A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

may 4, 2010

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 9:00 a.m., in the Board of County Commissioners’ Meeting Room, Lake County Administration Building, Tavares, Florida.  Commissioners present at the meeting were:  Welton G. Cadwell, Chairman; Elaine Renick, Vice Chairman; Jennifer Hill; Jimmy Conner; and Linda Stewart.  Others present were:  Sanford A. “Sandy” Minkoff, Interim County Manager; Melanie Marsh, Acting County Attorney; Wendy Taylor, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Neil Kelly, Clerk of Court; Barbara F. Lehman, Chief Deputy Clerk, County Finance; and Brenda Press, Deputy Clerk.

INVOCATION and pledge

Commr. Cadwell gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda update

Ms. Melanie Marsh, Acting County Attorney, stated that she would like to add an item regarding the property in front of the Ferndale Fire Station to the agenda.  She pulled Tab 8 under the County Attorney’s Consent Agenda which will be brought back to the Board at a later date.

Commr. Cadwell mentioned that he would like to add an item regarding a National Association of Counties (NACO) issue under his business.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Renick and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the addition of said item to the Agenda.

MINUTE APPROVAL

Commr. Renick noted that Clermont’s Mayor’s name is Hal Turville, and requested the change be made on the March 29, 2010 minutes.

On a motion by Commr. Renick, seconded by Commr. Stewart, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Minutes of March 16, 2010 (Regular Meeting) as presented, Minutes of the March 29, 2010 (Special Meeting) as corrected, and the Minutes of the April 13, 2010 (Special Meeting) as presented.

CLERK OF COURTS’ CONSENT AGENDA

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

List of Warrants

Request to acknowledge receipt of list of warrants paid prior to this meeting, pursuant to Chapter 136.06 (1) of the Florida Statutes, which shall be incorporated into the Minutes as attached Exhibit A and filed in the Board Support Division of the Clerk’s Office.

Covanta Lake, Inc.

Request to acknowledge receipt of certificate of an authorized officer of Covanta Lake, Inc., for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2009, stating that Covanta Lake, II, Inc., is in compliance with all indenture covenants regarding the $51,515,196.33 Lake County Resource Recovery Industrial Development Refunding Revenue Bonds (Covanta Lake II Inc., Project Series 2004 dated December 14, 2004).

Estates at Cherry Lake Community Development District

Request to acknowledge receipt of proposed Fiscal Year 2010/2011 budget for Estates at Cherry Lake Community Development District, along with cover letter relating that the public hearing to consider the adoption of this item ahs been scheduled for Monday, July 12, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. at the Booth, Ern, Straughan & Hoitt, Inc., 350 N. Sinclair Avenue, Tavares, Florida 32778.

Southwest Florida Water Management District

Request to acknowledge receipt of Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the Fiscal Year ended September 30, 2009.

Founders Ridge Community Development District

Request to acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Records of Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Founders Ridge Community Development District held on May 12, 2009 and August 28, 2009.

COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Renick, seconded by Commr. Hill and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Manager’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 3 through 7 as follows:

Conservation and Compliance

Request for approval of Release of Fine, Property Owner: Charlie L. Myles, Case # CEB 54-00.

Fiscal and Administrative Services

Request for approval of Unanticipated Revenue Resolution No. 2010-51 to appropriate funds for two American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants awarded to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.  The grants total $597,790.

Public Resources

Request for approval of signature on 2009-2010 VISTA Program Year Memorandum Of Understanding Agreement – terms and conditions for 2 VISTA positions currently on board for their third year as of February 2010 – February 2011.

Public Works

Request for authorization to release a maintenance bond in the amount of $87,200.79 posted for Christopher C. Ford Central Park Phase III.  Christopher C. Ford Central Park Phase III consists of 15 lots and is located in Section 20, Township 21 South, Range 25 East.  Commission District 3.

Request for approval and execution of an Agreement with Absolute Line Technologies, Inc. for storm water pipe/water quality unit cleaning, videoing and related services.

COUNTY ATTORNEY’S CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Stewart, seconded by Commr. Hill, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Attorney’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 8 through 9, pulling Tab 8 as follows:

Notification of Class Action Lawsuit regarding Tourist Development Tax.

employee awards

Ms. Susan Irby, Employee Services, presented the following employee awards, commenting briefly about each employee’s service to the County.

five years

Julie England, Extension Agent I

Public Resources/Agricultural Extension Services

 

Herbert Pilgrim, Library Assistant

Public Resources/Library Services/Cagan Crossings Library

 

Donald Simmons, Planner

Growth Management/Zoning Division

 

Ten years

Jacqueline Droz, Senior CAD Technician

Public Works/Engineering/Survey & Design

 

Beverly Pratima Strong, GIS Analyst

Growth Management/Planning & Community Design

twenty years

Mr. Jim Stivender, Director of Public Works, presented the following employee award, commenting briefly about the employee’s service to the County.

James Story, Equipment Operator III

Public Works/Road Operations/Maintenance Area II (Minneola)

twenty-five years

Mr. Jim Stivender presented the following employee award, commenting briefly about the employee’s service to the County.

Dennis Warren, Roads Superintendent

Public Works/Road Operations

employee of the quarter

Mr. Greg Welstead, Director of Conservation and Compliance, presented the following employee award, commenting briefly about the employee’s service to the County.

Christine Carroll, Probation Officer

Conservation & Compliance/Probation Services

Mr. Daryl Smith, Director of Environmental Utilities, presented the following employee award, commenting briefly about the employee’s service to the County.

Isaias Sepulveda, Laboratory Technician

Environmental Utilities/Water Quality Services

supervisor of the quarter

Ms. Wendy Breeden, Director of Public Resources, presented the following employee award, commenting briefly about the employee’s service to the County.

George Doré, Librarian II

Public Resources/Library Services/East Lake Library

presentation

governor’s point of light award

Ms. Helena Osbourne-Ponsi, VolunteerLAKE, reported that VolunteerLAKE and the Lake County Board of County Commissioners recognized Ms. Shelby Kelly with a Distinguished Service Award for her exceptional service to the citizens of Lake County at the 16^th Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception in January 2009.  She stated that Shelby founded the non-profit organization, Teen Save which is dedicated to outreach, project planning and volunteer mobilization.  She commented that the organization’s projects include yard and house cleaning for families in need, feeding the homeless through food collection drives, and holiday gift distribution for children of low-income families.  She stated that Teen Save has over one hundred active members between the ages of 8 to 17 with chapters in Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale.  She reported that Governor Christ named Shelby as Governor’s Point of Light on March 22, 2010.  She stated that Shelby’s endeavors are supported by her mother, Hollie Van Ackern and her grandmother, Judy Stifel.

Commr. Cadwell presented Ms. Shelby Kelley with the Governor’s Point of Light Award on behalf of Governor Christ, and the Lake County Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her outstanding services provided to the community.

Ms. Shelby Kelley thanked the Board for the recognition, and stated that Teen Save is strong as a group and will change the world. She thanked her family, Ms. Ponsi and the Teen Save members for their support.  She commented that there is a lot happening and encouraged everyone to stay tuned for updates.

COUNTY MANAGER’S DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS

Economic Stabilization Reserve Policy (LCC-51)

Mr. Sandy Minkoff, Interim County Manager stated that Tab 11 is a request for approval of the revised Economic Stabilization Reserve Policy.

Commr. Hill stated that she did not see a need for the revised policy.

Commr. Conner opined that ten percent is too low, and commented that 15 percent is more consistent with sound financial practices.  He reported that the auditor recommended between 15 and 25 percent, and noted that reserves should be used for emergencies like tornadoes and hurricanes instead of being used to balance the budget due shortfalls in revenue.

Commr. Hill commented that the former policy stated a range between ten and 17 percent, and noted that the County tried to maintain reserves around 17 percent.  She reported that the reserves fell below ten percent when the County was hit by the four hurricanes.  She expressed concern that there would be hesitation to go below the 15 percent if an emergency arose.

Commr. Conner stated that the 15 percent reserve would ensure that the funds are available in the event of an emergency, and noted that the policy would have to be changed in order to expend those funds should such an emergency arise.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Stewart and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved the Economic Stabilization Reserve Policy (LCC-51).

Commr. Hill voted “no.”

Employee Benefits Consulting Services

Ms. Susan Irby, Interim Director of Employee Services and Quality Improvement, explained that at the end of the 2009 calendar year the County conducted a Request For Proposal (RFP) for employee benefit consulting services, and reported that as a result of the RFP staff recommended the incumbent with a flat fee retainer of $51,000.  She stated that later staff performed research on different rate structures in an effort to reduce costs.  She reported that it was discovered that Orange County’s contract with RobinsonBush was for an hourly rate of $175 which would be a potential savings of $8,300 to Lake County if the hourly rate was applied to the average usage of benefit consulting services for the year of 244 hours.  She noted that all of the feedback on RobinsonBush was positive and favorable.

Commr. Hill asked why the County is exempt from Amendment No. 1 in the contract.

Ms. Irby explained that Amendment No. 1 applies to the actuary services, and stated that the county has a direct contract with Wakely Consulting for the actuary services.

Commr. Conner asked for a brief explanation as to why these services were needed and could not be performed by staff.

Ms. Irby reported that the benefits consultant provides the County with industry standard expertise, and noted that it is important to have this support in regards to the self funded medical plan.  She stated that they also provide assistance with requests for proposals and renewals with various vendors; assist with difficult situations, claims and complaints; establish employee rates; and assist with Federal and State mandates.

Commr. Conner asked if the benefits consultant advises the County on the amount of funding needed in the insurance fund.

Ms. Irby explained that Wakely Consulting, the actuary consultant performs the fund estimates and files a report to the state on the County’s behalf, and noted that RobinsonBush would review the report and submit a recommendation to the Board.

Commr. Conner confirmed with Ms. Irby that staff feels that this is a necessary service.  He expressed his appreciation to staff for taking the initiative to research other options and save money for the County.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Stewart and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved access of the competitively awarded Orange County contract for Employee Benefit Consulting Services and authorized the Procurement Division to execute all documentation required to complete such action.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Phase I Architect

Mr. Minkoff stated that Tab 13 is a request for approval of the architect agreement for the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).  He reported that the project team consists of County staff and representatives from the Sheriff’s office and Lake-Sumter Emergency Medical Services which ranked the architects based on the submitted proposals.  He noted that the architect’s initial fee request has been provided based on the fees that were negotiated.

Commr. Renick commented that she had questions that she would like answered before the Board proceeded much farther with this project, and noted that she understood this was the first step to capture grant funding.

Mr. Kristian Swenson, Interim Director of Facilities Development and Management stated that this request is for the Phase I programming activities.  He reported that staff will seek approval and direction from the Board upon completion of the programming and needs assessment.

Mr. Minkoff stated that the management of the EOC will be presented to the Board at a later date, and opined that the manager of the facility should not affect the building design or budget.

Commr. Conner expressed concerns about the architect fee, and opined that an architect fee based on a percentage of the construction costs incentivizes higher costs.  He commented that he would prefer if the architect’s fee was a flat fee.

Mr. Minkoff reported that the programming phase ends with the architect and project team presenting the results of the programming including the size and cost to build the EOC to the Board.  He explained that the Board would make a decision on the design for the EOC and the architect’s fee would become fixed based on the estimated cost of the structure selected by the Board.  He stated that based on the estimates the EOC will cost $4 million and the EOC with a communications center will cost $6 million so the architect’s fee would be 6.5 percent of the estimated budget.

Commr. Conner opined that the architect fee should not be higher because it costs more to build.

Mr. Minkoff commented that the negotiation of the fee could be postponed until after programming, and noted that without an estimated cost the architect will not commit to a fixed fee.

Commr. Conner stated that the information submitted in the agenda packet provides estimates and the associated architect fee for two different prices.

Mr. Minkoff explained that those figures were included for illustration purposes only.

Commr. Conner commented that he supported the Phase I activities totaling $36,600, but expressed concern over being obligated to the architect for the entire project when the fee has not yet been established.

Mr. Minkoff stated that there is no commitment to proceed beyond the initial programming phase, and explained that if the contract is written for Phase I activities only then the County would have to prepare a Competitive Consultants Negotiations Act (CCNA) contract for the design at a later date.

Commr. Conner asked if the Request for Qualification (RFQ) was for Phase I activities only.

Mr. Swenson stated that it was written for Phase I with the ability to add Phase II, or to walk away at the completion of Phase I.

Commr. Conner asked if the Board was only being asked to approve the Phase I activities.

Mr. Minkoff confirmed that the Board is only being asked to approve the Phase I activities, and noted that there is no commitment to proceed with the design after programming is complete.

Mr. Swenson stated that staff would present the budget and amendment to the contract after programming was completed.

Commr. Conner asked what would happen if the Board chose to retain the architect for the Phase II activities?

Mr. Swenson explained that the architect fee would be calculated at 6.5 percent minus the $36,600.

Commr. Conner stated that he is not comfortable conducting business in a manner which the Board would be locked into the 6.5 percent rate, and commented that he was not going to support the contract as it was written.

Mr. Minkoff stated that the contract is written to allow the Board to renegotiate the price after programming if the Board is not agreeable to the 6.5 percent.  He explained that there is no commitment or language binding the County, and noted that the only thing that would happen if the Board chose not to retain the architect is that staff would have to go through the CCNA process again to choose a new firm.

Mr. Swenson commented that staff attempted to set a rate that the County could lock in so the contractor could not raise the percentage after the programming was completed.  He stated that a contract amendment is going to be required for the project budget, and noted that it could include the renegotiated architect fee.

Commr. Conner reiterated that it is wiser to have a flat fee as opposed to a fee based on a percentage of the total cost.

Commr. Renick asked what language Commr. Conner would like to remove or change in the contract.

Commr. Conner stated that he understood that staff needed the expertise of the architects to determine what is needed for the EOC, and commented that he supports the Phase I activities totaling $36,600.  He expressed concern over the mention that the County could potentially lose $1.5 million of grant funding.  He noted that the information submitted in the agenda item states that staff is relying on an extension after the final extension in order to maintain this funding.  He commented that before the Board approves spending the $36,600 for Phase I activities he would like more information regarding the potential loss of the $1.5 million funding.

Mr. Jerry Smith, Director of Emergency Management Division explained that staff believes that another extension will be granted due to past success with extension requests, and noted that the program requires funding to be spent by October 18, 2012 within five years of the initial obligation which staff believes supports their request for an extension.  He reported that the grant for $1.5 million is for the hardening of the building to raise the wind level from 110 mph to 160 mph.  He stated that staff is estimating ten percent which results in approximately $300,000 for the hardening based on information from the other EOCs built in the state.  He explained that if the County lost the grant funding for the hardening the County would still be required to harden the building to withstand 160 mph winds because the other grants would require it.  He stated that the County has a commitment from the State Division of Emergency Management to assist with getting the extension granted from the FEMA regional office in Atlanta, and noted that staff is estimating an extension for a few months on the Phase I activities.  He commented that staff would need Board approval of the Phase I contract with an architect and the programming process completed before the request for an extension could be initiated.

Commr. Conner commented that staff has historically done a great job in obtaining grant extensions.  He expressed concern that the County’s extension was denied by the Lake Mary office which was later overturned, and that a final extension implies that it would in fact be the final extension granted.

Mr. Smith explained that the final extension came from the County’s request and that the State may request that the regional director provide the local office with another extension.  He stated that the County would be working with the State on the request for an extension and would provide all necessary documents to support the progress that has been made on the project.  He clarified that the final extension is referred to as the final extension that can be requested from the local government level.

Commr. Conner asked what the total available funding was to date.

Mr. Smith stated that the County has $4.5 million available which includes the $1.5 million for hardening.

Commr. Conner asked how the County can be assured that they are going to receive the $1.5 million grant funding.

Mr. Smith stated that there are no assurances that the County would be able to obtain the grant funding.  He explained that the grant expires in October 2012 but the first portion of the Phase I activities for $50,000 is due in September which the County would not be able to meet and therefore requires the extension.  He noted that staff believes they would be able to get an extension to complete the Phase I activities and obtain approval to move forward with Phase II.

Commr. Conner asked if the $1.5 million funding would be in jeopardy.

Mr. Smith stated that it is staff’s goal to have funds expended by 2012 and therefore would not be in jeopardy.

Commr. Stewart stated that the County is required to meet certain regulations for the EOC, and commented that the Board is going to have to do this with or without grant funding.  She opined that the Board’s approval today is the first step towards accomplishing what needs to be done so staff does not have to keep applying for extensions.

Mr. Smith mentioned that it is critical for the County to move forward in order to provide documentation to support the State’s request for an extension.

Commr. Conner asked if there was a legal mandate that required the Board to build a new EOC.

Ms. Melanie Marsh, Acting County Attorney stated that the Board is not required to build a new center; however, there are requirements to meet certain codes which the current facility does not meet.

Mr. Minkoff suggested omitting the last two sentences regarding the architect fee in Paragraph 4.1 on Page 4 of the contract in an effort move forward with programming activities.  He stated that the fee would be negotiated after Phase I was completed.

On a motion by Commr. Renick, seconded by Commr. Stewart and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved the contract with Architects Design Group (ADG) with the omission of the last two sentences of Paragraph 4.1 on Page 4 of the contract.

Commr. Conner voted “no.”

City of Groveland Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement

Ms. Amye King, Director of Growth Management reported that the City of Groveland adopted a resolution on March 1, 2010 to initiate the process of the Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement pursuant to Florida Statute which requires a response from the Board within 60 days.  She noted that the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills and the City of Mascotte have submitted their resolutions.  She stated that staff recommends the approval of a responding resolution.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Renick and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the responding Resolution No. 2010-52 to the City of Groveland’s Resolution 2010-03-01 initiating the process specified in Section 171.203, Florida Statutes to Negotiate an Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement.

Mr. Minkoff asked the Board to appoint at least one commissioner to represent the County at the negotiation sessions.

Commr. Conner nominated Commr. Renick because she is currently involved in similar discussions with Montverde, and noted that this agreement encompasses several districts.

Commr. Renick stated that she would be happy to serve.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Stewart and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board appointed Commr. Renick as liaison for the negotiations of the Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement with the City of Groveland.

recess and reassembly

The Chairman announced that there would be a ten minute recess at 10:03 a.m.

Miracle Field at Lake Idamere Park

Ms. Wendy Breeden, Director of Public Resources mentioned that Mr. Tony Lopresto with Miracle Fields, Mr. Jack Wallace with the Kiwanis Club of Clermont, and some interested parents were in the audience.  She stated that staff is requesting approval to prepare design and construction documents for a Miracle Field at Lake Idamere Park, and noted that the requested funding not to exceed $40,000 has already been budgeted for Lake Idamere Park.  She commented that staff thought that interested community partners could begin fundraising for the park if the design and construction documents were in place.  She indicated that this would complete the master plan for Lake Idamere Park.

Commr. Cadwell commented that in the past the community support and fundraising has increased once a plan has been established.

Mr. Minkoff noted that Mr. David Clutts, Civil Engineering Solutions, Inc. is donating his services for the civil engineering of this project.

Ms. Breeden reported that Mr. Clutts would work in combination with the existing on-call contractor, GatorSktch Architects, Inc., and stated that his estimated contribution would be equal to approximately $25,000.

Commr. Cadwell commented that the Board should honor Mr. Clutts for his contribution.

Commr. Conner stated that the Kiwanis Club is the party that initiated this project, but reported that they are no longer willing to lead the fundraising efforts for this project.  He asked if the Board wanted to put this project ahead of the Clermont park which is part of the Parks Master Plan.  He estimated that the park is going to cost approximately $400,000 based on information received during previous meetings.  He expressed disappointment that the Kiwanis Club was not going to continue to lead the fundraising efforts, but noted that Mr. Wallace has been supportive and worked hard to raise funds.

Commr. Stewart commented that she would like to know why the Kiwanis is no longer willing to participate in the fundraising for this project, and asked if it was because there is a lack of support for the project.

Commr. Hill stated that there was a community foundation formed for this park, and opined that they would be interested in partnering with the County if they were notified.  She commented that she had a list of names of the foundation members that she would provide to staff.

Commr. Stewart opined that the Board should wait to find out if there is support for this project before spending any money for design and construction documents.

Commr. Conner stated that he did not want to spend the money for something that is never going to be built; however, he wants to move forward with the project if the money can be raised.  He suggested making contact with the foundation to gauge their interest in the project to determine how the Board will proceed.

Commr. Cadwell suggested postponing this matter for a week to allow time to contact the foundation.

Commr. Hill stated that she was comfortable with moving forward on this project.

Commr. Cadwell agreed that he was comfortable moving forward with the project, and opined that another group would be interested if the foundation was not interested.

Mr. Minkoff stated that this matter will be presented to the Board by the first meeting in June.

On a motion by Commr. Renick, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board postponed a request from Public Resources for approval to prepare design and construction bid documents for a Miracle Field at Lake Idamere Park, until a later date.

Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills

Mr. Stivender stated that Tab 16 is a request to amend the Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills for the Lakeshore Boulevard and East Revels Road Project which has been through the PD&E process.  He noted that the town partners have negotiated with Neel-Schaffer, Inc. (NSI) to design the whole road for $86,060.  He stated that the County is in a position to move forward with the design of the entire road, but noted that this agreement is only proposing to build a portion of the road because there are available impact fees in District 4 to design and construct the north phase.  He commented that the County has not completed a project in Howey-in-the-Hills in approximately 15 years.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Hill and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the addendum of the Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills for the Lakeshore Boulevard and East Revels Road Project.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

Lake county logo and seal

Ms. Melanie Marsh, Acting County Attorney, stated that Tab 17 would be Ordinance No. 2010-24.  She then placed the proposed Ordinance on the floor by title only, as follows:

an ordinance of the board of county commissioners of lake county, florida, amending chapter 2, article i, section 2-1 of the lake county code entitled county logo and seal; providing for inclusion in the code; providing for severability; providing for filing with the secretary of state; and providing for an effective date.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

There being no one present who wished to address the Board, the Chairman closed the public hearing and reserved comment for the Board.

On a motion by Commr. Hill, seconded by Commr. Stewart and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the adoption of Ordinance 2010-24 to amend Chapter 2, Section 2-1 of the Lake County Code, entitled County Logo and Seal.

REPORTS – COUNTY ATTORNEY

Ferndale Property

Ms. Marsh stated that she would like to add to the agenda a discussion regarding some property located in front of the Ferndale Fire Station that is part of an upcoming foreclosure sale.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Stewart and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the addition of said item to the Agenda.

Ms. Marsh asked if the Board was interested in attempting to purchase the Ferndale property.  She stated that the Board would need to authorize the County Attorney to submit a bid up to the appraised value at the foreclosure sale.  She explained that the Board also has the option to make an offer directly to the bank although she warned that it may be too late for the bank to cancel the foreclosure sale.

Commr. Cadwell asked where the funds would come from to purchase the property.

Mr. Minkoff reported that there were sufficient funds for the purchase of the property from the Fire Impact Fee Fund and the Fire Fund without using any funding from the General Fund.

Commr. Conner suggested that the Board authorize the County Attorney to bid on the property up to the appraised amount.

Commr. Hill confirmed that the authorization would be up to the appraised value of the appraisal that was done in 2010 and not based on the court awarded summary of final judgment.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Stewart and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board authorized the County Attorney to bid on the Ferndale property up to the appraised value of the most recent appraisal.

REPORTS – COUNTY MANAGER

Judicial Center Update

Mr. Minkoff noted that the bids for the judicial center project have been received and are currently under review by PPI.  He stated that he hoped to present this project to the Board at the second June meeting for final approval.

Comprehensive Plan Workshop

Mr. Minkoff reported that the Comprehensive Plan workshop is scheduled for next Tuesday, and asked if the Board would like to accept public comment at this meeting.  He commented that the public hearing is scheduled for May 25, 2010.

Commr. Cadwell directed staff to allow for public comment at the workshop in the same manner that past workshops have been conducted.

REPORTS – COMMISSIONER STEWART – DISTRICT 4

Tavares High School Band

Commr. Stewart congratulated Tavares High School Band for receiving the State’s highest honor, the Otto J. Kraushaar Award, under the direction of Jeremy Langford, and noted that only one other Lake County band has received this honor in the past 35 years.

Mrs. Kreiling’s Third Grade Class

Commr. Stewart stated that she received a letter from Mrs. Kreiling’s third grade class at Pine Ridge Elementary offering suggestions for the County to celebrate Earth Day.  She commended the class for being good citizens.

REPORTS – COMMISsIONER CADWELL – CHAIRMAN AND DISTRICT 5

Countywide Radio System

Commr. Cadwell directed staff to agendize the report from the County Attorney’s office on the countywide radio system at one of the future regular meetings.

National Association of Counties’ Community and Economic Development Committee

Commr. Cadwell asked for a letter of support from the Board because he is being considered as possible Chairman of the National Association of Counties (NACO) Community and Economic Development Committee which he is currently the Vice-Chairman.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Stewart and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the submittal of a letter of support for Commr. Cadwell to be named Chairman of the National Association of Counties’ Community and Economic Development Committee.

CITIZEN QUESTION AND COMMENT PERIOD

There was no one present who wished to address the Board.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 10:37 a.m.

 

_________________________________

welton g. cadwell, chairman

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

________________________________

NEIL KELLY, CLERK