A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
February 10, 2015
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 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: Jimmy Conner, Chairman; Sean Parks, Vice Chairman; Timothy I. Sullivan; Leslie Campione; and Welton G. Cadwell. Others present were: David Heath, County Manager; Sanford A. “Sandy” Minkoff, County Attorney; Wendy Taylor, Executive Office Manager; Neil Kelly, Clerk of Court; Barbara F. Lehman, Chief Deputy Clerk, County Finance; and Victoria Bartley, Deputy Clerk.
INVOCATION and pledge
Mr. Jim Briggs from the Baha'i Group of Lake County gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda update
Mr. David Heath, County Manager, relayed that Tab 8 needed to be pulled for a separate vote, and Tabs 9 and 10 needed to be pulled to be considered at the same time as Tab 16.
EMPLOYEE awards
Mr. Robert Anderson, Human Resources Director, presented the following employee awards, commenting briefly on the employee’s service to the County.
TEN YEARS
James Appoloney, Facilities Maintenance Manager
Facilities & Fleet Management/Facilities Management
David Hudson, Firefighter/EMT (not present)
Public Safety/Fire Rescue Division
Kathleen Oberg, Library Assistant I (not present)
Public Resources/Library Services Division
Christen Svendsen, Firefighter/EMT (not present)
Public Safety/Fire Rescue Division
FIFTEEN YEARS
Matthew Dorn, Trades Crew Leader
Facilities & Fleet Management/Facilities Management
TWENTY YEARS
Charles Blinco, Fire Lieutenant/EMT (not present)
Public Safety/Fire Rescue Division
Christopher Croughwell, Battalion Fire Chief
Public Safety/Fire Rescue Division
Jeffrey Letourneau, Firefighter/EMT
Public Safety/Fire Rescue Division
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
Katherine Hartenstein, Office Associate III
Community Services/Public Transportation Division
RETIREMENT
13 YEARS: Thomas Schmedes, Senior Building Inspector (not present)
Growth Management/Building Services Division
Mr. Jim Stivender, Public Works Director, presented Mr. Andrew Duncan, Mosquito Control Inspector with the Environmental Services Division of Public Works, with a plaque rewarding his 36 years of service. He remarked that Mr. Duncan is well known for the quality of his work and is often requested by name.
Commr. Conner congratulated Mr. Robert Chandler, Economic Development & Tourism Director, for having received the professional designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD), declaring that he had achieved a pinnacle of excellence in the economic development field. He awarded Mr. Chandler a certificate of appreciation for his accomplishment
minutes approval
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Sullivan, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Minutes of January 13, 2015 (Regular Meeting) as presented.
citizen question and comment period
Ms. Marcia Hilty, Circuit Director for Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem, addressed the Board, requesting that they authorize a letter and pass a resolution urging the local legislative delegation to support the Legislative Budget Requests. The Board agreed to address that issue later in the meeting.
There being no one else who wished to address the Board, the Chairman closed the public hearing.
clerk of court’s consent agenda
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Clerk of Courts’ Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 7, as follows:
List of Warrants
Request to acknowledge receipt of the 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.
Request to acknowledge receipt of Inspector General Report – BCC-127 Follow-up Review of Audit of Lake County Historical Society.
Request to acknowledge receipt of Notice of Public Hearing from the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners, Development Services Division, Wildwood, Florida regarding property owned by C.R. 466A Landfill Facility, LLC and Howard Hewitt for renewal of an operating permit. The property is generally located in The Villages area on the south side of Farner Place approximately 1/4 mile south of C-466A. Request will be heard by the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners on February 10, 2015, at 5:30 p.m. at the Sumter County Courthouse, 215 E. McCollum Avenue, Bushnell, FL.
Request to acknowledge receipt of Ordinance 2014-18 from the City of Minneola amending the City Boundaries to include a tract of property generally located on the north side of Citrus Grove Road, East of Highway 27 in Lake County.
Request to acknowledge receipt of the Rezoning Ordinance 2014-024 from the City of Fruitland Park. The property is north of Urick Street and West of Seminole Boulevard.
Request to acknowledge receipt of the following Ordinances and Resolutions from the Town of Lady Lake:
Ordinance No. 2014-05 Resolution No. 2014-102
Ordinance No. 2014-06 Resolution No. 2014-113
Ordinance No. 2014-07 Resolution No. 2014-116
Ordinance No. 2014-08 Resolution No. 2014-117
Ordinance No. 2014-09 Resolution No. 2014-118
Ordinance No. 2014-10 Resolution No. 2014-119
Request to acknowledge receipt of Property placed on the Lands Available List. Lake County has until April 7, 2015 to purchase property located in Groveland, Garden Park Lot 11, N 35 ft. of Lot 12, PB 5 PG 55, ORB 3782, PG 957.
COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Manager’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 3 through 15, pulling Tabs 8, 9, and 10 as follows:
Community Services
Request for approval to award contract 14-0220 for interior renovations at the Altoona Community Center to Marbek Construction Company (Clermont, FL). The fiscal impact is $579,800 (Expense, 100% grant-funded).
County Attorney
Request for approval and execution of a Release of Lien as to Certain Real Property owned by Lewis Lineberger. The fiscal impact is $1,293.80 (Revenue). Commission District 5.
Approval to transfer property located at 209 Longview Avenue, in Lady Lake, to Elizabeth Monagle; and approval to accept a Mortgage for $7,431.72 from Ms. Monagle. The fiscal impact is $41.40 to record the County Deed and Mortgage.
Economic Development and Tourism
Request for approval to sponsor the PFXA, Inc. 2015 Spring Games at multiple softball complexes throughout South Lake County. The fiscal impact is $40,000 (expense). Commission District 2.
Request for approval to sponsor the 19th Annual Leesburg Bikefest for $40,000. The fiscal impact is $40,000 (expenditure). Commission District 3.
Public Safety Fire Rescue Division
Request for approval of an agreement with Lake Technical Center, Inc. d/b/a Lake Technical College for rental of Hazardous Material Equipment. The fiscal impact is estimated at $1,800 (Revenue) annually.
Public Works
Request for authorization to execute Resolution No. 2015-16 accepting Firethorn Road (County Road No. 5782) into the County Road Maintenance System. Firethorn Road is located East of Eustis within Section 3, Township 19S, Range 27E. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 4
Request for approval to purchase one (1) road widener machine under Invitation to Bid (ITB) 15-0614 to Ring Power Corporation (Orlando, FL) in the amount of $168,745.00 for the Road Operations Division of Public Works, and authorize execution of all procurement documentation by the Procurement Office. This is a new asset. The fiscal impact is $168,745.00 (Expenditure).
Request for approval to issue purchase orders for various equipment items used for road-related maintenance under Request for Quotation (RFQ) Q2015-00041 to Highland Tractor (Ocala, FL) in the amount of $221,130.00; Vermeer Southeast (Orlando, FL) in the amount of $51,048.00; Everglades Farm Equipment Co. Inc. (Leesburg, FL) in the amount of $129,000.00; and Fields Equipment (Clermont, FL) in the amount of $38,700.00; and authorize execution of all associated procurement documentation by Procurement Services. These are all replacement assets. The total fiscal impact is $439,878.00
Request for approval and acceptance of the attached list of public right of way deeds that have been secured in conjunction with roadway and / or stormwater projects. There is no fiscal impact. Commission Districts 1, 2, 3, and 5.
Commr. Parks commented the local preference policy gave the Everglades Farm Equipment Co. Inc. in Leesburg the opportunity to bid and win this award.
Commr. Conner added that the low bid was from Marion County which has their own local preference policy, and so if Lake County businesses get penalized in Marion County, then they reciprocate here.
standardization on Security Management Systems
Commr. Conner declared a conflict, as he had a client that may be involved.
On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Sullivan, and carried by a vote of 4-0 with Commr. Conner abstaining, the Board approved the request from Facilities Development and Management for approval to standardize on Security Management Systems manufactured by RBH USA Inc. until such time any alternative action is considered and approved.
Public Hearings
update on the courthouse renovation
Mr. Christian Swenson, Facilities and Fleet Director, presented to the Board an update on the Courthouse Renovation project. He explained that the original portion of the Courthouse was built in 1991, with 121,000 square feet and was four stories in height. Mr. Swenson relayed that the BCC had approved a Courthouse Improvement Plan in 2009 for $55,525,000 that included envelope repairs and an expansion to the existing building, both of which are now complete, as well as a limited renovation to the existing building, which is still pending. He reported that in 2007, the BCC signed an agreement with City of Tavares requiring the sale of the Clerk’s Record Center as part of rezoning for the various downtown Tavares projects. Mr. Swenson explained that the City had exercised a purchase option on October 21, 2014 for a purchase price of $1,080,000 and that the agreement had been amended in January 27, 2015 for the City’s commitment to purchase the building and escrow funds, with the closing date set as May 28, 2015. He relayed that the current project status is that the Board directed that the project should be phased as part of the FY 2014-2015 budget process and had approved the FY 2014-2015 funding of $2.4M for the first phase of the project. Mr. Swenson reported that the current action items that need to be addressed are that a phasing plan needs to be developed for Courthouse completion, a new location for the Clerk’s Record Center needs to be established, and that the Clerk’s Record Center operation and staff need to be moved to a new location.
Mr. Swenson explained that to assist in solving those issues, the County Manager requested that the constitutional officers and stakeholders of the building assist in developing a plan to relocate the Clerk’s Record Center and to develop a phasing plan for the Courthouse Renovation Project. He mentioned that the stakeholders involved in reaching the consensus plan were the Chief Judge, Don F. Briggs; the Assistant State Attorney, Walter Forgie; the Public Defender, Michael Graves; the Clerk of Court, Neil Kelly; and the State Attorney, Brad King. Mr. Swenson related that the prosed plan developed by the stakeholder group was to keep the Public Defender’s Office in the existing building with minor renovations and HVAC upgrades, to relocate the Clerks Record Center to the third floor of the Courthouse with minor improvements, and to add the sale proceeds from the existing Clerk’s Record Center to the Courthouse Renovation/Public Defender Building Renovation project budget, with the funding to be phased over four years. He noted that the mandatory code required that items of the project are proposed for funding in Year Two of the project, such as tying the fire alarm system together with the expansions, sprinkler improvements, and other additions to further solidify the two buildings into one. Mr. Swenson requested that the Board approve and authorize staff to move forward with Year One of the Constitutional Officers/Building Users Phasing Plan for the project.
Commr. Cadwell specified that the requested action was to move forward with Year One, but that everyone should leave the meeting with the confidence that the Board will follow through in regards to the State Attorney’s and Public Defender’s building.
Commr. Campione clarified that the total funding would be $3.4 million, with roughly $1 million of that coming from the proceeds from the Clerk’s Record Center building sale, and that the renovation of the State Attorney’s office would be included in the Year One budget. She inquired if the estimate was done by the construction manager or if it was it done in-house.
Mr. Swenson clarified that the budget had been sent to their independent estimator, a firm that does only construction estimates, who they asked to break it up in a phasing fashion, and that the numbers are all generated by that firm. He continued that the construction manager will also provide his own estimates and bids as things go forward, so the numbers will change, but the estimates will be very close.
Commr. Conner clarified that the Guaranteed Maximum Price would come to the Board for approval.
Mr. Swenson specified that the construction manager’s process involved going through the plans, providing value engineering suggestions, and attempting to find cheaper ways to achieve the phasing sections, all of which may generate savings. He clarified that the parameters in the construction manager’s process require a specific number of solicitations per discipline in the construction process, as well as a certain number of solicitations specifically to local firms, and that they will provide the Board a list of how many local firms are solicited and what the percent of local awards are.
Mr. Heath clarified that there was $2.6 million in next year’s budget under infrastructure sales tax for the continuation of the Courthouse.
Commr. Campione opined that Year Four was the phase with the biggest budget, and that no one knew what was going to happen with the sales tax renewal, although they are working hard to spread the message that it would be a wonderful way to take care of infrastructure needs throughout Lake County, in the cities, and in the School District. She pointed out that a great deal of budgeting choices would depend on the outcome of that, perhaps stretching out Year Four into phases four, five, and six if the cash flow is not available.
Commr. Sullivan commented that their constitutional officers can help during renewal of the penny sales tax, as it is important to the fiscal wellbeing of the County.
On a motion of Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Cadwell, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the request from Facilities Development and Management for authorization for staff to move forward with Year One of Constitutional Officers/Building Users Phasing Plan for the Courthouse Renovation Construction Project, the request for approval to award contract 15-0206 for Construction Manager Services for renovations at various Court facilities to Schmid Construction Inc. (Clermont, FL), and the request for approval of Unanticipated Revenue Resolution 2015-14 (URR) to reflect the proceeds from the Sale of the Clerk’s Records Center Building as revenue and its related expenditure.
Additional Legislative Priorities
Mr. Brian Sheahan, Director of Community Safety and Compliance, gave a presentation on additional legislative priorities desired by the Board for the year 2015. He related that at the Board Retreat on January 20th, the Board requested that several additional projects be brought forward for addition to the list of legislative priorities and that these projects are re-entry, Lake Apopka recreation and eco-tourism projects, and Wekiva water quality. Mr. Sheahan reported that the existing 2015 legislative priorities are currently the widening of Citrus Grove Road, to maintain and increase Continuum of Care Grants for the Transitional Living and Shelter Plus Care Program, and to increase Community Development Block Grant dollars back to the FY 2010 level.
Ms. Stephanie Glass gave a presentation on the proposed re-entry program, explaining that re-entry services have been shown to enhance public safety, reduce recidivism and efficiently use community resources. She commented that a need has been identified to coordinate support services for offenders released back into the community and that the Public Safety Coordinating Council (PSCC) recommends that Lake County establish a re-entry program. She gave an explanation on why such a program would be beneficial, citing statistics such as the fact that the Lake County Jail averages 1,500 repeat offenders each year, the average daily jail rate is $58.00, the average length of stay is 27 days, that Lake County’s recidivism rate for inmates with substance abuse and/or mental illness averages 40 percent, and that individuals with untreated mental health or substance abuse needs have a significant financial impact on the County. She expounded on some the problems inmates face upon release, such as a lack of employment, a lack of education, financial problems, a lack of appropriate housing, and strained family relationships. Ms. Glass informed the Board how the program would work by identifying an inmate’s post-release risk and needs, then developing a service plan to meet those needs, such as health / mental health, transportation, education, employment, housing, substance abuse, identification and reinstating their benefits. Ms. Glass specified that only inmates that are re-entering the system multiple times will be given treatment plans and that a case manager bridges the gap between jail and release to ensure community-based services are obtained through existing private and public programs. She explained that the PSCC is requesting $456,000 for 2 years, but anticipates substantial savings to the County cost and savings potential. Ms. Glass concluded that the financial benefits and savings will be documented during the pilot period and that there is potential for this project to be replicated throughout the state.
Ms. Wendy Breeden, Public Resources Director, explained that in February 2012, Lake County held a regional summit on land issues facing Lake Apopka, and while the impetus of the summit was a proposed jet airport in the vicinity, the summit was heavily weighted towards the potential benefits of eco-tourism around the St. John’s River Water Management District’s (SJRWMD) north shore restoration area on Lake Apopka. She related that the City of Apopka provided conceptual plans for an eco-village on the north shore of Lake Apopka in preparation for the summit, and out of that effort the city funded a study that resulted in an eco-tourism action plan. She reported that the Strategic Action Plan called for the development of the Lake Apopka Eco-Tourism Council to consist of representatives from area local government, St. John’s, Florida Fish & Wildlife, non-profit organizations, and related businesses. Ms. Breeden explained that the group, now called the Coalition for Lake Apopka Eco-Tourism, held its first meeting in December 2014 at which the priority funding projects were identified, three of which are located in Lake County.
Ms. Breeden related that the first project is the McDonald Canal Boat Ramp, a partnered project where St. Johns River Water Management District will dredge the canals, make improvements to the boat ramp and dock, and add the parking, restrooms, and other amenities, and then upon completion, Lake County will take over property management, repairs, and public access. She noted that the ramp is currently a “shovel ready” project, but is on hold due to a funding shortfall of $425,000 to $475,000. She explained that the SJRWMD will be submitting a grant application to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for a Boating Improvement Grant to fund the shortfall and is requesting a letter of support from the BCC to be submitted with the application. Ms. Breeden explained that the second project is the Montverde Boat Ramp for improvements to the boat ramp, parking, restrooms, park amenities, and road improvements, without which the ramp is virtually inaccessible to the general public. She reported that the City of Montverde is planning to submit an application to the FWC for partial funding of their project and is currently working with FWC to determine the amount of the grant request, but the estimated amount would be $1,625,000 in total from FWC and other sources. Ms. Breeden explained that the third project is for access to Lake Apopka from the Ferndale Preserve and that Parks and Trails will be making lakefront improvements in this fiscal year, including a fishing pier, canoe and kayak launch, and an observation tower. She related that initially, the improvements will be accessible from the lake, but access will be difficult from the park entrance, which is about a mile away and that $1,500,000 is needed to design and construct a one mile multi-purpose trail to connect the lakefront and the park entrance.
Mr. Sheahan explained that the catalyst for the additional Water Quality projects occurred in January 2015, when Orange County Commissioner Nelson organized a regional meeting of the governments within the Wekiva Basin and suggested that the group jointly submit their water quality projects to the legislature to increase their opportunity for state funding to address this regional issue. He reported that the suggested projects would be the Wolf Branch Sink Drainage Improvement Project, which is a “shovel ready” project that will provide water treatment to stormwater runoff entering the sink at an estimated cost of $1,600,000, the East Lake Community Park Sewer Connection Project that is also “shovel ready” and will provide a lift station and larger lines to connect the park bathrooms to the Eustis Central Sewer at an estimated cost of $1,000,000, and the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento Central Wastewater Feasibility Study to perform a feasibility study for creating wastewater utility for Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento at an estimated cost of $1,000,000. Mr. Sheahan concluded with the request to add the Re-Entry Pilot Program, the Lake Apopka Recreation and Eco-Tourism Projects, and the Wekiva Water Quality Projects to the 2015 list of legislative priorities and to authorize the Chairman to submit letters of support.
Commr. Campione opined that Commr. Nelson might have been thinking in terms of Amendment 1, with opportunities to address water quality issues particularly and some of the trail opportunities as well. She pointed out that due to the way the language from the amendment had been interpreted, it would not preclude them from seeking other sources to supplement funds, so the issue becomes finding where it might be able to fit into different programs that already exist. Commr. Campione commented that if they are not asking or looking for these opportunities, they will not know if they have the potential to utilize them. Commr. Campione voiced her support for the re-entry program and opined that it was exciting to formulate a program that could potentially be replicated and then track the savings that would hopefully occur. She commented that if they can help get people onto the right path and stop them from ending up back in jail, the program could go a long way to changing things in Lake County.
Commr. Sullivan opined that re-entry was a vitally needed program and mentioned that it would coordinate between their public and private partners who are providing some of these services. He pointed out that a significant long-range impact of something like the re-entry program would be potentially putting off the construction of a new jail for possibly years.
Commr. Cadwell commented that they need to have their projects ready if Amendment 1 comes through, but they also should continue to search for other avenues of funding. He added that even if the funding does not become available for these projects, they still need to find ways to move forward with these projects, as they are all of almost equal importance.
Commr. Parks mentioned in regard to the Montverde Boat Ramp, that Fish & Wildlife has already committed to the boat ramp, asphalt improvements to the ramp, and some of the additional parking, which he believes will help to acquire funds to help build the park outward. He reiterated that the ramp is the only access to the lake on the west side, so it will be utilized by many, and he also pointed out that there were already interested parties looking to build in and reinvigorate parts of the surrounding neighborhood because they have heard about this project.
Commr. Campione commented that there is a possibility that they may be able to get some of the water quality projects that Senator Hays is working on in that area, which would be a huge benefit.
Commr. Cadwell clarified that the Boating Improvement grants that they are supporting now with this action will not affect any other grants they have in process and will not diminish anything else they are doing with boating grant-wise.
Mr. Heath reminded the Board that if they wanted to include the additional funding for the Guardian ad Litem from the public comment earlier that meeting, they could come up with an additional priority after discussing the matter with Ms. Hilty.
Commr. Sullivan opined that Guardian ad Litem was a very worthwhile volunteer program that fills a very real need in their community to help children who are less fortunate than others.
Commr. Campione inquired about the strategy of how they might pursue these projects and suggested that they should find someone on the committees to insure that their projects will not be buried under the other counties’ requests.
Commr. Parks commented that they did need someone to specifically speak for them and is already familiar with their projects.
Commr. Cadwell mentioned that Mr. Minkoff’s office monitors the statewide issues that affect Lake County weekly and suggested that perhaps his office could look at their priorities, find where contacts needed to be made, and put together a plan for their particular items.
Mr. Minkoff asserted that they could work with Mr. Heath’s office to come up with a plan to do that.
Commr. Campione clarified that the Commissioners were all in agreement that they can individually reach out to particular legislators should they have the opportunity.
Mr. Heath reported that Mr. Kelly had been working on a new marketing document for the Commissioners to hand out at the upcoming Lake County Days, and they should have several components to their strategy with the discussed outreach with Mr. Minkoff’s office.
Commr. Cadwell related that he served on the Legislative Executive Committee that the Florida Association of Counties will be having in March, so he will keep the Commission informed as those issues coincide with Lake County’s.
On a motion from Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the addition of the Guardian ad Litem funding request to the list of additional legislative priorities and the submitted list of additional legislative priorities for the creation of a reentry program that would fill the current gap in services for persons reentering the community from incarceration, the Lake Apopka Eco-tourism improvements to increase recreational and eco-tourism opportunities, and the Wekiva Basin Water Quality project to restore and improve water quality within the Wekiva Basin.
proposed new road names for SR 46
Mr. Fred Schneider, County Engineer with the Lake County Department of Public Works, presented to the Board the suggested names for new local roads necessitated by construction of the Wekiva Parkway project. He explained that the Wekiva Parkway construction is scheduled to begin in 2017, and SR 46 through Sorrento and Mt. Plymouth will be transferred to Lake County maintenance upon completion of the Parkway. Mr. Schneider related that the CR 46A realignment and parkway construction will result in segments of road which will be shortened and cul-de-sac’s created for local traffic only. He relayed that the SR 46 transfer and the bifurcated roads will need eight new road names assigned, which was discussed with the BCC on March 25, 2014 under the Wekiva Parkway Presentation tab, and approval was given to move forward with the renaming process.
Mr. Schneider explained that they had a press release from May 8 to June 30th for SR 46 on Segment 1 where citizens were invited to submit up to three proposed road names for consideration, and as a result of the citizens road names submitted, the options were narrowed down to three: Sorrento Ave., Sorrento Main St., and CR 46. He relayed that at the November 18th, 2014 CRA Charrette Community Meeting, the three names were put up for a vote, and the final name chosen was Sorrento Avenue which received 53 percent of the votes.
Commr. Campione mentioned that she had attended the CRA Charrette Community Meeting, and opined that Sorrento Avenue was the historical platted name, which citizens wanted to honor.
Mr. Schneider reported that for Segments 2 to 8, the affected property owners had been notified by letter in May 2014 and given the opportunity to provide road names for their future new address. He explained that each road segment was provided a proposed road name for the residents to consider, and affected owners were provided a form or email to respond with approval or suggestion of alternative road names to be returned to Public Works. Mr. Schneider related that additional letters to the owners were sent on June 30 2014 advising of the proposed final road name, and January 9, 2015 advising of the February 10 BCC meeting. He explained that SR 46 and seven other segments of road will have new road names and displayed the chosen names on the monitor as follows: Sahara Court for segment 2, Droty Spring Lane for segment 3, Red Hibiscus Court for segment 4, Cypress Mill Road for segment 5, Sleepy Bear Lane for segment 6, Deerwood Farms Road for segment 7, and Bear Pond Drive for segment 8.
Mr. Schneider reiterated that citizens had been informed and provided an opportunity to participate in the renaming of SR 46 through internet voting and at the Community CRA Charette, and the affected property owners of the other local roads had been informed and provided an opportunity to name new local roads created as the result of the coming Wekiva Parkway Project, with all residents having been sent a letter on June 30, 2014 advising them of the proposed final road name. A follow up letter was sent to residents on January 9, 2015 advising of the final road names and BCC meeting. He concluded by requesting that the BCC approve the new road names of Sorrento Avenue for SR 46/segment 1, Sahara Court for segment 2, Droty Spring Lane for segment 3, Red Hibiscus Court for segment 4, Cypress Mill Road for segment 5, Sleepy Bear Lane for segment 6, Deerwood Farms Road for segment 7, and Bear Pond Drive for segment 8.
Commr. Campione thanked the staff of the Public Works Department for making sure that everyone involved was kept in the loop and given ample opportunity to weigh in and give suggestions. She opined that the crux of the matter was giving the people in the affected area control of their own destiny and giving them the choice of names.
Commr. Conner noted how smoothly the process had gone and opined that if they go through the right process, they will come to the right conclusion and that the staff had done a wonderful job of that. He also mentioned that the presentations in general that the staff gives are exemplary.
On a motion from Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the proposed new road names for SR 46 and seven new road segments in the Sorrento/Mt. Plymouth and east Lake County area. The new addresses will not be issued until the Wekiva Parkway is constructed beginning in 2017.
Commr. Campione related that there had been a request to include Mt. Plymouth in the renaming process, but the issues had been that the name Mt. Plymouth is already included in several roads, and they had no control over the choice.
Budget work session
Mr. Koontz presented to the Board an overview of the millages and the revenue outlook for FY 2016. He related that he had compiled the millage and assessment comparison as suggested at the January 27th BCC meeting and displayed on the monitor several charts detailing the millages he had pulled from three cities within Lake County and as well as the seven surrounding counties. Mr. Koontz explained that he had only included the millages and assessments under purview of City and County taxing authorities in his assessments and had excluded the School Board, the Hospital Districts, the Water Management District, the Water Authority, the CDD assessments, and the lighting assessments. He reported that Lake County was on the low side in comparison to the cities and the third lowest in comparison to the counties in the $100,000 residential taxable value category, that Lake County was lower in comparison to the cities and the third lowest in the $250,000 residential taxable value category, and that Lake County was in the middle in comparison to both the cities and counties for commercial properties.
Mr. Koontz reported that the property tax outlook involved five millages: the Lake County Countywide millage which is levied on all property in Lake County and funds the General Fund; the Lake County Ambulance MSTU which is levied countywide through agreements with cities and is used for Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services; the Lake County Stormwater, Roads, and Parks MSTU which is levied in unincorporated Lake County; the Lake County Fire MSTU which is levied in unincorporated Lake County and includes Astatula, Howey, and Lady Lake; and the Lake County Public Lands-Voted Debt which is levied countywide and supports debt service environmentally sensitive lands. Mr. Koontz explained that the taxable values that drive the revenues increased by 4.42 percent in FY 2015, with much of that percentage being new construction. He reported that the Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) projects that the FY 2016 countywide values will increase 6.2 percent but that staff believe that it will be a range of 5 to 6 percent increase for FY 2016. He relayed that staff is currently using the conservative planning number of a 5 percent increase for the FY 2016 model until they get the real numbers in April, which they expect will be much higher. He explained that the Parks and Stormwater MSTU taxable values came in with a 3.5 percent increase and that the Fire MSTU taxable values increased by 3.6 percent in FY 2015. He remarked that staff is projecting growth in the range of 4 to 5 percent for FY 2016 and was currently using the conservative planning number of 4.25 percent increase for both MSTU’s, as they generally run .75 percent behind the countywide millage.
Mr. Koontz explained that other major revenue sources that they have to account for include the sales tax/revenue sharing, special assessments, impact fees, gas tax, and building services. He reported that sales tax and revenue sharing are allocated from the state to supply the General Fund and are one of its major revenue sources. He commented that the FY 2014 sales tax revenues had been higher than anticipated, but that the FY 2015 budget is still conservative. He relayed that the FY 2016 sales tax growth is expected to be around 5 percent, which is the number staff is using for budget planning, though staff will take the State’s budget process and their sales tax projection into account. He related that the special assessments, Solid Waste and Fire, revenues have been stable with lower volatility than other revenues and staff is using a conservative growth rate of 1 percent for budget planning. He displayed a chart using a combined number of the Roads, Fire, Parks, and Library impact fees. He explained that the FY 2014 impact fee revenues for roads were higher than projected due to a change to the South Lake Benefit District and that the FY 2015 revenues are expected to significantly exceed budget. He commented that the FY 2016 budget will be based on analysis of the most recent development activity. He reported that gas tax revenues have been stable with lower volatility than other revenues and that the FY 2016 revenues expected to be flat compared to FY 2015 and FY 2014. He relayed that building services has experienced significant growth in revenues due to increased development activity and so the FY 2015 revenue budget is conservative due to the volatile nature of development activity. He related that staff is expecting a 5 percent to 10 percent increase in revenues for the FY 2016 planning. He concluded with a list of tentative workshop topics and added that June 23rd would be the culmination of everything they had discussed with the budget summary, property values, and the constitutional budgets.
Commr. Campione opined that it might be worthwhile to look at the median income of the different areas, the demographics of those areas, their actual housing costs, and the mix of the tax base between commercial, industrial, residential, and public land, as well as the total cost of taxes and fees. She mentioned that there is a website where a property’s value is plugged in that determines what county it is in and calculates what the grand total would be after adding things like the hospital tax, and she opined that such a thing would be helpful to determine the context of the property owner’s bottom line.
Mr. Koontz clarified that there would be more comparison of what the County is spending per capita on certain items such as Parks, Libraries, and EMS in relation to other counties in some of the upcoming Budget Workshops.
Commr. Campione mentioned that the graphs only went back to 2008, but pointed out that it might be helpful for benchmarking purposes to see what they were collecting around 2006 when the taxable value of the entire county was more similar to their taxable value at this point in time, as it makes the numbers appear skewed when the pinnacle is put at $101.4 million incoming in 2008 when that was the height of the sharp increase in values that happened over a very short period of time, which then drastically came down thereafter. She related that the presentation was very helpful and that it will be interesting to see how the projections line up with the real numbers when they come in.
Commr. Parks commented that Seminole County has a capital project with a MSBU, with residents having the project show up on their tax bill for a finite amount of time only while it is being funded, and he is very impressed by how easy and explanatory they make the process. He opined that they might want to keep that idea in mind for certain capital projects.
Mr. Heath stated that this was the last of the introductory overview budget sessions and that the purpose of the comparative analysis with the other counties was so that the Board will have context for the funding structures in these 7 counties for when they start talking about the individual departments and they compare what these other counties do relative to Lake County. He explained that the other issue is with these funding sources and that it is important that these are estimates are a snapshot of today for when they have the meetings in June.
Commr. Conner inquired if 5 percent really was conservative planning, as it seemed rather ambitious.
Mr. Koontz replied that they had used EDR as a reference, they have only been off in their estimates by .3 percent, and they believe it will be between 5 and 6 percent, so operating at the lower end of the range is conservative. He clarified that the dollar amount difference between 4 and 5 percent would be about $800,000.00.
other business
appointment to the Library Advisory Board
On a motion from Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the reappointment of Mr. Robert P. Peraza to the Library Advisory Board representing District 2 to serve a four-year term ending January 28, 2019.
appointment to the Tourist Development Council
On a motion from Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the execution of Resolution 2015-15 appointing Councilman Keith Mullins as Elected Municipal Officer on the Tourist Development Council to complete an unexpired four-year term ending December 1, 2018.
appointment to the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento Community Redevelopment Advisory Committee
On a motion from Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the reappointment of Mr. Dave Croson, Ms. Christine Thompson, and Mr. Matthew Matulia as Members Who Are Property Owners Within The Planning Area and Ms. Frances Nipe, Mr. Thomas A. Van de Kieft, and Mr. Timothy J. Bailey as Members Who Are Residents Or Property Owners Within A Three Mile Radius Of The Planning Area to the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento Community Redevelopment Advisory Committee to serve two-year terms ending January 22, 2017.
REPORTS – COUNTY attorney
Djj legislation
Mr. Minkoff explained the situation regarding the litigation against the State Department regarding juvenile detention costs, where the Department unilaterally chose to ignore the stipulation it had entered into and entered a final order that in most cases reduced the amounts that had been agreed to as owing to the counties. He reported that there are currently at least 18 counties that have appealed the final order and that his office had filed a notice as well.
Commr. Cadwell opined that the only negative impact of going forward with the legislation is that the State will not pay back the money, which has already happened.
On a motion from Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Parks, and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved for the County Attorney to move forward with the appeal.
REPORTS – COMMISSIONER sullivan – DISTRICT 1
cores lab
Commr. Sullivan relayed that the City of Leesburg had approved a contract to sell 75 acres to the company Cores Lab, which will have significant economic development impact, bring in 55 high paying jobs, and add $4 million to the taxable value at the county level. He commended the staff of the Economic Development Council and Public Works Department for bringing the contract about.
road memorial
Commr. Sullivan thanked the Board for the support of the resolution memorializing soldiers killed in combat, even as far back as the Vietnam War.
REPORTS – COMMISSIONER PARKS – VICE-CHAIRMAN AND DISTRICT 2
Planning Award of the Year
Commr. Parks congratulated Amye King, Chris Schmidt, and Robert Chandler on receiving the Planning Award of the Year at the MPO Awards for their work on the Sector Plan.
REPORTS – COMMISSIONER campione – DISTRICT 4
Northwest Orange- Northeast Lake meeting
Commr. Campione reported that she had attended the Northwest Orange- Northeast Lake meeting in Apopka and relayed a concern about the commuter train and alternative needs study, and a private sector analysis that had come in at half of the projected cost on the public sector side. She mentioned that they will be bringing this item up at their MPO meeting.
REPORTS – COMMISSIONER cadwell – DISTRICT 5
Mount Dora Christian Academy ceremony
Commr. Cadwell relayed that Commr. Campione, Commr. Conner, and he attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new science center at Mount Dora Christian Academy, where their new name was unveiled.
hickory point proposal
Commr. Cadwell inquired if the Board would consent to staff putting together a proposal to present to the Water Authority which would allow the County to manage, operate, and promote Hickory Point. He opined that the County could do a lot of good with the facility, and it would benefit the Water Authority, as well as the TDC and Parks and Recreations.
Commr. Conner clarified that the Water Authority would pay for the operational costs of the upkeep. He opined that the facility would get more use if they were involved in it.
Commr. Campione inquired if this would preclude the possibility of the Water Authority building their meeting facilities at Hickory Point.
Commr. Cadwell answered that they would not be involved in that portion should they decide to go forward with those plans and would not impede it at all.
Commr. Conner commented that Commr. Cadwell had the Board’s consent to put together a proposal and opined that Commr. Cadwell and staff had done a wonderful job with the sand volleyball complex in that area and that hopefully this would have a similar outcome.
REPORTS – COMMISSIONER CONNER – DISTRICT 3
kiwanis club
Commr. Conner reported that he had represented the Commission at an employee awards ceremony, that he had attended an EDC meeting, and that he presented the Kiwanis Club with the passed resolution.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 11:58 a.m.
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jimmy conner, chairman
ATTEST:
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NEIL KELLY, CLERK