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WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – Chris Parsons has worked in restaurants for nearly 20 years, which is why it was second nature to develop and create his newest concept Fork & Barrel in just six months.

“Identifying what is missing from a culinary side in a specific area is the first step to building a concept. I think that fulfilling a need that is missing in a specific area is a huge part of a concept being and becoming successful,” Parsons said in a statement.

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Some may know Parsons from his previous venture, The General Public House, which had two locations in Winter Springs and New Smyrna Beach.

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After selling the News Smyrna Beach restaurant, Parsons kept the Winter Springs location at 156 Tuskawilla Road, and on Monday he reopened it under a new name, Fork & Barrel.

Fork & Barrel has dishes such as crispy deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail and goat cheese bruschetta. It also serves burgers, fish and chips, filet mignon and honey truffle fried chicken.

Having seven years of success in that 5,000 square-foot building and 40 years of living in Winter Springs, he said it was ideal to keep the existing space and open Fork & Barrel in this prime location.

All in all, Parsons has plans to expand and west – with opening the next Fork & Barrel in California in Malibu. Calabasas or Westlake Village. The Florida native spends half of his time here and on the West Coast to be closer to his brother Chandler Parsons, who retired from the NBA.

However, once he opens his first location in California, then he will shift focus and expand into Central Florida.

Fork & Barrel is open Monday and Tuesday from 4-10 p.m. and Wednesday to Sunday 11 a.m. till 10 p.m.

To check out the rest of the menu or make reservations click here.

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WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — The city of Winter Springs has been without a city manager for nearly a year. An official search began over the summer, and has cost the city over $70,000 so far.

What You Need To Know

Whoever finally gets this job will have a lot on their plate. Not only will they be trying to complete a $100 million wastewater treatment plant, but they will also need to complete three audits.

If they aren’t done, the mayor says the city could lose state funding.

“We could, potentially, we could,” Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann says about the potential to lose state funding. “Absolutely we could. That’s a real concern. That would be devastating.”

This past Monday when the commission was discussing the top candidates, it got so heated between members the mayor had to step in and try to get everyone focused on the task at hand, which is finding a city manager.

“Let’s move on,” you could hear the mayor shout at the commission meeting. “Stop. Stop. Seriously, stop for a second. Hold on…, we are embarrassing ourselves.”

The mayor does not have a vote on the commission, but he is ready to find a city manager, along with the residents of Winter Springs.

Larry Sherman moved to Winter Springs from Columbus, Ohio in the mid-90s. He says what’s happening in the city can be summed up with one word.

“The word I would say is alarming. Very alarming,” he said. “We have a commission that doesn’t seem to get along. They don’t seem to be on the same page.”

At the beginning of the year, Winter Springs went with Korn Ferry to handle their search for a city manager. Over 200 applications were received, and then Korn Ferry created a system to determine the top five candidates.

News 13 obtained an e-mail from a county manager in Michigan who was considered the top candidate. He withdrew from the search following Monday’s meeting, saying the decision was solely based on “two members of the city commission and their lack of support for me and the process.” He also pointed out a commissioner said he was “sub par”.

Aside from Sherman keeping tabs on Ohio State football, it’s the future of his city he’s monitoring closely.

“This is the pinnacle of what I have seen, and it’s been ongoing,” Sherman describes. “I think Hurricane Ian brought it to light with the flooding. Really brought it to light that we have severe problems in the city.”

And the most important one can’t get a resolution until the city has a conclusion to their city manager search.

According to McCann, the city is also currently missing a finance director. As for the city manager search, an in-person interview is now set for their number two candidate who will be flying in from Virginia, and then a vote will likely happen shortly after.

State Auditor General identified 8 issues, including ongoing problems with city’s wastewater plant

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – The governor’s Office of the Chief Inspector General will be investigating the City of Winter Springs as city leaders continue to answer questions regarding recent audits.

News 6 reported on the first audit conducted by Seminole County which discovered the city misused funds from a penny sales tax. Then, a second audit conducted independently through the State Auditor reaffirmed many of the same findings.

Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, who is on the state auditing committee, spoke to News 6 about the decision to move the matter to the Chief Inspector General.

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“The city has spent the last year trying to defend its financial position without ever being able to produce an audit,” Sen. Brodeur said. “The issues that residents have had have caused us concern for their health, safety, and welfare.”

The State Auditor General identified eight issues, including ongoing problems with the city’s wastewater plant. The aging infrastructure has resulted in sewage spills and continuing fines and penalties for wastewater treatment violations.

“I hear about the boil water notices all the time. I hear about their garbage fees getting raised even though there’s no difference in service or contract,” Brodeur said. “The citizens deserve to have somebody come in and say this is what is being done right now to ensure that we have clean water and when we flush the toilet it doesn’t end up in a retention pond around the city.”

Jesse Phillips, the president of the Winter Springs Community Association, said the decision by the auditing committee is a victory. Phillips has spoken out for years about what he calls the city’s mismanagement.

“It’s very comforting for me to know that the state’s going to come in and provide some oversight and help us get to the bottom of problems we’ve been raising for about four years now,” Phillips said.

News 6 reached out to city leaders Tuesday for their insight. Mayor Kevin McCann shared the following statement as he determines the impact of this decision:

“Although the city worked closely with both the Auditor General’s office and the Joint Legislative Auditing committee, we are disappointed they have chosen not honor the agreement they offered. We will continue to supply factual information regarding our financial health to the state and will continue moving forward serving our residents in the best manner possible.”

Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann

Commissioner Cade Resnick also shared a brief statement:

“As this unfolds, I believe we will learn more as to what will be uncovered, yet for now for now we will have to wait and see.”

Winter Springs Commissioner Cade Resnick

Brodeur said the Auditing Committee felt that the city of Winter Springs either does not have the money they say they do, or they do have the funds and they’re not doing anything with it. The committee decided to involve the governor’s Chief Inspector General because they believe the city needs someone to step in, no matter how well-meaning they are.

Once the governor’s Chief Inspector General reviews the matter, it is possible they could declare the city is in a state of financial emergency. Brodeur said that would allow the governor to step in and course correct their actions.

Those actions include, but are not limited to, improving budgetary authority, limiting their authority to borrow, and potentially put together a committee that would help steer them in the right direction.

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WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — Winter Springs residents could soon be seeing an 18% utility price rate increase to monthly water bills.

What You Need To Know

Commissioners could soon vote on an ordinance that would make water and wastewater portions of utility bills increase, and overall, double in five years.

It will happen if the city commission votes yes one last time on an ordinance that would adopt water, wastewater, and reclaimed water rate increases for the next five fiscal years. The ordinance passed its first reading last Thursday 4-0. The second and final vote is on Dec. 11.

“It’s a big deal. It’s hard to imagine our water bills going up doubling over the next five years,” said Jessie Phillips, who is a Winter Springs resident and homeowner. “You have a lot of residents that are on a fixed income, a lot from a retirement community in the city.”

Phillips has lived in Winter Springs since 2017. He says in a few years, he’ll be paying double what he’s paying now for water without specific plans from the city to fix the issues.

“Before you start doubling our water bills, come up with a plan of how you’re going to spend it,” said Phillips.

He says affordability for residents is also a big question. He’s hoping the city hits the pause button and lays out what the exact plans will be before raising rates.

The city, in response, says it’s coming up with capital improvement plans, but raising funds needs to happen first.

“It’s no secret, it’s been documented,” said Matthew Reeser, Public Communications Officer for the City of Winter Springs. “We know we’ve had residents who have expressed their concerns about our aging infrastructure.”

He says their wastewater treatment plants need to be replaced, as well as reclaimed water upgrades, and water plant improvements.

“Line replacements, water quality fixes, meter replacements all of those things are going to need to be funded and the only way to do that is through this,” he said.

The city says they’re estimating it could cost upwards of $100 million and they’re currently looking at other funds, like grants.

“While nobody really wants to see an increase in their bill, the big thing is the city is trying to move forward. We’re trying to update and get our systems in line with what our residents expect,” he said.

Phillips says he hopes the city considers its residents in its decision-making.

“Considering its retirement community folks on fixed incomes before making these decisions,” said Phillips.

The next city commission meeting with the second reading and public input is on Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. If passed, this increase will kick off in January 2024 through 2028.

The city says with this increase, they’re still one of the lower utility rates in the county. The city also says they’re in the process of negotiating a design contract with engineering firms for their wastewater treatment plants.

WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — Winter Springs city leaders voted Monday night in favor of an ordinance that will increase residents’ monthly water bills next year by 18%.

What You Need To Know

Water bills would double over the course of five years, and it would directly affect the water and waste-water portions of the utility bills.

The proposal addresses the badly needed infrastructure improvements, including replacing two wastewater plants, that city leaders say are necessary.

“I mean, it’s no secret that our utilities infrastructure is aging and we need to come up with a plan that takes care of that,” said Bilal Iftikhar, Winter Springs director of utilities.

The first vote for the ordinance passed in November, with city leaders voting unanimously 4 - 0.

Residents are concerned about the significant increase in a community where most people are living on a fixed income.

“Yeah, $1 or $2 increase a year, no problem. Every year I mean. But when you do it as much, and people say it’s only $7 to $10 a month. [For] some people, that’s going to put them in crisis,” said resident Leah Weisman.

But other residents saw the reason behind the increase.

“There’s no free lunch, and I do enjoy the convenience of flushing my toilet. These things need to be fixed. And the sooner the better,” resident Karen Meyer said.

Before the meeting, Mayor Kevin McCann said if they approve the ordinance, residents will see an additional $10 to $12 on their monthly bill each year until it eventually tappers off and decreases again.

McCann said he understands residents aren’t comfortable with rates being raised, but that it’s necessary for the infrastructure improvements within the city.

“We have two wastewater plants that have been neglected and we need to replace them,” said McCann. “Quite frankly, the infrastructure is past its life expectancy. And it is having leaks, it’s having failures. And we want to protect the Florida environment. We are responsible stewards to the environment, and it needs to be done.”

McCann said the improvements are way past due, and he believes city commissioners are in a difficult position because previous leaders did not address the issue sooner.

“We understand that it was going to be a difficult decision and that the work was going to be difficult and that rates were going to go up. But I would challenge elected officials to do the right thing and be proactive on these issues rather than leaving a mess for later commissions to clean up,” he said.

Residents said they hope the city will create a detailed plan for how they will use the money over time, as well as explaining if the rate increases are going to be affordable for residents before the second hearing and final adoption of the ordinance.

City officials said the project could cost around $100 million. However, they are looking at other funding options, like grants.

The first rate hike will take effect in January 2024. Despite the increase, city officials say they would still have one of the lowest utility rates in Seminole County. They are currently the second lowest, according to the mayor.

Monday’s city commission meeting started at 6:30 p.m.