting in support of the ordinance, which is proposed at a time that rent is increasing for Orange County residents in a historically drastic way. Orlando’s current median rent is $1,427 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,683 for a two-bedroom unit, according to Apartment List.

» Central Florida Zoo reopens after Hurricane Ian closure

The Central Florida Zoo reopened last week after nearly a month of closure. The Sanford zoo closed on Sept. 28 to prepare for the oncoming Hurricane Ian and remained closed to visitors for cleanup. Flooding was revealed to be a prominent issue for the zoo, as it sits near both the St. Johns River and Lake Monroe. Due to excessive flooding damage, the bear exhibit and boardwalk are still closed temporarily for repairs and cleanup. Most other exhibits are operating as usual. CEO Richard E. Glover, Jr. said that the total damages are likely to exceed $800,000. (The exact total has not yet been finalized.) The zoo is accepting donations through their Hurricane Ian Relief Fund to help recover from their losses during their time closed. The zoo’s animal care team worked to keep all animal residents safe during the duration of the closure. The Central Florida Zoo welcomed visitors back with the seasonal Zoo Boo Bash, a trick-or-treating event held on-site Oct. 29 and 30.

» Flagler Beach pier to remain closed for several years as replacement is built

Flagler Beach’s iconic pier sustained significant damage in Hurricane Ian. As the storm battered the old wooden pier with waves, portions of the pier’s end broke off in the surf. City commissioners say the pier will remain closed until a replacement can be built. The city had already planned to replace the pier with a more resilient concrete structure; they’re expediting that process now that the pier has been damaged. The pier was built in 1927 at a length of 1,000 feet, but storms have shortened it several times to its current length of around 600 feet. The planned concrete pier will be 800 feet long and 13 feet higher than the current pier. “There’s only three insurance companies in the entire world that will insure a wooden pier so concrete is the way to go with the waves, how strong the ocean is and how much damage they’ve been causing on the wooden piers,” said Mayor Suzie Johnston. The city will keep the first 100 feet of the pier wooden, as a nod to the landmark’s past. The businesses that operate on the close-in portions of the pier will remain open, even as the overwater span is closed.

» GOP outpaces Democrats in casting early ballots

More than 2.77 million Florida voters had cast ballots as of Monday morning, with registered Republicans outpacing Democrats, according to data posted on the state Division of Elections website. The data showed that 1,907,420 people had voted by mail, while 866,784 had cast ballots at early voting sites. Republicans had cast 1.173 million ballots, while Democrats had cast about 1.077 million. About 486,000 had been cast by unaffiliated voters, with the rest from third-party voters. Jefferson County Supervisor of Elections Tyler McNeill said he expects more than half of all votes to be cast before the Nov. 8 election. “It’s a great opportunity for the county to come in and vote early, for people that have not yet voted by mail or would rather accomplish voting before Election Day,” McNeill said. All counties are required to offer early voting through Saturday, with 18 extending early voting to Sunday. In total, Florida has slightly more than 14.5 million registered voters.

» Post-Hurricane Ian flood insurance payments continue to climb

The National Flood Insurance Program had paid more than $244 million as of Saturday to policyholders whose property was damaged by Hurricane Ian, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Monday. The program has received more than 43,000 claims and made $142 million in advance payments. The overall payment total has steadily increased amid cleanup efforts from the Category 4 storm, which made landfall Sept. 28 in Southwest Florida and crossed the state. As of last Thursday, for example, the flood-insurance program had paid out $208 million. Residents who have mortgages on properties in designated flood zones are required to have flood insurance, which is mostly purchased through a federal program. But most Floridians don’t have flood insurance, exacerbating problems from Ian, which caused flooding across the state. Residential property-insurance policies cover wind damage, but not flood damage.