A REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

May 9, 2017

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 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: Timothy I. Sullivan, Chairman; Leslie Campione, Vice Chairman; Sean Parks; Wendy Breeden; and Josh Blake. Others present were: David Heath, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, County Attorney; Wendy Taylor, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Neil Kelly, Clerk of Court; Kristy Mullane, Chief Deputy Clerk, County Finance; and Angela Harrold, Deputy Clerk.

INVOCATION and pledge

Pastor David Miller from the Southpointe Baptist Fellowship Church in Leesburg gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda update

Mr. David Heath, County Manager, suggested that the Board approve the proclamations under Tabs 2 and 3 prior to the employee service awards. He noted that Tab 29 regarding the commercial design standards for the Mount Plymouth Sorrento CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency), would be pulled from the Consent Agenda because the Planning and Zoning Board requested more time for review, and that item would be brought back before the Board once the extra review was completed. He stated that Tab 36 was amended to become a discussion on the ordinance regarding the alternative school impact fees, which moved the employment contract between the Board and the new County Manager to Tab 37.

Minutes approval

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Blake, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved the Minutes of the BCC Meetings of March 7, 2017 (Regular Meeting) and March 21, 2017 (Regular Meeting) as presented.

employee awards

Mr. Robert Anderson, Human Resources Director, recognized employees who have reached significant milestones in their careers with Lake County, as follows:

FIVE YEARS

Wayne Boykin, Mobile Irrigation Specialist (not present)

Public Resources/Lake Soil & Water Conservation Division

Joseph Hinton, Construction Inspector I

Public Works/Road Operations Division

TEN YEARS

Salena Braddy, IT Security & Compliance Technician

Information Technology

Vicki Gesinski, Senior CAD Technician (not present)

Public Works/Engineering Division/Survey & Design

Rebecca Grimm, ROW GIS Analyst

Public Works/Engineering Division/Right-of-Way

RETIREMENT

13 Years: John Jolliff, Public Safety Director

Public Safety

Commr. Sullivan read and presented Proclamation 2017-40 to Chief John Jolliff, Public Safety Director, noted that Chief Jolliff had 43 years of fire service and thanked him for his 13 years of service to Lake County. He recognized the local fire chiefs and firefighters that were in attendance to honor Chief Jolliff.

Mr. Brian Gamble, the President of the Professional Firefighters of Lake County, stated that Chief Jolliff had compassion and was the first to help if a firefighter was hurt or fundraising was needed. He commented that Chief Jolliff’s 43 years of service was an amazing accomplishment, and he congratulated and thanked him for his service.

Mr. Jim Stivender, Director of Public Works, presented Chief Jolliff with a road sign with his name on it.

Chief Jolliff stated that he was a proud father and husband and thanked his family for their support. He also thanked all of the firefighters in attendance.

PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS

Proclamation 2017-40 - chief JOHN JOLLIFF

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved and presented Proclamation No. 2017-40 honoring Chief John Jolliff, Public Safety Director, for his 13 years of service to Lake County.

Proclamation 2017-41 – water sAFETY MONTH

Commr. Parks read Proclamation 2017-41, which proclaimed May 2017 as Water Safety Month, and he presented the proclamation to the Water Safety Advisory Committee. He noted that the committee held a poster contest, and he presented the winning poster to the Board, which was created by two fifth grade students from Treadway Elementary School.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved and presented the Water Safety Month Proclamation 2017-41.

CITIZEN QUESTION AND COMMENT PERIOD

Mr. Vance Jochim, a writer of a blog on local governmental issues, stated to the Board that he would like to see more detailed performance measures within the budget workshops, as he felt the information was too vague. He presented an example and stated that he would share it with the staff so they could look at possibly implementing something similar in the County.

CLERK OF COURTS’ CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Breeden 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 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.

Inspector General Report BCC-153 Year-End Inventory Observations

Request to acknowledge receipt of the Inspector General Report BCC-153 Year-End Inventory Observations FYE 09-30-2016.

Pine Island Community Development District Proposed Budget

Request to acknowledge receipt of the Pine Island Community Development District Proposed Budget Fiscal Year 2018 in accordance with Section 190.008(2)(b) of the Florida Statutes.

City of Eustis Audit Report

Request to acknowledge receipt of the City of Eustis audit report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016 delivered March 31, 2017, in accordance with the “Single Audit Act.”

presentation of comprehensive annual financial report

Mr. Neil Kelly, Lake County Clerk of the Court, presented the Lake County CAFR (Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) to the Board and noted that along with the regular report there was also a condensed version available. He recognized Ms. Kristy Mullane, Chief Deputy of County Finance who oversaw the process and explained that a number of employees worked on the CAFR within the Clerk’s County Finance office as well as staff from several other County departments.

Ms. Mullane recognized the individuals from the Clerk’s County Finance office who worked on the CAFR, including Ms. Joanne Drury, Mr. Kevin McDonald, Ms. Tracy Zeller, Ms. Merrilyn DiVenanzo, Ms. April Allman, Ms. Connie Rogers, Ms. Karen Huffman, Ms. Susan Boyajan, and Ms. Julia Wilson. She thanked Ms. Kelly Lafollette, Director of Communications, and her staff for their assistance with the covers and printing the financial documents in-house.

Mr. Kelly thanked the Board for allowing the Communications Department to help with the printing and stated that the Clerk’s office is thankful for the service that they provided in the process. He announced that Lake County, through the Clerk’s County Finance Office, had received the GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the production of the CAFR for the thirty-fifth year and had also won the award for the Citizens’ Annual Financial Report as well for the sixth year in a row. He recognized Mr. Kevin McDonald, Budget Officer, for his efforts in producing the distinguished budget report for the Clerk’s Office.

Mr. Joel Knopp, Certified Public Accountant with Moore, Stephens, Lovelace CPA and Advisory, presented the required audit for the Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2016, to the Board. He thanked the County Finance staff for their efforts as well as the other County departments for their full cooperation. He explained that it was the auditor’s responsibility to report on the County’s CAFR, including its major funds and all of the required opinion units. He explained further that the audit was completed under the general auditing standards prescribed by the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) and also the rules set at the federal level for grants. He stated that management’s responsibility was to provide the information needed to maintain appropriate internal controls over financial reporting and compliance. He reported that there were no significant issues during the audit, and the audit schedule was followed without delays. He stated that the financial statements had an unmodified opinion, which was required to continue receiving the Certificate of Excellence for Financial Reporting, and he pointed to a report at the back of the CAFR showing no issues were found relating to non-compliance and that there were not any deficiencies or material weaknesses. He reviewed that the Management Letter and the Independent Accounts Report required by the Auditor General also had no internal control weaknesses or non-compliance. He stated that the there was a financial condition assessment completed for Lake County as a condition of the audit, and the results showed a decline in the fund balance and equity position of the County; however, he noted that was due to a planned spenddown and the County was still within its minimum fund balance range.

Mr. Knopp reviewed the Countywide Analysis containing the long-term assets and the liabilities, including long-term debt and the net pension liability, which was the County’s share of the unfunded portion of the Florida Retirement System. He pointed out that the negative $82.5 million in the Unrestricted Net Position for the Governmental Activities for FY 2016 was primarily caused by that unfunded portion. He explained that the negative change in the Net Position was approximately $15.8 million, due to the result of a planned budgeted spenddown of the County’s funds as well as the net pension impact. He reviewed that within the reporting of the General Fund, the key element was the unassigned fund balance, which was a positive $11.1 million. He pointed out that while the overall change was a negative $1.1 million, it was still within the targeted range. He explained that the County was in compliance with its General Fund Budget with a positive budget variance due to having revenues at $3.7 million above projection, and also the County did not spend $4.3 million of the budgeted expenditure. He noted that the Landfill Fund within the Proprietary Fund showed an operating loss of $4.6 million, which included a County transfer of funds in the amount of $1.4 million to the fund, and he explained that the primary reason for the decline was related to the closure and post closure costs for the landfill. He explained that the requested action was for the Board to accept the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016.

Commr. Sullivan noted that the award of excellence had been received for outstanding presentation for 35 years and thanked the Clerk’s County Finance staff for all of the work done to achieve that. He commented that the Citizen’s Guide that was made available to the public was a good summary of the budget and a great tool for the residents.

On a motion by Commr. Blake, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved accepting the Lake County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016.

COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT AGENDA

On a motion by Commr. Parks, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Manager’s Consent Agenda, Tabs 5 through 26, as follows:

Proclamations

Request for approval of Law Enforcement Month Proclamation 2017-39, per Commissioner Sullivan.

County Attorney

Request for approval to execute Estoppel Letter regarding Lease Agreement between Lake County and Grande Commercial Property for the Sheriff's substation located at 108 LaGrande Boulevard in Lady Lake. There is no fiscal impact.

Request for approval to award contract 17-0214 for on-call closing attorney services to Williams, Smith, and Summers, P.A. (Tavares). The estimated annual fiscal impact for the specific attorney services cannot be determined at this time. Actual legal charges are relatively minimal, but the number of transactions cannot be determined in advance.

Request for approval to grant a Perpetual Utility Easement to Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SECO) for the Tax Collector's new North Lake Regional Service Center located at 1800 David Walker Drive, in Tavares. The fiscal impact is $6,008.38 (Expenditure).

Request for approval and award of bids for the sale of surplus County-owned property to the Highest Bidders to purchase the following Alternate Keys: 1268133, 1675812, 1677211, 1742340, 3013646 and 3380878; and approval for Chairman to execute any necessary closing documents. The fiscal impact is $15,618 (Revenue).

Request for approval of Resolution 2017-42 approving issuance of tax-exempt bonds for Village Veranda at Lady Lake, LLC, and authorizing Chairman to execute any necessary documents regarding issuance of the bonds. There is no fiscal impact.

Economic Growth

Request for approval of the Amended and Restated Lease Agreement with the Lake County Water Authority for the Hickory Point Beach Volleyball Complex. The fiscal impact is $5,000 annually (TDT) and $50,000 one year Capital Funding (TDT) Expenditures.

Request for approval of the Amended and Restated License Agreement with the Florida Region of USA Volleyball for the Hickory Point Beach Volleyball Complex. The fiscal impact is $3,000 annually (Revenue). Commission District 3

Facilities Development and Maintenance

Request for approval to award contract 17-0602 for the provision of inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair services to fire sprinkler systems and associated items owned and operated by Lake County to Randall Mechanical Inc. (Apopka, FL), and authorize the Procurement Office to execute all supporting documentation. The fiscal impact is estimated to be $94,959 (Expenditure).

Fiscal and Administrative Services

Request for approval to award contracts 17-0804(A) to Allen's Well Drilling, Inc. (Altoona) and 17-0804(B) to Affordable Well Drilling and Service, Inc. (Altoona) to provide maintenance and repair services on wells at Lake County facilities and parks. The estimated annual fiscal impact is $55,000.

Public Safety

Request for approval to apply to the Department of Homeland Security for the 2017 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant (FP&S) in the amount of $200,000 for fire threat level signage at all LCFR fire stations. In addition, request authorization for County Manager to sign all related grant documents in the future. Fiscal impact: there will be a 5% match required ($10,000).

Request for approval to increase the current limited competition expenditure authority for proprietary Motorola purchases in support of Countywide Emergency Radio system from $45,000 per year to $75,000 per year for the balance of the system life cycle. The annual fiscal impact is $30,000.

Public Resources

Request for approval to purchase four (4) 4x4 off-road utility vehicles for the Parks and Trails Division of the Public Resources Department under Request for Quotation Q2017-00086 from Fields Equipment Company, Inc. (Minneola), and authorize execution of all supporting documentation by the Procurement Services Division. The total fiscal impact is $43,339 (Expenditure).

Request for approval to award contract 17-0429 for Poured in Place Rubber Surface Repair and Maintenance at County parks and trails facilities to Tom’s Playground of Central Florida (Sorrento, FL). The estimated annual fiscal impact is $30,000 (Expenditure).

Public Works

Request for approval to purchase TrafficWare software for support of proprietary software system on a limited competition basis as described in the background. The current software purchased more than 15 years ago is no longer supported by TrafficWare and is necessary for continued traffic signal operations. The fiscal impact is $98,000.

Request for approval of the Local Agency Program Agreement (LAP) and the supporting Resolution 2017-43 between Lake County and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the Design Services of the Lake-Wekiva Trail segment 1 from Tremain Street in Mt. Dora to SR 46 in Sorrento; (FPN# 430975-2-38-01). The fiscal impact is $1,737,000.00 (100% LAP Grant Funded). Commission District 4

Request for approval to award contract 16-0031, to Horizon Engineering Group, Inc., Maitland, FL, to provide professional engineering design services for the Lake Wekiva Trail from SR 46 to Hojin Street Segment 2 in Sorrento. The estimated cost for the services is $783,336.62 This design is 100% funded in FY 2017 by a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), LAP Agreement, FPN 430975-3-38-01, Federal –Aid #D517-002-B. Commission District 4

Request for approval to advertise for bids for the Lake Emma Estates Water Quality Project at an estimated cost of $459,700.00 from the MSTU Stormwater Management fund. This project is located in South Lake County, East of CR-565 (Villa City Road). Commission District 1

Request for approval and acceptance of the attached list of public right of way and easement deeds that have been secured in conjunction with development and roadway or stormwater projects. There is no fiscal impact. Commission Districts 1 & 2

Request for approval to award Log House Road (#0835) Intersection (in the vicinity of Pine Ridge Elementary) with CR561 and CR565B and Sidewalk Project No. 2017-05, Bid No. 17-0813, to Estep Construction, Inc. (Tavares, FL) in the amount of $622,340.78, and to encumber and expend funds in the amount of $622,340.78 from the Renewal Sales Tax Capital Projects – Roads fund. The fiscal impact is $622,340.78 (Expenditure). Commission District 1

Request for approval to accept the final plat for Harbor Hills Phase 6B and all areas dedicated to the public as shown on the Harbor Hills Phase 6B plat. Harbor Hills Phase 6B consists of 69 lots and is located East of US 27/441 and North of Griffin View Drive in Lady Lake in Section 13, Township 18 South, Range 24 East. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 5

Request for approval to accept a letter of credit in the amount of $210,740.32 associated with Right-of-Way Utilization Permit #7322 and Commercial/Subdivision Driveway Connection Permit #53134 for Innovation at Hidden Lake subdivision (f/k/a Heritage Hills, Phase 7). The project is along Hartwood Marsh Road, just West of Eddy Drive, in the City of Clermont. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 2

public hearing – medical cannabis ordinance

Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, placed the proposed Ordinance No. 2017-24 on the floor for reading by title only as follows:

an ordinance of the board of county commissioners of lake county, florida; amending lake county code, Chapter 3, article ix, entitled “medical cannabis activities,: extending the temporary moratorium until august 30, 2017, within the unincorporated areas of lake county prohibiting medical cannabis activities; prohibiting the tax collector from issuing any new business tax receipts countywide for medical cannabis activities during the extended moratorium period; removing wholesale uses from the definition of medical CANNABIS activities; providing for inclusion in the code; providing for severability; providing for filing with the department of state; and providing for an effective date.

Commr. Sullivan explained that no guidelines had been determined at the State Legislature level, and the Board wanted to wait for further information regarding the state law so the ordinance was being extended to allow further time for the state laws to become clearer.

Commr. Campione commented that there was an ongoing conversation at the state level concerning the number of dispensaries allowed in an area, and the issue had been given to the FDOH (Florida Department of Health) to determine a solution. She noted that the moratorium kept the status quo in place until the decision was made clarifying the law. She pointed out that the moratorium could be lifted earlier if a decision came sooner.

Commr. Breeden opined that hopefully the FDOH would move quickly regarding this.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

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

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Ordinance No. 2017-24 amending Lake County Code, Chapter 3, Article IX, entitled Medical Cannabis Activities, to extend the temporary moratorium concerning medical cannabis activities in unincorporated Lake County until August 31, 2017. There is no fiscal impact.

public hearing – waiver of educational impact fee ordinance

Ms. Melanie Marsh, County Attorney, placed the proposed Ordinance No. 2017-25 on the floor for reading by title only as follows:

an ordinance of the board of county commissioners of lake county, florida; creating a new section 22-8, lake county code, to be entitled “waiver of educational impact fees for school capacity,” establishing a waiver program for new construction within areas with available school capacity; providing for ARCHITECTURAL design standards; amending section 22-14, lake county code, entitled “exemptions,” providing that a replacement or renovation of an existing dwelling unit will not require the payment of additional impact fees; renumbering existing section 22-8 to section 22-7, lake county code; amending section 22-11, lake county code, entitled “prepayment of impact fees” to renumber subsections referenced therein; providing for severability; providing for inclusion in the code; providing for filing with the department of state; and providing for an effective date.

Ms. Marsh pointed out that there had been an errata sheet given to the Board that was created by Commissioner Campione showing changes that she wanted the Board to consider adopting with the ordinance.

The Chairman opened the public hearing.

Mr. Jochim explained that he had been to many School Board, city council and County Commission meetings and had heard many presentations on this matter. He commended the Board and Commissioner Campione for creating more incentive to develop infill lots within the older cities. He recalled that he attended a meeting in Tavares where there was a vote to create an ordinance to waive their fees in conjunction with the proposed County ordinance but had decided to wait until the County ordinance was approved before determining the percentage of their fee that would be waived.

Commr. Campione requested that the changes and additional language she noted in the original ordinance document be adopted into the ordinance. She explained that she had spoken with several builders about specific criteria that would not overprice a home but still ensure good quality, and she added a section in the ordinance for a contemporary or custom home design regarding these criteria, which could be something as simple as shutters or a customized door. She stated that these small visual effects to enhance the home design could contribute to the neighborhood in beneficial ways, which could help the tax base and help revitalize some of the older areas, while at the same time trying to make these homes as affordable as possible. She pointed out that it would also utilize the infrastructure already in place as opposed to promoting growth in areas where it was not, which was the main goal. She noted that these homes would need to be within walking distance to city halls and to schools, which would need to have sufficient capacity. She stated that she had been working to create an interactive method for builders and individuals trying to locate lots that qualify. She commented that if the program worked, the Board could look at expanding it in the future. She noted that there had been an assumption that the Board was trying to take funds away from classrooms and teachers by implementing the program; however, the lots in question would not create a burden on the infrastructure or schools because capacity and infrastructure were already in place where these homes could be built. She stated the hope was that it would be a positive impact to older communities and would also help families who want a new home but cannot afford the impact fees associated with new construction. She added that the proposed ordinance equates to 26 to 28 total units, so it was a limited program to determine if it would promote construction of new homes in older areas.

Commr. Blake thanked Commissioner Campione for putting the information together and stated that he would support the program; however, he felt that overall impact fees were too high and this was an issue that needed to be addressed countywide.

Commr. Campione stated that she felt the impact fees have unintended types of consequences that push people into suburban areas and into new developments as opposed to utilizing lots and property available closer to city services. She commented that with the additions of the Minneola Turnpike Interchange and the Wekiva Parkway, the County was experiencing growth pressure that had not been felt previously. She noted that the Lake County School District was having a difficult time keeping up with the capital needs, so if a discussion was needed about reducing impact fees, then one was also needed to determine how to help the School District maintain and have capital facilities in place to handle the influx of new students. She was under the impression that a new study would be done which could indicate that families are having fewer children and that there is more online learning and homeschooling taking place, and she felt that those types of things would hopefully be reflected in the study, which could lead to reducing the fee. She opined that it was very important that the Board take into consideration that the classrooms are needed if new students are coming on board which are not in place to support those students.

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Breeden and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved Ordinance No. 2017-25 including the amendments as presented by Commissioner Campione, creating Section 22-8, Lake County Code, entitled Waiver of Educational Impact Fees for School Capacity and amending Section 22-14, Lake County Code entitled Exemptions, and Section 22-11, Lake County Code entitled Prepayment of Impact Fees.

DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS

work sessions

solid waste fy 2018 budget/HAULER RATE ADJUSTMENT REQUEST

Ms. Mary Hamilton, Environmental Services Manager, presented the Public Works Solid Waste FY 2018 Budget work session to provide the Board with an update on Solid Waste and the proposed FY 2018 budget. She explained that the Environmental Services Division provided for planning, design, and construction of water quality related stormwater improvements and protected public health through effective and environmentally safe methods of mosquito and aquatic plant control. She noted that the Division also included the Solid Waste collection and disposal programs, including hazardous waste collection, and partnered with local law enforcement for the collection of unwanted prescription medications. She reviewed the Solid Waste organizational chart and pointed out that there were 32 full-time employees within the division. She stated that Solid Waste provided curbside collection and disposal services to 69,155 unincorporated residential units, operated the Central Facility, held household hazardous waste collection events, operated six countywide convenience centers and managed solid waste assessments. She pointed out that curbside collection included once a week trash, recycling and yard waste collection, as well as construction materials and bulk items. She reported that Solid Waste disposed of 50,869 tons of trash, processed 14,458 tons of recyclable materials and mulched 11,995 tons of yard waste in FY 2016. She presented an aerial photo of the Central Facility and pointed out the areas that had been closed. She stated that the Central Facility contained the department’s administrative functions, the scale house, the overall maintenance of the facility, processing of yard waste, hazardous waste handling and long term care obligations. She reported that the department holds 26 regular hazardous waste collection events throughout the County but also participated in the KLB (Keep Lake Beautiful) events for the disposal of products such as drain cleaners, fertilizers, petroleum products, oil base paints, batteries and pesticides. She pointed out that there had been 474,940 pounds of hazardous waste collected, which contained 635 pounds of unwanted medications. She reviewed the convenience center locations throughout the County and noted that the centers had serviced 105,669 resident visits.

Ms. Hamilton stated that on June 7, 2016, the Board approved the FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) grant application for the Bear-Resistant Cart Program and the FWC awarded Lake County with $200,000 in grant funding to purchase the carts. She explained that the carts needed to be compatible with the automatic system and that the department was working with the three vendors who had that capability to test the carts. She noted that all of the price quotes for the carts needed to be submitted to FWC, and the carts needed to be purchased by September 15, 2017. She stated that a deployment plan would be brought before the Board for its approval once the carts were received. She also reported that there was an area set aside for the Coastal Conservation Association Oyster Shell program, which brought in used oyster shells to dry out and then be taken back out to coastal areas for oyster shell replenishment, and to date they had brought in 6.64 tons of oyster shells. She stated that Solid Waste had participated in three KLB events in FY 2016 and in 2 KLB events for FY 2017 so far.

Ms. Hamilton explained that the closure of Phase III of the landfill had required the department to look for alternative disposal locations, and the most cost effective option had been to use in-house hauling and to take the disposal to multiple facilities based on lowest cost and closest distance. She reviewed that there was an estimated 69,155 unincorporated residential units serviced, and the assessment was $178 per residential unit. She reported that Lake County had the highest recycling rate of the surrounding counties at twenty-two percent. She presented the proposed estimated revenue for FY 2018, which came in through the Solid Waste Assessment and service fees, and noted that the projected total revenue balance for FY 2018 was $16,544,605. She explained that the beginning fund balance would have a reduction of $391,210 or a thirty-seven percent drawdown from spending compared to FY 2017, and it was anticipated that there would be an increase of $100,000 in tipping fees for FY 2018. She pointed out that the General Fund transfer would increase $35,486 from FY 2017, which was due to increased disposal costs. She reported that the budget was status quo and noted that within the Countywide Services budget the projected increase of the General Fund transfer would be seen. She reviewed the mandated and required activities, including the Chapter 62-701 of the Florida Administrative Code which governs the waste and leachate disposal and Chapter 23 of Land Development Regulations which regulates collection and disposal, household hazardous waste disposal and the convenience centers. She reported that a claw truck purchase and the closure of the Phase III Cell would be addressed through the Infrastructure Sales Tax Reauthorization. She summarized that Solid Waste had a balanced status quo budget that maintained the existing levels of service; however, there would not be a reserve for FY 2018, and staff would be returning with a bear-resistant cart deployment plan for the Board’s approval.

Commr. Campione clarified that the bear-resistant carts would be delivered to the County if they were purchased through FWC, and then it would be up to the Board to decided which residents received the carts. She opined that it would be exciting to receive the carts and see how they can make a difference.

Commr. Breeden asked if staff felt confident that they would be able to find a container that would work.

Ms. Hamilton responded that they did feel confident, and one of the carts was ready to be tested with the haulers. She added that the approved carts go through FWC’s grizzly bear testing, but some of the carts still needed to go through that testing because it was dependent upon the bear’s hibernation pattern. She stated that with all of the testing and outcomes occurring, she was confident they would meet the timeline.

Mr. Dean Breaux, a resident of Sorrento, stated that he had been having issues with trash pickup at his home on Wolf Branch Road. He explained that he had a Thursday trash pickup day, and several times a year they have to take the trash to the central location themselves. He noted that once a month their trash does not get picked up, and they have to call Solid Waste to report it. He stated that the trash cans are put out in the early morning, and when they return home they are not empty. He alleged that they do not receive the proper help when they call Solid Waste, and recently they had been directed to call WCA Waste dispatch. He felt that it was not his responsibility to ensure the County’s subcontractor was performing its duties. He stated he felt that there was an issue with the subcontractor. He reported that 20 percent of the time he has had to take his trash to the central location, and recently the trash had been picked up on a Monday morning. He added that his recycling is picked up weekly, and he did not understanding how that can be picked up but not the trash.

Commr. Campione stated that she appreciated Mr. Breaux expressing his concerns and commented that this was not the first complaint she had received regarding trash pickup in her district. She felt that there was a problem, and there needed to be a solution.

Mr. Stivender stated that there had been a request for an extraordinary rate adjustment from the haulers. He explained that the County was currently in the third year of a seven-year contract with three separate haulers, each with their own pickup zone, and residents receive a 1-1-1 trash collection service. He noted that the garbage is hauled to HOF (Heart of Florida Environmental), the recyclables were owned and processed by the haulers at their discretion, and the yard waste was disposed of at the Central Facility. He stated that Section 44 of the hauler contract authorized the County to assess administrative charges due to failure or circumstances such as unsatisfactory or defective work. He noted that the hauler rates received an annual CPI (Consumer Price Index) adjustment and pointed out that the contract did have a provision for extraordinary increases in costs. He explained that over the three years of the contract, there had been an increase each year for the CPI adjustment, which worked out to be approximately $4.50 per unit per year for approximately 69,000 units. He explained the extraordinary rate adjustment procedure which was provided in all three contracts, which required that a contractor had to demonstrate that they had incurred an extraordinary increase in cost due to factors beyond their control, provide an audited statement of historical and current expenses, request the increase, and provide the audit on or before April 1 of each year for the County Manager to render a decision, which could be appealed to the County Commission. He reported that Progressive did not submit a request; however, Waste Pro and WCA Waste both had, and they were denied by the County Manager, which was why the requests were currently before the Board.

Mr. Stivender summarized Waste Pro’s request, noting that the request was reviewed by an outside auditor to ensure it was in compliance and that they did not submit a specific dollar amount with their request. He added that their request stated there were expenditure increases in several categories including recycling, and they still showed a positive net income for 2016. He elaborated that they had requested several contract amendments as well, including a request to eliminate the performance bond, change the CPI to Water Sewer Trash Collection Services, and remove the three percent cap. He reported that the County Manager denied Waste Pro’s request because it did not qualify as an extraordinary rate increase and because the removal of the CPI cap would necessitate a future assessment increase and a contract modification for all requested items. He pointed out that the County would then assume the risk or customer service may be compromised with the contract amendment request; also, it could result in different levels of service, and the provision for extraordinary rate increases were not intended to be contract modifications. He summarized that the WCA Waste request was also reviewed by the outside auditor, and they requested reimbursement of $134,955 for 2016 recycling disposal and annual reimbursement or payment from the County based on cost/commodity pricing. He reported that the County Manager denied this request as well due to the request not qualifying as an extraordinary rate increase and because a Solid Waste assessment increase of $6.46 per residential unit would be required to facilitate the reimbursement requested and a contract modification would also be required to address the annual reimbursement. He pointed out that the adoption of the status quo Assessment TRIM (Notices of Proposed Property Taxes) rates would be presented to the Board at the Regular BCC Meeting on July 11, 2017 for approval. He stated that the recommended action was for the Board to deny Waste Pro’s request for an extraordinary rate increase and contract amendment and to deny WCA Waste’s request for an extraordinary rate increase.

Mr. Heath requested that each action be voted on separately because they were two separate appeals.

Mr. Platt Loftis, a representative of Waste Pro of Florida, stated that it was a simple appeal and noted that although the cost for processing recyclables was zero when the contract began three years prior, five months later they received a letter stating that the processing fee would be $35 per ton. He reported that equates to Waste Pro absorbing between $16,000 to $18,000 in processing fees per month and would put them in a position to request financial relief for the processing cost or having to amend some operational issues. He explained that they came up with the contract amendments as a way to minimize the costs in lieu of asking for financial assistance.

Commr. Campione asked how the $35 per ton processing fee compared to the regular disposal fee at HOF.

Mr. Loftis replied that HOF charged $19 per ton for solid waste and he felt that the $35 per ton for the recycling was not an unusual price and was due to overseas markets. He noted that recyclables were commodities with a price that went up and down depending on markets. He explained that they deposited the recyclables for processing at Waste Connections, but the solid waste was taken to HOF. He explained that Waste Connections transfers the recyclables to their MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) where the items are separated and then shipped to different markets throughout the southeast. He added that the recyclables are not disposed of but are processed back into the recycle stream.

Mr. Fred Hawkins, Regional Marketing Manager for WCA Waste Corporation, addressed Mr. Breaux’s concern, asking that he reach out to him personally to resolve it because he was not aware of the issue. He explained that several years prior he served on the Citizen’s Taskforce on Solid Waste, which found that recycling was important to the residents of Lake County. He noted that as a result of that, the recycling program was put into effect, and he was not surprised by the participation rate of the residents in the county. He reported that WCA was awarded area one when the contract with Lake County was started in October 2014. He reported that at the start of the contract, WCA collected solid waste placed outside of carts for the first six months without additional compensation, collected debris associated with Hurricane Matthew without compensation, absorbed negative rate increases due to a CPI that was driven by a gas and diesel price drop, received no CPI savings since WCA operated on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), and invested in Lake County by moving its operations and maintenance facility into the county, which contributed to the tax base. He presented a slide that outlined the extraordinary rate adjustment provision in the contract and referenced the bear-resistant carts as an example of an extraordinary item. He noted that recycling coincided with the national economy and recycling commodities rise in value when there is a downturn in the economy; however, since 2014 the recycling commodity prices had dropped because low petroleum pricing had made it easier to produce new plastics rather than utilize recycled plastics. He commented that China’s yearly purchases of metals, cardboard and plastics had come to a halt in 2013, and they were a major driver in the recycling market. He explained that because MRF’s had nowhere to sell recycling commodities, disposal locations had started charging $35 per ton to take recyclables in 2015, which had made the cost an extraordinary rate and made a dramatic financial impact on WCA with a yearly cost of $140,000. He stated that trucks were being re-routed from a closer proximity recycling center to a further location to limit the cost because of the higher recyclable processing rates, and that required more fuel, increased labor costs and associated maintenance costs. He added that disposal tonnage tickets could be provided for verification of this. He commented that while single stream recycling increased resident participation, it caused higher amounts of contamination issues, and sorting the recyclables was costly compared to a dual stream recycling process. He explained that WCA was not demanding extra compensation but was looking for solutions moving forward and was only requesting that the cost of recyclable processing be addressed. He noted that one solution would be to increase the assessment by $6.48 per home per year, but there were other solutions that would not affect the assessment, such as the County negotiating a direct processing contract with a local facility, cutting the yearly bond in half and instead using a fine if there is an issue with service, or there could be a cost savings elsewhere that would not be passed on to the citizens.

Commr. Campione pointed out that the bear proof trash cans were not unforeseen items, as she had previously brought it up when the new program was discussed because she felt that it would be a large problem for the part of the county that WCA serviced when once a week pick up started. She explained that particular area of the county was where the bears were an issue, and when trash was held that long over the course of a week it made it more susceptible to the bears, which she made clear at the time of that discussion. She stated that she hoped that the bear proof cans would have targeted placement in the places that have a real problem. She commented that she appreciated WCA’s responsiveness during Hurricane Matthew; however, the other issues were more difficult to solve, and she suggested looking for a better location for the recyclables and wondered if the County would be in a better position to negotiate a lower rate. She added that public education could be done as far as contamination on the recyclables was concerned.

Mr. Hawkins agreed that she did state that and clarified that when he stated it was unforeseen, he was referring to the fact that the apparatus had not yet been determined. He explained that a driver would need to exit the truck in order for the latch to be undone on the bear proof can for it to be able to be emptied. He explained that neither company was looking for a decision from the Board during the meeting but instead just wanted a chance to sit down with staff to try and come up with solutions.

Commr. Breeden stated that she would like staff to comment on the statement that a driver would need to exit the truck to unlock the latch on the bear proof can.

Mr. Stivender stated that staff was aware of a price increase if a driver would need to exit the truck; however, the bear proof cans being tested were automatic release so the driver would not need to exit the truck. He commented that a discussion of finding a new location for recyclables would be opening up the contract, because the contract stated that the responsibility of recyclables fell on the contractors.

Ms. Marsh explained that the title of the recyclables passed to the contractors once they picked them up from the curb; however, she was unsure whether or not the cost to pay for the recycling would fall on the County if the Board negotiated a contract directly with a recycling facility.

Commr. Blake asked if there was a projection as to when the market for recyclables would recover and if WCA could hold onto the recyclables themselves instead of paying the $35 processing fee and then unload it when the market recovers.

Mr. Hawkins responded that they are negotiating with a competitor, and WCA did not have anything available to house the recyclables themselves. He explained that Waste Connection had their recyclables stacked and bailed at their facility. He stated that the recycling costs would be high while gas prices stayed low.

Mr. Stivender noted that was discussed in detail when the bids were being requested, and staff did not want the burden of holding the recyclables to fall on the County.

Commr. Parks related that the way the contract was structured made the recycling important, because the more that was recycled the less that would be going into the landfill. He felt that opening the contract would be detrimental, but he learned in talking with the contractors that the education was important. He opined that there could be a way to work with them on the education side without opening the contract. He requested that there be data provided on citizen complaints with the contactors.

Commr. Sullivan stated that it seemed there were certain items that the Board would like to discuss without opening the contract, so he felt that the requests should be denied, and then staff could be directed to bring recommendations to the Board to help find solutions. He commented that it seemed like there were some problems that needed to be solved and that fining the contractors needed to be utilized more.

Commr. Breeden commented that she agreed with the staff recommendation to not open the contract, although she felt there were issues.

Commr. Parks responded that the discussion should still include working with the haulers on some of the education issues.

Commr. Sullivan stated that only items that were budget neutral should be reviewed.

Commr. Campione opined that the service side needed to be fixed and having the data about the complaints that were being made would be beneficial. She pointed out it was difficult to find the hauler that services a specific district on the website and suggested making it more user friendly.

Mr. Breaux commented that it was difficult to tell whether issues are being dealt with appropriately if calls that are being made to Solid Waste are not logged. He opined that the calls should be logged so that the Board and staff would know where the problem areas were.

Commr. Campione opined that it would be smart for the calls to go through Solid Waste and be logged, and then the contractor should be contacted by staff to be alerted of a problem on a route. She stated that improving the service and addressing the needs of the citizens also needed to be tied into that.

Mr. Heath stated that the Board needed to take action on WCA’s request for additional compensation because that affected the Solid Waste Assessment, which was scheduled to have action taken with the TRIM rates on July 11, 2017, and also because there were no reserves in the fund. He noted that the Board needed to direct staff on what to negotiate and which contractors to negotiate with because it was unclear if the Board wanted to negotiate with all three hauler contractors or just Waste Pro and WCA, which had requested the changes. He pointed out that the goal was not to renegotiate the whole contract and start over. He added that there had been fines given since 2015, and that allowed staff to know how many violations and fines had occurred. He explained that if the contract were to be renegotiated, the fines and their collection needed to be part of the discussion.

Commr. Parks clarified that he wanted to work with the contractors but did not want to renegotiate the contract.

Commr. Campione commented that she would support the denial because she did not want to see an increase in the assessment but noted that she was interested in discussing a variety of the items that were mentioned moving forward.

Commr. Sullivan directed the staff to open the lines of communication with the contract haulers but that the solutions needed to be budget neutral; also, the services being provided to the public should stay intact, and all parts of the contract needed to be adhered to, including fines, so that the best service can still be provided in a budget neutral position.

Commr. Campione added that it would be good to know what different tasks cost the contractors, such as the holiday notices and getting education out to the public on recycling parameters. She wondered what the amount would be if the County went back and levied the fines that had not been collected.

Mr. Heath reviewed the Waste Pro requests, stating that there could be a discussion on the banning of the plastic bags and the performance bond, but he did not feel that the Board and staff would support changing that. He stated that fines could also be added to the discussion, and the conversation needed to be had with all three of the contract haulers not just the two present.

Commr. Parks stated that he noticed that use of the Loghouse Convenience Center location had a lot of city use, and he wondered if there was a particular city that used the location the most, because he opined that it could be a unique situation given that Lake County had convenience centers as well as haulers.

Ms. Hamilton replied that there were not scales at the convenience centers, only at the Central Facility; however, residents who go to the centers are asked whether they are County or City residents.

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board denied the request by Waste Pro for an extraordinary rate increase.

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board denied the request by WCA Waste for an extraordinary rate increase.

RECESS AND REASSEMBLY

The Chairman called a recess at 11:03 a.m. for 10 minutes.

USA Volleyball Update

Mr. Steve Bishop, Executive Director of the Florida Region of USA Volleyball, introduced himself and stated that USA Volleyball was formed in 1928 as a national governing body in the sport of volleyball, and the Florida division consisted of approximately 14,000 members. He thanked the Board for its approval of the consent agenda items regarding Hickory Point Beach Complex and their continued support of the project. He thanked County staff for the partnership that had developed during the project. He noted that they had been working to promote the sport of collegiate beach volleyball and pointed out that NCAA Women’s Beach Volleyball was the fastest growing sport with 65,000 colleges across the United States participating. He explained that the goal was to encourage more collegiate volleyball events at Hickory Point Beach. He reported there was an event hosted in March 2017, and in April 2017 the first sanctioned high school beach volleyball in the State of Florida was held there called the State High School Beach Volleyball Championship, with Montverde Academy as runner up in the Class A Division and Leesburg High School as runner up in the Class AA Division. He pointed out that there was local participation and approximately 60 teams from all over the state participating in the event. He reported that there would be a clinic run by two Olympian Volleyball players taking place on June 14, 2017, and the National Championship for the American Beach Tour would be held in July 2017 for the juniors portion and then in September 2017 for the adult portion.

Commr. Sullivan thanked Mr. Bishop and his team for their support in the County’s efforts in the sports and tourism areas, which was a big part of the local economy.

community services department budget fy 2017-2018

Ms. Dottie Keedy, Director of the Community Services Department, provided the Board with an overview of the Community Services Department’s operations and proposed FY 2018 budget and relayed the outline of the presentation. She stated that the Lake County Community Services Department’s mission was 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 levels of service. She noted that the Community Services Department was made up of Health and Human Services, Housing and Community Development, and the Transit Division and consisted of 27 full time employees.

Ms. Allison Thall, Health and Human Services Division Manager, stated that the Division served as advocates and provided information, resources and assistance to Lake County citizens through the Children and Elder Services, Community Health Worker Program and Veterans Services. She noted that the Division contained 7 full time employees who performed 195 HCRA (Health Care Responsibility Act) eligibility determinations, 144 indigent cremations/burials, 143 Solid Waste and Fire Assessment Tax Hardship approvals and distributed 3,900 Children and Family Services and Elder Services Resource Directories. She stated that they also responded to 11,480 phone calls from residents seeking assistance, provided information and referrals to 3,700 uninsured and underinsured residents, assisted 536 residents with health related applications, and served 1,992 veterans in the Veteran’s Services office and 360 veterans at the VA (Veteran’s Affairs) clinics. She reported that they were able to contract with 11 private, not-for-profit agencies to serve at risk children and to provide basic needs for individuals and elders in crisis, and they also partnered with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to monitor and analyze the County’s contract with Armor Correctional Health Services for inmate care. She reported that the Division’s efficiencies had been enhanced through the contract with Armor Correctional Health Services, which had resulted in increased accuracy and accountability of inmate medical claims as well as a cost savings of $141,500 in pharmaceutical services. The Division also standardized the Health and Human Services Grant Reporting functions by having the Children’s Services Council and the Health and Human Service Grant submit the same financial and activity reports on a quarterly basis. She reviewed that the state mandated Medicaid costs were $4,401,523 for Lake County with a $13.59 per capita cost. She stated that 34,025 veterans lived within Lake County and pointed out that there were currently only two Veteran’s Services Officers on staff, which showed that Lake County was deeply understaffed in comparison to the surrounding counties. She presented the $9,926,411 proposed budget for Health and Human Services for FY 2018, which was funded entirely by the General Fund with no revenue source and reflected a nine percent increase in personal services for an additional Assistant Veteran’s Services Officer position but an overall decrease in the General Fund in the amount of $34,963. She noted that the position was needed due to increased community outreach and word of mouth, which had resulted in veterans having to wait 5 weeks or more for an appointment with a Veteran’s Services Officer. She reported that the Human Services Grants, which included the Children Services and Human Services grants, would remain status quo and the RFP (Request for Proposal) had been released for applications to receive the grants, which would be reviewed over the coming weeks. She stated that the Division is required to contribute and/or fund Medicaid, LifeStream Behavioral Center, the Health Department, HCRA, Indigent cremation/unclaimed Burials, and children’s medical exams per Florida Statute. She noted that there were unfunded challenges such as LifeStream Behavioral Center’s requested increase of $100,000 for mental health and substance abuse services and Lake Community Action Agency’s request of $20,000 to assist with their agency’s administrative costs.

Ms. Brenda Likely, the Interim Housing and Community Development Division Manager, stated that the Lake County Housing and Community Development Division’s mission was to improve the quality of life for Lake County residents through community, housing and economic development opportunities. She stated that the Division was made up of the SHIP (State Housing Initiatives Partnership), Section 8 and Community Development Block Grant Program sections and contained 10 full-time employees. She noted that the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) program was one of the longest continual running programs under HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and had been in existence since 1974. She explained that Lake County was considered an entitlement jurisdiction, which meant that an annual allocation or grant was received for the purpose of developing viable communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and to expand economic opportunities primarily for low and moderate income residents. She noted the County utilizes CDBG grant funding to provide parks, sewers, sidewalks, water lines, neighborhood centers and limited housing improvements. She added that SHIP funding provided funding to improve or create access to new or existing housing units, and Section 8 subsidized housing costs for income eligible families. She stated that cities and jurisdictions all over the country were having challenges where the need for affordable housing outweighed available funding and assistance that could be provided. She reported that the Division had been able to provide monthly rental subsidies to over 625 families with approximately $335,000 added to the local economy monthly and assisted 83 families with rental and utility deposit assistance and 16 families with emergency repair on homes. She relayed that the Division had also provided mobility ramps for three families with physical challenges, demolished and replaced one mobile home for an eligible family, replaced or rehabilitated six homes, and provided nine families with the College Outreach Program. She stated that Lake County received a “High Performer” rating from the HUD Audit after receiving a ninety-six percent performance score on the SEMAP (Section 8 Management Assessment Program), and the Division created and implemented the Youth Job Training Program, maximized the number of families served under Section 8, maintained voucher utilization at or about ninety-five percent, transitioned new software to maintain a secure system, supported the College Outreach Program for low income families, and completed the Alleyway and Sidewalk Improvement Project in partnership with Tavares. She presented photographs of the varying accomplishments. She explained that they planned to develop vacant or under-used parcels within existing areas that are largely developed in the upcoming year, which helped local contractors and sub-contractors, and would further utilize the Family Self Sufficiency and the Multifamily Rental Development programs. She reported that about thirty-five percent of the households in Lake County spent at least thirty percent of its income on housing and noted that the homeownership rate was approximately seventy-six percent. She stated that the House and Community Development Division was one-hundred percent funded by grants and allocations and pointed out that there were no General Fund subsidies received and the grants and allocations funded everything from salaries and benefits to all of the programs within the Division. She reported that the total FY 2018 proposed budget was $11,398,328, which was a decrease from the FY 2017 budget.

Ms. Tomika Monterville, Public Transit Division Manager, stated that the mission of the Lake County Public Transit Division was to provide high quality public transportation services to paratransit and transit-reliant riders. She noted that there were 5 full-time County staff within the Public Transit Division, and operations and maintenance were contracted to a third-party company named McDonald Transit. She reviewed the seven fixed-routes in the area and noted that they operate Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with a fare of $1.00; however, it was half price for veteran, disabled and senior riders and free for students. She reported that the fixed-route transit ridership was up to 315,541 due to the Route 50 service. She explained that the countywide paratransit service was for mobility-impaired, developmentally-disabled and senior citizens who met ADA (American Disabilities Act) and or Transportation Disadvantaged (TD) eligibility requirements. She noted that the fares for these services were $2.00 each way within Lake County, $5.00 each way for Orlando service on Tuesdays and Thursdays and $10.00 each way for Gainesville service on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She added that paratransit service operates Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and that paratransit ridership was currently at 103,422. She related that the Transit Division had continued installation countywide of the ADA compliant transit stops, benches and shelters; had hired McDonald Transit as the new provider for operations and maintenance; and successfully completed the first FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) administered Triennial Review, which was an assessment of operations completed every three years to ensure compliance. She added that the Division also uploaded bus stops to Google Maps, launched the RouteShout transit traveler application, had installed tablets and cameras on all buses, created the LakeXpress Travel Training Program and had provided training at Tavares and Gray Middle Schools and Leesburg Library. She presented images of the bus stops, pointing out that ADA-accessible bus stop pads and benches had been installed, shelters at high-volume bus stops were installed and that there were 29 bus shelters countywide, with 7 having been installed in 2016. She reported that McDonald Transit was the new operations and maintenance provider, and they were a quality transit provider with local, nationwide and international transit properties that was expected to help grow Lake County’s transit services. She explained how the RouteShout Traveler Application and the on-board tablets and cameras worked and also noted that the Travel Training Program aided patrons in learning how to use the LakeXpress fixed-route system, which increased opportunities to move clients from paratransit to fixed-route service. She relayed that the introduction of Route 1A and splitting Route 50 to East and West had increased ridership, and she anticipated that the efficiency, on time performance and the general quality of service with the new contractor would lead to more of an increase in ridership as well. She presented a map of the county that displayed all of the routes. She reported that the proposed efficiencies for the Division were to directly operate the portion of Orange County’s Lynx Route 55 Service in Lake County with a connection to the edge of Orange County, and with the use of a smaller vehicle would result in an estimated operational cost savings of approximately $130,000. She noted that staff would continue to evaluate and analyze the impacts of the proposal. She reviewed the vehicle fleet, the fare costs and the trip amounts. She stated that the Proposed Budget for FY 2018 was $10,981,787, pointing out that the General Fund transfer increased due to the new contract with McDonald Transit; however, the budget was reduced by 8.9 percent due to the maintenance being performed by the third party operator, and she added that it was a balanced budget between expenditures and revenues.

Ms. Keedy presented a graph showing the estimated FY 2018 revenues for the Community Services Departmental budget and reported total operating revenue of $28,536,120, with an estimated fund balance of $3,770,406 and the total projected revenue of $32,306,526. She stated that the proposed expenditures were projected at $32,306,526, reflecting a balanced budget and an overall decrease in the budget of 4.8 percent. She summarized that the proposed budget maintained the levels of service for the Housing and Transit Division, that the new Transit contract had required an increase from the General Fund transfer and exhausted Transit reserves, and that an additional Assistant Veterans Service Officer position was requested. She added that there would be a workshop on transit issues to be scheduled for later in the year, and there were requests for additional funding for LifeStream Behavioral Center and Lake Community Action Agency that had not been included in the proposed budget.

Mr. Carl Ludecke, a resident of Mount Dora, stated that he represented a cross section of different veterans groups, and he was there to request that the Board approve two new Veterans Services Officers. He explained that currently there were two service officers for 34,000 veterans in Lake County, and that led to a five to six week waiting period for a meeting with a service officer. He suggested placing the service officers in different areas of the county, and he felt justified in making the request, which he stated would put Lake County in line with the surrounding counties. He added that winter residents also needed veterans services, which added to the need of more service officers as well.

Mr. Chris Singh, Commander of DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Chapter 87 requested more Veterans Services Officers for Lake County as well. He stated that he felt that it was closer to six weeks for a veteran to get assistance at Veterans Services. He explained that a lot of veterans are not aware of all of the services available, and it was important to guide them to where they can receive the help they need. He opined that having only two service officers was not enough and asked the Board to approve the new positions.

Mr. John Trenkle, Service Officer at American Legion Post 347, stated that he was concerned about the 5-week wait for assistance. He explained that it was mandated that there be a service officer in every county when the VA formed in 1945, but this was not an unfunded mandate, as the money comes from the Federal Government and is given to the states for support of the service officer program in their counties. He felt the most important benefit to the veterans was how good the service officers were and their access to them. He said two of the most important benefits for individual veterans were for compensation for service connected to disabilities and compensation for indigent veterans, and he opined that the amount of funds that come into the County to be spent within Lake County is large. He stated that he felt veterans were not a burden on the County and that there could even be economic opportunities due to the funds coming in.

Ms. Paula Whetro, Executive Director of Building Blocks Ministries, stated that she was there to support the Health and Human Services grant funding and said that she was grateful for the grant funding that Building Blocks had received the previous year and for the support of the County. She explained that Building Blocks served individuals with developmental disabilities, and often funding from the federal and state governments could be difficult to receive, putting many families on a waiting list for those services. She stated that the grant applications ask the number of individuals the funds would serve, and she reported that the grant Building Blocks received served 14 individuals and their families. She commented that the funds received from the County go a long way in helping them dig deeper and help impact the community in a positive way. She stated as an example that a lot of the individuals who receive the grant money volunteer at New Beginnings Thrift Store and Faith Neighborhood Center, where food boxes are packed to help support families. She reported that they applied to the FDOT for grant money to purchase two mini transport buses with the help of the Transit Division, and they recently received the letter notifying them that they would be receiving the funds. She thanked the County for their support.

Ms. Linda Krupski stated that she was the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of LovExtension, a non-profit for the elderly and disabled, which served Lake County and The Villages, and she thanked the Board for a grant that they received earlier in the year. She explained that through the help of Lake County and the United Way, they would be taking bags of food to over 250 low-income seniors in Lake County. She relayed that the new grant request would be increased to help a larger number of seniors because senior hunger was still a problem in Lake County. She reported that 1 in 7 persons over the age of 60 in the State of Florida are in the poverty range, and 5,884 persons over the age of 60 in Lake County were on food stamps in 2016. She noted that a lot of their clients on food stamps were only receiving $16 to $17 worth of food stamps, which did not go far, and additionally, there were over 13,000 persons age 60 and over eligible for food stamps who were not receiving them. She stated that there were 1,025 grandparents raising grandchildren, and currently there were 171 households being served through Meals on Wheels.

Commr. Parks appreciated the work that Health and Human Services did, specifically with the Human Services and Children’s Services Grants and noted that they do a lot with a small amount of funding. He wondered if all opportunities were being exhausted to obtain federal assistance for the veterans in the County and commented that serving the veterans was an importance service. He opined that the lobbyists could become involved if needed to help gain further funding assistance for staffing.

Ms. Keedy responded that all opportunities were utilized, and she added that she was unsure about the comment made regarding money that comes from the federal government to the state for funding Veterans Services Officers.

Ms. Thall agreed that she was not aware of that funding either; however, she speculated that if there was funding coming from the VA to the state, it may be to pay for VA staff individuals and not County staff, and she noted she would research that further.

Commr. Parks clarified that the budget and revenue difference in the proposed Transit budget was made up from the General Fund. He noted that he supported the Route 55 service and asked if the subjects of a pilot ride sharing program and an analysis on population density along the routes could be discussed in the upcoming Transit workshop.

Ms. Keedy explained that they had been holding off presenting a pilot program for ride sharing, because they had been waiting to see what the State ruling would be concerning the issue.

Mr. Heath summarized that a Transit workshop would be held and the grants would be kept as is. He asked whether there would be approval on the additional Assistant Veterans Services Officer or if the Board would rather it be addressed during the Budget Summary in June 2017.

Commr. Campione noted that she was concerned about the five-week wait time for a veteran to receive an appointment. She stated that this was a priority to the Board and there needed to be a way to do more and provide better service.

Commr. Blake asked for data showing how an additional service officer would impact the backlog of appointments.

Mr. Heath suggested having that information brought back before the Board in the June 20, 2017 meeting.

other business

appointments

lake-sumter mpo bicycle pedestrian advisory committee

On a motion by Commr. Campione, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board appointed Mr. Wendell Huesbo representing District 1 on the LSMPO Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) to serve a two-year term beginning January 1, 2017.

children’s services council

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board appointed the following members to the Children’s Services Council to serve a two-year term beginning May 15, 2017: Ms. Patricia Cecil, representing District 1; Mr. Jack Holder, representing District 3; Ms. Heather Crossley, representing District 4; and Ms. Trella Mott, as an At-Large Member; as well as the following members to complete an unexpired term ending May 14, 2018: Dr. Dorothy Hooks, representing District 5; Mr. Josh Gussler, representing District 5; and Mr. Daniel Terry, as an At-Large Member.

Elder Affairs coordinating council

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board appointed Ms. Carol Wasserman, representing District 3, to the Elder Affairs Coordinating Council to complete a two-year term ending January 31, 2018.

women’s hall of fame selection committee

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board appointed the following members to the Women’s Hall of Fame Selection Committee: Ms. Phyllis Smith, representing District 1; Ms. Mary Butts Kelly, representing District 2; Ms. Debbie Stivender, representing District 3; Ms. Tracy Belton, representing District 4; and Ms. Jean Martin, representing District 5.

reports – county manager

Alternative Educational Impact Fee Study

Mr. David Heath, County Manager, reported that the previous year he and the County Attorney received a letter from Mr. Jimmy Crawford, who was representing a proposed multi-family workforce housing project serving South Lake Hospital in Clermont in regards to the education impact fee portion of the code. The letter expressed concern specifically that there were not provisions included where applicants who feel they have less impact than the impact fee schedule shows could have a study done to provide data that their impact fees would be less and therefore reduce what the applicant would owe for school impact fees. He noted that it was a common provision and was in other impact fees within the code. He reported that the County Attorney drafted an amendment to the code, and it had been sent to the Lake County School Board and recently came back from them with notes; however, the School Board did not take a position on the ordinance, and it had not been determined who would administer the program. He needed to know how the Board wanted to proceed with the ordinance or if they wanted to send it back to the School Board. He explained that the current process was for the applicant to send an application through the School Board, and then the Superintendent would make the final decision, which could then be appealed. His recommendation was to have the School Board make the final decision; however, if the Board wanted to change the process making them the final decision maker, they would still need to rely on the School Board for input. He reported that the School Board only wanted this provision to be applied as an extraordinary circumstance option only, with a fee variation being more than seventy-five percent.

Commr. Parks clarified that the School Board was supportive but did not formally vote.

Commr. Campione stated that she had been to a meeting where it was discussed and asked if it had ever been discussed a second time.

Ms. Marsh responded that it was discussed only once at a workshop in March, when it came up in context of discussing the infill ordinance, and after reviewing their meeting minutes, she determined that it was not considered during that time and it was not spoken about again.

Commr. Campione pointed out that the School Board wanted to be the final decision maker.

Commr. Blake stated that he took issue with how it was written, because it did not seem fair to him to have someone go through the process of the study, which he was told cost over $6,000 plus the cost of retaining an attorney, to then have the decision come back that they do not qualify for the lower rate. He felt that the seventy-five percent number should be greatly reduced and that the School Board taking 60 days to decide was too long. He pointed out that he felt impact fees were too high, and while there was a system to get around the fees, he opined that going back to the 2015 impact fees would be a simpler way to handle the issue. He commented that the process as written favored wealthier developers.

Commr. Campione suggested that a review be completed a year after the approval, and if the review showed that in reality the project generated more than what was projected, it could then be adjusted and the developer would have to pay the difference in the form of a performance bond or some sort of letter of credit. She added that it would need to be a long enough length of time to determine whether the applicant’s study was true. She pointed out that the school impact fee study did not break down the categories of apartments, and the study itself could be revised, which could lead to there not being a need for the proposed ordinance.

Mr. Jimmy Crawford, an attorney in Clermont whose project started the discussion, stated that he had actually suggested the threshold of a twenty-five percent reduction to the School Board, not seventy-five percent, and although the School Board did not vote, he saw positive discussion with no opposition. He relayed that at some point the reduction got turned around to seventy-five percent, but to have it that high would keep a lot of developers out. He noted that while they were working on their study, it was discovered that during the County’s impact fee study the apartment complexes would not give accurate breakdown counts for 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments. He explained that he is able to give those breakdowns for the study because he owns apartment complexes. He commented that his particular complex had 144 units right by a bus stop, and 122 of those units were studio or one-bedroom apartments because they were designed for workforce housing. He pointed out that was a drastic difference of impact.

Commr. Sullivan asked whether the process could be controlled by using a specific consultant do the study.

Mr. Heath explained that he had seen it be controlled by an application fee that was high enough for the County to return and do a study several years after the project was built to determine the impacts. He stated that then a bill was sent to the developers if there was a difference.

Commr. Breeden commented that she liked the idea of a follow up after a project is completed and having the School Board administer the final decision. She opined that the seventy-five percent was too high, and she felt that the approval time for the alternative study should be corrected in the proposed ordinance.

Ms. Marsh stated that the approval time could be corrected in the next version to state that it should be received within nine months.

Commr. Sullivan opined that the proposed ordinance should not be sent back to the School Board.

Mr. Heath suggested that the ordinance be advertised and then a conference call could take place between the County Attorney and the interested parties, which could result in an errata sheet to be reviewed at the meeting on May 23, 2017.

Commr. Parks commented that it would be beneficial to get an on record approval from the School Board.

Commr. Campione stated that this type of provision was included within the other impact fee ordinance, and this was standard language in order for it to be a constitutional exaction of money from a developer. She added that the change would make it comply with the standard for impact fees.

Ms. Marsh clarified that the Board was in agreement to not send the ordinance back to the School Board for further input and approved advertising the ordinance with the following changes: a reduction to a twenty-five percent difference, a 30-day review time, and that the Lake County School Board would make the final application approval decision. The ordinance would be advertised to be heard and adopted at the regular meeting of the Board of County Commissioners to be held on May 23, 2017.

reports – commissioner parks –district 2

design guidelines

Commr. Parks suggested that staff work with the City of Clermont on design guidelines, particularly along U.S. Highway 50, as there seemed to be a disconnect between the City and the County in regards to those. He felt that there needed to be more consistent guidelines.

Commr. Campione clarified that the way the ordinance was interpreted made it seem as though the City of Clermont’s guidelines were more stringent.

Commr. Parks opined that more coordination was needed.

Mr. Heath noted that the Mount Plymouth-Sorrento guidelines were being reviewed and were modeled after Clermont’s. He pointed out that one of the Board’s priorities in January was to look at design standards across the county. He felt that this issue would be addressed if that came to fruition.

Commr. Breeden felt that there are some instances where animated signs were appropriate for economic development.

Commr. Campione suggested solving the issue through an interlocal agreement to help them accomplish their goal as opposed to affecting the entire county.

Commr. Parks commented that most of the residents he had heard from would like the stricter design standards.

Mr. Heath pointed out that was why the code needed to be changed, and it would also give the city the right to comment or to veto.

south lake chamber business awards

Commr. Parks noted that he attended the South Lake Chamber Business Awards, which had a great turnout and was a good event.

citrus grove road

Commr. Parks reported that the County would be receiving the full $10,000,000 request for Citrus Grove Road.

REPORTS – COMMISSIONER breeden –DISTRICT 3

bassville park

Commr. Breeden relayed that she had been receiving code violation and crime complaints from the Bassville Park area, so she would be meeting with staff to discuss assistance and solutions for the area. She noted that the Lake County Sheriff’s Office held a community meeting there, and she felt that there would be another meeting in the near future. She opined that the area could benefit from a Keep Lake Beautiful event.

reports – commissioner campione – vice-chairman - district 4

isba conflict assessment

Commr. Campione stated that she met with approximately 80 Red Tail homeowners and wanted to keep those homeowners up to date on the meetings being held in regards to annexation. She pointed out that the next meeting between the City of Eustis and the City of Mount Dora City Managers and the County Manager to discuss the ISBA Conflict Assessment would be held at Eustis City Hall Chambers on Monday, May 15, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. She noted that there was overwhelming opposition to the annexation of those areas.

sr 441/morningside drive traffic concerns

Commr. Campione reported that there was a proposed Wawa gas station to be located at State Road 441 and Morningside Drive in Mount Dora. She noted that there were already traffic issues near that area, so she had been working with Mr. Fred Schneider, County Engineer, on ideas to have the developer restrict the access onto Morningside Drive.

vista del lago boulevard

Commr. Campione asked if the Board would consider delaying a letter to the State of Florida Attorney General concerning the Vista Del Lago access road, since she felt that it should be given to the County Attorney to review further.

There was a consensus among the Board to move forward with delaying a letter to the Attorney General in regard to the blocked, additional access of Vista Del Lago subdivision and instead having the County Attorney review the issue further in regards to researching restricted access and traffic calming approaches.

south lake chamber business awards

Commr. Campione noted that she enjoyed attending the South Lake Chamber Business Awards and that it was a very well done and well attended event.

REPORTS – COMMISSIONER sullivan – chairman - DISTRICT 1

COUNTY MANAGER contract

Commr. Sullivan noted that he reviewed the County Manager contract in detail, and the only item changed was the increased compensation, which brought the new County Manager’s salary more in line with surrounding county and city managers.

Commr. Campione suggested that the contract with the County Attorney be renegotiated due to the fact that the County Attorney and County Manager are the two positions directly hired by the Board. She commented that with Ms. Marsh’s experience and the length of time at Lake County, she had been invaluable, and because of the transitions taking place over the coming months the continuity was critical. She pointed out that Ms. Marsh also had the highest certifications in her field and was an asset the Board should work to keep.

On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the County Manager Employment Agreement between Lake County and Mr. Jeff Cole.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 1:15 p.m.

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timothy i. sullivan, chairman

ATTEST:

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NEIL KELLY, CLERK