A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

january 5, 2016

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., in the Board of County Commissioners’ Meeting Room, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida.  Commissioners present at the meeting were:  Sean Parks, Chairman; Welton G. Cadwell, Vice Chairman; Timothy I. Sullivan; Jimmy Conner; and Leslie Campione.  Others present were:  David Heath, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, County Attorney; Wendy Taylor, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Neil Kelly, Clerk of Court; Kristy Mullane, Chief Deputy Clerk, County Finance; and Susan Boyajan, Deputy Clerk.

INVOCATION and pledge

Pastor Rick Fountain from the First Baptist Church of Tavares gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda update

Mr. David Heath, County Manager, stated that he recommended moving Tab 2 regarding the Children’s Week Proclamation to follow the employee awards, since the Board will be down from the dais at that time, and moving Tab 27 regarding fracking immediately after the Consent Agenda.

MINUTE APPROVAL

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Sullivan, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Minutes of the BCC Meeting of December 1, 2015 (Regular Meeting) as presented.

employee awards

Mr. Robert Anderson, Human Resources Director, presented the following employee awards, commenting briefly on the employee’s service to the County.

five years

            Brandon Rogers, Equipment Operator I (not present)

            Public Works/Road Operations Division/Maintenance Area III (Umatilla)

 

            Mark Shepherd, Code Enforcement Officer (not present)

            Community Safety and Compliance/Code Enforcement Division

 

            Adam Sumner, Economic Development & Tourism Manager

            Economic Growth/Economic Development & Tourism Division

ten years

            Roberto Bonilla, Parks & Trails Division Manager

            Public Resources/Parks & Trails Division

 

            Christopher Cuellar, Firefighter/EMT (not present)

            Public Safety/Fire Rescue Division

 

            Eric Welhaven, Probation Officer (not present)

            Community Safety & Compliance/Probation Services Division

fifteen years

            Tina Lewin, Environmental Waste Technician

            Public Works/Solid Waste Division

 

            Jason Rivera, Fire Lieutenant/Paramedic

            Public Safety/Fire Rescue Division

twenty years

            Elizabeth Wright, Financial Analyst

            Facilities & Fleet Management/Fleet Management Division

thirty years

            Micheal Termeer, Landfill Supervisor

            Public Works/Solid Waste Division

thirty five years

            Linda Lorentz, Office Associate V

            Fiscal & Administrative Services/Budget Division

retirement

Mr. Jim Stivender, Public Works Director, presented a retirement award to Ms. Deborah Miller, Office Associate III, Public Works/Environmental Services Division/Mosquito Management, who was retiring after 17 years of service.  He explained that Ms. Miller first started working for the County in 1990 as a secretary in Mosquito Control, left for a couple of years, and then came back in 1999.  He commented that she had communicated with most people who have called Mosquito Control during that time period, has become an institution to the County, knows the County and the people very well, and has done a very good job, as shown by the lack of complaints regarding Mosquito Control.  Ms. Miller was also presented with a clock as a token of her retirement.

Mr. Bill Veach, Deputy County Manager, introduced Ms. Wendy Breeden, Public Resources Director, on the occasion of her upcoming retirement after a total of 23 years with the County, noting that she began her career with Lake County in 1987 as a Library Coordinator before leaving to live in Italy.  He related that Ms. Breeden again joined the County team as a Library Coordinator in 1994 and was promoted to Library Services Manager that year and Library Services Director in 1999.  He commented that as evidence of her commitment, adaptability, and willingness to accept new challenges, she was named Acting Director of Community Services in 2009 and then Public Resources Director soon thereafter, where she oversaw management of the County’s library system, Parks and Trails Division, Agricultural Extension Services, and fairgrounds and expo center.  He mentioned that she was also named President of the Florida Library Association in 2009.  He opined that Ms. Breeden has led the Public Resources Department at a time of significant growth and major improvements, and she was instrumental in the development and expansion of the Library System that went from four member libraries in 1992 to nine member libraries and six branch libraries today.  Also, her collaborative efforts with the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have led to active and passive recreational projects, including the Green Mountain Scenic Overlook and Trailhead and North Shore Trail connectivity.  He concluded that her impact on the employees, residents, and visitors in Lake County will last for decades and that she will be sorely missed.  He thanked her for her service and wished her many happy and rewarding years of retirement.

Commr. Parks commented that he really appreciated everything Ms. Breeden has done for the County and presented her with a plaque in memory of her retirement.

Commr. Cadwell opined that Ms. Breeden’s perseverance and ability to build trust with the cities have made the library system what it is currently, and he hopes she stay will stay involved.

Commr. Conner commented that she has been a great administrator.

Commr. Campione commented that she was meticulous and detail-oriented, yet able to see the big picture, and the Board was extremely appreciative of her professionalism and dedication to the County.

presentation of children’s week proclamation

Commr. Parks presented Proclamation No. 2015-125 proclaiming January 24 to January 29, 2016 as Children’s Week in Lake County to Ms. Marcia Hilty, Ms. Diana Hollwedel, and Ms. Connie McMaster from the Guardian Ad Litem Program, and he read the Proclamation aloud.

Ms. Hilty commented that she wanted to acknowledge the heart and soul of their program, who were the volunteers who serve on very difficult cases, and she had them stand to be recognized.  She thanked the Board for this recognition.

citizen question and comment period

Mr. Jim Lobb, a resident of Clermont, discussed the reestablishment of their native plant environment and trees along their trails and streets.  He noted that there were statistics that showed that shaded roads save about 60 percent on repaving, and new trees improve property values in the area by 10 to 20 percent.  He opined that tree-lined roads also reduce speeds of vehicles and reduce blood pressure, crime rates, and the incidence of road rage.  He thanked Commr. Parks for his diligent efforts to try to reestablish trees along their trails by Cooper Memorial Library in Clermont.  He bemoaned the fact that there were a tremendous number of power poles rather than trees in many locations throughout the county which would make their environment better.  He concluded that he wanted to speak out in favor of the trees.

CLERK OF COURTS’ CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Clerk of Courts’ Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 3, as follows:

List of Warrants

Request to acknowledge receipt of list of 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.

Lake Idlewild Utility Company’s Application for Staff Assisted Rate Case

Request to acknowledge receipt of copy of the Lake Idlewild Utility Company’s application for a staff assisted rate case (SARC) in Brevard County which was filed with the Florida Public Service Commission in Docket No. 150236-WU.

SJRWMD 2016 Governing Board Meeting Schedule

Request to acknowledge receipt of the 2016 Governing Board Meeting Schedule from the St. Johns River Water Management District.  Governing Board meetings are held at District Headquarters, 4049 Reid Street (Hwy. 100 West), Palatka, FL.  Date, time and location are subject to change at the discretion of the Governing Board.  Meetings for 2016 are to be held upon conclusion of the 11 a.m. Finance, Administration and Audit Committee meeting and scheduled as follows:  January 12, February 9, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14, July 12, August 9, September 13, September 27 (final budget hearing at 5:05 p.m.), October 11, November 8, and December was attached.

 COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Manager’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 4 through 20 as follows:

Proclamations

Request for approval of Proclamation No. 2016-2 proclaiming the week of January 24-30, 2016 as Lake County School Choice Week, per Commissioner Conner.

Request for approval of Proclamation No. 2016-1 recognizing January 2016 as Human Trafficking Awareness month, per Commissioner Parks.

Community Services

Request for approval of the Transportation Agreement between the Lake County Board of County Commissioners and Community Supports, Inc. d/b/a Lakeview Terrace and Central Florida Group Homes, LLC for the provision of transportation disadvantaged services for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities clients and private-pay clients. There is no fiscal impact.

Request for approval to apply to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) under the Section 5310 Capital Grant Program to purchase paratransit vehicles for use under the Transportation Disadvantaged Program (Lake County Connection for Fiscal Year 2016-2017) and approval of the supporting Resolution No. 2016-3, acceptance, and implementation of the grant award, and the procurement of the vehicles under the State's bid list through the Transit Research Inspection Procurement Services (TRIPS) program. The fiscal impact is $364,725 (County Portion: $36,472.50 / Grant Funding: $328,252.50) (Expense).

Request for approval to submit the Florida Department of Transportation Section 5311 grant application to fund the Transportation Disadvantaged Program in the fiscal year 2016-2017 budget as well as approval of the supporting Resolution No. 2016-4, and acceptance and implementation of the grant award. The fiscal impact is $934,710 (County Portion: $467,355 / Grant Funded: $467,355) (Expense).

Community Safety and Compliance

Request for approval to seek FDOT Drive It Home grant for the Keep Lake Beautiful program and approval for the County Manager to sign any associated documents if awarded.  The fiscal impact is up to $15,000 Revenue.

County Attorney

Request for approval of First Amendment to Lease of Real Property between Lake County and the City of Minneola for the Clerk of Court’s office in Minneola City Hall.   The fiscal impact for FY16 is $10,407.20 (Lease Payments for February 2016 through September 2016).

Request for approval of outside counsel firms and their use on an as needed basis for County purposes. There is no fiscal impact.

Facilities Development and Management

Request for approval to award contract 15-0202 for Lake County well maintenance services to Allen's Well Drilling Inc. (Altoona).   The estimated annual fiscal impact is $15,000 (Expenditure).

Request for approval of award of contract 16-0205 for Re-Roofing services at the Agricultural Center to RF Lusa and Sons Sheet Metal, Inc, (Lakeland).   The fiscal impact is $251,000 (Expenditure).

Public Safety

Request for approval for the Fire Rescue Division to submit an application to the United States Fire Administration Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) 2015 cycle. The fiscal impact is approximately $1,459,172.50. Based on Lake County's population, our cost would be 10% or $145,917.25.  If awarded, authorize County Manager to sign and process any subsequent related funding, contracts, or grant documents.

Request for approval and execution of the Hold Harmless Agreement with Duke Energy for use of the Lake County Fairgrounds as a staging area during times of declared emergency.  There is no fiscal impact.

Information Technology

Request for approval to award contract 16-0412 for an upgrade of the Lake County (BCC) Telecommunications system to Advanced Communications Solutions (ACS) (Lake Mary, FL) and authorization for the procurement office to execute all related contractual documentation.  The fiscal impact shall not exceed the budgeted amount of $42,000.00.

Public Works

Request for approval of purchase contract for three (3) agricultural flex wing mowers under Request for Quotation (RFQ) Q2016-00023 to Fields Equipment Co. (Minneola) in the amount of $38,397.00 for the Road Operations Division of Public Works and authorize execution of all procurement documentation by the Procurement Office.  The total fiscal impact is $38,397.00 (Expenditure).

Request for approval to award purchase contract for two (2) asphalt patching trucks under Request for Quotation (RFQ) Q2016-00032 to Maudlin International Trucks (Orlando) for the Road Operations Division of Public Works, and authorize execution of all procurement documentation by the Procurement Office.  The fiscal impact is $347,458.78 (Expenditure).

Request for approval of an agreement with the City of Tavares for the construction of a sidewalk along Dora Avenue between Lake Elsie Reserve and Lake Breeze Apartments, which also includes a crosswalk improvement where Smith Avenue and Tudor Lane intersects Dora Avenue, Section 22, Township 19, Range 26.  The fiscal impact is $13,408.00 (Expenditure).  Commission District 3.

Request for approval to release a letter of credit for maintenance in the amount of $72,145.44 posted for Greater Lakes Phase 2 which consists of 110 lots and is located south of Clermont, off US Highway 27 in the Four Corners area, in Section 11, Township 24 South, Range 26 East.  There is no fiscal impact.  Commission District 1.

commissioner discussion/action items

discussion of resolutions regarding hydraulic fracturing

Commr. Cadwell recapped that the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) took a position at their legislative conference to mainly focus on the preemption language of any type of legislation that deals with hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and the lobbyists from both the petroleum industry and the other side of the issue spoke to the group.  He mentioned that he heard some of the reasons at that meeting why some of the smaller counties in the Panhandle and north Florida had some reservations supporting a total ban on fracking, including the desperate need of jobs in those areas.  He commented that he wanted the Board to at least have a discussion on this issue, and he explained that he brought two Resolutions forward, one in order to support the position of the FAC regarding preemption and another Resolution to support a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing and any other associated type of procedure.  He expressed a concern about the county’s water supply and indicated that he did not think it was worth taking a gamble that the practice of fracking would affect the water supply.  He related that a newscast showed that there was recently an earthquake in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and he expressed a hope that they take a position to protect their underground resources by encouraging the State to ban fracking statewide.

Commr. Campione clarified that one of the Resolutions was regarding controlling their own destiny and maintaining home rule on this issue, and the second Resolution was stating that the Board supported a ban on fracking statewide.  She asked whether he believes they should just take a position regarding fracking in Florida because of its unique topography or whether he is against fracking in general.

Commr. Cadwell responded that he was basing those only in Florida, since he was not familiar with the fracking process in other states, although he has heard at some of the FAC meetings that the rosy picture that is painted about the economic benefits of fracking and job creation has been exaggerated.  He elaborated that a lot of the money involved in the operation is often sent to other states and locations outside of the area of the actual fracking activity, although there might be a short-term benefit of creation of economic activity.

Commr. Campione brought up the macroeconomics of the issue and how it has affected the oil production and the availability of energy to the country.

 Commr. Cadwell replied that he had taken into consideration the effort to lessen their dependency on other sources; however, those considerations did not outweigh the gamble of the potential of harm to their environment and water supply.

Commr. Campione related that she had researched where oil and gas can be found in Florida and where the potential actually lies, which indicated that it appears that the only two locations where fracking would be feasible are two locations in the far west of the panhandle where the shale offered the most potential and five locations in the southern tip of Florida.  She commented that Central Florida does not have any of the sought-after materials under its subsurface, and she recapped that no natural gas or oil was found in Lake County during exploratory drilling done in the 1970’s.  She expressed discomfort about adopting a Resolution of something that could not even be done, although she was definitely in favor of preemption and local decision making so that when and if technology advances and changes, the County could look at all of the science and decide what is best for Lake County.  She assured everyone that she is certainly not in favor of anything that would compromise their water quality or diminish their water quantity.  She pointed out that if they believe in local control for the counties, that would also apply to the counties that are considering allowing fracking in their county as well.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

Mr. Dave Koller, a resident of Ocala, stated that he wanted to speak against fracking and that he agreed with Commr. Cadwell’s comments.  He commented that their aquifer is connected throughout the entire State of Florida, and he opined that it would be irresponsible not to look at an entire ban on fracking.  He elaborated that they lived on a very porous structure, and the procedure entails drilling down into their substrata and pouring unknown poisons back into their system, adding to the already existing issues they are facing.  He specified that Oklahoma is now the world’s largest earthquake center, and it would only take an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.5 on the Richter scale to cause a problem.  He concluded that he believed it would be the most responsible thing for the future generations of their children and citizens to ban fracking and not allow their lands to be exploited for financial gain.

Mr. Bob Cleveland, a resident of Tavares, commented that this was a serious issue with many aspects to it.  He stated that although he did not want his children to go to war over oil or energy issues, he believed that their land needs to be protected for future generations, and it was a balancing act.  He related that despite the widespread use of the practice and the risks hydraulic fracturing poses to human health and safe drinking water supplies, the US Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate the injection of fracturing fluids under the Safe Drinking Water Act.  He mentioned that the research done by the oil and gas corporations indicate that this is a very safe practice, and 130,000 more wells will need to be drilled by 2040 in order to provide enough natural gas for the future.  He opined that as shortages occur, more and more unconventional means will be found to drill for more hard-to-extract materials, some of which may be found in Florida.

Mr. Jim Tatum, a resident of Fort White, Florida, noted that oil was first found in Florida in 1943 after several decades of exploratory drilling, and they should be aware that changes in technology could result in oil being found in Lake County in the future.  He commented that drilling and contamination in the Panhandle might affect Lake County, since the aquifer knows no bounds.  He also pointed out that the wastewater disposal generated by fracking will also be a problem, because it is so toxic that it cannot be reclaimed.  He concluded that fracking is not contained in a small area, and he urged the Board to support the Resolutions and bans throughout the State of Florida.

Ms. Linda Bystrak, a resident of Leesburg and a representative of the Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society of Lake County, which heartily supports the Resolutions 100 percent, pointed out that there were many people in attendance that day who would not be speaking but who were opposed to fracking in Florida, and she had those people raise their hands.  She opined that they will find those feelings throughout the County.  She mentioned that oil was sought after in the Green Swamp below the aquifer in the 1940’s during World War II, but that practice eventually ended because of a lack of funding and resources; however, it is possible not to drill for oil deeper in the Green Swamp due to today’s technology.  She reported that the St. Johns River Water Management District conducted a dye test during the Silver Springs study by putting dye into a sinkhole and measuring it after coming out of a monitoring well which showed that the dye traveled 68 miles per year through the karst limestone rock full of cracks and crevices in 161 days into the ten-year boundary of the springshed through the limestone pipeline underneath their ground, which illustrated that fracking anywhere in the State could be a problem.  She also pointed out that the makeup of the waste was unknown, since the companies keep that a trade secret and do not reveal that information, but acid waste could dissolve the limestone very easily and increase the speed that the waste moves.  She added that some banks will not give mortgages to properties that are near fracking operations, and some insurance companies will not insure farmers against damage caused by fracking or homes near fracking operations.  She urged the Board to pass the Resolutions, noting that 32 other counties have already passed a resolution.

Ms. Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, a resident of Fort White and a member of Floridians Against Fracking, which has done work throughout the State encouraging counties and cities to get involved with this process so that the legislature does not force their citizens into accepting this fracking situation, noted that Senate Bill 318 and House Bill 191, both of which are pro-fracking bills, are moving rapidly through the legislature.  She remarked that the Floridan Aquifer is a sole-source aquifer and the only aquifer for the State of Florida, and she mentioned that the injection of the wastewater in Oklahoma is the cause of the earthquakes that were previously mentioned.  She expressed concern that the highly-contaminated wastewater from the operations in Collier County was taken to Miami and deposited into the municipal wastewater treatment center, and it is possible that it had contaminated other parts of Florida since no one knows where it went after that.  She presented a diagram of an oil injection, noting that drilling occurs deep in the ground and that the system is pressurized with millions of gallons of water and tons of chemicals which then are extracted, leaving some fluid behind which can end up in the surface of their land or into their water through injection wells.  She suggested that the Resolution should contain something about keeping wastewater out of their county, and she showed a slide of where ASR (aquifer storage and recovery) and injection wells are already located in Florida.

Ms. Karen West, a resident of Yalaha and a representative of the League of Women Voters of the Villages Tri-County Area, which has authorized her to speak to strongly support the two Resolutions presented by Commr. Cadwell, stated that she appreciates the good information presented by the previous speakers.

Mr. David Lewis, a resident of Howey in the Hills, noted that he was a retired winter resident in support of the previous speakers’ opposition to fracking.  He commented that it is important to retain the “real Florida,” and he mentioned that he enjoys kayaking and hiking in the woods in Lake County.  He related that he was a mechanical engineer with some understanding of fracking, and he did not think it was worth the risk of Lake County losing the ability to continue to be a wonderful place due to the side effects of fracking.

Mr. Daniel Osborn, a resident of Fruitland Park and a member of the Board of Supervisors of the Lake Soil and Water Conservation District with a background in environmental science, stated that he strongly supported the Resolutions and that fracking has a considerable amount of negative impacts on the communities around it.  He commented that the Board was tasked with ensuring that they have a good quality of life in Lake County, and while there may be some potential short-term economic benefit, he believes strongly that fracking will not improve the quality of life of the citizens of Lake County in the long-term.

Ms. Susan Berryman, a resident of Eustis, commented that she has chosen this beautiful County to live in for multiple reasons, including its lakes, waters, springs, and rivers, and fracking could be very disruptive to the environment.  She added that fracking had such a bad reputation of potentially spoiling their groundwater, and she expressed hope that the Board will take the scientific facts that the previous speakers had presented to heart and do what is best for the citizens who live there now as well as their future generations.

Ms. Nancy Hurlbert, a resident of Leesburg and Advocacy Chair of the Lake County Democratic Party, indicated that she agreed with the comments of those who spoke previously.  She reported that they voted unanimously at their November DEC meeting to support the anti-fracking Resolutions and to do whatever they could to lobby against the fracking bill.  She reported that she would be leading a contingency of Democratic women next month in Tallahassee, and that is one of the bills they will be lobbying against.

Mr. David Jantz, a resident of Mount Dora, indicated his support for the Resolutions and relayed an experience he had in Colorado where residents regretted the decision to allow fracking in their area, which had created many problems including noise, pollution, and disruption throughout the state.  He pointed out that they were not permitted to find out what materials they are injecting into the ground, where they go, or the harm they can cause.  He opined that he cannot see how they could possibly want to think of allowing this to happen in exchange for the very slight benefit which would likely go to out-of-state interests or for virtually no benefit to the State or Lake County, especially considering what it might do in the long run to the quality of life that they want to maintain in Lake County.  He added that current well conditions go both vertically and horizontally, which makes it more likely that a fracking well can affect other places, and taking a chance to destroy their desperately-needed water supply is certainly not worth the risk.  He stated he strongly supported both of the Resolutions.

Ms. Suzanne Jantz, a resident of Mount Dora, thanked Commr. Cadwell for sponsoring these important Resolutions to protect their health, economy, and quality of life; and she noted that 32 other counties have sponsored similar resolutions, because they realize that they represent the voters of their counties.  She emphasized that the Board has been elected to represent Lake County constituents, and she explained that one Resolution was to give Lake County the authority not to be preempted by State government overreach.  She implored the Board to approve these Resolutions, to understand who they represent, and to support the initiatives that everyone has very well articulated about the importance of these Resolutions.  She opined that the Board should be outraged at the way the State representatives have tried to usurp the local authority.

The Chairman closed the public hearing.

Commr. Conner opined that only one of the Resolutions could be approved rather than both at the same time, since it was not correct to be in favor of local control and then tell other counties what they should do, noting that the two Resolutions contradict each other.  He commented that he believed that local control should be maintained, and he indicated that he opposed fracking in Lake County.

Commr. Sullivan indicated that he is 100 percent in support of the home-rule preemption Resolution, and he believed it was beyond the scope of the State legislature to try to control what the Board approves or disapproves in Lake County.  He also stated that he would also support a resolution banning fracking in Lake County specifically, which he thought was well within the scope of the Board, because he thought Lake County was a unique place due to the aquifer, and he did not think the risks were worth it for Lake County residents.  He commented, however, that he was still unsure about supporting a statewide ban, because he believed it was beyond the scope of his job as a County Commissioner.

Commr. Campione clarified that many of those who spoke previously were against fracking altogether and noted that there were people on both sides of this debate, including those with differing opinions from those who spoke against fracking.  She commented that they should look at all of the facts and make the best decisions, noting that each situation was different due to the hydrology and geology of an area.  She pointed out that there were no permits or requests currently pending in Lake County for fracking, and she opined that there has been a certain amount of hysteria created over this issue in Florida, although there are very limited opportunities in Florida for this to even be done.  She related, however, that she did not think it was a good thing for fracking to happen in Lake County, since she truly believes what they have in Lake County is special.  She added that they are building a great tourism base that is founded on their natural resources which is an important part of their future economically, and they would have to weigh the economic benefits of fracking versus what the potential detrimental impacts it would have on their environmental resources in the future if that ever came up.  She opined that it was premature to make a decision on this issue today, and she suggested that they come up with a better Resolution that would merge the clauses of the two Resolutions to express that they do not necessarily want to see fracking come to Lake County and that they do not want the legislature preempting the Board on this issue.  She expressed concern that some of the “whereas” clauses in the Resolutions were extremely inflammatory and that some opinions were worded as if they were known facts.

Commr. Parks commented that he does not support and has serious concerns about fracking, particularly in Lake County, since he has the background to know the dangers of this practice.  He elaborated that he also does not like the confidentiality that is kept of the chemicals that are used in fracking, and he supports the Resolution regarding the preempting issue, since the noise and what happens around the fracking facility would be detrimental for what they are trying to do in Lake County.  He opined that there was a conundrum about choosing between the two Resolutions, and he is in favor of the Resolution that opposes the loss of local control.  He suggested adding language to that Resolution that specifies that they prefer prohibiting fracking in Lake County and supporting a statewide moratorium until it is definitively determined that its use will have no negative effects on Florida’s hydrology in all counties.

Commr. Cadwell clarified that he chose to introduce two Resolutions because he did not know where the Board stands on this issue, and he was trying to find a positive resolution to discuss that day.  He further explained that while the preemption language is important, he does not have any confidence that the legislature will have that language in what they will ultimately approve, and he was afraid that their message would be lost with the preemption if they did not take a strong enough stand to oppose fracking throughout Florida.  He suggested that they have people come before the Board to make presentations about fracking as a whole in Florida and offered to set that up at some point.  He stated that his personal opinion was that they should ban fracking in Florida, but he would be in favor of the preemption Resolution today and to possibly look at other options as the issue goes through the legislature.

Commr. Conner made a motion, which was seconded by Commr. Campione for discussion purposes, opposing legislation pending in the Florida legislature to prevent communities from regulating fracking.

Commr. Campione asked to take out the “whereas” clauses from the preempting Resolution, except for the last one stating “Senate Bill 318 and House Bill 191 are currently pending in the Florida Legislature and propose to completely pre-empt the regulation of all matters…” since she was not sure that the other “whereas” clauses are true and correct statements.

Commr. Cadwell clarified that they can take Line 12 through Line 24 off of the banning Resolution to replace the clauses in the preemption Resolution up to Line 25.

Commr. Conner withdrew his motion, and Commr. Campione withdrew her second.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Campione, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Resolution No. 2016-5 regarding legislation pending in the Florida Legislature to prevent communities from regulating hydraulic fracturing, with Lines 12 to 24 on the banning Resolution to replace Lines 7 through 24 on the preemption

Resolution, leaving Line 25.

 Commr. Cadwell assured the Commissioners that he will report back to the Board as they start their Friday meetings with the FAC, any changes in their position in regards to this issue, noting that the County Attorney’s Office has weekly calls with the other attorneys in regards to what is going on in Tallahassee.

Commr. Parks thanked Commr. Cadwell for his leadership on this.  He commented that this is absolutely an important issue for Lake County and that the Board will be proactive.

recess and reassembly

The Chairman announced at 10:18 a.m. that there will be a recess until 10:30 a.m.

public hearing – ordinance for creation of wellness way plan

Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, explained that this is the adoption of the remedial amendments associated with the compliance agreement that the Board approved in December and placed the proposed ordinance on the floor by title only, as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE LAKE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BY PROVIDING TEXT AND MAP AMENDMENTS TO THE FUTURE LAND USE ELEMENT & MAP RELATED TO THE CREATION OF THE WELLNESS WAY AREA PLAN PURSUANT TO F.S. CH. 163.3164; AMENDING POLICY I-1.2.2, “CONSISTENCY BETWEEN FUTURE LAND USE AND ZONING,” TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL LAND USE CATEGORIES UNDER THE WELLNESS WAY AREA PLAN; CREATING GOAL I-8 TO BE ENTITLED “WELLNESS WAY AREA PLAN” IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH AN URBAN SERVICE AREA UNDER SECTION 163.3164, FLORIDA STATUTES, WITH URBAN SERVICE AREA MAPS, TABLES, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES AND CREATE A LONG-TERM MASTER PLAN FOR THE SOUTHEAST LAKE REGION; PROVIDING FOR IMPLEMENTATION; PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL; PROVIDING FOR ADVERTISEMENT AND PUBLICATION AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 163.3184(11), FLORIDA STATUTES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The Chairman opened the Public Hearing.

Mr. Larry Sellers from the law firm of Holland & Knight on behalf of their client Cemex stated that Cemex has had a very intense interest in this matter because of the potential effect of the Wellness Way amendment on the substantial resources that the company has, particularly in connection with its efforts to mine 1,200 acres that it leases in the south part of the County from Lake Louisa LLC.  He recapped that Cemex objected to the original Wellness Way Sector Plan amendment, and these objections are the subject of pending administrative proceedings.  He also mentioned that they have also looked closely at and reviewed the recently-proposed Remedial Amendment that is the subject of this hearing and have a number of comments.  He distributed a hard copy of some of those comments that were prepared by their planner, Mr. Charlie Gauthier.  He commented, however, that the Remedial Plan is a step in the right direction and expressly recognized that mining is an allowed use within Wellness Way; however, it is still deficient in their judgment primarily because it fails to provide meaningful and predictable standards that would guide development in that area and fails to contain meaningful guidelines and detail for more detailed Land Development Regulations (LDR’s) as is required by Florida Statutes.  He respectfully requested that the Board not approve the Remedial Amendment that day but instead direct staff to work with Cemex and other interested parties to develop those guidelines and standards that would guide development.

Mr. Gauthier recapped that he appeared before the Board in December and emphasized the economic importance of mining, and he noted that the legislature has clearly stated that aggregate materials are an important State resource and that mining is actually in the public interest.  He opined that Wellness Way as is currently structured is very detrimental to mining, damages the viability of mining, and makes those investments uncertain.  He elaborated that under the terms of this plan, applications for a conditional use permit (CUP) for mining will be judged on a case-by-case basis against an ambiguous land-use plan, generalized principles, and approved or anticipated planned unit developments (PUDs).  He commented that he does not believe this is in compliance with State law and that it fundamentally lacks essential development controls, including a meaningful and predictable future land use map, phasing controls or requirements that commercial or office development be built in a timely way, and spacial matching for the jobs-to-housing balance to prevent an abundance of high-end housing and low-end jobs.  He added that it does not qualify as an urban service area, since there are currently no urban services or commitments in the capital improvement element for future urban services, and the data for this amendment for water and sewer indicates that the private providers will have to figure that out themselves.  He concluded that the Remedial Amendment is beyond the scope of the Settlement Agreement with entirely different statutory criteria than the original sector plan, and the settlement process has circumvented agency review, noting problems with the urban growth boundaries on three of the adopted maps.

Ms. Tracy Mouncey, a representative for Cemex and Lake Louisa LLC, related that she has been asked by Mr. Matt McNulty, Director of Corporate Development with Lake Louisa, to read his letter into the record, since he could not be present that day, which stated that the Wellness Way Plan was a product of a small group that stood to benefit financially from its adoption; however, the problem with the Plan was that neither the County, the City of Clermont, nor any landowner has offered any plan or financial commitment to provide any of the required infrastructure such as roads, water, and sewer to accommodate even a fraction of what is allowed to be built under the Plan.  The letter also related that Lake Louisa has proposed a mining plan for their property that meets all of the current County development standards and requirements, including building five miles of paved roadway that connects Hwy 27 to SR 429, which is the first and only real financial commitment to the proposed planning area, but their perfectly good, beneficial, and viable proposed mining use is being denied simply because it is perceived to lack compatibility with uses that do not exist today.  She read an opinion from the letter that those uses will not exist at all, especially in the southern parts of the planning area where their property is located, until someone commits substantial financing to bring in roads, water, and sewer to the service area.  She read that they have been forced to spend considerable time and money fighting to allow a valuable resource of DOT construction sand to be realized and used to benefit growth and job creation in Lake County.

Mr. Kurt Ardaman with the Fishback Dominick law firm representing South Lake Crossings and other land owners which collectively own 2,100 acres in the Wellness Way Plan area, related that his clients were all in support of the tremendous effort that has been made by the Board and the County’s staff in crafting a plan that will benefit Lake County, its residents, and all who are involved with this.  He incorporated testimony from Mr. Jim Hall, VHP, a land planner that has spoken before the Board during the hearing for the Settlement Agreement approval on December 15, 2015, and he stated that he had been authorized to relay that Mr. Herb Kaleb, as representative of an owner of between 700 and 800 acres within the Wellness Way Plan, was also in favor of adoption.  He mentioned that his clients have expended significant resources in working with County staff, who he opined have done an outstanding job, and he concluded that the benefits to all are very substantial.

Ms. Cecelia Bonifay from the Akerman law firm, a representative of large land holders in the Wellness Way area, including Clonts Groves, Arnold Groves and Farms, and the purchaser of Avalon Groves, as well as Pacific Ace, which is interested and supportive of this since they are immediately adjacent to the area, assured the Board that her clients support the process and the document that is being approved that day.  She pointed out that the City of Clermont has a utility district and that there was also a private utility district which could provide services to that area.  She related that no one could go forward in this process without doing some form of Planned Unit Development (PUD), meaning that no property owner is given carte blanche during the approval process.  She added that any development would also have to go through the planning process before any permits are issued or construction begins, which requires that infrastructure be put in place and that all transportation and school concurrency requirements are met.  She opined that she did not believe there would be any lack of resources that will be committed in the future if not committed immediately, or the County will not allow those developments to go forward.  She urged the Board to approve the P lan.

There being no one else who wished to address the Board regarding this issue, the Chairman closed the public hearing.

Commr. Campione asked for staff to explain about the urban growth boundary delineation.

Mr. Robert Chandler, Economic Growth Director, explained that the lines for the old JPA (Joint Planning Area) boundary rather than the ISBA (Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement) boundary were left on the map, which had no impact in terms of the urban service area boundary.

Commr. Campione clarified in reply to the claim regarding the spacial jobs to housing balance that although there was no requirement that commercial use actually would be built, there was a certain area of the total area inside the PUD that could be used for commercial and job centers and another percentage for housing, wherein housing could not encroach into the other area. She also clarified that the worst case scenario would be the presence of open space in marketable locations.

Mr. Chandler elaborated that they have made sure that the minimum set-asides are at FAR’s that would require a reasonable amount of space set aside for nonresidential.

Commr. Parks pointed out that this Plan actually has a cap listed in the Plan for the number of residential units.

Mr. Chandler emphasized that this scenario has significantly less residential units than a scenario without the Sector Plan in place.

Commr. Campione added that there also would not be a set aside for job creation areas without this Plan.  She then clarified that the same criteria that they currently use for CUPs for mining would still be allowable for mining uses inside this land area and that nothing was changed in that respect.  She pointed out that there is an assertion that they may be creating an internal inconsistency because they have to develop as a PUD, and she asked whether a CUP for a mining operation would have to be done within the context of the PUD or whether it could be done as a CUP, recognizing that it is not technically development.  She commented that they were maintaining the status quo regarding mining and not trying to make it harder to make mining an allowable use.

Mr. Chris Schmidt, Planning & Community Design Manager, replied that they left that open-ended so that it could be done as a CUP as a designated use.

Commr. Campione stated that her preference would be for staff to actually spell out what the criteria and minimum requirements would be, recognizing that there would be more urban-type activity and how they could address any incompatibilities that would arise, including buffers and noise mitigation requirements so that those uses could co-exist with each other.

Commr. Cadwell mentioned that it has taken a long time to complete this process and commented that although this was not a perfect planning tool, it was certainly better than what they have done in the past.  He explained that this Plan gives them an opportunity and the framework to continue to try to balance commercial and jobs to housing, whereas they had done them on a case-by-case basis in the past without looking at the big picture as they have done in this Plan.  He mentioned that the questions regarding transportation and utilities are opportunities for discussions in the future to pursue other avenues that they have not pursued in the past.

Commr. Sullivan commented that plans change, but this is the best Plan that they can put together as they move forward to try to have the right mix of urban, suburban, housing, and commercial uses, and he noted that this Plan does not take away the rights of landowners.  He concluded that he was comfortable with and would support the Plan.

Commr. Conner stated that he supported this Plan and that Commr. Parks deserved a lot of credit for his years of hard work on this.

Commr. Parks expressed appreciation for everyone’s comments and stated that he is confident that this is a good Plan for Lake County moving forward which addresses a lot of issues up front with planning principles such as protecting water resources, making sure that infrastructure is in place, and planning for schools.  He also commented that the Plan would ensure that growth is not done in piecemeal fashion, which has notoriously been done in South Lake through the years.

Commr. Campione stated that she believed they should continue to be looking for opportunities where they can all work together to achieve a bigger goal of a great planned community in the South Lake area containing bike trails, walking trails, open space, a good job base, high-quality residential development, and a great quality of life, noting that it makes a lot of sense to have mineral extraction in the exact location where roads and buildings are constructed.

On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved adoption of Ordinance No. 2016-1 amending the Lake County Comprehensive Plan by provided text and map amendments to the future land use element and map related to the creation of the Wellness Way Area Plan/Wellness Way Urban Service Area; pursuant to Section 163.3164 of the Florida Statutes; amending Policy I-1.2.2 ("Consistency between Future Land Use and Zoning") to include additional land use categories under the Wellness Way Area Plan; and creating Goal I-8, to be entitled "Wellness Way Area Plan,” with objectives and policies establishing a long-term master plan for the Southeast Lake County region.   There is no fiscal impact.

presentation – florida’s mobile irrigation labs

Ms. Wendy Breeden, Public Resources Director, explained that Florida’s Mobile Irrigation Labs (MIL) provide free onsite evaluations of agricultural irrigation systems, and recently the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service produced a short video that promotes the value of the MIL services, which largely showcases Lake County’s MIL and two local growers and which they would show during this meeting.  She elaborated that the MIL’s are 100 percent grant funded and operated under the Lake Soil and Water Conservation District.  She mentioned that the lab’s staff are also Lake County employees and had them stand to be recognized.

Ms. Betsy Farner, a science teacher at Tavares High School as well as an MIL representative, commented that they were very proud of Mr. Bobby Brown and Mr. Adam Boykin, the MIL technicians, and very happy about the water they are conserving.  She expressed appreciation for the three-year funding they have received, and she specified that the MIL has evaluated almost 5,000 acres of land from 2009 to the present and identified a possible water savings of over 1.5 million gallons of water per day.  She commented that the agricultural community is starting to respond more and more after seeing the potential financial as well as water savings, since the greater and more efficient use of water resources directly impacts their bottom line, although their continuing efforts to educate the agricultural community has been challenging.  She added that this would be an ongoing effort as new water-saving technologies emerge and the agricultural and residential communities need to be informed.  She related that conservation is the easiest and cheapest way to extend their water resources, and she opined that their job and the Board’s job as leaders is to ensure that the new growth and development takes full advantage of the best water conservation technologies available.  She elaborated that retrofitting will be another challenge of the future, and she thanked the Board for their support of their efforts in making a difference and extending their water resources.

The video presented some information regarding the Mobile Irrigation Lab, noting that it enabled land owners to manage their water irrigation systems, and contained testimonials of users about the water and the savings they realized from using this free service.  It was pointed out that it is easier to conserve than it is to find new water sources, and the recommendations and efforts of the MILs statewide since 2009 have resulted in an18 million gallon per day savings in water.  Mr. Boykin was shown in the video explaining that trained staff from the MIL will come out to evaluate the efficiency, application rate, water flows, and water pressures of the irrigation systems of landowners, as well as other factors such as uniformity between the sprinklers.  One user of the MIL service commented that it has saved them from 15 to 20 percent on their water costs, as well as savings in diesel fuel, fertilizer, and electricity.  Another user spoke about how the MIL pointed out to him that the pumps wear out and become less efficient and that he was seeing water savings of between 20 and 30 percent.  The video stated that the St. Johns River is considered an impaired water body by the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the MIL reduces sediment and nutrients from entering the Florida Aquifer that provides water to the river by working with landowners to limit the amount of runoff from nearby farms.

Commr. Sullivan commented that they need to be talking about that approach to conservation across the board in other areas in addition to agriculture, since water is going to be the driving force behind the issues of growth and quality of life in Lake County.

Commr. Cadwell opined that the video shows that the money they have spent on the Mobile Irrigation Lab program is a great investment.

Commr. Campione suggested that the Board focus on Lake County farmers, tie that into their economic plan, and get more informed on what is happening in the agricultural industry inside of Lake County, since agribusiness was a key part of their economic plan.

Commr. Cadwell added that they could recognize and reach out to farmers that have gone through this program and are seeing the benefits of it.

Commr. Parks assured the Board that he and the County Manager could work on making that an opportunity at some point at another meeting, and he expressed hope that the South Lake Regional Water Initiative works closely with the Mobile Irrigation Lab specifically with auditing and irrigation through the initiative.

DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS

community safety and compliance

update of keep lake beautiful program and activities

Mr. Brian Sheahan, Community Safety and Compliance Director, stated that he would give the Board an update of the Keep Lake Beautiful program that was requested at the last meeting.  He recapped that information sessions were held by Keep America Beautiful staff in February and May of 2015 where residents and the Board gave input about what they wanted to see included in that type of program, and it was determined by the Board that Lake County move forward with an affiliation with Keep America Beautiful.  He elaborated that in order to achieve affiliation status, Lake County was required to create a logo, adopt a mission statement and slogan, complete a Community Appearance Index as a baseline, create an advisory committee or executive board, and organize and participate in events and programs; and he opined that doing these things was not a small undertaking.  He presented the logo that the County’s communication staff created which contained the slogan, “To beautify Lake County by Engaging Our Community,” and he related that the Community Appearance Index was completed in March of 2015 using staff from several departments which provided a baseline for future annual surveys regarding litter in the county’s communities.  He specified that they selected 52 locations throughout Lake County and several locations on local lakes, and they achieved a fairly-good average score of 1.6 out of 4, with a score of 1 being minimal or no litter and a score of 4 being extremely littered, although they did discover that particular locations throughout the County needed extra attention.  He reported that the Keep Lake Beautiful Advisory Committee was made up of two elected municipal representatives, a business owner, a School Board member, a civic organization member, and three citizen representatives; and he opined that the board is extremely diverse, very flexible, and very committed.

Mr. Sheahan related that they have realized several achievements due to the actions of this board, including the receipt of their affiliate accreditation, recognition as a member in good standing, and being recently included in the Keep America Beautiful President’s Circle in recognition of its work since becoming an affiliate and by meeting all of the requirements and reporting goals as well as initiating events in their first year.  He reported that they have also created a website in-house which launched in 2015 which allows them to sign up volunteers and alerts the community about upcoming events, as well as a litter reporting web app which was created in-house and launched in December to enable residents to report litter issues that are sent to staff for review and to be dispatched to the appropriate entity.  He related that there was a Community Cleanup Event held on September 19 at East Lake Community Park in Sorrento, Berry Park in Leesburg, and on State Road 50 near the Ace Hardware in Groveland which attracted 130 volunteers who collected 6,600 pounds of hazardous waste and 6,000 pounds of litter and debris.  He commented that this program has had great citizen support, has received overwhelmingly positive comments, and has been very well received by residents of all ages.  He mentioned that they had teamed up with the Adopt-A-Lake program for an event held on November 17 in which 56 volunteers collected 400 pounds of litter from the lakes, noting that they have brought in resources that benefit those joint projects, and they have also been collaborating with the local student Key Clubs on beautification projects.  He elaborated that they have also been attending some of the regional festivals and have participated in the National Association for Education of Young Children Conference in Orlando.  He listed some of the upcoming activities they are in the process of planning for 2016, including four community cleanup events, festival attendance for community outreach, monthly roadway site volunteer cleanup events, coordination of community facility beautification projects, and evaluation of public sites for the Adopt-a-Sport program.  He related that they will continue to build the Keep Lake Beautiful volunteer base, work with their Advisory Committee to plan and conduct events, continue to seek grant funding to benefit community projects, and seek corporate partners for the program’s events.

Commr. Cadwell commented that it was an exciting program and thanked Commr. Campione for getting them started with this initiative.

Commr. Sullivan echoed the sentiment that it was an exciting program, and he thanked the staff for their participation in those events.

Commr. Campione responded with a challenge to the Commissioners to install and use the new litter reporting app on their cell phones and suggested that the County’s employees, firefighters, Sheriff’s employees, and citizens also utilize the app so that they can identify the places that continually have problems with litter so that they can make those areas better.  She also challenged the Commissioners to think of opportunities to partner with the cities within each of their districts to come up with a project that could be done together so that the KLB committee could brainstorm how they would get that done, and she suggested that they look into beautifying the intersection of Hwy 19 and 441 in Mount Dora and the gateway into Mount Dora on Hwy 441.  She mentioned that she and Mr. Sheahan went for a train ride between Tavares and Mount Dora looking for opportunities to do a wildflower project and beautify that stretch by getting the backs of the businesses in the industrial area cleaned up.

Commr. Conner expressed excitement about this program and commented that staff has done a phenomenal job on it.  He assured the Board that he would look into projects that could be done in his district.

Commr. Cadwell asked whether the solid waste companies are participating.

Mr. Sheahan responded that those companies are mandated to do six cleanups in each one of their zones, and he assured him that they have been very cooperative.

Commr. Cadwell asked if there was monitoring and follow-up to make sure that the areas remained litter free after the cleanup programs are done.

Mr. Sheahan answered that his Code team drives by to check on the area any time they get a report and goes out to monitor the communities, although some areas are continually problematic, and they are working to figure out how to address those communities.

Commr. Parks commented that he appreciated Commr. Campione’s leadership on this, and it was a great thing that Lake County was leading the way.  He indicated that he would work with the County Manager to invite the constitutional officers and the employees to install the app on their phones.

Commr. Campione stated that she would discuss with the advisory committee about how they would go about contacting the cities regarding the phone app and possible joint projects.

Mr. David Heath, County Manager, suggested that Mr. Sheahan go to the League of Cities with either Commr. Campione or Commr. Sullivan to discuss those programs.

fiscal and administrative services

budget quarterly report for fourth quarter of fy 2015

Mr. Steve Koontz, Fiscal and Administrative Services Director, related that he would present to the Board an overview of the unaudited financial results for 2015, noting that they would come back in April with the mid-year adjustment of the fund balances and anything outstanding after County Finance finishes their audit.  He reported that the total revised budget for last year was $461.6 million; the total General Fund budget was $135.5. million; and the reserves ended at $10.7 million or about 8.6 percent of the general fund.  He noted that the state sales tax came in at $14 million, which was over the budgeted $13.4 million, and the infrastructure sales tax which was budgeted for projects conservatively at $12.2 million came in at $13.2 million or about 108 percent of what they had budgeted.  He showed a graph illustrating the FY 2015 General Fund expenditure status, including what was budgeted and where the actuals came in for 2015, which showed that the Constitutional Offices budget came in at $1 million under what was budgeted, due to several factors including $145,000 in inmate medical cost savings in the Sheriff’s budget.  He related that there were savings across all of the County departments, with some of the largest savings in salaries and benefits of about $600,000, and there was nearly $2 million in savings in repair and maintenance, utility services, fuel, and other operating expenses.  He also noted that there were some projects that were not completed during 2015 and were re-budgeted into 2016, which included the ongoing Astatula Fuel Remediation project and a few facilities projects such as re-piping of the jail; there was also $1 million in savings relating to the proceeds from selling the public records building in Tavares which was applied to the Judicial Center renovation. 

Mr. Koontz presented a pie chart which showed the breakdown of the percentage of general fund expenses, noting that 63 percent of the funding went to Constitutional Offices, 23 percent went to County departments, and 12 percent were used for non-departmental expenses, with the remaining 3 percent going to Judicial Support.  He noted that the County’s other funds were within budget with some savings, with Fire Rescue spending about 98 percent of their budget for 2015 or about $21.6 million, the Landfill Enterprise using $16.5 million of their $16.9 million budget, and building services spending $2.1 million of their $2.5 million budget.  He related that the County had 31 vacant positions as of September 30, and the average time to fill a position was about 74 calendar days.  He elaborated that there were eight promotions, 15 new hires, and 30 separations during the fourth quarter.  He summarized that most revenues in 2015 were at or near projected levels, and the State Revenue Sharing and State Sales Tax exceeded projections.  He generalized that overall expenditures were at nearly 96 percent of the budget, and operational expenses in County departments were lower at about 89 percent of the budget.  He reported that the total revenues collected were 98 percent of the budget and were higher than FY 2014, although the total expenses were slightly higher than FY 2014.  He relayed that they would do a grant reconciliation to adjust the grants in January and then a mid-year budget adjustment in April after completion of the external financial audit.  He concluded that things were looking positive and that they should have a positive increase to the fund balance this year.

Commr. Parks commented that this was a good trend.

Commr. Campione opined that it was phenomenal that the operational and departmental expenses were coming in under budget.

Mr. Koontz responded that the departments do a great job in really keeping track of what they are spending.

Commr. Conner stated that he was a large believer in conservative budgeting when it comes to revenues, and he hoped that they maintain that rather than spending large amounts of money.

Mr. Heath elaborated that this was the kickoff to get ready for the FY 2017 budget, and staff will present an economic forecast as well as a forecast of what the individual millages will look like at the next few meetings.  He stated that he wanted to have a series of strategic work sessions in February and March on different issues that affect the budget, such as fire, solid waste, and medical clinics and have the individual departments provide work sessions similar to last year, with the addition of the discussion of a few extra issues.

other business

appointments to elder council

On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the reappointment of Mr. George Wanburg (District 1) to the Elder Council to serve a two-year term beginning January 31, 2016.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the reappointment of Ms. Colleen Kollmann (District 3) to the Elder Council to serve a two-year term beginning January 31, 2016.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the reappointment of Kathy Haviland (District 5) to the Elder Council to serve a two-year term beginning January 31, 2016.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the reappointment of Linda McFadden and Carol Clendinen as at-large members to the Elder Council to serve a two-year term beginning January 31, 2016.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the appointment of Mr. William Conway as an at-large member to the Elder Council to complete an unexpired two-year term ending January 31, 2017.

appointment to board of building examiners

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the appointment of Mr. Bill Giffing to complete an unexpired four-year term ending January 14, 2019 to the Board of Building Examiners.

reports – county manager

annual retreat at emergency operations center

Mr. Heath reminded the Board that the annual retreat was next Tuesday, January 12, at the Emergency Operations Center at 9:00 a.m., which has an open agenda for discussion of whatever issues the Commissioners would like to bring up.

new management position employees

Mr. Heath announced that due to a transition in staff, he has filled two management positions, noting that Mr. Jeff Cole, who was formerly with the St. Johns River Water Management District, will be replacing Ms. Wendy Breeden as Public Resources Director upon her retirement and that Ms. Tamika Monterville, who has worked for a number of transit agencies in the Washington D.C. area, will replace Mr. Ken Harley as Public Transportation Manager.  He thanked Mr. Bill Veach, Deputy County Manager, and Mr. Robert Anderson, Human Resources Director, for coordinating the recruitment and the interview panels.

reports – commissioner sullivan – district 1

proclamation recognizing ray san fratello

Commr. Sullivan requested that they bring forth a Proclamation at a future meeting recognizing Mr. Ray San Fratello, Director of the South Lake Chamber, who was retiring after 12 years, to be presented to Mr. San Fratello at the Board meeting or his last Chamber breakfast meeting.

reports – commissioner cadwell – vice chairman and district 5

upcoming events

Commr. Cadwell announced that the bird blind ribbon cutting will be Thursday morning, January 7, at the Wildlife Watch Post at PEAR Park. He also related that the Martin Luther King breakfast will be Friday morning, January 8, in Leesburg, as well as events all week.

Commr. Conner mentioned that due to a conflict, he will not be able to attend the bird blind ribbon cutting on January 7.

reports – commissioner parks –chairman and district 2

special lake-sumter mpo meeting

Commr. Parks reminded the Board that there was a special Lake-Sumter MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) meeting that day at 2:00 p.m.

board appointments

Commr. Parks assured the Commissioners that he will have the Board appointments to them by the time of the retreat.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 12:10 p.m.

 

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sean parks, chairman

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

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NEIL KELLY, CLERK