A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

september 26, 2023

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 9:00 a.m., in the County Commission Chambers, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida. Commissioners present at the meeting were: Douglas B. Shields, Vice Chairman; Sean Parks; Leslie Campione; and Josh Blake. Commissioner not present: Kirby Smith, Chairman (was present for the 5:05 p.m. budget hearing). Others present were: Jennifer Barker, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, County Attorney; Niki Booth, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Gary J. Cooney, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller; Kristy Mullane, Chief Financial Officer; and Josh Pearson, Deputy Clerk.

welcome

Commr. Shields welcomed everyone to the meeting and said that Commissioner Smith was not in attendance; furthermore, he hoped that Commissioner Smith could be present for the 5:05 p.m. budget hearing. He added that the meeting was being streamed on the County website and that they were also broadcasting the meeting via Zoom.

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 through 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.

recognition of mr. hunter snow

Commr. Shields recognized Mr. Hunter Snow, a Eustis High School graduate who had recently completed basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina. He elaborated that Mr. Snow was the Company Honor Graduate for Alpha Company consisting of over 500 recruits, and that he was meritoriously promoted to Lance Corporal upon his achievements. He commented that Mr. Snow was presented the “Chesty” Puller award for the Marine who demonstrated the highest potential for future leadership and responsibility in the Marine Corps, and that he also received the Platoon High Shooter due to his marksmanship skills. He relayed that Mr. Snow was recognized by two Commanding Generals and received two coins for his efforts, and that he was recruited by Staff Sergeant Smith of the City of Leesburg. He said that Mr. Snow enjoyed hunting, fishing, serving in the community, hanging out with family and friends, and playing guitar for his worship band at Lake Haven Church in Eustis; additionally, after his ten day leave, he would begin Marine Combat Training (MCT) in the State of North Carolina and would then report to Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) school for training as he prepared for his military occupational specialty (MOS) as enlisted aircrew.

INVOCATION and pledge

Pastor Ludy López from Senda Church in the City of Tavares gave the Invocation, and Mr. Snow led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda update

Ms. Jennifer Barker, County Manager, stated that Tab 26 had been updated with a proposed ordinance being attached after the agenda was first published, and that Tab 38 was added as an addendum; furthermore, she requested to add it to the consent agenda.

Minutes approval

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved the minutes for the BCC meeting of August 1, 2023 (Regular Meeting) as presented.

citizen question and comment period

Mr. Banks Helfrich, a former Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District Chairperson and current candidate for State House of Representatives District 25, spoke about character and integrity. He also mentioned that he had farm tours once per month and that they had expanded to other events from October 2023 to April 2024. He added that this included foraging the farm, drum circles, harvesting yucca and stargazing, noting that these events occurred four times per month on the weekends. He added that the next farm tour was the second Saturday of the month, which was October 14, 2023, adding that it was complimentary and that he invited the community to be part of it.

Mr. Bret Jones, Chairman of the Lake 100, requested that the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) place the fifth cent for the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) on a referendum, opining that it was in the best interest of the county. He also indicated support for a study for the Lake County Sheriff’s municipal taxing service unit (MSTU) for sheriff services and associated expenses.

Ms. Dara Treadwell, representing the Elder Affairs Coordinating Council, invited everyone to the second annual senior expo that the council was sponsoring at Lake Square Mall on October 26, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. She relayed that the first expo was in the previous year, and that it was highly successful; furthermore, she said that she had been doing grassroots marketing and was promoting the expo. She asked the BCC to find a place in their community to share a flyer for the event so that seniors would know about it. She added that vendor applications kept being received and that they had a great roster of speakers.

Mr. Roy Miller, a resident of Lake County, expressed concerns for traffic on Thrill Hill Road and for the road heading north on the right side of his home being closed down. He also indicated concerns for County Road (CR) 439, and he opined that there needed to be a speed bump at the bottom of Thrill Hill Road, or a mechanical device, to slow traffic down. He expressed concerns for traffic on Thrill Hill Road because it was the only road that had access from State Road (SR) 44 to CR 44B. He also indicated concerns for a new traffic light on SR 44 backing up traffic from the Lakes of Mount Dora traffic light, opining that residents were using it as a connector to get on the beltway. He opined that there were traffic issues in this section.

Commr. Campione expressed concerns for the situation there, and said that she was looking for staff to coordinate with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on the light timing. She expressed concerns for Thrill Hill Road being used as a cut through, and she indicated interest in anything that the County could do to divert or calm traffic. She relayed that they could discuss speedbumps with the Public Works Department and public safety; however, public safety had concerns for speedbumps because a fire truck or an ambulance would have to stop and go slowly over it. She opined that they had to come up with a better way to enforce the speed limit there, and said that they had discussed some traffic calming to make it challenging for cars to go fast, noting that it would not impede public safety. She added that more development applications were being received for that area which could exacerbate the issue, and she opined that this was a joint issue that the County and the City of Eustis had to be working on together. She indicated that the County would continue to work on making this a better situation.

Mr. Bob Albers, a resident of Astor, recalled that he had previously expressed concerns about a road in Astor, and opined that five blocks without potholes were paved with blacktop but that it stopped at Riverview Drive, which had been underwater for three months and had many potholes. He mentioned that the potholes had been addressed because someone had been hurt after falling over one of them, and he expressed concerns for the blacktop stopping at his road. He opined that they had been discriminated against, and that this was the only road which had been underwater for four months. He then requested for Commissioner Campione to review this issue, and he also expressed concerns for it being a dead end street with no turnaround for garbage trucks.

Commr. Shields said that the County understood that they had road issues and that they were working on them.

Commr. Campione indicated that she could meet with Mr. Albers, and that she had driven on his road recently. She thought that there was some right of way deficiency which might be creating an issue, and that they could discuss it.

Pastor Christopher Harris, with Impact Paisley Christian Church, expressed concerns about individuals living in the woods beside the Lake Kathryn community. He indicated concerns for drug use and criminal activity, and he mentioned a recent breaking and entering incident which had been classified as a trespassing misdemeanor. He opined that this individual had been identified and had been next door to his house and walking the street of the neighborhood, and that it was dangerous for their families and children to go outside. He added that there was a house on Pennsylvania Street and Veve Avenue at the children’s bus stop which he opined had been occupied by squatters; additionally, he expressed concerns for the house not having electricity and for the yard containing unsanitary trash and debris. He opined that it was the hub for drug use and activity in their community, and that there should be something that they could do about it. He questioned why there were not patrols in their community on a regular basis, and he said that his goal was to have a healthy and safe community to raise their children and for the Lake Kathryn community to be treated the same as any other taxpaying community in the county. He asked if there could be a dialogue with Commissioner Campione to see what they could do.

Commr. Campione asked to receive Mr. Harris’ contact information so that they could connect. She said that code enforcement could be challenging, but that they had to address the issues; furthermore, she expressed interest in working together.

proclamation 2023-89 national 4-h week

Ms. Barker suggested for the Board to approve both proclamations for Tabs 2 and 3.

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved Proclamation 2023-89 declaring October 1-7, 2023, as National 4-H Week in Lake County, Florida, and Proclamation 2023-100 to Lakeview Terrace Rehabilitation and Health Care Center honoring their receipt of the Governor's Gold Seal Award.

Commr. Parks read and presented Proclamation 2023-89 to the 4-H youth and leaders present.

Ms. Megan Brew, Director for the Office of Extension Services, thanked the Board for their support. She commented that Lake County had one of the largest and best 4-H programs in the State of Florida, noting that it would not be possible without the support of the BCC, the hard work and dedication of their 4-H Agent Ms. Dallas Meringolo and her assistant Ms. Stephanie Klein, and their volunteers who served them every day. She said that their goal was to raise great young people so that they could become involved community members in the future.

Ms. Meringolo thanked the Board for supporting the youth, noting that they had seen substantial growth. She also thanked their volunteers.

proclamation 2023-100 lakeview terrace

Commr. Campione opined that Lakeview Terrace was a great facility, and said that she had several family members who had resided there. She then read and presented Proclamation 2023-100 to individuals with Lakeview Terrace. She thanked them for all that they did, and stated that it was an honor and that it took much to be recognized for the Governor's Gold Seal Award.

Ms. Tammi Frisbie, with Lakeview Terrace, thanked the Board for this honor. She also thanked them for this opportunity to show the county what they had in Altoona, adding that they looked forward to serving residents in Lake County.

CLERK OF the Circuit COURT and comptroller’s CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 4, as follows:

List of Warrants

Notice is hereby provided 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.

Olympus Community Development District Resolution 2023-12

Notice is hereby provided of having received Resolution 2023-12 identifying the FY 2023/2024 Annual Meeting Schedule for the Olympus Community Development District.

City of Mascotte Annexation Ordinance 2023-06-643

Notice is hereby provided of having received Annexation Ordinance 2023-06-643 from the City of Mascotte.

Proof of Publication of Unclaimed Moneys and Payment to the Board

Proof of publication of unclaimed moneys and payment to the Board for those non-court related moneys advertised less claims and publication costs.

COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA

Commr. Blake requested to pull Tab 10 for a separate vote.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved the Consent Agenda, Tabs 5 through 26, with the addition of Tab 38, and pulling Tab 10 to the regular agenda, as follows:

PROCLAMATIONS

Recommend approval of Proclamation 2023-101 designating October 8 - 14, 2023, as Fire Prevention Week in Lake County.

COUNTY MANAGER

Recommend approval to cancel the October 3, 2023 meeting. No public hearings were scheduled for that day. There is no fiscal impact.

Recommend approval of the 2024 meeting dates for the Board of County Commissioners: January 9 and 23; February 6, 13 and 27; March 5, 12 and 26; April 2, 9 and 23; May 7 and 21; June 4, 11 and 25; July 2, 9 and 23; August 6, 13 and 27; September 10 and 24; October 1, 8 and 22; November 5 and 19; and December 3 and 17.

Recommend approval of the Management Services Agreement between Lake County and the Lake County Water Authority. The fiscal impact is $1,754,685 (revenue/expenditure) and is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

Management and Budget

Recommend approval of a Funding Agreement between Lake County and the Office of the State Attorney, Fifth Judicial Circuit, to fund certain specified positions permanently assigned to the Lake County branch.

The fiscal impact shall not exceed $477,000 (expenditure) and is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget.

Procurement Services

Recommend approval to declare items as surplus and authorize removing them from the County's fixed asset inventory record. The fiscal impact (revenue) cannot be determined at this time.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Elevate Lake

Recommend approval to authorize the Chairman to execute the Fourth Amendment to the Lake County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Agreement between Lake County and the University of Central Florida (UCF) for the purpose of providing small business development services to current and potential business owners through group training and individual counseling in Lake County.

The fiscal impact is $150,000 (expenditure) and is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget.

Visit Lake

Recommend approval to terminate the Agreements for Construction, Maintenance and Promotion of Disc Golf Courses in Lake County between the Lake County Disc Golf Foundation, City of Clermont, City of Eustis, City of Leesburg, City of Mount Dora and Lake Sumter State College. The estimated annual maintenance cost savings to the County is $6,000 per year.

PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Facilities Management

Recommend approval:

1. Of Request for Quotation Q2023-00064 to Hydradry, Inc., (Apopka, Florida) for Umatilla Community Center Mold Remediation, 17107 Ball Park Road, Umatilla, Florida 32784; and

2. For Community Development Block Grant Fiscal Year 2023-24 funds to repair the existing Umatilla Community Center; and

3. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.

The estimated fiscal impact is $274,275 (expenditure - $175,000 CDBG funding and $99,275 Infrastructure Sales Tax funding) and will be included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget. Commission District 4.

Fleet Management

Recommend approval:

1. To increase the expenditure limits of Contract 20-0701 for Gasoline, Diesel, Fuel, Kerosene, LP Gas, and Bio Diesel with Port Consolidated (Fort Lauderdale, FL) from a not to exceed $428,731 to an estimated $700,000; and

2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.

The estimated fiscal impact is $700,000 (expenditure) and will not exceed available funding in each fiscal year's budget.

Housing and Community Services

Recommend approval of First Amendment to CDBG Sub-Recipient Contract with the City of Tavares for the Wooten Wonderland Park Improvements. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 3.

Library Services

Recommend adoption of the Long Range Plan and recommend approval to submit the Fiscal Year 2024 State Aid to Libraries Grant Application, Certification of Funds, Certification of Hours-Free Library Services-Access to Materials, Long Range Plan, and Grant Agreement, and authorize the Chairman to sign any necessary grant certifications or documents.

The estimated fiscal impact is $145,746 (revenue).

Parks and Water Resources

Recommend approval of the 2023-2033 Resource Management Plan for the Palatlakaha Environmental and Agricultural Reserve (P.E.A.R.) Park Wildlife Conservation Area, and for the Office of Parks and Trails to submit the 2023-2033 Resource Management Plan to the Division of State Lands - Office of Environmental Services for review by the Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC). There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 3.

Recommend approval of the Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Certified Budget for Arthropod Control for the Lake County Mosquito Control Program, pursuant to Section 388.201, Florida Statutes, and Rule 5E-13.027, Florida Administrative Code. The fiscal impact is $68,756.25 (revenue/expenditure - 100 percent grant funded).

Public Works

Recommend adoption of Resolution 2023-129 to advertise a public hearing to vacate a portion of platted right of way. The closest municipality is Clermont. The fiscal impact is $2,295 (revenue-vacation application fee) and is within the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget. Commission District 2.

Recommend adoption of Resolution 2023-130 to advertise a public hearing to vacate deeded right of way. The closest municipality is Umatilla.

The fiscal impact is $2,295 (revenue-vacation application fee). Commission District 4.

Recommend approval:

1. Of a Federally Funded agreement for the Lake County, Florida Safe Streets and Roads for All Action Plan project; and

2. To adopt supporting Resolution 2023-131 with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) regarding funding the Countywide safety action plan.

3. Authorize the County Manager to sign future documents related to this grant.

The estimated fiscal impact is $1,000,000, consisting of $800,000 (revenue/expenditure) in grant funding and $200,000 (expenditure) in County Infrastructure Sales Tax funding, and is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget.

Recommend approval:

1. To utilize City of Tallahassee Contract 5179 with Alan Jay Fleet Sales (Sebring, FL) for the purchase of Flat Bed Dump Trucks for the Public Works Department, Road Operations Division; and

2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.

The estimated fiscal impact is $347,232 (expenditure) and is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget.

Recommend approval:

1. To increase the expenditure limits of Contracts 20-0440 for Right of Way Tree Trimming and Related Services; and

2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.

The estimated fiscal impact is $700,000 (expenditure), and will not exceed available funding in each fiscal year's budget.

Recommend approval:

1. Of Contract 23-536 with Alfred Benesch and Company d/b/a Benesch (Tampa, FL) for MSTU Assessment Services for Wellness Way; and

2. To authorize the Office of Procurement Services to execute all supporting documentation.

The estimated fiscal impact is $95,525 (expenditure) and is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget. Annual expenditures will not exceed available funding in the Fiscal Year budget.

Recommend approval to advertise an Ordinance amending Section 9.07.00, and Section 14.15.03, Lake County Code, Appendix E, Land Development Regulations, regarding Floodplain Management. This Ordinance is required in order to comply with federal requirements for floodplain regulation. There is no fiscal impact.

county attorney

Recommendation for:

1. Adoption of Resolution 2023-133 declaring an immediate danger to public health, safety, or welfare to the residents of Lake County that requires immediate action and that the County’s significant legal rights will be compromised if it is required to exhaust the intergovernmental conflict resolution procedures established in Chapter 164, Florida Statutes, before initiating court proceedings.

2. Approval to join with Leon County in filing a Motion for Relief from Final Judgment to challenge the collateral findings in the Final Judgment in Leon County Circuit Court Case No. 2022-CA-1562 (Florida Pace Funding Agency vs. State of Florida, et.al.).

3. Authorize the County Attorney to join with the Lake County Tax Collector to file action against PACE Providers if the Lake County Tax Collector pursues litigation.

4. Authorize the Chairman to issue future directives to the County Manager and/or the County Attorney to take actions determined to be necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Lake County, Florida, related to the operation of PACE Providers within the geographic boundaries of Lake County, including, but not limited to, seeking legislative changes, policy changes, and pursuing other legal options, including litigation.

Tab 10: Resolution 2023-128 for fee schedules

Commr. Blake said that he had pulled this item for a separate vote because there were some fee increases. He added that he had pledged not to support a fee increase as a campaign promise.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried by a vote of 3-1, the Board approved Resolution 2023-128 adopting the fee schedules for Fiscal Year 2024.

Commr. Blake voted no.

LAKE ECONOMIC AREA DEVELOPMENT PRESENTATION

Ms. Kathleen Dial, Director for the Office of Elevate Lake, recalled that Lake County had entered into an agreement with Lake Economic Area Development (LEAD) on August 23, 2022. She mentioned that the agreement required LEAD to prepare a five year economic development strategic plan outlining desired goals, objectives and performance measures for the economic development of Lake County; additionally, the agreement required that annual updates of the strategic plan be presented to the BCC each September. She said that the annual update would be provided for the discussion and direction from the Board confirming the continuation of the economic development partnership agreement between the County and LEAD through September 30, 2024.

Mr. Ben Paluhn, Chairman of the Board of Directors for LEAD, said that LEAD was heavily invested in Lake County through their location and employees. He stated that there was a successful annual dinner a few weeks prior which had a theme of building relationships, their community and businesses, and he mentioned the power of partnerships and people, specifically as it pertained to the BCC. He commented that a private business investing in LEAD was taking a risk, and that the BCC had also taken a risk, opining that it was showing rewards through building a foundation for their collective future. He thanked the BCC and the County for taking this risk, and he believed that LEAD and staff had worked well together. He said that the LEAD Board of Directors had continuity since the beginning, and that they had added Mr. Ray Villegas, Mr. Mike Kelly and Mr. Tim Vanderhoof, who had been advocating for the county and had been connecting business, partnerships and nonprofits within the county for mutual benefit. He added that Mr. Kevin Sheilley, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership (CEP), and Ms. Heather Shubirg, Chief Growth Officer for the Ocala CEP and LEAD, were the extended team through their partnership with the Ocala-Marion CEP. He believed that this had accelerated Lake County’s timeline significantly on the things they were able to achieve for their community, and he thanked the BCC for meeting with them in advance of the current meeting. He mentioned that LEAD was continuing to build out the team, and he displayed a map of Central Florida. He commented that LEAD was there on behalf of Lake County’s businesses, community and taxpayers, and that they were in a position to be working on what was best for the county. He also thought that the communication and coordination with the County had focused on the industries that could benefit the county.

Mr. Sheilley mentioned that the map was from their new website, leadinglake.com, and that it had become their primary marketing piece. He said that they had partnered with VisionFirst, who was building the website and collateral, including detailed information. He indicated that they were also utilizing social media to tell the story so that everyone in Lake County understood what was occurring, along with telling the story more broadly. He commented that their newsletter had been sent out on the previous day, and that individuals would start seeing it regularly. He displayed information for the size and the number of companies that they were working with, opining that it showed that they were off to a great start. He said that for business creation they had kicked off their 1 Million Cups events and were three weeks in at their new permanent location at the new incubator in the City of Eustis; additionally, the second class of FastTrac started on the current morning, which was a 10 week training program. He added that they had assisted a number of businesses already, and that they were part of a significant grant which was just received through the Florida high tech corridor for LEAD, the Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP) and University of Central Florida (UCF) to discuss how they could build innovation. He mentioned that Mr. Vanderhoof was starting to participate in the important events to build relationships, noting that his team already had a great relationship with all of the primary consultants and that they could discuss Lake County and the opportunities there. He remarked that for business attraction, to bring new companies to Lake County they had to have someplace for them to go; therefore, they were beginning to identify locations, and there were seven sites that they were working through with their utility partners, including Duke Energy, because they were bringing additional funding to identify those sites. He relayed that for business retention, Mr. Kelly was doing a great job of engaging existing companies, noting that they had created a database with over 500 businesses that they were beginning to work with. He mentioned that they had begun setting up their networking groups, and that Mr. Kelly had already done 150 visits with existing businesses to see how barriers to growth could be removed. He displayed a list of expansion projects for existing companies looking for opportunities to grow anywhere from five jobs to over 100 jobs, along with millions of dollars in investment. He thought that helping existing companies grow was the best sales tool they had for Lake County, and he expressed excitement for where they were and the many things they had done. He summarized the items they had done, and said that year one was about building and that they had laid the foundation; furthermore, the County would start seeing things happen.

Commr. Shields mentioned that they were also working with Lake Technical College (Lake Tech), Lake-Sumter State College, public schools and businesses to ensure that children would have the skills that businesses needed.

Mr. Sheilley said that workforce drove those decisions for new and expanding companies, and that these organizations were present at their first networking group.

Commr. Campione expressed appreciation for the time Mr. Sheilley took with each of the Commissioners to discuss the details. She said that she was hopeful about the progress they were making, and that she was happy to see the synergy between the private and public sectors. She said that there were site specific opportunities and that LEAD was working on them for business attraction; additionally, she appreciated growing existing businesses.

Commr. Parks stated that he wanted them to keep promoting and helping the County with Wellness Way because he saw this as a significant site, noting that there would be many available industrial and mixed use lands in that area.

Mr. Sheilley recalled that there had been an emphasis on Wellness Way at the annual dinner, along with the Wolf Branch Innovation District.

Commr. Parks expressed appreciation for their help with everything in Lake County.

Commr. Blake commented that he wanted this to be successful and that it sounded like they were doing a great job.

Commr. Shields relayed his understanding that staff needed consensus to continue on with LEAD, and the Board relayed consensus for this.

TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN UPDATE

Ms. Jill Brown, Director for the Office of Transit Services, said that this item was an overview of the County’s transit development plan (TDP). She also relayed that they had contracted with Kimley-Horn.

Mr. Ryan Suarez, with Kimley-Horn, explained that Lake County was required to prepare a TDP as a recipient of public transportation block grant (PTBG) funding from the State of Florida, and that there was a significant update every five years. He stated that the County prepared a progress report in the interim years to be reported to the State, and that FDOT prescribed some elements that were in the TDP. He commented that there was latitude in how the County did this, and he showed the schedule for the plan which was due to the State on November 30, 2023; additionally, the plan needed to be adopted by the Board before it was submitted to FDOT. He displayed the fixed routes in the County and noted that there were currently eight fixed route services, which were buses that operated on a fixed schedule and alignment and only picked up passengers at designated stops. He specified that the routes varied in frequency between 30 and 60 minutes, and that there was one route which operated every 120 minutes to connect Altoona to Zellwood. He commented that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complimentary paratransit service was important, and that as an operator of fixed routes, the agency was required to provide door to door transit service to eligible individuals. He said that the service operated on weekdays, and he displayed some general performance metrics dating back to fiscal year (FY) 2022. He mentioned that the ridership was almost at 200,000, and that they expected this number to be significantly higher in FY 2023. He commented that passenger miles was how many miles individuals traveled on the County’s buses, and that revenue hours was a metric which told them the amount of service on the road. He opined that the website was well done, and he stated that his organization had conducted a number of outreach activities. He said that they had been in the Cities of Groveland, Mount Dora and Leesburg earlier in the current month for public workshops held virtually and in person. He added that they also performed grassroots outreach to talk to the community directly, and that they had been at the Cagan Crossings Flea Market in Four Corners to talk to a cross-section of the community. He relayed that the onboard survey they performed was likely where they received the most robust set of responses from the community, and he expressed appreciation for LEAD and Ms. Dial because the connection between workforce and transportation was important. He commented that his organization had been present at two career fairs in the Cities of Leesburg and Clermont, and that they made good connections and raised awareness of transportation services. He said that his organization heard from passengers that they were very appreciative of the service, and that 85 percent had indicated that their service experience was good or very good. He remarked that they had asked riders what they could do to make the service better, and he listed the following top three items: weekend service; more frequent service with more buses; and later evening service, noting that the County currently ended service at around 6:30 p.m., though one route ran later into the night. He said that the workforce that used the bus service often worked the second shift and that if they rode the bus to work, they were unable to return because the service did not operate late enough. He said that for the question of what was the most important reason one used the bus, the responses of not having a valid driver’s license, not having access to a vehicle, and individuals who were unable to drive added up to 77 percent. He also added that almost 50 percent of individuals used the service to get to work. He discussed service and capital needs, and said that the U.S. 27 Express was a proposed route, noting that communities in the north were disconnected with communities to the south including the City of Clermont and Four Corners; therefore, the service would provide this connection between the two areas. He relayed that there had been good feedback about this service, noting that it also made the connection to the Christopher C. Ford Commerce Park, and said that there had been a service development grant submitted to the State by staff earlier in the current year. He explained that it was a discretionary grant program to jumpstart new services and fund it for a few years, noting that the County would have to monitor growth and see how it developed over time. He mentioned that they observed that the County needed more amenities, and that passengers were asking for this; furthermore, amenities were important infrastructure elements for any public transportation agency. He said that there was coordination occurring between the County and the City of Groveland to build this type of infrastructure where if they had a sidewalk or road improvement, then the City would pour the concrete for the amenity, and County staff just had to install the amenity programmed for that site. He commented that for the maintenance facility on U.S. Highway 441 in the City of Tavares, there were some operational constraints and financial impacts associated with those constraints at the site. He stated that it was leased property, and that the parking was constrained to store, park and maintain the fleet; additionally, this was also true for the employee parking area. He stated that there was a gravel parking lot, along with some gravel driveways, which added more wear and tear to the fleet. He relayed that because it was leased property, improvements were another obstacle that needed to be overcome to improve the site. He said that there was there was no opportunity to build or install a bus wash at this site, and that operating funds were being used for someone to visit the site and wash the buses, noting that they could use federal funding to make improvements on the lot. He added that there was no onsite refueling, and that all of the refueling happened offsite; additionally, he relayed his understanding that the refueling was reimbursed back to the vendor dollar for dollar, and that there was no real savings for purchasing in bulk because the vendors went to retail outlets to purchase fuel. He said that for next steps, his organization developed this plan and identified space requirements and unit costs. He elaborated that they could develop an opinion of probable cost, and then they could utilize this for finding the right size location and funding, noting that there was funding to be awarded. He stated that they were collecting feedback and that they would include it in a 10 year financial and implementation plan, and then come back to the BCC on November 28, 2023 for adoption; furthermore, the FDOT submittal would occur on November 30, 2023.

Commr. Shields noted that people had changed their patterns due to COVID-19, and that many Cities were trying to determine how to get people back on public transportation. He said that he did not realize that most of the ridership did not have a vehicle, and he wondered if the issue was the last mile and how one could get from their house to the bus stop. He said that he would like to see something like this in the long range plan.

Mr. Suarez stated that there was much intercity service; however, the community was large, spread out, and low density. He added that getting individuals to the door was important, and that they had proposed some on demand-type services, opining that they could be good programs in the community where they could define a zone and pick up and drop off people within those zones. He elaborated that if one’s destination was beyond the zone, then they could connect them to the fixed route service, and that this type of door to door service had been targeted to ADA-eligible individuals; however, it could be opened up to the general public. He clarified that it would be a County-operated on demand-type service provided at a lower cost.

Commr. Parks mentioned the route between South Lake and North Lake along the U.S. Highway 27 corridor, opining that it could be a great route for the county. He noted that this was a retirement community corridor and that there were many great communities there, and he thought that this route would have more usage if the bus was able to come in to where residents drove their golf carts to. He also thought that they could take advantage of a park and ride lot in the City of Minneola along U.S. Highway 27. He then asked if the cost of fares possibly needed to be increased, noting that he did not see this as a high concern on the list. He clarified that the County wanted to keep riders, but that they also had to cover the costs and help the system improve. He also asked if they would be placing stops where density was planned in the future.

Mr. Suarez replied that his organization could investigate how much the fares could be increased, and that they were going to complete a fare analysis. He clarified that they wanted to maintain ridership and that they did not want to disenfranchise individuals who were using the transportation network; additionally, there were discounts that they could possibly provide through an eligibility process.

Commr. Shields commented that some municipalities had eliminated fares as an experiment to see if they could get ridership back.

Commr. Campione inquired about how many shelters the County was short.

Ms. Brown thought that they had just finished phase two and were mostly placing ADA pads because they had been trying to make all of their bus stops ADA compliant. She said that they were also trying to check the different bus stop locations to see if any changes needed to be made. She mentioned that they had just finished 33 shelters, and she believed that they already had 48 shelters and pads with amenities, noting that they had it phased and that they applied for grants each year; furthermore, they tried to prioritize locations based on safety and ridership each year for these projects.

Commr. Campione questioned how many more remained before there were shelters at each bus stop.

Ms. Brown replied that they were currently close to a quarter of the way through all of their locations.

UF/IFAS EXTENSION PRESENTATION

Ms. Brew said that the Office of Extension Services served the public and the community, noting that they also wanted to do a good job of practicing excellent customer service for their internal partners. She explained that this included providing research and unbiased information that the Board could use to inform their decisions. She then introduced Dr. Karla Shelnutt, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Professor in the Family, Youth, and Community Sciences (FYCS) program who held a PhD in food science and human nutrition, along with a Master of Science (M.S.) in clinical nutrition, and said that she was present to discuss extension engagement. She added that this was a new initiative with the university to better engage with all of their community partners and help to solve issues with the resources of the university.

Dr. Shelnutt commented that what made UF different as a land grant university was that they had a threefold mission of teaching, research and extension. She mentioned that UF was a tier one research university with over a billion dollar portfolio, and that faculty had to conduct research as part of their responsibilities. She added that the extension mission set them apart and was what allowed land-grant universities to solve public needs with college or university resources through non-formal, noncredit programs. She relayed that extension was formalized by the Smith Lever Act of 1914, and that this was when they started receiving funding from the Federal Government. She explained that extension was a partnership among the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), along with state land-grant universities and community partners in each county. She commented that they had extension offices in all 67 counties, and that they translated the research conducted on campus into educational programs in a variety of formats to help provide solutions for one’s life. She stated that there were different programmatic areas in extension including family and consumer sciences (FCS), noting that their FCS agents taught about nutrition, food safety, parenting, financial management, and a variety of topics. She added that they also had community resource development (CRD) agents who partnered with communities to increase vitality, such as helping a community prepare for or recover from a disaster. She said that 4-H was the youth arm of extension, and that they had youth build the future through leadership and learning about health and wellness. She relayed that they had agriculture and natural resources, and that this was an extension agent who was helping sustain agriculture and the nation’s food supply. She commented that they had the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) which included sending information related to disasters; additionally, UF had an online platform called eXtension or The Extension Foundation where different land-grant universities, specialists and experts uploaded evidence-based information for anyone to access. She listed the following strengths about extension: designed to meet local needs; research-based; provided programing that could be multidisciplinary; had a statewide network of extension faculty; had ongoing training and updates for County faculty; and had extension nationwide. She displayed a map of the State of Florida which showed that they had five extension districts statewide, noting that each district had a director and that each County had a director; furthermore, the agents in each of the counties reported to the directors. She relayed that they were wanting to focus on engagement, and that her goal was to better connect their extension mission at the local, state and national levels. She reiterated that they helped to provide research-based information to help individuals make better decisions. She then introduced Dr. Cathy Campbell, a UF/IFAS Assistant Professor in FYCS and a community food systems specialist, noting that she had provided some expertise in a partnership with the City of Gainesville to help the City make some policy decisions.

Dr. Campbell said that she had focused on local food production and urban agriculture in the City of Gainesville, noting that urban agriculture had many benefits including community development, increasing access to healthy food, education, and job training. She relayed that the City of Gainesville had some people who wanted to start a farm, and that they came to extension who partnered with the law school at UF to work with their planners and develop an ordinance which would fit with the community’s needs and goals. She elaborated that this had passed after three years, and that they had some commercial urban agriculture occurring in the City of Gainesville. She mentioned that she had also worked with an item related to institutional food procurement, which was everything from K-12 schools, prisons, hospitals and universities, noting that they ran food service programs which typically sourced food through broadline distributors, and that cost and uniformity were sought for those programs. She said that there was an opportunity with Florida agriculture to be sourcing this food locally because it was a chance for Florida farms and food businesses to be supplying food, particularly in K-12 schools where part of the funding was coming from the State, opining that it was good to have it go back to the agricultural industry. She stated that she had worked with UF to have them adopt a policy where they had committed to purchase 30 percent of their food from the State of Florida, noting that this would yield over $240 million of food purchases from Florida farms and food businesses over the next contract.

Dr. Shelnutt opined that Dr. Campbell did a great job with the City of Gainesville, and that these were the types of items that UF could help Lake County with. She said that the County could contact Ms. Brew or herself if they had a topic where they needed an expert opinion, and that they could connect the County with a specialist or a local agent.

Commr. Shields said that the Cities would be interested in this information, and he indicated interest in providing this.

Commr. Campione relayed that the City of Eustis had success working with young people and having an urban garden within the city limits.

Commr. Parks mentioned how much data and research had been done over the years which was available to the County. He said that the Board was trying to listen to people, but also make fact and science based decisions, and he expressed support for incorporating research and data into their policymaking so that they could reference it, opining that it was defendable. He mentioned septic tank to sewer conversion and said that there was recent data on septic tanks which was available. He encouraged staff to use UF/IFAS as a reference as well, and he said that he had found some of the data that UF/IFAS had done to be useful and applicable to the state and Central Florida, noting that they were his primary source.

Dr. Shelnutt added that there was also misinformation, and that they could help the County address this.

Commr. Campione recalled that when the County was working on a fertilizer ordinance, there was valuable information from UF/IFAS which helped them formulate it and provide information to the public.

Commr. Parks noted that Lake County was still a large agriculture county, and he hoped that UF/IFAS could help the County and the Cities do this.

Ms. Brew stated that she would work with staff to provide their contact information to the County’s City partners. She encouraged everyone to reach out to the Office of Extension Services if they needed any information, noting that they could help provide the fact-based information needed to make decisions.

recess and reassembly

The Vice Chairman called a recess at 10:43 a.m. for 10 minutes.

public hearing: RESOLUTION 2023-132 DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY

Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, explained that this item was a requirement from legislation from the previous session, and that at a public hearing, local governments were required to present a list of any properties which were appropriate for affordable housing. She said that Lake County had routinely worked with their partners to convey property that they had, or to acquire property appropriate for housing. She mentioned that those partners were Habitat for Humanity, Homes in Partnership, and Christian Worship Center, and that at the current time the County did not have any properties which were available for affordable housing; however, they were required to have this public hearing before October 1, 2023. She added that the County was also required to include any properties that may be owned by a dependent district, noting that the Lake County Water Authority (LCWA) listing of properties was included but that there was nothing appropriate for affordable housing. She requested the Board to open the public hearing and approve the resolution.

The Vice Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved Resolution 2023-132 regarding Disposition of Property for Affordable Housing and inventory of all Lake County and Lake County Water Authority (LCWA) owned real property. This public hearing is required pursuant to Section 125.379, Florida Statutes, as amended by Senate Bill 102 (2023-17 Laws of Florida), known as the Live Local Act, signed by Governor DeSantis on March 29, 2023.

public hearing: ordinance 2023-60 ROOF PITCH REQUIREMENTS

Ms. Marsh placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for reading by title only as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE, APPENDIX E, LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS: SECTION 3.01.02.A, ENTITLED RESIDENTIAL USES; AMENDING SECTION 9.10.02, ENTITLED DESIGN STANDARDS; REPEALING THE ROOF PITCH REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

The Vice Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved Ordinance 2023-60 amending Sections 3.01.02.A, and 9.10.02, Lake County Code, Appendix E, Land Development Regulations, to repeal the roof pitch requirements for both single family homes and commercial development.

public hearing: ordinance for PARKS, RECREATION & TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD

Ms. Marsh placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for reading by title only as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING ARTICLE II, CHAPTER 16, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED PARKS, RECREATION AND TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD; MODIFYING MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

Ms. Marsh mentioned that this item had been brought forward by Commissioner Smith, and that staff could always advertise it for another date if the Board wanted to postpone it.

The Vice Chairman opened the public hearing.

Ms. Lavon Silvernell, a resident of Astatula, said that she had sent the Board an email, and that Commissioner Smith had favorably viewed her suggestion to have the Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board meet in the Board Chambers. She opined that even with the new meeting room at the old LCWA building, it was a small space and was challenging to fit many people in. She recalled that she had suggested that having more people’s opinion, rather than less, was valuable, along with having many different demographics represented. She relayed information about the current Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board members, and she expressed concerns that many children’s sports had become a business and for organizations bringing in people from out of town and pushing children off the fields. She also opined that there needed to be more representation on the Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board for funding for environmental lands, and indicated that she would not like to see the number of members on this board be reduced.

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

Commr. Campione expressed support for this ordinance, opining that the representation of a member from each district accomplished what they needed; additionally, the Commissioners could select someone who had special expertise or interest in the environmental or athletic side of the parks. She said that she liked the idea of having the meetings in Board Chambers to make it more accessible, and she commented that the School Board representation was fine, but noted that she did not really observe that there was much give and take as far as them having to spend time attending a meeting. She opined that it was not very productive for their time, and said that the County could already coordinate with the school district. She added that the LCWA was already represented as part of that partnership, and that there was also a League of Cities and an at-large member. She opined that they would have the representation they needed if they reduced the number of members, and that it would make it easier for staff to coordinate these meetings and work around everyone’s schedules.

Commr. Blake agreed and added that the County tried to have quorums with their advisory boards. He relayed his understanding that there were sometimes scheduling issues in Board Chambers because many people used it, and that he would not want to create more issues; however, he would be amicable with this if it was feasible.

Commr. Parks commented that he was opposed to making any significant changes and that meeting in Board Chambers was a great idea. He stated that the Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board normally did not have an issue reaching a quorum, and he thought that more input was better. He opined that they wanted to have someone from the League of Cities participating because it was a master plan for the entire county, and he relayed that there was an issue with the school district sharing facilities; therefore, the school district member could possibly be removed. He indicated that the LCWA could be advising on public lands as well, and that he could see reducing it to eight board members.

Commr. Campione recalled that the individual from the LCWA had been a staff person and not a board member, noting that staff was present at the meeting already. She stated that she could not recall a time when she was at a League of Cities meeting when they gave a report on the Trails Master Plan or anything similar, whereas the County had community based meetings any time the County did master planning. She opined that the County was receiving this input by virtue of taking an alteration to Parks Master Plan to the public.

Commr. Parks opined that the Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board had good input from various members and that it had been well attended. He thought that it was another line of communication if the County was trying to cooperate with Cities, noting that the County was asking to share facilities and be more efficient with the way they planned their recreation, trails and parks.

Commr. Shields suggested to table this item to receive Commissioner Smith’s opinion, adding that staff could get consensus, discuss this with some of the groups, and find out if it was going to be an issue if someone was not at the meeting.

Commr. Campione commented that one item the County could possibly improve would be that they could have staff make a presentation at a League of Cities meeting once per year or more. She opined that it could likely be a better result of all of the Cities providing input on the aspects of parks and trails that impacted them.

On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board tabled this item until Commissioner Smith would be present.

regular agenda

city of eustis traffic enforcement cameras

Ms. Barker recalled that the City of Eustis had attended the previous BCC meeting and introduced the automatic traffic enforcement safety device. She added that there were some questions asked and answered at that time, though the Board had asked that staff bring this item back because Commissioner Blake was not attendance. She thought that the Board felt that Commissioner Blake would want to weigh in on this topic, and said that the City was back to reintroduce it.

Mr. Tom Carrino, Eustis City Manager, explained that coming out of the most recent legislative session, legislation was passed that basically improved safety within school zones. He indicated that the City was working with a private partner and the State to introduce these school zone devices on SR 19, and was working with the County for Orange Avenue. He said that this was new legislation, and he believed that the City of Eustis was one of the first municipalities in the State that was implementing it, noting that there were still many questions being answered. He relayed that the legislation said that they could install these monitoring devices in school zones, and that they could not cite anyone unless they were going more than 10 miles per hour (MPH) over the speed limit. He added that the citations did not result in points or a negative impact on insurance or one’s driving record, and that the City was looking to do an awareness campaign. He elaborated that this was about improving safety in school zones, that the City wanted to raise awareness, and that the second step would be a series of warnings; therefore, if one went through a school zone at more than 10 MPH over the speed limit, there was a period where they would just receive a warning, and beyond this they would start receiving citations. He commented that the Eustis City Commission unanimously approved moving forward on this item, which was why the City was working with the State and the County on implementation. He added that the pilot program would be for Orange Avenue and SR 19, though the City Commission had said that they wanted this at all schools and all school zones in the city. He mentioned that they were doing the traffic analysis to see if they were going to move forward with this, and he recalled that Commissioner Smith had previously asked about the citation being issued to the owner of the vehicle. He stated that the statute said that they must cite the owner of the vehicle; however, there was an process where the owner of the vehicle could sign an affidavit indicating that they were not driving, noting that they would have to identify who was driving. He indicated that the City was implementing this per the statute.

The Vice Chairman opened the floor for public comment.

Mr. Edward Wagner, a resident of the City of Tavares with the Lake County Libertarians and bancams.org, opined that the City of Eustis should have another police officer instead of surveillance machines. He opined that bancams.org had already eliminated eight states from using these devices, and that they had been successful at the local level. He opined that these machines and red light cameras were not slowing people down, and that they would be better off to have a police officer rather than out of state funding going to these surveillance cameras.

Commr. Shields asked if he was discussing red light cameras.

Mr. Wagner clarified that he was discussing both red light and speeding cameras. He said that he understood that the State of Florida allowed this, and he opined that individuals had the right to petition because it went against the true principles of freedom there. He opined that they needed more police officers rather than more machines going to another state. He also requested to know who voted to put this machine in place.

Commr. Campione inquired if he was opposed to all cameras anywhere.

Mr. Wagner indicated that he was opposed to cameras that took the place of law enforcement.

Mr. Nicholai Bjoring, Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Lake County, relayed that he had moved to Lake County two years prior because they had shown that they were willing to support individual freedoms. He read the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and he opined that these types of cameras removed one’s Sixth Amendment right, noting that there was nobody to confront one’s accuser in a crime. He believed that this item was a violation of constitutional rights, and he urged the BCC to vote against these cameras.

Ms. Marsh clarified that the Board could not deny the City of Eustis the right to install the cameras, noting that they had this right under State law. She explained that the only reason that the City was present was because they would like to install the cameras in County owned right of way, and that if the Board voted to deny this, the City could still move forward with their project if they could receive permission from private property owners to install these cameras.

There being no one else who wished to address the Board regarding this matter, the Vice Chairman closed the floor for public comment.

Commr. Parks relayed his understanding that the City of Eustis had already made their decision, and that they wanted this.

Mr. Carrino confirmed this, and he said that the Eustis City Commission unanimously directed them to move forward; however, they still had some agreements that needed to be approved. He stated that the City was going through due diligence and receiving approval from the County and the State, and then they would have agreements with their private sector partner. He mentioned that there were differences between red light cameras and what this program allowed, and that they could also discuss due process.

Commr. Blake indicated his understanding that there was a $100 fine for a violation, and that it said that the fines collected were to be used to administer the program, support school security initiatives, and fund school crossing guard programs. He asked what percentage of the $100 went to the vendor to run this program.

Ms. Marsh replied that it was statutorily defined and that out of the $100, $20 was remitted to the Florida Department of Revenue (FDOR) for deposit into the general fund, $60 was retained by the municipality and could be used to administer speed detection systems in the school zones, $3 was remitted to FDOR for deposit into the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund, $12 was remitted to the County school district in which the violation occurred and must be used for school security initiatives, and $5 was retained by the municipality for the school crossing guard recruitment and retention program.

Commr. Blake asked if it did not indicate how much the vendor could charge of the $60, and Ms. Marsh confirmed this.

Ms. Lorraine Johnson, with Altumint, explained that they had a flat fixed fee process of $3,500 per month per camera which included up to 250 citations, noting that this was $14 per citation. She said that this included everything and that her company was installing the cameras and putting up the costs upfront, which included all of the costs to maintain, process and handle everything with the violations.

Commr. Blake relayed his understanding that the data went to the vendor’s servers, and he asked if it was shared in a database with any other clients.

Ms. Johnson denied this, and she added that there were specific rules in the legislation which stated that the data could only be stored for 90 days; furthermore, after this it had to be destroyed and they had to notify the agency that they had destroyed it in accordance with the statute. She stated that the legislation also indicated that the cameras could not be used for remote surveillance, and mentioned that the cameras were only on during school hours and would not capture anything if the person was not going more than 10 MPH over the speed limit.

Commr. Blake inquired if the cameras were only on during school hours or during the hours authorized for drop off and pickup.

Ms. Johnson clarified that the cameras were on for the flashing light times, as well as the entirety of the school day, which was based on the statute; additionally, tickets could be issued throughout the day. She reiterated that one had to be going over 10 MPH plus the flashing speed limit during those times, and over 10 MPH plus the posted speed limit during regular hours.

Commr. Blake asked how large of an issue was someone being issued a fine and then having to sign an affidavit if they were not the driver of the vehicle.

Ms. Johnson responded that this legislation was new in the State of Florida, and that it was an online process. She explained that there was information that had to be provided on the citation, and that this was one of the included items. She said that one could fill out a form on a website and transfer the liability, in addition to being able to call and have this done; furthermore, she opined that it was a simple process.

Commr. Campione inquired if they had to say who they believed was driving the car.

Ms. Johnson confirmed this, and said that it was similar to a toll; additionally, it would fall back on the registrant if they did not want to identify the person driving the vehicle.

Commr. Campione asked if that person had any recourse to say it was not them, opining that there could possibly be abuse. She then stated that Altumint had indicated in their pro forma that they were counting on a certain amount of funding per month in their contract, and she inquired if this was based on the number of people who they assumed would be speeding.

Ms. Johnson clarified that their flat fee system included 250 citations and that it had nothing to do with the total number of citations that they were going to issue.

Commr. Campione asked what would happen if everyone drove slowly.

Ms. Johnson opined that her company would not be paid and that the City of Eustis would never owe them money for anything. She commented that their goal would be 100 percent compliance, and that 90 to 95 percent was what they assumed as a company. She added that they would do a 30 day educational campaign as required by the legislation, and that hopefully through the education process individuals would start to slow down and not receive a citation. She reiterated that there was a warning period in the first 30 days in which no one would be issued a citation.

Chief Craig Capri, with the Eustis Police Department, clarified that this was not about money, but rather the safety of children in the streets. He opined that speeding was a large issue in the City of Eustis and said that there was data which showed a speeding issue. He expressed concerns for speeding in a school zone, and he opined that they had to do anything they could to help their children. He explained that the cameras were not surveillance cameras and that there was no live feed; rather, one had to go back and review the violation to verify it, noting that it would be voided out if there was any discrepancy. He opined that they had to do something that was a force multiplier, and that they had to embrace technology and leverage it to their advantage as a community to save their children.

Commr. Blake inquired how the City had addressed this issue up to the current time, and if they posted an officer at the locations during those hours in the morning and afternoon.

Chief Capri confirmed this and added that the City of Eustis had written the most traffic citations in Lake County in the previous year. He expressed concerns for traffic, and he expressed interest in anything they could do to reduce accidents and save lives.

Commr. Blake asked if having a physical officer at that location during peak hours had an impact.

Chief Capri said that this was correct, and stated that they wrote multiple tickets each morning in school zones. He also expressed concerns for children crossing SR 19, and he opined that Orange Avenue was just as busy. He commented that one had to be 11 MPH over the speed limit, and that one had to be going 31 MPH in a school zone and 51 MPH the rest of the day. He hoped that no one received a ticket and that it corrected the behavior to consider slowing down. He added that there were also pedestrians and cyclists in these areas.

Commr. Campione asked if the Eustis Police Department could give someone a ticket for going nine MPH over the speed limit.

Chief Capri confirmed this but opined that they had to use common sense.

Commr. Campione said that she did not see the difference between nine MPH over and 11 MPH over the speed limit. She expressed concerns that they were sending the message that one could get up to the limit.

Chief Capri thought that they were trying to be fair, practical and realistic. He opined that it was challenging to drive the speed limit at times, and he thought that everyone needed to slow down, especially in school zones. He commented that he would not write someone a ticket for going five or nine MPH over the speed limit, though he likely would if it was in a school zone. He added that sometimes a verbal warning was as good as a ticket as long as they had compliance.

Commr. Shields recalled that one of the individuals who spoke mentioned having more law enforcement, and he relayed his understanding that half of the County’s budget was used for law enforcement; additionally, they were trying to keep their millage rate in line. He said that if there was something they could try and see if it helped, then he was unsure why they would not try it.

Commr. Campione opined that just because the State of Florida decided that this was a good law did not mean that it was one.

Chief Capri opined that the City of Eustis had decided that it was a good law and that this was what counted; additionally, they were going to do everything they could to protect their city.

Commr. Campione thought that during school hours they could put more law enforcement there and that this would be the best deterrent.

Chief Capri opined that this was not necessarily the case, and relayed that he had a full staff; therefore, they could not hire more officers. He said that they were dealing with many calls and that they did many things, and that it was challenging to put their resources throughout the city. He opined that they had to leverage technology, and he commented that they were not going to spy on people and that they would not break the law to enforce the law.

Commr. Shields mentioned that this item would be denied if the Board had a 2-2 vote, and he expressed concerns for tabling it for a second time until Commissioner Smith was present.

Commr. Blake said that he was amicable with voting on the current day, and he opined that technology had been abused by the government in many ways over a long period of time. He recalled that they had this issue at the County level where they had a vendor install dozens of cameras without permission, and he opined that it was an example of a third party vendor coming in without permission and surveilling private citizens. He agreed that it raised constitutional issues, and he recalled that he had worked for the State Legislature when Representative Ron Reagan introduced the red light camera bill; additionally, he also agreed that just because the State Legislature did something did not mean it worked out well. He stated that he was not in favor of outsourcing police to third parties, and he questioned how many business in Lake County had an employee drive their vehicle and if the County wanted to create an additional step of an affidavit each time this occured. He relayed his understanding that if a physical officer was enforcing this, then it would immediately go to the driver and not to the vehicle. He commented that for surveillance, he preferred to not outsource the police work, and that he was not in favor of having the infrastructure in place. He clarified that he had asked Chief Capri about the deterrent effect of having an officer at these locations during drop off and pickup was because if having driven past a police car was not deterring, then he did not see how it was more of a deterrent to drive past a sign. He also believed that having an officer there during peak hours was the solution, and he relayed that he was not in favor of this item. He opined that it would not affect the City of Eustis because he assumed they could move the camera over to school property with the permission of the Lake County School Board.

Ms. Marsh confirmed this.

Commr. Blake stated that it was a principle item for him and that he had fought surveillance technology for these reasons because history showed that it could be abused. He expressed concerns for creating the possibility and infrastructure which accumulated over time and could create issues as seen in other parts of the world. He mentioned that there had been cases where automatic license plate readers were abused by rogue departments who were not following the law, and he reiterated that he did not want to set up surveillance technology even though it was going to a server and that he did not want to outsource policing. He reiterated that if having a physical officer present was not enough of a deterrent, then he did not think just having a camera would be any better. He indicated that he would vote no on this item.

Commr. Campione said that she was in favor of the safety of children, and she expressed concerns for not having enough sidewalks for children to safely get to school and the crosswalks. She expressed concerns for the infrastructure being in place and for the next law possibly being that they could issue speeding tickets in other locations that were not school crossings. She relayed that she would prefer not to be involved in the pilot and be a party to this. She thought that if a police car being present and having additional officers at those locations was not a deterrent, then she was unsure what would be a deterrent. She indicated that she had too many reservations about this item.

Commr. Blake asked if the Vice Chairman would like him to make a motion or wait until Commissioner Smith was present.

Commr. Parks thought the Board should table it until Commissioner Smith was back.

Commr. Campione relayed her understanding that it looked like it was going to be a 2-2 vote and would not be approved. She added that if they tabled it, then there was the possibility that it might be approved.

Commr. Blake recalled that he was not present at the previous BCC meeting, but that his impression was that Commissioner Smith was not in favor of this item.

Commr. Blake made a motion to deny this item with the understanding that the City of Eustis could still do this; however, it would not be on County property.

Commr. Campione seconded the motion. She said that the County was partnering on many good things with the City of Eustis, and she did not think that they always had to be fully in agreement to be good government partners. She cautioned the City on this item; however, she understood that safety was their goal.

On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Campione which failed by a vote of 2-2, the Board did not deny the City of Eustis’s request to install a speed detection system for Automatic Traffic Enforcement Safety Device (ATESD) cameras at a designated school zone on East Orange Ave in the City of Eustis.

Commr. Shields and Commr. Parks voted no.

Ms. Marsh clarified that the item was not approved or denied, and that if a Commissioner wanted to bring it back, then they could have a full Board. She added that if no one brought it back, then it would not move forward. She explained that the motion to deny this item failed and that there would be no reconsideration of it unless a Commissioner wanted to bring it back.

amendment to interlocal agreement for medical examiner

Commr. Blake noted that he was a member on the Medical Examiner’s Board, and that he had been keeping the BCC updated on the discussion for the new Medical Examiner building. He recalled that at the previous Medical Examiner’s Board meeting, one of the members brought up the estimate at roughly $36 million for the new facility; additionally, he relayed that they had not settled on a final piece of property to purchase. He indicated that it looked like they were leaning toward rural Summerfield, and that the Medical Examiner Board costs were divided by county population. He said that staff had found that Lake County was subsidizing some of the other Counties and that in terms of the operations, it would be cheaper to bill by actual usage for the cases coming through from Lake County; furthermore, it would be savings of about $70,000 if this was done. He commented that the Medical Examiner’s Board had chosen to do it by population because they thought that it was the most straightforward way to handle it, and that Seminole County was its own district but was part of District 5 Medical Examiner’s Board. He added that the rest of it was Citrus, Marion, Lake, Sumter and Hernando Counties, and he relayed his understanding that this expense of over $6 million would have to come from the General Fund to pay just Lake County’s share. He explained that the current Medical Examiner’s Office in the City of Leesburg would revert to Lake County if they no longer used that facility, and said that if $6 million was too much, he wondered what would happen if Lake County was separate because they already owned their own morgue and Medical Examiner’s facility. He recalled that the Medical Examiner’s Board had ranked the cost of the facility last in importance, and that he had spoken up and said that he did not think that Lake County felt this way because they had to have the funding to pay for it. He mentioned that when they built a new facility and if Lake County was still part of that Medical Examiner’s Board district which was created by the Florida Governor, then they would have to fund $6 million and would billed over time for more than they used it. He added that when this was done, the ownership of the current facility would come back to Lake County, and he indicated they were only moving out of it because there were six counties being serviced, opining that this was too much. He relayed that one possibility would be to ask the Governor to create Lake County’s own district, noting that they could hire their own medical examiner and that they would already own the building; therefore, they would not have to spend $6 million on a facility to then be part of a six county operation. He opined that the capacity would improve significantly, and that Sumter County may possibly be interested in having a smaller district with Lake County. He reiterated that it was a unique situation because Lake County would own the morgue when they moved elsewhere, and that it might make more financial sense to request the Governor to name Lake County as their own district with their own Medical Examiner; additionally, they could possibly partner with a neighboring county.

Commr. Shields commented that as the counties expanded, they would need more facilities or larger facilities. He added that one way to address this could be to separate it into smaller pieces.

Commr. Campione asked how Seminole County did this financially and how much they had to contribute considering that they ran their own district.

Commr. Blake replied that the allocation by population for Seminole County was $1.4 million, and that it was just over $1 million for Lake County.

Commr. Campione inquired if this was based on a State requirement for Seminole County to still have to contribute this to the group effort even though they were running their own district, and if Lake County would also have to contribute funding if they did what Seminole County was doing.

Commr. Blake clarified that Seminole County was their own district, but that they had joined with Lake County, presumably for cost sharing. He clarified that it was Districts 5 and 24 and that Seminole County was part of Lake County’s Medical Examiner’s Board. He thought that Seminole County could separate if they wanted, and he thought that Volusia County was their own district. He was unsure if this was the right decision for Lake County; however, once the other five Counties were no longer using the facility that Lake County owned, it freed up capacity for Lake County in the long run and could save them some funding. He reiterated that Lake County’s annual allocation with the current way of doing it by population was $1 million.

Commr. Campione said that Lake County would have medical examiner costs, costs for their staff, and then their own facility.

Commr. Blake mentioned that it would be for a greatly reduced caseload, and that he was unsure what the operating expense would look like. He questioned if it was worth reaching out to the Governor to find out what this would involve.

Commr. Campione opined that it might make sense to team up with Seminole County, noting that they were already separated out and that the Governor might possibly be more apt to say Lake County could join with them. She opined that this might make the most sense geographically, and said that Sumter County could stay tied to Hernando and Citrus Counties.

Commr. Blake agreed and stated that Lake County would be transferred from District 5 to District 24. He opined that if there were long term cost savings to be had, and with Lake County not taking on new debt for this new facility because they would not need to, then it was worth considering. He relayed that Lake County was about to have to sign on to help finance this new facility, and that they would be responsible for over $6 million out of the General Fund.

Commr. Parks opined that they would be expanding local government, but it could possibly be a good move if the numbers were there.

Commr. Blake thought that if it was not already in the agreement that the current morgue would become Lake County’s and was already paid for when they quit using it, then he would not have brought it up. He opined that it was worth considering, and that there were so many pressures coming up on the General Fund that if there was a way to avoid a $6 million expense, then it was worth exploring.

Ms. Barker said that staff had reviewed this and that if it was done based on population, then Seminole County was paying a higher amount. She explained that the way it was currently allocated, they took the population of District 5 as a whole versus District 24, which was just Seminole County, and they split the entire budget; additionally, they then further split District 5 among the Counties within it based on population, noting that Lake County had the highest population within District 5. She opined that Seminole County likely paid more than they should if it was based on usage, and she thought that it was probably easier to do it based on population, noting that it was consistent. She thought that it would cost about $200 per service performed through that office; additionally, if Lake County were to do it on their own, it would provide a savings of approximately $80,000 per year based on their budget for fiscal year (FY) 2024 based on the services from the previous fiscal year. She clarified that this was for the operations side and did not take capital costs into account.

Commr. Blake explained that under the allocation by population, Seminole County was paying $1.4 million, and that the allocation by services would be $692,000 for them.

Commr. Campione relayed her understanding that this depended on if the Governor’s Office would do this, and that what Sumter County thought of it could affect the Governor’s decision. She opined that it made sense to break up the districts when considering the capacity of the facilities and that it might be the right time to do this.

Ms. Marsh said that Lake County used to be the administrator for the Medical Examiner’s Office, and that Ms. Allison Thall was currently with Seminole County. She added that Ms. Thall had helped administer the Medical Examiner’s Office when she was with Lake County. She commented that she imagined that Seminole County would be willing to address administration since they would have the larger usage, but it was something that Lake County had done in the past.

Commr. Blake stated that it might be worth having staff reach out to Ms. Thall to see if Seminole County would be interested, and then if they were, the information could be received from the Governor’s Office regarding how long this would take and the process to be transferred from one district to another.

Commr. Parks also requested a breakdown of the costs for Lake County over five to ten years.

Commr. Blake pointed out that most or all of the equipment in the existing facility likely would go to the new facility, with the exception of items that were being purchased new; therefore, some of the equipment could potentially remain there or be sold.

Ms. Barker summarized that staff was going to check with Seminole County to see if they would be interested in partnering with Lake County or allowing the County to join District 24. She added that if Seminole County was amenable to this, then staff would review the process for changing districts, and if they were not amenable, staff would review the process for creating their own district, noting that they would bring this information back. She added that staff would also review the capital costs needed for the existing facility.

On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved a second amendment to the interlocal agreement between Citrus County, Hernando County, Lake County, Marion County, Seminole County, and Sumter County for Cost Share of Medical Examiner Services and Related Matters, to extend the agreement for one year.

OTHER BUSINESS

APPOINTMENTS TO THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD

Commr. Blake commented that Mr. Dencov Bryant had attended the previous two Library Advisory Board meetings, and that he was engaged.

On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 4-0, the Board approved to appoint the following members to the Library Advisory Board to fulfill an unexpired term ending February 28, 2025: Ms. Jennifer Caldwell for District 3; and Mr. Dencov Bryant for District 5, with associated conflict waiver.

reports

county manager

supervisor of elections facility

Ms. Barker commented that Commissioner Smith had intended to bring up a request by the Lake County Supervisor of Elections, and that he had asked her to do this since he was not in attendance. She relayed that Commissioner Smith had met with Senator Alan Hays, Lake County Supervisor of Elections, in the previous week about a new option for a facility at the Lane Park Road property that the County currently owned. She said that Senator Hays found that steel buildings were less expensive than brick and mortar construction, and that they would still have the expense of the site work, utilities and impact fees; however, Senator Hays had received a quote of about $300,000 for each building. She elaborated that Senator Hays was proposing two buildings of 20,000 square feet each for a total of 40,000 square feet on the property. She added that Senator Hays had taken this quote to the construction manager that the County currently had under contract, noting that the County was currently negotiating with them to terminate the contract because they were originally contracted to do the renovations at the Sears facility which the Board was not moving forward with. She relayed that Senator Hays had worked with them to do a cost estimate for these two buildings on the Lane Park Road Property, and that Charles Perry Partners, Inc. (CPPI) came back with an estimate of around $11.7 million, which was considerably cheaper than the $24 million for the construction of the 50,000 square foot building that the County was originally contemplating. She said that Commissioner Smith had thought that because the price was much lower than the $24 million, it was worth coming back to the Board and having the discussion again if they wanted to move in this direction. She stated that she had provided information to the Board, and that she was unsure if all of the costs were included in their estimate for items such as impact fees, utilities, and a turn lane on State Road (SR) 19, Lane Park Road, or both. She relayed that if these items were not included in the quote, then staff estimated that it would be several million dollars more than the $11.7 million for everything needed for access to the facility. She recalled that the Board had directed staff to purchase the building that the Supervisor of Elections was currently in on U.S. Highway 441, and that if the Board chose to move forward with the new facility utilizing the steel buildings, she would need direction to halt the purchase of the current building. She commented that she had signed a purchase agreement and that the owner was reviewing it, noting that it was contingent upon final Board approval. She added that staff was getting ready to start the due diligence, and that they were holding off on this since this new option came up. She then related that staff was working on terminating the lease for the Sears building, which was based on Board direction. She said that staff had received information on September 22, 2023 from the Sears building landlord, and that the County had offered about one year’s worth of lease payments for about $500,000, plus around $750,000 to get the space back in a leasable condition because the County had done some demolition and all of the asbestos remediation there. She remarked that drop ceilings would have to be added, along with walls and some flooring. She mentioned that the landlord for the Sears facility had declined this, and that the landlord was asking to be able to terminate the lease early before the five year term; additionally, they had asked the County to pay $1.3 million for renovating the space back into a leasable condition, plus the $500,000, bringing the County’s total to $1.8 million to terminate the lease early. She commented that the total cost of the lease over five years was $2.6 million, opining that it was not much of a savings to terminate early. She related that if the Board chose not to terminate the lease, then she would find a use for the property. She asked if the Board wanted to move forward with the steel buildings as proposed by Senator Hays, if they wanted to move forward with the purchase of the building that Senator Hays was currently in, and if they wanted to move forward with the termination of the Sears building lease.

Commr. Campione asked if the County could utilize the Sears building.

Ms. Barker confirmed that they could use it for warehouse space, and that there would only be minor costs, noting that it could be used for five years.

Commr. Blake inquired about the schedule on the purchase agreement and when it would come back to the Board.

Ms. Marsh replied that staff had not started due diligence yet and that they would have to do appraisals, surveys, etc., noting that they had put this on hold. She believed that if they moved forward with this, they would have 120 days under the lease agreement to complete due diligence and close on the property.

Commr. Blake relayed his understanding that there was no need for the Board make a decision on this at the current time.

Ms. Barker confirmed that they could wait to do this until October 10, 2023.

Ms. Marsh added that because this item was not on the agenda, staff would have to bring it back on October 10, 2023 for a formal vote.

Commr. Campione inquired if part of the due diligence could include seeing the possibility if the City of Tavares would grant the County a variance on the parking issue, along with setbacks if the County wanted to add on to the building.

Ms. Marsh said that this was correct and that all of the zoning requirements would be part of their due diligence.

Commr. Campione stated that if they could maximize that space and receive variances for setbacks and parking, it became a more usable property for the needs of the Supervisor of Elections and the uses of the County.

Ms. Marsh remarked that the County would hopefully be bringing the lease agreement for Tractor Supply Co. to the Board on October 10, 2023, assuming that they still wanted to move forward with it. She added that the landlord had been out of the country and that the County had not been able to have him sign the lease agreement. She also believed that in the meantime, the Supervisor of Elections staff had requested to use the Sears facility because they had some equipment coming in that they needed to store.

commissioners reports

commissioner parks – district 2

wildlife corridor summit

Commr. Parks relayed that on the following day he would be speaking at the Wildlife Corridor Summit in the City of Orlando. He added that Ms. Mary Ellen Stern, Director for Economic Growth, Dr. Richard Levey, with Levey Consulting, and Mr. Timothee Sallin, with Cherry Lake Tree Farm, would also be speaking.

COMMISSIONER BLAKE – DISTRICT 5

lake county sheriff mstu

Commr. Blake recalled that the Board had previously expressed interest in an MSTU for the Lake County Sheriff, and that they had given it to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to see if the Sheriff wanted to do this. He thought that the request from the Lake 100 was to have a study done, noting that it worked for many counties in the state. He opined that it would be a great idea to authorize Lake County’s own study to see if it was feasible there.

Commr. Parks and Commissioner Shields expressed support for this. Commissioner Parks thought that the Board would also discuss the Tourist Development Tax (TDT)

Commr. Shields said that staff was working on this.

Commr. Blake asked if the process would be to have this item on a future agenda.

Ms. Barker replied that if she had consensus to receive information, she could put out a bid to have a study done to evaluate an MSTU for law enforcement. She added that she would work with the LCSO.

Commr. Campione opined that they had to be working on it together, and she was unsure why it had not gone further already.

Commr. Blake thought having the information was useful either way.

commissioner shields – vice chairman and district 1

regional affordable housing event

Commr. Shields mentioned that he attended a regional affordable housing event.

regional planning conference event

Commr. Shields said that he and Commissioner Parks had attended a regional planning conference event.

lake-sumter state college four corners office

Commr. Shields stated that Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) had kicked off their Four Corners office and had a ribbon cutting which was well attended.

florida association of counties

Commr. Shields remarked that he had Florida Association of Counties (FAC) policy business.

orlando economic partnership board meeting

Commr. Shields commented that he had visited the City of Orlando for the Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP) board meeting, which went well.

lead annual dinner.

Commr. Shields relayed that the LEAD annual dinner was well attended.

RECESS AND REASSEMBLY

The Vice Chairman called a recess at 12:11 p.m. until the 5:05 p.m. Budget Public Hearing.

5:05 BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING

welcome

Commr. Smith thanked the Commissioners for being present in the morning and for their understanding.

PRESENTATION OF FINAL BUDGET

Ms. Allison Teslia, Director for the Office of Management and Budget, said that the purpose of this presentation was to adopt the final millage rates and the final budget for FY 2024. She relayed the following information for the proposed final budget as presented: included $5 million for road resurfacing; included the LCWA staff services agreement; included the $14 per hour minimum wage adjustment and compression; fully funded Judicial Support, the Constitutional Offices and County departments; and reflected a General Fund reserve total of $37.06 million, which was an approximately 17.4 percent operating reserve. She displayed the proposed position requests for FY 2024, noting that the only change since the first public hearing was the addition of the 14 LCWA positions. She showed the tentative millage rates, commenting that Chapters 129 and 200, Florida Statutes, outlined the procedures for the annual adoption of tax rates and budgets, and required that she identify the proposed millage rates for FY 2024, as well as any adjustments the Board would consider. She listed the following information: the proposed FY 2024 Lake County General Fund operating millage was 5.0364 mills, which was equal to the FY 2023 rate and was a 9.24 percent increase over the rollback tax rate of 4.6102 mills; the proposed FY 2024 Lake County Ambulance MSTU millage was 0.4629 mills, which was equal to the FY 2023 rate and was a 9.25 percent increase over the rollback tax rate of 0.4237 mills; the proposed FY 2024 Lake County Stormwater, Parks and Roads MSTU millage was 0.4957 mills, which was equal to the FY 2023 rate and was a 9.84 percent increase over the rollback tax rate of 0.4513 mills; the proposed FY 2024 Lake County Fire Rescue MSTU millage was 0.5138 mills, which was equal to the FY 2023 rate and was a 9.41 percent increase over the rollback tax rate of 0.4696 mills; and the proposed FY 2024 Lake County Wellness Way MSTU millage was zero mills, noting that the County would be conducting a study to establish something for FY 2025. She said that based on calculations by FDOR on the DR-420 Certification of Taxable Value form, the current year proposed aggregate millage rate was 5.9802, which was 8.64 percent over the aggregate rollback rate of 5.5048 mills. She stated that the Public Lands Voted Debt Service millage did not figure into the rollback calculations as it was approved by a referendum, and that the proposed FY 2024 Public Lands Voted Debt Service millage was 0.0918 mills, which was no change from the FY 2023 rate. She then remarked that the proposed FY 2024 LCWA millage was 0.2940 mills, which was less than the FY 2023 rate and was a 4.11 percent increase over the rollback rate of 0.2824 mills.

PUBLIC HEARING

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

MILLAGE RESOLUTIONS

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved the following items: Lake County Countywide Final Millage Rate Resolution 2023-119 of 5.0364 mills; Lake County Municipal Services Taxing Unit for Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services Final Millage Rate Resolution 2023-120 of 0.4629 mills; Lake County Municipal Services Taxing Unit for Stormwater Management, Parks and Roads Final Millage Rate Resolution 2023-121 of 0.4957 mills; Lake County Municipal Services Taxing Unit for Fire Rescue Services Final Millage Rate Resolution 2023-122 of 0.5138 mills; Lake County Wellness Way MSTU Levy Final Millage Rate Resolution 2023-127 of 0.0000 mills; and Lake County Voter Approved Debt Service Final Millage Rate Resolution 2023-123 of 0.0918 mills.

Commr. Blake voted no.

CHANGES TO FY 2024 TENTATIVE BUDGET

Ms. Teslia said that since the approval of the tentative budget on September 12, 2023, there had been various changes which included the following: updated fund balance and revenue projections; re-budgets for capital projects that were not completed by the end of FY 2023; grant adjustments; the local provider hospital assessment approved on September 12, 2023; the LCWA staff services agreement, which was approved on the current day; and updated purchase order (PO) carryforward estimates.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried by a vote of 4-1 the Board approved the changes to the FY 2024 tentative budget totaling $62,171,673.

Commr. Blake voted no.

FINAL BUDGET

Ms. Teslia read the requested action to adopt the final budget Resolution 2023-124 for the FY 2024 budget totaling $837,089,480.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Shields and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved Resolution 2023-124 for the Fiscal Year 2024 Final Budget totaling $837,089,480.

Commr. Blake voted no.

LAKE COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY BUDGET

Ms. Teslia commented that there had been a few adjustments to the LCWA budget since the September 13, 2023 LCWA meeting; additionally, staff was recommending a budget reduction of $500,000 and a corresponding millage rate reduction. She added that the LCWA had also updated their fund balance and PO carryforward projections. She then displayed a list of significant projects that the LCWA had budgeted for FY 2024.

PUBLIC HEARING

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

LCWA MILLAGE RESOLUTION

Commr. Parks relayed his understanding that there was a request to reduce $500,000 from the LCWA budget, and he asked about the current millage rate.

Ms. Teslia replied that the current millage rate was 0.3083 mills and that the proposed millage rate was 0.2940 mills.

Commr. Parks inquired about the discussion for what would be eliminated.

Ms. Teslia explained that their reserve balance was above the recommendation from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA); therefore, staff had reduced it. She added that even with reducing it by $500,000, the reserves were still at 18 percent of the operating budget.

Commr. Campione asked if this took into account that there were some projects that the LCWA had not awarded contracts on yet, but anticipated coming through.

Ms. Teslia confirmed this.

Commr. Parks expressed concerns for all the projects they had planned for water resources and what would be eliminated from that.

Commr. Smith relayed his understanding that none of the projects previously proposed were being eliminated, and that it was only being taken out of reserves since it was over 18 percent of the operating budget.

Commr. Parks asked if this limited their ability for future projects such as Lake Yale.

Commr. Campione clarified that this item was included in the budget.

Ms. Teslia relayed that their reserves were at 22 percent of the operating budget, which was why nothing else was eliminated.

Commr. Parks inquired if the LCWA had recommended this.

Commr. Campione said that the BCC had made a request and had said that they would like the LCWA to see if there was a way to reduce the millage rate without impacting projects and grants.

Commr. Parks opined that they would never raise the millage rate, and he questioned if this could limit them in the future.

Commr. Smith opined that this included many projects to occur in a year.

Commr. Shields indicated an understanding that because the LCWA was now part of the County, then their reserves percentage of the operating budget would be compatible to the County’s.

Commr. Campione wondered about the septic tank conversion to distributed wastewater treatment systems (DWTS), enhanced systems or central sewer. She said that the BCC had not really discussed the possibility of using LCWA grants for this because of its direct relationship to rivers and lakes. She said that once the State stopped giving grants for those conversions, or if they required additional matches, the County would need a funding source for this. She thought that this was a reasonable reduction, and she expressed appreciation that staff and LCWA members had reviewed this. She opined that getting reserves within a certain range was prudent, and that it would be different if they had projects that they were ready to begin. She added that in the future they should keep the LCWA millage rate in mind as a possibility to help with some of these conversions.

Commr. Shields said that it would also be nice to know the purpose for the LCWA’s reserves.

Commr. Smith responded that it could possibly be used for canal cleanup, such as when trees were down in the canals.

Ms. Barker added that it could also be used for an unanticipated match for a grant.

Commr. Campione remarked that it could be used for hydrilla treatment, noting that hydrilla could worsen quickly and then if the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) backed off on its funding, then this was another source. She thought that the County should be cautious in making reductions for possible needs in the future; however, she thought that this still kept them in a position where the funding would be available if those items came up.

Commr. Smith mentioned that the LCWA Board and staff also went through workshops.

On a motion by Commr. Shields, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried by a vote of 3-2, the Board approved the Lake County Water Authority Final Millage Rate Resolution 2023-125 of 0.2940 mills.

Commr. Parks and Commr. Blake voted no.

CHANGES TO LCWA FY 2024 TENTATIVE BUDGET

Ms. Teslia requested approval of changes to the FY 2024 LCWA tentative budget in the amount of $5,843,286, which included the PO carryforward projections of about $6.3 million and a budget reduction in the amount of approximately $500,000.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Shields and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved changes to the Lake County Water Authority FY 2024 Tentative Budget in the amount of $5,843,286

LCWA FINAL BUDGET

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Shields and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved Lake County Water Authority Final Budget Resolution 2023-126 for Fiscal Year 2024 totaling $36,248,573.

Commr. Blake voted no.

closing comments

Commr. Smith commented that it was National Pancake Day.

Commr. Parks thanked staff.

Commr. Smith thought that staff knew how appreciative the Board was for the work they contributed. He also thought that they started in February for the next budget meeting.

Ms. Barker said that staff was always working on the budget.

Commr. Smith opined that staff did a great job trying to save the Lake County citizens money while keeping the services as high as possible. He opined that the goal of the Board was to keep the millage rate steady but keep increasing the services.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 5:24 p.m.

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kirby smith, chairman

ATTEST:

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GARY J COONEY, CLERK