Hello Petition Supporters,

My name is Alexandra, and I'm on the Civic Engagement team at Change.org. Our team works to connect petition starters and supporters with the public officials who have the power to act on the issues you care about. 

I spoke with the Executive Assistant for Commissioner Jay Zembower regarding the petition about Hi Oaks Ranch and Seminole County’s wild lands. They explained that for the Commission to formally consider a matter like this, it must be placed on a public hearing agenda. The office has not received any formal submissions or heard concerns about the ranch in public hearing, and Commissioner Zembower does not review petitions or online materials as a matter of personal policy, so as of yet there is currently no item pending before the Board of County Commissioners related to this issue.

If supporters want the issue to be considered, the office suggested bringing it forward at a public meeting and noting the number of signatures so the Commission is aware of the community interest. The next meeting will take place on 12/9/2025 at 9:30 AM-- you can see agenda and meeting details here: https://seminolecountyfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

The assistant emphasized that any Seminole County resident who wishes to raise an issue that is not on the agenda is welcome to speak during public comment at the end of a Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting. Community members can fill out a speaker form and individuals will have three minutes to address the Commission. If several people wish to speak on the same issue, the board encourages residents to briefly state their agreement for the record rather than repeating full comments.