Frequently Asked Questions
This list is ever-expanding, so check back often! Don’t see your question, or still need clarification? Contact Lilian Colli at the Town Administrative Office and she will be happy to help or redirect.
Address
Town of Windermere
614 Main Street
Windermere, FL 34786
Administration and Police Department – Bldg 100
Monday – Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm
Public Works & Code Enforcement – Bldg 200
Monday – Friday 8:00am – 3:30pm
Agendas
For Council agendas, please go to Government > Meeting Agendas & Minutes > scroll to appropriate meeting date. You can also click
here.
For Board/Committee agendas, please select the appropriate Board/Committee from the Boards & Committees drop down menu on the homepage.
Boathouses
Boat Ramps
Budget
View the budget for the current year, as well as current and past year’s Certified Annual Financial Reports (“CAFR”) here.
Business Directory
Business Tax Receipts
Only businesses within the incorporated limits of Windermere need to apply. As the majority of “Windermere” addresses are actually outside of the Town-proper/located in “Un-Incorporated Orange County,” please verify your business address prior to filling out the Business Tax Receipt form. You can verify your address with Admin, or by visiting the Orange County Property Appraiser’s website. Simply search the applicable address and look under the “Municipality” heading. If the municipality is listed as “Un-Incorporated,” you do not need a Business License from Windermere!
Please direct any further questions to Theresa Syphers for brick & mortar locations, or Dorothy Burkhalter for home-based businesses.
Occasionally, Orange County will indicate an un-incorporated address needs a Windermere license – we will not issue licenses to un-incorporated addresses! Please make sure you are indicating this is an un-incorporated address, not a Windermere address.
Certified Letters
Town Staff send out dozens of certified letters every week. These can be anything from variance requests, home business license requests, to code violations. If you received a notice from the Post Office that there is a certified letter from the Town waiting for you, we are unable to tell you specifically what it is due to the sheer volume of mail we send out. Thank you for your understanding.
Code
View the Town’s code here.
View Ordinances here.
View Resolutions here.
If you would like to report a violation, please contact the Code Enforcement office: code-enforcement@town.windermere.fl.us.
Code Enforcement is in the office Monday and Wednesday from 9am – 12pm.
You can search building permits here.
Please be sure you are reporting on an address that is within the incorporated limits of Windermere before you call in a violation, as some “Windermere” addresses are not actually within Windermere, and are under the jurisdiction of Orange County. You can verify your address with Admin, or by visiting the Orange County Property Appraiser’s website. Simply search the applicable address and look under the “Municipality” heading. If the municipality is listed as “Un-Incorporated,” it is not within Windermere-proper. If the address is un-incorporated, please contact Orange County.
Communications
In addition to the website, Windermere residents can stay informed via the Town’s official social media accounts:
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
NextDoor – “Town of Windermere”
Email alerts
The Town also communicates with residents through our mobile app, quarterly Gazette, and door hangers (door hangers are generally distributed to parcels within a specific radius of a proposed or on-going project).
Elections
Electricity
Electricity is provided by Duke Energy. Please refer any and all questions, and report all problems (including outages and street lamps) to Duke directly. You can do this via Duke’s website, or by calling 1-800-700-8744. The Town cannot report energy issues for individuals, including street lamps.
Farmers Market
Fingerprinting
Food Truck Night
Garage Sales
Garbage, Recycling, and Yard Waste
Gazette
The Windermere Gazette is a free, quarterly publication distributed to residents of the Town of Windermere. Free copies are available at the Administrative Office.
If you are interested in advertising in the Gazette, please take a look at our 2023 Advertising Contract. Diane Edwards can answer any additional questions you may have.
Not getting a Gazette? Make sure your address is updated with both the Post Office and the Orange County Property Appraiser. The Town does not address or mail out Gazettes in-house; we use a third party vendor who pulls addresses from the Property Appraiser.
Still not receiving a Gazette? Make sure you’re within the incorporated limits of Windermere. You can verify the address with Admin or by visiting the Orange County Property Appraiser’s website. Simply search the applicable address and look under the “Municipality” heading. If the municipality is listed as “Un-Incorporated,” the address is not within Windermere, and would therefore not receive a Gazette.
Home Business License
Please reach out to Town Clerk, Dorothy Burkhalter (407-876-2563 ext 5323)
Hours of Operation
Town Administrative Offices (Administration, Clerk, Communications, and Finance) are open to the public Monday – Friday from 8am – 5:00pm.
The Windermere Police Department office is open Monday – Friday from 8am – 5pm. Windermere PD patrols 24/7. If you require non-emergency assistance outside of business hours, please call (407) 905-6333. Call 911 for all emergencies regardless of time.
Windermere Public Works is in the office Monday – Friday from 8am – 3:30pm. The office is closed daily for lunch from 12pm – 1pm.
Code Enforcement is located within the Public Works building, and is available to the public Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am – 12pm.
Building/Permitting and Zoning will have their own hours. Please reach out to them directly for availability.
Lien Searches
Due to a huge increase in volume, lien and permit searches are now being conducted through Orange Lien. Please submit your request through their portal. All questions should be directed to Orange Lien.
Notary Services
The Town provides notary services to its residents free of charge. There are 5 notaries on staff (Dorothy, Tara, Theresa, and Lilian) who are happy to notarize and witness your documents! Please be sure to bring in all applicable forms of identification, and witnesses if the document to be notarized indicates. While we can normally accommodate walk ins, please contact one the above for an appointment if your needs are time-sensitive.
Open House Permits
Park Rentals
We do not rent out parks.
We do rent the two pavilions located at the Windermere Recreation Center. Please note, 14 days’/2 weeks’ notice is require in most instances. Also note, the Town does not rent the pavilions for business purposes: day camps, fitness classes, etc. may not use the pavilions or parks for profit. Click here for more information on renting a pavilion.
If you are planning to hold an event at a Town Park that meets any of the following criteria, you will need to request a SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT. The permit fee is $50 and is non-refundable, even if the application is denied. Payment is to be made with Diane Edwards at the Administrative Office, and can be rendered with check, money order, or Visa/MasterCard/Discover (no American Express) prior to processing. We do not accept cash payments.
- More than 50 attendees
- Temporary structures such as bounce houses or tents (currently not being approved)
- More than 20 vehicles
- Entertainment such as live music, performances, petting zoos, films, etc.
Click here for a detailed list of all Town parks, including photos and amenities.
Permitting
Building and zoning permitting is handled off-site.
For building permits, please contact PDCS (407-277-9795)
Paperwork and deposits for PDCS can be dropped off at the Town Admin Office. You can request your completed permit be sent to Windermere for pick up as well. Please coordinate the pick up location through PDCS.
Occasionally, there will be a permit fee due before the permit can be released. This fee can be paid at the Town Admin office but must be done with a check (made out to “Town of Windermere”)! We do not accept cash or credit card payments for this at the Town office. Please confirm the amount with PDCS prior to arrival. If you need to pay with a card, please coordinate with PDCS prior to pick up.
For zoning, please contact Wade Trim (813-882-4373)
Wade Trim also can provide Right of Way Use Application. There are two fees associated with this applications $75 permit fee, and a $50 inspection fee. Please bring a check or money order to the Town of Windermere for payment along with the completed ROWUA. The $125 may be on the same check/money order. We do not accept cash or card for this permit fee.
Public Records Requests
Please send your request to Clerk Dorothy Burkhalter
Tennis Member Passes & Keys
Town Events
Town Boundaries
Windermere is approximately 2.2 square miles, with just 1,600 parcels as of the last census. The zip code for Windermere is much larger, with approximately 30,000 parcels.
Sometimes there is confusion regarding who is and who isn’t a Windermere resident. Only those who live within the incorporated, 2.2 square mile limits of the Town are considered residents. The reason some people have a “Windermere” address even though they aren’t actually in Windermere is due to the post office which sorts the mail. Such addresses don’t pay taxes to Windermere, are not eligible to vote in Windermere elections, are not serviced by Windermere PD or Public Works, and are not entitled to resident benefits such as keys to the tennis courts and boat ramps, or subsidized rental rates.
You can verify your address with the Orange County Property Appraiser’s website. Simply search the applicable address and look under the “Municipality” heading. If the municipality is listed as “Un-Incorporated,” it’s not actually within Windermere.
View the Town boundaries here.
Town Hall Rentals
Click here for more information regarding Town Hall rentals, including fees and photos.
Generally, we require 30 days notice to book. We may not be able to accommodate requests made less than 30 days prior to the event.
Please note, only residents of the incorporated Town of Windermere qualify for resident rates. Those outside of the boundaries, even if their address shows “Windermere” will pay the non-resident rate. You can verify your address with the Orange County Property Appraiser’s website. Simply search the applicable address and look under the “Municipality” heading. If the municipality is listed as “Un-Incorporated,” it will not qualify for the resident rate.
Tree Removal
Tree Removal Permit Application
- Per FL Statute 163.045:
Tree pruning, trimming, or removal on residential property.—
(1) A local government may not require a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation for the pruning, trimming, or removal of a tree on residential property if the property owner obtains documentation from an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree presents a danger to persons or property.
(2) A local government may not require a property owner to replant a tree that was pruned, trimmed, or removed in accordance with this section.
You do not need to turn in either report to the Town offices, but please keep a copy on hand in case Town Staff requests to see them. Generally, this happens when potential code violations are called in.
If you are trying to remove a tree for a reason not listed in FL Statute 163.045, please contact the Public Works Office 407-876-2563 ext 5333.
Utilities
Public utilities are as follows:
Waste Collection – Waste Pro
Energy – Duke Energy
Water – Windermere does not provide water or sewage. Residents either have personal wells/septic tanks, or are hooked up to Orange County Utilities. If you are interested in installing a new water line through Orange County, please send an email to Diane Edwards. She will place a request with Orange County for further information.
Gas – Lake Apopka Natural Gas
Cable/Internet/Phone – There is no specific vendor the Town has a contract with to provide cable, internet, or phone access to residents. Residents are encouraged to “shop around” to find a vendor who fits their needs and budget.
Water
Windermere does not provide water or sewage services. Residents either have personal wells/septic tanks, or are hooked up to Orange County Utilities. If you are interested in installing a water main with Orange County, please send an email to Lilian Colli that contains the following:
1. Resident name, address, and contact info (phone AND email)
2. Requestor name and contact info (phone AND email)
3. Service requested (water, water and sewage, etc.)
Diane will place a request with Orange County for further information. Orange County will then reach out to the requestor directly. Diane cannot give an estimate on the cost for OC hook ups.
If you are a homeowner or renter who already has a county water hookup and simply needs to turn on the service, please reach out to Orange County Utilities directly. The Town is not able to assist.
