The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in special session on Tuesday, January 3, 1992, at 9:00 a.m., in the Board of County Commissioner's Meeting Room, Lake County Courthouse, Tavares, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Michael J. Bakich, Chairman; C. W. "Chick" Gregg; Donald B. Bailey, Richard Swartz; and Catherine Hanson. Others present were: Annette Star Lustgarten, County Attorney; Michael Anderson, Interim County Manager, Ava Kronz, Assistant to the County Manager; James C. Watkins, Clerk; Robert K. McKee, Chief Deputy Clerk; and Marlene S. Foran, Deputy Clerk.

COUNTY MANAGER

Commr. Bakich, Chairman, stated that the purpose of the Board meeting this date was to interview prospective candidates for the position of County Manager. Ms. Lillian Helblig, Personnel Department, appeared before the Board and reviewed the process to be used for the purpose of interviewing candidates for the position in question.

Mr. Gary D. Adams - Putnam County, Florida

Mr. Gary Adams appeared before the Board with his wife, Lori, and his daughter, Angela, to answer questions presented by the Board members.

Commr. Bakich opened the interview by stating that Lake County has almost 600 employees and a current operating budget of $116 million and questioned what Mr. Adams feels qualifies him as the best candidate to manage this county.

Mr. Adams responded that his background has varied from appointed to an elected County Commissioner and Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners in Illinois. He stated that the budget process in Putnam County is directly under the Clerk of Courts, and includes a Finance Director, a Budget Officer and

himself and the responsibility of putting together a budget of approximately $50 million.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Adams to describe his overall management philosophy and style, to which Mr. Adams responded that he believes in knowing the individuals he works for, those he works with and those that work for him. He believes in being visible not to just the individuals who work for the County but the citizens as well, and believes in letting those who work for the Board and work for him manage their own offices and carry out the policies and goals of the Board. He would describe himself as a open Manager/ Administrator, participating and knowing what is going on with his staff.

Commr. Bakich questioned Mr. Adams how he would build morale, to which Mr. Adams responded that he tries to get along with people and does not like confrontations, but will not shy away from them. Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Adams to describe his relationship with the Constitutional Officers in Putnam County, to which Mr. Adams responded that his relationship has been good, and one of mutual respect.

Commr. Bakich stated that personnel management is a very important part of this position and asked Mr. Adams to describe his philosophy about recruitment, termination of employees and performance evaluation in general.

Mr. Adams responded that his philosophy regarding recruitment in Putnam County is to hire individuals with as much training and background experience as possible. He further commented that performance evaluations can be constructive, depending on how they are administered, how they are monitored and what they are used for. He stated that termination is a very serious situation and should be well thought out before action is taken.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Adams to describe what the business people as well as the general public in Putnam County would say was his most outstanding attribute, to which Mr. Adams responded that

they would say he is a hard worker, outgoing, and a member of the community who participates in his community.

Commr. Bakich commented that leadership is of paramount importance in Lake County and questioned Mr. Adams how he feels the quality of leadership should best be displayed by a County Manager.

Mr. Adams responded that leadership should be by example, and the County Manager should not be afraid to promote new ideas and new thoughts. He should be open and receptive to ideas and thoughts of his staff, and feels it is critical how the County Manager relates to the Board.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Adams to describe what he feels is the most outstanding problem facing Lake County at this time, to which Mr. Adams responded that, based on the information sent him, the growth issue is a major problem. He further commented that public perception and their faith in local government is a major problem all over the country.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Adams to describe how he would solve the growth and public perception issues, to which Mr. Adams responded that the Comprehensive Plan is the blueprint for growth in the County, and the County Manager must work with the Board and work within the constraints and guidelines that are set within the policies of the Plan.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. Adams to describe his involvement in Putnam County's growth management plan.

Mr. Adams responded that Putnam County has a professional planning staff, and they also contracted with the Northeast Board of Regional Planning Council, who provided the technical steps for their plan. He stated that he participated in many of the public hearings regarding each element and read each of the elements.

Mr. Adams stated that there are many things which can be done to improve the public perception of government. It is important that local government is open in what it does, that the citizens of the County are involved, and that staff is perceptive to thoughts and ideas of the community.

Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Adams how he feels about cutting waste in government, and how he would make the present system more efficient, to which Mr. Adams responded that the Board must set budgetary policy guidelines, and priorities of services. Department budgets must then be studied to determine what cuts can be made, looking at each budget individually.

Commr. Gregg asked Mr. Adams to describe his level of involvement in economic development in Putnam County regarding job growth and tracking industry, to which Mr. Adams responded he has not been actively involved in economic development.

Commr. Gregg questioned Mr. Adams whether or not Putnam County has a one-step permitting process, to which Mr. Adams responded no.

Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Adams to comment on his responsibilities as Chairman/Administrator of Champaign County, Illinois.

Mr. Adams commented that he served two or three terms as Administrator, during which time he completed his graduate work and decided that he did not wish to remain in the political environment of running for office every two years.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. Adams to describe how he deals with the media, to which Mr. Adams responded that he deals with the media with an open, honest and straight forward approach.

Commr. Bakich questioned Mr. Adams if he sees a difference in moving from a county with a population of 60,000 people and a budget of $50 million to a county with a population of 150,000 people and a budget of $116 million, to which Mr. Adams responded that the population of Champaign County, Illinois was approximately 165,000 people, and he does not see a lot of difference between the two counties.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Adams if his family has had an opportunity to visit Lake County, and are they comfortable with what they have seen, to which Mr. Adams stated that they have been

through Lake County many times, and are planning on spending more time visiting the County on this trip.

Mr. Adams was given the opportunity to present comments or questions to the Board, to which he responded he had no questions.

At this time, Mr. Adams met with Mr. Mike Anderson, Interim County Manager.

RECESS AND REASSEMBLY

At 9:45 a.m., the Chairman announced that the Board would recess and reconvene at 10:00 a.m., for an interview with Mr. Charles J. Worth.

Charles J. Worth - Warren County, North Carolina

Mr. Charles J. Worth appeared before the Board to answer questions presented by the Board members.

Mr. Worth commented that he appreciated the opportunity to interview for the position of County Manager and stated that his wife is from Fort Lauderdale, and they look forward to the opportunity to move closer to her family.

Commr. Bakich opened the interview by stating that Lake County has almost 600 employees and a current operating budget of $116 million and questioned what Mr. Worth feels qualifies him as the best candidate to manage this county.

Mr. Worth responded that he is from a rural county with a population of 17,265, an operating budget of $12 million and 150 employees, but he considers that to be relative in a sense of looking at the per capita per individual of his locale versus the locale here. He stated that, due to his background in finance, he is of the opinion he can tackle the situation.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Worth to describe how he would rate his budgetary skills and knowledge, to which Mr. Worth stated that he has a thorough budgetary knowledge due to the fact that he does not have the additional personnel to rely on in Warren County, and the bulk of the budget process fell on the County Manager and the Finance Officer.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Worth to describe his overall management philosophy and style, to which Mr. Worth responded that he believes in giving individuals the ability to exhibit their talents, filling in when necessary and giving staff the nurturing that is necessary.

Commr. Bakich stated that personnel management is a very important part of this position and asked Mr. Worth to describe his philosophy about recruitment, termination of employees and performance evaluation in general.

Mr. Worth responded that he is very serious about evaluations as well as personal performance, in addition to that individual getting additional educational experience if at all possible. He believes in hiring an individual based upon his ability, with a cross section of all individuals associated with an institution, and will hire an individual despite a person's color.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Worth to describe what the business people as well as the general public in Warren County would say was his most outstanding attribute, to which Mr. Worth responded that he is not afraid to tackle a problem and looks upon his job as a challenge.

Commr. Bakich commented that leadership is of paramount importance in Lake County and asked Mr. Worth to describe how he feels the quality of leadership should best be displayed by a County Manager.

Mr. Worth responded that, in terms of leadership, it is a matter of being a team player and considers himself the coordinator of the team, being involved in what he delegates to his employees.

Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Worth to describe his relationship with the Constitutional Officers in Warren County, to which Mr. Worth responded that he has a good relationship with the Constitutional Officers.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Worth to describe what he feels is the most outstanding problem facing Lake County at this time, to which Mr. Worth responded that, based on the information sent him, Lake

County has a cross section of individuals residing in the County, giving him some idea of the present economy. He stated that Lake County's millage rate of 4.93 equates to Warren County's millage rate of 10.50, and he is accustomed to the adverse conditions that folks often talk about.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Worth to describe what he would do to solve some of the problems facing Lake County, to which Mr. Worth responded that economic development and the effort put forth is an important factor.

Commr. Hanson questioned Mr. Worth if he has any background in agriculture, to which Mr. Worth responded he has served on the National Association of Counties Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee.

Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Worth how he feels about cutting waste in Lake County, and how he would make the present system work more efficiently, to which Mr. Worth responded that to actually state what his ideas are relative to improving efficiency would be speculating until he has had an opportunity to review the system in Lake County at the present time.

Commr. Swartz asked Mr. Worth to describe the process by which he would look at reorganizing or restructuring financially a county to gain more efficiency and more impact of tax dollars.

Mr. Worth responded that before he would try to put his ideas to a test, he would get input from the various department heads, getting ideas as to how they think their operation should function, what improvements they would recommend, and then look at the pros and cons of their suggestions before making a determination. Commr. Bailey questioned Mr. Worth if Warren County has experienced the same growth management issues and state mandates as Lake County is currently experiencing, to which Mr. Worth stated that growth management is a factor in Warren County in terms of zoning.

Commr. Gregg asked Mr. Worth to explain what he meant when he stated that economic development was one solution to some of the

problems facing some counties and what involvement he has had with economic development.

Mr. Worth responded that, when he initially went to Warren County, the County Manager and the Economic Developer were one

in the same, and he worked hand in hand with that position. He has also sat on the Economic Development Commission as a citizen of Warren County.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. Worth to describe how he uses the media as an educational process to help the perception of the public as to what government actually does, to which Mr. Worth responded that he has always kept the press informed as best he possibly can relative to a situation.

Mr. Worth addressed questions presented by the Board regarding the Florida Sunshine Law and a Five Year Plan.

Mr. Worth was given the opportunity to present comments or questions to the Board, to which he questioned if the County Manager has a free rein relative to the day to day operations or is the Board structured such that the Board members are involved in the day to day operations, to which the Board responded.

At this time, Mr. Worth met with Mr. Mike Anderson, Interim County Manager.

RECESS & REASSEMBLY

At 10:30 a.m., the Chairman announced that the Board would recess and reconvene at 11:00 a.m., for an interview with Mr. Danny O. Crew.

Danny O. Crew - St. Lucie County, Florida

Mr. Danny O. Crew appeared before the Board to answer questions presented by the Board.

Commr. Bakich opened the interview by stating that Lake County has almost 600 employees with a current operating budget of $116 million and questioned what Mr. Crew feels qualifies him as the best candidate to manage this county.

Mr. Crew responded that he is able to offer a background as a Personnel Director, County Planning Director, City Budget Director,

and his strongest point is the ability to understand the workings of government in detail from the various departments and to be able to bring together the concepts of one department to another.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Crew to describe his budgetary skills and knowledge, to which Mr. Crew responded that he has excellent skills and was Budget Director for the City of Pompano, which had a population of 75,000 and a budget of approximately $100 million. He stated that the Budget Director in St. Lucie County had made some significant errors, and he has been deeply involved in the process of cutting the budget by 20% over the last four months, working with the Board and the Constitutional Officers to meet the new budget levels.

Commr. Hanson questioned Mr. Crew how they approached a 20% cut, to which Mr. Crew responded that they first divided the budget into capital and operating items, reviewing each department's budget and pulling out all of the capital. They then identified all of the vacant positions which could be eliminated and then moved employees within the organization into needed positions, which were not affected by the shortfall. He stated that only 85% of their budget had been expended at years end, and using that as a base, they reviewed each budget a second time and pulled out an additional amount. They also have a personnel freeze and a capital freeze in effect until first quarter revenues can be studied, and the cost of living increase has been eliminated while retaining a merit increase for employees.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Crew to describe his overall management philosophy and style, to which Mr. Crew responded that he makes the work place a pleasant place to work for his staff and all those involved, and believes in a team approach which involves the senior staff in all major decisions.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. Crew to describe his general philosophy on government efficiency and the millage rate in St. Lucie County, to which Mr. Crew responded that the millage rate in St. Lucie County is approximately 4%. At this time he described a

program he has implemented this year with each division dividing their departments into programs, allocating staff, money and capital, thus enabling priorities to be established. He is in the process of implementing a program as part of the budget process, where a citizen's committee is appointed to review each program, with task forces being set up on sensitive areas, such as privatization, additional revenue enhancements, staffing levels, etc. to review the individual areas.

Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Crew to describe in what areas in St. Lucie County they have chosen to go to privatization, to which Mr. Crew responded.

Commr. Bakich stated that personnel management is a very important part of this position and asked Mr. Crew to describe his philosophy about recruitment, termination of employees and performance evaluation in general.

Mr. Crew responded that one of his stronger points is the ability to recruit the right employee for the job, and he is not threatened by hiring good employees. He stated that he has terminated employees, but feels if you give employees the opportunity and the direction needed, they will do a good job. He stated that the key to managing a good personnel system is giving proper training to the first line supervisors on how to properly deal with and counsel employees.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Crew to describe how he deals with employees beyond the first line supervisors, to which Mr. Crew responded that he is a delegator, but is always available to those who need him.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Crew how he would create positive morale within the total work force, to which Mr. Crew responded that he encourages his supervisors to keep the employees involved in what is happening, and would classify himself as fun, a joy to be around, stating that he is equal to his fellow employees.

Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Crew to describe his relationship with the Board and Constitutional Officers in St. Lucie County, to which

Mr. Crew responded that there is a joint computer system for the entire county, shared by the Board and Constitutional Officers and he has a good relationship with both.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Crew to describe what the business people as well as the general public in St. Lucie County would say was his most outstanding attribute, to which Mr. Crew responded that he has had a great deal of exposure as the representative for the County Manager's office on the deep water port project and has received positive comments in the newspaper regarding his writings and reports on said project.

Commr. Bailey presented a question to Mr. Crew regarding the Comprehensive Plan for St. Lucie County, to which Mr. Crew responded that the Comprehensive Plan had two areas which the State required to be remedied and those changes have been made. He stated that there was a strong commitment by the Board to get the Comprehensive Plan approved, accepted and operating, and then justify specific areas that needed to be changed.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Crew to describe what he feels is the most outstanding problem facing Lake County at this time, to which Mr. Crew responded that, based on the information provided by staff, the Comprehensive Plan is a major issue facing the County, with the County ultimately making decisions that they do not want to make in areas they do not want to make them in.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. Crew to explain how St. Lucie County handles their waste management, to which Mr. Crew described the methods used regarding waste management.

Commr. Bakich commented that leadership is of paramount importance in this particular community and with our staff and questioned Mr. Crew how he feels the quality of leadership should be best displayed by a County Manager.

Mr. Crew responded that leadership by example is of most importance. The County Manager needs to be a leader in the sense not to be afraid to bring forth issues to the Board which need to be addressed, and building a consensus within the Board members on

the tough issues is not only an act of leadership but is a necessity and builds a feeling within the community that the County is moving forward to deal with the tough problems.

Commr. Bakich questioned Mr. Crew if he would have the ability to implement the philosophy of this Board and carry it through, to which Mr. Crew responded yes.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. Crew to describe how he has dealt with the media, to which Mr. Crew responded that he has always had a good relationship with the media and believes in being open and honest with them. He stated that the press has always been very receptive to using the media as an educational tool.

Mr. Crew was given the opportunity to present questions and comments to the Board, to which he responded that he would like to have the opportunity to sit with the Board for two or three hours but realizes that is not possible.

Commr. Hanson questioned Mr. Crew why he would like to relocate to Lake County, to which Mr. Crew responded that most of his values are in Florida, and he is looking for a manager position in Florida.

At this time, Mr. Crew met with Mr. Mike Anderson, Interim County Manager.

RECESS & REASSEMBLY

At 11:35 a.m., the Chairman announced that the Board would recess and reconvene at 1:15 p.m., for an interview with Mr. Ronald W. McLemore.

Ronald W. McLemore - Collier County, Florida

Mr. Ronald W. McLemore appeared before the Board to answer questions presented by the Board members.

Commr. Bakich opened the interview by stating that Lake County has almost 600 employees and a current operating budget of $116 million and questioned Mr. McLemore what qualifies him as the best candidate to manage this county.

Mr. McLemore responded that he would bring to Lake County a very strong background, with experience in state, municipal, and

county levels of government, giving him a good feel for local government interrelating with state and federal government. He also has the background to deal successfully with growth management laws and collective bargaining laws in Florida.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. McLemore to describe his overall management philosophy and style, to which Mr. McLemore responded that his main philosophy is that he sees himself as a resource and facilitator to help employees reach success, wanting to know what an employee wants to accomplish, know what the agenda is, zeroing in on management planning in terms of priorities, and development strategies to deal with those.

Commr. Bakich stated that personnel management is a very important part of this position and asked Mr. McLemore to describe his philosophy regarding recruitment, termination of employees and performance evaluation in general.

Mr. McLemore responded that he was involved in hand-crafting a performance evaluation system which has been instituted in Collier County. It is a system where the supervisors are adequately trained, and there is a clear understanding of the duties employees are responsible for and criteria based on job content. He stated his general advice is that performance evaluation is better than no system at all, but carries with it a real responsibility. Mr. McLemore stated that recruitment is very important and comes down to understanding the job and placing employees in positions where they can be successful. He further stated that he has never had difficulty with terminations, but has the attitude that by making employees successful, there will be few terminations.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. McLemore to describe what the business people as well as the general public in Collier County would say was his most outstanding attribute, to which Mr. McLemore responded that most of the people would say he was even handed, straight forward, knows his job well, and is successful in conflict

situations, with a good ability to get the issues on the table and come out with a consensus on the issues.

Commr. Bakich commented that leadership is of paramount importance in this particular community and with our staff and asked Mr. McLemore how he feels the quality of leadership should be best displayed by a County Manager.

Mr. McLemore responded that he leads by example as a means of getting commitment, loyalty, and voluntary commitment to excel, with employees understanding there is a level of sincerity in what he is trying to accomplish.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. McLemore to describe his relationship with the Board and Constitutional Officers in Collier County, to which Mr. McLemore responded that his relationship with the Commissioners is outstanding, expressing a high degree of respect and admiration for the Commissioners, and his relationship with the Constitutional Officers is a very good one with a mutual level of respect.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. McLemore to describe what he feels is the most outstanding problem facing Lake County at this time, to which Mr. McLemore responded that he would suspect that Lake County is very much like Collier County, facing difficult challenges having grown very rapidly, problems in keeping up with growth and how to finance growth, struggling with solid waste collection and disposal, roads and how to deal with environmental issues vs. growth issues.

Commr. Bakich questioned Mr. McLemore how he would solve some of the problems Mr. McLemore mentioned based on the knowledge that he has of Lake County, to which Mr. McLemore responded it is necessary to clearly understand the dynamics, and the understanding of how the revenue formula fits the expenditure requirements. An understanding is needed where the County's day to day situation is moving them, leaving one of three options: 1) come up with some additional source of revenue if the revenue formula does not meet

the expenditure requirements relative to growth; 2) trim and roll back; or 3) do nothing.

Commr. Bailey commented that it is the public perception that government has to cut waste, make due with less, and become more efficient and questioned Mr. McLemore if there is anything specific that stands out that Collier County has done to plan for the future and make government more efficient.

Mr. McLemore responded that one of the most difficult problems in the public sector is the public's lack of understanding of what government has to work with, stating that he would do everything possible in the communications area to communicate to the public what the County is doing, and trying to do to keep costs down.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. McLemore to describe his budgetary skills and knowledge, to which Mr. McLemore responded that the financial area is one area where he is particularly strong, stating he was a charter member of the Florida Local Government Authority Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Finance Committee in Collier County.

Commr. Gregg questioned Mr. McLemore if the Industrial Park in Collier County has been successful, to which Mr. McLemore responded that, due to an environmental issue regarding Scrub Jays, Collier County is waiting for a final resolution of the issue with the Department of Community Affairs (DCA).

Commr. Gregg commented that Mr. McLemore's resume indicated that Collier County has implemented a one step permitting process and questioned Mr. McLemore if the process has been successful, to which Mr. McLemore responded that it was taking five (5) months to obtain a residential permit prior to the new process, which now takes one step for a residential permit resulting in two (2) to three (3) weeks. At this time, Mr. McLemore explained the approach which was taken to arrive at the one step process.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. McLemore to describe his involvement in the growth management plan in Collier County, to which Mr. McLemore responded that he has dealt principally with the financial

side of the growth management plan, including involvement in rewriting all of the land development codes into one.

At this time, Mr. McLemore met with Mr. Mike Anderson, Interim County Manager.

RECESS & REASSEMBLY

At 2:05 p.m., the Chairman announced that the Board would recess and reconvene at 2:15 p.m., for an interview with Mr. Peter F. Wahl.

Peter F. Wahl - Brevard County

Mr. Peter F. Wahl appeared before the Board to answer questions presented by the Board members and stated that he has the skills, talents and the experience to serve Lake County. He stated that the challenge for counties is to develop a working program for both the Board of County Commissioners and the staff to help the County move forward.

Commr. Bakich opened the interview by stating that Lake County has almost 600 employees and a current operating budget of $116 million and questioned what Mr. Wahl feels qualifies him as the best candidate to manage this county.

Mr. Wahl responded that he has managed employees for seventeen years and has a tremendous insight into what makes people fit, stating that if an employee is given the opportunity to excel and is given clear direction, expectations are generally met.

Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Wahl to describe his role as Chief Assistant County Administrator, to which Mr. Wahl explained his responsibilities.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. Wahl to describe his philosophy on streamlining government, to which Mr. Wahl responded that he is extremely energetic, believes his responsibility to the Board is to make things work and move toward efficiency. He stated that Brevard County has successfully gone through several privatization efforts, cautioning that privatization is not the answer to every county's budget problems.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Wahl to describe his overall management philosophy and style, to which Mr. Wahl responded his philosophy is direct, straight forward, and once an employee has a clear understanding of direction, he believes in backing out of the way and letting them do what they need to do to be successful.

Commr. Bakich stated that personnel management is a very important part of this position and asked Mr. Wahl to describe his philosophy about recruitment, termination of employees and performance evaluation in general.

Mr. Wahl responded that recruitment should first be made available to employees within the organization, who display the capabilities and skills, and if the position cannot be filled within, open recruitment is essential. He stated that termination represents a failure in supervision as much as a failure of the employee, and is the last step to resolving a problem.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Wahl to describe what the business people as well as the general public in Brevard County would say was his most outstanding attribute, to which Mr. Wahl responded that they would say he was a problem solver and they respect him. Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Wahl to describe his approach to bringing the general public and the special interest groups together on given issues, to which Mr. Wahl responded that his approach is to lay the ground work, making them understand how he got from point A to point B and what needs to be done. They will then have an understanding and will accept what he says.

Commr. Hanson questioned Mr. Wahl to what aspect he has been able to work with the media to achieve the above, to which Mr. Wahl responded that he has the responsibility to deal with the media in a direct and honest manner.

Commr. Gregg asked Mr. Wahl to describe his involvement with economic development in Brevard County, to which Mr. Wahl responded that he has worked very closely with the Economic Development Council, at which time he described his involvement.

Commr. Bakich commented that leadership is of paramount importance in this particular community and with our staff, and questioned Mr. Wahl to describe how he feels the quality of leadership should best be displayed by a County Manager.

Mr. Wahl responded that he leads by example. Staff must know, regardless of long hours, he will be there with them. Commr. Bailey asked if Mr. Wahl feels that a good staff and putting in the extra hours makes a County Commissioner's job easier, to which Mr. Wahl responded yes.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Wahl to describe what he feels is the most outstanding problem facing Lake County at this time, to which Mr. Wahl responded that the financial issue is one challenge facing Lake County. He stated that counties across the State of Florida are going to be in a struggle for the next five to ten years trying to solidify a revenue base to support the things that are required today. He stated that good planning, attention to the revenue side of the budget, as well as the appropriation side of the budget are the keys to making sure that can be accomplished effectively. The other major problem is the need to do more in terms of communicating so that people understand not only what we want to do, but what we are required to do, and what we would like to do.

Commr. Bakich asked Mr. Wahl to describe how the employees working for him react in terms of how he deals with them, to which Mr. Wahl responded that they would say he was fair.

Commr. Bailey asked Mr. Wahl to describe his relationship with the Board of County Commissioners and Constitutional Officers in Brevard County, to which Mr. Wahl responded that there is a time and place for disagreement, and they will say that he exercises that responsibility but does it very judiciously.

Commr. Hanson asked Mr. Wahl to describe his involvement with the growth management issue, to which Mr. Wahl responded that he has not been directly involved with growth management, but has been indirectly involved, as everything that is done is effected by the Comprehensive Plan. He stated that counties have to be very

careful in the way they approach the development of their Comprehensive Plan so as not to put themselves in extremes.

Mr. Wahl was given the opportunity to present questions and comments to the Board.

At this time, Mr. Wahl met with Mr. Mike Anderson, Interim County Manager.

COUNTY MANAGER

Discussion occurred regarding the timeframe for choosing a new County Manager, with each of the Commissioners stating that they would have no problem deciding on a County Manager at this time. Commr. Hanson recommended that the decision be postponed until January 7, 1992, so that individual interviews may be scheduled with the two top contenders, Mr. Peter F. Wahl and Mr. Ronald W. McLemore, and their families on said date.

A motion was made by Commr. Gregg and seconded by Commr. Bailey to invite and schedule appointments with Mr. Peter F. Wahl and Mr. Ronald W. McLemore and their families.

Under discussion, the Board scheduled said appointments for Tuesday, January 7, 1992.

The Chairman, Commr. Bakich, called for a vote on the motion, which carried unanimously.

COUNTY MANAGER'S DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS

RIGHTS-OF-WAY, ROADS AND EASEMENTS/DEEDS

Request to accept non-exclusive easement deeds for large lot waivers:

George Deeb - District #2

Hughie Stiefel - District #2

Benny Wells - District #2

Palau/Keely/Bartch - District #5

McCabe/Welch/Copeland - District #5

On a motion by Commr. Bailey, seconded by Commr. Gregg and carried unanimously, the Board approved the request for approval to accept the non-exclusive easement deeds for large lot waivers as listed above.

BONDS - MOBILE HOME

On a motion by Commr. Bailey, seconded by Commr. Gregg and carried unanimously, the Board approved the request for approval of a new mobile home bond for Mark and Maria Copeland, District #5.

ELECTIONS/FIRE PROTECTION/RESOLUTIONS

Ms. Annette Star Lustgarten, County Attorney, appeared before the Board to present the proposed language for the resolution relating to placement of a proposition on the March 10, 1992 Presidential Primary Election Ballot concerning Special Assessments for Fire and Rescue Services and Facilities.

Ms. Lustgarten made one correction on page 1, line 33 of the resolution changing March 9, 1992 to March 10, 1992.

Commr. Bailey brought up for discussion and consideration an exempt status from the Special Assessments for Fire and Rescue Services for special volunteer organizations and churches, and commented that he has received numerous phone calls regarding this issue.

Ms. Lustgarten stated that there is no statutory or constitutional authority to exempt special groups from the non-ad valorem assessments; however, they could be treated with a reduced fee. Ms. Lustgarten further stated that she would not advise the Board to give exempt status to special groups, based on the possibility of a challenge on the equal protection argument. Ms. Lustgarten reiterated her earlier statement that there is no legal authority to exempt said special groups.

Commr. Bakich questioned how to justify excluding one community from said assessment and not others, to which Ms. Lustgarten responded that this applies to the Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) created by the Board, which clearly exempted Hawthorne at Leesburg. She further stated that at some point in time the Board does have the ability to amend the ordinance establishing the MSTU.

Commr. Bailey brought up for discussion the formation of a volunteer program for Lake County, at which time Commr. Hanson

expressed her support of such a program, stating that this could be part of a solution to getting the community involved in local government.

On a motion by Commr. Swartz, seconded by Commr. Gregg and carried unanimously, the Board approved the request to approve the resolution relating to placement of a proposition on the March 10, 1992 Presidential Primary Election Ballot concerning the Special Assessments for Fire and Rescue Services and Facilities, as amended; and transfer of said resolution to the Supervisor of Elections for placement on the March 10, 1992 Presidential Primary Ballot.

COUNTY MANAGER (CONTINUED)

Ms. Ava Kronz, Assistant to the County Manager, informed the Board that interviews have been scheduled on January 7, 1992 with Mr. Peter Wahl at 1:30 p.m. and Mr. Ronald McLemore at 2:00 p.m. It was the decision of the Board to meet at 2:30 in the Board of County Commissioner's Meeting Room for the purpose of making a decision on the hiring of a County Manager.

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the board, the meeting adjourned at 3:15 p.m.

______________________________

Michael J. Bakich, Chairman

ATTEST:

______________________________

JAMES C. WATKINS, CLERK

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