A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

july 5, 2011

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, July 5, 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; Sanford A. “Sandy” Minkoff, County Attorney; Niki Booth, Office Associate V, County Manager’s Office; Neil Kelly, Clerk of Court; Barbara F. Lehman, Chief Deputy Clerk, County Finance; and Susan Boyajan, Deputy Clerk.

INVOCATION and pledge

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

Agenda update

Mr. Darren Gray, County Manager, stated that there was an Addendum 1 and that he would like to pull Tab 6 from his consent agenda and to present that with Tab 20, which is the economic development update.

Commr. Campione requested to pull Tab 17 for discussion.

employee awards

Ms. Susan Irby, Employee Services Director, presented the following awards, commenting briefly on the employee’s service to the County:

five years

Mario Chatman, Hazardous Waste Technician

Public Works/Solid Waste

 

Benjamin (Cody) Durrance, Equipment Operator I

Public Works/Road Operations/Maintenance Area III

 

Dorothy Keedy, Community Services Director

Community Services

 

Brian Sheahan, Planning Director

Growth Management/Planning & Community Design

TEN YEARS

 

Ralph Rousseau, Library Page (not present)

Public Resources/Library Services/Cagan Crossings Library

 

FIFTEEN YEARS

Marjorie Boyd, Animal Services Director

Conservation & Compliance/Animal Services

TWENTY FIVE YEARS

Ms. Dottie Keedy, Community Services Director, presented the following award, commenting on the service of the employee:

Linda Green, Office Associate V

Community Services

 

Mr. Jim Stivender, Public Works Director, presented the following retirement award:

retirement

Roger Dale Warren, Equipment Operator IV (not present)

Public Works/Solid Waste

Mr. Darren Gray, County Manager; Mr. Fred Schneider, Engineering Director; and all of the Commissioners in turn commented extensively about Mr. Stivender’s service to the County and presented the following employee award to him:

thirty years

James Stivender, Jr., Public Works Director

Public Works

MINUTE APPROVAL

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Conner, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Minutes of May 17, 2011 (Regular Meeting) and May 24, 2011 (Regular Meeting) as presented.

CITIZEN QUESTION AND COMMENT PERIOD

Mr. Paul Richardson, a resident of Clermont, informed the Board that on June 20, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved the use of unlimited domain extensions of Top-Level Domains (TLD), which he indicated would mean they could apply to have any name or word in place of the top-level domain suffix after January 12, 2012.  He opined that this could present a market for a unique TLD of “.lakefl.” for Lake County businesses, such as for new businesses in the field of information technology in the Leesburg area.  He recommended that the BCC should copyright the use of the “.lakefl” TLD as soon as possible and create a logo for that using the current Lake County logo and copyright it as well.  He also thought the County should put out a bidding contract for private corporations to use the TLD and logo for a fee with the provisions that the corporation stay in the county, employ only Lake County residents, and reserve the domain names for government offices to prevent fraud resulting from the use of fake government domains.

Mr. Minkoff explained that there was a statute that allows the County exclusive use of the seal, but he did not think they have technically copyrighted it.

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Mr. Vance Jochim, a resident of Tavares and writer of a blog called “fiscalrangers.com,” expressed concern that there was no additional information or public hearing regarding the Professional Firefighters union agreement in Tab 23 and no ten-year trend analysis or indication of a requirement that the employees contribute toward health insurance regarding the County employees’ medical plan in Tab 24.  He opined that the County needs better transparency regarding wages and benefits and to show prior periods for perspective for analysis.

Commr. Conner asked for clarification about employee contributions to health premiums.

Ms. Irby responded that the employee contributions range from 10 to 20 percent, depending on if the employee selects single or family coverage.

Commr. Conner pointed out that the County’s loss ratio is still trending very positively, and he opined that the staff does a very careful job of the trending and managing of the health care program.  He did agree that the changes in the firefighter union contract were not as clear as they could have been, since they were not underlined and hard to delineate, and he requested to see the changes underlined or an executive summary in the future.

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 10, 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.

Deer Island CDD Operating Budget for FY 2012

Request to acknowledge receipt of copy of Deer Island Community Development District’s proposed operating budget for Fiscal Year 2012 for the purposes of disclosure and information only and a cover letter stating the District has scheduled a public hearing on August 15, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at the Deer Island Clubhouse.

Plaza Collina CDD Proposed FY 2011/12 Budgets

Request to acknowledge receipt of copy of the proposed fiscal year 2011 and 2012 budgets for the Plaza Collina Community Development District which is located in Lake County.  These budgets are for review and comments, with no action necessary, and are being submitted in accordance with Chapter 190.008 F.S.

Application for Original Certificate for a Proposed or Existing System

Request to acknowledge receipt of application for Original Certificate for a proposed or existing system requesting initial rates and charges.  Legal Notice given on June 10, 2011, pursuant to 367.045, Florida Statutes of the application of MFL Utility Systems to operate a water and wastewater utility to provide service to the described territory in Lake County, which was a parcel of land lying in the northwest quarter of Section 1, Township 19 South, Range 25 East, and the Northeast ¼ quarter of Section 2, Township 19 South, Range 25 East.

Application for Original Certificate for a Proposed or Existing System

Request to acknowledge receipt of Application for Original Certificate for a proposed or existing system requesting initial rates and charges.  Legal notice given on June 10, 2011, pursuant to 367.045, Florida Statutes of the application of the COL Utility Systems to operate a water and wastewater utility to provide service to the described territory in Lake County, which was a parcel of land lying in the Section 32, Township 18 South, Range 26 East.

Arlington Ridge CDD Proposed Annual Budget for FY 2012

Request to acknowledge receipt of Arlington Ridge Community Development District’s proposed annual budget for fiscal year 2012, in accordance with Chapter 190.008(2)(b), Florida Statutes, along with a cover letter stating that the public hearing to adopt the proposed budget has been tentatively scheduled for August 3, 2011.

Letter from City of Fruitland Park

Request to acknowledge receipt of letter from the City of Fruitland Park dated June 10, 2011 giving notification that the City Commission voted unanimously on June 9 to permanently close the gate on Hawk Landing located between the Wingspread subdivision and The Glen subdivision.

City of Clermont’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for FY ended 9/30/10

Request to acknowledge receipt of copy of the City of Clermont’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010 along with a copy of the Clermont Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Annual Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, which summarizes that agency’s information, in accordance with Section 163.387 (8) of the Florida Statutes regarding Redevelopment Trust Funds.

Founders Ridge CDD Proposed Budget for FY 2012

Request to acknowledge receipt of copy of the Founders Ridge Community Development District’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2012 for the purposes of disclosure and information only and a copy of Resolution 2011-01 approving the proposed budget and setting a public hearing for September 13, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. at Minneola City Hall, 800 N. US Highway 27, Minneola, Florida, for adoption of the same.

St. Johns River Utility 2010 Drinking Water Quality Report

Request to acknowledge receipt of St. Johns River Utility, Inc. 2010 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.

COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA

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 16, pulling Tabs 6 and 17, as follows:

Community Services

Request for approval to give the County Manager authority to sign the Direct Pay to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Inc. for an inpatient medical stay qualified under the Health Care Responsibility Act (HCRA) guidelines. The Direct Pay requires the County Manager’s signature as the invoice total exceeds $25,000.00. The fiscal impact is $39,444.56.

Request for approval of Annual Update for Section 8 Five (5) Year Plan and Signature on Form HUD-50077 CR (Civil Rights Certification).

County Manager

Request for approval to apply for the FY 2011 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program Local Solicitation. The FY 2011 allocation for Lake County is $63,744.

Request for authorization to fill one vacant Animal Shelter Technician position within the Conservation and Compliance/Animal Services Division. (Fiscal impact is $30,902.)

Economic Development And Tourism

Request for approval and signature on the Amendment to High Value Job Creation Program Agreement between Lake County, Florida and First Class Air Repair, Inc. for a twelve month extension.

Fiscal and Administrative Services

Request for approval of award of ITB 11-0811 for Automotive, Bus, and Truck Replacement Parts to various firms within budgeted funds for annual fleet maintenance and authorize the Procurement Office to complete all associated contract documentation. Fiscal impact $100,000.00 estimated.

Public Resources

Request for approval for Chairman and Commissioners to declare and sign Proclamation No. 2011-85 designating July as Parks and Recreation Month. There is no fiscal impact.

Request for approval of award of ITB 11-0409 for Park Landscape Maintenance and Related Services as noted below, and authorize Procurement staff to execute the related contractual documents.  Fiscal impact $161,490.00.

Public Safety

Request for approval and execution of: (1) Modification of FY 2010 State Homeland Security Grant to include Region 5 Mutual Aid Build-Out Grant Award of $700,788 (2) Approval and execution of Unanticipated Revenue Resolution No. 2011-86 to include grant award of $700,788 in FY 2011 budget and (3) Authorization for the County Manager to sign future amendments / modifications that do not involve financial impact. There is no local match.

Request for approval and execution by the Lake County Board of County Commissioners of: (1) Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Funds in the amount of $78,378; (2) approval of Resolution No. 2011-87; and (3) authorization for the County Manager to sign future amendments/modifications that do not involve financial impact. Grant funding was included in the FY 2011-12 Proposed Budget.

Request for approval and execution by the Lake County Board of County Commissioners of: (1) Emergency Management Preparedness and Assistance (EMPA) Trust Fund Base Grant Agreement with the State of Florida, Division of Emergency Management, in the amount of $105,806; (2) approval of Resolution No. 2011-88; and (3) authorization for the County Manager to sign future amendments/modifications that do not involve financial impact. Grant funding was included in the FY 2011-12 Proposed Budget.

Public Works

Request for approval of the FY 2011/12 Detailed Work Plan Budget - Arthropod Control.  Fiscal Impact is $18,396.11.

Request for approval and authorization for Chairman to execute satisfactions of lien for the attached seven (7) road assessments. Commission District 3 and 4. There is no fiscal impact.

ADDENDUM 1-I.  Request for approval of the Initial Assessment Resolution No. 2011-89 for Collection, Management and Disposal of Solid Waste and Recovered Materials for FY 11/12, including a proposed maximum residential assessment of $184 and establish a Public Hearing date of September 13, 2011.

Commr. Campione thanked Commr. Conner for the additional language regarding economic impact that the Lake-Wekiva Trail could have during the study, design, and construction phases to be added to the resolution in Tab 17, but she also thought that they could add another sentence with some additional language about the long-term impacts to retail opportunities and tourism that would follow.  She mentioned that she had a request from the Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation asking if the Board would consider matching funds from the City of Mount Dora to share the $3800 cost of an economic analysis study.  She proposed a whereas clause stating “Whereas, the Lake-Wekiva Trail will provide economic opportunities for the business community of Lake County in the study, design, and construction phases, and upon completion, the Lake-Wekiva Trail will generate retail and tourism opportunities for businesses and communities located along the Trail.”

 Commr. Parks commented that he supported the resolution and thought the additional language was a great idea.

Commr. Conner stated that this formalized that the County would use qualified local firms whenever they could do so.

Commr. Campione added that they could present this to the municipalities in each of their districts that would be impacted positively by these trails.

Commr. Hill clarified that the resolution would next go to the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by those present by a vote of 4-0 (Commr. Cadwell was not present for this vote), the Board approved Resolution No. 2011-90 supporting the Lake-Wekiva Trail Project for the PD&E Study by the Lake–Sumter MPO, adding the additional language that was recommended by Commr. Conner and Commr. Campione.

COUNTY ATTORNEY’S CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Attorney’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 18 and 19 as follows:

Request for approval to cancel the Mortgage and release the Note executed by Melinda Alamo on May 16, 2008, and recorded at O.R. Book 3629, Pages 119 through 126, upon receipt of the $2,500 payment. Fiscal Impact: The original loan amount was $10,000; recovery will be $2,500.

Request for approval to advertise an ordinance dissolving the Environmental Protection Advisory Board.

presentation

economic development and tourism

Mr. Gray related that when Mr. Scott Blankenship was hired about six weeks ago as the new Director of Economic Development & Tourism, he started work on an economic development structure, plan, and strategy, which was the number one priority of the Board, that would help retain and help local businesses as well as looking outside the area to bring in other businesses.  He requested that the Board approve Tab 6 after this presentation as well.

Mr. Blankenship commented that he thought Lake County should strive to be recognized as the most progressive county in the region for economic development and tourism.  He opined that the County currently has some of the best incentives available, an economic action plan that works to improve their processes and their communication with one another, and a leadership team that instills a culture of pro-business.  He pointed out that the geography of the County presented some challenges, with over 1100 square miles, nine Chambers of Commerce, and 14 cities and towns that each has their own unique economic development and tourism needs.  He believed that they needed to get closer to and learn more about their business community and opportunities, collaborate and utilize their partners more effectively, continue to build on their relationships with the cities and towns, and continue to improve the processes through a more efficient use of resources and focus on current businesses to strive to be the most progressive county in the region and the state.  He related that their approach was to look at the county in three micro-regions from a business and territory-management standpoint and the types of tourism events that each bring to Lake County.  He showed the number of businesses and employees in the three regions, noting that those numbers were fairly equitable, and he identified the top industries in each region, which all included health care, construction, and manufacturing, with health care being the predominant industry in all of the regions.  He related that each micro-region had unique sporting events that bring in tourists, which had a direct impact on a variety of businesses throughout the county, and he believed they could expand and capitalize on their unique eco-tourism opportunities.  He reported that they were revamping the way that they were spending their tax dollars received from the four percent bed tax from the hotel stays and overnight accommodations to more efficiently spend that money, including being better focused and more targeted in their approach for advertising and promotion.  He also presented information regarding age, education, and household income for the three regions, and he pointed out that this was the kind of information that prospective businesses look at when they move to a specific area and along with census data would help businesses decide what part of the county would be the most beneficial for their business.  He also opined that taking incubators, which he referred to as business development centers, to the next level and moving those closer to the business community would work best for businesses and have a more progressive result for economic development.  He specified that he was looking at adding an additional incubator in the Golden Triangle area and one in South Lake County, which he believed would result in a consistent network throughout the County to support their businesses.  He commented that if they put the right strategy, team, and tactics in place and sustain that implementation, they will get to where they want to be to make Lake County’s economic climate more prosperous.  He also stated that he believed that the County needed to do a better job moving forward to leverage all of the resources that are made available by the federal, state, and local levels.

Commr. Hill commented that hopefully the numbers regarding the education and income levels would end up being a little better since the figures illustrated in the presentation are not based on the newest census numbers.

Commr. Campione commented that it would be helpful to include another page in the presentation for each district giving the top 20 industries so that they could see the whole picture.

Commr. Hill noted that there were several nice small theaters that make up a large portion of the tourism event dollars, but she did not see that listed in the presentation.

Mr. Blankenship explained that they listed large sporting events that were the largest driver for bed tax dollars in the County, but he did not think they have capitalized on eco-tourism as well as they could have.  He commented that all of the quality of life issues, such as having good natural resources available, theaters, and parks, were priorities for economic development.

Commr. Parks requested more elaboration about how the County is working with the cities to help them achieve their goals.

Mr. Blankenship responded that having a regional focus will put resources closer to the cities and do more in building relationships with the cities.

Mr. Gray added that they were placing a staff person and an economic development coordinator in each of those regions, and they will have that point of contact to attend city meetings, visiting Chambers of Commerce, and get to know the existing businesses well.

Commr. Conner mentioned that this was an opportunity for the City of Tavares, who was likely going to be one of three finalists for relocation of a seaplane manufacturing plant that was expected to bring in 150 high-wage jobs immediately with the expectation of rapid growth in subsequent years, and he was hopeful that the County will be very aggressive in helping the City through their high-value job creation program incentives and be part of the bid package that would help the manufacturing company choose Tavares.

Commr. Parks asked for clarification of a program from Atlanta called “Hire One.”

Mr. Blankenship explained that it was an awareness, communication, and marketing campaign illustrating how critical just hiring one additional employee was, which aimed to increase their employment base by 150,000 to lower the Atlanta region’s unemployment to an acceptable level.  He added that 90 percent of Lake County’s efforts will be focused on existing businesses.

Commr. Parks asked what else the County could do to make them the best, most forward-thinking economic development department in Florida.

Mr. Blankenship answered that he believed they were already doing it, which was to send the message out to the world that Lake County was a good place to do business in and that they appreciate and value their current businesses.

Commr. Campione commented that she was excited about their approach of taking the County from a reactive to a proactive position, using a sub-regional approach, identifying obstacles, and trying to do something about those obstacles.  She suggested that staff add a few more slides to look at how each of the County’s three regions connect to surrounding regions, such as Metro Orlando, surrounding counties, or the Villages, and to consider using this presentation as part of their presentation with the School Board, plugging in the latest census information by that time.  She also recommended that they have a slide showing the arts activities and opportunities and adding trails to the slide regarding parks, which would delineate the existing trails and those close to realization, as well as adding public lands to that slide to emphasize the uniqueness of the County.

county manager’s consent agenda

economic development and tourism coordinator positions

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Tab 6, the request from the County Manager for authorization to fill two (2) Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator positions within the Office of Economic Development and Tourism. (The total fiscal impact of the two positions is $116,759.)

Commr. Hill explained that these positions would not be new positions, but would just be filled by employees that were moved from other positions.

Commr. Parks commented that these were very much-needed positions.

presentation - opening of three public lands properties

Ms. Wendy Breeden, Public Resources Director, recapped that the Board received an overview of public lands along with the presentation on parks and trails in April, but with the emphasis on opening several of the public lands properties, the Board requested an update on the program today.  She stated that she would go over the history and property locations briefly, but the majority of the presentation would be spent on the properties that are being opened and the process they were going through to do that, and then she will discuss future program plans.  She related that the Public Lands Acquisition Council (PLAAC), which was created in May 2003, spent countless hours helping to guide and develop the program that the County has today, and a $36 million bond referendum was passed in 2004 for the purchase of public lands.  She explained that PLAAC established criteria for acquisition, and its recommendations centered on four main categories, which were protection of water resources, natural communities and landscapes, plant and animal species, and social human values.  She reported that the County acquired ten properties, accepted a donated property, partnered on a multi-agency acquisition, provided grants to the City of Clermont for property acquisition, and is providing funding for right-of-way acquisition for a phase of the South Lake Trail.  She stated that the PLAAC Committee’s next step was to assist staff with development of a management plan for each property to address ongoing management and restoration activities as well as plans for passive recreation opportunities, which have all been approved and are now ongoing.  She mentioned that PLAAC completed its mission and was dissolved in April of 2011, and the Public Lands ordinance regarding moving toward opening of some of the properties was approved in May.  She showed a slide which illustrated the locations of the public lands properties, noting that they have public properties from the edge of the Ocala National Forest in Paisley to the Green Swamps in Clermont, and from Lady Lake to Sorrento, covering all of the districts.  She recapped that the Board directed staff on April 26 to open Ellis Acres Reserve, Lake May Reserve, and the Pasture Reserve to the public within 90 days, and she reported that staff was well on track to meeting the goals which were required for that to be completed.  She related that the Department of Growth Management, Public Works, Public Resources, and Information Technology, as well as the County Health Department and Development Review Staff, all contributed to planning and completion of the tasks, and they began with an interdepartmental meeting to determine and assign the tasks that needed to be accomplished.  The Parks and Trails Division would be responsible for installation of the fences and signage, clearing and marking trails, and providing Information Outreach with information that assists with preparing brochures and website information.  The parking lot sites were identified, surveyed, and designed in house and sent to Growth Management for minor site plan review and approval; and Public Works would do the design and construction of the parking areas in house.  She mentioned that the parking areas would double as trail heads and would provide ADA parking as well as a stabilized surface for maintenance and emergency vehicles.  She reported that the parking lot for Lake May was the only one that could not be completed as proposed in the conceptual site plan, since turn lanes had been recommended due to safety concerns for the primary entrance to the property.

Mr. Kristian Swenson, Facilities Development and Management Director, reviewed the different surfaces that were considered for the parking areas and explained why they chose the double treatment surface.  He noted that staff went over a series of surface types at the previously-mentioned interdepartmental meeting, including grass, stabilized grass, clay or lime rock, asphalt, and the double surface treatment, which was ultimately chosen as the best one for keeping to their goal of a rural low-maintenance type of parking lot, but still delineate the parking area.  He went through the pros and cons identified in the decision matrix which was illustrated on the overhead slide for all of the types of surface areas considered by staff.  He explained that the double surface treatment was made with a clay or limerock base with a gravel or other type of aggregate and imbedded into a liquid asphalt and which had the appearance of a gravel surface that was glued to the rock.  He pointed out that the County has done a number of those types of projects before and was very competent in doing that.

Ms. Breeden stated that an environmental assessment for each of the properties was conducted as part of due diligence at the time of purchase, and they tried to use existing trails for trail alignments when possible to minimize impact on the properties.  She also noted that the site plans for the parking areas were reviewed and approved by Development review staff, and biologists from Growth Management as well as Public Lands staff visited those properties.  She specified that the 136-acre Lake May Reserve property was purchased in May 2008 and is located on CR 44A on the corner of Estes Road.  She commented that it surrounds Lake May and has a large heavily wooded area as well as both an active and burnt-out orange grove.  She mentioned that this area has a large number of invasive trees on the property that would need to be removed, and she showed a slide which mapped out the natural habitat areas, trail system, small parking area, location of the primary entrance, and future primary parking areas.

Commr. Conner asked about what the plans were for the entrances of that property.

Commr. Cadwell commented that it would take a lot of engineering and money to redesign the road to make it safe, which was why they were not doing that now.

Mr. Gray responded that there would have to be turn lanes by the entrance in the future as they evaluate it to make it safe for ingress and egress from the property.

Commr. Hill stated that originally because of the orange grove not being active that would be the best site not to disturb the environmental aspects of the property.

Mr. Stivender explained that this was the main entrance into the citrus grove and a central point, and the idea was to put a parking area in this location rather than disturb anything else while trying to preserve all of the other areas around the lake that had grown up and had been preserved that was not an active citrus grove.

Commr. Hill added that citrus groves were in very sandy soil, and they would have to mitigate that if it was used for a parking area.

Ms. Breeden added that they were planning to keep the orange grove as part of Lake County’s history and operate it organically as a demonstration project.

Commr. Conner stated that his preference is to have a more natural parking surface, such as wood chips or railroad ties.

Commr. Campione commented that from a standpoint of keeping it natural and preserving the pristine nature of this property, she thought it would be better to have a very defined parking area, and she thought the staff’s choice of surface was a very smart way to do it and kept the rural appeal to it, the site neat, and maintenance costs down.

Mr. Stivender pointed out that they had to take a lot of trees that were invasive species out to plant the proper native species instead that were historically present back in the 1800’s.

Ms. Breeden continued to explain that the next slide illustrated a topographic and site plan survey for Lake May, which showed that there was an existing grass road that was on that property, as well as possible gopher tortoises and various trees that were identified, and she pointed out on the slide showing the parking lot design that there were no gopher tortoises within 25 feet of this area.  She noted that they halted construction of this site and showed what the site currently looked like, and she related that the tasks that remain to be done to open this property are to complete construction of the parking lot, install a fence around the parking lot and one around the historic cabin located on the property, and install trail markers and informational signage.   She then reported that Ellis Acres Reserve was in District 5, located on CR 42 just east of the Paisley community and was purchased in two phases in 2007 and 2008 for a total of 417 acres.  She commented that this property has large expanses of meadows, pastures, and wetlands, as well as some wooded areas.  She mentioned that part of the property was recently burnt due to a forest fire that started in the Ocala National Forest, but opined that it will grow back to its natural state.  She related that the parking lot on this property is consistent with the management plan, and she noted that there were no trees or gopher tortoises in the area of the parking lot.  She showed a photograph of the completed parking lot, noting that it has been fenced and has a pathway for the public, and she showed a slide giving an example of signs that would be installed on the property.  She reported that almost all of the tasks have been completed for this property, except for signage, trail markers, and a final walk-through.

Ms. Breeden then went on to discuss the Pasture Reserve, which was in District 2 and located in the Green Swamp, west of SR 33 on Lake Erie Road, and she stated that it was 808 acres and was purchased in 2007.  She noted that a large part of this property is wetlands and that the entrance to the Pasture Reserve is on Lake Erie Road, with the trail designed to avoid the wetlands areas.  She also pointed out that there were no trees or gopher tortoises removed for the parking lot, and the remaining tasks that needed to be completed were to install a fence around the parking area and to install trail markers and informational signage.  She went over the future plans for the properties, stating that the Master Plans for the three properties under discussion are in the formal design phase, and amenities such as canoe and kayak landings, picnic tables, benches, and pavilions would be recommended based on appropriateness to the property.  She noted that restoration and maintenance would continue, and Public Lands is already planning events for the public on these properties, which would be included in the 2012 parks event guide.  She related that some properties that they were planning on opening in the future are Mt. Plymouth Lakes, Neighborhood Lakes, South Pine Lakes Reserve, and Northeast Lake County Scrub Preserve.  She recapped that they would be bringing forward master plans for the Board’s approval on each of the properties, and she noted that she believed they could still meet the original deadline for the opening of the first three properties.

Commr. Cadwell suggested that they expand the relationship with Trout Lake Nature Center, especially regarding the Lake May property which was nearby, because they were a great resource.

Mr. David Hansen, Public Lands Manager, related that the County has already started reaching out to Trout Lake staff, who has indicated they would be happy to help the County.

Mr. Gray stated that they would move forward with the original direction from the Board to open the first three properties up at the end of July.

public hearing

firearm ordinance to comply with state preemption in 790.33

Mr. Sandy Minkoff, County Attorney, placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for final reading by title only, as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; REPEALING CHAPTER 14, SECTION 14-2, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED DISCHARGING OF FIREARMS WITHIN LAKE COUNTY; AMENDING CHAPTER 16, SECTION 16-12, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED PARK ADVERTISING; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

Mr. Minkoff explained that this ordinance is intended to remove regulation of firearms in the County Code, as now preempted by state law.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the adoption of Ordinance No. 2011-35 repealing and amending sections of the County Code dealing with firearms to comply with state preemption in 790.33. No fiscal impact.

COUNTY MANAGER’S DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS

county manager

fire union contract

Mr. Gray explained that Tab 23 was the fire union contract for which they had just finished negotiations that had started in March, and he pointed out that there were not many changes to the contract.  He specified that it did not include any wage increases and that the union ratified it.  He stated that staff recommended approval of the collective bargaining agreement.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board voted for approval and BCC ratification of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

employee services

employee medical plan program agreement with blue cross

Ms. Irby related that this agenda item would cover several updates concerning their employee benefits program, including extension of the contract with Blue Cross/Blue Shield for the medical plan; request for proposals that the County put out for dental, vision, and legal; employee benefit financials; and employee contributions.  She stated that their medical plan was self-funded with stop loss coverage, and she gave an overview of the elective benefits that were available, such as the flexible spending account, life and disability insurance plans, vision, prepaid legal, and cancer plan.  She noted that the current plan membership included the Board, MPO, Supervisor of Elections, Property Appraiser, and Water Authority.  She reported that this fiscal year they have added the Tax Collector, and Lake-Sumter EMS, and they anticipate having the Clerk of Courts on board as well by October 1, resulting in a total of 1300 employees and 2500 members on the plan.  She reported that they approached Blue Cross/Blue Shield regarding their ASO Fees, which is the monthly fee they pay per member for administration of the plan, and came back with three proposals, which she presented on the overhead screen.  She recommended that they proceed with Option 1, a renewal which would extend the contract to 2014 at a reduced rate of $47.95 going into next year and extending the contract to 2014, resulting in the County receiving an almost $82,000 credit for this fiscal year.  Also, she noted that included in the agreement would be a one-time $50,000 wellness contribution to the Board to kick-start their wellness program again, and the agreement also included an early-termination fee of $125,000. However, she indicated that they were not concerned about that because of the positive relationship they have had with Blue Cross, and the savings would more than makes up for that fee.  She commented that she hoped that the addition of the Clerk’s employees would result in even better rates.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved to extend the current employee Medical Plan Program Agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida.

Ms. Irby reported that they had conducted through Procurement Services RFP’s for dental, vision, and prepaid legal and had a 14-member review committee to review the proposals made up of representatives from all of the entities that would be participating in the plan.

Mr. John Robinson, President and CEO of RobinsonBush, Inc., discussed some of the benefit RFP’s that they have been conducting these past several months, and he recapped that there currently were three dental plans that were available to employees and their dependents, which would remain in effect this upcoming year.  He specified that the least costly of those plans was an HMO plan with a restricted network, which was elected by 32 percent of the population, and that the Advantage Plan, which was elected by 27 percent of employees, is an in-network plan only.  He noted that the most popular option elected by 41 percent of employees was the PPO option, which had both an in-network and out-of-network $1,000 annual benefit with 100 percent coverage for preventive services.  He reported that the recommendation of the committee was for retention of Humana/CompBenefits, the incumbent carrier, and he pointed out that there was an improvement in orthodontic coverage to the plan in addition to some cost savings.  He illustrated on the slide the monthly premiums for the three types of plans, and he explained that the employee portion of the premiums is paid for through the employee benefits that are employer paid.

Mr. Robinson explained that the vision plan is a voluntary plan for active employees and their families which covers exams, lenses (including contact lenses), and frames, with a $15 copayment for the examination and a $15 lens and frame copayment, with discounts for Lasik surgery and other benefits.  He elaborated that although the plan has both in and out of network coverage, the scheduled benefits are more extensive for in-network care.  He reported that Ameritas, who was the current provider of this service, was recommended by the committee, and he noted that although the benefits would remain the same, the premiums would decrease by nine percent to a rate of $5.60 for employee only and $15.96 for family.  Another voluntary benefit offered that he discussed was the pre-paid legal services, which covers visits to attorneys for personal and business matters, as well as consultations, through U.S. Legal Services, and it was recommended that they continue to use that provider.  He related that the current level of benefits will be maintained through the length of the contract, and the premiums would decrease ten percent to a rate of $16.90.  He looked at the performance of the health plan over the last couple of years, and illustrated the changes in the surplus and reserves since FY 2008/09, when there was a surplus of $7.3 million, which changed in FY 09/10 to a surplus of $8.8 million after all of the expenses were paid.  He specified that they projected an annual surplus of $8.7 million for 2010/11, which represented a small erosion of the reserves of about $114,000; however, they do not expect that to happen because of favorable claims experience during this particular year.  He noted that the chart showed an expense of about $12.5 million expected in FY 11/12 and revenue of $10.1 million, and the difference would be funded through the reserves.

Ms. Irby recommended that the employee contributions stay the same as they currently are going into next fiscal year, since they were able to obtain reduced negotiated rates, and savings and the fund reserves remain in a favorable position.  She also noted that employees do contribute approximately $2 million annually to the plan.  She announced that open enrollment would be July 13 to August 12, and she anticipated coming back to the Board with some ideas about the wellness or health management pilot program.  She also planned to discuss with the Board the stop loss insurance for the health plan in September.  She requested approval for the following recommendations:  award of dental contract to Humana/CompBenefits, award of vision contract to Ameritas Life Insurance, award of the pre-paid legal services contract to U.S. Legal Services, and continuation of the employee contribution rates for the medical and dental plan going into next year.

Commr. Conner expressed concern about the reduction of the reserve for next fiscal year and the trend of the reduction.

Commr. Cadwell pointed out that this reserve was the insurance fund reserve for the health plan itself, not the general fund reserve.

Mr. Gray explained that they made that decision as they were moving forward, because their reserves in the fund were doing well, so they could look at some savings in other departments.  He assured the Board that it would be a one-time experience and that they were going to be maintaining and monitoring this on a yearly basis, since a few catastrophic problems could make that fund go out of balance.

Commr. Conner asked what amount they should have in reserves.

Mr. Robinson responded that the Department of Insurance requires them to have 60 days of claims in reserves, which would be about $1.8 million, and he commented that the fund was very well funded at this point.

Commr. Conner asked whether the allowable amounts under the dental plans were competitive in today’s market.

Mr. Robinson answered that they were competitive and put out through the RFP process, and they did a comparison of all of the major copayments in those plans.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the award of new contracts for the Dental, Vision, and Legal Services programs as recommended by the review committee (subject to approval by the County Attorney's office), provide authorization for the Board chairman to execute all finalized contractual documentation, and continue employee medical and dental contribution/deduction rates as current for FY 2011/2012. Fiscal impact for each action is included in the provided attachment. (Fiscal impact is $761,663).

fiscal and administrative services

resolution regarding fire assessment fees

Mr. Gray explained that Tab 25 was regarding establishment of the fire assessment fee and approval of the rate resolution so that they could start advertising, and he recapped that the County hired Tindale-Oliver a couple of months ago to do a fire assessment study to establish the new rates.

Mr. Steve Koontz, Budget Director, related that he would do a short review of the fire assessment; explain the purpose of the fire assessment and the rate resolution; go over the proposed rates; and then ask for approval of the rate resolution.  He explained that the fire assessment was used to fund fire protection services such as fire suppression, fire prevention, fire building inspections, and first response medical services, but it cannot be used to fund advanced life support services, which is funded by the MSTU.  He related that the purpose of the initial rate resolution is to initiate the annual process that the County goes through for the preparation of the fire assessment certified roll and the public hearing scheduled for September 13.  He recapped that the fire assessment study calculated an 80 percent to 20 percent ratio for non-ALS (advanced life support) to ALS on the incident distributions.  However, he noted that they felt that it would be better to have a more conservative approach, so they recommended the 75-25 split which was included in the study, and the rates he would present were based on that 75-25 ratio.

Mr. Koontz first presented the residential proposed rate, noting that the rate for the current year is $175, and the proposed rate is $181, which would be a three percent increase; and he stated that the hotel, motel and RV Park proposed rate for FY 2012 would be $44, which represented a 12 percent decrease from the current FY 2011 rate.  He then showed a slide of the commercial proposed and current rates, illustrating that there would be a 53 percent decrease in those proposed rates from the FY 2011 rates, as well as a slide of the industrial and warehouse showing a 65 percent decrease in rates and one of the institutional category showing a 20 percent decrease.  He summarized that all of the rates were decreasing, with the exception of the residential rate that was increasing $6 per residence.  He opined that the incident data that they have used is the most comprehensive that they have done over the years, and they felt confident about what they had proposed.  He asked for approval of the proposed rates and the rate resolution. 

Commr. Cadwell made a motion for approval, which was seconded by Commr. Parks for discussion.

Commr. Parks commented that he was still struggling with any kind of a rate increase, and he asked what their other options were.

Mr. Gray opined that this is the best recommendation at this point, but he assured the Board that he and Chief John Jolliff have plans to look deeper over the next couple of months for more efficiency of the fire department, and he planned to bring that back to the Board next year.  He explained that the way they have that fund set up balances the fund appropriately to operate their fire department at this time.  He mentioned that they had a couple of million dollars in reserves right now because of the pending lawsuit, and they needed to keep the fund balanced and sound until the result of that lawsuit.

Commr. Campione asked how much revenue they would lose if they kept the residential rates the same as they currently are.

Mr. Koontz responded that it would be approximately $600,000.

Commr. Conner pointed out that there was a substantial reduction for commercial in this proposal.

Commr. Campione noted that those reduced amounts were not reflective of a policy change in that regard, but simply reflected the data which showed that the County was not spending as much to provide fire services to commercial and industrial as they thought they were in the past.  She also expressed interest in hearing the items that Mr. Gray mentioned that he would be bringing back in the near future, which would hopefully result in a reduction in overall costs, which in turn would allow them to reduce their rates.

Mr. Gray responded that he planned to do that in the fall of the new fiscal year, and he opined that the Tindale-Oliver study contained the best data that they have ever had which would enable him to put that plan together.

Commr. Conner asked what the deadlines were that were dictated by the statutes.

Mr. Koontz answered that they have to get the tax rolls and everything put together to get to the Property Appraiser by the end of the month so that it would get on the TRIM notice, and then they have to have the public hearing on September 13.

Mr. Minkoff pointed out that they would be setting the maximum rate today, but the final rate would not be adopted until September.

Commr. Conner stated that he wanted to see the plan that Mr. Gray referred to before the rate was finalized in September, and he commented that the Board was fiscally conservative and did not want to raise the rate even $6 if they did not have to.

Commr. Cadwell opined that he thought Mr. Gray was using the proposed rates as the base for that plan, which was for growth of the department in the future without further increase in rates.

Mr. Gray added that they had been meeting with the cities regarding duplication of services over the last six months to discuss different scenarios and things they could do to help each other, and he planned to have some recommendations for the Board within a couple of months.

Mr. Minkoff reported that since the Board had to finalize these rates in the same time frame as setting the maximum millage, the Board would have to make this initial decision sometime in July.

Commr. Campione commented that she did not think the number would change, since this was based on careful data, and she would support a rate structure that is accurate.  However, she wanted to make sure that they reduce costs and redundancies as much as possible and do everything possible to get those costs as low as they possibly could be, and she was not sure of that at this point.

Commr. Conner opined that the Board needed to be together on this issue, and since he believed there were some Commissioners that were not comfortable approving this at this time, he proposed that they table the issue for the time frame the Board was comfortable with.

Commr. Cadwell removed his original motion from the floor, and Commr. Parks removed his second.

Mr. Gray suggested postponing this issue until July 26, which was when they had all of the other millages on the agenda to be approved.

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board moved to postpone until July 26 the approval to authorize and execute the resolution which initiates the annual process for preparation of the Fire Assessment Roll, authorize the publication of the advertisement for the public hearing, provide direction to notice all affected parties of the proposed rates, and direct the imposition of Fire Assessment fees for the Fiscal Year beginning October 1, 2011.

public works

sovereign submerged land easement in palatlakaha river

Mr. Stivender related that Tab 26 was for a land easement permit from the state for rehabilitating a bridge on the northwest corner of Lake Minneola, and this was a request for approval for executing that agreement.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously by those present by a vote of 4-0 (Commr. Parks was not present for the vote), the Board approved Tab 26, the request for acceptance and execution of a sovereign submerged land easement in the Palatlakaha River in conjunction with the CR 561 (#114091) bridge project. Fiscal Impact $581.00; Commission District 2; Project # R-06085.

amended budget resolution for sidewalk improvements

Mr. Stivender explained that Tab 27 was for signalization and other associated safety work for the intersection of Silver Eagle Road and CR 565A using a grant the County had received from the state, and he recommended approval of the request.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by those present by a vote of 4-0 (Commr. Parks was not present for the vote), the Board approved Tab 27, the request for adoption of the amended budget Resolution No. 2011-91 for improvements to the CR 565A and Silver Eagle Rd. Intersection Project. Fiscal Impact: $405,000.00; Commission District 2; Tracking # INT05019.

amended budget resolution for sidewalk improvements

Mr. Stivender clarified that Tab 28 was for a grant for sidewalk improvements near Tavares Middle School, which was a LAP (Local Agency Program Agreement) project with no local funds or match required.  He also mentioned that they had constructed a sidewalk in front of the middle school already, and this was to access toward the south and east.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Tab 28, the request for adoption of the amended budget Resolution No. 2011-92 for Sidewalk Improvements on CR 561 (near Tavares Middle School). Fiscal Impact: $85,000.00 Commission District 3; Tracking # S/W09026.

other business

appointment to arts & cultural alliance

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the appointment of Ms. Kelly Price from the City of Minneola to the Arts & Cultural Alliance to serve the remainder of an unexpired term ending 7/31/2012.

appointments to women’s hall of fame selection committee

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board made the following appointments to the Women’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee for a one-year term:  Ms. Debbie Stivender (District 1), Mr. Rick Reed (District 2), Ms. Bernice Odums (District 3), and Ms. Tracy Belton (District 4).  The Board postponed the appointment of a District 5 representative.

reports – county attorney

addendum 1-ii

advertisement of ordinance regarding prepaid impact fees

Mr. Minkoff explained that the ordinance would allow people who have prepaid transportation impact fees, obtained a building permit and built a house while the fees are being suspended to be able to take what they had paid or take their credit and “bank” it where it could be used on another lot in that same district.  He related that he had handed out alternative language which would also allow people that had paid reservation fees on a lot to do that same thing.  He requested approval to advertise and to add the language in the handout, and noted that they would advertise it for both concurrency and prepayments.

Commr. Campione commented that she would be supportive of allowing this type of flexibility, and it shows that they were trying to work with the local business community as they attempt to adjust and survive in the present market.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Addendum I-II for approval to advertise an Ordinance amending Section 22-11, Lake County Code, regarding the conversion of prepaid transportation impact fees to transportation impact fee credits or transferable impact fee exemptions, with the additional language presented in the handout.

REPORTS – COMMISSIONER HILL – DISTRICT 1

go green, get green rebate program

Commr. Hill reminded everyone that they would have the presentation for the Go Green, Get Green rebate program Wednesday and Thursday, July 6 and 7 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., which was for homeowners, contractors, retailers, and utility providers.

passage of sun rail

Commr. Hill mentioned that Sun Rail had passed and was signed by the Governor, and she believed that would help with their economic development and trail system.

reports – commissioner parks – district 2

probation and parole week proclamation

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Proclamation No. 2011-93 declaring July 17, 2011 through July 23, 2011 as Probation, Parole and Community Supervision Week.

reports – commissioner conner – district 3

speaking engagement at 4-h mock legislative camp

Commr. Conner mentioned that he spoke to 4-H members at the Agricultural Center last Thursday, June 30, at a mock legislative camp, and he really enjoyed it and appreciated the invitation.

landscape architect annual contract

Commr. Conner expressed concern regarding the landscape architect annual contract, and he asked for Mr. Gray to give a report regarding that.

Mr. Gray informed the Board that he would bring that back to the Commission to cancel that contract and rebid it out, since it was a particular case where a contract was renewed without going back out for bid, and he assured the Board that they would put some safeguards in place and were looking at those on a quarterly basis to ensure that they were getting enough local business participation.

Commr. Cadwell asked whether this Board was prepared to move forward with a local preference policy of some type, and he thought they should at least look at similar policies used by Leesburg or Orange County that seemed to be working well.

Commr. Hill related that it is her understanding that many cities and counties have varying degrees of this local-first type of policy.  She added that she would like to see no automatic extensions right now of contracts.

Mr. Stivender assured the Board that staff has been following the Board’s direction heavily, and he has reviewed those contracts closely for selection since 2010, but this landscape architect contract fell through the cracks.

Commr. Campione asked if there was a policy in place that requires that any renewal arrangement will be brought forward for Board review.

Mr. Gray stated that he could put a policy and process like that in place to bring to the Board’s attention contracts that are coming up to be renewed, and staff would be looking at those on a monthly and quarterly basis as well and will give the Board its recommendations.

Mr. Stivender clarified that they looked at local firms that they were very convinced could do the work, but there were some local businesses that were not specialized in what they needed.

Commr. Hill added that they needed to be careful not to hurt their local businesses by reducing their chance of getting business outside of the county in areas that might penalize companies that come from counties with a preference policy.  She asked Mr. Gray to present to the Board the “score sheet” that other counties use during the RFP process.

Mr. T. J. Fish, MPO Director, reported that the business leaders at the last Chamber Alliance meeting gravitated toward the Leesburg policy with the adjusted thresholds, and he encouraged the Board to use that as a starting point.

REPORTS – COMMISSIONER campione – vice chairman and DISTRICT 4

mt. plymouth-sorrento area cra

Commr. Campione asked the Board to relook at the possibility of putting a CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) in place in the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento area, and she recapped that there was some disagreement about the size of it the last time it was discussed, which was a critical part of whether it made sense for the County and for that community.  She asked to take it to the next step and schedule some community meetings for her to look into this issue, especially in regard to the Parkway.

Commr. Parks commented that it would fit well with the economic action plan.

Commr. Campione opined that there was blight in that area, and they could hopefully address some of the housing situations through the CRA that are very close to the business district as well as some of the very odd development patterns that have occurred, and help with the overall aesthetics of that area, which would have a very positive impact on the community.

joint resolution with city of mount dora

Commr. Campione related that they were very close to having a joint resolution with the City of Mount Dora for everyone to look at and give feedback on, and they were trying to work with the City so that it would be ready to adopt without having to make changes on it.

economic impact analysis for lake wekiva trail

Commr. Campione related that she was approached by Mr. Rich Dunkle from the Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation about the possibility of the County assisting with a $3800 economic impact analysis of the Lake Wekiva Trail on the downtown Mount Dora area, and the purpose of the study would be to look at existing conditions and study areas such as Winter Garden, Dunedin, and the Little Econ Greenway Trail in Orange County and try to put some data together about what they might be able to expect from an economic standpoint.  She also felt that the information would help them make decisions in the future regarding acquiring right of way for the trail and negotiating with CSX on portions of the existing rail bed.  She opined that it seemed like a reasonable price, and she recommended that the County match whatever the City of Mount Dora would put up towards this study not to exceed more than $1900.

Mr. Fish reported that the MPO was taking the lead in managing the actual PD&E study, and he mentioned that since they were trying to include Tavares in the study as well, he recommended inviting Tavares to financially participate.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board voted to place this issue on the agenda.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the request to fund up to 50 percent of the cost of an economic impact analysis of the Lake Wekiva Trail on the downtown Mount Dora area, which would be a maximum amount of $1900.

go green, get green rebate program

Commr. Campione asked for clarification of how they were going to handle County employees that want to participate in the Go Green, Get Green rebate program.

Mr. Gray reported that his plan was to get that out to non-county employee residents for the first month, and then look at opening that up to Lake County employees after an update to the Board on the success of the program during that first month.

Commr. Campione commented that since this was federal government money in the form of an energy grant, she did not understand why County employees would not be eligible for the program, and she was concerned that the money would be gone before the employees would have an opportunity to be involved in it.

Mr. Gray assured her that they could reserve a certain percentage of that money for the employees.

Commr. Campione commented that she was aware that County employees might be more aware of the program and have an advantage over other residents in that regard; however, she believed that they were just like any other resident in the County, and she felt that they should at least designate a portion of that funding for them.  She proposed that they let County employees who are interested fill out a form to express their interest so that they could gauge that interest.

Commr. Conner believed that the way Mr. Gray was handling it was very appropriate and would insulate the Board from criticism of making it look like it was just a government employee program or that County employees had an advantage over other residents.

Mr. Gray indicated that he would check to see how many County employees were interested in the program.

REPORTS – COMMISsIONER CADWELL – CHAIRMAN AND DISTRICT 5

tdc workshop

Commr. Cadwell announced that there would be a TDC (Tourist Development Council) workshop on July 6, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Mission Inn in Howey-in-the Hills.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 12:30 p.m.

 

___________________________

jennifer hill, chairman

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

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NEIL KELLY, CLERK