KISSIMMEE, Fla. – As Kissimmee hosts a workshop to establish its downtown as a vibrant and distinctive destination in Central Florida, concerns about safety continue.
Kissimmee City Commissioners on Tuesday will hear a presentation from the Downtown Kissimmee Community Redevelopment Agency regarding its research on ways to brand and market downtown Kissimmee.
As the city continues its push to attract tourism and business to the area, the conversation about violence is back in the forefront.
On May 6, two people were shot in a downtown parking lot after an argument started at a nearby bar.
Kissimmee police told News 6 that one person was shot in the leg and the other in the head. Both are in stable condition, but the shooting prompted a discussion about safety during the City Commissioners meeting later that night.
Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa asked city staff to draft an ordinance to prioritize public safety in response to the shooting.
“One thing we said at the [February meeting] was ‘one person shot is one person too many.’ Did we not hear that? And here we are again, and so no one died, yet. What the hell are we waiting for? For someone to die, to then decide we’re going to do this. Shame on us. Shame on us, commissioners, if we can’t act proactively instead of reactively,” Espinosa said.
In February, the city held a workshop to discuss potentially limiting alcohol sales by changing their last call. Many business owners and residents shared their concerns during that meeting, including Olga Cariño, the owner of Cariño’s Cafe.
A coffee shop during the week, the business also plays live music and serves alcohol on the weekends. Cariño told News 6 she is worried about the impact of changing the current 2 a.m. last call on businesses.
“This is going to affect our downtown in a huge way. Now we are seeing people are going to Lake Nona, people are going to Orlando,” she said.
City staff is also looking into enforcement options when it comes to noise complaints against businesses.
The commission will hold its Downtown Kissimmee CRA Rebranding and Code Enforcement workshop at 3 p.m., and its regular meeting at 6 p.m.