A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

june 7, 2011

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 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:  Jennifer Hill, Chairman; Leslie Campione, Vice Chairman; Sean Parks; Jimmy Conner; and Welton G. Cadwell.  Others present were:  Darren Gray, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, Deputy County Attorney; Wendy Taylor, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Neil Kelly, Clerk of Court; and Courtney Vincent, Deputy Clerk.

INVOCATION and pledge

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

Agenda update

Ms. Marsh asked to add a request for a Closed Session under the County Attorney’s Business.

On a motion by Commr. Conner and seconded by Commr. Campione, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved adding a request for a Closed Session to the agenda under the County Attorney’s Business.

Commr. Hill stated that all presentations, Tabs 19 through 22, would be moved until after the Employee Board Awards and before the County Manager’s Departmental Business.

MINUTE APPROVAL

On a motion by Commr. Hill, seconded by Commr. Stewart, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Minutes of March 15, 2011 (Regular Meeting), April 5, 2011 (Regular Meeting), April 12, 2011 (Special Meeting), April 19, 2011 (Regular Meeting), April 26, 2011 (Regular Meeting), and May 5, 2011 (Special Meeting), as presented.

CITIZEN QUESTION AND COMMENT PERIOD

Ms. Marilyn Bainter, a resident of Eustis, addressed the Board concerning Tab 19, Medicaid Hospital Charges.  She stated she was against the Hospital District Tax, opining that it was duplicate tax.  She added that the hospitals did not pay any taxes, requiring the residents and businesses to absorb those costs, and in the case of businesses those extra costs were passed to the consumers.  She also discussed LASER, expressing her concern over the operating budget of the organization and opining that money the County gave them could be used to employ people instead.

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Mr. Vance Jochim, a resident of Tavares who writes a blog on fiscal issues, addressed the Board in support of Ms. Bainter’s comments and also in regards to Tab 4, an agreement between Lake County and United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties, Inc. to provide funding to assist in the provision of the 2-1-1 system.  He stated he had sent an email to the Commissioners informing them of his concerns over the agenda item.  He stated he had reviewed the documents and was concerned the contract allowed United Way to sell the confidential information it collected.  He opined the issue should have been on the agenda for discussion and not listed under the consent agenda.

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Dr. Catherine Earhart, a resident of Eustis, addressed the Board regarding Tab 19, Medicaid Hospital Charges.  She stated she was against the Hospital District Tax, giving the Board two handouts on the topic.  She went through one of the handouts, which listed reasons that taxpayers should not continue to be double-taxed for the same Medicaid services, stressing there was data to support every statement on the page and she would be happy to provide the data for the Commissioners if requested.

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Mr. Ralph Smith, owner of Lake Tire & Auto in Tavares and host of a radio show called “Lake County Round Table,” addressed the Board concerning the North Lake Hospital District Tax.  He informed the Board he agreed with the statements of Dr. Earhart and Ms. Bainter, adding that he did not have much confidence in how the North Lake Hospital District oversaw their money because they did not have the most engaged elected board.  He asked the Board to strongly consider using whatever money they could legally extract from the Hospital District Tax to use for the County’s needs.  He also commented on the meeting the Commissioners were invited to attend with Congressman Mica, opining that the reason he had invited the Commissioners was to gain their support of the proposed Sun Rail system.

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Mr. Theodore Stratton, a resident of Sunnyside, addressed in the Board in regards to the 2-1-1 system.  He informed the Board there were no provisions in the proposed contract for performance requirements.  He reported when he called 211 the previous day he had been put on hold for 10 minutes before being able to speak with an actual person.  He also stressed that the 211 system needed to be publicized more because he had not been able to find any information about the service in the phone book.

CLERK OF COURTS’ CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Clerk of Courts’ Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 6, 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.

Estates at Cherry Lake Community Development District Proposed Budget

Request to acknowledge receipt of the proposed fiscal year 2011/12 budget for Estates at Cherry Lake Community Development District and cover letter stating that the public hearing to consider the adoption of this item has been scheduled for July 11, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at 350 North Sinclair Avenue, Tavares.

Lands Available List

Request to acknowledge receipt of a list of property placed on the Lands Available List.  Lake County has until August 1, 2011 to purchase property from Lands Available List before it is available to the public.

Citizen’s Annual Financial Report

Request to acknowledge receipt of the Citizen’s Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010.  The Citizen’s Annual Financial Report is a summarized version of the information that is included in the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.  The intent of this report is to make financial information about the county more accessible to citizens.  The Government Officers Finance Association (GFOA) has a “Popular Annual Financial Reporting Awards Program which evaluates popular reports based on various criteria.  This report will be submitted to the GFOA for review.

Greater Lakes Sawgrass Bay Community Development District Proposed Budget

Request to acknowledge receipt of the proposed budget for the Fiscal Year 2011-2012 for the Greater Lakes Sawgrass Bay Community Development District.  A public hearing to consider the adoption of this item has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 10, 2011, at 10:00 a.m., at the Cagan Crossings County Library, located at 16729 Cagan Oaks, Clermont, Florida 34714.  This budget is being submitted to you pursuant to Chapter 190, Florida Statutes.

Country Greens Community Development District Proposed Budget

Request to acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Country Greens Community Development District’s proposed operating budget for Fiscal Year 2012 and cover letter stating the District’s public hearing for the proposed budget is scheduled for August 22, 2011, at 5:00 p.m., at the Hampton Inn at 19700 US Highway 441, Mount Dora, Florida.

COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA

Commr. Campione requested that Tab 4 and Tab 5 be pulled for discussion.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Manager’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 3 through 15, pulling Tabs 4 and 5 for discussion, as follows:

Community Services

Request for approval and signature authorization of Proclamation No. 2011-74 recognizing June 15, 2011 as "World Elder Abuse Awareness Day."

Conservation and Compliance

Request to approve award of RFP 11-0607 for Electronic Monitoring Services to BI, Inc. of Boulder, Colorado. There will be no fiscal impact to the County associated with the electronic monitoring effort as that portion of the overall probation program will be 100% offender funded.

County Manager

Request for authorization to fill one (1) Extension Agent II position in the Public Resources Department/Agricultural Education Division. (The fiscal impact is $11,500 – represents 20% of salary.)

Facilities Development and Management

No action being requested. This item is intended to inform the Board of a merger between PPI Construction Management and Charles Perry Construction. No fiscal impact.

Growth Management

Request for acceptance of the Conservation Easement for the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation (No Fiscal Impact).

Public Resources

Request to approve and award Contract 11-0214 to Jerome's Masonry for renovation of the restroom structure at Sorrento park. The fiscal impact is $28,200 (100% grant funded).

Public Works

Request for authorization to accept the final plat for Eddy Subdivision and all areas dedicated to the public as shown on the Eddy Subdivision plat. Eddy Subdivision consists of 4 lots and is located in Section 7, Township 21 South, Range 26 East. Commission District 3. There is no fiscal impact.

Request to approve award of RFP 11-0403 for Traffic Signal Maintenance to Traffic Control Devices, Inc. of Altamonte Springs, Florida and authorize Procurement Services staff to execute the related contractual documents. Fiscal impact $50,000.00.

Request for authorization to accept the final plat for Hammock Pointe Amenity Center and all areas dedicated to the public as shown on the Hammock Pointe Amenity Center plat. Hammock Pointe Amenity Center consists of 1 lot and is located in Section 06, Township 23 South, Range 26 East. Commission District 2. There is no fiscal impact.

Request to approve Third Amendment to the Developer's Agreement between Lake County and Baywood Village, LLC for an extension of the term by two years. Baywood Forest consists of 16 lots and is located in Section 26, Township 19 South, Range 26 East. Commission District 3. There is no fiscal impact.

COUNTY ATTORNEY’S CONSENT AGENDA

Ms. Marsh mentioned there was a change to Tab 16 amending a resolution regarding the Lake County Solid Waste Alternatives Task Force.  She stated the Task Force was unable to meet in the month of June so rather than a 60 day extension, the Task Force was requesting a 90 day extension.  She noted the deadline would change to on or before September 1, 2011.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Campione, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Attorney’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 16 through 18, and including the requested change to Tab 16, as follows:

Request from for approval to amend Resolution No. 2009-133 with the creation of Resolution No. 2011-76, changing the deadline from June 1, 2011 to on or before September 1, 2011 to present to the BCC the final report of the Lake County Solid Waste Alternatives Task Force. No Fiscal Impact. 

Request for approval to Advertise an ordinance repealing and amending sections of the County Code dealing with firearms to comply with state preemption in 790.33, Florida Statutes.

Request for approval and execution of the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants for the Judicial Center Complex. There is no Fiscal Impact.

employee awards

Ms. Susan Irby, Employee Services Director, presented the following employee awards:

five years

Robert Frank, Welcome Center Worker (Not Present)

Tourism & Business Relations

 

Margaret Jarrell, Office Associate III

Public Resources/Agricultural Education Services

 

December Johnson, Senior Landfill Attendant

Public Works/Solid Waste Division

 

Shanna Mattox, Lead Data Entry Operator (Not Present)

Circuit Public Defender

 

Virginia Moorhead, Right-of-Way Agent I

Public Works/Engineering

 

Kristina Smith, Library Page (Not Present)

Public Resources/Library Services/Cagan Crossings Library

 

TEN YEARS

Thomas Schmedes, Senior Building Inspector (Not Present)

Growth Management/Building Services

 

FIFTEEN YEARS

Steven Race, Fire Captain

Public Safety/Fire Rescue

 

TWENTY YEARS

Mr. Jim Stivender, Public Works Director, presented the following employee award, commenting briefly about his service to the County:

Donald Stewart, Survey Technician II

Public Works/Engineering

 

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS

Mr. Barnett Schwartzman, Procurement Services Director, presented the following employee award, commenting briefly about her service to the County:

Roseann Johnson, Senior Contracting Officer

Fiscal & Administrative Services/Procurement Services

 

RETIREMENT

Mr. Jim Stivender, Public Works Director, presented the following employee award, commenting briefly about his service to the County:

James Brown, Survey Party Chief (Non-Registered) (Not Present)

15 Years of Service

 

BOARD/COMMITTEE CERTIFICATE PRESENTATIONS

Mr. Darren Gray, County Manager, presented the following awards and expressed gratitude for the services provided by the following individuals:

Lake County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee

Kelly Pisciotta for service from 1998-2011  

 

Board of Adjustment

Steven Berk for service from 2007-2011 (Not Present)

Ruth Gray for service from 1998-2011 (Not Present)

 

Board of Building Examiners

Richard J. Rojas for service from 2009-2011 (Not Present)

Jody Bryant Newman for service from 2003-2011 (Not Present)

  

Lake County Children’s Services Council

Jay Marshall for service from 2008-2011

  

Lake County Elder Council

Shirley P. Sawyer for service from 2010-2011 (Not Present)

 

Lake County Zoning Board

Larry Metz for service from 2005-2011 (Not Present)

 

Lake County Public Land Acquisition Advisory Council

Greg Gensheimer for service from 2003-2011

Rosemarie “Rosi” Mulholland for service from 2003-2011 (Not Present)

Sanna Henderson for service from 2003-2011

Jack McDonald for service from 2004-2011 (Not Present)

Judy Smathers for service from 2003-2011 (Not Present)

Bernie Yokel for service from 2003-2011

Jeanne Etter for service from 2008-2011 (Not Present)

Jim Miller for service from 2006-2011

Ken LaRoe for service from 2006-2011

 

presentations

medicaid hospital charges

Ms. Allison Thall, Health and Human Services Director, addressed the Board to give a PowerPoint presentation concerning Medicaid hospital charges covering the past four fiscal years as a follow up to the Medicaid hospital bill discussion from the May 3, 2011 Board meeting.  She stated the presentation addressed the feasibility of using the Hospital Tax District funds to off-set the cost of Medicaid hospital bills.  She reminded the Board they had asked staff to research the past five fiscal years with respect to the County’s Medicaid hospital payments, in particular focusing on the total funds paid to the three local healthcare providers (Florida Hospital Waterman, Leesburg Regional Medical Center, and South Lake Hospital) and to determine in which district each Medicaid recipient resided. 

Billing/Payments

Ms. Thall reported staff had only been able to research the last four years because the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) did not have complete data available on their website for the 2006-2007 fiscal year.  She stated that, pursuant to Florida Statute 409.915, each county is required to participate in the cost of providing medical assistance for hospital inpatient care at a rate of 35 percent of the total cost for each inpatient stay for a Medicaid recipient in excess of the first ten days of service but not to exceed 45 days per year.  She added that the rate used to calculate the Medicaid rate for a hospital was called, “the per diem rate”.  She reported the fiscal year to date (FYTD) Medicaid bill for hospital services rendered to Lake County Medicaid recipients totaled $4,180,198.  She displayed a pie chart breaking down the different health care providers the bills had come from as well as the amounts from each location.  She summarized the data as indicating that the majority of Medicaid recipients appeared to receive services from non-Lake County providers.  She stated that while the County had been billed over $4.1 million dollars, only $1,006,097 had been paid, explaining that the only reasons Medicaid payments were denied were if the person was not a Lake County resident or if the patient’s provided address was invalid.  She reported that, out of the $1 million paid FYTD, only $138,697 went to Lake County providers.  She displayed a slide with two pie charts illustrating the break down of the payments to Lake County providers and the break down of payments to all other providers.  She then displayed a bar graph depicting a four year expense summary of the total payments made from 2007 to 2010, summarizing that historically the Medicaid providers outside of Lake County consistently provided the majority of care to Lake County residents.  She displayed another pie chart reflecting the total expenditure of Medicaid hospital funds over the past four years, reporting that collectively they had spent $5,514,559 for Lake County’s share of the Medicaid hospital inpatient costs and that payment representing the local providers only represented $685,111 of the total expenditure.

Medicaid Recipient Residency

Ms. Thall explained that one of the key components in determining the feasibility of utilizing Hospital Tax District funds to offset the Medicaid costs was to verify the actual residency of the Medicaid recipients.  She stated Lake County was divided into the North Lake and South Lake Hospital Taxing Districts, with the dividing boundary lying just south of Howey-In-The-Hills.  She reported they had confirmed the physical addresses of each Medicaid recipient who received inpatient hospital care at each of the three local providers.  She summarized that the next three slides displayed charts representing the total amount of local Medicaid dollars applied to each provider, the total number of patients treated at each facility, and how many of those patients resided within that facility’s taxing district.  She added that the data for each provider covered the last four years.  With respect to the lack of data for the 2009 fiscal year, she explained it was discovered that from September of 2009 through January 2011 it appeared as though none of the three local providers had submitted any Medicaid claims to the AHCA for payment.  She remarked that AHCA only submits invoices to the County based on claims submitted to them from the hospital providers and because of that, AHCA had surmised that none of Lake County’s three local hospitals submitted a claim to them during that time frame, which was why the County made no payments to AHCA on behalf of any Medicaid recipient receiving care at a local provider.  She added that the Medicaid hospital invoices for that 17 month period only reflected services for out-of-county providers.  She mentioned that each of the three hospitals had been contacted regarding the issue, specifying that Leesburg Regional Medical Center (LRMC) responded by stating they indeed treated Medicaid patients, submitted their claim to AHCA, and had been reimbursed.  She also mentioned that Mr. Ken Mattison, President and CEO of Florida Hospital Waterman (FHW), suggested that the anomaly was a database error within AHCA’s computer systems.  She reported that staff did confirm that the three hospitals regularly and successfully billed AHCA prior to September of 2009 and since January 2011.  She estimated that, based on the data collected to date, the current fiscal year potential tax district revenue eligible for consideration was approximately $237,765, which represented about 28 percent of the total Medicaid hospital payments.    She added that, as it pertained to the taxing districts, 94 percent of all Medicaid payments supported the two providers within the North Lake Hospital District while only six percent supported the South Lake District.

Next Steps

Ms. Thall outlined that the next step would include continuing to monitor each invoice received as well as continuing to research the 17 month gap in billing.  She stated a recommendation for a potential course of action regarding utilization of the Hospital Tax District funds to help offset the cost of the annual Medicaid budget might include meeting with the Hospital Tax District Boards and perhaps negotiating an interlocal agreement with each Tax District to bring back to the Board for approval.

Commr. Parks asked if there was anything that could be done to be proactive with the out-of-county providers to possibly lower the costs.

Ms. Thall explained that the County had no control over those rates because all of the Medicaid hospital charges were billed at that particular hospital’s per diem rate.  She mentioned that they were only paying 35 percent of the Medicaid per diem rate for inpatient care exceeding ten days but below 45 days for the length of stay.

Commr. Parks asked if the County had any oversight over what treatment patients received.

Ms. Thall answered that they did not have any oversight.

Commr. Conner asked how staff was able to confirm it was a valid and justifiable claim and not an abuse of the system.

Ms. Thall replied that staff had no way of knowing that.

Mr. Gray added that they were only required to verify that they were Lake County residents.

Commr. Campione asked if staff was able to establish a profile or notice any visible pattern for the type of patient being sent out at 10 days to another hospital outside of the County.

Ms. Thall responded that there was no way to tell because all they received on the invoice was the patient’s name, the Medicaid number, the provider number, and the amount due.

Commr. Campione mentioned that when FHW sent patients to Florida Hospital they were transferring those patients within the same network.  She asked if the County would have the ability to recoup those loses because the patients remained within the same hospital network as the local provider, remarking that FHW had made a business decision as to which hospitals within their network would provide certain types of services.  She opined that since it was all part of one system staff should research to see if it fell within the provisions of the Health Care Responsibility Act (HCRA) in regards to situations where a patient was sent outside the County to obtain a service local health care facilities could not provide.

Ms. Thall explained that HCRA applied to patients who were not Medicaid eligible and did not have any other form of insurance.  She also explained that staff would not be able to determine if an individual who went to Florida South had started out being admitted to FHW.

Commr. Campione opined it was worth researching if a patient started out at FHW and was later transferred to another branch of Florida Hospital because it was deemed necessary for the type of care required.

Commr. Cadwell asked if the missing bills for that 17 month period were found would the County then be billed for them.

Ms. Thall answered that yes, it would show up in what was called a rebill.

Mr. Ken Mattison, President and CEO of FHW, addressed the Board stating that the hospital had received compensation for the Medicaid services provided during that 17 month period, adding that he did not know why AHCA did not have that data on record.  He addressed the comment regarding whether Medicaid patients were automatically transferred to another hospital within the Florida Hospital system and explained that while there might be some transfers, most of the patients attended a different hospital for a variety of personal and medical reasons.

Commr. Cadwell suggested having the Chairman meet with the Hospital Taxing District’s Board Chairman to discuss creating an interlocal agreement.

Commr. Campione commented that providing more primary care opportunities might help lower Medicaid costs and the County needed to be more proactive to keep Medicaid costs down.

Commr. Conner remarked that the Board needed to be clear in their direction to the Chairman.

Commr. Cadwell stated the direction was to use Hospital Taxing District funds to pay for Medicaid Hospital payments and negotiate an agreement with the Taxing District Boards to do that.

Commr. Conner and Commr. Campione agreed with Commr. Cadwell.

Mr. Phil Braun, General Council for Central Florida Health Alliance, addressed the Board in regards to their previous Medicaid hospital billing questions, expressing that the presentation might not have clearly illustrated that it was Medicaid that billed the County and hospitals already received less than what it actually cost to provide care to Medicaid patients.  He explained the per diem rate was set by Medicaid and, because it was much less than the actual cost of service, the hospitals lost money on every Medicaid patient who walked through the door.  He questioned whether the Hospital Taxing District could legally be used to fund the Medicaid hospital payments.  He reported that the Lake County per diem rate for hospitals was lower than in Orange County because it was based on population.  He remarked that what the Board was talking about doing was paying the hospitals less for what they were already being underpaid for.  He stated they needed to work together on reducing the length of stay for a Medicaid patient at the hospital.  He opined that the purpose and duty of the Hospital Tax District Board was to provide healthcare for Lake County and give the money to the hospitals, reporting that LRMC would have a negative operating margin without the Hospital Tax funds.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Conner, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved having the Chairman meet with the Chair of the Hospital Taxing District Board to start working on an interlocal agreement regarding the use of Hospital Taxing District funds towards Medicaid hospital payments.

leesburg business incubator

Mr. James Spencer, Site Manager of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida (UCF), addressed the Board to discuss the Leesburg Business Incubator located at the Leesburg Business & Technology Center.  He also gave a PowerPoint presentation on the status of the Business Incubator Program over the past 12 months.  He stated the key elements of incubation were coaching entrepreneurs to guide business development, connections with other resources such as service providers and support professionals, and convening in a central facility with shared resources in which to house startups, conduct seminars, workshops and counseling.  He reported that about 87 percent of the companies that went through incubation were still in business five years after they started and 84 percent of the graduates of the incubation program tended to stay local to the area.  He displayed a diagram depicting the business development process starting with a new client then identifying and strengthening their weak spots, adding value by helping them stay focused and developing a business strategy, and ending with the graduated company poised for success.  He added that the process typically took between two and three years though it could take as long as five to ten years depending on the individual business.  He specified that when a client completed the program they had a marketing plan in place, were making sales to customers and clients, had a strong financial system, had operational controls in place, possessed technical skills, and they had a lot of contacts to help them be successful moving forward.  He summarized the current results from the Program’s clients, stating there were 105 companies currently in the incubation program throughout Central Florida, 35 of the 38 companies that had graduated were still in the region, over 142 companies had been assisted, and over 1,600 jobs had been created.  He commented that the incubator had two types of clients, resident clients and off-site clients.  He also mentioned that there was an enrollment process for anyone who wanted to join the incubator program as well as 21 hours of training that also served as an evaluation of the proposed business ideas.  He reported the statistics of the Leesburg Incubator, stating there were currently four clients on-site and three off-site, adding that the Incubator site could hold up to seven clients.  He mentioned it was a disadvantage that the site was not close to UCF.  He reported on the local economic impact of the incubated companies, displaying a chart that listed the name of the company, whether it was on or off site, when they entered the program, and the number of jobs they had created.  He commented on the distance of the Leesburg Incubator from Orlando and mentioned that over the past year there had been three clients that he had referred to the incubation program but the three clients had not ended up in Leesburg because it was too far from Orlando to provide the resources those clients needed.  He added that many of those companies were from the South Lake area.  He expressed that having a business incubator in the South Lake area was a great idea.

Commr. Parks commented that the business incubators were important because of the growing needs the County has for economic development and the fact that most businesses that went through the incubator stayed local, creating a better community.  He emphasized he wanted to make the South Lake incubator a reality at some point.

recess and reassembly

The Chairman announced that there would be a fifteen- minute recess at 10:50 a.m.

judicial center expansion update

Mr. Kristian Swenson, Facilities Development & Management Director, addressed the Board to introduce Mr. Glenn Mullins, Vice President and Regional Manager with PPI Construction, who would be giving a PowerPoint presentation updating the Board on the status of the Judicial Center Expansion Project.  He also stated that, per the Board expressing interest in helping the Clerk of Court with furniture acquisition, staff was currently assessing the furniture situation and would bring a plan back to the Board for discussion in the coming months to report what the needs were and what the estimated costs would be.

Mr. Mullins discussed the schedule milestones such as the completion of the structural steel by the end of June 2011 and completion of the roofing by the end of August 2011.  He added that substantial completion of the main building should occur in July 2012 and substantial completion of Area C, the current jury assembly area, should occur in March of 2013.  He also informed the Board that the timeframe for the round-a-bout was between December 2011 and June 2012.  He remarked that the project was on schedule.  He then displayed a site plan and pictures of the site under construction, showing an aerial photo taken on May 1, 2011, a photo of the southeast elevation, south elevation, structural steel on the west end, north elevation and north elevation masonry, photos of the second level where the detention and Clerk areas would be, third level wall framing, and photos of the installed utilities such as electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work.  He mentioned that the electric and mechanical services were being provided by Lake County companies.  He also displayed photos of the roof and a digital rendering of the completed site viewed from the entrance.  He mentioned that the brick being used on the Judicial Center Expansion was the same color that had been used on the new Property Appraiser’s Office in order to tie the buildings of the downtown campus together.

Commr. Hill mentioned the timeline stated the main building would be substantially completed in July 2012 but the project completion was projected as March 2013.  She asked when the building would be able to be occupied.

Mr. Mullins answered that the new courthouse portion of the building could be occupied as of July 2012.  He added that the round-a-bout would be completed when the new building was completed in July of 2012 as well.  He explained that after the Clerk’s Office had moved into the new building and it was operational, renovation would then begin on what was now the current jury assembly area.

Commr. Hill asked Mr. Mullins if the Board could tour the construction site with him should any members of the Board be interested.

Mr. Mullins said that would be great.

Mr. Swenson clarified that the tours were for about two people at a time and Board members were welcome and encouraged to attend.

Commr. Conner asked when they would have the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP).

Mr. Mullins answered that the GMP was already in place for the current construction and the round-a-bout but one had not been established yet for the renovation of the existing court house because that project was still in design.

Commr. Conner asked how the bids were coming in with regards to the projected GMP.

Mr. Mullins replied that they were within budget.  He reported they were up to 192 requests for information (RFI), which was very good for the size of the project.

Commr. Conner asked if they were still projected at $237 per square foot in construction costs.

Mr. Mullins answered yes, that was the amount for the Phase 2 project.

Mr. Neil Kelly, Clerk of Courts, remarked that he had toured the construction site last week and he was very impressed with the progress they were making and the space they were constructing.

go green – get green rebate program

Ms. Amye King, Growth Management Director, informed the Board that over the last three months, Growth Management, Information Outreach and Community Services had been working with a  consultant to develop the approach to education and outreach efforts related to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) with a special focus on the proposed “Go Green – Get Green” rebate program.  She announced the program would start on July 5, 2011, and stated the presentation would include a progress update for the EECBG as well as discuss the branding, marketing plan, and marketing materials of the program.  She then introduced Dr. Heike Naigur, Chief Environmental Scientist for Carbon Solutions America, and Ms. Olivia Polk, Project Manager for Global 5 Communications, to present a PowerPoint presentation on the program.

Dr. Naigur reviewed the tasks of the EECBG as designing, implementing, and managing an education and outreach campaign to educate residents and small business owners about energy efficiency, generate enthusiasm for County programs, market Residential and Small Commercial (RSC) Rebate Incentive, and inform the public about County, State and Federal programs.  She mentioned the goal was to have a minimum of 1,000 residential and 300 small commercial businesses participate in the RSC program by March 2012.  She summarized their marketing plan, mentioning they had a target audience selected, had looked at stakeholders as well as opportunities and barriers to the program, and had developed a marketing strategy involving brand development, media usage and marketing materials and their distribution.  She added that they would also provide a monthly progress report.  She displayed a timeline of the program milestones.  She reported there would also be two challenge programs instituted during the rebate program, each with an award of $250 for the residential and commercial program rebates.  She explained that the challenge programs would award the resident and small business rebate applicants for the most referrals, mentioning that the referred applicants must complete the rebate application and include referral tracking on the application form.

Ms. Polk continued the presentation.  She displayed the “Go Green – Get Green” brand logo and stated the tag line for the brand was, “Go Beyond the Bulb.”  She distributed a copy of the rack cards describing the program and the requirements to the Board, mentioning they would be distributed during public meetings with such groups as homeowners, chambers of commerce, and homeowners’ associations.  She added that they would be using the same design layout for the door hangers.  She then displayed a copy of the full page public service announcement (PSA) they would be placing in the Lake Sentinel and Lake Magazine.  She specified that the ad would review the program details and how to participate in the program.

Ms. King mentioned that a final step involved in bringing the program to the public was an upcoming Community Services Consent Agenda item on June 21, 2011, that would request a staff position to process the rebates associated with the rebate program.  She explained that the staff position, which would be funded by the grant, was essential to the success of the rebate program.

Commr. Hill asked if the rebate was guaranteed to everyone who submitted an application and met the criteria or if it would only apply until the funding was depleted.

Ms. King answered that the rebate program would continue until the funding was gone and would be awarded on a first come, first served basis.  She mentioned there was approximately $800,000 dedicated to the rebate program.  She explained that once they had a staff member who could monitor the rebate applications then they would look at a couple of different options that offered assurance if a resident bought an appliance in hopes of having the rebate.  She commented that they did not have anything like that set up at that time.

Ms. Lori Barnes, Sustainability Planner for Growth Management, explained the criteria for the program would be the requirement of purchasing eligible equipment, the applicants must be Lake County residents to qualify for the appliance rebate program, and in order to qualify for the other energy conservation measures the applicant must be a property owner.  She specified that in order to receive the rebate the applicant must submit all necessary paperwork, adding that the marketing materials and the website would clearly state that the rebate program was on a first come, first serve basis.  She mentioned they were looking at implementing a weekly real-time update of how much funding remained for the rebate program, opining it would help motivate residents to submit their applications in a timely manner.

Commr. Hill suggested that the disclaimer about the rebate being contingent upon the remaining funds should stand out more on their printed material to ensure it was seen and understood.

Ms. Barnes emphasized that at the various public meetings they would make it clear the rebate was based on funding availability as well as clarifying it on the website.

Commr. Cadwell suggested posting the real-time update of the available funds be pursued.

Commr. Campione agreed.  She asked if, on the larger purchases, a resident could submit the application before the purchase of the item to secure a rebate, explaining it could be contingent upon the applicant submitting their receipt and they could require the receipt be submitted within five days of the application.  She opined it would provide greater assurance to the residents that they would be able to get the rebate for the larger purchases.

Ms. Barnes replied that staff could look into the possibility of submitting an application in advance.

Commr. Conner remarked that they did not know what the demand for the program would be because they did not know what people could afford to buy, noting there could actually be funds remaining at the end of the rebate program.

Commr. Parks asked if the Economic Development Department had been made aware of the rebate program so they could tell businesses prospective to the area about it.

Ms. King replied that they were working very closely with Economic Development and they were aware of the rebate program.  She added that the purpose of the grant was for job creation with energy efficiency.

Commr. Campione asked for clarification as to how the rebate program applied to job creation.

Ms. King explained that there were jobs created throughout the grant, mentioning that Ms. Barnes’ job had been retained through the grand funding.  She also specified that appliances purchased for the rebate program must be purchased in Lake County.  She stated that when the quarterly update was presented to the Board in July it would include figures on how many jobs had been created because of the EECBG program.

agreement with united way regarding 2-1-1 information system

Mr. Darren Gray, County Manager, informed the Board that Tab 4, a request to approve an agreement between Lake County and United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties, Inc. to provide funding to assist in the provision of the 2-1-1 information system, had been approved in September of 2010 when the Board decided to fund $30,000 to the 2-1-1 system.  He explained staff had been working on the agreement for the past several months and offered to have Ms. Sue Cordova, President of United Way, answer any questions the Board might have.

Ms. Cordova addressed the Board, explaining what the 2-1-1 service was.  She remarked they originally marketed the 2-1-1 service to those who needed it, spreading the information through such places as the Health Department, DCF, and the schools as opposed to broader marketing.  She stated 2-1-1 was an information referral service where all local agencies providing health and human services were listed under one phone number so those people who need help would only have to dial one number to get it.  She specified there were currently over 600 agencies listed and the number was continuing to grow.  She clarified that there was an internet service for 2-1-1, stating the website was 211connects.org.  She mentioned that Tampa Bay 211 Cares was a contractor for 8 different counties, remarking that there were only five 2-1-1 systems in the State of Florida.  She commented that Tampa Bay 211 Cares had been chosen as the contractor because when the area did not have a 2-1-1 provider, Tampa Bay 211 Cares chose to provide 2-1-1 services for free through cell phones.  She added that Tampa Bay 211 Cares had provided free 2-1-1 services for three years before United Way was able to afford their landline services, emphasizing that they had given them the best services.  She stressed that 2-1-1 systems were required by law to be secured.  She emphasized that they were also under the same laws as the Health Department in regards to collected data, stressing that they could not sell Social Security Numbers or any other data collected through the 2-1-1 system.  She explained that they sold technology to help advance the systems, but none of the technology sold contained any personal data.  She did commented that the data they collected, depending on the type of aid needed, was transferred to the agency the person was referred to in order to help provide a better level of service, adding that no person was required to answer the questions the call center technicians asked and no person would be denied help because they did not provide personal information.  She commented that the calls were screened and answered in order of priority depending on the level of service needed, explaining that assistance requests for the suicide hotline or domestic abuse had priority over other types of services and would not have a wait time while someone calling for basic information might have to wait a few minutes for a counselor help them.  She mentioned there were three funding sources for the 2-1-1 service:  Wachovia Foundation, Kid Central, and they had anticipated receiving funds from Lake County.  She remarked that without the funds from the County they would have to stop 2-1-1 services because United Way could no longer afford to pay for it.  She explained that the contract between United Way and Lake County was for payment of services, mentioning that United Way had a separate contract with Tampa Bay 211 Cares to provide service at a defined level of quality. 

Commr. Conner asked how information about the 2-1-1 program would be saturated into the community.

Ms. Cordova replied that United Way’s Board had just put $10,000 into their budget for additional marketing.  She mentioned information about 2-1-1 was in the new phonebooks and they were working with United Way of Marion County in regards to billboards along I-75.  She added that they had also been spreading informational business cards and had placed a PSA in the Orlando Sentinel and Daily Commercial.

Commr. Conner asked if there were performance standards stated in the contract between United Way and the County.

Mr. Gray replied that the contract was strictly relating to funding, but mentioned they could add some performance criteria to the contract based on the contract between United Way and Tampa Bay 211 Cares.

Commr. Conner asked if the County was paying a flat amount for service and not a variable amount based on call volume.

Ms. Cordova answered that was correct.

Commr. Conner asked if there was a way to monitor the number of calls from Lake County to record the incoming volume.

Ms. Cordova replied they could do that.

Commr. Campione remarked that the contract in question required United Way to give monthly statistical reports to the Board.  She then asked for clarification on section 3(D) of the contract which stated United Way had the “ability to resell to interested parties the information contained within the database,” commenting that the provision might have created the misunderstanding regarding United Way’s ability to sell personal information.

Ms. Cordova stated United Way was not allowed to sell personal information; the information was protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).  She remarked that the provision in question had not been in the original contract she had submitted and commented that the provision might have been added by the County Attorney’s Office.

Commr. Hill commented that she read the provision as allowing Tampa Bay 211 Cares to provide data to the agencies they referred callers to that might need that information to provide better quality of service.

Ms. Cordova replied that the Social Security information gathered was only allowed to be shared with an agency already registered on the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).  She mentioned that all cash assistance programs required the collection of Social Security Numbers.

Commr. Cadwell asked, if the Board approved the contract, could they take the level of service information from the contract between United Way and Tampa Bay 211 Cares and attach it to the contract between the County and United Way.

Ms. Melanie Marsh, Deputy County Attorney, clarified that the contract identified the database as including services available and accessible to residents and the provision about having the ability to resell the information contained in the database was intended to give them the ability to put together a directory of services, not to sell actual client information because they did not identify anything in the contract regarding client information as being part of the database.  She added that they could remove or reword the provision to avoid further misunderstanding.

Commr. Hill supported rewriting the provision.

Commr. Cadwell supported removing the provision from the contract.

Commr. Campione suggesting including a statement that the Board did not approve of the sale of any personal identifying information.

Ms. Cordova agreed to reword the provision because they would not and could not sell any user information.

Commr. Campione expressed concern over the amount of money being requested and asked if there was any other way to get the information out to people about what organizations were out there to help people receive the services they needed.

Ms. Cordova replied that in the State of Florida, Lake and Sumter Counties were two of only five counties still not covered by 2-1-1 before United Way started services for them.

Commr. Parks asked for clarification if the $30,000 had been approved in the budget previously but not executed in contract.

Commr. Hill explained that staff had been working on the contract.

Commr. Cadwell moved to approve the agreement including an attachment of the level of service language in the contract between United Way and Tampa Bay 211 Cares and to reword section 3(D) of the contract to state United Way would not have the ability to resell any information gathered.

The motion was seconded by Commr. Hill, who passed the gavel.

Commr. Parks requested the Board postpone making a decision.

Commr. Cadwell withdrew his original motion.  He then made a new motion to postpone a decision on the agreement until the June 21, 2011 Board Meeting.

Commr. Hill seconded the motion.

Commr. Conner asked if the Board could receive more information on what was being done to market the 2-1-1 system when the item was brought back; explaining he wanted to ensure information about the program reached the public.

Commr. Parks  agreed with Commr. Conner’s request.

Commr. Campione remarked that gathering information on how people learned about the service would help answer the question of what worked as an effective marketing tool.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Hill, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved postponing a decision on the proposed agreement between Lake County and United Way for payment in the amount of $30,000 for 2-1-1 services until the June 21, 2011 Board Meeting.

Agreement for hospital/medical services for inmates

Mr. Gray explained Tab 5 was a request to formalize an agreement with South Lake Hospital concerning hospital/medical services for inmate medical care, mentioning the County already had contracts regarding inmate medical care with FHW and LRMC.  He commented that South Lake Hospital agreed to inmate medical care at the rate of a 50 percent discount off the hospitals current total billed charges.

Commr. Campione requested clarification in terms of a dollar figure for the 50 percent reduction in charges, opining the County might benefit more from negotiating with each of the hospitals on billing a predetermined charge for services as opposed to a 50 percent reduction.  She suggested staff compare the County insurance rates to the cost of 50 percent of services in order to determine if the County could come to a better arrangement.

Commr. Hill commented that she did not know if line items were provided on the invoices from the hospitals concerning inmate medical care to allow that type of a comparison.

Commr. Campione asked how much the County paid in total per year for inmate medical services.

Ms. Dottie Keedy, Community Services Director, replied that they did receive a detailed bill but they were mandated to pay the costs, which last year came to well over a million dollars.

Ms. Thall mentioned that the County currently had a purchase order with FHW, the County’s primary hospital for inmate care, in the amount of $650,000.  She explained that the other hospitals had agreed to follow FHW’s example in providing the County with a 50 percent discount on medical services provided for inmate care in order to be consistent, though it was rare when an inmate utilized a hospital other than FHW.  She reported there was approximately $250,000 remaining on the purchase order.

Commr. Conner agreed with Commr. Campione’s request for clarification on the discount, remarking that the Board needed to know what the actual numbers were in order to determine if a 50 percent discount was a good price when compared to what an insurance company such as Blue Cross Blue Shield had negotiated with the hospital.

Mr. Gray stated that staff could look at the rates with FHW and bring the results of the research back before the Board at a later date.  He suggested pulling the agenda item until then.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved postponing a decision to formalize an agreement with South Lake Hospital concerning hospital/medical services for inmate medical care until the June 21, 2011 Board meeting.

COUNTY MANAGER’S DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS

Conservation and Compliance

Water conservation initiative

Mr. Gregg Welstead, Conservation and Compliance Director, addressed the Board mentioning that Commr. Parks had been working with the St. John’s River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to create a water conservation initiative for the County.  He reported that what had been proposed was that SJRWMD would provide $30,000 in funding to conduct water conservation and Water Star training for landscape and irrigation contractors from Lake County as well as those who secondarily perform work in Lake County.  He then reported the second part of the initiative would involve consultancy work for a number of utilities in the County that would ultimately develop a conservation plan that would become part of their consumptive use permits.  He remarked that the agreement would not involve any costs to the County.  He stated Ms. Nancy Christman, Senior Intergovernmental Coordinator for SJRWMD, was present should the Board have any questions for her.

Commr. Parks commented that the programs were voluntary; explaining that the Water Star program was a voluntary program for local contractors and opining that it was an incentive towards water conservation.  He added that the second program involved working in coordination with the cities on a voluntary basis in order for district staff to provide resources to determine how effective certain conservation methods and programs were.  He remarked it was noteworthy because Lake County was the only county in the SJRWMD, and possibly only one of few in the State, to be provided that opportunity.  He suggested if the Board approved the water conservation initiative that staff send out a press release to inform the residents about the programs.

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Cadwell, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the water conservation initiative.

REPORTS – COUNTY ATTORNEY

request for closed session

Ms. Marsh requested a Closed Session on June 21, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. for the purpose of discussing pending litigation.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Conner, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the request for a Closed Session.

REPORTS – COUNTY MANAGER

Lake and Sumter Emergency Recovery, Inc.

Mr. Gray commented that at a previous meeting Lake and Sumter Emergency Recovery, Inc. (LASER) had requested some additional funding from the Board.  He reported that the County currently funded $51,000 and LASER was requesting an additional $50,000.  He stated Mr. Michael Tart, Chief Executive Officer for LASER, would go over some of their accomplishments and what they do.  He added that Mr. Jerry Smith, Emergency Management Director, would also be available to answer any questions.

Mr. Tart began a PowerPoint presentation, beginning with a slide listing some of the accomplishments of LASER such as how they brought almost $1.2 million into Lake County from grants and donations for direct services to citizens; clocked over 521,250 volunteer hours, not including the Groundhog Day tornados; and assisted 87 families with rebuilding and repair after the 2004/2005 hurricanes, the Groundhog Day tornados, and the Eustis tornados.  He also mentioned LASER assisted 72 families with rebuilding and repair after Tropical Storm Fay in 2007, helped more than 50 individuals with minor repair and/or given resources for unrelated storm damage, and represented Lake County in outside relief efforts with a coordinated community-wide volunteer approach.  He displayed a letter from the President of Florida’s Foundation discussing the benefit LASER has provided to Lake County.

Mr. Smith continued the presentation, displaying the revised 2011-2012 budget for LASER and noting that while Mr. Tart had not reduced the requested amount, the overall budget had been reduced.  He discussed some of the things the Board had asked be reviewed, such as establishing a contract rate during a disaster, having some of the functions be performed internally, finding assistance from other funding sources, and having additional functions for value.  He further discussed the scope of work additions, stating LASER would perform primary duties within the comprehensive emergency management plan and to be able to perform those duties during a disaster.

Commr. Cadwell suggested having Mr. Tart meet with the County Manager or the Board Chairman and look at reframing the LASER Board of Directors and how they operate.  He opined that while the Board might not be able to give LASER the full amount requested, he thought the Board should fund LASER until the end of the budget year on September 30, 2011 and he estimated that amount to be around $25,000 to $30,000.

Commr. Conner opined that the Board could sustain the organization, but not at the current budget level.  He asked Mr. Tart how much money LASER would need for the organization to stay viable through September 30, 2011 if they were to cut back their budget.

Mr. Tart answered that they would need $35,000.  He commented that LASER had, as of June 1, 2011, started to facilitate the medical reserve corps, which saved the County money.

Commr. Conner stated he would support giving LASER between $25,000 and $35,000.  He commented that the letter from Florida’s Foundation stated that should Florida be impacted by a disaster that affected Lake and Sumter Counties, they would provide funds to LASER for long term recovery needs.  He noted that was another source of funds for LASER.

Commr. Hill commented that the Board could place the request for additional funds in the budget cycle for the next fiscal year and suggested asking Sumter County if they wanted to be included in LASER because if they did they would need to be on contract along with Lake County.  She remarked that if Sumter County did not want to be included then it might lead to a reduction in budget.

Commr. Cadwell suggested meeting with the LASER Board to discuss the BCC having more oversight via an advisory board or some other means that would give the BCC the opportunity for oversight without turning LASER into a government entity.

Commr. Parks commented that the prorated amount to fund LASER through the end of the current fiscal year was $30,000.

Commr. Campione stated she could not support a motion to give LASER additional funds at that time, remarking that she had a problem with the request to go beyond what was budgeted last year.  She specified she would be in support of helping LASER during the budget cycle to ensure the organization was in place and commented that she agreed with the Board having additional oversight over the organization.  She added that she had a problem with the executive salary and stated that LASER could remain operational, keep their non-profit status, and keep the equipment ready, but at a much lower cost than what had been presented.

Commr. Hill clarified that the reason LASER was requesting additional funding because a funding source had pulled out midyear.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Conner, and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved the amended agreement in the amount of $30,000 for LASER for the 2011 fiscal year and to discuss further LASER issues for the 2012 fiscal year closer to the Board’s discussion of the 2012 budget.

Commr. Campione voted, “No.”

lake county ems update

Mr. Gray informed the Board that responses for the EMS Operational Efficiency RFP were due June 8, 2011.  He also reported that a committee of three people would review the responses, stating the committee was made up of himself; Mr. Jeremy Martin, Clerk of Court Internal Auditor; and Mr. Michael Patterson, the President of the Florida Association of County EMS from Putnam County.

Lake county ems workshop

Mr. Gray requested having the July 12, 2011 BCC Workshop become an EMS workshop to allow the Board to discuss the EMS budget for next year as well as discuss changing the name of EMS services in Lake County and the composition of the new EMS Board.

Budget workshop

Mr. Gray reminded the Board there a Budget Workshop was scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, 2011 and the workshop would be held at Trout Lake.

REPORTS – COMMISSIONER HILL – CHAIRMAN AND DISTRICT 1

Appointments to national association of counties

Commr. Hill reported the Board needed to appoint a designated delegate and alternate for National Association of Counties (NACo) for voting purposes.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Campione, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved appointing Commr. Cadwell as the designated delegate.  No alternate was selected.

Letter regarding Wekiva river basin meetings

Commr. Hill stated she resubmitted a letter from the Board that had been previously approved for Commr. Campione to attend the Wekiva River Basin meetings and to become a member, explaining the need for the resubmission was because there had been some confusion in the Governor’s office.

Legislation regarding enterprise zones

Commr. Hill reported Governor Scott had passed legislation regarding enterprise zones and requested the Board discuss at a future meeting areas they would like to identify as enterprise zones.

meeting with Congressman Mica on public transportation

Commr. Hill informed the Board they had been asked to meet with Congressman Mica at 3:00 p.m. to discuss transportation in the region.  She reported she would be attending the meeting.

deadline regarding the severance pay levels

Commr. Hill reported there was a July 1, 2011 deadline regarding the severance pay levels for the County Manager and County Attorney.  She requested the Board review the contracts for those two positions and the current severance pay levels to determine if they would maintain those levels or change them to the State suggested levels.

reports – commissioner parks – district 2

Liberty Christian Academy commencement

Commr. Parks thanked the students and staff at the Liberty Christian Academy for having him as the commencement speaker at graduation.

new tower at South Lake Hospital

Commr. Parks reported attending the grand opening of the new tower at South Lake Hospital.

City of Groveland budgeting award event

Commr. Parks reported attending an event on June 6, 2011 at the City of Groveland where Ms. Dolly Miller, Groveland City Manager, was recognized with a very prestigious budgeting award.

problems with vagrancy around SR 19/Hwy 27

Commr. Parks reported meeting with City of Groveland Councilwoman Evelyn Wilson before the meeting and she had expressed concern that the hotels around SR 19/Hwy 27 were having an increased problem with vagrancy as well as a problem with released prisoners inhabiting vacant buildings in the area.  He asked if staff could coordinate something with the Sheriff’s Office to investigate.

South Lake Parks update

Commr. Parks gave an update on the South Lake parks, informing the Board they should find out that night as to whether or not the City of Minneola would accept the proposal for the Minneola Athletic Complex (MAC).

Proposed audit of the Public Works Department

Commr. Parks requested adding an agenda item to a future meeting where the Board could look at an operational and efficiency audit of the Public Works Department.

reports – commissioner conner – district 3

Enterprise zones

Commr. Conner requested the Chairman send a letter to Representative Metz thanking him on behalf of the entire Board for his work on enterprise zones.

City of Groveland budgeting award event

Commr. Conner reported he had also attended the meeting in Groveland recognizing Ms. Dolly Miller, Groveland City Manager, and her staff with a very prestigious budgeting award.

traffic light needed on Hancock Road in Clermont

Commr. Conner discussed his previous mention of a need for a traffic light on Hancock Road in Clermont near the Diamond Players Club.  He stated it was a very dangerous intersection and requested an agenda item be added to a future meeting to discuss and provide direction on how to solve the problem.

REPORTS – COMMISsIONER CADWELL – DISTRICT 5

Parks and Recreations Advisory Board update

Commr. Cadwell gave an update from the Parks and Recreations Advisory Board, reporting they agreed that their getting involved in the naming of the park was a policy decision of the Board and they would not give a recommendation.  He suggested renaming the park Coach Rudy Rolle Park at Lake Idamere.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 1:12 p.m.

 

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Jennifer Hill, chairman

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

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NEIL KELLY, CLERK