A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF
JULY 12, 2005
The
Lake County Board of
INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Commr. Hill sadly informed the Board of the passing of a dear
friend, Claude Gnann, former Major of the Lake County Sheriff’s
Department. At this time, she asked for
a moment of silence in his remembrance, and then to remain standing for the Pledge
of Allegiance.
ELECTED OFFICIALS
Commr. Hill wanted to welcome any
elected officials who may be present in the audience.
AGENDA
UPDATE
Ms.
Cindy Hall,
Ms.
Hall,
On
a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Pool and carried unanimously by
a 5-0 vote, the Board approved to place the item pertaining to the Village
Center Community Development District (CDD) on the agenda, as requested.
EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT/HURRICANE DENNIS
Commr.
Hill stated that she has asked Jerry Smith, Emergency Management Director, to
update the Board on what transpired in the County during Hurricane Dennis and
what they look forward to in the future.
Mr.
Smith, Emergency Management Director, addressed the Board and stated that last
week, the forecast showed that Hurricane Dennis was approaching and was going
to miss Central Florida but, because it was coming over a weekend, and staff
would not be available to react instantaneously, they did make some
preparations. Staff continued to monitor
the storm; they participated in State conference calls; and with the help of IT
and Facilities Management, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was set up and
equipment was put in place. Staff
provided a severe weather press release and put a message on their citizen
information line advising of the severe weather and, with the cooperation of
Public Works, and the Lake County Fire and Rescue Division, sandbags and a load
of sand were placed at three fire stations, one in each of the County
maintenance areas, so that citizens could have access to that during the
weekend. Staff e-mailed all of the
emergency operations staff, and other municipality representatives, to notify
them of the County’s actions, and a memo was sent to all of the emergency
communication centers giving them phone numbers and contact information. During the storm and, over the weekend, the
only real damage appeared in
Mr.
Smith showed the Board a map of the location of Tropical Storm Emily and noted
that, as of 5 a.m. this morning, it had sustained winds of 45 miles per hour
(mph) and is projected to be a hurricane on Thursday; it will be a category two
hurricane when it strikes
Commr.
Pool stated that a resident called him from
Commr.
Stivender noted that Channel 9 News was reporting that there were sandbags at
the
CLERK
OF COURT’S CONSENT AGENDA
On
a motion by Commr. Hanson, seconded by Commr. Stivender and carried unanimously
by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Clerk of Court’s Consent Agenda, Items 1
through 12, as follows:
List of Warrants
Request to acknowledge receipt of
list of checks or warrants paid prior to this meeting, pursuant to Chapter
136.06(1) of the Florida Statutes, which shall be incorporated into the Minutes
as attached Exhibit A and filed in the Board Support Division of the Clerk's
Office.
Ordinances/Town of
Request to acknowledge receipt of the
following Ordinances from the Town of Lady Lake:
Ordinance 2005-11 – Creating a special magistrate
system of code enforcement/providing for counsel to prosecute code cases, as
described and passed and ordained the 19th day of May 2005.
Ordinance 2005-14 – Amending the Lady Lake Land
Development Regulations, Chapter 5, permitted uses in the HC (Heavy
Commercial/Wholesale Commercial) zoning district, as described and passed and
ordained the 5th day of May 2005.
Ordinance 2005-21 – Amending Ordinance Number
81-8-(83) establishing the Town of Lady Lake Comprehensive Plan; providing for
a small scale future land use map amendment, as described and passed and
ordained the 5th day of May 2005.
Central Florida Community
Development District/Proposed Budget
Request to acknowledge receipt of
the copy of the Central Lake Community Development District's proposed budget
for Fiscal Year 2006, in accordance with Chapter 190.008(2)(b), Florida
Statutes.
Southwest Florida Water
Management District/Agenda/Minutes
Request to acknowledge receipt of
the Southwest Florida Water Management District Agenda, Governing Board
Meeting, June 28-29, 2005, 9:00 a.m., 2379 Broad Street, Brooksville, Florida,
and the approved Minutes of the Meeting of Governing Board, Tampa, Florida,
April 26, 2005.
Public Service Commission
Request to acknowledge receipt - Before
the Public Service Commission, In re: Application for "quick take"
amendment of Certificate Number 339-W in
Arlington Ridge Community
Development District/Public Hearing/Budget
Request to acknowledge receipt of
the Arlington Ridge Community Development District proposed Operating Budget
for Fiscal Year 2006. The District's public hearing is scheduled as follows:
Thursday, August 15, 2005, 10:00 a.m.,
Request to acknowledge receipt of
the St. Johns River Water Management District: Written Notice of Intended
District Decision on Permit Application(s) in
City of Tavares/Annexation
Ordinances
Request to acknowledge receipt of
the following from the City of Tavares Annexation Ordinance Numbers 2005-18,
2005-20, and 2005-22, passed and ordained June 1, 2005, by the City Council of
the City of
Ordinance 2005-18 –
annexing approximately 5.09 acres located on the northern side of County Road
448, approximately 1/2 mile east of the intersection of County Road 561 and
County Road 448.
Ordinance 2005-20 –
annexing approximately 9.91 acres located south of
Ordinance 2005-22 – annexing approximately 0.9 acres
located at
Request to acknowledge receipt of the St. Johns River
Water Management District: Written Notice of Intended District Decision on
Permit Application(s) in
City of Fruitland Park/MSTU/Ambulance and Emergency
Medical Services/Ordinance
Request to acknowledge receipt from the City of Fruitland
Park, Florida, Ordinance 2005-015, consenting to the inclusion of the City
within the county-wide Municipal Service Taxing Unit (M.S.T.U.) for the
provision of ambulance and emergency medical services, providing for the City
to be included within said M.S.T.U. for an additional term of two years. Passed
and ordained the 26th day of May 2005, by the City Commission of the
City of Fruitland Park, Florida.
Unclaimed Excess Proceeds/Tax Deeds
Request for approval to transfer funds relating to unclaimed
excess proceeds for tax deeds totaling $32,539.83.
Monthly Distribution of Revenue/Traffic-Criminal Cases
Request to acknowledge receipt of the Monthly
Distribution of Revenue Traffic/Criminal Cases, Month Ending May 31, 2005.
Disbursements due to Board: $143,097.00; Same period last year: $202,481.13.
On
a motion by Commr. Stivender, seconded by Commr. Hanson and carried unanimously
by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the County Manager’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 2
through 17, as follows:
Community
Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc./Funding Agreement
Request for approval of funding
agreement with Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc. for legal aid
expenses for the period July 1, 2004 to September 30, 2004, and the period of
October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005, and approval of payment according to the
funding agreement for those time periods.
SHIP Funds/Local Housing
Assistance Plan/Berneater Williams
Request for approval and signature
authorization to expend SHIP (State Housing Initiative Partnership) funds in
excess of the limit specified per household in the Local Housing Assistance
Plan for State Fiscal Years 2003-2004, 2004-2005, and 2005-2006 for the home of
Berneater Williams.
SHIP Funds/Local Housing
Assistance Plan/Pamela Mead
Request for approval and signature
authorization to expend SHIP (State Housing Initiative Partnership) funds in
excess of the limit specified per household in the Local Housing Assistance
Plan for State Fiscal Years 2003-2004, 2004-2005, and 2005-2006 for the home of
Pamela Mead.
Proclamation/Probation, Parole,
and Community Supervision Week
Request for approval and signature
on Proclamation 2005-104 declaring July 17 through 23, 2005 as Probation,
Parole, and Community Supervision Week 2005.
Amendment to Agreement/We Care of
Request for approval of Amendment to
Agreement between
Remove Classifications/Florida
Retirement System
Request for approval to remove the
following classifications per Florida Statute 121.055(2(a): Budget &
Administrative Services Director, Deputy County Manager/Growth Management
Director, Assistant County Manager and Senior Assistant County Attorney; change
the title of the position of Human Resources Director to Employee Services
Director; add the following classifications per Florida Statute 121.055(1):
Budget Director, Facilities Development & Management Director, Procurement
Services Director, Information Technology Director, Deputy County Attorney
(retroactive effective to 10/17/04), and Deputy County Manager for inclusion in
the Florida Retirement System (FRS) Senior Management Service Class.
Ordinance – Permission to
Advertise/Mobile Homes
Request for approval to advertise
proposed Ordinance amending Section 10.05.02 relating to mobile homes.
Ordinance – Permission to
Advertise/Off-Site Signs
Request for approval to advertise
proposed Ordinance amending Definitions and Section 11.01.03 concerning
off-site signs.
Satisfaction and Release of
Fine/John D. Blessing
Request for approval and execution
of a Satisfaction and Release of Fine for property owned by John D. Blessing,
CEB Number 2003110110.
Satisfaction and Release of
Fine/Eddie Martin
Request for approval and execution
of a Satisfaction and Release of Fine for property owned by Eddie Martin, CEB
Number 15-97.
Satisfaction and Release of
Fine/Emmory Metts
Request for approval and execution
of a Satisfaction and Release of Fine for property owned by Emmory Metts, CEB
Number 2004030104.
Interlocal Fire Prevention
Services Agreement/Town of
Request for approval to cancel the
Interlocal Fire Prevention Services Agreement with the Town of Lady Lake.
List of Surplus Items
Request for approval to declare the
items on the attached lists surplus to County needs; authorize the removal of
all of the items on the attached lists from the County's official fixed asset
inventory system records; and authorize the Interim Procurement Services Director
to sign the vehicle titles.
List of Surplus Items
Request for approval to authorize
the removal of all of the items on the attached lists from the County's
official fixed asset inventory system records and transfer to the State due to
Revision Number 7 of Article 5.
Interlocal Agreement/Town of
Astatula/Traffic Signal Maintenance
Request for approval and signature
on the Interlocal Agreement between
Interlocal Agreement/Town of
Astatula/School Flasher Maintenance
Request for approval and signature
on the Interlocal Agreement between
PERSONAL
APPEARANCES/PRESENTATIONS
EMPLOYEE
AWARDS
Commr.
Hill presented the following awards and Mr. Gregg Welstead, Deputy County
Manager/Interim Director of Growth Management, presented information about each
employee:
Presentation
of Award to Employees with Five Years of Service
Brian D. Hawthorne, Fire Inspector, Growth
Management/Building Services
John Dabney, Chief Forensic Investigator, Medical
Examiner
Thomas S. Thrush, Forensic Investigator, Medical
Examiner
Kay F. Shields, Office Associate III, Community
Services/Agricultural Education Service/Cooperative Extension Service
Traci A. Bates, Permitting Specialist, Growth Management/Building
Services
Yvonne C. Heitzner, Laboratory Analyst, Environmental
Services/Water Resource and Environmental Programs/Hydrogeology and Lab
Grant D. Cox, Parks Crew Leader, Public Works/Road
Operations/Parks and Recreation
Rosalee D. Jackson, Permitting Specialist, Growth
Management/Building Services (not present)
Susan L. Taylor, Senior Landfill Attendant,
Environmental Services/Administration/Scales
Presentation
of Award to Employees with Ten Years of Service
Jane E. Reich, Administrative Office Coordinator,
Community Services
Walter L. Thompson, Mechanic, Public Works/Special
Services/Fleet Maintenance
PRESENTATION –
PROCLAMATION
–
On
a motion by Commr. Hanson, seconded by Commr. Pool and carried unanimously by a
5-0 vote, the Board approved the request for approval, signature and presentation
of Proclamation 2005-93 honoring the Mount Dora High School Softball Team.
Commr.
Hill read and presented Proclamation 2005-93 to members of the Mount Dora High
School Softball Team (Hurricanes) who were the district runner-up for the Class
3-A Division, District 7.
Congratulations were extended to Head Coach Gary Ward, Coach Ron Devlin,
Coach Olivia Jarc and players Olivia Savage, Bridgette Alan, Cecilia Dail,
Natalie Hodge, Sarah Brown, Morgan Daly, Megan Crouch, Tammy Arnold, Collette
McLeod and Jennifer Bien-Aime.
Head Coach Gary Ward addressed the Board and extended his
thanks for this recognition and noted that only four of the players were able
to be here today; other players are already at universities or working, and some
players will be back with them next year.
He was very proud of all of them.
PRESENTATION –
CHECK -
Commr. Cadwell stated that every year a $1,000
scholarship is awarded to a deserving student whose parent(s) work for
Mr. Bradford addressed the Board and extended his
appreciation for the support given by all of County staff in the awarding of
this $1,000 scholarship. He also wanted
to thank his mother for her long support, as well, and to say that, hopefully,
upon graduating from UCF, he will be able to work along side each one of them
in the future.
Commr. Cadwell noted that the FAC was able to do this
scholarship through corporate sponsors, who he recognized at this time.
PRESENTATION –
HEART READY AWARD
Ms. Nancy DeVault, Community Heart & Stroke Director,
American Heart Association, addressed the Board and stated that she would like
to introduce Betty Ainsley, one of their top volunteers, and the owner of a
local CPR training center, Hearts of Lake County.
Ms. Betty Ainsley addressed the Board and stated that, as
noted, she is the owner of Hearts of Lake County, a CPR training center, and an
American Heart Association volunteer.
Ms. Ainsley stated that she is pleased to be here today to recognize
Mr. Geeslin addressed the Board and noted several
instances where individuals suffered cardiac arrest. He stated that these incidences did stimulate
requests by the high schools, the community, and law enforcement for them to
continue their efforts in providing community response with the AED and the CPR
program. He stated that there was an
outstanding and overwhelming response from volunteers from all agencies,
particularly from Lake County Fire and Lake-Sumter EMS, in providing the
training, the equipment, and all that was necessary to have a good community
AED and CPR program. Mr. Geeslin stated
that this award is truly representative of an overall team effort, and there
are too many agencies to name them all, but they include Sheriff Chris Daniels
and the Sheriff’s Department, Gary Kaiser and Lake County Fire, Jim Judge and
Lake-Sumter EMS, and the churches, communities, agencies, and employees. He stated that the last and most important
award goes to the citizens noting that the Heart Ready Award is a culmination
of public safety, and the community working together to save lives.
Commr. Hill stated that, on behalf of the Board, she accepts
the award with great honor. She stated
that they wish to acknowledge all the agencies that have worked to achieve this
award, and the great effort made all of
PRESENTATION:
STREETSCAPE
PLAN BY MICHAEL PAPE & ASSOCIATES
CITY OF
Ms. Dottie Keedy, Tavares City Administrator, addressed
the Board and stated that she has with her today Mr. Michael Pape with Michael
Pape & Associates, Ocala, the City’s landscape architect, and Mr. Aaron
Mercer, the City’s Public Works Director, who will be giving the Board an
update on the City’s streetscape plan.
Mr. Pape addressed the Board and stated that Michael Pape
& Associates has been engaged by the City of
Mr. Pape explained that the streetscape plan will involve
increasing visibility for some of the businesses, which has benefits for both
the private and the public sector, by bringing more people downtown. He addressed the front of the County complex noting
that there will be a traffic roundabout starting at Sinclair that will mirror
the roundabout located on Disston. After
much discussion and consideration, they believe that, not only will it create
an aesthetic benefit, it will move traffic better. He noted that, from engineering studies,
roundabouts have proven to be much safer than a signalized or four-way stop intersection;
they move traffic more expediently and minimize serious collisions. As they continue to move along
Commr. Stivender stated that Tavares is the County seat
and this area is also in her district. She
wanted to point out that the City of
Mr. Pape explained that he did not know of any lights
being proposed where they do not currently exist; with the roundabout being
added at Sinclair, it eliminates the need for a signal.
Commr. Hill stated that the proposed roundabout seems to
encompass a lot of area, and she wanted to know if it was going to take away
any of the present property, because there is a small memorial park and other
items of great historical value that need to be taken into consideration.
Mr. Pape pointed out the existing curb line superimposed
with the new curb line shown in the drawing and stated that there are no
impacts to the four corners; the circle actually fits better within the
pavement area that exists and will be slightly larger, which is appropriate for
this intersection.
Discussion occurred regarding the palm trees with it
being noted that the current plan is to accommodate the same look as the
present turnaround, but Commr. Hanson felt that one palm was too few even for
the existing site and that there may be room for more trees.
Mr. Pape explained that everything will be in scale with
the setting. It was noted that the
little oak tree on the corner will remain there, and the traffic light will be
removed once the roundabout goes in.
The Board members discussed the proposed roundabout and presented
their concerns, one being that, in the future, if services change at the County
facilities, there may be a need for emergency access through this intersection. Mr. Pape explained that they have actually
designed quite a few roundabouts in direct proximity to public safety
facilities, and they work real well.
Mr. Aaron Mercer, Public Works Director, City of
Commr. Stivender wanted to know if they have addressed
the issue of doing Ruby at the same time they do
Mr. Mercer stated that the City has not solidified their
plan on Ruby yet; it is still under design, but he does not believe they need
to make any improvements on Ruby to make it two-way, but it would impact the
parking. He stated that they will need
to look at a comprehensive approach to that issue.
Ms. Keedy explained that, when the City originally came
to the Board, the project was much smaller than it is now for a couple of
reasons. When they got into the
engineering, they realized that the stormwater system needed a lot more work to
function properly and that increased the cost.
At the urging of the property owners, the residents, and their downtown
committee, they also included
Commr. Hanson noted that one possibility of funding might
be the County’s stormwater dollars, and Ms. Keedy noted that the City has some
stormwater funding, too, but it is really retrofit and cannot be used.
Mr. Sandy Minkoff,
Commr. Stivender noted that she still has a little bit of
pari-mutuel funds in her district, and Mr. Minkoff explained that legally there
is no restriction on use of those funds, so they could be used for this
project, if the Board so chooses.
Commr. Hill pointed out that she did not know the status
of the Lake Region packinghouse property, but she questioned whether there
would be any revenue stream for the City, when it brings in a new business, as
a far as transportation or other impact fees.
Ms. Keedy explained that the City’s TIF District is set
up so that redevelopment will increase the funding, and Lake Region will have a
huge impact on that but she is not aware of any contract or other business
transactions occurring with that property.
The City is seeing some significant increase in funding, about $60,000 a
year. She noted that the City would like
to pay for the project, because they would rather not go into debt. She explained that the City borrowed $5
million against their infrastructure sales tax, but they have to pay for a
number of projects, and the original cost estimate for this project was about
$800,000 which was included in that funding source.
Commr. Stivender pointed out that the City is looking at
about $400,000 from the County to do the project, which is the amount that the
Board gave to the City of
Ms. Keedy stated that she believes a public investment in
Commr. Cadwell questioned whether the City would want to
consider having the County assist them in the way of a loan against their TIF, as
an option, even though they have committed their infrastructure dollars.
Ms. Keedy noted that this would definitely be something
worth considering and pointed out that the $1.2 million does not include
Ms. Cindy Hall,
Commr. Stivender asked Ms. Keedy to give Ms. Hall any
costs she may receive beforehand.
Commr. Pool suggested that, as a way to help offset some
of the costs and, to get people to embrace and support the plan, the City could
hold a fundraiser and maybe offer bricks for sale to those who would want to
buy into the project, which has been done for other projects in the County.
RECESS & REASSEMBLY
At 10:13 a.m., Commr. Hill announced that the Board will
take a 15 minute recess.
APPOINTMENTS/GOVERNANCE OF THE WATER
Ms. Blanche Hardy, Director of Environmental Services,
explained the request for an appointment to the governance of the Water
Alliance board noting that, in terms of this being an annual appointment, or
this board having a sunset date, they would have to create bylaws, once they
have a seated elected board; this board will solely address water supply and
those issues that are essentially in crisis right now.
Mr. Sandy Minkoff,
On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Pool
and carried by unanimously by 5-0 vote, the Board approved the appointment of
Commr. Hanson to act as the County's representative for the governance of the
Water Alliance.
Mr. Gregg Welstead, Deputy County Manager/Director of
Growth Management, noted that the first meeting of the Water Alliance will be this
Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m., at the Leesburg City Commission Chambers. Although he has not seen the agenda for the
meeting, their intent is to approve the statement of work to be transmitted to
the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), so they can begin the
process.
Mr. Minkoff explained that, from discussions with their
attorneys, the cities do not really look at the Water Authority as a water
supply group; this is truly a water supply group; there is not really a surface
water component in
Commr. Pool wanted to know if there was any kind of
duplication with the SJRWMD and whether this group is going to be separate and
have different rules or potential regulations or ideas, because the SJRWMD
deals with consumptive use and water resources.
Ms. Hardy stated that the SJRWMD was actually
instrumental in suggesting that the County do this and, to the best of her
knowledge, none of the existing alliances really have the ability to supersede
state or federal law.
Mr. Minkoff explained that the SJRWMD wants to look at
the consumptive use on a countywide basis, and they thought the best way to do
this was to get all of the public providers together, add up all of the consumptive
use permits and look at the impact cumulatively, and they have offered to pay,
which he believes will be the first issue, for a countywide water study, which
this committee will oversee. It was
noted that
It was noted that staff will be able to accompany Commr.
Hanson to the meetings.
WORKSESSION:
DIRT ROAD INVENTORY
Mr. Jim Stivender, Director of Public Works, explained
that staff started this process of identifying all non-county maintained roads
in unincorporated Lake County a couple of years ago. Today staff has an inventory to present to
the Board, as a result of much work done by many County departments. The information provided to the Board shows a
list of 1,926 non-County maintained roads in unincorporated
·
896 roads (or
46%) have no publicly dedicated right-of-way (Tab 2)
·
128 roads (or 7%)
have some publicly dedicated right-of-way (Tab 3)
·
902
roads (or 47%) have 100% publicly dedicated right-of-way (Tab 4)
Mr. Stivender explained that staff is looking at these
roads as being county maintained clay roads. Since 1982 and, in most cases, these roads
would qualify. He explained that, of the
902 roads that were identified, 150 of them were really not roads; they were
paper roads; they had no access or did not appear to exist; staff backed out that
number and came up with 752 segments of roads.
As a result, it was determined that there are 179.05 miles of non-county
maintained roads in unincorporated Lake County with 100% right-of-way and
access. Of those roads, 36.56 miles were
already paved in some way; this leaves 142.49 miles of road. As noted in the backup, to improve the
condition of these roads for acceptance into the County road maintenance
system, an estimated cost of approximately $16.00 per linear foot was
calculated; for an estimated $12 million to develop 142.49 miles; the cost to
maintain them annually would be almost $1 million. Mr. Stivender stated that today staff wanted to give the
Board the numbers and an opportunity to go through the process.
Commr. Stivender wanted to know whether the clay would be
to a base that could be used to pave in the future.
Mr. Stivender explained that it is really just the clay;
it would still be something that they would have to go back through and rework
and get permitted in the paved road impervious segment; it would not be a final
product; and a paving construction cost would have to be determined from
scratch.
Commr. Cadwell referred to the 179.05 miles that have
100% right-of-way and questioned whether staff went back and classified those roads,
in terms of those that may have houses on them.
Mr. Stivender explained that most of those roads had ingress and egress
to somebody’s residence, but staff did not really count how many. Commr. Cadwell pointed out that a couple of
years ago the County ranked those roads, and Mr. Stivender noted that staff
could go back and do that again. Commr.
Cadwell informed the Board that Highlands County has a policy where, if there
are two houses every tenth of a mile, they will maintain the road, and he would
be interested to see how these roads would fall into something like that even
though he does not want staff to do that type of study. When they ranked the roads, they did not rank
the ones that were non-county maintained but, as explained, staff was ranking
the County maintained roads and had a factor of density.
Commr. Hanson felt that the ranking should be the next
criteria, and she also wanted to thank the Commissioners, particularly Commr.
Cadwell and Commr. Stivender, who have absorbed some of that non-county
maintained road that she had for years; it helps when they are spread out a
little bit more. She further stated
that, even though there is the argument that the people moved onto the dirt
road and knew what they were getting when they moved there, the problem is that
others have moved onto that same road and what was passable when they moved
there may not be now, because of the increase in numbers.
Mr. Stivender noted that 9-1-1 should be able to give
them the number of addresses on each road, so staff may be able to do some
cross-referencing, based on what they have today.
Commr. Pool stated that they may find an area where the
citizens would embrace and support some assessments, or some opportunities, for
clay roads. He referred to the $16.00
per linear foot, which includes placing six inches of clay, 20 feet in width,
and questioned what it might cost, if they were to use the surface treatment
idea noting that it would have to be permitted just like a paved road. He stated that, when you look at drainage
issues, one of the largest revenue sources today is that .5 mill for stormwater
and drainage, and that could be utilized legally throughout the County for all
of those stormwater issues.
Mr. Sandy Minkoff,
Commr. Pool wanted to know the cost, if the County was to
do a surface treatment scenario, and whether they could utilize some of those
funds for drainage and stormwater.
Mr. Stivender stated that, on those roads where they are
dealing with stormwater, they are concentrating more on quality issues associated
with existing infrastructure instead of new construction, and they have been
going towards retrofitting rather than construction.
Mr. Minkoff noted that legally what they call stormwater
dollars are really Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) funds, so the Board
determines how those are spent; the only restriction is that they have to be
spent in the unincorporated county.
Mr. Stivender pointed out that, when the Board first did
special assessments, it was either for clay or paved roads; one of the first
requests was for a clay road. At that
time, there were some challenges under a contract provision, which may not be a
problem now. As soon as it was accepted
into the County maintenance system, staff got a petition from the property
owners asking them to pave it at no cost to them; so that is when the Board
changed the process. He noted that staff
can give the Board different variables for double surface treatment noting that
there have been a couple of things that have run the price up but it has improved
the quality substantially. He further
noted that staff has worked very hard to get lime rock on the roads, and also to
permit it to a level where they do not have to worry about it in the
future. Mr. Stivender stated that one of
the challenges that staff has had in the last few years is getting the county
maintained clay roads paved and finding the funds for them. Next week staff will finally be getting to
Commr. Hanson stated that the improvements made in the
Lake Mack and Paisley areas in the subdivisions has been wonderful noting that
they used Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, which has really
helped a lot of those people who could not afford their share of the special
assessment.
Mr. Stivender stated that staff can do one-time
maintenance on those roads where they have the right-of-way, and the people in
the neighborhoods can work together and do some maintenance in the right-of-way,
so they can get the roads improved.
Commr. Cadwell wanted to know if the Board wanted staff,
as the next step, to rank those roads where they have 100% right-of-way, and
then bring the Board that cost using the same formula. He stated that, even though it took staff a long
time to put this information together, it was just what the Board needed to
make decisions, and he did talk to Mr. Stivender about checking with
It was noted that, if the Board members should find other
roads that are not included on the lists, they need to submit them to staff. The additional information will be included
and presented in the same format as today’s information.
It was clarified that staff was being directed to rank
those roads where they have 100% right-of-way and determine the potential
costs; look at the wording in the old assessment agreements for clay roads;
determine the cost for double surface treatment; contact Highlands County to
see how they are going to fund their road projects; and also identify any
petitions on any of those particular roads that have right-of-way that did not
go forward.
Commr. Pool stated that he appreciates staff and their
willingness to take their calls and return their calls on issues of concern.
Commr. Hanson stated that a lot of special assessments
would not happen without the backing of the community.
CITIZEN QUESTION AND COMMENT PERIOD
Water Issues/Lake
Mr. Franklin Hatfield addressed the Board and stated that
he is here again after appearing before the Board on May 3, 2005, to discuss
water problems at
Mr. Hatfield read into the record the following from a
letter he received from the Lake County Water Authority:
“This summer the St. Johns River Water
Management District is planning to replace the culverts under
“During the 1983
Mr. Hatfield explained that the culvert noted in the
letter is a foot and a half higher than the existing one at
Commr. Cadwell stated that staff went out this week and
took some pictures of this culvert, and they are going to get with the St.
Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to see if they can get some
relief because he is getting calls from other people on the Nicatoon chain and
Lake Yale, and it is basically backing up into the forest.
Mr. Hatfield noted that every house in the section of land
on CR 44, north on SR 19, CR 42, out to CR 452 is being affected by that one
culvert.
Commr. Hill stated that it was her understanding that the
Water Authority is going to do dredging and lake fluctuations, and she wanted
to know how this will affect the issue being presented by Mr. Hatfield; it was
noted that the action being taken by the Water Authority will not affect this
situation at all.
Commr. Cadwell asked that Ms. Cindy Hall,
Mr. Roy Hunter, Northeast Lake Chamber of Commerce,
reported that he attended the Forest Hills Association meeting last month as a
guest speaker and, at that meeting, he heard concerns about the clean up around
the community center, and the lake. He
was very impressed when some teenage boys stepped up and told them they did not
need to worry because they will keep the trash cleaned up around those areas every
Saturday. He stated that there were
other young people who had expressed an interest in having books at the
facility to help them with their school work.
He was very impressed with these teenage boys who also spoke really well
of the
Property Purchase/Lake Mack/Jewel Road/Sexual
Predators
Mr. Travis Whigham, Forest Hills Association, addressed
the Board and asked for the status on the purchase of Larry’s Place, and Mr. Sandy
Minkoff,
Mr. Jim Stivender, Director of Public Works, noted that,
once those papers are finalized, staff will start the demolition at the site,
and then assess the situation.
Mr. Whigham reported that the level of water in Lake Mack
is way above the capacity level that it should be and last year, during the
hurricanes, they had no place to put the water from the flooded areas. He wanted to know if they could get
Mr. Jim Stivender, Director of Public Works, stated that
right now staff is monitoring the culvert under CR 42, and they are ready to
pump, once it reaches a certain elevation.
He noted that the County will have to notify the St. Johns River Water
Management District (SJRWMD) when they get ready to do this and they will use
the same guidelines as before.
Mr. Whigham explained that the people in this area would
like to have a beach again, and he thought that, since they are trying to preserve
a County lake and park area, the Parks and Recreation Department could help
them with the cost.
Mr. Whigham stated that he would like to know the status
of the
Mr. Whigham addressed the sexual predator issue that the
County has been trying to address with the cities, and stated that he thinks,
as a County, they need the 2,500 foot restriction and more because
OTHER BUSINESS
APPOINTMENTS/PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL
Commr. Stivender made a motion, which was seconded by
Commr. Hanson, to approve the following appointments to the Public Safety
Coordinating Council:
Brad King, State Attorney
Howard Babb, Public Defender
Honorable Don F. Briggs,
Honorable Richard W. Boylston, Chief County Judge
Sheriff Chris Daniels
Linda Brooks, Circuit Administrator
Tony Deaton, Probation Director
Jonathan Cherry, President/CEO, LifeStream Behavioral
Center
Kelly Smallridge, Haven of
Commr. Hill, Chairman, BCC
Under
discussion, it was noted that this action is allowed under State Statute and Commr.
Hill noted that most of the constitutional officers wrote letters and said they
would be happy to serve in this capacity.
Commr.
Hill called for a vote on the motion, which was carried unanimously by a 5-0
vote.
REPORTS
–
CLEAR
Mr.
Sandy Minkoff,
CITIES/SEXUAL
PREDATORS
Mr.
Sandy Minkoff,
REPORTS
–
RESOLUTION/FIRE
AND RESCUE ASSESSMENT RATE/VILLAGE CENTER CFD
Ms.
Cindy Hall, County Manager, requested that the Board amend Resolution 2005-95
(adopted by the Board on 6-21-05), to include an amendment to the assessment
rate for fire and rescue, from $56 for a single family home to $63.22, for the
Village Center Community Development District (CDD).
Mr.
Sandy Minkoff,
On
a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Hanson and carried unanimously
by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved to amend Resolution 2005-95, to include an
amendment to the assessment rate for fire and rescue, from $56 for a single
family home to $63.22, for the Village Center Community Development District
(CDD).
FACILITIES
DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT
Ms.
Cindy Hall,
BUDGET
Ms.
Cindy Hall,
MEETING/ARTICLE
V TECHNOLOGY BOARD
Ms.
Cindy Hall,
REPORTS
– COMMISSIONER HILL – CHAIRMAN AND DISTRICT #1
2005
STATE OF THE COUNTY
Commr.
Hill asked Ms. Cindy Hall,
Ms.
Cindy Hall,
On
a motion by Commr. Hanson, seconded by Commr. Stivender and carried unanimously
by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved to schedule the 2005 State of the County
event for Thursday, October 20, 2005, a similar event as last year and honoring
the chambers of commerce.
REPORTS
– COMMISSIONER POOL – DISTRICT #2
LITTLE
LEAGUE ALL-STARS
Commr.
Pool announced that he and Commr. Stivender share some of the
Groveland/Mascotte area, and the Little League All-Stars are going to
PRESENTATIONS
PROCLAMATION/SOUTH
On
a motion by Commr. Stivender, seconded by Commr. Hanson and carried unanimously
by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved and authorized signatures on Proclamation
2005-105 honoring the South Lake High School Softball Team.
It
was noted that the Proclamation will be presented at a later date.
Commr.
Stivender noted that this school has an awesome softball team, and a freshman
pitcher that will probably end up going professional.
CHRISTIAN
SOCIAL SERVICES
Commr.
Stivender informed the Board that this Thursday, at 11:30 a.m., at La Hacienda,
Mission Inn, the annual Christian Social Services event will take place and she
would like all of the Board members to attend, if possible. The Pastor Ken Smith will be there to do the
presentation that day.
BOYS
AND GIRLS CLUB
Commr.
Stivender informed the Board that, on August 20, 2005, the Boys and Girls Club of
Lake and
Commr.
Stivender wanted to thank the Board and the citizens for allowing her to take a
week off during zoning hearings to go on a Mission trip to
REPORTS
– COMMISSIONER HANSON – DISTRICT #4
GARBAGE
PICKUP/CONTRACTS WITH HAULERS
Commr.
Hanson explained that there had been some problems in her district for the last
two weeks with garbage pickup. Apparently
there had been a sale of a franchise, as a result of financial and health
related problems. Since the County has
the contract with the franchise holder, there were many calls received from
individuals because, in some places, the garbage had backed up for two
weeks. She wanted to commend Ms. Blanche
Hardy, Director of Environmental Services, and Ms. Cindy Hall,
Ms.
Cindy Hall,
Ms.
Blanche Hardy, Director of Environmental Services, addressed the Board and
noted that the situation alluded to has been addressed and was under control by
Sunday, with an additional few houses being promptly taken care of on Monday. It was a very difficult situation and, as of
this morning, the hauler has four brand new rental trucks they will be running
until they get their new trucks. Staff
has had a very concerned demeanor and some hard conversations with this
particular hauler to stress the County’s need to see their financial commitment
to get the appropriate staff on board, and the right kind of trucks. Staff has confirmed that the four new trucks
should be fine. When they go out for
bids next time, they will probably want to get commitments in those contracts
that require them to have certain types of equipment and maintenance staff, since
the County does not really have any accountability on the equipment, or the
maintenance of it. Staff is going to
bring recommendations forward to Ms Hall, including the recommendation to get
commitments for an equipment list, age of equipment, and maintenance on the
equipment.
Discussion
occurred regarding the franchise contracts, with Commr. Hanson expressing the
need for the County to be in a position where it can approve the people that
buy out a contract or, at least have the ability to look at whoever buys them
out, but Ms. Hall explained that these contracts are fairly long term, with the
current contracts still having eight years left on them, so any changes to them
might be somewhat difficult at this time.
Mr.
Sandy Minkoff,
REPORTS
– COMMISSIONER CADWELL – DISTRICT #5
Commr.
Cadwell reported that he will not be here next week, and there is an agenda
item coming through Affordable Housing regarding the hurricane relief dollars
and how they have set up the formula to spend it. He stated that they did not have a quorum at
their Affordable Housing Advisory Committee meeting, but they heard the
presentation. As the Chairman of Affordable
Housing, he is certainly encouraging the Board to approve that policy next week. They are using the same criteria they use for
the SHIP program, so the right people will be getting the dollars, and it is a
good program.
LEAGUE
OF CITIES
Commr.
Hill reported that she and Cindy Hall, County Manager, went to the League of
Cities meeting, and they will be bringing to the Board, during the workshop,
items that were discussed with them. The League brought up the issue of sexual
predators, and they were informed that the
Discussion
occurred regarding the distribution of grant money, with Commr. Cadwell
pointing out that every year there is money left over because the cities do not
apply for it. Commr. Stivender pointed
out that there is a 75/25 breakdown now, and Commr. Hill explained that a lot
of them did not ask for the funds because, if they did apply for it, they could
not charge County residents, so a lot of them did not want that restriction.
Commr.
Hill noted that the Board will look at the contracts and the whole issue during
workshop time, since they have gotten e-mails and calls from different cities.
ADJOURNMENT
There
being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the
meeting adjourned at 11:48 a.m.
___________________________
JENNIFER HILL, CHAIRMAN
ATTEST:
__________________________
JAMES
C. WATKINS, CLERK