A special MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

may 22, 2023

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in a special budget workshop on Monday, May 22, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., in the County Commission Chambers, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Kirby Smith, Chairman; Douglas B. Shields, Vice Chairman; Sean Parks; Leslie Campione; and Josh Blake. Others present were: Jennifer Barker, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, County Attorney; Niki Booth, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Kristy Mullane, Chief Financial Officer; and Stephanie Cash, Deputy Clerk.

INVOCATION and pledge

Commr. Smith welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted that it was being streamed on the County website; furthermore, they were also broadcasting the meeting via Zoom.

Pastor Jorge Mulet, with Hope International Church in the City of Groveland, gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

virtual meeting instructions

Mr. Levar Cooper, Director for the Office of Communications, explained that the current meeting was being livestreamed on the County website and was also being made available through Zoom Webinar for members of the public who wished to provide comments during the Citizen Question and Comment Period later in the agenda. He elaborated that anyone watching though the livestream who wished to participate could follow the directions currently being broadcast through the stream; furthermore, he relayed that during the Citizen Question and Comment Period, anyone who had joined the webinar via their phone could press *9 to virtually raise their hand, and anyone participating online could click the raise hand button to identify that they wished to speak. He said that when it was time for public comment, he would read the person’s name or phone number, unmute the appropriate line, and the speaker would be asked to provide comments. He added that everyone would have three minutes to speak, and after three minutes an alarm would sound to let them know that their time was up. He added that they previously notified the public that comments could be emailed through 5:00 p.m. on the previous day, and those comments were shared with the Board prior to the meeting. He stated that anyone wishing to provide written comments during the meeting could visit www.lakecountyfl.gov/commissionmeeting, noting that comments sent during this meeting would be shared with the Commission after the meeting was concluded.

citizen question and comment period

No one wished to address the Board at this time.

Agenda update

Ms. Jennifer Barker, County Manager, stated that there were no updates to the agenda.

FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET presentations

office of Emergency management

Ms. Megan Milanese, Director for the Office of Emergency Management, relayed that her office had the following responsibilities: managing the Lake County Emergency Operations Center (EOC); maintaining and updating the Lake County Preparedness Plans; managing Lake County’s Emergency Notification System (AlertLake); managing and coordinating the County’s training and exercise program; managing the special needs registry; reviewing and approving healthcare emergency management plans for their healthcare partners, which consisted of all of the healthcare agencies within the county; and processing and approving Lake County special events. She displayed their organizational chart and listed the positions of their four full-time employees (FTE), which included herself, her Deputy Director, the Emergency Management Associate, and an Office Associate. She related that some of their accomplishments from the previous year included the following: activating the EOC to Level I in response to hazards posed by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, ensuring the safety and welfare of the Lake County residents; maintaining a Level II activation of the EOC to continue those protective actions because of prolonged flooding from both storms for a total of 65 days; coordinating disaster recovery activities in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local organizations and nonprofits; and activating the cold weather shelter plan to protect residents during the freezing temperatures from December 23 through December 27, 2022, sheltering about 117 people. She commented that some of their efficiencies included the following: partnering with the United States (U.S.) Army Corps of Engineers, Silver Jackets Team, to conduct hydrologic and hydraulic studies to improve flood inundation mapping and to identify potential flood mitigation projects; receiving a $5,000 grant from Volunteer Florida to start and maintain a community emergency response team (CERT) to give them additional volunteers to help with response and to ensure that communities were maintaining their own safety; and providing multiple incident management trainings to enhance emergency management skillsets for EOC staff and first responders for 102 participants overall.

Commr. Campione arrived at 9:08 a.m.

Ms. Milanese displayed a graph that compared Lake County’s special needs population of about 690 to some of the surrounding counties, noting that it was the third lowest population. She showed a graph comparing Lake County’s healthcare facility annual reviews to other counties, which was currently at 92, and said that the number of healthcare facilities was increasing. She displayed a graph comparing the number of FTEs with other Counties and a graph showing the total direct emergency management spending per capita, which was a comparison of general funding between each county. She stated that in the proposed budget, there were some adjustments, such as eliminating their paid internship position and replacing their portal system for their healthcare emergency management plan reviews. She concluded by displaying the office’s fiscal year (FY) 2024 proposed budget of $527,893.

Commr. Smith expressed appreciation for bringing their personal expenses down.

Office of Extension Services

Ms. Megan Brew, Director for the Office of Extension Services, stated that the mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension in Lake County was to provide research-based educational programs and practical assistance to help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build better futures in the following areas: residential and commercial horticulture in backyards and gardens as well as the nursery industry; agriculture and livestock production; family and consumer sciences, such as personal health and wellness; and positive youth development through their 4-H program. She commented that they extended the resources of UF to all residents of Lake County, and that they were a partnership between UF and Lake County. She relayed that they had six extension agents, who were considered both County employees as well as faculty members of UF, which provided all of their benefits, and that they each worked in specific subject matter areas in the following positions: a Livestock and Forage Production Agent; a Residential Horticulture Agent who oversaw the master gardener volunteer program and Discovery Gardens; a Discovery Gardens Landscape Technician; a Family and Consumer Science Agent; a 4-H Youth Development Agent; a 4-H Program Assistant; a Commercial Horticulture Agent; and a Crop Production Agent. She added that they also had County employees, which included an Office Manager, two Office Associates, and a Maintenance Technician who kept the building running and open to the public and other County departments. She remarked that some of their accomplishments included the following: providing excellence in education with over 14,000 class participants; supporting a vibrant green industry, such as agriculture, nurseries, and landscaping, with almost 7,000 individual consultations, 545 continuing education units granted for qualification needed for application licenses required for employment, and 172 Pesticide Applicators exams administered; and growing future leaders with over 5,000 youth involved in 4-H, over 4,000 young people trained in public speaking, and new partnerships in underserved communities, including Hope Forest Academy. She said some of their efficiencies included the following: almost 19,000 hours donated by highly trained volunteers with a value of nine FTEs; the new Discovery Garden apprentice program to recruit master gardeners; new signage and tours for Discovery Gardens, with an audio tour highlighting the Florida friendly landscaping practices and extended hours; a partnership with the Office of Library Services allowing them to bring extensions throughout the county; a partnership with the Office of Animal Services by helping them design their new cattle handling pens, with help from the Florida Cattlemen's Association, and by developing a poisonous plants and pets class; and partnerships with local farms for farm tours, farm to table cooking programs at Long and Scott Farms, and 4-H citrus projects. She remarked that since they were jointly funded, she would show separate benchmarks, including the following: county funds per capita, which had a very good value at $1.53 when compared to other Counties; state funds per capita compared to other Counties, which was $1.85; class attendance per agent with the total number of agents per County divided by the total number of class attendance, noting that they were close to the top; and in-person consultations per agent, which exceeded those of neighboring Counties. She mentioned that they had an 11.5 percent increase in their total proposed budget, with personal services increasing by 11.3 percent and operating expenses increasing by 11.4 percent. She concluded by displaying the office’s FY 2024 proposed budget of $732,283.

Commr. Blake commented that he was the current liaison, and opined that Ms. Brew did a great job; additionally, in the previous year, he had toured the in-school program in the City of Umatilla, noting that he was impressed.

Commr. Parks inquired about the status of the advisory board. He opined that the State of Florida university and college system was currently the number one system in the U.S., and that UF/IFAS was one of the reasons for that. He asked if there was a partnership with the County that could provide information, such as data related to making policies for planning and zoning and water resources.

Ms. Brew answered that Mr. Ben Sasse, President of the University of Florida, appreciated the UF/IFAS programs and was in favor of extending the resources of the university, opining that all of Florida deserved the resources of the university. She mentioned that they had been encouraged to do more of that through total UF engagement, making more of the university resources available to more County governments and civic groups. She relayed her understanding that there would be more of that in the future, and that more departments were being strongly encouraged to do that kind of work. She stated that if there was a County department that wanted a science research based answer to an issue, she could make those connections, and that there were whole departments at UF that focused on that research. She also related that the advisory board met twice a year.

Commr. Campione wondered if the sign outside their facility could be upgraded to a reader board or a larger sign that would look nicer.

Ms. Barker replied that the County had wanted to update the sign; however, it was in the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) right of way, having been grandfathered in because it had been there for many years. She stated that if the sign was replaced, it could not be in the right of way, and would have to be farther onto the Agricultural Center property, noting that there could be an issue of not being able to see the sign easily. She relayed that they were working on logistics and placement of the sign with FDOT, and that Representative Keith Truenow, whose office was located in the Agricultural Center, had said that he would assist the County with this issue as much as he was able.

Commr. Campione opined that the County could have an agreement with FDOT to pay for the cost of moving it, if needed.

Ms. Barker thought that a new sign would enhance the right of way, noting that the current sign was old and weathered.

Commr. Campione hoped that working with Representative Truenow would help.

Commr. Smith mentioned that if anyone had not been to Discovery Gardens or the US/IFAS Extension, they were great resources, and that he had called on them many times for issues, such as questions about planting trees.

Ms. Brew commented that everyone was invited to visit Discovery Gardens.

Office of Fairgrounds and special Events

Mr. Cole Scharlau, Program Manager for the Office of Fairgrounds and Special Events, stated that they were a host venue for largescale events such as the annual Lake County Fair, the weekly Farmers’ and Flea Market, and other events throughout the year. He displayed the organizational chart showing two FTEs, and related that they also had four part-time employees, which included an Office Associate and three Fairgrounds Attendants. He stated that their accomplishments included 21 events in FY 2022, which was trending upward with a 40 percent increase over FY 2021, and opined that the Third Annual LCSO Boots, Buckles, and Badges Gala was a great event, noting that they would be back again the following year.

Commr. Campione commented that she had attended it, and opined that it was great, noting that they had brought in an air conditioning unit for the event.

Commr. Smith mentioned that the air conditioning made a noticeable difference.

Mr. Scharlau related that they had completed the master plan project and conceptual design with phasing by Rhodes and Brito Architects, Inc., and noted that the Agriculture and Youth Fair Association worked on that with them. He remarked that the Lake County Farmers’ and Flea Market averaged 232 vendor booths rented per market day in FY 2022, and that it generated $105,000, which accounted for 77 percent of their revenue for the year. He mentioned that their only other revenue source was through special events, and he hoped that the market would stay steady and that the number of events would increase. He commented that their efficiencies included the following: improved cash handling procedures and separation of duties; Spanish translations of all fairgrounds documents, such as market rules, vendor agreements, facility rental contracts, and event checklists; and electronic special event checklists in collaboration with the Office of Human Resources and Risk Management and the Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Finance Department to enhance revenue and document tracking. He displayed the office’s FY 2024 proposed budget of $308,959, and said that the increases were for anticipated increases in wages and health benefits.

Commr. Smith expressed appreciation for increasing their events, and opined that they should increase the following year.

Mr. Scharlau relayed that they had the Hurricane Expo on the prior weekend and a car show on the previous day.

office of housing and community services

Ms. Maria Abdoulkarim, Director for the Office of Housing and Community Services, stated that her office served as the link between the government and the community through collaborative partnerships to promote neighborhood revitalization and improve the quality of life for Lake County residents, and that through a variety of local, state, and federal funding, they managed approximately $27 million in grants and aids related to community development projects and assistance programs serving the most vulnerable populations. She commented that their housing programs included the following: homeless prevention services; rental voucher programs; and preservation and home ownership. She remarked that their community services included the following: children and elder services; community development block grants (CDBG); community health resources; the HOME program; State mandated programs; and tax hardship. She explained that mandated programs pursuant to Florida Statutes included the following: the County Public Health Unit Contract Administration; the Health Care Responsibility Act; indigent cremation assistance; Medicaid hospital and nursing home assistance; and public/mental health. She relayed that their restricted trust funds, including the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Trust Fund Administration and the Dori Slosberg Driver Improvement Contract Administration, were collected through fines or fees. She mentioned that their office had 18 full-time positions, noting that five of them were under the Section 8 program or Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), and that the others were funded by various grants. She remarked that their accomplishments included a homeless prevention program designed to assist individuals and families who were at risk of homelessness, noting that Lake County assisted 343 individuals with homeless prevention services. She elaborated that during the annual point in time count, they assisted the Mid Florida Homeless Coalition in delivering food and hygiene supplies to the encampments as well as doing the annual count. She remarked that for the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, they assisted about 1,400 families with about $11 million in rental, deposit, or utility assistance in the first round of funding, and in the second round of funding of over $4 million, they received over 2,100 applications from August through November 2022 and assisted over 1,000 eligible applicants. She mentioned that over $364,000 of State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) rental assistance was paid to remaining applicants when all funding from ERA was expended, and that they provided funding for mortgage assistance through the CV-1 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act with $401,000 in funding. She commented that their rental voucher program, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), assisted low income families with affordable housing by providing a rental voucher based on income, and that they assisted 698 eligible households with Housing Choice Vouchers and 41 households with Emergency Housing Vouchers. She stated that they received 35 new Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers, and that they maintained their high performer status with the Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP), which measured performance. She related that through SHIP, which provided funds to produce and preserve affordable homeownership, they expended over $538,000 assisting 11 families with down payment assistance, two families with demolition/rehabilitation, and one repair, which was currently underway. She commented that they served as an information clearinghouse to agencies, individuals, and service providers regarding available resources and opportunities, and that they provided assistance through various general funds and state mandated programs including the following: processed 73 applications for eligibility for the Health Care Responsibility Act (HCRA) program; approved 66 applications for Solid Waste/Fire Assessment Tax Hardship assistance; funded 137 cremations with the indigent cremation assistance program; and held the first annual Senior Expo on behalf of the Elder Affairs Coordinating Council with hundreds of people in attendance. She remarked that the CDBG assisted low and moderate income communities by expanding economic opportunities to improve the quality of life for residents of Lake County, and that their grants increased to over $1.4 million, which was awarded to seven community projects. She related that through the HOME Program and HOME American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), they were funded over $600,000 and over $2 million, noting that they continued to take applications for those programs. She stated that their accomplishments through CDBG included the following community programs: Forward Paths in the City of Eustis, which was funded at about $287,000; the Leesburg Teen Center; and the Astor Library, which was currently under construction. She relayed that their Community Health Care Worker Program, which also worked in connection with their homeless liaison and their case manager, assisted 521 households with resources related to Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, food assistance, and state mandated programs, and that they provided assistance through LovExtension, Inc. to provide food which was delivered to senior households and others who were in need. She commented that their efficiencies included the following: taking part in certified HUD training related to CDGB, HCVP HOME, and the SHIP Programs; reducing the program waitlists for both the HCVP and SHIP programs; updating HCVP administrative policies and SHIP policies; implementing a new HUD HOME program and accepting applications for funding; and streamlining internal processes related to all programs including implementing new software. She remarked that some of their benchmarks included housing vouchers per county, and that they were between Marion and Seminole Counties at 497, noting that this was for allotted vouchers awarded by HUD specifically for Section 8. She stated that the CDBG allocation had increased to $1.5 million, and that they had added three new urban county partners; additionally, their HOME allocation had increased to over $600,000 and their SHIP distribution had increased to $4.6 million. She explained that regarding their FY 2024 budget, there were increases in personal services and capital outlay, and that the reduction in grants and aids was a result of the completion of the ERA programs; however, they also received increases in the SHIP and CDBG programs. She concluded that their reserves included funding in their HCVP, CDBG, and SHIP programs, and that their total proposed budget for FY 2024 was $29,576,305.

Commr. Parks inquired what the status was for the countywide homelessness effort.

Ms. Abdoulkarim replied that they would be coming before the Board in a June 2023 Board of County commissioners (BCC) meeting with the applicants for vacancies on the committee, and that the committee’s first meeting would be in September 2023.

Commr. Smith expressed appreciation for their responsiveness, and said that he had toured their facility, opining that they were doing a great job.

Commr. Campione commented that she had visited the community building in the City of Umatilla with County staff, and that there were renovations in progress. She hoped that this could be on a five year plan resulting in a site built structure when the life of the modular building was over, and that the community could continue to use the building after the renovations were done. She relayed that Ms. Abdoulkarim was looking into obtaining CDBG funds for these renovations, and that they would need to gain five years of life out of it afterwards, opining that there should be a plan to move forward with a site built structure in the sixth year.

office of Library services

Ms. Jennifer Parsick, Associate Director for the Office of Library Services, showed a map of all the locations of the libraries in each Commission District throughout the county, which included six County branches funded by Lake County and 10 municipal libraries funded by the municipalities that were part of the Lake County Library System through interlocal agreements with the County and the municipalities. She related that her office had 40 FTEs, and that the top four position designations represented the 25 percent of the system that provided support for the County branches and support for the entire cooperative, which included the courier, to provide seamless service to every library; furthermore, the other 30 staff members, or 75 percent of County library staff, provided a direct public service to the residents of Lake County through their six County library branches. She stated that some of their accomplishments included the following: almost 1.5 million total items checked out; about 136,000 total library card holders; about 1.2 million physical items checked out, such as books or digital video discs (DVDs); about 696,000 materials available for check out; almost 70,000 computer sessions; about 8,000 Wi-Fi sessions; about 341,000 items transferred via couriers who traveled almost 70,000 miles. She relayed that they celebrated their 40^th Anniversary with a “40 Things To Do at Your Lake Library” challenge, and that they opened the East Lake Mini Library with the help of many departments. She commented that they were awarded an impact fee grant for interactive touchscreen computer displays with 4K cameras for residents to use for webinars, meetings, and homework help, and that libraries could hold virtual meetings and programs as well as advertise festive occasions. She remarked that they continued their partnerships with County, municipal, and other partners, including the following: the UF/IFAS Extension Office which hosted over 52 programs with 753 attendees; local fire and police departments for special story times and programs, helping children understand what first responders did and making them more approachable to children; and the PAWS Reading Program which enlisted the help of certified therapy dogs who sat and listened to young readers to help with reading skills and confidence. She relayed that they worked closely with the Office of Emergency Management to create a citizen’s information line training guide for staff in order to be better prepared for future activations, and that they had partnered with the Office of Parks and Trails for the annual Pumpkin Chunkin event at the East Lake Sports and Community Complex, which promoted physics and engineering by building catapults to launch pumpkins with and drew about 200 people. She related that some of their efficiencies included the following: catalog updates to improve patron experiences and mobile device compatibility; new programming cards for staff, making it easier to order books for programs and to better monitor the book collection; new suggested trending items to increase patron engagement and browsing experiences; the addition of SharePoint as a document repository, ensuring that staff had access to the latest forms, policies, and procedures; access to Deep Freeze, which was a software for the more than 220 public computers in the libraries, allowing software to be updated and fixed without having to physically travel to the library and saving $6,000 on the price of the contract by making the purchasing deadline; technology utilization for most meetings to save staff time and money with travel statewide and regionally; and material repurposing for the various programs. She mentioned that some of their construction projects included the Astor County Library building project, which could be open by the end of 2023, and the moving of the Montverde Library building to the East Lake Sports and Community Complex as the next phase of the East Lake County Library, relaying her understanding that the new building could be in use by 2026. She remarked that the Lake County spending per capita was split between the County and the municipalities, and that the program attendance as a percent of population was 31 percent, ranking above neighboring Counties. She commented that after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there had been steady increases in circulation per capita, noting that Lake County ranked above all neighboring Counties except for Sumter County. She stated that their visits per capita were well above the surrounding Counties, opining that they had a great collection of material, amazing programming, excellent locations, and helpful staff. She explained that Lake County received aid from the State annually for providing library services, which was spent over a three year cycle for expenditures including all desktop computers, youth programming, databases and web services, and marketing. She mentioned that even though the FY 2023 award letter had been received, the funds had not been received to date, and that the FY 2024 award was estimated at $174,000. She relayed that the personal services increase reflected the anticipated wage adjustments and an increase to employer health insurance contributions, and that their operating expenses had a reduction due to termination of the East Lake County Library lease agreement; furthermore, the grants and aid included an additional $5,000 per member library to increase the base payment of appropriations from $20,000 to $25,000. She concluded by displaying the office’s FY 2024 proposed budget of $4,810,816.

Commr. Blake commented that there was an app that could read books on electronic devices, and that there was a limit for how many digital copies could be checked out at one time because of licensing issues. He questioned if there was a backlog on that service or on popular titles, and if there was a way to ensure that the most popular digital copies were available.

Ms. Parsick replied that they were looking into different options for that service, and that they consistently reviewed the holds ratio, which was how many items they had in stock versus how many people were waiting for them. She explained that digital resources were more expensive than physical resources, and that they were looking into ways to offer that at a reduced cost.

Commr. Blake wondered if there was some way to make that more available through funding, opining that it was a great resource to have.

Commr. Parks recalled that there had been plans for books to be available on the trails, such as a mobile cart at busy locations of the trail on the weekends, and he asked if that was something they could look into.

Ms. Parsick replied that they could look into that.

Ms. Barker commented that she recalled the discussion, and that there could have been some issues with it at the time; however, she said that they would look into it.

Commr. Smith recalled that two years prior there had been a virtual student library card program, and he inquired how that was going.

Ms. Parsick answered that the wording of the legislation from the State of Florida brought up concerns from the schools about providing access to the public libraries, and that it had been placed on hold until it could be determined what this would mean for the schools.

office of parks and trails

Mr. Bobby Bonilla, Director for the Office of Parks and Trails, stated that his office’s mission was to plan, develop, manage, and maintain clean, safe, and attractive parks and trails for the health and enjoyment of all Lake County residents and visitors while promoting recreation, sports, and tourism; additionally, they preserved and restored lands to protect water resources, habitat, and wildlife corridors while promoting ecotourism through education and passive recreation. He relayed that they had 30 FTEs that were staggered to work seven days a week, and that their programs included passive and active recreation, public lands, linear recreation, and boating recreation. He mentioned that their offices were staggered throughout the county, which allowed them to respond to conditions in a timely fashion, and that they had an advisory board made up of nine volunteers who made recommendations to staff to be relayed to the BCC. He displayed a list of the properties they owned, some of which were gated, and said that they were open seven days a week, with 13 of the 15 boat ramps being open 24 hours per day; additionally, they managed the maintenance and upkeep of seven cemeteries. He commented that their trails master plan was adopted in 2008 and was updated in 2018, which included all the regional trails in Lake County, and that the Green Mountain Scenic Overlook and Trailhead was currently under construction. He related that they maintained and managed 37 miles of trails, 31 of which were standalone multi-use trails, and that the latest addition was the Wekiva Trail that went from the Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail to Seminole County. He stated that they had an abundance of nature trails, allowing the residents and visitors of Lake County to enjoy the wildlife and scenery and to participate in restoration by planting trees. He remarked that they had 162 miles of Blueway trails, and that the Lake Apopka Blueway Trail project was currently underway and was expected to be complete by the end of 2023. He relayed that the parks master plan was started in 2003, adopted in 2005, and updated in 2018, and that the latest addition was the Golden Triangle Regional Park East Campus, opining that the parks were critical to the growing community. He displayed maps of other active parks, passive parks, and the public lands, and said that the public lands program came to their office in 2011 on a voter referendum which received voter support of over 70 percent. He commented that the majority of those properties were acquired through that process, and that the Lake Norris Conservation Area was pending transfer from the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). He elaborated that most of these properties were open to the public, and that others were on a phased restoration and improvement process consistent with the management plan. He displayed a map of the boat ramps and paddling launch locations staggered throughout the county, and said that they had seen an increase in paddling events. He related that they were constantly building additional infrastructure for water dependent structures, including canoe and kayak launch areas in the Pine Meadows Conservation Area, the Lake May Reserve, and other locations, along with seeking to identify dedicated points of ingress and egress to launch and retrieve vessels. He remarked that the needs were beyond their funding levels, and that they currently had over $5 million in unfunded boat ramp improvement projects. He relayed that they educated the public and provided adventure guides and nature based events throughout the county, which gave the public opportunities to visit the properties and ask questions about different ecosystems and types of restoration taking place, and that each project was assigned one of their land managers to attend these hikes and presentations. He explained that in order to develop a final master site plan and achieve the goals outlined in the management plan, they abided by the following points: inventorying what they had; figuring out what they needed; developing a management plan; and tracking their success. He mentioned that most of their management plans were reviewed by the State of Florida in order to obtain grants, and that they were all in compliance with State regulations. He pointed out that they planted about 500 trees per year throughout the county with the help of tree mitigation funds, which was separate from the capital funding. He recalled that in 2016 they started the process of updating the parks and trails master plan with input from countywide BCC meetings, the public, key stakeholders and organizations, the Lake County Water Authority (LCWA), and SJRWMD, which allowed them to create management plans and a master site plan that went before the Board in 2018. He commented that the Board received emails regarding the processes and next steps for the Lake May Reserve, and he displayed slides outlining the steps and accomplishments at this location, noting that the County had received a Florida Communities Trust (FCT) Grant for this project in 2017. He elaborated that there was a kiosk there outlining the site improvements, and that they were currently removing some laurel oaks for safety reasons and expanding the parking area. He related that they had planted more trees at this and other locations with tree mitigation funds, and that they were outpacing the selective removal of trees by planting four times more trees; additionally, their efforts at this property were addressing the needs of conservation and enhancing the wildlife corridor. He remarked that they had partnered with the East Lake Historical Society and the Mt. Plymouth Land Owners League, Inc. on the Sunken Gardens project to rediscover the history of this area dating back to the late 1920s, and noted that it used to be a water feature and a popular tourist area. He relayed that at the East Lake Sports and Community Complex, they had added the following: basketball courts; an additional parking area; underground utilities for a future modular library; and permanent steel dugout structures in place of the canopies which had been repurposed for the Palatlakaha Environmental and Agricultural Reserve (PEAR) Park pickleball areas. He stated that some of the events at the Neighborhood Lakes Scenic Trail and Trailhead included two bald eagle releases and Mobility Week. He mentioned that the prefabricated restroom facilities had been relocated there from the East Lake Sports and Community Complex, and that it was currently being landscaped and would receive power and underground utilities, which would allow them to water the trees and provide facilities for a permanent building in the future. He related that through their partnership with the Office of Public Safety and the Office of Fire Rescue, there was annual training at the Green Mountain Scenic Overlook, and he said that they were improving the South Lake Trail through the use of sales tax by resurfacing and providing additional fencing to the trails in a phased approach, some of which dated back to 2007. He commented that they were redoing the boardwalks in the Twin Lakes Parks and PEAR Park with recycled plastic for longevity, and noted that Lake Sumter State College (LSSC) and Beacon College chose PEAR Park for their environmental classes because of the scenery and abundance of data collection at the wildlife conservation area. He stated that Lake Idamere Park was a popular destination, and that the United Way partnership and the Miracle League provided a baseball league there for those with disabilities. He commented that they continued to extend the life of their basketball, tennis, and pickleball courts at the Pine Meadows Recreation Area by resurfacing them, and noted that after five years, they had accumulated enough funding to complete the phase one paving and address the handicap parking issue there. He mentioned that the Butler Street Boat Ramp was in the process of obtaining a prefabricated restroom facility, which was being paid for through ARPA funds, and that at the Astor Park they had enhanced the fencing on the ballfields and replaced the 30 year old playground equipment with a new playground and shade structure. He relayed that several boat ramps had been damaged by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, such as the Pearl Street Boat Ramp, the Lake George Boat Ramp, and the Johns Lake Boat Ramp, noting that the parking areas had been flooded with muck, vegetation, and trees that had come down. He elaborated that after the water had receded, they removed the muck and vegetation and restored a safe and accessible staging area for the public, and that they were working through the FEMA process to recoup funds expended by the County. He related that PEAR Park was rated ninth in the top 20 places to play pickleball in the U.S., and that it was both an active and passive park with a conservation area on one side and pickleball and tennis courts on the other side. He displayed graphs depicting the types and percentages of usage at the North Lake Regional Park, the Minneola Athletic Complex, and the East Lake Sports and Community Complex, and he said that projections for 2023 would exceed 2022 numbers. He remarked that there was a growing demand for fields throughout the county, and that they required maintenance and downtime. He related that the County had maintained and improved the Minneola Athletic Complex since 2011 through an interlocal agreement with the City of Minneola, and that there was a lighting project currently underway. He stated that the County had just completed a prefabricated restroom at the Northwest Lake Community Park in the City of Fruitland Park, and that the current phase would add a storage shed, a shade structure, and other site amenities, opining that this partnership with the City of Fruitland Park was a great partnership. He relayed that the South Lake Regional Park was currently under construction in partnership with the City of Groveland, and that the Golden Triangle Regional Park East Campus was a critical piece for the trail system that would go through that area. He said that some of the efficiencies they had included the following: cross training staff in multiple disciplines, such as maintenance and capital projects; relocating key personnel to field locations, providing qualified staff that could address many issues; developing educational brochures, maps, and signs in house through the Office of Communications, allowing them to inform the community about the parks, conservation, public lands, and other information; and partnering with other agencies to reduce duplication of services and to have access to more resources. He displayed a graph showing the vehicular counter data for various parks comparing usage for the prior few years, and said that there had been an increase in traffic coming into the parks system, especially in the areas with pickleball courts. He showed a graph with the 2022 National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) performance review, and noted that their staffing numbers had stayed the same for the past 12 years while most of their funding went back into the field. He displayed a graph showing operating expenditures compared to neighboring Counties, and said that even though other Counties may have additional funding, they had been able to do more with less funding to address the majority of needs for the residents of Lake County. He showed a graph comparing the number miles of County maintained multiuse trails to the neighboring Counties, and explained that while Lake County had only 31 miles of multiuse trails that were County maintained, there were 90 miles of multiuse trails that were maintained by the Cities and the State. He displayed a graph showing the total County maintained park acreage compared to the neighboring Counties, and noted that those numbers would increase in the following year because of the addition of the Lake Norris Conservation Area and other properties. He related that their proposed budget included the anticipated wage increases and increases to health insurance, and that their capital outlay included the phased improvements at the Lake May Reserve per the FCT grant requirements. He concluded by displaying the office’s FY 2024 proposed budget of $8,335,830.

Commr. Parks opined that that the South Lake Trail was utilized heavily and was a real asset for residents and visitors, and that the numbers did not reflect all those who parked in other areas, which could potentially triple their numbers. He asked what could be done to expedite the opening of the South Lake Regional Park, opining that it was important to keep pace with the demand.

Mr. Bonilla replied that the County had held up its part of the interlocal agreement by providing funding, and that the City of Groveland had options to pursue additional funding to accelerate some of the phases. He opined that in the following year, the City should place fences, begin the irrigation system, and sod the park, and that they could complete some of the fields to start with immediately, noting that the water requirements would need to be met, which could come through the developer.

Commr. Shields opined that it would be better to have a walking trail for pedestrians going to the lake separate from the bicycling trail with cyclists going very fast, and that the Board should be made aware of all the boat ramp repairs needed so that funds could be made available sooner.

Ms. Barker replied that more of these items would be addressed during the Infrastructure Sales Tax discussions at a future BCC meeting, and that all of the project needs would be shown and what funding was available for them.

Commr. Shields opined that the Wellness Way project should be on the list, and that there should be funding for that.

Mr. Bonilla commented that there were resources for the County to explore for the boat ramps and additional properties, and that a more comprehensive presentation could address the needs for capital improvements. He mentioned that during the Infrastructure Sales Tax presentation, the Board could discuss what would be added to the list of items to be funded, and that the Wellness Way project was not currently on the list; however, it could be part of the conversation.

Commr. Shields opined that the Board would have to sacrifice funding for some projects in favor of others, such as roads, parks, and trails, and that the Board needed to have the whole list of needs to choose from.

Commr. Smith reiterated that these items would be presented in a future BCC meeting as projects that were funded and projects that were not funded, and that they would be discussed.

Ms. Barker stated that they provided the project list on a five year schedule; however, they could provide a list of 10 year projects, noting that the Wellness Way project was a longer term project and would not be identified on the five year project plan.

Mr. Bonilla commented that they were currently funding improvements on the boat ramps using boating program funds in a phased approach.

Commr. Campione opined that regarding the longer range plans, it could be helpful to have a separate list for the LCWA active parks or water related access points because they did not qualify for Infrastructure Sales Tax, and that the funding from the public lands-voted debt millage was set to retire in 2026, opining that it could be renewed to help fund trails and park related uses. She opined that having a ten year list of the projects that were not funded could help educate the public and convince residents to renew the millage to fund those types of improvements in the county.

Ms. Barker stated that if the Board wanted this item to be voted on, then it could be placed on the ballot in 2024, and that there would then be time to transition if approved by the voters. She related that there was a workshop being planned for the current autumn, and that it could be discussed publicly and presented to the municipalities because it would need to be a countywide millage. She remarked that projects in each area of the county that could potentially be funded through this millage, if approved by the voters, would need to be identified, and that a project list could be presented in partnership with the municipalities.

Commr. Campione opined that it was important to fund these projects, and that it would be impactful to parks and recreation as well as thoughtful projects that the residents could rally behind; furthermore, the County could invite those who would want to participate in this effort to the workshop, such as those involved in the trail projects.

Commr. Parks commented that he had been working with various groups throughout the county on this issue, and opined that the workshop would be important.

Ms. Barker remarked that the workshop could be scheduled in October 2023, and that these projects could be focused on then rather than making them part of the budget discussion.

Commr. Campione opined that it would be significant to emphasize larger projects that could not be funded otherwise, such as filling in the gaps of the trail system.

Commr. Parks opined that the ballot should be very specific on some of those projects, and that at least half of the emphasis should be on trails.

Commr. Shields opined that if this impacted economic development, then Lake Economic Area Development (LEAD) should be involved.

Commr. Campione opined that LEAD could be one of the groups that was involved, and noted that this was the way Seminole County had accomplished their trail system.

Commr. Parks commented that Volusia County had a similar approach.

office of veterans services

Mr. Kirk Armstrong, Director for the Office of Veterans Services, said that Lake County was home to a growing population of over 45,000 veteran families, and that their office was dedicated to educating and assisting current and former military members and their dependents in successfully obtaining benefits available by County, State and federal laws. He related that their staff served as advocates during the application process for veterans’ and survivor’s benefits, which included compensation, pensions, education, home loan guarantees, burials, and healthcare assistance, and that their office had five FTEs consisting of himself, three Assistant Veterans Services Officers (VSO), and one Office Associate. He stated that some of their accomplishments included the following: revamping the Lake County Veterans Services webpage to include more relevant benefit resources with up-to-date information from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by making direct links to their website, factsheets, and updated forms; partnering with the Office of Library Services to provide informational presentations to veterans and their dependents throughout the County; successfully transitioning to an electronic login system for appointments and accountability; reducing the average client appointment wait time from six weeks to four weeks with the help of their Office Associate; and increasing community outreach to various veterans’ organizations, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion. He relayed that some of their efficiencies included the following: scheduling a VSO to assist with walk-ins and phone calls, which had reduced the wait time for appointments; implementing new software, which allowed them to conduct appointments remotely via phone and allowed clients the ability to sign all documents electronically; and training staff who attended organized events to learn how to offer veterans and dependents up to date and relevant information when assisting with their claims, such as veteran’s suicide prevention training and yearly certification conferences. He remarked that the average number of veterans assisted in Lake County was about 33,000, and that the veterans assisted per VSO was about 11,000. He explained that the increase in their budget was due to personal services, and that their operating expenses increased only slightly for equipment to help them with outreach. He concluded by displaying the office’s FY 2024 proposed budget of $376,477.

Commr. Smith opined that the County needed to ensure that veterans were well cared for.

office of visit lake

Mr. Ryan Ritchie, Director for the Office of Visit Lake, said that their office was responsible for promoting and strengthening the local tourism industry and business community, and that tourism operations were funded by resort tax collections and were used to help fund the development of local events through sponsorships and advertising campaigns. He mentioned that they had four FTEs, including himself, a Sports Tourism Manager, a Tourism Marketing Manager, and a Financial Coordinator. He related that some of their accomplishments included sponsoring 210 events through their Tourist Development Council (TDC) sponsorship program and awarding about $803,000 in sponsorship funds to events, such as sports tourism events and festivals. He commented that the TDC co-op marketing program in FY 2022 had 27 total campaigns, awarding over $54,000 in marketing funds. He elaborated that some of the events they sponsored in FY 2022 included the following: the Bassmaster Team Championships in the City of Leesburg; the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Small College Beach Volleyball Championships in the City of Tavares; the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Golf Finals; Major League Fishing Toyota Series; and THE Spring Games in the City of Clermont. He stated that the Greater Orlando Sports Commission (GOSports) partnership and staff efforts in business development resulted in the following confirmed events: the Bassmaster College and High School Series Championships; AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball Championship; the IWWF World Waterski Championship; the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Beach Volleyball National Championship; Fishers of Men National Championship; and the Florida U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC) Pepsi Youth Bowling Championship. He mentioned that other accomplishments included the following: hosting capital funding sponsorship training sessions for community partners; partnering with the Florida Golf Alliance to promote Lake County as a golfing destination reaching over 100,000 avid golfers in Michigan, Chicago, Boston, Canada, and New York at their show and over 300,000 golfers in key target markets with their digital edition; participating in a media opportunity with TampaBay10, in conjunction with Madden Media, producing four Great Day Live segments featured daily on air from July 26 through 29, 2022 and then posted on their website, resulting in about 1.6 million impressions and almost 2,500 website visits; and engaging in marketing efforts with Major League Fishing magazine during peak times of the fishing season and during tournaments hosted in Lake County. He remarked that some of their efficiencies included establishing a new sports tourism partnership with Playeasy, a leading digital platform supporting sports event organizers, destinations, facilities, and events in the U.S. He explained that this allowed them to build their own program on the Playeasy website, which linked Lake County to many of the event organizers and rights-holders, and that their office received those leads for making contacts. He related that they had also established market analytic partnerships with Zartico, KeyData, and Smith Travel Research (STR) implementing new programs to provide insights, operational efficiencies, and tracking data for visitor engagement and other metrics. He displayed a graph comparing the annual Tourism Development Tax (TDT) amounts collected, and commented they set a record in FY 2022 with about $5.3 million and were projected to exceed that in FY 2023 with almost $5.5 million, opining that these numbers could be attributed to strong demand in travel as the country transitioned out of the COVID-19 pandemic. He relayed that Lake County had also experienced increased average daily rates (ADR), which was what a hotel or short term rental would cost on a daily rate; additionally, there was an influx of new revenue sources in February 2021 from short term rentals. He displayed a graph showing the monthly occupancy rate of Lake County compared to neighboring Counties, and commented that their average occupancy rate in Lake County was about 72 percent in FY 2022, noting that this was a very consistent rate. He displayed a graph showing the monthly hotel ADR in Lake County compared to neighboring Counties, and said that they were trending in the right direction. He explained that the proposed budget increase reflected staffing restructuring, anticipated wage adjustments, and an increase to employer health insurance contributions, noting that the capital outlay decreased because of the completion of the Hickory Point Beach project and the disc golf course at the North Lake Regional Park. He mentioned that the operating reserves increased by almost $3 million, which reflected the increase in collections, and that the total proposed budget for FY 2024 was $13,894,999.

Commr. Shields commented that one of their accomplishments was their strategic plan, opining that it was complicated because it involved the Cities, sports, activities, parks, trails, and many people with an interest in the tourism area.

Mr. Ritchie remarked that he would like to explore options with USA Pickleball because of all the pickleball courts at PEAR Park.

Commr. Parks added that tennis was also gaining in popularity, and expressed appreciation for his work and the presentation. He opined that the data was interesting, and thought that there could be opportunities to localize it and use it to help make decisions and policies. He inquired if Mr. Ritchie had seen any legislative changes that would affect his office in the current year.

Mr. Ritchie answered that it did not affect them, and that the Visit Florida initiative funding had been cleared.

Commr. Smith commented that there was much active recreational and economic development, and that he had been to many outdoor events. He expressed appreciation for Mr. Ritchie and his steadfastness and commitment to the economic development of Lake County.

commissioners reports

commissioner smith – chairman and district 3

National Solitaire Day

Commr. Smith relayed that it was National Solitaire Day.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 11:06 a.m.

_________________________________

kirby smith, chairman

ATTEST:

________________________________

GARY J COONEY, CLERK