A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

january 10, 2012

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 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:  Leslie Campione, Chairman; Jennifer Hill, Vice Chairman; Sean Parks; Jimmy Conner; and Welton G. Cadwell.  Others present were:  Darren Gray, County Manager; Sanford A. “Sandy” Minkoff, County Attorney; Niki Taylor, 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.

addendum 1-iia

waterflow levels within the oklawaha river basin

Commr. Campione asked the Board to consider and vote on the addendum item which was a resolution regarding the lake water levels, so they can get word to the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board before they are scheduled to meet at 10:00 a.m. that morning regarding that issue.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Resolution No. 2012-5 supporting temporary increases in water levels within the upper Oklawaha River Basin and temporary increases in waterflows from Lake Apopka into and through Lakes Beauclair, Dora, Eustis, and Harris, as well as supporting dredging in the Dora Canal and Haynes Creek to accommodate navigation, flow and enhanced natural water fluctuation.

state of the county

Commr. Campione welcomed everyone to the County’s State of the County program and the induction of two inductees into the Women’s Hall of Fame, and she recognized the elected officials that were there that morning, including Sheriff Gary Borders; Mr. Neil Kelly, Clerk of Courts; Ms. Rosanne Brandeburg, Chairman of the Lake County School Board; Mayor Sue Hooper of the City of Eustis; City of Mascotte Council Member Stephen Elmore; and Mr. Jim Miller, member of the School Board.  She also recognized Mr. Nathan Dunn, who was there on behalf of Congressman Dan Webster, and commented that she appreciated him being there to participate in their State of the County festivities.

INVOCATION and pledge

Commr. Cadwell gave the Invocation, and Sheriff Borders led the Pledge of Allegiance.

inductees to the women’s hall of fame

Commr. Campione related that the two inductees this year to the Women’s Hall of Fame are Ms. Evelyn Smith and Ms. Betty Brennand.

Commr. Conner presented Ms. Smith with her award, commenting on her service to the County and stating that he has known Ms. Smith for about 25 to 30 years.  He commented that she had been an elected official for about 20 years who has courage, conviction, resolve, and perseverance.  He mentioned that her son Barto was one of the greatest pianists in the world and that although he tours all over the world, he has given a lot of attention to Lake County.  He added that Ms. Smith and her husband have always been active in their church and have been Christian role models.  He related that she graduated from Umatilla High School, received her secretarial degree from Jones College, and later completed her studies in interior design at North Carolina State, and during her 20 years as Commissioner for the City of Eustis, she served four terms as mayor and participated in numerous boards and committees during her tenure, including the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Eustis Chamber of Commerce, and Eustis Historical Museum and Preservation Society.  He commented that she was a tireless, vigorous, beloved, and dedicated leader who was passionate about her community and her faith.

Mayor Smith commented that she feels very thankful and blessed that she was born, raised, and has lived in Lake County for 73 years, and she stated that it was a very special honor to be included with all of the wonderful and prestigious women of Lake County.

Commr. Parks presented Ms. Brennand with her award, commenting that this was in recognition of a lifetime achievement, and he noted that she was known to many Lake County residents because they have had the honor of being one of her students at Umatilla High School where she taught for 25 years and where she instilled in them the philosophy that education is the cornerstone for leadership, success, and a well-balanced life.  He commented that she understood from an early age the value of family, friends, the community, and giving back to those in need, and throughout her life she has devoted countless hours to church and community.  He related that she earned her bachelor’s degree from Athens College in Alabama and her master’s from George Peabody College for Teachers in Tennessee, and she became Umatilla High School’s first female science teacher in 1961.  He noted that she has been the recipient of many accolades throughout the years for her contributions to teaching, including Lake County Teacher of the Year, State of Florida Federation of Women’s Club Teacher of the Year, and the Florida State Council for Teacher Education.  He mentioned that the City of Umatilla proclaimed Sunday, July 29, 2007 as Betty Brennand Appreciation Day, hosting a celebration that was attended by more than 200 former students and friends.  He concluded that it is clear to see why Ms. Brennand was an inspiration to others and how great of an impact she has had on so many lives in Lake County.

Ms. Brennand noted that she sees a student that she has taught every time she ventures out from her home.  She commented that she appreciates this nomination, but believed there were others that deserved the recognition more than she did.

Commr. Campione thanked everyone for coming to honor the recipients and inductees and commented that they were blessed to have such wonderful people in their presence that have dedicated their lives to making Lake County and their community a better place.

state of the county address

Commr. Campione commented that this was a chance for them to look back on the past year to highlight some of their achievements in Lake County Government.  She noted that in light of the economic challenges that they have been facing across the country and in the county, they have been focusing on what they could do to try to help their economy and residents, booster businesses, and foster employment in the county, and their theme for the State of the County this year was “Fostering a Brighter Economic Climate, Seasons of Accomplishment.”

 The video presentation highlighted major County accomplishments that have had the greatest impact on the County’s residents for all four quarters of the year, including the construction of the bridge on Picciola Road using $4 million worth of grants from the federal government, upgrades to the County’s 911 system, increased traffic flow efficiencies and drainage improvements at waste drop-off centers, and hosting numerous events such as the Stuff the Bus food-drive events during the first quarter.  The second quarter of the fiscal year brought the launch of Alert Lake, an automated phone warning system to provide notification of tornados and other emergencies to the population of affected areas, and the County completed during this time a 2030 Comprehensive Plan for all future growth.  The Consolidation of the Clermont’s police department’s 911 communication center with the Sheriff’s 911 communication center resulted in an overall increase in level of service and cost savings for both agencies.  Also, the County completed traffic signal improvements in March at Citrus Tower Blvd. and installed a sidewalk connection to East Ridge Middle School.  The presentation pointed out that the County solidified its organizational structure by filling key leadership positions in the County Manager’s Office, the Budget Office, and the newly-formed Economic Development and Tourism Department, and the County also created the Capital Facilities Advisory Committee.  It was also noted that efficiency and customer service were improved with the County’s enhancements to online permitting through the County’s website.  The County completed several road projects during the third quarter by using federal grants for improvements to CR 44, CR 452, and Sleepy Hollow Road; and the library system hosted the 2011 Festival of Reading entitled “Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem.” The County also joined Polk, Orange, and Osceola Counties to host the Four Corners Hurricane Expo in June and teamed up with other local government agencies to host the Third Annual Reverse Vendor Trade Show. 

The presentation went on to report that numerous road, drainage, and sidewalk improvement projects were completed during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, including drainage retrofits on Old Eustis Road, road resurfacing of portions of CR 48, and new sidewalks in Astatula. Other community improvement projects included construction of a stormwater pond in downtown Eustis, installation of safety lighting at the Umatilla Community Center, construction of ADA compliant restrooms at Aesop’s Park, and installation of playground and outdoor exercise equipment at Swaffer Park in Astatula.  The County also opened three public lands properties, which were Ellis Acres Reserve in Paisley, Lake May Reserve in Eustis, and Pasture Reserve in the Green Swamp.  Also, the Go Green Get Green rebate program, which was funded by a federal grant, offered over $826,000 in rebates to residents and small commercial business owners who installed eligible energy-efficient products in their homes or businesses.  This year the County embarked on an aggressive plan to spur economic development, including a nine-goal economic action plan which outlines items currently being taken to foster a more business-friendly environment.  The presentation indicated that the County continually offers throughout the year support and services through existing programs to its citizens and businesses, from processing over 12 million emergency 911 radio transmissions, providing more than 152,000 Transportation Disadvantaged trips, to completing 11,000 road, sign, and signal maintenance requests.

Commr. Campione pointed out that photographs of the two new inductees into the Women’s Hall of Fame were newly posted on the wall next to the ones from prior years.  She opined that the County was doing a great job in being responsive to their residents, and the fact that many residents were fortunately willing to volunteer and get involved really has made a difference in their community.

recess and reassembly

The Chairman announced at 9:30 a.m. that there would be a ten-minute recess.

Agenda update

Mr. Darren Gray, County Manager, pointed out that there was an addendum containing two items, but they have already covered one of the items previously during the meeting, with the other item regarding solid waste to be put under his business.  He also requested to add a discussion of some information he had received regarding the Vanpool program under his business.

employee awards

five years

Rusty Gentry, Equipment Operator III

Public Works/Road Operations Division/Maintenance Area I (Leesburg)

 

Gregory Holcomb, Communications Technologies Division Manager

Public Safety/Communications Technologies Division

 

Paul Long, Graphic Artist I

Office of Information Outreach

 

ten years

Ann Corson, Office Associate IV

Growth Management/Planning & Community Design Division

 

Leonard Francis, Roads Maintenance Operator

Public Works/Road Operations Division/Maintenance Area III (Umatilla)

 

Sharon McParland, Office Associate III

Public Resources/Fairgrounds

 

Ronald Moore, Librarian II

Public Resources/Library Services Division/Paisley Library

 

Sherry Scheller, Library Assistant I (not present)

Public Resources/Library Services Division/Paisley Library

 

Patricia Young, Park Attendant (not present)

Public Resources/Parks & Trails Division

 

fifteen years

Catherine Catasus, Laboratory Supervisor

Public Works/Environmental Services Division/Laboratory & Hydrogeology

 

Cheri Greer, Library Technician

Public Resources/Library Services Division

employee of the quarter

Elizabeth Kelley, Firefighter/EMT (award presented by Chief John Jolliff)

Public Safety/Fire Rescue Division

 

Michelle Wilkinson, Property Management Agent (presented by Sandy Minkoff)

County Attorney’s Office

supervisor of the quarter

Anita Greiner, Chief Planner (presented by Amye King, Growth Management Director)

Growth Management/Planning & Community Design Division

presentation of proclamation

Commr. Campione presented and read Proclamation No. 2012-1 proclaiming January 19, 2012 as CFE Federal Credit Union Day to Ms. Nancy Whitecavage.

MINUTE APPROVAL

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Conner, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Minutes of October 18, 2011 (Regular Meeting), October 25, 2011 (Regular Meeting), November 8, 2011 (Special Meeting), and November 15, 2011 (Regular Meeting) as presented.

citizen question and comment period

Mr. Angel Mendez, a resident of Mount Dora, requested that the Commissioners always use their microphones when speaking at the meetings or to speak louder so that he would be able to hear them better.

Commr. Conner commented that they need to make people aware of the hearing impairment devices that are available.

CLERK OF COURTS’ CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Hill and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Clerk of Courts’ Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 4, 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.

Notice of Public Hearing from the City of Minneola

Request to acknowledge receipt of City of Minneola Notice of Public Hearing for Ordinance 2010-13 stating that the Minneola City Council will hold a second and final public hearing on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at 800 North U.S. 27, Minneola, FL to consider a Land Use Designation Amendment for 15± acres of land generally located on the west side of US Hwy 27, south of Bishops Point in Lake County, Florida from “Suburban” pursuant to the Lake County Comprehensive Plan to “General Commercial” on the Future Land Use Map of the City of Minneola’s Comprehensive Plan.

Notice of Public Hearing from the City of Minneola

Request to acknowledge receipt of City of Minneola Notice of Public Hearing for Ordinance 2010-12 stating that the Minneola City Council will hold a second and final public hearing on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at 800 North U.S. 27, Minneola, FL to consider a request for annexation and rezoning of approximately 15.0 acres of property located on the west side of U.S. Highway 27, south of Bishops Point from Lake County “C-2” (Community Commercial District) to City of Minneola “B-1” (Business District).

Annual Financial Audit Report from Greater Lakes/Sawgrass Bay CDD

Request to acknowledge receipt of Annual Financial Audit Report from Greater Lakes/Sawgrass Bay Community Development District for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2010, submitted pursuant to Section 11.45, Florida Statutes and Section 189.418, Florida Statutes.

COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA

Mr. Gray requested to pull Tab 19 and bring it back at the next meeting, since there was an item regarding that issue that was left out of the agenda.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, 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 20, pulling Tab 19, as follows:

Community Services

Request for approval and signature on the Agreement between Lake County and LifeStream Behavioral Center, Inc. for annual funding for provision of substance abuse and mental health services. The fiscal impact is $873,987.00.

Request for approval and execution of contract 12-0203 to Affordable Housing by Lake Inc. for provision of various homebuyer educational services under the County's HUD and SHIP-related home purchase programs. The fiscal impact is 100% grant funded as described in the agenda item.

Conservation and Compliance

Request for approval of Satisfaction & Release of Lien, Owners Name: Jack R. & Carol Ann Minnich, Fiscal impact is $500.00.

County Manager

Request for approval of a "Guaranty of Payment and Performance" to support a fuel card account agreement for Lake Emergency Medical Services, and authorize staff to execute the required documentation in support of the guaranty. The guaranty itself has no fiscal impact.

Request for approval to establish an Audit Committee for the competitive procurement of annual financial audit services as detailed.

Request for discussion and approval of the myregion.org invoice in the amount of $10,000.

Economic Development and Tourism

Request for approval of a High Value Job Creation (HVJC) Program Award in the amount of $52,000.00 to Sunstate Carriers, Inc., for the creation of eighteen (18) qualifying positions and approval and signature on the HVJC Program Agreement with Sunstate Carriers, Inc. and the Lake County Board of County Commissioners.

Facilities Development and Management

Request for approval of a GMP of $286,786.26 and a contingency of $12,689.74 for the project entitled “Radio Operations Center project” and authorize County staff to complete all associated implementing documents. The fiscal impact is $ 299,476.00.

Request for approval of and authorization for the Chairman to execute Interlocal Agreement between Lake County and City of Tavares for the placement of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Antenna on the Lake County Parking Garage. No fiscal impact.

Growth Management

Request for approval of refund of escrow debit account balance to Meritage Homes.

Public Resources

Request for approval and award of contract 12-0204 to Wal-Rose Inc. in the amount of $438,806.38 for the initial phase of work associated with the construction of the East Lake Community Park.

Request to accept a conservation easement on property owned by Mary Gerding on North CR 44A. There is no fiscal impact.

Request for authorization to fill one (1) vacant Horticulture Learning Center Garden Landscape Technician position within the Public Resources Department, Agricultural Education Services Division. The fiscal impact is $44,432.

Request for authorization to fill two positions: one (1) Library Assistant I position and one (1) part-time Library Page position in the Public Resources Department, Library Services Division. The total fiscal impact for both positions is $36,064.

Public Works

Request for approval and signature of LAP Supplemental Agreement and supporting Resolution No. 2012-2 for project time extension between Lake County and Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT) for utilization of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify Language for South Lake Trail Section 1 (from existing Clermont Trail to downtown Groveland). No Fiscal Impact; CD 1 & 2.

Information Only- No Action required. The purpose of this item is to report a potential significant increase in the sale value of certain items deposited as trash at the County landfill.

Request for authorization to fill one (1) vacant Biological Associate position within the Public Works Department/Funding & Production Division, Mosquito & Aquatic Plant Management Section. Fiscal impact is $38,216.

COUNTY ATTORNEY’S CONSENT AGENDA

Mr. Minkoff noted that although Tab 21 originally requested a closed session to be held on January 24, he was changing the closed session to February 7, since there was a fairly large zoning agenda scheduled for that meeting.

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 21 through 23 as follows:

Request for approval to have a Closed Session of the Lake County Board of County Commissioners on February 7, 2012.

Request for approval and execution of Agreement for RFP 12-0011 regarding Outside Legal Services to the Board of Building Examiners to Harry T. Hackney with Campione & Hackney, P.A. - Fiscal impact: $3600.00.

Request for the County Manager to sign a Release of Mortgage canceling the Mortgage and releasing the Note executed by Latasha Quentawn Thomas Pace on December 15, 2009, and recorded at O.R. Book 3852, Pages 2414 through 2421. There is no fiscal impact.

presentations

sector plan for south lake

Mr. Gray related that they have been working on their sector plan for the southeast part of the county and have traveled up to Tallahassee to work on the legislative priority regarding acreage of that plan.  He stated that Mr. Scott Blankenship, Director of Economic Development and Tourism, would discuss the economic development strategy for their sector plan.

Mr. Blankenship explained that the purpose of this presentation would be to discuss the economic opportunity specifically in the South Lake area and the next steps.  He reviewed the vision and mission statement the County previously adopted, which basically stated that there should be a diversified tax base and wide range of career opportunities and that the County should aggressively seek to attract these jobs while preserving and improving the County’s quality of life.  He recapped that the County was divided into three micro-regions which reflected the three strategic corridors, one of which was the Health and Wellness Way on Hwy 27 in the South Lake County area, which was what they would discuss today.  He went over the past strategic activities in this area, including public-private initiatives.

Ms. Amye King, Growth Management Director, recapped that the 2010 settlement agreement and amendments to the Comprehensive Plan established a Rural Future Land Use on the majority of the South Lake area east of US 27, which is the area for this sector plan, and this area is recognized as having a high potential for economic activities.  She displayed a map on the monitor that showed the county line and US 27, illustrating the rural future land use and urban low density.  She noted that the sector plan was the largest planning tool they had and was used for regional long-term planning, and she emphasized that the area they were looking at was not in the Green Swamp.  She commented that the sector plan would foster innovative planning, discourage urban sprawl, protect regionally significant resources and facilities, and create economic opportunity.  She explained that the proposed area is contiguous to Horizon West, a 23,000-acre sector planning area located in southeast Orange County, and would provide job creation opportunities as well as needed transportation corridors to relieve congestion on US 192 and SR 50.  She reported that the area staff was recommending to the Board was roughly 16,200 acres, with the boundaries being SR 50 to the north, US Hwy 192 to the south, east of Horizon West, and west of US Hwy 27, and that it encompasses three potential east-west transportation corridors, including Wellness Way, and portions of potential north-south corridors.  She explained that the sector plan requirements were that it should be more than 15,000 acres, protect significant resources and public facilities, could not include areas of critical state concern such as the Green Swamp, be in coordination with the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, and have an estimated cost between $200,000 and $250,000.

Mr. Blankenship requested that the Board approve the commitment of $50,000 to start the funding process for the sector plan and for authority to allow staff to talk with private property owners to get additional financial commitments.  He related that they will be bringing those commitments back to the Board, ask for a budget transfer of $50,000 from the Economic Development Reserve Fund, and ask for approval of an Unrealized Revenue Resolution for that amount of revenue collected.  He explained that the final step would be the procurement of the consulting services and the actual sector plan itself.

Commr. Campione commented that her understanding after attending the West Orange South Lake Task Force meetings was that the State Legislative Delegation was pushing to possibly get economic development seed money that would address this particular area and that the sector plan would be a critical component of being able to qualify for that money, and she noted that the timing of this is important while the legislature is focusing on economic development opportunities, since this is an important part of that process.  She also commented that she believed it was important that this area was looked at comprehensively as opposed to what could happen if piecemeal development occurs, and they have a great opportunity to focus on the job creation side of this.

Commr. Parks commented that this was a great example of the Board following up on their economic action plan, and he appreciated everyone’s support on this.

Commr. Conner asked who would receive the $50,000 that the Board would be committing.

Mr. Gray responded that the $50,000 would go towards the consultant that the County hires to do the sector plan.

Commr. Conner clarified that it was contingent upon others stepping up with funding as well.

Mr. Gray pointed out that the sector plan process is outlined in the Florida Statutes and requires a lot of public participation and input.

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the staff recommendation to proceed with a Sector Plan for South Lake and for a commitment from the Board to contribute $50,000 from Economic Development Reserves for the Plan, as well as permission to engage property owners for the additional financial support required for the Plan.

funding of improvements to non-county maintained roads

Mr. Gray related that this was an update on non-County maintained roads that was done in response to a request that came from the Board a few months ago.

Mr. Jim Stivender, Public Works Director, reported that there were about 1,926 non-County maintained roads in unincorporated Lake County, and a lot of them were just small parts of roads, with over 1,000 of those having insufficient right-of-way of less than 50 feet.  He commented that weather conditions can make these roads impassable or difficult to travel on, resulting in a juggling act between wet and dry weather, but the County had directed him years ago to keep those roads passable and accessible for emergency vehicles, which he tests by driving two-wheel drive vehicles or fire trucks on those roads.  He explained that most of these roads have some clay on them, as well as some right-of-way and some boundary identifications such as fence lines, and most were in the rural areas of the county.  He reported that the costs associated with the roads over the last five or six years have been less than $100,000 per year, but last year there were a lot of ingress and egress issues with sugar sand and lack of moisture, resulting in a higher than usual cost of $190,475.  He explained that a lot of those roads were subdivisions that were platted prior to 1976, and the County previously had a maximum one-time maintenance fee of $1,500, which they purposely kept low to avoid competing with private businesses, but the fee did not always recoup the actual cost.  Mr. Stivender related that the Board adopted subdivision regulations in 1976 that required paved roads in all subdivisions, but roads were able to be platted in subdivisions prior to that without making any improvements, and in 1982 the Board established a road program and policies, and a ninth-cent gas tax was put on the ballot and passed for maintenance of the County’s roads.

Mr. Stivender explained that the Special Assessment Program is one that establishes a process and works on a neighborhood commitment to build a system of roads to be brought to County paved-road standards, with the objective for the County to fund 50 percent of collector roads or 33 percent of local roads and the rest to be paid by the property owner.  He commented that the minimum right of way has been 50 feet, even though their subdivision regulations require more, because of the limitations of the setbacks and the amount of land that is actually available.  He noted that this was a community-driven support program, and they were looking for 55 percent support by property owners as well as 55 percent of linear footage, after which they would get Board approval before bidding the job out, setting the public hearings, and sending certified letters to property owners notifying them of those hearings as well as informing them of the exact cost per assessed footage.  He explained that recently the County has put those assessments on the tax roll through the County Attorney’s Office and the Tax Collector giving the property owner ten years to pay that assessment off.  He went through some of the problems with the special assessment collections, such as delinquent fees and earlier assessments not being on the tax bill, but those have been minimized in recent years.  He specified that they have done 99 special road assessments and one water system assessment worth over $11 million in total project costs making up about 76 miles of roads and with the participation of 5,694 property owners, who paid $6.3 million of the cost of those roads.  He opined that it has been a very successful program, especially in the early years, and he noted that 50 percent of the roads in Astor were done by special assessment, since some residents would be stuck in their homes due to muddy roads if not for those projects.  He added that the Pine Lakes area had very dry sandy roads, and he identified the substantial number of roads in that area that were done with special assessments.  He named other areas that greatly benefited from a special assessment, including the Mt. Plymouth, Bassville Park, and Picciola vicinities; and he noted that they needed to obtain additional right of way for many of those projects.  He commented that it has been hard to get participation in the last ten years from the property owners, especially since the cost has increased since the 1980’s, and acquiring the right of way can be costly.  He opined that the special assessment program was a good investment in the resident’s property value and made it easier to get bank loans on the property.

Commr. Cadwell commented that in his district the problem was that the areas remaining that need help are not going to be able to support this program, and they would have to set some funds aside to take care of paving those roads during their long-term discussion about transportation funding.

Commr. Conner asked if it was their responsibility to pay for taking care of private roads.

Commr. Cadwell pointed out that these were not private roads, but public right of ways.

Commr. Campione added that the expectation of the residents was that the road would be passable for a two-wheel drive vehicle, and she added that the roads had streets signs on them.

Commr. Conner noted that Challenger Road in the Shirley Shores area was a non-maintained road that he has gotten numerous calls about, and he asked how a public road becomes a non-maintained County road.

Mr. Stivender responded that previous County Commissioners identified and decided what they would maintain and not maintain starting in 1966.

Commr. Cadwell pointed out that some of those decisions historically were based on being able to transport the crops from the orange groves.

Mr. Stivender added that the County also inherited a lot of roads from the state, and the entire state secondary system got transferred to the County in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Commr. Conner stated that he would support moving in the direction of trying to figure out how they could better maintain those roads.

Commr. Cadwell mentioned that the heavier truck traffic due to mandatory garbage collection has contributed to the poor conditions of the roads in his district.

Commr. Campione stated that they need to look at where they were getting the most calls, had the most problems, and could have the greatest impact and then do a cost analysis of whether it would cost more to constantly maintain those roads over a period of years or whether they should address the roads that were ongoing issues, possibly through the special assessment, making it more feasible for the residents to participate.

Mr. Stivender reported that it has taken 30 years to get from having 360 miles of County-maintained clay roads down to a manageable number of 130, which are still a maintenance challenge, and they have had to look for a clay pit in east Lake County, since hauling limerock from Sumter or Marion County for those roads would be expensive.  He mentioned that one of their goals is to minimize any type of grading operation or to not have to buy any more expensive grading equipment, and paved surfaces would eliminate those problems.

Commr. Campione stated that they need to do an inventory, work on a priority schedule and identify those where they still might be able to get some special assessment help.

Commr. Cadwell pointed out that the County could not currently match the funds for a special assessment.

Commr. Hill stated that some of those roads were in city limits, so they might be able to get the cities involved in this.

Commr. Campione suggested that they use the nine cent gas tax mentioned earlier to fund special assessments and to build up that fund to be able to have it available for those projects.

Mr. Gray stated that they were working on the 20-year transportation plan and would need to plug this into it as well.

recess and reassembly

The Chairman announced at 11:00 a.m. that there would be a five-minute recess.

public hearings

ordinance amending lake county code regarding job titles

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

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE IV, SECTION 2-62 OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED DEFINITIONS; AMENDING CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE VII, SECTION 2-245 ENTITLED CERTIFICATION AND COMPETITIVE SELECTION; AMENDING CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE II, SECTION 9-13 OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE ENTITLED TEEN COURT FEES; AMENDING CHAPTER 14, ARTICLE II, NUISANCE ABATEMENT, SECTION 14-53 OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE ENTITLED DEFINITIONS; AMENDING CHAPTER 16, ARTICLE III, SECTION 16-41 OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE ENTITLED ADOPT-A-PARK PROGRAM ESTABLISHED; SECTION 16-42 ENTITLED OFFICE OF FACILITIES AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY; SECTION 16-43 ENTITLED CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION; SECTION 16-44 ENTITLED UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND SECTION 16-45 ENTITLED PERMIT; AMENDING CHAPTER 21, ARTICLE VI, SECTION 21-161 OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE ENTITLED ADOPT-A-LAKE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED; SECTION 21-162 ENTITLED DUTIES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT; SECTION 21-163 ENTITLED CONDITIONS OF ORGANIZATION OR INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION AND SECTION 21-165 ENTITLED PERMIT; 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 was essentially a clean-up ordinance for job titles and departments that have been reorganized or changed through the years, and this designates the County Manager or his designee as the responsible person to carry out programs in these code sections.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Hill and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the adoption of Ordinance 2012-1 Amending Chapters 2, 9, 14, 16 and 21 of the Lake County Code to change references to specific obsolete job titles and replace with “County Manager or designee” and update department/division names to reflect current organizational structure. There is no fiscal impact.

ordinance amending land development regulations regarding agricultural crops in industrial zoning districts

Mr. Minkoff explained that this was the first reading of this ordinance, and it required two readings because it was a Land Development Regulation (LDR) change of what uses would be acceptable in a district.  They also were asking if the Board approves this by a 4/5 majority for the second hearing to be during the daytime rather than after 5:00 p.m.  He placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for its first reading by title only as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING LAKE COUNTY CODE APPENDIX E, LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, SECTION 3.01.03 ENTITLED “SCHEDULE OF PERMITTED AND CONDITIONAL USES,” TO ALLOW THE PRODUCTION OF LIMITED AGRICULTURAL CROPS IN INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

 

Mr. Brian Sheahan, Director of Planning and Community Design, Growth Management, recapped that this ordinance was requested by the Board to give their industrial property owners some relief and allow them some flexibility while they are marketing their properties for industrial development.  He explained that it would allow limited agricultural uses on industrial property, and as written those uses are limited to hay production, which was a very low impact agricultural crop on those properties.

Commr. Campione commented that this was brought to their attention by a Sorrento property owner who wanted to have a hay field on property that was zoned industrial without being out of compliance with the LDR’s, and she believed this was a good way to assist with that type of a use.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

There being no one who wanted to speak regarding this ordinance, the Chairman closed the public hearing.

Commr. Hill stated that although she understood residents wanting to utilize their property to the fullest extent that they could, she believed this was selective legislative that did not look at the whole, and she thought that owners of other industrial sites might want to implement other low-impact agricultural uses rather than hay, such as tomatoes or blueberries.

Commr. Campione expressed concern about other more intensive uses, and she commented that hay production would be less expensive for the property owner to institute.

Commr. Cadwell pointed out that there would be more of an investment in a blueberry plant itself that would be lost if they had to discontinue that use.

Commr. Conner stated that he did not think that passing this would preclude the Board from coming back to add an allowed use that arises in the future that met the criteria they were looking at.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Conner and carried unanimously, the Board approved the first public hearing of the Ordinance Amending the Land Development Regulations with the language recommended by the County Attorney amending Section 3.01.03, entitled "Schedule of Permitted and Conditional Uses" to Allow the Production of Limited Agricultural Crops in Industrial Zoning Districts and authorization to hold the second public hearing at 9:00 a.m. on January 24, 2012.

ordinance regarding temporary moratorium on internet cafes

Mr. Minkoff related that Tab 28 was also a first reading and would not be assigned a number that day, and he also recommended that if the Board approves this by a 4/5 vote, to have a second reading at 9:00 a.m. rather than at 5:05 p.m.  He then placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for its first reading by title only as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA RELATING TO SIMULATED GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS; PROVIDING FOR A PURPOSE AND ADOPTING FINDINGS; PROVIDING DEFINITIONS; IMPOSING A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATIONS FOR, THE PROCESSING OF, AND THE ISSUANCE OR APPROVAL OF ANY BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT, ZONING CLEARANCE, REZONING, PERMIT, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, SITE PLAN OR ANY OTHER OFFICIAL ACTION OF LAKE COUNTY PERMITTING OR HAVING THE EFFECT OF PERMITTING THE CONSTRUCTION AND/OR OPERATION OF NEW SIMULATED GAMBLING ESTABLISHMENTS; PROVIDING FOR EXISTING BUSINESSES; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND DURATION; PROVIDING FOR GEOGRAPHIC AREA COVERED; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

Mr. Minkoff noted that the legislature is looking at this issue, and there was a state legislative hearing yesterday that came out of committee that would deal with this should it go through the whole process.  He concluded that by the time the 180 days of the moratorium instituted by this ordinance had passed, they should know what the state law would be.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

There being no one who wished to speak regarding this issue, the Chairman closed the public hearing.

Commr. Conner commented that he believed that any type of gambling is not positive for their society, and he appreciated this being brought forward.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the proposed Ordinance with the language recommended by the County Attorney enacting a temporary moratorium on new simulated gambling establishments, commonly known as “Internet Cafés”, and authorization, to hold the second public hearing of the proposed Ordinance at 9:00 a.m. on January 24, 2012.

ordinance regarding special event signs

Mr. Minkoff placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for its first and final reading by title only as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA AMENDING THE LAKE COUNTY CODE, APPENDIX E, LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS; AMENDING CHAPTER II, ENTITLED “DEFINITIONS,” TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF “SPECIAL EVENT;” AMENDING CHAPTER XI, ENTITLED “SIGNS,” SECTION 11.02.00, ENTITLED “PERMITTED SIGNS, “ TO DELETE EXISTING PROVISIONS RELATED TO SPECIAL EVENT SIGNS AND TO PROVIDE FOR A NEW SECTION 11.02.06 GOVERNING SPECIAL EVENT SIGNS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE LAKE COUNTY CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

 

Mr. Minkoff explained that this was a one-time only reading, because they were not changing, adding, or eliminating a particular use in a district where it would change the regulations as they pertain to that use.

Mr. Sheahan related this was a change to what is commonly referred to as their sign regulations and definitions, stemming from complaints the County received from farms that serve the you-pick-it market that the signs were not visible to the public and not able to direct traffic to their farms.  He explained that this ordinance proposes to address the issue through the allowance of temporary off-site signs in conjunction with special events which are permitted by the LDR’s within the agricultural zoning district.  He reported that the signs would be limited to 60 days in duration and ten signs, and he noted that the sign allowance was being decreased from 48 square feet under the current regulations to 32 square feet.  He added that the ordinance specifies that the County does require notice when the signs go up or come down so that they can have an orderly transition and do not end up with an overpopulation of those signs, and other requirements are that permission is needed from the adjoining property owner to place those signs in the right-of-way in order to avoid signs being put up by a competing business in front of another business.  He also stated that situations where signs would be allowed in the right-of-way would be determined by Public Works and would require a right-of-way utilization permit.

Commr. Conner commented that this ordinance would help farmers.

Commr. Cadwell expressed some concern about whether these rules would result in littering of the landscape and suggested that the Board be careful about changing a sign ordinance that has taken the County years to build.

Commr. Conner stated that they should implement this but keep an eye on the situation to make sure that that does not happen, so they could scale it down if that was needed.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the adoption of Ordinance No. 2012-2 amending the Land Development Regulations, Amending Chapter II, entitled “Definitions” to amend the definition of “Special Event” and Chapter XI, Entitled “Signs” to delete existing provisions relating to special event signs and to provide for a new section governing special event signs.

ordinance regarding suspension of transportation impact fees

Mr. Minkoff placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for its first and final reading by title only as follows:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING CHAPTER 22 OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE ENTITLED IMPACT FEES; AMENDING ARTICLE III, ENTITLED TRANSPORTATION IMPACT FEES, SECTION 22-37, ENTITLED IMPOSITION, TO EXTEND THE SUSPENSION OF TRANSPORTATION IMPACT FEE COLLECTION UNTIL MARCH 1, 2013; 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 noted that although the agenda cover sheet indicated that the ordinance was advertised on December 30, 2011, it actually was advertised on December 20 and that they had a copy of the advertisement.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

There being no one who wished to speak regarding this ordinance, the Board closed the public hearing.

Commr. Parks commented that he absolutely supported this ordinance, and he asked whether they will continue to look for alternatives to impact fees as they continue their discussion of funding their transportation needs over the next 20 years.

Commr. Cadwell stated that they will have to continue to look for alternatives, or they will not have enough funding for their transportation needs in the future.

Commr. Campione stated that they will continue to have discussions throughout the year as they look at their capital facilities needs, and she note that she has talked to Chairwoman Brandenburg from the School Board about getting a joint meeting set up between the Board and the School Board for the end of January or the beginning of February to discuss the impact fee study and hear their thoughts on that.

Commr. Conner pointed out that the School Board has not given the Board a recommendation on school impact fees yet, and he believed that a meeting with the School Board prior to knowing what their recommendation is would be very premature and unwise.  He opined that it is the responsible of the School Board to make a recommendation to them, and he noted that the School Board has always given the Board their recommendation in the past.

Commr. Cadwell was concerned that if they did not wait for their recommendation, it will look like the Board was trying to influence their thoughts on that issue.

Commr. Campione summarized that they will wait for that recommendation before meeting with the School Board.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Hill and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved adoption of Ordinance No. 2012-3 Amending Section 22-37 of Chapter 22, Lake County Code, to extend the suspension of transportation impact fee collection until March 1, 2013.

amendment to interlocal agreement  re catholic diocese bond

Mr. Minkoff related that in 2008, the Board entered into an interlocal agreement with the Orange County Industrial Finance Authority (OCIDA) and issued a very large bond issue on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Florida and the Catholic Charities of Central Florida.  He explained that the Diocese was building a lot of buildings at the time, and the building that was constructed in Lake County was at St. Paul’s School in Leesburg.  He related that the request was made by the Diocese to refinance those bonds in order to get a lower interest rate, and they have in conjunction with the OCIDA developed an amendment to the Interlocal Agreement and a new resolution by the Board approving that refinance.  He informed the Board that they have had their outside bond counsel look at the agreement, and he recommends approval of it.  He noted that there was no liability on behalf of the County for the original bonds or the refinance.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

There being no one who wished to speak regarding this issue, the Chairman closed the public hearing.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Resolution No. 2012-3 and the Amendment to Interlocal Agreement Regarding Industrial Revenue Bonds of Catholic Diocese of Florida. There is no fiscal impact.

other business

appointment to library advisory board

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Hill and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the City of Minneola's appointment of Ms. Pam Serviss to the Library Advisory Board to complete an unexpired four-year term ending February 28, 2014.

discussion of liaison appointments and appointment of

tourist development council chairman

Commr. Campione stated that she initially thought she would be able to leave all of the committee liaison appointments the same as they currently were, but she realized that Commr. Hill needed some appointments that did not have to do with the chairmanship, so she added some of the appointments from the other Commissioners to her list, including the Solid Waste Advisory Task Force (SWATF), the CFMPOA, Juvenile Justice, Medical Examiners Office Oversight Committee, and Public Safety Coordinating Council.  She announced that Commr. Parks was assigned the Elder Affairs Coordinating Council, CFAC, Upper Ocklawaha Basin Working Group, myregion.org, St. Johns River Alliance Board of Directors, and Arts and Culture Alliance; and Commr. Conner was liaison to the Children’s Services Council, the Historical Society, MPO’s Safe Schools, Early Learning Coalition, Educational Concurrency Review, Shared Services Network, Education Workforce, and League of Cities.  She listed Commr. Cadwell’s committees, which included the Parks, Recreation and Trails Advisory Board; Tourist Development Council (TDC), Regional Planning Council; Library Advisory Board; Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway Corridor Management Entity; and the Congress of Regional Leaders.  She related that she had a conflict with the Lake Community Action Agency, and she stated that in the future they could pass the attendance at those meetings around so everyone would get a chance to do that, mentioning that that organization manages a large budget of about $8 or $9 million.

Mr. Minkoff related that there were a couple of other committees besides the TDC that would require approval of specific resolutions, and he recommended that the motion include the Chairman’s recommendations and to authorize signing any resolutions that would be necessary to fulfill those appointments.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Hill and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Resolution No. 2012-4 appointing Commr. Cadwell as Chairman to the Tourist Development Council and to authorize signing any resolutions that would be necessary to fulfill those appointments.

addendum no. 1-IA

memorandum of understanding regarding leachate project

Mr. Stivender reported that they currently spend about $850,000 to $1 million per year transporting leachate from their 16-acre site to Jacksonville, because it could not be used anywhere else due to its high salt content.  He related that Covanta has been working with them to test a pilot program to utilize leachate as part of their process, and this Memorandum of Understanding would be an agreement to institute that.  He mentioned that they have already gotten permitting approval from DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) and that it could save the County 10 percent, which would be $85,000 to $100,000 per year.  He asked for approval for this pilot program and the Memorandum of Understanding.

On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Hill and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the Landfill Leachate Processing pilot testing project whereby Lake County would dispose of County landfill leachate in the incineration process at Covanta.

REPORTS - COUNTY ATTORNEY

advertising ORDINANCE IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON SEX OFFENDERS

Mr. Minkoff recapped that the Board asked during the discussion of the ordinance regarding restrictions and where persons who have been convicted of sexual offenses could live for him to bring back some additional proposed regulations regarding shelters, safety zones, and attempting to create a regulation which would eliminate a substantial group of offenders living together.  He related that initially they had discussed trying to limit the number of offenders in any one subdivision or mobile home park, which was hard for him to define while researching this issue; however, he came up with a new idea for a ground-breaking ordinance which would prohibit someone who had been convicted of an offense from living within 500 feet of another person who had been convicted.  He noted that although there is already a prohibition in an existing ordinance against those offenders living in the same dwelling unless they are related, this would be an additional regulation.  He explained that the second thing this ordinance does is create a 300-foot safety zone around schools, child care facilities, parks, and playgrounds and provides that an offender is not allowed to travel within that 300-foot zone unless they meet one of the exceptions, such as going to the doctor, lawyer, or work.  He related that the draft also requires the offender to declare themselves at a shelter that is opened due to an emergency, so that the person operating the shelter could take steps to segregate them from the rest of the population at that shelter.  He asked for approval to go forward and to advertise this ordinance.

Commr. Campione pointed out an article that indicated that this was becoming an issue across the country, and she believed that it would be a problem for like-minded individuals to reinforce potentially bad behavior that would put their children and community at risk.  She applauded Mr. Minkoff for the idea he came up with regarding the distance requirement between other registered sex offenders as a way of dealing with those communities.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board gave approval to advertise the proposed ordinance imposing additional restrictions on persons convicted of certain enumerated sexual offenses.

reports - county manager

discussion regarding 2012 board meeting schedule

Mr. Gray stated that he was proposing to change the schedule to hold two meetings a month on the second and fourth Tuesday starting in March for the year 2012, with the exception of August 7 rather than August 14 due to the primary election and to have a meeting on November 6 and November 20 rather than the second Tuesday in November, which was after Veteran’s Day.  He noted that they could add more meetings or workshops to the schedule, with most of their business on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

Commr. Conner commented that he liked this schedule and the idea of having two meetings a month, since this would free up two meeting days a month for workshops to discuss different issues regarding things they were trying to accomplish.

Mr. Minkoff informed the Board that a legislative bill was filed to move the August primary back a week to August 21st, but they do not know whether that will pass or not.

Commr. Parks clarified that they will still have some workshops spread throughout the year per the Board’s direction.

Commr. Campione commented that she thought this was a good thing to do so that they could schedule workshops closer to where it was more convenient for residents to attend and give them an opportunity to participate in those.

On a motion by Commr. Conner, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the 2012 Board of County Commission meeting schedule, changing the August meetings to the second and fourth weeks of that month.

vanpool program

Mr. Gray discussed the Vanpool program with the Commissioners for residents of Lake County who were working at the Coleman prison.  He recapped that in the summer Lynx notified the County that they were dropping the Vanpool program unless they could get additional funding, and they informed the Board that they wanted to do an RFP for any other companies that could possibly provide the service at no additional cost of local dollars to the County.  He stated that Lynx then informed him that they were in the process of seeking additional funding from the federal government; however, since that did not happen, Lynx was asking them to subsidize the Vanpool Program.  He reported that the County did not have that expenditure in their budget at this point and have used all of their state and federal dollars for the transit and transportation disadvantaged program that they have received.  He related that they have also asked MV, their transit coordinator, whether they could provide this without a subsidy, and MV indicated that they would need a subsidy to continue this program as well.  He recommended that they do not go out for an RFP, since there was no money in the budget to fund this.  He also indicated that Lynx was going to be sending letters out next week to the Coleman employees who were users of the system indicating that the program was terminated since the County did not come up with the extra funding needed.

Commr. Cadwell asked if he has had any discussion with the prison itself to see if there was an opportunity there.

Mr. Gray responded that staff has not done that at this point, but they could do that.

Ms. Dottie Keedy, Director of Community Services, added that she has been talking to Mr. T. J. Fish, Executive Director of the MPO, who has been working on some other options, and that may be one of them.

Commr. Campione asked what amount of funding was required.

Ms. Keedy responded that Lynx was under the impression that there was about $130,000 available in federal funding for this program and was going to do it for that and the fees from the riders.  She also mentioned that that amount would have been for replacement of the vans as they wear out, since the vans they are currently using are at the end of their useful life.

Commr. Conner commented that the only thing that is self-sustaining in this program were the operating costs and not the capital purchases.

Mr. Fish pointed out that a lot of Lake County residents work at that prison, and he opined that government entities in general have not made this a good experience for those residents.  He explained that Lynx and Lake County have been in negotiations on this agreement for months, but Lynx got the numbers wrong, which has led to this problem.  He commented that the MPO has been trying to do anything they could do to get funds to bridge this transition period so that they could let Lake County know what they could reasonably expect for their next budget year, and they have contacted FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) regarding this issue, since vanpooling has been talked about as one of the solutions at the South Lake and East Lake Task Force meetings.  He assured the Board that this was not the County staff’s fault.

Commr. Conner opined that this was a subsidy for people making above average wages, and he was strongly opposed philosophically to this program.

Commr. Campione commented that the premise of this program was more about getting a lot of vehicles off of the roads and trying to group people together for mass transit on a smaller scale rather than creating dependency; she also believed this was an economic development tool.

Commr. Conner responded that he would not object to the program if the cost to the employee covered both the capital and operating costs.

Commr. Cadwell commented that he believed the program was a good program, and he suggested that they talk to the prison to see if they would partner with the County in some way.

Mr. Gray stated that he will work with Mr. Fish, call Lynx and tell them about their discussion today, and bring an update back to the Board on this issue at the end of the month.

reports – commissioner parks – district 2

st. johns river water management district meeting

Commr. Parks reported that Commr. Campione did a great job speaking for the County at the St. Johns River Water Management District meeting at Mission Inn last Thursday, January 5.

reports – commissioner conner – district 3

resolution recognizing shriners organization

Commr. Conner stated that he has been asked to bring a resolution to the Board and would put that on the agenda for January 24 recognizing the work of the Shriners organization.

resolution opposing expansion of casinos

Commr. Conner asked the Board if they would consider a resolution opposing the expansion of casinos in Florida to send to their local delegation.

Commr. Cadwell stated that it would have to contain language stating that anything that is passed regarding this issue by the state legislature would allow the counties to have the final say.

Commr. Campione commented that she believed the emphasis on home rule is important, and she would be in favor of a resolution that made it clear that each county would have the right to make its own decision if the state were to pass legislation regarding that issue.  She opined that she would prefer to be the family-friendly county as opposed to having casinos locally.

Commr. Parks stated that he agreed with that and did not believe that expanding gambling and casinos would be good for the state as a whole.

REPORTS – COMMISsIONER campione – CHAIRMAN & DISTRICT 4

proclamation proclaiming cfe federal credit union day

On a motion by Commr. Hill, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Proclamation No. 2012-1 proclaiming January 19, 2012 as CFE Federal Credit Union Day.

st. johns river water management district meeting

Commr. Campione mentioned that there were about 400 residents who attended the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board meeting on January 5 and that there were six of the nine Governing Board members there.  She related that she was able to go up to Palatka the day before the meeting and talk to the Executive Director, which she believed was very helpful, and she commented that there needs to be an ongoing discussion and plan as they transition from the decision that will be made that day so that they would be able to navigate the waterways, since it will have a large economic impact, especially on their cities that had downtown districts which were located on the waterfront and were doing many things connected to ecotourism and the waterways.

reports – commissioner cadwell – district 5

parks and recreation advisory committee meeting

Commr. Cadwell related that he had attended a Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting yesterday, January 9, and that they approved the recommended plan for the MAC facility.  He stated that there was some discussion with one of the leagues in regard to the fee structure, but the advisory board believed it to be a fair structure.  He added that Mr. Mike Stone has offered help and other funding options for them, and he reported that the Advisory Committee also unanimously endorsed moving forward with the NTC project.

ADJOURNMENT

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

 

_________________________________

leslie campione, chairman

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

________________________________

NEIL KELLY, CLERK