Appropriations Requests
Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Requests
Project Name: Lake Apopka Shoreline Restoration Project
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Intended Recipient: City of Winter Garden
Recipient Address: 300 W. Plant St., Winter Garden, Florida, 34787
Request Explanation: The funding would be used to support Phase 1 of a multi-phase dredging project to restore a portion of the Lake Apopka shoreline. It addresses critical environmental concerns in Lake Apopka, preserves water quality, and safeguards the wellbeing of local residents and ecosystems.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Jeff Fuqua Boulevard (Loop Road) A Terminal Entrance Improvement Project
Requested Amount: $3,375,000
Intended Recipient: Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Recipient Address: One Jeff Fuqua Boulevard, Orlando, Florida, 32827
Request Explanation: The funding would be used to deliver critical improvements to the intersection of Jeff Fuqua Boulevard and South Park Place/Station Loop Road. The project will simplify traffic movements, reduce congestion, decrease pollution from idling vehicles and improve overall traffic. The Orlando International Airport (MCO) has experienced tremendous growth in vehicular traffic over the past decade, resulting in delays that cause unsafe conditions and affect airport operations.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Town of Montverde CR 455 Complete Street Project
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Intended Recipient: Lake County
Recipient Address: 315 West Main Street, Suite 308, Tavares, Florida, 32778
Request Explanation: The funding would be used to improve County Road 455, which is a major connector roadway in Lake County that passes through the rural Town of Montverde. The project would provide bike lanes, multi-use trail, sidewalk, improved street crossing, traffic calming, as well as critical drainage improvements. With project completion, residents and visitors will be able to safely travel this key roadway in Lake County and accompanying Central Florida connector roads that are critical to this region’s business, residential and tourist traffic.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Wildwood Wastewater Project
Requested Amount: $5,000,000
Intended Recipient: City of Wildwood
Recipient Address: 100 N. Main Street Wildwood, Florida, 34785
Request Explanation: The funding would be used to provide necessary wastewater capacity to support the ongoing regional growth in housing, commercial, and industrial development. It will improve existing infrastructure and aging equipment in order to meet the Advanced Water Treatment standards set by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Polk County Emergency Operations Center Office Expansion
Requested Amount: $1,875,000
Intended Recipient: Polk County
Recipient Address: 330 West Church Street, PO Box 9005, Drawer CA01 Bartow, Florida, 33831
Request Explanation: The funding would be used for expanding the existing Emergency Operations Center, responsible for planning and coordinating actions to prepare, respond and recover from natural or man-made disasters in Polk County. It also plans and conducts emergency training and serves as a liaison with state and federal emergency agencies. The 15-year-old facility does not meet current or future needs.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Winter Garden Wastewater Project
Requested Amount: $ 5,000,000
Intended Recipient: City of Winter Garden
Recipient Address: 300 W. Plant Street Winter Garden, FL 34787
Request Explanation: The funding would be used to increase capacity and achieve Advanced Wastewater Treatment standards. Expanding capacity and optimizing the Crest Avenue Wastewater Treatment Facility in Winter Garden will improve effluent water quality, increase the production of reclaimed water, and protect source water obtained from Lake Apopka in order to advance ongoing restoration efforts, improve boat navigation, and enhance ecotourism.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: University of South Florida’s Cybersecurity Technology, Research, and Workforce Training Program
Requested Amount: $2,500,000
Intended Recipient: University of South Florida
Recipient Address: 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33620
Request Explanation: The funding would be allocated towards acquiring and deploying cutting-edge cyber training tools and environments, analyzing cyber training outcomes to establish best practices, and prioritizing the facilitation of cybersecurity certificate training. Funding this program would enable hundreds of students to meet the critical, growing demand across our nation.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: University of Florida’s Health Central Florida Elevating Care Through Workforce Development: Simulation Lab
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Intended Recipient: Leesburg Regional Medical Center, Inc.
Recipient Address: 600 E Dixie Ave. Leesburg, Florida, 34748
Request Explanation: The funding will enable purchase of technological equipment for a new Simulation (SIM) lab. The program will give nursing students at University of Florida’s Health Central, located at Leesburg Regional Medical Center in Leesburg, a hands-on clinical experience that will significantly improve skill performance and knowledge acquisition, creating a pipeline of better-prepared students entering our healthcare sector.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Florida State University’s Quantum Communication Testbed
Requested Amount: $4,550,000
Intended Recipient: Florida State University
Recipient Address: 222 S. Copeland Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306
Request Explanation: The funding would be used by the Florida State University-Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University School of Engineering for the creation of a quantum communication testbed, which would leverage existing University infrastructure including the highly unique and specialized National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion to study extreme effects on quantum communication. Meeting this challenge is necessary to maintain the United States’ position as a world leader in technology and research.
Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Requests
Project Name: Cyberworks, Cybersecurity Workforce Training Program
Requested Amount: $ 2,500,000
Intended Recipient: The University of South Florida (USF)
Recipient Address: 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620
Request Explanation: The funding would allow 300 additional Floridians to participate this fiscal year in CyberWorks, a 19-week cybersecurity certificate training program that prepares non-traditional adult students, and especially recently discharged military veterans, to enter the civilian and defense cybersecurity workforce as Tier 1 Security Operation Center (SOC) Analysts.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Rapid DNA system
Requested Amount: $695,540
Intended Recipient: Lake County Sheriff
Recipient Address: 551 West Main Street, Tavares, FL 32778
Request Explanation: The funding would be used to purchase a Rapid DNA system to help bolster law enforcement efficiency, investigations and reduce crime lab backlogs. The Sheriff’s office would house the instruments at their jail and would make them available to surrounding agencies as needed to assist with public safety across the county.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Southbound Jeff Fuqua Realignment at Orlando International Airport
Requested Amount: $5,000,000
Intended Recipient: Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Recipient Address: One Jeff Fuqua Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32827
Request Explanation: The funding would help deliver improvements to the intersection of Jeff Fuqua Boulevard and South Park Place/Station Loop Road at Orlando International Airport (MCO) to simplify traffic movements, reduce congestion, decrease pollution from idling vehicles at red lights, and improve overall traffic flow at one of the nation’s busiest airports. More than 115,000 vehicles per day already travel through MCO terminals causing traffic delays that result in unsafe conditions and affect airport operations.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: PD&E for the FDC Grove Road/Northridge Trail Flyover of Interstate 4/US Highway 27 interchange
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Intended Recipient: Polk County Board of County Commissioners
Recipient Address: 330 W. Church Street, Bartow, FL 33830.
Request Explanation: The funding would be used to complete planning for a bridge/flyover I-4 west of US 27 to connect FDC Grove Road to the Northridge Trail to allow traffic to bypass that interchange by moving local north/south traffic on a route parallel to US Highway 27.
Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Requests
Project Name: CR 466A 4-Laning Final Phase Completion
Requested Amount: $3,611,561
Intended Recipient: Lake County, FL
Recipient Address: 315 W Main St #3813, Tavares, FL 32778
Request Explanation: The funding would enable completion of a major 4-laning project providing regional traffic connectivity and improved traffic flow from US 301 in Sumter County to US 27/441 in Lake County.
Certification of Financial Disclosure
Project Name: Citrus Grove Road Phase II
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Intended Recipient: Lake County, FL
Recipient Address: 315 W Main St #3813, Tavares, FL 32778
Request Explanation: Citrus Grove Road is a major collector roadway connecting US Hwy 27 to N. Hancock Road at the Florida turnpike Interchange in Minneola. Phase II is part of a 5-phase project; Phases I and III are complete; Phases IV and V are soon to be under construction; Phase II will complete the project. The existing road is an old farm to market road that is inadequate to serve current regional transportation needs. There are no adjacent homes or businesses on this segment of road. The funding requested is for final design of the project.