A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF
The Lake County Board of
INVOCATION AND PLEDGE
Pastor Pete Bandstra, Chaplain for
the Lake County Jail, gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
AGENDA UPDATE
Mr. Bill
Neron,
On a motion by Commr. Pool, seconded
by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously, by a 3-0 vote, the Board approved
the following requests:
Growth Management
Request for approval to advertise Ordinance for
adoption of Joint Land Development Regulations with the City of
Request for approval to advertise Ordinance amending
Section 10.02.02, entitled Temporary Housing during Construction.
Procurement Services
Request for approval to award contract for Professional Services to Starmer & Ranaldi Planning & Architecture, Inc., for Architecture; John S. Dickerson Architect, Inc., for Architecture; C. T. Hsu & Associates, Inc., for Architecture and Planning Services; Bumpus and Associates, Inc., for Architecture; Hartman & Associates, Inc., for Landscape Architecture and Geology; Miller Legg Associates, Inc., for Architecture and Planning Services; and Avcon, for Structural Engineer, in accordance with RFP No. 04-096 – On Call Architectural and Engineering Disciplines.
Request for approval to award non-competitive contract to The Innovations Groups, to provide Florida Leadership and Supervisory Skills Workshops, at an approximate cost of $27,860.00.
AGENDA UPDATE (CONT’D.
Mr. Bill Neron,
REPORTS –
AWARD OF BIDS TO HIGHEST
Mr. Sandy Minkoff,
On a motion by Commr. Cadwell,
seconded by Commr. Pool and carried unanimously, by a 3-0 vote, the Board
approved a request from the County Attorney for approval and award of bids to
the highest bidders for county owned property declared surplus, for all parcels
except Item No. 5 (Alternate Key Nos. 1212049 and 12120312), and execution of
deeds; and to reject bids on Item No. 5 and donate those parcels to Homes in
Partnership.
PRESENTATION
NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK IN LAKE
On a motion by Commr. Pool, seconded
by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously, by a 3-0 vote, the Board approved
Proclamation No. 2005-15, declaring the week of February 20-26, 2005, as
National Engineers Week in Lake County.
It was noted that the presentation of
the Proclamation would be held at a later date.
Mr. Jim Stivender, Jr., Public Works
Director, recognized some Lake County engineers who, along with some city
engineers, have attended 8th grade classrooms throughout the County
for the past 10 years, educating the students about the engineering profession,
as well as the need for a college education.
WORKSESSION - MASTER SPACE STUDY
Commr. Hill, Chairman, informed those
present that the Master Space Study scheduled to be discussed this date is a
vision of where Lake County wants to be in the future. She stated that staff would not be discussing
details of the study, but how the Board wants to deliver services to their
constituents and what they, as a Board, are looking for from the Constitutional
Officers and the general public that is present. She stated that they would be discussing the
pros and cons and options of the study among themselves, however, noted that they
were looking for a conceptual consensus of a few of the key elements of the
study, which would be outlined by the consultants. She stated that there will be several more
discussions about the study in the near future and those individuals present
this date will be included in those discussions, if they would like to
participate. She stated that a
Worksession has been scheduled for
Mr. Steve Carter, Carter Goble Lee
(CGL), consultants for the County’s Master Space and Facilities Plan, addressed
the Board stating that he and Ms. Chloe Jaco, Associate, were present to
explain where the County is in its master planning process. He stated that, approximately six months ago,
the County engaged his firm to work with staff, in trying to find future space
needs for the County, projecting 20 years out from where the County is at the
present time. He asked those present to
envision what the future might be in the County and how it will affect space
requirements, noting that it all has to do with how government wants to perform
and how government wants to react to its citizens and its constituents. He stated that space is one of the necessary
requirements associated with that and space does not grow, because government
says they do not want to spend any more money on space. He stated that the needs are still there, so his
firm tries to work with the County on how to best meet those needs and how it
can be accomplished in the most cost effective way. He stated that he and Ms. Jaco would be
presenting a series of options on how the County might achieve that, however,
noted that they would need to discuss and gain from the Board, during this
worksession, or in future worksessions, which direction they would like to
choose for the County to go. He stated
that government has two basic approaches, when it comes to space - centralization
of that space and the efficiency of having staff and department heads close by,
or reaching out into the community where the constituents and citizens live and
locating space that is needed within those communities. He reviewed the Project Goals, which he
elaborated on, as follows:
·
Quality work
space for employees and the public
·
Equity in space
for departments based on space standards
·
Strategic
location of departments to foster inter/intra department communication and to
better provide public services
·
Maximum use of
existing county-owned facilities and sites
·
Cost effective
solutions for new space and infrastructure
·
Incorporation
of plan with county’s comprehensive long-range planning efforts
Mr. Carter displayed a
list of the departments they worked with, in compiling their study, which ranged
from General Government departments, such as the
Mr. Carter stated that
growth is not going to occur just in the central part of the County, where the
County seat is located, noting that the south part of the County, around
Clermont, and the
·
Use county’s
adopted population projections
·
Profile existing
departments (survey/interviews)
§
Mission/function
§
Personnel needs
§
Location needs
·
Review and update
county’s adopted net space standards
·
Recommend
department gross space standards
·
Project future
personnel levels
§
Factors impacting
growth
§
Historical trends
·
Forecast future
space needs
§
Incremental/5-year
growth projections
Mr. Carter stated that his firm feels
it is important that the County look at this study and, if they only adopt one
thing out of the process, adopt something that will allow the County and others
to continue to do this kind of space planning on an annual up-date basis, which
is to use some accepted space standard, because it will help them have the
indicators they will need to do the following:
·
Make the most
efficient use of county-owned and leased space
·
Establish
uniformity and consistency among personnel in all departments
·
Establish
uniformity and consistency in the allocation of space
·
Provide a uniform
basis for forecasting space needs for personnel and equipment, in order to
logically plan for the acquisition of future owned and leased space
·
Determine
the probable cost of needed space
Mr. Carter displayed a chart,
indicating the projected space needs, by category, being General Government,
Development Services, Health and Human Services, Judicial, and Public Safety,
at which time he noted that, in doing said study for a lot of counties around
the country, his firm has found that the space needs of other counties is much greater
than what they have found it to be for Lake County. He stated that what the County has in
existing square feet and what it would have, if it applied space standards
against its current personnel, is generally much, much greater than what the
County has. He congratulated the County for
looking at its space requirements and accommodating it as well as they have in
the past. He stated that the Projected
Space by Category chart takes the County out over the next 15 years to the year
2020, projecting its growth to be approximately 750,000 square feet of space
needs over that period of time.
Ms. Chloe Jaco, Associate, Carter
Goble Lee, reviewed the process that her firm used for identifying the various
options, as follows:
·
Inventory and
evaluate existing county facilities
§
Owned facilities
(66) total 686,626 square feet, with almost half rated an asset for 10 years or
less
§
Leased facilities
(32) total 69,086 square feet, at a current annual cost of $616,518
·
Compare
projections and facilities to operational criteria
§
Physical
proximity/relationship or separation of functional components
§
Consolidation of
department staff at multiple locations
§
Need for
addition/reduction of staff based on location and/or proximity
§
Ease or
difficulty of achieving required levels of security and confidentiality of
records
§
Ease or
difficulty of limiting or enhancing public and/or staff access, to include
issues of parking, convenience, and safety
§
Minimize staff
disruptions to existing operations
·
Identify
development options with county staff
·
Associate a
probable project cost in 2004 dollars to each option
§
Add a building
grossing factor to space projections (35% for Judicial and 20% for Other)
§
Multiply building
gross square feet by an average construction cost per square feet ($250 for
Judicial and $175 for Other)
§
Calculate
annual debt service based on 30 years at 4.5%
Ms. Jaco stated that, once her firm
has a preferred option, or direction, they will factor it into the master plan. She stated that, to analyze the options, it
came down to two key things, being:
·
Downtown Tavares
Government Complex
§
Projections
require development of another complex
§
Constant
variables
-
Demolition of
Public Works’
-
Utilization of
Clerk’s
-
Incurring minor
tenant upfit costs for department moves downtown
§
Decisions
-
Location of
-
Expansion of
Judicial Complex
-
Demolition of
Sheriff Headquarters/Old Jail
·
Other
§
Population growth
and existing provision of services supports presence in -
§
Decisions
- Lease
or Own
Mr.
Watkins, Clerk, questioned, with respect to the demolition of the Clerk’s Mail
Receiving Center, whether that function was included somewhere else within a
protected area and whether it would be independent of the other buildings,
noting that one of the reasons it was located outside of the Courts’ facilities
and Administration was because of the threats that the Country was experiencing
at that time. He stated that, if it was
going to be put back in with the other buildings, it would change its function,
to which Ms. Jaco responded that, if it is incorporated, there are certain ways
to segregate it from the other buildings, however, noted that the issue would
have to be addressed.
Ms. Jaco stated that, in focusing on
other county locations, the population growth, and existing levels of service
that are already provided, there will be a presence of government functions in
the north Lake County area, although there is still some debate as to exactly
where that best location is. She stated
that decisions regarding the other county locations comes down to leasing space,
or owning space, and, if the County decides in the future that they want to own
space, the needs do support the establishment of certain complexes in certain
key cities. She stated that the focus at
the present time is more on the downtown Tavares area, because it currently has
the most critical space needs, at which time she displayed an aerial of the
downtown area, indicating those buildings that, in the various options, will be
removed and used for expansion purposes, or parking, including the Sheriff’s
Administration Building, as well as an aerial of the south Tavares landfill
site, where it is anticipated that future development will occur.
Ms.
Jaco discussed the various options, as well as their advantages and
disadvantages, as follows:
OPTION 1 - KEEP
Elements
·
Keep
·
·
Demolish Old Jail
·
·
Expand Judicial
Complex
·
Build New Tavares
Complex for Constitutional Offices except Clerk, Development Services, Health
and Human Services, Public Safety, and Sheriff
·
Build/Lease New
Future Complex in South Lake and
Advantages/Disadvantages
·
Good Functional
Grouping of Departments
·
Demolition of Old
Jail Reduces Tavares’ Parking Deficit and Provides Space for New Parking
·
Use of Public
Works for Judicial Functions Reduces Expansion of Judicial Complex
·
Expansion of
Tavares Central Energy Plant
·
Downtown Parking
Need of 667 Spaces by 2020
Total New Construction Cost 2020 $104,681,355
Mr. Watkins questioned, with regard
to the Element that suggests that a new Tavares complex be constructed for all the
Constitutional Officers except the Clerk, whether they were excluding the
Ms. Jaco stated that her firm grouped
the departments by functional categories and that part of the Clerk’s Office
was grouped under General Government, because it is more related to General
Government functions than Judicial functions; therefore, since that option
suggests that the County Administration Building be utilized for General
Government functions, the County Comptroller functions of the Clerk would stay
in the Administration Building.
Commr. Pool questioned how many new parking
spaces the County would benefit from by demolishing the Sheriff’s
Mr. Bob McKee, Tax Collector,
questioned what factors are used when calculating parking space needs and was
informed that it is based on the Tavares Parking Code of one space per 250 square
feet of building. He stated that that
calculation was out the window, noting that, when the County builds branch
offices, they estimate about 60% higher than what the Code requires as an
actual need.
Ms. Jaco stated that the beauty of moving
a lot of the functions to the new complex is that it will allow a lot more
freedom in determining what the proper need is for parking, etc.
Mr. Watkins stated that he could
understand why the Sheriff’s Office might be moved from their current facility,
the Sheriff’s
Ms. Jaco stated that the building is
a solid structure, however, noted that it would not be easy to renovate on the
interior, because of the way that it is constructed, since it was the old Jail. She stated that the Sheriff’s Office needs to
be relocated, because of their size and needs.
She continued to review the Options, as follows:
OPTION 2 –
Elements
·
Keep
·
·
Keep Old Jail and
Sheriff Headquarters Downtown
·
·
Expand Judicial
Complex
·
Build New Tavares
Complex for Constitutional Offices Except Clerk, Development Services, Health
and Human Services, and Public Safety
·
Build/Lease New
Future Complex in South Lake and
Advantages/Disadvantages
·
Good Functional
Grouping of Departments
·
Use of Old Jail
Adds to Tavares’ Parking Deficit and Does Not Provide Space for New Parking
·
Use of Old Jail
and
·
Expansion of
Tavares Central Energy Plant
·
Downtown Parking
Need of 851 Spaces by 2020
Total New Construction Cost 2020 $96,756,903
OPTION 3 – MOVE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, DEMOLISH OLD
JAIL, AND EXPAND JUDICIAL
Elements
·
·
Demolish Old Jail
·
·
Expand Judicial
Complex
·
Build New Tavares
Complex for Constitutional Offices Except Clerk and Elections,
·
Build/Lease New
Future Complex in South Lake and
Advantages/Disadvantages
·
Good Functional
Grouping of Departments
·
Demolition of Old
Jail Reduces Tavares’ Parking Deficit and Provides Space for New Parking
·
Use of
·
Expansion of
Tavares Central Energy Plant
·
Downtown Parking
Need of 482 Spaces by 2020
Total New Construction Cost 2020 $96,125,333
OPTION 4 – MOVE
Elements
·
·
Use Old Jail for
Clerk Functions
·
·
Build New Tavares
Complex for Constitutional Offices Except Clerk,
·
Build/Lease New
Future Complex in South Lake and
Advantages/Disadvantages
·
Use of Old Jail
Adds to Tavares’ Parking Deficit and Does Not Provide Space for New Parking
·
Use of
·
Fragmentation of
Judicial Functions at Several Facilities
·
Expansion of
Judicial Functions Not Possible Until New Construction Completed and Tenants
Relocate
·
Increased Tenants
and New Construction at New Tavares Complex
·
Downtown Parking
Need of 362 by 2020
Total New Construction Cost 2020 $79,679,880
Mr. Watkins interjected that he would
be in opposition to anything that would fragment the Clerk’s Office.
Ms. Jaco stated that she would be
covering that issue, at which time she referred to the process that was used to
evaluate the options, which she elaborated on, as follows:
·
Identify
Evaluation Criteria Categories and Items
§
Operational
Criteria
§
New Construction
Cost
§
Parking Need
§
Key Decisions
·
Rank Criteria
Items
·
Compare
Results
Ms. Jaco stated that Option 1 had the
highest rating, with Option 4 having the lowest, because of the fragmentation
of Judicial and certain other functions.
She questioned the importance of construction costs, downtown parking
needs, keeping
Ms. Dottie Keedy, Administrator, City
of
Commr. Cadwell stated that one way to
solve the parking problem would be to move as many departments out of downtown
Tavares as possible, however, noted that he feels it will cause a negative
effect on the foot traffic that is needed in the downtown area. He stated that the County is going to have to
figure out how to balance that.
Sheriff Chris Daniels stated that it
did not matter to him where his department is located, however, noted that he
would have to have an office in Tavares, but preferably out of the downtown
area, because of congestion. He pointed
out a couple of things that he was not sure the consultants had looked at that
are of concern to him, which are (1) their vehicle maintenance facility in
Eustis, which he noted is undersized and antiquated; and (2) their heliport
hanger, currently located at the Leesburg Municipal Airport, which they have
leased for close to 20 years from the City of Leesburg that is about to run out,
at which time the City is going to bill them full price for not only the site
that the hanger is on, but the cost of the hanger, as well, so it is another
cost that is coming down the road for his office that will come out of their
budget. He then suggested that they
lease some storage space in the City of
Ms.
Jaco stated that the Sheriff’s aviation unit was considered a constant variable,
noting that it was a decision they all made as a group, because it seemed like
that was the most logical place to keep it.
She stated that, with regard to the Sheriff’s fleet, they felt that the Public
Works garage and the Sheriff’s garage could be merged into one large facility
at the proposed south Tavares complex, as opposed to two separate facilities, which
she noted was discussed with staff. She
stated that it was part of the plan and the vision for that complex.
Mr.
Neron,
Discussion
occurred regarding the issue of leased space, at which time Commr. Cadwell
stated that he was not convinced that leasing property was a bad thing for
government, because it keeps it on the tax roll, if the County outgrows the
space it can move, and there is no maintenance costs involved. He stated that he would like to see a true
analysis of how much it actually costs the County to lease property, noting that
he feels it is better to lease property, than build more and more
buildings. He stated that everyone
knows, because of the growth that the County is experiencing, a lot of shopping
centers are going to become empty as new ones are built, and he feels the
County could be an anchor store for some of those shopping centers, to help bring
in customers.
Ms.
Jaco stated that the goal is for the County to use the Master Plan as a guide, noting
that her firm has given the County the figures, based upon department needs,
so, if the County decides to lease space, they will have a guide telling them
how much space they will need.
Commr.
Pool stated that he would disagree with some of Commr. Cadwell’s comments,
noting that, whether the County leases space or not, those spaces are going to
be leased by someone else, who will be paying the taxes – they are not going to
disappear, or go away. He stated that he
was not suggesting that the County vacate all their leased spaces tomorrow, however,
pointed out the fact that they could construct a building, own it, and maintain
it far cheaper than what they pay in rent, on a per square foot basis.
Commr.
Cadwell stated that, if staff were to do an analysis of it, they would see tax
dollars coming back to the County, plus it would help promote the County’s
economic development, because the County would be leasing from businesses in
the County.
Commr.
Pool stated that he would not disagree with that point, however, noted that,
when the County constructs a building, they create construction jobs and they have
to pay maintenance on the building, etc.
He stated that he felt the County needed to take a good look at the long
term benefits of both.
Commr.
Cadwell stated that he and Mr. McKee, Tax Collector, had discussed the issue of
how many times per year the average person has to come to Tavares for anything,
at which time Mr. McKee stated that there are very few recurring services that the
offices in downtown Tavares provide, noting that, if an individual is going to
the Property Appraiser’s Office for a homestead exemption, it is something that
they will probably only do once; if they
are pulling a building permit, it is something that they will probably never do
themselves; and, if they register to vote, it is something that is only done
once. He stated that, if they go to the
Clerk’s Records Office, it could be a recurring activity, however, pointed out
the fact that there are very few government recurring activities where the
service is not best provided where the customer is located.
Commr.
Cadwell stated that he wanted the County to do everything it could to keep what
offices it could in downtown Tavares, noting that, in his opinion, it is the
only thing that is going to help the economy of the City, other than additional
housing. He stated that, with regard to
the Sheriff’s Administration Building, when the County remodeled it the last
time the Board talked about whether or not they wanted to stick more money into
it and now, after the County has spent all the money it did remodeling the
building, it is still not a functional building, because it was originally built
as a jail. He stated that he felt the
building should be demolished; that the Sheriff’s Office, Public Safety, and
Public Works should be moved to the south end of Tavares; that the Judicial
Center should be expanded; that most of the administrative offices should be
kept in downtown Tavares; and that, for any services that need to be provided
to the outlying areas of the County, space should be leased.
Commr.
Pool stated that he feels it is very important that the Sheriff and the other
constitutional officers be involved in every part of this process, thus, the
purpose of this meeting. He stated that
he believes the downtown area should be the hub, where most of the activity occurs,
however, noted that the County needs the additional space and that he feels
everyone will agree that the south end of Tavares will be a good location for the
new complex. He stated that people will
look at the cost of constructing the complex, however, pointed out the fact
that the County is going to be in business for a long time to come, so it might
as well prepare a plan for the future.
Sheriff
Daniels stated that, like Mr. Watkins, he would be against any option that
would fragment his office any more than it already is, noting that it creates
problems for his office, when they have to spread out. He stated that approximately 15 years ago,
before the old Jail was renovated, the Sheriff’s Office occupied approximately
six different offices in downtown Tavares and they had some offices in some of
the other towns, as well. He stated that
they are starting to get that way again, which creates supervision problems.
Mr.
Watkins stated that it makes sense for his office, as the County’s Comptroller,
to be included in an area where the Board of County Commissioners will be
located, rather than excluded, because it is better for management of the
Comptroller functions. He stated that,
if that function were moved away from the Board, it would fragment the offices,
so he could not see the Board doing that.
He stated that the same holds true for the other functions of the
Clerk’s Office, noting that, if they take certain things that his office does
and fragments them into the old Public Works building, that space will probably
serve those functions, but the management of those functions will become more
costly and the management is what he is concerned about. He stated that he would like to have the
management team together, as well as those people that he supervises that do
like things, such as criminal courts, civil courts, and traffic tickets.
Mr.
Skip Babb, Public Defender, stated that he did not want his office to be
fragmented either, noting that he would not be in favor of Option 4, which
shows his office being moved back into the Administration Building. He stated that Chief Judge Don Briggs states in
his letter that he feels there are some real problems with Options 3 and 4, as
well, as far as the Judiciary, the Public Defender, and the State Attorney’s Offices
are concerned. He stated that they are
ready to do what the Board tells them to do, but would ask that they try to
keep those offices together.
Mr.
Brad King, State Attorney, stated that he has 20 lawyers, give or take, who
spend all their time related to the Courts directly and, when they go to court,
they go with big carts full of files, because they handle one to two hundred cases
at a time. He stated that hauling those
files across a parking lot seems relatively simple, until they have a judge tell
them that they have to be at the Courthouse at a certain time, during a pouring
down rainstorm, and they have no way to get their files across the parking lot,
without getting them soaked. He stated
that, if his office is separated from the core of buildings, it is going to
cause them a lot of problems.
Mr.
Watkins interjected that another thing to consider is the Court Clerks’
interaction with the files, noting that they go up and down the floors between
the Clerk’s Office and the State Attorney and Public Defender’s Offices
continually. He stated that, if the
State Attorney and the Public Defender’s Offices are relocated away from the
Clerk’s Office, it would be taking a step backwards.
Commr.
Cadwell questioned whether the Clerk foresees any changes over the next 10 to
15 years, with regard to the electronic filing of cases, at which time Mr.
Watkins stated that his office hopes to someday see “paperless courts”,
however, noted that he keeps seeing more and more of the same. He stated that people are still going to come
to the Courthouse to pay traffic tickets and such, even though they can mail
their traffic fines in at the present time, because they want to hand the money
to a person that they can see eyeball to eyeball and know that the money has
been received. He also pointed out the
fact that a lot of the County’s citizens are older citizens and some of them do
not like computers.
Commr.
Cadwell stated that the Board can pick the cheapest option, but, when it all
comes down, they are going to oblige the needs of the Constitutional Officers -
they always have.
Commr.
Pool stated that he does not feel there is going to be a solution that is going
to put everyone in a perfect location and that is not going to be somewhat
disruptive; however, he feels that there are opportunities for everyone to work
together and be on the same page. He
stated that they are here to work with the Constitutional Officers, not against
them.
It
was noted that the consultants put together the four options from the information
they collected, but the Board does not have to stay within those four options,
they can mix and match however they please.
Mr.
Neron, County Manager, stated that, in order for the consultants and staff to
do a more detailed plan, they will need direction from the Board as to how they
want to approach the matter, at which time the consultants and staff can bring further
information back to the Board.
Commr.
Pool suggested that the Commissioners take another tour of the Sheriff’s
It
was noted that this process will not happen overnight, that there will be many more
discussions to come, before a spade is turned on the project.
Mr.
Watkins stated that a decision he feels the Board should make and make quickly
is to provide a parking garage, noting that he feels it is a great idea. He stated that it does not need a great deal
of discussion, other than picking a location, deciding how many spaces will be
needed, and adding additional spaces to that, so that they are building for the
future. He stated that the County needs
to get on with it, noting that he feels to study it would just be a waste of
money.
Mr.
McKee stated that all four of the options presented has the Tax Collector and
the Property Appraiser moving to the south part of Tavares; therefore, if that
is, in fact, what the Board would like for them to do, he and the Property
Appraiser, Mr. Ed Havill, are prepared to do so. He stated that, at that point, all the Board
will have to decide is what the footprint, geographically, will be at the proposed
site for their respective offices – whether they want a campus-like setting, or
a single building. He stated that, if
the Board plans to build a campus-like setting, where there will be buildings
equivalent to modulars that will fit together, then there is nothing that is
prohibiting them from moving forward, except the Board’s concurrence that that
is what they will recommend. He stated
that he does not want to be sitting at a meeting discussing this same issue three
years from now. He stated that parking
for his customers is a nightmare and an everyday occurrence, noting that,
without exception, everyone that comes through his office comments about the
parking situation and the new complex would alleviate that problem. He stated that he does not care where his
office is located, as long as it can accommodate parking. He stated that he feels it is something that
needs to be done quickly.
Commr.
Cadwell stated that he did not want to be fragmented either, noting that he
wants to be able to go to a department, if he needs to, or take a citizen to a
department, if he needs to. He stated
that he feels it is better for management, on the
Mr.
McKee stated that, with regard to his office, when they moved into their
present space in the Historical Courthouse, Mr. T. Keith Hall, the former Tax
Collector, shared with him the fact that he was asked not to provide those
services pertaining to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which he noted is the
single largest government function in Lake County, in terms of customer service,
in the Tavares office, because there was no way to accommodate the traffic that
it would generate, so he did not do it.
He stated that, if his office were to be moved to the proposed complex,
on the south end of town, they would make it a full service office, so the
needs in south Lake County and in Eustis would become somewhat mitigated. He noted that he would need approximately
15,000 square feet of space and, since the Property Appraiser’s needs are probably
a little larger than his, they would probably be talking about a little over
30,000 square feet.
Mr.
Neron suggested that the Board wait until the next Worksession, which is
scheduled to be held Monday, February 14, 2005, to make any decisions.
Sheriff
Daniels brought to the attention of the Board the need to do something with his
vehicle maintenance facility in Eustis, noting that it has almost become a
serious problem for his office.
Commr.
Cadwell stated that, based on what decision the Board makes regarding the
Sheriff’s
Commr.
Pool concurred, providing Sheriff Daniels is happy with that decision.
Commr.
Cadwell stated that at least three of the Commissioners agree that the
Sheriff, Public Safety, the Property
Appraiser, and the Tax Collector would be better served being relocated to the
proposed south Tavares complex. He
stated that they could discuss the issue of Public Works being relocated at a
later date.
RECESS AND REASSEMBLY
At 10:30 a.m., the Chairman announced that the
Board would recess for 15 minutes.
CITIZEN
QUESTION AND COMMENT PERIOD
No
one present wished to address the Board.
ADDENDUM
NO. 1
REPORTS
–
CANCELLATION
OF MARCH 22, 2005 BOARD MEETING
Mr.
Bill Neron, County Manager, requested approval to cancel the March 22, 2005
Board of County Commissioner’s Meeting and reschedule it for March 29, 2005,
due to the fact that Commrs. Stivender and Hanson will not be available on
March 22nd.
On
a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Pool and carried unanimously, by
a 3-0 vote, the Board approved the cancellation of the March 22, 2005 Board of
County Commissioner’s Meeting and rescheduled it for March 29, 2005.
OTHER
BUSINESS
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPOINTMENT
RESOLUTION
On
a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Pool and carried unanimously, by
a 3-0 vote, the Board approved Resolution No. 2005-16, appointing Ms. Hillary
Cook to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, as the USDA Rural
Development Representative, to complete the unexpired term ending November 24,
2005.
REPORTS
–
TRANSFER OF
Mr.
Sandy Minkoff,
On
a motion by Commr. Pool, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously, by
a 3-0 vote, the Board approved a request from the County Attorney for approval
to transfer the Certificate of Title for the Montverde Community Building to
the Town of Montverde.
REPORTS
–
RETAINING OF SPECIAL MASTER FOR CODE AND LAND
DEVELOPMENT REGULATION CONFLICT CASES
Mr.
Sandy Minkoff,
On
a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Pool and carried unanimously, by
a 3-0 vote, the Board approved a request from the
REPORTS
– COMMR. POOL – DISTRICT 2
PIG
ON THE POND EVENT
Commr.
Pool reminded those present about the Pig on the Pond event that is scheduled
to be held in south
REPORTS
– COMMR. CADWELL – DISTRICT 5
ADDITION OF NON-VOTING MEMBER TO INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Commr. Cadwell informed the Board
that he had discussed at a past Board Meeting the option of adding another
non-voting member to the Industrial Development Authority (IDA), being
It was noted that the
REPORTS – COMMR. HILL – CHAIRMAN AND
DISTRICT 1
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TOUR MEETING FOR PURPOSE OF
UPDATING COUNTY’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Commr. Hill informed the Board that
the County held its first Public Participation Tour Meeting, for the purpose of
obtaining input regarding the County updating its Comprehensive Plan, on
Monday, February 7, 2005, and that the people attending the meeting felt it was
a good meeting and were very receptive to the process.
Mr. Gregg Welstead, Deputy County
Manager/Growth Management Director, stated that a good cross section of the
citizens of Lake County attended the meeting, such as a number of residents,
realtors, environmentalists, representatives of the Palatlakaha Environmental
Agricultural Reserve (P.E.A.R.) Park, and Lake County School Board Member Becky
Elswick, and that the topics that were brought up for discussion ranged from
transportation to economic development to schools. He stated that it was a good cross section of
ideas.
Commr. Cadwell stated that everybody that
he has talked to that has had any involvement in the process has been pleased
with it and thinks the County is doing it the right way. He commended staff for doing a good job.
Mr. Bill Neron,
Commr. Hill interjected that Channel
13 was filming, during the first meeting that was held, and that she hopes, in
seeing that report, the general public will see that it is a very citizen
friendly process and one that is not so complicated that they cannot grasp it
and have a part in it. She stated that
she feels there will be more citizen participation, once that report is aired
and the citizens see that it is a hands on, customer friendly process. She commended staff for doing a very good job
in relaying that message to the public.
It was noted that the next scheduled
meetings are as follows:
Astatula – Tuesday, February 8, 2005
Clermont – Friday, February 11, 2005
REPORTS – COMMR. POOL – DISTRICT 2
EXPANSION OF LIBRARY IN CLERMONT
Commr. Pool thanked Mr. Bill Neron,
It was noted that some of the
individuals who attended the meeting wanted to have the library in downtown
Clermont, but there were also some individuals who stated that they did not
want it in the downtown area.
Mr. Neron stated that the purpose of
the meeting was for the architects to obtain some input. He stated that their
first goal is to do the grant application by April 1, 2005, however, noted that
the County does not need a site identified for the grant. He stated that they will be looking at not
only the tearing down of the existing building and building new on the site, but
looking at other potential sites in the area, as well. He stated that staff will be bringing the
Board and the general public a report regarding the matter at a later date.
Commr. Pool stated that someone
mentioned the fact that Minneola is a growing area, so why build just one major
library, when one could be constructed in Minneola, perhaps one at the college,
and another in Clermont, giving the area three small facilities, rather than
just one large facility. He stated that
he felt it was an issue that needed further discussion.
Mr. Neron stated that, as part of the
space study, there is a library component that will be coming forward, as a
separate addendum, which will give the Board some ideas for future library
needs and a master plan for libraries.
Commr. Cadwell questioned whether the
City of
Commr. Pool stated that the City was
never involved with the library, other than contributing dollars, because it
was an independent library (Cooper Memorial Library), but today it is in the
County system and, since it is a county facility, the City is expecting the
County to build it.
It was noted that the City has
offered to donate the site for the library, so they feel the County should
build it.
Mr. Neron,
Commr. Pool interjected that he would
be pleading with the Board in the future about helping him find dollars for
that facility and that the County would need and want Clermont’s
participation. He noted, for
informational purposes, that the City of
ADJOURNMENT
There
being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the
meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
__________________________
ATTEST:
__________________________
JAMES C. WATKINS, CLERK