A regular MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
november 6, 2018
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 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: Jeff Cole, County Manager; Melanie Marsh, County Attorney; Niki Booth, Executive Office Manager, County Manager’s Office; Gary J. Cooney, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller; Kristy Mullane, Chief Financial Officer; and Kathleen Bregel, Deputy Clerk, Board Support.
INVOCATION and pledge
Dr. Isaac Deas of Cornerstone Hospice gave the Invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Agenda update
Mr. Jeff Cole, County Manager, stated that Tab 26 was added as an addendum after the agenda had been originally published and he asked the Board to consider it as part of the consent agenda.
approval of proclamations 2018-155 and 2018-160
On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Blake, and carried unanimously by a 5-0 vote, the Board approved Proclamation 2018-155, designating the week of November 11-17, 2018 as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and Proclamation 2018-160, designating November 2018 as Hospice Month.
employee awards
Ms. Jeannine Nelson, Human Resources and Risk Management Manager, announced that they would be recognizing employees who had reached service milestones in their careers with Lake County as follows:
EMPLOYEE AWARDS
FIVE YEARS
Brandon Barnett, GIS Administrator
Information Technology Department
Gretchen Bechtel – Contracting Officer I
Public Works Department – Road Operations Division
Mary Brown, Library Assistant I
Office of Library Services
Michele Janiszewski, Chief Planner
Office of Planning & Zoning
TEN YEARS
Mary Hamilton, Environmental Services Division Manager
Public Works Department – Environmental
Services
Russell
Crites, Equipment Operator III
Public Works Department – Maintenance Area III (Umatilla)
Gary
Gratz, Firefighter/ Paramedic
Office of Fire Rescue
Jason
Liska, Fire Lieutenant/ Paramedic (not
present)
Office of Fire Rescue
David
Manes, Firefighter/ EMT (not present)
Office of Fire Rescue
Matthew
Stowell, Fire Lieutenant
Office of Fire Rescue
TWENTY YEARS
Amy
Bradford, Transit Program Specialist
Community Services Department, Transit
Division
Steven
Ellis, Firefighter/ EMT
Office of Fire Rescue
Timothy
Roe, Firefighter/ EMT
Office of Fire Rescue
Paul
Rogers, Fire Lieutenant/ EMT
Office of Fire Rescue
THIRTY YEARS
Richard
Miller, Traffic Signal Technician
Public Works Department, Traffic Operations
Division
presentation of proclamation 2018-160
Commr. Parks read and then presented Proclamation 2018-160, designating November 2018 as Hospice Month, to the Lake County Cornerstone Hospice team.
A representative from Cornerstone Hospice thanked the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) for the proclamation and shared that her team was honored to celebrate National Hospice Month. She relayed that as the local, non-profit hospice serving Lake County for over 35 years, it was a privilege to serve both patients and families who are confronted with terminal illnesses and she said that hospice strives to make their services unique to county residents. She remarked that their mission was to provide help and hope during difficult times and that they were glad to be a part of this community.
presentation of proclamation 2018-155
Commr. Breeden read and then presented Proclamation 2018-155, designating the week of November 11-17, 2018 as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Lake County, to several representatives from partnering agencies who assist the homeless in Lake County.
Ms. Barbara Wheeler, Executive Director of the Mid Florida Homeless Coalition, thanked the BCC for the proclamation and for recognizing organizations who are keeping people from becoming homeless and working to place individuals into housing. She reported these numbers for Lake County since January 1, 2018: 162 households had moved into permanent housing, with 26 being veterans; 88 percent of the 162 households were self-housed, which meant that they were able to get into housing without state or federal assistance; 20 households were placed into housing through the county’s rapid rehousing program, with nine being veteran families; and only seven veteran families were currently still homeless in the county. She asked for the Board’s assistance as the various organizations continue to work together to find funding in order to move individuals from homelessness into housing.
Mr. Robert Morin, Mayor of the City of Eustis, thanked the Board for the proclamation supporting homelessness and hunger awareness week and encouraged the cities within the county to also assist with these endeavors. He noted that there was a significant increase in the number of families needing assistance in Lake County and that the county was in need of more affordable housing. He also thanked everyone who was involved in feeding the hungry and recognized how they are able to do so much with limited resources. He stressed the importance of all elected officials considering how they could assist and promote additional resources for those in need.
Commr. Sullivan remarked that there were many agencies listed on the proclamation who assist the homeless and he encouraged citizens to get involved and volunteer with one of these great organizations.
citizen question and comment period
No one wished to address the Board at this time.
CLERK OF the circuit COURT and comptroller’s 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 the Circuit Court and Comptroller’s Consent Agenda, Items 1 through 6, 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.
City of Groveland Annexation Ordinance 2018-09-28
Request to acknowledge receipt of Annexation Ordinance
2018-09-28 from the City of Groveland.
Southwest Florida Management District
Request to acknowledge receipt of the proposed 2019 Five-Year Water Resource Development Work Program from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, pursuant to subsection 373.536(6)(a)(4), Florida Statutes.
City of Eustis Ordinance 18-25
Request to acknowledge receipt of Ordinance No. 18-25 of the City Commission of the City of Eustis voluntary annexing approximately 0.28 acres of real property located at 2201 Dixie Ave., Eustis, FL.
City of Tavares Ordinance 2018-19
Request to acknowledge receipt of Ordinance No. 2018-19 from the City of Tavares amending the boundaries of the City of Tavares by annexing multiple parcels totaling approximately 1.9 acres of contiguous and non-contiguous property located at Lake Dora Circle under the terms and conditions of the Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement between the City of Tavares and Lake County; rezoning the property from County Mixed Home Residential (RM) and Urban Residential District (R-6) to City Residential Manufactured Home Subdivision (RMH-S).
Town of Lady Lake Ordinances and Resolutions
Request to acknowledge receipt of the following from the Town of Lady Lake:
Ordinance No. 2018-26 – Comprehensive Plan Amendment;
Ordinance 2018-27 – Rezoning; Ordinance 2018-34 – Annexation; Ordinance 2018-35
– Comprehensive Plan Amendment; Ordinance 2018-36 – Rezoning; Ordinance 2018-37
– Annexation; Ordinance 2018-38 – Comprehensive Plan Amendment; Ordinance
2018-39 - Rezoning; Ordinance 2018-40 – Amending Chapter 5 of the Lady Lake
Land Development Regulations, Providing a New Zoning Classification; Ordinance
2018-41 – Adopting the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year Oct. 1, 2018 through
September 30, 2019; Resolution 2018-105 – A Variance from the Provisions of
Chapter 7, Section 6. d)). 1)., of the Town of Lady Lake Land Development
Regulations; Resolution 2018-106 – Granting a Special Permit Use for an
Electronic Message Board/Marquee Sign; Resolution 2018-108 – Vacating and
Relocating Side-Yard Utility/Drainage Easement 1601 Lauren Lane (Alt. Key
#2801646) and 1603 Lauren Lane (Alt. Key #2803321), Within the Town Limits of
Lady Lake, Florida; Resolution 2018-110 – Adopting the Tentative Property Tax
Millage Rate to be Levied for Fiscal Year 2018-19, and Providing an Effective
Date; Resolution 2018-111 – Adopting the Property Tax Millage Rate to be Levied
for Fiscal Year 2018-19, and Providing an Effective Date.
COUNTY MANAGER’S CONSENT agenda
On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the Consent Agenda, Tabs 4 through 21, plus Tab 26 as follows:
PROCLAMATIONS
Request approval of Proclamation 2018-161 designating November 2018 as Eye Donor Month in Lake County, per Commissioner Campione.
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Request approval:
1. Of Resolution 2018-163 instituting Eminent Domain proceedings for acquisition of Founder’s Ridge Development, LLC property needed for the Citrus Grove Road Project.
2. To proceed with pre-suit negotiation offers for acquisition of property needed for a portion of the Citrus Grove Road Project.
The fiscal impact cannot be determined at this time.
ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
Elevate Lake
Request approval of an agreement with the University of Central Florida for management of Lake County's Small Business Development Center services. The fiscal impact is $150,000.00 (expenditure).
Visit Lake
Request approval of an agreement with Visit Florida and Miles Partnership to conduct an audit of Lake County's destination related content and the County's tourism partners' listings on Google. The fiscal impact is up to $40,000.00 (expenditure).
Request approval of an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Leesburg for coordinated support relating to the 2019 Bassmasters Eastern Open Fishing Tournament and an Event Host Agreement with B.A.S.S., LLC. The fiscal impact is $50,000.00 (expenditure). Commission District 3.
Request approval of a sponsorship in association with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission's bid for the 2020 Fishers of Men National Championship in Leesburg, and authorization for the Chairman to execute the agreement if selected as tournament host location. The fiscal impact is up to $45,000.00 (expenditure). Commission District 3.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE
Public Safety
Request
approval of an update to Lake County Policy LCC-98 entitled “Donation Policy,”
which governs the solicitation and acceptance of gifts and/or donations to the
County to be used for public purposes. There is no fiscal impact.
Request
approval of an update to Lake County Policy LCC-97 entitled "Use of Pooled
Cash Funds," which governs the use of the County's Pooled Cash funds as it
pertains to other entities. The fiscal impact cannot be determined at this
time.
Request approval to:
1. Rename a segment of County Landfill Road to Lady of the
Lakes Avenue.
2. Readdress all affected parcels per Lake County Code Article V - Uniform
Street Addressing System Sec. 18-103(h).
3. Waive all road renaming and addressing fees.
There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 3.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND INTERNAL SUPPORT SERVICES
Facilities Management
Request
approval of contracts 18-0439 to Hanson Professional Engineering (Maitland,
FL), TLC Engineering (Cocoa, FL), and TriStar Commissioning (Orlando, FL) to
provide on-call electrical and mechanical engineering services. The annual
fiscal impact is not to exceed $50,000.00.
Request approval to maintain Contract 18-0420 with J. Newton Enterprises (Inverness, FL) for Automatic Door Opener & Revolving Door Repair and Maintenance. The annual fiscal impact is not to exceed $30,000.00.
Public Works
Request approval to amend the Economic Development Transportation Fund Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation pertaining to the right of way acquisition of Citrus Grove Road from U.S. 27 to Grassy Lake Road, located in Minneola, to include Exhibit “A,” Scope of Services, which was omitted from the executed agreement. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 2.
Request approval to release a performance bond of $81,816.31 associated with Commercial/Subdivision Driveway Connection Permit #53113 and Right-of-Way Utilization Permit #7632 issued to construct a commercial driveway apron and turn lanes on Cherry Lake Road for Cherry Lake Landing, located in Groveland. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District.
Request approval to execute a Developer’s Agreement
for Maintenance of Improvements with Pandevco, LLC (Maitland, FL) and P.K.A.
Orlando, Inc. (Maitland, FL) for Mt. Plymouth Greens Planned Unit Development,
located in Mt. Plymouth. There is no fiscal impact from this action. Commission
District 4.
Request approval to:
1. Execute an Agreement with Jon G. Rackley and Rita C.
Rackley, as Trustees of the Rackley Family Trust, for Cross-Tie Ranch and
Nashua Boulevard Maintenance Project located east of Eustis.
2. Accept a Statutory Warranty Deed from Jon G. Rackley and Rita C. Rackley
3. Accept $10,000.00 for the purpose of constructing two turnarounds.
The fiscal impact is $10,000.00 (revenue). Commission District 4.
Request approval to:
1. Accept the final plat for Palisades Phase 3C, located south
of the City of Minneola and east of the City of Groveland.
2. Execute a Developer’s Agreement for Maintenance of Improvements with Canam
Palisades, Ltd. (Clermont, FL).
3. Accept $79,109.64 for maintenance of improvements.
4. Execute Resolution 2018-162 accepting Spring Lake Drive “Part” (County Road
No. 1835) and Spring View Court (County Road No. 1835A) into the Lake County
Road Maintenance System.
5. Execute a Developer’s Agreement for Construction and Maintenance of Sidewalk
Improvements with Canam Palisades, Ltd.
6. Accept $42,266.95 for performance of sidewalk construction.
7. Accept $3,842.45 for maintenance of sidewalk improvements.
The fiscal impact is $1,551.00 (revenue – final plat application fee). Commission District 1.
Request approval to release a performance bond of $95,379.16 that was provided for the construction of sidewalks in the Serenity at Redtail subdivision, located off of State Road 46 in the Sorrento area. There is no fiscal impact. Commission District 4.
COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICE
Community Services
Request authorization for the Chairman to extend the
agreement with the Lake County School Board through fiscal year 2019 to
continue funding of the Lake County Shared Services Network. The fiscal impact
is $25,000.00 (expenditure – Crime Prevention Fund).
Information Technology
Request
approval for the Chairman to execute the Microsoft Support Agreement following
County Attorney and County Manager approval. The fiscal impact is
$65,085.00 (expenditure).
careerSource Central Florida presentation
Mr. Brandon Matulka, Executive Director of the Agency for Economic Prosperity, commented that CareerSource Central Florida would be presenting their annual update of activity to the Board, that this organization delivered services and resources to both Lake County businesses and career seekers, and that it was a partner to the Office of Elevate Lake. He explained that CareerSource Central Florida was the region’s workforce board for CareerSource Florida, was located off of U.S. Highway 27 in the City of Leesburg, and served Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Sumter counties. He relayed that they deliver workforce planning and programs, such as customized training, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training, in an effort to assist residents and local businesses.
Ms. Pamela Nabors, President and Chief Executive Officer of CareerSource Central Florida, thanked the Board for the opportunity to present, noting that Commissioner Campione served on their local, elected consortium. She remarked that CareerSource Central Florida worked to connect businesses with talent and to train talent to meet the needs of businesses in Lake County. She mentioned that they were one of 24 regional workforce boards across the state of Florida and that they were the second largest out of the 600 across the United States. She commented that they oversee and execute all programs related to the Department of Labor, such as veterans training programs, employment skill programs, and all programs that connect talent to the business needs in each community. She said they had five career centers and many satellite centers, and that the Lake Center had 22 full time staff, with 13 providing career and guidance services to residents of Lake County and four working as business service consultants connecting with growing industries. She reported that they had crafted a partnership with Lake-Sumter State College and would be moving next year into their Foundation Building, noting that this was a great opportunity to help save costs on infrastructure and also embedded them with a key training provider in the county. She added that this partnership would not only serve those coming through CareerSource, but also the students from the college looking for job opportunities. She displayed a service model which was a visual representation of the six basic elements involved in connecting businesses to talent. She explained that through the workforce intelligence component they analyze the business environment, craft strategic partnerships, and implement talent strategies. She reported that Lake County jobs had grown by 15,000 over the last five years and were projected to grow 15,000 in the next five years. She relayed that the largest sectors in Lake County were construction and healthcare, with accommodations and food services close behind those. She noted that the construction industry had grown by almost 40 percent and that the biggest employers in the county were the hospitals and the Lake County School District. She conveyed that their partnership with Lake-Sumter State College was an important way to upscale and introduce individuals to the manufacturing sector, especially since one of the growing industries was advanced manufacturing. She added that they worked with many Lake County manufacturers to implement talent strategies through on-the-job training, direct placement, and internships. She continued with the service model clarifying that with the career seeker component they engage the talent pool, develop skilled workers, and craft the right fit for jobs in order to deliver to the business market. She said that CareerSource Central Florida regionally focuses on the high growth industries of information technology/finance, healthcare, construction, trade and logistics, advanced manufacturing, and hospitality. She indicated that the majority of career seekers who come through the CareerSource system are between the ages of 22 and 44, have a high school diploma, have some work experience, and earn less than $15 per hour. She commented that they focus on small businesses who can take advantage of on-the-job programs which offset their costs of upscaling or retraining a new person. She reported these statistics from her organization for Lake County from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018: 1,104 businesses served; 47 percent of businesses were in the healthcare arena; the average wage was $15.25; 3,171 residents received services; 2,220 residents placed in jobs; 125 veterans served; and 175 young adults assisted. She explained that during the summer last year, they served 33 students, partnered with Lake Community Action and Lake-Sumter State College for work activities, and had many worksite partners that they utilized to help students get their first summer job. She concluded by thanking the BCC and inviting them to visit their new office on the Lake-Sumter State College campus once they transitioned.
Commr. Parks thanked Ms. Nabors for her presentation, for all she does with CareerSource, and for sharing some success stories.
Commr. Campione stated that she appreciated seeing the connection between residents and CareerSource and complimented them on their work. She also asked when they would be at the new location on the Lake-Sumter State College campus.
Ms. Nabors replied they were on track to be there by January or February 2019, with an open house sometime in February or March 2019.
Commr. Sullivan remarked that it was good to see how the Board’s goals were aligning with CareerSource’s goals.
public hearing ordinance 2018-52 transportation impact fees
Ms. Marsh placed the proposed ordinance on the floor for reading by title only as follows:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING ARTICLE III, CHAPTER 22, LAKE COUNTY CODE, REGARDING TRANSPORTATION IMPACT FEES; AMENDING SECTION 22-37, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED IMPOSITION; ESTABLISHING TRANSPORTATION IMPACT FEE RATES FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL, CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST/WEKIVA BENEFIT DISTRICTS BEGINNING FEBRUARY 11, 2019; AMENDING SECTION 22-42, ENTITLED TRANSPORTATION BENEFIT DISTRICTS, TO DEFINE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE NORTH CENTRAL AND THE NORTHEAST/WEKIVA BENEFIT DISTRICTS; AMENDING SECTION 22-11, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED PREPAYMENT OF IMPACT FEES, TO DISCONTINUE THE PREPAYMENT OF IMPACT FEES PROGRAM EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2019; AMENDING SECTION 22-6, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED TRANSFER OF IMPACT FEES; AMENDING SECTION 22-41, LAKE COUNTY CODE, ENTITLED IMPACT FEE TRUST ACCOUNT AND USE OF MONIES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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.
Commr. Parks stated that he supported breaking into four impact fee districts but expressed concerns with the central district. He relayed that he had discussions with key stakeholders, such as the City of Leesburg and The Villages, who desired to be grandfathered in so that the increases in fees would not affect what was already in their business plan.
Commr. Breeden remarked that because of what Commissioner Parks had mentioned, she wanted to delay increases in the central and north central districts until August 12, 2019. She added that she also wanted the ending of the prepayment program to be delayed until August 2019 and for the Board to review this topic again prior to August 2019.
Commr. Campione sought verification that Commissioner Breeden was asking to wait until August 2019 to increase rates in the central and north central, but to move ahead with rates in the northeast Wekiva increasing in February 2019, increasing again in August 2019, and then again in February 2020.
Commr. Breeden confirmed that was correct and that those rate increases were what was currently in this proposed ordinance, noting that the only new item she was suggesting was delaying the ending of the prepayment program. She added that she thought that within the current prepayment program, it had to be utilized within a year.
Commr. Campione remarked that if that was correct, it meant that any large development project would have a large prepayment and building to finish before the fees increase to the higher rate. She asked if the prepayment provisions could be broken down differently for each district.
Ms. Marsh responded that the prepayment program was created by the County and that there was not anything statutorily that governed it; therefore, staff could bifurcate it and establish different termination dates for the prepayment within the districts. She commented that she would not recommend making it different for each district as that would create disparity between the districts.
Commr. Campione said that if the central district rates were not being increased until August 2019, it seemed to make sense to leave the prepayment provisions for that district as they currently stood; however, since the northeast Wekiva district fees were increasing, the prepayment program could change for that district.
Commr. Breeden commented that since the northeast Wekiva district was being increased in February 2019, developers who did prepay between February and August 2019 would be paying the increased rate.
Commr. Parks asked for clarification that the Board could make changes prior to August 2019 if they felt there were still issues they wanted to address.
Ms. Marsh responded that the Board could make any changes they desired and that it would just require another ordinance to be drafted and to follow the ordinance approval process.
Commr. Sullivan recapped that the Board’s desire was to create the northeast Wekiva and north central districts, delay raising the rates for the central and north central districts until August 12, 2019, and extend prepayments until August 2019.
Commr. Blake asked if it created a disparity to have different rules on prepayment for the districts, how did that differ from having various fee rates.
Ms. Marsh replied that since they were different districts they could have different rates and rules and that the County had studies to support those rates; however, it was more from a practical perspective that various prepayment allowances made it difficult.
Commr. Blake stated that he agreed with Commissioner Parks on the need to be mindful of projects that were already in process and added that due to his campaign promise, he would be voting no on this ordinance.
Commr. Parks suggested for staff to add a reminder to revisit this topic in June 2019 in order to have Board discussion on any changes. He opined it was important to move forward in the northeast Wekiva district due to the needs in that area and asked if waiting until August 12, 2019 to raise fees would affect any road projects in the north central district.
Commr. Breeden remarked that delaying until August 2019 would be beneficial for one major project in the north central district, Avalon Groves, noting it was not a road project but would be affected by impact fees.
Commr. Campione asked if developers needed to already have a preliminary plat in place to take advantage of the prepayment program or could they just have general land with an idea of what they wanted to develop.
Ms. Marsh replied that she believed they would at least need to have the plat in place as the prepayment had to be attached to an actual lot. She added that with the prepayment, the developer is estimating the square footage of the house and if they end up making it larger, they pay the difference.
Commr. Campione reiterated previous Board discussion on the growth in northeast Lake County, especially with the Wekiva Parkway coming to that area and the projects that the City of Mount Dora already had in the pipeline, which she noted would be seeking final approval in the near future. She stressed the importance of getting the new impact fees in place in order to capture some of that revenue since those additional trips would increase the congestion on those roads and the much needed road improvements for that area. She opined that residents would be acceptable to the fee increases since it would help with road safety and create a better transportation system. She said that she appreciated all the work the Board had put into this and felt that they had considered all potential options and attempted to be as fair as possible. She requested that the concept of a waiver program, as previously discussed by the Board, be considered as well, such as offering waivers for older lots where infill was happening since this would help generate activity in older neighborhoods.
Ms. Marsh relayed that the waiver concept would be brought back to the Board in December 2018 at the same time the new potential fee categories would be discussed. She clarified that the prepayment program could be extended until August 9, 2019, which was the Friday prior to rates increasing on Monday, August 12, 2019.
Mr. Cole added that as part of the Board’s direction in this meeting, staff would bring back an item for their consideration regarding the continuance of the prepayment program to their June 11, 2019 BCC meeting.
Commr. Breeden thanked Commissioner Campione for working with staff to create the northeast Wekiva district.
Commr. Parks thanked everyone for their efforts in working through various ways to adequately fund the County’s transportation while also being sensitive to business needs. He suggested that a waiver could possibly be applied to affordable housing developments.
Commr. Sullivan commented that he supported this because it was important to protect the quality of life for Lake County, noting that transportation can have a big impact on this.
On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Parks and carried by a vote of 4-1, the Board approved Ordinance 2018-52 amending Article III, Chapter 22, Lake County Code, regarding transportation impact fees; creating a fourth impact fee district with new rates, increasing transportation impact fee rates in the Central and North Central Districts, and keeping the prepayment program through August 9, 2019 for all districts, which is the Friday prior to the rate increases on Monday, August 12, 2019.
Commr. Blake voted no.
regular agenda
florida fish and wildlife conservation commission
Mr. Cole recapped that there was Board discussion at the October 23, 2018 BCC meeting regarding funding for hydrilla treatment and that staff was given direction to draft a letter to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). He indicated that this letter was in the Board’s material for their review and consideration.
Commr. Parks commented that he liked how the economic impacts were addressed in the letter.
Commr. Sullivan remarked that the letter was timely, important to the economy and that two bass tournaments were coming to the county in the beginning of the year.
Commr. Breeden stated the letter looked good and that FWC had been a great partner on many projects over the years and she hoped they would recognize the importance of this issue.
Commr. Campione inquired if this would limit the funding to be only used in the Harris Chain of Lakes or if it could be used for other lakes in the county.
Mr. Cole responded that the letter addressed the Harris Chain of Lakes, which was the primary issue.
Commr. Parks said that the hydrilla issue was not as bad in the South Lake chain.
Commr. Campione added that Lake Yale had severe issues with hydrilla.
Commr. Breeden asked if that was considered as part of the Harris Chain of Lakes and Commissioner Campione said that it was but was not sure if it was considered as part of the Ocklawaha Basin, although she noted that one could not get to Lake Yale through the Harris Chain of Lakes.
Mr. Michael Perry, Executive Director for the Lake County Water Authority (LCWA), remarked that since Lake Yale drains to Lake Griffin, it is connected and considered part of the Harris Chain.
Mr. Cole clarified that Commissioner Campione’s concern was addressed in the fourth paragraph of the letter where it stated “additional hydrilla treatment in Lake County.” He relayed that County staff would work with FWC on how to best allocate the funding.
Commr. Parks asked if there were to be any issues with other chains, such as the Clermont Chain of Lakes, could they be addressed with FWC.
Mr. Perry replied that it could be but he still noted that the Harris Chain of Lakes was the priority of the FWC, adding that the money allocated by FWC for this chain had already been expended. He said that this funding would help prevent this from becoming a larger, more expensive problem for next year.
Commr. Campione asked if some of the FWC funding was diverted to other projects which resulted in less treatment or the increase in hydrilla.
Commr. Breeden inquired if FWC’s funding was reduced.
Mr. Perry responded that their funding was reduced from last year and that Hurricane Irma caused issues with extra water flowing through the system which prevented the ability to treat.
Commr. Breeden clarified that she was wondering if FWC’s overall state funding was reduced and Mr. Perry replied that it was reduced for the Harris Chain of Lakes but he was not certain if the overall state funding for FWC had been reduced.
Commr. Sullivan conveyed that a survey was performed each year and FWC funding was distributed to different priorities.
Mr. Perry explained that there was generally an amount set aside for each of the priority areas from FWC; however, if one chain did not need as much treatment, the funding could be moved to other areas that did.
Commr. Breeden suggested that when the Board does their legislative agenda, they should request not only more funding from FWC, but to also ask the legislature to budget more funding overall.
Mr. Perry opined that the state should provide enough funding so that FWC can perform the work that is needed.
Mr. Cole noted that the County appreciated a good, cooperative working relationship with FWC and that County staff worked closely with their staff in prioritizing and executing the funding.
Commr. Parks suggested that the County public information team relay to citizens the importance of keeping crops clean in order to help reduce the spread of invasive plants.
On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Blake and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the letter to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission seeking additional funding for hydrilla treatment in the Harris Chain of Lakes.
lake county water authority nutrient reduction facility
Mr. Cole relayed that also at their October 23, 2018 meeting, the Board discussed the LCWA’s Nutrient Reduction Facility (NuRF) project and potential funding from the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to assist with that operation. He asked for the Board’s consideration of a drafted letter to the SJRWMD.
Commr. Campione remarked that assisting the LCWA on this issue would be beneficial to the entire county and possibly allow the LCWA to allocate resources to other water quality projects that needed to be addressed within the county.
Mr. Perry commented that the LCWA was considering a project for Lake Yale which was probably a year or two away as they were still trying to accumulate the funding for it within their budget. He noted any assistance would be helpful as often it can take years to gather funding for bigger projects.
On a motion by Commr. Breeden, seconded by Commr. Campione and carried unanimously by a vote of 5-0, the Board approved the letter to the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board seeking funding for the operation of the Lake County Water Authority’s Nutrient Reduction Facility north of Lake Apopka.
reports
county attorney
sorrento communications tower
Ms. Marsh relayed that the County was challenged on the Sorrento Communication Tower rezoning with a case filed with the Lake County Clerk of Court. She stated that the petitioners offered to mediate; however, she said that they indicated they were not willing to mediate the tower staying on the existing location but would only mediate the tower being moved somewhere else. She asked the Board if they wanted to move forward with the mediation.
Commr. Sullivan asked if mediation would bring the issue to a conclusion faster.
Commr. Breeden felt that it would only be faster if the County had another location to utilize and opined that the County had exhausted all options. She expressed concerns for the public safety issues in that area.
Commr. Parks asked how long the mediation would last.
Ms. Marsh replied that it could vary, noting that it could take an hour or all day, with or without a resolution. She relayed that the current timeframe was that the petitioner’s appellate brief was due on December 10, 2018 and then the County would not take action until the court issued an order to show cause. She explained that if that issue was ordered, then the County would typically receive 20 to 30 days to respond, which would place the case into the beginning of January 2019. She stated after that, the judge would make a decision on the case, noting that there was no timeframe for that decision although she said that they typically make it fairly quickly. She elaborated that depending on that decision, there would be the option for the petitioner to appeal it to the district court in Daytona, Florida. She recapped that to go through the whole appellate process could push the conclusion out quite a bit; however, she noted that mediation may not be any quicker.
Commr. Campione mentioned that the Board should take into consideration that if the issue were to be drawn out due to litigation and since the issue was primarily about public safety, then she opined that concurrently with all of that, the County should be looking for another location.
Commr. Breeden asked if the Board could mediate while also continuing to move forward.
Ms. Marsh replied that the Board could mediate but that the petitioner would still need to file their brief by the deadline.
Commr. Blake asked Commissioner Campione if she had found any other possible locations for the tower as a result of her efforts.
Commr. Campione replied that the one location that was a possibility had concerns that it was not large enough for the tower and Mr. Cole added that staff did explore that location and found that the size was a significant prohibitive limitation.
Commr. Parks asked for clarification that the one potential Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) site was now no longer an option and that the other CFX sites would not work.
Mr. Cole relayed that the County Attorney had sent a letter to the City of Apopka to make them aware of the legal action that had been taken and he said that they had not received any information from the City of Apopka regarding withdrawing from the agreement with them, noting that would certainly be a consideration due to the funding related to this.
Commr. Campione inquired if staff could continue to explore the Neighborhood Lakes location as a possible backup if the Sorrento location did not work out. She opined that being willing to go through mediation was a demonstration of good faith to the residents.
Commr. Sullivan suggested moving forward with mediation, while also exhausting any other options in order to bring this to closure as expeditiously as possible since public safety was an issue in this situation.
Ms. Marsh replied that she would work with the petitioner’s council to set up a date for mediation and would keep the Board informed.
Mr. Cole added that he would continue to explore other options for the tower, noting that the Neighborhood Lakes location was bordered by many residents who would possibly have a similar concern.
county manager
county offices closed for veteran’s day
Mr. Cole reminded everyone that the County Offices would be closed on Monday, November 12, 2018 in observance of Veteran’s Day.
commissioners reports
commissioner parKS – district 2
four corners summit
Commr. Parks recapped that he attended the Four Corners Summit on October 31, 2018, that it was a great meeting with a large number in attendance, and that Mr. Brandon Matulka, Executive Director for the Agency for Economic Prosperity, did an outstanding job on the panel discussion. He relayed that County staff would be providing geographic information system (GIS) data in order to establish uniformity between the four counties.
agricultural-environmental leadership award
Commr. Parks reported that a local Lake County resident, Mr. Chuck Allison, owner of Wild Goose Farms, had recently received the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award. He noted that this was a very prestigious statewide award which recognized the environmentally innovative farming techniques of Florida’s farmers.
montverde day
Commr. Parks added that Montverde Day would be happening on Friday and Saturday, November 9 & 10, 2018 and invited everyone to attend. He said it was an annual event and that they would also be recognizing veterans.
commissioner breeden – district 3
lake county water authority update
Commr. Breeden asked Mr. Cole to add an update on the state of the county lakes from the Lake County Water Authority to one of the Board’s upcoming meeting agendas.
northeast lake veterans celebration breakfast
Commr. Breeden commented that she would be attending the Annual Northeast Lake Veterans Celebration breakfast the following morning.
parks and trails 2019 guide
Commr. Breeden announced that the Lake County Office of Parks and Trails 2019 program guide was available in print as well as on the County website.
commissioner campione – district 4
homelessness workshop
Commr. Campione shared that she had attended a meeting recently which was facilitated by United Way at which Mr. Mark Brewer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Central Florida Foundation, as well as the Executive Director of the Housing Program for Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties, was the speaker. She stated that Ms. Allison Thall and Ms. Dorothy Keedy, with Lake County’s Department of Community Services, had also attended and that a main focus of the meeting was “housing first” and ways to mitigate homelessness from growing, noting that affordable and available housing as well as job opportunities were a big part of preventing homelessness. She expressed her desire for the Board to conduct a workshop and do something similar to the Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties’ experience. She encouraged the County to partner with local organizations and faith based groups, with the consideration that they would focus on transitional housing while the County would focus on bridge housing, which is temporary housing until individuals can move into permanent housing. She commented that all of these aspects of bridge housing, permanent housing, and job opportunities have to work together in order to address homelessness. She also encouraged getting the private sector involved and shared how Florida Hospital and The Disney Company were partners in the Orange, Seminole and Osceola housing experience. She identified that experts in this arena divide homelessness into the categories of chronic, family, veteran, youth, medical and mental health care, domestic violence and abuse, employment, prevention and support services, and affordable housing. She suggested that before the County addressed the needs of the homeless, it could hire a consultant to perform an assessment on the status of the homelessness situation in Lake County as well as obtain information on various groups that already provide help to the homeless. She reiterated that homelessness may not be solved completely but that this would be an effort to mitigate it and prevent it from worsening.
Commr. Breeden commented that she thought it was a great idea and suggested including their municipal partners as part of the workshop since many homeless are within the cities.
Commr. Sullivan encouraged performing the evaluation prior to the workshop.
Commr. Parks relayed that there were homeless families in South Lake and suggested reaching out to the Community Foundation of South Lake as a possible funding partner and to invite someone from their organization to the workshop.
Commr. Campione shared that she had a great contact list from the Homelessness Forum held earlier in the year in the City of Clermont. She reiterated that an assessment would give the Board some good information to help address homelessness in the county.
valencia grove
Commr. Campione remarked that she had received a request from the company that built Valencia Grove in the City of Eustis, which was a Housing Trust Group affordable housing project, to build an additional section that would be designated for elderly housing. She commented that it would be income driven, was not assisted living, and was not Section 8. She relayed that in order for this developer to receive state funding, they had to demonstrate that the local government had given a contribution of $37,500, which she noted the County had contributed for previous projects. She indicated this request would come before the Board at a future meeting and that information was in their packets. She mentioned that she had also asked if there could be about 10 to 15 units set aside for bridge housing.
Commr. Breeden asked if she had discussed funding for this.
Commr. Campione relayed that due to the timing, they would not be able to receive State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP) funding since it had already been allocated. She suggested that funding for affordable housing be added to the County’s legislative priorities and shared that United Way was making available state funding a goal of theirs. She added that she would reach out to United Way for possible funding support.
commissioner blake – district 5
veterans breakfast
Commr. Blake stated that he would also be attending a breakfast honoring veterans at Lake Receptions the following day.
umatilla bus route
Commr. Blake reported that the bus route change in the City of Umatilla started the previous Monday, was well received by the community, and seemed to be a great success. He thanked staff for all their work on this.
Commr. Campione commended Commissioner Blake for his efforts to assist with this.
Commr. Sullivan also shared how recently a school board member interfaced with the County public transit staff regarding another bus stop concern and he thanked staff for working quickly to resolve the issue.
commissioner sullivan – chairman and district 1
commissioner investiture ceremony
Commr. Sullivan reminded the Board that at their next meeting on November 20, 2018, they would be hosting an investiture ceremony and reception for Commissioner Campione and Commissioner Parks.
election day
Commr. Sullivan encouraged citizens to vote on this election day, noting that this could be a historical election as there had not been a 50 percent turnout to vote in a midterm election since 1914.
veterans lunch
Commr. Sullivan announced that the Beyers Funeral Home in the City of Leesburg would also be hosting a veteran’s lunch. He thanked veterans for their service to our country.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to be brought to the attention of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 10:52 a.m.
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timothy i. sullivan, chairman
ATTEST:
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Gary J. Cooney, Clerk