A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
may 19, 2015
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, May 19, 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, County Manager’s Office; Neil Kelly, Clerk of Court; Barbara F. Lehman, Chief Deputy Clerk, County Finance; and Susan Boyajan, Deputy Clerk.
INVOCATION and pledge
Pastor Daniel Holt from the Living Rivers Church gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda update
Mr. David Heath, County Manager, stated that he added two addendums, which were Tab 28 dealing with a reappointment to Career Source as part of the Consent Agenda and Tab 29, which was a proclamation for Montverde Academy to be approved at the same time as the other proclamations. He also related that he was pulling Tabs 9 and 10 from the Consent Agenda regarding the LHAP and CDBG strategies, so that the Board may hear an explanation of those items during the housing update and budget presentation in Tab 25.
MINUTE APPROVAL
On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Campione, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Minutes of April 7, 2015 (Regular Meeting) and April 21, 2015 (Regular Meeting) as presented.
citizen question and comment period
No one wished to address the Board at this time.
presentation of proclamations
On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved Proclamation No. 2015-54 which honors the Montverde Academy’s Girls Soccer team.
Commr. Cadwell presented Proclamation No. 2015-41 proclaiming the week of May 17-23, 2015 as "Emergency Medical Services Week" to the EMS (Emergency Medical Services) staff and read the proclamation aloud.
Mr. Jerry Smith, Director of EMS, expressed appreciation for the acknowledgement by the Board of County Commissioners on behalf of the EMS staff and all of their fire service partners for their efforts and for the privilege of being able to serve the citizens of Lake County.
Commr. Conner commented that quality of life is directly attributed to public safety, and he commended the Sheriff’s Office and Lake EMS for the great job they do in saving lives, earning the support and appreciation of the Board as well as the people of Lake County.
Commr. Parks announced that they would honor some spectacular student athletes and national champions in Lake County, and he read aloud and presented Proclamation No. 2015-47 congratulating Montverde Academy’s Boys Varsity Basketball Team on their 2014-2015 season to Dr. Kasey Kesselring, Headmaster of Montverde Academy, and the boys’ varsity basketball team. He also read Proclamation No. 2015-48 congratulating Montverde Academy’s Boys Varsity Soccer Team on their 2014-2015 season and Proclamation No. 2015-54 honoring the Montverde Academy’s Girls Soccer team and presented those teams with those proclamations.
Dr. Kesselring thanked the Commissioners for taking time out of their busy agenda to recognize these student athletes, and he commented that they strive to build a culture of success at Montverde Academy in both the classroom, which is the primary focus, and athletics. He added that 75 percent of the athletes in attendance that day were on the honor roll, and their students realize that they needed to focus on their academics and studies first, but the athletes also train hard as part of the work ethic they try to build into the students on a daily basis, which pays off on both the athletic fields and in the classroom. He commented that they also appreciate representing Lake County around the country.
Commr. Conner commented that it was great to be able to recognize Montverde Academy for their culture of excellence as well as Dr. Kesselring for the excellent job he has done leading the school, and he mentioned that the school’s expansion has helped the economic development in the county.
Commr. Cadwell added that the Montverde Academy sports teams continually mention that they are from Lake County during the coverage they get from the ESPN network.
CLERK OF COURTS’ CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Sullivan 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.
Ordinance from City of Mount Dora
Request to acknowledge receipt of copy of an ordinance from the City of Mount Dora adopted by the Mount Dora City Council on April 21, 2015 annexing property generally located at the southeast corner of US Highway 441 and East Crooked Lake Drive, Mount Dora, comprising .77 acre more or less of property contiguous to the City of Mount Dora and being annexed in accordance with the voluntary annexation provisions of Section 171.044, Florida Statutes.
Country Greens Community Development District Budget for FY 2016
Request to acknowledge receipt of Country Greens Community Development District Annual Operating and Debt Service Budget for Fiscal Year 2016.
Inspector General Report BCC-130 Special Review of P-Card Options
Request to acknowledge receipt of Inspector General Report BCC-130 Special Review of P-Card Options.
COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA
On a motion by Commr. Cadwell, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Manager’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 6 through 21 and Tab 28, pulling Tabs 9 and 10 as follows:
Proclamations
Request for approval of Proclamation No. 2015-51 designating June 2015 as Tobacco-Free Parks Month.
Request for approval of Proclamation No. 2015-52 honoring Vietnam Veterans, per Commissioner Conner.
Community Services
Request for approval to proceed with additional change orders under the Altoona Community Center renovation project. This is the second change order request to the Board under this project. The fiscal impact of this second change order request is $20,478.66 as detailed in the backup information.
Request for approval and signature on the Amended and Restated Agreement between Lake County, Florida and New Vision for Independence for Annual Grant Funding. There is no fiscal impact.
Request for approval and signature of the Access2Care, LLC (A2C) Agreement and the Logisticare Solutions, LLC Agreement (two separate agreements) for the County to provide transportation to their Medicaid clients. The fiscal impact is $300,000 in Revenue for A2C and $200,000 in Revenue with Logisticare Solutions.
Community Safety and Compliance
Request for approval to advertise a public hearing to consider adoption of an ordinance creating Section 5-9 of the Lake County Code entitled motorboats powered by gasoline or other motor fuels prohibited on Lake Tavares and prohibiting any person from operating a motorboat powered by gasoline or other motor fuel within or on Lake Tavares. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 3.
County Attorney
Request for approval of Worker’s Compensation claim settlement in the amount of $67,500.00 for Olga Marcondes. The fiscal impact is $67,500.00.
County Manager
Request for approval for the Chairman to send a letter to the National Association of Counties (NACo) conveying the Board's support of Commissioner Cadwell's participation in all NACo functions should he be selected for appointment to a membership/leadership position on any of NACo's Policy Steering Committees and/or to an At-Large seat on the NACo Board of Directors.
Request for approval of First Amendment to Professional Fire Fighters of Lake County, IAFF, Local 3990 and Lake County Collective Bargaining Agreement and approval of budget amendment. The estimated fiscal impact is $677,000.
Request for approval of reappointment of Sheri Olson to represent Lake County on the CareerSource Central Florida Board of Directors, which is a private sector seat with a three-year term.
Fiscal and Administrative Services
Request for approval of award of contract 15-0610 to ETR, LLC (Sanford, FL) for ambulance refurbishing services on an as-required basis with initial work order for five (5) units. The fiscal impact for the initial work order for refurbishing five (5) units is $277,257.00 (Expenditure).
Public Resources
Request for approval and signature of the “State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks, Office of Greenways and Trails, Public Waterways Designation Agreement” and authorization for County Manager to sign the "Public Lands or Waterways Designation Resource Certification" in the future as required. There is no fiscal impact.
Request for authorization to purchase 75 replacement computers for Lake County Libraries using budgeted State Aid to Libraries Operating Grant funds. The fiscal impact is $36,666 (Expenditure).
Public Works
Request for authorization for the Chairman to execute a letter of support for the Tommie Powers Rural and Family Lands Protection Program Application. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 4.
Request for approval 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 2, 4, 5.
public hearing – trap-neuter-return ordinance
Mr. Sandy Minkoff, County Attorney, 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 CHAPTER 4 OF THE LAKE
COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED “ANIMALS,” SECTIONS 4-3, 4-9, 4-11 AND
4-36 TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS RELATING TO A TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN
PROGRAM FOR LAKE COUNTY, AND TO AMEND REGULATIONS
REGARDING IMPOUNDMENT, SURRENDER OF ANIMALS AND RABIES
CERTIFICATES AND COUNTY TAGS FOR COMMUNITY CATS IN A
TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN PROGRAM; AMENDING CHAPTER 4 OF THE
LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED “ANIMALS,” TO CREATE A NEW
ARTICLE IV, TO BE ENTITLED “TRAP-NEUTER-RETURN PROGRAM;”
PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE
CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE;
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Mr. Minkoff explained that this ordinance will require two readings, and there will be a request for the second one to be held at 9:00 a.m., which will require an approval of a waiver.
Mr. Brian Sheahan, Director of Community Safety and Compliance, stated that he would give an overview of this ordinance, which would create a TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release/Return) program for feral cats in Lake County. He recapped that the Board agreed to consider implementing a TNR program in December as a means to reduce euthanasia in Lake County for cats, and they held a community workshop in March which was well attended with overwhelming support to implement the ordinance. He noted that immediately after the Board gave approval on April 21 to move forward with the ordinance, they started working cooperatively with the Sheriff on drafting it. He explained that the ordinance would implement and allow trap, neuter, and release of feral cats countywide except for Mount Dora and Lady Lake, which have their own animal control regulations; create a definition of Community Cats to define feral cats that have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and ear-tipped; and exempt Community Cats from the definition of kennel in the Land Development Regulations of six or more animals on most small properties. He elaborated that this would also allow feral cats to be diverted to the TNR program if authorized by Animal Services, exempt community cats from having to obtain a County tag, require buffers for certain uses throughout the county, and allow property owners to give a waiver to the required buffer after being requested to do so by the caretaker of the colony. He requested approval of the first reading of the proposed ordinance allowing a TNR program, noting that there was a memo attached to the ordinance with some changes that the Sheriff has asked to include and that staff supported which were mostly for clarity and to ensure that the program can be implemented smoothly, and he added that they were also asking for approval to waive the 5:05 p.m. time for the second reading, since the ordinance affects the Land Development Regulations.
Commr. Campione asked for clarification about whether the Sheriff would be able to trap nuisance cats through Animal Services under this ordinance, what would happen in that situation, and to what extent that authority is still in place.
Mr. Sheahan emphasized that the ordinance does not limit in any way the Sheriff’s ability to capture nuisance cats which are causing repeated problems, and they would try to find those cats a home or euthanize them in extreme cases.
Commr. Campione mentioned that she had been talking to animal rescue groups about the ability of this kind of program to lower the number of stray cats and the euthanasia rate at the shelter, and other similar programs have also shown that they can save money as a byproduct on the public sector side. She explained that an outside organization would need to manage the program for that to happen and to take the burden off of Animal Services, and she related that Ms. Whitney Luckhart, through the not-for-profit LEASH, has offered to do that and to explain during this presentation how this would work.
Ms. Luckhart, President and founder of LEASH Inc., related that her organization was a local non-profit who has partnered with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services to provide support for life-saving projects and programs, and she opined that they believe the TNR program is a humane option to reduce the population of community cats and to reduce the number of cats that are born on the street, which is their primary goal. She commented that the ordinance provision would allow Animal Services to approve a TNR program run by an animal welfare organization, and they have volunteered to orchestrate a comprehensive TNR program. She elaborated that TNR Lake County would become a subdivision of LEASH and would be offering a range of services to property owners and colony caretakers who are interested in participating in their program. She added that they also intend to offer assistance to the cities that choose to take a more proactive approach to community cats.
Ms. Luckhart explained that they will open a specific TNR account before their program becomes operational, do a substantial amount of fundraising, purchase a database that will allow them to track and monitor progress, and train cat caseworkers for their colony assessment team that will head up their efforts. She elaborated that the volunteers will answer their help line, and their cat caseworkers will coordinate with the property owners to develop individual action plans, provide assistance with trapping and transport, and ensure database registration, which is important in order to re-trap the cats in the colony for additional rabies vaccinations 11 months later. She commented that a successful program is also going to require substantial community education and outreach, which they have in their overall plan. She assured the Board that their program would not interfere with shelter operations, and they will simply be offering an optional alternative to trap and kill for citizens who are already caring for outdoor cats. She emphasized that additionally their program will be funded through grants and fundraising efforts, not by Animal Services, but they have asked Animal Services to offer their phone number to interested citizens, to loan out their humane traps to those who wish to do TNR, and to contact them if any of their cats end up at the shelter, since those cats will be ear-tipped and microchipped, and a special scanner will be provided to the shelter in order to be able to identify their cats. She summarized that they intend to work in partnership with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and to create a program that will meet any requirements that are proposed. She concluded that she believes they will be able to reduce the population of community cats over time by working together.
Commr. Cadwell asked what would happen if the cats were not returned to the colony.
Ms. Luckhart assured the Board that they respect the rights of property owners, so a cat may need to be humanely euthanized if it is too much of a nuisance to bring back; also, they will look at creating a barn cat program in which someone with a barn on several acres of property could adopt that cat so it would not bother anyone.
Commr. Cadwell asked if they would ever add more cats to existing colonies.
Ms. Luckhart responded that they would not be mixing cats from different colonies, especially since there is a health concern with doing that as well.
Commr. Campione clarified that the barn cat program will be contingent upon a process and protocol in order to get a cat acclimated to its new surroundings and ensure that it will stay there.
Commr. Parks asked if there were situations other than being too near a wildlife area, school, public playground, or park that would preclude the cats being returned to a specific area.
Ms. Luckhart answered that they would be talking to adjacent neighbors to explain the way the program works and hopefully getting the whole block on board. She commented that typically the community cats are close to the downtown area in the cities, so they are hoping that business owners will be involved in the process as well.
Commr. Parks clarified that the organization will also be using outreach to promote general cat ownership responsibility across the board and encourage residents to keep their cats indoors.
Sheriff Gary Borders noted that this has been a long process for them and that staff and Ms. Luckhart have worked hard and have done a good job on this ordinance. He specified that they had requested a few changes which everyone has agreed upon, such as to allow someone else to run this program. He added that they have had community meetings, listened to community input, and have done due diligence to see whether people support this program. He commented that they already have community and feral cats in the area and opined that it was a good program to start and would be successful, since he has seen where it was successful in other counties. He asked the Board to approve this ordinance and the TNR program.
Commr. Campione commented that this has been a group effort, and she thanked the animal advocates that started this entire discussion. She opined that by taking the time to look into this issue, they have gotten this just right and have the components for what could be one of the most successful programs out there with everyone working together. She added that this will also be beneficial from a health standpoint, since the animals will be vaccinated, and will help their downtown districts. She opined that this program will give those who take care of the cats the tools necessary to be responsible in their care of these community cats. She also thanked County staff, Sheriff Borders and his staff, and the County Attorney’s Office for coming up with a program that addresses all of the different concerns of the community.
The Chairman opened the public hearing.
There being no one who wished to address the Board regarding this ordinance, the Chairman closed the public hearing.
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the first reading for adoption of an Ordinance amending Chapter 4 of the Lake County Code entitled “Animals” to permit a “Trap-Neuter-Return” Program in Lake County which will permit the capture and release of stray or feral cats upon sterilization, rabies vaccination, and ear-tipping; amending Sections 4-3 “Definitions,” 4-9 “Impoundment of Animals,” 4-11 “Surrender of Animals,” and 4-36 “Rabies Certificate and County Tag” to make the sections consistent with the TNR program; and approval to hold the Second Public Hearing of the proposed Ordinance at 9:00 a.m. on June 9, 2015, and to waive the 5:05 p.m. hearing requirement. Also, this will include changes that the Sheriff requested in his May 1 memo.
public hearings: rezonings
rezoning consent agenda
Mr. Steve Greene, Chief Planner, Planning and Community Design, Economic Growth Department, presented the advertisement on the overhead monitor and requested that the Board approve the item which was on the Rezoning Consent Agenda.
The Chairman opened the public hearing.
There being no one who wished to address the Board regarding this rezoning case, the Chairman closed the public hearing.
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Consent Agenda as follows:
Tab 1. Ordinance No. 2015-16
Rezoning Case #CUP-15-01-1
FLTR Botanical Gardens
Conditional Use Permit approval to allow an Agricultural/Eco-tourism Facility, including Botanical Gardens for planned events as an accessory use in Agriculture zoning district.
rezoning case no. cup-15-05-3 – st. hubert show dogs and cats
Mr. Greene related that the 13-acre subject property for Rezoning Case No. CUP 15-03-3 is located in the Astatula area south of CR 48, approximately a mile and a half east of CR 561, and the applicant was requesting a CUP (Conditional Use Permit) to allow a cattery in the agricultural zoning district within the Rural Future Land Use designation to house approximately 50 dogs and 12 cats for a total of 62 animals. He mentioned that the item was unanimously approved by the Planning & Zoning Board on April 29, with four additional conditions added to the CUP as a result of opposition to the request, which were for all the feeding to occur indoors, prohibition of boarding unless related to breeding and training of the animals, the installation of a septic tank required by the Department of Health prior to commencement of the operation, and construction of a wooden fence surrounding the outdoor play area associated with the breeding facility. He showed an aerial depiction of the area and proposed site. He reported that staff recommends approval of this rezoning case and requested Board approval.
The Chairman opened the public hearing.
There being no one who wished to address the Board regarding this rezoning case, the Chairman closed the public hearing.
Mr. Jimmy Crawford, Applicant, commented that they agreed with the staff report and that they worked hard on this rezoning.
On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Rezoning Case #CUP-15-05-3, St. Hubert Show Dogs and Cats, a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow a Kennel/Cattery in the Agriculture Zoning District to house 50 dogs and 12 cats for a total of 62 animals on the site, with the following additional conditions added to the ordinance: that all feeding occur only inside the structure, that boarding shall be prohibited unless related to breeding or training, that the installation of the septic tank as required by the Department of Health is completed prior to the operation commencing, and that there be a wooden fence surrounding the outdoor play area associated with the breeding facility.
DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS
fiscal and administrative services
refinancing of county bonds
Mr. Steve Koontz, Director of Fiscal and Administrative Services, stated that he would discuss the refinancing opportunities of the County bond issues that staff has been working on for the last few months. He gave some background about the County bonds and explained that Lake County has issued debt for various uses and purposes, including Limited General Obligation Bonds, Special Obligation Bonds, and a commercial loan. He commented that staff is continuously looking for ways to reduce costs and have come across some opportunities regarding some of that debt. He recapped that two of the obligations have been refinanced over the last four years, and the County had hired Public Financial Management, Inc. (PFM) as a financial advisor on April 7 to look into some of those opportunities. He opined that market conditions have made the two larger obligations attractive for refinancing now, which were the 2007 Series of the Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds and the Limited General Obligation Bonds. He specified that the Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds were from a pledge of the County’s half cent sales tax, and the original amount of the issue was $87,455,000 with an estimated remaining balance of $77,676,000, a maturity date of June 1, 2037, and annual principal and interest payments of $5.7 million. He elaborated that the interest rates on those bonds vary from 4.0 to 5.0 percent, and the reason they were issued was to construct various capital improvements, such as the downtown Tavares Center for government operations and the Courthouse expansion, including the Property Appraiser building and the parking garage. He related that the Limited General Obligation Bonds, Series 2007, was a pledge of up to one-third of one mill of ad valorem taxes, with the amount this year set at .16 mills to make the principal and interest payments, and the original amount of this issue was $34,720,000 with the annual principal and interest payment of $2.7 million and a maturity date of April 1, 2026. He reported that the estimated balance remaining is about $24 million, and the interest rate varies from 4 to 5 percent for this as well. He explained that this particular bond issue was approved by referendum in 2004, and the funding was used to acquire and improve lands within the County to protect drinking water sources, improve water quality, preserve natural areas, and provide parks and trails.
Mr. Jay Glover, a managing director with PFM, related that he would discuss the strategy they use for the debt financing for the County, and the first step they look at is what type of financing vehicle is going to provide the lowest true interest cost and increase the amount of debt service savings they achieve. He explained that there were two financing vehicles that local governments use prominently in today’s market, which are a direct placement bank loan, a publicly offered bond transaction, or a hybrid of the two. He noted that direct placement bank loans are directly placed in the bank, held in their portfolio, and are typically done for small to medium sized financings of usually $30 million or less and shorter to intermediate term maturity of about 10 to 12 years, as opposed to 20 to 30 year transactions which are typically done through the publically-offered markets. He commented that these kind of bank loans could be implemented very expeditiously, typically in 60 days or less, noting that with the current volatile market conditions, being able to lock in refinancing as quickly as possible is very advantageous to the County. He also commented that this kind of financing typically takes less time and work by staff with less ongoing requirement and lower cost of issuance, since there are no ratings or underwriters and less legal documentation involved, which will also drive down the overall cost of borrowing. He explained that Publicly Offered Bonds are typically done for larger financing needs of over 13 years, but their recommendation will take into consideration the fact that some of the financing has been paid down and the yield curves moved out, and they require more time of at least 90 days to put in place, because they would have to procure an underwriting team, draft a number of legal documents, and get underlying credit ratings and an offering statement, resulting in a higher cost for this type of financing. He discussed the hybrid structure consisting of a combination of the two previously-mentioned financing strategies, which would result in a shorter yield curve with a direct placement and an attempt to get the lowest cost possible.
Mr. Glover opined that now was a good time to look at refinancing the Limited General Obligation Bonds, Series 2007, because they were coming up on the ten-year call-protection period and were in a low-interest environment. He recommended doing a direct placement bank loan for this financing, since the final maturity is currently out only through 2026, and significant principal has been paid down to the point where there is currently only $21.5 million of refundable par outstanding. He explained that the Series 2007 Capital Improvement Revenue Bond was a little more involved in the sense that it still has a longer final maturity outstanding, since it was originally done as a 30-year transaction with 22 to 23 years of remaining term, and it was a little too large an amount of $70 million and a little longer than where most banks would lock in a fixed rate for the full term. He reported that they recommended a hybrid structure for this by locking in a fixed rate for the refunding of $26.5 million for the earlier maturities as quickly as possible, leaving the remaining maturities of 2027-2037 consisting of a little over $40 million on the long end of the yield curve to be completed via a publicly offered bond deal. He mentioned that they were already in the process of putting that financing in place as well, and they would be bringing back to the Board on June 9 the actual underwriter selection recommendation before starting to move that transaction ahead as soon as possible. He commented that their main goal as the County’s financial advisor and fiduciary is to make sure they are recommending whatever financing vehicle provides the lowest cost of capital and locks in the most debt service savings, and he opined that what they have done will result in significant savings to the County.
Mr. Tom Giblin with Nabors, Giblin & Nickerson, PA, the County’s bond counsel for the last 27 years, explained that the first issue they address for bank loans is the soliciting of bids from banks, which he noted has already been done, and he reported that the proposals that have come back have been reviewed by staff and are very favorable. He commented that they look at and evaluate the terms and elements in the term sheet as well as the interest rate. He added that they are currently negotiating with Regents Bank to resolve a couple of issues, and they would be coming back to the Board once that is settled with a resolution in June for approval of the term sheet, bank, and authorization of debt to secure the loan. He commented that it would be a very streamlined and quick process, since they were not asking the Board or staff to put together any type of bond prospectus or official statement. He related that the second element, the public offering, will be lengthier, because they will have to hire underwriters, draft legal documents, and gather information for the official statement. He elaborated that once they receive approval to authorize the debt, the official statement will be posted, the bonds will be offered to the public, and they will enter into a purchase contract.
Mr. Koontz went over the procurement process, noting that two Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) were advertised for the refinancing of bonds, which were RFP 15-0025 for solicitation for a bank loan to refinance the bond issue for the Limited General Obligation Bonds for an 11-year term not to exceed $21.5 million and RFP 15-0024 for solicitation for a bank loan to refinance a portion of the outstanding issue of the Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds for an 11-year term not to exceed $26.5 million, with the remaining balance to be refunded through the public offering. He added that the notices were sent to 92 firms of which 23 were local by working with the Clerk’s Office, PFM, and the County’s Procurement office. He reported that they received four responses for the Limited General Obligation Bonds and five responses for the Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds, and he specified that the proposals were evaluated based on factors such as interest rates, prepayment penalties, and legal and other fees. He recommended that they award the refinancing to Citizens First Bank of Leesburg for the Limited General Obligation Bonds, which was able to provide the best interest rate of 2.22 percent with no prepayment penalty and the most favorable terms to the County, and he pointed out that this will result in a net present value debt service savings of about $1.6 million for the County, or about 8.25 percent of the refunded bonds paramount, which equates to an estimated annual savings of $170,000 beginning in 2016 through 2026. He also recommended that they award the refinancing of the Capital Improvement Revenue Bonds to Regions Bank in Jacksonville, since they provided a combination of the best interest rate and the most favorable terms to the County with a fixed interest rate of 2.27 percent with an optional prepayment after three years with no penalty, and he elaborated that the net present value debt service savings for this is about $2.1 million or 8.8 percent of the refunded bonds par amount. He reported that the estimated annual savings was $215,000 beginning in 2016 through 2026, and they were planning on financing the balance of the bond issue in the amount of about $70 million through a public offering.
Mr. Koontz summarized that the total savings of the Direct Placement Bank Loans from 2016 to 2026 will be about $3.7 million for a total annual savings of about $385,000, with more savings expected to result in the public offering refinancing of the Capital Improvement Bonds. He gave a timeline of this proposed action, including approval of the legal documents and resolutions for the direct placement bank loans as well as approval of the underwriter on June 9, approval of the bond resolutions on June 23, and the public offering for the remaining capital improvement bonds in July. He requested that the Board approve the above-mentioned awards to Citizen’s First Bank in Leesburg for RFP 15-0025 and Regions Bank out of Jacksonville for RFP 15-0024. He mentioned that these awards will be subject to the final negotiation of the financing terms that Mr. Giblin will be working through.
Commr. Conner commented that this is an opportunity to save some money.
Commr. Parks thanked the staff for their hard work on this and looking out for the County.
Commr. Campione asked to what extent the PLAAC (Public Lands Acquisition Advisory Committee) referendum bond issue was specifically for the amount of bonds that were issued or whether there was an amount or allowance of some of the funds that could be used for public land acquisition for upcoming public lands needs, such as for obligations that they had made to CSX and Florida Central for the Wekiva Trail, that would fit in with what was approved by the voters.
Mr. Giblin responded that the referendum approved $36 million of bonds, which was a not-to-exceed number, and they could issue the differential between the $34,720,000 they issued in 2007 and $36 million, which was a little over $1 million.
Commr. Sullivan asked if that would change the terms of the contract that had just been presented.
Mr. Giblin answered that it might change it a little by increasing the amount of the bank loan, and he recapped that they would be coming back to the Board with the public offering in the future. He suggested that the Board decide whether they want to increase the bank loan by bonding the $1 million out within the next couple of weeks, because it will have to be reflected in the official statement and the resolution, and they will have to go back to the bank to increase the amount of the loan.
Mr. Minkoff added that they could request Citizens Bank to increase the loan by $1 million now, although there is no obligation for Citizens to do so since they only bid on the lower amount, and he pointed out that doing that would slightly decrease the cash flow savings that they would receive going forward.
Commr. Sullivan commented that he believed they should lock in what they already have negotiated, and he would be concerned about putting that off any longer than necessary going forward. He also pointed out that they are in a critical period regarding the renewal of their sales tax, and he believes it is a little premature to talk about more debt until they know what their revenue sources would be.
Commr. Parks commented that the appetite for debt is not very high, but there are needs in South Lake.
Commr. Conner commented that he did not think taking on more debt was a good idea.
Commr. Cadwell noted that the paperwork and the amount of work they would have to put in to borrow that money against this revenue is small compared to a bond and could be done in the future if they decide to borrow more money for a particular project.
Commr. Campione stated that although she was not in favor of taking on any additional debt at this point, she is in favor of having discussions in order to make the right decisions and to look at the big picture.
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved awarding to Citizen's First Bank (Leesburg) under RFP 15-0025 for re-financing of the County's Public Lands Limited General Obligation bonds and to Regions Bank (Jacksonville) under RFP 15-0024 for re-financing a portion of the County's Capital Improvement bonds. These awards will be subject to final negotiation of financing terms. The total fiscal impact is $3.7 million of net present value debt service savings over the full term of the re-financing period.
recess and reassembly
The Chairman announced at 10:30 a.m. that there would be a fifteen-minute recess.
housing services update and budget presentation
Ms. Cheryl Howell, Housing Services Manager, Community Services Department, stated that she would provide the Board with an overview of the Housing Services operations and proposed FY 2016 budget and update the Board on the LHAP (Local Housing Assistance Plan) strategies. She presented an organizational chart illustrating that the Housing Services Division consists of three divisions that reflected the different grant types, which were the SHIP (State Housing Initiative Partnership), Section 8, and Community Development programs. She further explained that the SHIP program was funded by the state, and the Section 8 and Community Development programs were funded by the federal government. She related that the mission of the Community Services Department is to serve as the link between government and the community and to work with numerous partners to improve the quality of life while delivering the highest level of service, and the Housing Services Division mission is to improve the quality of life for Lake County’s residents through community housing development and economic opportunities. She discussed the levels of service for their programs during this fiscal year, including the provision of parks, sewers, sidewalks, water lines, neighborhood centers, and limited housing improvement under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). She specified that the SHIP program provides funding to improve or create access to new or existing housing units, and the proposed new HOME funding was for provision of new affordable housing, the preservation of affordable housing, and assistance for existing affordable housing units; also, the Section 8 program subsidizes housing cost for income-eligible families. She added that their division has provided monthly rental subsidies to over 600 families with approximately $325,000 monthly added to the local economy, assisted over 100 families with rental and utility deposits through the REACH program, assisted 21 families with emergency repair on homes, demolished and replaced four mobile homes for eligible families, created 20 additional transitional housing beds for the homeless in South Lake, and replaced or rehabilitated 14 homes.
Ms. Howell expressed pride in the fact that Lake County Housing received for the first time a High Performer rating from the HUD audit after receiving a 100 percent performance on the SEMAP score. She also mentioned that they created and implemented the Family Self Sufficiency Program, increased the number of families served under Section 8 by 19 percent with the same budget, and increased their voucher utilization from 90 to 100 percent. She listed the CDBG accomplishments, including providing emergency repair service for 25 families, acquisition or rehabilitation of five homes for affordable home purchase, completion of the Yalaha Community Center, improvements such as bathroom facilities to Tavares’ Ingraham Park, the Hopes Springs project, and renovations of the Mispah-Simmons apartment complex. She then noted that the accomplishments for the SHIP program were that they created and implemented the REACH program, which was a rental and utility security deposit program that has assisted over 100 very low-income families; partnered with New Beginnings to develop 20 additional transitional housing beds for homeless families; and replaced or rehabilitated 14 homes for eligible families. She specified that the Mispah-Simmons apartment complex was a very difficult project that consisted of 12 units for income-eligible families at a formerly blighted site, which gave a great boost to the community, and they had partnered with the City of Leesburg on this project to acquire and rehab these units. She reported that they would be working on infill development of vacant or underused parcels within existing areas that are already largely developed, which will save on infrastructure costs and allow them to leverage funding sources, provide a larger impact, and support local contractors. She related that their Family Self Sufficiency Program enables families assisted through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program to increase their earned income and reduce their dependency on welfare assistance and rental subsidies, and they have also been charged by the Board to create a Multifamily Rental Development through their SHIP program which would support small and large rental developments to increase affordable housing access.
Ms. Howell provided some bar graphs which illustrated the benchmarks and explained that the federal government has a formula that they utilize to create funding for entitlement for communities, with Lake County receiving $9 per household for CDBG compared to $13 per household for Osceola County due to a number of factors, including the number of people living at poverty level. She added that the SHIP program also uses a formula to distribute among the entitlement areas, and Lake County receives $22 for every household, which is the second highest of the surrounding counties, due to factors such as an older housing stock in Lake County. She commented that Lake County was doing fairly well in in terms of the household cost burden benchmark at 35.7 percent compared to Marion County at 36.3 percent and over 50 percent in Osceola County. She pointed out that the home ownership rate benchmark showed that Lake County is doing very well in this area at 76.5 percent, with Sumter County being the only county that is higher due to the growth in the Villages. She reported that the Housing Services budget consists of a total of $7.3 million this year, with total operating revenues of $5.5 million and an estimated fund balance of $1.7 million, and the proposed budget consists of personal services of $637,000, operating expenses of $236,000, $463,500 in capital outlay, $5.5 million in grants and aids, and reserves of $415,000. She pointed out that the Section 8 housing payments that go to their private landlords consist of 45.2 percent of their budget, which is $3.3 million annually, and she listed some of the other expenditures making up their budget, including community projects and personal services. She also commented that every dollar that they put into housing results in a $7 economic benefit. She added that the Board had directed the division to create a strategy that would support multifamily and infill development, and the Affordable Housing Committee recommended that they utilize new construction as a strategy that would support both of those kinds of development. She elaborated that the 2015 SHIP strategies and activities recommended by the committee consisted of demolition and replacement, rehabilitation, new construction, transitional housing, down payment assistance, and security deposits; and CDBG/HOME strategies consist of emergency home repairs, urban county projects, infill development, mobile home replacement, community health care coordinator, and capital projects. She requested that the Board approve the 2015-2017 SHIP strategies as well as the 2015-2016 CDBG funding strategies.
Mr. Heath clarified that the requested actions were from Tabs 9 and 10 on the consent agenda.
Commr. Sullivan commented that Ms. Howell and her staff work extremely hard to try to figure out what the state and federal governments are doing with their programs and to fit the needs of this community into those programs.
Commr. Parks commended Ms. Howell and her team for taking a concept of the infill program that was good for the county and adding some innovation to it, and he pointed out that the 8.7 percent of the budget for personal services was a lot lower than a lot of the surrounding counties and a reflection of the hard work they were doing.
Commr. Campione asked whether the job training allocation went hand in hand with someone qualifying for particular assistance or if it was separate.
Ms. Howell responded that that program runs in conjunction with their Section 8 program as part of the family self-sufficiency project model, and they were working from a two-prong approach with the parents as well as the youth from the ages of 16 to 24 in order to create long-lasting change.
Commr. Campione asked if there were other Section 8 projects in Lake County that would come under the Housing Authority that the County would not be associated with.
Ms. Howell answered that there is some Section 8 housing within the county that is not associated with either the Lake County or Eustis Housing Authorities, since that was an older model that was out of Jacksonville from Washington DC.
Commr. Campione commented that this was a great model and a good way to provide that specific need to people in their community, and she commended Ms. Howell for realizing that the key is to be responsive to what their particular community needs are and taking those specific programs and making them work to meet those needs.
On a motion by Commr. Sullivan, seconded by Commr. Cadwell and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the 2015-17 SHIP strategies and 2015-17 CDBG funding strategies.
solid waste division update and budget presentation
Mr. Jim Stivender, Public Works Director, gave an overview of the Solid Waste operations and proposed FY 2016 budget, including discussion of the Solid Waste program, and he recapped that Environmental Services was merged with the Public Works Department five years ago. He presented the organizational chart of the Solid Waste Division which consisted of 5 employees for Administration, 2.5 field and office people for Assessments, 12 people working in Landfill Operations, 12 staff members for the six Convenience Centers located throughout the county, and 5 employees managing the site and doing the pickups 26 times a year throughout the county in Hazardous Waste. He opined that the Solid Waste mission statement well defines the issues that have been brought before the Board, which was to enhance solid waste collection and disposal programs encompassing roadway litter, increased recycling awareness, code enforcement cleanups, hazardous waste collection, and partnering with local law enforcement for the collection of unwanted prescription medication. He discussed the level of service, noting that they provide curbside collection and disposal services, operate the central landfill facility, provide household hazardous waste collection, operate six countywide convenience centers, and manage the solid waste assessments. He elaborated that the Solid Waste Division provides once a week trash, recycling, and yard waste collection service to 68,000 unincorporated residential units, as well as collection of construction material and bulk items, and he commented that the disposal of 50,000 tons of trash and the processing of 13,000 tons of recyclable materials estimated for 2015 was a little lower than their original estimate. He displayed a map which showed the locations of the convenience centers, pointing out three in the northern sections in the rural part of the county and three in the more urbanized areas, and he mentioned that they would discuss hours of operation of those facilities later in the presentation. He related that they have done improvements and enhancements to each of those facilities over the last five years and that there are over 100,000 visits utilizing the convenience centers over a year’s period, including a high percentage of city customers in the more urban areas making up 55 percent of total usage. He added that they collected and disposed of 272,000 pounds annually of household hazardous products such as corrosive drain cleaners, toxic fertilizers, petroleum products, oil base paints, and batteries in their central facility, convenience centers, and mobile unit; and he noted that many residents appreciate the convenience of the mobile unit.
Mr. Stivender presented an aerial diagram of the central facility landfill, and he explained that this facility houses the administrative functions; contains a scale house, an 80-acre closed landfill, and a 16-acre recently capped ash cell; and will necessitate a lot of long-term care obligations. He added that they process all of the yard waste that comes in from the vendors throughout the county, and after that is mulched onsite, it is taken away by a private company at no charge to be used as compost material, which reduces the County’s cost. He related that the Board de-franchised the commercial accounts last year out of the special assessment program, which has worked out well, and although they initially have had some difficulties in rolling out the new residential curbside collection program, they are currently getting more positive comments than negative ones. He also pointed out that the recycling tonnage has increased, and the online solid waste customer service form is working. He mentioned that there were some efficiencies with the convenience center upgrades, improvement of the hazardous waste equipment, and recycling outsourcing. He also related that they have been identifying pieces of equipment that were no longer actively being used at the facility and selling them as surplus and have improved the scrap metal and yard waste programs. He added that leasing instead of purchasing equipment has saved the County over $85,000, since that type of equipment deteriorates quickly. He presented some bar graphs illustrating the benchmarks compared to other counties, noting that the County has 68,000 unincorporated assessed residential units, which was an increase from 67,000 five year ago, and a graph showing that Lake has one of the lowest assessments at $186,000, although Sumter County does not have a comparable assessment and Marion County’s figure only reflects disposal costs. He specified that Lake County has a 12 percent recycling rate, which is currently one of the lowest in the region, but he pointed out that this number reflects only part of a year after the new program was initiated in October and that he expects a 20 percent rate over the 2015 year, which will put them in the high end of the spectrum compared to other counties in the area and will save them more money.
Mr. Stivender presented the FY 2016 proposed Solid Waste budgets, starting with the budget for Assessment Expenses consisting of a total of $12.2 million, which included personal services of $360,836, curbside collection costs of $10.7 million, disposal costs of less than $1 million, operating expenses, and transfers. He explained that this budget covers collection and disposal costs, but does not address some of the other internal costs and are not included in that summary of numbers. He presented another slide of the budget broken up into their divisions of operations reflecting a decrease in funding by cutting back operating hours of the landfill, eliminating seven positions, or staggering the hours of the employees, and he commented that this was consistent with the five-year outlook. He elaborated that the leachate that has to be added to an open cell at the landfill adds to the cost. He then presented the overall proposed budget for FY 2016 totaling $16.3 million and consisting of about $1.6 million in personal services and $14.7 million in operating expenses including the special assessment, noting that they have no reserves or capital outlay in this budget, since he had frozen all the capital purchases in this year’s budget. He pointed out that the special assessment was a large portion of the budget at almost $12 million or 74 percent, and the General Fund contributes 13 percent. He presented a list of expenditures, including the top expenditure by far of curbside collection of almost $10.7 million or 66 percent of the budget, personal services of $1.5 million or 10 percent of the budget, administrative fees and transfers of $910,000, curbside disposal of $964,500, leachate disposal of $500,000, and convenience center expenses of $219,000. He explained that staff has put some strategies together in order to minimize their cost but still provide service to their customers, synchronizing everything with the collection and disposal contracts which expire in 2021, which would keep their expenditures down, increase recycling efforts, and keep the special assessment amount stable through the whole seven-year process. He commented that their challenges are to minimize the general fund transfer and maintain funding for long-term care, and other challenges are that the cell closure cost estimated at $3 million is not included in the estimated funding, there is a leachate cost of almost $500,000 for every year that it is kept open, and there are no reserves left in this budget. He summarized that the FY 2016 proposed strategies are to reduce the hours of the convenience centers by two hours each operating day and outsource the hauling operations, and the strategies for FY 2017-20 are for additional reduction of hours and days of service, hazardous waste mobile unit reduction of events, outsourcing convenience centers, and closing and capping the active cell.
Commr. Campione asked to what extent they have to evaluate how much city residents are using the services. She also asked whether they could include the landfill in the general fund expenditure or whether it needs to be more connected to the County residents that actually use the collection and disposal system.
Mr. Stivender responded that the trend was that 55 percent of the users were coming from the cities, and the closure of the landfills that were in operation from the 1970’s, which was when both city and County residents were using it, is a legitimate countywide expense that could be financed by the general fund.
Mr. Minkoff elaborated that all county residents have used the Astatula landfill since 1988-89, so all of that ash came from everyone in the county.
Mr. Stivender added that the $1.3 million closure is a capital expense, and sales tax could be used to close that rather than the general fund.
Commr. Campione asked how much the convenience centers contribute to the entire disposal stream.
Mr. Stivender stated that he has that number, but it is not part of this presentation.
Commr. Parks commented that he sees that many people drop a bag or two of garbage off at the Log House convenience center rather than holding onto it until their regular pickup day.
Commr. Campione asked if there was any component of the assessment that pays for any of the other costs.
Mr. Stivender answered that there was a certain amount that is covering the office staff, but it is hard to tie the cost of the staff of the convenience centers or anything other than the central facility to the special assessment.
Commr. Parks asked how much of a reduction from the general fund will result from the proposed strategies that were presented.
Mr. Stivender responded that they were expecting to reduce the budget by 10 percent, but he will not be sure until they put out the RFP’s for some of the outsourced services. He also explained that they would have to charge anyone dropping off any type of garbage in any of their facilities in order to turn it into a pure enterprise fund.
Commr. Campione asked whether every solid waste program would be included in the business plan of the enterprise fund, and she asked if the amount the County is subsidizing the program was comparable to other counties.
Mr. Stivender answered that he has to explore that more, and it was hard to get comparisons from other counties, since each system is done differently. He added that the Keep America Beautiful program will provide dumpsters for events such as community cleanups six times a year, and they were working with their haulers to do other services such as picking up whatever is left on the side of the road during those events using the special assessment program.
Commr. Campione asked for staff to look into what extent other counties are using the assessment to pay for at least a portion of the overall cost, and she believed there should be user fees in return for services, including things that would keep the entire community clean.
Commr. Sullivan commented that although there may have to be more charges or fees for disposal, there should be transparency so that residents know where the dollars are spent as they move forward.
Mr. Stivender replied that they need to be careful about the amount that they do charge, because trash will end up on the side of the road if the fees are too high.
Commr. Campione responded that they should find the right amount that will not dissuade people from going to the convenience centers or the landfill to dispose of their trash.
Commr. Conner commented that he understood that their curbside collection and disposal is an enterprise fund that the assessment pays for, and they were not charging for some of the services they have been providing. He stated that they would have to either decrease the level of service or increase revenues, and he thought it would be good to have a survey about how important the convenience centers are to the residents. He opined that Heart of Florida is the best deal, and he mentioned that collection and disposal make up 76 percent of the expenditures. He also opined that the best way to decrease disposal is to increase recycling; however, there are many places where recycling is not an option, and he would like to see the County figure out a way to find more places and more ways to give people an opportunity to recycle, especially in the commercial areas.
Commr. Campione mentioned that one of the things they learned at the Keep Lake Beautiful training last week was that they may have access to grant opportunities for placing recycling receptacles at places they pick up trash such as parks to help them promote the mindset of recycling and to give them the ability to recycle on County properties.
Mr. Stivender added that recycling is the only thing with a zero cost for the County.
Commr. Conner commented that the County should be leading by example, and he suggested that they provide recycling containers and looking into forming a recycling committee to come up with some aggressive ideas.
Commr. Cadwell asked what their recycling, education, and promotion budget is currently.
Mr. Stivender responded that they do not have a budget for that right now, and he elaborated that they spent about $100,000 over a two-year period to promote the program. He requested direction from the Board regarding what they should do over the next two or three years, the responsibilities they have to close and maintain cells, and the level of customer service.
Commr. Conner asked how much money would be saved if they increased their recycling by ten prevent.
Mr. Minkoff responded that since the whole disposal budget is $900,000, they would save $90,000 if they reduced that by ten percent.
other business
appointment to mt. plymouth-sorrento cra committee
On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Sullivan and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the appointment of Mr. Earl Hammond to the Mt. Plymouth-Sorrento Community Redevelopment Advisory Committee to serve an unexpired two-year term ending January 22, 2017 as a member who is a property owner within the Planning Area; and approval as permitted by Section 112.313(12), Florida Statutes, of a waiver of potential ethical conflicts under Section 112.313(3), Florida Statutes, for the following potential advisory board member: Earl Hammond (East Lake Chamber Board of Directors).
reports – county attorney
opinion rendered by administrative law judge re djj rule
Mr. Minkoff reported that the Administrative Law Judge had administered an approximately 50-50 type of opinion on one of the litigation matters that the County has been involved with challenging the proposed rule that the Department of Juvenile Justice has been trying to put in place, and he related that they will not be filing a notice of appeal with the District Court of Appeals, although they will benefit in the unlikely event that another county files an appeal and wins.
reports – commissioner parks – vice-chairman and district 2
wellness way sector plan presentation in tallahassee
Commr. Parks announced that he went to Tallahassee about a week ago to hear the presentation regarding the Wellness Way Sector Plan, and he thanked staff for the excellent job fielding questions. He expected that the adoption of that Sector Plan will move forward in July.
safety projects by pine ridge elementary students
Commr. Parks thanked staff and the fourth-grade students of Pine Ridge Elementary School for presenting a great safety project regarding sidewalks and safety improvements for access to their school last Friday, May 15. He commented that this school has serious issues in terms of sidewalks and accessibility connecting local neighborhoods to that school, and he added that he appreciates that Lake-Sumter MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) staff and Public Works presented some options to him through utilization of the penny sales tax that could speed up the accomplishment of that project.
water safety day
Commr. Parks commented that he appreciated Commr. Cadwell’s recent comments in support of Water Safety Day and noted that it went very well, with six different cities and the County all working together. He related that he went to the one in Clermont, where they very realistically demonstrated a jet ski accident, the dangers of drinking on the water, and how to properly rescue someone; and they had done similar scenarios and mock drowning demonstrations throughout the county. He thanked the staff involved in organizing that, including Mr. Brian Sheahan, Community Safety and Compliance Director.
REPORTS – COMMISsIONER campione – DISTRICT 4
keep lake beautiful training
Commr. Campione related that she attended the Keep Lake Beautiful training on Friday, May 15, and she opined that the rural areas and the cities could see the benefit of this program. She added that she was appreciative of the County staff who have been very engaged in that program, and they had a lot of participation from people outside of County government.
heritage day festival
Commr. Campione mentioned that she attended the Heritage Day Festival at East Lake Library, which also included a celebration of Armed Services Day. She elaborated that it was a nice event with a lot of people in attendance, including Commr. Cadwell, Congressman Daniel Webster and Mr. Carey Baker, Property Appraiser.
reports – commissioner cadwell – district 5
usa volleyball regional awards banquet
Commr. Cadwell related that he and Mr. Adam Ashton, Sports Development Representative, Economic Development Department, attended the USA Volleyball Regional Awards banquet in Orlando, where they recognized Lake County as a regional partner with an award, which will be displayed in the Economic Development office. He elaborated that they have added a Hickory Point scholarship program out of their fundraising proceeds.
expressway authority news
Commr. Cadwell reported that the Expressway Authority has hired Ms. Laura Kelly as their Executive Director, and the first initial outreach for the Expressway Authority’s 2040 plan has started, with the first Lake County meeting in Minneola that night at 6:30 p.m. He indicated an intention to attend most of the Lake County meetings, and he mentioned that he expects they will have conversations regarding multi-modal transportation options over the next year due to the change in the statute to add multi-modal to their mission.
Memorial day services at sorrento CEMETERY
Commr. Cadwell noted that he would be speaking at the Memorial Day services at the Sorrento Cemetery.
workshop between tdc and parks and rec advisory board
Commr. Cadwell suggested that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board have a roundtable discussion and workshop with the TDC (Tourist Development Commission) at a venue such as the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) in early August so that both groups understand the missions of the other group. He specified that he thought there could be a 5 to 10 minute presentation from each committee and then an open dialogue about the pressure the Parks and Recreation Committee was under to provide those facilities and what that committee could realistically expect from the TDC.
Commr. Conner noted that there was no objection from the Board to do that, as long as it was duly advertised.
REPORTS – COMMISSIONER conner – CHAIRMAN AND DISTRICT 3
law enforcement proclamation
Commr. Conner reported that he presented a law enforcement proclamation at the memorial ceremony.
national day of prayer
Commr. Conner stated that he attended the National Day of Prayer, which was well attended, and he thanked Pastor Brooks Braswell for putting that together.
Edc meeting and presentation
Commr. Conner commented that Mr. Robert Chandler, Economic Development and Tourism Director, presented an impressive presentation regarding regionalism at the last EDC (Economic Development Commission) meeting, which was very well-received.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 12:18 p.m.
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jimmy conner, chairman
ATTEST:
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NEIL KELLY, CLERK